#thank you so much to our fabulous hosts for throwing this event!!

[domesticatedantelope]

proximity

a self-indulgent next door neighbors au for rodaw: best boy’s day

Pairing: Logan x MC

Rating: T

Word Count: 3k

i. 

Logan moves in on the first hot day of summer.

It takes him three long hours in the sun and several trips back up and down the chipped paint staircase at the end of the hall. By the time he maneuvers his beaten old futon mattress through the front door, his arms ache and his t-shirt sticks with sweat between his shoulder blades. 

There’s never much to move: whatever clothes fit in the back of the Devore, and just enough junk furniture to rest his feet on. At the end of the day, his footsteps echo a little too loudly against all the empty wall space, but the place is safe and quiet. And it’s something to call his own. 

He’s hunting through the boxes strewn in landmine fashion across the floor for a clean shirt when a few timid knocks break the silence. He pauses with his arms half-pushed through the sleeves, listening intently, and he thinks he hears a sigh from beyond the door as he approaches.

A quick look through the peephole offers him a fisheye glimpse of freckles and dark curls. The girl outside his door bites down on her bottom lip and fidgets where she stands, finally daring a glance up into the tiny glass lens, where her wide eyes unknowingly meet his own.

The notion sinks in slowly, unfamiliar. 

Logan has relocated more times than he cares to remember — lifted his life by the roots and left the rest behind — but this, he realizes, is a first. 

Because he’s fairly certain people just don’t do this anymore. 

Or at least he was, until his neighbor showed up with a plate of cookies in her hands. 

She startles when he opens the door, the hint of a blush coloring the freckles on her cheeks as she blinks up at him and offers a shy smile. “Hi. Sorry to bother you,” she starts, and the sound of her voice brings the beach to mind, the soft way the waves sigh against the sand. “I know you just got done moving in, but I, um… thought I should introduce myself. I’m Mercy. I live in 104.” She shifts the plate to one hand and holds the other out for him to shake. 

Logan finds himself smiling as he takes it, especially when it makes the blush deepen on her face. “Logan.” He leans against the doorframe with a grin, nodding toward the plate in her hands. “Those for me?”

Her smile widens to match his, more certain. “Only if you like snickerdoodles. Otherwise I will have to insist you let me bake you something else.”

The plate is still warm when she passes it over, a heap of golden cookies piled neatly beneath a shiny slip of plastic wrap. It might be the most wholesome thing he’s ever seen. “Thank you. Really. You didn’t have to do that.”

She averts her gaze then, toying with the tail end of a curl. “Well, my mother would be disappointed if I didn’t do the neighborly thing and welcome you with fresh-baked cookies.” She breathes a nervous laugh, and when she speaks again her words all tumble together in a rush. “Also, I teach piano lessons every other day, and the walls here can be really thin, and I just wanted to say sorry ahead of time, and I promise it’ll only be during business hours, and if we’re ever too loud, you can totally come over and let me know, and—!”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Logan cuts in gently, holding a hand out as if he might stem the tide of her apologies. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. I’m hardly ever home anyways. I can promise it won’t bother me.”

She tugs her lip between her teeth again. “You say that now, but wait until you’re hearing off-key Für Elise for the fifth time in a row. You’ll be begging the landlord to evict me.”

He laughs. “Trust me, Mercy. I wouldn’t do that to you.” He feels a smirk tilt at the corner of his mouth, and drops his voice conspiratorially low. “Besides, I’ve already taken the bribe. No walking back on it now.”

The last of the anxious energy seems to ease from her shoulders when she giggles, and the smile she beams up at him is sweeter even than the smell of cinnamon and sugar. He wonders absently if kissing her would taste like cookies, too. “In that case… I guess we have a deal. The snickerdoodles in exchange for your silence.”

“I’ve had worse deals.”

Her gaze lingers a moment longer on the shape of his smirk before she blinks and glances down the hall toward her own door. “I, um… have some studying I need to get back to, but... it was really nice meeting you, Logan.”

“Not as nice as meeting you,” he assures her smoothly, rewarded by the delicate pink flush that warms her cheeks again. It’s far too easy, summoning that blush; he thinks he could get dangerously used to it. “Thanks again. I’ll bring the plate back as soon as I’m done with it.”

“No rush. You know where to find me.” She arcs a small, cheery wave at him, and he watches the waves of her hair bounce as she walks the short distance back to her apartment. There’s an eager sort of warmth that sits in his chest when he kicks the front door shut behind him. His steps still echo when he walks, but if he’s quiet he can just make out the sound of Mercy moving in the next apartment over, and the noise of nearby life softens the empty feeling in the room. He takes a bite of cookie that melts perfectly on his tongue, and smiles as he settles in to unpack.

ii. 

Logan wasn’t kidding about never being home.

Mercy doesn’t see him for another couple weeks, aside from the short interlude when he drops by to bring her plate back — when the firm broad of his shoulders fill her doorway, and he shoots her that same tempting smile, and it feels like tilting her face up into the sun. The image of it floats across her thoughts, firmly imprinted in the fleeting daydreams between essays and lessons and exams. 

The summer starts to sink its teeth in, bleeding hazy heat waves well into the dark of night. Her shoddy AC unit struggles helplessly against the swelter, and she finds her only solace curled up in a chair below her open window, begging any semblance of a breeze to whisper through. She’s on her third night in a row of letting ice cubes slowly melt against her neck when she hears the unmistakable sound of a window scraping open. The crash of boots on metal quickly follows, and she cranes her neck to peer over the sill and see the familiar shape of dark hair and wide shoulders on the fire escape. 

“Logan?”

He turns at the sound of his name, a grin stretching across his face when he spots her through the window. “Hey, Mercy. You trying to escape the heat, too?”

“Trying,” she confirms, and reaches for the tray of ice at her side, holding it out toward him in lethargic invitation. “Ice cube?”

With a pleasant, rumbly laugh, he plucks a slightly melted ice cube loose and folds his fingers in around it. “Thanks. You know, it’s a lot better out here. Feel like joining me?”

His smile leaves a flutter in her stomach; her daydreams haven’t done it justice. It’s been a while since she clambered through her window, but she manages to climb over the sill with little difficulty. Logan offers her a hand to help her through, his fingers still cold from the ice, only letting her go once her feet are firmly planted on the fire escape. 

And oh, he was so right.

She can’t help a blissful sigh as a breeze lifts at the curled ends of her hair, cooling the flush of heat from her skin. “Oh, my god.”

Logan chuckles knowingly beside her. “Better?”

“The best.” Mercy joins him at the railing, where he rests his elbows and peers out over the darkness of the alley below. An easy quiet settles in the space between them while she revels in the first glimpse of relief she’s felt all night, soothed by the busy melodies of city life around them, voices and laughter and traffic on the distant highway. He’s rolled the short sleeves of his t-shirt up his shoulders, leaving the bronze skin of his arms uninterrupted, and she finds herself almost grateful for the heat when a blush starts to rise in her cheeks. 

He seems to notice her staring, because he arches a brow and tilts his head to smirk down at her. “Come here often?”

Despite her mortification, Mercy laughs. His expression softens at the sound, something tender in the angle of his smile. “Sometimes,” she admits, her finger tracing idle patterns at the metal of the railing. “On clear nights mostly, when I want to see the stars.”

His gaze flickers from her face up to the sliver of night sky barely visible between apartment buildings. “Kinda hard to see the stars from here, isn’t it?”

“It’s not the best view,” she agrees with a quiet laugh. “Just enough to remind me that they’re up there, I guess.”

Abruptly, Logan steps away from the railing, a look of determination forming in the dark of his eyes as he turns to face her. “I want to show you something.”

She blinks, thoughts scattered by the eager way he grins at her. “What is it?”

“A surprise,” he insists teasingly, and holds his hand out to her once more. “Do you trust me?”

Mercy touches his palm, and her heart skips when he folds their hands together. “I do.”

The stairs tremble beneath their feet as they climb steadily higher. Logan glances back at every landing, his grip comfortingly certain around her own. It’s another five flights to the roof, and he slows to a stop at the last ladder to let her ascend first.

The breeze is stronger here, whipping at the loose strands of her hair as she steps out onto the open rooftop. Dark blue sky stretches unobstructed above her, and she tips her head back to drink in the faint sparkle of stars that manage to break out over the city lights. She feels Logan step up beside her, and when she finally tears her eyes away from the stars to meet his gaze, the wonder in his features steals her breath.

This time when her blush returns, she doesn’t look away. “Thank you, Logan. It’s perfect.”

He doesn’t look away either. “Anytime.”

iii. 

His eye still fucking hurts. Every time he blinks, the sting reminds him of wet streets beneath his cheek and the brutal pain of impact, Salazar’s face a snarl of gritted teeth and bleeding mouth and the crunch of his nose breaking under Logan’s fist. He clenches his hand at the memory, feeling the prickle of split skin across his knuckles. 

He doesn’t notice Mercy in the hallway until he’s nearly walking into her, the startled shock of her voice shaking him from his anger. 

“Logan! I’m sorry, I didn’t see — oh, my god, are you okay?” 

Wincing, he angles his injured eye away from her. “It’s nothing. Took an elbow in a pick-up game. It looks worse than it is.”

Something about the concern in her expression eats away at him, like battery acid in the chasm of his chest. Her gaze passes shrewdly from his black eye to his split lip to the busted knuckles in his hands before a frown settles on her mouth. She bites her lip, unconvinced. “Well… at least let me get you something to help with the swelling.” She reaches out to squeeze his fingers before disappearing into her apartment, and he stands frozen in the momentary silence, staring down at his palm, where his hand still feels warm from her touch.

Mercy returns shortly with a bag of frozen peas in her grasp. “Here. This should help with the pain a little, too.”

“You patch up many black eyes?” he teases, bending to let her press the bag gently over his eye. His body tenses at the pressure, teeth biting back a groan, and she murmurs soothingly under her breath, easing her touch until he feels only the cold. Her focus is fixed on his injury, and it leaves him free to admire the soft angles of her face, the beauty mark at the corner of her mouth, the freckles set like stars against her cheeks. A few curls threaten to spring loose from her braid, and his fingers itch to discover how soft they might feel in his hands. 

“Can’t say I do,” she answers finally, when the weight of his gaze makes her blush and look away. “But I was clumsy enough to get all sorts of injuries when I was little, and the frozen peas trick always works.” She checks her phone and mutters an adorably soft curse. “I have a final in half an hour, or I’d stay and—”

“I got it from here,” he reassures her, with a smile half-hidden by the hand keeping her makeshift compress in place. “But thanks for looking after me, Mercy. Honestly. With your help, it feels better already.”

She hesitates a moment longer, clearly torn, before she reaches up and strokes the smooth pad of her thumb over his cheek. “Take care of yourself, okay?” Her features are tight with concern, but she turns and hurries down the hall, the sound of her footsteps fading into a silence that weighs heavy on his shoulders.

iv. 

Mercy lets her fingers move mindlessly across the keys, coasting on a comfortable familiarity, the soft notes of a nocturne soothing out the stresses of her day. Her left hand sidles over broken chords, rising into an arpeggio that’s just about to reach its zenith when the power cuts in her apartment, plunging her into sudden darkness.

She blinks as her eyes struggle to adjust, groping blindly for her phone. The narrow beam of its flashlight guides her careful steps into the kitchen, where she rummages beneath the sink and emerges with a tin of tealight candles. 

It takes the whole container just to light her living room, but at least she can see her own feet. The faint flicker of candlelight is just enough to keep the darkness at bay, and it’s with a calmer heart that Mercy picks her way across the apartment to answer a hurried knock at her door.

Logan stands in the darkened hallway outside, the glow of his cell phone gripped between his fingers. “Hey, sorry, I know it’s late. I heard you playing, so I thought…”

“I was up,” she confirms, blushing as she pictures him in the apartment next door, listening to her practice. “Your power’s out too, I assume?”

“Pitch dark.” He spots the soft halos of light over her shoulder and heaves a sigh of recognition. “Candles. You’re a genius.”

She laughs. “It’s an old building, and definitely not the first time this has happened. I can spare a few, if you need some.”

Logan chuckles, and even through the darkness she can feel the warmth of his gaze on her. “Lucky me. Don’t worry about it, I’m sure it’ll pass soon enough. I feel better knowing you’re okay over here. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

She’s not sure where she finds the courage. Maybe the darkness makes her bold, the sight of Logan turning back to leave clawing a sudden ache into her heart. “Wait!” 

He rocks back on his heels, and she can just make out the arch of surprise in his expression. 

“Maybe you could… stay? Until the power’s back? I hate the thought of you just sitting in the dark over there when you don’t have to.”

Logan takes a slow step closer, close enough to feel a trace of his body heat as he searches her face through the darkness. “Would you like that?” he asks softly. “If I stayed?”

She swallows, nodding even as her face burns with the force of her blush. “Very much.”

He smiles then, and with a gentle motion, lifts his hand to tuck an errant curl behind her ear. “Me too.”

It’s stranger than she thought it would be, having Logan in her apartment, even if she’s spent more and more of her time here thinking of him. They settle in the dim circle of candlelight that rings her living room, stretched out side by side across the floor. His leg shifts, bumping her foot with his own, and she breathes a laugh that shivers in the air between them. When she turns, she finds him watching her, his smile inches away as the light washes soft over his features. 

His dark eyes slowly roam her face, landing on the shape of her mouth with a look of immense purpose. He reaches out to trail rough fingertips along the frame of her jaw, his touch sending a shudder of warmth down her spine. He traces a thumb over her blushing cheekbone, her name a whisper on his breath before he leans in and softly kisses her.

Logan is almost unbearably tender, his lips gentle against her own as his fingers wind into the thick curls of her hair, drawing her into the circle of his arms. Past the rushing of her heartbeat, Mercy hears a faint groan at the back of his throat when she grips him by the shirt to tug him closer, parting her lips for the brief slide of his tongue. 

When they break reluctantly apart, he tilts his forehead against hers with a breathless laugh. “You don’t know how long I’ve been thinking about doing that.” 

She laughs with him, carefree, like her worries have all floated off and vanished somewhere in the dark. “Probably about as long as I have.”

His eyes flash with amusement, and a flicker of something else, an ardor close to hunger. “Then we’ve got some time to make up for.”

Mercy falls eagerly into his arms, where she feels his heartbeat racing in his chest, and he kisses her until the lights hum back to life around them — and then, even, a while longer. 

[professional-benaddict]

Opposites Attract - part ll

CEO Tony, Mafia boss Peter, Mafia Beck, Mafia Steve, Mafia Bucky, Pepper is good as always, blackmailing, threats, guns

part l

Tag list: @lilcoffeecup @carelessannie @starkeristheendgame @yasha1215 @the-mad-starker @bluestarker @snowstark @sinditia @just-a-good-name @just-things-things @callmebill @skystar87 @justslightlycrazy @sarcastich @sydneyshipsstuff @lokitonypeter @thequeenoffish

“You’re not the party type.”

“Sorry?”

“You’re not the party type. It’s not like you to throw a party all of a sudden.”

“I felt like it.” I was blackmailed, Tony thought to himself, swallowing thickly.

The man was wearing the tuxedo as instructed, but he had not had the time nor the mental capacity to prepare an excuse if anyone questioned his behaviour or well being tonight. He was nothing but adrenalin and fear, and trembling like a leaf in the wind. Or so he felt.

“Is everyone here?”

“Most are here, I think. I’ll check.” Pepper said, unlocking her iPad. Her perfectly manicured fingers danced over the screen. “The Simmersons are here, Hart, Dickens and his plus one. All of our people, and then- Hm… The Stephens brothers did not show. Nor did Samantha and her wife.”

The hall was buzzing. Usually, Tony hated parties, and especially his own. He would much rather have more intimate meetings with a handful of people than mingle meaninglessly with a hundred people, pretending to care about their lives only to never see them again. This sort of setting did not match his idea of a productive meeting between people. It challenged his own perception of himself as a trustworthy and honest man who people came to for help.

Then again, he had good reason to hate this party. He was blackmailed to host it, and no one else knew.

The letter had stated that they, whoever they were, would come and find him. Tony knew the Mr Beck he had met was involved in this, he was sure of it. But, the letter was not signed, nor did it have a return address. There was no connection between Mr Beck and the threatening letter that Tony could bring to the police for aid. The men in blue would dismiss it without a care. CEO received a threatening letter, and so what? The sun shines and water is wet.

“Any other hiccups so far?” Tony asked, his gaze fixed on the well-dressed crowd in front of him.

“Catering is on schedule, and there is enough drinks. Security has not mentioned anything so far, but… Kathy came to me earlier-“

“Kathy?”

“She’s in charge of the waiters tonight. She said that one of her waiters got sick, but she got a friend of hers to fill in. I don’t remember the name, but she said it’s a guy. He has experience as a waiter, so I think we will be all right. And then…”

Pepper’s voice faded from Tony’s mind. It sounded like she was going far, far away, until he could not hear her at all. In the crowd, Tony zoned in on one man in line outside. That beard, the bright and clear eyes… Mr Beck.

“… We’ll be about 150 all together, and- hey, Tony?”

Tony shoved his way through the crowd as politely as he could, apologising and shooting forced smiles at his guests. He made it just in time before the security guard was going to let Mr Beck in. From experience, Tony knows that invitation checks are rare, and not exactly bulletproof when it comes to stopping uninvited guests at private events. But, this he was sure of. He had not invited Mr Beck, since he had no address to send it to. Tony had hosted his party, as was demanded in the letter, but there was no demand about letting certain people into his party.

Tony felt clever, brilliant even, as he put up his hand to stop Mr Beck from entering.

“Mr Stark-“ The security guard said, a little startled and confused. Mr Beck looked the same.

“I’m here for the party.” Mr Beck said, a half grin tugging on his lips. Tony wanted nothing more than to punch him.

“Check his invitation, Gary.” Tony said to the guard, his eyes fixed on Mr Beck.

“Your invitation, sir.” Gary requested politely. Tony wanted to grin at the look on Mr Beck’s face. Say it, say it.

“I don’t have one.”

“Then, I’m afraid I cannot let you in. This is Mr Stark’s private event.” Gary informed, gesturing for Beck to step aside so that he could let in other guests.

Tony definitely noticed the foul look Mr Beck gave him when he stepped out of the line and headed down the stress. Nothing made him happier.

“Is everything all right, Mr Stark?” Gary asked.

“Everything is fabulous, Gary! It’s a party!”

Tony felt like he was walking on clouds as he returned to his party crowd. He had successfully turned Beck away without causing a fuss, and fulfilling the demands in the letter. He was spotless, no one could pin him down for anything. This time, Tony’s smiles and chatter with his guests was genuine. Perhaps he could grow to like parties, even if they are his own. He is quite the brilliant host.

“Champagne?”

Perfect timing.

“Yes, thank you.” Tony replied, taking a glass for the tray. He did a double take on the waiter before sipping the bubbly drink. “I don’t remember seeing you here before. Do you happen to be the one filling in today?”

“Yes.” The waiter answered. “I’m filling in for Susan.”

“Kathy mentioned it.”

“You’re Mr Stark.”

“Now this is unfair.” Tony groaned playfully. The champagne was going directly to his brain along with the high of his clever trick with Beck. Besides, the waiter was pretty. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

The waiter smiled, and Tony was drawn to his lips which were stretching over his teeth.

“It’s Peter.”

“Peter, and where have you worked before? Kathy said-“

Something hard hitting Tony’s back made him pause in his flirting with the waiter. At a party, it is inevitable for people to bump into each other, feet clashing and elbows flying. But, Tony wished this was an elbow instead.

Without looking behind him, Tony was painfully aware of the man stood behind him. And he was pointing a gun into Tony’s back. The glee and happiness evaporated in an instant, and that icy cold fear came rushing back into Tony’s limbs, leaving him paralysed.

“Quite the stunt you pulled off there, sending Beck away. You thought you were clever, huh? Mr Stark?” The waiter cooed mockingly. Tony did not know what to do, only gape like a stupid looking fish thrown onto land.

“How did you get in here?” Tony asked, trying his hardest to keep his tone steady.

Two ladies came over to Peter for two glasses of champagne, so he only replied once they were out of earshot.

“I came in to fill for Susan, I told you.” Peter answered, acting coy. He was enjoying this far too much, Tony thought.

“And this one?” Tony asked, flickering his gaze to gesture at the man behind him. Another one appeared at his other side as well.

“Oh, Dick and Harold Stephens were kind enough to give their invitations to Stevie and Bucky. I promise you, they are having a fun evening at home.”

Tony did not trust that in the slightest.

“What did you do to them? And Susan?”

Peter did not answer, only smiled again like before. However, this time it made Tony’s stomach turn.

“Shall we go somewhere and talk, Mr Stark? It’s too crowded down here.”

[rushingheadlong]

Make My Life Worthwhile - A Brian x Reader fic

Summary: You always know to expect a few surprises at any Queen party. You just weren’t expecting a surprise like this.

Wordcount: ~3,100

Tags: Brian x f!Reader, a bit Halloween themed but mostly just a lot of fluff

Notes: Written for @generic-fandom-trash​ for the Halloqueen event! I had such a blast writing this, and I really hope you enjoy it! And thanks to @dtfrogertaylor​ for putting together another great event!

