#Some of y’all need a periodic reminder that Sometimes Things Are Complicated

[ninadove]

*Inhales*

Listen

Did Felix constantly push Adrien under the bus in order to secure his own safety and freedom throughout S3 and S4? Yes.

Did he do all of this with the understanding that this short-term damage wouldn’t matter in the long run, because he always planned on coming back for him? Also yes.

A lot of the criticism I’m seeing against his arc recently seems to spark from people not sharing the same experiences he had, of being abused and isolated from his sibling cousin. And while that’s absolutely fine (good for you, that should be the norm), his story actually makes a lot of sense to a lot of people. It’s different from the abuse narratives we’re used to seeing onscreen, with victim profiles that are closer to Adrien and Kagami — people we’re supposed to be rooting for since the very beginning — but it is SO well done and realistic and nuanced I’m actually surprised to be getting this from Miraculous of all shows.

It’s not that Felix’s characterisation changed after Emotion. It’s that we’re finally starting to see the full picture.

[tchallasbabymama]

M’Baku’s Love- Chapter 6

Here’s the next chapter of M’Baku’s Love. Check out my masterlist HERE to catch up and read my other stories. Let me know what you think or if you want to be tagged. Hope y’all enjoy!

Word count: ~6100

When M’Baku picked Niecey up for their date, the first thing they both noticed was that his dark brown tuxedo with gorilla fur sash clashed with Neicey’s low-cut black sequin dress. The two of them obviously hadn’t discussed what they were wearing and it showed, which irritated Niecey to no end. M’Baku really couldn’t care less, but she was seriously upset about how they’d look together in pictures.

“You couldn’t find a black tux?” she asked him just before they walked in after seething in the car the whole twenty minute ride over. 

“I had plenty of options, but I wore this because it reminded me of formal Jabari attire.” he fought to keep his eyes from rolling. 

“Ugh fine, hopefully we won’t look too bad. Come on.” she walked ahead of him as he handed the valet his keys and they entered the gala. People mingled about, eating and drinking and no doubt opening their pocketbooks. Even the dance floor had a decent amount of people swaying to the jazz music coming from the live band.

However, nothing could have prepared M’Baku for how beautiful Monae looked that night. She happened to be looking towards the door at the moment he walked in and their eyes met from across the room. She had paired a spaghetti strap bronze silk gown with a split up her left thigh with strappy nude heels that made it look like she was walking on her tiptoes all night and her favorite delicate gold drop earrings that dusted her collarbone. They held each other’s gaze for a little too long, and both of their dates noticed but chose not to say anything.

M’Baku and Neicey made their way through the crowd, stopping periodically to speak to their colleagues. She tried to avoid Monae by ignoring that side of the room entirely, but M’Baku eventually steered them right in her direction.

“Monae, Darrin. How are you two this evening?” he asked as they approached the couple.

“It’s actually Derrick-”

“Oh, my apologies.”

Monae fought to keep a laugh in.

“I’m Neicey,” she inserted herself in the conversation with an attitude that rubbed both Monae and M’Baku the wrong way. 

“Nice to meet you Neicey,” Derrick responded before taking a sip of his champagne.

“Thank you... Derrick, was it?”

“That’s me. So do you work here with these two?”

“I do, but we’re in different departments. Although I guess M’Baku doesn't really have a department,” she laughed and Derrick was the only one that joined her. The two of them continued to get acquainted while M’Baku and Monae tried to avoid each other's gaze. However They were unsuccessful and ended up locking eyes across Derrick and Neicey’s conversation, but when Derrick looked up to bring in M’Baku he saw the look of adoration on the man’s face as he stared longingly at Monae. Derrick couldn’t believe this man was so bold as to stare at his fiancee like that right in front of him.. 

“Hey man, so I hear you’re only in town  for a short while. When are you leaving?” Derrick asked with a certain gruffness in his voice. 

“Derrick, don’t be rude,” Monae whispered to him, shooting an apologetic smile M’Baku’s way. Derrick brushed her off and continued his line of questioning.

“I’m just curious. When are you going back to Wakanda?” 

“I will be here two more months,” M’Baku stood tall. “And you?” He threw back.

“We’ll be moving in a couple weeks actually,” he looked down at Monae as her jaw clenched. “Monae’s still not happy about it though, are you Momo?”

She gave him a forced smile, “We don’t need to talk about that right now, let’s just have a good time.”

“There you are! Damn, y’all clean up nice.” N’Jadaka said as he and T’Challa made their way over to greet M’Baku and company. Both Udakus had on black tuxes with silk scarves draped over their left shoulders, the prince’s a shiny gold and the king’s a bold purple. 

“Thanks, so do you two,” Neicey responded. 

“I wouldn’t be brave enough to rock a scarf like that.” Derrick added.

“Yes, well you-“

“Look nice in your tux,” T’Challa cut off M’Baku, shooting him a look.  “Actually Derrick we were wondering if you would give us some, uh, legal advice. We have a few questions about opening a pro-Bono legal clinic.”

“That’s not my specialty, but sure.”

“Fantastic!. We need you to meet some people. Monae do you mind if we steal him away from you?”

“By all means…”

The three men walked away as M’Baku caught Shuri’s eye across the room. She and Nakia were slowly making their way over to them, but kept being stopped and roped into conversations with various prospective donors.

“So, Monae. Where are you moving to?” Neicey asked, hoping it was somewhere far, far away.

“That’s a complicated answer right now-“

“So you’re staying?”

“Like I said, it's complicated,” she deadpanned and grabbed another flute of champagne from a passing waiter, placing her empty one back on the tray.

“I guess.” she shrugged before turning back to her date. “M’Baku let’s get a real drink from the bar, not this bubbly mess.” She tried to pull him towards the bar, but he didn’t budge.

“Monae, would you like to join us? I do not want to just leave you here all alone,” he offered as Shuri and Nakia came up behind him.

“Thank you, but I’ll let the two of you spend some time together,” she said with a sarcastic tone that only M’Baku picked up on. “Besides, these gorgeous ladies just showed up to keep me company.” She gestured to the royalty in their presence and M’Baku turned around to greet them.

“My Queen, Princess, you both look lovely this evening.” 

Nakia wore a floor-length eggplant gown with a sweetheart neckline with matching opera gloves and emerald jewelry. Shuri surprisingly had on heels with her black jumpsuit that was covered in gold embroidery. They both looked regal, even more so than usual.

“Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself. And Monae, this bronze is stunning! Did you two come together?” Shuri asked, accidentally stirring the pot. M’Baku could feel Neicey seething on the other side of him.

“No, we did,” she said as she grabbed onto his arm.

“Oh I’m sorry, I just thought with the outfits- nevermind. I love the sequins.”

“Thank you.”

An awkward silence followed, but Nakia broke it before it could go on too long.

“How has your class been going? I hear great things from the kids,” Nakia asked, declining a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. 

“Oh they’re a dream to work with. Have you seen their latest project? Last week I taught them about revisionist history and they’ve been researching real historical facts and performing skits based around their subject. You have to come by and see it. They’re so good!”

“I’ll stop by on Monday for sure,” Nakia responded. “Since your class is so popular I’d love it if you could come with me to talk to some of our donors.”

“Sure but M’Ba-“

“He’ll be fine. Plus I think the Princess needs him for something anyway.” Nakia led her away from her date and over to the only group of rich Black folks in the room.

Shuri turned to wink at M’Baku and tried to slip away before Monae could notice her escape since she had turned to talk to one of her art teachers and his wife, but Monae caught her at the last second..

“So, princess, quick question-“

“Princess? You know I’m just Shuri to you, Monae.”

“Not when you look like that you’re not. Did she say yes?”

“Yes! She’s right over there mingling with some of the other tech nerds,” she pointed to a short, shapely, bald girl in a jumpsuit just like Shuri’s. “Her name is Tae. Isn’t she just the cutest?”

“Absolutely adorable,” M’Baku smiled at his friend, happy she had finally been able to make a move. 

“Well, I should go mingle some more. I’ll catch you two later! Again, love the matching outfits,” Shuri said as she skirted away. She picked up a champagne flute, but before she could even bring it to her lips, her brother came out of nowhere and snatched it from her grasp.

“You’re too young.”

“Oh come on, I can drink at home!”

“This isn’t Wakanda, and you’re not 21. We have to present a good image for the donors-“

“We don’t even need donors, we have more than enough money to fund the center.”

“Yes, but people want to have a say in what goes on in their communities and rich people like to throw money around. Who am I to deny them that right?”

“You just like taking colonizer’s money,” she whispered to him and he responded with a wink before sipping from the confiscated champagne flute. 

“You’re starting to get it.” He walked away with a smug look on his face to find his wife in the crowd. Shuri rolled her eyes and went to go keep Tae company.

Meanwhile, Monae and M’Baku finally got a moment alone. 

“You look absolutely beautiful tonight. This dress is very distracting.”

“Thank you. You know, sometimes I forget you’re a chief but right now you really do look like royalty. Hell, all you Wakandans do.”

“You say that as though you do not look like a queen yourself.”

Monae blushed and he held out his arm towards her.

“Want a real drink?”

“God, yes.” 

He laughed and led her to the open bar, ordering them both whiskey, his neat and hers on ice.

“How did you know I was a whiskey girl?”

“I did my research on your home, too. I figured Jack Daniels was a safe bet.”

“And the ice?”

“You ask for extra ice on everything, so I just assumed-“

“Correctly.”

They smiled at each other and continued flirting back and forth by the bar until they caught the eye of a jealous lover. Derrick stormed over to the bar and stood between them.

“Are you having fun?” he asked Monae, back turned to M’Baku.

“Derrick stop being rude, we were in the middle of a conversation-“

“Yeah I saw. I’m ready to get out of here, let’s go.”

“We haven’t been here that long-“

“I said let’s go.”

M’Baku didn’t like the tone of voice he used when speaking to her, so he stepped in, squaring up with Derrick

“I think the lady-“

“Did I ask you?” he raised his voice as he turned to face the chief. “No, I didn’t. Monae, let’s- fuck, where’d she go?” When turned back around she was gone.

“I will go find her.”

“Nah big man, you’ve done enough. I’ll go find my girl.” And with that, he was off, leaving M’Baku at the bar alone. He threw back his drink right as N’Jadaka approached.

“Yo what’s up with you?”

“I am going to kill him.”

“Who, Demarcus?”

“Yes. He is too controlling of her.”

“Well it’s not like you’ll have to deal with him much longer.” The prince said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Hey where’d your date disappear to?”

M’Baku shrugged and N’Jadaka chuckled before something caught his eye.

“There’s your girl.” He nodded towards the entryway, and M’Baku turned around to see Monae and Derrick having what looked to be a very quiet heated argument. As luck would have it, Neicey reappeared at that moment.

“Hey cutie, miss me?” She clung to his arm and he felt his blood pressure rise. She noticed the tension in his shoulders. “What’s up with you?”

“Monae’s fiance is being a dick,” N’Jadaka answered for him, prompting Neicey to roll her eyes.

“Again with all the Monae talk? I’m so tired of hearing about that bitch-”

M’Baku’s head had never turned so fast, and N’Jadaka was seriously concerned for Neicey’s safety for a moment.

“What did you just call her?” M’Baku asked for clarification, making sure he heard her right.

“How about we all chill out. Neicey, wanna dance?”

“Sure, why not. It’s not like he was gonna ask me anyway.”

N’Jadaka gave M’Baku a look that told him to relax before escorting Neicey to the dance floor. 

M’Baku looked back up to find Monae and she was nowhere in sight, so he made his way towards the doors to see if she had maybe gone outside for some air. She hadn’t, they had just gone around the corner to argue in peace. Yet again, he caught the tail end of their disagreement.

“You never want to support anything I do, Derrick. I’m tired of it.”

“Well I’m tired of you flirting with that chief guy.”

“That ‘chief guy’ has a name-”

“Do I look like I care? Look, we’re leaving for LA in two weeks. Do you think you can keep your legs closed until then?”

Monae was stunned, mostly because she had no comeback. She had already opened her legs for M’Baku, but Derrick didn’t know that. Thankfully he took her shock for offense and tried to backtrack.

“I didn’t mean it to sound that way-”

“Yes you did.”

“Monae, I-”

“No. Derrick I’m tired of doing this back and forth. You don’t respect me and you never have. I can’t keep doing this-”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying we’re done, Derrick. You can go to LA and be this big, successful entertainment lawyer all you want now. I’m done.” She took the ring off her finger and handed it back to him.

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, waiting for a response.

“You think you can live the  life I could provide for you on your teacher’s salary?” his voice was low and full of rage.

“Oh honey, I make way more than the average teacher. They actually pay us here, so I’ll be fine. You’re not needed.”

He was fuming.

“Fine! Don’t come crawling back to me when he leaves you behind.”

