#and Felipe used to be like their main friend

[victorluvsalice]

And then I was like "you know, I invited Felipe to this shindig SPECIFICALLY so Victor could reconnect with him and once again have a friend OUTSIDE his immediate household -- let's do that, okay?" XD So Victor went and said hello to Felipe and shared a nice chat with him at one of the side tables. :) They did indeed become friends again, I'm glad to say, and Victor even learned a bit about Felipe's new preferences post THAT update -- namely, that he likes blue but dislikes yellow. *pause* Welp, he probably isn't a fan of Smiler's tux then. Or their eye color either. XD

With the Felipe Reconnection sorted, it was time for a lovely, if unofficial in my game, wedding tradition -- the first dance! I put that dance floor in and made sure to hire a pianist for the wedding for a REASON, you know. The My Wedding Stories people can't have all the fun! Victor and Smiler shared a few lovely turns on the dance floor to the piano music, courtesy of the "Slow Dance" interaction in the Cute Romance mod, and ended on an adorable little dip kiss. :) I'll take "things I wish I had at Victor and Alice's original wedding" for $500, Alex! Ah well, at least I got to indulge this time around. :)

After that, I wasn't sure what to do, so I decided, "well, I set up a photo op area, might as well use it." So I had Alice mount her camera on the tripod, spun the tripod around when I realized I'd put it backwards relative to the backdrop (^^;), and then had Victor and Smiler pose for her while she took a couple of pictures. It was fun making them do various silly poses, but I ended up not that fond of the white backdrop, so after a few pictures I stopped the photo session so I could move it. I was just getting ready to try some nicer snaps against the beauty of nature when I saw the "Take Photo With..." option and thought "Oh, yeah, Alice should get some pictures with the happy couple too. Wouldn't it be nice if I could do all three of them in one go, but I'm sure the game won't let me pick both--"

". . .the game just let me pick both."

". . .I CAN DO PROPER OT3 PHOTOS WITH THE TRIPOD?!?!"

Uh, cue me going COMPLETELY OVERBOARD with taking pictures of the trio using the tripod camera. XD The first couple were a little glitchy (mostly due to the fact that Smiler started walking away while the camera 'timer' was going, and when I changed the poses, the game teleported them back into the same space that Alice was occupying, resulting in some weird merged Sim nonsense), but once I started another set -- oooh, the fun I was having. Oh, the joy of getting to do all sorts of delightful and silly photos with all three of my beloved Sims in the same goddamn shot for once. XD What you're seeing there is just a small representative sampling of some of my absolute favorite shots. I -- yeah. This is something I wanted for AGES, and I wasn't about to waste the opportunity to get as many shots of my OT3 TOGETHER as possible.

That being said, I DID want some of the classic "dual selfies" as well, so once I was finally done with the tripod, I had Alice reclaim her camera, then moved the trio over to another nice spot nearby with some cute light-strung trees and had Alice and Smiler, Alice and Victor, and Victor and Smiler all take some selfies together. Which all turned out very cute as well. :)

. . .Yes, I swear the last one also turned out cute. Look, I don't know WHY it happens, but sometimes, when you take an in-game picture, the version in your "screenshots" folder ends up "overexposed" like that. It doesn't happen EVERY time, but I got unlucky in this case, and ALL of Victor and Smiler's selfies had that weird "glow" to them. I just wanted to include one to prove that they'd taken a few! Trust me, the in-game versions are fine and adorable.

[s0lar-ch3ri]

thinking about him (spoilers for jrwi)

thinking about how in atleast 2 scenarios chip has blamed himself more then needed, first with ollie ("i took him from his home") then with gillion ("i gave him the card") and each time he tried to put on a confident face but really it ate away at him inside.

thinking about how gillion is constantly taking on responsibility and chip canonically sees gillion as inspiration (humble beginnings, bizly says the inspo from the future is from gillion tidestrider) and its not like he only takes some blame but usually its all the blame because gillion knows how to acknowledge his faults somewhat.

thinking about how chip takes promises ever so seriously (ie, not even doing simple lies after promising gill that he wouldnt) yet hes such an example of "change doesnt happen overnight" and how he acts can be directly or indirectly related to past adventures and/or trauma (probably even how he copes is atleast somewhat connected to the guy he killed under price).

thinking about how chip grew up looking up to arlin and seeing what a great example of pirates the black rose were and trying to be something atleast somewhat great and feeling like he failed when hes the only one on deck with somewhat an idea of what a pirate is.

thinking about how chip would lie to protect his friends yes but became a lying machine to protect himself before and hid his intents because while he can absolutely trust his crew his instinct is too not because he got used to being on his own and putting himself first and now hes around people (mostly gill) who put themselves before him to help protect him.

thinking about how easily gillion made friends with people on islands and eventually it rubbed onto chip too (ie: gryffin, felipe, etc) as he unlearned the idea that hes alone in a cruel world that only exists to make him suffer and theres a light in everyones life that makes it even just slightly better, no matter the background (main example is gill again).

thinking about how much gillion is willing to sacrifice for his friends and when felipe wanted to stab him every night, it was chip who tried to talk sense into gill because he cares for gillion and (most likely) was worried that felipe may be lying about healing and may full on kill him.

and all these thoughts (and more) make me feel so much when they found the empty rowboat with nothing but ashes and a fiendish smell and gillion starts blaming himself so chip grabs his shoulders and says "its not your fault, you werent the one who made him grab the card" because somewhere in my heart it feels like maybe chip isnt just talking to gill but to the part of himself that keeps on trying to hold onto every wrong hes done, every sin that keeps him up at night, every lie that is amplified in his skull, that he deserves forgiveness and not everything in the world lays on his shoulders.

and with these thoughts, one more comes to mind: chip and gillion are so similar in backgrounds and morals and thats why theyre the ones that break each others walls and misunderstand each other and fight because they probably dont even fucking see it.

[deblklesb]

[Phantoms of Past — Abby x Reader]

[AFAB!reader, friends to lovers, Christmas themed, br!reader, angsty, MDNI]

a/n: well, is this late for Christmas? yes. but do i care? also yes bc i'm paranoid and have some need to make stuff on time, so imagine my despair when i couldn't finish this. but i ALSO know that I'm doing my best, and for that i have to pat my own back. anyway, this is for my brazilian besties out there!!!

cw: reader is brazilian, usage of phrases in pt-br with the translation after and between parenthesis, owen mentioned (this man is a cw by himself idc this is not a owen appreciated blog), mutual pinning, Abby understands portuguese and even talks some. let me know if i forgot something.

not proof read | word count: 3,274

reblogs are highly appreciated!!

While you drive through the recently cleaned streets of the neighborhood you grew up, thanking the heavens that it stopped snowing for now, the radio plays a seasonal song and your murmur along. The traffic on the main roads were chaotic, almost as congested as your uncle's arteries, but now the decorated rooftops and doorsteps replaced the headlights on your peripheral vision. In front of a house stood a snowman, or at least his body stripped of arms and face.

You park in front of a house with simple adornments and flashers around the main door, a LED deer standing next to it and a small table with fake cookies and milk on top. All the energy was so reminiscent of the years you'd spend a whole day decorating the house with your mom, mainly inside, just so your father and sister could take care of the outside. Now that you both were grown and away, the couple occupied itself with the house interior and resumed the exterior with a simple approach. It never failed to take a smile from you, though, especially seeing the way they would adhere to simple things just because it looked cute, even if it had nothing to do with their native traditions.

Coming from Brasil, for the first part of your life you had hot weather and sunny days on Christmas. Maybe a night of rain, but never snow. Fireworks and catholic mass were on the list, but your parents went just to go along with the rest of the family and friends. They weren't religious, so in the end Christmas was simply another holiday, but with presents and - as all the other holidays - a family gathering. The main difference now was that you were studying in another city, becoming one of the absent relatives; you know, the ones that mainly go home for the holidays and vacations. It wasn't bad, but they definitely missed you a lot and the feeling was mutual.

Using your key to get in, the sounds of Simone’s “Então É Natal” (“And So It Is Christmas”), a brazilian holiday song, hit you immediately. You chuckle, taking off your boots and coats. From the front corridor the ornamented tree is visible, carrying innumerous lights and details. There's probably not a single empty wall, the seasonal decoration filling every inch of your field of vision.

“There she is!” Your father shouts as you appear in the living room smiling. The man goes into your direction with open arms, holding you tight. You smell that same cologne he wears since you can remember anything, and along with the warmth of the house, it truly feels like home. Some of the tension from university and work just falls on the carpet, leaving your body to receive all the good things inside that place.

“Carlos, you'll smash our child and I cannot have another one”, your mom yells somewhere from the kitchen direction, making you laugh.

“I can get another one anywhere, Marília”, he finally lets go, an arm around your shoulders. “Won't be as nice as this one, though”

“Of course not, she's irreplaceable”, your cousin Felipe says, approaching. “Prima, você tem feito falta!” (“Cousin, you have been missed!”) He holds you sideways with an insane amount of exaggeration, taking an embarrassed chuckle from you. Felipe was a lawyer with a lot of charisma, but inside he was just your cousin that your mom liked a lot. You both used to play together growing up. “From some people, a little too much”, he whispers playfully before running away, not letting you scold him for bringing up something you were not prepared to deal with this earlier, especially when the person implied wasn't even around. Yet.

Your father doesn't seem to notice, now talking with your mom again.

“Hey, Alice”, you wave to Felipe’s wife sitting on the couch, drinking something on a Christmas themed mug.

“Hey, sweetie! How's uni?”

“Tiring”, you shrug. “How about the kids?”

Your name is once again shouted through the house, and as you turn around three kids are running into you. Camila, Jorge e Rayana hold your waist, almost making you fall with a laugh. Camila is the oldest, at five years old, but the others are at the age of three. They're simply the most precious people in that family.

“Meus pestinhas!” (“My little brats!”) You start messing their hairs and pinching their ears playfully.

“Eu perdi um dente, olha!” (“I lost a tooth, look!”) Camila smiles widely, showing the first little window on her mouth.

“Ela tá ficando banguela e feia” (“She's getting toothless and ugly”) Jorge points out, and by Camila's reaction this isn't a new saying.

“Well, that's too bad. Because you'll get toothless and ugly too, just wait a few years”, Rayana and Camila laugh as the boy pouts at your response, looking at their mom.

“Vamo, vamo, abram espaço. Preciso abraçar minha filha” (Come on, come on, clear the way. I need to hug my daughter) Your mom’s voice finally reached the living room before her arms were wrapped around your torso. It's warm and familiar, you've missed her so much.

“Oi, mãe” (“Hey, mom”)

“Você tá tão magrinha, filha. Aposto que não anda comendo direito na correria, né?” (“You're so skinny, child. I bet you haven't been eating well in all the rush, right?”) The caressing she does on your back is reassuring, and by that you can tell you're going back with bowls filled with food. “Sua irmã vai chegar só mais tarde, seu pai vai buscar ela na estação” (“Your sister will arrive just later, your father will pick her up on the station”)

“When will uncle Jerry get here? He said he would get me new crayons”, Rayana mumbles while playing with one of the numerous ornaments on the lit up tree.

