#interactions ── west & naomi .

[barkskins]

── @daringsunflowers , west & naomi !

waking up in the back of the truck wasn't new to west. what was new was waking up with company. his eyes blinked open to sunlight, to the trees softly sighing, and naomi asleep on his chest. what a beautiful sight. the blankets were tangled around them, covering only what was necessary. they had fallen asleep in a tangle of limbs almost immediately after their tryst. maybe it was ridiculous, feeling as though everything had changed in a single night, but as he studied those sleeping features west realised that his heart hadn't only been thumping because of the physical strain. from that moment on, he knew there was no turning back. life without naomi at his side was a life he didn't want to live. west moved to press a slow, sweet kiss to her forehead, reaching to find his jeans in the mess of discarded clothes, hanging a cigarette between his teeth—breakfast. "you awake?" he whispered the moment he saw the girl stir, pulling the corner of the blanket up to drape over her shoulder. "we should probably try and find a pharmacy. drugstore. something." but first, a wash. they had slept sticky and reeling off of their highs. a bathe and some clean clothes were just as high a priority as the obvious.

[hawkp]

What’s a line/scene that you’re proud of from a current fic you’re working on for The West Wing or Voyager?

Omg hiii 🙈 this is such a cool question! I could decide, so I grabbed one from both.

“Hey, Toby.”

“Senator.”

“Okay, you specifically don’t get to call me that.”

“You’re not trying to get me on your little yellow submarine to re-election, are you? Because you couldn’t pay me to spend more than four quarters and a half-time in Connecticut.”

Disclaimer: I did write this before finishing the show, and it’s supposed to be post-canon/in the distant future where Josh doesn’t work in the White House anymore. It’s a WIP I haven’t touched in a while but I kind of think that this Josh and Toby interaction ate????

Aaaaaannnddd

I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THIS WIP AHHH

“Too easy, Bajor.” Tom shrugged as tossed a pompous look down at Naomi. The look in her eyes told him that she remained undeterred.

“R…” She said, tapping her little fingers on the walls of the hallway, “Risa.” She copied his smug attitude before looking up at him innocently. “Tom, what’s a pleasure planet?”

Tom’s eyes shot up to his hairline as they rounded a corner and he scrambled for an answer. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” He chuckled nervously.

She sighed indignantly, giving Tom the inkling that she may have heard that line before. She was a smart, curious kid, and her playful and cheery nature made her fun to be around. Tom wasn’t sure if that meant he was immature or that she was incredibly socially adept for her age, but having a little friend that wasn’t concerned with spatial distortion readings was relaxing.

This one is a fic where Tom and Naomi get stuck in a Jefferies together when the ship is attacked and Tom has to keep Naomi safe, unaware of how much danger they’re really in (but she’s way too smart for that ofc), and maybe heals a little bit of himself in the process (bc we all agreed as a fandom that Tom has childhood trauma). Ahh, I actually might keep working on this one. I had a decent chunk of it done!

This was fun. I’ll see you on the server haha!

[dear-indies]

Who are you favourite lbgtq+ faceclaims currently?

Maxine Peake (1974) - not sure on labels but she has signed and interacted with a lot of Queers for Palestine content.

Sara Ramirez (1975) Mexican, some Irish - is non-binary (they/them).

Haaz Sleiman (1976) Lebanese - is gay.

Ser Anzoategui (1979) Argentinian and Paraguayan - is non-binary (they/them).

Angelica Ross (1980) African-American - is a trans woman.

Beth Ditto (1981) - is queer.

Yolanda Bonnell (1982) Ojibwe, White / Indian - is two-spirit and queer (she/they) - is open about having OCD and ADHD.

Asia Kate Dillon (1984) Ashkenazi Jewish / Unspecified - non-binary and pansexual (they/them).

Ravyn Ariah Wngz (1984) Mohawk, Tanzanian, Afro-Bermudian - is a two-spirit trans woman (she/her).

Kristin Chirico (1984) - is questioning their gender, “encompassing a lot of things” but is not yet sure if she’s non-binary or a gender non-confirming woman and uses they/her - openly bisexual and demisexual and has OCD, ADHD, dyslexia, and asthma.

Eréndira Ibarra (1985) Mexican - is bisexual.

Mihaela Drăgan (1986) Romani - is queer.

Eugene Lee Yang (1986) Korean - is gay.

Bob the Drag Queen (1986) African-American - is polyamorous, pansexual and non-binary (he/her).

Pidgeon Pagonis (1986) Mexican and Greek - is intersex and non-binary (they/them).

Ericka Hart (1986) African-American - is non-binary femme, queer, and polyamorous (she/they).

Alba Flores (1986) Romani, Spanish [including Andalusian] - is a lesbian.

Lido Pimienta (1986) Colombian [Wayuu, Afro-Colombian] - is queer.

Whitney Greyton / wittnsass (1986) Black South African / Namibian - is queer (she/they).

Munroe Bergdorf (1987) Afro Jamaican / English - is a trans woman.

Michaela Coel (1987) Ghanaian - is aromantic.

Erika Ishii (1987) Japanese - is genderfluid (she/they/any).

Juliana Huxtable (1987) African-American - is a trans woman.

Sasha Velour (1987) Russian Jewish / Ukrainian, other - is genderfluid (she/they when not in drag, she while in drag).

Pearl Mackie (1987) West Indian / White - is bisexual.

Mercury Stardust (1987) - is a trans woman.

Joel Kim Booster (1988) Korean - is gay and has bipolar disorder.

Mary Lambert (1989) - is a lesbian.

Shea Couleé / Jaren Kyei Merrell (1989) African-American - non-binary (they but she/her while in drag).

Laith Ashley (1989) Afro Dominican - is an asexual trans man.

Arrows Fitz (1990) African-American - is non-binary (he/they/she/it).

Katie Findlay (1990) English, Hongkonger, Portuguese-Macanese, Scottish - is queer (they/them).

Poppy Liu (1990) Chinese - is non-binary (she/they).

Vico Ortiz (1991) Puerto Rican - is non-binary (they/them).

Jari Jones (1991) African-American / Filipino - is a trans woman.

Emma D’Arcy (1992) - is non-binary (they/them).

Rivkah Reyes (1992) Filipinx-Jewish - is non-binary and queer (they/she, but mostly they) and has bipolar disorder.

Hari Nef (1992) Ashkenazi Jewish - is a trans woman.

Bobbi Salvör Menuez (1993) - is trans non-binary (they/them).

Naomi McPherson / MUNA (1993) West Indian and Irish - is queer and nonbinary (they/them).

Josette Maskin / MUNA (1994) Jewish - is queer and nonbinary (she/they).

Theo Tiedemann (1994) Asian - is trans non-binary and gay (he/they).

Arsema Thomas (1994) Nigerian / Ethiopian - is non-binary (she/they).

Kehlani (1995) African-American, French, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Spanish, Mexican, Filipino, Scottish, English, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh, Cornish, Irish, Choctaw - non-binary womxn, lesbian and polyamorous - she/they.

Jasmin Savoy Brown (1994) African-American / White - is queer.

Lauren Jauregui (1996) Cuban [Spanish, possibly other], likely some Basque - is bisexual.

Leo Sheng (1996) Chinese - is a trans man.

Ally Beardsley (1996) - is non-binary (they/them).

Quintessa Swindell (1997) African-American / White - is non-binary (they/he).

Kaiit (1997) Papuan / Gunditjmara, Torres Strait Islander - is non-binary (she/he/they).

070 Shake (1997) Dominican - doesn’t like to put labels on her sexuality.

Celeste O'Connor (1998) Kenyan - is non-binary (they/them).

Chella Man (1998) Hongkonger and Jewish - is deaf, trans genderqueer and pansexual (he/they).

Clairo (1998) - is bisexual and has juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Ethel Cain (1998) - is a trans bisexual woman.

Zoe Terakes (2000) - is trans masc non-binary guy (they/he).

Celia Rose Gooding (2000) African-American - is bisexual and gray asexual (she/they) - also saw somewhere they don’t like being called a woman.

Ari Notartomaso (2001) - is non-binary (they/he).

Morgan Davies (2001) - is a trans man.

Aaron Rose Philip (2001) Afro-Antiguan - is a trans woman who has cerebral palsy.

Bobby Sanchez (?) Peruvian [Quechua] - is two-spirit and trans, uses she/her sometimes they/they).

Ellie Kim / SuperKnova (?) Korean - is genderfluid, transgender woman (she/her).

Nori Reed (?) Korean / Unspecified - is non-binary (she/her).

Of course all these have spoken up for Palestine!

[lajulie24]

For the fanfic writers ask- would you mind answering R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

R. Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

This is a really interesting question! For writing outside fandom, I would say bell hooks (whose mind just continually amazed and challenged me, and whose writing was both lyrical and accessible, I wish she were still with us), Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar is wickedly funny even as it is heartbreaking), Sandra Cisneros (her poetry is funny and powerful and beautiful and truthful all at once), and various other poets or essay writers (Naomi Shihab Nye, Elizabeth Bishop, Adrienne Maree Brown, Lindy West). Anne Lamott has great advice about how to get out of your own damn way for writing, though ironically I am not a fan of her novels. My beloved Carrie Fisher sort of straddles the fandom and non-fandom worlds, and I’ve enjoyed her novels but her memoirs and essays are the things that have most influenced me.

For fandom writers, I’m going to start with some commercial Star Wars writers, because I think writing in the GFFA is sort of a different beast. Of the commercial writers, I especially love Claudia Gray (big fan of Leia, Princess of Alderaan, less so of Bloodline though it’s still well-written), Martha Wells (who really has a great sense of Leia’s character), and Rebecca Roanhorse (Resistance Reborn is SO GOOD, somehow managing to make the events of The Last Jedi make any kind of narrative sense as well as bringing some characters I LOVED back in believable and in-character ways). Aaron Allston’s X-Wing novels helped me get to know the Rogues and the Wraiths, and really do this great mix of action and character arcs that I strive for when I’m writing fic — he creates worlds that are so full and the characters feel fully realized too.

