#Flowers near Kingston

[thesupreme316]

hi i never requested before but how would aew boys react to you being in wwe and winning money in the bank and cashing in if you can can you add Christian Cage and Kenny Omega💚

AEW Stars React to: You Winning Money In the Bank and Cashing It In

Pairings: Christian Cage x Reader, Kenny Omega x Reader, Hook x Reader, Daniel Garcia x Reader, Samoa Joe x Reader, Ricky Starks x Reader, Eddie Kingston x Reader

Word Count: 1.3K

Supreme Speaks: hi anon and thanks to requesting (welcome to the dark side). I hope everyone reading this enjoys it. Please remember that you are loved and appreciated.

Warnings: not proofread, GIFS AINT MINE, mentions of reader are gender neutral until specified

Taglist: @wwenhlimagines @hooks-martin @hookerforhook @triscillal @sheinthatfandom @eddie-kingstons-wifey @cassie0sstuff

Backstory:

You worked all year long and you proved yourself to be strong and powerful enough to compete in the Money In The Bank (men’s or women’s; whichever you prefer)

So this first 20-minutes of the match was spent with you bouncing off of ladders, using weapons to your advantage, diving off the top rope onto your opponents, and making memorable moments for the crowd

Finally, after damn near thirty minutes, you climbed the ladder for the final time and pulled down the briefcase to thunderous cheers. You smiled so hard that your mouth started to hurt as you went to the back to watch the rest of the PPV

BUT THEN

You noticed during a championship match (although it was already over), that the champion was injured. You grabbed your briefcase and a referee and ran to the ring as your theme song played (and the crowd gave the biggest pop in your career).

You cashed in the briefcase as the champion looked at you in disbelief and disgust. As soon as the bell rung, you performed your finishing move and got the victory (pinball or submission; I aint picky)

With tears of joy, you received your newly won championship. You celebrated with the crowd and your family/friends who were in attendance before going to the back where someone else made their happiness for you loud and clear…

Christian Cage

THIS MAN IS BEYOND HAPPY

What really popped him was the fact you used his chair move to your advantage

As someone who helped popularize the use of ladder matches, he was subconsciously dissecting your match

He did get scared a couple of times, but he still had faith in you

When you cashed it in, Christian damn near screamed his head off

Luchasuarus had to keep himself from laughing as Christian damn flew off the chair

Immediately called you and told you how proud he was; sent you flowers that arrived seconds after he said it

“How did-“

“I decided on a neutral message just in case of things…don’t read the other side”

I honestly think that he would reference you in promos to show how good his life is

Ricky Starks

THIS MAN CANNOT BE STOP PART 69 (wink wink)

He actually came with you backstage and sat with Cody and Brandi as he watched you own the night

He was the first person you hugged backstage, he made sure of it

Ricky was more concerned about your health than you winning the matches, so he’s just happy that you’re okay

Posts a pic dump of you getting ready, you winning, y’all hugging and shit

Can’t shut up about it while also taking credit for some moves

“That spear off the ladder was my idea…what do you mean Edge did it first?….I told you that yo-someone has an ego problemm”

After you have relaxed and rested for a couple of hours, it’s time that you guys actually celebrate

Or as Ricky likes to call it “Stroke Daddy Time”

Kenny Omega

This nice too bean will always be supportive of you

Posted not-so-subtle pictures of him in your merchandise

Was the first one to congratulate you publicly and privately

Kenny is the one to also dissect your match but just looking for inspiration for future matches

Although he couldn’t attend, he was on FaceTime as you received your title plates and photoshoot (hyping you up all the way)

“LOOK AT Y/N! YOU LOOK GREAT, YOUR TITLE LOOKS GREAT-Is that Austin Creed near you? Y/N run away”

I think after Kenny would have (unironically) the customizable pants with your face everywhere on it

I also think that Kenny would have ring gear that refers to your historical night

Calls you his lil bout machine (aww, aint y’all so cute…throws up)

Eddie Kingston

Okay listen man’s is so damn proud of you

Like Kenny, he couldn’t attend (also, despite your matches, he didn’t wanna be in attendance) but he made sure that you knew how happy he is for you

Posted a pic dump of your wins with a simple caption: “They did it mothafuckas”

Eddie will spam you with texts ranging from congratulations to lemme hold the title

I also think it would encourage Eddie to work harder in the ring so both of you can be on top of the world

If you’re a woman (or go by female pronouns), I guarantee you (motherfucking guarantee you) he will make a post or a shoot interview about how important women’s wrestling is

“Did you see what Y/N did? That was revolutionary! See what happens when you support women’s wrestling….douchebags”

He would proceed to tell everyone…including Claudio…how you’re now the only person he likes and tolerates

Hook

Baby boy is looking at you with stars and hearts in his eyes

He was just so astounded that you were able to achieve two things within one night

I have this idea that Hook sneaks backstage (aka no one really knows when or how he got backstage; or when he leaves/appears) basically he’s Batman

So like no one saw Hook come backstage but two and two together when they saw you hug

Whispers to you when you’re close enough how much he admires you

“To be honest, you’re the coolest person I’ve ever met. And tonight solidified it.”

Doesn’t post a dump but will instead post a simple behind-the-scenes pic on his story

Expect him to tell the Lads….and then prepare for the Lads to post about you

Samoa Joe

HEHEHE MY MAN

As a man who was in WWE, he understands how important this was to you and is happy that you survived

I bet he would get you a shirt that says “I survived my first money-in-the-bank match”

Joe def cackled when you did his whole “walk away” shtick when someone was trying to dive off the ladder

“I TAUGHT EM THAT! I DID THAT SHIT! It’s funnier when I do it tho.”

I think Joe would also give you a heart-to-heart about the business and how much this will impact your career

Is excited to see how your character will evolve from here

Def gives you ideas to turn heel and become a menace in the division

Daniel Garcia

SOMEONE WOULD NEED TO TASE THIS MAN-

He would not be able to shut up; you would need to duct tape his mouth shut and then take his voice box

Spam tweets and deletes the ones where people would raise eyebrows at him

Pretends to be a crazed fanboy like how he is for Blackpink (or Twice)

“OMG Y/N! KICK ME DOWN THE STAIRS! SPEAR ME-“

For your celebration, I can see Daniel taking you to a nightclub with Isiah (you will be appearing on the vlog, you have no choice)

And then another club….and then a bar…yeah bruh you getting blackout drunk (or at least hyped if you don’t drink)

Is genuinely happy for you (a lil jealous) and excited to see where you go from here

Also, he quietly asks for you to make an appearance in AEW

[shefanispeculator]

The 'Voice' coach opens up in PEOPLE's latest cover story about marriage, raising three boys and staying inspired in her peaceful new chapter

Gwen Stefani can't quite believe it: She's turned into her parents.

"When I was young, I'd walk home from school and see my mom in her shorts doing her gardening, and my dad would be cutting the trees and make me pick up the branches. I'd be like, 'I'm never having a tree at my house,'" she recalls.

Yet these days, when she and her husband Blake Shelton are at their home near Tishomingo, Oklahoma, the rocker tends to far more than just a lone tree.

They have sunflowers. Zinnias. Even plots of corn. "I just had the most incredible dahlias ever," says Stefani, 53, beaming as she describes herself as a "garden flower nerd" after her PEOPLE cover shoot in Los Angeles. "When we get to Oklahoma, we're constantly working — and it's a different kind of work. It's probably what my mom was doing back in the day, and now I get it!"

Stefani — who wed Shelton in 2021 — still feels surprised by the decidedly un-Hollywood turn her life has taken in the past decade.

"I didn't see any of this coming with Blake. This was just a big old 'What?' It was an amazing gift to experience love like that for the first time," she says of falling for the country superstar, 47, and his down-home life after meeting in 2014 on the set of The Voice.

"He's changed my life ... when I [started dating] Blake, that's when I felt home, like, 'Oh, this is where I'm supposed to be, with this guy."

A doting stepdad, Shelton introduced Stefani and her boys (their dad is the rocker's ex-husband Gavin Rossdale) — Kingston, 17, Zuma, 15, and Apollo, 9 — to a more adventurous world outside the glare of Hollywood.

