#Charleston School of Arts
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Rescue Bots: Swap AU
The 'bots are humans and the humans are 'bots. This is just the main four Rescue Bots and the Burns family. I might add other characters if this gets popular. But Optimus stays a Bot.
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Human Heatwave:
Heath Wayne - Mixed: Cuban/Black - 23 - He/him - Bisexual
Born and raised in Griffin Rock. Only child. His parents were killed by burglars when he was twelve. Wound up being rescued. He was taken in by the Burnses, who were retired rescuers and childless. He got to do Teen Pioneers on the island. Just after he turned 18, he inherited the firehouse and trained to be a firefighter.
There was more of a rescue team before. They all either died, retired, or left. They thought "Heath Wayne" sounded like "Heatwave" so they started calling him that. He mentioned it one time around Blockade. Then he started using that since it was easier to remember. Gradually everyone started calling him Heatwave.
Human Chase:
Chase Dean - Mixed: White/Japanese- 23 - He/him - Homosexual
Born in Griffin Rock. Grew up an only child. Moved away as a toddler and didn't return until high school. He spent all of his years of school homeschooled. He went to real class in high school. Did Lad Pioneers on the mainland. Super autistic. Social cues? Never heard of her. He went to the police academy and quickly ranked up. When the running police cheif died on duty, he got the position.
The only one who uses his given name.
Human Boulder:
Pōhaku Akana - Hawiian - 22 - He/it - Panromantic/Ace spectrum
Born on the mainland. He was always huge into nature. Only child so he read and drew a lot. Was fascinated by plants. Did Lad Pioneers on the mainland. Moved to Griffin Rock when he was a high school junior. Then everyone kinda just did. He did online classes for college and has a degree in botany. Is going to Grimskey Tech as well. Passionate about everything. Joined the rescue team as an engineer but has gotten training to handle emergencies and stressful situations.
Nobody in school could pronounce his real name. The art teacher asked to call him Boulder and he agreed.
Human Blades:
Blaise Nuage - French - 21 - He/they - Panromantic/Demisexual
Grew up the middle child of five. The older sisters were Claudia (26, she/her) and Camille (24, she/they). The younger siblings were Olive (17, they/them) and Andre (15, he/she). He was babied by the older ones and he babies the younger ones. Their parents weren't that involved so Claudia was the responsible one. The siblings were all really close, growing up on the mainland. They moved to Griffin Rock when he was in middle school. Did Lad and Teen Pioneers on the island. He stayed when he graduated but the rest of the family moved back.
Blaise did pretty well in school and trained as a doctor for a short time. He hated flying but becoming an EMT helped him out in the field. He got familiar with one helicopter and got his pilot's license. Moved into the firehouse to join the team. They were content until the Bots showed up. Then things got weird.
Dartswift misheard his name as "Blades" so she called him that. It caught on with the team and soon all of Griffin Rock just knew him as Blades.
Bot Chief:
Strongshield - Blue - He/him - Straight Ally
The oldest of the team by a lot. His creators were Rescue Bots as well. They gave their Energon to a ship full of people and saved countless lives. He vowed to join the Rescue Bots in their honor. Strongshield used to have a different team but they all died on separate occasions. When he was done mourning he was put in charge of a group of young adults. He formed a close bond with each of them. He becomes a "father" figure to them all.
Chase told him about an officer he used to know named Charleston. He was the chief before he was shot. Strongshield decided he rather liked that name, so chase started calling him Charlie.
Bot Kade:
Blockade - Yellow - He/it - Bisexual
Trained to handle explosions and fires on Cybertron. His life-givers were both killed when he was a sparkling. He was raised in the Rescue Bots' base. He always admired Strongshield. He always blocked people out but made an exception when he met his team.
When he started calling Heath "Heatwave," Heath started calling him "Kade" for short. It was easier for both to remember.
Bot Dani:
Dartswift - Gray/Orange - She/her - Bisexual
Had a decent childhood on Cybertron. She played lots of sports. Was always into flying and had a flight mode before. Her carrier taught her about health so she learned medical procedures. She joined the Rescue Bots to put her talents to good use. Never had siblings and her relationship with her life givers wasn't good. They died when she was young and she spent the rest of her youth with the Rescue Bots.
Blaise started calling her Dani, after a character in a show they both liked.
Bot Graham:
Spectrogram- Blue-green - He/him - Bisexual
He grew up picked on a lot. He spent more time studying and experimenting than socializing. He never enjoyed nature. His creators never exactly cared for him. He found support and comfort in Strongshield. He joined the Rescue Bots as an engineer but almost failed the actual rescue training. Spectrogram ended up getting into Sigma 17 because Strongshield favored him among a group.
Boulder, and eventually everyone, start calling him "Gram" for short. Somehow it got spelled "Graham" and they went with it.
Bot Cody:
Codebreaker - Brown/Green - He/him - Polysexual
Spent his first years on Cybertron. When he was a sparkling his creators took him on a trip to another solar system while working. They died during this and codebreaker wound up safe in stasis. The Rescue Bots found and kept him. They never got him back to Cybertron.
He was kept with the team. Optimus found a small buggy for him to scan. He wants to be a racecar. Optimus and Strongshield won't let him. Boulder just kinda started calling him Cody because it sounded right. It caught on pretty quick.
#tfrb swap au#swap au#tfrb#rescue bots#tfrb blades#tfrb boulder#tfrb chase#tfrb heatwave#dani burns#tfrb dani#graham burns#tfrb graham#kade burns#tfrb kade#charlie burns#tfrb charlie#chief burns#tfrb chief#tfrb cody#cody burns
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Of the quarry counselors, who do you think is good or bad at dancing and what types of dances do you think they'd like?
Oh this is fun!
Ryan - I feel like Ryan feels awkward dancing around other people, and so pretends to be bad or not know how to dance. His grandparents taught him simple older dances like the waltz, and he taught himself some dances (I think @chrashley had the headcanon that he taught himself kpop group choreo and I can see it).
Dylan - I am torn between this man tearing up the dance floor and being completely unable to dance. Like maybe he has natural rhythm but doesn't know what to do with it. He gives it his all whenever Mr Brightside comes on though.
Kaitlyn - I feel like Kaitlyn did ballet as a kid, hated it, and then switched to hip hop before she got out of dance to pursue martial arts or track. She kept up her flexibility though and loves to show it off when given the opportunity.
Emma - Emma strikes me as the dance competition kid. She danced all through high school and was probably on her university dance team her first year of undergrad. She knows every viral tiktok dance and teaches the kids at camp.
Abi - She just sways her hips or bounces to the beat, but she gets too anxious to try anything more complicated around others. In her bedroom though she is perfecting the Charleston and pretends she is at those old-timey clubs where they actually dance like this.
Jacob - This man jumps and fist pumps and that is all dancing is to him. He will step on your toes if you try to dance with him. He is very enthusiastic about songs that tell you how to dance (cupid shuffle, cha cha slide, etc).
Nick - I believe this man is a very good dancer. He is an enigma to me so I feel like he could have done ballroom dancing as a hobby, and really knows how to tango. Perfect wedding date. Will dip you.
Laura - Laura can do the Hoedown Throwdown like nobody's business. I don't think she has any training but she is observant enough to watch what other people are doing and emulate it enough that she is a pretty good dancer at a party.
Max - Max has two left feet, he really is not a good dancer. But the few times he does dance he is so genuine and excited to dance that anyone around him can't help but smile. He likes to spin Laura and dances to pop songs like Ed Sheeran.
#the quarry#the quarry headcanons#kat answers#dylan lenivy#ryan erzahler#kaitlyn ka#abigail blyg#emma mountebank#jacob custos#nick furcillo#laura kearney#max brinly#thank you for the ask!
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Perry Watkins (April 13, 1907 - August 14, 1974) was the first African American set designer on Broadway. He was a stage painter, makeup and costume artist, producer, and film art director.
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he attended Hope High School where he and a friend hand-wrote and decorated a daily newspaper called “The Foolscape.” Awarded a scholarship to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design, he studied figure drawing and still life.
Despite having his paintings displayed at the Springfield Museum and the Providence Art Club, he struggled financially and worked as a waiter, chauffeur, insurance salesman, reporter, draftsman, and commercial illustrator. He applied to the Federal Theatre Project with a sample production and was employed.
Starting as a stagehand and becoming assistant technical director at Lafayette Theatre, he began a flurry of work, painting drops, dying costumes, and operating the lighting for Macbeth, designing sets for The Case of Philip Lawrence, Haiti, Plays of the Sea and Horse Play, as well as designing the costumes for Androcles and the Lion. He created sets for Mississippi Rainbow for the Chicago Negro Unit of the FTP and for the Los Angeles Negro Unit’s revival of Run Little Chillun!
He made a breakthrough, becoming the first Black Broadway set designer when he was commissioned for Mamba’s Daughters. He was permitted to take the drafting and art exam for admission into the Set Designer’s Union. He passed it easily and became the first African American to be admitted. He taught in the Rose McClendon Workshop Theatre and the following year designed the set for the revival of The Big White Fog at Lincoln Theatre.
In 1944 he served as the assistant technical director for Walk Hard, which was shown in Harlem and on Broadway. He co-produced Beggar’s Holiday. It was a success, showing one hundred and eight performances.
He ventured into film and television, working on art direction and design for films such as Hercules in New York, Come Back, Charleston Blue, Across 110th Street, and Gordon’s War. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence
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Art promoting
Daniela Astone ( b.1980 Pisa )grew upon in the sea-town of PortoSanto Stefano ,Italy, formally began studying art at the age of 14 in the High School of Arts in Grosseto.
After graduating in 1998 she moved to Florence to study Illustration at the international school of comix, in her second year she started to work indipendently for several editors and in the studio of illustration Inklink.
At the age of 21 Daniela decided to change direction and to re-start studing drawing and paint from life at The Florence Academy of Art under the direction of Daniel Graves.
She began to teach to the younger students in the Academy when she was in her second year , she graduated in 2004 with the end of the year award , but she continued to work as a principal teacher for the Florence Academy of art .
In 2005 she had her first and very successful Solo show at the Ann Long Fine Art Gallery in Charleston so she decided to build up a studio in the Tuscany countryside.
In 2013 Daniela became the director of the intermediate program at The Florence Academy of Art , entered in the BP award in London and recived a honorable mention from the Mod Portrait award,Spain .
Her work has exhibited internationally and in 2016 it became part of the permanent collection of MACS ,the Contemporary Art Museum in Sicily.
She also collaborated with Tiac ,China with Liveandlearn ,Thailand ,with Streamline , East Oaks Studio and teaches workshops of landscape painting in her studio-house in Chianti Tuscany and around the world.
In 2019 together with Gaia Grazioli she curated the Show “Corpo a Corpo” in the Museum of Villa Bardini in Florence thanks to Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and Carlo Sisi.
