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exitpursuedbyavulcan · 9 months

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After the War

The night before Tom is sent back to his ship, he spends one last night with his best girl and makes plans for what they'll do when the war is over.

Pairing: Tom Bennett x Reader (2nd person)

Warnings: kissing, fingering, Tom being a lil nasty but it's ok he's hot

This work is a part of my 12 Days of Smuff event! Read the rest here.

My Masterlist

After the War

Prompt: Dreams & Dirty Talk

Tom’s navy uniform had long been discarded on the floor beside the bed; no doubt it would be hopelessly wrinkled when he boarded his train the next day. But you couldn’t bring yourself to care about that at all.

Not when Tom was getting on a train tomorrow, one that would take him to war.

You hated him for getting arrested. You hated him for agreeing to join up to get out of jail. You hated him for going back on his promise to register as a conscientious objector. And you hated him most of all for having the gall to be excited about leaving.

“So, since I won’t need to use my wages on the ship, it’ll be sent back here to Dad. And Lois too, I guess.” Tom quirked his brows and took another puff of his cigarette – his fourth of the night so far – and idly played with your hair as your hair while you rested your head against his chest.

He’d been talking nonstop since he rolled off of you after your last round of lovemaking.

No, it wasn’t lovemaking. It was fucking. Frantic, desperate fucking in lieu of actually talking about what would happen tomorrow, or the next day, or even the next year.

“I told him he could use it if he needed it, but that I want to come home to at least a bit of a stash, you know?”

‘Come home.’

That is what broke you—those two little, uncertain words. There was every possibility that Tom wouldn’t come home, and this last night would be all you had.

You started crying, suddenly and fiercely, burying your face in the smattering of hair on his chest.

Tom instantly sat up, wrapping his arms around you and cradling you against him. “Hey, hey. None of that, love. Tonight’s a happy night, yeah?”

“It’s not!” you insisted through your tears. “It’s not happy at all, Tom!”

He tilted and shook his head in a way you knew meant he was about to argue with you, so you continued before he could. “You’re leaving tomorrow – to go to war! You aren’t going on a fucking holiday! You’ll be on a battleship, not a river cruise!”

“Love, I…”

“No,” you pled, burying yourself in his shoulder. “Don’t make promises we both know you won’t keep. Don’t give me that hope.”

Tom scoffed, “You want me to tell you I’m gonna die?”

You grabbed one of his nipples between your fingers and pinched. Hard.

“Fuckin’ hell, woman!” Tom shouted, gripping your wrist tightly and yanking your hand off his nipple. “I was joking!”

“Don’t joke then!” You were sure your face was red as you yelled at him.

He slapped a hand over your mouth and lowered his voice. “Your mum is gonna hear us if you don’t quiet down, love. I don’t want my last night here to be spent being chased down the street naked by your fuming mum.”

You moved to tear his hand away, but when you met his eyes, you saw that there was fear there. And sadness, longing, grief. He was just as terrified as you. More, even.

When he felt you relax, he removed his hand. “Now,” his voice had become gentle, if a little strained, “are you going to yell at me again? Or try to rip my nipple off?”

You shook your head.

“Good.” He pulled you into him again, and you let him. He held you with your back toward him, one of his large hands splayed on your stomach and the other stroking your hair. “Then… what do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know.” You leaned into his chest, resting your head against his shoulder. He did nothing to egg you on, only held you close as you thought. “Tell me about the future,” you finally said. “About our future.”

“Alright,” he took a deep breath before he began narrating. You may or may not have prayed to God to grant him the gift of prophecy.

“Well… tomorrow, I’m gonna climb down outta that window there,” he pointed to your bedroom window, “and I’m gonna run down the street and climb up into my own window. I’ll have breakfast with Lois and my dad. Then we’ll all go to the train station, and you’ll meet us there – no sailor can leave home without a goodbye kiss from his best girl.”

You blushed at that, then blushed further when he tweaked your nose.

“I’ll go to training. Obviously, they’ll recognize my amazing natural talents and promote me right off.” You made a snarky comment about his overwhelming humility that he quickly silenced by tickling you. “I think I’ll get a few days leave between training and shipping out, so I’ll come back here.”

The joking grin mostly faded from his face, his eyes focusing on your face as his voice lowered. “I’ll use my wages from training to buy a nice ring, or, as nice as I can afford. I’ll have you wear your best dress and take you to the Palais for a night of dancing. Then, I’ll take you to the register office and marry you.”

Your breath vanished from your lungs. “But, there’s a waiting period…”

“Nah,” he said all too quickly. He’d been thinking about this, you realized. Planning it. “They’re waving that for all the boys going to fight. And this way, you’ll get the marriage allowance. And the widow’s pension, if…”

Tears threatened to come to your eyes again, and Tom barreled on. “I expect a good amount of that allowance to go to buying yourself some lovely lingerie to entertain me whenever I get leave.”

“You’re disgusting,” you half-heartedly teased.

Tom began moving the hand he had on your stomach lower, drawing random circles and loops and other shapes you couldn’t identify. “Don’t pretend you don’t love it. Besides, I need something to motivate me to live, don’t I?”

Any protest you had to his dark humor died when his long fingers traveled lower, teasing you just enough to take your breath away. And to prove him right.

“Well, look what I found…” he whispered huskily in your ear. “A wanton young woman who loves it when her man is ‘disgusting?’ Lucky for you, I like my best gal a little loose.”

You moaned in both offense and pleasure as his thumb started rubbing soft circles on your pearl, and his middle finger began just barely dipping in and out of your entrance. Not enough. It wasn’t nearly enough.

“I’m going to write you letters every day when I’m at sea,” he promised. “Each day, I’ll give you new instructions. New little ways you can entertain me even when I’m half a world away.”

“Like what?” you managed to ask as his finger finally began to go deeper, but achingly slowly.

“Mmm… one day, I may ask you to do something as tame as leaving your panties at home. But when I’m really missing you, I’ll want you to be the biggest slut in Manchester. A faithful slut, mind you, but still.”

Something about his words, mixed with the way he began stroking that glorious rough patch inside you drove you absolutely wild. Seeking more speed, you began bucking your hips against his hand. But he only rested his other on your hips to keep you still.

“Maybe I’ll ask you to touch yourself in a particular way, and then tell me how much you liked it. Or maybe I’ll have you touch yourself somewhere new. Say, the Palais? Or your parents' kitchen table?”

You whimpered. This shouldn’t be as arousing as it was, you knew. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that these wicked things would be the only way you could get close to fucking him whenever he was away.

“I may even have you take some pictures to send in your letters. Didn’t you say your uncle offered you a job at his photography studio? Yeah, I think you need to take him up on that one.”

His musings seemed to fade as he moved his fingers faster, even slipping another into you. He no longer wanted just to tease you, but to satisfy you. “I’ll be desperate, love. Stuck in a tin can with a bunch of other blokes. And I know I can’t last with just the pin-ups. None of them come close to you.

“Will you do it for me? Will you buy the sluttiest lingerie you can find? Touch yourself for me? Whenever and wherever I want you to? Send my pictures like you’re no better than the whores who mail their photos for a couple pennies?”

You arched your back, feeling his words speed your climax along. “Yes, Tom. All of it. I’ll do anything for you.”

He leaned down and planted a sloppy kiss on your lips, swallowing your screams as he brought you to the edge, never stilling his fingers until you begged him to. “That’s my girl.”

You turned toward him, having felt his cock hard against your back. But he did not let you. He held you in place, not even griding into you.

“Not yet, greedy thing. I haven’t finished my story yet.” You fought him a little, but ended up lying back when he refused to relent. “Now, where was I?”

“I was being the most faithful slut in Manchester.”

“Oh yes, I love that part. But after that, once we defeat the Jerries and good triumphs, I’ll come home to you. We’ll both have saved enough to buy our own place, or at least rent a decent flat. And…”

Tom probably talked for hours until he fell asleep. You wondered if he ever took care of his erection. But you weren’t sure.

Not long after he started telling the rest of the story, you’d fallen asleep. Some part of you must have kept listening, though. Your dreams were full of visions of the life you and Tom would have.

A tearful reunion when he came home for good. Kissing at the train station so long that everyone else would leave and only you two would remain.

Him carrying you into your new home. Somehow, he’d managed to snag a gorgeous flat in the heart of the city, with grand windows that gave you a magnificent view of the sunset.

He’d find some job he loved (even in your dreams, you couldn’t imagine what job that would be) and make enough that you’d never have to worry about money again. Maybe you could even help your parents out.

Eventually, you’d have children. And since it was a dream, childbirth was a breeze, and the kids were perfectly behaved.

It was a perfect life.

A perfect dream.

But when you woke, you watched Tom climb out your window, and reality came crashing back down.

#tom bennett #tom bennett x reader #tom bennett fic #tom bennett fanfic #tom bennet fanfiction #tom bennet smut #tom bennett imagine #tom bennett x you #world on fire #ewan mitchell #12 days of smuff

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hiwelcometothemonstersancturary · 6 months

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What's it like for swimming for them

Angel takes the group to a lake near the farm to teach everyone how to swim, but also to aid in their physical therapy. And, well...

Poppy is afraid. SOOOO afraid. Angel holds her close, and it takes her a lot of time before she's able to do it by herself. She's fine with bathtubs and baby polls, but something actually deep???? Her hair getting wet is also really annoying to her as well. She prefers splashing herself and using bigger toys as "boats" rather than just swimming

Huggy Wuggy likes floating in the water. Kissy Missy does as well, but she likes pretending to be a pirate's ship and splashing others in other to cannon ball them. Huggy joins in the war.

Catnap does not like swimming, it feels weeeird, but Dogday LOVES it. Drags him to the water like a mermaid dragging a sailor and laughs everytime when Catnap screams.

Mommy Long Legs is an AWFUL swimmer but she actually likes it!!!! Pretends to be a kraken. Poppy and Kissy like to pretend they're going to take her down with their pirate ship and the trio play fights a LOOOOT.

Bunzo love swimming so much he's vibrating and stimming until he's underwater. Pretends to be a shark, LOVES annoying Catnap with Dogday's help. Plays on Mommy Long Leg's side when she's "fighting" Poppy and Kissy's pirate ship.

PJ Pug-a-Pillar is carrying all the mini toys on his back and pretending to be a cruise ship. When not doing that he's running and splashing and swimming at 100 mph, he LOVES it.

Hoppy loves swimming!!!! She makes it her mission to annoy Catnap and MLL as long as possible.

Boxy Boo is an awful swimmer. Uses Hoppy to help him maneuver underwater.

Kickin LOVES it as well! He and Hoppy compete against each other whenever they swim together. It also helps his bad leg a lot.

Bubba is not as energetic as the others, and swims slowly and steady before going back to the surface. He loves how the water feels against him, even if he's not very good at it.

Crafty has to take it slow as well, and she's super clumsy, but she always has so much fun when they all go to the lake. First to learn how to swim.

Bobby tries to follow MLL's and Hoppy's pace, but in the end she's more like Bubba. Swimming is very relaxing to her.

Picky may not be the best swimmer but once she's underwater it's hard for her to leave. She loves floating above the river, loves sitting down with only her head above water. She's having a Moment and no one dares disturb her.

Miss Delight is one of the best swimmers of the group, and she also really loves it! She's there with Kickin and Hoppy, keeping score of their underwater races before OBLITERATING THEM. She always pretend she doesn't know what the duo is talking about when they tell her she's too good at it. Super smug about it as well.

Angel likes swimming!!!! They're helping the small critters and toys learn, and keep watch as everyone plays and has fun with each other. Dogday grabs them and throws them in the lake more than once just for the funsies, and also to force Angel to let HIM watch the little ones for once.

Prototype is fairly neutral about swimming as a whole. Only joins the fam two years post-rescue, and has to re-learn how to swim on his body. He likes playing with the small toys.

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wearethekat · 8 months

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Anticipated New Releases of 2024

**As anticipated by Me. Mostly SFF. Links are to goodreads because that's what I use, sorry. Anything marked "new to me" I haven't read anything by that author before and therefore can't vouch for the quality. I just think the premise is neat.**

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, Heather Fawcett (16 January)

Sequel to the charming novel about the fairy anthropologist.

Exordia, Seth Dickinson (23 January)

Well, it isn't a new Baru Cormorant, but this modern SF about first contact may be the next best thing.

City of Stardust, Georgia Summers (30 January)

New to me. A young woman descends into the underworld in order to break her family's fatal curse.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (6 February)

New to me. A sherlock holmes flavored duo solves the mystery of the murder of an imperial official in a labyrinthine fantasy realm.

What Feasts at Night, T Kingfisher (13 February)

The sequel to the mushroom horror book What Moves the Dead.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden (13 February)

A ghost story set in WW1 about a woman searching for her missing brother.

The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo (13 February)

New to me. A detective in 1908 Manchuria investigates a young woman's death in an area full of mythical foxes.

