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emotionallychargedtowel · 1 year

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10 comfort shows

I was tagged by @imlivingformyselfdontmindme for this thing. Thanks! The instructions are simple: "List 10 comfort shows and then tag 10 people." But I'm not a big tagger, and a lot of folks I know have done this already. If you haven't, though, and you're interested, please do!

The instructions said "10 comfort shows" not your favorite 10 comfort shows or the ones you watch the most often. So I made a list and I picked the ten that I immediately thought of something to say about. i'm all about comfort viewing and watching things repeatedly so I had to leave quite a few things off of this list.

Future Boy Conan

I've lost count of how many times I've seen this series. It really is one of the most life-affirming, wholesome (in the real way) pieces of media I've ever encountered. The first time I saw it, I went into it expecting to see a fairly run-of-the-mill anime series with some early glimmers of Miyazaki's aesthetic and themes. But it's a frickin' masterpiece. Themes and visual mannerisms you see throughout Miyazaki's career are already here, full-blown, but it's also distinct from his other work in a way that makes it feel really fresh even if you've gone through his whole movie oeuvre. Mostly it just always has its heart impeccably in the right place.

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Don't talk to me about that movie. This is the adaptation against which all others must be measured. Faithful as heck to the book in most respects (we won't talk about Wet Darcy either), with an incredible cast, not to mention the costumes, set design, and locations. Watching this miniseries as a teenager could be the reason I'm still obsessed with shows and movies where half of the story is told through meaningful glances.

To My Star (1&2)

I really lucked out having this show as one of my first BLs, except that I nearly squandered the opportunity because I wasn't paying close attention and missed a lot of the subtle details. And this is a show that is full of really subtle details! Talk about telling a story through meaningful glances. There's a lot going on on a nonverbal level in this one. It helps that the leads have such a great, nuanced kind of chemistry together and both just seemed to show up for these roles ready to dig deep and be present. Thank goodness I went back and rewatched this one after that first attempt! I know for some folks the second season premise was really painful, but I found it to be completely worth it in the end. I'd happily watch a third season if they made one. In the meantime, I continue to rewatch both series (sometimes in movie form) regularly and I notice different things each time.

Spaced

This show was there for me at a time in my life when I needed comfort shows the most, when I was rebuilding my life after the abusive relationship that consumed most of my 20s. It's usually described in terms of the various pop culture references it uses, the movies the director and one of the co-writer/co-stars went on to make, or in some kind of generational terms as representing a demographic.

But I don't think those things are what make it interesting and rewarding. I guess the thing it boils down to at the end of the day is that it's very much a found family story. And an unconventional love story in which the two leads may or may not get together--after the series--but no matter what type of relationship theirs turns out to be, it will have changed them both for the better. In the meantime they’re facing their fears, honestly fixing their mistakes, and broadening their horizons, and they’re always lovable while being riddled with personal flaws.

Also, after having been raised on Coen Brothers movies and coming of age during the heyday of The Simpsons, I'm a sucker for a really quotable piece of media.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979)

When it comes to adaptations, I usually have a strong preference for one while writing off the others. In this case, there are things I appreciate about the Tomas Alfredson film that this adaptation doesn't do as well, but this version has a great deal to say for itself too. The adaptation really captures Le Carré's voice, the cast is incredible, and the whole miniseries just has this wonderful pervasive tone to it that's not like anything else. (The soundtrack is unobtrusive but very effective, and it has a lot to do with that.)

I don't know if it's the fact that this series came out when I was a toddler and has the look and feel of a lot of shows my parents would watch on PBS when I was a child (heck, I bet they watched this very show on PBS), but this suspenseful spy thriller makes me feel relaxed as hell. Having seen it a ton of times helps, too. There's never anything resembling a surprise. But even if this type of series doesn't feel like your childhood and even if you're going to be surprised right and left by the plot, I think it's an incredibly well-constructed piece of work that almost anyone could enjoy.

Emma (2009)

I'm very picky about my Austen adaptations. Emma has been adapted quite a bit, and I've found at least something to like about every version I've seen. But this is the best one by a good margin. I always love Romola Garai in anything, and she's lovely here--assertive, vulnerable, annoying when she should be and charming the rest of the time. She does a wonderful job portraying all of the subtle gradations of self-awareness that build in Emma throughout the story.

But I think the decisive factor has to be the screenplay and direction (not to mention other behind-the-scenes aspects). The folks behind this version just seem to have prioritized capturing the subtleties of the novel more than others. There are a few points where this is particularly apparent. One example is how this adaptation treats Frank Churchill. The 2009 version of Frank shows what a capricious, moody, immature person he is, but it also shows his good nature and the ways he tries to be open (in the novel, he attempts to tell Emma about his engagement to Jane Fairfax on multiple occasions and mistakenly believes she understands him). Hewing to the novel makes for a more complex, engaging character than the two-dimensional cad most other adaptations make out of Frank. The portrayal of the Box Hill incident is another example. This version of Emma has the most uncomfortable, unsparing rendering of Emma's insulting comment to Miss Bates that I've seen, but it also tempts us to laugh along with Emma. The scene in the novel is exactly the same way--it's complicated and makes us acknowledge our ambivalence. This adaptation keeps all of these strands alive in the story and the miniseries is better for it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

It's weird looking back now on how BtVS seemed back when it was new. Our standards were different for a reason. TV really wasn't as interesting or as progressive as it is now, and the range of both was narrower. Having a cishet white dude showrunner who would willingly utter the word "feminism" seemed like a remarkable piece of good fortune. And of course, we didn't know what was going on behind the scenes.

I imprinted on this show like a baby chick back then. It's not really possible for me to be objective about it. If I think it's good, how much of that is its actual quality and how much is the fact that it seemed like such a gift back then compared to what we were all used to? Well, some of it at least was actual quality, but I can't tell how much. So this show is special to me partly because it's grandfathered in due to circumstances and partly because it's actually good.

I remember when it seemed wild to me that there were people who could talk about a TV show and discuss episodes by title. BtVS was the first show I did that with myself. Eventually, it didn't seem that remarkable. Basically, this was the show that made me into a fan.

This is another show that was there for me after my abusive relationship ended. I remember at times when I was lonely (which happened a lot; not only was I newly single, I also had to start almost entirely from scratch when it came to friendships) I would look at my little dvd binder thingy with my pile of Buffy discs and tell myself, "If all else fails, I have all these shows to watch until things improve."

She-Ra

There’s that found family theme again! How could you go wrong with a story that starts with foundlings raised by a witch and a clone soldier to fight in their evil army, then follows them as they slowly get their consciousnesses raised and find their own identities and meaningful connections? It's a remarkably subversive and deeply queer show. We were in a miniature golden age for high-quality, politically progressive, LGBTQ+ friendly American animated series for a while there, and this show was not only a part of it but a particular highlight. It's been tapering off for a while now and it's sad to see it come to an end, but at least we got shows like this one and we can keep watching them and introducing people to them.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

I don’t know why a series that’s so steeped in existential dread feels so cozy to me, but it does. Well, I guess it’s because the show is about finding your people, your coping strategies, and the unapologetically weird little hobbies that will help you to muddle through war, loss, spiritual crises, and the challenges of long-term love.

That, and it reminds me of my mom.

A lot of ink has been spilled over this series so I won't try to explain beyond that why it's so special. But I will say that it is absolutely the best Star Trek series. It's unpopular with a certain type of fan, but those philistines dislike it for exactly the same qualities that make it so great.

Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger

I'm indecisive and bad at picking favorites, so I'm not sure what I'd consider my favorite tokusatsu series or even just my favorite sentai series. Zenkaiger would rank pretty high up there in both at the very least. But this is a list of comfort shows, not favorite shows or the best shows, and that's a category in which Zenkaiger is completely unbeatable. It's hopeful, funny, idealistic, and more than anything, definitely the sweetest toku show I've ever seen. It's also easy to pick a random episode and watch it out of context because of the villain-of-the-week thing (not that the larger-scale arc of the series wasn't also compelling).

This is yet another found family show. Families of origin are still very important in the series. The central characters are all trying to find, help, or learn about one or more of their family members. But it's also about blending your found family and your family of origin into a group so inclusive that it includes aliens and robots.

I'm only picking one gif for each show on this list except for this one. I couldn't pass up having one for Kaito, one for Stacy, and one for Zox.

(Edited to add: I switched out the three gifs here for a single replacement because I realized two of the ones I originally used were made by someone who requests that others not repost them.)

#future boy conan #pride and prejudice #pride and prejudice 1995 #to my star #spaced #tinker tailor soldier spy #emma 2009 #buffy the vampire slayer #she ra #she ra and the princesses of power #deep space nine #deep space 9 #star trek deep space nine #star trek deep space 9 #zenkaiger #kikai sentai zenkaiger #comfort shows #found family

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talkfastromance4 · 4 years

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/clementine/part 3: Ashton Irwin

Thank you all so so much for giving this new series a chance!🧡It will probably be structured like my Luke&Lily series where I’ll have open discussions about this family with little blurbs and then some one shots like these. Catch up below and please tell me what you think! Much love🧡

Part 1 // Part 2

Word count: 3.5k

Warnings: sweet moments, mentions of pregnancy

Masterlist

•••••

Preparation for the baby began minutes after Y/N and Ashton celebrated the happy news in their garden and after many photos that Ashton took. He had her pose in the swing then sit on the edge of the pond so the vases could be seen behind her. She thought his excitement was so wholesome it wasn’t hard for her to have a genuine smile as he had her hold one of the vases. When he stuck a small orange flower in her hair she used that opportunity to give him a quick kiss.

“I’m so happy you’re happy,” she whispers.

“I’m over the moon,” he grins, eyes twinkling like stars. “Can I ask why you chose the colors orange and green?”

“Uhh…well. I really love your album and it’s like…” she touches her belly lightly, “this baby is our own superbloom.”

More kissing ensued then Ashton was rattling off paint ideas and how the room next to theirs would be the perfect nursery once he finally cleaned out the leftover packing boxes and some of his things he shifted there to make room for her stuff.

He began sketching the nursery right away but kept his drawings away from her until he could color them in, so she’d have the perfect visual of what he saw in his mind’s eye.

Later that night while they were getting ready for bed, after he checked the locks and security cameras he found her in their bathroom with her shirt yanked up to her breasts and her shorts pulled down a little staring at her reflection. She twisted every which way, a glowing smile present. He’s only known for a few hours and she’s already glowing.

It’s not until he shifts his focus from her face to what she was looking at, a small round bump. Ashton becomes transfixed as he admires her and the life that is very apparent growing within her.

“Do you see this?!” she squeals finally turning around to face him.

“I do see, and it’s incredible, angel,” he smiles moving behind her. He places his own hands over the small roundness of her belly then turns them towards the mirror. “You’re so beautiful.”

He rubs her stomach, fingers tickling her skin until she’s sighing against him. “You’re sure you’re happy?”

“I’m beyond happy, angel.” Then he frowns spinning her around so she’s facing him. He turns her chin up. “Why do you keep asking if I’m happy?”

“Because this wasn’t planned, and I don’t want you to feel stuck with me or something…” she shrugs, eyes lowering in shame.

“You can get that out of your head right now,” he cups her cheeks forcing her to look at him. “Remember when I told you there’s no downside to us not using protection? I meant it. Yes, we absolutely should have used protection, but this isn’t a bad thing, yeah? I’m so happy we’re having a baby.”

He kisses her forehead then her lips once, twice, three times. His hazel eyes search her face for more signs of doubt, but he sees the resolve appear.

“Okay, you’re right,” she sighs. “I’m overthinking it. I’m happy too.”

***

As months go on and Ashton continues to clean out the soon-to-be nursery, Y/N’s showing more and more. Their friends and family were ecstatic about the news of their bundle of joy that would be making their arrival in the middle of June.

Ashton has been more than happy being her support as her body continued to change. He made sure she had plenty of fluids, taking all the necessary prenatal vitamins, gave her the best herbal teas and didn’t mind running to the store for her odd cravings. For a straight week all she wanted was an apple and chicken sandwich.

The holidays went by and Y/N had a constant glow about her that radiated to everyone in proximity. Even through her migraines, nausea, back pain and heartburn, she was still extremely happy to be pregnant.

Mornings are spent by Ashton speaking to the baby while he rubs her belly. He and the boys have started working on the nursery and at nighttime Ashton has set up a little woodshop in the garage where he’s making the crib. He wants it to be circular and painted a light green.

She enjoys watching him work, loving the way his muscles ripple and flex, his sweat making his tattoos shine. Her raging hormones were also very apparent and fired at all times. Once, when Ashton came home he saw her crying on the couch because she had a really good sex dream and was very upset when she woke up. As of late, their best position is from behind while laying on their sides, fingers interlocked and Ashton’s lips on her neck. Because of her heightened arousal, her orgasms happened very quickly.

She’s eight months along now, both her and baby are extremely healthy. Her baby shower (that Ashton insisted on attending) is this weekend in their backyard, but the girls wouldn’t let them lift a finger.

They’re sitting out in the garden now watching the fish swim around lazily as dragonflies kiss the top of the sparkling water. The garden has expanded even more with overflowing green ferned plants and a small bird bath.

“I was thinking of having pork chops for dinner tomorrow and don’t forget we have a doctor appointment on Friday,” she tells him while playing with his fingers. They have more callouses now from all of his woodshop making, the crib is finished and drying in the garage. She looks over at him to see he’s staring off into the distance. “Ash?”

“Hm?”

“What are you thinking about so hard?” she taps her fingers delicately on his temple.

“I’m thinking about the night we met,” he sighs bringing his other hand to cradle her belly. “Do you remember?”

“Of course, I remember. Why are you thinking about that?”

“I had a thought that night and it popped in my head just now,” his fingers create soothing circles on her stomach.

“What thought?”

Ashton ignores the question and starts telling the story of the night they met fifteen months ago.

They were strangers then, both of them agreeing to a speed dating night but there was a twist, it was held in the dark. The waiters wore night vision glasses and walked the daters to their tables, fate had Ashton and Y/N be at the same table.

“They really took ‘blind dating’ literally, huh?” she laughed nervously trying to break the tension. She’s only been on less than a handful of blind dates but this one takes the cake.

“Yeah, I get the concept, but I wish I could see you,” he complimented. Her teasing piqued his interest immediately, she sounded feisty but also clever. “You sound pretty.”

“Yeah? How does pretty sound?” she giggled.

“Just like that,” he pointed then placed his finger down since she couldn’t see it. “Your personality is in your voice. You’re funny and witty and your giggle is just adorable.”

“Well, thank you,” she said feeling her face warm up. “You have a nice voice too.”

“I’m Ashton.”

“Nice to meet you, Ashton, I’m Y/N.”

The evening continued with more laughter as they tried to eat their food in the dark. It took them forever to find their forks and couldn’t stop laughing as they patted the table trying to find a knife.

“Maybe we don’t need one?” he asked.

“But it’s chicken! I don’t want to pick it up with my fingers, we aren’t in the stone ages.”

“Maybe it’s already cut?”

“You test it first.”

She listened as his fork stabbed onto the plate, then it clattered while he yelped in surprise.

“Did it bite you?” she laughed.

“No, it’s just very hot! Be careful.”

When the date has ended with a chocolate mint, the host of the blind dating soirée thanked everyone for participating and said if you’d like to meet your date face to face then take the door on the left, if not then come out the way you came. Ashton and Y/N’s nerves heightened, would the other walk through the left door or leave?

She followed the waiter to the left, hoping Ashton did the same. They had nametags on so it would be easy to find your date if you chose to meet them afterwards. She blinked a few times when the light from the streetlamps met her eyes and standing below a hanging flower basket filled with orange flowers was Ashton.

