#i like to think lark— probably not a father to any of these kids— spends the whole series in a perpetual state of ‘jfc these fucking kids’

[nat-without-a-g]

So how do we think the twins managed to pull the “same man twice” shtick so good Normal overtly misidentified them? Like, Sparrow getting slapped and responding with a millisecond of rage and Normal going ‘oh that’s absolutely my dad’ when Lark is Known to be the angrier twin.. it has to be a convincing getup. I have some theories.

1. Dress Code includes short hair and no beard

2. They intentionally chose to dress differently knowing lark would be the one to meet them if they encountered each other

3. Lark’s disheveled state is how they Both wind up if they neglect grooming themselves.

Bonus: what was probably running through Lark’s head when Lincoln rolled an EIGHTEEN to slap him TWICE while he was trying to signal he was fully lucid.

[eskawrites]

Have you described what kind of person/people Tenar's parents were and what kind of rulers they were?

How did their reign affect Lark, Arren, Ged, Moss and Tenar herself? And can you remind us if Tenar's rise to the throne was welcome? Was there immense pressure for her to live up to what was the rule of her family?

oh! this was actually part of the notes i was writing up the other day! there's nothing in the fic about it, but in trying to flesh out tenar a bit i did write a little more about her parents.

(put under a cut 'cause this got kinda long)

basicallyyyy her father was understanding but overprotective, and almost always too busy for her. he allowed tenar to learn how to fight, but he forbade her from walking around the palace with a sword of her own. he's a good king, but he has a lot of responsibility and expectations on his shoulders, and he decides that breaking traditions and disrupting those expectations isn't worth the hassle--even when it comes to tenar's independence

the first thing i wrote for her mom was that she was stern and fierce, clever and cynical. i think tenar gets her discipline from her father, but her determination from her mother. i like to think that her mother is the one who taught her how to fight--at least early on, before tenar was skilled enough to learn from actual knights. but i think her mother is tempered in a way that tenar isn't. tenar has bursts of anger and argues with people in power, and her mother understands why she's angry, but she prefers to handle things a bit more subtly. playing by the rules to manipulate the system and get what she wants (whereas tenar would rather change the system altogether so that it actually serves everyone equally)

both tenar's parents were excellent rulers and beloved by the people and by tenar. as far as the rest of the gang goes, i don't think any of them had strong feelings one way or the other. Lark and Arren probably held some spite simply because they're both kids who were left to fend for themselves, whether that's because of a poor economy or bandits or their parents getting arrested for something or whatever. Moss definitely doesn't care for the king and queen, but that's more because Moss doesn't care for anyone in authority (except Tenar. she ends up having a soft spot for Tenar). Ged is...kinda interesting, because though he grows up with this lil band of misfit rogues, he's just a soft scholar mage at heart. That's why he adjusts to palace life so much better than Lark and Moss do. He's probably the most well-versed in politics actually, but he's also a total cinnamon roll. He's like 'yes let's serve the king and queen because it's the Good and Just thing to do and we can be heroes' and then he's like 'the king and queen gave me full access to the royal libraries i love them so much.' and after that he's just loyal to them, and they don't do anything to lose that loyalty, so he's pretty happy with it all

as for tenar. she spends the first two films fighting against people's low expectations of her, but i do think that every time she proves herself, she gains more and more supporters among the people. her rise to the throne takes place after The Bad Guys have killed her parents and almost all of the royal council (or whatever group of advisors there is, i keep saying council, it's fine). she flees the city, then sneaks back in with her group of ragtag adventurers after the villain has taken the throne. so her journey to becoming queen is actually a revolution, and she does it with a group of rebels--the few survivors from the palace, other knights who are still loyal to her, and a whole lot of common folk who believe in her after she's saved the kingdom in the last two movies. i think this actually does help her when she's initially crowned queen and they all get their happy ever after. after all, the old king and queen are dead, and of course tenar is going to be more welcome than the big bad guy.

that said, when the excitement of the revolution dies down, and it's clear that the kingdom does get to just enjoy an era of peace now, there are definitely still people who look at tenar and still see a young, spoiled princess. and you're absolutely right, because her parents were excellent monarchs, so there's a lot of pressure for her to not only uphold the good things they did but also do better than them. but by then, most of the people who actually have influence--advisors, knights, and nobility--have witnessed tenar lead a revolution firsthand, and they're not doubting her anytime soon. and she's a great queen--made even better by lark at her side, supporting her and challenging her and pushing her to be the best she can be. so after a few years, she definitely wins the favor of pretty much everyone in the kingdom who isn't a total jerk

[kingburu]

[FIC] Birb Funeral

Someone asked me a long time ago what would happen if in the Dearly Departed universe (where Jason is a Son of Hades and Nico is a Son of Jupiter, and everyone is conveniently where I wanted to place them) what would happen if Bianca ended up in Camp Jupiter and Nico ended up in Camp Halfblood. I wrote this a while back for funsies and probably won’t expand, but take an au of an au!

tl;dr: Godswap AU where Jason is a Son of Hades, Nico is a Son of Zeus, and they grew up as childhood friends!

A storm hits first. In twelve-year-old Jason’s ten years at Camp Halfblood, he’s never seen anything as abrasive and harsh as the dark clouds that consumes all winter sunlight, dimming the heavens as though he’s staring at his father’s domain itself. Thunder and lightning boom like a commandeering force, and the rain rattles against the magical barrier around Camp Halfblood, like pelting against hollow tin, but falls on campgrounds like a soft shower.

It rains for three days straight, weakening Hestia’s hearth, cancelling Capture the Flag, and irritating all of the Apollo Cabin, who grow antsy without the sun. Jason is nonplussed by the storm, comforted by the additional shadows that linger—but he’s never quite liked the silence it forced in Cabin Eleven. The silence that used to be comforting, but now hurts as he has to look at the empty bed—the one that reminds him his own chest feels empty, too.

 On the third day, the eagles appear.

 Jason’s already awake, inspecting the other demigods without cabins of their own as he hears the righteous call of three bald eagles flying through the forest. Other campers wake to their squawk, if not the thunderous storm as it seems to boom louder and demand their attention.

 Then, a little boy appears through the forest, sopping wet and looking meager and small as he wobbles through the trees, with a nest of dark hair and bright blue eyes that reminds Jason of the days before the storm. He’s dressed in a ratty pair of jeans, caked in monster blood and—other blood, that immediately worries Jason—and a bright shirt with a lotus symbol on it. The eagles cry out again, encircling the little boy, and flank to either side of him like royal guards.

 Jason jumps as those blue eyes scan their small crowd—widening as they make contact with Chiron—but then turns to him.

 One of the eagles nudges the little boy, who stumbles forward.

