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ctl-yuejie · 3 years

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How the diverse world of the addictive tv series “Cherry magic” got made

(interview with scriptwriter Yoshida Erika by Yokogawa Yoshiaki)

沼堕ち続出ドラマ“チェリまほ”の多様な世界はどうやって作られたのか【脚本家・吉田恵里香さん】2020.12.22 横川良明

for @howdydowdy because we were talking about what a fantastic character Fujisaki is and the notion of consent when it comes to reading someone’s mind

Currently, societal values continue to change rapidly. On one hand the movement of respecting each other’s diverse individualities and making it easier for each and every one to live in society has become more active, one the other hand it is not a rare occasion to be lost for words when suddenly unconscious discriminatory biases – derived from not being able to cut loose old values that are rooted deep in oneself – raise their heads.

How should we exist within this period of polarization? This series is to create the opportunity to think about this topic by having discussions with the toprunners in the entertainment world. The person I am introducing for the first edition is screenwriter Yoshida Erika.

She is behind the script of “Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!”, the tv series that has grabbed the first spot on the oricon satisfaction ranking for 4 weeks in a row, and has gained fast popularity despite its late-night spot. The enthusiasm for the show can be attributed to the soft view Ms. Yoshida has on the world.

Yokogawa Yoshiaki (YY): I am happily watching the series. I really liked the original work, however the way it was adapted to a television format has been brilliant. One big thing is the making of the character of Kurosawa played by Machida Keita. By Adachi’s magic (played by Akasouji Eiji), the voice of Kurosawa’s heart spills out, and while the original text had him be quite blatant in his expressions overall, the drama carefully examines them.

Yoshida Erika (YE): That is definitely where there is a difference in depth. The original has the premise of a work in the BL genre, readers are expecting a BL-like development, so they can take such things in stride, but the viewership of the tv series is more varied. Under them there might be people who do not like BL. That is why I was conscious about how different people from different backgrounds might watch this show.

It is not okay to assault someone just because you were invited to their house, kissing or touching without consent is not okay and being of the same or different sex makes no difference in this. Treating such things as okay because it is BL would be rude to the parties concerned. Because we are using the BL genre, we want to specifically protect the “firsts” of the parties concerned. That is something the producer Ms. Honma Kanami and the director agreed about and I therefore paid extra attention to.

YY: Adachi himself, as he is about to step into Kurosawa’s house thinks “Not that I might possibly get assaulted?!”, and is very vigilant, but with some soul-searching realizes that that is rude towards Kurosawa. To say it briefly, you can feel the probity of the creators.

YE: I thought that a main character that thinks that he will get assaulted when he steps into the house of someone will not be loveable. No matter how well received the person is who acts it out, if we cannot love them on a human level, this drama will not work. Adachi’s power to read people’s hearts is also the action of seeing people’s darker sides on his own volition. That’s why a character we cannot love as a person will receive push-back by the viewers.

YY: Just like you said, the act of reading peoples’ hearts includes great violence. That is why I think that when he realizes that Kurosawa has fond feelings for him, unlike the original where he reads Kurosawa’s heart on purpose, the drama treats it as an accidental force. Over the whole series, it is of focal importance that Adachi doesn’t overuse his magic.

YE: That is where we were extremely careful. In the manga easy comprehensiveness is important and that type of suspense is interesting - and we don’t intend to deny that - but if you do it as a drama, I didn’t want to make him into a young man using his powers at ease. That is why, especially in the first half, he decides and tries very hard not to use his powers when possible. The scene where he reads the CEO’s heart appears in the first issue of the original, but in the drama we pushed it back to the 5th episode. We made it a point to illustrate how Adachi is filled with the emotion to help Kurosawa and that is why he uses his powers.

That what I don’t want others to do unto me, I do not want to inflict on characters.

YY: His colleague Fujisaki (Satou Ryo) is a Fujoshi in the original and that premise was cut from the series. If you decided to have a Fujoshi character on a prime time show, did you think that misunderstandings might arise easily?

YE: That was definitely a thought. In BL as a genre it is not an issue that a character exists that takes the same viewpoint as the reader, and I love Fujisaki in the original, but the people who are acting it out in reality are real people. At that point, loudly fawning about someone else’s’ love life is not perceived as good conduct. At the least, I thought that I wouldn’t want to be treated like that.

YY: It is fine to envision fictional characters as romantic partners, but it is different when you make a real acquaintance the target of that.

YE:

A thought we had was that if Adachi and Kurosawa were to really date it would be one thing, but grinning at someone - who might even be heterosexual – because you inflate your own BL adjacent delusion isn’t much different from a man grinning at a woman with big breasts and calling her sexy. I wouldn’t want to get treated that way, so I didn’t want to inflict that on the characters in the story as well.

When it comes to Fujisaki it isn’t like she isn’t a Fujoshi. We do not clearly state it, but I thought there was no reason to show it in the drama.

YY: You are saying, that it is fine that people might interpret Fujisaki as a Fujoshi when she is smiling at Adachi and Kurosawa.

YE: Yes. That is where you are free to imagine (laughs).

YY: What I thought was very fresh is that instead of proclaiming her to be a Fujoshi, Fujisaki is turned into someone who “is happily living her daily life even without romantic love”. We don’t often get characters like that in Japanese tv series.

Personally, I also like romantic tv series, but while feeling venerated when the main characters have realized their love in the final episode, when trying to build a romantic connection to someone else in real life it might not go well and beyond that, it is not that it never happens that I, who also holds interests in other things than romance, end up feeling empty because of the lonely feeling of having been left behind (when watching a romance on tv unfold).

But with having Fujisaki appear, it felt like I got rescued.

YE: Until now, for several projects I made the suggestion of a character that is not interested in romance, but I wasn’t understood. “Is it necessary to do that?” “Aren’t you overthinking it?” were things I got told often.

But with this production, when I said that I wanted Fujisaki to be asexual or aromantic, no one denied me. From that stage on I thought that this place was a good one, and thanks to the original writer giving her agreement it got turned into reality.

YY: Since this kind of character hasn’t really appeared in a tv series, it felt like people like Fujisaki were assigned to be non-existent in this world. But thanks to you envisioning her like this, seen from a person that like Fujisaki might say “I got used to acting “normal”” and feel a notion of despair when confronted with people not understanding them, it felt like it got emphasized that people like her also exist in our society. Picking such little voices feels like it is one of the purposes of entertainment.

YE: If that could become the case I would be glad about it. 10 to 20 years prior, a “fairytale gay” (describing the flamboyant gay friend, that mentally supports the heroine by giving some harsh but accurate advice) often appeared in tv series from abroad, but this portrayal slowly changed, finally it has reached the point where the view point that being gay isn’t something special has penetrated the public.

So this time, I believe that one of my duties was to tell the story of people that are not interested in romance or people who do not only love one person, not from a standpoint that is convenient for consumption, but to have properly realized characters up to their individual backgrounds.

I hope the time comes where it isn’t necessary to especially say “This is a BL series”

YY: Please let me speak on something that has confused me this far. Prior, when you explained Fujisaki in context of the script, it felt like it wasn’t okay to call her asexual or aromantic because she herself doesn’t use any of those labels. I was somewhat afraid that an outsider would just selfishly declare that “you are asexual, aren’t you!?” in regards to someone who hasn’t professed anything.

YE: There is the point of both of the terms asexual and aromantic not being widely known in Japan as much as compared to overseas and I also think there are people who just wouldn’t use these words. Even when you think you are not interested in romance at the moment, it could also be that you just haven’t found the person that makes you feel that way. That’s why I can understand how labelling someone has a violent notion.

YY: My next question is also relating to that: This applies to Cherry Maho, but generally when I write about over works that feature a lovestory between men I try not to use the word BL.

This is my own opinion but to me it feels like the term BL has too much of a sexual image.

In private I casually use the word BL. However, for the content of an article that is read by an unspecified number of people, I remember stumbling over labelling something as BL. Using BL as an easy genre specifier has the effect that there will be a layer that won’t get looked at. I simply want to have more people enjoy a piece of work. I don’t object to the editor using BL in the title but in the content I write, I try not to use the term BL story but simply “love story between two men” and keep it close to how you’d address it in reality.

YE: I understand that. Obviously, I don’t intend to shame the taste of people that like BL. However, I understand that there are people that feel a sense of resistance towards BL as a genre. That is why I also don’t use the word BL when I promote on twitter. I do think that it would be great to have a new word.

Just like women have things they don’t want to be subjected to, men also have things they don’t want to be subjected to. This kind of awareness has become more broadly spread bit by bit. However, in order to have it really penetrate society it needs for the voices of the affected people to be heard. But it is also the reality of today’s society that violence is directed at people that raise their voice. That is why I feel like it is the job of the people that create tv shows to speak up instead.

At the least, that is how I want to straightforwardly create the world, so that in 10 years without directly stating “this is a BL series” we have a society that takes it in as a “new cool romantic drama beginning” with “the leads being actor x and actor z” and as nothing unusual. Now we really have such a transitional period, and as a writer I want to build the steps towards it.

original article: https://mi-mollet.com/articles/-/27045?page=3&per_page=1

#cherry magic #thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard #30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい #30 sai made #a bit rusty with my translations but i really enjoyed how they were talking about the writing and character composition in the series and #decided that I had to share #long post

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carewyncromwell · 3 years

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Anybody want some Carion? No? Just me? Okay. XDD This is Orion and Carewyn’s first meeting, back in Orion’s fourth year and Carewyn’s third! (In case you were wondering why Orion doesn’t have his facial hair and why Carey-Bear’s ponytail is so much shorter.)

Newly-15-year-old Quidditch prodigy Orion Amari was named the Slytherin team’s Captain that year, beating out his yearmate, friend, and likely future Wigtown Wanderer Skye Parkin largely because of his infinitely more mediating, leadership-centric attitude. After hearing that one of Slytherin’s Chasers had gotten injured, abruptly leaving the team short a player right before the upcoming match against Hufflepuff, Carewyn -- having gotten into Quidditch friendlies earlier that year thanks to Penny and having trained with Skye -- came to “court” Orion for a try-out. For a prompt, I was asked what Carewyn and Orion’s initial first impressions were of each other, and I answered thusly --

Carewyn about Orion: ‘So that’s the Slytherin Quidditch Captain? …How is he balancing on his broom like that??’

Orion about Carewyn: ‘Short and round, a Snidget’s build – ginger ponytail, like the Weasley boy’s – tight grip on her broom, slightly tense…a Seeker, perhaps? …No. No, those are a Chaser’s eyes.’

-- so that’s basically what’s going on in Carewyn and Orion’s heads right now in this drawing...not even the tiniest shred of romantic attraction from either party yet.

When Orion asked Carewyn to balance on her broom for him, it actually took her quite a while to get the hang of it. She got very upset and internally berated herself, hating that she looked incompetent, but she was so determined to prove herself that she bit back the small tears of frustration forming in her eyes and stayed on her broom until she finally managed it. Orion then had Carewyn meet him a few more times, balancing on their brooms together each time, and although Carewyn was a little frustrated that Orion kept dodging the issue at hand -- namely, the empty Chaser position -- she could sense that he was testing her, in his own way. And so, after that first meeting, she stopped asking when she could have a tryout and decided to prove herself by getting to know Orion better through their meetings when they would talk and “find their center” (sometimes with random distractions thrown in for spice, like a stray swarm of pixies). At one meeting in particular, Orion asked Carewyn what was helping her balance. The third year Slytherin admitted that she was singing a song in her head, which is something Carewyn often does when she’s working on something, even when she’s older. Orion told her to sing the song aloud so he could hear it, and Carewyn through a light flush closed her eyes and started to sing Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” while they “found balance” together. The Slytherin Quidditch Captain enjoyed it enough that he asked Carewyn to sing whatever song drifted through her head while they were training from that point on, closing his eyes and meditating to the sound of her voice.

Orion could tell that Carewyn Cromwell was a little rough around the edges (still being just 13 and only having dealt with one Cursed Vault at that point, Carey-Bear hadn’t fully gained the trademark cool confidence and composure that she expresses from year 4 onward) -- but besides her untrained talent and her pleasant voice, he immediately noted the younger girl’s intense fire, which, when put toward a goal, could be a valuable asset. And as he got to know her better through their meetings, Orion also noticed that Carewyn quickly caught onto his thought process and actively tried to speak on his terms, something very indicative of strong empathy. It was a trait Orion hadn’t encountered much in anyone else before, certainly not to that extent, and when he followed up with his friends McNully and Skye, he found that sensitivity toward other people’s feelings and attitudes was something they’d seen in Carewyn as well. McNully even guessed that it was the reason why Carewyn so wanted to try out for the Slytherin team, since she’d expressed the feeling that they probably were really shaken about having lost their Chaser right before the match and that she’d like to help them if she could. Finally, on the day Slytherin’s tryouts had been scheduled, Carewyn met Orion at the Quidditch pitch already balancing on her broom -- and upon her merely greeting him with a request to practice with him and the team, rather than directly asking for a tryout, Orion’s mouth spread into a smile and he told her to go fetch some robes from the tent. When she went to go borrow some spare robes, however, she instead found a set of Slytherin-official robes set aside just for her. Turns out Orion didn’t need a tryout -- he’d already selected her as Slytherin’s new Chaser.

In the match against Hufflepuff that year, Orion would go on to show enough trust in Carewyn to let her decide how best to approach the match -- and Carewyn returned that trust by pulling out Orion’s own Inspired Broom-Surfing technique at a critical point during the match. The two Slytherins’ minds had truly met, and when Carewyn ended up leaving the Slytherin team in response to both Skye’s unfounded rumors against Erika Rath and the return of Slytherin’s original Chaser, Orion never completely got over her departure, as much as he understood her reasoning. It was rare that Orion felt like he’d found a kindred spirit as it was, and not having Carewyn as part of his Quidditch family when he saw how much talent she expressed in every friendly she participated in and admired how deeply she cared for others was a great disappointment to him.

Over the years, Orion would every-so-often extend an invitation to Carewn to return to his team, even though her extreme focus on the Cursed Vaults and helping her brother Jacob hindered her from ever accepting. It was only in the Quidditch Cup Final at the very end of Orion’s last year at school that he and Carewyn were able to fly side-by-side on the Slytherin team again -- a match after which Orion finally came to grips with how much his image of Carewyn had changed over the years, from a Snidget-shaped girl with a lot of fire and empathy, as well as a calming singing voice, to a beautiful, confident young woman with more fire than a Fire Crab, a voice like a Phoenix’s...and the soul of an Abraxan, same as his.

#my art #orion amari #carewyn cromwell #hphm #hogwarts mystery #murphy mcnully #skye parkin #art #charlie weasley #jacob cromwell #I see orion as the eldest of the quidditch kids being born in november #hence why he's a 15-year-old fourth year <3 #it was fun to try to draw these two as younger particularly since in the game we really don't get a good sense for how old orion is #thanks to his facial hair #carey's ponytail here really does make her look even more like charlie's twin!! <33

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siancore · 4 years

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Go to Your Room

Summary: The one in which people think Bucky has a problem with his roommate Sam’s dates because they’re guys...

A/N: Based on a prompt that this silly tagging feature has lost about Sambucky roommates AU

Word Count: 2,737

Living with Steve and their roommate was a little awkward for Bucky. He felt like a third wheel most of the time. Sure, he and Steve had grown up together, but they weren’t the same kids from Brooklyn that they had been. Bucky was a returned serviceperson and was not the most outgoing guy anymore. Steve, it turned out, was more outgoing in adulthood; he was a social butterfly of sorts, and so was his new best friend, Sam Wilson.

They were a lot alike, Bucky noticed. Both the center of attention. Each had a bunch of other friends and went on dates regularly. Steve did not usually bring girls home, but when he did, he made sure to go to his bedroom where he was afforded privacy. Sam, however, was quite content to be laid up on the sofa, or eating in the kitchen, or sharing the shower with his dates. And it was always some ridiculously good-looking dumbass who was younger than Sam was, and who stared at Sam like the sun rose and set on him.

And Bucky wasn’t a prude or a bigot, no way, but for some reason seeing Sam making out on the sofa on a Saturday afternoon annoyed him to no end.

“You got a room, Wilson,” he would say in passing, while giving his best stern expression.

“So do you, Barnes, so why don’t you go to it,” Sam would reply, and Bucky would roll his eyes and walk off in a huff.

It wasn’t that Bucky didn’t like Sam. He really, truly did. Sam was a great guy. Real sweet and kind and generous. Would give you the shirt off his back. Was so smart and witty. And he was funny, too. Had the best laugh and the biggest, brightest smile. He always went out of his way to make people feel safe and welcome. It was no wonder he was so popular and had guys lining up around the corner to date him.

He and Bucky got on really well. Their playful banter was part of how they related to one another. They could each dish it out and take it, and Bucky was never genuinely annoyed with Sam because of it. Yet, increasingly, he was finding himself growing irritated the more Sam brought dates home. It was always some dumbass who was all hands, muscle, and little substance. Some guy who was always trying to kiss and touch Sam.

Bucky couldn’t blame them, though; Sam was an attractive man. He had the most beautiful brown eyes Bucky had ever seen, framed by lashes so long that they touched his incredible cheeks when he laughed wholeheartedly. His lips looked so soft and inviting, and even the gap in his teeth was beyond adorable. So, yes; Bucky understood the appeal. He just didn’t like to be around when these other men were falling over themselves to get to Sam. It was fuckin’ annoying.

The new guy Sam was seeing was almost too good-looking, and he was all over Sam all the fucking time. One day, upon returning home from the gym, Bucky walked into the living room to find Steve and Sam watching a football game. Steve was on the armchair yelling at the screen, and Sam was on the sofa sprawled out like a fashion model doing a photoshoot: Looking bored and beautiful. Bucky dropped his bag to the floor, and sat next to Sam. He felt the other man’s deep brown eyes on him immediately.

