#to be fair the dream also said he was from Argentina which is ALSO REALLY FALSE. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nadiafm · 5 years

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𝓷𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓪 𝓹𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓶𝓪 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓮𝔃

intermediate family

nadia’s family has grown in the past few years , but she only considers her mother and sister to be her true family .

father : SANTIAGO is a fifty year old contractor in san diego , california . he left paloma , nadia , and catalina nine years ago after fleeing the failing marriage , and did not put forth much effort in maintaining a relationship with his kids .

mother : PALOMA is a forty - nine year old middle school school teacher in aventura , florida . she tends to drink a little bit too much wine , takes anti-anxiety medication every morning and night , and has given up on love totally & completely . except for the men she occasionally brings home , but cat and nadia don’t really talk about that .

little sister : CATALINA “ CAT ” is fourteen and a freshman in high school in aventura , florida . cat has always felt like she was in nadia’s shadow , like both their parents favored nadia over her , and while nadia was bitten by the love bug , cat takes after her mother in that she has no interest in falling in love with anybody , lest she end up like her mother . she was never as close to her father , and though she does suffer from some major abandonment issues , she doesn’t necessarily miss him .

“ step mother ” : DANIELLE , whom nadia has only met once , is a thirty-seven year old stay - at - home - mom in san diego , california . she does not approve of nadia at all , and is part of the reason that a wedge was driven between nadia & her father the only summer that nadia went to visit ( unbeknownst to nadia ) .

half brother : HUNTER is a seven - year - old twin who is equally parts devil and demon . his parents have signed him up for every sport in the book in hopes he releases his energy & aggressions in practice instead of on his sister . nadia hasn’t seen him since he was an infant .

half sister : ESTEFANIA “ ESTEF ” is a seven - year - old twin who wears pink frilly dresses and loves horses . only listens to taylor swift and will throw a tantrum if anyone plays anything else in her presence . nadia hasn’t seen her since she was an infant .

half sister : CELENE is a four - year - old that nadia has never met , nor has any interest in doing so .

hometown & family home

in comparison to a lot of her classmates, nadia is not rich . but that isn’t to say her family is poor by any means . they live in an upper class community and have a house by the beach — her father was a contractor , and developed a lot of homes in miami while he still lived in florida . her mother , a middle school teacher , made a decent living . so it’s not as though nadia had a deprived , poor childhood , she just didn’t necessarily own a closet full of designer clothes and the newest iphone in her pocket .

aventura is famous for their shopping mall , which is the third largest in the us . it was the place to hang out in high school , and nadia spent a lot of her time there growing up . it is also home to turnberry isle miami , which is a well known resort in the area . many of nadia’s teenage memories involve sneaking into the resort and finding their way into guest - only amenities like the pool and spa .

nadia has lived in the same house her entire life . a cozy , two bedroom , one story home in the suburbs of aventure , florida , about a twenty minute drive from miami without traffic . the home was the first house her parents bought together , back when they were still in love . still , the home holds a lot of sentimental value for nadia , and she loves it with her whole heart . she always looks forward to going home .

car

nadia got her learner’s permit as soon as she turned fifteen , and her license on her sixteenth birthday . still , that just meant driving her mom’s car when her mom wasn’t using it .

on her eighteenth birthday , during the summer after her senior year of high school , she was given her very first car as a birthday gift ( the car she and her then - boyfriend ethan would use to drive to hollingsworth together ) . a used , 2013 2 door jeep wrangler sport , her pride and joy . she named her danger , and drives it to hollingsworth every fall , driving it back home to miami every summer . the car has its roof and doors off all summer long .

room ( society house )

nadia lives in the zeta house , and admittedly her room can get pretty messy . still , it’s one of her favorite spots to spend down time . her walls are decorated with pictures of her favorite memories ( she’s been carrying around disposable cameras the past two years , which has accrued quite a few photos for the wall ) , her bed is stacked high with throw pillows , and her desk is covered in papers and pens and post it-s .

favorite spot on campus

nadia’s favorite spot on campus is the quad , because she loves to people watch . every student walks through at some point in the day , heading to class or heading home , and she could sit up against a tree with her airpods in watching people walk by for hours .

pet

when nadia was seven , her birthday gift was a large box with holes in it . she thought it was a pony . but when she ripped back the wrapping paper , it was the most beautiful , fluffy little long haired german shepherd . she named her honey . honey was hers , not the family dog , hers . she slept in nadia’s room , snuggled up in bed with her every night . when her parents would yell at her , honey would bark her head off until they stopped .

when honey was twelve , she started showing signs of old age . she died the following year . nadia was nineteen at the time , a sophomore at hollingsworth , and she was distraught for days . she even went home for the weekend and laid cuddled up in bed crying . that week , she went and got a tattoo of her face , in THIS sort of fashion .

most valued possession

nadia’s most valued possesssion is the lionel messi jersey her father gave her when she was twelve . it was the last gift he gave her before leaving , and seeing as nadia is a loud and proud argentine , she loves it dearly . it doesn’t fit well anymore , unless she wears is as a sort of tight crop top , and she has plenty of other argentina soccer jerseys to wear on game day , but that specific one will always be the most important to her .

best friends

growing up , nadia’s number one best friend was josie . they were , and still are , two peas in a pod . they met in seventh grade when they were both crushing on the same boy , and through that , a friendship formed . josie decided to go to school in california , where she’d always dreamed of going , and where nadia had once dreamed of with her . she was the only one who had advised nadia not to follow ethan to hollingsworth , but of course she didn’t listen , and might regret not going to ucla with josie , but mostly she’s happy she picked hollingsworth . after all , it just means she gets to visit ucla sometimes .

at hollingsworth , nadia considers dash & lux her best friends , the one she can count on to be there , and not judge her . ever . which means a lot ! considering she does a lot of things worth judging .

first love

like actually in love with or ? fksjghsjhg

ok a little bit nsfw , also trigger warnings : underage sex , slut shaming

the first time nadia felt what she thought was love was freshman year of high school . mother fucking connor perch . he was actually really sweet to her at first , they met after being assigned desks next to each other in freshman year biology , though neither of the were very interested in the subject . ANYWAY , connor was on the basketball team , and you know nadia is a sucker for student athletes , so she had a crush right away , and by october of their freshman year they were dating . they were only fourteen , so to be fair they didn’t do much . it was mostly holding hands and chaste kisses in the hallway and sitting on his lap at lunch and things like that ! but mans was trying to lose his virginity . ( nadia’s first time had been in a car with a boy she barely knew that summer before high school , but he didn’t know that , and of course she didn’t tell him ) .

anyway , she was madly in love with him , or so she thought at fourteen . she was like ... this is going to last forever ! and he knew about her dad and all , was always very sympathetic , always doing things like leaving flowers in her locker and love notes in her pockets . he was really sweet ok ! can ya blame a hopeless romantic for falling in love !

it was june , just a few days after school let out for summer , when nadia agreed to give him a blowjob . in the middle of it , when she looked up , he had his phone out and was recording . and nadia being nadia , she didn’t stop . she literally finished giving him a blowjob and it was only after , when they were sitting in her bed , that she gently asked him why he recorded that , and if he’d delete it . he said it was for himself , for him to look back on when he was at home alone . but it was only about a week later that nadia started getting texts from other boys at her school , asking things like how much she charged and if there was a summer vacation discount . and girls were posting things on formspring ( remember formspring ? lmao . ) calling her a slut and an attention seeker and god knows what else , and when she confronted connor about it he broke up with her , saying she was needy and clingy and if she didn’t want to be labeled as a slut why did she go down on people ! safe to say that was her least favorite summer ever . maybe second now , to the summer after she and rowan broke up .

favorite outfit

nadia’s go to outfit is a mini dress with sneakers . it’s literally all she wears !! spring ? autumn ? toss on a cardigan on top . winter ? add her favorite furry jacket . but she always out here showing off her legs , her tits , her ass . like her mama always said , if you got it , flaunt it , baby !! we love you mama paloma

#i finished this so long ago !#and then when i hit save drafts IT ALL DELETED #so here i am #finishing it again #task

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motogpfanpage · 5 years

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ROUND 18: MALAYSIA

Last round of the Asian tour for the MotoGP paddock took place at Sepang. The Malaysian track always provides it's lot of drama due to the weather conditions and the fair wars betweens riders going into the last part of the championship. This year Malaysian GP was no exception.

1) Fate favors the Brave ...

Having the start from 7th on the grid due to a "dangerous behavior being too slow on the racing line" penalty, Marc Marquez knew from the very start that the race would be a hard one and that he would have to push for the win: "It was a very, very hard race. First because we started from seventh place, so that was an extra motivation because I'd never won from the third row. The first lap was not the best of my career and I had to overtake some riders, but then I saw that Valentino was pushing really hard from the beginning. So I pushed too, but I was riding like qualifying and I overheated my tires."

Pushing is one thing, but in Marquez' case, pushing also means saving a handfull of crashes, which once again he did all weekend long: "I was just riding by instinct, not by using my head, and pushing on the limit. I was fighting against myself and the bike to be as close to Valentino to attack in the end. I nearly crashed 3-4 times during the race."

Lady luck though already had her plan moving and while Marc Marquez almost made a mistake at each lap it's Rossi who went down while he was leading at the front from Marquez and Zarco: "The plan was just to try to be there at the end! I mean, I didn't have anything more. We were both riding on the limit. A really fast pace. But he was on the limit too and I saw he was starting to struggle, but there were only 4-5 laps left so it would be very close, because our level was very equal. (...) When I was only six tenths behind he did a mistake because he was a little bit wide and when you are fighting like this you don't want to lose any time, so he tried to come back on the line too quickly and crashed. When I saw that Valentino fell, my body just relaxed and I was riding in another way, because both of us were pushing a lot."

2) ... Or maybe it doesn't.

After a very disappointing race at Phillip Island where teammate Maverick Vinales won, Valentino Rossi was desperate to finally find the miraculous recipe to get back on the top step of the podium, and for a while, he did, thanks to the many changes his team made on the bike: “We modify a lot the bike, the setting to try and make everything help the rear tyre. At the end it worked. Already from Friday morning I felt good. We worked well with the team. We just made a small adjustment. We can be competitive for all the race. Also Maverick was not so bad, and also Zarco. Because Maverick started from very behind, no? This time the three Yamahas were quite competitive. It was more mechanical [than electronics changes]. In the last races we improved the electronics, like three or four races ago that helped a bit. But now it’s more mechanical. For me the problems are not fixed and we have to improve. Like I said, we worked well on the software but we have to make something more in the hardware from Japan. I think we need some details, especially in the electronics and also in the engine. We speak a lot with the Japanese and it looks like it will work.”

But fate, karma or whatever you would like to call it had other plans for Rossi and so, even though he made a pitch perfect race start and went on to do a fantastic job at leading the race, the only mistake made by the italian proved to be lethal for his hopes of a win: “It’s a mixed feeling. From one side I’m very happy for the race because it’s the best race of the season for me and also it was coming in difficult conditions at a difficult track for us. This is very important. On the other side it’s a great, great shame. I’m very disappointed for the mistake. To make a race like this and go home with zero points is frustrating, yes. We have to say it’s my first mistake of the season because I arrived always at the end except in Argentina. But maybe it’s the worst moment. But like you said, I’m devastated for the crash. But I’m also happy because anyway we lived the dream for 15 laps. After the victory of my brother also, it can be a great, great day. But it’s like this.”

The crash cost Valentino Rossi a lot as this zero point taken makes him lose the runner up position in the championship standings to Dovizioso and he will now have to fight against Vinales for 3rd at Valencia, a track he doesn't keep close to his heart: “Also today the result can be very important also for the championship because if I don’t win and I arrive second I close the third place with Maverick and I can be five points from Dovi [Andrea Dovizioso] for second in Valencia. Now Dovi has gone and we have to fight with Maverick for the third place. But I think Valencia is an important weekend because it’s one of the most difficult tracks. If we are able to be strong also there it’s positive."

Valentino might have lost the 2nd place in the standings but he did won back the admiration of many fans who were desperate to see him do well again. He also impressed his former teammate Jorge Lorenzo who congratulated and praised him on twitter:

JL99: "Apart from the crash, I've never seen Valentino Rossi so consistent. More than 10 laps in just 1 tenth at the hottest and longest track impressed me. And some said he started to feel his age after last race"

Such praise coming from the number 99 could only soften Rossi who answered: "Grazie Jorge!"

We couln't be happier to see them finally having a respectfull releationship !