You are cordially invited to join Queen for a Halloween Masquerade, the gilded invitation had read. Masks required. Fancy dress optional.

The description had been vague, but Brian assured you that the event was mostly an excuse for Queen to spend as much of the label’s money as they could get away with before setting off on another tour. Judging by the lavishly decorated room that you’ve stepped into, they’ve met that goal quite well.

There’s no mistaking that it is a Halloween party, of sorts. The gothic manor house chosen to host the evening is the perfect backdrop for the festive decorations adorning every surface. Candles flicker in the wall sconces and jack-o’-lanterns grin on every table. And still, somehow the band has made it look decadent rather than trite.

Freddie sidles up next to you, unmistakable even with the opulent mask covering the upper half of his face. He’s dressed as a circus ringmaster, dripping gold and wearing silks, a whip hanging from one hip. He passes you a glass of wine and says, “So, what do you think of our little gathering, Y/N?”

“Well, it’s hardly little,” you point out, though that goes without saying. Nothing Queen does is ever little. “But it is fabulous, Freddie. You’ve outdone yourselves this time.”

“You’ve outdone yourself, darling, in that fabulous dress of yours,” Freddie says. “Has our dear guitarist seen you in it yet?”

You shake your head. “I haven’t seen him since this morning. I only just got here.” The band have been here for most of the day, coerced into doing a round of interviews on the new album as a requirement for the record company paying for the evening.

“Mm, well, when you do find him the rooms upstairs have locks on them,” Freddie says, slyly. “In case you two need a little privacy…”

“Freddie!” you protest, but you’re laughing despite yourself.

Freddie just winks at you and disappears into the crowd with a small wave, leaving you to strike out on your own in search of your boyfriend.

The room is fairly packed, with about three-quarters of the guests wearing costumes and everyone in the required masks. You’re grateful that you chose a simple costume, a medieval-style dress paired with a crown and some dainty jewelry, rather than some of the over-the-top ensembles that others are wearing. You squeeze past a pair of ridiculously oversized fairy wings and wonder how long it’ll take before those get broken on the dancefloor.

It shouldn’t be hard to find Brian and yet it takes you several minutes before you finally spot him across the room. His costume is as simple as yours- clothes he already owned paired with a dark cape, his mask plain black and doing little to hide his identity- but the sight of him still takes your breath away. Even though you’ve been with him for years, in moments like this you’re still overwhelmed by how much you love this man.

And the feeling, it seems is mutual, because although there’s someone standing next to Brian clearly trying to talk to him, Brian only has eyes for you. You watch his face light up in joy when he realizes that you’ve spotted him, and he quickly excuses himself from his conversational partner to make a beeline for you…

...only to be waylaid by someone else after taking barely a few steps forward. And you can see a third person watching from the sidelines, waiting to swoop in for their chance to talk to Brian as well, despite the fact that he keeps glancing at you and clearly doesn’t want to be chatting with anyone.

Luckily there’s no one stopping you as you cross the room and cut into the conversation with a breezy, “So sorry, I have to borrow Mr. May for a moment, important band business, you know how it is…” You usher Brian away with a gentle hand on his back, acting more of a bodyguard than a girlfriend, and you can feel Brian shake with barely-contained amusement.

“C’mon, let’s head outside,” Brian says, ducking his head close to your ear to be heard over the music and the crowd. “Less of a chance of being bothered out there.”

“Good idea.” You veer left, towards the door, tugging Brian along behind you.

Once you’re outside he laughs, bright and happy, and picks you up, spinning you around in a swirl of skirts and laughter. “You are my hero,” he tells you as he sets you back down, and kisses you on one cheek. “If had to answer any more questions I think I would have snapped.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” you say with a laugh. Your mask is slightly askew from Brian’s excited reaction and you reach up to fix it, only to have Brian push your hands away and gently pull it away from you face altogether.

“I’m pretty sure the party rules don’t apply once you’re outside,” he says, tucking the mask into his pocket.

You reach up and tug Brian’s mask off his face. “Then you don’t need to be wearing this either.”

Brian laughs again and says, “Alright, fair enough,” before the door opens suddenly behind you and a small group of partygoers comes stumbling out.

You and Brian both step to the side to let them pass, and Brian jerks his head towards the sprawling grounds behind you. Without anything else needing to be said, you follow him further away from the house and out into the quiet garden.

Even back here there’s evidence of Queen’s presence in the strings of fairy lights along the paths and jack-o’-lantern eyes flickering in the shadows. The windows at the rear of the house have been opened, letting the faint sounds of music and partying drift faintly through the garden, and the candles in the old wrought-iron lanterns bathe everything in a golden glow.

“lt’s lovely back here,” you say as you look around. Even with few plants left blossoming this late in the season, there’s still a certain beauty to the gardens.

“Definitely worth every cent of the label’s money,” Brian jokes. “But they got us back well and good with those interviewers…”

You make a small noise of sympathy and press close to Brian’s side, wrapping one arm around his waist. He smiles down at you, and some of the tension bleeds out of his frame as he drapes an arm across your shoulders. “It wasn’t too bad,” he assures you. “Just long, as it always is.”

“Still, I wish they’d give you a moment’s rest sometimes,” you tell him. “You aren’t recording or on tour, you should have a moment to just breathe.”

“That’s what tonight’s for,” Brian reminds you. “And we have an advantage for once.” You frown in slight confusion and Brian grins, broad and a little wicked, and explains, “The only people who aren’t in costume are journalists or with the label. Makes it easier to spot and avoid ‘em.”

That startles a laugh out of you, loud enough that if anyone else were around they’d be turning to look at you now. But there’s no one else in the gardens, just you and Brian, who’s looking down at you with a pleased sort of expression on his face, delighted by your unrestrained reaction.

“Speaking of costumes, you look beautiful tonight,” Brian continues. He turns so you’re standing face-to-face, and he looks you up and down. There’s nothing salacious in his gaze, but you still find yourself blushing at the attention. “Radiant, even. I saw you when you first walked in and I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

Compliments from Brian still make your heart flutter, even though you’ve been dating for several years. They’re always sincere and you always know that he means every word he says, no matter how cheesy they would sound coming from anyone else.

“Well you look quite handsome yourself, as you always do,” you tell Brian, though you can’t resist teasing him a little and adding, “Though, I don’t think throwing a cape over clothes you already own exactly counts as a costume…”

“In my defense, I was supposed to be a vampire, but I hated the fake teeth,” Brian explains.

Privately, you think Brian already has the perfect little fangs to complete a vampire costume, but you don’t tell him that. Instead you just smile at him and say, “That’s alright. We match better this way.”

Brian laughs. “That’s true. I can be your loyal servant.” He sweeps down into a dramatic bow, cape fluttering around him. “My lady.”

You giggle and reach for Brian’s hand, pulling him back upright. “I’d much rather have you as my prince,” you say. “Standing by my side, through thick and thin.”

“Why not both?” Brian asks. “I can stand next to you, but I’ll still always take care of you. No matter what.”

Your response is lost in a hitching breath as Brian brings your hand up and kisses it gently. There’s so much tenderness in the action, in his eyes, in the love that radiates out from every fiber of his being that it’s almost too overwhelming to bear, but you can’t seem to look away.

“Brian, I…” you breathe, but you don’t know how the sentence is supposed to end when I love you doesn’t begin to cover the magnitude of what you feel for him.

“Marry me,” Brian says suddenly, unexpectedly, the words coming out in a rush, like Brian wasn’t sure he could say them if he tried to draw it out.

You inhale sharply, caught completely off-guard by the abrupt turn in the conversation. “What? Did you just…?”

“I had this all planned out,” Brian continues quickly. “I was going to do everything right. I have a ring back home, and I was going to take you out to a nice dinner and propose in that park where we had our first date, and everything was going to be perfect, and-”

Brian shakes his head and laughs, just a little, and you can hear his nerves at the edges of it. “But then I saw you tonight, and I wasn’t kidding when I said I couldn’t take my eyes off you. You could have been wearing a potato sack and I still would have stared. There’s a hundred people in that room and I didn’t care about a single one of them, except for you. So I don’t want to wait for perfect. I don’t want to wait a second longer.”

And you watch, spell-bound, as Brian drops to one knee in front of you, still holding your hand. “Y/N… Will you marry me?”

Everything about this moment should be ridiculous. You’re dressed as some fantasy princess and Brian is wearing a cape, with both of your masks sticking out the top of his trouser pocket. The sound of dance music is still noticeable around you, as are the pumpkins and decorations that mark this evening unmistakably as a Halloween party.

Brian doesn’t even have a ring. All he has is the adoring love in his eyes, and a look of hope on his face... and that’s enough. That’s more than enough.

“Yes,” you say, as if there was ever a chance of you answering otherwise. “Yes, Brian, of course!”

Your voice is a little watery and there are tears of joy pricking at the corners of your eyes but that’s okay, because when you pull Brian back to his feet you can see that his eyes aren’t dry either. You throw your arms around his neck with a small laugh, and even though you’ve kissed Brian a thousand times before you think it’s never been as wonderful as it feels right now.

But then again, you’ve never kissed your fiancé before.

“Oh my god, you’re my fiancé,” you say, the words coming out slightly mumbled against Brian’s lips.

Brian laughs a little, and says, “And you’re my fiancée too.” There’s a note of wonder in his voice and he kisses you again. “God, I love you.”

He takes a small step back and pulls one of his rings off, and slips it onto the ring finger of your left hand. It doesn’t quite fit you, and it’s bulky and heavy on your smaller hand, but you can’t hold back a bright smile at the sight of it.

“It’s perfect,” you say, beaming up at Brian.

“It’ll do, for now at least,” Brian says. He’s still holding your hand, brushing his fingers along the ring, and it sends shivers down your spine. “I should’ve at least waited until I had your proper ring on hand to do this…”

“No,” you interrupt gently, before Brian can start overthinking his actions and ruin his own happiness in this moment. “I’m glad you didn’t wait a second longer, and no amount of planning could have made this a better proposal.”

Brian smiles at you, a little crookedly, and asks, “Even though we’re both wearing ridiculous costumes?” It’s meant as a joke but there’s a hint of insecurity behind it that you can spot a mile away.

“Even with the costumes,” you reassure him. “I don’t care about the location, or what we’re wearing, or whether you had a ring with you or not. I don’t need things to be perfect, Brian. I just need you.” You grin at him and add, mostly teasing, “Besides, it’ll make a great story to tell our kids later.”

Brian makes a small, choked noise and says, in a slightly strained voice, “Let’s get through the wedding before talking about kids.”

You can’t help but laugh at Brian’s wide-eyed and panicked reaction, and you remind him, “We’ve already discussed kids before, remember?” You both agreed that you wanted children, eventually, and that had settled the matter for the time being.

“Yes, but that was before we were engaged and it became a real possibility,” Brian tells you. “I still want children but, well, one thing at a time.”

And Brian has a point there. You have to admit that even though you’re sure that you want a family with Brian, there’s something that’s a little scary about that prospect now that it’s no longer purely theoretical. “Alright, you have a point,” you concede easily enough. “Wedding first, children later.”

“Wedding first, then the honeymoon, and then children,” Brian tells you. You raise an eyebrow at that, and Brian explains, “I don’t care what schedule the record company tries to force on us, I am taking you on a proper honeymoon.”

You can hear the promise in Brian’s voice and you don’t doubt that he fully intends to do everything in his power to keep it, but you also know that life as the lead guitarist in Queen is nothing if not busy and unpredictable.

And nothing proves this fact better than a sudden new voice interrupting the conversation. “Ah, Brian, there you are!”

It’s John who’s quickly making his way over to the two of you. Much like Brian he took a simplistic approach to his costume, opting to come dressed as a skeleton which has the one advantage of allowing him to wear a full-coverage mask, which is currently pushed up and sitting on top of his head. “Sorry to interrupt, but you’re needed back inside. A few more journalists have turned up for interviews.”

“Ten minutes, is it too much to ask for ten minutes of peace?” Brian mutters, his shoulders tightening slightly with tension and irritation.

“Sorry,” John says again, with a small shrug. “But you know how they are.”

Brian looks up at the darkening sky, and takes a deep breath. “Is there any way you can cover for me? Please?” he asks. His voice is even, but it’s clear that it’s taking some control to keep his irritation at bay.

It doesn’t take John to figure out what, exactly, he interrupted. You watch as his eyes flick down to your hand that Brian is still holding, with the ring clearly visible on your left hand, and you can’t hold back a smile as he pieces it all together.

John grins at you and says, “Well, I guess congratulations are in order then. Took you two long enough.”

“Some of us like to take our time with these things,” Brian says, but the jab is good-hearted and some of his annoyance starts to fade away.

“Oh, I didn’t know that tonight’s spontaneity was your idea of taking your time,” you tease. Brian rolls his eyes at you, but he’s smiling again and that counts as a victory in your books.

“You two really are perfect for each other,” John says with a laugh. “Brian, I’ll cover for you with the journalists. In fact, if you just want to head home, I’ll let Roger and Fred know what’s up. I’m sure the two of them would be more than willing to make some distractions to hide your absence.”

“Are you sure?” Brian asks.

You elbow Brian in the side. “Do not question Deacy’s offer. I for one would love to go home and celebrate our new engagement.”

Brian’s face flushes slightly at the implication behind your words, and the flush only deepens when John says, “The rooms upstairs have locking doors, if you’d rather celebrate here.”

“No, no, I think we’ll head home,” Brian says quickly, pointedly ignoring the laughter from both you and John. “Thanks again, John. I owe you one.”

“Consider it your engagement gift,” John says, and he waves goodbye as you and Brian make your escape from the party.

“You know, Freddie’s not going to be happy that we didn’t tell him ourselves,” Brian says idly, as the two of you head towards the car park. “Roger will probably forgive us, considering the circumstances, but we’ll hear about this from Fred.”

You give Brian a wholly unimpressed look. “Would you rather go back and tell him yourself, then?”

“Absolutely not,” Brian says firmly. The two of you have reached his car and as he unlocks the doors he gives you a wide, and somewhat wicked grin, and adds, “The only thing I want to do is get home, and show you exactly how much I love you.”

You and Brian are sneaking away from Queen’s Halloween party, newly-engaged and still in your own costumes. There is no reason that the tiniest bit of innuendo should turn you on, but because it’s Brian it somehow does.

So you grab Brian by the front of his shirt and pull him into a quick, but fierce, kiss. “Well then, Mr. May,” you breathe, hot against his lips. “What exactly are you waiting for?”

[creativityworks-sx]

Paige Michel - 5 DJS on Instagram Live that bring the party to your house! - Dancehall & Soca Edition

For those of you that don’t know I am an Afro-Caribbean girl, my family originate from Jamaica, St. Lucia and Dominica. I am a care leaver, and my foster carer was from Barbados. I appreciate the beauty, arts and culture from the Caribbean. I love the music - I am a huge Bashment/Dancehall and Soca fan! Woi Yoii!

For two years, I was radio presenter and producer of a show I created with my two closest mates, Albert and Kaira, called URBAN P.A.K, at Surge – The University of Southampton’s official radio station. Together, we celebrated and showcased Black Music, Artists, DJs and Producers all over the world. Of course, I played all my favourite Dancehall, Soca and Afrobeats tunes, we played games live on air and I even hosted some quizzes too. We went to the R.U.M (Real Urban Music) events in our free time, to see the hottest artists and DJs live in clubs. It was such a lit experience!

The 5 DJs that are killing it on Instagram live right now are - DJ Supa Nytro, DJ Larni, DJ Nate, DJ Nassen and DJ Private Ryan! They are my Greater Londoners, because they have brought me and thousands of others so much joy, through Dancehall and Soca music, during lockdown. This Covid-19 crisis, has proven very difficult for self-employed creatives, like DJs, so please go check them out, show some love, book them for future events, and wuk up your waist lol!  

1.       DJ Supa Nytro :

Instagram: @SupaNytro

Twitter: @SupaNytro

I went to Manchester Carnival for the first time in August ‘19. Not gonna lie, it didn’t compare to Notting Hill Carnival, but I still had a brilliant time. My makeup was on point, purple glitter on my water line to match my purple ombre hair. I was palancing, jumping up, and throwing colourful powder everywhere like it was jouvert! The rum punch was sweet (and cheap... not overpriced like London lol)! The patties were delicious too. I watched the showcase of Manchester’s mas bands, their local musicians, and dancers. I was dancing with my cousin Bertha, to all the DJ sets. This is when I came across DJ Supa Nytro – and OMG, his set was everythingggg, playing all my favourite songs! He had his dancers with him - Miss Rose was my favourite. Lol, I like how he’s always wearing his customised hats and tops with his name on it – I see you! I loved DJ Supa Nytro’s set so much, I just had to get a pic with him! (Go check it out on my insta!) I’ve been going to see him play at Dancehall events in London ever since. 

I tuned in to DJ Supa Nytro’s Instagram Live one Friday Night, and I am so glad I did! I realised he is not only a DJ, he is a host too. He has no filter, which makes him absolutely hilarious. He initiated conversation like ‘who are your Top 5 Dancehall artists?’. I was definitely engaged in his conversations, and intrigued to see others opinions on the Instagram Live chat. I said my favourites right now are:

 1. Vybz Kartel A.K.A ‘THE WORL’ BOSS!’

 2. Popcaan

 3. Alkaline

 4. Aidonia 

5. Dexta Daps

I also mentioned there’s a difference between my top favourite Dancehall artists right now and of all time. What we could all agree on was the fact that Vybz Kartel is the King of Dancehall – Awaoh! As a Dancehall music lover, and a history student - I really appreciated Supa Nytro’s Dancehall History quiz. He really got me thinking. I was singing along to all the bangers he was playing. His Movado set was excellent, bringing back some old tunes, and bringing back some old memories lol! You know how a song has the power to remind you of a person, a place or time in your life. I can’t wait for Supa Nytro’s next live!

2.      DJ Larni – ‘Him nuh normal!’:

Instagram: @Dj_Larni

Twitter: @Dj_Larni

I have been to quite a few Dancehall events with my friends Channon, Aisha, Mercedes and Tiana, like Bashment Central. It was here I heard DJ Larni’s set and yasss he was superb! I’ve since, followed him on Soundcloud, so I can hear his mixes in my day-to-day life, like when I’m doing my makeup looks or travelling on the tube etc. Sometimes I feel to just bruck out on the train, because woii the tunes are too lit!

It was a dry quarantine Friday night and I was scrolling through my Insta, as you do. I was checking who was on live and I saw DJ Larni was online. The energy he was giving through the phone was madddd! He’s an amazing host, and knows how to entertain his audience. He’s hella funny too – just freee and crazyyy, I love it.  I like how his room was dark, lit with blue party lights, giving us that club feel. DJ Larni is innovative – he requested ladies who love to dance to dancehall music, to join his Instagram live. Seeing the ladies skin out and bruck out really gave us that dancehall experience! He also engages with his listeners, telling everyone to bring their flag to rep their country, just like you would at a Caribbean carnival. DJ Larni’s liveliness is a vibe, really contagious. His Insta live party was tun up!

3.       DJ Nate:

Instagram: @DjNateUK

Twitter: @DjNateUK

I have been listening to DJ Nate’s mixes on Soundcloud for a long time. I love his ‘Dancehall and Chill’ mixes. I like that some of his mixes specifically focus on one Dancehall artist at a time i.e his 100% Dexta Daps, Popcaan and Alkaline mixes– some of my favourite artists. Last year, I attended DJ Nate’s Caribbean Rocks Festival with my cousin Bertha and it was amazing! I wasn’t feeling too well at this time, but I said nahhh, there’s no way I’m missing it. Never that! I had the pleasure of seeing so many artists perform live like The Rara, Alicai Harley and Dexta Daps. I was gutted when I found out Shensea could not make it, but I had a fantastic time, nevertheless! Dancehall a mi everything!

I saw DJ Nate’s Instagram Live and I was really feeling it! It was the day he was wearing his Vans vest lol. He was doing a Soca special and the tunes were fireee. The comment section on his live was going off. Bare girls putting the gyal on headtop emoji lool! People were absolutely loving the music he was playing. People from all over the world were tuned in and having a lovely time. DJ Nate was telling us to go get a drink, to give it that party vibe. I think something a little stronger than orange juice lol. Then, he put on a Soca song called Party Bad – Mr Killa and Legz. Woiiiii, I really enjoyed myself!

4.        DJ Nassen:      

Instagram: @NassenUK

Twitter: @NassenUK

Back in Summer ‘19, when we could actually leave the house and live our best lives, I went on a couple dates lol! There was one fineee assss guy I met up with, and we had some good conversations, like our music interests. We discovered we both liked Soca and woiii that made my day. Anyway, the point is he told me to check out his cousin, DJ Nassen, for the hottest new soca tracks - and the rest was history! I love DJ Nassen’s Notting Hill Carnival 2019 Soca Mix on Soundcloud. I’ve been getting hype to all the jab jab music! Bringing back some good memories of my time with my friends at Dreamland Jouvert ’19 and Notting Hill Carnival ’19. Woii!

