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robert-de-niro-only-fans · 4 years ago

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Just Friends

The Deer Hunter!Robert De Niro x Reader

I’m so sorry this took so long. Hope you like pining!

TW: age gap, mention of illness, idk high word count?

Word Count: 8.8k

"Why don't you let (Y/N) come with me? It would be a great opportunity for her to see what's it's like to film in some open locations instead of the sets here in New York. Plus she'll get to meet a great cast of actors, you know how hard we had to push to get John Cazale in the movie. She could learn so much from him." "I don't know, Robert. All the arrangements have been made for the crew's travel and lodging; I wouldn't want to make production any more difficult just so my daughter can watch you guys make a movie." "Ah, it shouldn't be a big deal. It's not too hard to buy an extra plane ticket, and she can just crash with me. Plus we could probably use the extra hands on set at some point." You can't help but feel completely giddy as you overhear Robert urging your father to let you go with him as he films his next movie. You're the daughter of a New York-based movie producer, who had gotten somewhat popular and had enough connections to know some really great actors and actresses. Your dad met Robert De Niro when he was acting in Brian De Palma's early films, and they had been planning on working together for a long time. However, Robert and your dad both stayed busy, and now Robert is a pretty big star since Taxi Driver released just last year. You got to know Robert when you were just a teenager. He would come over to your home for small get-togethers your dad liked to throw. You always liked being around him, so it was lucky for you that your dad and him became good friends. Robert is good about visiting when he has the chance to, but his visits have been less frequent lately as his career is really taking off. And that's what he was doing here today: a quick visit with you and your dad before he has to run off and make another film. The conversation turned, however, when you started discussing how you were becoming interested in working on films, particularly acting. Although most actors started younger than you, and being in your early twenties is already considered old for an actress, you decided it wasn't too late to start. Robert had a soft spot for learning and teaching acting, although his teaching came as little tidbits of advice. That's why you are shocked to hear Robert ask about you going with him for filming, while you're in the kitchen fixing everyone drinks. You walk in, carrying three glasses on a small tray and set them down on the table, then handing each of the men a glass. They both thank you as you take your seat across from them. "Sooo..." you raise your eyebrows and give your dad a hopeful smile. "Yes, (Y/N)?" "Can I go with Robert? I overheard what you two were saying." Your dad sits back and exhales a little loudly. He was trying to be stern but you could tell he was hiding a smile. He could never be an actor; he couldn't hide his real feelings very well. He turns to Robert asking, "Are you sure it's okay if she goes with you?" "Of course. I'll take good care of her," he says sweetly. You always thought he was very sweet. "Okay, sweetheart, you can go, not that I could stop you anyway, but I appreciate that you ask," your father says as a smile spreads across his face. "Dad!! Thank you so much!" He was right; you were an adult, but you had always lived with him, so you felt you needed to ask before going across the country. You jump up and give your dad a big hug. "You better start packing," Robert says with a chuckle, "we leave for Ohio tomorrow." "What kind of clothes should I bring?" you ask Robert. "What you would normally wear. Bring a few nice outfits for dinners. And we'll stop back in New York before going to Washington, because it'll be pretty cold and we'll all need warmer clothes." The smile on his face tells you he's excited about you going with him. You ask sit and talk a little longer, with Robert telling you and your dad about the general schedule about how you'll spend a several weeks in Ohio where most of the film takes place, a few days here and there in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, take a break for a few weeks, then go to Washington State for all of the hunting scenes. After that, a smaller portion of the cast and crew will go to Thailand to film the war scenes. This is also when you find out that the beard he is sporting is for the movie and not just some new fashion choice. You quite like the beard as well as his haircut, it suits him unexpectedly well. As it starts getting late, you make the move to go up to your room to pack. So you say goodnight to Robert and your dad, giving them both big hugs as a thank you for letting you go for filming, and you head upstairs to squeeze all of your clothes and toiletries into a suitcase. Downstairs, Robert stays to talk with your dad a little while longer before heading home. "Now, Robert, you said (Y/N) would be staying with you, right?" "Yes. Is that okay?" "Well..." your dad starts but he certainly doesn't want to offend Robert, "you won't, umm, do anything... with her, will you?" "Hmm? Oh. Oh! Um, no, I won't do anything like that with her. I hadn't even thought about it. I just uuhh- I just thought it would be better if she stayed with me instead sticking her in a random hotel room away from the rest of us... Most of the hotel rooms have two beds anyways." Robert tries desperately to get rid of the blush that came to his cheeks as he stumbles through what he's saying. He had never thought of you that way before, and it caught him off guard and kind of gave him butterflies in his stomach. "Yeah, you're probably right about her staying with you. She's probably safer with you than taking her chances somewhere else," your dad says with look of relief. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry I brought up the idea so last minute, but she'll be okay with me." "No, it's okay. It's a good opportunity for her. I think you guys will have a great time! Now, how do you think Michael is gonna film this thing?" Your dad and Robert discuss the production and direction of the movie for a short while before Robert really has to leave to go home and sleep. When you hear that he's about to leave, you quickly make your way down the stairs to tell him goodnight and thank him again for taking you with him. He pulls you into a gentle hug, placing one of his hands on the back of your head. "You're very welcome, (Y/N). Now, I'll be here at 7 in the morning to pick you up; I wanna take you to breakfast before we head to the airport. That'll also give us some time for someone to get on the phone and get you a plane ticket!" You had no doubt Robert would be able to get you on the plane. And with that, he left, and you went upstairs to pack the last few things you would need before trying to get some sleep, although that didn't come so easy due to the excitement you're feeling. • • • The next day goes just the way Robert said it would: he picks you up right at 7, loads your bags in the car, and takes you to breakfast at his favorite place. It's an upscale place but in a subdued way. You enjoy each other's company over biscuits, eggs, pancakes, coffee, bacon, whatever your heart desires as Robert put it. On the way to the airport, he admits that he got your plane ticket sorted out before he arrived for breakfast, and there was a seat in first class with the rest of the cast. Right next to him. But it's really no issue. He swears he didn't have to buy someone out of their seat. After checking your bags and boarding the plane, Robert introduces everyone to you: Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, her husband John Cazale, George Dzundza, and John Savage, who everyone opted to call Savage. Meryl and John immediately took a liking to you, which you were honored. The flight was pretty packed, so the cast was all split up across first class, so everyone agreed that you should have dinner tonight to celebrate the beginning of filming. During takeoff you feel Robert put his hand on top of yours, and you quickly turn your head to face him. "You comfortable?" He asks softly. "Oh... Yeah, are you?" "Yep." You look down at his hand on yours. He strokes his thumb over your hand for a moment before pulling it away and looking out the window. You'd be lying if you said that didn't make you feel something. • • • The rest of your flight is uneventful, aside from a few people asking for autographs from the cast as you're leaving the airport. Outside, you are all met with a giant black van, and the director of the movie, Michael Cimino hops out to greet everyone and help put bags in the undercarriage. Everyone climbs inside the van, you sticking close to Robert, simply because you don't know anyone else yet. It's very comfortable and spacious inside, certainly the nicest van you'd ever seen. You and Robert end up all the way in the back, with everyone else doubling up on the seats in front of you. You've got a little bit of a drive to your hotel. Only a few minutes into your trip, everyone is chatting away, and you're finally getting to meet everyone properly, although you're getting to know Meryl and John the best because they're on the seat right in front of you. You instantly notice that John has a fantastic sense of humor; it's no wonder Meryl is so in love with him. Robert has his arm around your shoulders, but you can't tell if it's because he just wants to stretch out across the seat or if it's something else. Either way, he's only there like that for a few moments before he goes to the front of the van to talk to the director. "Guess I got stranded back here," you say with a chuckle to Meryl and John. "Oh, yeah, he's been so involved with Michael in getting this film made," Meryl throws over her shoulder to you. She turns on her seat to face you a little better, "Can I ask you a rather personal question?" "Oh, um, sure." You were certainly nervous to hear what she had to say. "Are you and Robert dating one another?" A breath of relief leaves you in the form of a small laugh, "Oh God, no! He's a friend of my dad's, so we've known each other a long time. He wanted to bring me along so I could learn more about filmmaking." "Oh, that's sweet of him. I apologize for assuming. I guess it's just, uh--oh nevermind," she gives a small smile and looks down at her lap. "No, it's okay! What is it?" "You two are just close, which I suppose that makes sense if you've been friends for so long! I just misinterpreted your relationship." A big smile stretches across her face as John chimes in. "Well if she didn't ask, I was going to, so it's probably good we cleared the air now, right?" "Right!" you respond. "Besides, I'm sure the other guys will all badger him about you, whether it's about him being a cradle robber or them trying to get with you." The three of you laugh, knowing that what John said is probably going to be true. "What are y'all laughing about back there?" Savage pipes up, breaking his attention away from the conversation going on between him, Chris, and George. "My receding hairline." John deadpans to the group in front of them. There's a long pause before everyone busts out in laughter, which then catches the attention of Michael and Robert at the front of the van. They both turn around to see what's going on, and Robert gives you a smile, scrunching his nose cutely. They decide not to get involved, and go back to their conversation. The rest of you talk in a big group the rest of the way to the hotel. • • • At the hotel, production rented out a whole floor for all of the cast and crew to stay on, with the cast kind of grouped near each other on one end. As for this first hotel you'll be at, and it is the main hotel you'll stay at while in Ohio, there are two beds in each room. A lot of the film crew picked partners and doubled up, but of course the director, executive producers, and main cast get their own rooms, with the exception of Meryl and John, and now Robert because he offered to have you with him. When you get in the hotel room, you drop your bags at the door and run to one of the beds, flopping on it and sinking into the comfort. Robert chuckles at you as you grab a pillow to cuddle up with. He drops your bags at the foot of the bed before asking, "I'm assuming you want this bed?" You look up at him lazily, "I don't really care. Do you have a preference?" "Not really; I'll take the other bed," he laughs at you again as he drops his bags near the other bed. "What are you laughing at?" You squint your eyes, questioning him playfully, still hugging your pillow. "You. And your pillow." "Mmmm... I think you're just jealous." "Jealous?! My bed has pillows too. See?" He picks up a pillow and hugs it just like you. "No no no. You're jealous of the pillow. You wish I was squeezing you like this!" "Oh you think so, huh?" He throws his pillow at you. You block it with your arms and it hits the ground. "I'm keeping that," you say sassily. "Fine with me," he says, too calmly. That's quickly broken when he charges towards you, ripping the pillow out of your arms as you burst into laughter. He picks you up around your waist, spins you around a few times and slams you both down on his bed, his arms still firmly around you. "Now I don't have to be jealous," he jokes. You wrap your arms around his head and neck, hugging him into your chest, just like you had done with the pillow. "No, you don't have to be jealous anymore." He gives you one final squeeze and then stands up. "We have a little while before we have to get ready for dinner. Any idea what you wanna do?" You groan a little, "Sleep." You smile up at him. "Well then you better get in your bed instead of hogging mine." "Excuse me! You put me here, so you'll have to move me back!" "Needy," he grumbles jokingly, picking you up and tossing you down on your bed. "You ever heard of letting someone down easy, Robert? Cuz you keep throwing me." He chuckles lowly, moving towards his luggage, "Go to sleep." You grab the extra pillow from the floor and get comfy. One pillow under your head, cuddled up to a second one, a third under one of your legs, and the duvet pulled up to your head. Pure bliss. "You look like a little princess with all those pillows," Robert's voice echoes across the hotel room. "Good. Then let me get me beauty sleep." While he's unpacking some of his clothes and stuff, he finds himself thinking about how you really don't need sleep to look any more beautiful than you already are. • • • That night at dinner, it didn't take long for John's predictions to come true. Just a few minutes after ordering food, Chris caught everyone's attention when he asked, "Bobby, you and this gorgeous young lady... What's going on with you two?" "Whaddaya mean, what's going on with us?" Robert repeats with a laugh. "Well, she's your girlfriend isn't she? I gotta say I'm a little jealous Bobby gets to bring his girlfriend, but I don't get to bring my lovely wife." "Chris, we're not dating. She's just a friend; I've known her dad for a long time." Savage butts in, practically yelling, "Of course she wouldn't date him! He's old enough to be her dad! Unless you're into that kinda stuff, baby." You turn to John and you both start laughing about how Savage managed, not only to joke about Robert being significantly older than you, but also use it to hit on you. "This again? What's so funny?!" John yells. "You had to be there," you cut back to Savage, trying not to smile, but failing. Robert cuts in, "Ya know, I just wanna say: I'm not old enough to be her dad." It kind of surprised you that he would even bother defending himself; it was clearly just a joke, but everyone laughed nonetheless. "You're only, like, 15 years older than her right?" George jokes. A little bit of a blush creeps up Robert's neck, and he bites his lip, "...yeah." This only makes everyone laugh more. Under the table, you place your hand on top of Robert's and you both give each other a small look while laughing. It's a short moment, broken by Michael walking up to the table. Everyone knew he would be late, but you still invited him anyway. Michael slides in next to Robert and asks, "What's so funny?" "Eh, you don't wanna know," Robert shoots back. You and John are trying very hard not to have another laughing fit. Luckily things are fairly calm while everyone is eating, but it doesn't last long after everyone is done. You catch John whispering in Meryl's ear before he turns to the table and says, "Alright, let Meryl and I slide out, my lady wants to dance." Pretty much everyone stands up to let them out of the booth, and Chris, noticing that Robert is once again deep in conversation with Michael, invites you to dance to "keep those other dogs off of you." George and Savage sneak off to find some nice Ohio locals to dance with. Robert and Michael slide back into the booth, chatting like they do. Meryl and John are being beyond cute dancing with one another and nuzzling noses. Chris is a real gentleman while dancing with you. He holds you close, and you maintain some casual conversation getting to know each other better. George finds sweet girl to try and romance, but Savage is having some trouble, so he simply steals you away from Chris, asking if he could dance with you instead. Chris thanks you for your time and returns to the table joining in the talk with Michael and Robert. Dancing with Savage is a little bit intense, as he lays it on thick hitting on you. At one point, he leans his head down and starts placing kisses on your cheek and even a few on your neck. This is when you catch Robert basically staring a hole in you. He stands up and makes his way over to you and Savage. Robert places a hand on Savage's shoulder, lowly speaking, "You mind if I borrow your dance partner?" "Mm... But we were having fun," Savage whines sarcastically, but gives in and leaves you with Robert. "What, you didn't like him kissing on me? I knew you were the jealous type," you snark at him. "Nooo. I told your dad I would take care of you, and a guy like him is no good for a girl your age." He wraps an arm around you, figuring that he should probably dance with you. "My knight in shining armor!" Another joke. "Oh shut up," he chuckles. • • • The next day, you all wake up bright and early to head to the tailors on location so that everyone can get their makeup done and costumes on. You had to admit Robert looked pretty funny in his flannel, puffy vest, and trucker cap. It was nothing like what he would normally wear. The first few scenes that are gonna be filmed during this first week are the first few scenes of the film, where all of the characters are seen at the steel mill and they prepare for the wedding and being drafted. The dynamic of the cast actually worked pretty well for these scenes. Everyone got along quite well, so it wasn't hard for them to act like they had been friends their whole lives. You noticed that filming goes a bit slower when it's shot on location like this, and it was made even slower by Michael Cimino. Michael was very particular about the way he wanted things, and there were lots of noises to work around as they filmed at an actual steel mill. You also spent more time in the makeup trailor than you had expected to; you found it fascinating how they made the men look like they weren't wearing any makeup at all. You and Meryl also spent a good amount of time together when she wasn't in a scene. She said that it was nice having another girl around on a predominantly male set. Of course, you weren't the only girl, but you were one of few. There isn't really a scene that Robert isn't in, so unfortunately, you don't see him much unless everyone is taking a break, or if you hang out with him while he's in makeup. But you make the most of it by getting to know everyone else. • • •

