#pete is the husband that only thinks about his wife confirmed

[kcuf-ad]

What gives you happiness?

Sharon: Coupons!

Pete: My wife!

Sharon:.... I want to change my answer.

[malvolios-yellow-stockings]

Disclaimer - the following scenes shall be talked about as they are seen through my own two gay ass eyes, the gayz gaze™. To add, on this blog we kiss the ground Lucius walks on but it is also run by an Izzy Hands apologist. Take that as you will. Ye have been warned.

I gotta gush about this whole scene. I just gotta.

Both because it makes me happy on a personal level™ and because it gives me an excuse to write bullshit about Lucius and Izzy and how their personalities are wonderfully opposed in this scene. Like, these two motherfuckers even have opposing views on how love works and what it does to a person.

Backtrack.

This. This is art. Now, is this confirmation Lucius is poly? Nah, I don't think so, but as someone who's Extremely tired of the "you belong to me"/"I belong to you" possessive bullshit that comes across as completely unromantic and creepily (and accidentally) unhinged 99% of the time, I'm just happy we got this line. Because yes, to Lucius, it isn't about owning each other! But about different entities liking and respecting each other, seeing the other as an equal. Throughout the season, we see him and Black Pete actually communicate and express their feelings, fears and genuinely try to help and understand each other… There's just so much sincerity in it all.

Meanwhile Izzy. The pint-sized whore who, can we agree, has some weird thing going on with Ed? Like, it's repressed gay yearning™, right? Much to talk about this lil' freak, this wet purse dog (both affectionate). This man has seen things™, okay? He's been the one alongside Blackbeard (not Ed, mind you), for a very long time and, in the fashion of a proverbial suburban (house)wife (and her husband is quite openly cheating on her with his new coworker) scorned, has dedicated his best years to serving him (and got nothing in return???). He's seen Blackbeard, he knows him, what the man of the myths is capable of, what he has done and what he can do again. Izzy has first-hand experience with how Blackbeard's traumatic experiences (his father, then Hornigold etc.) have shaped him and convinced him he must enact violence for self-preservation and just plain survival (simplifying, obviously). So, I reckon Izzy has probably gotten some of that Hornigold treatment from Ed. And honestly, I'm pretty convinced that THE Izzy "trapped in the wrong genre" Hands has a similar background of poverty and punishing violence Ed has. So before Ed grows "erratic" and unpredictable and Izzy has to step in to “control” it, Blackbeard's been the only part of Ed he has known. It's the persona Izzy thinks he knows how to deal with and serve. The one he can gratify and get things from, one he can nudge and shape and the one he just knows how to interact with. In some ways, I think Izzy defines his own self worth and self-respect in respect to Blackbeard. Like he doesn't know what else he's really good for. Sure, he insults Ed, threatens to leave, BUT he then apologizes, comes back, is a "sentimental bastard" who goes around the whole of fucking Nassau telling Spanish Jackie of the petty things Stede does that make him angry, jealous one might say.

And unlike Lucius and Black Pete, who can be a wonderful duo (and I'd like to see more of that in season 2 because Lucius isn't DEAD, repeat it with me-), who can exist outside their relationship to the other, who have other shit going on in their lives, Izzy, on the other hand… Well, he has dedicated himself to his captain. The one he has only a subtextual, unsaid relationship with. And he's mostly fine with that. He doesn't want to define whatever the hell his mind's got going on for Blackbeard. But the moment Stede enters, yeah… And then, he sees Blackbeard gradually (not even THAT gradually, mind you) "degrade" into Ed, and while it's absolutely funny to us, Izzy really is completely confused by what Stede has done to his captain. How? What? And Izzy's just such an insecure git. The only way his fever dream lizard brain imagination could've thought those two were fucking on the deck is if he had some real insecurities about it all (his face goes through three phases - first, the shock and initial disgust, second, slow realization of some feelings™ and basically a sad "oh my god" cry for help and third, righteous fury followed by an angry "OH MY GOD" this time). And then let's not forget about the symbolic failure to perform of the getting Blackbeard out of the belts (or whatever the hell those are?) scene, as some great meta writers have pointed out. And then the "you think you know everything" of it all. Dizzy Izzy really is one emotionally constipated individual.

But honestly, it's not completely his fault. Hell, for all he knows, Ed has never existed, because Ed had been keeping up the performance of Blackbeard for a very long fucking time, not exposing much of anything to other people. And I'd say, even the little he had shown, most of it was shown to Izzy who got the "Excuse ME, only I get to call him Edward" privileges. Blackbeard has also set, or at least shaped, the standard of what Izzy thinks is a “real man”, Izzy probably not sufficiently picking up on the traumatic, self-hating and self-preserving aspects of Ed’s Blackbeard invention.

Now, let's go back to the beginning - "we don't own each other". Bitch, Izzy cannot comprehend that. HE is the only one who gets to call his captain Edward, he is there to serve him and do what he is commanded to do. And in return for his generous service, he thinks Ed owes him, that he owns what Ed is and gets to be, because after all, he thinks he knows Ed best.

Lucius is open, sassy, talks back and doesn't overcompensate, he is his own person, one that says what he thinks and wants and does something about it. Izzy is all about the unspoken duties and intricate rituals™ babey, he keeps that shit locked away but so easy to fucking spot from a mile away by someone like Lucius.

And Lucius sees through it - the demand for respect that comes from insecurity, the possessiveness of something (ahem, someone) he has never and could never own, the fear and reluctance of wording his desires for a myriad of complicated reasons… and what does Lucius do with it? He twists the knife and makes a mockery of it, admittedly in self-defense. And after all, the first response Izzy gives is in the only language he has known to use - the language of violence, shame, blackmail and vague threats.

So Lucius demands respect and gets it through some possibly unconventional means while Izzy tries so desperately through intimidation and instilling fear only to fail spectacularly.

And this that is just *chef's kiss*.

I just think these two should fu- i mean come on, the stare Izzy gives Lucius before telling him to fuck off, amazing, impeccable etc.

This was my TedTalk, thank you for your time.

sorry y’all had to witness the brainrot, but I’m waiting for some season 2 news and need a place to scream into the void while I wait

[disneygirl626]

Peter Parker x Reader :Journey: (1/2)

Summary: You find out some exciting news, but will Peter find out before you can tell him?

----

(Y/n) took a shaky breath as she paced in her small bathroom.

Knock knock knock

"(N/n), c'mon, we're going to be late!"

"I'm coming, I uh... dropped my makeup brush in the.... toilet."

(Y/n) silently cursed herself for being so bad at excuses. Dropped her makeup brush in the toilet?

Her husband, Peter Parker, was silent. "Want me to use my webs to get it out?"

She snorted. "That's ok, thank you though, Pete."

The timer on her phone began ringing loudly and (Y/n) made a mad scramble for it.

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"Nothing! Accidentally clicked on one of those annoying Facebook ads," (Y/n) lied as she silenced her phone with shaking hands.

A knock on their apartment door saved (Y/n) from having to come up with anymore stupid excuses. "That's probably MJ and Ned, can you get that, Pete? I swear, I'm almost done."

Peter sighed but (Y/n) heard his footsteps leave.

(Y/n) took another shaky breath. Her heart was beating so hard and fast she was sure everyone in New York could hear it. Her mouth dried up instantly as she stared at the towel she'd used to cover up the stick.

She started to lift away the towel when the door burst open. She let out a small scream as MJ locked it behind her. "What does it say?" she asked urgently.

"What the heck? Peter could've seen you!" (Y/n) hissed.

"Yeah, but he didn't. Him and Ned and fan-boying over whatever this movie is that we're seeing," MJ said.

MJ is the only one so far that (Y/n) has told about her suspicions. (Y/n) had expected MJ to give her some sort of speech on 'womanhood' or something, but instead MJ had told her to take the test and she'd be over soon.

"I can't look at it. You do it!" (Y/n) said, near tears from the panic.

MJ's eyes widened. "What? Me? Why me?"

"Cause I can't do it!"

"And how do you know I won't pull a Phoebe?"

(Y/n) paused.

The four of them had been going through Friends together and had just reached the episode where Phoebe looked at Rachel's pregnancy test and tricked her.

"We'll look at it together," MJ said, holding out her hand.

(Y/n) took her hand and they turned to the towel. MJ lifted it off, tossing it into the bathtub and they leaned over the stick. (Y/n) flipped it over and the girls gasped.

"That's a-that's a line right? You see it too?" (Y/n)'s voice thick with the tears that were pouring down her cheeks.

"Yep, that's a line," MJ said.

(Y/n) exclaimed happily and threw her arms around MJ, hopping up and down. MJ hugged her friend after a minute then they separated.

"How're you feeling? Are you.. are you going to keep it?" MJ asked.

"I-I think so! Peter and I have always talked about wanting kids. Oh gosh. MJ, what if he's not ready? What if-what if he doesn't want kids right now?" (Y/n) hissed, going from ten to zero in a split second.

"I'll support you no matter what you choose, (Y/n)," MJ said quietly.

"Will you... will you come to the doctor with me to confirm it? I want to make sure it's accurate before I get Peter's hopes up," (Y/n) said.

"Of course," MJ said.

The girls headed out the next morning, telling Peter they were going on a coffee date or something like that. He'd been a little suspicious, but thankfully hadn't questioned it.

(Y/n) stayed in anxious silence on the cab ride to the doctor. MJ watched her friend carefully.

"Do you want to talk about or do you want a distraction?" she asked softly.

"MJ, I don't know how to be a mom. Peter is still busy with his... 'job'. We're not ready to raise a kid!" (Y/n) said, finally turning to her friend after a nervous glance at the eavesdropping cab driver.

"(N/n), you and Peter are going to make amazing parents. I will support you no matter what you choose, but if the test was right I think you should talk to Peter about all of this," MJ said gently.

(Y/n) took a shaky deep breath, but didn't say anything else until they reached the doctor. After a blood test, the too-cheery doctor sent the girls on their way with a promise to call within a couple hours or a couple days.

"A couple of days? How am I supposed to wait a couple days?" (Y/n) asked as she and MJ began walking to a nearby coffee shop.

"She said it that's the most it could be. It probably won't take that long," MJ said.

It did take that long. (Y/n) was sure her anxiety was growing worse and worse every hour. Ned and MJ were over once again, this time to have a Friends marathon.

"Still nothing?" MJ whispered as the boys messed around in the kitchen.

"Nothing! I don't know what to do, I'm going insane! I've taken twenty more tests!" (Y/n) said.

MJ had a little disbelieving smile on her face, like she wasn't sure if her friend was exaggerating or not. (Y/n) saw this and grabbed MJ by the hand and led her to her and Peter's room.

(Y/n) knelt down and pulled out a small box from under the bed. When she opened it, MJ saw at least twenty tests piled in it. "And they're all positive?" MJ asked, eyes wide.

(Y/n) nodded. "But I feel like it-it doesn't count or something until we get the positive from the doctor!" she hissed.

MJ began to say something, when the door opened.

"Oh there you two are. What's that?"

"Nothing!" (Y/n) said quickly as Ned walked over. In a blind panic and with how wound up she'd been the past couple of days, (Y/n) fumbled with the box and accidently spilled half of the tests on the floor.

"Shoot!" (Y/n) shouted.

"Guys? Everything ok?" Peter asked. Ned frowned at the white sticks on the carpet. MJ ran out of the room to distract Peter while (Y/n) scrambled to pick them up.

"Help me pick these up! Peter can't know yet!" she hissed.

Ned ran over and began helping her put them back in the box.

"Wait are these..."

"Yes, and Peter can't know, Ned, I'm serious!"

"And they're used?"

"Yes!"

"Ew!"

Ned dropped the handful of tests he'd been holding. (Y/n) scrambled to throw them in the box then shove the box under the bed. "You're not going to tell Peter right?"

Ned looked from the box to (Y/n). She could practically see a lightbulb go off.

"You're-you're-"

"I-I think so."

A giant grin spread across his face and he squeeze (Y/n) in a hug, making her laugh. "Congratulations! Wait, is this why Peter said you've been throwing up in the mornings?"

"He knows?"

"Yeah, he said every time he asks you about it you deny it, but he's heard you in the mornings."

(Y/n) sighed. "I'm waiting on the doctor to call me back with the results before I tell him."

"On it."

Ned left without giving (Y/n) a chance to say anything else. She had no idea what he meant by that, but she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to.

The night continued on normally and after a few episodes, (Y/n) stopped worrying and just enjoyed her friends and husband's presence.

"I'm going to refill the chips. Anyone want anything while I'm in the kitchen?" Peter asked.

His friends and wife shook their heads so he grabbed the bowl and headed to the kitchen.

"(Y/n), your phone's ringing!" Peter called.

"Can you get it for me? I'll be in there in a second," (Y/n) said as MJ finished up a flower she'd been drawing on her friend's hand.

"Sure!"

"(Y/n)."

(Y/n) looked up MJ with a frown. MJ had an incredulous look on her face. Then (Y/n) realized what she'd just said. "Oh sh-!"

"(Y/n)?"

The three turned. Peter stood in the entry way to the living room, eyes wide and phone still in his hand. "You're pregnant?"

"I am?" (Y/n) asked, smile wide.

Peter sputtered. "You-You-you don't even know that you are?"

"I've been waiting for the doctor to call so I could tell you! Was that her?"

"Yes!"

(Y/n) leapt up, jumping up and down and squealing. Peter laughed and dropped his wife's phone on the couch. The couple wrapped their arms around each other and kissed.

"Congratulations guys!" Ned said, standing.

"Did you guys know about this?" Peter asked as he and (Y/n) separated.

"Well, kinda-"

"Yeah."

Ned glared at MJ, who smirked.

[long-after-love]

It wasn’t Paul’s job to dictate Mal’s actions with his family. Mal leaving his family says nothing about Paul, but Mal himself. Mal wasn’t a good husband, his wife had said so. And it’s reported Mal made girl fans sleep with him first, so they could get to the Beatles. Meanwhile, John left his NEWBORN & wife to vacation with Brian. That’s one of the reasons John/Brian’s story and affair is a bigger deal. “Brother Malcolm” was a filler lyric, like so other starter lyrics, like “father McCartney”

Hello Anon, and thank you for sharing your thoughts. Only now could I manage to answer.

Please keep in mind this: This is my answer and my opinion only, which you may or may not agree. I welcome any kind of disagreement and I’d love to see people’s feedback. I don’t hope for a wholesome or safe space community when everyone has to agree with each other – I don’t need that kind of echo chamber. Sometimes a bit of fighting would be constructive even, if people remember to be respectful rather than calling each other names (which I experienced when I dared to criticize Yoko – someone called me racist and sexist, mind you, I’m an Asian woman who certainly has been through some hardship as well).

I do understand what you meant by “It wasn’t Paul’s job to dictate Mal’s actions with his family. Mal leaving his family says nothing about Paul, but Mal himself.”

Yes, I also think it’s right that you pointed out some sneaky things Mal did to take advantage of his closeness to the Beatles. However, I am not interested in discussing Mal’s personal shortcomings. I don’t think it has anything remotely to do with Mal and Paul’s relationship. Mal could be a horrible husband and lousy dad, a man who slept with as many girls as he could, but that was something he did on the side. It doesn’t explain, or negate his relationship with Paul. To Mal, The Beatles and Paul were always more important – in this case, Mal was ready to shove everything aside for Paul.

In John’s case, he was either bored or wanted to try some adventure. And people had talked quite a bit too much of it, even though it happened once, and he already confessed to Pete Shotton, then confirmed about it later on. It fizzled out quickly, yet people are so obsessed about it.

Thanks to @georgemccharmly I have some more insights about Paul’s trip to Paris and how he met Mal there. Please check her post here. I’d only quote these lines from her so that you know what I am talking about:

Paul went on holiday by himself to France

and then asked Mal to meet him at exactly 1 o’clock on the corner of cours Victor Hugo and rue St. James, at the Grosso Horloge Churche, Bordeaux

That rendezvous sounds oddly romantic to me – maybe it wasn’t Paul’s intention to be romantic – he only thought of Mal as an employee – someone who could drive him around or record him on films and take his photos, but in my opinion, it definitely meant something far more profound to Mal. Mal followed Paul around and filmed Paul frolicking through the streets of France and Spain.

Paul couldn’t dictate what Mal did – but I think Paul certainly knew Mal had a new born baby at the time, because as far as I can tell, Mal were already closer to Paul than the other three in 64 - Yet Paul still summoned Mal – was this an act of pure negligence, or did Paul intentionally do it just to test Mal’s devotion? Somehow I think both was true. Paul possibly knew when he saw Mal there, that Mal could not say no.

About the Brother Malcom Lyrics: No, I don’t think it was a filler lyrics.

Paul has been peddling that story of him dreaming about Mary for ages, and I believed him. Until Mal told that story of Paul telling him that he dreamt of Mal, and wanted to change the lyrics to avoid the situation that, someone might get the wrong idea. See this link here (of course that’s amoralto!)

You know what I think? I think Paul probably wanted to treat it as a secret between him and Mal. We all swallowed that story of Paul dreaming of Mary, which was, beautiful itself, but if it was Mary he dreamed about all along, why the Brother Malcolm lyrics? And then he was afraid that something so innocuous like “Brother Malcolm” may make people have the wrong idea? I believe Mal held that song dear more than anything, because to him, it was actually about him. It’s not like Paul was singing randomly to fit the tune he had on his mind at all. Either Paul was lying about his dream about his mother, or he was lying to Mal about his dream about Mal.

Now I know that what I’m going to say will make some people unhappy, but Paul was manipulative, and to me, he was deliberately taking advantage of Mal. It’s not that I want to attack Paul for being so – Paul had always been the one who preferred to quietly pull the strings like how people would perceive John as the leader, while Paul was the one who lead John. It’s the same for Mal’s situation here – he could have stayed with his wife and kids, but he didn’t because of Paul, or the effect of Paul on him.