I was checking out DJ Nassen’s Instagram Live one Friday Night and it was poppin! He calls it Lockdown Fridays, with his host Mist Hooli. Mista Hooli was his hype man, making the party lit! I appreciate when creatives join forces to make magic – so thank you to them both. I was really whining on my sofa lol, I had that Jamish feeling! I was putting hella fire emojis in his Instagram Live comment section. DJ Nassen was really moving them hips lol, when he was playing his set, really grooving to the music. Some of my favourite soca songs, DJ Nassen played were:

Head or Tail - Lavaman ft Mr Legz

Famalay – Skinny Fabulous, Machel Montano & Bunji Garlin

Run Wid It – Mr Killa

Wet It Up – Zeek ft Shal Marshall

Bend Dong For Di Hmm – Krome ft Nassis

If you haven’t heard of these songs, go have a listen - I’m sure you’ll enjoy them…(unless your anti-Soca like Marv Abbey looool)!

5.       DJ Private Ryan:

Instagram: @DjPrivateRyan

Twitter: @DjPrivateRyan

 One day I just typed in Soca Mixes on Youtube, and DJ Private Ryan came up. I listened to his Soca Starter mixes, and loved them. When I went to my friend’s sleepover a few months back, we were dancing like crazy to Private Ryan’s mixes, having the time of our life. Lol, I’m so unfit, I was out of breath. Dancing to Soca music is really a workout and a half, which is great for your daily exercise intake. I followed Dj Private Ryan on Instagram not too long ago, and my guy is verified, a whole blue tick you know. Big up yourself, a great achievement!

I saw DJ Private Ryan’s live on Instagram and it was great! He calls it Freestyle Friday! He was playing a range of music from old school to new school, and a mixture of Dancehall, Soca, Afrobeats and RnB – The listeners were loving the versatility! In his comment section, many people thanked him for his mixes, as it was helping them pass time during quarantine. What I love about Private Ryan’s live is the inclusivity. He asks his listeners to send him song requests, which he plays, which makes it that much more personalised and special. You’ll definitely have a Fete in your house, tuning in to DJ Private Ryan’s Instagram live!

Many Dancehall and Soca events, like carnivals, have been postponed or put on hold due to the outbreak of Covid-19. So, this has left many of us feeling down in the dumps and disappointed. DJs using the Live feature on Instagram has been a great alternative, to bring the good music, and positive vibes to us. I have noticed, that some of these DJs Instagram live’s overlap with each other on Friday nights. But not to worry, if you do miss it, you can always listen back the next morning when they post it on their story or feed. So, go check out the 5 Djs that will bring the party to your house! – Dancehall and Soca edition. What are you waiting for!

If you know any other amazing DJs you think I should check out on Instagram Live, please feel free to hit me up. Apart from Soca and Dancehall, I like Reggae, Afro-beats, Neo-soul, RnB, and Hip hop. Thanks!

 By Paige Michel:

Insta: @ItsPaigeMichel

Twitter: @ItsPaigeMichel

[fortheheavenssake]

PG MM Anon Interpretation Collection- 8

54.

💜🙏🏻PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON..ON ZERO SLEEP🙏🏻💜

💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜

MM Anon

This was very tough!! My best on zero sleep!!

skippyv20

MM ANON … “ I just hope they don’t take the children”… the return of the Valkyrie … HOPE springs eternal …another future PR hiatus …… fashion fluff……… “grapple them to your soul with hoops of steal”. …… “separate tables”…decisions, decisions…… “ justice, what bloody justice”……it’s the only solution. 🎼” who are we to disagree “🎼

I

“ I just hope they don’t take the children”…

I think this is regarding the Asian tour that the D and DOC are going to be undertaking to Asia. Security must be a nightmare and there was previously mention by MM ANON of a family tour, but l truly hope they don’t take them along on this particular tour.From the Express…

Prince William and Kate under armed guard for high risk tour - terror police on alert

FIREARMS OFFICERS will shadow Prince William and Kate on their tour of Pakistan in the autumn because of “a potential flashpoint”.

the return of the Valkyrie

In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. Selecting among half of those who die in battle, the valkyries take their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin. So our girl is in the toughest part of her battle as she returns to the U.K. SS has let loose horrific rumours about numerous royal family members. Boorish, foul, vulgarity, she makes me physically ill! Frankly she doesn’t care who lives or dies metaphorically of course, she intends to inflict as much damage as she can!

HOPE springs eternal

“Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never Is, but always To be blest. The soul, uneasy, and confin’d from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come” is a quote by Alexander Pope. We must keep our spirits up, keep on fighting this battle however devious and grotty it gets. We need to keep our royal family in prayer🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 where there is life, there is hope.

another future PR hiatus

PR hiatus where? Future? What are we expecting? Will she refuse to go to SA and hide out?? Interesting, l am very intrigued by this.

fashion fluff

The capsule collection or whatever she calls it with Smart Works are fluff. Cheap quality, foreign made, means lots of $$$££££€€€€ for our girl, and Bumble app is aligned with a Smart works which means these women will get poor quality cheap clothes, then pay to register to find a mate!

“grapple them to your soul with hoops of steal”

MM ANON has used this before from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The essence meaning is once you’ve tested out your friends and found them trustworthy, hold onto them! Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, l can’t recall who said that. The BRF are united, they are clear on the goal, their eyes are on the prize. With the exception of the issues with PA, a big worry, they are united. The one question l have, MM ANON, you wrote steal, not steel, was that a typo?? Or the financial thievery and merching is being dealt with! Oh please!

“separate tables”

Whose separate tables, will this be PH and mm whilst on the SA tour?? Or are PC and PA dining at separate tables. MM ANON this riddle is hard!!

decisions, decisions

Many decisions and choices are imminent, PA cooperation, the SA and Africa tour. What to do, when to do it. I do think they have enough on her to end this but they are looking at connections and getting all the pieces of this corrupt puzzle. For her what other lies will she leak online or wherever she does what she does.

“ justice, what bloody justice”

Justice in terms of PA being requested to be interviewed by the FBI. PA appears extreme edge, with the incident l wrote about elsewhere. Also, mm, at what point will there be justice. PP must be so angry that HMTQ his beloved, is burdened so at this point. GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

it’s the only solution.

PA submit to an interview, talk with investigators. It has to be done and dealt with.

🎼” who are we to disagree “🎼

Sweet Dreams, Eurythmics, Annie Lennox from Aberdeen😁😁😁😁

Sweet dreams are made of these, some of them want to hurt you etc you know the song. Lots of dreams put on hold, some shattered. It must be devastating for both HMTQ and PP to be dealing with all the issues with mm, now with PA and the big bust-up he had with a top aide requiring PC to step in.

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you so much dear PG! We really do appreciate this!😊❤️❤️❤️❤️

Ask Skippy submission

51 notes

Sep 9th, 2019

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55.

💜🙏🏻PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON🙏🏻💜

💜💜🙏🏻 THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜

MM Anon

MM ANON ……an embellished De-generate … a PR mired ……the phantom infant …… an exposure of confinement … Andy-panned-y…… “six of one……”……… “ that dammed elusive pimp…… “sympathy for the Devil “…… and the winner is……not today thank you!!……” pretend it never happened “ …… Charlotte is at Uni

an embellished De-generate

AN embellished DE-generate.

ED has a U.S. talk show. Told slew of lies about meeting visiting feeding amw. Now that may be embellished!

PA , as the Duke of York presented in his dress military uniform at the ceremony marking 75th anniversary of liberation of Bruges. The Duke of York was present in his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and laid a wreath at the Charles II memorial in the Belgian city on Saturday morning.He was a guest of Prince Laurent of Belgium, the brother of King Phillipe, and the pair later inspected a guard of honour in the market square. His public reputation has very much soured with his connections with JE and GM. I hesitate to use the word degenerate but others haven’t. All sorts of negative press culminating yesterday in that hilarious stupid blind item A meets B , Z knows D etc etc garbage. Now who do you suppose spewed that ?Hmmm, who would have a motive??? No need for any crystal balls. The medals are the embellishment.

a PR mired

PR mired, let’s refresh ourselves on what mired means. Mired can be cause to become stuck in mud, lies or slime, cover or spatter with mud or lies or slime, or involve someone or something in a difficult situation. Who has been mired in slime? Who has been filthy like that. You know! Who throwing mud or worse, everything in the media in hopes that something’s sticks to hurt the other side as much as possible!! You know, l hVe no need for names.

the phantom infant

Well this is amw, Darren, Dolly whatever your frame of reference is. This supposed infant has yet to actually clearly be seen, and be seen alive and moving, and PH interacting with it. Phantom….unseen shadow….the shadow knows…remember that old show/radio show? Yes l love old radio shows esp Johnny Dollar, but l digress!

an exposure of confinement

Confinement was the old fashioned word for being in the family way which is the lesser old fashioned way of saying pregnany🤣🤣. OH PLEASE MM ANON!! PLEASE LET HER FAKENANCY BE EXPOSED !!! Pretty please with sugar on top!

Andy-panned-y…

PA is being panned in the media. Numerous negative, critical, accusatory articles. The big one also was the alleged argument with a ‘top aide’ which very nearly came to blows, necessitating PC to intervene. The Palace is trying to downplay the seriousness of it.

“six of one……”

Six of one, half a dozen of the other, basically meaning that one has two options of choices to make are equivalent or indifferent. In either case it’s a bad outcome, usually. So who is this relating to? PA. Cooperating with interviews with the F.B.I. or remaining angry, on edge, uncooperative. At some point, an international subpoena could be issued, involving the international court or the star chamber which MM ANON has referenced several times in previous riddles. I studied up on the star chamber, it goes back to 1486 when the King Charles, l think Charles ll was named head of the COE. Anyhow , it’s fascinating and may become relevant as this court deals with wealthy, political or aristocratic people that the regular courts are hesitant to deal with.

“ that dammed elusive pimp

Where is MA??? No sightings in NYC. Is he in custody??? Is he in witness protection??? WHERE IS HE? I bet he has made a deal and has been singing his lungs out!

“sympathy for the Devil “

This classic song by TRS? Interestingly this song refers to Russian connection, U.S.President Kennedy……?JE referral, as an aside! This is most definitely our girl SS PR in overdrive seeking her to be out for sympathy because the big bad British press are all meanies and are unnecessarily picking on little innocent madam. CANT YOU HEAR MY SARCASM??😜😗😉😗😆. Nope not buying it, no sympathy!

and the winner is

Voila, they love me! They really love me! I am aging myself, remember when Sally Field won the Oscar and she said that? Wellour special one won Tatlers prestigious, coveted, rare Social Climber of the year 🥇 award!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

not today thank you!!

Prince Andrew’s relationship with JE has caused several public engagements to be cancelled.The Duke of York’s upcoming appointments in Northern Ireland have been called off amid media scrutiny surrounding his links to the disgraced financier. Organizers withdrew invitations to the prince, with one worrying his attendance would ‘change the narrative’ about the event in question. A ceremony at Portrush railway station to mark its £5million upgrade are among the engagements to be cancelled.

” pretend it never happened “

Carry on,,nothing to see here, weekend in NYC was fabulous, besties and even on the jumbo trot as HRH with her shy non-royal wave. Or alternative may be PA pretending the row with the ‘ top aide’ never happened.

Charlotte is at Uni.

Our dear Princess Charlotte is madly truly deeply in love with 🦄 unicorns. She had one on her backpack/rucksack, first day of school. I think she was also seen with a unicorn purse all glittery during the summer.

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you so much! Looks great!😊💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

17 notes

Sep 10th, 2019

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56. Sept. 11

💜🙏🏻PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON🙏🏻💜

💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜

ON THIS SOMBER DAY WE REMEMBER🕯

I apologize for the lateness, l had a good friend drive in and spend the day, was very lovely💜🙏🏻☺️

MM Anon

MM ANON …… the hot zone …… “ were all getting older,old thing”…… Together?????……… a caring cabal …… double bluff…… “ such a caring person”…… “gather thee rosebuds”…… like a Biohazard ☣️ …… “ she’s a bloody virus”…… suddenly ‘ last summer …… Sharon Stone Cold…🎼 “ She’s just a Devil woman “🎼 …… “they made their beds” ……… “just read the bloody comments”.… sword of Damocles

The Hot zone

Tv show in America based on the Ebola virus appearing in chimpanzees in a research lab in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and there is no known cure; a U.S. Army scientist puts her life on the line to head off an outbreak before it spreads to the human population. Unfortunately, in reality West Africa had an outbreak on Ebola that was the largest in history. It started with cases of EVD in the forested rural region of southeastern Guinea, reported by WHO (World Health Organization) in 2014. Soon, cases were discovered in Liberia,Sierra Leone, which border Guinea. It eventually through international travel spread to the U.S. Africa still has many diseases and often travellers are vaccinated or given anti-malarial drugs and sleep under netting to protect from insect born infections.

“ were all getting older,old thing”

PP and HMTQ musing to one another how the world has changed in their lifetimes, what is currently happening. Supporting and upholding one another, the combined have survived numerous wars, deaths, terrorism in many forms, family break-ups, PR nightmares of unimaginable proportions. Yet, they are still standing firm, one with the other. This brings tears to my eyes. GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Together?????

D and DOS going to SA together? It seems by this to be of great question of whether they will both be going, given the number of question marks and given the itinerary. Time will tell what is to come.

a caring cabal

Dare l say this is Skippy’s blog and everyone here! I truly believe it is! God bless you 🐼 for your unwavering faith and devotion to HMTQ and bless all who are here!💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

double bluff

A double bluff is an action or statement that is intended to appear as a bluff but is in fact genuine. Whose double bluffing here? There are many possibilities here. There is the heir and a spare. Is she thinking somehow she will end up Queen if there is enough malicious gossip as been spread a few days ago which l won’t speak of. I personally think this is LG playing games with her, cat and mouse. She is playing so many games with so many people simultaneously, with so many lies, it’s mind boggling and then add substances to the mix! It’s maybe a quadruple bluff of a happy life. If you read her two twitter accounts, the two l know of, life is grand, and simply couldn’t be better. I especially love American English with British terms thrown in, both usually spelled wrong and used in the wrong meaning!!

“ such a caring person”

Our beloved Peoples’ Princess! No one outshone her wonderfully innate caring and the manner in which she expressed it. We see it living on, instilled in both her boys, yes l said boys! They’re our boys, out Wills and our Harry. We will never stop loving them, praying for them wanting them healthy, happy and carrying out their duties and displaying their mother’s caring manner.

“gather thee rosebuds”

It’s so beautiful, l had to share it. There is an old hymn similar line, give me the roses while l live, trying to carry on, useless the flowers that he give, after the soul has gone. I LOVE that hymn🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

Robert Herrick - 1591-1674

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old Time is still a-flying;

And this same flower that smiles today

Tomorrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,

The higher he’s a-getting,

The sooner will his race be run,

And nearer he’s to setting.

That age is best which is the first,

When youth and blood are warmer;

But being spent, the worse, and worst

Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,

And while ye may, go marry;

For having lost but once your prime,

You may forever tarry.

Basically live life well, to it’s fullest, kindness, lovingly, and meaningfully. I don’t need to explain further, l thought in sharing the poem, all would be blessed by it and take to heart it’s meaning.💜🙏🏻💜

like a Biohazard ☣️

Let’s review the definition of a biohazard. A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can affect human health and could also be a substance harmful to other animals. The way life has been lived, in terms of extreme sexual behaviours, there are very real possibilities of HIV, HEP(hepatitis/ various types of liver disease). or other STD’s.( sexually transmitted diseases)

“ she’s a bloody virus”

Again PP, infecting anything and everything negatively, jinx at tennis matches. Just pure evil machinations, selfish intentions and from some of the photos the way Catherine is glared at and the children, especially the one photo where Catherine is pregnant, my mind shudders with what possible thoughts might be going through someone’s head.

suddenly ‘ last summer

1959 film of Tennessee Williams’ play, a young woman is traumatized and committed after witnessing her cousin’s violent death on a trip to Europe. Her aunt, wants to hide the events of her son’s death and attempts to bribe young surgeon to perform a lobotomy on the girl. But he vows to find out the truth about what caused her condition before taking any action. By the way a lobotomy is a surgical operation involving incision into the prefrontal lobe of the brain, formerly used to treat mental illness.

Also song, by the Motels, love that song, about being stuck in memories of a summer fling.

Wonder if institutionalization is the route of dealing with a person is the lesser of two evils as per yesterday’s riddle clue??

Sharon Stone Cold

Sharon Stone, that scene from Basic Instinct keg crossing, that photo from the tennis on Saturday with madams sitting position was sooo familiar. Stone cold, hard, no emotion, self-focused on meeting one’s own needs, wishes goals desires etc. Yeah, again, just going to put that there, you’re all smart!! You know!!

🎼 “ She’s just a Devil woman “🎼

She’s a devil woman with evil on her mind by the great Sir Cliff Richard, who by The by has had his own legal troubles which l will not go into. If you desire and are not aware, there is a plethora of information online, not all true! Friday, is Friday the 13th and full moon, to those on the dark side an especially EVIL day. This song, the lyrics is description of a narcissistic evil woman, l will just leave it there for you to think if that sounds like anyone that is in the media. Extra prayers for everyone this friday🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

“they made their beds”

The saying, you made your bed, lie in it. The public is nearing the breaking point with PH and beyond with mm. That’s the attitude, let them rescind their titles, over to America and be celebrities!! No more public £££££££££! PH we ARE WITH YOU! You remain in our prayers! WE ARE VERY MUCH AWARE YOU ARE SERVING HMTQ!

“just read the bloody comments”

Again that word, PP, angry, comments by the millions regarding the conduct of the Sussexes, her by choice, him by assignment. Just utter frustration and anger at this horrendous situation and the entire conglomeration of issues that are going along with it.

Sword of Damocles.

This will require a bit of story telling/ explaining.According to the story, Damocles was pandering to his king, exclaiming to him that he was truly fortunate man of great power and authority, surrounded by magnificence. In response, the king offered to switch places with Damocles for one day so that Damocles could taste that very fortune firsthand. Damocles quickly and eagerly accepted the king’s proposal. Damocles sat down in the king’s throne surrounded by every luxury, but the king, who had made many enemies during his reign, arranged that a huge sword should hang above the throne, held by only by a single hair of a horse’s tail to evoke the sense of what it is like to be king: though having much fortune, always having to watch in fear and anxiety against dangers that might try to overtake him. Damocles finally begged the king that he be allowed to depart because he no longer wanted to be so fortunate, realizing that with great fortune and power comes also great danger. The long and the short of this

is, perhaps madam is slowly becoming “woke” to the fact that her life choices have led her to a very very dangerous intersect, prison, institutionalizations, or worse by her enemies who were formerly her “friends”/backers.

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Wow! Fascinating! Very impressive dear MM Anon and dear PG! Thank you!🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

42 notes

Sep 11th, 2019

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57.

💜🙏🏻🙏🏻PG LATE INTERPRETATION ON MM ANON 🙏🏻🙏🏻💜

💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

MM ANON … 🎼 “ blackbird singing in dead of night”🎼…… not a problem …… anything and everything …… more porn……there’s not a hole black enough …… redacted ………… me myself and I… … 🎼 you either got or you haven’t …………”🎼………… on your own AGAIN!!!……… give a DOG a bone ……… a Belgrave secret …… not really a secret, whooops!

🎼 “ blackbird singing in dead of night”🎼

This song, from 1968 by The Beatles is not really about a blackbird. The term bird, in England is a slang term for a female. The black African American struggle in the southern United States, was used metaphorically.Along with McCartney’s “Helter Skelter”, “Blackbird” was one of several White Album songs that Charles Manson interpreted as the Beatles’ prophecy of an apocalyptic race war that would lead to him and his “Family”of followers ruling the US on countercultural principles. Manson interpreted the lyrics’ repetition of the word “rise” as a call to black Americans to wage war on their white counterparts, and instructed his followers to commit a series of murders in Los Angeles in August 1969 to trigger such a conflict’.

For our context, there has been an intentional multi-media goal to draw in and play the race card on behalf of madam. We have seen it repeatedly and many people ie “sugars” have been drawn in and are being used to further an agenda. This continues to grow, worldwide and is , l believe one of the most difficult issues that LG and his team have in dealing with madam.

