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pascalina · 3 years

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The brothers' movie

11/07/2015

They don't use the same last name, but they are siblings. Pedro Pascal (40) the Chilean actor who starred in Game of Thrones and now has a starring role in the Netflix series Narcos, uses his mother's surname because it is easier to pronounce in English. 17 years younger, Lucas Balmaceda Pascal (23), also an actor, debuted in Los 80 and today stars in the TVN series Juana Brava. Here, both talk for the first time about their relationship, their love for cinema and their mutual admiration.

José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born in Chile, but a few months later he had to go into exile with his parents and his older sister, Javiera, to Denmark. It was the end of 1975. Thanks to the Rockefeller scholarship granted for his father, the doctor José Balmaceda Riera, a year later they moved to the United States: first they lived in San Antonio, Texas. Life there was just beginning and it was not easy.

Seventeen years later, in 1992, Lucas Balmaceda was born in Orange County, California, into the comfort of a family that was financially in its prime. His dad was at the peak of his career: as a fertility specialist and director of one of the University of California's reproductive health centers. But suddenly they moved back to Chile when Lucas was three years old and his brother Nicolas was eight. The two older ones stayed there. Pedro was already studying drama at Orange County High School of the Arts. Then he went to New York to study theater at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

After a couple of small appearances in TV series, in 2014 he took the big leap in his career: he played Prince Oberyn in Game of Thrones, which made him world famous. Today, he has a starring role in the series Narcos. He is also filming a movie with Matt Damon and Willem Dafoe.

Fame came early for Lucas. After leaving Saint George High School in 2010, he studied theater at the Universidad Católica, and he began to shine: in year fourth, he starred in the theater play "La noche obstinada", by choreographer Pablo Rotemberg, and got a role in the successful television series Los 80 and today, in his last year, he is the co-star of Juana Brava, the new TVN nighttime series.

Scene one:

Lucas appears in Pedro's life

P: "I was 17 when Lucas was born. He was a baby when I left to go to university. I remember my first visit back and Lucas, who was not even two years old, was already the owner of the house. I remember those looks, wanting to tell me: 'I don't know who you are, but this is my house, mate.

To this day I have never seen that personality in another child. It was fascinating to see that wit in someone so small. Since he was a kid he had that fierce intelligence... The four siblings, Javiera, the eldest and the queen of the family; Nicolas, the doctor; Lucas and I are like a compact and consistent unit. I can't imagine life without them".

L: "Pedro was studying at the university in New York when I was born. When he went home for vacations to see the family, as I didn't know him, I thought: 'who is this guest, who is this weirdo who kisses my mother? She's mine!'. Back in Chile, every year Pedro came to visit us. It was the most entertaining thing in the world for me. He was much older and he would come with all the coolness, with all the culture of cinema, with horror movies that were not available here. Then we would watch them and play them out, we would do sketches. We would play that Pedro was a murderous monster and we would escape from him. We were each a character. He was very funny, he did voices, he impersonated people. He gets mad when I tell him, but I've always found that he has a Jim Carrey thing about him, he manages to make some impressive faces. When he came on, I couldn't stop watching him, he was too entertaining. We are all big movie buffs thanks to my dad. When I was three years old, he took my brothers and me to see Batman. I remember crying hysterically. I was very young, sensitive, and being in the cinema was like entering to another reality: loud noises, giant screen. I didn't understand anything.

Scene two

Transplanted

P: "What's Chilean about me and what's gringo about me is a very interesting question, because I don't think even at 40 years old I've been able to figure it out. I was raised and educated in the United States and socialized a lot with American pop culture, but Chilean pride has always been unwavering. My parents were exiled for eight years. So our visits to Chile were regular. My whole life I have lived in the United States and my whole life I have visited my relatives in Chile. However, since my siblings were raised in Chile, my connection to the country is much stronger today and it is something I am grateful for. Something that happens to me a lot is that when I say I've been in the U.S. my whole life, they say, "Well, you're a gringo then! And after a conversation in my fluent Spanish with a clear Chilean accent that same person turns around and says: I've been listening to you, you're Chilean!

L: "I am Chilean because I lived and grew up here since I was three years old, but at the same time I have a cultural disconnection: my parents lived 25 years in the United States, my brothers are gringos. My visual culture is super gringo, the TV shows I watched when I was a kid or the movies I watch to this day I understand them from that place: as an American. More than being born in the United States, I feel it's because of my family's background".

SCENE THREE:

The performance

P: "There were good years and bad years (when I started my acting career in the United States). Many years I was a waiter to supplement my income. But from a very young age I was auditioning for professional jobs. In my late twenties my career in the theater was relatively consistent. Then, when opportunities in television arose, I was consolidating and it became much easier to pay my expenses. I think that struggle, going through those situations, empowers you a lot and it's one of the things I'm enormously grateful for. And Game of Thrones was an incredible gift. It's the best role I've ever played and they're the best people I've ever worked with."

L: "It's Pedro's fault that I wanted to be an actor. But when I told him I wanted to study theater it was hard for him, more than anything, because he cares about me and studying theater is hard. You have to be very wise and have a super high self-esteem to take care of yourself. Pedro went through many things. If there is an actor who doesn't have contacts in the United States, it's him. Everything he has achieved is because of his work. That's why when people ask me why I don't go to the U.S., it's a resounding no. Being Pedro Pascal's little brother is not going to get me around the corner; I would have to be Tom Cruise's twin to achieve anything. Even so, Pedro had many failed career starts. In 2011, for example, he was offered a starring role in a series called Wonder Woman and it was eventually canceled. That's why, when Games of Thrones came up, I was like, wow! We were all freaking out, because Games of Thrones is like a worldwide trending topic. All the episodes he was in, we were all watching them together at my house, eating pizza or sushi."

SCENE FOUR:

Mutual lessons

P: "I try not to get too involved in anything Lucas does or how he does it. He has single-handedly created each of his experiences and is one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen. He loves his work and is continually developing his skills for television and theater, and eventually film. He executes like a real artist and, to be honest, it is more common for me to learn something from him than for him to learn something from me. I mean that very sincerely. Lucas reminds me to work hard and keeps me inspired. When I saw him in Los 80 I was incredibly proud, but not surprised. I was seeing something I had always known. The only advice I've given him is to not be such a workaholic, to take care of himself and to be proud of what he's accomplished and what he still has yet to accomplish. Deep down, I'm always going to be the protective big brother."

L: "Pedro is an object of admiration for me. What he says is law for me. Sometimes I ask him: 'Pedro, did you see that movie?' and he says: 'Yes, I didn't like it'. I tell him: 'Oh, I didn't like it either'. The nice thing about our relationship is that it happens so sporadically, once or twice a year, that the moments when we see each other are very intense. We either fight a lot or we love each other too much, but it's always like a story, like a movie. While he's there and I'm here, we talk a lot on WhatsApp and Facebook".

P: "With Lucas we always keep each other up to date on what movies to watch, what TV shows are good. I bug him all the time asking him about what's going on in his life and I'm always asking him about his perspective on things. Despite being away from each other for a long time, Lucas and I are very close and always have been. I see Lucas at the beginning of an amazing career, with an unwavering curiosity and passion. I love it when he confides in me about things he is enjoying or situations he is dealing with."

L: "I've never seen Pedro in theater, but I've been told he's tremendous. On camera, I find that he has a very intense look. He also has, and in that we are very similar, a very strong visual culture, the fact that we have always liked horror movies. He plays characters that hide something, dark characters. A great strength is that he is very sensual, he knows how to handle himself well from seduction".

P: "Lucas is brave, he's fearless. There's nothing he's not willing to try, he's never going to give up on a challenge, he's never going to leave something halfway, no matter what that means to him. Lucas is unstoppable.

Link interview

#pedro pascal #lux pascal #siblings

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crimeculturepodcast · 3 years

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Hispanic/Latino horror movies

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, this week we talked about horror movies out of Latin American and Spanish speaking countries. There were some we couldn’t get to so here is the full list:

Spain

The Devil’s Backbone (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Audience Score: 89%

Google Score: 85%

IMDb: 7.4/10

Critics Consensus: Creepily atmospheric and haunting, The Devil's Backbone is both a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory.

Description: “Set during the last years of the Spanish Civil War, The Devil's Backbone is a Spanish gothic horror movie that follows Carlos, a young orphan boy who is deposited at Santa Lucia School among several other children who have been displaced by the conflict. Though he finds friends in the professor and the head mistress, he is plagued by a wandering spirit with a link to the violent caretaker's secret past.”

Trivia: The movie, which he wrote in college and was in development for 16 years, is strongly inspired by Del Toro’s personal memories, especially his relationship with his uncle, who supposedly came back as a ghost. It is also included among the "1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" edited by Steven Schneider. Although filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is Mexican, this film is set in the Spanish countryside (largely filmed in Madrid) that’s why it’s on the Spanish list. The Devil’s Backbone has all of the impactful elements of spirituality, horror, and the supernatural that come up again and again in Del Toro’s work. This film has been referred to as the “brother film” of one of Del Toro’s best known works, Pan’s Labyrinth.

[REC] (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Audience Score: 82%

Google Score: 85%

IMDb: 7.4/10

Critics Consensus: Plunging viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment complex under siege, [Rec] proves that found footage can still be used as an effective delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.

Description: “Late-night TV host Angela and her cinematographer are following the fire service on a call to an apartment building, but the Spanish police seal off the building after an old woman is infected by a virus which gives her inhuman strength.”

Trivia: The movie was filmed chronologically in real locations (no sets were built for the movie). The actor’s were never given the script in its entirety and didn’t know what was going to happen to their characters until the day of filming. The movie is also a big inspiration for the horror survival game Outlast.

Considered The Blair Witch Project of zombie movies, REC had a lot of competition in the found footage style (it came out the same year as George Romero’s Diary of the Dead and the first Paranormal Activity movie). It more than holds its own among them, so much so that an American remake called Quarantine came out the next year. Director Jaume Balagueró keeps the movie disturbingly real and doesn’t fall prey to jump scare after jump scare.

Veronica (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Audience Score: 49%

Google Score: 80%

IMDb: 6.2/10

Critics Consensus: A scarily effective horror outing, Veronica proves it doesn't take fancy or exotic ingredients to craft skin-crawling genre thrills.

Description: “During a solar eclipse, a teenage girl and her friends want to summon the spirit of the girl's father using an Ouija board. However, during the session she loses consciousness and soon it becomes clear that evil demons have arrived.”

Trivia: Based on the true story of 18-year-old Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro. I won’t go too far into it because we may do an episode on it in the future but if you want spoilers, watch the movie (if you dare).

Directed by Paco Plaza (same as REC), the possession theme is done over and over again in horror but this movie is a terrifying and fresh take.

The Bar (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Audience Score: 55%

Google Score: 75%

IMDb: 6.3/10

Description: “In bustling downtown Madrid, a loud gunshot and two mysterious deaths trap a motley assortment of common urbanites in a decrepit central bar, while paranoia and suspicion force the terrified regulars to turn on each other.”

Directed by Álex de la Iglesia, it’s labeled as a horror-comedy. You can watch it on Netflix.

Who Can Kill A Child? (1976) - Tells the story of a happy couple, two English tourists who decide to vacation on a secluded island in the Mediterranean. There they discover – almost too late- that the island has been taken over by a group of murderous children.

The Baby’s Room (2006) - Featured on Six Films to Keep You Awake at Night. A new family renovates and moves into a grand old house. Nervous first-time mom installs a baby monitor but hears mysterious sounds on the other side. Once they install a high-tech video baby monitor, what they see chills them to the bone.

Sleep Tight (2011) - Apartment concierge Cesar is a miserable person who believes he was born without the ability to be happy. His self-appointed task is to make life hell for everyone around him, a mission in which he has great success. It has big home invasion/stalker vibes.

Timecrimes (2007) - A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences. It sounds like a “Happy Death Day” type of plot (but proceeding it by a decade).

Thesis (1996) - Angela is doing her thesis on the effect of violence in the media when she discovers a snuff film. This discovery leads her down a dark path where she must confront her greatest fears and question everybody around her.

Witching and Bitching (2013) - One article I read said it perfectly, “What Shaun of the Dead did for zombies and What We Do in the Shadows did for vampires, Witching & Bitching essentially did for the cinematic depiction of witches, albeit on a less visible scale.” Great pick if you’re looking for something a bit more lighthearted.

Mexico

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Audience Score: 91%

Google Score: 90%

IMDb: 8.2/10

Critics Consensus: Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbinding fable.

Description: After the Allies invade Nazi-occupied Europe, a sadistic captain sends a troop of Spanish soldiers to flush out rebels,bringing his new wife and her daughter along on his exploits. While his family resides in the countryside, he leads his men on a murderous rampage, much of which is witnessed by his step daughter. In an effort to escape her reality she plunges into Pan's Labyrinth, a mystical world at the border of her own.

Trivia: Guillermo del Toro is famous for compiling books full of notes and drawings about his ideas before turning them into films, something he regards as essential to the process. He left years worth of notes for this film in the back of a cab, and when he discovered them missing, he thought it was the end of the project. However, the cab driver found them and, realizing their importance, tracked him down and returned them at great personal difficulty and expense. Del Toro was convinced that this was a blessing and it made him ever more determined to complete the film. Del Toro also repeatedly refused offers from Hollywood producers, in spite of being offered double the budget, provided the film was made in English. He didn't want any compromise in the storyline to suit the "market needs" (he even did the English subtitles himself). The film received 22 minutes of applause at the Cannes Film Festival and in 2007, it became one of the few fantasy films ever nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars. It’s another on the list "1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" edited by Steven Schneider with The Devil’s Backbone. It was on more than 130 top 10 lists in 2006. It is also the 5th highest grossing foreign language film in the US.

The Similars (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Audience Score: 49%

Google Score: 75%

IMDb: 5.9/10

Critics Consensus: A smart homage to genre filmmaking, The Similars is a fun and frightening film that balances socio-political issues with aplomb.

Description: A monstrous, once-in-a-lifetime thunderstorm strands passengers in a remote bus station outside Mexico City in 1968. As they listen to the radio, they realized that the storm has spread all over the world. As they look at each other, they also realize that everyone’s faces are slowly changing, and not for the better.

Trivia: The film used make-up and special effects techniques never before done in Mexico. Director Isaac Ezban was influenced by B-movies of the 50s and 60s as well as TV shows and movies like “The Twilight Zone”, “The Thing”, and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”.

We Are What We Are (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes: 72%

Audience Score: 48%

Google Score: 77%

IMDb: 5.7/10

Critics Consensus: We Are What We Are is elevated horror that combines family drama and social politics, with plenty of gore on top.

Description: After a family patriarch dies, his survivors are tasked with continuing the rigid family rituals that involve hunting meat, preparing it for consumption, and eating it. The “meat” in question is human flesh, since they’re a family of cannibals. With two detectives hot on their tail, the family of cannibals strains to maintain their family traditions in a modern urban environment.

There was an English language remake in 2013 (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) with Wyatt Russell and Odeya Rush (Lady Bird, Dumplin’, and Goosebumps)

We Are The Flesh (2016) - A joint French-Mexican production released in Spanish as Somos la carne, this post-apocalyptic nightmare involves a brother and sister who roam the land desperately seeking food until a kindly old man takes them in under the condition that they help him renovate an abandoned building. Oh, and they also have to have sex with one another while he watches. And after he breaks their will by getting them to do that, he makes them do all sorts of other things. This film was one of only four in Mexico to receive a “D” rating—which is reserved for subject matter that is considered extremely disturbing and/or pornographic.

The Witch’s Mirror (1962) - An abusive and cheating husband kills his wife so that he can be with his mistress. The woman’s godmother was a witch who originally tried casting a spell on a mirror to protect her from domestic violence, but the spell failed. Still, she is able to bring the woman back from the grave, and the two witches set out to destroy the evil woman-beater.

Here Comes The Devil (2012) - A married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana. The kids eventually reappear without explanation, but it becomes clear that they are not who they used to be, that something terrifying has changed them.

Chile

Downhill (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%

Audience Score: 22%

Google Score: 43%

IMDb: 3.5/10

Description: Deeply upset by the passing of his best friend, a professional BMX rider accepts to partake in a race in Chile. Everything goes as planned until he stumbles upon a man who is infected by a mysterious virus and becomes the target of local assassins.

Trivia: Filmed in 13 days

Post Mortem (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Audience Score: 61%

Google Score: 70%

IMDb: 6.5/10

Description: In Chile, 1973, during the last days of Salvador Allende’s presidency, an employee at a Morgue’s recording office falls for a burlesque dancer who mysteriously disappears.

Aftershock (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes: 39%

Audience Score: 24%

Google Score: 61%

IMDb: 4.8/10

Critics Consensus: Aftershock hints at an inventive twist on horror tropes, but ultimately settles for another round of mind-numbing depravity that may alternately bore and revolt all but the most ardent gore enthusiasts.

Description: In Chile, a group of travelers who are in an underground nightclub when a massive earthquake hits quickly learn that reaching the surface is just the beginning of their nightmare.

Trivia: Horror icon Eli Roth wrote and stars in this film.

To Kill A Man (2014) - An attack on his daughter leads a mild-mannered family man to take revenge on the vicious street thugs who have tormented him and his family for a long time.

Columbia

Out Of The Dark (2014) This is in English

Rotten Tomatoes: 24%

Audience Score: 22%

Google Score: 77%

IMDb: 4.8/10

Description: A family moves to Colombia to take over the operation of a manufacturing plant, soon they learn their new home is haunted.

Trivia: Starring Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You, Dexter) and Scott Speedman (The Strangers, You)

The Squad (2011)

Audience Score: 53%

Google Score: 82%

IMDb: 5.3/10

Description: After a secret military base ceases all communications, an anti-guerrilla commando unit is sent to the mountainous location to discover what exactly happened. The squad expects to discover that the base was attacked and taken over by guerrilla units, but instead find only a lone woman wrapped in chains.

Trivia: In one scene where the actors are shooting guns, one actor accidentally picked up a real gun instead of the prop and fired a real shot (no one was hurt).

Cord (2015) - On a post-apocalyptic world of never-ending winter, a sparse cast of outsiders live underground. Due to their unsanitary conditions, sexual contact has become dangerous. Masturbation has become the paradigm of sexual experience and an array of low-tech devices with this purpose has come into existence. In this bleak reality, a dealer of such machines a sex addict make a deal: she will allow him to experiment new devices on her body in exchange of pleasure. Soon however, their relationship goes out of control.

The Hidden Face (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%

Audience Score: 72%

Google Score: 86%

IMDb: 7.4/10

Description: Shattered by the unexpected news of their irreversible break-up, an aspiring orchestra conductor is puzzled by his girlfriend's mysterious and seemingly inexplicable case of disappearance. But, can he look beyond the facts?

Trivia: There is a Turkish version of this movie and a 2013 remake out of India called “Murder 3”

At The End Of The Spectra (2006)

Google Score: 83%

IMDb: 6/10

Description: A young woman who has become agoraphobic due to a traumatic incident is holed up in her apartment, she begins to suffer from hallucinations, paranoia and an obsessive neighbour.

Trivia: There is a Mexican remake called “Devil Inside” and there were once rumors of an American remake starring Nicole Kidman but that’s the end of that.

