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sleepingdragonhq · 2 years ago

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Under the cut you will find the list of everyone’s costumes as well as lists for the couples romantic and platonic. The voting for the costume contest this year will be done here. We ask that you choose your top 5 favorites in each category but then rank the order in which you’d rate them in the ‘other’ option. If you’ve got any questions about how that works, do not hesitate to ask us. The ranking per usual goes five points for first place, four points for second and so on so please put your votes in order accordingly. Please vote before the 10th of November as we will be announcing the winners from that point onward before the end of the event. If we have missed any contestants/costumes on any of the lists please shoot us a message so we can fix that !!

individual

Aaron Hale - Werewolf

Adeline Mulciber - Harley Quinn (DC)

Alastair Watson - Danny Phantom (Danny Phantom)

Alessandra Macnair - Roxie Hart (Chicago)

Alexus Callahan - Spider

Alice Longbottom II - Woody (Toy Story/Pixar)

Alison Wood - Glinda (Wicked)

Andromeda Marshall - Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice)

Aryana Robins - Layla El-Faouly/Scarlet Scarab (Marvel)

Ariella Belefleur - Lizzie McGuire (The Lizzie McGuire Movie)

Astrid Mendez - Betty Boop

Auden Wilkes - Charlie Spring (Heartstopper)

August Fawley - Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

Aurora Claremont - Alex (Totally Spies)

Axel Wolffe - Waving Inflatable Tube Guy

Beatriz Calderon-Boot - Kuzco (Emperor’s New Groove)

Benjamin Ollivander - Pirate

Bentley Lockhart - Superman (DC)

Briar Bellchant - Evil Queen

Caleb Cresswell - 70s Vision (Marvel)

Camille McGonagall - Alice (Alice in Wonderland)

Casey Abrams - Lady (Lady and the Tramp/Disney)

Cassius Cresswell - Thor (Marvel)

Cedrella Weasley II - Sam (Totally Spies)

Charlotte Watson - Emily the Corpse Bride (Corpse Bride)

Chloé Bonaccord - Britney Spears

Clara Arquette - Catwoman (DC)

Clementine Delacour-Laurent - Shuri/Black Panther (Marvel)

Colm McCarthy - Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Cynthia Clearwater - Elphaba (Wicked)

Cyrus Clearwater - Steve (Blue’s Clues)

Damien Launier - Milo Thatch (Atlantis/Disney)

Delilah Hartwell - Spider-Gwen (Marvel)

Diana Rosier - Scarecrow

Dominique Weasley - She-Ra/Adora

Edward Lupin - Doris the Ugly Stepsister (Shrek)

Elara Macmillan-Bones - Cotton Candy

Elena Flores - Bride of Frankenstein

Elias Hopkirk- Linguini (Ratatouille/Disney)

Elijah Westenberg - Frankenstein’s Monster

Erin McCormack - Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

Evan Parkinson - Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Evangeline Pickering - Sharpay Evans (High School Musical/Disney Channel)

Evelyn Moon - Stain Glass Window

Ezra Broadmoor - Mafia/Mob Boss

Finnley Wood - Ash (Fantastic Mr. Fox)

Francesca Zabini - Yip Yip (Sesame Street)

Frank Longbottom II - Tramp (Lady and the Tramp/Disney)

Frederick Hayes - Kida (Atlantis/Disney)

Freya MacDougal - Harley Quinn (DC)

Gabriel Larkin - Gambit (X-Men/Marvel)

Gwendolyn Hawkes - Pirate

Halley Macmillan-Bones - Hot Cheeto

Hazel Macdougal - Sexy Cryptologist

Hunter Adams - Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)

Ingrid Hagen - Ellie Sattler (Jurassic Park)

Iris Lestrange - Scary Bunny

Isabelle Durant - Elf

Jaiyash Dewan - Loki (Marvel)

James Ashcroft - Tony Stark (Marvel)

James Sirius Potter - Shrek (Shrek)

Jasper Locklear - Elvis Presley

Jaxon Dequan - Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinder)

Jia Rookwood - Yip Yip (Sesame Street)

Jonah Finch - Beetlejuice

Joseph O’Reilly - Lord Farquaad (Shrek)

Joséphine Flamel - Jessie (Team Rocket/Pokémon)

Juliet Highmore - Supergirl (DC)

Laurel Ollivander - Loki Variant (Marvel)

Liam Alvarez - Ian Malcom (Jurassic Park)

Lily Luna Potter - Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story/Pixar)

Lorenzo Roshan - Hannah Montana (Disney Channel)

Lucas Harper - Creepy Owl

Lucienne Wolffe - Fortune Teller

Lucy Weasley - Woody Pride (Toy Story/Pixar)

Luke Dawson - Marty McFly (Back to the Future)

Lyra Malfoy - Isabella Parigi (The Lizzie McGuire Movie)

Lysander Scamander - Scarlet Witch (Marvel)

Mackenzie Finnigan-Thomas Potter - Fiona (Shrek)

Madeline Brown - Sexy Mothman

Mae Levesque - Velma Kelly (Chicago)

Maeve Finch - Mia Thermopolis (The Princess Diaries)

Manon Flamel - Marcus/Kevin (White Chicks)

Marcus Carson - Cowboy

Mason Jones - Waving Inflatable Tube Guy

Matthew Asprey - Swedish Chef (Sesame Street)

Melora Flamel - Marcus/Kevin (White Chicks)

Meredith Wayfelle - Perry the Platypus (Phineas and Ferb)

Merle Rappaport - 70s Wanda Maximoff (Marvel)

Molly Weasley II - Beldam (Coraline)

Natalya Dolohova - Rogue (X-Men/Marvel)

Nate Wood - Alan Grant (Jurassic Park)

Nathaniel Marshall - Skeleton

Nicholas Vexmoor - James (Team Rocket/Pokémon)

Octavia Coleman - Shego (Kim Possible)

Oliver Mulciber - Flynn Rider (Tangled/Disney)

Orion Macmillan-Bones - Legit Snack

Orlando Lockhart - Maleficent (Disney)

Peggy Carson - Sam Manson (Danny Phantom)

Penelope Hawthorne - Barbie

Pepper Rosewood - Michele (Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion)

Perseus Mulciber - Alan (The Hangover)

Piper Wilkinson - Golden Angel

Pippa Rosewood - Romy (Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion)

Reid Anderson - Jareth (Labyrinth)

Rory Goldstein - Sharpay Evans (High School Musical/Disney Channel)

Rose Granger-Weasley - Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

Samantha O’Reilly - Jenna Rink (13 Going on 30)

Scorpius Malfoy - John Constantine (DC)

Seraphina MacAuley - Clover (Totally Spies)

Seung Krum - Wybie (Coraline)

Silas Zabini - Satyr

Sophia Parkinson - Bloody Skeleton

Stella Macmillan-Bones - Pop-Tart

Talia Kiraz-Mulciber - Rapunzel (Tangled/Disney)

Tallulah Abbot - Voodoo Doll

Thea Cresswell - Mighty Thor (Marvel)

Theodore Dubanowski - Blondie (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly)

Theodore Oliver - Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland)

Theseus McLaggen - Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland)

Valeria Sanchez - La Muerte (The Book of Life)

Vera McKinnon - Poison Ivy (DC)

Verity Nott - Pepper Potts (Marvel)

Victoire Weasley - Aurora (Sleeping Beauty/Disney)

William Ashcroft - Agent (Men in Black)

Willow Picquery - Valkyrie (Marvel)

Xavier Dupont - The Priest (Fleabag)

platonic couples costumes

Alessandra Macnair & Mae Levesque - Roxie Hart & Velma Kelly (Chicago)

Alice Longbottom II & Lily Luna Potter - Woody & Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story/Pixar)

Ariella Belefleur & Lyra Malfoy - Lizzie McGuire & Isabella Parigi (The Lizzie McGuire Movie)

Axel Wolffe & Mason Jones - Waving Inflatable Tube Guys

Bentley Lockhart & Juliet Highmore - Superman & Supergirl (DC)

Camille McGonagall & Theseus McLaggen - Alice & Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland)

Cedrella Weasley II, Seraphina MacAuley & Aurora Claremont - Sam, Clover & Alex (Totally Spies)

Damien Launier & Frederick Hayes - Milo Thatch & Kida (Atlantis/Disney)

Elena Flores & Elijah Westenberg - Bride of Frankenstein & Frankenstein’s Monster

Evangeline Pickering & Rory Goldstein - Sharpay Evans & Sharpay Evans (High School Musical/Disney Channel)

Freya MacDougal & Vera McKinnon - Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy (DC)

Hazel Macdougal & Madeline Brown - Sexy Mothman & Sexy Cryptologist

Jia Rookwood & Francesca Zabini - Yip Yips (Sesame Street)

Liam Alvarez & Nate Wood - Ian Malcon & Alan Grant (Jurassic Park)

Melora Flamel & Manon Flamel - Marcus & Kevin (White Chicks)

Meredith Wayfelle & Evan Parkinson - Perry the Platypus & Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Natalaya Dolohova & Gabriel Larkin - Rogue & Gambit (X-Men/Marvel)

Nicholas Vexmoor & Joséphine Flamel - Jessie & James from Team Rocket (Pokémon)

Octavia Coleman & Erin McCormack - Shego & Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

Orion Macmillan-Bones, Halley Macmillan-Bones, Stella Macmillan-Bones & Elara Macmillan-Bones - Legit Snack, Hot Cheeto, Pop-Tart & Cotton Candy (Snacks)

Pepper Rosewood & Pippa Rosewood - Romy & Michele (Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion)

Seung Krum & Molly Weasley II - Wybie & Beldam (Coraline)

Thea Cresswell & Willow Picquery - Mighty Thor & Valkyrie (Marvel)

romantic couples costumes

Alastair Watson & Peggy Carson - Danny Phantom & Sam Manson (Danny Phantom)

August Fawley & Rose Granger-Weasley - Jack Skellington & Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

Casey Abrams & Frank Longbottom II - Lady & Tramp (Lady and the Tramp/Disney)

Clara Arquette & Kai Arquette - Catwoman & Batman (DC)

Cynthia Clearwater & Alison Wood - Elphaba & Glinda (Wicked)

Gwendolyn Hawkes & Benjamin Ollivander - Pirates

James Ashcroft & Verity Nott - Tony Stark & Pepper Potts (Marvel)

James Sirius Potter & Mackenzie Finnigan-Thomas Potter - Shrek & Fiona (Shrek)

Merle Rappaport & Caleb Cresswell - 70s Wanda Maximoff & Vision (Marvel)

Oliver Mulciber & Talia Kiraz-Mulciber - Flynn Rider & Rapunzel (Tangled/Disney)

#sdhqhalloween4

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delafiseaseses · 2 years ago

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I love GTA San Andreas sometimes. So, I just got out of the Creek Safehouse and walked to the street.

A Taxi and a Washington hit eachother, the Taxi Driver and the LV T-Bone Mendez-Shirt Street Criminal who was driving the Washington get out to have a fight about it.

They run around the Taxi after eachother for 10-20 seconds. In that time a Punk Street Criminal gets in T-Bone-like's Washington.

The Taxi Driver and T-Bone-like eventially do start fighting (as you can see in the background, the T-Bone-like eventially won), but, as you may be able to see, during the fight another Punk Street Criminal stole the Taxi.

Anyway, I stole the Washington to make sure I was correct about the model, T-Bone-like tried to get the car back after winning the fight, but I drove off.

I tell ya, this sort of thing only happens in San Andreas and makes me wish Street Criminals and agressive characters properly existed like this in later games. Most people wouldn't really notice, most people don't know all 9 Street Criminal models (especially these Las Venturas ones), but they create things like this.

#gta san andreas #GTA #san andreas

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heauxplesslydevoted · 5 years ago

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The Night Before

Pairing: Thomas Mendez x MC (Marissa Day)

Summary: It’s the night before her custody hearing and insomnia has Marissa caught in a vice like grip.

