#actually this post is how i found out Middleton is only 28

[simmyfrobby]

thirty flirty and thriving

#actually this post is how i found out Middleton is only 28 #a baby an infant child a spring chicken a flower in the bloom of her youth etc etc #minnesota wild #jake middleton

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

23 Oct 19

WALLLLLS!!!! Louis' album is available for preorder! Genuinely actually ON SALE NOW! (It comes out Jan 31.) What a day lads. Album announcement with cover art and a track list, it's without titles but we can see that it's 12 tracks, merch- signed albums, CD vinyl and cassette plus picture disc vinyl (Donny Rovers #28 shirt graphic!) and caps as in hats as in clothing merch finalllly! The album cover was released in bits, one part of the picture here one there scattered across the web- obviously fans were quick to gather but also, some just made an end run around the whole thing and found the pre-order link without bothering to wait. Fun fact, when found the site said Oct 24 for the release date. Also a twitter account announcing the name of the album dating to way back before even the leak made itself known.

Also! What appears to be part one of a Louis interview documentary?? "Chapter 1: Reflection" was posted to YouTube, it's a 6+ minute video of Louis being interviewed by Gordon Smart (formerly of The Sun) about music and his work finding his place in the industry and it's absolutely lovely. And! Louis updated his Spotify playlist, it's back to being the 28 songs list and full of exciting new stuff. So hurry up and let all that sink in cause tomorrow we have the new song and the video plus one million signs point to tour dates dropping tomorrow: we got Live Nation and Ticketmaster and little sites getting his picture up and teasing and tweeting about him then deleting, we got the capacity built in to his site ready to go, UAs dropping shady hints.... it's happening.

That's a lot of Louis but let's just have a little SBB Roundup Corner before we totally call it quits.... Okay yes, we see the 420 behind you on the WMI cover, lol, and how about that outfit in the promo pic posted to Ticketmaster huh?? Yeah that's right blue and green track pants with a shirt that says ORGANIC and defines the word on it, wow A LOOK indeed. A new playlist means loads of lyrics to analyse, I'll leave that to you to enjoy but I would be remiss not to mention the song Laurel Wreaths being on there damn! Then the metro published some charming articles saying We Made It is about Louis visiting Eleanor at Uni and one saying that Louis was surprised to hear that Harry did shrooms since he (Louis) was the stoner in the band (if you were with them in any way up to this point this is the moment where it goes from a mild eyeroll to utterly ludicrous) and Harry had told him off for it (lolllllll) and a cut and paste typical article about Freddie, one on Zayn, etc etc. I do believe the part where he says he likes NTMY and LU and laughs at Niall for saying he's vanilla though. Moments after the articles were posted Louis hopped on Twitter to acknowledge a good interview- "Proper good to see you mate. Thanks again for doing it!" he said... with a link to the Gordon Smart video. BUUURRN!

Anyway if all that Louis news isn't enough Christmas in October for you, Liam has a song out Friday: a CHRISTMAS SONG! All I Want (For Christmas) is out in two days what the fffffff you guys!! Like apparently this is the normal time for a Christmas song drop it just feels so sudden, help. Liam recorded his Jonathan Ross show (airs Sat) today and a fan who was present tells us he spilled some serious tea which made people very anxious because Liam stuff is a little stressful lately but don't worry, they say: "it was beautiful I'm telling you I'm beaming at him." They say we'll see a clip of the Ant Middleton show. The Esquire interview is out: Liam said he hasn't seen Harry in three years prompting much sadness (and some scepticism.) "We are the only band in history that has managed to get all its members to enter as soloists in the top 10 of the Billboard. If you think about it, it’s a phenomenon," he also says and it would be though it's not exactly accurate, but the reality is phenomenal enough, and he talks about how hard he works to make his body be what he feels it should be.

We got a picture of Harry from last night! He's wearing a cute jumper that looks a lot like his tour graphics (tho I'm told those are licorices not puzzles), but the real news is he's wearing his RAINBOW FLAG PRIDE PIN bless. Beautiful. The pic was posted by the person who reported from the Jools Holland show recording last night; that show has been announced now, Harry will be on with Noel Gallagher of all people (these guys are really everywhere you turn!), Brittany Howard, an exciting queer artist who he just followed yesterday, and others. New DYKWYA posters were spotted in LA.

And seriously only a day like this could push this to the end, how the hell, Niall is confirmed for Live Lounge! Nov 7!!!! He has more content out with the Genius Official lyrics video, so if you wanna see him talk about sex and deny he has a type (mhmm) check it out. As evidence, he says the girl NTMY was about had pink in her hair and tattoos. He's excited about getting onstage at the Jingle Balls and threatens not to talk to us if we don't get tickets but we're definitely safe so far, he's out there chattering up a storm on twitter.

#Louis #Harry #Niall #Liam #we made it #Walls #props to Louis for completely blanking any acknowledgement of the title leak through all those listening parties lol #PS don't think all this content has distracted me from Defenceless not being on the album NEVER FORGET NEVER FORGIVE #that's MY FAVORITE WHY #Gordon Smart #lt tour #bears den #Laurel Wreaths #literally yesterday i was like i haven't listened to the kmm influences playlist on a while i like it i should do that... wah wah too slow #I'd bet money pink streaks in her hair girl was skinny and brunette #Jonathan Ross #sbb #rbb #live lounge #stunts #Eleanor #bg #freddie #23 Oct 19

[cuthian]

Dancing in the Rain Chapter Four

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all still safe and healthy :)

Longer chapter this week, since it'll have to last you two weeks. I won't be able to post again next week due to my busy and hectic exam and work schedule now that everything is opening again here in Belgium. As always, but especially from hereon out, PLEASE mind the tags (canon-typical violence, kidnapping, angst) and if you have any concerns, please feel free to contact me (@cuthian on Tumblr).

Or yell at me in the comments.

As always, much thanks to @juulna for putting up with me and helping me whip this thing into shape.

Lots of love, Annaelle

Chapter Four

28 CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE OPENED UP ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

-        Research shows that stereotypes about mental illness often prevent people from seeking treatment or speaking out about their struggles.

-        In recent years, stars like Sophie Turner, Chrissy Teigen, Demi Lovato and Prince Harry have spoken candidly about their struggles with mental illness.

Despite the prevalence and global impact of mental health conditions, it’s still hard to open up and ask for help when you most need it. Research shows that harmful stereotypes about mental illness often prevent people from seeking treatment or speaking out at all.

Luckily, in recent years, we’ve seen a shift in the way people view and talk about mental health conversations about depression, anxiety, addiction and more have moved from the private to the public sphere. That’s not only important, but effective, according to mental health experts. In fact, when public figures open up about their own mental health struggles, it can help break down stigma, spark important discussions and even inspire people to seek out treatment.

Below, we’ve rounded up 28 celebrities who’ve spoken candidly about their own battles with everything from postpartum depression to anorexia and PTSD.

[…]

Prince Harry spoke to a therapist about his mental health after two years of "total chaos" in his late twenties.

[…] recently revealed he felt very close to a complete breakdown all the time, and faced anxiety during royal engagements before he finally began to see a professional to address his grief. Now “in a good place”, Harry has encouraged others to open up about their own struggles.

[…] started the Heads Together campaign with Prince William and Kate Middleton to help “end the stigma around mental health issues.” […] "The experience that I have is that once you start talking about it, you suddenly realize that actually, you're part of quite a big club," he told The Telegraph.

[…]

An outspoken advocate for mental health awareness, Demi Lovato is open about her battles with bipolar disorder, bulimia, and addiction.

[…] recently released a documentary about her own struggles, shared powerful side-by-side photos of her recovery from bulimia and entered rehab to address her substance abuse issues. "It's very important we create conversations, we take away the stigma, and that we stand up for ourselves if we're dealing with the symptoms of a mental illness," Lovato told Variety in February.

The singer continued: "It is possible to live well and thrive with a mental illness."

Steve Rogers, or Captain America, who struggles with social anxiety, depression and PTSD, once said he suffers from "a noisy brain."

[…] interview with Ellen earlier this year, the former Army Captain and Avenger revealed how his anxiety often kicks in when he is asked to speak for causes he cares about, or during press conferences. […] Rogers, who has tried everything from meditation with fellow-Avenger Bruce Banner to learning several new fighting styles with close friend Natasha Romanoff, said he’s “getting better”, but still has moments of self-doubt.

[…] Avenger also opened up about his struggles with depression shortly after he was woken from the ice. “The kindness that was shown to me by my friends—my team—as well as my family and my therapists saved my life,” he told Ellen. […] also shared an emotional letter about his PTSD following his experiences during World War II and during the several battles he has fought in the 21st century.

"There is a lot of shame attached to mental illness, but it's important that you know that there is hope and a chance for recovery," he wrote.