"I am not really a dirt person, a bug person, I don't like that much humidity," jokes Stefani. "But it's so beautiful [in Oklahoma], and you kind of feel like you're going into this vortex. Nature — and God — is all right there."

The peace she's found has reinvigorated her passion for music and creation. Throughout her 20s and 30s the singer hustled nonstop in music, fronting the rock band No Doubt before going solo and embarking on multiple international tours while raising her boys.

Looking back, she feels protective of her younger self. "I took Kingston on a world tour [when he was 9 months old]. I would have to nurse him, then get onstage, come off, and he would twirl my ponytail," she recalls. "That's when things got really hard for me emotionally. That time is so precious, and you don't want to miss anything."

At the time, Stefani says she powered through with a personal goal in mind: "When my kids were teenagers, I really wanted to make sure that I was home for them — and here we are," she says.

Shelton announced he was stepping away from The Voice after 23 consecutive seasons last fall, and it "was a huge family choice," says Stefani. "I am happy for him because he has space to do all these other hobbies and things he wants to do."

When the show offered her a coach chair alongside John Legend, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire, Stefani felt uncertain.

"I was really weirded out like, 'What's it going to be like without Blake?' But we are having so much fun," she says. "At the end of the day, coaching these humans who are so gifted ... I love it."

Aside from working on NBC's singing competition show, Stefani is also writing and recording new music. "I'm never going to write anything that's not just completely reflective of what's going on in my life," she says. "Before I wrote my first song, I was this dyslexic girl who didn't know how I fit in. Then I was like, 'Oh, this is my magic power.' I'm so honored that I got the gift to be able to write music, and I take it super seriously."

She's also leaning into her other first love: beauty. In March 2022 Stefani launched her makeup line GXVE — and she's found purpose in helping others feel confident.

"Everybody pretty much knows that at one point my life fell apart. It was terrible, and there's so many people out there that have gone through the same thing. When that happened, I had to literally start over again. It was a reset of my life," she says of conceiving the brand while navigating her divorce from Rossdale in 2016.

"There are so many people that are around my age that want to still feel pretty and feel good when they wake up in the morning. It gets harder," she adds. "I think with makeup, it doesn't matter what age you are. It gives you that confidence, that feeling of creativity."

She's feeling more fulfilled than ever these days, but after decades of juggling a packed schedule Stefani acknowledges life can still feel "chaotic."

"It's literally schedule, schedule, schedule. [But] there is a balance," she says. "For me the only way that I've gotten this far is with my spiritual faith and being able to take time out to pray. You see the miracles, and that's inspiration and fuel to keep it going."

For all the details on Gwen Stefani's return to The Voice and her life in Oklahoma with husband Blake Shelton and her sons, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

[signcftimes]

( alex landi, thirty-four, cis man, he/him) ☼ i know it’s a small town, but i run into BENIGNO “BEN” PARK every time i go to THE BEACH. it’s like they practically live there and not PELICAN TOWN for THE LAST YEAR. it must be because they’re COMPASSIONATE and OBSEQUIOUS. come to think of it, that’s probably why they’re a DOCTOR too. but i did hear they want to LIVE A FULFILLING LIFE IN THE VALLEY, and sometimes they like to COOK. rumor has it they also like ICE CREAM, but dislike WILD HORSERADISH. what do you think?

history!

born and raised in kingston, new york. the only child of minerva and nico park. he is of korean-italian descent; his mother is korean and his father italian (nico took minerva's last name when they got married.)

grew up in a very loving family and has strong connections with his father's side of the family. he also is extremely close to his mother's younger sibling's families, but not so much with the older siblings who live in south korea still.

he's had high expectations forced upon since he was born as he was the first grandson on his father's side of the family, and thus expected to look out for his generation of the family. this bleeds over to his mother's side of the family as well since he was the eldest grandchild in the states.

he's had two serious romantic relationships in his life plus one semi-serious relationship when he was in high school.

the most recent one ended a year prior to him moving to stardew valley and was one of the catalyst for the move to begin with. after that relationship, he was not himself for a very long time.

ben was approached by a fellow doctor after an incident occurred at the hospital that they worked together in nyc. dr. hertz told him about stardew valley and how the local doctor in pelican town was retiring and looking for a replacement.

a year later, ben has settled down pretty well into his new home, though he struggles sometimes with guilt for moving so far away from his family, even if it was what was best for him.

head-cannons/random facts!

birthday; 07/17/1990 

pansexual

he knows a couple different styles of martial art styles, namely tae kwon do and boxing.played soccer throughout his school years.

is near sighted, wears contacts. rarely goes out with his glasses on.

plays the piano, guitar, and bass.

ben’s love languages are ranked as the following: acts of service, quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation, and receiving gifts.

has been redecorating the clinic since he originally moved in a year ago.

on a few shelves in his apartment there is a collection of items gifts that his friends have given him over the years.

since moving to the valley, he’s picked up the hobbies of stargazing, hiking, and fishing.

he volunteers a lot in the community.

has a dog named stella, she’s an golden retriever.

throughout high school, worked at the family restaurant and at his aunt’s flower shop regularly. occasionally also helped with his uncle’s construction company and halmeoni’s bookshop while going to college and medical school.

potential connections

a buddy to work with him in the clinic

any type of friendship really, he’s a friendly guy after all.

he doesn’t have siblings, but he does haves lots of cousins from both sides of his family so that’d be cool!

romantic connection? crushes, friends to lovers, enemies to friends to lovers even.

honestly i’m down for any kind of connections

[kinglyisms-archived]

Eric & Elisabeth

Full name: Elisabeth Eleanor Kingston Nicknamed: Lisa

Elisabeth was mortal, human, and born to a Noble family in a neighboring Kingdom near Abarith in the late 1830’s. Eric had been drifting around for quite a while at this point, not quite sure where he was meant to be or where he was going in life. He spent a while working as a consultant for the King of Abarith, which led him to attending the party where he met Elisabeth, attending herself alongside her father and mother. Elisabeth was young, in her early twenties, a picture perfect example of a young nobles daughter and heir to an estate. Unwavering beauty and elegance, Eric found himself drawn to her.

Eric, giving off the appearance of being entirely human himself, and a perfect gentleman, was easily engaged in conversation by the Viscount Kingston. They exchanged pleasantries, tea and snacks, over the table while Elisabeth watched him. Enraptured by the unusual aura Eric gave off, the tall and mysterious persona, she kept a close eye on him the entire conversation. Unable to interrupt her father or the chatter at the table, they waited until the Viscount was lured away by someone else before finally getting to speak.

Names exchanged, written addresses traded, Eric left the gathering with a feeling of purpose and the start of happiness that he hadn’t quite ever been accustomed to. A feeling he hadn’t been able to put a name to at the time.

Over the course of several months Eric and Elisabeth readily exchanged letters. Eric learned she loved the arts, music, rose flavored tea and poetry. Eric told her about his love of books, chess, and building things. Eric had a drive for knowledge and understanding the world around him that seemed to captivate Elisabeth’s attention, his own feelings drawn toward that from a desire to understand what exactly he was. Though he’d yet to divulge that part to her, not wanting to shake the steady bond they had been growing over letters.

The next time Eric saw Elisabeth in person, they’d been invited to a ball at the King’s Castle in Abarith. Eric hadn’t expected Elisabeth to be there, given the unsteady alliance their two Kingdom’s had with each other. Eric knew, not only from speaking to the Viscount but from the stories in Elisabeth’s letters, that the Viscount and most of the other Kingdom didn’t view non-human people very well. The Viscount himself had expressed his loathing of such creatures to Eric’s own face. However, they had come, and Eric wanted to greedily soak up every chance he could get with Elisabeth.

While the Viscount and the Countess was busy mingling, Eric stole Elisabeth away and danced with her in the Ballroom. He swept her around, pulled her in close, and held her tightly for hours. That night, just the two of them dancing to the gentle sway of the music, will always be to Eric one of the best nights of his long life.

The letters after the party turned much more romantic, flirting and teasing. They met up for a few dates, picnics and tea parties that he could steal her away from her family for. Eric was thoroughly captivated and entranced by her and Elisabeth was steadily falling for everything that Eric was. By the end of their year-long courtship Eric finally told her what he was, though the definition was far from easily to explain, and Elisabeth simply told him; you’re not as scary as you pretend to be. Words he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life.

