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celesthar · 1 year

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January 29, 2023

To: Philippine National Police

From: Ms. Celesthar Villanueva Nosotros

121 E Oyo Torong Street Poblacion,

Kalibo, Aklan, 5600

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology major in Architectural Drafting College Graduate

SMART cellphone number: 09298300418

E-mail: [email protected]

and/or

[email protected]

My latest photo:

Re: 1. Unproffesionalism of the Police Officers in Aklan;

Re: 2. Blotter to all the people whose names are JOHN VINCENT AQUINO IV; KINJO AND IRAH MELGAREJO NOSOTROS; ALEXANDER VIRAY NOSOTROS AND GRACE REONTOY VILLANUEVA.;

Re: 3. PHYSICAL INJURY and RAPE by the following persons to me:

ALEXANDER VIRAY NOSOTROS, GRACE REONTOY VILLANUEVA, KINJO AND IRAH MELGAREJO NOSOTROS, AND JOHN VINCENT "JAYVEE" AQUINO (according to Mr. Jaime Macapar Valeriano III, my former High School classmate, that John Vincent Aquino is the IV);

Re: 4. Requesting for protection in your office for me and my territory, where I live. A security guard that is looking for a job will do. Or a police officer of yours here in Aklan that is tamad can be.

Re: 5. Kalibo Municipal Police Station

MY BLOTTER ENTRY:

This is also posted in my Facebook account and diaries online.

JOHN VINCENT AQUINO (JAYVEE), YOUR SHAMEFUL NEIGHBOR IN OYO TORONG ST., POBLACION KALIBO, AKLAN.

VENADOR MALACAS IN HEAVEN WILL KILL YOU!!!. JAYVEE!!!.

After I always save Jayvee's sake from her stupid evil insecure wife. He became evil to me by helping my war freak parents named ALEXANDER VILLANUEVA NOSOTROS (my father), GRACE REONTOY VILLANUEVA (my mother), and KINJO NOSOTROS (my 1st brother) together with his wife IRAH CRISTA MELGAREJO.

Did someone pay Jayvee?.

Already past 12pm and I haven't eaten lunch. My father arrived maybe at 1pm. He asked me if how much is his payment for the goods (beverages) for the sampid in the house who are KINJO and IRAH that I let pautang and as he said that he is the one who will pay me. How dare my father boast that he can pay his debts whatever the price may and that he is quarreling to me of his payment. He his so tanga to let the sampid live under my roof. He decided not to pay me. I scolded all my hates to him, and my mother's sins and his sins to me. After the useless blabberring of his mouth, he decided to pay me.

They argued with me like they see me as a kid. They look crazy and belong to the mental hospital. So does Kinjo and Irah. Ew!. My mother tell lies entering me and my father's conversation. I so hated her and she just lingo-lingo her head when she tell lies. Their faults to me should have turned to an end to their death. But they defended theirselves. I was about wanting to kill my mother 'who was here'. Because she always makes me the bad person here. She said she's not afraid to die. Time came to fight for my right because I grew up with armed soldiers neighbors when I was a baby. My parents leaves me whenever the prosthetics users of Kalibo Municipal Police Station go here. So I give my mother a taste of a axe I'm holding to slice her. But they grabbed me and tie my feet and hands. I got bruises and wounds. (See photo) I got hurt when Kinjo called Jayvee to help them tie me. Jayvee pulled me out the door of my house, he opened my dress and made my legs show off. (He don't know that I am not a shy type of person. I consider what they did to me is rape.) I asked Jayvee for help. But he did not help me. I just said to Jayvee:

"Venador in heaven will kill you."

Then Jayvee dragged me and he dropped me on the ground and my back was hurt. Jayvee helped them to tie me. They asked Jayvee to call the police. I was should be laughing at them if I was not physically hurt when they call for the police. They are so insane.

I was talking to my father, blaming everything that was not my faults. Again and again. And wanting him to remember me who I am because Marvin Frog and all frogs, and the Kalibo Municipal Police Station poisoned his mind too. He always says wrong answers. I played to his head to know who he is. What they are doing to me is evil. He still stand for Kinjo who came from the jail because of illegal drugs, as said by Monica Frog but my father who was here was not listening to me. He continue tying my arms. I told them to kneel to me so I can forgive them. I started joking him and deal to me or him, to or if both of us will kneel. But he was so insane. I can't believe that he is my father. I started kneeling to him but he was listening somewhere, and just looking somewhere. I showed him my boobs that was revealed because of them dragging me. And he really likes looking at my boobs.

As Jayvee was assigned calling the police, I started thinking of requesting them to bring with the police, the media of any tv network, Aklan Cable TV can do. But they were not reacting. I know the Jayvee is not fake, not a prosthetics. And for the win, I say, they became calm. They don't know that I am an artist and wants to have a presscon.

I was sitting on a chair in the kitchen while my arms are still tied. I was happy when the police came. Three police officers who did not even introduce theirselves and show their IDs to me. And that was not to be happy. So shameful policemen that I am the one who introduced myself to them. When I told the police to come in. My stupid father who was holding me, let go of me and leave me to the policeman who talked to me. Later my father, mother and Kinjo, they just go outside for their great shame talking to the neighbors. They leave me and one police officer with me?.

(Questionable right?!.)

I asked the policeman who was talking to me if he is a barangay tanod. Because he holds a stick that I know is used by a barangay tanod although he is wearing a police uniform. Still, I don't believe him. But as I said, I am honest even if they are fake or wearing prosthetics. And I started telling him what they did to me. I hated the police of being deaf, he do not want to listen to me. I requested to him the media, he thought of picture taking because I said camera so I tell him what I mean is be on television live broadcasting. I don't like the attitude of the policeman who talked to me. He was really deaf to me. He does not care justice for me. I believe he was assigned at Kalibo Municipal Police Station. I already saw him there before. Sitting on the chair for blotter. I hated him for not doing his job right. He wanted to separate our conversation, and their conversation of my parents. But he does not want to invite me. And that I think is not right. He goes outside to them and leave me here. He does not even have a nametag.

Why did the policeman go outside?.

Did he heard Marvin Frog in his bluetooth microphone headset for some cash to betray me?.

I told the policeman who talked to me to rip my parents if they are fake, wearing prosthetics. Because my father went to an operation, surgery before cause of glaucoma in the eyes. I pointed to him that my father's eyes who was with us is not dark but gray.

He leaved me without giving me justice and said that, if I will be violent again I will go to the police?. "THE POLICE?" Funny. I have said to the policeman that his dreams to this crime will not happen. I am always the winner because they are useless.

The two policeman who was with him were just chatting to each other. And the one is also just looking and listening. And hence that they are three policeman here who I believe that were fake, they can be Marvin Frog, Monica Frog, and Maria Frog, the insane elves of the Kalibo Municipal Police Station. Always three people.

I find comfort to 'te Beth when she dropped by to buy rice, she's my neighbor and tell her the crimes done to me today. He even asked me about Wilson Condez, the man I want to promise forever. I said to her that after what happened to us, he replaced me to a bulok na klaseng babae. But he is still the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. So I'm not gonna marry any one.

They just dedma me here, blabbering. I was happy that Irah answered me when she came back. I asked her if what are they doing here. She said that they will get things, their things should she have said. And I said that I'm glad that they thought of it. And I saw them going out of the house with their so-called things. I am still waiting for my parents to go too. Why are they still here?. I will respect my little brother, Aguilao, his decision.

Philippine National Police, I am expecting a reply from you. Call, text, or e-mail is fine too, I will wait weekly till monthly. You give me justice. ASAP. Aklan Province is injustice that people like me here don't even need a lawyer and useless hudas police officers of the Kalibo Municipal Police Station here do not pay there sins to the world.

Thank you.

-Ms. Celesthar Villanueva Nosotros

References about me:

1. Office of the Brgy Hall of Poblacion, Kalibo, Aklan, call and look for Marivic Nolada; and

2. Other Police Stations except the Kalibo Municipal Police Station.

3. Read my Journals, Diaries and Timeline at:

a. celesthar.deviantart.com

b. twitter.com/celesthar

c. tumblr.com/celesthar

d. facebook.com/celestharvillanuevanosotros

The photos attached:

1. Is John Vincent "Jayvee" Aquino IV with his baby and the boarding house of his wife's sister where they live like sampid.

2. My photos of wounds and bruises from what they did to me.

Continuation:

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 years

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Hottest HR non-sex scenes?

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas--The moment when Helen tells Rhys she's leaving him so that he can avoid the scandal and pain of her biological father's identity, and he tells her it would take him "not five fucking minutes" to find her.

The Lady Gets Lucky by Joanna Shupe--All of the erotic cooking lessons and eating. When Kit watches Alice suck like... sauce? Or something? Off her own finger and has to leave the room because he's too turned on.

The Highwayman--When Dorian breaks his own wine glass because he's too aroused by Farah's cream puff eating and specifically the fact that he has to stitch up his own hand. I looooove men getting stitches in romance novels.

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas--Speaking of, the scene in the very beginning where Derek is getting his face stitched up and is taking it super manfully. I also really liked it when he saw Sara at the masquerade and didn't recognize her and started treating her super differently and she got kind of a glimpse of what he was like when he was "on" and actively trying to seduce a woman. It was a lot.

Seduce Me At Sunrise--The scene where Win finds Kev and he's super angsty and backed up and doesn't recognize her because she's got a hood over her head and he assumes that she's a sex worker so he's like "let's get this show on the road" and bends her over a table before she's like "excuse". It's great.

What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long--The scene where Alexander identifies Genevieve by touch while blindfolded and everyone in the room is like ".... ha ha! Great game everyone! Shall we adjourn?"

After Dark with The Duke by Julie Anne Long--When Mariana asks James to translate a sentence in Italian for her and he gets super flustered and thinks she's fucking with him before realizing she genuinely needs to know what it means because all these men say it to her and he writes it down and hands her the note and it says "I want to fuck you".

Waking Up with The Duke by Lorraine Heath--Ainsley takes Jayne to this like... pool he has on his property (I can't remember if it's built in or a natural hot springs thing) when she's like hugely pregnant and super uncomfortable and basically just has her relax while he gives her a massage with some heavy petting. It's very hot.

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught--Royce has Jennifer tend to his wound that she caused, which is both amusing and hot because she's very HARUMPH about it.

The Bride by Julie Garwood--Alec takes Jaime back to his lands as his bride and one of his little peasants is like "What do we call her" and he goes "You call her mine". CHILLS.