“You’re bulkin’ up there, Barnes,” Sam commented, dragging his gaze over Bucky’s form. “Lookin’ good, dude.”

For some reason, Bucky felt a blush creep up his neck and settle on his face.

“Thanks, man,” Bucky replied as he gave Sam a coy smile, which Sam returned. They sat staring at one another for a beat longer than was necessary.

Just then, the sound of another voice drew them from their reverie as Erik Stevens asked, “What’d I miss?”

“Nothin’, man,” said Steve, annoyed that their team was behind on the scoreboard. “I’m about ready to turn the TV off and toss it out the window.”

“Dramatic ass,” said Erik.

“He really is,” Sam added.

Bucky sat back and said nothing as the aggravation washed over him.

“Want another beer, babe?” Erik asked Sam as he placed his hands to Sam’s shoulders and rubbed them. The small gesture really got on Bucky’s nerves.

Sam turned to him, as if he could feel the irritation radiating from him and said, “Yeah, thanks. You want one, too, Buck?”

“Nah, I’m gonna hit the shower,” said Bucky as he stood and walked away, not offering a greeting to Sam’s beau as he walked by.

“What’s his deal?” asked Erik as he flopped down beside Sam and handed him the beer bottle. “Every time I come over, it’s like dude is in a bad mood.”

“He’s just shy, right Steve?” Sam said in Bucky’s defence.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Steve, not paying too much attention as he was too engrossed in the football game.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he had a problem with the two of us,” said Erik.

“Bucky’s not a racist,” said Sam.

“Not that,” Erik replied. “I meant with us bein’ two dudes.”

“No way,” said Sam, shaking his head. “He’s not a homophobe. He’s a great guy. You just gotta get to know him.”

“I’m tryin’,” Erik proffered. “But whenever I’m here, it’s like he doesn’t want me here.”

“You’re wrong, Erik,” said Sam. “He’s a good guy. You’ll see.”

xXxXx

Later that night, after Erik had gone home and Steve had gone to bed, Sam found Bucky sitting up watching an old movie in the dimly lit living rom. He often did that when he was unable to sleep; plus, it was actually nice to get time to enjoy their living room without Steve yelling at the television and some guy all over Sam.

Sam eyed Bucky a moment, before he sat down beside him and reached over to take some popcorn from his bowl; Bucky held the bowl out so that Sam could take as much as he wanted.

“What’re you watchin’?” asked Sam.

“I dunno,” said Bucky. “Some old romance shit. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl because boy is a dumbass, boy tries to win girl back. Sappy shit. You’d like it.”

Sam nudged Bucky’s shoulder with his before saying, “True, but I’d much rather watch boy meets boy and they live happily ever after.”

Bucky let out a discreet sigh and nodded his head. Sam must have been smitten with Erik. It’s all he ever wanted to talk about even when he wasn’t talking about him. It was exasperating. Bucky didn’t like it.

Sam noticed the lull in their short-lived conversation, and then he began to wonder if Erik wasn’t wrong about his assumptions regarding Bucky.

“Can I ask you somethin’?”

“Sure.”

“What d’ya think about Erik?”

Bucky turned to look at him and said, “I don’t think about him.”

“Okay, but that’s not what I asked,” said Sam. “I’m askin’ your opinion of him. I’ve been seein’ him for almost a month now, and I feel like the two of you haven’t really hung out together or clicked.”

“I don’t need to click with him, Wilson,” Bucky replied flatly. “You’re the one screwin’ him, not me.”

Sam was a little taken aback by his friend’s snappy retort.

“Jesus, Barnes, what the hell is your problem?” asked Sam.

“I don’t have a problem.”

“You sure about that?” Sam accused.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Let’s see: Every damn time Erik is here, you either run off to your room, or ignore him, or be downright rude to him,” said Sam. “So what’s your problem?”

“Do the two of you really need to be here with your hands all over one another like horny fuckin’ teenagers?” asked Bucky, raising his voice a little. “This is a common area, Sam. Can’t you take that shit to the bedroom?”

“That shit?” asked Sam, raising his voice, too. “You mean the gay shit?”

“I mean the dry-humping-on-the-couch-shit,” Bucky replied. “The shit with the dumbass twenty-somethings who’ve always got their hands in your pants. That shit. No one wants to see that.”

“Tell me, if Erik was a woman, would you even care so much?”

“What?”

“If Erik was Erika and was a chick, would this even be an issue right now?”

“You think I’m annoyed with it because you’re gay?”

“What the hell am I supposed to think, uh? You think I didn’t notice that you’re always in a shitty mood when I bring guys home? But when Steve brings girls home, you’re here drinkin’ coffee with them and bein’ extra nice and shit. When it’s one of Steve’s little girlfriends, you remember that you’re actually a charming guy; you remember that you’ve got manners and social skills. Why is that?”

“I’m not gonna sit here and be interrogated,” said Bucky as he placed the popcorn down on the coffee table and tried to walk away.

Sam stood quickly and took hold of Bucky’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“Answer me, damn it,” said Sam, as he stared into Bucky’s eyes. “Why don’t you care when Steve has dates over, but you’re in a foul ass mood when I do?”

“Whatever, man.”

“No, tell me why. Why are you always actin’ like someone pissed in your cereal when I have guys here, but you don’t give a good goddamn who Steve has over?”

“Because I don’t care who Steve brings back here,” said Bucky, stridently. “I don’t care about who he fucks. I care about who you fuck.”

“Why?” said Sam, just as loudly. “Why do you care?”

“Because I fuckin’ want you. I want you. And it makes me crazy, Sam, seein’ you with other guys who aren’t fuckin’ good enough for you. It makes me crazy ‘cause it should be me, okay. I should be the one kissin’ on you and makin’ you laugh. I want you, alright. I want you, Wilson, and seein’ you with some guy that ain’t me it just, it –”

Before Bucky could finish his rant-turned-confession, Sam had pulled him close and pressed a passionate kiss to his mouth. Bucky deepened it immediately and pushed Sam up against the wall as their lips, tongues and hands explored one another. Sam let out a small moan as Bucky palmed his ass and then brought their bodies closer. He was just about to hook Sam’s leg and lift him, when the sound of Steve trudging out of his room caused the pair to break the kiss and pull apart.

“Seriously, guys,” said Steve as he rounded the corner and placed his hands on his hips. “Can you argue a little quieter, please? Some of us are tryin’ to sleep.”

“Sorry,” said Sam, as he rushed past Steve, leaving Bucky standing there with his lips, among other things, swollen and pulsing from the kiss. He grabbed his keys and headed in the direction of the front door.

“Sammy, where’re you goin’?” asked a confused Steve.

Sam turned around, but avoided Bucky’s gaze, before saying, “To Erik’s place.”

…..

Bucky lay in his dark bedroom staring up at the barely visible ceiling. He replayed their argument and kiss over and over in his mind. It made sense, now, why he was so irritable whenever he saw Sam with another man: He was jealous because he had feelings for Sam himself. That whole time he had wanted to kiss Sam and be with him, but he didn’t even realize. Not that it mattered now. His ill-timed admission, and subsequent brief make-out session with Sam didn’t matter because Sam had run off to Erik.

“Goddamn it,” said Bucky, as he let out a loud sigh and rolled to his side.

Things were going to be even more awkward the next time Erik came over. Bucky silently chided himself for getting carried away by their kiss; for not realizing sooner that he had feelings for Sam. And then he felt sorry for himself because Sam was with Erik, and there was no way Sam would choose Bucky over a nice, funny, handsome guy like Erik. No. Fucking. Way.

He was so confused and upset that he almost missed the sound of the soft rapping at his door. He let out a sigh, rolled out of bed, and then went to answer it. He was expecting to see Steve, who was now wide awake and finishing off the popcorn, but was surprised to see Sam instead.

“Hey,” said Bucky, gently.

“Hey,” Sam replied. “Can we talk?”

Bucky nodded his head, switched on his light, and then let Sam enter his bedroom. Bucky took up a seat on the bed, and Sam followed suit. He mentally prepared himself for the that-was-all-a-mistake talk. He fidgeted with the hem of his sleep-shirt and avoided Sam’s gaze.

“Look, about before –”

“I’m sorry,” said Bucky, as he looked up at Sam. “I shouldn’t have said or done anything. You’ve got a boyfriend. I was wrong for that.”

“I kissed you first,” said Sam. “I shouldn’t have, but I did. It’s not your fault.”

“I didn’t have to kiss you back,” said Bucky as his gaze fell to Sam’s lips.

Sam mirrored the action and marvelled at just how pink Bucky’s lips actually were.

“We were both wrong,” said Sam as Bucky nodded.

“What did Erik say?” said Bucky. “I assume you went to tell him what happened. Guess he wants to kick my ass now. Let him know I’ve been workin’ out lately.”

He tried to make it sound like he was joking, but his heart was clenching inside of his chest.

“I broke up with Erik,” said Sam.

“What? Why?”

“Because I realized I didn’t want him,” said Sam quietly. “Not really. Not properly. And what happened tonight between us was proof of that. I chose to kiss you, Buck. Not because I got caught up in the moment, but because I wanted to kiss you. I’ve honestly wanted to for a while now. I didn’t’ realize you were into guys, so I never said or did anything.”

“I didn’t even know I was into guys until I met you,” Bucky admitted. “I still don’t know what’s goin’ on with me. Maybe I’m only into you and that’s it.”

Bucky let out a little nervous laugh and ran his fingers through his hair.

“You’re amazing, Sammy,” he added. “You’re the most amazing guy I’ve ever met.”

Sam gave him a sweet smile and said, “So are you.”

They then sat staring at one another for a brief moment before Bucky decided to speak.

“So, what’re we gonna do about this?” said Bucky gesturing between them.

“How about in a few weeks, after you figure some things out, you ask me out on a date?” asked Sam with a coy yet hopeful look on his face.

“Will you say yes?” asked Bucky.

Sam’s smile grew wider before he said, “Yeah, I think I might.”

…..

A few weeks later…

Life with his roommates was better than ever, Bucky realized. Steve was still yelling at the TV and Sam was still making out with a dumbass on the sofa. Only this time, the dumbass was Bucky and he was so completely happy; happier than he had ever been before. Life was great. His new favorite thing to do was to be sprawled out on the couch while Sam slept on top of him. Or to be sitting there with a reclining Sam’s feet in his lap. Or to have Sam, all playful and pretty, straddling him while he peppered kisses to his neck and collarbone; kisses to his lips; kisses down his chest; kisses, kisses, more and more kisses.

“Come on, guys,” Steve would say, when he would find them a tangled, heavy-breathing mess on the sofa. “You’ve got a room and the game’s almost on. So, move your asses and go to your room.”

Bucky would smile at his boyfriend, peck his lips once more, and say, “Oh yeah, we do have a room, don’t we?”

“We do,” Sam would reply, smiling and beautiful. “Let’s go to it.”

#sambucky #sam wilson #bucky barnes #some samerik #steve's there too

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

Text

OK, November 23

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Jeff Bridges opens up about the fight of his life

Page 2: Contents

Page 3: Contents

Page 4: Lori Loughlin’s life behind bars -- Lori’s been having a hard time adjusting to her new reality

Page 6: The holiday season will look a little different for Prince Harry this year -- originally the plan was for Harry to travel to England around Christmastime and Meghan Markle reluctantly agreed though she was far from happy with the idea but now with new travel restrictions in place due to Covid-19 she’s told him there’s no way they’re leaving California which is crushing for Harry who was looking forward to spending the holidays with the royals especially since he missed out last year and he’s been horribly homesick these last few months and he misses the holiday traditions he grew up with even though he loves his life in America with Meghan and son Archie

Page 7: Newly single Kelly Clarkson has been swooning over country crooner Brett Eldredge her collaborator on the flirty new Christmas tune Under the Mistletoe -- they spent lots of time together in the studio and on the phone and really bonded while they were cutting this sexy song, Brad Pitt’s most recent ex-girlfriend Nicole Poturalski has started talking to friends about what happened between them in detail and it’s an embarrassing mess for Brad who prides himself on privacy, after 16 seasons as colleagues and sparring BFFs on The Voice Adam Levine and Blake Shelton are besties no more because there was a lot of talk between them about keeping in touch and hanging out after Adam left the show but amid lingering tensions neither has made an effort and Adam may not even be invited when Blake marries Gwen Stefani

Page 8: Ever since Sofia Richie split for good from Scott Disick she’s been out every night with some really shady types to the dismay of her dad Lionel Richie who is not liking what he’s hearing about her partying and dating habits -- Sofia has already jumped into a new relationship with Cha Cha Matcha founder Matthew Morton and is hanging nonstop with his crew -- Lionel thought breaking free from Scott would mean a calmer life but it just sees like she’s gone off the rails, Betty White is already gearing up to celebrate her 99th birthday in January with a low-key yet reverent bash, she’s been linked to several Hollywood hunks of late but Lily James just wants her old beau back and she’s regretting breaking off her five-year relationship with Matt Smith -- since the split she’s been linked to Dominic West and Armie Hammer and Chris Evans and the onslaught has only made her miss Matt more -- Matt’s always had her back and Lily knows she made a mistake letting him go but Matt feels duped regarding all the rumors about her and other guys but she swears nothing happened and that she misses him

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars wow in romantic ruffled gowns -- Keke Palmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst

Page 11: Lupita Nyong’o, Halsey

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Renee Bargh vs. Alessandra Ambrosio

Page 14: News In Photos -- Paris Jackson posed for a portrait in Beverly Hills days before releasing her debut solo album

Page 15: Adam Brody with his newborn son in Malibu, pregnant Jinger Duggar stepped out in Venice with husband Jeremy Vuolo and their daughter Felicity for lunch, Lady Gaga on stage at a drive-in concert in Pittsburgh

Page 16: Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell headed out for brunch with one of their twin daughters in Encino, Camila Cabello held on tight to one of her three pups while chasing another one who escaped from his leash in Miami, Pierce Brosnan playing golf in Hawaii

Page 18: DJ Diplo took a dip in the ocean in Miami, John Legend took his Ford Mustang out for a spin with wife Chrissy Teigen and one of their dogs in Beverly Hills

Page 19: Bella Thorne and boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo in Rome, Scott Disick was Ace Ventura for Halloween in L.A.

Page 20: Ruff Life -- stars show love for their canine companions -- Ariel Winter and her latest rescue Cobey, Jamie Chung and her dog, soccer star Alex Morgan with her dogs Kona and Blue

Page 21: Nev Schulman cuddled up with Dancing With the Stars partner Jenna Johnson’s dog Ziggy, PLEASE ADOPT, DON’T SHOP

Page 22: Shawn Mendes on a walk in Miami, Kate Mara stopped by Target with her daughter, Ellen DeGeneres dressed up as a nurse who is her favorite superhero

Page 24: Skai Jackson headed to rehearsals for Dancing With the Stars, Elizabeth Lyn Vargas of Real Housewives of Orange County gave a tour of her home, Joe Jonas strolling daughter Willa around the neighborhood

Page 25: Thomas Brodie-Sangster attended the premiere of Stardust a biopic about David Bowie in London, Donnie Wahlberg and Steve Schirripa filmed a scene for Blue Bloods in Brooklyn

Page 26: Taking over duties from Prince Harry his stepmother Duchess Camilla arrived at the Field of Remembrance to commemorate those who lost their lives in the armed forces in London, Amber Heard enjoyed a hike with her dog in L.A., Renee Elisa Goldsberry and Sara Bareilles and Paula Pell and Busy Philipps filmed a scene for Tina Fey’s upcoming series Girls5Eva in NYC

Page 27: Offset delivered free food to voters waiting in line on Election Day, Ciara in Seattle

Page 28: Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes have finally become husband and wife in a low-key ceremony in the backyard of their L.A. home with just a handful of family and close friends like Steve Carell and Emma Stone were in attendance -- Ryan wore jeans with a button-down shirt while Eva wore a red dress from her own collection -- now that the party’s over Eva and Ryan have been talking about having a third child

Page 29: Reality hit Love Is Blind hooked viewers with its OMG premise but the show’s married cohosts Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey were decidedly less riveting and their presenting style was laughably wooden and stiff and while the duo is slated to return for the show’s second season Nick and Vanessa have been put on notice to spice it up, Tori Spelling is freaking out at the prospect of her husband Dean McDermott spending six months alone in Toronto which is the same town where he cheated on her seven years ago -- Dean has signed on to star in Canadian TV show Lady Dicks and while Tori should be thrilled that that he’ll be bringing in some income for their often-struggling family of seven she is preparing for the worst

Page 30: While it appears Nina Dobrev and Shaun White have spent 2020 in hardcore flirt mode Nina’s friends have cautioned that this is a dead-end romance because Shaun shows up and posts pictures of them on social media but the fact is they’ve barely spent any time together and they hook up and then he goes back to his own place -- Shaun rarely invites Nina to either of his two Hollywood Hills pads and is proving his flaky reputation is legit, things are looking up for parents-to-be Kit Harington and Rose Leslie after a rocky start to their marriage the two are finally in a happy place -- Kit has stopped boozing and this baby has put a fire under him to be more accommodating and besides helping update and baby-proof the couple’s 15th century countryside manor Kit’s been more attentive to Rose in every way, Love Bites -- Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi split, Maya Erskine and Michael Angarano are engaged and expecting, Ashlee Simpson welcomed her second child with husband Evan Ross

Page 32: Cover Story -- Jeff Bridges: I’m not giving up -- how the beloved star is coping during his brave health battle

Page 36: Katherine Heigl why she disappeared -- the reason Katherine walked away from the spotlight ad how she found her way back

Page 38: Home Alone turns 30 -- in honor of the holiday classic’s milestone anniversary secrets and trivia about the movie and its stars

Page 40: Feel the Burn -- fitness fanatic Morgan Coleman is here to take your home workout up a notch

Page 42: Healthy Holidays -- how stars stay fit and feeling their best during the festive season

Page 46: Style Week -- Olivia Culpo has teamed up with her siblings on an exclusive collection for Macy’s

Page 48: What’s Hot Right Now -- Madewell wants you to Make Weekends Longer with its new sustainable MWL collection

Page 49: Steal Her Style -- Drew Barrymore

Page 50: Dress the Halls -- festive pieces to rock through the holidays even if you’re celebrating at home -- AnnaSophia Robb

Page 54: Entertainment

Page 55: Q&A -- Jake Tyson

Page 58: Buzz -- Just weeks after Kim Kardashian West was slammed over her 40th birthday bash Kendall Jenner received similar criticism for throwing a jam-packed soiree for her 25th birthday

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Cameron Diaz on having a baby at 47, Conan O’Brien on the props that were stolen from his late-night set, Sacha Baron Cohen joking that he and his wife Isla Fisher are not A-listers, Anne Hathaway on the embarrassing ways she handled the lockdown

Page 61: Florence Pugh on her close relationship with her Black Widow costar Scarlett Johansson, Christine Quinn on not being bothered by negative comments, Chelsea Handler on crushing on New York governor Andrew Cuomo

Page 62: Horoscope -- Lisa Bonet turned 53 on November 16

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Colin Jost

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hecohansen31 · 5 years

Text

Hey Gorgeous!

