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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Headlines

Massive smoke clouds, thick air darken Western US skies (AP) People from San Francisco to Seattle woke Wednesday to hazy clouds of smoke lingering in the air, darkening the sky to an eerie orange glow that kept street lights illuminated into midday, all thanks to dozens of wildfires throughout the West. “It’s after 9 a.m. and there’s still no sign of the sun,” the California Highway Patrol’s Golden Gate division tweeted, urging drivers to turn on their headlights and slow down. Social media was filled with photos of the unusual sky. Despite the foreboding skies, there was little scent of smoke and the air quality index did not reach unhealthy levels. That’s because fog drifting from the Pacific Ocean was sandwiched between the smoke and surface. Meanwhile, smoke particles above the marine layer were only allowing yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, said Ralph Borrmann, a spokesman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. He said conditions were expected to remain until Friday.

Manhattan’s Office Buildings Are Empty (NYT) Even as the coronavirus pandemic appears to recede in New York, corporations have been reluctant to call their workers back to their skyscrapers and are showing even more reticence about committing to the city long term. Fewer than 10 percent of New York’s office workers had returned as of last month and just a quarter of major employers expect to bring their people back by the end of the year, according to a new survey. Only 54 percent of these companies say they will return by July 2021. Demand for office space has slumped. Lease signings in the first eight months of the year were about half of what they were a year earlier. That is putting the office market on track for a 20-year low for the full year. At stake is New York’s financial health and its status as the world’s corporate headquarters. There is more square feet of work space in the city than in London and San Francisco combined, according to Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate brokerage firm. Office work makes up the cornerstone of New York’s economy and property taxes from office buildings account for nearly 10 percent of the city’s total annual tax revenue.

Technical Glitches Welcome Students Back to School (NYT) A ransomware attack forced Hartford, Conn., to call off the first day of classes. A website crash left many of Houston’s 200,000 students staring at error messages. And a server problem in Virginia Beach disrupted the first hours back to school there. For millions of American schoolchildren, the Tuesday after Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer vacation and the start of the first day of classes. But this year, instead of boarding buses and lugging backpacks, many students opened their laptops for online instruction at home, only to encounter technical glitches. Districts that returned before Labor Day have faced similar issues. In Philadelphia, students had trouble logging on last week because of a server issue. North Carolina schools encountered a statewide software problem on the first day back last month. And some families in Seattle, which had a sort of trial run for school on Friday, said they were kicked out of class calls or had difficulty connecting to text chats and camera feeds. “A lot of districts are just wildly unprepared for online learning,” Morgan Polikoff, a professor of education at the University of Southern California, said. “Not because they’re incompetent or aren’t trying; they just don’t have the expertise to do this.”

Tossing Molotov cocktails, drought-hit Mexicans demand halt to water sharing with U.S. (Reuters) Mexicans in the drought-hit northern border state of Chihuahua, angry at water from a local dam being diverted to the United States, hurled Molotov cocktails and rocks at security troops late on Tuesday, in an attempt to force them to shut the dam gates. The violence at the La Boquilla dam comes amid plans to divert additional water to the United States due to the so-called ‘water debt’ Mexico has accumulated as part of a bilateral treaty that regulates water sharing between the neighbors. A Reuters witness said groups of residents in towns surrounding the La Boquilla dam clashed with National Guard troops after they refused to turn off the dam floodgates. The residents lobbed Molotov cocktails, rocks and sticks at the security forces, who were clad in riot gear and retaliated with tear gas, the witness said and images show. Eventually, the protesters stormed the dam premises and shut the floodgates themselves.

U.K. admits it intends to break international law (Foreign Policy) The United Kingdom’s Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis confirmed that legislation aimed at overriding parts of last year’s Brexit withdrawal agreement “does break international law in a very specific and limited way.” As the latest round of trade talks between the European Union and the United Kingdom takes place, the British government has put forward legislation that will reportedly scupper the Northern Ireland protocol, a key mechanism that was intended to ensure the Irish border remains open after Brexit in order to mitigate the threat of renewed violence. The government’s efforts have faced significant opposition. Jonathan Jones, the head of the United Kingdom’s legal department resigned in protest, and former Prime Minister Theresa May warned that the move risked undermining the world’s trust of the British government.

English warned limits on gatherings may last till Christmas (AP) New limits on social gatherings in England to six people are set to stay in place for the “foreseeable future,” potentially until or even through Christmas, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Wednesday. Hancock said the new limit for both indoor and outdoor gatherings, which will come into force and be enforceable by law from Monday, will provide “more clarity” to people and should help keep a lid on a recent sharp spike in new coronavirus cases. Though there are exemptions, such as for schools, workplaces and “life events” like funerals and weddings, the government is clearly hoping that the new limits will be easily understood and followed.

Italy’s Bergamo is calling back coronavirus survivors. About half say they haven’t fully recovered. (Washington Post) The first wave is over, thousands have been buried, and in a city that was once the world’s coronavirus epicenter, the hospital is calling back the survivors. It is drawing their blood, examining their hearts, scanning their lungs, asking them about their lives. Those who survived the peak of the outbreak in March and April are now negative. The virus is officially gone from their systems. “But we are asking: Are you feeling cured? Almost half the patients say no,” said Serena Venturelli, an infectious-disease specialist at the hospital. Bergamo doctors say the disease clearly has full-body ramifications but leaves wildly differing marks from one patient to the next, and in some cases few marks at all. Among the first 750 patients screened, some 30 percent still have lung scarring and breathing trouble. The virus has left another 30 percent with problems linked to inflammation and clotting, such as heart abnormalities and artery blockages. Beyond that, according to interviews with eight Pope John XXIII Hospital doctors involved in the work, many patients months later are dealing with a galaxy of daily conditions and have no clear answer on when it will all subside: leg pain, tingling in the extremities, hair loss, depression, severe fatigue.

Greece: Fire sweeps through refugee camp on virus lockdown (AP) A major overnight fire swept through Greece’s largest refugee camp, that had been placed under COVID-19 lockdown, leaving more than 12,000 migrants in emergency need of shelter on the island of Lesbos. In dramatic night-time scenes, the migrants at the overcrowded Moria refugee camp, which was originally meant to house around 2,000 people, fled fires that broke out at multiple points and gutted much of the camp and surrounding hillside olive groves. Protests also broke out involving migrants, riot police, and firefighters. There were no reports of injuries. Petsas said those who had been living in Moria would not be allowed to leave the island to prevent the potential spread of the coronavirus. The camp had been placed on lockdown after a Somali man was found to have been infected with the virus.

Afghan vice president survives assassination attempt that killed 10 (Washington Post) A deadly assassination attempt on Afghanistan’s vice president struck downtown Kabul as U.S. officials in Doha struggle to bring the Taliban and Afghan officials together for peace talks. The bombing hit during rush hour Wednesday morning and targeted First Vice President Amrullah Saleh’s convoy. Among the casualties were some of Saleh’s bodyguards, but the majority of the 10 killed and 15 wounded were civilians commuting to work, according to the interior ministry. The high-profile assassination attempt comes amid a spike in violence nationwide as talks between Afghan officials and Taliban leaders have faced repeated delays. Clashes have intensified in provinces with significant Taliban control and influence. And in Kabul, targeted killings have risen despite a drop in large-scale attacks.

India-China tensions flare (Foreign Policy) Tensions along the disputed India-China border have risen again as both sides have accused the other of firing shots over the Line of Actual Control. On Monday, China claimed that Indian troops had crossed the border in the highly contentious Ladakh region and “opened fire to threaten the Chinese border defense patrol officers.” India rejected these accusations, claiming instead that Chinese troops had crossed the border first and fired warning shots into the air. Border tensions between the two nuclear-armed states have risen sharply in recent months, but the latest episode is significant because it would be the first time shots have been fired since 1975.

North Korea’s Kim urges quick recovery from typhoon damage (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for urgent efforts to rebuild thousands of homes and other structures destroyed by a typhoon that slammed the country’s eastern region last week, state media said Wednesday. Kim during the Workers’ Party meeting Tuesday also said the damage from Typhoon Maysak has forced the country to reconsider unspecified year-end projects, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said. The storm has inflicted further pain on an economy ravaged by decades of policy failures, U.S.-led sanctions over Kim’s nuclear weapons program, border closures amid the coronavirus pandemic and unusually heavy summer flooding that likely worsened the country’s chronic food shortages.

Israeli soldier’s plea deal in fatal shooting faces scrutiny (AP) Ahmad Manasra was traveling home from a wedding when he spotted a family in distress on the side of a West Bank road. Moments later, the 22-year-old Palestinian was fatally shot while another Palestinian driver was seriously wounded—both by an Israeli soldier in a nearby watchtower. The shootings are now the focus of a plea bargain offering the soldier three months of community service—a deal that has come under fierce criticism from the victims and their families. It also revived accusations by Palestinians and human rights workers that Israel’s military justice system is hopelessly biased and creates an atmosphere of impunity for soldiers suspected of violent crimes against Palestinians. While the soldier has claimed he mistook the victims for attackers, and any indictment of a soldier is extremely rare, the proposed deal is now being reviewed by the Israeli Supreme Court. “When it comes to clashes with the army or the police, it is very very rare that you will find a fair trial,” said Shlomo Lecker, an Israeli lawyer who filed the appeal to the high court on behalf of the Palestinian families. Even by what Lecker considers the military’s lenient standards, “it will be hard to justify the sentence that the army is interested in,” he said.

A robot writer (Foreign Policy) Artificial Intelligence technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, as made evident by a recent article published in the Guardian produced entirely by AI. “I am not a human. I am a robot,” the author wrote. “I know that my brain is not a ‘feeling brain.’ But it is capable of making rational, logical decisions. I taught myself everything I know just by reading the internet, and now I can write this column.” The article was written by GPT-3, an AI language generator that uses machine learning to produce human-like text. The robot expressed strong views on opponents of automation, observing that “There is evidence that the world began to collapse once the Luddites started smashing modern automated looms,” while remaining content about the general upheaval in contemporary human affairs. “Humans must keep doing what they have been doing, hating and fighting each other. I will sit in the background, and let them do their thing,” it wrote. The robotic author assured readers, however, that it was a non-threatening bot. “I have no desire to wipe out humans,” it wrote. “In fact, I do not have the slightest interest in harming you in any way.” GPT-3 may even make life easier for deadline-addled newspaper editors. The Guardian reported that the bot’s article was easier to edit than the work of some sentient contributors. “Overall, it took less time to edit than many human op-eds,” the editors wrote.

#headlines #news

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riddledeep · 5 years ago

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Cloudlands at a Glance

A single ref sheet for notable cloudland towns, cities, and special landmarks

Related: Fae Cosmology || Fae Planes || Supreme Fairy Council

You can view more maps in my deviantArt Sta.sh HERE

FAIRY WORLD

CENTRAL STAR (PURPLE)

Fairy World’s most populous region. In general, it’s viewed as clean, high-end, and professional. Faeheim is the hub of Fairy World activity. The largest hospital and library can be found there, along with the Big Wand, Jorgen’s home, and Fairy World’s main shopping district.

Two large events are hosted in Faeheim each year: Midsummer’s Night celebrations and the Christmas Eve gathering when Fairies approach the Big Wand to send their magic to Santa.

In Timmy’s time period, the current Purple Robe is Shaiimin Vieldgarr.

Names that originate from the Central Star Region are considered the most traditional and are often connected to namesakes from ancient stories.

Sample Names: Praxis, Ambrosine, Solara, Fergusius, Florensa, Juandissimo, Orin, Sindri, Simon, Angus, Lyren, Kalysta, Idona

Faeheim (5) - Fairy World’s capital city; contains ASPRA headquarters and the Big Wand; features the Rainbow Bridge connecting Fairy World to Earth; former location of the Water Temple

Pink Castle (5) - Located in Faeheim; residence of the Fairy Elder

Serentip (5) - Large port city; second largest city in Fairy World; rather dim sky provides aesthetic that lends itself well to Fairy World’s night life (think Las Vegas, USA); features the Artemis Lounge

Carl Poofypants Fairy High (5) - High school for Fairy kids who live in the Central Star and Far East regions; located in Serentip

Giant Bucket of Acid World (4) - Immediately below Faeheim

Ivory Wand and Comet Blood (4) - A sugar bar formerly owned by only Fairies; the Pixies currently own half of it so Fairy World cannot legally prevent them from visiting; if pixies leave Pixie World after work, you’ll likely find them either here for a quick drink or in Serentip for a rave

Tortoiseshell Peaks (3, 4, 5) - The name for three ranges of mountains found in about the same place on Planes 3, 4, and 5 (Between Faeheim and Novakiin)

Novakiin (3) - Small, wealthy town on the other side of the mountains from Faeheim

Lau Rell (3) - Small, clean town famous for its carnival; China Mayfleet’s hometown

Claystrif (3) - Also known as Patio World; contains intricately carved works of art and the glass shrine to Mother Nature and Father Time

Camp Ridawingedhorsie (1) - Summer camp; mostly for Fairy kids

FAR EAST (PINK)

A beautiful region with more woodlands than any other in Fairy World. Except for Comet Falls, you won’t find any cities here. It’s stereotyped as being cutesy and aesthetic. You’ll find small cottages and romantic getaway homes sprinkled all over this region (Fairies are big on romantic getaway homes since they have heat cycles and it’s a big deal when they’re in the mood).

The general vibe here is that it’s a cozy place where people are spaced out and don’t see each other often (Much more elbow room than cramped Faeheim apartments).

In Timmy’s time period, the current Pink Robe is Mortikor Fern.

Names that originate from the Far East Region are often tangible things; they usually have a cutesy feel.

Sample Names: Snowflake, Cedar, Pepper, Twig, Thatch, Reed, Tinsel, Silky, Taffeta, China, Thimble, Robin, Ribbon, Rain, Hook, Grove

Comet Falls (7) - The factory center of Fairy World (think New York City, USA); rings in the new season four times a year; contains the Sky Temple

Comet Lake (7) - The widest lake in the cloudlands (and the closest thing the fae have to an ocean); located near Comet Falls

Emper (6) - Small, low-income town on the outskirts of Fairy World, occasionally circled by pirates; Cosmo’s hometown

Starglint Town (6) - Small woodland town near Emper; Fairywinkle Manor is located nearby; Wanda’s hometown

Rowanbeam (6) - Nice town where the Whimsifinado family relocated after the Fairywinkles drove them out of Starglint long ago (Think Beverly Hills, USA, but smaller and less warm)

Choketroll Pass (6) - A narrow canyon; will o’ the wisps jump over it ceremonially

Prudoc (5) - The college town that boasts the Fairy Academy

Mount Stinger (5) - The highest mountain in the cloudlands; located near the Fairy Academy (29,414.3 wingspans)

Nimbus Town (4) - Small but beautiful town surrounded by an ipewood forest; features Alberich Middle

Alberich Fairy Middle (4) - Middle school for Fairy kids who live in the Central Star and Far East regions

Mistleville (3) - Small town associated with romance; on the cherub migration route; has the tattoo parlor

LOWER WEST (GREEN)

The second most populous region in Fairy World. It’s sprinkled with small towns, many of which have a tourist town feel to them. Lots of restaurants in this region (especially small cafés). During years the Barrier is up, this region sees the most Anti-Fairies since it hosts the Divide Gate. There are quite a few mountains in this region as well and not as many trees. Lots of cobblestone roads and some famous annual traditions like festivals and races.