And with that, Derrick turned and left the gala.

M’Baku wasn’t sure of what to do, should he go to her or give her space? He heard her sniffles and quickly made up his mind.

“Monae-”

“What?!” she yelled before she could register the voice that was speaking to her since she kept her back towards the door so nobody would see her tears.

“Monae, I am sorry.”

She broke down upon really hearing his voice.

“It’s not your fault, it was bound to happen anyway. It’s just hard to let go of so many years, you know?”

“I understand, I have been there. I am still sorry for my part in this and how it led to hurting you.”

“You’ve been here before?”

“Yes, she broke my heart so I had to let her go, but the situation was very different. Can I get you anything?”

She smiled through her tears at his attempt to be helpful.

“No I just need to clean up, and get back out there.” she pointed to the restrooms. He waited for her while she went in to dry her tears and fix her makeup. As he did, he caught sight of N’Jadaka and Neicey sneaking out together and let out a chuckle. At least that situation was taken care of, now he could focus all his energy on Monae.

When she emerged her makeup was once again flawless and M’Baku couldn’t help but stare at her beauty.

“What? Did I miss a spot?” she panicked

“No, just taking it all in,” he said with a whimsical smile on his face.

She blushed and reached to grab his arm before stopping herself.

“Where’s Neicey? I don’t want her chomping my damn head off for being within a 5 foot radius of you.”

M’Baku laughed. “Oh, she will not be a problem anymore, I just saw N’Jadaka take her home for the night.”

“Of course he did,” Monae wrapped her arm around M’Baku’s large bicep. He led her back into the gala just as T’Challa was finishing up his speech.

“-and to the donors, we raise our glasses to you for your continued support and interest in bettering the community. We couldn’t do this without you.”

Shuri scoffed and Nakia fought to hide a smile, nudging her sister-in-law to keep her quiet.

“Please, continue to utilize our open bar and try some of the hors d'oeuvres our wonderful wait staff are carrying around the room. Enjoy your night, and we appreciate your generosity.” Nakia added.

Everyone clapped as the three royals exited the stage.

“Where the hell is N’Jadaka?” T’Challa asked M’Baku when he made his way over.

“Oh he’s busy with Neicey.”

“N- ohhh. That’s great!” he noticed Monae's confused face and dialed it back a little. “I mean, good for him.”

Monae could tell something was up, but she’d get it out of M’Baku later. 

“Nice speech, T. I can already see the money rolling in. You know, rich white folks love easing their guilty consciences.” 

“Thank you, Monae. The more they give us, the less we have to put up, and the more centers we can open and do the same thing all over again.” T’Challa said softly through a fake smile as some of those rich white people walked within earshot of the conversation.

“Have you looked at other locations?”

“We have, it is difficult to narrow down cities. We want to stay in the US for now, but eventually we could become global.”

“You should look into Nashville. It’s crawling with gentrifiers, and North Nashville has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country. For Black folks, of course.”

“Really? I was unaware of that. North Nashville, you say... I am assuming that is a Black neighborhood?”

“Not for much longer,” she said with a deep sadness in her face that the king took note of. “But an Outreach Center could really help the community.”

“I will keep that in mind, thank you. So….” The king looked on expectantly.

“Sooo…?” Monae asked back before he gestured to the two of them. She playfully rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.”

M’Baku chuckled at both of their antics.

“I’m sure you don’t…” T’Challa said as he walked away to go mingle with the crowd some more.

“How long do these things usually last?” M’Baku leaned down and said with his lips grazing her ear. 

“I don't know, this is my first gala. Why, tired of it already?”

“Honestly, yes. I would much rather be on my couch right about now, the collars on these button up shirts are extremely uncomfortable.”

“Let’s go then. I’m not in the mood to deal with people, and that couch sounds real good right about now.”

-------

Had she been thinking, Monae would’ve run home real quick to change, but there she was barefoot in an evening  gown  in M’Baku’s kitchen going through his fridge to find something to eat.

“We should order in, those hors d'oeuvres weren’t enough.”

“What do you have a taste for?” M’Baku rounded the corner in grey sweatpants and a black tank and it took everything in Monae to not jump him right then and there.

“Honestly? You, but I’m also not in the mood. You can’t just walk around looking like that, it’s not fair.”

He cornered her against the counter, arms on either side of her.

“And you walking around here in this gown is unfair to me, yet here you are.” he looked down at her erect nipples, stiff from the chill of his loft. He had turned the thermostat up to 70 for her, but that was as high as he was willing to go.

He kissed her forehead and backed up, trying not to stare too hard at her heaving chest.

“M’Baku, I might need some time. I’m still kind of in a weird headspace right now and-”

“I understand, which is why I have a surprise for you.”

Her face lit up like a kid at Christmas. “What is it?”

“You will have to come over here to find out.” He said with a chuckle, walking towards the living area and plopping on the couch. She joined him shortly after and he picked up the remote. When he pressed play tears came to her eyes as she heard the twinkling sounds of the opening to her favorite movie.

“You remembered?” she asked through the couple tears that had escaped her eyes. One day during their many lunches, she had mentioned that her favorite feel-good movie was The Wiz and since he had never seen it, she vowed to change that. Now here he was, pulling out all the stops.

“Of course I did, I have been making my own ‘Captain America’ list.”

“So have I! It’s on my phone, I’ll grab it after the movie.”

They decided to order pizza and she settled into the couch, but couldn’t get comfortable in her dress.

“Let me get you a change of clothes. It might be a little big-”

“A little? I’m like a foot shorter than you, I’ll be swimming in whatever you give me.”

He chuckled and motioned for her to follow him. She paused the movie right as Toto ran into the snowstorm and got up, trying not to trip over her dress since she no longer had on her heels. 

M’Baku found a t-shirt for her to wear and got to looking for pants when she stopped him.

“This should be fine, you’ve already seen everything and this’ll be like a dress on me anyway.” she said, undoing her side zipper and letting the gown fall to the ground before reaching for the shirt. He snatched it away from her and held it up high, forcing her to either climb him or jump for it. She chose the latter and he was too distracted by her bouncing breasts to keep the shirt out of reach. She snatched it from his hand and threw it on, sticking her tongue out at him in the process.

“Do that again, and I will find a much better use for your tongue.” he warned her as they made their way back to the couch.

Monae blushed and plopped down next to him, tucking her legs under her and leaning into M’Baku. He put his arm around her so she could lean in closer and his hand rested on her waist while his fingers mindlessly traced patterns into her side. They stayed like that until the pizza arrived and got right back into position after they ate.

She knew every line and lyric, and M’Baku found himself watching her more than the movie. She was beaming the whole time except when sang along to “Home” through her usual tears.

“Why are you sad?” he asked, wiping them away. She smiled at his concern.

“I’m not sad, it’s just an emotional song. It always gets me” she spoke while dabbing her eyes with a clean napkin. “Ready to see my list?”

“I was born ready.”

She grabbed her phone from the charger while he grabbed a notebook off the coffee table. When she returned, she got right back into the same position tucked into his side and turned her phone on to see several voicemails from Derrick. She rolled her eyes and unlocked her phone, going to her notes app and pulling up her very own “Captain America List”.

“Ok, you go first!”

M’Baku opened his notebook and flipped through the pages for a moment before he found what he was looking for.

“Well I can cross off The Wiz. It is an excellent movie by the way, but I already knew you had good taste,” he said cockily. She nudged him in his side. “This is what I have so far: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Lemonade (but not the drink), spades, Roots, The Color Purple, and Friday.”

“Ok, ok, good start. Here’s some more, and this is not an exhaustive list. I will be adding more.” She cleared her throat, “So far I have: The New Jim Crow, Homecoming, “the cookout”, the Harlem Renaissance, Kindred, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pose, and T’Challa’s Black Jeopardy sketch.“

M’Baku scribbled it all down as she spoke, and she was tickled by his intense concentration. 

“Anything else?”

“That’s it for now. Where did you get yours from?”

“N’Jadaka and Deontae. Tell me about what’s on your list.”

“Well first we have The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. It’s a really depressing book, but if you want to understand white supremacy in this country and how it still operates today, this is a must. Homecoming because not only is it a flawless performance by Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter-”

“I believe I have heard some of her music, she is very talented.”

“Oh-ho-ho, just you wait. It’s not just about her though, you’ll get a feel for the HBCU experience and that’s important. You have to go to a cookout at least once. I’m gonna try to convince N’Jadaka to throw one at his place, I can’t describe in any other words than Black as fuck. The only thing that beats it is a family reunion. Next we have the Harlem Renaissance which is a whole time period of Black creativity. Authors, artists, musicians, you name it. Kindred is one of my favorite books, it’s sci-fi and has time travel but as I’m sure you can guess, that doesn’t work well for Black people in this country.”

M’Baku could listen to her talk for days and almost got lost in her lips until she caught him and shocked him from his daze.

“Are you listening?”

“I-I am sorry, you are just so beautiful. Please, keep going, I want to hear more.”

“Where was I?” she asked as a heat crept up her cheeks. “Oh, um, right. So, Alvin Ailey because I’m a dancer so obviously I would pick that, and Pose because it’s a really good show and you’ll learn some about the AIDS crisis and how Black and Brown queer and trans people are treated here. Newsflash: not that good. Last, we have T’Challa’s SNL sketch. Oh my god, you have to watch it, he’s actually really funny. That’s all I have for now, but I’ll add more as it comes to me.”

“Tell me about my list.” he requested, continuing to stare at her lips as she spoke again.

“Your list?”

“Mhm.” he said, looking at her dreamily. It was late so she couldn't tell if he was simply tired or enamoured by her. Probably both. 

“Ok, well, let me see here…” she looked over his list. “Autobiography of Malcolm X, another must. Do you know who he is?”

“Yes, I learned of him when I was researching your people’s history. He was quite a polarizing character, but I agree with his stance.”

“I actually have all of these books, I’ll bring them to you on Monday. Next up is...Lemonade! This is from Deontae, isn't it?”

“How did you guess?”

“He’s a huge Beyoncé fan and I know damn well this didn’t come from Prince Charming.”

“You think he is charming?” M’Baku asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s a character from some old story...and Shrek 2. Anyways, yes, Lemonade the movie not the drink. Spades? Oh, N’Jadaka’s trying to get you killed. Black people do not play when it comes to spades. It’s a card game, I’ll teach you. Roots is a book and a miniseries about a family going through the horrors of slavery. The Color Purple...now reading the book is recommended, but you have to watch the movie. References galore, same with Friday. It’s hilarious, quotable, and about smoking weed. What more could you ask for?”

“Weed?”

A slow grinch-like smile crept up Monae’s face.

“Have you ever smoked before? Eaten an edible?”

“No, it never appealed to me.”

A belly laugh erupted out of Monae and M’Baku stared at her in confusion.

“Oh my god, you got me feeling like Smokey, but my nigga...I’m getting you high. You gotta do it at least once.”

“I will try it for you.”

Monae was giddy and although he couldn't understand where her excitement was coming from, he was looking forward to finding out. 

-------

The next morning M’Baku woke up to the feel of movement on his left side. His eyes slowly blinked open as he watched Monae attempt to sneak away from him.

“Where are you going?” he asked, stretching his body and sitting up from the couch. They had fallen asleep around 4am after talking and drinking wine all night, and although the couch was not the most comfortable to sleep on, M’Baku was. Monae slept like a baby, but M’Baku’s neck would probably be hurting for the next day or so.

“As much as we drank last night, where do you think?”

“Someone is feisty in the morning.”

“No, I’m feisty when I’m trying not to pee on myself.”

M’Baku chuckled as she ran down the hallway towards the bathroom. A couple minutes later she poked her head into the hallway.

“Do you have an extra toothbrush I can use?”

“Bottom drawer.”

“Thanks!”

The chief had just finished his morning stretches when Monae reappeared and he took her place. When he emerged, she had eggs and vegetables sitting on the counter and was rummaging through his cabinets. He saw her standing on her tiptoes trying to grab a frying pan that was just out of her reach and he came up behind her to grab it for her. He handed it to her and bent down to lightly kiss her on the neck and whisper in her ear.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

A chill went down her spine as she fought to focus on the task at hand.

“Good morning, handsome.”

He turned her around to face him.

“So you think I am handsome?” he teased, leaning in closer to her lips as her arms made their way around his neck.

“Of course.” She closed the distance and gave him a soft peck, and he responded by pulling her in for a real kiss, tongue and all. 

“You know…” she started.

“What?”

“I’m single now…”

“Really? I was not aware,” M’Baku said sarcastically. She playfully hit his chest and his deep, rumbling laugh filled the room.

“Ok, ok I will stop,” he grinned at her.

“As I was saying, since I’m single now I can do whatever I want.”

“Whoever, you mean.”

