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grumpygreenwitch · 1 year

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The Fairy and the Prince #35 + #36 + #37

Part 1 - Part 2 - Parts 3 & 4 - Part 5 - Part 6, 7 & 8 - Part 9 & 10 - Part 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16 - Part 17, 18, & 19 - Part 20, 21 & 22 - Part 23, 24, 25 & 26 - Part 27, 28, 29 & 30 - Part 31, 32, 33 & 34 - Part 35, 36 & 37 - Part 38, 39, 40 & 41 - Part 42 & 43 - Part 44 & 45 - Part 46 & 47 - Part 48, 49, 50 & 51 - Part, 52, 53 & 54 - Part 55 & 56 - Part 57, 58, 59 & 60 - Part 61, 62, 63, 64 & 65 - Part 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71 & 72

In which we learn that even Adam knows what an edgelord is, and is not impressed.

I have added the links to all the available parts of the story (so far) to all the posts back to the beginning. 85K+ words and counting!

Adam and Dane came back nine days after their departure, and found the palace no more interesting than when they'd left. The young prince was given the news of William's death almost belatedly; compared to some of the fates that had befallen the other princes, William's seemed to have been an almost discreet affair. Adam was fairly certain that everyone thought so only because they hadn't been close enough to hear the prince scream. There were questions, of course. Too many people knew what Adam would not admit out loud, that he had friends among the Folk In the Woods. Too many people also knew that William had tried his hand at courting a fairy-maid, though no one knew the details. But in the end Needlemaw's reasoning stood: Adam hadn't been there, and blame couldn't rightly be laid at his feet.

He should have cared, he knew, but he was distracted. Once again he felt as if he were being watched, and this time Dane had confirmed it for him. The black bird, sometimes a crow, sometimes a raven, sometimes something larger still, had followed them on the trip there and back. At home, trying to make sense of strangers that claimed to be family to him, Adam kept on running into a black cat indoors, with mismatched eyes. Dane had glimpsed the large black dog a few times, enough to readily identify as a dog and not a wolf. On the last night before reaching the palace they'd both seen a black stag in the woods, but it had been late and they'd not been able to swear that the color wasn't the light coming from behind it and wounding their eyes.

He made his greetings and told his tales, and gave small traveling gifts to Culli and to Beli. The next morning he dug up his painting supplies and tromped determinedly into the woods, setting up his work area before climbing up the linden tree to see if he could catch sight of his friends. "You know," he told the tree conversationally as he waited. "My family has six linden trees. None of them are anywhere near as gracious as you. All they did was make me miss you."

"Adam!" The cry came across the woods, and he nearly threw himself off the branch in his eagerness to see his friends.

A branch snarled on the back of his shirt and he had to recoil to untangle himself. "Alright, alright, I'll be careful!" Who needed the language of the trees, they made themselves heard loud and clear, the whole pack of nannies of them. Laughing, he slid recklessly down the ancient trunk and sprinted for his friends, taking Linden and Needlemaw both down with glad shrieks and much laughter. "Oh, I missed you all! Where's Boul?"

Boul, profoundly stubborn as only a troll could be, had insisted on waiting for Adam every day, 'just in case', even after both Linden and Needlemaw had repeatedly explained that such trips usually took a week - more, in Adam's case, because that week didn't cover time spent going there and coming back. It had, eventually and unsurprisingly, made him sick. But Boul had grown nervous after Adam's previous, year-long absence. Trolls, Adam was told, didn't actually go into sunlight at all; it burned away their substance until they were nothing but cold, empty, dead stone. Boul's resilience was unheard of among his people. Unfortunately for most of them, Boul also remembered why he'd developed that resilience.

Clinging like laughing scarves from the redcap maid as she galloped through the woods and howled in glee, they ran off to visit their friend in his cave, and by the end of the day it was if William had never happened.

Much later on in his life, whenever Adam came to a moment of doubt, when a mistake or a hard decision chased away his sleep, the memory of William would often haunt him. In the quiet of his sleepless nights, in the silence of his home, he would pace and wonder if there were anything he might have done differently. If perhaps he should have gone to the prince himself, rather than the redcap. If reason, or warnings or appeals to his honor and his higher nature might have changed his fate.

In the end, he would always come to the same conclusion: William's fate had been for William to choose, and he had chosen. It had been a choice born from cruel circumstances, and it had been a selfish choice, but it had been William's. In his place, Rickard had chosen to live; in his place, Adam had chosen to be true. In the end, William had chosen Needlemaw, and the redcap had done the only thing she could do with that choice: she'd been true to her nature.

***

They carried on through that last golden summer of childhood, sharing stolen bits of honeycomb and endlessly harassing the long-suffering creatures of the woods, sharing trout and rabbit cooked over merry campfires. Adam found himself a teacher as much as a student, Needlemaw eager to learn of tactics and strategy, though she readily admitted her people were unlikely to ever rely on such things. Borrowing Arditty's jewelry with the promise of bringing her even more beautiful pieces, he'd allowed Boul to examine them and duplicate them, watching in awe as the young troll thrum-called gold and silver and gems to the surface, polishing the later against the rough coolness of his fingertips, making wonders no human artisan would ever duplicate by following fantastic patterns no fairy could have imagined.

Linden...

Linden asked him for iron.

Under Needlemaw's and Adam's worried eyes they examined the old, plain ring and slender, ivory-handled knife that the young prince brought. "Boul learned to live in sunlight. It took him years, but he's stronger for it than any troll twice, five, ten times his age. How long do you think it would take to grow used to iron?"

"Iron's poison, Linden. Always has been, always will be," Needlemaw protested.

"You count iron your finest trophy," Linden countered.

"Because I bled to take those buttons! Even in death my foe balked me for them, that's why!"

"Well..." Linden looked at them, and frowned at their fear and their concern. "Oh, fine. But can I keep these, Adam?"

"I suppose," the prince agreed warily. "As long as you don't hurt yourself with them."

"I'll be careful as a tree with them," Linden assured him, and Adam couldn't help but smile to be reminded that at all times they were surrounded by the fussiest of nursemaids, a whole woodland's worth of them.

As summer grew into autumn, Linden sat and watched Adam struggle to paint his friends on canvas, muttering at himself and his perceived lack of talent, until they had to laugh merrily at his struggles, tipping against his shoulder and staggering him sideways.

"Linden!"

"What are you even painting, Adam? You're trying to put down the things no one but you can see. It's no wonder it never comes out right!"

"Wait, what?" Adam stared at his canvas, and then at those many-colored eyes full of laughter.

Linden grinned. "It's like my eyes. You're not meant to see them, you never were. But you do anyways."

"Well, they're your eyes. I wouldn't ever want to not see you, Linden."

The young fey sapling beamed at the mortal prince. "I know. I would know you anywhere just because you see me truly, Adam." They turned and gestured at the clearing where Needlemaw had clambered over Boul and was challenging the young troll to peel her off, tickling him merrily when he threatened to give up. Where threats might never have worked, Boul gleefully took on the challenge with that good-natured urging, laughing in his crackling, coarse bullfrog voice without shame. "You see the truth of us. But your hands keep trying to paint the glamour, the light and lie that hides us and protects us from your people. You're going to have to get them to agree with one another before you can do much painting."

Adam stared at his canvas. On the clearing, Boul went down and efficiently squashed the redcap, who squalled and called foul while tickling him mercilessly. "Would you let me paint you, Linden? Maybe that way I can learn. But it's awful boring, sitting there still for it. I'd understand if you didn't want to."

Linden stared at him, the shattered eyes a glory of colors where none could match the depth and richness of the blue in Adam's. "I think I'd like that." Then they leapt into the wrestling knot with a wild and gleeful yowl, and there was nothing for it but that Adam would follow.

***

It grew too cold to swim, but they still occasionally snuck out to the kelpie's pond. As far as they could tell the water horse had not returned, though the palace staff had eventually come and removed the chain and repaired the old and tiny pier. They would sprawl among the branches of the cherry trees, sometimes nestled between their roots. Adam brought blankets, and they would make a small fire and heat up tea. Needlemaw had brought a bottle of spirits once, and Adam had gone pale at the mere sight of it. The redcap had never brought them liquor again, looking profoundly amused.

At some point they ended up watching Boul wade across the pond, carrying Linden on his shoulders; the troll was the only one of them who didn't feel the bite of the cold water, and Linden used him to dig for water chestnuts and sweet cattail roots, treats that they coveted no matter what the season.

Needlemaw, watching her charge and their stalwart companion root about in the shallows, smiled indulgently. It was an odd sort of clan to end up with, sharing no burrow or blood, but still she knew them for kin. When Adam, wrapped up in a blanket, suddenly moved to press close to her, the redcap automatically lifted an arm to make room for him, and felt the angry buzz of his emotions just under his skin. "I was wondering if yui'd noticed," she said quietly.

"It's him, isn't he. The Prince Beyond the Woods."

"Aye."

Adam sighed. The black bird haunted their every other day together, following them by leaping from branch to branch; at night the black dog prowled at the edge of the palace grounds, lambent eyes on Adam's windows. "What's he want with me? I thought it was Linden he wanted."

"Aye, an' he does. But I think by now he's figured out that he cannae get to Linden without going through ye."

"I don't tell Linden what to do, no one does."

"That, I think, he'll have to figure out on his own, because in his world that is how it works, Adam. He speaks and others obey."

"Well, I think he's -" Adam bit down what he'd been about to say, mindful that the boughs above them might hide a black bird that wasn't a bird. "- not very clever if he can't figure that out," he clipped out, "after all the watching of me he's done."

Needlemaw snorted inelegantly in laughter. "Perhaps this is how he'll learn," she suggested, her tone making it clear she didn't expect it to actually happen.

"I can't tell him to go away, can I? I can't get him to leave me alone, because he's not really doing anything."

"Aye, I'm afraid so." She sighed. "Will you be alright?"

"Yes. He can follow me all he wants. Linden belongs to Linden alone, and he'd best be figuring that out quickly. If this is how, then whatever. I don't care, it's just annoying."

Needlemaw, who rather believed the Prince Beyond the Woods would take infinitely more offense to being called 'just annoying' than to actually being threatened, laughed wildly and ruffled Adam's hair.