The other day I watched the Shea Stadium concert and saw something revealing – at least to me. John and George left their instrument on stage, but Paul handed his Hofner to a smiling (and possibly smitten) Mal, who was there, and Paul didn’t even looked at Mal. I made a horrible gif of it, but you get the idea, I suppose…

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

First Chance at a Family

Day 2 of 2020′s 31 Days of Ficmas.  Thanks to @doctorroseprompts for the list!

Prompt: ginger/gingerbread

Rating: T

Pairing: 9xRose AU; mini-sequel to Second Chance at Forever

Summary: Rose & John’s journey to parenthood, told in 4 parts.  Warnings for: morning sickness, pregnancy, etc

2020 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist  |  Second Chance at Forever

AO3

---

“Ugh.”  Wiping at her mouth Rose leaned back, closing the toilet lid and reaching for the flush.  Tilting over onto her side, she rested her heated face against the soothingly cold bathroom floor, feeling like death warmed over.  “This is the third morning in a row, and I’m starting to think it’s not the New Year’s hangover,” she mumbled into the tiles.  “I’m not ready to go there.”

Her one comfort was that John was surely already at work, blissfully unaware of the physical and mental turbulence occurring in her stomach.  No need to worry him before she had to.

“If I still don’t feel well tomorrow, I’ll go see a doctor,” she bartered with her stomach, hand hovering over it for a moment before clenching her fist and lowering it to the ground.  That, she felt, would be a tacit acknowledgement of the increasingly-likely scenario, and she wasn’t ready to face that yet.  “And if not, definitely the day after.”

She lay there for a few more minutes, eventually determining it was safe to resume her day.  Moving gingerly, she washed her face and brushed her teeth, pulling her dressing gown tightly around her as she shuffled towards the kitchen-

And froze, shocked to see her husband sitting at the table sipping from a mug and writing on a piece of paper.

“Morning,” he said flatly, not looking up.  “That’s for you.”  His head tilted in the direction of a steaming mug across from him, and she sank into the seat without taking her eyes off him.

Lifting the mug to her lips, she found ginger tea, her stomach clenching at the implication.

“I thought you had office hours this morning,” she broke the silence once she’d drunk half of it. “Why…”

“My wife is sick, I wanted to be here if she needed me.  However, I didn’t want to intrude if she wasn’t ready to tell me what’s going on?”

And just like that, she knew- that her fears were correct, and worse, John had clearly figured it out first.  Shit. In the back of her mind she knew this was a good thing, she should be happy about it, but we’ve only been married a year, it’s too soon!

She let out a sigh. “Technically, I don’t know what’s going on.  I just have… growing suspicions.”  Peeking up at him, she met his eye, his expression softening.

“I see.”  Setting down his pen John removed his glasses, rubbing at his face for a moment before rising, coming around the corner of the table to kneel beside her.  “I realized yesterday, and… it’s more than a suspicion.”

“That’s what I get for marrying a doctor,” she joked weakly, rubbing her thumb along his jawline.  “I wasn’t… keeping it from you, I just… hadn’t faced it yet myself.”

Leaning up, he pressed a kiss to her cheek.  “Okay. I’ve already called us both off, so why don’t we lie down for a cuddle, and not talk about it?”

“Okay,” she agreed, heart filling with love for such a wonderful, understanding partner.  “I’m gonna finish this tea, first, though.”

“Absolutely.”  John stood, resting his hand on her back and offering her a small smile.  “The ginger will help with the nausea.  So will a nap.”

Deciding to bring the mug to the bedroom with her, she let him guide her into bed, curling up in his arms with her head on his chest and his hands on her belly.

-

Seven nausea-filled days later found them sitting in an exam room, Rose aggressively chewing on a piece of ginger candy as she sat on the table looking around.  John was seated on the guest chair, seemingly enthralled with a pamphlet, though his bouncing leg gave evidence to his own anxiety.

“Oi.”

He looked up, blinking. “Yeah?”

“Why ginger?”

“What d’you mean?”

She gestured with the bag of candy in her hand.  “Why does this supposedly help?”  With every minute they had to wait she was growing more nervous, and nothing distracted her the way her husband could when he fell into ‘professor mode’.

John immediately abandoned the pamphlet on the countertop, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees.  “Well, first, it’s a traditional remedy dating back thousands of years, mostly in India and Southeast Asia, where it grows naturally.  It’s fairly interesting actually – it helps with a number of ailments, and isn’t limited to the digestive tract.  Current thought is that it’s an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, and can cure sickness from motion and chemotherapy, not just-” he paused to wave at her, but was prevented from continuing by a rap on the door followed by it opening.

“Good morning,” the doctor said brusquely, stepping in.  “Noble?”

“Yes,” they chorused, Rose adding, “I’m Rose, this is John.”

The doctor nodded, consulting the iPad in his hand.  “Great, I’m Doctor MacMartin.  So, I have your test results.”  He sat on the stool, setting down the tablet and looking at her for the first time. “You’re pregnant.”

Despite having spent the last week coming to terms with the idea, the confirmation knocked the breath from Rose’s lungs.  Pregnant. A baby.  She looked to John, who was silent, eyes wide and surprised but pleased, with a silly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  In response her own twitched, and suddenly they were beaming at each other, tears pricking at her eyes.

A baby.  A family.

And just like at the end of The Grinch, her heart expanded.

-

“I have literally never hated you more than I do at this moment.”

John, the bastard, had the gall to smirk, not pausing as he tucked her in.  “It’s just for two weeks,” he said cheerfully.  “Then our bundle of joy will be here, and you won’t want to get out of bed.  You should rest while you can.”

She huffed in response, folding her arms across her enormous belly.  At thirty-seven weeks she’d been placed on bed rest as a precaution, and two hours into it, she was already going mad.  John was fussing over her like a mother hen, and she already knew it would be worse when word spread and Donna and Jackie showed up to ‘help’. She was tired, and sore, and she hadn’t seen her feet in months, constant heartburn, and the most galling bit- “Why do you lie?”

“About what?”  Kicking his shoes off he settled himself next to her hip, one hand naturally settling to the bump and stroking, doing little to calm the rolling child within.

“‘Morning sickness’. More like ‘all day sickness’.  And why do you say it’s only during the first trimester?  Why am I still nauseous?  I mean, I know I haven’t actually been sick, but honestly, I don’t mind that so much- at least after I feel better, if only for a few minutes.  But there’s no relief!”

He clucked his tongue sympathetically, hand moving to caress her knee.  “I know it sucks, and you’ve had it rough.  But you’re doing brilliantly, really, and I’m so proud of you. You’re already such a great mum.” Leaning forward, he nabbed a ginger candy from the nightstand and handed it to her.  “Not much longer.”

“And to think, people say this is the easy part,” she muttered petulantly, unwrapping the candy and popping it in her mouth.  “I just wanna meet them.”  They’d decided, after weeks of squabbling, not to find out what they were having- the deciding factor had been when Pete had let slip Jackie’s plans for a gender reveal party, and Rose had put her foot down out of principle.

John was silent for a long minute, waiting out her sighing and grumbling until she settled.  “I know.  Me too.  But for now, can I tempt you with a movie instead?”

“Don’t you have to go to work?”  Even as she said the words she reached for her mobile, pulling up Netflix to broadcast it to the telly he’d set up.

“Nah,” he said easily, moving to sit next to her, close enough they were touching from hip to thigh. “And, I had one in mind.”  Nabbing her mobile, he held it out of her reach, typing one-handed.

Moments later the telly flicked on, Netflix opening on the movie credits, and she gasped.  “Top Hat!  My favorite.”

“I know,” John said smugly, dropping the mobile on the bed in favor of taking her hand.  “I know you and your Mum have Cliff Richards movies, and I want us to have something similar with little Florence.”

“Not happening,” she didn’t glance at him.  “Ginger and Fred- yes.  Florence?  No. We’re not having a grandmother.” The baby kicked then, and she smiled down fondly at her stomach.  “Isn’t that right, little one?  Daddy���s just being silly, you’ll see, Earl.”

Her husband scoffed. “Is that a pun?  We are not name our child Earl Noble, Rose Tyler- talk about setting him up for failure!”

“Shush.  The movie’s starting.”

Grinning, they turned back to the show- neglecting the dancing on screen to focus instead on the movement of her belly, the child within dancing to the music far more interesting.

Two more weeks!

-

Fighting back a yawn, John made his way down the corridor to the waiting room, stopping just out of sight to take in the room.  Everyone they loved most was gathered there, scattered around in small groups.  At first glance the only person missing was his godson August, the baby likely with Martha’s parents; even Tony was there, though the six-year-old was asleep against his father.

It warmed his heart to see them all together, waiting, already loving the little life they didn’t know had arrived, and was currently be weighed and cleaned up.  Slipping his mobile from his pocket he took a picture of the group, wanting to capture this moment, show his child how loved they were from their first breath.

Taking the few steps needed to enter the room, he bit back a smile when no one looked up or registered his presence.  “You all waiting on someone?”

In seconds he had everyone’s full attention, eager eyes waiting with bated breath, and he knew he was failing to contain his joy as they gathered close, instantly dropping their newspapers and books and mobiles to focus on him.

“Well?!”  It was Tony who broke the silence, eyes still full of sleep, and John crouched down in front of him.

“C’mere, mate.”

The boy stepped closer, watching impatiently, little brow furrowing.  “Is my Rosie okay?”

“She is.”  John took a deep breath, nearly overwhelmed with the moment, and the weight of the words he was about to say.  “So’s your niece.”

The room was silent enough to hear a pin drop for one heart stopping moment; and then Jackie screamed “It’s a girl!” and everything devolved into chaos, as he was pulled in every direction for hugs, kisses, and congratulations.

“Wait!” Donna commanded, loud enough to be heard over the chatter, drawing everyone’s attention. “More information.  Is Rose okay?  What’s the baby’s name?  When can we see them?”

“Right.”  Still hugging Martha, somewhat leaning on her for support, he organized his thoughts.  “Rose is fine- a champ, of course, though she’s exhausted.  Baby’s good, big and healthy.  And you can see them in an hour or so.”

Martha poked him viciously in the side.  “And her name?”

His smile grew, thinking of his little girl – for so long she’d felt like an abstract concept, despite watching Rose’s belly grow and actively planning for her arrival.  But now she was here, and beautiful, and his heart was fully.  “Genevieve Amelia.  Jenny.”

This brought on more gushing, and far too many questions for his tired brain to track, much less comprehend or answer, until once again, his sister’s voice broke through.

“Who’s she look like?”

“Rose.”  He grinned; every baby he’d ever seen had just looked like a squirming blob, especially at only minutes old, but not his little girl- no, his daughter already looked so much like her mother it was uncanny. “But she’s got your hair.”

“Yes!” Donna crowed, clutching onto Lee’s arms.  “Another ginger!  We need more of them in this family, I always said that.  Does this mean I get first dibs on meeting her?”

This sparked a new, lively debate between Donna, Sylvia, and Jackie, John just shaking his head with a grin. Catching his grandfather’s eye he tilted his head slightly, before grabbing his brother-in-law’s hand and slipping away with a wink to Pete.

Everyone would have a chance to meet the baby, but they’d decided the oldest and youngest would have first dibs.

Overwhelmed by the urge to see Rose and Jenny, he quickened his step.

His family needed him.

[secondgenerationnerd]

Cadmus

This literally took multiple months to write. I hope y’all like it! 

-----------------------------

These days have become more common the last few years. Summer sun shining overhead. Shrieking kids racing around the backyard, throwing water balloons at each other. 18-month-old Laney Kent and 19-month-old Max Wilkes splash in their water table and babble nonsense to each other. Despite the cute swimsuits their mothers tried to dress them in, the two prefer their swim diapers and nothing else.

         “Cha-Cha! Cha-Cha!” Laney waves to her big sister as she runs by.

“Hi, Loo-Loo!” Charlie blows her a kiss and shrieks as her best friend tackles her. “Asha!”

“Don’t get distracted, Kent!” Asha teases. She helps her friend up before taking off again. Their parents watch from the back porch, shaking their heads at the gaggle of kids.

“See Asha already does Damian’s ‘call them by their last name’ thing.” Milagro bumps Irey’s hip with hers. Irey sticks her tongue out at the Lantern, grabbing a glass of lemonade as Damian walks by.

“Like how Max and Ben do Colin’s ‘if I smile like this, you won’t be mad’ thing.”

“Sh!” Colin gestures to Irey to stop, “She doesn’t need to know that, Ires!”

“Wilkes, you did that to Father once and thought it would work.” Damian points out.

“It technically worked on him. Alfred, on the other hand...” Cracking up at that image, the heroes can’t imagine a worst position to be in.

“To be fair,” Mar’i giggles, “Alfred had to raise my Dad and Jason; so, he’s definitely seen it all.”

They love how common these days have become. Reminds them of the past summer days when they were kids. Of course, in the past Damian would never kiss Irey like he does now. Jai would never call Lian babe or say he was going to get something from inside their house. Milagro would never laugh as Colin catches their boys, carrying them over his shoulder, all three of their skins beautifully mismatched. Jon would never wink at Mar’i as he makes some flirty joke, only for her to laugh and remind him that they already have four kids.

Things have changed, in all the best ways possible.

         “Alright, let’s eat!” Lian calls to the kids in the backyard. Jai and Irey disappear with cracks. Mini Omega, as their parents call them, run as fast as they can to avoid the older speedsters. Jai and Irey stop beside the back fence as the kids run to the porch.

         “Mom would love this.” Irey says simply, watching her daughter jump into Damian’s arms. Her husband kisses Asha's freckled face and spins her around.

         “She would.” Jai agrees as his kids crowd around Lian. Her warm laugh at the six hands grabbing at her jeans, babbling at her, makes him fall in love again, “Ok, Sissy, let’s eat.

         As they take a step forward, they feel something hit the middle of their backs. Their cries of pain make their families look up. Horror spreads through the group as the twins’ bodies seize. Eyes rolling back, the two collapse on the ground, taser poles embedded in their backs.

         "Mama!" Asha gasps.

         “Daddy!” Lily and Milly Harper-West speed from the back porch to their father. As the girls reach him, a figure jumps from their big oak tree. “MOMMY!”          “BABY DOLLS!” Lian grabs a plate and throws it at the figure advance on her girls, hitting him in the face, “BACK HERE! GIRLS, RUN BACK HERE!”

         Before the girls can take a step, the fence beside them crashes down. A truck drives through it, hired guns spill out of the back, one of them grabbing the girls.

         “MOOOMMMY!” They struggle in his arms, tears rolling down their faces, reaching for her.

         “OMEGA, GO!” Lian shouts. None of them hesitate. They know what to do. Colin and Damian make the other kids hide under the table, telling them to close their eyes.

The others jump over the railing; Lian grabbing a knife as she goes, Jon and Mar’i flying into the air. Lian runs straight for the goon holding her daughters. Someone swings a baton at her face. Hitting the ground baseball style, Lian stabs his ankle, scrambling to her feet as he goes down. Milagro kicks one away as someone grabs her from behind. Dropping down, she throws him over her shoulder. Sucker punch to a third’s face. Jon and Mar’i grab the hired guns in pairs, knocking their heads together.

That’s when things go wrong.

“Gah!” Jon yells as one of the guns opens a pocket. The bright green rock inside makes his body burn.

“Jon!” Mar’i shouts, watching in horror as her husband falls to the ground. She lands next to him. Their attackers throw caninsters at them and onto the porch. Emmitting a white gas, the heroes know they’re losing. Colin and Damian yell as they’re tased too.

“BABY DOLLS!” Lian’s close enough to touch them when she’s hit from behind. She falls to the ground, head throbbing. The last things she hears are her friends coughing, kids crying, and her children screaming for her.

--

         Hours later, in a cramped room with a military grade door, miles and miles away, Mini Omega tries not to panic. Of course, that’s easier said than done when the average age is six. Any hope they might have of their meta cousins’ powers died when they woke up and saw the power dampening collars.

         "It's okay, Charlie..." Asha tries to soothe her friend. As soon as Charlie and Peter realized what was on them, their minds brought them to the Bad Place. The last place the siblings would want to be.

         "Nonononononononononono," Rocking back and forth, the 11-year-old covers her ears, eyes squeezed painfully tight. Nearby, Ben pulls on the metal collar around Lily's neck.

         "Owie!"

         "Sorry, Lil." He takes his hands away. "It's not gonna come off."

         "Pete?" M&M pokes her big brother's face. Peter sits silently, arms wrapped around his legs, shaking. “Pete?”

         “M&M, are you sure your powers don’t work?” Asha asks the young technopath. Face screaming up in concentration, M&M stares at the collar around her brother’s neck before deflating.

         “They won’t work.”

         “It okay, bubba.” Milly promises, letting Luke lay his head on her little lap. Laney and Max shiver in the corner, babbling away. Too young to know what’s going on. Ben finds a blanket in a pile on the ground. Wrapping it around the youngest two, he hugs his brother.

         The toddler tilts his head, “¿Dónde están Mami y Daddy?”

         “No lo sé, pero estoy seguro de que vendrán a salvarnos.”

         “Ben,” Asha shakes her head, “They have to find us first.”

         “They will.” Ben looks at her, “They promised.”

--

When Lian wakes up, her husband shaking her, the first thing out of her mouth is, “Where are the kids?”

“We’re trying to figure that out, babe.” Jai assures her as he helps her up. Leaning against him, she limps up to the porch. Their friends look about as good as she feels.

Even though it’s been a while, they fall into their normal habits. They circle around the back table. Remnants of their planned dinner litter the ground. Damian nods at Lian, “Good, you’re up. You alright?”

“Killer headache, but I’ll live,” She rubs the back of her head, “What do we have?”

