#how to travel to England with a toddler

[cute-moosey]

Complete itinerary for 48 hours in London with a toddler (+ packing list and hotels)

If you’re planning a quick trip to London with a little one in tow, you might be wondering what to do and see to make the most of your time. At least, I know I do. With so much to choose from, it can be overwhelming to plan an itinerary, but fear not! Here’s a complete guide to 48 hours in London that will keep both you and your toddler happy. (more…) “”

[scribblesofagoonerr]

Mascot Memories | Never Grow Up

this is the first part of the small 3 part series that i have lined up next

summary: remi is 3 years old and she is a mascot at leah's game for the first time during the world cup in 2027

pairings: leah williamson x reader

“Someone’s excited to be a mascot at Mummy’s game today, aren’t you?” You couldn’t help but beam with a smile as you bent down to your daughters’ level.

“Yes!” Remi’s eyes are dancing with excitement at the prospect of being able to be a mascot in England's opening game of the World Cup that is being hosted in Brazil, “I’ll be the best mascot ever, Mumma!”

You press a kiss to the top of your little girl's head and smile at her, “I’m sure that you will be, baby girl,” You pause as you pick up the small jersey hung up on the hanger, “Do you want to get changed into your football shirt?”

“Wear Mummy’s number?” Remi asks, curiously.

“You bet, Remi Roo!” You nod encouragingly, helping your little girl shed her previous t-shirt in favour of the football jersey with Leah’s number written on the back of it, “You look just like Mummy now.”

“There’s my baby Gooner!” Leah’s voice appears out of nowhere, walking into the changing rooms as she’s almost tackled to the floor by Remi.

“Mummy!” Your 3 year old crashes directly into your wife’s legs. 

“Ooft,” Your wife let out a grunt of pain when the whirlwind of a toddler ran into her, “When did you get so big?” She questions, crouching down to your daughter’s level.

“Mumma keeps feeding me all of them veggies that ‘ou don't like,” Remi retorts cheekily, poking fun at Leah’s childish food palette that limited her to only a several few things that she seemed to like to eat – The only veggie she will eat being peas, and even those she thinks are too exoctic to eat.

“Of course she does,” Leah chuckles in amusement as she takes a look Remi donned in her own Jersey with her name on, “Well don’t you look the part.”

“I look just like you do!” Remi grins, dressed in a tiny England jersey to match Leah’s with her hair pulled back into two playful pigtails, and a pair of white Nike trainers, “Even Mumma said that I did!”

“You do indeed,” Leah replies in agreement and holds her hand out for your little girl to take, “It’ll be time to line up soon, do you want to come and stand with me? I bet you we’ll hear the roar of the crowd from there!”

“Yeah!” Remi bounces up and down on the balls of her feet, her excitement palpable as you can indeed hear the noise coming from inside the stadium, a mixture of England travelling fans and the fans of the home team. It’s a feeling that leaves you with a buzz of your own excitement.

“Alright then,” Your wife smiles and turns in your direction, “Say bye to Mumma and Essie and we’ll make our way out there.” She tells her, gesturing to your 8 month old baby girl Esme Beau Williamson, born in September 2026.

“Bye, Bear. Bye, Mumma. Love ‘ous!” Remi rambles quickly with energy bursting through her, leaning over to give her little sister a kiss on the head and crash her little arms around you.

“I love you too, baby girl,” You tell her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “Have fun out there with Mummy, okay? We’ll be watching you!” You add, gesturing to the fact that Amanda and Jacob, Leah’s mum and brother were joining you to watch in the stands.

“She’s going to be absolutely fine, love,” Leah reassures you, sensing your initial nerves due to the fact that Remi would be walking out onto the pitch with your wife for the first time and you are worried about how she might take that overall, “I’ve got her. I love you.”

“I love you too,” You respond, pressing a gentle kiss against your wife’s lips, “Good luck out there, superstar. Make us all proud!” You add, moving to fix the captain’s armband around your wife’s arm and kissing it for good luck, a ritual you’ve come to do every game that you attend.

“I aim to just do that,” Your wife grins, a flash of cockiness taking over her face for a second before she peppers small kisses on Esme’s forehead, “Bye, Essie Bear. I hope to make you proud too. I love you.”

The stadium erupts into loud cheers as you watch your wife hold Remi in her arms as they make their way onto the pitch, your daughter is waving enthusiastically out to the crowd of England fans as there’s not a single trace of shyness in her demeanour.

Leah, ever the professional, keeps her focus with her stern game face plastered but even she can’t help the smile that tugs at her lips every time she gazes at her daughter. For the first time you’ve ever witnessed, your wife actually breaks her stern expression as the spotlight is on your daughter.

“Remi looks so grown up,” Amanda speaks aloud from where she’s standing in the stands amongst you, Jacob and Esme, cradled against your chest, as she watches in adoration of Leah and Remi on the pitch.

“Don’t say that too loud or Leah will freak out,” Jacob jokes, regarding Leah’s fear of Remi growing up too quickly. It’s now become a somewhat ongoing joke in your family now.

“Speaking off, look how proud Le looks,” You say, watching your wife and daughter with tears welling up in your eyes.

“This is definitely a moment to treasure forever,” Amanda chimes in, wiping one of her own tears away.

“I swear she might even relent from her usual stern frown,” Jacob jokes watching as Leah stood tall and proud in her captain’s armband, her face glowing with both excitement and pride, “Rem looks adorable though!”

“I mean, there’s always a first,” You remark in amusement as you watch your wife and daughter on the pitch, feeling insanely proud of them both.

The sun shines brightly over the sprawling stadium in Brazil, where the energy of the World Cup is palpable. Fans gather in vibrant colours and flags fill the stands, creating a sea of excitement and anticipation just as the national anthem plays and you can’t help but smile looking out onto the pitch while you look at your daughter who is beaming with an infectious smile.

“I think I might cry,” You murmur, overwhelmed with pride watching them as the National Anthem begins to play.

“You and me both, darling,” Amanda replies in agreement, her eyes are misty.

“Can you see your Mummy and your big sister, Es?” Jacob holds Esme in his arms like the proud uncle he is and points his index finger in the direction of where Leah and Remi are standing on the pitch amongst the rest of the England team, “Look, there they are!”

“Mummy! There’s so many people!” Remi’s voice is quiet and in awe, her eyes gazing around the stadium at the several thousands of fans in the stadium, “Are all these people here for ‘ou?”

Leah chuckles fondly as she keeps a gentle grip on your toddler, “Only half of them, baby Gooner,” She pauses as she points with her index finger in the direction of where you all sat in the stands, “Over there is Mumma, Essie, Nana and Uncle Jacob over there? Give them a wave!”

“Will they be able to see me from this far away?” Remi asks, curiously as she waves brightly in the direction and you can’t help but smile in adoration of the pair together, “It's so far away!”

“I bet they will,” Leah nods in agreement, spinning slightly to look over in the direction of the giant screen and then towards a camera, “Do you see that big screen over there? There’s a camera on the pitch and Mumma will be able to see you, even from all the way over here.”

“Wow,” Remi’s eyes widen in amazement as she eagerly waves in the direct eyeline of the camera and her mouth forms the perfect O as she sees herself on the screen for the first time, “Mummy! I’m on the screen with ‘ou!”

“You are,” Your wife couldn’t help but laugh faintly as the end of the National Anthem played, which meant that it was time for the coin toss and captain duties, “Do you want to come do something extra special with me?” She asks.

“Uh huh!” Remi’s eye’s gleam with excitement at the prospect of doing something extra special according to your wife as she continues to carry Remi over to where Leah stands  together with her teammates, with Remi perched on her hip to take a photo.

“Remember to smile, Rem,” Beth, one of Leah’s fellow team mates for club and country, reminds your little girl as she ruffles her hair playfully, “Don’t be frowny like your Mummy now.” She jokes, poking fun at your wife’s impartial need to always scowl during a team photo.

“I don’t frown all the time,” Leah retorts, scowling at the blonde.

“Yes you do, Mummy!” Remi’s little voice replies in agreement as she giggles, “You don’t scowl at me or Bear though!” With those words in mind, Leah can’t help but crack a laugh and the official photographer manages to capture the moment, history is changed that your wife actually broke her stern expression during a team photo.

“Mumma!” Remi shouts running across to you as fast as her little legs will let her, “Did ‘ou see me out there? I waved at ‘ou!”

“I did see you, baby girl!” You scoop her up into your arms, twirling her around as she giggles with delight, “You were amazing! The best little mascot I have ever seen!”

Your eldest daughter continues to bounce up and down in excitement, “I was on the big screen with Mummy!” 

“We saw that, Tiny,” Jacob grins, ruffling your daughters’ hair, “You looked like a champ out there!”

“We’re so proud of you sweetheart,” Amanda chimes in, pressing a kiss to the top of Remi’s forehead.

“And I even got to take a photo with Mummy, Auntie Beth and everyone else!” Remi continues to ramble, a tone of excitement in her voice still as she slumps back to sit on Amanda’s lap to watch the match play out.

“Mummy’s gonna win!” Your little girl declares, confidently.

“That’s the hope, baby girl,” You agree with her, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face, “We’re going to cheer her on though, no matter what. Mummy is a winner to us, no matter what. Right, Remi Roo?”

“Right, Mumma! I will be the best cheerleader ever!” Remi exclaims, nodding enthusiastically in agreement, “Mummy’s the best footballer I know!”

This game might have just been one of many in Leah’s career, but this day certainly was special and one to cherish, being able to watch your wife and daughter walk out onto the pitch together. 

A memory that you will always remember, shining bright in your heart.

© scribblesofagoonerr

[sebscore]

Hello! Same anon from the charles x sister ask (not the dentist one). I love the recent fic! I cant think of anything specific that I would love to read, maybe just some cute sibling fluff between charles and reader, if not all the siblings? Thanks, you’re doing great!!

A SILVERSTONE WEEKEND | LECLERC BROTHERS

pairings: charles leclerc x sister!reader / lorenzo leclerc x sister!reader / arthur leclerc x sister!reader / pierre gasly x leclerc!reader / ollie bearman x leclerc!reader / isa hernáez x leclerc!reader

warnings: reader is a teenager. mention of flying. swearing.

author's note: thanks for the leclerc!sister resurrection on my blog! I hope you enjoy this fic and let me know what you think of it!

• • • • • • •

Silverstone was the first race of the new racing season the youngest Leclerc sibling attended. Her summer break had just started and a small trip to England seemed the right way to celebrate the end of the school year.

Since her brothers were already in England, she had to travel on her own as her mother had to stay in Monaco for work. It had been an anxious experience, but Lorenzo would pick her up at the airport and right away they would drive to the circuit to watch Arthur's sprint race and Charles' qualifying.

''Did they take care of you on the plane?'' The eldest brother hadn't been too keen on his little sister traveling alone without any kind of chaperone to accompany her.

Y/N nodded her head, handing her suitcase to her brother. ''Yeah, they were very nice to me,'' she eased his worries, ''but can you tell Charles that I'm fine with flying coach? I was the only person sitting in first class, it was embarrassing sitting there all alone.'' She was grateful her brother had gotten her a great seat on the plane, but she found all the luxuries a bit unnecessary.

Lorenzo laughed at words, imagining his sister sitting all alone while stewardesses attend to her every need. ''He wanted to be sure you had people there to help you in case you needed it,'' his hand moved to hold his sister's, ''by the way, at first he wanted to put you on a private plane, so be grateful you got to fly commercial.''

They made their way out of the airport and into his car, on their way to Silverstone. It would take them about an hour to get there, maybe with some extra traffic. ''How did Arthur's qualifying go yesterday? I didn't check it.'' She asked him, after sending their mother a message that she had arrived safely.

''P2, so today he starts P11 and tomorrow he's on the front row.'' Lorenzo answered her, explaining Arthur's starting positions. ''That's great.''

''Have you eaten anything?''

Y/N shook her head. ''No, I woke up too late and didn't have time to eat breakfast, and I didn't eat anything on the plane, because I was scared everything would, uh, come back up again.''

''You still get sick on planes? How many times have you flown now.'' Lorenzo chuckled, surprised his sister still got motion sickness while on planes.

She shrugged her shoulders. ''It's not like I have control over it, Enzo.''

''We'll eat at the track then, they have a lot of good stuff there.''

Eventually, they arrived at the circuit and walked to the Ferrari hospitality. It was Y/N's first time at the British Grand Prix, so she attentively observed the F1 paddock. The oldest and youngest sibling ran into an old family friend, Pierre Gasly. ''Enzo and Little Leclerc.'' He greeted them, hugging Lorenzo and giving Y/N a peck on the cheek.

''It's been a while since I last saw you, Y/N!'' Pierre said, not even being able to recall when he last saw the young girl. ''I know, it's good to see you.''

She was quite close with the Frenchman as their families were. They had been on vacations together and of course she would see him when she came to support Charles. Her brother and the Alpha Tauri driver even used to be in charge of babysitting her when she was still a toddler, although that didn't always go as planned.

''She finally has a break from school.'' Lorenzo explained to him, his arm going around her shoulder. Pierre nodded, forgetting sometimes that the girl still went to school.

He ruffled her hair. ''I have to go, but root for me, alright? I'm still your favorite driver, I hope?'' Pierre joked, referring to the time Y/N had teased Charles by saying that Pierre was her favorite Formula 1 driver.

''Yeah, of course,'' she jokingly rolled her eyes, ''bye, Pierre!'' They bid him goodbye and wished him luck in the qualifying later.

After a few more minutes of walking, they made it to the Ferrari hospitality where they could already see Arthur, Joris, Andrea and Charles waiting for them at one of the tables. As soon as the latter saw his younger sister, he stood up and embraced her in a hug. ''You're finally here.'' Charles sighed.

