#or they were adopted from outside the family(cough michael cough)

[annashadowstar]

A story about Chris Galeforce meeting Mirage Felizima. This is their first time meeting in my Au. I hope you guys like the story. I use google translate on the italian.

Tw: Stabbing.

Mirage Felizima - @capturecharlesau

Chris Galeforce - me

"Breaking news, after 5 months of mystery from the death of Dreamers family, the police decide to close the case. The dead body of Elizabeth Dreamer was sliced into three pieces and Michael Dreamer's body was tied up in strange blue strings. The police guess he died of blood loss. Their youngest child, Lily Dreamer, was gone missing for the past 5 months. Daniel Dreamer was also found missing after the death of Dreamer's family. How they died was still a mystery says to the polices."

The soldiers in the cafeteria were surprised by the news. They then start to discuss how the Dreamer family died. Some say they were robbed and other says the Toppat Clan did it. While other soldiers were talking, a young soldier named Chris Galeforce was eating, facing down as he overheard the conversation of other soldiers. Someone then walks over to Chris and sits next to him. "Hey, bro." Chris looks up and faces his adopted brother, Charles Calvin. "Oh, hey Charles. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great! Um... Are you ok after you heard the news?" Chris knows why Charles is asking him this since he was the only person who knows about his secret. "Yeah... I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Chris gives Charles a small smile. Three other soldiers come and sit with Chris. Chris looks at the soldiers. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Chris." All three soldiers waves. The three soldiers are Rupert Price and the Bukowski twins, Calvin and Konrad. "Yo, Chris! How was the mission with Rupert?" Oh yeah. The mission with the Toppat stealing the ruby.

"It was... Um... The Toppat got away." Chris answers. Calvin rise an eyebrow. "How do they get away?"

"I don't know. Maybe they are very good with the plans?"

"Plus, those Toppat we met is huge! They are like six feet tall." Rupert explains before taking a bite of his dinner. "By the way, What do you guys think happened to the Dreamer family?" Konrad asked. Chris flinch at the name as Charles put his hand on his shoulder. "Who knows? Might be killed by the Toppat. Or they might get robbed. Plus, who will hurt the world's richest and kindest family in the world?" Calvin ask, food in his mouth.

The 'kindest' family in the world? More like the world's most toxic. "What did those families do?" Rupert asked, curious. "Well, from what I heard, they give money to the poor and build a park for a school. They even give food to the people who needed the most." Calvin listed all the 'good things' the Dreamer family did. Chris rolled his eyes but no one could see it since his hair was covering it.

'They only know the outside but not the inside.' Chris thought, continue eating his dinner. "If they did all of that, a lot of people must love them." Rupert point his fork at Calvin.

"Yeah, I know. You know Daniel Dreamer, right? I didn't meet him in person but I bet he is very kind." Konrad comments. Well, they got that correct. "Well, we only know about them when they're outside, but what about the inside?" Charles asked, making the three soldiers look at him. "Well... On the inside, they must love their children very much. I bet they give their children a goodnight kiss." Chris spit his drink out and start coughing. "Excuse me, what?" Chris looks at Konrad.

"What? Most of the parents give their children goodnight kisses." Chris wants to throw up. His parents? A GOODNIGHT KISS?! He didn't give get a hug from them, let alone a goodnight kiss. The dinner is over and everyone was heading back to their camp tent. Chris cringe up, still thinking about the 'goodnight kiss'. "An interesting talk, don't you think?" Charles asks Chris.

"Yeah. The 'Goodnight kiss' was sooooooo good to talk with. I will rather burn the house down then get a goodnight kiss from them. Blaw"

Charles laughs. When they got to their tent, they sit down on their bed and begin to talk. When night hits, they got on the bed, and begin to sleep. Chris, on the other hand, can't sleep. He turns his body around and face Charles's bed. "Hey, Charles, you're asleep?" Chris whisper. Charles opens one of his eyes and looks at Chris. "What's wrong? Want me to give you a goodnight kiss?" Charles jokes. "What... No... Just want to tell you that I'm going out for a bit."

"You know you will get in trouble for that, right?" Charles sits up as Chris follows. "Well, get any better idea about how to sleep faster?" Charles shakes his head. Chris got off his bed and put on his uniform and put on his earpieces. "If I got into any trouble, I will call you from those earpieces, ok?"

"If you get in trouble, I am not involved." Chris give Charles a smile and a thumbs-up as Charles went back to sleep. Chris got to where the cliff is and sit down, looking up at the stars. Chris always loves to see the stars, since he will sit with their little sibling all the time to watch the stars. "I miss them so much..." Chris moves his hair, showing two large scars on his face. "They know nothing about them... whatever. It's better that they're dead... but what happened to them?"

Chris then heard something. He quickly covers his eyes with his hair and stands up, waiting for whatever comes out. A man, looking around 30, come out and saw Chris, froze in the spot. "Who are you and what are you doing in the government camp?" Chris asked, stay on guard. "A government camp? Little boy, I didn't see your government name here."

Chris notices the hat he's wearing and glares at the man in front of him. "You're one of the Toppat members, aren't you? Well, you're coming with me." The man smiles. "If you can catch me, ragazzino" The man then starts to run away. Without thinking, Chris runs after him. Jumping over the log and dodging the branches. Chris then started to catch up to the Toppat but then, he made a shape turn, making Chris crash into the tree. "Ow, I think my nose broke."

"Pfft, is that all you got?" The Toppat continues to run but then was run into a portal and was caught by Chris. "Che diamine?! You cheat!"

"You think this is a game? You're coming with me." Chris starts search the Toppat.

"Cool. Do you even know the way back?" Chris stands up and holds onto his shirt. "Of course, I know. It is... um..." Chris looks around the woods, but nothing looks familiar. "Let me guess, we're lost, no?" Chris looks at the Toppat. "Yeah, and that's thanks to you."

"Hey, not my fault that you starts to chase me."

"If you didn't run, I won't chase you. Whatever." Chris reaches for his earpiece but notices there's nothing on his ear. "Wait what?" Chris search for his pocket, but nothing. "If you're looking for that earpiece, it drop while you were running.” Chris turns to the Toppat. “Then why don’t you tell me?”

“Why should I?”

Chris groan made enough with this Toppat. "Oi, I never got your name!" Chris turns to the Toppat and glares at him, which of course, he can't see his eyes. "Why would you want to know?" Chris asked.

"Don't know. So I could stop calling you ragazzo carino." Chris rise an eyebrow. "What? Can you speak English please?"

"What, can't say my home language now?"

"Ok, 如果你想让我说我的母语，我可以一直这样跟你说话-"

"OK, OK! You win!" Chris smiles a bit and turns, start walking as the Toppat follows. "So... Where are we going?"

"I'm gonna try to find a way back to my camp. As for you, you're still coming with me." Chris answers. The Toppat looks at Chris. "Hey, Knock knock."

"Not now. I need to find my earpiece."

"...Knock knock~"

"...Who's there..."

"Joe!"

"Joe wh-"

"JOE MAMA!!!" Chris flinches at his loud voice and turns to the Toppat. "Why are you yelling? You're gonna call in the wolves."

"Wait, there are wolves?"

"Maybe. Come on, let's keep walking. I don't want my brother to me worried."

"You have a brother?"

"I was adopted. He is my adopted brother. I also have a little sibling." Chris answers. "What was your little sibling's name?" Chris looks at the Toppat and answers. "Lay. Their name is Lay."

"No last name?"

"They do have the last name. But it brings back a lot of bad memories." The Toppat replied with an 'oh'. "I also have a brother. He is a Toppat like me and I have a little sister." Chris suddenly stops walking and looks around. "Hey, why did you stop?" The Toppat asked. "Shh!" Chris continues to look around and notices something moving. "Hey, Toppat. Did you bring anyone with you?" The Toppat looks at Chris. "I have a name and it's Mirage, ragazzo carino" Chris turned to the Toppa- um- Mirage. "Just answer my question, did anyone come with you?"

"If I did, they already come and beat you up already." Chris turns back to the noise before something comes out. A bear. A giant freaking bear. " Holy S***!! Is that a bear?!" Chris turns to the Toppat. "RUN!!!"

Both Chris and Mirage start running while the bear follows them. "How is there a bear?!"

"How am I supposed to know?!"

"You have a camp here?! Who else am I gonna ask?!"

"Never this far from the camp!"

Mirage then trips on a branch and twists his ankle. "Ow!!! S***" Chris quickly turns to Mirage as the bear towered over him. It open its mouth and about to bite Mirage, it bit a large branch. Chris holds onto the branch and steps in front of Mirage, saving him. "You." Chris picked up another branch. "Stay AWAY FROM HIM!!!" He then stabs it into the bear's eyes. It screams in pain as Chris anger the bear.

Chris turns to Mirage and drops the branch and picks up Mirage continues to run. Mirage holds on to his hat and looks at Chris, blushing in embarrassment. Chris then stops running and looks ahead of him. A cliff. "Shoot." Chris looks behind him and saw the bear was still chasing him. "Hey, isn't that the cliff where we meet?" Mirage points at the cliff, which is pretty far. "Ok, you might want to hand on tight."

"Wait, wait, wait, what are you doing?"

"JUMP!!!" Chris jumps off the cliff as the bear tries to grab them. Mirage was screaming bloody loud as a portal appears under them as they land back to where they met. They watch the bear jump and fall into the ocean. "That's a dumb bear."

Chris then put Mirage down. "Are you hurt anywhere?" Chris asked.

"I should be the one that asking that. You were fighting with a freaking 7 feet tall bear!!!" Chris kneels to Mirage's ankle and starts healing him. "You got healing magic? Man, you should be a media. The Toppat Clan always welcomes you."

"Yeah... no thanks. There. Think you can stand and walk?" Mirage slowly stands up and tries. "Yeah, won't die."

"Oh, here's my earpiece." Chris put his earpiece on and was met by yelling. "CHRIS!!!! WHERE WERE YOU?! YOU WERE GONE FOR 7 HOURS!!!" Charles yelled, worried. "Dude, calm down! I'm fine. You're gonna pop my ear if you keep yelling."

"Chris Galeforce." Chris flinch. Oh no. "Heyyy, dad."

"You come back to the camp right now, young man. We will have a little talk." Hubert Galeforce says, clearly mad. "Yes sir." Chris took off his earpiece and put it into his pocket. "So... you're in trouble, right?" Mirage ask.

"Yep, pretty much. So... where are you gonna go?" Mirage didn't answer and looked around. "Gonna call my brother and told him that I'm going back." Chris nods. "Um... Tonight is interesting. Hope you have a nice day and... Let's meet up again... somewhere."

"Why not here?"

"Because me and my brother will sometimes come. I don't want you to get caught." Chris explains.

"Wow, is a government falling in love with a Toppat?" Chris blushes in embarrassment and looks away. "Oh... I will take that as a yes..." Mirage looks at the ground and kicks some rocks. "See you again, Mirage." Chris starts walking away and turns to Mirage and gives him a big smile. "Let's meet up again! Same time tomorrow." Chris runs back to the camp and meets up with a very mad Hubert and a worried Charles. 'I am in very big trouble, aren't I?'

"Where had you been, young man?!" Hubert ask-yelling. "Um... I can't sleep so go visit the cliff, sir."

"For 7 HOURS?!"

"I fell asleep?" Hubert pinches the bridge of his nose. "Go back to the camp with your brother. We will talk about this later." Chris nods and follows Charles. "Sorry, he just come in without any warning."

"It's ok, Charles. It's not your fault." Chris smile. "By the way, what actually happened?" Chris looks to the other side. "I... um... will tell you at another time."

"Okay?" Charles answered, confused and curious at the same time.

#the henry stickmin collection #thsc oc #thsc #henry stickmim collection #chris galeforce #Mirage Felizima #rupert price #calvin bukowski #konrad bukowski #charles calvin #toppat clan #goverment #hubert galeforce

[twodragonsinatrenchcoat]

Me: Oh yea Gharan and Oswald do have like- canon kids i should draw them

Me: *Draws Kira and stops cause I’m out of ideas*

Me: ....hm.

#I guess Kira is their only like- legitimate child and heir #cause i mean Orio is completely artificially fabricated #and after that any other kids they had when I used to use them more often were never really that well developed #or they were adopted from outside the family(cough michael cough) #oswald has a habit of seeing pathetic kids and being like 'that's mine now' #if you would like to make an oswald and gharan kid then tbh go for it #it's kind of a dumb proposition by me but if you want to then go for it :D #cause the two were originally rp characters anyways so it makes some kind of sense for kids or other characters to be from other people #also your character can be as unhinged as you like if they're part of the Matthias family sdkfjdslf;

[cosmicbeastie]

Sorta kinda jumping off this post, I want to talk more about Star Trek Discovery and how I wish it (and other modern TV series/movies like it) could be more like TOS or 90s Trek when it comes to that era’s more episodic, laid-back pacing and storytelling styles as a result of having a smaller budget/more limited FX to work with.

Which isn't to say that all Star Trek media HAS to be like 90s Trek to be good. I feel like a lot of us tend to gauge whether or not a new entry into the franchise is “good” based on how similar it is to that era. Discovery is allowed to be different and its more plot-centric and serious tone isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Star Trek outright. However, a major flaw Disco has is that it sacrifices character development and dynamics (or at least showing these things well) for its heavy plot. 

Mainly there’s one thing I really wish it had handled better, and hope it handles better past season 4: show, don't just tell, especially when it comes to characters. Putting less emphasis on The Plot would allow this show to better flesh out its characters & their dynamics. I keep watching because I love the characters! They are my primary motivation for keeping up with new episodes and I feel like they are Discovery’s strongest asset. But the overly plot-heavy, constantly life-or-death storytelling style the writers of this show insist on using is, in my opinion, detrimental to that asset. The problem with such a plot-heavy approach to telling a story in a television format is that it leaves little room for those filler episodes & moments that are hallmarks of other Star Trek series, where characters get a chance to simply Exist. Interact. Form bonds with each other. 

The Discovery crew is obviously very close, and clearly we as the audience are meant to see that they see each other as found family. Michael and Tilly are best friends and roommates by choice for much of the series. Both Saru and Stamets have been shown to be paternal with Tilly. Michael and Saru have said they love each other like siblings and arguably have one of the strongest bonds in the show. And of course there’s Stamets & Culber literally adopting Adira and Gray. We see hints of crew members outside of the core four being close, too (Owo & Detmer primarily). But while all those bonds are clearly There at this point in the show (season 4 having just finished airing), the writers didn’t put a lot of time into actually showing us these bonds as they were developing -- even when such moments of development should have been treated as crucial to the story (skipping Saru and Michael's journey toward healing their friendship after Michael’s betrayal; only revealing Airiam's close friendships with her crewmates in her final episode to give her death emotional weight; rushing Stamets’ paternal dynamic with Adira; conveying an unspoken but obvious tension between Stamets and Michael at the end of season 3 just to gloss over it in season 4; etc., etc., etc.).

The problem isn’t that Discovery has a tonally different, less episodic approach to storytelling compared to previous Treks. It’s that it focuses Too Much on plot and over-the-top stakes and not enough on its characters. We shouldn’t be four seasons and counting into this show and know next to nothing about more than half of the bridge crew. We shouldn’t need to be constantly forgiving haphazardly-inserted character development “bombs” like Michael and Saru going from ex-friends/begrudging crewmates to best friends/found family in the space of one episode. They (the writers) just don’t give themselves (or maybe are not given) enough TIME to develop these dynamics more smoothly and organically.

And I feel like this isn’t completely on the writers. Modern media as a whole has created this atmosphere where only constantly high-budget, constantly high-stakes, constantly plot-heavy stories can be accepted as watchable/meaningful enough to keep from getting axed at the drop of a hat (*cough* it’s the MCU’s fault *cough*). I just wish we could go back to the days where shows could be allowed to BREATHE and general audiences and streaming service executives weren’t afraid of a filler episode or two where maybe the plot didn’t advance much or at all (the “stakes” a malfunctioning replicator or something), but we learned something new about the characters and that was enough.

At this point I don’t expect Discovery to change its ways when it comes to its overstuffed plot and clunky approach to character development, but I do hope that we can eventually have a Trek series that (to circle back to the subject of the post I linked at the top) more closely resembles the pacing and storytelling styles of older Trek while still maintaining the diversity and minority representation that Discovery provides.

#i was Not expecting to write this much oops #star trek #star trek discovery #discovery #soapbox

[deepdonutkid]

Tracing a shadow - part 2

Pairing: None

Requested: No

Word Count: 2822 words

Warnings: Drug use mentioned, underage drinking

Summary:  Michael getting drunk and sad about the death of his big sister Anna.

Author’s Note:  Maybe there is going to be a third part, where Anna lives... but I still not sure about this.

And virtual kisses and hugs for every like, reblog, comment or else! 

Do not repost my work

A week was all it took for him to learn the truth. At first he was reluctant to ask, but after they had visited Polly’s new and suburban house, he knew that nobody else was home but Polly, the maid and him.

While waiting for the maid to bring the food, Polly said something that upset him. He looked just like his father and he didn’t know what to do with this piece of information. Should he be proud to look like the man who had beaten him? Michael bit his lip and stood silent. There were no words suitable for this situation.

Polly seemed to notice and explain how his biological father had died, smashed between the canal and the boot. Michael didn’t care about this. In fact he had already expected something similar. It was too quiet around the house. The presence of his father would have been noticeable.

He had no hard feelings about his death. The few memories about his father weren’t actually nice. So there was nothing to grieve about. And anyway, who said that he needed a father? Especially a father like this. Michael was almost a man and he survived this hell of a mess called his life all on his own.

But then after two days of staying at the house, he became jittery. There was a purpose for his arrival and he needed to fulfill it. Obviously, Anna wasn’t here, when Tommy did his research, maybe he didn’t just look for Michael but also for the long lost daughter of Elisabeth Gray. Or Polly knew something.