Frat Boy! Jim Mason+Insecure! Reader:

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

I hope everything is alright and I hope that you are having a fun day, because here comes bad writing at its finest...

I know I have already said it in the teaser but like this was written in a period in which I felt very self-conscious about myself (I still am, but I mean... I literally was at my lowest).

I honestly don’t have anything bad about my body... (except the entire ensemble suck...)... but I costantly feel like I am a passable beauty, like... “you are ot ugly, but also... you are no supermodel... so move over”.

Which I know it’s stupid, because people have it worse, but hey... my fics my fantasies... so...

ALSO NO GIRL ON GIRL HATE, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL... NO MATTER WHAT...

Also... you don’t need male validation to feel pretty... you don’t need nobody opinion, except your own...

And now that I got somethings off my chest...

HEART IT, REBLOG IT OR PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT... because I am anxious and insecure also in my writing.

Love you, lovelies!

SUMMARY: After your insecurities get the worst of you, you manage to get an handsome frat boy to make you feel better.

WORDS: 2,7K

WARNINGS: Body Image Issues, Insecurities and (Frat Parties, alcohol consumption and lingerie party so a bit of butts being show) Rejection (angsty but with a fluffy ending).

She always known that some words didn’t belong with you and with your body.

She would never be called gorgeous and sexy, because you didn’t belong in the slightest to those categories, since she hadn’t what it took to be seriously “beautiful” or “sexy”.

She had a kind of beauty which most people described as cute, described as something that made her friends want to pet you and gave her a lot of annoying compliments, but actually they were backhanded insults, such as “you are such a cutiepie” which was clearly “you look like a child”.

And it had never really bothered her, although she couldn’t help but feel like it went a bit too far sometimes and sometimes she felt a bit insecure about her own appearance and no matter what she did: a new hair style, a lot of make-up a change of wardrobe.

Still, she wouldn’t be able to change that opinion people had about her.

So, she had stopped.

It was just another type of beauty and she was beautiful in her own way.

But it didn’t matter how much she told herself that, when her roommate was strutting in her room wearing nothing but a white piece of lingerie, barely covering her ass, for the “lingerie party” they had been invited to, meanwhile she hid herself in the scrap of lace she had wrapped around herself to hide the lacey body-suit she wore underneath it.

At first she had just wanted to stutter into the party with her flying squirrel shaped pajama, since it completely matched her style, no matter the fact that it was so big that she barely could walk in it and it wasn’t lingerie, but her roommate had swiftly brought up that there was no way she would be making her way to the party with her dressed as that.

She honestly loved Erika, but she was the typical girl you couldn’t help but find sexy: effortlessly beautiful, with long blonde hair and a tanned completion which spoke of nice summers out and sweet plump lips, which, instead, told it all about soft kisses and wild nights.

She honestly didn’t blame her roommate, but she couldn’t help but feel like she didn’t know so many of her struggles.

She was very uncomfortable for her entire staying at the lingerie party, constantly clinging onto Erika, and covering herself with the silky shawl, meanwhile she didn’t dare to meet a single boy’s eyes.

Not that they would have been fixed on her, when Erika was there.

The difference between sexy and cute was also visible in the way you interacted with people: she, for example, had an hard time talking and if she did it would have been focused on making your laugh and whisper about common interests, whereas Erika had a more direct approach, gaining the immediate interest of her audience as a true magician.

But at least she had something to hold onto for the entire night: Timothy, from of one of her classes and the latest of her crushes, had promised her to actually be at the party and absolutely come there to talk to her and “save her from public embarrassment”.

Timothy was a nice guy, the type that typically didn’t flirt around and had nice interests she shared, so she had always felt like he was a safe place to crush on, and he had seemed interested in her, suggesting they always worked together for some group projects, alongside always holding the seat next to him for her.

She really hoped not to have read too much into this, scared that he might have been interested only in a friendship, so she had waited for him to do the first move…

And she was still waiting…

“Don’t worry (Y/N)! He will come” reassured her gently Erika, holding her hand, meanwhile she giggled with the latest of her suitors, and she tried to smile a bit and relax herself.

… and finally, she eyed him, just coming out of the door, waving shyly at him, meanwhile he immediately moved towards them; Erika moved off, with the guy she had been talking with, in order to give her some privacy, for which she was grateful.

She moved away the silky shawl and although she knew sexy wasn’t her thing, she tried to do her best to assume an unbothered expression and smile brightly (but not too creepily) at him.

Timmy was at her side, immediately, a red solo cup in his right hand and his other gently and softly moved around her waist and she couldn’t help but blush.

-… you are finally here! – she whimpered, meanwhile she moved her eyes to the ground -… I thought you would be missing the chance to see a lot of girls in panties! -.

He giggled at her bad attempt to break the ice, before he leaned closer into her ear.

-I promised you to be here, didn’t I? – a thrill of adrenaline moved down her spine and she was unable to stop herself from blushing -… and I had to ask you something…-.

Now she was going to melt in his arm, her heart beating thunderously in her chest, meanwhile she tried to calm her whole body from shaking, immediately raising her head to meet her eyes…

She could already picture it: he would confess he had had a crush on her for the longest time and she would say that she felt the same, he then would tangle gently an hand between her hair and push her closer, till their lips touched and fireworks started…

…but her idyllic vision was stopped by his question:

-Is Erika single? – he looked at her with a face that told her he wasn’t joking in the slightest -… I have honestly had a bit of a crush…-.

She honestly tried her best not to react in the slightest, but she immediately felt so so humiliated and his touch was unbearable.

She wasn’t having the heartbreak of her life, but it was the eternal confirmation that she wasn’t… well what people looked for…

She broke away from him, immediately hearing him call her back, but it didn’t seem to last long because she saw him with the corner of her eyes move towards Erika and all she was able of doing was push herself away from the party set in a college brotherhood.

She was in search of the bathroom (third door on the left, they had told her) but a bit shocked by the situation, she took the wrong turn and ended up entering in the second door, finding a guy sitting on his bed, papers all scattered around, headphones in his ear.

He immediately unplugged them from himself, seeing her, eyeing her curiously behind a pair of reading glasses, meanwhile he passed a hand around his messy hair.

She honestly couldn’t believe she had just seen the cutest guy ever.

(And she was halfway through crying her heart out for Timothy…)

-Hey gorgeous! – he called out to her -… are you in or are you out? –.

And he motioned to the door she was keeping halfway open, showing her the little notebook from which he was reading, clearly studying, during a party.

She knew the torture.

-Sorry… I was…- and then it got her: he had just called her gorgeous -… did you just call me “gorgeous”? -.

She should have just closed the door after she had exited the room, leaving him alone and leaving some dignity to herself, since she honestly didn’t want to bother him, seeing his hazed glaze on the notebook.

-… yeah…- he mumbled, and she was sure that he had thought she was a weirdo -… you are probably the prettiest girl at the party-.

Was she having hearing trouble?

-You are not at the party so… I don’t think you can judge that well- she mumbled, still standing on the threshold getting a little smirk from the boy, meanwhile she sniffed slightly, trying to shush her emotions.

-… I literally know each girl at every part in here, except you- he mumbled, looking at her victoriously.

-So, I am gorgeous to you, only because I am new- she replied pointedly, making him roll his eyes and throw his notebook on his bed, which bounced slightly.

-Is it so bad to just take a compliment? – he mumbled, faking annoyance, meanwhile he made some space for her to sit down -… because I swear it wasn’t intended with any ill-willed thoughts-.

She laughed a bit, mostly because the boy wiggled his eyebrows jokingly.

Still tears shone in her eyes and she couldn’t help but let a few fell on her cheeks.

-… maybe it’s better for me to leave…- she mumbled, cleaning her hand over the lacey fabric of her body suit -… you need to study...-.

-I am honestly thinking it’s stupid for me to continue studying- he admitted, throwing his hands up in the air, getting another giggle from her -… I am not even sure that I can pass this exam… “do marine biology, you won’t have to study anything!” -.

She knew it was a bad idea to spend her time with a frat boy, half naked, but honestly she didn’t feel even in the slightest in danger with this boy with the prettiest eyes and the softest smile, clearly trying to comfort her and slowly, she moved towards the end of the bed, clearing a little space of papers, in order to sit down.

-I am sure you will do great- she tried to smile slightly to convey a sense of assurance, getting a slight thankful expression from the boy.

-That’s why I said that you are gorgeous…- he insisted again -… you have the prettiest smile I have ever seen-.

Now she blushed trying to hide her face in her hands, before trying to move his focus away from that matter, although she was thankful for his soft smile and honest compliments.

-… what about you stop with giving me compliments? And start with giving me your name? – she mumbled and got a laugh from him.

-Oh yeah… probably sounded like a creep…- he scratched the back of his head, nervous -… I am Jim, Jim Mason, studying marine biology and surfing in my spare time-.

And she could see it, since he had a lot of photos of himself and another girl on surfboard with a beautiful background.

-(Y/N) (L/N), studying (Y/S) and when I am not doing that, I like intruding into guys’ room to cry in peace- she joked, pointing out her tears, and Jim passed her a roll of hygienic paper to dry her tears getting an immediate big laugh from her.

“You are in a college brotherhood you can’t expect us to have silk tissues…?” he joked and from then on it was on: a battle of brotherhood jokes and legends, with her actually being the strongest disbeliever meanwhile he gingerly made fun of her and the brotherhood system.

In the end they were both laid down next to each other on the bed, she had told him about Timothy, getting a very annoyed laugh after a huff, meanwhile he ranted about how stupid college guys were.

“You are a college guy” she had quickly replied, getting a little smirk from him.

“… and a frat boy” he had added, meanwhile she just rolled her eyes “It couldn’t get much worse”.

They started laughing again and he gently brushed the hair that had fallen over her face, meanwhile she suddenly found face to face with the prettiest eyes she had ever seen, the ocean in it, shining brightly although she wasn’t anywhere near it.

It brought her to imagine what a date with him would be like.

But guys like Jim didn’t ask for her number: she was honestly surprised he was taking his time to comfort her, without trying anything, although he had been flirty in each of his affirmations, complimenting her.

But he had been a gentleman, nonetheless.

He had charmed her and made her immediately forget about Timothy and that awful night, coaxing her out of the place she had put herself in: maybe she was perfect, for somebody…

… or at least “gorgeous”.

She knew it that she didn’t need a man validation to feel gorgeous but at the same time… it helped… to feel that way, to know that there was someone who saw that in her…

… it made things easier…

So as soon as she saw him lean closer she completed the little gap between them, a bit ashamed of the velocity with which everything had wrapped itself, when she knew just that his name was Jim, he would be failing his marine biology test and he thought she was gorgeous.

She was definitely blushing like a schoolgirl, meanwhile he gently brought and hand to tangle in her hair, softly, another gently moving onto her neck to caress it, meanwhile she felt the slight pressure become stronger till a fresh feeling coated her lips and she awoke form her embarrassed trance just to discover it was his tongue, asking for permission.

And she didn’t know what to do, but to open her mouth to him seemed decadently natural.

He softly caressed her, comforting her and she couldn’t help but melt in the gentleness of the kiss, meanwhile his tongue explored her mouth and although she would have found that description disgusting…

…the way he swirled his tongue with expertise… she couldn’t help but moan in the kiss.

And he separated himself from her, softly, looking at her shiny eyes: she could see herself smile under the stars near the ocean, a future that might not be so impossible, because of the beautiful smile linked to his eyes.

-Well… I mean… I might not have gotten much study, but I kissed the prettiest girl of the party-.

-Flattery won’t get you anywhere, with me- she joked, linking and brushing their noses together, meanwhile he kept caressing her hair, passing them through his fingers softly, attentive to the knots.

-I already got a kiss, and I am sure that with the right amount of marine fauna knowledge I could also convince you to give me your number- although he seemed all cocky she couldn’t help but identify a tone of shyness in his voice, which clearly spoke greatly about his true feelings.

-Pass the exam and I might consider it- she mumbled, meanwhile she reached out for her discarded robe, covering her bodysuit, but giving Jim a last cheeky look which he took thankfully, almost reverently, as if she was his favorite goddess.

At that same time, a knock on the door was hear and a male voice called out drunkenly to know if the bathroom was occupied, to which Jim replied dramatically:

-I am trying to get a very pretty girl’s number, do not come in! – she giggled, before moving to grab his phone quickly, typing her number quickly, before giving it back to him.

-Call me just if you pass the exam…- she warned him, before kissing gently his check, making sure that her lipstick smudged a bit on his cheek, hearing something about him “never ever washing that cheek again”, before grabbing back the phone, winking at her.

He then gentlemanly offered to accompany her outside, where she immediately met Erika.

She was pretty sure that now that he had seen Erika, Jim would have realized that maybe he had done the wrong choice, but he just linked their hands together, which didn’t pass unnoticed by her roommate.

She smirked and suggested they stayed a bit longer, but she honestly felt like she had taken already too much of Jim’s time, considering that he had an exam (they had ever tried to look over her notes, but the boy’s handwriting was just the messiest).

This time it was him who kissed her cheek, before whispering huskily in her ear “goodnight, beautiful”.

And the blush on her cheeks didn’t lessen in the slightest, on their way to their dorms and Erika made fun of it.

But, at least, the following day she had a date with the prettiest of the frat boys.

---

Hello, lovelies!

As always... if you have liked this please: heart it, reblog it and let me know with an ask or anything else if you liked it or not (gently, thank you very much) so I can write and do better for the next fics!

(Also I don’t know if I will be able to upload a fic next week, because I will be on a trip, so... but just so you know, I will then be back to my usual posting, with amazing ideas!)

And here are some people who wanted to be tagged into this! (Also if you want to be added to my tag list just let me know, with a DM or an ask!).

@emmyrosee @blakewaterxx @1-800-bitchcraft @rocketgirl2410 @liliesandforgetmenots @dyns33 @loveableasshole @kleineshaschen @lovelylangdonx @ahsx97 @hexqueensupreme @ napping-is-my-favorite @vampirefairyestelle @ miss-diamonds @lexamarie93 @kelncurls @ annabisgroovy @ crispygiantsaladgarden @ iamhereforthefanfic @lucy245 @langdonsoutpost @chloewinchester13 @ thecravetobethin @thesmutisstrongwiththisone @ladynuwanda @mega-combusken

#jim mason #frat! jim mason #tw body image #tw body issues #jim mason reader #jim mason x reader #jim mason fem reader #jim mason x fem! reader #tribes of palos verdes #ttopv #tribes of palos verdes imagine #ttopv imagine #michael langdon #michael langdon reader #jim mason moodboard #cody fern #duncan shepherd #duncan shepherd imagine

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itsalliepg · 4 years

Text

What Happened in Vegas - Drake x Erika (MC) - Part 6

SUMMARY: Erika (MC) is trying not to overthink about her pregnancy, but how long can she handle it?

PAIRING: Drake x Erika (MC)

RATING: Teen

WORDS: 1240

NOTE: English isn’t my native language. I write to practice and learn, so please sorry any mistakes. I hope you like it, and if you do, I’d appreciate if you like/comment/reblog!

Click here to read Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Tagging @cora-nova @texaskitten30

Fanfic Masterlist

AO3 Profile

The following days were some of the best of Erika’s life. She and Drake were happier than ever and enjoyed her pregnancy as much as possible. She had never seen Drake so excited before. He already told her a bunch of things he wanted to do with the baby, he bought some clothes and told Erika the names he liked. They agreed that if it was a boy Erika would name him and if it was a girl, Drake would choose. And they agreed they wanted a surprise, and would wait for the birth to know if they would have a boy or a girl. Erika didn’t have time to think about the paterenting issue. The happiness she was living with Drake blocked everything.

The day they would see the baby on the ultrasound was the happiest. They woke up early and had breakfast together, talking and laughing all the time. Together, they went to the doctor’s office, anxious for the exam but also enjoying every moment together. When the doctor finally showed them the baby, their reaction was the translation of joy, with tears and grins.

_Look at our baby, Erika, it’s amazing!

_Sleeping with the hands in the face, so adorable – she squeezed Drake’s hand.

_Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl? – the doctor asked.

_No! We want a surprise! – Erika giggled.

_Really? – the doctor smiled – many couples can’t control the curiosity like you. And I know the press would love to know!