3) Behind Marquez

Behind the race winner, Alex Rins took another podium leading him to a fantastic 2nd half of the season: "Our Suzuki is going very good. The factory deserves it. They have done a really good job during all the season, because since Qatar I felt we had a very competitive bike. But it looks like since the middle of the season we did a very big step. At Assen, Suzuki brought me a new engine, with a little bit more top-end power, and since this point we improved a lot. We were able to hold the slipstream and fight with Yamaha and Honda on the straight. And then also I think the experience of trying to control more the tyres and electronics. Suzuki are now working for next year, taking a lot of information, and already Guintoli is trying a new engine that looks very good. We will see what happens next year. For sure I will give my best to try to beat these guys and be more constant at the front."

It's been a while since Johann Zarco was able to fight for pole positions and race podiums but in Malaysia, like his yamaha teammates, the frenchman was back to his old self and fought for the 2nd place most of the race, only giving it away to Rins at the very end: "The strong beginning of the race was key for the podium. I had a great start from pole and it helped me to go well in the first two corners. Valentino was pushing a lot and going so fast. I was not able to overtake him, but following him was good enough to go away and save the podium. Later I did a mistake in corner 14 and Marc overtook me very cleanly and then I tried to stay behind him. I expected Marc could catch Vale quickly but instead he was closing step-by-step. I lost a little bit to him, but I was able to keep a good pace and have a bigger gap to the guys behind me. After Valentino crashed I was second, again with a good gap, I thought I could control it but five laps from the end I saw on the pit board that Alex was coming maybe five-tenths per lap faster than me! I tried to push but I was not fast enough and in the last lap when he overtook me in turn four I wanted to overtake him again and fight a little bit. But there wasn't the possibility and I almost crashed in turn 11. I got the podium last year here in tricky conditions, but this year was like a real constant race and the strong beginning helped me finish on the podium. Third is just a fantastic present because I'm now the first Independent rider. I'll try to keep it in Valencia and being on the same points as Rins means whoever finishes in front can be in the top five of the championship."

Now the paddock is heading back to Europe and back to Spain for Valencia and it’s legendary end of the season race. Jorge Lorenzo should make a full comeback after a failed attempt at Sepang. Rossi and Vinales will fight against each other for the 3rd place in the standings while the Team, Best independent and Rookie of the year titles are still to be given away.

Buckle up, Valencia is coming. And we will be there. #CannotWait

#review #sepanggp #sepang #malaysiangp #motogp #valentino rossi #marc marquez #alex rins #johann zarco

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your-mail · 2 years

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Robert Lewandowski: Bayern striker wins Best Fifa Men's Player of the Year award

Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski was named 2021 Best Fifa Men's Player of the Year, while Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo landed the special award.

Lewandowski, 33, claimed the prize for the second consecutive year after scoring 69 goals.

He won ahead of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Paris St-Germain's Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo was lauded for being the men's international all-time top scorer.

Barcelona's Alexia Putellas won the Best Fifa Women's Player of the Year.

Lewandowski broke the late Gerd Muller's 49-year record for scoring the most Bundesliga goals in a calendar year with 43 in 34 league appearances.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel won the award for the Best Fifa men's coach for guiding Chelsea to their second Champions League title after only joining the club in January.

Former Tottenham winger Erik Lamela - sold to Sevilla in the summer - won the Fifa Puskas award, which recognises the best goal in world football during the year, after his 'rabona' finish in the north London derby against Arsenal last March.

Chelsea's Edouard Mendy won the award for the Best Fifa men's goalkeeper after a successful first season with the club, including a clean sheet in the 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League final.

The Denmark national team and their staff won the Best Fifa fair play award for their swift response after Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field during the Euro 2020 game with Finland.

On a successful night for Chelsea, Emma Hayes also won the award for the Best Fifa women's coach as her side won a treble of domestic trophies.

As for the collective awards, Manchester City's Ruben Dias and Kevin de Bruyne joined Chelsea's N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, and Ronaldo, in the Best Fifa men's team of the year.

Men's world XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan/PSG/Italy), David Alaba (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid/Austria), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy), Ruben Dias (Man City/Portugal), Kevin de Bruyne (Man City/Belgium), Jorginho (Chelsea/Italy), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Man Utd/Portugal), Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund/Norway), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/PSG/Argentina).

Lewandowski's tribute to goalscoring great Muller

The Polish striker was overlooked for the Ballon d'Or as Messi won it for a seventh time in November, but a second Best Fifa award in as many years will provide some consolation.

Lewandowski was influential as Bayern defended their Bundesliga title and won the Club World Cup and the German Super Cup.

Speaking via video link after receiving the award, he said he never dreamed of breaking the record set by Muller, who died in 2021.

"If you you asked me a few years ago, I would have said it is impossible to break that record and score that many goals in the Bundesliga," said Lewandowski.

"But now he (Muller) is not with us anymore and I also say thank you to him because this record would not be possible without him. He set so many - and for the next generation of players it was to try and beat it."

Ronaldo hopes to play 'four or five' more years

While two-time men's winner Ronaldo was omitted from the shortlist for the individual prize for the first time since its inception, it was a successful night for the Portugal captain, who was given the special award after surpassing Ali Daei's 109-goal record for Iran.

The 36-year-old set a new international mark after scoring his 115th goal in 184 appearances for Portugal in October.

Speaking live at the ceremony in Zurich, he described the trophy he was presented with as the "bling bling".

"I never thought I would set that record," said Ronaldo. "I'm so proud and this is a special award from Fifa, an organisation I respect a lot.

"I'm really proud and it is a great achievement. I still have the passion for the game. Not just to score goals but to entertain.

"When I go to the pitch, even in training, my motivation is still there. I'm going to be 37 soon but I feel good and I want to continue.

"People ask me sometimes how many years I have left and I hope to play four or five years as it's a mentality. If you treat your body good, when you need your body, it will give you back."

Best Fifa awards in full

Best Fifa Men's Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Best Fifa Men's Coach of the Year: Thomas Tuchel

Best Fifa Men's Goalkeeper of the Year: Edouard Mendy

Best Fifa Special Award: Cristiano Ronaldo

Fifa Puskas Award: Erik Lamela

Fifa Fan Award: Denmark & Finland fans

Fifa Fair Play Award: Denmark national team/Danish medical team and coaching staff

Best Fifa Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas

Best Fifa Women's Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes

Best Fifa Women's Goalkeeper of the Year: Christiane Endler

Best Fifa Special Award: Christine Sinclair

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artificialqueens · 6 years

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Here I Go Again! (Group Fic) - Epilogue (Finale!) - pureCAMP

A/N - at long last she is done and she is here and she is the dancing queen young and sweet only seventeen

In all honesty, Trixie wasn’t sure she was going to go on a honeymoon at first. As she planned the wedding with her mom, the only thing on her mind was that her mom would struggle to cope. Trixie was in no position to be gallivanting off to the four corners of the world, seeing and exploring because of her frivolous dreams. She was old enough to know that money was tight, the workload was excessive and Sharon would struggle to complete it all without Trixie’s help.

Of course, she could never say it out loud. She’d planned a honeymoon just so that her mom didn’t question her. Sharon would be mortified if she knew that Trixie had actually planned to stay at home after the wedding, and continue her work. She’d insist that Trixie went out to see the world, found a home elsewhere - but Trixie just knew she couldn’t.

It wasn’t fair.

But things changed on the day of the wedding. With Trixie unmarried, and Sharon now married, she didn’t see why she couldn’t travel the world. Her mom had someone to care for her, even if she swore up and down that she didn’t need to be taken care of. It was no secret that she worked too much, and he could make her take a break. Additionally, they’d want some privacy for a honeymoon of their own - which was the least that Trixie could do for them.

So, with bright smiles and teary eyes, Trixie and Brian sailed away from the island she’d grown up on, heading for the musty airport that would take them all over the world.

They saw America, from California to Texas to Florida to New York. They made their way through South America, visiting the beaches and cities in Brazil and Argentina and Peru and Mexico. They toured Europe, starting in Scotland and making their way round to Ireland, back to Wales and then to England, to France and Spain and Portugal and Germany, moving further and further across the map. Trixie could hardly name all the places they’d been to, the things they’d seen. To her, it was a jumble of new places and new sights and new people and new experiences.

Brian somehow retained everything, which Trixie loved. He rattled off random facts about the cities they had walked through, hand in hand whether it was raining or sunny. He’d even gone to the extent of buying a huge world map, marking the places they’d been with little hearts. To anyone who asked, they were on an unofficial honeymoon. Everything was perfect.

“I miss my mom. Does that make me childish?” Trixie asked one night. She was already in the hotel bed, tucked up to her chin under the thick sheets, waiting for Brian to finish brushing his teeth. When he came in, flashing a pure-white smile, he shook his head.

“No way. I miss your mom too.” He replied, deadly serious. “You’ve written to her, though. At least you know she’s not worrying too much about you.”

Trixie sighed. “Yeah. You’re right. I just wish she could write back, you know? But it takes so long for my letters to arrive from wherever the hell we are when I write them, and then by the time she responds we could be anywhere else! I want to know how she’s doing.”

“Well, judging by your nosy snooping, I’m sure she’s doing just fine with her new beau.”

After Brian had been told the full story - the diary, the three guys, Sharon’s story - he seemed quite amused by the whole situations. Letting him read the diary had definitely been a mistake, though. He thought it was absolutely hilarious, and whilst reading about your mom’s sexual escapades in hopes of finding your dad is one thing, reading it with your boyfriend whilst he laughs is another thing entirely.

“Gross, Brian. You promised not to talk about my mom like that!” Trixie told him off, shoving him as he climbed into bed. Grinning, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, clinging like koala as she struggled.

“I promise not to promise things, such as myself to you and talking about your mom.” Brian said. “Hey, we’re not out here much longer. This is our last week, then you get to see her again.”

For a while, there was a peaceful silence. Trixie had almost fallen asleep until Brian interrupted it.

“Do you think Sharon married Justin because she loves him, or because he’s your dad?”

Trixie rolled over. “Both. We don’t know for sure, but we both… we both think it’s him. And it’s clear how much she loved him then and loves him still.”

Things felt calm. Their previous drama and stress was over. Trixie had seen things she’d never dreamt of seeing in her lifetime, that were worlds apart from the sandy beaches and simple life of her home. Though she missed it dearly, things felt good. As she fell asleep, in the last week of her honeymoon, she dreamt of a happy family, reunited on the Greek shores.

On their flight home, however, Trixie didn’t fall asleep to happy dreams as she had most nights on their trip. A childish excitement had stirred up ever since they’d boarded the plane, with the knowledge that soon enough, she’d be home again. Having grown up alone, Sharon was a combination of a mom, a sister and a best friend, rolled into one. Trixie missed her beyond belief.

With Brian fast asleep on her shoulder, Trixie had alternated between reading her book - a strangely exciting story detailing the love, loss and drama of a new political figure - and making small talk to the old lady sat beside her.

They’d chatted mundanely for a few hours, partially because Trixie felt bad for her. She was clearly travelling alone, with a sad look on her face. At a guess, Trixie would put her at mid-seventies. Her grey hair was swept into an elegant, but slightly dated bun, and was mostly grey. Despite her morose expression, she had a kind face and spoke in a friendly manner, introducing herself as Joan.

“So, what’s bringing you to Greece?” She asked.

Trixie glanced over at Brian, peacefully sleeping, and smiled to herself. “Coming home from a vacation. It’s a pretty long story, but it was kind of a not-honeymoon. What about you?”

Joan sighed quietly. “Returning home, too.”

“Oh, whereabouts in Greece do you live? The mainland?”

“Not… quite.” She said uneasily. “I don’t live there, not anymore. I used to, a long time ago, but unfortunately this time, I’m being brought back by a tragedy, if you will.”

Trixie furrowed her brow. “I’m so sorry, I hope you’re okay.”

For a moment, Joan was silent, frowning to herself. Something about the look on her face was incredibly familiar, but Trixie had no idea why. As far as she knew, she had never met this woman in her life until now. Yet somehow, there was a lingering sense of familiarity.

“I’ll tell you this: you’re young, and you can learn from my mistakes.” Joan turned, staring straight at Trixie. “Teach yourself to forgive. Someone I loved dearly made a mistake once, and I didn’t forgive them. My… My husband’s recent passing has made me realize that life is short and can easily be wasted. I have a fear now that it may be too late to forgive this person, or that quite rightly they won’t forgive me. Learn it young, and don’t make my mistake.”

Trixie nodded thoughtfully. She wanted to further comfort the old woman, but she wasn’t sure what she could say to make any of it better. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how lonely it must’ve felt. Her whole life, even if it wasn’t much, she’d always had her mom. Family was the one thing that Trixie knew she’d always have. Joan had nothing.