Well, this was speculated, but he wouldn’t give up and go, before he’d even tried. So he started looking around the house. Anything from her could be helpful.

Five days later, Michael went up to the house in the watery lane. There was something strange about this place and he hated every minute he had to spend there, but Polly was gone to work, so he could search unimpeded.

Soon he realized that his mother had vanished every evidence about her children around the house. It did hurt, but he could understand her. To lose custody was her lowest point. She told him something like this. At least she’d acknowledged that. This couldn’t heal his old scares, he knew, but it eased the pain. He told himself she changed for the better. Otherwise he wouldn’t have stayed.

The last room was their old chamber, Anna’s and his. He avoided going in there, but there was no way around it. Cold sweat ran down his back, when he stared at the door. Feeling the cold door handle in his hand made him gulp. His anxiety went through the roof.

Everything was still the same. He could tell that by first sight. In opposing corners were their beds. The bear figure from grandfather stood on the dresser. Anna loved playing with it. Being in this room was horrible for him. All the memories of her and his childhood rushed over him, crushed him to bits and pieces.

Suddenly he felt sick, almost like puking. He couldn’t be in this room anymore. Furthermore he was stupid to believe there was a hint about her whereabouts. Nobody was in there for years. Everything was dusted and it sort of looked like a shrine.

His feet took him out, faster than he could think. When the door was closed again, he was relieved. Without looking back, he hurried downstairs, mostly to get away from this nightmare, but also because he heard Polly entering the house.

‘Oh, you are here?’ she asked. Her eyes widened as she glared at him. Of course Polly expected him to be in the nice house with the ham and the maid and not here with his crumbled childhood memories.

Michael coughed slightly and nodded. He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t find any good explanation for his behavior.  Then he fumbled his hands in his pockets and faced the floor. It was like she caught him, but with was exactly? It was not a crime going into what used to be his room.

With his new found courage he declared: ‘I was upstairs in my old chamber.’ He signed, peeked at the big clock right behind Polly and then back to her. ‘I mean… Anna’s and mine.’

Polly’s mimic was somewhere between hurt and thunderstruck. He caught her off-guard just by saying her name. This was no good sign at all. Michael got the impression there was something she kept from him. He was no child anymore and she from all the people should know that. If there was some secret about his sister, he needed to know.

‘Where is she anyway?’ he dug deeper, regardless of her feelings. The tears filled her eyes and gave him a scare. Her hands were covering her mouth, as she mumbled: ‘You really want to know this now?’

Again he nodded but with the stoic calm of a child that has already been broken. Now the sadness hit him too. The world lost its color while she explained it to him. His heart ached. He couldn’t stand hearing about her death.

Suddenly his body felt numb. Her words were muted as his world began to shatter. Michael closed his eyes, so he wouldn’t cry, but it didn’t matter as the tears found their way out anyway. There was nothing he could do about it. Everything felt just so useless. Why was he even here? And why did he wait so long to ask?

Polly stumbled into him, probably with the intention of a hug, but Michael refused. Without a blink he pushed her away. Everything seemed to hurt him now, even the simple touch. A tear rolled down and hit his shirt. ‘I need to be alone right now’, was the last thing he said before storming off.

He just couldn’t stand how Polly looked at him and to top it off she wanted to nurture him. That was the last thing he needed. Outside he first didn’t know where to go, but before he should make one more step in any direction, he wiped off the wetness from his cheeks.

His head tilted as he stared at the greyish sky of bad old Birmingham. Suddenly he knew which way to go. Michael made his plan. It arranged itself in his mind, piece by piece.

First he went straight to the Garrison. There he greeted Henry with a dull voice and asked for liquor, cigarettes and a matchbook. For Tommy, he said, knowingly that this request couldn’t be denied. He had learned already, that his family was somehow the unholy rulers of this rotten empire. It was not like he had something against that. Actually it was quite useful. Being Elisabeth Gray’s son had his benefits. Without a second ask the barkeeper put a whole bottle, three packages of cigarettes and some matches on the counter. The whole time Michael’s face stood bland. He took everything with him and left in silence.

Now his pace wasn’t confident as he headed towards the fields just at edge of town. He should know the way, but his memory was blurred. In his head played a scene of Anna and him running around a willow which stood near a creek. Actually he didn’t had a good reason to search for this spot, but something in his gut commanded him to.

Somehow he reached his destination. Michael wasn’t so sure this was the same tree his sister liked so much, but it didn’t really matter, as she wasn’t here to argue with him and she never would be. He just wanted to feel near her, but that was impossible, so he went with the next best thing.

As if his body lost the last bits of energy he slumped down. In the mud he sat, unsure with what he should start; crying, smoking or drinking. He had never done this stuff, but now he needed to. Everything ached and especially his throat was bone dry. So he went with the whiskey first. How much he hated the taste of it. The burning feeling in his chest expanded and the liquor left bitterness on his lips and tongue.

Just like he had a task list to do, he put the bottle away and fumbled in his jacket for the cigarettes. Michael hated smoking even more than drinking but he still remembered how Anna stole mum’s fags for the whole purpose of acting so adult. ‘Butt me.’, demanded a squeaky voice in his head. It was Anna crossing his mind again and again.

With shaky hands he tried to light his cigarette. Out here in the field it was too windy so he moved closer to the tree. It finally worked, but even the few drags made him cough terribly. He leaned against the bark and started to blubber. While he walked here, he could still stifle his feelings, but now they wrecked him.

Everything was pushing him down, more than ever. The sadness took him hostage. He was so up his mind, that he noticed the cigarette on his leg too late. Now there was not only a hole in his pants but also a burn on his skin. With all his might he slammed the cigarette butt in the grass next to him. He didn’t need those anyway.

Somehow he was sad and angry and full of doubts, too much to handle for him all on his own. He needed her now, but Anna was gone and she wouldn’t come back ever again. Michael knew that but he refused to accept this. How could she be dead when they made an oath to finally be reunited again? She swore it and now… He was here, but she was not.

He was unable to grasp it. Her death seemed so unreal and yet it did happen. Polly told him the truth, she wouldn’t have lied. If there had been any chance Anna was still alive, she would have told him so. But then again… how?

‘She tried coming back even after she was adopted by another family, so they took her around the globe, where she couldn’t run. There she died.’ That was Polly’s explanation, but it wasn’t enough for Michael. He needed to know how. It would haunt him over and over again, if he didn’t know the details. In his head he imagined every possible way it could have happened, which just made it worse.

Anna’s face kept messing with him. He still remembered her brown eyes, that daring grin, that could win everybody over and how her auburn brown hair framed her face. His sister had glowing skin from all the days she spent outdoors with grandpa. She had a captivating presence and she’d known how to use it. How easily she could charm people. This would apply to animals too. Anna had something bold to her and god, she feared nothing. Nobody could intimidate her. That’s what he treasured the most about her.

As a child he had so much to fear. He was scared about everything and anything, but Anna had protected him. His big sister was hero and he thought she was invincible. She put up a fight with Arthur, who was at that time already two heads taller than her, just because she wanted her cousins to take her seriously. And after that they did. She incited John to steal money from his parents, which ended horrible. Everything she did and everything she was astonishing. There just was something about her, something so light and mesmerizing. How could she have been bought to her knees by a simple disease? 

Now her light was out and Michael would never see it again. That insight hit him hard. His eyes were already red and swollen, but he couldn’t stop crying, even though he struggled for air. After all he still was a child and until now there was still something that hadn’t broken. This final piece shattered too and he would never be the same person. After all this pain he had been though, he thought in the end everything would work out for him and they would meet again. He still had the glimpse of hope, but that was gone, just like her.

Would she still look the same today? Or maybe she would have changed? Wore her hair short by now? Probably she would have been a blinder too. The flat cap with the razor blades would have suited her and she always had liked to mess with people, especially with Tommy. Anna laughed her ass off every time she successfully made Tommy mad. He fought a lot with her, but Michael liked to think, that his cousin still cared about her. 

Suddenly he had a clear picture in his mind how she would look by now and it fucked him up completely. She should have lived. He needed her. How could he survive without her? And even though he knew that she was dead, there still was a part in him, that didn’t want to believe this. But that was just denial, the first stage of grief.  Michael knew this, not that he could do something about this. Instead he just sat there and drank. He drowned so much whiskey despite the horrible taste, but it numbed the pain.

‘Why you?’ he sobbed: ‘You promised to come back. Why did you leave me alone?’ His sister wouldn’t hear his words, but he needed to say them.  ‘What happened? You said to me, you would come back and save me. You know what they did to me. To us and then you were gone. They shouldn’t have given you to this horrible family. We should be together.’ His voice was accusing, even though there were no judges or benches. A fire burned in his chest. He demanded answers, but he wouldn’t get any.

‘Why did they break us apart? We were better together- a team.’ Michael mumbled into the void. ‘I needed you and you needed me. Why? God, why? I just…’ The words kept blubber out of him. Now he cried even uglier. ‘I… I… I just… can’t… can’t believe that you… are gone… and how?’ Thinking about this made him crazy. His own thoughts choked him and he let it happen. ‘Were you all alone? And where did it happen? Did you have any friends? Did someone hold your hand when you had died? Were you scared? Did you cry? I don’t fucking know and it kills me.’

 Michael was drunk by now, but he didn’t feel any better. Actually it has gotten worse. The wind on the field was cold and he didn’t take his coat while rushing off. Now it was fucking freezing and he was all alone. The sky was getting darker and he could tell that the rain could start any time now, but he still hadn’t the power to move, not even an inch.

His tears had stopped and now he was just sad. God, he must have made a terrible impression, with the red face and the unkempt hair. While crying he had rubbed his face so much, that it hurt. While he sat here he ripped out some grass and watched it flowing in the wind. Downside to that was the grass all over him. Michael brushed it off his pants and then grabbed to bottle. When he drank it, he became so sick, he almost puked. In his anger he threw the bottle away.

There was nothing in him. The fire burned down and now it was just a pile of ashes. He felt empty and numb, which was relieving compared to the pain from before. It must have been hours, he had been sitting here. Michael was just tired, too tired to move a finger. Then everything got blurry and dark as his eyes closed.

When someone woke him up, much later that evening, he almost forgot where he was. ‘Fuck, you smell like schnapps. Pol is going to kill me!’ grumbled a familiar voice.

His head hurt like hell and Michael couldn’t think straight. The surroundings flickered before his eyes. He sounded so hoarse when he blurred out a ‘What?’

‘She sent everybody to look for you. She thought you went back to the other family.’ Explained John and hefted his cousin up. During this procedure Michael moaned like stubborn child. He didn’t want to go back and he certainly didn’t want to see Polly, but he didn’t have much of a choice. John dragged him back to the Watery Lane.

‘Did you really want to scoop?’ he asked. Michael didn’t know a lot about their world, but he already made the decision to stay. It was what Anna would have wanted.

‘No’ he replied: ‘Unfortunately… you guys have to bear me a little longer.’

#Michael Gray #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky fucking blinders #peaky blinders #peaky fookin blinders #aunt polly #polly gray #john shelby #Anna gray

[gvnchvcks]

What would the FAHC do if one of them arrived back from a solo mission with an injured small child, saying, “Well, I couldn’t just LEAVE her!” Bonus points if the person doing this is Ryan, though Trevor, Micheal, and Gavin seem like the more obvious choices.

Anon idk what you're on about, Ryan would TOTALLY be the one to do this!! Also this is super adorable tysm (also it's a bit long hope that's okay!)

Okay so, it's a quiet day around the penthouse. Nothing's really been going on lately, the crew is laying low. Ryan and Jeremy were sent to gather information on some drug dealer that's been climbing in popularity these past few weeks. Not that any of the Fakes do much more than maybe smoke weed, they don't need any new criminals getting cocky, and druggies in Los Santos are particularly handsy when it comes to stealing money from others. Now it's just waiting for the Battle Buddies to get back.

There's talking from outside and Gavin is the first to hear it. Without setting down his controller or standing from his position playing around on his X-Box, he calls out,

"Jeremy and Ryan are back!"

The door opens, and in they come. First Jeremy who looks slightly annoyed, then Ryan, then..a little girl?? Gavin hears what sounds like a very quiet sniffle and turns around, wondering why his friend would be crying, then he sees this toddler, she can't be older than 5 or 6, crying quietly and holding onto Ryan's sleeve as if her life depended on it. Of course he's confused as hell because Holy Shit that's an actual child?? What's it doing here?? He pauses his game and turns on the couch.

"Uh, who's your new friend, Ry?"

Jeremy is the first to speak up. "We don't know yet. We found her with that guy we were looking for. We think he's her dad or something-"

"WAS her dad. You saw how that home looked, Jeremy," Ryan turns and picks up the shaking girl, holding her close. "A drug den is no home for a toddler. That place didn't even have furniture, and the way he was talking to her too.." He covers the girl's ears, "Look at her. She's bruised and has a few scrapes too. He didn't deserve to live. We may be criminals, but he was a bad guy."

Jeremy sighs softly. He felt bad for the girl too, but he didn't want to get involved, or have to kill anyone.

"You're right. I'm gonna go change into something more comfortable and get the others, watch your daughter," and with a wave, Jeremy was jogging upstairs.

Gavin is just staring in awe at this point. They'd definitely have to talk about this later but for now this poor girl needed help. He cleared some space beside him on the couch and motioned for Ryan to sit with the girl, who's stopped crying by now. Ryan sits and the girl sits between the two men. Ryan speaks softly, and it's almost unnatural to what Gavin is used to. But he had to admit, it was weirdly cute to see the Vagabond being so careful and nice.

"Hey, it's okay, alright? We aren't gonna hurt you. I promise," he nearly whispers out. "I'm Ryan, and this is Gavin. We're gonna help you feel better. What's your name, sweetheart?"

The girl stares at them both, starting to calm down thanks to his soft voice. She still has a death grip on his arm though. She sniffles, and in a very low and shaky voice says,

"..Em..Emma.."

Her voice, though small, makes both of them smile. Emma. She has a name. Now it's Gav's turn, "What a lovely name, Emma. How old are you?" Queue Ry being surprised by how gentle Gav sounds this time

She sniffles and coughs a bit. "I'm..uhm. F-Five.."

Gavin smiles and reaches for his controller, "Well, Emma, do you like video games?" She nods softly and stares at the shiny golden controller in his hand. He exits the game he was playing and selects Minecraft from the menu. He makes a special creative world just for her, and hands her the controller. She plays the game for a bit, and Gavin sits, helping her. There are footsteps coming down the stairs, enter Jeremy, Michael, and Jack. It's obvious Jeremy's informed the other two by how quiet they are. They fill in the room, trying not to intimidate the poor girl and she notices, staring at them. Ryan introduces everyone, and they all wave. Jack smiles and hands over a folded up quilt. "Here, honey. It's nice and warm, I think you'll like it." Emma takes the blanket, and with the help of Ryan, it's draped around her shoulders. She smiles slightly at this, earning a tender smile from the others.

"Geoff is busy and didn't want to be bothered, but he knows of the situation and will be down in a bit. I also dropped a text in the group chat letting the others know, so expect to see them very soon too," says Jeremy.

Michael then stands up gently and heads to the kitchen, coming back with half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He kneels in front of the girl on the floor and smiles. He thinks he hears Gav whisper something about "big brother instincts" but he ignores it. "You hungry? PB&J is my favorite, try some. I think you'll like it a whole lot." She stares at him, studying his face, and slowly takes the half of the sandwich. She eats it quickly, and Michael smiles. "See? Yummy."

There's a quiet knock at the door, and it opens slowly to reveal the entirety of the B Team. They must've carpooled. Fiona and Lindsay cover their mouths and both make quiet "aww" noises. They sit on the floor a few feet away, watching the girl. Trevor, Alfredo, and Matt stand around, watching quizzically. Emma studies them. As her eyes dart to each of them, they introduce themselves. They take turns for the next few hours, asking Emma what she likes, laughing together, and teaching her about themselves. It's around 7 in the afternoon when Geoff comes down. He sees Gavin and Ryan still on the couch, but Emma is now on the floor in front of the TV beside Matt and Michael. They're teaching her to play Mario Kart, and though she's still quiet, she's enjoying all of the nice attention and love. Jack looks over at Geoff and invites him to sit by her on one of the couches. He does so and watches for a while. Alfredo, who's standing nearby, leans down and whispers, "Her name is Emma and I think it's safe to say we'd all die for her." Jack hears this and nods, still smiling. Geoff, who was confused at first, looks at the young girl again and smiles. Whether they keep the girl or take her to an adoption agency so she can have a normal life, he doesn't know yet. What he does know, is that she's adorable, and he's always wanted to be a dad.

Over the next few weeks, they all do every single thing they possibly can to make the girl feel safe and at home. She opens up to them more too. She even starts to love them it seems. She remembers their names, and enjoys sharing a bed with Jack. They learn that Emma doesn't remember her mom, so of course Jack becomes the most motherly she's ever been. Geoff is the most fatherly of them towards her, with everyone else filling in the role of her big brothers and sisters. Pestering her, gently of course, and helping her out with everything she needs. Emma still seems to have a connection to Ryan the most, but she loves her new friends and potential family equally

This was way longer than I intended but it was ADORABLE so I just went with it lol 💚 also I didn't realize until it was too late that you said "solo mission" so uhh, I'm sorry but I hope the Battle Buddies works out!!

#achievement hunter #fahc #fake ah crew #fahc ryan #fahc jeremy #fahc gavin

[pixiegrl]

Oooo okay this one is kinda niche so take you time but “I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” with mashton but make it magic

I really took my time filling this but! It’s finally done! Love a good magic AU but i think everyone knew that. Have some Michael as a fairy/Ashton as a werewolf/first meeting of the pack dynamics! Enjoy!

