#louisiana children's museum

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

We went to the Louisiana Children's Museum this morning. Magnus liked the Jam Room. Gus probably liked wearing the bat costume in the puppet show area the most. We tried to go to lunch at Bearcat Cafe -- one of our favorites -- but the wait was too long so we ate around the corner at High Hat Cafe.

I wasn't feeling so good and took a nap with Magnus, but rallied to walk with everyone down the street to a Cuban cafe for dinner. I went to bed early, but this trip has mostly wrecked your sleeping routines. School is going to hit hard next week.

Dad.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 12.29.2023 - 11.32am.

[thoughtportal]

Bélizaire and the Frey Children (c. 1837)

[intimacyequalsdeath]

Bubz's 12 Days of Ficmas fics: Day One Decorating (Poly!Sinclair Brothers)

Hello all and welcome to my first 12 days of Christmas fic event! This is going to span from the 13th to the 24th to make 12 days even. With fics going up on both the 13th and Christmas itself. I came up with this idea back when Fictober was happening so I've been really excited to get it out to you guys, I hope you enjoy your Christmas present! <3

Notes: Minors DNI, Fluffy, no specific pronouns or descriptions of reader used. This is a Poly fic so if you aren't into that then this isn't the fic for you. SFW.

"Oh come on Bo please!" you pleaded from your spot on the couch. Bo sighed dramatically.

"Darlin' no, It's a stupid idea. who is even gonna see it ?" Bo questioned. You had asked Bo if you and your boys could decorate Ambrose for Christmas this year and maybe even the main house too.

"You, Vinny and Les would see it! plus Les thinks it's a great idea" You argued back.

"Honey of course Les thinks it's a good idea, He's not gonna be the one who's gotta clean it up" He deadpanned.

"No the four of us would put it up together and take it down together, I promise, We could start a new Sinclair family tradition with it!"

Bo rolled his eyes at you and took another drink out of his beer as the front door swung open revealing Vincent coming back from a day at the museum.

"Vinny!" You exclaimed jumping up to hug him "Don't you think we should decorate for Christmas?" you asked him, he shrugged.

"Why?" He signed "No ones around to see it" You groaned and Bo chuckled.

"Thank you Vince, that's exactly what I said" Bo snickered from the couch.

"Vinny WE would see it though! We could start a new family tradition and actually have fun for once instead of working all the time. Lester's already on board with it and if you're with us then we outvote Bo"

Now it's not clear if your convincing worked on Vincent or he was fueled by sibling rivalry and just wanted to oppose Bo. Either way with that, he was convinced.

"Yeah sure, sounds like fun" Vincent signed to you, you grinned and hugged him.

"Thank you Vinny" You said pressing a kiss to the cheek of his mask then turning to look at Bo with a smug grin painting your face.

"It's now 3 against one Bo and the ball is in your court" You said smugly. He groaned and rolled his eyes.

"I'm the only adult in Ambrose, Ya'll 3 are children" He muttered "Fine, if you want to decorate have at it, but like you said I'm not going to be the only one taking it down when Christmas is over"

You walked over to Bo and planted yourself onto his lap for a moment to press your lips against his.

"Thank you baby" You said gratefully once you pulled apart. Bo tried to hide his grin as he wrapped his hands around your hips.

"Yeah, It's whatever"

================================================

"We look like fuckin' idiots" Bo grumbled from his spot on the ladder.

"You said it yourself Bo, it's not like anyone can see you besides us" You snickered from your spot on the ground, making sure Bo and Lester hung the lights straight.

Vincent stood next to you with a light sweater on and one in his hands just incase you needed it, despite Louisiana's lack of cold weather in the winter.

"Sweet pea does it look good?" Lester called from his ladder opposite of Bo's as they held the lights up to the roof of the house.

"Yeah it looks perfect Les" You called back, the two men nodded and started hammering the lights into the house.

"Vinny did you start making those candles I asked you for?" You asked him, He nodded.

"Yeah their almost done, just need to put the etchings in them like you wanted" He signed.

"Perfect Vinny, and we've found the old Christmas tree up in the attic right?" Vincent nodded.

"Yeah all the indoor decorations are still up there, mixed with mine and Bo's junk" He signed once more.

"Dammit Les can't you hold the lights straight!" Bo yelled sucking on his thumb from where he hit himself with the hammer.

"Sorry Bo! I didn't mean it!" Lester exclaimed biting back a laugh at his older brother's misery.

You smiled at their antics before motioning for Vincent to follow you inside to work on the Christmas tree. The boys had taken the liberty of moving the tree and a majority of the decorations into the living room for you to pick through.

Vincent helped with the heavy lifting of setting the tree itself up, while you went through all the ornaments. You smiled to yourself finding the ornaments the boys had made when they were kids.

One particular ornament caught your eye, it was a photo of all three Sinclair brothers before they were separated into foster homes. Trudy must've put it together one year before the boys were taken you figured. You didn't know if the boys would like it being on the tree as their mother was still a sensitive subject.

"Oh Jesus Vince!" You exclaimed when he suddenly put a hand on your shoulder. You could see his eye make it's way to what you had in your hand.

"Oh- i was just-" Vincent placed a finger to your mouth, silencing you before taking the ornament from you. For a second it looked like he was about to put it back in the box before he walked it over to the tree and placed it right in the middle.

He turned around to you to get your approval, you nodded at him with a smile.

"That looks perfect Vinny" He puts and arm around you pressing the lips of the mask to your forehead for a moment as the two of you gaze at the decorated tree.

The peace was disturbed by the front door swinging open.

"Bo I said I was sorry! I don't know what else ya want me to say" Lester said as he made his way into the living room.

"I want you to-, well would ya look at that" Bo stopped when his eyes landed on the tree. More specifically the ornament with the photo.

Lester made his way to the side of you not occupied by Vincent, also giving you a kiss on the head as the 2 of you waited for the oldest Sinclair to give his verdict.

"Whaddya think Bo?" You asked softly with baited breath. Bo's eyes were still glued to the picture of him and his brothers attached to that "stupid" as he would put it, ornament his mom made when they were kids.

"I-I think that maybe...Maybe Christmas ain't that bad" He finally said, his eyes tearing away from the ornament and landing on you and his brothers.

You smiled and walked over to wrap your arms around him in front of the tree.

"So can we do this every year?" You asked with a grin.

"I didn't say all that, I still wanna make sure I'm not the son of a bitch that's gotta take all this shit down" He said putting back on his facade as quick as he lost it.

You grinned at him never the less before laughing, Vincent and Lester joining you in laughing at their grump of an older brother. Though you could've sworn you saw a grin cross Bo's face maybe that Christmas miracle would have to wait until another year.

[talesfrommedinastation]

My redneck neighbor Doug watches 'The Bad Batch': Pabu

So, maybe it's because the Razorbacks are currently up over the Tigers, which makes Doug's LSU loving self extra fired up this evening, but I have made the mistake of asking him again about his opinion on the episode after 'The Outpost', which was 'Pabu'.

He called this both 'HR Goes to Daytona' and 'Did I miss an episode?'.

Doug: Make sure you put one of my Baton Rouge boys on the internet too right now. GEAUX TIGERS.

CW: Doug insults everyone, everything, and is generally a cantankerous old jerk in this one. His wife should have unplugged his internet. Lots of adult everything, ranging from language to...well, if you're under 18, please be warned.

Prepare thyself, especially if you're a TechxPhee fan. The amount of angry emojis I got in the text messages were pretty wild.

----

'Pabu' aka 'HR Goes to Daytona'

Oh it’s Church Lady and it’s Sunday service. Why is little orphan blondie in the bar with her? Daddy Rambo has his knife but you know the man was plowing vodka out of sight here. He’s tired.

I thought he hated Church Lady? Did I miss an episode?

Ah, now Ryan-from-Accounting is playing solitaire. Atta boy, get your mind off the bitch wife Laura. If he makes out with that garbage robot I’ll throw up. 

Time to skee-daddle. Woah! Church Lady just grabbed Ryan-from-Accounting. That man looks terrified, probably because he found a Youtube video of her taking down muggers behind Manning's after a Pelicans game. Bitch wife Laura gonna blow a gasket.

But such is the way of the Church Lady, I have known many in my day. “I groped the hot new usher in Jesus’s house, but it’s okay, The Lord forgives”.

(praise the Lord and pass the Tabasco)

No, seriously, did I miss an episode? I feel like I did.  

Houma-BBQ bitch is bitching, as is her wont. I wonder what sauce her tail would taste best with. Carolina Gold? I’d cook her brisket style. Oh, wait, back to the show. 

And now they’re on paradise! Daytona Beach! Who is this guy, he looks like he used to play hoops now he plays how much dessert he can eat at Golden Corral. Props to him, that lava cake is gold. Hope Rex and Toaster Strudel are there.

Where are Rex and Toaster Strudel.

No, really, where are Rex and Toaster Strudel.

I’m getting real mad here, where are Rex and Toaster Strudel. 

CHURCH LADY, GET BACK IN YOUR SPACE UBER AND GO FIND REX AND TOASTER STRUDEL. I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR MUSEUM OF SHIT YOU FOUND IN PEOPLE’S BACKYARDS AND THE DUMPSTER BEHIND THE KEY LARGO PUBLIX, GO GET REX AND TOASTER STRUDEL.

