intern

pairing - bau team x teen!reader

summary - you intern for garcia at the bau

warnings - mentions of case

word count - ?

note - takes place during season 7 around 2011

you knew penelope from the minute you were born.

both of your parents were extremely close, living just a few short blocks away in san francisco. penelope was only 17 when you were born, you instantly becoming her new favorite person. her mom was even named as your godmother.

when penelope’s parents had died, yours had looked after her even though she did go underground as a hacker. despite how much penelope had changed, she was always there to check up on you and your parents.

and then she had gotten caught by the fbi of all people.

you were far to young to even comprehend what was happening. all you could remember was penelope hugging you tightly before she left. the two of you kept in contact by letters ever since that day.

now 17, you were an expert with computers. penelope was your guide, helping you learn to hack everything and anything as well as your way with all technology.

adding on to that, you were incredibly smart, taking all advanced placement courses at school. one of your classes was an internship, you had to find a local company to spend a certain number of hours a week in order to earn credit.

when penelope hears the news, mostly since she had access to your course schedule, she pulled a couple strings.

before you knew it, you were booked to have an internship with the behavioral analysis unit in washington d.c. under penelope garcia. aaron hotchner would be your ‘boss’ as he was the unit chief.

your parents were incredibly supportive, working out the details for you to stay with penelope for the semester and possibly part of the summer.

with multiple bags packed and a plane ticket booked, you were set to leave for washington d.c. in just a few short days.

____

arriving at quantico, you were more than nervous.

a car was arranged to pick you up from the airport, an agent named anderson picked you up to bring you to the bau. from there, you would be able to see penelope, meet with hotch, and get your proper paperwork and badge.

you could tell from the second you stepped in that your presence was out of place. a teenager was rarely in the bau, nonetheless one few people could connect to someone on the team.

“alright this is the floor you will be working on. garcia’s office is down the hall but through those doors over there is what we call the bullpen. that’s where the main teams desks are as well as where they do briefings,” anderson spoke, giving you a mini-tour.

“and the staring?” you asked. “that will stop soon. once they see you with agent hotchner they’ll back off. as much as i want to defend your case, i can’t say i wouldn’t act the same. this is the first teenager working at the fbi ever,” anderson informed you. “oh wow, didn’t know i was making history.”

“yeah you are, and I'm sure-” he was cut off.

“penny!” you exclaimed, rushing forward to hug the tech analyst, your luggage remaining behind you.

anderson smiled to himself, waving towards garcia before heading back to work.

“i’ve missed you so much sweetie,” penelope grinned, matching your enthusiasm. you hugged her for a little longer, overjoyed to see her after months.

morgan was next in the hallway, hugging you once penelope let go. “hey kid, how are you? school okay?” he questioned, ruffling your hair. “everything’s good derek, i’m just stoked to be here,” you grinned.

the rest of the team, to say the least, was extremely confused. there were a ton of questions running through their heads as the scene played out.

“maybe it’s morgan and garcia’s secret love child,” emily snickered, spencer and j.j. laughing too.

“i can take your bags down to my lair and we can bring them to my place after work,” penelope offered. “and i can take you in to meet hotch,” morgan piped in.

you kept your backpack with you, the three of you splitting up. morgan stayed by your side, guiding you into the bullpen.

the two of you couldn’t have been in the main roof for more than a few minutes before who you assumed was hotch was down to greet you.

“welcome y/n y/l/n, it’s nice to finally meet you,” hotch greeted, extending his hand for you to shake. you took it, nodding with a “nice to meet you too sir.”

“please, call me hotch. we can talk up in my office,” with one final smile towards morgan, you were following the into chief up for your meeting.

“so how do you know garcia?” hotch first asked.

“she’s pretty much my godmother, her mom was my official one before she passed. our parents were friends so i’ve known her for most of my life,” you explained, a smile on your face. “she taught me to hack when i was only 10.”

hotch nodded, “and you’re seventeen, correct? have you committed to any colleges?”

you shook your head no. “not yet sir. i’ve been accepted to a few but haven’t made any final decision. pennelope is pushing me to go to school around here though.”

“i’m sure wherever you go will be a good fit. but now, we have to get into some of the more official stuff. how are you managing school with this inteenship?”

“my teachers moved all of my classes online with virtual lessons and work. penelope and i have already worked out a schedule so i can focus on my work here and do schoolwork at night,” you explained.

hotch was obviously satisfied with his answer so he continued, “now with your internship, we don’t expect you to work cases with us right away. it is mostly just learning under garcia. once you feel comfortable enough and get a recommendation, you can move up.”

you nodded along, taking in the information about your job. “i can take you down to get your badge and then you can meet the team,” hotch offered. “sounds perfect.”

photos and paperwork didn’t take more than twenty minutes. you were back up, a crisp new badge clipped on your jacket, soon enough.

“my team,” hotch called. “conference room.”

with his usual ‘unit chief’ tone, no one bother to argue with him. adding on to your interaction with three out of seven members, changes were obviously happening.

you were seated on top of one of the file cabinets, morgan beside you and penelope next to him. your conversation died down once more people entered the room.

both you and morgan quickly got down, wanting to look at least a little bit professional.

“everyone, i would like you to meet our newest team member, y/n y/l/n. she’ll be interning under penelope and helping out on cases,” hotch inteoduced.

you waved to everyone, a slight smile forming on your face. “from left to right is reid, prentiss, rossi, and j.j. and your already know garcia and morgan,” hotch pointed out each individual member.

“wait i’m not following. you know morgan and garcia?” rossi asked.

“my parents knew penelope’s for a long time. i grew up with penelope pretty much as an older sister. and i know morgan since he’s visited home a few times,” you explained.

the team was already eager to get to know you, having a fresh face around, nonetheless one that was only 17, would definitely be nice. so, for your first day, you were pestered with questions. you already fit well with the team, a new member being added to their little family without problem.

____

your first week was pretty much just learning the basics of how the computers in garcia’s lair actually operated. you had your own little station in one of the corners, a few computers and monitors set up for you to work with.

two weeks in, you had your first real assignment.

it wasn’t by choice, you were supposed to start working with the gory stuff in two weeks, or a month of working there.

you absolutely loved the job with the team. oftentimes, you found yourself hanging out with either emily or j.j. for dinner and time with sergio and or henry. you went on morning runs with morgan, the two of you constantly sending each other new routes to run on. spencer helped you with your homework, planning a schedule for the idea work time like it was no issue. if you ever had a problem with school, he would always help you figure it out.

rossi found a new sense of joy in teaching you to cook. you grew up in san francisco, eating a lot of sea food and not much else. rossi changed that, making you various pasta dishes to try as well as the recipient. and hotch, hotch became an overall mentor and pretty much another dad to you. while spencer helped you with work, hotch would keep you in line with everything.

the latest case was pretty intensive on you and penelope. you did as much work as you could, you still weren’t officially clear to handle crime scene information just yet.

the one time penelope was out of her office getting coffee for the two of you, her office phone had started ringing. you quickly pushed away from your desk, your chair rolling across the floor until you were in front of hers.

“office of the most talented and magical members of the bau here. how may i help you?” you greeted. “man garcia is really rubbing off on you,” you chose to ignore that comment.

“speaking of garcia, where is she?”

you sighed, “getting coffee. what do you need?” hotch was quick to answer, “i need you too look up an unsub. name is roger clark.”

in lightning speed, you clicked away at the computer as you dug up information on the man.

“ah here his is. clark rogers was born to a frank and mary rogers. was a normal child, played sports and graduated with honors. did have a case of aggravated assault in college though he got off free since his dad was a lawyer. oh shoot, his mom died a few weeks ago,” you quickly explained.

something about a possible trigger as barely audible in the background of the call. “we need a location asap,” emily spoke.

“oh i’ve has the location sent from the minute you called,” you leaned back in your chair, most of your work already done.

hotch actually had one of his rare smiles on his face after that. “thanks so much,” he spoke. “stay safe,” you called before hanging up the call.

little did you know, your work was more than helpful. though it was minimal, small details you had provided actually proved to be useful in taking down the unsub. even penelope, who heard news of everything once she returned, was thoroughly impressed. it wasn’t super easy finding out that information as fast as you could.

all you knew is that you were guaranteed a job once you graduated.

☆ ☆ ☆

tags - @tinylumpiaa @sapphicspence @itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto @change-the-world-someday @ah-blossom @dr-reid-ismyspiritanimal @kissessforharryyy @garcias-batcave @spenceneedsahug @jjandreidsgirl @zoseph @spencerreidxoxo @marvelxmendes @kissessfordraco @ogmilkis @cm-is-kinda-cool @ssa-morgan @matthewgublerswife @spencerslatte @babyangellee @agentshortstacc

In This Together Part 2

Pairing- Dean x Wife Reader

Word count-6317

Summary-Picks up right where part 1 left off.  What’s the readers outcome from surgery, time in the hospital and what happens over the next few months. AU

Warnings- Sick reader, hospital, Little bit of language, A little angst, and fluff, mentions of sex and implied smut, brief talk of loss of pet.

Possible triggers talk of surgeries some are a little descriptive, talk of possible infertility, female problems. 

Part 1

The members of your surgical team that came to wheel you off to surgery could tell you were nervous. They were talking and joking all the way to the operating room.  Once they got you to the room you were moved from the bed to the table, a blood pressure cuff put on and both of your arms stretched out and secured down.  This was so you didn’t move them during surgery. 

The head anesthesiologist was talking through and quizzing one of the younger members on your team.  One of the nurses told you he was still learning. Someone was holding an oxygen mask above your face, they blood pressure cuff started running, and they were talking about putting something in you IV next.  The second medication they put in your IV burned while going in and then your whole hand, you were told it was because of your abused veins.  You guessed that was from so many surgeries and previous IVs. Things got to be a little much for you and you were unable to stop the tears, one nurse saw this and grabbed your hand so you could squeeze it to try and take your mind off the pain in your other hand and your nerves with the impending surgery.  The oxygen that was hovering over your face was now pressed down, you were told to take deep breathes to get the oxygen into your lungs.

Darkness and noise were the two things you registered.  The noises changed into people’s voices and you couldn’t figure out what was going on in this dream.  You just wanted everyone to let you sleep.  The voices kept talking and wouldn’t leave you alone, this went on for a few minutes until you finally remembered you had had surgery. By now you were slowly starting to realize you were in recovery, there was a pain in your lower abdomen, and you were freezing.  It was a  challenge for you to open your eyes, let alone keep them open for more than a few seconds. Someone was trying to tell you their name and that it was okay.  They asked you your pain level, but you were unable to get any words out yet, so you held up 7 fingers. She gave you some medicine to try and bring that down. When you finally could get your mouth to function you kept repeating ‘cold.’ They got you another blanket and you continued to struggle to open your eyes.  You were slowly becoming a little more aware, you wanted Dean, and some ice chips for your extremely dry throat.  ‘Ice’ and ‘Dean’ became your next repeated phrases.   The recovery nurse got a cup of ice chips for you, and by now you were able to sit up a little and keep your eyes open, but they still wouldn’t bring Dean back.

Suddenly, you had tears running down your face you couldn’t stop.  For some reason you always tended to cry when you were waking up from anesthesia.  The nurse kept telling you everything was fine, you wanted to know how fine. Fine as in they were able to leave the uterus, or fine like everything had to come out, but you were doing fine?  You were with it enough to decide to wait and ask Dean because you wanted him with you when you heard. You had to wait a bit longer for them to bring Dean back.  As he finally walked past the curtain, he could see the tears on your face.  He walked to your side took the ice cup from your hand and gave you the best hug he could with all your wires still attached. The nurse stepped away for a minute and left you two alone.

“Hey Sweetheart, how are you doing, why all the tears?”

“Always do… don’t know” you weren’t able to talk in complete sentences yet.

“I know, you can’t help the tears when you wake up.  How are you doing?  You seem a little more out of it than usual.”  This was the fifth surgery you had had that Dean was around for, and you never took this long to get your wits back in recovery.

“Hurts,… what he take?”

Dean started to feed you ice chips as he explained what the doctor did.  “When they opened you up, they found a second fibroid.  The doctor got them both out, he was able to leave the uterus.  He checked the ovary you still have and said that looked good, everything went really well, Sweetheart.”

“Awesome” you said as you let out the breath you had been holding and tried to give Dean another hug. This news calming you down some.

Your nurse came back and asked if the pain had decreased, it hadn’t so they gave you something else.  You told Dean the pain was worse with this than everything they did to your foot. Someone else came and helped disconnect your IV and the other monitors you were attached to.  You asked Dean what time it was to give you an idea of how long surgery was.

“It’s just after 2.”

“Long surgery?” When you mentally timed everything beforehand you figured you would be heading to a room by 2.

“No, surgery went quicker than anticipated, it was only an hour and twenty minutes.  You have been in recovery for over an hour and a half.  You wouldn’t wake up.”

“That why I’m having so much trouble now?”

“Probably, you also didn’t sleep last night, and they must have given you something good to knock you out.”

Dean stood by your side holding your hand and feeding you ice chips until a nurse came to tell him he had to leave.  The thought of Dean leaving and not seeing him, or any other family for three days had drugged you starting to cry again.  He gave you a hug and told you to call him when you went to you room, everything was going to be fine.

A short time later they put a mask on you and took you to your room, which was on the maternity floor. This would be your second time staying on this floor after a surgery. Hopefully, the next time here you and Dean would be welcoming a baby. Your new nurses got you situated in your room and an IV hooked back up.  One went to get you and ice pack and folded up blanket to hold against your stomach. While taking to your nurse Laurie, you realized you had a fat lip and a cut on the inside from where they incubated you.  They said your mask only had to be worn when you went to walk in the halls or if someone was coming in your room.  That was a relief, you weren’t looking forward to wearing it the whole time. When they left you took the bag you had taken out of your duffel which had your phone, tablet, chargers and magazine keep you occupied over the next few days along with a small travel case with Chapstick, lotion, an eyeglass cleaner, cough drops and a few other things you had learned you would need in the hospital and hung it over one of the bed rails within reach.  You knew you weren’t going to be allowed out of bed that day, so you had wanted to make sure anything you would need was easy to get to.  With that all set, you called Dean like he asked you to.  

“Hi Honey, in your room?”

“Yes, all set up. Scooby and I have a great view of the parking garage and traffic light.”

“I can’t believe you took a stuff animal with you, such a goof.”

“Hey now! No one else can be here with me, and Scooby has been with me for every hospital stay.” Scooby was a stuffed Chocolate Lab your dad had gotten you in high school when your real Lab named Scooby died unexpectedly.  Dean knew how upset you had been to lose him but would occasionally tease you about the stuffed animal.

“Fair point, I’m glad you have company and are all settled.  Get some rest, I’ll talk to you later. Love you Y/N.”

“Thank you for everything.  Love you Dean.”

You hung up from Dean and turned on T.V. for a little background noise.  It didn’t take long for your machines to start beeping.  They had compression cuffs on your legs to prevent blood clots, but because of your recent surgery in your right leg today’s surgery team didn’t want it on that leg.  The machine didn’t like that, so it kept shutting itself off and beeping. The IV on your hand was in a slightly odd position and if your hand moved a certain way it shut off and started beeping.  Things were off to a great start!

Your nurse Leslie showed you how to restart the IV when it went off on you.  Both her and Laurie tried various ways to get the compression machine to keep working on just one leg, but it kept shutting off so they just took it off and you would need to move your feet around while in bed.   Someone from respiratory came up and gave you an incentive spirometer, which is a plastic thing you hold and take deep breathes with trying to get the piece inside to whatever number they tell you. It is good to help clear your lungs, but it also had you coughing more. Laurie came in and had you sitting up and dangling your feet over the side, you had started to notice the pain was lower than you thought it would be.  For some reason you had thought the doctor said the incision would be just below your belly button.  You mentioned being surprised at where it hurt to Laurie, and she told you the incision was down over your pelvic area.  If you had really thought about it, you would have known it before. This was when you realized you had a tube connected to your incision that went to little pump. It was a Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System, it was supposed to draw fluid away from the surgery area and promote healing, you just kept calling it a pump or drain.                                    

At one point you made the mistake of lifting both arms above your head to pull your hair into a ponytail. Oh, that hurt, you were going to need to move nice and slow next time you did that.  Everything you moved pulled your stomach, and coughing was awful.  The night nurses had you sitting on the side of the bed again and this time also standing in place, the more you move the easier it’s supposed to get.  Usually the first night after surgery they need your vitals every hour, but you only saw your nurses twice that night, it wasn’t a great night.  You got a little bit of sleep that night waking up at least once an hour till you gave up at five.  Sleeping in hospitals had never been easy for you.  

It was six am when the doctor came in.  He told you surgery, a myomectomy, went well.  There had been a new fibroid, both were taken out and sent for a biopsy. You needed to see him the following week to your pump removed instead of the two-week checkup they had you scheduled for.  He might send you home the next day, but he wouldn’t know till tomorrow.

You had two new day nurses on Tuesday, Courtney and Kim, you remembered Kim from your surgery two years ago when you had been one of her patients.  Both were super sweet and in and out of your room all day. They encouraged you to get up and move around your room, leaving your crutches close to the bed so you could reach them.  Even though you didn’t need them all the time there were times you still did.  You had brought them to help balance you since you would be a little groggy with the pain meds and didn’t need to risk a fall when you were walking.  Late afternoon you started to develop a fever they needed to watch.  Courtney had you walking the halls with her to get you moving more. You talked to Dean, your parents, Jess and Donna throughout the day. Your mom and Dean were both struggling not being able to come up and see or help you.  You looked through your magazine and tried to read fanfiction on your tablet, but you kept beginning to doze off then jerk yourself awake never fulling reaching sleep.  Your nurse Laurie, from the day before was working a different hall today but came in to see how you were doing and tell you goodbye before she left.

Dean called once more before he went to sleep.  “Hey Baby. How is it going tonight?  Same nurses?”

“Hi Honey. Nope, different nurses tonight, they are very nice.  Only been a few hours and I have already seen them more than I saw last nights. Fever is down, back into normal range. Been getting up and moving walked the hall again.  Pretty sore, but I know I will be for awhile.”

“I wish I could be up there with you.  I am so glad tonight is going better for you.  I was half tempted to call up there and complain this morning when you told me what was going on last night.”