Uruguay

The Silent House (La Casa Muda) (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes: 68%

Audience Score: 37%

Google Score: 63%

IMDb: 5.4/10

Critics Consensus: Shot in a single take, The Silent House may be a gimmick movie, but it's one that's enough to sustain dread and tension throughout.

Description: A girl becomes trapped inside a house and becomes unable to contact the outside world as supernatural forces haunt it.

Trivia: The plot is supposedly based on a true story that occurred in the 1940s in a small village in Uruguay. With a budget of just six thousand dollars, it was filmed using a handheld high-definition digital single-lens reflex camera (the Canon EOS 5D Mark II), 2 handheld lamps, and a couple of lightbulbs over a time period of just four days. The claim that the movie was filmed in one continuous take are suspect. The Mark II camera can only record up to 15 minutes of continuous video at a time. Uruguay's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 84th Academy Awards 2012.

Monos (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Audience Score: 85%

Google Score: 69%

IMDb: 6.9/10

Critics Consensus: As visually splendid as it is thought-provoking, Monos takes an unsettling look at human nature whose grim insights leave a lingering impact.

Description: On a faraway mountaintop, eight teenaged guerillas with guns watch over a hostage and a conscripted milk cow. Playing games and initiating cult-like rituals, the children run amok in the jungle and disaster strikes when the hostage tries to escape.

Trivia: Moises Arias (Hannah Montana) and Julianne Nicholson (I, Tonya, August: Osage County) most of the other actors had never acted before. The movie draws inspiration from Lord of the Flies. Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider. It was selected as the official Colombian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Peru

The Entity (2015)

Google Score: 66%

IMDb: 4.3/10

Description: A group of students decide to study 'reaction videos' and are led toward an old film, hidden in the archive room of a cemetery. It appears that everybody who has witnessed the film has met an untimely demise under suspicious circumstances. When the students view the footage, they discover first hand, what the demonic spirit is capable of. Fulfilling the ancient curse of a woman cruelly killed during the Spanish Inquisition.

Trivia: The Entity has been billed as Peru's first 3D horror film and to have been loosely based on true stories. Review websites Flickering Myth and Nerdly commented that the movie suffered from being too overly familiar to pre-existing works (Blair Witch, The Ring).

The Vanished Elephant (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Audience Score: 72%

Google Score: 88%

IMDb: 6.5/10

Description: Crime novelist Edo remains obsessed with what happened to his fiancee Celia after she disappeared during an earthquake. When an enigmatic woman brings him photos that may help him solve the mystery, he senses he is being drawn into a dangerous game.

The Secret Of Evil (2014)

Google Score: 65%

IMDb: 5/10

Description: Video footage depicting a supernatural encounter is all that remains of a filmmaker and his crew who disappeared while exploring a haunted house.

When Two Worlds Collide (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Audience Score: 69%

Google Score: 93%

IMDb: 7.6/10

Description: An indigenous environmental activist takes on the large businesses that are destroying the Amazon.

El Vientre (2014)

Google Score: 81%

IMDb: 6.1/10

Description: Silvia, a beautiful 45-year-old widow, is obsessed with having a child and finds in attractive but naive Mercedes the perfect candidate to bear it. Silvia kindly offers her a job and a room in her house, and then manipulates her into seducing a young man named Jaime. They soon fall in love and Mercedes becomes pregnant. Silvia will do anything in her power to keep the baby, even if it means leaving a couple of bodies behind.

Argentina

Terrified (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%

Audience Score: 65%

Google Score: 82%

IMDb: 6.5/10

Description: Paranormal researchers investigate strange events in a neighbourhood in Buenos Aires.

Luciferina (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Audience Score: 25%

Google Score: 69%

IMDb: 4.6/10

Description: Natalia is a nineteen-year-old novice who reluctantly returns home to say goodbye to her dying father. However, when she meets up with her sister and her friends, she decides instead to travel the jungle in search of mystical plant.

Francesca (2015)

Audience Score: 67%

Google Score: 73%

IMDb: 5.3/10

Description: Two detectives track a serial killer who has been targeting the impure. To catch him, they'll have to solve the case of a girl who went missing 15 years ago.

Cold Sweat (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes: 75%

Audience Score:

Google Score: 58%

IMDb: 4.8/10

Description: The movie follows Román, who stumbles upon his ex-girlfriend Jackie, who has somehow gotten caught up in a torture cult run by two sadistic, old men. The aging political radicals have managed to put Jackie’s life in incredible danger. But when Román and his friend try to help Jackie out of her confines, the elderly psychos prove to be more than meets the eye.

Penumbra (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes: 50%

Audience Score: 26%

Google Score: 75%

IMDb: 5.5/10

Description: A woman desperate to find a tenant for her decrepit apartment apparently finds the perfect candidate, unaware of a sinister plot involving an imminent eclipse.

Venezuela

The House At The End of Time (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes: None

Audience Score: 72%

Google Score: 91%

IMDb: 6.8/10

Description: Dulce encounters apparitions in her house and unleashes a terrible prophecy. Thirty years later, Dulce, now an old woman, returns to unravel the mystery that has terrorized her for years.

Trivia: Winner of the Audience Award at Gävle Horror Film Festival 2016 (Sweden). Not only is it Venezuela’s highest-grossing horror film, it’s also the most distributed film from the country. By August 2016 it was announced that the American studio New Line Cinema acquired the rights of the film to make a remake for the American public. Hidalgo is still at the wheel so its chances of success are high.

Ecuador

Cronicas (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes: 71%

Audience Score: 77%

Google Score: 80%

IMDb: 6.9/10

Critics Consensus: An unsettling and absorbing cautionary tale with John Leguizamo playing an unscrupulous TV reporter who uses the medium to further his own goals.

Description: Reporter Manolo Bonilla (John Leguizamo) goes to a jail in Ecuador to interview Vinicio Cepeda (Damián Alcázar, Narcos, Narnia), a hit-and-run driver whose crime incited a riot. After Cepeda tells him he knows where a murderer called the Monster of Babahoyo buried a young female victim, Bonilla posts bail in the hopes that he'll learn more about the crime. Bonilla finds the girl's body, but, as he nears the scoop of his career, it looks as if Cepeda might be withholding some key details.

Trivia: Inspired by a true story? As well as being both a Cannes and TIFF favourite, Cronicas is the official submission of Ecuador for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 77th Academy Awards in 2005, it was produced by Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) This is John Leguizamo’s first film in Spanish. He said he felt awkward talking in Spanish while acting, like he didn't know the language.

English Language Horror

The Silent House (2011) This is in English

Rotten Tomatoes: 43%

Audience Score:

Google Score: 72%

IMDb: 5.3/10

Critics Consensus: Silent House is more technically proficient and ambitious than most fright-fests, but it also suffers from a disappointing payoff.

Description: Sarah is working with her father and uncle to renovate an old family home to prepare it for sale. Long vacant, the house has no utilities, forcing the trio to rely on battery-operated lanterns to light their way. Sarah becomes separated from her relatives and soon finds she is trapped inside the cabin, with no contact with the outside world. Panic turns to real terror as the young woman experiences events that become increasingly ominous.

Trivia: Elizabeth Olsen (Wandavision) The plot is based on a true story that occurred in the 1940s in a small village in Uruguay. Contrary to the marketing's claim that the film was shot in one uninterrupted take, the entire movie was actually shot to mimic one continuous real-time take, with no cuts from start to finish, as a result the time span of the film's plot is exactly 86 minutes. It was shot in roughly 10 minute segments then carefully edited to hide the cuts.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) - This along with the rest of the Dead series are the work of George A. Romero, whose father is from Cuba.

Ash vs. Evil Dead - I love the Evil Dead movies and although this series wasn’t perfect (I’m sure die-hard fans will say it's far from it), I still think it kept to the heart of the main story. Bruce Campbell is obviously perfect and the addition of Lucy Lawless is amazing, it’s really Puerto Rican actor Ray Santiago that steals the show.

The Others (2001) - Directed by globally renowned Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar, The Others starring Nicole Kidman is a Spanish gothic horror movie that combines elements of the supernatural, psychological, and mystical. It focuses on the strange events that occur at the estate of a woman and her young children, plagued by spirits in the aftermath of WWII. It has the distinction of being the only English-language Spanish movie to be given the Best Film Award at Spain's national film awards, the Goyas. In total, the movie has seven Goya Awards, including for Best Director. Although it might not read as particularly “Spanish,” it was produced, written and filmed all in Spain, shooting in Cantabria, Northern Spain and Madrid.

#Crime Culture #podcast #crime #true crime #murder #tcc #true crime podcast #pop culture #episode 198 #hispanic horror #latino horror #spanish horror #hispanic heritage month #horror #horror movies #spanish language horror #movies to watch

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youngnari · 4 years

Text

Thicker Than Water // Ten

—Notes : t had been a long while since I started writing anything (pardon if this sucks), and I have a lot of things in my drafts right now that I have to continue. Uni had been overwhelming and recently my internship ended, hopefully I can write more before my next term starts. Overall, enjoy this short scenario I made and have a nice day ahead :)

—Wc : 7831 words

—Warning : honestly, none... I just wanted to write about Ten cause I love Ten, well we all love Ten.

—Pairing : childhood best-friend!Ten x female!reader

—Genre : a cup of fluff + a few dashes of angst

—Summary : Two childhood best-friends found it hard to confront their feelings for one another, until they grew apart;

When distance grew and time spent apart, love became stronger. After all, it is thicker than water.

“I love you, Ten”

Love is thicker than water. Your feelings wouldn’t easily be dissolved even after a few years of not seeing him.

And that’s when you knew, love is true.

Life decisions often come knocking on your door when you least expect them to. They are often buried in the form of steps, growth, and changes.

The life decisions you chose rarely caused any big changes in your life, although you were partially to blame for often wanting to play it too safe. Your life always revolved around the same people, all located in a similar environment. Your so-called childhood best-friend who lived just around the corner of your block, a brief five-minute walk. He played a big role in your life, similarly to your parents. You had known him since you were three, possibly longer; from bathing and swimming together naked in his kiddy pool his parents had set up in his backyard during summer time when you guys were four, to him freaking out when he noticed blood stains on your pajamas pants that you discarded into the laundry basket when you first hit puberty thinking you were dying due to some chronic disease, to the so-called first love and first heartbreak you ever received when you were in high school. The same person was always by your side.

Yes, you had chosen to fall in love with your childhood best-friend. And that was the first time you realized: sometimes the safest choice, isn’t so safe after all.

Cue – Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, more commonly known as Ten.

You have seen Ten when he was doing his best, while Ten has seen you when you are doing your absolute worst. He often got straight A’s, a few A-‘s for Chemistry and Physics, and he was chosen as the lead dancer of the school’s dance team – mastering traditional and modern styles so goddamn well, yet you still thought he was the dumbest kid alive. Ten may be seen by many as the epitome of how every Asian kid should be, molded by their parent since young to be nothing but perfect. Ten was often envied by other parents, they hid it well in the form of praises thrown towards his parents, but they shrugged it off saying Ten always tried to do his best.

They weren’t wrong. You had seen Ten studying until late at night for mid-terms and finals, often resulting in the consumption of an unhealthy amount of energy drinks and coffee as he reached a certain limit. He usually started his homework and projects early to enable freedom in the last few days before the due date, giving him the leisure to not cram things up the night before, but late-night video games. He was simply organized, well prepared, and perfect.

You had known Ten for your entire life, and it didn’t seem like the end of high school would be the end of your friendship. Until one night when he came barging into your room straight from the graduation party his friend Kun had thrown, celebrating freedom as they broke the chain of education by graduating from high school.

You still remembered how your heart skipped a beat when he came in, his lean figure stood elegantly in your door frame. Ten looked at your figure buried under your blanket, your nightstand occupied with snacks and water, laptop on your lap, the screen the main source of light in the dimly lit room. He caught the sound of the actors speaking from your laptop, heavy Spanish and gunshots ringing heavily from the speakers. He smiled knowing you probably rejected Kun’s invitation to settle down at home and binge watch Netflix instead, once again hiding yourself from socializing with people.

He let himself in as his hand closed the door slowly, striding over across the room in large step, he took his seat beside you before snuggling into the blankets to watch the show with you. You swore you felt hot, trying your best to fight the blush creeping across your cheeks. It seemed okay at first, knowing the room was quite dark and the only source of light was from the changing scenes of La Casa de Papel that was playing in your laptop. You thought he might hear your loud heartbeat, yet the sound of gunshots and screaming thankfully covered the sound of the erotic thumps of your heart.

He let out a sigh.

You could smell his musky cologne mixed with a little of his sweat, the stench of alcohol from his breath, the smell of cigarettes from his clothes filling your room. You hummed a little, catching his attention in the process.

“Can you believe we graduated?” He began to speak, giving you a question that similarly went along the line of what now.

You smiled a little and nodded.

“It’s only high school, Ten. We still have a long way to go.” You said.

“No, you still have a long way to go.” He said, his eyes glinting, proud of your achievements in life.

Ten remembered the talk both of you had, the plans you hoped to complete once both of you graduated from high school. You had told him you wanted to pursue studying in engineering or food science, while him – Ten wanted to be an artist, a singer or performer on stage.

He noticed your eyes dim a little and he sighed. His arms circled around your shoulders, bringing your figure closer towards him. You felt his warmth almost immediately, suddenly craving for more and you found yourself scooching towards him. Ten didn’t mind; you had curled up next to each other every movie night since you were young. He felt your head leaning towards him, smelling the hint of vanilla and mint from the shampoo and conditioner you always used. He smiled.

“Are you still not going to tell me who’s the guy you fell for?” He asked you again.

Ten felt your body tense up for a while before slowly loosening up again. You swallowed a lump in your throat as your eyes shook despite trying your best to focus on your laptop screen.

You had told Ten regarding your discovery of love after he kept pestering you to start finding a match, to the point he asked his handful of friends to introduce new people for you and set you up on a blind date. You had yelled at him in frustration, revealing that the reason you didn’t want to find a guy to date was due to you having feelings for someone already. Never once did you explicitly tell him who the person was, in fear that an outcome you didn’t want may occur.

Ten believed in you and respected your privacy, opting to stay silent most of the time. That didn’t keep him from pestering you with questions about the so-called crush, although he didn’t expect you to answer.

“You’re still on about it?” You snapped back. He gave you that annoying grin of his and nodded.

“Are you still in love with that crush of yours then?” He persisted. This time, you smiled knowing he wasn’t going to back down.

“I am, since forever probably.” You answered.

One of the fears you had since you were young was the fear of being rejected; you were sure everyone had a similar fear like yours, deep down inside of them. You weren’t necessarily scared of the rejection; you were more scared of the aftermath from the rejection. You knew Ten liked you, but you weren’t so sure if he wanted you like you wanted him. your refusal to confess stemmed from one of two possible outcomes if you did; one – he accepts you and you start dating, which meant the best of both worlds. Two – you are rejected, resulting both of you drifting apart and becoming strangers despite having a friendship almost reaching two decades.

Ten, your best-friend who recently broke up with his ex-lover. Confessing to him this early would only be a suicidal move. His past lover, whom he broke up a few weeks before graduation. The reasoning behind it was quite simple, none of his lovers liked seeing him with you.

The way he looked at you dotingly, laughed at every dumb joke you gave, the way he tucked loose strands of hair behind your ear, and dropping everything that he was doing to be around you. You were confident to say that you were his number one, and you withstood the pain that came with every one of his relationships.

Because you knew that Ten would always come back to you, back into your arms.

But you are still scared of confessing to him, unaware of what exactly is going on in his mind. You didn’t want to lose Ten just like that, you fear of not having him in your life when you were already so used to seeing him around you, being with him 24/7.

Other than that, you were confused with Ten. He was unpredictable at times: most of the time. You didn’t know if he was giving you hints regarding his approach towards you. Because many told you that he treated you differently from how he treated others, you could see that.

Ten wasn’t so touchy around people he considered friends or close friends, but when it came to you, things from linking arms around one another, hugging in public, cuddling during movie nights, and him giving you a peck on the cheek at random moments. All obvious signs he favored you more compared to others. You carried it like a medal, knowing probably no one could ever replace your spot next to Ten.

But the other thing that bothered you so dearly was that he was your first kiss. Yes, Ten was your first kiss.

Enter: prom night, 3 days after graduation.

Ten ‘proposed’ to you a month before prom, getting you a bouquet of a single sunflower and peperoni pizza with extra cheese from your favorite pizzeria downtown during one of your Netflix marathons. You were surprised by his grand entrance, nevertheless you ignored it due to his unexpected behavior at times. You accepted the flower thinking it was nothing but a gift for your mother and eagerly took the warm pizza from his hands before going into your room. Just as you opened the pizza box, excited to reveal the greasy cheesy goodness from heaven above – you were left in shock, with your eyebrows shooting upwards, eyes widened, and mouth forming an big ‘O’ as you read the note plastered on the lid.

P R O M?

Others may think it was stupid or too cheesy to be considered a good plan; to you it was stupidly cheesy and you loved it. Even though the note was speckled with grease, you kept it to this day. You turned around to give your response, only to be faced with ten kneeling on one knee holding a sunflower corsage sitting comfortably in a clear plastic box surrounded by white baby’s breath, all tied with a black bow on top, his signature wrapping.

You stood there frozen, not knowing how to react to his sudden act. He grinned madly and laughed at your reaction, snapping you out from your trace.

“Is that a yes?” He asked, hopeful.

You laughed and nodded at him, knowing you would rather go to prom alone if it wasn’t with Ten.

“Great, I was scared you had a date with your crush.” Ten joked.

You thought about your answer for a while. You didn’t necessarily have anyone in mind to ask out as your prom date, as the only person who always came to mind was none other than Ten himself. You rejected a few people who came and asked you out, stating you had someone in mind as you looked at them sadly.

Ten on the other hand was the same, he didn’t have anyone in mind but you. Thinking to himself it was better to spend prom with someone who truly meant something to him rather than a random person he didn’t even know.

Hence, the proposal for prom.

“I think my crush has a date already, so it’s fine.” You shrugged off coolly. Ten smiled at you and nodded, relieved by the answer before he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Aren’t you sad that another person is their partner for prom?” He asked again, this time curious.

“A little, but I feel like I don’t stand a chance with him.” You said, smiling sheepishly at the end.

“Then, we’ll show him what he’s missing out on then.” Ten stated proudly as he sent a wink towards you.

You smiled softly at him and nodded. He’s not going to miss out on much, you thought, losing your train of thought as Ten buried himself under your blanket, urging you to hurry up.

Prom rolled out faster than you expected it to. One morning you woke up in your old t-shirt and oversized loose cotton pants, lazing out in your bed till late afternoon. The next, you were up, showered and off to do your hair, pick up your prom dress, and pamper yourself for the whole day.

The once loose old t-shirt and oversized long cotton pants changed to an elegant long black dress which hugged your curves and showed off your figure. Your once messy hair was styled and smelled amazing, a simple long gold necklace draped across your collar bones, and the most dreaded part: the heels.

At 8PM sharp you heard the doorbell ring, signaling Ten’s arrival.

He came in looking like a prince. Ten was dressed in a black dress shirt, paired with formal pants that enhanced his long legs, his neck constricted with a black tie, it seemed like he was glowing under the dark fabric. You held your breath, noticing him grow more charming the more you laid your eyes at him.

Ten smiled when he saw your figure from the top of the stairs, reaching out a hand for you to take. Slowly you went down like the girls you often see in the cliché romcom series, taking his hand that was fully extended towards you.