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt--This is of the only "a baaaaby" books I get into. Mostly because the hero is profoundly disinterested in fatherhood beyond like, providing for her protection and basic needs. But the heroine spies on him holding the baby and talking to her one night and it is very sweet and hot of him.

The Viscount Made Me Do It by Diana Quincy--The heroine is a bonesetter, which as I understand it is similar to what we'd call a chiropractor or perhaps an orthopedic specialist today. She does a lot of work on the hero's old wounds and it is hot.

A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean--Bourne going ice skating to get on Penelope's good sign is very charming-hot. I also enjoyed his angsty unsent letters.

Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean--Lol dude, Haven's last grand gesture in the end is peak.

Wicked and The Wallflower by Sarah MacLean--Not even the hero's moment! But there's a scene where Ewan (who is totally the villain of the first two books in the series) is told that Grace is still alive and he loses! His! Shit! It's so hot.

The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe--There's a moment when the heroine (who tricked the hero into believing she was a courtesan so she could get pregnant) comes home and it's all dark and dramatic and the hero, who figured out she was his wife, is sitting in the room alone smoking like "HELLO. THE OTHER SHOE HAS DROPPED." And then he forces her into a carriage and while they're riding she pukes all over his boots because she is, in fact, pregnant. And he's basically like "AND WHO MIGHT I ASK IS THE FATHER" (it is him).

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley--Ian sends Beth a note because he wants to look out for her, basically, and knows that the guy she's been talking to is bad news. It's hot.

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake by Sarah MacLean--Ralston on his knees begging Callie to marry him even though he can't offer her love because he's too Wounded. Though this may... turn into a sex scene, I'm not sure. It's Ralston.

#romance novel blogging

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puckwritesstuff · 2 years

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☼ Sigyn

☼ - appearance headcanon

Overall, Sigyn obviously fills aspects of the "fairest of them all" trope. She's described as beautiful by many outside sources, not just the guy who's been in love with her for the past thousand years, and while I don't describe her beauty in detail, the way other characters treat her for good or ill does inform that. Usually, it informs how others treat her as a trophy or put her on a pedistal, including Loki and Thor. Loki wraps her up in the "things Thor will get that I won't" category, and Thor sees the damsel in distress that constantly needs saving. The only two characters that aren't informed by this are Heimdall and Mobius-- Heimdall because he still sees the little girl the queen gave him in the garden, and Mobius because his arc is centered around finding the shared personhood in the Variants that he'd been dehumanizing for thousands of years. I took the trope from the myths, but from different characters-- Sif, Thor's mythological wife, and Freya, who is one of the Vanir and sometimes also Frigg/Frigga (the literature on this is speculative, but Freya and Frigg might have been aspects of the same goddess at some point, don't quote me on that though). Lady Sif in the MCU doesn't quite serve that function in the same way, even with token gestures towards the myths like Loki cutting off her hair while she's asleep. Not that Jaime Alexander isn't beautiful, but her character serves a different role.

I emphasize often that Sigyn has "golden hair", and very rarely simply call her "blonde", because it's more than that. Sigyn is strongly associated with the color gold and I'm very deliberate in how I use the color in the story. Things associated with Sigyn are colored gold, and things associated with the throne, the crown, and Asgard are also colored gold. Tying her fate to that of Asgard's was in the process right from the beginning. What's more, I don't even describe as gold things that are gold in canon-- Loki's helm, for instance, is "horned", not golden, and I never mention the gold accents in his armor. Sylvie's hair is described as "fair", suggesting it's an even lighter blonde than Sigyn's, closer in color to her Uncle Thor's hair, which I don't describe at all.

One thing that I unintentionally deemphasized was that her eyes are naturally a very dark brown. It was unintentional, as I said, but I like her having them. Then later, of course, when her father's seal on the Bifrost is broken, her eyes changed to the iridescent color of the Bifrost. One of the things TVA Loki misses is the color of her eyes. But it's only due to the magic, when she's in the TVA, her eyes go back to normal.

But, of course, you're probably looking for casting choices. ^_^

Freema Agyeman

Best known for her role as Dr. Martha Jones on Doctor Who, Agymen would have been one of the more likely choices (of the people I like for Sig) given how they cast the rest of Thor. The cast of Thor is about half-and-half unknowns and major stars, paring relative unknown Chris Hemsworth with major star Natalie Portman. Sigyn wouldn't be the leading lady, so there wouldn't be as much need to cast a name in this role. I like her for the role because of how she played Martha-- smart, determined, sarcastic.

Jennifer Connelly

Not to recast the MCU (Connelly was the voice of Karen in Homecoming and Betty Ross in the Ang Lee Hulk), but if I had to cast a name, Connelly would be on the top of the list. I feel like she fits best with Dark World Sigyn-- she had the gravitas to go up against the likes of David Bowie and Timothy Dalton, Anthony Hopkins wouldn't be nothing.

Miranda Otto

Definitely fits the wide-eyed ingénue we start with, and can handle the melodrama and the action at the same time. Closest actor I can think of to the comics look as well, which the MCU likes to do.

Naomi Harris

Has an enormous range and more than enough screen presence to contend with Tom Hiddleston. I really like her as Moneypenny, and Tia Dalma she played to perfection.

Mira Furlan

Falling under the "if I had infinite money and a time machine", Mira Furlan perfected the "Silk Hiding Steel" trope as Ambassador Delenn of Minbar, and has the intensity that the role would require. Plus, with JMS writing the first film, she would be very familiar with his writing and what he wants from his actors (intense fidelity to the script, interpretation of the words on the page allowed).

Mary Astor

Definitely under the "if I had infinite money and a time machine". Mary Astor was a silent film star who transitioned to talkies after a bit and was one of the best-known femme fatales of the screen, Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon. The image I have here is from a promo shot of her from Don Juan (1926) with John Barrymore (who, yes, is related to Drew Barrymore). I was discussing her in the comments of Love, Duty and Glorious Purpose and I think what I said was: "She'd eat Tom Hiddleston for lunch, but he'd probably be okay with it."

Thank you for the ask!

#meta #asks #sigyn #logyn #loki x sigyn #Love Duty and Glorious Purpose fic

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vaporhqs · 2 years

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anonymous asked: fcs for the mikaelsons?

𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏 ! i’m so glad you asked because i was literally just thinking about this at dinner. i’m going to list them out with various face with various diversity.

freya mikaelson - olivia culpo , piploy kanyarat , simone ashley , zoë kravitz , brenda song , shay mitchell , jaime ray newman , seinna miller , emily ratajkowski , alisha wainwright , carla gugino , annabelle wallis , wakeema hollis , & antoinette robertson.

finn mikaelson - evan roderick , wang ziyi , yahya abdul-mateen ii , harlie hunnam , oscar isaac , gong yoo , henry cavill , matthews grey gubler , & michael b jordan.

elijah mikaelson - hyun bin , scott eastwood , michael b jordan , david gandy , bie thassapak hsu , manny jacinto , thomas dekker , matt bomber , jonathan bailey , ada masali , casey deidrick , sebastian stan , aidan turner , john boyega , & andrew koji.

rebekah mikaelson - diana penty , tamsin egerton , anya taylor joy , jessica alexander , simone ashley , etícia salles , sophie charlotte , charithra chandran , victoria pedretti , jessica rothe , willa fitzgerald , anajú dorigon , diana agron , megan fox , barbie ferreira , yara shahidi , emeraude toubia , halle bailey , sydney park , camila queiroz , & gemma chan.

klaus mikaelson - cillian murphy , rege jean page , freddy miyares , andrew koji , penn badgley , alexander skarsgård , bill skarsgard , gong yoo , jannis niewöhner , manny montana , toby wallace , gale harold , jack o’connell , lee do-hyun , tom ellis , steven noh , jacob elordi , and avan jogia.

kol mikaelson - toby wallace , grant gustin , pierre niney , theo james david , matt czuchry , montero lamar hill , aytaç şaşmaz , kj apa , finn cole , alfred enoch , jacob elordi , angus cloud , richie morris , beau mirchoff , thomas doherty , chang ryul , and evan mock.

henrik mikaelson - eli brown , kj apa , mason gooding , evan mock , tyler blackburn , gavin casalegno , charlie barnett , nick fink , max minghella , daniel padilla , skyler gisondo , deniz can aktas , dominic sherwood , & dominic fike.

#fc help #mw faces #mw older fcs

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senoritaimperfecta · 3 years

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hi 💕 i hope you don’t mind me asking but do you have any tips on getting into the dc comics? i’ve always loved robin and all of the versions but i never know where to start or even how to

Hey there!!

Honestly I’ve been pretty uh slow getting into DC comics? Like before I would just get a bunch of Indie titles because they do feel less intimidating & I just in general like the cartoony art styles way more

I only started getting into DC comics because I honestly just loved watching DC cartoons & stuff & back in late 2019/early 2020 I was watching so so so so many of them. Watching DC Superhero Girls, Justice League Action, Batman the Brave & the Bold, Legion of Superheroes & my occasional rewatch Teen Titans. Like I was just so focused on watching them & I got attached to like different characters so that’s what gave me the push because I wanted to learn more about them

When I first started to actually get a couple comics it was because they had them in my university’s book store so I was like okay, sure, why not! My friend Robin told me like about Sam Alexander/Nova (he’s marvel not DC but STILL) because they thought I might like him so I was like I REALLY want to learn abt him so when I saw it at the book store I had too get it

But even after that like I said i was…super slow to get into comics. The only two characters I was trying to learn about at the time was Sam & Jaime which was late 2019 but I didn’t start activity reading comics until March 2020 & that was when I got attached to Kon and then by like extension the rest of the superfam

I feel like if you have a friend who’s into comics you could probably ask them for recommendations of something theyd think you like or like even just a character for like a starting point?? If I know someone who’s like super passionate abt a certain character I’ll ask them what comics they think are good stories.

& then there’s also reading lists!! There’s a couple of blogs I’ve followed where people just compile list of characters appearances in comics & which ones they think are like important to their characters!!

#honestly the first first comic I read on dc infinite after I got it for myself was tiny titans bc I was still so intimidated dhdjdjd #also shout out to Robin for letting me use their account to watch legion of superheroes it was honestly a joy #ALSO I HOPE THIS HELPS IDK IDK #I feel like you really gotta find some characters you’re interested in or think look cool and then start branching out from there.#when it comes to following a timeline that’s something I’m so terrible at #forgive me this is also long.#txt

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quietya · 4 years

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Black Lives Matter: A Reading List

On this blog, we believe Black Lives Matter. I’ve been quiet here because I’ve just been absorbing and listening and loud on other platforms. But I wanted to take the time and share some books by Black authors that may not be on your radar, books besides The Hate U Give and Dear Martin and Children of Blood and Bone (though I hope you’re reading those too, you’ve probably heard of them at this point). It also won’t just be books about Black pain because Black people have a huge range of experiences and they all deserve to be heard.

