#franklin park reading series

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

Chapter 8: Jealousy Doesn't Look Good On Anybody Except...

Pairing: Soldier Boy x f!reader, Reader POV

Summary: When the reader left Payback 40 years ago after a falling out with her childhood best friend she never looked back, but when two men show up to her apartment and start asking her questions about the past, the reader begins to think those things can’t stay hidden and starts to question what’s real and what’s fantasy.  This is a re-telling of The Boys Season 3, where the reader is a supe who's known Soldier Boy since 1927. The chapters will fluctuate between past and present. This is chapter eight of my "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love" series. (I'm so bad at summaries please forgive me!)

Word Count: 4.1K

Warnings: References to sex, Cursing (a few times), Drinking, Soldier Boy might be, is, really, absolutely, a little OOC,

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is minimal use of y/n. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. Reader is described as "curvy" occasionally. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!

The song they dance to is "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love" by Russ Columbo and this should take you to the song. It's the song I named the series for, because I believe it encompasses how both the reader feels, but also how Soldier Boy will feel in a few chapters. I also believe that the song House of Memories by Panic at the Disco, fits the more modern parts of the series.

Internal Monologue is in first person and is in italics

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Philadelphia 1938

The lights twinkled along the ceiling of the dance hall as the gentle swell of jazz floated through the air. Couples swayed on the dance floor clinging to one another as the soft tones of the music soothed the dull throb of the whispers of rising tension overseas. It was a Saturday night, and you and a few of your friends from the Dawson School for Girls had slipped away to spend the evening twirling in the arms of whomever caught your fancy.

Well, at least that's what your friends wanted to do. There was only one particular man who'd caught your fancy, but he was nowhere to be seen.

The Dawson School for Girls was the answer to your mother's prayers, a boarding school in Boston, far away from Ben's "corruptive influence" as she put it. Ben was currently at boarding school number ten in Upstate New York. The last time you’d seen him was when you were on break and Ben had just left boarding school number nine for fighting with other students, but he wouldn't say what for. You’d sent him a few letters to tell him how bored you were including a few sketches and watercolor paintings, with minimal response, but it was like him not to write back.

You hadn't mentioned that Howard Stine had been coming on the weekends to take you out. Your mother was pleased with him, he checked all the boxes: wealthy, not Ben, educated, not Ben, from a nice family, not Ben, and of course most importantly, not Ben.

She was practically making wedding invitations and choosing the names of your children after only three months. However, it was nice to see her happy for a change, kept her from sniping at your figure now that someone was interested. Well, not sniping that much.

Howard was… nice, but he was one of the most boring people you'd ever met and he never understood why you always carried a sketchbook with you. When he'd taken you to Franklin Park one weekend, you stopped along the pond to sketch some of the ducks that were waddling on the bank, but Howard told you he didn’t have time to wait for you to draw them. Instead of telling him that he could just leave, you shut the sketchpad and continued to walk with him and quickly learned that it was better to leave your sketchpad at the dorm whenever he was in town. You also found yourself talking less and less, allowing him to fill the silence with his talk of the stock market crash and how the United States economy recovered due to the efforts of President FDR.

You hated that. You didn't recognize yourself when you were with him. You didn't feel like you.

And every time he was here all you could do was compare him to Ben. Ben would never tell you to stop drawing, yes he would tease you about it, but he always sat next to you while you were sketching, watching you work. You never understood that. Ben was so impatient with everyone else, but he was willing to sit with you for any inordinate amount of time if you were drawing while making you laugh the whole time.

I miss him so much.

"Can I get you a drink?" Howard puts his hand on the small of your back, leaning in to whisper in your ear. You try not to flinch at his touch. He had already been in town, walking you home from a dinner that was dominated by awkward silence and the clicking of utensils on plates when you'd run into your friends just as he was walking you back to the dorm. They had rounded the corner giggling and begging you to come with them. Despite your insistences for him to stay in and relax for the night at his hotel, he refused.

It meant that now you were stuck with him while all your friends got to twirl around with men that made them warm and giddy. Howard made you feel like you'd swallowed a lemon.

"I'm fine, but thank you." You force a smile.

Howard shrugs, before he walks away towards the crowded bar on the other side of the room and blessedly far away from you.

Your thoughts drifted to Ben. You missed your friend more than words could comprehend. Not just because you were far from your family in another city, but because it felt like you were missing apart of yourself when he wasn't there. You briefly wonder if he felt the same way when he wasn't with you.

Probably not.

You turn away from Howard's retreating figure, to watch the couples on the dance floor. You sway to the music, holding your arms around yourself and feeling your dark green dress swish around your ankles, one that you'd picked out yourself, not a monstrosity of pink tulle, but something that you believed accentuated the natural curves of your body that your mother used other dresses to hide. Your mouth turns down into a frown remembering how Howard had reacted to seeing you in it, when he tried to give you his jacket to cover up, but you refused.

You had wanted him to be stunned by how you looked in it, or at least, wanted someone to be. The same someone that was miles away and probably tickling the skirt of someone who caught his fancy.

"One of the most attractive men I've ever seen in my life is at the bar." Your friend Pearl stated looking behind you with wide eyes.

I've got you beat. You think to yourself to a sigh, wishing, again, that you were here with Ben instead of Howard.

"Very funny." You roll your eyes, thinking that she’s making fun of where Howard is sitting probably flagging down the bartender with both hands to catch his attention.

"I'm not talking about Howard. This guy is seriously a looker. And he's staring at you." Pearl says again.

"Sure." You continue to watch an elderly couple sway back and forth to the smooth jazz that ebbs from the band on stage.

Must be nice to be with someone for that long.

You watch how effortlessly the couple moves as one, how the man stares down at the woman with more love than you can comprehend. It makes your heart sink in your chest.

The way things were panning out, you were going to end up with Howard and you couldn't imagine looking at anyone like that other than Ben.

"You're about to see, because he's coming this way." Pearl takes a step back from you as if anticipating the stranger interrupting your conversation.

"He's not-" You begin to say, but you feel someone place their hand on the small of your back, turning you towards them.

"Fancy meeting you here." Ben smiles down at you, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

"Ben!" Your heart soars when you recognize your friend and you can't help but hug him so tight he laughs, the movement of his chuckle makes you feel alive for the first time in weeks. The sharp smell of whiskey and the familiar spicy scent of his cologne greets you.

"Guess you missed me." The rumble of his voice vibrates where your cheek rests against his chest.

"I did." You pull away from him reluctantly. "What are you doing here?" You can't help but smile at him, probably wider than what was attractive.

"Thought I'd stop by and visit on my way back to Philadelphia. Saw you walk into this place. " Ben shrugs. "What are you doing out so late?"

"Looking for trouble." You smirk.

"You found him sweetheart." Ben leans down towards you making your throat get unusually tight.

"Hi." Pearl says interrupting the conversation.

 Ben turns his smug smile on her. "Hi."

"I'm Pearl." She looks from you to Ben as if trying to decide that it's okay for her to introduce yourself.

"Benjamin." You watch him slip into the cool and smooth Ben, the one that charmed whomever caught his eye.

You can't help but feel a prick of jealousy against your skin. It was familiar, but every time it happened, it didn't make any of this easier. You knew that you shouldn't be jealous, you didn't have a claim on him, you were friends, just friends, only friends, best friends…

And now you were with Howard.

You let out a soft sigh watching the way that Pearl looks up at Ben and the way he leans towards her with the confident smirk you love so much on his face.

"Would you like to dance Benjamin?" She asks.

"I would." Ben's smirk turns into a smile.

Pearl steps forward to reach for his hand, expecting him to take it, but he doesnt.

"Come on sweetheart." Ben reaches out and takes your hand, twirling you ahead of him onto the dance floor.

"Ben-" You giggle, head spinning with the movement, but when he twirls you back into his chest, you feel your breath catch. This wasn't the first time you'd been pressed up against him and it wasn't the first time you recognized how perfectly you fit together. Your soft curves molding against the hardness of his muscles as you sway back and forth to the music. When you were pressed up against him, you didn't feel like you were too big, you felt perfect, because of the way you fit against him.

"You know I am here with someone-" You say, before you get too wrapped up in how good it feels to be with him.

"Yes. Howard Stine. Though I do believe you said he stepped on your toes." Ben smiles at you, eyes twinkling in the light.

"That was four years ago, and he's… sweet?"

"Hmph." Ben rolls his eyes. "You can't even say it with a straight face sweetheart."

"I have never said anything bad about your companions."

"Missy-"

"Besides her." You frown.

He laughs at your reaction, the hand clutched in your right seems to warm with his smile. "You've never said anything about them period."

Because I hate thinking about how many of them there have been. Because I hate that you don't see me as someone who could be with you.

"I try not to dwell on your numerous escapades."

"You sound a little jealous doll." He smirks at you.

"What was that you were saying about Howard again?" You tease, holding on to his shoulders as you sway back and forth to the music.

"Can't be jealous of someone I've seen get chased by a duck." Ben's eyes trace your body for a moment. Your cheeks blush under his gaze. "You look nice. Not one of your mom's I'm guessing?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You don't look like a cupcake." He spins you away one more time before bringing you back into his chest.

"No. I think she'd probably have an aneurysm if she saw me wearing this. Howard also thought it was a bit much-"

Ben's hand tightens on your waist. "What?"

You shrug, leveling your eyes on his chest to distract yourself from his hand placement. "He tried to get me to wear his coat."

"He what?"

You shake your head to dissipate the self-doubt and body-shaming conversation that was about to unfold in your head.

"It's nothing." You raise your gaze back to his, but you're surprised to see the anger that burns behind his green eyes.

"It's not nothing. He had no right to-"

"Ben." You soothe, rubbing your thumb over his shoulder to comfort him.

The song shifts to something softer, forlorn, a song that reminded you of the heartache you felt with Ben, but also a melody that eases your soul somehow.

"I don't understand why you're with him." Ben sighs, but you can still feel the tension in his shoulders beneath your hand.

"My mother is happy-"

"But you're not." The look in his eyes is unfamiliar, almost earnest, as if he's trying to get you to understand something that he can't say.

"Ben." You breathe.

"Fine. I don't want you to think about him when we're dancing to our song anyway." The look in his eyes shifts back to the playful green they'd been before.

"Our song?" The words make your heart skip a beat and you can't help but smile at him.

You couldn't remember the last time you'd smiled this much. Probably the last time I saw him.

"Yes." Ben dips you back, before bringing you up against him, the playful look in his eyes becoming softer as you come back.

You know that your own gaze is filled with love and you remember watching the elderly couple. The way they looked at one another warming your heart as you gaze up at Ben. The three little words tiptoe against your tongue, the three little words that you'd been trying to say forever, but you can't. You don't want to lose him, don't want to live in a world without him, because you know that it won't be worth living.

So instead you lean forward and lay your head against his chest, in the space between his neck and shoulder as the song continues. You think that you feel Ben's arms tighten around you, pulling you further into his embrace, but you chock that up to wishful thinking.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" You hear someone yell, and all of a sudden someone's hand is on your wrist jerking you away from Ben.

What?

Howard is standing there his chest pushed against Ben’s, trying to look intimidating, but Howard's inability to reach Ben's shoulders made it difficult for him.

You rub your fingers over your wrist, where Howard’s bright red handprint stands out against your skin.

Ben’s eyes shift to notice your ministrations, darkening with the force of his anger at the thought that Howard hurt you.

“I think I was dancing with my girl.” Ben’s eyes narrow, skating back to Howard.

Your heart skips a beat when he says that, but you shake away the thought, knowing that Ben is only saying that to make Howard angry.

“Your girl?!” Howard sputters, his face growing red. “She’s not your girl!”

“Howie, buddy-“ Ben’s confident smirk slips over his features but you still see the anger beneath the surface. “Calm down, you’ll give yourself a heart attack.”

“Just because you think you have some claim on her because you’ve been stringing her along with the harem that usually follows you, does not make her your girl!” Howard fumes. “She’s with me.” Howard grabs your wrist again and drags you towards him.

“Hey wait a minute-“ You begin to say.

Ben grabs the front of Howard's tailored suit, rumpling the pristine fabric. “Don’t you dare touch her like that.”

“I will touch her however I damn well please! She's mine-"

The grip on your wrist is so tight that you know it’ll leave bruises. “Howard wait-“ You try again to diffuse the tension, bringing your free hand to rest on his forearm to make him let go.

“Shut up.” He snaps, eyes flashing back to you.

Ben’s temper flares and the sharp crack of his fist against Howard’s face echoes through the room. Howard stumbles away, letting go of your wrist as he reels backward to the welcoming hardwood floor that catches him when he falls.

“Don’t you ever speak to her that way you arrogant son of a bitch!” Ben shouts taking a step forward. His shoulders are tense, fists clenched at his sides and his jaw is tight, as his anger burns through the air.

By now the band has stopped playing music and all the couples around you are watching with wide eyes.

I have to do something before he kills him.

You put yourself between them, your hands firmly planted on Ben’s muscular chest so your back is to where Howard stands fuming. “Ben. Don’t.”