 “This,” the little boy says curiously, “is Camp Halfbird, right?”

Halfbird, Jason thinks, puzzled, and he swears he sees both eagles puff their chests out with pride. He doesn’t get to contemplate long—of all the people that are surrounding this little boy, those blue eyes are fixated on him, waiting for an answer. “It’s actually Camp Halfblood—but, yeah, welcome.”

 “Oh,” the little boy says, and his shoulders heave. “Finally.”

 And he collapses forward. There’s a cry in surprise—and out of reflex, Jason steps forward and catches him. His eyes trail over to the may stains on this boy’s shirt—the monster blood, the human blood—and he hears Lee Fletcher crying out for someone to get ambrosia, nectar, and all the works.

 “Wait,” Jason hears himself saying, and the older son of Apollo stares at him in disbelief.

 “Why would we wait, Grace?” Lee demands.

 Jason props the boy up on his arm, the nest of dark hair bobbing as they move. “Because he’s snoring.”

 *

 Upon carrying the little boy to the infirmary, they all discover their newest camper has a vice grip and refuses to let go of Jason. Beckendorf, a much older camper, tries once while Jason takes this boy who can’t be older than nine or ten, and Jason’s head almost comes off with it. They stop trying when they hear a little sob. Jason thinks he hears a name—Bianca?—and confines himself to carry the boy to one of the cots.

 Jason has to rock on his feet and stand to the tips of his toes—and practically falls over as he sets the boy down, arms still bound around him, but eventually manages to wriggle out of the grip. He stares at the boy, puzzled, as this new demigod just rolls into a ball, expression unseen.

 The eagles caw outside—and from the window, Jason sees them soar past the window, evidently deciding to remain close.

 “Jace,” Lee says, which startles him, “why don’t you get him some new clothes?��

 Lee’s already washed his hands, rubber gloves on, and is picking up an arm to inspect this boy. He wrinkles his nose as his hand stains with mud.

 “Oh—okay,” Jason says—and he stays just long enough for Lee’s apprentice and little brother, Will, pull a twig out of dark hair.

 Jason sprints to the Big House. On his way back to the infirmary, he watches as both eagles spread their wings and shriek, glowering at him. Jason cringes, staring at them with hesitation.

 The door opens, and Will pokes his head out curiously. He stares up at the rooftop and mimics Jason’s expression. “You think they’re going to stay long?”

 “Hard to say,” Jason mumbles uncomfortably. He takes a thoughtful step towards the infirmary and the eagles make another sound of displeasure. A loud moan comes from the infirmary—childish and feeble, and the eagles suddenly cock their heads to that instead. Jason takes the distraction to climb the porch steps and sighs with relief. “Guess it depends on how long this kid wants to stay.”

 Will pats his shoulder sympathetically. “We’ll find an animal that likes you eventually.”

 *

 New campers, of course, fall under the jurisdiction of Cabin Eleven, and Connor and Travis insist that this new kid already imprinted on Jason, despite not being the head counselor. Jason knows that this kid is recovering from whatever journey brought him to Long Island and the last thing he needs is to be at the mercy of the Stoll Brothers’ pranks, so he halfheartedly agrees.

 The storm subsides pretty quickly after the kid arrives, and business seems to resume as usual. People are already placing bets on what cabin this kid belongs to—if he belongs to any cabin, and Jason tries very hard not to hope that this kid belongs in the cabin that the eagles and the obnoxious storm suggest.

 He spends most of the time in the infirmary, passing on his sword-training classes to Clarisse—and the boy wakes up just long enough to be spoonfed ambrosia and change into a clean shirt and pants. Every day, they find at least one twig in his hair while they’re not looking. He doesn’t speak very much at first—eventually Will and Lee decide to just let Jason handle this kid on his own to tend to other campers who are at the mercy of Clarisse’s sword training.

 On the third day of this kid’s arrival, Jason walks up the porch of the med bay and the eagles squawk angrily, per usual. Jason opens the door and notices the kid perk at his arrival, in contrast to the screaming eagles.

 “You feeling any better?” Jason asks.

 The blue eyes stare at him carefully, then nod. He squints thoughtfully at Jason, then speaks for the first time since arriving during the storm the other day. “They keep screaming death when you walk by.”

 Jason blinks. “They?”

 The boy gestures to the roof. “Lark and Sparrow.”

 Blond eyebrows furrow together. “Who?”

 “Lark and Sparrow,” the boy repeats.

 It takes a moment, but Jason’s eyebrows raise, puzzled. “You mean the eagles?”

 “Yeah.” The boy nods, then pauses. “They had an older sister—Cloud, but—well, she…” The boy’s eyes moisten and his gaze falls to his hands sadly. “She didn’t make it.”

 Oh. Jason doesn’t quite consider it a superpower, but he can pick up on the tone of a mourning soul, even if it’s for an eagle. Lark and Sparrow, the eagles (Jason doesn’t think he’ll ever get his mind wrapped around that) clearly love this little boy very much. Unfortunately, no one at camp speaks bird, and they’ve gone almost a week now not knowing this boy’s story—even if he wants to tell it.

 Jason retrieves a stool, setting aside the ambrosia sundae. “Do you…want to tell me about Cloud?”

 The boy raises his head curiously, evidently surprised to be encouraged, and then nods. “Cloud was their leader. She’s the one that found me first in—in the accident. And then she promised me that the four of them would get to camp. She—” His voice cracks. “—she couldn’t keep that promise.”

 Jason flashes a look of concern. After a few meals of ambrosia and clean clothes, the boy looks better, but feeling better is another story entirely.

 “Lark’s a good listener though, I think she makes Sparrow feel better,” the boy continues.

 The edge of Jason’s lip curls.

 “What?” the boy asks, and he blinks.

 “Nothing—I’m glad they got you here safe. I’m sure Cloud is proud,” Jason reassures. He reaches for the ambrosia sundae and at this point, the boy knows it’s for him. “I’ve never met birds that were named after other birds.”

 The boy shrugs nonchalantly. “Names are names. Did you know that Hades named his dog Spot?”

 Jason makes a face, watching as this boy pluck a cherry off the sundae and plop it in his mouth. Of all the deities the boy could have chosen (before they checked to see if he actually understands what’s going on—the death of Cloud the Eagle seems to suggest he does.) “I’ve—actually never thought about it that way.”

 “It just sounds cooler because it’s Greek,” the boy says. “Like your name. Otherwise, people would be walking around calling you Healer.”

 “I’m. Sorry, what?”

 “Your name,” the boy repeats, and it’s impossible not to stare at the bits of whipped cream at the corner of his lip. “Jason.”

 “You know my name,” Jason says slowly, on eyebrow arched in the air. This boy has been silent for the last two days, taking in his environment with wide, curious eyes. Jason had seen the boy’s mouth drop when Grover had come to check on him.