I feel like just about everyone who writes and shares HanLeia fanfic has influenced me and my writing in some way. I joined Tumblr so I could read more of @madame-alexandra ‘s snippets and fics on a regular basis. Bouncing ideas around with folks like @otterandterrier, @organanation, @graciecatfamilyband, @yoyomarules, @soloorganaas, and others has been incredibly influential. I blame @drinkupthesunrise (in the most grateful possible way) for my affection for Wedge Antilles and the Rogues, and for my Luke/Wedge shipping. Reading @chancecraz’s fics has caused me to think about Leia and the galaxy in brand new ways (and also to cry about droids damnit), and introduced me to @this-acuteneurosis’s Don’t Look Back series which shows what one can do with a mix of politics and relationships and the Force and so much more in the GFFA. And I’m not kidding about other folks influencing me — every time I read a different person’s perspective on the Rebellion, or on Leia’s state of mind, or on how Han’s past has influenced his approach to life, or Han and Leia’s interactions, or how Luke fits into everything, or different takes on our heroes’ sexuality or gender identity, or mental health, or what would happen IF, I feel like I have a better sense of who these characters are to me, and what’s possible.

Wow, that was long-winded. Thank you for your patience, and for the ask!

Fanfic writer ask meme

[tiredgamergirl]

This game can be a little frustrating when starting up, so there some assorted hints (Yes, this includes how to get money quick)

Try to keep Naomi having healthy food and sleeping properly. If left unchecked she can get a few status conditions, like cold. They can be a major annoyance at the start when you are still getting used to the game. It is cheaper to buy the medicine from the veterinarian or have the witch prepare something to heal it instead of having it treated.

If you keep taking showers and keep Naomi’s charisma up, the shop prices will go down. If she has better reputation with dogs or cats also affects the prices.

The Flamingo is the game’s equivalent of Instagram and can yearn you some bonus if you post the correct “Hotwords” (the game’s equivalent for hashtags), although some can only be found later in the game. Elizabeth’s photo from the end of the prologue is an exception that can net you 20k Emokes or more, so it is a nice initial boost.

Every time you see a new wild animal, take a picture. It will come in handy for the jobs from Lucy. Also make sure to take a picture of the three gnomes you line up during the “Heritage of Rudman White” urgent quest from Route C  for a side-quest from William later.

Badgers are the only animals that are always aggressive and will attack on sight. Always keep a piece of Badger Meat on you and whenever you go to an area with many trees, memorize the scent and traverse in your dog form to be able to see them in the map.

Start the Route A until getting the flute after the “Three Trials” to be able to tame the sheep and traverse the map quicker. This can save you a lot of time when exploring, make sure to go to all possible shrines and activate it too.

Speaking of Route A, it is safe to proceed until the “Faster Than Light” quest, after that it may lock some NPCs from interactions. The same goes for Route B’s “Back to the Northern Mountains”, otherwise the quest Concerned Sister, Clueless Brother will be greyed out until finishing the game.

Play Route B until completing the quest “Master and Student, at Odds” to unlock the final ability for the dog: marking the territory. With that you can dig up areas and find materials for crafting

After completing all the three routes you’ll be locked in the endgame. When you finish the last task for Nicholas you won’t be able to use the shops so you better stock up or do it yourself. You can also ask Nicholas for food or to heal you. And once it is completed you won’t be able to complete the photography jobs from Lucy (although you get different ones).

One of the hardest items to come by is the Aluminum Chunks, used to craft clothes and some side-quests items. To get then you need to collect 10 Aluminum Cans to make one Aluminum Nuggets and with that create the chunk. Usually the White Residence yields 1 or 2 cans, the bin behind the Fancy & Bunny yields one, along with the one in front of Rita’s house. The Berryman Residence’s bins also often have one and the Barley Farm house is also a good spot but not all of them are guarantee. A doable option, if you have some money to spare, is to go to Fancy & Bunny to by some Ded Bull and exchange for cans at a merchant that hangs out at the road to Lake Sultrains. You can find him here:

This is the spot you can take picture of more than 10 sheep at once for a side-quest, it is along the east area of Lake Sultrains and they’ll be there at night too.

If you want to decorate your garden, consider “borrowing” the decoration you want from your neighbors instead of crafting your own, the game will respawn the items after a while and remove anything placed outside your garden. The abandoned shed close to the North Rainy Woods Shrine has a Stripped Deck Chair that can be used for two side-quests.

Getting money can be an exercise in frustration at best. Buy a pickaxe from McAvoy and go mining at John Peel’s Pot to the north, Weskirk Cave to the west and Blencarrick Quarry, the game tells you roughly where they are in the guides at Fancy & Bunny. Make sure to have McAvoy craft the nuggets into chunks to sell for a better profit at Fancy & Bunny. You can also sell anything fossil that you dig up as a dog there too for more profit, along with the diamonds. It takes a few days for the minerals to respawn, and the Quarry might take up one entire day to clean up. The books you can find in the bins can also be sold for a decent margin although in my experience the butcher pays slightly more. After beating Route B it is also possible to go to the Mines proper but its confusing layout and the traps might not be the best option. Another good source of income is shearing the sheep and selling the wool you won’t be using for outfits. You can sell the sheep with lower stats and go fetch new ones, although the quality won’t make a difference when selling the wool.

[i-want-chicken-nuggies]

okay because i haven’t used this app in atleast a year and the combination of the PJO TEASER AND THE SUN AND THE STAR COVER RELEASE i need a place to put my emotions about these topic thank you very much

i also have a few questions about this cover here

like WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY??

i mean obvi they’re in tarturus but like HELLO WHY IS THERE A CASTLE???

or where did nico’s jacket come from? last i remember nico’s aviator jacket basically fell of his body in shreds…

did will get him that jacket? cause i will cry.

also will. come on man. why are you wearing shorts rn.

speaking of will, i know many people think he might have some plague powers or something, and i was thinking, what’s all that wispy smoke coming from? it kinda looks like it’s coming from the two of them??? hmm?? i’m not a big “will has plague powers” girlie but it got me doin a thinky think

also their hands. its so 2”9:7473’akdf

AND WHY IS WILL SO SMITTEN LIKE OH MY GODS YALL

i have very high expectations here.

also some characters i HOPE make an appearance:

- reyna (nico and her relationship 🤲💖)

-rachel and her blue hairbrush.

-HAZEL. not many ppl have said anything about her but ??? i need her and nico to have an interaction ??? they’re so close and she should definitely make an appearance idc

-percy and annabeth update. i wanna know how they’re doing

-lester. i need the dad vibes fr

i also hope will gets some character, like he deserves to be more than just nico’s bf smh.

and a couple of things i hope happen:

-like i said: will character arc. also, his mom? where did naomi go???

-nico getting some sort of closure for jason

-what happened in croatia?? i meann, remember i’m hoh (before nico was outed) when the west wind god was like “yeah you’ve been here before with ur mom” and nico was all freaked out?? i must know.

-will NOT dying.

this book has been everything i’ve ever wanted since SIXTH GRADE. THIS IS LITERALLY A DREAM COME TRUE.

okay that’s all i have rn but i will 100% have more thoughts and feelings later

[vocalist2d]

Shipping info

Takes a deep breath... (Content warning: -all fictional- incest, underaged character x adult character and possibly abusive relationship mentions. If those make you uncomfortable, the cut is underneath for a reason. Don’t interact with the post if they do. Thank you.)

The World Ends With You: Joshua x Neku, Joshua x Hanekoma, Nagi x Minamimoto, Fret x Rindo, Beat x Rhyme, Uzuki x Kariya

One Piece: Sanji x Zoro, Luffy x Ace 

Sk8: Langa x Reki, Tadashi x Adam, Tadashi x Reki

HypMic: Saburo x Jiro, Jiro x Ichiro, Jakurai x Ramuda, Dice x Ramuda, Samatoki x Ichiro, Ramuda x almost every HypMic character honestly, Doppo x Hifumi, Sasara x Rosho, Rei x Ichijiku, Rei x Otome, Kanaria x Nemu

Kingdom Hearts: Axel x Kairi, Sora x Donald Duck

The Gray Garden: Kcalb x Etihw, Adauchi x Emalf, Yosafire x Froze

Wadanohara AtGBS: Samekichi x Wadanohara

Other Okegom ships: Gris x Idate

Enstars: Rei x Ritsu, Ritsu x Mao

A3!: Misumi x Tenma, Itaru x Citron, Juza x Banri, Muku x Yuki

Pokémon: Ash/Satoshi x Goh/Gou, N x Hilbert

Persona 5: Akira x Akechi, Ryuji x Ann

Magi: Ja’far x Sinbad, Judal x Hakuryuu, Ja’far x Judal, Ja’far x Alibaba, Kougyoku x Sinbad, Alibaba x Aladdin, Alibaba x Morgiana, Vittel x Mahad, Drakon x Sinbad

Hamatora: Ratio x Birthday

Final Fantasy 15: Noctis x Prompto

Banana Fish: Eiji x Ash

Arcana Famiglia: Liberta x Nova, Felicita x Luca

As Miss Beelzebub Likes: Beelzebub x Mullin, Belphegor x Azazel, Astaroth x Sargatanas, Eurynome x Dantalion

Resident Evil: Ada x Leon, Claire x Steve

Pretty Boy Detective Club: Mayumi x Lai, Hyouta x Rei

Bungou Stray Dogs: Dazai x Atsushi, Akutagawa x Higuchi, Kyouka x Atsushi, Junichirou x Naomi, Edogawa Ranpo x Edgar Allan Poe