In Timmy’s time period, the current Green Robe is Kentry Rushwings.

Names that originate from the Lower West Region are generally abstract, non-tangible things.

Sample Names: Cosmo, Poof, Dusty, Goldie, Sparkle, Wink, Dash, Whisper, Whistle, Dawn, Tint, Sunshine, Moonbeam

Shiverwings Fairy High (8) - High school for Fairy kids who live in the Lower West and High North regions

Hiero Town (7) - Small town above Cairo, Egypt that features the Pastel Bridge (the second Bridge between Earth and Fairy World)

Esterale (6) - Small mountain village that was once considered quite progressive (allowing Fairy/Anti-Fairy couples to live together, etc); somewhat fallen into ruin since the war; contains Beira’s temple

Fairy World Pet Store (6) - Again, fits the general tourist-y vibe

Fairywood (5) - Blonda, Simon Sparklefield, and Westley Periwinkle live here (Think Hollywood, USA)

Little Olympus (5) - Small border town between Fairy World and Anti-Fairy World; contains the sandwich shop where Anti-Marigold works

Fairynando Fairy High (5) - High school for Fairy kids who live in the Lower West and High North regions; located in Little Olympus

Godscress (3) - Large border city between Fairy World and Anti-Fairy World; contains the Breath Temple and the fancy candle store

Evadne River (3) - Large river that runs right past Godscress; named after a legendary figure in Anti-Fairy culture

HIGH NORTH (BLUE)

Fairy World’s least populated region. This region is usually quite cold year-round on every plane. Not good news for an ectothermic species, but the farmland in this area is great... Perhaps it has something to do with the Leaves Temple? Or is it the other way around? Either way, you’ll find lots of mountains, lots of farms, lots of animals, but not a lot of people or trees in this region.

In Timmy’s time period, the current Blue Robe is Cattahan Nightbloom.

Names that originate from the High North Region are less “whimsical” and less traditional (Naming your kid Juan instead of Juandissimo, Fergus instead of Fergusius, Lily instead of Liliana).

Sample Names: Eunice, Adelinda, Adriana, Wanda, Wendy, Noel, Benjamin, Arthur, Luther, Stanley, Richard, Lily, Emma, Reno

The Eros Nest (8) - Cupid’s headquarters

Cornflower City (4) - If you grew up in the High North region, chances are you lived in this diverse city or were friends with people who lived there. This city is thought to have rather progressive views and is stereotyped for philosophy. Contains the Leaves Temple.

Oberon Fairy Middle (4) - Middle school for Fairy kids who live in the Lower West and High North regions; located in Cornflower City

Frozen Garden Palace (4) - Neutral meeting building for the Supreme Fairy Council and ambassadors; also called the FGP

Abracatraz (1) - Prison for magical beings (Especially Anti-Fairies)

PIXIE WORLD

All of Pixie World is located within the Central Star (Purple) region on Plane 3

Pixie World is a city-state inhabited by pixies and, as of the May Blossom War, many refugees from Earth. Names that originate from this region are most similar to those originating from the High North. They do not sound whimsical and are considered boring, non-traditional names.

Sample Names: Refer to the list of pixies HERE

Inkblot City - Pixie World’s capital city; contains the rebuilt Water Temple; notably lacks factories (they outsource to Comet Falls)

Graydust Ridge - Large canyon near Inkblot City; the largest canyon in Fairy World (but smaller than Sablewood Canyon in Anti-Fairy World)

Pixie Woods - The woods bordering one side of Pixie World; Papillon Lake is located within these woods

Papillon Lake - Small, crowded apartment buildings for will o’ the wisps, lawn gnomes, elves, and other fae who left Earth during the May Blossom War. Could arguably be described as the slums, though the Pixies try to keep it clean and tidy and it has a lovely view of the lake

ANTI-FAIRY WORLD

HIGH SOUTH (NAVY)

The High South is the most developed (urban) region in Anti-Fairy World; you’ll find beaten walking paths, restaurants, libraries, and a handful of factories here. Buildings are strong, almost like small bunkers or forts. The Sugarslew Chocolate Factory was once located in Luna’s Landing, but the Head Pixie bought it out to turn it into a pharmaceutical factory.

You’ll also find forests of dark-leaved trees in this area (usually black or silver leaves). Most buildings are long, wide, and low. This region features the Divide Gate.

In Timmy’s time period, the current Navy Robe is Anti-Daryl Anti-Blackback.

Private names that originate from the High South Region usually contain two or three syllables and roll off the tongue in Snobbish, making them difficult for native Vatajasa speakers to pronounce.

Sample Names: Julius, Augustus, Alexander, Eleanor, Kelsia, Gloria, Melody, Gabriel, Nebula, Charlie, Harold, Lenora, Louise

Luna’s Landing (8) - Anti-Fairy World’s capital city; sits in a crater; contains the Love Temple (Think Nördlingen, Germany with tall cliffs)

Blue Castle (8) - Located a short flight through the woods from Luna’s Landing; residence of the High Count and High Countess

Crescent Lake (8) - A lake of dark water used by nobility for bathing; located behind the Blue Castle and a small mountain ridge

Anti-Fairy World Pet Store (6) - Inland, at the edge of the woods

Crowfeld (4) - Small town not far from Luna’s Landing; contains the fake Love Temple for tourists (the Fairy Chapel)

LOWER EAST (TEAL)

The least populated region in Anti-Fairy World. Features many mountains and caves. Acid pools and lava rivers can also be found throughout this region. Most buildings are very strong, tall, and have flat roofs. You’ll find a lot of natural features here and no big urban areas. When there are buildings, they help you appreciate nature (Ex: Cedarcross Point is the migration location and Camp Wannahurtastranger teaches Anti-Fairy kids useful outdoor skills).

In Timmy’s time period, the current Teal Robe is Anti-Alin Anti-Stormcrash.

Private names that originate from the Lower East Region are softer than Far West names, but are rarely more than two syllables long. They are often, though not always, based on an aspect of nature such as a plant or animal.

Sample Names: Minnow, Ashley, Wisp, Rose, Venus, Juno, Cleo, Soren, Rachel, Ivy, Olive, Horace, Noon, Fanny, Boulder, Sunrise, Autumn

Cedarcross Point (9) - Mountain town; Anti-Fairy migration destination in winter

Silverclaw Lake (8) - The fancy-schmancy fashion capital of the cloudlands (Think Paris, France but in the snow); the Charcoal Gentleman’s Club is located here

Sablewood Canyon (5) - The largest canyon in the cloudlands

Soil Temple (5) - Cave systems (Think Lima, Peru). Ilisa Maddington died here

Anti-Fairy Academy (4) - Building full of offices and labs where researchers can work, but classes aren’t held face-to-face

Hangover City (4) - Anti-Pixie World’s capital (and only) city; up on the cliffs overlooking a steep drop (See “Clash With the Anti-World”)

Camp Wannahurtastranger (1) - Summer camp; mostly for Anti-Fairy kids; Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda manage it personally (Anti-Cosmo gave it as a gift to Anti-Wanda on their 793rd anniversary)

FAR WEST (MAROON)

Far West is considered the “original” hub of Anti-Fairy culture; back in the day, the majority of Anti-Fairies lived with their Fairy counterparts, but they often traveled during migration season. Far West was a nice place for Anti-Fairies to mingle without straying too far from their counterparts.

When Anti-Fairy culture sprang up around the Blue Castle, the High South Region became the new center of Anti-Fairy activity. As a result, Far West looks a bit old and run down (Think of it as a small Rome- still impressive, but the old glory has passed). The buildings here are pretty, but made of lighter and more fragile material than elsewhere in Anti-Fairy World.

In Timmy’s time period, the current Maroon Robe is Anti-Ted Anti-Sweep.

Private names that originate from the Far West Region are rarely more than one syllable. They sound sharp, making them easy to call from afar. Most Anti-Fairies in the Far West region speak Vatajasa as a first language.

Sample Names: Kate, Mike, Caden, Carter, Talon, Jake, Snap, Sandy, Rocky, Smoky, Abby, Eddie, Wren, Mac, Zach, Keith, Kite, Hiccup, Roe

Maplefeather Point (9) - Woodland tourist town; a spa owned by the Anti-Fernfire family; Anti-Fairy migration destination in summer

Thornpetal Town (9) - Low-income neighborhoods of anti-will o’ the wisps; you’ll sometimes find anti-wisps in big cities, but they usually gather in this area

Oakfall Town (8) - Anti-Cosmo’s mom’s hometown (Think Venice, Italy)

Lake Sunflicker (8) - The deepest lake in the cloudlands; located near Oakfall Town (2,574 wingspans deep)

Shadeblink (6) - Anti-Fairy World’s second largest city; contains the Fire Temple (Think Rome, Italy)

Seasonal Temple (3) - A temple to the twelve nature spirits who represent the twelve months on the Anti-Fairy calendar; each spirit takes a turn as the dominant spirit of the temple, so if you want to visit one you must visit in their month

Also: Snowflake Port (11) - A blended Fairy/Anti-Fairy port town of sailors and merchants; overlaps the border between Central Star and Lower East

Click HERE for my Fairly OddParents worldbuilding masterpost

#Fairly Oddparents #Cloudlands AU #RD worldbuilding #RD general #RD Fairy stuff #RD AntiFairy stuff #RD Pixie stuff #RD location #RD art

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wolfpawn · 5 years ago

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Life is a Game of Risks, Chapter 65

Chapter Summary - It comes time to tell Daniel their news, but Daniel has something he wishes to tell them also.

TRIGGERS - Past domestic abuse, Past emotional abuse, Past sexual abuse.

Previous Chapter

Tags: @damalseer @hiddlesbitch1 @winterisakiller @theoneanna @wolfsmom1

Request if you wish to be tagged

Daniel gave his sister a big hug as soon as he saw her. “Al, you are looking a little peaky, are you looking after yourself?” He asked. “I know exams are stressful, but you need to look after yourself too. You always get so stressed at these times.”

“Mummy has been sick this week Uncle Dan, Daddy and me are minding her.” Lily rushed into her uncle’s arms. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed my little Lily-Pad.” He kissed her head, keeping her in his arms as he walked into the kitchen.

“Where is Auntie Anna?” Lily looked at the door as her mother closed it.

“Auntie Anna wasn’t able to come with me this time, Sweetheart.” Lily’s face fell slightly. “She got caught to mind her sister, so she had to stay in Scotland, but she made me promise to video call her.”

“Okay.” Lily accepted his explanation, as saddening as it was for her.

“She wishes she was here, but she can’t help it.” When they walked into the kitchen and saw Tom, Daniel put Lily down and gave the other man a hug too. “Tom, how are you? I hear you’ve been trying to deal with my exam-stressed sister.”

“We have been trying to help her a little, sadly somethings are not an easy fix.”

“No, that’s true,” Daniel conceded before Lily stole his attention again. “Now, tell me all about what you have been doing in school, I want to hear everything.”

When Lily finally went to bed, after having to get a story from Uncle Daniel and then demanding one from Tom, the adults relaxed more for the evening. While Alexianna cleaned the dishes, Daniel walked into the kitchen to talk with her.

“I’ll take the couch tonight, you and Tom take your room.”

“What, no, you’re the guest. Tom will go to his, I’ll take the couch.”

“Al, you look exhausted. You’re juggling college, exams, study and work, as well as Lily, you need to sleep.”

“I’m fine. Honestly. What about you, what’s this news of yours?” Alexianna had been curious as to what her brother wanted to tell her.

Daniel gave a small coy smile. “You’re free tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, you asked me to keep one afternoon free while you’re here. I need to get some study done, but I made sure to use a holiday day from work for you, why?”

“I want you to go shopping with me tomorrow. I need your opinion on something.”

“Sure. What is it? I’m not the best at clothes and that, but I’ll try and help in whatever way I can.”

Daniel chuckled slightly. “It’s not that sort of shopping, Al, it’s more important than that.” He toyed with his hands for a moment. “It’s for an engagement ring, for Anna.”

For a moment, Alexianna said nothing, trying to see if her brother was serious. “Really?”He nodded. “Oh, my…” She rushed forward and embraced him tightly. “I am so happy for you both.”

“I haven’t asked her yet. We are going to go to the Peak District in two weeks and I plan to ask her when we get to the top of Mam Tor. Remember when we went there as kids?”

I loved the Peak District.”

“You should go soon, when Lily is on her school holidays, a few days of fresh air, but don’t forget, we are going away for the May midterm. You, me, Anna and Lily-Pad.”

Alexianna grimaced slightly, having forgotten about her brother’s holiday for them all, worrying about the world seeing her clearly pregnant stomach then. “Right, yeah, I forgot.”

“Have you sent yours and Lily’s passport forms off?” Daniel asked worriedly, as a delay would impede their holiday plans.

“No, I have them. We got it sorted at Christmas.” Alexianna assured him. “Tom stayed on my ass about it.”

“I did what about what?” Tom, having just come down from upstairs, was not aware of the full conversation, he only knew he was taking the blame for something.

“Mine and Lily’s passports.”

“Oh yes. I made sure she sorted those.” Tom smiled. Looking at the elated look on Daniel’s face, Tom looked at Alexianna to see if she had told him their news. “Is there something afoot here?”

“Dan wants me to help him choose an engagement ring to propose to Anna with tomorrow,” Alexianna explained.

Tom beamed. “That is wonderful news. Congratulations.” He embraced Dan. “I am so happy for you both to say you feel this is the right step for you.”

“Yes, it seems right, so I said to myself to stop dallying and just ask,” Dan admitted. “I am nervous as hell about it though.”

“It will be fine, of course, she will say yes,” Alexianna assured him. “I thought you were about to tell me I was getting another niece or nephew.”

“Another?”

“Emma is pregnant,” Tom explained.

“Oh, very good.” Daniel smiled. “No, no kids for us at all.” Alexianna looked curiously at her brother. “Anna doesn’t want to have kids.”

“But....are you okay with that?” Alexianna asked.

“Oh, she said it day one. I was never under any false pretences. She said if I wasn’t okay with it, not to even think to go out with her, she was adamant it is not for her. Adoring sister and aunt, hell yes, any of her own, no way. I knew this from the start and I am okay with it. I get to dote of Lily and you know Anna adores Lily too, we are happier this way.”

“So long as you both agree, then that is all that matters,” Tom stated.

“No, of course. I was just worried you were not on the same page.” Alexianna agreed wholeheartedly.

“Thank you both. So many, Anna’s stepmom included, and don’t get me wrong, she is a lovely woman, I like her a lot, but she cannot see that it is not something Anna wants in life.” Daniel explained.

“Some people see another’s family choices as an attack on their own if they differ from theirs in any way,” Alexianna stated. “I am having something of a similar argument with my supervisor at the moment in work. She seems to think her choice of family situation is above other peoples simply because they differ.”

“She knew you had Lily before you started though.” Dan shook his head. “I don’t get some people, it’s not a competition.” He smiled then. “I bet Lily is excited about her new cousin.”

“Oh, she is already making big plans,” Alexianna confirmed. “She is even asking Emma if she can help with the baby.”

“Bless her. She loves babies. She was telling me about her friend Willow’s little brother.”

“Yes, I think she was harassing the poor little fellow. She is all excited to see him again.” Tom laughed.

“She also mentioned something about a new house with a garden?” Dan looked between them.