Instantly you felt the rush of electricity, the warm skin embracing your cold hands. It felt right.

“You look amazing.” He said, smiling giddily like a child.

“And so do you.” You said back.

He slowly took out the corsage, slipping it on your wrist. You stared in awe at the contrast of the bright yellow flora wrapped around your wrist with a black ribbon between the black clothing you wore. You did the same for him, taking his part of the corsage and pinning it on the pocket near his chest, giving a bigger contrast against his pale skin and his black formal.

It seemed surreal but that night, you thought both of you were meant to be.

“Ready?” he asked.

You smiled, linking your arm with his as you hug his figure close to yours, wanting nothing but to savor the moment between the both of you.

That night, it was the first time you felt fairytales could be translated into real life.

It took you approximately two hours for your feet to completely die on you. You sat down on the row of empty chairs beside the long table filled with glorious food, a red cup of artificially flavored punch in your hand. You played around with it, occasionally your head bopped around to the music being played.

When the lights suddenly dimmed, you raised your head upwards to meet Ten’s. His forehead gleamed with sweat, hair disheveled, yet he ginned wider like nothing mattered.

“One last dance?” He asked, his hand extending for an invite, encouraging you to take it.

You knew your feet were dead, pierced under the heels. Yet you still smiled like it was nothing, nodding and taking his hand. He pulled you further into the crowd, taking your figure into his embrace. He turned around when he found a space, instinctively his hands circled around your waist. You could feel the warmth that radiated from his hand, the blast of the AC was nothing compared to his touch. You returned his grin with a smile, your hand circling around his neck.

That was enough for Ten to know you were comfortable, pulling you closer to him, closing the gap in between. Your eyes fluttered shut, your heart beating rapidly, seemingly wanting to break free from your ribcages and attack Ten. You smiled to yourself, fairytales can be real.

“I’ll get you Shake Shack if you let me in that head of yours.” You snapped your eyes open, looking at Ten’s gleaming ones.

“My thoughts are worth more than Shake Shack.” You snapped at him, he laughed.

“You’re thinking about that crush of yours?” He asked, tone soft as he gazed at you sadly.

“No.” you said without much thought.

“No?”

“My crush isn’t here” You lied. Ten hummed, nodding at your answer.

“Are you sad that your crush isn’t here?” He asked again. You shook your head, giving him a smile.

Ten leaned closer towards you. Your heart drummed to the point you could barely hear the music booming on the speakers, or the crowd chattering to oblivion. You closed your eyes, anticipating what he might do after. He placed a delicate kiss on your forehead, sighing silently at the end. You never knew what the meaning behind that sigh was, whether it was good or bad.

When he pulled away, Ten seemed fine. There weren’t any hidden emotions being spilled, there was only a wide goofy grin plastered on his feature. You had your hope in him confessing, but it seemed unlikely knowing Ten probably saw you as nothing but a dear friend.

It didn’t take him too long to snap out of his own world, pulling you away from the crowd towards the cool midnight air.

“Where are we going?” You blurted out.

Ten turned his head to face you, feet still pacing towards his parked car. His eyes squinted at yours, eyebrows furrowed. You knew he was silently judging you, especially since Ten was never a master in concealing his expressions.

“Midnight drive.”

You remembered the silence of the road during that ungodly late hour. No traffic jams, smooth ride, it went well. The night was dark, the only given light from the moon. You often found yourself glancing at Ten, amazed by his features.

You felt the car halt during a red light, its man-made neon lights flashing across his face, sculpting his features. You gazed in admiration at the result, thinking that he could be an exhibit displayed in an art museum.

“Stop staring or I’ll poke your eyes out.” He said. You turned away instantly, acted as if you weren’t ogling him.

Ten laughed at your behavior, he said nothing and proceeded to drive. He made a turn, and you found yourself in the drive-thru of McDonalds. It was still Prom and having McDonalds with a flashy tux and a bedazzled dress was a perfect way to end it.

Then Ten parked his car alongside the river, letting you eat whilst staring at the breathtaking view; you couldn’t ask for more. He rolled down the window and turned off the engine. You could feel the harsh rumble slowed down to nothing, allowing the soft rippling of the waves to replace it. Ten rummaged through the paper bag, taking out the food. He passed you your order and you quickly munched on one of the fries. Ten opened his mouth, making some random sounds to get your attention. You took one of the fries and put it in his gaping mouth. He hummed in satisfaction.

“I want the Mcflurry!” You demanded

Ten rolled his eyes at you but still he complied, giving you the dessert. You smiled at the melting dessert, taking a fry and dipping it inside the cup. You moaned at the taste; how you loved the contrasting taste of salty with the sweetness.

“Give me one!” Ten stated. You nodded, scooping some of the sweet flurry on the fry. Passing it to Ten, you could only hope it didn’t spill anywhere. You felt a little of it drip on your hand, yet you paid no attention towards it. Ten bit down and chewed.

You were about to pull your hand away and wipe the spilled ice cream, but Ten held you in place. Taking your hand in his, he latched his lips on your hand. You could feel him giving little kitten licks, cleaning the marked area. You felt yourself grow hot, blushing at the sudden intimacy from him. When Ten raised his head, he noticed the color of your face turning a few shades of pink and smiled to himself.

“Are you flustered?” He asked

You wanted to slap him. Before you could do much, you felt his grip on your wrist tighten. Ten pulled you closer towards him, the impact enough to send you toppling towards him. You yelped in surprised, Ten smiling at your confused state.

Both of your faces were inches from one another, just one nudge was enough to send your lips flying towards his. You felt your face grow hotter; his smirk prominent on his face. You knew Ten was doing nothing but tease, but a small part of you did hope he would lean forward. You saw the glint of mischief glimmer in his pupils, his hot breaths hitting your cheeks, but he was still as composed as ever.

“Did you expect anything?” He asked with a smirk on his face.

“Screw you, Ten.” You hissed out, stumbling on your words.

He let out a small chuckle, amused by your choice of comeback. Ten leaned forwards, finally closing the gap in between. You felt your heart leap when his lips touched yours, delicate at first before it became more needy. You sighed a little into the kiss, it was enough for Ten to continue. He pressed himself towards you, deepening the kiss. When he pulled away, he stared at you in awe. Your hazy eyes and your flustered face, accompanied by your whole body gasping for air, he thought you looked breathtaking.

He licked his lips, tasting the artificial cherry lip gloss you wore. He hummed in content, bliss even.

The next thing happened in a snap. The words that you always kept to yourself, never once slipping out. They were always deep inside, locked in a chest, key thrown into oblivion. In a snap, everything stumbled out without your control.

“I love you, Ten” And his eyes widen by your confession.

***

That happened 2 years ago.

You had always been safe in your life choices, in hope to ensure the safest outcome in the future. You tried your best to succeed in school, got into a decent college, and managed to find an average part time job as a librarian on your campus ground. You had thought if you choose your path wisely, it was easier for you to survive in life.

Ten proved you wrong.

You had always thought falling for Ten would eventually lead you to another stage in life, to finally settle down. You envisioned him not only as your life-long best friend, but also had the hope to be a potential lover.

You loved Ten, truly. But he made you realize that sometimes the safest decisions weren’t so safe after all.

After Prom, he drove you back home without a second thought. He walked you to the door, let you settle in the house before leaving. You had thoughts that Ten might leave you after the whole kiss situation, but he didn’t.

The next morning, he texted you again, to check up if you were feeling okay or up for another day out. You remembered declining, stating you were too tired from coming back so late – which was true. It was still fine, perfect.

You had always thought Ten would realize how head over heels you were for him. It seemed impossible for anyone to be that dense, moreover he was always there around you. You remembered smiling rigidly when you noticed his expression.

His eyes widened; mouth slightly agape like a fish on the surface. You felt his hands shake a little, you felt it on your skin. Ten stuttered out his words, stumbling here and there not being able to fully form a complete sentence.

You had never seen him like that.

Ten called you the next morning, and you still had your hopes for your feelings to be reciprocated. Instead, he only replied you with—

“I am sorry, for everything. It was the heat of the moment, I got carried away”

You didn’t know what hurt more. A rejection; it was cruel, and it hurt, but you knew Ten wouldn’t lie to you even if his life depended on it. Or the fact he disappeared straight after; Ten wasn’t there the next time you tried to contact him, no calls, no texts, nothing.

You knew Ten’s dreams; he spoke about them countless time during your high school days. He wanted to perform in front of thousands, to show his passion and love for his art. You supported him; you knew his potential.

You had seen him practicing, dancing and singing till late at night. Often mad at him for not taking care of himself, being that friend who helped him to pass all his subjects, to a mother who always brought him meds and food to ensure he was eating well.

You cared for Ten, too much sometimes.

The moment he told you he didn’t want to go to university, you didn’t know how to react. Ten brushed your expression off and stated that going to university together or not, he would still be the same Ten you know and grew up with.

He didn’t keep his promise.

You cried a few times, feeling lost for the sudden loss in your life. You heard from your parents that you would meet people like Ten once you entered university; you wanted to believe them. They meant no harm, not wanting to see you cry. But you knew you couldn’t possibly believe every word they said.

Ten was one of a kind, and you still loved him.

Each day dragged on longer than before. You had never felt the overwhelming emptiness, the lack of notifications from him. It felt empty.

You had never felt the loss and emptiness, until you felt him slip out of your life.

He left no traces. His room still the same, sheets still tucked neatly. But his scent was weak, it wasn’t him. It took you quite a while before you could finally accept his absence in your life, Ten had his own life now.

Yet, even after all of that—you were still in love with him.

It was another typical day for you. Finishing classes on campus you ran to the library to start your shift. You went to check your attendance on the board and proceeded to the main desk to settle down. You sighed a little, calming down your racing heart from the small sprint you did.

You took one of the books on the desk, looking at the books to be returned and due for the day. You hummed in acknowledgement before placing it back down. Taking your laptop and papers from earlier lectures, you started doing your own work. It was a few hours of silence in the library. People came and went, coming up to ask for books, information, or just to return and borrow books for the remaining days. It wasn’t a hassle, as in only took you a short while to complete each task, then you were back doing your work once again.

It was a few minutes to closing time. You started packing up your things, putting each chair back in its original position, checking the remaining books that had been returned for the day or for any remaining people who were still roaming around the area. You were about to switch off the power and call it a day until the door opened, calling for your attention. You lifted your head to confront the new incomer, slightly annoyed to see people still dared to come in despite it was already closing time.

“I’m sorry, the library is closed for the—” You halted. It was as if the words stopped forming, your voice stopped functioning.

The familiar figure who had been beside you your entire life. From when he was a literal infant, growing to a rowdy teenager, and now a grown man. He remained the same, only a few changes. His skin was still as pale as ever, a real-life interpretation of Snow White. His dark locks and orbs, the pair of eyes you would let yourself get drawn into. You noticed he was a little skinnier, his eyes a little sunken. But his smile, his smile was still as bright as ever.

“T-Ten” You stuttered his name. Feeling odd by the sudden familiar yet unfamiliar name that had to roll out of your tongue.

“I’m back, love” Your heart swooned.

***

You bit down on the fries, feeling the familiar taste of salt hitting your taste buds. You sighed in bliss, knowing this was all you need after ending your campus and work life.

You turned your head, looking at Ten who was still rummaging through the paper bag for his designated order. He pulled out a burger, unwrapped it, and dug in. You chuckled a little at his hunger, especially when he left out a small moan.

“Did they not feed you?” You laughed.

Ten tried not to talk, chewing faster to swallow and answer your question.

“I had to go through a diet woman, let me enjoy the love of my life.” He said.

You were back at the same place after prom two years ago. In his car, takeout on both of your laps. The only thing that made it different was where the takeout was from. Instead of going through Mcdonalds, Ten got both of you Shake Shack. The promise he made two years ago but was never fulfilled because he was a broke high schooler.

You dipped the fries in one of your milkshakes, munching and groaning in bliss. Ten opened his mouth, whining a little to gain your attention. Like usual, you dipped the salty grease in the sweet dairy, delivering it to his mouth.

“How’s life now?” You asked him. His hand offered out the bitten burger in his hand and you took it, taking bites from it as you waited for him to answer.

“It was hard. But I survived, I’m here.” He said, laughing in the process.

There was a small moment of silence, neither of you spoke. You took small sips from your milkshake while Ten was munching away on his burger. You kept on glancing at Ten, a distant gaze in your eyes. There were a lot of questions in your mind, still spinning and left unanswered. Ten noticed the glances you threw at him, noticed how you gazed upon him with concern and curiosity, but also fear as if he might disintegrate once your eyes leave him.

“Are you staying?” You asked. Ten stopped, ears ringing a little.

You didn’t hear from him for a moment. Nervously, he would divert his attention from his food towards the view. He cleared his throat, looking at you a little before placing his unfinished food back in the paper bag.

“Let’s… go to your place. Netflix like usual?” He said.

You froze, not knowing how to process the whole situation. Lost without much thought, you mindlessly nodded at him. Just like that, he pulled back and drove to your apartment. Ten followed the GPS as it led him further into your neighborhood. You had no idea what was running through his mind, his facial expressions impossible to read, consumed in his deep thoughts.

Ten never realized how two years could change someone so drastically. You were out from your parents’ house, renting a decent apartment near your campus, filling your empty time with part time jobs. He had seen the way you interacted with people, the way you would smile or sometimes joke with them caught him off guard. Especially since he knew how socially awkward and shy you used to be with strangers; he found it amusing.

When you unlocked the door, opening it wide to welcome him into your personal space, Ten silently went in. You rushed to the kitchen and took a glass of water, gulping it down to quench the dryness of your throat. Ten helped himself, taking a new glass and filled it. You directed him towards your room, taking the historical laptop you’ve had since high school, allowing him to start the show as you washed up.

Ten heard the small noise from the closing door. His eyes glued at your retreating figure, sighing when he saw you being swallowed by the other room.

He hadn’t meant to ignore and go missing, he had dreams. Ten would always feel guilty for suddenly disappearing without any context, it was all due to his own contract within his company. Ten had spent the last few years locked up, practicing in order to achieve his dreams of becoming a successful performer. Other than that, Ten’s mind wandered towards you.

He thought about the kiss.

Remembering every single luscious moment of it, playing in his mind like a broken record. He still felt his heart beating like crazy, thinking he lost his chances when you exposed your crush around him but never once telling him who the crush was. He thought it was a stage in life where he was losing you, seeing you slip away between his fingertips. Hence, he restrained. Ten opted to be more cautious around you, fearing his attachment might go wilder.

The growing distance taught him a lot of things. How much more capable you were in life, how you were okay without him in your life. He thought he didn’t have the chance, he lost you during the process.

Ten was in love with his best-friend, with you, since forever.

He had his fair share of stages when he fell in love. The problem was he failed to realize that he had already been in love with you since you were young. Ten was in denial, opting to run away from you. Thinking how impossible it was to fall for his own best-friend, someone who was always there, and someone who was always there to look after him despite how he came back into your life so abruptly.

Ten ran away. He thought if he dated someone else, the feeling would go away. He thought wrong.

Every single person he dated had been nothing but odd. They never gave him the same joy, rush of adrenaline whenever he was around you. Their touch felt foreign on his skin, he found himself wanting to feel your touch on him forever, longing for it every time you pulled away from him. He didn’t feel butterflies from his given nicknames from his past ex-lovers, but the butterflies swarmed him when you called him an idiot or plainly by his name. You had made him crazy, and he wasn’t hating you for it.

Ten was in love, but he was scared to admit it. He opted to run away, thinking the feelings would go away eventually. He thought it was simple, he was only too attached to you, to the point he could only think about you. He went missing, gone without giving any news of his departure towards you.

But the more he ran, the more he felt the longing feelings reaching out towards you. Wanting nothing but to be enveloped in your embrace, dumb conversations late at night, random movie nights till dawn. But he also had the idea of having you as his partner, his lover, his partner in crime, his everything. He wanted you in his life, yet he feared losing you might be easier if it happened.

The growing distance only made him want you more, miss you more. He noticed love wasn’t so simple, it wasn’t easy to get rid of. Unlike water where you can wipe it off without leaving any stain—love, is thicker than water.

“Hey.” He called out when you walked out of the bathroom, hair damp from your shower. You perked up at his voice, snapping your head towards him, fully giving him your attention.

“Let’s hang out after your class, tomorrow.” Ten stated, or more like demanded. You nodded.

A month since you last saw him, Ten started entering your life once again. He made it seem like nothing ever happened, as if the two years was nothing but a short two weeks break.

Ten didn’t show you any sign of awkwardness or hesitation, he straight up jumped right in.

It was becoming more frequent. Meeting him after class or after work, getting dinner together, him accompanying you during tests weeks, bringing you coffee or sending you off to campus in the morning.

Desperation, exhaustion, and longing.

He felt as if he was always there, as if he never had left. But that two-year gap would never be filled. It was an endless void, consuming both of you, testing you, and pushing both of you to see who would break first.

Both of you broke at the same time.

“Was it really the heat of the moment that led you to kiss me?” You started the conversation. He had brought you to the nearest coffee shop in hopes of accompanying you in finishing your assignment. You, on the other hand, had other things in mind than the given project.

It had bugged you the moment Ten came back, the moment he came into your life once again as if he was never away.

You took your eyes away from your laptop, gazing at Ten who was avoiding your gaze. His eyes wandered around the small café, memorizing the minimal interior, enjoying the warm vibe the space portrayed, then he finally rested his eyes on yours.

“No.” He said.

“You lied.” You said. For the first time in his life, Ten lied to you.

Ten smiled sheepishly, shaking his head a little, amused by your unending questions. You waited for his answer, patiently you waited for him to speak first, continuing to type away on your laptop.

“I’m sorry for disappearing.” Ten spoke out. You hummed at his answer, letting him know none of it mattered. You were more than ecstatic seeing him back, those two years was erased or seemed like they ceased to exist.

“Were you afraid of something, Ten?” You asked him again. Ten didn’t voice out his answer, but from the look of shock in his eyes, you knew.

“It’s me.” You said as your eyes gazed at him sadly.

Ten felt his heart hammer, how it plummeted when he noticed the hurt in your eyes. He groaned internally; everything, it was all his fault.

“You were running away from me.” You stated. Ten didn’t answer, he swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling how dry it had gotten.

“You knew, I like you. That I’m in love with you.” You said. He winced at the confession, felt the desperation in your voice as you spoke.

“I love you, Y/N. I love you but I was scared.” He whispered out, soft and only audible towards you.

You abruptly stood up, taking all your belongings into your hand. Hugging all of them desperately, struggling to fit them all in the small space of your arms. You rushed your movements, dashing out of the café, you were sure you probably had made a scene, especially with Ten running out straight after to catch you.

“Listen, please.” He said desperately, heart drumming louder in fear.

You pulled away from him, causing your books and papers to fly out of your hands and land on the ground. You crouched down quickly, stuffing them sloppily into your bag. You knew Ten was still there, crouched to help you gather your stuff. You could feel his gaze run around from the ground to you, most likely with concern and fear.

“I’m sorry.” You snapped your head upwards and look at him.

Ten could feel his heart shatter. The red eyes, puffy and ready to cry, your whole body was already shaking due to the rush of emotions and adrenaline. The mixed-up feelings and longing were consuming you, never had you felt alone in a room filled with people, where all eyes were trained on you and Ten.