Danganronpa: Togami x Touko, Kirigiri x Makoto

Dramatical Murder: Aoba x Noiz, Aoba x Clear

Fate: Rin Tohsaka x Archer

Hitorijime My Hero: Kousuke x Setagawa

Horimiya: Miyamura x Hori

Ikebukuro West Gate Park (more focused on the live action version, anime form of the ship is good too): Makoto x King

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun: Hanako x Nene, Minamoto x Mitsuba

Junjou Romantica: Misaki x Usagi, Shinobu x Miyagi

Blood Blockade Battlefront: Zapp x Leo, Chain x Steven, William x Leo, William x Mary

Talentless Nana: Nana x Michiru

Nanbaka: Juugo x Uno, Momoko x Hajime

Osomatsu-San: Todomatsu x Karamatsu, Ichimatsu x Jyushimatsu, Ichimatsu x Karamatsu, Osomatsu x Choromatsu

Pandora Hearts: Gilbert x Oz

Yuri On Ice!!!: Yuri x Victor, Otabek x Yurio, Phicit x Yuri

Yarichin Bitch-bu: Yuri x Tooru

Haikyuu: Kageyama x Hinata, Kuro x Kenma

Thor movies: Thor x Loki

Genshin Impact: Lumine x Childe, Lumine x Kaeya, Lumine x Venti

[citylightsbooks]

5 Questions with Courttia Newland, Author of A River Called Time

Courttia Newland is the author of seven books including his much-lauded debut, The Scholar. His last novel, The Gospel According to Cane, was published by Akashic in 2013. In 2016 he was awarded the Roland Rees Bursary for playwriting. As a screenwriter, he has co-written two episodes of the Steve McQueen BBC series Small Axe. A River Called Time is his latest book.

Courttia Newland will be discussing his newest book with Naomi Jackson and Victor LaValle as part of our City Lights LIVE! discussion series on April 17th!

*****

Where are you writing to us from?

I’m writing from Forest Gate, East London in the borough of Newham, which is the birthplace of Grime and Jungle, home of the 2012 Olympics; and it has a pretty cool park near me too--West Ham Park. I’ve only lived here for eight years or so; before that I was in Brixton, and before that I was born and bred in west London: Wood Lane, Shepherd’s Bush, and Ladbroke Grove. There’s a rumor that Brixton and Ladbroke Grove are twinned, as far as the African-Caribbean populace are concerned. The only part of London I’ve never lived in is north. So far.

What’s kept you sane during the pandemic?

Being a writer I’m usually holed up in the house for the better part of a year anyway, and I was doing pretty good until January. Then I had enough. I’ve been working mostly, getting projects done, overdosing on music, watching as much film and TV as I can, reading on occasion. SAULT albums were a Godsend; I love prolific artists. The movies Rocks, His House, Time, and I’m No Longer Here were really inspiring. I binged on Watchmen, The Morning Show and Homecoming. I also don’t know what I’d have done without my family and kids being with me.

What are 3 books do you always recommend to people?

Only 3?! Percival Everett - Erasure, Curdella Forbes – A Tall History of Sugar, Colson Whitehead – The Intuitionist.

Which writers, artists, and others influence your work in general, and this book, specifically?

Well, Percival heavily influences me, so much so that my previous novel was homage to his work. As I love prolific artists, J Dilla is a major inspiration for his ability to find his own lane, and work without the need for outside accolades. Erykah Badu, Alice Coltrane, Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar, Kool G Rap. Steve McQueen without question. Dennis Brown, Peter Tosh, Dennis Bovell, Smiley Culture. Fela Kuti, James Brown. The Grime scene, Wiley, Dizzee, D Double E, Kano, the UK Hip-Hop scene (shout out to London Posse, and Demon Boyz)! The entire diaspora sound-system culture! Boards of Canada, Autechre. The Metu Neter. God. Everything really.

If you opened a bookstore, where would it be located, what would it be called, and what would your bestseller be?

Shepherd’s Bush Green, it'd be called House of Culture and it would be fully interactive with a coffee shop/juice bar, theatre/cinema which could be turned into a space for book launches and parties. Perhaps a writing/internet space for people without access, kind of like an Internet bar or library. Strictly A to Z by author, no sections according to ethnicity. African Diaspora led, but completely inclusive. I’d never dictate the bestseller! It could be anything really but something smart and incisive about life, sex, spirituality and the capacity for human potential that could be anything: fiction, non-fiction, a play or poetry. Something mind-bending and true that exists without hype, just pure joy.

[fabianocolucci]

The DC live-action multiverse: which movies and shows are part of it?

As a longtime DC Comics fan, I am so glad to see my favorite heroes, villains and so on sharing one giant and cohesive multiverse where they can interact with one another despite coming from different stories set in different realities. That does feel like I’m diving deep into the actual DC Multiverse, the one you can read inside comic books.

However, things are now so big that I have to admit I am too confused about which and TV shows are actually part of this multiverse, hence why I am writing this post, just in case other people may feel the same way about it.

When the CW aired Crisis on Infinite Earths, it helped connecting many separate franchises with one another, with some of them being classic movies and TV shows from yesteryear. As such, I will be using that as a reference for canonicity, especially since there haven’t been so many new products that aired since.

I will divide the movies and TV shows into their franchises, but with three specific categories:

·       Movies and shows that have aired since Arrow (2012) and Man of Steel (2013) since debuted and are connected thanks to Crisis

·       Movies and shows that were included into the multiverse by Crisis despite the fact they aired before Arrow

·       Movies and shows that could be part of this multiverse, but there are no confirmations yet

I used both Arrow and Man of Steel because they are the starting point of DC’s largest TV and movie franchises yet, respectively the Arrowverse and the DC Extended Universe.

Now, without further to do, let’s see what is canon within this multiverse!

“Modern” movies and shows in the multiverse

While some of these started out as being their own thing, with the intention of forming their own franchise, they have since merged into one big multiverse.

Arrowverse

The network where most of these TV shows air (or aired) is The CW, hence why there is also the term CWVerse connected to it, even though fans still prefer to call it Arrowverse, after the show that started it all.

Some of the shows weren’t supposed to be part of the franchise from the start, but have since united into one cohesive multiverse.

·       Arrow (2012-2020)

·       Constantine (2014-2015)

·       The Flash (2014- )

·       Supergirl (2015-2021)

·       Legends of Tomorrow (2016- )

·       Black Lightning (2018-2021)

·       Batwoman (2019- )

·       Stargirl (2020- )

·       Superman & Lois (2021- )

·       Naomi (TBD)

DC Extended Universe

DC’s largest movie franchise yet in terms of installments, it was connected to the Arrowverse thanks to Crisis on Infinite Earths. I won’t list down all the announced projects, because this franchise is somewhat infamous for announcing movies and then not making all of them. By the way, these are all the movies that have been released or are in production as of right now.

·       Man of Steel (2013)

·       Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

·       Suicide Squad (2016)

·       Wonder Woman (2017)

·       Justice League (2017)

·       Aquaman (2018)

·       Shazam! (2019)

·       Birds of Prey (2020)

·       Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

·       The Suicide Squad (2021)

·       The Flash (2022)

·       Aquaman 2 (2022)

·       Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

·       Black Adam (TBD)

·       Wonder Woman 3 (TBD)

·       Blue Beetle (TBD)

The Conjuring Universe

This horror franchise shares some production elements with the DCEU (such as producers, directors and even actors), and some small links have been made to connect the two, so they can be considered canon.

·       The Conjuring (2013)

·       Annabelle (2014)

·       The Conjuring 2 (2016)

·       Annabelle: Creation (2017)

·       The Nun (2018)

·       The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

·       Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

Titansverse (aka the former DC Universe shows)

DC Universe was a streaming service that tried to create its own multiverse. It included four shows, which have since joined the Arrowverse (Stargirl being the most prominent case, which is why it is listed as part of it). The shows are:

·       Titans (2018- )

·       Doom Patrol (2019- )

·       Swamp Thing (2019)

HBO Max movies and shows

HBO Max is planning to release movies and shows set across the multiverse, even tying them with other franchises like the Arrowverse and the DCEU. The shows in question are:

·       Peacemaker (2022- )

·       Green Lantern (TBD)

·       Gotham City Police Department (TBD)

·       Justice League Dark (TBD)

There are also other projects, but information about them is still scarce, so, maybe, this post will become updated soon if they announce something about them.

As for the movies, well, there are two particular cases.

·       The Batman (2022) is linked to this multiverse because the Gotham City Police Department show will be a spin-off of that movie

·       Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) is actually an alternate version of another film, Justice League. They could both be considered canon, due to this being a multiverse.

In reality, these shows weren’t connected through Crisis, having been announced afterwards, but they are still confirmed to be part of the multiverse.

Past movies and shows included in the multiverse

Crisis on Infinite Earths managed to pay homage to past DC franchises by including some of them in the crossover event, thus tying them all together. In chronological order, these are:

·       Fleischer Superman cartoons (1941-1943), included by the comic book tie-in

·       Batman (1966-1968), its companion movie (1966) and, by extension, The Green Hornet (1966-1967). Adam West and Burt Ward reprised their role in Legend of the Super Heroes (1979) which sees them in a comedic special with other members of the Justice League, as well as in two animated movies released in 2016 and 2017). There is a comic book that crosses over with the Wonder Woman show (1975-1979), which may actually be included twice, since a version of it does appear in the comic book tie-in of Crisis of Infinite Earths.

·       Superman movie series (1978-1987) due to Brandon Routh reprising his role from Superman Returns (2006) which is supposed to be an alternate sequel to Superman II. However, due to him mentioning events of Superman III, it may not be so clear which movies are supposed to be canon in this multiverse. Supergirl (1984) is supposedly included

·       Batman movie series (1989-1997) which could also include Catwoman (2004)

·       The Flash (1990-1991) which was also included as part of the multiverse as far back as 2016

·       Smallville (2001-2011). Tom Welling does reprise his role as Clark Kent, but there are canon issues between his portrayal in the crossover and the show’s proper, which suggests he didn’t play the Smallville Superman, but a version from that multiverse

·       Birds of Prey (2002-2003)

·       Green Lantern (2011) due to footage from that movie shown at the end of the crossover. However, it is not clear yet if that was supposed to indicate that the movie was now canon or if that was simply archive footage to connect it to the announced HBO Max show

·       Lucifer (2016-2021) is the only show that was included while being concurrent with the Arrowverse (Black Lightning may count as well, since the crossover is what brought it to the franchise)

Movies and shows that could be part of the franchise

With one exception, those movies and shows were released at the same time as the Arrowverse and the DCEU, but either there haven’t been plans to connect them together or there is no indication if they are already part of the franchise.