On ao3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29008818

“What if they don’t like me?” Michael asks. He’s been biting his thumbnail, holding Ashton’s hand with his other. Michael’s nervous. He thought he would have gotten over his nerves for dating a werewolf considering he and Ashton have been dating for a month, but it seems that it’s not meant to be. Last week, Ashton had casually proposed the idea of Michael meeting his friends Calum and Luke for dinner. This idea would be less scary for Michael if it wasn’t for the fact that Calum and Luke are Ashton’s pack. Ever since Ashton relocated from Australia and his family pack in order to build his own life, Calum’s been Ashton’s best friend and pack mate. Luke’s a recent addition, Calum’s mermaid of a boyfriend, who Ashton’s only ever mentioned in passing. In fact, despite the fact that they’ve been dating a month, Michael has yet to meet Calum or Luke due to schedules. Even though Michael met Ashton at the pet store he and Calum own when he adopted Moose, his dog, Calum had the day off and he’s been working odd hours at the store since. Luke’s been busy helping spring brides pick out their dresses and Michael’s been busy with his own spring weddings and all the cakes that go into them on top of the usual bakery things. This is the first night in the whole month the four of them have been free enough to officially meet. Ashton had suggested a homemade dinner at the apartment the three of them share and Michael had agreed. He wants to meet Ashton’s pack mates. If he and Ashton are going to a long term relationship, it only makes sense that they should all meet. Michael wants them to like him and he wants to like them. 

Of course, that was a week ago and now Michael regrets agreeing. He’s been overthinking the whole thing ever since. Ashton’s pack isn’t going to like him. He’s a dumb fairy, with all his plants and his glitter everywhere and where there isn’t glitter, there’s flour from all his baking. Michael’s messy and loud and when he’s happy, he shines much too brightly. There’s no way Calum and Luke are going to like him. Luke’s a mermaid, cool salt air and effortless grace, and Calum’s a werewolf who owns a pet shop and gets to play with dogs all day. 

“There’s no need to be nervous Michael,” Ashton says, pulling Michael from the anxiety spiral that he’s going through on their walk.

“That’s easy for you to say. They’re your friends, they already like you.”

“They’re going to like you, Michael.”

“But what if they don’t? We’ll have to break up if your pack doesn’t like me.”

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I like you and that’s enough.”

“That’s such a load of shit. It’s your pack. You would be miserable if they didn’t like me.”

“Well, it’s a good thing they’re going to like you,” Ashton says, smiling as he presses a kiss to the back of Michael’s hand. Michael huffs, rolling his eyes, but blushing.

“Stop being reasonable,” he mumbles. Ashton laughs, face lighting up, dimple prominent on his cheek. Michael shoves his hand in his pocket, trying to stop himself for continuing to bite his nail. 

They make it to Ashton’s apartment without incident, opening the door to the smell of burning food and laughter. 

“Did you let Luke cook?” Ashton calls, laughing as he pulls Michael into the apartment. 

“I resent this line of questioning,” the tall blonde says, popping his head out of the kitchen to frown at Ashton. He’s terribly pretty, with curls and clear blue eyes, in the way only a mermaid can be, meaning he must be Luke. Michael would despair over his beauty if it wasn’t for the fact that Calum is clearly trying to fan the smoke of his failed cooking attempt away from the alarm. At least Michael can say he has one advantage over Luke.

“You have clearly set something on fire.”

“It could be Calum.”

“Please. Like Calum would attempt to cook,” Ashton says, rolling his eyes. Calum lets out a growl, Luke snickering under his breath.

“You left us in charge!”

“I left pasta to boil, sauce simmering, and I told you to heat up garlic bread. I left you the simplest instructions, which were to just watch them while I picked up Michael. How did you manage to start a fire?”

“Luke thought we should turn the oven heat up.”

“This is your fault for trusting us. You know better,” Luke says, pouting. Calum laughs again, coming over to press a kiss to Luke’s cheek in apology. Luke lights up immediately, turning to press a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. Ashton coughs, pulling their attention back to him and eyes widening when they see Michael.

“Oh my god, hi! Hi! Sorry we’re, um...usually not like this,” Luke rushes out, trying to wipe his palms off on his pants, crossing the room, holding his hand out to Michael. Michael takes it tentatively, surprised when Luke pulls him into a hug. 

“Leave him alone Luke. Not everyone is as clingy as you,” Calum says, laughing as he comes up behind Luke, clapping Michael on the back, grinning. 

“Please. I was never as touchy till I met you wolves. Pack animals you are.”

“That’s a lie and you know it, cuddle bug,” Ashton teases. Michael feels something loosen in his chest, watching the way Luke dramatically huffs, the three of them clearly playing out an argument they’ve had before.

“Michael will agree with me. It was getting too dog in here anyway. Us non-wolves gotta stick together,” Luke says, winking at Michael, as he links arms with Michael. Michael blushes under Luke’s attention as he smiles, all dimples and laughing eyes.

“Hey! We’re wolves! You know this!”

“And you always call me fish, so!” Luke calls back, tugging Michael off towards the kitchen. He clips his hip on the doorway of the kitchen, blushing when he realizes Michael’s noticed. It eases some of the tension in Michael to know that even Luke’s as clumsy as he is. Luke turns to Michael, grinning once they’re in the kitchen, safe from any sharp edges or doorways. Michael finds himself at a loss for words, faced with the full force of Luke’s attention.

“Help me set up? We’ll let Ashton take care of the food before he starts smacking our hands. He can be such a “pack parent” sometimes,” Luke says, letting go of Michael to rummage around the kitchen, grab the plates and utensils. Michael takes the offered plates, letting Luke stack the forks and knives on top as he grabs glasses from the cabinets.

“You guys all seem pretty close.”

“Of course. Calum and I have been together for two years now. They practically adopted me into their pack within the second month of dating,” Luke says, leading them into the dining room area to set up the table. He can hear Ashton and Calum banging around in the kitchen, snarking at each other as they finish cooking.

“It’s never odd for you?”

“The closeness?” Luke asks, placing the glasses on the table and turning to Michael, taking the utensils from him.

“Yeah.”

“At first. I’m sure fairies are very similar to mermaids. We’re not very close outside of our immediate families and even then. I left my family pod when I was 18. Meeting Calum and seeing how close he and Ashton are, the idea of a pack and that family bond, was overwhelming at first. I almost broke up with Calum like four times in the first few months of dating because it was too much for me. All the expectations of a pack and the idea of what they wanted from me scared me. For so long, it was just the two of them. I was an added element that was unexpected.”

“What changed that?”

“We talked it out. Explained ourselves and realized that we liked each other enough to work past whatever awkwardness we were feeling. Open communication is the healthiest thing.”

“You should like my mum.”

“Well, she has good advice,” Luke says, leaning over to bop Michael on the nose. Michael scrunches his nose up, but smiles all the same in the face of Luke’s beaming smile. It’s hard to be unhappy in the face of Luke’s glow and shine. Luke keeps chatting with Michael, asking him about the weddings he’s working for, if brides are as annoying shopping for cakes as they are for dresses. It’s comfortable, easing Michael into a sense of security he’s not used to having around new people. It’s easy though, being around Luke, trading bridal stories with him until Ashton and Calum come into the dining room, carrying the pasta and what’s left of the garlic bread. They settle around the table, dishing out food. Calum asks about Moose, allowing Michael to launch into a story about the dog he’d adopted from their shop, getting to hear about Luke’s dog Petunia, who’s been sleeping in Calum’s and Luke’s room till they were sure about Michael meeting her, and the dog Calum’s semi-adopted from the store that he’s not allowed to bring home just yet. It feels like Michael’s always been here, just another part of their little pack, part of their family.

Eventually, they finish dinner and Ashton offers to walk Michael back to his apartment. Michael bids Luke and Calum good-bye, promising to make dinner a once a week occurrence for them. Ashton intertwines their fingers on the walk home, humming lightly under his breath along the way.

“So, what did you think?” Ashton asks, mock innocent.

“I liked them, but you already knew that.”

“I did.”

“Do you think they liked me?”

“Michael, they asked for this to become a regular thing. Luke asked if you could bring Moose by to meet Petunia. Calum wants you to bring dessert next time. I think they liked you.”

“Good. That’s good,” Michael says, nodding. Ashton laughs, stopping to pull Michael into a soft kiss. Michael returns the kiss happily, smiling into it. Ashton pulls back, resting their foreheads together.

“See? You had nothing to worry about. You’re practically pack already,” Ashton says. Michael smiles, trying to tamp down on the warmth he feels in his chest hearing the words. It’s too soon to be thinking about that, of being a permanent part of Ashton’s makeshift pack, of what it would be like to move in with Ashton, see them everyday, to be a part of a family. For now, Michael allows Ashton to hold his hand, walk him home, and to let himself think about the possibilities of things to come.

#5 seconds of summer #mashton #michael clifford #ashton irwin #please have some #magic au #love writing some magic aus #literally so so fun #my writing

[desarcalize]

Dusk 6: The sword of cross

Maria was ribbing the wooden seats of the main corridor from the, alright, dry blood. Her hands were starting to hurt and her knees were starting to tremble for the way she was sitting on the floor. Sarah from the other side, she was full of energy for some reason. She was thinking about Mana and Nea's story that she did not notice that she cleaned the biggest part of the blood. Mana and Nea wanted to accompany them, just to pass their time. Sister Maria gave them two fabrics and showed them the spots they will clean. Every half hour they took a break. Mana and Maria felt asleep at the wooden seats. Nea and Sarah was walking across the corridor to get out of their feet's numb. Nea saw Sarah's cross, which she let it on one of the wooden seats. At their break, as they were walking, their paths crossed. He turned and looked at her. She realized that he wanted to say something to her, so she stopped and turned to him "Can I asked a question?" Nea asked "Anything" "I had an idea. I wanted to create a weapon, a sword actually, by anti-Akuma material. Do you know where I can find this kind of material and create this kind of weapon in this town?" "Well, there is a Blacksmith, inside the town, not far from here" "How much time will I need to go there?" "Ten minutes the most" "Ok, great. And what about the material?" "We can send a request to the Order to bring us some amount of metals, or... " "Or, what?" "Never mind it" she said and she was ready to continue walking, but Nea closed her road "What about your cross?" he asked. Her mouth opened by surprise "It is by Anti-Akuma material, isn't it?" "It is, but... I cannot give the cross, not without Father Cross's concern" "Is this your only cross you have, right?" Sister Sarah looked around her, she tried to see if Maria and Mana felt asleep. She approached Nea so she could speak to him quietly "I will help you” she said smiling “Because you opened your hearts to us, I have to tell you what you need to know. I have three crosses. This one I used to be the most powerful when I used my spells" "So, you can give me one of the other two" Nea said with a smile "Yes. If Cross Marian agree with this" "Great, thank you so much, Sister" Sarah blushed and smiled to his comment, she never called her just "Sister" before, but the way he said it was friendlier than he used to be until now. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he opened his heart to her.

At night, Cross Marian, Mother and Barba woke up and went to the kitchen to take something to eat. The four younglings had just ended their cleaning on the corridor and joined them. After their meal, bread with cheese and olives, Mother started to drink a glass of wine and Cross with Maria joined her. Barba cleaned the plates and Mana went to help him. Sarah and Nea approached Father Cross and asked him to follow them. The three-young people went at the main corridor to talk. Cross looked at them with a question on his face. Nea wanted to start talking about it, but Sarah knew that Father Cross would hear him, so she took the lead to talk. "Nea wants to make an anti-akuma weapon, so I will give him one of my crosses to make it" "Do whatever you want to do" Cross said and he was ready to leave "Wait. Only that? Do you agree?" Sarah asked "Of course." Cross Marian said "These are your crosses and only yours. If you want to give one of them to him, it's not my choice" That was Cross's words and he left. Sarah turned to Nea, who was surprised too, by Father's answer. After some seconds without taking, he turned to her smiling "Well? What do you have to say?" he asked her. She smiled to him and did a movement to him "Follow me" she said and headed to the back of the monastery and Nea followed her. The approached a white wooden door. On it there was a hagiography of an angel, which had on his left hand a sword and on his right the cross. Nea looked the angel and Sarah noticed that "This is Archangel Michael" Sarah said "I see. I was always imagined that angels were blonde beautiful creatures with white dresses and harps" "That was in the children's old stories. And of course, this is an Archangel" "Well, that is something" he said Sarah smiled and opened the wooden door. Nea looked inside the room full of surprise and awe. The room was so bright white, like Heaven himself. “What is this place?” Nea asked but his voice couldn’t come out of his throat, because of his surprise “This is, where we keep, the sacred utensils and objects, that we use for the liturgy” On the middle of the room was the table with a scarlet fabric on it and the grail on the fabric. "Is this the grail you use during the Holy Communion?" "Yes" Sister Sarah said and went to the chest of drawers, which was at the right side of the room, at the corner, next to the door. On the chest there was an incense. Next to it, at the right side of the room, there was one white sofa. Behind the table with the grail, there were two white chairs and a big white window, where you could see the forest outside of the monastery. The furniture was old and it seemed that they were belonged to the monastery for years. Nea looked around the room with a lot of query. "You never told me" Sister Sarah said opening the drawer "Have you ever went to the church when you were a child?" "My mother, actually my adopted mother, used to take us to the church every Sunday and Holydays, when I was younger, before all of this, with the Noah family, happened" "And what was your mother's name?" "Katerina. Katerina D. Campbell" "And why did you never go to the church again?" "I just... Felt that the God has abandoned us all. So, I started to abandon him too" "I see" she said and took out one of her crosses "Here you go" she gave him the cross Nea was ready to take the cross but then he took a look on the other side of room. On the left side of the room was a white Catholic piano. Nea approached it with his eyes shining by his happiness. He opened the cap of the musical instrument and saw the white and black keys. He had many years to touch a piano, to play it like he loved to do, when he was a child "May I?" he asked "Of course.” she said Nea smiled like a little child. He looked the keys like a boy who just opened his Christmas presents and doesn't know from where to start. He put his fingers on the keys, so that the tips of his fingers will just touch them. He pressed them and the piano started to produce a beautiful melody "You never mentioned that you have a piano" “We used it before Cross Marian became a cleric of our monastery. But when he came, we stopped using it. After the death of one if the nuns, sister Sofia, there was no one who knew how to play it" "I will play it" Nea said "Give me the notes until the next liturgy" "Really? Will you do this for the monastery?" "Of course, why not? I love playing. I used to play at the D. Campbell estate, before joining Noah family" "Great. It's time to remember the old good days" Sarah said and gave to him the cross. He took it and put it on the inside pocket of his coat "I will go tomorrow to the Blacksmith" he said "Well, are we going back?" "Alright" she said and followed his outside of the room, closing and locking the door behind them.

Sarah and Nea went underground, their rooms were close, so they said good night to each other and they went for sleep. Mana was already sleeping and Nea didn't want to wake his up, so he made calm and little moves. At the same time, Cross was at the table of the kitchen, having a bottle of red wine and a glass full of it. Maria Canpus was wake up too. As always, she kept him company drinking together. She took one glass from the kitchen and sat next to him. "I always like to drink wine with pretty ladies" Cross said filling her glass "I like drinking with a sir like you" she said blushing "I wish our relationship to be something more than drinking wine and saying jokes" "Father, this is a sin!" "And why is it a sin? It is because we are part of this monastery. Let's run away, together" Maria started laughing and raised her glass "You are always making good jokes, Cross… To the Order" "To the order" he said. They clinked their glasses and they started drinking "Tell me something, Maria" "Anything, my Father" she said drinking from her wine "If you had a child, how would you call it?" Maria coughed by his question "Where did this came from?" "I am just asking" he said playing with the end of the glass "Well, you didn't answer the question" "My father's name was Timothy. So, maybe, I would name him after him" "Timothy. Timothy Canpus. It sounds good" "Yeah. But you haven't answered to my question. Why are you asking me this?" "As the time passing by and we came more and more closer, I always imagined to become lovers and have a child, a son" Maria's face turned to the most shade of red that can be. She liked him, too much, but she never expected to hear this words from his handsome, manly, deep voice. She was so deep on her thoughts that she didn't notice that drank Cross approached her and touched his lips on her. She was surprised by his reaction. She opened her eyes wide and moved back. Cross opened his red eyes slowly, looking inside her black eyes. She looked away, she knew that if she continued looking at him, she would fall deeper in love with him "You know that this is wrong" she said "Sorry. That was overactive" he said "I knew that we will never be together, so I made this" He stood up and went to his bedroom, which was right next to the table. He took from the chest of drawers the yellow ball with two wings. He sat down again and showed it to Maria "What is that?" "This is a golem, exorcist have those as partners" "The golems are black and ugly. This is golden and beautiful. Have you give a name to it?" "Yeah, I know" Cross said "I have think about a name, but I am not sure" “Will you say it to me?" "When the time come I will" he said and smirked He approached her again. Maria was afraid to kiss him again and her sinner feelings come back, so she lowered her head. Cross kissed her forehead and touched his forehead on hers. They stayed like this for some time and then they continued drinking and telling jokes.

#dgm #d gray man #desarcalize #nea d campbell #nea walker #neah d campbell #nea #neah #mana walker #mana d campbell #mana #sarah miller #sarah #maria canpus #maria #cross marian #cross #my oc #my story #katsura hoshino

[hecohansen31]

This embarrassing moment when Reader, Miss Mead and Michael are together, something happens to him, he gets hurt, without thinking he wailed "Mommy !" and, at the same time, Miss Mead and Reader respond, before looking at each other, Miss Mead with big surprised eyes and Reader being ashamed. Baby Michael has two moms, but they do not really have the same relationship with him... Fufufu !

(A/N): Hello lovely!

Apparently, lately it has been the “mommy kink” festival! (Not that I am complaining because like... don’t want to kinkexpose myself, but like... hey...).

And I honestly love this request, because I don’t know if you can see this, but like... I have a pendant for funnier and domestic request... so if you have more, I am here for them!

