#(and specially helpful for packing Danny's things when he moved in years ago. before they got married)

[dark9896]

Day 13 [Daniel/ Raju/ Aligula]

Prompt: "...Always something more important"

Daniel

This ate at Daniel, always having to run off. And in the middle of dates no less. So when he saw you gathering things in your shared apartment, he couldn't blame you for what you were doing.

"Pie, listen." Daniel wasn't trying to get in your way at all, "I know this has been a lot. And that you deserve someone who can give you more of their time. But-"

"I don't want to hear it, Danny." You were fighting back tears, "If it was just work I'd understand. But this seems to be everything. It isn't just that work is more important, I knew what dating a police officer would mean, what it would be like. This is everything else."

Daniel stopped, still holding onto one of your scarves, "What do you mean?"

"It seems that everything from spots games, to whatever you're doing on the computer, to even your brother's problems... no matter how big or small an issue. It just seems like there's always something more important than me."

"Pie..." Daniel tried to grab your hand, "C'mon Pie, you know that's not true..."

"No, I kinda don't." You started walking for the door with your suitcase in hand, "And its a little too late for explanations now."

.

Raju

This was strange, to say the least. Raju was certain he knew where your apartment was. And yet, the window was closed and there was no sign that you were even still in this apartment building.

Had something happened? Were you evicted? Was it just getting too loud at night?

Raju managed to find you by some miracle, unsure why you wouldn't tell him if something was going wrong. He wanted to help after all, as much as he could.

"[Name], what happened?" Raju floated down beside your car, "I tried to return home but the window was closed, and it looked as if you moved."

You let out a deep sigh, "Raju, I just... I can't handle the long stretches of alone time. I understand why, I just. It comes off as you always having something more important to do. So I closed the window myself. And... packed away most of the knick knacks."

Raju reached out to touch your shoulder, upset when you drew back.

"[Name], I don't know what to tell you. My work has always been dangerous and learning to share my life with someone else is... its not something I've done before."

You looked at him, this had to be the first time he's ever shared anything about his past. At least, anything concrete that wasn't training or the past... 20-something years. Though, you didn't even know how old Raju was so who knows what counts as recent history for him.

"My kind aren't exactly known for creating familial units the way humas do. We only ever spend time together for sexual interactions and the occasional feast. But if you're telling me that you need me to be around more often, then I can attempt to do so. It won't be easy, but I believe it will be worth it."

Raju still didn't have a filter when it came to speaking his mind, but there was a kind of sweetness to his words. It was still difficult to justify him being gone for 8 months at a time, though if you used that summoning method as a reminder...

.

Aligula

Aligula was hunched over a large paper, plans for another pass at Deldro and Hummer. Her thoughts had flown right out the window when she noticed Klaus on the television a couple of days ago. And no matter what you said or did, she wasn't budging in the slightest.

"Lily, tell me something I don't know." You propped up on your elbows, "What's so special about this guy? Like why are you going after him when you have me right here?"

"Becaaaause!" She whined, "I was dating Deldro first. And then the million and one chances of finding Hummer, with his perfect face to just die for fell right in my lap. I neeeed them back in my life."

You sighed, straightening up, "They're always gonna be more important huh?"

Aligula didn't even register what you said. Nor did she know that you'd left until after her defeat. She spent a good three hours looking everywhere for you, but all she found was a small note.

"Always gonna be second best, aren't I? You'll always have something more important to do..."

#bbb #kekkai sensen #kkss #blood blockade battlefront #daniel law #master raju #aligura #angstuary 2023

[jemelle]

these are ties that bind (2/8)

you can also find this story on ao3!

fandom: criminal minds

rating: t

(chapter) word count: 2,409

masterlist

summary: emily and hotch must pretend to be in a long-term relationship in order to foster carrie. shenanigans and serious conversations alike ensue.

two.

Hotch and the rest of the team flew back to DC the next day. Emily stayed back, claiming a “family emergency.” It wasn’t totally a lie.

That afternoon, she and Carrie went back to the house. Emily had offered to go alone and gather Carrie’s belongings, but Carrie insisted on seeing the house one last time. When they arrived, Carrie took her shoes off and stowed them in the closet, but Emily kept hers on, uncomfortable. The cracked family portraits were still on display in the living room, and Emily hurried Carrie past the blood-stained room. Carrie’s bedroom was eerily clean, all evidence of destruction tidied away. They worked in silence as they packed up her minimal belongings. 

Occasionally, Emily would ask Carrie if she wanted a particular item, and she would respond. Apart from her clothes, most of the objects that had once belonged to Carrie’s family had become crucial evidence for the prosecution. At one point, out of the corner of her eye, Emily noticed Carrie slip a small stuffed jaguar in her suitcase, covering it immediately with a t-shirt. She didn’t comment.

When they finished with Carrie’s bedroom, Emily asked if there was anything else she wanted.

“Just one thing,” Carrie responded, disappearing into what had been her parents’ bedroom.

Emily stood alone in the living room, wondering how Carrie could possibly be so composed. There was no love lost between Emily and her parents, but even she would never want to return to the site of her almost-murder. It seemed likely Carrie was putting on a brave face, which an uncannily Reid-like voice warned her could be indicative of an unhealthy reaction to grief. Emily made a mental note to schedule an appointment with a therapist who specialized in teens and bereavement.

Carrie emerged from the room, carrying a large book in two hands. It was a scrapbook, Emily realized, probably full of family photos, but Carrie stowed it in her suitcase before Emily could ask any questions. 

They exited the house. Before they entered the car Emily had rented, Carrie turned around and looked at the house.

“It’s the only place I’ve ever lived,” she said, her voice wistful. Emily wasn’t sure what to say. In this respect, she and Carrie diverged. As a child, Emily had been constantly traveling, never staying in any place long enough to put down roots. She settled for a simple acknowledgment. 

“It must be hard to leave.” Carrie nodded, chin wobbling ever so slightly. As they drove away from the house, she kept her face pressed to the window, long after the house was out of sight.

~

That evening, Emily called Hotch. Carrie was in the shower, and Emily was sitting in bed, enjoying the feel of the expensive cotton sheets against her legs. Hotch picked up on the first ring.

“Prentiss?” Emily drew unexpected comfort from his voice. At the house, she had felt out of her depth, self-conscious about acting sufficiently parental at every turn. Hearing Hotch reminded her that she wasn’t completely alone.

“We need somewhere to live.” The realization that her one-bedroom apartment would not be suitable had come only today. It was nice enough, located in a convenient neighborhood, but not large enough for two adults and two kids, even if one of the kids was only there part-time.

Hotch cleared his throat. “Haley got the house. I’m currently living in an apartment, as I imagine you are.”

Emily nodded, before remembering that he couldn’t see her. “Yes, so that rules out both of our current places.” As she spoke, Emily had a sinking feeling about what needed to be done. “Actually, I do know somewhere we could stay.”

Although she was loath to admit it, Emily did technically own a home. Her mother had given her the deed as a birthday present, the least subtle signal yet that she was supposed to settle down. At that point, Emily wasn’t even living in the area, but Elizabeth had insisted that Emily would find herself there one day. 

It was a picturesque house, two stories with a nauseatingly cliche white picket fence. There was a large front yard, if she remembered correctly, and a small garden in the back. It was even somewhat close to FBI headquarters, although she would have to remember to figure out where the nearest school was. In short, it was the perfect house for a husband and wife to raise two children in, a goal Emily would have scoffed at even just a week ago. Although she had resisted all attempts made for her to actually see the house, the keys still hung on a hook in her kitchen, taunting her.

“I own a house near Quantico,” she told him. “It’s big enough for all of us, but you’ll have to get it set up.” The photos of the house indicated that while the kitchen, living room, and dining room were fully furnished, Elizabeth Prentiss at least trusted her daughter to decorate a bedroom. Emily could bring her things for the master bedroom, but Hotch would need to furnish rooms for Jack and Carrie. 

At that, it registered with Emily that she and Hotch had another problem: what were they going to do about money? Pooling their finances would prove awkward when it came to their eventual divorce, but she wasn’t comfortable asking Hotch to pay for things when they both had a steady source of income. Emily filed that under problems to worry about later.

“Did you hear me?” Startled, Emily registered that she hadn’t been paying attention to what Hotch had been saying.

“No, sorry, I was lost in my thoughts,” she apologized.

“I said I could take some time off tomorrow to set it up and asked how I could get into the house.” Although Hotch was normally irritated when his team members failed to pay attention, his voice was calm, and Emily wondered whether Hotch was panicking as much as she was. Although he was already raising a child, this situation had been sprung on him with no notice.

“Oh, the keys are in my apartment. JJ has a spare key.” Emily had given them to her after a particularly bad case, a tacit agreement that JJ could check up on her at any time. “Tell her I’m lending you a book. Or I can call her if you’d like.”

“I’m sure I can manage. I did, however, have to shoot down speculation about what you were doing in Chicago,” Hotch warned, although he still didn’t sound particularly worried. “Morgan was guessing it was a poorly disguised affair before Reid reminded him that it couldn’t technically be an affair because you aren’t married.”

Emily smiled. She could always count on Morgan and Reid to bring levity to any situation. The sound of running water in the bathroom ceased, and Emily bid Hotch goodnight as Carrie exited the bathroom.

“Who was that on the phone?” Carrie asked later, when they were both in bed. Emily looked up from her book.

“That was… my partner.” One thing she and Hotch had agreed on: they couldn’t lie to Carrie. Neither one of them wanted her to make a decision to stay with them based on false information. And yet Emily couldn’t find it in herself to tell the truth. It sounded almost pathetic out loud; my life is so lonely that to foster a child I pretended to be in a relationship with my recently divorced boss. At least “partner” gave her plausible deniability towards what kind of relationship they had.

She half-expected Carrie to push for more information, but Carrie simply turned off her light, seemingly satisfied with the answer. Emily folded down the corner of her book to mark her place, turned off the other light, and joined Carrie in restless slumber.

~

On the plane ride to DC, Carrie took a nap on Emily’s shoulder. As Carrie slept, Emily reflected on the funeral the day before. She had expected a quiet affair, given that Carrie seemingly had little family, but friends and neighbors alike had turned out en masse to offer their condolences. The coffins of Carrie’s parents had been closed, makeup unable to hide their extensive wounds, but Danny’s child-sized one had been open.

Carrie had held Emily’s hand as they looked at him, his expression peaceful. Although Emily had seen many dead bodies, she found herself fighting the urge to cry, promising herself that she would stay strong for Carrie.

During the service, Emily sat quietly in the back. She hadn’t been in a church for many years, and as Carrie stepped up to the lectern to speak about her family, Emily couldn’t help feeling that she had come full circle. When she told the church she did not desire a child, they cast her out, and here she was, more than fifteen years later, bringing a child into her life. If she had been less cynical, Emily might have even termed it a rebirth, but as it was she simply slipped out of the service early to weep quietly on the steps of the church.

~

It was evening when they finally landed in DC, and though her stomach grumbled, Emily resisted the urge to pick up burgers at the airport. She was nowhere near as bad as Spencer when it came to eating habits, but she still knew she’d have to eat healthier with Carrie around.

Emily hailed them a taxi, having left her car at the FBI building with the assumption that she would return with the rest of the team. She gave the address to the driver and pulled out her phone to inform Hotch that they were on their way. He had called her quickly yesterday to inform her that he had set up the bedrooms and was in the process of moving items from his apartment to the house, but she wasn’t sure where he was currently staying.

“Your partner?” asked Carrie as she finished her call. From her tone, Emily thought the girl might be teasing her, but she couldn’t quite tell. She decided to opt for sincerity with her response.

“Yes. He and his son will be at the house when we get there.” On the call, Hotch had informed her that Jack would be staying the weekend. Carrie looked interested at the mention of another child.

“How old is his son?” Emily wasn’t actually sure, although she thought Jack had had a birthday recently. She and Hotch really should have learned information about each other, à la Parent Trap.

“Two?” she guessed. She hadn’t been on the team when Jack was born, but she knew it was only months before Hotch and Haley split up.

For the rest of the ride, they talked about starting a new school and the classes Carrie had previously taken. She was a smart girl, and Emily hoped that she would be able to remain motivated despite the circumstances. 

As they pulled up to the house, Emily hid a grimace. This was suburbia all right. Their house looked exactly like every other house on the street, the only difference being that Emily’s landscaping was not as well-tended, her grass not perfectly clipped. After paying the driver, Emily helped Carrie take their suitcases out of the trunk and carry them into the house. 

When she opened the door, Emily was immediately struck by how homey the house already felt. The lighting was softer than the overexposed promotional pictures had shown and Hotch and Jack had both left their shoes and jackets in the entryway. Most enticingly, though, Emily could smell food.

As Emily and Carrie stepped over the threshold, Hotch rounded the corner, having clearly heard the door open. He was wearing an apron in a charmingly domestic gesture that indicated he was the likely source of the delicious aroma. When he saw Carrie, he smiled, wiped his hands on the apron and extended a hand.

“Aaron Hotchner. It’s good to see you again.” The introduction was slightly stilted, but Emily knew Hotch communicated his feelings better with actions than words. From making sure Reid had enough coffee on cases, to asking JJ about Henry when they were on a tough case, to, well, agreeing to do this with her, Hotch’s caring side was on display much more than people often thought.

Carrie thanked Hotch for his generosity, which he assured her was no object at all. “Emily has told me great things about you.” He then turned his gaze to Emily, who was still standing in the doorway.

This was the point in the heterosexual fantasy where an actual wife would kiss her husband, but there was no way in hell Emily was doing that. Instead, she settled for pulling Hotch into a genuine hug. Although she expected no less from him, seeing Hotch act so kindly towards Carrie had warmed her heart. He seemed momentarily surprised at her actions but relaxed quickly. 

She released him from the hug just as Jack ran into the room, nearly colliding with Hotch. “Where you go?” Jack asked, then turned to look at Emily and Carrie.

“I’m right here, Jack,” said Hotch, reaching down to ruffle Jack’s hair. “Do you want to say hello to these people?”

Jack hid shyly behind Hotch but waved nonetheless, his little hand popping out from behind Hotch’s legs. Beside her, Carrie beamed in response and Emily realized that this was the first time she’d really seen Carrie’s smile, not counting her obligatory one as she greeted guests at the funeral.

Emily watched as Carrie knelt down to Jack’s level. “I’m Carrie,” she said, as Jack emerged from behind Hotch. “You’re Jack, right? How old are you?” He held up two fingers. 

“That’s cool. I’m a little older than you but I bet we’ll get along great.” Emily had noticed that after giving her report of what had happened, Carrie had barely mentioned Danny to anyone. She wondered what the siblings’ relationship had been like. Another note for the therapist, she supposed.

“Come see toys?” Jack asked. Carrie turned around to look at Emily, silently asking permission to leave the room, which Emily granted with a wave of her hand. As the two disappeared around the corner, Jack’s laugh carrying down the hallway, Emily caught Hotch’s eye. He was smiling too, and Emily suspected he was thinking the same thing she was.

This might just work.

#criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #queerminal minds #*mine #*fic #these are ties that bind

[carreraleigh]

A Birthday Surprise

Pairing: Parker x MC (Callie)

Words: +2000

Rating: G

A/N: I wanted to write a fic about this cinnamon roll a while ago and I finally managed to inspire myself, hope you all enjoy it <3

Summary: Callie is back in the city of Pine Springs in the day of her birthday and Parker organizes a surprise party.

Tag: @drethanramsey @brightpinkpeppercorn @friedherringclodthing

Let me know if you all want to be tagged in future fics of this couple because I'm working in the tag list and more fics are coming <3

I'm not a native english speaker so I apologize in advance for errors.

———

Callie was excited to be back in the small town of Pine Springs. Summer was just beginning when she packed up all her stuff and got on the first bus in the morning.  She was looking forward to that summer, it was the first time she'd come back after last year's incidents, and she couldn't pick a better date, her birthday. Callie was excited to see her friends again, whom she only saw when they made Skype calls or visited her city from time to time during the year, although their visits of less than three days were never enough to do everything she wanted. The only one he saw frequently was Parker, who went to visit her every weekend he could, but lately he seemed busier than usual.

Callie didn't blame him, she knew that now as Chief of the town police he had many more responsibilities than before, and knowing Parker, his extreme need to help others and serve the community, he knew he was busy for good. However, she couldn't help but feel a little sad when he told her that he wouldn't be able to be with her that day because he was out of town helping a friend on a case, but he would be coming back the next day and he wanted to make it up to her, so she accepted the proposal without hesitation. In fact, the only one who seemed to have free time that day was Imogen, who had planned all of Callie’s birthday with things to do and places to visit. According to Imogen, the city was different now, in the good sense of the word, and she was excited to show her the improvements they had made.