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What If It Were Brian Chapter Thirty-eight
AO3
She cradles Julia Janet Elizabeth in her arms. She makes funny faces as she adjusts to being out of her mam. Brian ‘s wife was safely delivered just an hour ago. Elizabeth now sleeps, her husband by her side.
“My darling, you are so loved, you know that? By your mam and daddy, myself and your papa, your uncle, aunt, and cousins, and your Godfather, Murtagh.”
Murtagh was everyone’s Godfather. When the priest arrives from Charleston, he will have quite the job with the christening. Fergus and his bride have four with one on the way and now sweet Julia.
She looks like Brian, and therefore like Jamie. Her mam has black hair and she wondered if the child would as well. Jamie’s genes are strong and Julia is fated to be a ginger.
“It isn’t to bad, sweet lamb. All the tenants will know at a glance, who you belong to.”
Fraser’s Ridge is a thriving community. They have a school, a blacksmith, a Kirk, and a pub.
“All the necessities,” as Jamie puts it. Now it has Brian and Elizabeth ‘s daughter.
She smiles recalling her son’s reaction. “I fear I will break her.” He said at first being handed her.
“You won’t .” His mama assured him.
She will recall the look on his face always. The awe and wonder as he cradles his daughter. Fergus has the same look at holding Germain, then Joanie, Felecia, and John- Henri.
“Your uncle needs more to do,” she tells her latest grandchild, “Every time he looks towards your Auntie Marsali, she gets pregnant.”
The baby yawns. Her granny laughs.
Olivia, at least, was yet to be married. Not that there weren’t lads seeking the privilege. As yet, none had passed Jamie’s standards. At sixteen, it is only a matter of time.
“Your Auntie Olivia is going to adore you. She loves babies.”
Olivia spends a lot of time at Fergus and Marsali ‘s helping with the babies.
“Good training for her.” Brian said. He knows all his sister wants to be is a wife and mam. She lost interest in the healing arts when she discovered lads. Thankfully, there is a young lady, Sara, that Claire is training.
“For when I can’t do it anymore.”
“Och Sassanach, you are turning pleasantly grey. You are just coming into your power.”
She laughs at recalling. “Your papa still remains in awe of me.”
“And always will.” He enters and kneels down beside his wife and granddaughter, “oh she is a true beauty.”
She transfers the baby to him. “She looks like Brian as a newborn.”
He grins. “Welcome to Fraser’s Ridge, sweet lass.”
The end.
#my writing#outlander fanfic#what if it were brian#chapter thirty eight#jamie and claire#cannon divergence#outlander fandom
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16 Questions // Tagged by @9-wing-1 :))))
Are you named after anyone?
My mom liked the name and spelling of Hayley bc of Hayley Mills. Mae is my great-grandma's middle name.
2. When was the last time you cried?
Umm probably like two days ago lol
3. Do you have kids?
Just my Bammy. Love kids but love my potential kids too much to ever birth them.. so, not happening. Plus I couldn't imagine not being able to blast my music whenever I wanted, could never do 10 years of Kids Bop. Aunty life 5ever!!
4. What sports do you play/ Have you played?
LOL played softball when I was in kindergarten. Floor hockey was my fav in PE. I loooooove swimming. Does dancing count? Love that too.
5. Do you use sarcasm?
Probably if someone is sassing me. Not usually.
6. What is the first thing you notice about people?
Their energy. It's always refreshing to be in the presence of sweeties but a lot of people are weird af. Physically? Shoes
7. What's your eye color?
Blue, like a boring blue. Although one of them has a lil green, can't remember which.
8. Scary movies or happy endings?
Depends. I prefer shitty endings tbh. I like to be fcked up when I watch something lol. Scary movies are only good if they're psychologically thrilling or incredibly cheesey. Happy ending movies are nice when you're cuddly in blankies during the day and it's raining outside.
9. Any talents?
I'm really good at floating in the pool, people tell me this so I'm not just making it up. I'm also not a horrid singer but only the shower will get that out of me. Oh and I'm also really good at spotting random animals from afar, I don't really know how to explain this one.
10. Where were you born?
Chesapeake, VA. I have been chained to the 757 my whole life except in first grade my mom moved us to Charleston, SC for a year.
11. What are your hobbies?
I could've copied his answer but.. walking nature trails, going to shows, going to museums, estate sales/thrifting/yard sales, buying art supplies that collect dust bc my creative juices have left me, going dancing, singing, designing houses on Sims or roomtodo, melting into a bed, loving on my Bammy.
12. Do you have any pets?
Bam aka my loverkinz
13. How tall?
5'3 shawty. Used to be 5'4 but I shrank bc I stopped stretching after high school PE class :D
14. Favorite subject in school?
Art all day, hate math
15. Dream Job?
When I was a kid I wanted to be a realtor just so I could look at houses all day. Now, I think it'd be fun to be a kindergarten teacher or own a big wildlife sanctuary.
16. What animals do you identify as your familiar?
Otters aka kitties of the sea
tagging @inlovewetrust555 :)
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blaseball.
a eulogy, of sorts.
(cw for mentions if suicide under the cut)
blaseball was my solace.
my only source of warmth by any definition in the cold (both literally and figuratively) of november 2020. that year was desolate. it was freezing.
i joined blaseball at the suggestion of, who was at the time an acquaintance, at the tail end of season eleven. i was skeptical, but latched onto the shoe thieves.
the season ended, and i spent the entire grand siesta researching just about every single thing that had ever happened in the game to that point. i was neck deep on hyperfixation, with no clue as to how deep that love would become.
blaseball helped me through a really hard time. in the years 2019-2020, i was a high school freshman navigating a brand new setting with hardly anyone i knew. being hit with quarantine was, possibly, the worst thing that could have happened to me. it was awful knowing that i spent so much energy making new friends only to be forced away from them, many of which not only cutting contact but dropping out or moving away.
i had to make new friends again when we came back. blaseball was one of the only ways i knew how. i spent lunches upon lunches of discussing everything that was happening and everything lored by the community. it helped me connect with people when connection was hard to come across.
(heres where we get into the cw a bit)
blaseball was an escape.
2020 and 2021 were shitty, shitty years.
covid aside, my mental health was at an all time low. i managed to keep going because of blaseball. it distracted me from the horrors of the world.
being cooped up made our already tense family life worse. my parents were at each others throats near constantly. they were at my brothers throats near constantly. my brothers were at each others throats near constantly.
when i started going back to school in person, covid was still rampant. shootings were picking up more and more, especially in my state.
blaseball, the act of being able to invest myself in it, was what kept me from doomspiraling for months on end.
im surprised i survived quarantine. if it werent for the community blaseball gave me, i dont think i would be here today to tell this story.
the community that blaseball gave me was extemely supportive and actually instrumental to my beginning to love and learn more about myself.
if i never got that opportunity, i think i very well would have offed myself by now. i mean, with the stress of school and the shitty world outside mixing with the added stress of having to witness both of my brothers' attempts... its hard not to to understand at least a bit
i dont think about it often. i never have. but the way stress has been piling on since that quarantine started, blaseball was the one escape from all that stress.
and for that, im grateful. ive met so many wonderful people here.
ive touched and been touched by so many amazing pieces of art, literature, and music.
my self image wouldnt be where it is today without the support of members of the shoe thieves communities.
my art wouldnt be anywhere near the skill level it is now if i didnt become obsessed with these players.
im sad to see it go this way, dying to the same corporate scope creep that it warned against, but i understand why it had to go.
am i mad about this outcome? yes. absolutely.
but
im grateful for everything that blaseball was able to do for me.
the ending is bittersweet, but i want to say thank you.
thank you to my great friend callie who i dont even know will see this for introducing this wild game to me.
thank you to the fans who worked behind the scenes for hours to archive and record past events so people like me could get up to speed.
thank you to all the amazingly talented artists, writers, and musicians in the fanbase who have created many of the most wonderful, inspirational pieces that rarely leave my mind to this day.
thank you to all of the charleston shoe thieves fans, past and present, for cultivating one of the most diverse, welcoming, and absolutely diehard loving communities ive ever been a part of and giving me a home for when my own was too much for me.
thank you to all of blaseblr, especially my friends and mutuals, who listen to me rant endlessly about my shoe thieves blorbos that most people know nothing about.
and finally, thank you to the game band for creating this absolutely eldritch beast of a project. it changed my life for the better. it has inspired me to do things ive never considered before, and it as well as the fanbase has drastically fundamentally altered who i am as a person.
we stole shoes. we fought gods. we raised the dead. we sucked really hard. we partied until we died. and then partied more. and we won the championships.
👐🏋️♀️🔥🍗🐅🔱
🥧📱🛠️🥩🎸💋
🌷🌞🌮🚤🕵️♂️🪱
🍬🌴🗣️👟✨🦀
many teams, one league.
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Crash Landings: A New Fic by @kmomof4
Story Summary: From a May 10, 2022 CNN article shared in the CSMM pitch channel: A passenger with no flying experience landed a plane at a Florida airport after the pilot became incapacitated. After a few ideas were batted around, I settled on this one and ran with it. I had a lot of fun writing it and hope y’all enjoy!
All the love and thanks in the world to @jrob64 for her betaing expertise, help with the art, and all her encouragement. It’s thanks to her that the fic didn’t end with Killian asking Emma out, so if you like the rest of the fic, be sure to thank her!
A/N: In this universe, Emma and Neal have been divorced for five years but have an amicable relationship. Neal is not a complete asshole. Also, I am not a pilot, nor do I play one on TV, so all things that have to do with flying in this fic are the result of Google searches and input from my dad who was a navigator in the Air Force when I was very young. It’s fanfiction, y’all. Just go with it…
Rating: G (although there is major character peril at the beginning of the fic, but everyone is fine.)
Words: 8300
Tags: Major Character Peril
On ao3
Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.
@hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @snowbellewells @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @jennjenn615 @kingofmyheart14 @profdanglaisstuff @branlovestowrite @thisonesatellite @ultraluckycatnd @flslp87 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @let-it-raines @shireness-says @kymbersmith-90 @darkcolinodonorgasm @bethacaciakay @searchingwardrobes @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @aprilqueen84 @qualitycoffeethings @superchocovian @artistic-writer @donteattheappleshook @doodlelolly0910 @seriouslyhooked @tiganasummertree @lfh1226-linda @xsajx @klynn-stormz @jrob64 @wefoundloveunderthelight @zaharadessert @elizabeethan @xhookswenchx @gingerpolyglot @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @sailtoafarawayland @justanother-unluckysoul @veryverynotgoodwrites @jonesfandomfanatic @deckerstarblanche @the-darkdragonfly @batana54 @purplehawkcaptain @k-leemac @motherkatereloyshipper @apiratewhopines @killiansqueenofthejollyroger @onceuponahookandswan @meat-pie-with-sauce @cosette141 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @fleurdepetite @hookmecaptain @o-wild-west-wind
Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.