After much deliberation, and another year of dating, Eric grew the nerve to ask Elisabeth’s father for her hand in marriage. Unaware of what Eric was, the man approved it, and they planned a wedding for the spring of the following year. A wedding of flowers and love with hope blooming in both of their hearts.

A decade they were married.

Love and dedication filling both of them.

A year in a house crafted for a future, for a life that could be held.

Someone told the Viscount one day what Eric was. A hateful and spiteful man with not a single bit of passion and understanding for anyone that wasn’t human. Eric remembers Elisabeth telling him her father wanted her to stop by and see him. He remembers her telling him that day to pick her up around dinner time. He remembers her telling him that she’d wanted to talk about their future, about where it was going, about maybe expanding their little family. Eric remembers the love in her eyes, the softness of her skin, the kiss to his cheek before she was gone and the door to visit her family. Family that was supposed to love, protect and care.

He’d spent that day reading and working on some paperwork the King’s had asked for his opinion on. He’d watched the clock, eager for when he’d get to pick Elisabeth up. When it got close enough he’d finally left, not caring if he arrived early to pick his wife up or not. She’d asked him to come get her and he was more than eager to do that. Eric arrived at the Kingston estate around late afternoon, had knocked on the doors, and the butler let him in. He’d asked for Elisabeth and was directed to the lounge where she was meant to be. Eric knocked and announced himself before he stepped inside, finding not only Elisabeth but her father too, shoving a stake into his own daughter's chest.

Eric, panicked and horrified, moved across the room in a flash and snapped the man’s neck without a second of thought before pulling the stake from Elisabeth’s chest. Inches from her heart she lived but the wound was already bleeding impossibly quick, drenching herself and the chair she was in beneath her. Eric pulled her from the chair and into his lap as he crouched on the ground, attempting to apply pressure to the wound as tears rolled down his face.

Elisabeth wasn’t long for the world, incoherent in whatever she was saying and rapidly losing blood. Eric didn’t have many options, regardless of what he’d do he’d lose her anyway. So desperately he attempted the easily solution; biting and changing her, giving her immortality, keeping her at his side.

He hadn’t thought it might not work.

It wasn’t long after he heart stopped, his blood filling her mouth, that she seemed to react to whatever he’d done. Screaming and writhing in his lap, her eyes bleeding and pain wrecking her body. Eric realized the horror of what he’d done, his blood too much for anyone to handle let alone a mortal. To many creatures inside of him, to many things attempting to be transferred to her. Unable to take the screaming anymore, Eric held his wife to him and pierced her heart with his own hand, killing it and ending her suffering.

Elisabeth was buried in a tomb near where the Manor stands in Abairth’s desert. Eric built the Manor from the wood of a nemeton tree, his magic infused with it, away from everyone else. His heart broken, the pain unbearable each day, he carved his heart from his chest and buried it beneath the cellar of the Manor, ending his own suffering as he did Elisabeth’s. He has her locket she always wore, a painted picture of both of them inside of it from their wedding day.

The Kingdom that once existed, Elisabeth’s home, was slaughtered and burned to the ground in a single night the day she died. People will tell you they don’t know who did it, but that the screams of the townsfolk could be heard all the way to Abarith as the sky and river ran red that day.

[silvestromedia]

SAINTS SEPTEMBER 23 "There is only one tragedy in this life, not to have been a saint."- Leon Bloy

Bl. William Way, 1588 A.D. Martyr of England. Born in Exeter, England, he went to Reims, France, where he was ordained in 1586. Using the name Flower, William started his labors, but was arrested within six months. He was executed at Kingston-on-Thames by being hanged, drawn, and quartered.

St. Andrew and Companions, Martyred by the Saracens. Andrew, with John, Peter, and Anthony, were deported from Sicily to Africa by the Saracens (Muslims), who occupied that land at the time. In Africa, they were tortured brutally and martyred for defending the faith. Feastday Sept 23

St. Cissa, 7th century. A Benedictine hermit in Northumbria, England. It is believed he resided near Lindisfarne.

St. Adamnan. Adamnan, born in Drumhome, Donegal, Ireland, became a monk at the monastery there. Later at Iona, of which he became ninth abbot in 679. He gave sanctuary to Aldfrid when the crown of Northumbria was in dispute after the death of Aldfrid's father, King Oswy. In 686, when Aldfrid had ascended the throne, Adamnan visited him to secure the release of Irish prisoners. Two years later Adamnan visited several English monasteries and was induced by St. Ceolfrid to adopt the Roman calendar for Easter. Adamnan worked ceaselessly thereafter with much success to get Irish monks and monasteries to replace their Celtic practices with those of Rome. His success in convincing the Council of Birr that women should be exempt from wars and that women and children should not be taken prisoners or slaughtered caused the agreement to be called Adamnan's law. A scholar noted for his piety, he wrote a life of St. Columba, one of the most important biographies of the early Middle Ages. He also wrote DE LOCIS SANCTIS, a description of the East told to him by a Frank bishop, Arculf, whose ship was driven ashore near Iona on the way back from Jerusalem. Adamnan is thought by some in Ireland to be the same as St. Eunan, though this is uncertain. He died at Iona on September 23 which is his feast day.

St. Thecla, she was a native of Iconomium who was so impressed by the preaching of St. Paul on virginity that she broke off her engagement to marry Thamyris to live a life of virginity.

St. Linus, He succeeded St. Peter as Pope about the year 67. St. Irenaeus says he is the Linus mentioned by St. Paul in the second letter to Timothy, chapter 4, verse 21, and that he was consecrated bishop by St. Paul.

Bl. Bernardina Maria Jablonska, Co-foundress of the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis Servants of the Poor. Known as a mystic with a great concern for those who are suffering. As superior of the Sisters she founded hospices for the sick and poor.

Saint Pio (Pius) of Pietrelcina, O.F.M. Cap. (May 25, 1887 – September 23, 1968) was a Capuchin Catholic priest from Italy who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.

[hbhughes]

John Galvin Duesler, Sr.

John Galvin Duesler Sr, 84, of Courtdale, passed away peacefully, Friday, August 23, 2024. John was born June 30, 1940 in Wilkes-Barre, son of the late Stephen Galvin Duesler and Anellia ‘Nell” Valaika Duesler. 

John ‘Moose’ Duesler was a graduate of St. Mary’s High School Wilkes-Barre, where he exceled at basketball. After graduation, he began a lifelong career as a newspaper printer. John was a long-time employee at the Times Leader in 1978, when he joined the picket line to fight against the national conglomerate Capital Cities. John was one of the dedicated strikers who, with their families, launched The Citizens’ Voice Newspaper on October 9th, 1978. This family newspaper, despite all odds, is still in existence today, something John was so very proud of.

John met the love of his life, Dorothy Masonis, at Chuya’s Bar in Wilkes-Barre in 1960, marrying September 2, 1961, at St. Mary's Annunciation Church, Kingston. They enjoyed 60 years of marriage and created a legacy of four children, 13 grandchildren, and 1 great grandchild.

John was a devote Catholic and parishioner of The Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Kingston, serving as a eucharistic minister and member of their pastoral council. He also belonged to the Knights of Columbus Assumpta Council 3987, holding office of Grand Knight and Faithful Navigator. He was active in their youth basketball tournament and Toys for Toys campaign, among many other fundraising events.

John was THE number one Notre Dame football fan. He was a longtime member of the Notre Dame Club of Hanover Township, travelling to many games in South Bend, Indiana. One of his proudest moments was accompanying his grandson Trevin on an unofficial visit. When he entered the locker room and looked around, John quickly told Trevin he was nowhere near big enough, the one time he was sad to be right.

John’s most favorite times were those spent with his family. He was proudest cheering on his grandchildren playing soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, football, baseball, and wrestling, as well as while attending drama and musical events. He never missed anything they were participating in.

In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his wife Dorothy in 2022, grandson Tyler Joseph Cowman in 2021, and son-in-laws Christopher Dubaskas in 2023, and Shawn Cowman in 2024.