He smiled at her as she approached, her arms crossed over her chest as a slight breeze drifted through the street.

“Nice to put a face to the name,” he said.

Attraction was immediate and after a few minutes of chatting he asked if she’d like to get a coffee down the block. She accepted and told her friend she’d see her later. Her friend was going to a movie with the girl she had dinner with, and they were already holding hands. Y/N smiled that they hit it off right away.

Ashton and Y/N stayed at the coffee shop until it closed, neither of them wanted the night to end so he invited her back to his place. Normally she would never do that on a first date, but the way she and Ashton connected was unlike any other first date.

He gave her a tour of his house then turned on some music that floated outside onto the patio where he flicked on the small bulbed lights. He noticed she kept shivering and made a fire in his small pit, thankfully it was gas so it would warm up quickly.

“Thank you,” she smiled leaning closer to the flames.

Conversation was so easy between them, they discussed the universe, books, music, everything under the sun that helped define a person. When Lord Huron’s song ‘The Night we Met’ started she gasped.

“I love this song! I know the lyrics are sad, but it makes me feel like it’s a happy nostalgic song, you know?” she said.

Ashton stood up holding out his hand. “Care to dance?”

She stared up at him in shock, excitement and nervousness flowed through her, but a small burst of confidence had her hand fitting into his. He pulled her from her chair then held her close as he shifted from side to side. As the song continued the electricity between them accelerated.

The song stopped and crickets filled the silence.

“Can you keep playing that song?” she asked quietly.

Ashton nodded taking his phone from his pocket and clicked on the song again, making sure that it would be on repeat. He pocketed his phone then took her hand back in his picking up where they left off on their dance. They inch closer, their interlocked hands cradled between their chests. The yearning song mirrored their actions as his forehead pressed to hers.

On the third round of the song he found his own courage by pressing his lips to hers, soft, warm, and perfect. He felt her nerves slip away with his as the first kiss delved into a kiss that felt like a lifetime. It was new but felt so familiar that transcended time.

In that moment he decided that this was the girl he’s going to marry, start a family with, and dance to music under twinkling lights when they’re seventy-five years old. This blind date opened his eyes to a world of possibilities with her and he wanted them all.

The next day the state of California issued a statewide lockdown and their journey began.

“When we were dancing on the patio and we kissed for the first time,” Ashton says coming back to the present, “I knew then that I was going to marry you.” He leans down and kisses the highest point of her belly before taking her hand.

“Y-you did?”

“I know we haven’t talked about marriage, but…with this little one on the way soon I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

“We can talk about it,” she nods.

“What are your thoughts on it, angel? I’m feeling some hesitation,” he smiles but it doesn’t meet his eyes. He concentrates on their hands folded together over their baby.

“No, no! Hey,” she turns his head, so he looks at her. “I want to marry you; I’d go right now and waddle down the aisle, but I just don’t think it’s the best time right now. With the baby coming soon we’re going to be really crazy getting a schedule down and we’re going to be extremely tired…”

“You’re right. I don’t want to rush things. But you do want to marry me?” his hazel eyes widen a little.

“Of course, I want to marry you,” she smiles pecking his lips quickly. “I probably would have married you the night we met to be honest.”

“Yeah?” he grins.

“Yes, crazy boy.”

“Come on, why won’t you tell us what you’re having!” Luke whines adjusting his pacifier necklace. It’s their baby shower and one of the games includes wearing a necklace of pacifiers, if you hear someone say the name ‘baby’ you got to take their pacifier. The one with the most won a prize.

Ashton and Y/N had the envelope of the sex of their baby at her four-month ultrasound. Neither of them were really desperate to know so the envelope stayed on their nightstand. Each night they bounced back names and settled on two for either a boy or a girl which they also haven’t shared with friends or family. It’s not that they were scared someone would steal their names, but they liked having it just be known to them.

On the morning of their baby shower she found Ashton eyeing up the envelope after his shower.

“I’ve been thinking about opening it, too,” she smiled picking up the white envelope. Scrawled on the front were the words ‘Baby Irwin’.

“Do you want to?”

They opened it together, tears filling their eyes as they read the one syllable word underneath ‘you’re having a…’ they hugged and kissed in excitement then Ashton kissed her belly.

“Hello baby love,” he murmurs. “We’re having a party for you today, where you’ll be getting lots of clothes and toys. You’re already such a joy, your mama and I love you so much.”

“We’ll tell you,” she nods.

“As soon as Y/N gives birth we’ll let you all know,” Ashton finishes.

Luke was the only one affronted by not knowing, he wants to know the name and everything.

“But that won’t be until the middle of June!”

“Luke, relax. We promise you’ll be the first to know,” Ashton rolls his eyes as he hands Y/N another gift.

They’re all sat by the flower oasis; the fish splash every now and then almost is if they want to know what the gender of the baby is as well. She’s been spending a lot more time in the flower garden, talking to the baby and imagining sitting out here on the swing watching the fish swim.

The nursery is finished, one wall is painted in orange flowers growing up to the ceiling. A green plant sits in the corner next to the teal armchair. Ashton’s circular crib is all set up along with the other furniture in the room and some toys are scattered around. The room is absolutely perfect.

Y/N’s become a bit more emotional now as her due date draws closer. When opening presents are finished and they’re all eating cake (Luke was disappointed there wasn’t blue or pink frosting hiding inside) she teared up.

“Hey, are you all right? Does something hurt?” Ashton asks swiping away a tear from her cheek.

“No, I’m just so happy,” she cries dabbing at her eyes with the peach napkin. “All of our friends and family are here because they already love our baby so much.”

“Oh, angel,” he smiles as she hides her face in his chest. He rubs her back affectionately and kisses the top of her head. “They love you, too.”

As the party dwindled down, she went upstairs to lay down, her feet swell a lot more these days. Ashton helps clean up and brings the gifts inside the nursery. When the last guest leaves he’s exhausted as well and heads upstairs.

She’s sprawled across the bed her pregnancy pillow enveloped around her. That thing was a God send; it was the only way she could sleep through the night without any pain. Ashton was glad it helped her sleep; the only downside was that it was much harder for him to cuddle her close.

He removes his blue silk pants and tugs off his light pink shirt (an outfit choice he wore to mess with Luke) and joins her on the bed. He kisses her forehead, brushing his fingers through her hair then holds his hand on her belly. He feels a slight kick from the baby, and he smiles.

“Don’t wake mama up, baby love,” he smiles, “she’s had a long day on her feet. Take a nap with us.”

Ashton rests his head on the pillow then begins to hum a song until the baby’s kicking ceases and the family of three snooze together until dinner time.

Ashton is about to pull his hair out. It’s been two weeks past Y/N’s due date and she’s miserable. They’ve been trying everything their doctor has recommended to induce labor, spicy foods (after it made her cry she tossed that idea out the window), eating bananas, using the exercise ball and walking. But to no avail, their little baby was as stubborn as Y/N and Ashton.

She’s not sleeping well; she gets nearly six headaches a day and can’t stand for longer than ten minutes without her back hurting. Ashton has suggested trying to have sex as that’s the number one trial to induce labor, but she shot that down quick too.

“Ash, listen, I love you and you know I think you’re sexy, but sex is the furthest thing on my mind right now. I feel like a whale and I’m so hot and uncomfortable…”

When tears sprung in her eyes he never brought it up again but still, he wants their baby to arrive now so she’s not in this state anymore. She’s sitting on the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table, a fan blasting on high directed right at her.

“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” he asks leaning over the back of the couch.

“No,” she grumbles rubbing her stomach. “Can we try walking again?”

“Around the block?”

“No, just the backyard,” she sighs trying to sit up. Ashton helps her stand then holds her elbow with one hand resting on her back. “My womb can’t be that comfortable.”

Ashton smiles but doesn’t say anything. He learned two weeks ago that any form of compliment towards her womb accommodations made her angry. She sighs when her feet touch the warm patio then into the soft grass.

They start from the opposite end of the flower oasis where now a small well resides with vines growing up. Ashton holds her hand as they walk through the garden, each section resembling a chapter in this part of their life. It’s filled with color and vibrance and was made from love. When they reach the koi pond, Felix, Oscar and Patricia are gathered together near the edge.

“Can you hand me the food?” she asks.

Ashton removes his hand to grab the fish food and hands it to her. She pops it open then sprinkles the food into the water.

“Do you think they know I’m pregnant?” she asks.

“Maybe…are they like dogs in how they can sense it?” Ashton asks.

“I don’t know. I like to think they know. All right,” she sighs heavily, “lets’ head back inside.”

As soon as she crosses the threshold, she hears a small pop then something trickling down her legs. She gasps and looks down at her feet to see water covering her orange colored toes (courtesy of Ashton painting them since she can’t see her feet). Her water broke. It’s time.

“Um, Ash?” she reaches towards a chair and holds onto it.

“What’s up, angel?”

“My water just broke.”

“In the pond? How? Wait—what?!” he spins from the fridge and stands in front of her. His eyes widen. “Okay, stay right here, let me get you some new pants and we’ll go to the center.”

After twelve hours of labor, their baby girl was born on July 1. They both cried tears of joy at the sight of her, her face was a perfect circle with long lashes and an already apparent pair of dimples on her round cheeks. Ashton couldn’t stop staring at her as Y/N held her in her arms, he strokes his finger over her forehead gently. The peach fuzz of her skin is warm and already familiar.

“Here’s our superbloom,” she smiles to Ashton.

He meets her gaze, eyes filled with love and admiration that she carried their baby girl for this amount of time. He kisses her and rests his forehead against hers.

“Our darling Clementine.”

•••••

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#ashton irwin one shot #dad!ash #ashton irwin fluff #ashton irwin writing #ashton 5sos #dad!sos #clementine #ai writing #ashton one shot #ashton fluff

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my-name-is-apollo · 5 years

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Okay! I finished reading the tyrants tomb and over all! I liked it a lot! Of course there are inconsistencies, some mistakes on Rick's side, and of course things that I didn't like because I'm a mythology fan, but whatever, the story kept me going and I finished the whole book in a day (which I usually don't). So! Here are my thoughts, in no particular order:

- My queen Reyna was SLAYING! Literally y'all! I've never loved her more!

- All ships please step aside, the only true ship we need is Apollo x Arrow of Dodona

- seriously though can we appreciate how encouraging the arrow was?

- ugh Ugly Sobbing at Jason's funeral! UGH!!

- again. JAASOOOONNNN!!! 😭😭😭😭😭

- Oh god Apollo go ahead and adopt Frank already!

- When Frank said he can't imagine a world without Apollo in it! My heart made a somersault and exploded into dust!

- I mean lets be honest, literally all the Apollo Frank interactions were good & wholesome

- LAVINIA! I love her! aksjekwkw! Lesbian! Yes!

- Meg and Apollo! MEG AND APOLLO! Meg saying she doesn't wanna lose Apollo too! Apollo saying she was like his own lil sister! 😭 I can't! So pure!

- When Apollo said "Come here...please" had Meg fell into his arms 😍😭💕💞💖💓💕💓

- OH ARTEMIS FINALLY FUCKIN CAME! But why you leave arty, not fair :/

- Apollo saying his favorite physician is Asclepius! You can really feel the love and pride he has for his son!

- Grandpa Apollo 😂

- Chiron, I want your playlist rn-

- I was irritated with Venus. Is it just me or the way she humiliated Apollo in front of everyone even though he'd done nothing was suuuper annoying? (I mean maybe she meant good, but still, ugh)

- Why DID DAKOTA DIE??? 😭 he was my favorite minor character!!

- I was sad to see Peaches weak! He gets better, hopefully!

- I'm really glad Apollo said that even as a god he didn't like issuing prophecies he didn't even want to hear for the sake humans. It really gives insight on why Apollo neglected oracles in the first place. Boi was just! so! tired!

- yo Apollo's monologue about his love life had me fucked up, I was so sad when he asked himself if he had ever kept his loved ones safe.

- coming to know about Apollo's past problematic actions had me like, yeeeah boooiii, here we goooo

- Oooohhh Apollo being called out for what he did to Koronis 👀 that was some good shit. But I hope that, while remembering what a dick Apollo had been to her, the fandom will also remember that Artemis was also fucked up in this case.

- (also I don't think Apollo knew Koronis was pregnant? still, definitely shouldn't have gone that far)

- I didn't like how Apollo called it a "curse" on the sibyl. It wasn't. She asked for immortality and he gave her. When she refused him, Apollo didn't curse her, he just pointed out how she'd grew old as usual like a human, and hence suffer from old age. (But yeah his well intentioned gift itself became a curse to her so-)

- Idk why Harpocrates was ever connected to Apollo, it made no much sense from mythological point, but whatever.

- Apollo being a bully seemed odd to me but then I remembered the gods bullied each other all the time (Apollo even mentioned that they were ready to kill each other)

- Harpocrates x sibyl though?? Idk I laughed way too hard but the way they ended was really beautiful

- WHEN REYNA LAUGHED! Omg I was experiencing second hand embarrassment for Lester but gosh I'm so glad it turned out the way it did. I really liked that scene!

- I don't know how to feel about Reyna joining the hunters, but I'm not complaining.

- I LITERALLY CRIED WHEN I FOUND OUT FRANK IN FACT ALIVE AKSJEKSJJSSJ my baby boy! He is alright after all!

- The whole healing Reyna's heart kinda fell flat to me... I mean it was good, but I guess I had higher expectations (not ApolloxReyna, ofc, but like,,,,something else,,,idk what)

- Apollo still thirsting over Commodus *sigh* boy get your head back 😂

- Ella and Tyson are so precious please treasure them y'all

- omg Apollo fuckin KILLED Commodus with his voice!!!! Omfg-

- APOLLO GOT HIS BOW BACK!

- Terminus adopted Julia!!!

- DON! 😭 why???!!!

- I totally agree with Apollo on Jason's death being so fuckin unfair! 😭 Especially when Leo and Frank could escape from theirs!!

- Hazel was SO BADASS I can't even-

- Thalia was so mature in handling the situation. Lmao Apollo haters wanted her to tear him down but guess what losers? she's not a kid like y'all

- hey how the fuck was Lester even awake till the end? With that zombie wound, the car crash, his stamina gone, and burnt wounds? Not to mention the times he straight up stumbled into a tree or fell down.

- it's sooooo strange that Apollo doesn't have Roman kids. On the whole, it seems like Apollo doesn't do well in Roman pantheon, even his sister is distant from him there. Since he is the same in Greek and Roman form, I think he actually witnessed all the time how much the gods change, even the ones close to him (Artemis). It's like, he is constant while everyone else is changing. That's kinda sad. I wonder if the Roman side of his family gives him a harder time?

- I know I was big on "no romance for mc in this series" but you know, I'd like to see Apollo being happy in love for once. At least at the end of series. Ugh. Idk Rick, bring Hyacinthus back to life or give us Litpollo or smth please. (I'm p sure I'll change my mind about this later lmao)

________

'kay, from here I'll be speaking outside the series, so if you don't wanna read a mythology nerd ranting about how badly Rick Riordan needs to have a mythology lesson on Apollo, skip this part! (I completely acknowledge RR's right to interpret the gods as he wants, but I'm still bitter™)

- I really dislike the way Rick writes Apollo! He's the god of knowledge ffs! He'd know a lot of things! He is Lord of wolves! He should know the language of wolves! Like it's so fuckin ridiculous when he says I'm the god of prophecy doesn't mean I understand all prophecies. Though you can give the excuse of his limited mortal memory, it still seems like Apollo's smarter side is being downplayed a lot by RR.

