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[dejavuedits]

CHRIS WOOD AS MIKE MATTHEWS LAYOUTS

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[emjayewrites]

are you with me or what? (fouled by fate epilogue) • aurelien tchouameni

SYNOPSIS: Aurélien Tchouaméni, one of football’s rising stars, is used to navigating the pressures of the pitch—but nothing could prepare him for an arranged marriage. With his family’s legacy and cultural traditions at stake, Aurélien reluctantly agrees to marry a woman he barely knows. But as they’re thrust into the public eye, sparks fly in unexpected ways. The two must navigate the complexities of love, duty, and fame, all while figuring out if they’re playing on the same team—or if their hearts are destined for different paths.

PAIRINGS: Aurélien Tchouaméni x Zuri Awanto Nchang (faceclaim Samira Ahmed @/iamsamiira)

WARNINGS: cursing, football b.s., dry humor/wit, slight arguing, friends to lovers, instant attraction, angst, eventual smut (18+/minors dni)

TAGLIST: @trenterprise @f1-football-fiend @lettersofgold @hopefulromantic1 @deonn-jaelle @perfecttrashface @2serenity0 @muglermami @sucredreamer @julescpu @azzurvertz @greyishbach @shelovesfootie @certifiedlesbianbaddie @trinitoldyouso @bbgkoo @lottins-only @pepfectionary @peyiswriting @rosiesdior @yeea-nah @kj77 @imjustheretomanifest @judesvirtual @whoevenisthiz

A/N: This is the official end to ZuZu & Aurelien's story! I can't believe we are done! ZuZu and Aurelien are my OTP - I'm so happy to complete their story.

The last echoes of the crowd’s chants still hung in the air as Zuri made her way down the stadium steps, linking arms with Lila and Senait. The outcome of El Clásico had been brutal: Real Madrid had suffered a harsh 0-4 loss to FC Barcelona. Despite the sting of defeat, Zuri found herself laughing with her friends, her spirits lifted by the infectious energy surrounding them.

Senait was the most surprising of them all. She had spent the match enthusiastically cheering for Jules, and seeing her wave her Barcelona scarf and shout his name had almost felt surreal. Now, as they waited for the players to emerge from the showers, Zuri couldn’t resist teasing her.

"Never thought I’d see the day," Zuri mused, nudging Senait. "You really are Jules’ number one fan now, huh?"

Senait rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. "Don’t get used to it. It’s a one-time thing," she quipped, though her gaze flicked to the tunnel with undeniable anticipation.

Lila snickered, while Zuri exchanged a knowing look with her. Jules and Senait might have been taking things slow, but today’s public display of support spoke volumes.

As the players finally began filtering out, Zuri’s heart softened at the sight of Aurélien. Despite the loss, he held his head high, his hair still damp and his shoulders tense from the intense match. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him, offering comfort.

"You were amazing out there," she whispered, even if the score said otherwise.

Aurélien exhaled, the frustration still evident in his eyes, but he softened at her touch. "Merci, mon cœur," he murmured, leaning into her embrace.

Meanwhile, Jules emerged with a smug grin, immediately gravitating toward Senait. His confidence was unshaken, and the chemistry between them was undeniable. Zuri couldn’t help but smile, happy that her friends were finding their way, too.

Jude, however, was another story. His disappointment was palpable, and his jaw was set in a hard line. Lila noticed, slipping her hand into his and whispering something softly. The concern in her eyes spoke of their deepening connection, and she led him away, promising to catch up with the group later.

The scene shifted quickly after that. By the time Zuri and Aurélien were back in their home, the focus had turned from football to something far more exciting: packing for New York City. Malik’s engagement party was just around the corner, and Zuri carefully folded her dress into her suitcase. The gown, a stunning piece designed by a renowned Eritrean designer, honored Brynn’s heritage with intricate, hand-stitched patterns that shimmered under the light. The rich gold and deep red fabric felt like a celebration in itself, and she couldn’t wait to wear it.

Aurélien came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You look like you’re daydreaming," he teased.

She leaned back into him, a smile spreading across her lips. "Just thinking about how far we’ve come."

Indeed, so much had changed. Zuri had filed the restraining order against her father, and Aurélien had secured a cease and desist letter, deciding not to press for defamation. Malik had been her rock throughout the ordeal, and her mother had begun to find her own strength. Now living with Malik and his fiancée, Brynn, her mother was healing, and Zuri’s relationship with her was growing stronger by the day. The future, once clouded with uncertainty, now felt full of promise.

Madison Square Garden felt like coming home in a different way for Aurélien. He'd been to countless Knicks games over the years, but this was his first time bringing Zuri. Usually, he'd come with Jules, Cama, or other football friends during off-season breaks, but watching Zuri's excitement as they walked through the tunnel to their courtside seats hit differently.

"I still can't believe you're a Knicks fan," she said, settling into her seat. "Thought all Europeans were obsessed with the Lakers."

Aurélien grinned. "Been coming here since I was nineteen. The Garden just hits different."

A few of the regular courtside faces nodded in recognition – they were used to seeing him here during his NYC trips. Jalen Brunson came over during warm-ups, dapping him up.

"Thought you had a match this weekend," Jalen said.

"It got postponed," Aurélien explained, then turned to Zuri. "Babe, this is JB. JB, my fiancée Zuri."

Jalen's eyes widened. "Fiancée? When did this happen? Last time you were here you were talking about focusing solely on football."

Aurélien glanced at Zuri, who was trying not to laugh. "Long story, bro."

The game itself was electric – Knicks versus Cavs always brought intensity. Aurélien found himself splitting his attention between the court and Zuri, loving how she got into the game's rhythm.

"Your brother teach you all this?" he asked during a timeout.

"Please. Malik wishes he taught me about basketball," she shot back, making him laugh.

Speaking of Malik – tomorrow's engagement party loomed in Aurélien's mind. A chance for both families to come together, to show that the drama with Ernest was behind them. Zuri seemed to read his thoughts.

"Stop worrying," she said, squeezing his hand. "Tomorrow will be perfect."

His attention shifted back to the game as the Knicks went on a run. The Garden erupted, that familiar electricity he loved filling the arena. Zuri jumped up beside him, caught in the moment, and he pulled her close when she sat back down.

During halftime, they grabbed drinks – him sticking to water while Zuri nursed a beer. The second half was even better than the first. Knicks pulled ahead in the fourth quarter, Brunson hitting clutch shots that had the crowd going wild. Watching Zuri celebrate each basket, trash-talking with the Cavs fans nearby, Aurélien felt that familiar warmth in his chest.

When the final buzzer sounded – Knicks winning 115-109 – Aurélien felt that familiar Garden high. Zuri was still arguing with a Cavs fan about a questionable call in the third quarter, her energy infectious.

"Come on," he laughed, pulling her away. "Don't start an international incident."

"Did you see that travel though?" she protested as they made their way through the tunnel.

"Clearly you've been watching too much football. Getting all technical about rules. I see you, lil' ref."

The night air hit them as they exited MSG, the city alive with its usual energy. They'd both walked these streets countless times, but tonight felt different. Maybe because tomorrow would change everything – Malik and Brynn's engagement party marking a new chapter for their families.

"You're thinking too loud," Zuri said, wrapping both arms around one of his as they walked.

"Just thinking about tomorrow. Your father—"

"Won't be there," she finished firmly. "Mom's coming though. And she's excited about the traditional dances Brynn's family has planned."

Aurélien nodded, remembering the last conversation with Zuri's mother. The way she'd apologized, really apologized, for doubting him. For letting Ernest's lies cloud her judgment.

They walked past the bright lights of Penn Station, the sidewalks still bustling despite the late hour. A few people recognized him, but no one really cared about European football players in this city.

"You know what I love about being here?" he said, guiding Zuri around a halal cart. "No one cares that I play for Madrid."

"Humble," she teased. "But I get it. It's nice being normal sometimes."

They stopped at Zuri's favorite late-night spot – a hole-in-the-wall pizza place she'd discovered in college. The owner, Tony, brightened when he saw them, and Aurélien was surprised that he remembered him from his last visit with Zuri weeks ago.

"Lil' Zu and her soccer boy! Where ya been?"

"Back in Madrid," Aurélien explained, ordering their usual slice. "Here for my future brother-in-law's engagement party."

"Malik's finally doing it, huh?" Tony said, sliding their pizza across the counter. He'd heard all about her family during her previous late-night visits. "About time."

As they settled into their usual corner booth, Aurélien watched Zuri devour her slice. These simple moments – pizza at midnight, post-game highs, walking New York streets – felt precious now. After everything with Ernest, every peaceful moment felt like a victory.

"Stop," Zuri said, not looking up from her pizza.

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me like that. All soft and worried." She met his eyes. "Tomorrow is about Malik and Brynn. About celebration. No drama."

"Tomorrow's going to be beautiful," Aurélien said, stealing a bite of her pizza. "The venue Brynn chose, mixing both of their personalities... it's perfect for them."

"Like us at our engagement party," Zuri smiled. "Though with less family drama."

"Your mom's been different lately," he observed. "More like herself."

"She is. Finally seeing clearly again." Zuri wiped her hands on a napkin. "She keeps apologizing, you know. For believing him."

"She's your mother. She was scared."

"Still. The way she treated you..." Zuri shook her head. "But tomorrow's not about that."

They finished their pizza and headed out into the night again. A car zoomed by, hip-hop blaring from its windows. Tomorrow would be all tradition and family, cultural dances, and ceremonial blessings. But tonight was just them – a footballer and his fiancée, full of pizza and post-game excitement, walking New York streets like any other couple.

"We should head back," Zuri said eventually. "Early morning tomorrow. Brynn will kill me if I'm late helping with preparations."

Aurélien flagged down a cab, but before opening the door, he pulled Zuri in for a kiss. She tasted like pizza and possibility, like home and adventure all at once.

"What was that for?" she asked when they parted.

"Because I can," he smiled. "Because we made it through everything. Because tomorrow we get to celebrate love winning."

"Not you being a full-on sap."

"Only with you."

The cab ride back to their hotel was quiet, Zuri curled into his side, both of them watching the city blur past. Tomorrow would be grand and meaningful, but these moments – just them, just peace – were the ones Aurélien treasured most.

_______________________________________________

The evening was vibrant, alive with the rhythms of Cameroonian and Eritrean music blending seamlessly. The venue in Brooklyn had been transformed into a kaleidoscope of culture, draped in colorful fabrics and traditional decor. Brynn looked radiant, her intricate Habesha kemis dress sparkling under the twinkling lights, while Malik beamed with pride beside her.

Zuri’s dress caught the attention of many, the gold and red fabric flowing around her as she moved through the crowd. She found her mother near the dance floor, and before she knew it, they were swaying together to the beat, laughing like they hadn’t in years. The weight of the past few months seemed to lift in that moment, replaced by the pure joy of celebrating love and family.

Aurélien soon joined them, his broad smile lighting up his face as he pulled Zuri into his arms. They danced together, caught up in the music, the energy of the room, and the warmth of each other. Zuri felt her heart swell with happiness. They had faced so much, but love had carried them through every storm.

Malik’s voice cut through the music as he raised a toast, his arm around Brynn. "To family, to love, and to the future we’re all building together!" he declared, his deep voice full of emotion.

The room erupted in cheers, and Zuri felt tears prick her eyes. She caught Aurélien’s gaze, and he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I love you," he whispered.

Zuri looked up at him, her smile radiant. "I love you too."

They danced into the night, surrounded by laughter, love, and the promises of tomorrow.

in december…

The Alpine air was crisp, a delicate chill carrying the scent of pine and freshly fallen snow. Megève looked like something out of a snow globe, with its cozy chalets draped in twinkling fairy lights and the hum of holiday cheer spilling from bustling cafes. Zuri had never seen anything quite like it, she couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty around her.

The lodge buzzed with activity. Lila, bundled in a thick cable-knit sweater and her hair pulled back into a bun, was bustling around the kitchen, making hot cocoa for everyone. Jude stood beside her, watching with an amused expression as she meticulously arranged marshmallows on top of the steaming mugs.

Zuri joined them, her own chunky sweater swallowing her frame, and she reached for one of the mugs. "Is this your famous hot chocolate recipe?" she teased Lila, who was known for adding a secret ingredient to make it extra sweet.

Lila grinned. "Of course. Only the best for our holiday crew." She passed Zuri a mug, then handed another to Jude, who pulled her in for a kiss.

Watching them, Zuri couldn’t help but feel a pang of happiness for her friend. Lila and Jude’s relationship had grown so much, and it was clear how deeply they cared for each other. Their love had a quiet strength to it, something Zuri admired and felt inspired by in her own relationship with Aurélien.

As she sipped her cocoa, she glanced over at Senait, who was lounging on one of the benches outside. Senait was bundled in what looked to a sweater belonging to Jules, her dark curls framed her thoughtful expression as she watched the snowflakes fall. Zuri's eyes then moved to Jules, who made his way into the kitchen to grab a mug of cocoa.

What's going on with these two? she wondered before grabbing another mug and making her way outside.

"Senait," Zuri's voice broke, appearing beside her best friend. "You're doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"That soft smile you get when you look at Jules." Zuri handed her a mug. "You know, the one you swore you'd never have?"

Senait accepted the cocoa, breathing in the sweet aroma. "Therapy's helping," she admitted. "Making me see things differently."

"Like?"

"Like maybe being scared of something good is worse than risking getting hurt." Senait took a sip of her cocoa. "And maybe Jules is worth the risk."

Zuri's smile was knowing. "Finally figured that out, huh?"

Inside, laughter erupted from the kitchen. Jules had lifted Lila away from the stove, declaring her marshmallow-to-cocoa ratio "criminally sweet." Jude was recording the whole thing while Lila protested in between giggles.

"They're good people," Senait said softly. "Your friends."

"Our friends now," Zuri corrected. "That's what happens when you stop fighting the good things, Sen."

Later that afternoon, the group made their way to the ski resort, the mountain a breathtaking landscape of pristine white snow. Zuri had never skied before, and she was grateful to have Aurélien as her instructor. Dressed in sleek ski gear, he looked every bit the confident athlete, and she couldn’t help but tease him as he helped her adjust her boots.

"Are you sure you won’t leave me stranded at the top of the mountain? Like how Gabriel did to Emily?" she joked, her nerves bubbling to the surface.

"Fuck no," Aurélien scoffed, standing up then leaning in to kiss her nose. "I’ve got you, mon cœur. Always."

She rolled her eyes but felt her cheeks warm at his words. With Aurélien’s patient guidance, she managed to make it down the bunny slope without falling too many times, and by the end of their practice session, she was laughing so hard that her sides ached.

Senait and Jules had opted for snowboarding, and they moved together with an ease that spoke of unspoken understanding. There was a connection between them that couldn’t be denied. Senait caught Zuri’s eye at one point, and they shared a grin, both of them feeling the joy of the moment.

Jude and Lila, on the other hand, had ventured further up the mountain, their playful banter echoing through the air as they raced each other down the slope. When they finally rejoined the group, Lila was breathless and giggling, while Jude wore a triumphant smirk.