John is survived by sons, John Galvin Duesler Jr. and his wife Bernice, Huntingdon Valley; Sean Duesler and Jennifer Yarnell, Kingston; daughters, Diane Cowman, Kingston and Denise Duesler, Edwardsville; grandchildren, Trevin Cowman and wife Brittany, Alabama; Galvin Duesler and wife Ashley, Wyoming; Trey Cowman, Wilkes-Barre Twp; Regina Duesler, Washington D.C.; Kasen Heim, Edwardsville; John Galvin Duesler III, Huntingdon Valley; Cameron Duesler, Edwardsville; James Duesler, Huntingdon Valley; Seaman Aubrey Duesler, stationed in Italy; Nell Duesler, Huntingdon Valley; Molly Duesler, Edwardsville; Kaden Dubaskas, Edwardsville; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Carol and Ralph Flowers and lifelong friends Mary Nancy and Jack Kelley.

John’s family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers at Second Family Memory Care Center, staff at Providence Place in Drums, especially Mallory and Lucy, and angel Darlene and associates at Hospice of the Sacred Heart for the outstanding and compassionate care provided to our Dad and Grampy John.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hugh B. Hughes & Son Inc. Funeral Home, 1044 Wyoming Ave, Forty Fort.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at The Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, 339 N. Maple Ave., Kingston. Private interment will be in St. Mary's Annunciation Cemetery, Pringle, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in John’s memory to his grandson Tyler Cowman's memorial foundation, TyJo and Co., which is dedicated to aiding children in need, at https://luzfdn.org/types-of-funds/tyjo-co-memorial-fund/ or by mail to TyJo and Co., c/o The Luzerne Foundation, 34 S. River St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

[kinglyisms]

Eric & Elisabeth

Full name: Elisabeth Eleanor Kingston Nicknamed: Lisa

Elisabeth was mortal, human, and born to a Noble family in a neighboring Kingdom near Abarith in the late 1830’s. Eric had been drifting around for quite a while at this point, not quite sure where he was meant to be or where he was going in life. He spent a while working as a consultant for the King of Abarith, which led him to attending the party where he met Elisabeth, attending herself alongside her father and mother. Elisabeth was young, in her early twenties, a picture perfect example of a young nobles daughter and heir to an estate. Unwavering beauty and elegance, Eric found himself drawn to her.

Eric, giving off the appearance of being entirely human himself, and a perfect gentleman, was easily engaged in conversation by the Viscount Kingston. They exchanged pleasantries, tea and snacks, over the table while Elisabeth watched him. Enraptured by the unusual aura Eric gave off, the tall and mysterious persona, she kept a close eye on him the entire conversation. Unable to interrupt her father or the chatter at the table, they waited until the Viscount was lured away by someone else before finally getting to speak.

Names exchanged, written addresses traded, Eric left the gathering with a feeling of purpose and the start of happiness that he hadn’t quite ever been accustomed to. A feeling he hadn’t been able to put a name to at the time.

Over the course of several months Eric and Elisabeth readily exchanged letters. Eric learned she loved the arts, music, rose flavored tea and poetry. Eric told her about his love of books, chess, and building things. Eric had a drive for knowledge and understanding the world around him that seemed to captivate Elisabeth’s attention, his own feelings drawn toward that from a desire to understand what exactly he was. Though he’d yet to divulge that part to her, not wanting to shake the steady bond they had been growing over letters.

The next time Eric saw Elisabeth in person, they’d been invited to a ball at the King’s Castle in Abarith. Eric hadn’t expected Elisabeth to be there, given the unsteady alliance their two Kingdom’s had with each other. Eric knew, not only from speaking to the Viscount but from the stories in Elisabeth’s letters, that the Viscount and most of the other Kingdom didn’t view non-human people very well. The Viscount himself had expressed his loathing of such creatures to Eric’s own face. However, they had come, and Eric wanted to greedily soak up every chance he could get with Elisabeth.

While the Viscount and the Countess was busy mingling, Eric stole Elisabeth away and danced with her in the Ballroom. He swept her around, pulled her in close, and held her tightly for hours. That night, just the two of them dancing to the gentle sway of the music, will always be to Eric one of the best nights of his long life.

The letters after the party turned much more romantic, flirting and teasing. They met up for a few dates, picnics and tea parties that he could steal her away from her family for. Eric was thoroughly captivated and entranced by her and Elisabeth was steadily falling for everything that Eric was. By the end of their year-long courtship Eric finally told her what he was, though the definition was far from easily to explain, and Elisabeth simply told him; you’re not as scary as you pretend to be. Words he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life.

After much deliberation, and another year of dating, Eric grew the nerve to ask Elisabeth’s father for her hand in marriage. Unaware of what Eric was, the man approved it, and they planned a wedding for the spring of the following year. A wedding of flowers and love with hope blooming in both of their hearts.

A decade they were married.

Love and dedication filling both of them.

A year in a house crafted for a future, for a life that could be held.

Someone told the Viscount one day what Eric was. A hateful and spiteful man with not a single bit of passion and understanding for anyone that wasn’t human. Eric remembers Elisabeth telling him her father wanted her to stop by and see him. He remembers her telling him that day to pick her up around dinner time. He remembers her telling him that she’d wanted to talk about their future, about where it was going, about maybe expanding their little family. Eric remembers the love in her eyes, the softness of her skin, the kiss to his cheek before she was gone and the door to visit her family. Family that was supposed to love, protect and care.

He’d spent that day reading and working on some paperwork the King’s had asked for his opinion on. He’d watched the clock, eager for when he’d get to pick Elisabeth up. When it got close enough he’d finally left, not caring if he arrived early to pick his wife up or not. She’d asked him to come get her and he was more than eager to do that. Eric arrived at the Kingston estate around late afternoon, had knocked on the doors, and the butler let him in. He’d asked for Elisabeth and was directed to the lounge where she was meant to be. Eric knocked and announced himself before he stepped inside, finding not only Elisabeth but her father too, shoving a stake into his own daughter's chest.

Eric, panicked and horrified, moved across the room in a flash and snapped the man’s neck without a second of thought before pulling the stake from Elisabeth’s chest. Inches from her heart she lived but the wound was already bleeding impossibly quick, drenching herself and the chair she was in beneath her. Eric pulled her from the chair and into his lap as he crouched on the ground, attempting to apply pressure to the wound as tears rolled down his face.

Elisabeth wasn’t long for the world, incoherent in whatever she was saying and rapidly losing blood. Eric didn’t have many options, regardless of what he’d do he’d lose her anyway. So desperately he attempted the easily solution; biting and changing her, giving her immortality, keeping her at his side.

He hadn’t thought it might not work.

It wasn’t long after he heart stopped, his blood filling her mouth, that she seemed to react to whatever he’d done. Screaming and writhing in his lap, her eyes bleeding and pain wrecking her body. Eric realized the horror of what he’d done, his blood too much for anyone to handle let alone a mortal. To many creatures inside of him, to many things attempting to be transferred to her. Unable to take the screaming anymore, Eric held his wife to him and pierced her heart with his own hand, killing it and ending her suffering.

Elisabeth was buried in a tomb near where the Manor stands in Abairth’s desert. Eric built the Manor from the wood of a nemeton tree, his magic infused with it, away from everyone else. His heart broken, the pain unbearable each day, he carved his heart from his chest and buried it beneath the cellar of the Manor, ending his own suffering as he did Elisabeth’s. He has her locket she always wore, a painted picture of both of them inside of it from their wedding day.

The Kingdom that once existed, Elisabeth’s home, was slaughtered and burned to the ground in a single night the day she died. People will tell you they don’t know who did it, but that the screams of the townsfolk could be heard all the way to Abarith as the sky and river ran red that day.

[teepoxshop]

Spring equinox 2023: Ancient traditions of renewal echo into the modern world

Thomas Nashe, the 16th-century British poet and dramatist, certainly looked forward to spring in his own colorful, singsong way:

The fields breathe sweet, the daisies kiss our feet, Young lovers meet, old wives a-sunning sit, In every street these tunes our ears do greet: Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to witta-woo! Spring, the sweet spring!

Sweet spring indeed – a time to observe the growing light, listen to the birds, smell the flowers and feel the growing warmth from the sun.