—Evan Agostini, Axelle Bauer-Griffin, “28 Celebrities Who Opened Up About Their Struggles with Mental Illness”, Insider.com, March 2016

-----------------

Avengers Tower, New York, Manhattan, New York State, United States of America

10:36 p.m., 2 April 2016

Tony

Tony was shaking a little, fidgeting, his heart beating unsteadily in his chest as he paced the floor again. He’d been hiding in his lab since this morning, because while he loved Pepper to pieces, and he was elated—re: terrified—that she was pregnant and that they were going to be parents, she was driving him fucking nuts.

At least while he was in his lab, he wouldn’t be shouted at for eating the last Oreo’s.

Pepper didn’t even like Oreos.

She didn’t even want to eat them.

Tony didn’t understand pregnancy brain, but he’d been informed by Google, J.A.R.V.I.S., Rhodey, and Cap that it was best to just not question it.

He also wasn’t sure why he was thinking about Oreos when Becca was potentially in very big trouble, and Steve had left the dubious honour of telling Thor to him. “J.A.R.V.I.S.,” he said, a little desperately, voice shaking. “You heard the man. Call everyone in.”

“I have sent an Alert to all of the Avengers’ personal phones,” J.A.R.V.I.S. replied readily, and Tony exhaled a little in relief. Someone had clearly planned this, had gone through the effort of setting half a building on fire to keep Steve distracted and get to Becca without drawing attention to what they were doing, and Tony was a little afraid to think of who they might be—of what they wanted with Becca.

He was going to do as Steve asked, though, because he would never forgive himself if something happened to Becca and he could have done something to help, to stop whatever it was.

The way Steve had sounded on the phone had kind of… scared Tony too.

He’d not heard Steve fall back to that dull, lifeless, monotone tone of voice very often, and when he had… well… it had never meant very good things for any of them.

The last time he’d heard Steve sound like that… the last time Steve had called Tony sounding like that, Tony had had to rush Natasha to Steve and Becca’s tiny Brooklyn apartment to keep Steve from doing something drastically stupid—she’d found the war hero crumpled in a heap on the floor with tears running down his cheeks and a gun to his head, begging her to just let him pull the trigger…

To let Steve stop the nightmares permanently.

He shuddered.

Yeah… Hearing that tone coming from Steve meant something.

Tony was barely holding himself back from rushing down to the lab and throwing himself into a suit, hurtling off to… to nothing. Nowhere.

He didn’t know anything yet.

Steve didn’t know anything yet.

He’d asked Tony to assemble but had left him with no other instructions and Tony knew, okay, he knew there was nothing he could do until he had more information.

And fuck if that didn’t frustrate him more.

He was stuck, wandering his Tower while his stomach twisted at the many implications his mind was set on conjuring up, each more gruesome than the other.

The elevator let out a bright ping and Tony jumped, eyeing the sliding door nervously until it slid open to reveal Natasha, dressed in a tight tank top and leotard, her hair coiled up into a tight bun and ballet slippers dangling from her left hand.

“What was so urgent, Stark?” She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest with a frown.

He waved his hands dramatically, because he was Tony Stark and if ever there were a time he were  allowed to be fucking dramatic, it would be when Captain goddamn America called him in a panic because he’d lost Tony’s little Baby-Becs, and then giving Tony a heart attack when her tracker wouldn’t work.

“Gotta get to the others first,” he said impatiently, snatching her wrist and pulling her along when he started walking again.

He led the Spider through the silent, unlit hallway, but didn’t bother asking J.A.R.V.I.S. to turn on the lights; he’d designed these hallways, he’d walked them so many times he could probably do it in his sleep—which he had a few times, when Pepper had dragged him to board meetings before he’d had coffee. The twins would likely already be waiting for them in the boardroom anyway, and after all of Thor’s dramatic appearances in the past few years—all of which had cost Tony more than a few light bulbs—he didn’t want to bother anymore.

He ignored the Widow’s cool, silent surprise and dragged her through the door, entirely unsurprised to find Wanda seated at the table in her pyjamas, spinning a thread of red light between her fingertips as she sat cross-legged in her seat, her brother next to her, lounged back in his own seat, boots propped up on his table.

“You know,” he drawled impatiently, glaring—okay maybe mock-glaring—at the silver-haired boy impatiently. “You live here for free. You could at least pretend to take care of my furniture.”

Natasha snorted a laugh and pushed past him, settling in the seat to Little Red’s left. Before the Red fucking Menace could do anything but smirk at him though, the door swung open again to reveal Bruce, dressed in an old band shirt and threadbare sweatpants, his lab coat halfway up his shoulders and his glasses crooked, almost as though he’d just rolled out of bed.

There was a single clock on the wall—for Pepper’s decorative purposes, Tony presumed—and he couldn’t quite stop himself from frowning as he eyed the clock’s hands.

10:45 P.M.

Bruce probably had just rolled out of bed then.

The other scientist had a disgustingly strict sleeping schedule.

“Why are we assembling?” Bruce groaned, rubbing his hand through his—surprisingly curly—hair, and Tony unexpectedly found his thoughts derailed from Becca and Steve to Bruce in much more pleasurable territory, fingers itching to tug on those curls and to press into Bruce’s arms, because the other scientist gave really good hugs, okay?

He’d always been a little sweet on Bruce, even if nothing was ever going to come of it.

He had chosen Rhodey and Pepper years ago, and he was pretty sure Bruce had been dating that astrophysicist girl that Thor had introduced them to a while ago anyway, but… There was a part of him that’d always be kind of weak for the way Bruce looked all adorably sleep-rumbled and soft, and the way he was one of the only people in the world that could keep up with him, one of the only intellectual equals Tony had ever met in his life.

He wasn’t going to do anything about it though.

It was a harmless crush—he was even pretty sure Bruce knew about it. Bruce was, objectively, handsome, and really fucking smart.

He hit all buttons for Tony—except that, you know, he wasn’t Rhodey or Pepper.

He shook himself, chancing one more furtive glance towards Bruce’s sleep-rumpled form before he sighed and shook his head. “Something happened at the gala,” he said. “Steve’s gonna tell us more when they get here.”

He pushed his hands into the pouch on his hoodie and contemplated waking up Pepper, but he knew well enough not to disturb her once she’d managed to get comfortable and fall sleep unless it was super urgent, and he didn’t know what this was.

What if Becca had just wandered away?

He ignored, for the moment, that her subdermal tracker—the tracker he had designed for her, for all of them, that he made sure couldn’tbe taken out unless completely smashed to bits—wasn’t working. The comms hadn’t worked in the building either; some of those older buildings were practically Faraday cages, even his tech wasn’t always good enough to get through that—for all they knew, Becca’s tracker had also been jammed.

It wasn’t worth risking Pepper’s wrath for, he thought. Not yet.

He couldn’t even call Rhodey, because he was off in Europe for the week, doing… military stuff.

Which was fine.

Tony didn’t need both of them around all the time.

He wasn’t pouting.

He wasn’t.

Romanoff snorted at him and eyed him carefully. She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at him, but he didn’t budge—Romanoff always liked to pretend she knew everything—she probably hated that she knew no more than the others did, right now.

“You know more,” she stated simply after a few seconds. “Is everyone alright?”

Tony opened his mouth to say “yes”, to nod reassuringly, but the word wouldn’t fall from his lips. “I don’t know,” he admitted. The atmosphere in the room abruptly went from sleepy yawns to rapt attention, and Tony fidgeted a little. “The building caught fire during the gala,” he explained. “Everyone was evacuated, but Steve lost Becca in the chaos, and now… we kind of can’t… find her…”

“What do you mean, you can’t find her?” Natasha demanded hotly, sitting up straight and glaring at him. “Activate her tracker. She can’t be far.”

Tony winced and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Her tracker… isn’t working,” he admitted, looking up at the Widow defiantly. “Steve and Clint are canvassing the building and then getting back here. For all we know, she got taken onto one of the ambulances, or the building interfered with the signal. The comms were spotty too; it’s why Clint went inside with them.”

Natasha hissed, almost like an angry cat, and stood, stalking up to the large holographic screen present in almost every room in the Tower and began pulling up… documents? Tony wasn’t sure what she was doing, but she seemed intent on doing it, and far be it from him to discourage the Black fucking Widow from doing what she thought needed doing.

“Have you told Thor yet?” Pietro said, glancing between Tony and Natasha nervously.

Almost like the man was summoned by the mere mention of his name, a loud clap of thunder shook them all and the giant blond god bounded inside, his smile wide and infectious.

“Greetings, friends!” The tall god beamed, and Jesus, Tony was not in the mood to deal with Thor’s sunny personality. Christ. “I apologize for the delay in my arrival,” the god boomed excitedly, thumping down his hammer on the conference table. “Heimdall did not inform me of your request until I had finished the duties the All-Father assigned to me.”

