#another one there was this woman who was dying and she like marries her doctor and kills him or smthn. Big Stuff

[twilightarcade]

ok so I was reading then slept 4 like an hour and a half

[stalltherain]

Manifest finale spoilers. I'm about to rant.

What the f-ck was that ending?

It might as well have all been a dream. Other than Mick meeting Zeke, a few people disappearing, and Saanvi's cancer treatment coming out soon enough to treat Cal, nothing is different than if the show had never happened.

I'd have preferred the characters find happiness in their shitty world. Or heck, even all of them dying in their shitty world to sacrifice themselves for people they love (that would have required a different setup from the beginning of s4 so that we saw the people that the passengers loved).

This ending reminds me of the dilemma in scifi where a character has to chose to live in a happy fake world or a tough & gritty real world. The show writers chose the happy fake. I'd have preferred to see the real world.

I was optimistic for this season and really had hope this show was going to be better than previous shows about explaining the mystery. Of all the theories of how it would go, resetting back to the plane not crashing was the most boring one & what I really hoped wouldn't happen. I guess it's a satisfying-ish ending if you had low expectations.

I just thought we'd actually get some answers, and was also disappointed by all but one of the character's endings. Since the show chose to ignore the mystery and focus on character stories, I'm going to address my issues with those.

TJ lost Olive, but immediately seems to forget her because another cute girl shows up.

Mick ends her relationship with Jared, because he wants kids and she doesn't, but how did that never come up for them in conversation before. Took my opinion of both of them down a bit. Then, 5 seconds after Jared got dumped by the woman he wanted to marry, he's already flirting with another woman. Took my opinion of Jarod about as low as it can get. Shame because I had actually liked him.

The Cal, Olive, and Grace we knew are all gone. Never going to even exist. They're basically fake versions of themselves now. Grace is reset back to season 1, which means she's the annoying version I wanted Ben to dump. Also, how is Ben going to explain that he had sex with someone on the plane? Season 1 Grace would not be open to the whole "hey, we went to another world or whatever" story. She didn't believe anything Ben said about it until she saw it affecting Cal. There's no way she believes his story if she hears it led to him sleeping with someone else. Unless Ben plans to lie to his wife, she's leaving him soon. If he does keep it a secret that he slept with Cal's doctor, that just means she'll leave a little later. Keeping that secret will destroy their relationship. It was a really terrible writing choice to have Ben and Saanvi hook up and then just go back to their previous partners like nothing changed. I think they're great together, but I'd have preferred nothing happen if that was how it ended.

The one thing I really wanted was for Saanvi to realize that she deserves better than the person who kept rejecting her over and over, but nope. Zero growth. I felt so bad for her and feel like from what we know of Alex, she'll go right back to her family soon. Or maybe Saanvi will get enough self esteem to get angry at how Alex treated her (both by not taking the flight and by how she repeatedly rejected her in the real world).

Vance is back to being kind of a jerk who knows none of them. I suppose I'm glad he has his family back, but his character development was meaningless. I'd rather have seem him get his family back in the real world.

The only ending that didn't suck was Mick found Zeke based on what he told her in the real world. I personally wasn't attached to Mick with either guy, so I wasn't expecting her ending to be the most satisfying. At least one story we watched ended up having meaning.

After so many shows have ended disappointingly, I just really wanted one to stick the landing. (pun not intended, but I'm keeping it) This ending was a major (pun also not intended, but I'm also keeping it) bummer.

I don't know how go wrap this up, so I'm just going to drop this. In five years or less, Ben and Grace are definitely split. So are Saanvi and Alex. Hey, maybe Benvi will get back together then. Lol.

[saelterlude]

I really want Doctor Who to bring back companions’ title/aliases. Especially since Doctor Who is a long running show with a rolling cast. They just make the companions and their story arcs a lot more memorable and distinguishable. 

For example,

When someone says Rose Tyler, I think oh “Bad Wolf” the ordinary girl who loves the Doctor so much that she stared into the TARDIS and spread her warning across time. The name showed her stubbornness to be with the Doctor, even when he has send her away and she’s stuck in an alternate dimension.

Jack Harkness technically doesn’t have a title but something feels wrong when you just say his name because he’s “Captain Jack Harkness”. Which really exemplifies his charisma and self confidence. Emphasizing his name using ‘Captain’ also shows how he’s more knowledgeable on time travel and aliens than most companions the Doctor have.

Martha Jones, “The Woman Who Walked The Earth” literally describes what she did. She walked the Earth and spread word of the Doctor to save the world. When you hear that title you know that she’s brave and she’s strong, THIS is what she’s capable of doing.

Donna Noble can be “The Most Important Woman in The Whole of Creation” or “Best Temp in Chiswick” but she’s also, as the fandom seems to agree, “The Doctor’s Best Friend”. Personally I always remember the last one because the Doctor and Donna duo are so iconic and fun, but that’s more in relation to the Doctor instead of on her own. I’m not a big fan of the first one because it’s a bit too mouthy. The second one describes Donna best as an individual as it’s both put emphasis on how great she is with best ‘best’ followed by how she see’s herself as nothing special as a “temp in Chiswick”.

Special mention to Wilfred Mott who doesn’t actually have a title but we all know he’s “The Doctor’s Dad”. He’s caring and he took care of the Doctor when he’s vulnerable. I love Wilf. We all love Wilf.

Amy Pond is “The Girl Who Waited”. It tells us of her faith to the Doctor, that she would wait for him for 12 years, followed by another 2 years. It tells us the damage those 12 years of waiting did to her, unlike Donna and Martha she’s “The Girl” who has yet to grow up. It also tells us how the Doctor sees her as a girl, someone he’s responsible for, and her future character arc of eventually growing out of this adventure with the Doctor.

Rory Williams, “The Last/Lone Centurion” is someone who spend 2000 years guarding a box out of love and dedication. Literally the reason my brother told me he isn’t worried about whoever I date since watching Rory means I have high standards of men. Rory is also known as “The Boy Who Waited”, a title which I really like since it ties in nicely with Amy’s.

Amy and Rory is also known as “The Ponds”, which other than being “the girl/boy who waited” really establish that these two are a unit. That they are meant to be together and that their story arc is about that. Yes, Amy can’t resist the adventure and Rory will always follow Amy, but Amy will also always choose Rory time and time again until the very end, even if it means the end of the adventure.

River Song is both “The Woman Who Killed The Doctor” and “The Woman Who Marries The Doctor”, both of them together sums up her (linear) story arc. Being someone raised out of fear of the Doctor to loving him and sacrificing her life for the Doctor. The two titles defies one another but are both her, which kind of shows how unpredictable she is, to us viewers and the Doctor.

And last we have Clara Oswin Oswald’s “The Impossible Girl”. Clara’s first story arc is literally “she keeps showing up and dying and she’s the same person but she’s not immortal or a time traveler (yet) so how is she here?”. The title drives home the mystery of Clara Oswald before its resolved and, like Bad Wolf, reminds us of what she’s willing to do for the Doctor, setting up her next arc.

Believe it or not, I know of “Bad Wolf” before I watched series 1 and 2 and I also know “The Ponds” before I watched series 5. (Series 4 being the first one I watched, followed by 3, 1, 2, 5, and mostly linearly since). I already knew that Rose was going to do something extreme for the Doctor since the first episode and I knew Rory and Amy’s relationship is going to be important before I even knew their names. And those things stick with me. It leaves a lasting impression that makes me want to rewatch those series because they’re them. 

I simply cant say the same for Bill Potts, Nardole, and The Fam. Bill is a student, but I don’t remember how that plays in the overall story. Nardole is a funny alien servant, cool. The Fam is well friends of the Doctor I guess, but I don’t remember what makes them special or different from every other companion the Doctor ever have.

Hell even the “Paternoster Gang” is more memorable than “The Fam”. The lizard warrior lady, her human maid/wife, and a baked potato nurse solve crime, inspire Sherlock Holmes, and kick ass in Victorian London. And they didn’t show up much.

See this is why Doctor Who needs to bring back the companion titles. I know some hated how it make it seem like every companion have to be someone important to the world and/or the Doctor’s life but it adds so much to each character that they should do it anyway. Besides, Captain Jack Harkness, The Ponds, and The Paternoster Gang have titles that aren’t important to the world so clearly they can do it.

[onetimetwotimesthreetimess]

For the prompt ask, what about a plot-reversal(?) of HIADT? Instead of Magnus, it's Alec who is in a coma, and Magnus should decide if he let them turn off the equipment or not - if he is capable of let go of his husband or not

“Dr. Bane?”

Magnus is busy tending to the wounds that he misses his names. He knows doctors find doing sutures tiresome and boring. But Magnus likes it. He likes the time it takes to do them. People don’t realise but the technique you put into your sutures decides whether a patient will have scars on them or not.

His life’s been tainted with scars. Magnus doesn’t hate them but he knows how crucial it is to care about them.

“Dr. Bane?” Someone calls him again, pulling him out of his stupor.

“Yeah?” He finally says.

“Do we need to get the tests done?”

