#danka replies

[thetruearchmagos]

Post Mortem

An Excerpt: Stand Off

The idea for this one's actually been around for a good long while, but the inspiration to write it all out just struck me like a bolt of lightning yesterday, and I knew I had to put it out!

Tagging @lividdreamz @dogmomwrites @marinesocks @sanguine-arena @athenswrites @ceph-the-ghost-writer @theprissythumbelina @thatndginger @jamieanovels @the-stray-storyteller @muddshadow

Major Dejene “Dusty” Kalu gazed over his instrument panel with an impassive eye. He and his crew of three had been in the air for some five hours by now, flying lazy, fuel saving circles in the polar skies north of Alphania. Their Claude Condor strategic bomber, which they’d affectionately nicknamed “Paper Prop III” in honour of the Major’s previous wartime bird, was built to fly twice that long on a full thirty tonne combat payload, and at the moment the Prop’s mission was something far less severe.

“Right, Danka, anything new come up?”

He turned to ask the Air Technical Officer, Lieutenant Danka Vranes, and her reply, muffled by the intercom, came back after a quick look over her own plot.

“No, sir. Can’t even get any of the civvie birds’ transponders, and the Union’s Guards aren’t trying to flash us just yet.”

The Major snorted at that, shaking his head. Though in a bomber’s hull, and with a crew made up of young aviator’s trained in the role of airborne annihilation, the Prop was currently flying with a belly filled with electronic detection equipment and extra tanks. They were there to be seen, by the watching eyes of the People’s Union of Bothnia, and to see what they could of that state’s own defensive preparations. Not strictly enemies, the Major reminded himself, but hardly friends these days.

Another voice came over the line, this time from the cockpit.

“Well, Danka, you might not be getting a ping, but I’m pretty sure I see a long white cloud with a bit of grey steel coming down at us from two o’clock.”

Up in the cockpit beside the pilot, Captain Halimah Asih, Lieutenant Charles Plourd gave a chuckle.

“Well, it’s ‘bout time the welcome party showed up. How we wanna treat our hosts this time?”

The Major looked back at his display, thinking over his options. He certainly wasn’t scared, since it’d be a pretty mad Bothnian who’d try something too dangerous with his bird. And anyways, in the past dozen of these flights - all well out of their designated airspace - they’d sent up a fighter or two with their seekers cold just to remind the Commonwealth whose turf it was. As he gave his instructions, he half considered getting up to take a photo, hoping it might be one of their old Fidgets. He didn’t have too many of those in his steadily growing collection. 

“Good copy, you two. Keep us on the steady course, try not to let ‘em know we see them. Danka, give me a jam, nothing too harsh, just enough to make our friends sweat a little once they’re inside, say, fifty klicks.”

The three officers set about their work, which for the pilots was not different from what they were already doing. The whole squadron was flying these missions these days, and word had gotten around on what sorts of tricks a good crew might try and play. Since United Commonwealth electronic warfare suites were so far ahead of their erstwhile ally’s, they’d taken to showing off just a small taste of their full potential.Danka looked over her board, mentally going over a list of well remembered settings, and settled on something near the bottom.

Ten minutes later, a shrill cry that would have once given all of them a mild heart attack came through the craft. This was the track warning receiver, which helpfully told them that their approaching escort had decided to give their own missiles a good enough chance to blow them out of the sky, and that as such these guests should mind their good manners. To Danka, it told her much more than that.

“Getting a signature… Well, looks like we’ve got a Folder keeping us company today, sixty kilometres to zero-four-zero at fifteen thousand K.”

The Folder was a good enough interceptor, though in the Major’s mind not good at much beyond that. With a pair of gargantuan engines and the airframe of a dart, hauling missiles high, far, fast, and towards an incoming bomber or missile swarm was about all it was good for. Though considering the People’s Union was on the brink of annihilation when they designed them, it was a pretty good effort, if decades behind his own side.

Then, Danka’s brow furrowed.

“We’ve got a new signature, coming in at one kilometre above the Folder. Can’t tell what it is, doesn’t match any fighter in the database. Damn, they’ve got a lock on us though!”

The pilots’ heads swivelled to look, and confirmed her statement.

“Yeah, we see one new contrail, up high from the previous. Fast bugger, they’re really burning fuel up there.”

Kalu turned to his display again, this time with greater urgency. And curiosity. After all, if the Bothnians had a new toy, it was a good thing if he’d be the one to find out just what it was.

“Clear On, folks. Keep as we are, and start jamming as usual.”

“Understood, boss. Starting the show… now.”

With a flick of a switch, the state-of-the-art BLUE BALE electronic warfare package buried within the Prop’s belly roared to life. Their chaser’s lock was shattered in an instant, and a screech of electronic noise, and looking out their canopy the pilots were happy to see the Fidget respond by jinking wildly in the air, before diving to the deck and speeding up towards them.

And yet, the warning bell was still ringing.

Danka stretched her shoulders, letting out a deep breath. She fiddled with her instrument set, but the lock still held.

“Shit, sir, they’re just burning through! Permission to go louder?”

By now, Kalu’s plot showed the green chevron of their strange new friend approaching rapidly, increasing its speed into supersonic territory in a dive down towards them. He ripped off his harness and jumped to his feet, moving up to the cockpit to get a look for himself.

“Don’t bother, Lieutenant. Cut the jamming and get recording, Command’s gonna want to see this shit.”

“On it, sir.”

He ducked around the cramped hull and entered the cockpit, where he found the two pilots with an air of calm that belied their own growing unease. They’d heard what the ATO had said, and they didn’t like it. 

