#yes I know they’ve frequently described it as a friendship book however I’m taking the reins here

[starrynyxa]

I want to reread it with a closer look but I do think dying inside lends to a better reading knowing that liv and ash are meant to represent two different sides of a single person

[acsversace-news]

Playing larger-than-life fashion icon Gianni Versace isn’t a role Édgar Ramírez will soon to forget: the 20 pounds he put on for the part in Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story are a constant reminder.

“I had to gain weight, so I somehow kept the character with me all the time. I had to live with that weight for seven months. Every time I touched my belly or had heartburn, it reminded me of the show. Every time I couldn’t fit into my pants or was on a photo shoot and couldn’t fit into sample sizes, I was reminded that I was playing Gianni,” he confides ruefully.

It’s the night before the second season premiere of FX’s true-crime anthology, a highly anticipated follow-up to 2016’s much-feted, award-winning The People v. O.J. Simpson. The 40-year-old actor is in New York to promote the nine-episode series, an exploration of Versace’s murder that is based on Maureen Orth’s best-seller Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History. Despite having a nasty cold—which hit him “like a truck” during Golden Globes week—and still toting around some of that extra, custom-designed Versace baggage, his passion for the project is palpable.

“What Versace did—the impact that he had on the history of fashion and culture—is undeniable. He basically changed fashion by marrying sexuality and glamour on an unparalleled scale. Right now, we live—for better or worse—in a time that was shaped by Gianni Versace. The culture of bling, the exacerbation of fame, the picture between cinema and fashion, and fame and celebrity is something Gianni helped to create,” he enthuses.

Sadly, the Italian-born designer’s death became as infamous as his life had been. He was shot and killed in cold blood on July 15, 1997, on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion after returning from a walk on Ocean Drive. He was the fifth victim of serial killer who committed suicide just eight days later.

Ramírez—like most of the world—was fascinated by the glittering Gianni Versace, but it was the chance to work with American Crime Story’s equally mesmerizing producer and creator that drew him to the role. “I want to be part of stories that are not only dramatically gripping—that grab you and don’t let go—but that also touch upon important subjects. This is the case for most of Ryan Murphy’s work—his stories are interesting, but also socially and culturally relevant,” he notes, before admitting, “The first thing that drew me to the project was Ryan. I’ve been a huge admirer of Ryan Murphy for a long, long time.”

That said, he still didn’t accept the role right away. In Hollywood, Ryan Murphy need only snap his fingers and say “Jump!” before any number of A-list stars would squeak “How high?” But not Ramírez. He wanted to be sure of the project before he signed on the dotted line, and bold as brass, told Murphy to “come back to [him] with another script.”

When we applaud his chutzpah, the actor is quick to set the record straight and maintain that he is not a diva. “I loved the script immediately, but just based on one episode, it was very difficult for me to understand how the character was going to be a force, and not just a presence,” he explains. “That was very important. I needed to read other episodes to be able to understand where the character was going. It’s not about the size of a character, it’s about how much of a force a character is within a story. I knew that the writers were going to be spectacular, but I wanted to understand the direction of the whole story. Ryan gave me my process and my space, so I said yes.”

He has another reason for being hesitant: He’s been burned before—and it only happened once—but he’s loath to let it happen again. “People can have the best intentions—and I can say I’ve always worked with well-intentioned people—but so many things can happen in a production. Things change, and then all you’re left with is promises when you’ve already taken on a project. For me, it’s very important to take responsibility of my choices,” he notes, before describing his most disappointing cinematic experience, in what was one of his first major roles.

“I was lucky that it happened early in my career, which made it actually painless in a way, because I learned that I have to do projects for the right reasons,” Ramírez says. “I wasn’t sure about the script and was more fascinated by the people I was going to work with, the scope of the project and the charisma of the director—who turned out to be a much better producer than a director and a writer. I was enchanted by his promises and how he pitched the movie to me. But it didn’t end up that way on the page, and I was already committed; [the character wound up being ] difficult for me to play.”

His starring turn in The Assassination of Gianni Versace is a role that he takes full ownership of. “What I said to Ryan is, ‘I have to be responsible for my choice, so that if I sign on regardless of what happens, I’m not going to blame anyone—you or the producers,’” he recalls, noting, “It’s not about having things my way, because that’s boring. I love to be surprised by material, but walking into the unknown I need to be sure that I’m being responsible for that leap. I need certain conditions to be met for me to open up to the adventure.”