On nights after filming, the cast hangs out really often, normally in someone's hotel room, usually Meryl and John's. Sometimes you would go to a bar or a restaurant, as drinking and dancing became some of the groups' favorite activities. Hanging out in Meryl and John's hotel room usually includes wine, snacks, playing cards, and Robert's arm casually around your waist whenever you get near him. Savage still shoots his shot with you every once in a while, but if he isn't shut down by you, he will be shut down by Robert. He's just watching out for you like he promised your dad; really, it's flattering how protective he can be. • • • The second week of filming is dedicated to filming the wedding scenes. Everyone looks great in their tuxedos and dresses, and the church you'll be filming in is a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church here in Cleveland. "How do I look?" Robert asks you while he's getting his hair gelled and combed into place. "Very handsome. I really like you in that tuxedo." "Maybe he can borrow it when you two finally get married," Michael says coming into the makeup trailor. You and Robert both look at him a little shocked; Michael's never made jokes about you two before. "Oh, c'mon, I'm not allowed to make jokes too?" You both laugh a little awkwardly trying to cut any tension in the room. "I'm gonna go outside and help with all the extras," you say, swiftly leaving the makeup trailor. Outside, there are like a hundred people who showed up to be extras in the wedding scene, and you're sure Michael will probably use most of them. The people are all dressed up in their finest wedding attire, some of them getting a little makeup done or getting some items from costume to make the scene fit Michael's vision. They were told to bring empty presents as well, so that the table full of wedding presents would look realistic; however, many of them actually brought real presents for the cast and crew to keep. Filming the wedding scene was really chaotic to say the least. It felt like a party that went on for way too long, and most everyone was pretty exhausted by the end of filming with the extras that day. But you had to say, Meryl and Robert really stole the show. Their on-screen chemistry was astounding; you would've thought they were really in love or something! You loved watching the way Robert's character pined for Meryl's; his eyes always said so much. And of course, filming wouldn't have felt complete without John adding in his funny little quirks in various scenes, such as tapping his foot while waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle, and carrying Robert across the room for the group photo. Althought most of the filming with the extras had to be done in one day, the other scenes filmed that week included a couple of the bar scenes of the guys playing pool and drinking, and the scene where Robert streaks through town, which certainly had you blushing. Thank God you were filming at night. • • • Your last two weeks of filming in Ohio are spent filming anything that wasn't a hunting scene or a war scene. Production had to make a point of scheduling all of John's scenes early in the filming process, because it is no secret how sick he is. One night after filming, you all decide it would be fun to go out to one of the bars, as everyone had been pretty busy, and there hadn't been much time to. Everyone wants to go dancing again! You've had a hard time getting Robert to dance with you since your first night in Ohio. He really doesn't like to since he's so shy, even though he's very good at slow dances. That night, you dance with Chris again, and Meryl dances with Savage, while Robert hangs back at the table with John. John really isn't feeling well; it's one of his bad days, but he never lets it ruin the mood. Savage and Meryl makes their way over to you on the dance floor, and Savage asks, "Hey, can I cut in? I'd love to have a dance partner that pretty!" "Uh, sure, man," Chris answers. Savage practically shoves himself between you and Chris, quickly taking Chris by the hand and putting an arm around him before spinning him around. "Beautiful!" Savage yells, dipping Chris back, getting a round of laughs and even some applause from everyone around. You and Meryl take this as a chance to slip over to the bar, to get a break from your heels. You sit with your backs leaning up against the bar so you can keep an eye on all your friends. "Have you had fun filming with us all this time?" Meryl asks kindly, as she always does. "Oh yeah, it's been really great, and I've been learning so much about the filming process, and you're all wonderful actors to look up to!" "That's so sweet of you. The guys here have all done a wonderful job with their parts so far. Especially Robert. He's been in nearly every scene, and he's so involved with Michael and production. I don't know where he gets his energy!" "Yeah, he stays busy. I sleep in the same room as him and sometimes it seems like I don't even see him," you giggle. "Oh, but when he does get to be around you, it certainly seems you have his attention," Meryl points out, "I know you've said you two are just close, but I really think he likes you." "You think he likes me? Why do you think he likes me?" "Well, he's quite watchful of you, making sure you never get into trouble, especially around Savage. He always has an arm around you when we're hanging out at the hotel. And the way he looks at you. He looks at you... Well, he looks at you the way he looks at me when we're filming." You both look over at Robert and John. John smiles at Meryl and gives her a funny little wink. Robert turns to look when he realizes John isn't looking at him anymore, raising his eyebrows when he sees you and Meryl staring back at him. Him and John turn back to their conversation, shaking off whatever trouble you and Meryl are getting into. "You know the tension between you two is almost unbearable, right?" John says in a casual tone, knowing that this question is anything but casual. "I'm sorry, what?" Robert sputters. "You and (Y/N). It's so obvious to everyone that you have feelings for one another. Well, obvious to everyone but you and her, apparently." He gives Robert a side eye and raised eyebrows. "I mean... I care about (Y/N), but I- I don't have feelings for her. Her dad would kill me." "You don't have feelings for her, or you feel like you shouldn't have feelings for her?" There's a long silence between them. Robert looks up at John in a way that lets John know he's right. "Take it from me, Bobby. Life's too short." With that, Robert stands up, and walks over to you and Meryl, still at the bar. "Excuse me," he starts, always a gentleman, "Meryl, would you mind if I borrowed (Y/N) from you?" "Oh! No, go ahead," she says with a small laugh. "(Y/N)," there's a bit of a nervous tone in his voice, "would you like to dance with me? I know I've been avoiding it for weeks now." "I'd love to," you smile at him. He puts his hands on your hips, lifting you off of the tall bar stool and helping you to the ground. On the dancefloor, he pulls you into his chest with an arm around your waist and a hand tangled in the back of your hair. Your hands rest on his hips, and you slowly sway back and forth together, even when the song playing wasn't slow. It wasn't really proper slow dancing, but you weren't going to complain; you both enjoyed the closeness. That night at the hotel, you decide to watch a movie together before going to bed; you didn't have to be up super early for once. So you both hop into your pajamas, and Robert finds something on the TV and pats the spot on the bed next to him. "I have my own bed, you know?" you joke. "I know, but it's no fun watching a movie that far apart. Would you sit on a different couch if we were in a living room?" "I guess you have a point." You climb onto his bed, and he puts his arm around your shoulders, watching the movie which was already started, but it is close enough to the beginning. Part of the way through the movie, Robert's eyes linger down to your hand resting on your lap, although you don't notice this. In fact, you're quite sleepy. You feel his fingers gently grace over the back of your hand, and you react by turning your hand over for him. He softly traces little shapes into the palm of your hand, and he teases at your finger tips like he wants to lace his fingers with yours. You decide to bite the bullet and go for it. The next time his fingertips grace yours, you slide your fingers in between his, holding his hand. You're both way to nervous to look at each other, so you both just go back to watching the movie while he strokes his thumb over yours. • • • The next morning, you wake up surrounded by the Robert's scent, which is always very nice, but no Robert nearby. You quickly realize that you're still in his bed; you must have fallen asleep during the movie last night. You sit up looking around for your roommate, and you find him in your bed, looking up at you as if he was waiting for you to find him. The sun spilling in through the window and across his face accentuated his dimples and the smile lines around his eyes. He, too, looked like a sunbeam as he grinned up at you. "Good morning, sleepy head. You fell asleep during our movie, and I didn't have the heart to move you, so I figured we could just trade beds for the night," he says lightly laughing. It seemed like he was in a very good mood this morning. "Oh, well thank you for giving me your bed all to myself. It probably would've been way too hot if you stayed over here." "Mmm, I knew you thought I was hot," he has a smug look on his face. "No! I meant like body temperature. You're probably like a human heater when you sleep!" you argue with him. "Well, wouldn't you like to know?" he jokes, getting up out of bed to get ready to go to set. "I don't ever wanna know!" you yell as he closes the bathroom door. Just a little while later, as everyone is heading out of the hotel to get in the big black van and go to the filming location, John looks at you and asks, "So what is it that you don't wanna know?" "Huh?" you reply to John. "We heard you yell at Robert 'I don't ever wanna know!' through the walls a little while ago." You had no idea the walls were that thin, and you wonder what else they had heard. Robert butts in, "Oh, that was just (Y/N) trying to deny that she thinks I'm hot and wants to sleep with me," with a devilish look on his face. "ROBERT!" you yell, hitting him on the shoulder. "That is totally taken out of context, and you know it!" Everyone is roaring with laughter, while you blush a deep shade of pink. Robert puts all of the jokes to rest by telling everyone what really happened, but conveniently leaving out the part about you two holding hands for a while last night. • • • The next few days are pretty normal, although bittersweet, as it is the last few days of filming in Ohio. The cast spends a lot of time hanging out in Meryl and John's hotel room, and everyone goes out to the bar to celebrate on the last night on location. You go back to New York with Robert and most of the cast the day after filming wraps in Ohio. You would have a break for a few weeks before flying out to Washington for filming the hunting scenes. Everyone says their goodbyes at the airport, with John throwing in one final joke, "Invite us to the wedding if you two decide to elope before Washington!" You and Robert were used to it at that point; it was an every day thing that someone made a joke about you two getting together, but it really didn't bother either of you too much. Hell, even you made jokes about yourselves sometimes. Of course, Robert makes sure to take you home himself, or have his driver take you both to your house. You were so excited to see your dad again! You had called him several times while you were gone, but that doesn't mean you didn't miss him. You and your dad share a long embrace as he invites Robert in for a drink before he goes home. Robert kindly accepts coming in to relax for a while. Immediately, your dad notices how much closer you and Robert are, but he figures that spending a month together will probably do that to any two people. He's just glad you've made some important connections in the film industry. The two men listened intently as you spoke cheerfully of all of your experiences and the things you learned during the first leg of filming, Robert adding in some bits here or there. You both decided to leave out the jokes everyone made about you two getting together, assuming it would be an awkward conversation to have. Robert doesn't stay as long as he normally would've, because he has to be up early in the morning to go meet with other producers and directors. He stays so busy; you know you won't see him again until it's time to film. When he goes to leave, Robert pulls you up into a big hug telling you how fun it's been having you around, and that he can't wait to take you to Washington. • • • A couple of weeks go by, and everything is as it was at home with your dad. Except now you miss Robert a lot of the time, because you had been so close. You missed all of the cast; you had all become such good friends. Either way, you tried to keep busy by going to work with your dad a lot and looking into new roles to audition for, although you found yourself more interested in other aspects of film production since going to Ohio. One night, your dad calls you downstairs, because there's a call for you on the home phone. Your dad tells you that it's Robert, and he's asking to talk to you. You weren't expecting to hear from him at all, so you can't help but worry that something is wrong, especially with John being sick. "Hello?" you say into the phone. "Hey, there," Robert's tone is unreadable. "You rang?" "Yeah, I did. Um... I know this is last minute, but I wanted to know if you would come over for dinner tomorrow? My schedule opened up tomorrow night, and I gotta admit I miss you more than I thought I would." "Oh..." you silently thank God your dad had walked off, "just you and me?" "Yeah, I was thinking I could order room service for dinner, and we could watch a movie like we did at the hotel. Plus I think everyone else is probably busy, unless you want me to invite your other boyfriend," he giggles. He was referring to Savage and how he relentlessly tried to hit on you. "Oh, no. I don't think I could deal with both of you," you reply with a laugh. "That's what I thought. So, I'll see you tomorrow at seven?" "Yep. See you then!" The next night arrives quickly, and now the dilemma you're facing is that you have no idea what to where. Is this casual? Does he want you to dress up? You aren't sure, and it's too late to call him; he's probably almost here. You decide to go casual, but not sweatpants casual. Why would Robert want you to dress up to go to his apartment? Seems like Robert went for the same kind of attire, you see when he shows up. You throw a quick goodbye and a kiss on the cheek to your dad before Robert leads you out to the car with a hand on the small of your back. It's not too long of a car ride to his place, because you both live in the city; however, somewhere in the middle of the trip, Robert abruptly asks his driver to stop at a bakery up ahead. You give the man next to you a confused look, and he smiles saying, "Look, I have to start doing some pretty intense training for another movie, so this might be one of the last times I get to eat cake for a while! I was thinking we could pick something up to have after dinner." There's a brief pause between you two, then Robert quickly adds on, "You can pick out whatever you want! I'll buy it!" You can't help but laugh at his excitement, and you take his hand as he basically rips you out of the car and into the bakery. The smell in the air was incredible; it makes you want to buy everything in the shop. So you and Robert go crazy picking out anything and everything that looks good, all the while giggling like school girls with one another! You arrive at Robert's apartment with bags of desserts in tow, and almost immediately, you're placing an order with room service for dinner. Stopping by the bakery had made you both very hungry. The desserts were left in the kitchen as the two of you make your way to the couch, in an effort to avoid eating all the sweets that smelled so heavenly. Robert quickly found something on the TV, although he didn't turn it up very loud; you both knew you'd be talking anyway. He leans back into the couch, putting an arm comfortably around you. At this point, it wasn't a big deal for you two to be hanging all over one another. "I didn't think I would miss you this much," Robert blurts out, "uhh, I mean, we just spent so much time together, more than I would normally spend with anyone from set." "Yeah? You miss spending the night with me?" you joke. Robert rolls his eyes. You continue, "Miss waking up to my beautiful face every day? Or waiting for me to get out the shower?" "Oh, stop! You know it wasn't like that," Robert said with a grin, but his face quickly drops into a serious look. He reaches up and gently pushes your hair behind your ear. His eyes looked over your whole face, appreciating all of your features, before locking eyes with you. He tangles his fingers in your hair at the nape of your neck and pulls you close, placing his forehead against yours. You weren't completely sure what he was doing, but you weren't mad about it. Almost instinctively, you close your eyes and begin nuzzling your nose against his. At first just bumping the end of your nose against his, and then you feel his nose next to yours as he moves closer to you. Everything feels like it's happening in slow motion. His hand still firmly grasping your hair, a tiny giggle leaves your lips for whatever reason. You feel the hair from his beard tickle your chin, and the butterflies in your stomach go crazy as you realize he's about to kiss you. His bottom lip barely graces yours, and the doorbell rings. Room service with the dinner you ordered. Your eyes fly open, seeing Robert pull back from you and take a deep breath, washing the intense expression off of his face. "I'm sorry," he says standing up and straightening out his shirt, "I don't know what I was thinking." Before you could say anything, he was opening the door, and dinner was brought in by one of the apartment staff. You took a moment to get it together and put whatever just happened behind you. You assume Robert decided to do the same, because the rest of the evening goes by relatively normal. You both enjoy dinner and of course all the desserts you picked up earlier! Not without lots of laughs anyway, as Robert keep poking fun at you for how you lit up like a child at the bakery. "Oh, like you didn't pick out just as many, if not MORE things than me!" You shout at him, which earns you a laugh from the man next to you. "In fact, it was YOUR idea to go in, Mr. I-have-to-get-in-shape-for-a-new-movie!" He cuts his eyes at you as if to say something, but instead shoves a pastry in your mouth, smearing icing across your lips and chin. You both double over in a fit of laughter, reaching for napkins to clean your face with. Thank goodness that was the highlight of the evening, so you had something other than "oh yeah, Robert almost kissed me" to tell your dad when you got home. • • •

As you would've guessed, you didn't see Robert again until you were headed to Washington. You sit with him on the plane again, but this time, a lot of the cast had different flights, traveling in from other parts of the world. The flight takes most of your day, as it's definitely the evening by the time you are picked up at the airport. Up in the mountains, it is freezing, first of all. Luckily you're from New York, and Washington isn't much further North, so you know how to handle the cold. Second, they have the whole cast and crew staying in cabins that are scattered along the mountain side. It is already pretty dark, but from what you could see, it's beautiful up on the mountain range. You don't have much to do that night, and all of the cast is arriving at different times, and production setup is running behind (the norm with Michael Cimino), so the cast all agrees to have lunch together the next day before shooting kicks off this week. Robert takes you into the visitor's center that presides over the cabins to pick up keys, and the staff even gives you some warm bowls of soup to take up to the cabin with you. Up in the cabin, you quickly cut the heater on, shivering while you wait on the room to warm up a bit. Robert sets down his bags and the soup, and walks up behind you, putting his hands on your arms and rubbing them vigorously. It warms you up pretty well, especially when he puts his warm hands on your neck. "Mm, thank you," you let out in a moan. "It's no problem, honey," Robert says lowly, almost in a whisper. "You okay?" you ask him. "Mhmm... Just sleepy and thinking about that soup," he says wrapping his arms around you and nuzzling into your neck, "Feel any warmer?" "Well, I stopped shaking," you sink back into him, and place your cold hands on his warm ones. He moves to put your hands under his, stroking the back of your hands with his thumbs. You stay like that for a few minutes before you break the silence, "You wanna eat that soup? Seemed like you were hungry." "Hmm, yeah." He pulls away from you, rubbing your arms a little like he did before, and walks into the little kitchen to get his soup. The room is a few degrees warmer, but this cabin must have horrible insulation or something, because it's still freezing even with the heater on. By the time you head over to the kitchen, Robert is bringing your soup over to the table. You both quickly dig in; Robert because he was hungry, and you because you're so cold. The soup warmed you up pretty well. The rest of the evening, there wasn't too much to do. Robert watched some TV, you went through your clothes making sure you had enough warm stuff before changing into pajamas and climbing into bed. You figured you should go ahead and try to warm your bed up sooner rather than later. A while later, you're still sitting in bed shivering a bit; Robert stands up and chuckles at you before heading out of the room to change clothes. He comes back in sweatpants and a t-shirt and climbs into his bed. "How are you wearing that to bed?" you ask him bewildered. "Um, just like this," he pulls the blankets up over his shoulders. "It's literally freezing in here. You're not cold?" "Nope, are you?" he has that devilish look on his face, knowing the answer to that question. You shoot him a deadpan look and turn over, ignoring him and trying to get warm. "Goodnight, then," Robert laughs. "Goodnight." You both lie there in silence for a while. Robert watches you tossing and turning, bunching the covers up on top of yourself, and still shivering the whole time. "(Y/N)." "What?" You turn to look at him under your huge pile of blankets. "Come here." "What do you mean, come here?" "Come get in bed with me," he says sternly. "Ooooh, no! You're not gonna get to joke about me sleeping with you all week." "(Y/N), you're freezing, and you're not gonna get any sleep like that. Just... Let me keep you warm." The look on his face was one of concern and sincerity. "You won't make fun of me?" you ask sheepishly. "I won't make fun of you." There was a small pause. "You promise?" "Oh my gosh, yes! I promise," he says with a big smile and an eye roll, "Will you get your ass over here already?" You stand up, and he holds the blankets up for you. You sit down and scoot in close to him. Robert drops the blankets on you, before grabbing you and pulling you into his chest. You make a move to protest, until you realize how warm he is. You resign to stay cuddled up to him and tangle your legs with his. You start to drift off to sleep feeling his breath gently on your forehead and his fingers tracing shapes in your back. "I knew it. You are like a human heater," you joke quietly. Without opening his eyes, Robert groans then whispers, "I knew you thought I was hot." • • • The next morning, you both wake up to the sound of the alarm clock. Robert quickly rolls you onto your back and reaches across you to turn off the alarm. You look up at him as he lingers above you for a moment. He gives you a sweet smile before leaning in and pressing his lips to yours. It catches you completely off guard, and it's over before you even realize what he has done. He looks into your eyes, and you place a hand on his cheek. It was like a dam broke. You both smash your lips into one another's kissing passionately, hands exploring each other. Robert catches your hand in his, lacing his fingers with yours and pushing your hand up above your head on the pillow. His other hand finds your hair as he continues to move his lips against yours. Your free hand roams his back, while your feet gently rub against his legs underneath the sheets. He pulls away from you slightly, breaking your kiss, both of you breathing heavily. He flashes a toothy smile at you, knowing he looks good, and breathes out, "Good morning!" You giggle and tell him, "Good morning," too. "Hmmm," Robert hums, nuzzling into the crook of your neck leaving little kisses there, "it *is* a good morning..." "I guess everyone was right about us, huh?" you point out. "Oh, who cares what they think?" "I think you do, cradle robber." You both try to look at each other seriously, but that always ends in laughter. Luckily it was a slow morning so you could spend some time together, kissing and figuring out whether or not you wanted to tell everyone at lunch. Just before time to leave, Michael came by to check on both of you and tell you that the van was ready. "Alright, we'll be out in a few minutes," Robert told Michael. "See you at the van!" Michael called out as he closed the door to your cabin. Robert turned to you and snuck his hands up the sides of your jacket, just enough for his fingertips to make contact with your skin. You placed one hand on the back of his neck and the other in his hair, while he leaned into you for one last little makeout session before heading out. You felt your back hit the wall lightly, as the door bursts open and John yells, "What's up, lovebirds--OH!" You and Robert turn to see Meryl and John at the front of your cabin giggling, the rest of the group rushing up to see why John shouted so loudly. You quickly push Robert off of you and blush a deep shade of red. Everyone starts laughing, and John looks at the two of you with a huge grin on his face, and says, "Oooh, you two are never gonna hear the end of this."

#Robert De Niro #robert de niro x reader #The Deer Hunter #1977 #we respect John Cazale on this blog 😤😤#John Cazale #meryl streep #michael cimino #robert de niro imagine #de niro

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Monday, April 5, 2021

Coming out of the cave: As life creeps back, some feel dread (AP) Dinner reservations are gleefully being made again. Long-canceled vacations are being booked. People are coming together again, in some of the ways they used to. But not everyone is racing back. For some, even small tasks outside the home—a trip to the grocery store, or returning to the office—can feel overwhelming. Psychologists call it re-entry fear, and they’re finding it more common as headlines herald the imminent return to post-pandemic life. “I have embraced and gotten used to this new lifestyle of avoidance that I can’t fathom going back to how it was. I have every intention of continuing to isolate myself,” says Thomas Pietrasz, who lives alone and works from his home in the Chicago suburbs as a content creator. Pietrasz says his anxiety has grown markedly worse as talk of post-vaccine life grows. He says he got used to “hiding at home and taking advantage of curbside and delivery in order to avoid every situation with people.”

Vaccine passports are latest flash point in COVID politics (AP) Vaccine passports being developed to verify COVID-19 immunization status and allow inoculated people to more freely travel, shop and dine have become the latest flash point in America’s perpetual political wars, with Republicans portraying them as a heavy-handed intrusion into personal freedom and private health choices. They currently exist in only one state—a limited government partnership in New York with a private company—but that hasn’t stopped GOP lawmakers in a handful of states from rushing out legislative proposals to ban their use. Vaccine passports are typically an app with a code that verifies whether someone has been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19. They are in use in Israel and under development in parts of Europe. But lawmakers around the country are already taking a stand against the idea. “We have constitutional rights and health privacy laws for a reason,” said Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, a Republican. “They should not cease to exist in a time of crisis. These passports may start with COVID-19, but where will they end?” Benninghoff said this week his concern was “using taxpayer money to generate a system that will now be, possibly, in the hands of mega-tech organizations who’ve already had problems with getting hacked and security issues.”

Facebook data on more than 500M accounts found online (AP) Details from more than 500 million Facebook users have been found available on a website for hackers. The information appears to be several years old, but it is another example of the vast amount of information collected by Facebook and other social media sites, and the limits to how secure that information is. The availability of the data set was first reported by Business Insider. According to that publication, it has information from 106 countries including phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, birthdates, and email addresses. Facebook has been grappling with data security issues for years.

In Myanmar, Easter eggs a symbol of defiance for anti-coup protesters (Reuters) Opponents of military rule in Myanmar inscribed messages of protest on Easter eggs on Sunday while others were back on the streets, facing off with the security forces after a night of candle-lit vigils for hundreds killed since a Feb. 1 coup. In the latest in a series of impromptu shows of defiance, messages including “We must win” and “Get out MAH”—referring to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing—were seen on eggs in photographs on social media. Young people in the main city of Yangon handed out eggs bearing the messages of protest, pictures in posts showed.

With Swarms of Ships, Beijing Tightens Its Grip on South China Sea (NYT) The Chinese ships settled in like unwanted guests who wouldn’t leave. As the days passed, more appeared. They were simply fishing boats, China said, though they did not appear to be fishing. Dozens even lashed themselves together in neat rows, seeking shelter, it was claimed, from storms that never came. Not long ago, China asserted its claims on the South China Sea by building and fortifying artificial islands in waters also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. Its strategy now is to reinforce those outposts by swarming the disputed waters with vessels, effectively defying the other countries to expel them. The goal is to accomplish by overwhelming presence what it has been unable to do through diplomacy or international law. And to an extent, it appears to be working. “Beijing pretty clearly thinks that if it uses enough coercion and pressure over a long enough period of time, it will squeeze the Southeast Asians out,” said Greg Poling, the director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, which tracks developments in the South China Sea. “It’s insidious.”

Nearly 20 arrested in alleged plot against Jordan’s King Abdullah II (Washington Post) Jordanian authorities on Saturday arrested as many as 20 people and sought to restrain the movement of a former crown prince amid what officials called a threat to the “security and stability” of a country long regarded as a vital U.S. ally in the Middle East. Prince Hamzeh bin Hussein, the eldest son of the late King Hussein and his American-born fourth wife, Queen Noor, was told to remain at his Amman palace amid an investigation into an alleged plot to unseat his older half brother, King Abdullah II, according to a senior Middle Eastern intelligence official briefed on the events. The move followed the discovery of what officials described as a complex and far-reaching plot that included at least one other Jordanian royal as well as tribal leaders and members of the country’s political and security establishment. One official cited unspecified evidence of “foreign” backing for the plan. Biden administration officials were briefed on the arrests, which come at a time of heightened economic and political tension in a country long regarded as a bulwark of stability and an essential partner in U.S.-led counterterrorism operations.

Cairo’s mummies get a new home. And a grand procession on the way. (Washington Post) It was a parade unlike any other this city has seen. A procession of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies streamed Saturday from downtown Cairo, where revolutionaries rose up to topple autocrat Hosni Mubarak a decade ago, to a new museum three miles away that represents Egypt’s future as much as its past. At 8 p.m., the mummies—18 kings and four queens—left the famed ochre-hued Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square, where they had rested for decades. They were each atop specially decorated gold-and-blue-hued vehicles resembling boats. Or perhaps the symbol of a winged sun, an ornament worn by Egypt’s ancient rulers and seen as providing protection. Each of the 22 vehicles was emblazoned with the name of the royal mummy it carried. The multimillion-dollar affair—called the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade—had been promoted for months. Egyptian authorities are seeking to attract tourists, a key source of foreign currency, and alter the course of an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic, Islamist attacks and political chaos in past years. The highly choreographed ceremony was also a nationalist vehicle to highlight Egypt’s place in history. The nation’s authoritarian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, who himself is often referred to as “a new pharaoh” for his ambitious projects and iron-fisted rule, presided over the ceremony.