“Ahhh, Ch-Charleston, Cessna 172,” Neal Cassidy groaned, identifying himself and contacting Air Traffic Control at the Charleston International Airport, where he was due to land in about twelve minutes, bringing his son Henry home after his summer visitation.
They’d had a great time for the past three months. Multiple trips to the plethora of museums the city had to offer, The Lion King and Aladdin on Broadway, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour were just some of the adventures they’d had since Neal picked his son up back at the end of May. But school was starting back up next week and he and his ex-wife Emma thought it’d be best for Henry to have a few days to adjust back into his usual routine before school actually started.
“This is Charleston, Cessna. Go ahead,” the voice crackled over the headset.
“Um, I’m not feeling… too great at the moment, Charleston,” he bit out. His chest was tight, his arms ached, and he was having trouble drawing in a deep breath. “My chest hurts and…” He grimaced in pain as the tightening turned into an agonizing pressure that literally took his breath away. His vision darkened at the edges and moments later he lost consciousness, slumping over the controls.
“Dad? Dad! Wake up, Dad!” Henry cried, terrified when his father fell forward into the controls of the small aircraft. He took the headset off of his dad and placed it on his own head. “Charleston?” Henry asked into the headset.
“This is Charleston, Cessna. Is this the pilot?”
“No, no,” Henry rushed to inform the air traffic controller. “My dad just passed out. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He said his chest hurt and then he fell against the controls. I pulled him back and put on the headset, but I don’t know what to do.” Henry couldn’t keep the terror out of his voice nor the tears out of his eyes as he did his best to explain what happened.
“What’s your name, Cessna? And how old are you?”
“My name’s Henry Cassidy and I’m ten.”
Killian Jones took a deep breath and said a quick prayer. “Are you and your dad the only ones on the plane, Henry?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Ok. My name’s Killian, Henry, and I’m going to make sure you land safely and that your dad gets the help he needs, ok?” He injected every ounce of calm he could into his voice as he ordered emergency vehicles to the runway. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to help conduct an emergency landing, but it was the first time he’d ever had to guide a child in doing it.
“Ok,” Henry said, his voice quivering just a bit.
“Alright, Henry,” Killian said, keeping a tight rein on his emotions. “Has your dad ever shown you anything about flying? What any of the controls are or what they do?”
“Yes, sir,” the boy answered. “Sometimes he lets me steer the plane and he’s shown me the altitude and horizon thingie and the fuel gauge.”
“That is great, Henry. Your dad has done a fantastic job getting you prepared…” Killian trailed off for a moment, unsure what to say next. He didn’t want to further alarm the boy by saying out loud that this was an emergency situation, but he needed to encourage Henry that he already had a leg up over someone who’d never been in a cockpit of an aircraft before. A burst of inspiration hit him and before he could overthink it, he continued. “...getting you prepared to be a pilot yourself someday. Ok, Henry, your dad had already begun his descent and was starting to turn toward the airport. Can you tell me what you can see straight ahead?”
“Yeah,” Henry assured him. “I can see the coast on my right, but we’re still out over the ocean. I can see… it looks like an interstate and I can see the bay.”
“Ok, that’s very good, Henry,” Killian praised him. “Turn toward the bay and you should be able to see the airport not far beyond it.”
Henry had been in the cockpit of the Cessna enough times over the years that he remembered how his dad would line up with the bay when they approached the airport. He did what Killian said and it was only a minute or so when he could see the airport straight ahead of him, the air traffic control tower off to the right.
“I can see it! I can see it!” Henry cried. A huge grin split Killian’s face as he listened to the elated little boy.
“Very good, Henry. You’re doing great.” The control tower had gone silent as Killian’s fellow controllers were riveted to the drama playing out. The other planes that were waiting to land or take off had all been put on a different frequency to keep the distractions between Henry and Killian to a minimum, and were in a holding pattern until Henry could, hopefully, safely land. “Ok, we’re going to get the plane ready to land now. I’m going to talk you through lowering the wing flaps, alright, Henry?”
“Oh, I know how to do that!” Henry exclaimed, excitedly. “My dad showed me!”
“Excellent, Henry. Go ahead and lower them then,” Killian urged him. “Slow and steady, but make sure you don’t do it too slowly or it could stall the plane.” He looked up and could see the Cessna in the distance. It was way too high to hit the runway, but at least it was level with neither wing dipping and Killian’s heart rate picked up even more as he took a deep breath and waited for Henry to respond to his instruction.
“Ok, it’s done,” Henry said. “I’m at full flaps.”
“Well done, Henry,” Killian encouraged him. “I can see the plane and you should be able to see the runway and see the emergency vehicles waiting for you.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Very good. Now what I need you to do is to move the power lever out - not too far and not too fast. Right there in the middle. Do you see it, Henry?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good. Move it down slowly into idle and the nose of the plane should begin to dip. We want your front wheel to hit the runway first. As soon as all the wheels hit the tarmac, you’ll need to apply the brakes. Are you tall enough to reach the pedals and still see through the windshield, Henry?”
Henry stretched his legs out from where he sat and could just touch the rudder pedals for the plane, but when he looked up at the windshield in front of the seat, he could no longer see the runway or even the airport anymore. “No, sir, I can’t. I can touch the pedals, but I can’t see in front of me when I do.”
Killian’s heart rate picked up even more as he realized just how much danger Henry was now in. His eyes cut over to his friend and colleague Robin Locksley who nodded in support. Taking a deep breath and sending up another prayer, Killian turned back to his charge.
“Ok, Henry, it’s more important for you to be able to see than to bring the plane to a stop at this point. Once the plane’s wheels hit the ground, friction will slow it down enough, but we want to make sure you hit the runway and not some other building at the airport,” Killian said. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.” Henry’s voice quavered as he sat back up in the seat so he could see the runway in front of him.
“Excellent, Henry. Now move the power lever.” It seemed to take forever. The plane was rapidly approaching and still a little too high. Suddenly, the nose of the plane dipped and the plane dropped, now only about fifty feet from the runway and maybe twenty feet above it. Killian watched from his place in the tower, his heart in his throat as he sent up a fervent prayer that Henry would be able to land the plane safely.
The wheels touched down, but the small aircraft bounced back into the air slightly before coming back down and going into a spin across the runway. One of the back wheels broke off and went flying, dipping one wing toward the tarmac, and intensifying the spinning of the plane as it careened toward the infield. Killian felt sick as the plane finally came to a stop about fifty yards from the air traffic control tower.
“Henry, are you there?” Killian asked, anxiously. “Are you alright?”
“I’m here, Killian,” the boy answered. “I’m ok.” As soon as Henry’s voice came across the frequency, a jubilant shout went up from the other controllers. Killian laughed in relieved elation as he removed his headset and started toward the door that would take him down to the infield so he could see for himself that Henry was alright. He wondered who he might have waiting for him and his dad here at the airport and could only hope whoever it was hadn’t realized this particular plane had contained the boy and his father.
As he opened the door of the control room, he could hear Robin reporting to the other waiting aircraft that the ten year old accidental pilot had landed the plane and was ok.
“Are you serious? That was a kid?” another pilot asked. “I’m sure glad he’s ok.” Killian silently agreed as he ran down the stairs to the runway.
“Henry! Henry!” he cried, waving like mad and sprinting toward the plane, where the little boy was just climbing out. The emergency vehicles were already there, a paramedic approaching Henry while two others attended to his father on the other side of the plane. Killian made it to them just as the paramedic was checking Henry over for any injuries.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he insisted, just before he winced as the paramedic ran his hands over Henry’s hips. Henry pulled his pants down just enough for them all to see an already colorful bruise where the seatbelt must have caught him as the airplane landed.
Suddenly Killian heard a new voice from the direction of the terminal. Henry’s head snapped up and Killian turned to see a gorgeous blonde running toward them.
“Mom!” Henry cried, pulling away from them both and running toward the woman. She caught him in her arms, holding him close as Killian and the paramedic approached.
The fear and panic on her face was clear as she looked at the paramedic. “Is he ok?”
“Just some bruising from the seatbelt,” he informed her.
“Oh, thank God,” she breathed, closing her eyes and holding her son even tighter. Her eyes opened again and met Killian’s as she set Henry back down on the ground. He held his hand out to the stunning beauty, feeling a bit bashful as he did.
“Killian… oof,” his introduction was cut off as Henry flung his arms around his waist in a tight hug.
“Killian helped me land the plane, Mom,” he informed her, releasing him and turning toward her again.
The woman let go a breathy exclamation at Henry’s statement. “You landed the plane?” she asked, looking back toward the aircraft. “What happened?” Her countenance was dismayed as she looked past Killian to where the paramedics were getting Henry’s dad on a stretcher and heading toward the ambulance. They all moved toward the medical personnel and Killian could see Henry’s eyes begin to fill with tears as they got closer.
“I don’t know, Mom,” Henry said. “He said his chest hurt and then he fell over on the controls. I took the headset and Killian here helped me land the plane.”
“Oh, God,” she breathed, turning toward Killian. He scratched behind his ear in a nervous gesture as he held out his other hand. She completely ignored his outstretched hand and hugged him tightly instead. Immensely pleased, Killian reciprocated the hug.
“Thank you so much,” she breathed.
“It was my pleasure, milady,” he assured her as he let go. “But Henry is the real hero here, I was just doing my job. Killian Jones,” he finally introduced himself, holding his hand out to her for the third time.
“Emma Swan,” she replied, taking it in her own.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma.”
They all turned back to the paramedics who were getting ready to load the patient into the ambulance. The man’s eyes were open and Killian breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is he going to be ok?” Henry asked, tears shining in his eyes.
“They’ll have to run tests at the hospital, but it looks like it was an angina attack. We’re taking him to MUSC,” the paramedic told him. Henry moved closer and rubbed his dad’s arm before he was loaded into the ambulance.
“I’ll be fine, buddy,” the man said. “I’ll see you at the hospital, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Emma affirmed before Henry could speak. “We’ll be right behind you. I’ll call Tink.”
“Thanks, Em.”
As soon as the doors of the ambulance shut, Henry turned and threw his arms around Killian’s waist again.
“Thank you for helping me, Killian,” he choked out.
“Of course, lad.”
“I don’t know how I can ever thank you,” Emma admitted, her own tears close to the surface.
Killian scratched behind his ear again. He didn’t see a ring on Emma’s finger and he also noticed that her last name was different from Henry’s, so he was hoping she might be single.
“Would it be too forward of me to ask you out for a cup of coffee?”
Emma smiled with definite interest in her eyes and Killian felt a wide grin split his face.
“I think that could be arranged,” she replied. She took her phone out of her pocket and handed it to him after unlocking it. “Put your name and number in here. After I’m sure Neal is going to be ok and everything settles down, I’ll give you a call.”