"I totally won," Jude declared, though Lila was quick to argue.

"No way! You cheated, and you know it!" she accused, her laughter spilling out as she playfully smacked his arm.

Watching them, Zuri felt a contentment settle over her. There was something magical about being surrounded by love and friendship, especially during the holiday season.

________________________________

The next day, Before Lila and Jude headed to the airport for his family’s Christmas celebration in Norway, the group had planned a special late lunch at a charming mountain restaurant, complete with twinkling lights and a roaring fireplace. Zuri had dressed in a velvet green dress that hugged her curves, and Aurélien couldn’t stop staring.

Much later that night, as Zuri and Aurélien lay in bed, tangled in each other’s arms, she felt a deep sense of gratitude. This year had been a whirlwind, full of highs and lows, but it had led her here, to this moment, with the man she loved.

Aurélien kissed her forehead, his voice soft in the darkness. "Merry Christmas Eve, mon amour."

Zuri smiled, her heart full. "Merry Christmas Eve, Aurélien."

And as the snow continued to fall outside, blanketing Megève in its gentle embrace, Zuri knew that this Christmas would be one she’d cherish forever.

THE END........

PLEASE CHECK OUT IN BETWEEN THE LINES FOR JULES & SENAIT'S STORY BUT HERE'S SOMETHING FIRST.....

June 2030

The morning sun streamed into the room, casting a golden glow over Aurélien and Zuri as they lay entangled in each other’s arms, the remnants of their passion still heavy in the air. Zuri, now seven months pregnant with their second child, tried to catch her breath, smiling at the way Aurélien’s fingers traced patterns over the swell of her belly. He kissed her shoulder, his lips warm against her skin, and grinned.

"You’re insatiable, you know that?" Zuri teased, her voice breathy but amused.

Aurélien chuckled, pressing another kiss to her neck. "I can’t help it. You’re beautiful like this." His hands gently cupped her belly, and she rolled her eyes at his shameless adoration.

"Right," she replied, laughing softly. "Enjoy it while you can, because after this one, I’m done. Two is the limit."

Aurélien gave her a mock-horrified look. "We’ll see," he teased, but Zuri playfully smacked his chest, making him laugh again.

______________________________________________

"Eti, please don’t give Mama and Papa any trouble today," Zuri begged as she finished packing the diaper bag. Aurélien walked in, effortlessly lifting their wriggling son and planting kisses on his chubby cheeks, eliciting a giggle from the baby.

"Ready to go?" Aurélien asked, his tone full of the practiced patience of a seasoned dad.

Zuri nodded, her fingers trailing over her bump. "Let’s hope Eti behaves for Uncle Jude and Auntie Lila."

Yet, as fate would have it, the drive to Lewis' Tuscan villa was interrupted by a major blowout. They’d suspected it might happen, which is why Eti wasn’t in his little wedding suit yet. By the time they changed him in the car, both parents were laughing and shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Alright, second outfit of the day," Zuri declared, her voice dry with humor.

Inside, Zuri was greeted with the familiar chaos of a wedding day, and an hour after they arrived, her son had another blowout. She cradled Eti as they navigated through the villa, finally arriving at the groom's room, where Jude and his groomsmen were making last-minute preparations. She paused just outside, bumping into Lila's maid of honor, Jade, who was rushing by.

"Hey, Zuri!" Jade called, then noticed Eti's situation. "Oh no, another one?"

"Would you mind?" Zuri asked, nodding towards her son.

"Of course not. Come here, sweet boy," Jade cooed, taking Eti. "I'll watch him while you talk to the guys."

Zuri then poked her head into the groom's room, spotting Jude among his groomsmen. All the guys were dressed in their tuxes, the room thick with cigar smoke and laughter. She made a beeline to her husband and whispered in his ear.

"Another blowout?" Aurélien asked, kissing his teeth in exasperation. "I'll be right back. Eti had another blowout."

"Damn, what are you guys feeding him?" Trent joked, adjusting his bow tie.

"Seriously," Jobe added with a laugh. "Give him some medicine or something. Poor lil' dude has to have tummy issues."

Zuri was about to follow her husband out when Jude caught her wrist. "How's Li doin'?" he asked, nervous energy radiating off him.

She folded her arms over her bump, giving him a pointed look. "No, I can't tell you anything."

"What? Not even if she's okay?" Jude deployed those puppy dog eyes that probably worked wonders on Lila. "Please, Zu, just tell me."

"Fine," she groaned dramatically, leaning in closer. "She's eating... and crying because your Mum gifted her something blue. It was your grandmother's earrings."

"At least she's eating," Jude mused.

"Yeah... weird stuff too... like she's—" Zuri stopped abruptly, her eyes narrowing as she studied Jude's face. She leaned in to whisper, "She's pregnant?"

Jude's smug grin was all the confirmation she needed.

"Wow, wasted no time, did you?" she teased, though she couldn't hide her surprise.

"They both have my last name, so it doesn't matter," Jude shrugged, still grinning.

Zuri shook her head, laughing softly as she left the room. Trust these two to start their family before they even made it down the aisle. But then again, who was she to judge? She found Aurélien holding a wriggling Eti while thanking Jade profusely for watching him.

"Two blowouts already," Zuri gave a tired but amused sigh. "He's determined to make today memorable."

Jade laughed. "It wouldn't be a family event without some chaos."

They found a bathroom and changed Eti into a plain shirt and chinos, deciding to fully forgo the suit. As Aurélien gave him some medicine to settle his stomach, he shook his head. "Maybe those strawberries for breakfast weren't such a good idea."

"We should probably make an appointment with Dr. Martinez when we get back to Madrid," Zuri mused as they left the bathroom, watching their son's face for any sign of discomfort.

"Hey, Jules and Senait are here," he said, nodding down the hallway.

Senait's face was flushed, eyes brimming with frustrated tears. At five months pregnant with her and Jules' first child, she was visibly emotional. Jules' face had concern etched into his features as he tried to soothe her.

"What happened?" Zuri asked, rushing over.

Senait sniffled. "I wanted a chocolate bar from that shop we loved in Florence, but they're out. And it's not available anywhere else in Italy!"

"Oh honey," Zuri pulled her into a hug, careful of her bump. "Pregnancy cravings are the worst."

"It's not just cravings," Senait hiccupped. "I wanted to share it with the baby. Tell them about our first trip to Florence, how their papa scored the winning goal that night."

Zuri bit back a laugh, exchanging a knowing look with Aurélien. "Hey, they've got some amazing snacks in Lila's room," she said, wrapping her arm around Senait. "Go on, I promise it'll make you feel better."

Senait nodded, allowing herself to be comforted, and made her way to Lila's room, leaving Jules and Aurélien to talk. The men shared a chuckle, with Jules shaking his head in disbelief. "Pregnancy, man. Never a dull moment."

Aurélien smiled, his eyes drifting back to Zuri. "Tell me about it." He adjusted Eti, who was now babbling happily, oblivious to the chaos he'd caused.

"I'm taking Eti to the groom's room," Aurélien informed Zuri, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Zuri watched them leave, her heart swelling with love. Despite the mishaps and the stress, there was a deep sense of peace she felt in moments like these. Her family was her world, and as she made her way to check on Lila one last time, she couldn't help but think about how blessed they all were to share in this day.

Lila was fussing over the final details of her dress, looking every bit the fairytale bride and Senait was in much better spirits.

"Sometimes I still can't believe this is my life," Senait admitted softly from the couch. "Barcelona, Jules, the baby... if you'd told me six years ago this is where I'd end up..."

"You'd have run screaming in the opposite direction?" Lila supplied.

"Probably."

"And now look at you," Zuri stepped in and squeezed her hand. "Living your dream life with your dream man, growing your dream baby."

Tear welled up in Senait's eyes. "Stop, I just fixed my makeup."

"Blame the hormones," Lila suggested cheerfully.

A knock at the door interrupted their laughter. Jules poked his head in, his expression softening when he saw his wife surrounded by snacks and friends.

"Better?" he asked.

Senait nodded, holding out her hand. He crossed the room to take it, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Guess what?" Zuri heard him murmur to Senait. "Aurélien made some calls. That chocolate shop? They're sending a box directly to Barcelona. Should be there when we get home."

Tears spilled from Senait's eyes. "I love you," she said to Jules.

"Je t'aime aussi, mon coeur." Jules' hand found her bump. "Both of you."

Zuri's heart swelled at their tender exchange. Sometimes, her friends could be too adorable for words.

"And on that disgustingly sweet note," Lila announced, making every stare at her, "I need to finish getting ready. I have a wedding to star in."

The bridal stylist jumped in at that moment and helped Lila with her veil.

When she was done, Zuri placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "You look so perfect," she whispered, her eyes taking in the custom Zuhair Murad gown that fitted Lila exquisitely.

Lila smiled, her eyes glistening. "Thanks, Zu. I just can't believe this is finally happening."

Zuri smiled, her hand resting protectively over her bump. "Believe it, girl. This is your moment."

_____________________________________________

Looking around the small, recently renovated church at the edge of Lewis' Tuscan estate, Zuri couldn't help but smile. It had been six years since Jude first fell in love with Lila, and now here they were. The white roses and silk drapery seemed to glow in the Italian sunlight, the entire setting as romantic as anyone could dream.

Her hand rested on her bump as she thought about her own journey. Aurélien's proposal in late 2025, their wedding in 2026, deciding to wait for kids until she felt ready. Now here they were, expecting their second while Eti, safely nestled in Jules' arms in the crowd, kept them on their toes. So much had happened in those years - Aurélien's Ballon d'Or, France's Euro and World Cup victories, and her own success in building one of Madrid's most respected boutique influencer marketing agencies. Life had unfolded in ways she never could have imagined when she first arrived in Madrid.

The sound of "Ave Maria" starting pulled her from her thoughts. It was time. As she stood in her place with the other bridesmaids, Zuri caught Aurélien's eye across the aisle where he stood with the other groomsmen. He winked at her, and her heart swelled just as it had the first time they met. She watched as Anthony walked Lila down the aisle, tears streaming down his face, barely able to speak when the priest asked who gave this woman away. Lewis had to step forward to comfort their father, and Zuri felt her own eyes welling up at the emotion of it all.

Some arrangements might start unconventionally, but they could still lead to the most beautiful love stories. Looking at Jude and Lila exchanging their vows, at Lewis’ three daughters, at her own growing family, Zuri knew this to be true. Love had its own timeline, its own way of working things out.

______________________________________

six months later…..

The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over their Madrid home's garden, transformed for Zulaika's naming ceremony. Aurélien watched with pride as Zuri, dressed in vibrant traditional fabric, spoke confidently in Bamum and French, directing the preparations with an ease that made his heart swell.

This was a far cry from the uncertain woman he'd met six years ago. Now she commanded respect effortlessly, switching between languages as she consulted with Elder Nkeng and greeted arriving family members.

Mamie Adzoa, Zuri's grandmother, hadn't stopped beaming since she arrived from Cameroon, constantly cooing at four-month-old Zulaika in her arms. The sight reminded Aurélien of Etienne's ceremony - how nervous they'd both been then, first-time parents trying to honor traditions while navigating modern life.

"Your wife has grown into her heritage beautifully," Elder Nkeng commented to Aurélien in Bamum, nodding approvingly as Zuri organized the ceremonial elements.

Amina, Zuri's mother, was directing the food preparation, while Malik and his wife Brynn struggled to keep their twins from disrupting the carefully arranged offerings. The boys had been much smaller at Etienne's ceremony, barely walking. Now they were energetic four-year-olds, fascinated by their new baby cousin.

As Elder Nkeng began the blessing, bestowing Zulaika with her ceremonial name - Ngouenet, meaning "blessed gift" - Aurélien caught Zuri's eye. They'd already planned their next trip to Cameroon, waiting until Zulaika turned nine months and completed her vaccinations. Just like they'd done with Eti, they would introduce their daughter to her ancestral homeland.

The ceremony blended traditional elements with modern touches - ancient Bamiléké blessings alongside contemporary celebrations. It was a perfect reflection of their family: rooted in tradition but growing into something uniquely their own.

"Photos!" Brynn called out, corralling her twins. Aurélien stood next to Zuri, who held Zulaika while Etienne stood in front of them. Mamie Adzoa insisted on being seated in front next to her great-grandchildren, her face glowing with pride.

"En français!" someone called.

"Non, en Bamum!" another voice contested.

"Just smile!" Malik laughed.

After the formal photos, Aurélien pulled Zuri close, pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. Malik's twins made exaggerated gagging sounds while the adults chuckled.

"I love you," Aurélien murmured against her lips.

Zuri's eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. "I love you more," she replied, then added in Bamum, "Forever and always."

Watching their families blend together - his parents chatting with Mamie Adzoa through a mix of gestures and translated phrases, their children being doted on by relatives from both sides - Aurélien felt complete. This was everything he never knew he needed until Zuri walked into his life.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[alwaysonf1]

date?

Pairing: Charles LeClerc x Hamilton!OC

Genre: Slice of Life; Fluff

Word Count: 3.3k

Warning: Mild Language.

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: PSA there will be no French hear unless it's a pet name or I love you.

A knock on her door makes Iman jump. In the process a bit of the lip gloss she was applying gets on her chin. Panic fills her and she quickly grabs a tissue and blots it away. 

“One second,” she calls out.

Iman would love to say that all her nervous energy was because she needs to touch up her make-up quickly, but it was there long before that. It’d been there since she’d woken up from her nap. She’d opted out of the late lunch she’d been invited to, claiming she was tired and needed a bit to recharge. Which hadn’t been a lie, but it also wasn’t the complete truth. Iman needed alone time to pull herself together and scream into her pillow.

The giddy schoolgirl behavior was back.

There was a part of her that still hated that feeling, but she’d also started to embrace it. Most of her relationships didn’t come with it. That didn’t mean the ones that did were amicable at all, but for some reason she felt like this time it made sense. This time it was okay to fall into her emotions, even if the potential bad outcome comes true.

As soon as the thought enters, even though it’s not sending her into a spiral, she pushes it out. Going into this with only thoughts of the good, while being realistic is what she needed to do. Even if things ending badly, was a realistic possibility.

With a tap of her setting powder and then a light mist, she gets herself up from the seat in front of the vanity and grabs her purse from the bench near the door. Her gaze flits over the mirror on the other side of the door and she walks toward it. One thing she isn’t nervous about is her outfit.

The olive-green dress she chose fits her well up top and flares perfectly at the bottom, stopping just below her knee. It’s her favorite color to wear and she’s full of herself enough that she knows that others agree with her choice. However, the one area where she’s a little hesitant is the shoes. Why she packed stiletto length heels she was unsure, but they work and that’s all that mattered.

A deep breath, an adjustment on how the bottom half of her braids not in an updo, and then she opens the door.