Warnings: NSFW. 18+

Tags: @princess-geek @chetachisblog @dorishi-desu @hatescapsicum@annekebbphotography @drakewalkerfantasy @seriouslyices @zambazeus @loilko @blackcoffee85 @randomchoicesblog @fortunatelywaywardsandwich@canknot @lapisreviewsstuff @akacalliope @senseofduties @badchoicesposts @ao719

It’s the night before her custody hearing (or morning of, depending on your perspective) and Marissa Day cannot sleep. And it’s not for a lack of trying on her part because she’s tried everything. Warm milk, counting sheep, a sleeping pill, the works.

She rolls over and looks at the time on the alarm clock. 2:43 AM stares back at her in bright red letters, almost as if it’s mocking her. She has to be up in less than 5 hours, and she hasn’t gotten a wink of sleep.

Rolling over in bed, Marissa gently collides with the warm body next to her. Thomas is next to her, an arm draped loosely around her waist. The girls wanted to have another sleepover, and Marissa didn’t want to be left alone with her thoughts the night before the biggest day of her life, so she eagerly accepted another chance to sleep at the Mendez house.

He’s sleeping so peacefully beside her, and she almost resents him for it. How dare he sleep like a baby while she’s a neurotic mess?

She turns slightly and takes in his sleeping form. Thomas looks so peaceful when he’s sleeping. The stress of the day is gone, and he’s relaxed. His breathing is even, there’s no crinkle in his forehead, his muscles are loose.

And while he looks like a peaceful sleeping angel, she still wants to wake him up, as selfish as it sounds.

“Thomas?” She calls gently. It doesn’t work and he stays asleep. “Thomas, wake up.”

Craning her head, Marissa leans forward and kisses his jaw, his stubble slightly tickling her mouth. He stirs, but doesn’t wake up. This time, she moves lower, leaving soft pecks on the column of his neck.

“Mhmm, Marissa,” Thomas mumbles. Marissa smirks in satisfaction. She has him.

She slips out of his grasp, and swings her legs on either side of his hips so she can straddle him. Her fingertips run along the smooth plane of his chest and his broad shoulders, and she feels him tense underneath her.

After a bit more coaxing, Thomas’s eyes slowly open. After taking a minute to adjust, they settle on the woman currently sitting on him. “What’re you doing, Riss?”

“I can’t sleep,” she confesses. “And misery loves company.”

“What time is it?” He asks.

“Very early,” Marissa replies. Thomas looks at the time and snorts. She wasn’t kidding.

“You need to go to bed,” Thomas says matter-of-factly. “We have an extremely hectic day ahead of us.”

Marissa knows that already. She resists the urge to roll her eyes and say “thanks, Captain Obvious,”—snark is one of her favorite coping mechanisms, but her brain simply won’t turn off. If she could sleep, she would.

Instead she just looks at. His hair is wild and tousled, his pretty blue-grey eyes are soft and droopy with tiredness. He’s so damn handsome, even when she’s depriving him of sleep.

Leaning down, her lips meet his in a soft kiss, and if he wasn’t awake before, he is now. He responds to the kiss quickly, his hands getting lost in her copper tresses as he pulls her closer.

Never one to miss a beat, Thomas rolls them over so he’s the one on top. His tongue invades her mouth quickly and she arches into the kiss. No matter how close they get, it’s not enough. It’s never enough.

Not breaking the kiss, Thomas slides a hand under the shirt Marissa is wearing. It’s his, a ratty old thing he got from his college bookstore, and it practically swallows the petite woman up. Her skin is warm and soft, and he can feel her shiver as he lifts the shirt up and his hand settles on her ribcage, holding her in place.

Breaking the kiss, Thomas kisses her cheek and across her jawline, paying special attention to the sensitive spot near her pulse point.

“I’ll never get tired of kissing you,” Thomas says. He nips at the skin, careful not to leave any visible marks. They still have court in a few short hours. The judge won’t appreciate hickeys.

“Then keep going,” Marissa pleads softly.

“I intend to.”

While he continues his assault on her neck, the hand that’s not pinning her down to bed idly traces circles into the skin of her outer thigh. Marissa writhes under him. They haven’t even done anything yet, and here she is, so fucking desperate and needy for his touch.

Thomas prides himself on being observant, and there’s not much he can’t sense about Marissa at this point. He knows she’s getting impatient, but he doesn’t speed up on her account.

He nudges her legs open and she eagerly spreads them for him. “You know, I’m not a betting man, Marissa Day. But if I had to make one right now, I’d bet every dollar I own that you’re already wet for me.” His fingers skim the outside of the flimsy piece of lace she calls underwear. “Even better, you’re soaked.”

Marissa bites down firmly on her lip in order to stop the moan that’s in her throat from slipping out. The last thing she needs to do is wake up their kids with her extremely pornographic sound effects.

Her breath hitches slightly as she felt one of his fingers pressing against her. But it isn’t nearly enough and she rolls her hips in an attempt to create more friction, but he doesn’t stop, or speed up. When did he become such a tease?

Her eyelids flutter shut as he continues his slow torture. “Stop teasing me.”

Thomas chuckles softly, his breath tickling her neck. His tongue traces the shell of her ear before capturing her earlobe between his teeth. “Only because you asked so nicely.”

Deciding to keep her panties on, Thomas simply moves them aside and plunges two fingers into her without warning. Her lower half shoots off of the bed on its own volition and she mewls in satisfaction. “Oh, fuck!”

“Language,” Thomas chides playfully.

Marissa barely registers the fact that he’s still talking, much too caught up in what his incredibly skilled fingers are doing to her. Her fingers tangle themselves in the soft bed sheets in a feeble attempt to keep herself arching completely off of the bed.

A soft sigh followed by his name slips from between her lips and it might be hotter than any scream or moan Thomas ever coaxed out of her. He shifts his weight kisses down her stomach. “That’s it. Say my name again.”

“Thomas...,” Marissa repeats, her voice taking on a higher pitch as he curls his fingers inside her, twisting them slightly. “Oh god. Please. Please, don’t stop.”

She can feel her orgasm building, and she almost hates Thomas for it. For how he leaves her feeling a desperate, achy hot mess. For how good he is at this and how fast he can make her come. It isn’t fair. But she can’t, because she adores him for it all the same. Thomas knows she’s close too, her walls tightening around his fingers. His head moves lower until his lips wrap securely around their clit, sucking gently on the tiny bundle of nerves. She grips the back of his head, her fingers curling into his soft brown hair, holding him in place as her hips roll against him, grinding into his face as his fingers and tongue continue to work on her. And that’s all it takes. Before she can say anything, she’s hurtling, careening over the edge. Her eyes screw shut and she clamps a hand over her mouth, stifling the scream that threatens to leave.

Thomas removes his fingers from her slick heat and plants a single kiss on the inside of her trembling thigh. She shudders involuntarily at the simple action, way too sensitive and overstimulated.

When she finally regains the strength to re-open her eyes, she catches the sight of Thomas licking his fingers clean. “You taste like heaven on earth.”

“You...are way too good at that,” Marissa pants. A blush spreads across his cheeks at the compliment. How is he blushing when he just had his head between her thighs?

“Happy to oblige.” Marissa reaches up in front of her, palming his length through his cotton pajama pants, but Thomas grips her wrist, putting a stop to her actions.

“What? You don’t want me to return the favor?”

“I’m good. As fun as it is to be woken up by a beautiful woman in my bed, you need to get some sleep. We have a huge day ahead of us.”

Thomas pulls her into his side as they settle back onto the bed. They stay like this for a few minutes, and Marissa finally feels herself coming back down to earth. Her heart isn’t racing as fast, and the room stops spinning.

Despite the orgasm Thomas just bestowed upon her and the heaviness in her bones, she’s still entirely too keyed up to go to sleep. Something might seriously be wrong with her if not even sex can make her sleep. “You’re going to hate me.”

“I couldn’t possibly hate you,” Thomas argues.

“I can’t go to sleep.”

“Okay.” Thomas rolls over and turns on his bedside lamp. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”

“It’s been a hectic few weeks and yes, I’m absolutely exhausted, but I have the biggest day of my life ahead of me and–”

“And you’re nervous,” Thomas concludes.

Marissa snorts. “I passed nervous about 3 hours ago.”

“I can’t imagine how scary this has all been for you, but you have no reason to be nervous.”

“Really? Because it feels like the deck is stacked against me. Let’s count all the ways, shall we? I got fired a few weeks ago and the only place that wants to hire me is a fast food restaurant for a graveyard shift, Ivy has had two allergy attacks while in my care, and I’m broke, which is apparently a cardinal sin in this town, worse than murder. And no matter what I do, Guy and Vanessa have managed to spin everything in his favor. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t work during our marriage and that he took off. It doesn’t matter that he’s a gaslighting asshole, and he’s dating someone who is practically a fetus, and he didn’t take Ivy’s soy allergy into consideration, and he forgot our daughter’s birthday. He can do all of that and still come up smelling like roses. No matter what, he just seems to fail upwards.”

“I know in my heart that I’m the best parent for Ivy, but I can’t escape the dread I feel, th-this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that he’s going to snatch her away from me without as much as a backwards glance. I feel like I’m stuck in a nightmare and I can’t wake up no matter how hard I try.”

Marissa doesn’t realize she’s crying until Thomas catches a tear with the pad of his thumb.

“Every time I feel like I’m finally hitting my stride, Guy comes in and torpedoes everything,” she continues. “It’s how he’s always been.”

“It stops today,” Thomas says.

“How are you so sure?”

“Yes Guy has money, but having money has never been a good indicator of good parenting. You are strong, and selfless, and compassionate. You are Ivy’s best parent, her only parent. You raised a thoughtful, kind, brilliant little girl with no help from the sperm donor who left you. Ivy hasn’t just survived for 10 years, she’s thrived, and it’s all thanks to you. Guy and Vanessa are going to use your weaknesses and vulnerabilities against you but that only because they have absolutely no offense. They can’t prove on their own that he’s better, so they’re going to paint you as worse. But it’s not going to work. I still have a lot of fight left in me, and yes we’re close to the end, but I need you to stick it out. I will never let you lose your daughter. Never.”

Marissa inhales sharply, trying to let Thomas’s words sink in.

“Do you trust me?” Thomas asks.

“Of course.”

“Good. Then believe me when I say we’re going to win.” Marissa nods. “Say it.”

“We’re going to win.”

“Again.”

“We’re going to win,” Marissa repeats.

“Damn right we are.” Thomas grabs Marissa and kisses her softly. “I just need you to believe in yourself the way I believe in you, and see yourself the way I see you. I’m not kidding when I say you’re the best parent I know.”

Marissa leans forward and rests her head on Thomas’s shoulder. She sighs heavily. “I’m sorry that I ruined our moment. Nothing kills the mood quicker than talking about your asshole of an ex-husband and a custody hearing.”

“It’s okay. You’re always welcome to vent to me, no matter the circumstances.”

“Thank you. I needed this pep talk.”

“No need to thank me when I’m simply telling the truth.”

“And thanks...for the orgasm.”

That manages to get a laugh out of him, a deep laugh, one from his chest. “I think you’re the first person to ever thank me for something like that. You don’t need to thank me for that either. But you’re welcome.”

The two of them fall back into bed, a mess of tangled limbs. Thomas wraps his arms tightly around Marissa, giving her no wiggle room, no opportunities to toss and turn.

He kisses the top of her head. “Get some sleep.”

Ironically enough, being crushed underneath the weight of Thomas Mendez in his ridiculously large king-sized bed, for the first time in weeks, Marissa actually feels like she can breathe. And she finally does doze off to sleep.

#choices: stories you play #playchoices #mother of the year #moty #thomas mendez #thomas mendez x mc #ns*fw

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drrameyfanpage · 5 years ago

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Run Away

Author’s Note:This is set about half a year in the future. Luz runs away and Thomas is forced to confront his relationship with his daughter and his feeling for Kali.