- He's also one of the bravest gods, so when Rick writes him being scared / having memories when he was scared even as a god is 😒

- The whole "oh I never regretted this until now", "I never thought of this until now" seems very exaggerated and honestly, very fake. Apollo has lived for so many years. He has been human before. He spends a lot of time on earth to not know certain things he didn't know in this book (and series). He is one the friendlier gods, you'll find so many cases where he helps mortals in need. He is the protector of children and youth too! So like this entire "I came 10 years after a mortal prayed to me", "I didn't think demigod lives actually valued", "I didn't know humans felt like this" sounded like F grade bullshit to me. It is gods like Apollo, Hermes and Dionysus who would actually know mortals better than any other gods.

- just basically the trend of Rick Riordan writing off gods as ignorant being who never cared for anyone irks me a lot.

#the tyrants tomb #tyrants tomb #the tyrants tomb spoilers #tyrants tomb spoilers #toa spoilers #trials of apollo spoilers #meg mccaffrey #lester papadopoulos #jason grace #frank zhang #hazel levesque #reyna #apollo #pjo #toa #hoo #thalia grace

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evien-stark · 4 years

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✧I Need You✧ Chapter 152 [Begin: Age of Ultron]

The “secret” Hydra base was located on the tippy top of one of the mountains. It was also huge. And obvious. A wonder that none of you had ever thought to look at it before. Then again, Sokovia was such a small place. So small, in fact, that that giant research castle butted up against a town on the other side. That was extremely bad news. Casualties were a real possibility. Also. Getting caught doing this. Which … wasn’t worse than loss of life but it was pretty bad.

It was enough to tick your anxiety on the ride over on the jet. There were so many ways this could go wrong. So many ways that it would. You just had to hold it together. For the team. This could be one less thing to worry about if everything went right. You had to put your focus on the positives. Even as hard as that was.

This mountaintop fortress of theirs was on top of a dense forest. Too much coverage to see through on satellite- except for the watchtowers in very strategic placement. If the incident in Sudan had a little over three hundred soldiers, you imagined these guys had maybe a thousand. And lots of heavy ammunition and firepower. All things the team was going over one more time as the jet stayed in a hover just outside the starting radius.

Oh and… “We don’t know how many enhanced there are, or what they can do. We have to keep sharp.” Steve was leaned over one of the holograph tables projecting the tippy-top base. Funny. Coulson had said the same thing.

Human experimentation. The thought was repulsive. And to do it with the scepter? Something so alien? Hydra must have been extremely desperate. Yet… Jessica had come across something like this, too. Killian had been working on this as well. Was this just the way the world was trending now? Why? Because of the Avengers?? It was a tough thing to think about. Not something you wanted to think about. ...yet you couldn’t stop.

The only thing that took your mind off of it was being thrust into the heat of battle.

Tony had landed the jet outside the perimeter in an established safe zone. The idea was to take them by surprise. To canvas the entire sector inch by inch if you had to and take everyone out and then storm the base.

...but that’s not what ended up happening.

The team wasn’t even a mile in before a battalion patrolling spotted everyone. Bunkers had turrets with that charged Chitauri weaponry, no doubt courtesy of Dr. Jensen, all aimed in your direction. You weren’t sure when someone had shouted for a Code Green, but Hulk had appeared nonetheless.

You and Tony took off together to try and flank the oncoming forces while the rest of the team charged up into battle. That plan had worked before. Why not replay it not even forty-eight hours later? Except the scale of this was much larger, they had much more firepower- and it was turning into a little bit of a shitshow.

“I think we should storm the castle and make a point.” You could beat soldiers on the ground all day long, but if you took their prized possession and handcuffed their leaders, they might lay down their weapons. Wouldn’t that be nice.

Tony arched a brow from his box on your HUD and then nodded. “Alright. Let’s see if Rapunzel will let her hair down for us.” There was a little sting of sass here that said I highly doubt it.

He bolted up and over the treeline and you were quick to follow. The two of you circled the massive property, up and up, to the top most compound. A little too easy to break into. It was just right there. And if anyone could walk in, it wasn’t much of a base. Which was why it only marginally surprised you when Tony closed in on the eastern-most wall and then promptly bounced off it, revealing a forcefield.

“Shit!” More a grunt of surprise from him than anything, with a look to match. Maybe he’d been more startled than actually hurt.

Steve’s voice was quick to chastise over the comms. “Language!”

You couldn’t help the face you made. “Have you been doing more PSAs for schools or something?” Hanging around kids? What had prompted that? Though Tony was grinning.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Clearly Steve was very aware he’d made a mistake. “JARVIS, what’s the view from upstairs?”

As the satellite in orbit zeroed in closer on the building, all the data got thrown up on your screen, including the live feed of JARVIS looking at the compound. “The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken.”

Thor responded to that first. “Loki’s scepter must be here. Strucker couldn’t mount his defense without it.”

You couldn’t help your look of confusion. “We just got out of a battle with Jensen who had brand new tech. We’re thinking this is scepter grown and not Chitauri?” It could have gone both ways, and maybe it didn’t matter in either case. But you had to wonder.

“We took her down with ease, did we not?” He made a good counterpoint to that. So you let him have this, because he seemed pretty pleased. “At long last.”

You rolled out from your position, a little too clear in the air as a few of the watchtowers had started firing on you from inside the base. Natasha’s voice got a little garbled as you took a hit from the side. “At long last is lasting a little long, people.”

Clint sounded annoyed. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure we lost the element of surprise.”

Following Tony’s lead on the opposite side alongside one of the lower-rung bases, not protected by that alien shield, the both of you fired on soldiers heading out of their barracks. Your eyes strayed to him as he spoke, “Wait a second, no one else is gonna deal with the fact that Cap just said language?”

Despite the dire straits you found yourselves in, you couldn’t help the smile. “He’s been spending too much time with kids. Go easy on him.”

Steve made a sound of resignation. “Look. It just slipped out.”

You couldn’t help yourself. “We’re all about good, clean, family friendly fun here at the Avengers.”

JARVIS cut into your good clean fun. “Sir, ma’am, the city is taking fire.”

No. Your heart dropped right into your stomach. That was one of your worst fears. Immediately you broke dual formation with Tony, leaving him to circle the castle alone. “I’ll go deal with it.”

“Honey, I need you here.” The both of you looked at each other from video screens. He wasn’t seriously telling you to let civilians take heat, was he? “Let’s send in the Iron Legion.”

“I don’t know now is the right time for a trial run.”

“Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.”

But he was waiting. Waiting for your permission. And waiting to see if you trusted him. He’d been working so hard on this one thing. It wasn’t Ultron- but it was what he had now. But to test proof of concept with real lives felt too dangerous. And careless. ...but you did trust him…

JARVIS seemed to be waiting just as much as Tony was. “Ma’am?”

You sighed, and doubled back midair. “Alright. Send them.”

A new window popped open on your HUD and you moved it to the lower right hand corner. Iron Legion details. How many were flying out- five deployed, to be exact. Their status. They were moving, fast. Pre-loaded from the quinjet. At least Tony had come prepared.

Just as you and Tony were taking out another lower bunker with a series of repulsor blasts, Natasha’s sudden cry startled you. “Clint!”

Only seconds after, Steve spoke darkly. “Enhanced spotted in the field. I repeat, an enhanced is on the field.”

Your heart was thundering in your ears. “What kind?”

He sounded annoyed as he answered. “If I could see, I’d tell you.”

You weren’t really sure what that meant. It really could have meant anything, but what it meant that was most important was that this enhanced was extremely dangerous. Natasha spoke again, “Clint’s hit! I need somebody to deal with that bunker!”

This was going sideways. It felt hard to think. Tony had asked you to stay in the air with him, but everything was telling you you needed to get back to ground to help the rest of the team. It seemed Steve agreed, because he called your name next to Tony’s. “We really need to get inside!”

Tony got to the punch first. “We’re closing in.” And then, a little less sure over the private channel, “JARVIS are we closing in?”

Several schematics popped up in your immediate view. It was too much of a task to sift through them. Instead you asked, “Where’s the battery on this thing?”

One of the blueprints came to the forefront and something locked as JARVIS answered. “There’s a pathway below the north tower.”

“Great. Honey, let’s give it a poke.” As he barreled up and left, you took the right. Once up high enough you held your wrist out to match a targeted missile detonation on his mark. As the blast detonated, the blue wall crackled and then fell. “Drawbridge is down, people.” About as much signal as you got, following his lead as he plowed forward, headed right for the top tower.

Steve and Thor were talking about the enhanced- nothing important. Which was why you didn’t feel bad going on private channel to Tony. “They’re probably dumping data right now, we have to hurry. ...and as much as they don’t deserve it, as little casualties as possible, please.”

“Being the bigger people has not once yet felt rewarding. But, since you asked so nicely.”

“Thank you.”

Natasha broke up your conversation with something a little more relevant. “Clint’s hurt pretty bad, guys.”

Thor replied, “I can get Barton to the jet. The sooner we're gone the better. You, Lady, and Stark secure the scepter.”

Steve answered him. “Copy that.”

It sounded like they got a little busy on the field, although not particularly in a very serious way. In the end Thor issued one command, “Find the scepter.”

Tony couldn’t seem to help himself. “And for gosh sake, watch your language!”

Steve’s defeated sigh had you holding back a little laughter. “That’s not going away any time soon, is it?”

You tried to make him feel better. “Nothing wrong with being wholesome. Don’t let them bully you.”

You spied Tony’s grin on his display window. “That part of your afterschool Cap-Hour PSA, too?” Him breaking through one of the windows of what appeared to be a lab cut the ribbing short. You were just behind him. Soldiers were aiming guns your way and the both of you were already taking fire. “Guys. Stop.” His tone was so very dry. “We gotta talk this through.”

Your display converged with his as the targets locked, the mini-gun on his shoulder loaded up. Very pointedly all marks went to non-lethal places, mostly legs. Which had them all falling once the shots went off.

He spoke again, “That was a good talk.”

You couldn’t help yourself. “Very concise. Right to the point.”

To your surprise, one of the soldiers actually answered in a groan of pain. “No it wasn’t…”

In a quick jet as one remaining heat signature lit up in the room just beyond, the both of you came to a land just in the doorway. A man was at the console- LUNA ID’ed him as Dr. List- the one who had gotten away. He was standing in front of several large computer consoles. Presumably deleting everything. Tony was quicker than you, holding his hand up to fire off a repulsor blast that knocked him away and to the floor.

Then, quicker still with a strange harried urgency, he released the suit, stepping out and hurrying over to the computers. Holding up one finger to the suit, while his other started typing, “Sentry mode.” His suit closed back up and started a low sweep of the room. Just keeping an eye on things.

This felt dangerous. He really shouldn’t have given up the armor just yet. It was why you didn’t, though you did release your helmet. As you got closer to him, you saw what awaited the both of you on the screens. A big flashing deleting marquee. Tony unfolded a mini-tablet and stuck it on the side of the console.

“Okay JARVIS. You know. I want it all.” Immediately switching that deleting to downloading after asking.

You peered over his shoulder. “Did we lose a lot?” This data was important to somebody. ...Tony, it seemed like. For what reason you really couldn’t say. Then again, anything having to do with this alien tech probably pinged a lot of his interests. And maybe not necessarily in a good way.

“Hard to say. JARVIS make sure to copy Hill at HQ.” It made sense for him to make that request. She was technically the head of Damage Control. But… the wiser part of you knew this was underground SHIELD business. It really didn’t matter one way or the other.

Natasha broke the silence. “We’re locked down out here.”

What a quick turn around. Only moments ago this felt pretty hopeless. Now all of a sudden your team had won? It was probably better not to question fate. You wanted to feel good about this… but your heart was still slamming in your chest. Something was off here. Your better sense was telling you…

Tony turned from the computers to look at you. “You got something on your mind?”

You’d probably pinged him accidentally. Your gaze, however, was sweeping around the room. There were shadows in the corners. It was cold. Impossibly cold. A shiver crept over your skin and you had to force yourself to stop. “Files are great but that’s not what we came here for. There’s something else here.”

He nodded. “I agree. Hey, J, give me an IR scan of the room real quick.”

A burst of red touched out across the room from the Iron Man suit. JARVIS spoke once it was finished. “The wall to your left. I'm reading steel reinforcement... and an air current.”

The both of you looked at each other just once before moving over to said wall. He brushed up against it, pressing his palms flat over the brick. “Please be a secret door, please be a secret door, please be a secret door…” Just a little giddy at the prospect of such an overly cliched thing.

Secret door in a villain hideout. Very fun stuff.

Still… as he pushed his hands against the wall and it gave way, sliding to the side, you couldn’t help your little bubble of overt adoration while he leaned up a little on the balls of his feet with a tiny little, “Yay!”

“Someone’s in a good mood.” And that one single shift in thinking had calmed you.

“It’s not everyday you find yourself in a Scooby-Doo episode.” His grin was quick as he looked over his shoulder before going into the pathway.

You were right behind him. “Shall we go find old man Jenkins?”

“We shall.”

The stairway you found yourselves descending was a little bit more than daunting. Dimly lit, a long way down. Really one long encased metal tube more than anything. And the further down you stepped the higher your alert was ringing.

So much so that when Steve spoke just as you and Tony got closer to the bottom you actually jumped. “We have a second enhanced. Female. Do not engage.”

That sent your heartbeat right back to painfully fast. You hadn’t even realized you were panting until Tony stopped just short of the bottom of the stairs, and reached a hand out to you. “We’re alright.”

You clasped it with a small squeeze and gave him a nod. “I’ve got your back.” That second enhanced was clearly dangerous and clearly in the compound. You had to watch out for him. Protect him. Now was no time to get lost in panic.

His smile settled you just enough to back off the edge. ...but as you both got to the bottom and entered a large warehouse, your terror came back tenfold. Steve signaled one of the last pieces of your mission, “Guys, I’ve got Strucker.”

Tony one-upped him. “Yeah… I’ve got something bigger.” Hanging from the ceiling was one of those armored whales. And seeing it like this-

Sounds of gunfire and guttural screaming lit up around you. Buildings were collapsing.

Tony moving drew you out of it, but only a little. In an effort to keep up, you followed him closer into the room. And there, hooked up to machinery, finally, you saw the scepter. What they were doing with it, you had no idea. At least not yet. Tony would figure it out. But a familiar high pitched whine was the next sound to clog your consciousness.

You remembered that noise. You remembered it very well. It was drawing you in.

A yellow static emanated up and out and all too quickly you forced yourself to turn away. None of this was real. You were imagining it- but looking towards the left side of the room, you saw several tables. With very familiar looking robotic builds on top of them. They’d been using the scepter to try and replicate the Iron armors? Did that make sense? -...or were these Tony’s??

Coming closer to the table you leaned in, looking closer at one-

And then very suddenly it was like someone had struck a match up your spine. A flurry of unhinged panic attacked you so strongly your knees went weak and you had to clutch the table for support. As soon as you had it in you, you whirled on your heel-

To see Tony standing there. Eyes open wide- and empty- yet terrified. Staring up at that whale. Sweat had started pouring from his brow. His breathing was erratic. And no matter how fast you wanted to rush to him, it felt like you were stuck in quicksand.

But then your better consciousness broke free as a presence lurked up beside you. Behind you. And your own dark, angry fears took hold. Someone was whispering to you. And you would not let that happen. Not ever again.

With a quick strike of your hand, blind and completely instinctual, you reached up and locked on to a wrist close to your face. And when you turned your head you saw her. Staring at you. A young woman- no- a kid really- long red hair and scared green eyes. She was there one moment-

And gone the next. In a blur and a flash of wind. Not only that but it came back to knock you into the table. Nerves frayed as they were, you were quick to rebound onto your feet and fire a useless shot in any direction that made sense. But Tony’s fright was amping up- and it hit you like a tsunami.