Callie was finishing putting on her shoes when she received a message, it was Imogen, who told her that she was already in front of her house to pick her up for the little tour. She hurried down the stairs to find Elliot and her grandpa sitting on the sofa, her little brother playing with his cell phone while her grandfather had a book in his hands.

“Is Imogen already here?” grandpa asked, raising his gaze towards her.

“Yes,” Callie responded and checked her purse in case she forgot something “She wrote me a message saying she was outside.”

“Remember, you have to be here at 9:00 p.m to celebrate your birthday with us.” Elliot said without taking his eyes off his phone.

“Who are you, Grandpa?” Callie went up to him and started playing with his hair.

“Hey!” Elliot protested, she and her grandpa laughed at the same time.

“Of course I'll be here on time to celebrate with you.” She said looking at the room for the last time.

“Take care.” Grandpa said.

“Have fun!” she heard Elliot say before closing the door.

Parker moved anxiously from one side to the other with his arms crossed, thinking if they already had everything they needed for the surprise party for Callie's birthday. Danni was starting with the decorations while Tom brought the first boxes of drinks from Parker's car.

“I can swear we're forgetting something.” Parker finally spoke.

“Relax, Parker. We have everything covered.” Danni said taking out of a box the decorations that she, Imogen and Parker prepared for the party a week earlier “Imogen already said that she is with Callie distracting her for the rest of the day while we decorate her house, everything is going according to plan.”

“Besides,” Tom joined the conversation as he put some bottles in the fridge “You had all this planned about a month ago, nothing can go wrong.”

“I need everything to be perfect,” Parker said “Callie was already sad enough when I lied to her, saying that I couldn’t be with her today because I was out of town.”

“I told her I had a lot of work with the boats and she did not seem very happy either.” Tom said.

“Ugh, why are you two like this?” Danni looked up to them “She’s going to love this, everything will be worth it.”

“But what if she doesn’t like the decor, or the food, or the drinks, or the flavor of the cake I chose for her.” Parker said frantically.

“Look at me, Sheriff.” Danni got up of the couch with some decorations on her hand  “You spent a whole day figuring out the things you didn't know Callie liked, and another whole day going in and out of town looking for all those things to make her day special. Everything is going to be fine.” she extended her arms “Now, help me with these flags that I can't unravel while I take out the other decorations.”

Parker looked at her for a moment, and then smiled. When he grabbed the decorations, Danni sat again on the couch, then Parker did the same.

“You’re right, guys.” Parker sighed “We're here now, we've got everything, there's nothing to worry about.”

“That’s the spirit!” Tom shouted from outside.

“I hope Imogen is doing okay with Callie.” he said.

—

People say days go faster when you're having fun, and that's exactly what happened to Callie. The sun had completely set when she and Imogen were enjoying frappes on a bench in the square. Imogen managed to entertain Callie all day by taking her shopping, then for a walk by the lake, and now she had her strategically away from her home so she wouldn't accidentally run into anyone. Callie took a sip of her drink, and Imogen saw how the smile she had all day disappeared.

“What is it?” Imogen asked. Callie looked at her.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” she answered.

“Are you thinking of a certain person?” Imogen said.

“Maybe.” Callie sighed and then took another sip “I just miss him, you know.”

“Callie…” Imogen wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders “I'm sure he wants to be here as much as you do.

“Yeah, I guess he's got something good prepared because he hasn't let me know anything about his plans so far.”

“Yeah, maybe.”  Imogen said with a smile.

Parker parked his car as fast as he could in front of the flower shop and looked at his watch, it had been five minutes since their closing time, he couldn't believe he was late to pick the flowers he'd ordered for Callie. From the car he watched as Mrs. Johnson, a woman of about sixty years old and the owner of the flower shop, lock the door with a key, and in a town where everyone knew each other, he knew Mrs. Johnson and her husband well.  In his days as a deputy, he had to go to their house many times to bring down their cat called Lucius, who loved to climb the trees without being able to get down again.

“Mrs. Johnson!” Parker yelled getting out of the car, she jumped a little.

“Parker, dear.” the woman put a hand in her heart “You scared the hell out of me.” to be an old woman, Mrs. Johnson had a way of speaking that Parker thought was funny.

“Sorry, it wasn't my intention.” He said “I'm here because I need to pick up the flowers that I ordered last week.”

Mrs. Johnson looked up with a raised eyebrow, after a moment she gave him a smile.

“Oh, yeah… I remember.” she said “That bouquet of sunflowers for your girlfriend ... Ellie?”

“It’s Callie, Mrs. Johnson.” he corrected.

“Oh yeah, yeah…” she nodded “Well, don’t you see I've already closed the shop dear? I think you'll have to come another day.”

“Are your serious Mrs. Johnson?”  Parker ran a hand through his hair.

“I said what I said, dear.” she kept the key in her purse “Good night."

The idea was that Parker give the roses to Callie after surprising her with the party, he knew they were her favorites. He imagined so many times the face of his girlfriend with a smile receiving flowers on her special day, she would love it, he couldn’t leave without those flowers. He stood up straight then, and clearing his throat and with a deep voice he caught Mrs. Johnson's attention. There it was, his cop behaviour.

“Mrs. Johnson.” he said, the woman turned around.

“Yes, dear?” she said with a smile.

“As the Sheriff of this town, I ask you to give me the flowers for my girlfriend.”

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, until Mrs. Johnson broke into laughter. Parker started laughing as well, bringing both hands to his waist.

“You had to see your face, dear.” the woman said laughing “Unbelievable.”

“Oh stop, please.” he said smiling as he watched as she took the key out of her purse.

“I was joking.” she said “Anything for you my dear.”

“Thank you.” he said as the woman entered the flower shop in search of the bouquet.

Parker leaned against the wall to wait for her, until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and checked the message that had arrived, it was from Tom.

Everything is ready, we’re only waiting for you.

Parker began to write.

On my way.

—

Callie was looking at their social media, answering a few birthday congratulations, when Imogen abruptly rose from the bench they were sitting on.

“Well, it's time to go to our last activity!” Imogen said with a wide smile.

“Did you plan more things?” Callie asked, a little confused.

“It was last minute, but I hired some masseuses who do some amazing massages, you're not going to regret it.”

“I don’t know…” Callie looked the hour, it was getting late for the celebration with her family “My family prepared something for me.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Imogen took her from the arm making her get up “I told Elliot to tell your grandfather that you'd be a little late.”

“When?” she said, raising a eyebrow.

“When you went to the bathroom in the coffee shop.”  Imogen said with confidence, she had everything covered.

“Okay.” she raised his hands in defeat “I can't say no to a birthday massage.”

“That's what I thought!” they approached Imogen's car and got in.

“Any songs in mind for the radio?” Callie said skipping the songs she didn't like.

“You're my co-driver, I think that's your job.” Imogen questioned.

“Fair.” Callie smiled, playing the new summer music.

The two of them came all the way singing and laughing as they arrived at the house. Imogen parked the car in the yard and began to write on her phone with a smile. Callie looked at her expectantly waiting for her to open the doors, but Imogen didn’t move.

“Imogen?” she said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, we’re here.” Imogen said as he opened the doors and the two got out of the car.

“What's on your phone, anything interesting?” Callie lifted her head to see Imogen's chat, but she quickly put her cell phone in her pockets.

“Nothing,” she said without interest “It was just an offensive message.”  Imogen opened the door of her house “Shall we?”

Imogen had barely closed the door behind her when suddenly all the lights in the house went on, revealing what was inside.

SUPRISE!

Callie put a hand to her mouth trying to quell the scream of fear and happiness that came out at that moment. She looked around her, the whole house was decorated with balloons and flags, she could see in the distance a table full of snacks and drinks of all kinds, and even more in the background a dj table, with a guy lying on the wall with a smile. She fixed her gaze on the people in front of her, all of them were wearing hats that said "Happy Birthday, Callie”. All the people she wanted to share that day with were there, her grandpa, Elliot, Danni, Tom, Imogen, who had now moved towards the group, and Parker, who was holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers with a smile.

Callie's eyes filled with tears and everyone got closer to hug her, she couldn't believe they threw her a surprise party. Suddenly it all made sense, the way her friends said they couldn't be with her that day, the way Parker was trying to make up for not being there with her with nice messages, Imogen taking her out all day, it had all been part of a plan she hadn't noticed, she wiped her tears away as everyone stood in front of her again. Everyone had come to hug her, except Parker, who was now slowly approaching her, Callie's heart accelerated even more, she didn't expect to see him that day and less with what he had in his hands.

“Happy Birthday to the most amazing woman in the world.” he said, extending her hands to give her the flowers, she accepted them with a smile and looked at the others again.

“I don’t know what to say,” everyone laughed “I wasn’t expecting this.”

“So, do you like it?” Danni asked.

“Do I like this?” she smiled “I love this, thank you so much for this guys.”

“See, Parker?” Danni hit him playfully on the shoulder “I told you she would love it.”

“This was your idea, Parker?” Callie said looking at him, she felt her eyes get wet again. He had the most amazing boyfriend in the world.

“Well, it was.” Parker approached and slid one arm around her waist, leaving a soft kiss on her lips “But everyone helped.”

“We were just following orders.”  Tom said “Parker is the mastermind behind this.”

“Well, Well.” Imogen approached Callie with a shopping bag in her hands “I think the birthday girl needs to change into something more appropriate for this celebration.”

“So that's why you bought me clothes for my birthday.” Callie looked at her.

“Guilty.” Imogen said with a grin and started taking her up the stairs “Now if you'll excuse us, I'm going to prepare our girl while you guys start setting this party.” Callie just smiled as they went up.

“We'll be right back!” Callie shouted before they turned in a corner.

Parker and Callie were standing in the middle of the room, the two hugged as they moved slowly to the sound of the mellow music the dj had played as the party drew to a close. It was really late, Tom already left and offered to take her grandpa and Elliot to their house as well, since their house was close to his own. Danni was lying on the sofa, her eyes completely closed, her breathing slow and peaceful. Imogen was picking up the last cups that were on the floor, Callie was going help her until she gestured for her to stay where she was. Callie just smiled and hugged Parker again until Imogen disappeared into the kitchen.

“Well, this party was a great success.” Parker held one hand to her hair, stroking her gently, their bodies still moving.

Callie wanted to stay forever in his arms, smelling his perfume and feeling the soft fabric of his suit. When she felt ready, she raised her head and connected her eyes with Parker's, her hands around his neck and his holding her by the waist. They looked at each other for a moment, neither of them saying anything, sinking into each other's eyes as the music was ending. Callie still couldn't believe everything of what had happened, she felt so happy, so full of joy, it was impossible to explain in words, she couldn't stop smiling. Parker looked at her intensely, as if he wanted to remember every detail of her face, her hair, her skin, everything that made her, be her. The music ended and the two hugged again.

“I'm not ready for this night to end.” she said, Parker embraced her a little tighter.

“Who says it has to end?” he said. She raised her head to look at him, he was smiling.

“What do you mean?” she asked.  He leaded a hand to her cheek and kissed her on the forehead.

“What I mean is, I have a private party set up at my house.”  he brought his lips closer to her ear “Just say the word and we'll get out of here.”

Their eyes found each other again and the two smiled. Callie didn't know it was possible to love a person so much, they were like soulmates whose destiny was to find each other, in this life or another, and there he was, the most handsome and protective man she'd never known. Parker felt his heart melt, and in that moment, lost in her eyes, he knew that her smiling face and sharing with their friends and family was something he would treasure forever. He loved to make her happy because that made him happy too.

“You’re the love of my life, Callie.” he said taking her hands in his “I love you.”

“I love you too, Parker.” she closed the distance between them and kissed him. The kiss was slow, but somehow, full of passion “And now, let’s get out of here.”

#parker x mc #parker shaw #it lives beneath #poeticscolt fanfic

[adorkablephil]

Fic: The Roles We Play (4)

Title: The Roles We Play Summary: Dan Howell and Phil Lester work together as voice actors for BBC radio dramas in the late 1930s, but slowly begin to develop “inappropriate” feelings for each other Rating: G Word Count: 3,046 (this chapter) Tags: Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Historical AU, 1930s, BBC, Radio, Actors AU, Slow Burn, Love Letters, Past Character Death, Grief, Angst Author’s Note: This fic was inspired by the @phanfichallenge 20k History Challenge. A bazillion thanks, as always, to my amazing beta, India! See my note on the first chapter regarding historical inaccuracies.

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[ All Chapters Masterlist ]

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18 March 2001

Kathleen should have gone home about an hour ago, but she’d found herself unable to put down the letters emerging from the shoebox. She needed to know more! She wanted to know how it all turned out … and yet she wasn’t willing to cheat by skipping to the letters in the bottom of the box. She wanted to read each in its turn, following the story as it had unfolded in these men’s real lives.

She had also fallen hopelessly in love with Great-Uncle Dan and wished desperately that she’d gotten a chance to know him. If Phil Lester’s letters to him were any indication, Daniel Howell had been an incredibly wonderful person well worth loving.

Picking up her phone, she called her husband to tell him what was happening. He, too, expressed curiosity and urged her to stay as late as she liked. He would give the kids their dinner and even put them to bed if necessary. “No,” Kathleen objected. “I’ll be home before bedtime, I promise. I just want to read a few more letters.”

“Order in some food,” her husband, Stuart, insisted. “Look on their fridge. Even crusty old men probably have takeaway menus on their refrigerator. Have some dinner, read some more letters, and come home when you’re ready. You can always go back tomorrow to read more. Or bring the box with you.”

Kathleen shook her head, even though she knew Stuart couldn’t see her. “It would feel wrong to take the shoebox out of the house,” she explained. “I can’t explain it, but I don’t even want to move it off the table. My great-uncle had it open here—left it here perhaps the night before he died in his bed—and it seems disrespectful to move something so precious to him away from where he left it.”

“Well,” Stuart replied slowly, “you will eventually have to sell the house. And probably the table, as well.”

Kathleen laughed. “I know. I don’t need to leave it here forever … just … maybe until I’ve finished reading all the letters. Then I can pack them up and take them home. Save them somewhere special.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Stuart agreed gently. He was a good man. “Just make sure to eat something and don’t stay too late. Remember, you can go back tomorrow.”

“Yes, sweetheart. I’ll see you in perhaps two hours.” They said their goodbyes, and Kathleen wandered into the house’s tidy kitchen. All of the cabinet doors were slightly ajar for some reason, so she shut them. Such things disturbed her sense of order, and she wondered why her Great-Uncle Dan would have left the doors open like that. Did he honestly not notice or care? Or had it been some odd personal choice she could not understand? Did he have some reason for preferring them that way?

As Stuart had predicted, there were indeed a number of takeaway menus on the refrigerator. The one on top was for Domino’s Pizza, so Kathleen decided to order from them in honor of this house’s former occupants and their apparent culinary preferences. She phoned and was asked if she would like the usual order for that address, with all the dips. “Er … no,” she replied, and then ordered herself a simple, small pepperoni pizza. She also helped herself to some Ribena from the kitchen, where she found an entire drawer full of bottles of the stuff. It helped her feel more connected to them, as if she were somehow drinking their favorite drink with them. She raised her glass in a toast to Daniel Howell and Philip Lester, still uncertain whether Philip had been her great-uncle’s “housemate” or if Dan had found some other love later in life. She very much hoped that this had been Dan and Philip’s home together.

Waiting for the food to be delivered, sipping her glass of Ribena, she returned to the kitchen table and eagerly picked up the next letter.

-

4 August 1939

My most beloved Daniel,

In my lonely house at night, I think only of you. I re-read your letters and hold them to my heart. I think of the sweet words you have written and wish that I could hear them spoken by your lips.

I fear I am utterly besotted. Will you laugh at me? I think not, for I believe you share the intensity of my feelings, but I sometimes feel so alone, isolated in my inability to speak to you on these topics directly. Every time your eyes meet mine, I feel as if I have missed a step on a flight of stairs, as if I am suddenly falling. And, as when falling, I am not entirely without fear, but I like to imagine my fall ending with me landing in your arms.

Fancifully yours, Philip

-

There were many such papers: some proper love letters and others simple short notes. Kathleen’s pizza arrived, and she began eating absentmindedly, her attention still primarily on the letters from the shoebox. She held them far away from the pizza, however, lest pizza grease stain anything. She would rather risk pizza sauce falling on her own clothing than besmirch her great-uncle’s love letters.