_Yes, we know. And we’ve talked a lot about it – Drake answered – but it’s an important moment for us and we want to preserve ourselves the most we can. Our kids will have enough exposition being the crown heirs.

_I understand. But you have a healthy baby, everything is fine. Too bad it’s covering the face, we can’t see if it looks like daddy or mommy – suddenly, Erika felt a chill in her stomach. If the baby didn’t look like Drake, she wouldn’t know what to do. Maybe the baby covering its face was a good thing. But until when she would live like this? Would she wait the baby to be born with blue eyes? No! Drake is the father! This baby has no blue eyes!

_Williams, are you okay? – Drake asked in the car when he noticed how distracted his wife had been since they left the doctor.

_Uh? I’m okay, Drake.

_Are you sure?

_Yeah – Drake raised an eyebrow.

_Are you upset because we couldn’t see the face of our baby? – he fondly stroked her hair, and she finally looked at him. Erika had never seen Drake so caring and sweet before. He didn’t deserve this. If she could go back in time, she would never have asked him for that last fling. Erika just smiled and lied.

_Actually…yes. I was hoping we could see what our baby looks like. Guess we’ll have to wait now – she leaned her head on his shoulder, and cursed herself for not being able to look into his eyes as she said that.

_I know. I was eager too, but at least we know we have a healthy, cute baby – he stroked her tummy – oh, hey. Savannah is coming to visit us with Bartie and Bertrand – he showed the text on his phone.

_Great. It’s been a long time since I saw Bartie! I miss him – she thought it would be a good way to pass the time and get distract from her thoughts. When they got home, Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie were waiting for them in the living room. Bartie immediately smiled when he saw Erika.

_Look who’s here, sweetie! – Savannah led her son to her sister-in-law, who took him in her arms.

_I missed you too, little guy – Erika kissed his forehead – oh, your mommy and daddy too, of course.

_I’m glad you remembered we’re in the same room, Erika – Bertrand smiled.

_We miss you and Drake too, which is why the four of us decided to come visit you – Savannah revealed, Erika and Drake looked at each other, grimacing.

_The four of us? – the Duke of Valtoria asked, and they heard footsteps from within.

_Erika! Drake! Sorry, Tucker and Gigi called me to play and I couldn’t say no – Maxwell walked over to them carrying the corgis in his arms. Erika would have passed out if she hadn’t been holding Bartie.

_M-Maxwell? I wasn’t expecting you here… - she stammered.

_I was visiting my nephew and decided to come when Savannah said they were coming here – he widened his eyes – what, is this a problem?

_No, of course not, Maxwell. I’m just…surprised.

_What he’s doing is trying to make Bartie like him more than me – Drake messed with Maxwell’s hair.

_It’s not my fault I’m the funny uncle – Maxwell punched Drake’s arm playfully. Erika was still trying to assimilate everything, so she handed Bartie to Savannah and sat down on the couch, slowly.

_Erika, are you fine? – she asked.

_Yeah, I’m just hungry. We just got back from the doctor and I need to eat something.

_I’m going to ask Gemma to serve us tea – Drake kissed her quickly and went to talk to the maid.

_We also brought the invitation to our wedding – Bertrand reached for the envelope, but Savannah cut him off.

_We can talk about it later. Now I want to know about my nephew! How did things go?

_Great – Drake said, entering the room and sitting next to Erika – our baby is beautiful and healthy.

_Boy or girl?

_We want a surprise, Savannah – Erika smiled.

_Oh, God, really? I couldn’t wait for the moment I went to the doctor and I found out I had a boy! – the group giggled – and we have a mini Erika or a mini Drake?

_We couldn’t see. The little scamp covered its face with its hands and we couldn’t see it – Drake said.

_No kidding? Mom said I used to do the same when she was pregnant! – Maxwell exclaimed. Erika felt her senses disappear again, but she held on.

_R-really? – she asked.

_Yeah, mom used to tell it often – Bertrand informed – she could only see Maxwell’s face on the last exam. We used to think he would be shy, how naive we were.

_Well, I think this is my bond with this baby, and the proof that I have rights to him – Maxwell said seriously, not contributing to Erika’s feeling better – because he’s my nephew too, since I consider Erika my sister! – he grinned.

_Don’t you consider me a brother? – Drake asked.

_I thought you wouldn’t like it, but since you insist, you’re my brother too, Drake – Maxwell got up, and Drake held up his arms.

_That’s enough, you don’t need to hug me.

_Oh, Drake, just this baby to make you softer – Savannah laughed, and the group went into the dining room for tea. The rest of the afternoon was a torment for Erika. The only thing she remembered from the conversation was that Savannah and Bertrand wanted her to be maid of honor and Drake would be the best man. The revelation about Maxwell took away all the peace she was trying to build in those days. No, he wasn’t the father! Drake was the father! Drake was the father!

Somehow, that wasn’t enough. Just thinking positive wasn’t enough. What was done, was done. And she couldn’t go back in time as much as she wanted.

#the royal romance #drake walker #drake x mc #drake x erika #fanfic #choices fanfic #choices #playchoices

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bthump · 6 years

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what are the things you like and dislike about the '97 anime and the films?

ty for asking, i’m just gonna write a few long lists lol

97 anime likes:

the animation, including the like, yk the more detailed stills they pan over in place of action or to punctuate important moments, i love it

the gorgeous backgrounds

most of the colour choices. red eclipse, femto’s blue eyes, casca’s skintone, griffith’s mauve clothes, etc.

how close it is to the manga. like, it’s a solid adaption just by virtue of making very few changes.

so like, most of it really, because i like the manga

special mention to the entire lead up to the eclipse from griffith’s reality break to the sacrifice tho, because i think that was all pretty damn perfect. it’s the most important scene and they did it right.

actually also shout out to casca’s flashback to griffith and the dead kid, gennon, the river scene, all that. another difficult v emotional sequence that they nailed imo.

griffith thinking about how he “loves” guts during the monologue

skipped most of the griffith/charlotte sex scene iirc which i approve of

the glimpse of black swordsman guts in ep 1. it’s not perfect but it’s way better than the ovas starting w/ 15 yr old guts

the opening and closing themes. fucking love both songs ngl

also the opening monologue. never get tired of hearing it

the score

the portrayal of griffith was honestly pretty solid imo. i have very few issues there. and lbr that’s important lol

97 anime dislikes:

not a big fan of griffith or guts’ character designs.

just about everything that isn’t identical to the manga is a change for the worse

turned griffith’s scratch marks into that giant unexplained scar

adding extra scenes where casca is secretly impressed with guts’ skills in battle in an attempt to build up their relationship better, which instead just made casca look unfair for still being a dick to him for 3 years and made guts stupidly gary stu-ish

obviously the straightforwardly romantic portrayal of guts and casca’s relationship

through several seemingly minor changes (eg, skipping guts’ night of self-doubt after he leaves, giving guts’ stay with godo its own half-episode, making guts inviting casca along super romantic rather than the incredibly casual and assholish way he does it in the manga, etc) it makes Guts’ dream seem legitimately noble and worthwhile, with none of the like… implicit critique the manga has. like honestly it completely fucks up what i consider one of the central themes of the story lol

the pre eclipse stuff also fails to sell guts’ sense of regret - through things like playing guts’ theme while judeau is telling guts to leave, not repeating guts’ statement of regret after casca tells him to leave again, the tone remains consistently in favour of guts’ dream. wrong and bad.

like it really reads like the suggested tragedy is that guts doesn’t get the chance to ditch griffith with judeau and take off with casca and the raiders lol

also fucks it up by never directly mentioning guts’ csa trauma

also fucks it up by losing guts’ self-destructive single-minded urge to fight monsters that we saw thru the wyald stuff. i’m not gonna say that losing wyald was a bad decision, but they should’ve at least moved erika suggesting that guts just wants to fight zodd again to the fucking waterfall scene in question, which they portrayed completely sans zodd discussion, completely sans implication of the self-destructiveness of guts’ dream

like in the manga he nearly gets killed by the falling logs and just laughs it off like a dumbass while erika is concerned and suggests that guts is driven by something irrational and not actually a ~noble~ dream, ie, wanting to fight zodd again (ie, going deeper, his csa trauma), while in the anime we get a 2nd scene where he successfully slices through the logs as a super basic symbol of growth and a narrative pat on guts’ back that shouldn’t be there!

honestly just fucking everything about the portrayal of guts’ dream lol it just takes it at face value in a way the manga consistently never did and always undermined and critiqued, and it bugs the hell out of me.

guts is just drawn in a way that makes him look angry way too often and he often feels ooc to me bc of it. like he lacks a lot of the warmth he has in the manga imo

showing that griffith is awake when guts says “i’ll stay too” even tho in the manga those words are placed over a panel of him asleep for a reason like, ffs

lots of other random nitpicky details that only i give a fuck about because my opinions and feelings about the story are too strong lol. like not showing griffith’s face when he asks if guts thinks he’s cruel

oh huge one: moving the scene where the torturer rips off griffith’s behelit from about a day after he was imprisoned to right before his rescue. completely trivializes griffith’s torture because it still looks like he’s been in there for a day at most

why on earth did it end where it ended????????????? who’s bright idea was that? the perfect ending is skull knight riding tf out with guts and casca and femto not killing them, but then they also cut out skull knight’s first appearance so idfk man.

oh some downplaying of griffguts, like i can’t complain too much about this because it was still p homoerotic, but things like omitting guts assuming griffith wants to fuck him right before their first duel. boo.

ultimately at the end of the day as much as i do genuinely like the anime, it’s not telling quite the same story the manga was - the story it’s telling is more boring and basic. but because it sticks so close to the manga the good story still shines through? it just means there’s inconsistent tone choices and stuff, like the aforementioned grievances.

it’s like, they kept casca’s diatribe at guts line for line while she’s screaming that griffith needed him and a man can’t live on dreams alone, but they don’t extend that train of thought to guts going off to pursue his dream, while the manga does.

anyway despite that giant list of dislikes i still think the anime is pretty fantastic overall. i just also like, blame it for a lot of wrong fandom takes lol.

movie likes:

character designs! honestly imo everyone looked pretty great.

they played up the homoeroticism and i appreciate that

illustrating griffith being torn between guts and his dream through that lovely moment when he catches guts when he nearly falls off the stairs right before he catches charlotte, and in a more romantically suggestive way

the whole scene where griffith shows up at charlotte’s window thoroughly improved on the manga, so hats off there. loved how completely out of it he was to the point where he barely realized where he was and immediately turned to leave when charlotte was like ‘woah dude wtf,’ love that charlotte was the one to ask him to stay and then physically move his hand back to her tit, love how emphatically griffith was thinking about guts during that sex scene, etc. like it’s still not perfect, but it is a vast improvement.

griffith showing up in person after the hundred man fight was a nice touch

it was cool that they got a lot of the same english vas from the anime dub back, and they all did a gr8 job. like it’s a pretty good dub imo.

i liked that they moved ‘the crystalization of your last tear shed’ to after guts’ post-eclipse breakdown

compared to the anime at least gtsca was more low-key and chill rather than dramatically romantic. still don’t want it there, and still not as… unromantic as the manga, but i’ll take what i can get

the animation during griffith’s transformation into femto, yk that whole sequence, was cool

slan’s english voice was super sexy

ummmmm i feel like they conveyed the whole dreams are stupid theme, and guts’ decision to leave being a mistake, better than the anime? like i got the sense that the ova ppl recognized that was a theme, at least. i’d have to watch them again to really be sure of that tho

movie dislikes:

GRIFFITH’S. NARRATIVE.

like holy fuck they completely destroyed his character lmao

i cannot believe

no backstory! no tombstone of flame! no ‘do you think i’m cruel?’ THAT WAS THE REASON HE MADE THE SACRIFICE FFS HOW DO YOU SKIP IT????

no dead kid angst, gennon only in vague implication, no self harm - oh no wait we saw self inflicted scratches, they were just completely contextless and meaningless to the point where we could assume charlotte’s nails made them

no torture chamber monologue

no guts monologue in the tavern either for that matter

no rooftop scene

again barely the implication of guts’ childhood trauma, both the sexual abuse and the general parental abuse. one vague flashbacky nightmare doesn’t cut it, it’s the cornerstone of the story

like i get it, it’s a movie trilogy, you have to cut some things, but goddamn, cut out gtsca. trim the hundred man fight. add 20 minutes to the first ova and take the insanely long rape scene out of the third. trim down the whole eclipse sequence. don’t cut out like… the story. like they cut out SO MANY emotionally relevant scenes and kept so many much less relevant scenes, idek.

and like let’s be real here, they turned griffith from an immensely interesting and complex character into a 1 dimensional dude who is torn between a vaguely evil ambition and being in vaguely evil love with guts, just for the sake of streamlining the least interesting aspects of the story

they don’t even try to pretend otherwise lol, look at his fucking hilarious evil smile here

also while i’m looking at it, in general i think they failed at the whole eclipse sequence. looks, lighting, colour, build up of tension… there are a few minor improvements here and there (eg casca’s point of view shot of femto, femto telekinesising guts back a la the black swordsman arc which emphasizes his failure to act when he escapes), but overall it doesn’t work for me at all. like imo the anime has the exact same highs and lows as the manga, but while the ova avoids some lows it never reaches those highs.

they also had griffith overhear guts saying he wants to stay. i really don’t get why this happened twice lol, like… ok his face is kind of shadowed here but he’s still very clearly asleep? this is an important detail, guts’ interrupted words are even on that very panel, so why would you go out of your way to show that he’s awake and listening at that point.

the pacing sucked. 3rd movie was too long, 1st was too short, and they skipped waaaaaay too many significant scenes that should’ve been there as emotional beats

honestly the movies are pretty, they’re nicely fanservicey in ways, they capture some good subtleties and nuances at times, but they’re a husk of the story

oh did i mention the music during the eclipse rape? incredible.

also i am actually generally positive about the movies too despite what it seems like here lmao. i’ve watched them all like, 3 or more times and i find them v enjoyable.

i just have a way easier time listing nitpicky flaws than positives honestly. the flaws stand out to me, the virtues pass me by because i’m just enjoying them and not dwelling on them

and lbr here at the end of the day no adaption will ever really satisfy me unless i somehow find several million dollars lying around and make my own lol. and that would probably be a flop anyway.

#Anonymous #ask #a #b #theme: adaption #theme: dreams #arc: ga

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imagine-mix-fandoms · 6 years

Text

Father

For @that-was-not-supposed-to-happen

Summary: Tommy and Kenny discussed about John and his children. Erika and Mikael refused to let Emi near Arthur if the Shelby patriarch is around. Toshi and Kenny met with Grace in secret about Campbell.

Word: 1567

Warning: minor cursing

Fandom: Peaky Blinders x Fantastic Beasts

Prompt: Supernatural (Witches)

A/N: I don’t what came to me when I start this series, like I’ve watched Peaky Blinders before Fantastic Beasts and then it kinda hit me because the two are in the same decade, which was the 20s. Anyway, Enjoy. :)

Kenny was itching to grab his wand from the inside of his coat and hex Tommy…, for good. “You want to marry your brother to one of the Lees to settle the feuds? Are you fucking insane?!”, Kenny said.

“John needs a wife and the kids need a mother”, said Tommy.

“You do realize he’s engaged to Lizzie?”, asked Kenny. Tommy leaned in his chair and Kenny sighed – as if he doesn’t know Tommy. “You fucking offered her money, didn’t you?”.

“To sleep with him, that I did”, said Tommy.

“And…, she fucking took it”, said Kenny, covering his face with his hands before letting out another long sigh.

“You really think she’s good enough for him?”, said Tommy, lighting up a cigarette.

“Are you doing this because you’re interested in her?”, asked Kenny.

“This has nothing to do with me interested in her”, said Tommy. Yeah right.

“John is not going to take well on this”, said Kenny. Then, Emi entered with Arthur.

“Tommy, Ken”, Emi greeted with her usual sweet smile.

Kenny glared at Tommy. “What? Emi’s prediction is mostly true”, said Tommy.

“I don’t disagree, Thomas, but I wish you don’t often use her to predict the future because one day, it’s going to bite you back”, said Kenny.

“I’ll be fine, Ken”, said Emi.

“I know you would”, said Kenny, “Should I tell John or you want to break it to him?”.

“Don’t you worry about John”, said Tommy.

“Right, I’m going to go now before that old hag blows up the entire station. Take care of my sister”, said Kenny, walking out of Tommy’s office and out of the betting house. Kenny has been updating Tommy about Inspector Campbell and his movement.

Kenny felt guilty about not telling his best friend. There he was, sitting in the living room. John’s kids and his work ran Kenny ragged, not that he was complaining though. When John came home, he found Kenny passed out at the couch, still in his uniform, with his little ones asleep around him. Emi emerged from the kitchen, smiling.

“I’ve made dinner and I cleaned up a bit…, if you don’t mind”, said Emi.

“Nah, I’m more than glad to have you James’ around”, said John.

“Right, I have to go or Arthur is going to get worried”, said Emi.

Kenny didn’t wake up until Katie woke him up because her younger siblings were hungry. “Where’s your dad?”, he asked.

Katie shrugged. “When I woke up, he was about to go out”, she said. Kenny sighed and ushered her and the younger ones to the kitchen to have dinner.

The next day, Arthur phoned Emi to invite her over for lunch. Before she could enter, Mikael opened the door and closed it, blocking Emi’s way by standing in front of the door.

“Sweetheart, you know I have no issue between you and Arthur…, and that I love you”, said Mikael.

“Father, what is it?”, asked Emi, worried all of the sudden.

“I don’t ask much, but for the time being, I would like you to stay away from Arthur”, said Mikael.

“Father, you know how Arthur is after the war. I need to be by his side. Please”, Emi pleaded.

“I know that, but just understand that you can’t see him…, at least until he leaves”, said Mikael.