But he’s not looking at you, his gaze is locked with Howard’s, eyes blazing, muscles tensing beneath the palms of your hands. You try to ignore how good his chest feels beneath your touch.

Damn it.

“Ben.” You say his name again.

His eyes snap back to yours. The soft green has hardened to an emerald with the force of his rage, so different than how he looked when the two of you were dancing. But he doesn’t say anything.

“Please.” You whisper. "Stop."

Ben looks from you to Howard, before he finally exhales. “Fine.” He mutters, and he turns and vanishes into the crowd of people without another word.

A minute passes and the music begins all over again, the band on the stage starting with a lively tune that makes the couples around you to move back on to the dance floor, but the tension of what just happened remains in the air.

Because what did just happen? Did Ben do that because he was protective of me? Or did he do that because he was jealous?

Your eyes trace where he vanished, longing for him to come back, but when he doesn't appear, you're left to deal with the aftermath. 

After numerous apologies to Howard, he finally relented and took you back to your dorm, leaving your group of friends at the dance hall. You knew there would definitely be a conversation about what just happened between you all when they got back, but even you were confused. Ben was always protective of you, but what happened seemed over the top. You think about how Ben called you “my girl," the way he said it sending a thrill down your spine. He’d never done that before and you wondered if it was because he wanted to get a rise out of Howard or because he believed it.

Not like he’s tried to do anything about it. You think to yourself stroking one finger against your bruised wrist. The discoloration was more prominent now, black and blue marks beginning to sprout like flowers in spring. Howard’s eye didn’t look much better when he dropped you off. You were surprised that he’d been forgiving enough to continue to see you, not that you wanted to see him, but you didn't think you could handle a letter from your mother.

Then again maybe she would pull you out of this ridiculous school.

A small tap at your window causes you to raise your head to look out the glass. Ben is sitting there, but he doesn’t smile like he usually does. Your dorm room was on the first floor, which meant that Ben didn't need to shimmy up a tree to get into it like he did when you were home. Then again this was the first time he'd showed up here and you wondered how he knew where your room was. You also weren't thrilled at his appearance because you didn't know when Pearl would come back and you weren't sure what your roommate would do if she came back and found Ben in your room. She was a stickler for the rules and despite your friendship, rooming with her was one of your least favorite things about the Dawson School For Girls.

“If they find you here I’m going to be in so much trouble.” You say helping him through the small window, putting your hand on the back of his head so that he doesn't bang it against the glass. "You might like getting kicked out of boarding schools, but I don't."

“They won’t find out.” Ben rolls his eyes. He glances at Pearl’s empty bed on the other side of the room. “Roommate not back yet?”

“No she was still dancing when I left.”

Ben frowns. “Where’s the asshole?”

“Ben-“

“What?”

“He left. And I don't exactly invite him up to where I sleep."

“Good.” Ben flexes his fist.

“How did you know which room was mine?” You ask. Ben had never come to see you before at boarding school and the fact that he was here probably meant that boarding school number ten was out.

“I might have guessed wrong.” He smirks.

“Uh-huh.” You sigh, but all you can think about is how he acted earlier. Your feet shift back and forth “Why did you hit him?”

Ben’s eyes darken. “He shouldn’t have touched you like that or said that to you.”

You stand there for a minute observing his reaction.

“He kinda deserved it." You say slowly.

You knew it was true. When Ben showed up Howard shouldn’t have lost it like he did, he definitely shouldn’t have grabbed you like that or called you his-

You stutter on that thought. But maybe he is right. I am Howard’s. We’ve been going steady… The thought of being his makes something curl up in your chest and die. There was only one man that you wanted to belong to.

"Yeah.” Ben sighs.

"Why did you call me your 'girl'?" You ask.

"Um." Ben shrugs. "Felt right in the moment."

"What?"

"I mean you are. You're my friend-"

"But that doesn't mean friend Ben." You say it gently trying to catch his eye, but Ben won't meet your gaze.

"Fine. I just wanted to mess with him a little bit." Ben frowns. "But I didn't like that he called you his, or the fact that he hurt you."

“But Ben I am his.” You whisper even though you don’t want to. “We’re going steady-“

“That doesn’t make you his!” Ben snaps, eyes flashing. “Just because he feels the need to say it doesn’t mean it’s true.”

“But Ben-“

“And I never want to hear you say it.” He continues loudly.

What is wrong with him? I've never seen him this angry about anything.

“Why?”

“Because that means he has some claim on you. You’re not his, you’re my friend.”

"You're being ridiculous. You're saying that he can't have some claim on me but you're possessively calling me your friend!" You shout back frustrated.

Why is he acting like this? Does he really hate Howard that much?

"I am not! I'm just saying that you're my friend and you're not his!"

“I can’t be both?” Your words hang in the air between the two of you and you mentally beg Ben to answer. He was acting like he wanted you to be his, like he believed that he had some claim on you and you couldn't remember another time that he'd acted this way. Sure he teased Howard, but this was more than that.

It was almost possessive and it kinda scared you how much you liked it.

Ben doesn’t answer your question. His shoulders are tense, hands clenched into fists at his sides, while something lurks behind his eyes that you can’t identify.

“Ben?” You say it like a question, ignoring the urge to press your hands against his chest like you did earlier at the dance to calm him down.

His gaze drops to your arm, where Howard grabbed you, tracing the bruises and clenching his jaw together. Ben’s right hand comes to delicately pick up your bruised wrist, running his thumb over the discolored flesh with a frown. “Does it hurt?” He rumbles changing the subject.

“No. Does that hurt?” You breathe noticing his bruised knuckles and gently probe your fingers along them.

You hated the though that he was hurt and for you, no less.

Why did he have to intervene? Why did he hit Howard?

“It was worth it.”

You both stand there for a minute, with Ben holding on to your wrist, touch surprisingly gentle.

“I just don’t like that he hurt you okay?” He mutters raising his eyes to yours. You weren't prepared for the soft look in his eyes. You expected him to still be angry over Howard, but he almost looked, worried.

“I'm okay Ben." You whisper back.

You want him to answer your question. You think again about telling him those three little words you wanted to say when you were swaying on the dance floor together but you can’t.

He nods once before he looks around the room, eyes falling on your sketchpad where it lays closed on your bed. "Got any new ones?"

You knew it was Ben's way of asking if he could stay, trying to tell you that he didn’t want to go back to Philadelphia that night, and you didn't want him to either.

"A few. If you're not too tired-"

"I’m never too tired for you."

You feel your heart beat rapidly in your chest. “Okay.”

The whole time you sit together on your bed, Ben doesn't drop your wrist, in fact he continues to brush his thumb against it while you look through your sketchbook. And in a few hours when Pearl finds you and Ben curled up in bed together, you’re not embarrassed, because deep down you’re starting to believe that Ben cared for you more than he was willing to admit.

Thank you so much for reading! If you'd like to be added to the taglist for this series, please let me know :)

Taglist: @roseblue373 @anundyingfidelity @cheynovak @cassiecasluciluce @muhahaha303

@deans-spinster-witch @kayleighmeister @demodemo909 @fruitfacess @bobbobbobinogs

@bughill126

[lillotus17]

INTERTWINED SERIES (Spidermen!ENHA) Preview

SYNOPSIS: After being dead for two minutes and then brought back to life thanks to your coworker you start to get these weird visions of future events just minutes before they happen. During a train ride you witness the murder of three teenage boys in broad daylight and then suddenly the next second they're sitting back down in their seats, alive and breathing. Despite the want you have to keep your peace and leave it alone, you can't help but get a very bad feeling and it only intensifies when you recognize the man that murdered them in your vision three train carts away and walking in your guys' direction. Shoving the three boys off of the train, saving their lives, risking your own, and being accused of kidnapping was not on your bucket list after surviving death. You don't have any clue what is going on or what in the hell you're gonna do to help these three boys but thankfully the four of you bump into some help along the way.

RELEASE DATE: TBD

PAIRING: EnhaHyung!Line X Fem. Reader, Spider-men!EnhaHyungLine x Madame Webb!Reader, Superhero!EnhaHyungLine x Clairvoyant!Reader, Spider!EnhaHyungLine x Paramedic!Reader, [ft. Enha Kim Sunoo (Anya Corazon), Yang Jungwon (Julia Cornwall), and Nishimura Riki (Mattie Franklin); TXT Yeonjun (Ezekial Sims), Choi Soobin (Ben Parker), mentions of Choi Beomgyu (Richard Parker); Shin Ryujin (Mary Parker); more to be added].

GENRE: Superhero AU, Romance, Action, Comedy, Angst, Strangers to Allies to Friends to Lovers, polyamorous relationship, (let me know if I forgot anything) more to be added!

WARNINGS: profanity, sexual/suggestive content (intercourse, oral, masturbation, phone sex, sexting, etc) ONLY WRITTEN FOR HYUNG LINE, MINORS DNI (you WILL be removed/blocked), poly relationship, drinking/consuming alcohol, feminine pronouns/terms used for reader, MADAME WEBB SPOLIERS!!! If you haven't watched it already! This is based on the MADAME WEBB MOVIE with some twist added into it! Let me know if I forgot anything at all!

DISCLAIMER: This is purely a work of FICTION! This is not meant to portray any of the Enhypen Members or other mentioned idols in any way or shape or form.

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE IMAGES/GIFS THAT MAY BE/ARE USED IN MY WRITING. IMAGES CREATED BY ME WILL HAVE MY WATERMARK OR BE COPYRIGHTED! THE MOOD BOARDS USED FOR THIS SERIES ARE ONES I PUT TOGETHER ON MY OWN BUT THE PHOTOS USED ARE NOT MINE!

ALL CREDITS GO TO THE OWNERS/CREATORS!

PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR REPOST MY WORK!

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, STRICTLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.

P.S. if you haven't already, you should definitely check out @artysse (credited) on TIKTOK! If you already have, then you know that it's an ENHA Fan Art Account of Spider ENHA! It's really fucking awesome! Go show some love!

NOT PROOF READ: Apologies for any grammatical errors, my loves!

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This takes place in New York, with mentions of South Korea and Japan. Reader is the same age as Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon. Jungwon, Sunoo, and Niki are the same age, in high school, and have a slightly bigger age gap between them and hyung line. Time gaps, mentions of MCU universe events/milestones. Slight spider-verse au, hyung line are all from different universes! Also note that maknae line don't have their spider powers (yet) because they develop it in series. ENHA hyungs already have their powers when they meet Y/N and the other boys.

CAST:

Y/N L/N as Cassandra (Cassie) Webb/Madame Webb

Yang Jungwon as Julia Cornwall (Carpenter in the Comics)/Arachne/Spider-(Wo)man

Kim Sunoo as Anya Corazon/Arana

Nishmura Riki (Niki) as Martha (Mattie) Franklin/Spider-(Wo)man

Lee Heeseung as Peter Parker (Tom Holland Universe)/Spider-Man

Park Jongseong (Jay) as Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield Universe)/Spider-Man

Sim Jaeyun (Jake) as Miles Morales (Spider-Verse)/Spider-Man

Park Sunghoon as Gwen Stacy (Spider-Verse)/Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider

More to be added!

[ac-19]

Please more Jason Hayes and Drew Franklin imagines! I could read imagines about them all day🤪

Here's some Drew for you babe ❤️ more Jason coming soon 😉

Could be Part 2 of Friends or? Or could be read as a stand alone.

Messy - D. Franklin (Bravo 6)

Summary: things get messy when you're you're on the same team.

My phone went off awakening me from the deep slumber I was in and I almost panicked when I saw an arm wrapped around my waist but I couldn't help but smile to myself as the events of last night came to my mind. 

"Morning."

His morning raspy voice made me want to take him right then and there again but instead I reached over and grabbed my phone off the nightstand.

"Let me guess, we're getting spun up?"

"We have to be at base in an hour for debrief but most likely."

Drew placed a series of soft kisses on my neck, and I smiled. 

"I'm gonna go take a shower."

He groaned. 

"You're such a buzzkill."

I chuckled as I wiggled out of his arms and grabbed a shirt that was laying on the ground and pulled it over my head. 

"You're more than welcome to join."

I walked across my apartment to my bathroom and turned the hot water on, and I chuckled when I heard footsteps heading my way. I pulled the shirt over my head and disposed of it on the ground, and stepped into the shower. Not a minute later, Drew's arms were wrapped around my waist and he was back at placing soft kisses on my neck which led to Drew's definition of a quickie, that almost made us late for debrief. 

"Thanks."

I walked into the debrief room followed by Drew, and all eyes were on us as I walked over to sit beside Sonny while Drew sat on the other side of the table. 

"Did you two get in together?"

I scoffed and shook my head as I leaned back in my chair. 

"Just because two people walk into a room together doesn't mean they drove in together, Sonny."

"But.."

I rolled my eyes.

"Drop it."

Blackburn walked into the room, and I was grateful because that meant I got away from Sonny's question for a small amount of time. The debrief went by quickly, and with the news of a month-long deployment hanging over our heads, we all headed out to get our affairs in order before leaving. 