“Cut the crap, Ten.” You hissed out, tears streaming down your face, dropping to the ground.

“I should’ve told you—”

“You should’ve stayed! You left me, alone for two years without telling! Two years, Ten!” You snapped, feeling the tears flow down. One then another, it was a continuum by now.

“I was selfish, I didn’t know what was going through my mind. I’m truly sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt—”

“Ten.” You choked out, stopping him abruptly.

“Why?” He asked. You looked at him, confused.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you like me?” He asked again. You shook your head a little, a little in disbelief at his pushy behaviour by now.

“Because of you!” You snapped out and ran.

You didn’t care if Ten was tailing you from behind, trying to stop you. All you wanted was to run away from him, be alone for once. Ten didn’t have the right to pry into your life, not knowing how much you had sacrificed for him, and he decided to come back as if nothing even mattered.

His calls and texts were constant, coming into your phone with no end. You were bombarded with his spams, words of concern, plead for forgiveness, everything. You shunned away from Ten, afraid to meet him after the whole incident, fearing you might hate him if you did see him once again.

It took him another month before he showed up, on your front door of your apartment. You had the thought of him barging in, like those scenes from romcom movies where the guy fight for the girls’ love. Instead, Ten had his hands on the spare keys you gave him when he came back, easily slipping in without making any damage. Like the night after graduation, he stood around the doorframe elegantly. Tall and lean figure leaning on the sleek wood, eyes piercing around yours, lips pressed into a thin line as he was unsure of his next act.

“Do you want to get lunch?” He asked. You could hear his voice shake, causing it to come out like a mere whisper.

You wanted to throw him off, lock yourself further into your apartment, you did none of those. Instead you gave him a simple nod, and that was enough for him to pull you out of your own bubble once again.

***

“A rebound.” You said.

Your gaze rested on your food in your hand, playing with it with your utensils as you listened to his blabbering. Ten sighed a little and shook his head softly, both finding it hard to eat. He brought takeout once again, both of you locked in his car facing the Han river once again, but in broad daylight with his AC blasting.

“I didn’t want you to be a rebound, I was confused.” He said.

“I thought it was impossible if I fell in love with my own best-friend, you were there since…everything! And I thought if we did date, things will fell and I will lose you far easily!”

“Have you ever thought what I wanted?” You asked him, turning your body to face his direction. Ten swallowed a lump on his throat, shakes his head a little.

“Ten, I love you. I still do and that night I thought we had something.”

“I was scared, I was a coward. I didn’t realise that I’ve been in love with you for so long, and I chose not to acknowledge it!” He said, frustrated at this point. You stayed silent, listening to him this time.

“I thought liking you wasn’t going to work out, it scared me. And I chose to run away dating these people I don’t even feel much, thinking that my feelings will change. But oh wow, you are so fucking addicting.” He groaned; a hand ran up his face to his hair in frustration.

“You got me crazy, thirsting for you every single time you weren’t there. Everything wasn’t the same without you around me, Y/N. I came to realise that all too late.” You smiled a little.

Ten caught that small grin of yours, not knowing fully if it’s a bad or good reaction. Your smile widens more, breaking into a Cheshire grin and then you proceeded to laugh. At this rate, Ten was either scared or confused, but he waited patiently until you finished.

“I guess that two years long break was enough for us to clear our mind up” You stated.

Ten didn’t say much first, thinking about it for a while. When he caught the small gaze you direct at him, he knew he had to say something.

“Like what people said, distance makes the heart grows fonder. They weren’t wrong, it was odd not having you around me, and it made me realise a lot of things.” He said.

“And what are those things?”

“That no one can replace you, that you will be that only person I’ll truly love and long for.” Ten said, softly gaze upon you.

Two years. As distance grow and both of you grew older, maturing into adults, those were enough to make both of you realise how despite distance can change a lot of things, both still longs for the similar person. The touch they had lingering around, the smile that will light up your day, the voice which rang around your ears, the name that was enough to give you a surge of butterflies.

The growing time and distance weren’t enough to pull both of your feelings away. He kissed you that day, with meaning. Soft and delicate, afraid he might break you if he put more pressure. You could feel his tears running from his eyes, knowing too well he was tired, emotionally drained. You smiled in the kiss, pulled him in for more, wanting more. You loved him, he loved you.

And for the first time, both of you thought the whole world revolves around you. That was enough to make things official.

Two years, as time passed and distance grew.

Both of your feelings still remained the same, after all love is thicker than water.

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exauhstedsunflower · 4 years

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Catalina Tells The Best Stories

The house has been generally quiet all day. They’ve all been doing their own things, or quietly chatting as they pass by each other. Catalina herself had settled down to watch a new series on Netflix. She’d never admit to actually enjoying such a thing, but Love Island had been on her list for quite a while, so she’s very happy to have some time to finally watch it. She watches an entire season in one day, and as she finishes the last episode, snapping out of her Netflix induced haze, she realizes that the house has remained quiet. No one has come to bother her, or ask her any questions, or just check to see where she is, like they normally would. She finds this rather odd considering everyone is definitely home. She’d know if they left. The front door makes a distinctive noise when it opens, and she hadn’t heard it. Everyone is home, and no one has interrupted her show. That never happens.

She gets up from the nest of blankets she created on her bed and walks to her door, then down the hall, listening for signs of life. She slows to a stop as she comes to Kitty’s bedroom door, there’s talking coming from inside. It sounds like laughter. She knocks, and is invited in.

“What’s happening in here?” She questions with fondness at the sight in front of her.

Anne is sitting at the foot of Kitty's bed, while Cathy and Kitty herself are sitting against the headboard. Anna is laying on the carpeted floor next to the bed with a pillow, and Jane has her head on the woman’s stomach as a pillow of her own. They were all talking amongst themselves as she entered.

Kitty’s eyes light up at the sight of Catalina. “Lina should tell one! She tells the best stories!” Is what she gets as a reply. Catalina makes her way further into the room. She decides to join Anne at the end of the bed, the other woman moving to give her space to sit comfortably. The others seem to agree with this statement.

“Absolutely! Lina, tell us a story!” Anne agrees.

“A romantic one, please.”

“Ew, Jane, no. Lina, tell us a war story.”

“Anna, I’ve had enough of stressful stories after Cathy’s go.”

“Alright then Kit, it’s your room. What kind of story do you want?”

Catalina watches this conversation take place with amusement. They’ve been sharing stories, she gathers. Absolute children.

“I kind of agree with Jane. Lina, have you got any romantic stories?”

Catalina hums in thought, but decides pretty quickly that whatever she decides on it can’t be a Henry story. They’re all having too nice of a time to hear about how he treated Lina the first few years after they’d married.

“I think I can manage.” She says, which earns her a cheer. She smiles at that, then starts her story.

“My first husband, Arthur, was very sweet to me. Before I met him we corresponded by letter. All in Latin, though. I didn’t speak English and he didn’t speak Spanish. He’d tell me how he couldn’t wait to meet me, and that he was going to be the best husband he could. And when I was sent for him, while I was afraid and sad to leave my home in Spain, I was also excited to meet him. He always seemed so interested in what I had to say. And he seemed just as excited to actually speak in person.” She could go on forever about everything leading up to them marrying, but spared them the mushy feeling aspect of the boat ride to England.

“When we met we were supposed to speak in Latin, but as it turns out we spoke different dialects, so we still couldn’t understand each other.” There's a murmur of ‘how awful’ from the floor. It has to have been Jane, who is known for being a hopeless romantic. She supposes it was awful. It was certainly quite disappointing to not be able to speak properly after looking forward to doing so for so long.

“A few weeks after the wedding, I was rather lonely. It’s a bit hard not to feel lonely after weeks of almost no communication. And that's not to say we didn’t try! We tried everything, from writing notes to each other to gesturing violently when there was no paper around.” That last part gets some laughter from the bunch, who look very invested in the story so far.

“But still, I felt a bit lonely, and was quite down. So I took to dancing. I was even singing my favorite song. I thought I was alone, but actually Arthur was watching from the door. It was quite embarrassing, actually.” They all try to imagine a young and embarrassed Catalina. It’s hard, because the Catalina they know is so headstrong and collected.

She smiles knowing she has everyone hooked. She watches them all attempt the imagery from the story, then continues, “He laughed at me a bit. But then he came over to me and took my hands, and he tried to mimic my dancing. He was terrible, so I got to laugh at him back.” She chuckles at the memory. “So I taught him to dance my way, then he started singing a song in English, so he taught me a dance from England. Then, as we both realized we were awful, we ended up combining the two.”

“It was a disaster, but it was so fun. We didn’t need to understand each other’s languages to know what the other was thinking. The laughter and dancing said enough.” She finishes. She looks around the room to see that the other queens are staring at her in awe. They often compliment her story telling ability. Catalina credits this to having lived long enough to have stories to tell, though. Still, when they want a story, Catalina is the go to.

“That was so cute!” Kitty squeals as she jumps a bit in her seat. The others give various praise that sounds similar, and she smiles and thanks them.

“And as if to prove that he was so kind to me, there are letters found by historians from him to his family. They all say he was so happy to have me as his wife, and that I was beautiful and smart, all sorts of the nicest things. He would have been the best husband, may God rest his soul.”

#cathrine of aragon #kathrine of aragon #anne boleyn #jane seymour #anne of cleves #catherine of aragon #catherine howard #catherine parr #cathrine parr #kathrine parr #katherine parr #Why are there so many ways to spell Catherine??#six the musical #six #six fanfiction #oof

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lost-in-sokovia · 4 years

Text

toxic - chapter 6

hiiiiii! i hope you enjoy this chapter! the reader’s relationship with ransom is expanding even more and i’m super excited to take this farther! (may contain spoilers to Knives Out)

Thanksgiving was fast approaching, and you had no idea how to handle the fact you were going to handle that family once again.

Ransom had been kind enough to keep you with him the few days leading up to it, just so you had some time to mentally preparing yourself. After the other night when you had began to break out of your shell, Ransom was convinced things were just going better and better for him. But in a sense, they weren’t; why did he like the way you laughed? Why was the way your eyes caught the light mesmerizing to him? Why did he feel like the two of you were back in boarding school?

This is all stupid, Ransom thought to himself. This shit wasn’t what he intended. He was just having a bit of wimpy nostalgia to how it was before, and nothing more than that. He wasn’t fifteen again and thinking you were cute. Ew, none of that. He just wanted something to keep his intrusive thoughts away at night for this holiday.

You found this just as a reblossoming friendship. What you had stumbled upon accidentally led to something that you could stick with. Though things seemed to have just progressed quickly over one night, that didn’t bother you. Ransom seemed to have changed over the years. Sure, he was still cocky, and from what you gathered from Jacob he was still a playboy. But did any of that really necissarily matter? He seemed like he cared and wanted to develop a relationship with you. Why not?

You, unlike him, never had feelings towards him.

“Hey Ransom,” you said as you laid on the couch one afternoon. He glanced over at you from his chair. “Have you ever seen a Disney movie, like, ever in your life?” you asked with a small laugh. He rolled his eyes.

“Oh my god,” he muttered playfully. “I invite you to my home and you’re gonna make me watch some goddamn baby movie?” He asked. You giggled and sat up to look at him.

“Please.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No!”

“Ransom how have I never made you watch a movie during our years of friendship?” You inquired curiously. He scoffed with a smile.

“I’m pretty sure one time I let you show me a Disney movie in exchange for me showing you a horror movie,” he recalled. You nodded and breathed a small “ohhh.”

“I think I remember that,” you agreed. He nodded quietly and you looked down at your hands. That was before the two of you began to separate. He had found this movie via his new “friends” and was dying to show it to you.

“Aren’t you afraid of horror movies?” You asked in the darkness of his dorm. He scoffed.

“No, not since Kade and Mason showed it to me,” he said coolly. He played it off like he was the shit, when what he didn’t tell you was really those boys threatened to leave him if he didn’t watch it. You looked at him skeptically as he held “Carrie” in his hands.

“Ransom, I don’t know if this is the best idea...”

“Relax (Y/N),” he quoted Kade but used your name. “Why would I ever do anything to hurt you.”

Your nervous gaze pierced into him. That intimidated him, but he wouldn’t let you know that.

“‘Aladdin’ first, then yours,” you sighed reluctantly. He fist bumped the air and plopped down next to you.

“So...” you began after a moment. Ransom glared over at you with his blue eyes. “You’re saying you’d do it again?” you asked hopefully. He groaned and you cheered. “How does later tonight sound?” You asked as you stood up to stand in front of him.

“Nine sharp, and if you’re a minute late I won’t play the movie,” he ordered. You clapped and danced around, making your way back up to your room.

“Hell yeah!” You wooped as you walked up the stairs. Ransom shook his head but couldn’t help smile.

You’ve almost got her wrapped around your finger, Ransom’s thoughts began. He frowned. What’s going to happen when she leaves, Ransom? You can bet she’ll never want anything to do with you again. FOR REAL this time.

Ransom stood up and shook his head, walking over to the sink to drink some water. He thought about it though, what would happen once you left? After he got you to do what he wanted? What would he be left with after that?

He erased those thoughts from his head and sighed, walking up to his room to take care of a few things.

~•~•~

You called Claire as soon as you got back to your room. You were practically bouncing around as the phone rang.

“Hey girl!” Claire’s voice rang through the phone. You felt happy knowing she was still there to talk even though you two were still so far away.

“Hey Claire! What’s up?” You asked as you slowly walked around your room.

“Oh not much, I ended up at my moms for Thanksgiving,” she muttered in annoyance. You could hear yelling in Spanish in the background as you chuckled. Her mom was strict for sure, but she never failed to crack you up.

“Ohoho, how’s that working out?” You asked. You could picture Claire’s annoyed face and brown eyes filled with reluctance.

“All my brothers are here,” she said shortly. Claire was the middle child of five children. She had two older brothers and two younger brothers. Claire grew up in the Bronx so living in the main parts of NYC didn’t actually put her far away from her mother, but she didn’t like to think about that.

“What? No way!” You exclaimed. “I thought Bobby was staying in Florida this year?” You said.

“Well, he figured since everyone else was showing up that he had an obligation. Plus, Nikky is home from college so Bobby can’t pass up an opportunity to see his favorite brother,” she retorted. You shook your head, appalled.

“Damn,” you sighed. Claire cleared her throat.

“Anyway, how are you and Prince Charming?” She asked. You jumped a little.

“We’re doing really good, actually!” You exclaimed. “We got close again relatively quickly. We’re having a movie night tonight,” you added excitedly.

“Oh my god (Y/N)!” Claire squealed. You nodded quickly and twirled around. “This sounds like something a couple would do. Omg, do you think he’ll kiss you tonight?” She asked. You felt tingly inside as you did a double take.

“What? No! Claire, I’ve only been here two days!” You reasoned.

“But I thought you said things were going well,” Claire replied sadly.

You sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see...” you trailed off. You heard Claire’s mother yell something to her in Spanish.

“¡Aguanta, aguanta! un minuto mamá mi dios!” She shot back. You giggled. “I gotta go, my mom is about to have a meltdown if I don’t help her with cleaning,” she muttered.

“Alright girl, I’ll talk to you later,” you laughed. Claire said bye once more before hanging up the phone. You fell back onto your bed. Were you and Ransom really actually close enough again for him to do something like that? Probably not. Definitely not.

~•~•~•~•~

The moon shined down through the trees and streaks of light covered the floor of the house. The main lights were soon going to be turned off leaving only background lights, the two of you were going to depend on the TV as your main light source.

Ransom walked down from his room that night in his pajamas and scoffed with a grin. You had a huge bowl of popcorn prepared and pillows and blankets (both some of his and yours) set up neatly on the floor.

He glanced at his phone; 8:59PM.

He opened it up to go as far as to get to the exact second.

“Ten,” Ransom began to yell. He heard a yelp and a thud before running of feet. “Nine, eight, seven-”

“I’M COMING!” You yelled. He watched you almost trip down the stairs and breeze past him in pajamas of your own as he continued counting.

“-Four, three, two-“ You dove onto the couch. “One.” You smiled at you tried to catch your breath. He cocked an eyebrow and smiled at you. “Not as punctual as you used to be,” he observed. You shrugged with a smirk.

“Not as stuck up as I used to be,” you replied. He turned off the main lights and walked over and sat down next to you but at a comfortable distance. He didn’t want to get too close, that would be weird.

“So what will you be torturing me with tonight?” He asked as he stared at the TV. You grabbed the remote from in front of you and brought up Netflix. You grinned as you pulled up your feature film for the night. Ransom squinted.

“‘Princess and the Frog!’” You announced happily. He glared at you for a minute as you laughed, pulling your hair back into a ponytail. “C’mon,” you reasoned as you popped a piece of popcorn into your mouth. “It’ll be fun.”

“You know you really haven’t changed all that much,” Ransom told you as he took the remote and pressed play. You stuck your tongue out at him before directing your attention to the screen. Ransom briefly noticed how your eyes lit up with excitement before he turned his attention in the direction of yours.

~•~•~•~•~

After giving Ransom a short synopsis, laughing at Charlotte (your favorite character), gushing over how much you loved Naveen, singing along to many songs, and dancing to “Going Down the Bayou,” you were asleep on Ransom’s shoulder by the time Naveen was going to try and propose to Tiana on the steamboat.

Ransom didn’t mind, which surprised himself. He was genuinely caught up and interested in the film now (which he would never admit to you). So sure, maybe Disney can produce a decent movie. Fine. Whatever. Doesn’t mean all their movies are this good.

Ransom watched how nervous and fumbled Naveen was. He smirked, knowing he would do a way better job at proposing if he ever wanted to. But then he frowned, realizing how similar to Naveen he was; reckless, (handsome), a playboy, rich parents... No no, he wasn’t going to compare himself to a stupid cartoon character.

Then his mind wandered to the sleeping girl on his shoulder, and how similar she was to Tiana. She was stubborn, hard-working, kind, noble, and always willing to help out a friend.

Ransom completely zoned out until the movie was over. After he came back, he glanced down at you. Your eyes were still shut and your chest was still slowly raising and lowering with regulated breaths. He sighed; you weren’t going to be moving yourself.

He slowly moved and adjusted to where he could pick you up and carry you bridal-style to your bed. He slowly lifted you up and held you close to him. He made his way slowly to the stairs and looked down at you. He resisted his natural urge to smile and instead kept on track.

When he reached your room he gently set you down on your bed and pulled the blanket up on you. Your sleeping form shifted naturally into a more comfortable position and he grinned, shaking his head. He slowly back away and turned off the lights. The moon shined through the window onto the bed and lit up your form.

Ransom slowly closed the door and sighed, walking over to his room. He couldn’t possibly be going soft for you. He wouldn’t allow it.

~•~•~•~•~

You woke up the next morning a little later than usual. When you found yourself in your bed, you searched your brain for the slightest memory of waking up and moving.

But if you didn’t move yourself, then...

Your insides got all tingly and you threw the blanket over your blushing face. Did Ransom really move you? Oh my god...

You heard your phone ding and grabbed it off the nightstand.

(Y/N), how was movie night?? What happened? I need ALL the details!!

You read Claire’s text and groaned, laying it back down. You didn’t feel quite ready to answer that yet. You thought about how Ransom could have possibly reacted. Was that awkward for him? You probably looked DISGUSTING when you were asleep. You whined and dragged yourself out of bed, deciding that you couldn’t stay in your room forever.