Magnus nods. “Yes. We might need a CT scan. I’m almost done with the dressing, then you can take her.”

He turns towards Ms. Braganza. She’s 60 years old and a regular patient. He’s not a fan of regular patients because it’s his job to make sure no one comes back to them. But it’s not always possible. She has Alzheimer’s and living alone. It often gets her in trouble.

“I don’t want to see you again for another two months, okay?” He says seriously. “You’re beautiful but we can’t go on like this.”

The woman feigns offence. “Wow, Dr. Bane. I thought what we had was special.”

Magnus grins at her. “It is. But as you know, I’m married. This can’t go on for long.”

Ms. Braganza has a mischievous smile on her face as she replies. “Fine. Only because I like that husband of yours. Anyways, where is he? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

The smile on his gave disappears. “He’s sick.”

“Oh. Then what are you doing here? Go take care of that sweet man of yours.”

Magnus gives her a smile. “Yeah.” He wants to go take care of his husband too. If it was up to Magnus, he’d never leave Alec’s side. But he also knows that if he doesn’t do his job, he’ll lose his mind.

He gets called into another surgery and and by the time he is free, he’s exhausted in a way it reminds him of his residency.

But he knows it’s got nothing to do with the physical labour and everything to do with his heart.

When he sits by Alec’s side, he feels a bit calm. Steady. He always does in Alec’s presence.

“Hi, darling,” he whispers as he kisses his husband’s forehead. “Ms. Braganza asked for you.”

He doesn’t get a response.

“You know, if you don’t wake up soon, I might just run away with her,” he chuckles which turns into a dry sob. “Please, wake up, Alexander. I miss you.”

Magnus puts his head next to the space near Alec’s waist and dozes off there.

He’s shaken from his sleep by a hand on his shoulder.

It’s Jem.

“Jem?”

“Hey, Magnus.”

It’s never a good sign to see Jem these days. Magnus has always admired Jem, for he was the only one out of all their friends that Magnus could trust Alec’s life with. He could trust everyone else too, but he couldn’t trust them to be impartial in their judgements.

Jem could.

They exit the room and Magnus pretends like his heart isn’t beating rapidly. He’s been dying for a while now but in some moments, when he’s talking to Alec’s doctors, it feels like he’s dying faster.

Being a doctor himself has only worsened this for him.

“Jem, please. Whatever it is, don’t bullshit around it,” he pleads.

Anytime Magnus gets any bad news, Alec’s there to hold his hand. It’s ironic that he can do it right now and it still won’t work.

Jem’s face turns sad when he says and Magnus can already feel the impending heartbreak, can already feel the world ending.

Or maybe it already did.

“I’m sorry, Magnus. But I don’t think there’s anything more we can do. I think you need to let him go.”

[emberwexley]

An army lieutenant neglects to file a report on a civilian killing done by his troops because he knows it was an accident. Okay. He's protecting his peeps.

Tina promises her dying mother that she'll visit her grave once a month. After the mother has passed away, Tina finds it hard to squeeze in the time, and her visits drop to about once a year. Okay. No one has time to go to a grave and talk to air like every week.

A man orders a custom-built sex doll designed to look just like his neighbor. Okay. I mean he's a grown up, as long as he's keeping it to himself than like whatever. There's definitely weird guys out there with fap material of me.

Sarah's dog has four puppies. She can only find a home for two of them, so she kills the other two with a stone to the head. Sarah needs a shrink.

A doctor has been preforming consensual yet illegal procedures one someone in hopes of finding a cure for his ill sister. Low key I wouldn't be surprised if Toby is doing this with Rhet. But sure whatever it's okay. Saving her life and all that.

A neglectful husband pushes his wife to an affair. When the affair ends, the wife's partner nearly kills her and her unborn daughter. The husband kills the affair partner. Justice is justice. Woman beaters can all choke. So okay with me.

September has run out of food and is facing death by starvation. She begins to cannibalize her family's loyal staff. They do not fight back. I WOULD NEVER. But I mean I bet if cooked right we could probably taste really good. Especially the chubby people.

A mother gives birth to identical twins. One follows their ambitions and the other becomes a shut in. The family make it clear which child they prefer. It's the other sibling's fault for becoming a shut in.

Natalie is so focused on survival she fires a shot without thinking. She did not intend to kill her elderly neighbor, but she hides the body regardless. She denies knowing what happened to the now missing resident. It's only illegal if you get caught.

A woman is facing a lifetime of medical issues. She continues to put her family and those around her in emotional and medical debt. She lives a hollow life and continues leaching off of those who support her. Sucks for all of them. Her parents should have had better insurance. Or I'm sure there's charities for stuff like that. I think my mother runs one.

Please provide a response to each of the following prompts. Leaving a prompt blank will also be considered a response, and you will be assessed for refusal to answer.

In the event of a life or death situation, would you put yourself or others first? I mean, I value my own life first of course.

How far would you be willing to go to ensure your own survival throughout this ordeal? I refuse to die in a gross apocalypse.

Is there anyone in the building you have developed strong attachments to? My family of course. Blue is kinda cool but I just met him. Ria is okay, even if she just married for money, she's fun. Um... I don't really socialize lower...

Do you think it is possible to survive infection through alternative means such as removing the infected limb? Would you be willing to undergo this procedure to ensure your own survival? These are questions for Toby, but also, I refuse to lose a limb. I'd be useless, at that point just end my misery.

Will following the general consensus lead to improved odds of survival, or would you have a better chance following an assigned leader? Considering that I think Daddy's the leader, I'll go with that one.

What is the appropriate response to the following situation?

Your daughter falls ill and needs a specific, uncommon kind of antibiotic that will be hard to find; without the full course, the pathogen will survive, regroup, and kill her anyway. You are scavenging a pharmacy, where you find another group, and manage to not shoot each other. You ask them about the antibiotic, and they have it, but they also need the antibiotic, for the wife of someone in their group. You cannot share the antibiotic because it would just kill both people, and they have the antibiotic in their pack. This is likely the only complete dose set you will find, as the other stores have been picked totally clean and there are no friendly groups in the area. Please, no one is worth more than my own blood. Fuck them, those antibiotics would be mine. A stiletto makes a good puncturing weapon you know. Ariana Rockefeller and I learned that in a self defense course we took before we went to Ibiza.

[maxkillertart]

hey quick question what the fuck happens in house md

One of the female doctors gets married to another of 1 of the doctors, but then you find out that she was married before even though she's really young, and it turns out that she married a man who was dying of cancer because she felt bad for him, and then her husband, Chase, kills a foreign dictator who was visiting the United States and then his wife who's supposed to be this really annoying sort of pillar of moral values is so mad at him even though this dictator was literally doing a genocide and chase didthe correct thing and nobody ever found out it was him she divorces him.

House is constantly taking painkillers that are deeply affected him psychologically and physically, There's an episode where he kills himself to have a near death experience ultimate revive at the hospital which is kind of the point, hes also super in love with Wilson but this is like never really addressed, except until the end, sort of. but they were super Homo, I'm serious.

Oh yeah and then all the original doctors leave because house so toxic and then house literally invites like 50 different candidates to be like on his team and then he has like a 2 week long task to see Which 3 could last the longest and it's fucking insane it's one of the most deranged storylines in house because you get to know a lot of them and they're all really terrible people and that's why they're there. Anyway so this chick Start stating Wilson and hes super happy with her and everything and houses like what the hell and then house accidentally makes a comparison that Hey actually me and Amber are really similar she's like a female me And then immediately runs away like He didn't just out himself and his best friend.

and then later after Amber dies, 1st of all, House starts to hallucinate her and she's like sort of this devil angel on his shoulder and he doesn't tell anybody about this because they know that they're just gonna send to rehab again because hes already gone to rehab at this point, But then also he moves in with Wilson and then I think they move in together to a new apartment and there's a lot of parallels between the plans that Wilson had with Amber and what he ends up doing with house, and then people think that they're gay in their apartment building and then the house plays into it so that he can have sex with this chick and was like "oh my God I've never had like these kinds of feelings towards a woman before" ike sort of like a reverse gay a moment and Wilson hates it but they're definitely super homo.