Kalu snuck between them, leaning against their chairs and craning his head around to get a good look. Sure enough, a long white of vapour trailed towards them, growing rapidly with a faint grey speck at its tip.

Then, he saw a bright, burning orange flash of light, coming from that speck. 

“Butcher in the air! Begin countermeasures, turn and burn!”

Kalu dived to the deck, and at once the whole crew jumped into action with the practised ease of a well honed machine. Too fast to even recognise the totality of what he had just seen, Kalu tried to run back to his seat as the whole aircraft began a steep, twisting dive to the ground, while Danka whipped her instruments into a storm and Asih let loose a stream of burning magnesium strips as they pushed the Prop as far as she could go. The bomber had an agility utterly alien to its sheer bulk and weight, and Kalu found himself kicking against the walls as his bird began its hard swerve to port.

Finally, he slid across the deck into the rear compartment, and grabbing onto his fixed chair with one hand he managed to drag himself into his seat. Kalu was pressed into himself by the sheer force of the turn, and strained to speak through the intercom 

“Status report! What the hell was that?”

Before the pilots could answer, Danka turned to grab his shoulder, and almost braked at the Major.

“No lock, sir! I say again, the lock’s gone, and there’s no active seeker. The contact’s still burning through, they must’ve boosted in ‘cause they’re coming in hot!”

Kalu took a brief second to take that in, and again turned to the plot. They weren’t dead yet, for one, and at the range he saw that flash any missile would’ve knocked them out of the sky by now, even with their fancy flying, or at least blown itself up on the chaff. It was slowly dawning on him what it would have meant if it had been the real thing, and what would have happened to him and his crew.

“Aisah, Charles, you got eyes on anything out there?”

Seeing as he wasn’t being shoved into his chair, Kalu figured they must have aborted the dive. Still, it took a while before he got a response, in the form of a rattled Aisah.

“That we do, sir. Confirm again, no Butcher or lock, but you might wanna get up here and see this shit.”

Kalu was puzzled, but it had been a puzzling day already. Putting away the fact he’d gotten it wrong, he made the journey back into the cockpit again. There, he was greeted by a sight he’d not soon forget.

Hanging barely a hundred metres off their right wing, a large, snow-white aircraft, with a long snout and massive engines packed into a brick like fuselage raced alongside them. It had a large, scarlet red diamond on both sweeping wings and its twin tail fins. Looking at the speed gauge, Kalu saw that Prop was hauling ass at just over the speed of sound, and their shadow was keeping pace without even turning on its afterburner.

Plourde uttered the question that was on all of their minds.

“What the fuck is that thing?”

Looking through the interceptor’s canopy - for obviously that was what the aeroplane was - Kalu could make out two human shapes. One of them, in the front seat, seemed to wave their arms at him. Before he could process that move, the bird wiggled its wings up and down in greeting, and banked off back away, spinning on a dime and burning its engines with a brilliant, orange, flame.

Now it was Aisah’s time to speak.

“Son of a bitch, they’ve got a new bird!.”

Kalu nodded, to no one in particular.

“That they do, Captain. That they do.”

[stdankus]

10/07

whoa, I was tagged by @studywithbread at the perfect moment as I seriously need some break from angsty fanfiction (thank you my savior) get some tea if you’re going to read this all, because man, it will take some time

rules: answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people

LAST: 1. drink: water 2. phone call: my dad 3. text message: last one I sent was a screenshot that I was tagged in this (lol) and last one I received said: I can’t see it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 4. song you listened to: I’m pretty sure it was accidentally in love from shrek soundtrack (it IS a very good song) 5. time you cried: well, as I said - angsty fanfiction

HAVE YOU: 6. dated someone twice: lol, I’ve never dated anybody 7. kissed someone and regretted it: what is kissing 8. been cheated on: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 9. lost someone special: unfortunately, yep 10. been depressed: I’m pretty sure I have seasonal depression? every year during autumn/winter I’m basically a wreck™ 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: drunk - yes, thrown up - no

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14. blue, red and lately yellow

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. made new friends: yES! and I seriously would be dead without them (it was last year, right? or year before? whatever) 16. fallen out of love: does crush count? 17. laughed until you cried: why wouldn’t I do it this year? I do it all the time lol 18. found out someone was talking about you: bruh, I’m so amazing people talk about me all the time 19. met someone who changed you: bet I did 20. found out who your friends are: yup 21. kissed someone on your facebook list: what did I say about kissing

GENERAL: 22. how many of your facebook friends do you know: all of them, I guess? 23. do you have any pets: I have a cat and a dog (I used to have also a hamster but my cat decided to eat it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) 24. do you want to change your name: I already answered that question - not really 25. what did you do for your last birthday: I invited my closest friends for a little sleepover 26. what time did you wake up: today, surprisingly around 9 am, but don’t be fooled, I sleep crazy hours 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: reading fanfiction, duh 28. name something you can’t wait for: drabbles from @shookspears, going to cinema with friends, 5th season of sherlock (HAHAHAHAHHA) 29. when was the last time you saw your mom: a second ago, she told me that i should see a doctor. sorry mom this fanfiction is jUST 30. what is one thing you wish you could change in your life: in the past - nothing really - everything that happened made me a person that I am today, and I like that chick. in the present - well, I should get a job probably 31. what are you listening to right now: my jeanmarco playlist I’m sorry 32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: I know and talk to two toms actually 33. something that is getting on your nerves: poorly written smutty fanfiction (I can only get through it when it’s well written and has, well, some plot), people telling me that I should care what other people think, being told that I should do something differently by a person who has no idea what I’m doing, raisins in pierogis (who puts that shit in them) 34. most visited websites: ao3, tumblr, youtube