-

18 September 1939

My Beloved Daniel,

Today during the radio broadcast, you touched my hand by chance, and I found myself momentarily unable to speak. You may perhaps be a negative influence upon my career, and yet I want only to feel the touch of your hand again and again. I want to hold your hand in mine and press a gentle kiss to your palm.

With these thoughts in mind, I will seek sleep tonight in my lonely bed and mail this upon the morrow so that I may hope to inspire dreams of you as long as the letter remains in my possession. In truth, I dream of you most nights, and expect tonight will be no different. I hope you also dream of me.

Yours always and forever, Philip

-

The doorbell rang again, surprising Kathleen. She looked at her watch to see that it was now early evening, and she should really leave this work behind and return to her family soon. She wondered who might be at the door, and so went to answer it. An older lady with bright red hair showing gray at the roots smiled in a very friendly fashion from the doorstep. “You must belong to one of my boys,” the woman said unexpectedly.

“One of your boys?” Kathleen repeated in confusion.

“Oh, my, yes. My Danny and Philly. Much older than me, of course, but still my boys. I’m Bernice, their neighbor these past … oh … more than twenty years. Nearly thirty, now, in fact.” The woman shook her head sadly, then reached out to take Kathleen’s hand and pat it gently between her own. “You must feel their loss even more keenly than I do.” And then somehow the woman was coming into the house, though Kathleen could not remember having invited her by word or by gesture. Bernice boldly went into the kitchen and made herself a glass of Ribena, then commented softly, “Oh. Someone closed the cabinets. Was that you?”

Kathleen nodded. “I don’t know why they were all open; perhaps a flaw in the construction? But seeing them all open like that bothered me, so I closed them. Why do you ask?”

Bernice smiled sadly. “It always bothered Dan, too. Phil was always leaving the cabinets open, and Dan always chided him about it. They bickered like the old married couple they were, you know.” Kathleen was happy to hear her hopes realized: It was Phil Lester with whom her great-uncle had gotten to spend his elder years. But the odd woman had continued speaking, her voice quiet and reverential. “After his dear Philip died, though, I came every day to visit poor Daniel to make sure that he was eating properly. He grieved so deeply, you know. I noticed the open cabinets and asked him about it, and do you know what that sweet boy said? He told me, ‘If the cabinet doors are open, then I feel like Phil might still be in the house, so I daren’t close them or face the fact that he is truly gone.’ Of course, he himself was gone not long after. Couldn’t live without his love, I think. They were the closest two people I’ve ever known, those two.”

Feeling a sudden upwelling of affection for this woman who had apparently cared deeply for the two men Kathleen had only begun to know through the letters, she smiled and said, “I’m Kathleen Banks, Daniel Howell’s great-niece. I didn’t know him well, and I didn’t know Philip Lester at all, so I would love to hear stories about them. I do wish I’d had the chance to know them before they died.”

Bernice looked Kathleen up and down and replied tartly, “Looks to me like you had at least forty years of opportunity, missy. It’s a mite late to be regretting now.”

Kathleen blushed, feeling as if she needed to explain herself to a woman she’d never even met before 10 minutes ago. “Great-Uncle Dan was estranged from the family my entire life, and I didn’t even know that Philip Lester existed until I began reading his letters today. My family told me that Great-Uncle Dan lived with another Army pensioner to help pay the rent, but that was obviously a lie. Given the way my family seems to have treated him, I don’t know if he would even have been open to knowing me.”

Bernice put her hands on her sizeable hips and shook her head in disbelief. “Well, of course he would have, child! It was only his own family that wouldn’t have him! Or, at least, that’s what dear Philly told me over tea one time when Dan was away. His mother’s funeral, I think it was, and Phil said it was one of the few times the family would even let him near. But of course Phil could not go with him. Danny never talked about his family, but I know Phil hurt for him.”

Kathleen frowned deeply. “I didn’t know,” she told Bernice. “No one ever talked about him, and I guess I was just busy with my own life, and I never thought…”

“Yes, yes,” Bernice interrupted her brusquely. “None of you ever thought of him. But that boy still had a family that loved him.”

Kathleen wanted to ask what family Bernice was referring to, but Bernice had walked up to a photo on the wall and smiled broadly at it. “Oh, those dogs. They loved those dogs. They’ve been gone 10 years or so now, but sweet Danny and Philly kept their photo on the wall.” Kathleen went to look and saw a photograph of two very happy-looking corgis with tongues lolling in doggy smiles at the camera. “The boys walked those dogs twice a day, every day, and it was often the only time they left the house. They liked their own company, you know—didn’t go out much. If I hadn’t stopped by so often to bring them proper food, they would have had pizza delivered every night.”

Kathleen glanced guiltily at the kitchen table, where her pizza still sat a safe distance from Dan’s pile of keepsakes.

“Oh,” Bernice breathed, having followed Kathleen’s glance toward the table. “Dan’s box of memories. He went through that every day near the end. I can only imagine the things he loved deeply enough to save all those years and bring out constantly during those final days.” She sighed, sniffed, and quickly wiped a hand across one of her eyes. She cleared her throat and added, “Well, I suppose it’s only fair that someone from his family be permitted to read the things he held most dear, though the whole lot should most likely be given to those what loved him when you’re finished.” Bernice gave her a steely-eyed glance.

“I think I’ve been coming to love him by seeing him through Phil’s eyes,” Kathleen admitted. “I wish so very much that I hadn’t lost a chance I never even knew I had. He seems like a really lovely person.”

Bernice laughed. “Oh, he was a crotchety old goat much of the time, unlike his sweet Philly, but that Dan had a heart of gold under all that bluster. I do wish you had gotten to know him, as you seem like you might be one of his few relations that might have brought him joy.” Bernice paused. “As long as you loved Phil equally, of course. There was no Dan without Phil, no Phil without Dan. They were a matched pair, and you wouldn’t have gotten a second glance from your great-uncle if you didn’t accept that Phil meant the world to him.”

Kathleen felt tears sting her eyes. “I think that may be why he became so estranged from the family. I think there may have been family members who couldn’t accept their relationship. That’s my guess, anyway. But I can promise you this: If I had ever gotten to meet the Phil Lester who wrote those letters, I would have hugged him even more tightly than my own Great-Uncle Dan. I feel as if prejudice within my own family stole them both from my life, never giving me the opportunity to know them.”

“Oh, pooh!” said Bernice with a dismissive hand gesture. “They wouldn’t have wanted much company anyway! They liked to be on their own, in their own little world, just the two of them.” She seemed to see something in Kathleen’s face and added, “But if you ever want to hear stories about them, get to know them a bit after the fact, you come visit me any time you like. I live just next door at number 18.” Bernice went to wash out her Ribena glass and left it upside down in the dish drainer. “I should be getting home now. I just wanted to see who was over here, since I saw the light on and got curious.” She stepped close and shocked Kathleen by kissing her lightly on the cheek. “You seem a sweet girl. Come see me anytime you’d like to hear about your uncles, because I loved those boys dearly and will never tire telling stories about them.” She smiled sadly again, gave Kathleen another quick kiss on the cheek, and then opened the door and left without another word.

Stunned, Kathleen sat down again at the table. The congealed pizza no longer looked remotely appetizing, and she hated seeing it so close to those delicate and precious documents her great-uncle had saved so carefully. She put the remaining pizza in the refrigerator, knowing that she would be returning tomorrow and might be willing to snack on it then.

Just a couple more letters, she told herself. Maybe two more, then she would head home. There was still plenty of time before the kids needed to go to bed, and Kathleen didn’t want to leave quite yet, not after that emotional conversation with the neighbor.

-

31 December 1939

My love,

I was, of course, distraught to see you leave so soon after that most precious moment, but I know that you must spend part of the festive season with your own family. I cannot have your attention every moment of every day, no matter how much I may desire it. Please know that you are in my heart and in my thoughts always.

As I write this, I know that I shall see you this evening for our New Year’s Eve broadcast. I will see your lovely brown eyes turn to me and I will know the emotions and the memories behind that glance. We may shake hands or I may rest a hand upon your shoulder, but those small touches contain a multitude of emotions.

We start the new year by turning a beautiful new page. We may find ourselves not in a position to express our feelings as openly as we might like, but we two know the truth and share its inestimable beauty.

Yours most devotedly, Phil

-

Kathleen couldn’t help wondering about “that most precious moment,” and quickly picked up the next envelope, only to find that it did not contain a letter. Or, rather, it contained a form letter with relevant details stamped in ink.

-

NATIONAL SERVICE (ARMED FORCES) ACT, 1939 ENLISTMENT NOTICE Date: 15 JANUARY 1940 Mr. DANIEL JAMES HOWELL

DEAR SIR,

In accordance with the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939, you are called upon for service in the ARMY and are required to present yourself on MONDAY 29 JAN 1940, at 10 a.m., or as early as possible thereafter on that day to:

RINGSTEAD BARRACKS MILL HILL RINGSTEAD DORSET NW7

A Travelling Warrant for your journey is enclosed. Before starting your journey you must exchange the warrant for a ticket at the booking office named on the warrant. If possible, this should be done a day or two before you are due to travel.

A Postal Order for 4s, in respect of advance of service pay, is also enclosed. Uniform and personal kit will be issued to you after joining H.M. Forces. Any kit that you take with you should not exceed an overcoat, change of clothes, stout pair of boots, and personal kit, such as razor, hair brush, tooth brush, soap and towel.

Immediately on receipt of this notice, you should inform your employer of the date upon which you are required to report for service.

Yours faithfully, James Alistair Davies Manager.

-

Kathleen found herself almost physically ill at the phrasing of the closing of the letter. “Yours faithfully”? Among all these letters from the truly faithful Phil Lester, a bureaucratic form from the British Army sending Daniel Howell off to World War II with a “Yours faithfully” made Kathleen nearly lose the pizza she’d eaten earlier.

She decided this was an excellent time to go home to the warm arms of her loving husband, who wouldn’t mind if she cried a little bit over events of decades past.

******

[ Continue to Chapter 5 ]

#phanfiction #phanfic #historical phanfiction #historical phanfic #phanfiction historical #phanfic historical #phanfiction au #au phanfiction #phanfic au #au phanfic #historical au #1930s phan #the roles we play #myphanfic

[kae-karo]

The Seven Deadly Insta Stories - Part 5

part 5 for the @phanfichallenge posting every day this week challenge! catch me being stupid soft for this tbh

The Seven Deadly Insta Stories

A collection of seven short fics based on the seven deadly sins, as told in the form of insta stories dnp didn’t post.

Chapter 5: Wrath - 980 words

Read on AO3

Dan’s listening to music as he writes, something contemplative and soft - the ideas flow out onto the page in a mess of chicken scratch, lines and arrows, dates and possibilities that get scribbled out when he remembers this or that obligation, commitments that don’t matter but they can’t avoid. He doesn’t hear Phil til he’s too close, til it’s far too late; Dan fumbles with attempting to close the notebook and tugging an earbud out at the same time.

“Oooh, Danny’s got something secret, wonder what-” Phil’s talking to his phone, the camera poised right over Dan’s shoulder, and Dan shoves at Phil’s arm, hoping they can laugh and Phil can poke some fun and that’ll be the end of it.

But Phil’s persistent, chuckling as his hand darts out, grabbing at the notebook and pulling it away before Dan can properly react; his heart lodges in his throat as Phil retreats back into the bunk area, saying something for the insta story that Dan can’t make out, but it doesn’t matter - Phil cannot see what he’d been writing.

Dan lurches from his seat, headphones forgotten as they’re wrenched from his ear; he races toward Phil, face hot with frustration and desperately hoping Phil’s not found the page yet. A naive corner of his mind thinks he can still salvage this, somehow.

“Phil, give it back,” he does his best to keep his voice low, tone even, but he knows he’s made a mistake, knows it’s too much - Phil’s brows lift at the same time his phone does, and Dan feels very watched.

“Dan’s keeping secrets, guys! New show segment, what’s in Dan’s notebook?” He chuckles, but doesn’t make a move to lower the camera, to stop filming. In fact, he very clearly takes another step back, grin turning to a smirk as he flips open to an early page in the notebook. Which is fine, Dan thinks, it’s probably just some old video ideas. Nothing remarkable there. Dan’s eyes widen as Phil flips further, though; his heart races, his breathing goes shallow, and he makes a final desperate lunge for the notebook.

“Phil, I said don’t!” Dan shouts, and he knows it’s only egging Phil on, but he can’t help it - Phil cannot see the page he’d just been writing on. Phil spins at the last second, of course, and somehow manages to avoid Dan; then he’s sequestered himself into the corner, phone hovering over the page in the notebook, and Dan feels like he’s sinking into the floor below him.

Anger boils up alongside nerves, though - how dare Phil think this is a joke? That he can just film things like this? Personal, private things. Hadn’t he learned his lesson all those years ago? Doesn’t he know better?

Dan’s suddenly desperate to shout this at Phil, to rage and bring up old arguments they’ve long since settled. But Phil should know by now! He takes what he hopes is a menacing step forward, though Phil’s back is turned, and attempts to crowd him. To make him waver. To make him stop, for fuck’s-

“Ooh, lots of dates scratched out for next year, what do you think Dan’s got planned for April? Maybe the next danisnotonfire?” He laughs, and Dan freezes - he knows it’s a joke, and it normally wouldn’t bother him at all, but Dan’s suddenly furious.

“Shut the fuck up, Phil, and give me my damn notebook back!” He grabs Phil’s shoulder and spins him around, probably with more force than strictly necessary, but Phil seems entirely unfazed, just giggling and sliding out past Dan and into the front lounge again. Dan follows, trying to use his height - for once - to look a bit more threatening. If Phil’s at all daunted by this, he doesn’t show it.

“Oooh!” He goes back to filming, though he’s stumbling toward the front of the bus as Dan gets closer. “What’s the- wait, why’d you write Studio Ghibli?” Phil pauses, squinting down at the page. “And...Tokyo?” Dan’s chest sinks, and his desperate hope he could do something special and unexpected for Phil flies out the window. “Dan, what’s- what is this?” Phil’s phone drops to his side, eyes wide and uncertain as he looks up at Dan.

For a moment, Dan just exhales, squeezes his eyes shut. All his anger dissolves into a mess of disappointment in his chest, and he drops heavily to the sofa.

“I was gonna surprise you, a trip back to Japan next year, but-” he breaks off, and he knows he’s on the verge of tears. Somehow, he’d thought if he didn’t have it on his laptop, if he planned and brainstormed everything on paper, he could keep it a secret. Phil wouldn’t find out, not til he woke him up the morning of with two packed suitcases and a taxi waiting to take them to the airport. He feels childishly, stupidly naive.

“Oh.” Phil sits beside Dan, “I ruined the surprise, didn’t I?” He keeps his voice low, leaning against Dan’s shoulder; even though he’s right, and Dan sort of wants to be upset, he’s lost most of the fight he had earlier.

“Yeah, you fucking spork,” he retorts, but there’s no force behind it; Dan sighs and drops his head to Phil’s shoulder. It’s silly to be mad, he knows, and he tries to let his disappointment fade out. It’s only partly Phil’s fault, anyway - Dan’s known him long enough, he should’ve expected he couldn’t keep this a secret.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll pretend I didn’t know? ‘Oh my god, Dan, what a surprise! I had no idea!’” Phil jokes, tone adorably forced and bright, and Dan huffs out a laugh and nudges Phil with an elbow. Phil responds by wrapping his arms around Dan, and Dan supposes it’ll probably be more fun to plan this trip together.

#phanfic #dnp #dan and phil #tour fic #insta stories #seven deadly sins fic

[pennywaltzy]

Santa's naughty list -- McMolly

And I finally got around to updating this series, as a Christmas in July surprise for @posterofamyth! Hope you all enjoy.

SECONDARY PROMPT: nakama (n: a good friend/someone that you love in a non-romantic way, who is like your family)

A Christmas Miracle (A “Stuff Of Improbable Legends” Story) - Things have been good for those in New Orleans, but they're about to get even better one Christmas Eve...

Read @ AO3 | Summer Of Surprises | Christmas In July | Help Me Survive?| Commission Me?

It wasn’t as though he had done all the work setting up for Christmas, but he was exhausted. Gifts for Livvy and James, gifts for the twins, gifts for Desiree and Zoe...all of them sat under the tree, perfectly wrapped with a doctor’s precise hand. He couldn’t believe this was another Christmas season the twins had gone through; the way the festivities had gone, he would have sworn it was their first. But he didn’t know why, but this year was special.

