#tried to really dig into lighting and value for this one. chat its so hard. wtf is a 3d object and light source

[koobiie]

redraw of some old art featuring my guys :3 old posts are here and here! also adding them below the cut

from 2019 -

from 2016 -

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 204

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! 06 - “King Donuts Awakens!” Date watched: 8 January 2021 Original air date: 9 March 2008 Screenshots Transformation Gallery Project info and master list of posts

mood

The character re-introduction arc reaches its epic conclusion and shows us where Rin has wound up after her moment of self-realization in the Y5 finale. It turns out, she wound up constantly tired. Relatable. Let’s dig in!

The Plot

Nozomi and Rin are on their way to Natts House to prepare for the grand re-opening. Rin is visibly very tired and confesses that she was up late the previous night.

images with sleepy auras

As they arrive at the store, they run into Syrup.... or more accurately, he runs into them, carrying an urgent letter from Milk. (Remember this, because Syrup sure doesn’t) However, just then, a brilliant light erupts from inside of Natts House, so they all rush in to see what’s happening. They find everyone gathered around a table with the Rose Pact in the middle, glowing, and then it opens up and King Donuts emerges, fully awake. Then he yells at everyone to stop staring at him.

blinded by the light...... how does that song go again?

After the opening, the gang tries to introduce themselves to King Donuts, but he assumes it’s another Eternal trap until Coco and Nuts reveal themselves. Instead of being relieved, however, he just pivots his anger onto them for being incompetent and letting him get attacked by Eternal. So yeah, not off to a great start here. While they watch the goings-on, Rin yawns, and this further annoys the already irate king. Growing frustrated, he tries to leave, but finds that there’s a barrier around the Rose Pact that’s trapping him until he fully recovers. As you may imagine, this does wonders for his good mood.

I’m not yawning because I’m bored, I’m yawning because I’m bored AND tired.

Cut to Eternal’s headquarters and a very fatigued Scorp drops a huge report on Anacondy’s desk, mentioning he hasn’t slept for six days while writing it. However, she dings him on numerous minor errors, deeming it unusable, and tells him to combine it with the previous report and redo it. Exhausted and holding a stack of paper half his height, Scorp collapses and the pages fly everywhere. I have to say, Koyasu acting tired is a fun change of pace for him.

these are the eyes of a man who has lost all hope

Back at Natts House, everyone is still trying to appease King Donuts. He insists he’s fine already but in attempting to demonstrate this, he wears himself out quickly. Karen offers him the apple she snapped a few episodes ago, but he refuses to eat it because he doesn’t trust them. The girls give up on him for now, because they need to get to work opening up the store, but they notice Rin has fallen asleep.

Nozomi advises them to just leave her be, trying to get Syrup to help them pass out fliers instead. He refuses and wants to know why they don’t wake Rin. Nozomi explains that Rin was busy all day with sports clubs, tending to the family shop, and watching her siblings, so she stayed up all night designing accessories because it was the only free time she had. (I am very familiar with this concept.) She also admits that Rin didn’t tell her this, she deduced it because she knows Rin and how she works.

With that settled, the remaining girls, as well as Coco and Nuts, get to work handing out fliers. Syrup, however, stays behind to look over Rin, because he refused to help any other way. He muses over his situation.

At that moment, Rin wakes up, and Syrup asks if she really was up all night designing jewelry. She realizes her old friend Nozomi has read her like a book. She admits to feeling guilty that she not only stayed up late working, but she couldn’t come up with any ideas, and now she’s missed out on handing out fliers as well. She feels useless (big oof) and contrasts herself with Syrup, who she says is working hard to get to the Cure Rose Garden. Syrup disagrees and insists she works way harder than him. At this point, King Donuts, who has been listening in, interjects and commends Rin for being critical and analytical of herself, saying it’s the key to self growth. I feel like there’s a missing line in here about not slipping too far into self-doubt, but regardless, Rin remembers she’s supposed to be at futsal practice and runs off before the end of the King’s speech.

“Gah!” - Natsuki Rin, 2008

After she’s gone, the king and Syrup discuss how hardworking she is, along with the other girls. Also there’s a gag where King Donuts didn’t recognize Syrup until he turned back into his fairy form which further establishes that Syrup has a bit of a negative reputation far and wide.

Meanwhile, at the practice field, Rin isn’t doing a whole lot better at futsal than she was at jewelry design. As a result of staying up late, she’s still tired, so she’s missing passes or overshooting goals. She even accidentally kicks the ball over the fence and into the woods, so she goes to retrieve it while yawning some more.

It’s here that she is confronted by an equally sleepy Scorp, who asks her to hand over the Rose Pact so he won’t have to write up his report, and he can sleep. It’s kind of pathetic, kind of comical.

Scorp turns the futsal ball into a hoshiina, so Rin transforms as well. Syrup swoops in to save her from Scorp but drops the Rose Pact, so King Donuts tries to talk down the villain. However, Scorp is undeterred and even sees more value in having one of the monarchs inside the Rose Pact. The other girls show up and transform, temporarily distracting Scorp (as well as the king, who is surprised that they’re the legendary warriors) but he then continues his advance until Rouge punches him away. Then she hears Lemonade screaming as the Hoshiina tries to fling her off, so Rouge rushes in to kick it and rescue her friend. Scorp once again tries to capture the Rose Pact, so Rouge separates from the team again to protect the fairies, but Scorp captures her instead and taunts her about trying too hard to do too much by herself and says she’ll only ever be halfway finished. This hits Rin at her core and she is unable to resist an attack from the Hoshiina, but at the last moment her teammates jump in front of her to defend her. They remind her that she’s not alone, they’re there to help her, and then Dream gives an inspiring speech about how Rin always challenges her situation and works harder than others, so they’ll always support her. Scorp is unimpressed, but Dream rushes him with a Shooting Star. Feeling newly motivated, Rin also performs her new finisher on the Hoshiina: Fire Strike! She summons a fireball at her feet and then kicks it into the monster, which of course dissolves back into a normal futsal ball. Scorp flees, muttering about how he’ll have to include this in his report as well.

As the dust settles, King Donuts admires the Precures, and then has a seemingly random realization about the Rose Pact and the Red and Blue roses, or rather, the lack of blue rose. In case you had forgotten that plot point.

the answer will surprise you

Back at Natts House, King Donuts opens up a bit more to the girls and they chat back. However, he quickly reiterates that he doesn’t acknowledge Coco and Nuts as rulers yet. When they ask Syrup to help them with the shop, he reminds them that he’s only here to deliver a letter from Milk, and he finally hands it over to Coco. (took him long enough) It turns out the letter says there’s an emergency in Palmier Kingdom and everyone needs to come there quickly! They want to go but aren’t certain how.... until they remember Syrup has the convenient ability to travel between worlds. He initially refuses, but King Donuts cleverly appeals to both his pride and his kind-heartedness, causing him to think about the conviction all the girls have shown in their solo outings thus far, and he agrees to take them. So just as quickly as it opened, Natts House is closed again and the gang boards Syrup to fly to the Palmier Kingdom. As they rise into the air, they soar forwards into a watercolor warphole, surrounded by floating  lights. They fade to white and the credits start.