“I don’t see why they won’t forgive you.” Trixie said eventually. “Time is supposed to heal all wounds, isn’t it?”

Joan smiled sadly. “So they say. But some mistakes don’t deserve to be forgiven. You surely wouldn’t forgive your mother for kicking you out.”

Trixie frowned. “She wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Then she’s a good mother. I wasn’t.”

“H-Her mother kicked her out.” Trixie found herself saying. “She was pregnant really young, and she was kicked out as soon as she found out about me. She never let it stop her, if anything she grew from it.”

Joan listened intently. “Would she forgive, do you think?”

Trixie shrugged. “She’s… very headstrong. I was never really allowed to ask questions about Nana. She always said we didn’t need her because we had each other.”

“Gosh, she sounds just like my daughter.” Joan smiled, a hint of bittersweet sorrow tainting the happy expression. “She was a firecracker, she did what she pleased. Nowadays it’s celebrated, but we all thought it was shameful behaviour back then.”

Somewhat detective-like in manner, Trixie noted that Joan had said ‘daughter’, rather than ‘someone’. She wasn’t sure why, but the genuineness of the older woman beside her made her want to help unravel the story. She seemed kind and deeply regretful, and the idea of her being able to reconcile with her daughter made Trixie feel all warm inside. Perhaps one day, Sharon would be able to meet with her mom and their broken relationship could also be fixed.

But maybe Trixie was thinking ahead a little too much. Next to her, Brian snored quietly, jolting her back into real life.

“Either way, you have to try.” Trixie affirmed. “There’s no way you can receive forgiveness without asking for it. No matter how scary, you have to try.”

Joan nodded. “You’re very wise for such a young woman. I’m impressed, dear.”

Trixie grinned. “That’s all down to my mom. She’s the best woman I’ll ever know, guaranteed.”

She showed Joan the photograph on the lockscreen of her phone - Sharon and Trixie smiling together on the hotel courtyard, just after Sharon had ended up getting married to Justin. Standing side-by-side, their identical smiles made them look almost like twins.

Upon seeing the photo, Joan faltered for a moment, as if there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes. Within moments it had faded, and the older woman seemed to shake herself, smiling at the image. Trixie brushed off the sudden change in her expression.

“She’s very beautiful, like you. How old are you, dearest?”

Trixie blushed. “I’m twenty.”

Once again, Joan’s face fell for a moment before she regained her composure. The change was ever so slight that Trixie wasn’t sure she’d actually seen it or not.

“This was what was supposed to be my wedding. Me and Brian here were engaged, but we called it off because it felt too soon. My mom ended up getting married instead, but that’s an even longer story. Let’s just say, I threw her life into chaos for a few days and she managed to forgive me.”

Joan chuckled. “I see. Well, Trixie, it’s been lovely talking to you. I should probably rest now, but I’ve enjoyed your company a lot. Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble. Goodnight,” Trixie finished amiably, settling back into her novel. Every page took her a little bit closer to home, and that was all she needed.

—

“TONY! TONY!” Trixie yelled, waving as hard as she could from the docks. “TONY!”

She was running, one hand wheeling her suitcase behind her as Brian lugged the rest, burdened with the weight of it all. As soon as they’d touched down back in Greece, with the sun just an hour away from rising, she’d purchased a garland of fresh flowers from a local street vendor on the mainland and was wearing them around her neck. They bounced as she ran, tangling over her white vest.

Tony, one of the sailors who took people back and forth from the mainland to the island, was a few feet out into the small stretch of sea, fishing by himself. Usually, he would only take passengers on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, but Trixie knew he’d make an exception for her. Much like many islanders, though he wasn’t one himself, he had watched Trixie grow up.

“EH? ÀNGELOS? IS THAT YOU?”

The nickname of ‘angel’ had arisen simply from her blonde hair, a trait which both Sharon and Trixie had. It was a little more uncommon on the island, of traditionally olive-skinned and dark-haired residents, so many referred to her in such a way. Brian, however, still grumbled that he needed to stop making a move on his almost-wife.

“You’re so stupid.” Trixie giggled, kissing his nose. “TONY? CAN YOU TAKE US HOME?”

Tony nodded, and in no time he had sailed back from his perch, handing his fish to one of the market vendors with a shrug. He and Brian carried their bags onto the little boat, and soon enough they were sailing in the early morning sun, ready to go home.

The warm sunshine and cool sea-spray on Trixie’s skin felt so nice. Of course, some of the places they’d been had the same kind of weather, but nowhere felt as right and as natural as her home did. Part of her was convinced that, at this point, she could memorise the exact pattern of the waves beneath her.

“I’m so excited. I feel like it’s been forever since we saw my mom.” Trixie breathed, spreading her arms wide to take in as much as she could.

“Almost four months.” Brian agreed. “Three and half, I think. Have you ever been away from her that long?”

Trixie shook her head. “Nope. I think a week might be the longest.”

“Christ.”

“I never needed to!” Trixie defended herself, laughing. “Anyway, it was probably for the best this time. She deserves some time to relax and celebrate with her new husband.”

Brian wrapped his arms around her waist. “Yeah, you’re right. Justin’s a cool guy, I need to hang out with him. You and Sharon can have a girly catch up, and we’ll have some bro time.”

“Sick of me already?” Trixie teased, mock-offended. “I’m kidding. But no offence to either of you, I don’t think you’ll be having bro time. You’re not exactly the bro type.”

Brian hummed. “I guess not. Man to man time, then.”

“If that’s what you wanna call it. Me and mom just call it, you know, friendship.” Trixie shrugged.

“That works too.” Brian said, and then burst out laughing. “Hey, look, land ahoy.”

Before Trixie could react to Brian’s statement, or make a dumb pirate joke as she normally would, she spotted the edges of the island beginning to form in the horizon. There it was, her home; tall and hilly and with white buildings and white sand and beautiful memories permeating the entire place. Her heart warmed at the mere sight of it.

“I’m home!” She trilled, squeezing Brian’s hand. “Oh my god, I’ve missed it so much. I’m home!”

Trixie squealed and bounced like a little girl for the entire rest of the journey, when Tony assisted their bags off and waved them goodbye. Within seconds, she’d discarded her shoes and was running in the sand, revelling in the knowledge that she was actually, really home.

“Trix? Bags?” Brian tried.

Same as before, Trixie wheeled her one suitcase up the steps, as Brian struggled with the rest of it. It was still early in the morning, so the two of them had time to creep into their new home and dump the luggage there. Sharon had fixed up one of the old parts of the hotel that was no longer used - a similar area to where she had raised Trixie - for the two lovers, as a wedding gift. They had their own little place, with two storeys and a balcony onto the sea, but they were never more than ten minutes from Sharon, should they need her help. Trixie knew they definitely would in the coming years.

“I always thought pink was the prettiest colour,” Trixie remarked, looking around at the teal that made up the entirety of their interior. “But this is seriously beautiful. I love it.”

She flopped backwards onto the bed, breathing deeply. “Mm, fresh sheets… and they smell of sandalwood! My mom is amazing.”

Brian laughed, throwing some clothes at Trixie so they could change out of their airport garb into something more topical. As the sun properly rose, filling the room with light, Trixie watched the sea ebbing and flowing. A sense of peace washed over her, like the tide erasing the stress of a day’s footprints along the beach. She was a clean slate.

After freshening up a little, Brian joined her on the balcony. Their view was amazing - they could see the whole of the beach, and a little of the courtyard where hotel guests ate and hung around during the day. As usual, the washing lines were all still strung up, with colourful sheets flapping around in the breeze.

“Sheets are still up. Your mom must be slacking.” Brian nudged her and grinned. “She’s usually up by now, isn’t she?”

Trixie shoved him, even though he was right. “Hey! She’s just gotten married, she deserves a vacation! Her idea of a vacation probably is starting work at six thirty instead of five, anyway.”

Not long after she spoke, Trixie spotted two figures walking into the courtyard. Though they had their backs to her, she knew exactly who they were instantly.

“There, see! Mom and Justin.”

Brian nodded appraisingly. “Guess you’re right. Speak of the devil and she shall appear. In a skirt, no less.”

For most people, the observation would’ve been a little pointless, but it made sense to Trixie. Sharon never wore the kind of long, flowing skirts that she was wearing today, preferring to wear practical clothing that she could work in. Her usual attire was denim dungarees, patched up at the knees where the material had worn thin from her constant toiling. It was beyond unusual to see her in a skirt, but Trixie thought nothing of it for the time being.

“Come on, come on, we have to go down and say hi! I can’t remember what they look like anymore.” She exaggerated, giggling. Her eyes lingered for a couple of seconds on the pair, tearing down the coloured sheets into baskets and laughing together, before she turned away.

“Hurry, Brian!”

They made their way down towards the courtyard as fast as they could, now unencumbered with bags and suitcases. A childish thrill was still holding Trixie’s chest, causing her heart to hammer and thump with sheer excitement. Even though she’d kept on about it, she truly hadn’t realised the extent of how much she’d missed home.

The sound of their footsteps skidding onto the stones caused both Sharon and Justin to turn in unison. Upon seeing her mom’s face, Trixie gasped in delight.

“Trixie! Oh, my baby girl!”

The two all but ran towards one another, hugging as tightly as they possibly could. Trixie couldn’t see, hear or smell anything other than her mom, the most amazing woman she’d ever known. Everything about her was home, especially the tight-squeeze of her full body hug. Trixie blinked back tears, just about managing to subdue them as they talked without breaking apart.

“Oh, my girl. I’ve missed you so much on all your adventures. You need to tell me everything,” Sharon rushed out, all of her words spoken into Trixie’s neck.

Trixie responded by squeezing even tighter. “Of course, of course. Oh, mom, it’s so amazing to see you again. I’ve missed you every single day.”

“You’ve been gone so long, my gorgeous girl. So many things I want to talk to you about.”

At last, Trixie pulled away from the hug, gazing lovingly at her mom’s face. As she had expected, she looked happier - younger, even, like she’d taken a dip in the fountain of youth. Her blue eyes were sparkling, and a pink flower was tucked into her hair, presumably by Justin.

However, her eyes didn’t stay searching Sharon’s face for long. They soon wandered down, noting the definite curve of her stomach that hadn’t been there before. As both Trixie and Brian stared at it, wide-eyed, Justin wrapped an arm around Sharon’s waist and tenderly kissed her temple.

“Welcome home, Trixie.” Sharon said, her voice impossibly soft.

Trixie’s mind was reeling. “Mom, you’re…”

“You’re not upset, are you?” Justin’s tone was gentle.

It took Trixie a moment to realize that they were nervous about her reaction. Sharon was chewing her lip, uncharacteristically insecure, and Justin was rubbing her back. He seemed to be hiding it better, though there was a hint of doubt in his usually-twinkling eyes.

“Upset?” Trixie asked incredulously. “How could… How could I be upset? You’re having a baby! You’re really pregnant!”

At that, Sharon’s face split into a grin, a mixture of relief and tearfulness all in one. Both Trixie and Brian rushed forwards to congratulate the pair. It was possibly the most unexpected news they could’ve heard, but Trixie was positively ecstatic about it. Images of a tiny baby had already started flitting into her mind. Would it be a boy or a girl? Would they have Sharon’s eyes, or Justin’s hair? For the second time that day, Trixie was sure she could feel her heart swelling with love.

“How long have you known about this?” Brian asked. Trixie was overjoyed to see the excited smile on his face, mirroring her own emotions.

Justin beamed. “We went to the twelve-week scan on Monday, so nearly thirteen weeks. It’s already been such an amazing ride.”

“You’ve seen nothing yet, babe.” Sharon laughed. “It’s not all fun and games and cold jelly. Well, not for me anyway.”

Justin shook his head. “Gross or ugly or whatever will happen, I’m here every step of the way. That’s the least you deserve.”

Brian frowned. “Correct me if my maths is wrong, however I had an incredibly comprehensive mathematical education back in Mother Russia so I doubt this frivolous linguistic formality very much, but twelve weeks is three months, yes?”

Sharon nodded. “Yes, I’m three months pregnant. Hence the slightly more forgiving loose skirt.”

“So this happened pretty much straight after the wedding? Justin, you sly dog.”

As they cracked up, Trixie protested. “Hey! Don’t call my dad a sly dog!”

She wasn’t sure why ‘dad’ had came out, nor why it sounded so natural, but it made her stop and smile briefly, her protest suddenly forgotten. Whether the genetics agreed or not, this was her dad, stood with her mom, and Trixie was going to have a little sibling.