“Thanks, I wish you were up here too.  I miss you! It helps that tonight is going better though.  I appreciate that you were going to call, but please don’t.  I know you worry, but that wouldn’t have done anything they were already gone.”

“Will see.  I miss you too, hope you come home tomorrow.  Bed is lonely without you.”

“I know you are hoping for that.  I want to be home with you, but in away being in the hospital is a little easier on me. Like earlier when they were worried about the fever, you know I usually move in my sleep and this bed doesn’t give me the room to.  Although Nurse Dean does an amazing job when he’s on duty.

“Haha, thanks, well nurse Dean is ready to report for duty.  I do my best for my favorite patient.

“Yes, you do! Hey, the nurse is coming in for vitals and with pain meds.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight Baby, I love you.”

“I love you too, I’ll call you on my way to work.   Sleep well Sweetheart”

Lindsey, one of your night nurses took your vitals, gave you your pills and even brought a fresh glass of water. Shortly after she left you decided to try and get some sleep.  It was harder to come by tonight and you gave up by 4:30.  Lindsie your second nurse of the night, yes they had the same name just different spellings, did you vitals again before she left and checked if you needed anything else.

It was just before six before your doctor came in for his rounds.  He said eveything still looked good and he was letting you go this afternoon. Dean called on his drive into work to see how you were doing.

“Morning Sweetheart, how did last night go?”

“It was alright, not much sleep, yours?”

“Lonely, but fine.”

“Sorry, you were lonely, but maybe I can help with that tonight.  I’m free to go this afternoon as soon as I have a ride”

“Awesome! I’ll pick you up as soon as I can get out of the shop, do you want me to pick anything up dinner, pie?”

“No, I’m not eating much it hurts to swallow still, and there is a premade pie in the freezer all ready, you just have to bake it.”

“Seriously, you’re the best Baby!  I just pulled into the shop I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sounds good, have a great day at work. Love you, Dean.”

“Love you too, Y/N. Call you when I’m getting out.”

Courtney was back on duty as your day nurse, she caught up to you while you had gone to walk the halls, finishing the walk with you.  When you went back to your room she informed you, you could shower and get dressed in your own clothes, no more hospital gown! Before she left she showed you how to disconnect the pump from the tubing and tape the tube to your side facing down so water didn’t run in it.  When you got out you had to reconnect it and restart the pump.  You walked the hall a few more times but didn’t do much else beside listen to the television.  Staying awake was proving difficult today.  When it was close to four you grabbed your crutches and started to gather all your things and repack your bag so you would be ready when Dean called.

Dean called you just after four to tell you he finished early and was on his way to “break you out.”  Being tired of sitting you walked out to the nurses station to let Courtney know he was on his way, she had just finished printing your release papers and you both headed back to your room to go over them. You were unable to lift anything more than a gallon of milk for the next six week, the only exercise you could do was walking, going up and down stairs was limited, you had to be careful of the pump and had an appointment the following Tuesday to have it taken out. You took one last look around and made sure you had all your things in your bag, and she went to grab a wheelchair and you were on your way out.  

Another nurse joined your trip down inquiring about the crutches, you told you had had surgery on your foot and ankle a few months prior, you weren’t completely off them yet. She asked what you had done, and like your other nurses had when you explained the surgery, gave you a wide eyed ‘wow’.  Courtney laughed and told her she thought that was everyone’s response.

 Dean had brought your Equinox since it would be easier for you than sitting down in Baby. He took your things from the nurses, and you thanked them for all their help.  Dean helped you in the car after giving you a hug and you were off.

It was a fairly quiet ride home, your throat was still bothering you, you were just happy to be out. When you arrived home, Dean grabbed your bag and helped you in.  It was the first time you had gone up any stairs and was slightly painful.  Once inside you headed to your room to change and then back to the living room to lay on the couch.  Dean helped you get comfortable before changing and joining you. You laid on the couch with your head on Dean’s lap and his feet on the ottoman, he got up later to make a lite dinner and cook his pie, for the most part you two were enjoying having each other close.

Laying in bed that night you had to sleep on your back and Dean was laying as close as he could when a noise got his attention.

“Do you hear something buzzing?  What is that?”

“Me, well the pump buzzes when it’s having trouble and trying to get butter suction. It doesn’t run all the time and you must not have heard it with the T.V. on early.  It also has a light that flashes occasionally, that surprised me the first night in the hospital when I could see a light from under the gown.  I’ve gotten used to it; do you want me to sleep in the other room?  That way I don’t keep you up?”

“Not a chance Sweetheart, bed’s been to empty without you.  No way am I letting you leave.”

“Okay if your sure, goodnight Babe.  Love you.”

“Love you too, Sweetheart.”

You woke up a few times during the night but didn’t get out of bed for two reasons.  One you didn’t want to move, and two, you didn’t want to wake Dean.  As much as you were up you still slept better than the hospital, you had missed Dean and your bed.

Dean had offered to stay home with you Thursday, but you told him you would be fine and sent him off to work. You knew they were still trying to get everything ready for Monday when the store could allow people back in and didn’t want to cause extra work for the others. Jess was still working from home and called and asked if you were up for company. She and Jake came over around noon with a pizza. Little guy was getting so big, he was one month away from his first birthday.  You were unable to pick him up, so Jess set him down next to you on the couch, while she got plates and drinks for you two.  Dean had bought a baby activity walker he saw online, he said it was for Jake when he was over, but you knew he was hoping one day you would have a child to use it.  It was a racecar and so very Dean. Jess got it out of the guest room after you were done eating and put Jake in it to play.  He loved playing with the steering wheel and horn.

While watching him play you and Jess turned on turned on T.V., settling on reruns of Bridezilla. Both of you cringing at the crazy antics and behaviors of the brides and others on the show.  This led you both to talking about your own weddings.  Jess and Sam had been college sweethearts, meeting at Stanford.  Jess was full of energy, but pretty levelheaded, there wasn’t much drama with their wedding planning.  

Dean and you had been high school sweethearts dating since sophomore year, and friends since grade school, you married after college.  You had secretly been planning your wedding since your senior year of high school, but you would never tell Dean that.  The biggest disagreement planning your wedding being what you were leaving the church in.  You wanted to leave with your Bridal party in a limo, or bus, while Dean wanted Baby. When Sam said something to Dean about painting ‘Just Married’ on the back window and tying cans behind her, Dean came up with a compromise pretty quick.  You would rent a party bus to go to the reception with your bridal party and leave the reception in Baby, and no one would touch his precious car.  

Jess headed home with Jake after nap and you read until Dean came home, the two of you spending another quiet evening in.      

When Dean left for work Friday, you were back on the couch.  You spent much of the morning fighting to keep your eyes open.  When Dean came home to check on you during his lunch break, he found you had crawled back in bed.  Jess had told him the day before you kept almost dozing off while she had been over.  You woke up before he went back to work, but you still weren’t fully awake. While sleeping you had missed taking some of your medications, and you were starting to wake up more.  You had looked over you pill bottles and realized that while you had taken these meds before you had never had them prescribed at this high a dose.  You decided to take some generic medication during the day and the prescriptions for before bed so you could sleep.  If the over the counter Tylenol could have handled you pain it may have been a good idea, but it wasn’t strong enough and you were miserable by the time you took your pills before bed.  You figured you would just spread out the time you took them slightly.

 It was a nice early summer weekend, you and Dean enjoyed at home, spending some time both inside and out on your deck.  Both of your parents stopped over to see how you were doing and if you needed anything. Although a big downside to summer surgery, you were unable to enjoy your parents pool for the next 6 weeks.  

Tuesday Dean left work early to take you to your appointment, you weren’t allowed to drive for another week.  The doctor told you everything looked good, he took out your pump. Not going to lie, you were so glad to see it go between the buzzing and the tubing that would get tangled up.  The stitches were inside, and they would dissolve so you didn’t have to come back to have those taken out.  Since it was summer and so hot out, he wanted you to keep guaze on the incision to keep any sweat from seeping in and causing an infection.  The biopsy of the fibroids came back and they were both cancer free!  For now, he was leaving you on the birth control. You still had your lifting, and stair restrictions, also no sex for 5 weeks.  You saw Dean’s face over the doctor’s shoulder, it was utter disbelief.  As soon as the two of you got in the car Dean voiced his displeasure.

“Five weeks, isn’t that a little excessive?  He said a horizontal incision wouldn’t be as bad as a vertical.  Your surgery earlier this year we only had to wait a few weeks.”

“One, my last surgery was on my foot and ankle, completely different areas.  Yes, the vertical incision has a higher chance of bursting open, but it’s still fairly big cut on my stomach that needs to heal. Oh! and in case you forgot, they also cut my uterus!”

“I know that I”

“Dean, I can’t cough, laugh or blow my noise without pain right now.  Sex, with your not so little Dean, isn’t going to go well.  I’m so sorry my recovery is inconveniencing you.”

“Sweetheart, no that’s”

“Please, just drop it. I don’t want to talk right now.”  The rest of your car ride home was silent.

When you got home you went to your room and left Dean on his own.  He found you laying on your bed with tears on your face when he went to check on you. 

Gif by homeofthenutty

“I’m sorry, I hadn’t really thought about not having sex, and then the doctor said that I was a little surprised.  I had meant to tease, but it didn’t come out that way.  All I had really thought about regarding the surgery was the surgery itself and what could happen.  I wasn’t trying to force you to do anything you aren’t ready for, or that’s going to hurt you.  You could never be an inconvenience.  I was surprised and I didn’t think about what came out of my mouth. I’m sorry I was an ass.”        

“I feel like I’ve been a burden on you, and you have to keep sacrificing for me.  Today was just one more thing you found out you had to give up for me because of these surgeries.  I feel like I have been asking so much of you with all my problems. There is a good chance the fibroids will come back.  We know it might be harder for me to conceive because of the other surgery.   I knew I was going to start crying and I didn’t want to, which is why I didn’t want to keep talking in the car.”

Dean laid down next to you pulling you back in his arms as best he could. “You have never been and will never be a burden to me.  We are in this together.  I want you to understand that right now.  None of the things that have happened to you were in your control.  You were born with high arches, not your fault.  Those foot surgeries weren’t for the fun of it.  You didn’t ask for the cyst to turn into a mass on your ovary, or those fibroids to grow.  There was nothing you could do to prevent any of this.  I’m not worried about us not being able to have sex right now. Hey, you made me wait two years after we started dating.  I can wait a few weeks to have some fun in the sheets.  Right now, I just want my girl healthy.  Until then I am happy to hold you just like this.   As for a baby, one thing at a time, we can always look into adoption.  As long as I have you, I’m happy.”

“These last few months I haven’t been able to do a lot on my own and you have had to take on more work around the house.  I couldn’t drive and you had to drive me ev”

“Stop right there. I like driving, that’s no problem. Whatever you need I’m here for. Just like I know you are there for me. For better or worse, we are in this together.  Remember in college I broke my wrist in that Championship game for football senior year? You were typing both of our assignments for a month because it was in a sling and cast and I couldn’t.  They wouldn’t let me drive for a few weeks either.  You drove, ran the errands, kept the apartment clean.  We support each other always.”

“That was one month this is almost five.”

“Time doesn’t matter.  In this together, always.  Okay?   Honey, I never want you to feel like you can’t cry in front of me, that was never a problem before.”

“I know, it wasn’t that, it was more it was going to hurt, and I didn’t want to.”

Dean tried to hide a chuckle, “That’s understandable right now too.”  

“I’m also fairly certain my period is starting so..”

“So, that always makes you a little crazier,” Dean leaned over and kissed your forehead. “I love you, I’m sorry I’m an insensitive ass.”

“I love you too, I’m sorry I’m crazy and blow things out of proportion.” You turned your head toward Dean for a kiss.

Sure enough you were absolutely miserable the next day.  When the pump was removed so were the coverings on your incision, it had gauze over it, but it still kept rubbing uncomfortably.  The therapy from the pump had also been easing the pain some when it was pulling everything together.  Throw cramps on top of the pain you still had from surgery and as of today only taking over the counter pain meds instead of prescription, it was a rough day.    

That weekend Dean walked into your room where you were folding laundry.

“Hey, what would you like to do Thursday.”

“I don’t know, what’s Thursday?”

“Um… your birthday?”

“Oh, I guess I forgot we were this far in June already.  I really don’t care. We can have dinner here and pick up something, that work for you?”

“Your day, whatever you want, Sweetheart.”

Thursday came around and Dean woke you with a kiss before he left for work.  You enjoyed a lazy morning, Donna and Jess came over around lunch time.  They brought lunch and you three headed out to lounge in the sun. Jess headed out a few hours later to pick up Jake from Mary, and get ready to come back with Sam. Donna left shortly after needing to go pick up Jody’s daughter Alex.  Dean came home from work early bringing you flowers and having picked up a cake.  You like to bake, but store-bought cakes were still your favorite.  Both of your parents, Sam with his family, and your brother came for dinner.  Dean ordered pizza and bread, which your parents picked up and he bought things to make a salad.  This way there wasn’t much clean up which is what you wanted.  You all spent the evening enjoying each other’s company talking and laughing.  When the house cleared out, Dean and you watched a movie before heading to bed.

The following week was your first time going to work since you had your foot surgery in February. To be honest you were a little nervous about being back, even though you grew up in this business.  It was going to be your first time running this location. Both of your doctors had you limited on what you could do.  Three days being the most you could be in there and not back to back the hours you were allowed to be there in a day only between 4-5.  You still couldn’t lift more than a gallon of milk for another month. With everything going on with Covid, this was the third week restaurants could be open for dine-in, and new regulations were in place.   Things were going to be different for a while, and who knew what the new normal would be.

You drove yourself to your next doctors’ appointment four weeks after your last one.  He was pleased with how it was healing.  You doctor knew kids were something you and Dean wanted.  He was keeping you on birth control till October to give the uterus time to heal. After a myomectomy, most doctors would say to wait 3-6 months before trying to conceive, this would put you four months out.  Your restrictions other than how much you could lift were rescinded.  The weight limit you could carry was now at twenty pounds for a few more weeks before you didn’t have one at all.  He would see you back end of September.

Summer went fast for both of you.  The two of you had spent time at your parent’s pool, gone to the lake with Sam, Jess, and Jake, Dean’s parents often coming. It was mid-July before you could actually get in and enjoy the water.  The two of you had a few weekend bonfires at your house with friends and family coming to hang out.  Fourth of July weekend Cas brought some fireworks, oh were you were thankful your neighbors’ houses weren’t too close.  He went to throw what he thought was just paper from the box in the fire pit. Cas had picked up an unopen box of firecrackers from the case and threw it in the fire with the garbage, that had everyone running back from the pit. Thankfully, no damage done, but you were sure Dean and Benny weren’t going to let him forget it.  

Gif by bringmesomepie56

Jess, Donna, her sister Jody and you, had spent a girls’ day at an outlet mall an hour away, trying to take advantage of the summer sales. Jake had his first birthday.  Dean had tried to get Jess to do a clown theme party, but she wouldn’t do that to Sam. Instead going with a jungle theme.  The boy didn’t just grab for his mini cake Jess got him; he smashed his whole face in it!  Dean made you promise when you had a kid that he could hire a clown at least once, and not tell Sam it was coming, brothers.

September was here before you knew it.  You were back to working 5 or 6 days a week, Dean doing the same.  Both of you were home by 7 most evenings and spent most of them together either just the two of you or with your friends. You two tried to match up at least one day off a week to spend just the two of you.  

October was growing closer and you and Dean needed to talk. You could either continue on the birth control longer or go off next month and see what happened.  You would run a chance of a fibroid coming back either way.  Nothing said one would come back quick or get big enough to cause you problems again though. You were praying it would be awhile, if ever before that happened.  

It was one of the last Saturdays in September, you and Dean were enjoying a bonfire just the two of you in your back yard.  Both sitting on the swing, you curled into his side.

“I’ve got that appointment this week,” you reminded Dean

“We haven’t talked about it in a while, what are your thoughts?  Are you leaning a certain way?”

“I know what I’m thinking, but honestly I’d like to hear what’s on your mind first.”

Dean was quiet for a minute before answering “Honestly, I always thought we would have a couple of kids, part of me thought we would have already had at least one by now.  If your ready now, I say let’s try, Y/N.”

“I always thought we would have had one or two by now, too.  If you were ready, I was leaning toward telling him I want to go off birth control.  Not so much trying though, as seeing what happens.  We tried before, and when the tests were negative or my period started, both of us were frustrated.  I want kids with you, but know I have to be realistic, and as much as I don’t want to think about, it may not happen.”  

Dean stood up and was walking around the fire pit, instead of working the flames to keep the fire going, he let it continue to fade. He walked back to stand in front of you before speaking again.  “Valid points Mrs. Winchester.  How about we will see what happens but not, not try either, just more relaxed than last time.  No tracking ovulation,   No matter the outcome, we are in it together.”  Dean grabbed your hand and pulled you out of the swing, then suddenly picked you up and tossed you over his shoulder heading for the house.  “On that note, I think we should practice not trying, Sweetheart.”

 Part 3

Don’t tell people not to laugh.

Friends, today is not a day to be shamed of your joy and hope. Wave your flag HIGH. Some people would have you to believe you should hide your glee, your excitement or your elation at finally seeing the caravan of retribution, cosmic justice and old-fashioned “reaping and sowing” reach the gates of its own demise. You should not. The universe is doing what it’s doing and, acknowledging that as the only “justice” we can be sure to have, or hope for, is well-earned and beyond our control. But just in case you still feel a bit self-conscious about the universe’s timing:

Remember the children  -as young as babies- in distress, traumatized from parental separation, with ID numbers written on their arms as they’re shipped around the US quietly on night flights, lodging in Best Western hotels while this administration claimed they are “keeping families together”. Remember how their family members -pre pandemic- were packed in cages so tight no one could even lay down and SLEEP and how lawyers went to COURT on their behalf to advocate for them having access to basic hygiene products and influenza medications.

Remember the "shithole" Bahamians (a former Caribbean free-slave society with "Black Leadership") that were denied temporary refuge in the US after a monstrous hurricane stalled over their island homes for nearly 3 days-destroying their entire habitat, food/water supply & livelihood. Think of all the Republican politicians & White Americans who then joined in to support and affirm this un-neighborly treatment, who hide their tax-free profits in their banks and HAPPILY vacation there each year but proudly expect the service of Bahamian people during their pseudo-Caribbean "getaways”.