I also am wondering if this draws on DR. Where is she??! The term singing, other than sits obvious meaning, is term term when one is in legal trouble being interviewed and tells about whatever the criminal plan is, who is involved, what has been done, and what is the ultimate goal. Has DR began to sing?? I wonder.

not a problem

Anything and everything Madam, has done anything and everything for fame, power, $$$$$$£££££€€€€. I am 100% certain she is capable of anything. She is narcissistic and thinks only of what benefits her, has no moral compass. I also am 100% certain she has done things that myself for example, as an educated woman, she has done things l have never heard of, in this regard l am referencing sexual context.

more porn

As l just stated, it would not surprise me if more evidence of past vulgarities have arisen. I pray for those in LG team who have to actually view and deal with such content. This has to take a toll on a person.🙏🏻🙏🏻

there’s not a hole black enough

A black hole is a region of space/tike exhibiting an acceleration of gravity so strong that nothing can escape from. The litany of information gathered about madam is so incredibly large, the people she has been involved with, the conduct, is so enormous that using the metaphor of a black hole is to help us to understand the difficulty and enormity of what they have been dealing with. Trying to unwind all the threads, than aligning them so they connect and can be used in legal proceedings.In terms of just making this garbage disappear, it’s not possible, literally meaning the black hole could not contain it and prevent it from escaping out into the ether.

redacted

Redacted, we hAve seen this gem many, many times, especially in high profile cases or agents working undercover. The paperwork submitted in legal proceedings at times are made public. In the U.S., the Freedom of Information Act, often news agencies file in court, to publicly display what the proceedings are about. However, if information is critically sensitive, to national security, to those still working covertly, some information is held back from the public, or the term is called redacted. When you read the information eventually made public, you will see black lines covering some of the information. This can be very frustrating for journalists or those who just want or those who need to know. So, in this context, this is a multi-national situation, different laws, different countries. I think this is telling us, that we should prepare ourselves that we may not be given a lot of information that we want eventually. We need to understand the reasons, as l explained above.

me myself and I

Me and shadow, popped into my head. This is the best description of madam now. NYC was crickets 🦗, no paparazzi, nothing like the baby shower weekend. I thought today was interesting, all the police officers with their motorbikes, no crowds, they were not needed. She looks more and more alone each time we see her, which makes it important that we continue to see her. Quite pathetic attempt by SW in the media today saying how great full she was that madam came to tennis 🎾, but not so great full that madam was invited to the Italian restaurant that SW and her family went after the tennis!

🎼 you either got or you haven’t

This is interesting MM ANON, you clever lady, l ask again was this a typo that the scale was separated from the word havent? Old blue eyes sang this, and the crew he ran with, Dean Martin, oooo remember Peter Lawford, how handsome. But l digressed yet again

This song is all about style , class, elegance. You can wear a quarter of a million dollar wedding dress and look awful. Style, the way one carries oneself, interacts with others, treats people and just generally lives. You cannot buy it!!! Madam does NOT!!! Have it!!

”🎼

Refer above!

on your own AGAIN!!!

Well her big speech was done, an hour of “work” on her first day back from “surrogamegnancy” leave! She has to rush home for FEED TIME😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄! Unbelievable! Yet, with madam, of course it’s believable!!

give a DOG a bone

Obvious meaning, give doggy a bone for a treat! However, our dear MM ANON doing the uppercase. DOG, the obvious meaning to me is Delusions of Grandeur! This we know is madams prime reason for existing. She is the most important person to ever exist, is perfect and everyone loves her, they should, she’s perfection. Got a bit of news for you madam, YOU ARE NONE OF THOSE THINGS!!!!

a Belgrave secret

Sherlock and John discover that a case of blackmail is more than just a threat to topple the monarchy. Sherlock: Season 2, Episode 1.“A Scandal in Belgravia” Love Benedict Cumberbath! Fabulous series!

The episode depicts Sherlock Holmes confrontation with a dominatrix who has compromising photos taken with a female member of the royal family. The photos along with other valuable information which makes a target for various political factions. Belgravia is a district on London adjacent to the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Not really a secret whooops!

Not really a secret any longer that she really is not a member of the BRF.Rarely have l seen HRH used in the media, now DOS, until today. It’s mostly been mm. Oh l felt sick for that lovely lady who curtsied her, sickening.

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you so much dear PG! We are honoured….as sick as you feel…you still think of us all, we love you PG!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Sep 13th, 2019

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58.

💜🙏🏻🙏🏻PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜

💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

MM Anon

MM ANON … a stream of unconsciousness … “feed the hungry”…… “AND THE CROWD WENT …home”…… “when is she auooooof to Africa”?…… shares drop at M&S. …… 🎼 “ all in all it’s just another”🎼……… “matter of fact, it’s all dark”……… “not Christmas, not bloody ever”!!…… “Little Lottie, a lovable rebel that one”…… “the monarchy is secured”. … “an adventure playground, no your highness’ no! an adventure PARK”

a stream of unconsciousness

The capsule collection was the goddesses contribution to solving all the women’s seeking employment problem if you’re a person in very limited size range, enjoy black clothes, mostly, England is not New York where everyone wears black all the time. A bag that costs more than any item, and if truth be told she was determined to have that bag in the collection because a similar one she herself had donated, was rejected by a woman that she was attempting to ‘style’ for her job interview. Yes folks, that’s how vindictive things are, instead of a reasonably priced non-leather, thought she was vegan, but l digress, handbag not a weekend bag, would have been a much better and certainly more affordable option to purchase. She just has no consciousness , sense of awareness if you will, beyond herself, she really doesn’t. The greatest evidence beyond many things we observe about her, was the ‘speech’ she gave yesterday, in between constantly playing with her hair/wig, so unprofessional and gross, she mentioned herself ALOT, l read 38 times in a five or six minute verbal ramble. This is madness, umpire narcissistic madness!

“feed the hungry”

Well, this could be about charity and assisting or donating time, money or food. This is reference madam’s quick escape from the no crowd show up yesterday, except those invited. Must have been a humiliation but l don’t know if she has that level of self awareness or emotion. But her quick getaway excuse was feeding time. Not my baby, my precious or for goodness sake even little Archie or a pet name as most mums have. Every single thing about this woman is strange, not normal, bizarre and selfish.

“AND THE CROWD WENT …home”

😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣MM ANON, you’re so cheeky. Yes the massive, enormous invisible crowd that waited to see madam yesterday, which necessitated a slew of policemen on motorbikes standing by lest the invisible crowd got out of hand. She stayed about and hour and left for”feeding time at the old corral “. If it weren’t so pathetically wasteful, reverse racism, it is actually quite hilarious.

“when is she auooooof to Africa”?

I am laughing because auooooof sounds like a howl when you say it and since it’s not only Friday the 13 th but full moon as well, l think MM ANON is , along with asking a legitimate question, she is giving us a good belly laugh. THANK YOU MM ANON AUOOOOF! 🐺 🐺 🐺 🐺😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

shares drop at M&S.

Marks & Spencer, for those who don’t is a major British multinational retailer that specialises in selling high quality clothing, home products and food products. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. M&S has been in financial difficulties awhile now and is to be demoted from the FTSE 100, Financial Times Stock Exchange for the first time in the latest sign of the declining fortunes of the retailer, which was a founding member of the leading City share index.

🎼 “ all in all it’s just another”🎼

Brick in the wall…..l remember this intensely from Pink Floyd album, The Wall! Grade ten l think, we were so scandalous😂😂😂, the line we don’t need no education we don’t need no thought control, we changed that line to birth control😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂oh we were rebels🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🙃😁. Pink Floyd, by the way ,fantastic album, Dark Side of the Moon, another moon reference MM ANON! 🌕

Each and every time we see madam, it’s another piece of craziness, self aggrandizement, selfishness and all the while looking a mess. Her hair, which could have been in a high ponytail or braid or a hair and for goodness sakes, on a windy, the amount of time she spent fussing her hair was distracting, unprofessional and quite gross. Designer or off the rack, nothing ever fits right. She look exceptionally square shaped yesterday, l do believe SpongeMeg is her stylist! At least for yesterday!! Everything she does, is another brick in the wall of information gathering, and in building legal cases(cases).

“matter of fact, it’s all dark”

MM ANON, you must love Pink Floyd! MM ANON you have done your research to tie in the riddle with the full moon tonight 🌕. Dark side of the moon, lots of existential and scientific talk about this, it’s all dark, no only one side faces earth and the other the sun etc etc. However, we are referencing madam not Pink Floyd now. Everything she does, most of the things she has ever done are dark, selfish, a lot of vile, vulgar things and who knows what else. She present with an aura of “be wary”. Reading or listening to her “speeches” always self-focused. Nothing dude for humanitarian reasons, fauxmanitarian.

“not Christmas, not bloody ever”!

PP raging at the idea this charade will continue and they will have to have madam with them for Christmas

I can only imagine his anger and frustration!!

“Little Lottie, a lovable rebel that one”

This is referencing our beloved Princess Charlotte. Her nickname was Lottie in preschool, l think that is ever so sweet. She definitely has a mind of her own. One of my favourite memories is the day of Prince Louis’ Christening, as they walked out of the Chapel, she told the photographers assembled there for the photos for the press “YOU’RE NOT COMING!” I still chuckle at that. I look so forward to watching her grow up.

“the monarchy is secured”

With D AND D Cornwall, but ESPECIALLY long term the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who are such sound individuals will be excellent when times comes for William to be King and Catherine Queen. They have a beautiful family, the children are being so well raised as well rounded individuals. The Monarchy is safely secured, God willing, for several generations.

“an adventure playground, no your highness’ no! an adventure PARK”

Catherine and the team did a superb garden for the Chelsea flower show. It was beautiful and lovely watching the Cambridge children playing there. The Duchess of Cambridge surprised guests as she joined Mary Berry, of The Great British Baking Show and her books fame, at the Back to Nature festival at RHS Wisley in Woking on Tuesday morning, September 10, 2019. Kate, 37, returned to work as she opened the new site, which has been inspired by the original design she created with Adam White and Andree Davies for the Chelsea Flower Show in May. The Back to Nature Garden includes features from the original garden at RHS Chelsea, including the hollow log and boulders from the waterfall, as well as the wildflower meadow, hidden burrow and rolling hill from RHS Hampton.

Both Kate and Mary joined children on a ride in a trailer pulled by a tractor through the grounds to the site of a Back to Nature Garden Festival taking place at Wisley until September 15. New elements include a “bouncing forest”, where visitors can jump on trampolines surrounded by trees, two treehouses, linked via a walkway with slides, and a living willow pod. The garden at RHS Wisley will be a permanent feature for children and families to enjoy. The project for Kate has been part of her work on early years and how spending time outdoors can benefit young children. The Duchess even brought along her own children to play in the Back To Nature Garden before its grand opening this summer. The Cambridges released rare footage of Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and one-year-old Prince Louis helping their mum to collect moss, leaves and twigs to decorate the garden.

The DOC is marvellous, anything she puts herself into , succeeds, what a blessing she is to us all. She and William, have given us so willingly entry into their family life, appropriately. We love them for it because we absolutely love each of their children uniquely!💜💜💜

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Wonderful! I am always in awe of you both! Fantastic! Much appreciated PG, especially when you are feeling poorly! Prayers for you our dear PG! God Bless you!🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Sep 13th, 2019

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[guapo-t-w]

Local Tidewater VA Beer Festivals

UPCOMING BEER FESTS AND FESTIVAL FORECAST: Sat, Feb 23 - 6th Annual Bull & Oyster Roast, Hosted by Capt'n Crabby, 12 - 9:00 pm, Smartmouth Brewing Co., 1309 Raleigh Ave, Norfolk. Join Capt'n Crabby at the Annual Smartmouth Beer Bull & Oyster Roast! Enjoy awesome live music and an all You Can Eat Extravaganza! Tickets on sale soon and at the door! Email itscrabtastic@gmail.com to request your tickets! Sat, Mar 2 - Pillow Fight! Winter Beer Invitational, O’Connor Brewing Co., 12 - 6:00 pm, 211 W 24th St., Norfolk. Featuring the juiciest, pillowy beers from 20+ east coast breweries. Have you ever been to a beer festival so chill that you can literally show up in your pajamas? We’re hosting Pillow Fight, a craft beer festival featuring unlimited pours from some of the best breweries on the east coast. It’s our successor to last years Dazed & Consumed Virginia Brewery Invitational, but this time we’ve added PJs, DJs, all the hazy beers you could possibly dream of, and the nostalgic excitement we all once felt going to childhood sleepovers. Pillow Fight will be taking over the brewery for two sessions of amazing beer, tasty noms from local food vendors, DJs spinning lush vibes, and a bunch of people wearing their best onesies and pajamas: Session #1 - VIP 12:00-12:30 pm | GA 12:30-2:30 pm; Session #2 - VIP 3:30-4:00 pm | GA 4:00-6:00 pm. 25 VIP tickets per session | 200 General Admission tickets per session. The GA ticket is $35 and gets you entry to the festival, as well as a limited edition festival taster. The VIP ticket is $75 and gets you early access to the festival, access to our mezzanine area with 4 more VIP only beers (not available to General Admission ticket holders), and an exclusive swag bag with a limited edition commemorative glass, a 16oz can of our event-exclusive beer release, a limited edition trucker hat, and a Pillow Fight branded pillow case. Must be 21+ with a valid ID to get a wristband. No pets or strollers in the festival area please. Sun, Mar 3 - 43rd Annual VBVRS Oyster Roast and Craft Beer Festival, 1 - 5:00 pm, Hosted by Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad, Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St., Virginia Beach. One of our favorite events, the annual Oyster Roast and Craft Beer Festival is the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad’s largest fundraiser of the year! Don't miss all this fun... Raw, Roasted & Fried Oysters, Local Craft Beer, Exclusive Brew Crafted by Back Bay Brewing Co., Pungo Catering BBQ, Fried Chicken, Sides and Soft Drinks, Rescue Squad Demonstrations and Equipment, Silent and Live Auction + Raffles, Local Artisans + Children’s Activities, Live Music, Casino Tables, AND MORE! Get sponsorship or individual tickets today! Sat, Mar 9 - Shuckin Me Mollusk-4th Annual Oyster Roast, 2 - 6:00 pm, Commonwealth Brewing Company, 2444 Pleasure House Rd., Virginia Beach. Get your shuck on with us this year at Commonwealth with All You Can Eat OYSTERS (roasted & raw bar)! The Wampler Brothers Band will be serving up bluegrass jams from 4-6pm. We'll also have Pittsburgh's Best serving up their delicious eats. $30 ticket covers AYCE roasted and raw oysters from 2-6pm.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at Commonwealth Brewing Co or on the day of the event. Sat, Mar 16 - 2019 Ocean View Saint Patrick's Day Parade & Party, 10:00 am, Ocean View, Norfolk. The parade begins at Northside Middle School; from that point it travels North on Granby; turns left at A View Ave.; turns left on First View Street; and ends at the intersection of First View and Government Ave. On-street parking is available on most of the adjacent blocks along the parade route. Off-street parking is available at the Sarah Constant Beach Park, Ocean View Beach Park, and Ocean View Elementary. The parade after-party is thrown by the Columbian Club of Ocean View at 211 W. Government Ave. from 12-4 pm. There will be food, refreshments and live music. Free admission and open to the public. Come join the fun! Check us out on the web at: www.NorfolkParade.com Sat, Mar 16 - OBC's 9th Anniversary & St. Paddy's Day Celebration, 12 - 10:00 pm, O'Connor Brewing Co., 211 W 24th St., Norfolk. ...and just like that, our brewery is 9 years old! New brews, local food vendors, and live music? That's right, it's our anniversary and we're throwing ourselves a big party. Our specialty releases: Chocolate mint stout; Breakfast stout with cinnamon, maple and vanilla; PB & J stout. Of course, we'll have our Green Beer specials in addition to our ODIS Dry Irish Stout, a World Beer Cup gold medalist and a staple for any St. Pat's party. Live music by Hampton Roads' own: Donnaka, a native Irishman's rock n' roll one-man band; Esoteric Ramblers, local favorites singing beer-drinking music. Featured food trucks serving Irish-inspired menu items: Redwood Smoke Shack, slinging the best Texas-style 'que in Hampton Roads; Taste of Asia 757 with twists on your favorite dishes. This event will also be the official 2019 re-opening of our outdoor bar and beer garden, so plan on partying outside with us if the weather cooperates! Parking is limited, so please plan on biking, carpooling, or utilizing our friends at App A Cab, a Norfolk-based company.***To keep beer flowing and lines moving, we will not be pouring flights or fills. Thank you for understanding!*** Sat, Mar 30 - 2019 Kiss My Cask Festival, Hosted by Back Bay Brewing, 2 - 6:00 pm, Back Bay Brewing, 614 Norfolk Ave., Virginia Beach. Kiss My Cask is back and better than ever! Save the date for this year's Kiss My Cask Festival. Come and judge over 30 different local, regional and national breweries! There will be games, live music, delicious food trucks and of course a massive supply of beer! Pucker up, because this is going to be one hell of a festival. Tickets go on sale February 1st. Stay tuned for more details! Sat, Apr 13 - Smithfield Wine & Brew Fest Weekend, Windsor Castle Park, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, Downtown Smithfield. Held the second Saturday in April, come celebrate our 7th anniversary! Experience everything that "Gen-u-Wine" Smithfield has to offer: Fabulous Dining, Hotel Packages, Friday Night Concerts, Shopping, Art Galleries/Studios, Walking Trails, Kayaking & The ?Best Fest in Coastal Virginia! Over 100 different types of wine & brew tastings, live music on three stages, fantastic food & retail vendors. ?21 & Up only. No infants/babies/pets. GENERAL ADMISSSION TICKET RELEASES: 1st Release: WED, FEB 20, 2019 AT 7:00 AM.  2nd Release: THURS, FEB 21, 2019 AT 8:00 PM  https://www.smithfieldvawinebrewfest.com/ Sat, Apr 27 - CoVa Battle of the Burgers 2019 Southside, Hosted by Coastal Virginia Magazine, 12 - 5:00 pm, Military Aviation Museum, 1341 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach. Join Coastal Virginia Magazine as we invite local restaurants to the battle it out to become CoVa's Best Burger at the 2019 CoVa Battle of the Burgers. Last year Coastal Virginia Magazine hosted the inaugural Battle of the Burgers at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, and crowned Coastal Virginia’s best burger. Local restaurants battled it out as they served slider-sized versions of burgers paired with refreshing Virginia craft beers. Attendees and food judges voted for their favorite burger after sampling sliders from several local eateries, and guests voted for their favorite craft brewery after tasting beers, served in a commemorative souvenir glass, from several regional breweries. Guests also enjoyed live music, fun games, and offerings from local vendors. http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/ Sat, Apr 27 - YSC Spring Party, Hosted by VB Youth Service Club, 1 - 6:00 pm, Camp Pendleton, Birdneck Road, General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach. Join us once again on the last Saturday of April and be part of raising $100,000 for Virginia Beach charities at our 48th annual Spring Party at Camp Pendleton. Some of the best food at any event around cooked by our members on site include pulled pork, BBQ chicken oysters and much much more. Live music, beer, wine, corn hole and all the good tmes you can possibly have make this the best event of the year. Save the date and get your tickets early. This event always sells out. Sun, May 5 - The Mariners’ Craft Beer Festival, 12 - 5:00 pm, The Mariners' Museum and Park, 100 Museum Dr., Newport News. Great beer, good food, and live music! The Seventh Annual Mariners’ Craft Beer Festival will feature craft beers in the unique setting of The Mariners’ Museum’s outdoor courtyards. Ticket Prices: General Admission Advance Tickets: $35 (through May 5); Day-of General Admission Tickets: $45; Museum Member: $30 (Advance tickets only, No member price day-of); Non-drinker tickets: $15. Tickets include 20 four-ounce craft beer tastings, a souvenir tasting glass, live music, beer talks by brewery representatives, and the day’s admission to The Mariners’ Museum! Non-drinker tickets include complimentary water but does not include a souvenir tasting glass. Food trucks will be onsite for an additional charge. Drink Happy - Be Safe Follow the blogs at: www.brew-n-rock-tidewater.blogspot.com or www.guapo-t-w.tumblr.com and follow the latest listings of local brew events on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/hamptonroadsbeerforum/

[kingbitchgemini]

1-10 for the get to know me asks pls!

1. Name(s)

Gemini “Gender” Jones

Elizabeth “Liza” Lotte

Shane “Duderson” Bailey

Gray Madison

2. Age

All four of us are mentally 21, but our birthdays are:

Gemini: January 7

Liza: April 10

Shane: September 13

Gray: June 29

3. City you live in

We live in the lovely city of Tacoma! It’s an underrated gem with great local businesses and a thriving queer community! -Gemini

4. What do most people not know about you?

Hmmm.... I’m kind of an open book to be honest. But I think people are often surprised to find out that I’m a morning person. -Gemini

This probably won’t come as a huge shock, but I LOVE Hello Kitty. -Liza

For me, I guess that I’m into sappy romance stuff? And for Gray people tend to underestimate how into punk and horror they are. -Shane

5. What do most people know you for?

I’m super extra and super gay all the time. -Gemini

Probably my singing stuff. I’ve been training vocally pretty much my whole life. -Liza

Video games and nerd stuff. I have my own twitch account that I stream with. -Shane

“The nonverbal one” -Gray (dictated by Shane)

6. Hobbies

Ooooh! I like DIYing things, even if I’m not very good at it. Throw some glitter and stickers onto my possessions to give it a customized feel~! -Gemini

As mentioned, I’m a singer. I also love modelling and trying out complex makeup looks. -Liza

Coding, video games, songwriting, acting, making shitty art, picking up way too many hobbies to realistically juggle... 