All the links in this post will go to Mahogany Books, a Black owned bookstore in Washington, D.C. that does ship. If I can’t find it on their website, the link will go to Semicolon Bookstore, another Black owned indie bookstore, this one located in Chicago’s, Bookshop page. Please note that many books are currently backordered because there’s a huge rush on books by Black authors (especially anti-racist books) right now and there was already a paper shortage and delays in printing because of COVID-19. If that’s the case, check your local library’s digital resources or check other bookstores since they all have varying stock.

Non-Fiction

We Are Not Yet Equal by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell and Aurelia Durand All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Contemporary and Historical

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess The Wicker King by K. Ancrum Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert Pointe by Brandy Colbert The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett Endangered by Lamar Giles Fake ID by Lamar Giles Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles Overturned by Lamar Giles Spin by Lamar Giles A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson This is My America by Kim Johnson You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Kim Jones and Gilly Segal If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann 37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon Light It Up by Kekla Magoon By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery Home and Away by Candice Montgomery Slay by Brittney Morris Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe Girls Like Us by Randi Pink Sorry Not Sorry by Jaime Reed All-American Boys by Jason Reynolds The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds For Every One by Jason Reynolds Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith Jackpot by Nic Stone Odd One Out by Nic Stone All the Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani Calling My Name by Liara Tamani On the Come Up by Angie Thomas Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson This Side of Home by Renee Watson Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon American Street by Ibi Zoboi Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi Pride by Ibi Zoboii

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton Mirage by Somaiya Daud The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow Pet by Akwaeke Emezi Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko Dread Nation by Justina Ireland Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams The Black Veins by Ashia Monet A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow Akata Witch by Nendi Okorafor Shadowshaper by Danielle Jose Older Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige Orleans by Sherri L. Smith Given by Nandi Taylor

This isn’t a complete list and I probably missed a bunch - especially since this list is very focused on mainstream publishing. I also added a few books that aren’t out yet, but are coming out this summer. But this is a starting place for whatever kind of YA book you want to read.

#black lives matter #this is your mod speaking #book list #wndb #book lists #book recs

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smokeybrand · 3 years

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Weak of Heart

I'm a guy who loves a great legacy character. Cassandra Cain, Jaime Reyes, Jessica Cruz, and Helena Wayne, are favorites. Ben Reily, Kate Bishop, Robbie Reyes, and Carol Danvers, are also worth mentioning on the Marvel side of things. Hell, Laura Kinney is top ten all time for me. When you want to extend the mythos and shake up the continuity, bringing in a Legacy character is a great way to do that. If it's done properly. When it's not, you get Riri Williams. I don’t care for Riri Williams. The fact that Ironheart is getting a show chaffs me to no end, man. Now, before you label me ass a self hating black person, i need to be clear; I don’t like Riri because she’s a non-character Mary Sue, not because she’s black or a replacement for Tony Stark. Riri has the dubious honor of being the poster child for lazy, woke, virtue signaling, comics of the early Tens that plagued the industry. Cats, especially at Marvel, were more interested in pushing agenda and forcing diversity rather than writing dope stories. I can;t say that all of those narrative were sh*t because i did enjoy a few. I rather liked the Mockingbird run but i assume i am in the minority on that, considering all of the ridiculous discourse around “Ask me about my feminist agenda.” Admittedly, i didn’t evade the sting of this whole virtue signal renaissance as my darling Carol Danvers became this total b*tch with a dude’s haircut around this time. For me, Ms. Marvel was one of the best things about that Mighty run of the early Aughts but, you know, superheroes can’t be hot anymore because of Patriarchy or some sh*t even though they are, legitimately Olympic level athletes with bodies to match but okay. I’m getting a little off-topic here, my point is that Ironheart is the worst of this super-woke stunt writing and i hate her for it. he most frustrating thing about all of this? It’s worked before.

Kamala Khan is a similar Legacy introduced around the same time as Riri If i remember correctly, she predates Ironheart by a few years and was met with similar resistance from the fandom. Being very much Pakistani and very much Muslim, Kamala got ALL of the xenophobic, racist, and islamaphobic hate. It was very transparent how f*cking dumb that sh*t was but, over time, she’s developed into kind of a bullet proof character. Seriously, she had a great run in her own book and really rounded out as the leader of the Champions. Kamala Khan is one of the most well written, fan friendly, representative charters in comics, and she earned every bit of that shine. I, personally, don’t care for Kamala, i finder her personality grating, but i understand the merit of who she is and why she’s important. More than that, i see how well her implementation and pushes worked for her. Ms. Marvel has seen all sorts of success outside of the books. She’s had a ton of appearances in various cartoons to varying success but got the nod as the POV character for the once lauded, now derided, Avengers game. They did her dirty with that but I've heard that her game play is pretty fun. Kamala is a success story about how you diversify your pantheon organically, successfully, without it coming off as pandering. There is only one character who has had a better rise in the zeitgeist and is arguably the genesis for this brand knew age of representation first in comics, whether that be for better or worse.

Miles Morales is, unquestionably, the reason we have characters like Kamala, America, and Riri. He predates them all and has had the most success as the Spider-Man of 1610 after Pete died. People HATED Miles when he first swung though Brooklyn. It was vitriolic. Incandescent. And i understood why. Spider-Man is Peter Parker. That’s who he is. Miles didn’t even have his own origin story, it was literally the same spider that bit him. A good deal of the hate had to do with Bendis as well. We were knee deep in his whole “Make all the heroes black” situation and it was wearing thin. He had positioned Luke Cage and Spectrum as principal powerhouses of the Marvel Universe and it just wasn’t there for those characters. He didn’t do the work to make those characters compelling, especially Luke Cage. He wrote Cage as a power fantasy for himself, i imagine he wants to be black more than anything, and it was incredibly transparent. Cage went from a D-Lister with roughly Captain America class strength, to a primary Avenger with Hulk class strength, over night. That’s corny. Miles got the same treatment but to a lesser extent. He didn’t get his shine until other people came through and cleaned up the mess Bendis left of the character. A decade on, and Miles has been accepted has the best Spider Jr. out there, earning clout with the best Spider-Flick released to date and a principal role in the best Spider-Game out there. In the books, he’s developed into a solid character, different from Pete in a ton of ways, but familiar in all the ways that count. More than anything their relationship is dope as f*ck. If Kamala was the first, real, success, then Miles was the dry run to get there.

Riri Williams has none of this development. None of it. She was in the Champions book, too, right along with Kamala and Miles, and she still sucks. Hell, Kid Nova, Sam Alexander, also makes an appearance in that book and i forgot he existed until i wrote this sentence, but even he has more of a character than f*cking Ironheart. Sam is f*cking adorable. He’s had a ton of crazy adventures and, for a while, was literally the only Nova around. He was the Kyle Rayner of Marvel and the kid did a great job with that. When Riri Was the only Iron Man, she was indistinguishable from Tony. It was so bad, her AI WAS Tony. That’s how little faith Marvel had in the character after her introduction. Kamala, by this pint, had her own solo and Miles had been Spider-Man in Ultimate comics for, like, four years or some sh*t. Riri couldn’t even be Ironheart without Tony having an intimate role in her “independent” book. Sh*t was whack, son, and that’s my point. Riri Williams, Ironheart, is not a character, she’s a PR move and that sucks because the bones of something really compelling are there to be explored. Riri could have been dope especially if she had the room to grow Kamala and Miles. Riri had every opportunity to be the Marvel version of Ahsoka Tano; A brash, brilliant, reckless apprentice to the seasoned veteran hellbent on training her to reach the potential that only he sees within. Riri could have been written with the most depth, the most growth, of these diverse replacement heroes but none of that happened. Riri is the same f*cking character she was when she was introduced. There’s been o growth, no change, and her armor is ugly as f*ck. It’s a goddamn shame because i adore the idea of Ironheart but that execution leaves a lot to be desired. I hope the writers under Feige do the character justice. I hope they find a way to make Riri compelling, to make her whole because the potential there is staggering. It’s unfortunate that no one at Marvel Comics knows how to properly actualize it.

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jaimehqs · 3 years

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Did you see the moving van outside? It looks like there is a new resident moving in. There’s a new name on the resident directory and it’s JAMES ‘JAIME’ CARMICHAEL. They are a 34 year old PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGEON (CURRENTLY IN FELLOWSHIP) and they seem quite cool. Well, they come across as someone who is COMPASSIONATE, RECLUSIVE & DEMURE but they can also be VERBOSE, WORKAHOLIC & STUBBORN.

TRIGGERS

as a disclaimer, below you will find triggering content, chief among them is CHILD NEGLECT and MENTIONS OF WORKING IN A HOSPITAL. my overall trigger warning tag to blacklist which will be used on ALL of my tw posts will be: hey don't look at this, but i will be tagging specific tags too.

PSA: if you’re interested, please check out my CONNECTIONS page !

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: james alexander malcolm carmichael

NICKNAME(S): doesn’t particularly mind his birth name, but at times people have often called him jaime.

BIRTH DATE: september 25, 1986

AGE: thirty-four

ZODIAC: libra

GENDER: cismale

PRONOUNS: he/him

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: panromantic

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: demisexual ( it isn’t so much so that cris is completely disinterested in sex (he’s got a perfectly good libido, thank you very much), he just doesn’t find himself sexually attracted to people based on physical appearance or initial impressions. instead he finds personality, intellect, and existing emotional attachment considerably more compelling )

NATIONALITY: british

ETHNICITY: english, dutch-german jewish

OCCUPATION: pediatric neurosurgeon ( currently in his fellowship program )

POSTIVE TRAITS: independent, versatile, adaptable, curious, inquisitive, intelligent, divergent thinker, anti-authoritarian, self-actualizer, flexible, original, ambitious, charismatic, creative, loyal, thoughtful, warm-hearted, respectable, compassionate

NEGATIVE TRAITS: stubborn, unconventional, uncooperative, assertive, cynical, temperamental, withdrawn, restless, insecure, jealous, intolerant, naïve, impatient

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: england, united kingdom

HOMETOWN: oxford, england

EDUCATION LEVEL: went to university of oxford and majored in human physiology, went to medical school at ucl for 4 years, did residency for 7 years, and now is currently in last few months of pediatric neurosurgeon fellowship program

FATHER: william carmichael

MOTHER: diana carmichael

SIBLING(S): two older brothers and one older sister: nathaniel, matthew, and sarah

CHILDREN: none

PET(S): female ragdoll call named ginsberg ( yes, she’s named after allen ginsberg )

OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: cecelia and grant ( grandparents on mom’s side )

PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: 2 serious romantic relationships in the past

BACKSTORY

— TRIGGER WARNING BEGINS —

- when someone hears the name carmichael, they automatically think of words like prestigious, wealthy, and perfect. and who wouldn’t? with the father being a lawyer and mother owning her own real estate business, you had to think like that. in the public eye the carmichael family was flawless. everyone wanted what they had. jaime carmichael, was born into a world where perfection was of the utmost importance. the carmichael family is one of those prestigious families that has always been full of wealthy and high-class snobs, and jaime’s parents were no exception. he grew up learning how to be charming and how to be well behaved. jaime’s childhood years consisted of him sitting restlessly at various fancy parties and dinners, while his mother kept him from all the fancy treats so that he would grow up to be fit and strong. jaime’s parents were always cold and emotionally isolated from him, only after a perfect son to show off to the world.