Remember the Puerto Ricans 🇵🇷 (& Vieques, Culebra, USVI 🇻🇮) who were told they were too "Lazy" to deserve adequate FEMA relief; relief that was sitting in cargo bins and supply ships stuck in port for weeks while surviving families, children & the elderly scoured around the island for water & food. Remember how the big ‘White Man’ and his posse flew in on a PR gambit to cover-up administrative incompetence. How they forced the hand of local government officials to “erase” lives by agreeing to concede lower death counts. How he threw paper towels at human beings in need of food and water from across a room, delighted with the televised spectacle of groveling survivors to cover-up an ill-prepared disaster response. How he required literal “thanks and praise” for benevolently distributing resources which they are entitledto by law, then flew back to the states, lied on those same leaders and then told the citizenry (overriding the NOAA) the same monstrous hurricane was "changing course" to Western Florida and Alabama because he knows better about meteorological science.

Remember the families of Paradise California-having lost all their life’s possessions, standing in the ashes of torched forests, had to acknowledge the welcome of a man who couldn’t bother to offer condolences let alone research the name of the very town he traveled to for a photo op. How he then minimized their devastation by recommending those agencies and families "rake leaves" like the Scandinavians do-to combat a Climate Change phenomenon he believes is a hoax. 

Remember Heather Heyer, who lost her life, run over by a speeding driver in a crowd-on film, who's mother wasn't offered so much as a condolence card for the loss of her only daughter during a protest against Nazis HE STILL WONT CONDEMN, that descended on her hometown to spew epithets, obscenities while terrorizing ethnic, religious and sexual minorities with old-fashioned torches one fine Friday evening. Remember how it looked and sounded to witness the chilling resurrection of the chanting ghosts in our country’s violent, barbarous history be welcomed in equivocal affirmation by a head of state, staff and colleagues.

Remember Khzir Khan, his wife and fallen son who are to this day still mocked, denigrated and roundly dismissed for their immigrant history and military service-to this country's ideals and imperialistic motivations in their own places of birth -whilst simultaneously offering up White soldiers and their families who served in the same wars as the epitome of American valor, respectability, 'legitimacy' and political currency. And how he later condemned his own Defense leaders as being hungry for war to satisfy a “military industrial complex”.

Remember the vile ‘mysogynoir’ directed at Rep. Fredrica Wilson (FL) by his Chief of Staff, himself a gold-star military father, caught blatantly lying about material facts he used to denigrate her concerning the death of a Black soldier and his grieving widow. How he defended a callous condolence call and gaslight an entire press corp to bolster an unpatriotic narrative of a Black soldier that "He knew what he was getting into"...and never apologized for it.

Remember the Trans women and men serving in the Miltary who woke up one random morning to read on Twitter that their hard work and dedication was now a distraction and “threat to cohesion” because their identity had become "too expensive" to sustain. This after being assured their jobs and “LGBTQ rights” would be honored beyond 2016. Remember the grift of inter-agencies, the re-allocation of Defense funds towards a border wall “Mexico would pay for” and the $84 Million in subsidies for erectile dysfunction medications for male military officers (in contrast to “overspending” claims on Trans hormonal care). Remember this vulgar scapegoating to satisfy a group of mysogynistic theocrats and non-profit “interest groups” self-defined by Biblical “principles” and simultaneously bearing the most false of witness against these their neighbors.

Remember the show hearings with Dr. Ford, a victim of sexual abuse, white patriarchy and the most acute manifestations of rich, male, Christian privilege, who was not be afforded a thorough background investigation into her abusers and the veracity of her case; who was eventually mocked and discredited by grinning Senators eager to affirm a petulant, entitled drunk of a pious Juris Doctor, just so he could rule in favor of a “Muslim Ban” from a guy who pledged a “total Muslim ban” before being sworn-in to office. And the irony of discrediting Ford’s testimony on ‘insufficient’ evidence while being employed as a result of 10 years of election campaigns exploiting fears of coming “Sharia Law” they claim mistreats women places like Iran and Afghanistan.

Remember the nearly $110 million dollars for a 2017 Presidential inauguration still unaccounted for but nevertheless was somehow needed to hire acts like The Rocketts, the “US Border Patrol Pipes & Drums”,  celebrity season winners on “America’s Got Talent” or the high-priced “1st Calvary Division Horse Calvary Detachment”. Remember how he got an inauguration: through outright lies, mockery, demonization of Latinos, the Disabled, the American Indigenous (remember “Pocahontas”?) and Blacks/African-Americans…before insisting the public believe an easily refuted lie about crowd and attendance.

Remember the dead that are still being killed overseas in various theaters of war: the dead Kurdish people (a.k.a. our “allies”); the dead soldiers for whose lives someone received a $100K bounty payment from Putin; the dead migrant adults and children who succumbed to abuse, infection and disease in holding cells (pre-Covid); the charred bodies trapped in their neighborhoods from fires raging in the West; the traumatized and/or dead protestors shot by sanctioned White vigilantes in cities “protecting businesses”; Black/Latino men and women shot by law enforcement or the 72 y/o Buffalo man with a permanent brain injury pushed to the ground by a “task force” of colleagues dutifully walking away as his blood spills on the sidewalk; the 205,000 DEAD of Covid-19, a purported “Democratic Hoax” that would miraculously disappear by Easter 2020, yet could be sufficiently treated with ultraviolet lights, “injections” of cleaning solution and for which -according to this man- “no one” has died even from (including your friend or your family member). He calls them “no one”.

Oh, and lest we forget-he is said to have only paid $750.00 in Federal taxes as a BILLIONAIRE…in the 10 years. Not to mention having allegedly RAPED or SEXUALLY ASSAULTED over 25 WOMEN. 

As you tell me and everyone else not to “laugh”, dismiss or revel in this President’s current status, or that of his staff and family, REMEMBER THAT.

-R

FRIENDS (One)

A/N: This is HELLA late, but also on time considering @bribrisback is here to be part of it. I decided to split this into parts because it’s 5k words and counting. So, here’s to part one of another Maya x CoCo collab. Enjoy. 

Seasons had come and passed, families started and extended since the Boseman and Udaku tribes had been able to reconnect in person. What felt like an insurmountable distance didn’t keep the two couples from speaking almost weekly, or exchanging updates and gifts whenever necessary. Unfortunately, plans to spend the New Year in Wakanda fell through due to work commitments on both sides, further extending the time between visits.

Once the heatwave of late Spring rolled through, talks began to intensify about a concrete arrival date for Maya and T’Challa’s inherited family.

“So, Co, I have a surprise for you,” Maya sang on the other side of their FaceTime call.

“Is my girl a Delta yet? My Mala is crossing?!”

“Okay, number one, it’ll be hell to pay if that happens,” the Queen scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “Number two, no. I have a surprise that actually makes some damn sense.”

“Alright then, girl. When can I see this sensible surprise?”

“Well,” Maya started, chewing her bottom lip. “Challa and I were hoping you and Chad were still open to coming for a visit.”

“You know what’s crazy? We were literally just talking about the trip in bed last night.”

“It’s good to know y’all were thinking about us in the bedroom.”

Tasha watched Maya wink playfully before both ladies burst into laughter, “You are a mess.”

After much preparation and having to convince her husband and King, the Boseman’s were set to visit Wakanda.

“I’m so excited. Thanks, baby.” Maya stood on her tiptoes to give T’Challa a kiss.

Playfully rolling his eyes, he kissed her back. “Yeah, yeah.” Pulling back, he placed his hands on her belly. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, now let’s go tell the kids and Erik and Jas.”

“And the Milaje. Remember background checks are crucial.”

Maya walked away and shook her head, “You are ridiculous.”

“Just trying to keep everyone safe. That is my job, entle.” While he was partially joking, T’Challa took the subject of visitors seriously. And while he knew the Boseman’s were great people, he still took proactive steps. Maya called him paranoid, he called it precautious.

Maya called a meeting and was giddy when her family gathered around her. “Baby.” Jada, Erik and Jasmine’s daughter, rubbed her Aunt’s belly and giggled.

“Babies, Jada. Remember there are two.” Abdul said, sitting near his mama.

“Right.”

“So what are we in here for?” Erik asked, trying to read everyone’s faces. 

“Well, I have some exciting news.”

“TRIPLETS!” Mala stood up and squealed.

“Girl no!” The Princess and her father mumbled their disappointment. “Wait, were you banking on triplets? T’Challa, you know what the surprise is!”

“I know, I know, Kitten but I thought that was at least a possibility.”

The Queen could feel herself growing rapidly agitated with her daughter and husband and their absurd wish for her to have another baby. She just wanted to get the news out of her friends coming or she was going to burst into tears and flames.

Her emotions were quickly getting the best of her and she had to calm down, “Can I finish?” She asked.

“Of course.”

“Anyway, I have some exciting news. No additional playmates in the womb but our friends, the Boseman’s, are coming over!”

Mala gasped, “Really? Even little Mikey?”

“Yes and Noah.”

“WHO?” Erik asked and looked between Maya, Mala, and T’Challa.

“I met CoCo, I mean Tasha, at the Women’s Empowerment Conference after my, um-” She rubbed her stomach and avoided saying the word because she was too afraid she might jinx her pregnancy.

“Well anyway, Tasha and I met and hit it off immediately. We visited them for Christmas and then we went to see Bey and Jay’s concert in Paris with them. They are a lovely couple and a cute little family.”

“Damn, so you are inviting the couple you replaced us with?”

T’Challa rolled his eyes, “No one replaced you. We literally try to invite you two everywhere but you decline.”

“Whatever man. So who are these people, again?”

“Co does some consulting work with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chadwick is an actor.”

“A very good one.” Abdul hinted at the resemblance Chad and his father shared.

“Eish,” T’Challa bit his tongue and let Maya finish. 

“So Mala, Jai, and Jada you’ll be responsible for making sure Micah feels like the princess she is. She’s so sweet so I’ll know you’ll love her. Erik, I’m going to need you to be nice. Abdul, no calling Chadwick your dad or vice versa.”

“Dang it.” Abdul had already made up in his mind he was going to do just that.

“Hold up, hold up. What?” Erik was confused.

“Oh yeah, um, Chadwick and Challa look alike. There was a whole Black Panther movie out based on your blind rage to get revenge and the guy who played you looks exactly like you.”

Erik jumped up, “WHAT?!?”

“Yeah, Michael B. Jordan. Except he is cute but he doesn’t like black women.”

“First of all, how the hell did I not know I was in a movie. Second, I’ve seen him and we look nothing alike.”

Jasmine scoffed, “Yes you do. He just has more chin than you.”

Everyone laughed except for Erik, “Keep it up Jas.”

“Erik and Challa will make Chad feel welcome but when they get here we’ll do a tour and all that good stuff.”

Everything was set and Maya began texting Co, asking her what the family wanted to see and do the most.

T’Challa was prepared to deal with his wife’s constant reach for perfection. “Their room has to have goodies and engraved robes and slippers. Co likes chocolate right? I’ll ask. Micah’s room is going to be beside theirs or should she sleep in there with them or-“ T’Challa rested his hands on her shoulders.

“Kitten.”

“Noah! We have to-“

“Maya!”

She stopped and looked up at him. “Yes?”

“Relax. They won’t even be here until a few weeks. We have time. And I don’t want you stressing.” He motioned to her stomach.

“I’m only 4 months, Challa but I get it. I’ll relax.” He smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Thank you.”

“And we didn’t even get their background checks, yet. So do not get too excited.” His tone was playful which put Maya at ease.

“Whatever you say, but I do need to ask does she want cotton or feather pillows.”

“Oh Bast.”

-----

In California, old school R&B competed with the screams of children that were supposed to be taking afternoon naps, slowly increasing Tasha’s blood pressure.

With only days left until the trip, her quest for neatly packed suitcases and checking off a carefully planned to-do list was becoming more of a novel idea than a reality.

“Aaron, stop making them scream.”

Chadwick took a pause from tickling Noah and Micah to shoot his wife a look, “Baby, they’ve been stuck in the house all day. At least let them have fun.”

“Oh, my problem is not with them having fun. It’s with you not having your bag packed and we leave in three days.”

“I got this, girl,” he boasted as he stood to wrap his arms around his wife. “You and I both know this ain’t about packing. What you nervous for?”

Years of companionship helped Chadwick to see through his wife’s misplaced frustration. Thankful for his comforting touch, Tasha let go of pent up tension through a deep breath.

“I guess I’m worried we may not fit in. We’ve been with Maya and T’Challa alone so many times that I forget they have an entire family back home that they’re comfortable with. What if they don’t like us?”

“Then I’ll have to get them together. Isn’t that how you and the girls say it?” Chadwick’s joke lightened the mood as he intended, making Tasha laugh until tears stung the corner of her eyes. “Things will be okay, Cookie. If the rest of the family is anywhere as dope as Maya and T’Challa, we’ll fit in just fine.”

Turning to face him, Tasha pressed two kisses to both sides of Chadwick’s face, “Thank you, baby.”

“Anything for my girl.”

“I’m glad you said that. Get yo’ ass in here and pack your bags. I’m not lending you my deodorant because you left yours like last time.”

Chadwick scoffed at his wife’s implication that he was irresponsible while watching her take his place as the household tickle monster. A glance at the mounds of folded shirts and underclothes made him wince. The longer his eyes scanned the room, the more he realized one thing: he should’ve listened to his wife sooner.

————

Even with an ocean and a chartered jet separating the two friends, both Maya and Tasha were riddled with a mix of excited and nervous energy.

Chadwick and Micah sat near the window of the futuristic aircraft, eyes glued to landscape unfolding beneath them.

“Daddy, look at all the trees! Are we going to the jungle?”

“No, Princess,” Chadwick laughed. “We’re going to someplace way better.”

A decorated member of the Milaje smiled at the interaction before interrupting, “If you are interested, we are approaching the border. I think you may enjoy the scenery much better from up here.”

Together, the Boseman family crowded to the cockpit of the jet to witness the breathtaking entry into Wakanda.

“Are we going to hit the trees,” Tasha questioned while sharing a look with her husband.

“No, Sister. Look.”

Asha adjusted the controls to the designated latitude with pride as the family behind her watched in awe. Before their eyes, the foliage lining the sky vanished, allowing the jet to break the near-invisible barrier between the outside world and the foreign country.

Buildings and landscape glittered in the high noon sun, resembling precious jewels. Each Boseman whispered various phrases of wonder and surprise as they flew through the city to the landing pad.

Turning to address her passengers, Asha smiled, “Welcome home.”

-------------------

T’Challa leaned on the threshold of the twins’ nursery and watched his wife fold the same white onesie three times. “Entle, come. Their jet should be breaking through the dome at any moment.”

“Is this too much?” Maya turned around and motioned to the extravagant nursery.

“No! It’s a nursery for two princes.”

Maya chuckled, “I’m glad you’re so confident they’re boys. And not the nursery, the way I’m presenting it.”

“No. Isn’t it a thing between you two? You both surprise each other and cry over the joy of a baby.” Walking forward, he brushed her braid out of her face.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Well,” Their conversation was interrupted when Ayo knocked on the door.

“Their jet just came through the border.”

“Okay, okay!” Maya’s calm demeanor went out of the window and she pushed T’Challa out of the way. “Okay! GET IN FORMATION!” She screamed out into the hallway, making the servants scramble.

“Maya, everyone is already out on the landing pad,” T’Challa informed.  

“Good,” Maya high stepped to the pad and gave her family the rundown, for the umpteenth time.

“Okay, greet them. Make them feel welcomed. Remember this is new territory and a completely different way of life from the states.”

Ramonda put her hand up, “Maya, dear, we as you always say ‘Got dis’!” Her grandchildren laughed at her odd way of saying the term while the adults nodded in agreement.

“Fine, well, I’ll see you all inside!” Maya turned around to head back to the nursery while still rattling her brain for more instructions.

Abdul watched, “She is going to turn around in 3, 2,-”

“Also don’t forget to-”

“GO!” Everyone yelled.

“Eish. Okay! Okay!”

————-

Orchestrating the family, Mala led a countdown as the ramp of the jet lowered to reveal the guests of honor. “One, two, three -”

“WELCOME TO WAKANDA!”

Smiling faces, familiar and foreign, greeted the Boseman family with warm hugs as they exited the aircraft. Chadwick shook his shoulders to the welcome music, earning a laugh from Abdul.

“He dances just like BaBa,” the prince whispered as he nudged his sister. “I am going to record this for Aunt Shuri to use. For research purposes, of course.”

Ignoring her younger sibling, Malaika hustled to the front of the crowd to lead the welcome wagon.

“Aunt Tasha!”

“My Mala!” The duo embraced each other in a spirited hug that seemed to last forever. “You look just like your mama, girl! Look at this outfit!”

“My outfit is the least important part of this conversation. Look at the baby!” Mala’s voice went up in pitch as she observed Noah who was focused on chewing his way through his teething ring. Distracted by the presence of a new babyface to pinch and kiss, she nearly missed the light tug at her skirt.

“Do you remember me?” The small voice, fragile and sad, drew Mala away from Noah and to the source of the question.

Bending to balance on one knee, she smiled, “Well, who wouldn’t remember a princess? Especially one as pretty as Princess Micah?”

Micah’s eyes lit up at Mala’s compliment before she rushed into her arms for a hug. After ending the welcomes at Chadwick, Mala led the family to the remaining Udakus. Queen Mother was the first to notice the incoming guests, her smile transitioning between its usual ray of sunshine to a confused from.

“Son, you have invited an imposter into our borders?”

“No, Umama” Irritation began to etch itself into the lines of T’Challa’s forehead as the rest of the group picked up on what was happening.

Jas and Erik whispered amongst themselves while shielding their children from the danger. Only Shuri found the humor in the situation as she stepped forward to examine the “intruder.”

“It is impossible that this one can be an intruder. Bast would not make two idiots that look exactly alike. That is cruel and unusual, even for the ancestors.” Her joke pulled laughs and murmurs of approval from the kids and Erik, but none from T’Challa and Queen Mother.