(Also updates on what I am doing: I am writing a fic, I know I said I wouldn’t be writing them for a bit, but like... I literally love this, and you’ll probably see for Halloween, so...).

(Also this is the reason if a few asks are a bit late, and also... I LOVE ALL OF YOU ROMAN GODFREY FELLOW LOVERS! We stan one rich boy in this household).

WARNINGS: Mommy Kink (Mention).

It was your first meeting with Mrs Mead, the beloved mother of your beloved boyfriend.

And you obviously couldn’t help but be “a slight” nervous.

You checked yourself in the mirror for the umpteenth time to make sure your elegant dress was spotless and that not a single hair was out of place from the updo you had chosen for the simple trip to “that nice place where they make the bestest french-toast in New Orleans”, according to Michael.

You smiled a bit, at the childish manners of your wizard boyfriend, a bit saddened about the fact that sadly you didn’t see him as much as before, since the Hawthorne boys had transferred back to their rightful home, although you knew that each witch had rejoiced the lost of the annoying boys (and even a bit you, since, you hadn’t much love for anyone who wasn’t Michael or professor Moore, from that school).

It was hard at first, although it was even harder for Michael, who felt a bit abandoned in his situation, unlike you, who had amazing friends to stop you from feeling awful…

… but thank Satan skype existed and so did Facetime and messages, so that you could lessen a bit Michael’s aching longing for you.

And you were extremely thankful for the free weekends, where you would drive to Hawthorne and hang out with your favorite wizard (once you had joked you had been there to see John Henry, indeed “your favorite wizard” and Michael hadn’t spoken to you for a day).

And you were thankful that you got to spend the day in your favorite city with your warlock and the person he treated as his mother, loving her as such, although you couldn’t help but be a bit overwhelmed and scared by Mrs Mead’s judgement.

What would Michael do, had she not approved you?

You knew that your love was solid, but you also realized that the family he had built with the Satanist woman might have been something that stood before you and so it might be more impactful than you, a simple witch.

You were extremely relived to see them arrive on time and immediately exited Robinchaux, meanwhile Madison mocked you with very vulgar gestures (you honestly hoped Mrs Mead hadn’t seen them) meanwhile Misty Day and Zoe gave you thumbs up to encourage you a bit.

Michael was waiting outside the car, parked on the sideways of the road, and when he saw you, he immediately reached out to envelop you in an hug, before raising you a bit off the ground, meanwhile you squealed of surprise, completely forgetting about your anxiety.

He jokingly brushed your noses together, before capturing your lips softly for a sweet kiss in which you melted completely, with your arms loosely around his neck, meanwhile your toes caught the ground, again.

A low cough brought yourself apart and you couldn’t help but blush lightly, meanwhile Mrs Mead came forward, holding out an hand for you to take it and gently grip it tightly, but not “I-Want-To-Crush-Your-Hand” tightly

-I am (Y/N) (L/N)- you mumbled as lowly as you could, trying to keep your voice from wavering pitifully and gaining a smile from the older woman, all dressed in black, who kept her eyes on you face the entire time of the exchange -It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Mead-.

-Oh, sweetie, you can call me Myriam! – the woman saluted her gently, gripping back her hand -… Michael has talked so much about you-.

-I hope only good things- you joked, gently entwining your fingers together with Michael’s, who sent a disgruntled look on your way, making you smirk.

-I don’t think that my boy could have bad words for someone who love him so much- giggled softly Mrs Mead and you blushed again, turning to hide your face in Michael’s neck, who smirked even brighter although a light dust of pink covered his cheeks.

-Can we now go? – propose softly Michael, looking at Mrs Mead with bright eyes, and with an hand on his soft tummy -…I am hungry! -.

Of course, your boyfriend was always hungry and you giggled, sharing a knowing look with Mrs Mead, who was a joy for the entire trip towards the french-toast place, although you did have to say that the little conversation on her likes and dislikes with Michael had helped you.

So, after a little talk about your musical taste and what your family did (avoiding talking about their extremely catholic faith) you had warmed up the black-clothed woman’s heart.

That was till Michael tried eating a too hot french-toast, immediately burning his tongue and utter a pained “mommy”.

You and Mrs Mead had immediately turned around, catching each other in the action, and although you were definitely less surprised, since she was obviously Michael’s motherly figure, she didn’t hide the surprise to your immediate reaction, and you couldn’t help but feel ashamed.

You immediately backed off, thinking that you had screwed up everything, letting Mrs Mead take care of her boy, meanwhile you clutched his hand in yours, trying to give him some comfort and support, not meeting the other woman’s eyes.

This dynamic was pretty common between you and Michael (and between your friends, mostly because of that time Madison saw Michael standing outside of your room, waiting for you to come back from a library session with Zoe and asked jokingly “are you waiting for your mommy, poor baby?” and Michael had just nodded, traumatizing effectively poor Madison).

You were used to being a caregiver to others and Michael couldn’t help but be attracted by your gentle and stern nurturing nature.

It had taken you a few months to get around the entity of this dimension between you and Michael, but it had also come natural and you had set down on your roles, whenever Michael felt like regressing, which was mostly when you two were together, but sometimes Michael would slip in public and you had learnt to catch on the signs of this.

Still you hadn’t been very open about this dynamic, mostly due to all the prejudices that came with it, although, you, yourself didn’t care much about them.

But certainly, being called “mommy” by your boyfriend, in front of his adoptive mother didn’t bode well, with an appropriate first meeting.

“Michael, dear, I think that pouring some cold water on it might help, I’ll order some, but in the meanwhile you can try with the one from the sink of the bathroom” suggested Mrs Mead, saying exactly what you would have also suggested, but you would have offered kisses in order to also ease the pain.

You simply smiled sympathetically at the poor baby, gently gripping tighter his hand, just to let it go in order for him to be up and run towards the toilettes, leaving you and Mrs Mead extremely red, in an embarrassed silence and you almost thought about faking an excuse to get out the embarrassing situation.

“… well I do think that was a bit awkward” attempt to speak up softly Mrs Mead, meanwhile you kept your eyes on the skirt of your dress, but attempted a small smile “… I won’t pretend to understand it, but I won’t judge you”.

“I swear it was a little slip” you mumbled shyly “I didn’t mean it and I truly am sorry…”.

“I do have to admit that it took me a bit by surprise…” grumbled the other woman, but her tone was judgement free “… but I am glad that Michael has somebody who cares for him and love him, it makes me feel happy that he would have somebody who might look out for him, if anything happened to me”.

“Please don’t be so… sad… I am sure that you and him will have more summers and winters in the future” you couldn’t help but reply since the tone of the woman had suddenly started become sad.

“Oh, my sweet child, it is typical of us parents to be worried about our children’s future” exclaimed softly the woman, holding out an hand to intertwin with yours and you couldn’t help but give her a soft but sad smile “… but you don’t know how much lighter you make me feel, knowing that you’ll take care of my Michael”.

You smiled, this time, with gentleness:

“I’ll always take care of him, don’t worry”.

#michael langdon #michael langdon reader #michael langdon drabble #michael langdon blurb #michael langdon imagine #michael langdon x reader #michael langdon fem reader #michael langdon x fem! reader #sweet mikey #AHS #ahs fic #michael langdon fic #Michael Langdon Oneshot #michael langdon one shot #michael langdon fanfiction #duncan shepherd #ahs apocalypse

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Any Other Way

Genre: dad!michael

Pairings: Michael Clifford/Reader

Word Count: 1479

Requested: By anon for spooky!sos 2019

Trigger Warnings: n/a

A/N: Jex and I agreed to start posting these early as we’ve started getting ideas for them! We’re still accepting requests, so get your thinking caps on and send some in... Spooky!sos2019 is officially underway, lovelies! 💖

Halloween had always been one of Michael’s favourite times of year. You’d know this from very early in your relationship with him and yet, he’d managed to surprise you this year by being more enthusiastic than ever.

Despite his excitement, your husband had also been suspiciously secretive in recent weeks. When you’d questioned him about the various packages arriving in the past couple of weeks, Michael had simply replied that it was for the very special ‘father/son Halloween costume’ he’d had planned.

You’d gotten the hint that Michael wanted to surprise you with whatever he’d been working on and so you’d resisted questioning him any further.

Of course, you’d tried bribing your son with ice cream for more information but even he had kept his mouth shut on this. 

It was safe to say you were more than a little intrigued and excited as the moment of the reveal drew ever closer. You’d spent all day busying yourself preparing for the annual party you and Michael always insisted on throwing. It had turned into more a of a kid’s party now, since you and all your friends had all settled down and started families.

All of that was finished now, though, and Michael had disappeared upstairs with your son some time ago. Just as you were about to call up to them, you heard your son laughing and Michael hushing him gently before shouting down to you. “Are you ready to see our costumes?”

You picked up the tea you’d made for yourself, intent on appearing casually interested. If Michael knew just how eager you were to see what he’d put together. “Sure, boys...” you called back as breezily as you could.

The two of them were still giggling as they traipsed down the stairs, playfully jibing at each other as they shuffled ever closer to the living room where you were sitting.

“Okay, are you sure you’re ready?” Your nine year old shouted from behind the wall separating the living room from the hallway. There’s clear a smile in his voice and it makes your heart swell with love.

“I already told you that I was, little mr!” You replied, giggling into your mug. “You’re really overdoing the suspense thing now...”

You heard Michael huff indignantly. “We’re not overdoing it!” He insisted. “This will totally be worth it, I promise!”

Before you could reply, your son yelled again. “Close your eyes and we’ll come in!”

The excitement in your only child’s voice was almost enough to bring a happy tear to your eye. You’d always known he’d be a huge Halloween enthusiast just like his dad. “Okay...” you replied disguising the break in your voice as a little cough whilst you placed your tea back down on the coffee table.

“Are they closed?” Michael checked. He was obviously taking this costume reveal very seriously and it was more than a little endearing.

You covered your eyes with your hands obediently. “Yes, I promise!” You replied.

Seconds later the sound of excited footsteps traipsing into the room signalled that your husband and son were getting into position. It was hard not to giggle at the way your son bossed Michael about. “You stand there dad!” He commanded, obviously exasperated at his dad’s incorrect position or stance.

Judging by the fresh footsteps on the hard wooden floor, it was safe to assume Michael was obeying your son’s command.

“Can I open my eyes yet?” You asked after a moment of silence.”

“One minute!” Michael replied. “Can you straighten my hat please, son?” He added and your heart melted as your nine year old giggled.

After another short moment, your son finally said; “okay! You can open your eyes now...”

It was probably a little stupid of you but you couldn’t deny the nerves in your tummy as you lowered your hands. The sight that greeted you filled your heart with more love than you could have imagined was ever possible. This was definitely one of those family moments that you’d treasure forever.

Michael and your son had been plotting all this time to put together two costumes that really meant a lot to you all as a family. “Look at you two!” You gasped, the biggest smile on your face as you leaned forward in your seat. “You both look incredible!”

They were dressed as Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson from ‘Stranger Things’. Their costumes were perfect replicas of the characters in your favourite show to watch together.

Michael’s ‘Scoops Ahoy’ uniform was virtually flawless. The shorts were a little baggy on him which just made him look even more in character. The dark brown wig he’d decided to wear beneath the sailor’s hat was also a great choice. All-in-all, he looked completely recognisable as one of your favourite characters.

Your son was smiling widely beneath the yellow and green cap he was donning. It finished off his ‘Camp Know Where 85’ uniform perfectly. Unlike your husband, your nine year old had no need for a wig. Your son had inherited Michael’s sandy locks and they’d somehow exaggerated his curls to help him resemble his favourite character from the show.

“Your costumes are absolutely perfect!” You exclaimed, getting to your feet and crossing the room towards them to get a better look. It must have taken a lot of work to get them exactly right!”

Your son nodded proudly. “It took Dad a while but he got it exactly right!” He looked up at Michael with the most beautiful admiring smile you’d ever seen on his little face. The pretty green eyes he’d inherited from his father sparkled happily as he wrapped his arms around Michael’s waist, hugging him lovingly.

Your husband nodded tearfully, obviously enjoying this father/son moment as much, if not more than you were. He hugged his son close and offered you a watery smile. “Come on then, Mr!” He sniffled, “Let’s go trick or treating before all the good stuff’s gone!”

The nine year old giggled excitedly as he pulled away from Michael and made off towards the hallway.

“Hey!” You yelled, pouting a little. “I need some pictures of my awesome ‘Stranger Things’ boys before you go!”

Your son rolled his eyes as he plodded back over to you. “Hurry up, though!” He whined, “I wanna go to Mrs Morris’s house before she gives the other kids all of those cool chocolate eyeballs she always gives out!”

“Oi, Mr.” Michael reprimands, his voice a little sterner than usual. “What have we talked about respecting your parents, huh?”

Your son’s cheeks reddened as he muttered an apology and offered you a hug to sweeten you up. You accepted it gladly, assuring him that you forgave him before ushering him back over to his father. “Okay, do a pose for me.” You grinned, pulling your phone from the back pocket of your jeans.

Michael and your son obliged easily, adopting a pose that they each felt their character would be happy with as you snapped as many photos as you could.

After a solid minute of picture taking, your son grew impatient, asking again if they can leave now. You nodded, still smiling. “Don’t eat too many of the sweets, though! I’ve made a bunch of party food that needs eating...”

Your two favourite boys in the world agreed that they wouldn’t- Michael knowing full well that the comment was aimed just as much at him as at it was at your son. “Our guests are due to start arriving an hour or so, can you be back by then please?”

“Of course we will.” Michael assures you. “We wouldn’t want our lil guy to miss out on greeting his new crush...”

“Dad!” Your son pouted, cheeks turning crimson again. “I don’t have a crush!”

“Michael, stop teasing him!” You smirked, knowing that Michael had a point. You’d noticed how your son’s behaviour had changed whenever the Irwin’s brought their kids over. You were sure that he was crushing on their eldest child but he’d tell you in his own time if he was.

“We laid your costume out upstairs, babe.” Michael smirked as your son opened the front door and disappeared outside. “We decided that Steve and Dustin needed a monster to fight so we made you a ‘shadow monster’ costume.” He laughed mischievously.

You rolled your eyes, “thanks, I guess...” you laughed. “Now go on, I’ll see you both in an hour!”

Michael pressed a brief kiss to your lips before jogging down the driveway to where your son is waiting.

You can’t stop yourself from lingering at the doorway for a little while, watching Michael guide your son to each of the houses on the opposite side of your street. Your husband was as much of a child as the nine year old he was supervising but you wouldn’t have him any other way.

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Tag list: @clffrd @byxthexway @afuckingunicornn @lukesahoy @thrillchaser @moonchildsblack @calumbbyyy @h0tsos @valentinelrh @sexgodashton @megz1985 @stonedahlia @myfalsedevotion @aulxna

#michael clifford #michael clifford imagine #dad!michael #soft!michael #5sos #5sos imagine #michael imagine #michael clifford blurb #5sos blurb #michael blurb #michael clifford fic #dad!sos #dad!5sos #5sos fic #michael fic #my writing #spooky!sos 2019 #spooky!sos 2019 michael #michael monday

[thanatophobix-blog]

🖊 + all do it coward

Yelling about my OCs // ACCEPTINGRabbit, you are a fool and so am I. I’m just gonna, like… give a headcanon per OC on this blog under the cut.

Achilles - His semblance is called Disconsolate. It makes others able fully feel what he is feeling, from absolute sorrow, blind rage, to pure joy, right down to the last ounce of pain he gets from a paper cut. It can take over other people’s rational thinking processes and make them react as he would, which is often never good (and leads to his death).

Alexus - She doesn’t have any real senses, even if she says its a simulated thing, she has none. She’s a cpu program! HOWEVER, she can still smell charred flesh from when her girlfriend shocked & burned to death. It’s burned into her mind even though her mind can no longer comprehend what a sense is.

Artharrachadh - Doesn’t actually like 7/11 or gas stations, they just give off the vibe he strives for in life. The mystery, the scandals, the robberies. It’s so out in the middle of nowhere that its perfect. Although, thanks to 7/11 he developed an addiction to slushies. Cherry/blue raspberry, for our god of liminal spaces, baby!!

Cas - Her powers have limits. Without her power retaining equipment (essentially, a choker, two bracelets, and two ankles), she would have ripped herself into shreds after a few usages of her powers. Her speed could send her cells into different dimensions, her ‘pyrokinesis’ could set herself on fire since she is not impervious to fire, and if she uses her luck too much, karma returns the favor with brain bleeds.

Cephriel - As angelic as they are, they are more monstrous and demonic than they’d like to admit. They eat sinners alive for nourishment, but it is all for the holy conquest. Plus, the more souls they consume, the stronger they get. The stronger they get, the quicker they can accomplish the holy conquest.

Dolores - She really wanted to get back in touch with her son but she could never find him. She went back to LA looking for him only to find that he’d been adopted and shipped off to Germany. She felt so, so horrible. It’s her fault that he was sent off to a totally abusive household and she lives with that guilt so, so horribly.

Dominique - Has never once acted like a true criminal, more like a robin hood type figure. He doesn’t kill, he doesn’t hurt, he doesn’t do anything like that, the worst he does is steal from the rich and give to the poor. Either through charity donations or through mysterious wads of cash showing up at people’s houses. However, since he steals from the rich and not the poor, that makes him evil for the media.

Eirian - Has never been one for conflict. Avoided school drama all throughout high school (minus his tiff with Lizzie which was created by him being an idiot). Now he’s running from town to town with an eldritch being chasing after him with so many guns in the back seat of his truck its almost fucking criminal. He’s learned, so, so much combat things that it scares him. He’s practically a weapon himself.