Unconsciously she takes a sharp inhale. When Charles looks up at her he does the same. It stops some of the burning in her cheeks, but she could see the rosiness forming on his face immediately. He looks bashful and that comforts her for some reason.

“Hi,” she says.

Not enough to get her to say something better than that though.

“Hi. You look… beautiful, mon ange.” He sounds a little breathless.

However, that isn’t what she focuses on. No, her brain is fixated on the term of endearment. Fixated on him calling her his angel. Iman is sure that the burn in her cheeks is enough to be visible. But she hopes her blush is hiding it. Being this flustered is a little embarrassing.

“Thank you. You look handsome.” 

The statement could easily just be a throw away compliment since he gave her one, but Iman means it. Her eyes scan him from head to toe, his combination of brown slacks and a cream ribbed button up makes her warm in a different way. Her eyes meet his again and he his lips are quirked in a smirk and there’s a fire in his eyes.

A second passes with them just staring at each other, then Charles extends his hand. Iman takes it without a second or first thought. Their fingers lace together, and Charles nods his head toward the elevators.

“We shouldn’t miss our reservation.”

Iman nods and they begin to walk. 

Silence fills the space between them, but it’s comfortable. Once inside the elevator she thinks Charles will let go, but he holds her hand firmly. Not giving a single sign, he plans to release her. Even as one of her fingers taps against the back of his hand due to her mild fear of being trapped in an elevator. Something that came from getting trapped in an elevator once with Logan. 

He leads her out of the elevator once the doors open, squeezing tight for a second. 

The only times he’s been in front of her is to motion her forward in a lady first gesture. Something she doesn’t need for a date but feels good.

Though the usual move was to rent a house on vacation, everyone thought a new resort that had everything you could want on the property was a good idea. So, from the moment they exit the hotel to their arrival at the restaurant only five minutes will pass.

The first minute is with more silence, but then suddenly Iman is pressed against Charles’ side. Her eyes go wide, and she turns her head to look up at him, but then she feels a whoosh of air. She turns her head just in time to see a golf cart going too fast.

Shock is the word that best fits her as she watches the cart until it disappears. Then she looks to Charles again. Despite their impending danger just moments ago he seems very calm. Too calm.

“Did you set that up, Charlie?”

“What do you mean?” Confusion takes hold of his features. 

“Your saving the damsel in distress moment?” 

His confusion only seems to grow, and she watches as he opens his mouth to reply, then closes it. An expression that Iman would call a little arrogant replaces the confusion.

“Are you a damsel in distress, mon ange?”

Iman purses her lips in thought, then bats her lashes at him.

“Maybe.”

Charles leans in close and whispers in her ear, “Then I will save you whenever you need it.”

Involuntary shivers run down her spine and from the growing smirk she knows that Charles noticed it. Her immediate response is to fall into a shy persona, but she steels herself, this time being the one to whisper in his ear.

“I’ll hold you to it.”

There’s a mild shift in expression, but he manages to keep it off his face. 

“We have to go. Don’t want to be late, remember?” she says.

Charles clears his throat and nods, leading them to the restaurant. This silence is more tension filled than before. The kind of tension that Iman enjoys.

But because she knows that he’s already flustered she doesn’t do anything to get him even more riled up. Just holds his hand until they get to the entrance of the restaurant. Her hand goes to push open the door, but Charles beats her to it. He gives her a look that she’s sure is about the audacity of her opening the door herself and then guides her in by the small of her back.

This resort has quite a few F1 fans on staff, so it doesn’t shock Iman when the host’s face lights up and he gestures for them to follow him without a word said. He leads them through the half full restaurant and to a table that isn’t completely separate from everything else but has some level of privacy.

Charles pulls the chair out for her, and she sits, her hands itching to look at the menu, but she waits until he’s seated and the host leaves. Iman’s hand reaches out to grab the menu, but it’s gone and in Charles’ hands before she can. She opens her mouth, ready to ask what he’s doing, but that’s paused by the waiter arriving with water and taking the drink orders. Before he leaves Charles promises they’ll have their orders ready for when he comes back.

So, instead of saying anything Iman looks at Charles with a raised brow. One of his hands extends across the table and takes her’s. He looks into her eyes and she almost melts.

“I know what you want,” he says.

Immediately she wants to be apprehensive, but she doesn't give into that. Yes, people could be different when a romantic relationship is on the table, but Charles sat through an hour rant about a date with someone who ordered for her and then ate half her food while she was in the bathroom.

“Go on,” Iman says.

“They have wagyu here.”

All funny feelings fled her at once and she could feel giddiness building up in her. 

“And a asparagus dish similar to…”

A soft sound of joy escapes her, cutting him off. The mention of two of her favorite things is all she needs to hear. Without thinking she gets out of her seat and goes to his side. She takes his head in her hands and leans down, kissing him in a way that isn’t soft, but also not intense.

When she pulls away Charles looks breathless again. And for a moment Iman thinks about doing it again but sees their waiter out of the corner of her eye and moves back to her seat. 

“What did I do to deserve that?” he asks when the waiter leaves.

“Listen.”

“That is all it takes?”

Iman knows he’s teasing her. They’ve had many conversations about the bar being in hell. Though he says it’s much deeper than that.

“I also just wanted to kiss you.”

“You are welcome to any time, mon ange.”

Embarrassment for her reaction to that or her reactions at all is nowhere to be found. Maybe it will turn up when she’s trying to sleep at night, but Iman has no regrets. Charles is a man she’s liked for longer than she’d care to admit and like she told herself in her hotel room, she’s allowing her elevated emotions to be what they are. She’ll mellow out.

Neither say anything else, taking a moment to taste their drinks. Wine isn’t her favorite thing, but she likes the red wine she chose. She hadn’t specified what kind, and the waiter didn’t ask. It worked in her favor.

Throat clearing and she’s looking at Charles again.

“Do you like it?’

“Surprisingly, yes.”

“Good.”

“Do you want to try it?” 

Charles’ eyes widen. “Oh no, mon…”

The glass is already outstretched to him, he hesitates, but takes it after a few seconds. Iman watches intently as his lips press to the rim and he takes a small sip. And then another. And then for a third time.

“Hold on now, I didn’t say you could drink it all.”

Her hand beckons for him to give it back and he takes one last sip then hands it over. There’s a pout taking shape, but Iman refuses to be swayed by it.

“Put that lip away before I bite it. Order your own.”

Brows are raised at the word bite, and he doesn’t stop the pouting. In fact, he exaggerates it. 

“Sharl…” she warns.

That brings a smile and she can’t help but roll her eyes, before smiling as well.

Time either moved quickly or the staff did, because two waiters approach with their meals a second later. They’re both covered until the plates are on the table and a man is now no longer what Iman is salivating over.

“Thank you,” they say as the waiters leave.

Once they’re gone Iman takes no cues from Charles, just picks up the smallest piece of her already cut steak and fights a moan. It’s nearly perfect and it’s been a while since she’d had it.

Her next step is tasting the asparagus. There’s a little surprise in the restaurant having it whole, the only time she sees them in an up-scale restaurant is usually as a barely there part of the meal. 

The moment she touches her tongue her eyes go wide and she takes another bite immediately. This time something akin to a moan almost comes out, but there’s another piece in her mouth before she can release it.

“That is almost the taste exactly,” Iman says.

“I don’t believe I have asked you, why do you enjoy those so much?”

Iman puts down the cutlery and takes a sip of her wine.

“Lewis was, and still is, a terrible cook. But that didn’t stop my mother from leaving me with him for a week while she worked. I only knew the basics and that got tiring after a while. So, I begged him to make something fancier. He caved, we went to the store and grabbed anything. Then we got home and it was a disaster trying to figure things out. Burned chicken, burned chocolate lava cake, and somehow burned mashed potatoes. Asparagus is the only thing that we managed not to burn and we’d just thrown random spices on them before roasting so we were terrified. But we agreed it was the best vegetable eating experience we’d ever had. Took weeks to figure out how to recreate it.

“And then he went vegan on me. So, it became one of the few shared favorite dishes we have.”

Charles appears thoughtful. There was some eating here and there - from both of them - as Iman spoke, but she had his full attention the entire time.

“Ah. I will admit that this love you have for it is still confusing to me, but I understand. Now, how did you come to love such an expensive cut of cow?”

Soft laughter escapes Iman because of his phrasing.

“For one of my birthdays, Lewis just showed up and said we were going to Japan. I’d always wanted to, but mom refused to let him just jet me here and there because it would spoil me or something. As if he didn’t in every other way,” Iman rolls her eyes. “But anyway, we went and did all the touristy things, ate ramen in small towns, and bought way too much in all the districts of Tokyo. Then we went to a restaurant that was just the fanciest place I’d ever seen. It was a kind of place that had a set menu.

“I wasn’t all that sure about trying the wagyu when it came out redder than I liked, but he convinced me and it was the best steak I’d ever eaten. We still had a week after that and I convinced him four more times to take me to places with wagyu, but I refused to have anything but the best. That’s the first and only time he’s cut off my spending. Which is fair. I was at risk of actually putting a dent in his bank account if I got my way.”

A fondness fills Iman and she thinks back to the chaos and fun of that trip.

“So should I raise my price when I go into contract negotiations to prepare for this addiction of yours?” he asks, laughing.

“If you like me, happy.”

“Then I will do just that.”

Iman was uncertain if he was joking or not, but there was this look in his eye that made her think he might not be.

Instead of addressing that she continues to eat her meal. They speak here and there about the things they loved in life. There’s a lot of focus on Iman getting back into dancing and Charles wanting to release more music.

“Why not release a single? Get the fans excited.” Iman asks

“I have nothing ready.”

“I’ve heard your “unfinished” music before, it’s great. You’re just too in your head.”

“Perhaps.”

Two waiters arrive to take their plates and then leave quickly. As if scared to linger longer than necessary.

“Dessert?”

Lips pursed, Iman shakes her head. “Hm… I usually wouldn’t say no, but I don’t know if I can manage.”

“We could share?”

Iman thinks it over, she knows that she’ll have to satisfy the sweet treat craving later if she doesn’t now. Which is fine, but she kind of wants to know what the restaurant has to offer. 

“Okay.”

Hand not even halfway up and the waiter is at their table.

“What can I help you with?” he asks.

“One of your chocolate mousses, please.”

“Only one, sir?

“Yes, we will share.”

Their waiter pulls a face. “I’m sorry sir, are you sure? The mousse is quite small.”

Charles looks at me and I turn toward the waiter.

“Two of them, please.”

The waiter nods and is gone as fast as he arrived. 

They continue talking about everything under the sun and just like their food, the mousse is there before they know it. And when they see it, their understanding of what small means is very clear.

“No wonder they provide such small spoons, trying to make people think it’s more than two scoops,” Iman says.

Nothing else is said and they dig in. It takes them both three spoonfuls to be done with it, confirming that Iman will need to order something from room service anyway.

“Ready to go?” Charles asks.

“Yes.”

He leaves the table and returns a minute later with his hand outstretched.

Iman takes it and rises from her seat and allows him to lead her out of the restaurant. The sun is much lower in the sky and so the walk is much slower than it was before. Their hands lightly swing between them.

When they reach Iman’s room she thinks it’s too soon, despite turning a five-minute walk into twenty. 

Stalling, she turns to face him and just stares. Charles does the same thing. Then he’s creeping closer and closer, until Iman’s back is flush against her door. One of his hands slips to her waist and the other cups her face. He angles her head up and then his lips are on her’s. They’re soft and taste of chocolate. It’s gentle to start, but Iman wraps her arms around him, trying to pull him closer and it takes a turn.

They part for a moment and then Iman puts a hand in his hair and pulls him back in. Her teeth graze his lip, he shivers. So, she does it again, but instead of a graze it’s a bite.

A haze comes over her.  As they finally pull away and she doesn’t know how long they’ve been at it, but she hears voices and doesn’t want to get in trouble for indecent acts in public.

“I should probably…” she trails, hitching a thumb at her door.

Charles clears his throat and loses some of that spacy look he has going on.

“Yes, you need your rest. We have an early morning.”

“Someone really should have stopped that Florida man from booking a sunrise breakfast boat ride and then snorkeling.”

Laughter. “I am sure it will be fun.”

“I hope so.”

Seconds tick by with neither of them doing anything. Then the voices get closer and Iman rediscovers sense. 

“So… good night, Sharl.”

“Good night, mon ange.”

They lean in and kiss again, but it’s more of a peck. Then he watches as she unlocks the door and goes into her room. She waves at him as she closes the door.

Inside her room Iman stands perfectly still as she counts down thirty seconds, hoping that he’s on the elevator. She reaches thirty and she grabs a pillow from the love seat in her room and screams into it.

“Hell yes,” she shouts.

###

Every second since Charles kissed Iman at her door has been like he’s floating on a cloud. His every moment is almost autopilot and when he breaks from his stupor for a second or two, he can’t remember when he changed into his pajamas or dimmed the lights. 

Standing in front of the bathroom sink so he can brush his teeth, his eyes meet the reflection and he sees a dopey smile on his face. Not that he hasn’t known it was there this entire time. But seeing it is different. It confirms something for him.

He’s not going to let this slip away. 

That’s not the thing he’s confirmed though, but he can’t find it in himself to address it. It feels too fast.

[tomoleary]

Dan Jurgens and Phil Jimenez - Titans/Legion of Super-Heroes: Universe Ablaze #4 (2000) Source

“Cover is jam-packed w/heroes from both teams, including the following: Titans - Nightwing (former Robin), Troia (former Wonder Girl), Tempest (former Aqualad), Argent, Starfire and Cyborg; Legion - Cosmic Boy, Gates, Leviathan (former Shrinking Violet), Live Wire (former Lightning Lad), Mon-El, Saturn Girl and Triad (former Triplicate Girl).”

[cadeloverforever]

HELLO!, I'm going to make one of kano, sad? xD, idk, I'll try to make it at least sad, although what's truly sad is my way of writing,idk, I'll leave you with the Headcanon!

(la versión en español está en esta misma publicación!) I hope you like it!

_________________________________________

Kano Headcanon! (Sad?)

<> well.... well you were the "perfect" couple, they had really warned you what Kano was like, but you simply thought that they were exaggerations, since with you he was something else, he was not like the others said, or well that you thought, he gave you gifts, all kinds of things and loving actions for you

<> 4 years, fourth damn years, did you see it coming?, NO Absolutely not, things began to get complicated when he began to arrive with a smell of cheap cave liquor, although you already knew that he drank that was not so much the problem but that It was his shirt which almost always had traces of makeup that was not yours, he even had fresh lipstick on his collar.

<>The first few times you don't face him, oh girl... the first mistake, each time he began to be more isolated and the few times that you really tried to save what little was left of your relationship by taking him to restaurants or the movies, spoiler he never It came, it only broke your heart more, how could that happen? everything looked so... so... so happy...

<>What made you explode when you literally found him with a woman, in a bar, flirting together, you walked away from that place as quickly as possible, your eyes filled with tears, but why? You already knew or well you suspected that he was cheating on you, so why does it hurt as if you hadn't known? Did you want to confront him several times, ask him why? Why was everything falling apart? But your heart was stronger than your logic.

