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stories-forthe-void · 6 years ago

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Summer Nights and Pool Fights~ Lee Minho

This is the town that I based the landscape off. It’s kind of important to the descriptions. Also, I, ’m sorry for writing so many stories about the beach but it’s where I’ve grown up so my mind kind of goes there when I need a quick setting. Anyways enjoy the fic ^^. Also I promise to make this all look nicer when I get back from hiatus. Only 9 days this time!

My fingers felt like they were going to fall off and my brain was being fried within my skull from the hours I had spent trying to sight read a 17/8 time signature. Join the state orchestra, they said. It'll be fun. Fun my foot. I'd spent all day sitting in one of my college’s music rooms practising for a massive concert next month and I still couldn't get the last few bars of the flute solo down.

It’s not that hard Y/N.

I know OK just go away I need to concentrate.

She’ll kick you out if you don’t get it down by next week Y/N.

I get it Ok! I’m trying just-

“Y/N?” Then the door rattled. Dammit, Minho. You always pick the perfect time to make an entrance. I tried to ignore the banging on the door. “Y/N, I know you’re in there. Open the door.” He rattled the door again. “Please, your mom gave me some of her lasagnas to bring you!” I was at the door in seconds and unlocking it before he could say anything more.

You lost to pasta again Y/N.

“Y/N-”

“Shh, no speaking, now where’s the pasta?” I held out my hand.

“I knew that would work. Here,” he handed me a Tupperware full of my mom’s famous lasagna. I swear they should make like a black market where children can sell their mother’s cooking. I could make millions!

“Now would you like to explain why you haven’t come out of this room the whole weekend? Seriously you know there are better places to practice than on campus, right? Like why would you willingly come back here?” He gave me a typical Minho face that said: really Y/N? You could be spending your weekends with your amazing best friend, but no you prioritize your metal tube over me. Oh, the horror!

“I have my reasons!” I exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder.

“Name three decent ones.”

“Alright, reason one: they have aircon in here and my fan messes with the sound waves.” He shot me another typical Minho look. ”I'm serious! It's a legitimate problem in the flautist community!”

“Alright, alright, kind of I believe you. Now, two more reasons. Come on.”

“I, um, yeah, um, ok! Stop looking at me like that. The concert is next month Minho! Did expect me to just sit and do nothing?” I exclaimed

“No, I don't, but I do expect you to instil some basic self-care! You can't just lock yourself in a music room all long weekend from dusk till dawn and then every afternoon after class. You need a break. Believe me, I need one too. We have a competition next week but I don’t lock myself in the practice room! So, please let me take you out of this horribly decorated room and do something fun with your best friend.” It's not that I didn't want to it was just that I couldn't. I was new in the orchestra. I still wasn't technically an official member, which meant Mrs Walsh could kick me out whenever she wished.

“Minho I can’t -”

“Y/N I get it. You're scared. I mean I would be too with a conductor like Mrs Walsh, but you are one of the best flautists I know.”

“I'm the only flautist you know” I deadpanned.

“That's beside the point. You need a break.”

“Okay let's say I agree to this madness. What are we going to do? It's not like we can just take a drive to some magical island in the middle of nowhere.”

“Oh Y/N, you severely underestimate my connections.” There it was. That was the Minho smile. The very reason I walked up to him on the first day of high school, right after the English teacher found at least 15 paper aeroplanes stuck to the ceiling with increasingly cringy quotes from fanfic.

“Don’t look at me like that. It makes me nervous!”

“Minho where are we going?!” He had dragged me back to my dorm, made me pack a bag and on top of that insist I leave my flute behind. “Ok no. I’m being serious where are we going. My room mate will kill me if I just run off to some random mountain reserve with a boy.”

“Calm your farm Y/N. I talked to Yasmin and she said it was fine. We’re going on an adolescent adventure. You’ll look back on this weekend and think ‘wow how did I manage a whole weekend without hooking up with my drop-dead gorgeous best friend’” I punched him in the shoulder.

“Excuse me young one! That is the second time in the past two hours! Ugh, the disrespect for elders in today’s society. Honestly its horrendous” He said it in the most ridiculous British grandmother voice and I honestly would’ve loved to have laughed, but he didn’t need that sort of ego boost right now.

“You are two months older than me! Come on let’s get going I don’t want to get to wherever we’re going at like midnight.” I picked up my backpack and a duffel bag full of clothes for the weekend and pushed him through the door.

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” And then we were through the door and in his car. He started the engine and so began the two-hour road trip filled with musical classics such as Gee, Ring Ding Dong and of course Wolf.

“Minho, oh my god this place is amazing! What millionaire cousin are you hiding from me?” I walked through the front door right into the lounge which opened up onto a massive deck with the most beautiful infinity pool I had ever seen. The deck looked out onto the main beach down below. It was decorated in that classic beach house décor that was probably way older than both of us, but it was still gorgeous. The kitchen was small but had a coffee machine. Perfect, I can drag Minho out to watch the sunrise tomorrow morning and he won’t complain.