“Mercenaries.” Milagro says, tossing a few weapons on the table, “From the looks of these, I can at least confirm they’re earth based.”

“They knew who they were coming for.” Colin notes. “My question, why didn’t they go for any of us? We’ve got two types of alien and a good variety of metas. Plus, Damian, Lian, and Mil are all experts in their areas of fighting.”

Jon and Mar’i share an uneasy look. Mar’i sighs, “If I had to guess…it was Cadmus.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Do you remember the mission where we found our older kids? Li, I know you were still on leave.” Jon runs a hand through his hair, “We found files that called that particular project Exodus.”

“Exodus?” Mil frowns.

Damian asks, “Does that mean something to you?”

“Well, that’s the chapter with Moses’s story.” She explains, “Just seems strange to choose that for a project trial.”

“Maybe not.” Irey looks at Jon and Mar’i, “Did Charlie tell you all how she got the burn scars on her back?”

“Just that she was told to do a-a trial. She was five, I think?” Mar’i says, “In her file, it said she was locked in a weather room. They wanted to see how different powers would react to extreme weather—”

“‘There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.’” Colin looks at his wife, “Those fuckers used the plagues for inspiration.”

“None of this tells us how to find them.” Jai points out, “And that information isn’t exactly helping ease the worry.”

“There’s a way to find the kids.” Jon glances at his wife again, then looks down, “Charlie and Peter both have trackers in their legs—”

“WHA—”

“Cadmus put them there.” Mar’i cuts off the others’ panic. “When they were little. M&M didn’t have one, but she was only there a few months. The ones in Charlie and Peter are too close to the femoral artery, and the muscles started growing around it.”

“Is that how they found us?”

“No, Mil. Babs was able to turn them off and regularly checks in.”

They’re quiet only for a moment. Damian plays Devil’s Advocate, “Can she turn them back on?”

Jon nods. “We need to hurry though.”

“Well, duh—”

“Charlie’s powers have started changing.” Jon cuts Jai off. “Her illusions are becoming…real. Last time she had a nightmare…I felt it when one of them touched me.”

The group takes that in. The three leaders look at each other. Then the group. Communicating in a way that nearly two decades of fighting together can give them. Irey nods at Mar’i and Colin, “You two are retired still—”

“If you think some League bullshit’s gonna keep me from saving my sons, you’re dead wrong.”

“Same with my starlings.”

“Everyone have their spare uniform?” Damian asks. The others nod. “Suit up. Mar’i, call Oracle and see if she can activate the trackers. We leave in five minutes.”

--

         The cell door creaks open. Charlie immediately goes silent, though her shaking doesn’t stop. The group of scientists come into the room. There’s four of them—two men and two women— dressed in white coats and donning badges with six letters that Peter and Charlie see in their nightmares. C.A.D.M.U.S. Barely breathing, Peter curls up tighter, Ben scoots in front of him, mismatched eyes meeting the scientists’. Asha glares at them when they glance at Charlie. Then they look at the younger kids.

         “That one.” The lead man points to Laney. “Initial blood tests show signs of Kryptonian and Tamaranean blood.”

         “Really?” One of the women sounds impressed. Laney tilts her head to the side at the woman, blinking her too blue eyes at the group. “She’s still young.”

“Given what we’ve seen people with her lineage do, I’m not sure that matters.”

“In that case we might consider more physical trials—”

         “No!” Charlie jumps to her feet, brown eyes wide. The older kids look at their usually meek friend in shock as she pulls on the lead man’s arm, “Me! Me! I’ll do a trial! Not her!”

         She doesn’t see his hand, but she feels it across her cheek. As Charlie falls to the ground, Asha’s on her feet in an instant, eyes burning. The lead scientist turns on her.

As if a mean glare could stop a girl raised by heroes.

Asha surges forward. Jumping to kick the lead man in the face, rolling over him as he stumbles. Ben helps Charlie up as Asha elbows one of the females’ stomachs, kicking the other in the knee. The second male scientist grabs her dark curls, yanking her backwards.

“You little bitch—” He doesn’t get the chance to finish. Grabbing his wrist, Asha throws him over her.

She blows hair out of her face, grinning at her cousins, “Uncle Jason taught me that when I was 6.”

“The door’s open!” Ben shouts. The kids start to move forward when guards appear. Before they can get too close, alarms start going off.

Alert: Metas have infiltrated the facility. Full evacuation. Repeat. Metas have—

The room shakes as something explodes above them. The twins turn to the guards, narrowing their dark eyes, and growl together, “Mommy and Daddy are gonna kick your asses.”

Being helped by the guards, the four scientists glare at the kids.

“Take her,” The lead male growls, pointing at Asha. “We know she’s Bruce Wayne’s granddaughter. Once we’re on the plane, we can negotiate for her life.”

“No!” Charlie tries to push the guards away as they come for her friend.

“Take her too!”

“NO! ASHA!”

“CHARLIE!”

The kids fight as best they can, but they’re only children. Grabbed around the middle and held tight, Asha and Charlie scream for the others. Peter snaps out of his silence and races after his sister. Then a guard points his weapon at the little boy. Ben jumps in front of Peter, arms held out.

The door slams shut. The screams fade away, replaced by familiar voices a few minutes later.

“STARLINGS!”

“BABY DOLLS!”

“LITTLE MAN, WE’RE HERE!”

         “We’re in here! We’re in here!” Ben shouts as he and Peter band their hands on the door. “We’re in here! Mami! Dad!”

         Familiar faces peer through the window. Even in their hero apparel, the kids would know their parents anywhere.

         “Dad!” Peter shouts, “You have to save Charlie and Asha! The bad people took them! They’re going on a plane!”

         “Jon, Mar’i, Irey, with me!” Damian shouts, “We’ll get the older girls! The rest of you, get the kids to safety.”

         Four sets of feet race off in another direction.

         “Guys! Way from the door!” Lian shouts, "To a side wall!"

         Ben and Peter pull the other kids to the back corner, shouting when they're in position. A brief pause. Then door flies back with a blast of green energy, their parent spilling into the room. As always, the Harper-West kids are the first to move, "Mommy! Daddy!"

         "Baby dolls! Baby Jedi!" Lian catches Lily and Luke as Jai scoops up Milly. The three children cling to their parents, shaking as Jai and Lian check them for any bruises. "It's okay, we're here. Mommy and Daddy got you."

         "Mami!" With his little brother's hand in his, Ben runs to their mother's arms, crying. Milagro catches her boys and holds them close. "Where's Dad?"

         "I'm here, buddy." Colin backs into the room, “We need to go now.”

         “Hallways?” Lian asks, picking Laney up in her other arm.

         “Clear. You all stay behind me.”

         "Okay, guys, let's go! Fast, fast!" With some trading around, the other three get the youngest kids in their arms. Colin clears ahead of them before the group moves on.

         As they round a corner, a group of guards comes out of the elevator. Colin barrels ahead. Much to his sons’ horror. Ben races forward. Only for his mother to grab him around the middle. Max cries in her other arm.

         "DADDY!" Ben fights Milagro. “NO! DADDY!”

         "AAARGH!" Colin's body ripples, muscles swelling and growing as he mutates. The familiar burn hurts more than it had in when he was younger. That doesn’t matter to Colin. All that matters are the people behind him.

Abuse slams into the guards. Throwing them into walls. Into each other. He catches sight of the children looking at him in horror. Ben and Max’s faces. Pushing it down, Abuse keeps fighting. There will be time to explain later. Passing Laney to Jai, Lian draws her bow. An arrow appears in a guard’s leg as he tries to hit Colin from behind.

“Jai, put kids behind me!” Milagro orders. The speedster sets the kids in his arm behind her, lightning dancing under his skin as he races down to join the fight.

“Mami?” Max reaches for his mother as she sets him down.

“It’s gonna be okay, mi amor.” A glowing green dome appears around the kids. Lian at her side, the two women join the fight.

The kids had heard the stories of their parents fighting. Laughed at details that got fought over. Watched their parents spar, tossing playful insults at each other.

But seeing them in a fight is something else.

Lian spins on her heel, firing an arrow into one guard’s shoulder. Swings her bow and smacks another in the face. Someone tries to fire at her, only for the bullet to disappear and the guard crumple to the ground in a flash of lightning. Jai comes in and out of focus, socking guards in the face. His skin ripples with electricity. Abuse throws a guard to his wife, who slams her fist into his face. Milagro grabs a wrist and flips the man over her shoulder.

All the time maintaining her concentration to protect the kids.

In a few minutes, the area’s clear. The dome dissipates, parents reaching for their kids. Abuse lumbers ahead again. He needs to focus, and seeing his boys horrified faces, knowing they must hate him. No. Worse. They must be afraid of him.

         In another part of the facility, a group of guards and scientists struggle to get the two oldest girls onto the plane. For once, Charlie fights back as hard as her cousin. Screaming at the top of their lungs. The collar around Charlie’s neck presses against her burn scars.

         “Let go of me!” Asha bites at the guard holding her. “Let go of me!”

         “Get them on the plane!” A guard snaps. The door below them blasts open. A crack of lightning and two figures fly into the room, a fourth following seconds later.

         “Mama! Baba!”

         “Momma! Daddy! Help!”

         “Girls!” Damian shouts.

         “Freeze!” The guard holding Asha jerks her up. His arm tightens around her neck

         “LET HER GO!”

         “BACK UP OR I KILL HER!”

         “Jon, her collar.” Mar’i murmurs. He sees the collar around their daughter’s neck, but hears her rapid heart beat too.

         “Her powers—"

         “PUT HER DOWN—”

         “BACK UP!”

         “BABA!” Asha screams. Jon hears the gun click.

A split-second decision.

His heat vision cuts through the wiring.

Then all hell breaks loose. With a deafening scream, the guard holding Charlie is pulled away by a twisted claw. Monstrous figures—doctors in blood stained scrubs and sharpened scalpels, headless guards with mangled guns—appear around them. Asha’s guard yells as a doctor slices his gun hand off. In his shock, he drops Asha, who scrambles to the railing.

“GO AWAY, GO AWAY, GO AWAY!” Charlie covers her ears, her voice otherworldly, “I’M NOT GOING BACK!”

The monsters move. Slicing through skin. Firing bullets into heads. Their parents can’t move. Charlie curls up on the ground, still screaming. Pulling away from the railing, Asha crawls under the monsters to her. A body flies over head, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Blood drips down the side of the platform.

As quickly as it starts, it stops. Unfreezing, their parents race to them; Mar’i and Jon flying up to the girls. Asha covers Charlie with her body, both girls shaking.

“It’s okay now. We’re gonna be okay.” Asha promises, protecting her cousin’s head.

--

         A few hours later, in a hospital that specializes with heroes, the kids have been mostly cleared by the doctors. They’ll have to stay the night for observations, but that’s nothing compared to what they could be going through. In an empty hospital room and answering the League’s questions, the three leaders try not to lose their minds.

         “Are you three seriously suggesting we dismiss—”

         Lian cuts the senior hero off, “We’re saying given the circumstances, we made a judgement call.”

         “You three know that family members are not allowed to be on missions to rescue each other—”

         “Given that most heroes are related through marriage at this point,” Damian scowls, “That’s damn near impossible. Our children were in danger. That’s not a matter any of us can simply stand aside for.”

         “More than that, we were attacked in my home.” Lian snips, “I don’t need to remind you all about Thawne taking my children from their beds, do I?”

         “Of course not. This is simply routine.” Wonder Woman assures them, “What about the authorization of Abuse and Nightstar?”

         “Emergency authorization Delta.” Irey taps her foot, “We knew the risks. This isn’t a choice any of us made lightly—”

         “There’s also the matter of Charlotte Kent.”

         Damian scoffs, “Asha’s life was in danger. More than that, the people that kidnapped them are part of the group that kept her captive for her early formative years. If you need her medical files, I’m sure Jon and Mar’i can provide those to confirm her diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

         “So, in your eyes, her killing a dozen people is okay?”

         “In our eyes,” Lian grits her teeth, “Charlie’s a traumatized little girl who lost control of her powers. What happened is horrible, none of us are saying otherwise, but what would you have us do? Throw her in Belle Reve?”

         “No! Of course not! But—”

         “I think,” Irey cuts Hal Jordan off with a cool look, “We reconvene another time. We’ll have our team fill out reports on what happened and provide whatever information we need when we meet. But right now, Lian has three kids that need her, and we have a daughter to check on.”

         Signing off, the three leaders look at each other. Lian rubs her face, “Fuck me.”

         “It will be alright, Lian.” Irey promises, “We did what was right for our kids.”

         “I know, but I keep thinking about what could have happened. Especially to my dolls.” Lian grits her teeth. Damian rests his hand on her shoulder.

         “Like Irey said. They need their mother right now.” He opens the door to the empty room they’d been using.

Across the hall, Milagro and Colin sit on a hospital bed together. Their sons cling to Colin, whimpering. They recognize the pain in his face, but that doesn’t stop him from holding Ben and Max close. Milagro hums softly as she runs her fingers through Max’s hair. The sight makes Colin’s worry during the kids’ checkup seem…misplaced.

In another room, Jai sits with his trio of monsters on one of the hospital beds, half signing. The tension in Lian’s chest loosens seeing all her kids snoozing on their father. Asha naps on the other bed.

“Mama?” Asha yawns, rubbing her eyes as Irey picks her up to settle down with her and Damian. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, Bug.” Irey kisses her 11-year-old’s head. “Baba, Aunt Li, and I took care of things.”

“Mommy,” Lily hiccups, reaching for Lian. Picking up both her daughters, she sits next to her husband and their son.

“I’m sorry, baby dolls. I’m sorry the bad people got you earlier.”

“It okay, Mommy,” Milly looks up at her, “We knowed you and Daddy’d save us.”

“Always.” Lian promises, kissing their heads. She holds them tighter, “Daddy and I will always save you.”

         While the other families reunite, and their younger children sleep, Mar’i and Jon are having a much harder conversation down the hall.

Charlie sits beside Mar’i, her mother’s hand running through her hair, while Jon sits in a chair in front of her. One of his strong hands holds hers tightly.

         “Charlie. Momma and I need to talk to you. Is that okay?”

         “I guess…” Charlie sniffles.

         “Hey.” Mar’i tilts her head up. “Starling, if this gets to be too much, you tell us. No questions asked. Okay?”

         “Yes, Momma.” Charlie rests her head on Mar’i’s chest. Mar’i and Jon share a look. He takes a deep breath.

         “First, we know you’re scared. We know there’s a lot of confusing stuff in your head. What we need you to know is that we love you and we’re not going anywhere, ok?” Jon waits until she nods, “Okay. That’s the most important thing we need you to know. No matter what we love you.”

         Mar’i strokes Charlie’s hair, “The other kids said…when the bad people came and tried to take Laney, you asked them to take you. That you’d do a trial for her.”

         “Yeah.”

         “Baby, why would you do that?” The burn scars on her back come to mind.

         “’s what we did before.” Charlie mumbles. “Before you saved us…the big kids would protect the little kids. Do more trials. Keep them safe. I did it for Peter before.”

         “Oh, Charlie…” Mar’i hugs her daughter a little tighter.

         “They were gonna hurt her, Momma.” Charlie hides her face. “They were gonna hurt Loo-Loo.”

         They stay quiet and listen to her cry into Mar’i’s shirt. The dark bruise on Charlie’s pale cheek makes their stomachs churn. Makes them want to go out and take Cadmus down by themselves. But they stay where they’re needed for now.

         “Baby,” Mar’i kisses Charlie’s head, “We need to talk to you about what happened in the hanger.”

         “When I killed those people?”

         “When your powers acted up.” Mar’i corrects. “You know what happened was bad, right?”

         Charlie nods, showing her face to them, “Are they sending me to jail?”

         “No.” Jon speaks firmly. “No. Charlie, what do you think would have happened if your collar didn’t come off?”

         “I dunno…I didn’t want them to hurt Asha.”

         “Why?”

         “She’s my friend, Daddy. They were going to hurt her like they hurt me.” Charlie sniffles, “They were going to kill her.”

         “Charlie, do you know what self-defense is?” Jon asks. Charlie shakes her head, “It’s when someone uses force if they think that they are in danger. What happened in the hanger was self-defense.”

         “I killed them, Daddy.” Charlie whimpers, fresh tears filling her eyes. “I’m a bad person.”

         “Charlotte Elisabeth Kent, you look at me right now.” Mar’i waits until Charlie meets her impossible green eyes. “Your powers made something bad happen. People died. That’s true. But you are not a bad person. Not even close.”

         Charlie wiggles out of Mar’i’s arms, not meeting her parents’ eyes, “I don’t want to talk anymore.”

         Jon nods, “Ok. No more questions. Do you want Momma and I to sta—”

         “I want to be alone.” Charlie squeezes her eyes shut tight.

         “Can Daddy and I tuck—”

         “I want to be alone, Momma.”

         Jon and Mar’i don’t let her see how much that hurts to hear. Mar’i gets off the bed, pulling the sheets back, “Daddy and I are going to check on your siblings. If you need anything, we’re right down the hall. We love you, Charlie.”

         Charlie nods, keeping her eyes squeezed shut. When the door shuts, she opens them. The hospital sheets feel funny as she hides under them. They don’t feel like the ones at home.

         Fresh tears fill her eyes. Home. She doesn’t have a home anymore. Momma and Daddy won’t want her around her brother and sisters. Her brother and sisters are going to hate her. So will her aunties, uncles, and cousins.

         It’s all her fault.

         This is why her tummy Mommy didn't want her.

         “Charlie?”

She didn’t hear the door open, but Asha stands at the foot of her bed. Sitting up, Charlie wipes her tears away. Please don’t let Asha ask. Just let her tell Charlie she’s an awful person and she hates her. It’s what Charlie deserves—

“Chocolate or vanilla?” Asha holds out two pudding cups.