From then on, they eased back into a somewhat altered version of their usual routine. Justin, it seemed, had insisted on taking on the physical work, so that Sharon didn’t have to. She still pottered around like mad, doing laundry and sweeping and cleaning and cooking for their few guests. Trixie had noticed a proper reception was now set up, with one singular computer, antennae and wifi-box courtesy of Willam, which meant that a few more people were beginning to hear about the place. There was currently a total of twelve - two groups of young vacationers that had heard about the place from the new-fangled website. It sounded small, but it was their most in years.

Each morning, after Sharon had taken down the dried laundry, folded it away and cooked breakfast for the guests, Trixie and Sharon would head down to the beach, to walk, relax and catch up in the sunshine. By lunch, Justin and Brian would’ve finished most physical work and they’d eat lunch as a family on the sand. Evenings were spent finishing off any odd jobs, Sharon cooking dinner for the guests, and then spending their free time however they wanted, but usually together.

It was perfect.

Justin, for one, was loving the new routine. He got to wake up next to his beautiful wife and spend the days with his daughter and her boyfriend, like a real family would. Of course, Sharon would always protest that it really wasn’t that glamorous, but Justin begged to differ.

He didn’t care that he had to hold back Sharon’s hair as she was sick, and rub her back, and clean up any stains where she hadn’t gotten to the toilet bowl on time. Though she told him he was crazy, he relished every moment of it. This was what he had missed beforehand. If anything, it tugged at his heart to remember that she had done this alone all those years ago. It would be awful of him not to be as involved as he was.

“God, I’m so lucky.” He’d said, the night that Trixie and Brian had returned. The couple were lying in bed, almost half-asleep until he’d spoken.

Sharon had smiled. “Why’s that?”

“It’s amazing.” Justin told her. “I have all the joy of a beautiful grown up daughter, and life-changing experience of raising a baby, and the most breathtaking wife I could ever imagine. As far as luck goes, I’ve got it all.”

At that, Sharon had blushed, even though it was hard to tell in the fading light of dusk. She’d curled up closer to him, guiding his hand towards her tummy as she lay her head on his shoulder.

“Three months… Wow. I couldn’t have predicted this if I tried.”

“Oh yeah?” Justin teased

“Yeah!” Sharon laughed. “You and me? Marriage? A baby? Twenty years ago, maybe, but now? It feels like a fever dream.”

Justin grinned. “I can assure you that you’re awake, doll. I’ve had to pinch myself every morning since I got here and you’re still here, so it has to be real.”

For the most part, Sharon seemed okay with his enthusiasm. He appreciated that she’d done this before, and knew a lot more than he did, but she seemed to be letting him fumble and learn and try to protect her anyway. Thankfully, she wasn’t too shy to let him know when he was being too much, and her stubbornness had helped to ensure that everything stayed the way she wanted it.

It wasn’t all too often that Justin was right over Sharon, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

“You’re such a worrier! You’re just like Trixie, a little fusspot. I’m fine, pumpkin. I can handle myself.” She told him, shaking her head affectionately.

“But the repairs are gonna take at least the next few days. I don’t wanna leave you on your own-”

Sharon cut him off with an open palm. “Justin! I’m not gonna be alone, you know that. I have Trixie, Brian if I need him, and anyone else I can intimidate into helping me. I’m only holding down the fort, I’ve been doing this for well over a decade.”

Justin conceded; she was right, after all. Every time he glanced down at the bump, he felt an urge to sweep her up and protect her, but he knew inside she’d hate to be bubble-wrapped and treated like she was fragile. This was Sharon, after all.

So he headed off towards the back of the hotel, where one of the buildings had seen the roof collapse entirely. Something to do with rain, he had been told - rotting wood and the weight of the water had caused it to cave in. It would take a while, but it needed to be done and there was no way he would let Sharon do it.

Well, that wasn’t strictly true. She was amazing at handiness and repairs, like she was amazing at everything. It just so happened that cooking and cleaning was amongst the skills that Justin wasn’t so good at, and Sharon’s guests didn’t deserve food poisoning. It made more sense for her to relax and take the easier jobs that he couldn’t do.

Over at the hotel courtyard, Sharon was mentally ticking off the list of jobs she needed to complete. The laundry had been taken down and folded into a basket, ready to be sorted and reused. Breakfast was done, and she was in the middle of serving it. There wasn’t a lot else to do, besides taking in any late arrivals. Maybe she could check her o-mails, or whatever they were called. Willam had set her an account up, and she was finding it quite fun to talk to him all the way in LA.

“Alright, two sausages, one egg and some beans for you…” Sharon stacked the plates along her arms, grinning at the young group of vacationers. University students, she guessed. “Traditional Greek salad… pain au chocolat… and some toast! Hope this is good enough!”

Ever since being put online - or was it on the line? She still wasn’t sure - Sharon had seen a surge in the amount of guests. Not too many, yes, but young people on gap years had begun to show up, having learnt of their whereabouts from the Internet. It was definitely brilliant for business.

“You know, I don’t understand why this place isn’t like, a five star booming business. It’s so nice here! So quiet!” One of the girls said.

Sharon smiled at her. “You’re sweet, thank you. No one really knows we’re here, we’ve just scraped by over the years. It’s nice to see new people.”

Another member of the group nodded. “I’ve been texting all my friends telling them that they have to come here. It’s not expensive and yet it’s worth, like, triple the price. This place is amazing!”

“Texting, that’s like o-mail, right? They’re similar?”

The group laughed. One girl volunteered, “Uh, it’s email… But yeah! Come look.”

Within minutes, the girls had pulled up a chair for her, and were scrolling through their phones, showing her bits and bobs she’d never remember. Texting was easy enough, but she didn’t understand some of it. Instant gram seemed confusing, as did Snapped Chat. Still, she had a lot of fun experimenting.

A little more time had passed than she’d anticipated, laughing with her new guests. It was only when she caught sight of the time, on tiny numbers on top of somebody’s screen, that she realized.

“Shit! My new arrivals were dropped off ten minutes ago! I’m the worst host…” She sprang up from her seat. “Sorry, ladies, it’s been really fun with your Twe- Twi- Twitter, but I gotta dash-”

Before she could go any farther than the centre of the courtyard, Brian appeared up the steps, leading the group of tourists with him.

“No worries, Sharon, I got them. Ladies and gents, this is Sharon, the hotel’s superwoman and owner. If you need anything at all - new towels, bedsheets, a friendly chat, advice on where to go, she’s your woman.” He introduced her, grinning the entire time.

Sharon swatted at him, before pulling him into a quick hug. “Yeah, sorry guys, it’s a little crazy. If you want to follow Brian to our new reception desk so you can sign in and sort your booking, I’ll be right there.”

Under Brian’s control, they headed out, many of them admiring her hotel as they went by. Sharon felt a feeling of pride sweeping through her. It had been hard, yes, and it had taken a lot of work, but she really had something to be proud of. Against all odds, she’d raised a child and managed to run a successful business. The payoff was so worth it.

One of the new guests hadn’t followed Brian, she was stood behind, where she had been at the back of the group. Sharon turned, about to ask the woman if she needed assistance, when all the blood drained from her face, and she stumbled.

“Sharon.”

Everything about her was what Sharon had sworn she would never have to look at again. Loose but smart clothing, telling of somebody who knew the climate well. Christ’s cross hung on a chain of silver around her neck. The same brown hair, though greyer than Sharon had last seen it, in the same twisted bun.

“No. You’re not here, I know you’re not. I’m imagining this.”

Sharon could see this very face in her mind, clear as day, yelling ‘I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU IN MY HOME AGAIN!’ at her. She remembered those same blue eyes looking at her with disgust, not love, and the way those same thin lips had pursed and curled. She remembered being pregnant and scared and cursing herself that somehow, twenty years later, the situation was exactly the same.

“Y-You’re trembling…” One of the young girls reached out to try and steady Sharon, but she only stumbled back further.

“God, she’s as white as a sheet…”

Unable to see straight, Sharon rubbed her temples, trying to make the black spots go away. It didn’t work.

“This isn’t happening.” Sharon said firmly, sure that if she believed it hard enough, it would be true. “You’re not…”

—

“SHARON FAINTED! COME QUICK!” Someone yelled.

“What?!” Both Trixie and Justin yelled in unison.

Bored with having nothing to do, Trixie had spent her time with Justin, helping him with some of the roof repairing. She’d learnt a thing or two from her mom - just enough to be a useful asset.

“She fainted? Fuck, I knew something like this would happen. Quick, come on Trix.” Justin breathed, dropping his tools as fast as she could.

Trixie bit her lip. “Should we just leave all this?”

“Yeah.” Justin decided, his face grim and marked with sweat. “Fuck the repairs, she needs us. We gotta go.”

“You’re right.” Trixie agreed, sprinting as fast she could alongside Justin. Sharon had been there for Trixie her entire life, and would continue to be. The least Trixie could do was be there for her.

As she ran, her heart pounded with fear. She knew logically that her mom would probably be fine, but the worry still had encased her chest in its icy cold fist. Sharon had never fainted before, especially not out of the blue. It was well known that she wasn’t shaken easily. Besides, she was pregnant. Even if she was fine, they needed to check on the baby. Trixie poured on the speed, thinking of her tiny sister or brother and her mom all at once.

“There you are!” Brian gasped, the messenger stood next to him, panting. “I… I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see it.”

All of the new guests, along with the current ones, were gathered in a circle around Sharon, who lay across three chairs in the courtyard. Trixie shoved past them, noticing Justin doing the same.

“I… I didn’t want to risk moving her too much, so I just put her here.” Brian explained, looking distressed. Trixie placed a calming hand on his back.

“Okay, that’s okay. Mom, I don’t know if you can hear me, but you’re gonna be fine.” She spoke quietly, her lips close to Sharon’s ear. Nearby, she could hear Justin taking control of the situation, making everybody clear off and go back to their vacation. The last thing they needed, or even wanted, was everyone gawking.

“Ma’am, that includes you. I know everyone is concerned but I can assure you her family are going to take care-” Justin was saying.

She looked up as he was cut off by the remaining guest.

“I’m her mother, and I should be here too.”

Trixie didn’t have time to make the connection in her head before she was freaking out. She knew this woman; they’d been sat next to one another on the plane. Her name was Joan, and she hadn’t seen it before but she really did bear an uncanny resemblance to…

“You need to go.” Trixie said, forcing urgency into her shaky voice. “You caused this. Get out!”

Joan squeezed her eyes shut, as though she were in pain. “I need to speak with my daughter, when she wakes up.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that twenty years ago when she needed you. She doesn’t need you anymore.” Trixie replied curtly.

Justin sniffed haughtily in agreement. “She won’t speak to you. She has more respect for herself than that.”

“I know.” Joan said. Not once did she attempt to defend herself. “I have to talk to her, though. You said it so yourself, Trixie. There’s no way you can receive forgiveness without asking for it. No matter how scary, you have to try.”

Trixie scowled. “That was before I knew you were my grandma, the woman who made my mom’s life an unnecessary hell! You could’ve changed everything. I could’ve grown up with enough food on the table and a mom who wasn’t overworked to the breaking point. But I didn’t, because of you.”

“I know.” Joan said again. “I’m ashamed. But with the passing of her father, there’s no one left.”

Justin looked livid, far angrier than Trixie had ever imagined he could be. His eyes were fire, his jaw clenched as though he was exerting an extreme amount of control. Judging by his white knuckles, he was.

“She doesn’t have no one. She has a beautiful, intelligent daughter. She has a husband. She has a baby on the way. She doesn’t need you.”

“I need her.” Joan replied simply. “I’ve been awful to her, but a wise young woman who was raised by the most resilient person I know told me that I had to at least try. My husband’s dying wish was for us to have some kind of relationship after so many years apart. He wanted me to seek her out because he knew he didn’t have long enough left to do so himself. I’ll allow you to think on it, as I need to go to my room. Please, if she awakes, let me have one moment with her. That’s all I ask.”

With a deep sigh, Joan turned and walked away slowly. Trixie watched her back until she was gone, her chest heaving up and down with repressed anger.

“I don’t like this. Not one fucking bit.” Justin spat.

“Me neither.” Trixie agreed. “Why the fuck should she be allowed to waltz in after twenty one years of nothing?!”

Brian rubbed her hand gently, soothing her. “As someone who isn’t technically affiliated with Sharon in any way… I’m kinda looking at this objectively. Sharon’s mom wants to reconcile with her estranged daughter. This could be a chance to apologise and reunite, couldn’t it?”

“But twenty one years, Brian! Why now?”