~•~•~

You walked downstairs slowly and saw Ransom sitting on the couch by himself.

You creeped in and cleared your throat quietly. He turned around and glanced at you before turning back to the TV.

“H-Hey,” you said awkwardly as you stood behind the couch. He didn’t reply. You felt choked up until you glanced at the screen he was staring at. “Is that... ‘Tangled’?” You asked.

“Turns put your movie didn’t absolutely suck,” he said with a smirk. You shook your head and walked around to sit with him. You two watched in silence for a moment before Ransom spoke up again. “So did that movie last night really bore you that bad?” He asked sarcastically. You knew what he meant and turned red, laughing slightly to try and cope.

“Oh- haha, I uhm- sorry, I-“ You fumbled. He put his hand on your shoulder and you met his blue gaze.

“You’re fine.” He smiled. Your heart jumped and you nodded slowly.

Goddammit, you thought. he was putting some sort of spell on you. You knew you couldn’t let that happen.

Shit, Ransom thought. You were doing something to him and he didn’t know what. How could he let his plan begin to fail like this?

The two of you could never be more than friends, that would be toxic for the both of you.

look. did this chapter really contribute to anything? maybe. was it fluffy? yes. did this give reader and ransom’s relationship an opportunity to grow? yes. so i guess it did contribute overall. i hope you liked this chapter, the tension is beginning to grow and things are ramping up even more. chapter 7 will be out soon!💛

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talesofafangirlwithadvr · 4 years

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February Picks

And just like that another month is coming to a close. I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. I’ve continued watching some favorites from last month and am sad some have come to an end. Meanwhile a bunch of shows came back from their winter hiatus, so it was a lot of fun getting back into their story-lines again.

Be prepared for spoilers once again...

SANDITON

Masterpiece’s Sanditon ended this past Sunday, here in the states, and I am jumping on the campaign that we need a season 2! It can’t end like that with so many open ended story-lines (okay maybe just one or two, but still we deserve more).

Who would have guessed that Esther would become one of my favorite characters in this series and that’s mainly thanks to her well written character development. From the “villain” in episode 1 she grew into so much more and was such a complex character. I really enjoyed watching her story unfold. I am SO HAPPY she married Babington and his speech to her about living side by side, knowing he loves her more and just wants to see her happy. Wow....Goals. I want to see this relationship progress even more (if that’s possible) with a season 2. Speaking of things I want to see: Will Sanditon be rebuilt and how long will it take? Will there be an alternative allowing Sidney to be with Charlotte? Major twist there as their relationship doesn’t end with a happily ever after (very un-Austen like for the main protagonists). When he returned at the end stopping Charlotte’s carriage, I seriously thought he would have said he broke up his engagement, but alas. The previous episode I really wanted them together (thanks to Sidney’s speech to Charlotte when he told her his ex-fiance left and how Charlotte makes him a better person *melts* and of course their dancing scene the episode prior was amazing). In the early parts of the season, while I knew Charlotte and Sidney would be a thing-eventually, I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for Young Stringer’s character and my appreciation never truly left. I felt he was paired well with Charlotte. Such a tragic ending for him. He wanted to better himself (much like the Parker brothers) but after his father’s death he no longer will. Throughout the series, I enjoyed Miss Lambe’s character, but I agree with many reviews that I was reading that her character was kind of dropped at the end. I’m curious what her reaction will be when she finds out about SIdney’s engagement...

Thank you again, Andrew Davies. I was not expecting to like this adaptation so much.

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST

The best way to describe one of NBC’s latest shows is that I feel happy and in a good mood whenever I finish an episode. (And then I’m immediately upset that I have to wait a week for the next one. I watch them too fast.) I’ve heard many people compare it to Glee and while I could definitely understand that I keep getting drawn back to Abc’s short lived Eli Stone. There Eli (played by Jonny Lee Miller) could hear people around him sing and dance, which helped him solve upcoming law cases. In this show he was experiencing a brain tumor, but so far Zoey seems all clear. Instead, a freak accident while she is getting an MRI scan and listening to music, allows for her to hear people sing (and perform) their innermost feelings. There’s still some logistics to discover like what Zoey looks like when she watches these performances (does she move around or look like she’s just staring into the air. I might be thinking into this too much...I know). We just recently found out that sometimes she can speak to others as they are happening. Each time she hears someone sing she is meant to help them with something in their life. It could be a family member, co worker, friend, or like this past week her boss. While there’s one major problem (that she has to fix), there are often multiple songs in one episode which I really enjoy. The cast is also very strong, both musically and as actors. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the season is headed!

TO ALL THE BOYS P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU

When the first film was released on Netflix about 2 years ago, I was instantly a fan. I was unfamiliar with the book, but quickly added to my TBR list. (My to read list is extremely long, so I still haven’t gotten to it. Story of my life.) I really enjoyed watching Lara Jean experience the results of having her secretive love letters distributed to her past crushes. I was definitely Team Peter and Lara by the end of the film. They were adorable. The sequel was released earlier this month and I kind of forgot about it. It felt like we had been preparing for the sequel for a bit and then I must have been watching too much Disney Plus to miss the trailer. Watching P.S. I still love you, I just missed the original film. There were parts I liked and I was a big fan of John Ambrose (and of course Jordan Fisher because he’s great), but overall I felt like much didn’t happen. Also, Lara and Peter’s relationship kind of bothered me in parts. I understand that for both of them this was the first time they were in this kind of relationship and could feel awkward about certain things (like the Valentine’s singing-gram or writing an original poem). The main part I did like about them was towards the end when he arrived at the retirement home. I don’t say this often, but I have no want to re-watch it any time soon.

VIOLETTA SEASON 1

Speaking of Disney Plus....

In a quick month and a half I have successfully watched ALL 80 episodes of season 1 of Violetta. I feel so accomplished and know the withdrawal will happen very soon. (I just finished last night and I’ve been listening to the music a lot recently). I’m so upset that season 2 has not be released on Disney Plus yet. I thought it would be by now because the streaming service has been up for a good amount of months and this show was so popular around the world. Unfortunately, I have not been lucky with my Google searches for when they’ll release it and no luck with YouTube either (no English caption options). I’ve been hearing that season 2 is really great because season 1 did a nice job of establishing these characters and now we get to see more story-lines. I will miss the students and teachers at the Studio as well the home-life at the Castillo’s house. Throughout 80 episodes it’s understandable to love and hate several characters as you’re with them for a good amount of time. For some people it was a roller coaster, but there were a good amount that I liked pretty consistently. I am a fan of Violetta and Leon and they had some super cute moments. I think it was about episode 35 where I truly felt like connection. When Tomas left the love triangle for a bit I actually grew to like him and would often joke how he never smiled and had a Tomas face. I really liked You Mix and the introduction of Frederico. Some great songs came out of that section like Ven y Canta and Tienes el Talento, but my favorite is definitely Ser Mejor. And of course, I will always have love for Pablo. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to miss reading subtitles (I really do feel like I know more Spanish now). Definitely check out this show if you want something drama filled and funny at the same time.

LEGACIES

I know I dedicated a whole post to Chris Wood’s return as Kai Parker on Legacies. (See the article here:https://talesofafangirlwithadvr.tumblr.com/post/190761328673/omg-legacies-2x12) But I still had to include it in this wrap up because once again Legacies is doing a great job this season. I was so excited to see it when it came back from the mid-season hiatus. Since the return of Wood it has gotten more of a TVD vibe than usual, which is great. I haven’t watched the last episode, but have seen a clip of Kai masquerading at the school. I am going to be very interested to see for how long he hangs around and how long it takes for them to discover him AND how Josie handles the evil inside of her.

BROOKLYN NINE NINE

Thank goodness this show got renewed (and picked up from NBC). When it started a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded how much I missed it. I can’t get over that this is already the second season on NBC. As usual the hi-jinks of the Nine Nine have been entertaining to watch. The Jimmy Jab games were great. I loved how Hitchcock was so desperate to win that he was taking Scully’s array of pills. What an ending with Debbie! Did not think she could be capable of that. I can’t wait to see the outcome next episode. I’m so excited for a Santiago-Peralta baby. It was a great episode when they were hiding it from Charles and Adrian returned. I’ve seen the movie Memento and it is great! It was hilarious each time he was like, ‘I don’t know what that is’ and then saying ‘Finding Dory’ solved everything. I am so happy that this show was suggested for me to watch and fill my Office and Parks and Rec void. Whenever a new episode’s on the DVR I can’t wait to watch it.

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

And last, but certainly not least, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow has once again not disappointed me this season (I know it’s still early, but I’m optimistic). It started at the end of January following the events of Crisis and I liked how this season transitioned with all the changes (the major one being the introduction of Zari’s brother). I am really happy to see her again though and how she is having these flashes of her old life on board the Wave-rider. I can’t wait to see that reveal happen (especially because as of right now only Nate knows the ‘truth’). I love seeing Ava as a permanent part of the Legends crew and as stepping in as Captain when Sara was away. She is a great addition and I like how quirky she is since we first met her. Her and Sara are perfect. I also love Ray and Nora. Nora as a fairy godmother is fantastic. One of my favorite episodes was the one with the 80s dance. Her role in all of that was great and her realization with what she can provide for these kids. I feel like this is going to be the reason Ray leaves the Legends. I remember seeing Brandon Routh’s Instagram Post about leaving the show and this feels like the reason he will. I hope that isn’t for a while though because I am going to miss him a lot.

Until March!

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les-francs-tireurs-s23-e1-blog · 4 years

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Les francs-tireurs Season 23 Episode 1 : Full_Episodes

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second-string-loser · 5 years

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Tyrus x The Society

Okay second time is a charm! This is an AU where the Andi Mack characters are students from West Ham, Connecticut and they get caught up in the story of the Netflix original series, The Society. It helps to know the story of the show, but you dont have to in order to enjoy the fic.

Chapter One- What Happened?

Cyrus' head felt extremely heavy. This play felt like it was going to last forever, like seriously forever. He managed to power through the first half but after intermission he suddenly felt much more exhausted. He was only there to support Amber, who had managed to get almost everyone they knew to come watch the show. She wasn't even in the play very much. The leads were Harry and Cassandra, known for being the schools biggest rivals. But nonetheless Cyrus and the rest of his friends were there to cheer Amber on, no matter how minimal her role.

Finally the house lights came up. However, Cyrus only knew the house lights had come up because Andi forcefully hit him over the head with her program to wake him up. He shook himself back into reality and stood up to go see Amber.

They walked backstage, past where Cassandra and her sister were talking, and past where the stage crew was already putting things away all the way back to the dressing rooms. On their way there they saw what seemed to be Harry and some girl doing. . . well unspeakable things, but decided it was best for everyone if they just ignored it.

In the dressing room everyone exchanged hugs, and congratulations to Amber. Even Buffy, who had definitely gotten much warmer towards her these past few years. Everyone had really, especially Andi. She'd never admit it, but there was most certainly a crush forming, maybe even a mutual one.

After a few minutes of talking Cyrus decided to head out. He was about ready to start sleeping standing up and wanted to get home safely without dozing off at the wheel. So he said his goodbyes and left the way he came. Harry was no longer with his girl, instead he was arguing with Cassandra. What's new. Apparently there was a party that Cassandra wasn't invited to. Cyrus wasn't either, but that didn't bother him in the slightest.

He slid past the rivals quarrel and out the double doors into the lobby. When he exited the building he was hit with a wave of an unpleasant, yet familiar smell.

"Oh god!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah," Came a voice from someone outside the door, "The smell's back."

Cyrus turned to see a boy leaning against the wall, one whom he recognized as Tj Kippen. Cyrus didn't hate Tj, but there wasn't enough interactions between the two for him to form a good opinion either. Tj had just always been the staple jock that everyone knew. Captain of the basketball team, class clown, incredibly handsome. The boy was one big American high school cliche.

"When did it come back?" Cyrus questioned, covering the bottom half of his face with his shirt.

"Intermission. That's when I came out here. There wasn't a smell at first but then all of a sudden, it was just back. Like someone dropped a massive stink bomb on all of West Ham."

"Oh," Cyrus paused for a minute, unsure of whether he wanted to continue this conversation, "Can I ask why you came out of a play at intermission but never went back?"

"Look Cyrus, that is your name right? You seem really cool, but I've never really talked to you. So I'm going to continue sitting here mysteriously and you can just go home, you look tired. Have a great night though, and make sure to keep your windows sealed tight." He said the last sentence with a chuckle.

Cyrus looked down at his feet, "Thanks, you have a good night too."

He started back to his car. What a weird interaction, certainly not one he expected to have tonight.

Eight AM wasn't when Cyrus preferred to wake up on a Saturday, but today he found himself stumbling out of bed early in the morning. The Great Smoky Mountains field trip was today, and Cyrus was ecstatic to finally be going. His friends were already spamming a group chat with excitement for the trip.

Only upperclassmen are allowed on the trip so they've had two years to build up high expectations. Andi's had her bag packed for months. Cyrus on the other hand, packed his bag just last night. He gave it a once over, and once he made sure everything was there he headed out. His parents went with him to both say their goodbyes and so that his car wasn’t at the highschool for the entire duration of the trip.

Finally, after many hugs from all four parents, he was free to go meet his friends. Luckily they all got onto the same bus. But not as luckily, there were five of them and only two people could sit on a bench. A few days ago they figured out a fair way to see who’d sit alone, and Cyrus picked the short straw (literally, they drew straws). So he had to find his own seat while Andi, Buffy, Jonah, and Amber all sat together.

After a few minutes of sitting alone, no one had tried to sit with him. He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or offended.

“Is this seat taken?” A familiar voice said, snapping Cyrus’ head towards the aisle. Tj was standing there, leaning on the seat in front of them.

“Uh. . . no, it’s not. You can sit.” There was a moment of silence before Cyrus finally said something else, “Why did you want to sit with me? There’s tons of jocks in the back.”

“That’s the football team, I’m a basketball guy, we don’t really hang out. Plus, I’m honestly kind of scared of Clark. He seems really aggressive. What about you, you do any school activities.” C

“Film Club,” Cyrus said, thinking that the topic of the conversation was being changed.

“Okay so if I asked you ‘Why don’t you go sit with the spanish club kids?’ You’d tell me no because you don’t know them. It’s the same for me, I don’t really know any of the football guys. Well except for Grizz, we have AP Literature together.”

“Wait, you take AP Lit?” From there the conversation flourished, there was never any awkward pauses or silences.

Cyrus was the first one to get drowsy, his answers to questions got slower and more nonsensical. Eventually the whole bus seemed to doze off, until the hissing of the bus doors opening woke them all up again. Cyrus’ head was leaning on Tj, but he quickly pulled away and hopen the other boy didn’t notice.

“Are we there?” Tj managed to say, while still waking up.

Cyrus looked out the window, and made out a figure that looked like his school, “I. . . I think we’re home.” He said, confused, and unsure of what was going on.

“Change of plans, rock slide. The road was closed, you’re back home.” The bus driver said over the speaker.

“Okay, well I’m gonna go back to my house. It was cool talking to you Cyrus.” Tj stood up from his seat and was the first one off. Cyrus found his friends, they were all pretty upset that the trip was canceled. They got off the bus and stood in the courtyard, where no one was waiting for them.

“Maybe no one told our parents that we’d be back,” Amber suggested. That sounded rational, there was no reason for them to question it.

So the group split up and all walked back to their own homes. West Ham was a safe New England town, there wasn’t a high crime rate that would’ve worried the kids.

Back at his own home, he entered the door and quickly noticed that there was no one awake. That was strange because with his dad and step mom, someone was always working late or watching TV until midnight. He went up to their room, but they were nowhere to be found. Before he could even begin to question what was happening, his phone started to go crazy. Messages were spamming in at a mile a minute. It seemed that every kid from the field trip had been put in a group chat, and everyone was talking at the same time.

Harry: people are saying their families are gone, anyone else notice that?

That was the first message, and from there everyone went crazy. It seemed that the entire town was just gone. Save for those who were on the busses. The busses had also disappeared, along with their drivers. No one knew what was going on or what to think, and the chat wasn’t helping anything.

Cassandra: This isn’t helping! Everyone come back to the courtyard and we can see what’s happening.

Cyrus wasn’t sure what to think. He needed his friends to help get his mind cleared. So he texted their smaller group chat, which was much more calm.

Cyrus: Are your houses empty too? Andi: Yeah. Both mine and Cece’s house. What the hell is happening? Jonah: Maybe we should go to the courtyard. Thats where everyone else is going. Amber: Yeah. I’ll meet you guys there.

He put his shoes back on and headed right back out of his door, down the way he walked home and towards the courtyard. When he got there Andi and Jonah had already made it, so he found them to try and get more information. Someone had brought some beer, and it was being passed around, but Cyrus refrained.

In the middle of their conversation, a loud voice boomed, “The fucking church is open!” and everyone ran to get inside. They probably figured that a church would be an amazing place for a party. Which it kind of turned out to be. There were speakers, and places to sit, if it weren’t so sinful there’d be parties in the church all the time. More and more people showed up, and more and more people brought booze. Eventually everyone was trashed.

The other four were off dancing and drinking, while Cyrus stayed by the wall, completely sober. One person should stay responsible, he thought. Then, drunkenly, Tj stumbled over towards him.

“Hey! Little guy. What’s up, you don’t look like you’re having any fun,” He leaned against the wall next to Cyrus in order to keep himself up.

“I’m having a great time, I love watching people, observing them.”

“Well I like observing you.” Tj looked into Cyrus’ eyes and sat there for a moment. Then he leaned in quickly kissed the other boy. He leaned away and stared once again.

“You can’t just do that,” Cyrus said under his breath.

“Yeah. Well I did. Okay little guy, see ya later.” He pushed himself away from the wall and staggered away.

Cyrus felt like he’d had enough for one night, so he let his friends know he was leaving and went back to his house. It was strange that none of his family were home, but he managed to fall asleep okay.

Because he’d had to get up so early the day before Cyrus decided to sleep in today, and for a moment he’d forgotten that the people of his hometown had disappeared. The large group chat was spamming like crazy, so he checked to see what all the fuss was about.

Campbell: Bad news, we’re fucked. The borders are nothing but woods, it’s like the real world completley fucking disapeared.

Luke: We’re putting together a party to go out and see what’s beyond the borders lmk if you’re up for it

A few people had replied that they were interested, but Cyrus only took notice of one person.

Tj: I’m in

He wasn’t sure why, but Tj going on the search party made him really nervous.

Cassandra had organized for a town meeting that night. She was worried that since there were no adults or rule makers, people would go crazy. And she was right, people were raiding the stores to steal all the food. Hell, someone already stole all the carrots.

All five kids had been at Cece’s house all day, just talking and trying to wrap their heads around what was going on. Jonah was stuck on theories of what was happening. His favorite was that aliens took their town to a dense forest but left all the people in Connecticut. Cyrus could tell that the constant speculation was really just a coping mechanism because he was scared of what really could’ve happened.

At 7 o’clock sharp everyone was gathered in the church for the meeting. Everyone was arguing, mostly Cassandra and Harry. The group agreed mostly with Cassandra, that they should share their belongings in order to preserve resources.

“Me and Cyrus have two houses each, there’s no reason we should just keep them to ourselves.” Andi made a good point to the rest of the kids. Although, it only stirred up more controversy. Soon there was nothing but constant noise, no one could discern what anyone else was saying. Until. . .