They’re all signs that spring equinox 2023 is arriving. This official first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere is a sign of rebirth, a time of tradition and a harmonious balance between day and night.

Precisely when will the spring equinox happen?

Some folks like things scheduled down to the minute.

The spring equinox will arrive exactly at 21:24 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) March 20, according to EarthSky. Here’s how that breaks down at various points around the world (all times adjusted for Daylight Saving Time):

• Honolulu (Hawaii): 11:24 a.m. • San Francisco (California) and Victoria (Canada): 2:24 p.m. • Santa Fe (New Mexico) and Guadalajara (Mexico): 3:24 p.m. • Minneapolis (Minnesota) and Kingston (Jamaica): 4:24 p.m. • Montreal (Canada) and Charleston (South Carolina): 5:24 p.m. • Halifax (Canada): 6:24 p.m.

Crossing over the Atlantic, here are some more places:

• Dublin (Ireland) and Accra (Ghana): 9:24 p.m. • Paris (France) and Algiers (Algeria): 10:24 p.m. • Helsinki (Finland) and Alexandria (Egypt): 11:24 p.m.

For time zones east of the above, the equinox actually falls on Tuesday, March 21. Some more places:

• Istanbul (Turkey) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia): 12:24 a.m. • Dubai (United Arab Emirates): 1:24 a.m. • Mumbai (India): 2:54 a.m. • Bangkok (Thailand) and Hanoi (Vietnam): 4:24 a.m. • Singapore: 5:24 a.m. • Seoul (South Korea) and Osaka (Japan): 6:24 a.m.

You can click here to see a listing of major cities. Or click here to look up the exact moment of the spring equinox where you live.

For some, fall is in the air

Folks in the Northern Hemisphere are looking forward to longer days, flowers and a burst of greenery. But for people living south of the equator, this equinox means they are heading into fall.

So for Chileans, South Africans and Australians, among others, this is a time to look forward to cooler autumn weather.

For people who reside near the equator (in places such as Quito, Ecuador, or Singapore), none of this is really a big deal. They get roughly 12 hours of daylight and nighttime year round.

Spring equinox has another name

If you ever hear anyone say “vernal equinox,” it means the same thing.

The term equinox comes from the Latin word “equinoxium,” meaning “equality between day and night.” And vernal also comes from Latin and means “spring.”

Why does spring equinox happen?

The Earth rotates along an imaginary line that runs from North Pole to South Pole. It’s called the axis, and this rotation is what gives us day and night.

However, the axis tilts at 23.5 degrees, as NASA explains. That positions one hemisphere of the planet to get more sunlight than the other for half of the year’s orbit around the sun. This discrepancy in sunlight is what triggers the seasons.

Spring, the most inspiring of the seasons

The effect is at its maximum in late June and late December. Those are the solstices, and they have the most extreme differences between day and night, especially near the poles. (That’s why it stays dark for so long each day during the winter in places such as Scandinavia and Alaska.)

But since the winter solstice three months ago in December, you’ve probably noticed that our days have been getting longer in the Northern Hemisphere and the nights shorter. And now here we are at the spring equinox!

Going forward, the Northern Hemisphere will be more exposed to the sun than the Southern Hemisphere. That’s why it gets increasingly warmer as we head toward the summer solstice in June.

The equinoxes aren’t exactly ‘equal’

It turns out you actually get a little more daylight than darkness on the equinox – and how much so depends where you are on the planet.

How does that happen when it’s supposed to be 12 hours of day and 12 hours night?

As the US National Weather Service explains, the “nearly” equal hours of day and night are because of the complex way a sunrise is measured and the refraction of sunlight in our atmosphere.

This bending of light rays “causes the sun to appear above the horizon when the actual position of the sun is below the horizon.” The day is a bit longer at higher latitudes than at the equator because it takes the sun longer to rise and set the closer you get to the poles.

We got that truly equal day/night split a few days before the official spring equinox. That’s called the equilux.

Get oriented

If you’re a sky watcher, the website EarthSky points out the equinoxes – spring or autumn – are a superb time to orient yourself. The equinoxes are the only two times a year the sun rises due east and sets due west for everyone on the planet.

EarthSky says the equinox is “a good day for finding east and west from your yard or other favorite site for watching the sky. Just go outside around sunset or sunrise and notice the location of the sun on the horizon with respect to familiar landmarks.”

32 of the most beautiful places in Ireland

Another fun fact: The sun sets faster during the equinoxes than during solstices – and it’s true for both hemispheres. The reason? The setting sun hits the horizon at the steepest possible angle to Earth, EarthSky says.

The sun sets more slowly during solstices when the Earth’s tilt is most extreme. And the effect is more dramatic the farther you get from the equator. That’s why the sun never sets at all in the Arctic Circle during the time around the summer solstice.

Special sites and modern celebrations

In England, the mysterious stone structure of Stonehenge has been a popular gathering place for solstices and equinoxes. English Heritage organizes the events, and if you aren’t fond of big crowds, the equinoxes draw fewer people than the solstices typically.

In Mexico, the Mayan site Chichén Itzá has special equinox ties. At the site, the impressive pyramid known as El Castillo was aligned so that a shadow outlining the form of a snake of light (Kukulcán) descends the steps on the equinoxes.

And it’s not just well-known ancient sites that traditionally get in on the action.

Pike Place Market in Seattle will be celebrating its annual Daffodil Day. When shoppers visit the market, they will get a free bundle of daffodils while supplies last.

The city of Zenica, northwest of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, holds its annual Cimburijada or “Festival of Scrambled Eggs” on the first day of spring.

Cultural influences

Cultures around the world celebrate the equinox. Here are a few:

Nowruz is the Persian New Year. Also known as Nauryz, Navruz or Nowrouz, it means “new day.”

It’s no coincidence it falls on the first day of spring. The Iranian calendar is a solar calendar, meaning time is determined, through astronomical observations, by Earth’s movement around the sun. So, the first day of the year always kicks off with the vernal equinox.

It’s a celebration of new beginnings: wishing prosperity and welcoming the future while shedding away the past. That’s why families use this time to deep clean their homes and closets and buy fresh clothing.

In China, trying to stand an egg upright is a popular game during the spring equinox, according to VisitBeijing.com. The custom is thought to go back thousands of years, and it’s believed that if people can get an egg to stand, they will have good luck. And people across China eat local spring vegetables.

In Japan, Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday (on Tuesday, March 21, this year). Japan is thoroughly modernized, but its people still adhere to old traditions such as visiting family graves and holding family reunions to mark the spring equinox.

[sigridpattersonart]

Website: https://www.sigridpatterson.com/

About Sigrid Patterson:

I love art, creating it, viewing it and thinking of my next projects. I find my inspiration everywhere and sometimes my pieces have deep meaning for me, and sometimes they are just for the pure beauty of the subject. Conflict and joy.

​No matter what I am working on, I'm happiest when I'm painting. With each piece I go through a process of designing, problem solving, changing direction and sometimes weaving my stories and meaning into the work. It’s a whole journey and every journey is different. I am continually learning.

Much of my work is based on flowers. Flowers are used across cultures to signify major events and milestones in our lives and to relay emotions - births, deaths, marriage, love, celebrations, friendship, sorrow, regret. I extend the story telling element of flowers to represent my social commentary and observations. This often focusses on the environment, social equity, sustainability, diversity and community.

I am experienced in several mediums though always come back to favourites - painting big and bold in oils and acrylics.

All flowers and plants used in my paintings are grown, not flown.