#the fairy and the prince #linden and adam #linden the fairy #adam the prince #original writing #boul #boul the troll #boulders-for-brains #needlemaw #needlemaw the redcap #fantasy writing

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cerriddwenluna · 2 years

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I love these games! Thanks for the tag @datshitrandom ♡

GET TO KNOW ME BETTER; Answer the questions, then pass it on to three other people you want to know better

1. What is your favourite colour?

Purple, but like dark purple and not the pastel kind. Pastel colours always seem to me like they are too scared to be bold. I dunno, I'm a little weird about colours lol

2. What is your current favourite song?

I don't really have one favourite song in particular. Music often motivates me and keeps me going through tough times, and for that, Andra Day's Rise Up has been very important to me lately.

youtube

You can find a spotify playlist with my current frequently played songs here.

3. How would you describe your taste in music?

Badly. It varies so much based on my mood. Bruce Springsteen, the dutch rockband Bløf and 60s-90s classical rock is the music of my childhood, but I also like the older stuff from Muse. Nowadays, its a little bit of pop, with a lot of classical music, and mostly neo-classical piano at that. I am a big fan of Brooklyn Duo, Alexis Ffrench and Ludovico Einaudi for example.

4. Day or night?

Oooh that's tough. I love the silence of the outside world at night and how creativity seems to just flow, but I also like how much easier it is to get shit done during the day, plus all of nature's pretty colours are gone in the dark. I'm gonna have to go with both. Both is good.

5. What fan fics are you currently reading?

I'm almost done with @forabeatofadrum's I'd cry a River just for you, then it is on to Time for Love by @lady-divine-writes for the Lima Bean bookclub. After that I have to catch up with the new chapters of all the WIPs and then who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think I'm in the mood to sink my teeth into a new long fic though.

6. What is an under used trope you would like to see more often?

Time travel (fix it). Its so rare in the Glee fandom, for logical reasons, but I just love it so much. Besides that, I'd have to say that I would love to read an enemies-to-lovers fic where Kurt and Blaine actually are proper enemies and have real issues and emotions to overcome, instead of it just being sexual tension and miscommunication that drives the animosity.

7. What would your dream job be?

Librarian

8. Make a wish ☆

I wish that my child grows up into a happy and good person. As long as I can make that happen, I don't really need anything else. (Though I would not say no to a lifetime supply of dark chocolate, or a multi year trip around the world in a motor home ;))

I'm gonna tag @forabeatofadrum, @worldoflis and @little-escapist, and anyone else who'd like to join in ♡

#get to know me better #gwen rambles #these are a few of my favourite things #thanks datshitrandom #forabeatofadrum #worldoflis #little-escapist #tag you're it #does anyone know how to add the 'keep reading' cut off line on the mobile app?

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mwcowan · 1 year

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Returned, A Good Normal

Chapter 3: Bangkok, Baby!

I got that backwards, it should be Baby, Bangkok! Though far away from the Philippines, the biggest event of this trip, and of many trips, happened last week – with the birth of Lachlan Rex Cowan-Harris. Georgia and I are finally grandparents! A bouncing boy at 9 lbs. 11 oz., Lachlan is the son of my son Danny and his partner Ben, with no small amount of help from surrogate mom Kaila. Here are the boys enjoying a sunny day at Crissy Field.

Although Danny and Ben live in Sydney, Australia, they wanted Lachlan to be born in the U.S. and were luckily able to connect with Kaila in Sacramento, where Lachlan was born. We’d expected Lachlan on the 17th as Kaila was scheduled to be induced that day, but a baby boom in the maternity ward caused a one-day delay. Throughout the day we were keeping up with progress though a WhatsApp group that Danny and Ben set up. As the big event was getting close we happened to be visiting the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand, Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which is part of Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang (the Grand Palace) in Bangkok. We thought it would be appropriate to ask Buddha to help Lachlan enter this world in health and peace, and right when we got out of the temple we got the good news! Maybe that simple prayer had something to do with it. You never know, but it can’t hurt.

So why were we sitting in a temple in Bangok, or even in Thailand, in the first place? Side-stepping Philippine immigration laws. Normally when we travel to the Philippines, Georgia and I come together, and I receive a one-year spousal visa. This time, if you remember, Georgia came over right after Thanksgiving but I didn’t come until just before Christmas. Entering on my own I can only get a 30-day tourist visa. It’s easy enough to have that extended by going to the immigration department in Manila and filling out the necessary paperwork. Or, we could just leave the country and come back. Which one sounds like more fun? Since Bangkok was already on our to-do list, and airfares were cheap, off we went.

Totally unplanned though, was that our friends Noel and Michelle had set up a vacation in Bangkok, starting earlier but extending through the dates we'd be there, to celebrate Noel’s daughter’s 30th birthday. Though we had different plans for our visits, we decided we'd hook up at least one evening for dinner and drinks. Well, we did hook up, but not as we’d expected. The day before we left, Georgia got a call from Michelle, telling us that Noel was in the ICU there. Noel has a chronic medical condition that unfortunately flared up badly and put him in the hospital. We arrived in Bangkok the next evening, checked into our hotel, and immediately got into a taxi for the hospital. Thankfully Noel was much better, out of the ICU and into a regular room. But since we’d planned to have dinner and drinks, Michelle still took us out. To a 7-11 for beers and snacks, but it counts!

With Noel doing better, Georgia and I stuck with our plans for the next day, hiring a guide and driver to show us the best of Bangkok in one day. We started by touring the Grand Palace, a 60-acre compound which has been the home of Thailand’s King since Rama I in the late 1700’s. Every King since then (the current King is Rama X) has made his mark on the beautiful temples, shrines, residences, and grounds. It really defies description, to me every bit as overwhelming as I felt touring Angkor Wat a few years ago. Nearly every inch of every structure and statue is decorated with a mosaic of semi-precious stones, or inlaid mother-of-pearl, or covered in gold leaf. Disney’s most creative minds couldn’t come up with this.

The King's actual Palace. Nice digs!

Finishing up with the Palace in the early afternoon we were famished. Our guide was pleased when we let her know we preferred street food over restaurants. Bangkok, all of Thailand's cities actually, is famous for inexpensive and delicious street food. She led us to an area not too far from the Palace where we browsed many choices – we lunched on Pad Thai and a few more great dishes whose names I can’t remember.

After lunch we drove to Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan (luckily for tourists they shorten the name to Wat Pho), or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This is the third-largest reclining Buddha in the world, at 46 meters (151') long. Yes, it’s fully covered with gold leaf, except for the bottoms of it’s feet which are inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

The bottom of the Buddha's feet. Yes, it's sideways because he's laying on his side.

Since it was the day before the Chinese New Year weekend, we had to go to Chinatown! This was pretty crazy as you’d expect, with everyone and every store and stall getting ready for the weekend.

The food market was enormous, with endless varieties of both ingredients and prepared dishes. Not much that I could recognize though.

After Chinatown our guide was nice enough to drive us by the hospital so we could check on Noel; happily he was in the process of being released. No partying for him though, so we went back on tour. By now, it was getting towards dinnertime, so we went to Talat Phlu a night market with literally hundreds of food vendors.

We wandered around, sampled a few things. The fried dumplings below, with a soft rice flour center and crunchy garlic and chive crust were delicious! Georgia wants to learn how to make these. I hope she succeeds!

Dinner was from another vendor, with tables nearby where we could sit. Delicious again, although I don’t remember any of the Thai names for the dishes. My favorite was a spicy dish of sauteed morning glory (which I'm familiar with as kangkong in the Philippines) which grows on the river’s edge. Here we are with our guide Moo, and our driver Egg. Just like in the Philippines, everyone here goes by a nickname, which in Thailand is good since we’d never be able to pronounce their real names.

[A note about the dress - it was a hot & humid day, even though mid-winter. However, the temples, shrines, etc. we visited require respectful dress to enter, meaning no shorts, bare shoulders, etc. Our clothing felt completely stuck to us by the end of the day!]

The next day we were on our own, and engaged in the second most popular activity in Bangkok, shopping! At least Georgia did, and I tagged along. Georgia wanted to go to an area where they specialize in local woodcraft as décor, utensils, furniture, etc. We took a free water taxi from our hotel (located right beside the Chao Phraya River which winds through Bangkok) to a Bangkok SkyTrain station, and took the train. Inexpensive and easily manageable.

We found our way to the indoor/outdoor mall, which indeed had the items we were looking for, and a whole lot more! We’ve been looking for accent chairs for our living room and found some we really liked. Unfortunately they were already fairly expensive, and then we looked into having them shipped from Thailand to the Philippines… let’s just say this is currently on hold until we can resolve the shipping issue.

We finally made our way back to the hotel, and enjoyed a nice riverside dinner. After breakfast the next morning, it was off to the airport and back to Manila, where I got my 1-year visa. Mission accomplished!

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wucaro · 1 year

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top ten bites of 2022

10. 2825 day aged Mole - pujol

On the eve of our last night in Mexico City, Jason and I snagged a last minute (very difficult to get) reservation at the $$$$ restaurant Pujol. We had been laying in bed all day trying to regain our appetite from a bout of food poisoning and spent most of this meal running to the bathroom between courses. Our (hilarious) pain aside, it was a spectacular meal. This mole had been continuously cooking for over seven years and had such a depth of flavor (fermented fruit, chiles, and chocolate). The only reason I have it ranked lower on this list is because it was just a plate of sauce and would’ve tasted better on some chicken.

9. Seafood Beef Stew - Lighthouse Tofu

I usually don’t order Korean stews and opt for a stir fry dish at Korean restaurants, but this stew really changed my mind. The seafood added such a depth of flavor and I loved all the side dishes. Maybe I was biased from not having good Korean food since I moved to DC but I’m still thinking about this meal (and the side of galbi).

8. Fava Bean Dip and Pita Bread - Andros Taverna

This was the starter for my April 4 birthday meal and it set up a spectacular four courses. Andros Taverna puts pretty much all other dip/pita based cuisine to shame (topping Chicago’s Galit and really any Mediterranean restaurant from here to New York). The sauces had incredible flavor (I love dill) and the oven baked pita is some of the fluffiest, most flavorful bread I’ve ever tasted. My grandma used to cook a lot of fava beans in chinese dishes growing up so this dip in particular had something familiar and something new to it.

7. Rolled Lasagna - Ciccio Mio

I won’t deny that this pick might be slightly influenced by the scenery. Ciccio Mio has a stunning interior (highly recommend for date night) and my college roommate + I went right before a night at the ballet. This rolled lasagna is probably influenced by the Don Angie one but it’s much cheaper (at only $24 vs $60) and absolutely mindblowing. It’s a perfectly cooked pasta on the inside, crispy on top, and the sauce is full of basil flavor. Finish with an espresso and pavlova and it’s a perfect Chicago meal.

