#US Coast Guard Birthday

[rabbitcruiser]

U.S. Coast Guard Day

U.S. Coast Guard Day honors the United States Coast Guard, the military branch that protects the waters and shorelines of the United States. It is celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of the Revenue Marine, the forerunner of the Coast Guard. On August 4, 1790, the United States Congress created the Revenue Marine and authorized the construction of 10 revenue cutters to be used to enforce U.S. tariff laws—to stop illegal smuggling and collect revenue on incoming goods. The Revenue Marine was housed in the Department of Treasury and thus directed by Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton.

The Revenue Marine's name was later changed to the Revenue Cutter Service. Then, in 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service was combined with the United States Life-Saving Service to form the United States Coast Guard. This created a single maritime service, bringing together one devoted to enforcing maritime laws and one dedicated to saving lives. The United States Lighthouse Service became part of the Coast Guard in 1939, and the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation became part of it in 1946. In 1967, the Coast Guard was transferred from the Department of Treasury to the newly-created Department of Transportation. Similarly, it was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.

U.S. Coast Guard Day has been marked in some form since at least 1928. Presidents have proclaimed August 4th as "Coast Guard Day." Harry Truman did so in 1948, and Ronald Reagan did so in 1984 after being requested to do so by Congress. In large part, U.S. Coast Guard Day is an internal celebration by Coast Guard personnel and their families, but others join in honoring Coast Guard members as well. Coast Guard units often organize picnics and informal sports competitions, where they celebrate with family and friends. The American flag is typically flown on the day, particularly by those who have family members in the Coast Guard. Grand Haven, Michigan, known as Coast Guard City, USA, holds the annual Coast Guard Festival each year around August 4th.

The Coast Guard defines itself as "the principal Federal agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship in U.S. ports and inland waterways, along more than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline, throughout the 4.5 million square miles of U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and on the high seas." It has active duty, reserve, and civilian employees, and there also is a Coast Guard Auxiliary. It is divided into two area commands, the Pacific Area and the Atlantic Area, and these are divided into nine district commands. Many Coast Guard stations are located in the districts. The Coast Guard fleet consists of cutters, boats, and fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. Today this branch of the military and its members are honored with U.S. Coast Guard Day!

How to Observe U.S. Coast Guard Day

Some ways you could observe the day include:

Make plans to attend New Haven's Coast Guard Festival, Petaluma's Coast Guard Day, or another public event in honor of the Coast Guard's founding. If you are a member of the Coast Guard, or if you have a relative in the Coast Guard, see if there are any private events being held in honor of the day that you can attend.

Stop at a Coast Guard station.

Fly the American flag.

Learn more about the responsibilities and functions of the Coast Guard. You could do so by reading a book such as The Coast Guard or The United States Coast Guard and National Defense: A History from World War I to the Present, or by exploring the official United States Coast Guard website.

Watch a film that features the Coast Guard.

Join the Coast Guard.

Source

[pinazee]

I have some random hatchetfield character HC’s (forgive me if any of these are repeats or already mostly canon haha) sorted by musical for ease.

TGWDLM :

-emma kills every house plant she touches but she doesn’t know this because pauls like a savant with plants (plant daddy) and takes care of them without her knowing

-bill and alice used to go to an afternoon tea place every sunday after church. It was their special daddy/daughter activity until alice turned 10. Whenever Alice is feeling down she stops by the shop and grabs a scone. Sometimes she’ll leave one at her dads place before shes taken back to her moms.

-ted was rarely in petes life growing up. By the time pete was old enough to remember him, ted was already moved out. He knew pete looked up to him though, and loved it. He would visit home, tell tales of his conquests (lies), and give pete just the shittest advice on how to pick up chicks (pete was 7).

-charlotte was the badgirl cheerleader in high school. She looked like sandra dee but acted like Rizzo. Thats when she got involved with sam. At her lowest point when she was 26 (having to be saved by the coast guard after a night of partying had her stealing a boat and losing the paddles shortly after, leaving her adrift for several hours) she found the church and changed her ways. This initiated the divide with sam who didn’t like this new version of her.

Black friday:

-toms favorite time of year was the first week of school. The kids were still squirrelly as they adjusted to class periods again, everyone was dressed in their best ready to show off their brace-less teeth or their new haircuts, there was a hum of excitement even as the kids groaned when they got their first piece of homework, and he got to play his favorite “accidentally chopped his thumb off” prank with all the freshman.

-Lindas always had “friends” because of her extravagant birthday parties but there was only ever one that actually knew her. During her 11th birthday, after her father had mocked her pig nose in front of everyone during the cake photo, linda hid in her room, and no one noticed she was gone- except for one boy, who came to see if she was okay. They became close after that. It wasn’t until months later that Linda learned he only came to ask because his mother made him (she was trying to find a way to lindas dad). She was so hurt that she had her dad pay off his parents to transfer him to sycamore.

-the first thing Lex ever bought was a bag of those shitty glow in the dark stars when she was 9 using the money she’d saved by scrounging for cans. She’d wanted them for months after she saw them in a friends house but her mom refused. She kept them up for years, even though they didn’t really glow anymore, because it reminded her that she could get things done on her own.

NPMD:

-steph is a huge gamer. She is frequently the highest scorer in any game she plays but her specialty is shooty games. She’s been known to seek revenge, often killing players she feels has wronged her over and over, hunting them down until the mods have to get involved. (I dont play games like that is that how it works? Lol)

-no one wanted to be the mascot. In fact, the kid who used to be the mascot quit the moment he heard max joined the team. The coach told them they needed one though so max grabbed the first dweeb he saw (richie) and shoved him inside. Richie had no choice but to roll with it, so even though it meant he was a target of maxs more often, it became worth it when people actually started cheering when he showed up. For him, its like cosplaying being popular.

-Ruth writes “friend fiction.” Each chapter is a different scenario on how her and another classmate could become involved. Pete and steph both have multiple chapters. Richie has none (simply because its never crossed her mind.)

-grace was kicked out of debate club because she ended every argument by saying it was gods will

[popjunkie42]

Gifts for WitchlingsandWyverns!

From your ACOTAR Secret Santa! @witchlingsandwyverns

I have had so much fun working on a story for you and getting to send you gifts and sneak peeks over the past few weeks! I have always loved your art and creativity and I really hope I can give you something you'll enjoy this holiday season.

I got inspired early on to lean into the fantasy and do a sort-of Lord of the Rings AU. This story takes place during the war 500 years before ACOTAR against the human slave lands and the human-faerie alliance. I imagine Feyre as a Spring fae, and she and Rhysand meet for the first time in the Dawn Palace's House of Healing. I was inspired by one of my all-time favorite fantasy couples, Eowyn and Faramir.

Blossoming in Winter - Chapter 1: Under the Wings of the Shadow (on AO3, the first part of Chapter 1 below) and tagging @acotargiftexchange

A million thanks to @witch-and-her-witcher and @temperedink for being my amazing beta readers!

Your story is mostly complete and will be four chapters long. I hope to publish every few days up until Christmas, but be patient with me if the final edits take a bit longer!

I've had so much fun being your secret gift giver and learning more about you! I hope you have an amazing birthday, and holiday season, and that you enjoy all the ACOTAR riches coming our way!

Love,

PopJunkie42

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

To Thesan, High Lord of Dawn and Commander of the Peregryn Legions:

Esteemed High Lord,

It is with great thanks and humility I write to you on behalf of Lord Tamlin, third son of Spring.

The Peregryn legion you sent to our aid was invaluable in our victory on the coast of the western Spring lands.Through whatever grand insight you possess, they arrived in the knick of time, as our armies were on the verge of being overwhelmed. The turn of the tide led to a grand victory on the side of Prythian. Though casualties were great, the land has been held successfully by our warband and will, we believe, provide strategic ground for both monitoring Hybern’s forces and maintaining a foothold on the shore, to prevent further ships and troops from docking in Prythian and adding to our troubles. 

Indeed, if you’ll forgive me for my storytelling, I can tell you the sight of feathered wings will forever bring a surge of joy to the hearts of the Spring warriors, and the tales of the Peregryn’s bravery will long be told in our lands and at our tables. The legion’s arrival at dawn after the long night siege, the rising sun at their backs, was the stuff of grand tales, and seemed to us a blessing from the Cauldron and the Mother. Lord Tamlin (and myself) sincerely hope that his future court and the Dawn Court may remember this great victory and the strength of our combined partnership in the days and years to come. 

Lord Tamlin wishes greatly to speak with you and the other High Lords further, once battles have ceased and Prythian is free of the stain of Hybern, about the future of our illustrious court and the question of leadership therein. Though the Prince has always valued the leadership of his father and wisdom of his brothers, their choice to ally with the King of Hybern shows their loyalties and interests lie outside of Prythian. After this war is won, Prince Tamlin wishes only to treat with those loyal to the lands of Prythian.

Though I write to thank you for your great kindness, I also am afraid I must use this letter to beg another courtesy. It has been heard that your illustrious Court has opened its doors to the High Lord’s families and those in greatest need of healing, to be blessed by the grand bounty of your powers and knowledge. It is with this in mind that Lord Tamlin humbly asks you to take in another patient: Lady Feyre Archeron, an archer in his personal guard.

Although Lady Feyre boasts no direct relation to the High Lords, perhaps word of her bravery has already reached your lands. For it was Lady Feyre who dared to enter the Middle and defeat the fearsome Sylvanus, the forest god, the last of the old gods walking among us. We know that all the High Lords and generals have knowledge of this beast, as he has split the land in two and his wrath and magic had prevented the joining of the northern and southern armies in our long-standing war. Although rumored to be immortal and impervious to death, even by the hand of a High Lord, the monster was single-handedly defeated by Lady Feyre. We have no doubt that her name will long be known throughout Prythian, and the grand tale of her conquest will be the subject of songs and poems. Perhaps if taken under your healers, you will get the entire story firsthand from her, as she has not spoken of it since returning to Spring. Such a tale would be the envy of the land, and certainly of your neighbors in Day.

Lady Feyre, though brave and strong, returned to the Spring Court wounded by the deep magic of the god. Her spirits fail her, and her body withers under wounds our healers cannot touch. Lord Tamlin beseeches you and your healers to care for her with your powerful magic, as her hurts go beyond the body and perhaps into the soul.

With much gratitude and hope in battle,

Lucien, Emissary of Spring

on behalf of Prince Tamlin, the rightful heir

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“Please, Lady Feyre…”

The warden of the healing wing scuttled behind the female, her steps brisk, his own faltering as he rushed in his voluminous robes.

But both came to a pause in front of the wooden door, one of many in the hall of healing. A cold fog of darkness, whirling and flecked with stars, was pouring from the crack at the bottom.

Feyre Archeron, her face pale and jaw set, looked upon the tendrils of darkness now lapping at her feet. With a deep breath, she knocked loudly and opened the door.

She did not pause at the wave of cold night that washed over her at the threshold, nor at the brisk “What?” bitten out by the occupant. She only paused when the shadows cleared and she saw the patient clearly.

The Prince of Night sat up in bed, framed by outstretched, massive black wings. The span of wings was echoed in swirling black tattoos on his expansive bare chest, split by a wound covered in bandages across his shoulder.  His face was fine, if a bit wan, and adorned by a vicious frown. His eyes quickly snapped to Feyre as she stood in the door. But it was the wings, gleaming iridescent in the light, that took her breath. It looked as if he sat upon a throne ensconced by those vicious and beautiful tokens of death.