Business Email: sigridpattersonart@bigpond.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sigridpattersonart

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigridpattersonart/

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[robinhillfloristshavertown]

Flower Delivery near Kingston, PA

[duanempirecity]

Nara Residences Empire City Thu Thiem

Nara Residences is a subdivision located in Empire City Thu Thiem urban area, District 2. The subdivision offers a variety of apartment sizes and prices to suit the needs of all budgets. .The concept behind Nara Residences is to create a luxurious and inviting environment that encourages people to relax and enjoy life. This goal is achieved through the integration of natural materials and colors, with an emphasis on design simplicity. and beauty. .The design focuses on balance, simplicity and beauty. in order to create an inviting and relaxing environment. Materials used, such as wood and stone, infuse a sense of natural serenity into the space, while also providing a comfortable temperature that is retained throughout the day. Each unit is designed for efficiency and comfort with modern amenities. .Nara Residences is a subdivision located in Empire City Thu Thiem urban

The apartments are equipped with modern facilities that provide residents with an enjoyable living experience. Residents can use the swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis court and children’s playground to enjoy their leisure time. .The project has a green belt around the building, which is dedicated to planting trees. , flowers and grass.There are a total of 16 units, including 4 penthouse units, 4 houses with 2 floors, 8 flats and 4 basement 8-unit buildings. .Although the project was originally conceived as a ten-year period, it has been extended to 15 years. ,The project will provide residents with the convenience of living in a modern development with easy access to public transportation, shopping and entertainment venues.

Nara Residences has been developed to be environmentally friendly as it is built using eco-friendly materials such as bamboo wood, recycled glass and solar power,… Bamboo wood is used as the exterior material of the building in order to endure natural processes, while recycled glass is used on the windows and doors. The energy generated by solar panels is used for appliances within the building. Nara Residences is located near Nara Station and features three levels of retail space on its ground floor level. . The first floor features an open area of approximately 11,000 square feet, which includes a Starbucks Coffee outlet.The second floor features five retail spaces and an outdoor space on the corner of the building. It is approximately 12,000 square feet in size and fronted by glass walls with glazed windows.The third level is also retail space which is approximately 14,000 square feet.

Nara Residences is a subdivision located in Empire City Thu Thiem urban area, District 2. It is a residential project by Nara Group, with the first phase of construction completed in 2015. .Nara Residences is located in the south-west area of Thu Thiem, on Dien Bien Phu Street. It is about 500 meters from this area’s largest commercial center and intersection, Nguyen Hue Street. The district has a large number of high-rise buildings with a size ranging from five to six storeys tall. .Kingston is a suburban city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. It is located 43.9 kilometres east-northeast from Downtown Toronto, at the western end of Lake Ontario's St. Lawrence River estuary and just west of the shoreline of Lake Ontario's Bay of Quinte on its border with Quebec, where it is part of the Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area.The home is located in the heart of Thu Thiem, right next to Thu Thiem University. The front yard and the back yard are separated by a greenbelt, providing good ventilation and great air quality. There is no busy road nearby so you can enjoy a peaceful life without traffic noise.The

Nara Residences has a total of 9 buildings with 4 apartments per floor and is an upscale development that offers high-end property for sale. It has communal gardens, swimming pools and children’s playgrounds for residents to enjoy. . It is located in the heart of Nara Park and is in close proximity to supermarkets, restaurants and commercial areas. .The location is perfect, it is situated in the heart of Nara Park and a stone's throw from commercial areas and supermarkets. . The host is wonderful and the place was amazing. Me and my friends had an amazing time!I've been so happy to find such a great place for my stay in Nara. It has everything I needed and more, from a great location to a very reasonably priced supermarket nearby. And I can't forget about the lovely hosts! They have always been helpful in pointing me the right direction, and had been so kind to help me out during my stay. I can't wait to come back again!Nara Residences has a total of 9 buildings with 4 apartments per floor and is an upscale development that offers high-end property for sale. It has communal gardens, swimming pools and children’s playgrounds for

Nara Residences is a subdivision located in Empire City Thu Thiem urban area, District 2. This project offers a variety of high-quality apartments with modern and stylish design, which will satisfy the needs of the most demanding customers. .Nara Residences is strategically located in the center of the city, which affords an easy access to all important touristic and commercial sites. This project will be a great investment opportunity for homebuyers who want to own a property in an upscale area. with a great school. The cost of living in this area is very high, but because of the high number of jobs, many parents choose to live in the area so their children can attend the nearby parkview elementary school. .

Nara Residences is a subdivision located in Empire City Thu Thiem urban area, District 2. This project offers a variety of high-quality apartments with modern and stylish design, which will satisfy the needs of the most demanding customers. . It is located in the northern part of Thu Thiem, approximately 2 km from Thu Thiem Park Station. Nara Residences is a subdivision with a total land area of 9,000 m2. The project includes 85 residential units facing the green and calm Thu Thiem Park to the south, and 110 apartments facing the bustling Thu Thiem Central Business District to the north. The development also includes a commercial building with retail, office and meeting rooms, as well as a public space on the ground floor.The residential and commercial buildings are built with high quality materials to protect residents from radiation, heat or noise pollution. The housing units in Nara Residences come in two types: 1) One-Bedroom Apartment and 2) Two-Bedroom Apartment. The units are designed with a modern and clean style to provide a relaxing and healthy living environment for residents. Nara Residences also sets up a fitness center and a playground in the park every day for residents to use, which will make them feel more at home.Nara Residences is just 300 meters from Thu

See details: https://duanempirecity.vn/nara-residences/

[shefanispeculator]

On becoming her parents:

“‘When I was young, I’d walk home from school and see my mom in her shorts doing her gardening, and my dad would be cutting the trees and make me pick up the branches. I’d be like, ‘I’m never having a tree at my house,” she recalls. Yet these days, when she and her husband Blake Shelton are at their home near Tishomingo, Oklahoma, the rocker tends to far more than just a lone tree. They have sunflowers. Zinnias. Even plots of corn. ‘I just had the most incredible dahlias ever,’ says Stefani, 53, beaming as she describes herself as a ‘garden flower nerd’ after her People cover shoot in Los Angeles. ‘When we get to Oklahoma, we’re constantly working — and it’s a different kind of work. It’s probably what my mom was doing back in the day, and now I get it!’”

On her un-Hollywood lifestyle:

“I didn’t see any of this coming with Blake. This was just a big old ‘What?’ It was an amazing gift to experience love like that for the first time. He’s changed my life … when I [started dating] Blake, that’s when I felt home, like, ‘Oh, this is where I’m supposed to be, with this guy.”

On living outside of Hollywood:

“I am not really a dirt person, a bug person, I don’t like that much humidity. But it’s so beautiful [in Oklahoma], and you kind of feel like you’re going into this vortex. Nature — and God — is all right there.”

On her younger self:

“I took Kingston on a world tour [when he was 9 months old]. I would have to nurse him, then get onstage, come off, and he would twirl my ponytail. That’s when things got really hard for me emotionally. That time is so precious, and you don’t want to miss anything.”

On her personal goal:

“When my kids were teenagers, I really wanted to make sure that I was home for them — and here we are.”

On Blake Shelton stepping away from The Voice, which was a “huge family choice”:

“I am happy for him because he has space to do all these other hobbies and things he wants to do.”

On being unsure of returning to The Voice without him:

“I was really weirded out like, ‘What’s it going to be like without Blake?’ But we are having so much fun. At the end of the day, coaching these humans who are so gifted … I love it.”

[itsmydreamlifethings]

The hots for my assistant. (From Henry’s perspective)

Henry tries his hardest to be a gentleman despite his assistant being in a “sensitive” position. Just a little story 😆

Warnings: descriptive body parts with strong sexual theme. 18+ only.

I had no interest for an assistant at first but as my schedule became more hectic, I agreed with my agent. I needed help. I just never would have expected my assistant to be a drop dead gorgeous girl close to my age. And damn....from the first time I saw her, I can’t stop thinking about her.

I’m trying to keep everything professional, but circumstances are testing my patience and self control. Like today. We flew to Jamaica for work, and I’ll be shooting for the new series tomorrow. The site location here in Kingston is gorgeous and we’re all trying to soak up some fun and relaxation before the grueling work schedule. Even my assistant, Y/N, is getting a well deserved afternoon off.

I spit her on the hammock outside, right where I’m heading to review my lines. Script in hands, I approach the beach area tucked nicely under a row or coconut trees. I immediately realize Y/N is fast asleep on the hammock. She looks like an angel. She’s wearing a short beige dress and the way she’s lying, her cleavage is popping out in the most delicious way. I sigh, scolding myself for having theee thoughts. She works for me. I need to be a professional.