Brian shrugged. “It’s as good a time as any, really. In a non-biased way, surely it’s better to apologise after two decades rather than never apologising at all?”

Neither Trixie nor Justin could formulate an answer. They didn’t even have a chance to try, as Sharon began to stir.

“I d-don’t know what happened, I-I was just stood up and then-” She spoke quickly, sounded disorientated. “What’s going on?”

Justin was the first one to her side, kissing her cheek and placing his hand on top of hers, resting on the bump. His concern was so genuine and tender that Trixie squeezed Brian closer to her, touched by it.

“You’re okay, baby. Just relax for a moment, before we delve into-”

Sharon bolted upright, moving so quick that both Trixie and Justin flinched back in surprise. Her face twisted into an expression of pure dismay, and she rested her head in her hands.

“Oh, god… she’s here, isn’t she? She’s really here.”

Unable to hear her mom sounding so dejected, Trixie knelt besides Justin. She had to try and cheer her up somehow.

“It’s alright, mom. It’s not a huge deal, right?” She tried. “I was- I was sat by her on our flight back. I never would’ve known…”

Sharon scowled. “I’ll bet she fucking knew. Fuck, Trix, I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Trixie was confused.

“I… I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel.” Sharon murmured. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know why she’s here.”

The more Sharon spoke, worrying herself about the sudden arrival of her mother, the more Trixie started to come around to Brian’s idea. Truthfully, she didn’t think Joan deserved a chance to talk things out with her daughter, not after so long, but there wasn’t much else that they could do about it. Surely, she reasoned to herself, getting closure would be better than leaving things open ended like before. Speaking softly in order to try and keep the situation calm, Trixie expressed her thoughts. Justin pursed his lips.

“After everything she did?” He exclaimed. “I shouldn’t have left, but the least she could’ve done was looked after you. I didn’t know. She did.”

Sharon sighed heavily. “I know what you’re getting at, Trix, and you too, Brian, but… I don’t think you understand how scary this is for me. The last time I saw that woman’s face, I was eighteen years old, three months pregnant and not sure what my future would be. I’m in the exact same situation right now, just older.”

In a way, Trixie could understand it. She’d already been rejected once. She wasn’t sure if she could handle it a second time.

Brian cleared his throat. “Sharon, if you don’t mind… Again, I’m the outsider here. I’m not really part of this family.”

He waved off Trixie and Sharon’s attempts to reassure him that he was indeed a part of the family, and always would be.

“The way I look at it… yes, it’s been a long time, and yes, she fucked up bad. But she’s here now, in your home. She can’t reject you or hurt you here. All around her is the evidence of your success. You’re happily married, you have one and half kids - your life is something to be proud of. Make her see that. Let her be sorry.”

Sharon nodded fractionally, like she was afraid to agree. “I-I guess it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”

—

The past few months of Trixie’s life had seen more change than she had ever thought possible, and she loved it.

Her mom, for the first time in twenty years, was speaking to Joan. It was clear from the get-go that no matter what, the relationship would be tense and strained and awkward, but they were at least trying. Sharon had made it clear that she didn’t want her mom back in her life, and Joan was perfectly understanding, but they had talked. Talking was a good start.

From what she’d been told, Sharon had caught her up on everything that had happened, from the day she was kicked out until now. She had said her goodbyes to her mom at her dad’s funeral, feeling much more confident in her decision with the support of her family. Though the damage couldn’t be undone, the air was clear. A building weight of twenty years had been lifted.

Secondly, she’d watched excitedly as her life transformed around her. A baby sister, the doctor had said. Somewhere inside the bump, sleeping soundly, a tiny baby sister was waiting to meet her family, and Trixie couldn’t wait to see her. Hours and hours of her free time outside of the hotel were spent perusing shelves of clothing, fawning endlessly over little pink dresses and shoes and blankets.

Though related, the last and biggest change was the arrival of her sister.

Trixie remembered wondering how one tiny human could look so beautiful. She was a perfect porcelain doll, too pink and precious to be a real baby. As she was swaddled into a warm bundle of white blankets, blinking her big blue eyes at the world in front of her, Trixie swore she felt her heart doubling in size.

A lot of things had happened in Trixie’s life, with many differing opinions on them all. But one thing that everyone could agree on was that Aquaria was the perfect name.

#purecamp #here i go again #sharon needles #alaska thunderfuck #shalaska #trixie mattel #katya zamolodchikova #aquaria #rpdr fanfiction #submission #m/f au #mamma mia au

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patriotsnet · 3 years

Text

What Happens If The Republicans Win

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-happens-if-the-republicans-win/

What Happens If The Republicans Win

The Plausible Solution: Just Win More

What Happens If Republicans Hold The Senate?

Whether the public sees Democratic demands for these structural changes as overdue or overreaching, the key point is that they are currently exercises in futility. The only plausible road to winning their major policy goals is to win by winning. This means politics, not re-engineering. They need to find ways to take down their opponents, and then be smarter about using that power while they have it.

They certainly have issues to campaign on. In the few weeks, we have learned that some of Americas wealthiest people have paid only minimal or no federal income tax at all. Even as the Wall Street Journal editorial writers were responding to a Code Red emergency , the jaw-dropping nature of the reportfollowed by a New York Times piece about the impotence of the IRS to deal with the tax evasions of private equity royaltyconfirmed the folk wisdom of countless bars, diners, and union halls: the wealthy get away with murder.

Of course this is a whole lot easier said than done. A political climate where inflation, crime and immigration are dominant issues has the potential to override good economic news. And 2020 already showed what can happen when a relative handful of voices calling for defunding the police can drown out the broader usage of economic fairness.

Filed Under:

Republicans Will Almost Certainly Win Back The House In 2022

A byproduct of the surprisingly strong showing of downballot Republicans in 2020 is that even the smallest midterm wave will give them control of the House. An analysis from Larry Sabatos Crystal Ball projects that even without taking redistricting into account, Republicans are expected to flip nine seats in 2022 and enjoy roughly the same narrow but very real majority Democrats have now. And thanks to a dramatic underperformance by Democrats in 2020 state legislative races, redistricting of congressional districts will add to the high odds of a GOP House. The Cook Political Reports David Wasserman suggests Republicans might pick up the five seats they need for control of the House via redistricting decisions in just four states .

As my colleague Eric Levitz has pointed out, since World War II the presidents party has lost an average of 27 House seats in midterm elections. Last time Democrats controlled the White House, they lost 63 House seats in the first midterm. It wont be that bad in 2022, but suffice it to say that any remotely controversial legislation Biden hopes to enact in his first term better be on his desk by the end of 2022.

If Republicans do win the House in 2022, could they promptly lose it again in 2024? Of course they could, but the last time the House changed hands in a presidential election year was 1952.

More Tax Cuts For The Wealthy And Further Spending Cuts For Middle

Most legislation needs 60 votes in order to break a filibuster in the Senate, but a congressional budget resolution can establish parameters for subsequent legislation to be enacted through the reconciliation process, which only requires 51 votes to pass a measure. The budget resolution itself cannot be filibustered and also only requires 51 votes to pass the Senate. As a result, it is easier for the majority to pass a budget resolution and a reconciliation bill than most other legislation.

The current conservative economic and fiscal roadmap is the fiscal year 2015 budget put forward by former vice presidential nominee and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan . The Ryan budget would provide those with incomes of at least $1 million another $200,000 per year in tax cuts while cutting nondefense spending by $4.8 trillion. Roughly $3.3 trillion of those cuts, or nearly 70 percent, target programs that help low-income and middle-class families, such as Medicaidwhich provides health coverage for low- and moderate-income familiesand Pell Grants, which help students pay for college.

When given the opportunity, Senate Republicans voted for the various Ryan budgets in 2011, 2012, and again in 2013. Previous Senate Republican actions make it clear that the budget that would result from a Republican majority would most likely feature many of the same components as Rep. Ryans past budgets.

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Eight Ways Things Would Be Different If Republicans Win The Senate

If Democrats lose the Senate in November, what happens?

Well, its just less than two weeks before Election Day, and the papers are all abuzz with news of Democratic defeat. This mornings Review-Journal features the results of a new AP-GfK poll, which says 55 percent of people believe a Republican takeover is the likely outcome of the November election. And number-crunching website FiveThirtyEight.com predicts that Republicans are 66 percent favorites to take the Senate.

Personally, Im not convinced, although Democrats have had some setbacks in recent weeks. But it did get me thinking about a few of the ways things would be different if the Republicans took over from majority Democrats.

1. Senate shifts from filibustering the presidents Democratic agenda to filibustering new majority leaders Republican agenda. Lets be honest, the Senate isnt exactly known for its smooth, efficient operations. George Washington was said to have opined that the Senate existed to cool legislation from the House, the way a saucer cooled a hot cup of tea. But more recently, the Senate has operated more like a cryogenic chamber, keeping legislation from both houses in a permanent deep-freeze. A change in leadership is most likely to shift whose legislation is getting blocked.

Weakening Of The Investigations Against Trump

If Democrats dont control the House or the Senate, they cant initiate investigations of Trump or some of his more controversial cabinet members, such as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt.

More importantly, after the 2018 elections, the electoral process will recede as a constraint on the president and GOP in terms of the Russia investigation at least for a while.

We dont really know why Trump, despite his constant criticisms of the investigation, has not fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, or why he has not directly tried to stop the probe by special counsel Robert Mueller. Maybe Trump, despite his rhetoric, has some real respect for the rule of law. I think its more likely that Trump understands that firing Rosenstein or making a drastic move to stop the Mueller probe would increase both the chances of Democrats winning the House and/or Senate this year, and the odds that the resulting Democratic-led chamber would feel compelled to push to impeach Trump. But if the GOP emerges from 2017 and 2018 without losing control of the House or the Senate, I suspect that, with the next election two years away, the president will feel freer to take controversial steps to end the Russia probe. And I doubt Republicans on Capitol Hill would try to stop him.

Read Also: Trump Quote Republicans Dumb

A Division Of Power In Government Is Common In The Us With The Republicans And The Democrats Often Splitting Control Of The White House And Congress

Joe Biden may have been announced as President Elect but there are still some crucial decisions to be made on how America will be governed for the next four years. The presidential election appears to have been a pretty resounding win for the Democrats but the picture is less clear in the Senate, when both parties retain hope of having a majority when the Upper House reconvenes next year.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a statement after Bidens victory was called, saying: “A Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate would be the biggest difference maker to help President-elect Biden deliver for working families across the country.

Sen. Chuck Schumer: “There has been no evidence of any significant or widespread voter fraud. Joe Biden won this election fair and square. The margins of his victory are growing by the day.”

The Hill

All elections in Georgia, not just those for the Senate, require the winning candidate to pick up over 50% of the votes cast. This year neither of the states two Senate races had a majority winning so a run-off will be held on 5 January, with both the Democrats and the Republicans holding out hope of securing the vital seats needed to give them a majority in the Senate.

Why is control of the Senate so important?

Although President Elect Biden will be the head of the government, he would rather govern by concensus than executive order. Therefore most large-scale bills will need to pass Congress before they can be signed into law.

A Warning About Argentina

Oliver warned that if Democrats take the presidency and the Senate and retain control of the House of Representatives, it would cause a concentration in power that the Constitution was designed to prevent. He expects the presidency and Senate to go together in the election.

In the event of a concentration of power toward the left, he said the U.S. government will look more like Argentina than Switzerland. He also questioned why America’s fate would be any different than what happened to Argentina since it “embraced Peronist populism.”

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Democrats To Keep Control Of House; Battle For Senate Majority Ongoing

But assuming Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., does maintain control of the Senate, a lot of progressive dreams go out the window. Democrats will be hard-pressed to shore up the voting system, for example. They won’t be able to pass HR 1, which would establish nationwide automatic voter registration, restrict partisan gerrymandering, grant former prisoners the right to vote and prohibit many voter suppression tactics. Nor will they be able to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore key parts of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013, which required states with histories of voter suppression to clear any voting changes with the federal government.

Without a Senate majority, Democrats also won’t be able to rebalance the judiciary. McConnell has stuffed the federal bench with Republican jurists who support the GOP’s narrow, self-serving definition of voting rights. This culminated in the week before the election with the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, creating a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court that can be expected to uphold gerrymandering and protect Republican tactics of disenfranchisement. Biden had hoped to create a bipartisan commission to come up with strategies to rebalance the court but any such strategy is likely doomed by Republican opposition.

Without a Senate majority, Democrats also wont be able to rebalance the judiciary.

A Political Scientist Explains Why The Gop Is A Threat To American Democracy

What if Civil War broke out between Republicans and Democrats?