 The boy’s cheeks flush, and he quickly nods. “I heard the other two say it.”

 The other two, the boy said. Not Lee and Will. Jason blinks once again. “You know my name and you know the meaning behind my name.”

 “It was in the Argonaut Expansion pack,” the boy continues. “The trivia in the wrapper.”

 Much like Lark and Sparrow, Jason tries to connect the dots in his head. “You mean Mythomagic?”

 The sundae falls from the boy’s hands, and to Jason’s surprise, those blue eyes suddenly glitter with excitement. “You know Mythomagic? Do you play? Do you have a favorite character?”

 He’s vibrating in his seat, and Jason actually leans back to keep ice cream from falling on him. Jason reaches over and dabs the melted ice cream with a tissue. “I’ve dabbled. You’ll see some of the other kids playing Mythomagic here. It helps them understand our world better. Our—hey. So. Do you…understand how you got here? What’s going on?”

 The boy stares at him, puzzled, evidently confused.

 “So you and I—this entire camp,” Jason says slowly, “we’re halfbloods.”

 “Halfbirds?”

 “Halfbloods,” Jason corrects. “Demigods. It means that we’re half human, half—”

 “Half god,” the boy finishes with an excited whisper. His eyes glitter again. “Like Mythomagic.”

 “Yeah, exactly like Mythomagic—”

 “Oh my god,” the boy says again—and the way he vibrates in the bed would make Jason think he was never healing in the first place. “My dad was a god? Oh my dad!”

 Jason stares at the boy in surprise. For a kid that had emerged from the forest covered in blood and spoils, this is the quickest he’s ever seen a demigod recover from learning about their parentage. This kid is acting just like he sounds—a kid—and is now grinning from ear-to-ear.

 “Who’s your parent? Apollo? Aphrodite?” The boy claps his hand on the mattress, then leans close to Jason with a gasp. “It’s Thanatos, isn’t it? That’s why Lark and Sparrow keep screaming death!”

 “Um, Hades, actually—” Jason peels the ice cream sundae away from the bed before it can spill, unable to hide his surprise. Most people didn’t list gods outside the main twelve, let alone mention his dad’s lieutenant of all people. He expects the boy to gulp and shirk away at first—like other kids did when they realized they were suddenly standing with the child of the King of the Dead, but the boy’s hand fall and he stares at Jason with even more fascination.

 “He has 4000 attack power,” the boy whispers in amazement. “5000 if someone else attacks first.”

 Jason blinks, yet again confounded by this boy’s enthusiasm. “Yeah—I think I heard that. You’re not…scared?”

 The boy doesn’t hear him. Instead, he’s mumbling again, evidently still stuck on Jason’s parentage with utter amazement. He falls silent, then looks back up to Jason with hopeful eyes. “Can we hold a funeral for Cloud?”

 This time, Jason’s lips fold into the familiar shape, aching almost, into the first smile that he’s had in a long time. “Is that what you want?”

 The boy nods up and down. “A funeral for Lark and Sparrow’s sister, and maybe a funeral for my—” The boy cuts himself off, the excitement suddenly waning. Jason can see it in the boy’s expression, something hitting him like a freight train, and it looks more solemn and more mournful than it did for Cloud.

 Oh. This boy has seen death recently—and not just for the sister of someone else.

 Jason reaches out and places a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Blue eyes look back up to him, sadder than the bouncing boy from before.

 “We’ll give Cloud a Grecian funeral, just like in Mythomagic,” Jason says quietly. At the M word, the boy cocks his head back up, eyebrows furrowed. “And another for whoever else needs one. Whenever you’re ready.”

 The boy sniffles, his eyes swelling with tears once more.

 “Whenever you’re ready,” Jason repeats.

 “Okay.” To his surprise, the boy throws his arms around Jason like the first day, vice grip and all.

 Jason hesitates—but then folds his arms around the other boy, patting sympathetically as he hears the sniffles grow louder.

 *

 After Will and Lee give the okay, Jason plans a funeral in the woods for Cloud the Eagle—which quickly goes awry from the Grecian traditions that he had planned when Nico explains Lark and Sparrow’s constructive notes. Two of the notes include burying part of their sister “like humans do”—with things that she held dear. Nico whips a feather out of his hair, insistent that it came from the late bird, and explains that Cloud’s favorite items included bird seed and bottle caps.

 Thus, Jason instructs Nico to fill a lunch box with bird seed and bottle caps (there’s a small intermission where Jason watches Nico lecture Lark and Sparrow about eating their sister’s afterlife food) before placing the eagle feather gingerly on top, then listens to Nico and the birds deliver a eulogy for their fallen comrade.

 Grover plays the reedpipes as they lower the lunch box into the ground, and daffodils sprout over the mound. He’s touched, of course, that someone would care enough to want to hold a funeral for an animal of nature.

 “Will Charon accept bird seeds?” Nico asks worriedly.

 Jason doesn’t miss the way Grover suddenly squawks on the reed pipes, evidently amused by the question. He places a hand on Nico’s shoulder, not missing the way that Nico inches closer into his bubble. “Um, animals are out of Charon’s jurisdiction.”

 Nico frowns, clearly upset.

 “They usually get reincarnated. Sometimes as plants, or as new animals,” Grover explains. Jason has to hold back a sigh of relief—he doesn’t know how much more he can talk about death, but Grover is charmed enough. He gestures to the eagles. “Maybe a lark. Or a sparrow. Or—”

 “Or a raven?” Nico asks.

 Grover nods sagely, flashing a look that Jason has always received growing up. Then he ruffles Nico’s hair. “You sure know your birds, Nico.”

 Nico shrugs, the worry about Cloud not reaching the Underworld dissipating. Then, he notices what Jason has been wary of since the young demigod’s arrival. Nico gestures to Lark and Sparrow, who’d given Jason the stink eye since arriving at camp. “Why don’t they like you? They keep calling you the Deathbringer.”

 Jason cringes, and he notices Grover do it too. “Yeah—well, animals aren’t fond of me. They sense death.”

 Another frown curls against Nico’s lips, and the next look that the flashes his birds causes them to behave and stand erect. “But you just helped them bury their sister.”

 “Yeah, tell them that,” Grover mutters, and he nudges Jason affectionately.

 “I am,” Nico assures, and he climbs to his feet. The eagles squawk nervously—and then Nico turns around, his blue eyes fully on Jason. “And you’re so cool.”

 Grover spills into a grin, and Jason’s eyebrows raise in confusion. He can hardly call spending the afternoon filling a lunch box with bird seed and fending off grouchy birds cool. “You think I’m cool?”

 Unabashed, this boy stares at Jason with the same intrigue as he did when Jason started comparing Mythomagic to their lives. “The coolest.”