You try not to react to what that phrase implies, going with your mom to the kitchen to busy your hands and your mind with something else. She would probably kick you out of there soon anyway, she never liked having other people in the kitchen with her unless very necessary. But the need to act normal, smile and not think about family friends coming over it's bigger than the prospect of being scolded out of a room.

While the conversation continues in the living room and the song plays to never leave an empty place in your audition, you hover around the place talking with your mom about the neighborhood news and her routines in the morning walks group. It's comforting to know about what's going on, even if it doesn't really affect your life.

You help her cut the bread to make rabanadas (french toasts), looking forward to finally eating them. It's one of your favorite things of this season, even though you could actually find it anywhere at any time of the year. But the memories of having a plate of those on the supper table, covered in sugar and cinnamon, it's one of your favorites. So you're dividing your attention between the chore of slicing the bread and listening to your mom speaking, when a name being yelled in the living room catches your ear and you almost cut the tip of your thumb.

It's Jorge’s voice. “Abby!”

It's a blessing your mom didn't notice it, but now you have a bigger motive to stay inside the kitchen and never leave it.

No matter how much your mother talked, or the music filled the air, or the people in the other room got into different conversations within the group; her voice seemed louder than any other thing to you. You would swear she was next to the table you had the cutting board on, chatting with the children and playing with them.

You could swear you could listen to her whispering to you about lonely nights and missing pieces of a puzzle.

“Tia!” (“Auntie!”)

Your mom stops speaking just to turn around and look into the tall woman's direction. “Abigail!” Her comforting, mothering arms hold the strong torso, and the blonde needs to be in a not very straight posture to fully embrace your mom. What could you say, hightness wasn't in your family's genes.

“One of these days you'll be able to carry me around, with how big and strong you're getting!” And they both laugh as if Abby didn't live at the end of the block and they saw each other constantly.

All the while, you're trying to avoid the upcoming, inevitable moment. Your eyes glue on the bread, but you're not really looking at it. They're talking but you can't decipher the words, just assimilate the sweet voice making your cells tremble in vibrations. Cutting another piece, and another, then another, then-

“Puta que pariu-” (“Motherfucker-”), a drop of blood falls onto the cutting board when you pull your hand away, thumb red and hurting.

“What happened?” Your mom asks, concern in her voice.

“I cut my finger”, the running water of the sink makes the wound sting when you put the finger under it, the blood keeps coming out.

“I can take care of that if you need to”, Abby says, making you look directly at her for the first time of the night.

And you have to give the lack of air to the pain. You have to, because otherwise you would be admitting that looking at her takes your breath away.

“Yeah, Abby is working as a nurse in a school now. I bet she's used to this type of thing”, Marília goes to the cutting board, taking the pieces you've cut already.

There's nowhere to run over this. What will you say, that you don't want her to take care of your wound? That you can't be next to her, orelse all the coherent thoughts in your mind will fade away, leaving room for her voice? That your fingers ache to touch her?

You look to your still bleeding finger under the open faucet, then to the tall, blonde woman again. And while your mother wasn't looking, you both had a silent conversation about something, everything. She could see the doubt in your eyes, but you could see the pleads in hers.

“Sure, I think it wouldn't be much…” You try to smile, finally turning the faucet off and grabbing a towel to wrapp around your finger.

You both go upstairs, she tells you how there was a first aid kit in the bathroom and your stomach jumps at the realization that she knew your house more than yourself probably. Looking forward at all times and trying not to pay too much attention to her careful hand touching your arm like she was guiding you around the place.

“Go to your room, I’ll take the kit”, and you don’t even look at her to see how she was looking at you. You don’t know how that hurt her, mainly because you’re trying to get out of this situation as fast as possible.

The room is just like you always leave it after the breaks, bed neatly covered and books on the shelves. Some stuffed animals that you couldn’t bear to donate were aligned on a shelf next to a poster of a band you liked, the black and red contrasting with the creamy colors of a small giraffe. You saw the table where once you were pressed against, the lamp giving a soft light on the room as you felt a pair of lips so close to yours after all those years of yearning and silent pining.

“Okay, let’s give this a look” she was back using that voice, the one for the workplace. Tender, but firm; like she was trying to be secure, but reassuring.

Abby pulled the chair next to the table so she could sit in front of you, her knees together between your separated legs as she carefully took your hand and unwrapped the towel. Crimson drops started to flow down your finger, and the blonde woman never took the blue eyes away from the cut.

The distance wasn’t enough. Her scent would haunt the bedroom all night, making you dream about her just like it happened before, during your late school years, when she came to spend the day and left you numb and daydreaming. Her touches were so gentle, featherlight.

“It wasn't that bad, we can handle it”, she muttered like she was talking to one of the students from the school she worked at. “So, how's college?”

“It's okay, I guess”, with eyes glued on your own hand, you tried not to notice her thighs too much. “I've been working my ass off to write a paper while keeping up with classes and the monitoring thing”

“You'll get this, I'm sure”, you looked up just in time to see a smirk on her lips, but then returned to look down again before being trapped on that hypnotizing expression. “After all, you've always been very good with your words”

“It was easier in school, though”

“It always is”, she cuts the bandage before wrapping your finger with it. “But that's the thing, right? We start to realize how school was maybe easier, but then again, would you rather be back?”

“Oh, fuck no”, you chuckle as she finishes the curative. “I wouldn't change this for that”

“Yeah”, you finally look up more confident, meeting her indescribable expression. “I would change some things, actually”

“Like what?” You're just keeping the conversation, just trying to let it flow well enough for it to be bearable. You surely weren't expecting the next phrase.

“I wouldn't have dated Owen”, she sighs.

Owen was Abby's boyfriend. They started dating in the last year of school, and looked very much in love, for your displeasing. He wasn't a bad guy per se, but the fact that you already had a crush on Abby made you think that your feelings towards him were totally based on jealousy. So every single thing you had to say about him would be shoved down your throat immediately, and you'd just smile and nod to your friend anytime she mentioned him. You told her he was nice - couldn't bring yourself to say more than that - and supported their relationship with the most painful role in that whole story: the best friend with an unrequited crush.

By fall you found out she and Owen had broken up. Right after…

“Why is that?” Her eyes wander from the quilt to your hands, then back to your face. They were so beautiful, you could spend the rest of the night admiring them. Or the way her hair would fall around her face with soft lines, how her freckles were so attractive to the touch, especially on her arms.

“Don't think I was really into him… At least not in the right way”, Abby was the one not looking at you now, almost more interested in putting the stuff back on the kit box. “I could've been honest with him… And with you”

“Abby-”

“That's fine…” She shrugged. “He was a little bit of a dumbass anyway”

Silence falls around you both, filling the room with an emptiness.

The image of them both in your living room, last Christmas, haunts your mind as soon as you remember how you knew nothing and was too caught up in your own thoughts at the time. The way she laughed at his jokes, making your stomach turn as you smiled politely. Or how you saw them kissing next to the coat holder by the front door, and all the food you ate wanted to come back in awful bitterness.

You never told anyone. Never said a word, as always, rather keeping the green feeling on the back of your mind in order to not do something stupid - like being rude or start crying.

But then, you came home for the summer break. You dad was making barbecues in the backyard, you mom decorated the house with all the stuff your cousin brought from Brasil on his last trip, and you'd listen to pagode in the living room while the kids were playing and running, waiting for the meat to be properly roasted so they could finally eat.

Internally, you were ready to deal with that same gut-rotting feeling all over again. The plan was to sustain the fake expression until the time allowed you to pull the tiredness card on everyone and go to your room to watch some old telenovela.

Abby showed up alone, greeting everyone as usual. And when she looked at you, you could swear that was something in her eyes that could make you shiver. How she took your figure in before hugging you, how she held you so tight and for a little bit longer. How she was always trying to be next to you. You couldn't decipher, though, and the whole day went by mixing the confusion of her being without Owen and not even mentioning his name, and the rush of being that close to her again.

That night, in your room, she kissed you. Right there, where you were sitting now, she held your face between your hands and your skin shivered, while her lips touched yours.

You waited for years. Kissing her was probably one of the only things you wanted to do every time she was around, flesh craving hers. And it finally happened… But she had a boyfriend.

So you never talked about it again. You went back to college and texted her less and less.

“Abby, Abby, Abby!” A childish voice came from the corridor, the door opened to show Rayana. “Come here, I need your help to defeat Jorge and papai” (dad)

“Okay, I'll be there in a second!” The blonde smiled before the girl ran back downstairs. “Well, it seems like a have a duty”

“Can't let her down, she'll never forgive you”, you both chuckled while she got out of the room, first to leave the kit back in the bathroom and then to go to the living room again.

Sighing, you laid back on the mattress. Just like that summer night, you were alone in your room trying to collect your feelings about an interaction with Abby. Heart beating fast and a familiar warmth on your chest, wanting to curse every single entity for putting you in this position.

You came down maybe 15 minutes later, mask back on to decorate your face with a smile. You saw the tall woman on the mat with the younger children on top of her, attacking her while laughs filled the place.

“Okay, okay, saiam de cima da Abigail” (“Get off of Abigail”) Your mom didn't have to say it twice before they were sitting next to her. “Abigail, I need a favor. Remember that bowl I lent to you last week?”

“Sure”, her arms seemed stronger now that she was supporting herself on the elbows. Why was she so gorgeous?

“I need you to get it for me, darling”

“Okay, I got it”, Abby got up and immediately went grabbing her coat again.

And you were about to go back to the kitchen to make yourself useful, but it couldn't be that easy.

“Filha, vai com ela. Está nevando bastante, não é bom dirigir sozinha nesse tempo” (“Daughter, go with her. It's snowing a lot, it isn't good to drive alone in the weather”)

“Oh, it's not necessary-” She really tried, but your mom wouldn't take a negative answer.

“I'm not asking, you won't go alone!”

You nod and start putting on heavy clothes. It was okay, all good. You both would get in the house, grab the bowl, and get back in no time. It would be fine.

[dividers by @cafekitsune]

[phynewrites]

🍓 Author Ask tag 🍓

Thank you for the tag! @leisoree (here) and @at-thezenith (here!) These are all wonderful questions and a perfect moment to share with others

This is a long post ahead so I'm going to put this here already:

Gently tagging (no pressure) @writingamongther0ses @distortedsense @alnaperera @sm-writes-chaos @bluet-s @silviathebard @caxycreations @inseasofgreen @sableglass

Your questions are:

Which OC are you most fond of and why?

Is there any form of media (other movies, books, theater, news, etc.) that inspired your wip/s? How so?

What wip-related activities do you do aside from writing your wip? (making moodboards or playlists, etc.)

What are you most proud of in your wip/s and why?