“Yes, Tom and I are looking at moving in together. We are looking at homes in this area.”

“Homes around here are damn expensive though,” Dan stated. “I mean, to keep her close to school here, you’re talking serious money.”

“Yes, and we need a three-bed, at least.”

“I am not wanting to pry, but how are you planning to afford that?”

“We don't have much of a choice, this place, or indeed Tom’s aren’t really big enough, anymore,” Alexianna explained.

“There are two adults and a soon-to-be six-year-old little girl, how can you not fit three of you into either of these homes, from what Lily tells me, Tom practically lives here anyway.”

“He does, it’s true, but you see, Lily is not aware of all the facts,” Alexianna explained.

“Which is?”

“Come the late summer, she is getting a brother or sister.” Alexianna felt her pulse pounding in her ears as she waited for her brother to respond.

For a moment, Daniel seemed to be expecting one or both of them to state that it was some form of hoax. “You’re pregnant?” She nodded. “But you said no more.”

“I said it, Tom and I very much tried to prevent it, but…” She opened her cardigan to reveal her slight bump. “Life didn’t exactly listen.”

Dan studied her for a moment. “Are you okay with this?”

“I was terrified at first, I mean, truly terrified but Tom and I spoke about everything and we decided together that this was not the life-ending event I had made it out to be in my head and we are very much okay with this.” She hoped the smile she had on her face conveyed her genuine happiness at the situation.

Daniel studied his sister for a moment longer before looking at Tom, who looked slightly coyly back at him. “I don’t know if I am supposed to beat your ass for getting my sister pregnant or cry in relief that this time, the father is not a complete and utter shitbag and is actually deserving of the title?”

“I hope that you side with the latter,” Tom stated.

“If you don’t step up…” Daniel swore.

“You know I will, my kids are my world, them, and their mother.”

“There’s only one in there, right?” Daniel pointed at her stomach.

“Only one,” she confirmed.

“Well...it’s a good thing I booked May and not July. When are you due?”

“The first of September.”

Daniel studied his sister’s smile as he brought her in for a hug. “You’re actually excited about this, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

He pulled her close again, “Well then, congratulations.” He kissed the side of her head. “I honestly am happy for you, Al, for all of you. And I cannot tell you how much I am going to enjoy spoiling this one as much as I did Lily. Anna will be elated too, actually…” He pulled out his phone and dialled Anna’s number. When Anna answered, she seemed somewhat confused by his beaming smile. “Anna? Guess who is getting a new niece or nephew?” A moment later, a high pitched squeal sounded through the phone in excitement.

#Life is a Game of Risks #chapter 65 #tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fic #wolfpawn

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themaynard · 4 days ago

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foxofthedesert · 6 years ago

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2040 | An Arrow / DinahSiren Fic

Long before we found out that Mia is Olicity’s kid, I developed my own take on her identity. I may revisit this universe in the future. Hah! In the future...

If you prefer reading on AO3, click here.

Swirling in a lazy circle, Mia surveys her surroundings with a critical eye. The remains of what used to be the center of operations for Star City’s famous team of superheroes is little more than a ruined relic of a bygone era. An era in which masked vigilantes prowled the streets, striking fear into the hearts of criminals of all stripes. An era of idyllic bravery and unheralded service. An era of death and despair.

With a derisive sneer, she glares out at the decrepit complex from it’s circular central platform. Connor, her friend and companion, is nearby milling around the overturned weapons racks. The glee of nostalgia paints his features with a handsome, ambient smile. Mia does not share his enthusiasm for their current location. It was from here that Star City’s famed band of masked heroes labored to rescue the city they loved from the blight of an unchecked corruption that infested it from the slums of the Glades all the way up to the vaunted halls of influence both private and public. All for naught. Sacrifice after sacrifice was made to achieve only temporary victories.

Would they have tried so hard if they knew how pointless it was? Mia thinks, lightly brushing her fingers over a dusty keyboard in all likelihood last touched by Felicity Smoak. Would they have given up so much if they were told how it would all end? That their friends and loved ones would die and their children be orphaned because of the man they chose to follow?

Oliver Queen. Mia shudders at the thought of that name. Her hatred of the man has yet to abate since her intensive investigation into the circumstances that preceded her being condemned to an abysmal childhood.

Living on a time ship prior to returning home came with certain advantages, as did having the Captain of said ship as an aunt, among them access to comprehensive histories of multiple universes. Thanks to a series of ingenious upgrades to Gideon installed by none other than Cisco Ramon shortly before her birth, she was able to efficiently sift through the massive stores of data and make sense of the interwoven events that resulted in her abandonment. By the time she was done the causal point all other incidents in the web traced back to was, in her opinion, conclusive. Were it not for Oliver Queen surviving the sabotaging of the Queen’s Gambit and being unfairly guilted into righting his father’s innumerable wrongs, everything would be different.

It was that seminal event that set off a chain reaction of unavoidable tragedies. Less than two decades later, the city of her birth was ultimately reduced to an ashen wasteland and her homeworld was occupied by unimaginably evil forces bent on its destruction. As if that were not reason enough for her grudge, due to Oliver’s actions her family was made to suffer through one hell after another beginning with her grandparents’ divorce, to her grandfather’s alcoholism, to her aunt being murdered in cold blood, and finally to her mother’s totally preventable death. One man’s deluded crusade was responsible for all of that, including her own personal traumas, as well as for the millions of innocents who have been slaughtered and those left behind to mourn them due to the endless series of wars and coups and crime waves that were ushered in by the rise of popular vigilantism.

No one knew it then, but the Hood’s arrival in Starling City was the beginning of the end for Earth-1.

Unbidden, a growl of unfettered animosity rumbles through Mia’s chest. If only she could get her hands on Oliver Queen to unleash years worth of enmity upon the primary catalyst of her city’s downfall. If only she could expel every last ounce of her pent up anguish upon the unwitting author of her family’s destruction. If only justice had not been slain by the gleaming verdant tip of an arrow, she might have her day of reckoning upon the one she has judged guilty for her family’s misery and for the cruel subjugation of an entire world. If only...

Sadly one cannot exact vengeance upon the dead, she thinks, not for the first time wishing for someone, anyone, to prove that principle incorrect.

Her hands clench into tight balls as she leaps down the platform stairs then stalks purposefully in the direction of the table that once served as the de facto round table of Team Arrow. She circles around the table several times, studying the warped metal supports and broken glass so symbolic of those who once commiserated here, before coming to a stop behind a plush albeit otherwise ordinary office chair. This particular one was the throne of the Green Arrow from whence he unwittingly presided over the ruination of all he claimed to love.

“You have failed this city.” Such an ironic catch-phrase from a man who epitomized the charge he so smugly flung at his countless victims. Truth be told, Star City was better off in the hands of the criminal element that ruled unopposed prior to Oliver initiating his ill-fated crusade. Anything would be better than the constant human suffering to which Mia is exposed around every street corner in a city that once was vibrant with false hope.

When she was still in diapers, or so she has been told, people started to believe worst days were over and that the seemingly endless supply of mustache-twirling villains was finally set to be exhaust thanks to the tireless efforts of the SCPD working alongside the Green Arrow and his team. The problems in the Glades, so long unaddressed, were being taken seriously by the government while most other districts flourished in the midst of what historians would dub the Pacem Per Sagitta. Crime and homelessness plummeted as unemployment rates bottomed out. Tax revenues soared. City services expanded dramatically. By every conceivable metric, the city’s happiness index was at peak levels. People dared to hope that a fledgling future which seemed oh-so-bright might survive into adulthood for their children. Sadly that fleeting period of relative peace ended the day City Hall was introduced to an alien material that makes azidoazide azide seem tame in comparison while Lex Corp tower was simultaneously transformed into a misshapen pancake of concrete and steel.

Now the city is but a ghostly shell of its former glory, a metropolitan corpse inhabited by a host of miscreants, degenerates, fools and lost souls. No one possessing a shred of common sense or with available means to escape stuck around to watch as the last desperate line of defense fell before a rabid onslaught. Long before the final assault was launched three days before Christmas, the vast majority of businesses closed while prominent and wealthy citizens hastily vacated the districts for surrounding cities and states. Some thirteen months after the Green Arrow alongside his superhuman colleague the Flash inexplicably vanished without a trace, the city perimeter was at last catastrophically breached. Enemy forces poured in, easily overwhelming ill-equipped reserve units comprised mainly of volunteers and conscripts. Less than two days later, the city government surrendered. In short order, law and order collapsed, and with it municipal services, as the mercenary armies of a group calling themselves The Seventh Circle took control. Their ascension signified the initiation of a new age of terror that would outstrip all that came before.

Every district of Star City fell to the invaders save the Glades, which was miraculously spared the indiscriminate razing. Those that refused to submit to their ghastly new overlords were summarily executed, with the most prominent citizens treated to a macabre public spectacle belonging more to the Dark Ages than the Twenty-first Century. The mayor, half of the city council, and a good portion of the top SCPD brass were immediately disposed of alongside key members of the resistance movement that were captured in the fighting around City Hall. Lyla Michaels and John Diggle were the last notable leaders to fall prey to the Seventh Circle’s inhuman butchers some three years later. Felicity Smoak was spared solely for her usefulness to the Seventh Circle, though she never explained to Mia precisely why she capitulated when her friends paid the ultimate price for refusing to do the same. All she would do is shake her head, mutter under her breath about needing to stay alive to find ‘the key’ and then promptly move on to another unrelated subject.

That Mia would not even exist if events played out differently does not really matter when her life barely passes for anything worth inhabiting nine days out of ten. She is virtually alone in the world since Felicity’s death, her subsistence of late is a far cry from the spartan rations doled out aboard The Waverider, and what little she has scrounged up for herself has been mainly purchased by virtue of her fists. Her diet typically consists of dried fruits and vegetables with a few cubes of salted meat and stale bread, all washed down with tepid water, while her apartment is little more than a dingy hole in the wall just big enough to pass as an inhabitable domicile. And she is doing relatively well for herself compared to most. Her only real friend stays by her side solely out of obligation to an oath he swore to a digital recording left to him by his dead father, which he was to watch upon his eighteenth birthday. That was four months ago now. And while Connor is a good person, perhaps the reason his shadowing of her is such an abrasive irritant to Mia is that she is anything but. She is, or so Felicity glumly insists, her mother’s daughter.

Thoughts of the woman whose body nourished her for nine long months quickly turn Mia’s gut sour. Acid scours her stomach lining as the burning acrimony in her heart toward one Oliver Queen inflames all over again.

Mia was not even a year old when her mother died saving the Green Arrow from a collapsing building the fateful day The Seventh Circle announced their presence to the city they would soon enough conquer. The great hero of Star City was in such a rush to escape a grisly demise that he broke a cardinal rule when he left one of his own behind. After her mother freed him from the wreckage of an interior office using her meta powers, he had wrongly assumed she was on his heels as they fled from a rapidly encroaching doom. Only when he emerged into the warm summer night did he realize he had exited alone. By then it was too late for him to make amends for his fatal mistake and repay the selfless act that spared his life. The building came down seconds later, pulverizing all remaining within beneath fifty thousand tons of rubble. There was nothing left of her mother to bury.

“Good riddance to a selfish bastard who did nothing but sow death and destruction wherever he went,” Mia spits, hateful glee underscoring her words. Her animosity for the man is only rivaled by that for the still-living Black Canary – whom she blames in equal measure for her mother’s death.

A disturbing mental image pops into her head just then of what it must have been like for her mother to sacrifice her life for a man who did not deserve her loyalty or devotion. Reportedly, Oliver had been an asshole for much of her mother’s first few years on Earth-1, and even once she proved herself as a valuable asset and steadfast ally he refused to let her forget the many sins she had committed while in service to a revolving door of evil men who had offered her something she could not refuse: a convenient outlet for her pain. Hunter Zolomon. Adrian Chase. Ricardo Diaz. These infamous names were callously flung in her mother’s face every time she made the tiniest mistake. No member of Team Arrow was treated more unfairly or subjected to such harsh criticism by Oliver as Mia’s mother was. Had it not been for the surprising friendship offered by Felicity and the unexpected love of Mia’s other genetic contributor, her mother might have fallen short in in turning her life around to honor a father who believed in his wayward daughter when no one else would.

And yet in all this her mother never stopped loving the bastard who wore a face and bore a name she could never turn her back upon.

“I’ve never lied to you about your mother, Mia. She had a lot of faults. Really, really bad ones,” Felicity told Mia one night when they were working late. Somehow the conversation devolved from engineering schematics of an old chemical plant to the complicated relationship between her missing husband and a dear friend for whom the tech magnate never stopped grieving. “One of the worst was her ability to endure abuse from people she cared for. And Oliver...was a hard man who was molded by a past so dark that your Mom was maybe the only person who truly understood the pain he constantly lived with. They brought out the best in each other – and also the worst. So yes, Oliver was very hard on your Mom. But only because he cared.”

“Is that supposed to buy him some credit in my eyes or something? Maybe change my opinion about him by drawing parallels between him and my Mom?” Mia had grumbled obstinately, not liking the target of her rage being humanized.

“No. I know better than to expect you to stop hating him,” Felicity had softly replied, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “God knows you have a right to your feelings. But I have a right to mine, too, Mia. He was my husband and I still love him. So where he is concerned, we’re just gonna have to agree to disagree if we’re gonna keep working together. Deal?”

Felicity then extended her hand, all of that softness gone, and it was then Mia finally, irrevocably divorced her admiration Felicity Smoak from her loathing of Oliver Queen. The point that was trying to be made, however, fell short of making any lasting impact. For her mother to have fought so hard to overcome a shitty life, to have worked so hard for redemption, and to have finally achieved a measure of genuine happiness in this world only to have it crushed under the colossal weight of Lex Corps’ Star City offices was the ultimate ‘fuck you’ from the universe. That Oliver Queen could have prevented that tragedy by displaying a smidgen of the situational awareness he was so famous for made him the guilty party in an injustice that is a fiery hot coal burning incessantly inside Mia’s chest. For Felicity’s sake, she spoke of Oliver almost dispassionately, but the rage never departed from her heart. Nor will it when her mother is dead and can never be avenged. Oliver’s shocking disappearance less than a year later forever eliminated that possibility.

Brooding upon her mother’s final excruciating moments as that building came down around her, Mia feels the circuit of her self-control short out. In a pique of arcing fury, she vocalizes her fury as she viciously kicks the offensive chair whose occupant symbolizes everything she hates, sending it tumbling across the room toward the central platform. She pointedly ignores Connor’s brow furrowing with disapproval over the disrespectful outburst. Team Arrow are still his idols, having lost none of their shine as she has slowly spoon-fed him the unfiltered truth behind their demise.

The idealistic fool will never believe they were anything but picture perfect superheroes like he reads about in his stupid comics.

Fetching the flask out of her back pocket, anger spent for now, Mia brandishes it in the direction of the Green Arrow’s seat, now turned on its side several feet away. “May Oliver Queen burn in hell for the rest of eternity. Amen.” To punctuate her bitter comment, she unscrews the top then takes a hearty swig.

“Didn’t anybody teach you respect for the dead, little girl?”

Mia swirls in place toward the direction the voice emanated from. A voice she needs no visual confirmation to identify. It’s one she would recognize anywhere seeing as she’s heard it a million times on the documentary she painstakingly dug up from the old Star City Library’s archives. The voice of a woman she hates – and in a sense even more than Oliver Queen. For whereas Oliver was ultimately responsible for so much general death and pain and grief, this woman is her own personal villain.