The garden and downstairs were pretty spacious but upstairs was much smaller. The house was probably designed with an “all day at the beach then entertain all night and only use the bedrooms for sleep” kind of vibe. The first bedroom was obviously for kids, bunk bed, no aircon, barely any shelving space and was basically being used as a surfboard storeroom. Not. An. Option.

Please let there be two more bedrooms, please.

It’s not like I haven’t slept in friends beds before, but Minho was a different story. That smile wasn’t the only thing that drew me towards him on that fateful first day of high school. Can you judge me though? He was an attractive new guy who had just transferred from a school in South Korea. He was an amazing dancer and he could sing. He was any band nerd’s dream. So I may or may not have a massive crush on my best friend...

I pushed back the thought and continued through the house. I had no idea where Mino was but he could manage ten minutes without burning a house down… hopefully.

The next room was just a bathroom and the next a storeroom. Who needs that many beach balls? Then at the end of the hall was the main bedroom. Dammit looks like I’m sleeping on the floor.

“Y/N where are you?” Minho shouted from what sounded like the bottom of the stairs.

“I’m up here,” and a few seconds later he was by your side throwing you a smirk. “Oh, fluff of. I bet Yasmin didn’t agree with this part of the trip.”

“No, no she didn’t. I didn’t think it was important. Besides, I’ll just sleep on the floor it's fine.” He went to go pull a mattress off one of the bunk bed, but I caught the back of his shirt.

“Nope, no way. There is no way I am letting you sleep on the floor.” He began to object “Uh uh, no buts, this one’s not negotiable.” And that was that. He knew by now that there was no arguing with me, not unless he wanted to be left to walk to class alone for a week. So he agreed but sulked about it the whole time we were unpacking the car.

“So, what are going to do for food tonight?” I asked as we sat down on the grass next to the pool.

“I don’t know. We could go down to the restaurant by the beach. The service is terrible but the food and the view make up for it. Unless you want to go down to the store to buy food and actually make dinner?” The house was on top of a hill that overlooked the beach below. The view was amazing. The lagoon mouth was open and although it was getting late there were still children playing in the granny pool beside it.

“You know Minho, I’ve been coming here my whole life and I’ve never noticed this house before. We usually stay right down there near the main beach. The house has been in my family for ages.” The question at hand had drifted from my mind as I sat in awe of the small town’s beauty in the fading sunlight.

“Well, this is actually my elder cousin’s house. He said I could use it whenever I want when I got to college, so last year I got a spare set of keys made and I come here with Jisung and Felix sometimes. But I did ask you about food.” He let out a soft chuckle. I pulled myself out of my trance and looked at him.

“Oh, right. Sorry I completely forgot. It’s just so beautiful here.” We both started out at the ocean again.

“Ok stop distracting me from the question! Are you trying to starve me Y/N?”

“Ok yes. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Um, I don’t really feel like cooking if that’s OK with you? Plus I haven’t seen this place in a while and the beach is calling me.” It really was and I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to get there.

“Ok, that’s fine. We can go now then!’’

We got to the restaurant and ate a casual dinner, nothing too fancy, and then we got some drinks and headed to the rocks on the side of the lagoon mouth. It was pretty cold at night during this time of year so we sat close to keep warm. It wasn’t unusual for us, but the dark and the beach and everything just made it feel weird.

We sat like that, in the dark, arms touching, looking out at the inky water and the reflection of the moon in it, for a while. We didn’t say anything and yet thousands of words were spoken in silence; without as much as a glance at each other.

It was weird to pull ourselves out of that silence, but we did it and were now walking down the, or rather up the hill to get back to the house.

You know Y/N you really are that idiot. The one thing we promised ourselves we wouldn’t do was to fall in love with the best friend. Now, look. You are completely and utterly whipped. No going back now. So what’s the plan? Are you going to confess in some stuttering mess of a sentence in some dark, ding music room or are you going to keep this from him for forever and die an old crazy cat lady with sixteen cats named Gerrald, Richard Parker, Isabelle-

“So Y/N what’s the plan for tomorrow?” He nudged my shoulder lightly and pulled me from my thoughts.

“Um, I don’t know. What do you feel like doing? I mean there’s not much else to do than go to the beach is there?” We got to the top of the hill and stopped to catch our breath.

“Well there’s a waterpark like half an hour away or an amazing waffle place in the next town, but beach sounds good for the first day. The waterpark will be packed anyways.” We started walking again as it started to get colder.

“Yeah, that sounds great.” I thought about it for a second and then added in my best Disney villain voice: “On one condition.” He almost looked nervous for a second but then slapped on a cocky grin before I could even remember what his face had looked like before.

“Name anything; this weekend is for you.” Two could play at that game.

“Ok then, I’m waking you up at six thirty tomorrow to go watch the sunrise.” Now he looked nervous again.

“I mean um well. Come on Y/N we’ve been best friends for years is this really a necessity?”

“Yes, Minho it very much is and I will drag you down this hill tomorrow morning if I have to. Thank you for a nice evening but I will now shower and then retire to the floor.” I let out a laugh and then started walking up the stairs.

“You know you’ll have to deal with me the minute you get out the shower right.” He laughed with me as he started following me up the stairs.