Confronting late-stage pandemic burnout (NYT) Like many of us, the writer Susan Orlean is having a hard time concentrating these days. “Good morning to everyone,” she tweeted recently, “but especially to the sentence I just rewrote for the tenth time.” “I feel like I’m in quicksand,” she explained by phone from California, where she has been under quasi-house arrest for the last year. “I’m just so exhausted all the time. I’m doing so much less than I normally do—I’m not traveling, I’m not entertaining, I’m just sitting in front of my computer—but I am accomplishing way less. It’s like a whole new math. I have more time and fewer obligations, yet I’m getting so much less done.” Call it a late-pandemic crisis of productivity, of will, of enthusiasm, of purpose. Whatever you call it, it has left many of us feeling like burned-out husks, dimwitted approximations of our once-productive selves. “Malaise, burnout, depression and stress—all of those are up considerably,” said Todd Katz, executive vice president and head of group benefits at MetLife. The company’s most recent Employee Benefit Trends Study, conducted in December and January, found that workers across the board felt markedly worse than they did last April. The study was based in part on interviews with 2,651 employees. In total, 34 percent of respondents reported feeling burned out, up from 27 percent last April. Twenty-two percent said they were depressed, up from 17 percent last April, and 37 percent said they felt stressed, up from 34 percent.

#headlines #news

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verycleverboy · 4 years ago

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October 2nd status report:

(compiled from the CNN and NBC News live blogs, unless otherwise indicated)

Confirmed positives for COVID-19:

Donald and Melania Trump: According to White House physicians, both of them are experiencing “mild symptoms”, including fatigue and a consistent fever. The President has been moved to Walter Reed hospital and put on an experimental antibody cocktail as a precautionary measure.

Hope Hicks: Began showing symptoms on Wednesday, tested positive on Thursday morning.

Kellyanne Conway: Was in Trump debate prep. The initial news came in the form of a string of snarky Tiktok posts from her daughter Claudia, followed much later by a confirmation from Kellyanne herself.

Sen. Mike Lee, (R-UT): Attended Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination event on Saturday.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC): Attended the Barrett nomination event.

University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC: Attended the Barrett nomination event.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel: Isolating at home since last Saturday, tested Wednesday.

Three unidentified members of the White House press corps and an unidentified staffer who works with the media. Per the White House Correspondents’ Association president Zeke Miller: Individual #1 attended a Sunday briefing and tested positive earlier today after exhibiting symptoms on Thursday. Individual #2 was part of the press pool which traveled to last Saturday’s Pennsylvania rally; also exhibited symptoms on Thursday and tested positive today. Individual #3 was in the press pool for the Barrett Rose Garden event and also travelled with the press pool on Sunday. #3 exhibited symptoms on Wednesday and tested positive this afternoon.

Confirmed negatives:

Mike and Karen Pence

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner: Recently traveled with Hope Hicks

Barron Trump

Eric Trump (at debate)

Lara Trump (at debate)

Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff

Dan Scavino, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Director of Social Media

HHS Secretary Alex Azar

Attorney General Bill Barr

WH Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany

Rudy Giuliani: Was in Trump debate prep.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett: Barrett and her husband had coronavirus earlier this year and recovered, per AP News.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA): Tested out of "an abundance of caution" because of Steve Mnuchin meeting earlier this week.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): Few on Air Force One to Cleveland debate, did not fly back.

DNC Chairman Tom Perez: In front row for Tuesday’s debate.

Status unknown as of 10:30 pm EDT:

Donald Trump Jr. (flew on Air Force One to Cleveland debate, did not fly back)

Kimberly Guilfoyle (at debate)

Chris Christie (was in Trump debate prep, getting tested on Friday but is not experiencing symptoms)

Alyssa Farah, White House Director of Strategic Communications

Stephen Miller, Senior Advisor to the President

Robert O’Brien, national security adviser (tested positive for coronavirus in July)

Tiffany Trump (at debate)

Derek Lyons, Counselor to the President

Bill Stepien, current Trump 2020 campaign manager

Jason Miller (was in Trump debate prep)

Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R-IA), Senate pro tem (won’t be tested, at the advice of his physician)

Defense Secretary Mark Esper

Alice Marie Johnson (flew on Air Force One to Cleveland debate)

30-50 donors who were in close contact with President Trump during an in-person event held at Trump’s Bedminster golf club last night. The event was held hours before President Trump’s positive test came back, but Hicks’s positive came back immediately before he left. Because of coronavirus incubation times (and this goes for everyone else listed in these last two categories), it could be several days after exposure before they know anything. Meanwhile, they’re advised to quarantine.

And because they’re stuck in this story, too:

Joe and Jill Biden: negative

Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff: negative

Neither the Trump campaign nor the White House made any attempt to inform the Biden team of the President’s COVID-19 results. Joe and his people found out through the media, just like the rest of us.

(Major updates between 2 and 10:30 pm EDT, with minor tweaks throughout the day. Incubation time varies among infected individuals, and some of the “rapid” tests have a high rate of false negatives, so this list is subject to change in both directions as new information is made available.)

#COVID-19 #coronavirus #White House #Donald Trump #2020 election #megapost

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ohwereusingourmadeupnames · 5 years ago

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Young starker going skinny-dipping for the prompt thingy :)

I Don’t Really Like Myself Without You

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark Rating: Mature (M) Word Count: 4.3k Notes: I had a lot of fun with this one - it was cool to put them in a background that has lots of room to be explored. Warnings: They’re both 17, so there’s that. Also pool nakedness and a little bit of NSFW stuff. Summary:

Peter and Tony grew up playing baseball together and were good friends until going to different schools got in the way of that. Buying into the rivalry was well and good until pesky feelings come into play.

do the thing, send in all the prompts

Peter had an interesting history with Tony Stark. Growing up, they went to elementary school together – much like Peter, Tony was a brain and got to be in all of the gifted and talented classes. When Peter skipped from 2nd to 4th grade, he wasn’t surprised to see Tony right there with him.

At that point in their lives, they got along great – Peter and Tony played selects baseball together and spent many summer weekends huddled into one of their teammate’s hotel rooms watching whatever game they could find. Since selects brought in people from a few different towns, Peter was always grateful to have Tony around – at least he knew someone and had a familiar face to look to in those nerve-wracking social situations.

Middle school brought the divide between them and turned their relationship into something a little more – unusual. Since Springfield was so spread out, two middle and high schools catered to either side of the town. During the school year, Peter went to North Springfield and Tony went to South. As expected, the schools were rivals and the divide between them was very apparent in the way the two sets of students interacted with each other.

When they played against each other in school, it was all about being better than the other. Tony, in his coveted catcher position, taunted him behind the plate – he cat-called and talked about all of the shitty strikeouts he’d been around to see in Peter’s early playing years. In return, Peter threw all of the pitches he knew that Tony couldn’t hit – especially the curveball that just barely kissed the edge of the plate; Tony swung and missed it. Every. Time.

During the summer, however, it was like no barrier existed between them. There were practices every day of the week and they spent their weekends in hotels playing in tournaments and traveling around their little section of Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. It was easy to fall back into the pattern of being best friends and enjoying the game they’d grown up spending every second of their lives talking about and playing. Tony framed his pitches the best and always had a calming effect on him right before he stepped to the plate.

Their relationship existed on two planes and for the longest time – it worked.

Until it didn’t. The older they got, the harder it was to keep up the façade of not being friendly. With absolutely no surprise at all, Peter fell into a deep sort of love with Tony during their summers together. The friendship between them seemed more than that – especially after the last summer that they spent making out with each other every chance they got and admittedly not thinking about baseball; that was an astounding first for them both.

Heading into the summer before his senior year, Peter was more than ready to finally make things official between himself and Tony. Hometown rivalries be damned – they’d been beating around the bush with each other the entire year. Peter never felt so frustrated by text messages and the very rare times they were able to meet up with each other. The mythical reputation thing that was stopping them in the first place wasn’t worth missing out on each other – Peter was more than sure of that.

It didn’t happen as easily as he imagined it would, however. It took the usual couple of weeks to get back into the routine of playing ball with someone that was an “enemy” for so much of their recent playing time. The comfortability inevitability came back around and sunk into the game – Peter probably hadn’t ever pitched better in his entire career. Things with him and Tony, however – they were still in a hesitant sort of stage.

Peter remembered the text message conversation before the first select team practice – he’d been so excited to finally get out of the stuffy North Springfield High uniform and step into the Panther’s jersey he’d been sporting since he was 8 years old. Tony was too, but a little hesitant about expressing it. In the last couple of years, Peter noticed Tony’s reservations and wondered the part of his life that he was missing out on to recognize where they came from. He figured once they were face to face, Tony would loosen up.

To Peter’s dismay, the first travel trip came and went without the clutch of hands and desperate kisses he’d been expecting. They spent a lot of time together and exchanged the hungriest of looks, but there was something stopping them. For the first time, there was an air of acceptance that hadn’t existed before – it made the anticipation for whatever the inevitable ice breaker was that much heavier; almost enough to choke Peter out.

The week leading up to the next trip was too busy to fret about what he and Tony were doing – the team was heading to a college showcase that several of them were hoping to be seen at. Peter and Tony were both contacted by University of Arizona’s program; scouts would be in the stands getting a nice thorough look at the 5-day, 8 game series they were about to embark upon.

A couple of days later, Peter kissed May on the cheek and hopped in the car with Maria and Tony – they’d be getting on the bus with the rest of the team in a few minutes with Tony’s mom following behind in her car. His aunt and Tony’s mom switched off trips and provided the parental guidance every other baseball excursion. Maria gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek and asked him everything she could fit in the 20-minute time span it took them to get to the bus drop off point.

Every so often, he’d meet Tony’s eyes in the rearview mirror and return the shy grin he always found on plump lips. Peter remembered the way they felt against his own and looked away when Tony recognized the blush on his cheeks. That was a start – at least Tony was actually acknowledge the flirtatious energy between them.

Getting onto the bus, Peter walked straight to the back of the bus to take the seat closest to the window on the right side of the aisle. For the past 2 summers, they got to claim the back-seat honors and it felt amazing – being one of the big dogs had its benefits. Tony sat down on the seat next to him and hefted his bag under the seat in front of him. When he sat back up, he had his AirPods in his hand, the left one being extended in Peter’s direction a couple of seconds later.

“What do you have this time?” Peter asked, his fingers slipping the headphone into his ear. He adjusted the way he was sitting in the seat and relaxed back. They were close enough together for their thighs and shoulders to brush – the tease of the caress almost enough for Peter to say, ‘fuck it’ and take Tony’s lips with his own right there on the spot.

Tony letting his hand slip between their pressed together thighs pulled a gasp from him – his leg shifting into the touch in hopes of prolonging the contact. Peter felt the backs of Tony’s fingers press into the bare skin exposed by his shorts hiking up ever so slightly. Settling more firmly into the chair, Peter was as against Tony he could be while still sitting in his own chair.

Peter cleared his throat and turned his head to look at Tony, the molten heat he saw there surprising and hot – so hot, in fact, he had to clench his free hand into a fist to stop it from reaching over and fisting into the front of Tony’s shirt. His tongue poked out to run along the seam of his lips, the surface of his skin there suddenly dry. The satisfaction he got from watching Tony not look away once gave him just enough control to sit there and play whatever this game actually was.

“I thought we could try and make it through Bowie’s Heroes album on the way up and then Young Americans on the way back. I know you said you weren’t the biggest fan when I brought him up last time, but I really think this will change your mind,” Tony said after a while, the sizzle still there between them, just not at the busting point like before. He turned on the music right around the time the bus rolled out of the parking lot and Pete let himself get lost in the music.

About halfway there, they stopped at a gas station to refuel and pick up snacks for the hotel stay. They went with Maria the day before to get their own stockpile, so Peter snagged a Gatorade and a Snickers and made his way back onto the bus. Tony was already sitting in their seats and instead of getting up, he flicked his eyes to Peter’s in a soft of challenge.

Looking around, Peter didn’t see any of their team mates anywhere in sight – so, he gripped the bag in his hand tightly and climbed over Tony’s thick thighs; the years of baseball were evident in the density of the muscle he felt there. Bravely, he let his leg linger a little longer than necessary before hiking himself up and turning until he could sit in his seat by the window. Letting out a long breath, Peter took a second to collect himself before looking back at Tony, his eyebrow arched.

Footsteps coming down the aisle stopped Peter from reaching over and grabbing the back of Tony’s neck so he could finally kiss him. Biting into his bottom lip, Peter wordlessly grabbed the headphone Tony handed him. He didn’t miss the shit eating grin on Tony’s face, either. It seemed as if the shy act was over; Tony sent the signals out and Peter was more than ready to finally return them.

----

The bus dropped them off right at the field – their first game was a couple hours later and the short span of field time they got before up pre-game minutes was already ticking down. Peter warmed up his shoulder and threw a few pitches from the mound to get used to it. The rubber strips were different everywhere they played – he felt the need to grab some comfortability before getting up and working his magic.

When Tony stood up and pulled his mask off, Peter took a deep breath and tried not to moan – he hoped he’d be able to focus later when the other was in the tight gray pants of the night’s uniform. He sent him a shy smile and grabbed the ball when Tony chucked it his way. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep it up – pitching like that is going to win us some games, Petey,” Tony muttered lowly, the smear of dirt on his cheek from his mask almost enough to distract Peter from the kind words coming out of his mouth.

Getting close enough, Peter bumped his shoulder against Tony’s, the hard parts of the catcher’s vest for some reason grounding. “Thanks, T – I’m feeling good right now. There’s something in the air.” Peter shot him a smirk and took a couple of steps in front of him. He turned until he was walking backwards to keep Tony in his sight. “We’ll celebrate when we win later.”

Peter felt the blush rush over his cheeks when he turned himself around and started walking forward again. That was the most forward he’d ever been – and it was perfectly clear to see that Tony understood his meaning. The smooth brown eyes he’d come to really appreciate were washed away with a deep black Peter knew to be excitement and arousal. For the first time in his entire baseball career, Peter already wanted the game to be over – the endgame waiting for him was more enticing.

Luckily, the game went off without a hitch. By the sixth and final inning when he felt his shoulder starting to get to its breaking point, Tony turned to the umpire and called a quick time out. Watching him approach, Peter felt himself take a calming breath – their eyes caught a couple of steps before Tony was within a respectable talking distance. “Need me to call it, Pete?” Tony asked outright, his glove covering his mouth so no one else could see what they were saying.

It took him a second to process the question, Peter felt the exhaustion of the day weighing his thoughts down, making them harder to get from point A to point B. “I think I’ve got it in me. Give me one more batter – I’ll hand it over if I can’t get it under control.” Peter looked at him with pleading eyes and let out a harsh breath when Tony nodded.

“I trust you. Send one right down the pipe on this first pitch back. This guy sits on his back foot too much – it’ll catch him off guard.” Tony pressed the lip of his glove against Peter’s chest and let a slow smile spread across his cheeks. “Let’s finish it.”

Tony’s presence and the slightest boost of confidence his last words gave him pushed him through the last out – he hobbled off the mound with a huge smile and another win in his pocket. The catcher’s glove that landed on his sore shoulder brought Tony right against his side – the smell of dirt and sweat making Peter’s heart rate pick up. “Knew you could pull it out, Parker,” Tony said softly, his eye crinkling with the wink he sent in Peter’s direction. “What’s on your mind for a celebration later?”

They were in the dugout by the time the question rolled off Tony’s tongue, so Peter took his time putting his glove in his bag and taking off his cleats before answering. There were several things he had in mind – many of the consisting of a very naked Tony Stark against him. However, he wasn’t able to get those words out – the virgin-ness of his tongue wreaking havoc on the many wants he could obviously see being fulfilled.

“Late night dip in the pool for old time’s sake, probably,” Peter answered finally, his brain running wild with the idea of a wet Tony within arm’s reach. Even if he didn’t get around to getting Tony’s pants off, he’d be happy to have the vision of this Tony, the one with a bit of facial hair and long messy locks, wet and smiling.

Without hesitation, Tony nodded, looking pleased. “Maria mentioned that they have a really nice outdoor pool and hot tub. Might be able to just sneak through the fence,” Tony replied, his hands busy putting the multitude of catcher’s gear into the big bag he lugged around. Peter zipped his own bag and went about helping Tony – their hands brushing with every piece he handed off.

The energy on the bus on their way back to the hotel was electric – it always felt nice to start off a long game streak with a win. Each of them knew that this would be the only real time to enjoy the hype – they played two games the next day and unfortunately landed in the back to back slot right in the dead of the afternoon. Coulson already told them that he wanted them in their rooms before 10:30PM. He threatened room checks, but the lull of red wine at the hotel bar always stopped him from following through.

Team dinner consisted of total silence while they all piled food into their mouth’s. The warm Italian food hit a certain spot after a long time out in the hot summer sun. Maria passed out push pop ice creams before everyone headed back to their rooms. Tony dug an elbow into his side and flashed the two extra red ones he managed to procure. Looking in Maria’s direction, she shot him a wink and nodded towards the door.

Despite not having a great relationship with is dad, Peter knew that Tony loved the hell out of his mom. She’d been the only one to support his love of baseball and seemed to understand him like no one else did – well, besides Peter. They’d spent too much time together over the years to not be familiar with each other; good and bad sides included.

In an attempt to cut down on the tension that continued to bubble between them, Peter pulled Tony into his arms when the door clicked shut behind them as they entered their room. Knowing Maria, she’d be at least another 20 minutes, the perfect time period to press Tony up against the door and devour his lips. He used the grip he had on the thick muscle surrounding Tony’s hip to guide him back until he was trapped between Peter and the heavy wood.

Tony met him halfway in a hot kiss – their lips slotted together and rode the wave of exploration. Every gasp and moan they pulled out of one another brought a certain depth to the kiss. Peter let Tony trace his tongue around the roof of his mouth, the warm touch the slightest bit ticklish. He tangled his own tongue with Tony’s when the desire became too much. The taste of tomato and Coke were alive in the exchange, Peter happy to categorize every flavor if he were able.

The inevitable click of the door trying to unlock had them separating – Peter retreated into the bathroom to tuck the stiffness in his pants into the waistband of his boxer briefs to at least be presentable in front of Tony’s mom. Catching his reflection in the mirror, Peter blew out a huff of breath; he looked absolutely wrecked, the flush of his cheeks just the start of the problem. He ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times before deeming it a lost cause and walking back into the room.

If anything were amiss, it was apparent. Maria patted him on the shoulder and took his place in the bathroom. Tony shot a look his way – the glance filled with amusement and gratefulness; despite how accepting she was, the last thing either of them wanted was for Maria to walk in on them doing – well, just about anything.

Settling onto the bed they were sharing, Peter flipped through the channels until he found The Dark Knight – he leaned against the headboard and let a grin slip across his face when Tony moved into his personal space and rested against him. It didn’t look like they were trying to play it completely cool – and Peter couldn’t say that he wasn’t glad.

----

It took a solid 90 minutes for either of them to feel comfortable sneaking out the door with a sleeping Maria right by it. It was 11:30 by the time they were down on the ground floor, tiptoeing towards the pool’s fence. Trying the door, Peter let out a laugh when it opened without much of a tug at all. He herded Tony in and tried to be as quiet as he could shutting the gate. Grabbing Tony’s hand when he felt secure, Peter pulled him until they were close to the edge of the shallow end.

“Any qualms with doing this without clothes?” Peter questioned, his hands already moving to pull the tank top he put on earlier off, his fingers letting it go, the fabric landing in a heap on the ground. It was risky to even think about, but Peter was hungry and if he didn’t get his hands on Tony soon, he might actually starve. A hand on his chin forced him to look up, his eyes immediately caught by Tony’s.

“Just take your pants off, Pete,” Tony said, his eyes once again completely taken over by the darkness of his dilated pupil – the hunger there apparent and clearly contagious. His cock shifted in his pants with each lick of Tony’s words across the surface of his skin. It didn’t take any mental prodding to get his hands to the front of the shorts he pulled out of his bag to act as trunks for the evening.

Before he could think himself out of it, Peter dropped them from his hips and walked to the stairs that led directly into the water. He walked lightly until he was submerged up to his hips – the distortion of the water somehow making his nakedness more apparent.

Tony wasn’t nearly as quick about it – the black swim trunks Peter recognized from the summer before hit the ground, the fabric colliding with the concrete audible in the stillness around them. He waited until Peter’s eyes roamed across his skin and settled on his own before starting towards the water. The whole thing made Peter’s skin tighten, his cock stiffening with every step Tony took.

Eventually, Peter was pinned between Tony’s arms on either side of him - the side of the pool cool against his back. Just their lower halves were submerged completely in the water. Peter watched some of the rivulets of water on Tony’s skin drip down his neck and long muscly arms, his tongue darting out as he imagined tracing its path with his it.

“I don’t want to pretend to hate you anymore. Is that okay?” Peter mumbled when Tony moved to narrow the space down between them. His hands wrapped around Tony’s middle to help with the closeness – the bump of their cocks against each other a delightful extra. “I want you, Tony.” He reiterated that fact by using his grip to pull them closer still.

Peter could feel the pulse of Tony’s cock against his own before liquid fire engulfed his mouth and spread from there down. He got his nose out of the way and deepened the kiss – the muscles of Tony’s arms framing his head tightening with every brush of their tongues against each other.