Word Count: 2805

Warning: None

Pairing: Thomas Mendez x MC (Kali Day)

Thomas Mendez had, had the perfect life. He had married his college sweetheart, got a position at a well-respected law firm, had a beautiful daughter, and made more money than he could have hoped. Then the accident happened. Soledad had been driving back from dropping Luz off at school when the police say she ran through a red light and got T-boned. They viewed the accident as an easy open closed case.

That’s when Thomas’s perfect life started to unravel. No one would listen to him as he tried to prove it had been faulty breaks in the car. These last two years he’s spent most of his free time gathering information and proof to prove his case.

He was starting to realize he had turned his hurt into obsession and was freezing everyone out. Most importantly he was freezing out Luz.

The words she had said in anger and the tears that had streamed down her face earlier tonight night clouded his thoughts.

“You promised!” She stomped her foot as he shut the front door.

“I’m sorry Luz. I got held up at work. I’ll be there next time.”

“You always say that.” Her tone was harsh. “That means nothing to me anymore.”

“I’m trying my best. It’s not easy.” He shot back.

She shook her head in disappointment. “Zoey’s mom is a single parent and takes the bus! Kali makes it work. She was at the game.”

“Well I’m not Kali!” Thomas yelled.

Luz took a step back. “Obviously or you might actually care about me.” She ran up the stairs before he could respond. Tears streamed down her face.

Thomas slummed against the closed front door when he heard her bedroom door slam.

That had been over an hour ago, only twenty minutes ago had finally he dragged himself down the hall to his home office. He poured himself another glass of the whiskey he kept on hand for business associates. Drinking wasn’t something he did often let alone drinking more than one glass.

It didn’t stop the thoughts he wished to keep at bay. Kali. That was also a mess and he saw no way to fix it.

Two months ago

“So, this is the fanciest teacher/parent night I’ve ever been too.” Kali sipped her drink while her eyes scanned around the room.

He didn’t answer right away. His own eyes scanned over her. He couldn’t keep them off of her. The midnight blue dress looked stunning on her and his body was reacting. “Yes,” He said after a moment. “They’re always like this. More of a social event for parents than talking about the kids.”

Thomas stuck to her side most of the night glaring at any man who looked too long at her. She passed him her drink towards the end of the night and wondered out into the hall for the bathroom. A moment later he couldn’t stop himself, he followed after.

He leaned against the wall across from the bathroom and she looked surprised to see him when she existed. She raised an eyebrow at him and he pushed away from the wall. Kali slipped her hand into his outstretched one and he pulled her towards him. He spun them as she collided with his chest and pushed her against where he had just been leaning.

“Thomas.” She whispered. The heels she wore made her lips even with his chin.

He shivered and his body ached with a need he had never felt before. As he dipped his head to kiss her, the thought that he wanted her more than he ever wanted Soledad crossed his mind and jerked away from her. How could he want someone more than he had wanted his wife?

Thomas glanced up at her, confusion covered her face. “I can’t. We can’t” He stumbled. He didn’t know what hurt more saying those words or the hurt look she gave him.

She straightened and swallowed before nodding and walking away from him.

That evening burned in his memory. The feeling of her body against his. Everything about her intoxicated him. He wanted her and that hadn’t changed. They had barely spoken since then. At first, he avoided her and then would only talk to her about Luz. He tried to convince himself it was for the best. It didn’t feel that way though.

Then there had been that moment three weeks ago. Luz had gotten in the car talking about Levi the guitar player, Thomas had met him once dropping Kali and Zoey off. At first, he listened with interested until she revealed he had asked Kali out to dinner and she had agreed to go. He didn’t know what it felt like to be stabbed but he imagine it was what he felt that day.

He picked up his second glass of whiskey and slumped on to the small couch. He would need to talk Luz but it was better they both calmed down first. Yes, he decided, first he would fix things with his daughter and then he would start to rebuild at least a friendship with Kali.

Thomas blinked rapidly. It was not that dark out when he sat down. He tapped his phone that lay on the table. It was about dead and almost 1:00 am. His talk with Luz would have to wait until morning. He grabbed his empty glass and dropped it off in the kitchen before heading upstairs.

He glanced down the hall towards her door once he reached the upstairs landing. She had probably locked him out but something told him to check. He turned the knob and her door clicked open. Surprised he pushed the door open gently. There was a lump in the middle of the bed, clearly, she curled up in a ball before falling asleep. He walked over to her side and reached his hand out to stroke the top of her head.

Pillow. There was a pillow against his hand. Surely not. He gulped and pulled back the blanket. It was all pillows.

“Damn it.” He cursed and glanced around her room. He noticed her backpack that she had carried up with her was gone. He searched the house quickly to make sure he wasn’t overacting.

Thomas grabbed his keys from by the front door and stumbled out towards his car. There were no new messages on his phone. He racked his brain for where could have gone. She had to have gone to Kali’s. He pushed call on her number and his phone died.

He didn’t bother parking in a space before he got out and ran for the apartment building. The elevator was too slow, so he took the stairs two by two. Not thinking about the time, he pounded on the door.

“Dude, it’s 1:30 in the morning. What the hell are you doing.” Levi stood the doorway to his own apartment glaring at Thomas.

“Fuck off.” Thomas said not stopping his knocking.

“No, I think you need to fuck off. You’ve done enough damage.” Levi stepped closed grabbing Thomas’s pounding hand.

Thomas yanked his hand free and shoved Levi back. “You don’t know a damn thing.”

“What’s going on?” A sleepy but surprised Kali asked opening her door.

“I’m trying to take the trash out for you.” Levi advanced toward Thomas again.

“You’re really going to fight a lawyer.” Thomas snarled.

“Your money and job don’t faze me.”

Kali stepped between the two. Her hand went to Thomas’s chest and he balled a fist. “I can handle myself.” She said to Levi. Her glare stopping him in his tracks.

“You’re going to defend his sorry ass. I don’t know what he did to upset you, but he doesn’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“I don’t have time for this.” Thomas stepped around Kali into her apartment.

She gave Levi one last looked before following after the man who had broke her heart. “What’s going on?” She demanded in a harsh tone once the door was shut.

“Tell me Luz is here.”

She looked at him confused. “No, she’s not.”

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and doubled over.

Kali came over to him resting her hand on his shoulder. “What’s going on, Thomas?” She asked becoming worried.

“Luz is missing. We had a fight and she stormed off to her room. I fell asleep and when I checked on her.” He trailed off pain lacing his voice. “Jesus, what if something’s happened to her?” He wiped angerly at his eyes.

“Stay.” She pointed before disappearing back out the door. A moment later she returned with annoyed Levi. “I need you to watch Zoey. There’s something we need to do.”

“I’m not watching your kid so you can hookup.”

“We’re not hooking up. This is incredibly important.” She pulled her sneakers on before grabbing Thomas’s arm.

“Can you trust him to stay?” Thomas asked as they headed down the hall.

“Yes. Now where else do you think she could be?” She glanced over at him.

He looked a mess and she couldn’t blame him, she would be too. He shook his head trying to think. “I’m not sure. After all the fighting last year, she hasn’t had any close friends besides Zoey.”

“Keys.” She demanded holding her hand out.

“I know the city better than you.”

“That may be the case but I’m also more level headed at the moment.” He gave her his keys and for the first time ever slid into his own passenger seat. She had to adjust the seat because of his height but soon they were on the road.

They drove past parks, the school, and the local library. “What if somethings happened to her?” He asked getting chocked up. “There are people out there who would hurt her to get to me.”

“We’re going to find her. Look there’s one more place I would check and if she’s not there than we call the police for help.”

“Where’s that?”

“This is going to be a weird question but is your wife buried?”

“Surely you don’t think she’s gone to the cemetery!”

“Address?”

Soon enough they were pulling into a large cemetery. Kali stopped the car at the entrance and cut it off. “We should walk from here.”

Thomas looked at her confused as she got out of the car. She was still in her pajamas and hadn’t bothered with a jacket. He pulled his raincoat from the backseat and handed it to her. “If we’re walking you need a coat.”

She looked over at him in just his dress shirt but didn’t comment. “The car might scare her. She might not realize it’s you.”

“You sound optimistic she’s here.” He wasn’t sold that Luz had managed to get herself across town to the cemetery. They didn’t come here often as it was.

“It’s where I would run to when my dad and I would fight.” She walking off in one direction.

Thomas stared after her. The more he learned about her the more he couldn’t deny his need to know her.

They caught sight of a small figure sitting on the ground by one stone. Thomas took off at a full run towards his daughter.

Luz looked up at the noise, she frowned as her dad got closer. “I didn’t think you would find me here.” She looked down at her lap. He got on his knees the cold wet grass seeping through his pants and he wondered how long she had been sitting in it.

“I’ve looked everywhere for you.” He grasped her face. “I’ve been terrified.”

“Have you?” She asked meeting his eyes.

“Of course. How could I not be?”

She shrugged. “Your life would be easier without me around.”

“Don’t ever say that again. My life would be nothing without you.” He pulled her to him for hug and she buried her face in his neck. They pulled a part a moment later. “What are you even doing here?”

“I had to talk to mom.” Luz looked down again. “I want a mom.” She started to cry. “I came to tell mom that she’ll always be my mom and I love her, but I want a mom. I know she can’t come back, but I thought-“ She stopped to talking.

“You thought what?” He asked softly.

“I thought maybe Kali was going to be my mom and Zoey would become my sister. She needs a dad like I need a mom. But, but than you stopped talking to each other.” The tears wouldn’t stop. “Why can’t we be happy dad?”

Thomas briefly wondered where Kali was. Could she hear his daughter? His daughter was right though, why couldn’t they be happy? He wanted to be happy and damn if he didn’t want that with Kali and Zoey. He glanced at the tombstone. The wind picked up making them both shiver and then it was gone. Thomas stood and then picked Luz and her backpack up off the ground.

Turning he found Kali standing a few feet away, her hands buried deep in his jacket’s pockets. Her face was unreadable but soft looking. He walked towards her.

“Kali you’re here!” Luz said just noticing her.

Kali smiled and ruffled the girl’s hair, but said nothing. Thomas settled his free hand on her lower back and guided them back towards the car.

He was grateful when she slid back into the driver’s seat. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and he still had to drive home off dropping her off.

Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into a parking space in front of her building. Thomas knew he should say something but he fumbled with what. Kali turned the car off, grabbed his dead phone from a cup holder and got out of the car. Confused, he followed.

“Come on.” She said. “I’m not letting you drive home.”

He nodded before grabbing a sleeping Luz and her backpack from the car. They didn’t say anything as they made their way towards her apartment. This could mean nothing. She could make him sleep on the couch. Which is what he was expecting.

Levi looked up from his phone from where he sat at the kitchen table as they entered. He rolled his eyes as he looked at Thomas. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. Thank you for staying with Zoey.” Kali stepped closer to the table.

Levi stood. “She didn’t even stir.” He grinned.

“Still, I owe you.”

Levi looked between Kali and Thomas. “You’re sending me home now, but he gets to stay.”

“Levi, please.”

“No, the guy’s an ass. He drops you out of his life and then can waltz back in when he needs something?”

“Levi!” She hissed.

“I don’t know how I ever thought I could compete with him.” He brushed past Kali and stopped to glare at Thomas before leaving.

She turned not quite meeting Thomas’s gaze. “I’ll find a pair of Zoey’s pajamas for Luz.”

He managed to get his daughter changed as she sleepily resisted before carrying her into Zoey’s room. Kali already stood at the foot of her sleeping daughter’s bed.

“Are you mad?” Luz whispered as he laid her down in the full-size bed.

“No.” Thomas answered brushing hair off her forehead.

“I love you dad.”

“I love you too. Get some sleep.”

She turned away from him and shifted closer to Zoey. “I love you Kali.” Luz whispered.

Kali touched the girl’s foot. “Love you too, kid.”

Thomas shut the door behind them. Kali turned to face him and he couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out for her. One arm slipped around her waist and the other cupped her cheek. Kissing her was better than he imagined. Her hands balled his shirt.