Maybe it was the fact that after the last huge exodus, no one else had left in...well, nearly an entire year. Almost two, come to think of it. All the people who had been there last Christmas were still in New Orleans, along with a few additions. Jim had knocked Rose up again, much to everyone’s surprise, and joining their brood of the six children they knew about was another son. Zoe was expecting, too, so he and Molly were getting at least one more grand-kid to spoil along with Desiree.

Life was good, he decided. Better than he’d expected considering how they all got smashed together in various universes.

He laid his head down in Molly’s lap and looked up at her. She had her reading glasses perched on her nose and her hair up in a sloppy bun and he had to admit, there were times he missed her as a brunette but when she’d seen her facetwin with blonde hair she’d lit up and decided to go for it. There had been a spa weekend in Baton Rouge for a ton of the ladies but they all came back looking prettier than ever.

None, however, as pretty as his wife.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said, causing her to grin and blush. All these years later and he still managed to pull a blush out of her.

All these years later and he was the luckiest man in a million different universes.

She moved her book aside and leaned down, kissing his nose. “And you’re still as handsome as ever,” she said, smiling wider when she straightened back into a sitting position. “But there are still more presents to wrap.”

He groaned. “Can’t we just tell Jim’s kids they’re on Santa’s naughty list?”

“We absolutely cannot, because I already know you’ve wrapped Kenzi’s gift. I didn’t see that lab coat with her name embroidered on it anywhere.” She tapped his nose this time with her finger. “You’re just happy she gets to do her residency in a few months.”

“Well, cooperating with the program has been beneficial to the clinic in multiple ways, but I want to work with my niece,” he said.

“I know.” She moved her hand and ran her fingers through his hair. “Are you happy?”

“More than I have been in a long time,” he said. “Are you?”

“I miss home, and I miss my friends, but I’m happy,” she said. “Do you miss your friends who aren’t here?”

“Like Spock and Chekov?” Molly nodded. “I do, but...I don’t. It’s been so long since he left. But everyone else is here, so...”

“I understand,” she said.

He was going to respond when there was a knock on the door. It was late, and they hadn’t expected anyone else to come back to the cabin until the morning when they were going to have a big breakfast courtesy of Molly, then off to Jim’s for the annual party. He got up and gave her a quizzical look as she joined him, getting up to go to the door.

Jim was standing there, the gray flecking his beard mixed with the falling snow. “You know my house is basically a way station for lost souls, but we’re out of rooms,” he said with a grin. “Since you’ve got the magic cabin, figured you could make some room for most of the arrivals.”

“Most of…? Jim, what the hell are you talking about?” McCoy asked, his frown deepening.

“Check your watches.”

Both he and Molly looked down at their wrists and saw they were off. Molly’s eyes got wide. “I don’t want to go back!”

“I don’t think you can, at least not according to our friends in charge of the tech,” Jim said. “We got an influx of people popping up all over NOLA. Old friends...and new.”

He looked behind Jim but Molly spotted the guests first. “Mary! John! Rosie!” she said, and then her eyes widened more. “GREG! SHERLOCK!” She ran out of the cabin and he watched as his wife was surrounded by her friends, giving hugs and kisses as even more people piled out of Rose’s car.

“Looks like we got one last Christmas wish before the universe decided we’d done enough good to get our happy endings,” Jim said, turning to watch Molly hold a much bigger Rosie than had left all that time ago, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. “Spock, Chekov, my folks...they’re all at my place. Carol’s here too, though she doesn’t remember anything from before. And Jaylah...you’ll actually get to meet her instead of just having the memories. Rose’s friends showed up, too, and we’ve got four to five in a room right now.”

“What about the others?” Leonard asked, trying to take it in.

“Star Wars house is actually full. Not sure how Livvy is going to react to Finn being back, but he’s here with Rey and Poe and everyone else who was here before. Martin’s back, Armand and Allison, Danny and Clara, the Marvel crew...I get the feeling my place is going to be packed tomorrow.”

“Zane? Daisy?” Molly asked from the side, and they realized that the whole group had come up.

“They’re here with all their girls,” Jim said with a grin. “Daisy’s taking it better this time. They’re staying at Phil’s bunker right now. Zoe and Jackson and his daughter are back, so they went to Zane’s old house.”

“Good thing you bought it,” Leonard said as wailing could be heard inside the cabin. “Molly, should we do introductions?”

“Yeah,” Molly said, a wide smile on her face. “They can meet the twins tonight and James and Livvy tomorrow.” She moved to Leonard and kissed him softly before pulling back. “Rather nice we got a Christmas miracle, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I think it is,” he said, a matching smile on his own face. “Go get the kids. We have to fix up the cabin but...”

“But it will be worth it,” she said. “Come on in. Sherlock, don’t argue with me about my use of magic. It’s a rather long explanation.”

Leonard and Jim parted to let everyone in, waiting for Rose to give Jim a pretty exuberant kiss before she shut the door on the two men. Jim grinned over at McCoy. “Never expected this, did you?”

“Not in a million years,” McCoy admitted. “But it’s worth it, isn’t it?”

“Definitely,” Jim said, reaching over to clap his shoulder. “You got any eggnog?”

“With or without rum?” McCoy asked with a smirk.

“With.”

“Got a babysitter for your hellions?”

Jim waggled his fingers. “Teleportation. We can pick up the cars tomorrow.”

“Good point.” McCoy looked over at him. “Merry Christmas, Jim.”

“Merry Christmas, Bones.”

#mccoy x molly #leonard mccoy #molly hooper #james kirk #fanfic #fanfiction #mcmolly #my au: stuff of improbable legends #answering asks! #posterofamyth #strangelock221b

[fictionsofasasswolf-blog]

Force of Will | Teen Wolf

Chapter One; Anniversary

If anyone had told him twelve months ago that his first and only love would be almost twice his age, sarcastic, fierce yet gentle and the biggest closet cuddler alive, Isaac Lahey would have ripped them apart. Now? Well, as his let his eyes wander across the living room of the apartment he shared with his mate, he couldn’t imagine anything better. He wouldn’t change anything about his life. Except the constant nagging from Scott that Peter was going to kill him. Isaac knew better, he could feel it. Every time Peter looked at him, every kiss they shared, was true. He could sense it as easily as his inner wolf. He knew Peter loved him and him alone, and he knew that he himself would never be able to love anyone else. It was how wolves worked. He hadn’t been able to understand it at first, his unusual need to be around Peter and have the wolf’s attention, as no one was willing to explain it. So he’d turned to Peter; the oldest wolf of the pack. And it was the very person he’d longed for that helped him understand what they were. Isaac had whole-heartedly handed himself over to the bond he had with the older wolf, moving in with Peter almost overnight. Bringing himself from his musings, he looked down at the homework in his lap. Weekend homework, what a buzz kill. Senior year was a bitch. But, unlike when he’d been living with his father, his grades were almost perfect. Isaac was reminded by that thought that if it hadn’t been for the abuse his father had put him through that he would never have found his way here. Raising his eyes again, he watched as Peter cooked. Leaning back into the arm of the couch, he smiled. He needed to be here, he could feel it with every fiber of his being. It wasn’t some need for attention, as so many of his friends suspected. It was a subconscious choice, a need, to have Peter. And Peter had no problem giving Isaac anything, and Isaac couldn’t deny how much deeper he’d fallen in love the older wolf, something the wolf in Isaac encouraged with a fervor and delight. The teen looked away, blushing, as Peter turned, as if he could feel Isaac’s gaze on him from across the apartment.

“Is something wrong?” the older man inquired calmly, returning to finishing the omelets he’d been making. He didn’t understand why Isaac enjoyed them so much, but they were rather simple to make, and he didn’t mind tending to Isaac and the teen’s every need. Well, except one, which Peter wasn’t going to force on Isaac, no matter how much his inner wolf protested.

“Nothing,” Isaac said, looking at the math problem. Algebra was such a pain. “Just wondering why you never complain about cooking ever.”

“Isaac, I used to help cook for my entire family before they were murdered.” Peter said with ease. Certain aspects of their pasts had slowly become easier to talk about with each other. Like Peter’s temporary insanity after he broke the coma. Isaac’s near daily abuse from his father before Derek turned him and the kanima – Jackson – had killed the man. Peter gave a soft smile as he pulled the pan from the burner. “I can handle cooking for just the two of us.” He promised, sliding the omelet onto the plate and moving to set the plate on the raised countertop of the island. “Now come eat.” Giving Isaac an actual smile, he picked his mug up and sipped at the coffee.

Isaac smiled back with ease, setting the book and spiral aside to get up. Taking a spot at one of the stools, he picked up his fork with another smile at Peter. The smiles shared in this apartment, no matter where, were a secret. No one outside of the building ever saw them. It was something special for just he and Peter. Something that they shared with only each other and no other soul. Isaac actually liked it this way, that Peter alone could see him this happy. He ate quietly, and when he was finished, he scooted from the stool. Walking to the sink, he cleaned off the plate. As he was washing, he felt the familiar warmth of Peter’s arms encircle his waist and he leaned back into his wolf. “Can we stay in today?” he asked softly as he rinsed the plate and set it on the drainer. He closed his eyes as Peter kissed his neck, baring his neck. “I don’t feel much like going out.”

“Not even for dinner?” Peter asked, closing his eyes as he nuzzled the teen, his nose brushing along the younger wolf’s cheek. “Tonight is kind of special, after all.”

“Special?” Isaac thought aloud, tilting his head to look at the other wolf. “Special how?”

“Special in the fact that tonight marks the one year of you moving in.” Peter answered, resting his chin on Isaac’s shoulder casually.

Isaac blinked. Had it really been that long? Pausing to think, he gave a smile as he realized that Peter was right. He had, in fact, been living with Peter for a year. “Did you mark it on the calendar or something?” the younger beta teased, turning his head to kiss the other wolf. His response was a quiet shrug as the former alpha slowly released him. “Peter Hale, the sentimental type.” He said in a playful voice. “Who’d have thought?”

“I can be quite sentimental, Isaac. But no one bothers to know that because they keep me at twice arm’s length.” Peter explained, reaching out for the teen’s hand to interlace their fingers. “Unlike you, they prefer to see me as I was, not as I am.” He explained. Leaning down a little, he kissed the slender fingers of his mate before letting Isaac’s hand go and walking to the living room. “I had plans, but if you’re certain you want to stay in, that’s fine.”

Isaac wanted to huff. How was he supposed to know that Peter had made plans? And so close to the holidays? School only had another week before they were out for Christmas, which, per Derek’s orders, the entire pack was to attend a family dinner on Christmas day. Which to Isaac’s dismay meant listening to Scott whine to Erica about how much longer it would be until Isaac’s body turned up. Isaac was mentally tallying how many people Peter would inevitably end up cooking for that day. The two of them, Derek and Stiles, Erica and Scott, Jackson and Allison, Cora and Boyd, Lydia and Aiden, Danny and Ethan…maybe Stiles’ dad and Scott’s mom. The pack was a great deal larger than it originally was from what he understood. But cooking for 14 to maybe 16 people? Possibly more if Deaton and Morrell showed up. His mind going back to Peter’s comment, the wolf moved to sit beside Peter on the couch, tucking himself into Peter’s side. “What plans did you have exactly?” he asked.

Peter gave a shrug as his arm wrapped instinctively around his pup. “Some out of town stuff. Lunch, dinner, maybe a night away from everyone.” He mused quietly. “I know how much Scott’s been pestering you about us.” He kissed Isaac’s head.

A night away? Isaac couldn’t help but shiver. Maybe he could finally get Peter to give him what he wanted. Every time he tried, Peter would say he wasn’t ready. It was the one thing Isaac craved probably more than his wolf. It wasn’t just sex, it was so much more. Isaac wanted more than anything to finally be allowed to share even his body with the older wolf. He wanted it, damn near begged for it sometimes. As the thought of it crossed his mind, he leaned up enough to kiss the former alpha’s neck. HE smiled as Peter tilted his head to bare his neck, the teen lightly nipping at the warm flesh of his mate. Taking it as an encouraging sign when Peter didn’t stop him, he moved to straddle the older male. “I’ll go on one condition.” He said, not knowing if he should voice it or not. He watched Peter watch him for a long moment, and then a warm hand was on his cheek. Unable to help himself, he leaned into the touch, the warmth of the other wolf’s skin completely intoxicating to him. The wolf in him begged for more in his mind, clawing at him eagerly to have Peter and his wolf claim them. “Peter…” he murmured, eyes locking on the pale blue of the eyes of the man he loved above all else. When Peter tilted his head with a droll kind of look, Isaac whined. “Why?”

“Isaac, I won’t force it on you. Not ever.” Peter replied.

“You’re not forcing me, Peter.” Isaac said, leaning forward to rest his forearms on each shoulder as he pressed his forehead against Peter’s. “I want this. I want you.” He explained. His lips brushed against his mate’s, his eyes closed as he listened to Peter’s breathing, the sound of the wolf’s heart.

“Your birthday, Isaac.” The older wolf said, making the teen’s eyes open with a confused look. “I want to wait until your birthday.”

“That’s a month away!” Isaac protested with a whine.

Peter shrugged. “I wanted that birthday to be special.” He answered. “You’ve lasted this long, Pup.” Peter didn’t miss the shiver down Isaac’s spine. “Try to last another month? The first time you make love to your mate can literally drive you insane with the need to fully mate. Pack laws delegate I can’t do that until your nineteen.”

“But if you didn’t fully mate me, if it was just sex, could we?” Isaac asked.

Peter gave a nod. “But it’s very tricky, Isaac. Our bond is opened completely. If it isn’t done that first time, we’d both be miserable trying to fight it the rest of the time.” He explained.

Isaac actually pouted but looked down and nodded. “Alright, a month.” He conceded, although a part of him wondered if he could tempt Peter before then. Surely no one would know if they fully mated or not, right? “Where are we going?” he inquired, looking up at Peter.

The older wolf smiled. “The coast.” Peter answered. “Our hotel room looks out over the beach.”

Isaac gave a thoughtful look. Overlooking a beach, away from everyone else. No one to bother them at least for a night. He liked it. And maybe he could convince Peter to do at least something sexual. With a smile and a nod, he leaned in to kiss Peter. “Alright, let’s go.” He agreed, sliding from Peter’s lap before his eyes landed on the spiral. “Wait. Give me an hour to finish this algebra.” He groaned, his mood bummed a little that he’d forgotten about it.