Gray is really into       a e s t h e t i c      -Shane

7. What are your passions?

Being queer, disabled, and the host of an OSDD system, I am constantly made aware of how unaccommodating the world can be for people like us. I dream of one day acting as a voice for inclusivity and and using my visibility to fight the stigma surrounding systems. I want to live in a world where people like us are celebrated, not shunned. -Gemini

I love to create. And the biggest thing Shane and I have in common is that we both adore the feeling of being onstage and entertaining a crowd. -Liza

Yeah, despite how awkward I can be that is true. I just want to be me and feel like people like me for who I am. I’m a depressed, possibly bpd, autistic trans dude that shares a body with three other people. It can be a little hard to catch a break. -Shane

-Gray

8. When was the last time you had a significant conversation with someone you love?

Please honey the mental health of this system is my job. We have conversations like that pretty much every day. -Gemini

9. Have you ever collected anything? What was it?

Heh, do cute clothes and accessories count? -Gemini

Ornate fans from around the world. -Liza

Nintendo memorabilia. -Shane

Gray collects GIFs. -Shane

10. List 10 things off your bucket list.

Oh, my! That’ll be a total of 40 things! I’ll put them under a “read more” section, so click to see what we said!

Gemini:

Participate in a Fashion Week

Become famous enough to have my own merch

Voice act a character in a show or video game

Throw a ton of huge parties

Watch my alters achieve their dreams

Have people call me “goals”

Design and create my own clothes

Maybe sell my designs?

Convince my alters to let me dye my hair black

Just generally live a fabulous life

Liza:

Become a paid performer

Sing the national anthem at a major sporting event

Financial stability

Model regularly enough to get paid well for it

Get back into painting

Find a wig that actually looks like my hair

Go on a super lesbian day out with my wife

Come up with a cool tattoo design

...and then get said tattoo

Perform a duet onstage with Shane

Shane:

confidence??? like just in general please and thank

also like Elle said money is nice

get better at singing and be able to hit a wider range of notes without her help

lots of road trips around the us and canada

become popular enough on twitch to get donations and be able to financially support my family

also be well off enough to buy my friends nice things

look like me at least once in my life

also yeah i wanna take Jade out on a fancy date (our shy wife)

do acting stuff as a MALE character

idk just find fulfillment in life through whatever avenues i can

Gray (dictated by Shane):

Travel to every continent

Learn ASL so I can better communicate without needing to speak through my alters

Work with Gemini to increase awareness and understanding of OSDD/DID systems

Also work to increase awareness/understanding of nonverbal people

Try all sorts of unique and exotic foods from around the globe (god that sounds good me too dude -Shane)

Try acid/LSD at least once i mean whaaat i would never.....

Find my passion? Aside from travel I don’t have as many concrete dreams and hobbies as the others.

Get a full tattoo sleeve on our left arm

Make a ton of great memories, living a vibrant and unforgettable life

Program a video game with Shane (HELL YEAH LET’S DO IT DUDE -Shane)

[vmheadquarters]

VMHQ’s Holiday Fic Grab Bag - PROMPT LIST!!

Ho, Ho, Ho! Our list of Holiday Fic Prompts was delivered by reindeer mail this morning, and we’re ready to share them with all the Veronica Mars fanfic writers, GIFmakers, artists, and... well, anyone who wants to create something for them. 

Remember, post all of your offerings to the A03 collection by December 23rd. The collection will open for your reading and enjoyment (anonymously) on the morning of December 24th and then authors/creators will be revealed on January 1st!

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, THE LIST:

Logan and Veronica and a secret santa!

Logan and Veronica snowbound strangers who have to keep each other warm. Bonus points if they don’t like each other much at first and then find out how they are so much more than first impressions (and then hook up).

During An Echolls Family Christmas - Logan and Veronica and accidental kissing.

College AU. Logan and Veronica - Logan meets Keith for the first time during the holidays. There’s nervousness, making out, and Keith trying to accept his little girl isn’t so little anymore.

During S2, Logan is feeling down after watching the tapes of Lilly, and Veronica is feeling down with Wallace gone and everything sucking. They somehow meet and spend the Holidays together and things get better.

Logan and Veronica fall in love during a (crazy) Holiday party. This one can be AU.

Mac is tired of her family asking about her love life so she brings Dick to Christmas dinner as her pretend boyfriend.

LoVe and Holiday horror (As in Krampus and other Holiday horror movies, but no killer snowmen because come on). Just want to see if anyone can come up with something for this one.

Logan and Veronica meet at a Christmas party and hook up for the first time.

LoVe as an established couple (can include other pairings) and they spend the holidays with the parents. Can be AU if they are meeting the parents for the first time. Comedy if possible (as plenty of Holiday movies do - Ex. Meet the parents).

LoVe’s first Christmas together (after reuniting in the film), including the run up to the actual day.

Weevil is desperate to find a sold out doll for his daughter --the only item on Valentina’s Christmas list-- and he enlists Logan’s help to track down this important present. 

Lilly gives Logan to Veronica as a Christmas present.

LoVe during S3 - they don’t break up so they spend their first Holidays together!

Veronica is a waitress in a New York diner, trying to pay her way through law school. She has to work Christmas Eve - it’s just her and the cook and no customers until Logan walks in to spend a lonely, glum holiday. 

LoVe find themselves stranded in the airport and can't make it to their holiday celebrations. They find each other instead. Romance ensues :)

In An Echolls Family Christmas, Weevil calls Veronica when the money first goes missing, and she shows up to find all the boys in their underwear. “When did Logan get so ripped?”

It's the season of countless movies about saving Xmas! So what if the Vmars characters have to do the same? Can you combine the noir of Neptune with the silly Xmas shenanigans that are required to save the holiday? Maybe it can be a fantasy story (does SC needs help?) or based in reality (or ambiguous fantasy if you like). As many characters as can be involved from canon. And preferably with LoVe either as friends, or enemies to friends, or even as a couple.

AU or alternate ending of an Echoll's Family Christmas. Logan/Veronica

Veronica, Mac and Meg baking cookies for Christmas

Veronica and Logan's first kiss happens under the mistletoe. Someone else (Duncan, Lilly, or another person) tried to put it up to catch either Logan or Veronica, but it backfires when it gets Logan and Veronica together instead.

Snowbound Fab Four, pre-series, LoVe the Fab Four but maybe before everyone pairs off(?) can be happy and fluffy or with a dose of pining/angsty

Set during S2 “One Angry Veronica” - Logan feeling down about everything, stealing the sex tapes, etc. does something sweet and possibly(?) anonymous for Weevil’s Grandma (since he currently owns their house at that point). Maybe a little bit of BrOTP w/Logan & Weevil?

S2 Christmas Break - Veronica goes to Logan for comfort after discovering the truth about Meg’s pregnancy

S4 Imagined AU - Veronica never went to Stanford, but she did come back from the FBI internship with a new commitment to normalcy.  She’s still dating Piz, but the semester is nearing an end and she knows it’s not what she wants. It’s Christmas, and at Christmas you tell the truth. Eventually LoVe (maybe a little Love Actually inspired w/out the creepiness). Maybe Logan has someone else in his life at this point too(?)

Those 9 years, two Neptune survivors bump into each other unexpectedly at an airport in Aspen when their flights are delayed. Who are they? What happens? What do they talk about? (Not a LoVe pairing)

Ghost of Christmas’ past. You pick the ghost and who they visit. Also, the living don’t have to know they’re being watched, or you can have interactions between the living and the ghost.

Madison’s perspective of how the events unfolded in Aspen (can be her POV) would love a somewhat sympathetic/compassionate approach to a character that never received much dimension from the writers.

Logan and Veronica’s kid “Home Alone” during Christmas.

S3 AU, Logan, Veronica, Keith, and whoever else the writer wants (the whole gang or no one else) meet in Aspen. Can LoVe reconnect during the holidays? Or will things remain the same?

LoVe trying to find the perfect gift for each other in a mall or some big store because they forgot (don't know why, maybe they just got recently back together, perhaps this is a S3 AU :O) days (hours?) before Xmas. There's waaaay too many people, madness and fighting ensues :).

Logan and Veronica attend an office holiday party. Dialogue: “I told you we shouldn’t have brought the fruit cake.”

Logan, Veronica, Wallace, Mac, and Dick go tobogganing. Dialogue: “That is a really bad idea.”

Meg and baby Lilly both lived and they celebrate the baby’s first Christmas with Duncan. Veronica and Logan are involved in some capacity.

Work holiday party hookup, Logan/anyone.

Sophomore year of college. Logan moved out of the Neptune Grand into a new home and while unpacking he finds a Christmas present he got for Veronica, but they had broken up before he gave it to her. He finds her (either at Keith’s or he goes to Stanford) to give her the present now.

Logan and Veronica sing Christmas carols... in front of an audience... for a case.

AU Veronica investigates the case of Santa Claus and Logan tags along.

Either Logan or Veronica try to make some big Christmas dinner and absolutely everything goes wrong. They end up eating pizza/KFC/or something like that on a very messy kitchen floor and making out. The writer can decide if guests arrive and find them like that.

Logan and Veronica. It’s New Year’s Eve and person A got dumped. Person B tries to cheer up person A, and they end up kissing as the countdown reaches 0.

Logan and Veronica just broke up. Dick throws a big Christmas party. Wallace and Mac convince Veronica to go. Logan and Veronica meet there and reconcile.

Logan and Veronica are neighbors and they get into a fierce Christmas decorating contest --way over the top. Veronica eventually learns that Logan wasn’t interested in the competition, he just likes firing her up.

Pre-series New Year's Eve celebration with the fabulous four at the Kane House where they are having a party as well. Celeste makes Duncan and Lilly come inside, but doesn't allow Logan and Veronica who end up kissing each other at midnight.

Veronica and Logan discover how much Pony loves the Christmas tree, especially knocking off ornaments and knocking the whole thing over.

Angsty with a hopeful or happy ending. Veronica comes back from Stanford for Christmas after not seeing Logan for more than a year and goes to see him at the Neptune Grand. Dick's dialogue "He's in his room, but you're not going to like what you find." 

Logan and Veronica meet after high school away from Neptune. One or the other needs a pretend date to take home for the holidays either because of lies they told their family, or to compete with an ex's new relationship.

Logan and Veronica are dorm/class acquaintances at Stanford, who end up getting stuck in a snow storm while carpooling to a mutual friends holiday party in Tahoe.

Logan and Veronica are best friends that end up next to each other for the New Years kiss at midnight.

Veronica brings a special Christmas present to Logan at the office.

Logan and Veronica are work frenemies that get picked to be each other's secret Santa.

Remake of movie Love Actually - use all VM characters. Special request: Logan as the Prime Minister and V as his assistant.

Matching Reindeer Boxers – how did Duncan and Logan end up with them? What made each of them decide to wear them that night? What did they think about one another when they realized they’d both selected the same pair (esp. if the author decides Veronica gifted them and it reveals that they’re both being nostalgic and missing her this time of year)

Sibling closeness over the holidays - adult Veronica and Logan planning for or celebrating a holiday with Hunter. Or really anything where Hunter is included in family togetherness. 

"Let's import a Christmas tree from Canada."  

Logan and Veronica are hosting thanksgiving dinner. They have a LOT to be thankful for (a little surprise for their family and friends - they are expecting).

Accidentally matching holiday underwear! 

WeeVer! Set in college, at a point where her Dad doesn’t completely dislike Eli and she’s finally fed up with Logan and/or she loves Eli regardless of all the outside influences.

VMars and Logie Bear accidentally double-booked a train sleeper compartment on the day before Christmas Eve. Five minutes after meeting, they already piss each other off. But with a train this packed and no other way to get to their destination in time...what are they to do? (I have no clue; snark and shenanigans, I assume.)

A Christmas body swap!

Remake the movie Serendipity with Logan and Veronica. It may not be a movie about Christmas but it takes place around Christmas time.

New Year's Eve is always a disappointment. Keith knows this. Everybody knows this. So why not use the day to start working on his resolution for a healthy year? To make a long story short, Keith conscripts some victims to help him replace his pointless crop of lawn grass with kale. Some find it amusing, fewer find it hot, and others are just done.

"I got you for secret santa and I got you this really expensive but sentimental gift that you’ve always wanted, hoping you’ll never find out it’s from me and I’ve been in love with you since forever"

"You got me an amazing present and I didn’t get you anything because I didn’t know we were doing presents because you are just a close friend (and oh, this is supposed to be a declaration of love, well in that case, come to the bed, I’ve got great last minute gift idea)"

Veronica finds her old water bed in the attic while looking for Christmas decorations.

Van Clemmons has always kept himself out of the trenches in his little kingdom of learning and hormones...until he finds a camera in his stapler and Vincent Van Lowe in the waiting room, carrying a tray of Christmas cookies.  

A Christmas Carol (the Scrooge one,  not the singing kind (though that could be another prompt,  where a bunch of carollers show up at LoVe's door)

Logan and Veronica AU - “We went through a really bad break up a month ago, but I already bought you a Christmas gift. it’s too late to return it now and I know you’d really like it so I show up to your house on Christmas Eve and give you the present I bought for you and I swear I see tears in your eyes”

Logan and Veronica drew each other’s name out of the Santa Hat for secret Santa (with mutual friends or at work) and “I really had no clue what to get you, we don’t know each other too well so…” 

Logan and Veronica, “let’s dress up our dog as a reindeer” AU

Veronica and Logan both volunteer at the holiday charity and somehow they’ve managed to turn donations for the less fortunate into a competition to see who could get the most donations. AU 

Logan and Veronica, sworn enemies, are chosen to prepare the company Christmas Party.

LoVe family buying or decorating the Christmas tree or baking holiday treats or making snowmen.

Logan and Veronica - they broke up, but now they meet at a Christmas party.

Logan and Veronica meet in the E/R on Christmas Eve.

LoVe are co-workers, but they barely know each other. They both have to work through the holidays.

Veronica can’t travel to see her family on Christmas, so she invites Logan, her grumpy loner neighbor.

Veronica or Logan’s ex will be at the Christmas Party. They pose as each other’s fiance or significant other.

“You’ve had too much eggnog and rum and now you’re drunk and doing a strip tease for everyone at this Christmas party; it isn’t sexy in the slightest because you’re giggling and your sweater is caught over your head but I’m still falling in love with you” -Logan & Veronica AU

“I get caught with one of my friends under the mistletoe and you literally sprint from across the room to shove them out of the way and take their spot” AU Veronica and Logan

Logan and Veronica: “It’s hella snowing outside and the power went out in our apartment building. You come up to my door, asking for blankets because you’re freezing but I just pull you inside and oh wait when did we start cuddling?”

Logan & Veronica: “We’re co-workers who hate each other but you had too much to drink at the staff Christmas party and admitted your love for me - I don’t know how to act around you now”

"I was having a snowball fight outside and you were casually walking by and oh my god I’m so sorry I accidentally nailed you in the face" Veronica & Logan AU.  

On Christmas Eve, Logan and Veronica are stuck together because of blizzard, they have to share a bed.

LoVe- since the first time they met, every Christmas Eve, one letter appears on their skin, it’s the name of their soulmate (can complicate with two names written on their body, their nemesis and their soulmate)

At Christmas Eve, the heater broke and I’m freezing get over here" 

Right before Christmas break, Logan & Veronica: ‘We’re stuck in a log cabin overnight during a snowstorm because of some stupid school team building exercise and it’s freezing and I can’t sleep and you can hear me shivering in the next bed so you pick me up and dump in your bed and good grief you are hot in every sense of the word’

Logan and Veronica - ‘It’s Christmas, I’m visiting my family, you’re pretending to be my significant other so my mum gets off my case only she’s assuming we’re going to be sleeping in the same bed together’

Can be set during S3 or around the movie - Keith and Logan interact while Veronica watches (holiday of your choosing). Inspiration these B&W photos taken by Chris Lowell: 

Happy creating, and happy holidays! 

[blazerina]

All At Once (Drake x MC)

**This is my entry for Choices Creates week 14. I know I’m submitted past the 4 pm deadline but wanted to try anyway. ☺️

Thank you to the fabulous @mermaidwarriorqueen and @hollyashton for hosting.

This prompt was way more difficult than I thought it would be. I used the song “At Last I See the Light” from Tangled as my inspiration.

This features Drake and my MC, Charlotte Westbrook. And I apologize for the length of this post. But still…I hope you enjoy! **

–

“Excuse me?! You’re what?!” Bertrand raised his voice and clenched his fists at his side. His head was spinning and he was sure he didn’t hear his sponsored contestant correctly.

“Charlotte, there must be a way we can remedy this…you’re our only hope at rescuing our family, our house, our legacy in Cordonia!” Maxwell begged.

“Please know that I have thought about all of that a million times.” Charlotte explained, remaining calm. “I know what kind of position this puts you in and how it will look to everyone, but I cannot stay in this competition any longer. It’s not fair to Liam, or the other ladies, or even this country, for that matter.”

“I cannot believe what I’m hearing. Maxwell, you’ve done a fine job of ruining everything, as always.” Bertrand moved towards the door of Charlotte’s room.

“Well if you’re leaving, leave. Get out at once. I hope to never see the likes of you again. I would say it has been a pleasure, but it truly has NOT been. Maxwell, follow me. We will have to resort to plan B.” He walked quickly out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

“Maxwell, I – “ Charlotte began, but he cut her off mid-sentence.

“There’s no need to apologize. You’re a great person, Charlotte and you’re doing what you think is best. Who am I to criticize you? I must admit I was hopeful that you and Liam would be the perfect match…but clearly, your heart isn’t in it. I don’t blame you; I blame myself. Best of luck to you in…whatever it is you do when you get back to New York. I do hope we can remain fr—“

“MAXWELL! NOW!” Bertrand bellowed from the hallway. “Enough blubbering. We have a lot of work to do. Let’s go!”

“Bye.” Maxwell replied sheepishly, as he shuffled out the door. All Charlotte could do was wave as she choked back tears and prayed she was making the right decision.

She hated how much her decision to leave the competition would affect so many people. She was used to making up her own mind and only having to worry about herself. That’s just another indication that I have no business being married OR ruling a country. She told herself as she began to pack up her belongings.

With each item that she put in her suitcase, she reminisced. She came with one bag and one dress, but now had a lot more clothes, and friends (at least she hoped they were friends).

She dreaded telling Hana. Her plan was to sneak out somehow so she wouldn’t have to face Liam. How could she tell him that she didn’t love him like he loved her? She had been avoiding one on one time with him all throughout the competition.

As tempting as hedge mazes, cozy hot tubs and beautiful waterfalls were, she always said no when he offered to spend time alone with her. Her feelings for him just weren’t there and she couldn’t magically make herself fall in love with him even as hard as she tried…especially with so many other ladies chomping at the bit, ready to be queen - ready to love Liam in ways, she knew she never could.

Charlotte looked out the window with a heavy sigh. The sun was about to set and she knew she needed to leave first thing in the morning, before the next social event was underway and before anyone could notice she was missing.

As she sat on the edge of her bed, she closed her eyes and finally gave in to the weight of the emotions that had caused her to make this “irrational decision” as Bertrand had first called it.

Slowly, softly and quietly, tears began to fall down her cheeks. In an odd way, she savored the feeling of the burn in her eyes and their warmth on her face as they dripped down to her chin. This is what I deserve. She told herself. This is what I get. I knew I was in too far. I knew I was in over my head. Why didn’t I turn around? Why didn’t I say no before I even set foot in this place? The moment I got on that plane and saw him – I knew. I knew I couldn’t do this. Why did I let it go this far?!

Her mind immediately flew back to the day she stepped on the plane with Maxwell and the look of surprise on Drake’s face.

Seeing Drake again made her heart flip-flop, bounce down to her knees and up into her throat. She had been attracted to him immediately, the night before. There was something about him that made her want to know him more. His confidence. His assuredness. He was kind of a mystery, but she knew she liked him right away.

She also knew then, that it would be dangerous, or at the very least difficult, for her to embark on this journey with him around at all times. And at that time, she had no idea how much she’d have to see him, spend time with him, and how much she’d get to know him while trying to win Liam’s heart.

At first, when she left New York she told herself she had nothing to lose. And now that she was returning, she realized she had pretty much lost everything.

When she blurted out that he was “more her type” than royalty, she almost clasped her hands over her mouth immediately. Scolding herself and reminding herself she could not be “normal Charlie” anymore. She had to be someone else. Heck, people here didn’t even call her Charlie or know that it was her nickname.

See? No one here even knows the real me. This is for the best. This is the right decision!

She inhaled sharply, clenched her fists and stood up. Looking in the mirror, she wiped her eyes and reached for her make up brush to reapply some powder and blush.

“We always want to look our best. You never know when or who is watching you. Do not EVER leave your room without make up and a smile. Got it?” Bertrand’s voice rang clearly in Charlotte’s head.

“Screw it.” She said, throwing her make up brush back in her bag. “I’m going out however I want. Doesn’t matter now, anyway…”

She pulled her long, dark hair, up into a messy bun and wiped her face completely clean. She took the contacts out of her blue-green eyes, threw on her tortoise-shell glasses and changed into an oversized sweatshirt with leggings, before putting on running shoes.

The evenings were cool and breezy in Cordonia this time of year. She felt like running and that was just what she was going to do.

Charlotte quietly closed her bedroom door as she peeked down both sides of the hallway, silently praying she wouldn’t be seen.

She knew once the news spread about her leaving, and once people found out, it would be chaos. Part of her felt awful for what she would be putting everyone through…but another part of her felt free and she knew she was making the right decision in the end.