 Red flourishes in Jason’s cheeks, and Grover is elbowing him again. Before he can open his mouth, Nico turns to his pet eagles, hands on his hips like a doting mother.

 “If you two can’t respect Jason for holding a funeral for Cloud,” Nico says in his best parenting tone, “then scram.”

 Both birds make a sound, evidently shocked, but Nico places a hand in front of him, halting their speech.

 “No,” Nico says, “I’ll be okay here. Please go home.”

 Jason watches in utter disbelief as both birds pick themselves up, glaring at him, before flying away.

 Grover pats him on the shoulder. “You don’t want to know what they said.”

 Nico falls to his knees again and pets the daffodils over Cloud’s makeshift grave. His eyebrows furrow together, evidently troubled at the departure of their friends, but seems set on his decision.

 When he gets over his stupor, Jason clears his throat and walks up behind Nico, finally able to get close to this little grave that he helped make without prying eagle eyes. He kneels to the ground and pats a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Let’s get you settled in at Cabin Eleven.”

[larkfox]

( SAOIRSE RONAN, FEMALE, SHE/HER ) ⌇ have you seen LARKSPUR FOX around icaria? they are the TWENTY-SEVEN year old child of ZELUS. they remind me of HOMEMADE PROTEST SIGNS, SING-SCREAMING ALONG TO THE RADIO, and A HEAVY STACK OF HISTORY BOOKS. They’ve been on the island for 4 years. 

Lark comes in two volumes: Loud and VERY LOUD. An intellectually brilliant radical anarchist, she is prone to protesting against Icaria’s government and for a different cause every week. Although she’s certainly spread awareness for some significant issue, not every cause Lark champions is noteworthy… or even logical. Whoever is within her radar will inevitably hear an earful. She’s also a gigantic nerd- particularly history- so she knows a lot of stuff but lacks in common sense.

She has a very weird, codependent friendship with Steffi, whom is probably her best friend at this point because fate keeps shoving them in the same place. They are both very annoying for different reasons, and the two together can get chaotic. Important: Lark likes Steffi more than Steffi likes Lark, but Lark is more fond of people as a whole than Steffi.

You may be thinking: Lisa! Why do you have two bumbling, good-intentioned loud characters that can be irritating to others? Is Lark going to just be Chloe 2: Electric Boogaloo? Fair question. Lark and Chloe are self-aware in completely opposite ways. Chloe would never indulge in this kind of reckless behavior or be anything close to this argumentative. Anyway, I’ve basically written an essay about Lark below, so you can see for yourself.

Further information/bio:

Basics

A PhD candidate in History at Icaria’s University, she is keen on finishing her dissertation soon and trying to get a job at The Icaria Museum. If that doesn’t work, she supposes she will just have to see about becoming a professor or something. She’s so close to finishing, though, it’s palpable.

On the side, she does some copyediting and tutoring because living isn’t cheap. Sometimes she also does some music production, but that’s not a big thing.

Lark is a bit immature, and an absolute disaster at interpersonal relationships. She is heavily opinionated, and rarely keeps anything close to her chest. A gay mess, she didn’t have her first relationship until her early twenties. She has very mixed feelings about her demigod status (and her dad, whom she didn’t meet until he swung by to tell her about the disappearances and urge her to move).

Early Life

Her conception kicked off in a dramatic fashion. Diana Fox was a sixteen year  old teenager in Canada when she attended her first protests (various feminist ones, mostly). After one of them, she met up with a strange guy who just seemed to get it (also he seemed to like debating for fun). He (the god Zelus) was definitely too old for her, but she lied about her age, and ended up pregnant after a few trysts. Diana decided to keep the kid, but she most definitely wasn’t ready to be a mother. She named the child Larkspur because she thought it sounded cool, the flowers were pretty, and also she was kind of a punk who got a kick out of her kid being named after something poisonous. And that was about as much contribution as little Larkspur’s parents offered up in terms of upbringing for those early years. Gods weren’t about that sort of child-raising life, and Diana wanted to enjoy what remained of her adolescence.

Cecilia and Dale Fox stepped up, and raised their granddaughter. Larkspur adored her grandparents, even if they did not quite expect to have to raise a baby at their age. They were only in their late forties, but a grandchild to take care of had not exactly been in their plans while they were both still working. Cecilia’s job didn’t pay as well, so she took a few years off to be the primary caretaker for the little girl. When Lark was four, she was able to go to preschool, which helped everyone.

Larkspur frankly thought her name was embarrassing. What kind of mother named her kid after a poisonous plant? She was much happier to go by Lark in school, or even just Fox.

Even though her mother could have cared less about books and learning, Lark took to school rather well. She rarely had to study, and knocked out essays and reports without thinking too hard about it. Marks didn’t mean much to her, but she still skipped grade two. Even after that, she continued to excel in school.

A Turn for the Worse

When Lark was nine, Dale started to get sick, which inspired Diana to head back home. She moved back in, and tried to be more than a parent when it was convenient. Lark didn’t like that very much, so she clung to her grandmother, or shut herself up in her room for a while. The only time that Lark felt really close to her mom was when she took her along to protests.

Lark has absolutely been arrested for protesting before, but it’s never resulted in any real convictions. Her mom is the one who’s actually seen prison time. Lark actually thinks that’s very cool. Diana and Dale did not agree with the coolness level of any criminal activity, but did their best to point the kids (i.e. Diana and Lark) in the right direction.

Zelus

Lark thinks her dad sucks even if he’s supposedly one of the good guys. It doesn’t even matter that Zelus seemed to be the god of nothing good. She didn’t find out who her dad really was until Diana came back home and sat the family down. I will now present you with an excerpt of the conversation:

Diana: So I’m sure that you’re all wondering a few things.

Dale: Yes, I’m always wondering things, Annie.

Diana: About Larkspur’s dad!

Dale: Ohh. Yes, we’ve all been wondering about that.

Lark: I haven’t!

Diana: You haven’t?

Lark: Not really!

Cecilia: Grandpa and I have been wondering. Diana, where were you going with this?

Diana: Oh. Right. So it turns out he’s a god… Here, let me show you…

Lark: Is this a print-out from a Google search?

Cecilia: Her father is Zeus? Like the greek god Zeus?

Diana: No!! Zelus! There’s an entire extra letter in there. He’s like Zeus’ pal. Or at least that’s what I’ve read about on Google.

Lark: So he’s still a greek god. But like a discount greek god. Eh. Zeus is probably just as good of a dad as this one is.

Cecilia: Zelus. Like zealots. Oh. Oh no. Let’s just… Make sure nothing happens with that.