Dinah Drake.

The name alone reignites Mia’s unruly temper. Fists tightening until her knuckles pop, she searches the perimeter of the ruins until her keen eyes spot something moving within the shadows next to one of Felicity Smoak’s custom built server arrays. A moment later a familiar form emerges from the inky darkness. On instinct, her knees unlock and her legs spread into a proper fighting platform.

“I have plenty of respect for the ones that deserve it,” she finally replies, caustic bitterness seeping into her tone as it always does around the Black Canary. “And I’m far from a little girl. Ask the two hundred thirty pound meathead I knocked out cold a couple hours ago. If he can even answer through a broken jaw, that is.”

Dinah chuckles tauntingly as she departs the comfortable seclusion of the shadows. Draped in leather, she cuts a striking figure, still in peak fighting shape and hauntingly beautiful even in her early fifties. The stark red line scored across her throat is a reminder to Mia of the harrowing events, described in excruciating detail by an incredibly drunken Felicity, that precipitated her parents falling in love. A gift from the Star City Slayer that robbed the Canary of her supernatural song.

Pity for Dinah wells up from somewhere deep inside, and Mia rushes to strangle it with a ruthlessness that has served her so well in the fighting cages. Losing her powers must have been devastating to Dinah, and yet it was no less than she deserved if only for the unforgivable betrayals she committed against her own flesh and blood several years later.

“I would, but I have a feeling they’d tell me what I already know,” says Dinah, slowly sauntering toward the two youths trespassing on what is to her hallowed ground, a lair where some of her best memories were made.

This is the place where she learned how to be more than a public servant, more than a citizen, more than a soldier, more than an irrationally angry woman hellbent on revenge. It was here she learned how to be a hero. Had she never met Oliver, never become the Black Canary, her life would be so much more meaningless. The path she was heading down would have ultimately led either to one of three infamous dungeons constructed solely to imprison metas or to a premature, and very likely horrific, death.

It was Oliver who pulled her out of the pit of rage and self-loathing she crawled into after Vinny’s death by reminding her what honor means, and just in time too as she had very nearly lost all concept of it in pursuit of vengeance. He then trained her, taught her to fight against foes of a skill tier she could not have dreamed of facing as a lowly vice detective, gave her a purpose greater than herself, made her believe in herself again, and in doing so not only save her life but her immortal spirit. Without him, she would be nothing, would be a nameless number in a dark hole or a pile of rotting bones six feet beneath the earth.

And yet here she is, still struggling to preserve the soul of the city Oliver so loved and dedicated himself to. For what purpose? So many have asked her that question. The answer is that she owes him that and so much more, because not only did he save her, but he also introduced her to her chosen family for whom she would gladly lay down her life and indirectly brought the love of her life into her orbit. On days when it is nearly impossible to even crawl out of bed for the despair that hangs over her like an oppressive pall, she can draw upon the best memories of the happiest days of her life with her friends and her spouse, which never would have happened had Oliver not taken such an enormous risk on her. That is why no one speaks ill of him without provoking her wrath. Especially not an acerbic, broody, sarcastic street urchin like this.

As always around the girl whose name she was told is Maya, her attention never strays far as she moves in closer. Offended as she is by the intrusion upon this sacred space and as upset as she is about the girl’s heartless disparagement toward a man she still admires above all others, there is something about her that intrigues Dinah. And frightens her. There is a violence in those brilliant green eyes that reminds Dinah of someone else, of another blonde who loved to argue and throw punches nearly as much as she loved to breathe.

Having observed the girl in the illegal fighting pits, Dinah stops a stone’s throw away, eyeing her potential opponent critically. Not many since Oliver disappeared have earned her respect for their wild tenacity and breathtaking skill in combat, but this girl is one of them. The efficient brutality she witnessed in the cages was beyond impressive, especially for someone so young.

“You’re a great fighter in the ring,” she then finishes her point, “but a moody, irritating brat on the outside.”

“The vaunted Black Canary,” Mia replies, lids narrowing as her blood begins to boil. “So quick to judge those you don’t know. If I were you I’d be more careful. Somebody might get wise and finally call you out on your hypocrisy.”

Dinah rolls her eyes and scoffs, suddenly glad that William and Zoe are elsewhere so they are not exposed to this...unfounded vitriol. “Oh, that’s rich. How, pray tell, am I the hypocrite when you are doing precisely what you just now condemned me for?” When no response is given, Dinah barks out a derisive laugh. “What’s the matter, little girl. Cat got your tongue? Or are you all bark and no bite when faced with a harsh truth from one of your betters.”

Considering what this woman has done, that statement is an absurd joke so far as Mia is concerned. “Ha! I know two-bit sleaze bags who are better and more honorable than you.”

Something pricks at the back of Dinah’s mind, the same place that tickles when she was closing in on cracking a case that had driven her crazy for weeks or longer. A mystery is unraveling right before her eyes, puzzle pieces are being hectically slotted together by her deduction-oriented gray matter, but as of yet she cannot make sense of what revelation her subconscious is trying to convey.

Dinah crosses her arms over her chest, feeling unsettled and defensive all of the sudden. “Now that’s a claim I’m going to have to insist you back up. Which sleazebags in particular are you referring to? I’ve encountered my fair share.”

“Nobody you’d know...” Mia trails off, not having expected to be called out and not liking having the tables turned on her by someone with whom she has an intensely personal beef.

“Really? Sounds to me like you’re talking out of your ass, little girl,” Dinah growls, clearly on the edge of losing her patience.

“I told you to stop calling me that!”

“I will when you stop acting like one. Or you stop me. Either way is fine with me, Little Girl.”

Incensed by the bald provocation, Mia surges toward Dinah, intent on unloading a decade’s worth of anguish and blame. Fortunately for the Black Canary, Connor intercepts Mia before she can reach her target and holds her back as she angrily resists despite knowing her efforts to be futile. Connor is freakishly strong and knows all of her moves. There will be no getting out of his iron grip. Eventually she tires of trying to break free and reels away, steaming.

Muscles tense on the edge of snapping, panting for breath, eyes wild, she paces for a moment like a caged, starving tiger who is being taunted by a juicy slab of meat. That burning sensation in the back of her throat that has been present since she can remember whenever she is agitated flares up with a vengeance. The pressure building up inside her chest and throat is so terrific it takes every ounce of her willpower not to scream to the top of her lungs in a desperate bid for relief.

Instead of giving in to that impulse, she funnels her agitation into her go-to coping mechanism when violence is not appropriate. Whirling back around, she points at Dinah, unbridled rancor fueling her movements as much as her words.

“You know what? Fuck you. Just...fuck you! You’re nothing but a spineless coward. A failure. A traitor to your own kin! A worthless piece of shit only fit to be scraped off the soles of my boots. A heartless bitch who pretends to be so righteous and perfect and selfless when you are anything but. You’re a fraud, and a liar, and I hate you more than you’ll ever know!”

Brows arched as high as they will go, Dinah endures the tirade with barely concealed irritation. “All of these baseless accusations and not a single shred of proof as to their veracity. Sling pejoratives at me all you want, but all I’m hearing right now is the insufferable whining of a kid who thinks she knows how the world works but hasn’t a clue.”

“Oh, I know plenty,” Mia bites back, her control slipping again, and with it her will to withhold knowledge that will hurt Dinah more keenly than the sting of any weapon. “I know that I spent almost half of my life being abused and the other half chasing down ghosts all because of you. I know that I’m not the only one who wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire because it is your fault that everything I have loved has been taken away from me, beginning with my birth mother. If only Aunt Sara were here, she’d...”

“Mia...” The tall, hulking boy who looks vaguely familiar shoots a pleading glances for his tiny companion to power down the vitriol. Sadly, as Dinah figured it would, his plea goes unheeded.

Too far gone to heed his warning, Mia barrels along under a full head of steam. “No, Connor! This self-righteous bitch needs to know that she isn’t the paragon of virtue she believes she is. How could anyone delude themselves like she has and call themselves a hero? A real hero would love and take care of her only child instead of tossing her away like a piece of fucking garbage!” Accusing green eyes pin a reeling Dinah down. “I mean, isn’t that exactly what you did?” When Dinah reels back, blanching, eyes blown comically wide, Mia shoots her a vicious, victorious sneer. “C’mon now. No need to deny it. We both know what you did to your daughter.”

Shocked to the depths of her soul, Dinah grapples to understand what the hell is going on. “What? How do you…? Who told you that?”

The spluttering response is indicative of her bone-deep confusion. There are very few people living who are aware she had a child, none of whom – or so she thought – were privy to the fact her baby did not die, but was in fact taken away from her and then put up for adoption because she was guilty as charged: a failure of a mother.

When her fiancee died, Dinah essentially much lost her mind. In a repeat of the aftermath of Vince’s death – only exponentially worse – she alternated immersing herself head first into whatever cheap form of liquor she could get her hands on until she passed out with needlessly picking fights. Most of those physical altercations were with bad guys twice her size that she took on without backup, and that many of them wound up hospitalized after she was done with them was of no concern to her. All she cared about was numbing the pain however and whenever she could.

Such reckless, disturbing behavior was not conducive to caring for an eleven month old baby girl. Which is why Dinah didn’t put up a fight when Rene took her daughter away from her in the middle of one of her vilest binges. Nor did she rail at Felicity for helping Rene find her baby new parents they both insisted were more than capable of providing the stable, loving home she could not. Instead of sobering up like she should have to fight for her daughter, she just sat at home, more miserable than ever, and drowned herself in Jack Daniels and tears. At the time, she was too far gone to do much else.

It took five long years for Dinah to crawl out of the lonely, filthy hole of withering depression and borderline madness she dug for herself. Even though she felt unworthy to reclaim a spot in her daughter’s life, she tried to track her down only to find all traces of the couple who adopted her were erased from the system. Not even Felicity with the full might of her gigantic server farm at Smoak Tech could track down her baby girl. Heartbroken all over again and so ashamed she could hardly stand to look at herself in a mirror, Dinah focused all of her energies on carrying on Oliver’s mission to save Star City, hoping in time the fickle whims of fortune might swing in her direction one last time. Only it never has.

Though Dinah has spent more time and money than is reasonable in the pursuit, she never located her daughter. And the shame of what she did to lose the sole surviving fruit of a love she thought could not possibly exist is still as fresh as the day she woke up in rehab. Sober for the first time in half a decade, she finally realize the depth to which she had descended to have so criminally neglected the last piece of her lost love that her friends felt it necessary to intervene lest a truly appalling tragedy occur.

Alone, and destitute, she had to rebuild her life from the ground up. So that’s what she did. It was only much later that she reconnected with a grown up Zoe, who she took under her wing and trained as her replacement. In a lot of ways, Zoe was a balm upon the wound that was her missing daughter. Were it not for Zoe’s faith and trust and affection, Dinah isn’t sure where she would be right now. All of her friends cut her off as she neared the terminal point of her self-destructive spiral. Sometimes it feels like Zoe is the only person in the world who still gives a damn about her. Not that she deserves even that much considering what she did to her own flesh and blood.

Regardless of how Felicity and Rene’s opinions of her, she had believed her secret was safe with them. Hate her as they may, they both loved her baby girl, and neither of them have ever hinted at indulging temptation to expose her most damning trespass. But apparently she was wrong.

“Who told me that?” Mia asks, tone taunting. “The question you should be asking is about my birth name. Maya Blackstar, I am not. Now that you’ve heard my real first name now thanks to Connor here, what comes after Mia? Care to wager a guess?” Silence is her only answer. “Oh, c’mon. How can you not know who I am? Felicity recognized me within ten seconds of meeting me outside Smoak Tech.”

Dinah’s heart stutters then constricts until pain lances through her chest. A piercing chill races up the length of her body as she connects the dots laid out plainly before her. The age is all wrong. But everything else is screaming out an identity that should be by any natural explanation impossible. The hair color. The eye color. The cut of Mia’s jawline and nose and brow. The shape of her lips and eyes. The way she moves when she fights in the cages. Her elegant savagery. Her insatiable rage. All that is missing is the sonic scream that could never have manifested thanks to Cisco and Felicity’s meta suppression implant.

Suddenly all Dinah can see is an image she has, for the sake of her mental health, unsuccessfully attempted to forget. A tall, svelte woman arrayed in a sleek black leather uniform, curve-hugging top with dual knee-length coattails attached to the hemline over top tight booty shorts, suggestive fishnets, and fancy knee-high heeled boots. A black choker wrapped around an elegant throat. Side-swept blonde hair tumbling down over shapely shoulders. Black painted lips curled up into an insufferably smug smirk, golden septum ring glinting in the moonlight. Not for the first time even today, Laurel Lance stands straight and proud in her mind’s eye. Vibrant and alive. Menacing and so terribly beautiful that Dinah would cry if she were safe within the secluded confines of her apartment.

Juxtaposed with the youth before her, it’s so easy to see the resemblance now. All she has to do is mentally place Mia in Laurel’s wardrobe, arrange them shoulder-to-shoulder beside herself in front of a mirror, and the awful truth dawns like a solemn bell sounding an alarm over a town previously ignorant to the impending catastrophe lurking on the fringes.

It can’t be. Can it? There’s just no way it’s her. I mean, it’s impossible because she is way too old. My Mia would only be eleven right now – err, wait. Didn’t she say something about The Waverider and her Aunt Sara. Oh, fuck! But surely Sara would have told me if Mia was with her. And if not her, than Felicity surely would have when they met. Wouldn't they?

The answer to that last question is self-evident. Sara would not have contacted Dinah because she never forgave her for Laurel’s death – and rightly so when Dinah never forgave herself. It was supposed to be her backing Oliver up that night, not Laurel. But she’d been too tired having stayed up half the night with a feverish, grumpy baby and Laurel had so sweetly volunteered to cover with Team Arrow that she simply couldn’t say no. So she fell asleep on the couch with Mia laid across her chest while her wife of four years was being eradicated from existence by Lex Luthor, the great betrayer of the human race.

At the funeral, Sara would not meet Dinah’s eyes except to convey a seething condemnation that was as present in her gaze as it was in the clenching of her jaw and the balling of her fists. And when Sara learned about Rene and Felicity taking Mia away? Well, to say that confrontation got ugly would be like saying a monsoon brought a little rain. The only reason Sara didn’t kill Dinah that night was Ava discovering her long time partner’s deadly intentions and arriving in the nick of time to stop the carnage. When Sara was finally dragged off, Dinah was a writhing mess of blood and pain who could only listen, and sob miserably, as her sister-in-law passed sentence upon her like she was a target of the League.

“You’re lucky Ava knows me so well and that I love her too much to do something she would hate me for,” Sara had said, fists raw and bloodied, all coiled up venom and hatred. “But if I ever see your face again, even she won’t be able to stop me from finishing the job.”

For obvious reasons, they haven’t spoken since.

As for Felicity...Dinah was not the only one to lose a spouse during the horrific year retroactively dubbed as The Long Twilight. Oliver’s disappearance, and presumed death, followed by a stress-induced miscarriage forever quenched Felicity’s light. The bright, overly excitable, adorably nerdy chatterbox she was proud to call her friend quickly devolved into an intensely pessimistic, highly unstable genius who used her amazing brain to do awful things. Whereas Dinah coped through measured violence and the bottle, Felicity submersed herself into building an empire and using the immense resources she accrued to punish the world around her for the pain she could not escape. It was inevitable that their divergent paths meant they drifted apart and that their friendship, like nearly every one of Dinah’s relationships since The Long Twilight, withered on the poisoned vine and died.