·       The Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012). Props from that franchise have appeared in the Arrowverse, whose version of Gotham City even resembles the one of the films

·       DC Animated Movie Universe (2013-2020). The Arrowverse has aired three animated shows. While Vixen and The Ray (both lasting two seasons) were included as canon with the actors voicing the main characters appearing in the live-action shows, “Constantine: City of Demons” doesn’t seem to be connected to the franchise except for Matt Ryan voicing him. In fact, that version of Constantine is more consistent with that of the DC Animated Movie Universe, so, maybe, that world is connected

·       Gotham (2014-2019) and its prequel Pennyworth (2019- ) aren’t connected within the Arrowverse as of right now

·       iZombie (2015-2019) is curious in that it is a show that aired on The CW for its entire run, but no attempts have ever been made about tying it into the Arrowverse

·       Preacher (2016-2019) is based on a DC imprint, but it always tried to be its own thing

·       Powerless (2017) tried to be its own thing from the beginning. They jokingly consider it to be set on “Earth-P” as part of the multiverse, but that isn’t considered as canon

·       Krypton (2018-2019) could count due to the fact that they planned its inclusion in the crossover, but was scrapped. Also, this show started as a DCEU prequel, so some connectivity could still be there

·       Joker (2019) is set in its own universe, and there are no plans to include it in any place as of right now

·       The Boys (2019- ) does adapt a comic from a DC imprint, but it is not considered as part of the multiverse, at least not yet

As you can see, this franchise is so enormous that it makes sense why some could be confused about what belongs where.

I do hope that my post managed to help you understand something about it. Meanwhile, see you next time!

[barkskins]

continued from here ── west & naomi !

there was nothing they couldn't do together. maybe their plan was sick, twisted, downright delusional, but west would have done anything for love. a ring was an unmistakable token, a physical reminder of the vow he had uttered—he didn't want to go another moment without it. "nothing bad can happen." the redhead assured, kissing his wife before peeling away from the bed, grabbing their clothes from the floor and pulling them over his skinny frame. "it's not like we'll actually use the gun, anyway. we can just get something cheap, entry level. they'll fold the second they see it and give us everything we need." or, at least, that was the plan. and so, when they were fully packed up and ready to go, west took them out of the motel, returning their keys and loading up that familiar midnight blue pickup. "so, if we stop at the first place we can and get a shitty pistol or something, then find a jewellery store. now, i'm not planning on stealing those fuckers dry—i'm not that kind of person—but we could get some pretty stuff for you, a ring for me, and maybe some collateral to sell to get us to the end of this thing. we'd never have to worry about clothes, food or gas, not for the rest of our damn lives." @daringsunflowers

[booksociety]

Book Society presents its June reading event! The members have selected Out of the Ordinary as the theme and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid as the optional book of the month. We invite you to step outside the box and pick up books that are different or unique in some way. They can be unusual in format, narration, premise, etc. where elements on the page or in the story would not be expected in a typical book. This event is open to everyone, not just our members.

✧ how to participate:

optional: reblog this post; check out our network and members

read (or reread) either The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (adult, historical, romance, lgbt+; 391 pages) or a book of your choice that fits this month’s theme

share what book you’ve chosen, thoughts, reactions, and/or creations

use the tag #booksociety in your posts, and include “@booksociety’s Out of the Ordinary Event: [insert book title here]” in the description of your creations

the event starts on June 1 and ends on June 30

✧ reading recommendations (under the cut):

format

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (adult, historical; 355 pages)

Dracula by Bram Stoker (classic, horror, fantasy; 488 pages)

Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill (short stories, poetry, fantasy, retelling; 176 pages)

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (adult, mystery, thriller, horror; 709 pages)

If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (adult, mystery, dark academia; 368 pages)

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (young adult, scifi; 602 pages)

Night Film by Marisha Pessl (adult, mystery, thriller; 640 pages)

My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran & Larissa Zageris (romance, historical, humour; 352 pages)

Replica (Replica #1) by Lauren Oliver (young adult, scifi; 520 pages)

Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North (romance, historical, humour; 400 pages)

S. by J.J. Abrams & Doug Dorst (adult, mystery, fantasy; 456 pages)

Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel (adult, scifi, mystery, thriller; 320 pages)

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness (young adult, scifi, dystopia; 479 pages)

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (young adult, poetry, romance; 211 pages)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (young adult, contemporary, romance; 231 pages)

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (young adult, contemporary, poetry; 361 pages)

The Slant Book by Peter Newell (children, poetry; 56 pages)

Verity by Colleen Hoover (thriller, romance; 333 pages)

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (young adult, historical; 640 pages)

5 to 1 (5 to 1 #1) by Holly Bodger (young adult, scifi, dystopia; 244 pages)

narration

Atonement by Ian McEwan (classic, historical, romance; 351 pages)

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (fantasy, scifi, historical; 509 pages)

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore (young adult, scifi, fantasy; 464 pages)

Rhapsodic (The Bargainer #1) by Laura Thalassa (new adult, romance, fantasy; 417 pages)

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi (young adult, scifi, romance; 338 pages)

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (classic, scifi; 275 pages)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (young adult, historical, classic; 552 pages)

The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles (classic, historical, romance; 470 pages)

premise & plot

Dread Nation (Dread Nation #1) by Justina Ireland (young adult, historical, fantasy, horror; 455 pages)

Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire (young adult, fantasy, mystery; 173 pages)

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (adult, contemporary, thriller, mystery; 226 pages)

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (adult, contemporary, mystery; 288 pages)

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (graphic novel, fantasy; 272 pages)

Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West (young adult, scifi, fantasy; 343 pages)

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (adult, historical, romance, paranormal; 390 pages)

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (adult, historical, retelling, feminism; 198 pages)

The Power by Naomi Aldreman (adult, scifi, dystopia, feminism; 341 pages)

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang (graphic novel, retelling, lgbt+; 277 pages)

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (young adult, contemporary, lgbt+; 373 pages)

Space Opera (Space Opera #1) by Catherynne M. Valente (adult, scifi, humour; 352 pages)

mixed & other

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman & Brendan Shusterman (young adult, contemporary, mental health; 320 pages)

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia (young adult, contemporary, romance, mental health; 385 pages)

Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun (graphic novel, science fiction; 256 pages)

Half Bad (The Half Bad Trilogy #1) by Sally Green (young adult, fantasy; 380 pages)

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (adult, fabulism, slipstream; 467 pages)

Shadows of Asphodel (Shadows of Asphodel #1) by Karen Kincy (adult, romance, dieselpunk, paranormal; 350 pages)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (adult, historical, fantasy, romance; 387 pages)

The Princess Saves Herself in This One (Women Are Some Kind of Magic #1) by Amanda Lovelace (poetry, feminism; 156 pages)

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (scifi, romance, lgbt+; 209 pages)

[cheshirelibrary]

Here Are Some of the Best Body Positive Books You Can Read

[via Book Riot]

Body positivity, fat activism, and other body-driven political movements require work, and they can sometimes verge on policing feelings one has about their body. Take these books slow, take notes, highlight, underline, and journal. What do they make you think about? How do they make you feel? None of these books, despite being excellent, will have all of the answers. But it’s through interacting with them actively one becomes better aware of—and more involved with—their own bodies, as well as the bodies of every other human and non-human around them.

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand About Weight by Linda Bacon and Lucy Aphramor

Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

Dietland by Sarai Walker

Dumplin‘ by Julie Murphy

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, Colored by Phoebe Kobabe

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

Hunger: A Memoir of My Body by Roxane Gay

I’ll Be The One by Lyla Lee

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach 

Shrill by Lindy West

...

Click through to see more titles.

[theinquisitxor]

Favorite tropes book rec: The North

There’s something about an icy, cold northern land that draws me into the story.  Here’s a list of books I’ve read with this setting, as well the the one’s on my tbr. Feel free to comment and make recommendations! I will keep this list updated as I read. 

more book recs here!

Fantasy

-The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Bolvanger, Svalbard, the northern lights! One of the first books I have read about ‘the North’ and the first installment of one of my favorite series. middle grade/young adult

-A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland this is an adult fantasy that takes place in a northern fantasy land. Even though this isn’t primarily about the North, the setting and world building are fantastic. The story follows a storyteller, Chant as he’s been wrongly thrown in prison. adult fantasy

-The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden  This is possibly the most wintery series I have ever encountered. It follows Vasya, a young woman growing up in medieval Russia and her abilities to interact with the folklore and fantastical around her. One of my favorite series and possibly best winter read. adult fantasy

-Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo The Shadow and Bone books are set in Ravka, a fantasy land based on Russia. In Six of Crows, the icy land Fjerdia is a location visited by the characters. All of Bardugo’s Grishaverse books have this theme that I so much. young adult fantasy

-Winter of Ice and Iron by Rachel Neumeier A fantasy book that takes place in a wintery setting. A country faces the threat of invasion and war, and it is up to the princess of this land to try to save her people.  She comes across the man known as the Wolf Duke who might be the key. adult fantasy

-East by Edith Pattou a well loved retelling of East of the Sun West of the Moon.  A young woman agrees to accompany a white bear in exchange to save her family. Takes place in Scandinavia and the mythical lands even farther to the North. young adult fantasy

-Hunted by Meagan Spooner This is a beauty and the beast retelling set in a russian type land. A batb retelling that I thoroughly enjoyed. It stays true to the original fairy tale, while also creating a new story and setting. Definite winter vibes, and Russian folklore. young adult fantasy

-Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik This is one of my all time favorite books. A fairy tale retelling set in Eastern Europe, following three main female protagonists. I can’t recommend this book enough. adult fantasy

The Girl From Shadow Springs by Ellie Cypher A shorter standalone novel that feels like a mix of The Revenant and True Grit. With a splash of Frozen. It’s a refreshing change, and the fantastical elements of the book were a favorite part. young adult fantasy.

-Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett This is a Nepal inspired fantasy about a young woman who leads an expedition up the highest mountain. But beware, because not everyone is who they seem. young adult fantasy

Fiction:

-The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah takes place in the 70s and follows a teenage girl Leni as her father decides to movie his family to Alaska in hope of outrunning his ptsd from the Vietnam War, but as the long nights of darkness descend on Alaska, Leni learns that she is on her own. 

-To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey  this is about an expedition to map and explore previously uncharted parts of Alaska by Conel Allen Forester and a group of men. The story also follows his wife, Sophie as she waits in Vancouver.  Ivey does a amazing job describing the Alaskan wilderness and all the strange, unsettling things that happen out there. 

-The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey  is another one set in Alaska, and a retelling of a Russian fairy tale. Follows a couple, Jack and Mabel as they try to survive the Alaskan wilderness. They think they will never have children until one day the snow child Mabel makes out in the snow becomes a real child. Even more great descriptions of the cold darkness of the North and the psychological stress. 

-I am still alive by Kate Alice Marshall This is a crime thriller/ survival story about a teenager who is sent to live with her father in northern Canada.  Her father is attacked and killed and Jess is left to fend for herself. 

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy is set in the near future where climate change has devastated much of the world’s animal population. A desperate woman follows what she believes to be the last migration of Arctic Terns in existence. It’s a bleak as it sounds, but so good. 

Historical Fiction:

-Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is historical fiction about the Russian work camps that many Eastern European people were sent to. Many of these camps were in Siberia.  This does take place in a Northern icy land, but not for good reasons. Its a harrowing and difficult read, but one that is important to something often forgotten in history.

-We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen This is a sweeping historical fiction novel covering seafaring in Danish history. Only part of the novel takes place in the Arctic, but it is really well done. 

-The Bronze Horseman trilogy by Paullina Simmons A love story set during the siege of Leningrad in ww2. Another story that is difficult and about a very dark time in human history. I’m not quite sure where my feelings stand on this series, but I did enjoy the first one. 

-We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen This is a sweeping historical fiction novel covering seafaring in Danish history. Only part of the novel takes place in the Arctic, but it is really well done.

-The Kristin Lavrensdatter series by Sigrid Undset  This is a trilogy published in Norway in the early 20th century that follows the life of a noble woman in medieval Norway. it is a bit of a rare gem, but a series that has found a spot among my favorites. 

NonFiction: 

Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez A gorgeous book covering almost every aspect of the arctic Language is a little dated (at least in my edition) but just a result of when it was published (newer editions may be updated) 

TBR:

-The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell a story about a family in Russia that helps re-train wolves so they can survive in the wild. This one has been on my tbr for a long time, and I’m still hoping to read it one day. middle grade

-Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente another Russian fairy tale, about Koschei the Deathless. I’ve heard a lot about his and I hope to read it soon. adult fantasy

-The Word for Woman is Wilderness by Abi Andrews this a memoir about a woman who left her home in Great Britain and headed to Alaska. It seems like something I would enjoy reading, but I have yet to find it anywhere. memoir

-The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky is a novel about an Inuit shaman who travels across Canada looking to save her people teams up with a Viking warrior. adult historical fantasy

-Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer this seems like a beauty and the best retelling but with a wolf and a magical library with mirrors. It has ‘north’ in the title, so it seems like it fits the list. young adult fantasy.

-Ice Land by Betsy Tobin is set in Iceland and Freya must travel to find a golden necklace to save her people, but the threat of Christianity impedes her. fantasy

-Alaska by James A. Michener This seems like a multi-generational story set in Alaska from the frontier days up through ww2. historical fiction

-A Land so Wild by Elyssa Warkentin A novel about finding the northwest passage, and lgbt. historical fiction 

[the-roci]

S4E3 - expanse summaries that no one needs

Oh, what a surprise, Naomi is breaking my heart again. Someone get her a nice comfortable bed, a blue drink, and a karaoke machine because she needs some rest. Honestly, just let her rest.

Imagine having all that happiness and excitement about stepping into a planet for the first time, feeling, seeing an ocean, only to have it crushed in an instant. She’s not adapting. She can’t make a new life for herself because her body won’t let her. And it’s not just the planet. It’s Jim and his family, the prospect of living a life that he considers ‘home.’ All these hopes and dreams evaporated because her body can’t handle gravity.

Everyone gets a pony and a blow job. Damn if Avasarala being referred to as part of the old guard doesn’t make me think of the divide between millennials and boomers though.

Honestly, Avasarala is at her best when she’s orbiting this grey zone. unapologetically ambitious and ruthless, with a toe dipped into the ‘good guy’ pool. More than a toe really, but the point stands.

Given that the conflict with Nancy feels low stakes, it’s nice to see this side of her shining through again.

Bring back poet!arjun damnit. The contrast of him seeming so out of place in the political world was an amazing juxtaposition to Avasarala. New Arjun seems...too polished? Like he’s ready to play the game along with her instead of prattling on in iambic pentameter and alluding to pathetic fallacy.

I know not everyone loves how much Naomi has been aligning herself with Belters, especially when it came to the protomolecule and Fred Johnson, and leaving the Roci Crew but I’m loving it. She’s the perfect centerpiece to see the conflict through. I know this won’t go as deep it colonialism as I’d like and I feel like the belter are going to get their POVs shafted but here’s to hoping.

Murtry and Amos remind me of the wild Wild West.

Wes is fucking nailing Amos this season. Those detached, let’s take it outside eyes

Literally can’t enjoy any interaction between Amos and Wei.

Bobbie’s storyline makes my blood boil. She’s such a good person and Martian and it matters fuck all to a government that depends so much on blind loyalty and indoctrination. Out of everyone - all the shit Martians she had to deal with - Bobbie is disgraced and dishonored?! Get the fuck outta here. Outside of that, her storyline is a bit lackluster so far. I’m assuming it’s setting up the monotony of rejoining an ant hive and her arc with Avasarala but get on with it already. Unfortunately, I don’t think the show is going to explore the Martian system enough for the slow storyline to be worth it but I’m open to surprises.

“Pathfinder, Remnant Tech detected ahead.” I can’t be the only one who thinks it!

[traumahqs]

The clouds that usually reign over Seattle’s skies have parted, the rain is gone and the sun is shining. And with that comes HEAT. According to every radio station in the city it’s the hottest day that Seattle has seen in years, and the staff at Seattle Grace Mercy West have certainly felt it. Sweating their way through rounds and parking themselves in front of fans on their rare breaks, this shift has been an even greater hell than usual. And then BANG, the hospital was plunged into darkness. The unexpected heat wave has caused A POWER CUT. It takes a couple of minutes before the backup generators kick in, and each member of staff receives a page that is clear: there is no telling how stable this power source is, do not use any unnecessary electricity and stay exactly where you are. The power cuts intermittently as the engineers work in the basements below and the heat is still unbearable, but I hope you’re comfortable because this might be a long night.

OOC INFO:  Welcome to event number two!! This is a little more complex than the gala. Below you will find that we have sorted your characters into eleven groups and given each of these groups a location. Your character must stay in this location throughout the event, the only people they can face to face interact with are the others in their group. We will be allowing them to use cell phones to contact others. Why your characters found themselves in these locations and how they react is completely up to you, so get plotting with your group members! This event will run from Monday 6th of July (5PM EST) to Friday 10th of July (5PM EST)

GROUP ONE: Elevator

Possibly the worst place to be during a power cut, the elevator stopped immediately and the generator isn’t powerful enough to get it back up and running. Even if they tried to open the door, it’s occupants would find themselves trapped between the second and third floor.

Addison Montgomery

Miranda Bailey

Elle Cohen

GROUP TWO: Elevator

Slightly more fortunate than the others, this elevator isn’t stuck between floors. However that seems to be where their luck ends. They’re still unable to get the doors open and have been ordered to stay put just like everybody else.

Sam Bello

Trixie Cuddler

Cormac Hayes

Derek Shepherd

GROUP THREE: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward

As if being plunged into to darkness during childbirth wasn’t enough for these labouring mothers, they do not need to be told that the backup generators aren’t a reliable power source. The hardest task for these doctors might be ensuring that this floor remains calm.

Lizzie Shepherd

Violet Turner

Lexie Grey

Izzie Stevens

Carina Deluca

GROUP FOUR: Pediatric Floor

The children on the peds floor aren’t any more receptive to the sudden power outage than the expectant mothers on obs and gyn, and their worried parents aren’t helping matters either. As if the heat wasn’t already making their patients uncomfortable enough, it’s up to the trapped staff on the floor to make sure that they remain in control.

Valerie Jones

Elena Sloan

Maggie Pierce

Ryleigh Lincoln

Lillian Grayson

GROUP FIVE: Chief of Staff’s Office

What should have been a standard meeting with the chief of staff has turned into a nightmare given that even those in the office are not exempt from the temporary lock down. At least the coach is comfortable, but with the air conditioning failing and nowhere to go, the room might start feeling smaller than usual.

Charlotte King

Alana Cahill

Nancy Shepherd

GROUP SIX: Cafeteria

Whether you were having a late lunch or an early dinner, it looks like you’re stuck in the canteen for now. At least there’s plenty of room to space out, but with tensions likely to grow as the heat rises nobody can tell how long that will be helpful for.