“Exactly, and it’s a very short list,” she gave him a light kiss. “But first, breakfast!” she pulled away, much to his dismay, but he let her turn back around towards the counter. He held her waist and rested his head on top of hers.

“You know, the more you distract me the longer it’ll take to eat.”

“I do not care,” he said, squeezing her tighter. “Unless you want help, in which case I can be an excellent assistant.”

“I’d like that, actually. Grab a knife and start cutting up the onion while I put on some music.”

The two of them danced around the kitchen to Monae’s “Good Morning” Spotify playlist, M’Baku catching everything she threw back at him and surprising her by being light on his feet. After he finished chopping up the onions, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes, he tried to reach for the pan, but Monae’s hand was quicker and beat him to it.

“Nope! I’m cooking breakfast as a thank you.”

“For what?” his head tilted to the side and he gave her a curious glance. 

“For...well, everything. It’s been a good month and you’ve been a good friend to me, even though we both know you were always more than a friend...the point is, thank you for being there for me and for making me laugh and for letting me stay the night.”

“Of course, that is what friends do.” he kissed her on the neck again as he walked by to grab dishes from the cabinet. Monae took the apple slices she had just cut and covered them in cinnamon and nutmeg before tossing them in the now-hot skillet. The coconut oil popped her a little, but she was used to it since she had been cooking for years. She let the apples cook down and continued to dance on her own while M’Baku recorded her moves on his rarely-used kimoyo beads.

She put on a show for him, rolling her hips and bouncing her ass extra hard, his t-shirt flying up so that he could get a glimpse of her pussy. She dropped it low to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Cry Baby” before bringing it back up slowly and checking on the apples, which were just about done. She started sauteing up the chopped vegetables and cracked a few eggs into a bowl before whipping them up and pouring them into the skillet. She scrambled up the eggs while she cracked open an avocado and placed slices of it on toast on both plates. M’Baku watched her make herself at home in his space and he wondered for a moment what it would be like to wake up every morning to this, and not just for the next two months.

His thoughts were cut short by her calling his name.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes, I am sorry, I just...you really are enchanting.”

Her bottom lip found its place between her teeth as she handed him his plate. He dug into his honey avocado toast, vegetable scramble, and fried apples like he hadn't eaten in days. When he finished he leaned back and rubbed his stomach in slow circles.

“You are the second best cook I have ever met.”

“Second? The first better be your mama-”

He chuckled at how easily she gets riled up.

“In fact, it is. You two would get along great, she is feisty just like you.”

“No wonder you have good taste in women,” she winked at him as she got up to grab their dishes. He reached for them, but she swatted his hand away. “Aht! This is a ‘thank you’, remember? You can wash them next time.”

She put the dishes in the sink before rinsing one off and placing it in the dishwasher when M’Baku came up behind her, holding her hips and grinding into her.

“I cannot wait to thank you,” he said slowly as he kissed from her ear to her collarbone. Monae was frozen on the spot, stuck under his spell, pussy throbbing more with every touch of his lips and every whisper. 

“What are you waiting for?” She pushed her ass into him, feeling his thick, juicy dick sitting on her lower back. Those sweatpants weren’t holding anything down, and she was thankful for the print she saw when she looked behind her, prompting her to turn around and grab it, forcing the chief to let out a rumbling moan.

“N-not now, I want to take you out first on a real date.”

“Ugh, then why are you doing this to me? I’m horny as fuck, M’Baku.”

He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her softly, speaking against her lips, “Because I want your body ready for me.”

She shivered as he backed away from her and left the kitchen, heading towards the dining area to finish clearing off the table.

“So about this date. When are you free?”

“I’m free all weekend,” she said as his gap toothed smile grew bigger across his face.

“Well then how about this: I take you home, then I come back for you later and we go to the festival you mentioned last night.”

She did a little celebratory dance before jumping up to kiss him on the cheek and running to his room to put her dress back on. They both slid on their shoes and were out the door in minutes, Monae extra excited to get their date started.

 On the way to Monae’s apartment, they both ignored the confused looks from the passersby as they took in the sight of a man in sweatpants walking hand in hand down the street with a woman in a shiny evening gown. When they reached her building, M’Baku held the door open for her as they entered. He walked her to her door and gave her another featherlight kiss.

“See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

She unlocked her door and stepped in, closing it behind her and taking a deep breath before leaning her back against it and letting out a dreamy sigh. She couldn’t believe it was finally happening.

Next Chapter

Taglist:

@maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @devnicolee

[timetoletgopartner]

Regarding Amybeth’s live

It wasn’t really anything to get too worked up about she didn’t say “there is no hope, stop trying y’all” she just stated what the facts are: As of today the show is cancelled and is not scheduled to be coming back for a fourth season.

Do not let this discourage you!!

Some things to remember however...

1. Netflix hasn’t aired the third season yet and because of this there are certain protocols actors and crew of the show have to follow legally. AB might have got in a little trouble for being so front and centre on the campaign.

2. Sometimes these things work out (Lucifer), sometimes they do not (Shadowhunters) , but if you want something don’t give up on it at the first signs of failure.

3. Like Shadowhunters, Awae is in a two network streaming deal. These are so complicated legally and are not like some of the other shows that have been renewed.

4. I see a lot of people compare this to Lucifer but it is unwise to do so. Netflix obtained the full production rights for Lucifer post cancellation, they did not have a share in the show when it was cancelled so please don’t use it as a benchmark.

5. Netflix help and customer support are run by interns and customer service representatives, take any comments from them with a grain of salt-good or bad- they are primarily there to support account issues and errors not to talk about licenses or show renewals (they are never given such important information). This is the same for any social network account related to these companies (Twitter, Instagram etc)

If you are happy to continue on, do so, don’t be discouraged, at the end of the day if anything else it will be a way to show the cast our overwhelming love and support during this uncertain period.

As always, my asks are open should anyone need reassurance, motivation, have any questions or just need to talk.

And of course the biggest reminder: be kind to yourselves, awae is an incredible show and has an undeniable impact on people, but don’t let its future define your own.

Xx

[ms-demeanor]

I want to be muscly like you so bad but it's so hard to feed myself good muscle building food or even just food regularly and sometimes find the will to move. Do you have any tips?

FOR EATING WITH EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION:

Keep shelf stable foods that you like close at hand. For me that’s stuff like peanut butter and oats, because I keep weird hours and forget to eat and then don’t want to make anything complicated but I’ll eat a few tablespoons of peanut butter or put it into a bowl of oatmeal at any hour of the day or night.

FOR EATING FOR WEIGHT LIFTING/MUSCLE BUILDING:

Your body can’t use 40 grams of protein for muscle synthesis at one time so you’re probably okay to skip protein shakes and protein bars (your body will still use the calories from extra protein and it’ll give you energy, it’s just not going to be absorbed for muscle synthesis beyond about 10g an hour). That’s something that a lot of people getting into lifting stumble on when they start.

It’s not impossible but it is very difficult to lose weight and gain muscle mass at the same time. I’d advise that you focus on muscle gain instead of any sort of weight loss because weight loss as a whole is kind of a giant scam and also because being terrifyingly strong is a neat party trick and will impress your friends when you give them muscle-enhanced bearhugs.

(I’m pretty solidly in the camp of “diet culture is bullshit that actively harms people and maintenance of significant weight loss is only possible as a form of disordered eating” ask me about my 25% body weight loss maintained for three years and subsequent regain and improved health and strength sometime if you’d like some yelling)

FOR FOOD ISSUES AND DIET AS A WHOLE

Eat food that you enjoy. Food doesn’t have a moral weight, eating chicken breasts and broccoli isn’t “good” and eating chocolate cake isn’t “bad.” Eat food that you enjoy, eat it at intervals that feel comfortable to you, and just please try to avoid any nutrient deficiencies.

If you have to avoid nutrient deficiencies by eating fortified food or taking supplements instead of eating only fresh organic vegetables that is FINE FINE FINE and NORMAL and EXPECTED because pretty much nobody can afford to get all their nutrients from fresh organic vegetables.

FOR GENERAL STUFF THAT YOU FORGET

It’s not a bad thing if you have to use life hacks to help you get through the day. There’s no proper way to “adult” and if you need a timer to remember to eat then you need a timer and there’s no shame in that.

But yeah, make things easy on yourself. If there’s one food that’s a go-to that you’re always willing to eat then make sure you have that food around. For me it’s frozen bean and rice burritos. Even if I’m exhausted or depressed or sick to my stomach or not feeling hungry but I know I should be I can eat one of my frozen, celiac safe burritos. But if I don’t have them (“ugh, that’s just junk food” “do you really think that’s a good choice” “shouldn’t you be eating something with more vegetables” “real grownups can cook themselves actual food” - shut the fuck up, brain, I’m eating a burrito here) then I can’t eat them and it’s going to be harder to maintain muscle and keep myself energized to go to work and write and hang out with my dog and throw another plate on the barbell.

MOTIVATION TO MOVE

Find an activity that you enjoy and do it in short bursts if you can’t manage to get in a workout that’s a big chunk of time. I’m a big fan of doing a minute of planking here and fifteen pushups there and twenty calf raises later to gradually build strength and endurance. And it doesn’t have the same mental space as a “workout workout.” I don’t have to put on gym clothes to do ten pushups in my office. I can brush my teeth while doing a static wall sit. Do enough of this and eventually you’ll start to put on muscle, especially if you keep ramping up difficulty. Once it’s not an effort to do bodyweight squats you upgrade to pistol squats; once push-ups are easy start working toward one-armed push-ups.

For more motivation for longer workouts I’ve found that going to the gym with a friend helps, also knowing what  you want out of the gym. Me, I like lifting so I got a membership to a gym that has a lot of emphasis on lifting. There are lots of free weights and a literal wall of dumbbells so it’s nice to know that when I go in there’s always going to be some space where I can lift (as opposed to something like 24hr fitness, where I’d go in to find the weight area packed full of people and lines for the benches). But if you’re not a fan of lifting and really enjoy yoga or basketball or swimming or whatever you’re going to want to find a gym or activity or area in your living space that really accommodates that activity.

MOTIVATION TO MOVE AND DEPRESSION

Remind yourself that you’re going to feel better if you move. Yeah, your brain is telling you that you may as well just stay in bed or stay in your chair or stay on the floor because nothing matters and everything is pointless and your brain is going to be very fucking convincing. Remember that you’ll feel better if you move. And if it’s hard to remember manufacture your own motivation - I’ve got a daily photo blog that I created with the EXPRESS purpose of making sure that I stood up and looked outside at least once a day.

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

But.

Like.

All that aside - y’all know that I’m fat, right?

I weigh 200 pounds.

I look the way that I do in my muscle-y pictures because I’m holding my arms up and flexing.

Same body. These photos are all from the same one-month period.

I wear tank tops all the time because tee shirts are too tight around my arms and get caught in the fat over my triceps. My jeans are all worn out at the thighs because of the chub rub. I’ve got a hell of a lot of rolls and muffin tops for someone who’s gluten-free.

I don’t want anybody to operate under the misapprehension that I’m lean or skinny because I lift, or that I *NEED* to be lean or skinny in order to be muscular.

Nah, dudes, my goal is to be strong as fuck and comfortably padded to boot.

And the nice thing about building muscle is that there are like, two basic inputs that enable it: eating enough food to maintain weight and lifting heavy things. Don’t worry about “good muscle building” foods, worry about eating enough that you feel good and while you’re doing that also pick up a bunch of heavy stuff.

[bom-bombon]

Texas?

Yeehaw

Name: Sebastian Inglesias

While Texas does have a second last name because he’s Hispanic, he decided to drop it. I know many Hispanic who have either both of their parents’ names and of only their fathers’ last name with the former being more common. Those with one last name has less complications with paperwork, applications, etc., than with those with two last names. Considering all this, I think that Texas would drop the second last name to make his life more easier.

Age: 27-29

Gender: Cis male

Ethnicity/Race: Hispanic (Mestizo)

Siblings: Coahuila (perhaps Chihuahua and Nuevo Leon too but it’s still a wip)

Height: 5′11 (180.34 cm)

He’s sad that he’s not 6′0. He may be taller than some of his fellow Mexican brethren, but he gets reminded that he’s not the tallest in the Union, or at the very least, he’s not 6′0. This annoys him to no end.

Relations:

-Arizona: They’re buddies. They both share a love for guns, have similar conservative ideologies, and they love a/c. No matter how much New Mexico tries to discourage Arizona from talking to him, Arizona just doesn’t care. He thinks that Texas is cool (which fuels his already big ego)

-Arkansas: They get along. That’s it. I suppose that sometimes he does call her Ar-kansas and she don’t talk to him for a whole day after that, but they’re cool nonetheless.