Redsight, Meredith Mooring (27 February)

New to me. Unpowered priestess and Imperial pawn is set on a collision path with a pirate with a grudge for the Imperium (Gay romance).

Sunbringer, Hannah Kaner (12 March)

Sequel about the professional godkiller Kissen.

Jumpnauts, Hao Jingfang (12 March)

New to me. A SF novel in translation from Chinese, with three scientists joining forces to deal peacefully with a first contact situation.

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo (19 March)

I liked Mandelo's debut novel very much so I'm excited to read this queer horror novella set in 1920s Appalachia.

Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis (19 March)

New to me. A series of cozy character vignettes on a space cruise ship after a murder has occurred. One of the four (!) space hotel murder crimes books coming out this year.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang (26 March)

New to me. Reincarnation gay romance set in 4 BCE China, the 1740s, and modern-day LA.

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (28 March)

Far future space xenoarchaeology by a man trapped on a prison planet.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell (2 April)

New to me. Bizarre lesbian cannibalism monster romance from the point of view of the monster.

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (9 April)

Glad to see Bardugo writing more adult fantasy, and this one is especially exciting because it's a fantasy set in early modern Spain with a Jewish main character. Fun to see a more original historical period.

A Sweet Sting of Salt, Rose Sutherland (9 April)

New to me. Lesbian selkie romance.

Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (11 April)

Charles branching out from romance into historical Oxford murder mystery about a group of friends with dark secrets.

Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot, Alexis Hall (22 April)

The new Hall thinly veiled british baking show romcom. Libby says it's releasing in April but I've heard nothing from the author so I think it may be Alecto'd (shifted to next year)

Necrobane, Daniel M Ford (23 April)

Sequel to the dungeons and dragons-esque low fantasy lesbian necromancy book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall (25 April)

New to me. Sweet underwater epistolary academic romance.

How To Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler (21 May)

New to me. A young hero caught in a fantasy time loop gives up and tries being the villain in an attempt to escape.

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel (21 May)

Another woman-centered retelling of Hindu mythology, this time based on the river goddess Ganga.

Escape Velocity, Victor Manibo (21 May)

New to me. Evil and toxic private school alumni jockey for position in a space hotel event in an attempt to escape a dying Earth.

The Fireborne Blade, Charlotte Bond (28 May)

New to me. Gay dragon slaying knight novella.

Evocation, ST Gibson (28 May)

New to me but looks very cool. Attorney and medium David attempts to escape his deal with the devil with the help of his ex boyfriend and his ex boyfriend's wife (Poly romance).

Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 June)

In an SF future, a robot kills its human owners and ventures out into a world where human supremacy is beginning to crumble.

Lady Eve's Last Con, Rebecca Fraimow (4 June)

New to me. A con artist seeks revenge on the man who hurt her sister, who's coincidentally also on a space cruise ship (Sapphic romance subplot).

Triple Sec, TJ Alexander (4 June)

An actual mainstream published poly romance (!!) by trans author Alexander.

Running Close to the Wind, Alexandra Rowland (11 June)

Gay! Pirates! Scheming! Alt fantasy world! Monks! I liked Taste of Gold and Iron a lot and I'm very excited for this one.

The Knife and the Serpent, Tim Pratt (11 June)

New to me. Space opera about an interdimensional organization. Also, there's a sentient starship.

The Witchstone, Henry Neff (18 June)

A childhood favorite of mine's adult debut, featuring a demon who suddenly has to shape up at his curse keeper job after eight hundred years of slacking.

Rakesfall, Vajra Chandrasekera (18 June)

VERY excited to read more weird queer sff from this author after a fantastic debut. Looks weird. I'm in.

Foul Days, Genoveva Dimova (25 June)

New to me. A witch in a Slavic fantasy inspired world flees her evil ex, the Tsar of Monsters. There's also a plague and a detective.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow, Gabriella Buba (25 June)

New to me. Filipino inspired anticolonialist fantasy novel about a nun who is secretly practicing the religion of her goddess.

The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (18 July)

A queer regency with an incognito duke by one of my particular favorite romance authors.

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan (30 July)

!!! Very excited to see a new adult fantasy by Brennan. A reader is dragged into a fictional world and finds herself the villain.

A Sorceress Comes to Call, T Kingfisher (20 August)

A retelling of The Goose Girl from reliably good fairy tale stalwart Kingfisher.

Buried Deep and Other Stories, Naomi Novik (17 September)

Collection of Novik's short stories.

Swordcrossed, Freya Marske (8 October)

VERY excited to see a new book by talented writer Marske. A man falls in love with the duelist hired for his arranged wedding. MEANWHILE. details of the fantasy world wool industry.

Feast While You Can, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (29 October)

New to me. Small town queer cave horror.

The Last Hour Between Worlds, Melissa Caruso (19 November)

Multiple reality murder mystery spy vs spy type antics, with lesbians.

#book recommendations #on the tbr #now I would Like to put alecto the ninth on this but as we know. NO news (sobs)#long post #updated 3/8 with more books I've added since I posted this

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disneytva · 4 months

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Variety Interviews Ayo Davis, Meredith Roberts And Emily Hart On Disney Television Animation's 40th Anniversary And What To Expect On From The Past, Present And Future

40 years ago, Disney TVA was founded on the heels of challenging outcomes with features “The Fox and the Hound” and “The Black Cauldron.”

Initially, Disney TVA was restricted from using established Disney legacy characters, but nevertheless had huge successes with new shows like “The Wuzzles” and “Adventures of the Gummi Bears,” both of which became popular in syndication. As time went on, DTVA was able to use its limited rights to create shows like “DuckTales” and “TaleSpin,” which featured Disney characters. Today, the slate has evolved to include shows that travel across Disney’s streaming, linear and digital platforms, including Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and the Disney Parks

Over the 40 years of the studio has collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering to bring beloved Disney Afternoon characters to the parks as well Mickey And Minnie's Runaway Railway and AquaMouse for the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure cruises from the Disney Cruise & Ships Line as well collaborating with Disney Yellow Two Shoes Team to redesing some heritage characters for the WDW Passholder Magnets.

Disney TVA characters also have gone to the realm of live action. In 2019 Disney Channel brought Kim Possible to the live action world as a Disney Channel Original Movie in 2019. In Spring 2022, Walt Disney Studios brought Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers to a new generation of fans trought a meta-driven live action/animated hybrid film which won an Primetime Emmy Award for Best Feature Film.

In April 2024, it was announced that Kiara from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride created at Disney TVA will make her live action debut on the motion capture/computer animated film "Mufasa The Lion King" with the character being voiced by Blue Ivy Carter. In Fall 2023, it was announced that Blumhouse Television and Atomic Monster where developing a live action reboot of Gargoyles for Disney+.

The future of the studio looks bright as the studio is slated to debut it's 100th show overall "StuGo" in 2025, as well new interations of beloved classics like The Proud Family, Phineas And Ferb, Sofia The First and Darkwing Duck trought revivals,reboots and spin-offs in the coming years with early talks of new interations of TaleSpin, Kim Possible and Recess since Early 2023.

“We have a wildly diverse development slate because we don’t have a house style,” says Meredith Roberts, executive vice president, television animation, Disney Branded Television and CEO of Disney Television Animation “Our styles are creator-driven, so that allows for real support of the artist or creator to fulfill his or her vision. Anything is possible, whether it's CGI. (“Monsters at Work”), hand-drawn 2D (“Big City Greens”,"Primos","Hailey's On It!"), rig-based 2D (“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur”,"Kiff") and stop-motion (“Mickey Saves Christmas”,"Rhona Who Lives By The River".). Roberts continues, “We really try and solve all the problems and develop it. We look at the scripts and the story arcs. Every project has to have a strategy behind it that will complement the slate and separate it from other things. Each project has a distinct swim lane to attract an audience. And we’ve learned to meet the kids where they are, in terms of streaming and YouTube.”

Co-viewing, the viewership that happens when adults sit down to watch a DTVA show with the kids in their lives, is part of the studio’s secret sauce and long-term strategy. Many of the shows are written with jokes and plot points for both audiences so both groups will return.

“We double down on the kids and family space,” says Roberts. “We’re not just dipping a toe in the water. We’re diving in. I think we’ve seen a lot of churn with the competition, who just don’t have the patience to develop and are for this audience, which is a very specialized kid audience and co-view audience.” ("The Witchverse", "Rhona Who Lives By The River","InterCats","Fantasy Sports") Roberts reflects: “I think one of the things I’m most proud of is how stable Disney TVA has been for the last 40 years despite a lot of outside churn of the animation industry. Many of our crews feel that Disney is their forever home. I think the excitement they have to illustrate and create with this brand has been terrific because it’s harder to be funny and clean. And nowhere are we tearing down people to get that laugh. I think that’s the beauty of a Disney animated show.”

DTVA also sought to meet kids where they are by making their audience — which is made up of the most diverse generation in history — feel seen, with series such as “Elena of Avalor,” which featured Disney’s first Latina princess, and “The Proud Family,” franchise focused on the life of a teenage Black girl.

“We do have an amazing insights team that are constantly in the field, giving us general information about how kids are watching content, what they’re into,” Emily Hart (VP of Current and Development - Disney Junior) says. “Some of those things are evolving, as we know the ways kids consume content is changing. But there are some universal truths about kids, and it’s great to have that reinforced. Kids still like a lot of the same things that we like. So, there’s a combination that we’re always tracking with every new idea, and we do pilot testing. We get to sit down and talk about the content, and we invite our creators in so they can see the kids talking about it because they’re the audience and they’re the truest test of if the story is going to work.”

Ayo Davis, president of the Disney Branded Television and VP of Current and Development at Disney Television Animation says the division is a “driving force” for memorable kids and family entertainment.

“All of us at Disney Branded Television are so proud of the studio’s 40-year legacy as it continues to entertain future generations with shows like ‘Kiff,’ ‘Big City Greens’ and ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2.0" --- Davis says.

Those creators who come to DTVA often stay for a long time, partnering with the studio on a variety of different projects or expanding on a hit and reimagining it for the next generation of viewers. “The Proud Family” was a standout in 2001 on Disney Channel. Creator and executive producer Bruce W. Smith is now working on the Emmy-winning “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” which is based on the original series. The show follows Penny Proud as she navigates family life and her own childhood.

“Being at Disney TVA has allowed me to realize all my artistic dreams,” says Bruce W. Smith. “As a kid, you always have hopes, thoughts, dreams, ideas and characters that can help lay out those ideas in your head. Disney has allowed me to really tap into my creative instinct, at the end of the day, you have to learn how to trust yourself. Meredith Roberts has been a true shepherd for me in all of this, allowing me to stretch my wings. Because of her belief in me and my ideas, she’s really allowed me to blossom as an artist. All that happened at DTVA.”

“They really seem to be a place that welcomes your ideas,” Dan Povenmire says of Disney TVA. “They want to find people with real strong ideas of the stories they want to tell, and then they let them tell those stories for the most part. They seem to put storytelling and characters over anything. With [‘Phineas and Ferb’], we would write jokes for the kids and the adults in the room because we knew the adults would be there too. We were just careful not to do any double entendres.”

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officialleehadan · 10 days

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Three Brains

Hello darlings! Today's story was brought to you by Kat! Darling, thank you so much for all your support!

Prompt: Between Love and Duty

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Nick loved his job.

He worked in bioengineering, which was always a business fraught with supervillains. Mostly, the ones with an intelligence factor who were making weapons to sell to other villains. There were two in Nick’s lab, as it happened, which was probably why the villain with the Cube attacked in he first place. Rayan kept his identity well-hidden, so Nick was pretty sure they weren’t after him.

All the same, it made for an interesting situation for Nick. His coworkers were too smart to not realize he knew about them, and he wasn’t going to insult them by pretending otherwise. As a result, they had a very comfortable working dynamic in which the villains, Stevens, who also went by Doctor Unholy and Tariq, who also went by Gravity Crash, respected his space and didn’t try to recruit him.

It was for the best. Nick didn’t want to get into villainy. He was a talented scientist, and probably could do fine in the work if he wanted to, but he simply didn’t need the drama.

Of course, his fiancé was a Power himself, and his best friend was on the Hero path. His life already had plenty of drama going on.

Still, it did occasionally make for interesting afternoons when they were cleaning up for the day and the shop talk turned to shop talk.

“Word is that there’s a new development in play,” Stevens said as he loaded up the autoclave. Nick himself was wiping down all their counters and Tariq was sweeping, and would mop when they were done. “I heard from the north river lab that the attack here involved a device to remove people’s Powers.”

“I’ve heard the same,” Tariq said conversationally, but without any hint that he actually knew anything. Certainly he didn’t know where the Cube was, considering it was currently taped under Nick’s bed. Even the supervillain who actually slept in the bed didn’t know it was there. “The Heroes are very excited about it, for obvious reasons.”