She smiled up at him and walked around the table greeting everyone else. ''I for sure thought you would step on the wrong plane and get lost.'' Arthur teased her, ruffling her hair like Pierre did earlier.

Y/N took the seat in-between Charles and Arthur, wanting to sit near her brothers as the new environment and people made her a bit uneasy. ''Yeah, you wish I got lost.''

Lorenzo offered to get himself and his sister some food, to which she protested saying that she should at least help him with it. ''No, no! You catch up with everyone, it's no big deal.'' She hesitated, but ultimately gave up and let him go alone.

''Maman send us your grades, they were really good!'' Charles spoke up, the picture of her school results popping into his mind. Y/N nodded, proud of herself for the great results. ''Thank you.''

''She send them to everyone in her contact book.'' Arthur commented, getting a laugh out of everyone. ''I even got a message saying how you had the best results in your class.'' Andrea added, the youngest Leclerc's grades had been the topic of the week.

Charles sat up straight, suddenly remembering something. ''Oh, yeah! We got you something, to congratulate you!'' He rummaged through his bag, pulling out a crumpled white envelope.

He handed it over to his sister, letting his arm hang around the back of her chair. ''It's from your lovely brothers.'' The grins on Arthur and Charles' faces gave her some trust issues about this ''gift''.

''If it's another signed picture of Arthur, I don't want it.'' She pretended to hand the envelope over again. The brothers laughed but shook their heads, that joke had become outdated after the countless times the youngest brother had pulled it. ''It's not that! It's actually something serious this time.'' Arthur assured her, coming across as genuine.

Y/N hesitantly opened the envelope, revealing multiple gift cards for several luxury fashion brands like Chanel, Dior and Versace. She observed the cards with wide eyes, in disbelief her brothers would actually get her a useful gift.

''Oh, thank you so much!'' Her arms first went around Charles, giving him a kiss on the cheek and afterwards doing the same with Arthur.

Bright smiles appeared on the brother's faces, delighted that their baby sister liked their gift. ''You can go shopping with Maman or Charlotte when you're back home.'' Charles suggested. ''Or Carla?'' Arthur added, including his girlfriend.

Lorenzo made it back to their table, holding a plate of pasta for the young girl. ''Oh, you already got your gift! You like it, Chérie?'' It had been a last-minute kind of situation to get her the cards, having to wait whether her grades were good or not.

''Yeah, thank you so much, Enzo!'' Just like before with Charles and Arthur, she gave her oldest brother a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

''Eat up now!''

''Arthur Leclerc crossed the line to take the win!''

Y/N proudly watched her brother take the checkered flag, already making her way to the barricades with her siblings to congratulate him on the victory. Much to her surprise, the first person Arthur ran up to was his sister instead of his engineer or other two brothers.

Normally she would push his sweaty form away, but this time she reciprocated the firm grip he had on her. ''You looked so cool, Thur! It was awesome!'' She practically yelled, not sure how much he could actually hear of it.

Arthur was semi-relieved he had his helmet on, knowing his sister would have teased him for a long time if she had seen the big smile that appeared on his face. He felt a hint of pride in himself as it was the first time Arthur was called ''cool'' by his younger sibling, at least the first time he had heard the words come out of her own mouth.

''Can we get a picture with the four Leclercs?'' One of the photographers asked them, holding his camera up. The three brothers glanced at their sister, knowing she isn't used to getting her picture taken like the rest of them. Y/N slowly nods her head, putting her arm around Charles' waist.

Arthur took a step back, taking off his helmet and balaclava for the photo. ''Do I look fine?'' He asked no one in particular.

''No, but it will do.'' She teased him, resulting in a slap on the arm from him.

The Formula 3 champion of the day wiped some sweat from his face before reaching his arm over his sister's shoulder. The four of them smile for the camera and wait until the photographer gives them a thumbs up.

''Arthur, you stink.'' Y/N tried to take a step away from him, but he pulled her back into him and rubbed his sweaty face all over the top of her hair. ''Ew! Get away from me!'' She pushed him off of her, her disgusted expression amusing her brothers very much.

''Leclerc, get on the podium!''

Y/N couldn't help but take out her phone and film as her brother took the top step, proudly lifting his trophy in the air and spraying the champagne around. She sent the video to their mom, who couldn't have been more delighted for her son's first F3 win of the season.

''Oh, this bitch.'' Y/N mumbled to herself as Arthur was nowhere in sight.

Not too long after his podium ceremony, she had to use the bathroom. Arthur had suggested she used the one at the Prema hospitality as it was the closest one to them. Charles had to go get ready for his own race and Lorenzo joined him, telling the two youngest to meet them at his Ferrari garage.

Arthur said he would wait for her outside the bathroom and that they would go together, since the youngest Leclerc was unfamiliar with the space and their mother would kill the three brothers if they lost her. Yet, no Arthur in sight.

Y/N stood frozen in her place, not wanting to snoop around looking for her brother and potentially walk into the wrong room.

''You okay there?'' A thick British accent interrupted her internal panic, slightly flinching at the sudden appearance of someone.

She turned around and was met with a guy she guessed was around her age, and towered a bit over her. He looked familiar, she just couldn't seem to place him. ''Uh, yeah, uh, my brother- he was supposed to wait for me here and now he's gone…'' She managed to stutter out, feeling nervous under the young man's gaze.

''Arthur was called down by one of the team members to discuss the race, that can take while actually.'' He explained his absence, pointing at one of the rooms where Arthur seemed to be.

Y/N nodded, understanding. ''Ah, wait- you know my brother?'' She frowned, she didn't even tell him it was Arthur she was looking for.

The guy nervously chuckled, realizing she had no idea who he was. ''Yeah, we're teammates! I'm Ollie, Ollie Bearman.''

''Oh my god, of course! You were on the podium as well, congrats.'' Maybe she should start to pay more attention to the jobs of her brothers. ''Sorry, it's the first time I've been to a Grand Prix this year.'' She apologized.

''It's okay, really,'' Ollie brushed it off, ''you need to get somewhere or?''

She nodded her head. ''My brother is racing and I need to get to the Ferrari garage, but I have no idea how I'm supposed to get there.''

''Well if you want I can get you to the F1 paddock? I don't have a special pass, so I can't show you where the garage is, unfortunately.'' He suggested, a soft smile settled on his face.

His offer to help her brought a red blush to her cheeks. ''That would be really sweet, thank you so much.''

''Don't worry about it.'' The walk to the entrance of the F1 paddock hadn't been too long, but long enough so the young pair could get to know each other more.

In the beginning it was a little hard to get the conversation going as this was the first time the two ever met, but soon enough Ollie was sharing stories about his young karting days and his little sister's show jumping. ''My mum didn't want her to do karting.''

Y/N chuckled. ''Mine was the same! My dad always tried to persuade her, but it never worked.'' Pascale had seen the bruises her son's would come home with, there was no way she would let her daughter have the same.

''You've never karted then?''

''I've done it a few times with my brothers, but they always make it into a competition and it's not fun that way.'' She explained, recalling the few times she did go karting and ended up almost being pushed off the track by Charles and Arthur.

''I get that- oh, here we are.'' They had arrived at the entrance, both of them a bit disappointed that they had to part ways already. ''I don't think it should be too hard to find out where the garage is once you're inside.'' He assured her.

''Thanks, Ollie,'' she smiled at him, ''I really appreciate it.''

His face mirrored hers. ''No problem, uh, I'll see you around then?'' He hoped to see more of the Leclerc girl, she was very charming and unlike Arthur had claimed to him and Jak, she seemed greatly intelligent.

''Yes, I'll see you, bye!'' Y/N offered a small wave and turned around to make her way into the paddock, hoping that one way or another she would find her brother's garage.

Ollie's assurance that it wouldn't be too hard to find was the biggest lie she had heard all day. She already doesn't have the best sense of orientation and the large amount of people roaming the paddock, weren't making it any easier.

An idea popped into her head, one that she should have come up with from the beginning.

Phoning up her brothers.

Charles wasn't going to pick up, that was a given. So then she tried Lorenzo whose phone must have either died or put on silent since it didn't even go through. The last option was Arthur and like she thought, that man was never going to answer one of her calls ever. At least they couldn't say that she didn't try.

But someone must have listened to her prayers. ''Y/N?'' A voice next to her pulled her out of her thoughts, a hand laid on her shoulder. ''You okay?''

Y/N glimpsed to her side and saw Isa, Carlos' girlfriend, looking at her with concern in her eyes. ''Oh, I- I can't find my brothers.''

Isa's concerned expression changed to a relieved one, glad nothing too bad had happened to the young girl. ''I know where they are, come on.'' The older woman held out her hand, which Y/N immediately took.

''I haven't seen you since last year! How have you been?'' Her and Isa had met on a few other occasions ever since Carlos became Charles' teammate. She was very fond of her and the Spanish woman always complimented the girl.

''School just ended, so I'm doing really well.'' She nervously grinned, flustered about holding hands with her.

Isa laughed at her words. ''Oh, yeah! Charlotte said something about it, smartest girl of the class?'' She teased, quoting the words her friend had told her.

Turns out that the Ferrari garages hadn't been too far and she had been going the entirely wrong way as she and Isa were already making their way through the halls that would lead to Charles'.

''There you are!'' Lorenzo exclaimed upon noticing his sister walking in with Isa, running up to her and taking her into his arms. ''Thank you so much!'' He told Isa, who brushed it off and bid them goodbye to go support her boyfriend.

A guilty-looking Arthur appeared from behind Lorenzo. ''I'm so sorry! I wasn't away for that long, but when I got back you were already gone.'' He apologized, genuine regret audible in his voice.

''It's fine, Ollie helped me and I ran into Isa as well.'' She wasn't too mad about it, this was one of those things that she could blackmail him with for a long time.

''Ollie? My teammate? He helped you?'' The puzzled expression on Arthur's face caused a chuckle to escape.

Y/N nodded. ''Yeah, he brought me to the paddock! Very nice guy.'' The shy smile that played on her lips wasn't amusing to the youngest Leclerc brother.

''You made sure to thank him, right?'' Lorenzo didn't seem to mind that a young man her age had spent time with her, he was just relieved she had somehow found her way to them. ''Of course, Enzo.''

''What did you even talk about with him?'' Arthur continued asking, confused as to why his teammate wanted to help his sister in the first place.

His sister gave him a glare. ''One more question and I'm telling Maman you left me all alone, alright?'' The protective older brother act didn't suit Arthur at all.

''Let's focus on Charles now, okay? You two have had your moment to shine.'' Lorenzo interrupted.

''Hey! I could have been kidnapped or something!''

''Too bad you weren't- Auw! Enzo, she hit my arm!''

''You deserved it, Arthur.''

[hungwy]

A small woman—or perhaps an adolescent boy—walks quickly across a landscape where giant beasts roam. The person holds a toddler on their hip, and their feet slip in the mud as they hurry along for nearly a mile, perhaps delivering the child to a safe destination before returning home alone.

Despite the fact that this journey took place more than 10,000 years ago, a new paper published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews manages to sketch out what it might have looked and felt like in remarkable detail.

Evidence of the journey comes from fossilized footprints and other evidence discovered in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park in 2018, reports Albuquerque TV station KRQE. Toward the end of the late Pleistocene epoch—between 11,550 and 13,000 years ago—humans and animals left hundreds of thousands of tracks in the mud along the shore of what was once Lake Otero.

The new paper investigates one specific set of tracks, noting details in the footprints’ shapes that reveal how the traveler’s weight shifted as they moved the child from one hip to the other.

“We can see the evidence of the carry in the shape of the tracks,” write study co-authors Matthew Robert Bennett and Sally Christine Reynolds, both of Bournemouth University in England, for the Conversation. “They are broader due to the load, more varied in morphology often with a characteristic ‘banana shape’–something that is caused by outward rotation of the foot.”

At some points along the journey, the toddler’s footprints appear as well, most likely because the walker set the child down to rest or adjust their position. For most of the trip, the older caretaker carried the child at a speed of around 3.8 miles per hour—an impressive pace considering the muddy conditions.

“Each track tells a story: a slip here, a stretch there to avoid a puddle,” explain Bennett and Reynolds. “The ground was wet and slick with mud and they were walking at speed, which would have been exhausting.”

On the return trip, the adult or adolescent followed the same course in reverse, this time without the child. The researchers theorize that this reflects a social network in which the person knew that they were carrying the child to a safe destination.

“Was the child sick?” they ask. “Or was it being returned to its mother? Did a rainstorm quickly come in catching a mother and child off guard? We have no way of knowing and it is easy to give way to speculation for which we have little evidence.”

The fossilized footprints show that at least two large animals crossed the human tracks between the outbound and return trips. Prints left by a sloth suggest the animal was aware of the humans who had passed the same way before it. As the sloth approached the trackway, it reared up on its hind legs to sniff for danger before moving forward. A mammoth who also walked across the tracks, meanwhile, shows no sign of having noticed the humans’ presence.

Another article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379120305722

[townsenddecades]

Recap 1310 – 1319

The second decade of the fourteenth century was one of hunger, uncertainty and death. This was true for all of England and beyond and hasn’t left the population of the town of Praaven and its surroundings untouched.

But, even through all the losses they suffered, the Townsends have persevered, and have grown their family through several marriages and children. The three oldest Townsend siblings have started their own families, and although Edith is gone, her two children live on.

Despite their station, fate hasn’t been kind to the two noble families of the area, the Dudleys and the Pelhams, either, with only Ralph Dudley’s young daughter Maud as heiress to the family line after the loss of her four older siblings, while the Pelham legacy lies on the shoulders of two small boys and one little girl. Not even the Watcher knows how that will end.

But on to the recap.