6. Naem Khao salad - Thip Khao

The only DC meal to make it on this list this year, Thip Khao has been known for this salad for years now. It’s absolutely worth the hype and a perfect combination of textures and flavor. I love the lime, sour pork, and peanuts in this dish. Wrapped in lettuce? Perfection. I’ve honestly never had anything like it and am thankful everyday that I don’t have a nut allergy.

5. suadero tacos with grilled mexican green onions - Tacos Tony

This was the second taco we ate in Mexico City upon landing and it’s convinced me that al pastor tacos aren’t the best ones on the block. This taco was incredibly flavorful but the highlight was a whole sweet mexican green onion that had been grilled on top of the meat juices. It had a perfect char and tasted delicious on top of the taco. I’ve been buying them from the grocery store lately and charring them myself. I really love how traveling introduces you to new ways of cooking your daily meals.

4. any slice of pizza - Jimmy’s Pizza

Everything after this is from Mexico City, but a slice of Jimmy’s Pizza is sneaking in at #4. My old coworker once said that his New York born and raised wife claimed Jimmy’s Pizza was better than any slice she had ever had in New York. That might be sacrilegious to say but this stuff has some secret drug in it. I’ve honestly just never tasted anything quite as addicting. I used to get tacos every Friday night in Chicago as a “end of work week” treat but I switched over to Jimmy’s Pizza after discovering it.

3. pastor con queso taco - Taqueria Los Parados

This was probably the source of our stomach clutching food poisoning. Would I eat it again if I had the chance? Probably. It’s cheese cooked with vegetables, al pastor, and mushrooms topped with the freshest green sauce and pico. Shoutout to Lena for randomly picking this off the menu, we ordered a second round.

2. tuna ceviche - Paramo

Cheers to Jason’s coworker Diego for suggesting this place. There were so many great drinks (one of my favorite sips of sangria ever) and dishes (boar uni taco? yes) but the tuna ceviche really topped my list. It was simple (tuna, cucumbers, avocado and onions on a tostada) but the fresh fish, bright sauce, and crunchy tostada really made it a perfect dish. (apologies for the dark pic)

1. snail ceviche - pujol

And topping the list at #1 is another seafood dish - this time at the famed Pujol (as mentioned in #10). This was the dish that shocked me most in the tasting menu. The snail is incredibly fresh and delicate, I drank all the sauce, and it tasted incredible on a taro chip. If it’s not obvious now, I love contrast in dishes (something with a softer texture + something crunchy, lots of acidity, some fattiness) and this dish executed that perfectly.

honorable mentions: blanco colima’s lemon dessert, pho 75′s pho, chicken milanese torta from la esquina del chilaquiles, steak chilaquiles from el cardinal, every other pujol dish, oyster taco from mi tocaya, the octopus okonomiyaki from gaijin, seolleongtang from han bat.

Best drinks

4. Mexican beer - i don’t remember the name it came in a yellow can but way better than the beer i’ve had before

3. Floral white sangria from Yunnan by Potomac

2. Sangria from Paramo

1. Belle’s punch from Succotash

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steamishot · 2 years

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one month in

it’s one month into the attendinghood life, except this previous night shift week kinda sucked. during night shifts, they have to work the entire 12 hour shift for all 7 nights and there are no other hospitalists to take turns staying the whole shift with. this was the most days matt had to work straight for nights (compared to 6 nights in a row in residency), he now has an hour total commute, and he wasn’t able to sleep well during the day. his boss had also scheduled him to work (for free! to “make up time”) wednesday and thursday on his off week. it was barely any recovering due to having “jet lag” and extra work. today he was supposed to start an easier shift. however, the director messaged him yesterday asking if he can switch with a pregnant hospitalist so that she can manage the easier floor. i’m feeling dissatisfied about the schedule these past two weeks, as it gives me very residency vibes lol. even as an attending, there’s seniority and it seems to be understood that the easier shifts should go to the more senior doctor.

anyway, i was also probably too free with my time. i’m excited to restart my accounting program on november 1st. i briefly skimmed the book happier hour. the gist was saying that the relationship between happiness and time is a bell curve. someone who has too little time ~<2 hours per day to themselves is generally unhappy, as someone who has too much time to themselves as ~>5 are also generally unhappy. i fall into the latter category and i’m trying to fix that.

classpass has been great. i get a discount as a member of kaiser. so far i’ve been using it for hot yoga (only 6 minute walk to the studio) and barre with T. as one of my vices here is online shopping, i’ve been buying stuff for my active lifestyle. for example, i just got myself hiking shoes, i’ve been using old running shoes all this time. got a hand towel for hot yoga. these classes, along with meetup, help me feel more like i have a community and satisfies my need to be in a “people/team environment”.

benefits: matt finally signed up for his benefits, i felt some more security in our relationship when he listed me as a beneficiary lol. i purchased a couple metro passes using his pre-tax dollars. he’s requested reimbursements for all the medical licensing/exams and such which will be a total of about ~$5k. aaaand we finally have his first full month’s paycheck to look forward to at the beginning of november so we will slowly feel less poor. finally seeing some fruition to the hard work? looking forward to having more guilt-free spending money.

mid-november, we have planned a 4-5 day trip in montreal. late november, we are flying back to LA. december is TBD/most likely somewhere in europe. matt booked a staycation at equinox for my birthday in january. i found out that germany and the countries around that area are ideal for me to travel to to “work from home” where i can travel during the day and work at night. let’s see how our lives unfold in the coming year.

i bought a ticket to cambodia for my dad using points. he’s visiting from oct 4 - nov 5. he really wanted business class tickets, but i wasn’t able to make it happen this time because it was too short notice. i did however, make him an authorized user to my venture x which gives him free membership to priority pass. he was really happy to use this in taipei for the layover. i did not expect however, that he was gonna fly to thailand as well. he was able to use the lounge access there too (without my help, smart man)! he checked into a fancy lounge in bangkok and brought my cousin there too. my mom told me that he didn’t know if it charged him, and if they did they would just charge me LOL. it makes me happy to help my dad flex. that in his 60s he can finally experience some more luxurious travels.

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wolfy58 · 2 years

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1827 May Monday 7

7 25/60

11 40/60

my bowels all wrong – washer woman came at 8 – had only just written out the bills – washed – dressed my cousin came gently saw it from the towel I had just washed with - my things having been all moved from my 2 little bookcases, obliged to put some of them back again – dawdling over this and 1 thing or other till 9 1/2 from then to 11 1/4 wrote out folded and directed the letter to Mr. James Briggs (vide last wednesday), having made no alteration, but merely working over again the calculations to see that they were right – sent the # letter to my aunt to read, and sent it off to ‘Mr. James Briggs, Ward’s End, Halifax, Yorkshire, Angleterre (port payé)’ at 11 25/60 – from 11 1/4 to 1 20/60 breakfast and reading the paper – very interesting debates – the late opposition with Mr. Brougham at their head have completely changed, and the seceders from the late administration now fill the oppositions benches against Mr. Canning – went to my aunt for 1/4 hour – then from 1 1/2 to 3 10/60 read the papers of Thursday Friday and Saturday – From 3 10/60 to 5 counting over my money left home and brought back – all right - and making out for Mrs. Barlow as well as myself our travelling account – what paid by her what by me – and then balance between us – then finished dressing, and ‘read my letter (received yesterday) from Miss Maclean that somehow

‘I have not opened till now – 3 pp. (pages) and the ends – very kind letter – begs me to be always candid – my pen to be as

‘free as ever may ‘humble her pride’ as much as I please – would like to contrive to meat me somewhere or other, tho’

‘ but for a day or 2 – I was very low before opening these pp. (pages), and am much more so now – she has my letters and Vere’s and a few

‘others locked up in a small box to be sent to me in case of my surviving her, together with a small book of

‘observations made upon her own feelings ever now and then, and which she would not have seen by any human being but myself – she

‘knows I shall not approve her spending the summer at Boulogne – nor will she spend it there’ unless driven to it’ –

‘affairs very bad at home and thro misunderstanding of one sort or other her absence necessary - my heart aches –

# copied into my letterbook Monday 14 May 1827.

F 56 at 7 1/2 a.m.

60 at noon.

54 at 9 50/60 p.m.

Dullish morning – heavy rain at 11 for about an hour – at 2 10/60 more heavy rain – thunder and lightning for 1/2 hour – in fact, a thoroughly rainy day –

‘I scarce know what oppresses me- yet oh! that I had the wings of a dove, and could flie away and be at rest! Mary!

‘Mary! Thou knowest not, ‘tis well, that my spirit is so heavy, and all my thoughts so sad! Sibbella! I shall not

‘go to Switzerland, and would do much to see you – perhaps you are right – I have been too much out of society lately without

‘having had the recompose of study – yet occasionally I have felt happy – ‘twas never for long – there is a something

‘wanting – would that I were wiser and better as my years increase! is it the thought of my connection with Mrs. Barlow

‘that make me unhappy I am bewildered how little dreams the world that I am I am what so weak unvirtuous

‘unhappy’ – From 6 40/60 to 7 10/60, wrote on a loose piece of paper the whole within invested commas, that I have just written out – Dinner at 7 1/4 – came to my room at 8 3/4 – settled with George, and set down the accounts, and paid my aunt what she had expended – and went into the drawingroom at 9 25/60 – came back to my room at 9 50/60 – Looked a little at the map of France and Galignani’s Guide thro’ France article Dinan near Saint Mâlo – Mrs. Barlow’s aunt and cousins are going there in July – and we have talked of going down the Loire to Nantes, and thence to Rennes and by Saint Mâlo home –

#anne lister #mrs barlow #paris 1827

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fiveisnumber1 · 3 years

Text

The Vortex That Takes Me To You - "Me, Lu, and Five Times Two" Side Story

Main story parts:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32

_________________________

"Wait!" Five called out as he tried to hand you the briefcase

It was too late though as Luther pushed him into the vortex to 2019. As Five held the now-defunct half of the briefcase he fell through time for what felt like a matter of seconds before hitting the ground of the courtyard behind the academy. With a giant flash, the spot in the sky where the blue used to be was now gone. From afar the five known living Hargreeves siblings slowly approached the person who dropped from the sky. Slowly, Five got up from the ground throwing the broken briefcase away as he dusted the dirt and leaves off his clothing. Approaching closer the group looks on in confusion as Klaus asks,

"Does anyone else see a slightly older version of little number Five or is that just me?"