[ual]

the unknown.

for the past four years, i have tried to have a baby.

but let me start further back than that. when she was 17, my sister had a baby. my family lamented, gnashed their teeth, tut-tutted, shook their heads. she ruined her life, they said. she hadn't even graduated high school, they asked: what would become of her now?

well, i'll tell you what become of her: a wonderful mother to two - now grown - incredible humans. one of the strongest people i know. a woman with an endless desire to care for and nourish others. i still cannot wrap my head around her bravery as a teenager, looking at the future ahead of her, knowing entirely what she wanted, ignoring the naysayers and barreling into the unknown. her decisiveness is something i've always admired.

at that time (i was 12), i was horrified to think of childbirth. to be honest, i still am. the idea never sat right with me - giving up my body to the chaos of it all, potentially dying, the potential for unbearable loss, the pain, the absolute uncertainty. it was something i never ever thought i wanted to endure - impacted somewhat by seeing the response of my family to my sister's young pregnancy - but also wholly a notion and feeling of my own. when i was the same age my sister was when she got pregnant, i asked a doctor about getting my tubes tied (of course, they wouldn't do it. i wasn't old enough to make those kinds of decisions, they said).

so i spent the majority of my young adulthood fairly certain that i would never get married (that's another story for another time) and absolutely, soul certain that i would never have a baby. that was not the path for me. absolutely not. no fucking way.

but then i met my husband. i have have grown older with him, 5 years of dating and then marriage, and now 10 years of that. the most wonderful man i have ever known. someone so nurturing and so kind... his compassion and care for others consistently knocking me back. someone who would make an unbelievably wonderful father, coupled with my own growth, aging, entering my thirties... that biological clock just tick tick ticking away. so we tried. to my own surprise, we were trying. casually. just to see. a toe dipped into the unknown future ahead of us.

and you assume (if you've ever spent the majority of your life using various methods of birth control to avoid a "mistake") that it will just happen. but so often it doesn't. a year passed, then we entered a pandemic and we stopped trying because, wow, how do you try to bring a human into the world when the world is falling apart all around you? but things eased somewhat and we tried again. then I went to the doctor - had horrible painful xrays, ultrasounds, blood tests that made me nearly pass out. it was the blood test that said it: you waited too long, maybe, or you just didn't have what was needed from the start.

so you see. there's a thing about stepping into the unknown, no matter how casually. you can't just close your eyes and jump blind (well, maybe you can, but i certainly can't). in the darkness i needed to imagine at least the vague shape of the next thing to stand on. what would it look like? how would i manage? i pictured myself in this new reality, rolled it around on my tongue to get a feel for it. and in the imagining, without even realizing it, it felt like the only place left to stand.

our casualness, before i knew it, soon became very serious. options were weighed, pros were considered and cons were proven. what would it take? tens of thousands of dollars, medical intervention, going to another country to afford said medical intervention, what was i thinking? all for this thing that i had spent the majority of my life trying to avoid at all costs? my mind felt like it was not my own, my longing became despair, my thoughts a laundry list of future regrets and past mistakes. i needed this, i needed to jump into this unknown. it became all consuming.

it became a sort of fantasy: the person i would be on the other side, all new and shiny and chrome. obliteration of the self, rebuilding as something different, with a distinct purpose, a compass. a mother. i didn't fear the chaos any longer, i craved it.

i paused.

i slowed. i am slowing. i am remembering who i was when i took that tiny tip toe into the darkness of the unknown those four years ago. i saw a paths spread out in front of me then, beautiful paths full of possibility, love, tenderness, family, growth. but then suddenly that one path became brighter than the rest and i started to forget there were ever any other options.

but in the slowing the other paths have come back into focus. my life, my wonderful life, with my husband, with my dog. our plans and our dreams. the things i wanted and longed for before this new unknown presented itself to me. that the feeling of lack was a lie, because i have so, so much.

i have realised that what i was wanting was a path that was set for me, something to anchor me and tell me what to be next, on the cusp of my 40th year on this planet. no turning back. the absolutism of giving myself over to something out of my control. and there is nothing wrong with that... but it is perhaps not the best reason to bring a new life into the world.

so i have paused once again. talking with my love, support from my friends, countless hours sitting and thinking harder than i've maybe thought in my entire life. and realising my reasoning for longing so deeply has more to do with my own internal self and uncertainty than with anything else, and that i don't actually have to do this. that i can let it go, and find my own path without the anchor and absolutism. and my god, it felt so freeing. i felt this weight lift off my shoulders, and saw a new unknown present itself to me, less like a darkness and more like a blossom.

i don't know what the future looks like exactly. but i know i feel such a relief to let go and let it be what it will be. there is no loss - only love - and a new wild, beautiful unknown.

thank you for reading.

– lau

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

Please keep spamming with thus always rewrite bits and also maybe old bits and maybe also stuff that isn’t going to make it in but could have please

hahah well I'm glad at least some of you are getting enjoyment out of it.

Here, have some excerpts from an unfinished fic where Downey was going to get stuck tutoring Vetinari on some subject or other:

Margolotta said that Vetinari should learn to be still. That is, in his mind. Which is a hurricane. A very well organised hurricane that has a keen attention to detail. But it never stops. Ever. He hasn’t known a quiet day in his own head since he was a child and told her that he would associate it with death. It would be like dying. What he assumes dying is like. 

Then he winced, internally, because she knows what dying is like though she never said much about it. He once asked, How did it feel? And she said, Like the tang of a metal spoon. There’s a bad aftertaste. 

But that hadn’t meant anything. Or maybe it had but as a person who has never died, it didn't mean anything to him.

[...]

Because the Universe hates him Downey is to begin his course, or quasi-brief-apprenticeship, in the Guild crematorium in August. Hot and humid months of Ankh-Morpork unfurl the decaying process in an exponential and sometimes explosive fashion. 

Also, because the Universe dislikes him, Ludo corners him with a smile that clearly means he is about to ask a favour. A very large favour. 

‘So my mother is not best pleased that I haven’t been home this year,’ he begins. Downey stands in the lab with a plant he is attempting to cross breed with another. Unimpressed, he stares at Ludo through protective goggles. The lily he holds has a tendency to emit pollen in bursts which has been known to blind. Temporarily. He thinks. 

‘Uh huh,’ Downey says. 

‘She also says she has found a young, eminently eligible woman for me to marry. I must meet her before she’s snapped up by someone else.’ 

‘Right.’ 

‘So, this brings me to a bit of a conundrum. You see, since Vetinari’s return from the Grand Sneer he’s been angling to pursue a doctorate, actually a series of doctorates because I don’t think he has anything else going on in his life. And I suspect he’s a bit of a masochist. Anyway, before he can begin Dr. Follett is requiring him to pass, at an acceptable level, which for Vetinari means perfection, advanced biology of filamentous fungi and to have advanced working knowledge of methodological approach for representing biological systems. There are other requirements but it’s those two he’s most concerned about.’ 

Downey can see where this is going. 

‘I was helping him since his background, aside from inhumation, was always more humanities focused than natural philosophy and maths. And he’s been gone these four years so he’s in need of a bit of a refresher, so to speak.’ 

‘Ludo.’ 

‘Yes, Will?’ 

‘Just say it.’ 

Ludo’s smile is gracious and charming, well as much as one can be in protective lab kit. Downey remains standing with plant in hand. Waiting. 

‘Well, I was hoping you’d help. Just while I’m on holiday. I’ll take up the mantle as soon as I return, I promise.’ 

‘No.’ 

[...]

Downey has robes draped over his usual clothes and ash smeared across his forehead. He is carrying a stack of books and wears an annoyed expression. Thus, Vetinari is greeted by his new tutor. 

‘Ludo said you needed help,’ Downey says. He rocks back on his heels and holds the books against his side at an awkward angle. 

‘Did he?’ 

‘He mentioned that Dr. Follett was putting you through the ringer regarding meeting your prerequisites for a doctorate in Medicine and Applied Pathology. He said you were feeling uncertain about, uh, approaches for studying complex biological systems and mathematics of emergent behaviours.'

‘Indeed.’ 

Vetinari stares at Downey. Downey stares back.

The summary of the two of them at 25.

Downey has been teaching and pursuing his doctorate for an arduously slow five years. There have been many starts and stops due to External Circumstances and, at the moment, he isn’t sure when he’ll finish. External Circumstances generally being The Patrician Is Feeling Murderous and I’m Running Short Of Funds So All My Time Is Dedicated To Inhumation And Teaching and I Hate What I’m Working On Shall I Switch Topics Again.

[...]

Ablutions are only attained after dinner and it is post-bath and a stiff drink when Downey hears a knock. He is lying naked with a thin sheet covering part of his body. Smoke from a fag discarded in a teacup drifts upward in thin ghostly tendrils. The knock repeats. 

Downey sighs, mutters, ‘I’m coming’ as he pulls a robe on and answers the door. As is ever the way of the Universe, he is presented with an uncomfortable looking Vetinari who blinks at Downey's state of undress until he apparently remembers that it is almost ten at night and so not unreasonable.  

‘I’ve reconsidered your offer,’ Vetinari says by way of greeting.  

‘Not my offer,' Downey clarifies. 'Ludo's offer that I am fulfilling only for the sake of our friendship.'

‘I assumed that was the case.’ 

‘Good,’ Downey gives a perfunctory nod. Vetinari responds with his brittle smile then turns to leave. In a moment of uncontrolled warmth Downey adds, 'Hey, do you want a nightcap?'  

Vetinari remains in profile and in a sate of surprise.

‘I’ve a good whiskey on hand,’ Downey goes on. He wants both a yes and a no. He wants Dog-Botherer to step inside and disappear down the hall. He wants something between acceptance and decline. Apparently, he wants a maybe. 

[...]

Vetinari waits for him with a neat pile of books and impeccably organised notes. The man’s attention to detail unnerves. Downey suspects that if there was to be one person who could get all the human remains out of a crematory it would be Dog-Botherer. 

‘Ah, Downey,’ intoned with some disapproval. 