At least, it did at first. Now that she took a breath she noticed the way his wings were scaffolded by light fabric tethers and a framework of wooden dowels. Covered in bandages and oily with salves whose scent filled the room and her nose. Blood, too, dripped to the floor and across his white silken sheets, and bled through the starched bandages. She saw gashes and holes in the thin membrane of his wings, the skin raw and irritated and covered in healing ointments.

Just like that, her determination wavered at the sight of his injuries. She had spent enough time in Spring’s healing tents to know his wounds were fresh, and to recognize his pallor and sheen of sweat upon his brow as tokens of his pain. 

Feyre realized she had been frozen on the threshold of the room, staring at his wings. Dropping her eyes, she met the menacing stare of the son of Night.

The warden bustled past her and into the room, bowing deeply at the waist.

“Apologies, my Lord. She…”

“I thought I ordered you to let me remain undisturbed,” the Prince bit out, his voice hard and impatient.

“Yes, my Lord, but -“

“Are you Rhysand? Prince of the Hewn City and son to the High Lord of the Night Court?” Feyre asked.

The Prince’s eyes were upon her again, glowing in the dim light of the room. “I am.”

“Good. I’ve been looking for you.”

“And to whom do I owe this unwanted disturbance to my peaceful convalescence?”

Feyre swallowed. This was not going as she had planned, if she had a plan at all. She was the one who was angry, she was the one with demands.

“Well?”

“I am Feyre.”

“Well, that explains everything.” Her face turned to a scowl as his eyes roamed over her body, full of haughty judgment. A pang of embarrassment, and then anger tore through her as she considered her rumpled tunic, cut and tied to fit around her bandaged arm, her plain pants, her weather-stained leather boots.

Before the warden could start his bumbling apologies again, Feyre forged ahead.

“I am being kept here against my will. I wish to leave. And the warden,” she looked to him with what she hoped was utmost disdain, “told me you were the highest ranking fae here, while the High Lord of Dawn is away.”

Rhysand laughed. It was a bitter sound.

“Do I look like I am giving orders here?” he asked, spreading his arms against his outstretched wings. “Do I look like a lord of Dawn? I am as much a prisoner as you. Moreso, as I’m being kept in chains.”

The warden stood straighter as Feyre clenched her jaw. With High Lord Thesan gone for what could be the end of the war, and the nurses’ endless vigil in front of her door, she had no means of escape.

From his bed, Prince Rhysand sighed. She watched him wince slightly at the movement of his shoulders.

“And why would you want to be released from this gentle hall of healing? You look as if you’re in need of it’s services,” he said, his eyes again on her body.

She knew what he was seeing. Had seen it herself in the glass this morning, before she tilted it away from her bed in dismay at the grayish pallor of her face, her skin papery and thin, the blue veins beneath giving her a sickly hue. Her eyes had charted the scratches on the left side of her face and neck that refused to heal, stark red slashes on her skin.

Of her arm, bandaged and tied closely to her chest. Only her pale fingers, chalky white and withered, gave any hint as to what lay underneath.

“I wish to return to battle,” Feyre said, willing confidence and command into her tone. Surely a High Lord’s son couldn’t deny the war one more willing soldier. “I did not wish to be sent here and I do not wish to waste time waiting to heal. I only wish to fight.”

“Why do you not wish to be healed? A wounded warrior is of little use on a battlefield. And haven’t you heard that we all talk of victory and peace now?”

Feyre lifted her chin high, poured all of the confidence and pride she could muster into her face. Thought of Lucien, of Tamlin addressing his armies.

“I am an archer in Lord Tamlin’s personal guard. And battle is where I belong.”

The prince regarded her further. His anger had softened and the blackness swirling about the room had dissipated to soft shadows. He tilted his head. “Again, an archer who cannot use her bow isn’t much use to an army.”

“I have other skills to use, my lord,” she said, the last words dripping with ire. “Not everything heals. And I do not fear our enemies nor death on a battlefield. Indeed, to die in battle is an honor, is it not?” She wished desperately for him to heed her words. Every hour she felt the final battle rushing further away from her, like the ships traveling swiftly across the sea. Surely, a High Lord’s son would not deny the war another willing soldier.

Prince Rhysand swallowed. “An honor?” he laughed, low and dark, the sound pulsing across her skin. “I suppose it is. Certainly those bleeding on Prythian’s fields no longer have to face the horrors of what we have done or what will come next. Is that what you wish for, Lady Feyre?”

Feyre bristled at his tone. Whatever future waited for Prythian had little to do with her now. “I am a warrior pledged to battle, and the battle still goes on, and yet I am here.”

She wasn’t sure what it was, now, that look on his face. Silence filled the room.

“Well, Lady Feyre,” she chafed again at the term. No matter that she had explained to her nurses that she was not a lady, the epithet had followed her through the halls. “Whether it was the Cauldron, the Mother, or the old gods, our lives have been spared. And, as I have explained to you, I have no authority here in the halls of the Dawn Court. Even if I would grant you my blessing to send you to your death, the sentiment is meaningless here. So I am afraid we both will remain imprisoned, and live to see another glorious day.”

Feyre took in a deep breath through her nose. A second.

“Then you will not help me?” Rhysand wore a frown.

“Not in this.”

“Fine. Apologies for disturbing you, my lord.” she said, and turned on a clipped heel out the door.

Read the rest on AO3

[nerdzzone]

Worlds Apart

Chapter Five

Summary: Single mom, Bridget Clark, thought that she was fine by herself. Moving her son to a new town and out of the hustle and bustle of Boston, she thought that life would be quieter and simpler, but a chance encounter with a certain Hollywood actor only a week after their big move had her questioning everything. Bridget was faced with the ultimate decision of head vs heart, but would letting her guard down prove to be worth the risk?

Series Masterlist

-----

Waking up the morning after her birthday, Bridget was immediately reminded of why tequila shots were rarely a good idea for anyone over the age of twenty-two. Her head was pounding, it felt like it weighed far more than it usually did, and even simply rolling over had her feeling like her brain was going to burst out of her skull. She reached for the glass of water on the nightstand, taking a few big swigs in an attempt to get rid of some of the dryness in her mouth and she was relieved when her stomach didn’t turn and immediately attempt to force it back out. She might have been a far cry from feeling her best, but she’d definitely had much worse hangovers in her life and she was grateful for that small win.

However, a wave of dread washed over her as the memories of the end of their night came back to her. Frantically grabbing her phone, she was hoping to find that the messages she remembered sending had all been a dream, but the several notifications of messages from Chris confirmed that it was all true. She was torn about whether she should read what he had to say or just assume that she’d embarrassed herself enough that he no longer wanted anything to do with her, but eventually her curiosity got the best of her and she opened their conversation.

The first thing that caught her eye was the picture of his face that popped up on the screen. He looked tired and like he’d had a very long day, but he was handsome nonetheless. The visible neckline of the t-shirt he was wearing and the soft light in the room told her that he must have sent it after he was home for the night and the timestamp confirmed her suspicions as she realized his reply had come long after she’d fallen asleep.

After staring at - and appreciating - the picture for longer than she was willing to admit, she tore her gaze away to focus on the message that accompanied it.

Sorry for the late reply, it’s been a long and busy night. Not sure my face is quite up to Paul’s standard, but who am I to deny the birthday girl?

The picture came through after that message, but it was followed by another.

I think it’s only fair that I get a picture in return though, don’t you? I have a theory that I’d like to prove and it would really help me out.

Her curiosity was piqued, but the heavy feeling of residual mascara around her eyes and the crunch of leftover hairspray in her hair despite its current out of control style had her cringing at the thought. A glance at the clock told her it was just before ten - a fact that surprised her considering her routine usually made it impossible for her to sleep after eight even on days she didn’t work or have Landon - which meant it was just after seven where Chris was on the west coast. Feeling comforted by the time difference, Bridget answered him.

A theory? What would that be?

She assumed she had plenty of time - especially if Chris was up late - to relax and freshen up before he answered, but she’d barely had enough time to snuggle back down under the blankets next to her still snoring friend and open her other unread messages of delayed birthday well wishes when a notification popped up.

I’ll explain when I get the evidence I need.

Again, her curiosity was getting the best of her as she tried to puzzle out what exactly a picture of her face could be used as evidence for. She was intrigued enough to sit up a little higher in bed and fluff her wild hair as she opened the front camera on her phone. The reflection that appeared on the screen had her dreading the thought of Chris seeing her in her current state, but there was something about the casual picture he’d sent her that made her pause just as she was about to turn her camera off. He definitely still looked great - she doubted there was ever a time when he didn’t - but it was also drastically different to the pictures she’d seen of him on the red carpet earlier that day. His hair was messy, his eyes were tired, it wasn’t a perfectly poised snapshot, and if he was willing to share that vulnerability with her then it had her thinking that maybe she should let her guard down and return the sentiment.

She ruffled her hair a little more in an attempt to shift it from unruly messy to sultry messy and leaned into the hungover look as she stared at the camera and snapped a quick picture. It absolutely wasn’t her best - definitely not a picture she would want to share all over social media - but it wasn’t entirely awful and she quickly sent it before she could change her mind, adding a disclaimer underneath the picture.

I don’t always look so rough in the morning, but I’m currently facing the consequences of drinking over the age of thirty.

Bridget tried not to let the suspense drive her insane as she stared at her phone, desperately hoping that Chris hadn’t fallen back to sleep and wouldn't leave that picture unanswered for a moment longer than necessary, but she was relieved when he once again replied almost immediately.

Haha well that’s the thing! You mentioned something about not being cute after a wild night and I couldn’t imagine that you’re ever not adorable. Turns out I’m right, you’re gorgeous even when you’re hungover.

The giddiness that his words stirred up inside her had her feeling a touch embarrassed by how easily a few sweet words could get under her skin. She felt her cheeks heat up and her smile stretching wide across her face as he seemed so genuine in what he’d said. Of course, it could have just been mindless flirting - she was sure he was well versed in how to charm a woman - but the fact that he’d remembered her offhanded comment enough to circle back to it encouraged her to believe that he was being sincere - even if she wasn’t entirely convinced he was right.

Wow, that is very generous of you to say! I’m glad I wasn’t there to see your actual horrified reaction, but thank you for being so kind.

Wrapped up in the conversation happening on her phone, Bridget hadn’t even realized that Molly was awake until a voice croaked out from the blankets beside her.

“Who are you talking to?” She questioned, her face barely visible as it peaked out from under the duvet. “The ear to ear grin on your face is blinding me.”

“Sorry,” Bridget giggled as she let her phone fall onto the bed beside her. “Well, I’m not really. It’s almost ten so you should be waking up anyway, but I was talking to Chris.”

The blanket lowered slightly as Molly poked her head out of the soft cocoon she’d buried herself in enough for Bridget to see the excitement in her eyes once again.

“You were? What did he say?”

“He was just commenting on how gorgeous I am even when I’m hungover.”

She spoke with a nonchalance that she hadn’t had when sending the picture, but the way that Molly’s eyebrow raised at that information had her biting back more giggles.

“And how would he know that?”

“Because I sent him a picture.”

“Well, that was bold of you,” Molly teased, a smug look on her face as she ventured a little further out from under the blankets just in time to hear Bridget’s indignant scoff. “Not that you don’t look super cute while you’re all ruffled and sleepy, but you must really like him if you’re feeling confident enough to send him a picture so early in the morning after one date.”