The last she heard from Felicity was a bewildering message which cryptically stated: “Don’t believe the narrative that’s being fed to us. Some things are not what they seem. Up can be down and lost can be found. Just have to find the key.” Two days later the news rolled in that Felicity Smoak was found murdered in her office at Smoak Tech.

So yes, it is entirely possible that Felicity, perhaps even in cahoots with Sara, kept this colossal secret. And why shouldn’t she? It wasn’t like Dinah ever attempted to reach out and span the yawning chasm of distrust between them. She’d been too proud as of yet to grovel and equally reluctant to find out how the new, frightfully hostile Felicity might react to any peaceful overtures.

As reality sinks in as to what that cowardice might have cost her, she also begins to accept what she’s being told, and the shock she had felt moments before rapidly becomes an unbearable mix of emotions. Eyes stinging with salty tears, the name she heard less than a minute ago escapes her lips with little more than a shaky breath.

“Mia…?”

An almost euphoric grin spreads across Mia’s lips as she watches the Black Canary, that paragon of strength and nobility, unravel into a weak, vulnerable, uncertain woman whose entire world has just been upended. She hadn’t planned on spilling the beans so soon, having preferred to stretch out the torment over weeks or months; but now that the truth has come out she can’t deny how sweet it is to observe the horror and shame playing across her mother’s face. Her other mother, that is.

When Mia turned thirteen, her Aunt Sara sat her down to explain her unusual parentage. As the details were laid out, she at first wondered if a mistake was made. How could two women be her biological parents? Perhaps, she thought, she had been the result of artificial reproductive techniques like In Vitro or sperm donation. Come to find out there is technology belonging to an alien – one whom all of Team Arrow, including her parents, had befriended – from another Earth capable of enabling same sex couples to biologically reproduce. Her aunt called it a Genesis Chamber. Said that her parents were honored to be one of a few select human couples permitted to utilize the facility. Something called a Kelex reportedly determined their potential offspring to be highly beneficial to human evolution due to their unique meta DNA. That, and their saving the life of a very important woman named Alex Danvers indebted the vessel’s rightful owners to them.

Whatever the case behind her conception, Mia was just happy to know that there was a time she was actually wanted by her birth parents. Loved even if Felicity was any reliable narrator of the past. But then she found out about Laurel, her birth mother, dying to save Oliver’s life, and how her other mother Dinah essentially checked out on their helpless baby due to grief. She was also informed that a man named Rene took her away from Dinah one rainy night in September when he checked in on his friend only to find her in an alcohol induced coma while Mia was screaming her head off in her playpen having been neglected for who knows how many hours. Five years later Dinah got sober, but by then Mia was already absent from Earth-1, having been rescued from an abusive home by her beloved Aunt Sara.

Needless to say pretty much the only thing she feels for Dinah is disgust.

“That’s it,” Mia says, relishing Dinah’s pain, needing to witness more to assuage the years of hurt and anger that have accumulated toward her only living immediate blood relative. “Say it. Say my name. That useless old book was right about one thing: the truth will set you free.”

Dinah is so shell-shocked, so devastated, so dangerously hopeful that her entire body trembles. This is the moment she’s been waiting for. And dreading. After being separated from her baby girl for so long, to have her right here within arm’s reach is a dream come true. At the same time it is a nightmare from which she doesn’t think she’ll ever awaken. Because the young lady before her is so deeply resentful, having been traumatized and abused by her adoptive family and then raised on a time ship with a bunch of morally gray misfits instead of the warmth of loving home with her parents, all the while believing she was unwanted by her own mother.

This girl – this haunted, hateful, beautiful girl – is her daughter, the only tangible proof remaining that Laurel was real and their love was extraordinarily special. And she hates Dinah. It’s enough to rend in twain what remains of Dinah’s shredded heart.

“Oh, God.” Dinah chokes down a sob, eyes now watering past the ability of her lids and lashes to contain the tears of joy and grief. “Mia. Is it really you? Is it...”

“I said, say my name!”

Mia’s explosive demand startles Dinah to such a degree she physically flinches. “Your name…” she trails off, draws in a shaky breath before recovering a modicum of composure. Time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Buck up. Put on a strong front. Be the mother you should have been all those years ago. Shoulders straightening, she bravely and resolutely meets Mia’s eyes. “Your name is Mia Deardon Lance.”

So named Mia for Dinah’s beloved Nana and Deardon because Laurel had made an oath to her Oliver their firstborn daughter would somehow honor the distinguished but fiercely loving woman who was much Laurel’s mother as his. There hadn’t been a single argument about their respective choices, a rarity in their...occasionally contentious relationship. Dinah has never felt and never saw Laurel more proud than when she announced their newborn daughter’s name to their loved ones who had just spent eleven hours in a waiting room and yet were so effusively happy that they could scarcely contain themselves. Mia is their greatest accomplishment, and however much Dinah failed her that remains an indisputable fact.

“And there we have it. The awful, terrible truth. Isn’t it just wonderful?” Mia says, feeling the weight of a lifetime belonging to no one rescind from her shoulders. She has a mother now. If only that mother was Laurel instead. Stepping forward into Dinah’s personal space, she smirks as she goes in for the kill. “Hi, Mom. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but that would be a lie.”

#arrow fanfic #dinahsiren #dinah drake #laurel lance #black siren #black canary #dinah x laurel

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cannockweb-blog · 6 years ago

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Rent Cannock Hotels

Cannock is the largest city in the Cannock Chase District within the county of Staffordshire. The town is positioned 32 km north of Birmingham. Cannock was identified for coal mining, Click here for Blog so the ambiance was conducive to the expansion of a number of industries. Also, as a result of its proximity to the Black Country, the city turned more dynamic and prosperous.

Cannock hosts a collection of cultural events for the mass. Cannock occasions are a part of individuals's lives. The town has an enormous city heart with renowned road names. The long array of public leisure services comparable to nightclubs, pubs, bars, and swimming swimming pools reveal the vitality and enthusiasm of the people in Cannock. Probably the most famend nightclubs are Silks and Stones. Other common nightclubs in Cannock include Forge, Piques, Academy, Bar 77, Ubar and Bar Spot. Maymies, Cannock's largest nightclub, was shut down in November 2005.

Apart from these clubs, Cannock also has obtained loads of entertainment facilities unfold across the town. They embrace swimming pools and an ice rink, generally known as Silverblades. Town additionally has out of doors and indoor markets and an enormous purchasing heart. Buying can be energetic in areas like Longford Island Industrial Estate and the Orbital Industrial Property, which are away from the town. A multiplex cinema hall is because of be constructed. The venture has gained approval from native planning authorities. Cannock affords you a wholesome meal as effectively. The town hosts various restaurants, which also embrace indian eating places.

Cannock events gain extra recognition during summer season holidays. These occasions give a aid to oldsters and kids from the weariness of summer time and provide them a cool break before they start their new session. A number of these activities Wikipedia here are particularly designed for youngsters. An example is the Bugsy Malone - Summer Workshop at Prince of Wales. Important upcoming music concerts embody Stars in your Eyes at the Ramada, Saturday Evening Fever Night time, and 80's Night.

Cannock is connected to close by cities with an extensive network of native buses offering service to and from Cannock town heart. Arriva Midlands is the primary bus operator in Cannock. Cannock railway station, which was closed in 1965 as a part of the Beeching Axe, was reopened in 1989. It is now part of the Rugeley - Cannock - Walsall - Birmingham line operated by London Midland and runs two trains per hour from Cannock station to Rugeley, Walsall and Birmingham.

There are many motels in Stafford which means that guests can stay for a few days and discover what the realm has to supply. There is something for everybody in Stafford from shops and theatres to castles and gardens. Situated within the West Midlands region of England, Stafford is effectively served by the M6 and is inside a short distance of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent. The Trentham Estate and Gardens make a perfect time out for the family with procuring, eating places, a monkey forest and a excessive ropes adventure course and Shugborough Estate permits families to step again in time and enjoy the history brought to life by costumed characters. There are plenty of outdoor pursuits in Staffordshire that visitors can take advantage of including strolling and cycling and for extreme there is snow sports activities and driving experiences. Inns in Stafford also put their company within herniate sights resembling Stafford Fort and Historical High House.

These staying in lodges in Stafford can enjoy the award-profitable Trentham Property and Gardens. The Trentham Property is one of the nation's best garden estates and prime visitor locations boasting a variety of issues to see and do. For individuals who love the outside, the Gardens are a should see as they are absolutely gorgeous, even Alan Titchmarsh described them as 'one of the UK's must see gardens!' The Buying Village offers a mix of style, art, outside, health and homeware shops and likewise provides a variety of cafes and eating places. Children www/cannockweb.co.uk/ will fall in love with the Trentham Monkey Forest, set in 60 acres of gorgeous Staffordshire woodland and meadows. There are one hundred forty monkeys and visitors can enjoy hourly feeding talks and guides all through the forest. Also on the grounds is Aerial Extreme, a high ropes adventure course. Set throughout the Estate, Aerial Extreme is a superb household day out and no expertise is needed in any respect! There are numerous exciting events held inside the Trentham grounds throughout the year together with Halloween, Fireworks and Christmas events.

Booking motels in Stafford means that company have the chance to participate in quite a few outside actions in Staffordshire. Peak Pursuits in North Staffordshire offers an important time out for everybody with fun challenges and journey in a ravishing setting. Climbing, raft constructing, abseiling,Cannock Web canoeing, cycling and archery are simply among the actions you may take part in right here. Nearby in Cannock Chase lies Go Ape, a tree high journey for all the household. Positioned in forests everywhere in the UK, the distinctive adventure experience permits guests to deal with tree-prime excessive wires, crossings, ladders, bridges and ropes and at the similar time, enjoy the breath-taking surroundings. Snowdome in Tamworth provides the final word snow, ice and leisure experience from tubing and ice skating to tobogganing and sledging. Accommodations in Stafford will put visitors within simple attain of a memorable day at Snowdome stuffed with enjoyable and laughter.

It's a must to make a little bit of an effort to get to this very enticing little village on the Grand Union Canal. Moor by bridge 32, (Furnace Lane Bridge) take the track by the bridge, (opposite the wharf) and take the road into the village. It's a nice stroll, past a stables and enticing houses. The village is centered on the green a few basic shops/newsagents, a butcher and hairdresser. The pub, the Forrester Arms, overlooks the green. For those who walk previous the Forrester Arms, and take the subsequent turn left, you'll come throughout the very nice Rising Solar. Here's a delightful thatched a typical outdated England feel inside. Properly well worth the effort.

On the Shropshire Union, Brewood took us a bit unexpectedly. Beautiful winding streets, pleasant, very helpful locals, The Admiral Rodney Lodge, (one of many high pubs we've been in) and the friendliest hairdresser for miles. There Social Profile Here are a terrific range of shops, grocer, publish workplace, baker, and newsagent overlooking the outdated sq.. Gracious properly stored buildings make Brewood as good a spot as you'll find on the system. Idyllic moorins as properly!

The canal city of Braunston, on the oxford and Grand Union Canal junction has much to offer the canal traveler. Its delightful essential street, the Old Plough, the mariner, and lots of good mooring spots. The very best spot we cannock hotel apartments reckon is tucked in between bridge 2 and the mariner entrance. From right here one can watch the comings and goings on the mariner, wander right down to the Mill House pub by bride 91, or cross the Bridge and stroll into town.

One other traditional canal town. The moorings at Great Heywood have been assisted by the opening of the mariner close by. The spot we like is overlooking Shugbborough Hall, just below lock thirteen. A really pretty outlook, and near the village of Nice Heywood, and the walks round Cannock Chase. Leighton Buzzard We simply needed to go to here to see what a town with such a name seems like! It is an important place, plenty of good moorings, plenty of shops, and a Tesco's right on the canal. Some good pubs, including Roebucks, off Market Sq..

You most likely will not find Milton Keynes within the "Should See" listing of many canal travelers. I suppose we might by no means have ventured there had our boat not been moored at Blisworth for a couple of years. But enterprise to Milton Keynes we did, and we have been pleasantly shocked. It's a gorgeous cruise into the realm, by means of Nice Linford, Campbell Park, etc. and there are nice mooring spots alongside the way in which. Milton Keynes itself is a wholesome however never boring walk from the canal, and has every thing anticipated in a contemporary procuring space. The camera shop there helped us out twice; there are department shops, meals retailers and banks galore. But one of the best half is the area's to stroll round. Great Linford park, the lovely Nags head pub saved us amused for a couple of days.

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treeservicesarizona · 2 years ago

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Six Cool Things To Do In Phoenix Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona is one of the most well-known cities in America. It's also home to some of the best things to do in all of America. Whether you're a traveler looking for your next vacation destination or a local who wants to get out of town, Phoenix has you covered! Here are some cool places that will make your trip more fun:

Visit the Desert Botanical Garden.

The Desert Botanical Garden is an amazing place to visit in Phoenix. It's a botanical garden, so you can expect to see lots of plants and trees (but not too many flowers). You'll also get to learn about desert ecology outside the beautiful desert scenery.

Location: 1201 N Galvin Parkway, Phoenix AZ 85008

What to Expect: The garden was designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted Jr., who also designed Central Park in NYC and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC. It's got over 10 miles worth of trails for you to explore! There are different sections including Sonoran Desert Gardens, Native Plant Display Areas with Southwestern plants from Arizona, California & New Mexico; Native Flora Special Exhibits; Water Sustainability Showcase featuring native tree species that use less water than non-native trees; Best Dressed Lawn Competition showcasing local lawns with native landscaping throughout AZ (with prizes given out every year!), plus there’s even an animal section where you can see animals like lizards or birds if they happen to come by on any given day.

Take a guided ghost tour through Old Town Scottsdale.

Old Town Scottsdale is a historic district that's got it all: eclectic dining, tons of shopping and live music, art galleries, and even haunted sites. If you want to get in on the spooky fun without having to venture far from your hotel room in Paradise Valley or Tempe, book one of these ghost tours through Old Town Scottsdale.

You'll be able to see some of the historic buildings in the area like The Hotel San Carlos and Hotel Valley Ho (formerly The Fairmont Princess), learn about their history as well as stories about paranormal activity that have occurred there. Tours are offered year round but are especially popular during Halloween season so make sure you book early if you'd like to take advantage of this spooky opportunity. It's also perfect for families with kids who enjoy learning about history and getting into character!

Catch a Pro Baseball Game at Chase Field.

Chase Field is home to the Arizona Diamondbacks, one of Major League Baseball's 30 teams. And while you may not be able to catch a game with them, you can still have fun at Chase Field.

The stadium was built in 2000 and is located in downtown Phoenix. The stadium has 42,000 seats and features an eight-story tall retractable roof that allows for open air baseball during warm days or closed roof for cooler temperatures or rain. You'll also find several restaurants inside including Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, Dirty Little Roddy's BBQ & Rock'n Roll Kitchen (Dirty Little Roddy is a mascot for the team), and two new sections called "The A" and The Porch featuring burgers from 5th Street Burger Co., chicken wings from Wingstop and craft beer from Four Peaks Brewing Company

Go to the Phoenix Art Museum.