The Analysis

Something I truly appreciate about this episode is that it picks up from the first series finale, and shows that Rin hasn’t magically become a top tier accessory designer, she still has moments of artist’s block, and she really struggles with just finding time to create, which impacts her social responsibilities. (sounds familiar) Rin’s struggle is a recurring theme, and I'm always glad that unlike certain later shows, they don’t glamorize her sacrificing sleep, they just portray it as something people sometimes do even if it’s not in their best interests. Contrast with that episode of Go Princess, you know the one. It’s a straightforward cause and effect: Rin stays up late designing, so she’s tired the next day, and that influences her interactions.

It has some positive responses, such as getting King Donuts to recognize how hardworking she is and swaying his opinion on the girls; and some negative impacts, like kicking the futsal ball too hard and over the fence. With all that said, I must once again remind you all not to sacrifice your well-being for your goals, even if I’m bad at following my own advice.

King Donuts (or Doughnuts if you prefer) is an interesting character. At first he’s paranoid that he’s in another Nightmare trap, but as he grows to accept his circumstances he warms up a bit, especially when he hears about how hard Rin is working. He remains critical of Coco and Nuts, understandably so, since their negligence led to him being attacked previously. However, he doesn’t dislike them, he is sharp-tongued because he wants to make them better kings. Physically he resembles a diminutive dragon. It’s not the most apparent visual but when all four Rulers are together the pattern begins to become obvious. More on that ~eventually~.

although they’re all in the OP so, ya know, clues

A secondary theme throughout this arc has been to show Syrup starting to acclimate to the girls and begin appreciating their hard work and way of doing things. He’s still stubborn and wants to do his own thing, but it takes less arm twisting to get him to go along with the girls’ requests. Usually. As he admits to King Donuts, he respects their work ethic and their devotion to the causes they love. He entered the picture as a loner delivery boy who just wanted to do his job, but getting roped in with the Precures’ misadventures has opened his eyes somewhat. He’s going to be fun to watch as the show continues. However, he has a reputation, as we’ve seen. We don’t know exactly what the details are but several characters seem to have a low opinion of him, and we’ll find out more about that in coming episodes.

The fight in this episode is interesting in how..... not interesting it is. It kind of fools you into thinking more is happening than actually is. There’s a lot of talking and not as much action as you would expect. The Cures and Scorp or the Hoshiina will exchange a few blows and get thrown around, then one of them starts lecturing the other side about their beliefs. Sure, all Precure shows have elements of this, I can remember a few other fights that were more talk than combat, but it seems particularly egregious this episode. I do like how Scorp’s mocking has an effect on Rouge though. She’s already feeling really unaccomplished and then he goes and tells her she’s useless without her friends. It starts to weigh on her heart, but her friends quickly step in and say hey, we love Rin, she has us to support her, it’s okay if she can’t do it all by herself. As a result of this quick pep talk, she unleashes Fire Strike, her new finisher, and boy does THAT shine. It’s the first soccer-themed Precure attack in the series, and more will follow in subsequent years.

Compared to some of the other finishers, Fire Strike is more straightforward. Rouge creates a ball of fire and kicks it directly into the Hoshiina. It’s less over the top than her teammates attacks (flying into the enemy, twin whips, flying discs, or an arrow made of water) but the animators manage to punch it up a bit with some suitably dramatic effects that sell how fast, hard, and powerful this kick is. Also I have to say, the shot of Rouge bringing her leg all the way back to ready the kick is really cool.

Her leg is cocked and extends past her head. If you’ve ever tried this you know it’s hard, so even if you can make a drawing do anything, it still looks impressive, and the next shot where she’s kicked it is gorgeous. The flame walls, the way she’s lifted slightly off the ground, the way the ball is warped, all convey a sense of power and motion. Yeah, she’s just kicking it straight ahead, but you get the sense she could kick it through a brick wall.

I do have to say, on the negative side, the framing device of the episode feels a little forced. If this letter from Milk was so important, Syrup probably should have pushed it on the girls a little sooner. Maybe just dropped it off with Nozomi when he first met her in the morning. They still could have seen King Donuts awakening but they would have made moves to go straight to the Palmier Kingdom instead of doing all that work advertising and opening the shop only to have to close it again right away, and skipping Rin’s moral quandary. Since those are at the root of the episode, it might be hard to cut them, so alternatively, to keep them, the episode could have been written such that Syrup could have received the letter at the end, so he wasn’t holding onto such an important and urgent letter all episode long. It’s the little things. And on that topic, I find the third act (fourth act?) after the fight to be a little too goofy. Syrup finally hands over the letter, then they all hem and haw about how they’re going to get to Palmier Kingdom and they beg and plead Syrup to do it until he finally agrees. The only truly funny part to me is Nuts lamenting that he has to close Natts House after he just opened it.

Also there’s this ending sequence.

This is the single worst thing I have ever made in the name of this project.

It’s overall a well-thought out episode and it smartly moves between story elements, smoothly concluding the character reintroductions and setting up the Blue Rose arc that follows. I appreciate how seemingly unconnected events flow into each other and they lead to the King seeing that the girls are legitimately good people. It’s probably the most cohesive episode of this arc, although I still think the character reintroductions peaked with Urara’s. The others have been good in different ways, but there’s a deeper bit of heartfelt emotion that episodes 2, 3, 5, and 6 just haven’t been able to match.

Next time, Milk’s emergency turns out to be largely imagined, and we meet a new villain. Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 1 kettei!

[jesangel1503]

30 Day Challenge:Day 3 Topic

LET´S TALK ABOUT FRIENDSHIP

I can see this is a quite interesting but a bit sensitive topic for me. I just needed a time off to clear my mind so I can be able to cogitate on this familiar topic for everyone.

Let´s go straight to some few facts about friendship? Where did this word even came from?

So I browsed in and found out that friendship is a word of Germanic origin has existed in the English language since its founding in Old English. Back then, ‘friend’ existed as ‘frond’ which was the present participle of the verb fron, ‘to love’. The root of the verb was ‘fr-’ which meant ‘to like, love, or be affectionate to’. We can still see the remnants of this verb every day of the week- Friday or ‘day of Frigg’ is devoted to the Germanic goddess of love Frigg.

Source: whitesmoke.com

So much for it´s root word, let´s do some more researching. Many famous people have shared their thoughts about what friendship is for them. Now, maybe we can get some friendspiration from them!

Helen Keller

"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light."

J.K. Rowling

"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."

Abraham Lincoln

"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

Eleanor Roosevelt

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart"

Bob Marley

“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for”

William Shakespeare

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”

Jennifer Lawrence

‘‘No matter how tired I am, I get dinner at least once a week with my girlfriends. Or have a sleepover. Otherwise my life is just all work.”

Marilyn Monroe

“Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship.”

Drew Barrymore

“What’s helped me is having really good friends I know I can rely on. Cameron Diaz is one of the greatest friends anyone can ever have. She has so much love to give.”

Selena Gomez

“Every single problem I ever have is healable by Taylor Swift. If I ever I have an issue, Taylor has gone through it – she gives the most thought-out answers. And what I love about Taylor is that she does believe in the whole love story and Prince Charming and soul mates. Because of her, I haven’t lost faith.”

Emma Watson

“My two best girlfriends are from secondary school. I don’t have to explain anything to them. I don’t have to apologise for anything. They know.”