“Well, he sent me one last night when he was tired,” she admitted. “So it seemed fair to do the same.”

“That’s adorable,” Molly smiled. “You guys are already disgustingly cute.”

“Shut up,” Bridget blushed. “It’s no big deal.”

“You haven’t been on a date in five years,” Molly reminded her, finally throwing off the blanket completely as she stretched. “And now you’re exchanging selfies with someone you clearly like. That is a big deal and I’m very happy for you.”

Bridget’s first instinct was to roll her eyes, but she knew her old friend was most likely being more sincere than teasing in her excitement so she flashed her a smile instead.

“I’m happy for me too,” she admitted. “I’m really trying not to get too ahead of myself, but he seems really sweet and it’s nice to have someone that I’m excited to talk to.”

“You deserve it,” Molly assured her before adding, “And I deserve some coffee. Do you want some?”

“Yes, please,” Bridget nodded as Molly dragged herself out of bed. “I’ll be out in a sec.”

When Molly had disappeared out of the room, Bridget checked her phone and saw two more messages from Chris.

I’m not being kind, I’m being honest. You’re beautiful.

How were the birthday celebrations?

She answered quickly - not wanting to draw anymore of Molly’s well-intentioned attention to the situation - and explained briefly about her day with Landon, the dinner with her friends, and drinks with Molly before turning the conversation back towards him and asking about the premiere. She briefly wondered if she’d overshared by giving him so much detail instead of sticking to something simple like ‘it was good, thanks for asking’, but when Chris responded to her own question with just as much enthusiasm, she felt more at ease. He informed her that it had been a pretty exciting evening, but shared that he always found the big premieres to be pretty draining. He mentioned the anxiety that he struggled with before every big event and how hard it could be to get out of his own head and really be in the moment in the midst of all the chaos. He assured her that it had all worked out well in the end and been a success overall, but she appreciated his willingness to open up. There was something about Chris that made her want to let her guard down and it was comforting to know that he apparently felt the same way.

They continued their conversation throughout the morning - as Bridget cooked a big, greasy breakfast with Molly and Chris prepared for the day of press he had ahead of him - but it petered out just as Bridget headed home to shower and get some chores done before she had to head back into the city to pick Landon up from daycare. Chris was on her mind for almost the entire drive as she tried once again to understand how someone as kind, interesting, successful, and attractive as he was actually seemed to be as interested in her as she was in him, but just as she was trying to force herself to get a grip back on reality before she got carried away, she pulled up to her house and noticed the almost comically large bouquet of flowers on her doorstep.

Curious about who they could possibly be from, she hurried out of the car and as she read the card that was tucked in between the bright and beautiful arrangement, she felt her heart soar.

Happy Birthday!

Sorry for the belated gift, but everywhere was closed by the time I found out. I hope you had a great day and aren’t feeling too rough this morning.

Chris

-

In the days after her birthday, Bridget and Chris spent almost every free moment they had messaging each other. With Chris busy doing press for the movie and Bridget busy balancing work and her duties as a mom, they’d had to sneak in short conversations whenever possible but Bridget was grateful that Chris was making an effort to reach out at all. However, despite the fact that he was already exceeding her expectations for staying in touch, she had a feeling that it was about to change on the Sunday after her birthday when the press tour went international and he was heading to Beijing.

They’d texted back and forth most of Sunday afternoon after she’d dropped Landon off with his dad, but Chris had to say goodbye early in the evening to board his flight. Bridget had been determined to give him space - let him initiate the conversation so she didn’t bother him or make him feel pressured to reply to him when she knew his schedule would be pretty busy - but she caved almost as soon as she woke up the following morning. Her fingers were practically itching to text him as she opened and closed their conversation at least three times before she decided that it was only polite to send him a message. Not checking in to see if he arrived safely would be pretty rude and she quickly sent him a text before she could change her mind.

After their various conversations over the weekend, she was pretty sure that he would answer her as soon as he could. However, she wasn’t prepared for the way that her phone screen lit up less than a minute later with an incoming call from Chris. A million questions instantly started running through her mind - was it an accident? did he hit the wrong button when he saw the notification of her text? did he mean to call someone else? - but she quickly realized the only way to get any kind of explanation was to answer.

“Hello?”

Her voice was quiet and tentative as if she expected it to be a pocket dial with no one on the other end, but the sound of Chris’ chuckle floating through the phone immediately put her at ease.

“You sound tired,” he informed her. “Did I wake you up?”

“No,” she assured him before pointing out, “I texted you first.”

“Good point,” he admitted. “But is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Bridget smiled. “It’s really nice to hear your voice.”

“Yours too. I was gonna text you back, but I’m pretty exhausted so I thought this might be easier.”

His admission had a frown sliding onto Bridget’s face.

“If you’re exhausted then you should get some sleep…”

“I’m trying to stay up a little longer,” he assured her. “I wanna beat the jetlag a little.”

“Oh, that makes sense. What time is it there?”

“Almost seven-thirty in the evening.”

Bridget glanced at the clock beside her bed and saw that it was also almost seven-thirty for her.

“So you’re twelve hours ahead?” She questioned, waiting for him to confirm before she asked him another question. “How was your flight?”

“It was long,” Chris sighed. “I was hoping to sleep, but it was pretty turbulent so I kept waking up.”

“I hate when that happens,” Bridget sympathized. “But if you didn’t sleep much on your way there then maybe you’ll adjust to the time difference even if you go to sleep now?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

He’d tried to sound offended, but Bridget could hear the smile in his voice.

“No,” she giggled. “I’m trying to be considerate.”

“Well, thanks, but I’d rather stay awake a little bit longer,” he insisted, pausing slightly before adding, “Especially if I get to talk to you.”

The words had Bridget’s breath catching in her throat as she felt an increasingly familiar goofy grin slide onto her face.

“You’re such a charmer,” she teased, earning another chuckle from Chris. “So, do you get to bunk alone or does Marvel make you guys share rooms?”

“They’re pretty generous,” Chris admitted. “I’m not sure about everyone, but most of us get our own rooms.”

“Ah, yes, all the big superstars have to be spoiled, I guess.”

She hoped he could hear the teasing edge to her tone and was relieved when he went along with her joke.

“Yeah, well, you know what a diva I am.” The smirk in his voice was clear and Bridget bit her lip to hold back another giggle as he continued. “But it does have some drawbacks.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, I hate being alone in hotel room beds,” he admitted. “They’re always so cold and stiff.”

“Are you wishing you had someone to break it in with?”

“Not like that,” Chris chuckled, grasping what she was implying. “But it would be nice to have someone to warm up with, maybe cuddle a little.”

“Yeah? And which of your co-stars were you hoping they’d make you share a room with to help you with that?”

“You’re hilarious,” Chris drawled sarcastically. “I actually had someone else in mind. How do you feel about cuddling?”

“I love it,” she confessed, feeling a wave of yearning wash over her touch starved body just at the thought of being wrapped up in his arms and pressed tightly against his side. “Do you?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty physical with my affection.” The images that his words conjured up in her mind doused her in a flood of heat that was followed by a flush of embarrassment that she was clearly so desperate for any of the affection he was willing to offer. “So I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“Me too,” Bridget smiled before boldly adding, “It’s just a shame we’re not in the same bed.”

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the phone as if Chris needed a second to process what she’d said, but just before she could mumble out an apology, he chuckled. It was a slightly darker, rougher chuckle than the lighthearted ones she’d heard earlier and the sound sent another shiver down her spine.

“That is a shame,” he agreed. “I guess I’ll have to suffer in this giant bed all by myself.”

Bridget laughed at the dramatic sigh that fell from his lips, but another glance at the clock had her amusement quickly replaced by disappointment.

“Sounds like quite a hardship,” she mockingly sympathized. “But unfortunately, I have to leave my nice, warm, cozy bed and get ready for work.”

“Oh, right. I’d already forgotten that it’s Monday morning for you.”

“Unfortunately,” Bridget stifled a yawn. “So I’ll let you go get some sleep.”

“Alright, I hope you have a good day.”

“Thanks, good luck with all your interviews tomorrow and have fun at the premiere.”

Chris thanked her for her well-wishes as well before they said their goodbyes and hung up, leaving Bridget to drag herself out of bed and go about her day with a smile on her face that she just couldn’t shake.

-

The first week of Chris’ travels made it difficult for them to stay in touch. The twelve hour time difference meant that one of them was always just about to start their day while the other was winding down which meant their conversations were mostly limited to brief check-ins. However, Chris still made the effort to send her a message every single day so even if the conversations were short, Bridget was content. She really hadn’t expected to hear from him more than once or twice while he was away, but now the thought of such limited contact had her stomach in knots. She knew it was silly - they still barely knew each other and he was still well within his rights to change his mind and cut their contact altogether - but he was always so eager and genuine in their conversations. She didn’t get the impression that he would be looking for an excuse to toss her aside any time soon.

She found herself sitting on the couch as Landon built a train track on the floor by her feet debating for what felt like the millionth time whether or not she was letting herself get too attached. She was willing to admit - at least to herself, not anyone else - that Chris took up more time in her mind than anything else currently did and that she looked forward to their conversations maybe a little more than she should, but it was fun and refreshing and Chris seemed just as enthusiastic as she was so that made it easier to let herself indulge.

Almost as if to prove her point, her phone lit up in her hand with an incoming facetime call from Chris. They hadn’t even spoken on the phone since the last time he’d called so she was a little surprised by the sudden shift to video, but she lifted up her phone until it was in front of her face and answered.

“Hey!” Chris grinned as his face appeared on the screen. “There you are.”

“Here I am,” Bridget confirmed, matching his smile as she let her eyes drift to the small shot of herself in the corner to make sure that she looked at least somewhat presentable. “Did you make it to London?”

“I did,” he nodded. “We got in a few hours ago, but we went out for dinner to try and stay awake a bit longer.”

“You must be exhausted,” Bridget sympathized, doing the math of all the various time differences in her head. “I don’t know how you can handle bouncing through all these time zones.”

“I get used to it,” Chris shrugged. “And then sleep for a week when I get home.”

Bridget was just about to comment on how he’d earned the rest when their conversation caught Landon’s attention.

“Who are you talking to?”

“My friend, Chris,” Bridget informed him. “He’s all the way across the ocean in England right now.”

“That sounds really far…” Landon’s eyes widened as he scrambled up, standing on the couch to lean into the camera’s view. “Hi, Chris!”

“Hi, Landon!” Chris smiled. “Do you have baseball today?”

The question confused both of them for a moment until Bridget realized what Landon was wearing.

“No, not today, but Landon loves wearing his jersey,” she informed him. “I had to order a second one just to get the first one off of him long enough to wash it.”

Bridget rolled her eyes, but Landon puffed up his chest to make the logo a little more clear and Chris chuckled at his pride.

“I don’t blame him, that’s a pretty cool jersey. Are you liking baseball so far?”

“I love it,” Landon frantically nodded. “I even hit the ball sometimes! Not all the time, but sometimes I do!”

“Well, that’s better than I can do,” Chris admitted. “Usually I can’t hit the ball at all.”

“I can teach you!” Landon offered, earning a snort of laughter from Bridget at his confidence. “Maybe when I’m a little better at it.”

“That would be really fun,” Chris agreed. “I could use a good coach.”

“Landon might have to work on that a little bit more,” Bridget teased. “We were playing catch yesterday and he gave me a pretty hard time for not being able to throw very well.”

“But you were bad at it,” Landon protested over the sounds of Chris’ laughter. “I couldn’t even catch the ball!”