Levi Schmitt

Daniel Shepherd

Margot Lincoln

Meredith Grey

Ryan Kerrigan

John Davenport

GROUP SEVEN: Intensive Care Unit

The ICU can be a hard enough place without additional elements. Patients often struggling to pull through and families emotional about their loved ones current outlook. A power outage affecting the machines that are keeping those patients alive is not what anybody wants.

Callie Torres

Teddy Altman

Lihua Miller

Max Armstrong

GROUP EIGHT: Operating Room Four

Unpredictable things often happen in surgery, but a power cut wasn’t something this team were prepared for. Facing an operating room that keeps plunging into darkness, they have some hard choices to make for the care of their patient.

Mark Sloan

Andrea Martinez

Jillian Johnson

Esme Harrington

Marisol Sanchez

GROUP NINE: Emergency Room

The pit can be chaos at the best of times, but between the patients being admitted for severe dehydration and the effects of the power cut it’s all hands on deck. Usually they’d call down some more interns, but it looks like the staff here have to handle this one on their own.

April Kepner

Caleb Morgan

Jamie Martinez

Atticus Lincoln

GROUP TEN: Supply Closet

This group couldn’t move anywhere even if they wanted to, finding themselves locked in the tiny supply closet. Their only hope at a little respite from the heat is if they can get an old fan working again or the small chance that somebody might unlock the door before they have to spend the night.

Naomi Bennett

Amelia Shepherd

Leah Murphy

GROUP ELEVEN: On Call Room

Who would have thought trying to take a nap during your shift would mean missing out on so much? It was already hard enough to sleep in the heat, but adding in the constant flickering of the lights and the forced companionship it’s possible these doctors wish they’d just had another cup of coffee.

Andrew Deluca

Kathleen Shepherd

Stephanie Edwards

Ashton Abrams

[amorisabelle]

Boom!

INVOLVED: Maya Morgan, Levi Morgan, Isabelle Marshall, Alexander Marshall, Naomi King, Calvin King, Victoria Perry, Dominic Perry, Israel West, and Melaine Ashton TIME FRAME: Monday, December 23, 2019 LOCATION: Elk Trail Lodge; Denver, Colorado SUMMARY: The group of friends, plus Israel and Melaine sit down at the table to enjoy dinner. However, things turn sour as Levi gets jealous of Melaine’s interaction with Israel and Naomi calls Levi out on it. Then the bombs drop. 

Maya held her hands up and said, “wait, wait, wait,” easily to the large group of people as they all sat around a large table for dinner. “Israel was telling me that his parents lived in this house for 30 years and were married for 45,” she emphasized.

Alexander looked at Maya and said, “what was he saying?” gently as he forked some food up and into his mouth.

“Israel was telling me that his parents lived in this house for 30 years and were married for 45,” Maya emphasized loudly.

Melaine nodded her head, impressed by what Maya had just said at the table. She dipped her fork into her plate and sheepishly smiled at Israel who was nestled beside her.

Isabelle looked at Maya, nodding along with a small smirk on her face. “Wow,” she breathed out as she ate a bit of her food before she looked across the table at her husband.

“People do not stay married that long no more,” Naomi said shaking her head as she held her fork up ready to take a bite.

“Oh, I think Victoria and Dominic will,” Maya tossed out lovingly.

“I hope so,” Victoria said with a hum and a bit of a shrug.

Isabelle looked at Victoria a bit shocked. “You’re not sure?”

Naomi looked at Victoria and said, “sounds like trouble in paradise?” she asked her, jokingly, but very curious at the same time.

“Ain’t no trouble in paradise,” Dominic said dismissively almost instantly behind Naomi’s comment. People didn’t need to judge the marriage he had based off his wife’s backhanded compliment. He stuck some food into his mouth chewing lightly as he looked over at Victoria.

“You know… you never know what happens, you know.” Victoria began as she cut into her food a bit before she paused, looking up, across at Naomi before she looked to her husband at her side, “um, but you got to be willing to do the work.” She looked back at Naomi, a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Dominic looked at Victoria again and said, “yeah,” trying to hide his disapproval of the way she handled the compliment to them. “We aren’t perfect, you know, and we have our days,” he shrugged lightly. “But, you know, we remember that the bottom line is, we love each other,” he offered, eyes moving from his plate to Victoria again.

Listening to her husband, Victoria sat back nodding slightly. “And it’s the love that gets us through those tough days.” She looked at Naomi and Calvin before she looked back at her husband, “right, sweetie?”

“Mhm,” Dominic says in response to Victoria as he stuck another piece of steak into his mouth.

Maya lifts her wine glass from the table and she raises it saying, “to love,” with a smile on her face. As everyone joins in with her, raising their glasses and saluting love as well.

After they all sipped, Israel noticed the fallen napkin on the floor and he leaned down, picking it up as he said, “oh Melaine, you dropped your napkin.” Lifting up, he handed it to her easily.

“Oh,” Melaine replied looking at him with a smirk. “Thank you,” she said to him kindly as she grabbed the napkin back from him and placed it back on her lap.

Naomi looked over at the only two single people at the table and she smirked, her hand still clutching the glass unlike everyone else as she basked in another glorious sip.

“So, um you’re the big-time sheriff in this town, huh?” Levi asked Israel now as he gestured across the table a bit, interjecting in between him and Melaine.

Israel chuckled a bit dryly. “Eh, I wouldn’t exactly say big time,” he responded easily.  

“Well this place is beautiful,” Melaine said to Israel as she grabbed her glass and took a sip.

“Thank you. I think so, too,” Israel said easily. “I’d love to show you guys around before you leave,” he was speaking to all of them but looking directly at Melaine.

“Mm,” Melaine said to the man quickly, “thanks, but I can’t do that,” she replied to him without thinking.

Naomi picked her glass back up and took the longest sip she ever had as she overheard the conversation playing out next to her.

“We’d be up for that, yeah,” Victoria said looking around the table a bit at her friends.

“I’d love to honey,” Dominic said in response to his wife. “What time is good?” he asked Israel from across the table.

“Anytime…” Israel said looking around the table before he added, “how about tomorrow? Early?”

“Sounds good to me,” Alexander said to the group as she wiped his hands clean with his napkin. He cleared his throat a bit. “I don’t know if my wife will be able to make it though,” he said looking at his wife before he looked down at his plate. “She probably has to check her iPhone to see if she’ll be available,” he said as he cut a piece of his steak against his plate.

Maya licked her lips slowly and looked at Alexander before she looked off. What in the hell was that? Looking directly at her friend for only a moment before she looked at her husband.

Victoria looked at Alexander, her eyes a bit wide with shock at his comment. She had no idea where the comment had come from or why he felt the need to say it.

Dominic looked at Alexander as he spoke and his brows rose before he stuck some mashed potatoes into his mouth looking down at the other guest sitting at the table, avoiding Isabelle’s face.

Isabelle stuck her fork into her mouth, looking at her husband, her head cocked to the side slightly as she adjusted herself in her chair. Her eyes bored holes into him as she cleared her throat slightly, eating her food in silence.

Bouncing right off the back of Alexander’s comment, completely unphased, Levi leaned in slightly asking Israel, “so, tell me, how much does a gig like that pay, huh?”

“Oh my God, Levi,” Maya said in response to his words, she looked at Israel and lifted her napkin to cover her food filled mouth. “Forgive my husband, please,” she said pleadingly.

Melaine looked at Levi and her eyes then bounced on Maya before she discreetly eyed Israel next to her, taking a sip of her wine.

“No. I’m just saying it can’t be too much, that’s all…” Levi said, easily picking up his glass and taking a sip of his wine without a care.

Maya looked at her husband, jerking her neck a bit and leaning her chair disgustedly. He was being so damn rude for no reason at all.

Israel slowly looked up from his plate, gazing at Levi, looking into the man's eyes a bit challengingly as he said casually, “well, Levi, I don’t do it for the money.”

Hearing Israel, Isabelle took the time to look up at her husband and say, “some people do it for the enjoyment…” she made a face at him, letting him know that she was irritated by his comment, “hmph, how about that?” she said before she added, “Alexander,” making sure he heard her.

Melaine looked at Levi and she took another sip from her wine glass looking at him over it.

Alexander looked up at his wife, gazing at her with deadly glares.

Naomi smirked at the open window and she said, “Levi does it for the enjoyment,” cutely, adding her two cents in.

Levi looked over at Naomi, a bit amused by her comment. “Oh, you must need another drink, don’t you?”

Maya looked at Naomi and then at Levi as they bantered back and forth across the table.

“And you need some condoms, don’t you?” Naomi said back to him just as quickly and without thought. Sneering slightly at the man, raising her top lip.

Maya looked at her friend confused by Naomi’s comment, why would her husband need condoms? She looked to her husband before she bit her lip, they must have heard them several nights ago in the act. She was somewhat embarrassed now.

As the words left his wife’s lips, Calvin’s eyes went a bit wide and he looked over at Levi immediately, shaking his head at the man, his face pleading.

Levi snorted. “Heh, believe me…” he smirked at her, ignoring Calvin. “You don’t want to go down that road with me.” He lifted his fork and popped some food into his mouth as he stared at Naomi.

Dominic sat his fork down and he said, “how about we go down the ski slope,” chewing slightly. “Skiing,” he added, trying so very hard to change the subject for both parties right now. There was so much being implied here and none of it was good. “Snowboarding?”

Naomi eyes Levi for a very long time, if he said one more word she was going to reach across the table and slap the piss out of him.

Levi gazed right back at Naomi, watching her closely with a challenging look on his face as he chewed his food.

“Yes,” Victoria said nodding along to her husband’s suggestion. It was perfect timing because things were sure to get out of hand between Levi and Naomi and nobody needed that. “Snowboarding.”

“You two?” Alexander said with a head shake. “Snowboarding?” he asked with a chuckle. “Whatever,” he said easily. “Nah,” he told them playfully, “snowmobiles,” he countered, “I can’t do that race stuff,” he told them.