Dale passed away when Lark was twelve, which especially devastated his wife. Cecilia had gone back to work a while back, and she took the opportunity when it came up to transfer into a slightly better paying opportunity in the UK. It helped that she was born there, and still had aunts and cousins around. It was about time to move back. Diana wanted to stay in Calgary, but Lark wanted to go with her grandmother. Making her first mature decision in a long time, Diana conceded, and applied for jobs overseas.

Steffi

Lark had been poor at making friends in Canada, and this did not improve thousands of miles away. The person that she got on best with was Steffi, a recent transplant from Germany that did not seem to be fitting in well either. Since Steffi did not seem to have any friends either, Lark latched on immediately. The mean comments didn’t exactly phase her (especially because the older girl didn’t seem to outright hate the idea of being friends).

Her friendship with Steffi is… weird. Here are some helpful references: the entire main character group from Friends as two people. All of the characters from Derry Girls (including side characters) as two people. Rosie and Tanya from the MMCU (Mamma Mia Cinematic Universe). The Odd Couple. You get the picture.

Anyway, while they were very good friends, it still did not come up in conversation where they both settled on schools until acceptance time came. Heidelberg University’s History program was amazing, and Lark couldn’t turn down how reasonably priced German schools were. She casually-but-not-casually suggested that she and Steffi room together, and was pleasantly surprised to start the next year with a roommate that wanted to be friends.

After graduation, Lark and Steffi went to separate universities for graduate school, and conversation was not quite as frequent as Lark would have liked. She did start to make more like-minded friends in her Musicology masters program. The professors seemed not to hate her either; she was “a pleasure to have in class” but not the student with the highest grades. Oddly enough, she and Steffi just kept running into each other without planning on trips and the like.

Poorly thought through things that Lark has suggested to Steffi (list is not exhaustive):

Protesting for squirrel rights on their university campus at 2 AM (nobody else agreed to join her)

That they should have split custody of a shiny beetle that Lark found on the ground. She stopped trying to persuade her friend after the beetle started flying around the room

Marriage pact if they are both still single by age 42

Reenacting various historical scenes while sober

Road trip across Europe on a beercycle (with only two people)

It had never seemed like a good idea to mention her demigod status until Lark and Steffi bumped into each other… on Icaria. Overjoyed to have her friend back, Lark suggested rooming together again, but this was unfortunately shot down. She still spends quite a lot of time at Steffi’s apartment and vice-versa.

Powers

Power-wise, she has some control over the human voice, which she finds easiest to use for controlling the volume of her own voice. Lark can’t change the concepts of the sound, but she can alter the volume or “throw” the sound so it comes like it originates somewhere else. If Lark were actually interested in starting a cult or being a politician or something, she could use her superior control over the voice to make herself heard without distortion, and deafen the voices of those that opposed her. A loud enough voice could even cause real damage. Fortunately(?), Lark has little interest in all of that, and isn’t especially charismatic to begin with. She only really uses it to force people to listen to her when she’s trying to tell people something deemed important. Or to secretly help shy friends that don’t know how to project. Or to make annoying mansplainers stop talking over her. Or to make Steffi go shhh when she shows up in her apartment in the morning

[tenroseforeverandever]

Dear Father Christmas Chapter 5: 24 December, 2020

MASTERPOST

Characters:  Tentoo; Rose Tyler; Jackie Tyler; Pete Tyler; Tony Tyler; OC Hope Tyler-Noble; OC Charlotte Tyler-Noble; OC Wilfred Tyler-Noble

Rated: Teen

Tags: Family!Fic; Kid!Fic; Pete’s World; Letters to Santa; Christmas Fic; Family; Fluff; Hurt/Comfort; Angst; Romance; Love

Summary: When Rose Tyler was little, she always wrote a Christmas wish list to Father Christmas. As she grew older, the wish list became more of a letter to someone she could confide in once a year, but she fell out of the habit somewhere along the way. Now, as a new mum, celebrating her daughter’s first Christmas, Rose takes up writing her Christmas letter to Father Christmas once again.

Rose’s Christmas letters are excerpts from her life with her beloved Tentoo and their children in Pete’s World, written once a year, for each of 31 years.

Chapter Summary: When Jackie won’t allow Tony to travel on the TARDIS, the Doctor finds a way to bring the stars to him.

Notes: Eternal gratitude to mrsbertucci and @rose--nebula_Nebula for being such great betas and sounding boards.

Thanks to @doctorroseprompts for their 31 Days of Ficmas prompts. A reminder that I am using the prompts very much out of order, but I intend to use them all. The prompt I used today was Scarf.

Also read at: AO3; FF.net; Teaspoon

December 24th, 2020

Dear Father Christmas,

My mum is driving us mental! Completely mental! We’ve wanted to take Tony with us on the TARDIS for a few years, now, and she’s digging her heels in… big time!

Toto’s a great kid, with a good head on his shoulders. He has a fantastic sense of adventure, without the rebellious streak I had. He doesn’t get into trouble, so he’s always had a pretty good relationship with his teachers. He does really well at school, and is desperate to learn as much about science as he possibly can. Mum must think she’s in heaven compared to everything I’ve put her through over the years.

One thing she doesn’t particularly appreciate is how he practically worships the Doctor; he has done since he was tiny, before the Doctor even met him. I was always telling him stories about our adventures on the TARDIS. I even made him his very own TARDIS for the garden when he was three, and then, when the Doctor came to stay, he made Tony his own light-up toy version of a sonic on the first Christmas he was here.

Dad’s grooming Tony to take over Torchwood eventually. He asked me, but I couldn’t do a job like that: I’m too full of wanderlust, yeah. And, let’s face it, even though I got those degrees in astro and temporal physics so I could help with the Dimension Cannon, science and desk work really isn’t my thing. Tony will be the perfect candidate, once he’s grown a good foot and gained a few stone. He seems keen to do it, as much as any kid knows what they want to do with their lives, at that age. Dad’s not pushy though. If Tony says no a few years down the road, he’ll be disappointed, but he’ll understand.

Anyroad, given the nature of the job, dealing with extraterrestrial beings and such, and their technologies on a daily basis, me and the Doctor had been thinking it would be a sensible idea to start taking him along on a few trips with us on the TARDIS.

We made the huge mistake of suggesting it to him and getting his hopes up, at the beginning of the summer, before we consulted Mum. We really botched things up. Neither he nor Mum would talk to us for weeks. And he wasn’t talking to Mum, either. Thank goodness little Wilfred came along at the end of June, else Mum probably still wouldn’t be talking; but where her first grandson was concerned, she softened up a fair bit.