<>While you were crying he was having fun in the bar, that made you remember everything they told you, you should have paid attention to those words that you thought were only to hurt you, you spent several days trying to talk to him, which resulted in fights , shouts and insults and they even threw things at each other, in one of their many fights you shouted at him what you already knew about his deception, he limited himself to saying "you weren't paying attention to me, it makes sense why I do it"

<>After those many fights you decided to put a damn end to this shit, you didn't say anything, you just packed up and left, they lived in an apartment, you didn't have many things in that place other than clothes or similar, you went to another place, maybe that you have traveled to another country to seek peace or forget all that "love" shit

_________________________________________

HOLA!, voy a hacer uno de kano, ¿triste? xD, no sé, intentaré que sea al menos triste, aunque lo realmente triste es mi forma de escribir, no sé, los dejo con el Headcanon!, espero les guste!

Kano Headcanon! (Triste?)

<> bueno.... bueno ustedes eran la pareja "perfecta", realmente te habían advertido cómo era Kano, pero simplemente pensaste que eran exageraciones, ya que contigo él era otra cosa, no era como decían los demás. , o bien eso pensabas, te dio regalos, todo tipo de cosas y acciones amorosas para ti.

<> 4 años, cuarto maldito año, ¿lo veías venir?, NO Por supuesto que no, la cosa se empezó a complicar cuando empezó a llegar con olor a licor de cueva barato, aunque ya sabías que bebía que no era tanto. el problema pero que era su camisa la cual casi siempre tenia restos de maquillaje que no era tuyo, incluso tenia labial fresco en su cuello.

<>Las primeras veces que no lo enfrentas, oh chica... el primer error, cada vez empezó a estar más aislado y las pocas veces que realmente intentaste salvar lo poco que quedaba de tu relación llevándolo a restaurantes o al cine, spoiler él nunca llegó, solo te rompió más el corazón, ¿cómo pudo pasar eso? todo parecía tan... tan... tan feliz...

<>¿Qué te hizo explotar cuando literalmente lo encontraste con una mujer, en un bar, coqueteando juntos, te alejaste de ese lugar lo más rápido posible, con los ojos llenos de lágrimas, pero por qué? Ya sabías o bien sospechabas que te estaba engañando, entonces ¿por qué te duele como si no lo hubieras sabido? ¿Querías confrontarlo varias veces y preguntarle por qué? ¿Por qué todo se estaba desmoronando? Pero tu corazón era más fuerte que tu lógica.

<>Mientras llorabas el se estaba divirtiendo en el bar, eso te hizo recordar todo lo que te dijeron, debiste prestar atención a esas palabras que pensabas que solo eran para lastimarte, estuviste varios días tratando de hablar con él, lo cual resultó en peleas, gritos e insultos y hasta se tiraban cosas, en una de sus tantas peleas le gritaste lo que ya sabías de su engaño, él se limitó a decir "no me estabas haciendo caso, se hace". sentido por qué lo hago"

<><>Después de tantas peleas decidiste ponerle fin a esta maldita mierda, no dijiste nada, simplemente empacaste y te fuiste, ellos vivían en un departamento, no tenías muchas cosas en ese lugar más que ropa o similar, te fuiste a otro lugar, tal vez hayas viajado a otro país para buscar la paz u olvidar toda esa mierda del "amor"

[hitchell-mope]

(After the umpteenth privacy interruption)

Kara: I love my sister dearly. But I think we should move and not tell her where we’re going.

Mon El:....I’ll start packing.

[ao3feed-supercorp]

Nostalgic For You (A Playlist of Us)

by BonzaiBri

Kara looked around the packed venue, her eyes lazily dragging over the tipsy but enthusiastic crowd. Her heart suddenly lurched in her chest as it skipped a beat and she cursed herself. No matter how hard she tried after twenty years she couldn't stop the instinctual reaction she had every time she saw a woman with long dark hair and creamy skin. One would think that hope would diminish through the last two decades but Kara found herself clinging to it as if it were a life raft keeping her afloat in the crushing waves of loneliness. Her shoulders sagged with a long-held weight as her eyes refused to move away from the back of the unknown woman's head and the dark hair gathered up in a high pony. She indulged herself a moment and pretended it was *her*. But then something quite unexpected happened and for the briefest of moments Kara thought her heart had well and truly stopped. The woman turned to talk to her friend and Kara caught a glimpse of her profile. There's no way. Kara rubbed her eyes. Surely it was the lack of sleep and three beers, there's no way. Lena Luthor? OR Kara and Lena meet at summer camp in 2003 and they reconnect 20 years after tragedy ripped them apart.

Words: 5276, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Supergirl (TV 2015)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F

Characters: Kara Danvers, Lena Luthor, Alex Danvers, James "Jimmy" Olsen, Winn Schott Jr., Maggie Sawyer, Samantha "Sam" Arias, J'onn J'onzz | Hank Henshaw, Leslie Willis, Mon-El (Supergirl TV 2015)

Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor

Additional Tags: Teen Angst, Fluff and Angst, Fluff, Skater Kara, baby goth lena, Kara has tattoos, Lena had piercings, Alternate Universe - No Powers, late 90s early 00s nostalgia, Writer kara, Angst and Tragedy, adult Lena is still secretly goth, adult Kara seriously has a lot of tattoos, buff kara, Lena and Kara both really need hugs, Gay Awakening, Mutual Pining, Gay Panic

from AO3 works tagged 'Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor' https://ift.tt/MYkguy3 via IFTTT https://ift.tt/MYkguy3

[facepalming-since-chernobyl]

Karamel Fanfic (from the anon who said they were gone for 2 yrs):

Chapter 1: Too Good at Goodbyes

"I'm sorry... Kara, you know I didn't choose to do this but it's our only way of saving the planet..." Mon-El cupped the cheeks of his wife who was tearing up about losing him and their family again. However, both of them knew, Saturn and it's forces were not going to give Earth and it's inhabitants any bit of mercy unless they get what they want.

Supergirl and Valor...

The heroes who built and led the Legion of Superheroes for hundreds of years. Perhaps, now was the time they were bound to part ways.

Mon-El went to Saturn after a long and heartbreaking confession with Kara, he talked to their General and hesitantly agreed to their conditions.

"I shall marry your daughter, but promise us that you and your army will leave Earth alone in peace."

Despite being extremely distasteful and broken on the inside, Mon-El acted sternly and intimidating to save his family and the planet.

"Very well, the wedding shall happen tomorrow in a public ceremony in Saturn." The General grinned and smirked due to his victory.

Mon-El returned to his house and helped Kara and the children (who were grown adults) packed so they can move someplace else far from him to avoid any rumors that can break the agreement.

Their second child, Kalex, questioned his father. "Dad, after all this time, you're gonna leave us behind. Do you wish to say a final message to each of us?" The boy was fuming on the inside, but like his father, kept calm and tried to understand the situation.

"Son, I hope you-"

"I understand dad, I just wanna know what you have to say for us."

Mon-El sighed softly as all of their children gathered along with Kara on the couch. No matter how stubborn or mischievous these grown adults are, he will always love them more than anything in the universe along with their mother for they are his kids and the product of his love for Kara (and vice versa).

"Kara, my love, thank you for giving me a chance to live the life that I didn't knew I wanted. You will always be the best thing that ever happened to me, the best I've known and I'll keep loving you with all I left in this universe. As long as Rao watches, I shall and will never love another."

Kara slowly nodded, previously, she had a breakdown and didn't understand the situation but after a hundred years, after all that she had seen, this was no longer that common to her.

"Kalex, my first son. I can see through you that you're angry with all of this yet you keep trying to understand everything. You've always been disappointed in yourself for not having any powers but son, I'm really proud of you."

The boy with blond hair and brown eyes slightly gave a heartfelt smile to his father.

"Mara, I know you're secretly planning a universal revolution-"

"Took the words right off my mouth, dad!"

"It's not a good idea at the moment, Mara. You've always been just like your mother, driven and had a wildfire within you. You're gonna inherit my position someday, I hope you choose wisely and do what's best for the people."

Mara saw her dad as a very patient man who knew his way through everything. Therefore she admired him and nodded in respect. She was still going to do that revolution tho-

Mon-El turned to his youngest children. Twins Karina and Monica who looked so much like Kara but are polar opposites. Karina is a typical Daxamite who reminded Mon-El of himself before the doom of the planet while Monica is almost a replica of his wife when he first met her, she wears glasses, acts awkwardly and was once a writer.

"Karina, I misunderstood you a lot and I've not given you any affection compared to your siblings... But I hope that you'll find your way through this just like anything else. Monica, you've always been strong and free spirited, may you guide me and the rest of the us towards peace. I love you both."

He hugged them tightly and almost teared up seeing their cold glares when he broke the hug.

I love you all...