“Good coaches have to be patient.”

Bridget had to admit that she was embarrassingly bad at the game they’d been playing and Landon’s frustration was probably justified, but she appreciated the way he had the decency to look a little sheepish as he sighed and agreed to her criticism. However, before anything else could be said about it, a look of realization crossed over Landon’s face as he changed the subject with a lack of tact that only a four year old could get away with.

“Do you have a dog?”

The question was directed at Chris who nodded in confirmation.

“I do! You met him at the park one day, remember?”

“Yeah!” Landon grinned. “Where is he?”

“He’s not with me right now, he has to stay home when I travel.”

The sadness was clear in his voice and Bridget thought it was sweet how much he obviously missed his little companion.

“Landon loves dogs,” she explained even though she was pretty sure she’d mentioned that before. “He wants us to get one.”

“I love dogs too,” Chris agreed. “But, you know what? Dodger is staying with my sister right now and I’m sure he’d love it if you took him for a walk some time.”

The suggestion had Landon’s whole face lighting up as he blurted out an excited, “Really?!”

“Yeah,” Chris smiled. “He really misses me when I’m gone so I bet making a new friend would cheer him up a lot.”

Landon’s attention turned back to Bridget as he bounced on the couch, his excitement making it hard for him to sit still.

“Can we, Mommy? Can we, please?”

“I don’t see why not,” Bridget shrugged. “Is he with Carly?”

“Yeah, he likes being around the kids. They keep him entertained.”

“Okay, then I can text her and see if we can set up a time to borrow him,” she agreed, earning a squeal of joy from Landon before he jumped off the couch and turned his attention back to the trains. “I think you just made his day.”

“I should have suggested it sooner. I’m sure Carly won’t mind the break, but there’s no pressure if you don’t have the time.”

“I think we can find time to fit it in,” she assured him. “And hopefully it will get Landon off my back about getting him a dog for a little while so it’s a win-win.”

“Unless it just makes him want one more,” Chris pointed out with a smirk. “But you can borrow him when I’m home too if it does help.”

“Thanks, I think,” Bridget smirked. “Unless you’re just looking for some free dog sitting.”

Her teasing earned a bark of laughter from Chris as he shook his head.

“One day you’re gonna have to stop thinking the worst of me.”

“You’ve gotta earn that privilege, I’m afraid,” Bridget giggled. “But anyway, how’s London?”

“It’s good so far,” Chris shrugged, but as he launched into a little more detail about where they’d gone for dinner and the brief parts of the city that he’d actually had the chance to see that day, Bridget was struck by how natural their conversation was. Considering they’d only been on one date - maybe two, if painting her house counted as an unofficial one - it was amazing how easily they slipped into casually chatting like old friends. It felt far more like they’d known each other for years than the reality of them being virtual strangers, but Chris drew her focus back as he sleepily rubbed his eyes and admitted, “I’m tired though. I don’t feel like I’ll really be able to enjoy it here because I doubt I’ll have much energy for anything other than work, but maybe I’ll feel differently in the morning.”

“That’s understandable,” Bridget assured him, knowing how exhausted travelling always made her from the limited experience she had with it. “Have you been there before?”

“Yeah, so I’ve seen a lot of the big tourist attractions,” he admitted. “There’s a few other places I’d like to see, but nothing that I’m convinced would be worth losing sleep over.”

“I’ve never been, but I bet there’s some amazing libraries,” Bridget mused wistfully before she felt her cheeks heat up as she realized how lame she sounded. “Sorry, that was super dorky. I just, uh, I know that there’s one that supposedly used to be an asylum so that’s kinda cool. They're not all boring, sometimes the architecture is pretty impressive too.”

She cringed at her rambled defense as she was once again reminded that she was in a very different league to Chris when it came to interesting careers, but the amused look on his face slowed her spiral into humiliation at least a little bit.

“I know what you mean,” he assured her. “Some libraries are pretty incredible. I haven’t been in a long time, but the one in Boston is beautiful.”

“It is! It was my home away from home for a long time.”

Technically, if she was being honest, it was more like home to her than her actual home was for a very large portion of her childhood, but she was relieved when the fond smile that accompanied her words didn’t spark any more questions from Chris.

“Maybe I’ll try and squeeze in a library tour while I’m here,” he decided. “I bet there are some pretty great ones. I’ll check it out and report back, see if it’s worth your time coming all the way over here some day.”

“Well, I’m sure I could find other things in London to entertain myself.”

“Yeah,” Chris flashed her a smirk. “But would you want to?”

A giggle slipped from her lips as she felt a strange flush of pride that he apparently already had her so well figured out, but she couldn’t resist shooting him a playful glare.

“Maybe,” she shrugged. “I do have other interests.”

“Oh, yeah? Name one.”

It was a teasing challenge as while his tone implied that it would be a difficult task for her, she was pretty sure that he knew she’d be able to come up at least one other thing she liked besides libraries and books, but the answer that rolled off her tongue surprised her almost as much as it surprised him.

“Well, lately I’ve been getting kinda into Captain America.”

Her answer earned a chuckle from Chris as he pressed for more information.

“Yeah? The comic books or the movie?”

“If I’m being really honest, I’d have to say the actor is what appeals to me the most.”

“Wow, I’m sure he’d be very flattered to hear that.”

Chris flashed her a wink that had her biting the inside of her cheek to hold back a giggle, but as he let out a yawn she knew that his bedtime was probably long overdue.

“I hope he is and I hope he doesn’t mind that I have to cut our conversation short, but I should probably go make Landon some dinner,” she informed him, hoping he’d be less resistant to ending their conversation if it wasn’t solely for his benefit. “And you should probably go get some sleep if you’re planning on finding the energy for that library tour.”

“You’re probably right,” he agreed. “I guess I’ll have to do that now, won’t I?”

“Yep,” Bridget smiled. “I expect a full written report.”

“Of course you do,” Chris smirked. “There’s that sexy librarian side coming out.”

Despite the blush that the word ‘sexy’ had flushing over her cheeks, Bridget stuck out her tongue before saying goodnight and hanging up. She tried her best to keep the lovesick smile off of her face, but it was hard when her conversations with Chris left her feeling so giddy and she was just grateful that Landon’s age left him clueless and distractible enough not to question her suddenly great mood.

-

Most days, Bridget liked being a parent. 

She liked watching Landon learn new things, she liked any opportunity to see things from his point of view and she liked getting to teach him about the world. She even liked helping him work through his bigger emotions and watching him slowly but surely learn better problem solving and coping skills. 

However, there were also days when it was a struggle. 

Days when Landon showed his stubborn side and refused to listen, when he would get frustrated and upset over every little thing and when it seemed like nothing Bridget tried to do could turn his mood around. Luckily, those days were few and far between, but as Bridget sipped a glass of wine at the end of one of those particularly rough days, she found herself feeling very glad that it was over.

It wasn’t until she was almost halfway through her drink that she felt like her head had stopped spinning enough to turn her attention to the text that remained unread on her phone. It was the first time since Chris had left town about a month and a half earlier that she’d let any message go unanswered for more than about an hour and while the guilt of ignoring him had weighed on her, she hoped he would understand as she typed out a reply.

Sorry. Had a bad day. I’m glad you made it back to L.A., maybe we can chat tomorrow if you’re not busy. I don’t think I’d be great company tonight.

He’d been bouncing back and forth between L.A. and New York since he’d returned to the US at the start of May and they’d spent almost every evening chatting and catching up about their days. They’d planned to talk that evening, but Bridget really didn’t feel like she had it in her to be cheerful and she wasn’t sure that their relationship was at a point yet where he wouldn’t be scared off by her bad mood. That was why she was surprised to see her phone almost instantly light up with an incoming call and Chris’ name on the screen.

“Hi, Chris…”

Her greeting came out as a sigh and she immediately felt bad for how disinterested she sounded, but before she could apologize, Chris replied.

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asked. “We don’t have to talk if you don’t feel like it, but if you need someone to vent to then I’m happy to listen.”

His words would have made her laugh if they hadn’t sounded so sincere. He reminded her of one of those cliche descriptions of the perfect man that women just want to rub their feet and listen to their problems, but she could hear the concern in his voice and doubted that he was feigning interest just to win her over.

“It’s just been a tough day,” she admitted. “But I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to me complain.”

“You’ve listened to me complain plenty since I left,” he pointed out and Bridget did have to admit that it was true. He often opened up about how monotonous and exhausting all the press and interviews could be and she was happy to listen so she wasn’t entirely sure why she felt so guilty sharing her frustrations as well. “What happened?”

“Landon’s just been giving me a hard time all day,” she told him. “He didn’t sleep well last night so I should have expected it, but I literally Googled ‘am I a bad mom?’ at least four times today so that’s the point I’m at in my parenting journey.”

“Well, I can answer that question for you because you’re definitely not.”

Considering the rather small amount of time that Chris had actually seen Bridget and Landon together, it would have been easy to dismiss his support as meaningless reassurance that he knew would make her feel better with no evidence behind his claim, but Bridget knew that his heart was in the right place as she thanked him for the gesture.

“I appreciate that,” she sighed. “But sometimes I just feel so ineffective. Like, there’s only so many times I can warn him not to do something before I have to just let him do it and deal with the consequences, but then it’s hard to watch when he’s devastated by the outcome.”

“Is that what happened today?”

“Yeah,” she nodded to herself. “We’ve spent the entire week building this big Lego spaceship and he was so proud of finally finishing it, but then he wanted to play with it which is totally fine, but he kept balancing it right on the edge of the coffee table so I warned him that it would fall off and break and he just kept getting irritated with me and saying that it would be fine until it fell onto the floor and shattered into a million pieces.”

“Oh man, that’s rough,” Chris sympathized. “But sometimes I think they’ve just gotta learn things like that the hard way.”

“Definitely,” Bridget agreed. “But he was so crushed when it broke and that turned into anger because I couldn’t immediately put it back together even though it took days to build in the first place.”

“Patience is a hard skill at his age.”

Chris’ words were said with a chuckle that - despite her still lingering bad mood - had Bridget’s lips twitching into a smile.

“It is. And that was the last of a long list of hiccups we had today so I think we were both just kinda over it,” Bridget reflected. “But I’m sure tomorrow will be better and I’m sure that you are tired of hearing me vent about something you have no interest in.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone - long enough to make Bridget a bit nervous - before Chris spoke again.

“Well, you’re wrong about that for a couple of reasons,” he informed her, a hint of something that sounded like hurt in his voice. “First of all, I asked you to vent, I told you it was fine. I wouldn’t have done that if I was going to be irritated about it after two minutes of listening to you. And second, I am absolutely interested in hearing about Landon - even on days when things aren’t so great. I know he’s a big part of your life and if we’re gonna to do this then I’d like to be involved in that too - even if for now that just means getting to listen to you work through your frustrations.”

Again, his words sounded so much like exactly what she wanted to hear that she would have questioned how genuine they were if she couldn’t hear the sincerity in his voice. He was clearly bothered by what she’d said and she felt bad for assuming that parenting woes weren’t a part of her life that he would care much about, but something he’d said had her momentarily distracted from what he was saying.

In all their conversations, they hadn’t mentioned anything about what exactly their situation was. They talked a lot - enough that they’d become pretty good friends - and they flirted pretty regularly - enough that it was obvious that friends probably wasn’t all they would be - but they hadn’t actually talked about what their plan was. So Chris speculating about if they were ‘gonna do this’ was something that Bridget took as a pretty good sign that his time away hadn’t given him any second thoughts and had her biting back a smile despite the guilt she felt from his scolding.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I wasn’t trying to be dismissive, I really do appreciate your support. I just don’t want to bore you if it’s not a problem that you can really relate to.”