It sounds hyperbolic to say that American democracy is broken, but an honest glance at the country at our institutions and the broader political culture makes it hard to conclude otherwise.

As things stand, one of our two major political parties is committed to suppressing as many votes as possible, and the leader of that party, the president of the United States, has said outright that he wont accept the legitimacy of the election process if he doesnt win.

If, under those conditions, Trump either wins the election or loses and throws the country into a bitter, protracted fight over the results, it doesnt seem all that alarmist to suggest the US will have descended into what political scientists sometimes call a weak democracy or even competitive .

But I really dont want to be overly alarmist, so I reached out to Pippa Norris, a political scientist at Harvard University and one of the leading authorities on global democracy. I wanted to know her honest assessment of the state of American democracy, why she thinks the upcoming election is a true turning point for the country, and what the US will have to do moving forward to undo the damage done in the past several years.

A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.

Sean Illing

If American democracy was a patient, how would you describe its condition?

Pippa Norris

Id say the patient has not been well for a long time. The patient is obese and doesnt exercise.

Sean Illing

Pippa Norris

Also Check: Did Republicans Support The Civil Rights Act

Gold If Democrats Win The Election

If Democrats win the election and especially take both the presidency and Senate, Oliver expects the gold price to soar. He said if the pendulum swings all the way to the left, it means even more money printing than what has already been going on with a mixed government.

He noted that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are promising a $7 trillion spending problem. That doesn’t include the trillions in additional stimulus to deal with the pandemic, which he believes “will include bailouts of urban centers turned into war zones by Democrat mayors and governors) or reparations.”

Oliver also noted that Democrats want to fund their “mad spending” with taxes partially. Biden wants to increase income taxes, corporate taxes and taxes on capital. However, he said federal, state and local taxes are already so high that he believes higher taxes may not boost tax revenue much.

“In short, the economy must suffer , and the deficit will explode further,” he wrote. “The Federal Reserve will be forced either to monetize the spendings or watch as soaring interest rates cause the financial system to implode along with the state’s ability to finance itself. The credit bubble that has been growing since 1971 , will crash onto the rocks of progressive politics.”

What If The Republicans Win Everything Again

Total victory for the G.O.P. would mean Trump unleashed.

By David Leonhardt

Opinion Columnist

The end of Robert Muellers investigation. The loss of health insurance for several million people. New laws that make it harder to vote. More tax cuts for the rich. More damage to the environment. A Republican Party molded even more in the image of President Trump.

These are among the plausible consequences if the Republicans sweep the midterm elections and keep control of both the House and Senate. And dont fool yourself. That outcome, although not the most likely one, remains possible. The last couple of weeks of polling have shown how it could happen.

Voters who lean Republican including whites across the South could set aside their disappointment with Trump and vote for Republican congressional candidates. Voters who lean left including Latinos and younger adults could turn out in low numbers, as they usually do in midterm elections. The Republicans continuing efforts to suppress turnout could also swing a few close elections.

No matter what, Democrats will probably win the popular vote in the House elections, for the first time since 2012. Trump, after all, remains unpopular. But the combination of gerrymandering and the concentration of Democratic voters in major cities means that a popular-vote win wont automatically translate into a House majority.

You May Like: How Many Republicans Are In The Us House

Use Of The Congressional Review Act To Weaken Environmental Rules Jeopardizing Public Health

Under the Congressional Review Act, once the administration submits a major rule to Congress, Congress can pass a joint resolution disapproving of the administrations rule. If a joint resolution disapproving the rule is enacted, the rule would not go into effect and the administration would be prohibited from issuing a substantially similar rule in the future. The Congressional Review Act allows the Senate to expedite consideration of a joint resolution disapproving of a final administrative rule within 60 days, and this consideration is not subject to the filibuster.

What Is Happening To The Republicans

In becoming the party of Trump, the G.O.P. confronts the kind of existential crisis that has destroyed American parties in;the past.

Save this story for later.

Content

But, for all the anxiety among Republican leaders, Goldwater prevailed, securing the nomination at the Partys convention, in San Francisco. In his speech to the delegates, he made no pretense of his ideological intent. Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, he said. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. Goldwaters crusade failed in November of 1964, when the incumbent, Lyndon Johnson, who had become President a year earlier, after Kennedys assassination, won in a landslide: four hundred and eighty-six to fifty-two votes in the Electoral College. Nevertheless, Goldwaters ascent was a harbinger of the future shape of the Republican Party. He represented an emerging nexus between white conservatives in the West and in the South, where five states voted for him over Johnson.

Shopping

agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.

Don’t Miss: Why Do Republicans Want To Take Away Health Care

If California Governor Is Replaced With Republican Senate Could Swing To Gop

Human Rights and Global Wrongs

Theres a good chance that California a solidly blue state will get a right-wing Republican governor as a result of the September 14 recall election. If Gov. Gavin Newsom is recalled, the health, civil rights and future of Californians and people across the country will be profoundly threatened. It is also possible that Newsoms defeat could change the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, since the next California governor may be in a position to appoint a senator.

In defending his governorship, Newsom emphasizes that a GOP leader would likely roll back progressive reforms.

The recall is an attempt by national Republican and Trump supporters to force an election and grab power in California, Newsoms ballot statement in the Official Voter Information Guide says. The leaders of the Republican recall seek to repeal Californias clean air protections, roll back gun safety laws and take away health care from those who need it.

Newsom cited his efforts to fight racism and police violence in an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune:

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survivor-mountmerapi · 3 years

Text

Ep. 7: “[whoopi voice] You in danger, girls.” - Gian

DeNara

Let the chaos start! Nicholas going home was a 10/10 tribal. 😈 Now I need to figure out who I can trust. I feel like I can keep working with the people on my tribe for sure. Can I trust my old warriors? Not sure yet. Elle says they havent been spoken too since tribal but who knows what happened over there.

Rachel

OMG. So glad Gian and Madi have made it through that tribal! I literally have so much to tell them, but I also have a feeling they have a lot to tell me. This is going to be a crazy next couple days, but at least i don't work! I am also way too nervous to join this merged call right now, but i'm glad my homies are here and happy to meet some new ones!

DeNara

Looks like Raffy, Steven, Ginnifer, Madi, Gian and myself are gonna try to take out Julia and Pietro. Hopefully we can plan that

DeNara

Lol, Julia and I arent even pretending to talk to each other. We both know it DeNara vs Julia lol

Elle

🎶MERGE, BABY MERGE (ᵈᶦˢᶜᵒ ᶦⁿᶠᵉʳⁿᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒ)🎶🕺🏾WE MADE IT :DDDDD

Honestly roll credits like right now for me 😂😂😂😂. I do Not have high hopes!!! I'm gonna be voted out with a quickness I just know it :')

So anyway Do Not Cry for me Argentina, winning for me was making it to merge and guys: ✨we did it✨

(Just to be clear I'm still going to try my darndest *to* win; I'm just not all that hopeful for the prospects)

Julia

I literally hate merge. I never do well at merge. This is going to suck so much. I just know raffy is coming for me

Raffy

Merge! I did what I, honestly, didn't expect to do this game. We love to see it. According to Madi and Gian, Julia has been spreading to her tribe that I am the one with the idol. Thankfully, I implanted the seeds into those two already, so they seem to really think Julia has an idol (which she does). However, due to this, I feel that I should play my idol soon to avoid any future hurt feelings from my lying. Thanks to my connection with Madi and Gian, Rachel and Anastasia seem to now not believe that I have the idol. Those two are doing the work for me which is fun. I want to bring in Elle and Moth to our little group to ensure numbers. I am unsure where Ginnifer's loyalties lie as she still seems to not trust me. Which is fair. Plus, she did vote for me which is..... Tragic. I think I will stick to the group I'm already in and try to get people to target Julia and Pietro for being far bigger strategic threats than me.

DeNara

Merge tribe is going well. Anastasia and Rachel apparently really like me, so I am hoping to use that to my advantage. Hopefully they arent just playing me for Julia. She is such a great player she could have them with her.

Gian

Winning both reward and immunity challenge makes complete sense with my fantasy 😌 -from a deluded gay

Gian

The merge being 4 winners vs. 4 warriors vs. 4 wannabes just screams chaos. The war is here!

DeNara

I have to say, I am super nervous for the first tribal council. Raffy and Steven have kind of been quiet since the merge and I am paranoid they might have flipped and joined the winners to get me out. Nobody seems to be talking strategy except Gian which is worrying me. I have no idea of our plan is to go after Julia and Pietro with the newbies, or with the warriors. Everyone could be playing each other. Honestly, I feel good with Rachel from the OG wannabe's tribe because we have connected well, but who knows if I can work with her. I am struggling between checking in with Raffyy and Steven about what to do, or try to start calling the shots now and make my own alliances. That could end up biting me in the butt so I am super stressing over what to do. Plus we have the auction today and that could either be really good or really bad for me.... guess we will find out 🤷‍♀️

Moth

Sooooo the merge is here

I have no clue what is happening I don’t wanna be the merge boot, so I’m hoping that I can glide by

DeNara

We just had our auction and I spent $500 on literally nothing. Oof, now to play it as something or to tell the truth....I am thinking I might say it is a disadvantage and I lose my vote at next tribal just to see what comes of it, but who knows. So many things I can do! Also I was giving Raffy a play by play of what was happening and he told me to stop, then immediately started asking questions about what was happening in other chats.... oof

Gian

The way I won absolutely nothing in the auction is... homophobic. How am I supposed to send these people home in caskets without an arsenal?

Anastasia

so we merged and I just went to the auction and I bought some magic beans for like all of my money.. I don't really know exactly what to do with them but I did tell Madi about what they do so hopefully that will make her trust me more and she can help me come up with a plan to trick someone!!

Raffy

I wasn't at the auction, but Julia is already trying to pin that I have an advantage. Ginnifer is on exile, so that means Julia is trying to target me this round. I hope I win immunity so I don't have to use either of my advantages. Gian was trying to push me to reveal what I got, but.......... I don't like that. It's disgusting. Like, please back off. Otherwise, the plan should still be splitting between Julia and Pietro.

Madi

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PpAuWdOpVHtYEN6F8hFrr9M1gk0_J0rh/view?usp=drivesdk

Raffy

Right now, there should be a split vote between Pietro and Julia. Steven, Gian, and Madi are going to be voting for Pietro. Meanwhile, everyone else will be voting for Julia. Pietro and Julia will be voting for me. I am a little nervous. I want to use my idol to ensure I survive, but, based on how this game is going, I will most certainly need it for later. I just want everyone to be telling the truth here. Elle has come to me saying how she believes everyone should be voting Julia. If I have Elle, then I think I have Moth. If I have Madi and Gian, then I have Anastasia and Rachel. I want to confirm with people tomorrow without seeming as if I am coming too strong. People already see me as a Big Bad and someone with a chaotic play style. One wrong move and I am toast. For me, this is going to be the most stressful tribal of the whole season. No competition. However, I trust that I have rallied the troops. I have put it in the work. I will succeed. On a side note, I told Steven that I had a Safety Without Power. I know he can use this against me, but I really do trust Steven. I think he's my ride or die at this point. We were talking about how dangerously close the newbies were. It will present a big problem, especially with the Warriors and the Winners being so fractured. Final 9 will be the last chance to get a newbie out in my eyes. From the newbies, Anastasia would be the easiest out of them to get rid of. Plus, she is too inactive to be used as a flipper. After that, I would need to rally against Gian and Madi because Rachel is too tight with them. We need to fracture the newbies before we can go in for the kill. I think if any newbie (besides Anastasia) were to make it to the end, then they will win hands down. I know this is going to get me hate in the VL, but the newbies need to be taken down if I want to win. Right now, I am thinking of taking Steven and DeNara to FTC. This will, undoubtedly, change when I get closer to the goal. However, I'd be happy to see any three of us win the title at this point in time. Additionally, it'd be a great story arc for Steven and I. From enemies at the start to F3 ride or dies at the end. However, they would not crown us the winner. I get the vibe this cast may just very well come to the conclusion of "They have won before, so they should not win again." That's dumb. Should I not win a board game because I won it before? Should I never get an A if I got one already? It SHOULD be the most deserving (or at least most respected), but I have a sinking feeling that it won't be the case.