#teen wolf #teen wolf fics #peterxisaac #pisaac #My works #t; fow

[magifurem-blog]

and then the complete opposite: alternate ending + emily died with danny's mum

meme ;   send   ‘ alternate ending ’   for a drabble on how my muse would be different if something in their past was altered. status ;  no longer accepting

NOTE:   trigger warnings for: death, injury, child abuse, murder, hospitals, and probably some other things i’m forgetting.  this is not a fun story.

how long james lays there, pinned between the twisted remains of the passenger seat in front of him and the door, pleading with his mom and emily to wake up, he isn’t sure.  all he knows is that everything hurts for a long time before it all goes dark.

when he wakes up again, he’s in a strange bed in a strange room that’s too bright and smells like soap and his dad is dozing in a chair nearby.  when james makes a small noise, remembering what happened, his dad surges to his side, pulling him into his arms like he hasn’t since he was a baby and james tries to pull away until he realizes his dad is crying and it’s scary because he’s never seen his dad cry.  so instead he buries his face in his father’s shoulder and asks where mom and emily are and tries to understand why that makes it worse.

there doesn’t end up being a funeral service.  mom doesn’t have any close family, dad explains at the burial, but james isn’t listening.  he’s staring at the little bird carved into the stone slab with emily’s name on it and wondering what should’ve would’ve been on his.

being at home hurts too, because emily’s toys are still in the living room and the den still smells like mom and his dad starts drinking the alcohol that used to only be for special occasions.

a funny thing happens his father drinks.  he calls james downstairs and talks to him.  tells him the opposite things than the doctors and nurses at the hospital told him.  that it was his fault his mom and emily had died, that they’d still be alive if he hadn’t begged to go see that magic show in the park, that it should’ve been him who died and them who made it out.  james believes him, tears spilling over his cheeks, because his dad’s never lied to him before, because of what he sees in the eyes that match his own: pain, hatred, so much rage.  he yells at james when he cries, tells him to grow up, and when he can’t, his dad hits him hard in the chest and james hides in his room the rest of the night. 

he goes back to school, pretends not to hear other kids whispering or notice the weird way teachers talk to him now.  like cops talk to criminals on tv.  like he’ll blow up if they say the wrong thing.  he starts failing his classes and that makes his dad angry and he calls james stupid and asks what the hell he thinks he’s doing and when he pushes him down he hits the coffee table and scratches his arm all up.  in the morning his dad makes pancakes and apologizes and makes sure james knows that everything that happened has to be their secret.

one day he comes home from school and finds their house in boxes.  almost everything’s packed away and separated into two piles:  the things they’re taking with them, and the things going into storage.  james sneaks as much as he can into the ‘take’ pile but there’s only so much he can do without his dad noticing and in the end the only things from his mother he manages to keep is a few books.

sitting in their new home, a grimy little townhouse further into the city that never seems to get warm, the only time james feels okay is when he digs out his shrike tapes and watches them in the middle of the night after his dad passes out.  sometimes he rewinds a trick a dozen times, trying to see what he’s missing, where the trick really begins.  sometimes he pulls out the deck of cards with half of them missing that he got for a birthday a few years ago and tries his best to follow along.  the first time he manages to duplicate a trick he makes a noise of surprise so loud he almost rouses his father and forgets for the first time in almost a year that he’s supposed to be dead. 

he’s thirteen, a week into middle school, when he gets beaten up at school for the first time.  it’s so different from when his dad hurts him because they don’t even seem mad at him.  they attack him because they enjoy it, not even because he deserves it, and that simple fact enough enrages him enough that he fights back.  he loses, of course, a diet consisting of only the occasional school lunch has done little in helping him bulk up or even keep up with his peers in terms of size, but something else happens.  he finds he likes fighting back.  that rush of righteous indignation makes him feel almost like a whole person and so he embraces it, even as it ends up with him sitting in the office day after day, a new scrape or bruise to add to his collection.  what’s better is that it provides an viable excuse for the other marks across his body.  ( well, most of them.  the place where shattered glass had dug into his back and a cigarette burn on the back of his neck wouldn’t pass as bullying souvenirs. )

it carries over, that desire to fight back.  there comes a point where it follows him home.  when he has the nerve to think that his mere existence doesn’t warrant being pushed down the stairs or bottles aimed at his head.  when he has the nerve to think asking for dinner shouldn’t be some unforgivable sin.  the beginnings of resentment sew themselves into his chest, and when a shove down the stairs results in an injury that almost paralyzes him and his father’s sale of his pain medication leaves him writhing in agony, half starved to death for a month, that resentment blossoms into hatred. 

he fights back.  he’s no match for his father, and retaliation only makes it worse, but he’s nothing if not stubborn and he’s got nothing to lose and so he seethes and lashes back, even if he always ends up a groaning mess on the floor with the taste of blood behind his teeth.

when he’s sixteen, he manages to black thomas’ eye.  the satisfaction at the pain he sees flash across his face and the dark purple mottling above his cheek the next day almost makes it worth the sickening crack of his right arm beneath his father’s boot, the scream that wrenches out of him when his foot twists, the way he has trouble moving his fingers.

the next morning, he stifles down noises as he shoves his swollen arm into the arm of a jacket and goes to the library.  he looks up splints and how to treat a bone the best he can, having long since given up hope of a doctor’s visit.  it brings tears to his eyes to put in a homemade splint that afternoon, and he’s clenched his teeth so hard he fears they may break, but the pain clears his head enough for him to make a decision.  as quickly as he can manage with one arm, he empties his schoolbag and fills it with the few clothes he owns, steals the money stashed in the pantry that his father doesn’t know he knows about, and runs. 

six weeks later, and he’s no more starved than usual.  no more beaten up than usual.  he’d planned to do magic, in the few late night desperations in which he’d planned his escape, do street shows for money, but with his arm… well it’s impossible.  and when, after the swelling and redness has gone away, his right hand picks up a tremor that sends his cards spilling over his lap or revealing the trick accidentally, he gives up that fairy tale.  ( years later, a court mandated doctor and psychiatrist will argue over the cause of said tremor:  nerve damage from the untreated break or a psychosomatic response to trauma )  it breaks something in him to do it, like he’s betraying something deeper than himself, but survival is all he knows and so he teaches himself instead to pick pockets, to convince passerby that he just needs a couple dollars for cab fare to get home before curfew or his mom and dad are going to be so worried. 

he manages to make it almost a year before that tremor in his hand gets him caught.  he gets cocky, tries to put the wallet back when he’s done with it, and ends up thrown into a holding cell.  he’ll never admit it, but pressed against the wall in the corner of a cell, he sleeps better than he has in a long time.  it takes them until morning to figure out who he is, apparently the school had filed a truancy report, then a missing persons one. 

when he asks if they’re going to force him to go back to his dad, he’s unprepared for what they tell him:  his father’s killed two people, knifed them in a barfight, is in the midst of his trial.  james thinks he should’ve seen it coming, thinks he should’ve stopped it, thinks, yet again, that it should’ve been him.  they stick him in a foster home for the time being, but adjusting after being alone for a year is nearly impossible, and all it takes is being called the son of a murderer once for him to run again.

he leaves chicago for the first time in his life then, there’s too many people looking for him, too many people too close. he hitchikes and walks and steals the occasional car or motorcycle, starts going by danny and works westward in search of new opportunities and faces that don’t know his tricks. 

he finds himself in vegas fairly quickly.  he may incapable of magic, but he’s still skilled enough with cards to cheat without detection.  he gets an ego though, gets bold enough to be noticed, and it doesn’t take long for him to go from a blip on paulie attanasio’s radar to working under his employ.  he starts off catching fellow cheaters in return for a cut of the table, but it doesn’t take long before he’s involved in the planning of bigger, better scams.  ( what can he say, he’s always had a knack for logistics ) 

they come on the radar of the fbi, and he watches dylan rhodes trick and weasel a confession out of willy mears with something like amusement, already planning his escape.  something else happens though, some robbery by a bunch of magicians, danny thinks the word with venom, and the heat vanishes for awhile.  until it comes back and he’s arrested by an agent fuller.

he turns state’s evidence without hesitation, and is put under witness protection as a result, though it only takes about a month for him to slip the marshals monitoring him.  he becomes again a nomad, never staying anywhere longer than a few weeks. 

two years.  he survives for two years before he chooses the wrong target and ends up with a bullet lodged in his chest, bleeding out in a new york alleyway, with the roar of people celebrating new years in his ears.

#♢ ┊┊ how this trick is done. —— ⸢ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀᴇᴅ ⸥ #equesv #cw: death #cw: child abuse #cw: injury #cw: murder #cw: alcohol #[ this is fine ]

[blankasolun]

source: Northwest Music Scene May 11, 2018

Musicares honors Mike McCready at Seattle’s Showbox with historic night of music

May 11, 2018 Glen Casebeer

Every year Musicares, a part of the Grammy Foundation that helps people in the music industry with addiction and other medical resources, puts on a special music event and for the first time, Seattle was the chosen spot. The 2018 version was organized to not only pay homage to one of the greatest music cities on the planet but to honor one of its biggest supporters, Mike McCready. With Mike’s history with recovery, Musicares and of course Seattle, the night that was planned out couldn’t be anything but legendary.

The first to take the stage was Senior Director of Musicares Erica Krusen, explaining how important it was to do this show in Seattle. (she herself has a huge connection to Seattle via Pearl Jam) After the roll call of generous sponsors was finished up, it was time for some music and the first all-star grouping of the night of McCready, Danny Newcomb, Duff McKagan, Mark Arm and Barrett Martin started things off with a bang. Spread out across a stage packed full of gear, they fired off a blistering version of “Search and Destroy” by The Stooges. After the last note was played, Newcomb exited, leaving the four remaining rock stars to play “TV Eye” also by The Stooges, much like they did a few years ago on top of the Pike Place Market sign.

Thunderous applause greeted the end of The Stooges portion of the night, giving way to what is lovingly known in the northwest as Flight to Mars. The usual suspects came out for this one, with Mike wearing his trademark white flying Vee. As Paul Passarelli, Gary Westlake, Tim DiJulio, McCready and Mike Musburger played the first few notes of Thin Lizzy‘s “Cowboy Song” from the 1976 album, Jailbreak, the crowd had a sense they were in for something good. Although most were seated you could feel the energy somehow rising with Passarelli delivering the kind of epic vocal performances he’s known for, with the rest of the members bringing their “A” games as well. The twin-guitar attack of McCready and “Rock Tim” DiJulio completely destroyed the legendary solos in that song as they traded licks and played off of each other throughout. With zero pause, the band launched right into UFO’s “Lights Out,” once again knocking it out of the park with this lineup of friends finishing off the FTM portion of the show with one of the greatest rock songs ever written, “Love to Love” from UFO‘s 1977 album, Lights Out. If you’ve ever seen FTM, then you know how much this band puts into making these songs special, and this performance at the Showbox left most people with jaws on the floor, again. Especially those that had never previously experienced Flight to Mars.

After that epic display, a special video was shown on the screen behind the stage with all four members of Seattle darlings Thunderpussy telling Mike how much they love him and wishing they could have been there but they are on tour and the video would have to suffice. Mike clearly was moved by their message and playful display!

Next up were a few auction items, a 2014 Gibson Les Paul signed by all the members of Pearl Jam and a one of a kind Nixon watch crafted from a guitar strap from the late Chris Cornell. (still hard to type that) Those priceless items brought in a whopping $16K and $15.5K respectively and after Chris Adams had taken the last bid, he welcomed Musicares Chair Michael McDonald to the stage, who explained a bit of his personal recovery story, before asking for donations to directly help others suffering from addiction. The Seattle crowd was generous with countless people standing up with their glowsticks wanting to contribute financially. After some light-hearted banter from northwest native Joel McHale, the next set of music was ready to take over the sold-out venue.

Kim Virant, Nancy Wilson, Chad Smith, Josh Klinghoffer, Duff, Mike would play “Dead Flowers” from The Rolling Stones with Kim and Nancy sharing a mic for what turned out to be another righteous display of musicianship. As Kim sang to Mike with her arms on his shoulders, you could feel the love for this guy in the room, from the band members, to every table in the Showbox. A quick lineup change would have Barrett taking over on drums, with Nancy and Kim exiting, while Star Anna came out. The first few unmistakable notes of Mad Season‘s “River of Deceit” brought another “oh wow” moment to a night full of them. Star made it her own with a hauntingly beautiful vocal performance featuring Duff on backing vocals.

Another highlight of the evening came when Nancy Wilson wandered back out with Ben Smith and Ryan Waters, joined by Duff and Mike for a mind-blowing performance of Pink Floyd‘s  “Comfortably Numb,” which found McCready absolutely owning the universe on the guitar solos. They quickly followed that up with Heart‘s “Even It Up” with Wilson singing, providing even more northwest music epicness on that one.

Part of the reason for this gathering of stars was to present Mike with the Stevie Ray Vaughan award from Musicares. The presenter, Duff McKagan, lovingly explained how important McCready, his friend of 40 years, is to him and the world in general. After accepting the award, McCready went down a partial list of the people in the northwest we have lost and then honored Musicares themselves for the work they do to help prevent that from happening again.

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Guitarist Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Nancy Wilson of Heart and Duff McKagan of Guns and Roses perform on stage during the MusiCares Concert For Recovery presented by Amazon Music at the Showbox on May 10, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/WireImage)

Musicares Honors Mike McCready at Seattle’s Showbox with Historic Night of Music source: Northwest Music Scene May 11, 2018 Musicares honors Mike McCready at Seattle’s Showbox with historic night of music…

#barrett martin #chad smith #comfortably numb #cowboy song #danny newcomb #dead flowers #duff mckagan #even it out #grammies #heart #jailbreak #josh klinghoffer #lights out #love to love #mad season #mark arm #mike mccready #nancy wilson #pearl jam #pink floyd #river of deceit #search and destroy #temple of the dog #the rolling stones #the stooges #thin lizzy #thunderpussy #ufo

[northgeorgiasportsman]

21 Things To Do in Dallas This Week

Justin Timberlake is returning to the AAC on Thursday night. email Print Article

AA

Wednesday

Need a ladies night? Or a men’s night? Or just a night to get totally wasted and scream and holler when you see men taking off their clothes? Chippendales is coming to town just in time for bachelorette party season. Or a way to unwind after the stress of the holidays? Or it’s cold outside and you miss the sight of shirtless men? Whatever floats your boat or makes you hoot and holler, see it all (well, mostly all) at 8 p.m. Wednesday at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. Tickets start at $25 at livenation.com. Paige Skinner

Thursday

Rover Dramawerks picked Muriel Resnik’s Any Wednesday for its 19th season opener, which you can catch at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday at 221 W. Parker Road, Suite 580, Plano. Playgoers 55 years ago (any readers still around?) may remember the play on Broadway with Sandy Dennis and Gene Hackman. Jane Fonda starred in the movie. Familiar plot: Married business tycoon visits mistress in office-paid-for apartment every Wednesday. Complications ensue when client and tycoon’s wife mistakenly get sent to the apartment. Carol M. Rice directs Mark Massey, Jade Reyes, Eddy Herring and Lucia Welch. For info and tickets, roverdramawerks.com or 972-849-0358. Thursday and matinee tickets are $18; others are $24; teacher/student/senior, $20. Reba Liner

It’s been about eight months or so since Justin Timberlake appeared in town, gracing the same American Airlines Center stage that he will again command Thursday night. Such is the magnitude of his star power. After all, there are very few artists who could return to the same scope and size of venue in such a short time. On that last appearance, JT took the sold-out crowd on a journey through his vast solo catalog of hits, enthralling the audience with his slinky dance moves, buttery smooth falsettos and charmingly, magnetic charisma. His shows also skew heavily toward the mom demographic. Much chardonnay will be sold and much is likely to be spilled as the gaggle of 30- and 40-something ladies will undoubtedly raise their glasses high in the air as they swoon and sway to his every move and note. If you’re there, feel free to join in. If you’re not in attendance, your social media feeds will keep you updated minute by minute. 8 p.m. Thursday, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., $49 and up at ticketmaster.com. Jeff Strowe

Toro y Moi, along with Neon Indian and Washed Out, was a forerunner of the chill wave movement about a decade ago. But, like many in the scene at that time, he’s moved on from the sound, as is evident in his new album, this year’s Outer Peace. One critic described the album as "new disco," while others label it as a funk album rooted in the present. 7 p.m. Thursday, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., sold out. Diamond Victoria

Friday

Ella is a girl with a dopey fairy godmother who “blesses” Ella with obedience, which means whatever anyone tells her to do, she does. Even worse, she ends up with a stepmother and stepsisters who know about her quirk and are happy to take advantage. Throw in a handsome prince and adventures with ogres and magic, and you have a twisty retelling of Cinderella. See a song-filled version of Gail Carson Levine’s Newbery-honored fractured fairy tale as the Dallas Children’s Theater stages Ella Enchanted: The Musical at 5938 Skillman St. Friday’s performance is at 7:30 p.m., and the show runs through Feb. 24. Tickets, $15-40, can be found at dct.org. Patrick Williams

Did you know that comedian Iliza Shlesinger got her start here in Dallas? You didn’t? How dare you call yourself a resident! Shlesinger was born in New York, but she grew up in Dallas and took her first steps onstage as an improv comedian before heading off to college and a lucrative stand-up comedy career. She returns to her homeland for a show at The Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., at 7 p.m. Friday. Shlesinger cut her teeth in stand-up at The Hollywood Improv and quickly caught on with her unique take and skill. She found fame as the first female comedian to win the NBC reality competition Last Comic Standing and began regularly touring theaters across the country and the world. Tickets are between $32 and $209 depending on available seating and can be purchased at theatredallas.com. Danny Gallagher

There is a story behind Amaluna, the Cirque du Soleil show making a stop at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, 1000 Lone Star Parkway. Here goes: Queen Prospera rules over a magical island populated by all women until a group of men wash ashore shipwrecked. Her daughter … OK, look. It’s Cirque du Soleil. You know, lots of brightly colored leotards and amazing acrobats dangling from straps above the audience, flying through the air launched from seesaws to the sound of mildly weird new-agey music. There are two shows Friday, at 4:30 and 8 p.m. Adult ticket prices start at $63, with discounts for children, and an assortment of special packages are available at cirquedusoleil.com. The circus continues with shows until March 3. Patrick Williams