“I can relate to it in some ways,” he assured her. “I’ve spent enough time with my niece and nephews to know how tough kids can be some days. They’re good kids, but even good kids have their bad days.”

“Absolutely. Landon is a good kid too, but that doesn’t make days like today any easier.”

Another heavy sigh fell from her lips as she sipped her wine and tried to shake off her bad mood, but it was what Chris said next that really cheered her up.

“I know, but I bet tomorrow will be better,” he assured her before adding, “And I don’t want to be presumptuous by thinking that this will help at all, but I’m gonna be home in a few days. Maybe I could take your mind off things by taking you out on another date?”

The flush of excitement that Bridget felt as she processed his offer easily succeeded in washing away the last of her melancholy feelings. Her heart raced, her hands started to sweat, and it took more effort that she was happy to admit to play it cooler than simply immediately blurting out an enthusiastic ‘yes!’. She’d been curious about when he would be coming back as she did remember him saying he’d only be gone for a couple of months - which by her math was wrapping up pretty soon - but she couldn’t think of a way to ask about it that didn’t feel too desperate so she’d just been hoping that he’d mention it when he was ready. So, to hear that he was eager to make plans for when he was back was music to her ears.

“I would really like that,” Bridget accepted, grateful that they weren’t using video and Chris couldn’t see the goofy grin on her face. “And you’re not being presumptuous, I was hoping you’d be back soon.”

“I'm happy to hear that!” Chris let out an audible breath of relief and Bridget couldn’t stop a giggle from slipping from her lips before he continued. “I have a few more things to do over the next few days, but I think I’m gonna fly back on Tuesday night.”

“Great. I’ll be childfree until Sunday, but I understand if you need a little while to catch your breath when you get back.”

Even though her statement was true, the thought of having to wait almost two weeks until she had another free evening made her heart clench with disappointment and she was relieved when Chris rushed to assure her.

“Nah, usually just a couple days is all I need. We could aim for Friday if that works for you?”

“Absolutely,” Bridget smiled. “That’s made me feel better already, thank you.”

“No, thank you for saying yes,” Chris chuckled. “I was worried you’d come to your senses while I was away and turn me down.”

“Definitely not. I’ve really enjoyed talking to you.”

Bridget felt that was a somewhat obvious statement considering how much time they’d spent chatting while he was away, but there was something that made her feel vulnerable about actually admitting it to him and she was relieved when he returned the sentiment.

Once their plans were in place and the weight of Bridget’s bad day had lifted, they continued their conversation as they figured out what their second official date would entail, talked about what other obligations Chris had in L.A. and what else Bridget had planned that week. It was the same easy and comfortable conversation that they always seemed to fall into, but the excitement of seeing each other again so soon bubbling under the surface had Bridget feeling desperate for that close connection that could only be reached by actually being in the same room and from Chris’ enthusiasm and increased flirtation she thought it was safe to assume that he was feeling the same way.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Are Rayla's grandparents alive since elves live longer than humans?

I guess they sure could be, but I don't know what that has to do with them all being elves?

Let's dig a bit and see what we get:

Rayla is still a teenager. She was 15 during arc 1 (S1-S3), and has her 18th birthday somewhere during S4-S5. Her parents were described as 35-40-ish during arc 1, making them 20-25 years older than she is, and only a few years older than Runaan and Ethari.

This is purely a guess, but just for reference, if Rayla's grandparents were similarly young when they had Lain and Tiadrin, that would put them around 55-65 right now. Which is a normal grandparent age even for humans. Many people will live to this age if nothing dangerous happens to them.

The real question is, how dangerous is it to be a Moonshadow elf? And that's what we don't know. We don't know what it's like to just live in Xadia all your life, and to know its daily ins and outs. But considering there are plenty of elves in Xadia, all of whom have ancestors that survived the last 1000 years without human ingenuity and just relied on their magic, I'd say it's probably no more dangerous overall than living in the human lands is for humans.

Our world has everyday dangers, and we just learn to avoid them when we can. Car crashes and pandemics and sporting accidents do exist here. But we take steps to be as safe as we can, and most of us are fine most of the time. I imagine that, even with magic, the same sort of vibes work in Xadia, because Xadians want to live too.

We don't know a lot about family traditions as far as career choices are concerned, either. Rayla's parents were some kind of guards when we saw them in BH. Runaan, Lain's BFF, is an assassin. Does this mean they used to be assassins? Maybe their family are assassins? Maybe they're just guards, with a more boring and safe kind of pace in their work. Maybe Rayla's grandparents are nothing of the sort and they live quietly in their village getting nice letters every month from the Storm Spire until- oop- never mind.

I'm sure they're fine! Maybe they've retired to somewhere with a shady coast? Or a nice tropical valley full of giant palm trees?

Alternately, Lujanne really is Rayla's grandma and we've known where she is all along. Which husband could be Rayla's grandpa is another matter, though!

[goodluckclove]

Working on Migration Patterns. You all remember Jeff, the massive, transmasc, aroace firefighter that owns a home in Nebraska? I just wrote the cutest interaction revealing how fucking weird this guy is and I just had to share it. Enjoy!

Jeff was a massive, lightly-snoring figure, fast asleep in bed when Katy creaked open the bedroom door. She partially expected him to still be curled up in the way he used to be back when they shared a room together, but the guy was essentially face-down. Just a big slab of man-meat tossed onto the sensible, full-sized mattress.

She tip toed around the vicinity of the room, past the framed B-52 posters and Ren Faire collectibles. Standing beside her brother’s bed, watching his expression shift in sleep, Katy wondered the best way to approach this.

“Hey,” she said, speaking at full volume.

Her brother shifted, twisting his face, but didn’t fully wake up. A soft hand being her weakest quality, Katy stepped forward and began lightly patting Jeff on the cheek. He grimaced again, suddenly putting on a very stern face even though his eyes were still clenched shut.

“Fire Department,” he called out in a gruff voice.

Katy’s eyes widened a moment before settling quickly.

“Yes, buddy,” she cooed, “you work for the Fire Department.”

As soon as she said that Jeff forced open his eyes and blinked at Katy unsteadily. “Kitty?” He murmured blearily.

“Hi. Wanna piss off some wizards?”

He sat up in bed, revealing more of the red flannel pajamas he wore. His hair was mussed, flattened on the side where his head hit the pillow. Jeff rubbed a hand across his face and let out an inquisitive murmur.

“I need you to drive me to the coast,” Katy said.

“What?”

“My best friend’s birthday is next Thursday so I need you to drive me to Oregon right now so I can be there.”

Jeff furrowed his brow. “...What?”

She could tell he was unconvinced on the importance of her mission. Or maybe he was trying to see if he was still in the middle of a dream. Then he sat up straighter and fixed his hair, sighing softly and looking across the darkness of his bedroom.

“Aren’t you – in danger?”

“Maybe. But who isn’t, these days?”

Her attempt at humor didn’t land the way she wanted it to. Jeff eyed her wearily, likely unsure what to make of her wide eyes and too-eager smile.

“Oregon?” He repeated dubiously.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

“That’s a big ask, Kitty.”

She felt her smile falter. Because it was a big ask, wasn’t it? Jeff had a whole life here, had connections with Dean and the local Academy. He might face trouble at his job. He told her the other day that he bought this house, which meant he had an actual mortgage and other grown up obligations. So was she really asking him to drop all that and go on a road trip that might invoke the rage of far more powerful individuals?

“No…” Katy sighed, shoulders slumping. “No, you’re right. Never mind.”

“You wanna’ come to the station with me tomorrow? We can go early and I’ll make you pancakes.”

“I can’t. I have to go,” Katy tried to put on a cheerful demeanor that didn’t fit well at all. “I’ll call a taxi to the train station. It was really good to see you, Jeff – what are you doing?”

Jeff swing his legs over the side of the bed and stretched out his back with a yawn. Then he stood and started pulling some clothes from the drawers of his dresser across the room. Katy watched, increasingly distressed.

“No, Jeff,” she insisted. “I’ll be fine. It’s only a two-day train trip.”

“Your guards interrogate everyone that comes to the door. My mailman is unhappy with me. They’re not going to let a taxi pull up without question.”

“It’s stupid. I’m doing something stupid.”

Her brother stood and faced her, holding two pairs of folded Dockers against his chest. “Yes,” he said. “You are.”

Katy didn’t have much room to pace the way she wanted to, so she settled for leaning back against the wall. “You can just drive me to the train station, then.”

“No,” Jeff yawned and tucked the neat pile of clothes into a messenger bag at the foot of his bed. “I’m driving you to Oregon.”

“I’m not running away again, Jeff. I’ll still call you. I want to be in your life again.”

He smiled sleepily. “I know. That’s why I’m going to help you.”

They stood, facing each other, for a short while of awkward silence. Katy didn’t know how to bare it, this gentle love, this unquestioned support and open adoration. She pressed her lips tight together until the corners of her mouth started to ache.

Jeff slung the bag over his shoulder and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Remember when I scraped Dad’s Caravan pulling into the garage right after I got my permit?”

Boy, did Katy remember. Her Dad adored that ugly, pea-green Dodge Caravan, treating the mini-van like other men would treat a vintage sports car. He claimed the large dent and gaping wound in the paint job didn’t bother him, but after the family ate dinner Katy found him standing outside the garage just staring at it through the open door.

Seeing the defeated slope in his shoulders still made her shiver.

“You said you’d take the blame for me,” Jeff spoke, his voice a little softer. “And when I’d ask what I could do to pay you back you said you’d decide later,” his own shoulders broadened, and his head rose confidently. “Well, I’m deciding for you. It’s time for me to pay you back.”

“This is not a proportional response to what I did for you,” Katy whispered.

“Tough. You coming?”

“I didn’t even get grounded, Jeff.”

“Do you think it’s a crime if I shoulder check that tall Birthright who doesn’t talk? I’m really strong now. I bet if I do it it’d buy us time to escape.”

What horror to realize that your younger sibling is, in fact, just as insane as you are. Jeff may own property, he may have neat clothes and normal friends and a fridge well-stocked with healthy snacks – but underneath that Midwestern exterior was something subversive and distinctly goblin-esque. It was beautiful to see. It made her feel that, at nearly thirty-three years old, her mother would still find a way to barge in and chide her for her terrible influence.

“They have a gun, Jeff,” Katy said. “They were in the military.”

If Jeff thought about that with any sense of realism, it did not show in their expression. “I would probably kick their knees,” they concluded. “I’m very good at kicking.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

[issdisgrace]

14TH BIRTHDAY

WARNINGS: SEXUAL ASSAULT, smoking, trauma, nightmares, james tartt is a shit father

Leaning on the balcony, I smoke a cigarette, taping to ashes off over the side. I sigh before taking another drag, lost too much in thought. I don’t notice Roy open the balcony door.

“Y/n.” I just hum in response as I look out into the night. 

“Another nightmare.” He asks. I just nod as he wraps his arm over my hunched shoulders.

“You want to talk about it? Your therapist said it would be good, too.”