It was a little desperate, the way they attacked the connection that was finally being completely acknowledged between them – Tony chased his lips every time Peter tried to pull away to suck in a breath. The collective of it was too much - all the things Peter thought to want all wrapped up in a Tony sized packaged. Eventually, he couldn’t stand the burn of his chest and pulled away completely – the dazed look on Tony’s face was worth the desperate little sound he made.

Though he needed to take a break, his hips didn’t – Tony set a pretty decent rhythm in the roll of his hips and Peter thrust up against him to keep the contact. Peter let his head rest against the edge of the pool and his hands wander up and down the length of Tony’s back; the muscles there pulling and flexing with every move of his hips.

Tony’s lips came to rest on the soft skin of his ear, his forehead pressed against the edge of the pool, too – the move bringing them impossibly closer. “I don’t want to act like you’re not the person I’ve been in love with since we were kids,” Tony whispered against the shell of Peter’s ear, the answer to his question more than he ever thought he’d get.

Nudging with his head, Peter got Tony to pull back enough so they could see each other again – he knew that the other could feel the increased beat of his heart against his chest, but he wanted to make sure he saw it, too. “Same, Tony – let me love you, instead,” Peter uttered, his lips already making quick work of taking their place against Tony’s.

There wasn’t any more talking after that, Peter dropped his left hand between them and grasped their lengths between the circle of his thumb and fingers. Tony cupped Peter’s cheek and used the touch as leverage to move his hips a little more thoroughly.

Between the panted kisses and fumbled strokes, Peter hit the peak of the best orgasm he’d ever experienced with Tony shuttering against him. The sharpness of Tony’s teeth dug into his bottom lip and pulled another round of orgasmic shudders through him. He loosened his fingers, a whimper slipping from his lips when the warmth of Tony’s cock left him.

----

They ended up splashing around for a while more after coming down and finding the ability to move limbs in tandem again. Peter enjoyed every moment of Tony trying to dunk him and the retaliation he got when he’d pull his ankle and brought him under. The shared kisses between huffed out laughs and water splashes in the face made the disappointed face of Maria they walked into the room to a little while later totally worth it.

She must’ve been tired because she didn’t stay awake long enough to admonish them with whatever lashing they totally deserved. Peter took advantage of her back to them to pull Tony into the bathroom with him – the shower stall more than big enough to accommodate the two of them. It was quick business, but Peter enjoyed every single second of it.

The next morning, Peter felt a firm hand on his shoulder shaking him awake. “It’s time to wake up, you two,” Maria said loudly, her ‘no shit’ voice easily recognizable.

Blinking to wake up a little bit more, Peter noticed that Tony was completely spooned up behind him, their legs tangled together in a way that screamed intimacy. His hand gripped the one slung over his hips and shook it frantically.

Tony pressed a kiss to the back of his neck before realizing where the fuck they were. He popped up, his bed head from going to sleep with wet hair more out of control than usual. His eyes opened owlishly at Peter and then over at his mother, the sleepy haze of confusion clinging to him even still.

“Don’t worry – it’s about time you two finally got together.” Maria gave them both a pointed look, grabbed her purse, and walked out the door.

#starker #ironspider #au prompts #ask prompts #bobbie writes #nonnie #anonymous

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shirtlesssammy · 4 years ago

Text

6x17: My Heart Will Go On

Then:

You never really die on Supernatural

Now:

Chester, Pennsylvania

In a Rube Goldberg-esque bit of murder mastery, a man fumbles his way around his garage, nearly dying several times, only to finally get taken out by his falling garage door. What a ride.

Meanwhile, in Bobby’s neater than normal home, Sam and Dean watch him open another bottle of booze. They silently egg each other on to talk and finally decide on Rock-Paper-Scissors. Oop, it looks like you’re going to have to do the talking, Dean.

Only, wait, Dean won! They think he should take some time and sleep, and process losing Rufus. Bobby’s DOING FINE. He just needs some Irish coffee. Sam suggests taking him on a hunt. Seems like different family members are dying in Chester, Pennsylvania. Bobby kicks them out of the house, so they decide to head out alone.

They get in their trusty Mustang, and hit the road.

...

Bobby keeps drinking until Ellen (!) shows up.

…

She consoles him about Rufus and tells him to get ready for dinner.

And she’s his wife.

…

At the garage of horror, Sam finds a thread of gold.

They split up. Dean interviews next of kin. He first meets with a Saul Goodman wannabe Shawn Russo. The guy isn’t too upset by his family members dying --he wasn’t too close with them. He also doesn’t have a lot of time for Dean’s genealogy questions.

Dean tries sussing out any past family curse --poorly. Shawn wants Dean to go, so Dean just comes out and tells him, “Your life is in danger.” Shawn thinks Dean’s threatening him.

He connects with Sam who can’t find a single thing wrong with the family.

At a travel agency, we watch Anne Witting chat on the phone, and time suddenly stops. Another woman, looking like Sam’s kind of librarian, takes Anne’s keys from her purse and throws them on the floor next to the copier. She leaves and time starts again.

The woman gets off the phone and notices her keys are on the floor. Grabbing for them knocks a vase of flowers onto the copiers, which creates an electrical nightmare, which causes her to start slapping at it and finally reaching behind it to turn it off, which then causes her scarf to get stuck in the autofeeder, which the copier then tries to make a copy of, which strangles her. (Note to self: BE NICER TO THE COPY MACHINE.)

The blonde woman comes back and marks a name off in a book, and drops a gold thread.

The brothers check out the travel agency that night. It turns out that Anne isn’t part of the Russo family --so they’re not dealing with a family curse. Dean wonders what then. He then finds another gold thread.

He calls Ellen, who reports there’s been about 75 deaths associated with this across the nation. The only thing Ellen has that connects the people is that their ancestors all immigrated to the US in the same year, on the same boat: The Titanic. Neither Dean nor Ellen had ever heard of it.

…

Sam either. (And that’s when I call bull --unless this Sam isn’t a history nerd-- because the Titanic was a BIG deal before it became a BIGGER deal. It was the largest ship of its time. But as I typed this out, I feel like I should eat my words because there was another sister boat built with the Titanic, and I can’t for the life of me remember its name, so, yeah, chances are good it would have been lost to history for most people.)

During their research, Sam notes that the ship almost hit an iceberg, but the First Mate, I.P. Freely saw it in time.

Balthazar!

They summon Balthazar for answers about the boat. “It was meant to sink, and I saved it.” He hated the movie. (Boris is still one of the few and proud that’s never seen it --I cheered SO hard for Balthazar here.) He hated the Celine Dion song. Sam doesn’t even know who that is (HIS FAVORITE SINGER!) Sam points out that he thought that history can’t be changed. Balthazar points out that there’s no more rules. Anyway, only minor details have been changed --like no Impala.

More importantly, Ellen and Jo are alive. They are supposed to be dead.

Dean and Sam focus on the here and now and point out that something is killing the descendants of the Titanic travelers. They need to find out who. Balthazar drops a truth bomb out of nowhere --pointing out that Cas is in love with Dean. Sigh. Also, he doesn’t care, and flaps away.

They talk with Bobby on the phone and he thinks they’re dealing with Fate. How do they stop fate? Bobby suggests that they get Balthazar to re-sink the boat, but Dean nixes that idea instantly. Bobby wants to know what set him off --Dean tells him that if the boat sinks, Ellen and Jo die. Yeah, no way is that boat sinking.

The boys lurk in their iconic, uh, Mustang to follow Russo.

They follow Russo in an attempt to keep him safe from Fate’s machinations. They manage to save him from one deadly accident, only for the guy to die under the wheels of a bus seconds later. Sam notices a woman watching over the accident. She looked kind of like a librarian. “Your kind of librarian or my kind of librarian?” Dean asks. Oh, Dean, why does it have to be a binary choice? Eyebrow waggle. Dean decides to head over and confront Fate in a shadowy building.

Fate, meanwhile, is up to nefarious deeds. She turns burner knobs, releasing gas into the building as time stops around the Winchesters. When time starts up again, Dean’s flashlight flickers out in the dark. Sam suggests using a lighter and....

Just as the room starts to ignite, the Winchesters get yanked out of there! Cas saved them! He’s pulled them to Belarus. I will never not be able to watch this scene without thinking of the gag reel and Misha stag leaping around the woods.

“[Fate] harbors a certain degree of rage towards you,” Castiel explains. Since the Winchesters foiled their apocalyptic fate, they’ve made it into Fate’s bad books. Cas suggests the best solution is for the Winchesters to kill fate. And they can use themselves as bait!

For CAAAAAAAS! Science:

Ellen tries to talk through the case with Bobby after Jo reports more and more dead on the West coast. Ellen suggests that the best solution would be to re-sink the Titanic, a suggestion towards which Bobby reacts...poorly. Bobby’s horrified at her casual suggestion. Ellen senses something is off with Bobby. Over drinks, Bobby spills everything to Ellen. He tells her that he needs her.

After that solemn, emotional scene, we cut to Dean and Sam experiencing wacky near-misses. A skateboarder almost takes them out. Then a jumping BMX rider. Now a pair of aggressive dogs on leashes. (Extreme close of up Dean for extra sad jokes.)

They walk past a pair of jugglers tossing HATCHETS and KNIVES who proceed to LIGHT THEM ON FIRE - and I do love it when this show gets ridiculous. After several near-misses, a falling air conditioner finally plummets towards them. This looks like the end for our heroes!

For Looney Tunes Quality Science:

Time freezes the Winchesters under the air conditioner, and Castiel approaches. He greets Atropos, the Fate who’s after the Winchesters. She complains about the fallout of the recently averted apocalypse.

Cas tries to argue for freedom. It’s a bold new world! But Atropos isn’t buying what he’s selling. The last straw for her was the unsinking of the Titanic. Cas tries to shift the blame to Balthazar, but Atropos calls him on that too. That wasn’t Balthazar following a whim. Cas needed more souls for his war machine, and sent Balthazar back to unsink the ship. She’ll make Cas a bargain: if the boat stays unsunk, then she’ll kill his “two favorite pets.” She may not be strong enough to escape Cas’s retribution, but her sisters will take the Winchesters down after she dies. Cas contemplates Sam and Dean.

Balthazar shows up, ready to kill Atropos, when Cas stops him. Cas is ready to take the deal. Balthazar gets Cas’s new order: it’s time to save Sam and Dean! I mean, it’s time to sink the Titanic.

Sam and Dean wake up to Sam’s favorite singer belting “My heart will go on” on the radio. They talk about their weird, shared dream. Cas flaps in to greet them. He tells them that he had Balthazar re-sink the ship to ensure Sam and Dean’s safety.

Sam and Dean try to process the balancing equation Cas dealt with, where their lives were more important than 50,000 people (who were never born, Cas hastily points out). Dean asks about Ellen and Jo, and the answer is NOT GOOD. What could have been!

Dean asks if that whole alternate timeline was erased when the boat sank again. “More or less,” Cas says. EYEBALLS EMOJI. Cas wants the Winchesters to remember the alternate timeline. “You can make your own destiny. You don’t have to be ruled by fate. I still believe that’s something worth fighting for,” Cas tells them. Can I get a HELL YEAH?

While it seems for a short while like Cas is edging towards telling them the truth of his war, he ultimately plays off the Titanic as only stemming from Balthazar’s hatred of the movie. “Titanic didn’t suck THAT bad,” Dean says. There’s my soft boy. Cas flaps out, and the Winchesters head inside to check on Bobby. His house is back to cluttered, gloomy chaos. Bobby’s asleep on the couch. Sam and Dean vow never to tell Bobby what he could have had.

It is Your Quotedany:

Accidents don't just happen accidentally

"What's an Impala?" Trust me, it's not important

You have me confused with the other angel. You know, the one in the dirty trenchcoat who's in love with you

Can’t avoid fate

Who do we gotta kill to get killed around here?

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

#spn recap #spn rewatch #spn 6x17 #my heart will go on #dean winchester #sam winchester #bobby singer #ellen harvelle #castiel #cas #balthazar #supernatural season 6

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rainbowsandcoconut · 4 years ago

Note

Just Saw you like getting questions, so here goes. A followup on the travel favorites. You mentioned it was difficult to narrow down. Would a top ten be easier? I always look for new inspiration LOTR being your first fandom but have you ever been into something no one else understood? 😊

HIIII! 💕 This totally made my night. I am honestly so surprised anyone would care enough to send me an ask, this is so sweet 🥰 Anyone wanting to talk or ask anything should absolutely feel free, I’d love it!

I’m gonna start with the last question since the travel one will definitely be longer 😊

I’ve been into a lot of things no one in real life understood haha. Like Supernatural back during seasons 1-3 ish when I was obsessed and my friends would get tired of me talking about it all the time (thank god for LiveJournal), or cycling (road and track) that I got super into watching one summer and ended up going all over the country to see races and do some photography for, for a few years.

Now traveling. Oh man, you’re really making me miss the days where travel was allowed and where I could afford it lol. Thanks for this question though, it’s really put me in a good mood to remember some of my trips, I hope these don’t disappoint. In case anyone hasn’t seen 3 of my fave travel memories, they’re over here. And now I’m going to spam you all with 10 more of my fave memories from trips. I had to try to go with ones I could find my pics from and I mostly managed, apart from Norway, so here we go:

1. Flying an airplane in Wanaka, New Zealand 🛩

I got to actually fly a plane! It only fit 2 people (and a cat) and I feel like I was allowed to do waaay too much, likely because it was my instructor’s first time taking someone inexperienced up so he let me do most of take off and also fly most of the trip, and then he even offered to talk me through landing it but I’m not insane so he ended up doing that part on his own. It was super freaking cool, and the view was absolutely breathtaking.

2. Seeing the Northern Lights, Tromsø, Norway

My best friend did her master’s in Tromsø so I went to visit her for a week in November 2018. I was a bit worried it was too early in the season to see the Northern Lights but one night the whole sky was full of dancing green light! We went up the top of a mountain and stayed there until we couldn’t stand the cold any longer, and it was just an incredible night. I didn’t manage to get any good photos with my phone so I just stole this off Google but it’s pretty accurate

3. Meeting Rachel Bloom in NYC last year

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is one of my favourite shows, and it’s really meant a lot to me. Yes, it’s a comedy with musical numbers but it also portrays struggles with mental health more realistically than any other show I’ve seen and that’s something I’ve really both needed and appreciated. Rachel is a comedic genius, and her show has helped me through a few tough times, so being able to not only see CXG live at Radio City Music Hall but also get to talk to Rachel after the show made it an incredible night.

4. Watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The history of the Angkor temples is so fascinating, and I managed to get myself up early enough to see the sun rise over Angkor Wat several times. For anyone who may want to go, my advice would be to not elbow your way to the front of the lake, but stand a bit further back while the majority of the tourists scramble to get a good spot. About 90% of them will disappear into the temple once the sun has offically risen and it’s gotten light out, but you want to stay by the lake. The sun takes longer than you think to actually rise above the temple, and by the time it gets there, most people will have left and the area will be much quieter and more peaceful and will give you a chance to really take in the sunrise. Each time I kept thinking maybe the sun wasn’t super bright or the clouds would cover it some because it seemingly took so long, but staying is absolutely worth it.

5. Early morning Alms Giving in Luang Prabang, Laos

This almost felt like a moment I wasn’t supposed to see but the owner of the guest house I was staying at assured me I was fine to watch. I wasn’t staying in the center of the city, and I was the only tourist out to watch the long procession in this neighbourhood which made the experience feel extra special and authentic as opposed to how crowded I’ve heard it can sometimes be in the city center.

6. Going to Lawrence, Kansas in 2009

Seeing as I mentioned being very into SPN above, I’ll include my trip to Lawrence, Kansas on this list. I went solely because my friend and I thought it’d be funny to do so because of its connection to Supernatural. We got invited to lunch by the owner of a souvenir shop who was delighted to hear I was from Denmark because her husband had a friend whose dad had once been. We stayed in Kansas City, and I got lost on my way back from the post office one day. An older lady in a car stopped by the streetlight I was at and offered me a ride back to my hotel which I gratefully accepted, only I started to rethink that decision once I realized that the footwell of her car was so full of bibles, I had to step on them, and the passenger door could not be opened from the inside. Obviously I realized this after I was in the car but while I was somewhat freaked out, I still agreed with her that us going past the McDonalds Drive Thru before my hotel was a good idea so her and I could get to know each other a bit... I was way too trusting back then but hey, I didn’t die so yay?

7. Driving a moped for the first time on Phu Quoc, Vietnam

I don’t have a license for any kind of vehicle and I have never driven any either (apart from a car twice on completely deserted, straight roads) but the owners of the hostel I was staying at insisted it was the best way to get around the island. Once of them tried to show me how it worked on her own moped, then let me try for a couple of minutes and then declared that she’d rent me one for the next day even though she was too afraid to sit on the back while I was practising because my accelerating and breaking were super abrupt. So the next day off I went. I drove into a tree and a sign in the street, got a lot of concerned looks, and I probably broke any and all traffic laws but I had such a fun time and I got to see some incredibly beautiful beaches that I don’t know how I could’ve gotten to without the moped. Important note for anyone doing this: remember sun cream! I sadly don’t have any photos of the moped, but I did take this photo of one of the beaches I visited:

8. Going to Obama’s first inauguration in January 2009 in Washington DC

I’ve always been into American politics and that interest peaked around 2008, so just in time to watch Obama get elected, and I knew I had to try to go to DC when I started planning my first ever US trip for 2009. I didn’t manage to get onto The Mall as I only made my way downtown around 6 am but I got a spot on Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade. I have never been so cold in my entire life but I’ve also never experienced the kind of euphoria and excitement from a crowd that I did that day. There truly was a feeling of hope for a real change, and I talked to the absolutely friendliest, kindest people while we waited. Plus I got to see Barack and Michelle Obama wave at me (in my direction anyway) as they were walking down Penn Ave which I’ll forever remember.

9. Going to Kangaroo Island, Australia

I love kangaroos. So much. I will never get over how cool they are. And I got to bottle feed joeys (baby kangaroos) on this island, as well as pet a bunch of tame adult ones, and see sooo many wild ones. Plus I got to see lots of koalas and other wildlife, as well as the beauty of the island. My friend did technically hit a kangaroo (or wallaby) when we were driving after dark but she’s Australian and didn’t take it quite as hard as I did.

10. Seeing the Colosseum in Rome, Italy

I’ve just always loved this building. And seeing it in real life did not disappoint.

#about me #travel

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mattsammonsez · 4 years ago

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Hockey’s Voice

Sometimes you meet people who embody everything you believe makes a good person. Mike “Doc” Emrick is one of those people, and I enjoyed the few times we interacted in the past 13 years.

Mike “Doc” Emrick in his second home.

When you work in sports broadcasting, your path crosses with the paths of a lot of prominent people, including athletes, coaches, and executives. It’s all part of the job, and admittedly one of the many perks that comes with the territory. While it’s fun to cross paths with these people, there are a select few where you feel blessed that your paths crossed. Mike “Doc” Emrick is one of those people, and you always felt like you knew him and he knew you all your life even if your real life interaction was only 5 minutes. With the announcement from Emrick earlier this week that he is retiring from calling NHL games, I wanted to share a few stories about the times my path fortunately and blessedly crossed with Doc’s.

Like many people my age, we got to know Doc on a regular basis on national television. For me, it was his weekly appearances on the NHL on Fox game of the week in the mid 90’s, as well as numerous New Jersey Devils highlights earlier in the decade as that team was building into a dominant team. In 2005, Doc became the primary voice on the NHL on OLN broadcasts (later Versus, then NBC Sports Network). In 2006, I became the pregame host of Tampa Bay Lightning radio broadcasts, and as I started to settle into my role that season I started gaining new job duties. One of those duties was to pull together guest interviews for our weekly radio show Lightning Hockey Night. In the 2007 playoffs, the Lightning drew the Devils in the first round, and thus my first interaction with Doc would happen as I was trying to get a guest for the program.

We weren’t looking to get Doc on the show as a live guest, but with Doc at the time still calling Devils games I figured he’d be the perfect guest for the show as he was a well-known voice and face even to hockey fans in Florida. Before the morning skate of game 4 with the Lightning up 2-1 in the series, I introduced myself to Doc and asked him if I could get him for just a few minutes to talk about the series. He said he could, and we continued with our usual morning skate routine for the next couple of hours. I hung around the rink until the Devils were done with their skate, and after the locker rooms were closed to the media I approached Doc again to see if he was still able to do a quick interview. This was close to 1 p.m., and with a game starting at 7 or 7:30 that night Doc had plenty of prep to do. Plus his color analyst, the humorous Glenn “Chico” Resch was hungry and wanted lunch. Yet when I politely asked, Doc without hesitation obliged and we sat down in the stands for a few minutes to discuss the series. It was such a special moment, and such a fun interview, I’ve saved it 13 years and counting.

Emrick yucking it up as Jim Carr, the carpet-coiffed play-by-play announcer for the Johnstown Jets in the cult classic film Slap Shot, at Hockeyville USA, 2015.

Fast forward to September 2015. I’m now the Director of Broadcasting & Programming for the Lightning, and I’m on the team plane to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, as the Lightning and Penguins will be squaring off in the first Kraft Hockeyville USA preseason game. Game day was hectic, as the NHL and NBC rolled out the red carpet not only for both teams but for as much Slap Shot as possible since Johnstown was the location of the film shoot 40 years earlier. Along with being that night’s radio engineer for our broadcast, my mission was to pull together as many interviews as possible for a podcast on the event. Knowing the legendary Hanson Brothers would be there, I targeted an interview with them which I was able to score.