Five took a look down at himself. His suit was too loose now and when he looked at his hands he saw no more wrinkles or signs of old age. There was a leftover puddle nearby from rain that must've occurred early and as he bent over it he saw the version of himself that he had left only moments ago. Bringing a hand up to his face, he stared at his newly youthful reflection.

"I'm young again." He whispered to himself

At the same time that this was happening you were making your way to the florist to pick up flowers that Pogo had ordered. As you walked to the shop you felt that something was wrong. No, not wrong, but different. From behind you, you felt a molecular disturbance and a giant one at that. As you continued to walk to the shop the physical pain grew so much that you had to stop and bend over. It felt like your insides were being torn apart bit by bit. Somehow managing to turn around you felt the direction it was coming from. It was coming from back towards the house. The pain of the disturbance went on for a few more seconds but then abruptly it stopped. Catching your breath, you stood back up but something felt familiar in a way. It was like an odd chill of deja vu but you had never experienced this before. But if the disturbance was coming from the house then the flowers could wait. Reginald didn't deserve flowers anyway. Quickly, you started sprinting back towards the Academy trying to get there as quickly as you could.

Back at the house, the five Hargreeves siblings sat around the kitchen table as they watched the newly returned Five make a sandwich. It had been years since they had last seen him and a lot had changed in that time. Everyone had their own thoughts and feelings on the matter and some were more upset than others. Five wasn't exactly sure what to say to them after all this time. It was quite a complicated situation to be in. Trying to not let his uncertainty show, Five stoically questioned,

"What is the date? The exact date."

The group stays quiet for a second before Vanya states,

"The 24th."

"Of?" Five pressed

"March," Vanya replies

"Good." Five comments

This was exactly the time that he was planning to be here, on the day of his father's funeral. Thank god that man was dead. If he was alive he would never hear the end of it.

"So are we gonna talk about what just happened?" Luther asks

It was no surprise to Five that Luther would speak up. Even after all this time, he was trying to take the lead on things. Instead of responding to his brother, Five puts two slices of bread down on a cutting board and focuses on his desired food item. He hadn't eaten all day and apparently paradox psychosis was a real energy drainer. He needed a second before he was going to explain anything. Standing up, Luther looks down to Five and states firmly,

"It's been 17 years."

"It's been a lot longer than that." Five replies immediately jumping behind Luther to find marshmallows

"I didn't miss that." Luther comments

While Five looks around the kitchen for the marshmallows, Diego asks accusingly,

"So where'd you go?"

Of course, an accusatory tone. How could Diego not have one? Five could just tell that Diego was upset not because he had disappeared for years but because he was the one that made you disappear for years. If only the siblings cared for each other as much as Diego cared for you, maybe things would be different. Five didn't have time for Diego's older brother shtick though. Jumping back to the table with the marshmallows, Five bluntly replied,

"The future. It's shit by the way."

"Called it!" Klaus exclaims

Five turned towards the refrigerator to get peanut butter for his sandwich, his mind wandering as he thought back to his time in the apocalypse. 45 years. He was so arrogant to think he could time travel. Grabbing the peanut butter jar, Five talks aloud,

"I should've listened to the old man. You know jumping through space is one thing, jumping through time is a toss of the dice."

Unscrewing the lid of the peanut butter jar Five looks up from the sandwich he was making and at his siblings before him. The last time he had seen them all together was as corpses. And before that, they were all still children. It was a lot to take in but he was focused on his task of stopping the apocalypse. He had the information he needed on what caused it, but he needed to find the right time to discuss it with everyone. Keeping a stoic look he tries to deflect his mind to something else by commenting to Klaus,

"Nice dress."

"Oh, Danke," Klaus responds playing with some of the loose straps

As he starts to assemble the sandwich he was making Vanya questions him,

"So how did you get back?"

"In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time." Five responds

"That makes no sense," Diego says confused

"Well, it would if you were smarter." Five remarks

Diego angrily stands up and stares down Five attempting to get towards him to attack him. Instead, Luther stands up puts out an arm to hold him back. Honestly, it didn't matter if Luther was there to stop Diego or not. He was all bark and no bite.

"How long were you there?" Luther asks

"45 years." Five states bluntly "Give or take."

Luther and Diego both sit back down in unison. All the siblings stare at their brother with wide eyes in shock at his statement. 45 years?

"So what are you saying? You're 58?" Luther asks

"No. My consciousness is 58. My body is 18 again." Five retorts

With his sandwich put together, Five walks off to the side of the table they all sat around and faces away from his siblings.

"How does that even work?" Vanya inquires

"I used the improper equation when I was forced through time." Five replies

"Improper equation?" Vanya questions

Electing to ignore Vanya's question, Five turns back towards his siblings at the table. There was no reason to explain all that had happened before he came here. It was unnecessary and would probably worry his siblings more than they needed to be, or perhaps even enrage them and there was no way he was going to stop the apocalypse if his siblings weren't willing to work together. Picking up a newspaper detailing the death of his father, Five takes a look at it before commenting unamused,

"Guessed I missed the funeral."

"How did you know about that?" Luther asks

"What part of the future do you not understand." Five remarks to him, his eyes not leaving the paper "Heart failure, huh?"

"Yeah," Diego says

"No," Luther adds

Ah, yes. One and Two still fighting to be the leader of the family as if it hadn't been years since the dissolution of the Umbrella Academy.

"Hmm. Nice to see nothing's changed." Five comments

The Hargreeves looked at their newly returned brother and as he stood there quietly, holding his sandwich he stared back awkwardly at his siblings. The prior self that he left in the '60s said that you would show up when the conversation with his siblings felt over. It felt pretty over right now and there was no sign of you. Five's heart started to race, everything had been laid out for him, and now nothing was going according to plan. Panicked, Five decided it was best to leave. Keeping a serious look on his face he started to walk out of the kitchen.

"Uh, that's it? That's all you have to say?" Allison questioned

"What else is there to say?" Five responded

When he was out of sight of his siblings he once again noticed how his suit didn't fit him properly anymore. He needed to change. Flashing upstairs he looked in the closets of his siblings but was met with academy uniform after academy uniform. Reluctantly, he took an academy uniform from Klaus' closet since it looked like it would fit best and put it on. He stared at himself in the mirror for a bit before deciding to head back downstairs.

Making it back to the house, you looked around, and only felt faint traces of a disturbance. Maybe you were going crazy? Heading through the front door you looked around the foyer and some other rooms on the main floor and upper floors but found no one. Maybe they all got in an argument and left, it's not like they enjoyed being here anyway. Letting out a small sigh you made your way back downstairs to the parlor. Someone would probably show up soon enough. You stood in the doorway for a second and stared at the portrait above the fireplace. You had hated the painting at first, but you tolerated its presence after years of coexisting with it. Carefully, you made your way over to the fireplace and looked up at the portrait that loomed over you. It was nothing like him. No light in his eyes, no cocky smile on his face, no personality. Just an emotionless and unrealistic replication of who he was. You wanted him to come back.

As you stared at his portrait, Five had made his way downstairs and took in what had become of his home. As he approached the parlor he saw a giant portrait of him on the wall and below it stood a familiar figure. Five stopped in his tracks and his heart began to race. This was his (Y/N). Five readjusted his jacket and tie and took in a breath before slowly starting to walk over to you. Hearing footsteps behind you, you stopped looking at the painting and turned to look where they came from. Seeing the figure before you, your eyes went wide with shock as the world around felt like it was slowing down. Carefully, you moved forward towards him almost as if in a trance, worried that if you moved too fast he would vanish. You extended your hand out and Five moved to meet you in the middle. When the two of you were close enough your fingertips lightly brushed his cheek, but you quickly pulled back, shocked by the feeling of something there.

"I think I'm hallucinating again," you whisper

Five reaches out and gently grabs the hand you had retracted. Bringing it closer to him he places it on top of his heart, holding your hand there. You can feel his heart beating rapidly beneath your hand as your own started to catch up to match his. You looked up at his face and gazed into his eyes. Tears prick your own as you softly ask,

"Five?"

Five smiled at you as he looked upon your face. You were so beautiful. Not that you weren't in the 60s but the way you looked at him now was different. It was soft and welcoming and felt like it was only for him. Leaning in just a little closer Five whispered to you,

"I'm here."

You let out a small gasp. He was here. This was real. Flinging your arms around him you held him tightly as Five wrapped his arms around to hold you back. No wonder his other self was so protective, who would ever want to let this go? You looked up at Five. A question had loomed on your mind ever since the day he vanished and you had to know the answer.

"Are you still mad at me?" You questioned nervously

Five saw the nervous look on your face. He knew that you had wondered if he was mad at you for a while. It was one of the last things you had said to him before you...died. Five took your face into his hands. Looking gently into your eyes he answered,

"I was never mad at you, to begin with. I was mad at my dad and one of my biggest regrets will always be taking that out on you and then leaving you all alone."

With his response, a weight fell off your shoulders. For so long you had thought you were the one that drove him away. You thought he was mad at you all this time, but to know that wasn't the case made you feel so much better.

"So you didn't purposely stay away?" You asked

"No, how could I ever choose to be away from my best friend?" Five added

You looked off to the side as best as you could, given that your face was held between his hands, and hoped that he didn't notice the blush rising to your cheeks.

"I don't know, but I missed you." You mumbled

Five took his hands from your face and hugged you once more responding,

"I missed you too. Not a day went by when I didn't."

You smiled knowing that Five had missed you as much as you missed him. Day after day, month after month, year after year, you thought of him as you waited for him to come back. And now here he was before you telling you he felt the same way. It was all that you needed to hear. Well...there were other things you wanted to hear but those were more so desires than necessities. You were just happy to have him back.

"Pull that shit again and I'll kill you." You joke as you give him a small shove away

"I promise I won't." Five replies with a smirk "Although I don't think you would kill me anyway."

"Perhaps." You respond

Five threw his hands into the pockets of his academy shorts and looked at you.

"Care to walk and talk around the house?" Five offered

"Of course. Would you like me to turn invisible so you look insane for old times sake?"

"I already look insane in this uniform." Five joked

"You always did. C'mon, let's go." You say extending your hand towards him

Five looks at your hand, almost hesitant to take it because none of this felt real. Even though he had been around you not too long ago back in the 60s, this truly was different. This version of you hadn't seen him since the day he left. Unlike prior you who had experienced being around him, you had waited every day for his return. There was an excitement and awe that he got from you this time around that made him nervous. As Five thought more about the situation before him he froze up. As much as he trusted you when you said that you loved him the way he loved you Five still couldn't help but wonder if his other self just had better circumstances. He still worried that maybe that version really was just lucky. Five didn't want to get this wrong, but nevertheless, he took your hand. Fingers intertwining, there was electricity you both felt but would not tell the other.