“Shuri,” Ramonda scolded, earning a quick ‘sorry’ from the princess. Her eyes scanned Chadwick for a few more moments, picking up subtle differences in his appearance compared to her son’s. When she was at least partially convinced that Chadwick was not a murderous doppelganger, she slowly extended her hand.

“Everyone, this is Chadwick Boseman, his wife Tasha, and his children Micah and Noah. They will be joining us for a few days. You are to treat them with the same respect that you show me.” T’Challa could sense Erik opening his mouth to answer with a rebuttal, prompting him to alter his statement. “With more respect than you show me. Please, no jokes.”

All collectively agreed to remain on their best behavior before exchanging hugs.

“Aunt Tasha, Mama wants you and Uncle Chadwick to meet her in another part of the palace. If you do not mind, BaBa will lead you all while we take Micah and Noah to play.”

T’Challa could sense the apprehension from both parents at the mention of leaving their newest addition alone with people that they weren’t quite familiar with. Knowing this, T’Challa motioned for Ramonda to step forward.

“My mother is the baby whisperer. Each one of the children here have gone through her. I promise to you, both Micah and Noah are in the best hands we could offer.”

Noah, a usually shy child, felt an instant connection to Ramonda and her warm smile. His arms extended to grab hold of the woman, laughing and smiling at the jewelry that adorned her ears and neck.

“You remind me of my Abdul when he was your age,” She cooed before looking to Tasha and Chadwick. “No harm will come to them. You have my word.”

With a smile and a gesture of thanks, Tasha turned to T’Challa, “Well, my friend, after you!”

--------------------

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Video Resource Club Review | Demo | Exclusive Bonus Package | the biggest video resource libraries out there

Video Resource Club Review | Demo | Exclusive Bonus Package | the biggest video resource libraries out there

Learn more here: http://mattmartin.club/index.php/2018/06/19/video-resource-club-review-demo-exclusive-bonus-package-the-biggest-video-resource-libraries-out-there/

Welcome To MattMartin.Club!

Thank You So Much For Taking The Time In Checking Out My Review On "Video Resource Club"

Hope You Will Enjoy It!

One of the Biggest Video Resource Library!

Overview:

Product Creator SuperGoodProduct Product Name Video Resource Club Front-End Price $37.00 Niche Software Bonuses YES! Listed Below! Refund 30 Days Money Back Guarantee Recommendation Yes, 100% from Matt Martin 🙂 Launch Date 2018 – June – 19th @ 10:00 AM EST Official Website Checkout "Video Resource Club" Official Site

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Do you know the big media houses are still charging $10 to $100 or even for one single stock media out there? Yup imagine how much the cost can add up if you only need a few stock medias for your project. But I have a piece of awesome news for you because you now have the opportunity to get unlimited access and download to thousands over stock media for not just the price one but a fraction of it. Too good to be true right? Let’s check out more details about it in my Video Resource Club Review below!

VIDEO RESOURCE CLUB REVIEW – INTRODUCTION

Its call Video Resource Club and it’s a massive library of thousands over video resource like stock videos, motion backgrounds, special effect videos, spokesperson videos, niche video templates, story video templates, 4K resolution real effect videos and many many more! VideoResource.Club is one of the biggest video resource libraries out there, the library boost thousands of stock medias.

In other words, VideoResource.Club is one of the internet biggest video resource library featuring massive collection of ever growing video resource for marketer, video designer, graphic designer, web designer and all walks of life! The VideoResource.Club library is massive boosting thousands of video resource with many more being added regularly, you will find video resource like stock videos, spokesperson videos, local niche video templates, motion backgrounds, video scripts, voice overs and much more.

During this special launch period customers able to be one of the founding member and pay a one time special affordable price to get lifetime unlimited access and downloads to the library.

Video Resource Club Rating - 9.1/10

Quality - 9/10

Features - 8.5/10

Support - 9/10

Easy to use - 10/10

Bonus - 9/10

Summary

PROS - Thousands over high definition stock videos. - Thousands over motion backgrounds. - Library of special effect videos. - Library of 4K real effect videos. - Niche video templates with PRO VO. - Story videos (Unique storytelling style videos) - Spokesperson videos library. - and many many more! CONS - If you want to use them for your client’s project you must get the agency rights in the upsell options

ABOUT AUTHOR

Personally, I’ve been impressed by the developer behind Motion Animation Pro for a long time. Under the cover of “SuperGoodProduct”, this mysterious guy has never revealed his true identity on his sales pages.

Although people still have many doubts over who he (or she) really is, SuperGoodProduct’s products turn out to be trusted by the majority of online marketers. Some of the trending launches of this vendor on JVZoo are Majestic Templates V.2, Conceptual Pictures, Versatile Pictures, Motion Animation Pro, Image of Human Super Bundle, Ultimate Transparent Stock Photos series, Vector Giant, and Power Video Template. Now, let’s look at the next part of this Video Resource Club Review Review and find out its features.

FEATURES OF VIDEO RESOURCE CLUB

Here are what you will get inside the library (Please read carefully, it is such a long list!)

Motion Backgrounds Library

Library of thousands over high definition moving backgrounds that are designed and animated with professional animations. These motion backgrounds are loopable making them very versatile and you can use them for many various applications such as but not limited to using them as moving backdrop for green screen spokesperson, as video background for webpage, in videos project and many more.

Green Screen Videos Library

Hundreds over specialized videos with a green screen placeholder so you can replace the placeholder with image or video easily. These videos will come in handy for various applications for instance you can use a TV green screen video and place your own video in the TV placeholder making it look like the TV is playing your very own video and many more.

Special Effect Videos Library

Hundreds over videos with special effects such as particles, flame, smoke and various types of effects that you can use in various projects. All the effects are designed with single background color allowing you to key them out easily and integrate them to any of your project.

Spokesperson Videos Library

Library of real life spokesperson in list of high demand niches. All the videos are embed with greenscreen background and in high definition quality. With greenscreen you can easily key the background out and use them over any background.

Colorful Motion Loops Library

Library of colorful motion loop or VJ Loop, these are looping video backgrounds that you can use in different applications for instance using behind an object as background to create that motion looping effect and etc.

Local Niche Video Templates (Animated Version) Library

Local niche videos in list of high demand local niches animated with matching cartoon and paired with professional voice over. The video is also included with full original source file in PowerPoint format so you can customize almost every elements inside the video using PowerPoint, for instance you can edit the text, change different colors, rebrand with another branding, add new text and many more.

Local Niche Video Templates (Real Life Videos Version) Library

These local niche videos are similar to above but instead of animated with cartoon animations these videos are built with real life videos. You have full customization power over these as original PowerPoint source file is included.

Local Niche Video Templates (Real Life Videos Version With Elements) Library

In this library you will find local niche videos similar to above but with notable difference that is each of the local niche video in this library is designed and animated with text and various call to action elements such as call to action phone numbers listed at the end of video and many more. Original PowerPoint source file is included giving you full customization power.

Online Niche Video Templates (Animated Version) Library

Online niche videos are video templates geared toward the online niches. All these videos are designed with matching cartoon and paired with professional voice over. Each of the video is also included with full original source file in PowerPoint format so you can customize almost every element inside the video using PowerPoint.

Online Niche Video Templates (Real Life Videos Version) Library

Instead of animated with cartoon animations these online niche videos are are designed with real life videos. You have full customization power over these as original PowerPoint source file is included.

Online Niche Video Templates (Real Life Videos Version With Elements) Library

The Online Niche Video Templates in this library are paired with real life videos but each of them is animated with text and various call to action elements such as call to action phone numbers listed at the end of video and many more. Original PowerPoint source file is included giving you full customization power.

Story Videos

Library of story video templates covering various local niches that are designed with storytelling style videos and relaxing music paired with matching voice over to send an impactful message across to the viewer. These templates are created with PowerPoint and 100% customizable using PowerPoint.

Story Videos Alternative Style

Similar to the Story Videos Library above but this alternative version is paired with various text animations and call to action elements plus branding that you can easily replace with them with your own brand. These templates are created with PowerPoint and 100% customizable using PowerPoint.

Video Scripts and Voice Over Library

Library of video script and voice over in list of high demand niches. Use these video scripts for reference in your next project or use the included qualified voice over as it is plus sliced voice over is included making them handy for use with slide based presentation software.

4K Real Effect Videos

In this library you will find collection of real effect videos in ultra-high definition resolution or 4K resolution. Real effect videos are videos that created from real life effects such as fire, smoke, water and many more. These videos are format with ultra-high definition resolution making them rich and crisps and are perfect to bring instant effect to any projects.

Massive Stock Videos Library

Massive library of 6000+ stock videos in full high definition resolution covering hundreds of different categories. Stock video is a video footage that can be used in films or various projects. Stock video is extremely useful and time saver as you don’t need to shoot new video for your project instead you can pick one from our vast library of stock videos.

WHY SHOULD YOU GET IT?

It is simple. Let’s take a minute to recap the huge benefits come up with:

Full Video Resource Library.

Unlike cheap video or graphic resource pack out there where you get GBs of files with crazy name, VideoResource.Club is a full complete cloud based library with all the contents professionally inserted with keywords and tagged. You get to search through our library easily for the contents you want using keyword, plus you will have unlimited access and downloads to all the video resource 24 hours everyday without having to download GBs of files to clog your hard drive.

Reliable Permenant Support.

Support you can count on! this is not a one off product launch, The creators have great plan for this business and they are here to stay so you are rest assured of reliable support you can count on for the time to come.

Premium Speed.

All files are hosted on premium cloud server so you can access the contents at the highest possible speed.

Tremendous Values.

Instead of having to spend $10 to $100 or even more for one video resource you get lifetime unlimited access and downloads to thousands of video resource at VideoResource.Club!

Always Fresh New Contents.

Apart from the thousands of amazing video resource in the library, new contents will be added regularly to the library and you get access to them too. With new contents being added on a regular basis your membership values will keep growing forever!

In addition, you will be getting tons of the vendor’s greatest bonuses for your fast action

Is it enough awesomeness for you? Because you will be also receiving my ULTIMATE huge bonuses. Those treasures are waiting for you at the end of this Video Resource Club Review. And even though you do nothing but only read my Video Resource Club Review, to thanks for your kind support, I still give you free bonuses. So keep reading then scroll your mouse down!

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I have to say I am absolutely impressed by the massive selection of video resource in the library and better yet during this introductory launch you get to become one of the founding members. Founding members get lifetime unlimited access and downloads to the library for life! After trying this product for a week as a beta tester, I noticed the following key points:

One of biggest video resource club featuring not just stock videos but also various video resource such as motion backgrounds, special effect videos, niche video templates, spokesperson videos and many more.

During introductory launch customer can become one of founding members for one very low price. Founding member basically is a lifetime membership.

New video resource will be added to the library on a regular basis and members get to enjoy those new contents for life (assuming they are on lifetime membership)!

And that’s not all:

One of the biggest video resource membership site boosting thousands of various video resource that anyone can use in their projects.

An ever growing library with new contents being added on a regular basis. This is not a one off launch, the VideoResource.Club library will be maintained to meet ever changing market demands and to keep customers happy!

Massive video library featuring thousands of HD stock videos, niche video templates, spokesperson videos, video scripts, voice overs, motion backgrounds, special effect videos and many more video resource.

VideoResource.Club is not just a club but it’s a complete massive library taken many months to develop. Every contents is inserted manually with proper keyword so user can search for contents they want easily.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

After your order has been processed an email with the login instruction will be automatically sent to your email, please check your email for the login instruction on how to access your ordered products. You will receive royalty free license with the product you can use them for your personal and commercial projects. If you want to use them for your client’s project you can get the agency rights which the option is available on this Video Resource Club Review.

PRICE AND EVALUATION

For a limited time, you can grab the Video Resource Club with early bird discount price in these options below. Let’s pick the best suited options for you before this special offer gone!

FE Frontend: Video Resource Club >> See Details <<

The FE have two options one is the silver membership and silver agency membership, the agency which cost a little bit more offer developer rights so customers can use the contents for their client’s project. Both membership are lifetime membership.

During the early bird sale price point for both Silver membership are as follow:

Silver: $31

Silver (Agency Version): $33.50

OTO 1: Platinum upgrade >> See Details <<

Buyer get to choose either the recurring monthly subscription or the one time founding member option which is the lifetime option.

Recurring option: $17 recurring monthly.

Founding club option: $57 one time payment.

The platinum upgrade offer 14,000 more video resource, there are new library too like the 4K resolution stock videos, PLUS the platinum membership get a lot more updates than the silver.

OTO 2: Motion Animations Bundle >> See Details <<

This a special bundle of their previous motion animations product the Motion Clip Arts, Motion Clip Arts Upgrade, Motion Animations Pro and Motion Animations Pro Upgrade available at a discounted price. This OTO is selling for $57.

OTO 3:  SuperPowerPPT Membership >> See Details <<

Their longest running ultimate PowerPoint video templates membership offering mammoth library of video templates, animated slides and presentation templates for PowerPoint. Recurring billing with very high retention rate.

Buyer can choose from two subscription model:

Recurring option: $17 recurring every months.

Lifetime option: $197 one time payment.

Let’s act now, don’t delay and grab it now while it’s still at the lowest price possible! And Just feel free to give it a try, because You have a full 30 days to put this to the test and make sure that this is for you. If you do not see any results within this period then please reach out to them. The Helpdesk Team is always there to help you out and make sure that you have been following the correct procedures.

VIDEO RESOURCE CLUB REVIEW – CONCLUSION

In summary, I hope that all of the information in this Video Resource Club Review can help you gain more understanding about this product and then be able to make a wise choice. If you’re ready to start making a real online income in the most passive way possible then click the button below before the price rises. I am look forward to seeing your success.

However, in case you are in need of any advice, please feel free to keep in touch with me anytime. Regardless, thank you for reading my Video Resource Club Review. Goodbye, and see you again!

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Mentalism Magic Fundamentals Explained

One way of keeping yourself determined and involved is establishing yourself obstacles. What might have been if Derren Brown had decided to stop when he got his initial break as an illusionist? If he had simply set his auto-pilot to 'travel'? You require to establish on your own objectives and also difficulties to encourage and excite you as well as keep points intriguing.

Third, make certain you make use of the magic area! Places like the Conjuror Neighborhood Club are ideal for magicians to motivate as well as urge each other to new elevations. So to recap; right here's your action by action overview to learning mentalism Step 1: Learn Mentalism Step 2: Method, Practice, Practice Step 3: Link With Like Minded Magicians Step 4: Buy Your Success Action 5: A Formula For The Years Ahead Thanks for reading this overview on learning to come to be a mentalist! We hope you discovered this guide valuable! If you still have any kind of more inquiries, do not hesitate to leave a remark, and we'll return to you on it.

Experience mindreading, magic, and funny, all in one show! The Phenomenon brings his self-invented personality of The Mentalist to the. Elected Ideal Magician in Las Vegas, this is not a program you intend to miss out on! A mentalist combined with investigator skills he picked up from his daddy, McCambridge amazes target markets with his mindreading abilities.

Some Known Facts About Reading Human Mind.

To see the very best in the art of mentalism, obtain your tickets to see The Mentalist now and also witness magic like you have actually never ever seen it before! SEE TERMS & CONDITIONS ON THE BACK. ALL LATE ARRIVALS GO THROUGH HAVE THEIR SEATING REASSIGNED. This ticket will NOT be delivered to you.

Sale is non-refundable, and also client should offer business with valid image ID * for a ticket to the occasion bought. All reservations are last. Must get ticket at package workplace no much less than one (1) hour before the show. * legitimate picture identification acceptable to Firm is a vehicle driver's permit, state recognition card, or army identification card.

Welcome to the modern mentalism and entertainment show - Intuitions. In a span of simply 75 minutes this show provides you fun, shock, amusement and also enjoyment. The show is packed with comedy, suspense, hypnotic aspects, audience interaction, songs and ends with a thrilling climax. This non-stop interactive program is completely made to captivate both family members and company target market.

The Best Strategy To Use For Mind Reading Magic Tricks

You may have seen mentalists at work in shows and also tvs and also admired the techniques and forecasts they were able to do. Mentalism is a new kind of magic that has actually developed, and also numerous usually flaunt impressive tricks with their mind abilities. While common magic tricks such as drawing a rabbit out of a hat have become old, mentalism is a kind of magic that is typically executed by using specific telepathy capabilities as well as strategies.

Nevertheless, there are certain secret techniques that such individuals harness and also develop in order to excite their viewers and produce the illusion that they read minds. Mentalism as a whole is an understanding of human actions and being able to anticipate outcomes. It develops the illusion that one is able to check out the minds of others.

Here are some key secrets that every successful mind reader uses to be successful in their performances. A mentalist will often tell an individual in the target market to consider a product or a word and repeat it lot of times in their head. The mind reader will certainly after that talk regarding other points, however the person will remain to assume regarding that word or concept in their head repeatedly.

A Biased View of Mentalist

The mentalist will certainly select up on the indicators by enjoying the lips of the viewer. Generally, the initial or the last letters of words mouthed provides a secret regarding what is being stated or thought of. A knowledgeable mentalist is then able to think words or ideas appropriately.

This is the art http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=mentalist & mind reader of misdirection which obtains the audience or the targeted individual to think of that point or suggestion. This is done with body movement along with the choice of words. A skilled mind reader will certainly misdirect the viewers to a specific idea or thought and after that be able to anticipate it properly.

Afterwards if he or she suggests that the individuals in the audience assume concerning an accessory, a lot of will think of the watch they are putting on. This is a technique that a lot of פעילויות ליום הולדת effective mentalists make use of. It is the power of tip that functions for most individuals. People are extra vulnerable to be influenced by ideas than they would love to confess.

Rumored Buzz on Mentalist

Experienced Mentalists normally obtain information out of their viewers or their target market in means that individuals do not also realize. Info is drawn out by discussing general topics which typically appear pertinent to individuals and could appear as if the mentalist is reviewing their mind. For instance, the mentalist may suggest that she or he is seeing a number.

This often makes people believe in their brainpowers. As they begin trusting the mind reader, they end up being extra available to the suggestions made as well as being more unsuspecting. The major trait that is vital to success in mentalism is having the ability to read people as well as to choose up beneficial details about them.