LOST QUESTIONS: 35. mole/s: I have two on my face 36. mark/s: I used to have something shaped like diamond on the small of my back 37. childhood dream: I wanted to be a fashion designer, that’s all I think 38. hair color: chestnut brown, but I used to have red-ish something on my head and subtle ombre (not at the same time) 39. long or short hair: short 40. do you have a crush on someone: uh, martin freeman, benedict cumberbatch, levi ackerman, kageyama tobio? irl I stopped really caring 41. what do you like about yourself: my butt, being able to lose my weight without problems, my strong legs, brows, big lips, being able to change my handwriting as I wish, being good at math, not caring much what people think about me 42. piercings: I don’t have any 43. blood type: I’m pretty sure it’s B 44. nickname: when I was in primary school older guys used to call me “chocolate” because of my slightly darker skintone and being cute (thisissoadorableksks) 45. relationship status: single, and I don’t really want to change it 46. zodiac: sagittarius 47. pronouns: she/her 48. favorite tv show: SHERLOCK, duh, sense8 49. tattoos: I don’t have any but my friend is getting one done soon and shE WON’T TELL ME WHEN 50. right or left hand: right 51. surgery: nope 52. hair dyed in different color: as I said, it was red-ish burgundy something 53. sport: I wish I was good in any, but I like rollerblading, skating and when I’m in the mood - basketball 54. where’s 54 55. vacation: almost every year I’m going with my family see some polish lakes, but I was once in london (blessing) and in milan 56. pair of trainers: I don’t really understand the question but converse and nike roshe??

MORE GENERAL: 57. eating: biscuits called ‘maltanki’ (good shit) 58. drinking: my cat stole my water 59. I’m about to: continue reading fanfiction 60. stop skipping numbers, dear author, it’s cheating 61. waiting for: cinema and gabi to show me her tattoo 62. want: uhm, money? more washi tapes, more mac lipsticks, money, better grades (tho it’s summer, I’m relaxing), to sing well, watermelon 63. get married: don’t think so, I’m pretty sure I’m asexual (maybe demi?) so it should be a similar person so that it could work somehow 64. career: I’m considering few options - graphic designer, something connected to advertising, or criminologist

WHICH IS BETTER: 65. hugs or kisses: I don’t kiss, and I’m not a fan of hugging (only with v close friends/my mom) 66. lips or eyes: my lips, someone’s eyes 67. shorter or taller: honestly it’s hard to find someone shorter than me 68. older or younger: oLDER, like benedict cumberbatch older (jk)(or do I) 69. COME ON IT REALLY IS CHEATING. at this moment is what, 89 questions to answer you lying duck 70. nice arms or nice stomach: nice back 71. sensitive or loud: depends, sensitive I guess 72. hook up or relationship: relationship 73. troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. kissed a stranger: what did I say about kissing 75. drank hard liquor: well, my friends broke me (I’m looking at you) 76. lost glasses/contact lenses: I don’t wear them 77. turned someone down: a lot (sorry guys) 78. sex in the first date: what is sex 79. broken someone’s heart: yuuuuup 80. had your heart broken: I don’t have a heart 81. been arrested: nope 82. cried when someone died: a lot 83. fallen for a friend: duh

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. yourself: as much as I like myself, I don’t always believe in myself 85. miracles: if I pass my oral polish matura it will definitely be a miracle 86. love at first sight: I think so 87. santa claus: hoW CAN YOU NOT BELIEVE IN IT 88. kiss on the first date: not really 89. *coughs* 88 questions

OTHER: 90. current best friend name: patryk, gabi, magda, love you guys 91. eye color: grey-ish 92. favorite movie: kingsman: the secret service

now, tag 20 people (well, I tag as many as I can think about right now, but if you see this post consider yourself tagged) @teddvlcpin @madstudies @sleepisnotmydivision @rawbug @designstudy @successaesthetics @officiallystudying @heyheyheyitsolehickoryhammike (man, someday I’m gonna break my fingers writing your username) @026ml-studies

[kosmosian-quills]

Week 4 - Skills

For Week 4 of @yourocsbackstory‘s fall event. This event is actually from the main story, because it fit better than trying to make it a backstory event (totally ignoring the fact that this is a backstory event but oh well). In this, Anjelika is currently travelling with a group of “criminals”, and is currently hiding in a basement at the moment. I hope you enjoy!

“Danka, sit still.”

The child in our little group of runaways is restless, down here. We all are - it’s dimly lit, damp and cold in this basement. There isn’t much we can do about it right now, of course. Beggars cannot be choosers, and we cannot be picky about our living conditions when the person this house belongs to is risking their very lives in trying to keep us hidden.

I was trying to keep myself entertained more than anything. I was trying to count just how many flowers there are on the old furniture that is stored down here - there’s 24 roses, 13 lillies, 37 pansies and 19 corn poppies – but there is only so many times I can count something before I go truly mad.

“But mama, I want to practice!”

Danuta, the little girl, is undoubtedly in need of just as much mental stimulation as the rest of us. It’s frightfully boring, waiting for word that we can keep moving. This was, after all, only a temporary shelter before we move on.

“Please, just sit still - We have a long journey soon, Danuta.”

The girl’s mother is tired, clearly, from trying to keep her daughter entertained and the stress of being in this situation.