The Townsend Family

Current Members: 8

In 1310, the family consists of Benedict Townsend and his six children: twin girls Anna and Edith, and after them son Benjamin, Simon, Gregory and finally third daughter Helen. The family is still reeling from losing Anne, Benedict’s wife, shortly after baby Helen’s birth. In the same year, Simon ages up into a child, and Benjamin ages up into a teenager. After those two birthdays, Anna marries her betrothed, George Crawley, and leaves her childhood home to share his family’s house in Praaven. 

In 1311, Benjamin too finds romance with his childhood friend Malika, who tells him plainly that she wishes to escape serfdom. He gains her father’s blessing for their interest in each other on the day of his elder sister Edith’s wedding to William Watmore, also a serf. She, too, moves out to live with her husband; the two have acquired the Earl’s permission to farm a piece of land in the neighbouring village of Mahlsberg.

Birthdays of 1311: Helen ages up into a toddler, while Gregory ages up into a child.

In the beginning of 1312, Benjamin makes his intentions towards Malika official by asking for her hand in marriage. The couple celebrate their betrothal by having their wedding night early, which leads to a very rushed marriage when Malika falls pregnant by it. While she settles into her new home, Benjamin travels to Praaven to talk to the earl about buying the rights to an additional piece of land, which he is granted. The year ends with Malika giving birth to twins, a girl and a boy, whom they name Amye and Malcolm.

In 1313, Gregory and Simon visit Edith, who tells them about how Anna and her once tried to find the witch of Lüghaven, who may know more about Simon’s own gift of magic. While this is happening, Benjamin, who has big plans for his family, travels to the abbey of St. Wright, where his mother once lived, to learn how to read. He also teaches this skill to those in the rest of the family that are interested. Spurred on by their brother’s success, Simon and Gregory travel to the abbey to learn how to paint. Gregory does so, while Simon is held off by a mysterious woman named Elea who he feels inexplicably drawn to. She seems surprised by him but tells him they will meet again.

This season’s harvest also turns out to be meagre due to constant cold. As Benedict had spent some years making a living as a carpenter in addition to farming, this doesn’t affect the Townsends too badly. In fact, they have enough money left over to start building a cottage on their new piece of land.

The weather doesn’t improve in 1314, neither for the Townsends nor for anyone else, and people are already starting to fear food shortages. Despite this, the twins age up into toddlers, while Malika falls pregnant once more, and gives birth to a little boy named Duncan later in the year. After that, the Townsends bring in a small harvest, which they hope will tide them over the coming months.

By 1315, nothing at all is growing due to the bad weather, and while the Townsend have food put by, it won’t hold out if the famine that is now starting to develop lasts for a long time. They get a distraction in the form of a visit by the same woman that Simon had met at the abbey two years before, who reveals that she is a witch and wants to train him once his magic grows. At the end of the year, young Helen ages up into a child.

Sadly, baby Duncan doesn’t cope well with the malnourishment, and becomes the family’s first famine victim at barely a year old. This tempers Malika’s joy at finding herself with child again by the end of the year.

In 1316, Malika gives birth to a little girl named Joan. Sadly, the deprivations Malika suffered during her pregnancy cause the baby to be born very frail, so that she dies after only two months. At around the same time, Edith’s husband William dies, and the family takes her, pregnant with her second child, and her little daughter Elsie in. A few months later, her son, Wilfred, is born. The pregnancy leaves Edith very weak.

 The year 1317 begins with Edith’s death; sadly, she hasn’t been able to recuperate from Wilfred’s birth. The Townsends vow to raise Elsie and Wilfred, now orphaned, in their parents’ stead. A few months later, Simon turns 13, and moves out to begin his apprenticeship with Elea, which means living with her and her daughter Mariora. Later in the year, an epidemic sweeps the countryside and carries many off with it, among them Helen, Benedict’s youngest child. She is the final famine victim in the Townsend household.

In 1318, Gregory meets a girl named Agnes at the abbey, where she lives, when he goes there to paint. She’s the illegitimate daughter of a sister that had died during the epidemic of the previous year. A few months later, little Wilfred ages up into a toddler, and at the end of the year, Malcolm, Amye and Elsie all age up into children. Gregory, now a teenager, also makes the acquaintance of a merchant from Praaven who is impressed with his painting skills.

In 1319, Malika becomes pregnant once more. Winter finally ends, which means that not only can the Townsends start to farm again, but they also have to say goodbye to Elsie and Wilfred, who move back to the farm in Mahlsberg, which has been taken over by their father’s brothers, to help them work the land. At the end of the year, Malika gives birth to another set of twins, whom they name Frank and Adeline.

The Witches’ Coven

Current Members: 1

This household is established in 1317, when Simon Townsend moves into the Ellesmeres’ hidden dwelling to be apprenticed by Elea in matters of witchcraft. Elea is a mysterious woman, far too young-looking, and seems to pursue her own ends in taking in Benjamin.

They live with her daughter Mariora, who is only slightly older than Simon. She warns him that he better know what he is doing, throwing in his lot with witchcraft, when he arrives; she herself does not have the gift of magic.

Not much else of note happens in this household; the longer he lives with her, however, the more Simon feels drawn to Mariora. He even tells his father on a visit to the Townsend farm in 1319 that he has thoughts of courting her.

The Crawley Family

Current Members: 4

Established in 1310, the Crawley Household comes to be when Anna Townsend marries George Crawley and moves into his family home on Praaven’s Castle Hill District. This is quite a change in circumstances for a girl who has grown up on a farm, but she does her best to adjust.

She becomes pregnant quickly after the marriage and tells her family of her coming child on a visit in 1311. Sadly, her little girl is born prematurely, and dies only a day the birth.

A year later, in 1312, Anna finds herself with child again. Luckily, this time around, her daughter, who they name Annette, is born strong and healthy.

She is pregnant again in 1313, much to the amusement of George’s younger sister Caroline, whom Anna has become good friends with. Sadly, the family’s hopes that this child will be healthy like Annette are dashed, and her son is stillborn.

In 1314, the Crawleys celebrate Annette’s aging up into a toddler. A few months later, the Countess of Petersmarch brokers a marriage between her widowed brother and Caroline, much to the family’s joy. Only Caroline is heartbroken, because she had been considering marriage with a merchant’s son whom she truly cared for. Cared for so much, in fact, that she had shared his bed; she confesses this and the news that she is pregnant to Anna. To save her from dishonour, Anna proposes a scheme to go away for a while, so they’ll be able to claim Caroline’s child as Anna’s.

Their plan works, and they return to Praaven with Caroline’s little girl, Theodora, in 1315 with no one the wiser. It is hard on Caroline, of course, especially when she leaves Praaven a few months after their return to marry the baron’s son as arranged, but at least her honour is intact.

The Crawleys suffer under the famine like everyone else but there are no deaths in their family.

In 1316, little Theodora ages up into a toddler. Other than the brown hair she inherited from her mother, she takes after her father a lot, and Anna and George (whom she had taken into her confidence as a matter of conscience) hope fervently that no one will question this.

In 1318, Annette ages up into a child, closing out the decade’s events for the Crawleys.

The Watmore Family

Current Members: 2

This household was created in 1311, when Edith Townsend married William Watmore, and moved to Mahlsberg onto a piece of land granted to them by the Earl to make a new life there with him.

Pregnancy follows marriage swiftly, and in 1312, Edith gives birth to a little girl, whom they name Elsie, after William’s mother.

Baby Elsie ages up into a toddler in 1314. By this time, Edith and William, who are only poor serfs and don’t have any provisions stocked, are very worried about the food situation, but vow to themselves that they will make sure their daughter has enough to eat, even if they don’t.

They get a bit of support from Edith’s father as the famine lengthens, but with so many mouths to feed on the Townsend farm, he can’t spare much.

Despite her malnourishment, Edith becomes pregnant again in 1316, much to the worry of her family, who has noticed how thin she has become. The constant deprivation takes a toll on her husband, who falls ill and dies. After his burial, Edith seeks shelter on her father’s farm with her daughter, while her brothers-in-law take over the farm in Mahlsberg. At the end of the year, Edith gives birth to a little boy she names Wilfred in remembrance of his father.

Sadly, in the beginning of 1317, Edith passes away due to the strain of Wilfred’s birth. He and Elsie are raised by the Townsends after that, and age up into a toddler (Wilfred) and a child (Elsie) in 1318. Both of them, but especially Elsie, form close bonds with their aunt/uncles and cousins.

When spring arrives in 1319, the two Watmore children return to Mahlsberg to help their uncles farm the land that had been meant for Edith and William, in hopes of bringing in a proper harvest this time around.

Robert Townsend, the squire

Current Members: 1

As the decade begins, Robert, at age 9, has been serving as a page to Sir Silas Ellesmere, the captain of the Earl’s guard, for two years. In 1311, he attends the marriage of his elder half-brother the Earl in this function. He is noticed by the new Countess in the coming months; they both like art, so she decides to take him on as her own page for the company, somewhat to the dismay of her brother-in-law Clement.

In 1313, Robert turns thirteen years old, and moves on from page to squire, a position he will hold until he can be dubbed a knight at age 21.

In 1315, he meets Katheryn Deane while he practices his archery, whom he is instantly attracted to, especially when she starts flirting with him brazenly. It is only when the Countess arrives that he learns that she is actually Lady Katheryn Deane, a cousin of the Countess and herself daughter of an earl. Robert realizes immediately that their difference in station means that he would never be considered as a match for her.

Despite this, the two of them spend much time together and grow close, enough so that in 1316, they share their first kiss. Robert apologizes profusely, but Katheryn assures him that all she wants is a bit of fun, and that provided they are discreet, no one will be harmed by it.

Their hopes are dashed in 1317, when the Earl announces that he has arranged a betrothal between his younger brother Clement and Katheryn. Robert is heartbroken despite his assertions that he’d always known that their romance couldn’t last, and tries to break their relationship off, but it is the perspective of losing him that makes Katheryn realize that she has come to truly care for him, too. They kiss and don’t part ways, but deep down, they both know it can’t last.

After Clement and Katheryn’s marriage, the Earl sets his matchmaking sight on Robert in 1319. As a low-born bastard, they shouldn’t be good, but the prospect of the Earl’s favour and Robert’s knighthood makes the de Bellefaye family, of French noble stock and residents of the town, amenable to negotiations. Their daughter, Elisaria, is only 14, but Robert finds her very sweet-natured and lovely and decides to agree to the match. When he tells a heavily pregnant Katheryn of this and breaks off what is left of their relationship, she is enraged, but he doesn’t feel he has any other choice.

It is agreed between the Earl and the de Bellefayes that Robert and Elisaria will marry once he has been given his knighthood.

The Dudley Family

Current Members: 7

At the beginning of the decade, the noble house of Dudley consists of Ralph Dudley, the Earl of Petersmarch, his brother Clement, his sisters Lady Elizabeth and Lady Gwendolen and his mother, also Elizabeth, the former Countess. Ralph is also betrothed to Mary Pelham, the youngest child of Baron Elbenhawke.

At the beginning of 1310, Gwendolen ages up into a child, which is followed a few months later by Clement aging up into a teenager.

The Dudley-Pelham wedding takes place in 1311, after which Ralph’s mother departs from Praaven with her daughters, to take up residence in the Dudley’s country estate while the new Lady Petersmarch settles into her role. She soon becomes pregnant, and, because she feels lonely, takes her husband’s bastard half-brother on as her page, which he allows, much to Clement’s dissatisfaction.

In the following year, 1312, Lady Petersmarch gives birth to a healthy son and heir named Arthur, much to everyone’s joy.

A second son, named Nathaniel, follows in 1314. Sadly, when the Dowager Countess and her daughters come to town to visit this newest member of the family, they bring illness with them; little Nathaniel and Lady Elizabeth (his aunt) both succumb to it. In the aftermath of those tragic losses, Clement decides to accompany his mother and remaining sister back to their country seat to get some distance from the castle.

In 1315, Lady Petersmarch gains a companion in the form of a distant cousin, Lady Katheryn Deane.

In 1316, tragedy strikes again when Lady Petersmarch gives birth to a stillborn son.

In 1317, Lady Petermarch gives birth to another child, a daughter this time, whom they name Alicent. Unfortunately, the tragedies that have been hounding the Dudleys for years continue, and the epidemic that sweeps the countryside that year kills both Alicent and five-year old Arthur, which not only leaves the countess shattered, but also the earldom without an heir. To prevent this, Lord Petersmarch arranges a marriage between his brother Clement and his wife’s companion Katheryn, unaware about the romance between her and his bastard half-brother. Lady Gwendolen ages up into a teenager that year.

The marriage takes place in 1318, and Lady Katheryn becomes pregnant soon after. Sadly, her daughter is stillborn the following year. The Countess fares better, and gives birth to a healthy baby girl, Maud, at the end of 1318, leaving her the sole heiress of the earldom as the decade ends.

The Pelham Family

Current Members: 5

As the decade begins, the family consists of Peter Pelham, Baron Elbenhawke, his son and heir Richard, his daughter Mary, and Richard’s betrothed, Lady Elinor Mowbray.

In 1310, Richard and Lady Elinor are married, in hopes that their union will finally provide the heir the barony needs.

In 1311, Mary, too, weds, which makes her the Countess of Petersmarch. Accordingly, she moves out of her family home, Elbenhawke Hall, into the Dudley seat, Praaven Castle.

In 1313, Lady Elinor finally gives birth to her first child, the son and heir they had all been hoping for. They name the child Richard, after his father.

A second pregnancy follows quickly in 1314, with disastrous consequences: due to birth complications, both Lady Elinor and her little girl die, leaving Richard bereft and with only his small son as heir. Even while mourning, the Pelhams start looking for another bride, and (after some help from Mary) approach the prosperous Crawley family, which has an unwed daughter, Caroline. The betrothal is accepted. At the end of the year, Little Richard ages up into a toddler.