“Yes Minho, I do in fact realise that, but the fact that I have to see you does not mean I have to listen to you complain about a six thirty wake up call. Honestly, it’s not that bad you lazy ass.” I closed the bathroom door and locked it behind me. I wasn’t trying to be mean; I was just trying to have fun, but I’m bad at working out the difference so…

It was midnight and the floor was cold.

Why he thought that coming to the beach in the middle of autumn was a good idea, I might never know.

At least we haven’t said anything stupid in at least an hour Y/N.

I’ve been asleep!

Yes but we can say stupid things in our sleep Y/N.

Ok no, not listening to you anymore. Goodnight.

It was now half past one. The floor was still cold.

Unless we plan on getting a cold Y/N, we have one option.

What can a cold do to me, come on?

It can turn into a chest infection and then a lung infection and then wow look Y/N can’t play the flute anymore and oh look again we’ve been kicked out the orchestra.

Shut up.

One option Y/N, one option…

I went to go shake Minho awake. Giving in to the voice in my head was something I was trying to get better at but it still didn’t work that well… most of the time.

“Come on Minho please wake up!” He was usually a light sleeper, but he was probably doing this just to spit me. “Lee Minho I know you’re awake.” I waited a minute and then gave in to his plan that I knew was most definitely churning in that stupid, amazing brain of his. “Fine, ok, the floor is cold. Please, can I sleep with you?” He smirked but kept his eyes closed. “Not like that you pervert!”

He stirred, opened his eyes and then sat up and said: “Ya sure. I knew you’d give in eventually. No one can resist this face.” He smirked at me again and batted his eyelashes.

“Oh, would you shut up and move over.” I wanted it to come out a bit sterner, but I ended up laughing as he pouted at me and scooted so he wasn’t hogging the entire bed to himself. I turned to look at him and, in the most loving tone I could muster for one am, said: “Goodnight idiot.”

“Goodnight my bestest most loving friend forever.” We both burst out laughing (even though it was a pretty terrible joke) and fell asleep just like that, heads nearly touching but not. Toes tangled by instinct to keep warm. My heart wouldn’t calm down. I thought I might have a heart attack in my sleep. To anyone else (including me) it would have looked romantic. I secretly hoped Minho thought so too.

My internal clock woke me up at six. I had gotten used to waking up to practice and then going straight to lectures and then going straight back to practice.

I was about to sit up when I noticed it. Minho’s arm slung over my waist and his head ever so slightly snuggled into my side. I got such a shock when I saw it that I jolted. He started to wake up and I started to panic.

Oh we’ve really done it now haven’t we Y/N.

You’re not helping!

Hwta are we going to do about this Y/N.

I don’t know! You’re meant to be the logical one.

I’m just a voice in your head. How am I meant to be logical Y/N?

You’re the one always shouting at me!

No, we’re always the ones shouting at us.

What the hell is that supposed to mean!

To late Y/N

“Mm Y/N?” Oh god.

We spent the day at the beach, eating chips and drinking whatever was cheapest. We messed around in the water and read on the sand, but something was always a bit off.

“I’m sorry about this morning Y/N. I don’t know what happened.” We were walking down to a different beach to go watch the sunset. I had compromised with Minho after this morning’s antics.

“It’s fine Minho, it was cold. Body heat you know?” I let out a nervous laugh and looked over at him. It was fairly light out, as the sun was just starting to disappear under the horizon. I didn’t know if it was a trick of the early morning sun or if that was actually a blush I saw dusted on his cheeks. “Minho seriously, we’re friends it doesn’t matter. Come on stop looking so embarrassed. If anything it should be me blushing I mean I was the one-”

“I am not blushing!” He whipped his head towards me and glared.

“Ok sure mister ladies man.” It was like a whole different person. Minho was never like this. He was always the loud cocky one at the college parties, flirting with all the girls and then passing out on my couch after one to many jager bombs.

Today he was like a teenage boy going through puberty who had a crush on his older sister’s best friend.

He likes us back Y/N

Not with you in my head he doesn’t.

Stop denying that you wouldn’t be a functioning human without me Y/N.

Fuck off I’m trying to enjoy the sunset!

Don’t screw it up Y/N.

We both froze the minute we got out the dune forest and onto the sand.

“Omg Y/N! It’s beautiful.” He was right. The sun was halfway under the horizon and had turned the few clouds in the sky the most breathtaking shade of pink.

“Ok who are you and what have you done with my best friend.” It was both weird and strangely endearing to see Minho so excited about a sunrise.

“What’s so wrong with a guy liking the sky.” I chuckled.

You’re whipped Y/N.

Since when did you use stan language?

Since when did we start using stan language Y/N?

Oh, shut up!

“There’s nothing wrong with a guy liking the sky. I just never pinned you for a sky guy.”

“Y/N I am shocked, I am such a sky guy.”

“Ok, no more sky guying. Come on let’s sit down” We both laughed together and as we sat laughing on the sand I realised that this had been the most constantly happy I had been all year.