Danuta doesn’t heed her mother’s words, and she is too tired to protest any further. As long as she is quiet, there shouldn’t be any issues, and Danuta is normally quiet enough to not be a detriment to our survival.

The basement here is cramped because of all the furniture that is stored here – tables and chairs that are only brought out in springtime for the additional guests that will visit the house, there’s boxes on boxes of old clothes and papers, there’s the boiler in the corner that occasionally makes racketing noises, there’s a single bed down here buried amongst an old wooden dresser that contains nothing but books on finance and accounting. That’s what the man who owns this house does as a job – frightfully boring things. I had even tried reading one of these books before I decided that simply staring at the wall was more entertaining.

Even though there isn’t much open space, Danuta is still attempting to do something in all of the space that remains here. Dancing, it looks like. Her fingers are touching each other, arched high over her head, and she is balanced on her tiptoes, spinning around in circles, all with a smile on her face.

It only takes me a few seconds to realise she’s trying to dance ballet.

It is entertaining, a just little, to watch just how this young girl was trying to do what I had studied and trained to do for a little over 15 years. She is so determined, and she is giggling as she does. Even her mother, though tired, can’t help but look relaxed at the idea that at least her daughter isn’t as worried about our situation as the rest of us.

“Look, mama, look!” she laughs, her attempt at a pirouette is certainly admirable, if a little clumsy.

An idea suddenly comes to mind.

I slowly get to my feet from where I had been seated in the corner of the room, stretching my legs like I used to do in preparation for my lessons. I lack my ballet slippers and the most effective attire to do this in, but the leggings and thin shorts will suffice for what I need to do. Not perfect, not ideal, but sufficient, and I can’t get any better than what I have right now.

Danuta’s balance is off, and she falls to the floor, moaning dizzily through her quiet, childish laughter. I put on the friendliest smile I can, and kneel down beside her.

“You know, Danuta, I used to be a ballerina,” I tell her, and her eyes positively widen.

“You were?!” she asks, the excitement in her voice is contagious, “you were a princess and a ballerina?!”

“I was, would you like me to show you some?” I ask her, “I can show you how you can get better.”

“Yes! Yes please!” she leaps to her feet, and her dark hair bounces up and down whilst I stand up again.

I stand beside her, her bright brown eyes staring up at me, waiting for instruction.

“Do you know what the five positions are, Danuta?” I ask, and she shakes her head. “Alright then. First, you want to stand up straight and hold your hands in front of you, alright?” she heeded my words practically to the letter, still looking up at me, “Good, now put your heels together, like this, and turn your toes out.”

I waited for her to do so, and she did, looking down at her feet to make sure they were exactly like mine were. She looked back up at me, her gaze seeking my approval.

“Perfect! You’re doing the first position!”

She beamed at me, “the first position!”

“Right, second position…”

I honestly don’t know how much time passed with Danuta intently clinging on to my every word and obeying every instruction. She was so very pleased with her progress, and was more than eager to learn more and more as the time went by. I think we were providing some entertainment for the others, too, because they occasionally piped in with praise for Danuta as I walked her through the five positions.

I could tell she was having the time of her life, and it’s such a shame that we didn’t have any proper ballet flats so that I could show her more, but the risk of injury is too high with someone so young, especially pointe work. I can barely remember the lessons I had when I first started ballet, but I know that a lot of stress was placed on preventing injury as I was still growing.

Watching her like this reminds me of my own lessons, before all of this. The time I spent with the others, practicing and honing our craft to near perfection, with my ballet mistress’ help. The way she would time our movements in her own mother tongue of Russian – “adeen – dva – tree – chityri- pyat’” – as she specialised in Russian ballet above all else. It was the perfect way for us to practice our own Russian in conversation and instruction. Her name was Anna.

She was so patient with my friends – only two of whom had studied ballet before they came to work for me. I remember how myself, Matylda and Zofia would be able to work to something more complex and intricate as the others were gently eased in, before they were able to reach us. Even Zofia’s specialised prosthetic leg did not stop her, a fact that both myself and Anna could do nothing but admire.

As I am looking at Danuta, I see a lot of Zofia in her. The passion, the skill, the potential – even her appearance. The only difference between Zofia and Danuta is Danuta’s unwavering enthusiasm. Zofia was certainly quieter in this regard.

Eventually, though, Danuta got tired of being on her feet for so long (something I’m sure her mother was grateful for), but still came to sit with me, hammering me with many questions, just like any inquisitive child.

I was only too happy to oblige.

“Why did you stop dancing?” she asked.

“I didn’t, I still dance,” I replied, stretching my legs to warm down again. “I loved to dance, just like you.”

“I’m not as good as you, Princess.”

I grimace at the way she called me Princess, but continued anyway, “I was just older than you when I started, it took me time to learn too, but if you keep practicing, you’ll get better and better, Danuta.”

The smile she gave me was heart-warming. “I always wanted to be a ballerina when I grow up!”

“I can see it now,” I replied, using my hands to gesture emphatically, “Danuta, Prima Ballerina of the Opera. You will be amazing.”

She chattered excitedly with me for hours about her new lifelong ambition, and I can’t help but feel a little sad about it. We’re still here in this basement, with nothing but danger in the outside world, danger for all of us.

But Danuta is that little bit of hope for us all. We will get out of here, and she will fulfil that dream of hers.

It’s just a shame that none of my friends are here with me now. As a cold chill carries into our shelter from the door upstairs, a sign of a fast approaching winter in this mountainous region, I can only hope that they’re safe and well, too.

I want to dance with them one last time, too.