He thought in his mind, that something they all knew very well but should be reminded during hardships.

~~~

After helping the rest of the family pack and eventually got them a ship to move away. He went to the Fortress of Solitude to say goodbye to someone special.

His first child, Hope.

The first child he and Kara had who has conceived during a one night stand when he time travelled back to the 21st century hundreds of years ago.

The girl with blond wavy hair and blue eyes shared many features with Kara yet when you look at her, she looks exactly like Mon-El and gives off even the same energy as him.

"I heard about the news."

"I'm sorry Hope, you must understand."

"Of course I do, tho it's only a matter of time before I do something that may give us justice."

"Hope, Saturn promised us peace. That's why I'm marrying Imra."

"And tell me, why should we rely our peace to Saturn? We can achieve that on our own and you know very well that the General never stays true to his word."

Hope stared at her father coldly while voicing out her opinion on the matter. Mon-El tried to explain his side.

"Saturn is holding the entire planet hostage, one major attack from them could annihilate all of us"

"They won't be able to do that when we annihilate them first."

"Hope-"

"Don't worry, I won't do anything for now. I'm waiting for the right time and settle this plan with Mara. You may go now, goodbye."

"Hope, child, I love you."

"It pains me that you still have to say that..."

Mon-El looked at his daughter worriedly and flew away while Hope is looking for information in the Fortress. She never looked at her father while he was talking, no... not this time. But minutes after he left, she cried quietly and tears flowed down the ice of the Fortress...

Thanks for sharing!

[alchemicalwerewolf]

Fuck does kara like mon-el

you know that moment in Rosamund where it’s like “from the meat packing plant?” And then Jeremy just has the most disgusted voice and is like yes T-T

that’s me

[yetanothercomicbook]

A Time To Die

Legion of Super-Heroes #48

Insane!

"...And Mon-El carrying a dwarf star towards headquarters..."

Every page is gripping. The four conspirators commence working on a plan that is frankly jaw-dropping. Meanwhile, Tellus and other Legionnaires prepare to work against them.

Away from all that, the latest chapter of Chameleon Boy's undercover mission is an action-packed thriller with a shocking cliffhanger ending. What the actual fuck is going on here?!

Paul Levitz (102 of 119).

10/10

[travelingtheusa]

FLORIDA

2024 March 16 (Sat) – We went out for lunch to Cracker Barrel.  Otherwise, we stayed around the campground most of the day.  Got ready to tomorrow’s move.

2024 March 15 (Fri) – We went to El Patron for a Mexican lunch.  It was very good.  Afterward, we went to the National Naval Aviation Museum.  What a fantastic museum!  They have changed it from 10 years ago.  You used to walk into the foyer with 5 full-size Navy Blue Angels jets overhead in formation.  The going joke was always, Why are they so far apart? When they are just inches from each other.  That entrance is different now.  The entrance is still jaw dropping but not focused on the Blue Angels any more.  We walked around the building filled with all kinds of planes, gliders, and hot air balloons.  They also cover the space program with capsules the astronauts returned home in.

      A ferocious thunderstorm passed through tonight.  One particular boom was so loud that the RV shook and the night sky lit up lit a bomb had gone off.  Scared the heck out of Sheba and me.

2024 March 14 (Thu) – We went back to SMART HQ this morning.  More talk.  More review of files.  Discussion of issues and upcoming caravans.  We left at noon and stopped at The Fishing Hole for lunch.  The name kind of gives an image of a small shack on the bayou but it turned out to be a very nice restaurant with a New Orleans flair.  Paul enjoyed a jambalaya and I had shrimp and bacon on cheese grits (the house specialty).  It actually turned out to taste pretty good.

2024 March 13 (Wed) - We packed up today and Eglin AFB after 28 days in place.  It took a bit to get all the preparations in place as we are still getting used to the new rig.  We left at 11:00 and drove to a nearby parking lot where Paul guided me while I tried backing the RV up.  I did fine driving straight and turning but that backing up is hard!  Paul makes it look so easy.  Guess a career of driving heavy machinery has paid off for him.

      We arrived at Pensacola RV Park at 1:30 pm.  This is a very nice campground.  The sites are roomy with lots of grass and just the right amount of trees in place.  Our site is gravel and there are full hookups along with WiFi and cable TV.

      Once we were set up, we drove 16 miles to SMART HQ.  There is a small building on the lot of Melissa’s home.  Melissa is the Executive Manager for SMART.  She and her assistant, Phyllis, live together in the house.  The SMART HQ used to be Melissa’s photo studio.  Paul and I went through files and talked with the staff about SMART issues. 

      Stopped at the Bonefish Grill on the way back home and ordered the Bang Bang Shrimp.  That is so good.  We also indulged in margaritas and bread.  Obviously, we wound up taking half our meal home.  We were stuffed!

2024 March 12 (Tue) – We spent the day working on our caravan plans.  Got the basic route done with a list of activities to check out.  At lunch time, we drove to the base dining facility for lunch.  They advertised Yankee pot roast for today’s lunch and I wanted some of it.  Unfortunately, by the time we got to the dining facility, it was all gone.  A black bean burger did not taste good after hungering for the pot roast.  We went back and continued working on the caravan plans. I made reservations to fly back to New York on the 20th. I spent $1,000 to go back and get my free hearing aids from the VA. How crazy is that? My sister, Susan, will pick me up, take me to the Northport Medical Center, and drop me off at the airport so I will have no car rental. I will also stay with her and her husband so there will be no hotel costs. Too bad I couldn't pick up one of those cheap flights Southwest is always advertising.

2024 March 11 (Mon) – We went to the base dining facility today.  I had a turkey, bacon and avocado wrap with sweet potato fries and Paul had smoked turkey with a baked potato with a mushroom vegetable sauce.  We shared a potato soup and both had a drink.  The entire meal came to less than $19.  How come we didn’t find this place sooner?

      We then drove to the commissary and did some shopping.  Also stopped at the package store to pick up some bourbon.  We returned the key to our mailbox in the UPS store.  It was smart to get that box.  We saved a lot of money with all the packages we had delivered.

2024 March 10 (Sun) – We stayed in all day working on our next caravan.  It is a lot of work to put these things together.

2024 March 9 (Sat) – We drove to Fort Walton Beach and Destin this afternoon after spending the morning working on our next caravan – Planes, Trains, Automobiles & Ships.  There is so much to see in Michigan that we are having a hard time shaving down the choices.  We’ll get there.

      The National Seashore of Fort Walton Beach and Destin reminded us very much of Fire Island back home.  Lots of water and sand.  The ocean on one side and the bay on the other.  We stopped at a café called Crackings for lunch.  Everything was excellent.  The day was overcast.  It rained hard most of the night.

2024 March 8 (Fri) – Well, I am back from New York.  It was a longer trip as I had several doctors to see. I had left extra time hoping to get new hearing aids from the V.A. but they scheduled me for March 15.  I have been trying to change it to March 20.  I plan to fly back on the 19th, go to the VA on the 20th, and fly back to Florida on the 21st.

      The trip home was very productive.  I saw the oncologist, cardiologist, dentist, ophthalmologist, and chiropractor.  All tests came back green across the board.  I am fine.  Almost.  The ophthalmologist said my lower lid is pulling away and my upper lid needs a lift again.  He referred me to an eye surgeon for evaluation.  I will go back in June and get it done.

       While I was away, Paul did wonders with the RV.  He built a beautiful desk that looks like it came with the trailer.  He also found places to store everything.  It will take a while to determine where everything is and a little longer to get used to new set up.  I keep going to the wrong cabinet for the trash. 

      We drove to Pensacola yesterday to participate in a muster with the SMART White Sands Panhandlers Chapter.  We knew more people than I thought we would and enjoyed meeting new folks.

BREAK – BREAK

2024 Feb 15 (Thu) – We worked around the camper today.  Paul ordered several things online to work on while I am gone.  He will be making a desk for this new camper.  At noon, we ran out to get some things done.  First stop was at the UPS store on base.  We stopped there yesterday and opened a mail box for the month we will be here.  Today, we went back to get some paperwork notarized.  Then we shopped in the PX and the commissary.  Next, we went off base to the post office to mail off the paperwork for our new plates and registration.  Of course, there was a stop for lunch.  We ate at Sonny’s BBQ.  “If it isn’t smoking out back, it’s not Sonny’s upfront.”  Everything was delicious.  We even took leftovers home for dinner. 

      I spent the night packing for my trip back to New York tomorrow.  I will be gone for 2-1/2 weeks.  I had to buy another suitcase because I am bringing winter clothes with me.  It snowed yesterday and more snow is predicted in 2 days.  I hope it won’t be too miserable while I am there.  Kenny is sick and Miranda asked me to stay with my sister.  Susan lives in the Hamptons and that would add an extra hour’s drive to wherever I want to go.  I decided to stay in a motel for the duration.  Ugh.  The cost!

2024 Feb 14 (Wed – Valentine’s Day) – We took off from Eastpoint at 10 a.m. and headed out to Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Valparaiso.  We went through a time change from EST to CST.  We stopped at a gas station for lunch.  It was quite nice.  I never saw so much fishing equipment for sale in a gas station before.  There must be some really popular fishing spots around there.  We tried to drag our feet because check in time wasn’t until 3 p.m. but we arrived a little after 2 p.m.  Since I had already spoken with the office and gotten our site number, we went straight there.  It was open so we pulled in and set up.  The campground is little dated with lots of trees around the area.  We are parked under pine trees and some kind of tree with small nuts.  Hope they don’t fall on our rig.

      Hudson’s birthday is tomorrow.  We sent him a pair of basketball shoes for his birthday.  He had a play-off game tonight and wore them there.  He said the game would be devoted to us.  They won. 

2024 Feb 13 (Tue) – We left Williston at 9:45 a.m.  We never got to see my niece.  I called her yesterday and she said we would get together later that evening.  Unfortunately, a rainstorm blew in and she got busy taking care of the animals on her farm.  She never called back.

       We arrived at Coastline RV Resort in Eastpoint at 1 p.m.  We ran out to get fuel and grab lunch at the Red Pirate.  We are only here for one night.  It is a beautiful campground.  The sites are roomy with a large, lovely brick patio.  There is a pool right behind our campsite with one person braving the cold.

2024 Feb 12 (Mon) – We packed up, then ran to the post office to send off Valentine’s cards to our grandsons.  When we got back, we said good-bye to Margaret & Rich, hooked up, and took off.  It was about 50 minutes to the Williston Crossings RV Resort.  It is a very nice, gated resort.  They have a pool and hot tub, laundry, games, activity room, and camp store.  Our campsite is full hookup on a concrete pad.  The staff were very nice and one of them was even named Melody.

      Once we were set up, we went into town to get some spring bars for the refrigerator.  For some reason, we did not have any in the fridge and when I opened the door, I got plastered with saucy chicken.  We are still learning and adjusting to our new space.

2024 Feb 11 (Sun) – There were the last minute runs out to WalMart and Lowe’s.  Paul was going to make steps for me to get up into the bed.  Our new 10” mattress arrived and once on the base, now comes up past my waist.  I need help getting into the bed.  He discovered a plastic step ladder with two steps.  We bought that and returned the wood he bought.  Then he spent the day working under the RV, plugging holes and spraying a bed liner.  I worked on trying to get the taxes done before my trip to New York.  Margaret made hamburgers for dinner then we watched the first half of the Super Bowl with them before returning home.

2024 Feb 10 (Sat) – I went to the hairdresser today.  I wanted to touch up the lowlights and get my hair cut.  The hairdresser put too much color in and the cut is funky.  She called it a pixie cut but it looks like anything but a pixie cut.  As usual, I will wait for it to grow out and hope to find another hairdresser who can do my hair the way I want.  *sigh*

       Rich grilled the steaks tonight.  I made baked potatoes and Margaret cooked up some corn.

2024 Feb 9 (Fri) – We continued work around the RV today.  At noon, we ran out to Winn Dixie to pick up some steaks for dinner tomorrow.  And, as always, a stop at Lowe’s was in order.  We have been there almost every day as we pick up and return items.  Margaret & Rich took us out to dinner at Olive Garden tonight. 

2024 Feb 8 (Thu) – We stayed in all day, working around the RV.  Paul is really doing so much.

2024 Feb 7 (Wed) – There’s been a pretty steady stream of Amazon packages arriving.  We are expecting our new mattress on Thursday.  We will be taking the king size bed out and replacing it with a queen size mattress.   We spent the day working around the RV.  Paul got the safe installed behind the fireplace.  I am still trying to get our RV registered in South Dakota.  The guy that I worked with has left the company and a new person is on board.  I made an appointment to meet Tuesday by phone.  I also have to find a notary public.  Our mail forwarding service at Escapees sent a note asking for us to verify that SMART is not a business.  Paul also has to sign his revised will.  I will meet with the lawyer when I go back to New York later this month to sign my will. Margaret made stuffed chicken and rice for dinner tonight.

2024 Feb 6 (Tue) – We went to WalMart early so we could get an oil change for the truck.  While that went on, we had breakfast at Dunkin Donuts then roamed the aisles for a bit before the truck was done.  Then we drove to Home Depot but didn’t find anything so we left bare handed (wow!).  Margaret mentioned another store where she buys things cheap so we drove there.  Ollies didn’t have much of what we wanted but they do have nice area rugs.  When we need another rug (our new one arrived in the mail yesterday), we’ll have to shop there.

       Margaret made dinner again.  We enjoyed left-overs.

2024 Feb 5 (Mon) – The modifications continue.  We ran out to WalMart – returned items that didn’t work out and bought new stuff.  At 5:00 p.m. Margaret & Rich had a birthday dinner for friends (one couple and a single guy).  The two men were celebrating birthdays.  Margaret made a seafood meal – shrimp, crab cakes and fish.  As usual, all the food was good and plentiful.

2024 Feb 4 (Sun) – Paul ran out to Lowe’s to get paint.  He is adding two shelves to the pantry and wanted to paint them the same color as what is in there.  I worked on SMART National Muster items, including a comprehensive schedule that lists all times, topics and presenters.  We took Margaret & Rich out for dinner to Los Magueyes (a Mexican restaurant).  The food and margaritas were good.

2024 Feb 3 (Sat) – We went shopping again at both WalMart and Lowe’s.  In addition, we got on the computers and ordered some stuff online.  It’s cost us over $1,000 to date to equip and adjust this new RV.  Margaret made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  She seems to be enjoying our company and fussing over us at dinnertime.

2024 Feb 2 (Fri) – We worked tirelessly all day long, getting things rearranged and built.  Matt & Melissa came over to Margaret & Rich’s tonight for dinner.  Paul and Margaret used to work with Matt back in NY Traffic Signal days.  Margaret made Marry Me Chicken.  It was very tasty.

2024 Feb 1 (Thu) – We woke, made a list of things to get, and went shopping at Lowe’s and WalMart.  Half way through Lowe’s, I lost the list somewhere so we didn’t get to buy everything we needed.  But we came home and got a good deal done, although very little unpacking.  Paul discovered that the cardboard file boxes fit nicely in the closet.  We will be going through and packing up anything we don’t use on a regular basis.

      Margaret made hamburgers for dinner.  Then we watched TV while our clothes were in the washer and dryer.

2024 Jan 31 (Wed) – We got up and tried to get some semblance of order, enough to be able to close the slides and drive off.  We left the RV dealer parking lot at 11 a.m.  and arrived at our friend’s home, Margaret & Rich (Paul and Margaret worked together at Traffic).  They had a nice covered area for their RV which they were kind enough to move out and let us use.

      We visited for a bit, then went out to tackle the problem of finding a place for everything.  We moved from a 40’ rig into a 38’ rig.  We also lost a lost lot of cabinet space.  By the afternoon, we were walking around taking measurements.  Tomorrow, we will go to Lowe’s and pick up wire racks and storage boxes to add room.

      Margaret cooked meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner.  It was good!  Afterward, we watched TV for awhile, then came back and crashed.

2024 Jan 30 (Tue) – We drove to Optimum RV for our 9 a.m. inspection and walk through of the new rig (after stopping for breakfast at the Hometown Restaurant).  We waited almost an hour and a half before the tech came to get us.  We walked around the RV, letting him show us the different functions and instructing him when he didn’t know something or had it wrong.  The water pump didn’t work and a slide on the bureau was loose.  Other than that, all seemed to be in order.  When we were done inspecting the rig, the tech brought us back to the office to see someone in finance.  That was another hour wait.  At noon, I asked the receptionist if we should go to lunch, seeing as how it was lunch time and the finance officer was probably going to lunch, too.  She told us he would be right out.  Half an hour later, a young man came out and told us he needed the title to the Vilano and a copy of my driver’s license.  I gave him my license but we had to walk back to the rig to get the title.