DeNara

There is soooo much going on, ohmigoodness.... Okay so we had the survivor auction and the thing I bought was a big fat plate of NOTHING. Rip the dream. Then we found out that Rachel won individual immunity so that is good because Julia and Pietro not winning it is the best outcome. After that is when we all really started to talk about tribal. I connected with Moth and Elle and they said they want to vote Julia out. Rachel feels super close with me and she said her and all the newbies have a fake alliance with Julia and are willing to vote her out too. So right now everyone is against Julia and Pietro (or so they say). So we are going to split the vote 6 on Julia and 3 on Pietro. I just don't know who I can truly trust in this game. If we only put 3 votes on Pietro and someone flips and Julia plays an idol, whoever those 4 vote for is going home. Plus if Pietro and Julia both have idols, then someone else will be going home. I am just really nervous this won't go the way I expect it to. Part of me wants to switch my Julia vote to Pietro and make it a 5 Julia, 4 Pietro vote just in case someone flips so we still have numbers on Pietro... the question is, who can I trust? I DON'T KNOW..... cries forever Don't even get me started on what happens after this vote if I am still here....

Elle

Ughhhhhhh I got a 10% DA in the auction which I just knew was gonna happen 😂 Chance hates meeee or at least is like a slightly annoyed ambivalent to me lol. Anyway tribal is tonight and I think Julia is going home if people have lied to me Again Im going to CRY like SOB on call this is a threat 😂😂😂😂 lmao I dont think Steven would lie to me or my tribe mates though and I dont think Raffy is lying in this case (I'm choosing to trust him, ik everybody says he can be a chaotic player but eh I'm not like, calculating enough to like analyze what could be deception so I am choosing Trusttt until choosing trust gets me sent home lol). Just in general I'm not smart enough at this to play it like a game of chess or anything (which reminds me I need to watch Queen's Gambit) so my strategy is: be genuine and hope people believe that I'm actually being genuine and somehow that bringing me to the end 😅 yes great strat i know

Moth

I don’t wanna go home tonight If Julia gets voted out I’ll feel so relieved

Madi

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PpAuWdOpVHtYEN6F8hFrr9M1gk0_J0rh/view?usp=drivesdk

Madi

NOT MY GF HAVING TO HOP ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH JULIA BC SHE PICKED JULIA AS HER DRAFT PICK LMAOOOOO

Madi

jay I only know this bc she I trying to plan it only her calendar bc she is a busy boss bitch and we are always fucking together

Raffy

Julia thinks she some kind of master manipulator. She thinks that she can come in my DMs and act like she had nothing to do with my name being thrown out. Do not come to me with that BS and expect me not to smell it. Allegedly, she claims that she wants to work with me in this game (bullshit). Also, Julia revealed her idol to Anastasia which is going to put a major damper on things. Now, Anastasia is getting paranoid about the idol when she really shouldn't be. She's not the one in danger. Leave it alone. The only time you should care is if the idol will harm you in any way. Julia has successfully caused chaos which is going to put a damper on things. I feel, at this point, that I almost have to use my idol considering that the chaos could easily lead to people stacking their votes on me. Plus, I wouldn't be at a total loss considering I still have the Safety Without Power. I still want the majority of votes on Julia though because I need to get her to use that idol.

Julia

I think the newbies are trying to work with raffy to try to plan shit, especially madi. I do not trust her at all. She’s playing way too hard right now. I know I’ve said this every fucking round but idol is coming out tonight Pietro I think I’m in trouble tonight. Now with that stupid beans Anastasia and everyone knows about Julia’s idol, and I think they will try to pretend to be voting her out to make her flush her idol and get me out instead. I have been able to get closer to Rachel and Gian, I really like them, but they havent talked much with me on the most important day - tribal day. But god sent me to this earth to be the protagonist of everything I put myself into, so going home tonight or not, I can say, I made my own.

Moth

hahahahahahahahah Tribal is scary omg. I'm writing this in class so I dont have too much time, but maaan am I worried for whats to come. It still seems to be Julia Vs. Raffy so as long as its not my name I dont care, but from what I'm hearing there's a lot going on that im not seeing. So I am just gonna sit here and pray no one targets me

Raffy

I think I'll just play my idol to ensure my safety in this round. I still have the SWP. So, it should be good and fun. Julia seems to think I have an idol nullifier. She'll be in for a shock.

Steven

https://youtu.be/gXqEkdyHHgA

Gian

Pietro. Julia. [whoopi voice] You in danger, girls.

DeNaraCouple hours before tribal and Pietro is freaking out. I feel bad but it is also kinda funny since he hasn't talked to me before.

DeNara

This is the most chaotic first tribal and it is still hours away... scared....

Gian

Julia has two options: Play her idol or go home. Stay tuned for a crazy tribal guys 🌞

Rachel

OMG. what am i doing with my life. i really don't know who to trust. i can't trust the winner or warriors and really only have trust in my core OG tribe. thankfully we're in the middle and THANKFULLY i have immunity, but other than that, this vote will really show who's got ties with who. I am so nervous cause this will definitely draw the line in the sand. julia did make a good point. if raffy and steven are controlling this vote and play from the middle, we need to get them out before they can make it any further.

Anastasia

Our main focus this round is to get Julia out. We have the numbers but Julia has an idol. It will hopefully be Julia or Pietro if all goes as plan. I do still like Pietro and I hope he stays in the game but my alliance thinks they are a duo so one of them has to go. I'm pretty sure Julia will play her idol so it might be Pietros time Unless something changes in half an hour.

0 notes

eternalstereksecretsanta · 6 years

Text

The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell

@wiskix | AO3

Canon, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/comfort, get-together

Derek is given more than enough time after the end of S6 to think about what he really wants out of his life while Stiles and most those graduating from the pack continue their lives’ path. But what happens when he realizes just how central Stiles is to those wants?

It had been several months since Derek had last set eyes in Stiles, since they had been back in Beacon hills after helping clear Derek’s name for something he didn’t do. Since they’d helped the new junior pack members to get established since Scott was hellbent on leaving the town to study and be an actual normal teenager instead of an alpha with the world on his shoulders.

They’d shared a few laughs and caught up on the way back to their pack land but once there it seemed like Stiles’ priorities had changed to helping Scott, like always, leaving Derek tagging along when they needed him and falling back when it was clear they didn’t. But after all was said and done, the pack members that he still thought of as innocent teenagers had dispersed to their various universities and Stiles back at the FBI academy. It left Derek with no clue what to do with himself. He’d always had something to fixate on before, whether it was avenging Laura or the Hale Pack’s murders, dealing with Peter like always or doing everything with his remaining connections as the supposed Hale Alpha to help Scott, it had kept things interesting.

But now there was nothing to keep him in Beacon Hills as there had been nothing to make him stay when he’d left in the first place. Cora was happily resettled with her pack in Argentina, making all the right moves and saying all the right words to easily be the head beta when the time came. Isaac was in France with Argent trying to make connections with the local pack in Bordeaux to help him have some sense of purpose. Derek had spoken to his only remaining cub a couple of times, never even mentioning Isaac returning but it seemed clear every time that Isaac would never be able to come back to Beacon Hills. The memory of what happened to not just Allison but Erica and Boyd seeming to make him want to keep his distance.

He didn’t mention that the rest of the pack had split up or that Scott was always none too subtly hinting about asking for Isaac to join him in Washington because he knew it would make no difference. Other than Derek, Isaac had completely severed his ties with the McCall Pack and that was probably for the best.

Peter hadn’t been seen for some time either, though Derek wasn’t sure if that was because he was hunting down Kate now that Argent seemed to have left it to the Calaveras or he’d just wanted to move somewhere else. And though Malia remained it was more with a kind of reluctance to be anywhere else, like Beacon Hills was all she knew and the big wide world outside the valley was too overwhelming for her to consider exploring just yet. Though to be fair she had been roaming the preserve as a Coyote for eight years, so it was more a sense of comfort than anything else.

But there was the new mini pack to keep an eye on, something that Scott had made him promise to do before he went east. It was something Derek was reluctant to do because he hadn’t exactly been much of a help to Scott in his first few years, that had been all Stiles and Scott’s own sense of determination. It was something he mentioned to Stiles while the other had hung around a bit longer before making his way back to Virginia to pick up his studying with the FBI.

“What do you mean you weren’t much help? Derek, you looked out for us and were there when we needed your support. You probably put up with more crap because of us than you would have done if you’d just stayed in the shell of your house. It makes you the perfect one to watch out for them.” Stiles said, the two walking through the familiar pathways in the preserve, more out of habit than anything else.

“I’m not so sure. I mean let’s face it, in the beginning I was an ass when Scott refused to join my mini pack but in the long term it was probably for the best. Besides, look what happened to Erica and Boyd because of me. I just don’t know if I can put myself in that kind of situation again,” Derek sighed, hands buried in the pockets of his jacket as he followed Stiles over a few parts of the path where rocks were embedded in the soil.

“What happened to them wasn’t your fault, how many times do we need to go over this? Just think of it this way Derek, who else can we honestly trust to keep Liam and Mason out of trouble? Who else can call either me or Scott if something is happening and they are too stubborn to do it themselves? No-one. I mean Malia could do it sure, but even now her social skills are rusty. We trust and want you to do it for a reason.” Stiles said, turning around and resting a hand on Derek’s arm.

“But staying here, it’s going to be no less painful than it was the first time Stiles. It was the reason I left in the first place remember? I just needed some space away from here and maybe it would be better for me to just go back to New York and get on with the non-supernatural part of my life.” Derek said, looking around them at the woods to avoid how his heart leapt in his chest and his wolf prowled at the closeness between them.

“But being a wolf is only part of who you are Derek. Not just who you are but it’s a very big part. Maybe give it some thought and if you honestly feel like you can’t handle it then fine, I’ll try and talk Malia into it.” Stiles said, with a smile that made Derek want to just ignore the fact he was going to be in Virginia for the next seventeen weeks.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it. Come on, I know you haven’t finished repacking for your trip back to Virginia.” Derek said, shoving Stiles in the right direction back towards where they’d parked up getting a yammer of objection from the other as he nearly fell over.

It had been hard to be there to say goodbye to Stiles when previously he’d already gone and had no knowledge of where the teenager was. It seemed to tug at his control over his wolf more and more, wanting him to just stay and be a sheriff like his Dad instead of considering the big league. But at the same time, he knew that Stiles would make a great FBI Agent, that it was what everything they had gone through had been building up to.

But there was also the fact that if he asked him to stay, Stiles would ask why and that wasn’t something that Derek felt he would ever be ready to admit at the time. After having to watch Stiles with Malia and in his short-lived thing with Lydia it had gradually become clear how he really felt about the younger, and knew no-one least of all Stiles would let him live it down if he found out.

No, it was going to hurt but it would be easier to let him go and do what he obviously dreamed of doing.

They’d hugged on the sidewalk outside the Sheriff’s house, after the Sheriff had said his own goodbyes again, and Derek hadn’t been able to stop himself from burying his nose in Stiles’ neck and squeezing him tightly.

“Don’t look so down Sourwolf, you’d haven’t seen the last of me. Trust me.” Stiles grinned, giving him one last squeeze before pulling back and getting into his car.

It left Derek standing there, watching him drive away and trying to figure out he was he was going to do with himself right now.

Despite his better judgement he did let Stiles’ words about him being the best possible person to guardian the new generation of Pack members persuade him. He’d texted Scott while sitting alone in his loft after skyping with Cora who’d been trying to persuade him to join her pack in Argentina. Scott had been thrilled and said he’d pass Derek’s number to all the junior members in case he was needed but that left Derek wondering what he was going to do in the meantime. There was only so many times he could walk through the woods and keep an eye on the Nemeton before he’d get bored.

So, he settled for doing small things to break up the time, like correspondence courses to help him finish his degree that he’d been part way through when Laura disappeared, sorting through and translating some more tricky parts of the bestiary that Stiles had been nagging him to do for years and sorting through the Hale Vaults which he’d been meaning to do since after the fire but always put off.

Thankfully all those things and the odd bit of contact from Stiles, Cora and Isaac seemed to keep him in a relatively relaxed state of mind. His inner wolf was a little less stressed than he would have expected it to be but that didn’t mean he was complacent and he kept an eye on the comings and goings of the supernatural level of the town which was almost like second nature to him.

The Junior pack members had called him a few times, but mostly for help with omega wolves that were passing through and the odd other creature that they’d never heard of but Derek had knowledge of. Mason, being the junior Stiles that he’d always known he would be, was the one contacting him the most in a way that he’d wished Stiles had done when a teenager instead of being headstrong and stubborn.

It made Derek feel useful again on top of the full moons when he’d herd the young ones through the woods when they’d turned into their wolf forms to keep them out of trouble. Normally it would be the Alpha looking out for them, but they seemed to look to him as their substitute while Scott was away and just followed his lead.