The Pelham-Crawley wedding takes place in 1315, after Caroline returns from a long trip she had taken with her brother’s wife, Anna. The new lady of the house bonds well with her stepson, although her marriage remains a bit distant. She and Richard the elder do their duty, however, and she becomes pregnant soon after the marriage.

In 1316, Caroline gives birth to a healthy son named David. A daughter, Josephine, follows in 1317.

Then, tragedy strikes once again. A few months after Josephine’s birth, Richard goes hunting, and is gravely wounded in an ill-fated encounter with a boar. He is rushed back to Elbenhawke Hall, but it is soon clear that there is nothing to be done for him. He dies that night. Afterwards, Lord Elbenhawke asks Caroline to remain the lady of the house, even if she will not be baroness.

In 1319, Josephine ages up into a toddler, and Richard Jr. ages up into a child, ending the decade on an at least somewhat hopeful mood for the Pelhams.

And that is the end of the recap.

The 1310s have certainly been eventful, and at times I felt a bit overwhelmed with the management of it all. I have played the challenge before, but back then I didn't switch households as much, and let the Story Progression Mod do much of the management for me. It’s been fun to be more involved, in a way, but also stressful. That wasn’t helped by the extra management of the famine years.

But the famine is in the past now (although in real history, its effects lasted into the 1320s), and at least as far as event rules are concerned, there won’t be anything happening in the following decade. Historically, there was much turmoil, of course, due to the strife between King Edward II, his lords and Queen Isabella, which eventually led to Edward being dethroned and his subsequent death. I may mention that in regard to the nobles, but don’t plan on inventing any new rules to see if they are affected by it.

Either way, the future will be interesting.

Prev: 1319, Day 4 | Recap 1300 - 1309 <--> Next: 1320, Day 1, Part 1/2 | Recap 1320 - 1329

[uefb]

New fic (2 chapters up!): Hope is the thing with feathers x

Summary: The month before the invasion of Normandy (D-Day), Newt Scamander is spotted working suspicious magic near a meeting of Muggle and Wizarding political leaders in London. The problem, of course, is that Newt Scamander is nowhere near London but, instead, over 14,000 kilometers away in the middle of the Pacific. But "desperate times call for desperate measures" (and even Tina and Theseus aren't entirely above scrutiny this go round), so Newt finds himself rather unsurprisingly compromised. // As usual, everyone else is dismayed to find Dumbledore may or may not have a plan at all, while the clock on Newt's life—-and the joint Muggle-Wizard military action years in the making—-begins to quickly tick.

Chapter 1 opening scene:

Wednesday, May 3, 1944 / Seatown, Dorset, England, UK

Porpentina Goldstein Scamander prided herself on being somewhat unflappable, but her brother-in-law grabbing her by the arm as she emerged from St. Mungo’s with her daughter before spinning them off in a whirl of apparition was certainly not on the list of things she had been expecting to encounter on her day off... A vomiting child, a misbehaving diricawl—even an absent husband or Muggle airstrike—she’d prepared for, but this?

Well, suffice it to say, she definitely blamed nearly bursting into tears after smacking Theseus upside the head upon their rematerialization in Dorset on the exhaustion inherent to solo-parenting an ill toddler.

“What the hell, Theseus?!”

But Theseus only shushed her, dragged her and Leora—who was understandably wailing in displeasure at the surprise apparition—up the back-steps of the Scamander Goldstein farmhouse, before gingerly disentangling her arms from Leora while shouting for Queenie and Jacob. It was, however, a broadly grinning, 9-year-old Gideon who came pounding into the room, before he took one look at his uncle’s face and immediately ran out the front door to the beach, screaming for his parents.

“I swear to high heaven, Theseus Scamander—what is going on?!”

Theseus bounced Leora on his hip and wordlessly summoned a plush toy from her room to distract her (a niffler made by Queenie for her birthday) as he focused on Tina intently. “You remember how we made that little emergency plan last year? After Newt was bitten by that kelpie—”

“Moira,” Tina supplied absently.

“Yes, Moira — and then he was criminally charged with all sorts of made-up things by that rat in his own department, which put our entire task force’s security at risk?”

“Yes,” said Tina with a suspicious frown, and she reached out to take Leora back from her uncle, crossing to the kitchen for the small refrigerator, where she pulled out a pyrex container of fruit Newt had chopped and charmed for freshness before he’d left to travel.

Theseus stared at her as if waiting for the other shoe to drop and—after a moment—it abruptly did.

“Now, wait a second—”

She summoned the pair of child-sized earmuffs Lally had made to silence adult voices and shoved them onto Leora’s head before settling her in a high chair and dumping the fruit out on its tray. Leora began talking to herself as she played with the fruit, and when Tina looked back to him, Theseus was grimacing.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Unfortunately not, sister mine…” he answered grimly.

“Is this all because of the thing last year, then?”

“More like the thing next month, but seeing as that’s also related… Yes.”

Tina peered out the window to check if Queenie and Jacob were responding to their son’s summons yet, but the only thing in sight was one of Newt’s half-trained half-kneazles innocently gamboling through the grasses (though a mildly predatory look flitted across its face). X

[95jezzica]

any headcanons about ladonia ?

Yes. A LOT. ÒwÓ . Let's go!

. First & Middle names: Karl Mattias Axel. . Family Name: Steilsson, Svensson or Nordir. (Depends on the nationverse/AU). . Full Name Example: Karl Mattias Axel Nordir. . Birthday: 2/6. (1996). - [ American order: 6/2, 1996. ] . Human Age: 10y old. . Height: 148 cm. (Almost 4'9 in American, I think).

. Ladonia was the first nation/micronation to "pop up" really young, literally looking like a newborn baby.

. For the first year or so Ladonia grew up at around the same speed as a human baby, making many nations unsure if Ladonia truly was a micronation or not. Sweden could sense he was a micronation since he's the "host" of Ladonia's micronation, but the rest only really had Sweden's words to go on.

. However, no one could deny Ladonia looked a LOT like Sweden, the only real difference being the red hair - so when Sweden went on to claim Ladonia as his son no one disagreed/disputed it either.

. Sweden was TERRIFED Ladonia as a person wouldn't make it. Ladonia was just so SMALL, and no one had heard/seen a representation of a nation/micronation "pop up" that young before. Normally they showed up looking like toddlers or roughly 5-8 years old. It was a new and scary time for Sweden and his family, but Ladonia was a stubborn lil' fighter and made it through the years to slowly but surely grow up a bit to a "safer age".

. Still, this contributed to how protective Sweden became of Ladonia (and Sealand, once adopted), and is also why both of his kids get a bit spoiled by Sweden.

. Once Ladonia was 3y old his aging slowed down a bit, proving once and for all he was a micronation to anyone who might have had doubts.

. Once Ladonia looked like a 10y old he completely stopped aging and growing (to his annoyance). His real age was then 19y old. (Year 2015).

. Ladonia mainly lives with Sweden in a house near his micronation, and depending on the week Sealand, Finland and/or the rest of the Nordics join them there as well. The house in question is hidden with the help of Norway's magic, to ensure Ladonia's safety.

. He sees Sweden as his papa, Finland as his Isä (Finnish for dad/papa), Sealand as his older brother, and then Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Estonia as his uncles.

. Ladonia isn't very close to England, and thus only view him as "Sealand's weird dad".

. Ladonia's best friends are Kugelmugel and Wy. - (and Sealand, but hush. He can't have people know he LIKES his brother, now can he?). xD

. Ladonia is really annoyed by the fact he's two (2!) centimeters shorter than Sealand (who stands at 150 cm), and because of this he hasn't realized 148 cm is decently tall for a 10y old. (He got Sweden's tall genes). xD

. In human AUs where Ladonia gets to grow up to an adult, he ends up at 215 cm tall. (" Take that, Sealand! ").

.

. Ladonia LOVES Pokémon with a burning passion! 🔥 (Which is canon, but! Worth mentioning anyway.) . His favorite Pokémon is Stunfisk. (Also canon).

. Ladonia admires Japan "a bit", as the home to Pokémon. In turn Japan is a bit confused but honoured of the attention, and makes sure to send the new games to Ladonia whenever they're released.

. Over the years Ladonia and Japan got a bit of a "student-teacher" friendship going, mainly - but not only - about Pokémon.

. Denmark is the uncle Ladonia meets the most, mainly because of how near he lives, but Norway is likely the uncle Ladonia is closest to.

. Ladonia also sees Estonia as a uncle-figure, and he's obviously also the one Ladonia turns to when he wants to talk computer stuff.

- - - - -

. Ladonia's main computer is his own trustworthy laptop, but he can technically enter/exit any computer at will, as long as it's connected to the internet.

. He also has a "room" (account) in all of the Nordics' + Estonia's computers, which essentially works as points of fast-travel/teleporting for him since he's just as bad at "nation-jumping" as Sweden is.

. The first time Ladonia accidentally got stuck inside his Laptop he lowkey gave Sweden a heart attack. 😂 👍🏽 xD

. In order to force Ladonia out of a laptop/computer you have to right-click him and hit "print". He will then pop out from the computer, and the printer will give you an empty paper.

. The only computer you can force Ladonia INSIDE is his own (main) laptop. You do so by turning off/closing the laptop.

. Ladonia is banned from the White House in USA after a prank where he jumped out of the computer to scare America. Only, he accidentally popped out from the wrong computer and scared the living daylights out of a poor human just trying to do their work. 😂 xD

. America thought the prank was hilarious. His boss did Not. 😂 Thus, Ladonia got banned from the White House. 😂👍🏽 xD

.

This is getting long, so I will stop here for now, but hope you enjoyed these! xD

[mirza-majoris]

Chapter 5 : O Flower of Scotland !

When they arrived to Dingwall, Desmond hopped from the train and looked around, yawning a bit. This train trip had been rather long considering how far they now were from London and from England. They had taken a small train to go to Victoria Station before taking another very long one to go to Edinburgh, and he had been taking some time to sleep since his night had been pretty rough until now. It was also during that time that his father and Raymond had been discussing the idea of renting a house together and find a job to ease their expenditures. Desmond vaguely remembered something about Ray's mother and how he had explained the whole story to them.

His mother owned a small cottage near Cullicudden, a quarter of hour long trip in car was necessary to go there from Dingwall but it was always closer than anything considering trains couldn't go where there was no railroads. Also, there was another reason Ray wanted to stop to Dingwall. His mother was being employed as a domestic by a very rich family living in Dingwall and her cottage was not inhabited most of the time, that was why she had asked his son to come back to Scotland someday, to help her with the house since she was living in the same mansion as her masters. "The cottage is away from any big city, very few neighbours and good air indeed", that was how Raymond had described it and, somehow, after a good hour of thinking about it, Leon was rather opened to such an idea. And he knew that life could be expansive when you were raising a little boy as a father, and alone. Just thinking about Rachel and how she would've wanted her boys safe and sound, living a normal life, had been enough to convince him to give it a try.

Once in Edinburgh, they had to take another train to Iverness, but before doing so they stopped to buy some coats considering the weather was being less clement than in London, and Leon and Desmond hadn't brought one since they had to leave in a hurry. It wasn't winter yet, so they had some time to buy everything they needed. Only Raymond seemed unbothered by the very wet air coming from his homeland, and in fact he was almost happy to come back home. Desmond had been very interested in the landscape and even though it wasn't his first time traveling somewhere –his parents once travelled to Nazca, in Peru, when he and Theodore were younger– he was a bit nervous since this time they had some evil guys trying to look for them in order to take them away to a very bad place. Scotland was very much different from what he thought it would be, and hearing everyone's accent was enough to trouble him a bit at first. But he had been more than excited when they saw the Loch Ness when changing train again in Iverness. He even had the time to see the castle a bit and eat an ice cream !

Finally, after a whole travelling day, they were finally done and getting out of the station. The evening was near and they had not eaten much, merely two sadnwiches and an ice cream for the boy. But with a smile Raymond told them not to worry, that his mother would be more than happy to take them to diner tonight.

–Still, Leon had said, I don't want to impose my presence and Desmond's to her... and if she's kind enough to allow us to stay in her cottage, I might at least be the one offering her a diner.

–Oh, trust me, sassenach, try to offer to pay and ye'll be facin' a beast ! She'll never accept it. Trust me, A've tried twice. And she scolded me in the middle of the restaurant as if A was still a toddler !

Desmond chuckled a bit and was already picturing a little woman scolding that biker as if he was but a child. Leon smiled when he saw him being a bit more joyful than usual. This was enough to make his heart lighter for a few moment. Ray let them for a short moment, going to take back his motorbike which had traveled with them, in a wagon dedicated to these heavy things. Leon rolled his eyes when he saw that Scottish lad being almost in live this his engine.

–Come on, it's just a vehicle ! It's not some kind of wonder.

Raymond gasped and exaggerated his reaction just to make the boy smile again, boy who was really intrigued by such a mechanical prowess.

–It's not "just a vehicle" sassenach ! It's a Norton Model 40 International 350cc 1 cylinder from 1938 ! A've restored it ! T'was me dad's.

–How does it work ?

Desmond had sparkles in his eyes and he was hopping around the vehicle trying to figure out how it was possible for such a thing to be driven by someone on the road. Leon sighed, not knowing how to react to Desmond's enthusiasm since he didn't like mechanical stuff much. He was a more... traditional man regarding technology and mechanics. And he was barely capable to use a television so he wasn't an expert regarding the topic.

–Well, maybe he can explain it to you once we've seen his mother. How do we do that ? We wait for the end of her service or what ?

Raymond took a peek at his watch and thought about it for a minute.

–OK, well... I'll take her at her job, it's almost October's holidays for her, they always give her Samhain.