Most individuals provide spoken as well as non-verbal signs that permit you to comprehend their background, their state of mind and various other info. An seasoned mind reader has the ability to select up on such details as well as predict an individual's frame of mind precisely. This increases the convincing nature of the efficiencies and also brings about greater success in the mind reader's program.

More About Telepathy

Magic Tricks Fundamentals Explained

All About Mind Magic Tricks

As one of the hottest promising performers in the Denver area, Scotty Wiese is numerous things performance magician, business entertainer, master of events, and also gifted mind reader. Wait a min what's that last word? For beginners, it's not a typo mentalism is a distinct type of performance magic that has a few crucial distinctions from "standard" magician acts.

Mentalism, in short, is a form of magic that focuses on the mind. Whereas numerous standard magic tricks concentrate on phenomenon and also sleight of hand, lots of mentalist tricks can be carried out entirely vocally. If standard magic asks the target market to think that the performer can absolutely, amazingly, adjust the physical world around them (as high as suspension of shock enables), mentalism asks the audience to believe that the performer has supernatural or psychic powers.

While Scotty doesn't really have superordinary, mind-reading powers (or does he?), there are several little methods in mentalism that permit the performer to deduce what the audience participant may be thinking.p The Mentalist asks the based on think about a number in their heads and leads them through some psychological calculations, at some point asking to link the numbers to letters in the alphabet which are after that made use of to obtain them to name a country, animal, as well as shade.

Magic Tricks - An Overview

The mentalist asks the topic a collection of random concerns, and also at the end, he asks to name a shade as well as device. He provides them a notepad which guessed their answer beforehand, which is usually a red hammer. The mind readers asks the subject to list a number on a folded up paper.

Remember the examples above are exceedingly basic, and true mentalism performance acts will certainly be a lot extra amazing. For evident factors, Scotty's best tricks can not be ruined below! But if you're asking yourself how the examples over job, there are a couple of different examples. In the first one, the number and also letter combination inevitably brings about "D" and "E" regardless of what the starting number is.

In the 2nd, the inquiries cause subconscious synapses that make it very most likely for the person to think "red" and "hammer" together. In the third, deception is made use of by the mind reader in a really certain way that allows them to obtain a glance of the number as they shred it up.

The smart Trick of Mind Reading Tricks That Nobody is Talking About

Because we do not intend to ruin the enjoyable and also disclose Scotty's mentalism techniques right here, why not book him for your following party or corporate occasion to see him in action yourself? We understand that you'll be charmed by Scotty's performance. Prepared to book? Click right here to get started!.

Before we get additionally right into the subject, we wish to deal with a few please notes. Gambling could be all enjoyable as well as video games up until you go too far down the rabbit opening. Just beware exactly how you play! Second, we're not trying to convince you that you really require a mentalist to tip up your gambling enterprise video game! We simply think that this is a fascinating subject that you could such as, as well as we would just such as to existing realities that either confirm or refute that this is feasible.

Whether it is seeing right into the future or consulting with the dead, a great deal of these experts are classified as mentalists. So, exactly what is a mind reader? Not to be puzzled with magician these two are various arts that do not typically go with each other. Nevertheless, there are still some people that perform the supposed mental magic, which include high instinct as well as magic methods based upon the power of impression.

Some Known Facts About Mind Reader.

The ideas are based upon the mentalist's intuition and also, often, on a person's body movement. Each individual reacts in a different way to a particular word or activity, which serves as an indication for the mentalist as well as helps him pick the right recommendations in the circumstance. Have you enjoyed 'The Mentalist'? If not, you need to get hold of some snacks and also go view it now.

Lengthy tale short, this is an American crime step-by-step TELEVISION collection, where one of the main characters, Patrick Jane (played by Simon Baker), is the mentalist. He is an investigator/detective that solves mysteries and criminal offenses with his 'psychic' capabilities. One extremely legendary scene, which triggered our rate of interest and also provided us the concept for this post, is when Patrick is in jail and takes component in a casino poker video game together with various other detainees.

Did you see that? This led us to the large question and also the major subject of this article if this guy was that good at playing for himself, would somebody like him have the ability to aid you win at casino poker? Extra importantly can a mentalist assistance you win while dipping into a real-time online casino site? Obviously, individuals hire or consult with a mentalist to enhance their real-time dealership games.

Not known Details About Mind Reading Tricks

There are methods for people to forecast the moves and the upcoming cards from the deck simply by looking at the screen. A great deal of large online forums like 2 Plus 2 as well as The Magic Caf share some method on how you could do it on your own. There is also an e-book by Ben Harris, ' PSY-Poker', which, from what we've reviewed, explains the magic of psi-poker and also how you can use simple hoax to.

Nevertheless, we would not wish to bother you further with also much information. Some bettors are encouraged that a mentalist can help you win at a real-time poker video game. They declare that the screen of the computer system or the phone can not disrupt the individual's 'powers' and also he/she might quickly make tips, based on the activities of the supplier.

In either case, you'll probably need to prepare your purse the expense to winning a game isn't that small! A lot of players believe that a mentalist can aid you get some added smackers, while others assume that it is far better to purchase a casino poker trainer or individual training.

Some Ideas on Reading People's Minds You Should Know

Counting cards is also not a fantastic suggestion, because you can slip up, plus, it is not allowed land-based gambling enterprises. You can attempt while using your computer system, yet we assume it would be harder for you. So, what do we assume? In general, We make sure that there is a way for mentalism and also betting to co-exist; nonetheless, we're not totally convinced to confirm anything.

Karlemon’s Lands: Isagor (continued)

Geography of Isagor

River Bia. The only great river that flows through Isagor, with a source in the Pylaen Hills at Lake Angarano and a mouth in the Bay of Kastokas. Famed far and wide for its rich pastoral land and steep river banks, it is now home to the river trade route between Angarano and the Vestal Sea. In spite of this, it is a dangerous course at many points; with strong riptides, sinkholes, white rapids and shallow rock beds all along its sides.

The Lysandrian Strait. Named for a famous poet of the Elvahen Era, the strait is a highly dangerous body of water to navigate, filled with reefs and whirlpools. Said in former times to be the home of various monsters and ravenous creatures, it runs between mainland Isagor and the southern landmass; called Ixion and Doros respectively. It is not difficult to cross, merely to traverse.

The Isle of Oenale. Said to be the birthplace of the Lydian gods, it is home to the largest collection of Lydian idols and effigies in the Known World. They are stored in a cave beside the sea but hidden from the waves. Known as ‘Nethos’ Grasp’, it is a tight and harrowing experience to enter the tunnels, where it is said the gods themselves watch your every step as the veil between worlds is thinnest here.

The Isle of Helikos. Once home to a large population of beastmen, now only inhabited by the victims of a terrible wasting disease known as Black Canker who were banished from across Karlemon’s Lands to live out the rest of their days here. It is not known how the disease is spread, but local folklore tells that it is the punishment of a forgotten deity for being cast out of the pantheon in the days before the City of Kash.

The Isle of Carysos. Said to be home to a shape-shifting witch in the days of Atticus, this large island south of the mainland houses a large population of boars and wild pigs for slaughter and sale onto markets in Dalecar, Tylia and Cosima. It is also home to a small branch of the Arcanum Nobilite which studies natural magic i.e. druidry in relative seclusion and peace under the auspices of the Dhi Qaar.

Mount Lykoreia. The highest peak in Isagor, it is sacred to Bromos and a temple shrine sits atop the summit where on Midsummer’s Eve the god of fertility is worshipped in his aspect of the wolf. There are day and night long orgies of food, drink and sex, aimed at increasing the harvest in the coming months. This practice has been extant for close to two thousand years, dating back to the satyrs and centaurs who would drink here beneath the moon.

Landmarks of Isagor

Mount Orthrys. A great peak of the eastern Pylaens, Mount Orthrys is an infamous and prestigious site in Isagori culture. Formerly the site of a shrine to Elene, goddess of the moon, the notoriety of the mountain grew in stature following the Titan’s War of 1022-24 CE, when it became well-known as the final resting place of the Hell’s King, the fire giant rebel Sintan Scarbrand. The traitorous warlord was slain by the warrior and storm giant Uthal Skywatcher. who left his adversary’s corpse impaled upon the mountainside. 

The Palace of King Nestor. Legend from the southern island of Isagor speaks of this great marble and stone palace, built as a trap for unwitting human victims following the defeat of the beastmen in open battle. ‘King Nestor’, a were-bear of a vengeful and angry temperament sought to draw in the youths of surrounding villages and sacrificing them on a green jade floor to feed the labyrinthe beast that the king had bred to hunt in the darkness below,

The Mausoleum of Antisseo. The modern day pilgrimage site for the great Cosiman bard Antisseo Macarici, it is a small and unassuming tomb at the centre of a great petrified forest, about which the bard composed his masterwork ‘The Calliopiad’. This magnum opus details the long and sordid life of Calliope, an archaic Isagori bard who had many lovers and children throughout her life whilst dodging the advances of the jealous godling Phyrixus. After Phyrixus kidnaps Calliope’s bride, she chases her tormentor into the Halls of Nethos and slays him with the help of a magical lyre.

The Stratiotai. The longest avenue in Artepolis is a monument to the great military heroes and heroines of Isagor, as sculpted by the Akademia of Jeradri. Amongst their number are counted Atticus, hero of the Nethosiad; Ursa Kalkhos, general at the Battle of Byzauros; Enkelados Thalassa, famous leader of the elite Akritoi light infantry units and Kalanthe, the heroine of the texts of the Lydaead who is represented as a servant of Solus for her military background and service.

Wildlife of Isagor

Pegasus. A winged horse sacred to the early Isagori, it is a rare but welcome sight outside rural communities who interpret them as a sign of favour from local spirits or the gods.

Melagean Boar. A particularly stubborn and vicious porcine creature from the foothills of the eastern Pylaens, they are a dangerous plague on farmers during their biannual mating season.

Hydra. A multi-headed serpentine creature native to the swamps of central Isagor, it was once considered a rite of passage for young men and women of the Isagori to hunt them.

Selakh. An unusual remnant of the ancient beastmen races that once dominated the lands of Isagor, these ferocious sharkmen prowl the coasts of Isagor, hunting in packs for straggling fishermen.  

Karakond. Grey skinned goblin-like creatures from western Isagor, they are a plague on households and will try to intimidate families into leaving by imitating ghosts and demons.

Basilisk. A pot-bellied reptilian creature from the southern island of Isagor, it is a bane to travellers in the hot countryside where it paralyses its prey with a petrifying gaze before devouring them whole.

Demi-human Races of Isagor

Centaur. A nomadic people of the Pylaen Hills, they were driven south into Isagor by marauding beastmen and orcs in the millenia before the arrival of humans. They are fierce warriors and fiercer drinkers, leading to infrequent but violent clashes with human settlements.

Satyr. A diminutive goat-legged race, they live in the wilderness of Isagor enjoying a life of revelry and leisure, occasionally venturing into human villages to steal away the best-looking to join their partying for the night. Some are sworn to the retinue of Bromos, Lydian god of the wilderness and revelry.

Nymph. Mischievous spirits of nature, they live bound to trees, rivers and mountains and play tricks on passing travellers, who know to leave them an offering to be left in peace. Some fall in love with humans and may leave their homes for up to a year at a time before returning to their sites to rest.

Medusa. A much-feared but rare race of near-immortals, medusae are hunted for their powers of petrification through eye contact. The majority hunt via this method, but some are more curious and hide amongst human society, learning and living as one of them for years before settling down or returning to their fellows.

Isagori Folklore

King Maides. This myth from the lands of Phylidaeia concerns a king whose vanity and love for the lustre of gold drove him mad. He tried to steal the source of the forge from Phaeston, god of mankind so that he could smelt gold from any material, even stone. For his insolence he was cursed by Nerys to ‘make his household unto gold’, meaning that he would cover every surface and retainer in golden paint, before melting down the treasury and covering his throne room and three daughters in molten gold, before drinking it himself.

The Lydaead. Accounted by the scholar Arsinoe of Theskelos, the Lydaead is the name of a saga which informs much of the common religious thought in human lands to this day. The story follows the elderly heroine Kalanthe looking back at the end of her life and recounting to her great-grandchildren the beginning of the world. In the tale she speaks with the seneschal of the gods while dreaming after a battle and is taught about their existence and place in the heavens.

Cyclops. One eyed giants of immense size, they are rare anywhere but the remote wilderness of Isagor. They are man-eaters, and may besiege a town to gather food for long winters in the form of live captives. Isagori myth tells of their birth in the age of giants as the children of a great general of the hill giants who were all half-blinded for looking upward at the sun while it was being set in the sky and disobeying the laws of the earth.

Minotaur. A bull-headed race of beastmen resident in Isagor since long before the arrival of humans, minotaurs are for the most part savage and violent, living feral in ruined villages in the wilderness. A few individuals however, hear the call of higher powers, gaining a measure of intelligence and humanity. This can be for good or ill, as both gods and demons may compete for the loyalty of these powerful creatures.

Nethosiad. In a popular myth from Isagor, a group of mortal heroes sail into the Lydian underworld. Banished for killing Urian, son of the king Hylaeos, the hero Atticus is banished to the Underworld and told to seek the favour of his victim, where it is thought he will perish. Not deterred, he recruits a crew of thirty of the greatest heroes and heroines of his age to sail alongside him and they traverse the Far Ocean to find the Halls of Nethos. There the crew meet each of the Vanathes and must complete a task set by each before meeting Nethos himself.

Rhdanthe of Hesperidis. One of the greatest satires and farces ever written, it is also one of the most violent plays ever performed. Known as the playwright Antigone’s masterwork, the Tragedy of Rhdanthe of Hesperidis details the tale of a self-aware princess in the court of Gerenion, father of Maides, who is constantly avoiding the hyperviolent and nonsensical deaths of her fellows and family members, all of whom are patisches and parodies of other famous tragic characters of Common Era. Written as a criticism of the tragic tradition, it is considered to be one of the most important works of theatre ever made by human hands.

Sasata Sata - Lady in Red

The rowdy, energetic crowd at the Drowning Wench was both too large and not gullible enough for Sasata's liking that night. There wasn't an empty stool or chair in sight, the floor was packed with people waving for more drinks and more girls with less clothes, and the only betting to be had was on the several rowdy roegadyn sailors who had set up a winner-take-all arm wrestling challenge on her usual card table. As small as she was, it was difficult to get the attention of any of the harried barmaids to even get a drink in the throng. When she was almost stepped on for the third time by an elezen sailor attempting to dance while in a drunken stupor, she came to a decision.

There was nothing to be done for it; she was going to have to find a new place to hang out if she wanted to do anything fun.

Carefully weaving her way around the legs of other patrons, she managed to stumble out of the churning mass of people and onto the wooden walkway that surrounded the central tavern of Limsa Lominsa. Sighing, she put her hands on her hips and meandered out of the way of people hoping to force their way into the bar. Leaning on a nearby stone wall, she considered her options for entertainment as she idly shuffled her ever-present deck of cards.

There was, as always, the docks. Wawalago could be counted on for any number of over-the-top tales of conquest, either of fish or of women, and that was usually a good time for all involved. Sass didn't feel much like fishing or ending her night smelling like cut bait, though, so she ruled it out. She could go to Hawker's Alley and see if there was a game down that way to get in on. Given the Yellowjackets were still looking for a reason to haul her in, though, that was probably not a great idea until the heat died down.

Then  there was the Missing Member.

There were a lot of rumors about the pirate crew that ran the Member that were rampant across the underbelly of Limsa Lominsa – the Sanguine Sirens were reportedly little more than violent, angry, man-haters who would murder anyone remotely masculine as soon as look at them; alternately, they were all secretly a cabal of voidsent succubi masquerading as females of various races for the corruption of the city. Some whispers in back alleys said they actually skinned people who even enjoyed the company of males and made their boots and the red dyes they commonly wore and  from the leftovers, that the name of the small pub and restaurant came not from the lost crew members of the pirates, but rather an incident involving their captain and a would-be lover who spurned her. Sass dismissed most of the talk about town as the usual workings of the rumor mill, but the fact that she never saw a male in the famous red jackets of the Sanguine Sirens around the city lent some credence to the rumor that said the crew was at least almost entirely female, and that intrigued her. That, plus the fact that the head chef of the Bismarck itself once said their chef was giving him a run for his money recently and that the Member was actually producing some seriously delicious food. A decent meal may be worth the risk.

Gathering herself, Sass made her way across the square and crossed the small bridge to the Missing Member. Squatting pirates dressed in scarlet jackets and matching masks glared at her as she confidently strode across the planks towards to door. Sass could hear whispering in her wake, but elected to ignore it. There was no sense in starting something; she was heavily outnumbered and even with fatespinning, she wasn't going to do well in a fight out here. As soon as she touched the door, a hand shot out from beside her and grabbed her wrist. Sass looked at the hand briefly before trailing her eyes up the arm, where she eventually found the face of a masked hyur woman who had been squatting next to the door itself. It was obvious she was grinning behind her mask, and the pirate women next to her fingered ax hafts as the hyur spoke. "I smell a man. Where've you -been-, girl?" She hissed. The woman closest to her, a miqo'te, chuckled as she strengthened her grip on her weapon. She looked ready to strike at a moment's notice. Sass affected a lopsided grin and slapped the hand off her arm. The hyur's eyes narrowed.

"What do you care where I've been? It only matters where I am now, and that's going to get a decent meal and maybe a card game," she shot back, jerking her thumb at the red door of the tavern. She put her hands on her hips and made an exaggerated expression of disgust. "Besides which, smellin' like a man is better than smellin' like the backside of a chocobo with a bad case of the scours, which you do. Learn to bathe an' the world might like you more!" Sass finished, skipping out of reach of the hyur as her companions laughed. The hyur stood and shoved at one of the laughing women flanking her, who retaliated in kind. The women immediately fell into a scuffle, axes falling to their feet as they shouted and swung wildly at one another. The miqo'te pirate stepped in, attempting to quell what was fast becoming a dangerous scuffle in a precarious location, only to receive a punch in the gut for her trouble. She doubled over, wheezing, as the other two continued to fight. The group down the bridge looked to be placing bets on the outcome as they wrestled. Sass shoved the door of the Member open and disappeared into the tavern proper before the women could completely recover from the fight and realize she was the cause of the problem and not one of them. They could sort the issue out between themselves as far as she was concerned.