What tropes are common among your wip/s? Why do you enjoy incorporating these tropes?

Which part of your wip are you most struggling and how do you plan to overcome it?

Any advice/ words of encouragement or just really a greeting to any writeblr who would have read this far?

From @leisoree

What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

This is kind of tricky. Karikultura is essentially a satire/social commentary on the woes of my country as a former colony of Spain and America, as well as the neo-Imperialism that I learned during my years as an activist. I guess I wanted to impart my ideals there that we, as a nation, continue to operate in a colonial mindset by patronizing the foreign and especially putting attention on foreign needs instead of the welfare of our own people. We have not learned, that's essentially what I want to say

For In Death, Forever, at its core is just about how love endures everything, even the universe itself. But at the same time, there are things that are beyond our control no matter how we fight it for. Despite that, fate can be kind and it can work out in our favor even though the outcome is not something we want.

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

I'm going to mention a wip that I think hinted at it before and that is Mantra (I think I remember talking about it with @yesireadbooks and @holdmyteaplease I don't know why I can't tag you HAHAHA), although I never got to fully flesh out the story I did go HARD! on the lore, which is mainly inspired by Hinduism and Philippine mythology. It has a polytheistic religion, each person has a specific deity they worship (except if you're a sage, you're mandated to have more than one deity to worship). The landscapes, I was not able to flesh out but I wanted to take inspiration in ancient India. It was also at that time that I was rereading the Ramayana and Mahabharata that I wanted to incorporate the same values of heroism, bravery, remaining true to ones vows, etc.

Karikultura isn't so deep in worldbuilding, but it's heavy on symbolism. Each character represents an idea that is personified. The main character, of course, represents our country. His friend represents our countrymen. His sister represents language. His mother represents glory. I guess that counts as worldbuilding?

In Death, Forever was supposed to be a simple time-leap story, until it just, like any other wip as you would know, expanded. I included, like in Mantra, a polytheistic system but they are not a form of religion. These gods, compared to the ones in Mantra, are not worshipped. They are considered personified forces in the universe that control various dimensions of human life. (Father Time, Sister Fates, Mother Death, I'm not sure if I'm gonna add someone else, maybe if I thought of it and if they play a relevant role in the story.) The time leap structure was based similarly on Tokyo Revengers, to which I still am an avid fan of today.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

Felipe in Karikultura appears to be a businessman who intends to expound his reach and conquer the world together with his American friends. As I've said, what I want to achieve in this story is neo-imperialism awareness through the decline of his character, that this is a faux success and the real success would rely on the prosperity of the people and not the foreigners.

Mary in In Death, Forever's goal is simple: find a way to stop the death of her husband Connor. Compared to Karikultura, there isn't really a deeper meaning in her journey apart from showing her resilient and determined nature despite her hardships, which in itself is, I think, a worthy message to the readers. It's going to a be a story about her grief, understanding the ways of the world, pushing its limits, and the raw power of the human mind against the universe and those that govern against it. In the process, she gains an unlikely ally.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Well, I'm not really one to set a wordcount or number of chapters for my wips, but Karikultura is finished now! YEHEY! And I have finished editing it! It has Three Acts: Act 1 with 15 Scenes, Act 2 with 8 scenes and Act 3 with 6 scenes, a total of 19 scenes of 18,967 words (Kinda short but I think it's an ample size for a playscript)

In Death, Forever currently has 12 chapters with 9,519 words in, and that's not even halfway (or even a thirds) of the original plot I have in mind.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Oh boy HAHAHHA, all my wips are original content. My top contenders of where I plan to post it are in Wattpad and A03. Actually, Karikultura is available in Public now, in Wattpad at https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/374982617-karikultura

It's in Filipino and English, a little bit of Spanish.

When and why did you start writing?

I formed the love for writing when I was in 3rd grade. The first book I read was Roald Dahl's The Magic Finger and I thought I wanted to write stories like that. I started to read more -- a hobby that I got from my mom -- and that's where I started concocting stories. I would write in notebooks about stories in schools and ideas that pop in my head. I started formally writing in high school, when I was 14 years old I think. It was a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood except werewolves. I posted it on Wattpad then and it got good reads for a while, but I didn't get to update it frequently due to busy studies. I picked up on my writing slump when I was a college student again, a few moments before I made my writeblr account. Truly, the reason why I started writing was because I wanted to put my thoughts on paper and have an outlet for my emotions

Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

Keep being you. Don't lose sight of why you write in the first place, and that is for yourself, your leisure, your feelings, and your story. Don't be discouraged if there are challenges, these are normal. The way you handle and react to them is completely in your control, so keep going and always remember to write because it is what you love to do. It is not for anyone else to dictate to you. All the love <333333333333

From @at-thezenith

what was the first piece of writing you did where you thought "wow I'd love to be a writer"?

Okie, so I said a while ago that technically it was reading first that got me into writing, but I think the first piece that I wrote that really inspired me was a story I made about my friends in 5th grade. We were playing a royalty roleplay-esque game that my friend invented. I wrote about it in my diary, and then a flash of inspiration came into me that I could turn it into a fantasy story where each of us were queens from distant lands with different powers, each needing the other to balance the world. Kind of like that. I think that's the earliest wip I've had.

how do you gather inspiration for your works? (pinterest boards, writing prompts, etc)

The biggest inspiration for most of my wips just come into my head from either a (1) dream or (2) various media. I remember specifically having an abandoned about attending a magic school that was based on a dream, and then another about venturing into the depths of a volcano to retrieve an ancient artifact and then using lucid dreaming to travel to another dimension. (please don't ask me to revive these I literally don't know anything about them anymore, maybe in the future something might inspire me)

However, a good chunk of my serious works are from other stories, that's why one of my inspiration as a writer is also to instill inspiration to others (and that's how I also get inspiration from my lovely moots!)

For example, Karikultura is specifically a mishmash of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey and Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart. The story is literally an adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Grey and at it's core is the message of Things fall apart.

In Death, Forever is an awful mishmash of Ken Wakui's Tokyo Revengers and Chinese series Link Click in regards to the time travelling logistics, Crisostomo and Maria Clara from the Television series Maria Clara and Ibarra as well as the extreme grief I felt from Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. I think even the atmosphere and the multiple universes of Sonny Boy also had an influence.

Another wip (unnamed but what I have in mind is "Berserker" or something like that) is based on Carnby Kim's Bastard Manhwa in regards to the atmosphere and the motivations of the main character. It also has elements of Venom such that the alien specie is like a symbiote but not really.

All these unrelated media mix together to create the shitshow I am brewing now.

what genre is easiest to write? what's the hardest? why?

For me, fantasy and science fiction is the easiest to write because of my exposure with the genre. With all the books and movies I have read and watched in this genre, I find it easy to pick apart how to make an effective story and create a world that is intricate according to this genre.

On the other hand, the hardest for me to write is Romance. Listen, sometimes love can be an overwhelming thing to write for me. I feel like I might be overdoing it or underdoing it. Do the characters have chemistry? Am I glamorizing a red flag? Do normal couples even do this? And it doesn't help that there are a lot of romance books that I have criticized a lot. That may be one of the reason I'm skeptical of my own writing when it comes to romance (which is kinda ironic considering In Death, Forever is also a romance story. Anyway, it's always good to go outside of our comfort zones once in a while)

what does a typical day of writing look like for you?

My job required me to write a lot of technical stuff so really, it's also a part of my daily life now (just not the type of writing I do to enjoy.)

When I'm writing for my wips, I want to remain focused and undisturbed as much as possible. If you would observe, I reblog some others writers' works here sometimes. That would mean I'm not in my headspace and want to get there, and most of the time I read stuff to get in the writing headspace. I also put on ambient music, mostly piano, to stay in that headspace. I have a notebook where the ideas are propped up and its sitting in a book stand next to my laptop. I have my favorite mechanical keyboard propped up, and a cup of cold coffee by the side. I really need the external orderliness to coordinate well with my headspace HAHAHA.

free space! ramble about a character you've most enjoyed writing about

Oh boy, this is actually from a short story that I posted here a long way back, it's a prompt fill that just sparked something in my brain and I knew I had to write it down, get it done. I don't care that I have a class in the next few hours, we still have time to get this shit.

Not just the characters, but I really love the worldbuilding I did here, especially since it was all in a whim but I'm really proud of it. I really like Luna and Skye's character. Actually there was another one that was supposed to appear which is a childhood friend of Skye. I think I have written her story somewhere, I just need to find and edit it before I get it out here. I wish I could expound more on their world, but there's nothing that coming out of my brain right now lol HAHAHA. I think what I most enjoyed writing about them is the spontaneity and how I was able to come up with their stories as fast as I could, on a deadline before my classes start.

I have a lot of babies, most of them are residing in my subconscious and I love them all.

if you could pick the brains of one author, who would you pick and why?

That would be Khaled Hosseini. I was deeply moved when I read The Kite Runner and it really made me feel... feelings. There's something in the way that Hosseini weaves words into not just a story but a prose. He was the first writer that I truly admired for the way he placed words together. I said that I want to have that kind of poetic way of writing and I would love to get into Mr. Hosseini's train of thought while writing so I could write like him and string the hearts of people like what he has done for me.

7. what's one writing tip that has stuck in your head?

Write for yourself. It's very simple but powerful because it reminds me why I'm doing this in the first place: because I love it. It gives me a chance to bring my stories to life, be productive, do something meaningful, and create. Also, I'm the kind of person who believes that the universe will give people what they need the moment they do. I might not be writing just for myself. There might be someone, somewhere out there who needs to read what I wrote just as how the countless works of other authors have found me. But for now, these stories will not be finished unless I do it for myself first.

[ohyoufool]

I love supporting journalism but NYT is paywalled and we all need some GOOD NEW QUEER COMICS so posting the full article under the read more!

Original Article

By George Gene Gustines

June 9, 2023

‘The Dog Knight’

Frankie Jude Bryant is a nonbinary middle school student who is dealing with identity, the usual academic challenges and, oh yes, trying to become the Dog Knight, a champion for humans and canines. Despite the presence of magical talking pooches, this journey of heroism and self-discovery feels grounded thanks to captions that get into the head of Frankie, who prefers they/them pronouns. On the first page, they think, “Do you ever feel like you don’t make sense?” Later, Frankie muses about their frenemy Dallas, who misgenders them: “She gets it wrong on purpose just to make a big deal about correcting it.” And when Frankie finds their tribe, “For the first time in a long time, I look in the mirror and I don’t feel a pain in the pit of my stomach.” Written by Jeremy Whitley, drawn by Bre Indigo and colored by Melissa Capriglione.