–Sowhat ?

The Scottish man sighed again and rolled his eyes, pulling his motorbike to follow as they were walking together.

-It's pronounced "Soween", and it's... well, 31st of October. The All Hallows eve, if ye prefer. Go on, have some nice walk time or go to the park, A'll join ye here with me mom. Sounds good ? There's also a few shops. To get yerself a Scots dictionary. Because ye'll need it.

He chuckled and winked to Desmond, promising him a nice ride later, and he made the motor roar before flying away to a very big mansion, away from the city center, and the more he was getting closer and the more his smile was fading. What he hadn't said Leon about all this was that he wasn't exactly in good touch with his mother and he wanted to go there forst to try to talk to her. Last time he had seen her, it was another glorious argument they had, about family mostly, and he has had very harsh words to her, before leaving like a thief, without even saying goodbye. By now he has had enough time to think about it and he regretted a good portion of what he said six years ago. That large amount of time was also the reason he hasn't told Leon about his relationship with his mother. Because at this point he didn't even know if she was willing to talk to him anymore.

He had written him letters 2 years ago, if you can call that writing a letter considering he's done nothing but traces a few line on the paper, for Christmas, All Hallows Eve, New Year's Eve, Easter, her birthday, etc. Just a few lines, and she had never responded to any of them for the simple reason he's been avoiding to leave any address to reply. His life wasn't the most glorious one and by now he was really regretting it, trying to make up for things he's been too stubborn to apologise for.

Without him realising it, his motorbike had almost ridden itself alone, bringing him right to main gates of the big mansion where his mom was working. He sighed and entered the property, leaving his engine near the portal gates, and proceeded to go up the alley to reach for the doors and knock on them, disdainful enough not to ring the bell. He wasn't used to ring bells anyway, he preferred the simple knocking, bells were some fancy way to summon someone and he didn't like it.

A young woman came soon after, looking at him with red cheeks and a shy smile across her face.

–Good evening sir... Who may I announce ?

–Hi, huh... well, A'm not here to see Lord McGregor, A'm lookin' fer me mother, Maighread, is she workin' or does she have... ye know, a few minutes ?

The young lady though seemed a bit troubled by his accent, for sure she was probably not used to Scots and Scottish accent either since the master of this old creaky mansion was trying to speak as "normally" as possible.

–I deeply apologise but... May-who ?

–Maighread, me mom. Ye know her surely, a li''le woman, heavy brown hair, she's the one in charge of the whole domestics here A think.

This time the lady figured it out and her eyes seemed to lighten up.

–Oh, I see ! You're looking for Mà Bannag ! Everyone calls her like that, she always bakes the most wonderful pies !

Ray sighed, a bit nostalgic, and thought that this nickname was truly fitting his mother. He nodded and offered the maid his most charming smile.

–Would ye be kind enough to allow me to see her ? The day's almost done, and A need to talk to her...

Being put in front of such a charming man, the woman blushed again and chuckled like an adorable chick before allowing him to enter and asking him to wait in the hall while she was going to bring Maighread in.

Ray looked around, not that impressed by such a decorum displayed through this hall. Big wooden interior, sculptures, old architecture, dark wooden stairs and ceilings, some tapestries which colours were slowly being less and less shiny considering they were older than everyone in this mansion, some carpets, everything making this house wealthy was only the furniture while the house itself was creaking each time there was a windy day. The man had lived there, with his mother and father, in the domestic aisle, most of his life, before leaving when he was a teen. He knew this corridors like no one else and he also remembered some nice little pranks he did to his parents when he was hidden in the library secret passage. A bit cliche but always worked. The thought was enough to bring a smile on his face but it quickly vanished when he heard the voice of an old man coming from up the stairs.

–It's been a while since last time you came here...

Raymond barely looked up, he wasn't much impressed by the old lord and his grey hair, grey moustache, grey tuxedo and severe figure. In fact, all that was filling his eyes right now was animosity.

–A'm not here to talk to ye. A'm here for me mà.

The old lord seemed to feel some heavy pressure on his shoulder and he looked away. Even his voice seemed less full of assurance.

–She should be here soon, I saw Maggie, the maid who introduced you in, rushed to the domestic aisle... ... you know, if I can do something, I-

But Raymond shook hisbhead and interrupted him right away.

–A want nothin' comin' from ye. And don't ye dare bring Maighread into this. Ye've done enough already, don't ye think ?

The old man sighed but replied nothing. Instead, he only nodded and went away, coming back to his room, just a moment before a shaky voice came to Ray's ears. He turned with a small smile hanging on his lips and waited anxiously for the little woman to come closer, uncertain how to react.

In front of his, his mother was looking at him, her hazel eyes wide opened. Her dark wair was tied into a severe bun but her cheeks and wrinkles at the corner of her eyes were indicating a very joyful woman. She was a bit skinnier than last time Ray had seen her and she had aged indeed. Her hands were shaking because of how unreal the moment seemed to be to her and her uniform, her apron indeed, was covered in flour. The man sighed and messed with his own hair, embarrassed and not knowing what to say. Suddenly his mind had gone blank.

–Hey.... huh... well... hi mà...

The old woman didn't let him say anything else and rushed to hug him tight, happy like she had rarely been. Since she was littler, he had to lean a bit but he didn't complain and hugged her back.

–Mo mac ! Balach beag, A've been so worried, me boy !

If anyone wondered where that young man got his accent from, then the answer was his mother, because she was the one always using this soft voice and little words to speak with her son. Even Ray's father had less of an accent than her !

–Ye are insufferable, young man ! Do ye know how very few informations ye put in yer letters ? A didn't even know if ye were doin' fine or not !

–A'm fine, mà... A just... well... A just had... rough days back then... A'm sorry...

A mother would always be a mother and this one knew her som very well. She backed away a bit, softly put her hands on both his cheeks and look him in the eyes with a worried frowned wrinkling her forehead.

–Yer eyes tell a lot, mo mac... Ye'll explain to me later ?

Raymond sighed and looked away. Maighread sighed too and kissed his forehead before smiling.

–I know ye're not here without a reason... do ye mind helping me grab me things ? Then ye'll tell me all about it, sounds fair ?

For how much Raymond wanted to be serious and for how much guilty he was feeling for the past few years, he cracked a smile and followed his mother. This little reunion had been going rather well but the main topic wasn't even brought on the table yet, they would need a long conversation, preferably with a cherry or a good whiskey.

–Yeah... let's go... Care fer a ride on me motorbike ?

–A thought ye'd never ask !

-> First chapter

-> Previous chapter

-> Next chapter

[bokettochild]

I would love to see your plushies collection! How many of them have names?

All of them!

And here they are!

These are Creamer and Angus! The trusty steeds of my stuffed animal collection! They didn't talk like the others, but they had some personality; both loyal, Creamer (the palomino) more friendly and Angus (the black one) more guarded.

These two are Katy and Lucy/Andy. Katy (grey) is the more timid one, and was given to me by my younger brother. Lucy is a friendly and outgoing person, but when I made her a boy, 'Andy' he was more of a jokester and risk taker. Lucy/Andy was given to me for the Christmas my dad was overseas, in my stocking. My mom had an identical one that I loved to bits, so she got me my own.

Katy is the twin sister to my elder sibling's identical cat "Kitty"(very original, I know)

Fun fact! These two kitties have magnets in their paws and foreheads! So they can hold hands, play peek-a-boo and stick to anything metal!

These two are Kittiwink and Rocky! They're BlueNoses™ and I think they're from England?

Fun fact! These two were also gifts from my dad when he was deployed. That same Christmas, he sent these over for us, and my mom let us choose which ones we wanted. My siblings all went first, so Rocky and Kittiwink were the last two when me and my roommate (current and at that time) got our turns. Because I was the only one who had cleaned our room that night, I got first pick and chose Kittiwink, and my sister got Rocky, but was upset because he was "ugly".

Kittiwink was later burned at the stake (put on top of a light bulb and melted) by my toddler brother, so the one I have now is actually one my dad got me when I was 14, for my birthday.

Kiitiwink is a timid and quiet deary, with good manners and a lot of cowardice. Come to think of it, she's a lot like how I write Ravio nowadays; caring but cowardly, and never eager to step on toes, but willing to push matters or tease if she feels comfortable.

Rocky was a bully, originally, because my sister hated him, but when he came to me (because she didn't like him) I made him a studious little nerd with a love of astronomy! He and Kittiwink have been a couple since then, although I have at times elected to cast them as siblings when needed. Their romance is very timid and sweet, but very classy <3

These three are Lewis (Grey), Susanna (White) and Roy (Orange). Lewis was a garage sale find, and Susana and Roy I bought online. I had a cat just like Susana when I was seven, that I most cleverly named "White" and whom was my favorite stuffy for forever. When my dad was deployed over Christmas, my mom was actually almost ready to pop with my second brother, so we had to travel out of state to stay with some friends of hers while the baby was born, because our regular sitters all got hung up with something and we had no family in that part of the country. I left White in the living-room window to greet me when I got home, but she wasn't there when I got back. My siblings tried to convince me that she was so old that she disintegrated :(

I bought Susana when I was older, in hopes of replacing my beloved stuffy, but she wasn't the same except in looks. Where White was sweet and gentle, Susana is stern, stuffy and very proper, with an elder sibling like need to correct other people and keep everyone behaving according to the rules of society.

Roy is her lover, a charismatic and charming leader sort who ended up as arm candy more than not because I had no great male role models to inspire him, and thus he was just there as...arm candy.

Lewis is a stupid and lovable bafoon and Roy's best friend. He occasionally played a villain or henchman, but was also a goof and jokester when he wasn't kidnapping or enslaving innocents or committing war crimes.

This is Susana. Another stocking stuffer, but this one hated. She's very cute, but don't let her face fool you, she's made of cherpa! A most detestable ick material that always makes me uncomfortable. For this crime, she was made the Karen of this world, and an all around bully and entitled jerk to anyone and everyone for no reason whatsoever. Why, you ask? Because this way I didn't have to touch her very much :)

These two are Jacob and Jingle! Two of a trio, the third (their elder brother) belongs to my elder sister, and is named John. their last name is Heimer-Schmitt >:)

Yes, we sang that song incessantly whenever this trio came into play "John-Jacob-Jingeheimer-Schmitt!". They're children of the local butcher, these three were honest but poor and always provided backup, care, and support for those around them. John was madly in love with the aristocratic Kitty, but his siblings were content with their lot and friendly with most but not attempting to climb the social ladder. Jingle is sweet and motherly and Jacob somewhat clueless but well meaning.

For no reason whatsoever, Jingle was the only one with a cockney accent.

This is William. He is a classist aristocrat with an attitude problem. My second elder sister gave him to me when I was eight, for my birthday. I wanted to name him Miracle and make him a girl, but his perpetual scowl made it barely believable and he quickly became the stern, serious and somewhat antagonistic figure he is now known as. Sometimes a villain, sometimes not, but never quite the hero, he was never able to land a lady, despite the fact that he was commonly portrayed as quite the catch.

These two are Martin (mouse) and Mattie (bunny). They're both hand-me-downs with tragically already established personalities belonging to my second elder sister. Bitter rivals for no apparent reason and hardly equal, Martin is a weary but resiliant fighter and skillful in his craft, and Mattie is a gluttonous oaf who lacks any real grounds to stand a threat to anyone, especially with his nonsensically poor attempts at manipulation.

Mattie is absolutely adorable, but my every attempt to redeem him into a likable character failed after he came into my possession, du to bias from my playmates, and he is now doomed to be thought of as the stupid villain forever :(

Martin is cardboard and boring, and his charming rabbit ears were butchered in the first of many experiments by my sister to try altering him. He is now a mouse :(

This is Daisy! One of a trio of rabbits belonging to my eldest sister, my room-mate and myself, she's basically me! She's well meaning but unfortunately quick to charge ahead. Inquisitive but not as insightful as likely would be best, and with a good heart but not always a full understanding of how things actually work.

Her sisters, Blossom (elder sister) and Violet (room-mate) and she are all BlueNoses™ as well. Blossom is quiet, delicate, timid, and a coward, and Violet is bold, brash, independent and possibly gender fluid, apparently (room-mate's words).

Daisy came to me on December 10 as a replacement after my brother burned my beloved BlueNose™ at the stake when I was small. I loved bunnies a lot as a kid, so when my dad told me to choose a replacement for my ruined stuffy, Daisy was my first pick. I named her after my mom's favorite flower and she's been my favorite stuffy since before she even arrived.

This last trio is Dusky (left), Sierra (center) and Blackie (right). The two dogs are hand me downs from the sisters on either side of me in the age line up, and Sierra was also a hand-me-down from the second elder sibling.

These three form a small detective agency in the animal world we played in. Sierra is the chipper, friendly, but devious lead detective. She's bright and bubbly, but quick and dangerous when need be. Yes, she is a skunk, but I never let it bother me and she's been a favorite with almost all the babies in the family.

Dusky is her work-partner, a more serious, and somewhat butch female cop with a no-nonsense attitude but a soft spot for her team-mate. They're a good team, although unlikely friends and despite my younger sister's insistence, they are not lesbians, just besties.

Blackie is their commander and a stern and serious guy who mostly didn't show up in games except either to arrest someone, guard something, or occasionally to drop the role as the gruff cop and take on the position of the loyal soldier to a cruel overlord.

So yeah! that's all of them!

Or most anyway, I've collected a few random ones over the years, but none of them have ever been payed with because i was already grown up when I got them

[princesssarisa]

7-questions ask for chip and mrs Potts from beauty and the beast

Mrs. Potts

Three facts about them from my personal headcanons.

She was born in poverty in England, traveled to France in search of a better life, and through hard work and reliability, rose to the status of housekeeper in the Prince's castle.