“I’ve heard Mephit and Libra are working together on it,” Nick added. As he knew they were villains themselves, and enhanced mental abilities to boot, he knew, and they knew, that Rayan was Mephit. They didn’t know about Carolina being Libra, however, and he meant to keep it that way. Rayan knew about the two villains as well, and was alright with Nick talking with them about his work, as long as it didn’t put Nick in danger. “But no one knows where the thing is and it has both sides anxious.”

“it has me anxious too,” Tariq admitted. “Avia as well.”

Avia was his wife and was a Power on the villain side. She specialized in hydrokenisis and tended to target big resorts on the coast, and cruise ships. Lately she had formed an alliance with three other Elemental powers, all women, and they were making the news as environmental terrorists. Nick approved of their work all things considered. Cruise ships were sailing biohazards.

“I think all of us who have someone in the game are worried,” Nick said, since it was true, and also because he was considering bringing his fellow scientists in on his secret. “Does anyone know where the thing came from? That fellow who attacked our lab had it, last anyone knew, but where did he get it?”

“That’s a good question,” Stevens said, and turned on the autoclave before he moved to pipettes next. He eyed Nick, and caught Tariq’s eye. Nick looked them both over and sighed. He had been too obvious. “So, where is it?”

“I couldn’t possibly be able to say,” Nick said, since there was no point insulting them by pretending he didn’t know what Stevens was asking. They figured out that he had the Cube. Now it was up to them, and him, to decide what to do with that information. “But I might be able to mention something about how a scientist I know examined it, and couldn’t figure out how it works.”

“Did this scientist leave you lab notes to share?” Tariq asked carefully. They all understood they were on very dangerous ground. Everyone on both sides of the Powered community would kill to get the Cube, and only the three of them knew who had it. Only Nick alone knew where it was. “Or any other information that you might be able to give, safely, to a colleague?”

“Maybe,” Nick hedged. He wasn’t sure he wanted them to see his research not he Cube, but he needed help. So far, it had defied all his efforts to figure out how it worked, but it had to affect the body somehow. Powers were a genetic mutation. Whatever else it did, the Cube must hit those genes too. That put it firmly in their realm of expertise. “It has my friend very concerned, given the implications on his loved ones.”

Stevens shared a long look with Tariq, and then, very deliberately, reached behind the autoclave for a control panel Nick pretended he didn’t know about.

All at once, the noise from outside the lab cut off, and there was a slight shimmer over the windows as forcefields powered on. The lab security of a pair of villains who didn’t want their personal lives in danger if there was another attack. A reaction, Nick knew, to the attack that brought the Cube to his door.

“Right,” Stevens said when the lab was locked down. He set the pipettes aside and washed his hands as Tariq set aside the broom. Nick joined them at the nearest table and took a seat. “We have a lot of genius in this room. Tell us what you know, and we’ll see if three brains are better than one.”

+++

Between Love and Duty

Two-sided love (Subscriber Only!)

Close to Home (Subscriber Only!) (New!)

Three Brains (New!)

+++

MASTERLIST

#Writing #Lee Hadan #fantasy #scifi #spilled ink #writing prompts

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electroniccollectiondonut · 9 months

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Monthly Rec Lists In 2024: New Year's Day

For the last four or five years my New Year's resolution has been to get fit but I keep not doing that so this year my resolution is one I know can complete: making rec lists! So for the first rec list of the year I'm reccing some fics I read for the first time in 2023! I've tagged the authors' Tumblr if I could find one, otherwise I've just linked their Ao3.

Regularly Scheduled Miracles by TheSingingHoneybee (@starshinemaiden)

The thing about soulmates when you are a royal is that you don't get to keep them. Wu's mother's was shipped to the Outer Ring. His father's, never spoken of. His great aunt's was imprisoned if you believe the rumors. Wu believes the rumors. And when Wu becomes Prince Wu, heir to the Earth Throne, over night, his chances of finding and keeping his soulmate drop to zero. But despite that, when a soulmark appears on his arm the very evening of meeting his new, hot, firebending bodyguard, Wu can't feel anything but joy. The thing about soulmarks when you have a job that frequently leaves you bruised to hell and back is that sometimes you don't notice them until days later and now you don't know who caused them to appear. And the thing about being Prince Wu's newest bodyguard is that Mako has met so many people in the last week that his soulmate could be half of Republic City. The other thing about being Prince Wu's newest bodyguard is that half of Mako doesn't want to think too hard about his soulmate might be because there is no way someone like him would get so lucky as to have the next Earth Monarch as a soulmate no matter how lofty Mako's taste in people runs.

Cruising for a Bruising by kalechipbuoy

Crozier makes Fitzjames cry and cry and cry. Eventually, they reach something like an understanding.

Warm Sun, Fine Jade by DummyDipl0d0cus

Lan Xichen’s hair is up in a simple bun, careless. It’s a change from his half-tied hair. It uncovers his shoulders and neck, and Wen Ning gets a sinking feeling that they look more delicate now than ever. “Please stay warm, and eat well,” Wen Ning adds softly. Lan Xichen doesn’t say anything, just bows his head. Wen Ning turns to leave after a few long moments, as much as he doesn’t want to. Then hears the quietest request. “It’s raining. Please stay until it’s over?” - How Wen Ning helps Lan Xichen heal, and how Lan Xichen does the same for Wen Ning.

The Severing of Webs by chlodobird (@chlodobird-creations)

After Jon kills the world, he travels back in time. Once there, he gets ready to change the future, to save his Assistants, and to watch as everyone learns to hate him again. Unfortunately, the tapes wrap around him like a fly caught in a Web—he can't move. He's trapped reliving the original timeline, stuck acting out his past actions like an actor rehearsing his lines. Sasha will die. Tim will die. Martin— (Jon screams inside his mind, and someone hears him. Fate is not as immutable as he fears.)

Chameleonic by recrudescence (@re-crudescence)

When River finally takes a fall, the result of an ill-conceived equation and a screwdriver on the cargo bay floor, Mal gives her a knowing look and totes her to the infirmary.

7 rings by butterflywings6

random people watching kanej be rich and in love <3

Look into the Mirror (Tell Me What You See) by Drag0nSt0rm (@sweetteaanddragons)

His best guess for what had happened was some kind of head injury, given that he recognized almost nothing and had no idea what was going on. With few clues to work with, he was either going to have to confess the truth or bluff frantically. Gil-Galad had never in his life decided to confess anything.

A Little Mishap by Asidian (@asidian)

When the dust clears – and it is a frightful amount of dust, all told – Astarion is marginally surprised to see that no one has been left a bloody smear on the cave floor. Really, he can't be blamed for assuming the worst. The boulder is the size of the tunnel, nearly, the sort of impending doom that ranks with gale-force winds and approaching dragons on the list of things that might inspire a man to pray to any gods kind enough to lend an ear. Astarion isn't that sort – any god who might have granted him a boon has had centuries of prayers they might have chosen to answer before this, after all – and yet here they stand, miraculously intact, as though some deity just so happened to have glanced their way at just this moment. Perhaps Wyll is a religious man.

Underwater by euromagpie

About him, the world swam in dizzying degrees, pulsated with the throb of the veins at his temples. Beneath him, his legs, protesting against the movement like a couple of libertines, had gone frustratingly jelly like, and Hodgson stumbled, a landsman at sea, and crashed into the wall opposite. The wood was so cool, and he sank his burning forehead against it gratefully, for once gladly accepting of the biting freeze that prowled the desolate landscape. Booted feet clomped past his door and he jerked his eyes open, not having realised he'd closed them. Christ alive, but he wanted to stay there - in fact, he'd love simply to crumble and wait out the end of his days in a tidy pile of gormless flesh and lazy bones right in this place. Above them, Terror's bell rang in the turn of the watch, and Hodgson realised his plans of embracing mortality would have to wait. He had things to do.

That's 'Cause I Got People With Me by Castlewood_Bard (@r1ver-6)

Mal has to be sure he knows his crew

Beyond the Reaches of a Long-lost Life by elvntari

Feanor is reembodied at long last and Elrond attempts to reconcile the image that he has of him in his mind with the image of the man standing before him.

Fever Dreaming by dramatispersonae

Gerry encounters a plot by a nascent avatar of the Corruption. It should be straightforward enough to deal with, especially considering his apparently ongoing… "alliance" with Michael. But when have things in his life actually been as simple as they appear?

The World Was Young by Drag0nst0rm (@sweetteaanddragons)

This was not what Maglor had expected when he retreated to his brother's stronghold.

A Taste of Home by Twice2Ennien

"It's good, right?" Koveyook grinned all the way to his eyes, watching John's matching expression. This was the feeling that had drawn his family to restaurants: the warmth, the radiating comfort of a good meal, shared. John made a satisfied sound in the back of his throat, nodding. He covered his mouth as though tempted to speak but thought better of it. Still chewing, he took hold of Koveyook's right wrist and squeezed his thanks instead.

Refiner's Fire by JediRobertHogan

The men knew Hogan looked after them—more than was typical of a commander and his crew. It was in the little things, the details of everyday life, yet sometimes it struck them in undeniable ways. They saw Colonel Hogan as more than a commanding officer, and knew, somehow, that he saw them differently too. - or - Four times Colonel Hogan took care of his men, and one time they took care of him.

Wanted: Dead and Alive by Astereae (@astereaes)

“Hey, I do I... Do I know you?” Danny asks, a hand coming up to brush something off Tim’s cheek. “No,” Tim says. “We haven’t met.” “Oh, no, I do.” Danny says, and he smiles, teeth white and sharp. “You’re that guy who rearranged my guts!” Rearranged his- Tim glances at the knotted scars on the boy’s abdomen. He can see the shine and shadow of haphazard stitches that weren’t meant to hold forever, that tore and healed over. His- This- “WHAT!?” Nightwing shouts, equal parts confused and delighted. Tim’s fucked. OR Danny Fenton's been in GIW captivity for 4 months. Tim Drake gets kidnapped by the GIW one Tuesday evening in May. Considering how many of the Bats and the Birds have died and come back to life, it was only a matter of time for some people interested in the afterlife to come poking around. The detectives can't seem to uncover any information about the mysterious white vans, however. And they keep losing the mysterious boy who seems to be the one person in Gotham to know anything at all.

Like Melting Ice by pointyshades (@oughtnots)

Francis Crozier dies. Turns out he can't even do that right.

You missed a spot by Lookingkindofdumb (@lookingkindofdumb)

It is just like Dean, Sam thinks, to befriend the man who has chased them across the US in hopes of bringing them home in cuffs. AU where Victor survives and decides to become a hunter. He doesn’t stick around with them for long but they bump into him on occasion.

A Shot's Distance by Blue_Sparkle (@asparklethatisblue)

After digging the bullet out of James Fitzjames’ ribs, Dr Stanley kept it as a memento. A man needs something to hold on to while quietly pining after a friend after all.

we know nothing (so we hope) by TolkienGirl (@thelonelybrilliance)

Sometimes, Neal wonders if Kate loves him. (Mostly, not in so many words.)

A Pavlovian Approach to Honesty by Stratisphyre

“Are you feeling compelled to tell us anything?” Lan Xichen asked. “Not precisely. It does feel nice. I hadn’t associated honesty with anything pleasant before now.” “I don’t think you’ll appreciate this in the morning,” Nie Mingjue muttered. “Do you want us to leave you be? Or gag you?” “I’m finding this entire affair curiously enjoyable, actually,” Meng Yao stated.

Now Sure As the Sun Will Cross the Sky by providing_leverage (@providing-leverage)

Dean Winchester wakes up in his car quietly, heart racing. He reaches for his stomach where the metal bar or pipe or whatever it was had been but there’s nothing but flannel and leather. Leather he’d long ago lost. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and digs a phone from one of the pockets of his Dad’s jacket. Flips it open to check the date. “Well shit.”

Zapped by unholygrass (orphaned)

Gavin Reed used to think androids couldn't feel pain. He's proven wrong. He may hate Connor's fucking guts, but he wouldn't wish this on anyone.

#monthly rec lists 2024 #fic rec #my recs #okay so theres some recency bias toward the terror #but i made sure to get at least one from every fandom i read in this year so it evens out alright #if you know the tumblr url of any author i havent @'ed please let me know and i'll add it!#all the fics in this post are complete but that wont always be the case #also i'm more than happy to give commentary on any of these recs if you want #just shoot me an ask #also there are like 20 recs here but this is a years worth of reading #the monthly lists will probably be more like 5

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wonderjourneys · 1 year

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The 11 Best Spots of Amsterdam

Amsterdam is unique. In many ways. Compared to New York (aka New Amsterdam) and Tokyo it is compact and smaller. But it has so much more to offer. The Eleven Best Spots if you Travel to Amsterdam:

1. The Canals: a canal cruise is one of those "must do's" 2. Museum Plein: with Van Gogh and Rembrandt, and the famous instagram house on Weteringschans 3. Brouwersgracht: once voted the most beautiful area 4. Zuiderkerk: with the instagramable church 5. Nine Streets: quaint, small local shops 6. Central Station: the views on the basilica and houses 7. Prinsengracht: the longest canal, with lots of historic spots 8. Begijnhof: a hidden courtyard in the city center 9. Magere Brug: skinny bridge with views over the river Amstel 10. Keizersgracht: the famous corner of bridges 11. Dam Square: as a starting point to walk the center.

youtube

Amsterdam - the top 11 spots on your Amsterdam Travel.