As do many institutions at their silver anniversary, sports-talk station KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM “The Ticket” is getting nostalgic for the 25th iteration of its signature P1 fan festival. Along with celebrity guests Troy Aikman, Jay Novacek and Daryl “Razor” Reaugh, Ticketstock 25 has a Ticket Time Tunnel, where Tier One hosts discuss the history of the station in panel discussions, and there’s an interactive Ticket Hall of Fame with memorabilia, audio, Marconi Awards and retro Ticket merch. As usual, the Timewasters will perform Saturday at 6 p.m., this year from a greatest-hits set list, with Fox 4 sports anchor Mike Doocy — the ultimate good sport and straight guy during his frequent guest-hosting appearances — as emcee. Ticketstock 25 is Friday and Saturday at the Plano Event Center, 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway. Doors open at noon both days and admission is free. Visit theticket.com for the full schedule of on-air roundtables and gotta-be-there-to-hear-’em Ticket Time Tunnel panels. Jesse Hughey

In the sage words of the world’s pre-eminent British girl band: spice up your life. Winter doldrums be damned, things are getting hot at ZestFest Jan. 25-27 at the Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd. This three-day celebration of all things bold and piquant is packed with cooking demonstrations; celebrity chefs like Jon Bonnell, Eddie Deen and MasterChef champ Shaun O’Neale; gourmet vendors to help you level up in your own kitchen; live music; plus food samples and beer tastings aplenty. For those of us with stomachs of steel and something to prove, there’s a jalapeño-eating challenge and the annual “Atomic Wing” contest. Pack your antacid and plan a full day on Friday from 1 to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is $15 at the door, though kids 10 and under get in free. For more info, check out zestfest.net. Jennifer Davis-Lamm

Creator and headliner of last year’s inaugural I Am Dallas Hip Hop event, Mozez Tha Great performs his long-awaited EP Undefined in its entirety as part of a stacked bill at The Prophet Bar on Friday night. Mozez has gone through his fair share of setbacks over the years regarding his music career. A few years ago, Undefined was ready for release, but when an engineer who was commissioned to mix and master the album took off with Mozez’s money, its completion got delayed. Catch Mozez along with several other of Dallas’ best up-and-coming hip-hop artists. With Lou Charle$, Mokah Soulfly, Smoothvega, Drama Tha King and Raw Elementz, 8:30 p.m. Friday, The Prophet Bar, 2548 Elm St., $10. Diamond Victoria

Thursday is on a small run of dates where they play two of their classic LPs, Full Collapse and War All the Time, front to back. Though they have a rather extensive back catalog, these are the two records that changed their fortunes and gained a huge audience. The first night — Friday night — is devoted to Full Collapse, the record that broke the band out of the New Jersey scene and into the national spotlight. The next night is devoted to War All the Time, the major-label debut that brought the band to larger acclaim. Normally shows like these happen in New York, LA or Chicago, so Dallas is very lucky to have these dates. Thursday is not really an active band as compared with the 2000s, so you should strongly consider going if you’ve never seen this powerful and legendary band before. 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26 at Trees, 2709 Elm St., $29-$36 at ticketfly.com. Eric Grubbs

Saturday

Sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment,” according to the Google search we just did. By that definition, cheerleading is 100 percent, no doubt in anyone’s mind, a sport. Backflips are physical. Somersaults must be learned and perfected. And competitive cheerleaders, well, compete. See them do that Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27 at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, 650 S. Griffin St at National Cheerleaders Association National Championships. Tickets start at $20 at eventbrite.com. Paige Skinner

Finnish vocal ensemble Rajaton joins the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the music of megastar pop group Abba, who are enjoying a much deserved critical reconsideration. Expect orchestral renditions that shine new light on the Swedish artists’ soaring, emotionally raw classics, including “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen” and more. There are three performances: at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27. All performances take place at the Meyerson, 2301 Flora St. Tickets start at $20. More info at mydso.com. Jonathan Patrick

The Boy Who Would Be Captain Hook is a funny and moving play about a boy who was born without a right hand. When doctors fitted him with a prosthetic hook, he was sidelined at recess until the other kids asked to play Peter Pan with him. Of course, he played Captain Hook — until he grew tired of it. The Boy Who Would Be Captain Hook takes a look at David Harrell’s childhood living with a disability as he tells the story of how he wished to change his own narrative and not be just the boy with a hook. The play is at 3 p.m. Saturday at Charles W. Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive, Richardson. Visit eisemanncenter.com for more information and tickets ($25). Paige Skinner

KNON is the nonprofit, listener-supported community radio station that has been showcasing the blues in DFW for 20 years. From the up-and-coming, 11-year-old Jack Barksdale to headliners like the award-winning blues elders in Gregg A. Smith and the Blues Revue Band, the 20th annual KNON Blues Festival will be two days packed with Texas talent. Before hosting festivals, KNON released compilations of blues music from all over DFW. The radio station has brought blues a long way over the years and shows no sign of stopping. The festival will be held at Poor David’s Pub, where blues has been put on display in Dallas for over 40 years. Keeping up with what is seemingly a festival tradition, Dickey’s Barbecue will be available for $10 a plate. 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27 at Poor David’s Pub, 1313 Lamar St., $20-$150 at eventbrite.com. Jacob Vaughn

Blake Ward is one of the busiest DJs in Dallas, with four different weekly events and recently having taken up the management of his new Four Four Booking agency. He has a long-standing Saturday night Glamorama gig at Beauty Bar. As far as promotion goes, Ward is relentless, a perfect example of how to connect, inform and grow a DJ audience. 9 p.m. Saturday, Beauty Bar, 1924 N. Henderson Ave., free. Wanz Dover

Sunday

International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Name doesn’t ring a bell? Then mark the day with a visit to the Dallas Holocaust Museum and Center for Education and Tolerance, 211 N. Record St., Suite 100. Remember, those who forget the past are … well, just doomed. The museum is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and admission is $10 for adults, with discounts for kids and seniors. Find more information at dallasholocaustmuseum.org. Patrick Williams

Monday

Who doesn’t love The Bachelor? You? OK, no one asked you. Jeez. Well somebody loves it, because the entire franchise has spanned more than 40 seasons and people keep watching. This season, four Dallas women are vying for virgin Colton Underwood’s love and cherry as America watches. If you don’t have anyone to watch it and cringe over it with, then head to Steam Theory Brewing Co., 340 Singleton Blvd., Suite 100, at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, to bond with fellow Bachelor lovers at the Bachelor Nation Watching Party. Visit steamtheorybrewing.com for more information. Paige Skinner

Tuesday

Namo in West Village, 3699 McKinney Ave., is hosting a sake-tasting class from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Those attending will get six hand rolls matched with sakes from TYKU Sake, whose reps will be on hand to tell you what to look for in the traditional Japanese wine made from rice, water, yeast and koji (a kind of mold used in Japanese cuisine). Tickets are $50 at eventbrite.com. Patrick Williams

Wednesday

The Disney empire is a vast, all-encompassing thing. They’re the masters of the Ice Capades, one of the biggest names in Broadway and have a virtual lock on the kids pajama market. Now, their reach expands to the world of a cappella singing. Yep, the domain once reserved for Ivy League a-holes in striped jackets is now replete with mouse ears: meet DCappella, Disney Music’s a cappella super group. Assembled by Deke Sharon, who’s like the Lou Pearlman of the a cappella world, these seven men and women don’t need backing instruments. It’s just their sweet, sweet voices and sculpted eyebrows up onstage, belting out all your favorite Disney tunes at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, 1001 Performance Place, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30. Tickets to see the Disney-fied vocal acrobatics are $19.50 to $54.50 at axs.com. Jennifer Davis-Lamm

In Incognito, playwright Nick Payne tells three different stories to better explore the human mind. One is about Thomas Stoltz Harvey stealing the recently dead Albert Einstein’s brain. The other is about a man named Harvey undergoing brain surgery, and the third is about Martha, a clinical neuropsychologist making some changes in her life after her marriage falls apart. See the play Jan. 30 through Feb. 23 at Bryant Hall, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd. Tickets start $25 at secondthoughttheatre.com. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Paige Skinner

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✧･ﾟmuse connections ･ﾟ✧

this is just a thing for myself and anyone whose interested on how all my muses know each other and their respective squads.

** are more notable and specific relationships between 2/3 muses!

the pack; a group of people who have been brought together through supernatural reasons through being turned and finding each other. everyone has their own reasons for entering the pack and they’re all very close friends.

Brody McFarlin. Bee Belladonna. Aspen Grey. Emery Lao. Gale Hudson. Jihun Jeon. Zelda Espinoza. Hajoon Seong. Sora Yun. Dimitri Petrov. *** 

       ** Aspen & Brody: father & adopted son. Bee & Hajoon: Best friends. Zelda & Dimitri: Best friends. Hajoon & Emery & Bee: Hajoon & Bee consider themselves to be Emery’s protectors and Emery considers them very close friends & his two closest people in the world. Aspen & Emery & Gale; a band of brothers in anything but blood. Emery & Jihun: Jihun used to be in love with Emery, but now they’re just very close friends.

the GSMedical Squad; a group of doctors & staff at the hospital who have somehow managed to get close to each other. While some are rather annoyed and don’t want to be around each other, they’ve grown very close together. 

Hajoon Seong. Fleur Kang. Taesung Won. Magdelina Halvorsen. Ike Han. Emery Lao. Soori Yee. Beau Lavoie.  ***

      ** Fleur & Taesung: slept together for nearly a year before ending things, fleur didn’t catch feelings sung did. now they’re best friends. Emery & Soori: Best friends. Soori & Beau: Soori considers Beau someone very close to him, he’s gotten very protective of Beau. Beau & Emery: also very close friends, they go to the same school so it helps. Emery & Ike: very close friends, Ike had a crush on Emery briefly. 

CndyMADE Squad; the group of people in the same industry. while all of them aren’t close they all know each other and some are closer than others.

Ryan Katsumoto. Jisoo Il. Dominic Tam. Casey Chae. Simon Durant. Moon Durant. Robin Wang. Young Im.***

     ** Young & Ryan: know each other very well since they’ve been working together. they get along really well. Dominic & Jisoo: have known each other since Jisoo was in high school. Dominic is very supportive of Jisoo and always watching out for him. Dominic & Simon: worked together on a drama and got very popular. have kissed a handful of times. Robin & Casey: often work together and due to this have become pretty good friends. they have a lot of like friends outside of work as well. Moon & Jisoo: used to hook up together. they stopped sleeping together a long time ago though. Simon & Jisoo & Moon: drinking buddies, they still go out and get drunk a lot. very close friends. Young & all; is their boss, knows all of them on a personal level. 

School Squad; the idiots who all go to college together. they’ve all seen each other on campus and at one point taken a class together. some how they’ve gotten close, they often talk when they’re on campus.

Aspen Grey. Emery Lao. Gale Hudson. Kiko Ito. Jisoo Il. Taylor Sanchez. Beau Lavoie. Nayoung Im***

    ** Aspen & Taylor: Aspen helps Taylor with her underground radio station sometimes. Nayoung & all; all of the students have taken at least one of Nayoung’s English classes.

Hoodrats; the idiots who are known each other since they were really young. been through thick and thin together even though they don’t always get along.

Moon Durant. Sunny Ryu. Jax Ryu.***

   ** Moon & Sunny: they get along very well. sunny used to have a crush on moon and while moon knew he did nothing about it. while jax was in jail moon & the cop he was living with took sunny in. during this time sunny got over her feelings for moon and decided she needed to become more adult Jaxand mature and started growing on her own.  Moon & Jax; moon & Jax used to hook up a lot when they were in high school. they did everything together from fighting or getting high or anything. they told each other everything and anything. they were the bestest of friends but their relationship got strangled when moon ratted out the fighting rink when he was 17. while moon was let go with a warning Jax was sent to jail for 6 months leaving sunny alone for 6 months which pissed him off. since then they have been arguing a lot. moon paid their way out of the mafia but Jax decided he didn’t want out and is still part of it, which drags sunny and moon into it as well but not as much.

Barnyard boys; a group of boys who ended up finding themselves on sejun’s farm and bonding for life. while they aren’t always together due to the distance, their hearts are always together. they’re also always texting each other and calling and keeping each other updated.

Kyuhan Bae. Sejun Na. Isaac Hong.***

    **Kyuhan & Sejung: Kyuhan after he was disowned ended up wandering to the country side. Half starved, he found himself trying to steal eggs from Sejun’s farm even though he had no way to cook them. Sejung found him and was utterly amused before taking Kyuhan in. They’ve been close friends since then, Sejun’s farm is the one place that Kyuhan loves spending time at even though he’s always been more of a city boy. Kyuhan & Isaac: Kyuhan met Isaac when Isaac was working freelance. Isaac was in charge of doing his photoshoot for a lot of magazine, but they ended up keep running into each other. He saw how Isaac was quieter and not very good at taking care of himself, and then he found out that Isaac was in need of a place to stay. Since Kyuhan had just moved in to his new place he told Isaac to live with him. Since he found out about Isaac’s real job as a stripper and involvement with the mafia he’s become very protective and motherly of Isaac. Isaac calls him mamma. Sejun & Isaac: A while after they met Kyuhan brought Isaac to the farm. It was Isaac’s first time and he immediately fell in love with sheep and chickens, chasing them around like a small child. Sejun felt really protective over him due to his kind hearted nature, even more so when Kyuhan told Sejun of Isaac’s situation. Sejun since has been very fatherly over Isaac who never had a father, chastising him but also teaching him new things. Due to his Isaac calls Sejun dad.

Go Mafia; the members of the go mafia, some have known each other a long long time, some have known each other a shorter time. but they all know each other or at the very least, they all know of each other.

Moon Durant. Sunny Ryu. Jax Ryu. Luna Go. Neptune (Jules Beom). Ike Han. Robin Wang. Isaac Hong.***

  ** Moon & Luna: Moon paid Luna a lot of money so that he and Sunny & Jax could get out of the mafia without any issues. he’s still paying luna off which is why moon almost never talks about money. even though he’s technically rich, he’s never once used a dime of the Durant money to pay Luna. Luna & Sunny: Luna terrifies Sunny. Luna & Neptune: Luna is the only person in the mafia outside of his father that knows Neptune’s true identity. He is also the only person Luna will not fuck with. Neptune is the only person Luna actually listens to. Luna & Jax: after Moon paid their way out, Jax went back and asked for his old job back and is currently still doing that. he’s happy with it, and has told luna that the money that moon paid can be used to keep moon & sunny out of the mafia business when it’s fully paid back (moon doesn’t know this deal). Luna & Ike; they’re essentially like brothers. though Luna did ignore and forget about ike for a while, while he was distancing himself. since meeting cece he’s done his best to get over himself and fix the bond he has with Ike. it’s been slowly getting better. Robin & Ike & Luna: the three of them have known each other since they were young. luna paid robin’s way out of the mafia. they keep in touch. robin and Ike still keep in touch and talk about sol a lot. they always get very sad but she’s happy he’s found his soulmate. she predicted luna & ike would meet their soulmates but never told them about her powers. Isaac & Jax: Isaac when his father’s debts were thrusted upon him and his legs were broken by the mafia, Jax was the one who stopped them from killing him or using him for drugs or worse. Isaac was the one who suggested that Isaac become a stripper since he was a pretty boy and he was a good dancer. Due to this Jax ended up saving Isaac’s life and Isaac feels indebted to Jax. Meanwhile, Jax feels like he set Isaac up to a worse fate. Isaac & Luna: Luna’s dad took a special interest in Isaac because of Jax and how pretty Isaac was. Due to this Luna’s father used Isaac as his personal stripper / pet. While it makes Isaac really hate himself at first Luna tired his best to keep Isaac away from his father. After Luna kills Danny and leaves the mafia, he was no longer able to do that. Still Isaac was grateful for all the help Luna gave him before he left. Neptune & all: he is the one person in the mafia that most members fear, or don’t want to get on the wrong side of. 

Family;

Moon Durant. Simon Durant. Jax Ryu. Sunny Ryu. Nayoung Im. Young Im. Soori Yee. Leo Nam. Casey Chae. Haejun Son.***

 **Moon & Simon: moon and simon didn’t know each other growing up. simon discovered moon was his brother when he was 15 and spent a long time looking for him, he came back to korea for him. they met when simon was 19 and moon was 22. in the three years they’ve known each other they’ve gotten very close. simon & moon tell each other everything and anything and have very few to no secrets.  Young & Nayoung: the two had met in college and started as friends. they didn’t know they were siblings until nayoung found out from young’s father that she was one of his illegimate children and he paid her to keep her mouth shut and not tell young. she decided to leave korea because of that. later when his father died, young found out and asked nayoung to come home and help him. while nayoung considers young her best friend, she hasn’t accepted him as a brother. the idea of family scares her. Jax & Sunny: jax and sunny’s father died young and since then their mother had checked out and become more of a shell of a person than a mother. due to that jax has always taken care of sunny. he’s fiercely protective of her. sunny loves jax with all her heart and would do anything for jax but she ended up becoming very reliant on him. when he was sent to jail part of her wanted to hate moon but she understood why he did it. due to that she decided to become more self reliant. when jax went back to the mafia she was very mad at him and didn’t want to talk to him anymore but couldn’t bring herself to. she keeps hoping that he’ll change his mind and quit. Soori & Nayoung & Young: The three of them are half siblings all due to their father. But while Nayoung & Young know about each other, Soori doesn’t know about either of them. Nayoung doesn’t know about Soori but Young does know about Soori. He just isn’t sure how to approach him yet. Leo & Soori: The two grew up together in California, they’re cousins. They’re the closest in age of all their cousins and ended up close. Soori moved to study in Korea so that he could be close to Leo after the death of his mother. Haeju & Casey: Haeju and Casey are sibling in laws. While Casey and Kai aren’t married they consider themselves that. Haeju is also going to be the uncle of Casey’s soon to be born baby.