A couple of months passed with things settling into a rhythm that Derek always found soothing, though his thoughts of Stiles continued to linger. Of how grown up the teenager he’d first seen with a buzzcut engulfed in plaid, graphic t-shirts and hoodies was old enough and wise enough that they understood each other. How he’d grown into the features that had looked ridiculous when he was younger making him look like the man he truly was. How every weekend or so when Stiles skyped him he’d find himself waiting in anticipation, feeling like a ridiculous high school kid with a crush all over again.

It seemed to be obvious to the junior pack as they walked through the woods covered in snow giving it an ethereal kind of air asking him about when Stiles and Scott were back in town. Though the way they mentioned Stiles while giving each other the side eye made him sigh softly to himself, so a puff of mist left his lips.

“Scott’s coming back the weekend before Christmas, he’ll probably expect a pack meeting for updates and whatever, though I have told Stiles practically everything that’s happened so don’t be surprised if he mentions some things.” Derek said, hands pushed in the pockets of his jacket against the cold as his booted feet crunched through the snowy path.

“And Stiles?” Hayden asked from where she was huddled up to Liam.

“I’m not really sure. He did say he’d try and come back before Christmas, but he wants to try and finish his studies for the month before coming back. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” Derek said, trying to ignore how they all exchanged glances.

“so, are you actually going to ask him out this time or you just going to continue to pine after him like a pathetic school girl?” Liam asked, taking a glance over his shoulder as Mason muttered something like a curse as he nearly fell over something hidden in the snow.

“I’m not pining for stiles.” Derek sighed, even though his heart jumped in his chest at the lie and from the way the wolves in the group raised their eyebrows they had obviously heard the lie as clear as a bell.

“But you like him, so why not?” Hayden asked, being gentler than her rather blunt boyfriend.

“Because I know he’s already taken.” Derek said, kicking some snow out in front of him to avoid looking at the group.

It was true that as the weeks had passed he had tried to psyche himself up to finally ask Stiles out, that he was just being an idiot by putting off something that could easily be reciprocated if their previous history was anything to go by. But that changed when he woke one morning to pictures on Stiles’ social media of him with some girl he’d been yammering about from one of his classes, the two of them looking very cosy and kissing in a way that felt like someone had stabbed a knife in Derek’s soul.

He’d tried to kid himself that it meant nothing, calling Stiles on Skype for once instead of waiting for the other to do so. Only for the call to be answered by a shirtless Stiles laid in bed and a bare pair of female legs behind him pulling on a pair of jeans. Derek didn’t even need to see their face to know it was the same one from the pictures and immediately his heart sunk to the pit of his stomach as Stiles filled Derek’s silence with conversation, like it was normal for him to answer a call with a girlfriend getting dressed and pressing goodbye kisses to his neck.

Derek hadn’t been able to contribute to the conversation, just forcing smiles and nodding before making up an excuse to go that had Stiles frowning. Still there hadn’t been any relief after hanging up and Stiles had been texting him to check in with him for the days since. But there was nothing to say, or at least that was what Derek’s inner heart-broken wolf seemed to think as it mourned the loss of something more bitterly.

“You mean the picture of him with that girl? It was probably nothing! I mean he’s a teenage boy he’s allowed to have friends.” Malia quipped from behind him, she seemed to make it her business to sneak up on him at the worst possible moment. Cousin or not Derek wanted to slam her into a wall.

“They aren’t <i>just</i> Friends Malia, they’re fucking.” Derek said bluntly which seemed cause the younger members to murmur in disbelief amongst themselves.

“So? Me and him fucked too in the beginning and it meant nothing. Same with me and Scott. It’s convenient nothing more.” Malia said with a shrug.

“Wow that’s reassuring.” Derek sighed, shaking his head.

“Come on Derek, you aren’t exactly whiter than white. I mean you’ve screwed how many hunters/mercenaries and Darachs for the hell of it? He’s just enjoying his freedom.” Malia said rolling her eyes.

“Well maybe I wish he was enjoying with me ok? Is that so hard to believe? But no, I’m done. I can’t handle the distance enough as it is, so I refuse to let myself be dragged down with what ifs about something that will never happen while he’s fucking whoever.” Derek said shaking his head.

“Derek, don’t give up.” Hayden said, resting a hand on his shoulder that he brushed off before skulking ahead of the rest, tired of the topic of conversation.

Scott and Lydia came back to town not long after Derek had been expecting them, the pair wanting to wait till Stiles came back before holding a pack meeting which Derek was dreading. He still hadn’t spoken to Stiles directly or indirectly since their last skype call, maintaining when anyone brought it up it was for the best. He’d had his heart trounced so many times by people he thought he could trust that he didn’t have the energy to deal with the rejection of Stiles saying no or rambling on and on about what’s her name as an explanation.

But soon it was unavoidable as Stiles came to town on the twentieth, and immediately appeared at Derek’s loft. Or at least he tried to as Derek had long since changed the locks and was sat on his bed with his gaze on the bestiary, ignoring the sounds of banging and his phone ringing with the ridiculous tune that Stiles had picked for himself.

The younger had soon left, leaving Derek with his chin on his knees staring at Stiles’ work and screwing his eyes closed when Scott’s ringtone started playing. Of course, when Derek wouldn’t respond Stiles would go to Scott to get some answers. Not that the Alpha knew about what had happened unless some of the younger pack members had said something but either way he didn’t really feel like speaking to Scott either.

The phone soon stopped ringing replaced with a text of the time and place for the pack meeting and that was that.

(read the rest on AO3)

#eternalstereksecretsanta17 #esss17 #sterek #fic #submission

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yahoonewsphotos · 6 years

Photo

Victims of the Manhattan bike path attack

One of the dead was a mother of young sons from Belgium. Five had traveled from Argentina to New York with a tight-knit group of classmates to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation.

The other victims were Americans: One a new college graduate working as a software engineer, the other a doting son who had recently lost nearly 100 pounds and was getting a bike ride in between meetings at his World Trade Center job.

Those killed in the New York bike path attack reflect a city that is a melting pot, a magnet for international visitors and a business and technology capital.

“They saw New York as a special place to be,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio, “and we now and forever will consider them New Yorkers.”

The victims were mowed down by a rental truck Tuesday afternoon near the World Trade Center. Police called it a terrorist attack, saying the driver was an Uzbek immigrant who “did it in the name of ISIS.”

The largest group of victims came from Rosario, Argentina, the country’s third-largest city and the hometown of international soccer star Lionel Messi and guerrilla leader Che Guevara. They had made the trip courtesy of one of their well-heeled friends, who was also among those who perished.

“It hurts us to think that these are people who walked the same school halls as we did or that studied in our same classrooms,” said Agustin Riccardi, a senior at the victims’ alma mater.

President Mauricio Macri said in Buenos Aires that the attack “hit all Argentines hard.”

On Wednesday, friends and relatives began remembering the victims — and recounting the circumstances that led them to New York.

___

ARGENTINA: A GROUP OF FRIENDS

Three decades had passed since their 1987 graduation from the Polytechnic School of Rosario, Argentina. But the Argentine victims of Tuesday’s truck attack, most of them architects, had remained close friends, getting together several times a year.

The five dead were among a group of 10 friends marking their graduation with a tour of New York and Boston, where a survivor of the group lived.

They had gone on a bike ride through Central Park on Tuesday before turning south, to lower Manhattan.

“They were pedaling in lines of two, chatting, laughing, enjoying the ride. My husband was the last one in the line, when he felt a speeding car, and then the truck that zoomed by” at high speed, Cecilia Piedrabuena, the wife of survivor Ariel Benvenuto, told an Argentine radio station. “The truck took away his friends, and he saw them all scattered on the ground.”

One victim, Hernan Diego Mendoza, was an architect and father of three who designed the home of his close friend, Estanislao Beas.

“The news destroyed my wife and I,” Beas said. “We had a tight bond. We cared for him so much. It’s incredible that this happened to him and that he was there at that time.”

Another friend, Cesar Lagostino, attended a candlelight vigil for the victims Wednesday evening outside the school. He remembered Mendoza as an honest and generous person, “among those who deserve to stay in this world.”

The Argentine foreign ministry identified the other victims as Ariel Erlij, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco and Hernan Ferruchi.

The reunion trip was partially financed by Erlij, the chief executive of Ivanar, an Argentine steel products manufacturing company, according to Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper.

Another classmate , Martin Ludovico Marro, of Newton, Massachusetts, near Boston, was being treated at a Manhattan hospital.

In Rosario, a minute of silence was observed at the high school earlier Wednesday, and the light-blue and white Argentina flag was flown at half-staff.

Only days earlier, before flying to the U.S., they had posed for a group photo, all of them wearing T-shirts with the word “Libre,” or “Free” — meaning free from any responsibilities, said Piedrabuena, the wife of survivor Ariel Benvenuto.

___

BELGIUM: ANN-LAURE DECADT

Ann-Laure Decadt, 31, the mother of a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old son, had traveled with her relatives to New York from a rural town in Belgium.

Decadt belonged to a prominent family that owns a venerable animal feed business in Staden, a town of 11,000 some 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Brussels.

The family said in a statement that “she was riding a bike and apparently was surprised by a vehicle that came from behind.” Her husband and children had not traveled with her. Other family members escaped injury.

Decadt grew up in the town and was active in its social scene, taking part in the youth council and village fairs, said Staden’s mayor, Francesco Vanderjeugd.

“Ann-Laure meant so much to us in town,” he said. “It is an attack in New York, but also one on our community.”

Flags flew at half-staff in the village, and a condolence register was opened at the community center Wednesday — All Saints’ Day, when Belgium traditionally remembers the dead.

Johan Verstervete, a friend of the family, said: “We knew her as a very spontaneous person, very dynamic, loving her family and her children.”

Vanderjeugd said he was delighted when he first heard that Decadt was going to New York. He even sent the family a message saying: “Wow, you’ll have a great time there, with Halloween and the New York marathon and all.”

“And then,” he said, “this happens.”

___

NEW JERSEY: DARREN DRAKE

Darren Drake, a 32-year-old project manager for Moody’s Investors Service at the World Trade Center, had recently lost a lot of weight — 93 pounds — after undergoing lap band surgery. He was out for a bike ride between meetings when the truck hit and killed him.

“While other people would take cigarette or coffee breaks, he would go out and ride the bike for 15 to 20 minutes,” his father, Jimmy Drake, told NJ.com.

Drake, a voracious reader who enjoyed listening to audio books, used to serve on the school board in New Milford, in northern New Jersey, where he was a native and lived with his parents. He had a master’s degree in business administration and was working toward a second master’s degree, at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Stevens’ president, Nariman Farvardin, said in a message to the university community that Drake’s death was “a heartbreaking loss for the Stevens community.”

Jimmy Drake told NorthJersey.com he and his son were close. They went hunting and fishing together, and Jimmy drove Darren every day to the terminal in suburban Hoboken so he could catch a train to his job in the city.

He sobbed as he recounted seeing his son’s body at the morgue.

“Just picture that face. He really looked like he was having a nice dream,” he said.

He called the Uzbek immigrant suspected in the attack a “psycho” but said he’s “not angry at all.”

“I’m hurt,” he said. “I’m absolutely hurt.”

___

NEW YORK CITY: NICHOLAS CLEVES

Nicholas Cleves, 23, died not far from his home in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. He was a software engineer and web developer.

Online profiles show he went to Elisabeth Irwin High School in New York City and graduated last year from Skidmore College with a degree in computer science. He had been working as a software engineer for the Unified Digital Group.

Cleves described himself on his Facebook page as a “nerdy white boy.” The most recent photo posted there showed him posing with some friends next to a Darth Vader figure at a Star Wars exhibit.

“Our hearts go out to Nicholas’s mother, Monica Missio, who is a member of the Skidmore class of 1981, the other members of his family, and his closest friends,” Skidmore President Philip A. Glotzbach wrote on the school’s website.

Outlining his aspirations on LinkedIn, Cleves wrote that he was “searching for ways in which technology can be used to make positive impacts on our everyday lives.”

Alex Silverstein, who hired Cleves as a Unified Digital Group intern during his senior year in college, wrote a glowing recommendation on LinkedIn.

“I immediately recognized his intelligence and desire to know more about everything,” Silverstein wrote. “He is great with customers — polite, considerate, and patient. This is extremely useful emotional intelligence that you can’t put a price on.” (AP)

Photos from top: Cecilia Piedrabuena/AFP/Getty Images (5), Social media via Reuters (2), LREI Alumni via Facebook

See more photos of the victims of the Manhattan bike path attack and our other slideshows on Yahoo News.

#manhattan #bike path attack #new york city #argentina #photography #photojournalism #belgium #islamic state #isis

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