“W-wha—”

“Do you want the chocolate or vanilla? I picked last time.”

“…Halfises?”

Asha smiles. Sitting side by side, the girls trade the cups back and forth. When Asha gets up to throw them away, she notices Charlie curled up on the sheets again. “…Baba did bad things too.”

“Huh?”

“Before he went to live with Jid and met Mama. He did really bad things too.” She shrugs.

“…Why are you telling me that?”

Climbing back onto the bed, Asha says, “Because when Baba told me about the stuff he did, he said he wouldn’t who he is now without people loving him.”

“I could’ve hurt you—”

“I wrestle Gracie all the time. If she hasn’t killed me yet, I think I stand a good chance with you…Do you want me to go?”

Looking down, Charlie shakes her head.

“Can I lay down?”

Nodding, Charlie moves the covers back for Asha to crawl under. Laying in silence for a while, the two just exist together for a while. When their parents check in on them later, they find the two girls sleeping. Asha snores gently, arm flopped over her cousin. Charlie lays curled up. Letting Asha protect her. Neither pair of parents can find it in their hearts to separate the two. Just covers them with an extra blanket and kiss to their heads.

Let them get whatever sleep they can.

[ragnarachael]

Awkward Air

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader, Peter Parker x Sister!Reader

Word Count: 1,983

Summary: Tony has to pull his two favorite Parker's back to earth after they learn that Aunt May is dating Happy. (request) 

A Note: i’ve scrapped this several times because my goblin brain just wasn’t about it. but i did it! i kinda like it! that’s all that matters. i hope you enjoy it too! if not, i’m super sorry i didn’t do your request justice, i put my all into it the best i could. i also feel like tony is slightly out of character, so i apologize because of that, too. (my break before posting this was watching like, 5 or 6 brian david gilbert videos on polygon’s youtube channel and i really don’t regret it)

MASTERLIST !

To say you had been dreading going over to visit May and Peter tomorrow was an understatement.

Truthfully, you might be up all night thinking about how to talk to her about her new boyfriend.

Happy Hogan. You still find that extremely hard to believe.

Didn’t Happy have a wife?

Hell, you wouldn’t know.

“You alright? You look like you’re about to combust,” Tony joked fondly as he landed on his side next to you on your shared bed after just getting Morgan to bed. You let out a soft hum as you texted a reply to Peter, not even glancing at your husband as you laid on your back.

“Was that hum meant to tell me that you’re not point five seconds away from exploding?” Tony exaggerated as a hand of his carefully slid across your stomach just as you hit the send button.

“I mean,” you started, locking your phone to finally look over at Tony. “It could mean that.”

Tony let out a huff of a laugh before gently tugging you onto your side and into his chest. “C’mon sweetheart, talk to me.”

You let out a dramatic sigh and let your head thunk into the middle of Tony’s chest, your phone now happily forgotten in between you and the bedsheets.

“May is dating Happy.”

“Happy? Happy.. Hogan?”

“Yeah, what other Happy’s do you know?” You questioned as your eyes finally met Tony’s. You smiled as you felt Tony’s hand rubbing your side comfortingly.

“You make a very good point. Why are you so worried about it?”

“Welll,” you said, dragging out the word as you slowly rose to sit up on the mattress. “Peter is freaking out about it, and you know that when he freaks out I freak out. He even sent the cowboy emoji, he never does that unironically.”

Tony tried to hold back a laugh as he nodded, feeling your phone vibrating on his side. He started to feel around for it as he listened to you closely.

“Plus he’s still trying to get his stuff together for that school trip.. thing? Remember the one for Italy that he hasn’t stopped talking about?” You continued, watching your husband as he hummed in confirmation, pulling your phone out successfully from the sheets to hand to you.

“Thank you.” You flipped the phone in your hand for it to land screen up to read the newest text from Peter.

You snorted before clearing your throat to read the message aloud.

“May isn’t home yet and hasn’t responded to my texts. Do you think Happy might have ignored her to death or something? Should I go on patrol super fast to see where they are? Oh god what if I find them doing something and end up having to bleach my eyes.”

Tony took in a deep breath as he tried not to laugh as you typed a quick reply with a slightly amused expression, trying to console your baby brother without having to call.

“He’s really.. somethin’, huh?” Tony questioned and let out a small huff before collecting himself and trying to stay completely serious for your sake.

“Yeah, he is. He’s acting like May left without telling him where she went.”

“I don’t see why he’s so worried about the two of them dating,” Tony said as he shifted to start laying on his back next to you.

“Do you not remember how he reacted when I said I was dating you? The poor thing had a heart attack.”

Tony clicked his tongue in response, an arm going under his head as you stayed sitting up, still tapping at your phone screen.

“Like,” you started as you locked your phone, trying to find the right words to explain how you felt. “I’m happy May is dating again, she deserves it, really. But.. Happy?”

“Baby,” Tony started in a firm tone, starting to shift around to sit up next to you now. His hand moved to cup your cheeks and turn your head towards his. “You’re over thinking.”

“Am not,” you mumbled softly as Tony’s hands squished your cheeks together.

Tony gave you a fond smile and pressed a kiss to your nose before letting your cheeks go.

“Are too. I get that you’re feeling uncomfortable that Happy’s dating your Aunt, I do. But don’t knock it ‘til you try it, sweetheart.” Tony was quick to grab your now ringing phone, already answering the Facetime call that was taking over your screen, knowing exactly who it was.

“So, I literally cannot find my suit for the life of me right now, and I still haven’t gotten a text from May— O-Oh, hey, Mr. Stark.” Peter coughed on the other end, trying to cover up all he was saying as Tony held the phone up to get the both of you in the shot.

“Hi, Pete.”

“Peter, just calm down, I’m sure she’s probably having a great time,” you said carefully, hoping the way you phrased that sentence wouldn’t let Peter go even more insane.

Peter let out a long sigh before making a show of falling back onto his bed.

“I know.”

“Then what’s got you so worked up, bubba?” You asked softly, moving to take your phone from Tony’s hand as he made a pouty face. Peter just let out another huff before he rolled over onto his side so half of his face was pressed into the pillow he laid his head on.

“‘S just.. May left worried. I don’t know what about, since she was almost late, but—”

“Peter, did you ever stop to think that maybe she was worried about being late?”

Peter scrunched his nose up and shuffled around a bit on the top of his bed sheets.

“You didn’t stop to think about that, did ya?” You questioned fondly, smiling softly at your brother through the camera as Tony laid his head on your shoulder so he could still be a part of the conversation.

“I’m more than sure Aunt May and Happy are fine, kid. If you want I can even text or call Happy to ask,” Tony offered kindly, Peter practically shooting up to sit.

“R-Really, Mr. Stark?”

You could practically hear Tony’s eye roll as he lifted his head from your shoulder to reach over at the bed stand on his side to grab his phone. Eventually, he popped back into the frame to wave around his phone that was in his hand.

“Thank you, Mr—”

“Jesus Christ, Peter, just call him Tony!” You exclaimed softly, trying to hold back a groan when Peter let out a dramatic sigh.

“I love you, Y/N, but I physically can’t do that.”

You snorted at his response and glanced at Tony as he started tapping at his screen.

“Well, Mr. Parker,” you started, “I’ll text you with a status update whenever Tony gets a reply from Happy, okay? Until then, go to bed. We’re coming for breakfast, remember.”

Peter looked like he was off in his own little dreamland until your last sentence caught his attention.

“That’s tomorrow?”

“Yes, Peter. It’s tomorrow,” you replied with no emotion, Tony trying not to laugh at your facial expression as Peter groaned and smacked his face gently.

“I forgot. I’ll let you go, Y/N. I’m sorry!”

You let out a scoff and waved your hand.

“Please, it’s fine, bud. Just get some sleep alright? I’ll shoot you a message when Tony has sent out the text or called them.”

Peter let out a noise of confirmation before you both shared your goodnights and hung up.

You let out a loud sigh before placing your phone on your chest as you completely laid back on Tony’s chest as he kept typing on his phone.

“That was eventful,” Tony said casually as his hands gently rested on top of your stomach. You let out a small laugh and shook your head.

“You’re telling me. Did you text them?”

Tony’s thumb had tapped on his screen one last time before he held it over your face for you to read.

Hey, Hogan. Peter’s going insane to see if May is okay and I told him I’d check in on you two to see if you’re not fonduing or anything.

“Oh god, Tony—”

“Hey, the kid asked! I’m just delivering!”

You covered your face with your hands as you laughed, your phone on your chest vibrating once for a text notification.

Tony carefully grabbed your phone before reading the newest text out loud.

You covered your face with your hands as you laughed, your phone on your chest vibrating once for a text notification.

Tony carefully grabbed your phone before reading the newest text out loud.

“I just found May’s phone on the kitchen counter, so that probably explains why she hasn’t texted me. I’m sorry for my freak out.”

You carefully shot up from Tony’s lap and tugged his hand back to look at your phone screen.

“Seriously!?”

Tony just handed you your phone back with a smile on the verge of laughter before his phone vibrated.

“At least he added a nervous looking emoji afterwards?” Tony offered before he unlocked and looked at his own phone, cooing at the screen before turning it to you.

You squinted at the screen for a second before it registered.

It was May and Happy out at what looked like an Italian place for dinner, and they both looked extremely happy.

Your heart sung.

Aunt May was finally with someone who made her smile like she used to with Uncle Ben.

You started to coo once Tony tapped the picture to make it a bit bigger.

“Oh, wow,” you said softly, grabbing his phone from his hands gently, plopping your phone back on the bed sheets as you examined what May was wearing in the picture.

“They look so.. happy—”

Quiet giggles from the doorway pulled you out from the moment, causing both you and Tony to look at the door to your bedroom, only to see Morgan with her messy bedhead and her dog pj’s as she looked in on the two of you.

“Hey, little lady. I thought Papa put you to bed?”

Morgan took this as her cue to pad in and climb onto the bed as you handed Tony his phone back and making sure to lock yours before Morgan took the advantage to play games on it.

“Couldn’t sleep, lovebug?” Tony questioned softly once Morgan was comfy in your lap, your arms loosely wrapped around her small body. Morgan nodded as she let her head lean into Tony’s hand that was trying to get some of her hair behind her ears.

“Couldn’t get comfy,” Morgan clarified before her face nuzzled into your neck.

“Or you’re too excited to see Uncle Peter and Grandma May tomorrow, is that it?” You suggested before dropping a kiss to your daughters head, starting to absentmindedly rock her in your arms.

“Maybe,” Morgan mumbled loudly with a cheeky look on her face that caused Tony to finally laugh. He carefully took both of your phones and placed them on his nightstand.

“You’re tryin’ to sleep with us tonight, aren’t you?” Tony asked as he rested his chin on his hands so he could be leveled with Morgan in your arms. She nodded shyly under her father’s gaze as she popped out to look at him from your neck.

After Morgan asked nicely if she could sleep with the two of you, the three of you got comfortable under the covers, Morgan resting her head on your chest while Tony’s arm wrapped around the both of you as he laid on his side.

You really thought that at the rate Peter had you worrying at that you would have been up all night thinking about May and Happy, but the second your head hit the pillow after you and your little family exchanged goodnights, you slept like a baby.

You even woke up to Morgan bouncing onto Tony’s stomach, so something was definitely telling you that you didn’t have much to worry about.

[jq37]

May we have a recap, please? :)

**spoilers for panic at the art show and home for the holidays**

OK people. I actually don’t have a ton of commentary on these two so I’m gonna try and keep it (relatively) short and sweet [Edit from Future Me: Failed Step 1].

Also, iirc, this is the week Dropout starts streaming new Fantasy High eps on Wednesdays which is very dope and I am very excited for. I probably won’t do full on recaps like I do for normal eps because, lbr, I don’t strictly have the time to be recapping these eps at all and it’s pure stubbornness that keeps me from making wiser time management decisions. But, rest assured, if I have an Opinion, you will hear it whether you want to or not. 

Anyway, on with the show. 

Last recap, I mentioned that this ep was giving me Aelwen house party vibes and now it reminds me of that ep in another way: Everyone rolled like TRASH almost the entire ep. It was so frustrating! They barely got any hits in until like halfway through the ep.

(Aw man, I just realized I’m gonna have to remember which spelling of Aelwen is correct again now that FH is coming back.)

I love how Murph is immediately like, “I need to make sure my wife doesn’t die during this fight avenging her fictional husband.”

Isabella also has Aelwen’s trick of poofing around the battlefield which is annoying as hell (ha) for the group.

Siobhan hilariously casts fear on Priya just to be spiteful. I thought she was doing it to help the evac process but no. It was a purely spiteful action. Bless. 

When Kug turns into an ape he, of course, turns into *the* NY ape, King Kong. 

“I roll a nat 20 on an epic shit.”

When Brennan was describing Kingston’s spectral New Yorker Guardians I was already thinking about that one part of Spiderman 2 (the OG Toby Mac version) and then he straight up said, “You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us,” and I lost it.

“Deny the stairs the pleasure of my feet.” Emily is a poet.

I want to know what makes a pigeon spicy more than anything. 

The fact that Brennan killed Ox AGAIN and then immediately looked into the camera and let the audience know the dog was fine because he clearly Oracle stared into the future between eps and saw the entire internet sharpening their pitchforks  was so funny. 

About midway through the ep, Pete tries and fails to send Isabella back to hell and Isabella starts monologing about her plans and connection with Robert Moses (she stole the list from Santa and is/was gonna marry Moses apparently). I wonder if Brennan was like, “These players are for sure gonna murder her without getting any useful info out of her unless she goes full Bond Villain right now.”

And, proving my point, Emily immediately does 56 points of damage, royally f-ing Isabella up. 

This is a really civilian heavy fight which feels weird in a way the FH fights never did. Like, these aren’t even civilians who live in an adventuring town in a fantasy world. These are just normal ass civilians in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Pete fails a wild magic roll after failing to teleport into the building and then gets a choice of getting really strong (which prob would have let him bust down the door) or to teleport in (which is what he does and exactly what he wanted). Very clutch when the dice rolls play into the story like that.

Kingston lightning bolts Isabella’s hair off which is just malicious but also totally called for.

On her next turn, Sophie gets hurt on purpose to get low enough to activate her ring, lets her hair burn for long enough to shorten it to a cute bob, insults Isabella, then knocks her tf out. 

I love that Emily took one of her teeth (a seemingly crazy move) and when called out by Lou was like, “It’s a link to Robert Moses” (a completely reasonable answer). That’s the Axford one-two punch.  

I didn’t mention it before but, Willie the golem is here, first immobile but then brought back by Misty. Post fight, he says he was somehow brought here by one of the evil factions of the city and says they’ll talk about it later. Also, Misty makes out with him (DON’T KINKSHAME HER).

With a high insight roll, Kingston is able to deduce that the group was ambushed (though not by Priya) and that their victory was a really important one for the fate of the city. 

(Sidenote: The amount that Pete is Over Priya in this ep is so funny.)

Back at Wally’s (which is where Kug is now staying) Wally has gotten Kug a dog bed to sleep in and fancy charcuterie cheese because he and Ricky are the only pure-hearted people in NYC. 

At the same time, Pete and Kingston have a very sweet heart to heart and then settle down at Kingston’s place to chill and listen to jazz. Idk how else we expected this to resolve, considering this is a Brennan Lee Mulligan DM’d show where the sacred pillars are Teamwork, Friendship, Communication, and Making up an NPC on the Fly Because One of Your PC’s Decided to do an Insane Thing. 

Next up is the Christmas ep and Brennan, Emily, and Zac are in sweaters for the occasion. 

Well,actually it’s the 21st and Emily immediately clocks that that’s the solstice. 

Are cookies the good carb?/Absolutely not. But have fun with your life. (I love Ricky’s soft jock energy.)

“I run deliveries,” Pete says to Kingston’s parents, not technically lying but also not being completely truthful. Misty would be proud. 

Going over to Misty, it seems pretty clear at this point (and it’s confirmed in the promo for next ep) that Misty’s fairy business is some kind of de-aging/reincarnation for herself. I wonder how many of these she’s done so far. She said she’s been around for, what? 200, 300 years? Assuming she’s been doing then reincarnations at about 65-70 years old and she reincarnates to around 25? Maybe 6 times? Idk. Just spitballing. 

Saucer of milk to keep the faeries from stealing her (non-existing) children. Faerie lore is wild y'all. 

Did you take another level of warlock?/Yeah bitch.

The fact that since Sophie has joined a monastery, she’s only taken Warlock levels and no Monk levels is very funny from a story perspective. It’s like, she finally comes to this sacred place to be trained to her full potential and she’s just spending what should be her sparring time playing with her cat in exchange for spells. Wild. 

Emily’s cat-like, self-satisfied grin when Brennan is like, “So you just jerry-rigged yourself clairvoyance powers, huh?” is so good. 

And she did it on the fly because Emily Axford is winning D&D. There are no points but she’s winning.

So, uh, Emily does, two things, very in character right after the other:

Thing number one: She send her unseen servant to spy on her family. Her dad seems hardline, “F, Dale. Whatever. Family first. She needs to get over it.” On the other side of the spectrum is her mom who is very upset about the whole affair with her siblings falling in the middle. 

The second thing she does, very casually I might add, is have her unseen servant BURN DOWN HER HOUSE SO SHE CAN COMMIT INSURANCE FRAUD.

EMILY

Everyone loses their minds and rightfully so. What a wild-ass swing that no one could have seen coming. I love it. 

“I look in my backpack which is now my home[…]" 

I almost forgot that Ricky was a fire fighter who would not abide that nonsense until Brennan decided to cut to him. 

Ricky just dolphin swims across the Hudson in 2.5 mins to go put out the fire that Sophie set. Amazing. 