-California: They don’t like each other. He finds her annoying and thinks she’s an idiot. When she was first introduced to the states, he thought that they could be together and be some sort of duo. But they thought different things and it upset him. To him, it almost felt like betrayal because he thought he knew her and she supported and admired him. So why doesn’t she support him now? Today, they just bicker and often start arguments. Both of their egos will never let it go and make up.

-Coahuila: It’s complicated. Coahuila was enraged when Texas broke away from her and even more so when the US helped. While I’m not sure their relationship was during this time period, I do know that they didn’t talked for a while. Texas believed he was doing the right thing in following his own dreams. Though that is debatable at best. Nowadays, they get along well and Coahuila sometimes invite him to parties. Sometimes…

-Louisiana: They chill with each other. Louisiana, although criticizes him on some occasions, think he’s a nice guy. He has helped her in the past and she no doubts never forgot about it, so she helps him whenever she can. They’re also dumbasses together so that’s fun too.

-Minnesota: They’re together! Minnie is like 6’2 so she calls Texas cute for being tiny and he loves and hates it!! They are both tough as nails. For example, Minnie surprised him by beating him on a mechanical bull, Virginia complained about how strong Minnesota was during the Civil War, and Montana always remarks about how Minnie was the only other state who can keep up with her in the World Wars. And Texas is Texas. They are both incredibly sweet in relationships. Minnesota is known for being nice and it’s tru. Texas in relationships is sort of like the Latin Lover, excluding the constant need for uhh bedroom stuff. They are both gentle to each other out of respect and always get each other meaningful gifts. Not to mention the daily reminders of “you’re beautiful” or “you’re my sunshine”, they’re too pURE. They both like similar hobbies such as watching and playing football, taking care of animals, and roasting the hell out of people. Texas helps Minnie into confronting problems and people

Minnie: Idk how to tell them

Texas: It’s easy, I’ll show you how

Texas: Hey New York!

New York: I’m not listening…

Texas: New York!

New York: *looks up*

Texas: I like your shirt but I don’t like you!

She teaches him about considering other’s feelings. Sometimes Texas is too caught up about himself to realize how he’s affecting others around him and she knows this. She reminds him that people that not everyone will understand him emotionally and might take offense. Slowly, Texas thinks more often. Minnesota and Texas also love having adventures together. They would go and snowboard (though Texas has fell off a mountain one time). No matter what they’re doing, they always seem to compliment each other and have fun together. 

-Montana: They’re cowboy buddies. I would imagine them talk to each other about animals, particularly horses and cows. Since Montana is also a tough person, she and Texas loves to have small competitions with lifting or who has the most power. He sees her as a buddy and likes to talk to her, which is good because Montana herself has trouble fitting in when all people know about her is just cows and nothingness.

-New Mexico: New Mexico hates him. From what I can remember, Texas tried to claim parts of New Mexico three separate times. The last attempt was the Civil War, and with the attempt to take Santa Fe, New Mexico won’t let it go. Texas doesn’t really care about him nor seem to remember that he even exist. He mostly focuses his rivalry with Oklahoma. Plus, he think New Mexico is a bad driver.

-Oklahoma: They’re rivals. The extent of this rivalry, I’m not too sure and admittedly haven’t delved into much. What I can say is that he always honk his horn at her because she’s a terrible driver. At some point she called him Baja Oklahoma and he cried

-Tennessee: They’re friends. Tennessee is gay for him. So when the Texas Revolution was starting and the US helped out, a good chunk of the people were from Tennessee. So Tennessee helped Texas out wherever he can and that was his first friend from the US. They love to go hunting and talk about guns and stuff. Tennessee really admired him and is glad that he’s consider to be close friends with the big boi of the South. They also play music together and have nice country vibes.

-Wyoming: They’re Yeehaw buddies. They also had a relationship is perhaps early 1900s but I’m not too sure yet.

Things I don’t know how to title but it exists:

-Texas has tattoos of all his state symbols on his arms and back

-They played a “special” game of Truth or Dare. In the end, Texas threw up and vowed to never go to Vegas or hang out with Nevada for 9 months.

-Texas gave some of his friends in the Midwest and South (who aren’t Hispanic mind you) the “spicy” Mexican candies and almost all of them are more cautious about Mexican candies. Plot twist: they’re not spicy at all; they’re just weak

-Yee in the streets, haw in the sheets

-He’s bisexual

Some things about her (development? idk):

Texas has this arrogance that kinda makes it unbearable to work with at times (his closest friends can attest to this). But to be fair, this arrogance would be provoked by someone either messing with his lovely state or someone who’s just curious. Besides that, he is actually pretty charismatic, confident, and charming that attracts people despite his (non intentional) brash behavior. (It’s a joke that he purposefully made Tennessee gay). He’s also intelligent as he’s musically talented, exceeds surprisingly well in mathematics and sciences, and fluent in a couple languages such as English, German, and Vietnamese. He worked hard to be where he is and he can be closed minded in some parts but that’s because he likes to stay relatively the same. He doesn’t like a lot of change; you can say he’s afraid of it and what it might bring because he doesn’t want to lose who he truly is deep down inside. (It’s kinda funny because with this new influx of Californians, he’s stressed and upset at her more than ever).

Some quotes,, things?: 

New York: I’m hot shit and that’s the only thing I’ll take away.

Texas: Didn’t you hear her? I’m also hot shit. And that’s the power of the Texan charm ;) Checkmate, liberals.

New York: Yeah well why don’t you shut up.

Texas: You shut up

–

Northern Mariana Islands: *gives everyone a glass shot of tequila*

Everyone: *downs the shot and put their shot glass on the middle of the table*

Delaware: More please!

Ohio: No more please…

Arkansas: What the fuck was that??

Utah: Ugh, that so strong what the heck-

Texas: Can we do this every night?

–

Priest: You may now read the vows you have prepared.

Texas: I think I misunderstood the assignment.

Minnesota: Just read what you wrote, dear.

Texas: Ok *deep breath* A E I O U

–

Texas, drunk: SI YA SABEN COMO ME PONGO PA QUE ME INVITAN???

–

South Dakota: But it’s couples like you that give hope to the rest of us. Minnesota, you deserve the best, and you found it.

Texas, don’t you dare hurt her.

Everyone: *laughs*

Texas: I won’t.

Michigan: Don’t laugh. She means it.

Texas: Okay, I-I won’t

.Nebraska: Seriously, don’t hurt her.

Texas: Okay, I’m not planning on hurting her.

Indiana: You better not be

Texas: I’m not!

Ohio: Hey, Texas, you best be watching yourself

Texas: Why would any of you think I would hurt Minnesota? Y’all my friends too.

Illinois: Nah

–

1945

Tejas, a los otros estados: Me das una úlcera cada vez que me despierto y tengo que venir ‘pa trabajar para ti, para ti!

–

Texas, grabbing a toy police car: Coahuila! Can you buy me this?

Coahuila: No.

Texas: You never buy me anything!

Coahuila: You’re over 300 years old!

–

Texas: Yee in the streets, haw in the sh-

Oklahoma: No.

–

Texas, drunk: You’re so pretty,, are you seeing anyone?

Minnesota: Yeah, I’m married

Texas, crying: To.. to who?

Minnesota: You, you smol idiot *kisses his forehead*

[amynchan]

Comma Rules (American style!)

Guys.  I’m still an English tutor.  Commas are one of the biggest things that I deal with.  I’ve gone over them so many times that I’ve come up with five big rules to follow when it comes to commas.  I’m going to give you a $50 tutoring session for free cause I want y’all to know this stuff.  It will help you absolutely nail that paper when you go back and edit.  (Or raise that story up a bit!)

Introductory Element

Bubble Phrases

FANBOYS

Lists

Elaboration

1) Introductory Element

This is just a word or a group of words that introduce a sentence and give it some context.  You gotta have a full sentence to start with for this to work.  For example, here are some sample sentences to start with:

That chair is blue.

He disagrees.

I learned that teachers are really strange in the staff room.

My sisters and I went out of town.

All of these sentences are full and complete on their own.  But, if we wanted to, we could add something to each of them.  Try this on for size:

According to this child, that chair is blue.

However, he disagrees.

When I got in trouble, I learned that teachers are really strange in the staff room.

Last Saturday, my sisters and I went out of town.

Each of those introductory elements give context and you can tell because you get that comma. When it comes to your essays for class, you’re probably gonna use phrases like “According to ____”, “For example”, “However”, etc.  Stuff like that.

Number one, check!

2) Bubble Phrases

Listen, I know there’s an actual terminology for this, but I can’t, for the life of me, tell you what it is.  I can explain it, though.  It’s where you interrupt your thought to bring your audience additional information. Like number one, you gotta start off with a complete sentence.  Here are a few to work with:

My mother refuses to go into the ocean.

Dr. Brown told us to sit down.

Marinette’s earrings are never far away.

Like before, each of these sentences can stand on their own.  But let’s stick some extra info in the middle:

My mother, who is deathly afraid of the ocean, refuses to go into the ocean.

Dr. Brown, the new teacher on campus, told us to sit down.

Marinette’s earrings, her precious miraculous, are never far away.

The ‘bubble phrase’ is an additional phrase that clarifies or explains the set of words right before it and is surrounded, or bubbled, by commas.  You can slip it in literally anywhere.  If you want to tell if you’ve done this correctly, take the bubbled phrase out. If the sentence works on its own, you got it.  If not, it needs more tweaking.

If you’re using this in a paper, it’s usually because you’re clarifying who wrote what or why you should listen to a person.  Something like this:

“Dr. Brown, head of such and such’s anthropology department, wrote, “….” (citing stuff).”

This one, once you got it, is something you can slap literally anywhere.

Number 2, check!

3) FANBOYS

This is one that most people are at least familiar with, but most of the kids who see me can’t, for the life of them, remember what they’re for.  I’m here to remind everyone what they are.

First:  FANBOYS is an acronym.  Here’s what it stands for:

For And Nor But Or Yet So

The fancy term for these words is ‘coordinating conjunctions’, but it’s just a fancy term for ‘words that put two sentences together.  To use these, start off with two sentences that can work on their own.  Here are some examples:

My class is so boring.  I learn things.

I never wanted to go swimming.  I never learned.

Jason wants to try a new recipe.  I want to help.

Each of these examples are fine as they are, but this is about how to use a comma in a specific way. This is how to smash these kinds of sentences together using a comma and one of the FANBOYS:

My class is so boring, but I learn things.

I never wanted to go swimming, so I never learned.

Jason wants to try a new recipe, and I want to help.

This just helps give your sentences some variety and lets your teachers know that you know what’s up. To check if you’ve used this one right, take the comma and FANBOYS out and replace it with a period.  If it still works, you got it.  If not, it needs a bit of tweaking.

Number 3, check!

4) Lists

This is one that most students parrot back to me a lot, so the examples I have are very simple. However, there is one aspect about lists that most people don’t really get:  every item in the list should be able to go right after the word that kicks the whole list off.  For example,

Mom wants me to buy milk.  Mom wants me to buy bread.  Mom wants me to buy carrots.

I wanted to write on journalism.  I wanted to write on gaming.  I wanted to write on the wonders of the universe.

Izuku loved his mom.  Izuku loved All Might.  Izuku loved his life.

If you want to transform these into lists, you just go as so:

Mom wants me to buy milk, bread, and carrots.

I wanted to write on journalism, gaming, or the wonders of the universe.

Izuku loved his mom, All Might, and his life.

Sometimes you still need to check if you’ve done this correctly, so breaking up the sentence every now and again to make sure that all the items fit isn’t a bad idea.

Note:  don’t @ me with that Oxford comma (the last comma that goes with the ‘and’ or ‘or’).  It’s not really required, but I use it because it’s consistent.  If you don’t wanna use it, you don’t gotta, but just make sure that you follow the ‘every item in the list should be able to fit into the sentence’ rule.

Number 4, check!

5)  Elaboration

Basically like 1 and 2, elaboration commas are there when you wanna add additional information onto a part of the sentence.  This, however, happens at the end of the sentence and can actually be kinda tricky, which is why it’s last.  I’ll show you a few examples:

The girl wanted to go swimming.  Swimming was a bad idea because she just ate.

The dog woke her owner up in the early morning hours.  This made the owner very cranky.

Gimli held a great amount of pride and rage in his body.  This was surprising because it was so small.

Note that each of the second sentences start either with the last idea of the previous sentence or the word ‘this’, which refers to the last idea of the previous sentence (ie, swimming and waking the owner up and holding an unholy amount of pride and rage). This is crucial for the elaboration comma, which can be used as follows:

The girl wanted to go swimming, which was a bad idea because she just ate.

The dog woke her owner up in the early morning hours, which made the owner very cranky.

Gimli held a great amount of pride and rage in his body, which was surprising because it was so small.