[gencyfan23]

Gency Week day 3: Daffodil

Genji put down the cups of coffee and help Angela to sit down onto the stool, he them sat on his own but noticed that Angela was upset. “Angela? Is there something wrong?” He said and Angela look at him. “Oh nothing Genji, it just i am sick of tired of our babies kicking inside”

Genji insanity know what she talking about, while he find his 12 month old pregnant wife beautiful, he knows it hard to sleep last night due to the uncomfortable position and kicking about inside her stomach so she is tried right now. Genji decided to help her feel better again and he noticed some Daffodils in the garden bed that are grown since last year and them he got a idea.

He grab one and put it on her hair and Angela was surprise by his actions, Genji said “i hear these flowers mean new beginnings so i think these will look beautiful on you since you are beginning to be mother” Angela was surprise but smiling, Genji kiss her and rub her stomach and started to feel the kicks inside, “Better he said?” Angela replied with “better Genji, danka” and she kiss him.

[movieactorcage]

ragingxwolf replied to your post: ITS MY BIRTHDAY AND I’LL DO WHAT EVER THE FUCK I...

hap birf :)

DANKA.

[jyotisdream]

‘Til Death Do Us Part

I was texting with my ex-husband last night. He had asked me why I seemed sad lately. I told him that starting a career from scratch (after being married to him and supporting his career for 15 years) was stressful. He said he was sorry. Then I reminded him that it was January 5th, which he knows is a personal holiday I take for myself in an attempt to find empowerment on the anniversary of getting raped by one of his best friends while I was a Senior in High School. I also mentioned that the anniversary of my father’s suicide was approaching. So, yeah, I had my reasons. 

But the last text I sent went unanswered, and the next 24 hours I spent in a free fall of obsessive thinking. “What should I text him? It hurt my feelings that you didn’t respond to my last text. Oooo, that will make him feel guilty, that’s good. No. Let it go. I’m not his responsibility anymore. Most people can’t handle my grieving. I don’t even know that I can handle my grieving. Let it go.

Low and behold, after holding my tongue and my trigger happy text fingers for about 24 hours, he sent a kind text saying that he was so sorry he had missed that one, and he proceeded to send a series of photographs of our daughter in the hopes of cheering me up. He also sent a really pretty one of the city-scape on his way home from work that night.

It was the most kindest I’d felt from him since a blow-up argument we had about our daughter some months before.

Then I received a series of emojis without a caption. I sent a reply asking if our daughter had sent it to me from his phone. He responded that it had come from his two year old daughter, the one he had with his new, younger wife. The child neither my body, nor fate couldn’t bear to bring to life myself. 

He quoted her, “I want to send silly faces to Danka,” the nickname I am endearingly given by all toddlers who seem in agreement that there are one too many syllables in my name.

Then he sent an audio message of her sending me a kiss. It was adorable, as you can imagine. That girl is ridiculously cute.

I wanted to send an audio message in response. But, at the same time, I wanted to respect her mother, in this moment. And hold healthy boundaries for everyone involved. I know my daughter prides herself on my loyalty to her, as she remains my only child. And, I feel nervous about bonding with my ex-husband. There’s a fine line between getting along, and still feeling attached.

Thinking back on the complexities of the situation, I thought to myself, “I didn’t sign up for this.”

Then I remembered my wedding vows. The whole, “‘til death do us part, bit.” And all the rest. I remembered my undying love for him at the ripe old age of 22. I remembered meaning those words as I said them in front of a crowd full of our closest friends and family, some of whom have now passed. My intentions were steadfast and made in earnest. I remembered taking a moment of silence for my long-since-departed father, and feeling his presence there that warm, dry Saturday afternoon in the New Mexico high desert.

As it turns out, I did sign up for this. I signed up for falling in love with my daughter’s half sister. I signed up for taking her and her step brother on vacation together, despite a chronic pain disease that made the trip more than a little challenging for me. I signed up for making peace with his wife and trying not to harp on the fact that she was a fitness instructor when they met. Sorry, I think I might have just done it again. Old habits die hard.

And he signed up for it too. He signed up for hearing me express my grief, and my inability to hide my feelings enough to keep him out of them. He signed up for helping with my car and giving me advice on which cellphone to buy long past the time when that was in his purview.  He signed up for showing me compassion, when it is solidly a choice, not an obligation.

The truth is, when you choose someone, with all of your heart and soul, and you spend a good portion of your life with them, and you bear children with them, and they see you through thick and thin, and all of your struggles are challenges you survive because you go through them together, whatever happens is everything you signed up for. Even if that “everything” includes divorce. Even if that “everything” includes all of the things that come after divorce, like unforeseen health problems, or arguing over how to raise a child together when you aren’t together anymore, or connecting with children who you hold no genetic or legal tie to, and yet, willingly allow yourself to become bonded with, for life.

As I face building my own career, coming into my personal power, owning the freedom and weight that comes with single parenting (half of the time), and doing the best I can to embrace the world of dating (good god, we’re all such broken fools), I’ve come to understand a few truths:

1. My child is the single most important person in my life and no matter what happens, she’s my number one and always will be.

2. My ex-husband actually trumps (boy, that term is really ruined, isn’t it?) all other men in my life, in terms of loyalty, for the rest of time. Not because I won’t potentially love another man with even more complexity, depth, and longevity than I loved my first husband, but because whoever that man is, he will never be the father of my child and therefore will never be permanently bound to me like that one particular man is and will be for the rest of time.