Ally mocking Emily/Sophie: Truthfully, I don’t know what happened.

"I love John McClane, because he loves his wife.” WALLY

Wally: Oh we’re gonna tell a lie on Christmas.

“This is what winning looks like.”

I would really like to know what trace stuff what on the drugs Pete got from 7 but Ally rolled too low to figure it out.

“I disassociate fully." 

Well it took him a long ass time but glad to have Pete on the selling drugs to kids is bad train. Choo-choo, dude. 

7 saying you can hack in real life in reference to his AK-47 has the same energy as Hardison using the word hack in literally any semi-weird episode of Leverage. 

SOCIAL MEDIA IS VOLUNTARY PANOPTICON

So Kug goes with Wally to David’s house disguised as a dog and, despite that, blurts out that he’s his dad immediately. Well, he tries to. The Umbral Arcana stops him, unfortunately. 

"I lick my son’s face.” KUUUUG. 

Sophie showing up with a raw goose and hellish rebuking it is so metal and it’s a shame no one got to appreciate it. 

Me when Sophie’s Mom changes into black top in solidarity for Sophie’s mourning: F EVERY OTHER NON-SOPHIE BICICLETA. I RESPECT YOU. 

Kingston is hustling very hard to get his man Pete a job which is a very Kingston move. That’s how guys like that show affection. 

Didn’t mention it before but Kingston’s parents and Mom specifically adopting Pete is very cute. 

Sidenote: Idk what 7 was talking about Pete trying to stay low profile. He wears a cowboy hat (now a ZEBRA STRIPED one, courtesy of Kingston). I think the subtlety train has sailed my guy. 

Esther shows up at the firehouse, carrying presents for her mom and grandma and looking for Ricky. The says that she’s kinda dealing with something and it feels good to be around him (beat) magically speaking. Sure. I’m gonna keep my Hercules soundtrack on hand just in case anyway. 

I think Ricky is the only person who, with no pretense, could give his crush a sexy calendar featuring him.

Anyway, turns out Esther’s mom and grandma are the furies of Tompkins Square and she’s fated to join them or something. 

Esther causally: I defy you, I defy the prophecy.

The fury thing would explain why Esther’s mom would have cursed Kug. They are famously magical punishers.  

Ricky is a magically certified Good Boy but we been knew.

Zac’s restraint to respect Esther’s personal boundaries in lieu of getting a lore drop to stay true to Ricky’s character is amazing. Mad props.

So we slide over to Misty’s Christmas party which Stephen Sondhein is attending and him having a character card kinda killed me. 

There’s a post on tumblr somewhere about playing faerie  incapability for impoliteness against a vampires need to be invited in and that’s what I thought about when Moses and his vamp friends showed up at Misty’s house.

Robert tries to talk Misty into striking a deal with him for protection from Titania. She’s very much not having it.  

“You know Robert, I love a comedy and I love a farce. I’d like to remind you of who it is that started this and it’s not me and it’s not my friends but I can assure you Robert Moses that we will be the ones to end it if you do not. Do you understand me?” Damn. That’s a mic drop from Misty. 

[As I’m editing this, I’m realizing I somehow lost a BIG chunk of text. I’m not gonna write it all up again but the Cliffnotes are as follows:

Between the Solstice and Christmas, the gang goes Grand Central Station to see the clockwork gnomes that live there because trouble is apparently afoot. Some size changing nonsense happens and Pete shoots a dog (with mini bullets, the dog is fine). Lou is enchanted even though Kingston is not (a common theme with him). Ally and Emily are on the same nonsense wavelength (as usual). 

There are dope magical dragon trains under Grand Central Station that go to the shadow realm which is a place I’d like to know about. Kingston has never seen these trains before even though you’d really think he would have.  

Murph says Gnome Rights which is wild if you know what Naddpod is like. 

Anyway, the high priestess of the gnomes passed out the other day and they figure out it was due to pixie magic which is suspicious. They also know they pixies have access to a “time stone” which leads me to believe that it’s Brennan and not Aguefort who thinks that Chronomancy is the most powerful magic of all. 

Sophie and Jackson go to Dale’s grave on Christmas. Jackson explains that the Order of the Concrete Fist is basically a literal school of hard knocks. A counterbalance to all the reach for the stars dreaminess that comes with NYC.

Dale was their chosen one who was supposed to stop the monastery from falling when some unspecified badness crossed over to this side, but when he went to the place where he was supposed to get guidance, there was no one there (clearly tying in to what Dale said to Sophie last time they talked. I wonder what she needs to get to the top of? Empire State maybe?).

Watching Murph watching Emily, his real life spouse, play at grief for her fictional husband and do some truly insane things is so funny because you can clearly see him thinking, “I am married to this woman,” which, in fairness, is probably the main thing he’s thinking when he’s playing D&D with Emily.

I’m probably missing something but that’s all I remember. Back to post-Christmas!]

So it’s opening night at Misty’s show and, somehow, Ricky’s first show ever. 

I love that Don Confetti is there because of Siobhan’s offhanded comment for a handful of eps ago about him being a supporter of the arts.

Anyway, everything is going great until the second act when Titania busts in through the mirror which is *not* is storage as Misty requested but on stage. It’s a theater fight, y'all! And not the West Side Story kind although if that doesn’t come up I will be very surprised. 

“Let’s kill Titania!” –Misty in the promo

Just going straight to 11, huh Misty?

See y'all then!

[blueyesandleatherjacket]

A Taste Of Christmas, 3/6

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 3/6.

Pairings: Metacrisis Nine x Rose.

A/N: Sequel for The Summertime Of Our Lives. Written for doctorroseprompts' fall fic bingo and ficmas challenge. Fall fic bingo: Chill, Ghost, Mug, Tent, Free. Ficmas challenge: Gingerbread, Garland, Eggnog, Peppermint, Tagging @thebookster on her demand.

“Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home.” - Carol Nelson.

CHAPTER 3:

The house was smelling like gingerbread and sweets and happiness was dripping through every window and door of the place. The Doctor was busy hanging garlands and fairy lights on their home. Wrapped into warm clothes, a tools’ belt around his waist, he was ever so seriously accomplishing his mission. He was even whistling a music from centuries ago. The TARDIS was always customising herself according to the seasons and holidays. He never had anything to do then – not that he cared about all of that – and he had to trust his incredible instincts in terms of decoration. For such a work, he should be rewarded with a glass of eggnog he was distilling in Rose’s workshop. Rose wasn’t very happy with the installation but she agreed that it was the safest place to keep Tony from playing with it. The Doctor rubbed his hands together and blew on them. A small cloud of white smoke formed itself in the chilly air. It was getting chiller and chiller with every passing minute or was it an impression? He smiled at his decoration. Rose and Tony would love it. He raised his head, looked at the clear skies. White flakes were starting to fall. Snow. The first snowflakes wee falling from the sky to complete the perfection of this work of art. This universe could bring some magic when it wanted. It was adding a tiny bit of authenticity to this Christmas they were creating. For Rose and him, it would bring nostalgia. For Tony, it would bring wonder and amazement. Jackie would go after them for putting such ideas in his head when he had to focus on his studies and become the perfect successor to Pete. What a boring life. He heard a noise behind him and swiftly turned around, all senses on alert. There was no one. He was being observed though. There was a tingle on the back of his neck. The surroundings were quiet. Too quiet. This wasn’t normal. Nature seemed to have shut up all of a sudden. The atmosphere was heavy, unbreathable. Something was terribly wrong. There was movement. He saw it in the corner of his eye. A black silhouette. He followed the move, found nothing. He wasn’t giving up. He never gave up on a mystery when all of him was screaming for danger and danger meant adrenaline. This was all he was asking for and his wishes were finally granted. He abandoned his task of decorating the house – he was thinking about adding a Christmas tree outside… or maybe two, one on each side of the front door – and followed the move of the dark silhouette like Hamlet had been following the spectre of his father. “Who are you?” he asked. The silhouette vanished. He was alone, on the edge of the cliff their house had been built on. The wind was blowing in his back so hard that he was stumbling. There had been this one time he had been standing like this, on the edge of an abyss, and Rose had pushed him away from there. Where was she now? The house looked so far away, lost in the blizzard. The silhouette returned, behind him, but it wasn’t so dark anymore. Instead, it was shining bright and an intense warmth spread in his body when it put a hand on his shoulder. This was familiar and unfamiliar all at once. He was surrounded by an infinite and passionate love soiled with such a deep sadness that it was unbearable. His warm compassionate smile faded when he turned around and his only human heart dropped in his chest. Rose was facing him, but not the Rose he was now married to. This one was a ghost from a past life with a golden halo. It was Rose and it wasn’t Rose. Why was Bad Wolf coming after him after all this time? After everything was finally over? “You shouldn’t be here. You can’t be here.” “You let me die, Doctor. You let the Vortex burn inside me until there was nothing left of me.” She was blaming him but none of this had happened. Not in his timeline. Not in her timeline either. He had kissed her and saved her and they lived many more adventures together. Bad Wolf hadn’t consumed her. Never would he have let this happen. “No. No, I saved you.” “Liar!” “I gave up on my life to save you.” He cupped her cheeks wet with tears. “I swear on my life I would never have been able to let a flower as beautiful as you wither and die. I can’t even forgive myself for leaving you with pretty boy.” “Your words are lies and your mind is full of hatred. You despise the Daleks but you are just like them.” “We are not the same, I’m not…” Arguing with the ghost of a person who could see all of the past, present, future and timelines that could ever have been was useless. Bad Wolf was a fusion between the selfless Rose and his faithful TARDIS. They knew everything about him, could see even the darkest corners of his mind and heart. His soul was bare and he had been declared to be a bad man. His hands fell by his sides. It was pointless to argue, pointless to explain himself. He had done and said things that would haunt him forever but there was one thing he refused to admit, one thing he knew for sure would never happen in any of the existing parallel universes: he would never let Rose, his so precious Rose, die in any possible way. “I have killed and lied and cheated for my survival. I have fought wars and been to Hell and back. I have done more harm to the universes than anyone, including Daleks, could ever do. I would have killed myself if you hadn’t been thrown on my way. Now what? You have saved me. You pulled me up, made me a better man. This human life will never be long enough to redeem myself from all those crimes. I’m ready to accept your sentence, whatever it is.” For a moment, there was nothing but the silence. Then, the ghost of Rose grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to her. Her lips pressed on his and for a second, he believed that he was given grace, but he was actually given a kiss of death. Bad Wolf was sucking all of his vital energy and he had no way to escape the fate he deserved. Rose was sat in the kitchen, a steaming mug of tea before her. It was getting cold but she wasn’t even noticing it. Her eyes were glued to the ticking clock above the door. Time was a ridiculous concept when you were traveling through it. It wasn’t when she had to sit there and stare. She had been sitting there for only a couple of minutes and it was already more than she could take. Tony was in the living room. He was watching over the bloody idiot she had as husband. An idiot who had no control on the weather, on the combination of factors that had led him to fall from that ladder he was on and knocked him out. He had been conscious when she had run outside to check on him. He had joked about the fact he couldn’t be easily killed and then, had started babbling deliriously and had fainted. The sonic screwdriver hadn’t detected anything abnormal or alarming that would have had them running to the hospital. The Doctor was in the clear, but he was stuck in a nightmare he wouldn’t wake up from. No reason to worry beside that but she was tempted to take him to the med bay of the TARDIS to confirm the sonic’s diagnosis. But there was Tony and as much as she loved her little brother, she was ready to unveil her secret time spaceship and have him telling the secret accidentally. “Rosie! He’s awake!” Rose jumped to her feet so fast that her chair fell to the ground with a loud noise. She didn’t stop and pick it up. She was already pressing an accusing finger in her husband’s chest and yelling at him for being a stupid idiot coming out and climbing on a ladder with such a wind outside. Her reaction was astonishing and exaggerated for Tony. He couldn’t understand why she was lecturing the Doctor when she was nearly devastated in the kitchen minutes ago. Adults were complicated to follow. Far from answering his wife’s wrath the way he should have – his daddy was always yelling louder than his mummy when there were arguments – the Doctor cupped her cheeks and kissed her as if he hadn’t seen her in years. There was something desperate in this kiss, in the way he was holding Rose so she would stay close. “What was that for?” Rose was breathless when the Doctor let go and she was as surprised as Tony by this reaction. Usually, the Doctor only laughed and shrugged the argument off. He was unimpressed by her anger. Not today. Today, he was welcoming it as a good thing. “I thought I’d lost you again.” This talk was gonna take longer than expected. The Doctor’s biggest fear was to lose her. He was often having nightmares about those days he almost lost her, about the day he really lost her to better find her again later. Rose sent Tony to get them peppermint alcohol and glasses for two. The Doctor needed a topper to pull himself back together. The strong taste of peppermint and alcohol brought him back to his usual self. “How the hell can you drink something like that? It’s even worse than Guinness and Butterbeer.” “That’s a local liqueur. Not quite bad once you’re used to it.” Yet, she herself made a face when she drank her shot in one go. Tony was trying to hold back his laugh at the Doctor’s face and way to get rid of the taste. The nightmare was gone, hiding in a corner of the human Time Lord’s mind. Rose gave him a piece of gingerbread she had been making with Tony earlier to completely cover the peppermint taste that was still burning his throat and stomach. They definitely knew how to create their alcohol here. He would have preferred a glass of eggnog instead of this terrible and strong beverage. “Tony wanted to build a tent in the living room to watch the arrival of Santa Claus. I told him you were the best for it and that you would help him as soon as you would have some free time.” “A tent? I’m the king of tents. I’m always free to build tents. You should have called me before I had the crazy idea of going outside.” He was now laughing about the situation. It would come back later, when Rose and him would be alone and able to speak without Tony eavesdropping. This wasn’t a talk for the little boy. A little boy who was excitedly making room for the huge tent the Doctor was promising him…

To be continued...

A Taste Of Christmas © | 2019 | Tous droits réservés.

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[mischiefandspirits]

You Are NOT the Father

Tony gets a surprising revelation when he walks in on Young Avengers hijinks.

This doesn't follow Endgame, but there are a few minor things taken from it so fair warning.

“Hey, have you guys seen Spider-kid anywhere?” Tony asked as he and Pepper walked up behind Sam, Barnes, and Natasha, the latter of whom smirked and pointed forwards.

Tony turned, only to feel his jaw drop at the sight before him.

The kid he’d just been asking after was currently lying back on a weight bench holding the bar aloft. This wouldn’t be too alarming, except the bar Peter was holding was not only playing perch to Shuri, Loki, and Lila (the first two girls sitting on either side with the last balancing on the center), but was also being loaded down by weights Tony knew were specifically designed for the likes of Hulk, Thor, and Steve because he was the one who designed them.

Steve and an armored Rhodey were the ones doing the loading while Thor stood by Peter’s head like an over-enthusiastic spotter. Behind them, Harley appeared to be recording the whole thing from atop a beanbag chair while Strange meditated midair next to him. Cassie was leaning against Dog on Harley’s other side, eating popcorn and tossing pieces of jerky to the giant ant while Groot laid next to her playing a video game.

“What is going on here?”

Peter lifted his head just long enough to give the man a smile before refocusing on his task. “Hey Mr. Stark, can’t talk now.”

Tony turned to Natasha for an explanation, but Strange spoke up before he could.

“They are testing to see how much weight he can handle.” He opened an eye. “For the record, I don’t approve. I am only here in case medical aid is needed.” He closed his eye.

“Also for the record, we just got here,” Sam added, giving Tony a nervous look and gesturing towards himself, Barnes, and Natasha.

“And what’s your excuse, Capsicle, Point Break, Rhodey?”

Steve shrugged and carefully added another weight to the bar in time with Rhodey. “The kids were going to do it either way. I figured it was better they had someone to supervise. Besides, it is good to know your limits.”

Barnes snorted.

“I was also made aware that it is better to have someone to help manage the weight, which none of the young ones can do,” Thor added.

Loki sent him a look. “I could handle it.”

Thor gave her a smile. “I’m sorry, sister. You just look so small in your new form that I misspoke.”

The reborn goddess scowled then suddenly transformed into a man taller than Thor and as hulking as, well, the Hulk. “If I wished to appear a brute like you, I would,” he said in a gruff voice.

“Woah, Loki!” Peter yelped as the bar tilted with the unexpected extra weight and Lila stumbled, just managing to catch herself before she fell.

Shuri, meanwhile, looked unaffected, if a bit amused.

“Apologies,” Loki said, returning to normal, though the teen remained male.

Unfortunately, this merely had the opposite effect as Peter’s compensation for Loki’s added weight that no longer existed sent the bar careening the other way. Lila did fall off this time, thankfully into Thor’s waiting arms, while Shuri slid off the bar and onto her feet.

Loki was tossed onto Peter, who huffed at the impact and barely managed to keep ahold of the bar.

“Alright, I think that’s enough for today,” Tony snapped and Steve and Rhodey immediately moved to take the bar from Peter.

The kid grudgingly handed it over to the “Boo!”s of Harley and Cassie and the jeering “I am Groot!”s of said talking plant.

Loki pulled himself off the older boy, dusting himself off and giving Thor an annoyed look. “This is all your fault.”

Peter jabbed him in the side with his toes, saying breathlessly, “You’re the one who shapeshifted while sitting on the bar!” He then rolled off the bar before Loki could retaliate, coming to stand next to Shuri.

“Alright new rule, Young Avengers, no playing around with the heavy weights,” Tony said, crossing his arms.

Loki, as per usual for learning about any new rules being placed against him, looked affronted while Peter just pouted at his mentor. The three off to the side looked unaffected, Groot already having returned to his game and Cassie and Harley shrugging it off.

Lila, who was now sitting on Thor’s shoulder, crossed her arms back at him. “How are we supposed to test Buggy’s strength if we can’t use the good weights?”