Vaulting over the other tables you let your jets carry you to the ground at his side. “Tony-” Trying to call to him. And when absolutely no cognizance showed- you put a hand on his shoulder. And that’s when you felt it. How off balance he was. And just how much he was drowning.

In the very next blink you were no longer there. You saw him with that second set of eyes. And he was awash in a blood-red glow. Struggling.

Laying both your hands against his chest over his heart, you settled the waves beneath the both of you, and focused. When that wasn’t enough, you gripped him harder. The edges started cracking. It hurt. You felt like you were taking it all in, watching as it seeped in through your skin and bubbled underneath your veins, working its way up- every inch like a knife cutting deeper and deeper until your entire being lit up in that crimson light. Everything went dark around you.

Just the both of you.

But with one last concentrated push- one wail of pain you broke him free. Lifting your hands as you felt that power travel back down in a quick bolt, all aimed at your heart- but when you extended your hands and sent one last burst into the air, you expelled it all. Something had happened, and as you went down on your knees you cast your gaze skyward, watching the shift of a takeover as brand new pinks raced across the sky-

His gasp for air drew your attention forward and present, and you swayed, feeling consciousness wane. The both of you reached for the lab table at the same time, steadying yourselves in mirror-moves. Almost like you were briefly one being just struggling to stay upright. He was quicker to regain himself, though not necessarily his composure, and as he looked at you, you felt-

You felt-

Some deep unsettled despair from him. And when he paired it with a touch of his hand at your cheek- and the look in his eyes- unhinged and- -...it was like the look he got- that he used to get- when he thought about- ...when he’d gone through the wormhole- and- and-

In the next shallow breath you barely were able to draw, you felt a million miles away as your vision circled the drain. It surprised you, to hear yourself crying as you barely voiced the only immediate thought that mattered. “I’m gonna pass out-” About as honest as you could be before everything went dark a second time.

---

They were so close to the end-goal. Secret passages meant big, hidden secrets behind them. And Tony had been pretty sure they were about to hit paydirt and make all of this worth it. Even more so than it already was. But the further they got down those steps, the harder she hit him. Unintentionally, he knew. Sometimes he wondered if she even was aware of just how bad she got sometimes-

But she was all over the place, and he needed her to steady out. So he turned, offering her a lifeline, reaching his hand up to her, making sure his eyes were steady on hers, and that his voice gave nothing away. “We’re alright.”

It seemed to soothe her over quick enough, something that always made him feel better. She clasped his hand, “I’ve got your back.” Always genuinely reassuring. And with that goal in mind, she became a little more focused.

At least until they actually hit the bottom of the stairs and entered a room he almost wished they hadn’t. He hadn’t been prepared enough to see that Chitauri whale hanging from the ceiling in a vice, mouth half open. In tact. How in the hell had they stolen this? Steve said something- he answered- but he wasn’t really paying attention.

She was moving around the room. And he wasn’t watching her, either. The scepter was right in front of them. They could take it and go. That’s what he wanted to do. But he found himself staring at it…

And in the very next moment the sound of the chains above him rattling and then snapping urged his attention up. Too slow, as that armored whale dropped down with a monstrous roar. He put his hands up to try and shield himself and rammed into the table as it flew by. Breaking through the building-

Drawing him deep down into a black void. He followed it- about as far as a hill littered with bodies.

Their bodies. Hulk was lying face down, twitching, impaled several times through the back. Natasha- Clint- Thor- Steve- all down. Dying or… dead.

Cap’s shield was split in two.

He felt himself shivering, breathing hard as he approached. And seeing her made his knees give out completely. He dropped aside her, turning her head, fingers heavy on her neck as he put his other arm around her and hoisted her half onto his lap. Trying to find a pulse while clinging to her. Blood was leaking from her eyes- her nose- her mouth- she was battered and bruised and- there was a hole in her chest-

No pulse. This was a unique devastation unlike anything he’d ever felt-

That was until she reached up suddenly, startling him, hand tight around his wrist. Her voice was a choke of tears. “Tony- you… you promised… you promised we’d… be okay...”

He swallowed hard as the rest of her light died right in front of him, her hand slipping away, eyes just… empty. It felt like she’d taken him with her.

Why didn’t you do more?

A murmur in the shape of too many voices. Floating above him, another whale captured his attention, and his head fell back, feeling the energy bleeding out of him in long draws. He wasn’t going to last here much longer. He didn’t deserve to.

Up above him- beyond this hill spattered with bodies he’d failed to protect- the wormhole stared back at him. New York City- no the world- was under siege again- and he-

Tony.

Her voice jolted him just a little and his eyes fell to her lifeless body again. He cradled her face in his hands, sure that he would die here with her.

At least he thought so- but it felt like someone was pounding on his chest- and the next slam into reality was a hard one. He barely caught himself on the lab table, breathing so hard it felt like his heart would give out- it might have-

Wait. Lab table. Lab. He was in Sokovia. Of course he was in Sokovia-

He’d had some sort of traumatic episode and she- Whipping his head up he caught sight of her also struggling to keep herself upright. Alive. Apparently she’d shared the burden with him. With a shaking hand he reached out to her, begged for verification- her skin was clammy but blazing hot as he made contact, fingers brushing at her temple and then down, holding her face in his hand as they stared at each other.

There was a strange glow in her eyes. Not the usual one-

He almost found his body again. But a hitch of a sob broke from her throat. A drop of blood trickled from her nose. Her pupils were wildly dilated. She looked crazed and unsure of herself. Unsure of anything. That made two of them.

“I’m gonna pass out-”

Down she went not a single second after saying so, and he impressed himself, having enough strength to catch her before she cracked her head open on the corner of the table. Moving down into a kneel, he held her close, still panting. Sweat leaking from his forehead.

“Cap I need-” He was aware how terrible he sounded, and he pulled every last energy resource he owned to even out. “Cap, JARVIS will guide you. I need you on my location. As soon as possible.”

“Copy that. I’m headed your way.”

Tony was glad he didn’t ask why. And when he looked at her again, that vision of her cut in between each blink of his eyes.

You promised…

He was still struggling to breathe.

#Tony Stark #Tony Stark x Reader #INY Chapter One Hundred FIfty Two #here we fucking go #next week is gonna be a fucking DOOZY

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wvldcvrd · 5 years

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[SHAWN MENDES, CIS MALE, HE/HIM] have you seen MARCO SPIEGELMAN around sedona? MARCO is a BEEKEEPER, but they’re also THE WILD CARD in the sedona sleuths, so you’ve probably seen them around the firehouse shed. they’re known for being WARMHEARTED and OPTIMISTIC, but they’re also known to be OVERWROUGHT and NAIVE. when they’re not at the shed, i can usually find them at THE SEDONA FOREST. i can always recognize them by (a worn guitar neck with old strings, coming home three minutes before curfew, a crackling woodfire, and freshly blown out birthday candles).

hi friends ! my name is reed, i use they/she pronouns, and am so stoked to be here ! keep reading to find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about my boy, marco.

tw: cancer, death, car crash, addiction

marco joshua spiegelman was born on an overcast august day in the city of boston, massachusetts. he was the fourth child and the youngest by seven years, meaning that in some way, he was his parents’ last hope.

the spiegelman family practiced orthodox judaism – his dad was raised orthodox and his mom converted from reform judaism in order to marry his dad– so marco’s childhood was very much focused on religion. the spiegelman family went to services every friday night, celebrated every holiday, forced marco to wake up early on sundays to go to hebrew school, and treated him they same as they had treated his older siblings. however, as his siblings grew up and moved out, they all stopped devoutly practicing judaism and moved into a more modern and laid back interpretation of their religion. marco craved this from a young age, but because he was stuck at home with his parents, he was forced to follow their rules and beliefs.

marco went to jewish private school for elementary and middle school, had his bar mitzvah in the seventh grade, and tried to blend in as best as he could. he liked history and english, eager to learn more about the past and help shape the future. at this point in his life, he had his goal of becoming a politician pretty much set. he would help the end the fighting in israel, solve world hunger, and just be an all around awesome guy.

however, his plans shifted on valentine’s day his eighth grade year. after coming home from school, his parents sat him down and told him that his dad had stage four exocrine pancreatic cancer. he knew that his dad had been losing weight and not eating as much recently, as well as complained all the time that his back hurt, but marco didn’t realize that it was something so terrible and life threatening.

with a survival rate of about one percent, the spiegelman family knew that his dad’s chances of survival were not good. the next few months were difficult, his dad went through lots of chemotherapy and experimental trials, but nothing seemed to be working, and he passed away before june. this crushed marco and his mom; his dad was a kind, gentle, and loving person, and the three of them had grown extremely close with each other due to marco being the youngest and the only child still living in the house.

it was hard for the two of them to live by themselves in a town that his mom didn’t really have any connection to, so a few months after his dad’s passing, marco and his mom moved to sedona, the place where she had grown up, to try and start fresh. their new beginning came coupled with the loss of their connection to their religion, and marco and his mom no longer practiced judaism

freshman year in a brand new town was intimidating for marco, and this resulted in him being extremely quiet and shy for the majority of the year. however, his history teacher saw how invested in history and current events he was and convinced marco to join the debate team. this is where he found his voice once again.

marco did a type of debate called public policy debate, a style of debate where you talk extremely fast and have to do an insane amount of research to ensure that you know what you’re talking about. in order to participate in that style of debate, his teacher assigned him a partner and he grew extremely close to her very quickly. the two of them went on to win the national title their sophomore and junior years

after joining debate, marco grew more confident in himself and began to talk more both in and out of class. being good at something gave him the boost he needed to no longer be shy, and he was well liked by most people at school. marco’s sophomore and junior years were quite possibly the best years of his life.

however, right before the trophy ceremony his junior year, he got a call from his mom, telling him that his sister had gotten in to a car crash and that she was in a coma in a hospital in san francisco. marco flew to san fran immediately after receiving the call, leaving his partner to collect the trophy on his behalf.

for the following two weeks, marco rarely left the hospital for fear that his sister would pass away without him there. although the two of them were not that close, losing another family member was something that marco could not imagine. on the fifteenth day of her being in the hospital, the doctors said that there was nothing they could do to save his sister. so they harvested her organs as donations, and the spiegelmans were forced to put another member of their family into the ground.

senior year came around and marco was a changed person. he was not as passionate or confident as he used to be, he quit debate, and he focused on judaism again to try and give his life some meaning. however, he explored the type of judaism his sister was into, reform judaism, based more on learning and exploring the ideas of religion than sitting in a sanctuary and praying.

although he skipped school often and had mediocre grades, he managed to graduate, his dreams seeming unimportant and his life in shambles. throughout this, he still managed to keep a positive attitude, now convinced that god had a plan for him and that everything would work out fine. he does have really bad anxiety tho, so it’s this classic combination of trying to have faith in the way things work out but never really being sure that they will

without his debate professor, he wouldn’t have even gotten into college, but with the help of someone making sure he followed through, he got into college t to study sustainable food & farming. this seemed like a out of the blue choice, but it combined marco’s love of research & science, and allowed him to feel like he could have a greater impact on the world than he could as a politician.

college went by without incident, but here are some highlights (joined hillel and loved being w/ other jews, was a nerd, did nerd things **including a lot of acid, lived his best life)

he recently graduated, and has found a love for beekeeping ! he has two hives and thousands of bees and he loves them all.

headcannons !

marco worked as a waiter at an italian restaurant in high school so that he could have spending money. money was never a problem in his household as his mom is a cardiologist, but he always felt bad asking for money for things, so he made his own money instead

if marco was a crayola crayon, he’d be pine green. the color is a bit darker than most of the other greens in the crayola family, just like marco in his family, but also has a hint of blue in it, hinting at the sadness that lies beneath marco’s outer layer.

marco really loves old school video games. his old nintendo 64 is collecting dust in his closet, and although he rarely has time to play it anymore, he refuses to throw it out. while growing up, video games were his way of connecting to his two older brothers, his older sister always watching on with a disapproving gleam in her eye. whenever the siblings get together, however, they always manage to turn on an old, favorite game of theirs, and the competition is always heated

in high school, marco smoked a lot of weed. he would always be seen outside at any high school party, smoking by himself or with a group of other people. however, after graduating, marco switched to cigarettes. he smokes frequently, but will furiously deny being addicted if approached about it

marco plays as waluigi when he plays mario kart/party

marco is a night person. he utterly hates getting up early in the morning, but staying up late comes easy and natural to him.

marco recycles religiously. if something is recyclable and you don’t put it into the recycling bin, he’ll lose a bit of respect for you as a person

marco absolutely loves space and the universe and stargazing (part of his appreciation for nighttime), but he also wholeheartedly believes that aliens are real, no doubt about it.

1/2 wholesome sunshiney boy, 1/2 sad and lonely and lost kid

#intro.

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the-uk-is-jk · 6 years

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Friends on the Other Side

I wanted to write something based on Thomas Sanders’ Disney Mash-up. Word count: 2278.

The boy that was walking towards the table was interesting. The most interesting person Thomas had ever seen in here. He couldn’t help staring at him. He had never seen this boy in all the years he had been sitting here and the boy’s eyes hit him from the very first moment. His right eye was as clear as crystal and very light green, almost grey. The iris was surrounded by a black circle making the green seem even lighter. His left eye however was dark brown, almost black even.

“Hey.” The boy reached the table and Thomas looked down quickly. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

“Not at all, sir,” Thomas answered. “It’s always nice to have some companionship.” It keeps the demons away, he thought, but that he didn’t say. “So what are you doing here all alone? Normally people bring someone else with them.”

“I don’t,” the boy answered while studying a beer-mat. “I always go alone wherever I go. Besides, you are here alone too, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and I have been here alone for the past three years.”

The boy now looked up, abruptly stopping playing with the beer-mat. “Why?”

“I’ve got nowhere else to go.”

“Where do you sleep?”

“The owner of this place takes care of me. She has been doing that since the day I came here.”

“That’s kind. But, don’t you have any family?”

Thomas simply shook his head, trying to look away from the green eye that was looking right through him. Even though he was trying his best, he felt like he wasn’t able to hide his “friends” from this boy. The ones who kept him company when he was alone, but also made him feel so so bad. He sighed.

“Tell me,” the boy said. “I’m interested in your story.”

“First I need to know your name.”

The boy smiled as he offered his hand that was decorated with many rings and bracelets. “I’m Daniel.”

“I’m Thomas.”

Daniel just waited. His black hair seemed to be dancing around his head, due to the candlelight that was shining behind him.

“You’re the first one I’m telling this and I don’t even know why I am.”

“I do,” Daniel answered, “and that’s what matters.”

“Alright,” Thomas sighed. He unlocked the cage and his demons showed up all around them. “You’re in my world now, not your world. And, you must know, I’ve got friends on the other side.”

Thomas could only see Daniel as a blur. He didn’t say anything. He seemed to just wait as Thomas’ demons echoed: “He’s got friends on the other side.”

I found delight in the gruesome and grim, he thought to himself. He used to be weird and nobody knew him. He had always loved reading crime stories and edgy things. He was always distant and people thought of him as not a chill dude, he had known that.

Daniel made a subtle sound making Thomas realise he should go on talking. “It all starts back in school. I was quite a lonely kid, but I didn’t really mind. Then one day there was a new kid not knowing where to sit. I told them to sit down at my table and that they did. They told me to put my mind at ease and relax. I don’t even know why I did it.”

It was as if they put a spell on me, Thomas thought, and from that moment on, I was theirs.

“It enabled them to do anything they pleased. They seem to have changed my future around a bit. And now my mind changes that school into a much worse place than it actually was.”

I should’ve been prepared. Seen the danger on beforehand, Thomas heard himself think. But on the other hand, they made me trust in them. I was a poor, unfortunate soul, a naive boy, and didn’t see the danger. It was so sad, but so true.