Before Emi could respond, the door was opened and to Emi’s surprised, it was Arthur Sr. He looked just the same as the time he left his children in Polly’s care.

“Emi!”, he greeted with a smile, “Has my boy made you an honest woman yet?”.

Arthur popped behind his father and smiled at Emi. Mikael grabbed Emi’s hand and walked fast, refusing to let his daughter or any of his children to be anywhere near Arthur Shelby Sr. Emi could hear Arthur calling out to her, but she had to pick up the pace when Mikael picked up his pace.

Emi sat at The Garrison while Mikael talked to Tommy in the private room. Erika heard of Arthur Sr returned.

“What does he want?”, asked Mikael.

“He said he’s a changed man”, said Tommy, taking a gulp of whiskey.

“You believe him?”, asked Mikael again.

Tommy shook his head, looking out the window. “Arthur believes in him”, he said after a moment of silent. Of course he did.

Mikael took a sip from his flask – Fire Whiskey always calm him down. “I’m scared because any moment that man will walk away and your brother will be in pieces again. My daughter is not just to pick him up and put him back on his feet, although I know she would do that without hesitation”, he said.

“For now, the girls are to stay away from my father. If Arthur gets violent, hex him”, said Tommy.

“I’m not worried about that. I’m more worried about Emi sneaking out to see him”, said Mikael.

“I’ll have eyes everywhere for them”, said Tommy.

“Speaking of eyes, where is Ada and Freddie?”, asked Mikael.

“It’s not safe for them. I sent them off”, said Tommy. Mikael nodded and hummed. “Why?”, Tommy asked.

“I saw them…, at the train station this morning”, said Mikael. Tommy sighed and leaned his head back. He cursed himself and Freddie Thorne.

“I’ll deal with him later”, said Tommy.

“After IRA?”, asked Mikael.

“After IRA”, said Tommy.

Erika made a mental note to visit Ada and Freddie some days, but she knew it’s too dangerous. With the police looking for the missing guns and the whole communists’ thing, it wasn’t safe. How she wished to just use her wand to fix everything, but not everything can be fixed with magic, right?

Ada did popped at the James’ house, just as Kenny returned home after babysitting John’s kids. Ada was visibly pregnant, which made Emi very excited. She loved children, especially John’s kids.

“You reckon he can do magic too?”, said Ada, caressing her bump.

“Who knows? I can tell he’ll be a perfect Gryffindor, brave and courageous”, said Toshi.

“Or a cunning Slytherin”, said Erika.

“How are you sure it’s a boy?”, asked Kenny and Emi winked.

“I’ve already got a name for him and Freddie loves it”, said Ada.

Mikael smiled. Of course, Freddie would love it. “Are you eating well? Getting enough rest?”, he asked. His late wife loved the Shelbys and was close to Polly.

“This whole thing with Tommy is stressing Freddie. Money is scarce, the factory is not paying much”, said Ada.

“Nevertheless, you need a lot of rest. You’re carrying a life in you. Let Freddie worry about Tommy. Your duty is to care for your son”, said Emi.

The phone rang and being the closest, Toshi answered it. “James’ residence, Toshi speaking”, he greeted the caller.

“Inspector James, please don’t hang up. It’s Grace. I wish to meet you and your brother. I don’t know which one Tommy listens to, so it’s easier to have you both. Please...”, she pleaded.

Toshi looked to Kenny. They said twins can have a special ability – telepathically joined mind. Kenny nodded and Toshi told Grace to meet at the pier 30 minutes before midnight.

“Who’s that?”, asked Erika.

“An opportunity”, said Kenny, reaching for his grey and blue scarf while Toshi reached for his burgundy and yellow one.

“I wonder what they’re up to”, said Emi.

The boys waited by the pier, watching Curly helping Charlie around. “You boys waiting for someone?”, asked Charlie, who was the father figure to the Shelby siblings, more than Arthur Shelby Sr ever was.

“We’re waiting for a friend”, said Toshi.

“Said something about information that could be useful to us”, said Kenny.

The boys waited until Curly came to them, escorting Grace. The boys thanked Curly after he brought an extra chair for Grace to sit.

“Right...”, said Toshi.

“What can we do for you, Miss Burgess?”, asked Kenny.

“Tommy has appointed me to keep the books for the pub”, said Grace.

“I can see why our sister was moody the whole day”, said Toshi, lighting up a cigarette.

“He asked me to go to Cheltenham with him”, said Grace.

“Do not waste our time, Miss Burgess. What do you really want?”, asked Kenny, obviously annoyed.

“Campbell”, said Grace.

“Let me take a guess. He asked you to be close to Tommy. Are you telling me you’re a spy amongst our rank?”, Kenny made a deduction. Grace nodded. “You love him, don’t you?”, said Kenny. Grace nodded once more. Erika would be heartbroken hearing this.

“Tommy will not be pleased with this treachery”, said Toshi.

“What do you want us to do then?”, asked Kenny.

“I want to come clean to Tommy”, said Grace.

“Be our guest, Miss Burgess”, said Toshi.

“It’s Campbell. He is adamant to arrest Tommy”, said Grace.

Kenny looked at Toshi. Then, the two turned to Grace. “Play your part. All we can advise is that you come clean to Tommy. I’m sure..., he can be reason with”, said Kenny.

“I’m more worried about Polly”, said Toshi.

“Well, that’s another problem”, said Kenny.

“Will you convey to Tommy?”, asked Grace.

“We can try”, said Toshi.

“There are days he just won’t listen, but we will give it a go”, said Kenny. The two insisted to walk her home, stating it’s dangerous at night in Small Heath. Once Grace made it home safely, the boys returned home.

#peaky blinders #peaky blinder imagine #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby #arthur shelby #arthur shelby imagine #ada shelby #ada thorne #grace burgess #crossover #fantastic beasts and where to find them #fantastic beasts and where to find them imagine

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rivahadi · 5 years

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The Hate U Give, A Teen’s Political Awakening while in search for her Identity

The Hate U Give (2018) is an incredibly powerful contemporary epic that offers a diverse view of what it’s like to grow up black in America. It also connects to the themes of family, identity, race and justice. The use of these themes result in a narrative where the main character is brave enough to stand up to an unjust system and explore her own identity. Starr, the main character of the movie, is a young black student who is effectively living a double life. Her dad is a proud Black Panther who lives in a tough black neighbourhood, but he has now settled down to running a store profitable enough for him to send his daughter to a posh private school. It is here that Starr has learned how to pass for white culturally: nice, hardworking Starr hangs out with the Insta princesses who appear to accept her with no reservations and she has a really nice white boyfriend. Although in school she is always careful to keep any threateningly “black” mannerisms in check, when she goes to parties in her own neighbourhood, she has to avoid any “white” phrases.

Insta princesses … Megan Lawless, Amandla Stenberg and Sabrina Carpenter in The Hate U Give. Photograph: Erika Doss/AP To visually mirror the experience of switching between the worlds of Garden Heights, her home where her own family grew up and Williamson Prep, the affluent white private high school, the lighting and color of the scenes also change from warm, familiar tones (Garden Heights) to washed out blue hues (Williamson). The scenes in the Carter household look inviting and well lit, bringing to mind the comfort of a loving family. When Starr is at school, her face looks washed out and pale, as if the screen was trying to mute the colors of everyone’s skin to look the same. She tries so desperately to fit in this environment, she sacrifices who she is in more ways than just avoiding using the slang terms. The issue of racial tension—and how to deal with it— extends throughout the film. Starr and some of her white friends struggle with racism, though only Starr seems to recognize it and makes efforts to move past it. She's also willing to confront others at times regarding these issues. At one point, some white kids go around spewing crude slang. An angry Starr puts some of them in their place, stating, "You all want to act black, but keep your white privilege." It is at one of the parties in her neighbourhood that she runs into Khalil, a boy she once knew when they were both kids. Khalil disappeared for a while and ended up selling drugs for the local gang, the King Lords, in order to take care of his cancer-ridden grandmother. When a fight breaks out at the party, Khalil offers to take Starr home to make sure she gets there safely. A cop pulls them over for some unexplained reason, and Khalil gets defensive. Starr tries to coach him through her father’s warnings: hands on the dashboard, do what they say. Khalil is shot and killed by a white police officer after reaching into his car and pulling out a hairbrush. The officer then handcuffs Starr next to her dying friend. He had mistaken the hairbrush in Khalil’s hand as a weapon and shot first before asking any questions. Starr finds that she has to testify under oath in front of a grand jury, meaning that she, Khalil and her whole community will be on trial. The crisis of loyalty means her whole “white/black” identity goes to pieces, along with friendships with people who “don’t see race”. The issues confronting black Americans today are reflected in the wide-ranging ensemble, as Starr is conflicted about what to do. It challenges clichéd ideas like “not seeing color,” as Starr emotionally confronts her boyfriend by saying, “If you don’t see color, you don’t see me.” As Starr works to find her own identity, we’re exposed to a variety of diverse identities along the way. No two black experiences are the same, but the refusal to recognize the validity of any black experiences is part of the reason the racial divide in the United States of America remains so intense. Both of Starr's parents take every opportunity to protect their kids. Mav, her father, comforts his emotionally wounded daughter after Khalil's death. Mav also physically places himself between his family and drug dealing thugs as well as two cops with guns drawn. Starr's mom is willing to do the same. It's obvious that the whole family has a close, loving bond. The movie feels instructional without getting too preachy, taking time to explain various inequalities that black Americans face, typically in exchanges between father and daughter. In learning the ways of this unjust system, Starr decides not to accept things the way they are. Her outlook reflects the kind of youth-led movements that have sprung up from Black Lives Matter and the marches against gun violence in schools. An activist declares that police shootings of blacks are all equally unjustified. "It's impossible to be unarmed," Starr proclaims, "When our blackness is the weapon they fear!" The film repeatedly shows one protestor cry that, "The whole darn system is corrupt!" Starr gets angry when a friend says, "Cops' lives matter, too." For all the declarations we hear about innocent until proven guilty, the film questions why people of color so often seem guilty until proven innocent. Amandla Stenberg in the film adaptation of Angie Thomas’s best-selling book, “The Hate U Give.”Credit Erika Doss/Twentieth Century Fox

Even though this film attempts to be fair-minded, it still comes off feeling one-sided in its treatment of controversial issues. Viewers who agree with its perspective may cheer its messages. Those who don't may very well be offended by them. And for many, the film's foul language and violence will only add to that discomfort. For the other side, swearing could be seen as something powerful. When chosen with deliberate consideration, they aren't a cop-out; they're a strong way to make a statement with a particular audience. Together with the emphasis on speaking truth to power, language thus becomes the ultimate means to spur meaningful societal change. The title The Hate U Give is derived from a Tupac Shakur interview, and if you hadn’t already guessed, an acronym for THUG. But in Tupac’s original words, the full acronym was for THUG LIFE: The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody, which is repeated throughout the film. As he said in the original interview, “What you feed us as seeds, grows and blows up in your face.” And if the seeds that are being sewn within Generation-Z are that we live in a society that stands up, like Starr, and become the voice for the voiceless, then maybe in the future we’ll have fewer needs for films like this.,but until we do, films like The Hate U Give are important. These stories haven’t been given the platform like this to be told, and they desperately need to continue to be told; very well could save lives. This movie ultimately presents blackness itself as a multifaceted identity, complicating the stereotypical assumptions thrust upon Starr, her family, and Garden Heights at large. Families who watch this will have plenty of big issues to discuss afterward; hopefully teens will also appreciate the movie's messages about standing up for what they believe in, being proud of who you are, and communicating honestly with their parents and friends.The Hate U Give forces viewers to recognize the characters as fully human and to reckon with them on their terms. With heroines like Starr at the fore, viewers can imagine not only new possibilities for black girls, but also new visions of our collective humanity. Rising out of a space of being policed at home, at school, and on the streets, Starr carves out an identity of her own where she is no longer confined to the prison of silence and complacency. In fact, she’s found a sense of freedom in being a voice for a young black generation — even for those that are long gone.

Dear Dr. Shea, Writing a Pop culture analysis paper is something I’ve never done before, but it’s something I found myself quite passionate writing about. I really like the fact that you gave us the freedom to pick and analyze a pop culture artifact of our choice, as it gave me the opportunity to write about something I truly care about. The activities we did in class really prepared me to write this paper and make it something I was proud of. Connecting the movie I critiqued to our class themes helped me understand and see the movie from a range of perspectives. It also pushed me to educate myself more about the issues that are portrayed in this film. I included film analysis terms because ever since we did the film analysis paper last semester, I often notice the lighting, music and camera angles when watching a movie. Noticing these things has pushed me to think deeper about the meaning of what’s being portrayed on screen. I think the strongest part of my paper is the way I played with grammar and how I connected this movie to our class themes, as well as issues around the world. A weaker aspect of my paper is my conclusion. I’m not quite sure if it’s enough but I did think about it, and it did evolve into something better in my final draft. I found the writing process enjoyable as I loved this movie and even went back to watch it for a second time half way through writing my paper. I hope you enjoy reading my pop analysis paper on The Hate U Give. Sincerely, Riva

#27 the final draft and letter for each of my four pieces I completed this semester #Pop Analysis Paper

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pope-francis-quotes · 5 years

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26th January >> (@zenitenglish) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis WYD: Holy Father’s Speech at Saturday’s Prayer Vigil (Full Text)

‘The salvation the Lord offers us is an invitation to be part of a love story interwoven with our personal stories…’

Pope Francis on January 26, 2019, joined the vast crowds of young people at World Youth Day in Panama for a Vigil with young people at Campo San Juan Pablo II – Metro Park. Following is the full text of his speech for the occasion, provided by the Vatican.

******

Dear young friends, good afternoon!

We have watched that beautiful presentation about the Tree of Life. It shows us how the life that Jesus gives us is a love story, a life history that wants to blend with ours and sink roots in the soil of our own lives. That life is not salvation up “in the cloud” and waiting to be downloaded, a new “app” to be discovered, or a technique of mental self-improvement. Still, less is it a “tutorial” for finding out the latest news. The salvation the Lord offers us is an invitation to be part of a love story interwoven with our personal stories; it is alive and wants to be born in our midst so that we can bear fruit just as we are, wherever we are and with everyone all around us. The Lord comes there to sow and to be sown. He is the first to say “yes” to our lives and our history, and he wants us to say “yes” along with him.

That was how he surprised Mary, and asked her to be part of this love story. Obviously, the young woman of Nazareth was not part of the “social networks” of the time. She was not an “influencer”, but without wanting or trying to, she became the most influential woman in history.

Mary, the “influencer” of God. With just a few words, she was able to say “yes” and to trust in the love and promises of God, the only force capable of making all things new.

We are always struck by the strength of that young woman’s “yes”, the words “be it done” that she spoke to the angel. This was not merely passive or resigned acceptance or a faint “yes” as if to say, “Well, let’s give it a try, and see what happens”. It was something else, something different. It was the “yes” of someone prepared to be committed and take a risk, ready to stake everything she had, with no more security than the certainty of knowing that she was the bearer of a promise. Hers would undoubtedly be a difficult mission, but the challenges that lay ahead were no reason to say “no”. Things would get complicated, of course, but not in the same way as happens when cowardice paralyzes us because things are not clear or sure in advance. The “yes” and the desire to serve were stronger than any doubts and difficulties.

This afternoon we also heard how Mary’s “yes” echoes and expands in every generation. Many young people, like Mary, take a risk and stake their future on a promise. Thank you, Erika and Rogelio, for the witness you gave us. You shared your fears and difficulties and the risks you faced with the birth of your daughter Inés. At one point, you said, “We parents, for various reasons, find it hard to accept that our child will be born with an illness or disability”. That is true and understandable. Yet the amazing thing was what you went on to say, “When our daughter was born, we decided to love her with all our heart”. Before her birth, when faced with all the issues and problems that came up, you made a decision and said, like Mary, “let it be done”; you decided to love her. Presented with the life of your frail, helpless and needy daughter, your answer was “yes”, and so we have Inés. You believed that the world is not only for the strong!

Saying “yes” to the Lord means preparing to embrace life as it comes, with all its fragility, its simplicity, and often enough too, with its conflicts and annoyances, and to do so with the same love with which Erika and Rogelio spoke. It means embracing our country, our families and our friends as they are, with all their weak points and their flaws. Embracing life is also seen in accepting things that are not perfect, pure or “distilled”, yet no less worthy of love. Is a disabled or frail person not worthy of love? Is a person who happens to be a foreigner, a person who made a mistake, a person ill or in prison, not worthy of love? We know what Jesus did: he embraced the leper, the blind man, the paralytic, the Pharisee and the sinner. He embraced the thief on the cross and even embraced and forgave those who crucified him.

Why did he do this? Because only what is loved can be saved. Only what is embraced can be transformed. The Lord’s love is greater than all our problems, frailties and flaws. Yet it is precisely through our problems, frailties and flaws that he wants to write this love story. He embraced the prodigal son, he embraced Peter after his denials and he always embraces us whenever we fall: he helps us to get up and get back on our feet. Because the worst fall, the fall that can ruin our lives, is to remain down and not allow ourselves to be helped up.

How hard it is at times to understand God’s love! But what a gift it is to know that we have a Father who embraces us despite all our imperfections!

So, the first step is not to be afraid to welcome life as it comes, to embrace life!

Thank you, Alfredo, for your testimony and your courage in sharing it with us all. I was impressed when you told us: “I started working on a construction project, but once it was finished, I was without a job and things changed fast: without an education, a trade, and a job”. Let me summarize this in four “withouts” that leave our life rootless and parched: without work, without education, without community, without family.