In the animated version, she's not married and never has been married; she's just called "Mrs." as a title of respect, as was traditional for older housekeepers. (For example, Nelly Dean in Wuthering Heights, who never marries but is still called "Mrs. Dean" by Lockwood.) Chip was an orphan whom she adopted by herself; this explains how she can be such a young boy's mother despite being past childbearing age.

Chip is her only real, once-human child. His "brothers and sisters" are just the castle's set of teacups, whom the spell gives the ability to move and obey Mrs. Potts's commands, but they have no personalities of their own.

A reason they suck:

Hmm... I guess that she thinks Chip is fibbing at first when he tells her there's a girl in the castle.

A reason they are great:

Her kind, intelligent, motherly nature, and the way she balances the more extreme personalities of Cogsworth and Lumiere, being warm yet not flamboyant and sensible yet not rigid.

A reason I relate to them:

I also enjoy taking care of people.

(what I consider to be) the top tier otp/ot3 for that character:

In the animated and stage versions, none, though based on the final scene, I can imagine her possibly having a future with Maurice. In the 2017 remake, her husband Jean.

Five things that never happened to the character that I believe should have happened:

In a perfect world, she would never have been turned into a teapot. (Though without the spell, there would be no plot.)

In the 2017 remake, I wish her husband Jean had been at the castle when the spell was cast, so they wouldn't have had to be separated all those years. He would have been turned into crockery too, but at least they would have been together.

Also in the 2017 remake, I wish the script hadn't given her that line about how "People say a lot of things in anger" in response to Belle's concern about the Beast saying she couldn't eat unless she ate with him. That line comes all too close to abuse apologism. I hate it when people make light of real cruelty by playing the "We all say things we don't mean when we're angry" card.

She should have shared some dialogue with Belle before the dance scene to mirror the Beast's with Lumiere.

Her human design in the animated version probably shouldn't have had white hair, just because so many people complain that she looks too old to be Chip's mother.

Five people that character never fell in love with and why.

Lumiere. He's a good friend, but a bit too wild and not grounded enough.

Cogsworth. He's also a good friend, but too fussy and tense.

The Beast/Prince Adam. Even after his character development, he's too young for her.

Gaston. She barely meets him and of course he's a villain.

Chef Bouche/Cuisinier. He's also a friend, but too much of a melodramatic "artiste" for her taste.

Chip

Three facts about them from my personal headcanons.

In the animated film, he was an orphan who was adopted by Mrs. Potts as a baby. This explains why she has such a young son at her age and why he has no father.

He was six years old when the spell was cast and has stayed six years old ever since. The Enchanted Objects don't age because their bodies aren't organic. (Yes, I know this probably contradicts The Enchanted Christmas, since there he has no memory of what Christmas is, which implies that he was a baby or toddler when the spell was cast. But by that logic – assuming he wan't born as a teacup – he should be at least ten years old, which he clearly isn't. Besides, I don't count direct-to-video sequels as canon.)

When he grows up, he'll take over the position of castle maître'd after Lumiere retires.

A reason they suck:

That his shining moment of using Maurice's invention to free Belle and Maurice from the cellar is cut from the stage musical and the live-action remake. While I understand why it wouldn't work onstage, I think they could have made it work with the CGI Chip in the remake.

A reason they are great:

He's adorable and a likable audience surrogate for little kid viewers.

A reason I relate to them:

I don't always understand the subtext in people's interactions that everyone else seems to understand easily. Much like Chip doesn't grasp the "something there" that the adults see between Belle and the Beast.

(what I consider to be) the top tier otp/ot3 for that character:

None until he meets someone his own age.

Five things that never happened to the character that I believe should have happened:

In a perfect world, that he had never been turned into a teacup.

That even as a teacup, he didn't have to sleep in the cupboard.

That instead of "I'll tell you when you're older," his mother had been straightforward and said "We think the master and Belle might be falling in love." (Although maybe she didn't want to get his hopes up in case it didn't work out.)

That in the stage version and the 2017 remake, his shining moment of freeing Belle and Maurice from the cellar hadn't been cut.

Also in the 2017 remake, that his father Jean had been at the castle when the spell was cast, so they didn't have to be separated.

Five people that character never fell in love with and why.

Belle. She's like a grown-up sister to him.

Fifi/Babette/Plumette. She's also too old for him.

Madame Armoire/de la Grande Bouche/de Garderobe. Again, too old.

Mrs. Potts. No mother/son incest!

Any of the Bimbettes. He never meets them.

[wisteriavines]

No Roots

my hero academia prompt:

I build a home and wait for someone to tear it down Then pack it up in boxes, head for the next town running 'Cause I've got memories and travel like gypsies in the night And a thousand times I've seen this road

⎯ Alice Merton, No Roots

: : :

The first thing he hears is the sound of crashing waves. The first thing he feels is the hot sand beneath him. The first thing he smells is a mix of salt water and trash. The first thing he sees, cracking open his heavy lidded eyes, is the too bright and burning sun.

He rolls over to his side, groaning as the phantom pain of being hit by a car jolts across his body. He grits his teeth, carefully twitching every limp to make sure he still has them and check how big his body is this time.

His limps fall too short to be an adult, too long to be a toddler or primary schooler. He’s somewhere in his teens then. Maybe. Probably. He always has been on the short side of the scale.

Sighing, he pushes himself into a sitting position, ignoring the way his head pounds and vision swims. Squinting, he carefully takes in his surroundings.

A trash covered beach. Wonderful.

Rolling his eyes, he stands up and stumbles through the piles of trash until he reaches a relatively reflective surface to peer at.

Looking at his reflection, then looking down at himself, he would hazardously guess his age to be ten.

Running a hand through his sand covered hair, he forlornly sighs. I liked being twenty-three.

: : :

Izuku can die. He just can't stay dead. He wakes up somewhere, somewhen, different. He's different too, waking up a different age than when he died. It's time-travel on a physical and biological level, only ever activating upon (after?) death. (It's been lifetimes, ha, and he still isn't sure about this one detail.)

He'll live until he's 41 in one lifetime, waking up as a 5 year old in the next lifetime, die at 37 in this second lifetime, then wake up as a 19 year old. He'll live in the 19th century, then the 30th, then the 14th. He'll be in America one life, Japan the next, then England. On and on. There's no pattern or reason behind what age he'll be, what century it'll be or even where in the world he’ll be.

[melanieph321]

Facundo Pellistri - Strike Again Chapter 5

Summary - The summer slowly passes and Pellistri returns to school, but things aren't same as before. He is still grieving the death of his father and struggles to fit in with his peers and football…football is the last thing on his mind during this time.

Enjoy!

The summer went as follows: Despite the nice weather Pellistri stayed inside playing video games. If he did go outside it was because he went to mow someone's lawn. He mowed a total of 27 lawns that summer, including the families of the peoples graves he ruined at the cemetery. Pellistri blames Gracie and Dirk Willy for the ringing in his left ear. It was probably going to stay with him for the rest of his life. They helped him out, Gracie and Dirk Willy. Why? Pellistri had no idea, however he didn't mind the company, especially not Gracie's. At the end of the summer her family traveled back to her home country to see some relatives. Pellistri barely left the house during this time and as the first day of school arrived all he could think about was when he was going to see Gracie again.

Pellestri came downstairs to the sight of his mother making him breakfast, however, something was wrong with her, with her zombie-like behavior towards him. She was going back to work, which was a good thing, no?

"Mom, you alright?" He came up behind her, planting a swift kiss on her cheek. 

"Oh, hi cariño, how was your first day of school?"

"It hasn't happened yet?" He chuckled, although alarmed. But the doorbell rang and distracted him from his thoughts.

"Will you get that, it's probably your…."

"It's Dirk Willy '' He said and crouched down behind the kitchen Island. "Close the curtains mom, otherwise he'll see us."

His mother looked down on him and frowned.

"Please." He begged. "He's probably gonna ask if we can walk together to school."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing." Pellsitri has worked hard to convince himself that it wasn't because of Dirk Willy's disabilities that he didn't want to be seen with him. It was simply a burden to be in his presence. It was like keeping an eye on a toddler, making sure that he didn't put himself in danger. Pellistri hated this feeling of responsibility.

"I'll go get it then." His mother said, leaving him  in the kitchen.

"Mami noo!" Pellistri rose from his hiding place, taking a seat around the kitchen table. There he anticipated Dirk Willy's entrance, however he was in for a surprise.

"El niño!!!"

"Uncle Rodrigo?" His heart leaped with joy when he saw his favorite uncle, Rodrigo, standing in the kitchen doorway, a wide smile on his face.

"Pellistri, mi sobrino!" His uncle gestured for his nephew to hurry up and  give him a hug. Pellistri did so, allowing himself to be crushed in his uncle's iron embrace.

"¿Qué pasa hombre?"

"¿Qué pasa conmigo, qué pasa contigo? What are you doing here?"  

When they moved to England Pellistri had been urged by his parents to speak English even in the house, this way learning the languages faster. But with his uncle's arrival the Spanish flowed out of him with ease. 

"What do you mean, why am I here?" His uncle frowned. "I'm here to be with my favorite nephew of course….and my beautiful sister." 

Pellisitri's mother reentered the room. She had gotten rid of the gray bags underneath her eyes and she no longer walked around in a bathrobe. However, her skin was pale and her eyes in a foggy daze.

"Mom, are you sure you're good to go back to work today?" He asked.

"Of course she is!" His uncle exclaimed. "Vamos, I'll drive you there."

"B…but I haven't had my breakfast yet."

"I'll get you breakfast on the road niño. Who knew you still ate like the chubby kid that you were as a child." His uncle laughed, a warm laugh, that lifted something heavy in the room.

"Mom?"

His mother gave him a reassuring smile, her hand caressing his cheek. "I'm fine cariño, let's go with your uncle."

Pellstri walked through the corridors of his school, the familiar scent of textbooks and the sound of students chattering filled the air. He was glad to be back. A school like his allowed the combination of academics and sports. This way Pellistri was able to combine his football training with his studies. As he approached the sports field, where his football team would usually gather, he couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension. He wondered how his teammates would react to him, now that they had all read about the horrific tragedy that had befallen his family. Would they pity him? Or worse, would they treat him differently?

Pushing open the door leading to the locker rooms, Pellistri was greeted by the boisterous laughter of his teammates. The sound echoed throughout the room as they exchanged jokes and talked excitedly about their upcoming matches this year. However, as soon as they caught sight of Pellstri, the room fell silent. His teammates turned to face him, their expressions filled with a mix of concern and relief. It was clear that they had all read the article, yet their stance hinted towards understanding rather than pity. Pellstri took a deep breath, ready to face their questions or sympathies head-on.

"Hey Pellistri!" shouted Marco, the team captain, breaking the silence with a broad smile. "So glad you're back, man! We missed you on the field during the preseason!"

The tension lifted instantly, replaced by a warmth that enveloped Pellstri. He couldn't help but crack a smile, relieved by his teammates' genuine happiness. They embraced him, patting his back and exchanging stories of their recent games. Pellstri had missed all the preseason once due to his weak ankle. However he had no worries that he would get back into full fitness sooner than later.

"I heard you and Lisa hooked up over the summer." Marco said, as the two of them changed into their sports gear.

"She told you that?"

"Man, you know how Lisa is. She told everyone."

Marco slapped him on the back. "Would I've known that she was giving it up that easily, I would also have given up my spot at the summer camp, am I right?"

Pellistri could only nod in response. No one would have given up their spot to join the best players in the world at Manchester United's summer youth camp. Not even Marco, who was only accepted as a reserve at the camp due to the tragic events that struck Pellistri's family. 

He would have to talk to Lisa, Pellistri thought. That would stop her from spreading rumors about him. Rumors that he didn't want Gracie to hear about.

The team's coach entered the locker room with an air of excitement. He was known for his stern demeanor, but to everyone's surprise, he had a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

"Boys," he began, his voice filled with both thrill and seriousness, "I have some news that will surely give you chills." Pellistri and the others exchanged curious glances, their hearts pounding with anticipation. "This year, we have scouts coming to watch you play. And not just any scouts, but scouts from some of the biggest football clubs in England." The words hung in the air, causing a mixture of thrill and nervousness to float throughout the room. Pellistris' heart skipped a beat. The thought of scouts from renowned clubs witnessing him showcase his skills on the field sent shivers down his spine. He knew that this was a golden opportunity, a chance to fulfill his dreams of playing at the highest level. But along with the excitement, a wave of pressure crashed upon him, threatening to drown his hopes. As the coach continued, Pellistris realized that his teammates had a similar mix of emotions. Some were exhilarated by the prospect, while others looked uneasy, their worries etched on their faces. The coach recognized this and placed a reassuring hand on a player's shoulder.

"Listen up, lads," He said firmly, his voice now laced with encouragement. "I understand that the idea of being observed can be daunting, but remember why you started playing in the first place. This is your chance to showcase your skills and passion. Don't let the pressure get to you."

"Easy for him to say. He played in the Championship." Marco passed Pellistri the ball as the two of them joined the other players out on the field.

"How many of us do you think they'll pick?" Pellisitri asked.

"From the same district? I dunno man? Like the coach said, these big clubs are scouting the world, we'd be lucky if they picked one English player to join their youth academies."

"But I'm not English," Pellistri said.

"Surely that's a merit. Scouts will know that you only came to England to play pro ball. Me on the other hand…"

"But you're Italian?"

"I know, but I'm a goalie. The clubs don't pick many of those, at least not as many as other players."

Pellistri nodded understandingly. His friend was a remarkable goalkeeper, so good in the game that he even earned himself a captain's wrist band last season. However he had a point, there was an inflation of goalkeepers in the sport, more would get cut than chosen to join the club academies. You were better off getting picked as a defender or midfielder, like Pellestri was.