- as a young, restless little child, jaime sought escape from his shallow, chilly life in the form of a friend. his friend taught him that there was such a thing as warmth and friendliness, told him lots of stories of greek mythology, and he learned that his parents had been lying about “tactless individuals” being horrible people. however, when his father found out about his associations with his friend, within a week, the boy mysteriously disappeared. since then, jaime kept all his unapproved-of friends to himself except from his grandparents on his mom's side who loved him unconditionally and were his best friends.

— TRIGGER WARNING ENDS —

- jaime is the youngest child of the 4 carmichael children & although there are age gaps between him and his siblings he doesn’t feel as though he’s the stereotypical ‘forgotten child’. this reason is solely base off the fact he typically makes himself scarce anyway to go off to do his own thing lmfao.

- for most of his adolescents up until adulthood, jaime always has had a rather tranquil personality. he never was one to act on emotion or impulsiveness, which meant most of his time he was seen in the his father's den reading about art history, helping his mother around, etc instead of learning the family business like his other siblings. it never personally interested him, so he never thought to pay much attention.

- because of his serene behavior, also came the fact that he’s mostly reclusive and demure, too. one would think being of carmichael blood would mean one would act diplomatic in all situations, but not for jaime. when given the chance, he will most likely be in the back listening rather than participating unless addressed, making him a great observer of his surroundings because of this skill. he prides himself on being a great listener in important situations even if people may believe he’s not particularly interested.

- a lot of people have come to believe over the years that because of his reclusive personality, he must be unapproachable.

- which he would clearly tell anyone that rumor is further from the truth. it’s not that he’s unapproachable, per se, it’s more of the fact he doesn’t typically go up to people to spark conversation unless it’s for work or art related means. otherwise, his conversational skills are subpar at best and he doesn’t mind much.

- as unfortunate as people’s misconceptions are when people do have the courage to approach him, they’re always surprised he’s rather civil, zen, and all around friendly and not at all like the rumors make him out to be. he always has to laugh at those kinds of things, of course.

- but besides that, he’s also witty and sarcastic. he likes to crack jokes and puns ever so often, even though he can have pretty dry humor at times. his sarcastic remarks are never meant to be harsh, but because of his dry humor undertones, he can sometimes come off rather offensive.

- although jaime has patience, he’s still a carmichael through and through, which he will not let anyone forget. he is unafraid to stand up for himself when he feels he’s in the right–or at least, attempt to do so. and although he strives to contain his zen aura, he can fall into fits of frustration and annoyance quite often when his family are involved ( which happens to be quite often ).

- jaime doesn’t care to raise his voice or scream his head off when he’s upset, because frankly, he doesn’t see that as a reason to make his point come across effectively. but when he does become upset, his silence speaks louder than any person’s words could muster. it’s actually quite scary how the atmosphere around him drastically changes when he becomes angry. in simple terms, he’s somewhat like a praying mantis in the ways he becomes very still & silent. one look can be a 1,000 words unsaid. if he’s upset at you, his silence will cut deeper than anything.

- importantly, jaime’s romantic sexuality is panromantic, meaning he would pursue both sexes and beyond romantically. when it comes to developing a far more intimate relationship, however, jaime is demisexual. meaning it is not so much so that he is completely disinterested in sex ( he’s got a perfectly good libido, thank you very much ), he just doesn’t find himself sexually attracted to people based on physical appearance or initial impressions. instead he finds personality, intellect, and existing emotional attachment considerably more compelling.

- although he often makes himself scarce when it comes to familial ties, jaime is fiercely protective and loyal to his family. no one will ever come between him and his family.

- he was born and raised in oxford, england.

- when he graduated from secondary school, he pursued a higher education by going to university of oxford. in the beginning, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to major in. the possibilities were endless, of course, but he wanted to pursue something he loved and also make a decent living on his own two feet when he graduated. at first, he thought he would be interested in something to do with the arts, but that dream died rather quickly when he rationalized how he didn’t want to make his passion for art into a full-time job that he would come to quickly hate in a few years. so, after some thought, he weighed his options and fell into step with human physiology. he always believed he had an eye for helping people and it was also a perfect career to fall into when it came to making a really great income. from there he studied his ass off by finishing university in 4 years, went to med school at ucl medical school, did his residency in 7 years, and is currently in his last few months of his pediatric neurosurgeon fellowship program.

- to put it plan and simple jaime is an art ho. jaime always loved anything artistic. even when he was little, he would go around with his disposable camera and take pictures of everything and then take to paper to draw the things he had taken pictures of as well.

- he’s like a hippie dippy child of the universe. no joke. no seriously, his place at home is full of sensual shit and art. it’s getting out of hand and somebody needs to stop him soon.

- he strongly believes that art is an umbrella term that relates to expressing oneself ( not just through photography and painting ) and that everyone has the freedom to express themselves however they please. because of his beliefs, he chooses to break gender roles like bread and wears whatever the fuck he wants because yolo.

- his appearance pretty much represents his hippie dippy lifestyle with him wearing all sorts of cute hipster shit. he’s clothes are v flow-y but don’t let that fool you. he doesn’t miss the opportunity to represent his upper-middle class within his style, so he does dress to impress, let me tell you ( he’s a fashion ho too ). his hair color changes sometimes too depending on his mood but it’s generally never too eccentric.

5 RANDOM FACTS

1. to put it plan and simple jaime is an art ho. jaime always loved anything artistic. even when he was little, he would go around with his disposable camera and take pictures of everything and then take to paper to draw of all the things he had taken pictures of as well.

2. he’s like a hippie dippy child of the universe. no joke. no seriously, his place at home is full of sensual shit and art. it’s getting out of hand and somebody needs stop him soon. he strongly believes that art is an umbrella term that relates to expressing of oneself ( not just through photography and painting ) and that everyone has the freedom to express themselves however they please. because of his beliefs, he chooses to break gender roles like bread and wears whatever the fuck he wants because yolo.

3. has a female ragroll cat named ginsberg. he named her after allen ginsberg because he’s obsessed with the dead poets society and sometimes deems himself as a member.

4. sometimes when he’s nervous, he will tap his leg pretty quickly.

5. jaime is never one to get drunk ever. he’s usually the one to always babysit the drunk ones ( he’s the honorary dad friend ), but he thought one day he would have a little solo party in his apartment on the one saturday night he had off and watch the lizzie mcguire movie for nostalgia purposes. long story short, he eventually ended up drunk on wine and recorded a whole music video of myself dancing to the ‘what dreams are made of’ song. let’s just say that video recording will never see the light of day.

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: being a pediatric neurosurgeon.

SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: when he has the time, he’ll usually do photography and/or art commissions. but it’s mostly only as a hobby and when he feels like it.

CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: it’s a tiring job, but well worth it.

PAST JOB(S): during high school, he used to help his mom with her real estate business by handing out flyers and during med school, he would work as a tutor.

SPENDING HABITS: mostly he spends money on his hobbies such as photography and art supplies. he also spends spoiling his cat, too. if he’s really feeling like a ‘treat yo self’ moment, he’ll splurge on a designer outfit or a shit ton of food.

MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: when he was about 10 years old, his grandmother gifted him a book on the history of art because she knew he had a passion for it. it’s a bit tattered and dog-eared but it’s well loved when it comes to looking for inspiration.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

TALENTS: painting, being ambidextrous, somehow waking up at the ass crack of dawn every morning.

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english, french, and a bit of korean.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: ben barnes

EYE COLOR: deep brown. his eyes are as hickory as rich as the earth’s soil; stained with the color of hot chocolate on a cold winter night that wraps around you like a blanket; engulfs you in its warmth and makes you feel at home.

HAIR COLOR: warm brown. his hair is a lovely whisky, the color of fallen leaves browned and sleek with the first rain of autumn.

HAIR TYPE/STYLE: thick, full, and silky to the touch. shaved and shortened on the sides. primarily put into a curly contemporary quiff. sometimes grows out his hair to shoulder length and then puts it into a bun.

GLASSES/CONTACTS?: wears contacts and glasses.

DOMINANT HAND: technically both, but uses the right more.

HEIGHT: between 5′10-5′11.

EXERCISE HABITS: goes for a 2 hour run/jog every saturday morning, but let’s be real, he doesn’t exercise much lmao.

TATTOOS: currently doesn’t have any, but wants to get one someday.

PEIRCINGS: as a rebellious teenager, he once got his tongue pierced on a dare ( long story ), but ended up liking the look of it anyway ( he doesn’t wear it any longer but will sport it out once in while just for shock value ). he also has industrial piercing on his right ear and both lobes pierced.

MARKS/SCARS: probably? but nothing too big or noticeable.

NOTABLE FEATURES: has particularly long eyelashes.

USUAL EXPRESSION: neutral???

CLOTHING STYLE: light and flowy high fashion displayed throughout an extensive wardrobe, mixed with dark and elegant taste. commonly paired with rings of all sorts and simple necklaces.

JEWELRY: varies rings and necklaces.

ALLERGIES: none

DIET: predominately pescatarian.

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: none

PSYCHOLOGY

MORAL ALIGNMENT: true neutral and occasionally teetering on chaotic good.

TEMPERAMENT: delicate and unfaltering, never without a sense of poise. posture tall, a prominent feline sway in his walk – every move is calculated. appears very energetic and optimistic when first meeting, but has a very apollonian vibe once you get to know him well. very much of a flower child, as you will. he expresses his tranquility in his persona and actions.

MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: generalized anxiety disorder.