Tony half-watched as Bruce stood to shake Thor’s hand, only to be brought into a tight bear hug, a startled squeak falling from his lips before he patted Thor’s shoulder awkwardly until the taller man set him down again and repeated the hug with Wanda and Pietro, who basically threw himself in Thor’s arms—Tony didn’t miss the pointed look Wanda shot Pietro at that.

He almost jumped right out of his seat when Bruce’s knee bumped against his, his eyes drawn to the other scientist’s immediately, because obviously Tony was a glutton for punishment and he really needed to get a fucking hold of himself.

Bruce looked a little tired, but not nearly as anxious and unsteady as Tony felt, and of course he didn’t, he didn’t know what was going on, none of them did, really—

“Thor,” he exclaimed suddenly, yanking himself away from Bruce abruptly. “We gotta… Steve called, about the gala—something’s happened.”  He ignored the way the rest of the team eyed him nervously and settled back in his seat with minimal fidgeting.

Thor’s smile abruptly disappeared and he sat, heavily, on the nearest chair. “Rebecca,” he said hoarsely. “The baby, are they—are they alright? Is Steven?”

“I don’t know,” Tony admitted, his leg bouncing erratically underneath the table. This was… he was doing something, even if it was just telling Thor, even if it wasn’t much, and that was better than nothing. Doing nothing drove him absolutely and entirely mad—and that wasn’t good for anyone.

“I don’t know a lot yet,” he continued. “The building… there was a fire, and everyone was evacuated, but…” He stalled Thor’s words before he’d even said them, holding up a hand as though to ward off the questions that were sure to come. “…Steve said they got separated during the evacuation. He can’t find her. Her tracker’s offline. She… She might still be in the building or somewhere around there, but…” He swallowed. “Well, it’s not like our trackers can be disabled accidentally.”  

Thor looked gutted, but the expression was swiftly replaced by one of utter rage.

“Who?” he demanded. “Who would dare take her from me? From us?”

Tony’s eyes widened when lightning sparked between Thor’s fingers and thunder rumbled loudly above them. “I don’t know, big guy,” he said in his calmest voice, although it didn’t seem to be doing much to assuage Thor. The crackle of electricity hung heavy in the air and made Tony’s skin prickle and thrum—the raw power rolling off Thor was… fucking intimidating, a reminder that the man wasn’t human, and that he could likely squash them all like bugs if given proper motivation—

The door swung open again and Steve and Clint walked in, and Tony nearly choked on his own tongue, because he’d seen Steve look pretty terrible over the years—in the throes of depression, bruised and beaten after battle, but…

He’d never seen Steve look like this.

There were dark circles beneath Steve’s eyes and several cuts and bruises were in various stages of healing, but Steve’s dark bespoke suit was riddled with bullet holes and splashed with so much ash and blood and Tony really hoped it wasn’t all his.

“Steven!” Thor bellowed, leaping from his seat and crossing the space between him and Steve in a few short strides. “You wear battle upon your skin, yet Tony informed me there was none. Where is Rebecca? Have you found her?”

Tony’s eyes flicked to the door again, then to Clint, who shook his head, and his stomach sank.  

“I—the—she wasn’t anywhere,” Steve finally said, his expression stony, but Tony heard the barely perceptible waver in his voice regardless, and he felt abruptly sick, keeping his eyes fastened on the door, begging for Becca to walk through at any moment, to just be there, to be okay—

Please, please, don’t let her be dead.

“Hydra took Becca,” Steve continued, and Tony’s entire world screeched to a halt for a long, tense moment, his breath punching from his lungs in a startled breath—

“Are you sure?”

“Hydra took Becca,” Steve repeated, but Tony could again hear the waver in his voice that matched the sudden nausea that crawled up the back of Tony’s throat. “Her tracker’s offline, and we came across some stragglers when we canvassed the building and the rest of the block,” Steve went on, turning his attention from Thor to the others. Tony wanted to do something, to say anything, but he wasn’t quite sure what words were for a moment there, because he couldn’t think past ‘Hydra took Becca’. “They had cyanide capsules,” Steve said. “Spitting Hail Hydra before they died.”

He took a harsh breath and looked up at Wanda. “You were right. They’re back.”

Tony’s legs gave out from beneath him as he fell backwards onto his seat. He had not even realised he had risen from his seat in the first place. “Why would they—”

“It was a trap,” Steve interrupted harshly, anger infused in his every word, but Tony could see him fraying around the edges in the way his hands trembled before Steve pressed his palms flat against the table. “It was specifically set to draw me—or us—in,” he continued tensely. “I don’t know how they knew Becca and I would be there or why they took Becca instead, but I don’t intend to let them keep her long enough to find out.”

Thunder rumbled loudly above their heads and lightning flashed through Thor’s eyes at the same time as it lit up the night outside, and everyone jumped again, turning to the God of Thunder with wide eyes. Thor looked livid, and Tony suddenly realised he had never seen Thor really angry before, not truly, not even during their most intense battles, and the sight of it was… surprisingly terrifying.

Outside, a storm unlike anything Tony had ever seen before raged, and Tony wasn’t sure what to do to calm the god down.

He was, honestly, not sure he wanted to.

Let Thor unleash his anger on the bastards who’d dared kidnap Becca.

“J,” he said briskly. “Pull up everything you can find on the gala tonight. I don’t care how many firewalls you have to bypass or how many people will know we’re looking. Just get the info.” He barely waited for J.A.R.V.I.S.’s murmured affirmation before he jumped out of his chair, pulling up a large holoscreen above the table.

“Tell us everything,” he ordered Steve as soon as he had the screen set up, whirling around to find Steve looking at him with the same kind of desperation that was burning in his own veins.

“Now, Steve,” he ordered sharply, knowing it would get through to him the quickest.

Steve faltered for another moment—which Tony guessed he could forgive him for, since he was pretty sure Steve had been up since yesterday morning—before he launched into a detailed explanation of his and Becca’s strategic plans for the gala, all the way down to the color of her dress.

Tony watched, a little lightheaded and in dire need of caffeine—or like… six 5-hour energy shots—as Steve’s plans were laid out on the holographic screen, in clear and direct terms. Clint and Thor were leaning forward, eyes flitting between Steve and the screen, and even Natasha sat, tensed, on the edge of her seat, staring intently at the screen.

His hands trembled when he swiped a picture of one of the targets to the side, and he was very much not thinking about how triggeringthe situation had to be for Becca. She’d been doing so good, and he knew, he knew his Becs was stronger than any of them, but there were limits even to what she could take. He was also very deliberately not thinking of his own issues with being kidnapped—even though he was basically an expert at it now, having been kidnapped like six times before he was even eighteen—or the way he’d found Becca in Iraq, pale and beaten on the floor in a filthy little cell.

She was important to him, always had been, even though he’d been annoyed as fuck at fifteen to be saddled with the baby at family gatherings. She was his Baby Becs and he hated the thought of someone getting their hands on her and hurting her.

He’d promised himself, the day he found her, after he’d led the Army to where she was being held, and the day he’d spent sitting by her bed after the Battle of New York, that he’d find a way to keep her safe.

It’s a pledge he felt truly shamed to have failed at.

“Wait, wait.” Bruce waved his hand slowly, pulling his glasses down his nose and pinching the bridge between thumb and forefinger and completely interrupting Tony’s train of thought. “We have good contacts in S.H.I.E.L.D. Why are we not calling them in? If we can legitimize the mission through them… Making this an official S.H.I.E.L.D. mission would make it easier, wouldn’t it? We’d have all of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s resources.”

“Because revealing that S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers purposefully put active agents in that gala would have meant treading on some very powerful toes,” Fury boomed from behind them, causing Tony to nearly jump out of his skin, knocking his knee painfully into the underside of the table. “We cannot afford that right now.”

Tony swivelled around, because how the fuck did that asshole keep getting into his Tower without his goddamned permission, how did he even know—and then froze, his mind screeching to a stop as he watched Fury approach with Agent Hill—he remembered her, very pretty, badass, had a brief fling with Becca after the fiasco with Romanoff—and…

Coulson?

“Bruce, am I drunk?” he choked out, feebly patting around until his fingers found the fabric of Bruce’s shirt to clutch and hang onto. “I’m seeing dead people.” He was vaguely aware of the sound of Clint dropping his mug onto the table, but no one else said anything, and he couldn’t—

What the fuck.

“This is a whole new level of madness.” Tony shook his head dramatically. “J, call my therapist. Wait.” He frowned. “I don’t have a therapist. Damn it, call a therapist. If they’ll take me. Will they take me? Fuck. What the absolute fuck, Fury?!”