‘Apologies,’ Downey says sweeping in. ‘I’m on that infamous cremation course. The body took longer than anticipated to rake out.’ 

‘I see. I’ve yet to have the pleasure of that Guild requirement.’ 

‘Try and avoid it if you can,’ Downey seats himself and pulls out reference materials. ‘Unless you don’t mind people-dust.’ 

‘Is that’s what’s on your face?’ 

Downey scowls, produces a kerchief and wipes off his face. Clear evidence of dead assassin comes off in hand. 

[...]

Vetinari produces an outline of his learning plan then looks at Downey with great expectation. 

‘The lines indicate what Ludo and I have covered already,’ he adds helpfully. 

‘When do you need to have all of this covered by?’ 

‘September, Dr. Follett said he would expect me to be up to speed by then.’ 

‘I see.’ 

‘I learn quickly,’ Vetinari says. 

Downey feels him watching his face. He does his best to appear impartial. ‘I’m sure.’ 

‘I’m quite determined,’ Vetinari continues. 

‘I’ve no doubt.’ 

‘I understand that it is a substantial amount to cover but I believe, if approached rationally and with dedication, it is manageable.’ 

It occurs to Downey that Vetinari is nervous. To draw out the moment Downey continues his slow perusal of the outline. Vetinari tries to be helpful again by pushing over the latest notes he took on the subjects at hand. He says it is so Downey can know exactly where he is. Shall he outline basic principles? He’s mastered those. 

‘Alright,’ Downey says. He hopes to the gods his pleasure at Vetinari’s discomfort is not on display. Or not too clearly on display. ‘I think this'll be fine.’ 

A look of relief? It’s too fast for Downey to name. Vetinari returns to his usual unflappable demeanour and takes out fresh paper, adjusts the nub of his quill, and waits.

[...]

‘Where would you dump a body?’ Downey asks. 

Vetinari blinks.

‘If you murdered someone, DB, where would you dump the body?’ 

Vetinari, carefully, ‘we’re assassin’s Downey. We don’t murder.’ 

‘Oh yes, yes, of course. But if you were to murder. What would you then do? With the body?’ 

Vetinari considers the question then says, ‘Depending on who I had murdered I might make it look like an inhumation. This wouldn’t do much with regards to the Watch, as we’re hardly a legal guild, but it would muddy the waters. But mostly I’d probably put it in water.’ 

‘River or drag it out to the bay?’ 

‘River. With rocks.’ 

‘Right, river.’ Downey muddles this over. He has little idea where Larkin was tossed in although he does know where the body was found, at what time and what the tide was. ‘We need a pig.’ 

‘A pig?’ 

‘Several, in fact.’ Downey stands. ‘The body’s not been cremated yet. With me, DB, we’re to investigate fungal spore growth on human flesh.’ 

Vetinari is not pleased with this development. He informs Downey as much. He, Vetinari, is not interested in investigating fungal growth on human flesh. This is not part of his course requirements. Dr. Follett does not expect him to know such things. But Downey is already out the door and down the hall. 

Vetinari looks at his neat books, his neat notes, his evidently wrong diagram of the tam-linus fungi. He sighs very deeply. 

Downey, doubling back, sticks his head in the classroom, ‘come on, education doesn't wait for the faint-hearted.’  When Vetinari had asked for a tutor to get him up to speed on the sciences he had glossed during his undergraduate years this is not what he had in mind.

[solielvon]

✦ ADRIA ARJONA, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER ✦ SOLIEL VON the THIRTY year old has been in Hidehill for ENTIRE LIFE ON AND OFF and was a ACQUAINTANCE to Ronnie Nilsson, the most recent shadow of Hidehill. Whispers on the streets are that the CONCIERGE DOCTOR/RADIO SHOW CO-HOST who lives in HOVE LAKE are said to be BRILLIANT and VINDICTIVE but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves.

tw: parental abuse, alcoholism, unplanned pregnancy, mason von

If her parents would have, had it their way, she would have never existed. After getting a surprise no one wanted, they would have preferred she become just another townie girl who minded her business and didn’t indulge her dreams. None of the things they wanted came true, unfortunately enough for them. Her father had wanted a son, which meant that he resented her, until he released, in those rare moments of sobriety, that he could pass down the same things to her regardless of the difference in gender. Funny how an open mind seemed like a sickness to a man who favored his addiction over actually living his life.

Her mother resented them both, and generally didn’t give two shits about what they were doing at any given time. She usually wanted to avoid fighting with her husband, which when he was drunk, often turned violent and unpredictable, and find the “better life” she always thought she deserved. During his occasional dances with sobriety, always a limited time offer, he bestowed upon her the only real skills he had. As a boxer forced into retirement, he taught her to fight, to take care of herself. He taught her to drink, which he’d always been a little too good at, and he taught her cars, his fall back when his career failed him.

During this time, when she was still green, and still a child who could believe in love without gritting her teeth on the scar tissue it had caused, she’d met Mason. He often was invited to sneak into her window after a particularly bad knock down, drag out argument with his father, or even on the good days that didn’t require her to clean up a bloodied lip or black eye before pretending she didn’t hate the thought of letting him share the bed. That came later though, which was her first mistake. She’d let him wind his way into her heart through her veins, falling for the parts of him no one saw, including himself, before she’d ever even thought about entertaining the thought of him between her legs.

They’d always shared the idea that the storm cloud of problems that always seemed content to rain on them both would be solved by getting out. The magic cure all was to sleep outside the city limits, and that was why she’d worked so hard. A thousand jobs, cleaning houses in harlow, working at the bakery part time, even becoming the best damn bartender in town, at one point. Now, she tells most people she can’t remember in between what job, or long shift, Mason had asked her to marry him - but the truth was a different scar story, one she kept close to her chest; where it belonged.

It was sometime before she was old enough to bartend that her parents simply seemed to give up on her, and send her off to her Abuelita to live some kind a life that was worth it. She was a burden to them more than anything else, especially on the nights she hid her fathers bottles of alcohol in hopes for a little peace. It was one of those nights that he’d finally put his hands on her, and it was her pride that had made her raise her chin to him finally, which is where that scar still stays, his graduation ring catching her right under it, hard.

After that, she had given up on rationalizing that he could still be good, when he wasn’t drinking. She had given up on holding onto the last piece of fabric she had, that she’d clung to, the dying hope that maybe she’d end up with a family after all. Which, was probably another reason why it had been so easy to say yes, so easy to fall into the idea that she could be safe with someone, that she could have something nice, that there was love for her in the world outside of everything that had let her down in it.

As it turns out, she was wrong about that too. Mason left her at the altar, without much of a reason, instead he’d become a ghost that somehow raised her vindication from the dead, when he did. She deserved it, which was exactly why she’d still wield that hurt like a weapon, when she needed or wanted to. Soliels father died shortly before the would wedding, and her mother simply wasn’t invited, not that she would have showed up anyway. It was after that, that she had allowed her spite to motivate her moves, taking on stripping for not only her day to day expenses, but to help pay the outrageous tuition for med school. Well, those were the excuses. Really, it was the easiest, fastest money, that would provide her favorite fuck you to her ex-fiancée.

He went to jail eventually, and she was forced once again, to deal with the aftermath of the Von’s personal family curse. After all, he’d been stealing from the addresses she’d cleaned for, and explaining that she had nothing to do with it, that she hadn’t even known, was a hard sell even when she’d pleaded, and cursed every part of his stupid ass name. Once the dust settled, a new storm started, because that was when Soliel learned she was pregnant, and everything changed. It was right around the time she had been ready to change her name, to file the paperwork to say their marriage never had lived, nor breathed, and get that stupid matching tattoo removed, too. She’d kept the name, so her daughter never got asked, or had to ask, why mommy and daddy had different names, or be ridiculed for any mistakes the two of them had made. She kept the tattoo, because every time she walked into the shop, it still felt like being kicked in the chest.

She was terrified, at first. It wasn’t like her own mother was some kind of shining star, the kind of mother that deserved the title. There were a thousand what if’s rattling around in her brain, including the glaring ones: what if I’m not good enough for her? What if I can’t do this? What if I don’t deserve a daughter? And there was no one there to answer or even hear those questions. So she read, and she learned, on top of her studies, and she had stared at that positive pregnancy test to make a solemn promise: Poppy would never feel the hurt, the pain, that she and her father had. She would never wonder if she were truly loved. She wouldn’t spend a single night shedding tears alone, because that little girl would have ever part of her, if Soliel Von only ever did one worthwhile thing in her life, it would be Poppy.

While she took every chance to dig, or make things difficult, for Mason once he’d gotten out, never once did she let her daughter see this. Never once, did she use her like the pawn some people would have. Mason might have been a fuck up, but he was a good father, and she wasn’t going to give Poppy daddy issues just for her own benefit, after all, she’d learned a long time ago just how bad that could get. So, she eventually graduated med school, and became a doctor, but the kind that came when they were called. She provided services in the homes of those that were rich and famous, or just plain rich, rather than wasting away in a hospital - which was beneficial, because for two years, she was the picture of a single parent, with very little help.