      In the meantime, our RV was parked out front where we checked in.  Another tech had asked to take a quick look inside so we dropped the trailer and popped the slides.  He walked through, admiring the RV and telling us it was a nice rig.  We agreed.  We had to search a bit among all the packed up bags and boxes but we finally found the title and brought it back in.  We then waited another 20 minutes before a second finance guy came out to complete the paperwork.  We signed over the title, signed a bunch of papers, and were congratulated.  It was now after 2 p.m.

      We went back to the rig and made a quick lunch.  Then we commenced to moving everything from the Vilano to the Ahara.  At 6 p.m., we took a run down the road to get dinner at Wendy’s.  There was another couple who was also transferring stuff from their travel trailer to a new fifth wheel.  We picked up dinner for them.  Seeing as how it was dark and we had a mess inside, we decided to spend the night in the parking lot.  The place is a disaster and the cat is freaking out.  I’m getting too old for this!

2024 Jan 29 (Mon) – We got up early and went into the Magic Kingdom to have breakfast at the Crystal Palace.  It was a character breakfast and we got our picture taken with Winnie the Pooh.  Afterward, we walked over to Tomorrowland to go on the Circle of Progress but it was closed.  We walked through the stores looking for a bumper sticker and a Mickey Mouse sticker to put on the camper but they don’t make them any more.  Bummer.

      We packed up and left Fort Wilderness at 11 a.m.  It was almost two hours to the Wild Frontier RV Resort in Ocala.  We spent the night packing up as much as we could.  I was exhausted by the time we finally went to bed.  Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.  We stayed here close to the RV dealer so we could arrive and get the day started early.  Hope all goes well.

2024 Jan 28 (Sun) – We visited the last of the 4 parks today – the Animal Kingdom.  This is the least visited park of them all.  We started out with breakfast at the Rainforest Café.  The meal was good but as with all Disney restaurants, the meal was more than twice the cost of a meal outside the park.  We walked around a lot.  Got to take a river ride in the Avatar setting, saw the It’s Tough to be a Bug show, and watched a show with birds.  It was very warm this morning and early afternoon, then a cool breeze blew in.  Paul says a cold front is coming in.  We rode to the Wilderness Lodge for lunch and ate at the Roaring Fork.  It was good.  Then we caught the boat to the campground, took the bus back to the parking lot, then got in the truck and drove back to the campground.  It was a long day.

On a good note, Paul seems to be over his virus and I never caught it. Whew!

2024 Jan 27 (Sat) – Today was a trip to Hollywood Studios.  This was the most crowded park yet.  The new Star Wars attraction is the big, new attraction.  There were people everywhere!  We had breakfast at Hollywood & Vine to the tune of $130 (ouch!) and got to go on one ride after a 70 minute wait.  We got annoyed and left.

2024 Jan 26 (Fri) – We went to EPCOT today.  We left a little later since we wanted to stay for the fireworks.  We got there about 4 p.m. and strolled along the walkway.  We waited over an hour for Soaring Over California.  Also walked through a few areas before getting to the World Showcase.  We had dinner at the Biergarten Restaurant.  It was a buffet with German fare.  Everything was good and there was a show with 4 performers.  They played various instruments included the bells, the French horn and those long Swiss horns.  The fireworks show was fantastic.

2024 Jan 25 (Thu) – Paul popped up at 11 a.m. and said, “Let’s go to the park.”  I immediately agreed and we caught the boat to the Magic Kingdom.  The park was crowded but we managed to get on a few rides – Runaway Train (45 minute wait), Haunted Mansion (55 minute wait), Pirates of the Caribbean (35 minute wait), and the Hall of Presidents.   We came back home to feed Sheba and have dinner, then returned to the park to watch the 8 p.m. fireworks show. 

2024 Jan 24 (Wed) – We stayed in again today.  Paul seems worse but he says he’s a little better.  Hope he gets better soon so we can take advantage of at least some of the park.  My throat does not hurt any more.  Guess it cured itself.

2024 Jan 23 (Tue) – We stayed in all day.  Paul in blowing his nose and running a low grade fever.  I have him taking Ivermectin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Quercetin, and Zinc.  It only lasted him 2 days and with very mild symptoms last time he had it.  Hopefully, it won’t be any worse this time.

      At 4:30 p.m. we drove into town to pick up a few groceries.  Then we went to Pioneer Hall in the campground and had a light dinner.  I started getting a scratchy throat. 

2024 Jan 22 (Mon) – We packed up and left Brandon at 10:30 a.m.  We drove an hour and a half to Lake Buena Vista to stay for a week in Fort Wilderness in Disney World.  No other place looks like Fort Wilderness.  It is unique and inviting.  I love it.

      Paul started with a scratchy throat yesterday and is congested today.  This evening, I was on Facebook with the Vilano group.  One of the members there posted that she tested positive COVID.  We did a test on Paul and, sure enough, he is positive for COVID.  What bad timing!

2024 Jan 21 (Sun) – We packed up and left Tampa at 11:30 a.m.  We only had 9 miles to go back to the Elks Lodge for the night.  We got the same spot we had last week.

2024 Jan 20 (Sat) – We went to look at our RV again then walked around the show.  The crowds were very large.  Lots of people turned out to look over the displays.  Another couple in our group bought an RV.  We had a happy hour tonight and shared stories of our purchases.

2024 Jan 19 (Fri) – We stopped at our RV to look it over.  Unfortunately, the RV we bought was a show model and because this is a manufacturer’s show, they will continue to show the model for the entire show.  All we can hope for is that it doesn’t get abused during the show.

      We walked around the show.  Paul bought snap pads for the new rig.  There was a bingo game tonight.  We didn’t win anything.

2024 Jan 18 (Thu) – We walked around the show again today.  When we returned last night, we sent inquiries out over the internet to get some quotes on two different RV models we liked.  This morning, as we were getting ready to leave for the show, we got an email offering a quote on one of the models.  We took that quote to the RV dealer, showed the quote, and asked the salesperson to match it.  After a little bit of angst and some discussion among the staff, she agreed to match the offer.  That was quite a coup!  The MSRP was listed as $118,000.  The “special show price” was listed as $89,995.  The quote we got from the internet was $78,213.  That was almost what we paid for our Vilano back in 2017.  They gave us $30,000 for a trade-in.  We feel we got an excellent deal and signed the papers.  We purchased a 2024 East West Ahara.

      There was entertainment tonight.  A band played.  They were excellent.  When they called numbers for door prizes, we won two surge protectors – one for 30 amp and one for 50 amp.  We will donate the 30-amp protector to SMART at national.  It is worth about $250.

2024 Jan 17 (Wed) – The Tampa RV show opened today.  We walked all around the show.  My back was killing me by the end of the day.  Whew!  We stopped at a couple of designated dealer sites and got quotes on two rigs.  We returned to the RV and made a couple of calls to dealers, trying to find a better deal.  We will work it for the week we are here. The electric was hooked up when we got back.

      Our group had a potluck tonight.  It was cold and we sat around the circle with 5 propane fires burning.  The food was good.  The weather got cold today.  It’s projected to be cold again tomorrow.  Brrrr.  One of the ladies brought her little chihuahua to the potluck.  She was warning everyone not to touch it as it bites.  Not for nothing, but if your dog bites, you shouldn’t bring it to a group function.

2024 Jan 16 (Tue) – We woke at 5:30 a.m. to pack up and leave.  Taking down the RV in the dark is an adventure!  I used both a flashlight and the light from my cell phone.  After hooking up the trailer, Paul drove to the dump station where we dumped the black tank and filled the fresh water tank.  Then we hit the road and drove 9 miles to the Tampa Fairgrounds where the Super RV Show is taking place this week.  Hope we can find the kind of rig we want at a decent price.  They are SO expensive today!

      We are camped with the Vanleigh group on the grass along the back fence.  We have no water or sewer hookup.  We should get electric but are running the generator for now.  Some of the folks here remember us from the first group campout here back in 2020.  Paul and I set up the large tent.  Another one of the guys here put up his smaller, 10x10, tent.  The sky opened up this afternoon and it poured.  Everyone fit under the tent very nicely.

       At 5:30 p.m. we met Brenda & Rick at Ulele Beer Garden.  We first met them on the Utah caravan and have become fast friends.  We try to visit with them whenever we are down this way.

2024 Jan 15 (Mon – MLK Day) – We went to Bradenton this morning to visit with my cousins, Fred & Margie.  Their daughter and her husband, Carolyn & Bobby, were also there.  Two hours flew by.  Fred is not doing well (he will be 89 this year), but he is very alert and competent.  He said his sister, Pat, fell down and was in the hospital.  Although she did not break anything, she is bruised and sore.  Pat will be 92 this year. 

      After we got back to Brandon (almost an hour drive), we stopped at Tres Amigos for lunch.  The sky opened up just as we pulled up and the rain poured down.  We spent an hour inside enjoying our meal.  By the time we came out, the rain had stopped.  The weather is cooling off.  There is a cold front coming across the country.  Rain and ice is pelting the northern states.  Even the southern states have falling temps.

       When done with lunch, we went food shopping at Publix.  Groceries stocked, we are ready for tomorrow’s move to the fairgrounds. 

2024 Jan 14 (Sun) – We didn’t do much today.  Stayed in.  The weather was lousy.  We worked on caravan stuff.

2024 Jan 13 (Sat) – We walked down the street to a small grocery store down the road.  It was a lot like a Restaurant Depot.  We picked up a few frozen meats but couldn’t find the rest of what we wanted.  It was just as well, anyway, because we had to carry the groceries back down the road – about half a mile.

      We drove out to lunch at Tibby’s, which was a cajun style restaurant.  I had rice and beans and Paul had jambalaya.  We have both tasted better but it was all good.  We then stopped at Total Wines after lunch to pick up a bottle to put in the prize drawing pile. 

2024 Jan 12 (Fri) – We did our laundry this morning.  Drove down the road to a laundromat.  It seemed like it had pretty new machines.  We put the clothes in the washer and then went to the post office to mail off some insignias for SMART chapter members.  After we returned and put the clothes in the dryers, we walked to Office Depot to pick up a few items.

      There was a dinner at the Elks Lodge tonight.  They had pierogies, kielbasa, a stuffed cabbage, salad, fruit, and the most delicious rye bread.  Everything was very good.

2024 Jan 11 (Thu) – We went into Tampa to look for jeans for me.  The first store we stopped at did not have any short sizes.  The second store didn’t either, but Paul suggested I buy crops.  That worked.  I bought I pair of jeans at Macy’s and another at Lane Bryant.  Mission accomplished, we stopped at Bonefish Grill for bang bang shrimp and soup. 

2024 Jan 10 (Wed) – We packed up and left Moore Haven ACOE at 9:45 a.m.  We stopped at the dump station then took off for our 3-hour drive to Brandon.  We are staying at the Elks Lodge.  The camp host suggested a site that was kind of sandwiched between 2 and would have required a very long hose to the water spout.  We decided to take another site adjacent to the lodge building.  We have 50-amp electric and water hookup; no sewer.  We stayed here back in 2017.  The lodge was a very busy place back then but not so much today.  We went into the lodge at 4:30 p.m. to pay for our site.  There was one other couple in there.  It’s still a beautiful bar but attendance is not good.  The bartender confirmed that membership has dropped off, just as it has everywhere else in the U.S.

      After paying for our site and enjoying a drink, we drove into town to get dinner and shop.  Dinner was at Tasty Venues, a Real Italian Restaurant.  I had lasagna and Paul had spaghetti pie with 3 different types of meatball.  The lasagna was exquisite!  I have never tasted anything as good as that.  It was a large serving and I took most of it home.  Paul was unimpressed with his meal.

      We left the restaurant and went to Publix to pick up a few groceries.

2024 Jan 9 (Tue) – We met Allen & Carol, Buddy & Deborah, and Buddy’s daughter, Lynn, at LaBelle Brewing Company for dinner.  I ordered meatloaf and got a dish overflowing with food.  I think they wanted to get rid of the meatloaf because I got 2 very large slices along with green beans piled high on a plate too small for the meal.  The green beans were soft and mushy.  Yuck.  The mashed potatoes were delicious and the meatloaf was OK.  I took most of it home.

      The weather was pretty ratty all day.  A brisk wind blew most of the day and a rainstorm blew in tonight.  There was heat lightning in the clouds.  That always looks pretty cool.  The weather was pretty severe south of us and we were getting warning notices about the possibility of tornados.  Our son and daughter-in-law contacted us to make sure we were OK.

2024 Jan 8 (Mon) – We drove to Fort Meyers today.  I need a new pair of jeans but when I started trying on clothes, I was dismayed to find I was a larger size.  I got depressed and stopped shopping for any clothing.  We stopped at Books-A-Million where I picked up a couple of cook books. Then we went to Chicken Salad Chick and had chicken salad sandwiches.  We stopped at Publix on the way back to the campground.

2024 Jan 7 (Sun) – We stayed in today and worked on the next caravan we are planning for 2025:  Planes, Trains, Automobiles & Ships.  There is so much to see and do in Michigan.  We are having a hard time paring the choices down.  I guess that’s the hardest part of planning a caravan – choosing the right amount of activities yet leaving time to explore on their own.

2024 Jan 6 (Sat) – We went over to Allen’s tonight for a barbecue.  He smoked up some ribs. ��They were delicious!  We stopped over Buddy & Deborah’s house to look it over.  They bought it in February just before taking off for an extended RV trip this summer.  They only just got back at Thanksgiving.  The layout of the house is odd and they have their work cut out for them.  But they seem to be happy next to Allen (Allen and Deborah are siblings).  Buddy showed Paul where to hook up the RV if we ever come visit and stay at their place.

2023 Jan 5 (Fri) – We drove into LaBelle to shop at WalMart.  Then we tried to find a place to buy firewood.  Ace Hardware, WalMart, Tractor Supply, and 7-11 were all out of wood.  Allen & Carol and his sister and husband, Deborah & Buddy, came over at 4 p.m.  We had hamburgers and hot dogs.  I made potato salad and chickpea salad.  Allen brought over some wood from his shop and we had a campfire.  It was an enjoyable evening.

2023 Jan 4 (Thu) – We packed up and left LaBelle at 11:30 a.m.  We only had an 11-mile drive to ACOE Ortona South Campground in Moore Haven.  We were here some years ago.  It is a very pleasant campground right on the Caloosahatchee River.  Our site has electric and water hookup.  We are on a concrete pad with a gravel patio with a covered picnic table.  There is a lock right next to the campground.  After set up, we walked over the lock to the other side and watched a boat come through the lock.

      We sent a note to Allen, telling him we arrived and were set up.  We agreed to have them come over for a BBQ tomorrow. 

2023 Jan 3 (Wed) – We went to Clewiston today to tour the Seminole Reservation Museum, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki.  It was an hour’s drive from LaBelle.   When we arrived, we drove first to the Swamp Water Café for lunch.  The café was set in a visitors area with cages for animals.  Almost all the cages were empty.  There was a very nice arena with grass and a moat filled with clear, clean water surrounding it.  In front were 3 stands for an audience to watch an alligator wrestling show.  The waitress told Paul the café had just opened for 7 days a week on Monday.  The place had closed for the pandemic and has not reopened.  The petting zoo was also closed. 

      The entire village is very well kempt and you can see they put money back into the reservation from the casino.  There was a new development under construction.  A very nice campground was also on the reservation.  We went to the museum.  The walkway from the parking lot to the building was a decorative block.  Inside the museum, we found the Seminole Indians to be very different from the Indians out west.  There clothing was very colorful and the men wore turbans!  The natives were driven into the everglades during the Seminole Wars (three of them) and they are very proud that they never surrendered or signed any peace treaties.  In the back of the museum was a boardwalk that wound through the swamp for a mile.  There were many storyboards along the way that described the wildlife, reptiles, insects, flora and fauna of the area.  There was also a replica fishing camp and a replica village.

       When we got back to LaBelle, we drove to Allen & Carol’s home, visited a while, then drove to Amigos & Beer for dinner.  I had tortillas and Paul had a combo meal.  We had margaritas but they were not good.  Mine smelled like perfume and the taste was off.  We drank them any way. 

2023 Jan 2 (Tue) – We drove to Fort Meyers this afternoon.  We spent the morning researching RVs online and decided to go to dealers to look at rigs.  The first stop was at Camping World.  When the girl demanded to make a copy of Paul’s license, he refused and we left.  What kind of weird requirement is that?  She claimed it was for insurance purposes.

      Next stop was at La Mesa.  They did not have any towables on their lot.  We seem to remember stopping at La Mesa a year or so ago and they said they are only selling motor homes.