She made it outside through the rear side door, and soon found herself on a trail leading into the woods.

She took a deep breath and inhaled the evening air. It was crisp and light. It felt as though the air itself was filling her lungs with opportunity and possibility she hadn’t allowed herself to feel before. For the first time since she had set foot in Cordonia, she felt free.

Lightly, she started jogging, following the rugged path. She had found this trail one of the first nights she was in Cordonia and knew it well.

Her head began emptying of all kinds of thoughts. Seeing her friends once she got back to New York…sleeping in her own bed again…trying to find a job…calling her sister to tell her everything…and maybe even calling up her ex to see how he was doing.

Aaron. She smiled, thinking about her old boyfriend. Maybe he hasn’t moved on yet and we can – whoa. Do I miss him? Wait what?

Her feet came to a sudden halt. She tried to catch her breath, her hands on her knees as she hunched over herself, while shaking her head.

She mentally tried to push away those random thoughts that had entered her mind. What am I doing?! She asked out loud.

As she controlled her breathing, she stood up straight and also began to look around. The territory was all of a sudden unfamiliar. It was also getting darker, and colder by the second.

“Where am I? Her heart began to race again, although she remained still. How did I get off the trail?! Ugh!”

She let out a sigh of frustration as a group of birds flew up into the night sky, startled by her noise.

As she began to furiously scan the clearing for a path or anything marking the trail, she began to realize what danger she was in.

She had no way of reaching anyone and no one knew she was out there. She had never really been great in the outdoors. She knew she needed to stay calm, but also wondered how long it would be until she was overtaken by panic and anxiety.

“I’m okay. I’m okay.” She kept telling herself, trying to remember which direction she came from.

A little while later, she had been wandering around for what felt like hours. She thought she was now back in that same clearing where she first realized she was lost.

It was now pitch black and the sky was filled with stars. She looked up and smiled. Remembering the night she became certain she was not in love with Prince Liam. She had always kind of known he wasn’t the one…but that night, in the snow, laying under the stars with Drake, sealed her fate forever and confirmed her feelings for him, instead.

Yes. He was a jerk. Not really pleasant, or really that kind, but he was deep. There were layers to him the he himself probably didn’t even understand. He probably didn’t even know those deep dark parts of himself exist.

His eyes were always sincere. Passionate. And anyone could tell within minutes of talking to him, that know he was genuine. Drake was someone who never said or did something just for the hell of it. He followed through for those he cared about time and time and time again.

And for whatever reason, he had been Charlotte’s rock throughout the whole competition experience. It wasn’t Maxwell or Bertrand, or even Liam, surprisingly. It was Drake.

Charlotte found an old uprooted tree and sat down on the stump. Adjusting her glasses to gaze up at the night sky once again.

She sighed and pulled her sweatshirt over her knees as she hugged them to her chest. Again she began to cry.

Knowing that Drake didn’t see her the way she saw him. Knowing he would never want anything to do with someone who was a “nobility-chaser” (that’s what he had once called people who follow the aristocracy around like paparazzi).

Sure, they never got a chance to really be themselves together. But they had a lot of moments. Smaller little glimpses here and there, interactions that lasted mere seconds, but were filled with emotion and care for each other.

Their relationship was doomed before it began, and now here she was throwing away a chance to be queen, all because of him.

She began cry harder and sob louder as she thought about all she would be missing; all that she would never know. She had to get out, she had to leave before she saw him and changed her mind.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine falling for Drake like this, but she knew to save herself (and to save her the embarrassment of knowing how he’d react if he knew how she felt) she had to find a way out of the woods and then out of Cordonia, for good.

Just then, a rustling in the bushes startled her. She adjusted her glasses on her nose and stayed still. She heard the rustling again and this time saw the bush move. Charlotte was breathing faster and faster; she closed her eyes hoping not to hear anything again but she couldn’t help herself from letting out a loud scream when she saw an animal dart out from under the bush. “AAAHHHHH!” Her scream echoed into nature as a gray squirrell ran off chattering across the grass.

“Make it a habit to scare the native wild-life, Westbrook?” She jumped up off the tree stump and spun around quickly.

She could hardly contain her excitement at seeing Drake standing there. With his signature smirk, arms folded across his chest, smug and satisfied with himself.

He was holding a red leash, attached to a black lab. Charlotte had never seen the dog before, but he was clearly trying to make his way over to her. Panting. Struggling to try and pull Drake towards her.

“Maxwell didn’t educate you on the native Douglas squirrel? That’s the national squirrel of Cordonia. Once a year there’s a ceremony where we honor the squirrel and he gets a little crown and a robe, it’s really great…It’s your next social so you should probably get a new dress. But I’d stay away from anything with fur…” Drake was quite pleased with himself and couldn’t stifle a laugh.

“Ha ha. VERY funny.” Charlotte retorted, rolling her eyes. How am I going to get out of this? I’m so thankful he’s here but what do I say? What do I do now? She cursed herself for ever leaving her room.

“What are you doing out here?” Both she and Drake asked the question of the other at the same time.

“I’m taking Max here for a walk.” Drake said as he crouched down and petted the dog. “Good boy. Sit.” He said softly as he stood back up.

“And before you ask, yes, he’s named after Maxwell. It’s supposedly his claim to fame. He’s still acts like a puppy even though he’s 4 years old…so a lot like Maxwell.” He joked and rolled his eyes, then focused again on Charlotte.

“You’re really lucky I found you.” Drake started. “You could have been eaten alive out her by ya know, ferocious squirrels or something.” After saying that, he realized Charlotte didn’t seem to be herself.

“Charlotte. What’s going on?”

He looked her up and down and had to tell himself for the millionth time that she was off limits. He had never seen her without make up, or with her glasses on. How have I missed this? He asked himself. How is it possible that she looks even better than she does every other regular day? He shook his head, trying not to lose focus, and went to her.

Charlotte was shivering in the cold night air as she tried to explain herself “I…I went for a run…and just got a little turned around, I guess…” She shrugged, somewhat embarrassed.

“You’re not as turned around and you think.” He explained. “You’re actually very close to the castle – it’s just on the other side of those trees.” Drake said, gently. He could sense something was up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” Charlotte responded, tersely. “Can you show me the way?” She was anxious to get back inside and away from him.

“Not until you tell me why you’re really out here.” He took off his jacket and handed it to her. “Take this.”

Charlotte felt tears stinging her eyes again. It had been a day and she was not ready for this. Not ready to talk. Especially not to him. About anything. Especially not her feelings.

“It’s nothing and…thanks…for the jacket…” She paused, before slipping it on over her shoulders. She began to pace, walking around the clearing in the woods, trying to drum up either enough courage to be honest, or at least buy herself enough time to think of a lie about what was really going on with her.

“Westbrook.” Drake called out to her while her back was turned towards him. “Stop.”

She started to cry for what felt like the thousandth time that day, hearing him talk to her. She couldn’t help it any more. All the emotion, all the stress, all the frustration and confusion, she couldn’t keep it inside around him anymore.

“Why are you walking away from me?” Drake questioned, confused, wanting to hug her, to kiss her, to tell her everything would be okay. He tied Max’s leash to a nearby tree as his thoughts overwhelmed him.

He wanted to be with her, but he couldn’t do that to Liam. Did Liam even love her? He had so many beautiful women to choose from. Couldn’t Drake get the girl for once?

But really, who was he kidding? He had barely touched as much as her hand since she’d been in his life, yet everything in him wanted all of her in more ways than one.

As her silence continued, Drake walked towards her. Her back still facing him, he clenched his fists, then put his hands up on his head, thinking quickly about what he should do. He knew what the right thing to do was, but that’s not what he wanted. And he didn’t think it was what she wanted either.

Biting his lip, he put his hands back down to his side, only an inch or two from her. He could smell her perfume as the wind picked up. He closed his eyes and thought back to that night when they laid in the snow together under the stars. That was when he knew he was falling for her.

Charlotte’s shoulders shook as the tears kept coming. She wiped at her eyes furiously, taking her glasses off for a moment to try to dry her face. She didn’t want Drake to see her like this.

“Charlotte…” Drake grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around quickly, to face him, as he realized she was crying. She dropped her glasses as the force of Drake spinning her, made her lose her balance slightly. “I’m meant to go, Drake…I…I have to leave…I shouldn’t be here…”

Drake and Charlotte were staring deeply into each other’s eyes, his hands were still on her arms, his thumbs swirling in circles on hers, trying to keep her warm. He didn’t realize what he was doing or what she was saying. He was only focused on one thing.

He reached for her face and held her cheek in the palm of his hand while the other arm snaked behind her, around her waist. He leaned in for a deep and passionate kiss, while stepping forward slightly, to press her body up against his.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him too and gave in to his kiss with fresh tears still making their way down her face. She rested her forehead against his as she tried to catch her breath. She was in disbelief, adding this to one more crazy thing that happened to her this day.

“I’m sorry…” Drake whispered.

“I’m not.” She smiled up at him, unsure of what to do or say next.

“No, I’m not sorry for the kiss…” He sighed, looking away. “I’m pretty sure I broke your glasses…” He lifted his foot and picked up Charlotte’s glasses, the frame now bent and the lens broken.

“Oh no! Drake!” She reached out and held her glasses in her hands, sighing angrily. “Ugh!”

“It was worth it.” He smirked as he pulled her in close again. “Now what was this about you leaving?” He questioned, resting his chin on her head as he hugged her.

“Drake. You know we can’t do this. We can’t be together. You’re Liam’s friend, I’m supposed to be his queen…but I don’t…” She trailed off.

“You don’t want to be with me? Did I misread the signs? The signals? Dammit, Westbrook if you’re playing me, I swear I’ll…” She interrupted his rant with another kiss, this one more passionate and filled with emotion than the first.

“Does that answer your question?” She asked breathlessly, as she pulled away from him.

“Then why are you leaving?” He searched her eyes hoping for an answer that made sense.

“Really? You’re asking me that? Don’t you get it? I have to go! I don’t love Liam. I never will. We aren’t meant to be together and I can’t fake it. Especially while I’m here. And you’re here. It’s too dangerous and difficult for me to try to hide what I’m really feeling. People will be hurt. They already ARE hurt. I’m leaving tomorrow. I already told Maxwell and Bertrand. Everyone will know by morning.”

“How are you going to leave? Just hop on a flight back to New York? You think it’s that simple, huh?”

“Yeah. Why not? You got any other ideas?” She asked, exasperated, looking around as she heard a coyote or a wolf or something howl in the distance.

“Cordonia doesn’t even have a real airport, Charlotte.” Drake huffed, getting angry. “This is not New York City. You can’t just run away from all your problems by getting out of town, you know.”

“Forget it. You don’t understand. This is a mistake. Just take me back to the castle!” Charlotte said, raising her voice.

“Please. It’s getting cold, and late and I need to finish packing.” She started walking.

She took a few steps in silence, obviously annoyed.

“Wrong way.” Drake stood still, watching her.

“Why won’t you help me?!” She asked, finally reaching her breaking point.

“Look – I didn’t mean to fall in love with you. I’m sorry if this ruins your plan. I know you think I’m shallow and weak and would do anything to be a part of this royal family here, but you don’t know me!” She said forcefully.

“Do your glasses help you think? Maybe you should put them back on and see…” He walked towards her again, smiling.

“I AM going to help you, if you would calm down and listen for a second. WE are going to go back to the castle, find Liam and talk to him. Together. Then we will find a way to get back to New York, or anywhere else it is you want to go. You won’t be alone. Ever again if I can help it. We’ll do all of this with each other. Side by side.”

“Drake…I, I don’t know how this happened…just…all at once…everything’s different…” She whispered, but smiled looking at him.

“Are you smiling too? I can’t see. Without my glasses or contacts I’m blind as a bat.” She laughed, quietly.

“I’m smiling.” He chuckled. “You may not be able to see me…but I see you. And you’re beautiful. I’ve waiting too long to say that.“

He kissed her quickly and took her hand. “Come on, let’s get Max and go find Liam…” He untied the dog and led them all out of the woods. Together they walked back to the castle hand in hand as Charlotte rested her head on Drake’s shoulder.

[sophiaaandenijssel]

Closing

Hey all!

This is a sort of an apology (although I suppose it’s a little too late for that).  The end of my exchange year was fabulous and heart-wrenching and amazing - I can’t fully explain it.  I had a lot going on, and this blog was shoved to the back of my mind as I tried, in vain, to take everything in.

I won’t cover everything in this post, but here are the highlights of my last two(ish) months in the Netherlands.

Starting with… the biology expedition to France!  There was actually only one other person from my grade and class there - one of my good friends, Christina - which meant that we both got to meet a lot of new people!  The week started out a little rough for the both of us, but by the end (once we’d made some friends) we were having a great time.  Christina even said that it was the best thing she’d ever done with school.

After that, two of my other friends took me to the Efteling (think Disneyland, but with traditional fairytales).  It was really sweet of them to take me along, and we had a lot of fun!

That same break, one of the other exchange students (she’s been on this blog before - Sophie, from Germany) came to stay at my house for two nights.  The first day, we went to Maastricht (a city waaaay in the south of the Netherlands).  It was a really beautiful (really hot!) day.

The next day, we went to Leiden, which is a cute little university town in the middle/north of the Netherlands.  They have a huge botanical garden there, and I finally got to make use of my “free entry into museums” pass.  It was a really fun weekend - Sophie and I always laugh a lot together.

After that was a week-long trip with my class to the south of the Netherlands!  It was so, so, so fun.  Monday, we went to Germany.  I’m sure this trip was very useful for the students that were actually taking German in school, but for me and the few other kids who weren’t, it was a bit of a stressful day.  Nonetheless, it was really cool to get to go to Germany!

On Tuesday, one half of the class went mountain biking.  It was kind of scary, actually (you go really fast!), and we got lost, but I ended up having a lot of fun.

Then, for the actual work.  We formed groups based on the subjects we had, and completed a project.  My group was doing biology fieldwork - observing and recording what types of species were where, and attempting to group them together.  It was hard and a little confusing, but actually quite interesting and fun to learn about!

Of course, the best part of the week was (by far) getting to bond with my classmates.  I had a lot of fun with my friends, of course, but it ended up being a really nice way for me to talk to other people in our class that I hadn’t really ever connected with before.

Back to school (for a little bit) and then - YFU NL’s trip to Prague!  This was really exciting for a couple of reasons - one: I would get to see Julia (one of my best exchange friends) again, two: I would get to go to the Czech Republic (something I’d never expected to get to say), and three: I’d get to spend four days with the other exchange students.

It was an amazing, amazing trip, and I had so much fun.

A few weekends later, my host parents and I took a trip (with the fast train!) down to Paris.  It was (again) an amazing trip.  I’m really grateful that they were generous enough to take me along, because I got to see a city that had been on my list for a long time.

The next big event was our goodbye/re-entry orientation.  It was fun (of course it was, the other exchange students were there), but it was tinged with the knowledge that this was it.  For many of us, that weekend was the last time we would ever be together.  I can’t imagine my exchange without these people (so you can imagine how much of a mess I was at the train station, saying goodbye).

And with that, the goodbyes began.  Places, people, foods, you name it.  It was, of course, difficult to part ways, but I knew how lucky I was to have had this experience in the first place.  More than sadness, I felt an overwhelming sense of thankfulness, for the times that we were able to have together.  I’m never going to forget those last hugs with my best friends.

Before we knew it, the day was upon us.  We had to wake up at some ungodly hour to get me to the airport on time, which probably numbed the whole experience.  I cried saying goodbye to my host parents, then promptly fell asleep on the first plane ride.  By the time I’d gotten “home”, I was in a weird state of not-quite-jetlag.  I was able to see one of my best friends that first day, and from then on my “re-entry” journey began.

I’m not going to say it’s been easy, because it hasn’t, but it has by no means been terrible.  I miss last year, yeah, and I miss the people I had the pleasure of seeing everyday.  But I also missed the people here last year, and I missed my “normal life”.  It feels, in some ways, like I’m living the best of both worlds right now.  I have this incredible opportunity to look at my old life with a new, critical gaze.  I have been able to throw myself into things again, except this time I have made a deliberate choice about the activities I participate in.  I know myself better now, and I make choices based on my newfound knowledge.  Honestly, it’s really fun.  I’m challenging myself to make new friends and try new things this year (to simulate the viewpoint you go into an exchange year with), and to keep my Dutch good by talking with my Dutch friends and family as much as I can.  Last year was the best year of my life (so far!), but I’m so excited to see where the rest of my life is going to end up taking me.

[djrelentless]

This Is Us

It's June 12th. 2017 (the anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando) and I'm trying to get in the spirit of celebrating Pride this year. While I am reflecting on the tragic incident that happened in my home state, I still feel sad for the loss and can't seem to get in the celebratory spirit. It's hard because I'm watching a class warfare divide and conquer the LGBT Community of Toronto. Everyone is still fighting over what happened last year at the Pride parade when Mathieu Chantelois and Pride board of directors decided to use Black Lives Matters as a political statement to show how inclusive they were by inviting the group to be grand marshals. The only thing was, Black Lives Matters knew what that move was really about…a fake olive branch to show how diverse Toronto is after World Pride. 

Apparently Mathieu had impressed the board so much with his planning and connections for the previous Pride that they gave him complete control over the 2016 celebration. Along with such moves he spent thousands of dollars on bringing a lot performers, gay celebrities and DJs from out of town to make appearances for Pride weekend while kind of marginalizing the locals and people of color. Now, for a certain demographic of the LGBT Community this was fabulous! They really felt like Toronto was a world class city after World Pride in 2015. The only problem was that by the time we got to the 2016 parade the world had changed a lot. With the rise of police brutality and racial profiling in the United States all over the news, many people of color were forming their own chapters of Black Lives Matters in solidarity. So, there was all kinds of tension bubbling under the surface when this invitation was extended to the group. Given that the organization felt like they were being used for a photo-opportunity, and it seems to me Black Lives Matters decided to use this opportunity to protest and make their voices known that people of color are not living the same existence in the LGBT Community as their counterparts…white gays.

Well, we all know the headlines of what happened at the parade and how Mathieu faked a signing of their demands to get it back moving. He bragged about it in the news that next day. One of the demands that BLM asked for was that "no uniformed police officers be on a float in the parade" since many of the people of color had been harassed and profiled by the police in their neighborhoods and on the streets of Toronto. So, if you have never been treated this way by the police this demand seemed outrageous…unheard of. But to put this in perspective….this is like the difference between living in a building with a doorman as opposed to living in a building with security guards patrolling it. These are two completely different experiences when you think of home. 

Okay…so BLM took to social media to complain and express their distaste with Mr. Chantelois' backhanded move at the parade. That's when things really started heating up. the two weeks after the parade I tried to organize a closed door meeting with the an elected official, Pride Committee, Black Lives Matters and other disgruntled local performers/DJs to discuss and hammer out a solution for this year's event. 'Cuz, it wasn't just about racial discourse…it was also about ageism and other marginalized issues in last year's festivities. Well, apparently some were too busy or going on vacation to meet. There were a couple of people who were willing to come sit at the table but mainly because tempers were so hot most ignored my calls and emails.

But to really get to the meat of the problem we have to rewind Toronto's Pride history back to 2013. I guess this would be the year that I became the pariah to Pride. That was the year that I was checking my facebook account before going to bed around 6 AM on the Monday of Pride week and saw a posting of a drag queen in blackface. All I wrote was "I don't even know what to say about this" and left it at that. I didn't even go back to the post because it was an accepted fact that this performer was known on Church Street for being offensive and pushing buttons. Plus I had already seen another performer doing numbers at Woody’s dressed as a Middle Eastern woman with a bomb belt….and this was considered to normal entertainment for the gay village. I did read a post complaining about that performance but the powers that control the hiring, firing and booking did nothing. The complaint was from a person of color and it was only one. So, it was paid no mind.

So, I got a phone call from a fellow DJ who told me to go back to the blackface post because my husband and I were being crucified in the comments. Unaware that my husband had gone an expressed his dislike for the photo while I was sleeping, I was kinda shocked to read some of the comments. Especially the ones telling me and him to go back to the US and stop trying to spread democracy across Canada with our African-American problems. Don't believe me…I have the facebook thread saved as proof and you won't believe some of the people who said these things. Even people of color were coming to this performer's defense. The funny thing is…my husband is Canadian and white.

Well, since I tend to write better than I speak I decided to write a blog pointing out that Canada isn't as innocent as it thinks it is when it comes to racism. The myth that it doesn't exist here was shattered by all the news clippings I pointed out from 2010 to the present time of the blackface incident. That went over like a lead-ballon. Folks don't like to be reminded of the misgivings  and definitely not how they are not as inclusive as they would like others to believe. The facebook posts and my blog made it to the Toronto Star.The performer who did blackface got fired from hosting the main stage for Pride that year. It was all blamed on me. I was the bad guy and the establishment I worked for even sat me down to give a light threat that my job was on the line for speaking out. They didn't do it out fear that I would go to press again, but this made many who had embraced me step back. A few people of color had my back but that number could be counted on both hands….not the POC Community at large.