But she still wouldn’t budge about Toto going for field trips in the TARDIS. She reckoned she would lose him to the Doctor, the way she lost me. And I don’t think she’s ever forgiven the Doctor for that missing year when I first started traveling with him. She told us she wasn’t letting her son anywhere near “that bloody ship” of ours, or words to that effect. Then she said: “Just you watch. He’ll swan off with you, it’ll be a bit of a lark and, when he comes back, he’ll be fifty years old and I’ll have missed his whole life!” Blimey, a bit melodramatic there, Mum. I mean, she needs to consider how careful we are these days about keeping the timelines strictly in sync specifically so that kind of thing doesn’t happen. And we always triple-check navigation so we always know where and when we land, and we make sure it’s safe before we go blundering out the door. And as for Tony, he’s not quite like me: not so prone to wandering off.

But I guess I get it. She’s frightened. I’m a mum myself, now, so I have a good sense of how she must feel. Left out; left behind. There’s so little time you have with your kids before they’re grown up and moving on with their own lives. As much as you want them to experience everything they can in life, you can’t help also wanting to protect them and keep them by your side.

But Toto’s growing up! Eleven years old, this past April! I can hardly believe it! Though, he’s still young enough to love playing in his backyard TARDIS, especially when his little nieces come over to join in the fun. They had great summer hols together. But, once autumn rolled around and Wilfred was three months old, we took to the stars again. We’re only home on weekends now, and poor Tony really misses the playtime with the girls, even though they’re so little compared to him. I’m sure he’s jealous as all hell about the time they get to spend on the TARDIS, though he’s good enough to never let on to them.

The Doctor’s made a point of spending time with him on the weekends, tutoring him, expanding on the information he was getting in science at school, and letting him help with tinkering projects. He and Tony lie out in the back garden for hours and hours in the dark, stargazing, just the two of them.

He decided to make Tony his very own telescope for Christmas. He insisted if we couldn’t take him to the stars, we’d do everything we could to bring the stars to him. I suggested we could just buy one, order it from Amazon, but the Doctor said that was “a bit rubbish” and wouldn’t hear of it. His telescope was going to be infinitely better somehow (somehow that I couldn’t make heads or tails of.) We scoured the galaxy for just the right parts. It was a bit challenging since we’re still getting to know this universe, but we found some great shopping spots!

We found this brilliant 78th Century bazaar in the Frigenni Cluster. The Doctor was on the prowl for bits for the eyepiece of the telescope, and he suddenly took a detour right into a clothing store of all things! He found this ridiculously long, striped, multicoloured scarf, and insisted on buying it.

Of course I asked him what the fuck he was thinking, and he told me it was a dead ringer for a scarf he once wore several bodies back. Why was I not surprised? When I asked him if he hadn’t tripped over it all the time, he just said, “Nah, it was very well behaved.”  I offered to get him it for Christmas, or for his “birthday” which was coming up on December 14th. But it turns out he wanted it for Tony. He’d told him about that regeneration’s scarf once years ago and Tony’d been obsessed with the idea.

Santa, I won’t lie, I thought I was going to cry. I love that man more every day, for all he does for my family and for ours.

I can hardly wait to see that little boy’s face when he opens his gift this year! He’ll probably have to wrap that scarf around him twenty times so it doesn’t trail all over the place, and then he and the Doctor will disappear into the garden to set up the telescope. I hope it’s a clear night for them.

Father Christmas, I hope you and your North Pole family have as much love in your hearts this year as I do. Three healthy children, a brilliant brother, a great dad, an infuriating but loving mum, and the best husband ever: I’m blessed in every way. I couldn’t ask for more.

Safe travels,

love, Rose

[isempiterna]

★ FILL IN THE QUESTIONS AS YOUR MUSE BEING INTERVIEWED FOR AN ARTICLE.

TAGGED BY: nicked it from @starbrosforever eyyyy TAGGING: @blasianbutterfly, @silhcuetted, @merrickals, @odharnaiit, do u wanna do it? do it

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

    Lark.     Sparrow.

2. WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME?

    Yeah, that is my real name. My mom likes birds.     Sparrow...Weave? Er, Grace Weave. Oh, sorry, Grace is my middle name, I mean—     Sparrow Grace Weave is my full name. Is that...?

3. DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU’RE CALLED THAT?

    Oh. Guess I just answered that in the last question, oops.     Well my mother loves birds quite a lot, aha. Although I’m not sure why she chose Sparrow,     specifically.

4. ARE YOU SINGLE OR TAKEN?

    Single—for now.     Single.

5. WHAT ARE YOUR POWERS AND ABILITIES?

    You mean like if I could choose one? Super strength. Oldie but a goldie, and     everyone loves a classic. Especially if it means I get to lift cars. Alternatively, though,     I make a pretty good latte.     I...don’t think I really have any? Or, well, none worth mentioning. Oh, but I do play the     violin, if that counts.

6. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES?

    Brown, but like a really light brown. Like, really light. Think pennies—so copper, I     guess.     Blue.

7. HAVE YOU EVER DYED YOUR HAIR?

    I came this close to going cherry red, but in the end it never happened.      No—I expect it would be rather difficult if I did try, though.

8. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY MEMBERS?

    Oh yeah, my family’s huge. Mostly they’re over in Europe, though.     Yes, but my father’s side of the family is...rather distant.

9. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

    Not right now, no.     No, but I think I’d like to have one eventually.

10. TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE.

    Bullies. Hypocrites. Cold weather, God, who’s idea was that? But Sparrow likes it, so     whatever. It can stay.     Um...cruelty. 

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES OR ACTIVITIES YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

    I like to hit the gym and hit things at the gym. I also play piano.     Well I love to read, and journal, too. I try to go running at least once every day, and I play     the violin. Every now and then I’ll paint a bit, but I don’t think I’m very good at it, aha.

12. HAVE YOU EVER HURT ANYONE BEFORE?

    Oh yeah.     Never intentionally, but...sometimes intentions don’t matter. I certainly hope I haven’t,     though.

13. HAVE YOU EVER… KILLED ANYONE?

    Not yet. No, I’m kidding, I wouldn’t kill someone. I mean, maybe I would—but right     now I wouldn’t.     No, I could never...no.

14. WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU?

    Well I like food, and I like being warm. So either a cat or some kind of reptile. I’m not     cuddly enough to be a cat, though.     Um...? Hm. I’m not sure.

15. NAME YOUR WORST HABITS.

    Acting before I think, I guess. I’ve gotten way better about it, though, especially since     I can’t just punch a rude customer and be done with it. I’ve got a business to think     about.     I suppose...I’m not very decisive? 

16. DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANYONE?

    ...My dad, I guess. I don’t really go for the whole role model deal, but if I had to pick     one I’d go with my dad.     My mother. I think she’s really a wonderful person, and I’m glad to be a part of her life.

17. GAY, STRAIGHT, OR BISEXUAL?

    I’m bi, personally, but hey. You do you.     Er...hm. I suppose I would be straight...?

18. DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL?

    Not anymore, but I did manage to graduate.     Yes, I’m actually a sophomore in college right now.

19. DO YOU EVER WANT TO MARRY AND HAVE KIDS SOMEDAY?

    Meh, I dunno. Maybe if I find the right person.     I would love to be able to raise kids, but...I’m not sure about marriage. Ah, not that I     wouldn’t get married I just...can’t really imagine it?

20. DO YOU HAVE ANY FANS?

    Nah. Friends, sure.     Oh, no.

21. WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF?

    Anything bad happening to Sparrow. Um...I’d really hate to lose the café, but I don’t     think I’d classify that as a fear.     Losing my loved ones.

22. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR?

    Comfy stuff. If I can’t move in it, I’m not wearing it.     Nothing too...elaborate, I guess. Or would “flashy” be a better term?

23. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE?

    My sister. My family. No “significant other” if that’s what you mean.     My family and friends.

24. WHAT CLASS ARE YOU?

    Middle class, I guess. I’m comfortable but not rolling in cash or anything.     Um...somewhere in the middle class. Maybe lower middle, taking debt into account.

25. HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE?

    A lot, maybe. There are a lot of people I call friends, but not so many I’d consider     close friends. A good amount, though.     A few.

26. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PIE?

    What kind and who made it? I mean you can’t really go wrong with apple pie. Or     banana cream. Not really a big fan of key lime, though. Makes my teeth feel     funny.     I like it. I like that there’s so much variety.

27. FAVORITE DRINK?

    Any kind of coffee drink, but I tend to prefer it sweet. Also orange soda.     Ah, that’s difficult. I suppose teas? Maybe fruit teas. Or flower-based teas. There are quite a     lot of each, though, so...I suppose I’ll just go with “tea,” aha.

29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE?

    I like hanging out at the café, but I also like just spending time at home with Sparrow.     I kind of really want her to move in with me, but at the same time I want her to have     fun at college. As long as it’s a good experience, I’d hate for her to miss out on it.     I really enjoy spending time at the library, or public gardens. I don’t go shopping very often,     but it’s fun to go with Lark.

30. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SOMEONE?

    Nothing serious, just passing interest. There are a lot of cute people that come     through the café, okay?     Oh, no, not right now.

31. WHAT’S YOUR DICK SIZE?

    Wow, gender biased much? Keep your inappropriate questions away from Sparrow,     thanks.

32. WOULD YOU RATHER SWIM IN THE LAKE OR THE OCEAN?

    Depends on the lake. Probably ocean, though. Check out that coral reef.     I don’t really mind, I think either would be lovely. This is where my bad habit comes in, aha.

33. WHAT’S YOUR ‘TYPE’?

    Let’s be real, looks are generally what we notice first, and who doesn’t like looking at     cute people? Gotta be someone I’m comfortable with, though. And they have to get     along with Sparrow, that’s non-negotiable. Call me crazy but it’s a deal-breaker.     There’s no good reason to not like Sparrow anyway, so just don’t be an asshole and     you’re fine. Otherwise...hm. I mean, it’s not like I’ve got a rule book written out.     Either we click or we don’t.     Oh, um...well, I suppose someone kind...? Er, I haven’t really thought on it much...

34. ANY FETISHES?

    I don’t see how that’s your business unless we’re going to be collaborating in them.     (And don’t you dare ask Sparrow this, I’ll break your god damn face.)

35. TOP OR BOTTOM? DOMINANT OR SUBMISSIVE?

    Where’s the fun if you can’t switch it up? (Face-breaking is still applicable, by the     way. Don’t you do it. Don’t test me.)

36. CAMPING, OR INDOORS?

    Why not both. Camping is fun, but I wouldn’t want to do it all the time.     I think camping with company is nice.

37. ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS INTERVIEW TO BE OVER?

    Are you waiting for this interview to be over?     Not really? Not that I’d want it to go on forever, but I think it was rather fun, aha.

[nonbinary-androids]

SDVA Week Day 4 (I think it’s day four anyways. I’m posting this late.)

1. First things first! Does your farmer believe in true love?

No. Tabby is polyamorous and the entire concept of true love is that there is one person who is absolutely perfect for you and that everyone else isn’t quite right.

2.Who was your farmer’s very first crush? Did they keep that crush, or end up falling for someone else?

Elliott, actually. Tabby’s relationship with him pre-dated her arrival to the Valley, though. Remember, back on Day One, where I mentioned that she had a SO that moved to the Valley? That was actually Elliott! Tabby never really got married, but she didn’t fall out of love with him, so he’s a permanent part of her life now.

3.Did your farmer date the whole town? How do you personally headcanon that turning out for your farmer?

Nope. Tabby is polyfidelous, so she only dates a set group of people. Those people are Sebastian and Elliott. Sebastian is monogamous, so he’s only in one relationship at a time, but Elliott is also polyamorous and dates Leah as well.

4.How do you imagine your farmer’s first date went with their chosen bachelor/bachelorette?

Sebastian: They went on a ‘date’ in the mines. They were both nervous at first but loosened up and had a good time.

Elliott: Their first date was more of a disaster. They had their first date in the city and Tabby had to punch a drunk woman who was trying to seduce Elliott.

5.What made your farmer fall in love with their SO?

Elliott: He was interested in her first. Elliott would tell her grand stories about merfolk at the bottom of the ocean, cat people living in the clouds, beings of genderless flames and the humans of earth. Tabby fell in love with him because he wasn’t afraid to daydream, to be creative or to wish, like most other people she met. At the same time, he wasn’t so in the clouds that he couldn’t take care of himself and others.

Sebastian: Tabby fell in love with Sebastian because he was willing to change. She was perfectly aware that he had adapted his sleeping schedule to be able to spend one day a week with her. Sebastian was also willing to let Tabitha be who she was and be in the relationship that didn’t directly involve him (though he and Elliott do get along well now!). If Elliott was her creativity and her inspiration, then Sebastian was her flexibility, her willingness to change.

6.Where is their favourite place to talk and hang out?

Sebastian: Level sixty of the Mines. They’ll spend a whole bunch of time down there when it’s too hot, but they both also really like the way it looks.

Elliott: At the end of the pier on Tabby’s farm. (She has the “Riverland Farm” layout.) They dangle their feet in. It’s an inspiring place for Elliott and a relaxing place for Tabitha.

7.Was there anything your farmer and their SO fought about?

While they sometimes get into little fights, Tabby and her partners haven’t gotten into any major ones yet.

8.How did your farmer propose?

Tabby didn’t. She asked Sebastian to move in with her, but multi-person marriage is still illegal in Stardew Valley. Elliott still lives in his cabin, but he comes over every day and sometimes Tabitha and Sebastian will go over to the cabin.