Once she did begin to have more free time, she started a radio show with several co-host, based on what she’d learned as a stripper, a doctor, and simply a woman. The show is a place for relationship advice, sex, and all other elements of similar discourse to thrive, and of course, for them all to get a good laugh from, from time to time. It became a hit three months in, after several popular celebrities mentioned they tuned in, in various interviews. New episodes drop twice a week, and sometimes the group of hosts take over the Hidehill forum for a little Q&A, or throw events to raise money for various different charities or functions in both Hidehill and Nashville proper.

However, Mason was the one who suggested they relocate to Hidehill officially, rather than visiting and simply spending time there,once more after the longest stint away from the city, when Nancy was killed. She knew how to read between his lines by now, and what he was truly saying, and asking, when he said that was what he wanted. It was supposed to be safe now; right? But, she is quickly becoming absolutely aware that nothing is safe, and they may have just walked their daughter right into harms way.

CONNECTIONS:

fellow radio show hosts (2 (sasha kang)/3), one remaining spot open 

family members, cousins (1 (alaska sosa)/3), two remaining spots open

patients - current and previous, those who have hired her to either be their personal doctor, or this could be post shadow-attack victims that need additional care after the hospital, etc 

the mom friend mafia (1 (greta hightower)/3) two remaining spots open

hook ups/one night stands/exes/what ifs - these are people that have slept with or occasionally hook up with soliel, aware that this would have to be on nights/days she didn’t have poppy, and if it was anything more than a one off, probably beyond complicated but we can discuss (also see: revenge hook ups, general mess, and she will fight your girlfriend if thats what you were going for)

past coworkers, simply that, or turned friends (from when she worked at the bakery, as a stripper, odd jobs, cleaning houses in harlow but this would have been as a kid)

past customers/clients at the strip club for funsies, especially since shes a doctor, and i think it woul be funny as shit to have the girl you used to get lapdances from, show up as your doctor 

the under the table fixer upper, aka people who cant or wont go to the hospital or through the normal channels, so they show up to receive medical care from her or call her to come to them 

babysitters ( the occasional trusted friend/acquaintance that would watch poppy, especially when she was younger and mason was locked up)

[apliteraturecramsession]

Alice Lovelace's AP Literature Cram Session

If you're either refreshing for an exam or just want a summary, you're in the right place.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Welcome to the first edition of I DIDN"T KNOW THIS WOULD BE ON THE EXAM, AND SHIT! IT"S A BETTER OPTION THAN THE BOOKS I HAD TO READ FOR CLASS.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is the journey of Janie Crawford, an African American woman finding her way through life.

couple of notes before I start:

This book is written in phonetic english, and there is a huge important to dialect

Centered around an African American Woman in the south, and there are some sad but true instances of racism towards the end.

Around 200 pages, so If you have time to read it, I truely recommend it. There are some beautiful gems in here, along with the name for the title.

READ IT IF YOU CAN!! If not, here you go.

CHARACTERS:

Jaine: The protagonist who is an idealistic dreamer and spends the story chasing love and finding it. When she is faced with hardship, she stands strong until someone opens a new door. She ultimately has to learn to let go, but does not forget her lover.

Grandmother: Jaime’s grandmother who raised her, and wants the best for her, in her own way. She marries her off in an attempt to protect her.

Logan: Jaime’s first husband who doesn't love her, but attempts to take care of her, until she has had enough and runs away.

Jody Starks: Jaime’s second husband, who provides her with an escape and the illusion of love. Their relationship technically lasts until he dies.

Tea Cake: Jaime’s third husband, and true lover. He dies in an act of love for her and she ultimately has to return the favor.

SYNOPSIS:

It begins with a woman returning to her home after being gone for many years. She returns to the whispers and gossip of her town, but only sets the record straight when her friend comes to visit her, and so she begins her narrative. She starts at the very beginning with the fact that she was raised by her grandmother, not her mother. Her grandmother, who is unwilling to let Jaine live like either her mother or herself, decides that Jaime is old enough and marries her off to an older farmer. Jaine, however, is a dreamer and wants love for herself. So, when a younger man shows up on her doorstep, after fighting with her current husband, doesn’t hesitate to run off and marry the younger man, Jody. At first, everything seems to be going well for Jaine and Jody, who treats her like royalty, with him becoming mayor of a town and her clerking a shop. It soon becomes clear that he is isolating her, however, and when she tries to fight him on it, she gets shut down by her husband; this is described by Jaine as another dream dying. So, Jaine suffers in silence alone, until her husband begins to waste away, and after an argument, he dies escorted out by death and her words. After about nine months she is being courted by a younger man named Tea Cake, whom she has gone and truly fallen in love with. He becomes her dream, so she marries him and follows him down into the everglades. For a while it is truly bliss between the couple. He is a good and loving husband to her, who finally treats her well. They live well for a while, then the young couple get news of a hurricane. They decide not to leave their home, but once the hurricane strikes, they run east. Once they run, Jaine and Tea Cake get swept up in the storm, and when they are hanging on for dear life, a dog gets stuck with them, which attacks Jaine before Tea Cake rescues her and gets bitten on the face by the dog. Nothing much happens for a bit, until one day Tea Cake gets a bad headache and when he goes to drink water, he finds he can’t. After trying a couple more times, Jaine goes to fetch a doctor, who quietly tells her that it's too late for Tea Cake, that it was rabies and if they had caught it earlier it wouldn’t have been a problem. Jaine decides to stick it out with her husband and decides not to take him to a hospital and the doctor sends for some medicine which should arrive the next day. She finds a 6-chamber pistol that she decides to remove 3 bullets from, just in case. So she goes to bed and wakes to find him freaking out about her leaving and pulls out the gun, and pulls the trigger twice before she shoots him, killing him. The doctor finds her there holding the body of the man she loved. However, she is arrested and charged for murder but is acquitted. So, she returns home alone, and after telling all this to her friend, goes to sleep.

Themes (That You Won't Find on SparkNotes) :

 Memories and Maturity: throughout the story, there are many instances of Jaine being presented with the same choice more than once. She does not make the same choice when presented with the same options. Instead having grown and changed, maturing in her choices. 

“What  wouldn’t’ I given to be twelve years younger so i could b’lieve him” “Ah done lived grandma’s way, now Ah means to live mine.”

The influence of Dreams:

Jaine spends the entire story dreaming, from one thing to another. She dreams of love, and chases those throughout the story, leading her from one choice to the next, marking the passage of time. The stages of her life are marked by her dreams, and somewhere along the way, she learns to let each of them go. Which shows a beautiful growth of character, and a sense of personal peace she doesn’t get til the end of the narrative.

" Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman" "one way or another that took the bloom off things"

If you stuck around, here are a couple of helpful links

Pdf - https://emedicodiary.com/book/view/388/their-eyes-were-watching-god-pdf

Youtube summary - https://youtu.be/nq_xmL9gbkw?si=iawFZ23brTkirqLh

Sparknotes - https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/eyes/themes/

Hope this helps! If not don't hurt me :)

[earth-18104]

Earth-18104 - 1990

Events that occurred in the year 1990, when the Avengers first appeared as a group of super heroes.

The stories are not complete or are summarized, and are inspired by other medias, like the movies, comics and series, but don't follow Marvel Canon or the time-line established so faithfully, and include stories of my OCs.

The (N) at the end of names serves to indicate character births and the numbers are their ages. I will include more events as I write more about the characters.

The Battle of New York, the event that marks the first apparition of the Avengers, is just a resume, I will put the whole thing in another post.

(Some characters have different stories from the comics. Dr. Octavius is a woman in this universe, and we got 2 versions of Nick Fury: Sr., who is part of the Howling Commandos, and is like the version of the comics; and Jr., who is the director of SHIELD and is inspired by the MCU version or Marcus Jonhson, the comic character)

List of Events of Earth-18104 (Resume)

Tw: Mention of suicide very early on.

1990 -

• (February)

• After failling to commit suicide, Wade Wilson (18) was invited by Francine Cavalcante (182) and Tereza Márquez (175) OC, heads of Sister Margaret's Home, where he was raised, to go back and join a clandestine group of mercenary assassins.

• Frank Castle (34) and his wife had a happy life together living in New York City. At some point he then went abroad and returned to meet his second son, Frank Castle, Jr. for the first time, discovering that he was already walking.

• Flint Marko (31) marries Alma Alvarado and shortly afterwards the two have a daughter, Keemia. (N)

• Patsy Walker (23) had a brief career as a model and married her childhood friend, Robert "Buzz" Baxter, who was on her old childhood show. After her marriage, Patsy spent the next few years of her life on Air Force bases as her husband was in the officer training program.

• Greer Grant's husband, William Nelson, was seriously injured during a police raid, dying in his wife's arms.

• Now alone, Greer (30) was unable to stay in her old home and moved into the apartment of an old friend, Dr. Joanne Tumolo, a university professor.

• During a physical examination, the doctor noticed some unusual bruising and lumps on Warren Worthington's (15) back.

• Worried that he might be removed from school if his parents thought he was being mistreated, Warren lied that he had injured himself during jumping practice.