Ignoring his demons, he carried on talking to Daniel. “They possessed me and I couldn’t help it. They would look deep into my heart and soul and make my wildest dreams come true. I loved them.”

AAAAAHH, some part of him wanted to scream. Thomas heard the scream. He shut his mouth in order to not let it out. Not now. Later perhaps.

“And then, I got my friends on the other side. They gave me my demons.”

The boy with the beautiful eyes still was no more than a blur and some of Thomas’ demons were dangerously close to him. Thomas didn’t want to see it. He didn’t want to be attracted to someone he had just met, again.

“Listen, it’s a nice story. And if you aren’t shaken by it, then I can tell you, it gets... well... better.”

“Don’t worry,” Daniel replied. “I like stories. Go on. Stop interrupting yourself.”

“They were the best friend I could imagine. They made me believe it was a good time, but there was something very wrong. It was nice and wonderful. A good time. It was also the time I got my demons, I know that.”

His friends on the other side started making a sound that seemed somewhat compassionate.

“They were like the Oogie Boogie man. Evil, but they impressed me.”

There isn’t a boy who won’t enjoy, Thomas thought. Everyone wants friends at that age. To belong somewhere. To not be an outsider. I was no different.

“Then the demons came,” Thomas told.

“Beware, take care, he rides alone,” he heard his demons resound through the room.

“I mean,” he added, “that’s when they started acting different. When I started acting different. They were evil. They were like a vampire bat. An inhuman beast. They ought to be locked up and never released. Not me. Them! But-” realising he was getting torn away by his demons too much, Thomas suddenly shut his mouth. He saw how Daniel, almost like a faded silhouette, looked up, “-he talked me into believing the opposite. I believed he was good. He swore to the longest day, he would never be like exactly what he was like. He was ahead of everyone. The world was such a wholesome place until then. Looking back it was the worst time ever and my world will never be the same. They had a plan to shake things up and that’s the gospel truth. They ruined everything.”

Thomas sighed. He had been talking for a long time and now took a sip from his drink that was on the table. Daniel, who had closed his eyes, now opened them. Thomas could see he had been truly listening.

“Are you ready?” he asked. “Now comes the best part.”

While his demons chanted: “Are you ready?”, Daniel nodded.

“Like, honestly,” Thomas warned again. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Thomas breathed in deeply. It still hurts like fire, he heard his thoughts again. So much. Like hellfire. It’s still there, like fire in my skin.

“I had a transformation,” he then said. “I changed.”

“Transfromation central,” he heard all around him.

Yes, it was me, but not as people knew me. I started doing things I actually would never do.

“I thought it was a reformation. Thought I’d become a better me.” But read my lips, deep inside me the demons awoke. “I changed, but to me it felt magical and good. Everything was good, like a transmogrification.” And I didn’t come to grips with reality. I thought it was the real me.

Thomas sighed. “Could you feel it?” he asked his demons. “You were changing alright! You were-”

“Thomas,” Daniel called.

“Right, I’m sorry. My demons were transforming into something more, something bigger than just little thoughts and pop-up darkness. At the same time they discovered I was in love with them. They loved me, not in the same way, but they did. The next time I went out to- well, do what they had made me do for them, I got caught and locked up... Here I’m far from the ones who abandoned me, my family and they. I was constantly chasing their love.” Love was an open door. They pretended to love me, but they never really did, Thomas thought. “They made me feel wanted and I needed that. That’s what killed me in the end. After this I’ve never been close with humans again. Always distanced myself and that kind of stuff, you know.”

Thomas looked around. Was it just him or had it become darker in here? Suddenly he heard their name all around him. His first reaction was to throw an angry look towards his demons, but he saw that none of them were speaking. I still hope they somehow loved me and will come back to me. He shouldn’t have these thoughts. Looking back, they made everything I believed in seem like a stupid moral. They guzzled up the things I prised.

His thoughts started to wander. This wasn’t good. He ought to end this, send Daniel away.

“I hope you’re satisfied with what I told you. But if you ain’t, don’t blame me. I’m not the one who decides what to tell you and what to hold back. I told you more than I ever told anyone. Don’t forget it, learn from me. Don’t forget it, keep it in mind. Don’t forget it, for if you do, you’ll regret it. Don’t let the same thing happen to you. This land you behold. You own the world, your world, you have so much. Don’t waste it, my friend.”

Daniel smiled. It was a sincere, beautiful smile and it seemed to make the room a bit brighter. Some of his demons seemed to take a step back, but it went so fast, Thomas wasn’t sure. However, he did bind his heart to his chest. He couldn’t lose his heart. Not again.

“I won’t,” Daniel said.

“You are a beautiful human being. Don’t let your beauty be unfold.”

Daniel smiled again.

“Thank you for not running away on me. Everyone else did as soon as my demons started talking to me. Everyone thinks I’m either making fun of them or am surrounded by ghosts. You are so strong, how a man can be bold. Don’t let someone destroy that by using you. It all can be sold, but don’t let it.”

“I actually quite like your friends,” Daniel answered.

“You can see them?”

“Well, not clear and I suppose not all of them: I heard more voices than I saw demons, but I can see some of them. But I will remember this lesson.”

“As a specimen, yes, I’m intimidating. I’m certainly a good example of how not to do it and I can give you good advice on that.”

“I will for sure come back for that.”

“And you can blame my friends on the other side, my demons, for not telling everything, being as mean as I am and what I’ve become. Actually everything I do and am is due to my demons.”

I got what I wanted, what I asked for by doing what I did, Thomas thought miserably to himself. But I lost what I had. I lost everything I had: morals, my few friends, family, innocence, my whole life. Now I have to live in here, acting, selling and telling my life together. Sleeping in the dungeon of a café.

Daniel was still watching him suffer, looking right through him with his light eye and absorbing all of him with his dark eye at the same time.

Thomas looked up suddenly. “Please, don’t tell anyone what I just told you. They’ll hate me. I’ll be found again and locked up again. Just, ssh.”

“Don’t worry, Thomas, I wasn’t going to. You don’t deserve to be locked up or at all to be treated like a criminal.”

“I did deserve that, actually.” Meanwhile Thomas was letting his demons get inside him again.

“We’ll discuss that another time. I reckon I’ll have to say goodbye to your friends?”

“If you want to-”

“Bye guys, I’ll see you later.”

Thomas was startled. Did he- did he want to see his demons again? I mean they were good company on lonely evenings, but it wasn’t like it was nice to have them around, let alone wanting to see them again. Besides, sometimes one of his demons would come stand next to him, distracting him or to show him something.

“Thomas, I think we should hang around more together. This is the first place I’ll ever come back to. I like you.”

Thomas felt his cheeks blush. He put it away immediately. Not only shouldn’t he be liking someone he barely knew- did he actually know Daniel so barely? Then why had he told him more than he had ever told anyone?- but also it was too similar to when it went wrong. A new person sitting down at his table, having some kind of influence on him and making him fall in love with them.

“Bye Thomas, I have to go. It’s late already, and if I come back to the hotel late, I won’t be able to get in and I would be disturbing others’ night’s rest.”

“That’s okay, Daniel. See ya.”

Thomas watched the slender boy disappear through the door and sighed. Although it was only ten PM, he stood up from his table and went to his bed. He needed sleep now. He was exhausted. Before he was even fully lying, Thomas had already been taken away to the land of the dreamers.

#ts #demons #thomas sanders #abandonment #bad friend

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recentanimenews · 7 years

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10 Laid-Back Stories to Stay Cozy After Camp

Today marks the final day of our laid-back camping trip with OutClub and it’s time to come home. We may be returning from the great outdoors but there’s no reason we can’t keep things cozy. Although Laid-Back Camp has come to an end, there are plenty of sweet and silly stories to keep us all feeling warm. Below are some of the best slice of life anime has to offer, featuring equally endearing casts and maybe even a little bit of education about the shared hobby that brings them together.

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

The title says it all. Tanaka is a high school student stricken by an eternal feeling of listlessness that affects his everyday life in unique ways. His best friend and near opposite, the tall and athletic Ohta typically has to carry Tanaka between classes but finds ways to admire even the daily lassitude of his unusual classmate. Introduce the adorable and energetic, Miyano, the wannabe delinquent with an addition to cute things, Echizen, and the school idol with a secret alter ego, Shiraishi, and you have a wonderful cast of characters discovering eccentric ways to confront the bland tribulations of high school life. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is one of the most comfortable, wholesome, and genuinely funny anime ever made and is guaranteed to replicate that feeling of sitting back and following along that Laid-Back Camp has offered us for the past 12 weeks.

Flying Witch

Slice of life meets fantasy in Flying Witch. High schooler and witch-in-training Makoto moves to the sleepy rural city of Hirosaki to live with her extended family, the Kuramoto family, while continuing her studies. It’s a small town so they don’t have many witches out there, leading to a few surprises as her social circle discovers her ability to make potions and fly on a broom. She’s just one of many quirky characters inhabiting the town, however. Flying Witch follows their lazy everyday lives as the youngest of the Kuramoto family, Chinatsu, becomes enthralled with the glimpses of the magical world Makoto affords them. The series is populated by a charming, well-meaning cast that are always looking out for, or poking fun at, one another. Each episode offers new discoveries, whether mundane wonders of their family’s agricultural traditions or magical revelations that lay just out of site in the city of Hirosaki.

Amanchu!

Futaba is lonely. A new arrival in the small coastal city of Shizuoka, coming from a larger city and leaving behind her entire life, she now has only her phone for company. Uncertain of her ability to make new friends, she nervously enters her first day of school and becomes subject of attention by the most eccentric girl in school, Hikari. Before Futaba knows it, Hikari has pulled her into the scuba diving club room and has her trying on wetsuits to join her in diving. Through her unexpected friendship, Futaba discovers a love of the sea and scuba diving. Joining the club, we follow her education in the finer details of scuba while being introduced alongside her to its advisor and fellow members. A beautiful series about finding new friends, learning new skills, and discovering a brand new world under the waves.

This Art Club Has a Problem!

The tale of Tsukimori Middle School's dysfunctional art club. Mizuki Usami is dedicated to improving her skills at illustration and painting but must fight an uphill battle against their lazy president, known only as “President” and her art partner Subaru, who is practicing art in the pursuit of creating the perfect 2D waifu. Unfortunately, Mizuki’s curse is tremendously powerful and she discovers she has unwittingly developed a crush on the eccentric Subaru despite all his perversions, eccentricities, and disregard for women who exist in three dimensions. A relationship you actively root against somehow transforms into a genuinely heartwarming series as the kids grow up little-by-little through their club hijinks and tumultuous emotions. Despite being the victim of such a tremendous curse, you begin to believe Mizuki will come out alright in the end.

Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club

Hiromi is a girl so air-headed she represents the exception that makes the rule about getting back on a bike. Having just moved from Nagasaki, Hiromi is looking forward to her first day at the Minami Kamakura Girls High School, but experiences difficulties reaching it by bike. After having to relearn how to pilot a bicycle with the help of a friendly local and classmate, Tomoe. Through cycling, Hiromi continues to make new friends and ends up joining the schools cycling club. From there, the series takes us on an extended tour of Kamakura through the girls’ biking adventures. Like Laid-Back Camp, each episode concludes with a real-life segment in which two of the show's voice actresses learn more about bicycling and the Kamakura region first-hand. A cheerful series about friendship through a shared hobby.

Non Non Biyori

Another slice of life taking place in a rural Japan, this time with an emphasis on rural. The cast of Non Non Biyori live in the tiny countryside village of Asahigaoka, far away from modern amenities the rest of us take for granted. Hotaru, having just transferred from Tokyo, struggles to adapt to the rural lifestyle with the aid of her classmates, all four of them, each different ages and grade levels, who together form the entire student body of their school. Even as she struggles with the concept of a town with only two stores, the locals find her confusion and city customs just as nonsensical as she perceives theirs to be. It’s a sweet series with frequent gags about a girl confronting culture shock within her own country and, eventually, learning to love a new land and lifestyle.

Aria The ANIMATION

Unique among the items of this list as a science fiction series. Aria takes place in the far future on the planet Aqua (formerly Mars) in the city of Neo-Venezia, a futuristic take on modern Venice. The setting is utopic, presenting a future free of conflict with advanced technology existing alongside anachronism like a recreation of the ancient city of canals. Akari, originally from Japan, works for the Aria Company in Neo-Venezia as an undine, an all-female profession of gondoliers that ferry people through the city’s canals and act as tour guides. The series meanders like a gentle current, following Akari’s life and her work as an undine. In addition to discovering more about her respected profession, Akari encounters a number of characters through her work who have their own stories to tell. Through Akari we learn about life in the alien city through the melancholic tales of its residents.

Silver Spoon

Created by Hiromu Arakawa, the mangaka behind Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon is set in the Ooezo Agricultural High School in Hokkaido. Yuugo enrolls in the school, believing it will have an easy workload and to escape his stressful home life. He quickly learns he’s underestimated both the school and its students as he learns firsthand the scientific knowledge and physical labor that drive modern-day agriculture and animal husbandry. As he gets to know his peers, he also discovers that each of them are driven and passionate about their area of study, a far cry from the content inheritors of their family trade he had believed them to be. Over the course of his term, Yuugo learns valuable lessons about compassion and prejudice alongside his rigorous curriculum, which allow him to begin to sort out his own troubled relationship with his family.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

One of the most wonderful slice of life series of last year, a reverse-isekai found-family series about a woman, her maid who is actually a dragon, and their daughter is also actually a dragon. Miss Kobayashi awakens after a night of drinking to discover Tohru on her doorstep. During her drunken wandering, she had saved Tohru’s life and, after bonding over drinks, invited Tohru to stay at her house as a maid. Both uncomfortable and unfamiliar with love, Kobayashi struggles with Tohru’s awkward romantic overtures as the dragon tries to understand and assimilate herself into human society. Add in a few more dragons and the series becomes a wonderful story of love, family, and finding ways to reach out to others, through awkwardness and misunderstanding, and form real connections.

Arakawa Under the Bridge

An unlikely slice of life set in a homeless encampment under a bridge in the Japanese city of Arakawa. Ko was taught by his father to never allow himself to be indebted to anyone but falls into the river and is saved by a girl in a tracksuit who calls herself Nino. To rid himself of his debt, he asks how he can repay her and, wanting for nothing, she asks that he experience love with her. Through Nino, Ko is introduced to the malcontents, eccentrics, and outcasts that reside in the surprisingly sophisticated community alongside the river. The series leans heavily into comedy and magical realism to present a diverse, almost circus-like community, but it’s not all gags. There are melancholic chords hidden among light-hearted humor about life as a social outcast and a thread of romance as Ko, despite himself, finds he is beginning to grant Nino’s request.

Hopefully, these series prove to be a peaceful way to pass the time and warm your heart just as well as a toasty campfire and, perhaps, you find one of them just as enjoyable as experiencing the great outdoors with OutClub. We're sad to see Laid-Back Camp go, but there are always new adventures on the horizon. Did I miss any particularly cozy series in this list? Find any of these recommendations recapture that same wonderful feeling? Let us know in the comments below!

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Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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eknowledgetree2015 · 5 years

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Netflix vs Hulu vs amazon prime vs Hotstar: Which is the Best Streaming Service?

The 21st century has made the tv industry obsolete. As the internet opened the doors to entertainment to billions of people. As streaming services took over the dying network media by storm. The viewers at home gained much more by choosing the streaming service over the networking media. No longer they have to pay for every little thing that came with the package, with the streaming service, the viewers are in charge of the service.