A comma + which means that the next part of the sentence will refer to what you just talked about.  Don’t use the comma for elaboration on words like “because” or “such as” because those words tend to continue a phrase.  “Which” tends to go after a completed thought and starts a new phrase, which is why it needs the comma.

A little complicated, but that’s it.

Number 5, check!

.../.../.../

Now, there are more ways to use a comma, but these are the ones most people have a lot of trouble with. So…  go forth and place your commas correctly, my friends!

[seouledbysisi]

Ambitious Dreams

Chapter Eleven

Nori pulled up to the guys house. She immediately went after she was able to leave work. She wondered what Hyoeun needed to talk to her about. She hadn’t thought she had done anything wrong, but she still had some type of bad feeling. She brought food with her to maybe soften the blow if he was mad at her. She texted his phone to let him know that she was outside. A couple minutes later he opened the front door. She immediately pushed the food into his chest with a huge smile.

“I bought you a burger and fries!” She examined his expression. He didn’t seem mad but then again he always had a stern look on his face so at this point she wasn’t sure if she should be running for the hills or not.

Hyoeun nodded and took the bag from her. “I think we should go to my room if that’s cool with you?”

She nodded and followed him up. “Why wouldn’t it be cool with me? I’ve been in there plenty of times before.”

“Just thought I’d ask.” He said plainly.

He was being too weird. “As if you even needed to but okay.” She rolled her eyes a bit and sat on his bed. What shocked her even more was the fact that he sat in his computer desk. She took a deep breath. “Is something wrong?”

Hyoeun looked up at her. He seemed to be in deep thoughts. “I just-“ he paused.

“Spit it out. You’re scaring me...”

“I haven’t liked anyone like I like you in a really long time and I’m not trying to start something with you and end up getting burned like I always do.” He started.

Nori raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were good, where is this coming from?”

“We are okay but I know how I feel about you and I’m not sure you’re ready to be where I’m ready to be.”

“I don’t- I just really don’t understand. I’m not following-“ Nori was honestly baffled. They hadn’t had an issue so she didn’t understand where his concerns were coming from. If he wanted them to be official she couldn’t understand why he hadn’t done it already. She wasn’t going anywhere.

Hyoeun sighed. “The other night at the studio I saw one of your texts.” He admitted.

Nori’s eyes widened. “Okay and? How did you even see my messages?”

“I didn’t see your messages, you were dancing on my lap and you got a text from some guy. I’m pretty sure it was a drunk text.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not trying to control you or say who you can or can’t talk to. I’m not that type of guy, I just need to know that we’re on the same page. You and that guy obviously have history and-“

“He’s my ex.” Nori blurted. She figured he deserved to know.

Hyoeun’s face hardened. “I figured. Should I be worried?”

“I won’t lie and say that we didn’t share some really great times together but how we ended wasn’t good. He left me when I needed him the most because he couldn’t deal with his workload and the responsibility of me.” Nori teared up a bit.

Hyoeun got up and sat beside her. He pulled her into his side. He really wasn’t trying to get into the details of her ex but he did want to be supportive and let her rant if she needed to.

“He said it was for my own good that we just call it quits. I mean maybe it was- I don’t know, I got you and you’re pretty great. You’re better than I sometimes think I deserve and I’m so sorry if that text made you wonder if I’m really here for you or not. I’m here. I promise, I’m here however you need and want me. I’m here.” She caressed his face.

His face started to soften. “So you gonna be mine forreal now?”

“I thought I already was.” She smiled and pinched his cheek.

One week later

Nori and Ash met up at the warehouse that was set up for the photo shoot.

Ash admired it. It looked like they were standing in the middle of the garden of eden. It was magical. It was majestic. “You’re so creative.”

“Thanks.” She answered as she got her camera ready. Her phone began to rang. Nova.

“Hey I’m running a little late but I will be there in ten minutes.” Nova anxiously spoke.

Nori giggled. “You’re fine, I just need some opinions on some outfits for this shoot. I trust your judgment the most.” She hated lying to her bestie but it was for a good cause.

They clicked the phone off.

“By the way you’re gonna be shirtless.” Nori told him.

Ash rubbed his stomach. “I ain’t been working out and I been eating a lot lately, I don’t know how well that’s going to turn out.”

“Boy, please! That little bird chest still there. You ain’t gained no weight!” Nori cackled.

He lifted his shirt to flash his one pack. “It used to be 6. You can’t tell me I haven’t gained weight.” He looked playfully ashamed.

“Dang, I guess so.” Nori eyed his belly. “Nova doesn’t even like a whole lot of muscle anyway.”

Ash chuckled. “She don’t like me period. I just hope that she don’t walk out that door once she finds out why she’s really here.”

Suddenly the door opened and Nova emerged. She took a look around at the decorations and all of the flowers. “Nori, you’ve outdone-“ she stopped when noticed Ash in the corner of the room. “Is this who you’re taking pictures of?”

Nori tried to think of the best way to break the news to her. “Um. . . sort of-“

Nova looked confused. “Okay?”

“This shoot is for both of you. Ash contacted me and wanted to do a pregnancy reveal shoot. He wanted the news to be special. So we came up with this!” Nori smiled. “Please don’t hate us!”

Nova simply stared at the decorations.

She had to admit that they were out of this world beautiful. “Wow. Okay then.”

“Okay?” Ash asked. He was stunned that she didn’t put up a fight.

“Okay.” Nova repeated.

“What? Really?” Ash was totally thrown off.

Nova rolled her eyes. “I mean the set is beautiful and I can’t say no when y’all put this kind of effort into it. So okay let’s do it.”

Nori handed her the outfit and pointed her in the direction of a changing room. Nori fixed her makeup for her as well.

When Nova emerged from the changing room, Ash was nearly knocked off of his feet. She looked gorgeous, maybe more gorgeous than he had ever noticed. “You remind me of a goddess.” He admired.

Nova blushed a bit. Good thing she was too dark for him to notice. “Thanks.”

They began taking the pictures until they got enough footage that Nori could work with.

“How comfortable are y’all with intimacy?” Nori asked the two.

Ash eyes flew open. “Huh?”

Nova squinted her eyes at her friend. She was giving her a warning.

“I mean obviously y’all are or she wouldn’t be pregnant right now.” Nori spoke unapologetically.

“One time, Nori! It was one time!” Nova yelled with a laugh.

“Apparently one time too many.” Nori shot back. “I just need y’all to at least look and act like y’all are in love and overjoyed with the expectation of baby Island.” She grinned big. “I need y’all close.”

Act. That’s the word that played again and again in Nova’s head. She couldn’t shake it. That’s exactly what they were doing. Acting. They weren’t together. They weren’t a real family. They were merely two separate people who happened to be having a child together. Honestly she didn’t know how she could keep this tough girl act together. She desperately wanted her child to have a legit family, but she couldn’t trust her own feelings. She couldn’t trust Ash with her heart. She was lost.

“And that’s a wrap!” Nori yelled and clapped. “Go get undressed beautiful people.” She told them.

Nova hurried to the changing room. She stood in the corner and eventually slid down the wall, overtaken by emotions. Tears fell upon her quickly. Every emotion that she had been burying was suddenly coming back up. The only pictures she saw in her head was Ash. She saw the times when they were happy and things weren’t so complicated. She saw the look on his face when she left him in the pouring rain. Every memory of him flashed in her head. She was an emotional wreck.

Nori gathered her things together and began taking down the decoration.

Ash helped her. “Thank you for doing this. You know you’re not just her friend. You’re mines too. In fact you’re family. Anyone who Hyoeun loves, I got love for too.” He patted her shoulder.

Nori smiled. “Same to you. If you need me I’m always here.”

Ash grabbed his Nike duffel bag and began searching for his AirPods that he had dropped in it.

Nori, being the nosey person she was, noticed a small jewelry box. She grabbed it quickly and opened it. She gasped. “Ash, what is this?”

Ash snatched the box away from her. “It’s not what you think!” He was embarrassed that he was still carrying it around. Truth is, he’d had it for awhile. He had been planning on asking Nova to be his girlfriend and he was going to present her with the ring but it just didn’t work out that way.

“I think it’s a ring!”

Ash sighed. “It is but it’s not like I’m trying to marry her, I mean I’d want to eventually but this isn’t that.”

“So what is it for?”

“It was a promise. Sort of like a Pre-engagement ring but I doubt I’ll ever even get a chance to give it to her. I’m lucky if she’ll even be my friend from now on.”

Nori was dough-eyed. “That is the sweetest gesture ever! And the rock is even more sweet. Ya know diamonds are girl’s best friend!” She winked at him.

He shrugged. “I know it’s been really hard for her but I’ve been through hell too. I don’t think anyone really realizes just how hurt I am too. I see her all the time and can’t even touch her. I’m always scared to even talk to her. Do you know how it feels to want someone whose just in a your reach and know that you can’t have them? It’s torture. I’m living in a nightmare. She’ll never understand how much she means to me.” He took a deep breath. “She showed me how to love again. My ex took me through hell and back but with Nova, I got a glimpse of paradise.”

Nori pulled him into a hug. “I guess I didn’t really understand your pain too. I’m sorry. I guess everyone has just been letting y’all figure things out but we should’ve been there for you too.”

The changing room door finally opened, they immediately let go of one another.

Ash threw the ring into his duffel bag quickly and zipped it up. “It was good talking to you. I’m gonna get out of here.”

Nova sighed. “Hey Ash?”

Ash stopped and looked around.

She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

It wasn’t a ‘I want you’ embrace. It was legit gratitude and for some reason he felt like in that moment that’s what he needed from her. Nothing more and nothing less. He just wanted to feel appreciated and to make her happy for once.

“Thank you for this. Maybe you’re not so bad after all. I know I haven’t made any of this easy for you and we’re both stuck on this crazy rollercoaster but I think we’ll get through it. . .eventually.” She hugged him again and laid her head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat soothed her. She felt her emotions rising again so she broke lose from the embrace before she lost it. . .again.

He nodded with a weak smile. Maybe friendship would be all that she was willing to give. He just needed her in his life in some way. He left.

Nori eyed them. It broke her heart that they both were going through hell. Ash was in love with this woman and she was too blinded by distrust to see or feel it. She loved him too but she was too stubborn to admit. The situation was horrible but she prayed someday they’d get it together.

Nova sighed. “Y’all I almost feel special.” She giggled.

Nori examined her face. “Why do you look like you’ve been crying?”

Nova shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your eyes seem puffy and a bit pink. Are you okay?” Nori grabbed her face.

Nova nodded trying to push those emotions back down. For some reason she was having an emotional day and she just wanted the tears to stop.

“You’re not okay are you?” She held Nova’s hands.

Nova shook her head. “No.” She whispered.

Nori pulled her phone out and called Elle.

Hello?!” She sung into the speakers after the third ring.

Nori giggled. “We’re about to grab some ice cream and pizza and have a movie night! You down?”

Elle hesitated for a minute. “Are the guys coming too?”

“No, this is girls night in. Nova is an emotional wreck and I think we need some girl time, maybe pamper ourselves.” Nori explained.

Elle was excited. “Okay, I’ll grab some pizza and head to your house!”

They left the warehouse and grabbed some ice cream.

The guys decided to go to a bar together. They hadn’t been out in awhile.

Changmo kept eyeing different females.

The guys all laughed.

“Are you ever gonna settle down?” Hash asked him with a laugh.

Changmo shrugged. “I’m living my best life. Do you know how much good sex I get?!”

“You could have good sex with one person too though.” Hyoeun answered with a straight face.

Changmo shook his head. “I don’t want no strings right now. Plus look what happened to Ash. I ain’t going out like that!”

Ash took a sip of his beer. “You act like being loyal is bad.”

“It is when you ain’t reaping no benefits from it. Nova let you hit like once and y’all ain’t even together. Your ex dropped you like a hot potato too. You got bad luck.” Changmo chuckled.

Ash laughed. “I’d still have Nova if you hadn’t have been talking about that stupid fucking bet that really didn’t exist.”

Changmo shrugged. “My bad, I ain’t know she was there.”

“You didn’t try to stick up for me either though. You know I had been called that bet off, you got the girl thinking that I was playing games with her ass.”

Marz stared at Ash. “You love her don’t you?”

Ash looked at all the guys. “I mean she’s having my child-“

“If she wasn’t pregnant would you still love her?” Marz interrogated.

Ash hated talking to guys about feelings. He didn’t want to seem soft so he just shrugged.

“It’s okay if you do, Ash. Hyoeun is under Nori’s spell too. He’s a lovesick puppy!” Hash laughed out loud.

Hyoeun smirked. “I am not love sick!”

“Yeah you are! You smile so much for that girl.” Hash continued.

Hyoeun pulled his phone out to check his messages. There was one from Nori. Having a girl’s night with Nova & Elle. Come by in the morning? we could do breakfast.

“Nori?” Ash asked him.

