#HELP GLORIAS THE YOUNGEST

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

om gosh just- alister getting into some trouble with some mean people but then, out of no where- a odd looking & powerful Zoroark (Hisuian) comes out to protect them! and they're badass! they got one eye damaged, their body is littered in scars and maybe a arm is missing? they been through some tough stuff but they see Allister as one of their children. and surely, allister has them on their team now? also, what would the other gym leaders think of his new pal?

"How does a kid like him get a gym leader position?"

"It should've been me, I have way better ghost types!"

"And he's always wearing that creepy mask. What's he hiding from us?"

Allister could feel his heart hammering in his chest every minute he was out in public. All he wanted to do was take a quiet walk through the Slumbering Weald and not draw too much attention to himself.

He really didn't want to be seen by anyone right now.

It's already been a bad enough day for him; the last thing he needed were cameras and phones being shoved into his face--he's gotten enough of that during today's interview.

He was asked how he felt about Victor/Gloria defeating him in the championship tournament, and he didn't have a solid answer. He only found himself getting upset over the whole thing again.

Even though Leon always told him to take his defeats in stride..it was still hard.

So he cut the interview short and ran away, making it clear he wanted to be alone without the company of bodyguards.

Why would he need them when he had Pokémon like Gengar? They're the only ones who really understood him. They never gave him weird looks for talking to the dead.

Yet he suddenly began to second-guess his decision, considering he now had no shelter from the comments of passerbys.

They doubted him all because he was the youngest of the gym leaders and wasn't as confident as the rest of them..and it wasn't right. They didn't know him like the others did.

He worked so hard to get to where he is now....not to be heckled and ridiculed for just being a kid.

Luckily, the Slumbering Weald was rather quiet at this hour-

"Use Thief!"

A flash of black and orange suddenly dashed in front of Allister, causing him to help as he stumbled forwards and collapsed to his knees, scraping them hard into the stone. The shock of the surprise attack led to his mask falling off and clattering to the ground.

Before he could reach for it, a Thievul snatched it up in its jaws, darting back to someone who was whistling for it.

He looked up, a hand over his face as he stared at the duo who attacked him: a teenaged trainer boring a smug grin, and their dark type by their side, holding his mask hostage.

And they weren't alone, as another trainer showed up with their Obstagoon, who took the mask from Thievul and wore it on its own face as mockery, laughing.

"You better give that back!" He cried out, horrified and angry. "Y-You two don't know..who you're messing with.."

"I think we already know." The Thievul's trainer sneered cruelly. "You're just a weak little kid. Did you know that you're the most unpopular gym leader in this week's poll?" They waved around their rotomphone

"..I-I don't care about popularity.."

"Pssh. That's a bloody lie if I've ever heard one." Obstagoon's trainer huffed. "Ya really showed your fans how selfish you actually are. Ya wouldn't stick around for autographs and just ran off...how do ya think Leon and the rest of 'em will feel when they hear about that?"

"Stop it..please." Allister begged, his hand grasping Gengar's dusk ball in preparation.

"I doubt they'd want someone like you representin' the-"

"VUL!!"

Out of nowhere, a blast of dark purplish energy careened into Theivul, causing it to slam into the nearest tree and flop to the ground like a ragdoll. Its trainer looked bewildered, confused as to where that shot came from.

Then a blur of white appeared and snatched the mask straight out of Obstagoon's hands, much to its shock as it looked all around...unable to see who it was.

But soon they all heard a spine-chilling howl, spinning their heads to find out that the source was you.

A white Zoroark standing in the fog.

Yet while you certainly looked like one, your hair was drastically different compared to the usual tied-back look of normal Zoroarks. Instead, it appeared as long shaggy wisps with red streaks waving all over the place and covering one of your eyes.

Not only that, but your whole body looked as though it's been through the toughest of battles: scars littered your torso, some patches of fur were entirely missing, and--to Allister's shock and sadness--you only had one arm. The other was nothing more than a stump.

Even so, you weren't backing down as you stalked towards him, the bullies, and their Pokémon, teeth gnashed in anticipation.

Thievul and Obstagoon both took up protective stances, ready to attack on their trainers' commands.

Except..

No commands were uttered for a few long moments, and they looked back to see the sheer horror plastered on each of the humans' faces.

"I-It's...a...a....IT'S A ZOMBIE!!!" Thievul's trainer shrieked, forcing their fox partner back into its ball. "So the rumors are true..y-you really CAN summon the dead!!"

"...huh..?" Allister blinked in immense confusion.

He didn't summon you..

"W-We were just kiddin'. You're great!! You're worthy of wearin' that ghost badge!!" The other stammered, recalling Obstagoon. "We won't bother ya..e-ever again...just...."

They took one look at you, and as you growled lowly, the two trainers screamed and ran away.

"WAAAAAAHHH!!!!"

"DON'T EAT OUR BRAINS!!!"

After their voices faded and Allister watched them disappear for good, he looked back up at you in wonder. No longer was he covering his face, so you could see his eyes practically sparkling.

"They were wrong." He whispered. "You're no zombie. You're...the Hisuian Zoroark I've read about."

Of course you were. He's heard about this variant from what he believed were just myths of the Hisui region that existed long before Sinnoh. From what he knew about them, and judging by your current appearance...the agony you suffered in life was also reflected in your death.

Had he not been a ghost trainer with such a unique connection to the type, he would've thought you were a zombie, too.

As your gaze pierced through his soul, he remained on the ground, feeling as though he got hit by a frozen status effect. He didn't dare to move, knowing that a Hisuian Zoroark's anger was not to be trifled with.

Perhaps you saw him as just another human to take your rage out on.

For you likely held the same grudge as all the others of your kind...

One that was bitter, eternal, and cold as the frost that took your life after you've spent all your energy and hatred in battle; your scars and lost arm were simply the products of you flinging yourself into vicious fights with humans and Pokémon alike--no self-preservation instincts to be found.

Allister had no clue what you were thinking, but as you suddenly crouched down in front of him, he flinched back, arms shielding his face in fear of what you might do.

"Zo...."

"..wh-what..?" Uncovering his face, he was stunned to see something familiar in your grasp being handed over to him:

His own mask.

Of course. He forgot you swiped it from that mean Obstagoon earlier.

Yet he didn't take it back right away, instead looking up at you and seeing nothing but warmth in your eyes. He noticed the one covered by your hair was blind, given the milky look and the deep scar that went through it.

Despite seeing how you've suffered countless hardships, likely endured an agonizing death, and came back out of pure spite and hatred for humans...

You reached deep into your cold, dead heart and rediscovered strength and kindness--both of which you used to protect this young ghost trainer when he needed it most.

You knew he wasn't like those who exiled you.

No.

He was a friend.

He reminded you of all your children back at home: the Zoruas who followed you in life, death, and the after..fearful of what they've become, but feeling safe when you were around.

You couldn't reach them anymore, yet you wanted to protect someone. Anyone.

And you found Allister.

A small sniffle and whimper snapped you out of your thoughts, noticing the tears rolling down the young boy's face. You frowned a little, looking down at the mask.

Was this not his?

"D-Don't worry, I'm....so happy, Z-Zoroark..thank you.." He whispered shakily, smiling as he took it back, putting it on to hide the rest of his tears. "I..d-don't know how you got here, but you saved me. You put those bullies in their place. Nobody takes me seriously as a ghost type gym leader..much less a trainer..but you do, don't you?"

"Ark-ark.." Nodding, your gaze went to the dusk ball clipped to his belt, and you tapped on it with a rugged claw.

At first, he flinched at the sudden motion, before realizing you just wanted to see the pokeball. "Oh, this? I-It's a dusk ball..a version of a pokeball that helps me catch Pokémon at night. Or in caves.." He showed it to you, allowing you to sniff it curiously-

Only to accidentally boop your nose against the button, causing it to open and capture you.

At first Allister panicked, dropping the dusk ball to the ground as he watched it shake several times, scared out of his mind.

A million thoughts were running through his head right now:

Was it going to break?

Were you going to be angry?

Did you want to be captured?

What if-

*click*

'Huh...?' Bewildered, he looked down to see that the accidental catch was successful. And he picked up the dusk ball, opening it and letting you back out, expecting you to be enraged.

Yet..you seemed content.

You looked surprised, sure, but you soon smiled upon seeing him and nodded your head.

Indeed, you wished to become his partner Pokémon.

"O-Okay..I guess you're coming with me from now on." Allister quietly laughed, brimming with joy on the inside. "But first you should meet Gengar. I think..you two will get along well."

"Zor...ark, ark!"

#sorry i tried writing the gym leaders into this but it just wasnt working bc i kept adding and deleting stuff so i had to omit them </3 #but id say they would be thrilled that allister found himself a unique pokemon who acts like a parent #clanask #pokemon x reader #pokemon swsh x reader #pokemon sword x reader #pokemon shield x reader #pokemon allister #hisuian zoroark #pokemon reader

[cinemaseeker]

Let's Review: Barbie

FAIR WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Barbie.

No other singular female name invokes quite as many various feelings, to such varying degrees, as Barbie. And very few names are quite as ubiquitous as Barbie (no really, name anyone you know who's never owned a Barbie at least once in their lifetime). And as with any ubiquitous entity, people are going to try and take their best shot, hoping to bring them down to our level.

Make no mistake, this movie is meant to reintroduce Barbie to a new generation of consumers. You will, more likely than not, want to buy a Barbie doll or other Mattel product either before or after watching this movie, either for yourself or for any child you know. This movie effectively serves as a mass market rebranding of Barbie, pivoting her from the poster girl for unrealistic body image/impossible feminine beauty standards to a vehicle for individuality and female empowerment.