OBSESSION(S): his cat, food, binge watching soap operas and sci-fi shows, baby yoda aka grogu, sleeping when he can.

COMPULSION(S): buying too much art supplies and home décor.

PHOBIA(S): coulrophobia ( fear of clowns ).

ADDICTION(S): none that he’s aware of.

DRUG USE: smoked weed once and thought he was gonna die. moral of the story, he never touched a drug again.

ALCOHOL USE: social drinker

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: can range from intimate, formal, to casual.

ACCENT: british

QUIRKS: refuses to hurt any animal, including insects, fights for human rights, belongs to a fan club, enjoys jokes with puns, has an obsession with a particular TV show, series, film, or franchise, gardens, is always reading, paints, takes pictures of everything, practices calligraphy, must drink coffee or tea to “wake up”, is “organized chaos”, loves to hug, taps foot when bored or nervous, sleeps during the day, always answers a question with a question, always answers a question with a question, goes off on tangents, is extremely sarcastic,

HOBBIES: photography, painting, anything art related.

DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: like a motherfucking sailor.

FAVOURITES

ACTIVITY: anything art related.

ANIMAL: cats, red pandas, ferrets.

BEVERAGE: tea or coffee.

BOOK: and then there was none by agatha christie

COLOR: blacks, greys, purples, mustard yellow.

DESIGNER: balenciaga and dior

FOOD: salmon or tilapia

FLOWER: sunflowers

HOLIDAY: halloween

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: train or car

SCENT: vanilla or lavender

WEATHER: fall type atmosphere

#florencev.intro #florencev-starters #child neglect tw #hospital mention tw #hey don't look at this

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margokesses · 4 years

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Like, okay, guess that Steve Rogers Captain America to this day makes some noise but The Inmortal Hulk? After the first issue I hear nothing but crickets, literal crickets about that book. Nobody cares about Banner as Hulk, nobody has cared about Banner as Hulk for years it's like Stark you can dress the donkey with silk but the donkey is still a donkey! The C Lister is a C Lister no matter what you do, there's a reason why Robbie Reyes, Jaime Reyes and Kamala Khan B/A Listers keep their mantles and sell like fresh baked bread. But Totally Awesome Hulk? People gobbled that run, I kept hearing how Amadeus was a very interesting take on Hulk and how that ended? Amadeus got paid dust and a stupid name, Brawn.

I feel like Bruce banner as hulk could be interesting if they got a good enough writer. I live al ewing but i could not keep up with immortal hulk at all.

And yeah you're right about kamala and amadeus and robbie, etc. They're so much more interesting than they're right counterparts. Totally awesome hulk was a good book bc you got to see a hulk that's different besides like jen. I feel like amadeus hulk is fueled by inner anger that amadeus has at himself because of his past. And that was so interesting!!

But yeah legacy characters do deserve better. Another example of this is sam alexander nova. He was never that popular to begin with but after richard rider he was treated like dust. Just like amadeus. And honestly?? I'm tired of it!!

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countessdelannoy · 4 years

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Morgan’s Top 10 Favorite Royal(ish) Wedding Gowns

Once again, @claireofluxembourg, @queensonjas, and @wonderfullyroyal (and everyone else who’s doing this now) have both inspired me and reminded me that I have opinions about royal/noble wedding gowns.

This round was more fun, because who doesn’t love a fabulous gown? As with last time, this is called “favorite” and not “best” because these are 100% my own opinions and also my own bias. Again, these are all from the 2000′s, although doing a top 10 favorite gowns from before the 2000′s would be...an interesting challenge.

Bonus Round: Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan

This list (like the last one) is very European royal-centric, but we have to give a major shout-out and honorable mention to the most ridiculously attractive couple on the planet, the King and Queen of Bhutan. It’s almost not fair to compare this wedding look to every other one on this list because it’s so different, but this gets a mention for the sheer colorfulness and intricacy of the embroidery and weaving - it’s incredible.

10. Princess Eugenie of York

Not a gown I’d wear myself, but Eugenie looks fabulous and this gown is beautiful, both on her and in general. Maybe my favorite part is the low-cut back designed to show the scar from her scoliosis surgery. I love the non-sheer long sleeves, something we don’t see often enough among royal brides these days, and also that Greville Emerald tiara. Eugenie rocks a major tiara just like I knew she would (three cheers for a colorful bridal tiara).

9. Princess Elisabetta, Archduchess of Austria-Este

Listen, I really love this gown. Are the lace-lined seams on the bodice and sleeves kind of weird? Yeah, but I think it works on Lili and she looks fabulous. I actually really like the point d’esprit (the little dots on the lace) and I think it lightens it up for her really well. The veil is beautiful, and I love, love, love that tiara. We won’t talk about Lili’s husband, but she looks fabulous, and I love this gown fight me.

8. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Something of an oldie, but still a goodie - we just won’t talk about how young and nerdy Haakon looks here. This is only number 8 on this list but that shouldn’t fool you because I love this gown. It’s so simple but done so well, and makes it look like she’s floating on a cloud or something. I love the veil and I’m iffy on the tiara, but this is so Mette-Marit and I love it.

7. Princess Claire of Luxembourg

An Elie Saab and Luxembourg gown so far down on the list? I know, I’m surprised myself. But seriously, she looks beautiful and the gown is fab - Elie Saab is incredible and the lace and embroidery on this one is so intricate. I also love that you can actually see the lace on the skirt - so often it gets lost if you’re not looking at close-up shots, but not here. Beautiful bride, beautiful tiara, beautiful gown.

6. Duchess of Sussex

Tailoring and fit issues aside, this is a beautiful gown, and I would wear one just like this in a heartbeat. The sort of off-the-shoulder neckline is really flattering on Meghan, and as always I give three cheers for a gown with non-lace, non-sheer long sleeves (and also a waist!). The veil is beautiful, and I love anyone who goes digging around in the family jewel vault for a tiara we haven’t seen in years. I love a good lace gown, but this was perfect for Meghan and looks fabulous.

5. Princess Viktoria of Bourbon-Parma

Moving into the royal-ish part of this list, Viktoria is married to Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma, one of Willem-Alexander’s cousins - Jaime’s mother is Princess Irene, younger sister of Princess Beatrix. Family trees aside, this is a beautiful gown, although I feel like this might be a little but of an unpopular opinion. It’s very simple, except for the (admittedly odd) textured embroidery along the hem - I think they’re flowers? But like Meghan’s gown, I’d wear this one in a heartbeat, and Viktoria looked great - special shout out to the Ears of Wheat tiara and her beautiful veil.

4. Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau

Another gown with another relatively simple, long-sleeved front - are you sensing a theme here? Seriously, y’all are sleeping on Marie-Gabrielle. The back of the skirt is embroidered with flowers and sparklies and I love it. What I also love? That sapphire tiara - we don’t see nearly enough colorful bridal tiaras for my taste. This is another royal-ish entry - Marie-Gabrielle is the daughter of Prince Jean of Luxembourg, younger brother of Grand Duke Henri.

3. Beatrice Borromeo

Not quite royal, and also not traditional white. Beatrice wore like 5 dresses over the course of her wedding celebrations and looked fabulous in all of them (I’m a huge sucker for her reception gown after the religious ceremony) but for this list I’m absolutely in love with this Valentino gown for the civil ceremony, flower crown and all. It’s pretty and boho and a really nice color, and I’d love it if we could make gowns a thing for more civil royal weddings.

2. Princess Carolina of Bourbon-Parma

One more royal-ish gown - Princess Carolina of Bourbon-Parma, another one of Willem-Alexander’s cousins (Princess Irene’s daughter). This is just so pretty - it’s light and flowy and apparently includes heirloom family lace that Irene wore at her own wedding, which is always a nice touch. Another showing for the Ears of Wheat tiara and a beautiful lace veil - I really love this one.

1. Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Stephanie’s Elie Saab gown is coming in first here. Come one now, you didn’t really think I’d pick anything else ;) I don’t even know what to say about this one that I haven’t gushed about before, but - the lace! the embroidery! the train! the veil! the Lannoy tiara! her hair! This is a royal wedding gown if ever there was one, and I love that about it.

#did i do this whole list just as an excuse to gush about steph's gown?#the world may never know #morgan talks

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mymelodyheart · 4 years

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Starting Over Chapter 19 ~The Things We Do For Love~

Claire updated the last of the patients' charts from the morning consultation and then checked her phone. As soon as she saw the number of voice messages and unread texts from Jamie, she groaned and dropped her forehead on the desk. Bloody stubborn man! Why doesn't he get it? Ever since she left Lallybroch three days ago, she'd been ignoring his calls, muting her phone and trying to keep busy. Unfortunately, cutting him out of her life wasn't going to be an easy feat. Besides sleep eluding her thinking about him, Jamie found creative ways to get her attention.

On her first day at St Leonard's Medical Centre, there was a bouquet of flowers waiting for her, with a note wishing her good luck on her temporary job, signed love Jamie . To her dismay, although her new colleagues were friendly and lively, they were also nosy and an inquisitive bunch, passing Jamie's wee card to one another and coaxing her to show a picture of the sender. She'd brushed them off with a smile and some excuse needing to familiarise herself with the clinic. But it didn't help her cause when not long after, coffee and croissants were delivered by staff from a nearby cafe and once again with a note signed love Jamie .

Now everywhere she looked in the clinic, and at home, were reminders of him - flowers, plants, sweet treats, stuff toys, and also freaking balloons and pillow for neck support. What the hell? She really ought to speak to Jaime, but what was the point? She thought she would be able to handle a fling and even courted the notion that Jamie might warm up to the idea of a long term commitment after meeting his parents. Of course, it was wishful thinking and unrealistic, now that the possibility of a job with the sports network was looming. She couldn't even last more than twenty-four hours in their arrangement. Talking to him now would only weaken her resolve and end up back in a relationship that had no future.

There had to be another way to get Jamie out of her system. She was cranky, tired and most of all, miserable because she missed him, and it was affecting her ability to function. And to make matters worse, the clinic was beginning to look like a gift shop, with all of Jamie's presents and offerings strewn about. Definitely not good when trying to make a good impression with the head of the clinic, Dr John Grey, an old friend of Joe and acquaintance of hers.

John was sympathetic when she'd apologised for the scene she was causing as everyone became caught up with the excitement. To her horror, bets were already being placed amongst staff, speculating whether the gifts were from an overly devoted boyfriend or a desperate suitor. Once again, her private life was generating interest, and even if it was on a smaller scale compared to paparazzi skulking around her home, it was still bloody intrusion.