Amsterdam is wonderful in all four seasons really.

This is Amsterdam on summer vibes. Amsterdam in a summer vibe. We took an Amsterdam Bike Tour - which was only about 20 euros for 24 hours of renting a bike - and toured and walked the city. There are so many Amsterdam attractions, like an amsterdam canal cruise which a sure recommend. And renting a bike gets you around the entire city very easily. We traveled by train.

First went to an art exhibition at Westergasfabriek, and then took a bike tour of Amsterdam from the beautiful Brouwersgracht over Prinsengracht to Rijksmuseum. Rijksmuseum is located on Museum-Square, and has the famous Rembrandt Night Watch painting. Other museums are: Van Gogh, Moco Museum, Stedelijk Museum. Across the Rijksmuseum is the Instagramable Weterinschans.

The Amsterdam live in summer has that relaxed, lounge, chill lofi feel to it. Boats drift by on the canals with people sipping wine. A Dutch cloud floats over in a big blue sky. Amsterdam is the Old one to New Amsterdam - now known as New York. Back in the Dutch Golden Age the ships sailed the entire world, from the warehouses you see in this video.

Things to do in Amsterdam: rent a bike, do the canal cruise, see the Dutch masters in the museums, shop in the Jordaan & Nine Streets. But overal: just wander and let luck guide your feet. “Meet me in Amsterdam” in this tour of the capital of The Netherlands. Amsterdam 4k

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ussgallifrey · 2 years

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(She Moves With) Shameless Wonder | 18

✦ Summary: Your badge clearly said SHIELD consultant, so you weren’t entirely sure where Fury was getting this whole make you an Avenger idea from. But you had a feeling it might have something to do with the recent discovery of an artifact at the bottom of the Arctic Sea.

✦ Pairing: Steve Rogers x Female Reader

✦ Warnings: Canon divergence, dialogue taken directly from CA: Winter Soldier, injuries, language.

✦ Word Count: 4.3k

✦ Playlist: Here

[Master List]

With your eyes focused on the dimly-lit second-floor walkway before you, your back to the public bathroom door, you tried your best to bite your tongue on the matter as your companion quickly stripped down on the other side.

Another minute passed with the clinking of metal buckles and clips - a frustrated damnit uttered through the barrier as the sound of someone tripping over their own feet met your ears.

The guard was due to walk past in less than a minute.

“You know,” you spoke over your shoulder, cheek against the door, “you’re a museum curator’s worst nightmare. I should know,” the last part was mainly said to yourself; having been both an archivist and a curator many times over through your many years on Earth.

Looking out over the missile pit on the first floor, your eyes trailed across the V-1 and Tomahawk cruise missiles with a trill of familiar foreboding somewhere deep within your ancient bones.

Feeling the press of the door from the other side, you slide out of the way, coming face-to-face with Steve in his old uniform. Your eyes sweep up from his boots back to his pink-tinged lips, his golden hair a mess from the hasty clothes swap.

Yes, you would need to send this particular archivist a lump sum donation as an act of apology for whatever hell this man was about to put this priceless piece of historic clothing through. That was honest to god genuine handstitched textile. Maybe a fruit basket would also be necessary.

“Well, if you’re done trying on the latest trends that wartime America had to offer…”

He rolls his eyes, clutching the helmet he had yet to pull on in his left hand.

“At least these don’t come with their own tracking device,” Steve clicks with the slightest hint of amusement at the corner of his lips.

Glancing down, you see his outstretched right hand between the two of you, fingers wriggling as he awaits your specific form of transportation. In good time too, as you hear the sound of the guard’s telltale heavy footsteps just around the corner.

“What did you ever do before me?” you ask with a playful tone, entwining your hands once again - feeling the tight squeeze he gives you as he readies himself for the incoming assault to his lungs as you vanish from the museum in a flash of light.

The two of you land within the wooded meeting point, just across the river from the Triskelion - Maria and Sam startling back as you touch down. The waning light of the moon easily hides your presence from the surrounding city. Another hour until sunrise, until the agents began their journey to an unknowingly awaited battle point.

Steve slips his hand from yours to pull his helmet on, taking the shield from Sam as you all turn to eye the government building just across the way. One look and it was obvious that something was horribly wrong within the realms of the plan.

You can only gape in shock as, one by one, the helicarriers begin to rise from beneath the river’s hidden hangars.

The supersoldier flashes you a look before focusing on Hill.

“Insight wasn’t due to launch for another four hours,” she supplies, unhelpfully.

You can hear the sudden shudder of his breath beside you, “So, the real question is why are they so ahead of schedule?”

One of the helicarriers stalls halfway up in the air, seemingly jumpstarting over and over again before a great blast of black smoke emits from the aft of the ship. It takes a moment, but it regains its strength and slowly follows its companions into the sky.

They were rushing. Why were they rushing?

And then it hits you.

“I think they’re expecting us,” you say through a creased frown, having a lingering suspicion as to why they had been tipped off to your arrival, “Point is, we need to get up there now.”

You can feel the warm weight of Sam’s arm around your waist and the sudden crowding of Maria and Steve as you force the last wave of your energy into teleporting the four of you into the control room for the satellite dish.

With a howling roar, you shove the last of the agents into a crumbling heap. Wiping their shed blood from your brow as you quickly scan the sky for your companions.

It was terribly smart on Pierce’s part, having his agents arrive hours beforehand to finish the preparations. The forces that met your small group were overwhelming, but not completely impossible to defeat on your own if you were smart about it. But it was staggeringly harder to do without the rest of the untarnished SHIELD agents there to assist you in the fight.

“Bravo lock,” you hear over the comms, spotting the blur of Sam and his shimmering wings against the purple-tinged morning sky.

“Two down, one to go,” Maria reminds you all.

Jumping onto the nose of the nearest fighter jet, you send your shield careening at the newest group of pilots that march their way onto the flight deck. So long as you stood here, no one would be getting into the air.

And you just had to trust that Sam and Steve had a handle on things up there, that they would place the chips in time.

Flipping down onto the tarmac, your spear in hand, you charge toward the guards who fire upon you with their handguns. Knocking them out, one by one. Jabbing the tip of your dory through the final pilot’s chest with a satisfying squelch of sputtering blood.

The momentary distraction of the helicopter chartering Nick overhead pulls your attention to the sky. The rotor blades send a powerful gust of wind across the deck as you watch it pass. It’s a moment truly lost as you’re knocked off your feet with the smoldering sensation of a grenade launcher searing your skin.

Your mouth falls open as your body helplessly rolls over the tarmac before coming to a crashing stop against a stack of crates with a soured groan. Turning your head, from the smoking air, you see the familiar strutting silhouette making his way towards the nearest jet.

“Like hell,” you mutter, forcing yourself up.

Your spear flies back to your outstretched hand just as you pull it back and throw it directly at the Winter Soldier.

He turns swiftly, grabbing the weapon, mid-air, just a breath away from his pale face. His steel grey eyes meet your own glowing orbs as you take off towards him - your shield and sword materializing in your hands once again.

Taking a running leap, his metal arm instinctively comes up to block your slashing attack - just as you planned, as you send your flying feet kicking to his chest with as much force as an Olympian goddess can sequester away from her homeland.

The man goes tumbling back as you slam the edge of your shield down, but it’s met with the rough gravel of the ground as he rolls to the side just in time to avoid your blow. His legs nearly sweep you off your own feet, but you throw yourself atop his back. Thrusting the hilt of your sword down against the back of his head with a quickly uttered sorry, Sergeant Barnes.

He screams, hands flying back to try and grab you. Before you can make another bludgeoning attempt at his skull, he does manage to grab hold of your wrist, twisting it back terribly and making you drop your weapon in the process with a cluttering sound.

The longer you were away from Olympus, the more damage your body would take. Like a human. And with all the teleporting going on today, it was a miracle you weren’t worse off as the assassin manages to flip you both over, straddling your thighs as he tries to smack his heavy hand into your face.

Your arms fly up to block the assault.

His face is enraged by the delay you’ve caused to his mission, lips an angry red, hair tangled and swept across his brow.

You struggle against his hold, trying to kick your legs out to topple him over to little avail.

“Come on,” you resort with a strained breath as he presses his weight against your hands. “Recognize me, Barnes. Remember the nurse you were sweet on all those years ago.”

The glimmer of what you think could be recognition does flash across his clouded gaze, but it’s quickly overpowered by his right hand snatching your wrists together and his left clobbering your face against the tarmac.

Distantly, you can hear the sound of Sam and Steve on the comms. Something about breakfast, you think.

But the world around you is muffled by the sound of your own blood rushing through your head, a painful ringing in your ears that only intensifies at the increasingly urgent -

“Seven! Agent Seven, what is your status?”

Sitting up causes a wave of pain to come rushing through your skull as you blink against the morning light. A single fighter jet takes off into the air.

“Temporarily incapacitated,” you manage to grit out, eyeing the single helicarrier overhead while cursing your inability to stop the other man.

You think you can hear the scrambled sound of Steve over the static, but it’s Hill who pushes for your location when she’s assured of your capacity.

“Rumlow’s headed for Fury.”

You glance up at the aircraft - the sudden flash of Sam’s wings against the rising sun as he flies out to engage the assassin.

“Seven, do you copy?”

Releasing a held breath, you force yourself up - trusting your companions' ability as you respond with a steady, “I’m on it.”

Knowing the likely route he’ll be taking to arrive at the Director’s office with the rest of the building on lockdown procedures, you disappear in a flash to the forty-first floor, awaiting the turncoat bastard with a vicious glow to your eyes. You wouldn’t need your weapons for this particular confrontation.

The window shatters as you throw yourself through the barrier between you and the collapsing room, Rumlow’s scream disappears as the helicarrier crashed into the office behind you.

Air whips against your face like stinging nettles as you fall, careening towards the outer wall of the lower building. You can hear the helicopter in the distance - but it’ll be too late - as you brace yourself for the inevitable impact.

The stone outcropping grows closer and closer and you know you’re already weakened by the fight as you let out one last scream of pure defeated rage before your body crashes into it.

But…

You blink your eyes open as you’re grabbed mid-air by metallic hands. The sound of thrusters behind you as the robot lifts you into the air.

“Miss me?” a familiar voice quips.

Your beating heart slows as you breathe a sigh of relief - you had not been looking forward to the recovery that fall would have put on your body.

“Nice to see you, Tony.”

The white-faced robot inclines its head down towards you as it flies you across the exterior of the glass-domed lobby to the secure bridge connecting the building to the mainland.

“Less seeing, more hearing,” he chirps.

You leap down from the drone’s hands, dusting off your clothes as you take in the very robotic body.

“New defense line?”

“Iron Legion,” he responds, the camera eyes scan over your body with a blue beam of light. “The missus has me sequestered away on a beautiful island in the Mediterranean currently.”

As fascinating as the whole situation is, your eyes fall to the smoldering remains of the last helicarrier in the sky. A flock of more robots descends from the sky as sirens wail in the distance.

It had worked.

Cronus damn them, it worked.

“ - and in case you didn’t notice this whole thing is plastered across every news station on the planet. You’ll have to give my regards to Miss Carter, I’m sure. Now, where’s the star-spangled man of the hour?”

Your eyes flash from the stoic-faced drone emitting Tony’s voice to the helicopter landing just down the bridge and lastly to the final helicarrier as it smashes down into the Potomac with a thundering blast of water rising up into a terrible wave.

“Does anyone have a location on Rogers?” you hear Sharon call out across the comm line.

A deep clenching icy horror rushes through your veins as the rolling waves overtake the edge of the bridge, smoke filling the air.

“Damn it,” Tony mutters, the robot takes off in a blast, flying over the river towards the submerging airship.

While several robot drones seem to be working to maintain the spread of fire, the rest move in a coordinated flight plan down into the river itself - disappearing beneath the tumultuous waves.

Your own eyes scan the horizon, even as Fury approaches you, standing there on the bridge together as the water soaks your boots and a medic comes around to load Sam onto an awaiting ambulance.

With your gut rolling with guilt, you brush off Nick’s hand from your shoulder. Eyes blazing with an emotion you can’t quite name.

“Seven,” he says in warning.

Don’t act rashly, don’t act out. Focus. Focus.