BANG

A gun fired. People turned to see Campbell, known for being quite unstable, holding the gun. He argued some more, and more. Really no different from before, but now everyone was aware he had a gun. The fighting didn’t stop again until the church doors swung open. The search party had returned, and they were carrying a body.

They cleared off the beer cans and red solo cups off of a table and set her down.

“She died from a snake bite,” Luke said, through tears, “We did everything we could but we couldn’t save her.”

A murmur spread throughout the crowd. Everyone was mortified.

“Do you guys all want to stay at Cece’s house tonight? I feel like we shouldn’t be alone.” Andi offered. The rest of them replied through silent nods. Amber leaned her head on Andi’s shoulder with glossy eyes, and then they all filed out of the church. Outside, Cyrus saw an unpleasant sight. Tj was sitting on the ground with his head in his hands.

“Hey,” he tapped Andi on the shoulder, “I’ll meet up with you in a bit I’m just gonna go grab some stuff from my house.” He walked over and slid down next to Tj. “are you okay.” No response. “That was probably pretty hard for you, I’m really sorry you had to see that.”

“Thanks I guess. I still don’t really think I’ve processed what happened. I kinda don’t wanna talk about it.” When he pulled his head from his hands Cyrus could see tear streaks and puffy eyes.

“Okay, sorry I bothered you,” Cyrus said, then stood up to leave.

“No wait!” Tj grabbed his arm. “I don’t want to talk about it, but I still want to talk to you. You’re the only person I want to talk to, actually,” Cyrus’ face softened into a smile and he sat back down. He put his head on Tj’s shoulder and let the conversation flow.

Tag List: @abg-blah @tjwatchesskam @luzawithoutu @ifcknly @shipsforsail

#tyrus #andi mack #tyrus fic

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elhoimleafar · 4 years

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Why I keep my blog in these times?

This question has been asked by several people lately, and generally, I try to avoid answering, but the truth, I have always tried to be honest about what I think, what I say and what I do.

Before having this blog my only contact with the rest of the people was a small page on MySpace where I published (with enormous difficulty) a ritual or a spell every week, in fact, it was the year 2005, and it was just on a MySpace page Where I found my first coven, back then in Caracas, Venezuela, and they organized events every week in various city parks, it was there that I began to relate to "witches of the city" as I like to call them, and I met at that time the world of Wicca and neopaganism.

But since long before I was already entering the world of magic and sorcery, only for me it was more about something familiar, and I believed from a very young age that it was something that each family practiced separately at home, it was not until The 13 years I understood (by my friend Jonathan) that this was not the case, and that on the contrary, we were a minority.

The origins

I came from having lived in a tiny town in Roraima, in the Amazon for about twelve years, on the border between Brazil and Venezuela, surrounded by healers, witch doctors, and ayahuasqueros. They took me to live in the capital city of Venezuela to send me to study four years at the military school, and after that, I attended a different school on the other side of the city before attending University.

When you go from having lived for so many years among people much older than you, essentially the elderly, and then you go from there to live in the big capital city, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the people around you, mostly schoolchildren who are showing off their cell phones, collection brands of shoes and caps. Collating with them was not easy, so it didn't take long for me to become "the newbie", the one everyone wants to bully.

When you arrive in the city, the concept that you have there about magic and sorcery, or about shamanism is something very different, and certainly more superficial. Back then, Santeria and Palo Mayombe were a fashion in Venezuela, they were "something cool", in which everyone wanted to participate, and my family had been part of them from the beginning, so I saw this "fashion" as something hurtful.

Followed by this, in the city, no one looked for plants in the field or bathed in the rivers, they did not cook soup in an old cauldron on wood and wood at the edge of the river, nor did they celebrate every time they got quartz or some beautiful mineral that they could interpret as "a sign" from the spirits, or as "a gift" from the ancestors. Herbs, oils, and crystals are something you bought at the store or even from a catalog.

Shamanism and healing were somewhat more superficial, however, I was lucky to meet very good healers and witches in the city. Witchcraft was then more a fashion to follow, an excuse to look cool and meet on the weekends with "your coven", a path that called you from the inside, now it was a trend followed by people looking for a place where to feel at ease without being judged, many came there and discovered that this was their way, many others got there, just in passing, others saw this as the best way to make fame and money fast.

Social networks

Once I had my first account on (back then) MySpace and attended these meetings in the Yahoo groups, I learned something extremely important, a lesson that I have followed even to this day... It always seems to know nothing, acts with discretion, does not be the know-it-all, let them judge you, let them act in front of you, and let them teach you each in their own way, that is where you will see with your own eyes, who really knows what he is talking about, who is really there for learning, and who really got there by reading a couple of books and already sells himself as the last court messiah, and of those last ones, unfortunately, there were many.

Over time I learned to judge a little less because I discovered that in the big concrete city, you could also find great believers, pagans, clairvoyants, witches and "modern shamans", who were not superficial fools because of living in the city, On the contrary, they took advantage of this as a huge advantage to teach classes, teach others, organize rituals online, create digital groups, and even held small conventions in a popular cafe to exchange esoteric books and share opinions.

Over time I got to know the internet blogs, and from there everything changed, it was my friend who recommended creating a blog and writing there every week, my personal rituals, my book recommendations, which rituals had worked and which did not, and what was my point of view about it, like “Today I used the invocation ritual of this book, and it didn't work as I expected, but maybe it is due to…”, and my blog in Spanish was always very popular.

Years later I began to write a blog in English, and since then I have kept my space, as a safe and free space to comment, free of judgments, because the Haters do not get in here to read, much less to respond, the brain does not It gives them for this, they are so busy promoting their hatred on Twitter and Instagram that they do not "waste their time" in coming to read me, so this is still a safe space, where I can connect freely, without editions, without intermediaries, without filters, directly with my readers.

The best thing about having a personal blog, and not one of those “business blogs” with many different authors talking about a single topic, is that here I can freely express my opinions, and without having to think “this will not please my editor "," This is not in accordance with the theme of the blog "," if I publish this, another author may be angry ". The truth is that my blog in English receives an average of 900 readers daily, even on days when I do not publish anything, and yes, I know that is a low number for the "standards of today", but for me Knowing that my blog is read by so many people daily is fascinating and quite motivating.

This also means that there are 900 other people out there who connect with me and who share the same experiences, who know that here they will read about real magic, real magic, not "Instagram magic", where all spells look like magazine pictures, where healing does not look like a beautiful path of pain-free illumination, where the gods are beings of enormous power who can act in your favor or against you.

This is a space free of egos and full of hard work, do you want your spell of results? Go and work for it, because if you believe that magic is the fast way to get things, you are in the wrong place. Here we do not join the new fashion of saying "the gods are only archetypes and your powers are superior because you are light and blah, blah blah" ... Those are arguments of "Plastic Witches".

The "plastic witches" are people who spend the full moon eating Doritos and watching Netflix, while they tell you with a beautiful Instagram photograph "use the energy of this moon to meditate deeply, walk through the forest under the light of the stars and bathe naked in a river ”, this is not (Thank God for it) one of those spaces full of superficial witches who do not practice magic with blood because they fear an infection, or who do not know the incredible healing properties of the earth from the cemetery because "everything is energy and you just have to visualize it".

And I'm not saying (and I've never said it) that witches should all celebrate the full moon, prick their fingers with a needle or eat raw meat of a deer on a new moon to regenerate their power, no. The problem is not their conception of magic and witchcraft, the problem is that they sell you something that they themselves do not practice, like those who say "witchcraft is a path of spirituality to help you connect with yourself", but they are more focused on "looking cool" and "looking dark badass witches" than really being.

And it is very unfortunate that the most popular members of our community, spend most of the time accusing the followers of the predominant religions, for being "highly superficial and commercial", when at the end of the day, they are exactly a reflection of this that they criticize.

And it is for all these reasons that I maintain my blog, and will continue to maintain it for more years, no matter what happens, because if you are looking to practice real magic, not only “magic that seems cool to boast”, but you really want Contacting the other side, you want to practice that unusual power you have to see the future, enter the world of dreams, or move between worlds while you sleep, I want you to know and be sure that you are not alone, and that there is another huge group of people like you out there ready to connect with you, and there is a blogger with poor spelling ready to answer each and every one of your emails, publishing books from time to time with some spells, and learning new rituals every day that you die for sharing with you.

And do yourself a favor, when you read a spell or a ritual, and you want to practice it, do it, don't stop doing it, don't let fear or laziness win you, go and do it, you don't know how powerful he is world of sorcery when you give it a real chance beyond what is written in the books.

Elhoim Leafar

#witchcraft #sorcery #magick

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abitterlifethroughcinema · 4 years

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A RETURN OF SORTS…!

BCN FILM FESTIVAL 2020

WOKE! Film Previews

by Lucas Avram Cavazos

Guess who's back? I hope this finds you, my lovelies, strong and moving from surviving to thriving. The last time I graced these pages directly and not just via tagged social media samo-samo, a new year was dawning, I was pumped with 2020 vision, and my mom was still alive. Fast forward six months and Lawd knows, our world has seen a global pandemic rip through our continents and our homes, opening eyes and forcing many of us to turn brave new corners showing new mirrors revealing new truths. Again, I hope all is well.

We all have certainly had loads of time to become streaming magnates, and I don't know about you, but between Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Movistar, and HBO Go, there has been a love fest of cinema, docs, series catch-ups and horror nights in my home, so it's made working through this brave, new world quite more palatable. Catalonia's first taste of cinematic normalcy came over the last week as the BCN Film Fest braved the coronavirus restrictions and heralded its fourth annual incarnation, providing a broad spectrum of a host of genres, industry and celebrity sightings, with all films gravitating toward those loved subjects of history and literature. Let's take a peek at some upcoming films that made their Spanish or Catalan, some even European, debuts here in BCN this past week. We’ll start with three of them.

Firstly, we commence with director Matteo Garrone and his glorious retelling of Pinocchio, based on the beloved classic by Carlo Collodi nearly 140 years ago. Starring none other than Roberto Benigni as Geppetto and the cutest of newcomers in pure fantasy wooden form is little Federico Ielapi as Pinocchio. Far be it from me to deny the Disney gods their due but I'm going to trust this version to be much more accurate to the original...full stop. From a few moments in, the sheer silliness of Begnini is so on point that it is instantly impossible to not feel for him as he lovingly constructs his little puppet out of what turns out to be a huge, magic log of wood. What he produces is a rapscallion little tyke that we know as Pinocchio, and he is not a mere simple little fellow. In fact, he's a right louse at times, obstinate and daring but still ever so tied to his human father. His daring nature throws him into the midst of a traveling puppet circus, only to find him then taking an adventure to get back to his dad. What he and his counterparts, found and befriended along the way, help show is that we are usually just trying to get back to the essence of who we are in some form or fashion. Some years ago, Benigni actually created his own interpretation of this dear fable, and it was widely panned. If this was a form of redemption with director Garrone at the helm, mission accomplished. The film won 15 awards at this year's David Di Donatello Awards and swept it clean and is currently, slowly drawing more audiences to the box office till. Maybe not for the youngest but what a great family film. ###-1/2

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, based on the novel Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl by Judith Kerr, is masterfully and evocatively served to us in emotional beauty by director Caroline Link, who gave us Exit Marrakech a few years ago. Taking the essence of nostalgia and turning it WAY up, Link and her perfectly cast actors serve us a brutally honest and semi-autobiographical telling of the life of author Judith Kerr, acclaimed German-born British illustrator and writer. Starting in Berlin, Germany 1933, just as Hitler's new forces are commencing their triumph after many a year in German politics, we see a well-known and well-to-do family of German-Jewish heritage quite aware that their opposed and vocal views of the National Socialists will soon force them to flee to Switzerland, before making it to Paris, and then eventually winding up in England. The film chronicles these times over a span of two years. The title is derived from the protagonist Anna Kemper's (the spectacular young actress Riva Krymalowski) need to choose only one plush toy to take before their lives as refugees begin, and she decides to leave her wee rabbit behind in the belief that her dear housekeeper will forward it on to her when able. What grips you is the way director Link draws out the pure nature of a young sister and brother team as they move from proud upper middle-class intelligentsia life to one of glorified refugees. All involved are uniquely aware that they are documenting truth in the face of an ever-increasing fear as Nazi takeover grows stronger. But beyond that, it becomes powerfully moving to watch the manner in which their parents make their harsh reality an adventure-of-sorts for the two young Kemper children. Winsome yet profound, emotional and yet quite comical as well, this is a wonderful piece of historical cinema and well worth the time. ####

Polish director Agnieszka Holland is not a stranger to reproducing works of literature for the big screen… think The Secret Garden and Washington Square as examples. Her latest work takes on a subject that even I, as a history tutor, was not even aware of, frankly. Mr. Jones is based on the true events documenting Welshman Gareth Jones, who stumbled onto a sickening truth. Played by James Norton with odd anxiety (known for playing the imprisoned psychopath on Happy Valley), Jones is also an adviser to David Lloyd George, the former British Prime Minister, so he actually has some wee access to intelligence and as the film is set in the early 30s, his furtive and somewhat intense nature makes him a bit of someone to ignore amongst others of his ilk. But since he had the chance to interview the Führer Hitler whilst travelling, he knows damn well that the Germans want war, and he becomes hellbent to interview Stalin, and so he travels to Moscow, kicking it indie journo-style. What then happens is a side trip to Ukraine, where he becomes aware of and documents the ‘Holodomor,’ (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor), the mighty famine that hit Ukraine from 1932 to damn near ’34. It is reported that nearly four million people died and NOT because of natural causes but due to a deliberate starvation policy, enforced by Stalin. He forced Ukrainians and other workers to cull grain, then sell and distribute it for the most money possible, while waging mass assault, deportation, even execution if any worker flouted the norms. The scenes depicted at this point are incredibly hard to watch, but what makes it even sicker is the way Stalin continues to be lauded by many today and that no one believed Jones when he finally got back to Moscow and the UK. Even George Orwell makes himself known within the film, but that pales in comparison to the heinous truths that the last part of the film brings with it. From passing a dead body on a Ukranian train platform to a scene in which a baby, still alive and crying but aside its dead and frozen parent, is tossed onto a cart with the already deceased, Fighting the inevitable I suppose…but then there’s the horrifying cannabalism scene. It matters not…Holland makes it brutal so we learn about what truly happened. The New York Times correspondent in Moscow, Walter Duranty, played eerily by Peter Sarsgaard to shit-ass perfection, poo-poos the mere notions brought up by Jones, and what is more, the same continues to be said about the atrocities that took place over those two-plus years. Mr. Jones horrifies you into needing to know more. Start with that wikipedia link and then find this film soon in theatres! ###-1/2

#ABitterLifeThroughCinema #BCNFilmFestival #cinema #literature #history #MatteoGarrone #Pinocchio #RobertoBenigni #FedericoIelapi #WhenHitlerStolePinkRabbit #JudithKerr #CarolineLink #AgnieszkaHolland #WWII #GarethJones #JamesNorton #Holodomor #CinemaTherapy

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asfeedin · 4 years

Text

LSAT prep, DJ sets and virtual golf

4:30 PM IST

Ohm Youngmisuk

ESPN Staff Writer

Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Follow him on Twitter » Ohm’s chat archive »

Malika Andrews

ESPN Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Joined ESPN in 2018

Appears regularly on ESPN Chicago 1000

ON APRIL 18, instead of concocting a game plan to possibly defend Giannis Antetokounmpo on the opening day of the NBA playoffs, Garrett Temple was locked in on antithesis passages in his online LSAT prep course.

With the 2019-20 NBA season on hold since March 11 due to the coronavirus, the Brooklyn Nets wing has been putting in the hours studying, listening to law podcasts and talking to professors as part of his weekly preparation for the Law School Admission Test.

While some players have tried to fill the basketball void with video games or training routines, others have taken on new challenges to stay sharp. From mastering a second language to becoming handy around the house to diving into a Lego world, players are finding ways to stay engaged.

And one might even be law school-bound, with sights on a perfect 180 LSAT score.

“I can’t let — what’s-her-name on ‘Legally Blonde’ got a 179 — Elle Woods [beat me],” Temple said. “I really want to do it and get a great score.”

MORE: When will the NBA return? Latest suspension updates

Garrett Temple has been spending his time away from basketball with LSAT prep. “It’s providing structure. I’m really enjoying it,” he said. Courtesy of Garrett Temple

BEFORE THE SUSPENSION, Temple had long been contemplating life after basketball. The 10-year journeyman graduated from LSU in 2009 with an undergraduate business degree and considered getting his MBA. His father, Collis Temple, told him that a law degree would be more beneficial.

Collis is an entrepreneur in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was the first black varsity basketball player at LSU after Temple’s grandfather, Collis Temple Sr., was not allowed to attend graduate school at LSU because of his skin color.

Temple’s interest in pursuing a law degree was further piqued after watching a TED talk by Adam Foss, a former assistant district attorney in Boston and advocate for criminal justice reform. The final push came when Temple met Bryan Stevenson, the nationally acclaimed public interest lawyer and social justice activist depicted in the 2019 film “Just Mercy.”

“I think you can create a lot of change in your own community,” Temple said. “Help change the prison industrial complex and school-to-prison pipeline in my community, the black community.”

Temple has immersed himself in science podcasts and magazines with help from his fiancée, Kára McCullough, a scientist with a concentration in radiochemistry.

She has also often forced Temple to take breaks from hours of studying. The veteran guard just can’t help himself.

“It’s providing structure. I’m really enjoying it,” Temple said.

“I mean, we ain’t got nothing else to do. So I’m studying, man. Just trying to better myself.”

CODY ZELLER KNEW next to nothing about carpentry before the season went on hiatus. But a month and a half in, the Charlotte Hornets center can now build a closet befitting a 7-footer. (It’s a skill that has been quicker to learn than playing the guitar, which others such as Antetokounmpo and Patty Mills have also picked up.)

Zeller’s brother Tyler, a free agent who most recently played with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, purchased a home in Indiana, and Cody has been helping with do-it-yourself home improvement projects.

“I took responsibility for [Tyler’s] master closet,” Zeller said. “I had no woodworking ability before. I’ve learned how to use a miter saw, a table saw. We put it together.”

“Everybody and their mother is gonna have a podcast when we are done with this quarantine.”

Georges Niang

Lack of experience? That was nothing a few YouTube tutorials couldn’t solve — almost.

“I will say, full disclosure, I had to [build] it twice,” Zeller said, “because the first time I messed up.”

Zeller cut, sanded and painted all the wood and built a seven-tier shelf rack. But when he went to fasten the frame to the wall, he had forgotten one tiny yet crucial detail.

“I realized I hadn’t accounted for the space between the closet rod and the shelf above it, so there was no room for the hangers to hang on the closet,” Zeller said. “So it was back to the drawing board.

“That was like three days’ worth of work down the drain. Anyway, long story short, it looks great now.”

THIS EXTRA DOWNTIME has given John Collins the chance to master a second language and get more in touch with his family heritage. Collins, whose mother is part Puerto Rican, has been taking Spanish lessons via Rosetta Stone and the Duolingo app.

The Atlanta Hawks big man took Spanish classes in high school in West Palm Beach, Florida, before continuing courses during his two years at Wake Forest.

“I never had a chance to finish — obviously I left school early,” Collins said. “But it’s always been something that I’ve wanted to finish just ’cause I have been around it so much, and I want to learn.”