Barbie is now all things to all people (anyone can be Barbie!), but all those things are still Barbie. However, as most of us know, a friend to all is a friend to none. If you are all things to all people, then you are effectively nothing, an empty vessel for others to project themselves onto. And indeed, even this new re-vamped Barbie can be validly viewed as a vapid vehicle for the consumer's own dreams and desires, leaving very little to no room for Barbie to have any dreams of her own.

And yet this movie still dares to ask: can a corporate capitalist product, whether it's a mass marketed toy or a Hollywood movie starring that toy, ever be a good thing, a force for positive change? Can subversive feminist messages stick stronger with audiences, especially its youngest and most impressionable viewer, if we cover it in a pink candy coating? Just give it a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down?

After all, this new Barbie now comes with her own existential crisis and has to deal with scary realities such as cellulite, aging, and *gasp* FLAT FEET (a hilarious bit of family-friendly body horror).

Not to mention a growing awareness of mortality.

To answer Barbie's question: yes. Yes, I do think about dying. We all think about dying at some point. And perhaps more importantly, our kids are starting to think about dying. I would not be surprised if there is even a single kid out there who has asked this question during playtime through their own Barbie. And for many good reasons. The world is a mess right now. Don't even get me started.

It feels like kids and adults alike are more anxious than ever and this new Barbie can certainly relate to that anxiety, even if it's not necessarily her own (it belongs to the girl playing with her). But it turns out that it's the girl's mom Gloria (America Ferrera) who's really struggling and needs Barbie's help, if only by using Barbie as a means of working through her own dissatisfaction as a working wife and mother.

This movie reminds us that we don't stop worrying about things just because we grow up. If anything, we find more things to worry about as we get older. But adults often don't get the same kind of comfort that we give to children; we're just supposed to suck it up and tough it out, but sometimes all we wanna do is stay in our rooms and play with our toys, just like we did when we were kids. Especially if we're girls, since the world is significantly much harder for us to deal with in a society that constantly polices and critiques girls and women (Gloria's speech about the impossible, and often double, standards imposed upon women is a highlight of the movie and should be required viewing for all humans)

But Barbie helps us feel like kids again.

Throughout the entire movie, Greta Gerwig and her team manage to recapture the joy of playing with Barbies with an obviously loving attention to detail. Barbie Land is that now-rare fantasy world that doesn't require a factual explanation but runs on a strong engine of internal logic that makes sense if you've ever played with dolls.

But enough about Barbie.

What about the men?

They're the ones who really have it rough here. Having to deal with all this girly stuff.

Now guys, this might come as a shock, but this movie might not be made for you in mind and therefore you may not get it. You may find yourself confused about why women in this movie are hogging the spotlight and not letting the men do anything important.

But, it's okay, don't worry guys, Ken's got you.

Barbie may be the star, but Ken gets the real emotional journey here. You see, he keeps getting friend-zoned by Barbie, who would rather hang out with her girlfriends and maintain her autonomy than spend the night with him. But once he follows Barbie into the Real World and discovers a magical society where men are in charge and women have to respect them, Ken brings some of these ideas back to the Kens in Barbie Land, thus subjugating all the Barbies to the awesome new patriarchal rule of "Kendom".

Now every night is guys' night.

Folks, go give bonus points to whoever had "Ken gets a villain arc" on their 2023 Bingo card. And while you're at it, add an extra 5 if they also included "Ironic use of a Matchbox Twenty song on the Barbie soundtrack".

Ken's story arc is a powerful reminder of why it's important to critique feminism when it doesn't work.

After all, Barbie Land's matriarchy may seem utopian at first glance, and may even be super inclusive to Barbies of all shapes and races and abilities, but ultimately it is exactly the same as our real world patriarchy, only gender-swapped, with women holding all the power and men being treated as useless accessories. This doesn't balance the scales, it just tips them all the way in the other direction. The only way to achieve true equality is for both men and women to have equal power in society. A conclusion that, thankfully, the movie reaches on its own by the end.

And although Barbie shouldn't have to apologize for not wanting to spend time with Ken or for prioritizing time for herself and her friends, I do appreciate that she was able to make things right with Ken without having to fix things with a kiss or kowtow to his desire to make her his girlfriend. Instead she helps Ken realize that he needs to figure out who he is outside of Barbie, cutting right to the root of toxic/fragile masculinity, which is usually the result of men with low self-esteem just wanting to be heard and respected.

But while Ken is hilariously drawn as a pouty, mostly innocent man child who just wants to be loved (ideally by Barbie), it's a lot harder to laugh off his antics when they result in the Kens actively stripping away constitutional rights and taking over the Supreme Court of Barbie Land. This moment especially should hit just a little too close to home and inspire us to take action.

Thankfully, this movie is not only entertaining and hella meta, but also serves as a practical instruction manual for how girls and women can deal with toxic men and take their power back, whether it's from men in power or obnoxious film bros who constantly espouse the virtues of films like The Godfather and the Snyder cut of Justice League (there's nothing wrong with enjoying these movies, just don't be a dick about it).

It has been a long, time honored tradition in Hollywood for "chick flicks", which is usually code for female-centered films, to be looked down on and mercilessly mocked while elevating more masculine movies to prestige levels. Hopefully Barbie will be the movie that helps us see that "chick flicks" can be just as powerful and impactful as "dick flicks" and then help us reclaim hyperfemininity in our fight against the patriarchy.

After all, would it really be the worst thing in the world if the revolution was not only televised, but also pink?

Listen, if you laugh during this Barbie movie and it happens to make you question and effectively challenge the patriarchy, then all the better.

So will Barbie be that radical watershed movie that inspires a whole generation to believe that the future truly is female or will it just pay lip service to a feel-good you-go-girl message while still maintaining the status quo?

As with any seed we plant, the best we can do is nurture it, give it time, then wait and see what grows.

Come on, Barbie. Let's go party.

#barbie #margot robbie #kate mckinnon #issa rae #hari nef #alexandra shipp #emma mackey #dua lipa #and ken #ryan gosling #simu liu #kingsley ben adir #ncuti gatwa #kenergy #i am kenough #america ferrera #will ferrell #barbie movie #barbie 2023 #greta gerwig #noah baumbach #barbie girl #come on barbie let’s go party #barbenheimer

[madamudeeaaarr]

Unamused Lillian and her unusual momsy mari, this is for my runaways au and also because i wanted to try this hair pattern

The runaways AU

Premisse : gloria and mari join together to flee under bad circuntances and eventually become a couple who together raise a family in the incoming years while preparing for an unnavoidable confrontation with martin.

Basicly just a funny brainstorm i had the other day but liked too much to just let it go hehe.

Notes about my lesbian moms soap opera.

●1984

■ Gloria actually doest know about Martin's plans but decided to leave because of the abuse of her children.

■ Mari's Backstory is almost the same from her Google doc files minus the accident she later names Lillian.

■Gloria was going to ask for Arthur's help but with mari joining in and begging for her to not tell the truth she agrees to left him out of the plan.

■ the arrangement between them being that gloria will adopt the baby and raise it was her own child so mari can go back to her normal life after since the kid would still have a opportunity to be with one side of the family .( gloria is a aunt in this scenario and the greywhinder trio are the child's half siblings.)

■ The group leaves in secrecy gathering was much resources they can to hide was far is possible,changing identities in the process and cutting ties to relatives and friends.

■ this is what actually kickstarts martin's killing spree on this timeline with Arthur still being the first victim of 84.

■ they move into a apartament in a poor neighborhood and the family experiences a decline in quality of life with both gloria and mari being unnable to work thanks to the current situation.

■weeks passed before is safe enough to interact to other people but with the money ending gloria decides to try finding a job, on the meamtime she and mari start to get close to each other and interact like friends again.

■Gloria has no luck with anything stable but on her dairly journeys for odd temporary gigs she eventually make friends with some of people of the neighborhood and a few that actually share the same building in which her family is currently living,they actually help her out with a more frequent gig at a local bar during late night hours.

■Despite the difficulties Mari experiences with the changes going around she and Gloria began to growl closer to each other with Gloria showing support to Mari in a gesture of solidarity.

■ Mari eventually gets closer to the older siblings once she reconizes that they have been experiencing feelings about sudderly leaving their old home,similar to her own experiences back she was younger and her father died.

■ around the ending of 84 mari decides to confess to gloria about her feelings and after a while decides to actually stay the family once gloria tells her that she doest have plans to return and instead is going to file for a divorce and use the money for improving the kids lifes when is safe to reunite with Arthur and the rest of their families again.

●1985

■The news about the killing spree going on back at their old town and the death of Arthur finally reached the couple and they decided to drop the plans of contacting any relatives or friends for security,under the threat of the informations about them being leaked.

■This changes every plan the couple made for the future but amidst all the chaos and emotional turmoil they are currently facing,the family realizes that they are set for worst financial times with their reserves going close to be empty and mari near to be due.

■Gloria decided to make a plan for preparing for whatever can happens next with the little income she makes,she talks with mari and they both agreed to have mari's labor at home and to prioratize the money for the youngest children in the following months until mari is good conditions to work again.

■however not everything is bad news and some of gloria’s new friends decide to step in and give the couple support with the little they can help. (ex :babysitting,giving gloria’s extra gigs,helping mari when she's starts to have a harder time moving around and doing tasks.)

■when march comes mari has a daughter which they name Lillian.

■was expected the family struggles but was a sight of hope they figure out that they manage to live a whole year in safety.