With a smile, you started to walk around the house as you had done many times before, both of you trying your best to catch the other up. The conversation came easy as if the two of you were never separated. Five took in the sights of his old home. Nothing had really changed since he left, minus the small presence you had created. There was a newer piano in the parlor and you had shown off your wonderful room to him. He remembered your description of it from your diary and how you changed it from being Diego's to yours but it was even better in person. As you two exited your room Five looked down the hall at a shut door. It was his room. Five made his way there and you followed behind. Carefully, he opened the door to it and stepped inside. Once more you followed behind and thinking that the sight of his childhood room might be tough for him, you shut the door.

As you shut the door though Allison who had been heading to her room happened to pass by and noticed the two of you in there. Something about you two being together again reignited the feelings of her youth. She remembered the times when you and she had traded secrets about your crushes. The gossip in her immediately needed to tell someone else. Turning back around she went downstairs and noticed the rest of her siblings in the parlor again. Approaching them all she said,

"I don't want to alert anyone but Five and (Y/N) went into Five's room and shut the door."

"WHAT?!" Diego shouted as he angrily turned to face her

"Oooh, juicy," Klaus commented "I remember being 18 and hormonal. Horniness levels are through the roof, I mean-"

"NOT ON MY WATCH!" Diego yelled cutting Klaus off

There was no way his baby sister was going to be in a room with a boy alone. Especially not with the boy who had left her alone and broke her heart. What was he going to do? Break it again? Not if he had anything to say about it. With his fists clenched tight Diego started to march his way out of the parlor. He was going to protect his little tiny princess, but as he attempted to go, Luther, with his superior strength, held him back.

"Let me go, Luther!" Diego yelled

"We shouldn't just barge in there Diego." Luther criticizes

"That's MY little sister!" Diego retorts

"There are better ways of approaching this," Luther replies

"I want to know what's going on though..." Vanya comments

"Me too," Allison adds

As the group stands around debating Ben leans over to Klaus and says,

"Klaus."

"What do you want?" Klaus replies annoyed

"Is that camera we bought as kids still in Five's room?" Ben asks

"Yeah, we never took it out. Why?"

"The tablet to watch the video feed on is in my closet." Ben states

Klaus looks at him confused for a second before realizing what Ben meant. Getting excited Klaus exclaims,

"Guys! Guys!"

The rest of the group looks over to him confused and with all of their attention grabbed Klaus continues,

"The video camera we got as kids is still in Five's room and the tablet is in Ben's closet!"

"Do you think it still even works?" Allison questions

"It's worth a try," Luther says

The group looks at each other before silently nodding in agreement. Together they head up to Ben's room and search for the tablet in his closet. Finding it they turn on the switch and to their surprise, it works. The picture quality was not as great as they remember but clear enough that they all can see what is going on. As they all stand over the tablet Diego says annoyed,

"Alright Five, what are you hiding from me."

"From us." Luther corrects

The two brothers glare at each other before turning their attention back to the tablet and the two of you in Five's room. Five stepped into his room quietly taking in the surroundings. Nothing had changed, it was as if his room was frozen in time. As he looks around you slowly approach his side. Standing next to him you looked around the room as well and comment,

"It's an odd feeling. Knowing that time has passed but everything looks the same."

Five looks towards you. Of course, you knew the feeling he was going through.

"No worries though, we'll get you everything you need to make this place feel like home again." You mention

"I already have everything I need to feel at home." Five replies, his hand holding yours just a little tighter

Five gazes in your direction but as he does so he notices something behind you. Letting go of your hand he steps around you curious and makes his way over to his desk. Looking down at the object placed there he realized that it's the radio he had taken from Allison all those years ago. Confused as to what he was looking at you followed him towards the desk and saw the radio.

"I can't believe it's still here after all this time." Five comments

"Well we never gave it back and I'm guessing nobody wanted to come take it after..." You mention trailing off

"Yeah..." Five replies before questioning "I wonder if it still works?"

You shrugged your shoulders and gestured to the old electronic encouraging him to see if it worked. Leaning down Five plugs in the old radio before pressing the on button. The sound of static blasts loudly through the speakers causing both of you to flinch back a little in shock. After a moment Five started to turn the knob to tune the radio, searching through for a station that was clear. Soon the static started to fade and in its place music could be heard.

As the camera continues to spy on the two of you, the rest of the Hargreeves siblings watch what goes on from Ben's room. Seeing the working radio Allison exclaims,

"Hey, it's my radio! I never got it back!"

"Allison, it's been years and still no one cares about your radio." Klaus comments "We want to know what's up with Five and (Y/N)."

Allison lets out a huff and crosses her arms. Just because it was old and she hadn't been in possession of it or thought about it for years didn't mean it wasn't hers. Even with her pouting, the siblings continued to observe. As they did so Diego aggressively says,

"Alright Five what shit are you going to pull now?"

"I don't think he's going to do anything." Vanya comments "I mean there's nothing wrong with them being happy."

Back in Five's room, music flowed through the air as Five leaned against the edge of his desk, watching you look around the place. He was absolutely enthralled by you. The most mundane of things seemed extravagant just because you were there with him. A wide smile appeared on his face as he remembered a similar time he had spent with you. You took in the room silently as the upbeat music played. It had been a bit since you'd last been in Five's room, but for the first time in a while it felt warm and bright again. Looking over your shoulder you looked back towards Five and noticed the smile on his face.

"What?" You questioned

"Nothing." Five replied with a shake of his head

"Nothing? The mind of Five Hargreeves is completely empty?" You joke sarcastically "This is something I'd expect from your brothers, not you."

Five rolled his eyes at you but he missed your quick wit. No one at the commission could keep up with him like you could. As you walked back over to him, Five could see the look on your face waiting for him to elaborate.

"I was just thinking-" Five starts to explain before being cut off

"Ah, so you were thinking!" You comment back

"Yes." Five replies letting out a small laugh "I was thinking about how this reminds me of our friendiversary a bit."

"Yeah, kind of, minus the food and flowers." You reply

You were right, there was no food and flowers. How could he even think to compare the two times when this time wasn't as perfect? Quickly standing up from the desk, Five starts to make his way over to the door as he states worried,

"Do you want food and flowers?"

Reaching out, you grab his hand preventing him from going any further. Stopping in his tracks he looks back towards you confused at your action. Gently, you pull his hand back towards you, causing him to come back close to you. With his hand still in yours, Five asks confused,

"Do you not want food and flowers?"

"No, Five." You replied with a smile "I just want you."

For a moment, Five could feel his heart stop. Although his expression seemed calm and collected, internally he had no clue what to do. He was so preoccupied trying to figure out how to get back to 2019 so he could stop the apocalypse that he never stopped to think fully about what would happen when he actually did so. And it wasn't until he met himself that he even found out being a teenager again was a possibility. This was the most unprepared he had ever been and the nerves he felt on your friendiversary were nothing compared to the nerves he felt now. If you didn't want food or flowers then what could he do? And then from the radio, he heard the voice of the announcer,

"This is Arlo Vegas with 103.5 WKTU. I hope that even with all the doom and gloom outside today everyone can stay high and dry. Up next, a throwback to 2017 this is Adore by Dean Lewis."

I'm just gonna stand with my bag hanging off my left arm I'm just gonna walk home kicking stones at parked cars But I had a great night, 'cause you kept rubbing against my arm So I'm just gonna stand with my bag hanging off my left arm

Five looked towards the radio as the sound of a soft guitar slowly playing and the lyrics of the song enveloped the room. As the music played he remembered the part of your friendiversary that he could never forget. He remembered how the two of you danced that night and the joy he felt in that moment. Looking back towards you he nervously asked,

"Would you like to dance...with me?"

"I'd love to." You replied longingly

Five guided you the few steps towards the center of his room taking a quiet breath as he tried to calm his nerves. How did he do this so easily as a child? Oh right, he didn't realize he was in love with you then. Turning back to face you he saw as your eyes lit up and your smile widened. So much for breathing when you took his breath away so easily. Gently, he took one of your hands in his as he wrapped his other arm around your waist. You wrapped your free arm around his neck as the two of you slowly started to dance to the music.

Get me a drink, I get drunk off one sip, just so I can adore you I want the entire street out of town just so I can be alone with you Now go when you're ready My head's getting heavy, pressed against your arm I adore you

"So is this what your prom was like last week?" Five asked

You looked up towards him slightly confused. How did he know about your prom? It took you a second to remember but you then recalled that he had come from the future so he had to have found out about it somehow. You recalled your prom only a week ago, it was fun to be with your friends but it was definitely not the same experience as dancing with Five. With a slight chuckle, you answer.

"No, it was not like this."

"Oh, why not?" Five questions

"Well dancing with you is quite different than dancing with Dean, because neither of us had dates and we pitied each other." You explained

"I wish I could've come a week earlier then. I would've saved you the pity by dancing with your brother." Five joked

"Wow, okay." You laughed

"I'm joking." Five explained, his expression softening as he added "I'd never pass up a chance to dance with you."

"Neither would I." you replied quietly

All of my money is spent on these nights, just so we can hang out Spacing in and out of your dresses, I wanna be found by you Found by you

As the two of you swayed you couldn't help but rest your head against his chest. A small smile appeared on your face as you closed your eyes and comfortably melted into the moment. Unconsciously, you started to stroke the hair at the back of his head casing Five to lean into your touch. It was so gentle and soft. Five could feel his heart start to pick up its pace. He hoped that you couldn't hear so because he had no clue how he would explain it to you. Granted, he knew all the words he wanted to say to you but he didn't know if he'd even be able to get them out.

As your head rested on top of him a thought came to your mind. It was something that you hadn't done in a while and something you had desired to do. Lifting your head up, you look towards Five who looks back down towards you. Had he done something wrong? Did you hear how fast his heart was beating? Quietly you ask,

"Will you spin me?"

Relief washes over Five's system as he gives you a soft smile.

"Of course I will," He replies

Slightly breaking away from you he helps to twirl you around, the smile on your face filling his heart to the point he felt it was going to burst. Your laughter filled the room as you enjoyed your time with your best friend. You couldn't think of anything to make the moment better. Five spins you back in towards him before spinning you out once more. As you spin out quickly your grip on his hand slips and you start to fall back. Quickly, Five flashes over and catches you. His arms wrapped tightly around your waist as yours find their way around his neck.