Don’t screw it up Y/N

“Oh, would you shut up!” I immediately clasped my hand over my mouth. Minho looked at me with a look that was somewhere between completely shocked and hurt. “Minho I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to say it out loud. Oh, wait no that’s not what I meant. Um… I’m sorry I was just. I um, I-”

I told you not to screw it up Y/N

I could feel tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes. Minho was still looking at me with that face. I couldn’t speak.

Why now! It was going well! You ruin everything.

Not me, us. It’s not my voice Y/N

I broke down. I was so sick of this stupid voice in my head and now look what it had done. Why couldn’t I just turn it off? Why did it have to-

I felt arms wrapping around me and pulling me into someone’s chest.

“Shh, it’s ok Y/N. You’re ok.” I didn’t understand why he was always so selfless. Behind that stupid ego of his, he was just my best friend.

I don’t know how long we sat on the beach like that. The sun ha set and it was dark outside by the time I lifted my head from his chest and tried to speak but he stopped me.

“Before you make some bullshit excuse and say you’re fine, you’re not and you are going to tell me what’s going on in that brain of yours because I am tired of seeing the person I love suffer.”

See look it’s-

“Please just be quiet,” I whispered into Minho’s chest once again.

“Y/N please tell me what’s going on. You’re really starting to scare me.” I looked back up at him and the worry in his eyes had my heart crumbling into dust.

“I just- I don’t know Minho. I just can’t get it to be quiet and it ruins everything.” He looked scared. I hated it, but I didn’t know how to explain it.

“What won’t be quite Y/N?” I pointed to my head. Realization washed over his face, then understanding and lastly sadness.

“What does it say” It was barely a whisper. I shook my head. I didn’t want to say it aloud. It made it seem too real. It already at too much power over me, it didn’t need this.

“Please, can we just go home Minho? I’m fine. I dealt with this since like Grade 8 and I’ll deal with it some more. Just please can we go home.” I hated sounding this needy, but I didn’t want to talk about this now or ever. It was something I dealt with by myself or not at all. Minho did not need to be dragged into this.

“Y/N I can’t just-”

“Yes you can Minho and you will. We’re not talking about this. Not in the dark on a beach. Maybe somewhere else and in the far future but please, please can we just go home.” He slumped and gave in. He stood up and bent is legs and gestured with his head as if to say hurry up and get on. I’d didn’t I just looked at him, confused.

“What? Come on I have to be a good friend in some way tonight. Get on.” And so I did. It was weird but not in a bad way. I felt like a kid. It was…nice?

He somehow carried me all the way home, even up that godforsaken hill. We got inside the house, after fumbling with the keys and giggling for a good five minutes, but he didn’t stop there. He ran through the lounge, me still on his back, and opened the sliding door. He headed towards the pool.

“Minho what are you doing!” He liked back at me and smirked. He put me down and I made to run but he caught the belt loops on my shorts. “Minho seriously what are you- ah!” He had picked me up in his arms and was carrying me towards the pool. “Lee Minho I swear on my flute’s well being if you dare!” He dangled me over the pool.

“Are you going to talk yet?” I didn’t say anything. I just glared at him and in return, he loosened his grip on me.

“Minho stop!” I clung on to him.

“Talk or swim Y/N, the choice is yours.” He shook me as if he was trying to emphasise his point.

“Minho, you can’t be serious!” He didn’t look at me only at the pool which was dangerously close to my legs. I realised how he was holding me and a blush crawled up my cheeks.

Just admit it to him already Y/N.

Not now!

He knows about me now; no point in hiding it Y/N.

Oh, shut up.

“I am being dead serious Y/N. Talk or swim!” I tried to splutter out anything to try to change my mind but all that came out was an incoherent babble.

“You chose…wrong!” And with that, he threw me in the pool. The perfectly heated water enveloped me as I felt all my clothes get wet. Thank God for beach holidays where the taking off your costume isn’t an option. I took off my wet top and pants and threw them on the side of the pool.

I came up to take a breath and saw Minho take off his shirt and bolt towards the pool. He canon-balled into the pool; nearly landing on me in the process. He disappeared in the inky dark of the water, none of the pool lights were on, I mean we didn’t exactly plan on using the pool other than to wash off the sand.

“Minho, where did you go?” I couldn’t tell if my laugh was out of nervousness or joy. It was so weird. Maybe half an hour ago I was sobbing into his chest trying to keep this stupid thing out my head and now here we were, just stupid kids again. The same Minho who would contemplate the art teachers seeming immortality is the same Minho who had gathered me in his arms and just been there. The same Minho who convinced me to flirt with the lunch lady was the same Minho-

“Ahhh!” He had come up underneath me, grabbed my legs and launched me in the air. “What the hell was that for!?” I tried to stare him down but he just laughed.

“Because I think you needed to smile.” He grinned at me, so I splashed him. He splashed back. And so began a five-minute wrestling match. I won, but I think he would have disagreed.

“Ok, ok,” He puffed out, he looked out of breath, “Now tell me what was going on with you back at the beach.” He had swum right up close to me.

“Minho do we have to talk about this right now? Can’t we just be two friends in a pool on a spur of the moment holiday?” His face contorted.

Ughhhhhh, what have I said this time.

“Is that all I am to you Y/N, a friend?” I had no idea what he was asking. Was he implying something? Or was he just being Minho?