“I will look forward to it,” he assured her, putting his information into her phone.
“Yay!” Henry cried. “I’ll see you later, Killian! Thanks again!”
Killian took Emma’s hand in his own and raised it to his mouth, brushing her knuckles with his lips.
“Until we meet again, Emma.”
“I’ll see you soon, Killian.”
~*~*~
Saturday afternoon, Killian came inside after finishing the lawn work he’d been engaged in most of the day. His grass was cut, lawn edged, hedges trimmed, and weeds pulled from the flower beds ready for the fall mums he’d be planting in the next few weeks.
Using the hem of the t-shirt he wore, he wiped his face as his cell phone began to ring. An unknown number with a local area code showed on the screen and he couldn’t help his anxious inhale and rising heartbeat as he answered, desperately hoping it was Emma.
“Hello?”
“Killian?”
A huge grin crossed his face. “Emma,” he exclaimed. “I’m so glad you called. How’s Henry after his adventure yesterday? How’s Neal?” He hoped he had the name of Henry’s dad correct as he waited for her to speak.
“Henry’s fine,” she assured him. “None the worse for wear after all the excitement yesterday. I was a little concerned that he’d have trouble sleeping last night, after seeing his dad like that and the crash landing, but he didn’t.”
“I’m so glad,” Killian said. “Bless him, I could hear in his voice how frightened he was for his dad. Speaking of, how is he?”
“He’s doing better,” she informed him. “The doctors still need to run some more tests, so he’ll be in the hospital until at least Monday. But so far, they’re thinking it was an angina attack. His wife got in this afternoon and we just got back from taking her to the hospital.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” There was a brief pause and he could hear Emma take a deep breath on the other end of the line. He smiled, hoping he knew what she would say next.
“So, I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer for coffee,” Emma asked, her voice sounding almost shy.
“I would love to take you out for coffee, Emma,” he began, “but I wondered, since it’s the weekend, if perhaps we could make it lunch tomorrow?” Killian knew he was taking a risk, and scratched at the spot behind his ear in his nervousness. His brother, Liam, had recently told him about a wonderful restaurant downtown he and his wife had discovered called Magnolia’s that he thought would be a very nice, but unthreatening, location for a first date. And when he’d gone to the website himself, he saw they were open for Sunday brunch.
“I can do that,” she said, smiling into the phone. She had to admit, her heart beat just a little faster at the thought of a real date with the handsome air traffic controller, rather than just meeting for coffee. “Henry has plans tomorrow to visit his best friend he hasn’t seen all summer. He lives about ten minutes away from us. Would you mind if we dropped him off over there before heading out to lunch?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all,” he assured her. “It would be great to see him again and it’d give me a chance to give him his pilot’s wings for landing the plane. What time can I pick you up and what’s your address?”
“Awwww!” she exclaimed. “You don’t need to do that, but I’m sure he’ll be so excited. How about you pick us up about eleven and I’ll text you my address?”
“That will be fine, Emma. I’ll see you both tomorrow at eleven, then.” He hung up, a wide smile on his lips that he would have been hard pressed to wipe off if his life depended on it. A moment later, he received a text with an address that was only a couple of neighborhoods over from his own home. Opening his phone again, he pulled up Magnolia’s website and made reservations for two at eleven thirty the next day before heading to his bathroom to shower.
~*~*~
Killian stood on the front stoop of the Swan household holding a small bouquet of sunflowers in his hand and trying desperately not to scratch behind his ear in his nervousness. The door opened and Killian grinned down at Henry whose smile completely lit up his face.
“Hi, Killian!”
“Hello, lad,” he replied.
“Are those for my mom?”
Killian looked at the flowers and could feel the heat begin to creep up his neck onto his face.
“Uh, yes,” he stammered. “Yes, they are. Do you think she’ll like them?”
Killian didn’t think Henry’s grin could get any bigger, but he was obviously mistaken. “She’ll love them,” he assured him.
“Hi, Killian.” A new voice joined them and Killian looked up and struggled to keep his jaw from dropping. Emma wore a coral sleeveless blouse tucked into cool white linen pants and strappy coral sandals. Her hair was gathered into a messy braid that rested on her shoulder with soft tendrils framing her face. She was a vision and Killian had to remind himself to breathe.
He thrust his hand holding the flowers toward her and was gratified at the surprised smile on her face. “For you,” he said. “The color reminded me of your hair.” He blushed at his admission and smiled when her own cheeks reddened in response.
Biting her bottom lip through her smile, she took them and brought them to her nose to smell. “They’re beautiful,” she breathed. “Thank you so much. Sunflowers always make me think of fall. It’s my favorite season.”
“Mine as well, Emma,” he replied. “The cooler weather, fall colors, football, all the things autumn brings.” Looking down at Henry, Killian continued, “And come Thanksgiving, we’ll have much to celebrate, won’t we?”
A soft smile graced Emma’s face as she looked at her son. “We will. Let me put these in water, and I’ll be ready to go.” She turned away back into the house, leaving Henry and Killian alone for a moment.
“That reminds me,” Killian said, reaching into the pocket of the suit jacket he wore. Pulling out a small pin, he knelt down in front of the boy. “This is an official Aviator Wing pin that’s often given to student pilots after they solo for the first time. Since you’ve had your first solo flight and brought the plane in safely, I thought it was appropriate for you to have this.” Killian looked up and saw Emma standing at the back of the foyer with tears in her eyes. He smiled gently at her before looking at Henry again.
The boy's face was a stunned O of surprise as he shook his head. “But I crashed the plane. I’m not a real pilot, Killian.”
“You may not be a real pilot, Henry, but you did fly and land the plane. And in the words of a very famous pilot, any landing you walk away from is a good landing. So, yes, you do deserve these wings.”
Henry smiled and stood up as straight as he could as Killian reached out and pinned it to the t-shirt he wore. “Congratulations, my boy.”
“Thanks, Killian.”
Killian rose to his feet again and smiled at Emma as she moved toward them. Henry turned and puffed out his chest so his mom could see his new ornamentation.
“Look what Killian gave me, Mom!” he exclaimed. “A real aviator pin!”
Emma nodded and smiled. “Yes, I saw,” she said, beaming down at him. “Well done. I’m very proud of you.” She looked back up at Killian, her eyes sparkling.
Killian held his elbow out to her. “Shall we, milady? Sir?”
“Yes!” Henry shouted and ran down the front walk to Killian’s SS Chevelle parked at the curb. Emma looped her arm in Killian’s and he smiled as he escorted her to the passenger side of his car and opened the door for her. Henry was already making himself at home in the back, bouncing on the seat.
“Put your seatbelt on, lad,” Killian admonished him as he settled into the driver’s seat and started the car.
“Yes, sir.” Killian smiled at the manners of the boy. He’d noticed them on Friday during the landing, but with the unfolding crisis and everything literally up in the air, he hadn’t had a chance to really think about it until presented with them again. Henry chattered from the backseat until Killian pulled up in front of Henry’s best friend, Nicholas’s, house.
Emma walked her son to the front door and was back in her seat just a few minutes later.
“He was so proud of that pin you gave him, Killian,” she informed him. “He couldn’t wait to show Nicholas.” She turned more fully toward him on her seat and placed her hand on his upper arm as he drove. “You really didn’t need to do that.”
Killian turned toward her slightly and smiled. “I know I didn’t need to, but I wanted to. What he did Friday was a huge accomplishment and it needed to be commemorated. It could have turned out much worse. For his dad and for him.” He looked at her meaningfully. “It was truly my pleasure, Swan. I wanted to do it.”
Emma tilted her head with a smile. “Swan?”
“Oh,” Killian said, heat moving up his neck. “Uh, I just thought… um… it’s just a lovely name and it suits you. I hope you don’t mind.”
The smile that graced her face was small and shy, but it still made Killian’s heart beat faster as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.
“No, I don’t mind.”
Killian smiled as he turned his attention back to the road. “My brother and his wife told me about this place downtown they discovered called Magnolia’s that they really enjoyed for their anniversary a couple of months ago, so I thought we could try it today. It specializes in Southern comfort food.”
“Sounds great.”
A few minutes later, they arrived at the downtown establishment. Killian hurried around to the other side of the car and opened the door for her, taking her hand and tucking it into his elbow as they walked toward the front door of the restaurant.
“Such a gentleman,” she murmured.
“I’m always a gentleman, Swan.” He opened the door for her and was greeted by the hostess. “Reservations for two under the name Jones.”
“I have you right here, Mr. Jones,” she said, with a bright smile. “Follow me, please.”
She led them further into the restaurant and Killian found himself taking in the somewhat rustic, yet very elegant surroundings. The entire back wall of the restaurant was rough hewn wood and filled with wide and tall windows letting in abundant natural light that gave the entire space a very open and warm feel. The tables were dressed with white tablecloths with a small vase of deep pink flowers in the center. When they arrived at their table, Killian pulled out Emma’s chair and seated her at the table before taking his own.
“I looked over the menu yesterday when I made the reservation and I think I’m going to get the Salmon Cakes Benedict. Poached eggs, wilted spinach, English muffin, dill hollandaise, and hash browns.”
“That sounds delicious,” Emma said, looking over her own menu. “Ooo, I think I’ll have the Banana Pudding Stuffed French Toast.”
“Excellent choice, I’m sure.” After giving their order to the waiter, Killian smiled across the table at Emma.
“So, you have a brother?” Emma asked.
“Yes, one older,” he informed her. He rolled his eyes, but the affection within them was still clear as he continued. “To this day, he insists on calling me his little brother. Drives me crazy. He’s the harbor master. He and Elsa have been married ten years and have two boys, Aiden and Colten, and a daughter due next month.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, opening his Instagram. “This is them when we celebrated the 4th.”
Emma grinned as she saw the two boys with their uncle. The smiles on all their faces were wide and Emma could see the resemblance between Killian and his nephews in their bright blue eyes and the shape of one of the boy's noses and the other's ears.
“That’s wonderful that your family is so close by,” Emma commented.
“It really is,” he agreed. “My work schedule means I don’t get to see them all as often as I’d like, but I couldn’t imagine how much worse it’d be if they lived out of town, or God forbid, out of state!” His eyes widened a bit in horror, and Emma couldn’t help but giggle a little at the sight. “What about you?” he asked. “Do you have family close by?”
Emma looked down briefly before meeting his gaze again. She wouldn’t normally be sharing this kind of information on a first date, but he had asked, and it wasn’t like he had any way of knowing her comfort level with the topic of conversation.
“No, actually,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “Henry is the only family I have. Although I do have a good relationship with his dad. I was an orphan and raised in foster care.” She shrugged and looked in his eyes. She didn’t know what she expected to see, but she was surprised to find admiration mixed with sorrow at her revelation.