“Buggy?” Peter muttered and Harley snorted.

“Now you know why I turned down Ant-Girl,” Cassie chuckled.

Loki tapped his chin, “He could lift up a car, then we could just put heavier and heavier things in or on it until either the car gives in or he does.”

“No. No, no, no. No more ideas from you, Orpheus,” Tony cut in. “I will come up with something. Something that won’t end in him being squashed by a car.”

“I would have spotted for him,” Loki tutted with an eye roll.

“Come now, the young ones are just having fun,” Thor said, coming over to slap Peter’s back. Lila, still on his shoulder, laughed as the boy stumbled. “And your son has proved he has the strength to stand with the mightiest of heroes. You should be proud.”

Tony opened his mouth to say he would be prouder if the kid would stop pulling stupid stunts before Thor’s words truly caught up with him. “My what now?”

“Your son,” Thor said, frowning. “Peter.”

“He’s not my… You thought the kid was… I don’t have a son!” Tony sputtered and darn it he could hear Pepper giggling behind him.

“He’s not yours?” Thor said deflating.

“No! Why would you think that?”

“Well, you know, the… technology…”

“Wait, Spidey’s not yours? Like seriously?” Sam asked and Tony turned to see him and Barnes giving him unconvinced looks.

“He’s seventeen! Pep and I’ve only been married for -”

“All due respect,” Strange cut in, dropping to the ground. “But I doubt anyone thought he was Mrs. Potts’. Just yours.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Tony asked, narrowing his eyes at the sorcerer.

“Considering your past, it’s not inconceivable that you’d father an illegitimate child or two.”

“Despite what you and many others might think of my past, I was very careful during my past… interactions,” Tony trailed off, very aware of his wife standing at his back. “I have no illegitimate children.”

“No matter how many women have tried to say otherwise. For the record, I had paternity tests done for both Harley and Peter ages ago.”

Tony spun around towards her and Pepper rolled her eyes.

“Only so that we’d have proof in case such rumors started going around the news feeds when the two became more public. In case your forgetting, I was the one who always had to escort your interactions out. I’m perfectly aware you’ve covered your bases.”

“So?” Barnes asked. “What were the results?”

Pepper chuckled as Tony turned to scowl at him. “They were both negative.”

Tony threw his hands up. “Alright, raise your hand if you thought Underoos was my kid!”

After Steve confirmed that Underoos referred to Peter, everyone in the room raised their hands save Loki, Natasha, Harley, and Pepper.

“Rhodey!” Tony shouted at his best friend, who shrugged as much as he could in the suit.

“I thought you were just trying to keep it on the down low.”

Something registered in his mind before Tony could continue yelling. Slowly he turned to Peter, who dropped his arm with a blush.

“Awkward!” Harley called cheerfully.

Peter shot him a look. “Oh like you never wondered why Tony’s always giving us attention out of literally anyone else in the world.”

Harley shrugged. “Nah. Though I think my mom’s still half-convinced she had a drunken fling with him and just can’t remember. Kind of wish she had, though. He’s already a better dad to us than my dad was to me and he doesn’t even dad us.”

“He totally dad’s you,” Cassie snorts. “He’s seriously got that whole dad-aura whenever he’s around you two and Morgan that he doesn’t have any other time.”

“I am Groot,” Groot said, shaking his head. “I am Groot.”

“He said you have the appearance of sharing roots,” Loki translated. “Also, you talk the same. His words, not mine.”

Lila nodded. “I would have thought he was your dad even if dad hadn’t told me you guys were father and sons.”

“Clint told you they were related?” Pepper asked and Lila nodded.

“He knows they’re not,” Natasha said, shaking her head. “He was messing with you kids.”

Lila laughed. “Yeah, I figured, Auntie Nat.”

“Wait, when did I get dragged into this?” Harley asked, sitting up. “People think I’m his kid too?”

“Obviously,” Shuri said.

“Hey, I think we broke Stark,” Loki said, smirking at a frozen Tony.

The genius was still gaping at Peter.

“Tony?” Pepper whispered, setting her hand on his shoulder. She turned to the others. “Alright, I think that’s enough excitement for today. Kids, Carol brought back treats from her trip to Tønsberg,” she called before leading her husband out of the room.

“You okay?” she asked once they were alone.

“He really thought — They all thought that Pete — that both boys were mine.”

Pepper smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Everyone knows how much you adore those boys, and they both are so much like you. It’s not unbelievable that people might wonder. That’s why I had the tests done.”

Tony wanted to argue that, but found he couldn’t, so instead he focused on what had been his biggest point. “They thought the only reason I would care about them was because they were mine. Peter thought that!”

“Oh, Tony.” She pressed her face into his shoulder. “You know he didn’t mean it like that. You know how self-deprecating he can get sometimes, kind of like someone else I know.”

He huffed and she smiled up at him.

“He idolizes you. It’s not that he thinks you wouldn’t want to pay attention to him, he just doesn’t think he’s worth you paying attention.”

“That’s insane. That kid’s amazing. We need to work on that.”

“Pots and kettles,” Pepper mumbled before kissing his cheek.

I saw this post and had to write a thing. It was only supposed to be Harley at first, but then some of my MCU Young Avengers headcanons shoved their way in.

[socialglance]

Kanye West And The Dangers Of The Parasocial Relationship

Let’s get the obvious over with. You’re sick of hearing about the Kardashians. I am, too. I think we’re all jaded by it. I’m fairly certain that there is no one on the Internet who doesn’t know who they are. Like a Philly soft pretzel and mustard, those two things just go together. And, as I have mentioned in previous posts, there is no doubt that a dark side to this kind of visibility exists. But this week, it seems to have gotten darker. It’s time to talk about Kanye West’s recent behavior toward his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.

Kim and Kanye (sometimes called “Kimye”) have been an iconic couple for many years. Everything about them seems to be part of social media history--the names and announcements of their children, their wedding, their red carpet appearances, their fashion. A decade ago when their relationship began and became official on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kanye raided Kim’s closet to refine her style, making her cry in the process. By the end of that year they were expecting a baby. And when one of them had drama, the other was not far behind--just ask Taylor Swift about the infamous phone call Kim posted on the Internet to defend her husband during that whole messy feud (which is another can of worms to open in the world of social media case studies... and one I might tackle soon). Though neither half of the couple was a stranger to scandal, Kanye in particular has accrued a history of outbursts and questionable decisions which have made him a polarizing figure in pop culture. Kim has defended him through this, pointing out his struggles with mental illness. However, though she still stood by him, on January 5th, 2021 it was confirmed that she was going to divorce him. 

One of many times Kim has taken to Twitter in Kanye’s defense--in this case over his decision to support Donald Trump.

Efforts were definitely made to do this in a manner that would be conducive to coparenting, but this is where the past week comes in. Kanye West has repeatedly harassed Kim through social media, especially after her relationship with Pete Davidson was made official. This has included posting screenshots of private text conversations in which Kim voices discomfort with such a thing, swearing to repair his family, implying he will bring harm to Pete, and asking for parenting advice on his Instagram stories while critizing Kim’s decisions regarding the subject. These posts are often deleted soon after. Why, might you ask, is this particularly newsworthy if the Kardashians have made a business out of framing their lives through social media? The answer is simple: This is dangerous. Really dangerous.

One of many text exchanges posted by Kanye.

I am the first to criticize the Kardashian-Jenner clan, and I have. But at the end of the day, a line needs to be drawn. Anyone can become an influencer with enough skill. The Kardashians capitalize off of it and certainly have a privilege in the publicity already granted to them by their wealth and their father, Robert, and what they do is not harmless. But anyone can post a selfie. Similarly, any man can harass his ex-wife online. It is a situation no one should experience, and we need to recognize this for what it is even when it is playing out between celebrities--especially in that case. The Kardashian-Jenners have been scrutinized in every way for their use of social media, and this must not be any different. It is no longer just a matter of Kanye West’s mental health when he is actively harassing and threatening people, especially when it targets someone who has defended him through all his previous firestorms. 

So... What does this mean, then? Well, we do not know what is playing out in private. We only know what has been posted, and we may never know everything. What is clear is that everyone has a chance to learn from this. Social media can be a weapon in more ways than people realize. Kanye West still has many commenters supporting him, viewing him as a man who is just trying to get his family back. It is not so simple, and that, perhaps, is why he chose such a public platform for this. Out of his millions of followers, knowing more will come forth when they see his name trending, some people will rally behind him and join his effort to pressure Kim into something she does not want. While this may seem random, it is, in my opinion, very strategic, and we all have a chance to recognize how our perceptions of a situation can be influenced based on whose side of the story is receiving more publicity. We all have a chance to realize how damaging it is that this parasocial relationship has been normalized. And we all have a chance to recognize dangerous, abusive behavior so that we can condemn it, hopefully sending a message in the process that this is not okay.

[bangkokjacknews]

What really happened to Glenn Miller?

The famous bandleader vanished without trace en route to entertain Allied troops in 1944, but what happened to him?

At the end of the 1930s, just as the Second World War was breaking out in Europe, Glen Miller’s band introduced America to the new, unique style of brass-band music they had been working on for a number of years. It was a smooth, upbeat sound that struck an instant chord both with the middle-aged and an optimistic youth learning how to jive and swing. Radio stations across America played Glenn Miller records all the time and Hollywood was quick to sign up the new star and his band. Two films were released:  Orchestra Wives in 1941 and Sun Valley Serenade in 1942. The Glen Miller Orchestra were the Beatles of their generation (or, for the younger reader, Oasis; and if you’re thinking of One Direction, then you should be in bed by now). By early 1942, America had entered the fray, joining the Allied Forces in their efforts to repulse the Nazis. Miller enlisted later that year, on 7 October. On completion of his basic training, he transferred to the Army Air Corps: his first military assignment was to gather another orchestra, the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band, with a brief to entertain Allied troops in Britain. He was delighted to be back in touch with his old Hollywood friend David Niven, whose job it was to arrange entertainment for the troops across Europe. Eighteen months later, the D-Day landings signalled the start of the liberation of Europe and by November 1944 Paris was finally free of German soldiers. Even though Allied Bombers were still pouring across the English Channel on their way to tackle targets further into Europe, the Parisian party was now in full swing. David Niven organized a six-week tour for the Glenn Miller Band that was to begin in the French capital on 16 December 1944. The band were due to arrive on the 16th, but Miller wanted to travel a few days early to attend what he called a ‘social engagement’. Arrangements were duly made for him to fly from the airfield at Twinwood Farm near Bedford in a small American-built, propeller-driven craft called a ‘Noorduyn Norseman’ that would be piloted by John R. Morgan. Lieutenant Don Haynes, a show-business agent drafted into the US Air Force to manage the Glenn Miller Orchestra while on tour, drove his famous charge from London to RAF Milton Earnest to prepare for his cross-Channel flight the following day. According to Haynes, John Morgan arrived in the Norseman at Twinwood Farm at 1.40 p.m., collected Miller and, in spite of poor weather conditions, took off again at approximately 1.45 p.m. This was the last anyone saw of Glen Miller: he had vanished from the world and into the history books. The alarm was raised when he failed to meet up with Don Haynes and the band in Paris four days later. After a frantic search of the entire city’s likely haunts, the Glenn Miller Orchestra had to play the show without their famous bandleader, announcing that ‘Major Miller cannot be with us tonight’. Nobody ever saw him again, or, at least, could prove that they had. The puzzle began in earnest when, just three days later, the United States military announced his death, which was extraordinary in itself, given that in the confusion of a recently liberated France many people went missing for much longer periods, often ‘absent without leave’ (AWOL). The question was why would officials make such a final announcement so soon after the musician, albeit a world-famous one, simply failed to show up at a few concert performances? Pete Doherty does that all the time these days and nobody announces him dead as a result. It was a question Helen, Miller’s wife, also asked but not until over a year later, in February 1946, when Colonel Donnell wrote to inform her that her husband had been flying that day in a combat aircraft, not the Norseman, and that the plane had taken off from Abbots Ripton airfield near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, many miles from where Haynes had left Miller. The mystery deepened when it was claimed that the flight had been bound for Bordeaux, far from Miller’s intended destination. There was no explanation of how he would be travelling the remaining distance within France. In fact, no further information was given at all, and so speculation raged about whether Miller had lied about his movements to his friends and the rest of the band, changing his stated plans at the last minute, or had gone AWOL, or even that he had been shot down by enemy fire. A military cover-up seemed increasingly likely. Imagine that: the military might not be telling the truth about something! After the war, John Edwards, a former RAF officer, set out to prove Miller had been on board the Norseman, for which all he needed was a copy of the official accident report from the National Personnel Records Center in St Louis. But he drew a blank: that office maintained that the records had been ‘lost in a fire’, while the Washington Department of Records denied such a file had ever existed. Edwards’ efforts to prove the absence of a military cover-up began to convince him that the reverse must be true. What he now wanted to know was why. And when some documents were finally discovered, they were found to be written illegibly, the signature blurred and undecipherable. This, strengthened by the fact that the military had initiated no search of any kind for the missing bandsman, began to fuel speculation that the US government knew exactly what had happened to Glenn Miller and had known it immediately, hence the early announcement of his death. After all, imagine Oasis singer Liam Gallagher going missing on a morale-raising visit to troops in Iraq, there being no search for him and the UK government firmly announcing he was dead only three days later, but without producing a body. Furthermore, no records of what had happened to him would ever be released while every government agency claimed to know nothing about it. On second thoughts, that is a bad example. With today’s government, led for so long by Tony Bliar (sic), and with the current Conservative replacement, it is all too easy to imagine. What is known is that the Norseman did crash into the sea, as it was discovered by divers in 1985 six miles west of Le Touquet in northern France, but there was no evidence that Miller, or indeed anyone else, was on board at the time and the reasons for the accident remain inconclusive. All that was revealed is that the propeller was missing but not when or how it fell off. In 1986 the novelist and former RAF pilot Wilbur Wright took up the challenge and asked the US Air Force Information Center in California for the accident report on the missing Norseman. He was informed that no accident had been reported on that day and, in fact, no Norseman aircraft had been reported as missing throughout December 1944. Another mystery and another lie, as Wright subsequently discovered that eight Norsemen had been reported missing that month. Wright then repeatedly wrote to every US state department and records office he could find requesting information relating to the disappearance of Glenn Miller. But he was ignored until his letter of complaint to President Ronald Reagan encouraged a response out of the Military Reference Office. They confirmed there were several documents relating to the accident, but then failed to produce them. However, all other departments continued to insist all records had been lost, destroyed, mislaid or had never existed in the first place. When Wright telephoned George Chalou, the man in charge of the records office, to complain, he was alarmed by Chalou’s reaction during the conversation. According to Chalou (in a taped conversation with Wright): ‘They will never get them back either. Those files have been under lock and key for years and that is where they will be staying.’ There had been a cover-up after all. After extensive research, Wilbur Wright’s eventual conclusion was worthy of one of his own novels: that Glenn Miller probably had arrived in Paris two days before his band, where he was met by David Niven. Niven then set off to dramatically rescue Marlene Dietrich from the clutches of the Nazis, while Miller holed up in a brothel in the Parisian red light district awaiting their return. Unfortunately, with time on his hands (and plenty of alcohol), he ended up becoming involved, and badly injured, in an unseemly bar brawl. The American authorities were horrified to discover the world’s best-loved musician in a seedy brothel with a fractured skull. Miller was immediately airlifted to back to Ohio, but he later died of his injuries. Wright proposes three main strands of evidence. The first is based on the fact that David Niven makes no mention of Miller in his autobiography The Moon’s a Balloon, published in 1971, despite the pair knowing each other well. Wright sees this as indicating Niven’s awareness of the incident and his decision, for the sake of good grace and the Miller family honour, never to mention it again. (Indeed, he never even mentioned the name Glenn Miller to either his biographer, Sheridan Morley, or to his second wife.) The second line of ‘proof’ given by Wright is that Helen Miller soon moved to Pasadena in California where she bought a burial plot with room for six graves. As her immediate family consisted of five people – herself, her son, daughter and parents – it is therefore assumed that Miller himself occupies the last plot. When asked, the cemetery administrators denied Miller’s presence but took a full fifteen months to reply to Wright’s letter of enquiry, suggesting to Wright that both the family and local grave diggers were in on the cover-up. For him the clinching piece of evidence is that, in 1954, a Parisian prostitute – still plying her trade opposite Fred’s Bar, the brothel bar where Miller was alleged to have been drinking the night he went missing – told somebody that her then boyfriend had told her what had happened to Glenn Miller, confirming the whole Parisian brothel story. If that all seems a bit thin – and let’s face it, it does – that’s because the authorities only needed to remove one word and the whole cover-up could have been completely unnecessary. Think about the difference between reading ‘Glenn Miller died after being involved in a fight in a brothel bar’ and ‘Glenn Miller died after being involved in a fight in a bar’. That’s it, no international outcry, just a respectable period of public mourning. No shame would have been heaped upon the Miller family and no extensive and complicated cover-up story would have been necessary. But if Wright’s hypothesis is true, how could all those people who would need to have been involved for this story to have any basis in fact – including any witnesses, the French police, military personnel, flight crew, medics, doctors, nurses, administrators, grave diggers, family, friends, Uncle Tom Cobbley and probably Inspector Clouseau himself – have not failed to give the game away hundreds of times over the ensuing fifty years? Instead we have the silence of a film star, a six-berth burial plot and the testimony of a Parisian tart well past its sell-by date. My vote goes with the recent evidence that has emerged that Miller was on board the Norseman after all. The new story has a much more convincing explanation of the American fear of the truth coming out. According to this theory, Miller boarded the Norseman at Twinwood Farm on 14 December 1944, just as Don Haynes said. The aircraft took off at 1.45 p.m. By 2.40 p.m. it was travelling through what was known as a jettison zone in the English Channel, an area set aside for returning bombers to drop their undischarged loads safely into the sea before they crossed the south coast. A fully laden bomber exploding on landing could wipe out an entire air base, so the jettison zone was stringently enforced. The only bomber to use the jettison zone that afternoon is known to have crossed it at around 3.40, at the time Miller should have been landing in Paris, and so it has never been thought relevant to the Miller mystery before. However, it has only recently been noticed that, while the Miller flight would have been charted on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), all military flight operations were logged using Central European Time, which is one hour later. Therefore bombers were releasing their loads directly over the area Miller’s Norseman would have been flying through, at a much lower level and in the opposite direction. Did the Americans hit their favourite musician with some not-so-friendly fire? There is certainly strong witness evidence to suggest they did, including some of the military aircrew themselves. Fred Shaw, a navigator in one of the bombers, claimed, in an interview for an amateur film, that he saw the bombs his aircraft jettisoned strike a small plane beneath him. According to Shaw: ‘I had never seen a bombing before so I crawled from my navigator seat and put my head up into the observation blister. I saw a small high-wing monoplane, a Noorduyn Norseman, underneath us.’ Mr Shaw claimed he didn’t make any connection to the disappearance of Glenn Miller until he saw The Glenn Miller Story in 1956. ‘There is a kite down there, I told the rear gunner, there’s a kite gone in,’ Shaw continued. ‘He then replied, yeah, I saw it too.’ At the time authorities had dismissed his claims as a publicity-seeking exercise, but Shaw remained adamant he had seen the small plane spiral out of control as a result of being hit. In a sworn statement, given on 10 April 1999, Fred W. Atkinson Jr, a member of the 320th Air Transport Squadron responsible for taking Miller to Paris, stated the following: You will recall in the movie, The Glenn Miller Story, the letter that Glenn Miller wrote to his wife that day he expressed the feeling that he might not see them again. Given the weather conditions and the type of aircraft that was a realistic probability. Several days after our plane left London, we were notified that an aircraft that might be ours had crashed on the coast of France and that the occupants were dead. We dispatched a plane to that location and the aircraft and the bodies of our pilots were identified. Our crew also said that the other body definitely was that of Glenn Miller. They said there were identification papers and dogtags on his body. Our second crew that was in London at the time verified they had witnessed Glenn Miller and our two pilots board the aircraft and depart Twinning Farm. I recall the papers being processed to salvage our aircraft and report the death of our pilots on the squadron morning report. This report was turned in on a daily basis and notes the changes in status of all personnel as they occur. We had not experienced any deaths in our squadron until this time and this was a ‘double whammy’ to us because of the loss of our pilots and the loss to the US Armed Forces of probably the greatest morale booster (along with Bob Hope) that we all loved. The flight logbook of another airman, Derek Thurman, appeared to corroborate the claim: ‘The bomb aimed down in the nose saw an aircraft first, remarked on it. The navigator shot out of his seat to have a look through a side blister and he saw it sort of whip by, then the rear gunner said “it’s gone in”, sort of flipped over and went in. Whether it was brought down by a blast from one of the bombs, or was hit, is anybody’s guess, really.’ These three reports, all from independent sources, are consistent in the details they provide. The idea that a small aircraft could have been hit or damaged by an explosion nearby, thus causing its pilot to ditch it on to the beach, breaking its propeller, is not so far-fetched. And if so, the idea that the American military may have recovered the bodies, then dragged the prop-free plane back into the sea and created a cover story, is a racing certainty. It tends to be the case that the first information to emerge from a suspicious incident such as the Miller mystery is the most accurate and reliable, especially where governments are concerned, as they won’t have had time to concoct a story to suit their purposes. For my money, Miller was accidentally shot down by the very military he was travelling to Europe to entertain. The Miller family were told the truth, which explains the sixth burial plot, and in return for their patriotism in never speaking publicly of the accident, were handsomely compensated for their loss. David Niven, on the other hand, was warned he would never work in Hollywood again if he ever mentioned the matter to anybody, so he didn’t; and the French prostitute was just looking to sell a story for enough francs to buy a new horse whip and a couple of cheap bottles of Beaujolais. It is hard to conceive of a more ludicrous story than the idea Glenn Miller was beaten up in a Parisian bordello and died of his injuries. In the case of Liam Gallagher, however, I doubt there would be any such cover-up if he was found dead in a Basra brothel. Although these days it’s far more likely he would be stabbed on the school run by a teenager after his mobile phone. - Albert Jack Albert Jack AUDIOBOOKS available for download here  