Netflix vs Hulu vs amazon prime vs Hotstar

Now in 2019, picking the best streaming service can be a tough thing to do, as more and more prominent companies have started getting into the streaming service pool. For example, now you can sign up for a streaming service for each sport that you used to watch on a sports channel. There is freedom in the streaming service. Before this, people used to pay for every sport on the channel because the channel had that one sport that they liked the most. Now with the streaming service, you can just start your membership with any sport that you want to watch unlike in the tv cable medium where you have to pay for every sport because the channel had your sport. Over the year many streaming moguls like Netflix, Hulu, Hotstar, and amazon prime has expanded their coverage to more people and providing great benefits with the product. Before we decide which is better than which, first we have to go through every one of them. So we can extract the detail information that will conclude which one of them is the best streaming service available in the market.

Netflix:

The letter N on a red background has been a recognized symbol for Netflix. They are the ones who started the revolution of streaming services even long before streaming service was a thing. Now they have a massive catalogue of all sorts of shows that appeals to every demographic. The only word that is synonymous with Netflix is the quality they offer for the price they charge for membership. For people who like movies, Netflix has the best collection of movies that you just watch in your home without going to the theatre. They even produce and create movies, and it opens the door to all the small creators with a camera and a dream. And many big-name directors have been moving to the Netflix streaming service to premiere their movie. Because of the streaming service in the future. Netflix has over 150 million members worldwide, 60 million of them are from the United States. Many special shows from the different regions have found a home on Netflix. That’s why Netflix has become a great streaming service for anybody looking for a diverse range of the program. You can expect movies, but with movies, you will get special tv shows, anime, sports, live concerts, and most important them all Netflix specials. These specials are what Netflix considers as watch worthy for the viewers. Out of the famous shows they have under them – Orange is the new black, south park, The OZ, Arrested Development, Stranger Things for the people who want the tv experience. For the people are more into adult theme cartoon, Netflix has a great list of Anime for you – Death Note, Naruto, Castle Vania, and many more. There is another reason that adds more weight to the Netflix, They always keep their list updated every day and add new stuff every season. So, people won’t get bored with the service. Netflix understands watching the same stuff over and over again might make the audience switch to other streaming services. The market competition makes every streaming service to add something new to their list every single month to be the best streaming service available in the market. The viewer will also get the option to download the shows, In case if there is a networking problem in your area, or you just don’t want to be connected to the internet all the time. Netflix also supports a wide variety of devices for you to stream without putting hassle on the set up of the task. Netflix offers a quality dark-themed interface to browser whatever you want to watch. This looks good and it won’t hurt your eyes if you open the app at midnight for a binge-watch a show or watch some movie on the couch. When it comes to the price point, Netflix starts its membership fee for $8.99 a month for the standard definition. For the people with HD tv, if you want the High definition experience of a show, you have to pay a little more than the standard definition users, $12,99. And for the people with a 4k screen, Netflix has you covered with Ultra HD package for $15.99.

Hulu:

Hulu started focusing more on networking tv than the movies. Hulu launched its service one year after Netflix launched theirs, in 2007. If you compare Netflix vs Hulu, Netflix has the experience and the more featured diverse list of shows under their belt. Many networking shows found Hulu as their secondary option of broadcasting shows. NBC universal found its place on the internet through Hulu. Now prominent programs of the ’90s can be found on Hulu. Good wholesome shows such as Friends, Seinfeld can now be streamed via Hulu. The question still stands, does Hulu has what it takes to become the best streaming service for the viewer? While other streaming services offering their work for the worldwide audience. Hulu is only available in the united states. They have the eyes of 28 million people to their service. When it comes to Netflix vs Hulu, Netflix has the number. The number for Hulu has been going up every year, in 2017, Hulu changed their business model. As they started adapting more Live tv shows on their streaming service. On Hulu Live streaming service blew up pretty fast. Where more people went to Hulu for a live broadcast without paying any extra fee. Just like every entertainment medium, Hulu is owned by Disney. Hulu had 5 year deal with the CW for streaming of shows such as Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, Supernatural, but the contract has been expired, and all the shows have gone to Netflix. When it comes to Netflix vs Hulu, Netflix has a wide range of shows packing in a different category, Hulu lacks the content that another streaming service has to offer. Hulu now has the popular sitcom Seinfeld, Family Guy, and south park. All of these shows are the best what the entertainment media has to offer. With Hulu you will also be able to have access to the past season of highly popular Rick and Morty, Handmaiden’s tale, Chance, Casual, and many other shows to pass your time. Hulu has been adapting to the premiering of the original shows broadcasted on ABC, CBS, and FOX. As the originals shows are getting better reception by the critics and the audience. In Netflix vs Hulu, Hulu takes the cake here by providing the live telecast of the networking shows in your handheld devices. Hulu packs in a lot of channels for a few bucks from your pocket. If you want to watch other than the shows from ABC, CBS, or FOX. Then you have to pay some more, for example, you can watch the Game of Thrones on Hulu for $14.99 a month by getting the HBO channel package. With Hulu, you will get the entire channel under your disposal. Showtime for $10.99, Cinemax for $9.99. At the price point, Hulu comes in $5.99 per month. But this includes the commercial between the programs. If you are not an AD friendly person, you will have to switch to the non-ad Hulu service, which starts at $11,99 per month.

Amazon Prime:

Amazon has been reaching towards the streaming service too with brand new content on their list and proving many more benefits to the normal amazon member. We are now living in an age where streaming content has taken the centre stage of all entertainment mediums. And Amazon is not falling behind the schedule. They are on their way to becoming the best streaming service in the market. So far, compare it to the other streaming services in the market amazon prime offers their streaming services for a cheaper price. There are other benefits that a viewer will upon becoming a prime member of Amazon. For example, you are going to get a faster delivery service without any shipping fee. If you shop for a product on amazon, and the selective product doesn’t match the ideal rate for free delivery, then becoming a prime member would get you a free delivery option. When it comes to the show that they have to offer, it pretty lacks lustring. They are not that good while at the same time they are not that bad. Shows such as Jack Ryan, Marvelous Maisel, The Man in the high castle, Downton Abbey, The boys, The expense, and many more. All of these may not bring the best answer to the entertainment that you want, but they will quite a lot of fun to watch with your loved one or sharing with the family. The price tag for Amazon prime sets at $12.99 per month and $129 per year. If you join amazon prime now you are going to get a 30-day free trial which will cover up the shows and the shipping charges for your shopping. If you are a frequent Amazon shopper than amazon prime membership is a must-have, the benefits of the membership also expands to the entertainment system. This makes Amazon the wholesome choice for entertainment. If you are living in India then the prime membership would cost you around 999 rupees, which would land somewhere between $13 – 14 per year.

Hotstar:

By far the cheapest among all the streaming services and providing good quality content to match the price range. Hotstar is owned by the beloved star company. It features a lot of national and international program without making the viewer going for another streaming service to get access to their favourite program. As Hotstar manages to get all of the favourites into one place. Star network brings all sorts of entertainment channels to the touch of your fingertips. Not only you will have access to the tv shows and movies but you will also get access to the sports section without paying any additional price for it. And if you prefer watching shows from HBO, with Hotstar you will get access to all the mainstream show under one app. This makes Hotstar the best streaming service in the market. As shows such as the game of thrones, silicon valley, West world, girls, True detective will be in one app without signing up for a new deal with HBO Go. And the fun doesn’t have to stop at the tv section. With Hotstar you will have access to thousands of movies from different genera all of it covered under one price point. No additional money is required to access each category of entertainment with Hotstar. Just download the app and enjoy the services. Hotstar also features the live telecast of sports. For anyone like to glue to their tv in cricket season or football or basketball season, Hotstar is a perfect place to get your sportsmanship going to another level. As all of these will be available to you at the same time as they are being premiered throughout the world. With Hotstar you won’t miss your favourite program or fall sort on tracking your favourite sports team. Because you will be watching your favourite team playing the match on your handheld device and keeping up with the events in your favourite show. The regular subscription plan for Hotstar starts at 199 rupees per month, and 696 rupees per year. The price point makes the Hotstar the best choice for anyone looking for a streaming service on their phone or computer. That’s it! The answer to the best streaming services available in the market is totally on you to decide which one of them spiked your interest in getting a monthly or yearly subscription. With Netflix, you are going to get access to specials, anime, tv shows. With Hulu you are gonna get the blast from the past shows, with Amazon Prime, you are going to get a decent amount show but extra benefits to your online shopping, and with Hotstar you are going to get every entertainment program and sports package under the cheapest price range. Read the full article

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ecotone99 · 4 years

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The Dinner - Part Three [RF]

It only took about fifteen minutes for Levi to help Stella get clean, reset, and joined with the family again. “You have somewhere I can charge my phone?” She inquired, as they exited the bathroom. “Why were you both in there together?” Matt asked, matter of factly.

As badly as Levi wanted to rat out Kyle’s stupid prank, he didn’t want Matt to spank any of the little kids with Stella around. He couldn’t undo that, and they hadn’t even sat down to dinner yet. “Just washing up.” He said, avoiding eye contact.

He knew Matt knew when he was lying, but hoped he’d let it drop, and trust his eldest son’s level of self-control enough to believe he wasn’t touching his girlfriend in the guest bathroom within inches of the family.

Matt did have more trust in him than that, just not in Stella. He decided to keep a closer eye on things as the night progressed. “So, phone charger?” Stella asked again. Levi shook himself back to reality and led her up the stairs to his room. There were plenty of outlets downstairs, but something inside him said he shouldn’t leave her phone out in the open for his brothers to scroll through.

He and Stella had exchanged the occasional intimate photo, but that wasn’t what he was worried about. They boys saw one another naked all the time and he knew even the youngest ones were respectful enough not to invade any girl’s privacy that way.

It was the other texts he didn’t need them reading and holding over his head. The goodnight texts with a million little emojis, the ridiculous nicknames they had for each other that he pretended to be embarrassed by but secretly thought were adorable, and a few other things. Some candid thoughts about his mental health, his relationships, his future. Not anything his kid brothers need be burdened by.

Levi smiled as he went to plug her phone in. “Yah, he had Mom clean it special just because you were coming over.” Silas announced. “I’ve lived here my entire life and I had no idea this room had hardwood flooring.” Reese added.

“Where did they come from?” Levi fretted, rushing to shut the door. Just as the lock was clicking into place he heard Matt call from down the stairs, “Don’t you be shutting that door up there!” “Where did he come from!?” Levi wondered, as he yanked the door back open to reveal his snickering brothers to his giggling girlfriend. There was something unbearably wholesome about all this to Stella.

Before he knew it, she and his brothers were getting along as though they’d known one another their entire lives. He wasn’t sure quite how it happened, but she asked Tyson something about his big trophy, Reese something about his model airplanes, one thing led to another, and they were all playing lacrosse outside.

Confident that things were stable enough to hold for 90 seconds without his supervision, Levi went to check on dinner and spend a few moments alone with his mom, a privilege he hadn’t had in months.

“Hey Mama, I—” Levi stopped dead in his tracks. He saw steak, spaghetti Bolognese, “Mom, is this dinner?” “Mhmm.” Helen said, without looking up from her cooking. “Uh… Remember when I called three weeks ago and said Stella was a vegetarian?” “Yes.” She said, oblivious. “What did you think that meant?” “She likes vegetables.” “It’s more than that Mom, it means she can’t eat meat.” “Can’t or won’t?” “Same difference!” “Hey, watch it mister.” She cautioned. “I made a salad.” Levi peered into the bowl. “What are these red pieces?” He pulled one out. “It’s covered in bacon bits, Mom. They’re mixed all around.” “Well, it’s not meat, it’s bacon!” Levi buried his head in his hands.

He knew Stella would never agree to let him heat her up a pizza or even make her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She was too concerned with table manners. Why would his family go out of their way to make this difficult? Even on their most aggressively protein forward nights, they usually always had a plain starch and a vegetable. He thought back to other girlfriends he’d had home and couldn’t recall anything that approached such open hostility.

“Bring everyone inside Lee, dinner’s almost ready.” Matt said, coming around the corner. “It’s not cooked yet, Hon.” Helen explained. “I don’t care, it’s cooked enough. I’m hungry, let’s get some food on some plates!” Matt griped, making his way through the kitchen. “Great,” Levi thought to himself, “He’s in one of those moods.”

The boys and Stella came in, where Levi shepherded them into the living room to wait. That way he could think about how best to explain the meat-centered dinner to Stella and keep everyone clear of Matt until he’d gotten some food in him and hopefully cooled down a little bit.

“Where are your bags? Are they still in the car?” Reese asked Stella, playing dumb. Levi shot him a death glare, knowing full well that he’d explained to Reese all about Stella being unable to stay over, and how it was a pressure point between them. “She can’t stay over this time.” Levi said, hoping to make clear that it was the end of the discussion, not the beginning. He failed.

“Why can’t Stella stay over?” Kyle asked, with sincerity, unlike Reese. “Because she’s a girl.” Tyson said, blowing a bubble with his chewing gum. Hadn’t Levi told him Stella hates the sound of gum chewing? “Oh, yah,” Kyle said introspectively, “There are no girls living here.” “Mom’s a girl.” Silas corrected, though with a hint of uncertainty. “No she’s not, Mom’s a mom.” Kyle laughed, sure Silas was just messing with him.

“Moms are girls. Aunts are girls. Sisters are girls. All women are girls. Can we drop this, Kyle? Go wash up. And Tyson, spit that gum out. We’re about to eat.” Levi said, hoping a change of venue would distract everyone long enough to drop the subject. Kyle stayed frozen in place; eyes wide as saucers. “Is Mom really a girl?” He asked, mouth agape. “All people with vaginas are girls.” Tyson explained, popping another bubble and gnashing dramatically.

Kyle processed this information for a minute. “Is that why Stella can’t stay here? Cause she has a vagina?” “Actually, yah. That’s pretty much exactly why. Now go wash up.” Levi instructed, satisfied to have found a truthful, but age appropriate, explanation. By the time he spotted Reese’s smirk, it was too late to clamp a hand over his mouth. “But it’s not Stella’s vagina they’re worried about. It’s Levi’s penis.” He said. “I have a penis. Should I be worried?” Kyle asked, furrowing his brow.

Stella had tried to remain silent during this intimate exchange between brothers, but she couldn’t help it anymore, she burst into uncontrollable laughter. Levi was beet red. “Change of topic. Right now.” He demanded, letting them know in his eyes that he was not playing around.

It was then that Helen surfaced from the kitchen. “I better not be hearing all the nasty talk I think I’m hearing.” She warned from the doorframe. “Please, please, say dinner’s almost ready?” Levi begged from behind his hands. “It’s on the stove. Why? What’s the matter, Lee?” Helen asked, walking over. “He’s worried about his penis!” Kyle blurted out.

Helen stopped and stared him down, alternating between him and his girlfriend disapprovingly. Stella tried to stifle her laughter while the other boys gave up on containing theirs, collapsing into a cackling fit. Kyle didn’t get it. “Mrs. Hudson, I swear, this is nothing like how it sounds,” Stella attempted to reassure her through gasps and repressed giggles.

Levi tried to muster up support for Stella’s insistence, but it was all he could do to bury his head back into his hands. Helen gave up on trying to make sense of the scene. “Everybody move it to the table! I don’t want to hear any more of this nasty talk.” She said, turning back to add, “And Levi’s gonna lead us in an extra long grace tonight.”

With all the commotion, he hadn’t had time to warn her about the festival of meats. Stella eyed him as the steak, the pasta with meat sauce, and the bacon salad were laid out on the table. Levi served her a steak, saying, “We’ve got plenty of other stuff in the kitchen Stel, I can fix you anything you want.” “I’m fine, thank you so much though. The dinner looks wonderful.” Stella said, as she tried to calculate when the last time she’d eaten red meat was. “You cook now?” Helen asked, “You never cooked for us when you were here.” “Because you usually make something everyone’s able to eat.” Levi said, not in malice, but in exasperation.