“I’m sorry you had to live through that, Emma. That couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t. But my upbringing made me the person I am today, setting me on a very fulfilling career path and I can’t regret that.”
“That’s an excellent attitude to have,” he said, nodding.
She took a deep breath before continuing. “I met Neal when I was a senior in high school. He was older, but I didn’t care. We got married by the Justice of the Peace when I was 19 after a pregnancy scare that turned out to be nothing. Henry was born when I was 24 and Neal was 30. By the time Henry was five, we knew our marriage wasn’t working. We weren’t in love anymore, if we’d ever truly been, and so we decided to split instead of essentially lying to ourselves and Henry.”
Killian nodded in understanding and Emma felt a sense of relief so profound that it nearly brought tears to her eyes. Here she was, essentially telling a complete stranger her life story and somehow she knew the knowledge would be safe with him. There was no judgment in his eyes. Just an acceptance and pride that she would expect out of a close friend or ally, not a man she’d only met a couple of days before.
“You said your upbringing set you on your career path,” Killian observed. “What is that, if I may ask.”
Emma grinned and her eyes lit up. “Of course! I’m a social worker. Growing up on the other side of the equation, I wanted to do my part in making a difference in other kids' lives. I was lucky, where so many other kids aren’t. I was raised by the same woman from the time I was four. But she passed away before Henry was born. She got to see me graduate with my degree, though.”
“That’s wonderful,” Killian enthused. “I’m so glad you at least had that stability as you grew up.” He cut his eyes away from her briefly before returning his gaze to her own. “I have a similar story,” he informed her. “Our mother died when I was young and our father abandoned us not long after. We were also raised in foster care by Captain Nemo.” He smiled at the memory. “He was the harbormaster when we were growing up. Brought Liam on when he was fifteen.”
Their waiter approached with their meals then, interrupting their conversation. After he withdrew, Emma invited Killian to continue.
“He passed not long after Liam and Elsa married,” he continued. “By then, Liam had worked his way up the ranks at the harbor and he was able to step into his shoes nicely.” Killian smiled. “I love the water as much as they both did, but I’d always been more fascinated by planes. I wasn’t interested in being a commercial pilot, but wanted to be an air traffic controller instead. Nemo made sure I could follow my dream.”
Emma smiled softly. “Looks like we were both lucky in our upbringings.”
Killian looked into her eyes. The green shone in the light from the windows, but he couldn’t be sure if there were tears or not. He had to admit, bringing back these memories and sharing them with someone was choking him up just a bit.
“I rather think they’re blessings from God,” he mused, thoughtfully. “I tend to think that things happen for a reason…” he trailed away for a moment before continuing. “Makes more sense of the universe that way.”
“I can see that,” Emma agreed. “Looking back over my life, I realize how very lucky, uh, blessed, I have been. Being raised by Ingrid, who made sure I could follow my dream. Even though we’re divorced, Neal gave me Henry and I could never regret that. Plus the fact that we really have a good relationship. Probably better now than when we were married, honestly,” she laughed lightly.
Killian nodded and chuckled. “It seemed that way when you spoke to him before they took him in the ambulance.”
“Yeah,” Emma continued. “There haven’t been any custody issues, and we’re both in agreement on how Henry should be raised. We’ve been divorced five years now and Henry spends his summers with Neal and we switch off for fall and spring breaks and Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year, he’ll be here for fall break and Christmas and spend Thanksgiving and spring break in New York City with his dad and step-mother, Tink.”
Killian’s eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline and Emma had to bite back her chuckle. “Tink?” he asked. “Like Tinkerbell?”
“She has very pixie-like features, and apparently always has,” Emma told him, “So she insisted on being called Tink from the first time she saw Disney’s Peter Pan when she was four.” They laughed together for a moment before Emma continued. “I want to say her legal name is Tina, but I can’t swear to it. They’re expecting their first child in January and Henry is beside himself. He can’t wait to be a big brother.”
Killian grinned widely. “That’s wonderful. I can imagine. So he’ll be able to meet his baby brother or sister over spring break? Or will he be able to go see them in January? Do they know what they’re having yet?”
“Actually no,” she said. “They haven’t decided whether to find out or not. They have an envelope on their kitchen table with the results of the ultrasound she had a couple of weeks ago. Henry is even more beside himself over that. He’ll have to wait until spring break though, to get to meet him or her in person, but they call every week and FaceTime, so we’ll get to see the little one before then.”
“That is great. I’m glad he’s excited.” The conversation continued, bouncing between everything from current movies to hobbies they both enjoyed.
Killian took his last bite and sat back in his seat. “This was delicious.”
“It was,” Emma agreed, swirling her finger in the peanut butter syrup still covering her plate before sucking it off. She looked across the table at her companion and saw how his eyes widened and his mouth dropped slightly at her action. A shiver of attraction raced down her spine and what she hoped was a flirty smile lifted her lips as she watched him. His eyes darkened and a smirk graced his mouth, giving him a roguish look that only made the shiver intensify.
“Bad form, Swan,” he said huskily. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”
“And I like the gentleman,” she said, lifting her eyebrow slightly. “But that doesn’t mean there can’t be a little fun.”
“A very little, Swan.” He took a deep breath and reached across the table to take her hands. His smile and the look in his eye was genuine and Emma felt her respect for the man in front of her suddenly skyrocket. “I don’t date much,” he informed her seriously. “I never have, really. Most women I’ve gone out with were only interested in one thing and I was raised to respect women and to treasure and protect a physical relationship. I don’t pillage and plunder on a first date. I really like you, Emma, and I’d like to see where this might go.”
Emma smiled gently at him, his words filling her heart in a way she’d never known. “I really like you, too, Killian,” she said. Her words made him light up like the sunrise and the shiver of attraction became a soothing warmth that she felt all the way down to her toes.
He sat back and pulled his wallet out of his pocket, extracting a credit card and laying it on the table for their waiter. He turned his attention back on her with a question in his eyes.
“You said Neal would be in the hospital through the weekend? Do you think it’d be alright if I stopped by? Just to offer my hope for his speedy recovery?”
“I think that’s a great idea, Killian,” she agreed. “Would you like me to come along? I don’t have any other plans this afternoon, until I have to pick up Henry after dinner. I can introduce you.”
Killian’s jaw dropped open slightly. “You’d do that? You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” she promised. “I’d love to.”
“I would really appreciate it if you would come along,” he said, sincerely. “But I don’t want you to feel pressured. It’s not necessary.”
“No pressure. I promise. I’m glad to do it,” she assured him. She rose from her seat. “I’m going to run to the restroom before we go.”
Killian also rose when she did, his eyes tracing her form as she walked away. He hadn’t felt this way about a woman since college and he really didn’t want to screw it up. He took his card back from the waiter and moved to the front door to wait for Emma. When she emerged from the restroom, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face if he tried. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, hands down. He offered his arm and placed his other hand on hers when she took it.
The drive to MUSC was less than ten minutes, and Killian was grateful that Emma kept the conversation from inside Magnolia’s going, helping to keep his nerves at meeting her ex and Henry’s father at bay. Once inside the hospital, she led him to the cardiac wing until they stood outside the room. Emma knocked and cracked the door when she heard a muffled come in from inside.
She entered the room, followed closely by Killian. Neal lay on the bed, Tink sitting next to him in a reclining chair that could pull out to make a bed for her so she wouldn’t have to leave him each night. Emma smiled at them as she came in.
“Hey, y’all,” she greeted.
“Emma,” Tink cried in surprise, rising from the chair. “I didn’t know you’d be coming by today.”
Emma hugged Tink tightly before pulling back. Technically, they weren’t family, but Tink loved Neal and Henry both and Emma loved her like a sister. Tink’s eyes widened when she saw Killian standing behind Emma.
“Tink, this is Killian Jones,” Emma introduced him. “He’s the air traffic controller that helped Henry land the plane Friday.”
Tink inhaled sharply as Killian stuck his hand out for her to shake. Ignoring his offer completely, she hugged him tightly. Killian choked on a laugh in surprise at the exact same response he’d gotten from Emma on Friday when he tried to introduce himself. Tink obviously cared deeply for Henry to greet him in such a manner, and Killian didn’t hesitate to hug her back.
“I can’t thank you enough,” she whispered. She pulled back and took his hand, leading him to the bed where her husband lay. “Neal, this is Killian.”
Killian looked at the man on the bed. He looked better than he had on Friday before he’d been taken away in the ambulance, but there still seemed to be a pallor about his skin that Killian hoped would fade with time and treatment for whatever it was that happened in the first place.
Neal smirked at his wife as he held his hand out for Killian to shake. “I heard what Emma said, Tink.” He turned his attention to Killian and his expression sobered into deep appreciation and seriousness. “Thank you, man. You saved my son’s life. There’s nothing I could say… nothing I could do to tell you how thankful I am.”
Tink slapped her husband on the arm indignantly. “He saved your life, too, you dolt!”
Neal rubbed his arm where she’d hit him and looked sheepish. “She does have a point, I guess.”
Tink rolled her eyes in exasperation and Emma bit back a chuckle.
Killian scratched at the spot behind his ear and told Neal and Tink the same thing he’d told Emma on Friday. “Henry is the real hero, not me. I was just doing my job. I’m just thankful you both came through it ok,” he said sincerely.
“Killian gave Henry a real Aviator pin since he did fly the plane and land it safely,” Emma interjected. Neal and Tink’s eyes widened in both their countenances as they looked back at Killian. “You should have seen him,” she continued. “He tried to refuse, but,” she looked to Killian for confirmation, “Killian told him… What exactly did you say? Any landing you walk away from is a good landing?”
Killian was nodding and as soon as he realized what she was asking, joined her in finishing the phrase. “Chuck Yeager said it. He was a flying ace and is generally considered the greatest pilot of all time.”
“Right,” Neal added, “He broke the sound barrier.”
“Wow,” Tink said, awe coloring her tone.
“Anyway, I shared that quote with Henry and told him that he did deserve the wings.”
Emma turned back to the man on the bed. “He was so proud, Neal.”
A small smile graced Neal’s face as pride and a profound gratefulness rose up in him. This had been one of the worst experiences of his life and it could have been so much worse were it not for the man standing in front of him. He placed his hand over his heart and felt tears start to well in his eyes.
“I really can’t tell you…” he choked out. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.”
Killian looked around the room, taking in the tearful and grateful expressions on the others’ faces. It really was part of his job, but this was the first time he’d ever been presented with such an up close and personal expression of appreciation for doing it, and he could feel his own eyes welling in response.
“It was my honor and privilege. Truly,” he assured them. “Henry is an extraordinary lad. You’ve all done a wonderful job raising him, and I know you are proud of him.” Slightly uncomfortable with the excess emotion in the presence of virtual strangers, Killian looked around. “I think I need to make use of the facilities, if y’all will excuse me for a few minutes.”