"(Y/N/N) you and Drew both walked in with wet hair and..."

I took a deep breath as I turned around to face Sonny. 

"If you don't want me to out you and Davis to the rest of the team, you better think carefully on your next words."

"Copy that."

I nodded and turned on my heel and headed to the parking lot. I drove back to my apartment and packed a bag, did some laundry and threw out all my soon to be expired food before I headed back to base. I climbed on that plane and settled into a spot and grabbed my headphones and pulled them over my ears. Drew walked onto the plane last and completely ignored me which stung a bit, but I couldn't think about that right now, not with a month long deployment in front of us. 

After two weeks of deployment I finally came to the conclusion that Drew was in fact a one night stand kind of guy. I understand the whole team was around but there was no need for him to completely ignore me, like I somehow didn't exist to him anymore, but I couldn't feel those feelings right now so I pushed them deep down inside me and focused on my job. I was the first one through the doors and first one in the fight for the last two weeks of our deployment and I think Jason picked up that something was bothering me but he never came out and asked me about it. 

When we landed back in VA Beach, my first stop was the grocery store before I headed back to my apartment. I saw Drew's van parked halfway down the block, but I really wasn't interested in talking to him, except I didn't really have a choice when I found him standing outside my apartment door. 

"Can we talk?"

I scoffed as I unlocked my door and walked inside my apartment. 

"Oh, now you want to talk to me."

"Let me help you with those."

I pulled my arm away as Drew tried to grab my bags of groceries. 

"I've got it."

Drew nodded and followed me inside my apartment, and I didn't fight him on that. If we were gonna argue, I didn't want all my neighbors to be witnesses. 

"I'm sorry."

I nodded as I started unloading my groceries.

"(Y/N)."

I shook my head as I closed the door to my fridge and turned around to face Drew. 

"You ignored me for a month while we were deployed. I get the rest of the team was around but you acted like I didn't exist and you think what? Now that we're home I'm just gonna fall into bed with you again? I already made that mistake once, it won't happen again."

"Mistake?"

"Look Drew it's like you said, team relationships are messy. She should have never done this."

"If that's how you feel."

"I think you should leave."

Drew nodded and walked out of my apartment without another word. That was weeks ago now and unless absolutely necessary we didn't really talk to each other and team dynamic just wasn't there anymore so when I walked into base this morning I walked straight to Blackburn's office. 

"Petty Officer (Y/L/N). Come in."

I nodded as I walked into Blackburn's office and took a deep breath.

"I'd like to make the formal request to switch teams."

Blackburn furrowed his eyebrows.

"Did anything happen with Bravo?"

I shook my head. 

"No, I just want a change of scenery."

Blackburn nodded. 

"You know I have to talk to Jason about this."

I nodded. 

"I know."

"And if he denies the transfer, my hands are tied."

I nodded. 

"I understand, but if I know Master Chief Hayes he won't block my transfer."

Blackburn nodded. 

"You sure nothing happened?"

I nodded. 

"Yes sir."

"Okay. I'll talk to Master Chief Hayes about this later today, but are you good with staying on Bravo until a new spot opens up?"

I nodded. 

"Of course sir."

He nodded.

"Dismissed."

I nodded and walked out of Blackburn's office only to come face to face with Sonny and Omar. 

"(Y/N), feels like we haven't seen you in weeks."

I nodded. 

"Yeah, I've been busy."

Sonny nodded as he pointed to Blackburn's office. 

"Everything okay?"

I nodded. 

"Yeah. I'm gonna hit the gym, I'll see you guys later."

Omar nodded, and I scurried away without another word. I knew they were going to eventually find out about my transfer request, but I don't think I could talk about it with them right now. I went to my cage and changed into some workout clothes, but instead of going to the gym, I drove across town to the cemetery and walked over to Clay's grave. 

"Figured I'd find you here after the talk I just had with Blackburn."

I put my head down and sighed before I looked back at Jason.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to blindside you."

Jason nodded. 

"Does this have anything to do with whatever is going on between you and Drew? Don't think I haven't noticed things are tense between you two."

I shook my head. 

"This is for me."

Jason nodded. 

"I don't know what happened between you and Drew and really it's none of my business, but I don't want to lose you on my team. I'm not gonna block your transfer and force you to stay on the team if you want to leave but just know that I want you here."

I nodded as I took a deep breath and looked down at Clay's grave.

"Clay and I were at the top of our Green Team class and we were so competitive so when we both got a spot on Bravo we always had to one up each other and it was great while it lasted, but right now I just feel like the team isn't a family and I've actually been considering this since Clay's death."

Jason nodded. 

"Look, the team not vibing right now has probably more to do with me than anything. Clay always knew how to push me, in the right ways and ever since he died I think we're all having a tough time adjusting, but we're gonna get back to the Bravo we were before."

I nodded. 

"Just think about staying okay?"

I nodded as Jason squeezed my shoulder and walked off. The tears welled up in my eyes as I looked down at Clay's grave. I really wish he was here right now to give me advice, probably a scolding, too, but mostly, I just wanted a hug from my best friend. After sitting at Clay's grave for way longer than I probably should I head back to my apartment and was stunned when I saw a bouquet of flowers laying by my apartment door. I looked around, but there was no one around, so I picked them up off the ground and picked the card that was in the flowers. 

"meet me at the Bulkhead tonight please."

I recognized Drew's handwriting and I sighed as I unlocked the door and walked inside my apartment.  

I debated not going, but ultimately, I got myself ready and settled onto a dark blue pockla dot sundress, which showed off some cleveage and my white converses. I quickly did my makeup and curled my hair. If nothing else, I was going to look hot tonight. 

I drove myself to the Bulkhead and sat in my car outside for a few minutes but I eventually walked inside and headed straight to the bar. I couldn't do this sober.

"Whiskey please."

"Add whatever she's drinking to my tab."

I looked over at Drew who was sitting by himself at the end of the bar. I grabbed my whiskey and walked over and sat down on the stool beside him.

"I didn't think you were gonna show up."

"Honesty I didn't either."

Drew nodded.

"You don't have to leave the team."

I sighed.

"Of course Jason told you."

I picked up my glass and took a big gulp out of it.

"Look I fucked this up, I should be the one to leave."

I shook my head.

"You deserve to be on Bravo."

"So do you."

I shrugged.

"Ever since Clay died I've been debating leaving Bravo, I guess this was the push I needed."

"Look I'm sorry."

"It's like we always said, team relationships are messy."

"This isn't about us being on the same team."

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked over at Drew.

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Means that it scared the shit out of me when I woke up with you in my arms and I thought to myself, man I could see myself doing this everyday. I've never felt like that about anyone, so us being on the same team doesn't have jack shit to do with why I fucked things up for us."

I nodded.

"I get it."

"You do?"

I nodded as I traced the rim of my glass with my finger and looked over at Drew.

"I don't think Sonny ever mentioned it when he went on a rant about my life, but my ex cheated on me the night before our wedding. Some bullshit about having one last wild night before settling down so I might of blew this out of proportion too, I'm sorry. I wanted to protect myself from getting hurt like that again."

Drew nodded as he picked up his beer and brought it to his lips.

"That guy sounds like an asshole."

I smiled and nodded.

"That's something we both can agree on."

Drew downed whatever was left in his beer bottle and put it down on the bar before he looked over at me.

"So what now?"

"You want to get out of here?"

Drew smirked.

"You read my mind."

I smiled as I downed the rest of my whiskey and Drew threw some money on the bar and we headed towards the exit.

"Your place or mine?"

I laughed.

"No offence, but mine. It's actually got indoor plumbing."

Drew laughed.

"Fair enough."

We walked over to my car, and I walked over to the driver's side only to duck when I saw Sonny and Omar walking towards the entrance of the Bulkhead. If they saw Drew and I together we would never hear the end of it.

"Drew."

Drew quickly turned around and looked at Sonny and Omar.

"Didn't think we'd see you out tonight, it's been a while."

Drew nodded.

"Yeah well like you said it's been a while so thought I'd make an appearance tonight."

"Is that (Y/N)'s car?"

"Nah I don't think so, must be a car just like hers."

Sonny nodded.

"Right."

"Alright well I'm gonna go order us a round."

Drew nodded.

"I'll be right behind you guys."

I waited a few seconds until I heard the tump of the front door of the Bulkhead close.

"You're clear."

I chuckled as I stood up and looked at Drew.

"I have to go in there."

I nodded.

"You know where I live."

Drew nodded.

"Before you go, one thing."

"What's that?"

"You have to stay."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"On the team I mean."

I nodded.

"I know what you meant."

Drew smiled as he walked over to me and leaned down and planted his lips on mine. I slipped my hands around his waist and smiled against his lips.

"You've got some making up to do Drew Franklin."

Drew nodded.

"Right now I've got to go inside and have a drink with Sonny and Omar but later tonight I'm all yours."

I nodded.

"Don't be too late."

"Trust me after a few hours of Sonny and Omar I'm gonna be clawing my way out of here."

I chuckled.

"You better get in there."

"I gotta give my girl one more kiss before I go."

I smiled as I leaned up and planted my lips on Drew's. As risky as this was I couldn't help but feel the happiest I had been in a long time.

[kissorkill16]

Me: *pulls out a long list* We're gonna be here a while.

First of all, I was thinking about stepping into Nicky's life a little more. I'd like to explain why he acts the way he does before/after he got kidnapped, why him and Delroy hate each other so much, and what he thinks and how he feels about his friends.

1. I came up with this multi-part series called "When We Were Once Happy", a story before Trinity moved to Raven Brooks. Bubba is present in this story, Aaron, Mya, and Lucy were Nicky's first friends, and Mr. Peterson is a genuinely nice guy. We could add some flashbacks to Nicky's life before he became the "town weirdo".

2. If you read some of @fazbearedits 's fanfics, you'll learn that they came up with the idea that Lucy and Mya are the Shadow Man, the incarnation of Nicky's fears. How they were the ones that mentally broke Nicky during his time in the basement and forced him to play games with them. I actually loved that idea, and I added onto that they were angry at the world for letting them die so early, and they were especially angry with Mr. Peterson because they thought he was the one responsible for their deaths. However, Lucy was the one who wanted revenge, Mya just wanted to be with her mother.

3. I'd write about how Trinity even found out about the Golden Apple Amusement Park in the first place, because in S2 EP 1, she just...knows. Like how did she find out that Golden Apple Amusement Park was a thing? Did someone tell her about it? Was it a scrapped scene that we don't know about? If I was writing the series, I'd actually take the time to show how she even finds out about these kinds of things and people.

4. @fazbearedits really went all in with their fanfics to show how much of a potential bitch Finch is. Read "Back To School" and "This Is Halloween", and you'll see what I'm talking about. The girl scout literally took a picture of his mental breakdown, printed it all around school, made everyone at the school laugh at him, and lied about it to the principal. Then she comes to school dressed as Nicky in an unbuckled straightjacket.

5. I'd expand on Finch's bitchiness too, but I'd also give her a redemption arc. Where she's threatened to apologize for her actions, and Nicky says she can make it up to her if she helps him and his friends out with the whole Crowface mystery.

6. Screw it, I'd give everyone who's a dickhead in this show a redemption arc. Except for the Forest Protectors, the Forest Protectors deserve death.

7. I wrote some fanfics about how everyone's starting to treat Nicky nicer after his kidnapping and mental breakdown at his house, and how Jay and Luanne promised to actually be there for him when he needed it.

8. In some of my fics, Mr. Murtaugh is like a 50/50 kind of villain. He's Nicky's therapist while at the same time, he's a Forest Protector. But as he keeps up the weekly therapy sessions with him, he starts getting a little attached to him.

9. After the second trailer for Season 2, I noticed that she's become a little hard on her friends, with all of the weight on her shoulders and how she's gotten more questions than answers. She starts ignoring her friends protests or how they tell her that she's going too far or working too hard. Then after she locks Nicky in the basement, she begins to see the errors of her ways and promises to be a better leader.

10. While I don't completely like the parents in WTRB, I think they could be good people too. With Jay and Luanne being neglectful to Nicky and Donald and Amanda (that's what I'm calling Mr. and Mrs. Bales) not being able to trust their daughter, I'd want to fix that too. After Mr. Peterson's arrest, Donald and Amanda promises to try to trust Trinity more.

11. I know some people think that Franklin is The Guest, and that could end up being true, but I also like to think that The Guest is just an evil crow demon that possesses Aaron Peterson.

12. Remember this from the pilot?

It'd be a big part of the story, it'd control the weather and be the entire source of the Forest Protectors power. Nicky would have it, having no idea what it does, but still holding onto it, because he knows whoever wants it is not to be trusted.

13. For the finale, I'd write a fic of how all the kids are at the Golden Apple Amusement Park, riding the Rotten Core rollercoaster, trying to get away from The Guest. The Guest dies in the end, Mr. Peterson burns his remains, and we move onto the next villain.