3. You never know what the future holds, so hold onto your hat, because you’re in for a bumpy ride. This includes all of the curves your own life will take, as well as, all the turns your ex-partner’s life journey includes as well.

You are, after all, bound, in the eyes of god, as you understand god, until your last dying breath. I’ve been to enough family holidays to see my friend’s parents show up to the same event, thrown by their adult children, arriving to spend the most important days of the year with, you guessed it, their ex’s. All for the sake of the children. And they do it with bells on. Or maybe the bells are for the grandchildren.

All in all, I have so much to be thankful for. I’m deeply grateful for that conversation last night, even though it also made me feel like I was being stabbed in the heart and f’d in the brain. I’m thankful for my ex-husband, and I’m glad I picked a man to marry and bear a child with who I can stand being intimately connected to for the rest of my entire life. It doesn’t always work out that way. And I’d like to think it’s what’s best for our daughter. I know she loves it when we act like grownups.

But I will leave you, dear readers, with a word of caution: be careful who you marry, or even who you have sex with, for that matter. You never know who will be in your life, permanently. And sometimes those seemingly small choices become the biggest decisions of your life. None of which come with takesy-backsies.

Peace and love to all of the families in all of their forms. And strength to the hearts of those who choose to follow their vows, long after they are legally broken.

[lakegrimstonerpg]

The Government is pleased to announce that they have secured MACKENZIE GARCIA, that possess the power of IMAGINATION MANIFESTATION. There is no doubt that Lake Grimstone will offer MACKENZIE the necessary help they need to learn to master their power.

Welcome to Lake Grimstone, NINA! Now that you’ve been accepted, take a look at OUR MEMBER CHECKLIST. Please send in the account within 24 hours!

NAME / PRONOUNS:

Nina / She

AGE / TIMEZONE:

24 / CST

ACTIVITY LEVEL:

I’m always on and always lurking. I will be on at least once a day to do replies.

IN CHARACTER:

DESIRED CHARACTER: 

Mackenzie Garcia / GUARD

FC: 

Eiza Gonzalez

AGE: 

Twenty-Five

POWER:

Imagination Manifestation

QUOTE: 

“The power of my imagination makes me infinite.”

BIO: 

The first thirteen years of Mackenzie’s life were the definition of perfection, at least to her they were. Mack had two loving parents that gave her everything she could possibly want or need. Not only did she have two loving parents but she also had a superpower. Mack was just four years old when she discovered her power, or rather when her father discovered her power. The young girl had been playing with her imaginary friend but she had brought this imaginary friend to the “real world” something that frightened her father until she showed him that she could bring things from her imagination to life. It took her parents a couple of years to get used to Mack’s power but eventually they did and eventually things settled down for the family again. Her father, an army man, thought her the value of protecting those that couldn’t protect themselves. Mackenzie grew up believing that whole heartedly until her life changed.

Her father had been deployed overseas and his convoy was attacked by mercenaries that demanded a hefty ransom that the government did not pay. Her father was killed and Mack was never the same. She realized at that moment that while her father was looking after others, no one was looking after him.  Her mother went off the deep end and for four years Mack took care of her until she no longer could. She was seventeen when she left home and shortly after leaving she found out that her mother had passed away. Suddenly she was all alone. Living on her own and making ends meet was not easy and soon Alex found herself on the streets. It was there at her lowest point that The Rising Power found her and took her in to their fold.

Mack was taken in by The Rising Power when she was nineteen years old. At first, she was kept out of the loop of what was going on and who they were, but after months of her proving herself by ways of showing them what she could do with her power she was trusted enough that she worked her way up from a recruit to an Elder Member. While Mackenzie wasn’t told everything that the group had planned she was told how her kind was being locked up and kept from their loved ones. It was that what cemented the Mack’s choice to actually go in and help The Rising Power liberate those that needed to be protected and looked after. She didn’t want the same thing to happen to her father to happen to all those people that were kept in that town. Mack was given a mission, infiltrate Lake Grimstone as a guard, something that wasn’t easy to do but she would do it. It took years for her to be trained and prepared to finally infiltrate Lake Grimstone and with the help of those TRP members that were already set in Lake Grimstone, the young woman was brought in to Lake Grimstone and was set up as a guard. Mackenzie has only been in Lake Grimstone for a couple of months but her training as a guard has only just ended and so she is starting on her mission to get more access and find new recruits for The Rising Power.

PERSONALITY:

POSITIVES: daring, resourceful, determined NEGATIVES: stubborn, impulsive, overprotective

CONNECTION IDEAS:

WENTWORTH FRANK

Mack has not talked to Wentworth but she has seen him around the town and something about him seems to grab her attention. One day, she will talk to him, but at the moment she is more focused on keeping up with her training and making sure that she knows how things work in Lake Grimstone.

KADE PARRISH

Kade and Mack where brought on at the same time and so they trained together. Many times, they were partnered up during training. Mack has not taken the time to know more about Kade all she really knows is that he is related to one of the residents there that happened to be a movie star.

DANIKA PORTER

Mack was told that Danka had a power similar to hers and so of course the woman became more interested in her and her power. As soon as she finished her training she went to look for the woman to try and get to know her more and see just how alike their powers might be.

-

HOW THEY HELP THE PLOT:

Mackenzie is first a TRP member and then a Lake Grimstone guard. She is in Lake Grimstone to help recruit more members and to go through with any plans that TRP might have planned. However, Mack is extremely protective of those in need and that is her first priority so while she is loyal she will be more loyal to those that need help.

[dailynewswebsite]

Djokovic behaves better in 1st match since US Open default

ROME (AP) — Novak Djokovic behaved higher Wednesday in his first match since being defaulted from the U.S. Open.