“Tony, shut up!” Steve shouted empathically, and Tony would yell back, but just then, he caught sight of Clint’s expression and oh.

Yeah.

Tony cringed. He’d only heard of Clint’s relationship with Coulson after the man had died on the Helicarrier—although not so much, apparently—but he’d witnessed Clint’s intense grief first hand. So… realising Coulson wasn’t dead after all?

Not cool.

Not cool at all.

Everyone watched, tensely, as Coulson tentatively moved  towards Clint, before Natasha suddenly stepped into his path—

That wasn’t going to end well.

“Don’t you dare talk to him,” she hissed, and if Tony had been on the receiving end of that look, he swore he would have just shrivelled up and died because damn, that woman and her icy glares.

“Nat, I—” Coulson began, falling silent immediately beneath the weight of the Black Widow’s lethal glare.

“Enough,” Fury cut in, and Tony almost wanted to pout—this was dramatic as fuck and it didn’t even involve him, for once—before he remembered why they were there and promptly felt sick, because how could he—or any of them, except for maybe Clint—have forgotten, even for a second, that Becca was missing and in danger?

“Yes,” Steve boomed, face stoic but hands clenched into fists nonetheless before he lifted one hand to point at Coulson. “Enough. You… I’m glad you’re not dead. Head’s up would’ve been nice.” He turned to Fury, and Tony was impressed by the way his expression actually grew icier. “And you… when I’ve got Becca back safe and sound, you and I are gonna have a conversation you’re not going to enjoy.”

It struck Tony then, in a moment of dizzying clarity, how much Steve was struggling to hold onto the Captain America mind set, in a way he hadn’t seen him struggle in…

God, in months.

Tony hadn’t understood, initially, that Captain America was Steve’s shield just as much as his vibranium shield was. He hadn’t understood that, to deal with the expectations people put on Steve from the moment they laid eyes on him, Steve hid behind Captain America.

He showed people what they wanted to see.

Tony could tell that, in the light of Coulson’s reappearance, in the light of Becca being kidnapped on his watch and the botched mission—Jesus fucking Christ—that Steve was on the verge of losing it though.

Tony caught Steve’s eye, and the exhausted desperation in the younger man’s eye nearly made him wince. Nearly. Tony was worried about Becca too, the frantic energy humming beneath his skin nearly electric the longer he sat still, but he was willing to concede—just this once—that Steve’s nerves might be slightly more frayed than Tony’s.

Slightly.

To be fair, neither of them was quite as badly off as Thor obviously was, vibrating where he stood, lightning continually sparking between his fingers and his eyes flashing white with each clap of thunder and flash of lightning outside. But then again, it wasn’t Tony’s girlfriend and child on the line, now was it?

God, he didn’t even want to think about Pepper and the baby being in this kind of danger.

Tony could be a good teammate and take the focus off of Cap and Thor for a bit, though.

Let it never be said Tony Stark didn’t play well with others.

Tony cleared his throat loudly, effectively drawing all attention back to him.

“Not that this isn’t fun,” he drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Fury’s annoyed huff. “But I’d prefer to get back to why we’re actuallyhere.” He gestured back to the large screen, his heart clenching a little at the sight of the photo J.A.R.V.I.S. had pulled up—a picture Pepper had taken during one of the Team Movie NightsTony had insisted upon, catching Becca in the middle of a peal of laughter at something silly Thor had said to Steve—before he glanced back to Steve and Thor and steeled himself.

One of them had to keep it together.

Just figured it’d be him again. Tony never thought he’d be the stable one, but then…

Here he was.

Again.

------------

BREAKING: NEW YORK CITY HIT BY UNEXPECTED THUNDERSTORM

The torrential rains that have been ravaging New York City for the past few hours hit unexpectedly and, reportedly, entirely out of nowhere around 10:30 p.m. today. The rains and repeated strikes of lightning have yet to cause any real, lasting damage, but it is only a matter of time if it continues, according to experts.

[…] at least 46 people were caught entirely by surprise by the heavy rainfall and needed to be extracted by firefighters from a partially flooded subway tunnel. “[…] situation is, for now, under control, and we’re trying to help those that have been caught up in the storm, but the streets are flooding, and we recommend everyone to remain at home,” said Anahera Taumata, a senior official at the New York City mayor’s office.

[…] Military units have been deployed to assist emergency workers as they search for [missing] people and clear the streets for emergency vehicles. […] storm unlike any in living memory, according to local authorities. New York’s weather agency has reported up to 6 inches of rain fell within four hours, triggering several flash floods in various subway tunnels, and 4 reported lightning strikes to various buildings.

Amusingly, several New Yorkers have taken to Twitter to ask Thor Odinson, New York’s resident God of Thunder, to take the lightning and rain elsewhere. Interestingly, several weather experts have agreed that such a sudden change in the weather can only be attributed to the God of Thunder. […] no response from Thor or the Avengers yet, although the storm rages on.

[…] no reports of deaths or serious injuries yet.

—Pedro Isaac, “New York City Hit By Unexpected Thunderstorm”, DW.com, 2 April 2016

-------------

Avengers Tower, New York, Manhattan, New York State, United States of America

11:57 p.m., 2 April 2016

Steve

“This has to be a trap.”

“It’s a one-way video feed,” Tony said scathingly, glaring at Fury. “It can’t be a trap.”

The tension in the room was so palpable that it thickened the air surrounding them, making Steve feel almost like he was choking. The others were spread haphazardly throughout the room, eyeing the video feed J.A.R.V.I.S. had pulled up after receiving an anonymous email with varying expressions.

“Is there any way to trace the signal?” Bruce asked reasonably, looking between Tony and Natasha with a furrowed brow. Natasha had taken control over one of Tony’s holographic screens and had, in the past hour and a half, managed to collect a mildly terrifying amount of evidence of Hydra’s continued existence. The things she had found and was currently investigating were so immensely complicated and implicated so many people that it gave Steve a minor headache at just the thought of considering it all.

She’d managed to uncover a terrifying amount of documents, video footage, photos and other evidence, which was mildly terrifying, considering how hard it had been to find even the slightest scrap of evidence before. When Steve had asked why she was finding so much now, Nat had only muttered, “It’s easy to find things when you know what you’re looking for,” before refocusing her attention on the screen.

And yet, nothing she’d found—nothing pointed towards there having been plans to take Becca.

Except… Except that there had clearly been a plan.

The security cameras in and around the building had been masterfully and methodically rerouted to replay previously recorded footage starting three minutes and forty-three seconds before the fire alarm had been triggered until seven and a half minutes after the alarm had been triggered.

In addition to that, whoever had hacked the feed had done so at the scene—which meant they couldn’t be traced through an I.P. address.

The kidnapping clearly was premeditated, but whoever had done said premeditating had not left a paper trail for them to find. They’d not left anything for them to find, other than Becca’s glaring absence and the three trigger happy goons Steve and Clint had run into when they’d canvassed the area.

And now this dark video feed.

“I don’t care what it is,” Thor thundered, eyes flashing with barely suppressed rage. “Will it help us find Becca?” A particularly loud clap of thunder punctuated his words, making his feelings on the matter abundantly clear. Of course, the thunderstorm outside had been gaining in strength since Thor had learned of the kidnapping.

Steve winced.

After their initial explanation of what had happened at the gala, Thor had simply stood, walked out, and—according to J.A.R.V.I.S.—disappeared through the Bifrost. He’d returned not ten minutes later in full armour and with his friends, who had all immediately spread out into the city to track down whatever leads they could find.

Thor had, after they’d spent a tense few minutes watching him talk to his friends, re-joined the team in the board room, although he’d barely said three words since his return, and most of those words had been used to inform them Heimdall was also searching for Becca with his all-seeing gaze.

He hadn’t spoken to Steve directly since he’d walked in.

And Steve hated it.

He hated that he’d failed Thor and Becca so badly. He’d promised Thor that Becca would be safe, that he’d be by her side the entire time—and because he hadn’t been, because he’d decided trying to dance with the target’s date was a good idea, Hydra had been able to get to Becca.

He wouldn’t be surprised if Thor wanted to throw him from the Tower.

Steve kind of wanted to throw himself from the Tower too.  

“As soon as it activates,” Tony said fervently, nodding at Thor. “I don’t care what they’ve done to erase their digital footprints, as soon as they give us an inch, I’m gonna take a fucking mile.”

Thor nodded curtly. “Very well.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, staring silently out the window into the dark storm.

Steve wondered, not for the first time, whether the sight of the storm soothed Thor, or if it made his anger and fear all the worse. It was, after all, a physical manifestation of Thor’s emotions—a blatant and palpable demonstration of everything Thor felt for anyone who cared to look.

Steve had seen Thor’s control over his lightning slip a few times over the years, but every single one of those instances had been… different.