• He kept the bruises a secret, in addition to the pain in his back that little by little began to get worse.

• One day, Warren woke up with severe pain and found a white feather in his bed. Over the next weeks, more feathers appeared and his pain increased, but he refused to go to the hospital, as his friends had suggested.

• (Earth's mightiest heroes)

• (April 1, Sunday)

• On earth, Nick Fury Jr (42), Maria Hill (25), Barbara Morse (24), Clint Barton (24), Phil Coulson (43), Henry Pym (27), Janet van Dyne (24) and Erik Selvig are called to the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility in the Mojave Desert, where Dr. Selvig is researching the Tesseract, which has recently begun emitting strange amounts of energy on its own, leading the facility to be evacuated.

• Aided by Thanos, Loki, the god of mischief, activates the Tesseract from within the Sanctuary, teleporting to the SHIELD complex.

• She steals the Tesseract and uses the Scepter given to her by Thanos to control the minds of several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including Selvig and Barton.

• They escape and the Tesseract's energy destroys the base, starting the Chitauri Invasion. In response, Nick Fury Jr. reactivates the Avengers Initiative.

• In Asgard, Heimdall sees Loki on Earth with the Tesseract, and informs Thor and Odin, who sends his sons Tyr, Vidar, Honir, Balder and Thor to Earth to bring Loki back to Asgard for punishment.

• (April 5)

• The Battle of New York happens after Loki opened a portal to allow the Chitauri Army to invade Earth. The Avengers, Fantastic Four and other superhumans teamed up to protect the planet.

• After the Battle, the Avengers were recognized as "Earth's mightiest heroes".

• (Details of the Battle)

• (April 17)

• (Angel)

• A month after discovering the bruises, Warren Worthington III (14) woke up in the middle of the night with horrible pain and blood running down his back. He ran to the bathroom and as he grabbed the sink with his hands, he felt his back slowly tearing apart, as if something was growing beneath his skin.

• His roommates heard him screaming and called his teachers, who called Warren's parents.

• Locked in the bathroom, Warren could no longer take the pain and used scissors he had found to open the wounds on his back further.

• Even though it didn't have much effect, the pain soon subsided as two white wings, covered in blood, appeared on Warren's back.

• Warren's parents arrived at the same time and, like Warren, were horrified to see the boy's new appendages. That's when Warren passed out from the pain.

• He woke up in the hospital the next morning. His back had been stitched up but the white wings were still there, bigger than the night before. His mother was the only one to visit him and Warren didn't know how to explain what had happened.

• His mother just said he should rest and, without looking at her son, she left the hospital.

• As Warren's wings began to grow, they became difficult to hide and he began strapping them to his back at his father's request. To avoid suspicion, he abruptly dropped all sports at school, much to the confusion of his coaches and administrators.

• Later, the Worthingtons were visited by Charles Xavier (52) and Bobby Drake (12), who explained his mutant status to Warren and invited him to join their school. Bobby even showed off his powers to Warren, who reluctantly accepted the offer.

• Just a few weeks later, Bobby, Warren, Jean and Scott began their training at Graymalkin Manor, choosing codenames for themselves: Iceman, Angel, Marvel Girl and Cyclops respectively.

• Although Warren had difficulty accepting his mutant nature at first, he eventually became friends with his new classmates, becoming closer to Jean.

• After his return to the modern world as a renowned hero, Steve Rogers (70) is chosen to be the face of many campaigns.

• One, not long after the Battle of New York, includes a set of videos for students in schools. He films many videos, including a fitness challenge, a video for students in detention, and another on the importance of patience.

• Peter Parker (9) tells his classmates that he was saved by Captain America, but no one believes him, until Harry Osborn defends him, saying that he also saw Cap and the Wasp.

• (June)

• During a rugby game, Henry McCoy (15) witnessed a pair of masked thugs trying to rob the ticket booth, and used his mutant abilities to stop them. However, it wasn't long before the press began to question his mutant nature of justice.

• The first reports of Henry's abilities were read by Xavier, as well as Dr. Olivia Octavius ​​(43) and billionaire Tony Stark (26) who was running a special program for gifted young people.

• Alongside Frankie Reyes (20), Kevin Brashear (20), Kavita Rao (20) and Adrienne Brashear (15), as well as other young people, Henry participated in a lecture tour across the country, until he met Drs. Helen Cho (25) and Moira MacTaggert (55).

• Moira showed great interest in Henry's mutant abilities and told him that the only school where his intellect could be sufficiently challenged was the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester.

• After being introduced to Professor Xavier and his students, Henry, accepting his status as a mutant, agreed to join the X-Men.

• Now with the second lineup of X-Men complete, Xavier began training his new students to hone their powers in his Danger Room specially built by him and the team's old lineup.

• (Wasp and Ant-Man vs. Egghead)

• Deciding to increase his powers to be more useful to the Avengers, Henry Pym (27) designed a growth formula. In one of his tests, he accidentally destroys the house's roof, scaring one of his neighbors.

• Maria Trovaya arrives and helps him free himself from the house. Henry explains that he was testing his new size-changing capsules. Giving her a demonstration, Pym grows to the height of 12 feet.

• Maria takes one of the pills and shrinks it to the size of a wasp and lands on Henry's finger. Bringing his girlfriend back to normal, Henry jokes that she would make a great partner.

• Maria smiles and then becomes serious as she remembers that he already has a partner, pointing to the window, where they can see Janet van Dyne (24) crossing her garden.

• Maria leaves irritated, leaving Henry to greet Janet. He takes her to her lab, saying he has a surprise for her: a new gun that shoots compressed air. Each "wasp sting" has enough power to knock over objects.

• In the kitchen, Maria angrily prepares food, throwing things across the counter with force while complaining to herself about the rich girl in her house.

• Meanwhile, Egghead, one of Ant-Man's new enemies, has decided that now is the time to launch his next attack against his nemesis. Using a transmitter implanted in a nearby anthill, he uses it to broadcast false messages about Ant-Man.

• Maria intercepts the transmitter signal and warns Pym and van Dyne, but refuses to join them.

• Deciding to get to the bottom of things, Pym, now calling himself Giant-Man, sends Wasp to locate Egghead and tells her not to attack him alone. However, when Wasp encounters the villain she is caught in his mind control and returns to attack Pym, while Egghead watches from a monitor in his hideout.

• Hiring a gang of thugs, Egghead plans a robbery, starting by calling the police and informing them about the battle between Ant-Man and the Wasp.

• While the police are distracted by the battle in the east end of the city, Egghead plans to rob an armored car in the west end.

• Taking a rented truck, they quickly take the armored car off the road and load it into the back of their specially equipped truck. The police, Giant Man and Wasp soon realize that they have all been tricked.

• Using Ant-Man's spy ants to track Egghead's truck, the two heroes follow Egghead to his secret hideout near the docks. They stop Egghead and defeat his gang of crooks.

• With all the bandits reunited and their loot returned, the two heroes return to Pym's house.

• (July)

• The Avengers helped the United States military recover a flying fortress that was stolen by Victor Von Doom (27), who had escaped from his prison.

• Fighting aboard the ship, the Avengers managed to stop Doom from recovering his ship thanks in part to Giant-Man using his newly developed powers.

• While the aerial fortress was destroyed, the Avengers were unable to capture Doom, who actually sent one of his Doombots to capture the fortress for him.

• (The disappearance of Kevin Brashear)

• Kevin (20) and Adam Brashear (64), the former hero Blue Marvel, were on a mission together. They tracked Dr. Skorpion to Giza, where the villain planned to open a portal to another dimension, the Neutral Zone.

• However, if the portal remained open much longer, the feedback would destroy this dimension, and that was Skorpion's plan.

• Kevin attacked Skorpion and made him fall against the console that controlled the portal, randomly pressing buttons and causing a short circuit in the system.

• The portal expanded and transported Kevin to the Neutral Zone. Adam tried to reach the portal, but the difference between his super-powered nature and that of the Neutral Zone prevented him from getting within six feet of it.

• As the portal was also becoming unstable, Adam had no choice but to destroy it.

• The loss of Kevin tore the Brashear family apart, and Adam spent years investigating the Neutral Zone trying to get his son back while his son Max (17) distanced himself from his family, asking never to be contacted again.

[thewesleyxkennedy]

Full Name: Wesley Ryan Kennedy

Faceclaim: Wilson Bethel

Pronouns/Gender: 35

Age & Birthday: December 9th

Birth Place: Austin Texas

How long have they been in town?: One Year

Living Situation: GRAND MARQUIS

Occupation: Doctor

Family (Siblings, significant others, children, etc. (Please give us birthdays or birth years for any children!) Logan West Kennedy (Son) – One Year Old, Matthew Kennedy (Younger Brother) – 33, Logan Kennedy (Younger Brother) – 29, Chole Kennedy (Younger Sister) – 29   

BIOGRAPHY:

TW: Death and Loss

Wesley was born to the Kennedy’s a family of lawyers, doctor, and politicians. One would think that coming from a family that was rich would make his life easy but his birth and his childhood were not easy but that was not the case.