When they broke apart, she stopped back and away from him. His heart pounded in his chest. What if he had missed his chance?

She held her hand out to him and he took it. Her room was small but the warm glow from the bedside table lamp made it feel cozy. She dropped his hand and plugged her phone in. “Yours is charging in the kitchen.”

She must have done that while he had gotten Luz changed. Her shoes and his jacket were already gone. Kali got into bed and looked at him slyly. Thomas slipped out of his shoes and pulled his shirt off before dropping it on to the floor along with his wallet and belt.

Her eyes scanned over his bare chest as climbed in beside her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him. She cupped his face as they stared into each other eyes.

“We’re a mess.” She whispered.

“We are.” He rolled her on to her back and hovered over her. “But I wouldn’t want to be a mess with anyone else.”

#choices moty #choices mother of the year #choices mother of the year fanfic #choices moty fanfic #choices moty fanfiction #mc x wonky thomas #mc x thomas mendez #Kali x thomas

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alitheamateur · 6 years ago

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The Grind-Chapter 12

Warnings: Extreme grief. Angst. Language.

The remainder of my day at the office was ultimately a waste. Excitement mixed with uneasy curiosity, apprehension combined with pride. This wasn’t the first time Colt & I had a spat, but this was the first time the morbid “we need to talk” line was brought into play. Romantic comedies since the beginning of time taught us to never expect any good to come from those four vague, potentially life-changing words. Not to mention if anyone needed to do the talking, it was indeed me after the little stunt he pulled. I’m sure his plan of attack consisted of batting those eyelashes of his too long to belong to any man, the lip biting, the sad, sappy innocent eyes, and the way he always traced a rough thumb over my taut lower lip for his big finish.

I used the drive time to Mac’s to coach myself on resisting his efforts, and decisively standing my ground. I couldn’t just sweep it under the rug and allow the kiss and make-up tactic to clear the air. He had to learn we weren’t children, and how he handled himself the last few days was 100% unacceptable, and not to be tolerated in any adult relationship.

I paralleled my car across the 4 lanes in front of the gym at the closest empty meter.

“Be bold, liv. Resist the charm. RESIST THE CHARM.” I said audibly to myself, gazing into the rearview mirror to check for makeup smudges.

Crossing the street it dawned me on the advantage I in fact had over this situation when I straightened the hem of my navy blazer. Realizing the lusty-eyed stupor he wound up in with just the simple weapon of a well-made business suit. Mac was ruffling through a mess of scattered papers behind the front desk when I pulled open the door, rubbing worriedly over the crinkled lines around his eyes.

“Hey Mac, you okay?” I thudded a light fist on the counter, leaning in to him.

“I sure hope so, Miss Liv. How you doin’?”

“Looking for you know who. He still sulkin’?” Mac looked over his shoulder, and I turned my eyes to follow his to see Colt winding fresh tape over his knuckles. His hair still neatly laying across his forehead, and that adrenal glow of redness around his ears was missing, so it was clear he hadn’t yet begun his nightly workout.

“He gets like this sometimes, darlin’. Just gotta learn to roll with it, or roll out of it. You know what I mean?”

Wise words, my friend.

“The life of a fighters girl, I guess, huh?” I blew a breath upward and widened my eyes in pursuit of him. Without raising his head, Colton lifted a glance towards my approach, then reverted his undistracted focus right back to the hand wrapping without missing a beat.

“First or second session of the day?” He so generously left me to break the conversational ice.

“Third. Been in & outta here since 4 a.m.”

I leaned a shoulder into the wall, stuffing my hands all but my thumbs, into the tight pockets of my slacks, hovering over his criss-cross applesauce position on the red mat below me.

“You wanted to talk. You first, or me?”

Fingers now fully taped, he cracked his knuckles. “Ladies first.”

“I’ll start with the good news, the rest of what I have to say won’t be such a short conversation.” I warned. My eyes closed then, and I aimed my nose towards the ceiling in textbook braggart fashion. “You sir, are lookin’ at the newly crowned resident MMA/Boxing columnist for the Pitt Pilot. Ryan was so impressed, he rallied with the big wigs to create the position for me, AND a raise is included with the package.” I’m sure I was glowing, saying it out loud felt good. Really good. I wasn’t one to make a home upon a pedestal, but I was going to let myself have this one. I deserved a pat on the back. “Not to mention, my article is going front page! If you’re lucky, I’ll give you my autograph later.” Expecting him to shower me with sweet praises, and congratulatory kisses, I let the bone I had to pick with him lay in waiting for the time being.

“That’s great. So not only is there gonna be a whole spread about my endless trainin’ still ending in a loss in the newspaper all over Pittsburgh, but now it’s gonna to be plastered on the front fucking page.” Colt pointed a thumb in sarcastic amusement.

I nipped the inside of my cheek between my teeth, my hands had now slowly drawn into fists at my side.

“Excuse me? I hope for your own personal safety you’re kidding me right now.” An angry crease dipped between my groomed brows, and my head slightly cocking to one side.

“How would you like one of your failures to be the Thursday headline the entire city reads over their mornin’ coffee, Liv? It’s a smack in the damn face.” The volume of his voice had now projected far enough to reach Mac’s, and the other lone gym member counting through his chin ups undoubtably listening ears.

“Look, Colton. You lost, and I get that it absolutely sucks. You’re forgetting I used to be an athlete, too. A damn good one, if I may add. I can’t tell you the countless missed free throw attempts, or one-point losses I had to read about in the county paper. So, I’ve been there, alright?” Tough love may not have been what he was seeking from me, but it was sure all he was getting. I likely resembled one of those animated fictional characters with steam bellowing from their enlarged ears.

“C’mon, Liv. Let’s not compare irrelevant high school basketball to my career here. Gimme a fuckin’ break.” The man had now stood to his feet, just barely a few inches taller, courteous of my nude sling backs. That splintered notorious toothpick sliding back & forth between the corner of his pink lips.

“Irrelevant? Nice Colt, I’m super impressed with your maturity level right now. What a way to speak to the woman you love, hm?” The word ‘love’ accentuated with air quotes. In his empty eyes, I could see it was a fight he wanted, and damn it I was stepping fearlessly right into the ring.

“Yeah, well, lovin’ you is what got me into this shit loss to that prick in the first place, ain’t it.” But it wasn’t a question. No. He was stating matter-of-factly.

“Come again, Ritter?”

I had nearly chased him through the hall towards the men’s locker room of the gym, his already raised shoulders seemed to inflate furthermore from the back. The ink across his arms bleeding broader with the expanse of his angry muscles. “You fuckin’ heard me,“ he darted to face me. “I let you get into my head. I let love get into my head.” A single thick finger tapped to his left temple. “And I knew damn well better than t’ let that happen.”

The immediate urge to cry was troubling greedily at my eyes. “And what exactly are we getting at here?” I hoped I’d see the harsh line of his cut jaw relax in regret at the words his was hissing at me.

“It means this was a fucking mistake, Liv.” He didn’t blink when he said it. His tone didn’t faulter or quiver, and there were no regretful downward frowns. “It means when I saw you at The Grind that mornin’, I made the mistake of letting my dick do the decision makin’. I shoulda just walked right past ya’ like I intended, but instead I got sucked into those dopey fuckin’ green eyes.”

Round one: Colton Ritter. Salty tears crept over the ledge of my lower lids.

“I got distracted. Weak. Mendez had me beat the second I took this thing between you and me farther than that ring out there the night I took you out. It ain’t your fault though, it’s on me. Like I said, I knew betta. I made a big fuckin’ mistake.” The blue-collar charm of his undeniable Burgh accent now tilted more on the edge of demeaning, and rather irritating as it rolled over his spiteful tongue.

The ivory of my silk camisole contrasted boldly against the blotching red rash blooming across my heaving chest. “You are so right, Colton. You did make a huge mistake. But it wasn’t the day you came up to me at the coffee shop. It was right this moment. Your big mistake is letting me turn around and walk to hell outta of your sad, pitiful life without trying to stop me. Are you willing to live with that?” I connected an opened palm smack to his dense chest, slightly wavering his balance. “And if blaming me for your stupid loss against Danny helps heal your bruised little reputation, then I’ll be that for you, okay? I’m strong enough to carry that guilt. But what I refuse to do, is let you deny that you loved me. I won’t let live the illusion that this whole thing wasn’t real. For both of us. Have the balls to accept that the big, bad fighter is susceptible to love after all.”

My crying had become heavier, equally in anger as well as torment, and Colton wasn’t blinking. Whether it be from the fear of me catching a glimpse of sorrow in his expression, or simply that he truly felt no regret in pounding the air out of my lungs with his cruel admission.

“Lust, Liv. I had the two confused, okay? If that makes me an ass, then so be it. But I ain’t gonna lie to ya’. And what I have to do now, is pull my head outta the sand, and focus on me. My career. It’s do or die for me at this point in my life. The last thing I need is somethin’ clouding my judgment or distractin’ me from the only thing that matters. Fighting.” His nails scratched at the light stubble of his chin nonchalantly as he spoke.

“Fighting, huh? I hope that’s filling the cold spot in the bed next to you ten years from now, Colt. And if God forbid it’s not, don’t you dare come looking for me.”

Before the sentence was punctuated, I turned on my heels toward the door freeing the crystal tears to trail down my face, rolling off the curve of my chin. My constant sniffles caught the attention of the gym’s owner and namesake who was planted in the same spot behind his desk.

“Miss Livvy? Hey Liv, you alright?”

I couldn’t muster a sentence, much less a lie to enlighten him all was well when it most definitely was not. So, I swept by him in silence, rustling the forms he was sorting through. When I cleared the exit, assuring the door was sealed behind me, a heaving cry of desperation scratched from the deepest cavity of my lungs. I clasped my hands over my quivering lips, trying dreadfully to stifle the release, but it was impossible. The bubble of heartbreak and disbelief had stolen my sight, causing me to step directly into the path of an oncoming car as I tried to cross the road. Thankfully, the driver was living in the realm of reality and swerved to miss me. Blasting repetitive honks of frustration. Reaching the silent space of my car, my howls trapped safely for only me to experience, I felt the physical pain of my heart indeed disintegrating. But, with a heap of rage as an accompaniment to my distress, I crashed my bony fist into the steering wheel. Instantly regretting the rash decision when the adrenaline wore off, leaving me the suffer the painful consequences of a probable cracked knuckle.

I concentrated on stilling the subconscious trembling waving over my entire body just long enough to get myself back to the apartment in one piece. Physically, at least. Every emotion of this day had hit me head on like a speeding semi-truck, and it seemed my brain couldn’t process the outrageously hasty shift from cloud nine, to teeth first on the concrete. A day that had the potential of making my top 10 list of the best, swiftly instead kicked me in the crotch. I could feel a swell of vomit jostling down deep, possibly from the perilous sea of crushing sadness I was drowning in, but likely from the torrent stream of sobs I couldn’t restrain. I made a very quick left into the first open parking spot in front of my building, leaving my purse and other random belongings from the day scattered in the passenger seat for now. It was bad enough that Ms. Oliver from 54C was smoking out front in her wobbly plastic lawn chair, giving her a clear view of the smeared mess of mascara covering my face. I didn’t want to add to the shit show by projectile vomiting on the wilting rose bushes of the Park Pointe Apartments lawn.

I fumbled with the stiff handle of my door, my puffy, blemished eyes hazing my vision to pick the correct key. Once I broke through, stumbling clumsily to the bathroom, I fell brutally on all fours to the cool grey tile of the floor, hanging my head deep over the rim of the toilet. The dry heaves attempting to eject the rot of grief from my insides spasmed over me. I tore open the collar of my shirt, sending the dainty pearl buttons carelessly bouncing across the small room. I needed to rid my body of the tightening restrains of fabric covering me, so I slid each leg, one by one, from my cotton pants then moved to my jacket, leaving me spanned lifelessly now on the floor covered only by a thin silk bra and panty set. My heated, flushed cheek meeting the chilly ground. Let’s add a stack of shame to the mix, shall we? Was I really going to let myself wallow like this? This was NOT the Liv Elliott I knew. Then again, since Colt had come into my life, that Liv was already a fading memory. But, if this was the new me, if this was how the so I thought, “improved” version of myself behaved, I wanted her long gone. Fast.