The Cambria County War Memorial Arena was opened in 1950, when comforts such as being able to stretch your legs were not baked into many civic building blueprints. In a tiny locker room I waited for the Hansons to come in, and I did so next to Doc who agreed to also do an interview with me once I was done with the Hansons. The Hansons came in, and not only played the part of their characters well for my interview, but they too were incredibly friendly and great to talk to. While the interview went on, there was that brief fleeting moment in my head; “I’m interviewing three of the greatest hockey movie characters while one of the greatest hockey announcers is sitting in the background watching this.” Quite the moment to say the least. After my conversation with the Hansons, I sat down with Doc to talk to him about what the game meant to him, a former college teacher and newspaper writer in Western Pennsylvania 45 years earlier. You could sense in Doc’s eyes and voice this Hockeyville experience in his old backyard with all the Slap Shot fun and frivolity mixed in was quite the moment for him. The Hanson Brothers and Doc interviews were the cornerstone of my podcast, and all these years later it’s still one of my favorite podcasts of more than 100 I did.

Emrick could make any broadcast better, including a Morning Skate Show in desperate need of some good news in 2018.

Fast forward to May 2018. We’re not in the preseason, we’re in the thick of the postseason, and the Lightning are about to battle the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final. Prior to game one at the morning skate, Doc and I are two of seemingly 200 people gathering around Alex Ovechkin for pregame interviews. We looked on from a distance, laughing more at the spectacle then actually listening to anything Ovechkin was saying. When the scrum was done, I casually asked Doc if we could have him as a guest on our streaming video program The Morning Skate Show when the series shifted to Washington D.C. for game 3. Doc said he wanted to, we just needed to route the request through NBC public relations, which is always a coin flip on if your wish gets granted. Thankfully for us, it was.

Never before did we need a personality like Doc Emrick like we did then. The Caps humiliated the Lightning for two easy wins in Tampa before the series went to our nation’s capital. In planning for the show, we decided to talk as little as possible about the first two games, and simply turn the show into the Doc Emrick talent show. For almost 45 minutes, Doc talked about everything from the NHL playoffs to memories of AHL games in Halifax 40 years ago when birds in the rafters of the old Halifax Forum pooped on the ice during games. At the end of the show he very quietly but confidently reminded our viewers that if any team was able to get out of 0-2 hole to the Caps, it was the Lightning. It was the reassurance and the fun story telling we all needed, and low and behold the Lightning rallied for three-straight wins before the Caps pulled it together and won the series in seven games on their way to their first Stanley Cup championship. As of 2019, it was still one of the most-watched episodes of the show.

Finally, fast forward to October 2019. Two months earlier, I was informed my position was being “eliminated” at the Lightning, but I refused to be eliminated from the scene. Newly hired to provide a weekly Metro Express podcast to the Philadelphia Flyers (and later the Capitals), I arrived at Amalie Arena for a morning skate prior to a Lightning and Penguins game that was being aired nationally on NBC that night. Once I found out Doc was on the call, I knew I needed to get him for a few minutes to talk Metropolitan Division hockey. I saw Doc sitting in the first couple of rows of seats when I arrived, and I quickly slipped in next to him and asked if I could get his thoughts real quickly. Doc was there to study lines and defensive pairings of both teams, and now at the age of 74 had to double-check all players and facts before putting on another flawless broadcast that night. I was very respectful of his time, and as always he was respectful enough to grant me a few minutes of his busy day.

While there were many similarities to that first interview with Doc in 2007, this time around technology would come back to bite me. Feeling satisfied my iPhone would work as a microphone just fine, I started the interview. Midway through Doc’s first answer, my phone started ringing, cutting off the voice memo app I was using. Thankfully I silenced my phone so it merely buzzed, but in my head I was cursing while Doc was talking. There was no way I was going to ask him to start over again, I was just going to have to eat the moment as I feverishly hung up on the call and pressed record on the voice memo again. While I did this without interrupting Doc’s thoughts, I still got a good 7-8 minutes from him and used it in that week’s show. It was special to connect with Doc again, and I was reminded even as a veteran hockey broadcaster at this time to never ever again do an important interview on my iPhone.

Doc’s retirement announcement didn’t come totally as a surprise to me. I figured with COVID-19 still a factor in our lives for at least the next year or two, the last place a 75-year-old cancer survivor needs to be is in a pressurized airplane cabin or travelling from one cold city to another in the winter. And even though Doc is a pro’s pro, it’s extremely difficult to call a game from a television screen. Whoever is named his successor at NBC has some very big shoes to fill.

As for me, my career has moved forward from my exit with the Lightning, and while potentially great things await I don’t know if I’ll be able to cover a daily beat in an NHL arena anytime soon. That’s perfectly fine with me, as I’m always looking for a new challenge and can’t wait to see what is ahead for me and my family. That also adds even more emotional value to the times my path crossed with Doc’s path. Hockey fans have been blessed to have him as a prime voice for decades, and I was blessed to interact with him several times in my career. A visit from this doctor was always welcome in the homes and hearts of hockey fans.

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rocklandhistoryblog · 4 years ago

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Motel on the Mountain, 1977 Memory

CLIPPED FROM The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 06 Oct 1977

‘GAYLA OPENING’ OF UNIQUE MOTEL

By Richard Ben Cramer Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

HILLBURN, N.Y. - It was, on the whole, not the standard world premiere. The men in the crowd, for example, tended less to black tie and more to gold lame with high-heeled pumps.

Still, it was quite a partying night, and Beth and Frank Cavallo were feeling great. They had left their two-year-old daughter at home and had traveled with two of their friends, Jay Young and Bill Hiller, to the Gayla Opening of Motel on the Mountain, a homosexual resort in Rockland County, N.Y. on the way to the Catskills.

Now, in the wee hours, with everybody loose, Frank celebrated by giving Bill a big kiss.

Beth, bemused, looked on. She is straight but tolerant. She learned to adjust when Frank "came out" shortly before the birth of their child, Jennifer.

Anyway, Frank still likes "fish," as gay men call women, and to prove it, he pulled his wife toward him, and soon she was entangled in his arms and Bill's with everybody trading kisses around.

On the dance floor at the front of the disco room, one of four rooms provided for the opening-night crowd, a man and a man who looked like a woman were dancing belly to belly while strobes revealed their-movement in a series of dramatic stills.

Another mannish form, attracted by the dance, leaped into the light and danced up behind the womanish form until the sandwich was moving through the crowd in perfect synchronization.

From the end of the bar, in a straight three-piece suit, Tommy Esposito squinted through the smoke and flashing lights at the crowd near the stage and smiled a small smile of private satisfaction.

Tommy is straight. ("I'm not gay, I'm Italian," he says.) And until this weekend, he was the proprietor of a hotel and resort property that seemed headed for collapse.

The Motel on the Mountain built 22 years ago overlooking the New York State Thruway, was at the time the wonder of this small community, about 45 minutes from mid-Manhattan by car.

Its clever landscaping in the Japanese style and engineering that gave every room a view of the large wooded valley below won the motel several architectural awards.

But the motel has been going downhill, so to speak, since Esposito acquired control four years ago. Twice during those years, preliminary bankruptcy papers were filed. The complex looks a little down at the heels.

That is all past now, according to Esposito, who expects the Motel on the Mountain to be a trend-setter for other resort properties, a crucial breakthrough in the social liberation of homosexuals in America and, most important, a tremendous commercial success.

He paused in the task of erecting new signs ("Gay Life at Its Peak," they proclaim) at the bottom of the winding road up the mountain, to put the event in proper historical perspective.

"Hey, we're living history now," he said. "A place as famous as Motel on the Mountain? A gay resort? This is a sociological breakthrough."

His own motivation was not sociological.

"Well, put it this way," he said. "Summer of 74, I called the Summer of American Graffiti good name, huh? The movie was just out, you know, and I had all the biggest oldie names in the business the Drifters, the Orlons, everybody . . . Didn't work.

"In 1975, I open up with a dinner theater, the Roar of the Greasepaint. ...Didn't work.

"In 1976 . . . Variety Showcase . . . ventriloquists, magicians, comedians, everything. . .. Didn't work.

"So, I said, 'Hey, -why not?' You know?"

On the main street of Hillburn, an inconspicuous valley town of inconspicuous charms, W. S. Jones, 62, was remarking in front of the fire hall that he sure to heck knew why not and he just didn't know why it had to happen to Hillburn.

“Tell you the truth, I think they're all sick," said Jones, a retired postal worker. "That's just my opinion, but I know one thing. If it'd happened back a few years ago, when all the big people were here, the big church people, it never would've even got a foothold."

Jones' opinion was echoed by most in a joint town meeting for the residents of Hillburn and Sloatsburg, a neighboring village.

"If we don't stop these people from getting a foothold right now, it will be too late," said Sloatsburg resident Robert Latke. "They'll be running up and down the streets of our village, flaunting it."

Hillburn's Mayor Brian Miele, who runs the 1,100-person town's business after teaching his school classes for the day, said that he did not know if a law existed to prevent the motel's conversion.

But he and about 25 other Hillburn and Sloatsburg residents showed up at the Gayla Opening last weekend with picket signs that read "Queers Go Home" and the like, in an effort to decrease the turnout for the night.

About 25 gay patrons came down from the lounge to stage a counterdemonstration at the bottom of the motel's entrance road, and for a while it looked as if the situation might get ugly. A plea from Esposito to his customers and the arrival of the Rockland County Sheriff's Department avoided trouble.

Now the residents of the town say that they want to bring in Anita Bryant, the singer and orange-juice peddler who helped defeat a local Florida ordinance preventing discrimination against homosexuals.

"Let her come, oh yes," said" Allan Ross, the motel's new consultant on gay affairs.

Ross, who was talent scout and master of ceremonies for the Gayla Opening, thought that the first night was "fabulous, oh definitely fabulous."

In his red ruffled shirt, red pants and red high-heeled shoes, he looked rather fabulous himself. From the back of the stage, he introduced a series of female impersonator acts mimicking Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Pearl Bailey and Diana Ross.

The crowd around the stage, dressed in a lot of satin and leather, capes and hats, mostly colorful and mostly quite tight, cheered and called out unprintable remarks. Most stayed until 3 or 4 a.m., and most said that they would be back.

At the end of his act, the Sophisticated Silhouette of Diana Ross - Leslie London dressed in high heels and a divine scarlet sequined see-through gown, said that he would definitely be back.

After seven years in the business, he knew he would rarely see a crowd of 1,500, and so sympathetic!

"Oh, I've played sweet sixteens," he said, wrapping himself around a young Manhattan boy, "rock 'n' roll revivals, bar mitzvahs . . ."

Bar mitzvahs?

"On Long Island, darling, of course."

_____

We are pleased to share this piece of 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ History in honor and recognition of PRIDE month.

_____

This event was the subject of a chapter in Joe Kennedy’s book “SUMMER OF '77: Last Hurrah of the Gay Activists Alliance.”

#rockland history #local history #rockland county #rocklandhistory #nyshistory #hillburn #motel on the mountain #1977 #pride #lgbtq history

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etherealwaifgoddess · 5 years ago

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I Love You, Merry Christmas Pt.1, An Avengers Holiday Adventure

Main Characters: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: It’s your first holiday season with Bucky and time to meet his Avengers family! Set in the AU of What He Wants, which you can read HERE if you missed it.

Warnings/ Content: Tooth rotting fluff then some lemons at the end

Word Count: 3898

Author’s Note: Hello lovelies! We’re back in the What He Wants AU again. This is a three part fic to follow What He Wants and Friday Night Tradition. I know it's not the holiday season BUT the three chapters here are all critical to the happily ever after we're following for our boy. So please forgive me for rushing seasons and brace yourself for some sweet fluff, heart wrenching angst, and a surprise in the works.

Again, for the tag list peeps: I’m tagging all the original WHW tag list, if any of you want removed, or if anyone new wants to be added, just let me know.

XOXO - Ash

I Love You, Merry Christmas

Some days Bucky finds it hard to believe his life was ever more than this; the simple, easy life he has with you out in the woods of rural Pennsylvania. Where his only worry is if you remembered to get more coffee when you were at the store, and when you’re going to finally breakdown and pick out a new sofa. HYDRA, alien enemies, and battles for humanity seem like distant memories and he’s happy to leave them as such. But when Shuri’s face pops up on his cell phone screen on one cold December morning he can’t ignore his past.

“Mholweni, Shuri.” He says answering the call and brings the phone up to his face so she can see him as well.

“Mholweni, my friend.” She replies grinning. “It’s been too long.”

“It has. What have you been up to?”

“Oh you know, working on upgrading the security software we have at the palace and generally driving my brother crazy.”

Bucky chuckles, “That sounds about right.”

“Did you hear T’Challa is coming to New York for Christmas?”

“I didn’t. What’s got him crossing the Atlantic at this time of year? Doesn’t he know it’s freezing in New York in December?”

“There’s some big meeting going on the week after New Years and Pepper offered for him to come out and spend the holidays at the compound. I think she’s planning to get everyone to come stay at the compound for a week or two. Has she called you yet?”

Bucky shakes his head, “No, not yet. I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it though.”

Shuri glares at him through the phone, “James Barnes, if I am traveling thousands of miles to deal with snow and ice and rude New Yorkers you had better be there too!”

“I’ll have to make sure we don’t already have plans.”

“Ah, yes. I heard you had found your Isithandwa. I need to meet this woman who has stolen your heart.”

“If we come up for Christmas you’ll get to meet her then. Let me ask her and I’ll let you know for sure as soon as I can.”

“I can’t wait. I have a few upgrade ideas for your arm too if you don’t mind letting me poke around at it a bit. I want to try and sharpen the sensory receptors using a new type of….” Shuri rattles on for several minutes about her new tech breakthrough which Bucky only gets the general idea of. He smiles and nods as is appropriate and Shuri finally realizes she’s lost him. “When did I lose you?” She huffs at him.

Bucky gives her a quick grin, hoping to avoid pissing her off, “Right after the words tech breakthrough.”

She lets out an exasperated laugh and shakes her head at him, “You’re impossible. But you’re going to love the upgrades I have in mind. Now, go ask your love about Christmas and text me so I know if I should bother tagging along with T’Challa or not.”

“Okay, will do. Don’t be a stranger.”

“You too.” Shuri disconnects the call and Bucky wanders into the kitchen to find you.

You’re adding more spices to a large pot of chili which has been simmering on the stove for the better part of the afternoon and Bucky leans against the doorframe for a moment watching you. Your hair is tied up on top of your head in a messy bun and you’re wearing your favorite ancient, soft, sweatshirt over thick leggings. Your favorite playlist is filling the kitchen with upbeat punk rock and you move your shoulders and hips along with the beat while you stir. Bucky thinks there is no more perfect sight in all the universe and a vague plan starts forming in his mind of something else Shuri can help him with while she’s visiting.

“Hey, doll.” Bucky calls, breaking you from your reverie.

You spin around at his voice and smile at the sight of him leaning against the doorframe. “Hey babe. What’s up?”

“What do you normally do for Christmas?”

You’re caught by surprise at his question. “Well, nothing much really. We exchange gifts at the center and then most years I just have dinner with Martha and Chris if they’re home for the holiday. They’ll be down in Florida this year though. Why?”

“I know we had talked about going up to the Avengers compound at some point, but it’s still really soon, so don’t feel like we have to…” Bucky’s rambling and you cut him off, sparing him from working himself up any further.

“Do you want to spend Christmas in New York with your Avengers family?”

Bucky’s face is eager and hopeful. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course not. They’re your family, of course we should spend the holidays with them.”

“Thank you.” Bucky lets out a relieved breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

You cross the small kitchen to wrap your arms around him, “They’re your family, Buck. We absolutely should go.”

Bucky places a kiss on top of your head as you nuzzle into his broad chest. “I’ll text Shuri and let her know. I’m sure Pepper will be calling about it too.”

“Is everyone going up for the holidays?”

“That’s what Shuri said. Apparently Pepper is trying to get everyone to stay a week or two around Christmas and New Years. T’Challa was already coming out for some meeting in New York so Shuri is tagging along. If everyone shows it’s gonna be a full house. You sure you’re okay with going? It’s gonna be a lot.”

“I was going to meet them all eventually, anyway, it might as well be all at once. The center closes from Christmas Eve until January 2nd every year so we have the time.”

“Thank you, doll. It means a lot. It’s gonna be our first year without… them… and I want to be there for Pepper and Morgan. It’s not going to be the easiest time.”

“I get it. My first Christmas alone was awful. It’ll be good for all of you to be together this year.”

“You’re too good to me.” Bucky tilts your chin up with a cool metal finger and presses soft kisses against your lips before resting his forehead against yours.