It is impossible for us to grow unless we have strong roots to support us and to keep us firmly grounded. It is easy to drift off, when nothing holds us down. There is a question that we older people have to ask ourselves, but also a question that you need to ask us and we have to answer: What roots are we providing for you, what foundations for you to grow as persons? It is easy enough to criticize and complain about young people if we are depriving them of the jobs, education and community opportunities they need to take root and to dream of a future. Without education, it is difficult to dream of a future; without work, it is very difficult to dream of a future; without a family and community, it is almost impossible to dream of a future. Because dreaming of a future means learning how to answer not only the question what I am living for but also who I am living for, who makes it worthwhile for me to live my life.

As Alfredo told us, when we find ourselves at a loss and without work, without education, without community, and without family, at the end of the day we feel empty and we end up filling that emptiness with anything we can. Because we no longer know for whom to live, to fight and to love.

I remember once talking with some young people, and one of them asked me: “Father, why are so many young people today not interested in whether God exists or find it difficult to believe in him, and they seem so bored and aimless in life? I asked them in return what they thought. I remember one particular answer that touched me and it relates to the experience Alfredo shared – “it’s because many of them feel that, little by little, they stopped existing for others; often they feel invisible”. This is the culture of abandonment and lack of concern for others. Not everyone, but many people feel that they have little or nothing to contribute because there is no one around to ask them to get involved. How can they think that God exists, if others have long since stopped thinking that they exist?

We know well that to feel acknowledged or loved it is not enough to be connected all day long. To feel respected and asked to get involved is greater than simply being “on-line”. It means finding spaces where, with your hands, your heart and your head, you can feel part of a larger community that needs you and that you yourselves need.

The saints understood this very well. I think, for example, of Saint John Bosco. He did not go off to seek young people in far-off places but learned to see with God’s eyes everything that was going on in his city. So, he was struck by the hundreds of children and young people left to themselves, without education, without work and without the helping hand of a community. Many other people were living in the same city, and many criticized those young people, but they were unable to see them with God’s eyes. Don Bosco did, and found the energy to take the first step: to embrace life as it presented itself. From there, he was not afraid to take the second step: to create a community, a family with them, where through work and study they could feel loved. He gave them roots from which they could reach up to heaven.

I think of many places in our Latin America that promote what they call familia grande hogar de Cristo. With the same spirit as the John Paul II Foundation that Alfredo spoke of and many other centres, they seek to accept life as it comes, in its totality and complexity, because they know that “there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease” (Job 14:7).

It is always possible to “sprout shoots and grow” when there is a community, a warm home that enables us to take root, that provides the confidence we need and prepares our hearts to discover a new horizon: the horizon of a beloved son or daughter who is sought, found and entrusted with a mission. Through real faces, the Lord makes himself present. To say “yes” to this love story is to say “yes” to becoming a means of building in our neighborhoods those ecclesial communities capable of walking the streets of our cities, embracing and weaving new relationships. To be an “influencer” in the twenty-first century is to be guardians of roots, guardians of all that prevents our life from dissipating and evaporating into nothingness. Be guardians of everything that can make us feel part of one another, to feel that we belong.

That was what Nirmeen experienced at World Youth Day in Krakow. She found a lively, happy community that welcomed her, gave her a sense of belonging and allowed her to live the joy that comes from being found by Jesus.

A saint once asked: “Will the progress of society consist only in owning the latest car or buying the newest gadget on the market? Is that the extent of our greatness as human beings? Is that all there is to live for?” (cf. SAINT ALBERTO HURTADO, Holy Week Meditation for Young People, 1946). So let me ask you: Is that your idea of greatness? Weren’t you created for something more? The Virgin Mary understood this and said, “Let it be done!” Erika and Rogelio understood this and said, “Let it be done!” Alfredo understood this and said, “Let it be done!” Nirmeen understood this and said, “Let it be done!” Young friends, I ask you: Are you willing to say “yes”? The Gospel teaches us that the world will not be better because there are fewer sick, weak, frail or elderly people to be concerned about, or because there are fewer sinners. Rather it will be better when more people, like these friends, are willing and enthused enough to give birth to the future and believe in the transforming power of God’s love. Are you willing to be an “influencer” like Mary, who dared to say, “Let it be done”? Only love makes us more human and fulfilled; everything else is a pleasant but useless placebo.

In a few moments, we will encounter the living Jesus in Eucharistic adoration. You can be sure that he has many things to say to you, about different situations in your lives, families, and countries.

Face to face with him, don’t be afraid to open your heart to him and to ask him to renew the fire of his love so that you can embrace life with all its frailty and flaws, but also with its grandeur and beauty. May he help you to discover the beauty of being alive.

Do not be afraid to tell him that you too want to be a part of his love story in this world, that you are ready for something greater!

Friends: when you meet Jesus face to face, I ask you also to pray for me, so that I too will be unafraid to embrace life, to care for its roots and to say, like Mary, “Let it be done, according to your word!”.

JANUARY 27, 2019 01:17

WORLD YOUTH DAYS

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malonepolitics · 6 years

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What the heck are we doing?

September 30 - October 5, 2018 Suburbs of Detroit, Michigan

Maybe we have lost our minds, but it seems in many ways the US has also.

Not being very active in politics in the past (voting, of course, and making some contributions to some past campaigns) we suddenly are in the thick of it joining a group of like-minded folks to campaign for two issues and a US House candidate in Michigan. This recent activism is not a very long story, since it only started a little over a month ago when we attended a series of lectures by David Domke on the history of voting rights in the US. About the middle of the second lecture Linda leaned over to me and said, “Oh-oh, we are not going to finish this series without getting involved”. Indeed she was right. Within a couple of weeks we had attended organizational meetings and signed up with the group called “Common Purpose” to go to Michigan for a week. We have just finished up this interesting, a little scary and very satisfying trip. Here I recount a few highlights and thoughts on the experience. If you think this might be a typical “L & S Malone trips” blog, sorry, this is serious stuff.

The preparation

We attended the first organizational meeting of Common Purpose on Sep. 15 where we realized it was only OUR first meeting. There have been many more in the past including previous campaign trips all over the country. There were a lot of rah-rah “team building” and motivational talks at this meeting, but looking at the group of people who are seriously involved is indeed motivational. While not really into this sort of thing, I felt the vibe. Toward the end of the meeting the group, maybe 200 strong, split up into groups associated with about 10 different states to which a trip was planned to help with particular campaigns. Before we knew it we were talking with Ron, the Michigan trip leader (the only trip for which the timing would work for us). Linda and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and signed up. Within a few days we had our plane tickets, motel and car reservations, so we were committed.

I must say that Linda is the main instigator. I am not so much of a joiner for this sort of thing. I detest being called on the phone by robots even if a real person is on the other end, and I am not much for knocking on strangers’ doors. It seems that almost everyone in the group agrees to some extent with these sentiments, but all assured me that I could get over my phobias and would feel good about doing this no matter what. We attended one additional meeting two weeks later for “training”, etc., and there was again lots of rah-rah and kumbaya stuff but also a very interesting small group discussion. I ended up in a group of four; one union member/organizer, one previous politician and an older (my age), African-American guy who had been invited to this meeting by his son who is part of the leadership team. It turned out that this guy and I had something in common. We had both grown up in the South in segregated schools. OK, not the same experience, but in discussions we realized that there were more similarities than one might think. As kids we both accepted school segregation as just the way was even if it didn’t seem right. Neither of us, at the the time, realized how destructive it was. We made plans to try and get together again some time later to compare our growing-up experiences in the deep South from our very different backgrounds.

The only other preparation we did for the Michigan trip was to read some campaign material handed out and go online to get a feeling for the issues from newspapers and web pages, both pro and con. There are three state initiative proposals on the ballot two of which we were needed to campaign for. “Proposal 1″ regarded marijuana legalization, which we were not involved with - but maybe could have used. “Proposal 2” is a redistricting plan to try to do away with gerrymandering. Michigan has some of the most bizarrely shaped congressional districts designed solely by the the party in power behind closed doors to make sure they stay in power. This gerrymandering also has the effect of keeping minority party members in power even if they do little for their constituents. Consequently, not many actual politicians from either party are strongly supportive. The initiative campaign is totally grassroots and non-partisan. The name for this initiative is “Voters not Politicians” with a tag-line of “Lets get the people to choose the politicians rather than the other way around”. “Proposal 3” is the “Promote the Vote” initiative, which seems not to have a lot of opposition. It is a fairly complicated initiative of seven items to remove many obstacles to registering and/or voting that currently are relatively subtle but effective voter suppression provisions. Michigan’s laws are nowhere near as egregious as in many southern states but still could benefit from improvements to just get more people to vote. Perhaps our most important and interesting campaign was for a challenger to the current US House member in the fairly Republican 8th congressional district. Elissa Slotkin jumped into this race fairly recently easily winning the Democratic Party’s nomination. With a very strong background in international relations and national security she has recently taken on health care and environmental issues as ones that Michiganders have increasing concerns about. The poles currently have the candidates almost tied, so a win for her would be a real coup. Somehow we would be doing something in an area near Detroit, MI to help with these three campaigns. We were told to be prepared for phone banking (ugh) and door belling (scary). What the heck are we doing joining such activities?

The Trip

Our flight to Detroit left last Monday at 7am. Yuk. Fortunately for us our lovely daughter Erika was on a slightly later flight to Pittsburgh where she was leading a national training workshop on affordable housing issues for municipal departments. She picked us up at 5am in a car-to-go (clever girl) in plenty of time for our uneventful flight. Fourteen of our sixteen member, Team Michigan (motto: “pedal to the metal” facebook: #commonpurposemichigan) folks were on the same flight. We rented a car and took two others to our Red Roof Inn motel; very basic (no pool, no spa, no exercise room, no breakfast, no mints on our pillows but clean with a comfortable bed). Our first activity was a training session that evening at a local tavern where, it turned out, we did not have a separate room as planned but rather were in the main, very loud area at a long table. Two local campaign staffers came to brief us who were, unfortunately, nearly impossible to hear. A happy result was that when the pub’s owner heard who we were and what we were doing comp-ed us the dinner and drinks (should have ordered the lobster dinner and top-shelf bourbon).

The following morning we all met at a breakfast place where we had a separate, quiet room and got trained on “Proposal 3”, our first cause, and also on how to use the smartphone app called “MiniVan” (nothing to do with multi-passenger vehicles). This app provides the names, addresses, ages and a map of our canvassing area and also a way to record our results for each “door”. Each of our three campaigns provided us with “lit” (literature) and “turfs” (down-loadable lists of 30 - 50 addresses). One could work from a hard-copy and clipboard form, which the old hands swore by. However, even a few of them switched to MiniVan when they realized how simple and convenient it was. Training for Proposal 2 and the Slotkin campaign took place either after the first lunch or the second morning.

Each morning and afternoon groups of 2 or 3 people would head out in a car to do one or two (or for the hot-shots three) turfs in a session. Most turfs were in the mega-suburbia of Rochester Hills (white-flight area 25 miles north of Detroit). I have never seen such expanses of green lawns lined up as far as the eye could see; actually, not so far in the twisty, cull-de-sacky developed subdivisions of 1980s-90s vintage. Typically we would pull up and leave our car in the middle of a turf and spread out in three different directions walking between addresses listed in our app. They were rarely every house since they were targeted to voters who were either unknown or undecided. Those known to be either strongly for or against the issue/candidate were not canvassed since it would be a waste of time in either case. At first we were under the impression that mostly we were to sample preferences, but it soon became clear that it was OK…. actually expected, that we would do persuasion on those contacts who were undecided.

I was very nervous at first…. and never got totally comfortable, with ringing a door bell and if someone answered (only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the time), introducing myself and why I was there and then trying to sell them on the issue/candidate. Most people were at least minimally polite, some very gracious, even if they were on the other side politically. A few were down right rude and one who came up to me on the street was aggressively nasty; asking if I had a permit to be in the neighborhood, threatening to call the police if I didn’t leave and he would be watching me. We skipped a few houses right around his. It left a bad taste in my mouth but provided an interesting story to tell at dinner that night. Our sub-group of 9 people staying at the Red Roof Inn would compare notes each night over dinner. We all seemed to be having similar experiences of generally interested, polite people with the rare unpleasant one. The positive experiences far outweighed the few bad ones. Here are a few Linda and I remember:

An older couple (90 and 91) both come to the door. I ask if they know about Elissa Slotkin. They say, “not much”. I give a long-winded shpeal about who and how great she is and why they should vote for her. They say, “OK, we will”. I say, “what about signing a reminder pledge card that will be sent back to you shortly before the election”. OK, they sign it and then thank me for the good information. Then, as I am leaving they tell me that now they remember Elissa and were going to vote for her in the first place.

I ring a slightly down-at-the-dumps looking house. A man comes to the door and the name I have is for a woman. I ask if she is there. He yells to the other room and the woman comes out, sees my Elissa Slotkin button, comes out of the house and closes the door. I ask her about Elissa, and she quickly says she knows all about her. I start to say more and she whispers over her shoulder to me as she goes back in the house that she is a strong supporter and will vote for sure. I put her down as a supporter and note that her “roommate” is not.

A refreshing interlude occurred on our last day. A young man is zooming down the street on roller-blades being pulled by his dog. As he sees our Slotkin buttons he gives a big wave and yells that he is voting for her.

Some of our most interesting, but semi-scary work was in an area another 30 miles north in a very rural area near the town of Holly, MI where Elissa lives on her family’s farm. Our turf houses were either along a busy rural highway or off a muddy back road. There were NO lawns here; though one woman was out on a riding mower in what could have been a pasture. In a few cases as one headed into the woods to find an “address” one imagined the banjo theme from Deliverance playing in the distance. All had long drives and many had big, barking dogs.

I head down the drive toward one, and here comes rover barking like mad to scare me off. I give him a good glare and then a nice voice and he starts wagging like mad as the owner comes hoofing down the drive to call off the dog. The name I have is for a woman whom I ask for. He leads me around back of his house and onto his porch. As soon as I say ask about Elissa he and the woman both start talking a mile a minute about how great she is and how bad the Republican in office now is and how the ranker in DC is just terrible and how Elissa has the right attitude and on and on and would I like a glass of lemonade and I should be careful turning my car around that I don’t get stuck. What? You are walking? You better sit for a while and rest up and be careful walking on the highway. No one does that. Oh, and don’t go to the guy who lives next door. Old whoever is a nasty old Trumpest who will shoot you if you come on his property. “OK”, I say, “so I can put you down is a supporter and old whoever next door as a no”? The lady then says, “Yep and put down our son, who is in town now, as a yes and our daughter, who is in New Jersey right now, as a yes. Oh, we better call her to make sure she gets her absentee ballot in”.

In the same area Linda found a couple of old dudes sitting on a back porch looking over the local lake smoking cigars. They looked to be Bubba and Bubba but were quite friendly. However, the one not on the turf list says something like, “She’s the one John McCain hates. She looks a little slimy to me”. But the other guy pipes up, “Naw, she’s OK. I’ll probably vote for her”. After a bit more chit chat they indicate that they are just out here in the woods doing “man stuff”. Linda, says “Ok, good luck. Have a nice evening” and heads quickly for the next address. Nobody wants to know what Bubba and Bubba’s man stuff is.

One address I had was down a long drive with a few run-down, out-buildings on either side, and the house on my list is not much better. It looks as if someone lives there, but it is just a tar paper, tin roof shack itself. I think it has electricity but hard to tell the front door from the side one. After knocking both and getting no answer I look through to the back yard where drying on the line are two large and one smaller pair of full sleeved long-johns, complete with drop bottom. I guess they had just done the family laundry getting ready for winter. Really sorry I didn’t get to meet the family or get a photo of the place.

This rural turf was certainly the most spread out and took the longest to do, but the reward at the end was great. We were all invited to Elissa Slotkin’s farm to meet the candidate. She was running behind filming an ad for TV, so we waited in a screened-in porch drinking beer and snacking on chips. After a bit she joined us. Some pizza arrived, and we sat around eating and chatting about all sorts of issues….. actually, just politics. She is a very impressive lady with energy and stamina that is hard to believe. What a treat for us. She took the time for us foreigners after a very long day. Even posing with us for a group photo (Elissa is the lady in a blue top, front row, left of center). We didn’t get back to the motel until after 11pm.

After four very full and satisfying days of pounding the pavement my feet were toast. Our step counters indicate somewhere around 13 - 18,000 steps a day (5.5 -7 miles). As many know, I am a cyclist. Walking is for losers. Oops, I signed on for the wrong activity. But still I (and all of Team Michigan) would rather this than phone-banking. Linda and I left on Friday afternoon but could have done another turf in the morning. I feel guilty that we wimped out and slept in a bit. With the help of another team member, Richard, who was leaving on the same flight we did a quick pilgrimage to the graves of Rosa Parks and Aretha Franklin and then did a drive-through, tourist visit of downtown Detroit before heading to the airport. We got back to Seattle, and because of the gracious lift Richard’s wife provided, we were in time to attend a fund raiser for “Rebuilding Together - Seattle” at MOHAI. Yikes, too much civic duty stuff in one week.

After I have had some time to recover and cogitate on the past week I may fill in another post with erudite missives covering a newbies reactions to getting out of ones comfort zone in politics. I also may add some statistics about how many doors knocked, people talked to, dogs kicked, votes secured (from our leader’s calculations). In the mean time thanks to the the whole Team Michigan for your companionship and encouragement to us newbies. A particular big thanks to Ron, our leader whose low-key, but totally organized plans kept us busy in an efficient way but never pressured us to take on more than we could comfortably do.

Also see: facebook: #commonpurposemichigan

Now, it’s time to take a break, kick back and watch some soccer with a beer this weekend.