Others; more connections but not with a squad. these guys are just friends by chance or other reason. 

Cress Yun. Taesung Won. Casey Chae. Leo Nam. Young Im. Jules Beom. Zeke Moon. Brody McFarlin. Everett Miller. Olive Anderson. Moon Durant. Beau Lavoie. Sunny Ryu. Simon Durant. Jax Ryu. Isaac Hong. Kyuhan Bae. Emery Lao. Bee Belladonna. Riis Kwang.***

    ** Cress & Taesung: since they’re both angel’s and cress is a hells angel, she is taesung’s boss. they’re not close but they see each other often. Leo & Casey: casey often has to work for leo’s fashion shows. due to this they started talking since they’re both young. they ended up getting along very well and have become very close friends. Leo & Jisoo: much like casey, jisoo has worked with leo a lot, leo’s company often works with CndyMADE for their outfits and jisoo has been asked to model occasionally. Jisoo’s father is a model under HEART of Gold’s label, and because of that they’ve known each other for a while. Leo & Young: they’re ex boyfriends and best friends. Casey & Taesung: the two of them happened to get close because they’re dating people who know each other. Because of this casey and taesung became close and started talking a lot. they’ve essentially very close friends and tend to trade secrets and rumors. Jules & Ike: Ike one of the only three people who knows Jules’ secret about Neptune. when ike was still 17 he was abused by danny and jules was the one who stopped it. after that jules basically took ike under his wing and decided to protect him, they got close after that. jules considers ike like a brother. he got hajoon to hire ike at the hospital.  Jules & Hajoon: met when hajoon was in college. hajoon thought jules was pretty and decided to pursue him sexually. it worked, they used to sleep together a lot but now they no longer do. after hajoon got into a serious relationship the first time with mihyan they started to just be friends. they’ve slowly grown closer over the years to the point where hajoon would consider jules to be one of his best friends. Jules & Simon & Moon: Jules has known Moon since he was a young boy due to jules’ relationship with gemini. they grew closer over the years to the point that jules also considers moon a brother. moon introduced jules to simon when the brothers first met and simon has been another one of the people jules considers a son (along with mars & gemini). simon did have a crush on jules for a short while. Zeke & Brody: brody & zeke met after brody’s family was killed, they used to travel together a lot. they lost touch when brody settled down with a pack. Everett & Ollie: everett stumbled into ollie’s dreams and decided he liked her personality. after that he decided to find a way to become her roommate and have been roommates since. Beau & Sunny: sunny met beau by chance one day when she came to the coffee shop. she had a crush on him due to how cute and friendly he is but thinks he’s totally unattainable especially when she sees him with paris. but she has since become his friends, they talk a lot and text each other all the time. Moon & Beau: beau met moon due to his friendship with sunny, they’re not particularly close but they talk on the occasion. beau often tells moon recipes he can try with simon to get him to eat something more healthy and thats not too heavy for his recovery days. moon has once sold beau weed when asked, though, moon really didn’t want to. beau was much too insistent and annoying and wouldn’t give up and so moon just did it to get him to stop. Simon & Jax: because Jax is still Moon’s longest and best friend, Simon has meet him many times. Jax used to flirt and hit on Simon a lot to the point of making him very uncomfortable no matter how many times Moon told him to stop. Simon is a little bit afraid of how unpredictable Jax can be. Sunny & Isacc: Whenever Isaac gets hurt Sunny is the one who watches over him with Kyuhan. This is due to the way Jax introduced them after Isaac came into their lives. Jax who avoids Isaac because of guilt, usually leaves him in the hands of Sunny. Sunny enjoys spending time with Isaac because he’s really nice and really good at boardgames. Sunny & Kyuhan: Kyuhan and Sunny don’t have anything more than a passing relationship of saying hello. While she and Isaac are friends, it’s kind of like knowing your friend’s mom. Kyuhan & Jax: Sometimes Kyuhan doesn’t know if he should feel grateful to Jax or hate him for what happened with Isaac. But they have come to a cross point where they just both choose to look after Isaac. Since they’re both dating someone in their lovers’ mafia they end up meeting a lot or hearing about each other a lot. They have more of a camaraderie than a friendship. Haeju & Luna: Haeju and Luna used to hook up because Luna thought Haeju was attractive. Usually when Haeju would go drinking with his friends they would end up meeting. Since they stopped hooking up due to Haeju leaving and coming back, and Luna’s relationship, they’ve become very unlikely friends. They aren’t close but Haeju and Luna do talk a lot. Haeju & Taesung: Haeju and Taesung have a friendship, while they’re not close, they know each other due to Taesung dating someone he’s close to. Riis & Bee: Riis works at a gallery that Bee often promotes her art at when she does bother to do shows. He admires her work and thinks it’s very beautiful. He also admires her as a person with drive and energy due to how bad her life was growing up. Riis & Emery: He’s met Emery in passing many times due to Emery helping Bee a lot. He thinks Emery is really cute, like everyone’s younger brother. 

Muses who don’t know anyone: 

Diana Garcia. Haneul Kim. Calum Grace. Daewon Jung. Hwan.

#basic #╰ things have changed || blog update #this is important! #╰ listen up i’m shouting || PSA #╰ beauty in the shape of nothing || ame ooc #long post. #this took me 8 centuries #bc i have so many muses #but im happy

[trendingnewsb]

The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2018

Washington (CNN)The most interesting Senate race in 2018 might have nothing to do with whether Republicans or Democrats control the chamber after this year’s midterm elections.

The decision Tuesday by Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah to retire teed up Mitt Romney — the 2012 Republican presidential nominee turned leading intra-party critic of President Donald Trump — to run for a job that would give him major influence over the remainder of Trump’s presidency.

But Hatch is a Republican. Romney is a Republican. And if Romney is stopped, it’ll be because another Republican won the nomination in Utah. It’ll be a fascinating state to watch — but it won’t tip the partisan balance of the Senate.

For that, look to two of Utah’s neighbors: Nevada and Arizona.

If a blue wave is building ahead of this year’s midterm elections, it will crash there first. The two states are the prime pickup opportunities for Democrats on 2018’s map, and their recipe for winning the Senate includes victories in those two races plus holding all of their own seats.

Right now, Democrats — or independents who caucus with them — are defending 25 seats this year, while Republicans are defending just eight. The GOP has a 51-49 advantage at the moment.

Here’s a look at the 10 Senate seats most likely to switch party hands in this year’s midterms, as of January 2018:

1. Nevada

Incumbent: Republican Sen. Dean Heller

There’s no easy way out of the box Heller is in.

Danny Tarkanian, who’s lost all five of his races in Nevada — but won four of his five primaries — is challenging Heller from the right, charging that he’s insufficiently supportive of Trump.

Rep. Jacky Rosen, meanwhile, lies ahead in the general election, ready to seize on a favorable environment for Democrats in a state that Hillary Clinton won in 2016, and where Heller barely won — and did it with less than 50% of the vote — in 2012.

Heller’s gymnastics on health care helped earn him the top spot in our initial rankings. He’s still there as the calendar flips to 2018.

2. Arizona

Open seat (Republican Sen. Jeff Flake is retiring)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last month let slip what was already a poorly kept secret: Rep. Martha McSally is poised to enter the Republican primary here.

It’ll become fight in the GOP civil war of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon vs. McConnell, with Bannon aligning conservative outsider forces behind state Sen. Kelli Ward — a candidate many Republicans in Washington and Arizona see as a sure-fire general election loser.

If McSally prevails, as a former fighter pilot and strong fundraiser running in a red-leaning state, she’d have a real chance.

But Arizona is moving to the left — it and Georgia are turning blue as rapidly as Ohio and Iowa are becoming red — and Democrats landed their top target in Rep. Kyrsten Sinema. Strong minority turnout and an anti-Trump sentiment among college-educated suburban white voters make this a prime pickup opportunity.

One factor that could change that math: The health of Sen. John McCain, who has a brain tumor.

3. Missouri

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill

This is the state where the Steve Bannon vs. Mitch McConnell civil war is on hold and things are largely going according to plan for Republicans.

McCaskill is one of five Democratic senators up for re-election in a state Trump won by double digits in 2016. Unlike the special election in Alabama and contests in several other states — including Nevada and Arizona — Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, and McConnell, the Senate majority leader, are both backing Attorney General Josh Hawley here. McConnell pointed to Hawley at a news conference a month ago as the type of candidate he believes “can actually win.”

This race will be expensive and brutal. Expect Democrats to cast Hawley, who just won his job a year ago, as a ladder-climber.

4. Indiana

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly

Republicans point to two main reasons they can pick off this seat:

1. Donnelly is an accidental senator of sorts, winning only after tea partier Richard Mourdock ousted Sen. Richard Lugar in the primary before collapsing in the general election in 2012.

2. Republican Todd Young shellacked Evan Bayh by 12 points here just a year ago — and Trump won Indiana even more handily.

But there are a few important differences. Most importantly: None of the three Republicans running this cycle — Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita and state Rep. Mike Braun — is as talented, or baggage-free, as Young. (In particular, Messer faces residency questions, and people who work for Rokita have accused him of creating a toxic environment.)

Donnelly has kept a low profile and isn’t particularly well-defined, but the “Mexico Joe” label that followed an Associated Press report that he profited from a family business’s move to outsource jobs to Mexico still stings.

5. West Virginia

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin

Manchin’s early flirtations with Trump — which included conversations about a Cabinet post — may help insulate him in a state the President carried with 69% of the vote in 2016.

But Trump is showing signs he’s willing to wield his popularity against the popular former governor, casting him as unserious about bipartisan cooperation.

“He talks. But he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t do,” Trump told The New York Times recently.

6. North Dakota

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp

Trump met Tuesday with Rep. Kevin Cramer, who it’s safe to assume is now very likely to run against Heitkamp in this heavily Republican state. Getting him into the race would solve the GOP’s biggest problem here — figuring out who their candidate will be. Former state Sen. Tom Campbell is also running.

In a neutral political environment, the math suggests this seat would be an easy pickup for the GOP: Trump won North Dakota by an eye-popping 36 points in 2016, and Heitkamp won her seat by less than 1 point in 2012.

But this year’s crop of Democratic incumbents features several candidates — Heitkamp, Manchin and Montana’s Jon Tester stand out — with strong individual brands at home that have allowed them to defy their state’s partisan makeup. And the nearly $4 million Heitkamp has in the bank goes a long way in North Dakota.

7. Ohio

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown

Brown’s populist brand of politics is in some ways — trade, in particular — similar to Trump’s. That could be a good thing for Brown, since Trump won Ohio by 9 points last year.

Republican state Treasurer Josh Mandel lost to Brown in 2012, and losing candidates’ repeat efforts seldom lead to better results.

Like Missouri, the question here is whether Ohio’s rightward trend will prevail in 2018, or this race will instead swing with what appears to be a favorable national environment for Democrats. As of right now, the 2017 results in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama suggest the latter. Brown will need that to be the case.

8. Florida

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson

Wake me up when Republican Gov. Rick Scott makes up his mind.

If Scott’s in, his proven ability to win close races in Florida and self-fund in an extraordinarily expensive state would send Florida up this list in a hurry.

Not only that, he could force Democrats to spend heavily on their effort to retain Nelson’s seat — which could limit the party’s ability to go after long shots like Tennessee.

Scott lunched with Trump on New Year’s Eve. But on Tuesday he punted when reporters in Jacksonville asked him about a Senate run, noting he has 390 days left in Tallahassee.

9. Montana

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Jon Tester

Republicans missed on their top recruiting targets here. And now, state auditor Matt Rosendale and businessman Troy Downing are headed toward what could be an expensive and nasty primary.

That’s all good news for Tester, whose populist, down-to-earth brand — bolstered by the fact that he still runs a farm — allowed him to win in 2006 and 2012 despite Montana’s history of voting for Republican presidential nominees (Trump won by 21 points here).

10. Minnesota

Incumbent as of midday Tuesday: Democratic Sen. Tina Smith

Minnesota is ground zero in the 2018 midterms: The governor’s office, as many as five House seats and not one but two Senate seats are up for grabs: Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s and this one, vacated by Al Franken.

Smith, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton to replace Franken.

The Republican field is still taking shape. But an open seat in a state that’s moving to the right over time looks, for now, like a slightly more appealing target for Republicans than neighboring Wisconsin, which just missed this list.

Elsewhere on the map:

In Wisconsin, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin will wait and see who emerges from a packed Republican primary. One to watch: state Sen. Leah Vukmir, a talk radio darling in a state where conservative talk radio really matters.

Democrats got their dream recruit in former Gov. Phil Bredesen in Tennessee, where they hope to pick off retiring Sen. Bob Corker’s seat. But is Bredesen still the force he was 15 years ago, or is he this cycle’s Evan Bayh?

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Mendendez’s corruption trial ended in a mistrial, but the fact that he faced the charges at all makes his fate worth watching.

Republicans would love to put Democratic Sen. Bob Casey’s seat in Pennsylvania in play, and they have a Trump ally in Rep. Lou Barletta to try it.

Democrats, meanwhile, hope Rep. Beto O’Rourke can catch fire in Texas against Sen. Ted Cruz if the national environment swings even more in the party’s favor.

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Influenced by Stephen King and Rod Serling, Sean Seebach has written three books: A Looking in View, Autumn Dark and Our Monsters Are Real: The Pig Man. When Sean isn’t writing or managing a wonderful barbecue joint with amazing people, he enjoys reading, cooking, and listening to rock n’ roll. He currently lives in Ohio with his wife, daughter, and son.

  Please help me welcome Sean Seebach to Roadie Notes……..

  1. How old were you when you first wrote your first story? I was probably in elementary school. I created a comic book with some “cool dude” who just did “cool things”. Cool things being riding a skateboard and hitting home runs, things like that. The first story was one called Blue Collar Diesel which I later named The Lake Shimmers. It’s terrible. I wrote that when I was 34. So I took the title Blue Collar Diesel and wrote a novella that better suited the title. It’s in my collection A Looking In View.

2. How many books have you written? I have written three books: Our Monster Are Real: The Pig Man, Autumn Dark, and A Looking In View.

3. Anything you won’t write about? Probably not. I tend to stick to what is called Quiet Horror. Nothing too graphic or obscene. That’s not really by choice. The story is the boss. I just try to transcribe what’s happening in my head the best I can.

4. Tell me about you. Age (if you don’t mind answering), married, kids, do you have another job etc… I was born in Lancaster, PA in 1980, moved to Columbus, OH around ’82. It wasn’t the best part of town, so I wasn’t allowed to leave the yard. At the time it was a bummer. Later on I realized being confined to just the front and back yard forced me to use my imagination. I could do (and be) whatever I wanted: a spy, a ninja, a jungle warrior, whatever. Then in 1988 I moved to Lithopolis, Ohio, population around 600 people. There, I could explore the woods and creeks, ride my bike, and go to The Wagnalls Memorial Library, which still stands and became the cornerstone for my development as a reader. I did my first book signing there in May of this year. It was surreal. I am married to a wonderful wife who supports me in every aspect of life. We have a baby girl and a son who just turned 2. I work as a restaurant manager by day/night, depending on my work schedule. Next to writing, cooking and working with fun people is one of my favorite things to do. I’m a very fortunate man.

5. What’s your favorite book you have written? I should probably say Autumn Dark. That book has gotten the best response from readers. But, in truth, because The Pig Man was the first it will always be special to me. I love the story, but it isn’t written as well as the others. Which to me is a good thing because it shows that I’m improving.