“Remember how I told you how James would constantly try to get on my mom’s good side after he cheated or did some shit stuff? Well, it was mine and Jamie’s 14th birthday and James did god knows what and wanted to get back on mom’s good side, so he took us out for our birthday. We did all this stuff, then at the end of the night he took us to sex workers to lose our virginities so we could officially become real men. It was one of the most traumatizing night in my whole life. I couldn’t even look at any women without feeling ill. I couldn’t even look at my own mom. My mom, for christ sakes It took so long to be able to look at or be touched by her without feeling sick. I avoided her at all coast, she gave me space which I’m glad she did but when mine and Jamie’s 15th birthday came around. She mentioned our father was going to take us to see the football game for our birthday instead because she had to work. I woke up feeling absolute dread and before our dad came to pick us up, I ended up having such a bad panic attack that I passed out and I had to go to the hospital. Thats when I first met my psychiatrist, and I was urged to talk to him by my mom. I hated the thought of telling anyone, but eventually I told him everything and we worked together for a year and got me back to the point I could look at and talk with women without being sick to my stomach. That was also the year that me and Jamie started to drift apart. I still think he holds a grudge against me for making us miss our birthday that year. We were supposed to go see you play that year. We were both so excited, but I ruined that. I know I shouldn’t feel guilty after all the years and after mending our relationship, but I can’t help it.”

“I’m so sorry.” Roy says, pulling me into him. I slowly let my guard down and cry into his neck as he rubs my back. We stay like that for god knows how long, but eventually Roy leads me back into the house and to bed. We get into bed and he pulls the covers over us before kissing my forehead and I slowly fall asleep in his arms.

I stare up at the ceiling, running what Y/n told me over and over again. I can’t believe a father would do such a thing to his own fucking son. God, if I could get my fucking hands on that fucker, he would be dead. Calm down, Roy, calm down. No need to be going to jail. You can’t help or protect Y/n if you're in jail.

[maris-kindermen]

𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝓂𝑒𝓇𝓂𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝓈𝑒𝒶-𝓌𝑒𝑒𝒹, 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝓈 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓀𝑒, 𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓂𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝑜𝒻𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓉.

𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒔 ☼ » Name: Maris Dawn Kindermen » Age: 24 » Birthday: June 27 » Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina » Current Location: Tampa, Florida » Occupation: manager at Sea Serpent’s Treasure Chest

𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 ☼ » Father: Murphy Kindermen † » Mother: Ramsey (née Seymour) Kindermen † » Sibling(s): Delmar Kindermen

𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 ☼ (continued from Delmar's background) The abrupt loss of their parents was not something that Maris and her brother ever anticipated. The coast guard was called in and for the better part of a week, they searched for any signs of life, hoping the couple had drifted away in the storm but stayed afloat. With each passing day, hope grew dimmer and dimmer until finally, they called off the search, accounting their lives lost and their bodies claimed by the sea.

Maris and her older brother landed in Charleston, SC, to be looked after by their aunt, Kallie Humes. Delmar was just two years shy of eighteen at the time, so Kallie did homeschooling for the siblings, using this time to teach them practical skills that could promote them once they were on their own. While Delmar worked diligently to begin his craft of changing the Arctic Warrior's venue from fishing to scavenging, Maris learned the trade of store keeping at an early age. Kallie was the owner of a herbalist shop so she allowed her niece to sit up a small table to begin selling seashell and sea glass jewelry.

By the time she was seventeen, Maris had graduated early, and began working as the store manager for her brother's shop Sea Serpent’s Treasure Chest. Over the years, Maris has continued her studies, fascinated by lore and gained a masters in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. Though Maris has never spoken to her brother or aunt, she has not given up hope of her parents being alive…somewhere.

𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 ≋ » Pros: tender, vivacious, whimsical » Cons: escapist, stubborn, superstitious

[inked-up-gentleman]

If not romantic then the nicest thing anyone has done for you?

The nicest thing someone has ever done for me was put together a birthday party for me with all my buddies that I deployed with (both Iraq & Afghanistan), as well as some buddies I served with in the Coast Guard.

But she ended up throwing it in my face and using it to gaslight me during a break up (along with doing much more).

[archoniluthradanar]

A Day at the Beach with the Volturi Kings

The weather in Volterra and the surrounding area was beautiful today. Since the entirety of the Guard had been given time off, there was little to do at the castle. You, the only human allowed to live with the Volturi and not having been given an actual job to do, suggested you and the three kings go out and enjoy a day at the beach. On the West coast of Italy, there were several beaches popular with the locals but there are also areas less visited, perfect for the vampires who treasured their privacy.

First, you drive to a local store similar to a Target back home in America, having borrowed Caius' sports car. Using the credit card the masters generously gave you for your own use, you buy several beach blankets, an umbrella, towels, sun protectant, sunglasses, water and snacks for yourself, and several different pool floats.

Once you arrive back at the castle, you load up the trunk of Marcus' car, the largest of the three masters' vehicles. You see everyone has chosen to wear jeans and t-shirts, extremely casual for the Volturi masters.

"You all do have your swimsuits, right?" you ask, hoping they don't intend to go skinny dipping. You have your blue floral one piece underneath your clothes, with the matching cover-up and floppy hat you're bringing along.

"Yes, of course. We do not intend to swim unclothed," Aro tells you, relief running through you.

"Well, if everyone is ready, let's get into the car." It's your duty to drive, something you love anyway. The masters all have such interesting vehicles, but you think you like Caius' car the most.

The drive is pleasant enough, but the masters aren't talking too much, making you feel uncomfortable. You peer into the rearview mirror, and notice them sitting stiffly, as vampire's do, looking out the windows at the passing scenery. Ok, so everything is fine, you think.

Aro catches your eye when he notices you looking at them. "Watch the road, my dear," he cautions, making you smile. "Yes, sir," you say.

Once you reach the coast, you follow a road down to the beach, parking on the blacktop abutting the sand. Everyone climbs out of the car while you gather the purchases you've chosen for the day.

Once the masters have reached the beach, you spread out the blankets, set up the umbrella, and place the bags of water, food and sun protectant on them.

You slip your jeans down, then lift your pullover up and off your body. You turn to place the folded clothes on the corner of a blanket and gasp when you see all three of the kings stripping down to their birthday suits. You turn your back on them, even though you are tempted to watch them. Their bodies are beautiful, like sculpted marble, but you have never seen them fully nude before.

"Aro, have you no shame? Why didn't you wear your swimsuits under your jeans?"

"Were we supposed to? You never mentioned that." He looked to his brothers, waving his hand at them, indicating to you they are also dressing in the open.

You bring your hand up to block the tempting vision from your curiosity. Heaven help you if Aro decides to read you right now. "We are in public, Aro. Did you just happen to lose your modesty over the centuries?" Unable to resist, you spread your fingers ever so slightly and hold your breath. OMG, you think, your face blushing hot. You quickly turn away to rub sunscreen on your skin.

Once everyone is dressed in their swimwear, you pull out the selection of pool floats. "These are for having fun in the water. There are different ones for you to choose from." You set them out, design side up.

Right away, Caius picks up the one that has a picture of a tank on it. "This one is mine," he says with a wicked grin on his face. He begins to blow it up, even if the float is bigger than he is, leaving you impressed.

Aro chooses a float that is in the shape of a shark. "Ah, I shall take the predator that loves to eat humans." He takes the float in his hands and turns it around until he finds the air valve. "I blow into this, is that correct?" he asks you, smiling when he sees you nod. He encircles the nozzle with his mouth and blows. He gets a good amount of air into the plastic shark, but his teeth bite too hard on the nozzle and it splits off, letting out any air he had blown into it. It flies around until it falls into the water with a sound similar to a human experiencing flatulence. His chooses a second one, which he fills with air correctly.

Marcus has picked one in the shape of a coffin. He quickly blows it up, and setting it on the water, he lies fully relaxed in his coffin-shaped float, leaving the top sitting loosely over the bottom section.

Wading out to him, you look down at the reclining vampire and smile. "Marcus, I know you're depressed much of the time, but I hope you're not planning to leave us."

"No, child, but I am enjoying the visual effect and the feel of it." You lean down to kiss his cheek. "Very well. Enjoy yourself." You push the oddly shaped float out into deeper water for Marcus.

Caius blew up his tank float, but when he sat on it, it kept tipping over. Peeved, he adds a bit more air and finds it firmer. He sits in the float, where you show him how to fill small water containers built into it. "Your weapons, Caius." You wink at him and wade over to Aro.

His second float has a built in motor. On each arm sits a device that looks like joysticks. He discovers by moving them, he can make the float travel over the water and change direction as needed.

You look down at him and ask, "What is that?"

"It's my swimsuit," he replies.

"Not that." You reach down and tap his nose with a fingertip. "That."

"It's zinc oxide, to protect the skin from sunburn. Should I cover my entire face?"

"And make you look whiter than you already are? I don't think so. You guys don't sunburn! But here are your sunglasses to hide your eyes in case a human walks by."

"You look lovely in your swimsuit, my dear," he says, his eyes looking you up and down appreciatively.

"Stop leering," you order him, then chuckle, shaking your head. Aro knows how much you love them, but you aren't sure if Marcus and Caius know, unless the senior master had already told them.

Aro places the glasses on his face and sits back, enjoying the warmth of the sun. He learns how to steer his float around, and bumps into Caius repeatedly, who is definitely not amused. He shoots a large stream of water at Aro, who protests loudly as he waves his hands in front of himself.

You laugh and give sunglasses to the other two masters, then put on your own. You pick an ordinary pink mat and blow it up, then push it further out into the water, avoiding Caius' aimed water streams.

The day passes, with the four beach-goers either tormenting one another, or just relaxing. Hungry, you leave the water, pulling the mat behind you and slip on the cover-up. Sitting on a blanket in the shade, you grab a bottle of water, a candy bar, and a bag of Fritos while watching the masters enjoy a very human activity.

After you finish your snacks, you call out, "So are you all ready to dry off?" As soon as they stand and walk out of the water, you become transfixed by the shimmer of their skin in the sun. You go to them and help deflate the floats, then hand each a towel. When they remove their swimsuits to dry off, you look around and do the same. "When in Rome," you say aloud.

"What is that, my dear?" Aro asks.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just learning from you." You dry off and dress. Once you have packed the beach paraphernalia into the trunk, the three masters approach the car. You give each a hug, saying, "Thank you for a wonderful day."

"It was your idea, child," Marcus says.

"Yes, but it wouldn't have been any fun without all of you."

Caius holds the driver's door of the car open for you, a smile on his pale face. He kisses your cheek, causing you to blush. After the masters have climbed into the car, you drive back to Volterra, happy to be where you are. In a castle full of vampires who love you.

[drsnp]

Happy Birthday US Coast Guard!

[driftcr]

intro. ╲ JAKE 'HOLLYWOOD' ADAMS

「₊ ☆ﾟ  cam gigandet,  he/him,  cis male  」incoming  text:  omg  hv  u  met  jake adams of  the  rodani prowlers  yet  ?  they’re  one  of  the  crew’s  street racers  n  actually  goes  by  hollywood.  the  thirty-six y/o  is  typically  seen  hanging  arnd  rodani wheels.  allegedly  they’re  frm  california  n  hv  been  w/  the  crew  for  three years.  wtvr.  just  watch  out  for  them,  k  ?  ttyl  !

BASICS

NAME: Jacob Adams

AGE: 36

BIRTHDAY: 8.05.1971

OCCUPATION: Security Guard, Racer

FACECLAIM: Cam Gigandet

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis Male | He/Him

SEXUALITY: Straight

ETHNICITY: White

HAIR COLOR: Blonde

EYE COLOR: Blue

HEIGHT: 6'0

LANGUAGES: English

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

BIO

A California native, Jake was born and raised in the Valley to his B-list celeb father and former playboy model mother. He distinctly remembers playing in Hugh Hefner's mansion as a kid.