Jennifer Aniston

“We come from homes far from perfect, so you end up almost parent and sibling to your friends – your own chosen family. There’s nothing like a really loyal, dependable, good friend. Nothing.”

Oprah Winfrey

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”

Ariana Grande

“The best part about having true friends is that you can go months without seeing them and they’ll still be there for you and act as if you’d never left!.”

Whew, they are really inspiring isn´t it? But lemme give you bits of how I view and value friendship. So I´d like to answer some of these challenging questions I have found and that maybe can help me dig in to what´s really coming to my mind about this topic. As you read along, you are free to answer on your own and find out? Well, this is a writing therapy for me. I thought it might be nice to put my thoughts into writing and share it with you ( Well, only if you are interested to do so) But yes, this is entirely my thoughts. Some of you might disagree about my answers and what I have been writing in this little writing space of mine, but I don´t really care! As I have said, this is my therapy. If you judge me based on my thoughts, it´s totally on you and if that amuses you, well IT WILL BE MY PLEASURE :)

QUESTIONS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP

Can you describe one of your closest friends.

It´s so hard to choose which one of them that I particularly should talk about. All of them are special to me in their unique ways. But let me describe you one of my bestfriends, whom I met when I was an aupair in the first town I lived in here in Denmark. It´s funny though because this friend of mine, came to me by fate and the first time we met, we just click, you know. Like she´s that angel from heaven, who´ve brought me and would bribed me with food to keep me from not ditching school, because for her, it would be boring without me, and that she’d prefer me than the other filipino ones at the school. She would just call me and say, “Hey, wake up and get dressed. We´re off to school,and ahh uh don´t even say a word because I am already here, parked outside your house waiting for you. And, I´ve brought us Dinuguan and Pancit for lunch! Hurry!”.. So hard to refuse right? Oh yes, she is that kind. There are no other negative feeling around her, around us everytime we were together. We got along well so fast even at the very first day we´ve met. Since then, we hang out a lot. Sometimes cutting classes and going off to the second hand shop in town together or hit the mall, or just eat out in our favorite eat all you can Asian Restaurant. It´s just pure and honest friendship. I could sense she feels the same way too. It was never hard to be myself when I am with her. You know that feeling where you can´t feel any insecurities at all and you don´t feel that you are judged whenever you are sharing sensitive moments with her. I could say that is one of those few and rare friendship I have that I truly treasure the most. 

Do you have any childhood friendships that are still strong today? Tell us about them.

I have a childhood bestfriend, and we have shared plenty of childhood memories together. I have been born in a family with no sisters so she is like a sister to me. Back then, she was living with her family in a house just a few walks from our house. I always spend time with her at their place when my parents were not home from work and she would come for a sleepover at our house during some of the weekends.. During my trip home last 2017, we were able to spend time together for a week. And still it´s as if things between us haven´t changed at all. She is still that friend who turned into family, and we assured each other that we we´re still gonna have each other´s back no matter what. Up until now, we´re still able to catch up, though I could say only through online. We both think we´re okay with the LDR thing. Haha! 

Do you have any long distance friends?

I have, in fact, so many of them! As I reside now in Denmark, so the only communication we have is the internet. The first one I talked about she lives in the UK and my childhood friend lives in the Philippines. Most of my other closest friends are residing in the Philippines, UK, US, Australia, Canada, Japan and a few ones in the Middle East.  

Do you think it is a good idea to borrow money from a friend? Why or why not?

This is a quite sensitive topic for me. But I do have views regarding friends and money matters. You know, in my entire life, I have tried to avoid situations involving friendship and money. I just don´t. I mean, I cherish people so much, and to ruin a relationship and lose a cherished friend because of money issues is a bit awful for me. I’d rather NOT. Just NO. 🙏🏻

Do you make friends easily?

I can make friends easily. And I do have a loud mouth. I am so excited to meet new people and talk with random people on the street and just smile and say hi. For me, it´s a bit of heartwarming when people comes to you, say hi, talk to you and get excited to know you. So I often think people would also want that. But given the fact that many people are too reserved, I also know my boundaries. It´s only when I feel like people would also wanna chat. I mean, like saying hi to the old lady beside me in a bus full of busy people. It could be lonely to be old, I think. Not many people are interested in talking to them. A few old people I met and talked with, they were all excited and thrilled to talked with me about their day, about their lives and jobs before and what life meant for them. For me, they have seen a lot and experienced a lot from all those years living in this world. It´s just compelling to learn from them! 

Has a friend ever let you down?

I have experienced it many times. But based from it, I always try my best to understand them and listen to them more. Humans as we are, we often make mistakes. And that includes letting a friend down. May it be a small or a big deal, but friends that are meant to last, are the friends, who still thinks of how to mend things up than to make things worst. So a friend´s apology and forgiveness is always the best ingredients to make things last.

If the trust was broken, and there is no way you can bring back what you both have had before. I just let go and pray for them. In life you will learn who you should trust and it´s always gonna be the ones who will still be there for you despite the odds. You will learn a lot by gaining and losing friends. 

Have you made any friends over the Internet?

I do have a plenty of them, with a few true ones though. But I do treat them as rare jewels that have helped me with my sanity being away from my family. I find it peculiar at first, but I have developed such strong bonds online, to take note that we haven´t even met yet! How cool is that!? Knowing and learning from a person you never met, sharing various experiences, thoughts, opinions are quite an overwhelming experience. When you get to know someone online, whom you can confide feelings to especially the things you can never share with anyone from your family or friends personally, was such a great help for me. During my first few months in Denmark, I have suffered a lot from a breakup plus the difficult adjustment phase I was going through by then. Living in a foreign country was quite a challenge for me. Even though I have my cousins and some few friends, but it was not enough by then. Because at the end of a tiring day, alone in a room, it was nice and comforting to have some people online, listening to your rants and cheering you up and helping you get your mind off the negativity and mind bugging thoughts and worries. I could say they are the ones I´d like to keep and hoping I can personally meet some of them someday too!

How do you maintain a good friendship?

I always make time to let them know that I still think and care about them. And of course, to never ever forget each of their special occassions!

How many people do you consider your "best friends?"

4 bestfriends; One is a bestfriend from my childhood years, one bestfriend from highschool, another one from college, one bestfriend whom I met in Denmark. 4 online bestfriends, one of which I already met. 

What is a best friend?

For me, a best friend is a special connection between 2 people, where there is mutual understanding of each other, where there is a bond of trust, openness, willingness to care and look out for one another, despite the distance and circumstances. Where two people feel there is no need pretending, where they can both be themselves when they are together and where two people thinks of each other as their own PERSON to run to, and be comfortable with.

What is the longest friendship that you have had?

My childhood friend; we have been friends since we were so little. So maybe that´s what you call a friend for a lifetime. 

What qualities do you think are important in a friend?

When you don´t get judged by the person and when they don´t talk negative things behind you and without you knowing.

What things should friends never do?

For me, I don´t like to compare myself with my friends. They have their own skills, talents, and own beautiful and unique lives. So maybe that is what a friend should watch out for. Insecurity and jealousy are both destructive in so many ways. Just be happy for a friend´s success and achievements.

Do you think it is possible to have a best friend of the opposite sex without becoming a girlfriend or boyfriend?