Erik - Has the hardest time keeping the ‘we’re all monsters or demons’ secret a secret out of all of Clearfall’s citizens, and he’s the one that made the whole thing happen. Lucky for him, Corey Booker, the human reporter, is kinda dense. Unlucky for Erik, he thinks that Corey is hot shit and would gladly sell him his soul to stay in Clearfall. But, for Corey to stay in Clearfall, he’d have to be turned into either a werewolf or a vampire but he doesn’t want to do that because Erik’s both a wimp and doesn’t wanna hurt

Eva-Marie - In Hell, everyone wears the sign of how their died. People shot have their bullet wounds, knife wounds, the blood loss makes you incredibly lethargic and cold, sickness makes you permanently sick and tired, burning makes you always feel like you’re on fire, and maybe you are! But Eva-Marie doesn’t show signs of her death, or at least, not if you’re not paying attention. She has perfect posture and never lowers her head, the thick choker on her neck is blood red, sometimes she starts choking and coughing up blood. She was killed via beheading, and she takes perfect care to make sure that her head never falls off.

Fane - Has extreme commitment and attachment issues because of how many loved ones he has lost. He couldn’t save… anyone. When one of his last surviving relatives, his great great great great hella fucking great nephew, Lucas, died, he was there. Fane was teaching him how to drive and they got in an accident because Lucas couldn’t take his fucking foot off the gas because he was scared shitless and they got whacked by a semi and Fane has never, ever forgiven himself for that. Or any other of the deaths.

Florian - Is destined to become fully evil, and will thrive in that evil. He was never meant to be a florist, to live and survive off of cuddles on couches and cheap pays for a good job well done. At the end of the day, he has a strong sadistic streak that was never fulfilled as a child. Florian is all smiles and no substance on the inside, and was going to kill himself if he ever had to live another second in that flower shop doing nothing, that’s what the explosion was, an attempt to end it. Now? He’s soft and sweet on  the outside as a cover, and on the inside, he’s ready to seduce your husband and blow up your house.

Fritz - Doesn’t need to sleep and doesn’t sleep. You see, on his home planet, people move so fast that sleeping was essentially something of a social death sentence. Entire empires would rise and fall while one of them was asleep, your wife could start another family and leave you behind because you would be out cold for another millennia. SO! To bypass that, they engineered a serum that would alter their chemical makeup so they’d be constantly producing energy to replace sleep.

Henri - Does not miss being a royal. She knows that the second she gets back, she’ll be forced into an arranged marriage with a guy who a) she will never love because she is a lesbian to every degree and b) she hates anyway, the guy’s a fuckin’ douchebag to every degree. She just wants to stay in NYC with the punk rock and the grunge and the Crownweaver gig with her punk gf, Dex, and never look back.

Jack - Used to be a Team Spectre Admin. Dated Salem for years, was there when the whole team got launched under Salem’s reign. They were really, really into the whole thing too, believed that the world would be better if they could just wipe everyone’s memory clean and start over with the same people, but have everyone listen to a group ‘concerned about their health, their sanity and their well-being’. Eventually realized that it was all bullshit, all of it, shit, bullshit, and that Salem? Asshole! Shit boyfriend, shit person, shit… just shit. Left, went legit, went good.

Julia - Knows everything about you. She has no clairvoyance or telepathy or omniscience or anything like that, but she knows everything about you. She has connections, her connections have connections, she’s met practically everyone in town and if she doesn’t know everything about you when you first meet? You can be sure that she’s going to hunt down someone who at least knows something. She’s incredibly well informed, scarily well informed, and also good at social cues.

Kennedy - Killed a man in university. It was her first kill and by far, her favorite. The rush she felt, the understanding of why people murder for fun, it made her understand. She had a knife on hand, took it out of the restaurant she was eating at just beforehand and completely forgot about it, but she was glad she had it. She gutted him, top of the chest all the way down to the lower stomach, and she hanged him from a fire escape by his own intestines. He was coming onto her and she was not about that life, rest in peace, fucker.

Klaus-Michael - Has a really hard time hiding his job from his father, aka the Spider-Gold job. Yes, his father is in Germany and Klaus-Michael himself is in NYC, however, it is a requirement between the two that they have a video call once a week. He comes home after fighting off an army of bad guys with so many bruises and so many cuts and dings and busted lips and broken bones and casts and oxygen tanks that his dad should be suspicious, especially since his dad is a genius. But, Klaus-Michael always seems to have some sort of excuse tucked up his sleeve.

Liz - Finds Atlantis. She does! With help, she arrives, and, unlike the dis.ney movie, there is no one alive. Skeletons line the streets of the drowned city, the location is crumbling, and she is horrified. The haunted location gives her the creeps the second she is in there, and for good reason, because something  is watching her. Not something living, but machinery, and once it catches up to her, it brands her on her side for the rest of her life. A marking, a warning.

Lizzie - Has slight celestial heritage. Didn’t think Arhkangelskaya was chosen as her last name for a reason? It was! While she doesn’t have archangel blood per say, she has guardian angel blood, and that’s what brings her back (her ghost back) from the dead to look after Eirian’s dumb fucking ass. The guardian angel blood comes from her great grandfather who was her great grandmother’s guardian angel, ever since then, the arhkangelskayas have returned as ghosts to the person they feel needs the most help.

Lori - Is destined to die at the age of twelve. In a way, she feels invincible because who in their right mind would kill a child? She thinks, that, because she’s so young, nobody is gonna raise a finger against her when she walks in to kill them, because she thinks that they don’t think that she’s going to kill them! And then, one day, she realizes that everyone is an assassin and assassins don’t have rules, assassins just want money. And, on that day, that is when she dies.

Lukas - Is not out for anyone but himself and his town. If you die, and it’s his fault, it’s not on his conscience. He’s not here to fix your problems, even though he fixes way too many of them anyway, he’s here to get the money and go. He’s here to get enough cash to either buy enough medicine to last him and his hometown years and years and years, essentially ridding them of their poisoning, or, he is going to use that money to entice scientists to search for a cure. He’s tired of having slag course through his veins, it hurts, more than he likes to admit.

Lux -  Is not impervious to fire. If she emits it from her body, she only does so from her hands for this reason, she’s not some hum.an tor.ch lookin’ chick, she’s completely human to every regard and her powers are created by machines. She can use her powers of vibrating molecules to a frequency on objects that she is not holding that are within close range, but she can also ‘set the air on fire’ (more like oxidation). She doesn’t realise this, but its how she makes her fireballs. The palms of her hands are incredibly scarred.

Madeleine - Killed a man in self defense and nobody will ever, ever know about it. Or, at least, she hopes so. She doesn’t want anybody to find out about it, because she knows that she’d be sent to jail. Sure, it started out as self defense when the main pulled out a gun at her at semi-close range in an alley way after a case where she sent a criminal away for life and she stabbed him through the heart with her rapier. It was when she took the gun and the sword and started going overkill with panic that it became less about self defense and more like making sure that that guy would never come back. She got an old friend with connections to clean the scene.

Marque - Isn’t trying to provide chaos to provide the world with equal opportunity to rise from the ashes and anarchy as a new, better evolved race, he’s doing it so he can control Giratina and take over the Reverse World. If he takes control of the pokemon, then he is also, by default, the master of the Reverse World. If he allows other to live within the other dimension, he will become their leader by default. And, by causing chaos in Kalos, Sinnoh and the other regions, he will have more and more people wanting to move into the Reverse, gaining more and more subjects and more and more power.

Matthew - Will not be able to survive if he ever leaves the Entity’s realms. His body is emaciated beyond what should be humanly possible (not like the hag is, more like he’s 6′4″ and 90lbs) and he’s surviving based on the Entity alone. His blood is complete and utter drugs at this point and he’s fragile. He’s skeletal, but in the same way that b.ane works, the drugs kind of give him a boost? They give him the strength to keep moving, but he will die if all of them ever get out because he was only a little better than this before he got into the realms.

Myles - Is suffering from unknown internal damage thanks to the facial scar that he is unaware of. The deal with this is, the scar pushed the outer layer of metal inward and, while it hasn’t damaged any of his inner workings yet, if anything happens to his face… welp! A good hit to the cheek, falling head first, anything like that will push the sharp metal further inward and damage his internal wiring. This could potentially be fatal depending on how hard the hit is, or how many times he gets hit. He is very stunned after a good head injury.

Ollie - Is a little hypocrite His whole episode is about the importance of not doing drugs, but in itself, the episode really leans towards how ‘some drugs are good’. Big companies will gladly sponsor a tv show into corrupting the minds of children to think that certain drugs are alright to take by hiding information about them, just like the tobacco industry in the past with cigarettes. Ollie, the pill bottle filled with prescription drugs, may say that some are bad, but he himself offers the pills he contains to the members of the show, getting them addicted, like a fucking hypocrite.

Richard - Wants to move onto news reporting on television, but is held back by Thomas. Their personalities are incredibly similar thanks to the method of their creation, but Richard’s has always been a little bit louder and more personable and much, much more suited for news reporting. He’s always taken to celebrity incidents more, so he’d be suited for something like…. eta.lk or en.tertainment toni.ght. Plus, wouldn’t it be fun to report a death on tv that you caused?

Salem - Does not understand that he is in the wrong. Like, you know how some villains understand that to do some good things, you need to break a few eggs? And they deal with that guilt?? LIke uh, shit, like Negan had guilt on cheating on his wife and all that, like they can realize that they’ve done bad shit? Salem is so insecure that he projects all guilt and anger and anything wrong onto other people. World falling apart? People losing their families to memory loss? Not his fault, all yours.

Shae - Never wanted to be the hero. She’s watched too many superhero movies to see how it all turns out. Metr.oman? From Meg.amind? Yeah, she doesn’t wanna turn out like that, but she knows that she’ll burnout from all the people saving and all the heroics and that one day she might just have to kill her best friend so as sunshine-y as she is she’s always dealing with this black cloud that hangs over her head and heart and it hurts her that the world is always so in danger and she can only do so much. She wants to have a break.

Sinclair - Has never lived for himself. He only ever helps others. When Jack disappeared, he took it upon himself to defeat the Team Spectre residing within the League. He took over so that people could still experience the League even though he didn’t actually technically become the champion. After all that happens, he leaves to go help others because he has nothing else to live for, he doesn’t know what to do but help. Even as a child, he poured himself into others rather than building himself up.

The Boys - Used to travel the world to sate their hunger before fully settling in their new home, a now dead, formerly economically booming, rural town that still sees some people coming in. When they travelled, they were not known as the boys, more as The Figure, as they did not hivemind as much. It is only thanks to their new setting where they take place in the high school like to eat teenagers that they hivemind as seven different boys (the most they can manage with having separate personalities and appearances while still being connected).

Thomas - Once tried to have a family outside out of Richard without Richard knowing to see what it was like. They aren’t connected other than their purpose, so they share no hivemind, just basic personality. He soon realised that a family would not be for someone like him, as they would always die before him, leading him to fake his death so it’d make human sense. He lost track of where his descendants are now, however, he doesn’t care because he’s dependant on Richard.

Virgil - In Agents of Mayhem, Virgil becomes M. Squelette, the title gained when becoming the leader of the Ivory Skeletons. Either way, his Saints Row verse, he still was a member of that gang, but he left the gang life there to move to Stilwater and then got rescooped into it. He has a lot of Saints ink, the fleur de lis and all that shit, one on his neck, y’know. However, he has a piece of Skeletons ink that he refuses to blot out because its… really nice. Like the tattoo artist obviously worked really hard on it and as loyal as he is to the Saints, he also has a large respect for the arts so there is no way in hell he’ll blot out something so nice looking. Besides, he can just pass it off as something he got when he was drunk considering that he never talks about his time as a Skeleton to anyone.

Woodland - Learned how to ‘speak English’ thanks to the dying screams of the people she killed and ate alive. Some people would try and bargain with her, others would just string together a stream of ‘shit’s and ‘no’s. Of course, this doesn’t help when learning English, as you only learn certain words and all their connotations are fucked and disjointed. She tries her best though. Also, she doesn’t actually have a name. Woodland is just a term.

Xander - Found out that he was a god when he didn’t die when he should have. By all means, he should have died. He was in a car accident with some sorta not really friends (all his other friends were in the other car, thank gods) and all the other ones died horrifically. Someone got flung out the windshield and into a tree, someone stepped out of the crash and got hit by a passing truck, when the car caught on fire, two people were stuck inside. Only Xander lived, but he was in a hospital with wounds that should have never healed, but they did. He then got a message from his fathers telling him about his true parentage.

#Ah ha ha. Bless your soul. (answered) #death mention // #suicide mention // #blood mention // #burn mention // #abusive relationship mention // #child death mention // #anorexia mention // #drug mention // #that is a lot of mentions #yikes #this took WAY too long but theres 37 oc headcanon like things #enjoy #time to suffer

[thechillingadventuresoflili-blog]

Chapter fifteen was hard to write. Please be warned that there is a triggering moment in this chapter at the mention of a miscarriage. You have been warned. As always, this is dedicated to @zeciex and @lovelykhaleesiii. And now dedicated to @frucienlover. Love you all.

Chapter Fifteen Coked Out Nerds

The ride to wherever Madelyn was taking them was a long one. Lilia stayed quiet as they drove, thinking of the pregnancy test in her back pocket. She had no idea how the fuck she was going to tell Michael about the baby that was currently growing inside her. She kept biting her lip and playing with her dark red hair, twirling it around her finger.

She could feel Michael’s eyes on her every now and then, waiting for her to talk to Madelyn about where they were going. But she just stayed quiet.

They pulled up to a large company building and Lilia raised her eyebrows. “What are we doing here?”

Madelyn looked at her and smiled. “This is basically the top of our organization. Think of us as a hotel. This is the penthouse.”

Lilia nodded and got out of the car, closing her door as Michael asked Madelyn why she was being kind to them.

“You are the one we’ve been waiting for.” Madelyn said tearfully. “Listen. When you talk to your father, can you maybe ask if I can be placed in the ninth circle?”

Lilia laughed as Michael was confused. “She means however it’s structured, she wants to be in the worst part.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Michael patted her hand and started walking towards Lilia, causing her to smile and left her breathless.

“Hail Satan!” Madelyn yelled to him and they both chuckled at her.

Lilia turned to the woman and winked at her, grabbing Michael’s hand.

Walking into the building, she was beginning to feel sick again. She let go of Michael’s hand and ran to the potted plant by the elevator.

“Lilia, what’s going on with you? You’ve been off since Mead died.” Michael asked her, rubbing her back and holding her back.

She breathed in and sighed. “Michael, I’m pregnant.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the test, placing it in his hand.

Pressing the button to the top floor, Lilia turned to look at him and bit her lip as he looked at the test in his hand. She was worried that he would make her get rid of their baby. She closed her eyes as a tear fell down her face.

“I would understand if you didn’t want a baby with me. I mean, I’m not exactly mother material. And we both know how you grew up.” She sniffled and stepped into the elevator.

“What?” That snapped him out of it. “What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I want a baby with you?” He smiled and pushed her gently against the wall, kissing the hell out of her. “I would die for this baby. And you. But mainly a cute, chubby child that was part of you.”

Tears filled her eyes as she pulled him back to her lips to continue that kiss. The floor came too quickly and they heard someone clearing their throat.

“This is a place of business.” The voice scolded them as they turned to look at her. The woman was tall, dressed in all purple. Next to her was a walking stick that she was leaning on. “I’m Wilhelmina Venable. Do you have an appointment?”

“Wow. Harsh.” Lilia whispered as they walked up to her desk. “Yes, we do. The appointment was put together by Madelyn.”

“Wait here.” Ms. Venable pointed to two seats as a dainty girl came running up to the desk with a large box. The way she fired the poor girl made Lilia cough the word bitch into her elbow and Michael chuckled, gently elbowing her in the ribs.

“Behave.” He whispered as Venable glared at them, walking off with the box.

They waited a few more minutes before Venable came back and told them where to go. Lilia walked a few steps and stopped.

“I want to call my dad. The witches brought him back. I want to let him know I’m okay.” She told him as she pulled out her phone. “I’ll be quick.” She kissed his cheek and dialed her father as Michael walked into the huge office.

“Hello? Lilia?” Her father sounded worried and like he hadn’t slept for days. “Are you alright? I was so worried when I didn’t find you at the school.”

“I’ve been with Michael.” Lilia told him calmly. “Papa, you need to calm down. Your blood pressure.” She smiled as she heard him scoff at her.

“I hope that boy has been taking care of you. I don’t know what if I lost you.” Her father got sad for a moment. “Why did you call me?”

“Because I saw you kill Ariel and Baldwin. Along with Michael’s Adoptive mother.” Lilia scolded him. “How could you kill them? They were just trying to get more power to get respect from Cordelia. Something that is long overdue for warlocks.”

“They commited treason when they didn’t stop my death.” John Henry firmly told his daughter. “Which is exactly your punishment if Cordelia catches you. You aligned yourself with the Antichrist.”

She couldn’t believe her father’s words. He was giving up on her. “Cordelia wouldn’t kill me. I’m carrying Michael’s baby. We all know her and pregnant people. She wouldn’t dare harm an unborn baby.”

“You would dare be happy about carrying an abomination inside you?” Her father was pissed now. “You have brought the end of the world on all of us because you whored yourself to him. You are not my daughter. She is dead to me.” And with that he hung up on her.

Lilia couldn’t believe it. Her father had walked away from her. Her only family had deserted her because of who she fell in love with. Tears flowed down her face and she covered her mouth as her back hit the wall to slide down it. She curled herself around her knees and sobbed.

After a few minutes, she heard a scream coming from the office. Getting up, she ran through the doors and saw the burning body of what she assumed was the assistant of the two men standing near Michael.

“Everything okay?” She asked as they dropped to their knees before him.

Michael turned to her and saw the redness of her eyes. “What happened?”

“Papa abandoned me because I told him I’m pregnant.” She saw the small smile curl his lips as she reminded him that she was carrying his child.

“Hey, who’s the babe?” The blond asked Michael, chuckling softly.