And then came another racial incident where I was the DJ for Toronto's only Drag King night. It was going good…until I discovered that all the performers were white and a few did Hip Hop material with the n-word in it. Being the only person of color in the room some nights, it was really hard to watch white lesbians lip-syncing the word "nigga" to a room full of mostly white lesbians. So, I posted one night while I was working that I had decided to quit because of what I was witnessing and being subjected to. The troupe's only transgendered man ripped me a new one on facebook in a very long rant. Claiming that I was trying to control their show and content. Another ironic thing I just read the other day….a Xtra article asking why there aren't any spaces for Drag Kings in the gay village.

I bring all these things up to pose a question. I wonder what would have happened had we as a community addressed these issues back then. What if more people of color had stood up and said "Hey! Blackface has no place in our community!" What if the lesbians of color stood up and said "Hey…this isn't cool to be using that kind of language in your shows." Do you think that we as the LGBT Community could have really made everyone feel included in the conversation and a part of the solutions? I mean…if we can't acknowledge there is or was a problem how can we move forward?

Yesterday I posted a link about Philadelphia’s amended rainbow flag that has black and brown stripes added. Like with most things that are happening on social media today, there was much push back against this idea. The community that is supposed to be so inclusive has really shown their true colors about unity. Arguments that this is some power move by people of color to undermine our community shows exactly why and how we got here today. From flat out calling the idea "bullshit" to just wanting to lash out because the flag and pride celebration that catered to this demographic was being disrupted by people who should leave things the way they are. We've come so far and they are trying to tear it all down with division.

Yeah…this what some in the community actually believe.

But let's look at the other side of the story. The majority of the people of color in Toronto who joined Black Lives Matters are black and of Caribbean decent. For most, their living standard is definitely not like a Mathieu Chantelois. They don't have the luxury to run over to Montreal for the weekend whenever they feel like it. They don't have a cottage or tickets to a circuit party. I want you to take a moment and think about that for a second... If you can do these things on a semi-regular basis, you have no idea what it is like to be a gay person of color barely paying your bills on time. And just because you have a friend or two who can do these things that does not mean that everyone is in that same position. I have plenty of friends who are in better standings in life than I am and they have no clue that I'm just a poor man struggling to keep on top of things.

The bottom line is this all comes down to money. The Black Community does not have any financial power in the  mainstream LGBT Community in Toronto. Hell…there isn't even a black gay bar in this town. For many they are regulated to separate parties thrown by DJ Blackcat (and thank God for him continuing year after year to find spaces to throw these events). I bet many of the white gays don't even know who he is. But you should. He and a few others are the backbone of black events in Toronto. These are the people you should be going to when planning the big Pride events. They are the real voices of the Black Community. I'll tell you someone else who should be at that table….Kerolos Saleib. He runs a party called Arabian Knights that welcomes everyone but is themed for the Middle Eastern LGBT community. Someone from El Convento Rico should be on the committee for Pride planning. It's just basic common sense. Local people who are already working in the community and a part of it. 

Granted…there are some issues with the Black Lives Matters protest. Since they mainly have no financial power it is hard to sit at that table. "What money are you bringing to Pride?" The white gays spend money and that's just a fact. I can remember when I first got here to Toronto I started a Vogue night at a bar that no longer exists. The Ballroom kids came out for it. It was a cute little crowd. But they had no money to spend on drinks. I told one of the main voguers that he and his friends needed to start buying some drinks or that night was not going to last. He looked at me like I shot his mother. But the truth is…your dollars are like your vote in situations. The push back that Black Lives Matters received wasn't all based on racism. Some of it was financial. And although some funding comes from the City, it would be great to see everyone working together to raise some funds and build the community as a whole. This would be a solution to getting everyone involved and participating.

And although it is good to see Olivia Nuamah at the helm this year, there's been push back against her as a British woman of color. I love that she is definitely making strides to reach out to not only the marginalized but as well as those in position of authority. Her experience as a community builder and work in the non-profit / government sector is very impressive, but I still think that the board needs to be compiled of local promoters. Imagine if Fly, Crews & Tangos, El Convento, Club 120, Blyss, Woodys, Striker Sports Bar, Flash and Statlers all were at the same table making plans together to accommodate all the diversity that Toronto has to offer. Promoters like MOJO, Blackcat and Kerolos coming together to make the ultimate plan that includes everyone and features the best of our local talented performers and DJs. Would we be at this place right now? Arguing over stripes on a flag…attacking each other for any posts that we don't personally agree with or understand?

For those who are so adamantly against the change for the flag, someone posted on my facebook page "Why don't they just make their own flag?" Well…we are. We are taking the rainbow and adding black and brown stripes for the people who want to show their solidarity for the people of color who feel that they are not being represented. You don't have to carry that flag. This amendment doesn't devalue or diminish the rainbow flag that has been the symbol of our community for many decades. In fact, the original design had eight stripes and was proposed to get away from the pink triangle that was associated with the Nazi branding of homosexuals in the camps. I personally don't think the new design will catch on. Although I do think it would be brilliant because the Black and brown could also cover the Leather and Bear Communities as well. Why not? Let's get everyone on the flag. Just know that my interpretation doesn't effect yours. Just like your opinion doesn't effect mine…unless we compromise.

The LGBT Community is constantly evolving. Just look at all the new terms that have been added to make everyone feel represented. So, to allow others to wave their own flag is part of evolving. We have to grow if we are going to accommodate the future. And the words we use for ourselves are just as important. The ones we use and the ones we omit all play a part in how we communicate with each other.I mean, the omission of  a few words like "in uniform on a float" turned this town into a war zone of words. No one said "no police at the parade" in the demands of Black Lives Matters. Click-bait  media did that. And it gave an excuse for those who have been harboring feelings of exclusion to express them openly. Now it has turned into "no police in the parade" because that's what was put out there to stir up controversy. "Shut up and sit down" is basically what many feel like they are being told. Well, I think the folks who fought at Stonewall were tired of just going along with the program. Had those queens and lesbians not fought with the police would we be here trying to celebrate pride at all?

United we stand….divided we fall. We've come too far to stumble now.

I didn't write this to divide us. I wrote it to hopefully inspire all of us to start really working on a solution on how to move forward from this point on. When I look at Toronto I see such potential. On paper it looks like Toronto has everything covered and everyone accounted for, but the reality is that some of our brothers and sisters are being left behind and most are not paying attention or even care. That is the heart of the matter….realizing that what effects me actually effects you. And this is why I do as much as I can to give back in my own way. You can't just take, take, take…..you gotta give back and contribute.

So, on this day when 49 people lost their lives in a senseless shooting in Orlando, Florida I am hoping to awaken some people to the idea that we need to be united. That shooting could have happened anywhere in the world. We need to get back to being a community that cares and uplifts each other. Just a thought...

[tivarocks]

Great 38 Rewatch Recap

Hello, everyone!

Many of you have asked about the background of the Great 38 Rewatch and I thought I would take this opportunity to recap what was, for me at least, a great experience.  

It started spring of 2016 when the complete seasons 1 through 7 rewatch facilitated by the fabulous Pellegrinaleoni was ending.  She had managed to host most of our rewatches twice a week and was rightfully tired and suggested that someone else might have an idea for another rewatch.   For some reason, I had the crazy notion that I would like to give it a try.  After a few conversations with her that were a great benefit to me, I decided to host a once a week rewatch of favorite episodes.  

The idea was to pick favorites from each season and make it a group vote to decide what we would watch.  First, I thought about limiting it to the top 3 per season but soon realized that it was too small a number.  I came up with the number five as a reasonable limit and thought about 35 top episodes.  However, in the course of discussions with a few folks I realized that some episodes were going to be practically universally requested: Blue Bird and the finale Brown Shag Carpet/ White Orchids.  Later, the Pilot was added to this list and the Great 38 was born.  

The voting turned out to be very interesting.  In setting up the vote, I explained that each person was to send me their list of favorite episodes in order of appeal and the order was weighted accordingly.  Thus, the first choice received 5 points, the second 4 points, the third 3 points, the second 2 points, and the fifth got 1 point.  I put together an Excel spreadsheet to maintain the submissions and tallied the votes after the voting deadline.  The results, in order of popularity, (NOT the order we rewatched them) are as follows.

Season 1 – 14 episodes received votes; if someone mistakenly voted for the Pilot which was a given, I contacted him/ her and asked for another selection. 1. Bloodshot 2. Red Hair and Silver Tape 3. Red John’s Footsteps 4. Flame Red 5. Red John’s Friends 6. Red Brick and Ivy 7. Red-Handed 8. Carnelian, Inc. 9. Red Sauce 10. Crimson Casanova 11. Ladies In Red 12. Dozen Red Roses 13. Paint It Red 14. Red Rum

Season 2 – 16 episodes received votes 1. Red Badge 2. Rose Colored Glasses 3. Black Gold and Red Blood 4. His Red Hand 5. Red Sky in the Morning 6. Blood Money 7. Throwing Fire 8. Red All Over 9. Red Bulls 10. Price Above Rubies 11. Code Red 12. Red Line 13. Blood In, Blood Out 14. Bleeding heart 15. Red Scare 16. Redemption

Season 3 – 15 episodes received votes; because there was so much confusion regarding Strawberries & Cream being a double episode it was treated as one selection and anyone who treated it as two was notified that he/ she had an additional selection 1. Strawberries & Cream I & II 2. Red Moon 3. Red Sky at Night 4. Red Hot 5. Cackle Bladder Blood 6. Ball of Fire 7. Jolly Red Elf 8. Red Mile 9. Redacted 10. Red Alert 11. Every Rose Has Its Thorns 12. Red Gold 13. Pink Chanel Suit 14. Bloodstream 15. Red Queen

Season 4 – 18 episodes received votes 1. Fugue in Red 2. Blinking Red Light 3. Scarlet Ribbons 4. Crimson Hat 5. Ruby Slippers 6. Cheap Burgundy 7. Little Red Book 8. Pretty Red Balloon 9. Blood and Sand 10. Red Shirt 11. Something’s Rotten in Redmund 12. Red Rover Red Rover 13. War of the Roses 14. Ring Around the Rosie 15. At First Blush 16. Pink Champagne on Ice 17. Carmine O’Brien 18. So Long, Thanks for the Red Snapper

Season 5 – 14 episodes received votes 1. Red Dawn 2. Devil’s Cherry 3. Red John’s Rules 4. Red Sails in the Sunset 5. Red Velvet Cupcakes 6. Red and Itchy 7. Red Barn 8. Red in Tooth and Claw 9. Red Glass Bead (or Crimson Ticket) 10. Days of Wine and Roses 11. Panama Red 12. There Will Be Blood 13. If it Bleeds It Leads 14. Little Red Corvette

Season 6 – 17 episodes received votes excluding Blue Bird which was a given; if someone voted for Blue Bird he/ she was contacted and asked to pick an additional selection 1. My Blue Heaven 2. Violets 3. Desert Rose 4. Red John 5. Green Thumb 6. Fire and Brimstone 7. Black-Winged Red Bird 8. Golden Hammer 9. Il Tavolo Bianco 10. Forest Green 11. Great Red Dragon 12. Silver wings of Time 13. White as the Driven Snow 14. Wedding In Red 15. Brown Eyed Girl 16. Red Tattoo 17. Black Hearts

Season 7 – All 11 episodes received votes; Brown Shag Carpet/ White Orchids were givens; if someone selected one of them he/ she was contacted for an additional selection 1. Little Yellow House 2. Nothing But Blue Skies 3. Silver Briefcase 4. Greybar Hotel 5. Copper Bullet 6. Black Market 7. Orange Blossom Ice Cream 8. Whites of His eyes 9. Nothing Gold Can Stay 10. Green Light 11. Byzantium

In the event of a tie, such as was the case in season 3 with Cackle Bladder Blood and Ball of Fire when both had the same number of points, the number of individual votes was the tiebreaker.  In the spirit of fair play, I cast my votes as the first voter so I would not be influenced by anyone.  Because of this, I was as surprised as anyone else by some selections. Some episodes (beyond the three given ones) are almost universal favorites like Strawberries & Cream, Red Badge, and Little Yellow House.  However, I also discovered that we are an interesting group with a diverse way of deciding what makes a “favorite.”  For example, I alone voted for Red Rum, Red Scare, and Bloodstream.  Thus, when someone questioned why something was not on our watch list I could only shrug my shoulders.  

I had a lot of fun putting this together and given the complete change in my life that occurred last summer, this rewatch was an outlet for my creative energy.  However, having said that, I hope that someone else will at some point come up with an idea for a rewatch and volunteer to facilitate it.  I have no idea how Pellegreinaleoni did this two days a week; once a week while unemployed kept me sufficiently busy.  For those who are unaware, facilitating for me meant that I had to watch the week’s episode in advance, create an invitation or reminder for the rewatch, and make screen grabs.  An episode with an average run time of 42 minutes usually took at least two hours to watch because I had to stop and start it so many times to create the JPEGs.  I averaged about 30 an episode with my lowest being 16.  That low occurred the same week I had to go out of town for a few nights for two interviews.  Sadly, I didn’t get either job.  Many episodes I had at least 40 and for the Pilot and the finale I had over 100.  While someone else may have software that would make this process move along much faster, my old (and I do mean OLD) laptop did the best it could.  The best part of this is that I now have a wealth of material to use for collages and other activities.  

In closing, I hope that any of you that participated either through lurking or active tweeting had as much fun as I did.  I tried to keep it a fun atmosphere where discussion was encouraged and differences of opinion were voiced in an adult and rational manner.  I learned so much from you all and I will treasure this experience.  Who knows?  Maybe someday I’ll create another challenge.  For now, I plan to rewatch episodes I haven't had a chance to see in a while and probably post some pictures and comments as go.  I hope you will, too.  

Cheers! tivarocks! a.k.a., Jenn

[guapo-t-w]

Local Tidewater VA Beer Festivals

UPCOMING BEER FESTS AND FESTIVAL FORECAST: Fri, Mar 8 - Shamrockin' in Ghent 2019, 6 - 10:00 pm, Hosted by Hope House Foundation, 1500 Block, Colley Avenue, Norfolk. SouthernBank presents Shamrockin’ in Ghent, Hope House Foundation’s annual St. Patrick’s Day block party on Colley Avenue in Ghent. The fun includes live music from the Tidewater Pipes & Drums, Hey Hey Hooligan, and The Fighting Jamesons! Drink tickets are just $6 each (12 oz.) and can be purchased at the event. This event is FREE and open to the public. Proceeds benefit Hope House Foundation. Hope House Foundation supports adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities exclusively in their own homes. Corporate Sponsors: Guinness, Bay Disposal & Recycling, and Veer. Sat, Mar 9 - Shuckin Me Mollusk-4th Annual Oyster Roast, 2 - 6:00 pm, Commonwealth Brewing Company, 2444 Pleasure House Rd., Virginia Beach. Get your shuck on with us this year at Commonwealth with All You Can Eat OYSTERS (roasted & raw bar)! The Wampler Brothers Band will be serving up bluegrass jams from 4-6pm. We'll also have Pittsburgh's Best serving up their delicious eats. $30 ticket covers AYCE roasted and raw oysters from 2-6pm.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at Commonwealth Brewing Co or on the day of the event. Sat, Mar 16 - 2019 Ocean View Saint Patrick's Day Parade & Party, 10:00 am, Ocean View, Norfolk. The parade begins at Northside Middle School; from that point it travels North on Granby; turns left at A View Ave.; turns left on First View Street; and ends at the intersection of First View and Government Ave. On-street parking is available on most of the adjacent blocks along the parade route. Off-street parking is available at the Sarah Constant Beach Park, Ocean View Beach Park, and Ocean View Elementary. The parade after-party is thrown by the Columbian Club of Ocean View at 211 W. Government Ave. from 12-4 pm. There will be food, refreshments and live music. Free admission and open to the public. Come join the fun! Check us out on the web at: www.NorfolkParade.com Sat, Mar 16 - OBC's 9th Anniversary & St. Paddy's Day Celebration, 12 - 10:00 pm, O'Connor Brewing Co., 211 W 24th St., Norfolk. ...and just like that, our brewery is 9 years old! New brews, local food vendors, and live music? That's right, it's our anniversary and we're throwing ourselves a big party. Our specialty releases: Chocolate mint stout; Breakfast stout with cinnamon, maple and vanilla; PB & J stout. Of course, we'll have our Green Beer specials in addition to our ODIS Dry Irish Stout, a World Beer Cup gold medalist and a staple for any St. Pat's party. Live music by Hampton Roads' own: Donnaka, a native Irishman's rock n' roll one-man band; Esoteric Ramblers, local favorites singing beer-drinking music. Featured food trucks serving Irish-inspired menu items: Redwood Smoke Shack, slinging the best Texas-style 'que in Hampton Roads; Taste of Asia 757 with twists on your favorite dishes. This event will also be the official 2019 re-opening of our outdoor bar and beer garden, so plan on partying outside with us if the weather cooperates! Parking is limited, so please plan on biking, carpooling, or utilizing our friends at App A Cab, a Norfolk-based company.***To keep beer flowing and lines moving, we will not be pouring flights or fills. Thank you for understanding!*** Sat, Mar 30 - 2019 Kiss My Cask Festival, Hosted by Back Bay Brewing, 2 - 6:00 pm, Back Bay Brewing, 614 Norfolk Ave., Virginia Beach. Kiss My Cask is back and better than ever! Save the date for this year's Kiss My Cask Festival. Come and judge over 30 different local, regional and national breweries! There will be games, live music, delicious food trucks and of course a massive supply of beer! Pucker up, because this is going to be one hell of a festival. Tickets go on sale February 1st. Stay tuned for more details! Sat, Apr 13 - Smithfield Wine & Brew Fest Weekend, Windsor Castle Park, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, Downtown Smithfield. Held the second Saturday in April, come celebrate our 7th anniversary! Experience everything that "Gen-u-Wine" Smithfield has to offer: Fabulous Dining, Hotel Packages, Friday Night Concerts, Shopping, Art Galleries/Studios, Walking Trails, Kayaking & The ?Best Fest in Coastal Virginia! Over 100 different types of wine & brew tastings, live music on three stages, fantastic food & retail vendors. ?21 & Up only. No infants/babies/pets. GENERAL ADMISSSION TICKET RELEASES: 1st Release: WED, FEB 20, 2019 AT 7:00 AM.  2nd Release: THURS, FEB 21, 2019 AT 8:00 PM  https://www.smithfieldvawinebrewfest.com/ Sat, Apr 27 - CoVa Battle of the Burgers 2019 Southside, Hosted by Coastal Virginia Magazine, 12 - 5:00 pm, Military Aviation Museum, 1341 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach. Join Coastal Virginia Magazine as we invite local restaurants to the battle it out to become CoVa's Best Burger at the 2019 CoVa Battle of the Burgers. Last year Coastal Virginia Magazine hosted the inaugural Battle of the Burgers at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, and crowned Coastal Virginia’s best burger. Local restaurants battled it out as they served slider-sized versions of burgers paired with refreshing Virginia craft beers. Attendees and food judges voted for their favorite burger after sampling sliders from several local eateries, and guests voted for their favorite craft brewery after tasting beers, served in a commemorative souvenir glass, from several regional breweries. Guests also enjoyed live music, fun games, and offerings from local vendors. http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/ Sat, Apr 27 - YSC Spring Party, Hosted by VB Youth Service Club, 1 - 6:00 pm, Camp Pendleton, Birdneck Road, General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach. Join us once again on the last Saturday of April and be part of raising $100,000 for Virginia Beach charities at our 48th annual Spring Party at Camp Pendleton. Some of the best food at any event around cooked by our members on site include pulled pork, BBQ chicken oysters and much much more. Live music, beer, wine, corn hole and all the good tmes you can possibly have make this the best event of the year. Save the date and get your tickets early. This event always sells out. Sun, May 5 - The Mariners’ Craft Beer Festival, 12 - 5:00 pm, The Mariners' Museum and Park, 100 Museum Dr., Newport News. Great beer, good food, and live music! The Seventh Annual Mariners’ Craft Beer Festival will feature craft beers in the unique setting of The Mariners’ Museum’s outdoor courtyards. Ticket Prices: General Admission Advance Tickets: $35 (through May 5); Day-of General Admission Tickets: $45; Museum Member: $30 (Advance tickets only, No member price day-of); Non-drinker tickets: $15. Tickets include 20 four-ounce craft beer tastings, a souvenir tasting glass, live music, beer talks by brewery representatives, and the day’s admission to The Mariners’ Museum! Non-drinker tickets include complimentary water but does not include a souvenir tasting glass. Food trucks will be onsite for an additional charge. Drink Happy - Be Safe Follow the blogs at: www.brew-n-rock-tidewater.blogspot.com or www.guapo-t-w.tumblr.com and follow the latest listings of local brew events on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/hamptonroadsbeerforum/

[monicalorandavis]

Hello Kitty Friends Around the World Tour is my Shenyun

I didn’t know that when my sister asked me a month ago if I could make it to a Sanrio event on Wednesday, October 16th at 2pm that she was inviting me to the promised land. But I am now a different person than I was yesterday. Today, I’m a sweet, childlike being full of wonderment and joy. Thank you, Hello Kitty. Thank you.