      Then we stopped at Blue Compass RV.  The salesman was very upbeat and eager to sell us an RV.  We looked at a rig we really liked but once we started comparing it to our current RV, we realized it was missing a lot of storage space.  There were not nearly enough cabinets to hold all our stuff.  The salesman asked us to contact him when we find a rig we want and he will try to get it for us.  We told him we are going to the Tampa RV Show and (to be expected) he told us the better deal is at the dealership.  We will see.

      We went for lunch at Skip One Seafoods, a cute local restaurant that had really good food.  Allen asked if we wanted to go to dinner tonight but since we were an hour away and still looking at RVs, we made a date for tomorrow instead.

      After we got back to the campground, we did the laundry.

2023 Jan 1 (Mon) – We packed up and left Naples at 11:15 a.m.  It was only 74 miles to LaBelle so we took it slow.  The drive was nice.  We are staying at Whisper Creek RV Resort.  We had such a hard time finding a campground in the area so we wound up making reservations at this resort.  It is costing us $125 a night.  Ouch!  At any rate, we wanted to visit with our friends, Allen and Carol.

      We drove over Allen’s house at 4:00 p.m.  He lives in a double gated community on a hill right on the river.  It is a very lovely home with a main waterway going past the back of his house.  We visited for an hour then went to dinner.  Allen’s son, Allen Jr., is visiting and joined us as well.  We were going to go to a Mexican restaurant for margaritas but they were closed so we wound up at the LaBelle Brewing Co.  I had a cobb salad and Paul had jambalaya.  The food and company were very good.

       After dinner, we drove back to their house.  Visited for a half hour, then left.

2023 Dec 31 (Sun – New Year’s Eve) – We drove into the historic district of Naples today.  Everything is built in Italian architectural style.  I guess their sister city is Naples, Italy.  It has a very European feel to the town.  There were so many expensive cars.  A Bentley convertible, many Bentleys, BMWs, Porches, Audis, etc.  We are in the land of the rich people.  We found a parking spot and walked down to the Naples Pier.  The sand was so soft and beautiful; finer than sugar.  There were people and cars clogging the streets and sidewalks.  We left and drove to the Texas Roadhouse for lunch.  We got fuel and returned to the campground.

      New Year’s Eve came and went while we slept away.  We went to bed at 10:30 p.m.  There were fireworks going off all night.  We were wakened at midnight when there was an influx of joyous noise.

2023 Dec 30 (Sat) – We went to breakfast at Hoots this morning.  It was a small café but bustling with business.  I had corned beef hash with eggs and Paul had some kind of Mexican dish.  Everything was very good.

      After breakfast, we went to WalMart for groceries.  The exterior was not like the average store.  Paul joked that because we are in a rich neighborhood, they didn’t want it to look like a WalMart so they made it quite fancy.  Inside was pretty much the same except that there were 37 self check-out lanes and only 2 cashier lanes, both of which were closed.  I found someone to come check us out.

2023 Dec 29 (Fri) – We packed up, stopped at the dump outside the gate, then proceeded on our way to Naples where we are staying at Marco Naples RV Resort.  This is another of the gargantuan commercial company RV parks.  We are here for 3 nights.  Naples is a very high end city with lots of manicured lawns and residential communities.  Our campsite is on a concrete pad fit between two mobile homes.  We have full hook-ups.  The resort has bocci ball, a pool, horseshoes, and 2 dog parks.  The mobile homes are tightly fit in with open spaces here and there for RVs that come and go (like us).

2023 Dec 28 (Thu) – We took down our Christmas tree and all the decorations, packed them away, and restored the rig to pre-holiday status.  It looks kind of empty now.  At 4 p.m. we drove to Marathon.  Traffic was heavy and we got there at 5:15 p.m.  We were planning to have dinner with Tim at the Cracked Conch.  However, Tim was worried we wouldn’t get our food in time to make Show Me The Money at the American Legion at 6 p.m. so we picked him up at the restaurant and drove on to the legion.  We all had hot dogs.  Carrie met us there.  We played cards for 2 hours.  Carrie was very lucky and won several games. Paul saw Tim and Carrie share an intimate kiss.  Guess they are more than just friends.  Good for him!

      At 8:30 p.m. we said our good-byes and headed back to get ready for tomorrow’s move.

2023 Dec 27 (Wed) – We drove to Key Largo to mail off a package we were returning.  I ordered (what I thought was) a heating pad, but when it arrived it was a huge sauna blanket.  Too big for RV living so I returned it.  Next door was Ferdinand The Bull Cuban restaurant.  We both had Cuban sandwiches.  I didn’t care for the bread but it was tasty.

      We met Carl & Shirley (SMART friends) and Tim at the Old Tavernier Restaurant for dinner.  We sat out on the patio.  The menu was interesting and everything was quite expensive.  I felt bad for Tim who wound up ordering the cheapest thing on the menu (lasagna) and still forked over a large share of the bill ($40).  We then all drove to the Elks Lodge where we played the Queen of Hearts.

2023 Dec 26 (Tue) – We did the laundry this morning.  Drove to a laundromat down the road that had bags and bags of laundry all over the place.  My impression is that they are the only laundry for miles around.  And they take in laundry for all the resorts and hotels in the area.  It was expensive, too.  The small washer cost $3.50 and the dryer was $0.25 for 5 minutes.  It was over $14 by the time we were done.

      A thick fog rolled in this afternoon.  Everyone claims it’s weird.  They never get fog.  It stayed all afternoon and into the night.  We drove to Marathon, got on Tim’s tiki boat, and rode to the Dockside Bar & Grill where we met Carrie.  After some food and drink, we drove to the American Legion where we played bar poker.

2023 Dec 25 (Mon – Christmas Day) – We picked a turkey breast up at Winn Dixie yesterday.  I cooked it this morning, then we brought the turkey and cranberry sauce to Tim’s.  Tim cooked a ham.  It rained and we sat around his boat for an hour.  During a lull in the rain, Paul and Tim went down to the store to pick up soda.  One of Tim’s neighbors came over and invited us to sit on his boat because he had a cover over the deck.  So we traipsed over there.  There were 9 of us in total and we enjoyed a Christmas meal with the food everyone brought.  It was a very pleasant day.

2023 Dec 24 (Sun) – Paul and I met Tim and Carrie for Christmas morning service at the Marathon Community Church.  They used to be part of the Methodist Church but they broke away.  Much of the service was very much like that of the Methodist Church. 

      After church, the four of us went to the Cracked Conch for brunch.  Three of us ordered corned beef hash, eggs and potatoes.  Paul ordered creamed chipped beef.  The waitress brought four orders of creamed chipped beef.  We sent 3 back; they left one because they were only going to throw them out any way.  Everything came on a separate dish – the eggs, the potatoes, the toast, the hash.  There were way too many dishes on the table.

      When we finished, we got on Tim’s tiki boat and rode to the Dockside Bar.  We sat on the patio and had cocktails.  At 3, we left and returned to the campground for a potluck meal at the Elks lodge.  At 5:30 p.m. we went into the lodge and enjoyed the assortment of foods people brought.  Again, there were way too many cheese and cracker dishes.  As we were leaving at 6:30, we ran into Carl & Shirley.  They were on previous caravans with us.  We plan to have dinner with them on Wednesday.  We said a quick hello then hurried out to attend the 7 p.m. candlelight service at the United Methodist Church down the road. 

2023 Dec 23 (Sat) – Paul and I went to Doc’s Diner for breakfast this morning.  Tim recommended it and it was quite good.  I had corned beef hash with eggs and grits; Paul had sausage and gravy.  We drove to Marathon and met Tim at the American Legion for a gingerbread house making contest.  Paul and Tim concentrated very hard on their project.  I made a gingerbread man.  The guys won the contest!  I think it was the campfire (complete with flames made out of licorice) and the chimney with fire that did the trick.  I was the only person to make a gingerbread man so I won it all.

      Afterward, there was a potluck dinner.  There were way too many cheese and cracker dishes but we were able to fill up.

2023 Dec 22 (Fri) – Everyone took off today.  Chris drove Susan to Miami for her flight back to New York, then returned to his new digs in Jacksonville.  Dennis & Denise decided to leave and head back to their condo in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  And Greg & Potsy left to go back home to Sarasota.  It’s just us and Tim again until we leave.

      We took the day to just kick back and relax.  Paul is reworking our route since our planned caravan has been cancelled.  I worked on various projects to include my new book.  At 5:30 p.m. we went into the lodge for dinner. 

2023 Dec 21 (Thu) – The weather was overcast and drizzly today.  The group had talked about bicycling over the bridge to Pigeon Key but cancelled out.  Paul and I did some shopping at Winn Dixie.  Chris and Susan walked across the 2 miles to Pigeon Key.  Dennis and Denise went shopping for sandals and tee-shirts.  At noon, Susan, Chris, Tim, Paul and I went to the American Legion for lunch.  Then we met Dennis and Denise at the Pigeon Key Train Depot.  Greg and Potsy arrived to meet us there as well and we all took the little trolley across the old railroad bridge turned walkway to Pigeon Key.  There we took a tour of the island where 400 workers used to live on the island while the rail line was being built.

      When we got back, some of us met at the Dockside Inn for drinks.  Then, they all ran back to their respective hotels to get their gifts.  We met at the Florida Keys Steak & Lobster House for a Christmas dinner.  We had a Santa swap (each person put a gift in and took one gift out).  It was fun.  We had a great time.  The last time all six of us were together was eleven years ago in May of 2012.

2023 Dec 20 (Wed) – Chris and Susan moved out of Skip Jacks this morning and went to the Hampton Inn.  Apparently, the place they gave them to stay is a condo that is being lived in.  When Chris pulled out the bed on the couch, there was sand and dirt, a screw driver, a half eaten dog bone, etc.  They were so grossed out!  Whoever lives there just threw their stuff in a closet and vacated.  

      We drove to Key West with Chris and Susan.  Parked in back of the Navy base for free and walked the town.  We saw the Butterfly Museum and had lunch at the Moon Dog Café.  Then we took Chris to see the USCGC Ingham.  It brought back memories for him (he’s retired from the Coast Guard). 

      When we got back at the foot of the 7-Mile bridge, we met Tim for dinner at the Sunset Grill.  Dennis & Denise had arrived and also met us at the restaurant for dinner. 

2023 Dec 19 (Tue) – Susan and Chris flew in today.  We met them at their hotel, Skip Jacks, and went to dinner at the Cracked Conch.  When done, they returned to their hotel and Tim and I went to the American Legion for their membership meeting.  I was somewhat surprised by the lack of officers.  The commander filled all roles – adjutant, vice commanders, treasurer – and ran the entire meeting by himself.  It took about a half hour.  When done, we filed out into the bar and played bar poker.  Paul had dropped Sue & Chris off at their hotel and came back to the post.  He won one game.

2023 Dec 18 (Mon) – We drove to Marathon to meet Tim.  It was an almost hour drive!  I don’t remember it being so far away.  We met Tim at the American Legion but they had run out of lunch food.  So we hopped in our vehicles and drove to the Cracked Conch for lunch.  It was a cute little beachy place.  Paul had fried scallops, Tim and I had cheeseburgers.

      After lunch, Tim took us out on his Tiki boat.  It was a very pleasant ride with a fairly strong wind blowing.  There was a touch of coolness in the wind but not bad.  I am always so amazed at all the people who live in their boats out on the water.  The city has 250 mooring points where a person can anchor to and live for just $350 a month.  There is a pump out service from the city and a facility where people can shower and do laundry.  It’s certainly a different way of life.  Tim keeps his boat tied to the dock because he wants to have electric service.  He says the state also has mooring points for hook ups as well.  There were certainly a load of boats out on the water with very few open points.

      When we got back, we drove back to the American Legion where we played bar bingo (it’s bingo at the bar instead of tables).  It is a very nice post.  The bingo caller was clearer a man trying to be female with shorts, a blouse with open shoulders, longish hair and painted nails.  S/he is called Victoria and has a slew of tattoos left over from his days in the military.  They played 12 games, each on a sheet of paper with 6 cards printed on it.  There were different games to play which kept things interesting.  All of us won a game and when all was said and done, Paul and I basically broke even. 

2023 Dec 17 (Sun) – It rained this morning, then cleared up.  We were able to pack up without rain pouring down on us.  Thank goodness!  We left Key West at 9:15 a.m. and drove up-Island for 2 hours until we arrived at the Elks Lodge in Tavernier a little after 11 a.m.  The gate was closed and I called the camp host to admit us.  We were shown to our spot - #5.  Paul pulled in, swung around, and backed the RV in like the pro he is.  We are along the fenceline with close access to the side entrance where the bathrooms are.  Since we have no sewer hookup, we need to be careful to limit our water usage.  We can usually last 10 days with no sewer.  We have to kick it up a little to make the 12 days we will be here.

      I called my brother, Tim, to say we were here.  He said Sundays are his “busy” days (as if you could be busy retired and living in the Keys) so we agreed to meet him tomorrow.

      The sky is blue and nearly cloudless.  There is evidence the storm passed through today.  In fact, everyone says this was a really unusual storm because it lasted so long and intensified as the week went on.  There are puddles and pooling everywhere.  At one point during our drive, we could see where the water came up and covered the roadway.  There are parts along the drive from Key West where the islands are very thin with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other side.

2023 Dec 16 (Sat) – The weather was miserable today.  It poured hard on and off between light rains.  The wind blew in very strong gusts, even knocking the Starlink satellite over. We didn’t want to go out, but we needed fuel for tomorrow’s move.  So, we got gas on base for $1 less than the station right outside the gate.  While out, we stopped at Kennedy Café for lunch.  It was a Greek restaurant and we both had gyros.  There was a 5 or 6 year old girl following the waitress around.  She brought my water when the waitress brought Paul’s tea, then gave me a menu.  Cute until she gets hurt.  She was hopping and bopping around the place with her little tutu and sparkly shoes. 

      There was a quick stop at the NEX to look for pirate booty (which we did not find), then back to the RV.  Travis called this morning.  Noah was also on the phone and asked us to get some pirate booty for them.  We will continue to look for it.  Wish we’d known the past week we’ve been here.  We walked past sooooo many gift shops.  We’ll still be in the Keys on Islamorada and we can search there.

2023 Dec 15 (Fri) – We went to the aquarium this morning.  It was a little misty with spotty rain.  The aquarium was something of a disappointment.  It was small and the outside tank was overcrowded with large fish.  There were 7 nurse sharks, groupers, tarpon, red drums, etc. all swimming around (the nurse sharks actually just lay around).  A staff member gave a demonstration and fed some of the different kinds of fish, including the sharks.

      After the aquarium, we walked into town and had lunch at Irish Kevin’s.  We thought it was an Irish restaurant but it turned out to be more of a bar that sold some food.  No shepherd’s pie.  We indulged and each had a margarita (since we started dieting about 2 weeks ago, we have given up alcohol).  I had a cheeseburger and Paul had some kind of fish.

      When we were back at the trailer, I got a call from the camp host at the Elks Lodge, where we are headed on Sunday.  She wanted to know when we were arriving today.  I told her we wouldn’t be in for 2 days.  There was some confusion about when we were scheduled to arrive.  I looked at the registration form I filled out on line and discovered I had signed off on an arrival date of December 15, not 17.  Oops!  I agreed to pay the 2 days since they held the space for us rather than renting it to someone else.  It’s incidents like this that make me worry about my mental capacity.  It doesn’t happen often but when it does, I ponder my brain.  It would be awful to contract Alzheimer’s or dementia.  We see a lot of folks in our travel group that suffer the disease.  It’s unsettling to know that you are in the age group that is susceptible to that.

2023 Dec 14 (Thu) – We drove into town this morning and mailed off 163 Christmas cards.  Whew!  Then we drove to the Little White House.  President Truman took his vacations here during his presidency and even after he left office.  He claimed he got more work done when he was down in the Keys as opposed to being in Washington, D.C.  The house was lovely.  Many presidents and dignitaries visited and/or stayed in the house.

      We then walked downtown to have lunch at Fogartys.  We sat out on the patio and watch chickens and pigeons flock around the area.  There are loads of chickens all around the area.  Reminds me of Hawaii.  We then drove to Fort Zachary Taylor.  It was an old fort built in 1845.  It was intended to protect the Straits of Florida, Key West Harbor, and the Gulf of Mexico.  The fort was used in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.  It was the longest serving U.S. coastal fortification, serving from 1861-1947.

      When we drove out of the park, we noticed the USCGC Ingham.  It was the largest Coast Guard ship I have ever seen.  We had to explore it.  We bought tickets and went onboard.  They offer cocktails by sunset on Fridays.  The history of the 76-year-old ship was very interesting. 

      By the time we finished our tour, it was raining pretty good.  We came back to the campground and did the laundry.