SHOVE RYAN-FROM-ACCOUNTING BACK INTO THE DRIVER’S SEAT, PAY FOR HIS GAS, AND GO GET REX AND TOASTER STRUDEL. 

“You have some competition”. From what, there’s gonna be a hot dog eating contest or something? Why does Ryan-from-Accounting look so upset? 

(“I think they’re trying to set him and Phee up, Doug.” “What, when did that happen? Did I miss an episode?”)

Ryan-from-Accounting looks either sad or excited and I’m so confused. Maybe it’s because I’ve been married since before the dinosaurs but why is he either frowning and freaked out by Church Lady or smiling at Church Lady? Is he having a breakdown like my nephew did after he lost his job? Does Bitch Wife Laura know about this? Does he like Church Lady or is he planning on pepper spraying her? Did I miss an episode? Is this how the children flirt on the Ticky-Tack? No wonder y’all aren’t getting married any more. 

(“Doug, you did not miss an episode. And it is called Tik-Tok.” “I MISSED AN EPISODE. I KNOW I DID, AND IT IS CALLED THE TICKY-TACK!!!”) 

Ya know who would solve these questions? REX AND MOTHER LOVING TOASTER STRUDEL, WHO AIN’T HERE. THEY NEED TO BE HERE. WHERE ARE YOU HIDING THEM CHURCH LADY. 

Oh lovely, Hoops forgot to make a reservation at BoneFish, so they’re having his gas station sushi. Not one shrimp or crab on that table? Y’all Hoops is failing so hard right now, as a boy from Louisiana I’m just offended. His momma raised that man WRONG. 

You know who would love sushi on the beach while watching the sun set? REX AND TOASTER STRUDEL, and Daddy Warcrimes and Sassy Park Ranger too. 

I MISS SASSY PARK RANGER ALREADY!!!!!!

But no, Rex and Toaster Strudel are busy at work saving the galaxy while Julio and the gang throw back cocktails and stare at the sun like they dropped cheap acid they bought in a sketchier part of Biloxi. Which is all of Biloxi, I guess. 

Oh, and Ryan-from-Accounting is awkward around Church Lady and stares at his phone lest that Bitch Wife Laura of his get a snap of them sitting together and Little Orphan Blondie pets a monkey. I hope they all get food poisoning. I’m so mad.

They need Toaster Strudel the way I need FSU to lose this weekend, I have money on that game too. WHY IS ARKANSAS STILL UP IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

Ah, Little Orphan Blondie’s on a boat with her new buddy, that’s nice. If she doesn’t find Rex and Toaster Strudel out in the ocean with James Cameron I hope–oh, shoot, I was in the navy. I know what that water means. Oh boy.

Well bless Ryan-from-Accounting, he watches Big Tuna and knows how to do a rescue. Church Lady looks happy. He finally touched her, it only took a natural disaster and a whole lot of nagging on her part. Oh, poor Church Lady, you need a guy who actually likes you back. 

Seriously, why does that man look like the subject of them shitty videos HR makes us watch once a year so we don’t get sued? I don’t know, but I’m starting to understand why his Bitch Wife Laura is the way she is. I can’t believe the episode they filmed in Daytona makes me feel for her, but it do. 

(“Doug, you’re making up Bitch Wife Laura in your head. She’s not in the show.” “Well, it’s clear that I missed some episodes, so maybe I missed the Bitch Wife Laura ones.” “No, you didn’t miss any, I promise.” “Are you SURE?!”)

Man, the tsunami got people running like it’s Black Friday Wal-Mart in Tampa. But they rescued an old guy and Daddy Rambo got the stolen work truck working to rescue the kids. Hooray, I guess. 

You know who would have done a better job? Of all of this?

REX AND MOTHER-LOVING TOASTER STRUDEL. But they ain’t here!

(Doug's love for them runs hard and it runs deep, for which I can empathize)

You know who should have been on a beach horking down Mai Tais and getting into Church Lady and her handsy hands?

POOR POOR SASSY PARK RANGER. BUT HE DIED BACK IN WYOMING.  I bet he’d love a back massage from Church Lady too! He’d sass her, she’d sass him back, and they’d make out on the beach while Daddy Warcrimes played the saxophone behind them or something. I support that. I’d like that. He’s got brown eyes.*

Make it work, Star Wars, damn it. 

(Doug has unlocked a new rarepair, I guess: Mayday and Phee? WTF?)

Well they’re hanging out here in Daytona for the time being, I guess. Julio passed out under a tree like a drunk uncle at a cookout. Everyone's smiling.

I’d be smiling too, knowing that REX AND TOASTER STRUDEL ARE ACTUALLY SAVING PEOPLE WHILE YOU CLOWNS STOMP AROUND FLORIDA. 

Stop smiling at Church Lady, Ryan-from-Accounting! Is it because you finally filed HR complaint paperwork or because you filed for divorce papers from Bitch Wife Laura? Why are you smiling?! Church Lady belongs to Sassy Park Ranger! 

(“Doug…Sassy Park Ranger’s dead. He and Church Lady never met. You need to stop.” “IF THEY CAN BRING PALPATINE BACK, THEY CAN BRING SASSY PARK RANGER BACK TOO!”) 

*=I NEED FAN ART OF THIS NOW, please @amalthiaph! Help me out!

[pleasantglitterflower]

BREAKING MY HEART (JOE BURROW x OC)

A/N : I had already published this story on my old account, but as I was the victim of attacks from unhappy people who think they own the fandom, my account was deactivated. Just a warning to these people that : I swing but I don't fall, I'm back

Dinner time. The only noises that could be heard were those of the cutlery and the typical children's games. That deafening silence became routine in the house for months, I can't explain what happened for such a drastic change.

 How was the training? - I decide to ask 

 Good- he replied 

 How were the shooting tactics? Do you already feel comfortable throwing the ball? - I ask again 

 Yes- he replied monosyllabically again

 I let out a long sigh, and take the dishes off the table to wash. As I prepare to wash the dishes, I see him playing with our children, that beautiful and genuine smile that he only showed to me and the children, but in the last few months, all I receive are cold and distant looks.

Well, I just realized I didn't introduce myself, come on, my name is Anna Verstappen Burrow. Yes, I am  Max Verstappen’s twin sister, three-time Formula 1 world champion, and Joe Burrow’s wife, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Joe and I met at Ohio State, we took a few classes together and I can say it was love at first sight. He was always very affectionate, protective and a gentleman towards me, I couldn't resist his charms, and it didn't take long for us to start dating. Joe proposed to me after a year of dating, when we went to Barcelona to watch my brother's race, and to make that weekend even more special, Max won what would be the first of many of his victories in Formula 1.

We got married after our graduation, it was the best two days of my life, yes, two days, as we had two wedding ceremonies, both in Ohio and in Netherlands, so that all the special people in our lives could be present. However, shortly after our wedding, Joe managed to transfer to LSU, and this was the chance he would have to show his football, as unfortunately at Ohio State he didn't have many chances, but despite that we built strong bonds of friendship there. . 

Obviously I supported my husband and we embarked on this new journey together. I graduated in visual arts, and was working at a museum in Ohio in the area of ​​conservation and restoration of artistic and cultural heritage, but with our move to Louisiana, I resigned and it didn't take long for me to get a new job in the new city, This time she would work with graphic design, and the best part is that it would be from home office and the hours were flexible, which meant that Anna could follow Joe at LSU more closely.

A few months later, I found out she was pregnant. Joe was very excited and happy when he found out he was going to be a father, and he started to be very careful with me, he wouldn't even let me fix my meal alone, we were living the best time of our lives, until in October 2019, Joshua  Lee Burrow was born.Joe was very emotional at our son's birth, he couldn't stop crying, which made some of the medical staff cry too. In 2020, a difficult year for the whole world, after all we began to face the Covid pandemic, but we had many joys, as Joe was drafted and would be the new quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, and I was pregnant again.

Everything was going perfectly well when I started receiving messages from people at LSU saying that Joe cheated on me several times during the time he was there, that when I went to games he was the faithful husband, but when I was away, He took the opportunity to be with as many women as he wanted, especially at team parties and after games. Some of the women he was with sent me proof, such as photos and messages, and the whole puzzle began to be put together, I was cheated on throughout my first pregnancy.

I went to some games until the fourth month of pregnancy, after which Joe banned me from going to busy places, as he wanted me to not run any risk of hurting myself or the baby. I thought it was zeal and care, but in reality he wanted more peace of mind to practice his promiscuity. When he got home after another workout, I confronted him.

- Really Joe? While I was at home like an asshole waiting for you, you were having sex with several people like there was no tomorrow, and I was pregnant with your son Joe, your son. Don't you have shame on your face, you idiot? - I shouted

- Anna my love, forgive me, please forgive me, I don't know where my head was, I love you so much Anna won't leave me, there were moments when I let success go to my head, I was drunk most of the time times, I don't even remember - he was desperate

- There are no excuses Joe, you are already an adult who is aware of your actions, this justification with me doesn't work, you had no respect for our family Joe I hate you - I start hitting his chest, until I feel a strong pain in my belly and I start to cry and scream

Joe gets desperate and quickly takes her to the hospital, if something happened to Anna and the baby he would never forgive himself. He was crying non-stop at the reception and thinking about all the stupid things he did. Joe began to be increasingly harassed during his time at LSU for being the quarterback of the football team, this in itself attracts attention, but his physical appearance was always attractive to female eyes, and he ended up not being able to deal with all this harassment, having momentary affairs, but he forgot that he had a wife who was carrying his child who truly loved him, who had no interest in his status or appearance, and he was unable to value that.