As everyone else went on and on, Israel was leaned over whispering to Melaine quietly.

Melaine chuckled at Israel brushing him off playfully.

Levi looked over at Israel and Melaine and asked, “what’s so funny?” growing a bit irritated with the antics. “You want two share with the table?” he asked, gesturing between the two of them.

Sighing heavily Naomi said, “Levi. Can you please let these single people have a private moment?” she asked him gesturing the man and woman next to her.

“I agree,” Maya said happily, a smirk on her face as she watched Israel and Melaine. She picked her wine glass up and took a sip from the glass.

“Maybe after dinner, you two could go for a ride or something,” Naomi said to both Israel and Melaine, stirring the pot even more now.

Levi looked at Naomi, gazing the woman up and down with irritation as he took his napkin, wiping his mouth some, licking his lips some. He slowly looked back down at his plate, shaking his head slightly, grumbling to himself.

“Oh, that sounds great,” Maya said leaning in with her glass still in her hand. “So nice,” she whispered to her friend across the table.

Melaine looked at Naomi and then to Maya, she tucked her lips in dimples creasing as she sighed internally over the dinner table antics.

“That sounds nice,” Naomi said mimicking her friend as she gazed at Levi from across the table. “Fun,” she smiled, her pearly white teeth shining for all to see as she got her rocks off over this.

Levi leaned forward, his elbows resting against the table as he picked up his wine glass, swirling the contents around a bit. “Melaine ain’t going nowhere with him,” he said aloud for the entire table to hear before taking a sip from his glass.

Maya looked her husband up and down, she sat the wine glass back down against the table and said “why not?” curiously.

“Why can’t this single woman go out with this single man?” Naomi asked confused, looking around the table with a shrug. “I mean…” she said looking back at Levi.

Melaine shook her head slightly at Naomi, she was barking up the wrong tree she might as well stop, truthfully.

Israel looked down at his plate, pushing his food around a bit, his eyes wide. This was about to get messy; he could feel it. He had already picked up on the fact that Levi and Melaine were sleeping together, that was obvious but clearly Maya had no idea. It was actually quite unfortunate; she was too much of a lovely woman to be treated this way.

Leaning against the table, Isabelle held her head up in her hand as she looked down. “Can we, uh, just drop this,” she said. Things did not need to get ugly. Secrets did not need to be shared. Not like this.

“I so agree with Isabelle right now,” Victoria jumped in, looking around at everyone knowingly before her eyes flickered right over to Naomi, needing the woman to stop taunting Levi.

“L-let him answer,” Naomi said pointing to Levi across from her. He acted as if he were supreme in this situation and she had no problem showing him exactly who ran the show when she was around.

“Calvin, get your wife,” Levi said without even looking up as he brought his fork to his mouth. He was over the games now.

Calvin reached across Naomi, trying to grab her glass. “C’mon baby, give me that drink,” he said trying to help defuse the situation that was arising.

Naomi instantly pushed Calvin’s hand aside. “No,” she said to him easily as she took another sip from her glass. “As a matter of fact, let me get another drink,” she said to them all. “So, Levi’s ass can tell us why Melaine can’t go out with Israel,” she emphasized each word looking over at the man.

Levi looked at Naomi before he palmed his face with agitation. He drug his hand down slowly before he rested his elbow against the table, holding his hand to his mouth as he tried to stop himself from saying anything else to the woman. He shook his head with a deep breath before returning to his food.

“Naomi, look… it’s no big deal,” Israel said softly, leaning over to her a bit, trying to stop the blow up. It was clear to him now, very clear. Everyone at the table knew but Maya.

Maya looked at Naomi and tilted her head mouthing to her to stop. “Calm down,” she breathed easily trying to make peace with her friend from across the table. She could see that Levi was getting increasingly pissed off.

Alexander looked between Levi, Maya, Naomi, and Melaine before he looked at Dominic. He sat back in his chair shaking his head before he said, “yeah, calm down Naomi…” reaching out a cautious hand.

Fed up, Levi dropped his fork, throwing his hand up as he looked to Naomi. “Okay… let’s do it.” He said back in his chair, a very unamused smirk on his face as he rubbed his hands together. “Let’s do it,” he repeated himself a bit more enthusiastically this time as he got adjusted in his chair, prepared for the verbal battle. “C’mon,” he said to Naomi.

“Levi,” Maya said as she rested her hand on her husband’s thigh. “Calm down,” she told him seriously not wanting things to escalate. She didn’t know why he and Naomi were at each other’s throat so much this trip, but they could resolve it as adults she knew. “Eat your food,” she said sweetly as she looked into his eyes. “Okay,” she breathed softly.

“No, no. Come on, talk to me,” Levi said speaking over Maya as she tried to calm him down.

“No, let him talk,” Naomi snapped back at Maya easily, firing off everything she had to say after her two other dumb friends made her hold her tongue for the jackass. “Let him talk, Maya,” she said, lifting up her hand to the woman.

“She’s just a little drunk,” Calvin said, still trying to reach for Naomi’s glass.

“You know what Calvin; I might be a little drunk,” Naomi measured with her fingers as she turned to him. “But somebody at this table got some damn secrets,” Naomi said as she turned her head towards Levi again, bitterly.

“Really?” Levi asked Naomi with an expression of try me.

“You guys that’s enough,” Isabelle said as she sat up some, looking towards Naomi.

“No, no, no, no….” Levi said quickly. “Isabelle… somebody got some secrets?” he questioned before he turned his head to look at Naomi with a shrug, “what are they?”

“You know I am so sick of this shit,” Naomi said as she raised her hands up at the table, her face scrunching as she did. “I am sick of it,” she said again. “The reason she can’t go with this man or any other man,” she said pointing to Melaine, “is it because she’s sleeping with yours, Maya…” she said looking over at the plus-sized woman now.

Maya had watched the two argue back and forth, though she thought it was a drag and so very unnecessary, she hadn’t said another word to either. However, at Naomi’s words she looked up, across the table at her. “What?” she said with a raised brow as she looked at Melaine shaking her head. A chuckle actually left her lips and she said, “no,” easily before she looked at Levi.

“Yeah, Maya,” Naomi said confirming it for her, the woman should have known as soon as they did, but they decided to hold the secret this long and for what?

Melaine swapped glances with Maya, she dropped her head for a moment before she looked back up averting her gaze elsewhere.

Maya looked at Naomi and she then looked back over at Melaine.

Alexander shifted in his seat, exhaling softly. This had to be the most fucked up situation ever, on top of it embarrassing and as usual it was at the hands of Naomi and her big mouth. Though he did feel like the woman should have been told the truth. This wasn’t the place or time for it. “Damn,” he said under his breath.

Isabelle looked down quickly, shifting very uncomfortably in her seat. It shouldn’t have come out like this.

Dominic looked at his wife and then over to Maya, he looked at Melaine as well. He couldn’t imagine the hurt Maya felt, but he also couldn’t really shake the guilty feeling he had knowing they all knew and she hadn’t.

Victoria tucked her lips in slightly, her expression very unreadable as she swapped glances with her husband before she looked around the table, unsure of what to say.

Maya looked at the many faces at the table, she felt her blood boil a little. Did everyone know except for her? Here she sat among them with egg on her face, a cheating husband, one backstabbing friend, and countless others who clearly cared nothing about her.

Israel looked around the table very slowly. This was some drama but it was not his drama. He very much felt like he was intruding on a private situation. “Well… uh… thanks for dinner…” he pushed his chair back some, “... but uh, I should be going…” he trailed off as he moved to stand.

Alexander looked at Israel and said, “you may need to hang tight, in case… you know… law enforcement should happen to need to enforced…” he stammered out.

“I’m sorry,” Naomi said shaking her head as she looked at Maya, “but you don’t need that sorry motherfucker,” she added, bitterly. It was the last thing she had to say. “I should beat his ass,” she sneered.

Maya looked at Naomi before she asked Levi. “Is it true?” as she turned to him looking into his eyes.

Levi stared at Naomi, his eyes squinted before he slowly turned to look at his wife. “Yeah… it’s true…” he nodded a bit, “that’s my secret… I am the bad guy,” he announced looking around the table very nonchalantly. “But I’m not the only married person with a secret at this damn table,” he sneered back towards Naomi. He squinted at her once more before he looked at his friends.

Maya shook her head slowly at her husband, God why was this happening to her, Lord. She inhaled sharply, her chin quivering slightly as she leaned forwards, her hands were pressed together and her forehead rested against them. She was here to save her marriage and now it was broken. He cheated on her with her friend. What did she do to deserve that shit?

“Alexander…” Levi shifted in his chair a bit, “have you told your wife about how you got a DNA test on Kenya ‘cause you weren’t sure she was yours?” he asked.  

Alexander looked up at his friend upon hearing his name. When he heard the secret that was told he swallowed hard, biting down on his bottom lip. He didn’t bother looking at his wife, he knew what hell this would bring.

Isabelle sat back slowly, looking across the table at her husband with disbelief and shock written across her face.

“Hey now Levi, don’t go telling secrets man,” Calvin interjected nervously, looking over at Levi.

“Oh, no, no, no, c’mon Calvin,” Levi said, shaking his head. “Y’all want to talk about me, hmm?” He pursed his lips slightly. “You threw my secret out there. Let’s lay everyone's secrets across this big ass table. Shall we?” he questioned before he whipped his head over to Isabelle. “Isabelle, have you told your husband about how you got an IUD after you had Kenya and didn’t tell him?” He looked at her expectantly, “hmm? That’s what Maya told me.”

Alexander looked at Levi again as he called his wife, the man needed to shut his damn mouth at the point of time. But no, he insisted on continuing. The news he dropped shocked him; his wife had been lying to him. He looked up at her heat brokenly, he gave her everything and all he wanted in return was a son but she’d already screwed him out of the long before he started his fight for it.