Matt took his seat at the head of the table. “Boy, what’re you doing taking food before we’ve said the grace?” He scolded, as he grabbed a chili-filled bread roll simultaneously. “I thought Levi could lead us off tonight.” Helen offered. Levi cleared his throat and shut his eyes as everyone joined hands. Stella caught on at the very last minute, skeptically taking Reese’s hand, lest there be glue in his as well.

“Our Father who art in Heaven, thank you for these blessings before us here today. Thank you for the chance to have Stella here with us. Please let us all get to know each other better over this bounty. Amen.” He concluded, opening his eyes. “That’s it?” Helen asked. “What?” Levi asked, in genuine surprise. “Alright.” She said, murmuring to herself, “Must not be saying a lot of graces off at college.” Levi gave her a pleading, “Not tonight,” look, but it was lost on her averted gaze.

He watched Stella trying to saw through the center of her steak and pulled her plate over to help her out. As he cut the edges into bite size chunks, he realized, they were all completely raw. You could practically still hear this cow mooing.

“Mom, did, uh… You think you cooked these through enough?” Levi asked. She shrugged. “Matt was ready to eat, so I took them off. I told him they weren’t finished, but…” Helen stopped herself as she raised a jiggly forkful of bright red beef to her lips. “They’re fine.” Matt dismissed. “There’s enough blood on the plate for a transfusion!” Levi protested. “I’ll just have some salad.” Stella said, awkwardly grabbing a big forkful and placing it back down as she noticed the bacon smothering.

As the conversation got going, Levi felt his protective instincts kick in almost immediately, like he was walking Stella down a dark street. He couldn’t take two bites of his various meat dishes without having to leap out in front of an inappropriate remark or backhanded line of questioning.

They would start out so benign. His stepdad asked “So, Stella, we didn’t get to talk much the last time you were up here. What do your parents do exactly?” Levi knew this couldn’t be good, because Matt knew exactly what Stella’s parents did and that he wasn’t supposed to talk about it. He must be setting her up for something.

Stella didn’t notice, or if she did, she didn’t care. “My dad is in e-commerce, and my mom—“ “E-commerce? Pretty nondescript. I bet that pays well.” Matt sniped. Stella glanced at Levi, hoping to register some direction as to how to respond. Levi decided it was best no one humor the conversation, and tried desperately to redirect things.

“Stella’s an English major. Mom, why don’t you tell her about that book you were just reading?” “Oh, I don’t know. When do working people have time to read these days? I think it was—” Matt cut Helen off. “So now you’ve been here a couple times, what do you think of the place?” “Oh I love Montana.” Stella beamed. “Must seem small compared to what you’re used to, but out here we don’t want for more than we need.” Matt replied, coldly.

Levi mouthed “What?” towards his stepdad, but it fell on blind eyes. He knew full well Matt just bought a flat screen last year for the hell of it and had two cars sitting in the garage that he never drove, so he wasn’t sure where he got off with this laughable “We don’t want for more than we need,” bullshit.

The oldest of his little brothers, Reese, picked up on the irregularity of the conversation and seized the moment to ask the question he and his brothers had been practicing asking with a straight face over and over in advance of Stella’s arrival. He put down the Mountain Dew he’d been sipping just long enough to ask, “So, you’re rich, huh?”

“Hey!” Levi reached over and pinched him, hard, under the table. The momentary jolt of pain was well worth how much the boys would laugh over Levi’s mortified expression for days to come. Personally, Stella found his question refreshing. He was just asking directly what his parents had been asking passive aggressively since they’d all sat down. But she knew the last thing Levi would want was for her to take the bait, so against her better instincts, she quipped, “We do fine,” Wondering to herself when she’d begun to sound so much like her mother.

“Stella, you don’t have to answer these things.” Levi said, addressing the family more than her. “Let her answer! We’re just trying to get to know her, like you wanted us to.” Matt insisted. Helen locked eyes with her husband “Matt, how about you cool it here? Look what the kids are picking up from you.” “Look nothing! She’s a guest in my house I’ll ask her what I want.”

Little Kyle chimed in “Do you have a big house cause of you’re rich?” “I’ll bet she doesn’t have to work.” Tyson added. “What? She works. Guys, this is so inappropriate.” Levi rebuked. “You don’t ask strangers questions about money.” Helen affirmed, setting aside her personal animus towards Stella long enough to prioritize her ultimate responsibility as a role model to the boys.

Levi looked expectantly at his parents to more actively help correct the kids. “But Dad did it!” Silas piped up for the first time all night. Matt reached across the table and whacked the back of his head. Stella tried to conceal her shock. Levi buried his face in his hands. “No one’s talking to you Silas, eat your dinner.” Matt shouted at him. “Now, do you have a big house?” Matt continued. “Hey!” Levi pushed his chair back. “No one’s talking to you either.” Matt reminded him.

The boys, used to a fairly chaotic living environment, were getting a kick out of watching this unfold, oblivious to the escalating tension. “Now, Stella, I saw your Father’s name on that Forbes list. What’s that list for again?” Reese asked. Stella glanced at Levi to gauge whether or not she should levy a serious answer.

“Does it ever bother you that Levi comes from us poor folks?” Tyson asked, “Because, if you’ve got more money than him, that kind of makes you the man in the relationship.” They were too caught up in their good time to register the genuine hurt flash across the round contours of Levi’s earnest face. “Guys, stop.” He begged, quietly.

He could understand the younger ones not grasping why this night was so important to him, but they were modeling their behavior off the older ones, and the older ones had to at least have some idea of what it meant to bring Stella to officially meet them.

Didn’t they understand that it was only such a big deal because their opinions mattered that much to him? He stared apologetically into Stella’s eyes. The older two boys began to pick up on Levi’s mood and back off. The second youngest, Silas, had remained indifferent throughout. But the youngest, Kyle, was used to being the butt of these kinds of jokes, so remained content to watch the whole evening burn to the ground.

“If you and Levi get married, does that mean he won’t ever have to get a job, ‘cause of you already have so much money?” He asked, with a mix of real curiosity and pure mischief. Levi was now passing anger and entering rage, not because of what a five year old boy was saying, but because of what no adult was stepping in to say back. “Kyle, listen up, you don’t ask questions like that. All of you guys listen, rich or poor, you don’t ask people about their money. It’s not your business.”

“Levi’s right. You don’t ask people about their personal finances, that’s rude. Stella’s money is off limits.” Helen chided the kids, and the overgrown kid, embarrassed that her eldest son was having to pick up his parents slack. “It’s not her money, it’s her daddy’s,” Matt shot back.

That was the final straw for Stella. There was only so much she’d endure in the name of appeasing Levi’s family, and questioning her autonomy was directly over the line. “I don’t fault you for Levi having to work three jobs while he’s in school, so how about you don’t fault me for whatever my parents do or don’t have?” Stella replied, arching her back.

Levi swallowed hard. Reese backtracked a bit himself, realizing he might’ve poured too much gasoline onto this fire. Now everyone was overheated. “What I didn’t give my son builds character. What your daddy gave you builds poor houses. However you live with that is on you.” Matt replied, coolly. Levi knew his stepdad was just trying to win an argument and save face, but he also knew how many nights he’d spent holding Stella while she sobbed in his arms over how to reconcile the love she had for her father with the disdain she had for his business. So he knew how dangerously close Matt was to striking a nerve here, and that he’d protect her from him at all costs. In ways no one ever had for him.

“You don’t know any more than what you read in the papers, so just drop it.” Levi growled, moving closer to Stella and further from his family. “I know more about the working world in my little finger than she, or you for that matter, will ever know in a lifetime.” Matt said. Helen saw where this was going, and she knew it was nowhere good. “Matt, now is neither the time nor the place—”

“How could you know anything about any world when you’ve never left this town? You barely finished high school. Stella and I are eons beyond your understanding of the world, working or otherwise.” Levi said, pulling his shoulders back as he grew in confidence. Stella watched in horror as the two inched closer to one another, ready for a fight.

Her worst nightmare was unfolding before her eyes; she was so incapable of assimilating into Levi’s environment that she was driving a wedge between him and his family.

She didn’t want to get involved, but she felt obligated to try and diffuse the argument before he said something he couldn’t take back. So quietly it was almost a whisper, she interjected “Hey, Levi, maybe now isn’t the time to—” No one even noticed her. “Say that again. Talk to me that way again in my house son, see what happens.” Matt challenged, pushing back his chair once more.

For a moment, Helen and Stella extended a truce to one another as they helplessly locked eyes across the table, watching their men, so similar but for their physical features, inch closer and closer to one another. “You go away for a couple years and all of a sudden you don’t just forget where you came from, you denounce it!” Matt bellowed, so loud that the younger boys grabbed hold of one another.

“I’m not saying I don’t respect you or that I have a problem with this place. I’m saying it doesn’t equip you to judge Stella. Only talking to her does. The news gets it all wrong about her family’s business.” Levi pleaded, adamant but genuine.

“Does it now? Well I’ve got news for you kid—” “Matt, no!” Helen cried out, reflexively, despite knowing it was too late now. “I don’t watch the news. I am the news. That machine took my job. I’m paying the bills out of my 401k and it’s nearly tapped. So don’t tell me I don’t understand who that bitch is or what turmoil her family leaves in their wake. I know who she is and I know what you are. You’re a traitor who left us all behind to be something different, something you think is better. But all you’re doing is sleeping with the enemy. And I tried to bite my tongue, because I love you and I know you think you love her, but it’s her or it’s us, and I won’t sit here and pretend like it isn’t another second longer.“

And with that, Matt turned and walked out the front door. “Matt lost his job?” Levi asked, in disbelief. Helen stared down at her plate, pushing bits of raw steak around the rim, ashamed. “Nobody told me?! And then you tell me now? Here?” Levi screamed, voice cracking, loud enough to shake the cutlery. Helen shrank back, knowing she deserved it to a degree.

With tears welling up in his eyes, Levi, turned the opposite direction and retreated out the back door. Stella was in too great a shock to move at first. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t anticipated that his stepfather, the main breadwinner of their already struggling family, an American factory worker, might’ve been impacted by the new tech. Still in a daze, she stumbled up to follow Levi before he got too far to track down.

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thetruthseekerway · 5 years

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What Do You Know About Imam An-Nawawi?

New Post has been published on https://www.truth-seeker.info/jewels-of-islam/what-do-you-know-about-imam-an-nawawi/

What Do You Know About Imam An-Nawawi?

By Jamal Ad-Din Zarabozo

The Life of An-Nawawi

It is important for Muslims to take the time to learn about the lives of the pious predecessors. The great scholars and pious individuals of the past can be great examples of the living. Their behaviour and actions can have a great effect on their hearts. Their examples demonstrate that in every age, there were pious Muslims who followed the way of the Prophet (PBUH) and his noble Companions, without compromise and without giving in to the desires of this world. They demonstrate to the Muslims of today that the guidance of the Qur’an and Hadith was sufficient for them to lead their lives in manners pleasing to Allah, although they did not sit with and learn directly from the Prophet (PBUH) or even his close Companions.

Today, Muslims face many of the same problems, temptations and difficulties that these pious predecessors faced. The pious predecessors read and intensively studied the Qur’an and Hadith to attain guidance for their lives. They applied the Qur’an and Sunnah in their lives under various circumstances. What they derived from the Divine Guidance should be considered light for all of those who come after them who face circumstances similar to theirs.

There are many aspects of An-Nawawi’s life, in particular, that may set an example for those living today. In his introduction to his Master’s Thesis on An-Nawawi, Ahmad al-Haddad echoed these views when he stated,

“The third reason [for writing about An-Nawawi] was to bring to the forefront of the life of this extraordinary man who lived in a later time. It is hoped that this biography will bring to us and the coming generations great benefits with respect to the seriousness and striving for knowledge, with respect to asceticism and fearing Allah, and with respect to the bravery in publicly speaking the truth. The lives of the pious have the greatest effect on those who hear about them. Allah has certainly spoken the truth when He said, “And all that We relate to you (O Muhammad) of the news of the messenger [is] in order that We may make your heart strong and firm.” (Hud 11:20)

The goal here is to be brief. Therefore, only certain aspects of his life will be highlighted.[1]

Background to An-Nawawi’s Life

Islam in the Seventh Century of Hijrah

The Seventh Century of Islam was a very turbulent time, especially for the area of Sham (Greater Syria). It was during this Century that the Mongols invaded the East and the Crusaders controlled part of the Muslim lands from the West. In the year 656H, the Mongols invaded and conquered Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasids. In 658, however, under the reign of Al-Mudhafar Qutuz ibn ‘Abdullah and military leadership of Al-Dhahir Baybars, the Muslims handed the Mongols a stunning defeat at Ayn Jalut. Also, in 679H, when the Mongols again tried to conquer Aleppo, they were defeated. From that time onwards, Muslim forces continue to battle and make headway against the Mongols. Similarly, the Crusaders were defeated and removed from Sham in the year 691H.

By the grace and mercy of Allah, these turbulent times did not mean the end of Islam studies for the inhabitants of that area. In fact, when Nur ud-Din az-Zanki (d. 569H) entered Sham he found that the light of learning had been extinguished. Therefore, he made a concerted effort to encourage the people of that area to renew their studies of Islam. In the process, he opened many schools for the study of Islam. In fact, he opened the first Dar al-Hadith in Damascus, Aleppo and elsewhere. This same spirit of spreading knowledge and establishing educational institutions was carried on by those who ruled after Nur ad-Din az-Zanki, especially Sayf ud-Din Qalawun (d. 689H). Therefore, one does not find a shortage of scholars and learning even during that turbulent century of Islamic history.

An-Nawawi’s Birth and Upbringing

Muhy ud-Din [2] Abu Zakariyyah[3] Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Hizami an-Nawawi was born in the 631H (1233CE) in the village of Nawa, south of Damascus, Syria. Coming from Nawa, he is given the descriptive name of An-Nawawi, which is also sometimes written An-Nawaawi.

An-Nawawi did not come from a well-known family. There is very little mention, if any, of his grandfather, father and other relatives. This implies that they were a modest family. They also were not known for producing great scholars. However, his father did have a reputation for being very pious and God-fearing. His father had a garden in which he would grow food for his family. He would avoid, and taught his family to avoid, eating anything which may be forbidden in any way whatsoever. This was a true application of the following Hadith from Sunan at-Tirmidhi:

“O, People! Verily Allah is good and He does not accept but what is good. Allah has ordered the believers with the same command that He ordered the messengers. He said, ‘O Messengers, eat of the good and pure things and work righteous deeds. Verily, I am knowledgeable about what you do.’ And He said, ‘O believers! Eat of the good and wholesome things that We have provided for you.’ And he mentioned a man who was on a long journey, with dishevelled hair and dust-ridden, stretching out his hands to the sky, saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ while his food is of the forbidden and his provisions are of the forbidden. How is he going to be responded to [by Allah]?”

From his youth, Yahya an-Nawawi was not attracted to sports or playing. Indeed, other children chided him for this. From an early age, he turned his attention to his studies. He hated any activity that would take him away from memorizing the Qur’an. On one occasion, the children forced him to play with them and he cried because of the time that he was wasting.[4] It is not surprising then that he memorized the Qur’an at an early age.

At the age of eighteen, his father took him to Damascus to continue his studies. He excelled in the Shafi’i school of fiqh, memorizing some of its most important texts. He performed the pilgrimage to Makkah, visited Madinah and other locations but then returned to Damascus until prior to his death when he returned to his hometown of Nawa.