●1986

■ the situation improves when Gloria finally gets a better job when the onwer of the bar presents her to one the older clients who is looking for people to work at a local journal,this and the older children going back to school leaves mari free again to going back to work and she takes gloria’s old gig at the bar since it gives her time to be at home.

■the news about the killings stop but with the reports of martin also stopping the couple can't help but to feel unease.

●1992

■ the family is going well and everything seems fine until a unexpected visit shows up turns our mari's brother now a young adult man decided to try to find the whereabouts of his half-sister.

■like his father the guy is actually good in finding clues for missing persons and all of evidence pointed to her still being alive.

■he finds the woman or course but what he doest expect is to found out that her new family just happens to be the missing greywhinders plus a bonus niece.

■also “arthur” is back and the harmony & play is now expanding and becoming a frachise brand to the terror of everyone.

What follows is a story of reconciliation,drama and bla bla bla hauting toys and shit.

#my art #fanart #harmony & horror #artists on tumblr #doodle #h&h #gloria greywhinder #mari faucher #Lillian Gardener #martin greywhinder #thomas greywhinder #macy greywhinder #ava greywhinder #the runaways au #harmony and horror oc #harmony and horror au

[kanerallels]

I promised @laughingphoenixleader that I would post this, so have a little story, beloved friend! Featuring a new OC that my girl @accidental-spice came up with!

“Kyle, DARLING!”

Kyle managed, shockingly, not to flinch at the ominously familiar, sing-song voice. Looking up briefly from his paperwork, his worst suspicions were confirmed at the sight of a tall woman, elegantly dressed, her hair dyed in vibrant streaks of blue and pink.

“Gloria,” he said evenly. “How was Belgium?”

Gloria Bartlett— undercover agent extraordinaire when she wasn’t Kyle’s partner— took a seat on the corner of Kyle’s desk, smiling widely. “Fabulous. Tried some waffles, took a tour of a few churches, and shot some people. How’s home been?”

“It’s been fine,” Kyle said, redirecting his attention to the paperwork in front of him. 

“Really? Just fine? Honestly, Kyle, you never give me any proper descriptions of things. What all happened? Is Andersen eating properly? Did Maryeme’s youngest get that part in the play? And what’s Ivan been up to?”

Without looking up, Kyle said, “More or less, yes, and he’s still single.”

“Rude,” Gloria huffed with annoyance. Kyle ignored it— everyone knew that Gloria and Ivan were head over heels for each other. With, of course, the exception of Gloria and Ivan. Kyle had long since elected to stay out of it. “Well, are there any cases I should know about?”

Kyle opened his mouth to tell her no— and then stopped. Because she was one of Andersen’s top agents, and his partner. So, technically, if anyone should know about this, it was her.

But he really, really didn’t want to tell her about it. And by it, he meant Kate.

Unfortunately, Gloria caught his hesitation, and arched an eyebrow at him. “Something you’d like to share?”

“We found an informant on Alban.”

Gloria’s eyes widened.

She’d been there, right next to him, when Andersen had found his family dead by Derek Alban’s hand. His wife and two daughters, killed brutally. Kyle shuddered internally at the memory. They both knew what catching Alban meant to Andersen.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “Tell me as much as you can.”

Kyle paused, collecting his thoughts. “Kate Davis. She’s a thief who was in a relationship with him. But he abandoned her after we caught her robbing one of the local senators.”

Nodding, Gloria said, “Good for her.”

“Not exactly,” Kyle said, “but I’m not going to argue that point with you right now. She’s given us a lot of intel on some of his previous crimes, and his hideouts. It’s turned out pretty well for us. We haven’t caught him yet, but we’ve brought in several of his men, caught a mole in the department, and we’re close to catching up with him.”

Gloria grinned. “That’s fabulous news. Then why so hesitant?”

She would notice that. “Um. It’s complicated. Kate is— that is, I—”

“Good afternoon, Gloria.”

Andersen’s mild voice cut through Kyle’s stammering, and they both looked up to see their boss holding a mug of tea. “I take it Kyle’s giving you his news?”

“He’s trying to,” Gloria said, side-eyeing Kyle.

Chuckling, Andersen said, “Cut him some slack. Telling you he got married while you were gone can’t be easy.”

Oh boy. Kyle winced as Gloria’s jaw dropped.

“You did WHAT? Wait— oh, wow. Oh, stars. Kyle, did you fall in love with a criminal?”

“No,” Kyle said, his voice sharper than it should have been. “It’s not like that, she needed help.”

“So you married her?” Gloria said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “So logical.”

“It’s not—” Kyle cut himself off, taking a deep breath. “Okay. I’m going to explain this to you in three sentences, and then you’re going to go away and let me finish my paperwork.”

“I will make no such promise. But give it a shot.”

“She’s pregnant with Derek Alban’s child.” Kyle saw Gloria’s eyes go wide, and continued. “She didn’t want him to find out and use the baby as leverage, so I offered to pretend to be the baby’s father, and marrying her is what I would do if it was real. Now please go away.”

Gloria stared at him, her mouth open, for a long moment. Then, hopping to her feet, she said, “I see where this is going. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go ask Ivan and Maryeme for the tea about this situation. Later.”

“Gloria—” Kyle groaned as she sailed away, looking delighted. Well, that can’t possibly go badly.

#kyvis #kyle chambers #gloria barlett #my ocs #writing stories is a kind of magic too

[daenysthedreamer101]

Youngest Original ~ TVDU

Ch 1 - The End of The Affair

Mikaelson!OC

Warnings: mentions of blood, murder, injury, death, usual TVD shenanigans, female OC, Klaus being a bad brother lol

Corresponding episode: TVD 3x3

Masterlist

Prologue

Chicago, 2010

"Welcome back to Chicago, Stefan," Klaus says as they exit the car. Stefan gets out of the car, confused as to why they're here. 

"What are we doing here?" He asks as Klaus opens the door of the storage room. 

"I know how much you loved it here. Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?" Klaus asks rhetorically. 

"Blacked out most of them," Stefan admits. "Lot of blood, lot of partying. The details are all a blur." He adds. 

"Well, that is a crying shame. The details are what make it legend." Klaus says. 

~

Chicago, 1920s

Stefan gets out of the car wiping off the blood from his lips, and walks over to the back door of the club. He knocks and the bouncer lets him in. He walks through the hallway and walks into the club full of life and music. He looks around -  Champagne, lights, pearls, people dancing on the dance floor...He puts his hands on the handrails and looks at the singer on stage.  

"Guess who my eyes just spied, ladies? Looking for a good time, Mr. Salvatore?" The woman asks.

"Save me a dance, Gloria," Stefan says with a smile as he walks down the stairs. He sees a waiter walking with a champagne glass and he goes to take it, but a woman grabs it right in front of him. 

"Oh. Please, help yourself." He says sarcastically. She turns around and looks at him. She's wearing a pretty flapper dress with pearls decorating her neck. She has white gloves on her hands and her blonde hair is done to perfection. 

"Oh, I always do." She says with a smirk on her lips and a sparkle in her blue eyes. She walks over to him and licks his lips.

 "Careful, Mr. Salvatore. You're still wearing your date. She's lovely." She whispers to him and starts walking away. 

"No, no. Who are you?" He pulls her back to him. She just puts a finger over her mouth and walks away. Stefan looks at her bewildered as she sits down in a booth next to a pretty brunette. They whisper something to each other and giggle as they look in his direction.

~

"Chicago was magical," Klaus says.

"Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it. Like I said, I don't remember most of it." Stefan responds.

"Down to business, then?" Klaus asks sarcastically.

"Why am I still with you? We had our fun, your hybrids failed. I mean, don't you wanna move on?" Stefan asked.

"We're going to see my favorite witch," Klaus answered. "If anyone can help us with our hybrids problem...it's her." He added and got in the car. 

~

1920s - Rebekah's POV

Rebekah was dancing on the dance floor with a man. She was trying to enjoy the music and the atmosphere but it was becoming increasingly difficult because Stefan and his rowdy group of friends were being loud and annoying. 

She could hear her sister huffing in annoyance somewhere behind her. She turned around and made eye contact with her younger sister who was also dancing. Her sister pointed to Stefan with her head and Rebekah knew what she had to do. 

"Sorry to crash the fun boys, but some of us actually came here to hear the music, not you." She told Stefan and his group of friends. 

"Oh. I'm so sorry sweetheart. Are we offending you?" Stefan asks in mock concern. His friends laugh. 

She smiled and walked up to Stefan. "It'd take a lot more than a baby face like this to offend me." She responded and headed back for the dance floor. Stefan once again pulls her back.

"Hey. Are you ever gonna tell me your name? " He asks. 

"Sure. When you earn it. Now do Gloria a favor and stick a sock in it." She told him and went back to search for her sister.

She found her sister sitting in one of the booths, sipping on champagne. "He likes you." Her sister broke the silence. Rebekah rolled her eyes. 

"Kassie..." She started but was cut off. 

"Bekah..." Kassandra teased with a smile. "And you fancy him back. Don't you?"

Bekah just smiled and refused to look at her sister. 

"See. You're blushing." Kassie continued teasing. Rebekah slapped her arm teasingly.

"Where's Klaus? I haven't seen him this whole evening." She asked her sister. Kassie just sighed and chugged down the rest of her champagne. 

"I don't know. Eating an innocent girl, I assume." Her sister answered with disdain in her voice. 

~

Klaus and Stefan walk into Gloria's old bar which still works, 90 years later. "Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Klaus asks as they look around the bar. 

"I can't believe this place is still here," Stefan responds. Then, the owner of the bar, Gloria, comes out. 

"I remember you." She says to the two vampires. 