Isabelle looked over at Levi as he spoke her name, her jaw slackening slightly before she looked down, folding her arms over her chest slightly, avoiding her husband's gaze. She looked up at him for half a second before she dropped her eyes once more at his stare.

“I’m so sorry Alexander, so sorry, but your chances of having a boy? A bit slim right about now,” Levi said easily.

Alexander looked at Levi, his words couldn’t cut deeper if he wanted them to. He rested back against the chair defeatedly; Levi had won.

“Levi, now wait a minute. This has gone too far,” Victoria said sitting up in her seat, leaning forward a bit as she began to point with her finger, speaking with her hands. “You are going too far; you’re getting really dangerous now. You need to stop this,” she pressed. She had no idea what other secrets the man knew, but things were getting way too out of control.

Levi took a breath, letting Victoria, the perfectionist of the group say her little piece before he interjected, “Dominic…” he smirked slightly. “Since you guys walk around here like the perfect couple,” he lifted his hands using air-quotes, “will you please inform your wife about how you came literally crying to my house asking, ’how could she be so stupid and not strap your son in his car seat’,” he licked his lips before he hummed.

Dominic looked up as Levi called his name, this situation was not good at all right now. He needed to be stopped like his wife said. He didn’t know what dirt he was about to pull up on him but seeing as he loved his wife and didn’t do much of anything. It could only be one damn thing. He gazed at the man, daring him almost yet he did it anyway. Fuck. He turned his head not wanting to look at his wife, he almost did but he continued to look forward, ashamed. He felt that then, now he was trying to get passed it, and he knew his wife was hurting more than he.

Victoria turned her head very slowly now, looking at her husband with smoldering eyes. How could she be so stupid. She stared at the side of his face. She was so upset and felt so disrespected that she didn’t know what to do.

“You are fucking low down, you got damn bastard,” Naomi said as the man continued to dish out everyone’s dirt like he wasn’t the one to fuck himself over in all of this.

“Shut up!” Levi barked across the table at Naomi.

“No, you, shut the fuck up,” Naomi barked as she slammed her hand down against the table. “Bitch ass,” she said gazing at him. “You airing all of this shit because of some foul fucking move you chose to make,” she said.

“Calvin please!” Levi said pointing between the two.

Looking away, Calvin mumbled to himself. “Oh fuck…”

“Please tell this woman the truth!” Levi grunted out, “and I fucking pray that it sets you free. I pray, man.”  He said pointing his hand at them.

Looking dead at Levi, Calvin shook his head dramatically, pleading with the man through his eyes. “Levi…” he rushed out.

Ignoring it all, Levi went on. “But I’m telling you, tell this woman how Alexander had to give you a shot because you had VD.”

Calvin shook his head up until the very moment Levi dropped the bomb before he looked away quickly, staring at the table.

“Let’s talk about condoms now, shall we, Naomi?” Levi questioned.

Naomi looked between both Levi and Calvin before the secret was told for all to hear. She looked at Alexander before she said, “oh,” with shock and sarcasm laced in her voice. “So, you got VD?” she asked, turning to her husband fully.

“Checkmate,” Levi said as he picked up his glass, sipping some of his wine.

“Who have you,” she emphasized, “been with?” Naomi asked him as she looked him up and down. She just had to hear this one.

Leaning over to Naomi a bit, Calvin whispered, “Naomi… let’s discuss this in private.”

“No. You know what,” Naomi said looking away from her husband, “you motherfuckers have been talking in private e-fucking-nough,” she told him. “How long has your dirty ass had it?” she asked him.

“A week…” Calvin whispered, looking at Naomi out the corner of his eyes.

“Was it Aleeyah?” Naomi asked him next, not giving him much time to answer her as she fired off one thing after the next.

Looking at her out of the corner of his eyes more, Calvin’s eyes darted from her to the table then back and forth again as he nodded slightly.

“Hmph,” left Naomi’s mouth and she turned slightly. “Nah,” she said, shaking her head pettily. “You didn’t get it from her,” she told him smoothly, a lie from the pits of hell. “You got it from Daniel,” she told him smugly as she looked over at him again.

Looking at her crazily now, Calvin said, “what the fuck are you talking about? I ain’t gay.”

“No, you dumb fucking fool. I slept with his ass,” Naomi said pointing to herself. “I got a shot,” she said cutely as she raised her hands up looking around at everyone. “I was just waiting for you to say something,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “BOOM!” she said, raising two fake guns in the air as she got comfortable sitting back in her chair without a care.

Calvin stared at her as she admitted that she slept with whoever this Daniel person was before he nodded slowly, looking away from her. That made sense. He typically wrapped it up with Aleeyah. He only slipped up and didn’t use a condom every now and again. Sitting there, he let it all sink in before he turned and launched himself at Naomi, wrapping his large hands around her neck, squeezing tightly.

As the man lunged at her, wrapping his hands around her throat she fought against him. Grabbing his hands, Naomi dug her nails into his flesh as she yanked pushing her chair back and fighting against him.

“Don’t!” Victoria screamed out in shock as Calvin physically attacked Naomi.

Alexander hopped up and he moved for Calvin, grabbing the large man from behind; he tried to break up the physical altercation before him, in disbelief. He pulled the man off roughly as he told him, “stop,” angrily. “Come on man,” he said, “man, come on,” he added.

Isabelle, who had been sitting there mute, looked up quickly, her mouth dropping as Calvin choked Naomi.

Levi sat there, watching the entire thing and he took another sip from his glass. “I hope he breaks your fucking throat. TOUCHDOWN!” He spat out bitterly.

“Get off me,” Naomi yelled as she struck Calvin in the face, another individual's body wrapped around her pulling them apart. “Don’t be putting your hands on me motherfucker!” she yelled at him. “Arrest his ass,” she said angrily as she stood up from the chair trying to reach through Israel to get to her husband once more.

Calvin grimaced as he gripped Naomi by her beck, choking her as hard as he could as Alexander and Israel tried to pull him off, even as Naomi hit him in the face. He gripped her until Alexander managed to pull him away and he huffed hard.

“Get his ass. You see he trying to fucking kill me,” Naomi said to the officer. “Arrest him, Troy,” she said to her.

“Let me go!” Calvin growled, shoving Alexander off of him. “That’s why I slept with her! You so fucking evil!”

“You know what, you put your hands on the wrong fucking one Calvin!” Naomi said to the him her veins protruding from her neck.

Staring at Naomi, Calvin’s face scrunched with so much anger. “You know what, I’m out of here.” He grunted, shoving Alexander out of his way as he stormed off.

“Get your stupid ass out of here!” Naomi said in agreement to her husband.

Standing up now, Levi nodded. “Now, that’s the best idea I heard since we got up here. Let’s cut this trip short,” he said, turning to look at Melaine. “Baby, go pack our stuff. We outta here.” He sat down once more, looking at Maya.

Melaine looked up at Levi, a little shaken by what just played out. When he spoke to her directly, she did as she was told, getting up quickly and rushing away from the table as she moved upstairs.

Adjusting himself in his seat, Levi angled his body towards his wife, leaning against the table a bit. “Look, I’m sorry that you had to find out this way.” He sighed softly. “You could thank your friend over there but… it’s over.”

Maya continued to sit there, rocking slightly in the chair as she shook her head at all of this. She wanted a baby, she wanted them to work, she was trying to be what he wanted her to be and this is how he repaid her. For all the abuse both verbal and physical, for all the nights she spent alone and all the times he embarrassed her. He’d managed to finally break her, all of her.

At his remark Naomi rolled her eyes huffing from her now seated position and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Now, I’ll be more than fair, but I want a divorce,” Levi told her straight up. He grew quiet for a moment before a thought occurred to him. “Hey, you can have the rental property.” He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, as if he was being thoughtful. “I’ll have Ramirez put bars on there for you… don’t thank me or nothing. It’s a rough neighborhood.” He thought some more. “You can have your car and I’ll figure everything else out.” He stared at the side of Maya’s face, looking at her expectantly. “Huh?” he snapped by her ear. “Hello…” he said before he turned away from her moving to stand up, “whatever…”

Maya looked at Levi as he spoke every other word reaching her ear as he did. All she could do was watch his lips as they flapped and she swallowed hard. He snapped at her and then she snapped, he said whatever and it brought her out of her own subconscious. She back handed him across his face as hard as she could muster as she stood up, gazing down at him. She gripped his face in her hand, her nails digging into his flesh and she asked, “how could you?” before she grabbed a steak knife with her other hand. “I gave you everything” she said as she looked into his eyes, sliding the knife across the table.

Naomi looked across the table at her friend as she slapped the man across his face which was less than he deserved. She should kill his ass. However, when the woman picked the knife up, she gasped slightly, “Maya,” she called out.

Dominic sat there next to his wife trying to understand how this all came about. It was the most unnecessary thing they experienced as friends. Looking at Maya he stood up slowly, “Maya,” he said in unison with Naomi.

Alexander stood resting against the back of the chair he once was sitting in and he gazed at Levi. The man truly disgusted him. He had done more than enough yet that was not enough for him at all. As Maya slapped the man, he bit his lips, he deserved it. However, when she grabbed the knife he shifted on his feet prepared to stop her.

Levi fell to the floor as Maya smacked him and he looked up at her shocked as she gripped him by his face. “Maya,” he said as he gazed up at her, his eyes wide as his eyes moved to her other hand holding the knife.

“Oh. My. God.” Isabelle said quickly as she sat there.

Victoria looked back at Levi as he rested against the floor, watching in silence.

Maya watched as he laid there, he had the nerve to call her name. She hated his ass so much right now but she couldn’t bring herself to do anything further. She couldn’t kill him because love wouldn’t let her. So instead she stabbed the table and moved to leave the dining room. She walked towards the door bitterly snatching her coat down and walking out the front door slamming it shut behind her.

“Should've killed his ass,” Naomi said under her breath as she watched Maya leave.