I take the comfy chair next to the hammock, careful not to wake her. I try hard to concentrate on the script and I bury my self into writing and memorizing my lines. Ten minutes go by, and Y/N is still sleeping soundly. Her hair is blowing in the finely breeze and the way her hands are tucked near her face give her a coy and virginal look.

Fuck, I did it again. Get it together, Henry.

Then, suddenly, the gentle breeze turns into a gust and it flips her dress up and over her hip. There, splayed before me as she lies on her side, I see her gorgeous rear end, her cheeks barely covered by the now exposed panties. They are a pale pink, with subtle ruffles, and fuck, they are so tight against her gorgeous ass. So tight, that I can see the well formed heaven hiding behind the silky fabric like two flower petals. I find myself just staring at her. She still isn’t awake, not even the strong wind stirring her slumber. But how can I ignore the delicious beauty now lewdly exposed to me? I rub my forehead, and look around. If anyone sees me staring, I’d be in big shit. I contemplate what to do. If I all over and pull down her dress to cover her up, I run the risk of her waking and getting the wrong idea. If I stay here and avert my gaze, I either will drive myself crazy with frustration and desire. I move to the edge of my lounge chair, already feeling the bulge straining against my pants. Shit, I still can’t take my eyes off her....wondering how soft her silk panties would feel as I slide a finger in her. Okay, I need go leave. Now.

I stand up telling myself it’s the right thing to do, but then I spot a group of guys across the way. They’re laughing and drinking near the water. There’s no way in hell I’d leave her exposed like this for any pervert to ogle her. I mean, maybe I’m a pervert too but ....I know my boundaries.

I take off my shirt and remain topless. I walk over to her and drape my shirt over her hips, gently hiding her private beauty from the rest of the world.

I return to my lounge chair, half disappointed to have lost the gorgeous site of her was, and half content to just be watching over her as she sleeps so peacefully like an angel.

Half hour passes and Y/N stirs.

“Oh,” she says eyeing my shirt over her. She’s groggy and blinks at me a few times.

“Looks like you were getting cold,” I lie with a gentle smile.

“What a gentleman,” she replied and snuggles with my shirt as she falls back asleep.

[lvllns]

you're like the sun that gives the moon its glow

the wayhaven chronicles. mason x sparrow kingston (nb detective). ~1.9k words. rated m for mature implied sex and language mostly. this is fluff. it’s basically “mason traces tattoos and freckles” the fic.

[read on ao3]

Sparrow is stretched out on their bed, arms raised over their head and legs crossed at the ankles. Their eyes are closed, face a mask of serenity, and there’s a part of Mason that takes that as an ego boost considering what they just finished doing.

He watches them silently, gaze flickering from their hands to their toes. Up and down. Over and over. It’s novel to stay like this. To lie here and just look his fill without feeling like he needs to leave. To get out because he doesn’t stick around. That’s all changed recently and it still twists him up inside. Nat keeps giving him looks, and Felix keeps needling him about love and it’s not like that.

It’s not.

Sparrow is just...well, it doesn’t matter.

Because right now, they’re naked atop their sheets, still a little flushed, and it’s ridiculous how endearing the light pink dusting their cheeks is. Mason reaches over and swipes his thumb over the bridge of their nose. They scrunch their face up, lips pulling in a small smile, but they keep their eyes shut. Gently, he cups their cheek. Stares intently at their face. Painted with freckles, clusters coloring across their face and down to the rest of their body. Their nose, Grecian as it is, pulls his attention and he runs the pad of his index finger from between their brows to the tip of their nose.

“Is it still attached to my face?” Their smile grows wide enough to flash teeth.

Mason snorts. “Seems to be.”

They hum. Tilt their head a little to lean into his touch as much as they can, chasing after his hand like a flower seeking the sun.

He pulls away. Slips from them like water to recline on his side, propping his head up on his hand, elbow on the mattress. They shift, wiggle really, and burrow a little deeper into the blankets. Reaching out, he touches a tattoo on their right side, over their ribs. Handwriting he doesn’t recognize. Sparrow freezes, their body going tight and tense for a moment before relaxing again.

“Can I,” he frowns as he pulls his hand away. “I don’t recognize the handwriting.”

They swallow hard. Reach up and press their palm over the tattoo with ease, like they’ve done it a million times and maybe they have. “You wouldn’t,” they whisper, voice tight. Sparrow clears their throat and shakes their head. “It’s my father’s handwriting.”

“Oh,” Mason says. He blinks rapidly a few times, shuffles through everything he knows about Sparrow and their father and realizes it’s very little. Aside from that one conversation, they’ve never spoken about him. He isn’t sure what to say, where to take this from here, and he opens his mouth a few times like a dying fish before they continue.

“It was written on the back of a picture of the two of us, mum had to have taken it.” Their eyes are still closed, they smile again though it’s distinctly sad this time. Mason curls his hands into fists to stop himself from reaching out. “I was barely a year old but he was holding me up, spinning me around.”

His eyes drop back to the ink, to the words permanently written on their pale skin.  Fly bird, fly. He doesn’t stop himself this time when the urge to touch overwhelms him again. Mason traces the letters with his middle finger, the faintest whisper of a touch. Light and fleeting. Goosebumps erupt on Sparrow’s body, racing down their side.

Something settles over them then. Heavier than it should be, he thinks, after the sex they just had. So he does what he does best and avoids whatever is hanging in the air around them. His touch drifts to the dermals they have, four bright studs along the wings of their hip bones. He presses his thumb against one and quirks a brow, though they don’t see.

“When did you get these?”

They make a thoughtful sound, something low, in the back of their throat. “I was eighteen, they came before the tattoos.”

“Really?” He scoots closer. Pulls a leg up so his knee touches their thigh. “Don’t take this the wrong way sweetheart, but I never would have expected piercings like this on you.” He pokes the stud on their hip again as his gaze flicks up to their face.

“Mason, the most outrageous thing I had ever done before I turned eighteen was dye my hair blue without asking when I was twelve.”

He really doesn’t mean to laugh but he does. It bubbles out of him before he can stop it. Sparrow cracks an eye open and tries to glare at him but it’s disgustingly...something. Fond, Mason thinks, fond and something else that he can’t place.

“Have I told you lately that you’re the worst, sunshine?”

“Last thing I remember you telling me before this conversation is ‘please don’t stop, right there’ so—”

They swat at him, giggling and rolling around until he’s on his back and they’re straddling his waist. He catches their wrists in one hand. Holds them loose enough they could get away but Sparrow only splays their palms on his chest and leans forward, hair hanging like a curtain around them, hazel eyes glittering with something that Mason thinks looks a lot like happiness.

His heart skips a beat before picking up just a little. Happy. Are they happy because of him? Or for some other reason? His brows furrow, eyes narrowing, but he shakes his head to clear his mind before anything can pull him from whatever this moment is.

“You didn’t even let me tell you the best part of that story,” Sparrow says as they lean back, fingers tapping a rhythm against his chest that he doesn’t recognize.

“My apologies your highness,” he drawls, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “Please, continue.”

They push down on the middle of his sternum with the ring finger of their left hand. “I panicked and dyed my hair back to strawberry blonde two days later because I felt so bad I did it without asking for permission.”

There is no chance of stopping his laughter this time. It bursts from him, loud and unapologetic. Sparrow slips off his lap, returning to lying on their back, as they cover their face and giggle. They snort like they always do when they laugh hard enough, and that sets Mason off again. It takes a few minutes for them both to settle down. He tips his head to the side to look at them, their body stretched out again, all long lean lines of muscle.

He rolls back onto his side. Extends his arm so he can touch the tattoo on their right thigh. Geometric with a sunflower in the middle, done only in black like the rest of the art on their body. “Why a sunflower?”

“It’s my favorite.”

Simple as that, it seems.

Mason moves a leg, hooks his foot around their calf so they’re touching again, and smooths a hand over their side. Aimlessly, he begins to connect their freckles. Dot to dot. Patterns that mean nothing and patterns that mean something, though he isn’t sure why. Memories locked away behind an iron door. A room he has no access to but that his body remembers all the same. Sweeping lines, curls and bursts of starlight. He paints them all in his mind while the pads of his fingers ghost across Sparrow’s body.