Any sadness I may have thought I’d felt up to this point, was a brisk walk in a Pittsburgh park matched to the likes of what I was feeling now. Maybe the crude asshole had a twisted point after all. Never let anything distract you, or sway you from your own goals. Work had never stomped on me like this, despite the day-to-day redundant tasks that perturbed me now and again, it seemed to be the most sure-fire thing in my newly lonely life.

I drew myself a scalding bath in efforts to soothe my tensed muscles and wash away the residue of anguish sticking to my skin. Adding to my demise, for reasons still foreign, I tucked myself into bed wearing the unwashed sweatshirt he’d left hung over the back of my kitchen chair the last time he’d been to my place. I drew it to my nose, burying my face to breath in the scent of him. It was still there, strong. An almost minty aftershave blended with the masculine musk of his natural aroma. I laid face down into my pillow, the bed now too cold without the contrast of his scorching body heat to nestle against. An onslaught of burning tears coursed down my face again at the lacking presence of him entangled amongst me in the sheets. What I couldn’t swallow without a bitter aftertaste, was the knowing feeing that Colton wasn’t suffering a fraction of what I was enduring. When I trudged out of Mac’s gym, and his life just a few short hours ago, I’m certain he went about his precious workout without the slightest hiccup. As a matter of fact, it probably amplified his flow of focus.

Don’t be dramatic, Liv.

Okay, maybe I wouldn’t come to that conclusion necessarily. He did have a heart somewhere buried inside that chest of stone. I decided sleeping in the middle of my bed would be best for me that night. Skootching on my usual left side would make it all too painstakingly obvious that there was a sleeping body missing from the opposite side when I awoke the next morning. That was assuming sleep would actually come ever again to settle the near agonizing heartbreak I endured at the hands of the vicious fists belonging to one Colton Ritter.

TAGS: @torialeysha @eap1935

#Tom Hardy #tomhardy #tom hardy fanfiction #tomhardyfanfic #tommy conlon #elizabeth olsen #thegrind

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prairiedawn · 6 years ago

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IT’S DONE IT’S DONE IT’S DONE!

Chapters: 27/27 Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock, James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Nyota Uhura, Commodore Jose Mendez, Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, T'Pau, T'Pring, Original Alien Character(s), Original Starfleet Character(s) Additional Tags: Episode: s01e15-16 The Menagerie, Demisexual Spock, Shiny!Kirk, Gaslighting, Telepathy, Incompetent Telepathy, Pon Farr, Hurt/Comfort, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Awkward Sex Education, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Mind melds, Smut starts Ch. 16, Background T'Pura, background Sarek/Amanda, Tarsus IV, Flashbacks, Semi-Public Sex, Episode: s01e26 The Devil In the Dark Summary:

This is not so much an episode fix-it as an episode break-it, assuming that the Talosians are exactly as dangerous as they seem to be for nearly the entirety of "The Cage". It includes a backwards demi-ace style romance in which Kirk and Spock fall for each other early, but take a long time to negotiate the physical side of their relationship, a lot of Descartes' Evil Genius hand wringing, and a reference to a concept mentioned in Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath's "The Price of the Phoenix", in which the risks to Jim Kirk's sanity and career prospects should he develop significant psi abilities are briefly mentioned.

As if anything as trivial as having to completely restructure the way he relates to other intelligent beings would put Kirk down for the count.

Fic is complete. Updates Tuesdays and Fridays.

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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T. rex lookalike with an unusual skull terrorized Patagonia 80 million years ago The fossilized remains of Llukalkan aliocranianus include a superbly preserved and uncrushed braincase and were unearthed in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in Argentina. Llukalkan means “the one who causes fear” in the language of the indigenous Mapuche, and aliocranianus is Latin for “unusual skull.” Part of a family of dinosaurs called abelisaurids, the creature would have broadly resembled a Tyrannosaurus rex in appearance, with tiny stubby arms. But an unusually short, deep skull, which often bore crests, bumps and horns, set it apart. At least 5 meters long — around the size of an elephant — Llukalkan aliocranianus would have roamed Patagonia and other areas of the prehistoric southern subcontinent of Gondwana, which included Africa, India, Antarctica, Australia and South America. Its most distinctive feature was a small air-filled sinus in the middle ear zone that has not been seen in any other abelisaurid found so far, according to the research published Tuesday in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, It means that Llukalkan likely heard differently, and probably better, than other abelisaurids — more similar to the hearing of a modern-day crocodile. “A peculiarity of this dinosaur is that it has cavities in the ear area that other abelisaurids did not have, which could have given this species different auditory capacities, possibly a greater hearing range. This, together with its keen sense of smell, would have given great capabilities as a predator to this species,” lead author Federico Gianechini, a paleontologist at the National University of San Luis, Argentina, told CNN in an email. The fossilized remains were discovered in 2015 by accident during a dig in a place known as La Invernada, near the city of Rincón de los Sauces, in Neuquén Province, Gianechini said. The main purpose of the dig was to unearth a sauropod dinosaur (large, lumbering plant-eaters) that they had found a year earlier, but they noticed bones poking out on the surface of the ground a few days before finishing their excavation. The dinosaur’s unique hearing mechanism suggests that abelisaurids were flourishing right before the dinosaurs’ extinction 67 million years ago. “These dinosaurs were still trying out new evolutionary pathways and rapidly diversifying right before they died out completely,” said Ariel Mendez, a study co-author and paleontologist from the Patagonian Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Argentina, in a news statement. Source link Orbem News #Lookalike #million #Patagonia #REX #Skull #terrorized #unusual #Years

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difolco · 7 years ago

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tagged by @foxboylucien :)

A - Age: 20

B - Birthplace: Virginia

C - Current time: 12:22 am

D - Drink you last had: chardonnay

E - Easiest person to talk to: my mom haha

F - Favorite song: umm probably Losing Touch by The Killers they're my favorite band but favorite song not by the killers right now is In My Blood by Shawn Mendez

G - Grossest memory: hahahah i got puked on one news year eve

H - Hogwarts House: Fucking Gryffindor baby

I - In love: tbh im always in love with someone they just never know

J - Jealous of people: sure, its a human emotion, and you always want to be faster, stronger, prettier, etc

K - Killed someone: nope

L - Love at first sight: its happened, it was weird, im still proud of how i handled the situation. do i hold a flame? yea

M - Middle name: nice fucking try

N - Number of siblings: 3

O - One wish: bellarke to happen, lucien to be realized as the iconic sassy character he is and not be reduced down to a love interest, to get through finals, to feel content

R - Reasons to smile: i JUST got Tower of Dawn im so excited AND i go the last book in the raven cycle so im gonna finish that. The 100 season five comes out in like five days i cannot WAIT! classes are almost over, i love my job and my friends. im gonna have so much time to read

S - Song you sang last: oh man ummmm probably freaky friday or something by celine dion

T - Time you woke up: 10:30

U - Underwear color: chilll

V - Vacation destination: washington state, or canada, OR the bahamas but rather somewhere cold, i just miss the ocean.

W - Worst habit: i got a lot my guy, probably selfishness

X - X-rays: yup a number, broken five bones

Y - Your favorite food: onions and mushrooms, a lil weird but in alfredo pasts or pizza or a sandwich....wow

Z - Zodiac sign: Aquarius/Capricorn? cusp baby

I tag @frutie @fmot @bugggle and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it

#lydia i better see something funny i need more content

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x3k5jnd-blog · 7 years ago

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Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules Books On Tape For Iphone

Get now >> Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules Books On Tape For Iphone

Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules Books On Tape For Iphone

The New York Times Bestseller Recently retired WWE superstar AJ Mendez Brooks is a powerhouse strong, quirky, and totally confident. But that wasn 't always the case. With humor and tremendous heart, she opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life. Everything I was told should be my greatest insecurities and weaknesses, everything that I 've been labeled SHORT, NERDY, SKINNY, WEAK, IMPULSIVE, UGLY, TOMBOY, POOR, REBEL, LOUD, FREAK, CRAZY turned out to be my greatest strengths. I didn 't become successful in spite of them. I became successful because of them. Growing up AJ was a quiet girl trying to act 'normal' when she felt anything but. As her family struggled with drug addiction, poverty, and mental illness, she found escape through comic books and video games, and was inspired by the tough and unconventional female characters. It wasn 't until she discovered pro wrestling that she learned superheroes could be real. Determined to become the superhero she 'd always admired, AJ trained and sacrificed for years to achieve her dream of wrestling professionally. Yet she quickly faced industry pressure to play the role of the damsel in distress and to dress more provocatively to cater to male fans. But she fought back and created an ass-kicking alter ego that was a genuine representation of herself: nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy. With humor and tremendous heart, AJ opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the mental illness diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life. What most people view as a hardship, AJ embraced as inspiration for her superhero persona, shattering the stigma attached to mental illness. Charting her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to an empowered wrestling champion, Crazy Is My Superpower is an unflinchingly honest story and brave confessional about her long road to self-acceptance. Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules Books On Tape For Iphone

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dogmapod · 6 years ago

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04 Los Illuminados

Hey folks, welcome to the show Dogma: A Podcast About Cults I’m your host Denis Ricardo.

This show is about cults. The origins, practices and abuses of cults. So, if you are uncomfortable with descriptions of sexual, physical and mental violence and abuse, this isn’t the show for you.

I’m gonna try to keep it light and fun, but this stuff can get kind of dark… so you’ve been warned.

Our story begins in ancient Europe, in a region that would later be known as Spain on a remote island. existed a pagan group.

It is said that this pagan group was wiped out by another group that would later be known as the First Castellan. Both hold similar worship practices, so it is unknown if these similarities were just held because of they were both in the same region, or if it was a form of dominant syncretism.

The evidence of their similar beliefs are found on cave paintings on the island, which showed a worship of a species of bug endemic to the island.

In 1478 the Spanish Inquisition was founded by the Catholic monarchs of Spain Ferdinand II and Isabella of Castile. It was founded after the ousting of the Moorish Caliphate and the reunification of a Catholic Spain. Its job was to oust any Jews, Muslims and people accused of witchcraft and paganism from Spain.

Eventually the Inquisition made its way to this remote island and seemingly eliminated our group of pagans and installed a noble family, the Salazar family, to govern the island. The Salazars had the ancient caves sealed. However, a small group of them survive and practice in secret for the next several hundred years.

Some time in the late 1990s or early 2000s the 8th Castellan, the leader of this pagan group, came to power. He and his pagan group convinced the reigning Salazar to allow him to practice openly, eventually turning the nobleman to follow their practices. Salazar felt he should atone for the sins of his ancestors and open up the ancient caves.

Doing so released a parasite that had been growing in the cave for these hundreds of years and it seemed to infect the locals. These parasites were the same bug that were worshiped so many years ago by the pagan group, so the 8th Castellan got to work on perfecting a way to reproduce an even stronger variety.

It was an act only for the clergy of this pagan group and for Salazar to willingly be infected with this enhanced parasite, which attached itself to the nervous system of the host, altering their mood and cognitive function. The newly infected laypeople began life again as normal as possible, though many were recruited by Salazar and the Castellan to create a militia, amassing arms and creating a military base on the island.

Sometime before the fall of 2004 the US president’s daughter was kidnapped by a terrorist group that was working with the island militia as part of a plot to spread their parasite around the world in an act of bioterrorism.

A single agent working for a US anti-terrorist task force was dispatched to the island with the help of police from the mainland of Spain to rescue the president’s daughter.

It was surprising this agent was chosen, he seemed to have very little background in anti-terrorist activity, though he was involved with helping to stop a bioterror attack on his first day as a police officer. His name is Leon S. Kennedy.