The interior of the Missing Member itself was fairly small, especially when compared to the Bismarck and the Wench. A somewhat cramped barroom with handful of fight-battered tables at best, a wooden counter that took up most of the space, a grill sizzling away in the background. The usual pub smells of smoke, drink, and grilled meat permeated the air. Sass smiled to herself as she mentally noted the small size of the place, remembering the one rumor about the lover who had spurned the Siren captain. Well, if that story is true, the size of this place is intentional and a great permanent insult to that guy, she thought. Of course, someone's gotta tell me that it's not the size of the thing but what you do with it that matters... she mused, stretching a bit as the door closed behind her. Nothing too special at all to the bar, from what she could see, aside from the sheer number of scarlet-coated pirates present, all of whom watched her entrance with at least passing interest. Sass offered the lot of them a small wave, which had the effect of most of the women grumbling and turning back to their drinks.

Sass made her way to a somewhat cleared and empty table, moving a few bottles and a plate into a stack on one side. She picked a chair that would put her back to a wall and her eyes toward the main entrance with the side door in her peripheral vision and hopped up into it, scooting it enough to get her close to the table. Even if the all the stories about the Member were complete falsehoods, keeping one's back to the wall and one's eyes on the exits in any Lominsan bar was just prudent. She waved a hand at the lone barmaid, a hyur who was strangely dressed in an elabourate maid's outfit who had been leaning on the bar itself, and the woman flounced over to her table. "Well hello there, welcome to the Missing Member!" The barmaid positively beamed as she spoke, her voice lilting slightly. She hugged a round tray to her ample chest, which was threatening to spill out of her uniform's low-cut square collar. "Contrary to rumor, we are definitely open to all people of Eorzea!" Sass cocked an eyebrow at that statement.

"I never heard it was private or anythin'," she said, watching the other woman carefully and judging her reaction. The hyur just kept on smiling. "Though I don't see much aside from red coats in here, now that I'm lookin'," she continued, leaning back in her chair and craning her neck slightly to take in the bar's patrons again. "I mean, there's that guy who looks like he might pee his pants in fright at the bar with the miqo'te who's trying to force-feed him oysters, but outside that, it's just me in a sea of red," Sass looked back to the barmaid, who to her credit was still maintaining the friendly server facade.

"Yes, we do tend to cater to a specific clientele more than any other, but I assure you, everyone is welcome," the barmaid looked at the small crowd of the bar as Sass spoke, taking in the other patrons. She nodded with some finality as she looked back to Sass again while maintaining the rapidly-becoming-creepy smile. "Now, how can we be of service this evening?" Sass watched the man at the bar struggle for a bit as the miqo'te, who was significantly smaller than he, held him on his stool with one arm around his shoulder while trying to drop an oyster from a half-shell into his mouth. She shook her head.

"Something with rum, I think," Sass mused, tapping her chin with a finger. Eventually she shrugged and fished around in a pocket of her coat. "Anything with rum, really. Hells, even just the rum by itself would be fine, I think," she chuckled as she slapped a small handful of gil on her table. "And keep 'em comin', wouldja? I got plenty more like this," she said a little more loudly as she tapped the pile of coins a few times with a fingertip to let the jingle of the money – and her statement about it – be heard clearly by the other patrons. Most made an attempt to feign like they hadn't heard, paying more attention to their drinks and their conversations than they had previously, but there were tells. A few feline ears flicked in her direction. Weapons were moved a little closer to hands. Fingers tensed and knuckles cracked. Good, got their attention then, Sass thought as she smiled. No one can resist a new face with a sack of gil. The waitress, for her part, nodded and turned on her heel, bouncing toward the barkeep while Sass spun one of the coins around before letting it clink onto the others again. She knew from experience that it was a mere matter of time before one of the pirates would get antsy and try to part her from her coin. All she had to do was wait them out, and the game would be on.

The waitress returned in short order and set a large, dented metal mug with a little paper umbrella perched on the rim that was teetering and threatening to jump to its death in the liquid within. Sass took it from the table with two hands and sniffed at it carefully. A smile spread across her features and she nodded her thanks to the waitress, who snatched a few gil from the pile and all but made if vanish on her person. Sass immediately suspected her for a regular down at the strange would-be “nunnery” at the docks. Many people down that way displayed that same dexterous talent, if not actual knives as well. She made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the distractingly dressed woman.

Sass leaned back in her chair a bit and nursed the large drink, looking for all intents an purposes like a child in the too-large chair with the too-large mug held with both small hands. If there was anyone in Eorzea who looked like an easier mark for a mugging, she had no idea who they might be. Maybe an actual one-legged child or something. A grin spread behind the lip of the mug as she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. She looked back, tilting her head to see who her would-be takers were, and feigned shock when she found three much larger women dressed in crimson behind her. “We'd like a drink too, half-pint,” the roegadyn with her hand on Sass' shoulder said. “You'd best offer us one, out of kindness, of course,” she continued as she tightened her grip. Sass squirmed slightly and put on her best Country Bumpkinesque wide-eyed surprise look.

“Well of course you can have a round! No point in not sharin'. Siddown, make yourselves comfortable,” she chuckled as the women pulled chairs across the bar, the scraping sounds of wood on wood filling the air as they did so. The roegadyn turned hers backwards and straddled it, parking herself directly next to Sass. Her companions took up the side closest to opposite and watched Sass carefully. “What're ya havin'?” Sass inquired as she waved down the barmaid again. There were various grunts from the three women, followed by a series of nods. The miqo'te of the trio spoke up for the group.

“Bring us a bottle of the finest, most expensive, most hangover-givin' alcohol you got, and charge her for it!” She prodded Sass' chest with a thick finger as the other two pirates laughed. Sass looked at the finger briefly and shrugged, smiling. She didn't flinch as the order went in, nor did she try to stop it. It was just another form of mugging, honestly, and if a person tried to fight these things, they always wound up the worse for it in Lominsan bars and Ul'dah back alleys alike. Besides, drunk, the three would be far better for what she had in mind.  The barmaid returned with a dusty bottle on her tray, surrounded by three more mugs like the one she had brought Sass. Setting a mug before each pirate, she smiled cheerfully. She picked the bottle up by the neck and looked at it thoughtfully for a few seconds before leaning precariously over the table to set it down.

“So they tell me this bottle here comes from the Admiral's own private reserve,” the barmaid said as she set it in the exact middle of the table, her fingerprints still evident on the neck. Sass was almost positive this was a deliberate taunt, putting the booze out of reach of everyone at the table. She was really starting to like this barmaid. The three pirates all but salivated over the bottle as she set it down, their eyes following it as if it were made of pure gold and they were Monetarists.“I've no idea how the bartender got his hands on it, but it's supposedly the meanest, most delicious way to kill yourself we have here. Rumor has it the last person who cracked a bottle of this stuff hasn't drank a drop of anything alcoholic since that day, and that she has been nursing her hangover from it for well over a year now!” She hugged the tray to her chest as she finished, looking to Sass. “I hope you don't intend to skip out on this bill,” she said, and though she was smiling sweetly, there was a flash of something considerably more dangerous behind her ceruleum blue eyes. Sass shook her head.

“Of course not! Who would do that in such a fine establishment, anyway?” Sass asked, waving a hand to highlight said establishment as she spoke. “It's just bad form!” She chuckled, tossing a purse of coins at the barmaid, who caught it deftly and dumped it into her palm, quickly pushing coins over with an index finger as she counted. Nodding, she dropped two back into the purse and threw it back to Sass before pocketing the difference. Sass sighed internally at the low return, but things being what they were, she was obligated to be generous. Generosity, after all, tended to loosen the usual close-guarded nature of people, and it often let Sass get down to what she was really good at: Taking a sucker.

As soon as the barmaid had sashayed back to her post at the bar, the three pirates had an immediate, short-lived scuffle over the drink, their chairs scraping as they all stood and lunged for it at once, their hands reaching across the table and slapping at one another as they each tried to claim the bottle first. Eventually the roegadyn won as she punched the miqo'te in the shoulder hard enough to knock her off balance, causing her to stumble into her chair and fall over it and land sprawled on the floor. Sass restrained a chuckle at that – they weren't even into the alcohol yet and they were already ignoring her and nearly fighting each other. The miqo'te picked herself back up and set her chair right, glaring at the roegadyn. Her tail had puffed out slightly as she pouted under her mask. Sass watched the women as they poured their own mugs of the stuff. They passed the bottle around the table carefully before it came to rest near the roegadyn again. The women nodded at each other and rolled their bandanna-masks up just enough to allow them to drink, but no further. They took mouthfuls from their respective mugs and rolled the liquid around a bit, tasting the liquor and nodding in turn as they did so. Apparently it had met their approvals. The roegadyn threw her head back and dumped the drink into her open mouth, slamming the mug down on the table and wiping her lips with the back of her hand afterward. She clapped Sass on the back, almost knocking her into the table. “Yer alright, runt,” she laughed. Sass smiled at her despite the insult, and the women poured themselves seconds from the rapidly emptying bottle.

“Well thank you! You're not so bad yourself, uhhh...” She trailed off, fishing for a name. The roegadyn belched and looked down at her. Sass noted that despite the larger woman's physical size, she was already having difficulty focusing her gaze. When this is over, I'm going to get a bottle of that for Shu, she thought. If anyone'll appreciate something that'll fuck up a roegadyn, it's Shu.

“Just call me Red,” she said, grinning drunkenly at the lalafell. The miqo'te, who had been drinking at the time, snorted into her drink and almost caused herself to choke in laughter. She barely managed to hold herself together at the comment. Sass blinked and raised her eyebrows, her gaze traveling between the two women. Her gaze snapped to the third person of the group as she slammed her mug on the table and pointed in mock anger at the roegadyn.

“That isn't fair, I wanted to be Red this time!” The dark-haired hyur woman exclaimed. She was somewhat odd-looking for a hyur, Sass thought as she looked the woman over, like like she might honestly be of some elezen blood. She had a particularly tall and lithe build, high cheekbones, and some injuries that made her ears look more pointed than they should be. Before Sass could consider it further, though, the miqo'te lost her composure entirely at the hyur's comment, and slapped her hand against the table as she howled in laughter.

“No no, I'm Red,” she spat out before she broke down in a laughing fit again. Sass just watched the pirate women do their little routine, each claiming to be Red several more times before the joke wore thin and two of them settled into their drinks again. It was fairly obvious from their reaction that this was the same name every woman but the captain probably gave most people. It made their deeds much harder to track outside the actual crew, and was therefore the most annoying thing they could do to the Yellowjackets. Sass appreciated anyone who messed with the Lominsan law enforcement arm; as far as she was concerned, the stuffed-shirt ninnies could deal with a bit more prodding from people for their hard-nosed methods. She rolled her eyes a little, for effect.

“Well look, I can't just call all my friends Red. How are you gonna know who I'm talking to when I tell them they won the hand?” Sass asked, using a little sleight of hand to produce her dog-eared deck of Sharlayn playing cards, fanning them out in her hand before squaring them off again and beginning to shuffle idly. The hyur with the clipped ears was suddenly very interested, her eyes narrowing as she watched Sass' hands work. She nudged the miqo'te, who had just managed to pull herself together again, and nodded towards the deck. The miqo'te sighed one last time as she recovered from her laughing fit and followed the hyur's eye line, sitting up in her chair. Sass noticed her tail flick a little, something she had seen in other gambling partners as a gesture of excitement from miqo'te in general. Sass continued to shuffle and riffle the cards almost absently, until the roegadyn cleared her throat and caught her eye.

“You really want to play against the best Eorzea has seen?” The roegadyn thumped her own chest, as if to say she was, in fact, that card player of note. She leaned forward, closing the distance between herself and Sass, and continued. “Do you even know what yer getting into here?” She asked, her voice nearly a conspiratorial whisper and full of implied menace. Sass grinned at her in response, batting her eyelashes a bit to dial up her apparent innocence.

“Well, I had thought it's a decent game of Hide the High Heart with my new friends, all of whom are called Red, here at this fine watering hole. But I could be wrong,” Sass mused as she stacked the deck of cards into one palm. She tapped a finger against her chin as if in thought and stared off into space for a few seconds. “What'm I gettin' into if that ain't it?” She set the cards in front of her and leaned on the table, lacing her fingers together as she  looked into the roegadyn's eyes unflinchingly. The other woman regarded her for a few minutes, blinking and squinting in concentration as if she were trying to read the secrets of the world's creation in the lalafell's features. The other two pirates stopped what they were doing and watched the pair, hands close to weapons and fingers subtly twitching at the ready in case of need. Finally, the roegadyn shrugged and sat back, breaking eye contact. The other two relaxed as well, and Sass sat back again.

“Seven Hells, if you want to lose the rest of your gil so badly, who am I to stop you?” The roegadyn asked. “I mean, at least it'll be a short game, what with you havin' all of two gil left,” she slapped the table and let out a booming laugh at her own assessment of the situation, as if Sass being broke were the greatest joke of all time. The other two pirates joined in the laughter. Sass smiled sweetly, her eyes twinkling as she sat back and let them howl at themselves. All three were already drunk, and they were rapidly becoming very cocky. Sass was still sober, having only drank rum thus far, and having taken but a few sips from her tankard.  This would be as easy as getting a chocobo to follow a cart full of gyshal greens. She picked the deck up again, shuffled, and set it in front of the roegadyn Red.

“Alright then, you get first cut. It's only fair that the best player in Eorzea get that courtesy,” she chuckled as the roegadyn pirate gingerly cut the deck into three small piles, restacking them in an order she chose before pushing the deck back to Sass. The other two pirates fished small handfuls of gil out of their coats, the miqo'te pulling a beat-up leather money pouch from her bra as Sass watched in amusement. Looks like pirates are just like every other woman in the city after all – best wallet's in the most secure place on your person, she thought. The feline woman upended the pouch and dropped a stack of gil on the table with a loud clink. For her part, Sass pushed the two coins she had remaining into the center of the table. The hyur laughed.

“You haven't even got yer cards yet, short stack,” she hooted. “Ya might as well be throwin' that fortune o' yours into the sea!” She fell about her own coins as she slapped the table in a laughing fit, almost knocking the miqo'te's coins off in the process. The miqo'te's tail stood on end and fluffed out as she scoweld at her compatriot in annoyance, carefully scraping her coins back toward herself and covering them with both hands to ensure their safety. “Well, deal 'em out, let's get this slaughter overwith,” the hyur finished, leaning back in her chair and linking her hands behind her head. “We'll have a whole two gil ta spend soon enough!” Sass smiled politely and knocked twice on the deck before picking it up and dealing each player several cards.

“My bet's already out. I can't change that,” she said, fanning her cards in her hand with a smooth motion. “What you bet is up to you, of course,” she looked to her cards and feigned a somewhat disappointed expression for an instant. The miqo'te caught the brief flicker of upset and perked up, nudging the hyur and grinning. Sass' outward expression didn't change at all, but she watched the two out of the corner of her eye. Setting her hand to one side, she picked the deck up and turned the top card face-up. Gesturing to the roegadyn, she smiled a bit. “Well? It's your bet.” The roegadyn moved cards around in her hand, her tongue peeking out through her lips as she concentrated on them. She finally nodded with some satisfaction, picking up one card from the deck and playing one of hers on the leftover pile. She threw her two coins at the pile.

“I hope you like losin', squirt,” she chuckled and leaned back, holding her cards against her chest as she waved a hand in the direction of the hyur. “This ain't gonna be pleasant for you.”

“Oh, I think it ain't gonna be easy on us, neither,” the hyur said as she picked up both of the face-up discarded cards and threw a different one down in their place. “This is barely worth doin', Red. The winnings ain't even really a thing,” she said as she tossed her two gil into the pile at the center as well. “Get on with it, Red, I wanna go see what we can get for two bits,” she laughed as the miqo'te nodded and picked a card from the deck, discarding one from her hand onto the face-up stack. Sass smiled a little.

“You know, my uncle is a chocobo breeder,” she said conversationally, picking a card from the top of the deck and slotting it into her hand. The hyur rolled her eyes at the over-the-top display of apparent bumpkinism. Everyone who wasn't from the city had a chocobo breeder uncle, an aunt who made special pies, a mother who sewed their favourite shirt with her own two hands. “An' he always says not to count on the racers before the eggs are hatched,” she finished, smiling and laying down her cards. First a set of two. Then a set of three. Another set of two. A set of four. The pirates' faces fell from amused to astonished to angry in no time flat as Sass went from a full hand to fully out in no time flat. The roegadyn pounded her fist on the table in her anger, rattling the mugs and coins a bit and startling the hyur, who jumped in her chair at the impact. Sass stood on her own chair to reach the small pot of gil in the center, and she swept it to her side of the table. She looked at the fuming roegadyn innocently as she sat back down with her winnings. “What? It's only eight gil... you can win that back easy, I just had a lucky hand!” Sass exclaimed as the other two pirates threw their cards on the table in disgust. Sass gathered them back together and handed the deck to the roegadyn. “Here, you deal this time,” she suggested.

The roegadyn shuffled, cut, and dealt a new hand, all the while muttering to herself about luck and liars.  As she fanned out her cards, though, the muttering petered off and she broke into a somewhat drunken grin. When it came time for bets, the ante started at one gil. Sass was surprised they'd tipped to Sass raised to eight gil and watched as the women confidently threw in eight each. The miqo'te was actually laughing this time. Apparently the cards had favoured the pirates this hand, and they seemed ready to utterly destroy Sass's previous win.

Or so they thought.

The hand played out much the same as the previous one, cards taken and placed on the discard pile as players attempted to make viable sets. Two of the pirates actually laid down sets of cards this time, though neither could shake their remaining cards entirely. They were closing on a win, the hyur slapping her knee and laughing as she pointed at her cards and gave the miqo'te a thumbs-up. When it came around to Sass for the third time, however, she confidently palmed the entire discard pile and slotted every card into her hand. The laughter stopped as she dropped two pair and three sets of three. Her hand vanished in an instant and she swept the gil pile to her side as the pirates swore.