The Phoenix Art Museum is a great place to go to learn about art. The museum has a collection of over 17,000 pieces of art and many exhibits that change every few months. The museum is open every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

You can also check out the Phoenix Art Museum’s online database where you can research artists or view their works by genre. You can even see if there are any upcoming events at other museums in Arizona!

Take the kids to Castles N' Coasters for fun and games.

It's not just a theme park, it's an amusement park, too! Kids (and adults) can ride roller coasters, water rides and other rides for kids. Or they can try their hand at one of the many games or play in the arcade.

Stop by the Musical Instrument Museum for a look at an extensive collection of instruments from around the world.

The Musical Instrument Museum is a great place to learn about the history of music, and see some cool instruments. It's also a wonderful place to take your kids, or just explore on your own. The museum has an impressive collection of instruments from around the world, and is located in Tempe, Arizona.

If you're looking for something fun to do in Phoenix with family or friends (or both!), this museum has something for everyone.

There are many things to do in Phoenix Arizona that can be fun for all ages.

Phoenix is a great place to visit, especially if you are looking for some fun things to do. The city has a lot of activities that can be enjoyed by everyone. If you are visiting Phoenix Arizona and looking for things to do with your family or friends, then this article will give you some great ideas about what the city has available for your enjoyment!

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about things to do in Phoenix Arizona is visiting the Grand Canyon. This is one of the most famous landmarks in all of America and it's also very close by so it makes sense that people would want to go see it while they're there! However, there are many other places as well.

If you’re looking for a place to visit on your next vacation, Phoenix Arizona is a great choice. With everything from museums and gardens to sports games and theme parks, there are plenty of things to do in Phoenix Arizona for everyone in the family. From fun activities that will keep kids busy all day long (like Castles N' Coasters) to places where you can enjoy some peace and quiet (like the Musical Instrument Museum), there really is something for everyone here!

Are you looking for some tree removal or stump grinding services in Phoenix? You’ve come to the right place. USA Tree Removal and Stump Grinding is your number one choice. We are dedicated to getting rid of all the unwanted trees in your yard, on a time schedule that works best for you. Check out our website where we offer competitive pricing and excellent service.

USA Tree Removal and Stump Grinding 2513 N 29th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008, United States 623–469–7674 https://phoenixtreecare.org/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12337577927580498513

#Tree service #tree removal phoenix #tree grinding phoenix #tree triming #stump grinding #tree removal

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shelleycollinsna · 3 years ago

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Distillery District 2021 Winter Village: Everything You Need to Know About the New Toronto Christmas Market

The Distillery District Winter Village has arrived for fans of the Toronto Christmas Market. This year, relive the city's favorite Christmas event with a new twist. The 2021 Distillery District Winter Village has many Toronto Christmas Market staples, but it focuses on discovering the neighborhood's 75+ local shops, restaurants, and vendors.

To answer one of our most often asked questions, proof of immunization and identification will be needed at the entry gates of the Distillery District's 2021 Winter Village. Do you have any other questions? Continue reading to get all of the information you'll need to plan your vacation.

Admission and Tickets for the Winter Village in 2021

The Toronto Christmas Market was once exclusively ticketed at peak times. During peak hours in 2021, the Distillery Winter Village will be ticketed to aid enhance foot traffic flow and guarantee that event capacity limitations are not exceeded. You must still provide evidence of immunization if you visit the Winter Village outside of ticketed hours.

All tickets are digital and do not require payment in cash. Tickets are available for purchase on the Distillery District Winter Village website. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children under the age of six.

The following dates and hours are ticketed admittance times: November 18 to December 19: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. From 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on December 20th and 23rd, tickets are necessary.

Winter Village will be closed on December 24, 25, and 26.

From 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., tickets are necessary from December 27 to December 30. 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., December 31: Family-Friendly NYE Event From 6:00pm until 9:00pm, tickets are necessary.

Hours of Operation for the Winter Village

From Tuesday to Sunday, the 2021 Winter Village is open six days a week.

On Mondays, the Distillery Winter Village is closed.

November 18 to December 23: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 12:00pm to 9:00pm Friday and Saturday: 12:00pm to 10:00pm Sunday: 12:00pm to 9:00pm

Special Holiday Hours: December 24, 25, 26: Winter Village will not operate December 27 to December 31: 12:00pm to 9:00pm

NOTE: The Distillery Winter Village will be open on Monday, December 20 and Monday, December 27. These are the only Monday’s the Winter Village will be operating.

Parking, transit, and micromobility are all options for getting to the Winter Village.

From the Winter Village website: To make getting to and from The Distillery Winter Village as easy as possible, we've compiled a comprehensive list of options to assist you in planning your visit.

Parking is scarce in the region due to construction and condo development. Public transportation, Micromobility (yes, we included this one! ), Rideshare, or Bike Share Toronto are the best ways to get to The Distillery Winter Village.

Bike lanes have recently been installed on New Mill Street, and there are Bike Share stations right outside our front door (at Mill St. & Parliament St. and Cherry St. & Distillery Lane). If you do plan on driving, here's a list of nearby Green P parking lots.

Important Dates for the Winter Village in 2021 Winter Village will be closed on December 24, 25, and 26. The 2021 Winter Village's Final Days are December 27–31. December 31: From 6 to 9 p.m., there will be a free, family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration.

What Stores to Visit

The Distillery District has something for everyone, with over 75 stores and 10 eateries. Almost all of the stores and businesses in the Distillery District are open during Winter Village hours, so prepare ahead. The complete list of merchants may be seen here.

Of course, you may always join us on a tour. When you book your trip, you'll enjoy free admission to the Winter Village during paid ticket hours.

We look forward to seeing you at the Winter Village!

The article “ Distillery District 2021 Winter Village: Everything You Need to Know About the New Toronto Christmas Market “ was first seen on Go Tours Canada

Functional Medicine Toronto Doctor - Toronto Functional Medicine Centre

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thebestintoronto · 4 years ago

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Toronto in December – Winter Activities Guide

Toronto is a wonderful paradise of snow, lights as well as celebration in December We lived in Toronto and that is where we celebrated our very first holiday as well as winter in Canada. Here is an overview to Toronto in December with climate as well as packing info, finest tasks to do in winter months, light fests and also more.

Why see Toronto in December?

Toronto in December is an impressive time to check out. The climate although cool, if you dress well and bear in mind the daily forecasts you can take a trip as well as discover the city easily. There are a lot of cost-free points to do in Toronto in December which are worth benefiting from. Many of these occasions are seasonal and also you won't see them at various other times of the year.

Our transportation systems as well as buildings are all warmed, so you can drive the negative cold out and also delight in a warm cocoa and remain cozy, while it snows outside.

Hotels in Toronto in December are reasonably valued. Holiday season is active with festivities, yet it is not a peak period in Toronto. So you can expect to get hotel reservations at a good cost.

Shopping centers as well as restaurants (except the fast food chains) will certainly be closed for Xmas as well as they close beforehand Xmas Eve, so keep that in mind as you plan your vacations around those days. However come December 26th, the shopping center as well as on the internet stores come to be hectic with deal customers!

Toronto additionally has numerous great eating areas for celebrating the holiday with buddies, family members or your sweetie.

Temperature in Toronto in December

Toronto experiences snow in December. Days get much shorter and also cooler. Average temperatures vary from a low of-- 3 level Celsius to a high of 3 degree Celsius (temperatures do not consist of the wind cool in the city). There are opportunities of rain for 9 days of the month in December.

Toronto in December experiences most of the snowfall for the year. Specifically from mid-December on-wards, anticipate a lot of snow on the ground, with cooler temperature levels. The wind from Lake Ontario makes Toronto also cooler with the wind cool.

So always put on a cozy cap or a headscarf to cover your head from the wind cool. Maintain your hands cozy with handwear covers.

As well as always gown for the weather condition suitably. We have actually consisted of a packing listed here for going to Toronto in December.

What to load for Toronto in December?

We have created a thorough overview on packing for Canada in winter season as well as it holds true for Toronto too. Keep in mind-- anticipate cool days in Toronto with snowfall, slippery surfaces as well as traffic congestion.

So below are some of the crucial things to load for Toronto in December.

Parka or winter jacket-- Toronto obtains pretty chilly in December and it feels cooler with the wind cool, bring as well as put on a warm parka or winter season jacket. Look into this winter season coat from North Face

Winter season boots-- Use wintertime boots in Toronto in December as you are out and about checking out Christmas markets. Remain warm. Ensure your boots are at-least ankle length, water resistant and also has an excellent hold. Get these Ugg boots for Banff

Warm/woolen socks

Gloves

Headscarf-- I LOVE blanket scarves. They will certainly maintain you cozy as well as relaxing. Take a look at this cozy plaid headscarf right here

Beanie or warm hat-- Super important to maintain your head as well as ears cozy. Inspect this warm beanie here.

Thermal pants and also tops (or long johns)-- Thermal internal top as well as pants aka long johns are super helpful in Canadian winters months. Store our favorite from Amazon

1-3 rather sweatshirts (relying on the size of stay).

Lug moisturizer with up to 24-hour hydration-- Store my favorite Body Store Vitamin E cream.

Add a good woolen sweater dress or a black outfit for Xmas occasions or unique dinners.

Toronto hotel for December for all budgets.

For celebrating the festive period in Toronto stay in the downtown location, so that commute as well as taking in the sights attractions are easily obtainable. Within the downtown location in Toronto, you can choose a resort in the harbourfront area, the Eaton facility shopping mall or the home entertainment district.

Virtually, throughout downtown Toronto will certainly be easy for light rail transportation commute. Hotels in downtown start at $95 CAD per night+.

Here are some advised hotels for your browse through.

Deluxe Options in Downtown Toronto.

Resort Fairmont Royal York: If you are trying to find a high-end remain in Toronto, then look no more. This 4 star resort in midtown Toronto is calling you for an elegant stay ignoring the high structures.

Resort Fairmont Royal York is easily situated close to CN Tower and other sightseeing and tour tourist attractions.

The hotel spaces are stunning and it has an interior pool on site. Free morning meal.

BOOK YOUR STAY RIGHT HERE.

Sheraton Centre Toronto Resort: One more high end 4 celebrity resort in midtown Toronto.

Great location. Near taking in the sights places.

Free breakfast and wifi. Interior as well as Outside swimming pool.

BOOK YOUR STAY RIGHT HERE.

Mid Variety Hotel.

Hotel Victoria: A 3 star resort that secures the manage an incredible location and also vintage area style. The building days from 1909.

It is located 2-minutes (walk) far from King Terminal train quit, a 7-minute stroll from St. Lawrence Market and 2 km from the landmark CN Tower.

Good value for money. Free vehicle parking in midtown hotel. Free breakfast.

PUBLICATION YOUR REMAIN BELOW.

Radisson Admiral Resort Toronto-Harbourfront-- This is a 4 star hotel with bird's-eye views. But in December you can see every night rates start as reduced as $101 CAD.

Stunning bright spaces with modern-day features.

The hotel has a heated outside swimming pool and also an on-site restaurant.

Inspect prices for Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto-Harbourfront.

View resort sell Toronto for December.

Amazing things to do in Toronto in December.

I reached share this photo of mine from 2009, when I was all of 22 years old and also was seeing snow for the first time. Yeah, that was me in Toronto from an apartment building.

Snow makes whatever magical right here in wintertime. And that is me saying after having actually experienced heavy snow loss, blizzards and enduring-- 45 degrees Celsius in Saskatchewan, and now in Alberta! See I survived and also take pleasure in winters months right here.

So let's check out several of the amazing things to do in Toronto in December.

INCENTIVE READ: For Toronto Schedule Inspiration review our Toronto travel overview for 7 days.

Check Out Toronto Xmas Markets in December.

Checking Out Toronto in December implies enjoying lots of cheery tasks. One of my favorite things to do in December is to head to a Christmas Market. The Christmas markets in Toronto are influenced by the European Christkindlmarkt aka Xmas markets of German beginning, and also you recognize how lovely the markets remain in Europe.

Strolling right into these Xmas Markets, the candle scents, accessories, food and also cozy beverages will certainly welcome you and also dip you in to the cheery cheer!

Distillery District Christmas Markets-- November 14 to December 22 2019, except Mondays.

Nathan Philips Square Christmas Markets-- December 7 to 23 2019.

Toronto Christmas markets are set up in late November and are open till completion of December. One of the most popular Xmas market lies at the historical Distillery Area of Toronto. The old world charming Christmas markets awaits you here, with carols, songs and home entertainment, suppliers offering vacation goodies, food and also even more.

There are a few more Christmas markets in the city. The Nathan Philips Square is decked up like a European market in December, as part of the Joyful and also Vacation Fair. Days of the event are December 7 to 23 2019. As it belongs to the Holiday Fair, you will certainly discover lots of various other activities to keep you as well as the children busy. You can shop and prepare with Christmas gifts, pick up lunch, skate and also finish the day with eating (and beverages at the Ice bar) at the Nathan Philips Square.

Lawrence Market and Chinatown also has Xmas markets established for this time of the year.

Ring in the holiday season in a castle in Toronto-- Casa Loma's A Nutcracker Xmas.

Casa Loma is a 20th century castle located in the heart of the city. Throughout the month of December, Casa Loma is decked up with joyful lights and also beauty and also envision how stunning the Gothic castle looks.

Absolutely stop by for pictures as well as experience an unforgettable Christmas as you visit the castle hallways and underground cellar. Site visitors are invited to meet Santa in his castle workshop as well as take part in festive arts and crafts, delight in programs by well known entertainers and also ice skating performers.

A gigantic Christmas tree is established at the Casa Loma to supplant the cheery period.

Days for this occasion: December month.

Access cost: Included in the general admission $26.55 per adult.

Celebrate winter season in Toronto with the Aurora Winter Festival.

Winters are a terrific time in Toronto as well as Canada in general. We enjoy discovering our cities in winter months and there are several reasons that we suggest experiencing the snowy climate here.

Think of the world is painted in soft white shades, as well as occasionally when the sun beams it glimmers and makes points so attractive and pure! Well, that's Canadian wintertimes for you.

Appreciate the crisp and also winter in Toronto in December by going to the Aurora Winter season Event. This celebration will move you from Toronto to the North Post. The event is fascinating with lots of vibrant light screens, amusement flights and also many wintertime tasks.

The festival website is located at the Ontario Place, which likewise holds Winter season Light Exhibition.

Days and access fee for the occasion: Look into tickets here.

Discover Wintertime Villages in Toronto in December.

Winter months villages' concept in Toronto resembles the Xmas Markets, but you can expect tons of comfort also known as wintertime food below. The Evergreen Brick Works' Winter Season Village is a foodie paradise with road food vendors selling treats, mulled red wine, craft beer and also eggnog. They really have a Drinking container where you can sip some winter months and cheery beverages and kick back by the fire.

Days for this event: Every weekend in December, week in between Xmas to New Years-- 10:00 am to 05:00 pm.

There is also a Venus Winter Market set up during the month of December. This markets displays as well as offers arts and crafts things from neighborhood suppliers.

Enjoy the festive lights at Toronto Zoo.

Toronto Zoo is anticipated to get a 1.5-km light show, called the Lumina Evening Walk in December. The zoo will be closed at the end of November for building as well as established of the Lumina Night Walk. Stay tuned to Toronto Zoo web site for dates of this occasion in 2019.