He was hired afterward by the US government to work with another agent Jack Krauser to address more bioterrorist activity in South America, though he seemed to have lost Krauser along the way.

Upon arrival to the main village on the island the US agent was attacked and the local police he came with were killed by the cultists.

Leon escaped an attack by a group of locals and makes his way to the main village. The villagers all look sick and sallow, moving mindlessly like ants. In the center is an effigy with two burning bodies, the two Spanish police that Kennedy arrived with.

He is contacted by his intel-support Ingrid Hunnigan who informs his about the village.

Kennedy attempts to make his way through the village, but is spotted. He fights off an onslaught of villagers, knows as Ganados, attacking him with pitchforks and other farm equipment including a chainsaw.

Kennedy was certain this would be his demise, but the bell of the church rings, and as if under a spell, the villagers disbanded and headed toward the church.

Things are not all well for Kennedy, though. He attempted to investigate further, but is captured and incapacitated by the chief of the village Biotores Mendez. While Kennedy is unconscious, he is injected with the very parasite that has infected the village, Las Plagas.

Kennedy regains consciousness and finds himself held captive with a man named Luis Sera. Sera was formerly a researcher of Los Illuminados.

They worked together to escape and part ways after Kennedy finds out Ashley Graham is being held in the church from Hunnigan.

Kennedy finds himself attempting to fight off Mendez, but is easily overpowered. When Kennedy believed everything to be over, he is rescued by a woman in a red dress rappelling from the roof of the house they are in. Kennedy recognizes this woman as Ada Wong.

Kennedy believed he was in the clear after this encounter, but it was just the beginning.

As he arrives to the church, he realizes that the doors are locked. He sees that there is a key that is made up of Los Illuminados insignia. He realizes that he needs to retrieve these pieces.

Retrieving the pieces is not easy, as he finds himself facings all different types of obstacles, including a giant salamander, a giant man and villagers whose heads explode and reveal at monstrous squid-like being with barbed tentacles.

Kennedy returns to the church and rescues Ashley Graham. He plans their escape but not before they are met with the leader of Los Illuminados Osmund Saddler.

Saddler reveals he has infected Graham with a Plaga in order to carry out his plan of world domination. This plan includes a convoluted plot for Ashely to infect her father with a Master Plaga so he can give Los Illuminados power and money to take over the world.

They escape and are faced with Mendez, now willing to show his true, centipede body. Kennedy corners him in a barn and sets it ablaze, killing Mendez. Kennedy and Graham head towards the island’s castle for refuge, but now without facing zealots with more transforming heads and a blinded man with claws for hands.

In the castle they are faced with Salazar, now fully integrated into Los Illuminados. The two are separated by Salazar’s traps, making things much easier for the player because they don’t have to worry about Ashley getting killed. I mean… Kennedy is furious and makes his way through the castle.

During all of this, Sera is searching for medication that will remove the Plagas from Kennedy and Graham. He catches up with Kennedy, pills in hand, but Saddler comes out of fucking nowhere and kills Sera with a gross barbed appendage that he then sucks back into his body and it all looks very phallic.

He makes his way through the castle, having to find more goddamn keys and is aided by Wong at some point. Kennedy is apprehensive to fully trust Wong because she was a double agent while he was attempting to escape Raccoon City. Despite this, they both def want to fuck.

He faces a shit ton of more zealots and even a goddam clockwork robot of Salazar, because that is a completely practical thing to have built just in case the castle is infiltrated by just one US agent.

Leon is then face-to-face with Salazar, who allows himself to be sucked in by this weird fleshy plant that transforms him into some gross hybrid plant thing. But it’s not big deal, because it’s an easy boss fight TBH and Kennedy moves forward to the military compound.

If you’re playing the Gamecube version, this is where you have to switch disks.

Kennedy has to make his way through a barrage of militia members who are also infected, and it ain’t easy. Seriously, how the fuck do you get past that guy with the minigun without dying once while you have to also solve a fucking light puzzle? Christ…

Kennedy moves forward through a kitchen and is attacked by a flaming Ganado hiding in an oven, which I swear to God, freaks me out every damn time even though I know it’s coming.

Leon is then faced by Jack Krauser, and clearly they know each other, but if this is the first time you’re playing you’re like “Um, who the fuck is this guy?” You don’t find out until like ten years later when Umbrella Chronicles comes out on the Wii, so real convenient Capcom.

Krauser is working with Wesker and whatever is left of Umbrella to get Las Plagas to work in tandem with T-Virus or something. It’s really not clear. Oh, and Ada’s also working to get this sample, so duh you couldn’t trust her. But you can definitely bone.

Krauser is defeated and Leon unceremoniously finds Ashley and the convenient radiotherapeutic device that removes Las Plaga. Why was this thing ever built? What purpose does it serve for Los Illuminados, I thought they wanted to infect everyone? It seems really counter intuitive, but whatever, you both are cured. Leon grabs a Plaga sample, probably to be destroyed or studied or something. That really isn’t ever made clear.

Leon finally confronts Saddler who transforms into this gross spider thing with with an eye for a head. And excuse me Saddler and everyone who wants to take over the world in Resident Evil, how are you going to do it when you transform into this mindless monster? I get that you have telepathy with the Plagas and other virus zombies, but it just doesn’t seem practical. And the US government has showed they are more than willing to nuke an entire town just to get rid of nasty monsters like you. But hey, boss fight, right?

Ada shows up out of nowhere again and throws Leon a rocket launcher, the deus ex machina of all Ressy games. Leon shoot Saddler and Ada steals the sample because surprise, she’s working for Wesker (or is she? IDK play the side game with Ada and you’ll find out she’s a triple agent!). It’s all very erotic between the two, even though she’s always just going to be a bad guy. She throws him a bone, by which I mean a jet ski key with a teddy bear keychain.

The island is set to blow up, so Leon and Ashley make their way down an annoying timed route to the jet ski. I alway hate these timed escapes, they just feel like a cheap way to build tension.

They get on said jet ski that escape. The game’s about to end but not before the 15-year-old child Ashely hits on Leon, saying they should try and fuck when they get back to the White House. Leon says no, which is honestly very surprising for a Japanese game, and they ride off back to mainland Spain, which is hopefully not too far away because jet skis can’t really go very far.

Now here comes the fun part, where I beg you for money. I come to you hat in hand, asking you to go to patreon.com/dogmapod and throw a few bucks my way to help support the podcast. I can’t offer much for tier rewards, but no matter what level you donate at, I will get the episodes out to you early and you can have access to the joke episodes like this one where I explore pop culture cults as well as unrelated, cult-esque articles and podcasts that don’t quite fit with the format. At higher donations I will take suggestions for cults and do an episode on those. Thank you so much if you decide to be ever so gracious. OK, now back to the show.

So ends Los Illuminados. But not Las Plagas because it’s mutated and used in Africa to infect the indigenous population and it is all vaguely racist because you’re a white guy killing all these black people. But that has nothing to do with a cult, so I’m not gonna talk about it.

Thanks again so much for listening. That was our episode about Los Illuminados. Hope you didn’t mind this joke episode, but I’m going to try and lighten the mood every once in a while with a fictional cult because real cults get depressing.

Next time, we’re going to look into a real cult that has actually committed an act of terrorism and used popular media to get young followers.

Until then, take care and goodbye.

Citations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil_4?wprov=sfti1

https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Resident_Evil_4

https://www.ign.com/faqs/2005/biohazard-4-bonus-disc-game-script-ps2-674283

Song Credits:

“Frozen Jungle” “Qulques Rue Sombre” “Where You Hear the Prayer (McGuffin Theme)” “Battle Theme” and “My hobby, destroy the universe, why? (Evil character’s theme)” by Monplaisir under the name Komiku (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku/)

All other music was composed by Senbongi Misao & Uchiyama Shusaku

#resident evil 4 #re4 #ressy 4 #capcom #video games #nintendo #playstation #gamecube #wii #religion #spirituality #podcast #parody

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elizabethjames-nirvana-blog · 7 years ago

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Idle Delilah: Clipe filmado e dirigido por Jonas Akerlund. O video foi rodado em Houston, nos Estados Unidos e possui uma história baseada nas fabulas infantis. O clipe conta a história de uma fazenda de algodão onde escravos viviam e trabalhavam até que uma escrava se apaixonou pelo chefe branco dono do engenho e eles acabaram tendo uma filha, Delilah. Em uma da cenas que procedem o inicio da música, vemos os dois transando no pasto e em seguida há um corte e vamos para a cena do parto da mulher, tudo muito explicito e rudimentar. Em seguida, a música começa e acompanhamos a menina crescendo, há cenas da menina correndo em volta de uma fogueira, colhendo algodão, brincando com outras crianças filhos de escravos. Na metade da canção, notamos que tudo fica escuro e a canção é interrompida. O clipe então mostra escravos indo até a casa do chefe com tochas de chamas e ameaçando jogar, o patrão se rebela e manda todos voltarem a dormir. Eles não obecedem, e os empregados brancos e donos dos escravos, decidem castiga-los. As cenas que procedem o clipe mostram diversas maneiras de se torturar os escravos, inclusive a mãe de Delilah é torturada. Passa-se alguns dias e o clipe mostra algumas cicatrizes na mãe da moça, há uma cena mostrando um escravo vendo a menina próxima do dono da fazenda e o mesmo já entende que ele é pai dele. Certo dia então, os escravos sequestram a menina Delilah e a matam, jogando-a enrolada em um pano branco e um laço vermelho na floresta. A menina é encontrada por um grupo de bebados. Em seguida, várias cenas mostram a infancia da menina até o final do clipe.

Gimme A Chance: Dirigido por Jonas Akerlund e filmado por Director X, o clipe foi filmado na Espanha. A primeira cena do clipe, ainda sem música, vemos uma dançarina de castanhola sentada em um bar tomando uma bebida. Em seguida, quando a música começa, a mulher começa a dançar e todos saem na janela para ver. Os movimentos da mulher contagiam a todos, que passam a movimentar a cabeça, o tronco e os pés, além das mãos, para tocas as castanholas no ritmo da música. Na próxima cena, vemos Leonardo na frente desse mesmo bar, em pé, enquanto uma banda tipica da regiao toca os instrumentos atrás, ele canta e dança a música, enquanto a camera corta algumas vezes para a imagem da dançarina. No meio da música, há um corte e vemos cenas de Leonardo cantando na festa "Fallas de Valencia" até o final da música. Há cenas do cantor dançando, cantando, brincando com a multidão e bebendo.