With the exception of the two-week long thunderstorm that had followed Thor’s return to Earth after his mother and Loki had been killed, every other instance of Thor accidentally letting his lightning loose had been… if not outright funny, then certainly amusing.

It’d happened once after his and Becca’s second anniversary, when Becca had apparently done something very well—although Steve preferred not to think about what exactly she’d done so well, for his own sanity—and once after Clint and the twins had teamed up to play a prank on Thor, and the god had startled so bad he’d electrocuted the entire Tower.

Both instances had been hilarious.

There wasn’t anything funny about Thor’s lack of control now.

Steve eyed the raging storm—if it even was due to a lack of control on Thor’s part. He didn’t doubt that his friend was terrified, because Steve was too, and it wasn’t even his girlfriend, his child on the line. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was a reason Thor had decided to unleash the thunderstorm to end all thunderstorms on New York.

Maybe he was hoping to flush out whoever had taken Becca—quite literally.

Steve would be more concerned about the consequences of letting this storm rage—people could get hurt, there could be floods due to the unrelenting rain—but most of his higher brain function was too occupied with Becca to care.

While Tony, Bruce and J.A.R.V.I.S. bickered over how they were going to trace the video feed, Steve took his chance. Natasha, Clint and Wanda had their heads bent together to try to figure out why there was a video feed in the first place, and thankfully weren’t paying attention to him either.

Steve approached Thor, feeling simultaneously nervous and like he was going to get whatever horrible fate he deserved.

“Hey,” he said quietly once he’d reached his friend, leaning against the wall beside Thor.

Thor barely even glanced up at him, but nodded in acknowledgement nonetheless.

“I—” Steve tried, but his voice rebelled, and the words died in his throat. “I’m sorry,” he finally managed. “I promised you she’d be safe, and… I didn’t—I should’ve stayed with her. I’m sorry.”

Thor heaved a sigh beside him.

“Steven,” he said wearily. “My friend. I love you very dearly, and I want you to know that the only people I blame are the people that tookBecca from me, but…” He sighed again and looked at Steve with dark, haunted eyes. “I do not have it in me to reassure you right now.”

He turned away from Steve again and stared back out the window.

Steve opened his mouth, changed his mind, and then closed it again, feeling distinctly nauseated.

He wasn’t sure how long he and Thor stood there, backs against the wall in silence, before Natasha suddenly announced, “We got something.”

At the same time, Tony exclaimed, “The feed’s going live!”

Steve’s stomach dropped away and he felt distinctly nauseous as he eyed the video footage Tony had pulled up on the largest screen in the room. He pushed away from the wall and joined the rest of the team as they gathered around the screen in a tight half circle, each set of shoulders bumping into the next one over.

And there, right in front of them and yet completely out of their reach, was Becca.

The camera hardly shook at all, and the quality of the video was exceptionally high—whoever this was, Steve would bet anything they were using a professional camera, which spoke volumes about the level of preparedness of the kidnappers, at least in his opinion.

When he voiced said thoughts aloud, Natasha nodded in agreement and Tony insisted he had spotted the same thing immediately. Steve didn’t really pay attention to them, trying to focus his gaze on the details of the scene, on anything that might betray where the footage was being filmed or who was filming it—anything that might tell him where Becca was, but the backdrop was a simple, infuriatingly, undoubtedly purposefully white sheet.

He carefully refrained from looking at Becca, who sat tied to a wooden chair in the middle of the image, because he needed time to steel himself for what he was sure he’d see.

He remembered what Hydra did to the people they took.

He remembered what Bucky had looked like right after Steve had pulled him from that concrete slab in Azzano—remembered the blank stare in his best friend’s eye that never really left after.

Steve wasn’t sure he could stand to see another friend tortured by Hydra.

When he did finally look at her, she looked relatively unharmed, although she’d clearly not been handled carefully, either. Her hair had fallen from the elegant mess of braids and curls Nat had done for her earlier, and there was an ugly scrape on her forehead. She was paler than Steve thought was healthy, but when she looked up at the camera, he could recognize the defiant anger in her gaze.

“This is live, yes?” Thor demanded, glancing towards Tony, and Steve wondered if anyone else could tell just how badly Thor’s hands were shaking.

“Yeah,” Tony nodded. “Yeah. J.A.R.V.I.S. is recording and tracing the feed right now.”

He looked stricken, and though Steve felt a wave of sympathy for him.

“Well, smile for the camera, Barnes,” someone drawled on the feed, voice smug and self-satisfied even though it was clearly distorted by some kind of voice modulator.

When Becca continued to scowl at the person behind the camera, someone heaved an impatient sigh and stomped forward, roughly grabbing Becca’s chin with a gloved hand and forcing her to look directly into the camera. “Come on then,” the man—because it was a man, dressed from head to toe in black, a dark ski mask covering his face—in their field of vision spat. “Smile for your friends, bitch. Gotta say goodbye.”

Lightning sparked between Thor’s clenched fingers and jumped up his arm, and the thunder outside roared deafeningly loud.

Steve winced in perfect tandem with the others, and barely resisted the urge to grasp Thor’s shoulder in comfort. The gesture wouldn’t be appreciated right now, he was sure, and he wasn’t very sure he wouldn’t be electrocuted if he touched Thor right now, in any case. Thor certainly didn’t seem entirely aware of the light current of electricity that was dancing from his clenched fists up to his shoulders and the white that crept across his eyes—

It was, admittedly, slightly terrifying.

He returned his attention back to the screen, where Becca had bared her teeth in a bloody grin.

Steve fumed, because it was obvious she’d been slapped hard enough that her upper lip had split, which meant one of those sick sons of bitches had had the gall to hit a pregnant woman hard enough to make her bleed.

“You gonna scream real’ nice and loud for us, baby?” the male, though still unidentifiable voice taunted on the screen, shaking Becca’s chin roughly while several other voices jeered and the man in the frame cupped his crotch suggestively. Becca winced—a small, minute thing, but Steve had known her long enough to recognize her expression of pain—before she spat at the hand that was holding her.

“You and your pathetic little needle dick couldn’t make me scream if you tried,” she spat, voice strong and clear, glaring up at him.

Steve snorted a laugh despite himself, and even Thor smiled.

Unfortunately the kidnappers were not quite as amused by Becca’s innate inability to stop sassing people, and the man who stood next to Becca in the frame, who’d cupped his crotch to taunt her, slapped Becca hard. Her head whipped to the side and Thor growled as the thunder above them roared, and—miraculously, thankfully—the sound echoed on the video.

They could hear Thor’s thunder on the video.

They could hear it.

She was still in the city—whoever had taken her hadn’t taken her out of the city. And thunder had a limited sound range, at that.

Amateurs, he thought contemptuously.

Becca slowly swung her head back towards the camera, grinning that same bloody grin. “Oh, you’re fucked now,” she chuckled. “Thor. Babe. There’s only five of them. Fucking annihilate them.”

“Someone calculate how far that was,” Clint shouted. “How long was the delay?”

“Couple of seconds tops,” Tony said absently, hands moving feverishly across the keyboard.

“You insolent bitch,” the man behind the camera spat, lurching forward in a blurred movement to backhand Becca across the face once more, and Thor’s thunder howled so loudly everyone reflexively covered their ears. A massive bolt of lightning struck the nearest building and the city went dark beneath and around them.

The Tower, mercifully, seemed mostly unaffected, although there were quite a few red alerts popping up at the bottom of the screen. The video feed, too, seemed unaffected, although the lights shining down on Becca had dimmed considerably, and everyone except Becca seemed a little spooked by Thor’s outburst.

“Well,” the man chuckled, although his voice was just a little shakier than it had been before. “We know they’re watching, then. Good.” He disappeared from the frame again and ordered, “Go get the Soldier.”

Becca swayed a little against her bonds, clearly dazed by the last blow—though still with a slight smile on her face from the proof of Thor’s wrath—and Steve bit his lip nervously. Even though they knew they were in the city, that they couldn’t be far, he didn’t like that they couldn’t get to her right away, that they couldn’t bring her to the medical floor to have her checked out—

“Captain America,” the man on the video said, and Steve’s head snapped up. “You’ve been a thorn in Hydra’s side for far too long. Consider this a warning of what’ll happen to everyone you love if you continue to cross us—we know where your friends live, know that certain elderly friends of yours are particularly vulnerable. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time with Barnes while it lasted, because it comes to an end now. Hail Hydra.”

“What,” Tony said, baffled, and Steve’s stomach roiled—he might throw up; something he’d done maybe thrice since waking from the ice.

Becca had been shaking her head the entire time the man was speaking, but when she opened her mouth to say something, she seemed to spot something behind the camera and her eyes went wide, her jaw going slack. “Wh—Uncle Bucky?”