"Yeah...You're Gloria." Stefan says, shocked that the woman is still alive. "Shouldn't you be..."

"Old and dead? Now If I die who's gonna run this place, huh?" She responds with sarcasm. 

"Gloria's a very powerful witch," Klaus adds. 

"I can slow the aging down some. Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day." She tells them. 

Klaus tells Stefan to go behind the bar and pour them something to drink. "You look ravishing by the way." He compliments the witch. 

"Don't." She waves him off. "I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids? That kind of news travels." She tells him as they sit down at a table. 

"So what am I doing wrong?" Klaus asks. "I broke the curse." From behind the bar, Stefan eavesdrops on their conversation with his supernatural hearing. 

"Obviously you did something wrong. Look, every spell has a loophole. But a curse that old, we'd have to contact the witch who created it." Gloria informs Klaus. 

"Well, that would be the Original witch. She's very dead." Klaus comments.

"I know. And for me to contact her, I'll need help." Gloria says. Stefan sees a picture on the wall as he's pouring drinks. He picks it up to examine it. 

"Bring me Rebekah." She says to Klaus.

"Rebekah. Rebekah is a bit... preoccupied." He tells Gloria. 

"She has what I need. Bring her to me." Gloria responds. 

"What is this?" Stefan asks as he points to the black and white photo in his hands. In the photo are Klaus and Stefan, together. 

~

"This doesn't make any sense. Why don't I remember you?" Stefan asked Klaus as they entered the storage room where Klaus kept his sibling's coffins. Klaus tries to avert Stefan's questions but Stefan grabs him and demands an explanation. 

"Let's just say we didn't get off to a brilliant start. To be honest, I hated you." Klaus says.

Klaus then tells Stefan of how they first met and how Stefan knew Klaus's sister. "Your sister? So I knew another Original vampire?" Stefan asked. Klaus smirked at him.

"If you can't handle it, then don't ask," Klaus says and walks over to one of the coffins. He opened it and inside was his sister, Rebekah, gray and desiccated with a dagger in her heart. Klaus looked fondly at her and caressed her cheek. 

"I don't recognize her," Stefan confessed. 

"Don't tell her that. Rebekah's temper's worse than mine." Klaus says and removes the dagger from his sister's heart. "Time to wake up, little sister." 

"Any day now, Rebekah. She's just being dramatic." Klaus comments. 

"Look why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on? I mean you obviously want me here for a reason, right?" Stefan asks Klaus as they both look at Rebekah. 

"Well, you have many useful talents. In fact, I learned some of my favorite tricks from you." Klaus informs Stefan.

~

1920s - Stefan's POV

"So Stefan, enlighten me. What makes you worthy of an Original like my sister? She's pure vampire and you're no more than a diluted bloodline." Klaus asks him as they all sit in a booth. Next to Stefan was Rebekah and next to Klaus was a beautiful girl named Kassandra and she was also an Original.

"Don't listen to him, Stefan. Nik's an elitist." Rebekah says to him as Klaus smirks and puts his arms around Kassandra who just chuckled at Klaus's words. 

"And where's the rest of your family?" He asks Klaus. 

"Well, let's see. Um, I killed most of them." Klaus stated matter-of-factly. 

"But not all," Rebekah remarked with a pout. 

"And you're ok with that?" Stefan asked her.

"Well, we all had the chance to choose a side. I chose the right one, eventually." Rebekah said and grabbed Klaus's hand. 

"And you? What about you?" Stefan turned his attention to the pretty brunette who was wearing a pale green dress and was looking down at her nails.

"Me? Well, I was always on the right side. Wasn't I, Nik?" She asked rhetorically and leaned closer to Klaus who kissed her temple and smiled at her. The girl gave Rebekah a side glance and smirked at her and Rebekah just rolled her eyes. 

They were then approached by a man who accused Stefan of being inappropriate with his wife and demanded to know where his wife was. Stefan Stefan told him to sit down and called for his wife.

When the woman, Lila, sat down, Stefan compelled her to cut herself and poured her blood into a glass. After dismissing the woman he compelled the man to drink his wife's blood.

~

"I was your number one fan," Klaus told Stefan as they walked toward the exit of the storage room. 

"Why should I believe any of this?" Stefan asks. Klaus compels the guard of the storage room to inform Rebekah to go to Gloria's bar and to offer himself to Rebekah as food when she wakes up.

"We know each other. You trusted me with one of your secrets. Now I'm gonna prove it to you." Klaus tells Stefan and informs him they're going to Stefan's old apartment. 

~

After visiting Stefan's old apartment, the two vampires went back to Gloria's bar. "Where's Rebekah?" Gloria asked them as she handed them both a bottle of beer.

"She'll be here. I can't just conjure her on demand." Klaus answered as he took a sip. He turns to Stefan and asks him what's wrong.

"This is why you asked me to be your wingman? Because you like the way I tortured innocent people." Stefan comments.

"Well, that's certainly half of it," Klaus says as he grabs a bottle.

"And what's the other half?" Stefan asked, curious.

"The other half, Stefan...is that you used to want to be my wingman," Klaus informed the other man as he poured them a drink. 

~

1920s - Klaus's POV

Stefan passes Klaus a shot. Klaus chugs it down in one go. "They're jealous. Your family wants you dead because they can never be what you are." Stefan says to him. 

"What? An abomination?" Klaus asks with self-loathing lacing his voice. 

"No...a king." Stefan corrects him and they both laugh. 

"Look at us. Two sad orphans." Klaus jokes. Stefan looks up where Rebekah and Kassandra are standing and talking. Rebekah looks down at Stefan.

"My sister fancies you, you know," Klaus informs Stefan who hums in acknowledgment. 

"But I should warn you, Rebekah doesn't do anything half-speed. That includes falling in love. Just be careful. She's totally mad." He tells Stefan and both men laugh. 

"I appreciate the advice," Stefan says as he takes another shot. 

"And when the point comes when she inevitably leaves you...she can't help it, it's just who she is, don't let your heart do anything stupid," Klaus adds.

Stefan thinks for a second then asks. "What about your other sister? Am I not her type or what?"

Klaus ponders the question and looks up at his youngest sister and sibling. "Kassandra is...more reserved, shall we say? She guards her heart viciously. It will take more than a handsome face for her to fall in love." He explains to Stefan who is now also looking at the beautiful brunette. She looks down at Stefan and gives him a small, polite smile.

"She knows that, sooner or later, she will have to let go. So, instead of going through an inevitable heartbreak, she lets no one in. She's different from Rebekah in that sense." Klaus adds. A silence falls between two men.

"You know what? You're a good friend, Nik. I'm glad I met you." Stefan says to him and raises his glass for Klaus. 

~

"So, I'm confused. If we were such great friends, then why do I only know you as the hybrid dick who sacrificed my girlfriend on an altar of fire? Huh?" Stefan asked. 

Klaus smiled. "All good things must come to an end."

~

1920s - Kassandra's POV

She and her older brother were sitting at a table while Rebekah was on the dance floor with Stefan. "Are you sure you don't want to dance, love?" Klaus asks her. She looks at him and shakes her head with a smile. 

"No, I'm good. But thank you for asking." She tells him as she plays with the pearls around her neck. "But it seems Bekah's having a fun time." She remarks with a smirk. They both look at Rebekah who is happily dancing with Stefan.

Then, the smile from Klaus's face disappeared and was replaced by a seriousness that only meant one thing - danger. "What is it, Klaus?" She asked him but he didn't respond. He looked around like he was searching for someone. 

"CHICAGO POLICE!" All of a sudden a rain of bullets falls over the bar. Klaus chugs his drink and grabs Kassie's arm as they move away from the table. She tries to look for Rebekah but can't seem to locate her in the frenzy. 

"Rebekah! Come on, we gotta go, sweetheart!" Klaus yelled across the bar as he kept a tight grip on Kassie's arm. Bekah appeared from behind the bar and Klaus grabbed her as well. Stefan asked what was going on but got no answer.

Klaus yells at both of them to go and pushes Bekah toward Kassie. "Come on, Bex!" Kassie says and grabs her sister and together they run out of the club, neither of them noticing that Rebekah's special necklace fell off of her in a hurry. What they also didn't witness was Klaus compelling Stefan to forget all three of them. 

~

"You compelled me to forget," Stefan said as Klaus finished telling him the story.

"It was time for my sisters and I to move on. Better to have a clean slate." Klaus admitted and chugged another shot. 

"But why?" Stefan wondered out loud. "You shouldn't have to cover your tracks. Unless you're running from someone." Stefan pieced the pieces of the puzzle together. 

"Story time's over," Klaus says and turns away. Stefan then turns his head left and sees his brother Damon at the other side of the bar. 

"I need another drink. A real one." Stefan says and walks out after his brother. 

Outside of the bar, Stefan warns Damon that he has to get Elena out of Chicago, lest Klaus finds out that Elena's survival is the reason why all of his hybrids failed. Damon leaves for the club to distract Klaus while Stefan talks to Elena. 

Elena tries to get Stefan to come back home, but Stefan refuses, telling her that her plan isn't gonna work. In the meantime, Klaus tries to kill Damon but is stopped by Gloria. 

Elena argues that this situation is the same as it was when Lexi found him in the 1920s and helped him. 

"And do you know what I did after that? I spent 30 years trying to pull myself together. To a vampire that's nothing. To you, that's half your life." Stefan says to Elena. She says that she won't give up on him.

"I don't wanna see you. I don't wanna be with you. I just want you to go." He tells her and walks away, leaving Elena heartbroken.