‘Marry Me a Little: A Graphic Memoir’

The cartoonist Rob Kirby chronicles his 2013 march down the aisle in Minnesota with his longtime partner, John Capecci. The story highlights where gay marriage stood at the time (each state was making its own rules before same-sex unions became the law of the land in 2015) and looks back at Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, who somehow were able to obtain a marriage license in Minneapolis in 1971. The personal recollections are powerful and honest: Rob remembers when he first casually used the word “husband,” which felt like “a small but genuine political act.” He also acknowledges the white, middle-class privilege that allowed him ambivalence about getting married. His ultimate conclusion: “Marriage does not define a relationship. Unless you want it to.”

‘Gatsby’

The messages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” — about social status, love and chasing dreams — are revisited in the present with a racially and sexually diverse set of characters in their 20s. Gatsby is a Black tech millionaire looking for a love who got away, and Lu Zhao, the stand-in for Nick Carraway, is visiting from Singapore and summering on Long Island (where a $5,000-plus afternoon shopping spree highlights the casual wealth). The main characters are refreshingly blasé about their sexuality: Lu’s girlfriend, Alexis, asks, “How do you identify?” But Lu’s answer does not really matter as Alexis says, “I love being on this journey with you. I’m here for you no matter what.” Written by Jeremy Holt, drawn by Felipe Cunha and colored by Dearbhla Kelly. 

‘Hex Americana’

The cartoonist Bree Wolf spins a tale about auto racing, teen romance, monsters and ghosts. Flesh-and-blood Ken forms an unlikely alliance with Dante, who died in a previous race and haunts his car as a ghost. A successful partnership will allow Ken to compete in the annual Grand Prix and help Dante move on to the afterlife. The more than 300-page story packs in a lot of character growth, action, flashbacks and drama. The relationship between Ken and Karen, his mother, is particularly nuanced. Karen is supportive of her son, who is gay, but she struggles with how to correct her overbearing friend James when he makes thoughtless jokes about Ken. (Iron Circus Comics. Aug. 30.)

‘Death Drop: Drag Assassin’

The Gayborhood, as it is called in this five-part series, has seen better days. Thugs feel empowered to assault young gay men, and a drag queen named Lunaira has gone missing from the club Posterior Delusions. Residents have little faith in the local police. Enter Death Drop, a former hit man and current drag queen, who is pushed by Mother Henny, the hostess of the club, to find Lunaira. “She’s a queen of color who has been missing for more than two days,” Mother Henny says. “You do the math.” It helps that Death Drop and Mother Henny used to date. Let the investigation begin. Written by David Hazan and drawn and colored by Alex Moore. (Scout Comics. June 14.)

‘Turtle Bread’

Kim-Joy, a British baker and cookbook writer, teams up with the artist Alti Firmansyah for this story about Yan, who is struggling with low self-esteem and social anxiety. When Yan finds a local baking club, she is plagued by doubts about whether she will fit in or be liked, but she soon learns that everyone struggles in different ways. Yan eventually becomes confident enough to rally the club members to seek out and support one of their fellow bakers who needs it. Yan would qualify as an ally, but there are characters with significant roles in the story who are gay and lesbian. And there are recipes, including one that gives this story its title. (Comixology Originals. Available now.)

Original article

[albiorix-l]

Jrwitober Day 31- 5 years of jrwi

Ok, this one isn’t much of a writing prompt. Not like I know how to make todays prompts into one anyway. And for anyone looking at my account, yeah, I didn’t keep up with it at all. Everything’s been very busy and I just couldn’t find time unfortunately, especially as each one just got longer.

However, I just wanted to use todays little thing to express my complete love for this show and everything about it (except felipe, I want to strangle that guy).

I haven’t been watching since the start. More like the second half of 2022, when slimecicle left the Chuckle Sandwich podcast and, with that being one of my main comforts, lead me to search for other stuff he’d done.

Then I found it. I think I started with the Prime Force one shots, and fell in love with it, though I wasn’t very happy when I found out the rest was behind a paywall. The black rose one shot wasnt the most entertaining thing and I was a little worried to see what the riptide campaign was going to be like. Alas, I gave it a shot.

And. Wow. From the start I was so into it I couldn’t stop watching (doing 8-10 hours a day when I had a free day, I was so into it) and even when I had something else going on, the second I got home I just couldn’t stop. I caught up decently quickly, and after a couple months of rewatching old episodes, I sent my friend, who i had only known for a little while at this point, a BITB animatic. I thought it was cool and I get way too excited about it when I like stuff.

Thankfully, she liked it too, and we decided to both get the Patreon. That’s when I went absolutely insane. BITB, while I won’t go into depths, was amazing, and I finished it in 2 days. But Prime defenders, which id watched the free eps for a while, and that id read enough fics to vaguely be spoiled of s1, was so so so much better than I could’ve expected. Every second of it was incredible, and from May ish when I got it to now, i am continually enthralled by everything about it. I love bizly’s dming, the characters, the story, all the heartfelt moments that I even cried a good amount at.

Jrwi, and largely pd, have become such a big part of my life that I have to stop myself or I doubt I’ll shut up. And that friend I mentioned? We went from strangers to just enough friends I sent her that fateful video to practically siblings, all because I shared my interest with her. We were both the first people we came out to, helped each other through so much in the year and a bit we’ve known each other, and I love her like my sister.

All because of an animatic about a bug horror thing.

And of course, the community. The people I’ve met, mostly those in a jrwi fic server, are so talented and funny and they’re all amazing. I’ve had the chance to write and post on ao3 after reading it for I think 5 years, and the kindness in this community is so incredible it’s almost whiplash to go back to the real world.

So thank you, jrwi. For all you’ve done for me and everyone who watches you.

Sincerely,

An inspired fan

[shinmiyovvi]

「Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies Oc Information: Main Ocs (Primis)」

NAME: Valena Villanueva

FULL NAME: Meliciana Valena B. Villanueva

AGE: 31

HEIGHT: 5'11"

DATE OF BIRTH: November 21, XXXX

PLACE OF BIRTH: Tondo, Manila, Philippines

NATIONALITY: Filipino

LANGUAGES:

English

Filipino

Spanish

German

Japanese

Russian

ALIASES:

Valena

Val

Lena

Hija

Anela (By Ernesto, Lumina, Felipe, and Agoncilia)

Mrs. Nightingale

Malishka/Rodnaya/Lyubov (By Nikolai)

Kwaehwal/쾌활 (By Ji eun)

OCCUPATION:

Nurse (Formerly)

Army Nurse Corps Member

AFFILIATIONS:

Us Army, Army Nurse Corps, Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, Primis, Ultimis

RELATIONSHIPS:

(Note: The names that are crossed out are considered as deceased)

VILLANUEVA-BUENAVISTA FAMILY

Ernesto Villanueva (Father)

Lumina Villanueva (Mother)

Col. Felipe Buenavista (Uncle, second father)

Rosalina Buenavista (Aunt, second mother)

Marcelo Buenavista (Cousin)

Dolores Buenavista (Cousin)

FRIENDS AND OTHERS:

Tulio Diaz (Childhood friend)

Alfonso de Guzman (Childhood friend)

Faye Hernandez (Childhood friend)

Luis Villamor (Friend, brother figure)

Sgt. George Huxley (Lover)

PRIMIS:

Edward Richtofen (Ally)

Tank Dempsey (Ally)

Nikolai Belinski (Ally, love interest)

Takeo Masaki (Ally)

Gong Ji Eun (Ally)

Arthur Frensby (Ally)

Dragomir Ostrowski (Ally)

PERSONALITY:

Lena is a caring and loving person, she is rather a mother friend to the crew due to her kind-hearted personality. She mostly smiles and brings everyone's hopes up throughout the journey. Just like her Ultimis counterpart, she is intelligent and serious. Although she is quite innocent to look at, she seems to hide something from her crew, something she never talks about much. Lena always hides her real emotions, that being sadness and guilt. She tends to imagine seeing her late parents whenever she experiences a near-death situation or even remembering the pain she felt when she lost her lover during the war. There are time she experiences nightmares about the incident or any episodes of not being herself in front of the others. She is stuck in a limbo of her own sadness, feeling that she couldn't save anyone she holds dear to her heart. That is why she always throw her life at risk to save her crew from any harm.

BACKGROUND:

Lena was born in Tondo, Manila to a loving family. Being the only child, she tends to dream about having a little sister to play with. Whenever she and her parents were in Ermita, she would go to the National Library of the Philippines to read books while waiting for her parents in Ermita. Due to reading a lot, she became interested in Literature and History as it also made her intelligent. She also begins to learn Spanish with the help of her father and Japanese from her mother. All is well for Lena as something will change her life with a disaster. She found out that her father was helping the Katipuneros as she also overheard him and a Katipunero having a conversation about the organization being found out by the curate of Tondo as they were being hunted down by the Spanish troops. When the time happened, her mother hid her in a closet as Lena kept quiet. All she could hear were the cries of her mother begging the Spanish troops about her father being innocent and not having any relations with the Katipunan. She heard gunshots, screams of both parties and suspected Katipunan members being captured. The closet was ajar and saw a glimpse of her mother, lying on the ground lifelessly with a pool of blood coming out from her body. Her father tried to fight back as he saw Lena in the closet, she ran out of the closet as she got a graze on her neck by a stray bullet. She couldn't react to her wound as her uncle Felipe quickly saved her together with his lieutenant Luis Villamor who became Lena's friend and a brother figure. The last time she saw her parents were now dead as their house was being burned down. She cries as Felipe tries to treat her wound and leaves Tondo on horseback. After the incident, Lena was taken care of by her uncle and aunt Rosalina and met her cousins Dolores and Marcelo in San Nicholas. While trying to cope with the death of her parents, Felipe taught her how to shoot, and wield a bolo knife while Rosalina taught her how to speak English, German, and Russian, and told her stories about how her father and mother met. Felipe also fears that she would get involved in any conflicts for the country's freedom and him being part of the Philippine Revolutionary Army with the rank of Captain. On her birthday, Felipe gifted her 2 novels, The Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, and Rosalina gave her a teddy bear which she named Nick. During her time in San Nicholas, she met Tulio Diaz, Alfonso de Guzman, and Faye Hernandez which she befriended with. Rosalina enrolled her in a religious school during her youth. in college, Lena then went to study at the University of Santo Tomas to study medicine and finished her degree. After graduating from college, she became a nurse and worked for 3 years before moving to the US to continue working there and build a future in a foreign country. When the US was involved in WW1, she joined the Army Nurse Corps and met her soon-to-be lover Sgt. George Huxley. After the war, she found out her lover died during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and kept his dog tag with her while arriving in Northern France to spy and collect details about the technology Group 935 has to offer. She met Richtofen and the others and joined them in their journey to collect their counterparts' souls.

[whatsitcalledfromthingy]

I posted 5,675 times in 2022

That's 3,922 more posts than 2021!