Steve, who’d been reaching for the nearest trashcan—just in case his rebellious stomach decided to stage a full-scale riot—abruptly jerked back towards the screen, wide-eyed and confused, and Becca blinked owlishly at whoever was behind the camera.

But then, suddenly, before she could gather herself, there was a commotion from the same direction she was staring into as if she’d seen a ghost. It devolved rapidly into unintelligible shouting, and before any of them had any chance to figure out what the hell was happening—

The camera toppled on its side with a loud crash, and for a second, through blurred, jagged footage, Becca’s feet were visible, before a loud bang startled them all, and the video abruptly cut out.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Tony inquired shakily, “tell me you have something.”

“Why would she say that?” Steve whispered, staring at the blank screen without really seeing it, without really… without really thinking.

Why would Becca say Bucky’s name?

No one replied to him.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. responded apologetically, speaking over Steve’s whisper, and Steve felt sick. “The signal was heavily encrypted and was being bounced off servers on every continent. Even with the knowledge they were still in the city, I was not able to narrow down the location. Based on the delay before we heard the echo of Thor’s thunder, however, I estimate that they are no more than five miles away from the Tower.”

“We have to do something,” Natasha exclaimed a little desperately. “There has to be something—they’re in the city, we know they are in the city—you have to be able to find something.”

“Their lights weren’t off,” Wanda remarked from next to a quivering Thor, wringing her hands nervously, anxiously. “It was darker, but not fully dark, and I think there was a hum in the background after. They must have an emergency generator. Doesn’t that help?”

“Why would she say Bucky’s name?” Steve repeated, a little louder, ignoring the slight hysteria in his own voice, choosing to focus on that rather than the gunshot they’d heard at the end of the video, because… because…

Because she’d said Bucky’s name.

Steve was unable to ignore it or chalk it up to coincidence—he couldn’t.

He knew Becca would have known that too.

“I don’t know, Steve!” Natasha shouted suddenly, startling them all into silence. Steve stared at her with wide eyes—he had never seen Natasha lose her cool like this, and that more than anything shocked him into immediate silence and stillness. She exhaled shakily and continued in a—slightly—calmer voice, “It doesn’t matter why she said Bucky’s name. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t. What we need to focus on right now is where she is and who has her. Once we have her safely back we can look into anything she said and why she said it, but not now.”

Steve blinked at her. “Okay,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

He’d forgotten, for a moment, that he wasn’t the only one that loved Becca—that he wasn’t the only one that was going out of his mind with worry.

Natasha glared at him for another tense, drawn-out moment before she sighed. “It’s fine.” She looked to Thor, who was still glaring at the screen where Becca had been projected just minutes before, almost like he hadn’t even registered the commotion erupting around him.

“Thor,” she said, switching gears, her voice softening into something more comforting. “We’re going to find her. Can you meet up with your friends, see if they’ve found something? In the meantime, we can work out a search grid and work in pairs, search more efficiently—they can’t be far, so we have to make sure we get there before they move again. Maybe start on the outer perimeter of a five mile radius and work your way inwards; that’s what I’d do, and you can do it in a snap compared to most of the rest of us.”

“I’ll go with,” Steve said immediately, because his skin was crawling and he couldn’t stand sitting here and doing nothing any longer, because he knew his brain would drive him mad if he did.

Natasha nodded. “I’m going with you. Thor, with your friends—there’s four of them, yes?”

When Thor nodded, Nat smiled tightly. “Split up into groups of two. Tony, I need a map.”

Tony jerked into movement, blinking blearily but pulling up a map of the city obediently. Natasha walked up to it and indicated a ten-block radius. “You and your friend search this grid. Steve and I,” she indicated another ten-block grid, “will be searching this area. Your other two friends can search here.” She pointed again and Thor nodded sharply.

“We can search too,” Pietro piped in. “I’m fast, and Wanda can fly; give each of us ten blocks. Wanda and I can clear more than you can and faster, and that safely frees up Thor for the perimeter.”

Natasha nodded grimly.

“Be careful,” she told them after she’d indicated a good portion of the city. “Hydra will probably be looking to take you two back as well.”

Wanda bared her teeth in a snarl. “I’d like to see them try.”

With that, she slung her arm around her brother’s neck, and they blurred out of sight. Thor looked at the map intently for another few moments before he too, without words, stomped out of the room.

“Tony,” Nat said sternly, “Keep trying to hack the signal. If you find anything, any clue to narrow our search down, let us know.”

Tony nodded.

Clint settled in a corner, dragging several laptops, Starkpads and phones with him—staunchly ignoring Coulson and Fury, who were both pacing in the corridor, barking orders on their phones—and told Nat, “I’ll contact everyone I know—someone’ll know something.”

Nat nodded again before she turned to Steve. “Well,” she said, eyeing him up and down. “Suit up.”

------------------

Start from the beginning:

In Hell We Stand By You:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Never Feel Alone:

(1) (2)

Decisions:  (1)

Dancing with a Limp:

(1) (2)

Chances:

(1)

Starting Over:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Dancing in the Rain:

(1) (2) (3) 

Or read it HERE on AO3 :D Find the next chapter HERE on Tumblr :)

#stucky #stucky fanfic #Steve rogers #Bucky barnes #IHWSBY sequel #Dancing in the Rain #DitR #my writing #Lisa writes #thor #Becca Barnes

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Bad Bryce Harper Tweets and Takes

There are a lot of them out there. I don’t think any came from me though. Hopefully not.

Some folks believe that it’s better to have a bad take than no take at all, which I fundamentally disagree with. I’d prefer to have no take, which prevents you from ending up on the Freezing Cold Takes Twitter account with stuff like this:

FWIW https://t.co/6x8YGMVdUZ

— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) February 28, 2019

Yeah? Turns out Randy Miller’s source was incorrect.

Now, I actually kind of like Will Cain. I think he’s good on First Take alongside Stephen A and Max Kellerman. But he’s a Dallas guy and needles Philadelphia when possible, which resulted in this rant:

This is me loving you Philly. But like every sad sack headed for a bad marriage you burn the friend who tells you the truth that she’s not that into you. This is love. We’re far from the shallows now Philly. https://t.co/po6zJ8euxw

— Will Cain (@willcain) February 28, 2019

“You’ve got callers like Mike..” 

Actually, that’s a fair point from Cain.

Kyle didn’t like Jack’s take, after the jump:

If I had $3.9 billion, I would *not* allow some baseball player or anyone else to big-time me the way Harper is doing Middleton. Pull the offer, go sign a pitcher, and let future free agents know who is the boss. Realmuto alone made the #Phillies offseason a success.

— Jack McCaffery (@JackMcCaffery) February 26, 2019

Bob wrote the other day about the 94 WIP caller who didn’t want Bryce Harper because he plays right field, which is where you stick the worst kid in little league:

Apparently Angelo was getting ready to organize the booing of the Phils this season, something similar to his Dirty 30 morons who booed the selection of Donovan McNabb back in 1999:

Here’s my latest take on the Phillies quest to sign Bryce Harper: He had a chance to play in sports heaven. Now he can go to hell. When he returns to Philly as an opponent, he will be receive our full wrath with a boo like nothing he has ever heard. Believe it.

— Angelo Cataldi (@AngeloCataldi) February 28, 2019

Angelo quickly changed his tune after the signing:

I take back everything I said this morning. Woooo-hoooo! Phillies got Bryce Harper!!!!!!!

— Angelo Cataldi (@AngeloCataldi) February 28, 2019

He also got this wrong while trying to pat himself on the back:

Deal was exactly what I reported two day ago: 10 years, $330 million. Do you believe me now?

— Angelo Cataldi (@AngeloCataldi) February 28, 2019

Oops! 13 years? The Phillies got a fantastic deal. Congrats to them, and to all the fans.

— Angelo Cataldi (@AngeloCataldi) February 28, 2019

Angelo had previously said the Phillies and Harper were stuck over an opt-out, which was later reported not to be true by most of the top baseball writers.

Angelo:

“Phillies are in a staredown with agent Scott Boras over Bryce Harper’s demand for a three-year opt-out in the 10-year, $330-million deal. What do you say, Philadelphia? Should the Phillies say yes?”

So Angelo had the dollar amount right, but the contract length and opt-out were incorrect. Close, though.

Here’s Howard Eskin on Wednesday, thinking that Harper never wanted to play in Philadelphia:

If this story is true and Bryce Harper will sign with the SF Giants, it’s obvious that Scott Boras and Harper played the #Phillies. Seems like he never wanted to play in Philadelphia. II think Harper good but over rated. Money well not spent. @SportsRadioWIP https://t.co/lYudiQ6yPz

— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) February 27, 2019

Looks like WWE’s “Graves,” whoever the hell that is, ended up having to eat this comment:

Tonight on @WWE Monday Night Raw, Announcer @WWEGraves takes a shot at the City of Philadelphia about Bryce Harper#Phillies #RAW #BryceHarper pic.twitter.com/A3O5o2Qasd

— David Malandra Jr (@David_Malandra) February 26, 2019

I had to Google “Graves” to see what his deal is. Looks like he’s from Pittsburgh. He’s a disgusting yinzer.