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ronaldmrashid · 7 years

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Silent Threats In The Night: A Forgotten Memory Until Charlottesville Happened

In the summer of 1996, I got in my rusty Toyota Corolla hatchback and took off on a five and a half hour drive south from the suburbs of Washington DC to a sleepy town called Abingdon, Virginia. I wasn’t sure if I’d make it because I had never driven my car more than 2.5 hours before.

After my transmission blew out six months after I bought it for $2,000, the mechanic got the gear ratio wrong so my car was always revving 2,000 RPM higher than it should. Constantly wondering whether the engine would explode was concerning.

I was back from a month-long internship at a Canon electronics distributor in Taipei and missed my girlfriend dearly. Sophomore year at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg was only a month a way, but I couldn’t wait to see her.

Abingdon is a beautiful town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountain range. When I arrived, the first thing I did was give my girlfriend a big hug and go to a local “greasy spoon” restaurant right off the main strip. She knew that I loved grilled cheese sandwiches with freshly sliced tomatoes wedged between the goodness. It was the perfect way to catch up after almost two months of being away.

Source: VisitAbingdonVirginia.com

Although there wasn’t a minority in sight, I never felt out of place in quiet Abingdon. Southerners tend to have a great way of making you feel welcome. After lunch, she brought me up a windy road to see her dad and his girlfriend. They lived on a little hill with not a neighbor in sight for miles. I was nervous to meet dad as any boyfriend should be.

I gave Mr. Brosnan a firm handshake and greeted him with the warmest “nice to meet you” I could muster. Mr. Brosnan was a psychiatrist at the local hospital. He stood about six feet tall with a full beard filled with black and white bristles. He was white and drove a green Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. He politely scoffed at my dinky car that pulled up into his driveway.

My girlfriend, Erika, was not white. She stood about 5′ 8″ tall and had straight black hair. She was incredibly fit because she was a vegetarian and a runner. Erika was mixed. Her Chinese mother had died from cancer when she was only three.

Into The Evening

If you ever go camping in a desolate place, you’ll marvel at the brightness of the stars. Each evening we’d sit out on the porch right off the kitchen and look up. Because there wasn’t a street light for miles, the solar system jumped out at us like high definition. We spotted no fewer than three shooting stars each night, which makes me wonder what else do we miss in our daily lives?

On the third day of a week long visit we got a flier. On the flier were four white hooded figures with an invitation to join the KKK. There was a telephone number to call, but no address. We read the propaganda and thought nothing of it. But when we told Mr. Brosnan about the flier we could see the worry in his eyes.

He asked, “Did anybody follow you home?” “Were you aware of anybody in town watching you?” “Did you have a bad encounter?”

As far as we could tell, nobody was following or watching us. We had thought the flier was junk mail, sent to every single household in town. Not once did we suspect we were targeted because of my arrival until we spoke to Mr. Brosnan. There was something else Mr. Brosnan wasn’t telling us, but he never revealed anything else.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been through a lot of uncomfortable racial discrimination encounters that I wasn’t really worried about a silly flier. As a minority, you get used to the jeers, the name calling, the stereotyping, the intimidation and the hate. Because you’re physically outnumbered, there’s nothing you can really do but ignore and move on if you want to live. Instead, I learned self-defense, practiced using a butterfly knife, and focused on my studies in order to gain some future optionality.

The next day, Erika and I went down to get a milkshake after a three-mile jog and everything was as normal as could be. Then night fell and something strange happened.

While on the deck, instead of hearing the cicadas gently hum through the night like an ocean wave, we heard a truck rumble up the hill to the front of the house. Nobody came out of the truck. It just sat there with the engine left on, gurgling as if it was hungry.

Then the high beams flickered on and we decided to go inside. As we were heading inside, we saw Mr. Brosnan walk outside with his rifle. He calmly told us to stay put. Mr. Brosnan stood behind a wooden bear statue on his porch for protection, pointed his rifle at the truck and shouted, “Get the hell off my property!”

The standoff only lasted for a minute, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, the truck lowered its high beams. Inside we could see three white men in the truck drinking beer and throwing up some sort of hand signal before driving back down the hill. They littered a beer can put the window and left another flier.

We’ll never know whether a member of the KKK spotted us in town and followed us back to Mr. Brosnan’s house. But we did learn that the KKK had been trying to recruit Mr. Brosnan for a number of years. The per capita income for the town was $22,486, while about 7.3% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Brosnan was a respected man in town who likely unknowingly helped treat a KKK member.

At Dr. Brosnan’s urging, he recommended I find a motel to stay in at a nearby town instead. So I found an Econo Lodge in the town of Marion, 30 miles north on H-81. I didn’t want to put his family in jeopardy. Erika initially objected, but she came along to stay for a couple nights before we both had to return to our respective homes.

What Happened To Progress?

I forgot all about this harrowing encounter as a 19-year-old until what transpired in Charlottesville, Virginia this past weekend. Millions were killed in World War II fighting Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Yet here people were at Emancipation Square and on the campus of the University of Virginia making Nazi salutes and carrying flags with swastikas while a team of men in camouflage gear and semi-automatic riles marched along side them in support. Then the car bulldozing happened. What the hell is going on?

It’s incredibly sad that after 21 years, there is still so much hate and bigotry. Perhaps it has never gone away, but stayed more hidden until now. As a personal finance writer, I can’t help but think the lack of money and education have everything to do with racism. Nobody grows up hating someone else because of their skin color. Hate is taught by our parents, our peers, and our circumstance. Hopefully this means that those who hate can be taught to learn love as well

FinancialSamurai.com will always be a platform that is accepting of everybody looking to achieve financial freedom. I enjoy not seeing what any of you look like because it allows me to focus on your substance. I strongly believe that if more people achieve financial security, there will be less hate in the world. Once you feel financially secure or at least feel like you’re headed in the right direction, you can start helping others instead of trying to cut others down.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Thoughts About Hate

* If you’re experiencing hate know that the person hating on you is going through some sort of misery that causes them to act out. Happy people don’t hate on others, they find a way to accept and be kind.

* Forgive. It may not be easy, but once you understand why they are the way they are, it becomes easier. You’ll feel better forgiving and moving on, rather than letting the incident eat away at you.

* Be careful not to lump everyone in the same group. If you do, then you’re practicing a similar brand of prejudice. Discover the individual.

* Don’t assume that just because Asian Americans as a group do OK in terms of income and education, they don’t consistently face racial discrimination in many facet of their lives. Further, there is no typical Asian since there are 48 Asian countries.

* If you’re practicing hate, dig deep to find the root cause of your hatred. Now direct your energy towards addressing the issue instead of blaming some group of people for your misery.

* Let’s teach our children early on about the importance of respecting each other. Our prejudices will spread to our children if we are not careful.

* The best way to prove your detractors wrong is to be successful in your craft. The best way to cure your hate towards others is to also become successful in your craft.

The One Key Ingredient Necessary For Achieving Financial Independence

Emotional Intelligence: A Key To An Easier Life

Readers, what are your thoughts about what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia? Have you had any hateful encounters based on who you are that you’d like to share? What do you think are some solutions to creating more harmony in the world? Before attending The College of William & Mary, I attended high school in Northern Virginia. Virginia is a wonderful place that has a special place in my heart, despite all the growing pains I experienced.

from http://www.financialsamurai.com/silent-threats-in-the-night-charlottesville/

#Financial Samurai

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alaska-now · 7 years

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Alaska National Organization for Women and Mat-Su College Present their Third Annual Equinox Women’s Film Festival

Film Schedule:

Friday

6:00PM – 8:00PM

Grace

Knowing she could never prepare her for everything the future holds, a mother tries to impart life’s most essential lessons to her daughter in a single letter.

Under A Stone

A woman returns to her hometown for a family obligation. She reunites with her brother, but they clash in how they cope with their awful past.

Color

A young woman tries to create a piece of art.

Rosetta's Blues

‘Rosetta’s Blues’ is the story of a young woman finding it difficult to come to terms with her father’s passing. Acting out in theatrical and amusing ways as methods of coping, this is a coming of age tale of how Rosetta is inspired to move forward in life rather than being weighed down by her loss.

Won't Somebody Think of the Children?!

Amanda and Catherine, both in third grade, are writing a comic book together about feminist superheroine Sergeant Laser. They are hurrying to finish as their deadline approaches, and their "publisher," their classmate Andy, refuses to give them another extension.

Everything It Takes

Shortly before Mary Helwig signed up to fulfill her dream of running the 2016 Iditarod, a 1,000- mile long sled dog race across Alaska, she lost her home and her dogs' houses, plus almost all her racing gear and possessions to the Sockeye Fire. Everything It Takes documents the year of Mary's life leading up to race day as she and her dogs struggle to ready themselves for the challenge of a lifetime.

Saturday

BLOCK I - 10AM - 12:50PM

You're Just Projecting

Shot in Paris, and later projected in Rhode Island onto walls and objects, You’re Just Projecting is an intentional fragmentation of the female body wherein legs, breasts, stomachs hands and feet have been placed in or near pieces of architecture that give the illusion of being separate from an actual body to create a sense of entrapment. The concept of the popular image of women in the 1950's-60’s, and today is repurposed by altering and satirizing the male gaze which is only accentuated by the incorporation of the male voice.

Nanny

From the writer of Solo Dios Sabe (Diego Luna, Alice Braga; Sundance 2006), Niñera looks at the bitter ironies many nannies face.

Emerald Ice

Emerald Ice is a cinematic journey exploring the mind of the American poet Diane Wakoski. This experimental short brings to the screen her work--the sprawling beauty that is Diane's emotional spectrum.

Five Awake

Five Louisiana women -- outraged over husbands shooting their wives-- set out to strengthen domestic violence laws, including a controversial proposal to restrict the gun rights of domestic abusers. In Louisiana, this was considered lunacy. Not the part about armed abusers. The part about wanting to disarm them. This is the story of what happens when women, armed with passion, pluck and political savvy, wake up and refuse to take no for an answer.

Midnight Poetry

A young mother, Tilda, has escaped London with her 7-year-old daughter in order to end an abusive relationship. In Sydney, the pressure of guilt and memory challenge her new life.

Home Invasion for the Holidays

A freshly divorced mom and her daughter foil a dimwitted burglar's plans.

Real Artists

Real Artists, a dark tale set in the near future, is based on Ken Liu’s short story of the same name. Sophia just scored every animator’s dream interview at world famous Semaphore Animation Studios. Was it Sophia’s rebel ethos and creative instincts that landed her the invitation?

Crocuses

On the final day of packing up her home, Rita can’t shake the regret she feels about her late husband, Bernard.

Alice

One night, eight-year-old Alice is forced to stay with her distant father, after overhearing a big fight between her parents and witnessing her mother leave.

Klocked: Women with Horsepower

The desolate, alien landscape of the Bonneville Salt Flats, barren, gleaming white…in the distance, the faint, high whine of motorcycles shifting through gears…and then three-woman stream into view on their roaring machines. Designed as a feature length documentary, Klocked: Women with Horsepower focuses on women motorcycle land speed record holders Laura Klock and her two daughters Erika and Karlee Cobb.

BLOCK II - 1PM - 4PM

Proclamation Punctuation

“Proclamation Punctuation” is an enthralling fashion film centered on a fabulously fascinating woman reciting a short soliloquy paying homage to her love for using exclamation points in her missives.

Feeling Wanted

Charell, age 6, woke up to find herself alone. She made breakfast, dropped her baby sister off with a neighbor, and walked to school. With a dad incarcerated for murder, a mom on drugs and a childhood in foster care, Charell knew it was time to break the cycle.

Love Somehow

"Genius is a terrible thing.” Caitlin Thomas was a dancer, writer and woman behind the famous Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. She partied as hard as him, advised him, loved him, kept him sober enough to write and brought up their family on no money, finally surviving his early death. Very little is written about Caitlin, her role in their legend or her recovery, and most portrayals are laughably inaccurate. This is Caitlin’s lyrical version of her life with Dylan, adapted from a one woman play written by Welsh poet Phil Bowen.

Relation Shipwreck: The Great Boob Debate

Brooke has to make a difficult decision regarding her most recent acting role.

Chill

Chill is an inspirational documentary about a single woman fighting to preserve her fertility and dreams of motherhood through egg freezing in her mid-thirties. Weeks before she decided to freeze her eggs, actor, Jennifer Frappier began documenting her thoughts on fertility and parenthood.

Aether

A young artist, dissatisfied with her efforts to draw, opens a portal that absorbs her within the pages of her sketchbook.

The Highway

All Henley wants to do is get home in time for his anniversary. He has a 17-hour drive from his last business trip stop. He tries to drive straight through, but he gets too tired, and he decides to stop for the night.

Silent No More - Louise Pentz: A Voice for Social Change

No longer willing to remain silent about the injustice she sees, Nova Scotia ceramist Louise Pentz uses her art as a force for social change. Her sculptures give voice to women around the world who are silenced by social, political, religious or family circumstances.

Mom

'Mom' is about Alex--a young woman who rents a room in a house with an older woman, with what little money she has left. But Alex must ultimately decide what she is willing to do for money.

Northfound

Iris and Finn are two sisters with a special affinity for hot dogs and sexy cartoon animals. Devastated by Iris's recent diagnosis, the two are left to navigate their time left together.

Find Me

After the death of his father, a young man falls victim to the darkest parts of his own mind.

BLOCK III - 5PM - 8PM

The Last Farewell

An honorable soldier must choose between the woman he loves or the country he had pledged to die for. The story takes place in the year 1973 when the Philippine republic is under Martial Law.

In-between the Scripts

An experimental film about A male suffering from mental health issues, and his physical and psychological experience with anti- psychotic medications.

The Baby Lu`au

Brooke Cho, an ambitious young attorney, confronts her estranged family after a 5-year absence, only to discover that not everything is what it seems to be. She soon must race against time to uncover the truth or lose what she loves most.

America Heard: Refuge of Hope

Syracuse, New York is an unlikely home to over 10,000 former refugees. Two women at the forefront of this community reflect on what their presidential vote means to those whose only true home is the American town that took them in.

Earworm

A lonely man does battle with a relentless piece of music.

Hole

After moving into a new apartment, a young woman discovers a hole in her living room wall.

Tucker Noir

Take a brief look into the life of Northern California's drag king sweetheart, Tucker Noir. Watch as he hosts Chico California's 2016 gay pride weekend and gives us a little insight on what performing drag is all about.

Bombing

Sophie is an unmotivated comedian. When her estranged young daughter is unexpectedly thrust back into her life, Sophie's plans have to be reshuffled.

BETWEEN

Shades of Winter’s BETWEEN, a Red Bull Media House co-production, is the latest film by Austrian pro skier and filmmaker Sandra Lahnsteiner who keeps redefining women in action sports movies since her first release in 2010. Between earth and sky, ocean and snow, old friends and new, between the day-to-day challenges and the once-in-a-lifetime thrills of travelling to some of the most exotic and challenging slopes in the world and then mastering them, not missing the moments between. The new UHD 4K action sports feature film with a documentary aspect, not only follows the crème de la crème of female skiing including Olympic gold medalist and alpine skier Julia Mancuso and many more on compelling journeys and to thrilling destinations; it also features three-time world surf champion Carissa Moore. For Between, the long-term duo Sandra Lahnsteiner and director of photography Mathias Bergmann teamed up with German film editor Thomas Kohler known for the documentary “Cerro Torre” (2013).

#womeninfilm

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itsalliepg · 4 years

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What Happened In Vegas - Drake x Erika (MC) - Part 5

SUMMARY: During Catherine’s engagement party, Erika (MC) learns the truth about Drake and Beth’s past.

PAIRING: Drake x Erika (MC)

RATING: Teen

WORDS: 2523

NOTE:English isn’t my native language. I write to practice and learn, so please sorry any mistakes. I hope you like it, and if you do, I’d appreciate if you like/comment/reblog!

Click here to read Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Tagging @cora-nova @texaskitten30

Fanfic Masterlist

AO3 Profile

_You look incredibly gorgeous tonight – Drake said as he squeezed Erika’s hand. They were sitting together in the backseat of the car, the driver taking them to Roffinteau’s manor, twenty minutes from Erika’s Duchy. She smiled at her husband. He also looked very handsome in his new suit.

_And you should dress like that every day. It’s an amazing look for you.

_Nah, I still prefer my old jeans – he chuckled – but you look amazing in everything – he leaned down to whisper in her ear – in nothing either.

_Oh? – she smirked – I take that it’s your favorite look for me?

_Undoubtedly – Drake kissed her deeply, and Erika tangled her fingers in his hair. She wished they could skip the party and come home, so they could be together all night, but she promised they would be there, and Beth was really sweet to invite them. And probably lots of people would love to see them and congratulate them on the incoming baby. Five days ago, Erika posted a picture of her and Drake holding together a pair of baby shoes, and she confirmed in the description that they would be parents. Cordonian press was frantic, crazy about a picture or an interview of the Valtoria couple, as Drake and Erika were known to journalists and fans. That explained the number of photographers and reporters gathered in front of the mansion. Drake took a deep breath and Erika stroked his hair fondly – I hate it, Williams. I thought they would leave us in peace after the way we announced your pregnancy.

_Don’t worry, my love. We just need to answer what they ask and smile for the cameras.

_That’s the hardest part for me – he snorted, and she giggled.

_My adorable grump – she kissed his cheek – think of our baby, and I know you’ll smile – “our baby”. That sounded amazing, and right. Right – leave the rest with me – Drake got out of the car and reached for Erika. Soon, the couple were walking toward the manor, dozens of flashes lightning up, and a couple of journalists trying to get closer.

_Duchess Erika, duke Drake! Congratulations! You must be excited! – a reporter asked.

_We indeed are – Erika smiled widely – we always wanted children, and now our dream is coming true.

_Do you want a boy or a girl? – another reporter asked, trying his best to get closer with his microphone.