It wasn't her intention to leave Jamie without a word. After being caught up with the beautiful day she had with the Frasers, her senses saturated in fine wine and Jamie kneeling before her, pleading not to break up with him, she'd been so close to revealing her feelings. It would have been the final humiliation if she'd bared her soul and heart to a commitment-phobe. If she hadn't known him any better, she would have believed Jamie was actually in love with her. The sound of his phone ringing had brought her back from the land of fantasy, and Claire sobered up quick. Without stopping to think, she'd ran and was grateful she'd caught Joe in time saying his farewell to Brian and Ellen. If Jamie's parents had been surprised to see her leave in a hurry with Joe, they'd shown no indication.

Now, she needed to get real. She'd had her Jamie and enough memories of him to warm her during the long, cold winter nights. She had to be happy with that. It wasn't Jamie's fault, and he had been forthright with her right from the start, giving her no illusions of a happily-ever-after. Time to get a firmer grip of reality and move on.

The door opened, and Mary, the senior receptionist, walked in. "Sorry about this Dr Beauchamp. I must have missed this." She waved a file folder in her hand. "Were ye about to go for yer coffee break? The patient can wait for Dr Grey instead. He doesnae look like he's about to die." She placed a cupcake on her desk.

Claire smiled. "It's alright, Mary, I'll take it. And thank you for the cupcake." No coffee nor croissants had arrived for her that morning, and her stomach was growling, having had no breakfast earlier. Maybe Jamie had given up, and that's the reason she was feeling a bit off. The cupcake should tide her over until dinner time. Sighing, she got up and put on her white coat. "So what's up with our patient?" she asked.

"The patient is Mr Alexander Malcolm. Heart palpitations, trouble with eating and sleeping, occasional hallucination, chest pains. He probably just over-indulged on curry and beer if I may say so. Some of these folks that come here doesnae need treatment and just want to get off from work. I'd say it's a bloody waste of NHS money," Mary scoffed.

Claire sighed inwardly. "Send Mr Malcolm to room 2. I won't take a minute."

"Aye, will dae." And Mary left.

Unfortunately what Mary said was true. Some of the people that came to the clinic were better off staying at home and resting. She missed the frenetic schedules she had at the Royal Infirmary and working under pressure at the surgical unit. All she'd done the last few days were diagnose patients with common ailments such as colds and flu, collect fluid and tissue samples for labs and administer or prescribe medications. It was a good thing she was only here for a couple of weeks.

Claire walked into room two with the patient's folder. "Good morning, Mr Malco ..." She stopped in her tracks when she found Jamie sat on the chair in front of a small desk. "What the hell ..." Alexander Malcolm ...of course, she should have known! He used his middle name. She'd been so distracted, the name hadn't immediately registered.

She made a move to go, but Jamie launched himself towards her and grabbed her hand before she could back out into the corridor. "Wait, Sassenach ...hear me out." Heart pounding hard, she stilled, as he pushed the door shut behind her. "I'm sorry for doing this. But ye left me with nae choice."

"Jamie ..." Her pulse started tumbling all over itself at the sight of him. He looked great except for the dark circles under his eyes, and his scent was making her giddy.

"Please," he pleaded, his voice sounding like suffering.

He was standing so close, her fingers itched to touch him. But Claire steeled her resolve. "Fine ... you have two minutes. Let me remind you, you are wasting precious NHS resources."

He let out a breath of relief. "I'll pay for my way."

"That'll cost you. You have a lot of symptoms."

Hand still planted on the door, he stepped closer. "Then, ye'll need more than two minutes to diagnose me ..."

She placed a hand on his chest, stopping his forward progress. "Jamie ..." she warned.

Jamie dragged an impatient hand through his hair. "I wanted to see ye and ye wouldnae let me, alright? Ye left Lallybroch without a word, and I'd like to know what I've done wrong. Ye wouldnae answer my calls, so ye left me with nae other options. And I'm pissed off. I'm so pissed off like naebody's business because it scares the shit out of me that I may not be able to hold ye again." Taking advantage of her open-mouthed confusion, he leaned in very close, and his gravelly voice dropped low. "I ken I pushed too far too quickly. But all I ask of ye, is one chance, Sassenach. One chance. Tonight. I want to talk, and there's something I need to tell ye. But not here, though. And after we're done talking and ye dinnae like what I have to say, and ye still want to walk out of my life ..." He paused and swallowed hard as if he was having difficulty forming the words. "... I'll let ye go, and I'll never bother ye again."

His words bored an uncomfortable hole in her chest. "Y-you'll let me go?" she whispered.

He dropped his head forward. "If that is yer wish," he muttered in a pained tone.

"Jamie, I thought I could handle this, but ..." Self-preservation constrained her from saying more.

He looked into her eyes and pleaded. "Have dinner with me tonight, Sassenach. And we'll talk."

Not a great idea. "Fine, I'll come."

Jamie squeezed his eyes shut for a few heartbeats, and when he finally opened them, his face relaxed. "Shall I pick ye up here or at home?"

"No!" she said too abruptly. "I mean, I'll come in my own car and meet you." It was for the best, she thought. "Where shall we meet?"

"At my place. I'll cook. I hope ye like Italian."

Oh, so definitely not a good idea. "Alright, I'll be there at seven, and I like Italian."

She made a move to go, but Jamie stopped her. "How about my symptoms?"

Claire smothered a smile. "I'm giving you the all-clear and please, don't forget to pay at the reception." She left the room and headed out to see Mary.

...........

Claire stood outside Jamie's apartment door, fidgeting with the bottle of grappa. She'd arrived fifteen minutes earlier and snuck into his building when a resident came out of the main entrance. Now standing outside in his corridor, she couldn't bring herself to ring his doorbell. What could they possibly talk about that would make her change her mind about their relationship? Taking huge calming deep breaths, she let her head dropped to the left, then to the right of her shoulders, in an attempt to relax, the fragrance of tomato sauce cooking, making her mouth water, a reminder she hadn't eaten the whole day. Although hungry, she was not ready to confront Jamie yet, so she began walking in circles and counting backwards from a hundred.

"What are ye doing, Sassenach? I've been watching ye through the peephole for the last three minutes."

Claire jumped. Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ! Bloody hell! She took a deep breath and faced the door. "Alright, open up before I change my mind and go."

"I cannae have ye doing that." The door suddenly swung open, revealing a barefoot Jamie. His hair was still wet from the shower, and he wore a faded black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, a tea towel casually hung on his right shoulder. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the doorjamb and looked at her thoughtfully.

She frowned at him. Why does he have to look so good? "How did you know I was out here?"

"I saw ye parking your car from my window. Ye really ought to practice more on yer parallel parking. Ye're terrible at it."

She scoffed. "It was bloody tight."

"I was waiting for ye to ring the bell so I could buzz ye in and when ye didn't, I thought ye'd gone to the wrong place."

"I was early."

"I'm glad ye're here now." He gazed openly at her, his eyes taking her all in, making her suddenly hot in the cool summery dress she was wearing.

"M-me too." Claire crushed the urge to throw herself at him and strived for calm and common sense. "Something smells good. What's cooking?" When he didn't say anything and continued to stare, she became self-conscious at the intensity of his perusal. "What?"

He sighed. "I'm still trying to decide how to greet ye, but after the way ye ran away the other day, I dinnae want to presume anything."

Her mouth went dry. "How about you let me in, and we'll take it from there?"

He straightened himself and turned sideways, opening the door only a fraction more, hardly giving her enough room to pass. As she squeezed past him, he stopped her and tilted her chin up with a finger. "May I?" he asked, looking at her lips.

Her heart did a double backflip. Ah, what the hell! Trying not to think about the hard muscles pressing against her, she licked her lips and nodded. Lowering his head, his eyes lit up, and he smiled. And when he kissed her, it was only a mere brushing of their lips, but it was enough to make her head spin.

"Hi," he whispered against her mouth.

"H-hi." Attempting to get her bearings back on even ground, she held up the bottle in her hand. "Y-you said you were making something Italian, so I b-brought grappa."

He arched an eyebrow. "Grappa? Normally, people bring wine to dinner."

"Ah, I figured you would have had the wine sorted out. This will make a nice aperitif or after-dinner drink. I just wanted to keep the Italian theme going." God, oh God, he smells so good.

"Sounds grand." He took the bottle from her hand and smiled. "Are ye coming in?"

"Of course, after you," she stammered, feeling slightly flustered.

"Sassenach?"

"Hmmm?" She was staring at his neck, imagining running her tongue along the column of his throat.

"Ye're standing on my foot."

"Oh, sorry." She felt the heat creep up her face and darted past him. Get a grip, Beauchamp! You're here to put an end to this non-relationship thingy!

The moment she stepped in, she instantly forgot her embarrassment and stared with awe at his apartment. The last time she was here, she'd been stood outside in the corridor and never got to see the inside.

His apartment was bright and spacious and not what she'd expected at all from a bachelor's pad. The living space, kitchen and dining area all flowed into one big open plan. And although it had been modernised, it retained a lot of the Victorian era features with cornice moulding and high ceilings. It had solid oak flooring and beautiful exposed natural woodwork throughout, and sash and case windows. She'd expected dark colours and leathers. Instead, he had a plush L-shape red sofa, silvery-grey area rugs and matching curtains. He didn't have a lot of things except for the hardback books that lined the shelves and laptop and gaming accessories on the coffee table; nevertheless, the apartment looked lived in and very inviting.

"Jamie, your place is beautiful," she gushed. She turned around to find him watching her from the kitchen with an amused expression. After admiring the view from his window, she walked over to the granite island and slid into the stool. "And your kitchen is a chef's dream."

"I'm glad ye like it," he beamed, putting a block of parmesan cheese and grater on a wooden board. "I hope ye like pasta. Most women tend to stay away from carbs."

"I live for carbs." She began to relax as she watched him retrieve the wine and shot glasses and place the already opened bottle of Barbera on the counter. On cue, she uncapped the grappa and poured them their aperitif while Jamie stirred the sauce. "Do you cook all the time?"

"Here at home? Rarely," he replied. "I've only cooked for my brothers and sister when they come over to visit." He dipped a finger into the sauce and put it into his mouth to taste it. And then he grinned.

"Good?" Oh Lordy, Lordy, he looks delicious enough to eat.

"Uh-huh. Very good." He added a pinch of pepper and stirred the sauce some more, winking at her.

Jamie looked at ease, working the kitchen and seemed to be in his element. It was a shame he wasn't the type to settle down, and the sooner she accepted that fact, the easier it would be for her to move on. "It smells heavenly. What's the sauce?" she asked, striving to sound cheerful.