Anna's health was stabilized and she was allowed to go home. Joe started doing everything he could to make Anna forgive him, she was still very weakened by the discovery of his betrayals, but she was very passionate about him and decided to give him a second chance. When the Verstappen family finds out about what happened, a scandal ensues. Max and his father became obsessed, they wanted to come to Ohio to attack Joe, Victoria, Anna and Max's younger sister, who was also pregnant at the same time, sent an audio to the quarterback calling him unpronounceable names, Sophie, the mother , begs Anna to separate from him, but the Dutch woman had already made the decision to give Joe another chance, even if the whole family was against it, but the truce happened in November 2020, when Amelie Lisa Burrow came into the world, and less than a month later, Victoria's son Luka was born.

 Time passed, and the Burrow family managed to strengthen themselves in the face of adversity, for them communication was the key to all problem resolutions. Even though Anna and Joe were very discreet, it was very difficult for them not to be filmed in the stands at Bengals games or at Max's races, they were a very happy and healthy family.

ANNA’S POV

After we managed to overcome the crisis in our marriage and build a healthy family dynamic for ourselves and our children, things seemed to fall into place. I finally realized my dream of having my own art studio, where I spent most of my time producing my paintings, sculptures and various works, and Joe was increasingly consolidated as one of the main players in the NFL, it's undeniable to talk about how he changed the Bengals team, for a long time they were unable to compete for higher positions, but since then, they managed to reach the playoffs and the Super Bowl, I couldn't describe how happy I was for my husband, but for a while now, I started to see how Joe got carried away by fame. More and more he began to be requested for events, parties, million-dollar advertising contracts, and the harassment from the media and fans tripled, but I began to get to know a side of my husband that is not cool at all. Being the daughter of a former pilot father and having a brother who is the current Formula 1 champion, I can say that neither of them let fame go to their heads. Max Verstappen Formula 1 world champion is still the same Max I grew up with, he hasn't changed his personal tastes or personality because of fame, if it were Max's will he wouldn't even have social media, he hates it a lot. However, I feel Joe slowly distancing himself from me, as a father I have nothing to complain about, he would give his life for Joshua and Amelie, he does everything for them, but I feel like I'm losing my husband.

 After the injury he suffered to his hand in the game against the Ravens, which left him out for the rest of the season again, Joe closed himself off into his own world and started refusing to talk to me, I at first tried to understand, because fuck, Once again he faces a serious injury that prevents him from playing football, since his first season in the NFL he has suffered some type of injury, but I would like him to be more transparent with me.

At the beginning of 2024 our distance becomes increasingly greater, with him more focused on treating the injury in his hand and him choosing to go to different events with his friends, and until then he, who was attentive to his children, became more absent, that's when I got tired of being silent, and we were increasingly fighting. I never stopped Joe from going out with his friends, who were also my friends from Ohio State, but I would like him to think more about our family, but Joe thought I was annoying, he said he needed to go out with his friends so he wouldn't be only thinking about the injury, and he still made a point of telling me that I was going to Europe frequently even when he needed me, and yet he always accepted the situation. By the way, I was born and lived until I was 18 in the Netherlands, and I have family and many friends there, right? And I make sure Joshua and Amelie are connected to my European roots, so much so that I teach them to speak Dutch.

I didn't know what else to do, I decided to call my sister-in-law Kelly to ask for advice. Kelly Piquet is like my older sister from another mother, she was always there for me and always helped me with advice, how grateful I am to have her in my life. The haters who criticize her are idiots, they feel entitled to criticize people they have never met in their lives.

- Kel, I don't know what to do anymore. It's been really hard to see photos of Joe at parties and events with his friends, enjoying himself like there's no tomorrow, meanwhile I have to deal with two children calling for their father and I'm not much different, I'm crying every day. 

- Anna, it's past time for you to be more combative in confrontations with him. Does this idiot not realize that he is destroying your family again? He forgets that you forgave him that time, is he doing the same thing again? Look..

- What do you mean Kelly, what is he doing again? What do you know, say it???

- Oh shit, I was thinking about the right way to tell you Anna. You know that my sister lives in Miami, right?

- Yes, I know, but what does that have to do with it?

- So... Anna, I don't know how I'm going to tell you

- Speak up, Kelly! The older woman sighs before making the revelation - she was with her fiancé at a club in Miami, and when she went to get a drink at the bar, she saw Joe in a circle with several women, one of them She was even sitting on his lap. His friends were also there, she was in disbelief when she saw that the woman who was on his lap wasn't you and was willing to go to him to ask questions, but her fiance didn't let her, she ended up taking a photo to prove it. -Kelly then sends the photo to Anna, who is so shocked to see the photo, that she freezes

- Anna, Anna, are you feeling ill? Answer me- Kelly speaks desperately 

- He broke my trust…again

- Anna, I received the photo on the same day as the party, but I was so confused about how to tell you, that it took me days. I didn't even show Max, you know what he would be able to do, since when I started dating his brother, I only hear him talk about how he hates Joe and that if he could he would break his legs.

- I don't even know if Max needs to know these details, all I don't want is more problems. Kelly, I just know that I need to get out of Cincinnati urgently, I need to think about how I'm going to confront Joe again.

- You know that our house is always open for you here in Monaco, right? Penelope loves Joshua and Amelie, she will love them here to play together

- You're right, I'll arrange my ticket now. It won't do any good now, Joe is going to stay out of the house most of the time, why can't I?

- That's my girl. Let me know the day of your departure, let me pick you up at the airport

Anna packed her and the children's bags and headed to Monaco, where she would stay at Max and Kelly's house. She warned Joe about the trip, on the pretext of taking her children to visit her family and go watch Max's races, and to no surprise, Burrow was indifferent. 

 The Dutchwoman felt very light and happy on the European continent, she was able to see her family and friends, and went to watch several of Max's races, but she had a mission, and Kelly was her assistant on this journey. They were willing to prove that Joe was cheating again, and came up with a very meticulous plan. They hired a private detective to follow Joe's every step, tracked his cell phone, and, in addition, got access to the list of events he was going to be a guest at, and, as Kelly already lived in the USA and had friends there, she called her acquaintances to be at these events as informants on Joe's every move. And it didn't take long for the evidence to appear, the detective sent several photos of Joe at secret parties with many women, they had access to messages of him talking to many women, be they anonymous women, sub-celebrities and even high-ranking Hollywood celebrities, in addition to the reports of informants. To improve the situation, the famous gossip profile Deuxmoi began publishing information about Joe's betrayals, not surprising Anna and Kelly, who already knew everything that was happening, but when the news reached Max, he became possessed and called to Joe, sparking a huge argument.

- I'm going to kill you son of a bitch, you get ready when I see you. I'm going to bring my sister and nephews back to Europe, they won't stay in Cincinnati for another second.- The driver shouts into the phone

- It's a situation that your sister and I have to resolve alone, you don't get involved, understand? Take charge of your own life, as a public person you also know that people make up rumors.- Joe says irritated 

- Anyone who doesn't know you should buy you Joe, your good guy mask has fallen off a long time ago, only deluded idiots believe in you. You're shit, trash, a failure who won't get anywhere, meanwhile Mahomes is winning titles after titles, that's it, character is for few. - the Dutchman continues arguing with Joe.

The exposure of Joe's betrayals gains another chapter, when Deuxmoi again publishes information from a source in which Joe was seen with an Onlyfans model called a babydoll in Los Angeles. Again, no surprise for Anna, she had access to hot photos of them in a luxurious motel and trying to be as discreet as possible, but the attempt failed, as they had no idea that an elaborate scheme was in action to capture the betrayals. After the exposure, Joe immediately stopped following Babydoll, but the woman had a bad conscience and looked for Anna and revealed the whole truth, that she and Joe had been seeing each other for months, that she ended up hooking up with both him and Nick Bosa in Florida, but Joe had told her he was divorced. This was the last straw for Anna to prove that Joe was really a scoundrel and that he hadn't changed at all. 

 With all the evidence recorded and captured, Anna knew that she needed to face Joe again and end this toxic marriage once and for all, because she didn't deserve it and didn't need to go through this, she knew she didn't need to. When she gets home, Joe is sitting on the couch shaking, she walks past him, puts the kids in their room and turns on the television for them, and when she comes back, he starts to explain himself.

- Honey, about the gossip, no.

- Joe, there's no point in explaining my love. I already know everything.

- How do you know? - he says stuttering

- Well, let's say that during this time away from home, I discovered myself as a true CSI, devised a sensational investigation plan and got all the evidence? - when she finishes her response, she throws a huge folder at him, containing the entire dossier of photos, prints of messages and reports from the informants who were following him. As he turned each page, Joe became more and more white, he couldn't believe it, Anna did a heavy investigation on him.