The Hello Kitty Friends Around the World Tour is not to be missed. Please buy tickets if you can attend it. Weekend tickets are apparently scarce to say the least. But if you can swing it, here are some tips:

Wear something festive. It helps you get into the spirit and let loose. Be polite to other guests. They are dorks, like you. And last, but not least, eat some edibles. Speaking from experience, ooh baby, that was fun.

The exhibit is designed to be an international tour of Hello Kitty’s favorite places. You enter and present your tickets to a flight attendant who then presents you with a Hello Kitty passport, boarding passes and a Hello Kitty headpiece. I promptly threw the passport around my neck but struggled to put my phone somewhere without dropping all of my things to the ground. (Being stoned sometimes makes me lose the most basic functions of my hands. But, gotta say...worth it!) Once I remembered how to put my phone in my backpack, I threw the headpiece around my large dome, then helped my younger sister do hers. She was pleasantly surprised to find that her head was not too big for the headpiece which has literally never happened before. Things started strong!

The flight attendant told us to hang tight and that our flight would be departing in 8 minutes. At this point, I started getting pretty stoned. “Did she say flight?” The technicolor suitcase display and annual Hello Kitty banners that decorated the foyer were a feast for the eyes. Not to mention, everywhere I looked there was some new, limited edition merch - tour tee-shirts, letterman jackets, hats, stuffed animals, bracelets, keychains, water bottles, sodas, YOU NAME IT. At this moment I knew I was about to spend a million dollars on some stupid shit and I wasn’t even afraid.

When it was time to depart (exactly 8 minutes later) another flight attendant, in head to toe Hello Kitty, ushered us into the first city, HK’s hometown of London. It was poppinggggg. I don’t want to go through every city because it’ll be boring but London was a strong start. They had the stereotypical London sights: cute red double decker buses and a Queen’s guard that my sisters did not let me twerk on. Again, I was high, but I think objectively this was a very, very good time.

Everyone was a full ass grown-up ready to rage except for a mother of a 6 year old. Neither of them were a fun time. And I know I’m talking shit about a 6 year old buuuuuut she was super shy and not loving the spotlight nearly as much as I would’ve at her age. It was like pulling teeth with her for the poor flight attendant who just wanted the kid to be adorable and take some of the pressure off of her to be entertaining for the next 45 minutes. Luckily for all parties, our flight attendant, April, was a fucking delight. She did give us Hello Kitty madelines when we got to Paris so could be the cookie talking. But the same could not be said for her side kick, what’s her name. I know being a fabulous host is not easy - I host a monthly hip-hop bingo night! (Feel free to attend, Los Angeles.)

But back to the main event. The exhibit was comprised of 5 cities - London, Paris, New York, Honolulu and Tokyo - and the only letdown was Honolulu. I know I will not make any fans with this hot hot take, but, Hawaii is sort of not for me. The aesthetic is really not my jam. Bad tank tops and bare feet. (And you know some people’s feet simply must be covered up!!!!) Honolulu was mainly empty walls with a couple tan Hello Kitty’s thrown around and a sad display of hoola skirts that we were supposed to take pictures with but they looked like they’d gone through a particularly rough Mardi Gras. I passed.

While the whole thing was marvelous, I do need to make one point about some of the other tour guests. They were - how do I say, old? Like in a surprising way. Granted my sister is 41 and a diehard fan. So I was expecting women her age. However, these ladies were well into their 50′s. And if Hello Kitty came out in 1974 that means that they were 10ish years old when it came out. I guess that math adds up fine. There’s plenty of things that I still like from when I was 10. Gwen Stefani comes to mind.

It could also be that these were women who were perhaps younger than they appeared and that’s just fine. Maybe Hello Kitty was their little spot of sunshine in their otherwise difficult lives. I have a feeling it’s the latter. The fanaticism was on a level 10. April was throwing out trivia questions that were real head scratchers. Needless to say, I knew not a single correct answer. Yet, these women were like the Ken Jennings’ of useless Sanrio trivia. Only difference is Ken Jennings won some frickin’ money with his knowledge. These women got 4 seconds of recognition from 10 strangers. And, fuck it, let them have it. Today was about embracing the dumb shit. What is celebrating a cartoon cat if not celebrating dumb shit???

I had such a blast spending big money on some swag that I don’t know (I do know) that I’ll ever wear again. My sister spent $200 on a matching sweat suit, a tee-shirt and three pop sockets. She’s planning on keeping the pop sockets as collector’s items. And, I don’t know why! That is a technology that is already on its way out! (Mind you, my sister also thought Crystal Pepsi was cool. But, whatever.) My other sister spent $140 on a jacket that she’ll (hopefully) get two wears in. We were not making grown-up decisions today, people. We were behaving like children with credit cards. And what else could you really want?

[ceciliatan]

G. Willow Wilson guest of honor remarks at #ICFA40

I’m in Orlando for the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA, pronounced “ick-fah”) where today the guest of honor, G. Willow Wilson, gave a terrific keynote speech at the luncheon in which she talked about how it is that some writers (particularly marginalized writers) get labeled “political” while others (of the most privileged groups) do not.

Some of you who read my blog might remember me getting into a Twitter storm in 2016 at a romance convention when I tweeted that a white, heterosexual, married writer had advised new writers “don’t be political on social media. Be Switzerland. Be neutral and don’t take sides.” My comment to that (on social media) was that only someone who is a member of the privileged class has the privilege to “decide” whether to be political. The rest of us don’t get to “choose” whether to be political or not because merely by existing we are perceived to be making a political statement.

G. Willow Wilson’s speech went right to the heart of that issue. What follows is a pseudo-transcript of about 60% of her remarks. I have recreated this from my notes, so please do not ascribe any direct quotations to her without checking with her first. Any errors are my own and I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t make a few while transcribing. (One little typo can change a “now” to a “not” and reverse the meaning of a sentence, entirely!)

I do these transcript-type blogs for my own record of things I find really noteworthy to talk about and to give folks who couldn’t attend the conference a taste of what was said. I stress again it’s only a fraction of what was actually said.

It begins with an introduction of the speaker by David Higgins, the vice president of the IAFA (hosts of ICFA) and then G. Willow Wilson’s remarks.

G. Willow Wilson GoH Speech March 14 2019 ICFA 40

Introduction by IAFA vice president David Higgins: You may have heard the Captain Marvel film just had a spectacular opening weekend, as the first female solo superhero film in the Marvel franchises, which has put to shame the [former Marvel CEO] Isaac Perlmutter’s wikileaked memos delineating his/the company’s anti-woman bias. I like to think that no one would be more excited by the success of Captain Marvel than Kamala Khan, the creation of our of our guest of honor, G. Willow Wilson.

Kamala is such a Captain Marvel fan, she writes fanfic about it, and [when she is imbued with superpowers] takes on the mantle of Ms Marvel. Although I myself have not written G Willow Wilson fanfic (audience laughter), I did help create the cover of this ICFA program. [Which depicts G. Willow Wilson and Mark Bould in comic book fashion fighting against unseen enemies.] Please let me let out my inner fangirl and gush about how much I love Ms. Marvel.

Let me also talk about the post-911 diversity efforts by DC to internationalize the Green Lantern corps. In the creation of Simon Baz there are elements combatting some problematic stereotypes while doubling down on others. Ms. Marvel, by contrast, is a great pleasure, and I teach Ms. Marvel in my class. Kamala doesn’t fit any of the easy labels that my students have been taught previously. Although they want to refer to her as Arab American but that’s not exactly true, she’s a second generation Pakistani American. My students arrive at [a really long string of words: second-generation Pakistani American millennial from Jersey City].

Part of the brilliance of Wilson’s writing is that Kamala’s identity isn’t oversubscribed to any one of those adjectives that describe her. Kamala comes to life and isn’t just a representative of a social category. Like her, Islam isn’t just one easy-to-understand thing. The fact that Kamala is a millennial is also important. Furthermore Kamala is loving, quirky, and inspiring. Wilson exhibits the same humor and sophistication in her other work. Cairo was recognized as a top pick by Library Journal, etc. [Long list of G. Willow Wilson’s accolades, and a detailed description of the novel Alef the Unseen.] Having finished a five-year run on Ms. Marvel, she has now started writing Wonder Woman for DC. And just days ago, The Bird King was released, a novel that tells the story of the last Emirate of Muslim Spain.

G. Willow Wilson: Wow, I’m apparently very busy! (Laughter) In my job, since I’m on these very specific comic book deadlines, you have to hit them month after month, but it’s easy to lose the forest for the trees. I have to move on to the next and the next. You don’t get to sit back and think, wow, I did such a lot of stuff. But hearing that list makes me think, wow, no wonder I’m so tired! (laughter)

Thank you for having me here. I can already see why so many of you love this convention so much. It combines the best of fan run cons like Westercon and an academically rigorous exchange of ideas. This has already begun to seed ideas into my brain. I wanted to talk a little bit about the theme of the conference this year: Politics and Conflict. I wanted to say something about the trends I see as a writer today in both books without pictures as well as comics.

When I saw the theme, I thought it could not be more timely than to talk about politics and conflict in genre. The roles that politics play in the genres we typically consider escapism, these are at the forefront of what we struggle with at the far end of the political spectrum. Not everybody who writes about politics is considered a “political” voice, while others are automatically considered political. It’s played out in interesting ways in my own career and life. Who is labeled “political?” To talk a bit more about that I’m going to tell you an origin story.

Once upon a time in 2009, I got the most extraordinary piece of hate mail. Every line was a different color. One was red, one was blue, the next one orange… Someone put a lot of work into this it, like a work of art! It was the old Internet so someone put a lot of work into a lot of highlighting to make it like that. This anti-fan or non-fan accused me of being part of the, now let’s see if I can remember all the parts: “socialist Islamist homosexual attack on America.” And as I read it back in 2009, I thought to myself wow, that is not a real thing. (laughter) But it sounds fabulous! (cheers)

This was before I took my email private so I used to get this kind of thing, but never one with such a load of hyperbole and such a work of art! But what was interesting to me was that I got this letter because I was doing a guest writer stint for J. Michael Straczynski on Superman. He was having some health problems and had to take a couple of months off, and I was going to tread water for three issues until he got back. Anyone knows that when there’s a big-name writer on the book who takes a break, the idea is you don’t change anything. You put everything back where it was when you started, and wait for the big-name writer to come back. I was told to “use Superman as little as possible.” I was happy to just have my name on the book and these filler issues were about Lois Lane reconsidering her life and going to her old stomping grounds. The artist they gave me came over from erotica and only knew how to draw women in 3/4 profile with this [stunned] expression her face. So maybe it’s not a surprise they weren’t very well received. But by writing these very mild, banal, filler issues of Superman I was labeled political. This occurred to me was something that was going to follow me. No matter how ridiculous and banal what I wrote was, I would be labeled political.

It was interesting to me to note that some people who wrote political stuff, on the other hand, were NOT labeled political. Some of you may know Fables by Bill Willingham, which is a large ongoing poignant exploration of fairy tales and fairy tale tropes. He was really the first to do that, widely imitated later; he created a genre-defining work. But he wore his Republican credentials on his sleeve. He is a friend and mentor. He was very generous with his time and insight, and when he was the toast of the comic book industry he would throw these infamous parties at Comcion. But he really wore his conservative politics on his sleeve. His beliefs come up not infrequently in Fables. I’ll read you this little bit:

The main character is talking to Gepetto, and there’s big conflict coming between fairy tale creatures. The main character says to Gepetto have you ever heard of Israel? Gepetto [asks him about it]. The character answers: Israel is a small country that is surrounded by countries who want to destroy them. They have a lot of grit and iron and I admire them. [Description goes on for a while.]

It really struck me that if I had said anything similar in my own work, praising real world events or countries, and putting them into the mouths of characters who were owned by a giant media corporation, I would have lost my job. But when I just tread water and write banal Lois Lane stories, here I get these hate letters. Bill Willingham could do this and face no reprisals. And all I had to do was exist and still face reprisals.

Why does that difference exist? When we’re talking about comics and graphic novels, these are a unique medium because they are visual. Those of use who are born with sight, we learn to interpret images automatically. But writing and drawing comics we learn to interpret things in a special way. You learn things as a comic book writer like if you want a cliffhanger it has to go on an odd numbered page, so it was be on a page turn rather than a spread which would be a spoiler. How do different readers interpret different gestures? It becomes political in a way other media do not because it goes straight into our brain that doesn’t differentiate truth from fiction. We believe what we see. And we begin interpreting what we see from the moment we see it whether we realize it or not.

And then when you are writing superheroes in particular you are using characters people grew up with. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the great irony is that superheroes are meant to reflect the zeitgeist, what’s going on right now. But people get very attached to the version of the character they grew up with. So when you reboot Spiderman and make him a black kid from New York or Batwoman a lesbian, and you do it just so you can tell a new story, something fresh and current, you get labeled political. That gets labeled a political and not artistic choice. Who owns those images? Corporations or writers or the fans? Who owns the characters, who owns the discourses around them? What do we do when there’s disagreement?

SF/F welcomes the reader to interpret the work because it is so symbolic. It invites us to put ourselves in the work and imagine things wildly beyond the bounds of our daily lives. There is conflict built into these genres that invite interpretation; interpretation invites dispute and discussion. It’s not always easy to know why we label certain things certain ways and not others. It’s been interesting to see this play out as I write Kamala Khan. My run on Ms. Marvel is done and I am now handing it off to Saladin Ahmed. The label of innate politicalness–here I am inventing words–is something that is kind of a spectre that has been hanging over this since the beginning.

I was talking with a mentor of mine and the editor on Ms. Marvel [Sana Amant] about how to navigate that political descriptor. I knew we were going to carry certain labels. A lapsed Catholic from Milwaukee with a typical American backstory wouldn’t get the same labeling. [Making Kamala Khan who she was] shaped the series by forcing us to put care and attention into every aspect of the series that we wouldn’t have examined otherwise.

We set our expectations quite low. We said let’s shoot for 10 issues and it will be really cool, and then we’ll probably go right back to what we were doing before. We didn’t know she’d have a shelf life. Kamala had the “trifecta of death”: new characters don’t sell, female characters don’t sell, minority characters don’t sell. The retrospective is that of course these various other projects failed for various reasons. But we had to create something that had joy and beauty in it and didn’t reflect the terror we were going through in the production of the series. Our editor Steven Wacker who championed us, our colorist, etc. the whole team. We worked more closely with the artistic team than any before or since because we knew there was zero room for error. When you have a character who doesn’t fit in a box, there is a burden of representation that unfairly falls under scrutiny. So everyone has to bring their A game at all times. Then we got to 10 issues, and then to 20, and then 30 and then 50, and then the trade paperback hit the New York Times bestseller list, and then the second one did. And we realized that we had pulled together a team that overcame the low expectations. Kamala survived and will outlive all of us.

[This success] can open the door for more. We have been living in a bottleneck for talent. When we didn’t consider representation [and only wrote/published for the dominant group/dominant paradigm] several generations of talent built up behind that bottleneck. That talent might have been lost if it weren’t opened at this extraordinary moment in history.

I’d like to close by saying nothing is impossible. If there is anyone who knows that for sure, it’s the people in this room. Thank you.

from cecilia tan https://ift.tt/2UBwi5F via IFTTT

[bethestaryouareradio]

Twenty Years of Growing Leaders

Read more: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/e577047be3/288055965/ac7221bc2f/

    Miracle Moment®

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

For my birthday this year, my husband gave me a fabulous card that read:

“It’s not how old you are…but the number of years you’ve made the world a better place.”

And he donated to my favorite charity-BE THE STAR YOU ARE!®

Twenty years ago in 1999, I founded Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity to empower women, families, and youth while increasing and improving literacy and positive media messages.  The journey has faced multiple challenges and equal amounts of joy. The “Teen Angel” volunteers that helped launch Be the Star You Are!® are now in their mid-thirties, many are married, and raising their own children. From the beginning, Be the Star You Are!® has been 100% volunteer staffed with no paid employees. Throughout these twenty years, I have been a volunteer along with thousands.  Since 99% of our volunteers are pre-teens, teens, and young adults, my personal mission has been to grow leaders. 

And, WOW!, these young people become astonishing leaders. 

One of the former main hosts of our radio broadcast, Express Yourself!™, Henna Hundal, has her own radio show at Harvard where she recently interviewed Bill Gates, Malala, and many international leaders.

Danielle Wong has won numerous awards for her novel, Swearing Off Stars. 

Eighty-seven volunteers became published writers through their contributions in two of our signature books, Be the Star You Are! for Teens and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World.  (Make sure to read champion archer and radio personality, Young Yoo Choo’s chapter The Gift of Volunteering in the Millennials to Boomers book)    Many more volunteers have been singled out for their contributions to schools, communities, and countries. I’m proud of each person with whom I’ve had the privilege of interacting and I invite all current and previous volunteers to take a bow. 

Bravo to the volunteers of BTSYA for being the stars they are!  

In the past two years, America has witnessed several major disasters. BTSYA volunteers worked diligently to get resources to survivors of fires, hurricanes, and floods.  Operation Disaster Relief has become an ongoing outreach program in need of support. When a disaster strikes we don’t have to solicit donations, but instead, we want to be ready to assist immediately. Please support this initiative to get new books and resources to those in need in times of disaster  

Want to know how much we've contributed in 20 years of service? 

Here’s a simple snapshot of what BTSYA has accomplished since 1999 all with no paid staff and 100% volunteer workforce. Positive Results include:   Served 409,860 individuals and families   Donated to 109 organizations    Logged 491,890 volunteer hours   Distributed $2 million in resources   Broadcast 2200 unique hours of positive programming through radio broadcasts.   Published 4 signature award-winning books, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens, Be the Star You Are!® Millennials to Boomers, and Miracle Moments®,   Written and published over 2000 book reviews in collaboration with The Reading Tub and Express Yourself!™ Creative Community.   Interviewed over 2500 authors, experts, and celebrities.   We’ve lost count of how many consecutive years, BTSYA has been honored as a TOP Nonprofit. To get a feel of the impact BTSYA has on beneficiaries, supporters, and volunteers, read the reviews at Great Non-Profits, http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/

  In addition, we recently received our platinum badge from Guidestar.   https://www.guidestar.org/profile/94-3333882

  We want to thank all donors over the years and encourage you to become part of our STAR donor team by making a tax-deductible donation at http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org. The easiest way to donate is through PAYPAL GIVING FUND with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

  Consider sponsoring an event or making BTSYA the beneficiary of your event. We are accepting sponsors now for the May Moraga Faire and the September Pear and Wine Festival.  Sponsor our two radio broadcasts, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® and Express Yourself!™ For more information contact me and I’ll be happy to show you ways you can get involved.     Our motto is "To be a leader, you must be a reader. Read, Lead, Succeed!"

As we head into the third month of 2019, I look forward to growing more leaders through our fantastic volunteer opportunities and collaborating with individuals, businesses, and companies to make our world an even better place. I'm devoted to making a positive difference. . Will you help me, please?  DONATE! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3   Thank you for your participation. Heartfelt gratitude for the past twenty years! Here’s to the next twenty!

Cynthia Brian Founder/Executive Director Be the Star You Are!® PO Box 376 Moraga, California 94556 Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org

http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org

http://www.BTSYA.org

  PS: You are never too young or too old to make a difference!  Be a Super Hero.  Make a donation today! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3

Our Charity Partner Reached a Major Milestone

  Our literacy partner, The Reading Tub, reached a major milestone in December of 2018 when it published 3000 original book reviews. BTSYAis proud to collaborate with The Reading Tub to offer book reviews through our TEEN STAR Book Review Team. Congratulations to Terry Doherty Executive Director of The Reading Tub. Visit the published reviews here:https://thereadingtub.org/books/be-the-star-you-are/

THANK YOU to Disaster Relief Supporters! 

BTSYA has been shipping resources to the survivors of California wildfires and most recently the Paradise Camp Fire. We want to recognize our supportive heroes:

  Diana Zimmerman

New World Library

Robin Mayhall

StarStyle® Productions, LLC

Dr. Brian Sheaff

Dr. Dwayne and Lena Martin

Michelle and Chris Heim

Mitch Heller and Hemisphere Partners

Gary Gongwer

Brian and Heather Rankin

Margaret Winslow

Sal and Susan Captain

  Please support Operation Disaster Relief with your donation.

  MORE WAYS TO GROW WITH BTSYA

  If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our PayPal page!

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3

    We appreciate a direct donation most of all via PAYPAL GIVING FUND at https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504. 

  Checks can be sent to PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556

  There are other easy ways that assist our mission and don’t cost you a dime!

1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882

2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity

3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link

4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too!http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are

5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA

6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net

7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np - be-the-star-you-are-inc

8. Designer Clothes to Buy or Sell: https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop

9. Buy “Read, Lead, Succeed” T-shirts and tanks $19.99 at StarStyle® Store: http://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store

10. Are you a gamer, lover of new software, or other digital content? Buy all of your favorites at Humble Bundle. http://ow.ly/cYs130iN6n4

"Too much of a good thing is wonderful."

 Mae West

    Be the Star You Are! 501 c3, PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556.

Celebrating 20 years of stellar service to the world!

Soar with us!

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3