" Sugo alla puttanesca , basically it's tomato sauce with anchovies, capers and black olives. It's a simple recipe Jenny taught me. It's done now. Want to taste?"

Claire wondered why he was going through so much trouble just to talk, but she suspected he wanted to put her at ease after she did a runner on him a few days ago. She knew already more or less what he wanted to discuss about, but she'd already made up her mind. She wanted love and marriage and family, and she was never going to get that from Jamie. It was better to nip whatever they have in the bud before the heartache became too much to bear. For now, she was going to enjoy their last evening together before they go their separate ways.

Schooling her features, she got up from her stool and handed him a shot of grappa and picked up hers. "How about a shot first?" She needed one so badly.

"Sure," he said, taking the glass and raising it. "To ye Sassenach."

She sucked in a breath and raised hers. "And to all yer hopes and dreams, Jamie..." she whispered, meaning it with her whole heart and clinking their glasses together. "...may they all come true."

He smiled. "I'll drink to that."

They downed the shot in one go and slammed their glasses down at the same time, the clacking noise on the granite echoing through his kitchen. Claire grimaced at the heat that scorched her throat and Jamie's full lips, still moist from the alcohol, tilted into a mischievous smile. Her eyes watered, and she shook her head.

"Oh good, God, that was strong," she breathed, already feeling the effects of the grappa going into her head. She mentally reminded herself to go easy as she hadn't eaten all day. "I think I'm ready to taste that sauce."

Laughter bubbled out of his chest, and he took her hand and pulled her next to the hob. Scooping a spoonful from the pot, he blew into it and then held to her lips. "Open."

Her jaw dropped, and her mouth was filled with delicious herby tomato sauce. She let it swirl in her tongue and then she smiled. "Mmmm, yum."

He grinned and bit his lip. "More?"

She nodded, her stomach growling noisily.

They both laughed out loud as they heard the grumble.

"Your stomach must really love me," Jamie teased, holding the spoon next to her lips.

She giggled, enjoying the rich taste of the sauce and still feeling the pleasant warmth from the grappa they drank. "Not just my stomach, Jamie. All of me loves you," she said, before opening her mouth.

Jamie's head shot up, and he blinked as if coming to from a long sleep, and she caught the shocked look in his eyes. "What did ye say?"

"Huh?" Her eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Oh, sweet mother of God, what have I done! She slowly backed away from him. "What do you think I said?"

Oh, he knows exactly what I've just said. Claire held her breath and waited for him to call off their evening. Maybe it's for the best now that he knew what she felt. That would probably scare the bejesus out of his wits and save her from long explanations why they couldn't be together. But instead, a slow smile formed his lips. "Ye ken fine what I heard ye say."

"But ..."

He closed the distance between them and lifted her up by the waist and settled her on the kitchen counter. Parting her knees, he pulled her against him. "Tell me again, Sassenach." Before she could reply, he closed his mouth over hers, not giving her a chance to push him away nor to think. His tongue delved into her mouth, plunging inside to mate with hers, his hands firmly gripping her waist.

Raw emotions came in waves and engulfed her, making it hard for her to breathe. This was too much. Jamie must have misunderstood.

Sensing her hesitation, Jamie paused and looked at her, worry marring his features. "What's wrong, Sassenach, speak to me," he whispered. "Did ye not say ye love me?"

Her eyes welled up with tears. There was no point in fibbing and denying it. Jamie had caught her off-guard, and she knew he wasn't going to let the matter go. Resigning herself to the fact he'd never be able to reciprocate the love she had for him, she took deep fortifying breaths and willed the secret deep in her heart to have its say. "I do love you, Jamie and I know you can't love me back. I just can't bear to hear you say it. A-and I know you don't..."

"Ah, Christ." He closed his eyes as if a realisation dawned on him, and Claire saw the sheer anguish that creased his face. He leaned in to tenderly kiss her, his tongue tracing the swollen flesh of her lips, a gesture that bespoke reverence and humility. And when Jamie finally opened his eyes and looked into hers, the air whooshed out of her lungs. He was letting her see it all and allowing her in. The truth was all there to see in his face. "I love ye, Sassenach. I've love ye ever since that day in Lallybroch when I first heard yer voice behind that mask. But I was too daft and full of mysel' not to realise it. I'm so sorry for everything. For the conditions, I've placed on us. Ye didn't deserve that. All of this is new to me, and I'm still grappling, and I ken it's nae excuse for how I've behaved. If ye'll have me back, I promise to make it up for ye."

She was stunned beyond words, disabling her speech for a moment, as joy and relief competed to overwhelm her, but it was too easy. She pulled slightly away from his hold, searching his face. "Jamie, I don't think I have the strength nor the will to compete with the other women."

A pained sound escaped his throat. "Sassenach, there's never been and never will be anyone for me but ye. I thought I had it all before ye came to my life, but now that ye're here, I see my past as nothing but meaningless existence. And the future looks bleak if I cannae see ye in it. There'll never be another woman for me as long as ye walk the face of the earth, and no woman will ever make me feel the way ye do. Ye made me whole, and I would like it to remain that way." His voice struck with intensity as he pulled her in tight and spoke against her lips. "Please, Sassenach, allow me to prove myself."

Her heart started to speed up. "Is this why you asked me to come for dinner tonight?"

"Aye," he replied, stroking her hair. "Because I wanted to talk about this and us, and beg for yer forgiveness. I was running out of ideas to get ye to speak to me that I had to bribe yer receptionist to help me get through to ye."

Claire stilled. "What?? Mary??"

"Aye, the very one." He gave her a lopsided grin. "She wasnae interested in rugby, and she said she's never heard of me before, so I couldnae bribe her with tickets. But I found out she has a weakness for cupcakes and chocolate eclairs." His face turned serious and his brows puckered. "If she knew how desperate I was, she could have asked me for anything, and I would've given it to her just for a chance to speak to ye."

"You could have made your life easier and came to my house ..." she whispered.

"I was tempted, but I thought ...no. There was that possibility ye didnae want to see me anymore, and I didnae want ye feeling trapped in yer own home. All I'm asking for is a second chance, Sassenach."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, unable to believe he wanted her as much as she wanted him. "Yes," she laughed, tears of joy spilling from her eyes.

"Yes?"

The wall she had carefully built around her heart shattered with full force, allowing him to feel and see the love she'd kept hidden for years. "Yes, Jamie. I've loved you for so long and from afar even before we met."

His body sagged against hers, hands roaming all over her back, pulling, tugging and caressing as his lips planted kisses all over her face. "Sassenach, come to the sports award with me, please."

She nodded vigorously as she kissed him back, extracting a ragged groan from him. This time there were no reservations, doubt or question hanging in the air as he lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom. Tonight's dinner could be put on hold a little longer and tomorrow's problems could wait. Because first, they needed to heal each other.

#melodyheart #startingover #Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser #outlanderfanfic

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takingcourage · 5 years

Text

Additions: Part 1

Pairing: Jaime x MC

Word Count: 2,850

Summary: Several years into marriage, Jaime and Arden make an important decision about their family’s future.

Note: This mini-series is a departure from the sorts of things I’ve written before, but it’s been part of my headcanon for these characters for ages and I just had to get it out.

With that said, I know that this story isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste. If you’re currently being tagged for this pairing and want me to leave you off my list for the rest of this series, just let me know! I promise I won’t be offended or upset.

September, 2026

Arden was no stranger to the fact that her entire world could change in a matter of minutes. The lightning strike, her mother’s death, that fateful gubernatorial debate – each had heralded new epochs in her life. But even with all of that previous experience, this particular set of minutes still managed to surprise her.

It was the first time she’d been speechless on camera, knowing that tears would begin pouring if she even tried to make use of her vocal cords. Ellen had covered for her admirably, but Arden’s palms were still sweating when she left an hour later.

She pulled out of the studio parking lot, punching buttons on the LED display of the dash.

Dialing.

A repetitive dulcet tone echoed through the vehicle.

“Arden?” her husband’s voice broke through the speakers and the tears threatened to rise again.

“Jaime, where are you?” she managed faintly, blasting the air conditioner in an effort to preserve her composure.

“In my workshop. Are you okay?” His strained concern brought her back to reality.

“I don’t know – but don’t worry about me. I’m not in danger or anything.” The sniffling wasn’t doing anything to add to her credibility, so she shifted tactics. “I just need to talk to you.”

“Sure. I’ll be home for another hour before I need to head over to the worksite for a meeting. You on your way back?”

“Reschedule it, babe,” she commanded gently, ignoring his question.

“Arden, you’re scaring me.” From the jostling on the other end, she could envision him pinning the phone close with his shoulder, hands occupied in searching for his truck keys.

The slam of the workshop door confirmed her suspicions.

“I’m almost home, Jaime. Stay there.”

His sigh dissipated through the vehicle.

“And I’m scaring me too…” the confession was almost a whisper. “But I think it’s a good scared.”

_____

Jaime was waiting on the front step when she arrived home, Opie sniffing at the bushes that lined the side of the house. As she rolled into the driveway, he ushered the dog inside and met her on the pavement.

“You’re trembling, babe.” He held out a hand to steady her at the elbow, but she rushed on ahead.

“Jaime, I saw our kids.”

He almost tripped up the doorstep, leaving Arden grateful that she hadn’t taken the assistance he’d proffered. “What do you mean?”

“I know we haven’t talked about it in a while, but you know how we always said we wanted to adopt someday?”

He just gawked at her, dumbstruck.

“We were doing the Wednesday’s Child segment this morning and I don’t even know how to explain it, but the kids we featured in the video? They’re ours.” Taking a seat on the couch, she drew out the laptop from her satchel. “Here, I’ll show you.”

For the space of several moments, the house was silent save for the sound of her fingers clicking on keys. Having found the webpage, she slid the device toward Jaime, reading the familiar text along with him.

Sophia, age 11. Sophia is a lively girl who enjoys spending time with her brothers and making new friends. She loves to sing and hopes to continue playing flute in band at her new school. When she grows up, Sophia wants to teach kindergarten or be a pediatrician.

Alexander (Alex), Age 9. Alex is a talented artist who loves to draw and make things with his hands. He can be shy around people he doesn’t know, but he’s very sensitive and affectionate once he warms up to you. When he isn’t drawing, he loves to watch movies or build with LEGO.

Will, Age 7. Will is very energetic and enjoys playing outside. His favorite sport is soccer and he dreams of one day playing professionally. He is friends with everyone and always has stories to tell. Will loves animals and hopes to have a pet of his own someday.

Sophia, Alex, and Will are very close and need to be adopted together. They would do best in an active household that has a backyard so that they can spend time outside. They deserve an adoptive family that can provide structure, patience, and lots of love.