Oh, I do have a lot of friends from the opposite sex. I do happen to have one really close to me, so from a certain time, we were calling ourselves bessies. But, it did not last long. We both have jealous partners by then, so to respect each others partners, we agreed to have boundaries and thus avoiding conflicts as much as possible. 

I also often get cringey whenever a male friend of mine that´s close to me, then we´ve had our bond, and then he gets a girlfriend, and i often get jealous, but not that I have feelings for the guy, but as a female friend, I just get jealous and often felt bad about lack of attention from him afterwards. So I tend to not get too close with male friends because I know it will just turn me nuts! But I am improving myself to just be understanding and to wish all the best for them! It is the best thing I could maybe offer to a close male friend of mine if ever.

Do you think it would be possible for you still be friends with an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend?

Of course, but only if all issues were resolved. So it´s totally okay and possible for me to still be friends with my exes. I mean, they were also a part of my life and we´ve shared some good memories together too! I am teaching myself not to be bitter with the past you know. It´s good not to hold grudge on anyone especially when they were once the people you cared most and loved you as well.

Do you believe your parents should be your friends?

My parents are my friends. And so as my brother. It´s been like that in my family. It always feel better when they are ones comforting you than anybody else.

What do you like best about your best friend(s)?

They are still there for me, even if they are far away, and if I see them again, it´s still gonna be the same, no insecurities, no pretendings and no negativity. 

What are some ways your best friend has influenced your life in a positive way?

One of my bestfriend´s view about God inspired me the most. We have the same thoughts and often go late to sleep talking about a lot of stuff about life and religion. That means a lot to me.

What do you do when you have a misunderstanding with your friend?

If it was my fault, I often offer an apology. And if it´s the other way around, I always show that I can listen and try my best to understand their reason and forgive if necessary.

What type of people do you get along with best?

I don´t prefer any types actually. I just sync in with them. I think when people are meant to have a lasting impression on you, they just do. Because I think the universe conspires the people whom you will meet. Some will come and stay, some will just go and maybe leave something for you to learn. So for me, I just blend in when someone comes along and get on with the flow. I always follow the positivity flow. If i can sense a negative vibe, I tend to not fully entrust myself. Though I give many chances to people, for I always believe that sometimes the people I met and how they are, if they mean or like that negative, is because of what they have been going through in life. May it be a bad experience or a childhood trauma. We should always shed light to these people and give room for them to be understood.

What quality do you admire most in people and which one do you find the most objectionable?

If I happen to met someone who´s mind is just as beautiful as their face or personality, and then it´s just natural for us to have a good conversation in a way that´s not awkward and trying hard. Then it´s my type of person..  I don´t care if we have different views, I am bound to respect all of them. It´s just when a person knows how to choose the right words and right thoughts in that certain moment, then I am going to be rooting for that person. 

Tbh, I don´t fancy people who praises themselves a lot and think that they are always right all the time. And also, even when in an argument, no matter how big or small the issue, it´s always the tone of voice that matters to me the most.  How you say something affects what you say.  

Is getting along with others a natural ability from birth or does it have to be learnt?

For me, getting along with others is a continuing learning process. I mean up to now, I am still learning and developing my skills every day because I love to keep people who are worth keeping. And I believe there is no such skill that one can be born with a natural talent for getting along with others. It must also first be taught at home. The family is the necessary factor to develop one´s values of friendship and we will just continue to learn more and hone it as we venture out into the big world.

How important is forgiveness in human relationships?

I have been taught that it is an essential thing for us to grow and be matured. Forgiving is accepting one´s offering of peace and understanding that he or she have made a mistake and is willing to make up for it. And so as asking for forgiveness. We often commit mistakes and hurt people, that´s how human we are. So it´s important to lower one´s pride and ask for forgiveness, no matter how hard it may be. Accepting one´s own mistakes is an act of maturity, and i can say it´s also not easy but it´s necessary for human´s social growth and behavioural adaptability in the society.

Do you tell your best friend everything?

It´s funny because each of my bestfriends have their own unique qualities; one is better at the whole education and knowledge thing, other one is good at the practical thing and wise things, the other one I can confide some sexual issues and other emotional things and one I can have a good conversation about God and life. So basically, I don´t tell everything to each one of them but I go to one where I need their expertise and where they can also relate from.

Where is a good place to meet a new boyfriend/girlfriend?

I don´t think there is such a good place to meet a new bf or gf. It will just come to you as if the universe worked on it so he or she will get to where you are and bump into you. You just need to be patient. And if there is no one, just be your own gf or bf. What´s important is you love yourself and happiness is from, within you. You can still be happy without someone. You just need to unleash that thought in your mind often.

So much for this friendship thing, I hope I don´t bore you too much. Well, write to me if ever you have other thoughts about what I wrote! Ciao!

[dailymolliarty]

The Mouse and the Spider by I’m Over There: Jim Moriarty gets bored. Molly Hooper gets lonely. They’re just two planets revolving around the brilliant sun that is Sherlock Holmes, drawn in by his gravity. And his light. But everybody needs distractions… 

Song as Old as Rhyme by @wherestoriescomefrom:  Hush, the wind is blowing hard. Be quiet, child, sleep soundly - Or the Dark One will steal your heart. [Beauty and the Beast AU]

Nameless by @wherestoriescomefrom: The first name was expected - even welcomed. The second, on the other hand, left much to be desired. And Jim would never understand what it was about it that was compelling. [Soulmate AU: On one hand, the name of your soulmate, on the other - your enemy. Molliarty.]

The Rose Point Manor:  A young woman struggling in an unjust society takes a break from the theatrics of pretending to be her male counterpart, Mark Hooper, and decides to relax at the quiet but foreboding Rose Point Manor. There she comes to a realization that something far more sinister lurks there than at her morgue back home - Victorian AU

We’re Ancient History:  When Molly Hooper had begun her scientific expedition, she never knew her time on the dig sites would unearth more than the dead.

Forget Me Not:  “This melancholy London - I sometimes imagine that the souls of the lost are compelled to walk through its streets perpetually. One feels them passing like a whiff of air.” What happens when two lost souls find each other? Are they still forgotten? - Amnesia!AU

Capture My Good Side: “Photography is all about secrets. The secrets we all have and will never tell.”

Deus Mortis: "You can hide from the devil, but he’ll always find you.“ - Victorian AU

Face Value: “I’m not sure how to describe this nonsense, basically Molly looks good in a moustache and Jim notices.”

Not a Body Farm: Molly really should’ve known better than to download FarmVille on a criminal mastermind’s cell phone, even if it had been a hilarious joke at the time. Since one day she wakes up in a bed in some random farm in the middle of nowhere, and the deed to the property in her name.

Oh God, Not the Westwood!:  In which timid Molly Hooper must hide a heinous crime from a man who likes to watch a murder take place while drinking his morning coffee.

Life Preserver: “Missing you comes in waves and tonight I am drowning.”

Midnight Edition: The Bittersweet: Pop-rocks can be unpredictable. In an instance, a delight to the senses, or startling painful the next - smut

The Bittersweet:  Even delicious things can be sour, at another glance.

Third Date Syndrome: Long bouts of silence and awkwardness on first dates are inevitable, and for the hundredth time Molly wished she was exempted from it.