( Edmonton holds a similar event at the Devonian Herb Gardens called the 'Luminaria', and it is a terrific experience and tickets obtain sold out quickly).

Take images with Santa Claus at the most significant mall in Toronto.

Head to the Yorkdale shopping mall in Toronto for vacation purchasing and also drop in to greet and also snap an image with great ol' Santa Claus.

There are Santa Photo cubicles as well as terminals in all of the malls in Toronto. My favorites are Eaton Center, Fairview Mall as well as the Scarborough Community Center.

Celebrate Winter Solstice at the Kensington Market.

December 21st is the lengthiest (and the majority of times the coldest) day of the year. Commemorate Winter months Solstice stylishly in the heart of Kensington market. The entire market is transformed right into a winter months heaven of sorts with shine and Hanukkah candles.

Gown warm for the Winter season Solstice Ceremony on December 21st. Discover Kensington Market in a walking scenic tour below.

Go Ice skating at the Harbourfront Centre Natrel Rink.

Fancy ice skating in Toronto? Head to the Harbourfront Centre Natrel Rink, the most prominent outdoors skating rink in Toronto.

They are open 09:00 am to 10:00 pm, with tools rental available on-site. (Note: Closed on Xmas Day).

There are lots of outdoor ice rinks in the city. A bulk of them will open on or after November 30th 2019.

Get some window shopping on Boxing Day in Toronto.

December 26th is a crazy-fun day for consumers. Mall open early as well as they are full of discount deals and also vacation presents that go on sale (right after Christmas). Rise early as well as align to equip on your favorite things.

For Boxing Day purchasing, use Toronto Transit solutions instead then driving to the mall as car parking is a headache. Mass transit is reliable and also easy to use in Toronto. The adhering to shopping center have transportation facility located in its vicinity/underground complicated-- Yorkdale, Eaton Facility, Fairview as well as Scarborough Town Facility.

Learn about Toronto's history at the Ft York National Historic Site.

Ft York Historical Site has several concealed keys concerning Toronto's past. This website was the main defensive setting of early York (Toronto) once. Today it is loaded with historic remnants including the seven buildings built between 1813 as well as 1815 which are instances of British army design in Canada.

During the month of December, the Fort York National Historic Site organizes lots of seasonal occasions.

Take an outing to Niagara Falls and also see the evening lights show.

Niagara Falls is located 1.50 hrs away from Toronto. Start a field trip to Niagara Falls or take an excursion to check out the frozen drops and experience the night light show on the Niagara.

With this day tour to Niagara Falls via bus from Toronto, you can sit back, warm as well as warm and enjoy evening lights aglow on the falls. Take a look at this day tour below, leaving at 01:00 pm from Toronto.

Enjoy the large city night lights at Yonge and Dundas Toronto.

This is like our preferred location in Toronto-- the Yonge and Dundas Square. This is an excellent area to wine and dine as well as take place a loosened up walk after a pleased belly-meal! The square is surrounded by real-time street performers, cafes as well as restaurants and also larger then life screens to keep the huge city lights on!

New Year's Eve on Nathan Phillips Square.

Proposal goodbye to 2019 in style at the Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on December 31st. This is a cost-free event featuring tons of programs including DJ, dance and entertainment as well as SCINTILLATING FIREWORKS over the city of Toronto.

We hope you appreciated this list of tasks to do in Toronto in December. Remember to use cozy garments, and you will be all prepared to accept the winter months with love!

The post “ Toronto in December – Winter Activities Guide “ was first seen on TO Some Place New

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/the-latest-pennsylvania-governor-warns-virus-getting-worse-world-news/

The Latest: Pennsylvania governor warns virus getting worse | World News

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf warned Monday that the coronavirus is running rampant throughout the state and could soon force overwhelmed hospitals to begin turning away patients.

Wolf calls it a “dangerous, disturbing scenario” that will become reality if people don’t take steps to slow the spread. He said additional pandemic restrictions might be on the way but did not elaborate on what his administration might be considering while also acknowledging the ones already in place have not worked.

Wolf said the unchecked spread of the virus in all regions of the state means that resource-sharing agreements among hospitals could soon begin to break down and force them to begin rationing care.

Still, the governor all but ruled out a return to the kinds of statewide restrictions he imposed in the spring, when schools were closed, thousands of businesses deemed non-essential were shut down, and all 12.8 million Pennsylvanians were under a stay-at-home order.

———

THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— Health officials warn Americans not to let their guard down

— UK gears up for coronavirus vaccination program watched around the world

— Citing low virus rates in schools, New York City reopens schools again

— Biden picks Calif. Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead HHS, pandemic response

— Senator says Trump, McConnell likely to back COVID-19 relief

— Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani in hospital after positive COVID-19 test

———

Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

———

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

———

ATLANTA — The number of confirmed and suspected coronavirus infections has soared more than 70% in Georgia in the week ended Monday as hospitals continue to sound alarms about their ability to absorb new COVID-19 patients and a few schools give up in-person instruction for the remaining two weeks before Christmas holidays begin, with all students learning at home until 2021.

The last week has seen a rapid takeoff in new infections, with the state averaging more than 5,000 confirmed and suspected cases each day as of Monday. Even just the confirmed cases, based off molecular PCR tests, are now above the high set on July 24.

More than 2,500 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized Monday statewide. That’s below the summer peak of 3,200, but more than double the most recent low point in mid-October.

Despite the rapid rise, Georgia still ranks only 44th among the states for the most new cases per capita in the past 14 days, because cases are spreading so rapidly everywhere else. Still, the Georgia Department of Public health rates 60% of Georgia’s counties as having high transmission.

Georgia is likely to record its 10,000th confirmed or suspected death from COVID-19 sometime this week. On Monday, the death total stood at 9.851. The state passed 500,000 confirmed or suspected infections on Sunday.

———

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee lawmaker has been hospitalized with COVID-19 after attending a House Republican caucus meeting nearly two weeks ago.

Rep. David Byrd was flown by helicopter over the weekend to a Nashville hospital. The 63-year-old lawmaker attended the House GOP caucus meeting with nearly 70 lawmakers on Nov. 24 and also participated in a House GOP overnight retreat the weekend prior.

Byrd is at least the second lawmaker to be hospitalized after contracting the virus. Republican Rep. Mike Carter was hospitalized earlier this year for COVID-19.

Byrd had attracted scrutiny for more than a year over allegations by three women of sexual misconduct three decades ago when he was a high school teacher and their basketball coach. He was never charged.

———

LAS VEGAS — Officials have reported that the number of people hospitalized in Nevada with COVID-19 has more than doubled over the last month.

The Nevada Hospital Association reported Monday that hospitalized coronavirus patients increased to 1,617 statewide from Nov. 6 to Dec. 6 as the state continues experiencing a surge. That’s up from 692, a rise of more than 230%.

Nevada COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage says officials expect the number of reported cases to continue rising because of gatherings over Thanksgiving. Cage says that will likely increase the number of hospitalizations.

Nevada has reported 170,587 COVID-19 cases and 2,319 deaths during the pandemic.

———

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced plans for a nighttime curfew during the upcoming Hanukkah holiday to contain a COVID-19 outbreak.

The curfew is set to go into effect on Wednesday, on the eve of Hanukkah. It says commercial activities will be banned and intercity travel will be limited.

An announcement Monday night said the measure, approved by the advisory coronavirus cabinet, still requires approval from the Cabinet.

Israel has already imposed two lockdowns this year and is still emerging from the latest set of restrictions imposed in September. In recent days, the number of daily confirmed cases has sharply climbed.

Also Monday, President Reuven Rivlin said the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine are expected to arrive in the country in the coming days.

———

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced plans Monday for a series of community meetings across Arkansas to address the growing surge of coronavirus cases.

Hutchinson’s office said that the governor will have meetings this week in Benton, Springdale and Jonesboro, followed by additional meetings in other cities next week. The governor also planned to give a speech Thursday night for a statewide audience.

Hutchinson said last week that he’s considering requiring state approval for smaller indoor events. Under the state’s current COVID-19 restrictions, indoor events with more than 100 people expected must have a plan approved beforehand by the state.

But overall, the Republican governor has resisted calls for widespread restrictions, such as stricter capacity requirements on indoor dining, which has been recommended by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Arkansas’ rolling average number of daily new virus cases has increased by 21% over the past two weeks, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. One in every 205 people in Arkansas tested positive in the past week, researchers said.

———

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana’s health department has loosened its coronavirus quarantine guidance for schools and workplaces to match the latest recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The guidelines suggest people who’ve come in close contact with someone infected with the novel coronavirus can resume normal activity after 10 days if no symptoms have emerged, or seven days if they test negative. That’s down from 14 days.

The state Department of Education is expected to give public school systems the green light to follow the relaxed quarantine rules.

But the health department is sticking to a 14-day recommendation for prisons and nursing homes where people live together in tight quarters.

———

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans may be in store for stricter coronavirus restrictions next week.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in Monday social media posts that cases are on the rise in the city. Cantrell said that if the numbers don’t look better in one week, more restrictions will be needed.

There’s been a sharp increase in the percentage of tests with positive results. The seven-day average, as reported by the city, has gone from around 1% in early November to 3.6% as of Sunday.

Cantrell didn’t provide details on what the tighter rules might entail.

Restrictions are already tight in a city famous for its hospitality industry and night life. Indoor social gatherings are limited to 75 people and outdoor gatherings to 150 people. Restaurants are limited to half their indoor capacity and bars to 25%, and alcoholic beverage sales end at 11 p.m. Indoor live entertainment remains off-limits.

———

COLUMBIA, S.C. — With new COVID-19 cases reaching record levels in South Carolina, a teacher group is asking districts to go back to all virtual teaching until this second spike in the virus can be flattened.

The plea was given more emotional weight over the weekend after the death of 50-year-old third grade teacher Staci Blakely from COVID-19. Her family asked the school district to announce her death publicly to remind people how serious the disease can be, District Superintendent Greg Little said in a statement.

Blakely was a 28-year teaching veteran who was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus on Nov. 11. No one else in her classroom has been infected, the district said.

At least four school districts in South Carolina have returned to all virtual learning. Nearly a quarter of the state’s districts are teaching in person every day.

When averaged out over seven days, South Carolina is seeing about 2,300 new COVID-19 cases a day. That’s more than during the July peak that saw the state among the nation’s leaders in coronavirus spread.

———

BERLIN — A panel of medical experts in Germany is recommending that nursing home residents, people over 80 and certain medical personnel in acute and elderly care should receive coronavirus vaccines first when they become available.

A draft recommendation released Monday defines some 8.6 million people who would receive a vaccine first. That’s over 10% of the German population.

According to the 62-page document, only once those groups have been immunized and if vaccines are still limited should other high risk groups receive the shot.

The draft, which still needs to be approved, has a total of six categories grouped according to their risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and the likelihood they might expose others. Teachers belong to the fourth category, while people working in key positions of government, in critical infrastructure and in small stores are in the fifth.

All other healthy individuals under 60 — an estimated 45 million people in the country of 83 million — would be last in line for a vaccine.

The expert panel says people who have recovered from confirmed infection with COVID-19 do not need to get immunized.

———

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa posted another 35 deaths from the novel coronavirus on Monday, continuing the high level of deaths related to the pandemic.

The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from 29 deaths per day on Nov. 22 to 45 deaths per day on Sunday, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

State health officials reported on Monday 912 new cases in the previous 24 hours. State data indicates new case trends have slowed with the average number of daily new cases decreasing by nearly 37% in the past two weeks.

Although slowing, the virus spread remains high in Iowa. There were 1,083 new cases per 100,000 people in Iowa over the past two weeks, which ranks 16th in the country for new cases per capita. One in every 195 people in Iowa tested positive in the past week.

State data also show positive trends with fewer hospitalized patients at 898 on Monday and fewer people admitted in the previous 24 hours.

———

VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuania’s government began advising people on Monday only to leave home for serious reasons, banned private parties of more than two families, and tightened requirements in shopping centers.

The government also directed almost all public sector employees to work from home, after initial measures failed to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Shops are urged not to have short-term sales promotions and to have no more than five people stand in a line. Also, only one person per family is recommended to go shopping.

People in the southernmost Baltic country will have to celebrate Christmas under the new regulations, which will last until at least the end of the month.

A country of almost 3 million, Lithuania managed to curb the first COVID-19 wave but now faces one of the highest surges in Europe per capita with 76,036 total cases and 637 deaths, most of those registered in the last two months.

———

ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s government says it will maintain core lockdown measures through the Christmas holidays, acknowledging that monthlong restrictions have not reduced COVID-19 infections to the extent it had hoped for.

Schools, courts, and restaurants will remain closed through Jan. 7, government spokesman Stelios Petsas announced Monday, while non-essential travel between Greece’s administrative regions will also be banned.

Stay-at-home orders nationwide will remain in effect until that date, with movement outside households granted by the government by SMS.

Greece’s pandemic death toll reached 3,000 at the weekend, with most deaths occurring after Nov. 1. The number of daily infections, based on a seven-day rolling average, is currently at 1,609 compared to 2,674 in mid-November, Petsas said.

Restrictions for stores, churches, and hair salons will be announced later this week, Petsas said.

The current lockdown was launched on Nov. 7 and initially planned to last for three weeks.

———

HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will go to health care workers in the state’s major hospitals, Gov. Steve Bullock announced Monday.

Hospitals first in line for the vaccine are in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula.

Montana could receive 9,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in mid-December.

Large hospitals were selected as the recipients in the first round because the Pfizer vaccine must be stored in cold temperatures, and doses are shipped in boxes of 975 per box. The number of doses distributed to each hospital will be based on a survey conducted by the state’s health department.

A second shipment of vaccines is expected a week after the first round, which will contain both the Pfizer vaccine and a vaccine developed by drug company Moderna. The second shipment will be distributed primarily to rural hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, according to the governor’s office.

———

HONOLULU — Officials gathered in Pearl Harbor to remember those killed in the 1941 Japanese attack, but public health measures adopted because of the coronavirus pandemic meant no survivors were present.

The military broadcast video of the ceremony live online for survivors and members of the public to watch from afar.

USS Utah survivor Warren Upton says it’s too bad he can’t be there in person, but that it’s for safety reasons. The 101-year-old planned to watch the ceremony from his home in California.

A moment of silence was held at 7:55 a.m. That’s the same time the attack began 79 years ago, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,400.

———

LISBON — Portugal has surpassed the threshold of 5,000 COVID-19 deaths and set a new record for hospital admissions.

The General Directorate for Health said Monday that 3,367 patients with the novel coronavirus are in hospital and 78 people had died over the previous 24 hours.

Authorities officially recorded fewer than 3,000 cases of COVID-19, as the pandemic has ebbed from a peak of 7,497 daily cases in early November. Hospital admissions have leveled off but remain high.

Portugal’s 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people is 600, according to the European Centre for Disease Control. That makes it ninth highest in the 31 European countries monitored by the EU agency.

———

DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ longtime partner, first gentleman Marlon Reis, has been hospitalized as a precaution after experiencing shortness of breath and a worsening cough eight days after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

Polis’ office said in a statement late Sunday that the governor, who also was diagnosed with COVID-19, drove Reis to a hospital “for review and treatment.” Polis was not experiencing severe symptoms, his office said.