Emma led him out of the room and pointed him in the right direction. Coming back in, she smiled at the others who waited patiently for her.
“I like him,” Tink said. Emma could feel the heat on her cheeks as she cut her eyes to Neal.
“I do, too,” he agreed. “Come here, Em,” he said, holding out his hand to her. Emma approached the bed and took his outstretched hand. “He seems like a really good guy, Em. Do you like him?” Emma’s blush deepened and Neal smirked at her. “That’s what I thought.” His thumb ran over her knuckles as he moved his head so he could catch her gaze. “Listen, Em. I know I don’t have any say in how you live your life, but I do know you pretty well, and it is written all over your face that you like this guy. Is this a date? How exactly did this visit happen?”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “He asked if he could take me out for coffee right after the ambulance left. I called him yesterday and he invited me out to lunch instead.” She shrugged, “And I agreed. We went to Magnolia’s a few blocks away and he asked if I thought y’all would mind if he came by for a visit, just to give you his wishes for a speedy recovery. So I offered to bring him.” Tink’s smile split her face as Emma explained.
“I’m glad you did. You should go for it, Em,” Neal continued. “He’s obviously a stand up guy and he’s already met and obviously likes Henry. You’ve put your life on hold for the last five years, Em, raising Henry, pouring all your energy into him,” he observed. “It’s time for that to stop. You deserve to be happy. And I think he…”
“I am happy, Neal,” Emma interrupted in protest.
“We’re not saying you’re unhappy, Emma,” Tink interjected. “We know you love your job, Henry, and you have great friends. But love is a part of all true happiness and we think you should be open to that.”
Emma looked back at Neal who was smiling and nodding in agreement.
“Ok,” she murmured. “Thanks, y’all.” She reached out and took Tink’s hand in her free hand and squeezed gently as Killian came back in the room. Emma released them and turned toward him, smiling widely.
“Thanks for coming by, man,” Neal said, holding his hand out for Killian to shake again.
“My pleasure,” he replied, taking Neal’s hand in his own. “I’m glad to have met you both. Congratulations, by the way,” he said, nodding toward Tink’s obviously rounded middle. “If Henry is any indication, I know y’all will be great parents.” Tink blushed at his assertion and smiled shyly. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I’m glad you’re alright and offer my wishes for a full and speedy recovery.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Thank you, Killian,” Tink added, “For everything. We owe you a lot.”
Killian waved away her sentiments. “Part of the job description. You owe me nothing. It was very nice to meet y’all.” He looked to Emma and held his arm out for her to take. As she looped her arm in his, they both waved at Neal and Tink and took their leave.
Once she was settled back in Killian’s car, she turned toward him. “They liked you,” she said simply.
Killian’s cheeks reddened and it made her smile. “I’m glad,” he said, with a slight cough. “I liked them, too.” He turned his face toward her, a smile on his lips. “I’m really glad they liked me. I know y’all are close, and I have to admit, it felt a bit like meeting the parents.”
“I hope when I get to meet your family, it goes as well as this did,” Emma murmured, looking out the front windshield as Killian drove.
“Does this mean you want to meet my family, Swan?” he asked. She could hear the smirk in his voice and cut her eyes over to him.
“Maybe,” she allowed, with a smirk of her own. She reached over and placed her hand on Killian’s forearm. She’d have rathered taken his hand, but as it was occupied on the stick shift of the vehicle, she had to be satisfied with this. Killian’s face broke into a wide grin and her own smile widened in response.
They rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence, and much too soon for her liking, Killian pulled up in front of her house. He jumped out of the car and was opening her door in moments. She took his arm again as he led her up the front walk to her door.
“I’d invite you in, but I don’t want you to think I’m only after one thing,” she told him, trying to insert a joking tone into her voice after their conversation at the restaurant as she turned to face him.
He chuckled before his face turned serious, his eyes bouncing back and forth between hers. “I would have to decline if you did,” he replied, taking both of her hands in his own. “I told you in the restaurant I really like you.” He raised her hands and gently kissed her knuckles before capturing her gaze once again. “I haven’t felt this way about anyone in years and I don’t want to move too fast and risk compromising a potential future with you.”
Emma gasped at the sincerity in his gaze and her stomach flipped in response to his words. She thought back to what Neal and Tink had said at the hospital and decided she had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
She released his hands, looped her arms around his neck, and drew him down into a kiss. Killian didn’t think he’d ever tasted anything as sweet as Emma’s lips and he moaned as she opened to him. His arms wrapped around her and he held her close as their tongues danced together, sending sparks of desire shooting through him.
Before they could get carried away, he broke off the kiss and touched his forehead to her own, still holding her closely. He opened his eyes and saw her own veridian depths glazed over with the same yearning he himself felt. He licked his lips and stepped back slightly, while still holding her in his arms.
“Will you go out with me again, Emma?”
“Yes, Killian.” She smiled gently and stepped out of his embrace, turning toward her front door. Killian was frozen in place as she opened the door and turned back toward him briefly. She rose on her toes and placed a chaste kiss on his lips and he couldn’t help but smile at her as she stepped through her door. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah,” he breathed, still grinning like a giddy school boy. When she closed the door behind her, he stood there for a moment more reliving their kiss. He finally turned back toward his car, thinking about the circumstances of their meeting. The worst nightmare of an air traffic controller was a crash landing, and their meeting almost felt like a crash landing all on its own- completely unexpected and out of the blue. But this was a landing that he was thankful for. There were no casualties, unless you counted his heart, and it was definitely a landing he had no interest in walking away from, because he was hers- for better or worse, to the end of the world or time. And he would wait for her as long as he needed to make her his as well.
The End
~*~*~
Thank you for reading and sharing! I’d love to know what you think!
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It is now 1841, and within a year of living with the McNeils, Nora has become well acquainted with the family as she finally gains a new sense of self-consciousness, like she's a person instead of property. The family has helped her gain confidence and drive to do more for herself. She especially bonds with Darren McNeil's wife, Michelle; both having a passion for learning. Michelle is a highly educated woman who teaches in secret to newly freed or runaway slaves and poor whites who never obtained an education. Michelle was born a former slave in Charleston, South Carolina, and then was separated from her mother, Millie, when she was 12; the separation was a punishment for her mother because she often had trouble taking care of the 5 white children on the plantation along with Michelle. Michelle was then relocated to a Georgia plantation where she met Darren while he preached to the slaves at her plantation; Darren was only 17 then, and Michelle was 16.
Michelle, who had found comfort in the Christian faith due to being alone and separated from her mother, was captivated by Darren's passionate preaching style and handsome looks. Michelle happened to catch Darren's eye. Darren heard a voice from God saying that Michelle and Darren were ordained for each other. Darren testified that God instructed him to go to a remote area in a field and dig. As Darren dug, he dug up a huge chunk of pure gold. Darren then gave that to Michelle's master in exchange for her to be freed, and the rest was history. Darren traveled with Michelle to South Carolina and founded and built the community of Foundry Cove with her by his side.
Michelle learned how to read and write from Darren, who secretly knew to do so independently with the help of a white traveling teacher from the former northern colonies, now deceased, after Darren was manumitted (freed). As Michelle advanced academically, she discovered her passion for knowledge and education as things came quickly. Michelle began to read extensively and write countless papers. She began learning science, math, and arithmetic, which impressed Darren. Michelle now teaches at an old abandoned 2 story house that she's turned into a school. She goes there every morning, growing countless young and old minds.
Michelle has been instructing Nora and immensely growing her reading and writing abilities, as well as her arithmetic and science. Nora's new skillset has led her to write a lot and value the art of recordkeeping. She would spend countless nights writing about her parents and grandmother, whom she was separated from at an early age, recounting both the good and bad times they shared. Michelle, moved by her life story, suggested that Nora write a book about her experiences as a slave, which she believed could create a gateway for change in the future.
Taking on Michelle's suggestion, Nora thought it was a brilliant idea and decided to work on her book. She also started to write down the milk-bread recipe that her previous master, Parker, stole from her. "So what are you writing about now, Mrs. Nora? Is your book comin' along well?" Michelle asks Nora, "Well, I'm writing my recipe into my book. Which was kind of stolen from me..." Nora says to Michelle. "Stolen? Who stole your recipe, Nora?" Michelle asks, "My master... he tricked me into giving him my recipe one day when he came into the cabin and told me to make it for him. As soon as he pulled out a sheet of paper and a quill, with him being a businessman and all, I knew that what I had was no longer mine... that it was only a matter of business now," Nora says as she breaks down crying into Michelle's arms. "Oh, Nora.. Honey, I'm so sorry," Michelle says as she embraces Nora. "I understand what it feels like... to have something taken away from you... just like I was taken away from my dear mother. I don't even know if she's alive or not. But now, Nora, we have each other. We have freedom!" "Keep writing your recipe down, anything that you can recall, and I'll help if you need any help with words. Maybe someday, you'll be able to open up your own bakery with all types of milk breads and pastry desserts made especially by you!" Michelle says to Nora as they let go of each other. "Oh, Mrs. Michelle, you really think so?" Nora asks, "Nora, I know so, anything is possible! We can achieve all things with self-confidence, determination, and God's help! Don't let that little voice called doubt mess with your head. I know too well about that little fella... listen, anytime he even tries to whisper a single vowel into your ear, you slap the sucker into the next week, you hear me?" Michelle says to Nora, making her laugh. "You can do it, Nora, we can do it," Michele says as she goes in for a second hug. "Nora, trust me, this book will change history for the better. You are going to be a part of something great."
#sims 4 story#sensitive content#ts4 decades challenge#ts4 historical#ts4 legacy#ts4#sims 4 decades challenge
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Main Characters:
⭐Shing (Neo) Yu
Asian. Half Chinese half Vietnamese. Male. Age:15 Height: 5'8 eyes:brown. hair:black birthday: July 16th.
Mild autism. Speech impediment stutters. Hard headed, gets mad and frustrated easily. Serious overprotective type of guy. Only let's his guard down with his close friends.
Struggles with academics. Has a scar above his eyebrow
Interests: wrestling, martial arts. Video games.
Parents
🌀Father: Guan Yu
Age: 40 height: 5'9
Strict father.
Martial arts teacher. Owns a training studio for his students. Wants his son to be the best. Named his son Neo from the matrix
🌀Mother :Kieu Vu
Age: 36 height: 5'2
Carefree loving mother. Owns a hair salon. Loves her children
⭐ Lisa (neos younger sister)
Age: 12 height: 4'5 eyes: hazel
Birthday: January 29
Interests: singing, dancing, cut fashion. Has a crush on Neo's close friend Raphael but he only sees her like a little sister. She likes to hang around the guys
⭐ Raphael (Raph) Johnson
Age 15 African American half Russian.