~

Klaus is back in the storage room where he kept all his coffins. He noticed that Rebekah's was empty meaning that she had awakened. He also noted the dead guard on the floor, further cementing the fact that Rebekah was now awake.

"Rebekah. It's your big brother. Come out, come out wherever you are." He said in a sing-song voice when all of sudden Rebekah appeared from nowhere and stabbed Klaus with the dagger.

~

1920s - Kassandra's POV

"Hurry up, Rebekah. Let's go." Klaus said as he opened the door of the truck. 

"He'll be here any second," Rebekah said as she looked out, waiting. 

"Do you wanna die? We've been found. We need to move." Klaus said to his younger sister.

"Not without Stefan," Rebekah said, refusing to move. Klaus told her Stefan was not coming. 

"What did you do?" Rebekah asked with tears in her eyes.

"Come on. We don't have time for one of your tantrums." Klaus said and grabbed Rebekah by her arm but she pulled away. 

"I don't want to run anymore Nik! All we do is run. I want to be with Stefan." Rebekah admitted. 

"Fine, then choose. Him or us?" Klaus says. Rebekah looked at him and Kassie. 

"Bekah, he's not worth it. Please, let's just get into the truck and go. Please." Kassandra pleaded with her older sister. Rebekah closed her eyes, not wanting to answer. 

"That's what I thought. Get in the truck. Let's go." Klaus said as he put his hand on Kassie's back and guided her toward the truck. 

"Goodbye, Nik," Bekah said. Kassie turned around in shock. There's no way Bekah was choosing Stefan over them!

"Bekah, you can't be serious. Him over us? Please, Bekah, just get in the truck. I beg you, please let's just-" She tried reasoning with Bekah but her words were cut short when Klaus daggered Rebekah out of nowhere, shocking Kassie. 

"Oh my god! Rebekah!" Kassie screamed as her sister's body became grey and desiccated and fell to the ground. She looked at Nik with tears in her eyes.

"How could you!? How could you!?" She yelled at him as tears fell down her face. He grabbed her forearms.

"You better get in the truck, now, or you'll be next. Do you understand me?" Klaus threatened. She looked up at him with rage and anger in her eyes, but ultimately she obeyed him, as she always did. 

~

Klaus pulled the dagger out of his heart. "Don't pout. You knew it wouldn't kill me." He said to a now awakened Rebekah.  

"No, but I was hoping it would hurt more," Bekah replied cooly. 

"I understand that you're upset with, Rebekah...so I'm gonna let that go, just this once. I brought you a little peace offering." Klaus tells her and then he tells someone to come in.

"Stefan..." Bekah whispered, shocked. 

"Now, you remember," Klaus says to Stefan who suddenly gained back all his memories from the 20s. 

"Rebekah..." Stefan said as he looked at the girl.

"Gloria tells me you know how to contact the Original witch," Klaus says as he walks over to his sister. "What do you have that Gloria needs?" He asks her. At that, Rebekah touches her neck. 

"Where's my necklace? What did you do with it? I never take it off." Rebekah asked with panic in her voice. Stefan gulps, knowing exactly where the necklace is. 

"Tell me that's not what she needs, Rebekah!" Klaus yells at her. She pushes him off and sprints to her coffin to search for her necklace. When she doesn't find it, she pushes her coffin and screams in frustration. 

***

We see Kassie in a flashback! We won't see her in person for a couple of chapters, but I tried establishing her as a character and her relationships with other people so that you have a sense of who she is before we officially meet her. Hope you enjoyed it.

If you haven't already, you can read the prologue I already posted. The link is at the top.

Thank you so much for reading, If you have any opinions feel free to share!

💓💓💓

#the vampire diaries #original vampire #vampire diaries #the originals #the mikaelsons #mikaelson family #finn mikaelson #elijah mikaelson #klaus mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #kol mikaelson #kassandra mikaelson #fem oc #my original characters #my oc stuff #liv tyler #fancast #mystic falls #tvdu #tvd universe #tvd aesthetic #stefan salvatore #tvd fanfiction #the originals fanfiction

[brostateexam]

The Vega family sticks to a series of busy stations on the 7 line, traveling together at set times in the mornings and evenings and keeping tabs on one another’s movements during the day through audio messages in WhatsApp group chats. There are other Ecuadoran families working the subway, many of them high-school-age girls like Gloria with infants strapped to their backs in bedsheets or shawls or with young children beside them on foot. Sometimes, the younger children themselves — 5, 8, 11 years old — are doing the selling. “Cómpreme un chicle, un chocolate, cómpreme,” they say quietly (“Buy a piece of gum, a chocolate”). Or “Ayúdeme, por favor, con una compra” (“Help me, please, by buying something”). Others approach potential customers without saying anything at all.

Like Gloria, most of the candy sellers are Kichwa-speaking Indigenous people from Ecuador’s rural central highlands. They are part of the largest wave of Ecuadoran migration to the U.S. since the turn of the century: In January, for the first time, Ecuadorans were more common than any other nationality of migrants detained by Mexican authorities. Whole families are fleeing a country mired in a socioeconomic crisis, driven by radical cuts to public spending and an overwhelmed health-care system still recovering from the pandemic. More than a quarter of the population lives in poverty, and in many regions gangs and drug cartels have fueled a surge in violence; on August 9, a presidential candidate was killed on the campaign trail in Quito. Some 12,000 encounters with Ecuadoran migrants were reported by the U.S. along the southern border in November 2022 alone, a nearly 20-fold increase over the year before.

In New York, asylum seekers have struggled to find space in the city’s shelter system, which currently houses 57,000 undocumented new arrivals, outnumbering the homeless population for the first time. Earlier this month, hundreds of migrants had to sleep on the street when the city couldn’t find beds for them. “We are past our breaking point,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “New Yorkers’ compassion may be limitless, but our resources are not.” Migrants have saturated the city’s informal labor markets — including construction, restaurant, and domestic work — and rents even for shared rooms in overcrowded houses have soared. Families can’t meet their basic needs.

“We’ve all recently arrived, and we don’t have the money even to afford diapers,” Gloria said. On the best days, most candy sellers don’t earn much more than $80. “Some people are nice and tell you to keep the change, and some people will give you money without asking for anything in return.” On the worst days — hot or rainy days when fewer people are commuting — hardly anyone buys at all.

The youngest working children in the Vega family, about half a dozen cousins between 4 and 14 years old, stay on one of the platforms all day, supervised by an adult — usually Gloria’s mother, Juana, a middle-aged woman who speaks Kichwa with her daughters, who typically respond in Spanish. Month after month, the children work throughout the weekday. Even if their parents might want to put them in school, they know a simple truth: Children sell more.

#long reads

[pokeracer93]

Didn’t know that I had more ability fan kids did ya, But in a nutshell, they come from my faller Ketchum au, where Ash and Anabel both get eeby deebied from the anime verse to the game verse, this idea was originally from my Sword nuzlock of making a fan kid in game but of course the more I thought about it and no sooner after reworking and tweaking the final details it became its own AU.

Staring:

Lila Sato Ketchum; upper right

The eldest twin to her brother Leon, she energetic,enthusiastic,strong willed and a bit brash like her father, but nether the less she has the capability to befriend people and Pokemon. She currently the flying type gym leader in Hammerlock after Raihan was promoted to Galar’s newly formed elite four.

Leon Paul Ketchum; upper left

The younger twin of his sister Lila, he’s laid back, calm, headstrong, smart, and can be blunt, like his mother. Leon is a bit formal compared to his sister but has a tendency to prefer to stick to him self and his Pokemon, he currently works in the Galar league as part of the official staff, often enforcing rules and regulations, much to his sibling’s Lila and Tristan chagrin.

Kari Delia Ketchum; lower right

The overall middle child of the family and current student at the blueberry academy in the Unova region,Kari was a shut in and loner even more than her older brother. Until one day while doing solo research a space time distortion rift opened in the academy’s terrarium ,before she can react Kari fell in the rift and landed in Hisui. After some crazy shenanigans and some much needed self confidence building with her ancestor Malt Catcher Kari returned home a much different young lady now fully confident of her self and abilities.

Tristan Ayrton Ketchum; lower left

the second youngest of the Ketchums and the current champion of the Galar region *though he’s likes to keep a low profile about it.* after taking the title from both Gloria and Victor. The latter being surprisingly tougher than expected. However it always been that way similarly like his older sister he had self esteem issues,had trouble making friends,and was considered a nerd and geek by his peers especially since he and his younger brother attended the famous Mesagoza Academy. But interestingly enough he’s surprisingly a good cook in his family, Galarian curry is his specialty.

Trowa Lei Ketchum; center

And finally the youngest of the Ketchum siblings Trowa, a student of the Mesagoza Academy, he was sorted in to Naranja house while his older brother Tristan was sorted in to Uva house, a relatively quiet but curious kid mainly due to being raised in Kitakami island as the Ketchums reside there. Trowa felt a bit overwhelmed at first arriving in Paldea even when his brother was enrolled way before him but luckily for him his home room teacher Ms. Juliana was able to help him fit into the academy. How ever don’t let his age fool you he just as capable as a trainer like his siblings and parents.

#pokemon #pkmn fankids #Abilityshipping #Lila Ketchum #Leon Ketchum #Kari Ketchum #Tristan Ketchum #Trowa Ketchum #faller Ketchum AU

[fanficwriter284]

BECAUSE BENNY AND CHELSEA!