- Funny, I was trying to understand why my husband was being so rude to me, but then everything became very clear to me, it was his guilty conscience, no no, I was wrong, it's because there was too much vagina to handle, right Joe?

- Anna…

- Shut up, I'm the one talking now. You had no respect for me when I was pregnant with your children, I almost lost Amelie because of you, and again you have no shame in your disgusting face when you expose us to ridicule again, but this time Joe, for me it is final , it's over, that's enough, now our conversation is in court, in a little while I'll call my lawyer to speed up the divorce process. IT'S OVER- you scream at him

-Anna listen to me please- he starts to cry

- I can't believe your Judas tears Joe, it was you who destroyed your family just for promiscuous moments of pleasure, now you have to bear the consequences. Now our conversation is in court, we have to look at the pension values, shared custody and the sharing of assets. And I'm warning you, pack your bags and get out, this is my house and the children's, if you want, you can go live with your thousands of lovers, now you have several houses. Come on, come on, go away, bye- she pushes him to the stairs.

Joe goes upstairs crying compulsively, he deeply regretted hurting and hurting Anna, but it was too late, now that he woke up to the reality that his family was destroyed as a result of his actions, and now he would have to deal with this burden for himself. the rest of your life. Anna was left alone in that huge mansion, with two young children and a broken heart, but she has enough strength to pick herself up and move forward, and with the support of her family, true friends, her children and her work, she was going to get by find yourself and be happy again.

[sinclair-wax-fan]

I’m thinking about how neither Bo nor Vincent is “the older twin”—because they would have been born via c-section.

I’m also thinking about what it must have been like to be Trudy—almost certainly doing a home birth and possibly not knowing she was having twins.

(The newspapers on the wall of the Wax Museum say “expecting first child” not children--despite Trudy being *heavily* pregnant in the photo.)

From what I can tell just from a quick google, ultrasound machines would have been pretty new technology in the early 1970’s and not widely available—certainly not available to a single doctor working independently of a hospital.

And if Victor was fool enough to preform the twins separation surgery himself, I have no doubt he was handling his wife’s pregnancy all on his lonesome. I think he did her c-section himself in the small operating room we see in the movie, although he must have had an anesthesiologist he regularly worked with on call--there's here’s no way he could have administered anesthetic and preformed the c-section at the same time.

I imagine they were originally planning your traditional "at home birth" when things went south. The anesthesiologist was originally only planning to administer an epidural, which were just gaining popularity at the time--so when Trudy began to crash badly enough, it must have been either "we operate now or risk losing her on the long drive to the hospital." Since c-sections were only used in like 10% of pregnancies at this time, with Trudy being in bad shape mentally and physically during the birth, and there only being two medical personnel on hand--I imagine they had to put Trudy all the way under for the c-section.

(I imagine typically only small surgeries that could be done under local anesthetic were preformed in Victor's office--always with a booked appointment—but they did keep the materials for general anesthetic on hand for emergency situations.)

I know Victor’s status as licensed doctor is circumspect due to Bo’s creative story telling. I think there's a kernal of truth in history but it's been hammed up because Bo is dramatique.

I've been playing with the idea of Trudy and Victor originally starting in the north, with Victor being from a wealthy family in New York state. He did loose his license—for preforming abortions under the table for women from other wealthy families. (And also at least one for his wife.) Being wealthy, he was able to avoid jail time—and when abortion was decriminalized in 1970 in New York State, he had enough influence to get his license restored and his record expunged.

Unfortunately, his reputation was in tatters. I image that his family was catholic and—while Victor wasn’t practicing—his parents were prominent members of their church. He had embarrassed them greatly, and his marriage to a poor uncouth midwestern Protestant woman (despite her converting in an effort to win their approval) know for being something of a bohemian didn’t help matters.

So, when Victor heard through the grape vine that the son of a friend of a friend was starting a new business venture in Louisiana—a sugar mill with an accompany town for the workers--and they were looking for a company doctor, well, who doesn’t like a new beginning?

So, by the time he got down to Ambrose he was fully licensed, operating a sort of dual "company doctor/private practice" roll in Ambrose, and was granted the ability to admit patients to the closest emergency hospital in Baton Rouge.

So the twins were born in their home--but pretty much immediately rushed to the hospital (along side Trudy) post birth.

It was several weeks of observation in the hospital for the twins. It ended with Victor insisting on being allowed to preform the twins' separation. He refused to give consent to allow any other surgeon to operate on them and convinced Trudy "no one else will do as good as job as I will because I'm their father."

But really it was just professional pride.

Still, Victor was good at his job and the twins were successfully separated.

Unfortunately, he was not nearly as competent a father as he was a surgeon.

[soapyghostie]

All 3 sinclair brothers (separate) meeting victim future s/o who has dwarfism?

Hey! This one was an interesting one. 🤔 I hope you like it!

Bo Sinclair

When he first saw you walk in his shop with a bunch of your friends, Bo was curious about you. He has never seen someone as small as you, not including children and babies. 

He’ll try to charm you and win you over with that southern accent and smirk of his. More so than all your other friends. You're just so unique that he needs to have you as a wax figure laying around Ambrose. 

He’ll definitely make snarky comments about your size to your friends in front of you. He is just a bastard like that. Don’t take it too personally. At least one of your friends stood up for you and, sadly, got targeted to be the Sinclair’s first kill and new addition to Ambrose. 

When you realize that Ambrose was a death trap, you tried to run, but Bo caught you pretty quickly. Sorry. ☹️ He threw you over his shoulder and took you to the basement under his shop, hoping to have some fun with you before turning you into a wax figure. However, you know the rest is history. 🙂 

Vincent Sinclair

Vincent first saw you in the House of Wax with your friends looking at his and his momma’s art. Bo had informed him that he had sent you and your friends up to the wax museum and for Vincent to observe. Boy! Did Vincent observe! Like Bo, he’s never seen anyone like you before. He’s heard of dwarfism, unlike Bo, but, again, has never seen a grown person so short in his life! 

He wants you for his wax collection. You’re so unique. You’ll make a fine piece of art for Ambrose and he’ll preserve and display you well. This is a once and a lifetime opportunity for him to have someone like you be part of this wonderful masterpiece of a town he and his brothers have created. 

He stalks you a lot. He watches your every move. Observing you. He’s literally obsessed with you. He watches you very closely to find your weaknesses so he can use that to his advantage to take you back to his workshop and turn you into a wax figure when Bo gives him the go ahead. 

He goes for you first. He could care less about your friends. Once he has you, he takes you back to his workshop and I’ll let you decide what happens next. 😉

Lester Sinclair

You and your friends’ car broke down on the highway, in the middle of nowhere, in the hot Louisiana sun. However, miracles work in mysterious ways. A few minutes later, an old truck comes up the highway and slows down to a stop next to you and your friends’ car. 

The first thing Lester noticed was you. You were so different from the rest of your friends. You were so small and cute. He offered to take you and your friends to Bo to find the right car parts you needed to fix your car. You know? The usual. 

On the way to Ambrose, you were the one who talked to Lester the most out of all of your friends. Your friends thought he was creepy. You even got comfortable enough where you told him a little bit about your dwarfism. That made Lester feel bad because you trusted him enough to tell him about something that is sensitive to you and you had no idea what was coming for you and your friends… 

You were the last one standing. All your friends were dead. Bo and Vincent had you cornered. This was it for you. You were going to become a corpse of art… or so you thought… Right as Vincent raises his blade to end your life, Lester runs up from behind his brothers and shields you from the blow. After all, you trusted him with something so sensitive to you and he couldn’t just let you die for that. Right?

[padawan-historian]

How do the memories and magic of children disrupt and upRoot the histories we tell ourselves? How do children navigate spaces of oppression and liberation? How do they find joy and hope in places that were not created for them to exist? They live.