“Barnes is out there too,” he continues, eye pressed on the line of trees dotting the island nearest the Triskelion where two of Tony’s Iron Legion are currently searching.

But, in that moment, you can’t find it in yourself to care about chasing down the other man. With a burning look towards the previous Director, you storm off towards the ambulance - ignoring the sudden swarming of news helicopters overhead.

It didn’t do good to dwell on the feelings brewing inside you, but you could hardly sort through them with Fury looking at you expectantly and the gaping hole of Steve sitting there in your chest. His fate still unknown.

Humans. They were so fragile. Even the best of their species.

And, as you gaze out across the Potomac, you realize just how tied to that one particular human you had become.

Natasha is speaking sweetly to Sam as he’s loaded up on the stretcher with a groan of pain. He manages to lift his head up to watch your cautious approach, offering a forced smile for your benefit.

“Knocked me out of the sky with a missile,” he explains, “Banged my head on a wing and went into a freefall.”

“And we got him just in time,” the redhead supplies, smile easy even though her eyes are equally stressed as your own.

You nod, tight-lipped, gaze glancing out across the river once again.

And then, over the comms, Tony’s voice rings out, “Hey, we’re gonna need an E-vac over here!”

Relief rushes your heart as the news reaches your ears. Injured may he be, Steve Rogers was alive.

Sam bids a quick farewell as the ambulance drives away, leaving you and the ex-Russian spy to your own berth of the bridge. Remaining entirely unhelpful in the aftermath of the fight now that your general abilities were all for naught.

Looping her arm through yours, she speaks to the settling water before you, “He’ll disappear into the shadows, become another chapter of the ghost story that is his life.”

Barnes, of course. You should be trying to track him down. Fury would want you to track him down.

You catch the red gleam of the emergency helicopter across the morning skyline - moving toward one of the small island outcroppings on the river. But the sudden rush of a Legion robot emerging from the water just in front of you pulls your attention away as it drips a puddle at your feet.

“Safekeeping,” Tony says, oddly soft, as the drone holds out the familiar shield in its mechanical hands.

With one knowing look from Natasha, you pluck Steve’s shield from its grasp, wiping a bit of river sludge from its facing as you slide your arm through the harness.

“How… how bad is it?” you ask with a carefully guarded tone.

Despite its lack of gesticulation or any other real movement, Tony’s voice fills in for the otherwise stoic robot, “Face took a beating, stab wound, a shot to the stomach being the most prominent of concerns.”

You blanch, chastising yourself for agreeing to go after Rumlow instead of assisting the two men in finishing the job together.

“But, hey. Capsicle’s taken on worse before, right? Probably be in and out of that place by tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m transferring control over to my AI and flying myself back stateside to figure out just how SHIELD decided to take my engine plans and twist them into whatever the hell this was.”

The drone shudders once, its eyes blinking before a deeper voice overtakes the system.

“Can I be of assistance?”

Natasha, gratefully, nudges you to the side, “Think we’re good here.”

The drone nods once before lifting into the air to assist the rest of the Legion just as the E-vac helicopter flies overhead - whipping Natasha’s hair into her face. You clutch his shield all that tighter in your hand, a bated breath stuck in your throat.

His throat aches, that’s the first thing that comes to mind as his eyes blink back into awareness.

Steve knows he’s come and gone from this state a few times now, voices in the far dark distance of his current place of mind. Beeping of machines, a soreness stretching out over his body with twinges of pained waves. There were hushed voices; familiar voices. Music, sometimes. The smell of a sterile environment.

But this time, the lull of medication does not drag him back under the cover of unconscious safety. No, this time when he forces his eyes open against the dimly-lit hospital room, he’s able to pull his mind up with it.

He spots the cabinet just beyond the foot of his bed, an unused tv on the wall, next to a whiteboard filled with diet and pain management information though he can’t actually make out the scribbled writing in the darkness of the room.

There’s a half-eaten meal tray on the table, though he’s fairly certain it’s not one he’s partaken in consuming.

And then he’s glancing down at the knitted white hospital blanket - the IV in his arm and the monitors attached to different parts of his chest and left arm. Steve gives an experimental wiggle of his toes - just checking he tells himself as he slowly stretches out his aching muscles.

From the edge of the bed, he spots the half-closed blinds around the exterior windows of his room, the pacing guards just outside.

And then…

And then, he cranes his head to the side, eyes falling to the person sitting in the chair next to his bed.

You’ve been watching his slow assessment of his surroundings with an unmoving face and the smallest glimmer of amusement on your lips. Your leg that had been resting across your other thigh is slowly planted back down onto the floor as you lean forward in your seat, offering out a hesitant hand to the edge of his bed.

It takes a moment, but Steve’s fingers carefully wrap themselves around yours.

He thinks he catches the shimmer of something in your eyes, but you blink it away before he can truly take it in.

Your voice gives the smallest of wavers as you utter a simple, “Welcome back, Captain.”

It takes a week, actually, before they release him. And by that time, Fury has burned his past to the ground, Natasha and Hill have both spoken at the Congressional hearing, and Bucky had well and truly disappeared from sight.

Sam nudges his arm as the ex-Director walks away from his own grave marker, his gaze directing Steve’s own towards you as you breeze through the cemetery towards them.

After he had awoken in the hospital, you had sat with him for nearly an hour - catching him up to speed, but then a nurse had come in for a pain assessment and new medication and you had slipped out so quickly and quietly that Steve hadn’t even noticed until the nurse left. His shield was left sitting where you once had.

Sam, ever the good man that he is, whistles a quiet tune to himself as he walks back towards the car, giving the two of you a real moment of privacy. And though he had never spoken of this new set of feelings raging in his head, he suspected the other man had an inkling of it all based on the looks he sent Steve whenever you were around.

Steve can’t help but smirk as your avian friend swoops down from the nearby tree and lands on your right shoulder.

“How’s the house searching coming?”

He chuckles, clutching the papers Natasha had given him only moments before, “Tony offered to put me up until I can find a place in the city.”

You make a soft ahh-ing sound, resting your weight on your right foot as you lean back slightly, “Back to New York, then?”

The supersoldier shrugs, moving a step closer to you, “Not a SHIELD agent anymore so I can’t find a real reason to stay here any longer.”

With a small nod, Steve watches you eyeing the manilla folder in his hand, “And then what?”

Steve, mirroring you, leans back, “Have some loose ends I need to tie up.”

Craning your neck to look past his shoulder, you gesture with your chin, “And I imagine our mutual friend there wanted you to go hunting with him in Europe.”

Looking back at the man who had already disappeared from view, he nods, “That he did.”

“Well,” this time, you take a hesitant step forward, nearing Steve’s chest with a sudden flutter in his belly as he gazes down into your sweetly innocent expression, “Perhaps we’ll run into each other again. I’m going with him, finish off the last of this whole business - clear my conscience, so to speak.”

At that, Steve does raise his brows.

You give a small shrug, “When you’ve been around as long as I have…” you sigh, shaking your head from completing the thought. And as much as he wants to press you for the rest of that statement, he lets it be.

Taking a step back from him makes the supersoldier take one towards you, refusing to widen the space between you two just yet.

“Not back to Olympus?”

You hum a funny little noise, looking downward for a moment, “Maybe one day. But perhaps when I’d be more welcomed back.”

His expression drops, dawning in realization, “Because of us?”

Another hapless shrug, a covering of invisible armor it seemed, “A necessary action. I’m not banished if that’s what you’re asking. The All-Father values our relationship too much for that. But, a time here on Earth wouldn’t be misguided in my case.”

Your eyes sweep over his face and the corners of your lips lift in sudden understanding as you close the gap between the two of you, grabbing his forearm gently in your left hand, “It’s okay, Steve. I’d take you all there and back again if it meant HYDRA was finally brought to justice. And besides, they know how to track me now, so I’m in less of a mood to come and go these days.”

He gives a jerky nod, still disliking the fact that your generosity towards them had caused even the smallest rift between your and your people.

Not to mention the fact that SHIELD had discovered a way to track your comings and goings. That was how Pierce had anticipated their early arrival. A certain kind of energy is emitted outward every time you teleported. Not that Fury had ever mentioned this to you before. It was learned after the fact when Sharon dumped all the files onto the internet.

And then he looks down at your warm fingers, still there enclosed around the sleeve of his leather jacket. Maybe…

“Be careful with that,” your gaze falls to the folder, voice hinged with a warning tone. “I know you’d go to the ends of the Earth to find your friend, but I’m not sure if he would be the same person you once knew, Steve.”

Another nod, this time with him stepping away from the contact as the knowledge of what all he was likely going to have to do to track down Bucky filled his thoughts.

“I have to try. He’d do it for me.”

Your expression is so soft with sincerity as you give a sad smile, “I know. He was a good man when I met him.”

Before he can say any more, a sharp beeping jingle from your pocket grabs your attention. And, without even looking at the device, you give him a shy look.

“Duty calls.”

Pulling the folder to his side, he gives a courteous, “Of course,” already imagining his next few steps once he reached the Tower and had access to JARVIS’s help.

In a move that sends a wave of beat red to his face and ears, you lean up on the tips of your toes and brush a ghosting kiss to his right cheek, “Take care of yourself, Steven. You’ve got good people around you who want to help, you know?”

He blushes, quickly looking down to regain his composure, “Don’t be a stranger… Athena.”

Your eyes flash for a second when his voice drops down an octave when he says your name. Maybe… maybe he wasn’t the only one who felt this new shift in things between the two of you.

He muses on that thought for a long moment as he watches you walk in the direction that Fury had taken. Pallas turns his head to watch Steve before you also take a quick glimpse over your shoulder at him.

Steve, for his part, tries to settle his heart before he clasps the folder in his hand and takes his own path across the sacred ground to his awaiting motorcycle at the edge of the cemetery.

<< Previous Chapter || Next Chapter >>

#steve rogers x female reader #steve rogers x reader #marvel fan fic #series: shameless wonder #my fic

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airkewld · 1 year

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September 7th 2023 | Cores for Heroes Submission | M. Ford | 1963 Beetle

I served in the USMC from 05-09. I went through boot camp at MCRD San Diego and School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton CA. I was sent to 7th Marines in 29 palms the end of January and February 14th we left for Iraq. I had to learn everything on the go, baptism by fire. My 1st tour was in a town called Husaybah Iraq, on the boarder of Syria, and the Euphrates river. Was a wild west kind of town. My 2nd tour was in a small town called Kubaysah, just outside of Hit Iraq. My journey took me to Baghdad to testify against two bad guys we caught throwing grenades at our patrols. The best part of that trip was swimming in Sadam Hussain's pool, and i have the picture to prove it! My 3rd and last tour was in Karma and NE Fallujah, sadly having to leave my post early I was sent home due to my Dad's untimely passing. Upon arrival back in the States I also lost my great grandmother within two days of being home, grateful I was able to tell her goodbye, wish I could have had that closure with my Dad. My Dad and Uncle Dave brought me up with a love of cars and Racing. My first car was a 69 bug that I drove while in HS and sold it before I joined the USMC. I regret selling it to this day and no pictures remain of it. My favorite past-time was cruising in my 69 bug all over the Columbia River Gorge corridor and county back roads. After moving from Oregon to Texas I decided it was time to build something. So I found a 1963 that I am currently restoring from the ground up. The theme for this bug will be USMC, going to call it the "Teuful Hunden" bug or as most people know it "Devil Dog". It will be painted red, with gold doors and rims, the Marine Corps colors. This build is really helping me find parts of me I left over seas. It's going to be a long build being a disabled veteran and on a budget. I have been ordering all the new body panels first. Was going to order a pro beam with disk brakes and a Freeway flyer with disk brakes from Air kewld but having a chance to win them is really awesome of you guys. Thanks for the opportunity and your time. M. Ford USMC

M. Ford is entered into our Cores for Heroes Program here - https://www.airkewld.com/Cores-for-Heroes-Program-s/2532.htm

To date, we have 12 submissions to win and we have raised $445 dollars of our $10,000 goal.

In our honest opinion, the US Armed Force members, are so under-appreciated. The PRO's are finally in a place to put a plan together that helps everyone that participates, but more importantly, those who served or serving.

Details will slightly change as we get more context, but here's the idea.

I want to give back to those who have fought for our freedoms, regardless of our political beliefs. I didn't fight for my country but my father did and he is fighting PTSD, mental disorders, agent orange, etc., etc. I get to build products for the greatest clients in the world because of it. So, how do I make something happen?

The PRO's need cores. The AirkewldArmy has cores. Within the AirkewldArmy community, reside members of the US Armed Forces that want/need/could use a boost in their life, whether it is financially or upgrades to their favorite VW.

To give some context on our Core Program, the PRO's need certain parts to make our PRObuilt Line of Classic Volkswagen Drive-Train Components. In the past, the PRO's would print out a prepaid shipping label and rebate an order if our client/s sent that core in and it checked out. Payment would be reimbursed to the client, store credit or trade for something else, would take place. With a unique but small twist, a BIG change can make a humongous difference.