Height: 5'6 age:15 eyes:brown
Has a hard relationship with his father. Only child. His mother (Dariya) died when he was 10 in a shooting. She saved his life and he hid under her body. Remembers it everyday.
Interests: playing music. Guitar. Wants to be in a band. Likes to play songs with Neo's sister who likes to sing. Average grades.
🌀 Darrel Johnson
Age: 40. African American. Height: 6'1
Police officer. Strict on his son and enforces the laws. Single father. Wants his son to be successful and go to college and not focus on music as a career. Has a beef with Neo's dad Guan. They use to fight each other when they were teenagers over a girl Darrel's wife who died.
⭐Adrien Bartkowski
Height 6'1 age:15. Caucasian. polish.
Eyes: blue. Hair: curly brown.
The youngest child of 2 older sisters in college. They treat him like a little kid and spoil him. Very smart and intelligent. Academic scholar strives for success. Helps the guys with homework and even helps them cheat on test. Is a smooth talker. Very mature for his age. Level headed the leader of the group but also lacks the strength and energy. Lives with his father.
°Mary (20) goes to a nearby university studying Forensics.
°Ashley (23) lives in New York city works as a waitress lives with her boyfriend Tyler (25) who is a Store manager. She study to be nurse. Only comes visit family on the holidays.
Parents
Father
🌀Mandek Bartkowski
Age:45 height: 5'11
Works as a construction worker. Is good friends with Darrel they see each other and talk on lunch breaks.
Mandek likes to watch sports and TV. They get together with other guys on night out at bars and drink together.
Easy going father but also gets drunk a lot. Divorced from his wife Amelia.
🌀 Amelia
Age: 43 height: 5'7
Divorced her husband because he drinks too much they divorced 5 years ago. She lives in New Jersey close to Ashley. Works an office job. Lives alone with 2 cats and plants.
Other characters
Coach Charleston :
Neos wrestling coach gets on his ass about his grades and pushing him to reach state championship. Has a secret sexual relationship with a senior student.
Mr. Kline
Math teacher who doesn't care if his students cheat on their tests. Talks about how the education system is flawed and thinks it's better to work together then against each other and compete.
Principle Walker
African American. Age 42
Went to highschool with Darrel and Guan. Older than Guan and was on the wrestling team had a big rivalry.
Is a smart mouth talker. Finds any reason for Neo to get in trouble to have a talk with his dad and hurt his chances to compete.
Officer Chester
Age: 41 height 5'10
Darrel's police partner in crime. Often. Shows up at the school for anything. Gives Raph and the boys a ride sometimes. Taught them how to shoot a gun.
Otis:
Height: 5'9 eyes: green hair: black Neo's rival and enemy. Also trains with Neo's father on his off season in the summer time. Wants to prove he's better than Neo. Always gets under his skin. A player who flirts around with all the girls.
Mrs. Parry
Science teacher very passionate about her job tries to give the best advice she can to her students. Her husband Tyler Parry is a bartender at the local bar down the street from school. Their son Alex (12)
has a crush on Lisa
Alex Parry
Age:12 height:4'7 eyes: brown hair:brown
A trouble maker
Christina Tao
Height: 5'4
Female student having relationship with coach Charleston. A good person but also confused on what she wants to do in life. Doesn't really talk much to other people .
Tiffany Jenkins
Age: 15 Height 5'7 eyes: blue hair:red.
A ginger girl in competition with Adrien to be student council class president. A try to be know it all. Very sassy. Her two friends Jenny and Allison follow her to be class Queen.
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40 days and 40 nights for a period that makes me see god
I’m in my parents’ backyard in Texas, watching the sunlight filter through the branches of this big oak tree that must’ve seen a thousand lives before me. I wanted to write to you a little life update. The essence of it is: I’ve never been this good before, and I’m crying about how positively I’m interpreting the fig tree metaphor, and I have my period in a really literary way right now.
Life is a thousand years long, and only a moment, all at the same time. What seems solid and unchanging will always crumble in an instant and nothing will ever grow there again as it had before. Virginie Despentes wrote about that. You live further outside of your body than you might think, and you’re usually looking into the universe or perhaps some dense fog instead of within, always seeing yourself, never looking into a mirror. There will always be this huge thing that is every moment and every memory and every wish all the time. It will be breakfast and lunch and dinner and the creak in every floorboard and every stranger at the coffee shop, and you will reach for it and wrap around it and yearn for it inside of you. And it will follow you, attached at your feet like your shadow, to the places you wanted to go alone, and the places you needed to be with only one other. Sometimes it becomes realer and, in turn softer, or sometimes it gnaws at you until you just fucking hate it, and sometimes it just sort of grows differently than you and one day you set it down and forget to pick it back up again. The latter is the strangest. To feel something in your teeth when you wake up every morning, and to cry for it to eat you alive, then to one day feel the same way about it that you feel about a shirt you never wear anymore. It’s just weird, your life will always happen in seasons, none of them ever stretching too far.
Four years in Savannah, each of them sweeter than the last, watching the city get smaller and my perfect house fill up with photo booth strips and endless pieces of art school ephemera. The same three bars and the same twenty or so friends and the same bike route and grocery store and park and exes and weird stories and people I can’t stand. Four years and then last week I told my shrink I’d need her help finding a new one, because I decided I’m moving. Because I get to decide this sort of thing now. I sort of approached it sheepishly at first, thinking I’d toy with the way those words sounded from my position on her couch, then I meant it, and it was real. So I decided.
I did everything I could to spend almost all 365 days of 2022 in Savannah. I felt like I couldn’t leave, I couldn’t miss a moment, it was impossible to imagine what would happen if I spent a Saturday alone at the beach. I was pining. Yearning for someone intensely of course. I have never known what it’s like to want something a little bit. When I want, I want like I want to swim in the fountains within someone, I want to drink their thoughts so bad you’d think I was some traveler in the heat of the desert; I want to wash myself in their sweat. I want to pour every ounce of myself into their cup and watch it overflow over and over – knowing it could never hold me, I want to give all of me to them regardless. Where else would I go? But oh, my god, no one ever talks about how marvelous it is to feel that want dissipate. I’ve spent so much of this year away from home and I never worried about it.
Atlanta earlier in April was something else. Just one night, it didn’t end well, but a funny story if you leave out the bad parts. Charleston for groceries by myself because I finished my work early. Florida with my sisters for the weekend was sweet and slow and warm and quiet. Austin to visit friends, I just got back today, and it was so fun I couldn’t hold in my heart from bursting the whole time. I don’t think I stopped smiling at all. It’s beautiful and people are smarter and kinder there. I saw old friends and new friends and they all have lives and jobs and apartments now and I couldn’t even handle it. And now here, at my parents’ house, getting a pedicure with my mom and watching Marley roam in the backyard. My parents have their own lives now that we don’t live here anymore. I feel like the adult now.
Two months of freelance work that I didn’t really look or ask for, then two perfect job interviews last week. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t care, there are so many good options I’m excited about all of them, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I really am the happiest girl in the world. I’d argue it in front of a judge. I’ve never been this good. I thought I was going to die 11 days after I turned 17. When I was a kid this was all I ever wanted and now I have it and the weather has been beautiful everywhere I’ve been for the past two months consistently. I think I’m just always going to be confounded with a happy day, let alone a perfect month.
I had to wait 40 days and 40 nights for my period. I’m like Jesus in that way. You don’t trust the Clearblue “NOT PREGNANT” flashing at you when you’re a girl who loves sleeping with a vast array of men and hates using condoms. Peeing in the graffitied pink stall in the bathroom of a karaoke bar we were drinking ranch waters at last night, I saw blood on my shorts and started laughing out loud. It’s all just continuing to feel so serendipitous. If this goes on forever, I’ll never get anything done because I can’t stop smiling and hugging whoever’s nearest.
By the end of the week I’ll know whether or not I’ve got to pack up and move to DC. I’ll be happy either way. I just wanted to write to you happy for once. I’ll let you know what happens next :p
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!! for the OC introduction bingus
I have like, 2 more after this one, but here's one more down! This is Julia "Jules" Fox! She's from Charleston, South Carolina, where she was known as an upcoming rising artist, despite being so young. She is known for making beautiful sculptures that have already been presented in a few galleries, but has decided to pursue her education instead of going straight into the art scene. In reality, Jules is really burnt out and needed a change of scenery and decided school might be what she needed, even if it's an art school. She already likes the small rural town over the busy loud city.
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William Anthony “Tony” Brown (born April 11, 1933) is a journalist, academician, and businessman. He is best known as the commentator of the long-running syndicated television show Tony Brown’s Journal.
He was the son of Royal Brown and Catherine Davis Brown. Segregation and poverty were a part of his upbringing and influenced his view that freedom can be achieved only through economic means. He attended public schools in Charleston, West Virginia, where he joined the track team and excelled in academics, especially English and drama. He performed in school plays, he performed segments of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar on WGKV radio in Charleston.
He received a BA in Sociology from Wayne State University.
He received an MA in Psychiatric Social Work from Wayne State University. He is a former faculty member at Central Washington University and Federal City College.
He became the founding dean of Howard University’s School of Communication.
He wrote, directed, produced, and distributed a dramatic movie with an anti-drug message, The White Girl.
He wrote Empower The People: A 7-Step Plan to Overthrow the Conspiracy that is Stealing Your Money and Freedom
He was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Silver Circle.
He became the dean of Hampton University’s Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. He held the position until 2009 when he stepped down. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha
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EVELYN “EVIE” ROCHELLE FAIRCHILD
full name: Evelyn Fairchild
age & date of birth: 34, October 31, 1987
gender & pronouns: cis female & she/her
time living in bradford springs: 4 years
occupation: Emergency Doctor @ Rocky Mtn. Medical Center
positive traits: Organized & Compassionate
negative traits: Guarded & A Perfectionist
where do they live: Rural- Evie owns a home on the outskirts of town, that could be considered a semi-farm. She has a couple of horses, as well as a couple of pigs, a rooster, and several chickens.
BACKGROUND. tw: spousal death, pregnancy
Evelyn Rochelle Fairchild was born on a chilly Halloween night in 1987. The first child to her parents- Jacob and Patrice Fairchild- she was welcomed into the world with nothing less than smiles, blessings and love. Her father was a carpenter, working long ours for decent pay. Her mother was an art teacher, seeming to never grow tired of the insurmountable challenges that came from being an educator. The couple were high school sweethearts who had never fallen out of love, and their relationship quickly became the model Evie crafted hopes for her own future relationship after.
Throughout her childhood, Evie was well-liked by the adults around her, often deemed an "old soul", or someone who was "wise beyond her years". While the majority of children her age were playing leapfrog and swinging from monkey bars, Evelyn far preferred spending time to herself, keeping her nose deep in the pages of whatever book she could get her hands on. Evelyn was bright, caring, and helpful. She never failed to pay attention to and take care of her classmates, despite feeling no real connection to them beyond their time in school. She heeded and obeyed every rule set forth, and ever bit of instruction after that, throwing herself totally into academics.