Monday through Friday, host Mina Kimes brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. Listen

Although he could grasp what his grandfather and other relatives were saying during conversations, Collins found writing in Spanish to be difficult. After the first few weeks of quarantine, Collins wasn’t sure how much his Spanish was improving.

“I’m better than where I was,” Collins said. “To get real growth, I got to go over to a Spanish-speaking country.

“Hopefully one day I will get the opportunity.”

USED TO MAINTAINING a strict in-season schedule, Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang found the extra free time jarring.

The team dropped off a stationary bike and weights so he could keep up with daily exercises, but video games have grown boring, Netflix has provided only so many hours of entertainment, and sleeping in has lost its appeal.

So he started the “Drive & Dish” podcast and video series with help from the Jazz.

“Everybody and their mother is gonna have a podcast when we are done with this quarantine,” he said.

After an unsuccessful foray into Instagram Live — “It was horrible content,” Niang said — “Drive & Dish” debuted on March 31 and has delved into quarantine life with Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell, the Olympics postponement with two-time soccer gold medalist Amy Rodriguez and the Michael Jordan Game 6 winner with former Jazz player Bryon Russell.

Niang even has his own theme song and logo.

#DriveAndDish Episode 𝟐 is LIVE!

@GeorgesNiang20 interviews @spidadmitchell about that night in OKC, what he wishes he’d known as a kid & his strangest superstitions

#NBATogether 𝘍𝘜𝘓𝘓 𝘝𝘐𝘋𝘌𝘖 » https://t.co/7uQk59B8Po pic.twitter.com/MCY4rAUsaj

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 3, 2020

The podcast’s name is inspired by his team nickname. In the Jazz locker room, Niang is known as “the minivan” because he likens his teammates to Ferraris while thinking of himself as a less luxurious vehicle.

“I need a couple laps around the block before I get warmed up,” Niang said. “Hop in the minivan and drive and dish.”

KENT BAZEMORE HAS been teeing it up at some of the best golf courses in the country. Virtually, that is.

The Sacramento Kings swingman has been regularly retreating to the basement of his Atlanta home, honing his skills on a golf simulator that would rival Tiger Woods’ personal setup. Video cameras and sensors track Bazemore’s every hook, slice, chip and putt.

“It is about as in-depth as I can get without being a professional golfer,” said Bazemore, who earlier this month took down former teammate Stephen Curry in a virtual match at Pebble Beach.

2 Related

Now the lefty has a chance to get serious about his golf game. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, Bazemore takes virtual golf lessons with his instructor, Jon Tattersall, the 2014 Georgia PGA Teacher of the Year.

And Bazemore still drives to a real golf course once a week — Georgia is one of a handful of states allowing courses to stay open.

“I am on a quest to become a scratch golfer,” Bazemore said. “My handicap right now is at 8 and I need it to be down to 0.”

To get over the next hump, Bazemore said he plans on working with a sports psychologist.

“There’s a lot of things that go into becoming [a scratch golfer],” Bazemore said. “I’m on the fringe. This is the closest I’ve ever been.”

THOUSANDS HAVE FLOCKED to social media over the past month to listen to DJs such as D-Nice spin sets on Instagram Live.

Now Andre Drummond has joined the wave.

On April 20, the Cleveland Cavaliers center kicked off “Drummond Quarantine Radio,” which features Drummond with DJ Drewski from the center’s Miami home.

Last week, Drummond hosted a “ladies night” set, when viewers could make song requests. And he put on “Talent Show Thursday,” which featured an appearance by actor and comedian Michael Rapaport, among other special guests.

Andre Drummond, also known as DRUMMXND, has been busy on Instagram Live during the NBA’s suspension. David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Drummond’s no novice. He goes by the rap name “DRUMMXND” and is planning on releasing his second album, “FYI 2,” soon.

He won’t be the only NBA player releasing new music during quarantine. Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon dropped his Dwyane Wade- and dunk contest loss-inspired diss track “9 out of 10” on Monday.

On Tuesday, Gordon made a guest appearance on the seventh episode of “Drummond Quarantine Radio.” Drummond pointed out that for as long as they’ve known each other, he never knew of Gordon’s desire to put out rap songs.

“I mean, we got a lot of time on our hands right now, ya hear me?” said Gordon, who started making music before this season and is working with Grammy Award winner Austin Owens, also known as Ayo The Producer.

“I get to tap into my creative side,” Gordon added. “Get in touch with emotions and express myself.”

Gordon then gave DRUMMXND his next quarantine endeavor — to deliver some new rap hooks.

“We putting together a project, [with] athletes, with Ayo,” Gordon said. “We need you on the project.

“We need a couple of verses for the project. Please.”

LOCAL GYMS SHUT down after Dallas County issued a shelter-in-place order on March 23, but Myles Turner had to find a way to get in weight training while staying in the guest house of the Texas home he built for his parents.

So the Indiana Pacers center jumped online to find the nearest squat rack — more than 100 miles away in Waco.

“In Texas, that’s nothing,” said Turner, who embarked on the four-hour round trip along Interstate 35. “That’s just an easy drive, right down the street.”

Turner then built the multipurpose squat rack and bench press in under two hours with help from friends. It’s now the centerpiece of a once near-empty garage he’s converted into his personal gym, complete with medicine balls, adjustable dumbbells and a padded floor.

“I gotta improvise,” said Turner, who last week shared his passion for yoga via a live class on the NBA’s Instagram page. “I’ve always kind of been into just putting stuff together.”

And when he didn’t have a screwdriver or wrench in his hand, Turner was still busy building. He assembled one Lego set, and his latest creation — a 2,000-piece Star Wars jigsaw puzzle — was completed in about a week.

“I am about to go to Target right now,” he said, “and get a basketball hoop for outside.”

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rememberthattime · 4 years

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Chapter 51. The Move III. Home

What a month. December 2019 started in Sydney, but in just four weeks, took me through New York (Chels was in Hawaii), Dallas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Seattle, and finally London.

Somehow this was our LEAST busy holiday over the past three years, but it flew by nonetheless.

The month began with an international move... obviously challenging, and further complicated by EY’s mobility team. Movers, cleaners, and interested Gumtree buyers cycled through the house, while Chelsay and I balanced enjoying our final days in Manly with UK visa applications.

Eventually our Aussie apartment was empty. Just four massive bags remained - they held our only belongings until our shipment arrives in London sometime in April. Those four bags would be heading in opposite directions for the next 10 days though: Chelsay’s followed her to Hawaii, while mine were heading to New York.

I’m extremely jealous of Chelsay’s trip to the North Shore. Not only did she get to hang with Sumner, Chris, Miles, and Orly, but she enjoyed a few post-Sydney surfs, Island vibes, and beautiful weather.

Meanwhile, I had intense work meetings in New York, which required staying an extra few days for the biggest presentation I’ve given to-date. I was at least able to stroll around Manhattan between meetings, with highlights including Gramercy Park, East Village, Greenwich Village, and snow in Times Square.

Our Christmas Break really began once Chelsay and I finally made it to Dallas, though we were only home for one day before embarking on a family road trip.

Chelsay and I have traveled to around 50 countries, yet there are so many places we haven’t explored in our own backyard, including the Deep South. With plenty of time in the US this December, we decided to take a short road trip through Louisiana and Mississippi with Jeff, Liv, Matt, and Emily.

Some highlights:

A foggy visit to Evergreen Plantation. Although the plantation was a primary filming site for fictional Django Unchained, its slave past was very real. Despite our tour guide’s best efforts to portray a “different narrative”, the slaves’ conditions were pretty clear... “Remember: snakes, gators, mosquitoes, yellow fever.”

Jambalaya, Beignets, and Hurricanes in New Orleans’ French Quarter, paired with our over-the-top Southern accents (“There’s been a muwduh!”)

Strolling Barataria Preserve, a swampy bayou coated in Spanish moss... but with zero bathrooms along the trail. What happened in the bayou stays in the bayou.

Touring antebellum homes in charming Natchez, though the biggest highlight was Jeff trying to understand how their 1980′s occupants got cable.

Friendly and entertaining strangers throughout the entire trip. Zippy the gas station attendant (“Energy drink, for the guy that’s gotta push the car”), our Uber driver Mahogany (“Reroute me”), the Mississippi McDonalds cashier (“Y’all wan’ dat wit pe-can sauce!?”), and a New Orleans man training his pet raccoon.

The road trip was great siblings trip - no doubt one that we’ll laugh about for a long time. But after covering Sydney, New York, Louisiana, and Mississippi in just two weeks, it was time to settle down for a bit.

Luckily we had almost a month to relax: 23 days before our one-way flight to London, split between Dallas and Seattle. I hardly worked and Chelsay was already well into sabbatical-mode, which meant we had zero responsibility while home... It was a return to childhood.

Some highlights:

These aren’t in any order, except for this first one: Matt’s quizzes. It’s become a Kern tradition that Matt puts together ~15 ten question quizzes. They’re all creative categories, with our annual favorite being “Synonym song title & band”. Matt’s past four annual quizzes were all excellent, but this Christmas’ installment, Kern Family Quizzes 5: The Moscow Incident, was by far the most impressive. It included an audio/visual component, and categories ranging from “Name this platinum song being played on recorder” and “Name the two actors’ whose faces I’ve merged into one”. Matt could make millions if he sold these games.

Speaking of games, the Kern’s and Wright’s combined to complete four escape rooms. Perfect 4/4. Grandma Helen calls them “Crazy rooms”, which is absolutely understandable after a T-Rex roared at us for 20 minutes in one of our Seattle escape rooms.

Continuing in the friendly competition category, the Kern’s love bocce... especially bocce with a wrinkle: wild bocc’ (aka free-range bocce). Most bocce is played in a walled rectangular arena. Not for the Kern’s though. We drive to the Trophy Club Park and set up our “course” through trees, along hills, across sidewalks, and between the small children panicking as we hurl 3 lb balls towards them. Like a windmill in putt-putt, these obstacles make the game more challenging, especially the scared children. Plus we all just like getting outside.

One last friendly competition: giant jenga at Jeff & Liv’s new house. Their “starter” home is so big that they have an entire room for giant jenga... and we needed the space. This genuinely could’ve been a Guinness record for longest game. For at least an hour -- every single turn -- we were sure the tower JUST HAD to fall.

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The next four bullets are all cowboy related. Chelsay and I have been together for 10 years, and every time we go to Dallas, she insists on visiting a dude ranch. We’ve never had enough time... until this Christmas. Chelsay finally got her wish when we drove an hour outside Fort Worth to Beaumont Ranch. This day trip could’ve had its own post, but I’ll have to summarize in a few short stories.

First, the main event was a cattle drive on horseback. Our instructor, a true Texan cowgirl, led us into the 800-acre plains in search of rogue longhorns. Chelsay was the first to come across wayward cattle and, despite her metropolitan upbringing, instinctively started yelling in an extremely southern accent: “Go on, git! Heeyah!” Our Texan instructor had to be insulted.

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Second story: Matt is very good at lassoing. I was not. This video pretty much tells the story.

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Last story from our cowboy day. The ranch had its own replica western town, so Chelsay had the idea to make a “duel” video. We talked about the dialogue for under 10 seconds, but the result was pure gold. Oscar worthy (at least better than The Irishman). You might think that we added the music afterwards to sync with our actions... Nope, that was just my mom holding her phone close to Chelsay’s camera. That should at least be up for Best Sound Editing.

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My parents, Chelsay, and I fell into a nightly routine of Dark from Netflix Germany. Phenomenal show, despite watching an English-dubbed version. We finished two seasons in under 10 days.

Obviously we hit all the favorite food spots, led by Feedstore, Mi Cocina, Anamias, Christinas, Costa Vida. We also added a new favorite: HG Supply and their tasty impossible whopper bowl with quinoa and chili.

On the topic of food, I must have eaten 100 cookies while home. We had the traditional Kern Christmas cookie bake-off (A+ humor, but C+ presentation), but Chelsay also picked up a baking addiction. It was 11 pm and we’d all be heading to bed, but Chelsay was still laser focused and meticulously decorating her cookies. Her efforts showed though: A+ flavor, and A+++ presentation.

Next up was our return to Seattle. On Chelsay and I’s first full day, we decided to go on a long hike. We actually didn’t hike much when lived in Seattle, which we now realize was dumb. I definitely took the Northwest’s landscape for granted — every time we visit, I’m blown away by the sky-scraping evergreens, fresh scent, crisp air, and looming mountain ranges that surround the city. Anyway, we’ve been trying to catch up on our hiking whenever we visit, and the closest trail to the Wright’s house is Mt. Si, a semi-challenging 8-mile hike. It’s the medium-well steak of hikes. Danny, Chelsay, and I endured a sweaty couple hours -- just to give you an idea of the hike’s height, the peak was snow-capped, but the views made the steep ascent worthwhile.

On the same ‘missed PNW opportunities’ line: when I lived in Seattle, I ever took advantage of the many nearby mountain villages, especially the Bavarian-themed Leavenworth. Tucked in the Cascade Mountains, you would never believe Leavenworth is just two hours from bustling Pike Place. Gothic-lettered storefronts line the half-timbered town’s main street: Munchen Haus, the Sausage Garten, Ludwig’s, and Starbucks (it’s still America after all). Danny, June, Chelsay, and I enjoyed a quiet walk on Blackbird Island, threw snowballs for target practice, and warmed up with hot cider and big (BIG) game of Uno. We also built up our shaka inventory with our Leavenworth friends Alex & Charlie.

It's also worth mentioning that I went to a Hawks game with Hanan. It was a rivalry game and the stakes couldn't be higher: SEA vs SF. Sunday Night Football. Last game of the 2019 regular season, and the winner took the NFC West. The 49ers went up 16-0, but the Hawks stormed back and had the ball with a chance to win on the last play. Russell Wilson hit Jacob Hollister close to the goal line, but a 49er tackled him quickly. Hollister reached for the goal line as he fell, but came up an inch short of a game-winning touchdown. Even though the Hawks lost, it was still a great time.

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Speaking of great times, we hosted New Year’s Eve at the Wright’s house in Woodinville. What an incredible night. Midnight seems to get later and later every year, but Chelsay and I stayed up until 3 am catching up with Devon & Babs, Martiin @ Michelle, and Austin & Kels. Danny, June, and Chels were such amazing hosts - I kept telling them my friends didn’t deserve their hospitality.

We may have been in the US for five weeks, but it felt like only five days. Although it fly by, these stories and pictures are proof that our time was well spent.

And even though we were boarding a one-way flight to London for the next few years, there’s no question where our true home will always be.

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terryblas · 7 years

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One Day

I felt sad today. I've felt down a bit lately, but it was hard to describe why. I figured it out this afternoon.

I'm on my fifth rewatch of the first season of One Day at a Time on Netflix. I haven't watched something this intensely since Buffy the Vampire Slayer which is funny considering Elena and several episodes in the latter half of the season. On the surface, yeah, I get that I like it because I'm gay and a writer like Elena. I come from a Latin, military family with religious parents. While I'm not Cuban, or Cuban American, there's enough similarities to Mexican culture that I heavily relate. And I get to hear people who sound like and look like me and my family. Hearing Spanish spoken on TV without any subtitles is thrilling. People will go out of their way to learn Elvish or Klingon but for some reason won't take the little computer they have in their pocket and google what a few words in mean in Spanish. Hopefully now, they will. And that's a good thing. It's estimated that in the next decade a whole quarter of the United States will be Latino. We're here. Get over it. A wall's not keeping anybody out.

I thought at first that this was why I was sad. And obviously, the way the president talks about Latinos and Mexicans doesn't help. It furthers falsehoods and stereotypes that are wrong and dangerous. It helps people make assumptions instead of asking genuine questions. I've heard people in the past talk about us like we're rats.

"Oh, I don't want to go over there. There's too many Mexicans."

"Did they finish cleaning yet? I don't mind if they're here, I just don't want to see them."

Because I'm not what most people picture when they think of a Mexican or the child of a Mexican immigrant, people assume I don't speak Spanish. I hear many an interesting thing when this is the case. This is also what I have to guess is responsible for someone assuming at the grocery store that my mother was my nanny when I was seven. This one is particularly damaging and still makes me upset. In the eyes and mind of this person, why couldn't she have just been my mom?

So anyway, because of the state of the world I've been escaping. RuPaul's Drag Race came back for it's 9th season and that helped. Say what you will about Valentina, maybe she isn't perfect and sweet, but when she came out on the runway in a traditional mariachi suit and the following week sashayed down the runway looking like the most beautiful Telenovela bride you've ever seen, I cried. I'm not exaggerating when I say this. As a kid, I had no gay Mexicans to look up to. It would be years before Justin Suarez showed up on Ugly Betty and by then I was an adult. On Drag Race, traditional Mexican beauty was being shown and broadcast to America. They heard the words: Aguas Calientes.

So with One Day at a Time, well, I can't stop watching it. And for a comedy it's incredibly sad and emotional. In the episode "Viva Cuba" Lydia (played by Rita Moreno) reveals a family secret about when she left Cuba that I won't spoil for you. It's so well written and acted that I've cried every time I've seen it. When she scene begins she's looking at old family photos from when she lived in Cuba. She looks sad and lost in thought.

And then it hit me.

I'd seen my mother do the same thing. I've heard my mother cry over missing her family members, and people she never got to see again after she left Mexico and came to the United States. My mom's circumstances were different, she wasn't fleeing Mexico like Lydia was fleeing Cuba, but I understood that while this country became my mother's permanent residence, it was never really her home. I can only assume it took me this long to realize it because now as an adult, I often feel like there's a part of me that's missing too. This is what my mother felt. Constantly.

I've been to Mexico City, Amecameca, Cuenavaca, San Miguel de Allende, Cabo San Lucas, Monterrey and had addresses/lived in Querataro, Ixtapa, Zijuatanejo and Villa De Los Flores. I list these off because it's more cities than I've visited or lived in in the United States. I was raised speaking Spanish by both of my parents and taught to be proud of my culture and heritage. But for the past 11 years I've lived in Portland Oregon. Don't get me wrong, I love Portland most of the time, but I never speak Spanish here. I hardly ever get Mexican food unless I make it and I am rarely around other Latinos.

I miss Mexico and sometimes New York and Los Angeles because there were more people like me there. No wonder I spent all day in Santee Alley on a recent trip to Los Angeles.

I haven't been to Mexico in a very long time. It's a part of me. It hurts when people say I'm a fake Mexican, or I'm too white to be Mexican, or I wasn't born there so I can't claim to be Mexican. None of that is true, so I brush it off, but it's my dream to visit again. I miss my grandmother. I miss her food. I miss the sounds and the smells and the beautiful architecture. I miss the people. I miss the art. The striking colors everywhere you look. It makes sense why I'm obsessed with The Wizard of Oz. Boise was brown and gray and dull for me. Mexico was vibrant and full of life.

This piece of me, this part that's missing, it's difficult to pour something in there and fill it up. I found a small community of Latinos here, a group that I'm attempting to be more a part of. And while I live in Portland, I continue to work on comics and write more stories that feature Latinos and Mexicans. It's important to me. I needed characters to connect with when I was younger. I needed to see that. Now as an adult I'm creating that. But my heroes are writers and artists who are doing the same. Salma Hayek for producing Ugly Betty. Jenny Lorenzo for her amazing comedy videos that have brought me so much happiness this year. And Gloria Calderon Kellett for bringing so much visibility to Latinos, Latino Americans and LGBT Latinos at that. The three graphic novels projects I'm working on right now all feature Latinos and Latinas.