Not surprisingly, the Crossing Broad comments section was filled with troll trash.

Stuff like this:

Checking in with Skip Bayless:

Phillies now have BRYCE HARPER. Sixers have JOEL EMBIID and BEN SIMMONS and JIMMY BUTLER. Too bad the Eagles don't have a star.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 1, 2019

Skip is right. The Eagles don’t have Pro Bowlers Fletcher Cox or Lane Johnson. They don’t have Carson Wentz or Zach Ertz. They don’t have.. <checks Dallas roster> …Dak Prescott.

Bryce Harper sucks now. Imagine how terrible he'll be when he's 39 #WorstDealInHistory #Phillies #Harper

— Andrew (@dr3w_g) March 1, 2019

Andrew is right. Harper only has a career .900 OPS with 32 home runs and 91 RBI averaged annually.

Let’s go through those old Andy Martino tweets.. found one:

Have been hearing lately Bryce Harper unsure about Philly. They'd better convince him for their sake.

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) February 19, 2019

They convinced him.

I was also a fan of this story from FiveThirtyEight, titled “Bryce Harper May Already Be Past His Prime.”

Travis Sawchik:

The good news for the Phillies is that Harper should help them immediately. Based on 100 simulations run for FiveThirtyEight by Out of the Park Developments, Harper will improve the Phillies from an 80.2-win team in 2019 to an 86.1-win team, though the computer forecasts still had Philadelphia missing the postseason. Harper caps an aggressive offseason for the Phillies, who traded for catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Jean Segura and added notable free agents Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson to a young core led by ace pitcher Aaron Nola and slugger Rhys Hoskins.

But what’s troubling for the Phillies, who are now committed to Harper through his age 38 season in 2031, is that there’s a good chance that Harper has already played his best baseball.

We’ll see.

There’s a treasure trove of trash out there. Get to deleting.

The post Bad Bryce Harper Tweets and Takes appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Bad Bryce Harper Tweets and Takes published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[marcusssanderson]

50 Inspirational Mental Health Quotes for Happiness and Success

Looking for inspirational mental health quotes?

Mental health refers to the state of our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It impacts the way we feel, think and act, making it important in all areas of our lives.

Mental health plays an important role in the way we deal with stress, how we relate to others, and the decisions we make in our daily lives. Without positive mental health, it will be almost impossible to realize your full potential, work productively, make a meaningful contribution to your community, or handle the stress that comes with life.

So what can you do to ensure you have a healthy mental state?  Well, there are various ways to maintain positive mental health and live a more fulfilling and enjoyable life.

Besides seeking professional help if you need it, you should make time to connect with others, think positively about yourself and get physically active. Also, make sure you get enough rest,  you’re mindful of your present moment, and be helpful to others.

A healthy mental state will help you leverage your Everyday Power to achieve the success you seek and live a purposeful life. Here are some inspirational quotes to remind you of that.

  Inspirational mental health quotes for happiness and success

  1.) “Mental health needs a great deal of attention. It’s the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with.” – Adam Ant

  2.) “It’s up to you today to start making healthy choices. Not choices that are just healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind.”― Steve Maraboli

  3.) “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — Albus Dumbledore

  4.) “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.” – Joubert Botha

  5.) “This feeling will pass. The fear is real but the danger is not.”― Cammie McGovern

  6.) “Everybody knows there is no such thing as normal. There is no black-and-white definition of normal. Normal is subjective. There’s only a messy, inconsistent, silly, hopeful version of how we feel most at home in our lives.” ― Tori Spelling

  7.) “What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close

    8.) “It’s not just people who can’t find a job, or can’t fit in in society that struggle with depression sometimes.” — Jared Padalecki

  9.) “It doesn’t have to take over your life, it doesn’t have to define you as a person, it’s just important that you ask for help. It’s not a sign of weakness.” — Demi Lovato

  10.) “What does your anxiety do? It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it empties today of its strength. It does not make you escape the evil; it makes you unfit to cope with it if it comes.” ― Raymond L. Cramer

  Inspirational mental health quotes to help you on your journey

  11.) “There isn’t anybody out there who doesn’t have a mental health issue, whether it’s depression, anxiety, or how to cope with relationships. Having OCD is not an embarrassment anymore – for me. Just know that there is help and your life could be better if you go out and seek the help.” – Howie Mandel

  12.) “I’ve run my whole life – for more than exercise, for mental health.” – Wendelin Van Draanen

  13.) “Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside — remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.”— Charles Bukowski

  14.) “It is not the the bruises on the body that hurt. It is the wounds of the heart and the scars on the mind.”― Aisha Mirza

  15.) “The only journey is the journey within.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

    16.) “You have to quit confusing a madness with a mission.” ― Flannery O’Connor

  17.) “Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether.” – Stephanie Garber

  18.) “And every person can benefit from talking to somebody. I’m the most anti-medication person, but some people need medicine, and there was a time where I needed some too.” — Miley Cyrus

  19.) “My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it.” – Emery Lord

  20.) “The acknowledgment of having suffered evil is the greatest step forward in mental health.” ― Stefan Molyneux

  Insightful and inspirational mental health quotes

  21.) “Self-esteem is as important to our well-being as legs are to a table. It is essential for physical and mental health and for happiness.” –  Louise Hart

  22.) “Your illness is not your identity. Your chemistry is not your character.” — Pastor Rick Warren

  23.) “To think too much is a disease.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

  24.) “If we start being honest about our pain, our anger, and our shortcomings instead of pretending they don’t exist, then maybe we’ll leave the world a better place than we found it.” – Russell Wilson

  25.) “Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it isn’t so.” –Lemony Snicket

    26.) “One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you didn’t fall apart.” –Linda Poindexter

  27.) “Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” – Noam Shpancer

  28.) “I didn’t talk to anyone about [postpartum depression]. I was very reluctant.. Four of my friends felt the same way I did, and everyone was too embarrassed to talk about it.” — Adele

  29.) “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” – Abraham Lincoln

  30.) “It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love – writing songs and making music.” – Mariah Carey

  Mental health quotes to remind you to take care of your mind

  31.) “Mental health is often missing from public health debates even though it’s critical to wellbeing.” – Diane Abbott

  32.) “Unfortunately, we force people to break the law in order to get any kind of mental health treatment.” – Pete Earley

  33.) “PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.” ― Susan Pease Banitt

  34.) “Don’t let your struggle become your identity.” – Unknown

    35.) “Self-esteem is not a luxury; it is a profound spiritual need.”― Nathaniel Branden

  36.) “..balancing time you spend with or without people is crucial for mental health.” ― Amy E. Spiegel

  37.) “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.” – Carl Jung

  38.) “I’m actually taking medication that seems to be pretty good. It’s not making me feel too tired or sluggish or anything like that. Finding the proper balance is what is most important,” – Mariah Carey

  39.) “I’m struggling just to get through the days. I think a lot of people are.” — Justin Bieber

  40.) “About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. This can be defined as the general neurosis of our times.” – C.G. Jung

  Other inspirational mental health quotes

  41.) “A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support.” –  Kate Middleton

  42.) “The bravest thing I ever did was continuing my life when I wanted to die.”― Juliette Lewis

  43.) “I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” — Amy March

  44.) “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”― John Green

    45.) “Your illness does not define you. Your strength and courage does.” –Unknown

  46.) “I keep moving ahead, as always, knowing deep down inside that I am a good person and that I am worthy of a good life.” ― Jonathan Harnisch

  47.) “Hope, hope, hope. It has to be there. Rob the person of hope, and there won’t be any recovery.” – Dan Fisher

  48.) “There’s not shame in dealing with these things. There’s no shame in having to fight everyday.” — Jared Padalecki

  49.) “If you are physically sick, you can elicit the interest of a battery of physicians; but if you are mentally sick, you are lucky if the janitor comes around.” – Martin H. Fischer

  50.) “I let it get to me that day. I wasn’t in a good place. And unfortunately I was going through a rough time and I let it get to me a little bit too much. That was it,”- Liam Payne

  How did you find these mental health quotes?

  Mental health is vital in all stages of life. For you to realize your full potential, achieve success and live a more fulfilling life, you need to have a healthy mental state.

While taking care of your mental health might mean getting professional support, you should also consider making the right changes for you. Hopefully, these quotes have inspired you to always maintain positive mental health for success and happiness.

Did you enjoy these mental health quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? We would love to hear all about it in the comment section below.