41 posts created (1%)

5,634 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@salemruinseverything

@the-ghost-in-your-attic

@friendofthecrows

@felipe-kuso

@deadandphilgames

I tagged 254 of my posts in 2022

#save - 23 posts

#thenightingalesystem - 12 posts

#our flag means death - 5 posts

#eurovision - 4 posts

#just giving - 4 posts

#art - 4 posts

#esc - 4 posts

#eurovision 2022 - 4 posts

#posts for ari - 4 posts

#but i want to spread the word as much as possible - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#ik it’s random but i’d love the dynamic between jonathan who wants to well and usually is and james who wants to do well but is also just h

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Guys my friend Noor is fundraising to feed a family of 5 during Ramadan as well as to sponsor an orphan for a year. The money will go to the 7 main countries that Human Appeal (the charity) help. These include Syria, Lebanon (Syrian and Palestinian refugees), Palestine, Yemen, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

I’d really appreciate it is you could donate if you can or spread the word, no pressure tho :)

I just think it’s a really good cause and I know it means a lot to them.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/maishaandaleenaarehereforeveryorphan

5 notes - Posted March 29, 2022

#4

i think there should be more appreciation for the single strip of wrapping paper that just says “happy birthday” on the phil cut out box.

just saying.

13 notes - Posted February 3, 2022

#3

intro post we probably should have done sooner:

hiii we’re the life support system. we’re a system of quite a few alters (no one knows)

we are diagnosed with dyspraxia and self diagnosed with osdd1-b autism and adhd

dni: exclusionary in any way (anti-endo, terf etc)

we don’t tag stuff but if you need us to tag triggers then ask <3

14 notes - Posted March 16, 2022

#2

me and my brother have discovered that if you google almost any word and then add “collins dictionary” you get a still from a pronunciation video. these stills are some of the most depressed looking people and are really hilarious if your sense of humour is broken.

Examples:

See the full post

18 notes - Posted June 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

idk how to feel. i don’t like it.

101 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[imagineredwood]

You smiled as you pulled up beside Angel, the Mayan looking over as he saw a car stay close to him. His guard was up, always on alert in case something popped off. Seeing you though, he gave a smile and used his free hand to throw you a quick wave. He kept on driving, looking over at you every now and then in hopes that you were going to the carniceria. He was right, watching as you turned right onto the street and then slowed to a stop in front of his father’s shop. He pulled up behind you and parked as well, throwing you another smile as you hopped out of your car.  He took a few steps toward you, pulling off his helmet as he greeted you.

“How’re you doing, beautiful?”

You grinned, feeling the twinge of heat hit your cheeks. 

“I’m fine, you?” 

Angel nodded, holding his hands onto the edges of his kutte, his boyish smile on full display. 

“That’s good. Coming to do some shopping?”

He cringed a second after, realizing how dumb of a question that was considering Felipe was one of the only places in town to buy meat. You didn’t seem to think so though, your smile still bright and in place. 

“Yeah. I needed more chicken.” 

Angel nodded and motioned to the door of the carniceria, trying to will his nerves to settle. It was hard though, his crush on you growing more and more every time he saw you. It was new, having a girl that he liked and could be the main focus for. Someone that wasn’t focused on EZ or the rest of the Mayans, but him and him alone. That was a benefit of you being brand new to Santo Padre. You had made a friend in him, and he hoped that in time it could be more than that. Pulling the door open, he held it for you and let you enter, rubbing the back of his neck in anticipation. 

“Have you eaten lunch yet?”

Angel taglist

@cardenasarmy @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful​ @maciiiofficial​ @abby-splace​ @redpoodlern​ @black-repunzel99​ @justazzie​

Mayans MC taglist

@dazzledamazon  @abunnykisses @briana-mishell24 @angelreyesgirl @wrcn9fvlcver @peaches009 @capt-canadian @thesandbeneathmytoes @krysiewithak @veracruz-djarin @appropriate-writers-name @cind-in-real-life @blessedboo @montanaraed @kkim120 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @emoengelfurleben @blowmymbackout @abby-splace  @kola95​  

@black-repunzel99​

[victorluvsalice]

-->Party time, that's what! Specifically, family reunion time! Now, you may be wondering, "uh, Vic, didn't all of your characters spring from CAS already formed? How can you have a family reunion when none of them have any family?"

Well, in Sims 4 land, close friends totally count as family for the purposes of family reunions! So I had Smiler invite over everybody's closest friends for a 2 PM shindig -- Nalani for themselves; Rory for Alice; Felipe for Victor; and Clement Frost for all three of them! :) The guests started showing up as Victor and Alice changed into their party wear -- and I was very pleased to see Alice change into the cute new belted dress and sweater combo that I'd just picked out for her as a new party outfit!

And I was even MORE pleased to see Felipe show up in a literal clown suit. Like, seriously. That is a clown outfit. Felipe is just missing the hat. XD Felipe, uh, there something you want to tell us, buddy? Maybe a change of career we don't know about?

-->Anyway -- Smiler sent Cecilia on her way and Alice hurried out to feed Toothy (who had the old cake tongue out) as the rest of the guests arrived. Alice greeted Rory with a warm hug; Felipe headed inside to chat with Victor at the kitchen table; and Smiler -- er -- well, they had to fight for Nalani's attention for a bit as she was busy talking to the random visiting Sim on their lawn. XD At least it gives you a good opportunity to see their new party outfit -- I'm sure you all recognize those pants, shoes, and bracelets from The Crypt-O-Club! :) What can I say, they're a really good look on Smiler. The three pairs continued chatting with each other for a while, with Victor taking a brief break to Scruberoo himself --

-->And then -- selfies time! Because the main goal of a family reunion is to take loads of pictures. Gee, I wonder why this particular party type appealed to me... XD Anyway, I made sure to get some good shots of Smiler with Nalani, Alice with Rory, and Victor with Felipe -- these are my favorites of the screenshot versions. XD They all look so intense! Five potential snaps with each friend got us to 15 out of the 20 required pictures -- not too shabby. :) And I already knew what my final five pictures were going to be...

-->But hey -- where the hell was Clement during all of this? I eventually tracked him down sitting in the seance room of all places and had Smiler fly up and chat with him a bit. Victor continued entertaining Felipe while Alice went into the kitchen to start on a nice "family" meal of chicken satimbocca --

AFTER showering in the rain, meaning she start cooking nekkid. *sigh* I wish if you canceled the interaction, they just automatically put their damn clothes back on! At least now I only have to worry about ONE Sim pulling this nonsense...

[carladuquette]

I wasn't going to go on a long rant about the trashfire that was Cayetana's Christmas short story because I didn't want to waste any more time on being angry about it, but you know what? Still angry. So screw it, here we go. (Spoilers ahead if it wasn't obvious.)

How in the actual f*ck did this get made??

First of all, the whole ambiguousness about when the short story is set makes it seem like the writers were hellbent on having Christmas-themed short stories despite the fact that S4 ended on New Year's Eve. So either this is set before the end of the season as a weird in-between... thing, or it's set after NYE and everyone just behaves like it's still the run-up to Christmas and the holiday hasn't already come and gone for... reasons. Basically the creators shot themselves in the foot. But of course that's not my main complaint with this.

Secondly, and most importantly: How dare they treat Phillipe like a romcom hero after we saw him try to rape Cayetana in his limo?! After talking with a bunch of people I'm 99% sure this is supposed to take place after the events in 4.07, where, to reiterate, the only reason Phillipe didn't rape Caye was that she was able to fight him off at the last second. And now his redemption arc is in full swing! They used the oldest trick in the book ("look, he cares about dogs, he can't be a bad person!") and every interaction he and Cayetana have make it seem like they had some minor relationship conflict. He pulls out grand gestures (the clothes donation, him working at the donation center) and in the end he gets to have his big "I'm still in love with you" moment like he's Hugh f*cking Grant overcoming all these pesky obstacles before he gets the girl. It's disgusting.

I'm not saying it's unrealistic that Caye still feels some sort of attraction toward him, or that she's "stupid" because of it, or that she's at fault for not renouncing or reporting him or whatever. Assault can do any number of messed up things to you- we all react differently to it, it's hardly ever clear-cut and Cayetana as the survivor isn't doing anything wrong.

What makes me sick and infuriated and disappointed and exhausted is the way the show frames it like Phillipe is in the right. "Of course Caye isn't over him, he's so swoon-worthy and he's trying everything to win her back!" No. NO. He's disrespecting her, again, not accepting her boundaries, again, and most importantly: He tried to rape her and now he wants to be her friend and the writers thought that would make for a heartwarming scene!!! Way to send a great message to your viewers, show.

This could've been really cute if it was just Caye and Felipe growing closer and her saying she's still healing, but leaving the door open to maybe sth happening between them later (even if we didn't get to see that). But the way it is, I'm honestly shocked everyone on staff thought this was lovely holiday romcom material and not problematic in any way. And I witnessed the (arguable) lead of the show have sex with a black-out drunk girl in s4, then joke about her not remembering anything the next morning. I thought we couldn't go lower from there. Guess I was wrong.

This turned out WAY longer than I had planned, but what can I say.

I have feelings, bitch.

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

❛ MY OTHER HALF ❜

✨ REQUEST: nose si voy tarde però bueno, espero que no. i would like to request (obviously if that is okay for you) a headcanon with angel x reader of the day of their wedding, like súper súper fluffy.

✨ MADE BY: @artofvamps

WORDS: about 2k.

❚❙ A/N: this writing hasn’t been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I’m sorry about that. If you find a description about body or a word out of place, or something that it makes you feel uncomfortable / unrepresented, let me know by a private message and I will change it delighted ❤

❚❙ Especial thanks to my lovely @angelreyesgirl for helping me with this wonderful masterpiece 🖤✨

❚❙ GIF credits: to the amazing @angels-reyes.

❚❙ ANGEL REYES MASTERLIST.

❚❙ MASTERLIST.

❚❙ JOIN MY TAG LIST.

Never in your life you could think about having a most perfect wedding, Angel didn't care about it too much, being enough for him to see you happy.

The most magical place you have ever been. Especially when the sun is almost falling, around five pm.

From the window of his room, you can see the backyard perfectly decorated by Creeper and Riz. They didn't lie when they told you that would be amazing.

White and red roses everywhere, forming vines wrapping the wooden beams of the altar. Over the guests' chairs, there are six fairy lights, giving some more intimacy when the night has come; and a red carpet in the hallway, over the grass.

All your friends are there, mixed with the Mayans, waiting for you.

Your hands are trembling, alone in Taza's room, while you hear some voices and laughs outside. You can't help but take another look of yourself in the mirror.

The white dress fits your body perfectly, falling from your chest to the floor.

The girl at the shop called it ‘a-line wedding dress’. You don't care about the name, but about the fact that you look like the most beautiful girl. Your hair is tied on top of your head, behind a delicate silver tiara and small red crystals in it. Soft make-up, that Bishop's Old Lady did for you, just like your future husband likes.

Felipe is run of words when he comes to the room, but you can see what he thinks in his eyes, about to cry.

You know that he would like that Marisol could see you marrying her son. She would love to see the man Angel turned himself into since he met you three years ago.

“Hey, I’m Angel Reyes, and you know what? You’ll be my wife one day”.