The Shadow Man.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

THE COMICS OF MAURÍCIO DE SOUZA AND ROMANCE

@themousefromfantasyland @the-blue-fairie @thealmightyemprex @piterelizabethdevries @amalthea9 @barbossas-wench @tamisdava2 @princesssarisa

Monica's Gang (Turma da Mônica in Portuguese), also known as Monica and Friends, is an ongoing Brazilian comic book series, created by Mauricio de Sousa.

The series was originally based on a newspaper comic strip in which the protagonists were Blu (Bidu) and Franklin (Franjinha), launched by the newspaper Folha da Manhã in 1959. Over the years the series has been gaining a large audience, with new characters constantly being added to the lineup. Jimmy Five (Cebolinha) and Monica (Mônica) were eventually given their own comic books, hence the title "Monica's Gang." The characters and comics were eventually adapted into films, video games, TV shows, theme parks and a wide range of products.

The stories revolve around the adventures of Monica and her many friends in the fictional neighborhood of "Limoeiro" in São Paulo. The neighborhood was inspired by the neighborhood of Cambuí, in Campinas and the city of Mogi das Cruzes, where de Sousa spent his childhood. However, the comic books do not simply revolve around the stories of Monica and her friends.

The Monica's Gang series has an extensive amount of main and secondary characters. It has as main protagonists Monica, Jimmy Five, Smudge, Maggy and Chuck Billy (the latter derived from Chuck Billy 'n' Folks) and each has its own comic.

Other characters from other series created by Mauricio de Sousa are also included on Monica's, making crossovers or quotations from each other in several stories,among several other characters. The main setting of the stories is the fictional neighborhood of "Limoeiro" in São Paulo.

Most stories focus on the daily lives of the main characters and occasionally on the secondary characters; the humour usually uses various types of repetitions, allusions, appeals to the nonsense, paranomasias, sarcasm and metalanguage. The stories with Monica and Jimmy Five revolve around the conflict between the two. Jimmy Five is a troublemaker

who always tries to scold Monica or steal her stuffed bunny to give knots in its ears (usually having Smudge or another boy accomplice), always having Monica get her revenge by hitting him with her stuffed bunny, often leaving him bruised and with black eyes. Often Jimmy Five makes plans against her with various traps, sometimes using Franklin's inventions or talking Smudge into helping, but he always loses to Monica at the end.

Smudge's stories usually focus on his penchant for dirt and mess and his fear of water, without ever having taken a bath in life, and constantly being threatened by villains or his friends to take a bath whenever he gets away with a result at the end of the story. The stories with Maggy generally focus on her gluttony, with a superhuman ability to eat more than a normal person without ever getting fat and sometimes stealing food from her friends.

Among the villains are Captain Fray, a supervillain with the power to control garbage and dirt, and Lord Big Rabbit, a space bunny whose first appearance was in the movies. Lord's design was inspired on the iconic Star Wars' villain and main antagonist, Darth Vader. A joke often breaks the fourth wall.

So, I learned to read and became a lover of comic books due to Monica's Gang and its several spin-offs.

The writers used the medium of comics to branch into the most varied genres with the same characters: gags, slice of life, horror, sci fi, fantasy, action, adventure, parodies of classic literature, TV shows and movies, and of course, romance.

While usually the main characters went trough the Will They or They Will Not melodrama, we saw side characters who lived long love stories that overall, while not necessarily without disagreements, could still enjoy peace and comfort in a romantic relationship born of great respect, friendship and complicity, and there two pairings I would like to highlight.

TIA NENA AND TIO PEPO

Tia Nena and Tio Pepo were created in 1989 at the launch of Maggy's magazine to be Maggy's permanent great uncles.

Tia Nena is a great cook, considered by Maggy  to be "the biggest chef in the neighborhood". As time went by, the scriptwriters began to give her an extra layer, revealing Nena to be a good witch.

Her husband, Tio Pepo, is a carpenter, ready to make toys for the neighborhood kids.

Nena has a very maternal personality and genuine affection for those she loves, always protecting them with her heart as sweet as the delicacies she makes.

Even with her graceful manner, Nena always keeps an eye open towards some people, especially knowing that she is the target of malicious actions due to her magical powers, serving as a wise, ruthless and comical "fairy godmother", always willing to end injustices with your courage and determination.

Maggy's sweet and caring great-aunt has a long line of Moon witches in her family. She uses her magical knowledge to prepare delicious recipes and protect her loved ones. It is known that she has had powers since she was little and, with a touch of humor and wisdom, Nena guides Maggyon her journey of discovering magic, teaching her valuable lessons about family, friendship and the power of love.

Pepo is very kind, naive and affectionate, he has a childish soul and no evil in his heart, he is the typical little man who tries hard to please everyone, especially children. Since he was little, he was someone creative, who looked at the world through the eyes of a child. He knows about his wife's magical abilities and participates in fantastic events together with her. 

Love is something that builds over time. We usually are led to assume is only resumed to the conquest leading to the wedding.

Tia Nena and Tio Pepo show us that the building of an affectionate relationship goes beyond that, always expanding independently of age. And trough their companionship and love, they not only enrich each other's lives, but are inspired to always make the world a better place for all the people around them, and that is why I find them wholesome.

PUFF AND STEVE

From the light hearted teenager and young adult focused Tina's Pals magazine, comes the couple Puff (Pipa) and her boyfriend Steve (Zecão), the best friends of protagonist Tina.

Puff is very cheerful, passionate, super humorous and happy with life. She is the classic goofball when it comes to friendships, because she makes everyone and everything happy, always with the right opinion to give at the moment.

Quick on the verbal trigger, she doesn't let anything go unnoticed and is quite intelligent, a classic colleague who never lets you down, as she understands the value of companionship.

Because she is chubby, she keeps trying to go on a diet with a "deadline", but cannot resist a good chocolate bar, generating themes of body acceptance and self-esteem.

Despite her extremes, such as judging a lot (even without intention) or her insecurity (a result of her appearance, but she always tries to deconstruct this), she is a good confidant, well, just to vent, but one must be careful because Puff loves gossip and, from time to time, ends up releasing one or another valuable piece of information. Sincere, polite, but with a loose tongue, she is not afraid to express herself and say what she feels, especially to her boyfriend, Steve.

Despite working, Steve is a loose boy who likes to just spend time with his group of friends. He hates extending conversations or taking serious responsibility, but when he strikes a mature pose, he tries to show confidence.

He is absent-minded, carefree, calm and relaxed. This sometimes ends up hindering his relationship with Puff, as she, on several occasions, becomes frustrated with the coldness with which Zecão treats her weight and beauty (always, unintentionally), describing her as something that does not need to receive attention (even more so when others are around).

Steve has a huge passion and admiration for Puff, who is his opposite because she is very energetic and has an extroverted personality, always knowing how to start a conversation, unlike him, who doesn't even know how to answer clearly what people ask him.

He doesn't care that Puff is chubby. He loves her and is an incredible confidant. He has flaws, but he always decides to fix them, trying to be the best version of himself, without completely letting go of his essence as an individual.

Meanwhile, while Puff comits mistakes from which she has to grow and learn, the main lesson she learns from being with Steve is to take what she sees as "defects" in her, and start to see them as her best qualities.

In the world of Tina's Pals, Mauricio de Sousa reverses the roles imposed by society, as the main character Tina, who is tall, thin and determined, never finds someone to have a romantic relationship with and who would actually do her good, while Puff, in her conditions, dates Steve, who accepts her the way she is.

Showing once again that you maybe can lose weight if you want to or not, but in Mauricio's world, your way of being, thinking and acting guarantees you a happy ending.

[joannaliceevans-fanficblog]

You Will Find Me: Chapter 9.

Whoa it's been a hot minute since I wrote about these two! And sorry it's been a while! I had it in my drafts for long time, and I just wasn't happy with it...until now!

Also, this series almost coming to an end, with 4 more chapters left.

I know it's not one of biggest and popular series that I've written. But I love these two none the less, as it was one of my original OG fics.

Anyways, enough of me blabbing!

A big thanks to @hollybee8917 for betaing this!

Frank

It was late in the evening when Frank walked into the Inn. Beth was busy with the front desk, checking in the weekend guests. He looked around the lobby area, Sarah wasn’t anywhere in sight. Sighing, he headed to the restaurant and entered through the double doors. As he walked in, the whole place was in chaos due to the busy night. From there, he could see the bakery in full swing, and his beloved working. 

He noticed Sarah’s smile as she laughed with the bakers, helping them make some items. But it quickly disappeared when she looked up from piping whipped cream onto the fresh fruit cake, looking at him for a moment before returning to what she was doing.

Frank would have gone over to her, but he could tell she was still mad. So with one last sigh, he turned and left the Inn. As he gathered his luggage, a taxi came around, stopping to pick Frank up. As the taxi was driving out the driveway, for some reason, maybe hope, Frank turned around thinking that somehow Sarah had a change of heart and ran after him as in those romantic movies they would watch. Slowly though, the Inn was fading away from his sight as the driver continued on. Frank made one last attempt to call her but was sent straight to voicemail. He took a deep breath and left a voicemail.

“I hope we can figure things out and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. We have been through so much together to just let it all go. I will wait for you to come back to me.”

**

The following morning, Frank arrived at his family home, his parent’s driver, Mr. Davis, pulled into their driveway and opened the car door once he’d parked and shut the engine off. Frank got out to see his mother was standing there.

“Where’s Sarah?” Evelyn asked as Frank walked up to the front. He sighed and looked toward his mother.

“Back at the Inn,” he said and walked into the house.

“Something happened, didn’t it?” Evelyn asked, knowing that something did indeed happen before her son came to see her.

Frank paused and turned around, “Nothing-“

“She’s starting to remember everything, am I correct?” Evelyn asked.

“Mother, I came here to help you, not to be interrogated” Frank said, changing the subject.

“I know that and I’m grateful, but you know, you can’t keep that a secret forever. From the beginning I’ve told you to be honest with her -“

“Mother, I can, I will keep it from her. I love her, and she’s-“

“But you’re being selfish. You know she belongs to someone else. You know that-“

“Cut it, mother!” Frank yelled and headed upstairs to his old bedroom.

“Franklin Adler, you can’t hide from this! The truth will eventually come out!” His mother yelled, as the door slammed shut.

**

Sarah

Beep

Beep

The annoying sound of her alarm clock blared in her ear. Moaning, Sarah rolled over, picked up her phone, and swiped the red button. Looking through one eye, the time read 3:30 am. Placing her phone down, Sarah kicked the sheets off and got up. The cold immediately hit her, and she grabbed her robe from the chair in front of her. She wrapped it around her, tying it nice and snug. Yawning once more, Sarah went to the bathroom to do her business.

As she got to the bottom of the stairs, Sarah headed to the bar to make her morning latte. She knew that she was still in her robe, in her nightgown and still looked like sleep had won the battle, but she didn’t care.

“You’re up early.” Sarah heard a familiar voice, causing her to turn around, Sarah smiled at Beth.

“Oh Beth, you know I’m always awake at this time.” Sarah said as she put the first two shots into her cup.

“That’s true, but honey, is everything okay? You seem upset.” Beth asked as she took a seat at the bar. Sarah thought for a moment, debating on if she should tell Betty.

“Frank and I argued last night,” Sarah said quietly. 

Beth looked at her, knowing that something else was going on, but at the same time knowing that Sarah wasn't ready to tell the rest. Before Sarah could respond, the front desk phone rang, and Beth left to answer it.

**

Nat

While Steve took advantage of the boat tours, Natasha was sitting down in the lobby working on research. The kind lady at the front desk told Steve that Frank was out for the rest of the week and that their tour guide would be Lewis.

As Nat stared at her computer screen, she looked out to see that the sun was out amid clear skies. Smiling, Nat closed her laptop, packed everything, and headed out. It was warm as Nat strolled, a familiar voice was heard. As she continued to walk, the voice sounded more like a cry. Nat wanted to ignore it but the more she walked, the louder it got. The moment she got closer, the more familiar it became.

The woman sat on the bench, wiping her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her tight hoping the pain would go away. Nat then took a seat on the bench next to her. Not wanting to intrude, Nat gave her time to collect herself.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Nat heard her say. Nat noticed that she was looking for a tissue when Nat grabbed a handkerchief in her purse and extended her hand to her. The woman tried to decline her offer, but Nat insisted.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to.” The woman said as she dabbed her eyes, and Nat smiled.

“It’s not a problem,” Nat said. The two sat in silence for a moment until Nat turned towards the woman.

“You seem to be alone; wanna join me for lunch?” Nat asked. The woman looked at her for a moment and smiled.

“I would like that, but I don’t even know who-“

“I’m Natasha. But my friends call me Nat.” The woman looked at her for a second.

“That’s a pretty name; I’m Sarah.” She said with a smile.

**

During the walk to the restaurant, Nat asked if she'd been there before, knowing she already knew the answer but needed to play dumb for a bit. Sarah told Nat she was the owner of the Inn. Nat gave a surprised look and apologized.

“Oh, don’t be sorry, Nat, I don’t expect people to know unless they see the website. But I do own this place with my fiancée.” Sarah said she led Nat inside. Nat then watched as she talked to the hostess, bringing them to the outside patio and looking over the beachside. It was a bit chilly, but luckily, the heater was on.