  Albert Jack's Mysterious World Buy Now Audio Books Other Platforms Assorted eBooks Read the full article

[daresplaining]

Defenders Countdown: 15 Days

Danny and Jessica

    We’re halfway there!

    The Defenders’s biggest impending personality clash is between optimistic, principled Danny and jaded, irreverent Jessica. Watching them bond is going to be a wild ride, and we’re eager to see how the evolution of their dynamic is handled. For now, here is a look at their history in the comics!      

    It’s not surprising, considering Luke and Danny, that Jessica meets her future husband and his best friend at the same time. They all converge on a fight with the Owl, during Jessica’s first post-Purple Man superhero outing. 

Luke: “Luke Cage. This is Danny Rand.”

Jessica: “Iron Fist, yeah, Heroes for Hire. Big fan.”

The Pulse #14 by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos, and Matt Hollingsworth

    (Sidenote: Danny technically kinda still had a secret identity during this period. Whoops, Luke...)

    Jessica fights alongside them, then impresses them even more by offering to take care of the Owl’s kids, who were left behind at the crime scene. We see Luke and Jessica’s reactions to this encounter-- as Luke stops by her apartment later to check on her and offer his friendship-- but Danny is absent from much of this initial bonding. As Iron Fist fans, this is a little frustrating, and it remains true for most Jessica/Luke/Danny interactions. The emphasis is all on Jessica and Luke, with Danny usually hanging out off to the side. However, while lacking any big bonding scenes, we do get glimpses of Jessica and Danny’s dynamic, simply through their spending so much time with Luke-- and therefore with each other. 

    Mostly, they like each other very much. They do have a bit of tension early in their relationship, but it’s mostly situational. Luke is injured under mysterious circumstances, and Danny gets overprotective.                 

Jessica: “But you’re hiding him from me? From me? I’m-- I’m his---”

Danny: “He’s my brother! I don’t know you. How do I know you? We had dinner? Do you know how dangerous our lives are? How few people we can trust? Since the first second we put on our costumes as Power Man and Iron Fist-- that was it for us and trusting strangers. New people. Everyone is an enemy on days like this. In my eyes, in this situation, you’re just a girl he knows. And I don’t know where you came from. All I know is that Luke is in danger and I don't know you enough to trust that you aren’t part of the problem.”

Misty: “Danny, let her see him. You haven’t slept, you’re getting goofy.”

The Pulse #9 by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Lark, and Pete Pantazis

    And recently, their relationship has been characterized by a strange, shared conviction that the other doesn’t like them. It’s a multi-writer/series phenomenon too, which makes it extra weird.

Danny: “We’ve got history, man. We’re partners-- best friends. Power Man and Iron Fist. And your wife doesn’t even like me because you don’t pass on my friendly overtures.”

Luke: “[...] Jessica likes you fine.” 

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 3 #1 by David Walker, Sanford Greene, and Lee Loughridge

Danny: “Jessica Jones. I love you. Would you and I have ever, ever, ever been friends without Luke? Absolutely not.”

Jessica: “Ha!”

Danny: “But that doesn’t mean I don’t think you are the most beautiful soul... wrapped in the hottest mess. So stop thinking I don’t love you. I do.”

Jessica Jones #7 by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos, and Matt Hollingsworth

    This might have been the case back when they were first drawn into each other’s lives... but by this point, after they’ve known each other so long and been through so much together, it feels a little incongruous. (Jessica named her child after Danny, for fiddle-faddle’s sake!) The only explanation is that it’s a side effect of the universe-altering events of Secret War (the most recent one)-- but we can neither confirm nor deny this. It is, however, a symptom of a characterization that does make sense-- that Jessica and Danny are very different people who have a tough time reading each other.  

Danny: “Y’know, it’s okay to admit it-- Jessica hates me. I’m cool with it.”

Luke: “No, that’s just the way she is with everyone. She shows affection by yelling and swearing.”

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 3 #3 David Walker, Sanford Greene, and Lee Loughridge

    But as we said, they’re mainly depicted as friends, and their shared history is full of fun little moments, and no indication of the discord currently being emphasized in their shared series. 

Jessica: “Iron Fist does not need a new costume.”

Luke: “Some kid made a crack about his boots. [...] Promised him I would ask you.”

Jessica: “I’ll talk to him.”

Secret War (2004) #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Gabriele Dell’Otto

    Once Jessica marries Luke, she and Danny become family (here’s a handy overview of this relationship), and Danny often comes by their apartment to hang out and play with baby Dani. 

Danny: “Hey, Jess.”

Jessica: “Danny-- don’t hypnotize the baby--”

Mighty Avengers (2013) #6 by Al Ewing, Valerio Schiti, and Frank D’Armata 

    They were both founding and long-term members of the New Avengers team, and are currently working alongside each other in the most recent iteration of the Defenders. Danny recently mediated between Jessica and Luke after an almost marriage-ending fight, and we can expect them to continue to share stories far into the future. They are fascinatingly distinct characters with a unique relationship, and we can’t wait to see them explored further. 

Danny: “It’s just... you know...”

Jessica: “Danny... it’s okay.”

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 3 #6 by David Walker, Flaviano, and John Rauch

    All of this means that we’re hugely excited to see how their dynamic evolves in The Defenders and beyond. The actors and trailers have so far indicated that their relationship will be pretty par for the course for this show-- they will initially annoy each other, then slowly start to build a friendship. Danny seems to be the most enthusiastic about the team-up, likely conflicting with Jessica’s role as the least enthusiastic, and their extreme differences in personalities and backgrounds means that they may not know how to react to each other.

    As we’ve mentioned before in regards to other character dynamics, Jessica and Danny are also much more emotionally raw here than they are in the comics. They’ve both recently been through terrible experiences that may make them extra wary and intolerant of strangers. Seeing how they negotiate this natural disconnect-- if they do at all-- should be enthralling. 

[jhathaway71]

Similarities & differences driving the actions behind the scenes for Robron & Vadam

*Alternatively, why I believe Adam’s actions should not be viewed necessarily as hypocritical when applied to Robert and Pete’s situations.

Disclaimer: This is one viewer’s interpretation and personal opinion of Adam’s actions & reactions with his involvement in the three separate infidelity storylines he is the common factor in.  As I believe Adam is a complex character, his actions and behaviour would be motivated from his past experiences, current emotional state, and the present situation he would be in.

This post may be updated periodically for additional opinions etc. and parts were inspired and developed with Twitter user @Britluvsbrucas idea there is a type of symbolism within the similarities of Vadam & Robrons situations.

Adams history…

In 2015, Adam thinking he and Victoria were over slept with Vanessa. They were both fooled into thinking he was the father of her unborn son by true biological grandfather. Victoria and Adam split and reconciled when she learned of his infidelity going on to support Adam as the father. Later, it was revealed he was not the father, but Vanessa’s actual boyfriend.

In 2017, Adam ends his relationship with Victoria because he can’t give her what she wants (baby) because of his infertility. Somewhere along the line he makes a drunken attempt at kissing Victoria. As Victoria & Adam are attempting to work things out, the “infidelity” is outed because of a revenge plot (Emma vs. Moira).

In both situations, his actions with Vanessa were not voluntarily given to Victoria.

First, look at Adam’s behaviour and how he has handled Aaron & Robert’s relationship problems. Initially, Adam was very supportive of Robert telling Aaron to think before he does anything too drastic/quickly. He reminds Aaron that Robert is in the same situation he himself was in with Vanessa/Victoria in 2015 and is currently struggling with the same duo and infidelity issues in 2017.

Once Adam learns of Aaron’s self-harming again, his attitude in the backroom changes. He’s concerned for his friend and angry with Robert. He says you knew and you didn’t say anything. He then takes Aaron to the hospital instead of allowing Robert to take him home telling Robert if he wants to help, stay away from him. As Aaron and Adam return from the hospital, he calmly tells Robert and Victoria about Aaron’s condition and his antibiotics. Victoria and Adam then leave Aaron and Robert alone in the flat.

Even the next day when Aaron is leaving, Adam’s attitude toward Robert is not as aggressive or over the top protector mode as it is when Aaron returns from Dublin. Why the change in behaviour?

The two times on screen Robert and Adam interact after Aaron leaves for Dublin each begin with Robert having either a flippant or smart aleck comment at Adam’s expense. Not helping the situation, Adam sees Robert with Rebecca both times and tells him to leave the flat because Aaron is returning.

It’s later in the pub, when Robert again has a flippant/smart aleck comment that ruffles Adam’s feathers again. Adam is already on edge because he correctly thinks Robert is going to try and win back Aaron. This escalates with Robert bringing up Adam’s own faults with his relationship with Robert’s sister. In Adam’s anger, he becomes “physical” with Robert telling him he won’t let him mess with Aaron’s head. Before it can go further, Aaron interrupts.

The very few scenes following with Adam playing guard dog for Aaron against Robert though while not physical still feel “over the top” with Adam often jumping in before Aaron even has a chance to speak for himself.

Although it has not been directly mentioned, Adam’s behaviour and attitude regarding Robert (and later Pete) would be influenced by other important factors.

 1.  Adam thought he was the father to Vanessa’s child from a one night stand after he thought Victoria had ended their engagement/relationship in 2015. Victoria was eventually supportive of Adam being there for his unborn son.

a.   Robert believes he is the father to Rebecca child after a one night after he thought Aaron and his relationship was over. Aaron has offered to be supportive of Robert if he wants to be involved with the baby. Adam sticks up for Robert telling Aaron he made a mistake and he knows what that is like and what can happen afterwards.

b.   The similarities between both situations now puts Adam in Robert’s shoes and alternatively, put Aaron in Victoria’s shoes when he reflects on his own situation.

2.  Adam ended his relationship with Victoria because he was diagnosed with a condition making him infertile (21-April-2017). He said he wouldn’t be able to raise another man’s kid and she should find another man who can give her what she wants {Give her something he can’t}.

a.   Just before Aaron ends his relationship with Robert, he confides in Adam that they are leaving and Robert is giving up his child.

b.   Robert giving up his child for his husband is opposite of Adam’s situation who wants to be able to give his wife a child. His inability to father a child is a factor in his failed relationship, unlike Robert’s ability which has ruined his relationship with Adam’s best mate Aaron.

c.    Adam would see the similarities with Aaron as he puts himself into his shoes of not being able to give his partner a child and again the alternative is true. Aaron would see himself in Adam’s situation. A

d.   Adam had made out like he was less of a man when he learned of his condition. Robert is able to father a child potentially creating additional doubts and inferiorities within himself.

3.   Adam makes a drunk pass and attempted kiss with Vanessa while he was believing his relationship with Victoria was over for a 2nd time. Later, the situation is outed after Victoria/Adam had started to reconcile. It is now her turn to end it with Adam for his 2nd infidelity with someone he had history with.

a.   After Robert threw Adam out of the Mill, he makes a drunken pass and sleeps with Rebecca while thinking his relationship with Aaron is over and wanting to hurt Aaron.

b.   This is Robert’s first time cheating on Aaron with someone he had history with and resulted in a pregnancy very similar to Adam’s first time with Vanessa in 2015.

c.    These similarities again would bring Adam and Aaron to the conclusion that Robert would cheat again with Rebecca…Adam, Victoria’s, and Vanessa’s history repeating itself with Aaron, Robert, and Rebecca.

These actions and their consequences become symbols for them as they navigate their relationships with each other and their struggles. They each would see themselves in one or more of the other side given the similarities/parallels in their situations with one exception.

Adam would see himself in both Robert and Aaron.

Aaron would see himself in Victoria.

Victoria saw herself in Aaron because he was her during Adam’s first infidelity with Vanessa. Even though Aaron ended it with Robert, the similarities were there but she overlooked them because of her own desire to have a child.

Robert is blinded to the fact that he is Adam of the past and the present. He admitted his mistake to Aaron unlike Adam either time and also being forgiven initially confirming his sense of superiority to Adam.  Even now that he and Aaron are separated, the reasons Aaron gave are different from Vic & Adam’s separation that he cannot accept the similarities.

Consciously accepting those similarities of his situation to that of Adam in 2015, he would be reminded of how he tried to intervene between Adam & Victoria. It additionally reminds him that he and Aaron were not together and were adversaries in that struggle. It would also shatter the image he has that he can mend his relationship with Aaron given that Vic and Adam have ended a second time. *Vic mentioned how she handled Adam in 2015 making him confident he was getting back with Aaron. Aaron not offering and continuing to say they’re over would discredit the similarity for Robert.

Adam and his situation are symbols for Robert of his biggest fears. He is a failure that cannot change and has lost the only person he has truly loved.

There are other factors that could be driving Adam’s actions with Robert whether consciously or subconsciously that do not contain similarities & differences specific details to Robert & Aaron’s situation. Items that are conjecture based on logic that a discussion would have been held with varying parties while off screen are marked with an asterisk * at the beginning.  

 Adam had asked Robert’s help to reunite him with his wife, Robert’s sister after crashing Robert/Aaron’s date night. Robert refused creating a situation where Aaron tells them both they are “rubbish at relationships.”

Adam was supporting Robert indirectly as he reminded Aaron he had been through the same situation and knows how it feels. He suggested Aaron not make any rash decisions because of what the two of them had been through (possible indirect reference to Gordon & Robert’s support)

When Aaron is due back, he sees Robert with the very person Robert had betrayed Aaron with creating an idea that Robert wasn’t done with the mother of his child and woman he had history with.