With his parents busy building their careers and jet-setting every couple months, he spent the majority of his childhood in the care of a nanny. As a result he grew up a little less sheltered, participating in activities with his nanny's family who had a son close to his age.

Jake's parents aimed to get him to become a child star, assisting in landing him a recurring role on Sesame Street in true nepo baby fashion. It wasn't long before they began pushing him to audition for supporting roles in films like Mr. Mom, Annie, The Karate Kid and The Goonies. While taking on small roles seemed fun at first, he lacked his parents drive and began to purposefully fail auditions in order to end his acting career before it ever began, putting all his focus on making music instead, inspired by the Velvet Underground, Nirvana, and Pink Floyd.

In high school he was the drummer for a band called 'Swollen Colon', performing at dive bars and music festivals, before breaking up following an alteraction onstage in which their frontman was put in a coma for 3 months.

The band's breakup led to him beginning to work the odd job as a bouncer, eventually getting introduced to drag racing. He joined and remained loyal to a crew in the Valley until they were recently busted for hijacking and drug trafficking. An arrest warrant was issued and Jake promptly skipped town to the opposite coast, while his father used his connections and influence to try and get the charges dropped.

What was meant to be a brief 6-month stint in Miami ended up being a permanent move after joining the Rodani Prowlers. He earned the nickname 'Hollywood' when a clip of him on Sesame Street began making the rounds.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Ride or Die

Flings

Hookups

Crazy Ex-Gf(s)

Frenemies

Actual Enemies

etc

[evelynshq]

[EVELYN HARPER]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [AISHA DEE]. You must be the [27] year old [BARISTA AT BLACK CAT CAFE]. Word is you’re [RESILIENT] but can also be a bit [IMPULSIVE] and your favorite song is [BAD INTENTIONS BY NIYKEE HEATON]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [OCEAN CREST APARTMENTS] || @aurorabayaesthetic

tw: mental health, substance use, death

Full Name: Evelyn Hope Harper 

Nicknames: Evie, Eve, Harper

Gender / Pronouns: Cisfemale, She/Her 

Sexual Orientation: bisexual w a preference for women

Birthday: October 30th, 27 years old, Scorpio 

Hometown: Aurora Bay, California - born and raised, left for 10 years and returned three months ago

Residence: Ocean Crest Apartments 

Personality Traits: Impulsive, Indecisive, Creative, Adaptive, Resilient, Deceitful, Guarded, Resourceful and Independent

Face Claim: Sarah Jeffery

Height: 5’3” 

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Light Brown

Piercings: Ears 

Tattoos: planet & stars on her inner hip 

Hobbies/Interests: playing guitar, piano, flute, ukulele, swimming, hiking, biking, writing, reading, drawing, painting, crocheting, skateboarding, hockey, basketball, partying

can be seen dressed in a variety of styles- prides herself on her eclectic fashion-sense 

likes anything oreo

night owl over early bird

prefers warmer weather (spring / summer) 

favorite holiday is halloween 

favorite animals are giraffes 

favorite color is green 

smells like vanilla and honey 

favorite artist: Halsey 

Evelyn Hope Harper was born to a nurturing and supportive family. The only child to Erin and Anthony Harper - their pride and joy. It was a typical start with occasional disagreements, parents volunteering for school trips, last minute outings to parks, libraries, beaches, and vacations all around the west coast. Evelyn’s mother, Erin was a receptionist for the local dentist office with welcome all with the kind of smile that could allow the most pessimist an opportunity to smile. Erin was a warm hug through and through whereas Evelyn’s father, Anthony, was a marshmallow wrapped around sand paper. Anthony was a truck driver who would have to leave his family for long periods of time, always returning back to where he belonged. Anthony participated in as much as Evelyn’s life as his job allowed. He was the most vulnerable when it came to his daughter and the relationship they shared. Evelyn spent a significant amount of time with her father growing up, learning a variety of skills from how to play various instruments, how to start a camp fire, ice skating, how to unlock a locked car, and practicing situational awareness. Evelyn had scored the ultimate gift of a cohesive family unit. 

Evelyn was the type of child who wanted to explore the world’s greatest treasures - a true adventurer. If there was something that sparked her interest, she was going to give it a go. Evelyn loved to learn and treated the world with kindness. Her spirit had radiated a vibrant yellow, thanks to the environment that she grew up in. However, it wasn’t always peachy keen. At times there were days that had been filled with sadness, mistakes that were made and hard to forgive, and apologies that needed to be given. The world was a place with so much darkness to where Erin and Anthony made sure that Evelyn minimally had to experience those instances. While Anthony and Erin were great parents, they hadn’t always been so as partners to one another. Evelyn’s parents had decided that through all the rough waters that had faced together, they were going to put in the work, go to counseling, keep their little family together. 

Little did she know that her world was about to get smaller a short few months after her tenth birthday. Despite all medical interventions, Anthony had passed away due to injuries that he sustained during a fatal car accident. Anthony was on his way to a school concert for Evelyn after work and never made it there. Her father had anticipated in surprising Evelyn with a new guitar and Erin, a vow renewal ceremony. There was nothing that felt more catastrophic to the Harper women than the loss of Anthony. Their loss brought them closer together for a period of time and they were the anchor for the other. Although life was hard, they had the support of family and friends to lift their spirits. 

After three years, Erin had begun her own spiral of grief with limited availability to care for Evelyn. It had felt like a lifetime already without Anthony. Being the only parent, Erin had begun to feel the weight of how difficult raising a child was alongside all other life’s expectations. Evelyn moved around after school to various relatives and family friends because Erin had to “stay late at work” or some other rationale, which in reality,  she was driving to bars around town and finding her own way to silence the suffering. Evelyn watched her mother from afar fade away into a person that she no longer recognized. She starting showing up late to school events, was calling out of work in the middle of the week, and spending less time creating home-cooked meals. As a child, Evelyn was rather naive into the understanding of what was happening with her mother. 

Evelyn had her own struggles - grieving the loss of her father while also experiencing the distant of her mother. Evelyn couldn’t put her finger on why but started to wonder if there was something she had done to cause the change in the relationship. When confronting her mother about these feelings, Evelyn noticed how cold, withdrawn, and angry her mother had become towards her: she was a reminder of her husband.  Evelyn had a practice that was cancelled last minute and she went home on the bus that afternoon. During that afternoon home alone, Evelyn was going to surprise her mother with a home-cooked meal that a thirteen year old could do on her own. In the midst of looking for supplies, Evelyn had stubbled upon Erin’s drug paraphenlia.  When discussing this with another adults in her life, they had realized that the Harper residence was no longer a safe environment for her. This allowed for an intervention that Evelyn’s mother desperately needed. Erin went to receive support for her substance use, in addition to her mental health in order to be able to take care of her daughter again. It was a long road, but after two years between inpatient and outpatient treatment, she would gain her rights again. There were a couple of solid years where her mother stayed on the right path, and things seemed as if they were going to be better for the both of them. Evelyn’s mother ended up with a relapse when she was seventeen years old. Evelyn stayed with an aunt, finished out the rest of high school and decided to move to the east coast. 

Evelyn was trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life and what her life was going to look like moving forward. Keeping it light, Evelyn got herself a job on the boardwalk selling typical tourist merchandise. While working her first summer in the new city, Evelyn met a man that instantly had her at hello. She got herself into a relationship that ended up being toxic, emotional, and controlling. She had been craving the ability to give and receive love that she had been blind for some time about what it looked like to have a healthy relationship. This relationship last for two years and so did the job at the boardwalk. Evelyn eventually found herself in a variety of working environments while living on her own and establishing her social network and other hobbies. Some of these places include: restaurants, ski resorts, record shops, animal shelters, coffee shops, arcades, bookstores, etc. She learned so many skills that Evelyn was able to connect with a wide range of individuals. Evelyn was the woman that nearly everyone could get along with. She was outgoing, adventurous, intelligent, bubbly, and confident. 

During one of her many employments after the boardwalk, Evelyn fell into a relationship with a man who would eventually cheat on her with a coworker. This wouldn’t be her last taste at poor intuition. Evelyn had been working at another one of her jobs and began a friendship that she hadn’t known she needed. It was the first time in a long time that she felt cared for. The woman brought back that vibrant yellow aura in Evelyn, allowing her to be an authentic version of herself without attempting to change who she was. It was refreshing to envision the future with a potential person that could provide her with the compassion that she had been desperately trying to replicate from, in different ways, the loss of both of her parents. After disclosing intimate feelings for the woman, Evelyn’s world once again came crashing down. The feelings were not reciprocated. 

Evelyn went into her own maladative patterns of destruction: shopping sprees, staying out until early in the morning, periodic hook-ups, and even her own drug use. Her feelings of hopelessness, isolation, and grief were so strong that Evelyn had to seek her own mental health treatment. For her, it was dark and uncertain. After receiving the support that she needed, Evelyn was stable enough to return to life. 

Evelyn decided then and there that she was going to go college and find something that she could turn into a passion. Evelyn wanted to give herself a real opportunity to establish a career. She eventually found herself returning back home not only to take courses, but slowly attempting to mend her relationship with her mother. Evelyn has been back in Aurora Bay for about three months. In that time, Evelyn has been helping her mother clean up the house and adopt a furry friend to provide her with some company. In order to pay for tuition, Evelyn seeked employment at the Black Cat Cafe. 

Evelyn recently moved out of her mothers house and moved into Ocean Crest Apartments, along side her partner in paws, Marley. She is looking for a fresh start in the place that she had always know as home. While feeling fueled with optimism of her new start, she still is on edge of others. She has lost trust and remains rigid on allowing anyone in about what she had experienced when she was on the east coast. For those who knew Evelyn before would had trouble picking her out of a crowd now. She’s superficial and vague but can carry a conversation if it’s what she truly wants. 

[jillianllcyd]

is that jillian lloyd i see at that garage sale over there ? it’s rare to see the twenty five year old outside of presents of the past . if you ask me , they remind me a lot of fresh snow , oversized bubblegum bubbles , the burn of alcohol , and brand new shoes ... but that could just be because she’s been known as the spitfire since she came to town 8 years ago . just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through !!

tends to resemble sydney sweeney (( like this and ill enter ur ims.))

BASICS

Name — jillian henrietta lloyd

Age — twenty five

Sex — cisfem

Pronouns — she/her

Sexuality — bisexual

Birthday — 09/12/97

Residence  — coral coast

Occupation — employee at presents of the past

Time in Fairford  — 8 years

PERSONALITY

Positive Traits — deliberate , warm , gregarious , alluring , intrepid. 

Negative Traits — facetious , guarded , hot-headed , aloof , enigmatic. 

Likes — sunshine , the beach , old cars , farmers markets , dressing up , fidget toys , old television/cinema , going to bed late , coconut ice cream 

Dislikes — eye-contact, loud chewing, slow walkers , beer , being too cold , sweating , romantic movies , seafood , the dark .

Aesthetics — freshly fallen snow , oversized bubblegum bubbles , the burn of alcohol , brand new shoes ,  showing up late to everything with a large coffee ,  the echo of an empty theatre ,  the lingering smell of fruity bodyspray

Goals — self sufficiency . she doesn’t want to rely on her step-mom forever. 