(1) Portrait of two young Jackson girls in wrinkled, informal wear. Potentially the descendants of emancipated Virginian Bethany Veney, who authored a narrative of her life in slavery and went on to own three houses in Worcester's Beaver Brook neighborhood (1900)

(2) Three sister dressed in matching outfits (and shoes). The center girl holds a favorite object close, perhaps a record album (1926)

(3) Florence Jones (in white dress with large bow) and a friend swing on a family hammock in Lincoln, Nebraska (1915-1920)

(4) Students at the Harry Prampin School Recital in Harlem (1927)

(5) Washington, D.C. Young boy standing in the doorway of his home on Seaton Road in the northwest section. His leg was cut off by a streetcar while he was playing in the street (1942)

(6) A girl and her dog pose in a New York studio (1921)

(7) Ho-Chunk cousins Carrie Elksit (ENooKah) and Annie Lowe Lincoln (Red Bird) wearing elaborate beaded necklaces and earrings. Carrie (left) was the afroindigenous daughter of Lucie Elk, while Annie (right), was the daughter of King of Thunder in Black River Valley (1940)

(8) Ms. Ruby dons her Pullman maid’s uniform and and poses next to a young girl in Stafford County, Virginia (1904-1918)

(9) Eileen Buckner poses with her grandfather Anthony T. Buckner, who was born enslaved and would go on to be one the most respected merchants in the Charlottesville. Eileen's father, George W. Buckner, would go on to write the New Negro manifesto in 1921

(10) A girl smiles wide as she milks a cow (1934–1956)

(11) A young child plays the phonograph in his family cabin located at the Transylvania Project in Louisiana (1939)

(12) Two brown skinned girls pose in matching dresses near the center of their classroom picture in front of Lincoln High School, Nebraska (around 1919)

(13)  A young sharecropper lays out on his attic bed in New Madrid County, Missouri (1938)

(14) Chris Easterling (left) and George Mashatt learn how to signal when they want the bus to stop in Ann Arbor (June 1975)

(15) A little girl watches the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with her family in New York (1946)

(16) Little ballerinas dance at the Frederick Douglass housing project located in Anacostia, D.C. (1942)

(17) Integrated summer activities at Camp Nathan Hale in Southfields, New York where children learned different skills, like first aid, under the guidance of the Methodist Camp Service (1943)

(18) A young girl smiles at her feline friend; notice the ribbon on the cat's neck (1925)

(19) Children stand in a line to pose during their candy eating competition W.E.B. DuBois' Brownies Book

Sources: Worcester Art Museum, James Van Der Zee Collection, Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing, Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library, National Museum of African American History and Culture

[imslowlydisintegrating]

WAY DOWN ON THE RIVER

“Oh mother tell my baby sister / Not to do what I have done / But shun that house in New Orleans / They call the Rising Sun” — House of the Rising Sun by Lauren O’Connell

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genre: horror comedy

pov: 3rd limited; switches between characters

setting: on a traveling new orleans riverboat, from new orleans, louisiana to cairo, illionois

content warnings: gore, graphic depictions of violence, depictions of panic attacks, blood, death

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blurb, characters + worldbuilding under the cut

BLURB

Nine killers board a boat, each with a different intent. Some there to kill, and some there for it's intended purpose — traveling. Whatever the reason, all of them get tangled up in the complex web of everyone's favorite game show, Who Killed That Guy? With the deaths piling up, everyone aboard has to manage to survive the rest of the week. If only there was a detective on board; alas, they probably killed him, too.

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CHARACTERS

Anastasia "Tasi" Marie / TEATIME

Anastasia "Tasi" Marie was born and raised in New Orleans, USA. Most of her childhood was spent hiding from her transphobic, alcoholic mother and learning about anything she could get her hands on, usually politics and government. When she turned 16 she leaped at the chance to get emancipated and won the court case. Due to her intelligence and studious nature, Anastasia managed to get accepted into a college soon after emancipation. She was a history major at Columbia University, New York, and later worked as an archivist at a local museum. When she discovered one of her coworkers was cheating on his wife, she killed him, leading police investigations to discover he was adulterous and make his wife aware. After the first killing, Anastasia continued to kill cheating spouses. Eventually, she quit her job and started traveling to find a wider variety of victims. Her method of killing is inviting her victims over for tea and poisoning them with cyanide. Anastasia hates violent killing, not for the nature of it, but simply because she thinks it's too messy and the cleanup isn't worth it. She's very strategic and can form a complex plan from very little information, which is how she's succeeded as a serial killer for nearly a decade. She has what she describes as 'the most peculiar sense of being able to tell when it's going to rain, but only a few hours before it happens.' She has a pet rat named Rat that she always brings with her to her murder scenes. Anastasia also suffers from inattentive type ADHD. She currently lives in Denham Springs, Louisiana, USA.

Araceli "Cheli" Malviya / LANCELOT

Araceli "Cheli" Zamora was born in Madrid, Colombia and lived there for the first seven years of her life to a Spanish father and Colombian mother who later divorced when she was 3. When she was 9, she was adopted by an Indian-American woman referred to only as the Specter after her parents were murdered. Cheli moved to New York, USA and The Specter became her mother and taught her how to kill as well as personally educating her in most other subjects. She learned Louisiana Creole, Hindi and Mandarin Chinese as a result of being raised with the Specter, Sam and Zexi. The Specter allowed all her children to choose if they wanted to choose the path of serial killing, and they decided they did want to, becoming the group of serial killers known as the Trinity. Cheli's main victims are pastors with a history of SA. Her method of killing is killing her victims with throwing knives. The knives are personalized — they're named after female Catholic saints, and the names are engraved into them. Cheli has slight anger issues and learned how to box and play drums as a coping mechanism. She's the only one of her siblings that knows how to do hair, and loves it. She learned how to do Afro hairstyles and dye, bleach, and cut hair so she could know how to do her sibling's hair. Cheli is described by Sam as 'charming in an annoying way — she'll insult you and make you fall in love with her all in the same sentence.' She has a strong dislike of bright, artificial lights, but loves dim lighting from lamps. Cheli suffers from hypoglycemia and as a result always has candy or candy wrappers in her pockets. She currently lives in New York City, New York, USA with Sam and Zexi.

Samson "Sam/Sammie" Malviya / BAM BAM

Samson "Sam" Zamora was born in a small farming town near Baton Rogue, USA. They were raised unaware of their parents, since the community operated under a communal raising structure, usually only bothering with parents for government requirements. When they were 9, they were adopted by the Specter, an ordeal the farming community was concerningly apathetic about. Sam moved to New York, USA and The Specter became their mother and taught them how to kill as well as personally educating them in most other subjects. They learned Spanish, Hindi and Mandarin Chinese as a result of being raised with the Specter, Cheli and Zexi. The Specter allowed all her children to choose if they wanted to choose the path of serial killing, and they decided they did want to, becoming the group of serial killers known as the Trinity. Sam's main victims are middle-aged addicts with children. Their method of killing is blunt-force trauma. Sam has horrible eyesight and uses glasses, but mainly relies on their siblings for guidance. They are easily the best dressed out of their siblings and put the most effort into their appearance. Sam is also the best cook out of their siblings and enjoys cooking Indian and Louisiana Creole food with the Specter. They love visiting museums with their siblings and making it a competition to see who can find the most homoerotic exhibit in a set amount of time. Sam is described by Ruhi as having 'impossibly long eyelashes over piercing gray eyes that make Ruhi's breath catch when they sweep over him with a mix of curiosity and disdain.' They currently live in New York City, New York, USA with Cheli and Zexi.

Zexi Malviya / HONEYPIE

It's unknown exactly where Zexi Zamora was born, as his mother abandoned him at an orphanage after his birth due to mental health and financial reasons on his part. He was raised by primarily Latina people, and as a result, became fluent in Spanish. They were also firm in teaching him Mandarin Chinese, believing it was important for him to have some connection to his culture even when he wasn't surrounded by it like he would be if he had been raised by his mother. When he was 9, he was adopted by the Specter, which was very bittersweet for the orphanage caretakers. Zexi moved to New York, USA and The Specter became his mother and taught him how to kill as well as personally educating him in most other subjects. They learned Hindi and Mandarin Chinese as a result of being raised with the Specter and Sam. The Specter allowed all her children to choose if they wanted to choose the path of serial killing, and they decided they did want to, becoming the group of serial killers known as the Trinity. Zexi's main victims are detectives who are assigned to investigate his sibling's murders. His method of killing is using a suffocation agent in his victim's food, usually a dessert like cake or pie. Zexi is the peacemaker between his siblings and often tells them they 'need to chill out.' He's a photographer and frequently visits the scenes of his sibling's murders to photograph them. Zexi is deaf and knows ASL (so do Cheli and Sam), but his deafness isn't took severe so he's able to use hearing aids. He likes to joke about lots of things being deeper than they are — for example, he could see a penny lying facedown on the ground and equate it the silencing, oppression and genocide of Native Americans. Sam has described this talent as a 'stupidly interesting skill, the way he pulls things from thin air. Sam nearly considers it an art form.' He currently lives in New York City, New York, USA with Cheli and Sam.

Akachi Moriai/ MS. MEDIC

Akachi Moriai was born in Enugu, Nigeria and lived there for 16 years with a complicated relationship with her parents until she left for college possibilities in the US. They had a few kills under their belt before they left for the US, but after they made it to the US they started killing more frequently. She befriended Toyoko, who was also coincidentally a serial killer, but it wasn't something Akachi was aware of until they started dating when Akachi was 19. Akachi dropped out of Harvard Medical School to instead travel around killing people with Toyoko, which they found much more rewarding (to each their own, I guess). She married Toyoko when she was 22. Their main victims are male gynecologists who SA their patients. Her method of killing is overdosing her victims on certain pills. Akachi is a very artistic person and paints portraits of their wife's victims with the victim's blood. She keeps a jar of things that are sensory-pleasing for her wife around at all times. Akachi is very fond of snakes and usually has one around them at all times. Sometimes the snakes aren't even personal pets, they're just...there. She also really likes wearing jewelry and is constantly layering bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces. While they are very artistic, Akachi is also kind of flighty and non-committal, hopping around arts and crafts and picking up new creative hobbies every few months and such. She currently lives in Chicago, Illinois, USA with Toyoko.