You expected the holidays to be bittersweet for him but at least now he’ll have a support system that’s more than just you. Being around so many close friends will be good for him and you are looking forward to meeting everyone at last.

~~~~~~~~~~

December flies by and you barely finish shopping for everyone by the time Christmas Eve rolls around. Bucky is frantically looking for his spare hair tie and you’re already leaving 20 minutes late.

“Just grab one of mine!” You call into the bathroom at him.

“Fine. Fuck it.” He growls snatching up a pink hair tie from the top drawer.

He’s been on edge all morning, nervous to see everyone despite how much he misses them.

“Hey.” You push a hand against his chest, stopping him for a moment. “Take a breath. We’ll get there when we get there. Everyone is going to be happy to see you regardless of when you arrive. You’ve been looking forward to this all month, don’t let your anxiety get the best of you.”

Bucky heaves a breath and you leave your palm in place until you feel his chest rising and falling a more normal pace. “Thanks doll.” He says with a grateful smile.

“Any time. Now, the car is packed, your hair looks fine, and we can stop at the Dunkin’ on the turnpike for coffee. Let’s go!”

Bucky nods and grabs your hand, following you to the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~

You’re not sure who squeals the loudest when Bucky’s feet hit the pavement outside the Avengers compound. He’s barely out of the car when Morgan, Pepper, Shuri, and Sam come running out the door. Morgan has wrapped herself around his legs like a tiny attack koala while Sam and Shuri each take a shoulder to hug. Pepper waits patiently and gives him a quick hug and a sad smile once she pulls Morgan off of him.

“Now that’s a welcome!” He laughs looking around at his closest friends.

You hang back on the other side of the car, watching the scene unfold. There is so much love for him here and it warms your heart. After everyone pulls back and the questions begin you notice Bucky shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He’s not great with so much attention being put on him and you go around to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him against you for support. He shoots you a grateful look and puts his arm around your shoulders. “Well, guys, this is Minnie.” He tells them and then points out each person to you. You had decided a week ago that you would continue to use your SHIELD alias with the Avengers. It wasn’t that you didn’t trust them but it would make things a lot less confusing since most of them had heard of you before as that name.

The group welcomes you warmly with assorted hellos and hugs from everyone. After Morgan grumbles dramatically about freezing her toes off, the group of women head inside leaving Bucky and Sam to unload the car. You follow the women to the living room where you’re introduced to Wanda who’s typing furiously on her phone. It’s a little nerve wracking being surrounded by so many amazing, talented, beautiful people but you tamp down your nervousness and find yourself falling into easy conversation with them.

Bucky, Sam, Bruce, and T’Challa join your group in the living room some time later, arms full of presents to scatter around the tree amongst the already large pile of gifts. Bucky seeks you out straightaway, pulling you against him with his arm draped around your shoulders. It anchors him, having physical contact with you, easing his nerves. Shuri moves over to sit on his other side on the large sofa and starts poking around at his vibranium arm. He allows her free reign, used to her science driven mind. She is so proud of her creation and wants nothing more than to continue fine tuning things for him. “Shuri, if you can wait until later I’ll take the whole damn thing off for you to play with.” His tone is mild, teasing.

She chuckles, “Sorry. I just want to get it perfect, you know? Stop by the lab later and I’ll make the adjustments I have in mind.”

Bucky nods and then joins in the conversation you’re having with Sam who’s taken a seat on the other side of you.

Sam gives Bucky a ridiculous grin and thumbs up, “I like her, Buck. You better not mess this up or we’ll keep her and give you the boot.”

“I have no plans on messing this up. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I know it.”

You blush under his praise and Bucky just beams with pride.

It’s late that night when the group disbands for the evening. Bucky shows you to his old living quarters and you’re surprised to find it’s basically a small apartment and not just a bedroom like you expected. There aren’t many things of his around the space and you see why he wasn’t overly concerned about coming back to collect his belongings.

You snuggle into his small single bed, your body pressing up against his. “How are you holding up?” You ask him sleepily.

“ ‘M’kay so far.” He mumbles against your neck.

“Good, I’m glad. Everyone seems so happy to see you.”

“Missed them too.” Bucky is only half awake as he basks in the warmth of your skin molded against his, “They like you, ya know?”

You try not to chuckle at the sound of his soft, sleepy voice, “I like them too.”

“ ‘M’glad.”

“Alright, sleepyhead, get some rest. We’re gonna have to get up in a few hours for presents.”

“ ‘M’kay. Night, mouse. Love you.”

Your whole body tenses at his sleepy admission. Sure, you knew the emotion was there but neither one of you had dared to verbalize it yet.

Bucky notices when you tense up and he replays his words in his head looking for the cause. Oh shit. He’s fully awake now, desperate to ensure he hasn’t just scared you off. “Shit! I… I know it’s too soon. God, I’m such a fuck up. Please, please don’t run. Please…”

You watch as dozens of emotions flicker across his expressive face. Your heart is pounding in your chest and you know you have to push forward to relieve his anxiety. “I’m not running. Did you mean it?”

Bucky swallows thickly, he can’t lie to you. “Yeah, I did. I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Bucky.”

Bucky makes a choked sound and holds you even tighter against him.

You feel dampness on your chest where he’s buried his face and you stroke his hair gently, letting him ride out the wave of emotions he’s feeling. “You’re not a fuck up. I know it’s soon but I’ve felt it for a while too. It’s okay.”

He shudders a breath and nods, sniffling. You slide down a little so your faces are in front of one another’s and smooth the tears away from his face. “It’s okay. I love you.” You reassure him.

Bucky nods again before pressing his lips against yours. You can taste the salt of tears on his soft, full lips and your body responds to his instantly. “I never thought I’d have this. Didn’t think it was possible for someone like me.” He quietly confesses.

Slowly his hands roam the curves of your body and you gasp as he runs his palm across your breast. Bucky shifts so you’re on your back and he’s hovering over you, arching his hips against yours and pouring every last ounce of desperation and love into his frantic kisses. “I need you, doll.” He moans against your mouth.

“I’m yours.” You reply, digging your nails into his shoulders as he plunges himself into you. There’s no preamble and you groan at the stretch and fullness of Bucky burying himself into you.

He pauses once he’s fully seated inside you, his hair falling around you like a silken curtain. It’s grown out more and you love wrapping your fingers in it. “I love you so much.” Bucky begins moving, rolling his hips and making you squirm as he hits the sensitive bundle of nerves deep inside you. You shudder with pleasure and he moans your name, shoulders shaking from the effort to slow his motions. “So perfect. It’s like you were made for me.” He slips his right hand down to the apex of your thighs to rub in rhythm with his hips, driving you over the edge quickly.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” You gasp, your words punctuated by the slapping of his hips against yours as he loses himself and begins pounding into you desperately. You’re close yet again and Bucky rolls your overly sensitized nub between his fingers until you climax, crying out his name.

Your name is a growl on his lips as Bucky finds his own release, clinging to you desperately. Once he’s spent he collapses on top of you, barely catching himself so he doesn’t crush you under his full weight. You sprinkle kisses across his face, “Best. Christmas. Ever.” You say in between kisses.

Bucky chuckles softly, “Agreed. Now, we really do need to sleep. Morgan is going to have the whole compound up in about four hours.” He rolls off you, tucking your back against his chest so he can hold you.

“Mmm, I have no doubt. Merry Christmas, I love you.” You say with a satisfied smile.

“Merry Christmas, I love you too.” He echoes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s just after six thirty in the morning when FRIDAY announces that Miss Morgan Stark has requested everyone’s presence in the living room. You groan but get up, pulling on soft flannel pajama pants and an old faded AC/DC T-shirt. Bucky emerges from the bathroom with his sweatpants riding low on his hips, his sleeveless tank clinging to his broad chest, and you can’t hide your reaction. He grins widely, knowing what he’s doing to you. “See somethin’ you like, mouse?” He teases, crossing his arms emphasizing the wide expanse of his shoulders just a little more.

You fight back a smile and shake your head. “We don’t have time for that. Stop it.”

Bucky laughs and catches the hairbrush you toss at him. “Stop what?” He shakes his hair out a little as he brushes it and you force your attention elsewhere.

“You know what you’re doing, jerk. No one has the right to look that damn good this early.” You jump when his arms snake around your waist, you hadn’t heard his approach.

“The feeling’s mutual.” He moves your hair away from your neck to press an open mouthed kiss against it and you shudder. “But you’re right. Come on, I want to give you your present.” Bucky grabs your hand and leads you out to the elevator so you can head down to the living room.

Everyone is already gathered around the large space and Pepper is handing out gifts. Morgan is surrounded by boxes which she’s tearing into at lightning speed but she’s quick to thank the gift giver once she sees what it is.

“Morning love birds.” Sam jokes, “We were wondering if you’d be joining us or not.”

“Shut it, bird-man, or no presents for you.” Bucky grumbles affectionately, giving Sam a shove.

Bucky and you take turns handing out gifts to everyone, pleased that each person seems to genuinely appreciate the gifts you selected for them. You’re all but bouncing in your seat when it comes time for Bucky’s gift. You had spent a lot of time researching it and even called on Sam for a little assistance. Waiting for Bucky to take the seat next to you, you hand him the envelope with shaking hands.

“What could it be?” He asks dramatically, giving the envelope a little shake. “It’s certainly not the jacket I put on my wish list.”

You rolled your eyes at him, if he wanted a new leather jacket so much he could just go out and buy one. You had much bigger plans.

Bucky tears open the envelope and plucks the silver key out of the envelope, dangling from the key is a leather keychain with the Harley Davidson symbol stamped on it. “What is this?” He asks slowly, wide eyed.

“Well, you had talked about how much you missed your bike and I knew it wasn’t something you would just buy yourself so…” you shrug.

“You got me a motorcycle?!” Bucky all but yells. Everyone stops their unwrapping and looks over at him but he is completely oblivious to the attention.

“Not just a motorcycle, a Harley Davidson Street 750.” You tell him proudly.

“That’s…. I can’t….”

“I think you fried his brain, Minnie.” Sam jokes.

Bucky stops his stuttering and throws himself on you, hugging you tightly as he practically crushes you under him.

“I’m glad you like it but I need to breathe.” You squeak.

Bucky eases off of you, “Sorry. Thank you, doll. This is an amazing gift. How did you know?”

“I had a little help.” You high five Sam, pleased your plan worked out so well.

“So where is it?” He looks eager, like a little boy waiting to play with a new toy.

“It’s out in the garage. Pepper was kind enough to let me have it delivered here. You can take it out after breakfast.”

“I can’t wait. But I’m seriously rethinking your gift now.”

“I’m going to love it, whatever it is.” You assure him.

Bucky pulls out an envelope and you laugh, “If it’s a motorcycle we’re gonna have a problem.” You tease him.

“Nope, definitely not a motorcycle.” He gives you a lopsided smile.

Inside the envelope is a beige certificate with gold script: D’Or Mer Luxury Spa. Day passes for six guests, Le Mieux package. You had heard of the spa, it was the best on the east coast and celebrities regularly raved about the place. The last time you’d even been near a spa was to get your hair done before prom in high school. You had a pedicure at a nail salon since but even that was at least two years ago. For six people though, you didn’t even have two friends to take, let alone five. And the salon was outside New York City, it was going to be a really long drive for a day trip. “This is incredible, Bucky. Thank you.” You push aside your spinning thoughts and let yourself be grateful that he had been so thoughtful.

“I just figured, you take such good care of me all the time, you deserve to be taken care of by the best. And it’ll give you a chance to get to know everyone better too. You’ve said you missed having a close knit group of girlfriends and, well, I have friends to share.”

“Wait,” you stop him, confused. “What?”

“The appointment is set up for this Friday. Pepper offered to have you all fly down and back in the helicopter. I’ll just hang out here with the guys and you can have a whole day to relax and be pampered.”

“All of us…?”

“Yeah, I wanted to be sure you had a fun day so I’m sending all of you. You, Pepper, Shuri, Wanda, and May and Laura are coming in later today.”

“You are the most over the top, sweet, kind, thoughtful, amazing…” you would have continued but he cuts you off with a searing kiss that has Sam cat calling behind you.

“Just say thank you!” Pepper shouts across the room.

You pull back, cheeks flushed, “Thank you, babe. I love you so much.”

“I love you too. I know it’s not a motorcycle, but still… okay gift?”

“Awesome gift, really. I can’t wait.”

Pride radiates off of Bucky as he pulls you onto his lap where you’re able to sit back and watch everyone else open the remaining gifts. It’s your first Christmas in over a decade that feels like a real holiday and you’re more thankful than words can express.

Later in the day Peter and May show up, and a few hours after that Clint, Laura, and their children arrive as well. Even though the compound is massive, the number of people sprawled out between the living room and dining room and kitchen make the place seem full. People are mostly standing around chatting, but some of the guys had started up a game on the Xbox and Bucky joins in after you all but push him at Sam. You knew he wanted to join his friends and didn’t want him to miss out because of you. You had developed a fast friendship with Pepper earlier in the day and find yourself hanging out with her for most of the night. It was a perfect first holiday with the group and you hope Pepper will continue the tradition in the years to come.

Tag List Lovelies: @my-current-fandom-is @blacklightguidesnic @amazonianbeauty@ladyemofhousestark@abswritesfandoms@rupestria @dark-night-sky-99

#Bucky Barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfic #Winter Soldier #marvel #Marvel Avengers #marvel fanfic #Marvel fangirl #MARVEL FANDOM #what he wants

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newstfionline · 5 years ago

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Headlines

WHO Issues Warning As Daily Caseload Grows (Foreign Policy) As dense crowds of protesters gather around the world, and New Zealand announces a return to life as usual, it’s easy to forget that a pandemic is still raging. On Monday, the WHO recorded the largest daily increase in new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, 136,000 in total; 75 percent of new cases came from just ten countries, mostly in the Americas and South Asia.

Stress is skyrocketing among the middle-aged (Marketwatch) If you’re middle-aged and you’re thinking, “I don’t remember everyone being this angry and miserable 20 or 30 years ago,” you’re not wrong. A recent study confirms what many people in later middle age already feel: We really are much more stressed than middle-aged people were back in the 1990s. The good news? As we get older our levels of stress will go down again. We’ll be happier in retirement than we are in our 40s and 50s, even with health issues. Older people experience fewer stressors and are able to cope with them better, says David Almeida, a psychologist and professor of human development at Pennsylvania State University. Meanwhile, the simplest answer is to move more. “My advice to people is to move when you are exposed to stress,” he says. “Moving, physical activity, is probably the best stress reducer.”

After Protests, Politicians Reconsider Police Budgets and Discipline (NYT) In an abrupt change of course, the mayor of New York vowed to cut the budget of the nation’s largest police force. In Los Angeles, the mayor called for redirecting millions of dollars from policing after protesters gathered outside his home. And in Minneapolis, City Council members pledged to dismantle their police force and completely reinvent how public safety is handled. As tens of thousands of people have demonstrated against police violence over the past two weeks, calls have emerged in cities across the country for fundamental changes to American policing. The pleas for change have taken a variety of forms—including measures to restrict police use of military-style equipment and efforts to require officers to face strict discipline in cases of misconduct. Parks, universities and schools have distanced themselves from local police departments, severing contracts. In some places, the calls for change have gone still further, aiming to abolish police departments, shift police funds into social services or defund police departments partly or entirely.

U.N. General Assembly won’t meet in person for first time in 75-year history (Washington Post) For the first time in the United Nations’ 75-year history, world leaders won’t convene in New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting this September. U.N. General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande explained Monday that an in-person gathering during the coronavirus pandemic would be impossible because world leaders typically travel with large delegations of aides and security personnel, making it hard to keep the numbers of attendees at events low. “A president doesn’t travel alone, leaders don’t travel alone,” he said. The session will instead take place remotely, though U.N. officials have yet to say exactly what that might look like.

Mexico’s Leader Rejects Big Spending to Ease Virus’s Sting (NYT) Across the globe, governments have rushed to pump cash into flailing economies, hoping to stave off the pandemic’s worst financial fallout. They have mustered trillions of dollars for stimulus measures to keep companies afloat and employees on the payroll. The logic: When the pandemic finally passes, economies will not have to start from scratch to bounce back. In Mexico, no such rescue effort has come. The pandemic could lead to an economic reckoning worse than anything Mexico has seen in perhaps a century. More jobs were lost in April than were created in all of 2019. A recent report by a government agency said as many as 10 million people could fall into poverty this year. Yet most economists estimate that Mexico will increase spending only slightly. Hostile toward bailouts, loath to take on public debt and deeply mistrustful of most business leaders, Mexico’s president has opted largely to sit tight.

Cuba almost coronavirus free (Foreign Policy) Cuba—a country that prides itself on its health system—has almost vanquished its coronavirus epidemic, according to official data. It has recently averaged less than ten cases per day and on Monday went nine consecutive days without a reported death from COVID-19. “We could be shortly closing in on the tail end of the pandemic and entering the phase of recovery from COVID,” President Miguel Diaz-Canel said over the weekend.

Spain makes masks mandatory until coronavirus defeated (Reuters) Wearing masks in public will remain mandatory in Spain after the country’s state of emergency ends on June 21 until a cure or vaccine for the coronavirus is found, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday.

This round’s on us, says Malta (Reuters) Residents of Malta will be given $112 vouchers by the government to spend in bars, hotels and restaurants in an effort to revitalize the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for a quarter of the Mediterranean island’s GDP but it has been at a standstill since mid-March when flights were stopped during the coronavirus emergency. Flights to a small number of countries will resume on July 1 but they exclude big tourism source markets Britain and Italy.

Russia rejects Iran embargo (Foreign Policy) Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has called for “universal condemnation” of the U.S. campaign to pass a permanent arms embargo on Iran through the United Nations Security Council. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Lavrov called the U.S. attempt to hold Iran to the confines of the Iran deal while the United States had already broken the deal was “ridiculous and irresponsible.”

Moscow’s strict coronavirus lockdown turns lax overnight (Washington Post) In a sudden about-face from one of the world’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns, Moscow dramatically eased restrictions Tuesday, abolishing the city’s digital-pass system for travel and allowing salons and most other nonessential businesses to open. Schedules for when Muscovites were allowed outside based on their address have also been done away with after just one week. Restaurants and cafes will be allowed to serve people on verandas starting June 16 and nearly all restrictions will be lifted by June 23—the day before Russia’s rescheduled Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square. The city’s walk schedules and requirements for wearing face masks outside have increasingly been ignored by residents, and Moscow authorities might have been feeling the pressure from small businesses that have been closed since late March with little government aid to sustain them.

Tracking the origin of the coronavirus outbreak (Daily Telegraph) Coronavirus may have broken out in the Chinese city of Wuhan much earlier than previously thought, according to a new US study looking at satellite imagery and internet searches. The Harvard Medical School research found that the number of cars parked at major Wuhan hospitals at points last autumn was much higher than the preceding year. It also found that searches from the Wuhan region for information on “cough” and “diarrhea”, known Covid-19 symptoms, on the Chinese search engine Baidu spiked around the same time. It has led researchers to suggest that the outbreak began much earlier than December 31, the date the Chinese government notified the World Health Organization of the outbreak.

North Korea cuts off all communication with South Korea (AP) North Korea said it was cutting off all communication channels with South Korea on Tuesday, a move experts say could signal Pyongyang has grown frustrated that Seoul has failed to revive lucrative inter-Korean economic projects and persuade the United States to ease sanctions. The North’s Korean Central News Agency said all cross-border communication lines would be cut off at noon in the “the first step of the determination to completely shut down all contact means with South Korea and get rid of unnecessary things.” North Korea has cut communications in the past—not replying to South Korean phone calls or faxes—and then restored those channels when tensions eased.

The Palestinian Plan to Stop Annexation: Remind Israel What Occupation Means (NYT) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is pressing for annexation in conjunction with the Trump administration’s peace plan, which at least ostensibly contemplates an autonomous Palestinian entity as part of what it calls a “realistic two-state solution.” Mr. Netanyahu has vowed to annex up to 30 percent of the West Bank, and could do so as early as next month. But to the Palestinians, annexation flouts the ban on unilateral land grabs agreed to in the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, and would steal much of the territory they have counted on for a state. For that reason, they say it would kill all hope of a two-state solution to the conflict. In response to the annexation plan, Mr. Abbas renounced the Palestinians’ commitments under the Oslo agreements last month, including on security cooperation with Israel. The strategy aims to remind the Israelis of the burdens they would assume if the Palestinian Authority disbanded, and to demonstrate that they are willing to let the authority collapse if annexation comes to pass. The Palestinian Authority says it will cut the salaries of tens of thousands of its own clerks and police officers. It will slash vital funding to the impoverished Gaza Strip. And it will try any Israeli citizens or Arab residents of Jerusalem arrested on the West Bank in Palestinian courts instead of handing them over to Israel.

#headlines #news

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covid19updater · 5 years ago

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COVID19 Updates: 03/20/2020

Italy: At least 14 Italian doctors have lost their lives in the battle against #COVID19 as of Thursday, local media reported. More than 2,600 Italian health workers have contracted the #coronavirus, accounting for 8.3% of the country's total.

Germany: BREAKING - Bavaria (Germany) imposes quasi **curfew** to contain the #COVID19 outbreak in the federal state. Effective tonight for two weeks. Police will enforce, high penalties for violation threatened. Other federal states in Germany will follow.

Brazil: BRAZIL PRESIDENT BOLSONARO SAYS JUNE LIKELY TO BE THE MOST CRITICAL MONTH FOR CORONAVIRUS

Germany: BREAKING - Several automotive suppliers in Bavaria are switching production to protective equipment, disinfectants, and respirator masks amid #COVID19. Production output is expected as high as several tens of thousands of masks per day by next week.

India: 'India must prepare for a tsunami of coronavirus cases' Dr Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy has warned that India could soon be dealing with a "tsunami" of coronavirus cases.

UK: An exhausted nurse has urged panic-buyers to think about other people after finding supermarket shelves empty.

India: Number of coronavirus positive cases in India rise to 223: Health Ministry

Italy: ITALY'S LOMBARDY REGIONAL HEAD SAYS GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO USE ARMY TO IMPOSE LOCKDOWN IN HIS REGION

Italy: ITALY'S LOMBARDY REGIONAL HEAD FONTANA SAYS LATEST DATA SHOWS NO SIGN OF SLOWDOWN OF CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC IN HIS REGION

UK: Coronavirus self-isolation needs to go on for 12 months, UK’s scientific advice says

Italy: Inside Italy’s hardest hit hospital. Link

Belgium: Belgium reports 462 new cases and 16 new coronavirus deaths, raising the country's total to 2,572 cases with 37 confirmed deaths.

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh first responders won’t be notified of Coronavirus exposures. Link

RUMINT (UK): “The hospitals in London are overwhelmed.” “The public and media are not aware that today we no longer live in a city with a properly functioning western healthcare system.” Patients with suspected COVID-19 are being mixed with non-COVID-19 patients.

NYC: NBC News audio person dies from COVID19. Link

Morocco: Morocco government yesterday announced a state of emergency in the country to take effect at 17GMT today, locking down cities and restricting unnecessary movement to curb the spread of the #COVID19

Pakistan: Grim warning from doctors at PIMS Isb(Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) about the looming #covid19 disaster. "Impose a curfew if you must. We simply do not have resources to deal with this. There are a total of 10 beds & 2 ventilators in the isolation ward. Nothing else has been provided."