(I’ve had this in the drafts so…I thought why not put it out there. It’s a short mini fic)

Gloria belongs to @twyz

It was a late afternoon, autumn leaves beginning to settle, a few crunching beneath two sets of kids feet. The set belonging to none other that the youngest Ray, Chelsea and her best friend Benny Adler. He was a bit nervous since Chelsea had invited him over to her house to work on a school project. He had been there once and had met her parents and the twins. Both seemed good and jolly…well Tiffany and Glen did, Chucky and Glenda had been yelling at each other arguing if water was wet or not, but there was one sibling he had yet to meet, Chelsea’s older sister Gloria. Gloria seemed nice from what he heard or more so interpreted from sign, from Chelsea. He hadn’t got to meet her since Gloria was volunteering at the schools Gardening Club after school.

The two entered the Ray house hold it was calm for once, Chucky sitting reading the novel Frankenstein sipping a warm cup of joe as his eyes traveled across the page.

“Oh hey kids. Welcome back Ben”

Benny stared for a moment reading the man’s lips before realizing he could simply flick his hearing aids on.

“H-Hi Mr. Ray…Nice seeing you again”

“Likewise kid”

“Pa we’ll be upstairs working”

Chucky’s eyes fell right back to his book, not really paying any mind to his surroundings.

“Alright Sweetheart have fun”

The two kids scurried off upstairs to Chelsea’s room. The room was neat, the walls painted a light periwinkle with one stuffed bear sitting upright on her bed.

Benny searched aimlessly for the paints until he grew bored of digging through Chelsea art bag. Lifting his two hands he signed to her.

“Hey Chelsea where are the paints?”

Chelsea couldn’t help but Chuckle at her own negligence.

“Sorry Benny! I left them in Gloria’s room. Could you go grab them please? Her rooms right across from mine”

The youngin simple froze, his feet let cement, he was terrified of entering new places especially that of someone he has never met. He tried to deny her ask but Chelsea had already been off drawing out the foundation…Now he couldn’t say no. Inhaling a great amount of air he pressed forward quickly exhaling, he gave a soft knock, waited for a moment and entered since he couldn’t hear if there was a given response. The room had been covered with paints and plant life, an art easel at the side of the room right by the window next to a large wooden desk where paintings had been drying off. He took a set closer noticing opened paint tubes and a canvas having a familiar looking canine painted on it.

Benny grinned at the sight of a fluffy Beau belly up taking a sun bath on Gloria’s carpet enjoying the warmth and comfort with his slobbery tongue hanging from his mouth. The young boy jolted feeing a light tapping on his shoulder, he flinched falling backward on his rear.

“Oh sorry!”

He took a moment to recollect himself seeing a fair skinned, lightly freckled girl, with hair similar to Chelsea’s only longer and lighter with a light blonde hue at the end. The boy could only reply with the sign “sorry” continuously before finding his voice.

“I—Its o—okay…s—sorry…I—I’m B—Benny”

The quickly jumped to his feet extending his left hand. It hadn’t crossed his mind that Gloria was most likely Right-handed unlike him and Chelsea. Much it his relief she gently too his hand she shook it.

“Gloria and you’re Chelsea’s friend. She’s told me a lot about you”

The youngster could only blush at her response. The mere thought that Chelsea talks about him to her sister, someone who she trusts with his life was baffling.

“Don’t worry all good things”

The whole commotion and conversation had awoken the snoozing wolf-dog, he stood shaking off his fluffy body sending fur flying everywhere and making a loud exit downstairs.

“Damnit Beau I just dusted, so what being you in here?”

“Um well…C-Chelsea a-and I are d-doing a p-project a-and we need paint….so-“

“Oh right! Here! She left her kit in my room yesterday” she gleefully responded hoisting the peck into his arms.

“T—Thank you a—and nice meeting you”

Gloria could only grin at his shy demeanor.

“Likewise”

#Benny Adler #Gloria Ray #Chelsea Ray #Chucky #Beau Ray

[kit-williams]

40k and D&D crossover Lion El'Jonson

Let's start off in order with Lion El'Jonson Will probably be just as disjointed and chaotic as the initial post

After splitting off from his brothers became a wandering mercenary/sell sword as he did not find exactly a place to call his own

Has a fey horse with 6 legs that can carry his weight

Magnus gave his brother rings to hide their true size but they are all still 7ft to 8ft tall (this is a plot point I'm going back and forth on as a bunch of 9ft tall men wouldn't be super out of place but I also know like Vulcan and Magnus are some of the taller ones) ((Feedback on this would be great))

Eventually the man ends up looking like his current 40k self (I really like the facial hair)

He is still secretive and only slightly less taciturn

After meeting his wife he is slightly less secretive and taciturn with his brothers and really only opens up to her.

He ends up working for a right bastard of a man but the pay is good and his reputation continues to grow and well no one else can seem to pay him off to switch sides.

This is where he eventually meets his wife. Gloria (Her name is up for debate as Gloria will either be her name or Konrad's wife's name.)

Gloria is a handmaiden of the lord, but her position was less than desirable as she was a bedwarmer for the lord. But she likes to call herself a hand maiden to have some dignity.

She was directed to help Ser Lion/Ser Jonson with anything that he needed which the noble figured would be "companionship"

Lion enjoyed Gloria's company as the way she dressed and spoke reminded him of Caliban maidens.

She eventually came clean with what she was after she felt like Ser Lion should not embarrass himself by calling a glorified whore "little dove"

"Lady Gloria I care little of what you are for others but to me you are my 'little dove' ." The words rumbled out of his chest smoothly. "Do not try to impress me with your acts of chivalry Ser Lion. I need not your pity!" Gloria snaps back, hot tears in her eyes. "Little Dove," He rumbled as he leaned down to be eye level with her, "I would not be talking this much if I felt only pity or just pure lust."

Has played enough political games to figure out who is given as a reward and who isn't; Of course he still felt insulted that this poor woman had basically been thrown at him for him to use.

However... Lion El'Jonson wasn't exactly complaining either

Eventually gets fed up with the Liege lord he is serving and decides to part ways but because of his tryst with Gloria he refuses to leave her behind

One evening when he is going to leave he jumps down, in full armor, onto the balcony of her room as he requested her and she was getting ready. This is also more impressive as he landed silently. He tells her to gather her things and that they were leaving. He wasn't going to leave his dove behind.

Had to kiss her after he grabbed her and lept from the balcony to keep her from screaming and alerting the whole castle to their escape.

Him and Gloria have 4 children Eldest son Luthor El'Jonson (this is the son we will follow) Eldest daughter Isolda El'Jonson Second daughter Gwendolyn El'Jonson Youngest son Asmodai El'Jonson

He will call his sons his squires and his daughters princesses

~NSFW~

He adores her wit and the way she gets a crude mouth when he pushes her buttons showing that she was not a noblewoman at all and just trained to be what she is.

Seduced his wife with less than knightly flirtations

My man will most certainly get pussydrunk

He is very much touch starved and affection starved (Like most of the Primarchs)

Will get emotional the first few times with her as she also made him feel loved

Gloria has scars on her arms and back from times others felt she was too mouthy and punished her. She just has a bad habit of having to have the last word or to add her own comment to a situation and it's bitten her in the ass, Lion enjoys it as she is respectful but still willful.

He loves his wife as besides being a guide for him in this new place she is something for him to pour all of his attention into as he's never had a woman and him just being a fragment of a full soul allows him to explore his desires.

#warhammer 40k #drabble #Lion El'Jonson #D&D #crossover #Primarchs #Au #Warhammer x D&D crossover

[thegroovywitch]

Discover Jimmy Page

The very beginnings: London's youngest session musician

from pageysartgallery

The very beginning of Jimmy Page’s studio career goes all the way back to 60 years ago, at the start of the 1960s, when a 17 year old Jimmy, following two years of touring with Neil Christian and his band The Crusaders, recorded various tracks with them. The most notable of these is the single "The Road To Love", released in 1962:

During one of his many performances at the Marquee Club, he was spotted by John Gibb of Brian Howard & the Silhouettes, who asked him to help record some singles for Columbia Graphophone Company. My personal favourite is "The Worryin’ Kind", a fast-paced rock and roll number:

Jimmy was offered regular session work by Mike Leander of Decca Records. His first ever session for the label was "Diamonds", an instrumental track which reached #1 on the singles chart.

“In the initial stages they just said, play what you want, cause at that time I couldn't read music or anything.”

- Jimmy Page

In his early career as a session musician, Page has played with a large number of artists. You may want to check out his work with The Who, The Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull, Donovan and Them. Here are some of my favourite tracks from those sessions:

On these two 1964 Kinks tracks, he's credited as playing acoustic twelve-string guitar

He plays rythm guitar on the notorious Who single "I Can't Explain"

...and lead guitar on "Bald Headed Woman"

Some more iconic tracks from that time period include:

Around this time, he also released his first ever solo single, an upbeat pop rock track which has him playing all the instruments except the drums as well as singing lead... Something that has never happened again since (he does have a pretty, slightly raspy voice despite him claiming many times that he can't sing):

Suggested album:

The Maureeny Wishfull Album (1968), recorded and composed with his session days "rival" Big Jim Sullivan.

There aren’t any filmed live performances available from this time period, so I’m linking this adorable performance from 1957, playing in a skiffle band when he was only 13 years of age:

AND how could I not include some video footage of Jimmy walking to the studio on a regular day of session work?

Gallery:

“I finally called it quits after I started getting calls to do Muzak. I decided I couldn’t live that life any more; it was getting too silly. I guess it was destiny that a week after I quit doing sessions Paul Samwell-Smith left the Yardbirds and I was able to take his place. But being a session musician was good fun in the beginning – the studio discipline was great. They’d just count the song off and you couldn’t make any mistakes.”