I want the world to see Latinas who aren't stereotyped as sexy, or as the maid. I want them to see Latinos who aren't preoccupied with being macho. I want them to see Latinas that are brave and strong and smart and Latinos who are sweet and sensitive. We are rarely portrayed this way, but we sure are on One Day at a Time.

I think writing and creating stories and characters is what I've been doing to try and fill that void. One day I’ll get back to Mexico but until that time, or the time I get to continually use my Spanish, I suppose it'll have to do.

That, and looking through my childhood photo albums.

#one day at a time #odaat #mexico #latino #latino pride #Latina

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rwybstory · 7 years

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Bad Words

“We’re back with Adrianna and Mackenzie Guerrilla!” Ellen speaks into the camera while the audience claps; the two women smiling on the couch next to the host. “So, let’s talk about the family. You two are getting quite the Brady Bunch.”

The wives and the audience both laugh, but soon turn into ‘awe’s as the large screen behind them shows a picture of the whole family from a couple weeks prior.

“Look at our babies.” Adrianna beams.

“We definitely make some good looking kids.” Mackenzie laughs and Adrianna can’t help, but to kiss her wife. She’s so proud of how far they’ve come.

“So, how is everything going? You guys have, what, twenty kids now?”

“Nooo,” Kenz draws out. “We have six. Autumn June, Conner James, Anya Janae, Radley Joel, and the newest two: Olive Joy and Brock Jaxon. Who are respectively, now, eleven, ten, four, and the babies will be two next month.”

“Wow! And how do you two manage that at the young age of eighteen?”

“Oh wow!” Ade fakes surprise. “I wish we were still eighteen, but thanks for that compliment!”

“I’m just kidding, but honestly, they might look young, but that’s because they really are. How old are you both?”

“A lady never tells her age, Ellen.” Mackenzie winks.

“But her wife does.” Adrianna finished to a laugh from the audience and the host. “Kenz is turning thirty next month and I am thirty-one.”

Some of the audience gasp, but most clap and whistle for the two guests.

“So, how big is your whole family now? I know both your families are extremely close.”

“Umm..” Adrianna starts naming people while Mackenzie ticks off, “There’s the eight of us. My parents, her parents, Naya and Heather makes five, Mychal and Lea make four, Miguel and Alison are three, Carlos and Holly will be four once the twins are born, Nickayla and Brent, and Lilly and Becca, so…”

“Thirty-two people is a normal family dinner for us.” Mackenzie laughs because it’s just normal to her, but she’s never actually counted everyone out before and it’s a huge number.

“So, do your kids help? Like, when you have a family gathering. I’d imagine they help.”

“Definitely,” Adrianna starts. “Autumn, our oldest, gets her OCD from Mackenzie and so the two of them are usually in charge of cleaning. They’ll usually recruit Radley and the babies.”

“Really? Not Conner or Anya.”

Mackenzie laughs. “Oh, no.. they get their cleaning skills from their mama which is ‘we’ll just wait until the last minute to clean.’ They know that doesn’t fly with me. Radley will usually help Autumn cleaning up the toy room and living room. The babies help me in the nursery and our bedroom and bathroom.”

“You’re telling me two year olds help you clean..” Ellen gives a non-believing look.

“Yes!” Mackenzie defends herself as Adrianna and the audience laugh.

“Honestly, Ellen, if I didn’t see it myself, I would think she’s lying too, but they help her dust, they help with laundry, they sweep the floors. Obviously, we’re not saying things are perfect, but it gets them doing something other than sitting in front of an electronic.”

“What are Conner and Anya doing when all this is going on?”

“They’re with Ade in the kitchen. The three of them love cooking and dishes are something they all willingly clean.”

“Nice! Backing up a little.. you two have always been pretty vocal about children and electronics and you’ve written multiple children's books, some on the topic of electronics. Why don’t we talk more about that?”

The two women look at each other to silently determine who would talk. Adrianna let’s Mackenzie.

“I mean, it’s kind of public knowledge now about how I grew up and was raised. My parents weren’t around a lot and I had kind of a revolving door of nannies who were usually there for a paycheck. Adrianna and I just really love being in the moment with our kids and always finding a way to learn and grow with them and watch them throughout their journey. We don’t completely ban electronics. We watch movies on Netflix and they have iPads and game consoles, but it’s limited and we know what their playing and watching. So many kids now are playing and watching things that are so mature for their age and they aren’t learning to be kids, so I think that’s just our view on it.”

“Well, a lot of people must think the same, because every one of your seven books have made it to the number one spot on the New York Times best-seller list!”

Again, the audience claps and Ellen cuts to a commercial break after announcing that every guest in the audience was getting a bundle of all seven books.

“We’re doing a special hour-long segment with your favorite mommies, Adrianna and Mackenzie!” Ellen waits for the audience to calm down. “Most of these questions come from audience members, so let’s go out to some of them right now. Where’s Maya Gold?”

A loud screaming came from the left side of the audience while a microphone was being passed down the aisle.

“Hello, ladies!”

“Hi!” The two answer in unison.

“I've been in a relationship for five years now and my question is: how do you keep the romance and sexiness in your relationship?”

Ooohhh’s fill the studio and Adrianna decides to answer the question.

“I wanna say something cheesy, like, ‘Have you seen how beautiful my wife is?’” The audience laughs as Mackenzie playfully slaps her arm. “But honestly it's not about looks or sex. Don't get me wrong, the sex is great!” Mackenzie hides her face while Ellen and Adrianna give five. “But when you have a connection with someone, such a connection that a kiss can make you weak in the knees; you can't beat that.”

“I agree.” Mackenzie talks over the audience. “We’re not always sexy and romantic. We’re also full time moms, so sometimes things can get a little crazy, but we do cheesy things to keep the romance up like make blanket forts and send the kids to grandma’s for the night to have the house to ourselves. We rent movies and just talk. Reconnect as a couple. We’re just normal parents. I will say that we both make an active effort to talk strictly our relationship everyday. We ask each other how the other is feeling or if something needs to be done. No kid talk. No business talk. Just us as a couple and that helps a lot.”

“Next question.. We have Esmeralda Martinez.”

“Hello! My question is: Have any of your kids said a curse word?”

“Oh my gosh. Yes!” Mackenzie exclaims. “All six of them, because their mama has a very bad habit of cursing in front of them.”

“Um, so does their Tía Naya!” Adrianna attempts to defend herself. “Anya’s first curse word was because of Naya. Not me.”

“Doesn't matter. You both need to stop.”

“Sí. Sí. Lo que tu digas.”

Mackenzie gasps. “Adrianna Isabella. You did not just whatever me!”

“I did, pero lo siento.” Ade kisses Kenzie’s cheek, but the blonde wasn't having it.

“No hemos terminado con esta.”

“She said ‘We’re not done with this conversation.’ Great, you all got me in trouble. Trying to act like a badass for you all and now I'm in trouble.” Adrianna pleads to the audience and Ellen.

“Oh boy So, I'm assuming the kids speak Spanish as well?”

“Yes, they’re fluent in Spanish and sign language and they’re all currently learning French.”

“And they know how to curse in two of those.” Mackenzie continues from moment before.

“See, but mommy, they learned how to curse in ASL from you. She’s got a potty mouth, people.” She turns to the audience. “Don’t believe the angelic exterior.”

Mackenzie again playfully slaps Adrianna’s arm and kisses her cheek while Ellen calls for the next question.

“Hello, ladies!” The audience member gushes. “My question is: If you could come up with a hashtag for your wife, what would it be?”

The two take a moment to think before Mackenzie answers. “Ade’s would be #tiredbutnottired. She is such a hard worker and such an attentive mother that she makes everything look so easy even though she’s exhausted.”

“Kenzie’s would probably be #iwasntjoking. She’s so witty and sarcastic. Which she gets from her sister.” She playfully rolls her eyes. “That so many people think she’s joking when she could, like, tear you to pieces. I’m telling you guys! I’m sure a lot of you have seen her in some of her many ‘twitter feuds.’”

Next question: “Hello! I’m a stay at home mom of two kids, ages 2 and 3, and currently 24 weeks pregnant with twins. I was just wondering how you introduced your kids to their younger siblings and if there was any jealousy.”

“Congratulations!” Mackenzie starts. “Well, Autumn was barely one when our older twins were born and she was kinda fascinated with them.” She looked to Ade who nodded in agreement. “When we decided to have Radley, the older three were 7 and 6 and they had been asking for years to have another sibling. They were such great helpers.”

“Now, our little Rad..” Ade jumps in and Kenz laughs, knowing the story. “Rad was two when the twins were born and he absolutely hated them for a couple months. They cried, he cried louder. They got a pacifier, he took it. Pulled their hair. Pinched them. He tried to bite Livy once, but we stopped him before he could. We just continually worked and played with him and made sure that he got attention from us, separate from the babies. After the first, maybe month and a half, he was fine and left them alone.”

“Now, he’s all over them to play. Now that they’re older.”

“Okay, one last question from the audience, where’s Alex Rydel?”

“Hello!”

“Oh my gosh! Hey, Alex!”

“Hey, gorgeous!” Ade calls out. “Alex has been one of our biggest supporters for years.”

“Hey, ladies. My question is: What are you most afraid of?”

“No! I refuse to answer.” Mackenzie instantly gets defensive and starts looking around the set. “Alex, you probably planned this with Ellen to scare me!”

The audience laughs as the blonde stands up and starts pacing. Adrianna pulls her sideways into her lap, Mack’s right arm instinctively wrapping around her wife’s shoulders and left hand tangling in her right.

“Baby, you know I scared Ellen years ago and told her if she ever scared you, she’d be in trouble.”

“En serio, Adrianna, qué control tienes sobre Ellen? Eh? Ninguno! Ella es Ellen!”

Adrianna laughs and again acts as translator. “ When Kenz is real serious, she switches to Spanish. She said I have no control over Ellen, because she’s Ellen! Back to the question. I’m most afraid of wild animals. Even, like, open zoos terrify me. Babe?”

“Aliens.” She whispers and quickly whips around to make sure no one is sneaking up on her.

“Aliens aren’t real!” Alex laughs.

“You don’t know that, Alexis!”

“Ohhhh, full-named!” Adrianna jokes.

“I’ve seen the documentaries. I’ve read the books! I swear I saw them when I was young..”

“AHHHH!”

“AHHHH! Pinche pendejo!” (Fucking asshole!)

Adrianna, along with Ellen and the audience, lose their minds laughing so hard as Mackenzie runs after the poor staff member dressed in a green alien costume.

“And she says the kids only get their cursing from me!” Adrianna shakes her head, waves to the audience, and runs to save the staff member from her wife.

#adrienzie #lesbian #lesbian relationship #lesbian family #soulmates #writing #stories #rwybstory #right where you belong

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pumpkinspicellama · 7 years

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A Bolivian Supermom's Place is in the Home and on Top Chef

On the last day of 2016, Jose, the director of Conservation Loros Bolivia, myself, and the research coordinator, Edel, spent the morning in the field, installing anti-predator shield and installing a nest-cam at a blue-throated Macaw nest site. After which, we had budgeted time to spend connecting with the locals–-a very important part of endangered species conservation here or anywhere. The closest town to the breeding area is Loreto. Loreto is 14 mi south of Sachojere and slightly bigger. Their plaza is grander, has a statue and an arboretum, and they have a cathedral and a soccer field with a grand stand. The only cantina in town is owned by a friend of Joses and is called Restaurant Dona Tina. You can see it on Google Maps. I’ve left a review. This is where we pulled in around 10:30 am. The cantina is also the Dons house, which is also the cantina. The only difference between house and cantina is a wobbly wooden fence, a sign that says no one under 18 allowed, and loud music blaring from one gap in the plank fence and not the other. It is 89 degrees. It is 10:30. Too early for lunch, but not for what I will call pre-lunch. For pre-lunch, Edel and I are beckoned into the family’s main gathering space, which is a large area under a solid tin roof on tall posts but is mostly open all around. It is bordered on one side by the neighbors similar house and the cantina wall oh the other. The Don is swinging shirtless in a hammock and his wife is a doing at least 3 loads of laundry by hand on a table next to him. Behind the table, which is really a tree stump with a plank on it, and down into the back house is the rest of the family home of another shorter shed full of beds and billowing curtains and hallways through partially built, brick foundations of open air. All was a dirt floor with wooden but mostly plastic lawn furniture about for wherever people felt like sitting. There were several bunk beds in the living area near us as well, fitted with mosquito nets. More beds? Yes, because big families. I soon counted 6 children that I could see, the oldest 27ish, the youngest a few months old, and spanning the years in between. We sat on lawn chairs gathered around to listen to Don in his hammock and Jose ordered a cold liter of Coca Cola for the room. Pre-lunch had begun. Some clock somewhere ticking, maybe imagined, ticking slower and slower in the rising late-morning swelter. A flock of chickens comes marching through the compound. Bantums and tall leggy jungle fowl all living in harmony. These are happy chickens. They pecked and scratched totally at ease with their world around the pile of bricks that looked like some handyman’s project who decided finishing the room was too much trouble, so left it half built and didn’t bother carting away the un-used bricks. A stack of boards stood nearby for similar spontaneous building opportunities, I’m sure. The chickens wandered about under our chairs. A daughter, the son who returned with the Coke and poured us all some, and a random passerby had also pulled up lawn chairs to hear what Jose and the Don discussed. These visitors were there for an education, too, of whatever they could glean from the outside world of cars and fresh news. Eventually the chickens reached a large pile of shady sand and as if they suddenly just remembered the oasis that was the sand pile, rushed to their wallowing spots and nestled in, happily fluttering their scraggly feathers and hucking cool sand on themselves, just behind and to the left of where I sat. Don’t ever tell me chickens do not feel pleasure or pain or any other emotion the same as humans do. It’s approaching 95 degrees and we’re in the tropics in a tin shed on a windless day. And when these chickens nestle into the sand, their eyes practically rolling back in their heads with the feel-good and promptly falling asleep, I am jealous. It had been about an hour and we hadn’t moved. The Coke bottle now empty would be re-used again and again as a water canteen or for a gasoline re-fill. The Don and Jose chatting away non-stop in Spanish about things I don’t know. They speak at length of parabas. It was hot. Finally a hot breeze came through the compound. And a tortoise. Two tortoises. The oldest son fed one a banana. I got to hold it. The son also had a very young puppy, not more than a few weeks old. I wondered what its back story was. It clearly had ring worm, and parvo, maybe. It was starved for affection. It would amble rather pathetically out from under its lawn chair roof toward any human leg that stopped nearby. It didn’t get too far from its chair shelter in this confusing world though, because it had to stop to poo every few minutes and it could barely walk, keeping it restricted to a slow putter should it need to move out of peoples way. But too slowly. At one point it made a move toward the daughter who was handing off the baby to the mother and stepped back onto the puppys front leg. It screamed. No one took notice. Not even the puppy, really, now holding its paw and for the rest of our visit. It hobbled 3-legged back under its chair. Life is about suffering. The mother had disappeared for a while and now re-appeared to suckle the baby. After a time she put the baby down on a bunk bed for a nap, and resume washing laundry. She laughed at me watching the chickens. The loud cantina music continued to thump through the walls and the men continued to talk while the wife and her daughter's various chores involving the laundry and mothering and cleaning and cooking, and Edel and I sat and listened. Her with understanding because she’s Argentinian and I none except for parabas. Jose produced a blue-throated Macaw feather to show the Don, which was greeted with enthusiasm. It’s hot. It’s been 2 hours now. Finally, Jose stands up. So we stand up. Don puts on a shirt. We all go outside and duck into next door and grab a large table in the cantina. It’s even hotter in the cantina because the roof is lower. The radiant heat more intense. Jose turns on the ceiling fan above us that just moves the heat around and orders a pilsner for the table. I had to step outside for a cool breeze. What is “cool” to me now I’m not sure. But I needed a moment alone and gather myself for what was turning into a frustrating afternoon. I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I hadn’t been consulted about a 3 hour meeting in a hot tin shack. What learning experience was this. I was too hot to even think about eating, and I had no control of the situation. I zipped off my zip-offs into shorts and deposited them and my overshirt in the Mitsubishi with the rest of my semblence of control and headed back into the devilish heat of the cantina, which was still sporting Feliz Navidad decor, tacked to the ceiling beams and bar. At the table, beer had been poured and it was cold. Even with no appetite this was the best thing I’ve ever drank. Things were instantly looking up. I glanced to the back of the cantina, which seemed to be the kitchen, and spied none other than the Dons wife, stirring a pot on the open fire. That’s where she had disappeared to. To cook the afternoon meal for the entire restaurant. The executive chef, heading a staff of her daughters as chefs assistants and servers in between laundry, mothering, entertaining, and clearly still birthing children while the Don made use of the hammock and put on a shirt that day. Fierce doesn’t even begin to describe this woman. I shouldn't have been so surprised. Life in Bolivia is traditional, especially in rural areas like here. She’s doing all the correct things and teaching her daughter’s to be masters of their own homes someday. But I am in awe, unsure whether to feel appreciation, as I do, or instead wish she had the choice to spend the afternoon in the hammock instead of the Don. For equality's sake but maybe at the expense of her happiness? This is the only life she knows, after all, and her mother before her and so on. In this place, pondering alternative realities is like my Netflix subscription. A luxury. But quite useless. All meditations aside, her cooking was outrageously good. I was almost sick in the heat when the soup was served, but it was impossibly tasty and I couldn’t refuse it. It gave me strength. It gave me life. The music thumped. More patrons came in for the afternoon, fixed meal and a daughter served them their soup. A headless pig dripped from the ceiling in a nearby corner. Two dusty china hutches were the only thing decorating the opposing wall. Piled next to the other, shared wall, more opportunistic bricks. We talked about Donald Trump and I complemented the platter of food that arrived, beef steak, egg, fried plantain, rice, and tomato. The Don laughed when I took a picture. Obviously. I had to. It was gorgeous. And I had to remember this place because I couldn’t get over the enormous domestic effort being driven by this one Bolivian Supermom, the Dons wife. When the time finally came to go I was almost regretful. I felt attached to this extraordinary Bolivian family and the super mom who had quietly, magnificently, ruled over everything that had transpired in my life these past 4 hours. How could I tell her thanks for all you do and if no one else thanks you I’m sorry? How do I tell her do you know how much you slay with no modern conveniences a workload that people elsewhere can’t even comprehend? Each day? With all of the challenges imposed by living here? Not only that, but what would the rest of them do without her if she went on vacay?? The Don would surely die. We said our goodbyes, our conservation work completed, for now. Don wished me buena suerte. We then were back in the car with the windows down for the cool breeze. The only way the heat is tolerable is if its moving. The tropical savanna countryside was breathtakingly beautiful and with warm soup belly and renewed strength and inspiration I adored flying down the dusty road above it. Beautiful Bolivian cattle and tiny scrubby horses. Everyone we passed on the road was in the midst of their siestas. Everyone except Bolivian supermoms all across Bolivia, of course. Did you think about them? Does anybody think about them? I may not agree with the inequality so ingrained in the lifestyle throughout rural Bolivia and I’m not alone even in Bolivia in this, but I will never forget the power of a Bolivian supermom. The feats she accomplishes. Every day. That was the last day of 2016 and it was one of remarkable beauty that I will remember forever.

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