Russia: #BREAKING: 54 new coronavirus cases discovered in Russia in past 24 hours bringing the total now up to 253 Total #coronavirus cases in Russia. March 20: 253. March 19: 199. March 18: 147. March 17: 114

NIH: The #coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, can be caught through breathing infected air or after touching contaminated objects, according to a new report by National Institutes of Health (NIH), CDC, UCLA, and Princeton University scientists.

US: The U.S. Government Is Preparing For An 18 Month Pandemic And "Critical Shortages" Link

RUMINT (Indiana): Indianapolis en route control center (ZID) a front-line supervisor has caught the China Virus and ZID is in the process of going atc zero. The FAA is calling in people for overtime in surrounding facilities to cover ZID airspace. Expect delays across the center of USA.

NY: @NYGovCuomo #BREAKING: I will sign an Executive Order mandating that 100% of workforce must stay home, excluding essential services.This order excludes pharmacies, grocery stores, and others.

NY: 1,939 new cases overnight in New York City. 2,950 new cases in New York State overnight,

Canada: Canada to ramp up production of medical supplies, shut border to asylum seekers to fight COVID-19 and talks are underway with airlines for repatriation flights to bring Canadians home

UK: UK: Hospital ICU at a London hospital Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow at capacity. Cases being transferred to other hospitals. Declared 'Critical Incident' Source Sky News live (UPDATE: Link)

Germany: GERMANY: INFECTED: 18,588 (+3,268 cases since yesterday)

UK: Changing of the guard at royal palaces canceled until further notice. LINK

RUMINT (Texas): Just so people know the real truth. My county of over 50,000 just told me they only have 4 test kits...And all these people went to Galveston Mardi Gras and cruises

NYC: Manhattan lawyer abruptly dies from COVID19, 2 days after saying he felt much better. LINK

RUMINT (New Jersey): NEW JERSEY DRIVE-THROUGH CORONAVIRUS TEST SITE HAS 1,000 CARS WAITING

Spain: Coronavirus Update: Spain Overtakes Iran On Virus With 20k Confirmed Cases

Trump: "I'm probably more of a fan of that than maybe anybody," says @POTUS of chloroquine after Dr. Fauci cautions there's only anecdotal evidence that the malaria drug is effective in helping #COVID19 patients.

Georgia: #BREAKING NEWS: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Georgia is now 420, with 13 deaths.

US: *SCHUMER SAYS HOSPITALS WILL BE IN DEEP TROUBLE IN A FEW WEEKS

IItaly : 5986 new cases and 627 new deaths in Italy

Massachusetts: Massachusetts just had their first confirmed death from the Corona Virus.

NYC: 743 MORE cases in New York City since morning update That means 2,682 new cases in NYC since last night. 5,151 total & 29 deaths

Illinois: Governor to issue ‘shelter in place’ order. LINK

France: 12610 total cases in France. 450 dead. 1297 in serious condition. 50% in serious condition are less than 60 years old

RUMINT (China): Latest figures released by China Mobile show that they have lost 8.116 million users in Jan and Feb. Where are these users now? Switched to other carriers? Or, they couldn't carry their phone to the nether world?

New York: #UPDATE "We're all in quarantine now," said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, warning of fines and mandatory closures for anyone violating the order, as the total of deaths linked to the novel #coronavirus more than doubled in three days

Nigeria: Lagos hospitals now receiving patients suffering from Chloroquine poisoning just one day after President Trump announced that the US has approved the anti-malarial drug for use as a treatment against #COVID19.

California: 1,006 Positive #COVID19 Cases in CA: 24 Federal Repatriation Flight Cases; 982 Cases not related to those flights; 86 Travel Associated; 108 Person-to-person; 266 Community Acquired; 522 Under Investigation

RUMINT : I got in and out right before the grocery store got absolutely packed. People were pretty good about separating, except at checkout...lots of idiots pressed right up on each other. I picked a line where everyone was wearing gloves and standing a minimum of a cart length apart and keeping their mouths shut so their freaky germs didn't fly everywhere. Hit the liquor store, amazingly was empty, for a couple more things. Not going out again, that was twice in last week, but I could FEEL the corona in that store or coming shortly. It was the most fucked thing ever, and I could tell some others sensed it too.

Illinois: BREAKING: Sources tell me CPD officers will be posted in the following areas: hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, City Hall, libraries, hardware supply stores and designated retail stores after Governor Pritzker announces ‘shelter in place’ for Illinois residents. @cbschicago

Poland: VIRUS TRAGEDY Healthy new mum, 27, dies from coronavirus days after giving birth in Poland becoming one of world’s youngest victims

Michigan: Detroit police chief: 5 officers diagnosed with COVID-19, 152 quarantined

New Jersey: GovMurphy says New Jersey will enact stronger measures to prevent the spread of the virus: "I'm going to have a significant announcement probably tomorrow morning to make, a whole series of new steps that will take effect tomorrow night. We have no choice." #MTPDaily

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roseate7 · 6 years ago

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- The vicious and intentional behaviour Raffl exhibited against Malkin last night merits severe reprehension and deserves two or three layers of punishment (the instigating, the sucker-punch to the head and the subsequent diving caught on tape) none of which has ever been called for and none of which he is receiving.

- The reckless way Malkin reacted to Raffl with his stick deserves a high-sticking punishment, which he received in the game. Even a cursory review proves that there was no intent to severely harm (at that close range? intended harm would’ve followed through 100%) and Malkin himself owned up to his recklessness and rightfully denied any intent to cause severe harm to Raffl.

That’s what literally happened, but uh interestingly not even the Pens fanbase has mentioned the first and instigating part. And that’s a huge problem, and a symptomatic one.

Alex Ovechkin is a “mad Russian” who is hilarious and wild, and his deliberate head-shots and high temper and low boredom threshold are all considered apiece with his appeal to fans and media. It’s hilarious and adorable! He’s celebrated and regaled for sure but hey, it’s fun to root for a guy who is such a character! What you see is what you get with him, right? Great!

Evgeni Malkin is “the Russian who doesn’t mind being second to Sidney Crosby” who is either equal to or only slightly behind Crosby in talent, skill and record books… but that’s not fun! That’s not interesting! Malkin has self-admittedly something of a temper. So in the blink of an eye, an elite player becomes an aggressive oaf perfectly suited to his deep voice, his choppy English and size. That’s a lot more snappy than accepting him to be a complicated and misunderstood character who finds that he can’t easily translate either his play or his thoughts into Western terms. Who knows he’s denigrated and that his choice to stay on a team with Sidney Crosby will only further lessen his positive significance, and that his mistakes will stand out more strongly as a result.

Both of these cases are insults and ones that most fans and media don’t even admit or are aware they’re committing. Ovechkin’s case is unique in that he’s harnessed the bias toward him for his own advantage. He now owns that brand of xenophobia to the point where his deeply-sewn lifelong problematic political affiliations and dubious personal life are long since hand-waived and smiled upon. The big dumb Russian image is especially ironic in how in-control and smart he is with it. He is literally laughing all the way to the American banks. But Malkin’s? Is sadly not unique in it’s dejection: despite his smarts, he can’t even speak in his own defense without his accent and his English level feeding into the “big dumb uncultured animal” prejudice. (Even players who speak better English are still tarred by their accent, or get the dubious praise of “wow your English is so good!”) He can’t make the kinds of rash mistakes that occur incessantly in hockey without it cancelling out the records he’s broken or the goals he generated.

Or in this case in particular, the fact that he was a target.

And oh boy. You’re a simple-minded no-hockey-understandin’ fool if you think that an opposition facing humiliation at the hands of a rival team with a big Russian who takes provocation quickly at times, isn’t going to receive direction to draw exactly the kind of penalty Raffl got out of Malkin. It got them the make-up goal for the refereeing cockup earlier in the game (the goal that already would have ended the Pens shutout). To Raffl and the Flyers, it was well-worth the risk and it paid off. Raffl was absolutely fine with risking retaliation to his actions if the result was stopping a shutout against his time, which it did. He was also more than happy to take a strategic dive and keep his mouth shut in the hopes that it would keep Malkin off the ice even longer. This is hockey and more than that, it’s Pennsylvania hockey. That is what happened, period.

In all fairness, I wouldn’t expect the Flyers or their fans to do much else because again, that’s hockey. Raffl got away with it but in their eyes, it was eye-for-an-eye over the earlier goal snatched out of their grasp by a whistle. There was nothing shocking about last night for a battle of Pennsylvania game.

I’m also not expecting any different attitude toward Malkin from fans who look for any reason to hate the Penguins and especially Malkin. Their reasons are already heavily biased, wildly over the top and of no value to anyone but themselves.

But it should feel utterly stunning to Pens fans that they are treating Geno the way they are. That the bias against him (and the double standards he faces compared to comparable situations with other Pens players) takes a situation of clear instigation and violence AGAINST Geno, and has instead turned it entirely into part of a pugilistic, brainless and animalistic fantasy that is a far cry from the reality that Geno is the vast majority of the time a smart and calculating player who sometimes lets his temper get the better of him (more on that in a lil sec!). There’s no hemming or hawing over that fact: we all know Geno doesn’t get his just desserts for the good he does due to playing on a team with Sid. We should also realise that Geno has an entirely unjust reputation for his mistakes that Sid does not get. Was Sid for a long time an emotional player who’s emotions sometimes brought harm to himself or his team? Undeniably yes. Was it gross the way opposition fans blew up that occasional flaw into something that actively fed the “Cindy crybaby” image that will now literally never die? Oh it sure is gross!

So why then is it okay that Geno’s flaw is encourage by his team’s own fans to feed a caricature of him that is intended to blot out his talent and his intelligence?

The thing is I know a lot of people think they’re not at all falling for that stereotype, but as someone who was around for the original post-Iron Curtain Russians I am coming out of my well to say: yes you are. I begged for tickets to hockey games my poor little teenage ass could scant afford just to watch the Russian 5 in person. I idolized their play. I counted Scotty King Midas Bowman as fortunate to have them on his already star-studded team. I also insulted and degraded the Russian 5 players unintentionally for years out of ignorance and out of deep-seated prejudice. So if you haven’t been disturbed by calling a notoriously intelligent player who has turned the tide of entire games and seasons on his own at times “dumb” and “violent” or chuckled at the way he expresses himself, then you’ve got some self-examination waiting.

I’ve also got hilariously zero time for people trying to sneak in their “Malkin is a dirty player” bullshit so let’s easily clear that up:

On the end of the spectrum that absolutely defines the modern dirty player: Tom Wilson makes surgical, calculated unprovoked and often blind-sided vicious hits intended to take players out of the game. Exiting the “dirty player” realm and far from Wilson is Erik Karlsson’s suspension this year for what he argued did not merit the punishment but that was still an intentional iffy hit that needed repercussion. Then you’ve got the fact that Geno reacts badly to hits and verbal provocation sometimes. If that’s a dirty player then bye bye to all the boys you’ve loved before because defining Karlsson and Malkin as “dirty” your little shits are also dirty players. The Lady Byng is given on relative terms, not because there are hockey players with truly squeaky clean records out there. If every reactionary slash and grudge-driven whack were called then hockey wouldn’t exist. These are male athletes traveling at high-speed in a contact sport, folks.

So the reaction to last night’s incident with Geno and the follow-up needs to be re-written for accuracy at least in part by Pens fans: Raffle made a targeted series of pugilistic attacks on Geno that were not called, Geno reacted with reckless high-sticking which was fairly called, and Raffl took a dive that was visible even to Philly commentators but was not called for it. NHL Player Safety is in a turmoil of trying to find “balance” in their wildly fluctuating definitions of dirty and illegal play and the hearing coupled with a complete lack of punishment or condemnation on Raffl’s headshot is a farce.

Hoping that Geno has to miss games for his mistake as a reaction to another player’s dirty tactics is… yeah that’s wrong. You’re wrong. You gotta ask yourself why you want that, if you do. A fine on top of his punishment to make a point? Okay. Missing games? When such a punishment has previously only been for targeted illegal hits? Yeah that’s extreme and bullshit.

#evgeni malkin #player safety #original posts

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theliberaltony · 6 years ago

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via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to a weekly collaboration between FiveThirtyEight and ABC News. With 5,000 people seemingly thinking about challenging President Trump in 2020 — Democrats and even some Republicans — we’re keeping tabs on the field as it develops. Each week, we’ll run through what the potential candidates are up to — who’s getting closer to officially jumping in the ring and who’s getting further away.

Nearly 20 candidates are now crisscrossing the country to court voters in early primary states, including Rep. Eric Swalwell who declared that he was running for president this week. But despite being one of the early-poll front-runners, former Vice President Joe Biden is still sitting on the sidelines for now, while the party embraces some of the lesser-known contenders.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, for instance, out-raised several well-known Democratic candidates, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, according to an ABC News analysis of candidates’ preliminary fundraising numbers from the first quarter of 2019. And in a Saint Anslem College poll of New Hampshire registered voters out this week, Buttigieg was in third place, behind Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with 11 percent of the vote. A new Quinnipiac poll of California voters put Buttigieg slightly lower, tied in fourth place with Warren, with each earning 7 percent of the vote. It’s early yet, though, so whether Buttigieg’s bump in the polls will continue, or if another candidate will edge him out, remains to be seen.

Here’s the weekly candidate roundup:

April 5-11, 2019

Stacey Abrams (D)

The Georgia Democrat continues to hover on the periphery of the 2020 field as she decides whether to run for president or Senate (or neither). When asked during an interview with CNN whether there are too many Democrats running for office, she said, “No, I think that’s a false narrative.”

“The point of a primary is to winnow down the number of people who are actually going to be viewed by the public and go through the fisticuffs of debate,” she said.

Michael Bennet (D)

Days after announcing his prostate cancer diagnosis, the Colorado senator hit the campaign trail with back-to-back stops in early-voting states. The potential 2020 candidate returned to New Hampshire for his second visit over the weekend. He then jetted to Iowa on Monday for a meet and greet with the Polk County Democrats.

Joe Biden (D)

Despite capturing headlines last week over claims that he made several women uncomfortable by inappropriately touching them, Biden avoided controversy during a speech to accept a lifetime achievement for his work supporting cancer access and affordability, particularly for African Americans.

At the close of his remarks, he told the crowd in Washington, “I am convinced, as we make significant progress in cancer, the only truly nonpartisan issue facing the country, that the rest of the nation is going to say, ‘Dammit we can do anything. This is the United States of America.’”

With an announcement expected in the coming weeks, according to CNBC, Biden stopped at the University of Pennsylvania on Thursday for a panel discussion on the opioid epidemic. He will also deliver the eulogy for late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings in Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday.

Cory Booker (D)

Booker, who formally announced his entry into the 2020 race in February, is hosting a hometown official kickoff on Saturday to launch his “Justice for All Tour” that will take him on a two-week trip across the country.

At the onset of the week, the New Jersey senator introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate to form a commission to study reparations. Booker told The Root that he “unequivocally supports” reparations for black people. His bill is a companion to HR 40, introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the U.S. House.

“Since slavery in this country, we have had overt policies fueled by white supremacy and racism that have oppressed African Americans economically for generations,” he said. “[The bill] will bring together the best minds to study the issue and propose solutions that will finally begin to right the economic scales of past harms and make sure we are a country where all dignity and humanity is affirmed.”

Pete Buttigieg (D)

Earlier this week, Buttigieg traded barbs with Vice President Mike Pence after he criticized the former Indiana governor for his views on LGBTQ issues.

“If me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade,” he told a crowd at the LGBTQ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch. “That’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand. That if you got a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me — your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”

Pence’s press secretary responded to Buttigieg’s comments, writing in a tweet, “The last time we recall Pence even mentioned @PeteButtigieg was in 2015, after news that Pete came out, Pence said: ‘I hold Mayor Buttigieg in the highest personal regard. I see him as a dedicated public servant and a patriot.’”

The 37-year-old South Bend mayor, who announced his exploratory committee in January, is poised to officially launch his candidacy on Sunday at a rally in his hometown.

Julian Castro (D)

In the hours after President Trump touched down in San Antonio for a fundraiser, Castro held an opposing rally in the city, according to the Corpus Christi Caller Times. Admonishing the president’s hardline immigration policies, the former San Antonio mayor said: “People in San Antonio understand the value of immigrants. This is a city that has been built up by immigrants, and it’s one of the most successful cities in the United States. It’s a testament to the power of immigration over the generations.”

The former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development travels to Iowa on Sunday for his third trip to the first-in-the-nation caucus state since announcing his candidacy.

John Delaney (D)

Delaney, one of the first candidates in the field, emphasized his centrist platform on the trail in Pennsylvania to cast himself as a “different kind” of Democrat, according to the The Daily Pennsylvanian.

On Sunday, Delaney makes his 17th trip to New Hampshire, meeting with voters in Bedford, Nashua, Laconia, Meredith, Conway, Lancaster and Deerfield.

Tulsi Gabbard (D)

Gabbard, who launched her campaign in January, hit a significant milestone on Wednesday: reaching the 65,000 donor threshold needed to qualify for the first Democratic debate.

Thank you! I’m extremely grateful that over 65,000 of you have now donated to our campaign, ensuring our voice will be heard in the upcoming debates. For a small campaign that doesn’t accept PAC money, I knew we had to rely fully on the power of the people. Aloha & Mahalo! pic.twitter.com/Uw303e2JUh

— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) April 10, 2019

“For a small campaign like ours without a big dollar donor network and a campaign that refuses PAC contributions, we knew we had to rely fully on the power of the people,” she said in a video posted on her Twitter account. “We’ve been blown away.”

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

The New York senator contended with past congressional votes this week as she addressed her controversial record on immigration during her tenure in the U.S. House while also embracing her relationship with former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

“When I was a member of Congress from upstate New York, I was really focused on the priorities of my district. When I became senator of the entire state, I recognized that some of my views really did need to change,” Gillibrand said during a CNN town hall Tuesday. “They were not thoughtful enough and didn’t care enough about people outside of the original upstate New York district that I represented. So, I learned.”

GIllibrand also said in the town hall that Clinton has given her advice about her presidential campaign and is a “role model for all of us.”

“Hillary Clinton put that 65 million cracks in that highest and hardest glass ceiling. She’s inspired the world by her bravery and courage,” Gillibrand said. “Secretary Clinton is still a role model for all of us.” But despite her admiration for Clinton, Gillibrand said that she believes former President Bill Clinton should have resigned after the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Kamala Harris (D)

Harris signaled that she’s open to an all-female Democratic ticket in 2020, saying in an interview on SiriusXM Progress’s Make It Plain, “Wouldn’t that be fabulous?”

Harris landed in third place in a new Quinnpiac University poll of her home state of California. The poll found that Harris had the support of 17 percent of Democrats and voters who lean Democratic, putting her behind Biden (26 percent) and Sanders (18 percent).

She also made her third trip to Iowa earlier this week — focusing on the issue of raising teacher pay — according to her campaign.

John Hickenlooper (D)

The former Colorado governor took the stage at the Building Trades Conference in Washington to court the pro-union crowd, urging that the country “needs a president” that supports unions.

In his speech, Hickenlooper focused on his private sector experience as a business owner, saying that it will complement his ambitions in the public sector.

“I didn’t check off how many times I said you’re fired,” he told the audience, an apparent jab at President Trump. “I said you’re hired. … That’s why I am running for president.”

Hickenlooper will also make six stops in Iowa starting Friday, during his second trip to the state.

Jay Inslee (D)

Inslee, who has staked his 2020 candidacy on climate change, reinforced his focus on the issue Wednesday while seeking to show his broader record beyond climate.

“We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation, literally, who can do something about it,” the Washington governor said at a CNN town hall.

He also took aim at one key debate playing out across the 2020 field — reforming Senate rules and the filibuster. “We’re not going to be able to get health care done, or anything else for that matter, unless we get rid of the filibuster,” he said. “If the filibuster is still in Mitch McConnell’s hand come 2021, all hope is sort of down the tubes to be able to do real significant reform.”

Inslee travels to Iowa on Friday to visit community members who have been affected by recent flooding, according to his campaign.

Amy Klobuchar (D)

After announcing earlier this week that her campaign committee, Amy for America, raked in $5.2 million in the seven weeks after the launch of her campaign, Klobuchar stopped at a union conference in Washington to deliver a pitch to voters.

Politico reported that the Minnesota senator spoke about her grandfather saving money in a coffee can to send her father to college and her father’s struggle with alcoholism later in life.

“I saw him sink to the lowest valleys because of his struggles. He got three DWIs, and it was on the third DWI that he finally had to go and get treatment,” she said. “Because of his work, because of people that worked with him … just like people work with you, he was pursued by grace, and his life changed.”

Terry McAuliffe (D)

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is still considering a run for the White House, signaled that he is closer to making a final decision. “I have not made my decision yet. I am very close,” he said at the Building Trades Conference in Washington. “If I do decide, I’ll make a decision in a couple of weeks.”

McAuliffe spent most of his speech Wednesday touting his record as governor of Virginia — before underscoring his willingness to take on President Trump.

“I think when you’re looking for your next president, you have to look at the governors because they are CEOs,” he said. “I just want you to remember one thing — of all the candidates running, how many have actually wrestled a 280-pound, 8-foot alligator for a political contribution for $15,000.”

“If I can wrestle an alligator, I can sure as hell wrestle Donald Trump,” he said.

Wayne Messam (D)

After announcing his long-shot bid for president, Messam traveled to both South Carolina and Nevada, before heading to California on Thursday. The Democratic mayor of Miramar, Florida, kicked off a two-day visit in the state with a stop at the University of Southern California’s College Democrats meeting.

Seth Moulton (D)

The Massachusetts Democrat embarked on a tour through the early primary states of New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa and, most recently, Nevada.

The former Marine, who is considering a 2020 bid, sought to bill himself as an “outsider” in his pitch to a core group of Nevada voters: veterans.

“I’ve always been an outsider,” Moulton said, according to the Nevada Independent. “I’ve always been willing to take on the Washington establishment. That’s been true in almost everything I’ve done, and I’m someone who doesn’t have a long political history. But I am someone who believes in this country.”

As Moulton inches closer to a decision, Politico reported that he is asking voters if he should run for higher office in digital advertisements running on social media.

pic.twitter.com/s9kHe5Qo3Y

— Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) April 10, 2019

Beto O’Rourke (D)

The presidential hopeful recently told the Texas Tribune that he had a change of heart about a controversial vote he cast in 2016 on offshore drilling.

His campaign spokesperson told the news outlet that his vote to allow federal dollars to fund oil and gas exploration studies in the eastern Gulf was about trying to “get off of our foreign reliance on resources in oil and gas that has caused so much foreign wars and American lives and troops and resources.” But after speaking with voters on the campaign trail, the spokesperson said, O’Rourke “wouldn’t cast the same vote today.”

The former Texas congressman has been crisscrossing early voting states, bringing the style of his unsuccessful 2018 Senate bid against Ted Cruz to the rest of the country. After an 843-mile drive through Iowa, O’Rourke returns to South Carolina on Friday for his second trip since announcing his candidacy, for a three-day drive through Charleston, Clemson, Denmark, Beaufort and other communities.

Tim Ryan (D)