She kicks the gutter in tight shorts, basketball courts Watch me, watch her talk to boys I'm known as a right-hand slugger Anybody else wanna touch my lover?

The two of you look at each other both trying to catch your slight breaths from the burst of adrenaline that just occurred.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you fall." Five comments

It was too late for that though. You had fallen for him years ago in a situation exactly like this one. There was something different about it this time, an energy you had never felt before. Your eyes were still locked on each other he slowly brought you back up. The soft bridge of the song played in the back but all either of you could hear was the beating of your own hearts. Wrapped up tightly in each other's arms there was no space between the two of you. Each of you wanted to say so many things, wanted to shout the thoughts that raced in your mind, the ones you always had, but no words came out. As Five stood there with you in his arms he finally started to understand what you meant back in the 60s when you said the pieces would fall into place. Everything about this moment felt right like it was meant to be. Like he was meant to be here with you. As you continued to look into each other's eyes there was a magnetism that pulled you closer. Your faces inched closer as the space between you lessened more and more. For a moment you both wondered if you were dreaming but no, this was real. You were here with each other. And as the climax of the final verse hit, your eyes closed as your lips gently pressed against each other.

Tenderly, you both expressed everything you wanted to tell the other without saying any words at all. The years of pining and longing to be reunited had finally culminated into something beautiful. Something you both had desired for a very long time. The world around you faded away leaving only the two of you and your newly acknowledged love for each other. Removing his arms from your waist he took your face in his hands, pulling you closer and deepening the kiss. He never wanted to leave this moment. This was all he ever wanted, this is what he survived and fought for and now to have it? It felt unreal to him. But it was real. He had you, and you had him, and nothing would ever take that away now.

I adore you

Neither of you wanted to be the first to part from the kiss but as the final lyric of the song ended the two of you slowly separated. With eyes still closed, you rested your foreheads against each other, relishing in the beautiful moment. As Five held you close, he knew he needed to tell you something. Even if he had expressed it in his kiss to you, he wanted to verbalize it, to make it know and make it real. Moving one of his hands from your cheek to your chin, he tilted your face up to look at him. As he gazed into your eyes, with adoration in his voice, he whispered,

"I love you, (Y/N)."

You could feel your stomach flutter with butterflies as you processed his words. There was nothing you wanted to hear more than those words. Finally getting to express how you felt, you replied breathlessly,

"I love you too, Five. You know what this means now though."

"What?" Five questioned

"You can never leave me again." You answer

"I promise nothing will ever tear us apart again. Not people, not distance, not time, nothing."

The two of you looked at each other lovingly before leaning in for another kiss. As you did so the siblings in the other room saw everything.

"Awww," Vanya said as she placed a hand over her heart

"They're so cute!" Allison exclaimed

"They are not!" Diego remarks angrily as he tries to make his way to the door "I'm going to go in there and stop him."

"Luther, stop him." Allison requests

Doing as she says, Luther wraps his arms around Diego from behind and picks him off the ground. Kicking his legs and wriggling around, Diego fights like a child trying to escape Luther's grasp.

"That is my little princess! I need to put a stop to this!" Diego complains

"She is 18, you need to let her live her life," Allison replies

"Not with him! The one who ruined it." Diego retorts

"I don't think she sees it that way," Vanya interjects

As the other siblings argue with Diego, Ben leans over to Klaus and states,

"If I was alive you would owe me $20 bucks right now. I told you they'd come back and get together before Allison and Luther would."

"Oh, shut up," Klaus replies

The rest of the group looks over to Klaus before looking back at the still flailing Diego.

"Klaus makes a good point. You need to drop this and shut up Diego." Allison states

"I will not!" Diego replies back

"If you don't calm down, drop the issue, and let them be happy I will rumor you into doing so." Allison threatens

It takes a moment but Diego soon stops his fighting. He was not going to be rumored into ignoring the situation but for now, he would put it off. Letting out a huff, Diego relents,

"Fine."

"Good, now let's shut down this camera and just leave them be. We can talk to them later." Luther commands as he puts Diego back down

And so as the siblings tried to quietly file out of Ben's room and go off to do other things, this version of Five and you stayed happily together ready to take on whatever the future threw at them.

____________________________________

Taglist: @xplrreylo @joebob15274 @insatiable-ivy @fruitsaladtree @angelpeachamber @academy-umbrella @lizziel1410 @ir3neeee @faith-quake @aliens-with-colas @sunsetcurve-1995 @lady-celeste25 @im-dead-and-hurting @nerdypinupcrystal @cherry-ki-d @anapocalypseinmymind @vicassa @2cuteforyourlies @taylorsmakingfuckingmacandcheese @n1ghtsh4d3-67 @cheshire-salvatore-mikaelson @shadowycreationcupcake @emily-hargreeves @metor-showers1994 @fivehargreevesforthewin @rinko-san @supernovavision @cicilisthebest @flickbix @hi-v-juice @magykal-777 @zosiaduda @thethirdwheelfriend @mysticracoon @isnt-it-loverly @officiallydarkgeek @lady1505 @always-the-very-worst @tinypandagirl @libidinexx @lemongrabbuns @itwasallred @deadandoverit @shlokage @keksi249 @theoriginalkat @we-stan-fiction @bi-idiot-fanfics @annnagennnie @izzyjojo4 @megasimpleplan4ever @flowertoty @grabthemoneyandletsgo @itsametaphorbriansblog @vanillacaramelhoney @satvaldiva @disaster-magician @margotsfandoms @emily-b-m @bluechildrenlickmytoes @soft-slytherin-sweetie @oceanspray5 @im-here-for-fanfics @thebloodrobin @freestarlight @starcurrent @lilacs-lavender @moatsnow @give-the-boy-a-hug @narikyuwu @whenyouregrungeaff @gabriella-aesthetic @xxtwizztedxx

#The Umbrella Academy #Umbrella Academy #umbrella acedmy #tua #tua2 #UA #number five #five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #the umbrella academy five #umbrella academy five

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outlanderpromptexchange · 2 years

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OUTLANDER PROMPT EXCHANGE: Countdown to S6

Welcome to the Outlander Prompt Exchange: Countdown to S6 Challenge, a fandom event designed to be quick, simple and something new(ish) to help get us through the last month of Droughtlander. The rules are simple: be kind and patient with both yourself and others… and get creative! ♥

6 FEBRUARY 2022: PROMPT EXCHANGE OPENS

SUBMIT A CLAIM: From the 6th of February readers and writers alike are invited to submit a prompt via the blog’s inbox. This month’s theme is ‘Countdown to S6’ and you can submit basically anything be it a general prompt or something more specific. This can include any Outlander-related character, relationship, scenario, location, etc.

CLAIM A PROMPT: Prompts are available to be claimed from the Prompt Masterlist below at any time. Simply send a message via the blog’s inbox with the prompt # and it’s yours! Note: each prompt can only be claimed once and will be allocated on a ‘first in first served’ basis.

1 - 6 MARCH 2022: PUBLICATION

PUBLISH YOUR FIC: From the 1st of March through to the 6th of March writers can publish their work at any time and in any space. If posting on tumblr just remember to use #OutlanderPromptExchange where possible, tag @outlanderpromptexchange and/or send through a link so that we may also share your work. There’s also an AO3 Collection to add to if you wish. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Do you still have questions? FAQ available here!

PROMPT MASTERLIST

1. Jamie and Frank are bffs and Claire is the new girl in their school.. She's the quiet one (bcoz of her uncle's death which leaves her orphaned) but becomes fast friends with both Jamie and Frank.. Both the boys like her and it's now up to her to decide what she feels....

2. What if Claire was in America when Murtagh came with his indenture and she bought it!!!!

3. Ian Murray (the elder) is actually the celtic vampire Eric Gallowglass de Clermont, (which explains why both are played by the actor Steven Cree). Between meeting Diana in the 1500s, and today, Jenny was the only woman he ever loved. Can Jenny go through the stones? An Outlander and A Discovery of Witches All Souls crossover. I saw one fic along these lines, but would love to read more!

4. Reverse meet cute: it’s because of Fergus and Marsali that Jamie and Claire meet (and fall in love)

5. What if Jamie wasn’t seeing things and it really was Claire standing there in the courtyard at Lallybroch in 3x02?

6. Winter Olympics AU - it’s been 4 years since Jamie and Claire last saw each other

7. Claire catches Fergus smoking

8. Claire is a modern day witch who often fumbles her words and nearly always says the wrong thing... so she casts a spell to improve her communication skills only to discover she can now communicate with ghosts - including a 1700s Highlander named James Fraser

9. Roger and Bree discover "Exotic foods " foods that are common in the late 60s and early 70s are just starting to show up on the docks. Future recipes show up on the dinner table, Jamie and Ian discover the word "Nutrition" means a nap at the dinner table with gorging upon awakening.

10. What if Jamie met Joe Abernathy?

11. On the Eve of Culloden, Jamie sends Claire through the stones. But she travels back to the day she met Jamie (no longer pregnant, has all of her memories, gets a do-over essentially)

12...

#outlander #prompt exchange #masterlist #challenge: countdown to s6

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carmen-riddle · 3 years

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100 Reasons Why You Should Stay Alive

1. Your friends, your family, and your pets would miss you.

2. It's not worth the regret. Either by yourself if you failed or just simply left scars, or the regret everyone else feels by not doing enough to help you.

3. It does get better. Believe it or not it will eventually get better. Sometimes you have to go through the storm to get to the rainbow.

4. There's so much you would miss out on doing.

5. There is always a reason to live. It might not be clear right now, but it is always there.

6. So many people care, and it would hurt them if you hurt yourself.

7. You ARE worth it. Don't let anyone, especially yourself, tell you otherwise.

8. You are amazing.

9. A time will come, once you've battled the toughest times of your life and are in ease once again, where you will be so glad that you decided to keep on living. You will emerge stronger from this all, and won't regret your choice to carry on with life. Because things always get better.

10. What about all the things you've always wanted to do? What about the things you've planned, but never got around to doing? You can't do them when you're dead.