We’ll Always Have St. Barts: “I wish I didn’t love you so much.” - Casablanca AU

Apex: Molly Hooper thinks fondly of Jim from IT, but can’t get enough of Jim Moriarty - contains smut~

The Parting Glass: After Reichenbach, Molly Hooper is drowning. She receives a package, request and tradition from a very dead Jim Moriarty. She receives nothing but burdens from a very alive Sherlock Holmes.

Rust and Stardust: “The last long lap is the hardest. I shall be dumped where the weed decays, and the rest is rust and stardust.” - Jim is a ghost, and wouldn’t it just figure that he haunts Molly Hooper.

Wild and Precious: “Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” - How Molly fell in love with a ghost, and tried not to waste her life beside him. She failed. - settled in the same universe of Rust and Stardust

Release: Written for the prompt “Jim fucking Molly so hard and so good that she can’t even get a full word out, only moans and half-uttered curses “: In which Jim surprises Molly after work - contains smut~

A Love Outside of Time: There’s a lot of strange happenings at 2945 S Willow Street, shrieks and screams and moans that have terrorized the neighbors and left the house unsold for generations. Can the great paranormal investigator, Sherlock Holmes, exorcise the spirits living there?

Gifts Given and Received: Sherlock ruined Molly’s Christmas gift and Jim is determined to make her holiday better. - ASIB AU, contains smut~

Cabernet Sauvignon: Written for the prompt “Jim’s ready to propose, but wants the event to be special, and so he hides the ring in Molly’s wine. Molly drinks it down too fast and chokes on the ring”: A fluffy slice of life, where Molly makes Jim’s life just a little less lonely.

Power Dynamic: Molly can’t help trying to control the insanity that is Jim Moriarty. A framework for his mind to lean on, a collar to hold him together, a mistress to keep him mostly sane.

Asphodel: “When you need slightly-less-than-legal magic substances, you seek out ‘Moriarty’s Special Imports and Fineries’. A new branch of Necromancy, pathologist-in-training Molly Hooper returns a set of counterfeit goods and receives a job offer in return.” - Fantasy AU

Her beast feature: “As he studied her from afar, Jim thought Molly’s best feature was her neck. He really didn’t anticipate her reaction to Sherlock beating a dead man with a riding crop.” - Molly x Jim, PWP, set at the beginning of A Study in Pink

Junior: So what’s a beleaguered pathologist to do when the UK’s Most Wanted turns up to visit her cat?

Mr Sex: Jim doesn’t ask her what she likes or what she needs; it’s not necessary. But he asks her what she wants - contains smut

Sunday Afternoon: Sleep with Molly Hooper:  Molly canceled their date at the last minute, but no one messes with Jim’s precisely organized calendar and gets away with it.

Why Don’t You Do Right?:  Seb arranges for Molly to get an extra special, early birthday present. Jim gets to learn something new about Molly. And Molly discovers one of Jim’s deepest secrets.

Club Calavera: Downing five zombies doesn’t give Jim the liquid courage he needs to ask Molly a very important question. It only makes him forget that he and Molly are already together.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy Boy: Jim’s never had a good birthday. Molly’s determined to buck the trend. - contains smut

It’s A Nice Day For a [White Wedding]: The wedding of James Moriarty to Molly Hooper can be nothing less than a momentous occasion. In his speech, their best man recounts some of the juicier bits of Jim and Molly’s journey into matrimony.

Cold War: She had to admit Jim was creative. Who else would think to kill three ice cream salesmen from different towns and attach a one-worded note to each corpse, forming the sentence, “Ready to concede?”

My Persuasion Can Build a Nation: In a world where Eurus had a best friend growing up, she doesn’t go to Sherrinford, nor does she turn out as unhinged as she did in canon. However, she’s still Eurus, and her brothers absolutely forbid her from meeting Jim Moriarty. She’ll just have to fix that, won’t she? Also: Matchmaker!Eurus ftw.

What Sober Couldn’t Say: “(11:23 pm) Drinking again(11:24 pm) And since it makes me too sad to go on my blog anymore thanks to you, I figured it’s only fair you become my new place to vent(11:25 pm) You’re probably not receiving these messages anyway so no harm no foul(11:25 pm) Right?” - Molly drunk-texts Jim over the course of several months.

I Wanna Feel Like I Am Floating: “Now the question is…" He vamp-flipped them over so she was lying down and his body was pinning hers. “Should I tie you up and make you take it, or are you going to be a good little vampire and let Daddy have his way with you?” Jim & Molly’s journey: blood-sharing edition.- Vampire!Molliarty AU, s-m-u-t.

Coffin Shopping: Sebastian could only imagine what the other, mostly ancient customers perusing the store must be thinking of the couple in their thirties, bubbling with laughter and fooling around as they ran about in search of the perfect coffin.

Come To Daddy: Jim failed to see how Molly’s physicality could ever not be arousing. The size of her lips did nothing to detract from how amazing she was at sucking cock. The size of her breasts made it no less fun for Jim to cup them in his hands, tease her nipples into hard peaks, suck on them until she squirmed and made those delightful little sounds. - smuttish ;)

Intention: A take on how the brief but unforgettable office romance between Jim from IT and Molly from Pathology began and how it just might become more than just a simple office romance.

An Exchange: Jim Moriarty comes across a familiar face and realises, from just one exchange, that it is not merely Sherlock Holmes that connects them, but a connection of their own.

A Beginning: Jim Moriarty tries to make sense of new waves of sentiment as his office romance with Molly Hooper transits to become something more.

Interruptions: Molly Hooper is made to face a stunning revelation about Jim Moriarty, but it is her reaction that stuns him most.

An Enemy’s Gift: In the pursuit of his greatest enemy, Jim Moriarty makes an unexpected discovery.

On Fanfiction.net:

Life: James Moriarty is in trouble, so much trouble that he fears for his life. He soon learns, however, he has absolutely nothing to fear, not with Molly Hooper around.

Spiders: Molly and Jim have a casual chat laced with hints of their plans, revealing a side to Molly that both surprises and seduces Jim.

(Re)kindle: Jim Moriarty is perplexed at the lasting impression a certain Molly Hooper has left on him. When his rekindled fascination with her meets an unexpected obstacle, an animosity is ignited.

Other fics:

- The Demon I cling to

- The Anatomist

- What Slinks Unseen (one-shot)

- Safety in Small Numbers (one-shot)

- Heart Shaped Buttons  (one-shot)

- I.O.U (in progress, Season 4 AU)

- A change of clothes (one-shot, smut)

- The Uninvited House Guest

- Home is where (one-shot)

- Danse Macabre (one-shot) mine

- Lay your body next to mine (one-shot, mine, smut, dark themes)

- Symmetry (one-shot)

- Kisses for the Devil (one-shot)

- Descend (one-shot)

- Death and the Maiden

- The Number Is (one-shot)

- The Devil’s Own (warning: dark themes)

- Reality of Innocence (warning:smut)

- Gifts (one-shot)

- Thanaptosis (warning: dark themes)

- Pulse (one-shot)

- Yorick’s grin

- Hades (one-shot)

- Gay (warning:smut)

- Oaths, affidavits and Other Lies

- Brain Drain (one-shot)

- Counting Days (one-shot)

- A conversation starter (one-shot)

- Spinning Tornadoes (one-shot)