When she came to the end, her eyes darted back to his face, heart thundering wildly at the conflict she saw there. She ran her hands against the skirt of her dress and waited for him to speak.

“Arden.” Jaime shook his head and swore under his breath. Blinking, he pushed the laptop a few inches across the coffee table.

“See?” The tears were threatening again, called forth by the raw emotion in his tone.

He nodded vigorously.

“And there’s a video,” she continued, scrolling further down the page. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Feeling Jaime tense beside her, she extended a palm toward him and clicked the play button. The musical interlude began, followed by June’s voiceover.

Every week, we introduce you to a child in our community that needs a family. Today, we’ve chosen three very special siblings who need a forever home...

Arden’s eyes stung as she saw them again, heart skipping wildly just as it had done before. Curious as she was to know Jaime’s reaction, she couldn’t tear her attention away from the screen.

These were their kids.

There was no question in her mind.

Jaime’s grip tightened around her fingers as the voiceover resumed. “How do we bring them home?”

Her finger trailed the trackpad, hovering over the link for more information. “I can fill out the preliminary paperwork tonight. After that, it’s going to be a lot of training and home visits and a lot of waiting. It’s not going to be easy.”

Jaime pulled her hand to his lap, thumb tracing anxious circles through her skin. “When have you ever been known to back down from a challenge?”

“Basically never,” she laughed ironically. “But are we sure we’re ready for this?”

The enormity of the decision rolled over her like a freight train. Talking about wanting kids and actually pursuing them were two very different things.

Jaime leaned back into the couch, and her heart beat erratically in the long seconds before his response. What if she was wrong? What if he didn’t feel as strongly as she did? It was early, sure, but despite her fears, Arden had her heart set on seeing more of those three small faces.

“We’ve been planning to have kids for forever.”

“We’ve just been waiting for the right time,” she added softly.

“I think we’ve found it.”

She clicked to open the new tab. “This isn’t committing us to anything. At this point, it’s really just an expression of interest. If we change our minds later...”

Jaime recognized the implication. “I don’t think we will.”

Releasing his hand, Arden lifted the computer to her knees. “Neither do I.” She started filling in the blanks slowly. She was an expert typist, but something about this particular form encouraged her to linger over every word.

Jaime shook her sleeve gently, the motion stirring her to look back at him. “Let’s talk for just a second.”

Her posture straightened, hands falling back to her sides. He changed his mind. Arden drew a shaky breath as she met his eyes.

Jaime looked back steadily. “We’ve been doing the no-kids thing for a while now. Having three of them all at once is going to mean a lot of changes. We’re financially stable, so I’m not worried about that, but this isn’t just sponsoring them or visiting sometimes -- this is an all-day, every-day commitment.”

Arden rubbed the pad of her thumb in contemplation. “We’re not exactly used to being home consistent hours, but I think we could change that. I’ll still have to go to the studio every morning, but I can be home around noon most days. Your schedule is fairly flexible and my dad and Julie are literally next door. I’m sure they could help fill in some gaps if we ever needed them to.”

“It would still probably mean cutting back on our work hours.”

"I’m willing if it comes to that. I’ve got parental leave for several weeks and other than our time fliming, a lot of my work can be done remotely.”

“You’re sure?” His velvet eyes shone with the question.

“I’m sure. We have so much love to give, Jaime. Look at their faces and tell me that we could seriously say no to helping them have a family.”

“We can’t. And I don’t want to.”

_____

November, 2026

“Are we crazy?” Arden asked as they walked out of their first training meeting several weeks later. “Are we even old enough to have an eleven year old?”

Jaime’s head fell back with laughter. “We would have had to stop pretending not to be in love with each other much, much earlier than we did. Like, right after high-school graduation.” He flashed her a wink from across the hood of his car. “But I don’t think that’s going to matter too much. When I first moved in with Paula, I thought she was too old for me, just because she had a few gray hairs. Clearly, I was wrong,” he stated, fumbling in his pocket for the keys. “In the end, all that mattered was being part of a family.”

“I hope our kids feel the same way.”

“Even if they don’t, I think we’re doing the right thing.”

“I do too.”

He unlocked the door and paused in the seat before starting the ignition. “Growing up, I never really understood why Paula was so excited to have me come and live with her. I think I get it now.”

Arden fiddled with the zipper on her purse, her mind having traveled in a similar direction. “We didn’t even know they existed six weeks ago.”

And now we can’t imagine life without them.

His thought tallied with her own. “Exactly.”

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us,” she continued, thinking of all they’d heard. Ready as she was to have the kids under their roof, part of her was grateful that the drawn-out process gave them so many months to adjust.

“I’m glad you’re the one taking this journey with me.”

“I wouldn’t do this with anybody else.” Arden clasped his knee firmly, eyes on the road ahead. “Still want to go home and talk about remodeling?”

“Yep.” He slowed for the approaching stoplight.

“You finally going to take out that wall downstairs that you’ve been complaining about for ages?”

Jaime took the opportunity to cast a scrutinizing eye over her features. “Open-concept designs are on their way out. And it’s a load-bearing wall anyway. We’ve talked about this.”

Arden giggled into the sleeve of her jacket, arching a brow at her husband.

You’re just trying to wind me up, aren’t you?

She squeezed his knee in silent confirmation.

_____

April, 2027

Mommy is changing the walls!

With a start, Arden shifted the roller to one hand. Her other pinched the pause button on her earbuds, putting the podcast to an end. “Opie, how’d you get in here? You’re supposed to be in the kitchen.”

Jaime’s step sounded in the upstairs hallway. “That was me. I didn’t realize you were painting -- sorry.” He coaxed the animal back into the hall and locked him out. Once inside, he cast an appreciative gaze around the bedroom. “This is looking really good. Are you sure painting walls isn’t your day job?”

She rolled her eyes at the compliment, but couldn’t hide the curve of her lips as she continued working. “You should see me assemble furniture. I’ve got mad skills when it comes to flat packs. But enough of that. How was your meeting with city council?”

“Really good,” he told her with a dazed grin. “They want me to draw up plans for about a dozen more buildings downtown.”

Arden watched him as she came to the end of a stroke. “That’s excellent news! Everyone at work raves about those gardens -- I told you they’d want more.”

He raked a hand through his hair, but her eyes were drawn to the blush that spread across his cheeks. “I thought they might want another three or four, but a dozen? I’m going to have to contract some of the work out to get it done in time. It’s going to be a busy few weeks.”

“Then let’s finish up in here and take the rest of the night to celebrate. We could go out for dinner or catch a movie if you want.”

“We could. Or...”

She pulled the roller down in a long, even line, not daring to look away from the wall again. “Or?” she inquired along with the final swipe. Wall completed, Arden returned the roller to its tray and turned to face him.

“I was just thinking that we’re running out of nights to have the whole house to ourselves. Maybe I’d rather just stay in with you.” With a mischievous slant to his smile, he worked the knot of her bandana loose and slipped it off her head. Fingers delving into her hair, Jaime’s lips met hers in a kiss that banished all other desires from her mind.

Arden tangled her hands behind his neck, legs latching onto his waist as he hoisted her up by the thighs. “I like this plan.”

“Good.” He tightened his grip and began to move. Staggering into the hallway, Jaime paused so that she could pull the bedroom door to a close. I’m definitely not doing this with kids in the house.

“That’s probably wi---” The first in a trio of kisses to her throat brought her statement to a premature end. Arden was never sure how he managed kiss her and walk at the same time, but she wasn’t going to complain. As they continued making their way to the bedroom, she heard their door bounce against the wall with a hollow thunk. She flashed a sassy grin when he deposited her on the bed. “In a hurry?”

“We’ll have plenty of chances to sneak around later,” he promised as he joined her.

“Does that mean we can be as loud as we want tonight?” she asked coquettishly, reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

It’s like you read my mind.

_____

June, 2027

Jaime closed the bedroom door behind them, the click of the latch quickly giving way to an unnatural silence. Arden took a few tentative steps, crossing her arms in an attempt to relieve her feeling of uselessness.

They rallied in the middle of the room, weary bodies falling to the mattress as they tried to absorb everything that had happened over the space of the last several hours.

“I can’t --”

“I just --”

Words overlapping, they laughed at the sudden break to the stillness.

“You go first,” Arden urged, tucking one hand up under her cheek as she studied her husband’s face. His eyes were sagging from lack of sleep, but she’d seen the spark of delight more times today than she could count.

“It’s nothing I haven’t said before. But I can’t believe they’re actually here.”

She mirrored his radiant grin, muscles straining with her thousandth smile of the day. “It still doesn’t feel real.” Arden scooted toward him, turning to her side so that her back was to his chest. “This isn’t like visiting them with the caseworker. We’re the ones responsible here.” Breathing sharply, a fear came to mind. “Do you think I should go and check on them to make sure they’re still breathing?”

Jaime pulled her close, the weight of his arms drawing away some of the anxiety that been solidifying since the morning.

“I’m sure they’re breathing,” he reassured, the words ghosting over her ear. “And they’re probably as exhausted as we are.”

“I know, but they’re in a new place. What if they can’t sleep?” Idly, she toyed with the smooth band on Jaime’s finger.

"They’ll learn to sleep here sooner or later. If we wake them up by going in to check on them, it’s just going to make adjusting even harder.”

She hummed her assent as her mind wandered. “Did you see how long Will sat and played with Opie? I’ve never heard that dog have such happy thoughts.”

“Having kids around is going to be good for him. He was starting to get a little pudgy.”

“Hey!”

“It’s true. He’s not a puppy anymore and Jinx doesn’t let him chase her around as much as she used to. It’ll be good for him to have someone to play with him more often.”

“That’s probably true,” she conceded, falling silent once more.

“We ought to start getting ready for bed.”

Arden nodded, but made no attempt to leave his embrace. “How long do you think it will take for this to start feeling real? Right now, it just feels like we’ve got guests in the other end of the house.”

He sighed into her shoulder. “Probably sooner than we think. We’ll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.”

End Note: I know that I cannot begin to capture what it’s like to be a foster or adoptive parent, especially since my writing is coming from research rather than lived experience. If you have a more complete understanding of fostering or adoption and have concerns about the way I’ve represented these topics, I would be forever grateful to hear your suggestions for improvement. : )

#playchoices #playchoices fanfiction #wishful thinking #jaime lewis #jaime x mc #welcome to the land of awkward transitions #somehow this whole thing turned into a series of vignettes #when in doubt #end with dialogue #right?#please ignore my nervous rambling in the tags

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