In a pro-worker pitch to a union audience at the Building Trade Conference, the newly announced 2020 candidate anchored his speech to his roots in the Midwest, pushing a populist message to the predominantly blue collar audience.

“The national emergency in the United States today is that the American dream for millions of Americans is on life support,” he began. He also took a swipe at Trump, without mentioning him by name: “Put the phone down, let’s get to work.”

But the native Ohioan then turned his criticism inward, to his own party, suggesting that Democrats don’t need a “savior” but someone who can “grind it.” He also added that the party should “not be so hostile to the free enterprise system, not be hostile to business.”

Bernie Sanders (D)

All eyes were on the two-time White House hopeful’s tax returns this week. Sanders, a millionaire, told The New York Times he would release 10 years of tax returns by April 15. He refused to do so in 2016, which brought comparisons to President Trump.

Sanders also introduced a signature piece of legislation Wednesday: the Medicare for All Act. The bill, which he has introduced several times in the past decade, is far more sweeping than previous versions; it would provide government-run, Medicare-style health insurance for all Americans.

“Health care is a human right not a privilege,” Sanders said. “Together, we are going to end the international embarrassment of the United States of America — our great country being the only major nation on earth not to guarantee health care to all as a right. That is going to end.”

Earlier this month, Sanders reported that his first-quarter fundraising numbers show that he pulled in an impressive $18.2 million. Sanders heads to several Midwest battleground states this weekend, holding rallies in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Howard Schultz (I)

The former Starbucks CEO, who has not formally entered the race, stopped in Johnson County, Kansas, this week to pitch running as an independent to voters.

Schultz said he plans to make a decision over the summer on running, according to the Kansas City Star. During his trip through Kansas, before continuing on to Arizona and Utah, he told a crowd at a local community college that “the extreme ideology of the Republicans and the extreme ideology of the Democrats do not represent the vast majority of Americans who are at the center of this country, and we have to unleash them.”

Eric Swalwell (D)

The U.S. House member from California officially announced his candidacy on Monday on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

“It’s official,” Swalwell said. “Boy, did it feel good to say that.”

Swalwell also unveiled that gun control and student loan debt will be the centerpiece of his 2020 agenda on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

“I’m telling folks, keep your rifles, keep your shotguns, keep your pistols, we just want the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous people,” Swalwell said. “Most gun owners believe that.”

At his first event as a presidential candidate, Swalwell visited Broward County — the site of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and teachers. “Throughout this campaign, there will be other issues that I talk about — health care, education and climate change,” he said. “But my pledge to you tonight is that this issue comes first.”

Elizabeth Warren (D)

Warren announced a $6 million fundraising haul in the first quarter from 135,000 donors. The average donation was $28.

While the Massachusetts senator bested two of her colleagues in the Senate — outraising both Klobuchar and Booker by $1 million — she still fell short of others like Sanders and Harris.

The announcement came on the heels of Warren releasing her 2018 federal tax returns, which revealed that she and her husband together made nearly $850,000 and paid about $231,000 in federal taxes after deductions on that income.

“I’ve put out 11 years of my tax returns because no one should ever have to guess who their elected officials are working for. Doing this should be law,” Warren said in a statement.

Andrew Yang (D)

Yang told ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” that his cornerstone universal basic income proposal — which would provide every U.S. adult with a $1,000 guaranteed monthly income — will prepare the U.S. economy for the 21st century.

“We have to solve the problems that got Donald Trump elected in 2016,” Yang said. “And to me, the main driver of his victory was that we automated away 4 million manufacturing jobs in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, the swing states he needed to win.”

Yang said he’s running to prepare the country for a future in which new technologies could cause a third of the nation’s jobs to disappear.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Kendall Karson

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creativity-is-rebellion · 6 years ago

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My Favourite Creepy and Abandoned Places From Around the World

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with researching and reading about creepy and abandoned towns or places around the world, whether it was notorious (supposedly) haunted buildings, abandoned hotels and neighbourhoods, or forgotten cities and towns that now lie in decay. I think the appeal lay in the possibility of these places being more than what they seemed or what was readily apparent, a skewing of everyday realities into something atypically fascinating. I will share some of my favourite creepy and abandoned places from around the world below.

Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA

The inspiration for the video game and movie, ‘Silent Hill,’ Centralia today is a near-ghost town occupied by only 10 people (according to the 2017 census) due to a fire that has been burning beneath the borough since 1962. That year, there was a trash fire in a strip mine beneath the town which ignited a blaze that rages with the same fury today as it did 57 years ago. On a Sunday, the day before Memorial Day, the townsfolk had decided that the best method of taking care of the landfill trash heap before the festivities began was to set fire to it - a very common practice back then. The problem was that Centralia had been a major coal mining area in the past, and the landfill was located on top of an old coal mine.

They set the fire on May 25th. The fire latched onto an old coal seam from the mine and slowly spread throughout the mines under the city.Even though the visible flames were doused throughout the day on the 25th, more fires were spotted on May 29th. This pattern of putting out fires and finding them sprouting up again days later would continue for weeks. And when there weren’t visible fires, residents complained about the constant smell of smouldering trash and coal. Authorities tried for years to extinguish the fire. They pumped a slurry of ash, water, and rocks into the mine, but nothing worked. Eventually, they had no choice but to give up, and the city was condemned.

The Centralia mine fire led to the city being all but abandoned. Families were relocated to neighbouring towns. Today, the surface of the streets is no longer hot like it was previously, since the fire has moved down deeper into the earth. But smoke can still be found creeping out of the ground in places. The ground has been so weakened by half a century of fire that a sinkhole can open anywhere at any moment. Portions of Route 61 just outside the city had to be closed and redirected since it’s not safe to drive there. Furthermore, since the coal from the underground mines produces deadly carbon monoxide, the air isn’t safe to breathe in certain areas. Centralia today looks like it has been hit by the apocalypse. Some have gone so far as to describe the eerie place as hell on earth. There are cracking tar roads with smoke billowing out of them, graffiti on abandoned, derelict buildings and signs to warn people that the ground could swallow you at any minute. There are more graves at the cemetery than there are people in the town. Centralia now mostly attracts tourists who visit the abandoned highway, where many profanities and obscene pictures are spray painted.

Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat is a ghost town in the northern part of the Ukraine, near the Ukraine-Belarus border, famous for being the town closest to the No. 4 reactor involved in the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear power plant disaster of all time. On the 26th of April, 1986, during a test to see how much power was needed to keep the No. 4 reactor operating in the event of a blackout, the No. 4 reactor exploded, causing a fire which released an extremely dangerous amount of radioactive chemicals in the air.

Pripyat, which was founded in 1970 and had a population of around 49,000 at the time of the explosion, was located only about three kilometres from the explosion. As a result, the entire city was forced to evacuate on April 27th, 1986, in just three hours. Over three decades later, this ghost town is a freeze-frame of the Soviet Union in 1986. Communist propaganda still hangs on walls, and personal belongings from the residents who lived there long ago still litter the streets and the abandoned buildings. The hammer and sickle emblems of communism still decorate lamp-posts, awaiting May Day celebrations that never took place, and toys are strewn about a school house where they were last dropped by children who are now fully grown. All clocks in the area are frozen at 11:55, the moment the electricity was cut.

The IAEA estimates that approximately 30 people were initially killed by the explosion and related radiation exposure, with several thousand additional deaths due to higher cancer incidence possible over the long term. As with any site where a number of people have lost their lives, Pripyat is rife with ghost stories. In 1997, Andrei Kharsukov, a visiting nuclear physicist, told one such story, stating that he went to the power station at 7:30 a.m., and went to the No. 4 reactor sarcophagus, which is where the explosion occurred. He could not go inside due to radiation, but as he took radiation readings, he heard someone screaming for rescue from a fire inside. The reactor door required a password and a hand-print, but as he claimed, someone, or something, was inside. Another pretty unsettling theory was that the radioactive detonation caused a select few not to die. In fact, quite the opposite. It gave them enhanced strength and speed, with the downside being that it made them zombies.

These days, the site has become a tourist destination, with the government giving interested individuals a pass to tour the areas of Pripyat, including schools, hospitals, houses, apartment buildings, and even the amusement park and shipyard. It is also possible to visit the actual site where the explosion happened, but visitors must stay at least 200 meters away in the case of any radiation that escapes the Number 4 Nuclear Reactor Sarcophagus, built to keep in any more radiation.

Flinders Highway, Queensland, Australia

Known as ‘Queensland’s own Wolf Creek,’ which refers to an Australian horror movie franchise of the same name, it is speculated that this lonely 754-kilometre stretch of road is the hunting ground for Australia’s longest-running serial killer, spanning 40+ years. The Flinders Highway that turns into the Barkly Highway is an isolated, remote stretch of bitumen between Townsville and Mt. Isa , and is known as “The Highway of Death”. The blood-red ranges, open plains and dry river beds surrounding its rugged terrain have stood as silent witness to at least 12 unsolved cold cases and chilling killings, including the 37-year-old murder mystery of hitch-hiker Tony Jones; Catherine Graham, who was found dead at Anthill Creek, west of Townsville, in 1975 (her head had been bashed in with a rock); the Mackay sisters, Judith and Susan, whose bodies were found stabbed, raped and strangled (they were only 5 and 7 years old), Gordon Twaddle, along with Timothy Thompson and Karen Edwards, who were all found shot in the head near Mt. Isa in 1978, Robin Hoinville-Bartram, whose skeletal remains were found west of Charters Towers (she’d been shot in the head, execution style), and Anita Cunningham, who disappeared in 1972 whilst hitchhiking with Robin, to name a few. Most recently, 22-year-old Jayden Penno-Tompsett went missing from the highway on New Year’s Eve in 2017, on his way to Cairns.

As stated by the brother of one of the missing people, “It is it’s own world out there. Strange things do happen in those wild, empty spaces.” The long-running list of missing and murdered individuals seem to point to this stretch of road being a place that is best to avoid. Nevertheless, hitch-hiking is still common practice along the Flinders Highway, with countless unsuspecting people putting their lives at risk every day.

‘The Crystal Highway’ (Rockhampton to Mackay), Queensland, Australia

On a related note, just south of Flinders Highway, the drive from Rockhampton to Mackay is almost just as terrifying and taxing. Known as the “Central Queensland Badlands,” due to the fact that it is a worthless stretch of scrubby floodplain that separates the cattle country of Rockhampton from the canefields of Mackay. It is a very spooky landscape, perhaps due to the isolation one feels when driving through it. Alternatively, it is also known as the “Horror Stretch,” due to a combination of the eerie but boredom-inducing, unpicturesque nothingness of the drive, the number of fatal crashes that have happened along this highway, and the list of disappearances and murders that have occurred along it.

The most infamous murder was Noel Weckert, a skydiver driving with his wife to a jumpers' carnival in Rockhampton, who was found slumped, still seat-belted, in the front seat of his Toyota Celica. He had been shot dead through the head with a .22 calibre rifle, probably while sleeping. Meanwhile, the bloated, sun-broiled body of his wife, also shot through the head, was found two weeks later in a creek, where she had apparently fled her attackers. Eventually two men were charged with what became known as the Connors River murders, and were sentenced to life imprisonment, but not before more ghosts and more stories from the Horror Stretch, some real, some imagined, had emerged, including a couple of English holidaymakers similarly shot at by a sniper; a 14-year-old girl that went missing; a 26-year-old Aboriginal woman that was sexually assaulted, murdered and dumped in the Fitzroy River, and more travellers, two from Sydney, shot as they slept in sleeping bags by the roadside.

These stories are even more terrifying to me since I have in fact travelled this highway myself whilst on holiday, and can thus attest to its uneasy atmosphere. We decided not to have lunch in Rockhampton, figuring we’d be able to find a diner on the way up to Airlie Beach, only to discover that there weren’t any places to eat for at least 250 kilometres, and my husband ended up being so tired that we didn’t reach our destination, a camping site near Airlie Beach, until the next day. We decided to sleep by the road-side that night, but I didn’t get much shut-eye at all. I didn’t read about this highway’s reputation until months after I visited it, but once I read it, it made perfect sense, and I feel as if I survived something quite eerie indeed.

Lier Psychiatric Hospital, Norway

A list like this wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of an abandoned psychiatric hospital, and I wanted to avoid being typical by including one from Norway, instead of the usual lists that include ones from America. Reading about this place made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in all the right ways, and was the inspiration for one of my short stories. Located in the middle of nowhere, just outside Oslo (the capital of Norway), this hospital has a long history as an institution. The sickest people in society were stowed away here and went from being people to being test subjects in the pharmaceutical industry’s search for new and better drugs. The massive buildings house the memory of a grim chapter in Norwegian psychiatric history the authorities would rather forget. Here, the staff tested new medicines, lobotomy, electroshock “therapy,” and drugs like LSD on the patients in hope it could make them better. Those that were tested on frequently failed to ever leave and died on hospital grounds, as is apparent by the old suitcases still stuffed full of clothes located in some of the rooms even today. Today, the only visitors are teenagers going there at nights looking for ghosts and soaking up the spooky atmosphere.

Island of the Dolls, New Mexico, Mexico

Even though this island is now totally abandoned, over 50 years ago, a man named Don Julian Santana left his wife and kids and moved there to live the rest of his life alone. When he was living there, the body of a dead little girl came floating up in one of the canals. Don Julian thought he had become haunted by her spirit. He began to collect dolls and decorate the island with them. He would trade vegetables and fruits in exchange for any dolls. The dolls were believed to be used by Don Julian as a shrine for the spirit that haunted him. He continuously collected dolls and decorated them all over the island, until he died.

These days, hundreds of these terrifying dolls, their severed limbs, decapitated heads, and blank eyes adorn trees in varying states of decay. Since Don Julian’s death in 2001, the place has become a popular tourist attraction, where visitors bring more dolls to put on display.

Lincoln Way, Clairton, Pennsylvania, USA

If you’ve ever wondered what the world would be like if you fast-forwarded into the future only to find yourself standing in the midst of a post-apocalyptic world, one main road in Clairton, Pennsylvania would definitely fire up your imagination. Once a lively cul-de-sac residential street with 16 homes, all that’s left are abandoned, crumbling homes, overgrown trees and bushes and the crumbling asphalt roadway and sidewalks. What exactly happened on Lincoln Way that made everybody abandon their homes, leaving behind all of their belongings? What kind of stories sit buried in the remnants left behind by each family previously inhabiting these houses? When the local authorities or locals themselves are asked, you never get a straight answer, with most of them avoiding answering the question altogether. One urban paranormal legend states that a beast the size of a horse with red eyes resides and lingers in the woods that surrounds the “once was” community of Lincoln Way, which is why they all left in such a hurry. Another, less scary, proposal is that the houses had to be abandoned due to an exceeding amount of foreclosure, or over environmental concerns, such as toxic fumes being emitted from the coke piles at the U.S. Steel Clairton Plant situated directly across from the neighbourhood on North State Street. Some former residents stated frequent sickness, unbearable bad odours and unexplained occurrences. Others say the properties were bought up and the neighbourhood was to be demolished for a highway expansion that never happened.

Tax assessment records also show that the homes have had the same owners since the 1970s , but payment of taxes have been spotty or non-existent for all but three of the homes, regardless of being occupied or not. Over the years, some of the homes have burned down or fallen down, but around ten of them remain with leaking roofs, crumbling walls, rotting floors and broken windows, the copper and other metals having been stripped by salvagers. There are also several sinkholes scattered around the land surrounding Lincoln Way. According to Clairton city manager Howard Bednar, the city hopes to demolish the remaining homes, but with tight budgets, abandoned homes that sit among occupied areas of the city are more of a priority. Once demolished, the Redevelopment Authority of Clairton will take possession of the properties that are delinquent on their taxes. Until then, Lincoln Way will continue to serve as a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic future.

Oradour-Sur-Glane, France

Amongst all the tragedies that occurred in World War Two, one French village and the events that transpired there, stand out. The town of Oradour-sur-Glane was witness to a brutal massacre that killed almost every man, woman, and child in the village on the afternoon of the 10th of June, 1944. In order to avenge the kidnapping of a German soldier by the French Resistance, Nazi SS troops herded more than 400 women and children into the village church, soaked it in petrol and blocked all the exits before setting it all alight. The men were moved by Nazi forces into the village’s barns, shot so they couldn’t move and doused in petrol before being set ablaze. The final death toll stood at 642 people, including 254 women, 207 children, and 181 men.

Since the massacre, Oradour-sur-Glane has remained untouched, serving as a reminder of the atrocities of war and the evil of the Nazis, as well as a shrine to the unfortunate people who died.

50 Berkeley Square, London, United Kingdom

This list wouldn’t be complete without a genuine haunted house example. 50 Berkeley Square has a long-held reputation as being the "Most Haunted House in London." The four-storey brick town house, built in the late 18th century, has a rather chequered history, with a number of deaths having taken place within its walls. However, it is not the number of deaths that is important, but rather the manner in which they occurred. Quite a few people are said to have perished due to the terror instilled within them by a nameless horror that claims the building as its home.

The earliest ghost sightings come in the form of a young woman, seen to be hanging from the windowsill on the uppermost floor. She can be seen screaming, before letting go and disappearing as she falls. Legend has it that a young girl named Adeline threw herself out of this window in order to get away from her abusive uncle. The type of abuse varies, but in all respects, it was quite cruel. Her ghost was reported as early as 1789, and old newspapers report that "since then more than 50 respectable people have reported seeing Adeline clinging to the windowsill, about to drop to her doom."

In 1872, aristocrat and politician Lord George Lyttelton stayed a night in the house for a bet. He set up a bed in the attic where he was to sleep the night, to test his resolve against the horror said to reside there. He did not really believe in the nonsense stories, but still took a shotgun for good measure. During the night, an apparition in the form of a brown tendrilled misty mass appeared, and Lyttelton fired his gun at it. In the morning light, he looked for what he had fired at, but there were no remains or proof that he had hit anything at all. Lyttelton would later say that the upper rooms were "supernaturally fatal to body and mind."

In 1879, a new family had moved into the house, and one of the daughters was due to have her fiancée visit. The maid was sent upstairs to set up the attic room as a guest room. Soon she was heard screaming, and when the family ran up to see what the commotion was about, they found her on the floor, backed into the corner, repeating over and over again "Do not let it touch me". She died the following day in an asylum.

Upon hearing this, a 'nobleman' stayed in the attic to get to the bottom of what had happened. He was a rather sceptical chap, but still the family told him to ring a bell they placed for him, if there was any trouble. His is the first death officially reported in the house. The cause of death was 'from fright'. In the middle of the night the bell was heard to ring, frantically followed by a gunshot. He was found dead on the floor, his face a mask of terror.

By 1887 the house was once again empty, and due its reputation, no-one was keen to move in. Luckily for the house, two more victims arrived, this time in the form of sailors – Edward Blunden and Robert Martin. On Christmas Eve the sailors had arrived in London, but had no money for lodgings, so they wandered the streets until they could find an empty building to make camp for the night. They eventually found their way to Berkeley Square, and seeing that number 50 was obviously vacant, decided to spend the night there. They settled for a second-floor bedroom, and soon Martin was asleep, but Blunden was restless and frightened. He could hear footsteps in the corridor, and soon the door opened. As Blunden watched, a dark and shapeless form entered the room. Blunden reached for a makeshift weapon, a fire poker from the fireplace. The noise had awoken Martin, who saw the massive tendril strangling Blunden. Fearing for his own safety, Martin took the opportunity to run out the bedroom door, down the stairs, and out of the building, where he soon ran into a police constable. Martin relayed the story and the two men went back to number fifty. What they found was Blunden, dead on the pavement. He had either jumped or been thrown out of the second-floor window, his body crushed by the fall.

The stories continued from those brave or foolhardy enough to venture into number 50 after dark, but soon eventually the building was occupied again, this time by the Maggs Bros – Antiquarian Book Dealers. They have occupied the building since 1937, and have never reported any major disturbances. The staff have, however, heard strange noises from the upstairs rooms, but none have dared to venture there, not out of fear, but rather because they are not allowed to, as the police have placed a sign, a warning saying that the upper most rooms are not to be used for anything, not even storage.

If you take a look for information on this location, you will find many more stories about the nameless horror that resides in number 50 Berkeley Square. You will also find different versions of the stories discussed here, as they change as they are retold, like most ghost stories that stretch back for any long period of time. The versions posted here are my favourites.

Mt Everest, Nepal

And now, on to a place where most of us will never visit, but which is no less spooky. Mount Everest serves not only as a testament to the majesty of nature's beauty, but as an alluring siren song calling to the heart of every adventurer. Despite the risks, thousands swarm to Nepal every year in an effort to conquer the tallest point on Earth. Many of them never leave. Over 250 bodies remain on Everest, giving it claim to the title of the world's largest open-air graveyard. While most Mount Everest deaths occur due to avalanches, falls, and exposure to the harsh climate, the area known as the “Death Zone” holds a terribly high body count and comes with its own unique set of problems.

As one climber put it: "Everest is littered with dead bodies. For the most part everyone stays very positive, you don’t talk about this stuff, but you can’t help but notice the bodies because their clothes are still bright. You might see some bare flesh, but you won't see a skull as the skin is almost embalmed as if it's been frozen in time, almost like a waxwork. The clothes are flapping in the wind and ultra violet light, each person with their own story."

The Death Zone is commonly known as the area above 26,000 feet. When the human body enters this altitude, it slowly starts to die. Then it becomes a race against the clock for climbers to make it from this mark to the peak and back again before their body fails them. Since oxygen at this level is only a third of what it is at sea level, climbers may find themselves sluggish, disoriented, and fatigued. The pressure makes weight feel ten times heavier and causes extreme distress on organs. Because of these severe effects, climbers usually only have a window of 48 hours inside the Death Zone and are strongly urged to use supplemental oxygen at all times.

If someone dies on Everest, it's almost impossible to retrieve their body, especially in the Death Zone. Due to unbearable weather conditions, severe lack of oxygen, pressure on dead weight, and the fact that many bodies on Mount Everest are completely frozen onto the mountain face, most corpses are left exactly as they fall. Overall, standard protocol is to simply let these figures, frozen in the final moments of death, become a permanent addition to the rocky terrain. It would make sense that the mountain's nickname is EVER REST.

And that concludes my list on this topic for now. I may do another similar list sometime down the track. Farewell.

#haunted #creepy #abandoned #interesting places #creativityisrebellion

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