- Jimmy Page

#jimmy page #led zeppelin #the yardbirds #robert plant #john paul jones #john bonham #classic rock #rock #pagey #led zep #60s #pageysartgallery #Spotify #Youtube #by dee dee 🌺🕯️ #discover jp #my writing

[abloginnameonly]

Day 6

@oc-tober2023

(Cool Girl Autumn players don't look* ;p <3 )

Prison

This was good. This was exciting! Gloria smoothed her jittery hands over the pale blue crochet lace that covered her body - dwarven craft in elven wedding color. She’d been blushing so much this morning that her face almost hurt from it. Her parents were so happy; their youngest daughter already married at thirty-eight, and to a lord no less! No one would dream of saying it aloud, but this would help take care of their humble family as well as Gloria. 

It had been a chance encounter and a smooth courtship. He’d seen Gloria hanging laundry with her sisters and been so struck by her that he came all the way back the next day to call on her, filled with assurances that he intended nothing untoward. He took her on chaperoned carriage rides, brought small gifts to the family, and looked at her when she spoke like he was waiting for the day that he could swallow her up in his arms. 

That was in the spring. Now, almost a year later, was the closest they’d ever been, and the first time they’d been truly alone together. Just an hour before they would be married. The wind outside whipped snow furiously against the temple window and Gloria shivered. She’d thought the snow would make for a beautiful backdrop, but it seemed the weather was darkening into a storm. 

“Am I hurting you?”

Gloria raised her eyes to the mirror, ready to assure him, but her breath caught at the person she saw. 

Lord Deloxia - Miles, as she should be calling him - had spoken to her parents extensively about the ceremony, making sure that both of their cultures’ traditions could be melded into something to truly bind them together and promised that he'd been practicing his braids. What Gloria saw now was not entirely recognizable to either. The dwarven braids were altered under his feather-light touch to accommodate his elven heritage with fine silver beads worked throughout and framed her in an altogether unique way. Many - most - of the braids related to Miles, given that he had a much more illustrious family history to present, and she felt important, included, to now be able to include such nobility as her own. 

“No, of course not,” Gloria shook her head and the tittering of beads drowned out the ice and snow falling outside. “It’s…perfect.” 

Outside the door, she could hear music shift into its third segment, indicating their time to separate before the ceremony. The Miles in the mirror smiled and rested his slender hands on her shoulders, warmth sinking in through the thin cloth. 

“This is the last time you’ll be without me,” he promised.

She was so lucky. 

#*except magnus of course #oc-tober #oc-tober2023 #gloria #this will be totally fine for her #obviously #:]

[zelenxa]

A little account revamp! Interested in showing off my Ultimate Decades Challenge save file (though I am absolutely terrible at storytelling and just barely started using Tumblr again so bare with me), so here I am doing just that. I’ll be posting a lot more frequently. Hopefully at least.

I’m currently in the year 1321, but here’s a little introduction to the main household (out of three that) I’m playing with, and how the last 18 years of the Kensington family line have turned out (1300-1318). Here are my Gen 1 heirs, Marci and Esteban Kensington. They married in 1299 -- a few years after the death of Marci's parents, Gabriela and Arturo Lottway. Marci and Esteban birthed six (currently living) kids and unfortunately died a few months apart due to the Great Famine.

In total the two birthed ten kids. Marci was a loyal but hotheaded sim -- a trait many of her kids inherited. She was a kind person to many, particularly hated her aunt, Gloria Beaumont, for how she treated her mother before death, and managed motherhood beautifully after the birth of the twins. Esteban was a family-oriented sim who, while strict, loved his kids and loved gardening just a smidge more. He was also a glutton. As you can imagine, going through a period of time where hunger was a constant, and gardening was unavailable, was a challenge for Esteban (and a real nuance for me). Let's talk about the Kensington kids.

Both fraternal twins, Emiliano and Haven are left to care for their four younger siblings, Emil, Maerwynn, Laurance, and baby Marciella II, at just fifteen years old. The pressure they both feel to take care of their family is immense. Emiliano is especially stressed out as the heir of the Kensington line. Everyone, including himself, is depending on him to help their household recover after the tragedy of the Great Famine -- both financially and emotionally.

Emil -- unironically named similarly to his bigger brother, Emiliano (trust he hasn't gotten over that) -- is 12 years old and is the third oldest and second-in-line heir. Maerwynn is 10 years old and is the third youngest (fourth oldest). She and Emil are quite close. After all, in a household with five attention-hogging siblings, it's easy to feel inferior to your older, wiser siblings. Maerwynn and Emil can relate to that.

Laurance is 6 years old, the second youngest, and third-in-line heir. Inheriting his mother's hotheadedness, Laurance is particularly aggressive and mean to his siblings. Hopefully, he'll grow out of it... Named after her mother, Marci(ella) the Second is the youngest and only a few months old. With their parents gone, Haven has recently taken over the role of being a mother figure for her little sister who, one day, will be too old to remember the faces of the parents who loved her dearly.

#not really a tumblr expert so i hope this looks good #1300s to 1318 #ultimate decades challenge #morbid's ultimate decades challenge #sims 4 decades challenge #sims 4 medieval #sims historical #medieval #the sims 4 #ts4 medieval #sims 4 legacy #Kensington

[erigold13261]

Okay! Got basically all the family trees I can think of done! (I'm almost positive I either forgot one or will need to add more later on)

They probably aren't permanent and could change in the future, but these are the basics of what I am gonna be working with for the Eriverse AU!

There's 16 total pages so I'm gonna put them under the cut! (With some extra commentary I guess)

Mayday and Zuke/West: -Mayday was adopted by her paternal grandma. However, now she has no family left at all. -Zuke and West's dad left the family a while ago for a fling. He was disowned by his parents who are still active in Zuke and West's lives.

Miles and Gwen: -I just looked up the family from the comics to get more of the names for each of the characters I didn't know (like Patrick or Gloria). -I do like the idea that Miles has a little sister, or will have a little sister.

Eve/Remi/Pav: -I wanted to make Eve's maternal side a lot bigger than her paternal side. So like, Eve and Pav have a lot more family to connect to than Remi ends up having. -Eve and Remi's dad had an affair with Remi's mom before divorcing Eve's mom.

Neon J/1010: -Didn't want to put all 8 robots names, so I shortened it. -This was the tree that started this whole saga lol. -I know I wanted Neon to have a large extended family that he wasn't able to connect with, with at least one set of twins and a teen or two.

Joey/Celine/Gigi and Nova: -Nova's family tree still has a bit more relatives, but none of them are all that important to Nova's life so he doesn't actually pay attention to them (and is why they aren't shown). -Nova is also a rainbow baby. -Joey, Celine, and Gigi are all half siblings. This tree was annoying to figure out but I think I made it work. Basically they all share one same parent (don't know if it's a mom or dad yet).

Elivy and Quida: -Quida is the youngest of 4 kids in her family. Her daughter had a baby with an unwanted man and would later die from pregnancy related problems. Quida took in her newborn granddaughter. -Elivy is married to an old roadie for the Goolings and adopted a pre-teen or teenage son with his husband.

Sofa and Tila: -Sofa has a younger sister and some cousins. The cousins aren't super important to their life so they aren't shown. -It's just Tila and her parents in her life.

Kento/Dodo: -Kento and Dodo's dads are half siblings. Grandparent 1 divorced Grandparent 2 and then got with Grandparent 3 (I don't know which is grandma or grandpa so that's why it's neutral). Not much else to say about this specific tree.

Ham: -Found out the names of Ben and May were Ant May and Bee, but also Ham's adoptive aunt and uncler were just May and Ben, so I changed their names to Maize and Benny. -Maize and Benny are the ones to take Ham in (I forget if Maize is a widow or not in this AU, so Benny might be dead and I just need to put an X on his name. If that's the case then Bee is alive).

Bunny/Rei/Hobie: -Rei as disowned by his family, Bunny disowned hers, and Hobie was abandoned by its which is basically disowned. -Rei and Bunny end up adopted Hobie, or at the very least becoming powers of attorneys for it in case something happens. -Finally, Hobie's parents went on to have at least one more kid that they most likely kept because it was "normal" unlike Hobie.

Peni/Asa: -Decided to change Peni's aunt May and uncle Ben's names to Mai and Ban. And like said multiple times, they are the ones to take in Peni when nya accidentally kills nyas father. -Peni's mom basically disowns Peni by abandoning kit and divorcing her husband. I didn't know how to show that without it looking like either Peni disowned kits mom (like Bunny) or making it look like both Peni's parents disowned kit. Anyway, Peni was basically cut off from kits maternal side when kits mom left -The Aunt/Uncle in the middle is the one to have helped Peni's mom leave the marriage. -Asa has a few siblings but doesn't care about any of them so they aren't shown (that side of the family is similar to Eve and Pav's side which is supposed to be much bigger than Peni's, except Asa doesn't utilize his family like Eve and Pav do).

Noa: -Big family time! Noa is the first grandkid to be born in his family! And because of that he basically became an extra parent to any grandkid that came after him. -Didn't know if he had aunts or uncles, so I just used Auncle so I didn't have to write Aunt/Uncle 3 times lol. -(The Auncle on the left thought having a second kid would fix the marriage... they were wrong).

Kliff and Joust: -Joust is a dick who got disowned by both his parents and his ex-girlfriend and kid. (Mom divorced the dad). -Kliff's family was that type that couldn't have their own kid so they adopted, then had a miracle baby (Kliff) and basically forgot about their adopted kids. -Those adopted kids might have their own kids, and Kliff's grandparents might be dead. I'll be honest, I couldn't think of much story at the moment, so Kliff's tree is most likely going to change.