He nodded. Have fun. See you in the morning.

“Ash, how you gonna feel when your baby mama gets another man?” Changmo asked.

Ash rolled his eyes. “Don’t call her that. And I don’t know.”

“She’s the mama of your baby, what else should I call her?” Changmo knew how to press someone’s buttons. He was only joking with him though.

Ash finished off his beer. “Her name maybe?”

“Get out your feelings tonight, Ash. All these beautiful women in here, go find one to take home.” Changmo suggested.

“Not my style.” Ash responded and grabbed his phone. He shouldn’t be texting Nova but he couldn’t resist. She seemed off before he was about to leave. For her to hug him twice was something strange and the way she held him the second time was different. Are you okay from earlier?

He waited on a reply. He had drowned the guys out. He was focused on one thing and one thing only. Nova. His phone pinged. Yeah. Did I not seem okay?

He thought of how to respond. You hugged me. . .twice lol

A few minutes later he received another message. Better cherish it cause I don’t know when I’ll be in the giving mood again haha

He smiled. So would you even tell me if you weren’t okay? He knew she wouldn’t but he had to ask. Something definitely wasn’t right with her, she just didn’t trust him enough to talk to him.

His phone didn’t ping with another iMessage for another thirty minutes. He had almost gave up on a response. I could be better. Not in the mood to talk about it though.

He was shocked. She had let him in just a little. She closed the door on him too but at least she gave him something. You don’t have to talk about it. I’m here when you need me.

He got an immediate response. I know. Thank you for being here even when I’ve been distant.

The girls were stuffing their faces with pizza and ice cream talking about boy problems.

“Maybe I’m crazy but I feel like me and Has are moving at such a slow pace. I almost feel friend zoned.” Elle admitted.

Nova gave her a peculiar look. “Y’all hang out all the time though, right?”

“I mean yeah but he acts like he’s scared to do more than hold my hand.”

Nori giggled. “Y’all have never even kissed?!”

“He kissed my cheek all the time but he won’t dare go for the lips and I’m too scared to do it myself!” Elle laughed.

“Take charge! Men like that sometimes.” Nori encouraged.

Nova nodded. “Yeah, maybe he’s trying to respect your boundaries. He’s really respectful.”

Someone began to bang on Nori’s door.

“You don’t think Hyoeun would come do you?” Elle asked with wide eyes.

Nori shook her head. “Not banging on my door like that!” She swung the door open. Her eyes got big.

The other two girls stood a distance behind.

It was Harry. He had clearly been drinking. He leaned on the door facing. “So you’re just gonna keep ignoring me like I’m nobody to you?” His words slurred.

“Harry, you’re drunk. You never drink! What the hell is going on with you?” She asked him. She was very concerned with his erratic behavior.

He was becoming angry. “You drove me to this!” He yelled.

She jumped a little.

Nova grabbed her phone and called Hyoeun. “How quick can you get to Nori’s?”

Hyoeun could hear the ruckus in the background. “I’m on my way, I’ll be there in five!” He hung up.

[dpargyle]

This is super long (I’m SORRY) – I have a lot of words inside me, kids.

                               so Thanksgiving was kinda…weird…

went up to my folks’ place in the town higher up into the mountains (above the city where I live) -  and they had some neighbors over –

these neighbors’ little girl is best friends with my little sister (who is 13) (they go to school together, they’re inseparable, etc…) – and my Mum is really good friends with the Mom – and we’ve known them for like seven or eight years now – they’re good peeps, I like them –

ok - so these neighbors have a niece who’s like 22? 23? somewhere around there (she graduated college last year or the year before) - anyways… we (or at least I) first met her about 3 years ago…

cuz, ok – these neighbors are vegetarians or vegans or whatevs – and this girl visits them every thanksgiving I guess – but she’s a meat eater so 3 years ago my Mum’s friend (her aunt) was like “can we bring her over to grab some meat from your meal because she wants at least some meat on thanksgiving?” (who can blame her though?  I’d literally lose my mind not eating meat! – it’s one of my three personal food groups: meat, chocolate, and milk shakes.)

And of course this was long after thanksgiving meal 3 years ago and nobody tells me anything (or maybe I wasn’t listening – that’s highly possible…) – and that night my Packers were playing (getting their asses kicked by their hated rival, the Bears) so, you know – I was sort of pissed off and yelling at the T.V. like an asshole

and then suddenly the neighbors were there with this cute girl [let’s call her Carnie – short for Carnivore - from here on out lol] (it took me like an hour to figure out she was my sister’s friend’s cousin) -

but my Packers were still playing and still sucking ass so I was paying more attention to that than anything else so after that I was like great I barely said anything to this girl (cuz I’m super shy and filled with an avalanche of various anxieties) and now she probably thinks I’m a total Neanderthal cuz I was grumbling at some asinine football game and she seems like the intellectual type so I’m simply gonna file this entire dumb experience to the furthest cabinet at the back of my brain where the dingy light bulbs flicker on and off in the most nauseating way – like I have with so many other dumb experiences before this and probably so many other dumb experiences after this because FAIL.      FAIL, FAIL, FAIL.

So last year Carnie shows up with them again after dinner and we all play some games but my brother and a bunch of his friends were there too, so I literally don’t think I said more than one word to her?  Maybe I did?  (But not much cuz when my big bro is around I don’t really talk to girls cuz I have vivid memories of him mocking my lack of macking skills back in high school and they still haunt me hahaha) In any case, I don’t think I talked to her - dunno, can’t remember, anyway – at least there wasn’t a Packer game on, so I don’t think I completely embarrassed myself that time either…

So now I can finally talk about this Thanksgiving hahaha (gods I’m frikken long-winded – sorry kids!) – so I find out like 3 days ago Carnie & the neighbors will be joining us for the entire day so I’m all

My bro and his wife moved away recently so I knew they wouldn’t be there and I surmised that meant Carnie & I would probably end up talking quite a bit because we’d be the only people around our age there, so I was determined not to be A) a Neanderthal and B) weird, but otherwise I didn’t really have many expectations (again, b4 Thursday I didn’t know much about her at all so why would I?) – I basically just didn’t wanna come off like a douche again….

So when they all come over I’m helping my Mum out in the kitchen with the cooking/getting everything prepared (etc…) – don’t know how much help I was giving tbh, but I wanted to be involved cuz my Dad’s been having leg issues that make him unable to stand for long periods of time and my little sister had been helping with a bunch of other crap throughout those couple days so I was attempting to pull my weight hahaha (and, ok, I knew if I was helping with the cooking when they came in I���d look a lot less like a Neanderthal – but trust me that was low down on the list of reasons why I was helping my Mum out!)

So they come in and we all say hi blah blah blah, but I didn’t really try to engage too much cuz I was helping my Mum with a complicated timing issue with the food, so my focus was on that and not the cutie in the room – so then I finish helping my Mum with that in the kitchen and I didn’t wanna hover and be creepy & weird, cuz you peeps know my default when I’m around cute girls – my brain is like DON’T BE WEIRD!  JUST DON’T BE WEIRD - DON’T BE WEIRD! 

So I was like alright I’m gonna go sit in the living room and try to act like I’m cool and relaxed, so I roll my wheelchair in there, put my feet up - and attempt to exude serenity – and after like two minutes my sis and her buddy come in and start petting my Mum’s cat and talking a bit, but I don’t really enter the conversation cuz they seemed very happy talking amongst themselves and I didn’t wanna butt in –

But then Carnie comes and joins them, and we start talking a little bit and she picks up a random magazine from a coffee table and starts flipping through it and there was an article or something about homeless people and she’s talking about it and then turns to her little cousin and goes [something along the lines of] “you know, I’ve heard you should call them ‘people currently experiencing homelessness’ not ‘homeless people’ – because they’re still people.” And the kid kinda gives her a blank look so Carnie goes [something along the lines of] “hey – if I can influence you for the better, I’m gonna try!”  (She definitely didn’t say that but something similar and with much better wording…)

So I’m like, hey, this girl isn’t a ruthless capitalist – good to know [files that away].

(I mean, I’m not necessarily saying I agree with her – it’s a similar argument to when people say “you should say people with disabilities, not disabled people” – and I get what people are doing when they say that – they’re trying to be person-centric and sometimes, as a disabled person, I appreciate that - but sometimes I wonder if that kinda stuff actually helps at all)

However, it demonstrated she thinks about that kinda stuff and aims to be empathetic and that’s certainly not nuffin’.  

Then we got to talking and she told me she lives/works one state over (interestingly, it’s a blue state) and really likes it – but then my Mum needed some more help so I went back in the kitchen to help her out – and while I was there Carnie comes bouncing over (yes – she bounces – it’s adorable – she kinda reminded me of a particularly vivacious koala if that makes sense? (but attractive lmao) – anyway…)

– and her aunt is talking to my Mum and we’re all in the kitchen and Carnie comes in and goes up to her aunt and [smiling] goes –

“Am I not cool anymore???”  Cuz I guess she used to think her little cousin thought she was cool and hip (looked up to her) and now the kid’s giving her the cold shoulder a bit hahaha and she was laughing cuz she thought she was the cool older cousin and the aunt was like “that’s just cuz she’s 13 and that’s how they are” and I was like “I’ve never been cool to [my little sister] – welcome to the club!”  and Carnie laughed –

and then we talked about how we think my sis and her cuz are the “Queen Bees” of their middle school which I said I was amused by b/c back in grade school I was always the weirdo ubernerd and she said she was always the funny (she’s actually really funny and quick-witted) geeky friend to all the pretty girls and I almost said “but you’re pretty too!” but then I didn’t cuz it was right in front of her aunt and my Mum and again I was trying very hard NOT TO BE WEIRD hahahaha…

So, anyway, we talk on and off throughout the night (I was super careful to give her space and not be all up in her grill even though I realized I was beginning to kinda like her) – but more often than not she sought me out (probably because we were the only ones around our age group/generation there) but she seemed to genuinely appreciate my company and we made each other laugh – and tbh y’all - she was just really easy to talk to – like we GOT each other, you know?  Or maybe that was simply just my perception and my head is up my ass again (more than possible) – but I was getting a good VIBE you know?

Anyway…. so we’re talking in the kitchen again – and we start talking about books and OMG OMG OMG

I’m pretty sure she brought up the topic – and she mentions how she’s a huge fantasy fan (magic, dragons) and I guess my face did a thing or something

cuz her Aunt (who was passing us on her way to the fridge or something) goes “uh oh, watch out [Carnie,] [bundles] will start having a crush on you if you keep talking about dragons!” (which, OK, fair enough, but does EVERYONE know how fuckin NERDY I am hahaha?) so at this point I’m like

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT in my head and I’m like OMG BUNDLES DON’T BLUSH DON’T BLUSH DON’T YOU EFFIN BLUSH….but knowing me,

I probably did.

(Like I really don’t think I was being obvious – but who knows, maybe I was?  I honestly just think her Aunt was teasing me and literally didn’t mean anything by it) – in any case I was trying SO HARD to control my face at this point that I didn’t really get a good look at Carnie’s reaction – though I don’t think she blushed or anything, she mighta just smirked…

So we keep talking and Carnie says that even though fantasy is her fictional bread & butter she’s trying to do this system where she reads one fantasy book “for fun”, then a book for professional improvement, then a book for personal improvement, then goes through that same cycle all over again, which – first of all-

But secondly, it shows someone who’s attempting to grow and improve themselves and I 100% approve of that kind of attitude to life – because not everyone is like that, you know?

And then we exchange Goodreads info – hers is her full name [important for later] and mine is dbundles42 like everywhere else on the internet because synergy, man!

And without hesitation, Carnie goes “oh, 42, like from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?”  And not many people get that reference, but she got it literally immediately and I was like

So, basically, she was impressing the shit outta me is what I’m tryna get across here lol…

The night deepens, and we continue talking – eventually everyone goes downstairs, sits around the gaming table – and starts playing games – and in a brief moment of Zen boldness I channel someone much more badass than I

And I go “[Carnie] – you’re on my team!” (cuz for one of the games we were playing a team-based trivia game) and she grinned, came over, and sat right next to me.  

(So I wanted to be on a team with her cuz A) it was a good excuse to get to know her better B) I thought we’d kick ass cuz we’re the same generation and might be able to communicate better than we would with people not of our generation C) she’s wicked smart D) I wanted to see how well we’d cooperate and E) I often feel like I tend to steamroll people if I’m on a team with them cuz my mind goes so fast and I’m yelling out the answers without consulting my team (my family are VERY competitive when it comes to games) and I wanted to challenge myself by not being that sort of jackass (you know, self-improvement ftw!) – and I wanted to listen to what she had to say anyway)

So we play this trivia game and I try VERY hard not to steamroll her but I must admit I sometimes did – but I did better than usual and we KICKED ASS and won.  It was amazing.  Our enemies’ lamentations were melodious to our conquering ears.   