“I have to ask, but if it’s too personal, you don’t have-“

“How did I meet Frank? It’s fine, and I get that question a lot. But to answer your question, Frank saved me. I was involved in a serious car accident, he was driving by. My car was down in a ditch.” Sarah said quietly.

Nat looked at her in shock; then she noticed the scarring on her face. The more Nat looked at her, the more she knew that there was something more to this story. For her car to go down into the ditch? There had to be something that caused it to be that bad, not even Neal remembered what really happened.

“Anyways, enough sappiness; what are you in the mood for?” Sarah asked. Shaking her head, Nat smiled and picked up the menu.

“Well, last night, I had the Salmon Parcells. Oh, this looks good. The Spring Citrus Strawberry Salad.” Nat said. Sarah laughed as she too placed her menu down.

“My sous chef and I made that one. Do you like Feta Cheese?” Sarah asked, making Nat smiled.

“Of course, it reminds me of an old friend I had.” Nat said sadly, and Sarah looked at her.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Then-“

“No, it’s okay. She’s not gone. We just-she went missing, and I miss her dearly but I know she will come back.” Nat said, smiling through her pain.

**

Andy

Andy stepped out of the bathroom after a nice relaxing shower. He’d had a long night last night trying to find more information on his wife’s whereabouts. Even being a successful ADA, Andy couldn’t for the life of him figure out why he was at a dead end. Everything was leading him in circles. As he changed, Andy saw the black box on his side of the bed. He knew what it was, he’d placed it there the night he returned to this house. Now and then, he would take it out, and her memories would come flooding his mind.

He sat on the bed, letting everything sink in. Andy looked at the ring and placed it onto his left hand without thinking it out. The moment he had it on, he felt an instant connection: her voice, scent, everything.

“I’m coming, sweetheart,” Andy said out loud.

Beep

Beep

His phone rang, disturbing his thoughts. He placed the box down and grabbed his phone from his side table. Steve was on his screen, and Andy picked up right away.

Steve, what’s up? Anything new?

Andy, I do have news. And you’re not going to believe what I found.”

[stackthedeck]

Any spideytorch fics where the f4 r like found family

anon I didn't know how to respond to this because the f4 aren't a found family, they're just like a regular family and I thought you wanted fics of Sue and Reed not being married and the kids not existing and Sue and Johnny not being related. But I'm going to assume that's not what you meant and just like family fluff

and like honestly my answer is to read canon because the f4 are really good about showcasing the family aspect of Marvel's first family, especially ff 2011 and anything related to the future foundation. Also Johnny's death comic, it's heartbreaking, but Peter comforting Franklin is just so aaaaaahhh

Anyway fic recs

Minor Injuries by Catlady45. Franklin comes back from space and has to deal with his uncle not being as cool as he remembers and Johnny has to deal with his nephew not being 7 anymore. Franklin is my favorite f4 kid and I like him in this teen angst phase

don't read the comments by hippolytas. This mostly focused on the in-universe rpf and man is it fantastic, it's mostly funny but there is some angst on Johnny's part over it. There are a bunch of fantastic family moments scattered across the fic and the characters feel so close and important to each other

Give Me All Your Lovin' by beforethemoon. This is actually a whole series of one-shots of Johnny and Peter just doing life together. It's really evident that the fantastic family is important to both of them and even though the Parkers have passed, they were clearly important to both of them too. There's unfortunately some irondad in this series but I was able to jump around and still know what was going on

Central Park in June by Traincat. Can't go wrong with this author, I'm sure you've already read it. It's hilarious watching Val and Bentley trying to break up Johnny and Peter because Val in all her baby super genius doesn't want Johnny to get his heart broken again. Johnny and Peter are just such kind and patient uncles

And We'll Never Be Lonely Anymore by Traincat. Two fics by the same author? It's more likely than you think. This is the 2015 fantastic four which is closer to a found family because Johnny is adopted and Sue and Reed aren't married so. But like it's nice to see Peter so close to the origin of the four and also to see May and Johnny get close

golden by call_me_steve and ghostfaeries. Technically none of the four make an appearance in this fic, but the scrapbook shows how important they are with little snapshots of life. It's just really cute and they're t4t!!

Oh, Johnny by damianwayne. This isn't found family for the f4, it's found family for the spider bros! It's so silly and cute and I adore any fic that lets Peter think of the clones as his brothers

Honestly, any spideytorch fic that I've recommended in the past that has any of the other four tagged probably has some degree of family fluff because I eat that shit up

[can-of-pringles]

King and Lionheart - Chapter 5

Rating: Teen and up audiences

Warnings: Nothing that's not in the series.

Word Count: 3k.

Summary: Dream follows Death along while she works.

Also Read On AO3

Dream glanced down at the pigeons pecking the ground where he’d thrown some bread crumbs. He sat by himself at a park bench, occasionally watching people in the park minding their business and clearly looking like they were enjoying the day more than he was.

He noticed the sound of a soccer ball being thrown in his direction and easily caught it. The person who had thrown it came over to retrieve the ball.

“Sorry, man. Nice catch, though.”

Dream silently handed the ball back to him.

The man said thanks and walked away, only noticing near the end that a woman dressed in black was glancing at him as she walked towards Dream.

“Come on, Franklin. What you waitin’ for?” His teammates got his attention, and he soon joined the game.

Death sat down on the bench next to Dream, initially looking around at the scenery before looking at him; smiling.

“What are you doin’?”

“I’m feeding the pigeons.” He didn’t look up.

She nodded. “You do that too much, you know what you get?”

Dream slightly shook his head.

“Fat pigeons.” She grinned.

Despite her joke, he continued to sulk.

“That’s from Mary Poppins. Did you ever see it?”

“No,” he spoke.

A little girl ran by, scaring away the pigeons and leaving Dream looking mildly annoyed. Death’s reaction was instead a smile. Despite his sister’s cheerful mood, he couldn’t help but stay focused on his negative emotions. He frowned.

“Okay, so what’s the matter?” She instinctively picked up on it.

“What do you mean?”

“I can tell something’s wrong. I mean, look at you.” She gestured vaguely. “Sittin’ here, moping, pigeon-feeding. It’s not like you.”

Dream held back a sigh. “No. Perhaps it isn’t. I don’t know what’s wrong, but… you’re right. Something is the matter.”

Death frowned and furrowed her brows. She leaned back, preparing to sit for a while and listen.

Dream took a moment to collect his thoughts, still looking upset.

“When they captured me, I just had one thought. Vengeance. It wasn’t as satisfying as I’d expected.”

Death slightly tilted her head, listening patiently.

“Meanwhile, my kingdom had fallen apart. My tools long since stolen and scattered. And so I embarked upon a journey to find them. Which I did. I’m now more powerful than I have been in eons. And yet…” He paused.

Death leaned forward, glancing at the loaf of bread. “Here you are, feeding the pigeons.”

“You see, until then, I’d had a true quest. A purpose beyond my function and then suddenly, it was over, and… I felt disappointed.” He furrowed his brows and squinted. “Let down. Empty. Does that make sense?” He looked at her. “I was so sure that once I got everything back, I’d feel good. But in some ways, I feel worse than when I started. I feel like… nothing.” He glanced back down once more, clenching his jaw. “There.”

She looked at him.

“You asked.” He looked away again.

Death placed her hand on his knee, trying to comfort him. Dream looked at her.

“You could have called me, you know,” she admitted.

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

Death rolled her eyes and sighed. “Oh, I don’t believe it.” She stood up and looked down at him. “Let me tell you something, Dream.”

He looked up when she took the bread loaf out of his hand.

“And I’m only gonna say this once, so you better pay attention. You are utterly the stupidest, most self-centered, pathetic excuse for an anthropomorphic personification on this or any other plane,” she exclaimed.

Dream couldn’t help the surprised expression on his face.

“Feeling sorry for yourself because your little game is over and you haven’t got the balls to go out and find a new one. You’re as bad as Desire.”

Dream stayed silent.

“No, worse.” She chucked the bread back at him and he caught it.

“Did it never occur to you that I would be worried about you?” She frowned.

“I didn’t think you—”

“Exactly. You didn’t think.”

He went silent again, not meeting her gaze.

“I really thought sending that girl to you would help,” she muttered.

Before Dream could respond, a ‘heads up!’ interrupted and a soccer ball went flying towards them. Death caught it and the same guy as before came to retrieve the ball.

“Wow. You’re as good as your… friend there.”

She tossed the ball back to him, and he caught it.

“He’s not my friend. He’s my brother. And he’s an idiot.”

“I’m just feeding the birds,” he murmured, looking down at the ground.

Death smiled and turned her attention back to Dream. “Look, I can’t stay here all day. I’ve got work to do.”

The man left, briefly glancing back at them.

“You can come with me if you want, or you can stay here and sulk.” Death offered.

Dream stayed silent as he thought it over.

“I’ll come with you, I suppose.”

Death nodded and smiled slightly. “Well, don’t do me any favors.” She tilted her head.

Dream looked up at her before standing and following. Before they could go, the man walked up to Death again.

“Sorry, before you go, um, could I maybe see you again?”

“Sure, Franklin. You’ll see me again.” She gave him a slightly sad smile.

He raised his brows. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “Soon.”

Franklin quickly nodded. “Okay, cool. Yeah, let me just get your number and…” He turned around and threw the soccer ball down. Once he realized, confusion showed on his face, and turned back around. “Wait, how did you know my…”

He paused and looked around, growing more confused when they were nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, Franklin! Are you playin’ or not?”

---

Now joining her, Dream walked alongside Death as they passed the small shops. A fresh fruit stand caught her eye.

“Look!” Death looked over all the fruit. “Yum!”

She talked to the seller, pointing to the apples. “Okay, two, please.”

“None for me, thank you,” Dream added.

“They’re good for you.” She pointed out.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You can just have it later,” Death continued.

Dream stayed silent, slightly giving her a look.

She looked back at the seller. “Just one. Thanks.”

He picked one and gave it to her. “There you go. It’s a gift.”

“Aw. Thank you.” She smiled and then glanced at Dream. “So nice,” she spoke before taking a bite out of the apple. “Mmm. That is delicious.”

They started walking side by side again.

“You are good with them,” Dream said.

“Apples?” She furrowed her eyebrows.

“Humans.”

She hummed in acknowledgment and held the apple in front of him. “Bite?” Her tone was slightly playful.

“No, thank you,” Dream sounded lighthearted as well.

“Hmm. Have you seen any of the others since you’ve been back?”

He shook his head. “Have you?”

She took another bite of the apple and gestured vaguely.

“We did have one family dinner when you were away. The twins were in high spirits. Hmm, Desire was, anyway.”

“With me gone, I have no doubt.” He ignored his frustration inside.

“I don’t know. I think Desire missing having their usual sparring partner across the dinner table,” she remarked.

He glanced down for a moment before looking at her again. “Any word of the prodigal?”

She shook her head. “No. Still missing. You were both missed.” She nudged him with her shoulder.

They continued walking in silence as Death ate her apple. She glanced at him, giving him a look as if she was waiting for him to say something.

“‘How are you, sis? How have you been keeping?’” She gestured with her apple. “Aw, I’m well, Dream. Thanks for asking.”

He tried fighting the urge to smile but lost, allowing a slightly amused smile on his face. He looked at her. “How are you, my sister? How have you been keeping?”

She gently hooked her arm with his. “I’m worried about my brother. And I’m enjoying this apple.” She held the apple up.

Death’s facial expression changed, furrowing her brows as she remembered something. “Oh, by the way, how’s Lee doing? I was curious how that was playing out. We have a deal, y’know.”

Dream refrained from sighing. “She’s acting like her usual self and always insists on speaking her mind. Quite stubborn…”

“Sounds like someone I know.” She gave him a teasing grin.

Dream looked at her, mildly frowning. “Lee Quinn and I are nothing alike.”

She shrugged and took another bite of the apple. Her pace slowed, and she looked up when she heard the sound of a violin.

“Can you hear it?”

He glanced up as well. They stopped and spotted the building where the music was coming from. Dream glanced back at her.

“I know this piece.”

Death nodded, smiling. They both looked back up.

“I haven’t heard it in 200 years…” he sounded wistful.

Death looked at him, placing her hand on his back. “Come on.” She walked forward and left him to follow.

---

The music grew louder as they entered the flat. They watched from the door as an old man played the violin. He paused, coughing slightly.

Death walked into the room. “No. Don’t stop, please.” She smiled, referring to his playing. 

He looked up at her. “Uh, sorry for the noise.”

“It’s not noise. It’s Schubert. Keep going.” She encouraged.

Dream stood in the doorframe, watching and keeping silent.

“I can’t. He never finished it.” The old man chuckled. “All we have is a fragment.”

Death had a small smile on her face.

“Oh, forgive me, I… I am Harry.”

Death gave him a sad but knowing look on her face. “I know who you are, Harry.”

He tilted his head.

Death moved closer, kneeling more to his level where he sat. “Do you know who I am?”

After a moment, a look of realization showed on his face. It morphed into an upset expression.