Miguel and Noir: -Changed George O'Hara's name to Seoirse since I didn't want to just put "George" up there and have people think it was Gwen's dad lol -Also, Miguel's family is basically the comic version of his family because I didn't have my own ideas for him. I will say that him killing Gabriella (who he named after his step-brother) got him disowned by his family (also I think I should have made Dana and him divorced). -I don't have much to say about Noir. I changed Ben and May's names again to keep them separate like the others. Noir's parents are also still alive.

Synthia/Sharon and Spinose Family: -Sharon has a fling with a guy which wounded up in her having Synthia (who she hasn't disowned yet but is very close to doing so). -Yinu's family is basically just her mom and grandma. She doesn't know any of her mom's cousins or other family members, or at least she doesn't know them well enough to have them on her tree.

Tatiana/Cyril/Ilma: -And finally this tree! I've already gave this tree before, it had more names (such as Tatiana's grandparents/Cyril and Ilma's great-grandparents), but I wanted to show off the like disowned and dead statuses of the family. -I actually should have figured out a new symbol for the disowned, because Anatoli was NOT disowned by his mother, only by Matvey. Eh, I guess I could have put the disowned symbol on Matvey's side because it was a mutual disownment between Anatoli and Matvey. -Cyril and Ilma probably have a few cousins and stuff that are important to them (at least Ilma would), but I just don't have energy, time, or space to think of those sides of the trees lol.

But yea! These are the main family trees I'm gonna use. I might change things a bit here and there (give people names and figure out genders, stuff like that). But for now these are good enough.

If you think there's a character I should do a family tree that I didn't then let me know and I might try to make one! :D

#spidertalk #nsrtalk #eriverse #eritalks #noart #family tree

[crunchyspacepeanutbutter]

Black Queer Figures Day 4

A day late because my cat laid on me and I fell asleep writing this.

Audre Lorde

Lorde was born in 1934, the youngest of three daughters to Caribbean immigrants. As a child, she began memorizing poetry and reciting it to express her emotions, reflecting later that she had begun to think in poetry.  At age 12 she began writing her own poetry. Lorde ended up attending Hunter College High School, a school for gifted students. It was during this time-period that she published her first poem in Seventeen magazine, and participated in poetry workshops. After high school, she spent a year at the National University of Mexico, where she confirmed her identity as a poet and a lesbian. Afterwards, Lorde attended Hunter College, and then Columbia University, earning a master's in library science. In 1962 Lorde married Edwin Rollins, a gay man, to protect both their identities. The couple had two children and divorced in 1970. During her career as a writer and professor, Lorde published works on feminism, blackness, injustice, motherhood, sexuality, and her fight with cancer. Notable works include From A Land Where Other People Live, Coal, Sister Outsider, The Black Unicorn,  The Cancer Journals, and Zami: A New Spelling of My Name. Lorde also helped found Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, Women's Coalition of St. Croix, and Sisterhood of Support Sisters in South Africa, and was New York's State Poet from 1991-1992. She also influenced the Afro-German movement in Berlin. Lorde died of breast cancer in 1992, living in St. Croix with her partner Gloria Joseph.

#black history #black history month #black history matters #lgbtq #lgbt history #lgbt pride #black woman appreciation #black women #black poetry #black poets matter #black lesbian #lesbian pride

[cheemken]

what are the next gen champions dynamics with each other be? would Iris and Hau miss the old champions?

Yeah ofc Iris and Hau misses the old champs during meetings hahah but hey, y'know, they already know it's bound to happen soon enough, and hey not like they don't contact each other anymore, the old champs still message them and such, checking in to see if they're doing okay with the new champs

As for dynamics

•It's honestly just Calem being the next gen champs' last braincell

Iris just goes "okay, there's a threat in Ransei and they're asking for our help, how can we stop this new evil organization and make sure they won't do a Neo Plasma"

May goes "murder"

Silver nods, "yeah murder"

Calem looks at them. Then Dawn spoke, "I third that, murder."

Nemona exclaims, "arson!"

Hilbert goes "yeah that's good for plan B."

Gloria pouts at that, "why not arson for plan A?"

Calem looks at Florian, hoping he at least have some sense in him, but Florian just nods all "yeah, arson would be great for plan A."

Calem looks at Hau, hoping at least the most chill champ would not agree, then he just "can we at least have snacks before we go?"

Calem just fucking gives up lmfao

•Silver and May and Hilbert would be at each other's throats I just know it. Like, their pride is smth else man, unlike Nemona and Dawn who still know good sportsmanship, these three would play dirty if allowed. May would call out Rayquaza, Hilbert would call out Reshiram, Silver doesn't need no legendary, he believes he could beat them without one, even taunts them saying they rely on legendaries to win, that triggered an actual fist fight between them lmao. Dawn placed bets. Florian lost, his bet was on Silver.

•Hau once said that Iris looked like Lance especially with the cape and how she's like the pseudo leader of the champs now. Homegirl did not emotionally recover from it lmfaooo

•okay was no one gonna fucking tell me Dawn has a slight lisp in Pokemon Masters???? I had to find that shit out myself, like really found out just now cause I need to hear their voices for my hcs

-which now means Dawn has a lisp in my hcs bc it's adorable and technically it's canon in PokeMas

-i know homegirl is a bit insecure by it when she first started meeting w the others, but y'know, no one made fun of her, and she started talking more and more

-if any of the other Champions finds out abt anyone making fun of Dawn's lisp it's on fucking sight

•ik it's not like, stated where Calem was from before they moved in to Kalos, so in my hcs he's from Galar

-no cause, they all genuinely thought he's Kalosian, when Iris met him for the first time back then, she was caught off guard by that Galarian accent

-he does know and speak Kalosian tho so he can cover it up well

•Hau and Florian gets along well, they're both pretty chill, they're both down to murder, they both try to reassure Calem that no they really won't commit murder, Calem still doesn't believe them

•Gloria is the youngest between them, so that means Iris looks after her even tho she knows Gloria is a capable trainer

-idk man, but y'know big sis Iris watching after her new lil sis, like how Cynthia was w her back then

-Iris did become a role model for Gloria tho fr, these two would always train together

-w that tho, Silver is the oldest between them

•watch me make them a found family too

#oughh thatd be dope next gen champs as found family cbdmnd #but anyways yeah hahah #pokemon champions #next gen champs #pokemon hcs #an ask and an answer #anon

[rockislandadultreads]

Read-Alike Friday: The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat

The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat

Wisecracking, inquisitive, and bombastic, Selam Asmelash is the youngest child in her large, boisterous family. Even before she is born, she has a wry, bewitching omniscience that animates life in her Small Town in southwestern Ethiopia in the 1980s. Selam and her father listen to the radio in secret as the socialist military junta that recently overthrew the government seizes properties and wages civil war in the North. The Asmelashes, once an enterprising, land-owning family, are ostracized under the new regime. In the Small Town where they live, nosy women convene around coffee ceremonies multiple times a day, the gossip spreading like wildfire.

As Selam’s mother, the powerful and relentlessly dignified Degitu, grows ill, she embraces a persecuted, Pentecostal God and insists her family convert alongside her. The Asmelashes stand solidly in opposition to the times, and Selam grows up seeking revenge on despotic comrades, neighborhood bullies, and a ruthless God. Wise beyond her years yet thoroughly naive, she contends with an inner fury, a profound sadness, and a throbbing, unstoppable pursuit of education, freedom, and love.

Patience is a Subtle Thief by Abi Ishola-Ayodeji

For as long as she can remember, Patience Adewale, the eldest daughter of Chief Kolade Adewale, has been waiting for confirmation that she is loved, that there is a place where she truly belongs. Patience lives a sheltered life within the secure walls of the family's mansion in Ibadan, but finds no comfort from her distant father and stepmother Modupe. Her only ally is her younger sister, yet even Margaret's love and support cannot overcome Patience's insecurity and uncertainty.

More than anything, Patience wants to know why her father and uncle banished her mother from their compound years ago--and whether her mother is even alive. Determined to discover the truth, Patience embarks on a desperate search to find her mother. Answers begin to surface when she moves to Lagos for university and unexpectedly reconnects with her cousin Kash.

Kash and his friend Emeka are petty thieves with an opportunity to make a big score. To pull it off they need help--and enlist Patience and Emeka's straight-arrow brother, Chike, to become partners in their scheme. The thieves' plan is to quit after this job. But unforeseen events lead to unexpected consequences--and demand a price from Patience that may be too steep to pay.

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa by Stephen Buoro

Andrew Aziza is a fifteen-year-old boy living in Kontagora in Northern Nigeria. He lives with his secretive mother, Gloria, and spends his days about town with his droogs, Slim and Morocca. He's contemplating the larger questions with his teacher Zahrah and his equally brilliant friend Fatima, a Hausa-Fulani girl who clearly has feelings for him. Together they discuss mathematical theorems, Black power, and what Andy has deemed the curse of Africa.

Inevitably, Andy falls hopelessly in love with the first white girl he lays eyes on: Eileen, Father McMahon's niece. But at the church party held to celebrate her arrival, multiple crises loom. The first is that an unfamiliar man there claims to be Andy's father. The second is that an anti-Christian mob has gathered, headed for the church. In the ensuing havoc and its aftermath, Andy is forced to reckon with his identity and desires and determine how to live on the so-called Cursed Continent.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through.

Exit West follows these characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.

#literary fiction #historical fiction #reading recommendations #reading recs #book recommendations #book recs #library books #tbr #tbr pile #to read #booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog #readers advisory