The highest-ranked Serb was largely courteous with the chair umpire and had no interplay with the road judges throughout a 6-3, 6-2 win over native wild-card entry Salvatore Caruso in his opening match on the Italian Open.

The efficiency got here in sharp distinction to the scene in New York 10 days in the past, when Djokovic was disqualified for unintentionally hitting a line choose within the throat with a ball. Djokovic stated earlier this week that the incident taught him ”an enormous lesson.”

”I used to be truly trying ahead to (enjoying once more) as quickly as attainable after what occurred in New York,” Djokovic stated. ”As a result of I really feel just like the sentiment on the courtroom must be constructive, and I must form of take away something that may presumably trigger any form of points to me – if there’s something.”

When the umpire got here down to examine a ball mark on the purple clay early within the first set and made an overrule in Caruso’s favor, Djokovic simply replied, ”Yup,” and rubbed out the mark together with his purple sneaker.

When Caruso impressed him – the Italian hit 13 winners to Djokovic’s 12 – Djokovic stated, ”Bravo.”

”It was a sizzling day in opposition to Caruso who already performed three matches right here, a clay courtroom specialist. It was an excellent check for me,” Djokovic stated. ”I am more than happy with the best way I dealt with myself in essential moments.”

Djokovic’s solely testy second got here in the course of the third recreation of the second set, which went to deuce seven instances earlier than Djokovic lastly broke Caruso’s serve. As the sport wore on, Djokovic appeared bothered by crowd noise, regardless that the Foro Italico is empty of followers this 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The one individuals contained in the stadium have been coaches and others working on the event.

”Which of them?” the umpire requested Djokovic, attempting to determine who was bothering him.

Djokovic replied curtly: ”There’s 10 individuals within the stands.”

Afterward, Djokovic defined: ”It was very, very quiet, which may be very uncommon to what we’re used to right here in Rome, which has one of many loudest and most energetic crowd atmospheres on the tour. However there was someone within the hall of the stadium that was speaking – about 5, six individuals.”

After successful, Djokovic laughed to himself as he carried out his common on-court celebration, waving his arms towards all 4 sides of the Campo Centrale stands.

”I miss the gang,” he stated. ”Italy has a pleasant tennis custom and this event has been round for a few years. It is just a little unusual.”

Djokovic, a four-time Rome champion, subsequent faces both Italian qualifier Marco Cecchinato or Filip Krajinovic.

Later, nine-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal was to make his return to competitors after a seven-month absence in opposition to Pablo Carreno Busta.

Additionally within the second spherical, Rome resident Matteo Berrettini defeated Argentina Federico Coria 7-5, 6-1, Marin Cilic beat sixth-seeded David Goffin 6-2, 6-2, and Italian wild-card entry Stefano Travaglia eradicated U.S. Open quarterfinalist Borna Coric 7-6 (2), 7-5.

Within the ladies’s event, top-seeded Simona Halep beat Italian wild-card entry Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-4, final 12 months’s semifinalist Kiki Bertens defeated Polona Hercog 6-2, 6-4, and Montenegrin qualifier Danka Kovinic eradicated sixth-seeded Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-1.

The clay-court occasion, which was rescheduled from Could due to the pandemic, is a vital warmup for the rescheduled French Open, which begins in 11 days.

—

Extra AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports activities

—

Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AndrewDampf

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/djokovic-behaves-better-in-1st-match-since-us-open-default/ via https://growthnews.in

[bbgleeproject]

[2/5/17, 6:52:56 AM] daniel danka: OMG AM I TINA SO CUTE

[2/7/17, 10:29:44 AM] Ruthie: (*) WILL YOU BE TRYING TO SHOWMANCE ANYONE THIS SEASON? (*)

[2/7/17, 11:14:09 AM] daniel danka: (*)no!(*) [2/7/17, 12:14:44 PM] daniel danka: i luv tina ive so many pics of her and becky on my phone [2/7/17, 12:14:49 PM] daniel danka: shut it gay blaine [2/7/17, 12:56:23 PM] daniel danka: so shut up BITCH UGH [2/7/17, 2:54:49 PM] daniel danka: whats a super lotion list [2/7/17, 2:56:09 PM] daniel danka: am i most quiet [2/7/17, 2:56:10 PM] daniel danka: tell me [2/7/17, 2:56:13 PM] daniel danka: i know u wont [2/7/17, 2:56:53 PM] Ruthie: Do you think you're most quiet? [2/7/17, 2:57:26 PM] daniel danka: DONT USE THIS TECHNIQUE ON ME I KNOW WHAT UR DOIN [2/7/17, 2:57:29 PM] daniel danka: levicorpus [2/7/17, 6:14:30 PM] daniel danka: i did ma homework daddy [2/7/17, 6:16:00 PM] daniel danka: Biggest Star: julia rae Most Likely to Align With Everyone: andrew welch Biggest Gossip: Most Likely to Become President: matthew henning Class Clown: me Most Creative: me Most Likely to Storm Out of Class: me Most Quiet: me Best Personality: me Most Opinionated: me Most Athletic: me Biggest Smile: me Best Eyes: me Biggest Glee Fan: um mE Most Likely to Sleep in Class: me Biggest Flirt: me cough daddy henning [2/7/17, 6:16:00 PM] daniel danka: i got bored after the 3rd one so i just put me for everything [2/7/17, 6:16:56 PM] AshleySarah ~Glee Host~: Try again that's an F [2/7/17, 6:17:05 PM] daniel danka: asian F? [2/7/17, 6:17:10 PM] daniel danka: cos that's an A [2/7/17, 6:17:12 PM] AshleySarah ~Glee Host~: Not an Asian F either!!! [2/7/17, 6:17:20 PM] daniel danka: racism? [2/7/17, 6:17:24 PM] Ruthie: Lol, you have to put a different person for each category, good luck! [2/7/17, 6:17:34 PM] daniel danka: i cant be bothered switching between the chat and this tho