Robert’s taunting of Adam inside the pub just before Aaron returns is reminiscent of Robert’s comments identified in #1.

*At some point, Aaron should have confessed the details of Robert’s infidelity including roughly when it would have happened. Adam would then be able to deduce it was when Robert threw him out of the Mill.

*Expanding on #1 & #5 the situation could have Adam applying the “rubbish at relationships” to his own behavior.

Removing the concept any one action or event is motivating Adam, his attitude toward Aaron & Robert’s situation has evolved from the initial public reveal of Robert’s infidelity. He had been supportive of Robert in the beginning, angry with Robert just before Aaron returned, and then “overprotective” of Aaron concerning Robert later.

Adam’s actions with Robert could be viewed as hypocritical given he has also cheated and currently involved with his own relationship problems with Victoria. I do not view them as hypocritical, but as Adam attempting to overcompensate in protecting Aaron with the exception of the one “physical” altercation being motivated out of anger.

In my eyes, Adam would have feelings of failing Aaron because he walked away from Robert when he needed help the night of the one-night stand. Adam also had supported Robert because of the similarities to his own situation only to find out later that Aaron was self-harming because of Robert, Rebecca, and the unborn child situation. Based on his own history with Victoria and applying it to Aaron, he would see Aaron in Victoria’s shoes and not want his friend to be put in a position to be hurt again by Robert, a serial cheater like himself.

Adam also looked to Robert and Aaron for hope he could win back Victoria. Once Aaron had decided to end his relationship with Robert, his own hope was diminished in his prospects with Vic. He wouldn’t blame Aaron, but Robert because he like himself is “rubbish with relationships”. Adam doesn’t hate Robert, but would view him as a disappointment. His initial reaction the day after Robert and Aaron split demonstrates he is sympathetic to Robert’s pain and current situation.

Why would Adam then give Pete advice to not tell Leyla about his infidelity with Priya?

I don’t necessarily see his actions as hypocritical in this situation either. The viewers know the chances of hiding an affair will be a total failure, the best outcome from a soap character would be for it to stay hidden.

Adam is witnessing firsthand how an affair impacts both sides of the spectrum. He is currently experiences his own problems with his actions on infidelity and the opposite side while trying to support Aaron. After seeing the results of Robert’s confession and not only Aaron’s pain but understanding Robert’s also, he would not believe it as a positive or in Pete’s best interest to confess.

Recently, because of Victoria’s “overblown” accident we saw her “thaw” slightly while talking to Diane about her relationship with Adam. She still doesn’t believe she can forgive him, but she admits she still loves him. He continues to tell Adam, Robert and he cannot come back from their current situation, but Adam is watching as cracks develop for Aaron and how he sees Robert.

I do not know how it will play out, but to continue to have parity between Robron and Vadam, either Robert or Aaron will need to have an accident or get hurt.

I also think that because Adam is involved and related to all three infidelity storylines that the resolution for Vadam and Robron could very well be impacted by the Pete/Priya/Leyla situation that shares other similarities somewhat with theirs.

[kassandra-lorelei]

@holomoriarty I wrote the thing I told you about! :-)

It was lucky Mrs Sheffield arrived in the room before a brawl broke out over the simple case of mistaken identity that had just taken place, turning the light on in the meantime. It not only allowed Niles to see the look of disbelief on her face, but also the glare that he was being subjected to by his employer. Fran marched into the room, gesturing towards them before putting her hands on her hips, “You are not in Hollywood two minutes and look at you already!” Yes, look at her husband, on his own, not having an affair. The fact that the butler was in his bed instead of the one he’d been intending to end up in was just one of those results that seemed to happen purely because they were who they were. Maxwell looked back and forth between them as he scrambled to sit up, eyes still not fully adjusted to the light, “Would you mind telling me what the hell the two of you are doing in here?!” Well, it was a reasonable question, really, considering they should have been back in New York. Fran pointed accusingly at her husband, “My psychic saw you in Beverly Hills, in bed, wrapped in the arms of a leggy, blue-eyed blonde!” That was when it struck them both. A blue-eyed blonde in Maxwell’s bed. Beverly Hills… Fran gasped, her finger directing itself at Niles, “It’s you!” “It’s me!” Niles cried, feeling a certain amount of the same relief that Fran was expressing through her sigh of “Oh thank God”. But he was also feeling somewhat pleased, too, and he couldn’t help but show it to his friends. He grinned up at Fran, “Your psychic thinks I’m leggy!” “And she’s about the only one who does,” came a more than faintly amused voice from the still open door. All the current inhabitants of the room turned to look, but they all knew who it was. Miss Babcock was there, leaning casually in the doorway with her arms folded and a grin like she’d just heard the best joke in the world plastered to her face. Maxwell rolled his eyes, “C.C.! Finally, someone with some common sense around here! Could you please explain to my wife and your…” He looked over at Niles, who was busy climbing out of the bed in order to stand closer to C.C., and gestured vaguely, screwing up his face, before appearing to give up. “Could you please explain to my wife and to Niles that I’m not here to have an affair with anyone?” C.C. huffed out a laugh through her nose and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her, “I can try, as long as you explain to them the same thing about me!” Her words took a moment, but then the dark-haired producer seemed to catch on, and his jaw dropped as he looked back and forth between everyone in the room. He pointed between himself and C.C.. “You mean that you both thought that…” he trailed off, lowering his arm again. “But that’s ridiculous!” “Tell me about it, Maxwell!” C.C. agreed loudly, her arms still folded across her chest. But was it really? She had pined after him for so long, was it really so unbelievable and outlandish to worry, even just a little? Niles didn’t fully think so. He hated himself for not trusting her, of course (especially now all of this had happened), but that didn’t automatically mean the doubt went away. After all, what could he, a mere butler, give her that Mr Sheffield couldn’t? He wasn’t rich, or handsome; all he had were the feelings that were inside him, and he woke up every day afraid that they wouldn’t be enough. He adored her, so very much, and the thought of losing her had been too much to bear. That was why he’d gone there with Mrs Sheffield. It was also why the next words he thought were the ones that left his mouth. “You mean that both of you think the entire idea is ridiculous?” he queried, his own voice just as loud as C.C.’s had been. She was the one to answer, “Of course we do! We’re here to work, Niles, and even if we weren’t nothing would’ve happened! You didn’t have to come checking up on us like we were children, for Pete’s sake!” “Well, forgive us both for being afraid!” his voice was a shouted mock. “Afraid? Of what?!” she shouted back, gesturing around at the room and at the people in it. “What is there to possibly be afraid of in here?!” The words were out before he could stop them. “The fact that I’m not good enough for you!” he punctuated his words by slapping himself in the chest, his palm landing over his heart. The heart that felt like it was breaking. His words seemed to take the blonde producer aback, “What?” The pain in his chest only seemed to fuel the adrenaline, “I’m a servant!” “Yeah, and…?” C.C. had folded her arms again, and she shrugged, apparently waiting for an explanation. He screwed up his face in confusion at her question, “What do you mean, “and”?! I have no home of my own, no money, no power or privilege-” “And you think this bothers me because…?” C.C. asked. Niles was incredulous, “Why wouldn’t it bother you?! It bothers me every day! I can’t afford a place for us to live together, I can’t afford to keep you in the life you’ve lived since you were born! I can’t even afford to be in the same room as most people you’ve rubbed shoulders with all your life-” “Since we decided to take this direction in our relationship, when have I ever once indicated that that bothered me?! I’m not with you for money, or power, or anything like that! I’m with you because you are witty, and kind, and you take care of me, and we have fun together!” she began shaking her head, like she was distraught over something she was thinking and wanted to say out loud. “Maybe…Just…Have you ever considered that maybe it’s me who’s not good enough for you?! Come to think of it, why the hell do you stick around me, anyway?!” “Because I love you, you stubborn old witch!” Niles shouted, leaning in close to her. “I could just as well ask you why you stick around me!” She leaned in close back, “Have you ever considered that maybe it’s because I love you too, you stupid old man?!” They both snapped back upright, the gravity of what they’d both just said hitting them with the force of a car travelling full speed. They knew about how they felt. But they’d never said it before. The silence gave a little breathing room, and a chance for some of the adrenaline to wear off. Niles gestured back and forth between them, “Did we both just…?” C.C. clicked her tongue, and nodded, “Yep.” Another pause, and Niles took a slow, careful step in C.C.’s direction. “Are we…going to talk about it…?” The blonde-haired producer seemed to consider him for a moment. “Not right now,” she replied at last, and reached out for his hand, which she tugged on as she began to head for the door. “Not here, anyway. Come on.” The butler blinked, allowing himself to be pulled towards the door, “Where are we going?” “Somewhere a little more private,” she grinned at him over her shoulder, and opened the door before turning some to address the Sheffields. “If anyone needs a sexy or leggy blue-eyed blonde, they’ll be in their own bed in Beverly Hills.” She pulled him from the room, and Niles was happy to go, the heart he had feared was breaking now bursting with the love they’d both just admitted. They were together, in this, and no one was taking it away from them. He felt rather ridiculous for having gone all the way there to confirm it, but perhaps it was for the best. And it had led to what he was sure was going to be a more than pleasant evening... As they closed the room door behind them, they didn’t even register the gaping stares that Fran and Maxwell both had on their faces.

[shirlleycoyle]

What Bernie Supporters Think of the Term ‘Bernie Bro’

Over the last few weeks, it's become clear that Bernie Sanders could actually become president. The Vermont senator is polling very close to Joe Biden in Iowa, has a large lead over everyone in the latest California poll, and seems likely to do very well in New Hampshire. The prospect of Sanders winning the nomination has the finance world freaking out—there are already reports of stocks falling as he climbs the polls—and has inspired a backlash from his many detractors. Centrist pundits have declared him to be unelectable, and his former competitor Hillary Clinton has denounced not just Sanders but the entire "culture around him," which she recently described to the Hollywood Reporter:

It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture — not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it.

The "Bernie Bro" stereotype isn't new, of course, but the notion that Sanders supporters are different from other Democratic voters, and even dangerous in some way, seems poised to dominate the never-ending debate over the 2020 primary. It scored a major piece of ink on Monday, when the New York Times ran a front-page story headlined, "Bernie Sanders and His Internet Army." It describes a passionate fan base who donates their money and time to their candidate, but also sometimes attacks opponents with insults and even threats.

"When Mr. Sanders’s supporters swarm someone online, they often find multiple access points to that person’s life, compiling what can amount to investigative dossiers," the Times wrote. "They will attack all public social media accounts, posting personal insults that might flow in by the hundreds."

If you’ve ever posted anything slightly critical of Sanders, this sort of dogpiling may sound familiar. (Full disclosure: I'm a Sanders supporter who yes, spends a fair amount of time online.) Interviews with dozens of Sanders backers find them admitting that the "internet army" can at times be vicious—a reality that many leftists themselves bemoan. But they also see the Bernie Bro narrative as an invention of the media and the Democratic establishment.

Standard-issue online sparring is often conflated with threats, and Sanders supporters feel frustrated they are so often associated with the worst behavior of their fellow travelers. "Most Bernie supporters online tend to be young, somewhat irony-poisoned, and angry. I'm including myself in this group," Joe Conley, a 33-year-old Sanders supporter, told me over email. He pointed out that there’s an "irony gap" between Bernie supporters and people on the receiving end of their ire. While tweeting a photograph of a pig with shit on its balls might be a standard-issue troll for a member of left Twitter, it’s perceived as online harassment from people who aren’t acquainted with this language of certain subcultures. At the end of the day, every political tribe has its toxic streak, so why do "Bernie Bros" get singled out?

Even as a self-identified Bernie Bro, I’ve gotten a fair amount of grief from leftist dudes on the internet. But I’ve received an equal heaping of hate from women who supported Clinton, anti-semitic Trump trolls, and beyond. Though fewer in number than Sanders supporters, Andrew Yang backers can be just as fiery online—notably, there are a significant number of irony-drenched #YangGang members from 4chan and other Trump-adjacent corners of the internet. Tulsi Gabbard, another Democrat with fringe appeal, has an intense fan base that contains members of the far right. In general, the culture around political celebrities has become more like regular celebrity stan culture, meaning fans feel intense emotions and share them online, and campaigns have little control over those feelings. (Sanders’s popularity is forever intertwined with his online army, but his campaign does not promote cyberbullying or misogyny—as the Times story noted, the Sanders campaign has publicly condemned bullying. That hasn't stopped it.)

One Bernie supporter sent me a dossier of all the abuse Bernie supporters receive from "loyalist Democrats" and "Donut Twitter." (Anti-Bernie liberals sometimes use a donut emoji in their Twitter names. It's a long story.) This collection of screenshots is really ugly, with people tweeting things like "I’m rooting for Bernie supporters' death," and "anyone that fucking supports Bernie Ratfucker Sanders is a piece of shit." There is also a glut of disgusting, unquotable, racist and misogynistic insults that have been hurled at Nina Turner, a Black woman who has worked with Sanders for years and co-chairs his 2020 campaign. (VICE was unable to confirm the authenticity of all of the screenshots and is not linking to the file, but did verify that many of the abusive tweets were real.) The fact is, the internet is a cruel place for everyone, regardless of who you’re voting for in 2020.

"I really think we are no more mean or aggressive than any other group of people," said Peter Graham, a 28-year-old who works for Disney and is voting for Bernie. "[It’s that] Bernie has younger supporters that are very online, [they] are probably better versed in sardonic Twitter dialogue, and there's more of them."

The stereotype of a nasty online leftist bro—unmistakably masculine, usually sneering—predates that election season. In 2008, the feminist writer Rebecca Traister (then a Clinton supporter) published an op-ed on Salon, bemoaning the rise of the "Obama boys." Young women who backed Clinton, she wrote, told her "about the sexism they felt coming from their brothers and husbands and friends and boyfriends [and] described the suspicion that their politically progressive partners were actually uncomfortable with powerful women."

Leftists have accused the mainstream media of using this stereotype as a club to beat Sanders with. "The ‘Bernie Bro' narrative by pro-Clinton journalists has been a potent political tactic," Glenn Greenwald wrote on The Intercept in 2016, calling it "a journalistic disgrace." And the idea that the democratic socialist's base is largely male is arguably just straight-up false: Polls have shown that Sanders supporters are diverse across racial and gender lines, with young women making up a larger proportion of his support than young men.

Yet the narrative has remained pervasive, likely because there are plenty of genuinely nasty Bernie supporters lurking online, and more recently, because Sanders has achieved frontrunner status. Since his rise in the polls, Bernie has received a deluge of negative press from mainstream publications. "This isn’t about Sanders supporters being uniquely toxic. It’s about Sanders leading in Iowa and New Hampshire and leading a genuinely diverse working class movement," one Bernie supporter tweeted in response to the New York Times article. "Elite liberals fear and despise the working class. That’s the reality."

"This is ruling class propaganda," another remarked. "And rather than keeping Bernie above the fray, the campaign's scolding of supporters was used to validate their false narrative of abusive Berners, as I feared it would be. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. So don't."

Peter Daou, a former Hillary aide turned Bernie diehard, expressed dismay about the Bernie Bro stereotype over the phone. He said that he and his wife, Leela, now "receive the same type of personal attacks" as he did in 2016, when he was loudly supporting Clinton online. "People are using the term ‘Bernie Bro’ in a targeted way,” he said. "It’s a toxic narrative, leftover from 2016. The idea of these raging white males online that all support Bernie is the establishment’s way of trying to torpedo Bernie’s campaign."

Jovan Prunty, a 31-year-old who works in construction, also takes offense at the Bernie Bro narrative. "As a Black man I think this term erases me and all his other women and POC supporters," he said.

Sanders supporters generally agree that there are toxic leftist men whose behavior is out of bounds. But they insist that those people are a minority. Jaya Sundaresh, a writer for the socialist publication Current Affairs, voiced that sentiment on her Twitter in a post that garnered 15,000 likes: "I'm just going to say it: the Bernie Bro stereotype might be bullshit, but there's a variety of irony-poisoned shithead leftist dudes who have caused nothing but pain for myself and my female comrades." Over the phone Sundaresh was careful to emphasize that even though shitty men do exist on the left, the phenomenon is not specific to one edge of the ideological spectrum. "I’ve been swarmed by Pete Buttigieg supporters," she said. "I’ve also had good conversations with them."

Small, persistent jabs from Bernie supporters are unsurprisingly hurtful to people who support other candidates. Zandy Hartig, a Los Angeles-based actress, who backs Elizabeth Warren, tweeted on Wednesday, "It sucks that I feel I can’t tweet about my favorite candidate. my friends are respectful when they argue with me, but random people will jump all over me. It’s not their candidate’s fault, but it scares me nonetheless. And maybe that’s the point." Unkindness ensued, with Bernie supporters informing her that Warren does, in fact, suck, and imploring her to "calm down."

"I don’t think it’s Bernie fault," Hartig emphasized to me over the phone. "But I don't want to comment [anything pro-Warren] because when I have, people come down really hard on me and I almost feel like going private." (Her Twitter is currently private).

"During the 2016 election, I really didn’t think there was such a thing as a 'Bernie Bro,'" Hartig continued. "But this time, we’ve got a woman running who is much more progressive [than Hillary]… I’m starting to think it has a lot to do with misogyny."

The nastiness of online political culture has resulted in a gap between those like Hartig, who feel attacked by swarms of online Bernie heads, and Sanders supporters who complain that they are being unfairly stereotyped. Misogyny exists in every corner of the internet, they say. So why are we mostly talking about Bernie Sanders? "You’re gonna tarnish an entire movement as 'bros'?" Daou said. "[It] erases all the women, the women of color. There’s an ageist, a sexist, and a racist component when you generalize a diverse movement under the term 'Bro.'"

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