If our current or past clients, the AirkewldArmy, sent their cores in, based on a value proposition, the PRO's would give them the opportunity to win two ways. The first, for every $10 in core value, would be one entry on a quarterly drawing to win Airkewld Swag, like work shirts, tee's, hats, stickers and air fresheners, $100 gift cards to Airkewld.com or even a $500 Visa/Airkewld gift card. The second, for every $10 in core value, once the PRO's accrue $10,000 in cores, the PRO's select a Hero, to receive a Complete Airkewld Drive-Train Package or $10,000.00 (Our CEO would fly to them and personally hand them the check), delivered to their door, FREE of charge. Heroes would enter by telling their story, both about their military experience and passion for their Classic Volkswagen.

Airkewld receives usable cores. The AirkewldArmy wins FREE Stuff. Together, the PRO's and the AirkewldArmy show appreciation to someone who deserves better, our Military Heroes.

Who's ready to make a difference today?

#heroes #armedforces #vw #military #us military

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savvytravelers · 4 months

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Best River Cruise Ships

Explore Savvy Travelers: Unveiling Our 20 Best Ship Features

Embark on a journey like no other with Savvy Travelers as we reveal the top 20 features of our exceptional river cruise ships. From luxurious accommodations to unforgettable experiences, let's explore what sets our ships apart and ensures an unparalleled cruising experience.

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Thoughtful Ship Details: From umbrellas to warm blankets, we provide thoughtful amenities to enhance your comfort and enjoyment during every moment of your journey.

Floor-to-Ceiling Windows: Immerse yourself in panoramic views from the Main Lounge, where floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the beauty of each destination we visit.

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Onboard Salons and Spas: Treat yourself to a pampering session at our onboard salons and spas, where indulgent treatments await to enhance your relaxation and rejuvenation.

Spacious Staterooms: Retreat to your spacious stateroom, featuring luxurious accommodations and modern amenities, ensuring a restful sanctuary after each day's adventures.

Destination-Inspired Decor: Experience the charm of each region with our destination-inspired decor, reflecting the culture and heritage of the places we visit.

Onboard Entertainment: End each day with a joyful celebration, featuring onboard entertainment from live music to cultural performances, creating unforgettable memories for all guests.

Festive Holiday Atmosphere: Join us for seasonal celebrations aboard our elegantly decorated ships, adding a touch of magic to your holiday experience.

Exceptional Crew: Our dedicated crew members serve as the heart of our ships, providing warm hospitality and personalized service to ensure your journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

Inclusive Guests: Join a community of inclusive and curious travelers who share a passion for exploration, creating lifelong memories together as we journey with Savvy Travelers.

Embark on an unforgettable journey with Savvy Travelers and experience the epitome of luxury aboard our river cruise ships. Contact your preferred travel advisor to learn more about our ships and embark on your next adventure today!

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strohller27 · 9 months

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Man. Last year was wild (memories and musings under the cut).

One memory from last year that I probably wont be over anytime soon is when I was working a retail popup on the waterfront for the cruise ship guests.

A bit of context: At this point of last year, I was painfully homeless and when I wasn’t spending $2200 a month airbnb-hopping, I was living out of a tent at a campground to save money. My access to showers and potable drinking water was iffy at best (the showers on the campground were $2 for five minutes, and the closest water spout that worked well enough to fill bottles with was the literal bathroom sink. I’m surprised the water didn’t make me sick. The water from there often left a really weird taste/cottony sensation in the back of my throat that took days to get rid of, unless I boiled it first, and that was *if* I had access to a power outlet and an electric kettle. Also one of the airbnbs I stayed at got the water shut off for almost 28 hours because the host wasn’t paying his goddamn bills. But that’s a story I tell elsewhere). I had no reliable access to refrigeration, whether I was at an airbnb or the campground, so everything I bought to eat had to be non-perishable. For a while there, I was skipping breakfast to save enough money to buy myself loaves of bread, peanut butter, protein bars, and ramen packets.

If I wanted a hot meal, the best thing I could get was Tim Horton’s (and when I did, I was mostly using a credit card). Sometimes the only reason I could afford to both eat and have a place to stay was because I had built up Tim’s rewards points.

Thank goodness it was still mostly summer and I wasn’t also freezing cold at night.

And then I had to go to work and there were so many customers at that waterfront popup telling me I should give them discounts because “Well, I’m broke, I spent all of my money on a cruise!”

Oh? Oh??? I’m so sorry, you poor, unfortunate little soul???? Does the poow wittle bwoke babykins need a wittle discount??

First off, friendo, you keep asking me if the price is in ‘american’ because you forgot that you’re in a literal different country right now. Second, you’re complaining to a minimum wage worker about how, ‘everything is so expensive here! Oh my god you have to pay that much in taxes? What do you mean I have to pay taxes on purchases, too’. You have main character syndrome and you have the absolute goddamned gall to think you deserve $300 off a $500 handmade, HAND EMBROIDERED woollen cape that you probably won’t even wear because you live in texas????

OH, YOU “““CAN’T AFFORD””” TO BUY THAT 30 DOLLAR SCARF BECAUSE YOU *CHECKS NOTES* HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO GO ON A LITERAL INTERNATIONAL FUCKING CRUISE, BETSY-ANN??

CRY ME A FUCKING RIVER.

But the one that gets me the worst was when a guy was there with his daughter. She was probably 12 or 13. And she wanted to buy a little Canadian flag to commemorate her visit. It was literally priced at. Two. Dollars. Ninety five. Cents.

And he said to her, “Oh, come on. What good is buying this going to do? Who is it supporting.”

I was so done by that point I literally raised my hand and yelled.

“ME IT WILL SUPPORT ME IT WILL HELP ME DO FUN LITTLE THINGS LIKE BUY GROCERIES. AND EAT.”

The daughter bought the flag.

I spent so much of last year worrying about where I was going to live. Worrying about how precarious my situation was. My mother was on the phone with me almost begging me to “come home”. To give up on my dreams because it was too hard. Several people suggested that, including my academic advisor. But I wasn’t going to let it go. I let spite get me here and goddamned if I wasn’t going to let spite keep me hanging on.

And now I’m living in a place that has mostly everything I need. I don’t have to crawl under a desk to get to my bed. I don’t have to ask for permission or worry about who it will affect when I want to do something nice for myself. I’m able to make my own decisions about my living space. I get to set my own schedule. I get to do things at my own pace. I get to eat what I want to eat (and my landlady keeps feeding me, too). Now that I’m not hemorrhaging funds, I’ve been able to save up some money. I’m regularly showering and brushing my teeth. I finally have the energy make my goddamned bed every day. I’m taking care of myself in ways that seemed insurmountable last year.

I’m not saying it’s perfect, and there are still things I have to address (like the weird numb spots on the tips of both my big toes that I noticed when I was still living at the campground; like staying on a consistent schedule with my medications; like taking too many hours at work because I’m worried about affording things). And I’m aware that I completely lucked out that I speak enough Russian to be able to understand my landlord/lady. But this is so much better than I could have hoped for.

And the rest of it wasn’t all bad either. Airbnb-hopping was expensive, but staying in different areas helped me learn the city. And now I’m working at a place that I don’t hate with a passion like I did when I was working food service in the states. I actually really like my coworkers (and funny enough, the small business I work for really does feel like a family). I get to wear my kilts to work. I have the necessary knowledge to be a perfect fit for the job, and I was apparently ‘an answer to a prayer’.

The misty mornings on the campground were more magical than any other mornings I’ve ever experienced in my life. I walked around the campground and saw its little lake beach and river. I made friends with the spiders. I named most of them. Every time I heard the squirrels and chipmunks get into an argument I would giggle to myself and think ‘the girls are fightinng!’ I drove to the beach, and I saw a little boy hold up a crab he’d found with the biggest smile on his face when he asked if I wanted to pet it. I felt an almost uncontrollable urge to pick up the seaweed and eat it. I met interesting people. I made some friends. I went to a famous lighthouse. I rode the ferry to work and watched massive cruise ships docking, feeling as much awe as I did when I first saw Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I watched the sun both rise and set over the harbour. And I fell in love with this place despite all of the challenges that were in my path.

Perfect or not, I needed this. I needed to be self-sufficient and live my own life. I needed to see beauty and wonder and touch sand that was on a beach instead of on my bedroom floor. And I’m so sad that the only two times in my life I’ve really been able to do things like this and live the life I want were when I left the US. And because of that, I’m really not planning on going back to live there.

Funny that I had to leave the “land of the free” to really feel/be free, eh? Whatever the case, now I’m a maritimer by choice.

Here’s to 2024. May I learn from all that 2023 taught me (If shit sucks, hit da bricks. Leave. Do it scared. Do it alone and scared. Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Find beauty in the mundane. Advocate for yourself and your skills. Make decisions that will provide for your future so that you can take the steps you want to take, even if people think something like learning Russian isn’t going to be useful. Take those steps you want to take to follow your dreams, even if your dream seems flimsy like a cardboard façade to you. Even if those are the hardest steps you ever have to take. Today can be ‘someday’, if you let it. The greatest adventure is what lies ahead, today and tomorrow are yet to be said). May 2024 be a year for more steps forward than steps back.

#musings on the new year #ridiculous memories #ahh life #it’s also worth mentioning that I somehow held down three jobs and passed an online class with an A+ as all of this was going on #thank god for Tim Horton’s wifi #also I hate to think what would have happened wothout the income from all three of those jobs. i probably would have eaten less…#we’ll leave it at that #oh. I lived through two tropical storms too huh. yep. that happened.#not enough to scare me away #even though I was in a tiny camper for one of those storms #and when literally all of my possessions were in my car I couldn’t see out of the back window so I had to drive a mini cooper like it was #like it was a box truck LOLOL #2023 was wild. like. it wasn’t my worst year because I hit rock bottom a long-ass time ago #but it certainly wasn’t my best year either #my year was so fucking ridiculous it’s comical #welp. nowhere to go but up from where I was this summer!#Also I would like to personally thank Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby for preventing me from going literally batshit insane

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toaverse · 2 years

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I've been hyperfixated on this movie for a while, sooo... How does Moana tie into your modern AU?

Alrighty!

Moana

In New Zealand, there was a small Maori village near Auckland called Motunui. Tala Waialiki moved there with her 3 year old son Tui to start a new life after divorcing her husband.

Tala found a job as a receptionist in a hotel in the city, and she and her son settled.

As Tui grew up, he loved sailing on the river near Motunui, especially together with his best friend. Whenever he had a bad day at school, Tui would take his small boat and sail across the water of the river.

But tragedy would strike. When Tui was 17, he and his best friend went out sailing again, but a storm hit that caused rough water, and their boat got destroyed. While Tui managed to get above water, his best friend didn't and drowned...

This obviously traumatized Tui. He quickly developed aquaphobia, and abandoned sailing as a whole.

Instead he focused on school, spending time with his mother and friends, and Motunui in general.

Eventually, he started a relationship with a fellow classmate named Sina. The two married 3 years later, and were blessed 2 years later with a daughter who they named Moana.

Everything was perfect for the Waialiki family. Tui sold Maori paintings while Sina worked part-time at a bakery, leaving Tala to take care of Moana while both parents worked. Until the obvious happened.

From the age of 1, Moana was fascinated with water and the river. She'd sometimes go to the river near Motunui and play with the water. Tala often watched, making sure nothing happened to her granddaughter, smiling seeing her happy. This strengthened the bond between grandmother and granddaughter.

Obviously, when Tui found out and saw his 1 year old daughter near the river, he wasn't happy, and kept her away from the water, not wanting Moana to experience the same fate his best friend suffered.

For years, Tui tried everything to keep his daughter away from the river. He taught her everything about their culture and village, told her to focus on school and getting good grades, and encouraged her to spend time with her family.

But through those years, Moana always felt drawn to the river, wanting to sail across it with her two favorite pets, her pig she named Pua, and a chicken she named Hei Hei.

At least her grandma Tala supported her, that was obvious. She was her best friend and the only one who understood her. As well as her adopted cousin Maui. Despite his inferiority superiority complex, the two were pretty close, considering each other as cousins.

Just like her father, Moana went to school in Auckland, taking the bus to and back. Her grades were decent, but she excelled in geography and English. She dreamed of someday working on a ship someday, wether that'd be simply serving drinks on a cruise ship or actually steering one herself! That sounded cool! Well, as long as it wouldn't be the Titanic.

Finally, when Moana was 16, she found her father's old boat and took it to sail across the river, together with Maui, Pua and Hei Hei.

Sure, she’d probably get in trouble for this and her dad would definitely scold her, but that didn’t matter right now. That would come later.

Maui

Only a few months after he was born, Maui's parents didn't want him anymore, and dumped him in front go a random orphanage...