6. Who or what inspired you to write? I don’t really know who or what inspired me to write. I think it chose me. I had a desire to write in my mid-20’s but I didn’t have the courage to do it. I thought you were either hand-picked by God or were chosen by teachers at a young age. Maybe it was writer, director, screen writer, producer, and occasional actor Brian Koppelman. I found him on Twitter shortly after I gave up drinking three years ago. He had posted a series of Vines on his account. Vine was a service that featured 6 second video loops. Brian was giving people permission to create in the videos he made. I looked him up, saw his credentials (Rounders, Ocean’s 13, Solitary Man, among many others) and thought “Now, here’s someone who’s done amazing things and is telling people to go out and do it!” There are many videos and books out there that will say you must be some sort of special intellectual to be an artist. Those people are wrong and most are full of themselves, are bitter, and most haven’t accomplished much. Brian had. Following him then led me to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I was fortunate enough to have support in the beginning. Stephen King tweeted that he had a new story called A Death in The New Yorker and asked folks to comment on it. It was on their site and free to read. I thought, “Oh boy, who has the balls to critique it?” So I scrolled through the Twitter comments. There I found someone shamelessly self-promoting herself with a story she wrote called Alive. I read it and loved it. That person was Meagan Smith who then wrote as M.J. Pack. I reached out to her and we became fast friends. Shortly after she was hired on at Thought Catalog, an online publishing magazine. She asked to read my stuff. I sent her a cannibalistic story called The Best I Ever Had. She liked it and wanted to publish it. That gave me the confidence to crank out more stories. I’ve been writing regularly ever since. I owe her a great deal. She was kind of enough to write the Foreword for Autumn Dark which I’m very proud of. I’d like to collaborate with her one day. She’s a fierce talent. Also, during that time, author Tom Callahan befriended me. I reached out to him after reading his wonderful story called The Soldier, The Dancer, and All That Glitters from Dark City Lights, an anthology put together by the great American crime fiction author Lawrence Block. Tom and I emailed back and forth a lot. He read my stuff and encouraged me to write, write, write! He gave me advice and recommended a slew of books about writing to read. I owe him a great deal. And I continue to find support to this day. Author Lincoln Cole and I have become close over the years and he’s helped me in many ways. From creating a website to building a mailing list to formatting my books for self-publishing to finding cover artist (and author) M.N. Arzu to promotional tactics. He’s a good man and I also owe him a great deal. Just recently I did an interview with author Armand Rosamilia , also owner of Project Entertainment Network, for the Armcast Podcast. I also was invited in a flash fiction contest along with authors Stephen Kozeniewski, Gabino Iglesias, and Justin Bienvenue. Three big names in the horror community. Book reviewer David Spell has been in my corner since day one and I had the fortunate opportunity to meet him in Naperville, IL during Stephen and Owen King’s tour stop for Sleeping Beauties. And, now, this interview. Thank you, Becky! I’d also like to mention that since I’ve begun listening (and advertising) on The Horror Show with Brian Keene, a podcast dedicated to the genre, I’ve met all kinds of great people: readers and authors alike. It’s opened the door to many authors I was ignorant to before. It’s also highly entertaining. But none of this would be happening without the support of my wife. She’s my first reader, my Annie Wilkes, and I still like to make her laugh and cringe, and when I do, I know I have something worth publishing.

7. What do you like to do for fun? Watch movies. This year has been great for them. IT, Gerald’s Game, The Dark Tower, Baby Driver, 68 Kill. I’m really looking forward to seeing I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday by writer/director Mike Lombardo. The World Premiere is happening in Columbus, OH on October 20th at 2p.m. at Nightmares Film Festival. I also recently went on a hike with a close friend. No internet, no social media. Just us and nature. It was awesome to not only spend time with him, but to also disconnect from the world for a few hours. It’s something we’ll be doing regularly, weather permitting. I run on a regular basis. It keeps the head clear and helps me cope with stress. I also like to cook, try new recipes, and eat. All with balance. Dessert is okay if it’s not for breakfast. Sometimes. The most fun I truly have is building blanket forts, going to the park, and reading to my son. He likes flip books and monsters and dinosaurs. We read Harold and The Purple Crayon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Little Blue Truck… Watching him develop has been the ultimate high for me. I recently bought a stack of books off Mike Lombardo. YA horror, Goosebumps, Eerie Indiana, that sort of thing, for my kids when they get older. Maybe they’ll dig them like I did.

8. Any traditions you do when you finish a book? I go to Starbucks inside of the Barnes and Noble in the town over from me and get a piece of Red Velvet Cheesecake (they sell Cheesecake Factory cheesecake) and a coffee. Then I daydream that thousands of people will rejoice in being so entertained by something I created! Then I get nervous and think my writing is garbage then I publish it anyway and buy ad space on the Horror Show.

9. Where do you write? Quite or music? I write in my office in our basement at a desk. I used to write everywhere but I found in approaching writing like a part-time job its best for me to have a designated place to work. Like, I’m clocking in for the day! Time to go downstairs and get busy. I do write to music. I have a writing playlist on Spotify with four composers: Chad Lawson (who creates music for the Lore podcast), Lena Natalia, Danny Elfman, and most recently, Jon Hopkins. Most of it is classical. I get too distracted when I write to music with lyrics. There’s a Twin Peaks playlist on Spotify that I sometimes put on as well.

10. Anything you would change about your writing? The only thing I would change about my writing is improving it. Early next year I’ll be attending the Borderlands Press Writer’s Bootcamp in Maryland. I’m also reading How To Write Short by Roy Peter Clark. Once I’m finished with The Dark Tower Series, I’m going to start reading all the authors I’ve discovered from The Horror Show. One, for entertainment and, two, I think it’s good to read books by authors from different backgrounds. It gives the mind a new perspective on the world and offers a different voice, a different way to tell a story.

11. What is your dream? Famous writer? From a writing perspective, my dream is to become a full-time writer. As Brian Keene describes it, the main source of income. Now that I’m 37, the dream is to live long days upon the Earth (Dark Tower reference) with my wife and for us to raise our children to be loving, caring, responsible adults who follow their passion. Famous writer? No. Keep the fame. But I’ll gladly accept huge royalty checks!

12. Where do you live? A small town in Ohio. Surprise!

13. Pets? One dog, Chloe. She’s a German Shepherd. We took her in after my mother-in-law passed on. She’s great with the kids and patient with us.

14. What’s your favorite thing about writing? There’s a moment when I transcend into a story. The more I write, the more that happens. I’ll go back and polish what I wrote the previous day, sometimes not remembering certain lines that I had written. Sometimes I find myself next to the characters, oblivious to my surroundings. Sounds crazy (maybe it is) but it’s true. Writing makes me feel alive, as cliché as that sounds. It enriches my life. Also, one of the most rewarding things about it is when someone reaches out to tell you much they appreciated something you’ve created. That’s special. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s very touching.

15. What is coming next for you? A book called An American Monster. I won’t get into details because it’s not finished. I’m superstitious and if you’ve read anything I’ve ever wrote then you’ll know that I need all the luck I can get.

  You can connect with Sean Seebach here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sean-Seebach/e/B01CUT2JMK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seanAseebach/

Website: https://www.amazon.com/Sean-Seebach/e/B01CUT2JMK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1507564303&sr=8-1

Twitter: @seebach_sean

  Some of Sean Seebach’s books:

  For more on the people I’ve mentioned, here are links to their work: Meagan Smith (M. J. Pack) https://www.amazon.com/M.J.-Pack/e/B00O5APGTQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1507563809&sr=8-1 Tom Callahan https://www.amazon.com/Dark-City-Lights-York-Stories-ebook/dp/B00USBMIMY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507563913&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+city+lights Brian Koppelman (no link. Just watch Billions on Showtime!) Lincoln Cole https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Cole/e/B00AUIOU3A/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1507564263&sr=8-2-ent M.N. Arzu https://www.amazon.com/M.-N.-Arzu/e/B013C7XY6O/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1507563985&sr=1-2-ent Armand Rosamilia https://www.amazon.com/Armand-Rosamilia/e/B004S48J6G/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1507564017&sr=1-2-ent Stephen Kozeniewski https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Kozeniewski/e/B00FFLC5Y8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1507564054&sr=1-2-ent Gabino Iglesias https://www.amazon.com/Gabino-Iglesias/e/B00AEBI0T8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1507564085&sr=1-2-ent Justin Bienvenue https://www.amazon.com/Justin-Bienvenue/e/B072F3QYGW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1507564119&sr=1-2-ent David Spell https://thescaryreviews.com/ Sean Seebach https://www.amazon.com/Sean-Seebach/e/B01CUT2JMK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1507564303&sr=8-1 Getting personal with Sean Seebach Influenced by Stephen King and Rod Serling, Sean Seebach has written three books: A Looking in View, Autumn Dark and Our Monsters Are Real: The Pig Man.

[trendingnewsb]

The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2018

Washington (CNN)The most interesting Senate race in 2018 might have nothing to do with whether Republicans or Democrats control the chamber after this year’s midterm elections.

The decision Tuesday by Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah to retire teed up Mitt Romney — the 2012 Republican presidential nominee turned leading intra-party critic of President Donald Trump — to run for a job that would give him major influence over the remainder of Trump’s presidency.

But Hatch is a Republican. Romney is a Republican. And if Romney is stopped, it’ll be because another Republican won the nomination in Utah. It’ll be a fascinating state to watch — but it won’t tip the partisan balance of the Senate.

For that, look to two of Utah’s neighbors: Nevada and Arizona.

If a blue wave is building ahead of this year’s midterm elections, it will crash there first. The two states are the prime pickup opportunities for Democrats on 2018’s map, and their recipe for winning the Senate includes victories in those two races plus holding all of their own seats.

Right now, Democrats — or independents who caucus with them — are defending 25 seats this year, while Republicans are defending just eight. The GOP has a 51-49 advantage at the moment.

Here’s a look at the 10 Senate seats most likely to switch party hands in this year’s midterms, as of January 2018:

1. Nevada

Incumbent: Republican Sen. Dean Heller

There’s no easy way out of the box Heller is in.

Danny Tarkanian, who’s lost all five of his races in Nevada — but won four of his five primaries — is challenging Heller from the right, charging that he’s insufficiently supportive of Trump.

Rep. Jacky Rosen, meanwhile, lies ahead in the general election, ready to seize on a favorable environment for Democrats in a state that Hillary Clinton won in 2016, and where Heller barely won — and did it with less than 50% of the vote — in 2012.

Heller’s gymnastics on health care helped earn him the top spot in our initial rankings. He’s still there as the calendar flips to 2018.

2. Arizona

Open seat (Republican Sen. Jeff Flake is retiring)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last month let slip what was already a poorly kept secret: Rep. Martha McSally is poised to enter the Republican primary here.

It’ll become fight in the GOP civil war of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon vs. McConnell, with Bannon aligning conservative outsider forces behind state Sen. Kelli Ward — a candidate many Republicans in Washington and Arizona see as a sure-fire general election loser.

If McSally prevails, as a former fighter pilot and strong fundraiser running in a red-leaning state, she’d have a real chance.

But Arizona is moving to the left — it and Georgia are turning blue as rapidly as Ohio and Iowa are becoming red — and Democrats landed their top target in Rep. Kyrsten Sinema. Strong minority turnout and an anti-Trump sentiment among college-educated suburban white voters make this a prime pickup opportunity.

One factor that could change that math: The health of Sen. John McCain, who has a brain tumor.

3. Missouri

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill

This is the state where the Steve Bannon vs. Mitch McConnell civil war is on hold and things are largely going according to plan for Republicans.

McCaskill is one of five Democratic senators up for re-election in a state Trump won by double digits in 2016. Unlike the special election in Alabama and contests in several other states — including Nevada and Arizona — Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, and McConnell, the Senate majority leader, are both backing Attorney General Josh Hawley here. McConnell pointed to Hawley at a news conference a month ago as the type of candidate he believes “can actually win.”

This race will be expensive and brutal. Expect Democrats to cast Hawley, who just won his job a year ago, as a ladder-climber.

4. Indiana

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly

Republicans point to two main reasons they can pick off this seat:

1. Donnelly is an accidental senator of sorts, winning only after tea partier Richard Mourdock ousted Sen. Richard Lugar in the primary before collapsing in the general election in 2012.

2. Republican Todd Young shellacked Evan Bayh by 12 points here just a year ago — and Trump won Indiana even more handily.

But there are a few important differences. Most importantly: None of the three Republicans running this cycle — Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita and state Rep. Mike Braun — is as talented, or baggage-free, as Young. (In particular, Messer faces residency questions, and people who work for Rokita have accused him of creating a toxic environment.)

Donnelly has kept a low profile and isn’t particularly well-defined, but the “Mexico Joe” label that followed an Associated Press report that he profited from a family business’s move to outsource jobs to Mexico still stings.

5. West Virginia

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin

Manchin’s early flirtations with Trump — which included conversations about a Cabinet post — may help insulate him in a state the President carried with 69% of the vote in 2016.

But Trump is showing signs he’s willing to wield his popularity against the popular former governor, casting him as unserious about bipartisan cooperation.

“He talks. But he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t do,” Trump told The New York Times recently.

6. North Dakota

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp

Trump met Tuesday with Rep. Kevin Cramer, who it’s safe to assume is now very likely to run against Heitkamp in this heavily Republican state. Getting him into the race would solve the GOP’s biggest problem here — figuring out who their candidate will be. Former state Sen. Tom Campbell is also running.

In a neutral political environment, the math suggests this seat would be an easy pickup for the GOP: Trump won North Dakota by an eye-popping 36 points in 2016, and Heitkamp won her seat by less than 1 point in 2012.

But this year’s crop of Democratic incumbents features several candidates — Heitkamp, Manchin and Montana’s Jon Tester stand out — with strong individual brands at home that have allowed them to defy their state’s partisan makeup. And the nearly $4 million Heitkamp has in the bank goes a long way in North Dakota.

7. Ohio

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown

Brown’s populist brand of politics is in some ways — trade, in particular — similar to Trump’s. That could be a good thing for Brown, since Trump won Ohio by 9 points last year.

Republican state Treasurer Josh Mandel lost to Brown in 2012, and losing candidates’ repeat efforts seldom lead to better results.

Like Missouri, the question here is whether Ohio’s rightward trend will prevail in 2018, or this race will instead swing with what appears to be a favorable national environment for Democrats. As of right now, the 2017 results in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama suggest the latter. Brown will need that to be the case.

8. Florida

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson

Wake me up when Republican Gov. Rick Scott makes up his mind.

If Scott’s in, his proven ability to win close races in Florida and self-fund in an extraordinarily expensive state would send Florida up this list in a hurry.

Not only that, he could force Democrats to spend heavily on their effort to retain Nelson’s seat — which could limit the party’s ability to go after long shots like Tennessee.

Scott lunched with Trump on New Year’s Eve. But on Tuesday he punted when reporters in Jacksonville asked him about a Senate run, noting he has 390 days left in Tallahassee.

9. Montana

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Jon Tester

Republicans missed on their top recruiting targets here. And now, state auditor Matt Rosendale and businessman Troy Downing are headed toward what could be an expensive and nasty primary.

That’s all good news for Tester, whose populist, down-to-earth brand — bolstered by the fact that he still runs a farm — allowed him to win in 2006 and 2012 despite Montana’s history of voting for Republican presidential nominees (Trump won by 21 points here).

10. Minnesota

Incumbent as of midday Tuesday: Democratic Sen. Tina Smith

Minnesota is ground zero in the 2018 midterms: The governor’s office, as many as five House seats and not one but two Senate seats are up for grabs: Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s and this one, vacated by Al Franken.

Smith, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton to replace Franken.

The Republican field is still taking shape. But an open seat in a state that’s moving to the right over time looks, for now, like a slightly more appealing target for Republicans than neighboring Wisconsin, which just missed this list.

Elsewhere on the map:

In Wisconsin, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin will wait and see who emerges from a packed Republican primary. One to watch: state Sen. Leah Vukmir, a talk radio darling in a state where conservative talk radio really matters.

Democrats got their dream recruit in former Gov. Phil Bredesen in Tennessee, where they hope to pick off retiring Sen. Bob Corker’s seat. But is Bredesen still the force he was 15 years ago, or is he this cycle’s Evan Bayh?

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Mendendez’s corruption trial ended in a mistrial, but the fact that he faced the charges at all makes his fate worth watching.

Republicans would love to put Democratic Sen. Bob Casey’s seat in Pennsylvania in play, and they have a Trump ally in Rep. Lou Barletta to try it.

Democrats, meanwhile, hope Rep. Beto O’Rourke can catch fire in Texas against Sen. Ted Cruz if the national environment swings even more in the party’s favor.

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