He wasn’t wrong.

But he’s not going to lie. He has been the whole night having nightmares about you running away from him; about you deciding that you didn’t want a life with him.

Ezekiel and Coco have been awake too, comforting him whenever the doubts hit his mind.

Holding Felipe’s arm, he guides you downstairs to the outside, feeling your legs shaking and your heart about to explode. You have doubts too. You’re scared of him taking a step back at the last moment.

Although every bad feeling disappears from the two of you, as soon as you lay eyes with each other.

Angel is about to cry. So are you.

For you, for him, there's no one else around your orbit. Just the two of you. Him waiting at the wedding altar, watching you walk over the red carpet perfectly placed on the ground.

And, damn. You thought that Angel couldn't look better, until you have seen him wearing that suit.

A black suit, covering the immaculate white shirt under a silver waistcoat with mayan symbols tissues in it. His hair is perfectly brushed to the back of his head and his beard is giving you desires of kissing it.

Seriously, it should be illegal to look this good.

But the detail that steals all your attention is the fact that he isn't wearing his characteristics rings. That big silver cross in his right pinkie and a signet ring with the Virgin of Guadalupe in his ring finger.

Felipe kisses your cheek, to intertwine his son's hand with yours.

You can't help but use your free hand to clean the tears falling down his cheeks, making Angel chuckles softly. You are always taking care of him with the most minimal details, showing him how much you love him, before leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose.

“You changed me. You changed my life. You came with that smile, illuminating all the darkness around me. You've accepted me, advised me, shown me the road to happiness, put me first. You've never, ever, judged me. You've healed me, you've healed my wounds, my soul, my heart. You gave me the opportunity I always thought I would never have… You, mi reina, have loved me unconditionally without asking for anything back. I don't have enough words to express how I feel every morning when I wake up with you under my arms, when I kiss you, when I see you dancing in our kitchen, when you… look me with these beautiful eyes as if I was the fucking Big Bang happening in front of you”. Bringing your hands to his mouth, Angel kisses every knuckle of them. “I can't imagine a single day without you, without hearing your laugh, without reading your texts desiring me a good day when you wake up and I'm already gone. I don't wanna live a single day without hearing you singing in the shower, without riding my bike with you behind my back, without you smacking my ass and screaming ‘daaaamn, this is all mine’! You make me happy like no one could do. You make me feel important like no one could do. And I promise you, fuck… I swear it to God, that I'm gonna give you all of me. Every second of every minute, of every hour of every day till the end of my time. I don't want to live without you”.

Now, it's Angel who has to clean your tears, causing some laughs between the guests. And he can't help but wrap you with his arms in a tight, tight hug. The warmest and dearly hug he has ever given you.

“I didn't know what love was until I met you. I didn't know which was the meaning of life until I met you. Mi rey. My other half. It was you, and only you, since I saw you the first time sitting on your bike, smoking and with that face of grumpy idiot”. The guests laugh again, because they all know that pose. “And then you standed up and started to walk, and I thought ‘what the hell is wrong with his leg’”. More laughs. The loudest comes from your future husband. “But I would never change you for anyone else. We've been through bad days and good days. Shitty nights and funny nights. I would never change my life with you for anything else. No one has ever made me happy as you do every moment of my existence. You're the most awesome, incredible, loyal and lovely man I have ever met. You fight for me, you take care of me, you protect me. You make me smile whenever I feel insufficient, whenever I feel sad, whenever I feel that I don't belong anywhere. My home, my life, my happiness is wherever you are, Angel Reyes”.

Then, Taza as the priest looks at the two of you, before guiding his dark eyes towards you. “Would you want to take Angel Ignacio Reyes in hol—”. He can't finish, being interrupted by the man in question clicking his tongue. “Of fucking course she wants”. Gently grabbing your chin with a hand and placing the other on the back of your head, Angel kisses you by pecking your lips, making you laugh.

But Leti breaks the moment, coughing exaggeratedly. You asked her to be the flower girl and she has been practicing the last month, to don’t mess up her task. The most important one, actually.

For the next two hours, you can’t stop looking at your hand tangled with Angel’s, and the two fresh golden rings in your fingers. To other people they could be just two pieces of jewelry, but for you it’s the purest way to show him your love, your support, and your unconditional trust in him.

And for the next two hours, Angel can’t stop kissing your face all around. Going down with furtive kisses on your neck, your shoulder, your knuckles; not being able to take off from you his other arm around your waist, tightly closed to push you next to him.

Coco and Gilly are in charge of the speech, knowing that it’s going to be more funny than you thought, when they get up from their chairs drunk as fuck after too many shots of tequila. “Yo, mami… you really got the golden dick”. “Man!” Gilly punches him on the shoulder, making him strumble with his own feet and having to grab the other’s jacket to not fall. “I’m speaking the truth! Who was gonna think that he would get the girl to this point, ah?” “Not me”. “Me neither”. “You jealous, ah, motherfuckers?” Angel tosses them a napkin, causing the laugh of everyone around you. “Seriously, girl… How you do it to st—”.

“Enough?” Leti whispers to EZ, sitting by her side. The younger Reyes nods in silence, getting up, making Creeper and Riz a sign to take them off from the center of the yard; between curses in spanish and in some kind of invented language because of the alcohol.

“Hey, brother, I just want to tell you that by far this is the happiest moment of my life. You don’t deserve anything but all the love and the affection, and we all know that only her can give it to you”. You’re starting to think that EZ’s purpose is making Angel cry, because his eyes are being filled up with a bunch of tears now. “Our lives haven’t been easy, you know that… And you have put all the weight on your shoulders since ever, but I’m proud of you. Of who you are. Of calling you my brother. Mi sangre. I don’t desire you anything but happiness, Angel”.

“Yeah, and God bless your patience, sister”. Leti can’t help but add that remark, trying to not laugh when she finds you nodding energetically, before kissing your husband’s tears running down his cheek.

The big toast echoes all around the ranch, in the meantime that the prospects from Yuma and Stockton bring the cake. One of them. That’s the main, a three-story cake of black and white chocolate with your names drawn in red. Canche’s wife has made it for you. She’s an amazing pastry.

And you thought that Angel wouldn’t do it. HE PROMISED YOU ONE HUNDRED TIMES.

But that piece of shit were lying,

Stamping a piece of cake on your face, your husband quickly grabs your wrists to avoid you punch him, or do the same to him. As you sob between chuckles, keeping your eyes closed, Angel licks your lips with the tip of his tongue. “Mi dulce, mi favorito”.

“You promised me…”

“Ah, ah… I promised that I wouldn’t smash YOUR face IN the cake. And I didn't”.

After cleaning yourself and changing the heavy dress for another one that fits your silhouette to the perfection, you are ready to give your husband the last surprise of your wedding.

“Are you takin' me to a dark corner?” “Stop asking, Angel… You'll see”.

At the front yard, a baseball bat and a ball awaits. “What's that, baby?”

“Sh… I throw you the ball, and you hit it, okay?”

So there you are, watching Angel in position as in his old times, when he used to play in highschool.

You throw it.

He hits it.

And in just one second, the distance between you gets caught up by a pink powder, almost staining your clothes.

Angel is in shock. The bat falls from his hand. Eyes widened. Parted lips. His skin bristled, as his cheeks got wet again because of the tears.

“Felicidades, papi”.

He can't stop crying, embracing you with all his strength to his chest. Your husband can't believe anything that is happening today. All he has ever wanted is happening in a sight.

“The day we met, you told me that one day I would be your wife. And I told you that you looked like the father of my future children”.

[myimaginarywonderland]

Okay, so this post will talk about Lance but I will also give my opinion on the Lando situation since I think it is important.

First off, I think it says a lot about Lando that he made an apology. Now, be it because of the backlash he faced, because he actually saw the harm he was causing or because he genuinely regrets it, that is something I don't know. What I do know is that by apologising for it, he acknowledges that his behaviour was wrong and that is really important because it shows that he reflected on himself.

While I do still feel irked by something about the message, be it that he isn't naming Lance or Lewis who he both targeted with his actions in different ways and apologise to them directly which he might have done in person, so I am not able to judge it or be it the weird sorry at the end, I can put aside my feelings and say that this was the right thing to do and is also setting an example for his fans who were one of my main issues with all of this. They then know that saying that was not right and might learn from it themselves.

But this post isn't about Lando. This post is about Lance.

As most of you might have heard, Lance was really affected by what happened on track. He can clearly see that he is anxious and uncomfortable in his post race interview and what happened afterwards tells the story (I don't really want to talk about it because this is something private that he did not share and it is like with the story on Twitter something that was shared by other people who he didn't give the right to share it too so I don't want to spread it any further.)

This is who Lance is.

Someone who is sensitive and takes a lot of things personally.

You want to know why? Because he has, as a person, always been blamed for his dad's wealth. As if he choose to grow up with a billionaire dad. As if he is somehow responsible for it.

And he has always been painted out as someone undeserving, someone that doesn't have talent and totally owns his position to the money of his dad.

Now, let me just give you some data because I want to totally discredit this made up stuff with no roots.

In 2015, he won the Toyota Racing Series. He won by a bit over 100 points. The second finisher was his teammate. You might now some of the other drivers who competed in this series for example one Callum Iliot or Artjom Markelow.

Or in 2016,his first season in Formula 3, he finished fifth. The winner of that year was Felix Rosenquvist (a great driver) who was also Lance teammate and had only one DNF in comparison to Lance 5 and a DSQ. Now, there are two other drivers, one that was the runner up in Antonio Giovinazzi and a fourth who was Charles Leclerc. Pretty competitive field if you ask me and to finish 5th as a rookie,is impressive.

Now, fast forward a year to when he won the F3 championship. He won over his teammate by a margin of over 150 points which is so impressive, even with the two more DNFs his teammate, Maximilian Günther (another great driver) had that is quiet a lot.

Now, if you really want to use the argument that he skipped F2 against him, there is another driver you should be discrediting just as much. You guessed it, M*x V*rstappen. He also went straight into F1 which was a definite mistake but nobody ever likes to say that. I would also like you to remember that Lance did not drive for F1 as a regular driver immediately after he won the championship, no in 2016 he was a test driver, so he could slowly get used to F1. (This is not official but I would guess it's the thought process behind him being a test driver.)

Now, in 2017, his first F1 season, he was teammates of Felipe Massa. Might have heard of him, lost his championship to Lewis by one point, was teammate of Micheal Schumacher and a generally way more experienced driver. Yeah, you wanna know what the difference between him and Lance was in Lance first season? 3 points. And Lance had 2 more DNFs. You know what else he got in his first season? His first podium. In his first season, he became one of the youngest people to ever achieve a podium. With just 7 rounds into his first F1 season, in an okay midfield car with a way more experienced and older driver he was up against, he achieved a podium. And during the entire course of the season, that would remain the only podium for the Williams team that year.