For 8 years, Maui had to live in the foster care system, being passed around from family to family who didn't really care about him anyways.

But eventually, after the umpteenth time of being re-homed, Maui was placed in the home of a nice lady named Fiti. Unlike all the other foster-families he stayed at, she was nice and actually cared about him and his well-being.

Fiti lived alone in a small house near Motunui. She was a botanist, and was best friends with Sina since high school.

While she was never interested in romance or any of that, Fiti always wanted a child through adoption. She wanted to offer children who had less a home.

So, she became a foster parent, and eventually took in Maui, a boy who was in the foster care system for most of his life.

Despite knowing that Fiti actually cared for him, Maui still felt the urge to prove himself that he was good enough for her to adopt, that he was no trouble child.

After some time, Maui wanted to stay with Fiti. She was nice and actually cared for him.

So, Fiti adopted the boy, and both of them were happy. Finally, Maui had a home.

As a 'Welcome Home' present, Fiti gave the boy a pet parakeet, who he named Mini-Maui.

Like Moana, Maui went to school in Auckland. His grades were okay, a bit lower than Moana's, but still okay. His favorite subject would be music.

He and his now-adoptive-mother often visited the Waialikis. Maui and Moana would play near the river, while Fiti and Sina would catch up.

Maui and Moana would grow up as cousins, and they'd often hang out near the river, wanting to sail across it.

Despite his inferiority superiority complex he still had, Maui finally felt like he had a family.

#disney modern au #moana waialiki #maui #te fiti #moana #answered ask #toaverse answers

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newjerseydumpster · 2 years

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Willkommen to Ulmich!

This is the unnecessary consequence of me wanting the protagonist of a shitfic to be a silly german middle aged woman. Please accept this funky little map before I open the exposition floodgates!

General Information

Ulmich is a region in what would be Pokemon's equivalency of Europe. It's pretty much just a yassified PokeGermany. It's in the center of this alleged "PokeContinent," and shares a border with the Kalos region to the west.

The official language of Ulmich is Ulmichan (which is just German), though most Ulmichans are bilingual, fluent in both their native tongue and either Galarian (English), Kalosian (French), or another.

The legendary Pokemon of Ulmich is Bundesaetos, a regal black eagle that Ulmich credits as its founder. Instead of using "Arceus" as a sort of stand-in word for "God," Ulmichans will often use "Bundesaetos" instead. This is not to say Bundesaetos usurps Arceus as a God, but rather that it's such an important piece of Ulmichan culture that it warrants its own everyday use.

Despite this, Bundesaetos hasn't been sighted in quite some time.

Cities [In Order of Population]

Zergen is the capital of Ulmich, as well as its most populated city. It's the industrial, financial, and government heartland of the region, a true concrete jungle if the country ever had one. This city is quite fast-paced and crowded, so cars aren't the most effective form of transportation. Instead, Zergen's got quite the underground transit system, providing commuters access to most of the city.

Additionally, Zergen is home to Zergen International Airport (ZIA), and Zergen University, among others. As far as the Pokemon League goes, Zergen has no gyms, nor is it the home of the Elite Four - but it's a must on the bucket list for tourists!

Waldig is the second most populated city in Ulmich but definitely has Zergen beat in terms of trade. It's the one Ulmich city that's right on the sea. Besides ingoing cargo ships from Galar, Kalos, or Paldea, Waldig has quite a lovely maritime beachfront and a shockingly successful cruise industry! Waldig is home to Ulmich's first and easiest gym, specializing in Water-type Pokemon.

Schwassberg is the third most populated city in Ulmich, which is quite ironic considering its placement in the more treacherous reaches of the region. However, it's mostly unperturbed by the Stahlgrenze Range due to its placement juuuust outside of its boundaries. Schwassberg residents are noticeably more laid-back than most other Ulmichans, and this is exemplified best in their world-renowned annual beer festival (Yes, we're talking Oktoberfest). You're gonna see a lot of silly Unovans come to Schwassberg for a keg or two.

Schwassberg hosts the eighth and final gym, as well as the most difficult. Considering the range that surrounds it, it's appropriate that the gym specializes in the Steel-type.

Munseedorf, lying right by the heart of the West Munsee River, is home to lovely scenery alongside the calming sounds of Munsee's current. Being closest to Kalos, a lot of Munseedorf's population is fluent in Kalosian, and the general culture is much more mixed between Kalos and Ulmich than in other parts of the region. Munseedorf houses the sixth gym, specializing in Grass-type Pokemon.

Strossem borders the Kitzberg Range to the east. As such, the city provides lovely, albeit daunting views of Mt. Kleinkrieg. Known for the "Strossem Sausage" and a thriving skiing industry, the city's doing quite well for itself. Strossem is home to the seventh gym in the Pokemon League lineup, specializing in the Bug-type.

Nachtfurt is the closest to what you could consider smack-dab in the middle of the region. It is widely considered as the "garden city" of Ulmich, as even the most urbanized squares of Nachtfurt are sprawling with gardens and forest cover. It's definitely got a gothic academia vibe. Nachtfurt is home to the fifth gym, which specializes in Ghost-type Pokemon.

Vechtwald, aside from Zergen, must be Ulmich's most blatantly historic city. Walking around the central streets will display a centuries-long myriad of architecture, from the newest marketplace to the oldest cathedral. Vechtwald is home to the second Pokemon gym, working with Dark-types.

Rosenschen is a city caught in the aridest part of Ulmich. Surrounded by the Rosenkranz Desert and Norwuste Range, Bundesaetos knows that it's a bit hard for things to grow. Citizens make it work, though, capitalizing on a sort of cowboy aesthetic to attract tourism. Rosenschen's gym is fourth in the League lineup, focusing on the Ground-type.

Mecklenstadt is the ninth and final city of note in the Ulmich Region. While it's not a buzzing metropolis, Mecklenstadt is quaint and historic, a much less busybodied rendition of Zergen. The city itself is probably best known for both its many Pokemon sanctuaries alongside its monopoly on Ulmich's northeastern beachfront. Mecklenstadt houses the third gym in the Ulmich League, Dragon-type in nature.

Towns and Villages

Rodenheim is the northernmost settlement in the Ulmich Region, situated at the very crest. It's like Waldig, but a much more downsized and rural version. If Ulmich were a game, Rodenheim would be the player's hometown.

Nordmund is primarily known as a fun art town. Have you got a love of gardens, old imperial palaces, and chocolate? Nordmund's got you covered, so long as you can put up with pretentious hipsters.

Kirchatz is very similar to Vechtwald in the old architecture field, minus the city aspect or secularism. Kirchatz people tend to be pretty religious, so if you're an Arceus-fearing fellow then I suppose you'd be right where you ought to be. For the rest of us, it's a bit awkward - but at least the churches look pretty.

Kalingen is a glorified rest stop. I believe in Kalingen slander.

Augureich, sitting right at the base of Ulmich's highest peak, is a village absolutely pelted by rain and snow. Augureich's a mining town, to be sure, but it's also full of spirituality and mystique. Legends say that Augureich was the birthplace of Bundesaetos. If you manage to outlast the blizzard on the way, here's to hoping you have enough money for a monk!

Gipfelitz, Ulmich's southwesternmost point, is the home of the Pokemon League itself. That's right - this little place is where the Elite Four and Champion conduct business. In Gipfelitz, upon a horizontal mountain face, belies a massive cathedral: The Pokemon League building. Walk right on in! If you dare.

Waterways

River Munsee is Ulmich's longest river, spanning out to reach across much of the northern and central reaches. Because of its shape, Munsee is divided into two parts: East and West Munsee. These rivers are vital for the prosperity of Munseedorf, Nachtfurt, Nordmund, Vechtwald, Strossem, and Kalingen.

Brandewitz River is the lifeline of Zergen and Waldig, and certainly the busiest waterway in the region as a result. Both cities use Brandewitz to ship their cargo to and from their ports, as well as the rest of Ulmich through smaller channels.

Herald River is the most straightforward river geographically speaking, but it's a lot more turbulent than Munsee or Brandewitz, with rapids in some areas that will not hesitate to knock you down. Schwassbergians really love to paddle around in it though, so I guess it's not so bad.

Mountains and Deserts

Rosenkranz Desert is the one and only desert (or prairie area, for that matter) in the Ulmich Region. In real life, Germany doesn't have any deserts - at least not truly, but south of Berlin (or Zergen, in this case) lies a pocket of pseudo-desert area referred to as the Lieberoser Desert. Rosenkranz is based on that pocket, though a lot drier. While not a sand dune type of desert, it's an area more similar to a desertified prairie land.

Norwuste Range is Ulmich's third tallest range. There's not much to write home about other than it being much tamer than Kitzberg or Stahlgrenze. Not to mention drier.

The Kitzberg Mountain Range is Ulmich's second tallest range altogether, and home to the second tallest peak in Ulmich: Mt. Kleinkrieg. The peak's name, meaning "little war," is well deserved, considering how dangerous it can really be to climb. While not as tall as Augureich, it's imposing on its own. Climbers, please perform your due diligence.

The Stahlgrenze Mountains are Ulmich's tallest range, housing Mt. Augureich, the region's highest summit. If Kleinkrieg's a freakshow, then wait till you see Augureich. The thing's surrounded by a nonstop blizzard, and if that wasn't bad enough, it also happens to be an active volcano. You see, unlike Kleinkrieg, there is NO climbing Augureich. Should you ever decide to ignore my warnings and climb the glorified death rock anyway, here's to hoping the monks in the town can give you a blessing or two before you depart. Happy days!

I've been working at this for two hours at the VERY least so I'm gonna tap out now. But if you're seeing this, thanks for sticking around! I bringeth upon thee a star sticker ⭐

#pokemon #pokemon region #fakemon #fakemon region #germany #missy lore #missy draws #ulmich #bundesaetos #why do i do this to myself smh

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powerplayunit · 2 years

Text

Marc-Andre Fleury’s humor, humbleness and infectious love for hockey run deep

Oct 11, 2022 (x)

VARENNES, Que. — The long driveway is filled to the brim with trucks. Landscapers are there, putting the finishing touches on the new house, and a dock is being put in on this refreshingly breezy July day about 40 minutes southwest of Montreal.

Knowing there’d be no room to squeeze another car into the driveway, Marc-Andre Fleury is outside at the edge of his garage to greet his guest with the friendliness that has long been the signature of the jovial, gregarious man affectionately known throughout the hockey world as “Flower.”

Fleury has a stick in his hand and is fiddling with a foam puck when he spots me zigzagging past the work trucks.

“Welcome,” Fleury says, smiling wide and flashing his perfectly white teeth.

Fleury extends his right hand, then opens the door to his home: “After you.”

“Have you eaten? Can I make you a sandwich?” Fleury, with a French-Canadian accent, asks.

When I politely decline, Fleury says, “How about some water? Natural or sparkling?”

Fleury pours two glasses of San Pellegrino and grabs a peanut butter CLIF bar for himself.

He has just gotten home from a workout. There are still six days remaining on his Minnesota Wild contract after he was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks before last season’s trade deadline. But Fleury is wearing a black Vegas Golden Knights T-shirt, left over from his four-year career there that included a Vezina Trophy and an unexpected trip to the Stanley Cup Final in the organization’s inaugural year.

“Well, it was free,” Fleury, laughing hard, says when explaining the shirt.

He opens a glass door to a back patio, then sits on a wicker couch. He crisscrosses his legs and begins petting his Goldendoodle, Fiston.

“We lost our other Golden at Christmas,” Fleury says. “It was hard on the kids. You know … they’re always there. It’s hard to lose a dog.”

Fleury looks up, takes a deep breath, then a bite of the CLIF bar. He stares through a picture-perfect canopy of green trees and toward the St. Lawrence River 100 yards away. A cargo ship that says “DULUTH, MINNESOTA” is slowly cruising west to east past his property. The ship has navigated all the way from Lake Superior through the Great Lakes and is on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.

“Peaceful, isn’t it?” Fleury says as he massages the neck of a very content Fiston.

Fleury, even at 37 and after 19 NHL seasons, still loves every minute of being a hockey player and is excited about what lies ahead. But at this moment, this is his happy place and he’s contemplating all the possibilities of what’s on that ship, where it has come from and where it may be going.

Europe? Africa? Asia? South America?

“All day, every day, those ships go by,” Fleury says. “Cool, isn’t it?”

When the super-athletic, acrobatic eventual Hall of Famer and the man who kicks off The Athletic’s NHL99 project as the 100th-best player in the NHL’s modern era isn’t stopping pucks, winning games, playing practical jokes on his teammates, hanging with his wife and playing with his three children, this is a glimpse into his life.

On this day, hours before Fleury would decide to forgo free agency and re-sign with the Wild for two years, he is relaxed, downright hospitable and reflective about where he’s come from and what he thinks his NHL legacy will be.