“I don’t know what you mean Minho.”

“I mean what I said. Is that all I am to you and am I really that bad at trying to show you that I might want more?” Ok, so he was impling something. Oh my god, he was implying something.

“WH-what?” I spluttered out.

“I like you OK Y/N? And I hate seeing you like this; beating yourself down when you’re the most talented, most amazing, most beautiful human I know!”

“Minho, I, um, I- I just don’t know what. Oh screw it!” It was now or never. I knew I’d never get a chanc like that again so I just, kissed him. And it felt freaking amazing.

Let’s just say Mrs Walsh was very surprised at how well I played at the concert.

#minho #lee minho #skz #stray kids #stray kids imagines #stray kids angst #stray kids fluff #skz minho #stray kids minho #stray kids scenarios

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gyrlversion · 6 years ago

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How novelist Elizabeth Gilbert ended up with late lovers male pal

They could be any loved-up couple celebrating the joy of new romance with an impromptu selfie to share on Instagram.

She gazes up into the camera with a dazzling smile, while he wraps her in an embrace, nuzzling her blonde hair.

But as her millions of fans know, nothing is quite so simple in the complicated, unconventional and rather topsy-turvy love life of best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert.

Three years ago Elizabeth Gilbert stunned her followers by leaving her second husband of ten years, Jose Nunes (left) — the handsome Brazilian ‘Felipe’ whom she fell in love with at the end of her Eat Pray Love travels — for a woman, her gay best friend Rayya Elias

Ever since she set off on a solo voyage of self-discovery across the world following the collapse of her first marriage 15 years ago — her 2006 memoir Eat Pray Love became a publishing phenomenon selling more than 12 million copies — Gilbert has continued to surprise her readers with myriad twists and turns.

Three years ago she stunned her followers by leaving her second husband of ten years, Jose Nunes — the handsome Brazilian ‘Felipe’ whom she fell in love with at the end of her Eat Pray Love travels — for a woman, her gay best friend Rayya Elias.

Now, 15 months after her lover’s tragic death from cancer at the age of 57, Elizabeth Gilbert has fallen in love again — this time with a man. The object of her affections is British photographer Simon MacArthur, 60, who was for years one of Rayya’s closest friends and a former flatmate.

Indeed, it was Bristol-born Mr MacArthur who took one of the last poignant photographs of Elizabeth and Rayya together — a beautiful black-and-white portrait of the couple — before the Syrian born-musician and documentary maker passed away.

Now, 15 months after the tragic death of Elias (right) from cancer at the age of 57, Elizabeth Gilbert has fallen in love again — this time with a man

But this week in an Instagram post, Miss Gilbert, 49, introduced her new love to the world with the following words: ‘Please meet my sweetheart, Mr Simon MacArthur. He’s a photographer from the UK. He’s a beautiful man who has been a friend of mine for years.’

She continues: ‘Even more touchingly, Simon was a beloved friend of Rayya’s for decades. They lived in London together over 30 years ago, and they adored each other like siblings. This, as you can imagine, means the world to me. Of late, Simon and I have found our way into each other’s arms. And now here we are, and his heart has been such a warm place for me to land.

‘I share this news publicly, despite the fact our love story is so new and young and tender, for a few reasons. For one thing I just want to say: If you see me walking around with a tall, handsome man on my arm, don’t be buggin’. Just know that your girl is happy and following her heart.’

As for Mr MacArthur, who is believed to have recently split from his American wife, his Instagram reply to a surprised friend’s query ‘Really?’ suggests that he is as stunned as Miss Gilbert’s fans by this sudden and unexpected turn of events.

‘I hardly know where to begin. Liz and I have been friends for a couple of years. A few months ago the stars seemed to align. We were both out of relationships, both believing that we were destined to be alone for the rest of our lives,’ he writes.

‘But Liz has had strong feelings for me for years and kept those under wraps. A few weeks ago she revealed them to me and we’ve found an incredible love here … We’re madly in love and planning our future together so, watch this space. We’re in the throes of introducing all our friends to each other.’

The object of Elizabeth Gilbert’s affections is British photographer Simon MacArthur, 60, who was for years one of Rayya’s closest friends and a former flatmate

Born in Claverham, Bristol, New York-based documentary photographer and ‘environmental portraitist’ Mr MacArthur describes himself on his website as ‘a globetrotter, intensely curious about the way the world works and how best to pass on that curiosity to others — always looking for what’s around the next corner’.

He continues: ‘A friend told me my photos have all the hallmarks of a humanist. I think it fits. I am an ardent animal rights advocate and avid scuba diver, campaigning for the end of the use of plastics that are devastating oceanic life.’

A graduate of Gwent College of Art and Design in Newport, South Wales, he has travelled the world capturing arresting images of people and nature in black and white. His subjects range from Welsh dry dock welders to fishermen in Mombasa.

‘Why do I shoot solely in monochrome? The answer is because I want my work stripped bare of everything but cause and emotion,’ he writes. ‘As an emotive human being, I need to feel what I’m shooting, to feel as though I’m almost an integral part of everything I shoot … ideally, interacting with my subject, in their skin.’