Desperado: Dirigido por Jonas Akerlund, o clipe se passa em 1986, Tommy Vercetti (Leonardo), um ex-membro leal da Família Forelli, é libertado da prisão depois de cumprir uma sentença de quinze anos. Seu ex-chefe, Sonny Forelli (Tom Sizemore), ostensivamente promove Tommy a um caporegime e o envia para Vice City para atuar como comprador do Forelli em um acordo de cocaína e também para fazer outro trabalho de campo para os Forellis. Quando Tommy e seus guarda-costas chegam em Vice City, o advogado torto Ken Rosenberg (William Fichtner) os leva em seu carro até as docas; o site do acordo. Eles são emboscados por vários homens mascarados, que matam seus guarda-costas. Tommy escapou por pouco de Ken das docas, perdendo o dinheiro dos Forelli e a cocaína no processo. Depois que Ken retorna ao seu escritório, Tommy volta para o hotel e informa Sonny, prometendo-lhe, sob a ameaça de consequências, recuperar as drogas e o dinheiro e matar quem quer que seja o responsável pela emboscada. Buscando informações, Ken aponta Tommy para Juan Garcia Cortez (Robert Davi), que ajudou a estabelecer o intercâmbio. Expressando pesar pelo assunto, Cortez promete ajudar Tommy a descobrir quem planejou a trama da emboscada. No processo de encontrar pistas, Tommy conhece Kent Paul (Danny Dyer), que leva Tommy a um dos participantes da emboscada. Tommy então trabalha para Ricardo Diaz (Luis Guzmán), que o contrata como proteção. Cortez logo manifesta sua suspeita de que Diaz possa ter organizado a emboscada. Com a ajuda de Lance Vance (Philip Michael Thomas), cujo irmão morreu na emboscada, Tommy mata Diaz; Como resultado, Tommy e Lance tornaram-se chefões do tráfico de Vice City, permitindo que Tommy criasse sua própria organização e se distanciasse da família Forelli. Tommy também trabalha com o líder da gangue cubana Umberto Robina (Danny Trejo) em sua luta contra os haitianos. Depois de destruir a fábrica de remédios dos haitianos, Umberto torna-se sócio de Tommy no tráfico de drogas. Tommy também ganha o respeito e a amizade de Mitch Baker (Lee Majors), líder de uma gangue de motoqueiros, cujos motociclistas trabalham ao lado dos cubanos para se tornarem protetores dos negócios da família Vercetti. Tommy também expande seu império comprando ativos em empresas quase falidas e transformando-as em empresas competitivas. Eventualmente, Sonny descobre que Tommy ganhou controle total sobre o tráfico de drogas de Vice City sem cortar a família Forelli. Enfurecido por Tommy ter se tornado independente e estar apressando-o, Sonny manda membros do alto escalão buscar dinheiro dos ativos de Tommy. Tommy rapidamente descarta e decide cortar seus laços com a família Forelli. Sonny chega a sua propriedade com um pequeno exército de mafiosos e exige seu tributo à máfia sob a ameaça da força. Como Tommy tenta dar o tributo em dinheiro falso, Sonny revela que ele estabeleceu Tommy quinze anos antes, resultando em sua sentença de prisão. Lance também revela sua parceria com Sonny, admitindo ter informado Sonny sobre as atividades de Tommy em Vice City. Irritado com essa traição, Tommy persegue e ridiculariza Lance antes de matá-lo por sua traição. Indo através de sua propriedade, a batalha de armas eventualmente culmina em Tommy matando Sonny e seu exército remanescente de uma vez por todas. Quando Ken chega, ele fica chocado e preocupado com os acontecimentos, mas Tommy garante a ele que está tudo bem; tendo finalmente se estabelecido como o chefão indiscutível do crime de Vice City.

JFK: Dirigido por Jonas Akerlund, começa com Teyana Taylor como Marilyn Monroe em uma reencenação da performance de Monroe em 1962 de "Happy Birthday, Mr. President". O restante do vídeo mostra Del Rey como Jacqueline Kennedy e o afro-americano Leonardo como John F. Kennedy em reencenações de vídeos caseiros. O vídeo termina com uma reconstituição do infame filme Zapruder mostrando o assassinato de Kennedy e Teyana lendo um monólogo como Onassis sobre ela e o relacionamento inter-racial de Kennedy.

212: O clipe foi dirigido por um fã de Leonardo que ele conheceu pelo twitter chamado Antonio, que fazia parte de uma das universidades publicas destinadas ao publico afro americano. O clipe é um dos mais simples da discografia do cantor e consiste no rapper cantando na frente de um muro de tijolos com um moletom do Mickey Mouse.

Wallace: O clipe foi dirigido por Jonas Akerlund e segue como que uma “continuação de Desperado”. Em 1992, Carl "CJ" Johnson, um ex-gangster da Grove Street Families, com sede em Los Santos, volta para casa em Los Angeles, depois de saber do assassinato de sua mãe em um tiroteio. Após sua chegada, CJ é interceptado por um grupo de policiais corruptos liderados por Frank Tenpenny. Tenpenny coage CJ a trabalhar para ele, ameaçando enquadrar CJ pelo assassinato de um oficial de Assuntos Internos (a quem está fortemente implícito que Tenpenny se matou). Com Grove Street mais forte do que nunca, Sweet planeja emboscar um grande grupo de Ballas e acabar com a guerra. No entanto, antes de CJ poder chegar à luta, ele recebe uma ligação de Cesar para se encontrar em outro lugar. Cesar mostra a CJ uma cena chocante: Big Smoke, Ryder, Tenpenny e os Ballas trabalhando juntos para esconder o carro usado no tiroteio que matou a mãe de CJ. Big Smoke e Ryder organizaram o tiroteio e estavam trabalhando com Tenpenny e os Ballas para vender a Grove Street. CJ corre para avisar Sweet, mas quando chegou, Sweet já estava gravemente ferido pela contra-emboscada dos Ballas. Tenpenny aparece e prende os dois. Com a liderança da Grove Street decapitada, Big Smoke e Ryder declaram abertamente sua aliança com os Ballas. Eles tomam conta de Los Santos e inundam suas ruas com drogas, e com Tenpenny protegendo-os da interferência da polícia, eles parecem incontroláveis. No entanto, Tenpenny decide tirar mais proveito do CJ. Em vez de jogar CJ na prisão, Tenpenny o leva para o interior do país, perto de Los Santos, e ameaça organizar a morte de Sweet na prisão, se CJ não cooperar. Exilado no campo, a CJ é forçada a realizar favores para C.R.A.S.H, sob ameaça de Sweet ser transferida para um bloco de células onde as afiliadas da Ballas estão alojadas. Ele também trabalha com a prima de Cesar, Catalina, para ganhar dinheiro realizando vários assaltos na área. Ele também faz amizade com um hippie chamado The Truth e um líder cego tríade chinês-americano chamado Wu Zi Mu. Depois de ganhar a ação para uma garagem em San Fierro em uma corrida contra Catalina e seu novo namorado, CJ vai lá com The Truth, Cesar e Kendl para começar a trabalhar para que eles possam ganhar a vida. Enquanto em San Fierro, CJ cruza caminhos com o Loco Syndicate, Big Smoke e conexão de drogas da Ryder. CJ se infiltra na organização e identifica seu líder, Mike Toreno. CJ mata Ryder e os outros líderes do Sindicato Loco, Jizzy B e T-Bone Mendez, e atira no helicóptero de Toreno. CJ então destrói a fábrica de drogas do Sindicato. Logo depois, CJ é chamado por um homem desconhecido usando uma voz distorcida digitalmente e encoraja CJ a encontrá-lo em um rancho no deserto. Lá, CJ encontra Mike Toreno vivo, revelando Toreno como o chamador. Toreno revela que ele é na verdade um agente secreto do governo que espia operações criminosas e pede a ajuda de CJ em várias operações suspeitas em troca da liberdade de Sweet. Enquanto isso, CJ viaja para Las Venturas, onde Wu Zi Mu o convida a se tornar um parceiro no Four Dragons Casino, onde a organização enfrenta problemas das famílias que controlam a cidade. Buscando arrancar o controle de Venturas deles, CJ ajuda Wu Zi Mu a traçar um assalto ao cassino da máfia e ganha a confiança da máfia através de vários trabalhos para o chefe da máfia, Salvatore Leone. Eventualmente, o assalto é realizado com sucesso, ganhando a Tríade um lugar de poder em Las Venturas, apesar de causar a multidão a detestar CJ. CJ também encontra o rapper Madd Dogg, de quem ele roubou um livro de rimas para ajudar o rapper OG Loc a se tornar um nome no ramo. Depois de resgatar Madd Dogg de uma tentativa de suicídio, ele pede a CJ para ser seu gerente, uma vez que ele retorna da reabilitação. Tenpenny, temendo que sua prisão seja inevitável, tarefas de Pulaski com matar CJ e Hernandez, que Tenpenny descobriu estavam informando sobre eles para Assuntos Internos. Enquanto Pulaski obriga CJ a cavar seu próprio túmulo, Hernandez, gravemente ferido após ser atingido na cabeça com uma pá, consegue atacar Pulaski, levando à sua morte. Pulaski tenta escapar, mas CJ o mata. Madd Dogg retorna da reabilitação, fazendo com que CJ retorne a Los Santos para retomar sua carreira musical. Toreno entra em contato com CJ por um último favor, e finalmente Sweet é libertado da prisão. Agora rico e bem sucedido, CJ tenta cortar Sweet em seus negócios, mas Sweet fica irritado porque ele fugiu e deixou sua casa ser tomada por membros de gangues rivais e traficantes de drogas para fazer sua fortuna. Enquanto CJ ajuda Sweet mais uma vez a matar as gangues rivais, Tenpenny é preso e julgado por crimes que ele foi acusado, mas as acusações são retiradas devido à falta de provas, provocando uma revolta em toda a cidade. CJ ajuda César a recuperar o controle do bairro e também a reconquistar território para sua gangue, de modo a ter poder suficiente para obter conhecimento do paradeiro da Grande Fumaça. Sweet logo descobre que Big Smoke está escondido em uma cova fortificada na cidade, e ele e CJ vão lá para enfrentá-lo. CJ entra no prédio sozinho, lutando até o último andar e confrontando a Smoke. CJ tenta argumentar com o Big Smoke, mas o último envolve CJ em um tiroteio. CJ derrota-lo e Big Smoke confessa que ele traiu o GSF, a fim de ganhar mais poder e dinheiro, e morre pouco depois de seus ferimentos. Nesse momento, Tenpenny aparece, segura CJ com uma arma e rouba o dinheiro da Big Smoke, com a intenção de usá-lo para deixar a cidade. Tenpenny escapa e CJ e Sweet o perseguem. Durante a perseguição, Tenpenny perde o controle de um caminhão de bombeiros que estava usando como veículo de fuga, saindo da ponte sobre a rua sem saída Grove Street e batendo na entrada do mesmo. CJ e seus amigos assistem a um ferido fatalmente. Tenpenny rasteja dos destroços e morre. No rescaldo, a família e os amigos de CJ chegam à casa de Johnson para uma reunião. Madd Dogg anuncia seu primeiro disco de ouro. Enquanto seus amigos e aliados celebram seu sucesso, CJ vira-se para sair.

Heavy Metal and Reflective: Dirigido por Jonas Akerlund e Leonardo, o clipe começa com Leonardo sendo visto em pé sob o sol, ostentando um macacão preto adornado com chamas no peito e combinando chamas 3D na manga. Além disso, no video, Leonardo escapa de ser seqüestrado e deixado no deserto, antes de liderar uma gangue de motociclistas pelo terreno, se armando com pit bulls.

BBD: O clipe se abre em uma cela com Corey Holcomb e depois retorna a uma noite selvagem em um complexo de apartamentos - de strippers, a drogas, altercações e esquetes. Leonardo aparece pela primeira vez em seu quarto moendo com uma garota enquanto suas amigas vêem tudo na câmera. Ele então trava o palco em um show de talentos e executa “Hit the Quan” ao lado de Terry Crews. Enquanto isso, Isaiah Rashad fica amarrado e seduzido em seu quarto, e a SZA encontra Leonardo atravessando a parede de seu apartamento. No final da noite, a polícia vem chamando e o personagem de Holcomb é preso. O vídeo termina com a frase “continua…”

Ice Princess: O vídeo começa com Leonardo vestido como o papa de uma vez, a cena então mostra Leonardo em preto sobre uma mesa de dinheiro, “ignorantemente” atirando cargas de notas de um canhão em dinheiro. Ele também apresenta uma reconstituição da pintura do século XV de Leonardo da Vinci, A Última Ceia. Leonardo senta-se na cadeira de Jesus enquanto seus discípulos “desaprovadamente” devoram vinho e pão. Ele também é visto dando tacadas em cima de um carro, passando mostarda entre carros imitando um comercial de Grey Poupon e em certo ponto o topo de sua cabeça está em chamas. O rapper Jay Rock, da TDE, e o produtor Sounwave aparecem no vídeo ao lado de outros membros da TDE.