Now, onto 2018. Williams was not as bad as in 2019 but they were still nowhere in terms of pace and he still didn't finish last in the championship (but I don't think we can count this season.)

In 2019, Checo became his teammate. And Checo in my opinion is one of the best midfield drivers, so there was already a lot he had to go up against and he was still so young and had less experience. There is a 30 point difference between them. Make of that what you want but for me, sure it was not Lance greatest season but now you have to think if Racing Point where really that good go be the fifth best car or if maybe, Checo just got more out of the car with his experience and talent. And than, you have to consider that he was still young and only had one season where he was truly competitive (that 2018 Williams was not something you could truly challenge anyone with.) And to then be up to one of the best midfield drivers who is widely appreciated and adored by the paddock, is a lot. Maybe for some of you it was too big of a gap which is alright.

However, don't dismiss his talent. He has had a good junior career and was up to some of the drivers you love and call talented, he even beat some of your faves. Maybe you don't see him as the next great driver but he is not a bad one and truly deserves a seat if you consider his achievements. Maybe he could have proven himself more if he had a season in F2 which is fair but that doesn't take away from anything he has achieved.

And even if you don't see him as talented, that gives you no right to bully him online. He can't change who his dad is.

Now,onto the money. I see a lot of people saying that he is only in F1 because of the money (which I hope you have by now realized is not the case.) But really, let's talk about the money.

Money is something that sadly plays a big role in F1. F1 is above all still a business. And businesses want money. So, why not take someone who has money and talent like Lance? Where are you all saying Michael only got his seat because of money (he is a pay-driver after all or at least he was one when he came to F1.) And now let's talk about his move to Racing Point. Can you truly blame Lawrence for wanting to make his sons dream come true? Wouldn't any father if they had the resources do this? Wouldn't any father want to fufill his son's dream, even if it might be seen as unethical by some or criticized? Would you really care if you saw how happy your kid was? Would you really care if you saw the glow you kid had? I don't think so.

I already said it but he was at Williams before he was at RP. His dad doesn't own that team or have any chairs in it.

Let's forget his profession for a second. Let's say you don't find him talented as a driver or just don't like him, fine. You are entitled to your opinion and sometimes we just don't like people, it happens.

What else would you have against him?

He doesn't post on social media often because people already bully him enough for his family. There is basically nothing you can dislike about him there.

And as a person? He is quiet and basically does nothing to anger people. He is literally just a normal dude. He goes on trips with his friends, he does sports to stay in shape and watches sports. He is not even posting personal stuff because he doesn't want to give people more room to bully him.

If you saw him on the street, would you think he is from a rich family? He does not look like it at all, he looks like that guy from your local sport who is literally just a college student trying to get through life.

And not only was he discredited for all his accomplishments because of something he had no control over but he also saw another driver proudly display a symbol that has been used by people who killed people who belonged to his religion. He saw a driver weat that symbol in cooperation with a company whose boos seems to be a Neo Nazi.

Lance has had to go through to so much shit just because his dad was rich (which Nicky's and Lando's also are, yes I know it's less but it's still more than any of us will probably ever have.)

This boy does nothing wrong.

Did he make a mistake with the maneuvers on Lando? Yes. But he is still so young and also new to F1, he can still learn and is growing as a person and driver. He is expected to perform more just so he proves his worth which he already has because people discredit him for having a rich dad.

Have you seen what he has done this season? He would be in the top 5 had it not been for the last races where none of the DNFs where his fault. Neither was getting Covid or being ill but people literally made fun of him for being in pain, saying stuff like "Did Daddies boy have a little stomach ache?" Yeah, because F1 drivers aren't trainex to perform no matter what, aren't putting their health last when it comes to these things and might have to be really bad if they can't drive and are not even going out of their room.

He has improved so much, he is not blaming other drivers even if they clearly hit him (see Charles) and he stays calm. Because he can't afford to be to emotional since some people would hate him for rightfully calling out others mistakes and just maybe saying that their faves are not flawless and make mistakes (like Charles.)

He has to act a certain way or be a certain way because what would happen if he just showed more of his personality? You call him dull, boring but you don't even try to get to know him. You don't even look up videos where he is more open and comfortable.

He is awkward infront of the press because he has to fear to be discredited or to be questioned about his worth every second.

And all of this pressure, this mask and this pretend eventhough he is just as human as the rest of us. And you see how hard it is, how much he questions himself, how his self-doubt increases and ultimately what happened has happened.

Because while it is just an easy insult for you that you can post anonymously online, it is one of thousands for him.

And you know, he didn't grew up in Europe. Sure he competed with some of the European drivers later one but he didn't have any of them when he started racing and he might already have been an outcast because people would already have seen him as different since his family didn't need to make sacrifices to get him to wear he is now. At least not financially ones. And then, when he came to Europe there were these already formed friend groups and it wasn't easy to get into them. The only friend he had was Esteban and I am so glad. This seems like such an unlikely friendship because they are from totally different backgrounds but that might have been what connected them in the first place. So, with basically only Esteban who liked him from the competitive times, it must have been pretty bad (not to say that the others hated him but I don't think they really cared for him.) I am so glad to see that he now also has Checo and that they get along and I hope that stays this way eventhough all of what has happened (which is also not his fault and I am sure that if he had any say in it, it would have been done differently.) Maybe we can even see their friendship when Checo stays on the grid. And with the potential of Seb next year, that might be the only other friendship or friendly connection he might form.

He is so strong for having to endure the dislike of so many people and he is still so kind and so sweet.

This has been a long post but one that I have wanted to make for a long time. If you got this far, I applaude you.

[mayans-sauce]

Interstellar: Chapter 1

Pairing: younger! EZ Reyes x Astra Beckett

Word Count: 1.9K

Warnings: cursing but other than that none.

Summary: Ezekiel and Astra get accepted into the space program. For context: both of them are 27 in this and EZ is more on the skinnier side to begin with.

Let me know if you want to be tagged/removed for this story!

GROUP CHAT for updates!

Introduction

Chapter 2

⭐️Interstellar Masterlist⭐️

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The Year 2052

Astra burst through the front door of the house, almost screaming at the top of her lungs, “IT CAME! IT CAME! Dad, it finally came.” Her dad got up from where he was working on the kitchen table. “From the academy?” “YES! We need to call EZ.”

Astra pulled out her laptop, calling EZ on a video call. He answered within a second. “I was just about to call. Did you get yours?” She held the big envelope in view. Felipe and Marisol were standing right beside their son, waiting for him to open up the envelope. “Let’s open them up and then read it at the same time,” EZ said. She could see the terrified look on his face; hers must look the same as well. This was the moment of truth, what both had been working towards for years. Tearing it open and pulling the letter out. “Alright, EZ, on three, and then we read it. Ready?” “1, 2, 3.”

Dear Astra Beckett,

The Celestial Academy would like to congratulate you on your place in our space program.

“WE GOT IN!” EZ and Astra exclaimed at the same time. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” Her dad embraced her hard and tight. A single tear was falling off his face. In the background, it could be heard EZ’s parents congratulating and hugging him as well. “What more does it say?” Felipe asked his son. EZ read the rest of the letter.

We would like to welcome you and your family for a tour of our top-class institution, where you will be getting an introduction to our one of a kind program, our teachers and teaching, our revolutionary technology, the dormitories, and so much more.

We can’t wait to make you a part of our family and spend the next five years with you, making you a one-of-a-kind astronaut.

“We did it, Astra.”

“We did it, Ezekiel.”

Packing a few clothes, some books, space-themed posters and decorations, her telescope her dad got her when she was ten years old and a few other things. She didn’t need a lot with her since this was a new chapter of her life, and she was sure she would buy a lot more stuff in the five years they would be there.

The next day

The next day they were early on their way. The drive to the academy wasn’t a long one. It was just 4 hours from Santo Padre. It was a nice little road trip for all. EZ’s brother Angel tagged along as well, who was also a good friend of Astra, so it was good that Felipe had space for all in his seven-seater car.

The Celestial Academy was like a little city, a city full of nerds and the newest technology in the world. Just getting into the area required special permission, and guards were standing at every campus entrance.

“Holy shit,” Astra and EZ said at the same time as they entered the gates with the car. The buildings stood tall and proud, different holograms showcasing the academy’s various aspects, hovering supply trucks moving from building to building with supplies, and so much more. It was so much to take in, and it would take a long time for them to get used to it all. Felipe parked the car at the visitor’s parking garage.

The walk up to the academy’s main building was short but long at the same time, with the nerves running through both of them. Astra could feel her heart almost jumping out of her chest with how fast it was beating. She grabbed EZ’s hand for comfort. “It’s gonna be fine. We can do this,” he comforted her. She knew she would be able to do this with her best friend by her side. “I know. I’m glad I have you by my side EZ.” He smiled at her, showing that he was grateful that she was here with him as well.

When they entered the building, they were welcomed with a big sign that said “Welcome New Recruits” written on it. They followed the rest of the people into the big speaking room where all the other recruits and their families were seated. The lights dimmed down, and the one and only founder of the academy walked out on stage and started speaking but not before getting a big welcome from everyone.

“Welcome recruits. My name is Damien, founder of this institution, and it is my pleasure to welcome you all here. When I started this program some 30 years ago, I didn’t think that it would turn out to be the best and most desirable space program in the entire world. But in the 30 years we have operated, around 200 individuals have become world-class astronauts with various specialties.” The room burst out in applause. “For the 30 of you that have made it into the program, I congratulate you for the hard work and sacrifice that has made it possible for you to have been accepted. But there is no time for celebrations yet. Not all of you will make it.” The room was dead silent now. “Almost 50% of you will buckle under the immense pressure of the program and leave within the first year. That’s when the real competition begins. Just 6 of you will be picked out for space travel after three years here and start the real training while the rest of you will be guaranteed education and a job at this institution. It’s going to be a hard five years, folks. The rest of the people on this campus, and I wish you good luck.” Damien got sent off with applause and hollering from everyone in the room. “Fuck, that was scary,” EZ whispered to Astra. “We can do this, Ezekiel. I know we can.” Now it was her turn to encourage and comfort him.

There was given some information about what was going to happen throughout the day. Free food, games, and a tour of the facilities was on the plan before eventually, all friends and family needed to leave.

Later in the day

After a fun last day with the family, it was time to say goodbye. Astras' dad tried his best not to cry, but he couldn’t help himself. His little girl was all grown up, and now her real journey would begin. “Dad… don’t cry… it's gonna be fine,” Astra hugged her old man as hard as she could. “I’m just so proud of you, my little star. Your mom would be so proud,” he said as he kissed her forehead. “Stop it, now I’m the one that’s crying.” “Just promise me you'll visit… I’ll be all sad and alone in the big house without you.” She nodded her head at him, “I promise I'll visit as much as I can… I promise, dad.” “Pinky promise?” Holding his pinky out for her to interlock with hers, she gladly did so, “I promise.”