As for Miss Gilbert, in her Instagram post presenting her new sweetheart, she offers the following advice to others mourning a loved one — it’s OK to fall in love and feel like a ‘dumb and crazy and excited and insecure’ 16-year-old again in middle age.

‘Do not let your gorgeous loyalty to the deceased stop you from experiencing the marvels and terrors of your short, mortal, precious life. It’s OK to live, and to love.’

Born in Claverham, Bristol, New York-based documentary photographer and ‘environmental portraitist’ Mr MacArthur (left) describes himself on his website as ‘a globetrotter, intensely curious about the way the world works in how best to pass on that curiosity to others — always looking for what’s around the next corner’

Certainly the intertwined lives of these three New Yorkers — who for years were nothing more than just good friends — would make a remarkable third memoir for Gilbert, whose follow-up to Eat Pray Love was called Committed and explored her ambivalence towards marriage.

You could argue it has all the hallmarks of another Hollywood blockbuster, sequel perhaps to the 2010 film adaptation of Gilbert’s bestseller (it’s been translated into 30 languages) starring Julia Roberts as Gilbert and Spanish actor Javier Bardem as ‘Felipe’.

But will this new romance give Elizabeth Gilbert’s fans the neat happy ending they thought she’d found with Brazilian gem trader Jose Nunes, settling down to married life in a $1 million dollar Italianate Victorian mini-estate in the artsy, rural village of Frenchtown, New Jersey? For Gilbert’s voyage of self-discovery captured the zeitgeist. Described as ‘a Shirley Valentine for the yoga and quinoa generation’ and compared to Sex And The City’s Carrie Bradshaw ‘cut loose from New York’, Gilbert’s story struck a chord with women dreaming of escape.

Some followed in her exotic footsteps, enjoying pizza in Italy (Eat), finding spiritual enlightenment in Indian ashrams (Pray) before travelling on to Indonesia hopefully to fall into the arms of their own sexy ‘Felipe’ under the Banyan trees of Bali (Love).

Raised on a Christmas tree farm in Connecticut, Gilbert was a moderately successful writer when, aged 34 and reeling from a painful divorce, she set off on her solo odyssey across three continents to try to make sense of her life.

Gilbert and Elias held a non-legally binding commitment ceremony in New York prior to her death. Gilbert and Elias had been best friends for years but their relationship turned romantic after the cancer diagnosis

Writing on the tenth anniversary of the bestseller which turned her into a multi-millionaire, Miss Gilbert wrote: ‘The woman who went on this trip was exceedingly lucky …Who has 12 free months to spare, just to kick around the globe? Who has the freedom or the money?’

She continued: ‘One of the reasons I was so free that year was because I was such a mess. It was easy for me to leave everything behind because I didn’t have much to leave behind.

‘I had no property because I’d lost it all in my divorce. I had no romantic relationships, because I’d exploded them. I had no job because I’d quit. Everything was in turmoil, everything was in flux and I was so bloody sad.’

Reflecting on the tangled love life which triggered the odyssey, Gilbert wrote in 2015 with disarming honesty about her past romantic failings, under the heading Confessions Of A Seduction Addict.

‘Seduction was never a casual sport for me; it was more like a heist, adrenalising and urgent. I would plan the heist for months, scouting out the target, looking for unguarded entries,’ she wrote.

‘Then I would break into his deepest vault, steal all the emotional currency and spend it on myself. If the man was already involved in a committed relationship, I knew that I didn’t need to be prettier or better than his existing girlfriend; I just needed to be different.

Gilbert announced in September 2016 that her marriage was over and that she’d found love with her best friend of 17 years —Rayya Elias — a musician, writer, film maker, recovered drug addict, ex-punk rocker and former hairdresser whom she’d first met when Elias staged an ‘intervention’ on Gilbert’s hair (Above: the pair pictured together in 2014)

‘The trick was to study the other woman and to become her opposite, thereby positioning myself to this man as a sparkling alternative to his regular life.’

Although Miss Gilbert set off on her voyage, swearing she will ‘never, ever, under any circumstance, marry again’, in 2007 she did marry her exotic, older lover ‘Felipe’, Jose Nunes.

Together they set up an Asian imports emporium in New York called Two Buttons, and for ten years the glamorous couple seemed blissfully happy, living in Frenchtown’s most expensive house — built for New Jersey’s first native-born governor. ‘My marriage has been pretty f****** nice. Pretty steady,’ she said shortly before their shock break-up.

‘I always think about how, at the very beginning, he said: “Can you please be gentle with me?”, and I remember thinking: “You, sir, have come to the right place.” ’

In a long Facebook message to her fans, Gilbert announced in September 2016 that her marriage was over and that she’d found love with her best friend of 17 years —Rayya Elias — a musician, writer, film maker, recovered drug addict, ex-punk rocker and former hairdresser whom she’d first met when Elias staged an ‘intervention’ on Gilbert’s hair.

‘Rayya and I are together. I love her and she loves me,’ wrote Gilbert, adding that she realised the depth of her feeling for Rayya only when her best friend was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer.