_Actually, we just want a healthy and strong child – Erika kept smiling. That was easier than she thought. Posing for pictures with Drake beside her was what she needed. How could this child not be his? Of course he was the father.

_We want a lovely baby that grows happy, smart and kind. We must give our best teachings – Erika smiled at Drake. She’d never seen him talking so sweetly about someone other than herself. That was adorable – but we already have Bartie in the family, so I’d love a girl, a little Erika – a wave of awwww’s filled the crowd, as Drake kissed her cheek, and the photographers went crazy trying to get the best shot of the couple. Erika smiled and thanked everyone before taking Drake’s hand and leading him to the hall – well, that wasn’t so hard – he sighed, relieved.

_I knew you’d be great, Walker – she kissed him quickly, and soon they were in the middle of a ballroom with a large staircase in the middle, very similar to Beaumont’s manor. Lots of silver-framed pictures and mirrors hung on the wall, and a picture of Roffinteau’s family was near the piano. Erika saw Beth in the picture, with a middle-aged couple and two young girls who look a lot like her – wow, it’s beautiful!

_I don’t even remember the last time I was here – Drake confessed.

_Drake! Erika! Welcome! – Beth approached them and hugged the couple, friendly. She was wearing a rose dress, made by a lightweight fabric, matching her delicate skin and face. As confident as she was, Erika felt somehow threatened by her figure – I love your dress, Erika! Is an Ana de Luca?

_Yeah, how do you know? – Erika asked, surprised, and Beth shrugged, chuckling.

_What can I say, I’m a huge fan of her dresses, although I chose something…French for tonight – she held the hem of her dress and Drake laughed.

_Always a show-off, you never change, Freckles.

_And you, in a suit! – she choked out in mock surprise – how did you convince him, Erika?

_I have my ways – Erika giggled, and saw a girl, one of the ones in the portrait, and a blonde young man, well-dressed and with perfectly straight hair. Beth smiled.

_This is my sister Catherine Roffinteau, and her fiancé, Henry Dobrev – the host couple shook hands with Erika and Drake – these are Erika and Drake Walker, duchess and duke of Valtoria.

_It’s a pleasure to meet you. And congratulations on the engagement!

_Thank you so much! And it’s amazing to finally meet you in person, Erika, I love your story, it’s almost a fairy tale – Catherine said in a shrill voice.

_It’s almost unbelievable how far you’ve gone due to your…background – Henry said, pompously – I admire that, tough.

_Oh, thank you – Erika answered, and Drake just rolled his eyes, discretely.

_Oh, look, it’s Penelope! Excuse us, make yourselves comfortable – Catherine said, and holding Henry’s hand, walked over to Penelope and her parents. Then Erika noticed the couple of the picture, Beth’s parents, looking horrified at her and Drake. Beth noticed too.

_I think my dad wants to talk to me, excuse me. There’re drinks on that table – Beth said quickly, pointing to a table near the stairs. They were trying their best to disguise, but Erika saw they were arguing with Beth, looking at her and Drake.

_I knew this would happen – Drake snorted, and Erika looked at him in surprise.

_What? What’s the matter with Beth’s parents?

_Let’s just say they’re the kind of nobles who make me hate nobles, Williams. They never approved my friendship with Beth, because I don’t have a title, and they never understood why Constantine let Liam and Leo be my friends. And of course, they don’t like you either, because you were a waitress before being named duchess.

_Ah, I see – she frowned and stroked his cheek – but we shouldn’t let them ruin our night. Let’s go find the gang and…

_Excuse me – Beth’s voice interrupted Erika. She brought her parents with her, and they didn’t seem happy to see them – Erika, these are my parents, Count Benedict and Countess Jacqueline Roffinteau. I’d like to introduce you Duchess Erika of Valtoria, and Drake, well…

_We know Drake very well – Benedict forced a smile and shook Erika’s hand – nice to meet you, Duchess Erika and, nice to see you again, Mr. Drake Walker, or should I call you Duke Drake Walker? – Erika was startled by his tone of voice and expression at Drake, as if her husband was a disgusting insect that needed to be expelled from there. Jacqueline smiled at Erika, but her smile was as forced as her husband’s.

_Nice to meet you, Duchess Erika. And as I can see, Drake is now one of us. Although his passport to nobility isn’t…legitimate – Erika knew Jacqueline was trying to humiliate her, but she wouldn’t give in.

_Well, as long as Liam recognizes, I’m a Duchess and Drake is a Duke.

_Liam was always like that, so close to the people… - Benedict made a face.

_That’s why he’s so loved by Cordonia – Drake replied.

_Look, mom, dad, is Viscount of Graham, why don’t you go greet him? – Beth quickly dropped the subject and nodded to a couple who were talking to Catherine and Henry. They said nothing and headed to their old friends. Embarrassed, Beth turned to Drake and Erika – I’m so, so sorry for that. I begged them to behave.

_Don’t worry, Beth. I should have known – Drake snorted.

_I can see we’re not exactly…welcome here – Erika frowned – but as I told Drake, we can’t let them ruin our night.

_You’re absolutely right – Beth smiled, and her smile widened when she saw Hana waving at them – I have to help Cathy play the hostess, but you should have fun with the gang – Olivia, Liam and Maxwell were next to Hana, and also waved to the Valtoria couple. They bowed and walked to meet their friends.

Erika was surprisingly happy. She suppressed the thoughts on the parenting issue and had a great time with her friends. She even had fun with Maxwell, being near him wasn’t scaring her anymore. She realized she should focus on the good things in her life, and everything would be alright. She was convinced the baby was Drake’s, and end of the story.

At some point, Erika went to the bathroom. When she was leaving, she could hear Beth and Jacqueline’s raised voices from a bedroom. The door was closed, but she could hear everything.

_I can’t believe you invited Drake, Beth! You know what your father and I think of him!

_What’s the problem? He’s my friend!

_Oh, I remember how close you were, believe me.

_Mom, he’s married now, and I wouldn’t do that!

_You wouldn’t? – Jacqueline laughed – did you forget about William? You almost destroyed his marriage! And now are you planning to do the same with Drake? I’m starting to think this is your fate. Catherine is younger than you, and is about to get married. Do you want to be a secret, a lover, the other woman, forever?

_No, mom, of course no! – Beth shouted – could you please stop treating me like a whore?

_Then stop behaving like this. You and Drake aren’t teenagers anymore, control yourself at once – Erika was immobile, but when she heard the door open, she quickly hid in the bathroom again. Shaking, she picked up the phone from her purse and texted Hana.

“Could you and Olivia meet me outside?”

“Sure. On the garden swing?”

“Okay”

Finding the garden swing wasn’t difficult, especially since Olivia and Hana were already there waiting for her. Erika ran to her friends and they noticed the tears leaving her eyes insistently.

_Erika! What happened? – Hana asked, worried. Erika sat on the swing, each of her hands holding Hana and Olivia’s. She told them everything she heard from the discussion between Beth and her mother.

_But the worst – she sobbed – is that Jacqueline implied that Beth and Drake had something in the past, when they were teenagers – Olivia and Hana looked at each other. Erika noticed – so, is it true? Did they date in the past?

_Yes – Olivia sighed – Drake was Beth’s first boyfriend, when she was fourteen, and he was sixteen. They secretly dated at first, only we, Liam, Maxwell and Bertrand knew, because we knew her parents would forbid their relationship. And that’s what Jacqueline and Benedict did when they found out.

_They dated for almost six months, and Beth promised she wouldn’t see Drake again. But they were still seeing each other in secret. Then her parents discovered again, and that’s why they sent her to Belgium to study and work. She would prepare for her family business and stay away from Drake, that was a win-win in the Roffinteau’s book – Erika gaped. Somehow she felt something weird between Drake and Beth, but she reprimanded these thoughts. Maybe her brain was messed with pregnancy, but she was right.

_So, they only broke up because her parents forced them? – Olivia and Hana nodded – and…in this case, maybe they’re still in love with each other?

_No, no, Erika! – Hana’s eyes widened – it was a long time ago!

_I’m sure he already forgot her – Olivia said – he liked Beth, but he truly loves you. I can tell by the way he looks at you, the way he treats you. He has never done this for anyone before – Olivia gazed deeply into Erika’s eyes – what I will say may be hard, Erika, but despite our differences, I trust Drake. Who I don’t trust is Beth.

_Oh? – Erika was surprise – but she’s your friend, isn’t she?

_That’s why we don’t trust her – Hana added, making Erika even more surprised.

_That William Jacqueline said is the Duke of Albanera, an old friend of Benedict. His son Antonio was engaged to Beth, until he found out she was having an affair with his own father. Victoria, William’s wife, wanted to make a scandal and tell everyone what happened, but in the name of her friendship with Jacqueline and Benedict, she didn’t. We know it because Beth told us, and she was sad that she wouldn’t see Antonio again. If she really liked him, why was she sleeping with William?

_And I’ve seen her hinting on Landon, Penelope’s father! – Hana revealed – she’s not afraid to seduce married men.

_I can’t believe! – Erika exclaimed – but she was always so nice to me and Drake…okay, sometimes I noticed something strange between them but…I thought it would be because of their friendship in the past.

_If you consider Drake, yes, but if you consider Beth…be careful, Erika – Olivia opined.

_We’re telling you this because we’re your friends – Hana took her hands – and we know Beth. She’s a nice person, but not when she’s around men. Married men – while they walked back to the party, Erika wondered what Hana and Olivia told her. She had no problem with Beth and Drake having had a relationship in the past. The present was what mattered. And if Hana and Olivia were right, now her present was in danger. What if she tried to seduce Drake? Would he want to revive their old days? No…how could Erika think something like this about Drake? Even Olivia trusted him, why Erika wouldn’t? How could she not trust his love? Her thoughts were interrupted by her husband, encircling her waist with his arms.

_Hey, Williams! Where have you been? I was looking for you.

_I was outside with Olivia and Hana, sorry if I keep you waiting…

_No problem, I didn’t want to screw Little Lulu’s Club reunion either – they laughed – Catherine and Henry are about to make a speech and cut the cake.

_Oh, I’d like to see this – when Erika saw Beth near her family, she felt a flutter in her stomach – Drake, can I ask you something?

_Of course.

_Do you love me? – he arched an eyebrow.

_You know I love you, Erika, I say that all the time! – Drake hugged her – I love you more than anything, more than I’ve ever loved anyone – he noticed her frail expression, and a few tears leaving her brown eyes – hey, what’s the problem?

_Nothing, it’s just…I think I’m more sensitive because of pregnancy… - he smiled and pulled her into his arms again.

_If it makes you feel better, I love you, Erika Williams-Walker. I’ll always love you, no matter what happens – that last line clicked into her mind. I’ll always love you, no matter what happens. It doesn’t matter if Beth tried to seduce him. It doesn’t matter if that baby wasn’t his. Erika kept repeating that in her mind.

I’ll always love you, no matter what happens.

#the royal romance #drake walker #drake x mc #drake x erika #fanfic #choices fanfic #choices #playchoices

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itsalliepg · 4 years

Text

What Happened In Vegas - Drake x Erika (MC) - Part 4

SUMMARY: Olivia pressures Erika (MC) to tell her the truth about her pregnancy.

PAIRING: Drake x Erika (MC)

RATING: Teen

WORDS: 1300

NOTE: English isn’t my native language. I write to practice and learn, so please sorry any mistakes. I hope you like it, and if you do, I’d appreciate if you like/comment/reblog!

Click here to read Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Tagging @cora-nova @texaskitten30

The next morning, Erika was surprised with her phone buzzing. It was Olivia, asking her if she could pay a visit. Erika was surprised again, this was the first time Oliva had asked her to do something like that, just the two of them. So, the Duchess of Valtoria was very excited when she answered the text with a yes. Drake would be out all day, again with Savannah and Bartie. Bertrand was on a business trip and he didn’t want her sister and nephew to be alone. Olivia was relieved to find that it was just her and Erika that afternoon. Not because she wouldn’t see Drake, but because they would be freer to talk and she could finally make Erika say what the problem was.

That afternoon, when the Duchess of Lythikos arrived, Erika greeted her with a tight hug. Olivia smiled. She’d better get used to it.

_I’m so glad you’re here! Let’s have some tea on my balcony, the sight of my state is wonderful.

_I’m sure it’s not as wonderful as Lythikos, but I trust your taste – Olivia winked, and Erika rolled her eyes, laughing. As they sat at the balcony table, having tea and apple pie (Olivia had to admit the gorgeousness of the nature around the palace, let alone the waterfall), the two friends talked excitedly. But Olivia had to ask – and…the baby? How are things going? – suddenly the joy on Erika’s face faded. Her smile disappeared, and she shifted awkwardly in the chair. That was the confirmation Olivia needed. Something was wrong.

_Well, everything is fine – Erika answered, almost stammering.

_And Drake, is he excited?

_Yes, he is.

_Does he want a boy or a girl?

_Uh, he says he wants a girl, since we already have Bartie in the family…

_And…how about you?

_Me? – Erika’s eyes widened, and Olivia nodded – I, uh, I don’t know really, I just want a healthy baby – Olivia put her cup of tea on the table and stared at Erika.

_Erika, I know there’s something wrong with your pregnancy – Erika was scared even more.

_What…what do you mean?

_Look, you consider me a friend, and I consider you so too. After all we’ve been through together, I think we can trust each other – Erika considered Oliva’s words, and she was absolutely right. And having more help at that time would be great.

_Okay, Olivia, you’re right – she sighed.

_Are you really pregnant?

_Yes. But I’d rather not be.

_Why? I thought that was what you and Drake always wanted.

_Because…I don’t know if Drake is the father – Olivia was open-mouthed.

_What? – Erika told her about the night on that same balcony, and then the last fling in Vegas the next night, and how she didn’t use any protection. And how had she chosen Maxwell – wait, so can Maxwell or Drake be the father? – Erika nodded and started to cry.

_I don’t know what to do, Olivia! I know I should be excited about this news, having a baby with the man I love, but I’m afraid! I’m afraid of carrying Maxwell’s baby! I keep repeating in my mind that this is Drake’s baby, but I’m so afraid that when they’re born, it’s a miniature of Maxwell! – Erika cried deeply. The angst of the days before, when she confirmed her pregnancy, was finally being translated into tears she was struggling to hold back – I’d rather not be pregnant, so I’d make sure Drake was the father! And he’s so excited that he’s helping Savannah take care of Bartie so he could learn a little more about it, can you imagine what could happen if he found out he’s not the father of this baby? – Erika buried her face in her hands, and Olivia stroked her back.

_Wow, I must confess I imagined a lot of things, but nothing like that. Now I know why you were so uncomfortable during lunch, not wanting to be near Maxwell and not caring about Beth outshining you.

_Did you notice all this? – Erika asked, surprised. Now she was thinking other people should have noticed too.

_Of course. But I’m sure I was the only one. Only I would have enough intelligence to notice that you were strange – Erika thought that was rude, but true. Olivia was the smartest by far – well, you and Hana, since I notice some change in her behavior as well. You two were totally awkward, exchanging glances and such. She knows about it, right? – damn, Olivia was really good at that. Erika wondered why she hadn’t told Olivia before about her pregnancy.

_Yes, she knows. You and Hana are the only people who know this – she took Olivia’s hands and looked at her with pleading eyes – please don’t tell anyone, I asked her the same, you’re the only people who should know about this, okay?

_Of course, Erika, is the least I can do – Olivia smiled – but, what are you going to do now?

_I’m honestly considering living each day at a time. I’m forcing myself to think less about this parenting issue so that I can enjoy my pregnancy. Damn, I always wanted to be a mother, and this is happening! I will pretend this doubt doesn’t exist – Olivia listened and saw Erika calming down, but she was still nervous, as if she knew it wouldn’t be enough to solve her problems. Olivia wondered if that was the best thing to do, but she couldn’t think about anything else to do herself. She had no idea what she would do if she were in Erika’s shoes – and I must be great, tomorrow Drake and I will announce the news to the public. Drake wants something simple, he hates dealing with the press, so I was thinking of posting a picture on Pictagram.

_This is so you and Drake – Olivia shook her head but grinned – you are really people for the people, since you have no noble ancestry. I admire that.

_Oh, are you complimenting Drake? – Erika nudged Olivia, and she rolled her eyes.

_I was complimenting you actually, but yeah, I guess it extends to Drake too – Erika giggled and her phone buzzed. It was an unknow number.

“Hey Erika. I’d like to invite you to my sister’s engagement party in my family’s manor. Drake is invited too, of course”

Erika frowned at her phone, and she was about to show Olivia the message when her phone vibrated again.

“It’s Beth, by the way. I got your number from Liam”

_Who’s texting you? – Olivia asked.

_Beth. She’s inviting me and Drake to her sister’s engagement.

_Oh, so Catherine will indeed marry that guy – Olivia rolled her eyes – oh, she’s inviting me too – she said as she saw her phone buzzing as well – so, you go?

_Why not? She’s an old friend of yours, and she was so nice with me yesterday, and now she invited me. I don’t see why not – Erika noticed Olivia’s brows furrowing, and her lips forming a thin line – Olivia, are you okay?

_Yes, I’m fine – she answered abruptly, as if ready to say that, no matter what Erika asked – and what are you going to wear?

_Actually, I think it’s the perfect occasion to debut my new Ana de Luca – Erika got up excitedly, opened her enormous closet and pulled out a dark green sleeveless gown, , with hundreds of crystals embroidered on the collar – what do you think?

_Amazing. Especially because it’s not red. You already learnt that red is my color, I like that – they laughed and chatted a little more, before Olivia left the mansion. Erika sighed looking at herself in the mirror. Her belly was still the same size, but soon it would be bigger. Something she didn’t want. She never dreamed it would be like this.

#the royal romance #drake walker #drake x mc #drake x erika #fanfic #choices fanfic #choices #playchoices

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