"But you did go to the Manchester United Summer Youth Camp. Isn't that off merit? Some scouts might already recognize you?"

"Yes but there were other kids from my district, not to mention Onana. Surely they'd pick him over me."

"Edmund Onana?" The boys brought their attention to their coach who was having a chat with one of the players.

"Is that him?" Pellistri said, surprised and impressed by what he saw.

"Yes, he grew inches over the summer." Marco said.

Edmund Onana was born and raised in England but his parents were of Senegalese origin, apparently, this summer he made himself eligible to play for the men's national team in Senegal, that and the fact he was able to attend the football summer camp that Pellistri was going to go to, if his dad hadn't passed away that summer. 

"Surely the scouts will keep a good eye out for him. I think he is the only reason they're coming to our opening game this Saturday.

Pellisitri turned to his friend. "Scouts are coming this Saturday?"

"Yes, so you better get your game together P, or you and Onana will be fighting to start the games this season."

Pellistri nodded, his eyes bright with determination. The scouts were coming to see what he could offer, however the sprain he received during the summer was still bothering him a little. He struggled to keep up with his teammates that first session. But managed to convince his coach that he was just a bit rusty from the summer break. Once he got home though, he rushed to put an ice pack on his wrist.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't waste good food now. " His uncle snatched the bag of frozen peas from Pellstris outstretched leg.

"But we don't keep any ice packs in the house." Pellistri protested.

"What do you need that for?"

"I sprained my ankle this summer and it's still bothering me."

"Yes, your mother told me about that." His uncle smiled. "Drugs can make some people paranoid."

"Drugs?" Pellstri exclaimed. "I never tried drugs. I was just drunk and fell from a high fence."

"Whatever you say niño." His uncle plotted down beside him on the sofa and began scrolling through the channels on the TV.

"What are you even doing here uncle Rodrigo?"

"What do you mean? To help you and your mother around the house of course."

"Is something wrong with her?"

"Don't worry about that niño, she'll be fine. She just needs time to heal her loss, we all do."

"I've healed."

"Hmm, says the guy who spent his summer doing drugs."

"I didn't do drugs!" Pellistri spent his summer mowing lawns and keeping Gracie company at her father's tailor shop. She hadn't answered any of his texts though since she got back. Pellistri was so emerged being back playing football that he forgot to look for her at school.

"Is it alright if I head out for a sec."

Just don't do drugs." His uncle chuckled.

"Haha, very funny."

"I'm serious, be back on time for dinner. I'm picking up your mother from work soon."

"I will."

He walked out of the house with a limp. It was better to bring out the bike from the garage than to ask Dirk Willy for his crutches again. He might want to tag along and Pellistri wanted to meet with Gracie alone. It had been a lot of moments like that during the summer, the three of them hanging out after a long day of mowing lawns. One time Dirk couldn't make it. His father had predicted bad weather and didn't allow  him to come. Pellistri and Gracie went on anyway but were caught in the middle of a thunderstorm. They took shelter in the glasshouse in Mrs Singh garden. Gracie shivered in her drenched clothes and Pellstri had gone to lend her his jacket. It didn't fit her though, instead he had brought his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. They sat like that for a minute with their heads pressed together, rain tapping away above their heads. It was Gracie who had nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. Pellstri turned his head and met her eyes staring back at him in wonder. He leaned forward to kiss her and she kissed him back.

Arriving at her house, Pellsri dumped his bike on Gracie's front lawn, walking up to knock on her door. There was silence for a while and then a descending thud, like a person walking down a set of stairs. Someone pulled the handle and suddenly the front door came ajar. 

"H…Hey."

Gracie appeared in the doorway, surprised to see Pellestri on her front porch.

"Facundo, what are you doing here?" A shy smile tugged the corner of her lips, but it didn't fully spread.

"I was in the neighborhood, riding my bike. I thought since I didn't see you at school maybe you wanted to hang out now."

Gracie looked back into her house, before shutting the door behind her. "Now?" She whispered. 

"Yeah. If you grab your bike we could go to the park or downtown to your father's shop?" 

"Facundo." She blushed. There weren't many places for them to be alone that summer. Sometimes they would sneak into her father's tailor shop past closing hours. There they would hide out in the back room and do unspeakable things to each other, things better kept between the two of them.

"I can't." She said. 

"Why not?" 

"My family is just about to have dinner, we're just waiting for my brother to get home."

Pellistri felt guilty for intruding. He should be home preparing for dinner himself.

"Well, can I still kiss you?"

"What?" She gasped and chuckled, a mixture of both. 

He stepped forward, towering over her where they stood on her porch. Her lips reached up to his chin, all he had to do was bend down and…"

"Facundo."

She gasped and pushed him away.

"What?" He chuckled. He caught a whiff of her scent, sweet yet light.

She shook her head. "We can't do this here, My mom and dad are inside."

"Where can we do it then?" He smirked.

She shocked her head once more and then something came across her face and expression that Pellstri didn't like.

"What?" He asked.

"You were riding your bike through my neighborhood. Were you coming from Lisa's house?"

"Lisa Willister?" He frowned. She only lived a couple houses away, but why would Gracie assume that he…

"You've heard the rumors" He sighed. She must have heard about them from somebody at school. Marco was right, Lisa had told everybody about their hook up at her party.

"I was drunk and it was before I met you."

"You mean before you knew me." She said. "I've seen how you boys look at Lisa when she walks past you in the hallways. Like hungry orangutans at the zoo."

Pellastri laughed although he didn't think her joke was funny. But  the last thing he wanted to do was to leave her upset with him. "There is nothing going on between me and Lisa I swear and I wasn't riding through your neighborhood. I came straight from my house just to see you."

"You did?"

"Yes." He nodded repeatedly. "Only you Gracie, I only want…"

"Brother!" She exclaimed.

Pellistri turned around as a shadow appeared behind him.

"Facundo, you know my brother, right?"

"O… Onana?"

He looked grim in the dark, with a gym bag thrown over his shoulder. His eyebrow furrowed at the sight of Pellistri, shifting his gaze between Pellistri and his sister.

"What's he doing here?" Onana went ahead, pushing past Pellistri, ignoring him this way.

Usually they'd shake hands. Pellstiri always shook hands with his teammates.

"He's been around before, I've told you that." She said, also ignoring Pellistri who suddenly felt like the odd man out.

"Yeah, to cut dad's lawn, not to…" He turned to Pellistri with an even grimmer expression on his face. His jaw was cut sharp and his gaze was one of a protective brother. "You stay away from my sister, alright?"

"Eddie, please."

"I…" Pellistri didn't know what to say, He had no idea that Gracie's brother was one of his teammates. She hadn't mentioned him before.

"And don't come around our house again, got it?"

"Eddie." Gracie frowned. He grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling her inside of the house.

Pellistri watched the door slam in his face, with their quiet bickering continuing behind closed doors. A sticky situation, that much he understood of what he had gotten himself into. Pellistri returned to his bike, hopped on it and rode home. He didn't want to be late for dinner.

[mathmusic8]

I posted 805 times in 2022

That's 685 more posts than 2021!

76 posts created (9%)

729 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@winterinhimring

@accidental-spice

@ladysongmaster

@musewrangler

@rwggrace2

I tagged 800 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#star wars - 429 posts

#xd - 201 posts

#clone wars - 180 posts

#&lt;3 - 102 posts

#nature is gorgeous - 76 posts

#kenobi show - 67 posts

#kenobi spoilers - 66 posts

#love this - 57 posts

#random - 46 posts

#thanks tumblr - 45 posts

Longest Tag: 122 characters

#i work in tech support for an engineering company now so i'm not an engineer but i'm exposed to the field on a daily basis

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I've been studying the Old Testament this year, and I happen to be on Job today. I listened to it for the whole 2 hour drive back home from my parents' house today, and I have a few takeaways:

1. Job's friends were jerks

2. Job understood this, and I loved his response--he called them out on it, stood up for himself, and taught them the gospel

3. After listening to everyone else give their spiels, the youngest one in the group (Elihu) basically said "okay boomers, I've been sitting here waiting for you to finish this whole time, and the Spirit's telling me to speak up and I have thoughts, so listen up." And then basically says "God is awesome and the definition of goodness, so all y'all need to spend more time thinking about that instead of trying to sound all wise and crap." It was entertaining.

4. Then the Lord comes in and gives us some awesome tidbits about how involved He is in the lives of all His creations. And Job drinks his Respect juice. And the Lord reassures Job that he's good. And that his friends are jerks and need to repent.

5. They did repent in the end, so good on them

22 notes - Posted July 24, 2022

#4

Star Wars Fic Recs on AO3

Family Friendly, some have mild language:

Mathmusic8 - Lost and Found - Fives and Kix, deals with a lot more than Fives and Kix. Also Only Partially Applied, which explores what might've happened if the clone's control chips were just slightly weaker

Epsilonderidani - Vode An, the first “Fives Lives” fic I ever read, still one of my favorites. Fives centric

Cuthalion97 – everything. Humor is 11/10. Start with Misadventures of Jedi Generals if you don’t know where else to go. Clones and Jedi generals centric

Inksplots - Nobody Listens to Kix and Just for Kix, great humor, huge inspiration to me for Kix's characterization. Kix centric

YoungestThunderbird – “Arcadia” series plus other works, very soft and fun. Clone centric

Wishfulthinking1979 – “Empire Reimagined” series plus many, many other wonderful AUs, including but not limited to Modern Day in England, Western, Tall Ships, and more. Firmus Piett and Max Veers centric (two side characters in the original trilogy)

Morwen_of_gondor – occasionally writes with Wishful, has excellent works too, working on an incredible Republic Commandos fix-it series called Cin Vhetin. Generally clone centric

MeridianPony – Dominos, time travel fix-it, very good characterization. Fives and Echo centric

Ariel_Sojourner - Back From the Future: Episode VI The Clone Wars, time travel fix-it, also Skywalker Family Values, a (very crack) fantastic Parent Trap AU, pretty broad cast but I guess generally Luke and Vader centric

LadyVader23 – Darth Vader Goes to Therapy, crack fic, absolutely hilarious. Luke and Vader centric

Gaeasun – "After the War" series is super cute and fun. Sticks and Stones Did Break Their Bones, crack fic, Fives and 501st centric, pretty fun. I enjoyed Oh Captain my Captain, too. Works are usually centered around Tup and Dogma. Their angst doesn’t always end with fluff, so mind the tags. Clone centric

Leias_left_hair_bun - specializes in softness and sometimes angst, but mostly kids being kids and I love that. Of toddlers and ARC troopers and its sequel The return of the toddler (Nibbler) are great places to start. Clone centric

sheApunk89 - "Wilder mind" series, Force sensitive Rex gets trained by Obi-Wan. It's been a hot second since I read this one, but I remember enjoying the ending and the fact that Keeli was there. Rex centric

Triscribe - "Vod'e An" series, clones show up back in time at pivotal moments around their Jedi, lots of delightful cameos. Clone centric

AllyMoslof - Operation: Don't Wake the Commander, hilarious crack-fic about a shiny who takes his job way too seriously. Excellent twist. Clone centric

whymylife - --and Your People Will Never Be Destroyed, a fantastic fic where clone cadets piece things together early and do something about it. Cody centric

BonesofBeowulf - "Stars and Beskar" series, pretty unique AU. Has great humor, action, and characterizations. Jango and clone centric (though they aren't technically clones in this fic)

Whathenshallwesay - For The Glory, incredible post-Order 66 double-agent Cody fic. Great humor, drama, and plot. Cody centric

Killbothtwins - The Legend of Liob, a hilarious 212th shenanigans-turned-fix-it. Cody centric

smilebackwards - "Mission Reports" series, a collections of one-shots in an AU where Qui-Gon lived and now has to write his own mission reports. Very soft, hopeful, processing grief, and comfort. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan centric

WeyrWolfen - Eidola, a post-Order 66 fic where Rex and Ahoska head up a clone-rescue organization. Lots of fantastic OCs, emotions, humor, and rich setting-details. Clone centric

Mind the tags and ratings, all have strong language below the cut:

Cac0daemonia - Will You Walk With Me, very good writing and gorgeous art. Other works have adult content, so mind the tags. Waxer and Boil centric

Hollyoakhill - The Intruder, fairly clean thriller/horror, excellent ending, incredible art. Clones and Obi-Wan centric

BlueSunshine – “The Desert Storm” series, very very long, incredible writing and world building. Mind the tags–it gets a bit dark in certain places, and there's a lot of swearing around certain characters. Obi-Wan centric as well as other various people

31 notes - Posted March 24, 2022

#3

Asking for prayers

One of my nieces had a seizure last night and passed away this morning. She was a teenager and like a sister to me. We’re going to miss her so much. Please pray for us, especially my sister and her husband. This wasn’t their first loss recently and they still have three little ones at home.

God is good, the resurrection is real, and we're so excited to have my niece back with us someday

46 notes - Posted July 13, 2022

#2

Did anyone else know that "umbra" means "A region of complete shadow resulting from total obstruction of light"?

Hats off to the folks who named the planet of Umbara. Nicely done.

59 notes - Posted May 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

It just occurred to me that Daiyu was Leia's first time off Alderaan

No wonder she looked a little shell-shocked to nearly run into that huge alien--it was probably the first moment she finally felt safe enough to run off on her own, to really look at the world around her, and then she realizes how different it is, and how lost she is, aside from this strange man who she's known for like 10 minutes and he smells bad but he got her out of that room and speaks softly and seems to be trying to be gentle, even if he's bad at it

91 notes - Posted May 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[smallbusinessesbiglegacies]

Small Town, Big Memories

For the past 19 years, I’ve had the privilege of growing up in the small suburban town of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, with a population of about 14,000 people, located about 26 miles south of Boston. It was only this past August when I left my home on Christina Drive to attend Endicott College that I realized just how much this tiny corner of the world provided me with. EB may not have any giant shopping malls, thrilling adventure parks, or five star steakhouses, but it’s home to a few memorable small businesses that make sticking around worth it.