“No. Not yet. Please.” He pleaded, shaking his head.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s time.”

Harry nodded eventually.

Dream watched from the doorway, keeping his usual neutral expression. Though his mind wandered for a brief moment, thinking about Lee. Had it been like this when his sister had come to take her? Thinking about her being distressed made him feel more uneasy than he’d thought it would.

“Can I just… There’s something I have to say. If that’s all right,” Harry said.

“Of course.”

He nodded and placed the violin down, beginning to pray in Hebrew. When he finished reciting the prayer, he looked at Death. She stood up and reached her hand out for him to take. He accepted it and slowly stood up from his chair.

“I’m glad I said the Shema. My old man always said it would guarantee you a place in Heaven.” He pointed up at the ceiling, gesturing to Heaven. He shrugged. “If you believe in Heaven. Hmm?”

He and Death glanced back at his body.

“I look so old. So empty,” he remarked.

She turned her attention to him again.

“So, I’m dead. Now what?” He asked, accepting his fate.

Death responded. “Now’s when you find out, Harry,”

She led him away, prepared to take him to the Sunless Lands. Dream turned away from the door, already moving to leave. He glanced at an old photo on the mantle as he waited for Death to do her job.

“You ready?” She stood in the doorway, smiling.

He looked back up at her, and they left the home together.

---

They walked outside again, taking a route on a bridge.

“I thought he was sweet, didn’t you?” She asked.

“Sweet? I don’t know. Perhaps,” his tone was light.

Death looked at the scenery, her hand trailing the bridge railing.

“My sister…”

“Yeah?” She didn’t look up at him, still focused on following the rail.

“When I was captured, it wasn’t me they were looking for.”

That got her full attention. She looked at him, furrowing her brows and frowning.

“It was you,” he said.

She came to a slow halt and they both stopped walking. She nodded.

“Yeah. I know,” her tone was sad.

He looked at her, squinting and furrowing his eyebrows. He frowned before his expression changed to surprise. Death placed her arm around his shoulders and sighed. His confusion grew when she started taking her shoes off.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking my shoes off. You should take yours off too. It’s good to touch the Earth with your bare feet. It’s grounding.” She explained.

He stared at her, mildly baffled.

“Come on, I don’t want to miss the next one.” She started walking again, carrying her shoes.

Dream watched her for a second before following again.

---

Now at a popular vacation pond spot, Death looked through the crowds and moved towards the next person she had to take.

“Hi, Sam,” she spoke.

He looked back at her, confused.

Death smiled.

“Oh.” He chuckled nervously. “Hi. I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

She went through the same routine of waiting for him to realize. It didn’t get easier with time.

“Oh, no.” Sam looked at the pond before looking back at her. “No, no. I need to talk to my wife for, like, one second.” He begged.

“Sam…”

“You don’t understand. All our flight information is on my phone. I just need to give her the code,” he stammered.

“I’m so sorry, Sam.” She grimaced.

“But we’re on our honeymoon.”

His tone made her chest ache. “Your time is up,” she continued.

Sam stared at her in disbelief. He turned his head when he heard his wife calling his name. He watched as she stood up from her chair and walked toward the water. She continued to call him, not being able to see his spirit or Death.

“Come on, hon.” Death reached her hand out for him.

He hesitated and glanced at his wife before ultimately deciding to take her hand. She began to lead him away.

His wife kept looking out at the water. Dream watched the scene, seeing her horrified reaction as people in the water pulled Sam’s body up to the shore. She shouted his name and ran toward the people. He watched and ignored the stinging pain in his throat he felt, seeing her kneel at her husband’s lifeless body; sobbing and repeating his name.

---

“How do you do it?” He asked his sister as they walked side by side again.

“Do what?”

“This. Be there, for all of them?” He refrained from frowning.

She started to speak before pausing, slightly shrugging and gesturing with her arms. “I have a job to do. And I do it.”

He looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

“When the first living thing existed, I was there. When the last living thing dies, I’ll put the chairs on the table, turn out the lights and… lock the universe behind me when I leave.” She explained. “And I’m not there for all of them. There are exceptions. Mad Hettie. And then there’s your ongoing project. How’s he faring up after all this time?”

“Who? Hob Gadling?” He asked.

“Hmm.”

“I don’t know. I was forced to miss our last appointment.”

“Well, I’m sure he’d love to see you. They’re never too keen to see me, though,” Death remarked.

“Does it not bother you?”

She shrugged. “I actually used to think I had the hardest job in all our family.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Oh, did you?” He lightheartedly teased, slightly smiling.

“They fear the Sunless Lands, yet they enter your realm every night without fear,” she said.

He wanted to interject and mention something about the nightmares but held back.

“And yet I am far more terrible than you.”

She chuckled before looking forward again. “I don’t know. Miss Lee hasn’t sent me any complaints, and she’s still keeping the deal.”

Dream didn’t speak, instead furrowing his brows. “Why did you send her to me?”

“She wanted the choice.” Death shrugged. “And… it seems like maybe having her around is a good thing?”

He thought over her words.

“Perhaps…” he muttered, eventually.

She smiled before getting back to answering his original question. “It was fine in the beginning. Dying and living were new things and people did them with the enthusiasm they always bring to new things. And then after a bit, it just got harder.”

“But you continued.”

She nodded and then hesitated.

“I thought about giving up. Walking out.” She confessed, walking ahead of him.

He stood for a moment, thinking about what she said. He watched as she walked towards another home.

“This was a long time ago, long before this world.”

---

“It really started to get to me. I got kind of hard and brittle inside.”

They were in the house now, stopping to talk.

“I mean, people feel as pleased to have been born as if they did it themselves. But they get upset and hurt and shaken when they die.” She held back a sigh.

Dream looked at her, listening.

“But eventually, I learned that all they really need is a kind word and a friendly face. Like they had in the beginning.”

Dream redirected his attention when he noticed another voice. He saw a mother leaning over a crib, talking sweetly to her daughter in the other room. The baby fussed slightly, and she turned to leave to get her food.

Death slowly walked towards the crib. She looked down at the baby, listening as she babbled. Death gently picked her up, cradling her. Dream hung back, watching from a distance.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so,” she spoke softly to the baby.

Dream stared, his eyes betraying his emotions. He frowned lightly.

“That’s all there is, little one. That’s all you get.” Death continued to comfort the infant.

She walked away, carrying the baby and preparing to take her to the Sunless Lands.

Dream paused before deciding to move forward, looking down at the empty crib. It was getting harder to ignore the pain he felt inside. He remembered how Orpheus’ crib looked, similar in design.

Death walked back into the room, the baby no longer in her arms. She looked at Dream and he managed to focus on the present, glancing at her.

“We can go.” She whispered, her expression mournful.

They both started to leave, hearing the mother still talking in the background, unaware of what happened.

---

“I find myself wondering about humanity. Their attitude towards your gift is so strange. Why do they fear the Sunless Lands? It is as natural to die as it is to be born.” Dream asked.

“People may not be ready for my gift. But they get it anyway. No matter what the circumstance.” She explained. “At the end, each of us stands alone. The Sunless Lands are far away and the journey is hard. Most of us will be glad for the company of a friend.”

---

They walked together in a park shaded by the huge trees.

“It’s funny looking back now. I used to think I had to do this all by myself,” Death started.

“But you do,” he replied.

“No.” She shook her head. “At the end, I’m there with them. I’m holding their hand and they’re holding mine.”

He looked at her, feeling curious.

“I’m not alone when I’m doing my job.” She glanced around for a bit before looking at him again. “And neither are you. Think about it.” She gently touched his arm, and they stopped walking. “The only reason we even exist, you and I, and Desire and Despair, the whole family. We’re here to serve them.”

He looked at her before glancing at the surrounding humans.

“It isn’t about quests or finding purpose outside our function.”

They continued walking again.

“Our purpose is our function. We’re here for them.” She gestured. “Since I figured that out, I realized I need them as much as they need me.”

“I’ve seen so many cool things and people and worlds.” Death grinned.

They were back in the spot where they’d started, walking with their arms linked.

“I’ve learned so much. Lots of people don’t have a job they love doing, do they?”

He looked at her again.

“So, I think I’m really very lucky.” She added, smiling before it faded once she remembered her schedule. “Listen, I’ve got to head back soon.”

They stopped their walk. Dream moved to stand in front of her, holding her hands in his. She looked faintly surprised.

“You’ve taught me something I had forgotten. I thank you, my sister.” He had a small smile on his face.

She smiled back. “Aw.” She glanced down and then back up at him, nodding. “That’s what family’s about, little brother.”

Her attention was focused back on the man from the beginning, Franklin. She sighed. “One last appointment, then I have to go.”

There was the sound of tires screeching in the background and a crash soon after.

“I, too, am late for an appointment,” he said.

She tilted her head and smiled. “Tell him I said hello.”

Dream smiled.

There was commotion in the background, sounds of people rushing over to an accident, and someone calling Franklin’s name.

“I have to go,” she spoke in a hushed tone.

Dream nodded before leaving.

Death turned her direction toward Franklin.

“Hey.” He ran towards her, holding the soccer ball in his arm. “Did you see that? That car came this close to hitting me.” He gestured, putting his thumb and finger close together.

“This close, huh?” She copied him.

“Yeah.”

“Come with me, Franklin. I need to show you something.” She took his arm and led him away.

“Okay,” he hesitantly agreed.

She turned her head to look back at Dream, waving goodbye. “See ya, Dream.”

He glanced back at her.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

She started to walk away with Franklin, witnessing the accident he was in.

---

Dream wandered on his own to his late appointment. He walked down a busy path, passing people by. A man walked out of a store and ended up making eye contact with him. In an attempt to be more like his sister, Dream gave him a short, polite nod.

The man backed up, taken aback by his appearance. Dream felt disappointment building up inside as he continued.

He finally made it to where he and Hob Gadling used to meet. However, over time, it had been abandoned. Tall fences were blocking it. He looked and felt puzzled, trying to figure out what to do next. He glanced down and noticed a long arrow in spray paint on the fence. There had been words in spray paint as well.

‘The new inn’

Dream turned and began to follow the arrow.

Now at the new building, he watched as people hung around it. There was a sign on top of the building that read ‘The New Inn’. Same as the paint.

He walked inside, looking for Hob. Finally, he saw him sitting down, writing something. He looked up and saw Dream standing there.

He smiled. “You’re late.”

Dream chuckled softly and smiled. “It seems I owe you an apology. I’ve always heard it impolite to keep one’s friends waiting.”

Hob smiled again.

Dream pulled out the chair in front of his table, sitting across from him. He leaned back and prepared to listen to the man’s stories. He smiled.

---

“Attend, sweet sibling. It is I, Desire.” They were trying to summon Despair of the Endless. “I stand in my gallery and I hold your sigil.” They held her hook in their hand, carefully kissing it.

“Our brother has found a way out of his cage. Our plan has failed. But don’t worry. I have a new one.” They smiled and walked away from the row of sigils.

[zahri-melitor]

Newish Comics, Marvel Edition (Separate post!)

I got my hands on Power Pack Into the Storm #1, and because I ended up needing to order it, I also got copies of Power Pack: Grow Up! and Power Pack #63 as I hadn't read either.

Power Pack #63: it's a Devin Grayson story! Hello Devin! This is one of those extremely late fill issues done for an event. Katie filed the serial numbers off an old adventure she'd had with her siblings and handed that in as creative writing homework. Her teacher was disappointed and urges her to be more creative, so Katie just...tells the story straight, superheroes and all. Teacher thinks that showed more creativity.

It's pat, it's a check in with where all four of the kids are in Marvel at that point (Katie and Jack are stuck in school in character limbo, Julie's off at college where she's pretending to be a disillusioned ex-super, Alex is having space adventures), and it comes before Power Pack: The Powers That Be.

Power Pack Grow Up! on the other hand, is set FIRMLY in the past, on Alex's 13th birthday, a couple of months after the original series finished. Alex's birthday party is a trip to see a singer they all like at a park concert, but it gets crashed by the Brood. Also Gurihiru gets to illustrate the backup about Katie's present for Alex and it's adorable.

Power Pack: Into the Storm #1 is set shortly after Grow Up!, on the first anniversary of the kids getting their powers. They're at their holiday house at the beach again! Franklin Richards gets dropped off to hang out (and he's been dreaming about disasters). Kofi gets introduced to a Snark Princess, Princess Djinna, and they both crashland on the beach escaping trouble while being attacked by other Snarks.

It feels VERY MUCH like a 'let's echo the origin story again' sort of story, but I'll see how it goes. As I said, still set very much in the past rather than current 616 continuity.

[night-gay]

Into the Anthill pt 28 - Onslaught

The Avengers have faced their fair share of insane odds over the years, but this is the first time since Korvac that Hank found himself face-to-face with truly unwinnable odds. This crisis would take everything Earth’s heroes had and more, leaving only the X-Men in its wake.