Moriai Toyoko / THE SURGEON

Moriai Toyoko was born in Narita, Japan where she lived for fourteen years before her parents immigrated to the USA. Due to large pressure to become a doctor like her uncle from her parents and their refusal to accommodate her needs as an autistic person, Toyoko went slightly crazy and killed her parents with surgical tools when she was 17. She managed to frame their deaths as if they were murdered by burglars and played the part of the grieving daughter. After that, she continued her killing. Her main victims are psychiatrists who diagnose with obvious bias/ableism. Her method of killing is cutting with surgical tools. Toyoko is often self-destructive and works more than healthy for her, but tries to stop because it makes Akachi nervous about Toyoko's health. She's obsessed with keeping her spaces clean and cleans her tools 3 times a day at designated times. While Toyoko is autistic, she has high-functioning autism and a harder time with social cues and interaction than overstimulation. Her special interest is in surgery and medical mysteries, and she spends a lot of her time reading or studying surgery procedures/statistics and medical mysteries. Toyoko is very oblivious and didn't realize she was dating Akachi until three months into the relationship. While not a very sentimental person, Toyoko makes certain to keep every small gift her wife gives her. She currently lives in Chicago, Illinois, USA with Akachi.

Ruhi Arana / FLASH-BANG

Ruhi Arana was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and lived there for their whole life. The start of his killing began as a response to the murder of his mother and father when he was 7. As a result of their parents' death, they were raised by their aunt. His parents' death was the outcome of a racial hate crime, and the man who murdered them was later put on trial and declared guilty due to the efforts of Ruhi's aunt. While Ruhi was on a vacation in Argentina when they were 16, they ended up meeting Don. They both attempted to kill the same man, which they succeeded at, but then both attempted to kill each other, which failed. Ruhi's main victims are people with a history of racial and transphobic hate crimes. His method of killing is stunning his victims with a bright light and then choking them via smoke inhalation. Ruhi is described by Zexi to be a 'tall, lanky son a bitch that was even taller than Zexi, who was notably the tallest of his siblings.' Ruhi is a solitary person and despises working in large groups, barely tolerating partnerships. It's easy for them to adapt to new situations and learn things very quickly, which is part of the reason they've managed to get away with murder for 8+ years. Ruhi is incredibly good at literary analysis and composition and works for a newspaper. If able, he signs up to write articles on his murders, making sure to reveal the victim's history of hate crimes. They're also majoring in English Literature at The University of Auckland. Ruhi's a shameless flirt, described by Don as 'willing to flirt with a shoebox if it attracted him enough.' He currently lives in Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Donna "Don" Nekvasilová / BELLADONNA

Donna "Don" Nekvasilová was born and raised in Sokolov, Czech Republic where she lived for eleven years before her family immigrated to the US. Don attends Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey as a psychology major. He plans to get a master's degree in psychology and become a forensics psychologist. Their killing started when they were 16 and saw a xenophobic woman harassing an Asian person, leading Don to later kill the xenophobe. Her parents remained unaware of this and are very supportive of whatever Don decides to do with her life (probably wouldn't be supportive of murder, but what I'm saying is she's the only serial killer with a happy, living family). Don's main victims continued to be xenophobes after the first murder. His method of killing is through the use of poisonous plants, usually atropa belladonna since that's his calling card. Don is dyslexic and uses colors to code his plants instead of the names, which is helpful in concealing their crimes. She's incredibly skilled at makeup and uses it to her advantage and is one of the best at hiding her identity. He has the nervous habit of biting at his nails, leading to his fingers always having stains of blood or blood crusted around the nails. Don is also a gymnast, specializing in aerial silks and the balance beam, making them incredibly agile and flexible. She's a very energetic, vibrant person who often has trouble sleeping because of their amount of energy. It also causes him to be slightly irritating to the people around him, and his energy and constant movement can be tiring to some. They're described by Ruhi as seeming 'weirdly knowledgeable about many things — it's like she was made for Jeopardy.' She currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.

Muoi "Ash" Vanich / THE PYRE

Muoi "Ash" Vanich was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. He attended the Faculty of Medicine, Chang Mai University to become an RN. He lived in Thailand for nearly twenty-five years before immigrating to the US with his sister to help her raise her family. After immigrating, Ash got a job as a travel nurse, which led to him traveling around a lot, making it easier for him to kill people without his sister and other family becoming aware. In the medical world, ableism thrives, and as a result, Ash's main victims are ableists, usually people who accuse disabled people of faking it. His method of his killing is through fire by any means. Ash was born with a limp and uses a cane full-time, experiencing chronic fatigue as a result. He's plagued with night terrors about drowning, which is part of the reason he's so attracted to fire. Ash is depressed and anxious, and basically a tired old uncle that needs a nap instead of murder. Despite using a cane, is supernatural how clumsy he is, he gains fifteen new bruises every day. When he gets to new places he'll be in for a while, he walks around them, mentally mapping them out so when he walks around later he can close his eyes and get the slightest moment of rest. He's described by Cheli as a man who looks like 'the tired, sad uncle that you only see at the family function and always looks to be on the verge of death.' He currently lives in Washington, D.C., USA near his sister.

Crew of the Beaulieu

The Specter (she/her ; 53) is the Indian-American woman who adopted Cheli, Sam, and Zexi. She was also a serial killer, albeit before her children's time, stopping her killing around five years before her children's adoption. She was called the Specter for her unknown method of killing and the fact that her identity was never discovered.

Kalpani Corea (she/he ; 48) is the Sri Lankan pilot and captain of the Beaulieu, the riverboat WDOTR is set on. She is a close friend of the Specter and regraded by Anastasia as a woman with 'a confident set to her shoulders and a sly smirk playing on the edges of her lips.' To Cheli, Sam, and Zexi he is considered an honorary, 'fun' aunt.

Aniyath Inasa (he/him ; 34) is the Maldivan clerk of the Beaulieu and cousin of Kalpani. He's a serious man with a blank gaze and aloof attitude toward most of the passengers. He does have a soft spot for Cheli, Sam, and Zexi, however, and has been known to crack an occasional smile around them.

Nazli Volkan (they/them ; 26) is the Turkish engineer of the Beaulieu. They're quite skittish and usually only speaks around other crew members. While they do take a while to warm up to, they are very dependable and gets on Aniyath's nerves the least.

Szalai Zita (xe/xyr ; 40) is the Hungarian head of the firefighters of the Beaulieu. Xe's a loud, slightly obnoxious member of the crew, but much of the younger crew adores xyr like a mother. Xe is the love of Kalpani's life and her partner.

Miryam Caillat (she/her ; 36) is the French mate of the Beaulieu. She doesn't hesitate to snap, and while not abusive like mates used to be in older times, is quite strict with the deckhands. Even though she's firm, she's fair and respectful of each of the deckhands, taking the time to learn each of their names and getting to know them, despite her joking that she only does that so the deckhands know who she's yelling at.

Jackie Watts (they/she/he ; 27) is the American 'leader' of the deckhands, or the co-mate of Miryam on the Beaulieu. Jackie is a mischievous, bouncy person whom Toyoko describes as having 'a sparkle in their eyes that they'll always have, no matter how old.' Despite their decade long age gap, she's known to get along well with Cheli, Sam, and Zexi.

Isma Samaha (he/they/ze ; 33) is the Egyptian head of the cabin crew. Considered the kindest of the crew on the Beaulieu, Isma is described by Cheli as 'a soft kind of person, but only to the people he thinks need it.' They're very supportive of the entire crew and jokingly called Dr. Samaha due to the crew joking that Isma could be a therapist.

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Worldbuilding

The World

The world is basically a parallel/alternate world to ours. It's very similar and has many of the same elements like world leaders, celebrities, historical events, etc. Aesthetic-wise, it is more steam-punky and the use of machines and mechanics like trains, steamboats, and ferries is commonplace globally. Mechanics* as a whole are incredibly innovative and forward, much more advanced than our world. Supernatural elements are also way more prominent in this world, and things like cryptids, monsters, and magic are real, tangible things. This does affect the day-to-day life of the people of this world, and it's not uncommon to see something supernatural every day.

This world is, funnily enough, aware of our universe/world. While this world is not constantly up to date on our world, they do manage to get some form of news every few years. Of course, major historical events still happen, including the horrible ones. But as for mechanical, technological, architectural, etc. — those mistakes are often discovered and corrected.

Note: this doesn't mean technology. Technology, while more advanced than on our world, is not as common in this world.

Transportation

It takes place on a riverboat in New Orleans, Louisiana. In today's world, they usually aren't used for travel, more for a tourist attraction. In this world, steamboats and riverboats are used more commonly as modes of transportation on the water. The other main form(s) of transportation on land are trains and/or buses.

[astra-galaxie]

"Thank you, sir (Jones)! I'll prove you right; just you wait!" - Andrew Bontemp

Biographical information

Full Name: Andrew Bontemps

Gender: Transgender (female to male)

Sexuality: Pansexual

Status: Deceased

Age: 27 (season 3)

Birth: 1989

Race: Human

Cause of Death: Shot in the heart

Nationality: American

Origin: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Residence:

Concordia, USA

Grimsborough, USA (formerly)

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA (formerly)

Profession(s): Police Officer

Family: Issac Bontemps (ancestor)

Partner(s): Reese Rochester (partner)

Affiliation(s):

Concordia Police Department

Flying Squad Preservation Society

Grimsborough Police Department (formerly)

Profile

Height: 5'11"

Age: 27 (season 3)

Weight: 183lbs

Eyes: black

Blood: O+

Andrew was a young African-American man with short, curly black hair, a matching beard, and black eyes. At the time of his death, he wore a crimson-and-black suit over a white long-sleeved shirt with a blue patterned necktie, black dress pants, and polished black shoes. He also had a golden monocle on his left eye, and a golden pocket watch was tucked into his vest pocket.