This repeated twice more, with Sass' gil pile ever expanding and the pirates getting more and more irate at having lost to such a countrified lalafell. By the fifth hand, cards were being bent as the pirates clutched them in anger. Part way through, the hyur's demeanor shifted a bit. Sass took note. She's ready to drop, the lalafell thought, watching the pirate shift her cards around and get significantly less tense. It's time to put an end to this. Knocking a single knuckle on the top of the deck, Sass drew one card from it. She moves cards around her hand so rapidly, they were almost a blur. Then she lay every one on the table – including a rare run of four. She stood on her chair again as the miqo'te swore an oath to Llymlaen and collected the hefty pile of gil from the center of the table. The hyur stood just as Sass was sitting back down again, her chair tumbling to the floor.

“You cheat! I had that win in the bag, runt!” she yelled, slamming her hands on the table. The miqo'te threw her cards on the floor and pulled her ax from her back, standing as she gripped the haft with both hands. She stared Sass down, her eyes narrowing. Most of the other patrons in the bar scattered, having apparently seen these three in anger before and assumed the worst. Several ran out the exits, and a few cowered behind upturned tables. The barmaid had found a dagger somewhere on her person and was in a defensive posture near the bartender. The roegadyn pirate growled and grabbed Sass's lapels in one giant fist, easily yanking her out of the chair and pulling her face to face.

“She's right, this is far too much luck. She should've won that hand! Where're you hiding them?” She asked as her free hand rummaged Sass' coat pockets and boot tops. “I know you've been hiding the good cards. You have to be. No one is this lucky, layin' out whole hands that fast!” She shook Sass like a rag doll briefly, as if attempting to shake the cards out of her, before dropping her to the floor. Sass grabbed at her hat, which threatened to tumble down her face as she landed with a strange amount of grace given the circumstances. She straightened her coat out, fixing the fit of it, and began picking up the scattered cards.

“You told me you were the best player in Eorzea when I first offered you this game,” she said, not bothering to even watch the enraged pirates as she cleaned up. “I took you at your word. Apparently that was my mistake, because not only are you all awful at it, but you've got a temper that's unrivaled in the meanest of chocobo when ya lose. No wonder you think yer great; if this is how you behave when someone don't throw a game in yer favour I can see why people might do just that instead of winning like their hand suggested they should. And if there's one thing you should know about me,” she stacked the cards neatly in her hands and looked up to meet the fuming roegadyn's eyes. “It's that I don't take to being called a cheat when I'm playing square,” she said coldly. The roegadyn took a step back in surprise as she had not been expecting the tiny woman to stand up to her at all, but in the end she stood her ground. The other two pirates closed on on Sass from the sides, brandishing their axes and blocking her retreat should she have decided to make one. The roegadyn reached down and slapped the cards from Sass' hands, which sent them scattering across the tavern floor again. Sass sighed and rolled her eyes as she bent down to pick them up for a second time. The roegadyn pulled her foot back as if to kick the lalafell, but before she could complete the act, the main doors of the Missing Member slammed open. In the doorway stood a smiling dark-skinned miqo'te who Sass had remembered seeing flee the tavern earlier and a well-dressed blond hyur woman in a large black hat and fancy scarlet coat with her hands on her hips and a vicious scowl on her face.

“ENOUGH!” The blond woman bellowed. Everything in the tavern came to an immediate halt, faces peeking out from behind tables carefully to watch the dressing-down that was likely to follow. The roegadyn pirate slowly lowered her foot to the floor and turned to face the booming voice. As she did, her expression went from one of rage to sheepish apology. “What in the name of the Navigator's blade-hiding tits is going on in here?” The hyur demanded as she cocked a hip out and surveyed the damage. “I take one day to go shopping for supplies and you idiots turn my bar into a fighting pit?” She strode over to the roegadyn, who attempted to make her imposing form look small as she nervously fiddled with her shirt's hem. “So exactly what the seven hells am I supposed to do if I can't even trust my own crew alone here for a day?” The other two pirates who had been gambling with Sass lowered their axes and stammered, looking for responses that wouldn't get keelhauled. Sass stood up to her less than imposing full height and looked up at the hyur.

“We were just playin' a friendly game of cards, no worries,” she said, offering the deck to the hyur. The roegadyn, who listened with her eyes widening slowly, had apparently been expecting a far different story to leave Sass' lips. She just nodded slowly as if to affirm the story Sass told. The taller woman looked from the roegadyn to the lalafell, then back again. She sighed, placing two fingers on the bridge of her nose and rubbing a bit as if to clear a headache.

“Just...look. Clean this mess up,” the blond finally said, removing her fingers from her nose and looking to Sass. She turned on a heel and marched back to the door again. “If this place isn't ship-shape inside twenty minutes, I'm taking a share from the lot of you to pay for damages!” She bellowed as she stood in the doorway. The pirates still in the bar snapped to reality almost instantly. They set tabled right and mopped up spills. One snuck a broken mug out the side door and threw it off the upper deck of the city in order to keep it from being noticed. “And you,” she pointed to Sass directly, which startled her somewhat. “You come with me, we need to have a talk,” she finished, curling her finger in a beckoning gesture. Sass had no other options that she could think of, so she shrugged and made her way through the Member to the hyur's side. The hyur and the dark-skinned miqo'te walked in silence while Sass trailed a few steps behind them. They crossed the wooden bridge to the Missing Member and the public square just beyond, eventually coming to a stop. The hyur sat on a bench overlooking Maelstrom headquarters and the miqo'te stood behind her as if keeping watch.  The hyur looked at Sass, who had moved to stand before her. “What really happened in there?” She queried. Sass shook her head.

“We were just play--” she started. The hyur held up a hand to stop her and Sass complied, coming to a halt mid-word.

“You was just playing cards, right?” Sass nodded. The hyur broke into a wide smile. “For someone who was about to get pounded into a fine lalafell jam by one of my more rowdy and angry ladies, you're awful keen to protect her,” she said, her gaze diverting from Sass to the stars above her. “Why is that?” Sass shrugged.

“She just got a little mad she lost at cards. No reason to get her in trouble for that,” Sass said as she shoved her hands into her pockets and rocked on her feet a bit. “Besides, it's not like she'd hit me,” she giggled. The hyur looked at her quizically, as if probing her intent.

“You mean she hadn't hit you, or she wouldn't be able to for some reason or another?” She asked as she looked Sass over, trying to read her reaction. Sass smiled.

“Either or. Point bein', I wasn't in any trouble from the likes of her, so there's no reason she should get hassle for it,” Sass shrugged. She tapped the deck of cards and there was a small spark of aetheric magic from the top. The hyur blinked a few times at the display, then broke out laughing. The sound of it rang out across the square. She clapped Sass on the shoulder.

“You got more balls than most of the men around here,” she said. Sass grinned at her. “I like that.  Do you know who I am, girl?” The hyur asked, resting her hands on her knees and leaning forward slightly to remain at eye level with Sass. Sass nodded slowly.

“Well, if I'm guessin' right, judging from the hat and the fancy red coat, you're the captain of the Sirens. Rhoswen, if the rumors are right. Yes?” Sass asked tentatively. The hyur nodded.

“Indeed I am. And that makes me the boss of those drunken louts and the owner of the Missing Member, the bar that just got overturned like it was in a bad squall because of a card game,” Rhoswen mused. She looked at Sass and smiled. “You have some talent with magic if I don't miss the mark after that little display,” she asked. Sass nodded.

“I mean I wouldn't say I'm exactly a member of the Order of Nald'thal or anythin', but I get by,” she said, flipping a few cards over and tracing the images with a finger before tapping them once and pointing at Rhoswen, who felt an immediate rush of vigor and smiled. She looked to her compatriot, who nodded at her. Rhoswen turned back to Sass.

“You wouldn't happen to be lookin' for a job, would you?” Sass' eyes went wide at the offer. “We don't got a whole lot in the way of magic users; most of 'em can't hold their own against my girls and as a result they get spooked off. We could use the edge a caster would afford us, if I'm honest. And I like your style, giving the drunks a lesson like that,” Rhoswen smiled.

“You mean you're actually hiring me? Even after all that? Even though some of those people'll probably try to kill me next time I show up?” Sass asked, astonished. Rhoswen chuckled.

“Well, not officially, of course. Can't just have the person who just about turned my one legitimate business upside down and made my deck hands so angry as to turn their faces as red as their own coats just waltz back there in the scarlet this soon,” she said as the miqo'te with her chuckled a bit. “How about just, under the table, like? For some sneaky magic work every now and again?” Sass lit up like a firework in the night sky; her eyes twinkled with mischief.

“I'm in!” She said, punching the air as she leapt for joy. Satisfied with the outcome of the conversation, Rhoswen stood and straightened her coat. She tugged the hems and nodded with some finality at her work.

“Good. Don't worry about getting us a name; I'm sure we'll find you when we need you and call you Red when we do,” Rhoswen smiled. “It shouldn't be hard to find a woman who makes other card players so angry just by winning so often,” she offered Sass a small wave and made her way back towards the Member, miqo'te in tow. Sass watched the pair go, fiddling with her cards as a nervous gesture. Before the duo of pirates made it to the wooden bridge again, Rhoswen stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Oh, and find yerself  a weapon, would ya? No self-respecting pirate is ever without one,” she said as she tapped her side, where a longsword hung. “Get one and learn to use it properly. It'll save your skin in a close fight like that one you were about to be in,” Rhoswen finished as she turned around to cross the bridge, leaving Sass alone with her thoughts in the Lominsan night.  Sass inhaled deeply and let out a loud, whooping cheer, which scared some birds off their nearby perches. After all these months in the Lominsan underbelly, she was finally in with a pirate crew. Even if it wasn't official yet, it was something.

Extra energy

Mario Lopez's career has actually certainly been varied-- holding TV as well as radio programs, starring on Broadway or even writing a New York Times hot seller-- however one point that has actually stayed continuous given that youth is his energetic way of life. Today he is arguably as fit, if not even more fit, as when he landed his renowned part as A.C. Slater on the struck TV show Saved by the Bell in his teens.

" I assume every person must make their wellness their number one priority in life, because without that you really have nothing, and also nothing else matters," spokens Lopez.

An energised way of life came naturally to this gracious celebrity. He was born into a working class family members in San Diego-- his mom benefited the phone company, and also his papa for the city. In an attempt to maintain her dynamic child off the streets as well as far from an unscrupulous group, his mom maintained him occupied.

" There was lots of potential for an active kid like myself to enter a bad instructions, so her approaches were to keep me busy and from problem, and also it worked," he remembers. "I was doing every little thing from karate to theater."

Break a sweat every day

That need to remain busy has actually lasted via the years. Regardless of how demanding his timetable could be, Lopez's fitness is never ever sacrificed.

" I do not seem like I have actually truly awakened until I damage a sweat," spokens Lopez. "It's ended up being such a component of my life that I merely do it due to the fact that if I really did not, I 'd practically feel incorrect. I like to exercise more for sanity compared to I do for vanity. It's a stress reducer, it's extremely therapeutic for me."

This commitment to exercise is something that he's devoted to sharing with the next generation. He presently acts as a Fitness Ambassador for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a company he attributes for much of his very own successes in life.

" I spent all my time at the Boys Club. I had fantastic coaches, and also it's an excellent chance for various other youngsters like myself to remain out of difficulty," claims Lopez. "I enjoy to stay involved. I compose programs for them and also assist them increase cash to construct even more clubs. I like the association."

His interest for healthy and balanced young people is additionally exhibited in his very own residence. Lopez and also his wife are moms and dads to a 5-year-old child as well as a 2-year-old kid. Though young, both children are extremely entailed in extracurricular activities.

" We're constantly moving as well as being really bodily. I believe when it's engrained at a young age and also you make it fun, it's easy to be constant with it," Lopez says. He is quick to encourage family members to welcome workout in their very own, one-of-a-kind ways. Breaking a sweat is not limited to presenting hours in a gym as well as does not have to be straining. "We'll go out treking or swimming, and we have dance parties."

Three rules of eating

Eating healthy and balanced plays a large duty in Lopez's life, yet he doesn't count on losing hope taste for physical fitness. "I'm a huge foodie, and I enjoy to eat. I matured in a society where food is famous and showcased. We celebrate with food, and we grieve with food," shares Lopez. "As I aged, I really did not wish to substitute preference for all the good food that I was eating, so I thought of a couple of much healthier, different variations."

Lopez is the writer of a number of popular publications on dietary health. His cookbook Extra Lean was featured on the New York Times’ best-seller list.

" I don't count on diet regimens, I do not think that they function," he claims. "I think people work, and also it's an issue of way of life. I don't deprive myself of any type of food, as well as I don't believe people should. I live by three basic policies:

Try to have a healthy equilibrium of fat, protein and carbs in every meal.

Eat frequently throughout the day, aim to avoid the large 3 healthy meals and merely form of forage all day.

Practice part control as well as eat in reasonable sizes."

Although Lopez manages a busy routine, dinnertime with his family members is never compromised.

" I have a policy that there's no cellular phones, no TELEVISION, we could have a little songs playing in the background, but besides that, we talk and also we rest as a family members and also take pleasure in time together. Regardless of just how hectic I am, and also I have a great deal going on, I anticipate our dinner," he says.

Mealtime in the Lopez house is an engaging event, meant to involve the youngsters and also spur their passion in healthy and balanced eating.

" Ask youngsters if they want points a particular way. Do they intend to grill today or broil? The more you obtain them included in the procedure of cooking, the a lot more apt they are to attempt stuff," Lopez explains.

Part of exactly what makes Lopez's nutrition practices relatable to the daily family is the truth that he doesn't take himself also seriously. He says he doesn't count calories, and also while he concentrates on healthy nourishment Monday through Friday, he leaves the weekends to enjoy the periodic splurge-- admitting his vices include pizza, packed tacos and also sweet snacks.

Energetic future

Ask this idol what the future appear like and also he'll inform you he has no plans to reduce. Lopez spokens he's confident he will find methods to stay active by changing to what benefit his body via life's various phases.

" I do not take healthy living for granted, and also I want to continue living this way," he claims. "As I age I will probably adapt to less exhausting activities, yet I think exercise makes you feel young."

He believes everybody must workout, unrestricted by age. It's an issue of finding your specific motivations. For his own moms and dads, he states obtaining a dog has influenced them to take long strolls and be even more active.

" I'm incredibly thankful to be in the position I am now," Lopez claims. "My whole mantra is merely to strive and stay focused and do the right thing."

Can't get enough? Have a look at 5 on health and fitness with Mario Lopez!

Tweet @MarioLopezExtra and also @hlmsmag about his #SamsClubMag story.

Enjoy this dish from Mario Lopez's cookbook, Extra Lean.

Spinach and sunlight dried out tomato burger

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 Tablespoon. chopped sun dried out tomatoes, crammed in oil (drained)

1 mug baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 lb. ground turkey breast

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium warmth. Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add sunlight dried out tomatoes, spinach, salt as well as pepper, and chef for an extra 1 to 2 mins until spinach is simply shrivelled. Allot to cool.

Once spinach blend is cooled down, integrate it with turkey and mix with tidy hands up until incorporated-- develop into 4 burgers.

Preheat a grill, grill pan or skillet and cook hamburgers for 6 to 7 mins per side until prepared through.

Suggest offering with 1 oz. low-fat cheddar cheese as well as 1 cup of broccoli with lemon juice to complete the dinner.

Per serving: Calories 248, Healthy protein 41g, Fat 4.5 g, Salt 655mg, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Fiber 5g, Carbs 10g

How To Produce Excellent Comedy For Your Business Vacation Party (From an Expert Comedian)

A vacation party is normally a time for event and a good funny show can be a terrific method to thank your staff members for a task well done. However there are some rules to think about if you want to ensure that you get the best outcomes for your company and from your talent Bruce Charet.

 DISCOVERING YOUR TALENT.

 There are a great deal of methods to look for comedians, and whether you go through a lecture agent, speaker bureau, funny agent, or check out your regional funny club, here are a few things to think about.

 First, business funny is various. If you see somebody at a local club and they're funny and reasonably tidy, there's absolutely nothing wrong with putting them on your list. However make certain that they understand the rules, since a bar comic is typically comfortable utilizing raw language and material that may not fit your crowd.

 So have a look at their websites, or much better still, see them live if possible, and call among their referrals. When you view their video, attempt to glance the whole program to get a sense of how everything circulations, rather than just presume that everything will resemble what they place on their emphasize reel.

 Some comics, including myself, work all kinds of different places, and we are able to change our product from show to reveal depending on the forum. But I've also been doing this for over 3 years and know what's right for each crowd. The danger with a young inexperienced comic is that he or she may share great intents, however utilize unsuitable product if they feel they're not getting enough laughs, so keep that in mind.

 As soon as you have actually chosen your talent, ensure that they consent to your guidelines. More than likely this suggests no cursing, no potty humour and avoiding material that is politically incorrect. It assists to review some of their jokes in advance to offer specific examples of what's fine and what would be considered crossing the line.

 Now, it's true some smaller sized business have looser cultures. My partner operates in a workplace wherein charges shout and curse all day long, so if they hired a comedian for a celebration, the limits would most likely be a lot looser, but even then, an excellent business comic understands to err on the side of safety. Whatever you decide, use due diligence and do your research.

 AGREEMENTS.

 When you've chosen your acts, make sure all celebrations have a signed contract and a deposit. I usually get 50% which secures the date for the business, so they're guaranteed I'm not going to take an eleventh-hour deal for better money (not that I would), but it likewise ensures that I won't lose cash if I have actually refused work and the boss all of a sudden chooses to employ his second cousin's nephew.

 COST.

 It's hard for me to give specifics due to the fact that it really depends upon the size of group and venue for your celebration. If your company is small, the budget plan is clearly going to be rather different then it would be for a Fortune 500. The bottom line is, provide yourself a variety to patronize and be prepared to be versatile if you find a specific act that you simply need to have.

 Keep in mind, the better acts are in higher need, so they generally do charge more, but there are lots of fairly priced comics who may not be family names, however will still do an excellent task for your group. But take care about hiring a comic that is available in at a price that's too low. They might be just starting or may not have much experience in the corporate market.

 Keep in mind that the comedy program is probably going to be the important things your co-workers keep in mind most about the party, so be careful not to be cent wise and dollar foolish.

 DEVELOPING A GOOD COMEDY ENVIRONMENT AT THE VENUE.