Yung Rapunxel: As filmagens para o videoclipe começaram em 22 de fevereiro de 2013 e continuaram em março. O videoclipe oficial foi lançado em 16 de abril de 2013. O vídeo foi criado pelo artista visual Jam Sutton. O vídeo caracteriza uma configuração na maior parte preto-e-branco, incluindo a polícia que funciona através da névoa, corujas com olhos amarelos e vermelhos que voam no movimento suspendido, bancos que montam um touro mecânico, rotação Yin & Yang símbolo, uma mão sem corpo com um olho incorporado na palma da mão flutuando no ar e bancos com bocas para os olhos.

Soda: O clipe foi filmado no “Painted Desert” nos Estados Unidos e dirigido por Paul Thomas Anderson. O video é extremamente conceitual e começa com longos cortes mostrando as paisagens do deserto por mais de um minuto. Em seguida a música começa e acompanhamos a camera correndo pelo deserto até chegar em Leonardo, que veste uma roupa toda dourada e está descalço. O cantor canta e dança freneticamente do começo ao final da música. O clipe alterna o tempo todo entre cenas do deserto e de Leonardo dançando e cantando.

Chasing Time: O vídeo foi produzido por Nina Dluhy-Miller e dirigido por Marc Klasfeld. John Walker, da MTV, comparou o vídeo aos vídeos com temas de ficção científica, “os visuais em preto e branco são tão elegantes e futurísticos quanto alguns dos grandes nomes dos videoclipes de ficção científica” comparando o vídeo ao visual de músicas como “No Scrubs "por TLC e” Scream “de Michael e Janet Jackson. Tanto Tom Breihan para o Stereogum quanto Melissa Locker para a Time comentaram sobre a obscenidade do vídeo, ambos alegando que o vídeo era apenas seguro para o trabalho. Melissa Locker, da Time, também chamou o clipe de "clipe belamente minimalista”, comentando sobre a semelhança de Banks com Lil ‘Kim em uma cena do clipe. Elias Leight, da Billboard, também comparou Banks a estrelas do passado, vendo três semelhanças distintas. Ele escreve: “seus conjuntos chamam a atenção para três atos dos anos 90: Missy Elliott (quando Banks e seus dançarinos usam roupas de alta costura), Lil 'Kim (em seu famoso olhar de mamilo-pastoso no VMA de 1999) e TLC 'Sem Scrubs’ revelando trajes espaciais) ”.

Luxury: O filme capturou um enredo enigmático: uma mulher rica, desconhecida, apronta-se em seu luxuoso apartamento, veste-se de roupas e bolsa em seus braços, despede-se de seu parceiro e entra em um elevador pouco iluminado. Quando isso ocorre, Leonardo, usando maquiagem escura, vai até o complexo de apartamentos à noite. Ela abre a mala do carro e pega uma mala grande. Lutando com a mala, ela também entra no elevador. Em uma cena, as portas do elevador se fecham sobre as duas mulheres em pé. No seguinte, as portas se abrem e Rihanna se depara, sozinha, exceto por sua pesada mala. O vídeo começa com as pernas de uma mulher espreitando para fora de uma caixa enorme. Em seguida, o vídeo muda para uma mulher elegante (interpretada pela modelo canadense Rachel Roberts) que está se preparando para sair para a noite, enquanto Leonardo, vestida com roupas punk-rochosas e maquiagem escura puxa para cima em uma calçada arrastando uma mala com dela. A mulher sai de seu apartamento com seu cachorro e se aproxima do elevador com Rihanna dentro. A porta do elevador se fecha e a música começa. O resto do vídeo é Rihanna e suas amigas, interpretadas pela modelo espanhola Sita Abellán e modelo de instagram-cast, Sanam, torturando, intoxicando e tirando sarro da mulher. No final do vídeo, foi revelado que a mulher era na verdade a esposa do contador de trapaça de Leonardo (interpretado por Mads Mikkelsen). Podemos ver que ele usou seu cartão de crédito para gastar dinheiro em festas e festas. A próxima cena mostra Leonardo e seus dois amigos voltando para o apartamento junto com a esposa de volta na mala. Leonardo, em seguida, pega uma faca de sua coleção de armas e se aproxima lentamente do contador sem camisa e amarrado. Depois que a música desaparece, o vídeo nos leva de volta à primeira cena, onde podemos ver as pernas espreitando fora de uma caixa grande. O vídeo dá um zoom na caixa e podemos ver que era Leonardo coberta de sangue, deitada na caixa cheia de dinheiro, casualmente fumando um cigarro. Imediatamente depois, as iniciais da faixa (Luxury) piscam na tela antes de revelar um close-up do rosto sangrento de Leonardo acompanhado por sons ambientes tensos.

Nude Beach a Go-Go: Dirigido por Ousmane Sembène, o clipe é ambientado em uma aldeia colorida de Burkina Faso, repleta de cupinzeiros, e uma mesquita feita de barro que se assemelha a um gigantesco ouriço. A aldeia é um símbolo da África verde, uma cápsula do tempo que, no entanto, não está imune às influências do mundo exterior e "moderno”. Collé é a segunda das três esposas do marido. Ela é a mais inteligente, bem-humorada, charmosa e também mais amada pelo marido, que é retratado como um homem temperado e iluminado. Sua filha em idade de casar, Amasatou, ficou noiva, embora não tenha passado por um corte genital feminino, considerado um pré-requisito para o casamento na tradição local. Collé se opõe a essa prática. Isso levou os anciãos da aldeia, tanto mulheres quanto homens, a desprezar a filha. Amasatou pede incessantemente que seus órgãos genitais sejam cortados para garantir seu status social e a aceitação do casamento, mas Collé permanece indiferente. Ela está disposta a proteger não só a filha do genital que ameaça a vida, mas também quatro meninas que se juntam a ela para recusar a prática. Collé desenha uma linha simbólica, a corda colorida Moolaadé, uma “proteção mágica”, do outro lado do portão das instalações da família. Moolaadé impede que as mulheres mais velhas que realizam a prática, e que procuram as meninas, entrem na casa. No começo, a primeira esposa parece estar contra o plano de Collé de proteger as meninas. No entanto, mais tarde eles se aproximam e ela diz a Collé que ela também se opõe ao corte genital feminino. Ela temia divulgar, mas vem ajudando-a o tempo todo, sem que ninguém perceba. Enquanto enfrenta o pedido de sua filha para ser circuncidado, Collé explica que ela não quer que sua filha acabe na mesma estrada que ela viajou. Sua primeira razão é que ela tem muitos resultados indefinidos, alguns dos quais podem ser fatais. Uma razão ainda maior é que Collé teve duas gravidezes sem sucesso antes de Amasatou, o que lhe causou grande dor física e emocional e foi quase fatal. Em um flashback, há uma cena dela e do marido tendo relações sexuais, o que, claro, está causando sua dor física. Ele adormece, enquanto ela é incapaz de fazê-lo porque a relação sexual traz dor insuportável para ela, em vez de prazer. Ela continua mordendo o dedo anelar, símbolo de seu casamento, e não ousa dizer uma única palavra, mesmo quando o dedo dela sangra. De madrugada, ela ainda está acordada para lavar seu corpo, bem como o sangue dela fora do lençol. Se Collé representa mulheres africanas que despertam para resistir ao controle patriarcal, então o noivo de sua filha Ibrahima, um jovem rico, íntegro e de mente aberta que vive na França, um dos antigos colonizadores da África, que retorna representando cinematicamente a elite iluminada educada no exterior. é recebido em casa e observa a tradição bárbara de sua casa na aldeia. Seu conhecimento, dinheiro e tecnologias como a televisão são apreciados. Ele testemunha um funeral de duas menininhas, que se afogaram desesperadamente em um poço para evitar a mutilação de seus genitais. Os parentes das meninas estão tristes, mas o incidente não leva os aldeões a questionar a tradição. Ibrahima fica chocado e preocupado com esta cena que continua fermentando em sua mente. Enquanto isso, o pai de Ibrahima quer que ele renuncie ao noivado com Amasatou e se case com sua prima inocente de onze anos, que já sofreu cortes genitais femininos. Ibrahima se recusa a fazê-lo, reconhecendo tal ato como abuso infantil, e visita a casa de Amasatou apesar do que os aldeões dizem. Ele a confirma como sua noiva, independentemente de seu status “impuro” de acordo com a tradição local. O entretenimento diário mais importante das mulheres africanas, além de ficarem sentados juntos e conversando sob a sombra da árvore desfrutando do ar fresco, está curtindo o rádio que transmite notícias do mundo e da música. No entanto, os anciãos consideram este ambiente contraproducente devido a uma série de eventos recentes, como Ibrahima recusando-se a casar com a sua prima ou com a proteção do Collé dos cinco filhos (incluindo a filha). Os mais velhos pensam que Ciré Bathiliy, o marido de Collé, perdeu a capacidade de controlar sua própria esposa, então os anciãos insistem que ele a agrida com um chicote de couro na frente da aldeia para mostrar que ele ainda a controla. Os anciãos querem que ela pronuncie a palavra mágica para que possam tirar as quatro meninas de sua proteção, mas, não importa o quanto seu marido a chicoteie, ela persevera e se recusa a dar a seus algozes a satisfação de um grito ou choro. Grupos opostos de homens e mulheres gritam para ela revogar ou ser firme, mas nenhuma mulher interfere. Quando ela está à beira do colapso, um comerciante sai e pára a chicotada. O comerciante mulherengo é chamado Mercenaire por pessoas da aldeia. Ele é um veterano de guerra que se tornou um comerciante viajante depois de ser dispensado do exército depois que acusou seus superiores de corrupção. Quando ele conversa com Ibrahima, ele o acusa, seu pai e seu tio de pedofilia e de repente não está mais preocupado com o dinheiro que poderia obter do jovem rico. Ele está trazendo todo o lixo plástico para a aldeia; o lixo é brilhantemente e ousadamente colorido como os magníficos trajes que as pessoas usam na África. Ele vende suas mercadorias a preços extremamente altos. Mais tarde ele é caçado fora da aldeia e, quando fora de vista, assassinado. Durante o chicoteamento, uma das mães das quatro meninas rouba sua filha da casa de Collé e a manda cortar os genitais, embora a garotinha grite e tente resistir. A menina morre como resultado do corte e sua mãe lamenta seu apoio anterior à prática. Todas as outras mães vêem a tragédia acontecer e assim mudam de idéia e começam a se opor ao corte genital. Isso convence a Cire a revogar a proteção e devolver as crianças aos pais. Do ponto de vista dos homens, o rádio é uma má influência para as mulheres porque as ensina coisas do mundo exterior, como a ideia de igualdade ou como a excisão não é realmente necessária. Portanto, os anciãos decidem queimar os rádios que eles confiscaram anteriormente. Embora todos os rádios sejam queimados, alguns são escondidos pelas mulheres da aldeia. As mulheres estão unidas por causa da dor causada pelo corte genital. Todos eles estão de luto, todos são despertados e, quando os mais velhos retornam, são recebidos com gritos de “Não há mais corte genital!”. Colle exige que as mulheres entreguem suas facas, que ela então carrega para os anciãos, proclamando que o corte genital é agora uma coisa do passado. Depois de sua demonstração, Ibrahima se levanta para seu pai, diz que não vai ouvi-lo, e apesar de suas ameaças de deserdá-lo (o que é bastante tolo ver como Ibrahima é o provedor da família) anuncia que ele vai se casar com Amasatou ele é orgulhoso dela. O final do filme é a fumaça dos rádios em chamas, que fala tanto para falar e repressão da fala.

Miss Camaraderie: O video apresenta a atriz Zendaya liderando uma linha de mulheres negras vestidas de branco ao longo da costa. Elas se levantam, unidas, olhando para a água enquanto seguram as mãos e os erguem um por um. Esta segunda referência ao batismo é pesada nesta cena junto com mensagens de fé e amor, que são, as letras dizem, “fortes o suficiente para mover uma montanha” ou “acabar com uma seca”. Comparações também foram feitas entre as imagens de “Nude Beach” e o “Igbo Landing”, um local histórico que foi o local de um suicídio em massa pelo afogamento de pessoas Igbo que haviam sido tomadas como escravas.

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