602 Oak Street in East Bridgewater is yet another address I grew up at, home of Michelle's Studio of Dance. At age three, my parents signed me up for classes; I walked in those doors completely unaware of what the next 15 years held for me. I instantly fell in love with that place: the teachers, the students, the art of dance, I loved it all. From my first ballet recital to my last competition winning ‘The Sparkle Award’ I’ve dreamed of for years, I’ve grown an abundant amount since my days as a toddler. Although I’ve matured a lot as a dancer, Michelle’s Studio of Dance has taught me even more about being a good human.

Michelle Lessard, owner of Michelle’s Studio of Dance, has acted as a second mother to me throughout my whole life. She’s coached me four days a week since I was a baby, offered me one of my first jobs, wiped my tears away on my hardest days, encouraged me to pursue dance after graduation, and traveled hours to attend my first college performance. Lessard was my fairy godmother, always there when I needed her with words of wisdom beyond her years. I can honestly say that not every dancer I know was as lucky as me to grow up in such a loving and nurturing environment, and that’s all thanks to Lessard. For the last 35 years Lessard has ensured her students have gained a proper education in dance, but most importantly, gained the confidence and kindness necessary for a life after exiting the studio’s doors. Even after moving out of my small town, Michelle’s Studio of Dance will always be a second home to me.

Another town spot that I spent countless hours at throughout my childhood is Skinner’s Sugar House, a business as delightfully sweet as it sounds. A beautiful building full of ice cream, penny candy, home roasted nuts, and scrumptious fudge. I’ve been an avid customer of Skinner’s since I was a kid, and have made some of the best memories of my childhood there. Every Friday afternoon, the entire middle school would saunter half a mile down Central Street to Skinner’s and congregate with our ice cream cones on the front lawn for hours upon end. God bless owner Paul Daley for putting up with the slew of us kids taking over his shop at the end of every week, cause if he hadn’t, a portion of my childhood would be entirely less sweet.

After my little league team won the championship softball game, our coaches drove all of us girls to Skinner’s for celebratory sundaes. We were covered in dirt, grinning from ear to ear, tirelessly shoving sprinkles into our mouths. My very first date was a brisk January walk to Skinner’s. (The cold New England weather never stopped us.) Cameron and I strolled the familiar path to Skinner’s Sugar House after the school bell rang as our friends tried to force our hands to meet, both of us too embarrassed to get close to one another. Flash forward seven years, my best friends and I went our separate ways after graduating high school. Our first stop when we reconvened over winter break was none other than the Skinner’s parking lot, enjoying their delicious ice cream and familiar atmosphere we know all too well.

I’m extremely lucky to have Viking Pizza only a short distance from my house on Bedford Street, as my family is likely one of their most frequent customers. Tony Mamouzellos, our neighbor, is the proud owner of Viking Pizza, and ensures that all customers and East Bridgewater residents leave his restaurant happier than when they came in. When I come home from school after suffering through the dining hall cuisine, the first meal I want is always a Greek salad from Viking with extra pita bread. Of course, Mamouzellos knows my family’s order by heart, and rarely lets us leave without giving us free slices of pizza and calzones. Most of the time when my dad calls in our order, the employee on the other line shouts out “Chris Cyr! Is that you?” It’s become a tradition that our calls to Viking exist on speaker phones so we can all revel in these hilarious conversations. Even the delivery drivers walk into the entryway of our home to pet our dog, Mabel. Viking Pizza is like family to us, and I’m grateful that so many of my favorite meals start with a quick drive to Viking Pizza and end with a gathering around the couch with my parents to devour our favorite comfort foods.

Just five minutes down the road on Washington Street lies McGuiggan’s Pub, a true delicacy to me and my people. At age 16, I walked into the pub hoping for a summer job, and ended up gaining a sense of community full of unbreakable bonds. I’ve been working at McGuiggan’s on and off for years now, and love nothing more than spending my school breaks and weekends laughing at the host stand with the servers and bussers. Although work isn’t necessarily supposed to be fun, working at the pub absolutely is. Even when the customers are rude, I can’t help but cackle when complaining to my workers who always take my side and make endless jokes about them.

Before I had the opportunity to experience McGuiggan’s Pub from an employee’s point of view, I was a frequent patron. After my dance recitals, my extended family and I would pile into one of the big mahogany tables and stuff our faces with their famous bar pizza. I used to love coming in on the weekends to hear the live music, obsessed with the bands and singers who would walk through the doors. Little did I know just years later that I’d be the one helping to set up for these artists, and seating little girls just like myself after their showcases and tournaments. With McGuiggan’s Pub, my childhood has come full circle, and I’m grateful to have obtained all of those memories on either side of the host stand. 

Growing up in East Bridgewater may not have been as glamorous or luxurious as living in The Big Apple or Los Angeles, but it was perfect to me. Certain establishments allowed this town to grow differently than our neighbors, and having so many fond memories of these businesses is something I value greatly. My home was a central location in between all of the businesses that played a part in raising me, and I am so grateful to look back on my town with these nostalgic memories.

[hypolimnions]

/ˌhīpəˈlimnēän / noun : the lower layer of water in a stratified lake, typically cooler than the water above and relatively stagnant.

open starters. memes. wanted plots. wanted opps. inspo.

guidelines & about :

no minors or personal blogs, please.

this blog is low activity.

i ship based on chemistry. additionally, many of my muses are on the ace spectrum — please respect that.

speaking of… my portrayals of canon characters are typically canon-divergent to some degree. i’m always happy to discuss hcs, & my interpretations are always evolving.

i use small text & photo line-breaks. many of my muses are gifless. i truly don't care how you format. this extends to xkit — i cut my posts, but it's not a big deal if you don't. i'm more concerned with writing than aesthetics.

banned fcs : anyone who has passed away, is under 18 in the source, or has explicitly said they don't want to be used.

mun :

i'm cat. 22, they, cst.

i treat rp as a way to flex my creative muscles. i try to stay pretty relaxed about it & appreciate writing partners with a similar attitude!

feel free to ask for my discord, i don't usually write over there but it's the best way to reach me ooc.

muses :

canons :

brian lackey. mysterious skin. 19. cis male, he/him, sex-repulsed asexual. community college student, mama's boy, blossoming small-town kansas rebel seeking an identity outside of his freshly-remembered trauma. easily plied with liquor &/or chocolate cake. sweet as pie, usually. fc: brady corbet.

barry berkman. barry. 37. cis male, he/him, demisexual. BIO UNDER CONSTRUCTION. fc: bill hader.

sally bowles. cabaret. BIO UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

norman bates. psycho. 29. cis male, he/him, straight. BIO UNDER CONSTRUCTION. fc: andrew garfield.

roman roy. succession. BIO UNDER CONSTRUCTION. fc: kieran culkin.

benson broussard. the passenger. 33. cis male, he/him, gay. quiet but gruff. constantly vigilant. works at a burger joint in his rural louisiana hometown, where he lives with & takes care of his ailing mother. volatile & full of simmering rage & shame, stuck moving in circles. fc: kyle gallner.

randy bradley. the passenger. 21. cis male, he/him, questioning. convinced he shouldn’t make decisions or voice his opinions, he lets life happen to him. works at the same burger joint as benson, where their other coworkers use him as a punching bag. anxious in a prey-animal way, still & wide-eyed. fc: johnny berchtold.

tommy gnosis. hedwig and the angry inch. 21. cis male, he/him, deeply closeted gay. up-&-coming pop-rock superstar, alleged plagiarist & perpetual tabloid headline, formerly devout christian going through a very public crisis of faith. fc: michael pitt.

dexter morgan. dexter. 34. cis male, he/him, demisexual. blood spatter analyst with the miami metro PD, hobby bowler & sport fisherman, friendly neighborhood serial killer with a moral-superiority slant. adopted as a toddler — doesn't know what happened to his birth parents. owns his own boat, the slice of life. fc: michael c hall. gifs by firetfly.

amalthea. the last unicorn. ageless. cis female, she/it, asexual. traveling in search of her long-lost family, finding her footing as a newly transfigured human woman along the way. aloof, naive, otherworldly. full of childlike wonder & particularly sensitive to harsh realities. fc: devon aoki.

patty. dinner in america. BIO UNDER CONSTRUCTION. fc: emily skeggs.

alan zaveri. russian doll. 32. cis male, he/him, bisexual. ball of anxiety white-knuckling it through life. well-meaning & sweet but tightly wound & fundamentally unsatisfied, prone to existential crises & depression spirals. reconsidering everything. fc: charlie barnett. gifs by hannahcommissions.

fandomless ocs :

elliot (ell) winslow. 28. nonbinary, he/they/she, demisexual. begrudging grocery store assistant manager, acoustic singer-songwriter playing wherever she can. avid hiker. dual US & UK citizenship — was born in england & grew up there until their parents' divorce when he was 12. has a (spoiled) rescue dog, louise. fc: caleb landry jones.

andrea (andy) edfeld. werewolf. 24. nonbinary, she/it, lesbian. comes from old money owing to a successful family distillery. wanders the country on its parents' dime despite not being on speaking terms with them. loves westerns, high fashion, & picking fights. hates full moons, old men, & anything minty. fc: mia goth. gifs by jofridapettersen.

arthur cox. vampire/flesheater. appears mid 30s, actually 1000+. cis male, he/him, unlabelled. ancient malevolent entity. given to wild debauchery, positively brimming with joie de vivre for someone without a heartbeat. originates from ancient roman italia. can turn into an eagle-owl at will. fc: jude law. gifs by stannyramirez.

dr. nicholas winslow. 47. cis male, he/him, heteroflexible. tenured art history professor. friendly, easy-going, & often more free-spirited than is good for him. twice divorced, both amicable. diagnosed with bipolar, managed (mostly) with medication & talk therapy. film buff & sculpture enthusiast. ell’s father. fc: mark duplass.

megan tilki.

dax tilki.

frances (frankie) grace.

doe moore.

claire van blair.

[romanationmovement]

How a Romanian Roma boy hugged by Prince Charles won his heart.

Bucharest: It was a rare display of genuine Royal affection. On a tour of Romania on Friday, the Prince of Wales spotted the son of a close friend, wrapped his arms around him and gave him the biggest of hugs. Prince Charles beamed with joy. So too did the 11-year-old boy.

The child is Valentin Blacker, the son of an old Etonian and whose mother is a Romanian gypsy. William Blacker, 54, said his son, who lives in a remote village in Transylvania, is not put off by Royal protocol in the way that children brought up in the UK might be. Valentin is not inhibited by the formalities that a British boy in awe of the Royal family would have," said Mr Blacker, "Theirs is a very touching relationship".

The heir to the throne was on an official visit to Bucharest's Old Town, as part of a nine-day tour of Europe, when he spotted Valentin among the invited guests. It's not the first time he's hugged me," explained the youngster afterwards.

The Prince has known the schoolboy since he was a toddler and they frequently meet on the Prince's regular forays to Transylvania, where he has dedicated almost two decades to preserving its rich heritage and architecture.

"They get on very well," said Mr Blacker. "Valentin is a very effervescent child. He is very full of life and Charles thinks that's great. Charles finds it fascinating that he is half-gypsy. Charles always says to him 'When you are older you will have to take on all these jobs and look after all the old buildings'."

"Valentin is not shy or withdrawn and he talks to Prince Charles in a very natural way. It's very nice. He's not afraid of hugging Prince Charles and vice versa. Valentin thinks Prince Charles is absolutely marvellous and rather exotic. Both of them think each other rather exotic. They have this very fun, easy relationship."

Mr Blacker first "stumbled into" Romania in 1990 just after the fall of Nicolae Ceacescu's brutal, communist regime and began living with the local Roma.

He initially fell in love with one young gypsy woman but later embarked on a relationship with her sister. In 2006, the couple had Valentin - Mr Blacker's only child - although the unconventional relationship foundered after three years.

Mr Blacker subsequently wrote a best-selling and critically acclaimed book of his experiences - Along the Enchanted Way - in which he described falling "under the spell" of "Natalia" before moving in with her sister "Marishka", whose names he changed to protect their identities. In the book, Valentin is given the name Constantin.

Valentin has grown up in the village and now attends the local state secondary school in Sighisoara. Once a year for a month, he attends a Church of England school in the UK where his father lives part of the time. Valentin's schooling is a far cry from Eton where Mr Blacker was educated.

"Valentin is well travelled but when he's in Romania he is the same as all the other boys at school," said Mr Blacker. "He doesn't get any special treatment. He just mucks in. I have taught him all the important things, which are speaking English, playing tennis and swimming."

In 1996, Mr Blacker wrote a 20-page pamphlet, warning of the threat to Transylvania's architecture and heritage, especially its famous fortified churches. Prince Charles requested a copy and embarked on his own passionate campaign to preserve rural Transylvania.

It inspired the Prince to visit Romania for the first time in 1998 and since then he has bought a number of estates and houses and renovated them in keeping with local tradition.

Mr Blacker, who is chairman of the Anglo Romanian Trust for Traditional Architecture, has most recently worked to revive the tradition of making handmade terracotta tiles and in 2015 Prince Charles opened a new kiln. Valentin was in attendance at the event.

Prince Charles likes to make much of his family connections to Romania's most feared historical figure, Vlad the Impaler, said to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. The Prince is reckoned to be related to Vlad through his great-grandmother Queen Mary, the consort of George V.

He has joked that Romania is "in his blood" and at a reception this week, he told local dignitaries he "has a stake in Romania".

Telegraph, London