 I have actually done comedy in all sort of scenarios and absolutely nothing is harder for a comedian than to enter front of a rowdy crowd who wants to drink, talk and mingle, and could not care less that there's a show. So the number 1 rule is to deal with the program with due regard. If the party coordinators behave as if it's background sound, the audience will usually respond in kind and the comics will be difficult-pressed to overcome that. But if you set it upright, it can be golden.

 Wherever you hold the occasion, try to be sure your group has its own separate space so you prevent the opportunity of a loud bar or too much noise from other clients.

 Let your group understand that there's a show ahead of time and stress that if anyone just absolutely has to be talking for whatever factor, that they need to take it outside. Then make sure cell-phones are all off and have somebody from the business present the comedian so that everybody focuses.

 It's also crucial that everybody is seated, due to the fact that when too many people are standing, they're agitated, and it's harder for even the very best comic to hold their attention. And finally, do not start the program during the meal because no one actually chuckles too much when they're chewing. So try to do the comedy either after the meal, get the wait-staff to stop moving and provide everyone a 5-minute heads-up right prior to so they can use the centres.

 NOISE AND LIGHTS.

 Sound and lights are more vital then you may believe, so it's constantly an excellent concept to have your entertainer test both before the program when the room is empty.

 A lot of hotel meeting room have tiny little round speakers developed into the ceiling. Utilize these only as a last hope. Bad noise can really injure a comedy show, due to the fact that if the audience can't plainly understand what the comic is saying, the humour isn't going to fly.

 Lots of comedians have their own noise devices. I have a portable stereo that's good for about 250 individuals. If I'm doing a local show and I'm not exactly sure of the venue conditions, I throw it in the car simply in case. However bear in mind, if you require the comic to bring their own equipment, there is typically an extra charge.

 Among the trickiest parts about setting the best tone for comedy is the lighting.

 Basically, the total goal is to get the comedian well lit (however not blinded), and have the audience dim however not dark, which increases the intimacy element and makes it more comfortable for everyone to laugh. It likewise helps since the comic can still see the faces and body movement of the audience throughout the show.

 AUDIENCE POSITIONING.

 If you've ever been to a funny club you understand that everyone is usually packed in like sardines. There are 2 factors for this. First, the more individuals the club suits their room, the more money they're clearly making, but second, is that it greatly increases laughter.

 While, you might not want to squeeze your workers quite that securely, do attempt to keep the tables fairly close together and near the comedian. Laughter truly is contagious and this is among the most important elements to an effective show.

 LENGTH OF SHOW.

 If you want a full funny show with 3 comics, about 90 minutes has to do with right, with the emcee normally doing 15-20, the middle about 30, and the headliner about 45. If you employ just 1 or 2 acts, anything from 30-75 minutes is fairly typical, however it really depends on whether you desire comedy to be a spice component for your celebration, or to work as the main course.

 TIME OF DAY.

 The very best time for a comic is normally in the evening, but I have actually worked corporate functions at every possible time of day. Almost whenever can work, however if your celebration remains in the morning, I recommend that you try not to start off with funny as the very first course, because your crowd merely will not be all that alert. I've performed at conventions as early as 8 am, and I have actually succeeded, however it's a really different response at 8 AM then it is even an hour later on.

 MAKE THE COMIC( S) COMFORTABLE - IT ACTUALLY DOES HELP THE SHOW.

 Attempt to make your comic( s) be as comfy as possible. If there's food, and it's not prohibitively costly, we always appreciate a great meal.

 It's likewise handy to have a place in the back of the space, or much better still, in another space, for your comics to hang out before the show.

 Many comics are quite low maintenance. We perform in many different circumstances that we're normally quite flexible, however the more you make us feel welcome, the much easier it is for us to concentrate on our job - which is to offer you a terrific show.

 In my own profession, I've entertained at the NY Stock Exchange, opened for leading name acts at major theatres in front of thousands of individuals, been on national TV shows, and appeared at some truly mindboggling corporate events. I've also been at bars, clubs, coffee homes, libraries and drug rehabilitation. No matter what the location or occasion, the less extraneous stuff we have to fret about, the better it is for everything.

 OTHER FUNNY CHOICES - ROASTS AND PUT-ONS.

 Roasts are a fun method to let off some steam about workplace politics and business policies, however again, make certain you get someone who understands what they're doing.

 This is one of the important things I concentrate on and I love doing it, but it's a lot of composing so I do charge more. However what you're getting in return is a lot more customized show.

 When a comic is doing jokes about the business policies and some of your coworkers and officers, the audience is basically constantly riveted. If you do choose a roast, I recommend you examine ALL the comedian's material so there are not a surprises.

 You may also consider the business put-on, where the comedian is presented as a new vice president who's signing up with the company after the holidays with some "fresh new ideas" for enhancing organisation. This gives it an added element of surprise, however again, this isn't something that every comic can manage.

True/False 2020: Day 4

Number of Films: 3 Film of the Day: Dick Johnson is Dead

Welcome to Chechnya: Imagine the anxiety-filled ending of Argo, but played over and over, and unadorned by Hollywood screenwriters. David France‘s riveting film follows the members of a loose LBGT collective in Russia, as they attempt to smuggle out and relocate victims of the Chechen purge of gay and lesbian citizens through intimidation, torture, and murder. From a safehouse somewhere in Moscow, the dedicated team work to secure international visas for their charges (needless to say, while Canada has accepted almost a third of the 150 victims they have currently helped escape, the U.S., under Trump’s draconian immigration policies, have accepted exactly none), moving them from location to location, and in temporary stays in other countries, to avoid brutal Chechen reprisal. France peppers the film with intercepted videos of beatings, torture, and, in one case, attempted murder, to illustrate just how savage and brutal the “gay purge” has been under Putin-backed strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, and how much danger they are in. Along the way, we meet various escapees, including one young woman, the daughter of a well-placed Chechen official, who was told by her uncle she had to have sex with him or he would reveal her secret; and Maxim, a gay man detained in Chechnya and tortured before finally being allowed to leave, who has to move his entire family abroad to keep them safe, and who later eventually files for a criminal investigation (that Putin’s puppet justice department denies), bravely exposing his name and identity to become a symbol of the victims. Powerful and depressing, it’s yet another painful reminder of where we are politically, as a rush of oligarchs and dictators have filled vacuums of power with their horrific, self-serving regimes.

Down a Dark Stairwell: On a November night in 2014, Akai Gurley, a young, unarmed black man was fatally shot by a cop in the stairwell of a Brooklyn apartment building. The cop, a Chinese American named Peter Liang, claimed it was an accident due to an “accidental discharge,” but he was still indicted for manslaughter by the Brooklyn D.A. And here is where things get complicated in Ursula Liang’s film: With a fiery contingent of Black New Yorkers supporting the victim’s family, an equal force of Asian New Yorkers rally around Liang, viewing the D.A.’s office as scapegoating him because of his Chinese background (noting that while more than 1,000 people were shot and killed by police in 2014, Liang was the only cop indicted for such). Thus ensues a messy, jarring legal battle  —  after Liang is convicted, the D.A. recommends probation over incarceration, enraging the Black protestors  —  that leaves both minority groups feeling aggrieved. Liang (no relation) has carefully constructed her film to show both sides of the dispute, and some of the Asian American organizations who sided with Gurley’s family, in all its complexity. Easily the most hopeful moment occurs after both sides appear in competing rallies across the street from one another, and one Asian leader crosses the street in order to have an actual conversation with one of the black leaders. As they truly take the time to listen to each other, it is pointed out how much more constructive it is to discuss the issues rather than give in to blind anger.

Dick Johnson is Dead: Kirsten Johnson, the legendary documentary DP whose credits include Darfur Now, The Oath, A Place at the Table, 1971, and Citizenfour, made her solo directorial feature debut in 2016, with the excellent Cameraperson. Her latest film, a slightly twisted love letter to her father, suffering from dementia, is filled with her signature empathy, even as she plots ways she can cinematically “kill” him on-screen. It’s an idea hatched by the two of them  —  Dick, a retired psychiatrist, has a wry sense of humor himself, and is more than game for his daughter’s off-beat project  —  as he closes his Seattle practice, packs up his things, and moves in with his daughter in New York to be close with her and her two kids. Johnson crafts a sort of fantasia, in which her father gets to visit “heaven,” a place filled with colorful baubles and an eclectic mix of dining companions, while also recreating a terrifying moment for him where he was left behind at a house he suddenly didn’t recognize. Along the way, she also takes him to visit an old high school crush, films him interacting with his grandkids, and records some of their discussions of mortality, even as they scheme intriguing and unexpected ways for him to meet his demise. Utilizing stuntpeople and special effects, Johnson kills her father off a number of different gruesome ways, as a means of softening the blow of actually losing him as his mind slowly slips away. This eventually culminates in a final gambit, both acutely painful and deeply moving, in which our sense of things gets seriously upended. As Johnson put it during the post-screening Q&A, the film serves as a “doomed experiment trying to keep my father alive forever.” This film won’t make him immortal, alas, but it does make him indelible.

Tomorrow: Back to Philly on a wing and a prayer.

Photo from Dick Johnson is Dead

Leaving the warmer confines of Philadelphia for the wind-swept climbs of the midwest this March weekend, I am down in Columbia, MO, home of the 17-year-old True/False Film Festival, a collection of (mostly) documentary films, entertaining buskers, and outrageously dressed Queue queens.

Vaccinations Wanted For Traveling To Kenya

While a zoo definitely has it's place in animal watching, it does not compare to seeing animals in their very own natural habitat. That is a better solution to enjoy Kenya's secrets, quite than traveling in a big group of 40 or extra as most individuals do. If you can find a tour firm that offers this degree of non-public service, then your trip could be tailored to suit your own timetable and wishes, and never these of the bulk, and even in some circumstances the minority! Departure taxes can be paid in native or foreign forex. You are suggested to take these injections when visiting such areas and always keep in mind to hold with you bottled water. Since individuals are joining from various backgrounds, it won't be simple to make adjustments on the instances to do some of he safari activities. A superb luxurious trip company will give you all-inclusive offers that can work out cheaper in the long term than attempting to maintain your initial prices low and pay your own approach. The native currency in Kenya is the Kenya Shilling which has been known to fluctuate against the US dollar and guests to Kenya are advised to test forex trade charges repeatedly. I'm not an knowledgeable chicken tikka recipe maker, but my recipe beneath is certainly not slaved-driving! Blessed with tremendous topographical variety stretching over 4 climatic zones and that includes coral reefs, desert landscapes, volcanoes and snow-capped mountains, Kenya has it all in one. Packing for a trip to Kenya requires some cautious thought and consideration. Here you possibly can chill out in the abandoned beaches away from the outside world. Residence stays have come to be the most suitable choice in Kenya price range journey. Probably the most famous places to view wildlife is Kenya, and what higher solution to see it than on a safari. The water in most city lodges is usually safe for consuming However, if doubtful, bottled water is offered. Climbers can hire tools, ropes and kit in Kenya, but could wish to deliver their own private kit and tools. For many who can't afford the quick flight safaris that are accessible to single travelers, becoming a member of a price range safari presents a viable approach to enjoying the wonders of the Mara in a extra reasonably priced method. Inhabiting these diverse landscapes and wilderness areas are Kenya's world-famous wildlife, which will be viewed from horseback, 4x4 automobile, verandah or on foot. Although most individuals want to go on guided safaris, others desire fishing and nature walks, or even simply to lie by the pool. At the start of a year, Kenya could typically anticipate to be welcoming lots of of vacationers a day - the latest fall out decreased the numbers down to a brave few who had determined to disregard the inevitable warnings from the international office about travelling to the country, which was then positioned in the 'civil unrest' list of places not to go to. If you are travelling by domestic/chartered flights within Kenya, keep in mind that there are baggage restrictions, particularly on smaller plane. Calvin Cottar is among the greatest guides within the nation, and can take you on a game drive in a FOUR WHEEL DRIVE or even a more traditional ox cart. The only entry visa (obtainable upon arrival) is USD50 (correct on the time of printing) or the equal in local currency. Forex Rules There are not any restrictions on the motion of foreign money into Kenya for currency transactions. Be sure that to test any electrical equipment that you could be be bringing along with you for compatibility. From April 2009 to November 2009, the range has been approximately 1USD: KES74.00 to 1USD: KES80.00. Most banks provide extra aggressive rates than hotels but the quite a few overseas trade bureaus obtainable in Mombasa will most likely offer you the most effective rates with out a commission cost. There are various tourism authorities-owned bodies which have played a vital function within the fast development of tourism in Kenya. The Kenya Nationwide Parks are protected by the Kenya Wildlife Service and the money charged from the entrance price is used to cater for wages, park development and maintenance. For extra up shut views, you possibly can take a tundra buggy (a converted faculty bus) into the migratory packs for a fast day-trip. The three nationwide parks function a stopover for migrant waterfowl and are main breeding grounds for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus and a wide range of venomous snakes. A yellow fever vaccination is beneficial if the traveller comes from an contaminated country or space. With many airlines flying to Kenya, this airport has become a travel hub for East and Central Africa. Why not spend a while in the park and take a look at the elephants, leopards and cheetahs, and naturally the lions. Try to get a private deal, with simply the two of you traveling, reasonably than being part of a giant group, and guantee that your travel is commensurate with the posh you might be seeking: a minimum of business class flights, and top quality rail and street journey the place it is involved. The dual national parks of Tsavo, totalling 10 million acres of wilderness, kind Kenya's largest Nationwide Park, which make it best for individuals who get pleasure from solitude; of the 2 Tsavo West is visited extra; aside from the wildlife and birds, go to Lugard Falls, the volcanic Mzima springs and a unique underwater observatory. On the Central Business District, you'll be able to go to the Kenya National Archives the place you'll peruse by way of a lot of the documented Kenyan info, this contains the well-known folks, historic events like the construction of the rail line from Mombasa to Uganda. Use our personalised Kenya Journey package to print information of all this information. Sibiloi Park is Situated on the border of the Kenya and Ethiopia. Mombasa locals use rickshaws (tuk tuks), matatus (minivans) and boda boda (bicycles) to get around the town. During your stay here in Kenya, your accommodation will likely be in the best lodges, accommodations and luxury tented camps where you may be served scrumptious food and drinks. The Mombasa Kenya beaches equivalent to Nyali, Bamburi, Mtwapa, Tiwi, and Diani have world-class resorts and guesthouses that supply glorious accommodation and delicacies. For that you will have to ebook yourself a luxury adventure vacation, with private service offering trip planning from just your self and your associate. cheap flights jfk This area is ideal for walks, picnics, trout fishing, camping and evening sport viewing. Most persons coming to Kenya would love a chance to go to this wildlife reserve. It additionally has a Safari Walk - a very distinctive facility that permits one to see nearly all of the animals of the jungle in just a brief walk! The dry season, from July to October, is the very best time to visit Mombasa because the temperatures are milder and the air just isn't so humid. Lamu archipelago is another peaceable and exquisite place to go to. Mombasa, Kenya is a well-liked vacation spot for a lot of tourists wanting to take in some African solar on some of the most stunning seashores in the world and explore the character, culture and historical past that the city has to supply. The warm and calm open waters make this an ideal place for newcomers to take diving lessons from the licensed operators on web site. There are lots of places to see on the mainland of Mombasa Kenya. Safari's can take you through the likes of Masai Mara Nationwide Park, Amboseli Recreation Reserve and Mt. Kilimanjaro to view lions, leopards, cheetahs, wildebeests, zebras, flamingos, black rhinos, giraffes and elephants. You'll be able to take pleasure in these, and extra, with luxurious journey travel to Kenya, land of the Luo, Kalenjin, Turkana and the famous Maasai warrior race, as the title is appropriately spelled although we will use the more common western spelling of Masai. Subsequently, all travel to the nation was suggested towards, and lots of people wanted to say on their international journey insurance, which was confusing given the bizarre circumstances. Also do not miss the Mombasa Marine Nationwide Park, the Moi Avenue gateway arch, dhow cruises and the seashores. It will likely be a fantastic expertise to know and understand how the Masai tribesmen are capable of dwell peacefully inside the dispersal space stuffed with wildlife. Take Karen Blixen's home, for example, the creator of 'Out of Africa', made into an Oscar successful movie, or the Carnivore restaurant, where you can dine on some exotic game. Your doctor or private doctor is aware of you higher and so you should make a point of consulting her or him to advise you higher on crucial vaccinations that it's essential to take earlier than you journey to Kenya. One space this has affected essentially the most is Kenya's previously buzzing tourism business, and is one that's simply the country's greatest source of foreign earnings, totalling an estimated £500,000,000 per year. Nationals of certain international locations might require a visa to enter Kenya and it's advisable to examine together with your local Kenyan embassy or consulate to verify this. A small daypack is ideal for carrying cameras, journey documents and primary everyday objects. Some parts of the country are extra vulnerable to disease outbreaks and so you need to arm yourself with the required injections. Mombasa enjoys a pleasing tropical climate throughout the year with the hottest months between December to April hitting a maximum of 31C and the cooler months between July and August with highs of 27C. Conversely the apparent draw back of any such safaris is that you are in the company of individuals that are strangers to you. Different Africa best-known national parks embrace the Amboseli, Tsavo and Lake Nakuru that are all located in Kenya. It's also possible to do it in style, however ensure that your value is all-inclusive because the extras for the flights and safari trips may be excessive. When planning your journey to Kenya, it's best to think about taking injections in order that you do not contract any ailments. A part from this, there are different travel destinations the place you'll be able to spend your holidays and have complete journey. The islands are surrounded by sea lions, seals, gray whales and humpback whales. Offended folks went to the streets after evidence of election fraud by the current President, Mwai Kibaki. Kenya's excessive tourist season is between January and February and June to September. This board markets tourist destinations locally and internationally has played an awesome role in bettering this sector. The Kenya Worldwide Conference Center which is situated within the coronary heart of Nairobi metropolis is a perfect place for meetings, conferences, cultural exhibitions and particular occasions. Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide airport-The airport is about half -an -hour drive from Nairobi metropolis middle. If you are travelling extensively throughout the country just be sure you bring suitable luggage. American Specific, Visa, Master Card and other effectively-known playing cards are widely accepted at ATMs and main institutions all through Kenya but you will need to ask who you're paying if they take such cards prematurely.