Many of the Kennedy’s did not marry out of love but out of political reasons so to say.  One would say that Wesley was a result of love which is something that makes him different and makes him stand out from the rest of his family. Before Wesley was born his father was already bestowed to another woman named Sophia Blackwell but Andrew was not in love with her and did not want to marry her because he was in love with Wesley’s mother Allison who he had known since he was a child and who came from not a high-class family. Andrew’s parents were aware about their son’s love interest and did everything they could to break them up but in the end, they could not do anything.

The week before Andrew’s and Sophia’s wedding, Andrew and Allison fled the state and ended up together and married because he did not want to marry someone that he did not love. Because of that Andrew’s parents cut him off unless leaves Allison and marry Sophia but Andrew did not care. Money and Pressure from Andrew’s family ended up getting to both Andrew and Allison and they decided that it would best if Andrew followed his parents’ wishes. Andrew divorced and left Allison when she was a few weeks pregnant, but she never told him because she knew that he would stay, and she only told Andrew’s parents. Andrew did not find out that Allison was pregnant until after she gave birth to Alex and a month after dying from a terrible illness. Wesley was taken in by his father and the rest of the family because he was a Kennedy, but his wife Sophia hated the idea but could not protest.

Growing up Andrew’s family sometimes treated Wesley like he was invisible because of his birth and story and even his grandmother treated him like he was not a member of the family. He never got attention from his father, stepmother, or grandmother. The only person that showed him attention was his grandfather and younger twin brothers.

Growing up and watching his half-sibling get the attention that he always wanted made him feel bad about himself. When he was teenager and started high school his grandfather, the only person that cared, loved, and raised him died, Wesley started making bad decisions and he also ended up developing depression and almost took his life because of his depression and how he was treated by his family. After finishing college, Wesley went to college where he was able to find himself, get help and distance himself from his family. He became happy.

Wesley met a woman during his residency, and they feel in love which resulted in them getting engaged after dating for so many years. A few months after his engagement he found out that she was pregnant, which filled him with joy, and he promised himself that he would be a good parent. Wesley got married right before his son was born and he was happy because he had a wonderful family. Until a few months ago when his wife passed due to an accident leaving him a single dad and a widower. Wesley, being hurt parked everything and moved with his son to New Bellevoux, closer to his late wife’s parents.

[shadowsong26fic]

A-Z OC meme N. (I think I might only recognize maybe one or two but please feel free to talk about aaall of 'em xD)

All right, then!

I had an AtLA OC named Nuying; she was the Earth King's aunt but basically just a sketch--she was a satellite to a main OC, her son.

Dr. Naar! I love Dr. Naar. He is a doctor, he is very firm in his ethics, he treats all comers regardless of allegiance (which is why he refuses to Officially join the Rebellion). Also it would be nice if he would. Like. Confirm his species for me??? (He's either a Human or a Besalisk but will not say one way or another. Sigh.)

Nikolai is another Star Wars OC. He's Kallus's nephew, the middle of three boys. He's an art history nerd, and runs away because his father is...well...Awful. And his mother (Kallus's sister) isn't all that much better. He and his brothers figure he might actually be better off with Uncle Alexsandr, even with the treason and the war and so on. He does eventually have some contact with his mother, but never speaks to his father again. He is very close to his brothers, though. He marries a guy who is just as nerdy as he is, in a related but not necessarily the same field.

For my original stuff--

Nolani is the princess Lonura is in love with (from the Ls answer). She's her mother's eldest child and therefore second in line to the throne for most of the main part of the story. She does have a husband, who over time becomes her best friend; they married to seal a treaty. There were some. Communication issues surrounding that, and she and Lonura briefly split up. She is a hopeless romantic; before she started seeing Lonura, she had a string of brief relationships, falling in and out of love pretty quickly. She's very devoted to her family, especially her brother and sister, but tends to be very aware of her position in her mother's shadow.

Nida is a posthumous character, the wife of the...for lack of a better term, Disc One Final Boss. Her family has ties to a resistance movement, she was sent in to hopefully seduce the King to manipulate and eventually murder him as soon as she had an heir and a spare, who would hopefully still be young enough for her to serve as their regent and raise them to effect real change. But she fell in love with her target along the way, and at the last minute, chose not to kill him, partly because of that and partly because she--not incorrectly--thought that the alternative would lead to a bloody civil war, with her children caught in the middle. She does what she can over the next couple of decades, dying about seven or eight years before the main storyline opens. Her oldest son is the actual Big Bad; her youngest son is one of the main heroes.

Neiali comes from the same universe as Larien and Landelye. Neiali is the youngest of the High Priest's three children; older brothers Ahnrel and Sefalin are the main characters (Sefalin being Del's lover). Neiali is offstage for most of what I've written, trying to track down the missing Prince Idan for reasons of Complicated Politics. Neiali is also possibly a trans woman? This has not been confirmed; the rest of Neiali's family is unaware and refers to Neiali using male pronouns/terms. (If Neiali doesn't pick an entirely new name, her name would be something along the lines of Neialyi, because Weird Ways Of Marking Gender In Names, lol. Feminine names in this universe have a glide/y in the last syllable (Landelye; Metanrye, Kahleny).

Neremyi is Larien's aunt, the mother of his rival king in Nandere. Her husband made no secret of his resentment, and after her sons were about ten, they didn't spend much time with her. She built her own network of support and political alliances within her husband's--now her son's--court; she's mostly an observer for now, but she has some long-term plans, including a few candidates for her son's consort.

Nahrenyi is the High Priest's secretary, and a quiet schemer. Not actually against him or for any other faction; she actually thinks Jemairin is the leader the Church needs right now. But she...manages things, makes sure he doesn't get too bogged down in one issue and forget the others. Quiet and subtle, she likens herself to a gardener.

[that particular story is currently known as 'Untitled Intrigues Story'; there is a Lot of Scheming, lol]

That's...pretty much everyone with an N name, I think! At least in terms of major or Significant Minor characters.

Ask me about my OCs!

[4sacrowd]

Losses and Gains

I'm going to switch gears for a minute here. That being said I'm going to use this opportunity to instill a trigger warning. This post is about to discuss loss of pregnancy and may be sensitive to some readers. Stop now if you feel like this may be too much for you. Love you mama.

"There's no heartbeat". That is undoubtedly one of the scariest things any soon-to-be mother may or may not ever hear, but will always fear when those 2 lines come up on that test. If you've already experienced loss or are close to someone who has, finding out you're pregnant is both exciting and scary for different reasons than someone who has not experienced it. I've had two and a half miscarriages. Now, I say two and a half because my last one was a twin fetal demise. My oldest daughter was a twin, my first twin pregnancy.. I lost her twin at 13 weeks. The first time I miscarried my marriage was still pretty fresh. It was 2017, we had just come up on one year of marriage and found out we were pregnant. The fear and joy that overtook us both was unmatched and incredible. We posted about it, we told everyone, we were so excited to be newly married and on top of that, newly pregnant.

It was actually my very first appointment. My mother in-law came with me since my husband was at work, she was just as excited as I was. I was still early so I needed an internal ultrasound. I had a hard time reading the tech's face but the next words were, "the doctor is going to come in and talk to you". When she came in a got a quick and cold "there's no heartbeat". I was confused because I wasn't sure what that meant until I looked over at my mother in-law and saw her face drop. I don't think I heard anything else after that visit aside from them giving me the pills to evict my unborn growth of lifelessness. I wasn't convinced... I waited a week almost 2 before I finally pulled the pills out of my bag and came to terms with the reality of the situation. That exact same day I got the most intense cramps I had ever experienced he my life. It felt like I was actually dying, the blood was more than I'd ever had in any menstrual cycle and I just knew. I knew exactly what it was. Looking back at the mess confirmed my worst fear. This happened a second time and by the time it had happened again, I realized that while I did lose another baby, one of them was actually okay.

Pregnancy loss is one of those things that you will never understand until it happens to you or someone you are very close to. Women who have experienced loss and become pregnant again take every single precaution we can. We go to every doctor's visit, we pay attention to our bodies way more than usual, we side eye women who don't care what they put in their bodies, who don't care to miss appointments, who don't care what they eat or don't exercise and it isn't always judgmental, it's usually just "I wish I could care less but I can't because I'm terrified". The ignorance of a statement like "I've never been high risk so I don't care" or "I've never miscarried so I'm not worried about it" being said to woman who is or who has is just as bad as a statement like "You need to have some babies" being said to a woman who cannot have children. The one thing I've learned and delivered new ways to keep the trusts he has given us safe and sound. Pregnancy is never ever solely about YOU. While you're friends bundle of joy, caring for you while you carry your bundle of joy, you are the only one on planet earth that can take care of this baby until they come into the outside world. However, no matter what you do , there is never a guarantee what will happen at the end. So do not beat yourself up EVER mama. Loss, birth defects, Developmental delays and defects a you ever ever you're fault. If you did everything you could possibly do to keep yourself and your baby healthy, that is all that ever matters. With every loss, you have gained new love, new appreciation, and new knowledge and we love that for you.