An-Nawawi’s Personal Life

His Pursuit of Knowledge

An-Nawawi first studied at the Saramiyyah school in Damascus. This is where his father left him. He had no housing there whatsoever. After some time, he approached the Shaykh of the school to ask if he had any housing, as many of the schools house their students. They had no housing so the Shaykh suggested that he go to Rawahiyyah School. There he was given a very small room in which he lived for a number of years. In fact, he remained in that small room until he was named the head of the Ashrafiyyah school, a number of years later.[5] It was stated that, when one visited him, the room was so small and the books were so many, that the only way one could sit down was to remove the books and pile them on top of each other to make some room to sit.

After Saramiyyah, he continued his studies at the Rawahiyyah school in Damascus. At one point in time, he was attending twelve lectures a day on assorted topics, including Arabic language, hadith, fiqh and Islamic legal theory. Some of his well-known teachers[6] included Ishaq ibn Ahmad al-Maghrabi al-Maqdisi (d. 650H), ‘Abdur-Rahman al-Anbari (d. 661H) and ‘Abdul-‘Aziz al-Ansari (d. 662H). He studied Sahih Muslim from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Wasiti. In 655H, at the age of 24, he began teaching at the Ashrafiyyah school. His reputation and excellence as a scholar began to be recognized by the scholars and inhabitants of Damascus.

His pursuit of knowledge dominated his entire life. He would put all of his time into studying, learning, and teaching. It is even stated that he would not sleep except when sleep would overtake him. He would rest on his book and sleep for a little, then he would act startled upon awakening and continues studying. He once said about himself, “I spent two years without lying on the ground [to sleep] on my side.” That is, he would always study and write until sleep overtook while in a sitting position. Al-Qutb al-Yawnini said about him, “He would not waste any moment of the day or night but he would spend it busy with attaining knowledge. Even when he walking and in the streets, he will be busy going over what he had remembered and reviewing his notes. He continued gaining knowledge in that way for a period of six years.”[7]

It seems – and only Allah knows the reality – that Allah truly blessed his time. Perhaps this was due to a sincere intention to please Allah. As mentioned above, he would attend up to twelve classes a day. Commenting on that fact, Al-Diqr wrote:

“He used to have twelve study sessions a day with his teachers. These included explanations, verifications, commentaries, explaining the different aspects and expressions as well as exacting the correct wordings. This would take, at least approximation, twelve hours a day. Then he would need to review what he had learned and memories that need to be memorized. The very least approximation is that this would also take twelve hours a day. This is twenty-four hours in a day! When would he sleep? When would he eat? When would he perform the acts of worship? When would he perform the voluntary late-night prayers? It is well-known that he performed those types of acts of obedience and worship. When would all of that take place? He was in need of studying and reviewing for all the twenty fours in a day and night. This shows how Allah blessed and graced this man. Allah blessed him in his time. He gave him the ability to complete in one day what it takes everyone else two years to accomplish. This is the only way we can explain this tremendous undertaking that made him one of the greatest scholars of his time in about ten years. In fact, it made him the leader (Imam) of his time. This is also the only way we can explain all of his wonderful, detailed and radiant writings in a span of time that lasted no more than fifteen years. He spent all of his lifetime and living hours in learning, teaching and writing.” (Quoted in Al-Diqr (see footnote 1), p. 34)

His Austerity

He led a very austere and simple life. Some narrations state that all the clothing he possessed was a turban and long gown. He did not desire any of the pleasures of this world. At one point in time, he would not eat anything except some cake and olives that his father would send him from time to time from Nawa. One of the reasons for this was that he was certain that such food came from permissible sources.

He would refuse even permissible things out of fear that they may lead him to doubtful matters. Indeed, he refused to eat any of the fruits of Damascus because he knew that orchards, many of which were endowments and for orphans and others, were not handled properly and he feared that the food he would be eating was not from a permissible source. Another reason he gave for not eating the fruit was that much of it was handled through sharecropping and there was a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the validity of sharecropping. In a footnote, Al-Haddad points out that, in reality, all of those matters boiled down to one thing: An-Nawawi was afraid to involve himself in any matter concerning which there was even the slightest doubt.[8]

An-Nawawi desired to live a simple and pure life, although it would have been possible for him to live otherwise, given his teaching position and influence. Chief Justice Sulayman az-Zara’i narrated that he visited An-Nawawi on the day of ‘Eid. An-Nawawi was eating some kind of broth with no meat. He asked Sulayman to eat with him and he said that is was not appealing to him. Sulayman’s brother went and bought some roasted meat and sweets. Sulayman told An-Nawawi to eat from it and he refused. Sulayman said to him, “O my brother, is this forbidden?” He said, “No, but it is the food of the tyrants [and extravagant].” In this matter, he was following the example of the Prophet(PBUH) who could have enjoyed many of the bounties of this world, but, instead, his household would go days without cooking any meat or having their full of bread for two days straight.[9] It seems that An-Nawawi did not consider such food as impermissible, in general, as obviously the Prophet(PBUH) ate such foods. However, it seems that he was never sure that their source was permissible, so he refused to eat such foods.[10]

He was also well-known for his modesty. Part of his modesty included never being served by any of his students. At the same time, he continued to serve his students even into his old age.

An-Nawawi would fast perpetually (every day except the days of ‘Eid).[11] In general, he would only eat once a day, after the last obligatory prayer of the day; and he would only drink once a day, before dawn. When he drank, he would drink cold water out of fear that it may make him drowsy. Al-Haddad argues that this was done by An-Nawawi so that he would dedicate all of his time to work and worship instead of the pleasures of this life. Al-Haddad writes that it is said that knowledge is not attained by rest. In fact, he states, a person will not receive even part of knowledge unless he dedicates himself to it. If a person dedicates all of himself to knowledge, then he may achieve a portion of it. Al-Haddad states that perhaps this was An-Nawawi’s perception of knowledge. He left his heart completely free and open to receive the blessed knowledge of the religion of Islam.[12]

He did not accept a stipend for his teaching. It seems that he may have accepted money for the first year or two. That money he did receive, he would spend on books that were left as endowments after him. However, after that time, he refused to accept any money whatsoever for his services.[13]

One material possession of this world that An-Nawawi did have was books. In general, a student is greatly in need of books. He is perhaps as much in need of books than he is of food and water, as Al-Haddad pointed out. As alluded to earlier, An-Nawawi’s small room was like a warehouse of books. One of the testimonies as to how many books An-Nawawi had may be found in his introduction to At-Tahqiq wherein he said, “I have with me, of the books of Shafi’i fiqh, and all praises are due to Allah, about one hundred books, including well-known books, rare books and others.”[14] Al-Haddad comments, “If that was the case with the number of books of fiqh, which were not as plentiful as they were in later eras, then what about the number of books of hadith he must have had, as there were many more books of hadith available at his time.”[15] Taj ud-Din as-Subki (683-756H), who was a Chief Justice (Qadhi al-Qudha), was asked to complete one of An-Nawawi’s works, Al-Majmu’. He tried to excuse himself by saying that he did not have the number of references available to him that An-Nawawi had.

It seems clear though, that An-Nawawi’s goal was not simply to possess a large library. His books were not for decoration or display. Instead, he benefited greatly from these works and, from his lectures and writings, numerous people have benefited from them since then.

——–

Adapted from Commentary on the Forty Hadeeth of an-Nawawi, Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, published by Al-Basheer Publications & Translations with some minor amendments.

Footnotes

Those readers interested in more details about the life of Imam An-Nawawi may consult Ala ud-Din ibn Al-Attar, Tuhfat at-Talibin fi Tarjumah al-Imam Muhy ud-Din (Riyadh: Dar as-Sami’i, 1414H), passim; Jalal ud-Din as-Suyuti, Al-Minhaj al-Sawi fi Tarjamah Al-Imam An-Nawawi (Beirut: Dar ibn Hazm, 1994), passim; ‘Abdul-Ghani ad-Diqr, Al-Imam An-Nawawi: Shaykh ul-Islam wa’l-Muslimin was Umdat al-Fuqaha wa’l-Muhadithin (Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 1980), passim. As-Suyuti relied greatly on Al-Attar, quoting lengthy passages from his work.

All of the biographical works give him the nickname “Muhy ud-Din” although he himself did not like to be called by it. He said that he did not forgive the person who gave him that nickname. He may have disliked that nickname because it means, “The one who gives life to the religion,” while, in fact, the religion of Islam is not in need of anyone to give it life. Al-Haddad argues that the name does become him but that out of modesty, he did not like to be called by it. (See Al-Haddad, p. 19) According to Al-Madabaghi, if a name or title of praise is disliked by someone, out of modesty, although the title fits him, then it is allowed to call that person by that name. This is not considered a type of backbiting or insult. See Hasan al-Madabaghi’s comments on the margin of Ahmad ibn Hajr al-Haytami, Fath al-Mubin li Sharh al-Arbain (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1978), p. 4.

He was given the name Abu Zakariyyah (“The Father of Zakariyyah”) although he never had a child by that name. It is not uncommon for me to be given agnomens while they are still underage and that agnomen remains with them throughout their lives. In Al-Majmu’, An-Nawawi argues that it is recommended for people to have agnomens, even if they do not have children. See Yahya an-Nawawi, Al-Majmu’ Sharh al-Muhadhab (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, n.d.) vol. 8, p. 438.

Al-Haddad, p. 26.

ibid, p. 32.

The most detailed discussion of the different teachers of Imam An-Nawawi may be found in Al-Haddad, pp. 41-70.

Quoted in Al-Diqr, p. 28.

Al-Haddad, p. 90.

ibid, p. 90.

Al-Diqr, p. 129.

There is a difference of opinion concerning perpetual fasting. An-Nawawi seemed to be of the view that it is permissible as long as one has the ability to do it and as long as one does not fast on those days which it is prohibited to fast. See An-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, vol. 8, p. 40.

Al-Haddad, p.35.

See Al-Diqr, p.127.

Quoted in Al-Haddad, p. 71.

ibid, p. 72.

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ecotone99 · 4 years

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The Dinner - Part Three [RO]

It only took about fifteen minutes for Levi to help Stella get clean, reset, and join the family again. “You have somewhere I can charge my phone?” She inquired, as they exited the bathroom. “Why were you both in there together?” Matt asked, matter of factly.

As badly as Levi wanted to rat out Kyle’s stupid prank, he didn’t want Matt to smack any of the little kids in front of Stella. There was no way to come back from that, and they hadn’t even sat down to dinner yet. “Just washing up.” He said, avoiding eye contact. He knew Matt knew when he was lying, but hoped he’d let it drop, and trust his eldest son’s level of self-control enough to believe he wasn’t touching his girlfriend in the guest bathroom within inches of the family.

They had exchanged the occasional intimate photo, but that wasn’t what he was worried about. They boys saw one another naked all the time and he knew even the youngest ones were respectful enough not to invade any girl’s privacy that way.

As Stella followed him to his room, she gasped at how different things looked when he drew the door open. “Wow, it’s so clean!” She applauded, grinning at the Spiderman lamp he still kept by his bedside even after giving the rest of the décor an adult upgrade. Levi smiled as he went to plug her phone in. “Yah, he had mom clean it special just because you were coming over.” Silas announced. “I’ve lived here my entire life and I had no idea this room had hardwood flooring.” Reese added.

“Moms are girls. Aunts are girls. Sisters are girls. All women are girls. Can we drop this, Kyle? Go wash up. And Tyson, spit that gum out. We’re about to eat.” Levi said, hoping a change of venue would distract the everyone long enough to drop the subject. Kyle stayed frozen in place; eyes wide as saucers. “Is Mom really a girl?” He asked, mouth agape. “All people with vaginas are girls.” Tyson explained, popping another bubble and gnashing dramatically.

“Mom, did, uh… You think you cooked these through enough?” Levi asked. She shrugged. “Matt was ready to eat, so I took them off. I told him they weren’t finished, but…” Helen trailed off, raising a jiggly forkful of bright red beef to her lips. “They’re fine.” Matt brushed her off. “There’s enough blood on the plate for a transfusion!” Levi protested. “I’ll just have some salad.” Stella said, so quiet it was almost in a whisper.

They would start out so benign. His stepdad asked “So, Stella, we didn’t get to talk much the last time you were up here. What do you parents do exactly?” Levi knew this couldn’t be good, because Matt knew exactly what Stella’s parents did and that he wasn’t supposed to talk about it. He must be setting her up for something.

Levi mouthed “What?” towards his stepdad, but it fell on blind eyes. He knew full well Matt just bought a flat screen last week for the hell of it and had two cars sitting in the garage that he never drove, so he wasn’t sure where he got off with this laughable “We don’t want for more than we need,” bullshit.

“Stella, you don’t have to answer these things.” Levi said, addressing the family more than her. “Let her answer! We’re just trying to get to know her, like you wanted us to.” Matt insisted. Helen locked eyes with her husband “Matt, you want to cool it here? Look what the kids are picking up from you.” “Look nothing! She’s a guest in my house I’ll ask her what I want.”

Little Kyle, chimed in “Do you have a big house cause of you’re rich?” “I’ll bet she doesn’t have to work.” Tyson chimed in. “What? She works. Guys, this is so inappropriate.” Levi rebuked. “You don’t ask strangers questions about money.” Helen affirmed, setting aside her personal animus towards Stella long enough to prioritize her ultimate responsibility as a role model to the boys.

Levi looked expectantly at his parents to more actively help correct the kids. “But Dad did it!” Silas, piped up for the first time all night. Matt reached across the table and whacked the back of his head. Stella tried to conceal her shock. Levi buried his face in his hands. “No one’s talking to you Silas, eat your dinner.” Matt shouted at him. “Now, do you have a big house?” Matt continued. “Hey!” Levi pushed his chair back. “No one’s talking to you either.” Matt reminded him.

“You don’t know any more than what you read in the papers, so just drop it.” Levi growled, moving closer to Stella and further from his family. “I know more about the working world in my pinkie than she, or you for that matter, will ever know in a lifetime.” Matt said. Helen saw where this was going, and she knew it was nowhere good. “Matt, now is neither the time nor the place—”

Her worst nightmare was unfolding before her eyes; she was so incapable of assimilating into Levi’s environment that she was driving a wedge between him and his family.

She didn’t want to get involved, but she felt obligated to try and diffuse the argument before he said something he couldn’t take back. So quietly it was almost a whisper, she piped up “Hey, Levi, maybe now isn’t the time to—” No one even noticed her. “Say that again. Talk to me that way again in my house son, see what happens.” Matt challenged, pushing back his chair once more.

For a moment, Helen and Stella extended a truce to one another as they helplessly locked eyes across the table, watching their men, so similar but for their physical features, inch closer and closer to one another. “You go away for a couple years and all of a sudden you don’t just forget where you came from, you denounce it!” Matt shouted, so loud that the younger boys grabbed hold of one another.

“Does it now? Well I’ve got news for you kid—” “Matt, no!” Helen shouted, reflexively, despite knowing it was too late now. “I don’t watch the news. I am the news. That machine took my job. I’m paying the bills out of my 401k and it’s nearly tapped. So don’t tell me I don’t understand who that bitch is or what turmoil her family leaves in their wake. I know who she is and I know what you are. You’re a traitor who left us all behind to be something different, something you think is better. But all you’re doing is sleeping with the enemy. And I tried to bite my tongue, because I love you and I know you think you love her, but I won’t be a part of this anymore.”

And with that, Matt turned and walked out the front door. “Matt lost his job?” Levi asked, in disbelief. Helen stared down at her plate, pushing bits of steak around the rim, ashamed. “Nobody told me?! And then you tell me now? Here?” Levi screamed, loud enough to shake the cutlery. Helen shrank back, knowing she deserved it to a degree.

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