When Evie was 4, her younger brother was born, followed by another when she was 6. Though it is commonplace for siblings to fight, squabble, and argue, each of the Fairchild children genuinely loved each other, and would have done anything for each other at any given time. The family was always very tight-knit, in the best of ways. Growing up in an environment like that taught Evie many things about family, love, and life in general, helping to shape who she is, and what she hopes for in life.
Unlike seemingly everyone else in her peer group, it never really occurred to Evelyn to place any sort of importance on romantic relationships for herself. In her mind, she seemed to always hold onto the idea that there was one person out there for her, meant for her, and that she would find them when the time was right. What she hadn't expected was that they might find her.
When Evie was 19-years-old, she met Damian. After graduating high school, Evelyn had gone immediately to college, a Pre-Med major who worked a part-time job as a library assistant at the college she was attending- Ohio State University. Damian, a Junior, quite literally collided with her one afternoon, as the first semester of her Sophomore year was drawing to a close. A collision turned into a late lunch, which turned into dinner, and two short months later, the couple had become official. They were married at the end of Evelyn's Junior year, with Damian having graduated with a degree in Biochemical Engineering a little over a year earlier. Things between them were a whirlwind, and by the time that Evelyn entered Med School, they had purchased a starter home together, and were beginning to plan for their futures.
By the end of Evelyn's third year, she became pregnant with their first child, a beautiful baby girl, whom the couple named Hazel. It truly seemed as though nothing could be more perfect- that nothing could go wrong. However, tragedy struck the young, happy family when Evie was 30 and Hazel, 4. Having recently completed Med School, Evie was working overnights in a local hospital located in Charleston, SC. One night, at approximately 11:30 PM, Evie received a call that Damian had been killed. The small favor was that Hazel had been with her parents for the evening, and hadn't been involved in the incident. It had occurred outside the local 7-11, with Damian attempting to make peace within an argument that had broken out. The scene ended violently, with an attack on Damian that had claimed his life.
Heartbroken, terrified, and alone, Evelyn vowed to her late husband that she would do whatever was necessary to ensure Hazel lived the life they'd dreamed of giving her together. While she remained in Charleston for nearly a year following the loss, while she settled affairs and learned to somewhat live again. However, it wasn't long before remaining in the home they'd once shared proved too much. Deciding she needed to get out, she packed her things along with Hazel's, put the house up for sale, and left. Landing in Bradford Springs, she purchased a home for herself and Hazel in the rural part of town, wanting to live a quiet and simple life away from the main hub of the town. Evelyn and Hazel have been in Bradford Springs for four years now, with Evie working the overnight shift at Rocky Mtn. Medical Center. While life has certainly moved on since Damian's passing, Evelyn has only just recently felt as though she has found her footing.
EXTRAS. (HEADCANONS)
-Part of Evelyn wants to date, to try and live the life that she knows Damian would have wanted for her. But, something always seems to hold her back. She tells herself she simply hasn't met the "right one", but some part of her understands that she now finds it difficult to open up to others, afraid to love again.
-Evelyn's favorite book is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Though many find it a juvenile love for an adult woman, she has always held the book in her heart. After reading it for the first time at 13, she latched onto the characters and the world in general, part of her longing for camaraderie and friendship like what she read about in the book.
-Her favorite animals, in order, are cows, dogs, and squirrels.
-When she was a child, Evie spent a good amount of time paintinng. Art was both an outlet and a love for her throughout her childhood, and at the time was something she hoped she might pass along to her children. However, she has not painted since Damian passed.
-While she does not consider herself to be a full-fledged farmer, Evelyn houses several animals on her land. She also has her own garden, where she grows various fruits and vegetables. She enjoys taking her harvest to the Farmer's Market in the appropriate months, to get herself and Hazel out of the house, and to earn a bit of extra cash.
-After only a few months in Bradford Springs, Evelyn hired a full-time, live-in nanny for Hazel, knowing she would need someone to stay with her at night. Evie may be the employer, however she views the nanny as being a part of the family, is generous with their pay and their time off, and feels as though they are the person she has become closest to.
#c:dash#c:evie ft. intro#c:evie ft. interaction#c:evie ft. aesthetics#bsco.intro#death tw#spousal death tw#pregnancy tw
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Exploring Charleston's Gullah Culture: A Unique Piece of Southern History Shop Local Charleston, SC Businesses
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Charleston, South Carolina is a city steeped in history, from its cobblestone streets to its antebellum mansions. But one of the most fascinating aspects of Charleston's history is its Gullah culture, a unique blend of African and American traditions that has thrived in the Lowcountry for centuries. Exploring Charleston's Gullah culture offers visitors a chance to delve into a rich and vibrant piece of Southern history that is unlike anything else in the United States.
The Origins of Gullah Culture
The Gullah people are descendants of enslaved Africans who were brought to the Lowcountry from West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade. These Africans were forced to work on rice and indigo plantations in the region, where they developed a distinct culture that blended elements of their African heritage with those of their American captors. This unique culture came to be known as Gullah, a term derived from the African word "Gola," which referred to the region in present-day Sierra Leone and Liberia where many of the enslaved Africans originated.
Cultural Traditions
Gullah culture is a vibrant and resilient tradition that is still alive and well in Charleston today. One of the most striking features of Gullah culture is its language, a dialect of English that incorporates elements of African languages such as Mende, Twi, and Igbo. Gullah language is a dynamic and expressive form of communication that reflects the unique history and heritage of the Gullah people.
In addition to their language, Gullah culture is also known for its music, dance, and storytelling traditions. Gullah music is a lively and rhythmic blend of African drumming, spirituals, and work songs that reflect the hardships and joys of the Gullah people's history. Gullah dance is a powerful and dynamic art form that incorporates elements of African dance styles such as ring shout and patting juba. Gullah storytelling is a rich and vibrant tradition that has been passed down through generations, preserving the history and culture of the Gullah people in a unique and compelling way.
The Gullah Geechee Corridor
One of the best ways to experience Charleston's Gullah culture is to explore the Gullah Geechee Corridor, a stretch of coastline that extends from North Carolina to Florida and encompasses the traditional territory of the Gullah people. The Gullah Geechee Corridor is home to a number of historic sites, museums, and cultural events that celebrate and preserve the rich heritage of the Gullah people.
One of the most popular destinations in the Gullah Geechee Corridor is the Penn Center on St. Helena Island, a historic site that served as a school for freed slaves during the Reconstruction era. The Penn Center now houses a museum and cultural center that offers visitors a chance to learn about Gullah history and culture through exhibits, workshops, and events. Other important sites in the Gullah Geechee Corridor include the Boone Hall Plantation, the McLeod Plantation Historic Site, and the Charleston City Market, all of which offer insights into the history and culture of the Gullah people.
Conclusion
Exploring Charleston's Gullah culture is a unique and enriching experience that offers visitors a chance to delve into a rich and vibrant piece of Southern history. From the language and music to the dance and storytelling traditions, Gullah culture is a dynamic and resilient tradition that reflects the unique history and heritage of the Gullah people. By exploring the Gullah Geechee Corridor and visiting historic sites such as the Penn Center, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the impact that the Gullah people have had on Charleston and the Lowcountry. So next time you're in Charleston, be sure to take some time to explore the rich and vibrant world of Gullah culture – you won't be disappointed!
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Exploring Charleston's Gullah Culture: A Unique Piece of Southern History Shop Local Charleston, SC Businesses
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Charleston, South Carolina is a city steeped in history, from its cobblestone streets to its antebellum mansions. But one of the most fascinating aspects of Charleston's history is its Gullah culture, a unique blend of African and American traditions that has thrived in the Lowcountry for centuries. Exploring Charleston's Gullah culture offers visitors a chance to delve into a rich and vibrant piece of Southern history that is unlike anything else in the United States.
The Origins of Gullah Culture
The Gullah people are descendants of enslaved Africans who were brought to the Lowcountry from West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade. These Africans were forced to work on rice and indigo plantations in the region, where they developed a distinct culture that blended elements of their African heritage with those of their American captors. This unique culture came to be known as Gullah, a term derived from the African word "Gola," which referred to the region in present-day Sierra Leone and Liberia where many of the enslaved Africans originated.
Cultural Traditions
Gullah culture is a vibrant and resilient tradition that is still alive and well in Charleston today. One of the most striking features of Gullah culture is its language, a dialect of English that incorporates elements of African languages such as Mende, Twi, and Igbo. Gullah language is a dynamic and expressive form of communication that reflects the unique history and heritage of the Gullah people.
In addition to their language, Gullah culture is also known for its music, dance, and storytelling traditions. Gullah music is a lively and rhythmic blend of African drumming, spirituals, and work songs that reflect the hardships and joys of the Gullah people's history. Gullah dance is a powerful and dynamic art form that incorporates elements of African dance styles such as ring shout and patting juba. Gullah storytelling is a rich and vibrant tradition that has been passed down through generations, preserving the history and culture of the Gullah people in a unique and compelling way.
The Gullah Geechee Corridor
One of the best ways to experience Charleston's Gullah culture is to explore the Gullah Geechee Corridor, a stretch of coastline that extends from North Carolina to Florida and encompasses the traditional territory of the Gullah people. The Gullah Geechee Corridor is home to a number of historic sites, museums, and cultural events that celebrate and preserve the rich heritage of the Gullah people.
One of the most popular destinations in the Gullah Geechee Corridor is the Penn Center on St. Helena Island, a historic site that served as a school for freed slaves during the Reconstruction era. The Penn Center now houses a museum and cultural center that offers visitors a chance to learn about Gullah history and culture through exhibits, workshops, and events. Other important sites in the Gullah Geechee Corridor include the Boone Hall Plantation, the McLeod Plantation Historic Site, and the Charleston City Market, all of which offer insights into the history and culture of the Gullah people.
Conclusion
Exploring Charleston's Gullah culture is a unique and enriching experience that offers visitors a chance to delve into a rich and vibrant piece of Southern history. From the language and music to the dance and storytelling traditions, Gullah culture is a dynamic and resilient tradition that reflects the unique history and heritage of the Gullah people. By exploring the Gullah Geechee Corridor and visiting historic sites such as the Penn Center, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the impact that the Gullah people have had on Charleston and the Lowcountry. So next time you're in Charleston, be sure to take some time to explore the rich and vibrant world of Gullah culture – you won't be disappointed!
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LEARN MORE: History of Charleston SC
Best: Places to eat in Charleston SC
FIND: Things to do in Charleston SC
CHARLESTON BUSINESS OWNERS: Get a Free Business Profile
FIND BUSINESSES: Charleston Business Directory
BE SEEN: Advertise Your Business Here
#HISTORY
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