Motivations — being a good person so the owner of the shop still likes her 

MEET JILLIAN

“What’s it like, living in Fairford? Did you ever picture yourself settling down here or did you always know this would be your home?”

“Well I didn’t know this was going to be my final destination, I guess,” Jillian answered, twisting a lock of her hair between her fingertips and averting her eyes as she pondered the question. Truth is she packed up the car she had gotten as a gift (from her step mother) for her 16th birthday, and drove North. Following the winding path of 101 for three days, stopping to sleep in rest areas, and once in a motel when she needed a shower, on the fourth day she drove a little more aimlessly, trekking off until a large ‘Welcome to Fairford’ sign greeted her, and never ended up looking back. Jillian had stopped in to find something to eat, and found herself drawn in by the quaint way the town bustled with life. “But the longer I stayed, the less I felt like leaving,” she finishes the thought while sitting up a little straighter. “To answer you other question, though, living in Fairford is pretty much exactly what you’d imagine it to be. Knowing your neighbors is nice, and like- the name of who owns your favorite coffee shop. It’s nice feeling connected.”

“What’s your family like? Are you still close, or have you blocked all their numbers?”

Jillian stiffens imperceptibly, before scratching the back of her ear and laughing as nonchalantly as she could muster. “Not many number to block,” she jokes with a wave of her hand. “Dad’s dead, mom’s dead, I still talk to my step-mom from time to time, but she’s...” the assailing thoughts making it hard for Jill to focus before clearing her throat, “She lives in California, so it’s hard to stay close,” she excuses. It’s a good excuse, too, but not remotely close to the actual answer. “My siblings are weird too, I never really know what they’re thinking, even when we are in touch,” she deflects, though the underlying truth to those words are in the fact Jillian truly has never known how her siblings feel about her.

“Top five songs currently on your Spotify?”

Jillian rolls her eyes and whips out her phone, “I use Apple Music, actually,” she corrects, before tapping the app and scrolling for a moment. “The last five songs I’ve added though,” she begins, eyes reading before a wide grin coming across her face, “I Am a Rock, by Simon and Garfunkle. Then it’s Hey Juliet, by LMNT. I like to sing ‘Hey Jillian’ because it still works,” she teases, and turns her attention back to read her phone again, “Cardboard Box by Flo, super catchy. Can’t Kick Up the Roots, by Neck Deep, and oh--” she trails off, having a soft chuckle behind her and before concluding, “And Fireflies by Owl City.”

BACKGROUND

born to college aged, aspiring star-mother , entertainment industry CEO la-father. father had a wife , mom was an affair. no contact with dad, received hush money. mom died when she was 4, came into father’s custody. new siblings. tense relationships. father expected perfection in everything she did from day one. her step mom was lovely, not missing a beat to invite jillian in despite the pain her presence caused.

was put in pageants from the age of 5 with no choice . jillian had ebbing and flowing relationships with her half siblings. winning titles was the only thing her father ever praised her for. after a few years jill had no interest in pageants, but was told it was “the only thing going for her” by her father. after a tumultuous end to pageanting years later, she was the only one of her siblings to attend boarding school starting at the age of 13, and was only asked to come home for christmas and summer breaks. it took her a few years to warm up, but it turned out her step mom was her biggest ally.

in school jill used her looks to get whatever she wanted, and had most of her classmates wrapped around her finger. she pranced around acting like she had everything figured out, the leader of her own little clique, it was the most powerful jillian had ever felt in her life. she lost her virginity at the age of 15 , and her reputation throughout school was quickly made. she was still wildly popular, but that popularity came with everyone’s assumption that jill had slept with half the school’s population (when in reality, the number was something more like 6 people.) after being devastated by the fact, jillian embraced it, and has since used her promiscuity to keep people at arms length. (she would rather sleep with you, than get to know you, because she assumes that’s all you want from her.)

her father died the week before jillian was about to graduate high school ... she didn’t return home and chose to walk with her classmates despite the fact she had little-to-no one in the crowd for her. packed up the small amount of belongings she had at school and moved to fairford.

starting over completely , she got a job at presents of the past. jill never really knew what she liked, her feelings always coming second to whatever duties she had to fulfil. but the owner is the sweetest man that welcomed jill immediately, and was overjoyed to express his joy of old trinkets, things of the past, and anything the looked like it held a story. it was the first time jill had met someone that made her so happy. she didn’t feel the incessant need to please him like her father , or the instinctual guilt for the reality of her relationship like her step mom. he was just him, and made jill feel heard, and seen even from their very first discussion on embroidered dinner napkins. jill did her best to keep the fact that she was living out of her car under wraps, terrified of feeling pitied, or that his thoughts about her would change. that arrangement lasted a little less than 3 months before jill was able to get her own place.  she had been ignoring all of her step mother’s attempts at communication since she graduated (and the death of her father or whatever) all those months ago, but jill finally felt like she was drowning and needed help and one day picked up the phone. her step mom got her into a nice townhouse on the coast without as second thought.

today she’s still (partially) being supported by her step mother, their relationship relatively unchanged from her childhood, visiting for holidays and speaking every so often, but the older jillian gets, the more she understands how awful her father was, and how drastically she had changed her step mother’s life. the dynamic between them can’t help but overwhelm jill with guilt sometimes, so she does her best to keep the woman at arms length, even though she’s the only family she has. besides from the owner of presents, of course, who she also spends some holidays with, evening joining him and his family for thanksgiving dinner last year.  

jillian absolutely pours herself into her work at presents, and her relationship with the owner flourished alongside her passion for the very same trinkets. as somebody with little family , jill was enthralled with the idea of keeping the history of a person alive , even after they've died. old photographs, toys made only of wood and cloth nearly falling apart, sewing tins full of memorabilia of a band that no longer exists. all of it excites jill.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

mw: exes !!! any past romantic/sexual connection (m/f , she’s bi hehe) , current fwb , roommate , long lost cousin , dealer

neighbor.

rival.

mentor.

bad influence.

personal trainer.

sexually tense friendship.

party friends. 

[aevyk-ing]

How I’d fix the Mystery of Aaravos

Okay, here we go:

- First of all, no time skip. Unless...

- I’d haven’t made Rayllum canon in the third season. The time skip only works by making Rayla’s disappearance a big problem. I’d rather have them realize their feelings during the sepparation (two months tops).

- BTW, they totally forgot about Callum’s feelings towards Claudia, right? It was never adressed if he still liked her or if the issue with her not telling the truth about what happened to his father made him lose interest on her (which is a pity).

- So, want to make Rayllum canon? Do it in season 4 as they talk about their new-discovered feelings. Season 3 actually happened? You have two options: a) Make them argue and talk so they can fix their problems or b) Make them argue and talk so they can just be friends. 

- If Callum was still in love with Claudia, he’d search for a way to make her “good” again.

- And that’s why Aaravos can control him. If the mirror only shows him in full darkness, he could have discovered this any time, while snuffing out the last candle. Aaravos is trying to be a good friend, trying to help him with any of the girls. But Callum doesn’t want his help (because it’s not a good thing to say, but he’s creepy) and only tries him to tell him who he is and where is he.

- No Butterfly Gollum. It’s just a giant butterfly or moth that only says: “Aaravos, Aaravos” all the time. That’s how they know that, if they follow it, they’ll find him.

- Rayla was away, yes, but in her village (making sure she’s not a ghost anymore) and using that as an excuse to also look for Viren. 

- No party for Zubeia. Zym comes visit from time to time, maybe for Callum’s birthday.

- And that’s when Rayla appears and they receive Ibis’ message that the staff has disappeared. BTW, Claudia is a mage, she can just convoke it. 

- Zym calls his mother, who carries them to Xadia. Callum takes the mirror and they travel with Soren while Ezran stays with Zym. Because he’s a king now.

- Plot B would revolve around Ezran and Zym helping the rest of the cities with the new dragon and/or Elvish coexistance. Janai and Amaya are already married/about to get married.

- Callum shows them Aaravos, who Zubeia recognizes. Aaravos breaks the mirror and Zubeia tells them the story. They have to visit all the Archdragons and decipher the riddle to get to him before Viren and Claudia. She gives them the first sentence of the riddle and sends them to see Rex.

- They cross the village of the Earth Elves and stay there one night. Soren is making guard and discovers Claudia. 

- If Callum still has feelings for Claudia, he would start having doubts again after Soren tells them he saw her. If not, he’ll keep on arguing with Rayla until they reach an understanding and Claudia would meet Terry in the woods. 

- They get to Rex’s cave at the same time and they fight. Callum fights with Claudia, who compliments his use of magic. They defeat them and Claudia and Viren are locked outside, forcing their way in. 

- Rex gives them the second sentence of the riddle, making it clear they’d have to travel to the coast, since it appears Aaravos’ cell is underwater. 

- They also discover one of the Archdragons has been hiding in the human side for some time and Ezran would be the one to visit him, giving him the next line so they can find the location. 

- Viren and Claudia visit Rex and the butterfly touches his head, forcing him to tell them all he knows.

- The next Archdragons have the clue to actually get to Aaravos’ cell. But that’s for the next season.

[treetownconfessions]

ALSO. FLIPPY AS THE PIZZA BOY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME BECAUSE NOBODY AT THE TIGER BASE ORDERED PIZZA (probably) SINCE ITS.. YK.. A SECRET BASE?? He got lucky when they didn't just go "we didn't order a pizza *cocks guns* nice try bitch" AND IF THEY SENT SNEAKY TO GO KILL A SOLDIER CAUSE YK HE'S SNEAKY ABOUT HIS KILLS I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAD MOUSE OVER THERE TO KILL ANOTHER SOLDIER WITH A BOMB?? If they sent in Sneaky to kill a soldier.. yk.. sneakily, why did they send Mouse to go blow up another soldier? Once again pure luck that nobody heard (and/or cared about) the loud bomb-like noise outside their base. And as for a knife? It just seems stupid to use a knife. You could easily miss the target when you throw the knife, the knife could hit in a non-lethal area, you could.. well *motions at what Flippy did*

SO HERES MY PROPOSAL FOR A SUCCESSFUL OPERATION TIGER BOMB MISSION.

Make Mouse the 'pizza boy' and replace the pizza with birthday cake, Flippy can use his knife to kill the soldier Mouse killed in the episode and Sneaky will be there to make sure he doesn't fuck it up. Mouse has bombs inside the birthday cake's box. Now that the coast is cleared because Flippy and Sneaky have killed the guards, Mouse can stroll right into the base without fear of being shot (Since apparently that's what Flippy did in the episode). Mouse enters the base and quickly explains that he got sent with a birthday cake by somebody because "it is le one of your birthdays". There's multiple soldiers so there's a high likelihood that it actually is somebody's birthday or that they don't all know eachothers birthdays. If they all do know eachothers birthdays and it's not somebody's birthday Mouse could just say, "Well, one your family members said that it was your birthday, so do you want le cake or not" And obviously if they didn't say no to random pizza they didn't order they're not gonna say no to cake, so Mouse says "let me light le candles for you". He lights the bombs and then closes the box because "le family said that they want you to be surprised by the cake, so sing le birthday song first and then look at le cake" And then Mouse leaves the base while the tigers get ready to sing. If the tigers opened the box after singing the happy birthday song, it would blow up, and if it blew up during them singing, well, that's fine too, cause they'd die either way.

So yeah

-Splendont Copypasta anon

youre not wrong, but this is all built on the assumption that the army brass is in any way smart or competant

they arent