11. I love you. Platonically. Even if only one person loves you, that's still a reason to stay alive.

12. You won't be able to listen to music if you die.

13. Killing yourself is never worth it. You'll hurt both yourself and all the people you care about.

14. There are so many people that would miss you, including me.

15. You're preventing a future generation, YOUR KIDS, from even being born.

16. How do you think your family would feel? Would it improve their lives if you died?

17. You're gorgeous, amazing, handsome, and to someone you are perfect.

18. Think about your favourite music artist, you'll never hear their voice again...

19. You'll never have the feeling of walking into a warm building on a cold day.

20. Listening to incredibly loud music.

21. Being alive is just really good.

22. Not being alive is really bad. And boring.

23. Finding your soulmate.

24. Red pandas. Just… THEY ARE SO CUTE!!

25. Going to diners at three in the morning.

26. Really soft pillows. Or blankets.

27. Eating pizza in New York City.

28. Proving people wrong with your success. Take that!

29. Watching the jerks that doubted you fail at life. Take that!

30. Seeing someone trip over a garbage can.

31. Being able to help other people.

32. Bonfires.

33. Sitting on rooftops.

34. Seeing every single country in the world. And not being ignored. Because, y’know, if you were dead everyone would run into you… it would suck.

35. Going on road trips. Have fun doing that as a ghost, or whatever.

36. You might win the lottery someday, who knows! How would you enter while you’re dead?!

37. Listening to music in your own special place.

38. Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, staring down at everyone with the wind in your hair.

39. Taking really cool pictures.

40. Literally meeting thousands of new people.

41. Hearing crazy stories.

42. Telling crazy stories.

43. Eating ice cream on a hot day with your best friends.

44. More interesting books or episodes could come out, you never know. It’s gonna be hard to get books or watch Netflix/Hulu/Etc while you’re dead.

45. Travelling to another planet someday. It’s gonna happen.

46. Having an underwater house.

47. Randomly running into your hero on the street

48. Having your own room at a fancy hotel.

49. Trampolines.

50. Think about your favourite movie, you'll never watch it again.

51. Think about the feeling of laughing out loud in a public place because your best friend has just sent you an inside joke.

52. Your survival will make the world better, even if it's for just one person or 20 or 100 or more.

53. People do care.

54. Treehouses, you won’t really be able to have a treehouse while dead.

55. Hanging out with your soulmate in a treehouse

55. Snorting when you laugh and not caring who sees.

56. I love you. Platonically.

57. I care about you.

58. Because nobody is going to be like you ever, so embrace your uniqueness!

59. You won't be here to experience the first cat world emperor. You won’t even be influenced by it. 60. WHAT ABOUT FOOD?! YOU'LL MISS CHOCOLATE AND ALL THE OTHER NOM THINGS!

61. Starbucks. Or caribou coffee.

62. Hugs. The kind that makes you squeal because of how tight they are, the kind that you really love.

63. Stargazing with your favourite person in this universe at 4am because you can’t sleep, the grass brushing against your toes as you snuggle together.

64. You have a purpose, and it's up to you to find out what it is.

65. You've changed somebody's life.

66. Now you could change the world.

67. You will meet the person that's perfect for you. Maybe you already have.

68. No matter how much or how little, you have your life ahead of you.

69. You can’t look at any more memes if you're dead.

70. If you end your life, you're stopping yourself from achieving great things.

71. Making snow angels.

72. Making snowmen.

73. Snowball fights.

74. Life is what you make of it.

75. Everybody has a talent.

76. Laughing until you cry, with your stomach screaming and your lungs flaring in heat. Rolling on the floor, grinning ear to ear.

77. Having the ability to be sad means you have the ability to be happy.

78. The world would not be the same if you didn't exist.

79. It’s possible to turn frowns upside down.

80. Be yourself, don't take anyone's crap, and never let them take you alive.

81. Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary. Be your own hero.

82. Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.

83. One day your smile will be real. It will, I promise you.

84. Having a really hot, relaxing bath after a stressful day.

85. Lying on grass and laughing at the clouds.

86. Laughing insanely hard with your best friends.

87. Eating weird food.

88. Staying up all night watching your favourite films with a loved one.

89. Sleeping in all day.

90. Creating something you're proud of.

91. You can look back on yourself 70 years later and being proud that you didn't commit. And if you did, feeling regret that you did.

92. Being able to meet your Internet friends.

93. Coffee.

94. The new season of your favourite show.

95. Staying up late with your best friend.

96. Being stupid in public because you just can.

97. If you are reading this then you are alive! Is there any more reason to smile?

98. Being able to hug that one person you haven’t seen in years

99. People care enough about you and your future to come up with 100 reasons for you not to do this.

100. But, the final and most important one is just being able to experience life. Because even if your life doesn't seem so great right now, literally anything could happen.

I didn't come up with these but it don't make it less important. Just remember to smile at life, have a great day and be kind, love yourself : )

#mine #reasons to live #for when sad

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grumpygreenwitch · 1 year

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The Fairy and the Prince #35 + #36 + #37

Originally posted 12/14/2022

Adam and Dane came back nine days after their departure, and found the palace no more interesting than when they’d left. The young prince was given the news of William’s death almost belatedly; compared to some of the fates that had befallen the other princes, William’s seemed to have been an almost discreet affair. Adam was fairly certain that everyone thought so only because they hadn’t been close enough to hear the prince scream. There were questions, of course. Too many people knew what Adam would not admit out loud, that he had friends among the Folk In the Woods. Too many people also knew that William had tried his hand at courting a fairy-maid, though no one knew the details. But in the end Needlemaw’s reasoning stood: Adam hadn’t been there, and blame couldn’t rightly be laid at his feet.

He should have cared, he knew, but he was distracted. Once again he felt as if he were being watched, and this time Dane had confirmed it for him. The black bird, sometimes a crow, sometimes a raven, sometimes something larger still, had followed them on the trip there and back. At home, trying to make sense of strangers that claimed to be family to him, Adam kept on running into a black cat indoors, with mismatched eyes. Dane had glimpsed the large black dog a few times, enough to readily identify as a dog and not a wolf. On the last night before reaching the palace they’d both seen a black stag in the woods, but it had been late and they’d not been able to swear that the color wasn’t the light coming from behind it and wounding their eyes.

He made his greetings and told his tales, and gave small traveling gifts to Culli and to Beli. The next morning he dug up his painting supplies and tromped determinedly into the woods, setting up his work area before climbing up the linden tree to see if he could catch sight of his friends. “You know,” he told the tree conversationally as he waited. “My family has six linden trees. None of them are anywhere near as gracious as you. All they did was make me miss you.”

“Adam!” The cry came across the woods, and he nearly threw himself off the branch in his eagerness to see his friends.

A branch snarled on the back of his shirt and he had to recoil to untangle himself. “Alright, alright, I’ll be careful!” Who needed the language of the trees, they made themselves heard loud and clear, the whole pack of nannies of them. Laughing, he slid recklessly down the ancient trunk and sprinted for his friends, taking Linden and Needlemaw both down with glad shrieks and much laughter. “Oh, I missed you all! Where’s Boul?”

Boul, profoundly stubborn as only a troll could be, had insisted on waiting for Adam every day, ‘just in case’, even after both Linden and Needlemaw had repeatedly explained that such trips usually took a week - more, in Adam’s case, because that week didn’t cover time spent going there and coming back. It had, eventually and unsurprisingly, made him sick. But Boul had grown nervous after Adam’s previous, year-long absence. Trolls, Adam was told, didn’t actually go into sunlight at all; it burned away their substance until they were nothing but cold, empty, dead stone. Boul’s resilience was unheard of among his people. Unfortunately for most of them, Boul also remembered why he’d developed that resilience.

In the end, he would always come to the same conclusion: William’s fate had been for William to choose, and he had chosen. It had been a choice born from cruel circumstances, and it had been a selfish choice, but it had been William’s. In his place, Rickard had chosen to live; in his place, Adam had chosen to be true. In the end, William had chosen Needlemaw, and the redcap had done the only thing she could do with that choice: she’d been true to her nature.

***

They carried on through that last golden summer of childhood, sharing stolen bits of honeycomb and endlessly harassing the long-suffering creatures of the woods, sharing trout and rabbit cooked over merry campfires. Adam found himself a teacher as much as a student, Needlemaw eager to learn of tactics and strategy, though she readily admitted her people were unlikely to ever rely on such things. Borrowing Arditty’s jewelry with the promise of bringing her even more beautiful pieces, he’d allowed Boul to examine them and duplicate them, watching in awe as the young troll thrum-called gold and silver and gems to the surface, polishing the later against the rough coolness of his fingertips, making wonders no human artisan would ever duplicate by following fantastic patterns no fairy could have imagined.

Linden…

Linden asked him for iron.

Under Needlemaw’s and Adam’s worried eyes they examined the old, plain ring and slender, ivory-handled knife that the young prince brought. “Boul learned to live in sunlight. It took him years, but he’s stronger for it than any troll twice, five, ten times his age. How long do you think it would take to grow used to iron?”

“Iron’s poison, Linden. Always has been, always will be,” Needlemaw protested.

“You count iron your finest trophy,” Linden countered.

“Because I bled to take those buttons! Even in death my foe balked me for them, that’s why!”

“Well…” Linden looked at them, and frowned at their fear and their concern. “Oh, fine. But can I keep these, Adam?”

“I suppose,” the prince agreed warily. “As long as you don’t hurt yourself with them.”

“I’ll be careful as a tree with them,” Linden assured him, and Adam couldn’t help but smile to be reminded that at all times they were surrounded by the fussiest of nursemaids, a whole woodland’s worth of them.

“Linden!”

“What are you even painting, Adam? You’re trying to put down the things no one but you can see. It’s no wonder it never comes out right!”

“Wait, what?” Adam stared at his canvas, and then at those many-colored eyes full of laughter.

Linden grinned. “It’s like my eyes. You’re not meant to see them, you never were. But you do anyways.”

“Well, they’re your eyes. I wouldn’t ever want to not see you, Linden.”

The young fey sapling beamed at the mortal prince. “I know. I would know you anywhere just because you see me truly, Adam.” They turned and gestured at the clearing where Needlemaw had clambered over Boul and was challenging the young troll to peel her off, tickling him merrily when he threatened to give up. Where threats might never have worked, Boul gleefully took on the challenge with that good-natured urging, laughing in his crackling, coarse bullfrog voice without shame. “You see the truth of us. But your hands keep trying to paint the glamour, the light and lie that hides us and protects us from your people. You’re going to have to get them to agree with one another before you can do much painting.”

Adam stared at his canvas. On the clearing, Boul went down and efficiently squashed the redcap, who squalled and called foul while tickling him mercilessly. “Would you let me paint you, Linden? Maybe that way I can learn. But it’s awful boring, sitting there still for it. I’d understand if you didn’t want to.”