“This babe could kill you if she really wanted to.” Lilia growled at them, hugging Michael’s waist as she sniffed away the tears. “He said I was dead to him.”

“That idiot doesn’t know what is more important. No one should give up on their children.” Michael kissed her head as he pulled away to look at the men who watched them. “We were told that you could help us. So, tell me what you can do.”

After a few minutes, they were all sitting outside, enjoying lunch. Lilia was eating Chinese with Jeff and Mutt, two coked out nerds who had sold their souls to Michael’s father for their company.

“You want some?” She asked her lover, offering some of her Lo Mein to him.

“You eat it. I’m not hungry.” He shook his head and looked at Mutt, who was explaining what exactly they did at their place of business.

“You need to tell us every detail you can remember of your most trusted advisor so she can be an almost exact replica.” Jeff told him as Michael pulled out a photo.

That was when the pain hit Lilia. “Oh, shit.” She groaned, looking down at her belly as she saw blood coming from her. “Michael, we need to go to the hospital.”

“What?” He looked at her and saw how pale she was. “Oh, shit. Come on.” He grabbed her and tried to help her up, but she was too weak.

The pain was too much for her. She couldn’t even scream. Biting her lip, she clung to Michael as he picked her up. Lilia could feel the blood pouring from her and could only cry.

Mutt and Jeff were telling them that they had a medical facility in their building. They followed them as she finally screamed from how bad the pain was. Not one of her Banshee screams, thank God. But it was still bad enough that it tugged at Michael’s heartstrings. He tried to keep her calm, but his own fears were showing on his face. What if this was their baby dying inside her?

They finally got to a hospital ned and Michael laid her down. A nervous doctor had come in and was doing an ultrasound as Lilia sobbed from how hurt she was. Michael held her hand and stroked her hair as they waited for the results.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Langdon.” The doctor looked at them sadly. “I couldn’t find a heartbeat. Your girlfriend is having a miscarriage. I would would suggest letting her stay here overnight so we can observe her because the pain was unlike anything we have ever had a woman complain about.” With that, she left and a nurse placed a gown on the bed for her to change into.

Michael looked at her and kissed her head, tears flowing down his own cheeks. “Your father told the witches.”

“My father wouldn’t dare. Cordelia had her own fertility problems. She would never do that.” Lilia got up and changed into the gown, whimpering as her body screamed in pain.

“Well, think about it. You are a pretty healthy girl. You tell your warlock father that you’re pregnant. And not even an hour later, your baby is dead inside you.” Michael was getting angry now and fuming at her.

Lilia couldn’t take it anymore. She burst into tears and leaned against him, covering her face as she thought about it. “You’re right. They did kill our baby. I didn’t realize they would do something like that.”

Michael looked at her and moved her hair from her face, kissing her forehead. “You look so pale. Please, get back into bed.” He helped into the gown and back into bed.

He settled into the chair beside her and watched her cry as the pain racked her body.Michael couldn’t believed that he was hated so much that they would go after his child like that. He was tired of the witches. First, they kill Mead and then they go after her. Lilia looked so small and so defeated. It was killing him to see her like that. She was the only thing that kept him strong. She accepted him as the Antichrist and didn’t expect him to change.

When she finally fell asleep, Jeff and Mutt came to let him know that they were done and were waiting for him to come look at their creation.

He nodded and got up, leaning down to kiss her head. “I’ll be right back, my love.” And he left to their handiwork at recreating Ms. Miriam Mead. Then, he would plan the assassination of the witches.

#american horror story imagines #cody fern imagine #michael langdon imagine

[mobikefed]

City & state leaders: Bicycling becomes even more essential transportation; bicycle stores and repair shops essential businesses during COVID-19 outbreak

As Missouri, the U.S., and the world considers how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is worth considering how bicycling and walking fit into the picture, as an important part of our economy, as resilient and economical factors in of our transportation system, and as important ways to maintain physical and mental health during difficult times.

For political leaders: Please carefully consider the importance of bicycling and walking as part of COVID-19 planning; Include bicycle shops and bicycle repair in the lists of essential businesses

Please strongly consider including bicycle shops on any list of essential businesses that can remain open during COVID-19 business closing. Bicycling is an important part of the state's resilience against coronavirus, allowing essential individual transportation and fitness activities to continue for citizens of all income levels, while maintaining social distancing.

Several U.S. cities and many across the world have included bicycle shops and bicycle repair as essential businesses that maybe remain open during COVID-19 closures and restrictions.  Others have clarified, at some point after their initial announcement, that bicycle shops qualify as essential transportation-related businesses. Bicycle shops and and repair facilities must, of course, take appropriate measures to protect staff and customers from spread of COVID-19, including cleaning and disinfecting, limiting the number of customers, limiting contact between customers and staff, and following all other best practice recommendations.  

Hundreds of thousands of Missourians already depend on bicycling for a regular daily transportation.  So closing bike shops has a similar effect on them that closing gas stations or automobile repair centers would for car drivers.  

In areas that have been hit hard by COVID-19--including areas of the U.S. harder-hit than Missouri currently is--bicycle use has increased dramatically, as it is an option for local transportation that allows for that social distancing, has very low cost, can be done by a large segment of the population, allows for independence, and helps maintain physical fitness and health.  Even in areas where non-essential transportation has been reduced, a degree of essential transportation is maintained and travel by bicycle is often an important mode citizens use for those essential trips.  

Additionally, bicycling is an alternative to mass transportation and ride sharing or car sharing for many people.  Not everyone has the option of bicycling, of course.  But many do--not everyone, of course.  When some people who ordinarily travel by mass transit and ride sharing/car sharing can do that essential travel by bicycle instead, it leads to reduced crowding and thus greater availability and safety in using public transportation and ride/car sharing for those who really need it most.  

Physical and emotion health are more important than ever during a crisis, and so people are looking for safe physical activities that don't involve groups or crowds. We have seen in hard-hit countries that at times it is necessary to restrict all unnecessary travel for periods of time. In that case it may make the most sense to consider bicycling on the same basis as other transportation modes.  But when less stringent restrictions are in place, solitary outdoor bicycling and walking--or bicycling/walking/hiking together with household members who are already living together--is one of the best and safest ways for people to maintain their physical and mental health.  With gyms and fitness centers closed, these options become one of the most practical--and safe--ways for people to get much-needed daily physical fitness and outdoor time while still maintaining social distance.  

Millions of school children are out of school and not able to participate in their usual PE classes and other outdoor group activities like soccer, dance, and so on.  Bicycling alone or in small family groups becomes one of the most attractive and easily available physical fitness activities available to them.  And it is one of the safest in terms of reducing spread of coronavirus.

All of the above combined means that bike shops have seen demand for bicycle repairs and sales go up quite significantly as coronavirus travel restrictions have been put in place.  We are seeing this in Missouri already.  And cities have seen the proportion of bicycle travel go up significantly as it becomes a better, safer option than others available.

Sources and further resources for above recommendations:

  City of Philadelphia declares Gas stations, auto repair shops, and bicycle stores as "Examples of retail businesses that are permitted to remain open"

Bike shops, deemed ‘essential,’ boom as people seek ways to travel solo

San Francisco considers bicycle repair shops essential

Bike shop business booming as COVID-19 takes New Yorkers off mass transit

NY Gov Cuomo declares bike shops essential, can stay open during COVID-19 lockdown 

Do Not Ban Bicycling In Covid-19 Crackdown, Industry And Academics Urge U.K. Government

For citizens: Bicycling, walking, running, and hiking alone or in small household groups is one of the best options for maintaining physical and emotion health during COVID-19 restrictions

If your area is under restrictions to help control the COVID-19 pandemic, bicycling, walking, running, and hiking alone or with members of your immediate household may be one of your best options for getting in your daily exercise and outdoor time.

That is one of the best ways to maintain and improve your health any time of the year, but especially when options like gyms, fitness centers, and group activities are restricted by local rules or by the danger of the pandemic.

For example, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition says:

Social distancing is necessary to mitigate the spread of coronavirus — but we know social isolation is not easy. Bicycling, whether for everyday transportation or recreation, is still a safe activity, and we encourage you to keep riding . . . and enjoying all of the benefits it provides your physical, mental and environmental health.

Bicycle Colorado wrote:

Dr. Michael Roshon noted that riding bikes also carries little risk of contamination or infection. For bicyclists, Roshon notes that you are very unlikely to contract COVID-19 while riding outside, and especially not while riding by yourself. 

As of March 21st, 2020, St Louis City and  St Louis County have adopted the most stringent "shelter in place" orders in Missouri.  However, St Louis Mayor Krewson and St Louis county Executive Page were quick to clarify that people can and should remain active, continue essential activities, and go outdoors for recreation and exercise while maintaining social distancing:

Krewson said people may still leave their homes for carryout from bars or restaurants, to go to work for “most businesses,” to take a walk or exercise outside or for doctor appointments and other “essential activities."

“You should stay home, but you will still be able to go to the pharmacy, take your cat to the vet, and make your doctor appointment,” Page tweeted. “County parks will remain open. In fact, you should get outside to take a jog or go on a hike. But remember: social distancing.”

Tips for rides, walks, runs, and hikes to help limit the spread of COVID-19:

If you think you have been exposed, or you or a household member has tested positive for COVID-19, self quarantine.  In that situation, the recommendation is, don't go outside at all.  

Consider going alone or with household members you are already living together with  

Consider the full trip, not just the bicycling/walking/hiking portion:

Consider carrying your own food & supplies so you don't need to stop at convenience stores or restaurants.  

If you do stop to eat, carry-out or other low-contact transactions are options.  

Consider traveling close to home so as to avoid the need to stop at public restrooms or other places where people gather.  

Maintain six feet distance from others, whether on the road, the sidewalk, or the trail

Consider riding, walking, hiking, or running in places that are less crowded or congested to make maintaining the needed distance from others easier  

Carry hand sanitizer. Wash hands before leaving and upon return; use sanitizer on other occasions.  

Some high points from the video above, a USA Cycling Q&A with Dr. Michael Roshon:

If you're going to ride with others, do so in a small group of 3-4 people you know very well. Ride with the same group of people consistently vs a new group of 3-4 every time. Ask them about how they've been feeling, about COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and cough, and recent travel.  Those with any symptoms or who have traveled in areas with COVID-19 exposure should not participate.  

Practice good hand hygiene.  

Get your sleep - very important for general health and immune system function.  

Exercize, but don't overdo it. Overly hard workouts can suppress your immune system.  

Don't spit or snot-rocket. Per Amy Treakle, M.D., an infectious disease specialist:

Spreading COVID-19 via spit is possible . . . “COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, and transmission may occur when these droplets enter the mouths, noses, or eyes of people who are nearby. Spit contains saliva but could also contain sputum from the lungs or drainage from the posterior nasopharynx,” she says.

Sorry, snot rocketeers: Treakle says shooting mucus out of your nose isn’t any better. “Having witnessed and participated in races, I think it’s appropriate to note that this would apply to projectile nasal secretions.”

Local regulations such as "shelter in place" may prohibit outdoor recreation and limit transportation to essential trips only.  Bicycling, walking, or running as a transportation option for those essential trips may still be an allowed, even if recreational trips are not allowed. Whatever the local regulations, please heed them.  

Ride safe. One of the major dangers countries and states have seen as COVID-19 advances is that hospitals, emergency rooms, and intensive care units become overwhelmed.  You don't want to add to the health care overload with an injury--and you probably don't want to make unnecessary trips to medical facilities that may be filled with COVID-19 patients, either. Especially if you ride, walk, hike, and run with some extra care, those activities are as safe or safer than driving or other transportation or exercise options.  But this is a good time use your common sense, avoid distraction, and avoid unnecessary risks.

Sources and further resources for above recommendations:

Outdoor bike rides recommended as a way to maintain physical and emotional health during the COVID-19 outbreak in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, Fresno, Charlotteville, in Great Britain

Evidence indicates coronavirus risk less outside than inside, in close contact with other people

American Heart Association recommends outdoor individual activity as a safer alternative to indoor exercise during the outbreak

Bicycle Colorado's excellent summary of bicycling and COVID-19

For event organizers: What about my bicycling, running, walking, hiking event, meeting, or conference?

Thousands of events across the country and across the world have been cancelled, postponed, or held as virtual events.  

We recently participated in a virtual National Bike Summit and congressional meetings via teleconference; the UCI announced that all bicycle races of all classifications worldwide are cancelled through at least April 3rd; the International Mountain Biking Association has asked mountain bikers to cancel or  postpone races, trail work, and group rides for now.

So what about your local bicycle ride, run, walk, hike, meeting, or conference?

Many jurisdictions are prohibiting gatherings or meetings of over 5 or 10 people.  Whatever the local guidance or regulations, please follow it in spirit as well to the letter.  

Travel is one of the main ways COVID-19 spreads and meetings, conferences, sporting events, religious meetings, and similar events are responsible for much of the spread of COVID-19 across the U.S. to date.  So you may want to consider not only the health and safety of your event staff and participants, but also the health and safety of community members of the area surrounding your event and where event participants travel from, and also whether you want your event known as a place that furthered the spread of COVID-19--as has happened with a number of recent events and conferences.  

Consider converting your event to an online or virtual event or--for meetings and conferences--to a teleconference or online meeting.

Even rides, runs, walks, and hikes can be held as virtual events--using either virtual trainers of the type athletes often use in bad weather, or combining individual or local rides, runs, walks, and hikes with the power of social media.  

Depending on the local situation and recommendations, it may be possible to disperse the event or hold small "mini-events" rather than one large gathering.  For example, rather than one larger bike ride with 200 participants, perhaps you hold 20 mini-events with up to 10 participants, each meeting and riding from a different location, and each practicing social distancing among its 5-10 participants.

Please consult with your local health agency or authorities before considering and option like this.  

Consider the full impact of your event on the potential spread of COVID-19 on participants and the community--not just the ride, run, walk, or hike itself.

Perhaps the event itself is held with "social distancing" and participants remain separate and distant from staff, volunteers, and each other

Despite this, participants, staff, and volunteers still must travel to the event

Many participants, staff, and volunteers must travel, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, etc

Even if official event gatherings and social events are cancelled, participants may spontaneously gather at bars, restaurants, and other social spaces.  The impact of these associated informal events on the spread of COVID-19 may be far greater than that of the official event itself.  

Consider the ultimate goals and aims of your event.  Could some or all of them be accomplished via a virtual or online event?  

Carefully read and consider the CDC guidance for mass gatherings and events.

What To Do if You Are Sick

The advice and recommendations below are directly from the CDC web site (printer-friendly version):

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Call your doctor:  If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice

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Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick

Follow the steps below:  If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have it, follow the steps below to help protect other people in your home and community.

  Stay home except to get medical care

Stay home: People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to recover at home. Do not leave, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.

Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you feel worse or you think it is an emergency.

Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.

  Separate yourself from other people in your home, this is known as home isolation

Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific “sick room” and away from other people in your home. Use a separate bathroom, if available.

Limit contact with pets & animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just like you would around other people.

Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people with the virus limit contact with animals until more information is known.

When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick with COVID-19. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with them. See COVID-19 and Animals for more information.

If someone in your home is sick

  Call ahead before visiting your doctor

Call ahead: If you have a medical appointment, call your doctor’s office or emergency department, and tell them you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the office protect themselves and other patients.

  Wear a facemask if you are sick

If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office.

If you are caring for others: If the person who is sick is not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live in the home should stay in a different room. When caregivers enter the room of the sick person, they should wear a facemask. Visitors, other than caregivers, are not recommended.

  Cover your coughs and sneezes

Cover: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

Dispose: Throw used tissues in a lined trash can.

Wash hands: Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

  Clean your hands often

Wash hands: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.

Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.

Soap and water: Soap and water are the best option, especially if hands are visibly dirty.

Avoid touching: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Handwashing tips

  Avoid sharing personal household items

Do not share: Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in your home.

Wash thoroughly after use: After using these items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water or put in the dishwasher.

  Clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday

Clean high-touch surfaces in your isolation area (“sick room” and bathroom) every day; let a caregiver clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in other areas of the home.

Clean and disinfect: Routinely clean high-touch surfaces in your “sick room” and bathroom. Let someone else clean and disinfect surfaces in common areas, but not your bedroom and bathroom.

If a caregiver or other person needs to clean and disinfect a sick person’s bedroom or bathroom, they should do so on an as-needed basis. The caregiver/other person should wear a mask and wait as long as possible after the sick person has used the bathroom.

High-touch surfaces include phones, remote controls, counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.

Clean and disinfect areas that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.

Household cleaners and disinfectants: Clean the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty. Then, use a household disinfectant.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product. Many products recommend keeping the surface wet for several minutes to ensure germs are killed. Many also recommend precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.

Most EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective. A full list of disinfectants can be found hereexternal icon.

Complete disinfection guidance

  Monitor your symptoms

Seek medical attention, but call first: Seek medical care right away if your illness is worsening (for example, if you have difficulty breathing).

Call your doctor before going in: Before going to the doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them your symptoms. They will tell you what to do.

Wear a facemask: If possible, put on a facemask before you enter the building. If you can’t put on a facemask, try to keep a safe distance from other people (at least 6 feet away). This will help protect the people in the office or waiting room.

Follow care instructions from your healthcare provider and local health department: Your local health authorities will give instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting information.

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

Persistent pain or pressure in the chest

New confusion or inability to arouse

Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

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Call 911 if you have a medical emergency: If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the operator that you have or think you might have, COVID-19. If possible, put on a facemask before medical help arrives.

  How to discontinue home isolation

People with COVID-19 who have stayed home (home isolated) can stop home isolation under the following conditions:

If you will not have a test to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:

You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces fevers) AND

other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved) AND

at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared

If you will be tested to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:

You no longer have a fever (without the use medicine that reduces fevers) AND

other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved) AND you received two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart. Your doctor will follow CDC guidelines.