The post 50 Inspirational Mental Health Quotes for Happiness and Success appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.

[harryandmeghan0-blog]

Royal wedding: Meghan Markle's induction into the Royal family is a break from conservative customs

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/royal-wedding-meghan-markles-induction-into-the-royal-family-is-a-break-from-conservative-customs/

Royal wedding: Meghan Markle's induction into the Royal family is a break from conservative customs

Updated May 19, 2018 19:28:46

It was 101 years ago that King George V (the present Queen’s grandfather) decided to relax the door policy on spouses marrying into the Royal family.

What time does the Royal wedding start?

Previously, English princes and princesses — to keep the bloodline impeccably noble — had tended to marry their royal German cousins, but with that gene pool becoming not only soupier but more politically awkward thanks to World War I, King George initiated a snap rebrand.

He changed the English Royal family’s surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gothe to the more patriotic “Windsor”, and let it be known that from now on, it was fine for heirs to the British throne to marry among the broader aristocracy.

For all the Royals’ feted attachment to tradition, the choice of “Windsor” has no family significance apart from it being the name of the vast medieval castle in which George’s grandmother, Queen Victoria, spent much of her time.

Victoria kept many servants there, including, for a brief time in the 1850s, a woman called Mary Bird. History has forgotten Mary and what she actually did for the Royal household.

But enthusiastic genealogists have claimed that her great-great-great-granddaughter is one Meghan Markle, due to leave the Windsors’ eponymous castle just after midday today (British time) having married into the family.

Such is the changing nature of the royal tradition.

The monarchy is an ancient institution whose admittance of Ms Markle — divorced, Catholic-born, biracial, American, and an actress who has done sex scenes on the television — is a genuine break from conservative customs.

But if history has proven anything about the Royal family, it’s that it will turn on a sixpence when required by urgent popular opinion.

Photo: Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle represent a new generation of Royals. (Reuters: Andrew Milligan)

A long-line of broken hearts

The century-long road of the Windsors is lined with the broken hearts of family members who — despite the free aristocratic love policy introduced by George V — still found themselves prohibited from marrying their first choices.

Edward VIII — the Queen’s uncle — famously abdicated in 1936 so that he could marry his twice-divorced American lover, Wallis Simpson.

Princess Margaret was never quite the same after the Queen — her sister — withheld Royal permission for her to marry the divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend in the 1950s.

And as Meghan Markle proceeds down the aisle today, one should probably spare a thought for Prince Andrew, who like Prince Harry is a second son but unlike Harry was steered off his own beautiful brunette American actress girlfriend — Koo Stark — in the 1980s because it was judged that her movies were too racy.

Photo: Prince Andrew photographed in 1998 chatting to his former girlfriend, Katherine (Koo) Stark. (Reuters: Stringer)

“Welcome, Meghan, to the Twilight Zone,” wrote Stark in an open letter published recently to Ms Markle in the Daily Mail.

“The xenophobia that existed 35 years ago is fortunately less socially and politically acceptable now, but be aware old habits die hard, and the circles in which you now find yourself by association are propped up by maintaining old habits.”

Marriage of Meghan and Harry is ‘great PR’

Royal historian Anna Whitelock says that for all the family’s ancient traditions, it relies heavily on public approbation, and the marriage of a second son like Prince Harry can send a powerful public message without structurally changing the monarchy itself.

“If you remember, Diana had to be a virgin basically, even in the 1980s, because of course she was going to carry the Royal heir, the future king, so it mattered,” she says.

“For Meghan Markle — and this is why I think Harry and Meghan’s marriage is being applauded and is being supported by the Royal family and the monarchy — is it doesn’t really rock the boat.

“It’s great PR to have this young glamorous mixed-race woman marrying into the Royal family, but it doesn’t change anything fundamentally about what the monarchy’s about, about its future.”

Dr Whitelock emphasises the monarchy and the Royal family are two different things, and while the family might embrace diversity, the monarchy by definition is built on exclusivity and birthright.

The abdication of Edward VIII was triggered by the Crown’s indisposition toward American divorcees, and that attitude has demonstrably changed.

But that abdication continues to exert an immense and powerful influence on the future of the monarchy.

First, it created the extraordinary reign of Queen Elizabeth II, by hustling her sickly father George VI to the throne unexpectedly, then obliging the young Elizabeth to take over upon his early death.

Elizabeth — who has been on the throne now for 66 years — is the longest-reigning monarch in her country’s history.

Second, it’s made the matter of succession in the modern day Royal family a highly inflexible affair.

Dr Whitelock says any talk of the Queen abdicating in favour of her frustrated eldest son Prince Charles — or more controversially, as is sometimes suggested, skipping a generation and elevating Prince William to the throne — is fanciful.

“It’s not going to happen,” she says.

“Abdication is completely anathema to her … her uncle abdicated and the crisis that that threw the monarchy into … the fact that her father had to suddenly step up and be king … abdication’s never going to happen.”

Prince Charles, she says, is likewise unlikely to cede his claim to the throne.

“Charles has spoken really openly and said basically he wants to be king, he wants to have a legacy, he has been waiting all his life,” Dr Whitelock said.

“I mean he literally has itchy feet. He’s been the longest-serving Prince of Wales ever and he’s desperate to be king.”

It’s time to ‘freshen up’ an ageing institution

In ages gone by, kings died young in battle, or from disease, or were overthrown.

But in these days of minimal regal engagement in hand-to-hand combat, buttressed by sound healthcare and nutrition, the line of succession has — how to put this tactfully? — an ageing profile.

The Queen, who is of stout constitution, could rule for another 10 years. Her son could manage another 20 after that, quite conceivably.

So for all the current enthusiasm for the “Fab Four” — the younger generation of Royals comprising Princes William and Harry and their wives Catherine and Meghan — they could be quite advanced in years by the time any of their number make it to the front of the queue.

Photo: The younger generation of royals could be quite advanced in years by the time any of them make it to the front of the queue. (AP: Chris Jackson)

“It’s a nightmare,” Dr Whitelock says.

“It’s like the ultimate waiting room. It’s like — ‘Go on! You’re not supposed to be hanging around this long! We need to freshen it up!'”

An heir who waits around for six decades to take the throne has — of course — plenty of time to lose their appeal.

Prince Charles, through his disastrous first marriage and his controversial second, is a habitual tail-ender in public opinion polls.

Photo: Prince Charles and Camilla on their wedding day in 2005. (Reuters: Toby Melville )

And with two generations waiting in line, there is also ample opportunity for schisms to form between heirs.

Already there are reported tensions between the courtiers of Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles’ base at Clarence House, and Kensington Palace (where princes Harry and William live).

“There are three centres,” says Dr Whitelock, “but really where it’s all at is Kensington Palace, which is the home of and the offices of, William and Harry, Kate and Meghan. That’s really where it’s at.

“And the people they are employing to staff that — they’re young people. Meghan’s got a 20-something history graduate from Nottingham University [running things] and these young people are going to be advising her on which charities to support and her itineraries and what they should be doing and it’s very much a slick PR media machine.”

Asked who would prevail in an all-out PR war, Dr Whitelock says, without hesitation:

“Kensington Palace. I think they are all over this wedding and for the first time it’s coming from there, much more than William and Kate’s wedding, it’s being drip fed through social media, it’s a global wedding.”

Fruitcake out, disco in

Photo: Prince Harry greets crowds in Windsor ahead of the wedding. (AP: Frank Augustein)

The wedding itself is undoubtedly a modern affair.

Gone is the nine-foot wedding fruitcake of Elizabeth II (made from dried fruit donated by Australian Girl Guides) slices of which periodically surface at auction.

In its place is a highly perishable lemon and elderflower affair, the remains of which will be composted rather than hoarded.

The guest list is remarkably free of world leaders and stuffy relatives. There will be a disco later.

And the Royal family is admitting newcomers it would have found unthinkable a generation ago.

When the Queen battled in 1947 for her right to marry Prince Philip (a penniless Greek prince of eccentric family, who was moreover considered untrustworthy on the grounds of his excessive handsomeness), she would never have foreseen that one day she would be welcoming to the extended family an air stewardess (Kate Middleton’s mother) or a yoga teacher (Meghan Markle’s).

However, it’s advisable not to get too carried away; we’re still talking about a woman who — by virtue of a 14th-century statute — owns all sturgeon caught within three miles of the British coastline (dolphins, too).

Whose presence in any one of her castles is denoted by the raising above it of a special gold flag.

Who receives, once a year, a royal quit-rent from the City of London consisting of one sharp knife, one blunt, six horseshoes and 61 nails.

This is an outfit that holds on to tradition wherever it can.

Topics: royal-and-imperial-matters, human-interest, united-kingdom, england

First posted May 19, 2018 08:30:13