🐜🐜🐜

Sensational Spider-Man vol 1 #3

Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) and Peter Parker came to see Giant-Man at the Avengers’ temporary HQ at Jan’s estate to see if they could borrow some of his equipment. Hank agreed, running a lengthy series of tests on the skeleton they brought in for identification. He confirmed that it was indeed a match to Spider-Man’s DNA, meaning that this was yet another clone of Peter.

Iron Man vol 1 #327

Foggy Nelson gathered Tony’s chosen few for the reading of his will. Jarvis would receive an annual stipend to make sure neither he nor his mother would ever face financial difficulties again. A joint grant was set up in Hank and Jan’s names to allow him to continue their shared research and her to fund the Avengers in perpetuity. He named Rhodey and Pepper as the executor’s of his estate and set a few of his most trusted employees onto the board of directors for Stark International.

Avengers vol 1 #400, Onslaught: X-Men

A man named Tyfon arrived from the future with a warning: this is the day the Avengers die. He and Jarvis ran through his memories of their battles in the hopes of discovering which villain was causing this while the Avengers fought shadowy duplicates of the Masters of Evil, Squadron Supreme, and more in a glorified boss-rush. When Jarvis got back to his memories of their very first battle, Tyfon revealed himself to be Loki; he’d been using Jarvis’ memoires to conjure these enemies. The Avengers were able to beat him once they knew who they were fighting. At the end of the battle Nate Grey arrived with another dire warning: Charles Xavier had gone insane.

Avengers vol 1 #401-402, Fantastic Four vol 1 #415, X-Men vol 2 #55-56, Uncanny X-Men vol 1 #336, Incredible Hulk vol 1 #445, Iron Man vol 1 #332, Onslaught: Marvel Universe

Hank was given access to Cerebro’s scanners to locate Magneto, who they believed may be controlling Onslaught.

While he sent the Avengers to locate Magneto (actually his younger self Joseph), Hank dispatched another team to meet with the Fantastic Four. Onslaught had beaten them there, hoping to claim Franklin Richards for himself by force if necessary. Completely undeterred by the combined X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four working against him, Onslaught achieved his goal and took Franklin.

As the heroes regrouped, Onslaught unleashed Sentinels against the people of NYC to force their hand. While most set out to protect the masses, Reed took Giant-Man, Iron Man, and Bishop to his lab to start working on weapons that could hurt Onslaught’s psionic body. When Onslaught’s citadel appeared from nothing in Central Park, Onslaught unleashed a psychic-emp wave that knocked out all of the machines in the city and put the already-scattered heroes on the defensive. A combined attack from Thor, Joseph, Cable, and Invisible Woman was finally able to extract Charles’s body from Onslaught’s core, but even that did not stop him. The heroes were forced to accept the loss and fall back.

While Hulk led a team to keep Onslaught occupied, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Giant-Man, attempted to reach the Wakandan consulate to access vibranium for their psi-armor plans. Black Panther arrived to escort them to his labs, but Giant-Man was forced to stay behind to distract the Sentinels alone. Quicksilver saved him the split-second before he was overwhelmed by their number and met with Tony at Four Freedoms Plaza to begin distributing the psi-shields. Meanwhile, Onslaught’s power increased exponentially when he absorbed Nate Grey.

Out of time and out of options, the heroes waged their last battle against Onslaught. Dr. Doom arrived to coordinate a plan with Rogue, Vision, Namor, and Giant-Man to pierce Onslaught’s barriers while Jean disabled Bruce’s hold over Hulk to unleash his pure rage. Hulk’s frenzy broke through Onslaught’s final physical resistances, leaving him a purely psionic form that could spread across the Earth unhindered. As the non-mutant heroes threw themselves into the psionic field to dampen his power, Cable, Joseph, and Professor X rescued Nate and Franklin from within his mind. Once they were clear, the combined might of the X-Men was finally enough to destroy Onslaught. 

In the wake of the battle, it became clear that only the mutant heroes remained standing. The Avengers and Fantastic Four were gone.

Minor/Cameo appearances from this period:

Incredible Hulk vol 1 #440, 445

Avengers vol 1 #397

Marvel Vision vol 1 #2, 4

Avengers Unplugged vol 1 #4

Avengers vol 1 #399

Professor Xavier and the X-Men vol 1 #10

Spider-Man Team-up vol 1 #4

[ledenews]

Ohio County Public Library Releases Programming Schedule

PRESS RELEASE: September and October 2024 Lunch With Books Programs at the Ohio County Public Library Sept. 3 at Noon: Frances Perkins: History Alive As the first female Cabinet member and U.S. Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins had a far-reaching, lasting impact on American workers’ lives, and helped pave the way for women to enter the male-dominated world of national politics. Perkins started out as a young social reformer in New York City, but embarked on a more ambitious quest for change after witnessing the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911, which killed nearly 150 workers. As a member of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Cabinet in the 1930s and 1940s, Perkins relentlessly fought for and facilitated many of the New Deal programs which helped the nation weather the Great Depression. Known as the “Mother of Social Security,” Perkins’ legacy lives on through child labor laws, unemployment insurance, minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, worker’s compensation, and workplace safety laws. Brought to you by the WV Humanities Council's History Alive program for Reuther-Pollack Labor Heritage Week. Frances Perkins is portrayed by JoAnn Peterson of Fort Ashby, WV. Facebook Event Library Calendar Sept. 10 at Noon: Benwood Memories Larry Freeland, along with Nick Sparchane and Joey Tellitocci, will take us on a trip down memory lane in that beloved old mill town of Benwood, WV, Wheeling's Ohio River Valley neighbor. Bring your memories, photos, and artifacts, and be prepared to share.  Facebook Event Library Calendar Sept. 17 at Noon: Commemorating Simon & Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park On September 19, 1981, folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel held a free benefit concert on the Great Lawn in Central Park, New York City, performing in front of 500,000 people. Proceeds went toward the restoration of the park, which had deteriorated due to lack of municipal funding. The concert marked the start of a three-year reunion of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. The concert was filmed by HBO and an album of the live performance was released in February 1982. The set list included classics like "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", "The Boxer" and Simon's "Late in the Evening." Now, 43 years later, join our friend The Troubadour, Bob Gaudio, as he returns to LWB perform many of these songs in commemoration of the Concert in Central Park. Original Concert. Facebook Event Library Calendar Sept. 24 at Noon: Writer Annette Dashofy USA Today best-selling author Annette Dashofy has spent her entire life in rural Pennsylvania surrounded by cattle and horses. When she wasn’t roaming the family’s farm or playing in the barn, she could be found reading or writing. After high school, she spent five years as an EMT on the local ambulance service, dealing with everything from drunks passing out on the sidewalk to mangled bodies in car accidents. These days, she, her husband, and their spoiled cat, Kensi, live on property that was once part of her grandfather’s dairy. Annette's standalone, Death by Equine, a traditional mystery set in the world of Thoroughbred racing, was the 2021 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award winner. Her Zoe Chambers mysteries include six past Agatha Award finalists, plus the 12th in the series, HELPLESS, has been nominated for the Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel of 2023! Where The Guilty Hide was released in January 2023 and is the first of her new Detective Honeywell mysteries. The second in the series, Keep Your Family Close, was released December 8, 2023, in digital format and in early January in paperback in the UK from One More Chapter/HarperCollins. It will coming to the US in paperback soon. Her short fiction, including a 2007 Derringer finalist, has appeared in Mysterical-e, Spinetingler, Fish Tales: the Guppy Anthology, and Lucky Charms: 12 Crime Tales. She has also released Crime in the Country: A Zoe Chambers Anthology which includes six short stories featuring the characters from the series.  Facebook Event Library Calendar Oct. 1 at Noon: Matthew Ferrence: I Hate It Here, Please Vote For Me When a progressive college professor runs for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in a deeply conservative rural district, he loses. That’s no surprise. But the story of how Ferrence loses and, more importantly, how American political narratives refuse to recognize the existence and value of nonconservative rural Americans offers insight into the political morass of our nation. In essays focused on showing goats at the county fair, planting native grasses in the front lawn, the political power of poetry, and getting wiped out in an election, Ferrence offers a counter-narrative to stereotypes of monolithic rural American voters and emphasizes the way stories told about rural America are a source for the bitter divide between Red America and Blue America. Matthew Ferrence lives and writes at the confluence of Appalachia and the Rust Belt. With I Hate It Here, Please Vote For Me, he has completed a trilogy (of sorts) focused on rural Appalachian identity and political narrative. He teaches creative writing at Allegheny College. Facebook Event Library Calendar Oct. 8 at Noon: Pulling the Thread: Untangling Wheeling History Pulling the Thread: Untangling Wheeling History is a new collection of thirty-three essays by Dr. Christina Fisanick, an English professor with a passion for historical storytelling. From her childhood beginnings in Moundsville, West Virginia, to her return to Wheeling after earning a PhD, Fisanick's journey through local, state, and national archives unfolds a tapestry of Wheeling's rich past. Each essay is a thread pulled, leading to unexpected connections and revelations. From Indigenous peoples to contemporary Juneteenth celebrations, Fisanick weaves a narrative that transcends time, bringing to light forgotten stories and hidden ties. Through meticulous research, she uncovers Mark Twain's unexpected links to Wheeling, the birth of the town of Power spurred by a Parisian exhibition, and even the connection between Oglebay Park and the tragic wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Fisanick's prose is as engaging as it is informative, blending the rigor of historical research with the flair of a novelist. Readers will learn about Wheeling's Jewish heritage, the city's role in the film industry, and stories such as the Black Panther demonstration at Wheeling High School. Facebook Event Library Calendar Oct. 15 at Noon: The Meteor of War - The Upper Ohio Valley Responds to John Brown’s Raid John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry is considered a cataclysmic event that catapulted the United States towards civil war. Though situated more than 200 miles from Harpers Ferry, Brown’s raid reverberated deeply across the Upper Ohio Valley, where Brown and several of his raiders were personally known, and their cause championed or condemned. Jon-Erik Gilot, author of John Brown's Raid: Harpers Ferry and the Coming of the Civil War, October 16-18, 1859 (Emerging Civil War Series), will examine local connections to the raid, as well as reactions and fallout on both sides of the Ohio River, from the Wheeling militia companies who were present at Brown’s execution to the arms race along Virginia’s western border. Facebook Event Library Calendar Oct. 22 at Noon: Wheeling Poetry Series Presents: Raechel Peckham & Sara Henning Rachael Peckham is the author of Alight: Flights of Prose (UnCollected Press) and Muck Fire: Prose Poems (Spring Garden Press). Her essays and prose poems appeared most recently in Blood Tree Literature, Cloudbank, Club Plum, and Still: The Journal. Rachael is a professor of English at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where she lives and teaches alongside her husband, poet and essayist Joel Peckham. Sara Henning is the author of the poetry collections Burn (Southern Illinois University Press, 2024), a 2022 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Editor’s Selection; Terra Incognita (Ohio University Press, 2022), winner of the 2021 Hollis Summers Poetry Prize; and View from True North (Southern Illinois University Press, 2018), winner of the 2017 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition Award and the 2019 High Plains Book Award. She was awarded the 2015 Crazyhorse Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize and the 2019 Poetry Society of America's George Bogin Memorial Award. She’s a recipient of scholarships from the Sewanee Writers' Conference and Appalachian Writers’ Workshop. She is an assistant professor of creative writing at Marshall University, where she coordinates the A.E. Stringer Visiting Writers Series. The Wheeling Poetry Series is curated and hosted by WV Poet Laureate Marc Harshman.  Facebook Event Library Calendar Oct. 29 at Noon: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner- a Shadow Play The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a 1798 poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In it, the Mariner delays a young man on his way to a wedding in order to share a bizarre story of a long sea voyage. The Wedding Guest is mesmerized, then terrified by what he hears. But what is the meaning of Coleridge's potent and perplexing poem, with its archaic language, judgmental Christianity, hellish scenery, and deranged but irresistible narrative drive? In this re-telling, the Mariner’s Rime will be interpreted through shadow play--an Asian style of storytelling, wherein flat images are manipulated by puppeteers between a bright light and a translucent screen, on the other side of which sits the audience. The poem has been adapted for shadow play by Jamie Hamilton. Facebook Event Library Calendar Oct. 31: (Thurs. at Noon) Ghastly GHOST STORIES! For Halloween, join the OCPL Players as we share some of Wheeling’s most infamously spine-tingling, bloodcurdling classic Ghost Stories, as well as a few we totally made up ourselves! Join storytellers Laura Jackson, Christina Fisanick, Ellery McGregor, and Sean Duffy. Festivities will commence with the world premiere of “America’s Most Haunted Library!” a found-footage, ghost-hunting nightmare. Read the full article

[linneatanner]