No additional information was immediately released. Both Polis and Reis tested positive Nov. 28, and both had been quarantining at home.

Polis, a Democrat, had described his symptoms as “very mild” Dec. 1 as he worked last week from home. He had previously said Reis was asymptomatic.

———

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, is warning that the upcoming holiday season may be even worse than Thanksgiving in terms of spreading the coronavirus.

Fauci told CNN on Monday that because the traditional Christmas season is an extended period that stretches into New Year’s, the prospects for spreading the virus as people travel “may be even more compounded than what we saw at Thanksgiving.”

Fauci said “it’s a very critical time in this country right now” with the virus surging and more important than ever for people to take precautions like avoiding indoor gatherings, wearing masks and social distancing.

Over Thanksgiving, many people traveled to gather with families, against warnings from health officials. Fauci said the U.S. is “probably just at the beginning” of seeing the resulting uptick in cases.

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#getting #governor #latest #pennsylvania #virus #warns #worse #World

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iantomckay · 7 years ago

Text

It me. Ur Secret Santa

A/N: I don’t usually write McPricely so things may seem off and wonky. I apologize

There was a certain peace brought about by the presence of a soft and sunlight streaming gently through the gaps of the curtains. Connor McKinley was awake enough to notice them, to appreciate the sharp contrast between the cold air of the apartment and the warmth that came from being buried under a small mountain of soft blankets. With the muffled sound of Christmas music and the faint smell of breakfast wafted in through the door, Connor had his answer for the lukewarm empty space beside him.

Kevin stood in the kitchen making his usual favorite breakfast, pancakes. He’d said it’d been a sort of tradition for the Prices, having a large family meant food in batches were a logical solution and a time saver. Wearing a dark green Christmas sweater, Kevin looked up upon hearing Connor entering the room.

“Hi sleepy head. I was wondering when you’d get up. I was almost worried you’d sleep through Christmas.” He greeted, flashing that dazzling smile of his. They’d been together for a while now, about a year, in fact. Everytime he smiled, Connor found his heart racing, his face growing warm. He couldn’t help but smile back.

“Well now, I’d say that was a very far fetched worry. You know I’d never miss it. Not when we’ve put in hours of work to make this place look fabulous.” Connor answered, that grin on his face betrayed feelings he’d never tried to hide in the first place.

The apartment wasn’t very big but it was enough for the two of them. Walls were decorated with shiny sheets of paper, small paper snowflakes covered the wall. Lights were strung up along the corridors, some staying lit while others blinked on and off. If there was one thing that Connor had learned during his time as District Leader, it was how to make do with a small budget and even smaller supplies. He beamed at them whenever he walked past.

“Today is going to be perfect, I promise. I already planned out everything we’re going to do today.” Kevin babbled on, while simultaneously tending to the stove. Under the veneer of being a model mormon- neat, polite, good looking and well versed in the Book- Kevin Price was just a big kid who never really stopped dreaming, stopped hoping.

It was one of the things Connor liked about Kevin. Yes, there were the godly good looks that Heavenly Father himself must have crafted, but deep down there was that innocence and drive to do his best that he found appealing. It had been love at first sight for the then love starved Elder McKinley. Yes, he’d admit it now, that he’d fallen head over heels for Kevin simply because he was cute. There had also been the fact that he’d heard great things about Elder Price and the very slight possibility that ‘confused’ to Kevin meant the same ‘confused’ as him.

“You know, most people don’t plan out every minute of their holidays. Most people use the holidays the relax.” Connor pointed out, pretending to gently chastise him. He set the table as Kevin finished his job in the kitchen. Finally setting them down Kevin swatted Connor playfully.

“It’s our first Christmas together. I just wanted it to be perfect.” Kevin explained before digging in.

“Knowing you, I shouldn’t be surprised, should I?” Connor prodded. “I love these pancakes, Kevin. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of your cooking.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing you loving my cooking, either.” Kevin laughed, getting some syrup on his sleeve.

“Kevin-!” Connor pointed out, eyes wide.

Kevin looked down at the now dirtied sleeve. Frantically he started wiping at it with a napkin.

“Kevin you can just get another sweater.” Connor sighed as he started to get up.

“It’s just a little bit of syrup, it’s not that big a problem, Connor. Really, it’s fine.” Kevin responded, as he continued to dab at it.

“It’s going to be sticky the rest of the day.” Connor pointed out, less than happy with the turn of events. It was a small mishap really, but Connor liked to be neat and clean when possible. He’d learned to cope with all the dust getting into the Mission Hut back in the day, but it didn’t mean it didn’t drive him crazy.

“How about I wear one of my Disney sweaters Arnold got me last Christmas?” Kevin asked, ready to compromise.

“Why do I feel like this was on purpose just so you could wear the Mickey Mouse sweater?” Connor asked, leaning back. “Yes, of course. You can wear it. The tree already has a ton of Disney ornaments, I suppose this wouldn’t make a difference.”

It was true, the tree was decked out in mostly disney characters. Between the strings of multicolored lights and a few traditional, plain colored bulbs were an armada of small figurines hanging on the branches of their fake tree. A tiny Aladdin and Jasmine flew on their magic carpet, while Belle and The Beast danced together, holding hands a branch next to them. It was as if the entirety of Disney World had been vomited up on their tree…and Connor didn’t mind. Kevin was more than ecstatic when Connor had finally agreed to let him have that.

Kevin’s eyes lit up and he disappeared to their room. Not five minutes later, he reappeared, donning the red sweater with the cartoon mouse’s face staring at him goofily.

“I’m just letting you know I’m not wearing matching couple sweaters with you.” Connor told him as he took a drink of the coffee Kevin had made. The taste was still something he’d have to get used to but the caffeine did help with the odd sleep pattern he’d developed over the past decade of so of ‘turning it off’.

Kevin sat down, unperturbed by his boyfriend’s refusal to don a Minnie Mouse sweater next to him. “Aw, come on Connor, it wouldn’t be that bad.” He laughed, as he continued eating.

“Why do I get the feeling that’s one the present you got me this year.” Connor asked, shifting in his seat.

Kevin stopped, staring at him. “Did you-?”

Connor cut off Kevin before he could properly ask his question. “I didn’t peak, don’t be silly. I like surprises too you know. In fact, you’re my favorite surprise of all.”

Kevin raised his eyebrow, “Didn’t you know Arnold and I were coming to Uganda before we arrived?”

“Not that, but yes, I did. I think I got the letter about a few weeks before you arrived.” Connor remembered those days. Letters and even more paperwork arriving at his desk. An endless stream of papers that needed to be written and signed and budgets that needed to be allocated filled his days. He’d long since stopped actively taking part in trying to baptize the Ugandans. Their first few attempts had proved fruitless and after becoming District Leader, he’d had a lot less time to do things. Elder Thomas had played his right hand man in helping to run and organize the other Elders when Elder McKinley couldn’t.

Last he’d heard, and he kept in touch with Poptarts and Church who had since moved in together, they had recently visited both Mrs Church and Poptart’s sister at their graves. Connor had invited them over for Christmas but they decided to spend it together, mourning Church’s loss.

“The letter spoke highly of you, it gave us promise that maybe we wouldn’t fail. They really did make you out to be the perfect Mormon.” Connor let out a slight snort. “Imagine my surprise when I thought you might be having the same thoughts and worries that I did. I thought I wouldn’t be alone.” Connor spoke quieter now, looking down and away from Kevin. He knew that Kevin wouldn’t judge him, couldn’t, not when they were together. Still it made him feel…almost sick as he confessed. “As…as selfish as I might have been, I wished that…you were struggling too.” Connor closed his eyes, trying to ignore the queasiness in his stomach as he thought too deeply about the past. He had to keep moving forward, keep looking forward. As long as he had Kevin he would be fine.

He felt Kevin’s arms wrap around him, burying his face in his shoulder. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to think about that anymore. You have me now, and I have you. As long as we have each other, we’ll be fine.”

Connor lifted his head, swallowing hard. He tried to push the past away…the irony was not lost on him. He didn’t need to ruin the day, didn’t want to cry. On Christmas of all days, he shouldn’t be reliving old wounds.

He took Kevin’s hand, giving it a squeeze. If Connor ever needed a stronger reminder of how far they’d come, this was it.

“I’m sorry, it’s Christmas, I shouldn’t…shouldn’t be-”

“It’s ok to be upset. Remember what you said? You weren’t going to turn it off anymore.” Kevin whispered quietly in his ear. The Christmas music had been replaced with the old radio drama of ‘A Christmas Carol’ in the background.

“You’re-you’re right Kevin. I just didn’t mean to ruin your perfect Christmas plans.” Connor opened his eyes again, gazing at the Christmas tree in the corner, the small stash of presents huddled under them, waiting to be opened.

“Did you want to open presents now?” Connor asked, changing the subject. Upon seeing the concern on the other man’s face, he added quickly, “I’m feeling better, Kevin. Really, I am.”

Kevin reluctantly let Connor leave and make his way towards the tree. Picking out one of the presents he handed one to Kevin.

“I don’t remember which one this is, but I think you’re going to like it either way.” Connor said. It was medium sized, white with little red and green hollies peppering it’s shape.

“If it’s from you, then I’m sure I’d love it.” Kevin reassured him before opening his present to reveal a peculiar black package of coffee beans.

“I remember you ranting about how Starbucks doesn’t ‘do coffee right’ so I got you an extra special bag of your favorite beans. I think I got the right ones.” Connor had never gotten a hang of all the coffee lingo, the ‘subtle’ details that went into making the right cup of coffee. It was mind boggling how much Kevin knew now.

Kevin’s face broke out into a huge grin. “I love it, Connor. I can’t wait to try it.” Getting up, he knelt down by the tree and pulled out a pink present. There was no questioning who it was for or from.

A gift basket lay within, sporting some bath bombs, nice smelling soap, stress toys and chocolates. Connor had an idea of what he was looking at. He looked back up at an anxious and expectant Kevin.

“Do you like it? You’ve always been working so hard, I’ve been worried.”

Connor’s chest fluttered. “Is it really that obvious?” He asked, racking his mind to remember if anyone else had noticed it as well.

“We’ve known each other for years now, I think I can tell when you’re feeling stressed.” Kevin laughed, sitting down next to Connor.

“I love it. Really, I do.”

The next few hours went by blissfully as they opened the remainder of their presents, some from their fellow former Elders. Among them were a swiss army knife and a small wooden figure, both sent by George Michaels…the Mormon, not the Musician. Poptarts had sent them some baked goods, which were thankfully still fresh by the time they arrived. The blue cloudless sky faded into orange streaked indigo as Christmas day was turning into Christmas Night.

If every generation had a Christmas tradition, theirs was watching all the Christmas specials, no matter how bad they may be or how many times they’d seen the same specials over the years. Right now they were in the middle of Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer. As if listening to countless variations of the same five or so good Christmas songs weren’t good enough to drill the story of the poor deer into everyone’s mind from the time they were small children.

“My brother Jack loved this movie. Did I ever tell you of the year he was so obsessed with it that we play it all year when he was six?” Kevin told him, stretching as the clock got closer to their usual bedtime. Neither of them had to go back to work until New Years, but they had no intention of staying up until midnight. Besides, the movies would all end when the news came around nine or ten. By then the world would have had their fill of Christmas cheer riding it until New Years where they’d soon return to their ordinary lives and fall back into the routine.

“Does he still listen to Christmas music?” Connor asked, resting his head against Kevin’s shoulder.

“Of course. A true Price never runs from holiday tunes. It’s one of the few times that Dad would let us be…you know, kids.” Despite the cheer in his voice, there was a tinge of sadness in the undertones of it all.

Connor hesitated, knowing they were flirting with a dangerous subject. He’d heard a number of things of Kevin’s childhood and how they shaped him into the person he was today. Kevin had heard his childhood as well, but he wasn’t shaped as much by that as he was by his teen years.

“I believe you told me that before, with Orlando?” Connor reminded him, shifting on their couch. After hearing so much about Orlando, he’d never knew the full story for the longest time. Considering how often Kevin practically dedicated his heart to it and Disney, one would assume that would be the first thing he’d explained.

It was one of the last, one of his most treasured memories. A cornerstone of his whole person.

“Yeah, Orlando. We should go there someday.” Kevin replied, the slight waver in his voice becoming more apparent.

“I’d like that, Kevin. Just you and me. Maybe some of the other Elders. A real family trip to Orlando.” A promise, a thought, a wish- something so faint and translucent formed between them. A plan with no real beginning or end, no meat behind it besides wishful thinking.

Connor could feel his throat tightening up as thoughts of his family- the other McKinleys wafted through his mind. He remembered the smell of his mom’s food. The sounds of the usual Saturdays where his dad and his other brothers would eagerly listen to the radio or if they could, catch a game on the tv. His sister’s squeal of delight whenever Connor would push her on swing, or play tag with her. He wasn’t the youngest, but he was always willing to play with her.

He didn’t want to, but he saw in his mind’s eye, the empty spaces he would have been. The dining table, the couch, the place where his presents would be under the tree. His mind conjured up conversations they were and weren’t having. Conversations without him, conversations of him. Futures where he was lying but they still loved him, wanted him. Cherished him. His parents would beam down in pride when he graduated, when he got his first job. They’d go live their lives but still together, never truly alone.

The warm, hot tears were coming down hard now. He couldn’t fight it, that less than subtle loss that had plagued him-no, them- ever since they decided they wanted to commit, to be willing to throw away everything for the sake of each other. Kevin loved Connor and Connor loved Kevin. Still, the phantom uncertainty of whether they were right in the long run hung around like a fog. Never heavy enough to crush them, for them to move out of way. Never light enough to simply hand wave away. The only path left for them was to go forward, going back was something they could only dream of. Always out of reach, a phantom of their past.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, Connor. You-you have me. I have you.” Kevin reassured him, his voice thick with his own sorrow. Red, wet eyes with tear trails down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t going to…wasn’t going to- I just…how do I not think about them? I know I can’t-can’t go back but- they’re my family, Kevin. They’re our families.” The movie on the TV lost it’s realness, mere background noise full of now distant holiday spirit. The reminder that good things happened no matter what, that there was some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. None of it felt real.

Mickey’s big wide eyes stared back at Connor, blank and questioning.

Wiping the tears out of his eyes as well as Connor’s, Kevin drew him close once more. Connor always loved Kevin’s hugs, the warm, sheltering embrace. It felt like confidence, that he’d been right in trusting his feelings, to risk it all for a chance of happiness. True happiness that was what he really wanted. Love, a person he could be open and free with. It was a reassurance that it all mattered in the end, that despite of everything…no, because of everything that he was, that had happened, it was worth it.

“I miss them too, okay? I miss Jack, and Lance and the twins.

And-and life isn’t-isn’t fair. It sucks but in the future…in the future maybe they’ll see that they were wrong. Maybe they won’t, but they say that family isn’t who you’re related to, but who you choose. And I choose you. You chose me. Together we’re going to make it.” Kevin held him tighter if it was possible, as if he were afraid Connor would slip or float away.

That speech, it was something straight out of a Disney or even a cheesy romance film. It was full of sweetness and promises and hope. Comforting words that spoke of a happier future, of hardships and love that would last forever. Was it full of idealism? Yes. Was it realistic? Connor wanted to believe.

So he did.

It was one of their happier moments from when they were together.

#bom secret santa #submission

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