2023 Dec 13 (Wed) – The bicycle company dropped off the bikes this morning.  The bike fits although it feels like my knees come up a little high.  We put them under the overhang and will take them out when the weather clears up.  We told him to pick them up on Saturday.

      Then we drove into town and had lunch at the Cuban Coffee Queen.  It was a small café in an indoor mall.  We got our meal and sat in the aisle outside.  We toured the Audubon House.  My cousin, Denise, has worked there for many years and when I mentioned her name, we were ushered right in.  The house went through several owners.  Finally, it was renovated and renamed the Audubon House in honor of John Audubon who stayed in the house for a while.

      Next, we went to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.  Mel was born in Indiana and moved to California.  He became in the new sport, scuba diving.  He opened a dive shop and did snorkel and scuba until discovering shipwrecks.  He went on to wrecking (diving on shipwrecks) and moved his family to Florida.  He searched for 16 years until he discovered a Spanish galleon with a cargo valued at over half a billion dollars in 1985.  The ship had sunk in a storm off the Florida Keys.  It turns out there were many ships that sank during storms sailing from Cuba to Spain.  Mel made quite a living diving on the wrecks.

      After we got back to the campground, we finished up the Christmas cards for mailing.

2023 Dec 12 (Tue) – We drove over to the ITT office and got military tickets to a few attractions.  Paul also arranged to rent 2 bikes.  Unfortunately, they are NOT electric.  I hope I can manage it.  We’ll see when they deliver them tomorrow.

       We drove into town and had lunch at the Stoned Crab.  The waitress seemed to forget us.  I kept staring down the aisle looking for her.  Finally, the hostess noticed and went to get our waitress.  The meal was OK but nothing to write home about.

      We drove over to Office Max to get ink for the printer.  We also stopped at CVS to pick up a statin the doctor prescribed for me.  I put it aside while I mull over taking it.  Maybe I’ll put it in the drawer with the high pressure medicine.  When we came out of CVS, we noticed a hair cutting salon.  Paul needed a haircut badly.  It’s been too windy for me to do it outside, so we went in.  While in there, I had a hairdresser also trim my hair.  I asked her if she could fix a bad cut.  She looked at my hair and went, “Oy Vay!”  It looks much better now.  And the black lowlights have begun to fade and blend in better.  I like the way it looks now.

      When we got back to the campground, there was a note on our door from the camp host.  There is a weather report calling for high winds and local flooding caused by rain.  Wish we had known before we rented the bikes.

2023 Dec 11 (Mon) – We stayed in all day.  I began working on writing our Christmas and getting cards ready to assemble.  The weather was kind of crappy anyway.  At 5 p.m., we walked over to the Sunset Grill for dinner.  We had wine with it and wanted to watch the sun set but it was too cloudy.  Oh, well.  Another day.

2023 Dec 10 (Sun) – We drove around town to check out the sites.  We stopped at Winn Dixie for a few items and Paul picked himself up a bagel at a small shop near the grocery store.  I picked up a prescription at CVS.  It is a statin the doctor wants to start taking for cholesterol.  I am reluctant to do this and the bottle sits on the shelf for now. 

2023 Dec 9 (Sat) – We packed up and left Sunrise at 9 a.m.  It was a 4-hour drive to Key West.  We are camped at the Sigsbee Naval Air Station (NAS) campground.  The campsites are very tight and the campground is full.  We have been trying to get into this campground for a couple of years.  We wanted to stay here because so many folks talk about camping here.  Now that we have done it, I hope that’s the end of coming here.  We are mountain people, not beach people.

      There is a lounge right in the campground.  We walked over and sat on the deck with a glass of wine and watched the sun set.  The campground is right on the Gulf of Mexico and the front row of campsites faces the water.

2023 Dec 8 (Fri) – We packed up and drove to the dump site where we emptied our tanks.  Then we had to stop at the store to return a remote control they gave us in case we were out late and needed to open the gate upon our return.  We had to put $40 down in deposit and when I gave it back, they refunded the $40.  The clerk was different than the one from yesterday, so I told her I lost my membership card.  She said there was supposed to be a charge to get a new card but she just gave it to me.  We then drove to George’s body shop where I presented him with the card.  I filled it in with me as the member and George as my husband.  Hopefully, it will work for him.

      The drive was pleasant until we got into the Palm Beach/Miami/Ft Lauderdale area.  Then the traffic ground down and we crawled to our destination.  We are camped at Markham County Park in Sunrise, Florida.  We stayed here two years ago on the way down to the memorial for Tim’s son, Joey.  It is a huge park with loads of activities – shooting range, skeet range, BMX track, archery range, several dog parks, volley ball, etc.  Our campsite is in section B in a wagon wheel formation.  It is very nice, on grass, with full hookups.

      After set up, we drove to town (about a half mile away) to do a little shopping and get fuel.  We came back and drove around the park.  It is very impressive.

2023 Dec 7 (Thu) – We drove over to meet George at his place of work this morning – AutoHaus Body Shop.  He showed us around and introduced us to his new dog, a rottweiler.  Beautiful animal but he calls it dumb.  We went to lunch in George’s new Audi electric car.  Our meal was at Muddies, a small but very nice café.  Next door was a Rope Store. We had to go in and check it out.  They really sell ropes and all kinds of lines.

      After lunch, we went back to the shop.  Paul mentioned that there are spots on our truck that he can’t get out.  He asked George about it.  When he looked at the truck, he said the spots were caused by battery acid.  The only place that could have happened was when Paul had the truck in the shop back in Greenville, SC, while I was in NY.  The garage said the batteries were bad and sold us two new ones.  It looks like someone dropped a battery in front of the truck and acid splashed across the right front panel of the truck.  George took pictures and made up an estimate of cost to repair the damage.

      When we got home, Paul called the Ford dealer and told them about the damage.  The manager told Paul to send pictures.  I emailed the estimate and pictures.  We’ll see what happens.

At 5:30, we drove to Dolphin’s Waterfront Grill & Bar where we met George (Linda was at a Christmas party with her bible study group), Denise & Matthew.  Denise is George’s sister and Melody’s cousin.  Matthew is her new boyfriend.  They have been dating for six months and seemed very happy together.  We enjoyed a delightful meal while we reminisced about our growing years.

2023 Dec 6 (Wed) – We left Kings Bay, GA, at 10 a.m.  It was a long drive with two stops – one at the visitor center at the border and the second at one of the largest Buc-ee’s we have ever seen.  It had 120 gas pumps and 240 fill stations.  Inside was like a combination department store, country store, and gas station.  The place was so busy with traffic jams outside by cars looking for parking.  We wound up parking on the curb because there was no parking.  The “station” was packed with lots of energy going on.  There was a smoked meats sandwich counter and a fudge/candy station.  We shopped for a gift for family. 

      We arrived at KARS (NASA’s recreation park and campground) on Merritt Island at 3 p.m.  This is the 4th time we have camped here.  We came because they give a second membership card to use the facility for a family member.  Because NASA has been revitalized and demand is back up, they stopped giving the additional membership card.  We gave those cards to George & Linda.  He will be disappointed to hear this.  We were assigned a sign right on the water front of the Banana River.  They have improved the campground a lot since we were last here.  They put in new electric stanchions and a second dump station.  The American Legion post is active with meetings 3 times a month.  We have never seen this post do anything in the past.

      At 5 p.m., we drove to George & Linda’s home.  We visited for a while then they drove us to a restaurant names in honor of Ernest Hemingway.  It was a unique place and the food was good.  We all celebrated with “traditional” margaritas.  We returned to their home then drove back to the campground at 9:30 p.m. 

      I was so tired, I went to bed.  Paul stayed up to watch a lift off from Kennedy Space Center.  The complex is directly across the river and offers spectacular views of rocket launches.  Although I had fallen asleep, I was awakened at 12:08 p.m. when the RV shook with the force of the list-off.       

[danielxwhitechapel]

❝ I wanna tear this place apart tonight                                               And have you thank me for my rage ❞ 

Is that CHRIS WOOD? no, you’re mistaken, that’s actually DANNY WHITECHAPEL {  cis man, he/him }. He is a 33/706 year old VAMPIRE. He is a FREELANCE HACKER/INVESTOR and can easily be found at THE UGLY DUCKLING. He is known for being SADISTIC, MANIPULATIVE, and IMPULSIVE but also CHARMING, PATIENT, and OBSERVANT. You could probably bribe them with A PACK OF TWIZZLERS or piss them off by UNDERESTIMATING HIM. { marie, 27, est, she/her }

triggers:  domestic abuse, murder

stats

Character Name: Daniel Samuel Anderson (now Whitechapel)

Nickname: Danny, Danny Boy, Dan (he will kill you if you ever call him this, ask the last person...oh wait, you can’t.)

Age: 33/706 years old

Birthday: June, 27th 1317

Gender/Pronouns: Cis man, He/Him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Occupation: Hacker/investor.

How long they’ve been in Los Santos: One month

Currently Lives: Sunnyside

Similar: Kai Parker, Alex Karev, Crowley, Katherine Pierce, Mon-El, Joey Tribianni (foodie), Stiles Stilinski (techie), Theo, Johnny Faust, Damon Salvatore

Inspo: Spotify | Pinterest

personality

impulsive

sadistic

manipulative

patient

observant

charming

pretty goofy (idiot)

temperamental

cunning

THE CHESS MASTER - this is an incredibly patient muse, they may seem oblivious, but in reality, they are quietly plotting something big. they’re intelligent and not everyone around them is aware of this, which works to their advantage.

key points:

triggers: murder, parental neglect, childhood abuse, domestic abuse, death, violence

Danny was born into the long line of powerful Anderson witches but his family wasn’t the best around. His father was famously abusive in the household, beating on him and his sister more often than not.

Despite that, Danny tried to seek help from the rest of his family to hone in on his powers and became a pretty powerful witch.

His father eventually passed away (though some were suspicions that he was murdered and that Danny was somehow involved though no proof was ever found)  and without the man’s domineering hand upon him, Danny’s familial ties disintegrated. He didn’t particularly care for his family and though maybe odd, the lack of being able to connect with people wasn’t abnormal...at least to Danny it wasn’t.

His lack of ability to truly connect changed when he met Damien - a twist he certainly didn’t see coming in his life.

Danny fell in love hard with Damien - in a way he didn’t think he was capable of. It was a connection he didn’t think he would ever had with someone.

It shocked him when Damien finally revealed that he wasn’t human but was indeed a vampire. He took it in stride and after some thought, he accepted Damien for who he was. However, he made the other swear that he wouldn’t turn him. Under no circumstances, did Danny want to be turned into a vampire. It would be curse. Damien promised and the two continued their life together - happily.

But happiness is hardly ever long lasting. When Danny turned 33, he fell victim to the Black Death. He was on his deathbed and after saying his goodbye to his love, he was certain it would be the last. No amount of magic would heal him, and he had tried.

What Danny didn’t expect was to wake up and find out that Damien had gone against his word and turned him. Danny woke up livid when Damien confessed what he had done and he fought against completing the transition. He would rather die than become a vampire but Damien had left him no choice and forced him to finish the transition.

As soon as it was done, Danny lashed out. He hated Damien for what he had done and made sure the other knew it without a shadow of a doubt. He never wanted to see him again.

Fueled by deep rage and the inhuman power that came from being a vampire, Danny changed from who he had been as a human.

His sociopathic and temperamental traits had always been present but it was exacerbated by his new nature. Rather quickly, Danny shed any humanity he had and became one of the most lethal and ruthless vampires in history. His name was well known as was the torture, havoc and chaos he brought whenever he stepped foot into some place new.

Danny reveled in his destructive nature and despite initially hating what he had become, he now does love it and the power it brings.

The old human Danny has long been gone and anyone who knew it back from ancient times would fail to recognize him.

Throughout the years, he’s made it a point to never run into Damien but with every life he took, he hoped it would drive a stake through his ex-lover’s heart a little bit more with the knowledge that every life he took and tortured was because he had the audacity of turning him.

Danny has traveled throughout the world for most of his life.

Four hundred years ago, Danny ran into Syd Whitechapel - coincidentally, Damien’s older brother. The two had an instant spark of connection. They bonded over their deep desire for destruction and sadistic nature until love seemed to overtake them. They have been married since and though not the world’s healthiest or best marriage, it’s what worked for them. 

After spending so many years together, it’s not uncommon for the duo to part ways for a few months or a couple of years at a time. Mostly, to handle business the other has no interest in, and sometimes when they pissed each other off. Though, they keep in contact through texts and calls and through a spiritual bond they had a witch do on them. It keeps them connected despite the distance. 

Eventually, Danny grew bored and upon hearing that Damien was in Los Santos, he figured why not entertain himself by torturing him with his mere presence.

Danny has been in town for a month and has been lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect chance to strike down hell on his ex and everyone else in Los Santos.

headcannon.

Do not call him by his full name. He hasn’t been Daniel since ancient times and there is only one person who can still get away with it and that’s Damien - though he will pay heavily every time he dares to call him that.

Has a pretty bad temper and is sadistic to the core. A bored Danny is a dangerous Danny. His mind needs constant stimulation or he grows exceedingly restless and that leads to impulsive decisions that bring the sense of chaos and adrenaline he needs.

The kind of guy that can be ruled by his emotions (impulsivity) and thinks about things later.

Lower on the sociopathy scale so he’s able to feel some emotions at a higher intensity and comprehend to an extent but he prefers not to. He technically has a sense of right and wrong but blatantly doesn’t give a shit and would prefer to cause destruction at others' expense. 

When technology rolled around, Danny became fascinated with it. He has heavily invested in it since it’s creation and has become a tech wizard of sorts, going as far as becoming one of the most well-known hackers on the dark web, even if not known by his actual name. Mostly, he does it for fun because why the fuck not? Besides the illegal stuff he gets to pull on humans is downright ridiculous and sometimes, enjoyable.

He wears a silver band with the words partners in crime on his left ring finger - it’s his wedding band, handmade by his husband. 

Often is seen wearing a black leather jacket - also his husband’s as a token whenever they part ways for a period of time.

Fluent in English, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, and many other languages.

wanted connections

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF HIS WANTED CONNECTIONS

Fledglings (he’s probably turned a few vampires in his life time - probably the worst sire in the world lmao)

Younger Sister: The Anderson siblings would have had a difficult relationship. To an extent, Danny would have been protective of his sister. Whether that born out of genuine concern or love is up for debate. His sister would have had a front row seat at the earlier and maybe subtle signs that Danny had never fully been there in the head. The early sighs of lack of empathy, manipulation, and sadistic behavior. However, these were minimal and often went unnoticed. She would have been the only one who knew of his relationship with Damien back in ancient times.. We can discuss their dynamic afterwards. After turning, Danny might have gone to see her (did he turn her too out of spite? did she push him away? Who knows!)One thing is for sure, the Danny she grew up knowing is long gone and im here for any drama that comes from that. 

Enemies: Danny has no regard for right or wrong and whatever he does is born out of either spite, boredom or sadistic need. I would love to see an enemy relationship that bites him in the ass. Maybe a hunter born out of Danny’s killing their family? A resentful fledgling? 

One night stands

Flings

Drinking buddies

GIVE ME EVERYTHING

[dejavuedits]

SUPERGIRL CHARACTERS LAYOUTS

゛✿ ℒıke or reblog if you save this layouts.

゛✿ 𝒞redıts on twitter ⦂ @celestialside if you use.

゛✿ 𝒮ponsored by 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮 🌷.

[ralnbookedits]

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⋆ ━━━━╍   Chris Wood as Mon-El layouts.

credits to @TQUILAB4SUNRISE on twitter. are necessary.

     ✷ ⧽⧽⠀⨾  like o reblog if u like or save.

[moondust-edits]

KARAMEL – packs

── 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙨𝙚: 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚/𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙜

── don’t clame as your own.

©: @. caotichuman

(𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓)

[picturesquedits]

like if you save/use. credit sweetviilains on twitter