“Come here, Ezekiel. My little astronaut,” Marisol hugged and kissed his cheek repeatedly. EZ loved his mom and the affection she would give him, but now it was kind of embarrassing since there were so many people. “Mom… mom.” “I’m sorry, baby. I’m just so proud of you, and I love you so much.” “I love you too, mom.” He gave her a final hug before he moved on to his dad. “Proud of you, son.” “Thanks, pop.” They gave each other a quick hug.

Last but not least, it was Angel’s turn to say his goodbyes. “Proud of you lil bro, you fucking space nerd.” “Shut up, Angel,” EZ said playfully before giving his big brother a big hug. “Don’t cause any trouble now that I’m not there.” Angel held his hands up in defence, “Hey, can’t promise anything.” EZ just shook his head at him.

Saying the last goodbyes to each other, and then they left, leaving Astra and EZ to watch them walk away. When they were out of sight, he turned towards her and grabbed her hand, “come on, let’s get settled into the dormitory.”

Astra walked into her assigned room and was greeted by the girl she was going to live with. She had already set up most of the stuff on her side of the room. The room was huge and spacious, and it even had a private bathroom. “Hi, I’m Mia, nice to meet you,” she reached out her hand, which Astra gladly accepted, “I’m Astra, it’s nice to meet you, Mia.” “I hope you don’t mind that I took the left side of the room.” “Go ahead, no problem.” They talked and got to know each other as they packed out their things and put them in place. Astra liked Mia a lot, they had a lot in common, and she knew that they would be great friends. “I can’t believe we are here; it’s so surreal,” Mia said as they got done packing out and sat on their beds. “I know, right! I’m afraid that I’ll wake up tomorrow, and it was all a dream,” Astra answered.

Before bed, all the recruits meet up with the teachers to get their plan for the next few upcoming weeks and the whole five-year plan as a whole. EZ was already buddies with his roommate, Mateo, and all 4 of them clicked immediately, already forming a good group and friendship of their own.

Later in the evening

Astra was trying her hardest to fall asleep; it was a big day tomorrow, the first official day ever, but her mind was racing like crazy, and she couldn’t get it to quiet down. She decided to get up and go out to the common room to take her mind off it for a while, sitting down by the window that overlooked the futuristic town. After a few minutes, footsteps could be heard, and she turned around to see who it was. Her frown turned into a smile when she saw him coming towards her.

“Couldn’t sleep?” EZ asked as he sat down beside her. She shook her head no, “my mind won’t shut up.” “Yeah, me neither.” They sat in silence for a few moments before EZ spoke up. “In 5 years, we will be up there,” he pointed towards the sky. “You don’t know that Ezekiel… there are 30 of us, and only 6 make it.” “I know we'll make it. We have each other, Astra, and you are the smartest girl I know. Even if I don’t make it, you will.” “You know I will never go if you aren’t going either.” “I know… but I will force you to go. Even if I have to push you in the spaceship myself.” Astra looked down on the floor, getting shy for a moment, “I know you will, Zeke.”

She started biting her nails, a habit she did when she felt nervous, and EZ knew that, he knew everything about her. “Hey, stop that,” EZ took her hand in his, “it's gonna be fine.” “It’s gonna be fine,” she repeated in a whisper.

They sat like that for a little while longer. Just holding each other’s hand and looking up towards the sky, getting prepared for the next five years of their life.

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Interstellar Taglist (let me know if you want to be added/removed): @yourwonkywriter @spnaquakindgdom @fuchszie @noz4a2

[vandoorne-devries]

Meet the main characters in Cape Mercy

George

• George’s family are the only direct descendants of the Heroine of Cape Mercy. He has a huge family legacy on his shoulders. His father, Valtteri, is current mayor of Cape Mercy. One day, George will be expected to take his place.

• At the beginning, George thinks Max is still alive but as time goes on he isn’t so sure. He wants to figure out this mystery though, no matter what it takes.

Family: Valtteri (father), Toto (father), Kimi (grandfather)

Relationships: Max (friend), Lando (friend), Charles (friend), Alex (romantic interest), Nicholas (romantic interest)

Hobbies: ballet, diving, learning Russian

Max

• Max owns the Red Bull, the boat the diving club use when going on adventures. One night during a cyclone Max goes missing, it’s up to his friends and new guy, Lando, to figure out what’s happened to him.

Family: Sebastian (father)

Relationships: George (friend), Alex (friend), Charles (friend/hinted romantic interest), Daniel (ex boyfriend/friend)

Hobbies: Diving, running his YouTube channel, going on adventures, dangerous expeditions

Charles

• Charles is strong minded and doesn’t give up easily, he tells things as it is. But he has one weak point, Carlos. He can’t stop himself going back. Charles is the one in Cape Mercy who likes to make trouble.

• When Max goes missing, Charles is convinced he’s alive. He is convinced Max didn’t take the boat out. Charles won’t give up on Max, even if those around him do. He will do whatever it takes to get Max back.

Family: Jenson (brother)

Relationships: George (friend), Alex (friend), Lando (friend), Max (friend/hinted romantic interest), Carlos (romantic interest)

Hobbies: learning about pirates, diving, annoying people, eating Kimi’s pancakes

Alex

• Alex is the smarter one in the group, he’s good at uncovering mysteries. He’s the one with the tragic backstory. If this was a teen book, he’d be the central character.

• When Max goes missing, Alex wants to do everything he can to find him but when it looks like Max is truly gone, Alex doesn’t know what to do. Is Alex ready to uncover some things he wasn’t aware of?

Family: Fernando (grandfather), Felipe (grandfather, deceased)

Relationships: Max (friend), Charles (friend), Lando (friend), George (romantic interest)

Hobbies: reading old sailing logs, keeping physical copies of the dive clubs adventures, diving, uncovering mysteries, playing piano

Lando

• Lando is the new kid in town, only here temporary with his dad who’s here for work. He’s never stayed in a place too long, but he’s been all over the world.

• Lando arrives shortly after Max has gone missing, George begins a friendship with him and Lando helps them figure out what’s going on with Max. But is Lando really ready for the danger and love ahead of him?

Family: Mark (father)

Relationships: Alex (friend), George (friend), Charles (friend), Daniel (romantic interest)

Hobbies: diving, reading, singing, exploring the world

[ironwoman18]

Garvez Moments part 10

I want to apologize for the long time. I had a writer block and the ideas were gone and I did not the best ideas.

Chapter 10: Honeymoon

The couple left to Peru - Lima. They took an airplane from Washington to the long travel to the south American country.

They arrived early the next day, and they were really tired and just check in and sleep a couple of hours.

Later that day they took a shower and after dinner they took a short walk just to see the hotel surrounded area.

"I never imagined to come here or even getting married" said Penelope smiling at him.

"I'm happy then.... because I want to do things we never thought we could do" He smiled and kissed her.

After that they returned to the hotel and up to their room where they slept all night long. Then at morning they got ready to the tour to Machu Picchu.

They woke up hugging each other in bed. Penelope checked her phone after removing her sleep mask "babe... it's time to get ready"

He kissed her cheek softly "I will take a quick shower and while you take yours I will go to get us breakfast"

After Luke did as he said, she got in the water and took a long shower and when he arrived she was putting on her shoes "I'm not use to wear sneakers but I don't want a broken ankle so..." she said putting on her shoes.

They ate a sandwich with coffee and later left to depart from Cusco, with pickup from your hotel and a transfer from the city center to your train station. They chose the Expedition train, the Vistadome, with glass on all sides for a better viewing.

Then they enjoyed a scenic train ride,  with stunning views of the mountainous terrain that makes up the area near Machu Picchu.

They arrived in Aguas Calientes, the small village located at the base of this famous Inca site, and board a bus for the short ride to this sacred citadel.

On their way the tour guy, with a thick accent, explained "Machu Picchu was completed around 1450, when the Inca Empire was at the peak of its power and influence, the site was left vacant within 100 years of its creation, thanks to the conquest of the Inca people by the Spanish. Though the site today remains abandoned, many believe Machu Picchu to be a key center of spiritual energy..."

"I'm sure Reid would be correcting this guy or even saying facts about how they sacrificed their children to a god" said Penelope in a whisper to her husband.

"Or telling us what the name means and everything about it" they laughed softly as they imagined boy genius voice talking.

They followed their guide through the main streets of the marvel of ancient engineering. Learning about the site’s history and design as they meandered and taking photos through the town square, key religious sites, an elaborate network of agricultural terraces, and intricately-designed stone staircases.

After spending a few hours at the site, they returned by bus to the train station in Aguas Calientes and then to their chosen train for the trip back to Cusco and their hotel.

Penelope felt tired but happy. The height did not bothered as much as she thought and spending some time with her handsome husband were worth the money and the long travel.

Fourteen hours later they couple were back resting in their hotel room. The helicopter tour will be in two days so they planned to walk around, try local food and buy presents.

They spent one of those days at the pool. It was summer season in the South so the heat was perfect for the pool.

The next day they left to the airport to get aboard the helicopter.

They arrived and there was a man with black hair and tanned skin. He was wearing a blue jacket and jeans with a hat.

"Welcome to the Alejandro Velasco Astete Cusco International airport. I'm Felipe Gomez and I guess you are Luke and Penelope Alvez?"

They both nod "nice to meet you Felipe, I guess you are Dave's friend right?" Said Luke smiling.

"Yeah I am" he smiled "he booked this flight for you as a present for you as a wedding gift. And I owned him a free flight" they looked at him with raised eyebrows "let's say he won a bet and one of the things included were a free flight" they laughed "today I will be your guide and Alex, my brother will the pilot. You will look Sacred Valley from up high in our helicopter" he led them to the helicopter "as FBI agents you must know the safety rules but as a law requirement I have to inform you" he took a moment to do it then they all got in and they took off.

Once in the air, they headed towards the Sacred Valley, specifically to two of the most magnificent Inca constructions: Maras and Moray.

"Ok let me tell you about the places we are going to. Maras is a salt extraction center that has been operating since the time of the Incas. It is made up of thousands of rectangular water deposits located on the side of a mountain, which together form an out-of-this-world landscape. And we will also pass over Moray, an enormous construction of concentric circles that worked as an agricultural laboratory"

The saw the Maras' white floor, there were some people walking on them and taking photos. Then the helicopter flew over Moray, a bunch of group of circles one inside the other like a football stadium.

The saw also the mountains around those two places and returned to the airport. The place was amazing and they enjoyed it.

The rest of the honeymoon was full of small tours around the city and watching more places in Cusco.

For their last night in Peru, they went to a restaurant to have dinner and the place had a dance floor so after dinner they dance some good Latin music and had fun.

"This was a lovely place and I hope we can come back because I think we missed some other historical places" she said as they walked to the hotel.

"I'm agree and spending this with you was the best" they smiled and kissed softly then arrived to the hotel to sleep and left for the airport to begin their journey back to the US.

OOooOOooOO

I hope you liked this. Next one will be the Garvez baby.