When working for the Grimsborough PD, he wore a standard police uniform.

As per his suspect appearance in Worst of Wives and Worst of Women, it is known that Andrew exercised.

Synopsis

Andrew was the victim in Murder From The Past.

Before appearing as a victim, he was a suspect in the murder of Renée Murphy. He was a rookie officer in the GBPD with dreams of one day moving to Concordia to become a detective like his ancestor Issac Bontemps. He first met Renée when he responded to a call about a domestic disturbance at Adalet’s house. He found the Lieutenant and Will trying to get Renée to leave, but the woman was drunk and wouldn't listen. Andrew eventually managed to get her into his squad car with Adalet’s help and brought Renée back to her hotel room after Adalet chose not to press charges.

The second time Andrew dealt with Renée was after he responded to reports of her trespassing on private property in Maple Heights. The owners of the properties denied knowing the woman and wanted her arrested. But Renée tried to buy her way out of the charges, writing Andrew a $10,000 cheque to look the other way.

But Andrew refused to accept the bribe and began the process of charging Renée for her crimes. But the woman would never serve any time for trespassing as she would be killed before Andrew could lock her up. Andrew was happy to see justice being served but was sad that Adalet lost two of her loved ones because of it, even if her “mother” was an absolute bitch.

During the additional investigation for that case, Chief King ordered Jones and John to make sure Andrew hadn’t accepted any other bribes. Andrew admitted that Renée had sent him another cheque for $10,000 but claimed he left it on Adalet’s desk for her to deal with. After finding the cheque and having Alex analyze it, they discovered that Andrew had cashed it into the GBPD’s account as a donation from Renée. Andrew thought if the woman was willing to pay the police to try and escape prison, his station might as well benefit from the money. It was later transferred into the GBPD’s funding for the local children’s charity drive.

Jumping forward a couple of years, Andrew had moved to Concordia and was on his way to becoming a detective. Before moving, he met Reese Rochester through an online dating site. The two hit it off, and sparks flew as they bonded over shared interests and different ones. When Andrew arrived at Concordia, Reese was there to greet him at the airport with a welcome sign and hug.

After settling into his new life, Andrew decided to join Concordia’s Flying Squad Preservation Society. He had always been fascinated by his family history with the Squad and wanted to do his part to keep their memory alive. That is why he volunteered for the Flying Squad Museum Committee and worked alongside other descendants and historical experts to create a museum aboard the Flying Squad’s airship.

Of course, nothing could ever go smoothly, and countless problems arose during the months the committee worked on the museum. But they worked together to overcome the challenges and see their vision come to life. Sadly, Andrew wouldn’t live to see that vision become complete; he was murdered aboard the very airship they were working to convert into a museum.

In the weeks leading to his death, Andrew accidentally annoyed a few of his fellow committee members. First, he lost the order form for Alessia Dupont’s supplies for her inventions, delaying her work. But he made it up to her by getting the shipment expedited, so she got it ahead of schedule.

Then, he knocked over Orlando’s glass of wine when delivering some rolls of fabric to the designer. The wine stained the newly finished trench coat and caused Orlando to have to remake that section of the jacket. With so much pressure on the man to complete the replicas in time, Andrew decided to keep his distance to avoid further damage.

Lastly, when Andrew was babysitting Sara for Flora, he turned away for a second, giving the little girl enough time to dunk one of her mother’s figurines in a jar of red paint. Andrew tried to clean up the doll before Flora got home, but it was impossible to get the paint off. Flora was already very stressed, so after yelling at Andrew, she ordered him to leave before anything else got ruined.

His friends would later apologize for getting angry at him, and Andrew would forgive them, knowing that all the stress they were under was what caused them to snap.

Outside of the committee, Andrew faced a couple more issues. The first was when he discovered that his partner, Reese, wanted to propose to him. He was pleasantly surprised when he found the ring they had gotten for him, but he told them he wasn’t sure if he was ready for marriage. Reese respected his choice and promised to wait until he was ready to formally ask him to marry them.

The other problem he ran into was when Justine Dawson submitted a request to have one of her ancestors featured in the Flying Squad’s museum. He denied the request because that ancestor had done horrible things when he was alive, and he wasn’t even a member of the Flying Squad! While some non-members were featured in aspects of the museum, none of them had exhibits dedicated to them; those were reserved for official members only.

It would be this last altercation that would lead to Andrew’s death. Justine was furious at him denying her request, believing her family deserved to be honoured for their work on Concordia. Her rage was heightened by the fact that Issac Bontemps had killed her ancestor, and she hated how the Flying Squad, their families, and their descendants got to live happily ever after while hers had to suffer shame and ridicule. She vowed to avenge her family’s honour and get revenge for her ancestor’s untimely death.

So, Justine stalked Andrew for weeks to learn his habits and schedule to find the perfect time and place to kill him. And that place would be aboard the airship. She snuck in after him and drew her weapon. Andrew pleaded for her not to kill him, but Justine refused to listen. She pulled the trigger, killing him with the same gun that Issac had used to kill her ancestor.

Andrew couldn't believe Justine would kill him over an old family feud and a one-sided rivalry at that! But he was happy to see justice being served for his murder and Justine imprisoned for life. Maybe it was selfish of him to be happy to see her get sent to rot in prison, but she did the crime, so now she needed to do the time.

And while Justine spent the rest of her life in prison, Andrew would spend his time in the afterlife, finally able to meet the ancestor and Flying Squad he had heard so much about.

Organization(s)

GBPD (formerly)

Rank: Officer

Concordian PD

Rank: Officer

Story Information

First appeared: Worst of Wives and Worst of Women

Trivia

When I first gave him the surname Bontemps, it was out of laziness. But after I realized I could use him and others as characters in the case Murder From The Past, I made him a descendant of Issac Bontemps

I haven't decided how he is a descendant of Issac yet; hopefully, I remember to do that while writing season 4!

I picked the name Andrew because I know a set of twins named Issac and Andrew, so I associate the names together

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames Mega Anime Avatar Creator! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad) Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad) Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad)

[semtituloh]

Art World

An 1837 Portrait of an Enslaved Child, Obscured by Overpainting for a Century, Has Been Restored and Acquired by the Met

A collector dedicated to unearthing Louisiana's African American history through works of art identified the painting's enslaved sitter.

[meret118]

The Earth has never been so hot. The three days of July 3 through July 5 were the hottest days on record. Temperatures have topped 100 degrees in Arizona, Florida, Texas, California, Louisiana, and Nevada, with no respite in sight. One-third of Americans were under some form of heat watch, advisory, or warning last weekend. It’s not just the US: Italy, Spain, and Greece will see temperatures up to 118 degrees Fahrenheit; at the Persian Gulf International Airport in Iran, it felt like 152 degrees last Sunday.

. . .

If your home does not have air conditioning or if you still feel hot, find a cooling center — an air-conditioned indoor location where the public can stay safe from the heat — in your area by calling 211 and asking for information about local cooling centers. Some states have lists of cooling centers online. Museums, libraries, movie theaters, cafes, malls, and stores can offer respites from the heat as well. Parents should remember to never leave children and pets unattended in the car. Cohen suggests placing your purse or phone next to your child or pet in the backseat as a double reminder to take them all with you.

Fucking bring your pets inside! The heat is even dangerous for them since they can't sweat as much as we do!

[progressivemother]

Anniversary Vacation

My husband and I have reached the significant milestone of ten years of marriage. We have made a decision to celebrate every five years with a vacation. If you have not yet adopted this practice, I recommend making it as a beautiful tradition.

We had the pleasure of visiting California during our recent vacation. As residents of Utah, we were excited to experience the ocean. My husband, understanding my love for nature and the fact that I had been working constantly, decided on this vacation to ensure I spent as much time in nature as possible. We got to witness the giant redwoods of California and played around in the ocean. The beauty of the surroundings was simply breathtaking. We barely spent any time in the hotel rooms and my husband thoughtfully chose a room with an ocean view. It was wonderful experience. We dined out every evening during our vacation.

On the first day of our trip, we made a stop at the well know Thunder Mountain Monument. While it was an awe-inspiring sight, it was unfortunate that we were unable to explore the interior due to others who have caused damage.

The second day brought us to the Redwood Park, where we saw the towering trees. My husband said that it felt as if we were on another planet. We are grateful that these majestic trees have been preserved for future generations to enjoy.

On the third day, we went Pacific Ocean. The beauty of the crashing waves against the shore was mesmerizing, and I could have spent hours watching it. While I attempted to play in the water, we found ourselves in a colder area, which was disappointing. But the beauty of the ocean made up for it. Later that evening, after dinner, we took advantage of the low tide to collect some seashells as souvenirs for the children.