- Secret Veins and Arteries (warning:dark themes)

- Watching the world burn (one-shot, smut)

- Death and the Maiden

- Unloveable

- Sweet Dreams (one-shot)

- Frozen Feelings

- Forever and Always

- I will burn the heart out of you

- Choke  (one-shot)

- His Dark Mistress (one-shot)

- He saved the last dance for me

- Exsanguination (one-shot, very kinky smut)

- Almost Anyone  (one-shot)

- No Space between Us  (one-shot, smut)

- Brain Drain  (one-shot)

- Between the bars  (one-shot, smut)

- Troubleshooting  (one-shot, smut)

- Falling  (one-shot, smut)

- Knots in this noose of mine  (one-shot)

- Glass shatters softly  (one-shot)

- Victor, meet spoils (one-shot)

- He kindly stopped me  (one-shot)

- Blow the House Down (one-shot)

- The answer is one  (one-shot)

- Strings  (one-shot)

- Heartbeats in the Dark

- The Fox (one-shot, smut)

- Bad Romance

- Lion and the Lamb (one-shot)

- Red Song in the Night

- The Rules Are (one-shot)

- Molly Mine (one-shot, smut)

- Restless Things (warning: very dark themes + Johnlock)

- Intention (one-shot)

- At the End of it all (one-shot, smuttish)

- An Incorrect Deduction

[im-fairly-whitty]

Un Poco Loco: Love and Heartbreak -- Coco Teacher AU

[Part 1: First Date] [Part 2: A Professional Chat] [Part 3: An Intervention]

Hey everyone! So if you’ve kept up with the teacher au you know that we’re always making oodles of side content outside of the main storyline in the form of oneshots and drabbles and headcanons. This “first time around” flashback romance storyline is one of those extras, and it was originally going to be a oneshot (a phrase I’ve arranged to eventually be carved on my headstone at this point.)

There were originally going to be several more chapters for this storyline, portraying what it was like while they were dating the first time, showing how flawed and painful it was, but I realized recently that through the several drabbles and oneshots I’ve written in the meantime, I’ve ended up writing it all already!

Because I’ve already said everything I would have said, I’ve decided to cut to the chase and get to the good/bad stuff that we all known is coming by getting to the finale of the flashback.

Here’s a quick list of suggestion of what you can read if you want to review their relationship together:

Domestic drabbles, some of the first time dating and some for the second. If it’s the second time I’m always sure to mention Miguel in there somewhere so you can tell them apart.

A good example of how much Imelda gave back in their relationship.

A good example of how tense things were the first time around:  

This one is especially important, please read.

One of the original @scribblrhob comics showing Héctor accidentally letting slip his relationship with Imelda in his class:  

And now, without further ado, we now move forward in time from Héctor and Imelda’s first date, to immediately after Héctor lets slip about their relationship in his class.

 *** 

Part 4: The End

“Imelda, I-”

“You’ve ruined it, Rivera.”

Héctor flinched as she snapped at him, holding his own arm tightly enough to cut off blood flow as he cowered on the other side of her desk.

“I can’t believe you messed up this badly, you had one job.” Imelda slammed her hand on the desk, making him jump.

“I-, I’m sorry Imelda,” Héctor said, trying to force himself to stop shaking, the blood frantically rushing in his ears was nearly blocking out his own thoughts, “I messed up, this is all my fault, one of the students got ahold of my phone and they saw your texts and then you came in and they realized who “Imelda” was and they’re all bright kids diosa, I couldn’t-”

 “Don’t. Call. Me. That.”

 If Héctor could feel his arm anymore, the pain of his own nails digging into his sleeve would have been alarming. What he felt instead was the very familiar sensation of sliding backward toward a cliff edge, with nothing, and no one, to grab onto.

 “Imelda, I-”

 “Don’t call me that either.”

 No.

He was losing her.

He had promised himself it would be different this time and he was losing her.

“Please.” Héctor said, his voice shaking, “Lo siento, I’ve messed up, but it could still work? I know you didn’t want anyone to find out about, about us, but it was going to have to come out sometime, right?”

“The agreement we had was that our relationship would be kept secret until I said it could be made public,” the pencil in Imelda’s vice grip trembled slightly, “and you broke your side of the agreement.”

“I know this is my fault,” Héctor pleaded, not daring to go around the desk to her, instead getting on one knee at the front of her desk, making himself smaller, “but I don’t think it’s really so bad, we can-”

“Not really so bad?” Imelda barked, “You broke our agreement, my trust, you’ve exposed us to the entire school. My position as the director will be questioned, my status as a woman with authority in a white collar job will be laughed at. Everything I’ve worked for in my career, my reputation, my position, my respect, it could all be gone tomorrow because I was caught secretly dating my employee.”

There was a bitter metallic taste in Héctor’s mouth. It took his reeling brain a long moment to realize he’d bit his lip at the venom that had been in Imelda’s last word.

“What can I do?” Héctor asked, “Tell me what to do, anything, I’ll do anything to fix this, I can make it right again.”

She stared at him, making him shake as he waited. Hoping, praying she would give him some impossible task he could accomplish, some order that he could carry out to earn her back, to show his devotion. Something, anything, to fix this.

She drew in a shaky breath and reached behind her neck. A moment later her hand came away with a thin silver chain, pulling out the violet pendant that she had been wearing under her blouse. The necklace he had given her two months ago. The one gift he’d known she wouldn’t be able to turn away because it was exactly perfect for her.

He watched it clatter to her desk.

“Take that.” Imelda pointed to the necklace, then the door, “And go home.”

Everything inside Héctor’s brain jostled and screamed at such a high pitch that it all blurred together into a shrill deafening static. Leaving him silently staring at her.

“We’re through, Rivera.” Imelda said, staring him down unflinchingly, “It’s over. I’m sending you home for the rest of the day. Do not attempt to contact me. Do not address me as anything but “La Directora.” Do not discuss our relationship, or this talk, with anyone. Claro?”

Héctor couldn’t move, so someone else must have made his hand reach out and gently pick the necklace up off the desk, cradling it to his chest.

“Please.” he said softly. So softly he wasn’t sure if he’d actually said it out loud.

“If you value your employment I advise you to get out of my school immediately.” Imelda said.

Héctor took a step back. This was all wrong. But somehow...he’d known it would happen eventually hadn’t he? Hadn’t he seen this exact moment in his nightmares for months now? No one ever stayed, they all left eventually.

Because he always ruined it.

“Leave.” Imelda said sharply, and the break in her voice shattered whatever was left whole inside Héctor.

“I’m sorry.” Héctor whispered, then turned and ducked out of her office.

He walked in a shell-shocked daze down the hallway, and out the front door, seeing nothing as his feet took him across the parking lot. He’d left his keys in his classroom, but he walked right past his motorcycle.

He didn’t see the way that Imelda closed the office door behind him and locked it. How she sank down to curl up against the door. Or how she did not cry until her throat was raw and the rest of the school had gone home for the day.

Her secretary listening outside for a full hour after closing, biting her thumb before finally deciding to let tragedy run its course, and leaving for home.

***

Ernesto looked up from his laptop when he heard the crying.

He sat up straight at the kitchen table, listening hard in the empty apartment. Héctor was out late again, undoubtedly somewhere with his terrible boss girlfriend, leaving the place quiet for the night.