[2/7/17, 11:03:41 PM] Ruthie: (*) NICHOLAS WON HOH.  HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THAT? (*)

[2/8/17, 2:57:33 AM] daniel danka: tragic i fell asleep [2/8/17, 2:58:03 AM] daniel danka: um i'm shook HOW DID I FORGET JULIA [2/8/17, 2:58:19 AM] daniel danka: ok tho like he befriended me yesterday so lol [2/8/17, 9:31:40 AM] daniel danka: Calling people twinks is derogatory - ok but thts such a funny way to put it lOOOOOL [2/8/17, 9:31:57 AM] daniel danka: do u know any streaming websites couch tuner is down

[2/8/17, 11:44:17 AM] daniel danka: yo ok so when 1 of u r on mainly ruthie cos she's in charge can we talk lol thx

[2/8/17, 11:44:45 AM] daniel danka: also ive done nothing but ok [2/8/17, 11:46:45 AM] Ruthie: Ashley is in charge just as much as I am. Same for Khaled, but I'll be home and I'll be able to really reply in 4 hours. [2/8/17, 11:47:31 AM] daniel danka: o ok any of you then [2/8/17, 11:47:41 AM] daniel danka: but its probs a decision all 3 of u should make [2/8/17, 11:54:01 AM] Ruthie: We discussed that you could be getting a strike after you were warned! [2/8/17, 11:54:22 AM] daniel danka: ok but i wanna walk even tho i said i wouldnt lol [2/8/17, 11:54:31 AM] daniel danka: but i think i should be replaced with someone who wants the spot more [2/8/17, 11:54:33 AM] daniel danka: and will show up [2/8/17, 11:54:41 AM] daniel danka: and actually gets along with the members [2/8/17, 11:54:54 AM] Ruthie: And I personally love you, you have a love for Glee and I wanted you casted so bad. [2/8/17, 11:55:07 AM] daniel danka: ya but i just don't think i deserve it [2/8/17, 11:55:51 AM] Ruthie: Why don't you think about it a little bit more before you make that decision? And if you still think that later, walk? [2/8/17, 11:56:56 AM] Ruthie: I personally want you to stay and I'm excited that you were casted. You're sassy and I love it but you need to think more before you 'type'! :) [2/8/17, 12:00:58 PM] daniel danka: i dunno like i haven't even shown up yet and probably won't til friday and i just feel like i'm taking the spot for granted [2/8/17, 12:27:07 PM] AshleySarah ~Glee Host~: We really want you to stay just tone down the commentary. Some people are easily offended. Some can take it and dish right back times ten. [2/8/17, 1:09:35 PM] daniel danka: LMAO I KNOW WHO THAT IS BUT I CAN DO IT BACK BY 20 [2/8/17, 1:13:57 PM] daniel danka: ok i'm gonna apologise for real in a few mins [2/8/17, 3:04:14 PM] daniel danka: why does everyone in this community get so butt hurt omg [2/8/17, 3:24:54 PM] daniel danka: okay yeah I'm sorry some of this community i get along with but the majority i don't and i don't wanna waste my time and others time [2/8/17, 3:25:24 PM] daniel danka: especially when people get over such small things, i don't want to be the person that causes people pain but if people are too sensitive i think its best for me not to be around them [2/8/17, 3:25:49 PM] daniel danka: so yeah I'm sorry for wasting your time, i hope you can replace me with someone much more deserving of my spot and less hmm [2/8/17, 3:25:51 PM] daniel danka: how should i word it [2/8/17, 3:25:56 PM] daniel danka: intense as i am?? [2/8/17, 3:26:29 PM] daniel danka: thanks for the opportunity though, and for letting me know glee is still alive [2/8/17, 3:26:37 PM] daniel danka: daniel danka has left the conversation

[stdankus]

whats it like being a geography major?

i know map of the world by heart and i can draw it with my eyes closed, using left handbut really, we have a love-hate relationship - sometimes it’s extremely fascinating, sometimes i don’t want to hear about geography for weeks. there’s a lot of connecting different, seemingly unrelated things, like “what is the impact of thunderstorm in Germany on employment in China”, so understanding various phenomenons is much more important than knowing the names of certain rocks (but those you obviously need to know too).

so studying geography is either you cram geologic time scale, or you think about gdp in Mexico and what you can do about it

also our teacher sucks

[stdankus]

Question 41!!

41. What can you hear right now?

GO GO LET’S GO LET’S GO DATEKO

[stdankus]

Where did you buy the red brush pen from your 2/100 days of productivity?

i don’t know where are you from so i can’t tell ypu exactly where you can get it, but it’s koi coloring brush pen in burgundy

[stdankus]

saving you from the embarrassment mwah - 10!

:“”“”“)

10. Do you like your name? Would you ever change it?

i’ve never liked my name but as time passed i got used to it. it’s quite old and unusual in poland and people often have problems with how they should call me

would i change it? naah, i wouldn’t be myself with different name, would i? and I still haven’t found a better name for me, so danka it is

(now magda, could you politely go back to writing those drabbles, thank you)