Love you mama,

Mama Zo

[countessbatman]

Every year I gorge myself on this seasons givings of films like a foie gras Christmas goose. These are the Christmas films I thought were best from best to worst.

1. Ghosts of Christmas Always -  It follows Katherine, a Ghost of Christmas Present, as she helps one soul to rediscover his Christmas spirit, but this year has something unusual in store. (Link 1) (Trailer Link 2)

It was cute, it was funny, it made me cry. I understood why they liked each other and it was an all around good time. 10/10

2. A Nutcracker Christmas -  When her niece is cast in The Philadelphia Ballet's production of the Nutcracker, a jaded ex-ballerina is forced to come to terms with the life and love she left behind. (Link 3) (Trailer Link 4)

I love The Nutcracker, so this is was perfect for me. I liked the overall story being more about of lead’s accomplishments. The romance plot is more of a bonus. But it’s still cute and it made me cry.

3. Noel Next Door -  It follows a single mom as she gets into a war of words with a neighbor who is ruining Christmas, only to find that this misunderstood grouch just may steal her heart. (Link 5) (Trailer Link 6)

The script was well written and so was the dialouge. I understood both of them and it was cute. I liked the overall concept and it was a nice distraction. 

4. All Saints Christmas -  It tells the story of Lisette, a popular singer who's getting ready to travel home for Christmas. When the media mistake a photo of her with her ex as an engagement announcement, her family insists that he join her on the trip. (Link 7) (Trailer Link 8)

Cute fake dating trope. I liked how it wasn’t necessarily about obstacles but more about timing with the right person. I also liked how much music was in it. 

5. Something From Tiffany’s -  Follows a woman as her life gets upended when an engagement ring that was for someone else leads her to the person she's meant to be with. (Link 9) (Trailer Link 10)

This film was hanging on the chemistry of the two leads. I absolutely hated how Ethan was so “ready” to marry Vanessa and doesn’t even discuss with her that he wants to move back to New York and is even looking for jobs there. Red flag.  I don’t understand why everyone was so against Vanessa, what did she do wrong. And then the DAY AFTER he breaks up with her he gets with Zoey like...wwwhhhhaaattt??? 

6. Must Love Christmas -  A renowned romance novelist famous for her Christmas-themed books finds herself snowbound in the charming town of Cranberry Falls, where she unexpectedly becomes involved in a love triangle between her childhood crush and a reporter determined to interview her to save his dying magazine. (Link 11) (Trailer Link 12)

I really wanted to love this, but the love triangle works best when I feel the tension between the choices our main character makes. But instead *spoilers* one on them just turns out to be a jerk, which elminates any part of me that cared because if guy A wasn’t a jerk she would still be with guy A. She never really liked guy B but because he was her only option...like...

7. Sweet Navidad -  A pastry chef, dreams of opening her own postre shop. Being paired with another chef for a grand event they have to learn from one another and eventually come together to create a truly inspired menu in time for Christmas. (Link 13) (Trailer Link 14)

This started off really cute and good. But our lead is so irresponsible and then gets angry at her love interest because he calls her out on it. Like just do your job..

8. Meeting Mr. Christmas -  A popular travel blogger's negative impressions about Christmas are challenged when she must team up with the "holiday loving" town doctor in order to save her family's annual Christmas event. (Link 15) (Trailer Link 16)

Very plain average. Nothing really special going on here. 

9. A Kismit Christmas -  It tells the story of Sarah, a children's book author who returns to her hometown where she reconnects with her family and her teenage crush. She soon discovers that a family legend might actually be true. (Link 17) (Trailer Link 18)

Magical Christmas cookies. It had cute elements but like it doesn’t make sense. Our main character has just been waiting for this guy? A guy she doesn’t even know him that well because he didn’t even tell her that he was getting married. She never visited her grandma again? Why did her grandma stop making the cookies when the entire town liked them, her own friend was even asking for one...Just didn’t do it for me. 

10. Christmas With You -  Follows a pop star who's got a career burnout and escapes to a small town where she finds not only inspiration but a shot of love. (Link 19) (Trailer Link 20)

There were a lot of little things that annoyed me. It just wasnt as cute as I needed it to be. There were bad comedic moments that didn’t work. The dialogue is bad in parts. Not as good as it should have been. I wasn’t invested in their romance. 

11. Single and Ready to Jingle -  Emma Warner, as a SVP of a toy company, spends 12 months a year focusing on Christmas, leaving no time for dating. This year, she plans a trip to a tropical singles resort, but a booking mistake takes her to a Christmas obsessed town. (Link 21) (Trailer Link 22)

Not charming or cute. Predictable. It has all the elements but I wasn’t invested or cared. 

[anablin]

Gertie Davis, The Cherished Little Girl of Harriet Tubman and Nelson Davis

Gertie Davis, the cherished little girl of Harriet Tubman and Nelson Davis, was born on September 10, 1873 in Auburn, New York to an African American mother and white father. Though her parents lived together as a married couple, they were unable to obtain legal recognition due to the fact that interracial marriage was illegal in 1869, which was the year they wed.

Introduction

Born in 1875 to Harriet Tubman, an American abolitionist and political activist, and Nelson Davis, a military veteran. Gertie was given up for adoption because Harriet Tubman did not have the resources to care for her infant daughter. After they married on March 18, 1869, her parents embraced her in 1874. Harriet Tubman, her mother, was recognized as a strong, caring, and well-educated woman who dedicated her life to helping others. She founded suffrage societies and became an expert on herbal remedies.

Early Life

Born in 1871, Gertie Davis was Harriet Tubman's only biological child. She was born in Auburn, NY to Harriet's first husband. Shortly after Gertie's birth Harriet left her husband to care for her daughter. After Harriet married Nelson Davis on March 18th 1869 she adopted Gertie as her own daughter on March 23rd 1870. Harriet became a very important part of Gertie's life as a caring mother. Harriet died on March 10th 1913 and Gertie passed away at the age of 73 years old from pneumonia in 1944.

Marriage and children

Marriage to her father was not Harriet's only marriage. She also married a man named John Lowrey with whom she had four children. He died before they had any children together. In 1869 Harriet married Nelson Davis and the couple had one daughter named Gertie who was born in 1874. When Gertie was just five years old her mother died as a result of complications from childbirth on March 10, 1879. Harriet Tubman died when Gertie was 5 years old. Harriet became ill after delivering her second child and began hemorrhaging, so she went into labor again but soon passed out. Harriet lost an estimated 15 pounds (6 kg) in weight during her pregnancy and suffered from chronic bronchitis for many years prior to that day which contributed to the complications during childbirth. Doctors were called but could do nothing for Harriet because there were no antibiotics at that time.

Later years

In 1874, Harriet Tubman married a military veteran named Nelson Davis. Together they had one daughter named Gertie. Harriet was known as the Moses of her people because she helped hundreds of slaves escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. She also fought for women's suffrage and against child labor.

Gertie died in 1887 at the age of 12 from tuberculosis. Her mother was devastated by her death, but continued to fight for social justice until she herself passed away in 1913. Harriet, who had never wanted to marry or have children out of fear that they would be taken from her like so many other black children were during slavery times, fell deeply in love with Gertie and cherished their time together. Harriet lost three other children before reaching adulthood: Ben (2 years old), Eliza Jane (6 months old) and Henry Jr.

Legacy

When Harriet Tubman was alive she always wanted to be with her daughter Gertie. When Gertie died at the age of two years old, Harriet felt that she had lost a part of herself. It is said that when Harriet died in 1913, the last words she spoke were Let me go which some people believe is how she wanted to reunite with her daughter. Harriet was buried next to Gertie at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York. The Harriet Tubman Home for Aged Women, where Harriet resided until her death on March 10th 1913, is now preserved as an historic site. Harriet lived for almost another four months after burying Gertie before finally dying of pneumonia on March 10th 1913.

Is gertie davis died

No one knows for sure when Gertie Davis died but she was most likely around the age of 5. It is said that Harriet Tubman's daughter died sometime in 1874. Gertie was born to Harriet Tubman and her second husband, Nelson Davis. Gertie was named after her father because Harriet had a strong desire to have a child with his name. It is unknown how old gertie davis death aged at time of death, but it has been estimated as 5 years old. Although there are no records about her last days on earth, some believe gertie davis death was sad because Harriet was not present to take care of her sickly little girl before she died.

Gertie davis cause of death

Gertie Davis died on June 9th 1887 in Jacksonville, Florida due to malaria. She was buried in Evergreen Cemetery with her mother Harriet Tubman, her father Nelson Davis, and other family members. The cause of death is unknown but it is believed that she contracted the disease while living in Jacksonville, Florida.

What happened to gertie davis

After they married on March 18, 1869, her parents embraced her in 1874. Harriet Tubman, her mother, was recognized as a strong caring woman who loved Gertie Davis dearly. Gertie died at the young age of three in 1876. She had inherited a disease from her father that caused stomach pain and vomiting.

Harriet Tubman was devastated by the death of Gertie and kept a lock of hair with her up until she died.