At least, it had sounded like crying. Sounded like an adult crying actually...but...maybe he’d misheard?

He listened for another moment, and then slowly went back to typing, lightly tapping to keys, still on edge.

There it was again.

Ernesto snapped his computer shut, getting up from the table as he zeroed in on the noise, a bad feeling already in his stomach. He strode to the front door, jerking it open.

“Héctor?”

Curled up on the dark stoop was Héctor, long legs folded up on themselves, apparently trying to look as small as possible as he clutched something to his chest.

Ernesto could barely see his face in the dim porch light but the strangled sounds of grief told him plenty about the tears he would see if he could.

“Héctor, are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” Ernesto asked, dragging Héctor up to his feet and pulling him inside as quickly as he could.

“I-I’m sorry,” Héctor choked, his voice raw, like he’d been crying for a long time already, “I forgot my keys, and, and I know you hate it when I cry, and, and, and-”

“Héctor, what happened?” Ernesto demanded, looking his friend over, unable to find any obvious signs of injury.

“I ruined it.” Héctor said, somehow managing to look small even as they stood in the entryway, shoulders slumped and head hanging as he kept clutching something to his chest. Something that left a silver chain trailing out from between his fingers, “I-I ruined it, and, and now she’s gone.”

Ernesto stared at Héctor, his hand on his shoulders as Héctor dissolved into a fresh wave of sobs, unable to meet his eyes.

“She...? Imelda left you?” Ernesto asked, his grip on Héctor’s shoulders tightening as his friend tried to go limp again, “That icy, heartless-”

He’d known this would happen, he’d known it, he’d tried to warn Héctor. But being right didn’t make things any better now that tragedy had finally struck.

“It was, my, my fault.” Héctor sobbed, shaking his head, looking like he was doing his best just to keep standing.

Ernesto looked at him, scrambling to try and figure out what to do. Héctor was always upset when girls left him, but this time felt different, this time felt dangerously bad. Ernesto had to fix this, fast.

“Have you had anything to drink yet?” Ernesto asked, dragging Héctor into the kitchen after him, not daring to leave him alone like this for even a second as he rifled through the cupboards, finding two bottles of tequila.

“I don’t want to drink.” Héctor said miserably.

“Too bad. We’re going to the roof.” Ernesto said, stuffing his keys in his pocket, grabbing a blanket off the couch, and pulling Héctor back out into the night toward the service stairs.

The night was a clear but moonless one, leaving the rooftop dark and empty under the stars.

“Sit.” Ernesto commanded, wrapping the blanket tightly around Héctor’s shoulders.

Héctor obeyed, sitting up against a cooling vent, tears silently running down his face.

“Drink this.” Ernesto said, prying the top off one of the bottles of tequila with his pocket knife and handing it to Héctor, who took it mechanically. “Drink it until you’re ready to tell me exactly what that woman did to you.”

Héctor obediently took a long drink, a worryingly long one, and then silently pulled the blanket tighter around himself, closing his eyes against the tears that ran down his face.

Ernesto grit his teeth as he watched Héctor’s shoulder shake as he cried silently. Whatever that ice queen had done to him, it had hurt Héctor far worse than any girl before. It made Ernesto want to march back down the stairs and pound on her apartment door until he got some answers.

This wasn’t going to be something he could shake Héctor out of. He could already tell it was going to be a long time before Héctor would be able to speak.

Ernesto grunted as he sat down next to Héctor, starting to pry the cap off his own bottle. They were both going to need it tonight.

“If you need to cry then get it all out.” Ernesto said, taking a sip from his bottle, “I’m not leaving until you’re alright, got that?”

Héctor hesitantly leaned against him, and Ernesto took another sip, his silence telling Héctor that it was alright this one time. Héctor curled up against his shoulder and continued to cry, a little less silently now.

Why did Héctor always attract the wrong people?

Ernesto tipped his head back against the vent, looking up at the sky. The ice queen had been a special kind of awful, playing Héctor like a violin, demanding he keep outrageous made up rules and taking advantage of his softness to a disgusting degree.

Because Héctor was soft. It was part of what made him such a good musician and friend, but it was also what made him so badly in need of protection. His painted weasel of a mother had cowed Héctor into treasuring a kick to face from people he was attached to ever since he was a kid.

Ernesto took another drink, squinting at the burn and at the memory of seeing eight year old Héctor fawning over his mother after two years of not seeing her. Not even noticing the shallow way that she smiled over him, praising him for his doubtless future musical fame instead of seeing the actual son she should have been raising.

Which had made Héctor unable to insist on what he deserved, even now.

Just like Ernesto’s mother.

Ernesto took another drag at his bottle, trying to wash away the intrusive memory of his father shouting Mamá into tears over some inane demand of his, often taking it much farther than words, only to have Mamá turn around and insist that of course he was right when Ernesto asked if she was okay.

Because it never mattered how many many bruises she had or how drunk Papá had been, it was always her that had “ruined it,” it was always somehow her fault.

“Maybe I can still fix it.” Héctor whispered hoarsely.

“Shut up and drink your tequila.” Ernesto said, a little too roughly, “No talking unless you’re going to talk about what she did. You’ve been miserable for months now Héctor, she didn’t deserve you and you are not going back to someone that’s hurt you this badly. She does not get a second chance, claro?”

Héctor said nothing. The silence stretched so long that Ernesto would have thought he’d fallen asleep if he wasn’t still trembling.

Alright, no talking tonight. That was fine, there would be plenty of time to talk later.

Ernesto put his arm around Héctor, feeling like he was trying to shield a puppy from the cold. He closed his eyes, trying to organize all the things he would say later when Héctor was in a state to listen.

By the time Ernesto opened his eyes again the night air had become chill, the city around them dark between the streetlights. Ernesto checked his watch, grimacing at the hours that had passed.

Héctor was silent and still behind him, but when he looked he saw that Héctor was holding his empty bottle and staring quietly at the piece of jewelry he held in his hand.

A very large part of Ernesto wanted to grab the necklace and hurl it off the roof as far as he could to get it as far away as possible from Héctor.

“Let’s head back down, alright?” Ernesto said, grimacing at his stiffness as he pushed himself up, “You need to sleep.”

“I think I’m going to stay here for a little while longer.” Héctor said quietly, not looking up.

“Héctor you have to sleep.” Ernesto said sternly, “You still have work tomorrow right? Hold on, wait, unless you got fired too?”

Héctor shook his head. “No, I didn’t get fired. Thank you Nesto, I’ll be down soon, you can go on.”

Ernesto hesitated for a long moment, looking Héctor over. Well, at least he wasn’t hysterical anymore, having apparently cried himself out. He was going to have an excruciating hangover in the morning judging by the empty bottle...but it had gotten him to calm down.

“Do you want me to stay?” Ernesto asked, taking the empty bottle from him.

Héctor shook his head quietly, looking up from his necklace and out at the night horizon.

“Alright.” Ernesto said reluctantly, “Here’s my key so you can get back in. Don’t stay up here too long, and don’t do anything stupid.”

He set his apartment key beside Héctor and then turned to go, only looking back as he descended the service stairs to see Héctor still gazing hollowly out at the night sky. His spark entirely snuffed out.