They shiver as his touch smooths over their ribs. He knows there’s a spot, down close to their hip, that will drive them to arch into his touch or his mouth. He avoids it. Skips to the side, curling his fingers around to touch their back before slipping down to rest on their thigh. Splayed on their leg like this, his hand covers quite a bit of their skin. Palm resting along the outside, his fingers draped over lazily, the tips brushing their inner thigh.

A pull, like a hook in his chest, snags and lures him closer. He goes willingly until he’s near enough that his leg rests over theirs, knee pressing into the bed between their thighs, and he’s tipped to rest more on his stomach than his side. He removes the hand from their thigh. Reaches up and cups their side, fingers spreading over their ribs, thumb just beneath their left breast.

Over their heart.

He blinks. Looks up and finds Sparrow with their eyes closed, a lazy smile stretched across their face.

A steady beat beneath his hand. Slow. Relaxed. Even. He could set music to their heart. Compose something Sparrow could play on their violin. His fingers curl, blunt nails digging into their skin. Each breath has their chest expanding, and he watches for a moment before he swallows hard.

“I...I should go,” he murmurs, lips close enough to their shoulder to brush against their skin. Sparrow hums but doesn’t speak.

He should go. He should get up, pull his clothes on, and head back to his room down the hall. Staying is new, and sometimes it makes his skin feel too tight still. They let him set the pace, whether he drags himself away or clings to them like he needs their skin against his to breathe properly.

Sparrow exhales through their nose, long and slow. “I need to shower.”

It’s an out if he’s ever seen one.

They’ll head to the bathroom and he can slip away without them watching. He doesn’t know why they prefer it that way, and Mason desperately tries not to think about how much easier it is to walk away when he can’t turn around and see them.

The bed moves, shifts and creaks as they untangle their limbs from his and sit up. Cold air fills the space they leave behind. His hand fists in the sheet, fabric bunching up in his grip as he watches them. Sparrow groans and stretches and their back pops in a few places.

“Did I fuck your back out Songbird?” Mason grins and rolls to the side as they grab for him with an indignant huff. They're grinning though, hands reaching for him as they dive for his hands. He snorts, scrambling away as he asks, “Want me to fuck it back into place?”

Sparrow pauses, kneeling on the bed, one hand still reaching for him as it slowly drops. When their eyes soften, he knows they’ve caught that question for what it truly is.

What he’s really asking for.

A reason to stay.

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t, to be honest,” they say with a grin.

Quick as a flash, he’s off the bed. Scooping them up and tossing them over his shoulder while they giggle and squeal. He smacks their ass lightly, a tap more than anything, and turns his head to nip at their thigh. “Settle down or I’ll drop you.”

Sparrow pinches his waist and he growls. “You would never, you like me too much.”

“I like your—”

“Mason!” They laugh, hands hanging down and fingers brushing against his skin as he walks.

“What? Nat’s not here to tell me to stop.”

“Please don’t talk about Nat as you’re walking me to the shower like this.”

He snorts, arm tightening around them to keep them safe over his shoulder, and as he kicks the bathroom door shut to the sound of Sparrow laughing, he tucks the ember that burns in his chest somewhere safe.

[silvestromedia]

SAINTS AND MARTYRS for September 23

Bl. William Way, 1588 A.D. Martyr of England. Born in Exeter, England, he went to Reims, France, where he was ordained in 1586. Using the name Flower, William started his labors, but was arrested within six months. He was executed at Kingston-on-Thames by being hanged, drawn, and quartered.

St. Andrew and Companions, Martyred by the Saracens. Andrew, with John, Peter, and Anthony, were deported from Sicily to Africa by the Saracens (Muslims), who occupied that land at the time. In Africa, they were tortured brutally and martyred for defending the faith. Feastday Sept 23

St. Thecla, she was a native of Iconomium who was so impressed by the preaching of St. Paul on virginity that she broke off her engagement to marry Thamyris to live a life of virginity.

St. Linus, He succeeded St. Peter as Pope about the year 67. St. Irenaeus says he is the Linus mentioned by St. Paul in the second letter to Timothy, chapter 4, verse 21, and that he was consecrated bishop by St. Paul.

Bl. Bernardina Maria Jablonska, Co-foundress of the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis Servants of the Poor. Known as a mystic with a great concern for those who are suffering. As superior of the Sisters she founded hospices for the sick and poor.

St. Adamnan. Adamnan, born in Drumhome, Donegal, Ireland, became a monk at the monastery there. Later at Iona, of which he became ninth abbot in 679. He gave sanctuary to Aldfrid when the crown of Northumbria was in dispute after the death of Aldfrid's father, King Oswy. In 686, when Aldfrid had ascended the throne, Adamnan visited him to secure the release of Irish prisoners. Two years later Adamnan visited several English monasteries and was induced by St. Ceolfrid to adopt the Roman calendar for Easter. Adamnan worked ceaselessly thereafter with much success to get Irish monks and monasteries to replace their Celtic practices with those of Rome. His success in convincing the Council of Birr that women should be exempt from wars and that women and children should not be taken prisoners or slaughtered caused the agreement to be called Adamnan's law. A scholar noted for his piety, he wrote a life of St. Columba, one of the most important biographies of the early Middle Ages. He also wrote DE LOCIS SANCTIS, a description of the East told to him by a Frank bishop, Arculf, whose ship was driven ashore near Iona on the way back from Jerusalem. Adamnan is thought by some in Ireland to be the same as St. Eunan, though this is uncertain. He died at Iona on September 23 which is his feast day.

St. Cissa, 7th century. A Benedictine hermit in Northumbria, England. It is believed he resided near Lindisfarne.

Saint Pio (Pius) of Pietrelcina, O.F.M. Cap. The story of one of the most beloved saints of our times began on 25 May 1887 in the Italian village of Pietrelcina. Inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi, Francesco Forgione, known by his religious name “Padre Pio,” spent his life focused on the Passion and Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (May 25, 1887 – September 23, 1968) was a Capuchin Catholic priest from Italy who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.

[hbhughes]

Betty Jane Cooper

Betty Jane Cooper, 84, of Kingston, passed away surrounded by her loving family, on Friday, October 7, 2022, at Wesley Village, Jenkins Twp.

Betty Jane was born on Saturday, August 27, 1938, in Kingston, daughter of the late Edgar G. and Hilda M. Depew Gregory. She was a graduate of Bloomsburg State Teachers College, Class of 1960. In addition to being a loving homemaker, she taught elementary education in the Wyoming Valley West School District.

Betty Jane was a loving mother who led her life with kindness and a smile for everyone with whom she came into contact. She instilled in her children the same sense of kindness and respect for others. She was a gifted piano player, a faithful friend to her “card club” of many years, and had an understated wit and humor that would surprise you just when you needed a laugh. Betty Jane had a joyful spirit when it came to her grandchildren and shared with them her endless love. She taught several of them to knit and would be found with one of them sitting in her lap whenever they were around. She will be missed tremendously.   

She was preceded in death by Charles, her husband of 50 years; her parents; her brother Gordon Gregory of Canton, OH; and her sister Barbara Gregory Simms of Lake Lehman, PA. 

She is survived by her children – Linda Cooper Smith (George) of Kingston; Charles Cooper, Jr. (Nancy) of Kingston; Russell Cooper (Linda) of Castle Valley, Utah; Kim Cooper Garcia of Manassas Park, VA; Melissa Cooper Basinger (Dave) of Poway, CA; and Scott Cooper (Barbara) of Westbury, NY. She was the happy grandmother to 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren as well as a dear friend to sister-in-law Sue Gregory.

Funeral service will be held at 10 AM on Friday, October 14th, 2022 at Hugh B. Hughes & Son, Inc. Funeral Home, 1044 Wyoming Ave., Forty Fort, with Rev. Jane Pykus, officiating. Interment will be held at Jermyn Cemetery. 

Family and friends are invited to Hugh B. Hughes & Son, Inc. Funeral Home on Thursday, October 13th, from 6 to 8 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s foundation at www.alz.org or to the Church of Christ Uniting (cocu4u.org) in Kingston, where she was a life-long member. 

The family would like to thank Patrice, Arlene, Debbie and Hospice of the Sacred Heart who helped care for Betty Jane near the end of her life.