Linden stared at him, the shattered eyes a glory of colors where none could match the depth and richness of the blue in Adam’s. “I think I’d like that.” Then they leapt into the wrestling knot with a wild and gleeful yowl, and there was nothing for it but that Adam would follow.

***

It grew too cold to swim, but they still occasionally snuck out to the kelpie’s pond. As far as they could tell the water horse had not returned, though the palace staff had eventually come and removed the chain and repaired the old and tiny pier. They would sprawl among the branches of the cherry trees, sometimes nestled between their roots. Adam brought blankets, and they would make a small fire and heat up tea. Needlemaw had brought a bottle of spirits once, and Adam had gone pale at the mere sight of it. The redcap had never brought them liquor again, looking profoundly amused.

At some point they ended up watching Boul wade across the pond, carrying Linden on his shoulders; the troll was the only one of them who didn’t feel the bite of the cold water, and Linden used him to dig for water chestnuts and sweet cattail roots, treats that they coveted no matter what the season.

Needlemaw, watching her charge and their stalwart companion root about in the shallows, smiled indulgently. It was an odd sort of clan to end up with, sharing no burrow or blood, but still she knew them for kin. When Adam, wrapped up in a blanket, suddenly moved to press close to her, the redcap automatically lifted an arm to make room for him, and felt the angry buzz of his emotions just under his skin. “I was wondering if yui’d noticed,” she said quietly.

“It’s him, isn’t he. The Prince Beyond the Woods.”

“Aye.”

Adam sighed. The black bird haunted their every other day together, following them by leaping from branch to branch; at night the black dog prowled at the edge of the palace grounds, lambent eyes on Adam’s windows. “What’s he want with me? I thought it was Linden he wanted.”

“Aye, an’ he does. But I think by now he’s figured out that he cannae get to Linden without going through ye.”

“I don’t tell Linden what to do, no one does.”

“That, I think, he’ll have to figure out on his own, because in his world that is how it works, Adam. He speaks and others obey.”

“Well, I think he’s -” Adam bit down what he’d been about to say, mindful that the boughs above them might hide a black bird that wasn’t a bird. “- not very clever if he can’t figure that out,” he clipped out, “after all the watching of me he’s done.”

Needlemaw snorted inelegantly in laughter. “Perhaps this is how he’ll learn,” she suggested, her tone making it clear she didn’t expect it to actually happen.

“I can’t tell him to go away, can I? I can’t get him to leave me alone, because he’s not really doing anything.”

“Aye, I’m afraid so.” She sighed. “Will you be alright?”

“Yes. He can follow me all he wants. Linden belongs to Linden alone, and he’d best be figuring that out quickly. If this is how, then whatever. I don’t care, it’s just annoying.”

Needlemaw, who rather believed the Prince Beyond the Woods would take infinitely more offense to being called 'just annoying’ than to actually being threatened, laughed wildly and ruffled Adam’s hair.

#the fairy and the prince #linden and adam #linden the fairy #adam the prince #writing #fantasy #fantasy writing #my writing #original writing #boul the troll #boulders-for-brains #needlemaw #needlemaw the redcap

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rachelbethhines · 3 years

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Vintage Shows to Watch While You Wait for the Next Episode of WandaVision - The 50s

So the first three episodes of Wandavision have dropped onto Disney Plus and like me you’re probably already obsessing over it. Also like me you’re probably jonesing for another fix while waiting for more as the episodes only come out once a week.

But never fear, we literally have decades of cheesy comedy sitcoms to sift through to keep us entertained during quarantine. Along with the occasional action and/or horror stuff if you’re so inclined. So if you’re trying to decide where to start I’ll be making short lists for each decade that coincides with each episode.

1. I Love Lucy (1951- 1957)

The granddaddy of all American television sitcoms staring the first lady of comedy herself, Lucille Ball. While not the first sitcom to air, tv had been kicking around since the late 40s, this show did pave the way for many technical innovations for the new medium both on and behind the scenes. As such Elisabeth Olsen cited Miss Ball’s work as one of her inspirations for her role as Wanda in the series, as do many a woman entering into the comedic field.

Also the show is just flat out funny. One of those rare 50s sitcoms that manages to overcome some of it’s more dated aspects through shear force of personality and peak comedic screwball antics. The only downside is you have to have Hulu to watch it as the copywrite is tightly controlled even to this day.

2. Amos ‘n Andy (1951-1953)

The 1950s television landscape was overwhelemingly white. It’s no secret that POC had a hard time finding work in the field of entertainment let alone be the stars of the show. Amos ‘n Andy, a spin off of the earlier same titled radio show, was one of, if not the first black led shows on television and so deserves a mention just for that alone.

Now I will not act as if this show is perfect or ahead of it’s time. The series was controversial even during its day for is depictions of racial stereotypes. Eventually the series was canceled because of protests from the NAACP despite being very popular in the ratings. However I’m a full believer that history should be observed and talked about in order to progress further so check out an episode or two on youtube and decide for yourself if it’s worth remembering or not.

3. The Adventures of Superman (1952 - 1958)

Ok, not a sitcom, but as we all know, Wandavision isn’t just a sitcom it’s also a superhero show and this is one of the first tv series in this genre. It and the Fleischer Superman cartoons from the previous decade helped to make the juggernaut industry that we know today.

Plus Superman did an official crossover with I Love Lucy, seriously.

4. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 - 1966)

Hardly anyone talks about it today, but Ozzie and Harriet is the longest running sitcom to date. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia being the only other show threating to up seat it come next year. However the two sitcoms couldn’t be any more different.

The series stared the real life Nelson family who had got their start in radio as comedians and singers who then crossed over into tv. While the show was completely scripted it tried to hew as close to real life as possible, kicking off American’s obsession with platonic voyeurism. Much in the way Wandavision has the meta storyline of being watch in their own home.

5. Father Knows Best (1954 - 1960)

Another radio to television entry here, however the series drastically changed the main character during the transition. During the 40s radio sitcoms were very biting and sarcastic, often either going the complete surreal screwball route or were satires of the day. This fell out of favor as tv became more dominated by commercials and advertisers feared offending their potential costumers. So things were greatly toned down as the decade progressed.

Therefore when Father Knows Best hit the small screen gone was the rude and domineering dad and in his place we got the very model tv father; affable, gentle, loving, devoted, and very congenial. All traits we love to see in Vision some six decades later.

6. The Honeymooners (1955 - 1956)

I physically can not make a recommendation list of 50s sitcoms and not mention The Hoonymooners. I just can’t. It’s one of the greatest sitcoms ever made and hugely influential. So much so that The Flintstones ripped off the series whole sale to the point that Jackie Gleason threatened to sue Hanna-Barbera. However there’s little such influence in Wandvision.

See what made The Honeymooners stand out at the time and what gave it such longevity is the fact that the main characters were poor. They lived in a cramped and over crowded sparsely furnitured one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. They owed bills, they dressed plainly, they worked long hours at low paying jobs, and they were often dirty from said work.

Much like how Wandavision will pull back the curtain a little to see the reality hiding underneath their suburban utopia, so too did The Honeymooners defy the the ‘perfect American dream’ that was soled on tv during the 50s to show us the trauma of poverty and the only thing that you can do when you find yourself trapped within that reality, laugh.

7. Leave it to Beaver (1957 - 1963)

You can not get any more quintessentially 50s than Leave it to Beaver. The series has become synonymous with the decade and it’s take on the ideal American family life to the point where it’s become a punchline of numerus jokes criticizing the values and attitudes of the era.

Does it really deserve such mockery? Who knows. I think one needs to watch it for themselves to decide. However it slots right into the aesthetic that the first episode of Wandavision is trying to recreate and it must have been popular for a reason, right?

8. The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959 - 1963)

We featured wholesome family sitcoms and screwball comedies with married folks but we haven’t covered any surrealist humor yet, and Wandavision is seeped into that sort of stuff. That’s because there really isn’t a lot of fantasy in most 50s sitcoms. So while the trappings for episode one of Wandavision is very 50s the effects and premise is more 1960s.

That’s where Dobie Gillis comes into play. Like Wandavision, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis is based off a comic book, or comic strip rather. However that comic was very down to earth and tame compared to the tv show. More fondly remembered as the inspiration for Scooby Doo a decade later, Dobie Gillis quickly transformed from a typical coming of age show about teenagers to a surreal, sarcastic, tongue in cheek comedy, complete with get rich quick schemes, spys, bongos, and a giant chicken.

9. Bonanza (1959 - 1973)

Yeah, I know all of y’all are judging me right now. “A western in a sitcom/sic-fi list? What are you thinking?” Well one really can’t talk about 50s television and not mention westerns of some sort. They permeated all mediums and dominated the cultural air waves. And Bonanza is far more than just a western.

Bonanza is literally every thing. It’s every genre at once; western, historical drama, sitcom, action adventure, satire, crime drama, soap opera ,and yes even the occasional foray into science fiction, albeit with a more Jules Vern take than a typical spaceman theming.

If Wandavision is a melding pot of seemingly disconnected genres then it’s because Bonanza paved the way with it’s similar breakage of formula.

10 The Twilight Zone (1959 to 1964)

Yeah, you probably knew this was coming. When not being a homage to sitcoms Wandavision is a downright horror movie, but not one with gore and mindless monsters. Rather the show evokes old school surrealist horror, like that employed in the famous (or infamous) Twilight Zone.

What you probably didn’t know is that we have the I Love Lucy show to thank for it. See Lucille Ball and her then husband Desi Arnaz had created their own production company in order to make I Love Lucy. This production company, Desilu Productions, is responsible for picking up Rod Sterling’s pilot and producing The Twilight Zone.

Runner Ups

Good shows that have little to do with Wandavision but are good anyways.

What’s My Line (1950 - 1967)

Just a really fun game show. Stars of the day would sometimes appear on it including many of the sitcom comedians listed above

Have Gun - Will Travel (1957 - 1963)

One of the very few pure westerns that I can tolerate. The lead actually cares about people and justice and will stand up to bigots.

Dennis the Menace (1959 - 1963)

While I have fond memories of the 90s film, I thought it was a tad redundant to put on the list when there’s already Leave it to Beaver.

So there’s the 50s list. On Wednesday I’ll post a list for the 60s and cover some of the more obvious stuff Wandavision was paying homage to.

#wandavision #wanda #vision #sitcoms #1950s #marvel #disney #i love lucy

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