‘Something happened to my heart and mind in the days and weeks following Rayya’s diagnosis,’ she continued. ‘Death — or the prospect of death — has a way of clearing away everything that is not real and, in that stark and utter realness, I was faced with this truth: I do not merely love Rayya; I am in love with Rayya. And I have no more time for denying that truth.’

Jose Nunes has never spoken of his divorce from Gilbert. Their Frenchtown mansion was listed for sale for $999,000 dollars, the New York shop sold and last October the couple’s two-bedroom apartment on a Wellness resort in Miami, Florida was listed for sale for $2.3 million dollars.

In an interview with a lesbian magazine about inspiring same-sex couples, Rayya Elias revealed she and Gilbert were ‘very happily not married’ but had gone through a non-legally-binding ceremony of their commitment to one another.

Describing their ‘slow burn of passion’ after ‘almost two decades of the deepest foundational friendship you could ever imagine’, Rayya said: ‘It took a long time. Then I was diagnosed with cancer, and that did it. There was no more time to waste. The truth had to be spoken.’

After Rayya’s death in January 2018, Elizabeth Gilbert posted this tribute: ‘She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star … and my baby.

‘I loved you so much, Rayya. Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river. It has been the greatest honour of my life. I would tell you to rest in peace, but I know you always found peace boring. May you rest in excitement. I will always love you.’

Today, a happy new chapter now appears to be opening for Elizabeth Gilbert — with the friend of the late best friend whom they both loved.

No doubt, her fans will be eagerly awaiting her next surprise.

The post How novelist Elizabeth Gilbert ended up with late lovers male pal appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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lagroupie · 7 years ago

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Interview: Gus Dapperton (ENG)

Gus backstage at Bleu Lézard

I was looking forward to meeting Gus Dapperton last month for his first European tour- we found ourselves talking in a very small backstage room right before soundcheck at Bleu Lézard. What I found fascinating about him was how young he was- yet he was already touring overseas (and here in Lausanne, Switzerland!), gathering fans wherever he went. Dropping out of school to pursue a career in music and/or art can be scary, yet he did it the moment he knew he was ready. He was very open about his childhood and his life in the US as well, and I thank him for that. Here’s our conversation- we also talk about his fans/friends, my favorite song off his 2nd EP You Think You’re A Comic!, Beyond Amends , creating visuals with his best friend Matthew Dillon Cohen, and much more.

Welcome to Switzerland Gus! Is it your first time in Europe?

Gus Dapperton: Yeah, I love it! Overall it’s just nice to be out of the United States to be honest. I really like the people- I like the crowds at the shows. I think more people dance than in the States. Which is great, because I dance on stage. It’s nice when people can match that energy.

What is your life like in New York?

Well, going on tour and putting music out- this all happened fairly quickly. I grew up in a farm town in upstate New York. It’s only about an hour and a half away from the city but it’s very conservative, not subject to change, traditional- I really didn’t enjoy the society growing up there. But it’s very beautiful, and I definitely felt like I could be alone because there wasn’t so many people on top of each other. But yeah, I just grew up making music mostly. I just kept myself busy and made music constantly. And then, I moved around a lot. Since then, I went to school in Philadelphia for 2 years, at Drexel University. And when this opportunity arose I dropped out and decided to do this. But I would spend summers in New York City and I would also spend summers at the Jersey Shore- so I would move around a lot.

I guess I would say that my life back home is very nomadic and I haven’t really settled in anywhere yet. I’m “living in Philadelphia” now. But I just make music out of there. I think that when my lease is up, I’ll probably move to the Jersey Shore, just to build a studio and work on music. Because New York is too… I know a lot of people there. I just run into too many people I know.

I feel the same way about my town! (laughs) You said you dropped out of university, was this a definitive decision or do you plan on going back sometime in the future?

Hmm… I don’t want to go back to school, although it was a good learning experience. I don’t know, I never really wanted to go to college but I convinced myself that I had to go. Just to spend more time until I was ready to pursue music full-time, because I don’t think that I was ready yet at that point – before I went to school. I guess I was planning on not graduating on the 2nd year of college. And by then, I was like “I’m going to take a break for a while”.

And look at you now! You’re living your dream!

Yeah, it was probably the best decision!

I wanted to talk about your 2nd EP, You Think You’re A Comic! Why did you choose this title?

So, honestly I haven’t talked about this EP much yet because I released it pretty casually- I just gave a one-day warning and released it as soon as we were done with the artwork. But I came up with the name… I think in the Fall, and I guess it had something to do with being in touch with reality and understanding that in order to be moments of pleasure, there needs to be moments that are unpleasurable. I think it’s like being content with despair and tragedy, that it’s almost funny. So basically, that relates to me saying “you think you’re funny?” to someone that broke my heart. But yeah, I think it’s just being content with the fact that it will be okay, even though they broke your heart.

I also know that you’re producing your music. Was it the case with this EP as well?

Yes, yes!

That’s awesome. Did you learn producing just by doing it?