In all cases, follow the guidance of your healthcare provider and local health department. The decision to stop home isolation should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider and state and local health departments. Local decisions depend on local circumstances.

More information is available here.

#mobikefed.org

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions?

She knew it wasn’t a good idea and her daughter would disapprove. Nonetheless, Barbara Figge Fox, 79, recently went to four stores in Princeton, New Jersey, to shop for canned goods, paper towels, fresh fruit, yogurt, and other items.

Navigating Aging

Navigating Aging focuses on medical issues and advice associated with aging and end-of-life care, helping America’s 45 million seniors and their families navigate the health care system.

To contact Judith Graham with a question or comment, click here.

Join the Navigating Aging Facebook Group.

See All Columns

“I was in panic mode,” said Fox, who admitted she’s been feeling both agonizing fear and irrational impulsivity because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Susannah Fox, Barbara’s daughter, had been warning her exceptionally healthy mother for weeks of the need to stay inside as much as possible and limit contact with other people. Everyone age 60 and older is at high risk of complications from COVID-19 and should adopt these measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.

“At one point, when I was pushing her to limit her activities, my mother said defiantly, ‘Well, I’m going to die of something,’” said Susannah, an adviser to health care and technology companies. “And I said, ‘Well, that’s true, but let’s not rush it.’”

Are precautions of the sort the CDC has endorsed really necessary, even in areas where the new coronavirus doesn’t yet appear to be circulating widely? What about disease-free adults in their 60s and 70s? Do they need to worry about going to a restaurant or a friend’s house for dinner? Are all outside activities ill-advised?

I asked several geriatricians for their advice. All cautioned that what they told me could be upended by unforeseen developments. Indeed, over the past week, the governors of about a dozen states — including California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Washington — have told residents, and not just older adults, to stay inside, in an aggressive effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Here’s what geriatricians think is reasonable, and why, at the moment:

Know the odds. Current warnings were originally based on data from China, which has reported that 80% of deaths from COVID-19 occurred among people age 60 and older.

The latest data from the U.S. was published by the CDC last week. Of 4,226 known COVID-19 cases at the time, people 65 and older were responsible for 80% of deaths, 53% of intensive care unit admissions and 45% of hospital admissions. Those 85 and older suffered the worst outcomes.

Sign Up For Ask Emily Newsletter

Get Emily Bazar’s latest column delivered straight to your inbox.

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Please confirm your email address below:

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Data from China, the U.S. and other countries also indicates that people with illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and lung disease, and those with compromised immune systems, are more likely to become critically ill and die if they become infected. The CDC recommends that these patients stay inside and practice strict precautions.

What’s not yet known: lots of details about the underlying health status of older adults in China and other countries who’ve died from COVID-19. “We just don’t have this kind of information yet,” said Dr. Carla Perissinotto, associate chief for geriatrics clinical programs at the University of California-San Francisco.

As a result, considerable uncertainty about the true nature of risk remains. What’s clear, however, is that older adults have less robust immune systems and are less able to mount a protective response against the coronavirus.

Exercise more caution. Uncertainty also surrounds the degree to which the coronavirus is circulating in communities across the country because testing has been so limited.

Some people don’t develop symptoms. Others won’t realize they’ve contracted the coronavirus until becoming symptomatic. Both groups may unwittingly transmit the virus, which can live on hard surfaces such as door handles or store shelves for up to 72 hours.

Given how little is known about the extent of the virus’s community spread, most physicians suggest erring on the side of caution.

Dr. Michael Wasserman’s 82-year-old mother, Fern, called him several times recently with questions. Could she go out to dinner with his brother? No, Wasserman said he told her, “restaurants are one of the most dangerous places right now for old people.” Could she go pick up a prescription at the pharmacy? No, he said, “the last place you want to go is a pharmacy or a doctor’s office where there are sick people next to you.” What about the grocery store? No, get deliveries, he urged.

But Wasserman, who’s 60 and a triathlete, isn’t as strict with himself. “Would I go for a walk? Yeah. The way I see it, I’m in a gray zone. I can go out, but I have to be careful.”

Consider your health. Wasserman isn’t alone in making a distinction of this kind. “What a number of physicians are saying is, you should consider whether you’re frail” in assessing your personal risk, said Dr. John Morley, a professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

He ticked off the questions that entails. “F: Are you consistently fatigued? R, for resilience: Can you climb a flight of stairs? A, for aerobic: Can you walk a block? I, for illnesses: If you’ve got five or more, that’s bad. L, for loss of weight: That’s not good.”

If you answer yes to three or more of those questions, you should be “really careful and self-isolate,” Morley said.

Even if you score 1, “you should be taking some care,” he continued. “If you want to have a couple over for dinner, make sure they don’t have the sniffles or a fever or a new cough and they haven’t been traveling.”

“I’ve been telling people, this is about how healthy you are, not how old you are,” said Dr. William Dale, director of the Center for Cancer and Aging Research at City of Hope, a cancer center in Duarte, California.

But even healthy people are becoming sick and, “honestly, I think we’re all trying to figure out how worried to be,” Dale said.

Assess risks. Of course, older adults should follow guidance from state and local health departments, as well as the federal government. But the advice varies widely, adding to people’s uncertainty.

“I don’t think it’s as simple as ‘Don’t go out’ for all older adults. Social contact is still really important,” Perissinotto said. “If you’re healthy and over 60, with prudence, hand hygiene and being aware of your surroundings, you should still be able to go about some activities,” such as taking a walk or visiting with a neighbor while maintaining a safe distance.

Leslie Kernisan, a San Francisco geriatrician and the founder of the geriatrics advice website BetterHealthWhileAging.net, offered several concrete suggestions. If you’re going to the store, consider wearing cloth gloves, because viruses don’t survive as well on soft surfaces.

Try not to handle your smartphone when you’re out of the house. “A phone is a hard plastic surface that can easily get contaminated,” she said.

If you’re worried that older parents aren’t following rigorous enough precautions, don’t lecture them, Kernisan advises. Instead, ask how they’re feeling about the coronavirus. What do they know about it? What plans have they made?

Foster well-being. Asked what was safe for older adults, Dr. Paul Tatum, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Texas-Austin’s Dell Medical School, focused on factors that contribute to well-being.

“It is safe to exercise, and, in fact, it’s very important to keep exercising,” but not at the gym or in large groups, he said. “It’s safe to get plenty of sleep” — but avoid sleeping pills, if possible.

“It’s safe to prevent worry and take a break from social media and too much news,” Tatum said.

“It’s safe to take care of your spiritual needs in this time, but doing it at a distance is wise. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your church or synagogue community and say, ‘I’m not able to come in. Can I schedule a few minutes on the phone with someone?’ It’s safe to call your neighbor and say, ‘I need some help.’”

Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions? published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[stephenmccull]

Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions?

She knew it wasn’t a good idea and her daughter would disapprove. Nonetheless, Barbara Figge Fox, 79, recently went to four stores in Princeton, New Jersey, to shop for canned goods, paper towels, fresh fruit, yogurt, and other items.

Navigating Aging

Navigating Aging focuses on medical issues and advice associated with aging and end-of-life care, helping America’s 45 million seniors and their families navigate the health care system.

To contact Judith Graham with a question or comment, click here.

Join the Navigating Aging Facebook Group.

See All Columns

“I was in panic mode,” said Fox, who admitted she’s been feeling both agonizing fear and irrational impulsivity because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Susannah Fox, Barbara’s daughter, had been warning her exceptionally healthy mother for weeks of the need to stay inside as much as possible and limit contact with other people. Everyone age 60 and older is at high risk of complications from COVID-19 and should adopt these measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.

“At one point, when I was pushing her to limit her activities, my mother said defiantly, ‘Well, I’m going to die of something,’” said Susannah, an adviser to health care and technology companies. “And I said, ‘Well, that’s true, but let’s not rush it.’”

Are precautions of the sort the CDC has endorsed really necessary, even in areas where the new coronavirus doesn’t yet appear to be circulating widely? What about disease-free adults in their 60s and 70s? Do they need to worry about going to a restaurant or a friend’s house for dinner? Are all outside activities ill-advised?

I asked several geriatricians for their advice. All cautioned that what they told me could be upended by unforeseen developments. Indeed, over the past week, the governors of about a dozen states — including California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Washington — have told residents, and not just older adults, to stay inside, in an aggressive effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Here’s what geriatricians think is reasonable, and why, at the moment:

Know the odds. Current warnings were originally based on data from China, which has reported that 80% of deaths from COVID-19 occurred among people age 60 and older.

The latest data from the U.S. was published by the CDC last week. Of 4,226 known COVID-19 cases at the time, people 65 and older were responsible for 80% of deaths, 53% of intensive care unit admissions and 45% of hospital admissions. Those 85 and older suffered the worst outcomes.

Sign Up For Ask Emily Newsletter

Get Emily Bazar’s latest column delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign Up

Please confirm your email address below:

Sign Up

Data from China, the U.S. and other countries also indicates that people with illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and lung disease, and those with compromised immune systems, are more likely to become critically ill and die if they become infected. The CDC recommends that these patients stay inside and practice strict precautions.

What’s not yet known: lots of details about the underlying health status of older adults in China and other countries who’ve died from COVID-19. “We just don’t have this kind of information yet,” said Dr. Carla Perissinotto, associate chief for geriatrics clinical programs at the University of California-San Francisco.

As a result, considerable uncertainty about the true nature of risk remains. What’s clear, however, is that older adults have less robust immune systems and are less able to mount a protective response against the coronavirus.

Exercise more caution. Uncertainty also surrounds the degree to which the coronavirus is circulating in communities across the country because testing has been so limited.

Some people don’t develop symptoms. Others won’t realize they’ve contracted the coronavirus until becoming symptomatic. Both groups may unwittingly transmit the virus, which can live on hard surfaces such as door handles or store shelves for up to 72 hours.

Given how little is known about the extent of the virus’s community spread, most physicians suggest erring on the side of caution.

Dr. Michael Wasserman’s 82-year-old mother, Fern, called him several times recently with questions. Could she go out to dinner with his brother? No, Wasserman said he told her, “restaurants are one of the most dangerous places right now for old people.” Could she go pick up a prescription at the pharmacy? No, he said, “the last place you want to go is a pharmacy or a doctor’s office where there are sick people next to you.” What about the grocery store? No, get deliveries, he urged.

But Wasserman, who’s 60 and a triathlete, isn’t as strict with himself. “Would I go for a walk? Yeah. The way I see it, I’m in a gray zone. I can go out, but I have to be careful.”

Consider your health. Wasserman isn’t alone in making a distinction of this kind. “What a number of physicians are saying is, you should consider whether you’re frail” in assessing your personal risk, said Dr. John Morley, a professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

He ticked off the questions that entails. “F: Are you consistently fatigued? R, for resilience: Can you climb a flight of stairs? A, for aerobic: Can you walk a block? I, for illnesses: If you’ve got five or more, that’s bad. L, for loss of weight: That’s not good.”

If you answer yes to three or more of those questions, you should be “really careful and self-isolate,” Morley said.

Even if you score 1, “you should be taking some care,” he continued. “If you want to have a couple over for dinner, make sure they don’t have the sniffles or a fever or a new cough and they haven’t been traveling.”

“I’ve been telling people, this is about how healthy you are, not how old you are,” said Dr. William Dale, director of the Center for Cancer and Aging Research at City of Hope, a cancer center in Duarte, California.

But even healthy people are becoming sick and, “honestly, I think we’re all trying to figure out how worried to be,” Dale said.

Assess risks. Of course, older adults should follow guidance from state and local health departments, as well as the federal government. But the advice varies widely, adding to people’s uncertainty.

“I don’t think it’s as simple as ‘Don’t go out’ for all older adults. Social contact is still really important,” Perissinotto said. “If you’re healthy and over 60, with prudence, hand hygiene and being aware of your surroundings, you should still be able to go about some activities,” such as taking a walk or visiting with a neighbor while maintaining a safe distance.

Leslie Kernisan, a San Francisco geriatrician and the founder of the geriatrics advice website BetterHealthWhileAging.net, offered several concrete suggestions. If you’re going to the store, consider wearing cloth gloves, because viruses don’t survive as well on soft surfaces.

Try not to handle your smartphone when you’re out of the house. “A phone is a hard plastic surface that can easily get contaminated,” she said.

If you’re worried that older parents aren’t following rigorous enough precautions, don’t lecture them, Kernisan advises. Instead, ask how they’re feeling about the coronavirus. What do they know about it? What plans have they made?

Foster well-being. Asked what was safe for older adults, Dr. Paul Tatum, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Texas-Austin’s Dell Medical School, focused on factors that contribute to well-being.

“It is safe to exercise, and, in fact, it’s very important to keep exercising,” but not at the gym or in large groups, he said. “It’s safe to get plenty of sleep” — but avoid sleeping pills, if possible.

“It’s safe to prevent worry and take a break from social media and too much news,” Tatum said.

“It’s safe to take care of your spiritual needs in this time, but doing it at a distance is wise. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your church or synagogue community and say, ‘I’m not able to come in. Can I schedule a few minutes on the phone with someone?’ It’s safe to call your neighbor and say, ‘I need some help.’”

Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions? published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[dinafbrownil]

Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions?

She knew it wasn’t a good idea and her daughter would disapprove. Nonetheless, Barbara Figge Fox, 79, recently went to four stores in Princeton, New Jersey, to shop for canned goods, paper towels, fresh fruit, yogurt, and other items.

Navigating Aging

Navigating Aging focuses on medical issues and advice associated with aging and end-of-life care, helping America’s 45 million seniors and their families navigate the health care system.

To contact Judith Graham with a question or comment, click here.

Join the Navigating Aging Facebook Group.

See All Columns

“I was in panic mode,” said Fox, who admitted she’s been feeling both agonizing fear and irrational impulsivity because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Susannah Fox, Barbara’s daughter, had been warning her exceptionally healthy mother for weeks of the need to stay inside as much as possible and limit contact with other people. Everyone age 60 and older is at high risk of complications from COVID-19 and should adopt these measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.

“At one point, when I was pushing her to limit her activities, my mother said defiantly, ‘Well, I’m going to die of something,’” said Susannah, an adviser to health care and technology companies. “And I said, ‘Well, that’s true, but let’s not rush it.’”

Are precautions of the sort the CDC has endorsed really necessary, even in areas where the new coronavirus doesn’t yet appear to be circulating widely? What about disease-free adults in their 60s and 70s? Do they need to worry about going to a restaurant or a friend’s house for dinner? Are all outside activities ill-advised?

I asked several geriatricians for their advice. All cautioned that what they told me could be upended by unforeseen developments. Indeed, over the past week, the governors of about a dozen states — including California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Washington — have told residents, and not just older adults, to stay inside, in an aggressive effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Here’s what geriatricians think is reasonable, and why, at the moment:

Know the odds. Current warnings were originally based on data from China, which has reported that 80% of deaths from COVID-19 occurred among people age 60 and older.

The latest data from the U.S. was published by the CDC last week. Of 4,226 known COVID-19 cases at the time, people 65 and older were responsible for 80% of deaths, 53% of intensive care unit admissions and 45% of hospital admissions. Those 85 and older suffered the worst outcomes.

Sign Up For Ask Emily Newsletter

Get Emily Bazar’s latest column delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign Up

Please confirm your email address below:

Sign Up

Data from China, the U.S. and other countries also indicates that people with illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and lung disease, and those with compromised immune systems, are more likely to become critically ill and die if they become infected. The CDC recommends that these patients stay inside and practice strict precautions.

What’s not yet known: lots of details about the underlying health status of older adults in China and other countries who’ve died from COVID-19. “We just don’t have this kind of information yet,” said Dr. Carla Perissinotto, associate chief for geriatrics clinical programs at the University of California-San Francisco.

As a result, considerable uncertainty about the true nature of risk remains. What’s clear, however, is that older adults have less robust immune systems and are less able to mount a protective response against the coronavirus.

Exercise more caution. Uncertainty also surrounds the degree to which the coronavirus is circulating in communities across the country because testing has been so limited.

Some people don’t develop symptoms. Others won’t realize they’ve contracted the coronavirus until becoming symptomatic. Both groups may unwittingly transmit the virus, which can live on hard surfaces such as door handles or store shelves for up to 72 hours.

Given how little is known about the extent of the virus’s community spread, most physicians suggest erring on the side of caution.

Dr. Michael Wasserman’s 82-year-old mother, Fern, called him several times recently with questions. Could she go out to dinner with his brother? No, Wasserman said he told her, “restaurants are one of the most dangerous places right now for old people.” Could she go pick up a prescription at the pharmacy? No, he said, “the last place you want to go is a pharmacy or a doctor’s office where there are sick people next to you.” What about the grocery store? No, get deliveries, he urged.

But Wasserman, who’s 60 and a triathlete, isn’t as strict with himself. “Would I go for a walk? Yeah. The way I see it, I’m in a gray zone. I can go out, but I have to be careful.”

Consider your health. Wasserman isn’t alone in making a distinction of this kind. “What a number of physicians are saying is, you should consider whether you’re frail” in assessing your personal risk, said Dr. John Morley, a professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

He ticked off the questions that entails. “F: Are you consistently fatigued? R, for resilience: Can you climb a flight of stairs? A, for aerobic: Can you walk a block? I, for illnesses: If you’ve got five or more, that’s bad. L, for loss of weight: That’s not good.”

If you answer yes to three or more of those questions, you should be “really careful and self-isolate,” Morley said.

Even if you score 1, “you should be taking some care,” he continued. “If you want to have a couple over for dinner, make sure they don’t have the sniffles or a fever or a new cough and they haven’t been traveling.”

“I’ve been telling people, this is about how healthy you are, not how old you are,” said Dr. William Dale, director of the Center for Cancer and Aging Research at City of Hope, a cancer center in Duarte, California.