Anyway, that’s not the point – this is the point – so halfway through the game I begin to realize Carnie’s and my legs are touching (under the table).  And had been touching for like at least ten minutes before I realized they were and I was like

(And I suddenly had this hilarious/horrific flashback to that one time in college ( @lmnp– you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about hahaha) when I was eating at a dunkin donuts with this cute girl I was friends with and her boyfriend and she suddenly started playing footsie with me under the table and I was like OMG I’m about to get my ass kicked lmao)

So now I’m like WTF? How is this happening right now????? (sometimes, I agree with @puddle--wonderful in that I very much feel like Artoo where he gets himself into these ridiculous situations again and again and again and all he can do is just SCREAM as they’re happening to him and just hope for the best, you know?)

So I’m like alright Bundles, calm down, she doesn’t mean anything by it, it’s probably just-

But what if she does mean something by it?

I mean, she’s been drinking a lil – but nothing close to getting sloshed – like she might be lightly buzzed but nothing more –

And then I start thinking like -  what if she just thinks I’m paralyzed from the waist down and can’t actually feel my legs or something – like she just wants to touch someone with no consequences (this is literally my thought process at this point – as nonsensical as that sounds) – so I’m like

OK, OK, OK – this is sort of amazing and all – but like I gotta do something to show her I can feel my legs and that I’m aware our legs are touching (again maybe I was reading something into absolutely nothing – I’m a touch-starved person so maybe it was literally not a thing on her mind – BUT WHAT IF IT WAS???)

So I’m like OK, I’m gonna just move my leg (again, when I’m sitting in my chair that isn’t the easiest thing to do – but I can do it) so she knows that I’m not paralyzed (why am I always trying to prove myself lmao?)

So I do – I move my leg. 

And then like two minutes later our legs are touching again.  Even more now, probably.  Again – maybe just a coincidence?  Maybe I’m blowing things out of proportion???  I’m probably blowing things out of proportion.  But then again –

OK – in a normal situation – if two relative strangers’ legs start touching, they very quickly move them, right?  Unless they’re interested in each other, right?

And so our legs are touching again and she just doesn’t even move hers.  So I’m like alright I guess I’m not gonna move mine then, am I? 

Like why did I move my leg in the first place?  Why am I trying to deprive myself of something nice?  And it was nice.  Her warmth. Her company.  Her vivaciousness.  Like shit, it felt so good. I felt warm.  And happy.  Why do I so often think I don’t deserve happiness?

I’ve been hurt before, I guess.  That’s why. I’ve been hurt – all the times – before. So I’m defensive and pessimistic and I find reasons why something might not be the way I want it to be even if all evidence points to it being that way – I mean -

We just left out legs like that.

For a good fifteen minutes.

It was nuts.

I mean, it was through two pairs of jeans but that is literally the longest I’ve been in such close contact with a woman.  Ever. I guess that sounds incredibly pathetic. I’m 28.  

And maybe that’s just a thing she does with her buddies and it’s literally not a big deal at all to her – she did say she was super good at making friends really quickly so maybe it was a friend “I’m gonna rub your leg against mine for 15 minutes straight” but now that I’ve typed that shit out IT DOESN’T ADD UP.

IT JUST DOESN’T ADD UP!

I think she was flirting with me?

Holy shit I think she was flirting with me.

She was flirting with me!

Anyway – lemme wrap this up cuz I’ve been going on for thousands of words right now and I’m sure you’re all tired of my nonsense lmao…

Turns out she’s sort of a Packer fan too – she said “I’m not really into sports but if I was the Packers would be my team” (and she said that b4 I told her how much of a cheesehead I am so she wasn’t saying that just for my benefit) so maybe she didn’t even think I was a frikken Neanderthal the first time we met?  And I’ve been feeling like an idiot for three years for NO FRIKKEN REASON???????????? ARGHHHH!

She also said I was funny, which was nice :D

Also – during the last game we played – (it was one of these “you gotta use a one-word clue in order for your teammates to connect that clue to other random words on the board” games – and I was the person coming up with the clue (Codenames is the name of the game for those curious)) -  

For one of the turns, I chose to give the clue ‘Penzance’ in order to get my teammates to guess ‘Opera’ and ‘Eye’.  (I was thinking ‘Pirates of Penzance’ (which is a Gilbert & Sullivan opera) – admittedly ‘eye’ (cuz eyepatch) was a bit of a stretch but I really don’t think ‘Opera’ was cuz my Dad was one of my teammates and he’s ye olde and English so I thought he’d get it in a heartbeat…

So for this game my Dad and a couple other guys were on my team while my Mum and Carnie were on the girls’ team and at that point I was on the opposite end of the table – while my Dad faced me (sitting down) – and my Mum & Carnie were standing behind him looking at the word cards on the table –

And it takes my Dad FOREVER to figure out the connection between my clue and those cards – meanwhile my Mum knew it immediately (of course) – but what surprised me is that Carnie got it immediately too (like holy shit, for serious this girl is on another level!) – but they’re on the opposing team so of course they’re not gonna say anything

But they’re both cracking up behind him and my other teammates as they take like 10 minutes cuz they have no idea what words connect with ‘Penzance’ and our other teammates go “Where’s Penzance?”  So my Dad goes into this long diatribe about Cornwall and the seaside and how there are railroads???? for some reason and I can’t say anything either like HE’S SO FAR OFF MY CLUE AT THIS POINT

So my expression must be completely frustrated at this point and my Mum and Carnie are dying with laughter like Carnie is literally jumping up and down a bit with the energy of holding in the answer (which totally reminded me of something Ja’lin might do, @marisolinspades – honestly, she reminded me of her quite a bit – just totally gregarious and, well, bouncy)

I dunno, it was just a really funny moment…

Anyway – all good things, etc… - the night was finally coming to a close (at like 12:30 AM lol) – but before they left we were all talking in the foyer, etc… - and Carnie is talking to people and leans her body on the handlebar on the back of my chair (she was super tired by that point, she said) –

I’m 90% she didn’t realize that I kinda see my chair as an extension of myself and my own body (dunno if you feel that way about your chairs, @puddle--wonderful @justrollinon?) – so I’m pretty sure she didn’t know how intimate that can come across – either way, it was really nice – like she felt safe enough around me to do that?

Usually when people lean on my chair I’m like GTFO but when they’re sweet, beautiful women I get more lenient about that hahahaha

So perhaps not as telling as the whole legs situation, but still.  It was nice.

So, yeah, that was my Thanksgiving…

Ughh and now I’m all like crap I met this girl who’s really cool and easy to talk to and a total nerd but she doesn’t even live in this godsforsaken state and UGHHH why must the divinities taunt me so?????????

So we did add each other on goodreads but now I’m like maybe I should add her on facebook too to try and keep in touch with her?  Or is that too creepy?  Have I already left it too long???

Should I maybe move on completely – I mean my family is already good friends with this family I don’t wanna do something potentially weird – should I just leave it be? – should i just

I just don’t really want to.  Even if it doesn’t work out romantically or whatevs I’m not one to leave a potential good friendship in the dust – and it’s really not everyday I meet someone who can keep up with me as effortlessly as Carnie did.  People like her don’t come around very often.

I dunno – what do you kids think I should do?  TELL ME - I’M LOSING IT (as usual).  

Maybe I just read the situation completely wrong and I’m totally up my own ass trying to see things that aren’t there…I just….

I didn’t get that impression this time?  Like it was just…..I didn’t have to work so hard to get her to like me, you know?  It was effortless - like we’d been really good friends for years -  And that was…

nice. 

______

I’m leaning towards adding her on facebook - but what do you kids think?  I’m also gonna tag -

@aspiringwarriorlibrarian, @pepperonicombos

@crazy--little--things – tagging you as well.  You’ve always given me good advice, ever since we were in high school.

And anyone else who wants to give advice, you are welcome to too - though I doubt anyone else has read this far lmao...

gods I’m long-winded...

[juniper-rose-blower]

FEEL. -How does your character react to a persons touch? A random stranger’s? A loved one’s? A friend’s?

Alright, so we’re going to delve right into this one (and the other questions, which I hope someone sends me!). I’ll give OOC answers, mostly for the sake of giving full answers.

Juniper, believe it or not, is incredibly introverted. She has a small streak of talkativeness when it comes to her botany, but other than that, talking is a bit uncomfortable. For those who are extroverted (which I the mun am), introverts function a bit differently than we do. Where we might love to spend time out in the crowds having a great time, that can actually be far more taxing and exhausting for an introvert. Instead, they find solitude and peace to be far more rejuvenating (something we might find boring in larger doses).

June is very much the same. Spending time talking to, let alone touching, other people, is not something to which she’s accustomed. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, but the prevailing reaction to touch, especially from random strangers, is discomfort.

Now, if we delve into the oddball relationships she keeps with her colleagues in Blackbay, it’s a bit different, as she views each person with a specific set of rose-colored glasses.

For @heyzailene‘s warlock, Lady DuCass - aka ‘Magpie’: June equates a lot of her own mother to Magpie. The woman is older, and quite ‘proper’ in the same senses her mother was, and fusses over little things in ways that dredge up unwanted memories of the woman. But Magpie has also been far kinder than her mother ever was. In truth, Magpie’s existence has begun to soften June’s remembrance of her mother, albeit very slowly. So when there’s a touch from the elderly woman to Juniper, she’s normally adjusting something or rearranging something in a light and gentle manner. June mostly tunes it out, letting the woman do what she feels necessary without feeling overly bothered by it.

For @monettemason - aka ‘Swan’: Mo is the guild Den Mother. I’m certain I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating because it is very much the truth. She watches out for and cares for the group as her own children. Funnily enough, June does not think of Mo as a mother per se, as memories of her mother are not overly pleasant. Instead, she views Mo the same way she viewed the Apothecary in Gilneas who began teaching June about herbalism and botany and alchemy prior to the Fall of the Wall. The man was kind, and gave June an ear when she had a burning question, much as Mo has done time and time again for the Botanist in her emotional turmoils. When Mo has touched June, it’s been in reassurance, and June has found a quiet comfort in the motions, typically grateful for the times when they occur.

For @quai-mason - aka ‘Wren’: Juniper and Quai bonded early into her introduction to the covert group, sharing both moments of peace and moments of turmoil together. Something that really stuck with June early on was having to set Quai’s broken leg in the little cottage in the hills of Northern Elwynn. But she didn’t have to think twice about how she needed to do it, for Quai’s sake. She’d already been made aware of the situation, and she pressed forward with the best way to aid the woman in easing her pain and speeding along her healing. Since that time, June has interacted more than once with the Shadow within the other woman, finding a strange similarity and familiarity in the vibes it gives off. It reminds her of her own feelings, and does not cause her discomfort as it may others. Of all the members of Blackbay, June has probably had the most physical contact with Quai (mostly because she keeps getting hurt *ahem*). Not only does this contact not bother her, June would actively seek more time with her if she did not think it would make the other woman feel awkward. She views Quai as an older sister, and highly values her opinion.

For @brian-wellson - aka ‘Kestrel’: This relationship is probably the most complicated of June’s. Kestrel represents, in the young woman’s mind, a chance at having something she never had - a father. Hers was never in the picture - to whit, she doesn’t even know who he was, or that he was a nobleman, or what his accomplishments were... *cough* spoilers *cough*... Kestrel has been hard and sharp in a number of moments, confusing and misunderstood in others, and a few times has been utterly surprising. He’s an enigma that she cannot uncloud, a puzzle she cannot seem to solve. He offers her help in one moment, but when she reciprocates, he seems to turn her away. Some of these moments have been caused by her naive perception and not by Kestrel. I’ll admit, her interactions with Kestrel are some of the most fun, not only because riling up my muse is entertaining (yes, I can be an evil mun), but because the growth June undergoes through each one is so exciting. The few times Kestrel has made physical contact with June, it’s been a hand on her shoulder, strong and reassuring. It makes her wonder sometimes whether he’s similar to her in level of comfort around others, but the interaction does not bother her.

For @malorincan - aka ‘Albatross’: June has a funny awkward friendship with Mal. The first time they met, she had to tote him back to their Val’sharah cottage on her back (in her travel form, as she is a druid). The two have bonded a great deal, which of course includes having little disagreements and spats over little things that didn’t last very long. There have been times, mostly out of curiosity, that June has been a bit unfair to Mal, grabbing his tail and holding onto it for short periods. It’s easier than trying to hold his large hand, and she finds it a little funny that it makes him blush. But she likes that he’s grown accustomed enough to it that his tail curls around her hand now. They’re good friends, with a bit of a crush on Mal’s end right now, and he actually made her genuinely smile the other evening when he was concussed out of his mind. She cares for his well-being, and does not at all mind their physical interactions.