9. did your farmer ever have kids? If so, what are their names? What are they like?

Tabby had two children. The oldest was called Lark and she was a girl. The younger child was a boy called Alder. Lark was energetic and inherited the farm from her mother. Alder was more of a recluse, reading and learning with his fathers. He can be a bit grumpy at times as well.

10. How have your farmer and their SO settled into the married life?

Well, thank you for asking! Tabitha’s never been happier. She has two loving children and she knows her partners will always love her.

Bonus: Draw or write a ficlet about your farmer and their SO on their first date or first anniversary!

(This is actually a Feast of the Winter Star celebration from who knows when, but whatever.)

“Dad! Dad, wake up!” Lark smiled. “Papa’s already here and Mum’s been up for hours. Get up so that we can open presents!”

Sebastian groaned. “What time is it?”

“Seven thirty, like you said was okay! Come on, Dad!” Lark tugged on his arm. “Otherwise I’ll make Mum wake you up.”

Sebastian sat up slowly. “Fine. Be a good girl and get me some breakfast.”

Lark scampered off to find something for Sebastian to eat, probably made by Tabby. Sebastian blinked. Then blinked again. It felt early, much too early to be up. Sighing, he heaved himself out of bed. He walked out of the bedroom, already dressed for the day to see Elliott and Tabby sitting on the couch. Tabitha looked much too chipper for someone who had been up since dawn taking care of the farm. Elliott was less energetic than his usual self, but that was the only sign that he had gotten up early than normal.

“Hello, morning birds,” he mumbled as he walked by them to get some coffee.

“Good morning to you too. Did Lark wake you up?” Tabby smiled from the couch. “This is the only time in ages that she and Alder have been up at the same time.”

“Yup. Lark is just like you and Elliott, ever a morning person,” Sebastian stifled a yawn.

“Heh, well if I’m a morning person, then why am I exhausted?” Elliott yawned openly. “I feel like I’m dead on my feet and I’m only awake half an hour earlier than I normally am.”

“You aren’t acting like you’re liable to bite someone’s head off without coffee, that’s a bonus point,” Tabby said thoughtfully. “But either way, I think two people are very eager to open presents. Food’s already here, Seb.”

Sebastian grunted in acknowledgement and grabbed the cup of coffee he was nursing. He then plunked himself down on the other side of Tabby and grabbed his food in his other hand.

Suddenly, Sebastian felt so at peace. This was a world that he had created. He was free from the ties that had bound him. The people around him were his family, the people that had taught him the true meaning of the word.

They were Sebastian’s friends, his partners in life, the people he cared most about and finally, they were the people at the end of the storm that his early life.

They were the people Sebastian loved.

[jacobnobody]

Going Home.

(He stood in the rain bumming cigarettes and bus tokens off of any one who passed by, wiling to tell his woes to those willing to stop and listen. )

My Pride has destroyed so much of my life. My college career( My first marriage, a good job, I’ve risked so much betting on my pride and losing. My mentor once said lots of people spend a long time ramming their heads into doors before they realize that there is a knob there. And I hope that I’ve finally learned this lesson, to keep me from being the entitled brat that I’ve always been. I need a hair cut, probably a shower and a shave as well. I’ve been hustling at work for over 40 of the last 48 hours. A friend of mine from way back in the days of Sanford Over dosed recently. The world lost a good comedian, an excellent performer, and and a (occasionally) decent human being. The sad part is that in our last conversation I warned him that may happen, if his life remained on the same path. It did, and in retrospect, there was as nothing I could have done to save him, although I wish that were not so. I read a girl’s palm last year on a lark, and even though I can no longer believe in such things, by an odd coincidence one of my major predictions just came true. She’s pregnant far too young, and is with a man who is really not worthy of her. I’m afraid for her, and I’ll be the friend she needs in the times ahead, if my friendship is what she needs. So my thoughts thoughts become stones skipping across water, ripples forming with each roll across the lake. How best to show love to those who need it, quietly respect fully and silently.

A stone for my father, the Educator.

My father is a proud man, and as I watch his sharpened intellect decline, I cannot feel anything but regret, for being too proud at times to be his son. His world was not his creation or his fault, and his pride did not require the same redresses mine do. But he thought me to question, to struggle and to learn, and perhaps that may soften the pitfalls of my pride.

Pride is the cornerstone of confidence, which is the necessary component of success in our male dominated society. It is a man’s pride that makes him feel benevolent for sharing his view of the world with others. So the student too may feel proud and confident, knowing that the lecturer agrees, carrying the lecturers ideas down through the generations. But simply giving answers robs the student of the greater tool, asking and finding the answer to the question. Learning really occurs as the student over comes this struggle, and discovers truth for themselves. And so, the Internet answers all of our questions, and asks us to question nothing. This may become a problem sometime, but it doesn’t matter what I think, it matters what you think. Don’t you think so? Ideas dominate the land scape with pride and folly. And the fabric of all my ideas woven into those.

A stone for my heart. As a proud young man, I didn’t understand love as anything love as anything more than personal desires. “ You always run ahead of of me or lag behind! We never walk together, and we never share anything. ” she told me with tears in her eyes. Pride blinded me to her pain. Love is an economic decision! My She once exclaimed, marriage is for children and little else. Pride blinded us both, After we divorced I asked my father how to make love stay. He replied after a long and questioning silence, “ Always give her a choice” he said. It goes both ways, lovers may love all they want, but those who care for each other always let the other one choose. My friend responded to the same question saying, Love is creating similar values, Bonding with another person to achieve similar goals in life. But pride, keeps us chasing those who want us less. It only accepts the good in others, and and ignores or punishes their faults. Pride drives but compassion heals. Compassion realizes our faults accepts them and begins to dance with them. A relationship is like a tree, two people either grow together or grow apart, it is their willingness to grow together that defines their success. Each day with my wife and stepdaughter teaches me a little bit more about compassion as we grow closer and closer each day. We’ve know each other for years but pride kept us both at a distance. Now, as we grow older, Pride becomes so much less important, and learning to love each other becomes so much more important.

( Two days ago he’s walked out on his children’s mother, because they kept fighting with each other in front of the kids. She argued with him again and again, embarrassing him in front of their friends. When I spoke to him, he was defeated. “ I’ll just go home and and agree with whatever she’s got to say at this point, because being out here….man this ain’t working for my life. I want to be home, and warm and have some soup. Maybe I’ll go talk to the bus driver, maybe they will help.” I pulled an old bus ticket out of my pocket, hoping it would still have a ride or two left, told him it was all I could spare, and we parted ways.) Pride is a hard thing to beat down. It’s a lonely and cold companion.

More later….perhaps….