The fourth day of our trip, we went to an aquarium, where we had the unique opportunity to pet a shark. It was fun to see how much the shark seemed to enjoy the attention. Her adorable demeanor made the experience all the more memorable.

This was the most fun I have had in years. Always working and watching children is stressful and getting away with my husband was the perfect thing to do. Ten years is a huge milestone in a marriage and milestones are worth celebrating.

It is widely acknowledged that there are many stunning vacation destinations around the world. However, there equally captivating places within the United States that offer the opportunity to immerse yourself in diversity.

• LA' Chinatown, USA: Beautiful spas, hotels, and even karaoke is available along with beautiful souvenirs and Chinese food.

• Honolulu, USA: Lolani Palace, hotels, surf lessons, Shark's Cove, and local cuisine.

• Sedona, Arizona, USA: Red Rock State Park, hotels, hiking trips, and homemade muffins

• New Orleans, Louisiana, USA: Mardi Gras, museums, the French Quarter, and Cajun food.

There are many others. Do some research and find beautiful destinations close by before going abroad. You have you entire marriage to make memories.

It is easy to get caught up in the daily routine and watch the weeks pass by without finding much time for enjoyment. We all have responsibilities, such as work and family commitments. However, it is essential to take breaks and make time for fun. Anniversaries provide an opportunity to break free from the routine and create memorable experiences. Even if it is not an anniversary, it is important to make an effort to create fun and memorable moments. Remember, it is crucial to prioritize these moments in our lives.

[lboogie1906]

Jurist Mayor Ernest Nathan Morial, known as Dutch Morial (October 9, 1929 – December 24, 1989) was a politician and a leading civil rights advocate. He was the first African American mayor of New Orleans. He was the father of Marc Morial, who served as Mayor of New Orleans.

Aa a New Orleans native, he grew up in the Seventh Ward. His father was Walter Etienne Morial, a cigarmaker, and his mother was Leonie V. (Moore) Morial, a seamstress. He attended Holy Redeemer Elementary School and McDonogh No. 35 Senior High School. He graduated from Xavier University. He was the first African American to receive a law degree from Louisiana State University. He came to prominence as a lawyer fighting to dismantle segregation and as president of the local (1962-65). He became the first African American member of the Louisiana State Legislature since Reconstruction when he was elected in 1967 to represent a district in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood. He then became the first African American Juvenile Court judge in Louisiana. When he was elected to the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, he was the first African American to have attained this position as well. He served in the Army (1954-56).

In the election of 1977, he became the first African American mayor of New Orleans.

He was the 23rd general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. In 1993, he was named one of the first thirteen inductees into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield, the first African American so honored.

He was married to Sybil Haydel and they have children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha

[unhingedwomandiaries]

There's this subreddit called /r/namenerds where people spend ungodly amounts of time debating the etymology and cultural relevance of baby names. I can't have children, but I've always dreamed of having a son and naming him George. To me, it's a strong, classic name with great significance. George is the name of my uncle who demonstrated incredible endurance and selflessness by once carrying a casket over 10 miles uphill for the sister of his wife's non-biological father. Just an extraordinary act of compassion for essentially a stranger within his extended family tree. So while the name itself might seem straightforward, the backstory gives it a lot of meaningful heft in my mind.

Anyway, there was this whole thread about a woman wanting to name her unborn child "x", which struck me as quite an unconventional choice. I pointed out that "x" was my great-grandmother's name from her non-English speaking culture, and that it's pronounced differently than how it looks spelled out in the English alphabet. But then some person tried dismissing the name's validity within my ancestral heritage, claiming this "x" didn't actually exist as a proper name in my family's culture.

So I suggested, perhaps too snarkily, that they visit the Native American museum in D.C. to see this "made-up" name inscribed on historical artifacts there. Their reply was essentially, "I don't need a museum's validation about my own culture!" Fair enough, I suppose.

But then a chorus of other voices chimed in, not just confirming I was correct about the name's indigenous origins, but also offering random facts about Beyonce herself being part Native American and having a relative with the same name in her family tree. Someone even claimed Beyonce's song "Jolene" has a line calling the Jolene character "a creole bitch from Louisiana", apparently suggesting Creole people intermingled with Native Americans in Canada, making them "Canadian Indians." I don't know her version of the song so I have no idea. Then they were on about using this name would be cultural appropriation unless you're native yourself. It was quite the dizzying rabbit hole of logistical leaps.

The person who originally doubted the name's existence ended up getting banned for being "culturally insensitive" which I assume meant their personal myopia overshadowed any interest in a more globally-recognized cultural truth. The whole exchange was just so nitpicky and absurdly blown out of proportion, I honestly can't tell if /r/namenerds is meant to be an earnest space for discussing names or just some elite form of internet satire. I'm leaning toward the latter.

[utsavkumar9875]

Exploring Metairie's Art Galleries and Cultural Institutions.

Nestled just west of New Orleans, Metairie, Louisiana, is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbor. However, this unassuming suburb has a vibrant arts and cultural scene that deserves recognition. From art galleries showcasing local talent to cultural institutions preserving the region's rich heritage, Metairie offers a wealth of artistic and cultural experiences. This article explores some of the must-visit art galleries and cultural institutions in Metairie, highlighting the unique contributions they make to the community.Read More

Art Galleries

1. Metaire Art Guild

The Metairie Art Guild is a cornerstone of the local art scene. Founded in 1956, this nonprofit organization has been promoting the visual arts in the community for decades. The guild hosts regular exhibitions featuring works by local artists, including paintings, sculptures, and mixed media pieces. The gallery space is intimate, allowing visitors to engage closely with the artwork. The Metairie Art Guild also offers art classes and workshops, fostering creativity and skill development among artists of all ages.

2. Ariodante Gallery

Ariodante Gallery, located in the heart of Old Metairie, is a hidden gem that showcases contemporary art from both established and emerging artists. The gallery's eclectic collection includes paintings, photography, ceramics, and jewelry. Ariodante is known for its commitment to supporting local artists and providing a platform for them to showcase their work. The gallery hosts monthly exhibitions, often featuring artist receptions where visitors can meet the creators behind the works.

3. Soren Christensen Gallery

Although primarily based in New Orleans, the Soren Christensen Gallery has a strong presence in Metairie, often collaborating with local artists and venues. This gallery is known for its contemporary and abstract art, representing a diverse group of artists from around the world. The Soren Christensen Gallery frequently participates in art fairs and community events, bringing cutting-edge contemporary art to the Metairie area. Their exhibitions often challenge traditional notions of art, encouraging viewers to see the world through a different lens.

Cultural Institutions

1. Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS)

The Jefferson Performing Arts Society is a cultural powerhouse in Metairie. Established in 1978, JPAS has been instrumental in bringing high-quality performing arts to the region. The society produces a diverse range of performances, including Broadway-style musicals, operas, ballets, and plays. Their productions often feature local talent, providing opportunities for aspiring performers in the community. JPAS also offers educational programs, including theater camps and workshops for children and adults, nurturing the next generation of artists.

2. East Jefferson Regional Library

The East Jefferson Regional Library is more than just a place to borrow books; it's a cultural hub for the Metairie community. The library hosts a variety of cultural events, including author talks, art exhibitions, and music performances. Its art gallery space features rotating exhibitions by local artists, offering visitors a chance to experience the vibrant visual arts scene. The library also provides resources for aspiring artists and writers, including workshops, writing groups, and access to digital art tools.

3. The Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture

While not exclusively in Metairie, the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture in nearby New Orleans is a must-visit for anyone interested in the region's rich cultural heritage. The museum showcases the elaborate costumes and traditions of Mardi Gras, an integral part of Louisiana's cultural identity. Visitors can explore a vast collection of costumes, masks, and artifacts, gaining insight into the history and significance of this annual celebration. The museum also offers interactive exhibits and guided tours, making it a fun and educational experience for all ages.

Community Art Initiatives

1. Art in Public Places

Metairie is home to several public art installations, thanks to initiatives like Art in Public Places. This program commissions local artists to create murals, sculptures, and other artworks that enhance public spaces. These installations not only beautify the community but also reflect its unique character and history. A stroll through Metairie's parks and streets will reveal a variety of public artworks, each telling a story about the community and its values.

2. Metairie Market

The Metairie Market is a vibrant community event that takes place regularly, featuring local artisans, crafters, and food vendors. This market is a great place to discover unique handmade items, from paintings and pottery to jewelry and textiles. The Metairie Market also hosts live music performances and cultural demonstrations, creating a lively atmosphere that celebrates the local arts and culture scene. It's an excellent opportunity to support local artists and immerse oneself in the community's creative spirit.

Conclusion

Metairie, Louisiana, may not be as renowned as its neighboring New Orleans, but its art galleries and cultural institutions are no less impressive. From the longstanding Metairie Art Guild to the contemporary exhibitions at Ariodante Gallery, the area offers a diverse array of visual arts experiences. Cultural institutions like the Jefferson Performing Arts Society and the East Jefferson Regional Library play a crucial role in fostering a vibrant cultural community. Public art initiatives and community events further enrich Metairie's cultural landscape, making it a hidden gem for art lovers and culture enthusiasts. Whether you're a resident or a visitor, exploring Metairie's art galleries and cultural institutions is sure to be a rewarding experience.