Yes, so basically I started out as a producer first, before I started singing and playing instruments. It happened when I was in 8th grade music class. One of our teachers basically forced everyone to- (ndlr: he laughs) I mean, it was a project. We had to make a song, but the part where I feel was forcing is that you would fail if you didn’t sing and do your vocals on it. Which- like what, there was maybe two kids who were comfortable singing in the whole grades! Though coming from a super-conservative town, portraying emotions through art was super crazy. So I was like “oh my God, this is awesome.” I would stay after school- they had a computer lab with basic software on it, like GarageBand. They didn’t give us much lessons on how to do it, we had to just play around in GarageBand. So I spent so much time on it. Whoever made the best song by the teachers’ opinion would be played on the town’s radio station. So I won the contest, and I always wanted to make music ever since then. But mainly production- I started making hip-hop beats for all my friends who rapped. So I produced up until I was 15 or 16. And then I started singing and playing more instruments when I was 17.

Wow. You started so young! That’s so great that you found very early on what you wanted to do.

Yeah- originally I drew and painted, and that fulfilled me. And then I would film and make edits of mostly just rain and skits… skateboarding and whatnot… but I always had something that I felt fulfilled with, that I could put my emotions into. But music was the ultimate one. So once I found that, I was just converted over!

Are the people on the cover of the EP your friends?

Now they are! (laughs) I casted them for this- Basically, me and my creative director Matthew Dillon Cohen do things on the fly. We come up with an idea and try to get things done quickly. So we did the Prune, You Talk Funny video and we knew a couple of other songs that were going to be on the EP. He basically just said “Let’s just photograph 20 different people”, and I was like “great!” Because one of the things I like to do is cast people. So I basically just cast my fans – that were local to the New York City area - to be in it! And then we got in the studio and photographed everyone.

I wanted to talk about the songs on the EP as well- I think we can really identify them as Gus Dapperton songs because of this particular sound, for example the light synthesizers. Did you play all the instruments yourself while recording?

I play most of the instruments, sometimes if we’re doing live drums I’ll get my drummer Tommy to record. More recently, Yen has been playing most of the live bass on the record. But sometimes I’ll use a synth bass. I basically do all the production, mixing, drum sequencing, recording on guitar and synth.

Did you produce it the same way as you did on the first EP?

This was a bit different, just because I used a lot more live instruments on this EP. The last one was a bit more simple, as far as the elements go, and kind of precise. This one was more like… Lots of layers and things. So I guess it’s just the phases I go through – not that one is better than the other, I’m back to my old ways with just keeping it very simple and exact, with elements with a lot of character, as opposed to layering it up. But this one has a lot of layers… I guess I went about recording a bit differently.

I bet everyone asks you about it, but I wanted to know more about the video for Prune, You Talk Funny. Was it your idea?

Basically, all my videos are directed by Matthew Dillon Cohen. He’s my best friend, I lived with him for a period of time and we have very similar tastes. When it comes to art, I have trouble trusting people to portray myself visually. Basically, what I’ll do is that I’ll show Matt the process of the song for months until it’s done- because it takes me quite a while. So I had been working on that song for about a year. Due to financial circumstances, I don’t have the ways and means to record a song how I would like to. So basically, he heard it for 6 months and I’ll write the lyrics and come with an analysis of the song, and give that to him. And then he comes up with a basic idea and puts it together. So I’ll give him an analysis of what the song is about and then he interprets it, how he would like it to be visually. And I’m almost always on the same page as him.

I really like that video. It’s like a presentation of who you are and your world.

Exactly! That’s exactly what it is. I don’t know if you’ve seen the video for Moodna, Once With Grace, but that’s also trying to put you in a world that I would thrive in. And I’m Just Snacking is more like a narrative, a story of the song. Prune is more trying to put you in that atmosphere that I would thrive and exist in.

I also wanted to talk about my favorite song from the EP, Beyond Amends- I think it’s also a bit different from the others. What is the story behind it?

So, Beyond Amends is more of a ballad. Actually, I wrote that song- let’s see… I’m about to turn 21 now, and I think I wrote it when was 17. So that’s 3 and a half years. I made it through 2 or 3 other times, but it just wasn’t right. I finally honed it at the place I was at when I wrote it- I mean, the place where it kind of came about in my head. I just went back and finally made it happen. I think it came out exactly how I wanted to. Basically, that song is about- like in most of my songs, my emotion is heartbreak or along the lines of that. Because that’s the most powerful feeling to me. Love is very powerful and then tragedy is very powerful. But when you combine the two it’s extra. So basically, my feeling was heartbreak but I relate the two – someone passing away and not being able to tell their loved ones goodbye, but consciously seeing it from their point of view as a spirit, and looking down upon their loved ones. “I wish I could tell you that I didn’t want to go”. But it also relates to a relationship and heartbreak.

Finally, what can we expect from Gus Dapperton in the future?

Well, I haven’t thought about it too much but I’m just really focused on this tour and performing well for everyone, because I’m not particularly a singer or a musician. You know, I’m more of a studio person. So performing in front of people is very new to me, but I definitely feel comfortable on stage and performing. But yeah, so definitely just constant art and – I’m constantly making music and being on tour doesn’t restrict me. Just a lot more music and a lot more visuals, things like that.

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#gus dapperton #lagroupieenglish #gusdapperton #prune you talk funny #le bleu lézard #bleulezard

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