When reminded about his three Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins, his five All-Star Game appearances, his Vezina and Jennings trophies and the fact that in NHL history only Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy have won more than his 520 regular-season and 92 playoff games, Fleury smiles, blushes and stares once more at the blue St. Lawrence River.

“It’s hard to believe,” he says. “It’s surreal. Those were my heroes.”

Fleury grew up in the small town of Sorel-Tracy, Que. — 50 kilometers from his current home.

Surrounded by cornfields and cattle farms, Fleury lived on one end of a long road. On the other end of the same road was the home of Veronique LaRose, who used to play hockey with Fleury’s younger sister, Marylene.

Fleury has known Veronique since they were in elementary school. At 14 years old, he was so shy he didn’t have the nerve to ask her to be his date at a school dance. He had his sister ask Veronique instead. They went to the dance and really began dating later in their teenage years.

This summer, Marc-Andre and Veronique celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary after being together the 10 years before that.

Their two daughters, 9-year-old Estelle and 7-year-old Scarlett, learned to skate when Dad played in Vegas and are both hockey players. Their 3-year-old son, James, is starting to love hockey for different reasons.

“He loves going to the games because he likes popcorn and eating snacks,” Fleury says, laughing. “I’m like my dad was with me. I don’t push hockey on them. I never will. If they love it, they’ll play.”

Fleury’s dad, Andre, was a hard-working man, a carpenter who built a lot of homes in Sorel-Tracy.

“Every day, long hours,” Fleury says. “Sweating in the summer, freezing in the winter.”

Andre lost his right eye when he was 6 playing hockey. He took a stick to the face in a weekend tournament, “and back then, there was no doctor to treat him over the weekend.”

“But,” Fleury continues, “he loved hockey.”

Andre had a sense of humor about losing his eye. He’d always tell his son to keep his “eye” on the puck, pun intended. And he continued to play hockey, only he moved to right wing so he could see oncoming checkers with his left eye “so he wouldn’t get hammered,” Fleury says, laughing at the thought.

Andre died three years ago at 63 of lung cancer.

What’s so tragic about it, Fleury says, is that Andre “smoked — smoked a lot,” but when his own dad — Fleury’s grandfather — died of lung cancer, he quit cold turkey. Then years later, having not smoked all the while, Andre was diagnosed with the disease that killed his father.

“My dad took me to every practice, all the tournaments, but he never pushed me toward hockey,” Fleury says. “He always told me to just have fun and work hard. In the summer, he didn’t make me play hockey. Soccer, baseball — he was just as happy watching me play. It was good how he never pushed it on me. He just let me fall in love with it naturally.”

Allan Walsh, Fleury’s longtime agent and friend, witnessed how much the loss affected Fleury.

“His dad was very quiet and worked his ass off for his family,” Walsh says. “You could see in his eyes what Andre meant to Marc. When things weren’t going well in hockey, Marc would reach out to his dad and have a conversation, and his dad gave him advice. And it always, always made a difference.”

And then there’s Fleury’s mom, France, who has six siblings. She’s a dental hygienist, which may explain her boy’s great teeth.

“She’s on me all the time about them,” Fleury says. “One time, after I had braces, I did a flip on a trampoline, landed on my teeth and they all caved in. I had to get braces again and she was like, ‘What are you doing to your beautiful teeth?’”

Fleury is one of the friendliest, most affable athletes in hockey. Just watch him in pregame warmups and the way he waves at fans, poses for pictures and allows fans to throw jerseys at him for autographs as he stretches.

He gets all this from his mom, who has the exact same smile as her son.

“My mom is always in a light mood, always happy, smiling, helping people,” Fleury says. “Family is big in my life. Every summer, we have a big party with all my family we don’t get to see a lot during the season.”

Fleury’s sister is two years younger. He says they fought a lot growing up, but when he left at age 14 to play midget and then 15 to go to Cape Breton for major junior, the distance brought his sister and him closer than ever. They missed each other desperately and today are as close as can be.

In fact, any chance they get, Fleury and his sister will go on the ice to play hockey.

“It’s one of my favorite things to do,” Fleury says.

If you know anything about Fleury, you know he’s one of the NHL’s biggest practical jokers.

Nobody is safe.

Former Golden Knights teammate Jonathan Marchessault says the hardest thing is Fleury’s “sneaky about it” then “denies it till he dies.”

He’s been known for cutting laces on skates and hiding in equipment bags.

Dontcha know, payback is best served with 7 rolls of clear tape! 😈

🌸 pranks longtime friend, Sidney Crosby, during the #NHLMediaTour.#mnwild pic.twitter.com/CyPgfmBknI

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) September 20, 2022

At the 2022 NHL Media Tour, Fleury got old Penguins teammate Sidney Crosby good by taking seven rolls of tape and binding Crosby’s gear up into a ball. In 2011, Fleury was the ringleader of a famous scheme revealed on “Road to the Winter Classic” when a handful of Penguins veterans played a rookie prank on Mark Letestu and Ben Lovejoy by sneaking into their hotel room while at dinner and removing every piece of furniture and reconfiguring it in the hallway.

“I like hotel rooms,” Fleury says, smiling wryly. “You know, guys go out to dinner, you’ve got some time and you put everything in the hallway or just make a big tornado in there. I like getting in the room and messing with everything.”

Fleury has learned how to manipulate a toilet. He’ll sneak into a teammate’s hotel room, unplug the rubber refill tube in the tank, then just barely position the end of the hose so it’s resting under the lid. Inevitably, when a teammate goes to the bathroom and flushes, he’ll get pummeled with water directly to the stomach.

“And it’s not like a water pistol where it’s one spray,” Walsh says, laughing. “This lasts 20 seconds, and when you’re in an enclosed, tight hotel bathroom, there’s nowhere to go. You can’t go left, right. You can’t get out of the way. The water’s just coming at you and coming at you.”

Before Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, the game in which Fleury made the miraculous game-saving stop on Nicklas Lidstrom in the dying seconds, Fleury went back to the MGM Grand in Detroit after the morning skate. He was trying to take a pregame nap, but in the room next to him, several people were partying. They were loud, drinking and playing music, and the noise caused Fleury to toss and turn for two hours before the most important game of his life.

At 3:45, Fleury put on his suit, but before heading to the team bus, he took a waste basket, filled it with water, leaned it on the door of the room next to him, banged on the door, sprinted down the hallway and, just as he turned the corner, he heard the door open and somebody scream.

Yes, before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Fleury played an epic prank on a complete stranger in the next room.

“I remember once getting in his car and the entire car is full of giant bags of confetti,” Walsh says. “I had to sit with this massive bag of confetti on my lap that went all the way to the roof. I go, “I’ve got to ask you, what the f— is this?’ And he goes, ‘I have some plans,’ with that big Flower smile.”

In his early days in Pittsburgh, Fleury roomed with Marc Bergevin, one of the league’s biggest pranksters during his playing days. Bergevin once came back to the room at night and placed a book with an enticing title on the nightstand between their beds. The rookie threw the remote control to Bergevin, which was common in the old days. Bergevin went to the bathroom, kept the door ajar and laughed out loud when he heard his roomie scream. Fleury had picked up the book, looking at the front cover, then the back, then opened the book and got the shock of a lifetime.

Literally. Fleury was jolted by the prank book.

“Berge used to do little tricks all the time,” Fleury says. “He taught me well.”

It’s hard to believe the youthful Fleury is 37 years old and 32 victories from passing Roy for second all-time in the regular season.

Walsh remembers June 21, 2003, like it was yesterday.

The night before the draft, Walsh hosted a party with Fleury, his family and his other draft-eligible clients and family members. They had no idea what team would select Fleury.

But on draft day, Walsh received a call with a scoop. The Panthers, three years after acquiring Roberto Luongo at the 2000 draft, were planning to trade the No. 1 overall pick and another pick to the Penguins for the Nos. 3 and 55 picks and winger Mikael Samuelsson. The reason? The Penguins wanted Fleury.

Walsh was meeting Fleury in the lobby of their hotel four blocks from the arena.

“I took Flower aside and told him, ‘I have some information, but I don’t want to ruin in any way this experience for you. So if you want to be surprised, I know where you’re going and I know what team is taking you, but I don’t want to tell you unless you want to know,’” Walsh recalls. “He goes, ‘Tell me, tell me, tell me.’ I said, ‘You sure,” and he yells, ‘F—ing tell me!’

Walsh told him he was going No. 1 overall to the Penguins.

“He looked right through me, like I could actually see the different swirling thoughts going through his mind the whole time,” Walsh says. “He was speechless for 10 seconds. He finally goes, ‘Geeeeeezzzzz.’”

Fleury asked: “What do we do now?”

“I said, ‘For starters, I think we should get our ass to the rink,’” Walsh says.

During that four-block walk, Fleury got bombarded by autograph and photo seekers. It was boiling hot outside. Finally, Walsh put his hand on Fleury’s waist and ushered him along. They got to their seats 10 minutes before the draft started and were soaked with sweat from the sweltering Nashville heat.

“Marc literally had sweat dripping from his forehead and a drenched shirt when his name was called,” Walsh says.

Fleury made the Penguins as an 18-year-old, a huge jump going from major junior to the NHL. Of course, this is the same guy who jumped from bantam AA to major junior.

In his NHL debut, he stopped 46 of 48 shots in a 3-0 loss.

“Those were tough years,” says Ed Olczyk, Fleury’s first coach with the Penguins. “The plan was to rid ourselves of all of our assets — the Robert Langs and Marty Strakas — and build from the draft knowing that we had no goalies coming and no center-icemen. We knew Florida didn’t need a goalie, so Craig (Patrick) moved up to assure we got a guy we all thought we could build from the goal crease out.

“Flower was so infectious. His love of the game, his smile, his personality, his skill level, it was all there under one umbrella.”

But the Penguins were an unstable organization at that point, bleeding money and shuttling Fleury back and forth to the minors or to the 2004 world juniors, then permanently back to Cape Breton so they wouldn’t have to pay his bonuses.

“He was upset and emotional,” Olczyk remembers. “I remember him saying to me with tears in his eyes, ‘I don’t want my bonuses. You can keep them. Just let me stay.’ Those were hard conversations because I wanted him there, too.”

There was a lot of losing in those early years in Pittsburgh. But after drafting Fleury in 2003, the Penguins landed Evgeni Malkin, Crosby and Jordan Staal in the first rounds of the next three drafts.

“Those were three great players to build up the middle with, but at the beginning, we were losing a lot,” Fleury says. “That was hard because you see in the paper the No. 1 pick can’t stop a puck and is losing all the time. That’s when I learned to stop reading the paper, which was tough. All my life, my dad and me, we always got the newspaper and read all the sports in the news.”

But Fleury persevered, began winning games and helped backstop a very special Penguins team to the pinnacle.

Marc-Andre Fleury saved 4️⃣8️⃣ of 5️⃣0️⃣ shots in Games 6 & 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. 🧱 🌸 🏆#StanleyCupNBCSN | @penguins pic.twitter.com/pSpGurZo1c

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 9, 2020

“At the end of the day, I just want to win,” Fleury says. “But what I’ve found out over time, when I smile, when I’m having fun, then I play better.”

Like his mom, Fleury may always be smiling, but he’s a fierce competitor. There are so many stories from Pittsburgh about his battles every practice with Crosby. But it’s his fun style on the ice and that off-ice demeanor that has allowed him to galvanize franchise bases — especially in Vegas after he willingly went there as the Golden Knights’ expansion goaltender — and why he’s so popular, so beloved, league-wide.

Just look at last season, when he won his 500th game and recorded his 69th shutout in Montreal. The Canadiens had such a bad season, it quite frankly may have been the highlight of their season when Canadiens fans serenaded Fleury in the final minute by chanting his name.

“I didn’t expect that,” Fleury says. “I mean, I grew up a Habs fan. They were always my favorite team. It was pretty amazing.”

Fleury simply loves playing hockey. It’s why he signed on for two more years with the Wild.

“When you win Cups, it’s something you always chase to do it again,” he says. “I’m just fortunate that I can still do it, to play for this long. Had some injuries, but nothing too devastating. I feel lucky. I feel like I got to do what I love for so long.”

Fleury then leads a tour of his house. In the basement, there are paintings on canvas of some of his proudest moments, as well as posters, years and years of pads and all of his masks — not just from the NHL but also from when he was a kid and in junior. There are also special ones that used to belong to Brodeur and Roy.

He also has keepsakes from his dad, who saved many pictures and newspaper articles highlighting the boy he was so proud of.

“Look at his numbers and the longevity and the success individually, the success of the teams he’s played on — part of three Stanley Cup champions. This is a slam-dunk, no-brainer Hall of Famer,” Olczyk says. “The young man that’s become a man and everything he’s been able to accomplish in the game and in his family speaks for itself. It’s hard not to like and love the guy.”

#marc andre fleury #pittsburgh penguins #minnesota wild #article

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