Book Review The Traitor Beside Her Mary Anna Evans #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @maryannaevans @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: MARY ANNA EVANS It is my pleasure to introduce Mary Anna Evans as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour that is being held between August 2nd — October 4th, 2023. Mary Anna Evans is the author of the Historical Mystery novel, The Traitor Beside Her (The Justine Byrne Historical Mysteries), released by Sourcebooks on June 6, 2023 (346 pages). Below are highlights of The Traitor Beside Her,  Mary Anna Evans' author bio, and my review of her novel.  Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/06/blog-tour-traitor-beside-her.html HIGHLIGHTS: THE TRAITOR BESIDE HER       The Traitor Beside Her (The Justine Byrne Historical Mysteries) By Mary Anna Evans Audiobook narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell Blurb: "Evans's characters are vividly drawn, elevating this story and its revelations about women's little-celebrated contributions to the war effort."— Washington Post "An exciting read with historical tidbits, a hint of danger, and a touch of romance."— Kirkus Reviews The Traitor Beside Her is an intricately plotted WWII espionage novel weaving together mystery, action, friendship, and a hint of romance perfect for fans of The Rose Code and Code Name Helene. Justine Byrne can't trust the people working beside her. Arlington Hall, a former women's college in Virginia has been taken over by the United States Army where hundreds of men and women work to decode countless pieces of communication coming from the Axis powers. Justine works among them, handling the most sensitive secrets of World War II—but she isn't there to decipher German codes—she's there to find a traitor. Justine keeps her guard up and her ears open, confiding only in her best friend, Georgette, a fluent speaker of Choctaw who is training to work as a code talker. Justine tries to befriend each suspect, believing that the key to finding the spy lies not in cryptography but in understanding how code breakers tick. When young women begin to go missing at Arlington Hall, her deadline for unraveling the web of secrets becomes urgent and one thing remains clear: a single secret in enemy hands could end thousands of lives. "A fascinating and intelligent WWII home front story." —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author for The Physicists' Daughter Buy Links: Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4XwxG1 Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Traitor-Beside-Her-Novel/dp/1464215588 Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGYPLMTH Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Traitor-Beside-Her-Novel/dp/1464215588 Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Traitor-Beside-Her-Novel-ebook/dp/B0BGYPLMTH Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-traitor-beside-her-mary-anna-evans/1143344440 Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-traitor-beside-her/mary-anna-evans/9781464215582 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-traitor-beside-her Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-traitor-beside-her-mary-anna-evans/18743820 Audio Buy Links: Audiobooks.com: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/672506/ Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Traitor-Beside-Her-Audiobook/B0BVDLCL7J AUTHOR BIO: MARY ANNA EVANS Mary Anna Evans is an award-winning author, a writing professor, and she holds degrees in physics and engineering, a background that, as it turns out, is ideal for writing her Justine Byrne series, which began with The Physicists’ Daughter and continues with her new book, The Traitor Beside Her. She describes Justine as “a little bit Rosie-the-Riveter and a little bit Bletchley Park codebreaker.” Mary Anna’s crime fiction has earned recognition that includes two Oklahoma Book Awards, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards Gold Medal, and the Benjamin Franklin Award, and she co-edited the Edgar-nominated Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie. Social Media Links: Website: https://www.maryannaevans.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/maryannaevans Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAnnaEvansAuthor/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-anna-evans-a7642810/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannaevans/ Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-anna-evans Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Anna-Evans/author/B001JP9ZY2 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12395.Mary_Anna_Evans BOOK REVIEW: THE TRAITOR BESIDE HER   The USA's secret program of cryptoanalysis in Virginia toward the end of WWII is explored in The Traitor Beside Her by Mary Anna Evans. A physicist's daughter, Justine Byrne plays a dangerous game of espionage. On the surface, she has been recruited to decode communication from various Axis powers as Allied forces advance on the front lines toward Germany.  However, her primary objective is to find the traitor among the brilliant decoders at Arlington Hall who are deciphering German codes that could steer the course of the war. She cannot trust anyone as she investigates who could be the potential spy. One woman on site has already been killed and others have gone missing. The suspense builds as she hones on potential suspects, risking her life. Mary Anna Evans has written a unique, smoothly-written novel with elements of suspense, romance, and friendship. The story offers the unique perspective of a young, somewhat naive woman thrust into the midst of espionage with minimal training. The story is told primarily from Justine's perspective, but other points of view are used to move the story forward. Justine can only confide in Georgette, her best friend and fluent speaker of Choctaw, who is suddenly brought into the mission. Nora is another intriguing, eccentric character who can see the colors of the music she composes and plays. One of the most fascinating aspects of the novel is to learn about the secret decoding processes that could impact the war as much as the military forces on the battlefield. Each suspect has an interesting backstory that could explain why he or she chooses to betray his/her country. However, the pacing sometimes slows down when the story delves into romance and everyday conversations of women living at Arlington Hall. Readers who enjoy learning more about covert operations that supported the behind-the-scenes war effort of Allies during WWII should enjoy reading The Traitor Beside Her, told from the perspective of a precocious, young woman thrown into the jaws of espionage.     Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub Read the full article

[garudabluffs]

EXTRAVAGANGA 2023 UMASS CRC

Extravaganja comes to Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield

"Following a series of pandemic-related delays, organizers of Extravaganja are finally able to bring their event to Greenfield this weekend.

Extravaganja, a rally to support widespread legalization and social acceptance of marijuana, will be held Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, a new venue for the event’s 29th rendition.

Organized by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Cannabis Education Coalition

Following a series of pandemic-related delays, organizers of Extravaganja are finally able to bring their event to Greenfield this weekend.

Extravaganja, a rally to support widespread legalization and social acceptance of marijuana, will be held Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, a new venue for the event’s 29th rendition.

Organized by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Cannabis Education Coalition _ _the UMass Cannabis Education Coalition has partnered with the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition to run an educational area where people can learn about cannabis, medicine and the war on drugs.

“Everyone has been a really open community,” Mawry said of Greenfield. “Mike Nelson with the Franklin County Fairgrounds … he’s been phenomenal and we are grateful. … It’s about being in a community that’s ready for it.”

Mawrey said when she arrived to the Amherst campus in 2021, the Cannabis Education Coalition had no active student members. Instead, meetings were led by alumni.

“I kind of re-found it,” she said.

Now there are seven members. The Cannabis Education Coalition used to be known as the Cannabis Reform Coalition. Mawrey said the name changed following the state’s legalization of marijuana in 2016 and also to “give it a new name for this new era of reform.”

Currently, Mawrey said there are around 1,300 tickets reserved, but Extravaganja had as many as 10,000 attendees back in 2017.

“We’re hoping for a couple thousand people, and the weather is going to be so beautiful,” Mawrey said, “so I bet it’s going to be a really good turnout.”

According to the Cannabis Education Coalition’s website, free shuttles will be available from the UMass Campus Center, and will be departing at 11:30 a.m. Parking opens at 11:30 a.m. and will be $5 for carpools of three or more people, and $10 for one to two people. Tickets can be reserved for free at theticketing.co/e/extravaganja."

READ MORE https://www.recorder.com/Extravaganja-comes-to-Franklin-County-Fairgrounds-in-Greenfield-50622996

Boston has one of the best cannabis museums in the US, Thrillist says

READ MORE https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/04/boston-has-one-of-the-best-cannabis-museums-in-the-us-thrillist-says.html

[tndda]

Autism Month - Evan Shouse

On a chilly March morning, Evan Shouse joins his dad, John, for a stroll through a winding, paved trail at Aspen Grove Park in Franklin. Bright greens and light pinks are just peeking through for spring from the trees in this spot that they frequent not far from Evan’s apartment complex. One of Evan’s favorite things to do is walk at various parks in middle Tennessee with his family, along with swimming, horseback riding, and watching epic movies like Gladiator or the Lord of the Rings series. When he’s not doing one of those things, he and his family devote time to advocating for himself and other Tennesseans with Autism. Today Evan and his family are sharing their story for Autism Month and the #IAMASDinTN campaign celebrating Tennesseans with Autism. Read Evan’s full story on the TN Council on Autism’s DIDD website linked here: https://bit.ly/3mqmgrb

[djbcadventures]

Read Across America Day 2023 - Columbus Library Turns 150

Today is "Read Across America" Day, in honor of the birth of the late, great Dr. Seuss. We are using this day to pay tribute to the Sesquicentennial of the birth of the best library system in America - the Columbus Metropolitan Library (National Library Week is still in April, but this weekend is huge for them).

Founded at Columbus City Hall on March 4, 1873 (where the Ohio Theatre currently is today), the Library moved to its current location in April 1907 after a massive funding campaign led by Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The Main Library went massive renovations in 1990 and 2016. The latter saw the new entrance from the Topiary Park, and the dedication of Kaufman Plaza in 2022. Also last year, Fodor's Travel named the system one of the "11 Most Beautiful Library Systems in America".

There are currently 23 branches in the Columbus Library system, which serves Franklin County.

Barnett, Canal Winchester, Driving Park, Dublin, Franklinton, Gahanna, Hilliard, Hilltop, Karl Road, Linden, Marion-Franklin, Martin Luther King, New Albany, Northern Lights, Northside, Parsons, Reynoldsburg, Shepard, South High, Southeast, Whetstone, Whitehall, and of course, the Main Branch itself.

All but three (apologies to Hilliard, Canal Winchester, and New Albany) are accessible by the COTA Bus Lines.

Barnett (Lines 1 & 23), Canal Winchester, Driving Park (Line 1), Dublin (Line 33 to Dublin Metro ONLY), Franklinton (Line 9), Gahanna (Lines 24 & 25), Hilliard, Hilltop (Line 6), Karl Road (Line 8), Linden (Lines 11, 31 & CMAX), Marion-Franklin (Line 4), Martin Luther King (Lines 10 & 11), New Albany, Northern Lights (CMAX), Northside (Lines 1 & 2), Parsons (Lines 8 Parsons & 4), Reynoldsburg (Line 2 to Reynoldsburg ONLY & 25), Shepard (Line 7), South High (Line 8), Southeast (Line 24 - Weekdays ONLY), Whetstone (Lines 2 & 102), Whitehall (Line 10), and of course, the Main Branch (Lines 2, 10 & 11) itself.

There are a lot of events this weekend at 22 of the 23 branches (Marion-Franklin is only open Monday through Friday) on Saturday, including the grand opening of the NEW Gahanna Branch (310 Granville Street) in Gahanna. The Main Library will have Bridgerton author Julia Quinn in a SOLD OUT discussion on Sunday as part of their Sesquicentennial Authors Series.

And coming this Summer (July 15 & 16) will be a NEW Book Festival - The Columbus Book Festival.

For more information on the Columbus Metropolitan Library, go to http://www.columbuslibrary.org.

You can find a good read, research history, look for a job, and so much more at your local library!

[goldiers1]

Disney's 100-Year Celebration Captured in Super Bowl LVII Ad

  The Walt Disney Company marks its 100th anniversary on Oct. 16, 2023, and throughout the year, will celebrate the fans and storytellers who have sparked the joy and magic that is Disney over the last 100 years. Today, Disney honors those fans and creators with a special commercial debuting during Super Bowl LVII that spotlights 100 years of unrivaled storytelling and innovation.     "As we commemorate our historic 100th anniversary, it is remarkable to look back at Walt Disney's legacy and his passionate pursuit of excellence that continue to propel the Company forward today. We are incredibly grateful to the generations of people all over the world for being such a special part of our history and for inviting our stories and characters into their lives over the past century," said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. "Disney100 represents a celebration of all of our fans and families, and our storytellers and creative visionaries whose talents and imaginations have created the magical moments that make Disney such an enduring part of the global culture."   "Disney100 Special Look" features scenes from iconic Disney films, series, stage productions, theme parks, and fans, as well as a collection of inspiring words from Walt Disney, calling on the shared memories and nostalgia that have given Disney a special place in the hearts of audiences across the globe. The debut of "Disney100 Special Look" during the big game is an exciting milestone for Disney – with a year full of opportunities for fans and families of all ages to relive their most beloved Disney memories and to delight in new, heartwarming stories and experiences. On Friday, Feb. 17, the newest Marvel Studios film, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, will debut in theaters. Then, on Feb. 18, Disney100: The Exhibition will have its world premiere at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, inviting guests into a 15,000-square-foot, ten-gallery exhibit that will bring Disney stories to life through innovative and immersive technology. The Walt Disney Archives is opening its vault of treasures, showcasing more than 250 of its "Crown Jewels" – rarely seen original artwork and artifacts, costumes and props, theme park attraction vehicles, and more. The exhibition will also make stops across the United States and throughout Europe. Global audiences can enjoy an amazing slate of theatrical releases from our renowned studios, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and more, coming through the rest of the year.  

What I Want To See In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by AntMan. Flickr.   From The Little Mermaid and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in May, toElemental, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Marvels, and The Haunted Mansion this summer, both long-beloved characters and new stories will come to life on the big screen. Then, on November 22, 2023, Walt Disney Animation Studios will debut Wish, an original animated musical film only in theaters. Already, Disney Parks have begun delighting guests with special Disney100 celebrations. On Jan. 27, Disneyland Resort introduced the new Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway attraction, two new nighttime spectaculars: "World of Color – One" at Disney California Adventure and "Wondrous Journeys" at Disneyland park, and all-new, limited-time Disney100-themed entertainment, food and beverage, and merchandise offerings. Disney Parks across the world will also feature surprises throughout the year to celebrate this momentous milestone.   Sources: THX News & Disney. Read the full article