Ernesto paused as he passed Imelda’s door on the way back to their apartment. He narrowed his eyes at it, imagining her probably laughing it up with friends earlier that evening before getting a full night’s sleep. Meanwhile her victim completely unraveled just above her.

Ernesto’s fists clenched, he could just imagine kicking her door in and giving her a real scare for what she’d done to Héctor.

But no.

He satisfied himself with making an obscene gesture at her window as he walked on, letting himself into his apartment with the spare key he’d carried since the first time Héctor had locked himself out.

Later Ernesto stared at the ceiling as he lay in bed, knowing that Héctor was still up there.

Well. At least now it was finally over. At least now he could finally start helping Héctor pick up the pieces and move on from his latest disaster and everything could get back to normal.

He turned into his side, adjusting his pillow. Héctor would be fragile for a while, he knew that from experience, meaning that it was very likely that he wouldn’t want to go on their summer tour in a few weeks like they’d planned.

Ernesto closed his eyes with a long sigh, grimacing at the thought of going alone, but if Héctor was truly as broken as he seemed then he would be useless on tour anyway.

Ernesto stayed awake a while longer, listening in vain for the sound of Héctor coming back into the apartment.

He slipped into sleep sometime in the early hours of the morning, still having not have heard them.

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

(And last of all, here is what happens when Héctor goes to work the next morning.)

Alright folks, next up, back to the main storyline, @slusheeduck has the next one so keep an eye out!

- Wit

[michaelberry-blog]

Havana day 2: cigars and lots and lots of other things

Over breakfast, the German girl mentioned that she had purchased unbranded cigars in Viñales but realized she didn't like them. The factories there are forced to send the tobacco to the government before it is distributed to the major companies, but if you buy it straight from the plantation you get the quality for a fraction of the price. I bought them off her and realized I didn't even know which end was which. I stopped in a local bakery as I passed and bought some sweet bread for 1 Cuban peso. That's 3 cents! I munched as I walked to the Partagás cigar factory, through some of the most dilapidated neighborhoods I have seen in all my travels. The Cuban people are poor, yes, but they're not necessarily in need. The government provides free healthcare, schooling, and all basic needs, so the average monthly income of $15 probably goes toward rum and cigarettes. Life is not easy, but everyone can survive. I looked around for a hotel in which to buy a ticket to the factory. The owner of one B&B (which actually had an AirBnB sticker) was thrilled to meet me. "California!" he exclaimed. "Apples! Come in, I will explain everything." I'm not sure if he was talking about the fruit or the company, but he introduced me to his family ("California!") and we sat on the balcony. He informed me that the factory is overpriced and not quite authentic, and if I was going to Viñales tomorrow I should wait until then to see the real tobacco process. Everyone, I mean everyone, in Cuba is on the hustle. People in the tourism industry make more than doctors, so although the people are friendly, they also want your money very badly. Because of this, I expected him to try and sell me his own cigars or something, but he simply sent me on my way and told me it was nice to meet me. After that, I managed to ride in my first "colectivo" of the trip. They're hard to distinguish from normal taxis, but some of the old cars (called maquinas) run a set route and only charge 50 cents. It's basically hitch hiking. They let me off near the Viazul bus station, where I purchased my ticket to Viñales. In order to do so, I had to wait in a long line, then go to a different office, then go back to the original office, then the printer ran out of paper and everybody kind of just went on break. Next door was a little cafe where I had a surprisingly good espresso while listening to an old Skrillex mashup, circa 2010. I was loving it. Across the street I caught a cab with a friendly old man named Ricardo, who claimed he was the original owner of this 1957 Citroen and did all of the maintenance himself. Imported cars are taxed at an astronomical 10x, meaning the few newish German cars I saw would cost around $300,000! But you can't buy them anyway, unless you're a government official. I think my favorite thing is talking to taxi drivers. He dropped me off near the American Embassy, which used to display uncensored news to the Cuban people from large screens behind its gates. To counter, the communist regime created the Monte de Banderas: a monument of huge flags directly in front of the Embassy. How convenient! I walked for a while along the Malecón seawall, refreshed by the ocean breeze. Like a seasoned veteran, I caught another colectivo back to Old Havana to check out Castillo San Salvador de la Punta. This fort, along with its sister across the bay, protected the port from pirates and corsairs for centuries. There was a period when all of the riches of the new world came through Havana before sailing back to Spain, and attacks were so frequent that they even strung a chain across the mouth of the bay to effectively clothesline any would-be assailants. The man running the entrance was visibly bored, and stopped me for a while just to talk. He looked around the empty area to be sure it was truly vacant and pulled out a box of Cohibas, explaining that his family works in the factory and they're easy to pilfer. I purchased 2, and even if they're fake, it doesn't really matter since they were ten times cheaper than market value. I struck out on getting a colectivo back and ended up paying for a normal taxi. It was a 52 Buick, with a dashboard lifted directly from a 21st century Peugeot. Back in the hostel I discovered that my phone charger cable was missing. The outlet plug was still in the wall, but the cable was nowhere to be seen. I mentioned it to the señora, who became visibly upset and started talking too quickly for me to understand as she turned the room upside down. For now she gave me a battered cable one of the other guests had left behind. My feet were rubbed raw from all of the wet socks and the walking, so I chilled out for a while in the park to get some wifi and watched a fight break out in front of a cafeteria. One man chucked a piece of concrete at the other, who narrowly dodged it as it exploded into fragments against the wall. The Habaneros in the park watched with excitement. I was itching to hear some live music for which Havana is so famous, so I asked my waiter that evening if he had any recommendations. Without hesitation he responded "La Fábrica," which was a popular music establishment with different genres in each room, housed in a now-defunct oil factory. The hipster in me was excited. A spry Cuban with an Afro picked me up in his Chrysler, and roared through the hot night whistling at every sultry mamasita he passed. Despite what people had told me, La Fábrica was closed because it was Monday. So I had him drive me to another spot I had heard about, a subterranean venue where up-and-coming Cuban musicians and locals hung out. Also closed. Third time's the charm, and I ended up at La Zorra y el Cuervo. I'm pretty excited to be able to say the phrase "I went to a jazz joint in Havana" for the rest of my life. Cover included 2 (strong) Mojitos, and I chatted with the bartender until the music started and the place filled up. The song started out slow, lazy piano keys and soft rapping of drums. I tried to tap my fingers to the beat but it kept changing as the musicians searched for meaning, then lost it, then found it again. The tempo picked up. The drummer began to sweat, I could see the fog of his breath under the lights. The piano man stood up, pounding the keys and forgetting about everything but the moment. Then the tenorman hooped up and blew his top, squealing and blasting and through his trumpet poured all the answers to the questions everyone had forgotten to ask. Now I was living my "On the Road" dream! Dean appeared next to me, rubbing his belly and shouting "Yes! Blow man!" and digging everything. A group of 12 Americans came in, getting in the way of everybody and taking videos they would never watch again. Still, they were American, so I talked to them a while. I asked the bartender if he had any other recommendations, and he told me to go to El Gato Tuerto (The one eyed cat) for "music with feeling!" I walked the 2 blocks and sat watching the salsa band play their hearts out and the cute girl who danced with all the Cubans. Just then I figured it all out: dark skin, tequila, music, inability to keep myself away from Spanish countries... I must be Latin deep down inside.