But even healthy people are becoming sick and, “honestly, I think we’re all trying to figure out how worried to be,” Dale said.

Assess risks. Of course, older adults should follow guidance from state and local health departments, as well as the federal government. But the advice varies widely, adding to people’s uncertainty.

“I don’t think it’s as simple as ‘Don’t go out’ for all older adults. Social contact is still really important,” Perissinotto said. “If you’re healthy and over 60, with prudence, hand hygiene and being aware of your surroundings, you should still be able to go about some activities,” such as taking a walk or visiting with a neighbor while maintaining a safe distance.

Leslie Kernisan, a San Francisco geriatrician and the founder of the geriatrics advice website BetterHealthWhileAging.net, offered several concrete suggestions. If you’re going to the store, consider wearing cloth gloves, because viruses don’t survive as well on soft surfaces.

Try not to handle your smartphone when you’re out of the house. “A phone is a hard plastic surface that can easily get contaminated,” she said.

If you’re worried that older parents aren’t following rigorous enough precautions, don’t lecture them, Kernisan advises. Instead, ask how they’re feeling about the coronavirus. What do they know about it? What plans have they made?

Foster well-being. Asked what was safe for older adults, Dr. Paul Tatum, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Texas-Austin’s Dell Medical School, focused on factors that contribute to well-being.

“It is safe to exercise, and, in fact, it’s very important to keep exercising,” but not at the gym or in large groups, he said. “It’s safe to get plenty of sleep” — but avoid sleeping pills, if possible.

“It’s safe to prevent worry and take a break from social media and too much news,” Tatum said.

“It’s safe to take care of your spiritual needs in this time, but doing it at a distance is wise. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your church or synagogue community and say, ‘I’m not able to come in. Can I schedule a few minutes on the phone with someone?’ It’s safe to call your neighbor and say, ‘I need some help.’”

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/coronavirus-precautions-adults-60-and-older-which-isolation-guidelines-to-follow/

[4seasonscountryclub]

Never Say Die – The Jason Day Story

30 years old, Jason Day has an impressive list of accomplishments: In his 11-plus years on the PGA Tour, he has a dozen wins, including a major, has reached No. 1 in the world and has played on four Presidents Cup teams. Yet at this point of his career, the Aussie says he has underachieved. We caught up with Day at his home course in Ohio, the Double Eagle Club, a private but unpretentious retreat in a quiet, leafy 'burb outside Columbus, where he talked about missed opportunities, LeBron James' golf swing, becoming friends with boyhood idol (and fellow golf nerd) Tiger Woods, dealing with a zombie-like sleep routine, and why he bought his son, Dash, a punching bag.

● ● ●

HOW MANY PLAYERS TODAY ARE PLAYING FOR HISTORY? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM? I'm definitely one of those guys. There are probably five to 10 right now. You can look at the top of the world ranking and pretty much figure out most of them. The rest? They're trying to make a good living, enjoy life and go on about their way. I don't want to put a number on majors or victories or goals, because sometimes you get to a point where you're just struggling to get to that number. But let's say you have 20 to 30 wins and multiple major championships. Not a lot of guys have done that. I'd also like to win the [modern] career Grand Slam. Only five guys have [Sarazen, Hogan, Player, Nicklaus and Woods]. That, plus being No. 1 in the world and 20 to 30 wins, yeah, that's a pretty phenomenal career. ● ● ●

HAVING SAID THAT, DO YOU CARE HOW YOUR CAREER WILL BE EVALUATED 25 OR 100 YEARS FROM NOW? No one's gonna remember. They remember Jack, Tiger, Arnie, Gary, but that's the 1 percent of the 1 percent. The one-name club. I know how hard I work, and I'm trying to win as many tournaments and majors as I can for me and my team, but I know one day I'm gonna be gone and forgotten. I was just talking to someone the other day who played in the Greg Norman Junior Masters. I know Greg Norman and what he's done, but kids back home go, "Who's Greg Norman?" Everyone gets to a point where you're forgotten, unless you're in that one-name club. ● ● ●

SPEAKING OF THE ONE-NAME CLUB, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO LEBRON LEAVING CLEVELAND AGAIN? It's not as bad as the first time he left. The way they did it in 2010 with "The Decision," the whole production and "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach," it cut a lot of people deep, especially diehard Cavs fans. People were burning jerseys. It was nuts. But he won them a title when he came back, so I think that lessened it. I'm a Cavs fan, but I'm an adopted Cavs fan. I live here and have a buddy who has seats on the floor. So at the end of the day, as long as LeBron's happy and his family is happy, that's all that matters. ● ● ●

HAVE YOU TRIED TO GET LEBRON INTO GOLF? No. I've seen him swing, and it looks terrible. Just awful. To be honest, I don't really know him that well. When it comes to celebrities, I try to stay away... ● ● ●

... UNLESS THEY CRASH INTO YOUR WIFE. [ELLIE DAY SUFFERED A CONCUSSION IN DECEMBER 2015 WHEN JAMES COLLIDED WITH HER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REACH A BALL AT COURTSIDE.] Exactly! If they reach out to me, I'm happy to respond and maybe spend time with them or get to know them, but when it's someone as big as LeBron, he's always got people clawing at him. I remember what it was like for me when I got to No. 1, so I can't imagine what his life is like. Lebron’s golf game? ‘I’ve seen him swing, and it looks terrible. just awful.’

HOW SCARY WAS THAT IN THE MOMENT WITH ELLIE, AND WHAT KIND OF INTERACTIONS HAVE YOU HAD WITH LEBRON SINCE THEN? I was in shock. If you watch a replay of it, there was a moment when I was sort of smiling and laughing, which is weird, but when something bad happens, that's usually my reaction, for some reason. When I saw her on the ground, it was obviously really scary. But when I could see that she could move her arms and legs, I knew it would be OK. J.R. Smith and LeBron came over to check on her. Later on, LeBron texted Ellie. I don't even know how he got her number. He didn't need to reach out, though. He was just doing his job. But just recently, before he became a free agent and left, he sent a signed jersey with a note saying, "Please come back to a game," because she hadn't been back to one since it happened. ● ● ●

WHAT WAS THE REACTION AFTER ELLIE MADE HER MISCARRIAGE PUBLIC LATE IN 2017? Oh, man. The support we got was amazing. But it's still tough to talk about. ● ● ●

YOU AND DASH DID A GOLF DIGEST FATHER-SON COVER STORY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. IS HE PLAYING ANY GOLF THESE DAYS? He does, but he's really into boxing. My uncle was a Golden Gloves boxer, and my dad taught us how to box. When we got bullied at school, he got us a boxing bag and told us, "Go punch that every day." He taught us—and this is so bad, but it's that old-school mentality—that when you get bullied, the first thing you do is knock that person out. That was his mentality. I was more scared of my dad than whoever was bullying me. I remember telling my sister, too, the first thing you do is walk right up to that girl and punch her in the face. Jason Day and Family Sam Greenwood/Getty ImagesDay and his wife, Ellie, pose with their children, Lucy and Dash, on the 18th green after winning the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. For Dash's birthday, he got a little speed bag. Mama doesn't want him to box, but I want him to—it creates good hand-eye coordination, and if you can do it properly, you can work on power and take that back into golf. In golf, you use the ground to create the forces to hit it far, and it's the same thing in boxing with throwing a punch. You have to start with your feet. I'm trying to work on a few technical things with him, like how to get back off the ropes when you're covering up. He loves it.

Jason Day: How To Get Your Little One Started In Golf

YOUR CHILDHOOD HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED. YOUR DAD WAS AN ALCOHOLIC, AND IT WAS ROUGH. YOU EVER THINK ABOUT THAT TIME? I can't remember my life when I was a kid—maybe intentionally. I talked to a psychologist about it the other day. I blocked it because of certain memories, but I think that's very natural. If I stayed where I was, no doubt I would've been an idiot. It was a learning experience, and unfortunately it was a blessing when he passed away. If he was with me now, I'm not sure anybody would stick around me. He would have been hard to deal with. ● ● ●

WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS INJURY-PRONE OR ACCIDENT-PRONE? YOU SEEM TO SUFFER INJURIES OR ILLNESSES MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE. Really? No, I don't think so. But I don't sleep well. I average about five hours a night. Two days ago, I slept for 2½ hours. I'm always up. I can't sleep. When you don't sleep, you don't recover, and if you don't recover, your immune system is down, and if your immune system is down, more things can happen. ● ● ●

DO GUYS ON TOUR GIVE YOU GRIEF ABOUT IT? Not really. Maybe. Not to my face. I don't pay attention to it if they do, anyway. Tiger can't give me crap, because I know how injured he's been. But my back has been phenomenal ever since the start of this year—I don't have any issues whatsoever right now. I wake up with little aches and pains, but it's not like it used to be when I had back problems or my shoulder was bothering me. I'm glad I'm past all of that. ● ● ●

HAS THE VERTIGO SUBSIDED? [DAY COLLAPSED DURING THE SECOND ROUND OF THE 2015 U.S. OPEN AT CHAMBERS BAY.] I was on antivirals for about a year and a half just to suppress the virus from growing in my ear. I wasn't supposed to be on them that long, though, so I just cut it off, cold turkey. Every now and then I'll get a bout of it, and it's the worst thing ever. It's actually happened this year maybe two or three times, but it was only for nine holes. I didn't say a word to anyone about it other than my caddie or my wife. ● ● ●

WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO CRITICS WHO SAY YOUR HIGH-SPEED SWING MIGHT MAKE YOU PRONE TO INJURY AND AFFECT THE LENGTH OF YOUR CAREER? I can understand people having concern, or someone giving analysis. But let me put it this way: If you had a cough, and I said it means you've got the flu, well, how do you know? It's the same way with the swing. How do you know what someone's body is doing—if they have enough rotation or limiting rotation? You don't know what their body chemistry is. Someone might have bad hips, so they have to swing a certain way. It works the same the other way. So when it comes to people commenting on a golf swing, I understand it, but I don't agree with it. I just laugh because they're blowing smoke. ‘I can’t remember my life when I was a kid—maybe intentionally... if I stayed where I was, no doubt I would’ve been an idiot.’

AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, HAVE YOU OVERACHIEVED OR UNDERACHIEVED? Underachieved. I feel like my game is set up to win more majors than I have and more tournaments than I have. The only thing holding me back is myself. Sometimes it's a desire thing. Look at Tiger—what made him so dominant for 13 years? It was the same thing for Michael Phelps, who didn't miss a day of training for five straight years. What makes that person do that? Deep down, there's a level of motivation that makes this person work harder than anyone else. And to do it for that long and that many years is incomprehensible. ● ● ●

YOU'VE BECOME PRETTY GOOD FRIENDS WITH TIGER. HOW'D THAT COME ABOUT? His caddie, Joe LaCava, said to my caddie at the time, Colin Swatton—this is back in 2013—"Why don't you have Jason text Tiger?" We'd met before, but I didn't have Tiger's number, so Joey gave it to me, and I think I was the one who texted first. I can't remember exactly what it was, but it was something with some swear words in it, because that's how we talk to each other. I'd known him well enough I guess at that point that we could give it to each other. We still text and talk all the time, and I've been to his house a few times, but he's still very private and introverted. We talk about personal stuff, but it never gets too personal. It's mostly just how's the family, that kind of thing. We talk more golf, because he's a golf nerd, and I'm a bit of a golf nerd, too. ● ● ●

HOW OFTEN WOULD YOU SAY YOU'RE TRULY IN "THE ZONE"? BEST EXAMPLES FROM YOUR CAREER? I've already been in it twice this year with my wins at Torrey Pines and Quail Hollow. You usually get in it when you're around the lead. When you're nervous, it's easier to get into the zone, too. It can come right before you tee off, even on the range. Once you get in that rhythm, that's when it comes. But it comes and goes. It generally doesn't stick around for the whole day or even very long, though sometimes it might. Being in the zone, for me, is not caring about the outcome. Even though I was hitting it terrible the last day at Quail Hollow this year, I was still in the zone because my short game was so good. I knew it didn't matter where I hit it, because I knew I'd get up and down. I never really panicked because of that. You just know when things go bad, you always have an answer for it. You don't worry about the outcome. There's just a level of calmness that takes place, and I wish I could get into it a lot more. ● ● ●

ON THE FLIP SIDE, WHEN WAS YOUR CAREER AT ITS LOWEST? Oh, man, 2012 was pretty bad. Dash was born, and I really struggled being a dad for the first time. [The Days' daughter, Lucy, was born in 2015.] I mean, I was really bad at it. You have to understand, golf is a selfish game, especially when you're trying to achieve what I'm trying to achieve at the highest level of the sport. Being selfish and having responsibility and not putting yourself first, that's very difficult. I struggled with how to do that for about a year. At the end of that year, we had a team meeting, with my coach and caddie, my wife and my agent. We have one at the end of every year. It got tense. I didn't like what I was hearing, even though I needed to hear it. I didn't wanna be on the golf course. And then when I went home, I didn't wanna be at home. And I didn't wanna practice. I didn't know where I wanted to be. It was like I wanted to run away. It was easier to do that than face the challenges of being a dad and playing professional golf at the highest level.

Last year was pretty bad, too. My mom had cancer, and that was difficult and always on my mind. I was burnt out from being No. 1 in the world as well, and all the time and energy that went into not just getting there but what goes into it once you're there. It's a lot harder to stay there than get there, which is what makes what Tiger did for so long so incredible. ● ● ●

YOU BEAT YOURSELF UP PRETTY GOOD OVER LEAVING THE PUTT SHORT ON THE 72ND GREEN OF THE 2015 OPEN AT THE OLD COURSE. DOES THAT STILL POP INTO YOUR HEAD? No, it's the opposite. I beat myself up in the moment because I didn't give myself the opportunity to win by not getting the ball to the hole. It can't go in if it doesn't get there. I'd rather ram it five feet by than leave it a couple inches short. But it was pretty much gone the next day. I remember talking to my agent on the plane ride back and telling him I was going to win that next week, and I did. I shot 68 the last day at Glen Abbey in Canada, Bubba Watson shot 69, and I won by a stroke. I have a pretty good short-term memory when it comes to losing. You have to have that when it comes to golf.

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IF THE RULING BODIES OR AUGUSTA NATIONAL WERE TO INSTITUTE A LIMITED-FLIGHT GOLF BALL FOR PROFESSIONAL EVENTS, WOULD THAT BE GOOD OR BAD FOR THE GAME? First off, people would still play the Masters. But if they did that, then they better shorten the tees again. If we have limited-flight balls, we're going to have 4-irons into No. 7 and things like that. But do I want the ball to go shorter? No. Why? Isn't it fun watching Dustin Johnson crush a drive over a lake 300 yards away? No one wants to see someone plod it down the right and not take it on. That's boring. If you push trying to rein it in too far, then people will stop watching golf. People want to see risk.

The problem is the architects—some of them, anyway—decided that because the ball is going forever, they need to make courses longer to make them harder. No, you don't. Just be a better architect.

‘Being in the zone, for me, is not caring about the outcome.’

YOU WON THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP THREE YEARS AGO AT WHISTLING STRAITS. SHOULD THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD? I don't mind it either way. I really don't. I'm still going to play it, of course. We're moving toward a world tour, anyway, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did do that at some point. If they did, the key is, it has to be in a location, a country that can and will support it from the standpoint of logistics to fans coming out and getting tourists there. But the PGA is also based in America, so it's fitting for the tournament to be in America. Jason Day Jamie SquireDay earned the biggest prize of his career in 2015 at the PGA Championship. ● ● ●

DO YOU SEE HOPE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTS CUP TEAM? [THE U.S. TEAM HAS WON 10 OF 12 COMPETITIONS, WITH ONE TIE.] WHAT WILL BE THE SOLUTION TO MAKE IT COMPETITIVE? I don't know. The U.S. team is so heavily stacked. It's really difficult for us. I'd love to see some changes and think there could be some down the road. It would also be cool to play more singles matches—we usually do all right in those. I never got why the number of matches and format aren't the same as the Ryder Cup, though. The PGA Tour wants to have its own identity with it, yet the International team had to fight over points. We're getting our butts whooped. That's all well and good—if we're not good enough, we're not good enough. But if it's so lopsided, who's going to watch? That's not good for anyone.

Jason Day IS THERE EMBARRASSMENT IN THOSE DEFEATS? It's beyond that—it's become normal. You get whooped so many times, it just becomes the norm. But I think there's a question of whether the guys even care at this point. Some do, some don't. You get whooped every time, and you start to ask, "Why are we even turning up for this?" ● ● ●

DID THE LATE PETER THOMSON, AN ICON IN AUSTRALIA AND WORLDWIDE, EVER SHARE SOMETHING PARTICULARLY INTERESTING WITH YOU? I didn't realize the accomplishments the guy had. The five British Opens, everyone remembers, of course. Then he decided he wanted to play the senior tour in the States and won a record nine times in 1985. He was also the president of the Australian PGA for 32 years. I didn't meet him until late in life, at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in 2011, and then again at the World Cup there two years later, but he was very cut and dry. Unfortunately we only met in passing. He congratulated me on a nice career—it was like the stuff your grandparents would tell you, telling you the nice stuff. But he'd tell you what he was thinking. He had this great, dry wit about him. RELATED: Swing Sequence: Jason Day ● ● ●

WHO'S THE FUNNIEST PLAYER ON TOUR TODAY? Matt Kuchar. He's so dry and sarcastic, and he's quick. Like the story of how Phil ran into him on the range with these alligator-green shoes and belt and said to Kuchar, "You have to win three Masters to wear these," and Kuchar shot right back that he hopes he wins only two. Tiger can be funny, too. We give each other crap all the time. One time at Bay Hill he hit one so far right on 16, and he's just cussing at me, and I'm giving it right back to him. What he said isn't fit for print, and I can't say what I said back to him.