For @justinegrotius - aka ‘Osprey’: Ho boy. This is probably the most difficult one to put into words. June has had an overwhelming sense of confused emotions regarding Justine. The woman has played an integral part in how June has adapted since joining Blackbay. She’s been instructive and sharp, as a teacher would. She’s been reprimanding at time, as a mother might. She’s been supportive and reassuring, like a sister or a friend. But something Osprey likely did not count on was also something that June never counted on. Justine reminds June of Liam. The one person who ever gave the young botanist butterflies in her stomach. As a young woman who spent her time from the age of 15 to the age of 19 *alone* and generally avoiding people in large quantities, having this recurrence of emotion and feeling crop up this way has been massively befuddling. Right now, June doesn’t know what to do about it, or what to say, or whether to do anything about it at all. But lately, she’s felt overwhelming embarrassment over the things that flit through her mind. There was a singular specific moment that really stands out to her in which the two shared physical contact. June was in a threadbare cot in a rundown shack in Westfall, healing from a nasty wound. Justine sat by her bed, and absently ran her fingers through June’s hair in a soft caress. The tiny little touch still echoes in June’s dreams, weeks later. It resonates with her. It makes her heart flutter. And it terrifies her. It fills her with dread at the impending rejection she’d face if she ever voiced her feelings. And it’s wonderful! Each interaction with the woman is something June both looks forward to and wishes to avoid at the same time, and each one helps her grow into the woman she’s becoming.

To @jazimina, thank you for the ask. ^_^ I’m sorry it was so long. But it felt great to delve into June’s character. Y’all send me more of those questions! And to my Blackbay peeps, too! They’re all great, and I love them.

[pcurrytravels]

Why I Wanna Go: Mexico

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the second post in the Why I Wanna Go series. Today, I’ll be talking about my interest in travelling to Mexico.

Oh boy, where to start? One of my aunts has been to Mexico innumerable times (Tijuana, Cancun, Chichen Itza/Yucatan, Cozumel, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Yeah, she’s been around). Growing up in the Southwest U.S., I’ve always been around Mexicans and their culture. I seem to always be eating Mexican food. Basically, what I’m trying to say is, it seems like all signs point in this direction: You need to take a trip to Mexico, P.

Of course, that goes to beg the question.....exactly where in Mexico? Do I want to explore ruins and archaeological sites like Chichen Itza or Teotihuacan? Lounge around at the beaches of Acapulco or Playa del Carmen? Party like a rock star in Cancun or Cabo? Dodge the cartel in Tijuana? Hmmm....why not have a little bit of everything? 

While not as large as the U.S., Mexico is still a fairly large country of it’s own which appears to have a lot to offer. After all, it’s divided into 31 states, and contrary to what the average American thinks, no two states in Mexico are the same. Observe:

This is Sonora.

This is Jalisco.

And this is Quintana Roo. You can tell just from these pictures that these are three radically different locales, and I’m sure it goes far beyond climate and aesthetic. 

Also contrary to popular belief, Mexico’s culture is a bit of a melting pot. Most people assume that the culture of Mexico is merely the modern-day result of the Spaniards bloody conquest of the Aztecs and Mayans when it’s actually a bit more complicated. For starters, while the Aztec and the Maya were the most dominant, there were actually a TON of indigenous cultures (like Olmec, Toltec, Zapotec, Mixtec and Yaqui, just to name a few examples) throughout Mexico’s history, many of which still survive to this day.

There was also a period of time where the country was a hotspot for European immigration (another thing that’s contrary to popular belief: the U.S.A. wasn’t the only place in the Americas to go through a period of mass immigration), particularly with Irish, Germans and the French. Even lesser known: a deep and intricate historical connection with the Philippines which includes many Filipinos moving to Mexico and vice versa, a longstanding Japanese population and the West African component. Each of these groups have left some sort of impact on Mexico’s modern day culture, in ways big and small.

Oh yeah, about that West African component: just like everywhere else in the Americas, Mexico has a history with enslavement of West Africans. However, it’s no secret that many Latin American countries in particular, well, don’t like to talk about that side of the family, if you will, Mexico included. However, unlike places like Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Colombia where African cultural and genetic components are as clear as day no matter how much the society at large refuses to admit it, Mexico has managed to be successful in hiding it almost entirely. 

There’s many theories as to how and why this came to be. In spite of the other groups and cultural influences, Mexico has a historical and kinda stubborn tradition of insisting it’s a Mestizo country, acknowledging only the Spanish and indigenous components and effectively erasing everything else. And then you also have the Spanish colonial policy of encouraging intermarriage in an attempt to eventually make everyone a Spaniard. However, in comparison to a lot of their other territories where the West African population was in proportionate relation to the European and indigenous populations, if not in some cases outnumbering them, in Mexico this was reversed, which likely led to them getting assimilated much more quickly. (Although, I personally believe that a significant amount of their descendants are actually modern-day black Texans, but that’s a different conversation entirely)

Tangent: Not going to lie, I do find these facts a bit unsettling and disappointing. The Spanish really did a number on not only Mexico but all of Latin America in general. Being a Black American who is quite enamored with the histories and cultures of Latin America, I was quite ecstatic when I started learning more about the black histories of these places.....only to feel quickly disappointed when reminded of just how far these places and/or communities have to go. Hell, despite the fact I’ve known better for a very long time, I still find myself getting confused when I encounter a black person from places like Puerto Rico thanks to how American and Latin American media both are insistent on portraying everyone from these countries as a lightly tanned, ambiguously Spanish with just a ~little~ bit of Indian, J. Lo/Sofia Vergara/Enrique Iglesias stereotype. 

Ok, but anyways, enough about that, let me break down some of my reasons for wishing to visit Mexico:

Reason number one: The ruins. I’ve always been fascinated with the ruins of past civilizations, of which Mexico has plenty. You have the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum and Uxmal, the remains of the great Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in the middle of Mexico City, Monte Alban which was a historical center for the Zapotec and Mixtec cultures and then there’s sites of dubious origin like Teotihuacan. 

There’s a number of things that pique my interest about these sites. For starters......seemingly benign structures like cenotes and ballcourts which played a pivotal role in the culture of human sacrifice, thanks to religious belief systems in which the gods had insatiable bloodlust. The astronomical connections because, after all, the Mayans did make some impressive strides in the field of astronomy without so much as even a telescope, which ties into the silhouette of a serpent that appears every equinox. Oh, and the mysteries! Mmm, the mysteries. Exactly how did the Mayans manage to have such a deep and intricate understanding of astronomy with such limited technology (well, as far as we know at least)? Who built Teotihuacan and why was it abandoned? How much truth is there to these alleged hiding places for their gods and other monsters? One can’t help but to wonder. 

Reason number two: To party it up. I’m sure you’ve all heard the cry for “SPRING BREAK IN CANCUN BABY! WOOT WOOT!″ Okay, my college years (which were a disappointment anyway) have long past, but that doesn’t at all change Mexico’s worth as a party destination. The country does offer a wide variety of festivities.

The Catholic Carnival is a really big deal in those parts, with the biggest celebrations being held in Mazatlan and Veracruz. Another big deal is Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, a multi-day celebration in rememberance of fallen loved ones, rooted in ancient Mesoamerican traditions, that has become so well-known that cultural diffusion has led to it being widely celebrated in United States, even by people without any Mexican heritage. 

Of course, there’s plenty to offer that doesn’t necessarily involve tradition. There are two ~riviera~ regions: The Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast with Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen and the Mexican Riviera with Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. The former is particularly known for the debaucherous, aforementioned “SPRING BREAK!!!” thing, but there’s a lot more to offer if one is tired of being around the hullabaloo of drunken American college students. The latter tends to avoid that reputation, in addition to having a lot more history and culture integrated into the party scene. (Mazatlan happens to be the location of La Vinata Tequila Factory. My aunt brought home some of their distilled agave extract after one of her many trips to Mexico and I’m tellin’ y’all: Completely blows Jose Cuervo out the water). 

Another place that catches my attention is Veracruz. Being on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, with a longstanding Cuban community and a strong Afro-Mexican presence, this city in particular is at an interesting crossroad between Mexico and the Latin Caribbean, which definitely piques my interest. Oh, and I’ve been told Mexico City is no slouch in the party department either. 

Reason number three: Real Mexican food. People of Mexican descent won’t hesitate to tell you that Mexican-American food is an almost completely different thing from what’s actually eaten in Mexico, and we’re not just talking Taco Bell either.  

In Mexico, a burrito is usually only filled with meat, beans and sometimes cheese. The large burritos containing five or more ingredients that can be found at places like Chipotle were invented in San Francisco’s Mission District. Hard shells for tacos are also an American invention; in Mexico tacos are almost universally made with soft corn tortillas, and they aren’t filled with ground beef either. Where jack or cheddar is used in the U.S., oaxaca or cotija is used in Mexico. I could go on about the differences, but we’d be here all day. 

For a very long time, most of what’s thought to be Mexican food on this side of the border is by and large either an Americanized variant of cuisine from the Northern regions/states of Mexico or, well, given that Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California were all apart of Mexico prior to the 1850s anyway, pre-existing culinary traditions from the aforementioned regions that have long since been anglicized. Recently, this has begun to change however: as to be expected with an increasing population, it has become far easier to find more authentic options in American cities than it was in the past. Especially in California, Texas and the Southwest. 

As authentic Mexican cooking slowly becomes easier to find, it may seem unnecessary to travel to Mexico for the food, but as already stated, most of what can be found in the U.S. comes from the Northern regions. That leaves out everywhere else, yes? As the parts of Mexico I’m more interested in visiting are in the Central and Southern regions, I imagine I’d probably be treated to something much different. 

Reason number four: The scenery. Mexico has a lot to offer in terms of both natural and man-made scenery. As you can see from the pictures posted above, there’s a number of climate zones present. People commonly think of the country as being one giant desert, when this couldn’t be any further from the truth.

The desert regions of Mexico are mostly limited to the north. A lot of Baja California has a more Mediterranean climate. The aforementioned riviera regions are as tropical as can be. The country can boast snow-covered mountain ranges, heavy rainfall from June to October, vulnerability to both earthquakes and hurricanes, volcanoes and even glaciers. Yeah, for real. 

In addition to the countryside, Mexico is also a hotbed of wonderful architecture. Another interesting thing about the Mesoamerican ruins is that each culture had it’s own unique style of architecture. As for the Spanish Colonial period, well, not to downplay the horrors of this era of course, but it did provide some wonderful Spanish-styled architecture which can still be seen in towns and cities all over the country today. Post-colonialism, it became commonplace to combine the Spanish Colonial with the Mesoamerican, which makes for an intriguing end result indeed. 

Reason number five: The stories. From what I’ve gathered about Mexican culture, storytelling, folklore and urban legends are a pretty BIG deal. This in turn leads to some pretty eerie stuff; see: La Isla de las Muencas, or the Island of the Dolls in the Xochimilco borough of Mexico City. 

The story goes that a man whom lived in isolation on the island discovered the drowned body of a girl floating nearby one day, and was so troubled by it that he began to collect and hang up dolls all over the island in an attempt to appease her spirit. Already unsettling enough in of itself, general consensus among those who were close to the man and residents of the area appears to be that he made the whole thing up. Hm, raising an eyebrow? Well then, wait til’ I tell you that back in 2001, only FIFTY YEARS after he began his disturbing habit, his drowned body showed up in the same spot where he alleged to have found the girl’s body so many years prior. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

If you thought this was scary, wait til’ you hear about La Llorona! You know, the weeping woman doomed to search for the children she killed for all eternity? Or the Alley of the Kiss in Guanajuato? A site where two star-crossed lovers were killed and are alleged to haunt til’ this day? (Alas, just like the tale of Romeo and Juliet, this tragedy has come to be misunderstood and twisted into the perfect romance, what with couples making the trek to that spot just so they can be photographed taking a kiss there. Reading comprehension is a virtue people) Or how about Juan del Monte? A spirit of the mimic variety who imitates familiar voices in order to lure wanderers to oblivion in the jungles of Quintana Roo!? Ah, Mexico is no slouch when it comes to frights, lol. 

My Dream Itinerary:

Locations: Riviera Maya (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel), Yucatan (Chichen Itza), The Mexican Riviera (Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, Rosarito, San Jose del Cabo and Ensenada), Veracruz, Mexico City (and Teotihuacan) and San Miguel de Allende.

Sights and Experiences: The ruins where Aztecs, Mayans and other Mexican Indians once dwelled, Colonial Spanish architecture, the canals of Xochimilco, La Vinata Tequilla Factory, the parties and nightlife of Cabo, Cancun and Playa del Carmen, the beaches on the Pacific, Gulf and Caribbean coasts and Museo del Frida Kahlo. 

Oh Mexico. One day.