Clearly, Murphy, along with the cast and crew, more than satisfied his requirements, giving Ramírez one of the top overall experiences of his career. “This is one of the best roles I’ve ever had the chance to play. I couldn’t be happier, and I have only great things to say about this experience,” he says, adding that he’s not only formed a life-long friendship with Murphy, but with co-stars Penélope Cruz, who plays Gianni’s sister, Donatella; Ricky Martin, as his longtime lover, Antonio D’Amico; and Darren Criss, as the killer Cunanan.

He formed a familial bond with Cruz in particular, whom he first met while filming the series in December and refers to as “a very good friend,” though the cast as a whole truly seemed to form a life-long bond. “It doesn’t happen very often, but we all became very close. It was one of those experiences where you know that everyone will be in each other’s life after this project,” Ramírez vows.

Their closeness was especially opportune given the sensitive subject matter. “It was a lucky strike that really helped the process, because this was a very intense shoot, and we had very [dramatic] scenes,” he maintains. “The family relationships within the Versace clan were volatile, and we had to have a lot of trust in each other. We had to really abandon ourselves to each other to really get to the core of the scene.”

The fiery Versace family hasn’t been particularly impressed with Murphy’s project, which, again, ais based on a nonfiction work. They released a statement in January asserting that they “neither authorized nor had any involvement whatsoever” in the series, and that it “should only be considered as a work of fiction.” A follow-up declaration was equally dismissive, announcing that the “Orth book itself is full of gossip and speculation” and was an “effort to create a sensational story” with “secondhand hearsay that is full of contradictions.”

Needless to say, Ramírez did not get in touch with any members of the Versace family—not his brother, Santo, niece, Allegra, nephew, Daniel, nor Donatella (who reportedly sent friend Penélope Cruz a bouquet of flowers wishing her luck)—while researching the role. Instead, he did his research by reading old interviews, and also managed to find friends of the late designer who were willing to talk and provided much-needed, personal insight into his life. “For particular reasons, we weren’t allowed to [approach the family], but I also knew it would be fruitless, and I didn’t want to do that. They weren’t open. The Versaces went through one of the most horrible tragedies in contemporary history, and it happened in the public eye. I knew this was going to be hard for them, so I didn’t want to reach out to them,” he admits.

That said, he is interested in hearing their thoughts after they’ve actually seen the series, which debuted on January 17: “I’m very curious to see what their reaction will be when the cat is finally out of the bag, and they see what we did, and that we did it with the utmost respect and compassion. It is not sensational. Our show is based on a nonfiction book by a highly respected female writer, and we stand by her reporting.”

After playing Gianni Versace, however, Ramírez very keenly feels the family’s grief. “In order to understand the massive loss that this man’s disappearance was, we really had to understand his creative process and how much love he had for art, for life, his family,” he notes. “In the most Italian of ways, he had such a hunger for life. He had such curiosity. He was such a disruptor, such a nonconformist. He tried to change the world in the best way he could. After having portrayed his life, it hurts more to know that he’s no longer with us.”

However, Ramírez did not have to shake off his sadness at the end of every day. Instead, he embraced the true essence of Gianni Versace. “I didn’t really need to get rid of the character every time I walked off set, because he was fun,” he admits. “It was nice to be him. It was nice to be that force.”

CARPE DIEM

Ramírez has always stood up for what he believes in, and does this even more so now that he has the world as his stage. “I have the opportunity to help others by the virtue of what I do,” he notes. “I have a great platform to give a voice to people who are underrepresented or don’t have a voice. I think that’s a part of my responsibility.”

He does this most frequently through HeForShe, a solidarity campaign for the advancement of women initiated by UN Women. The movement’s goal is to achieve equality by encouraging men and boys to become agents of change and to act against the inequalities that women face worldwide.

“[As a result of the campaign], I think that women have felt supported and more men have their backs. Men have felt encouraged to also join forces in trying to reach a more gender-equal world, which is the goal of the movement. Gender equality is a liberation movement for each and every person that has felt the burden of a gender stereotype, or like they’ve had to fit into an uncomfortable mold or felt the pain of discrimination,” he declares.

And no, he’s never been personally discriminated against, never had resistance or doubt in accepting a job, and that’s the point. Things shouldn’t always be easy, and if they are, you fight for others, in his opinion.

“[Discrimination] has never personally happened to me, but it’s been very close to me—my mom, my sister, my niece, my female friends. Not even when I decided to become an actor did I feel it. To have had the privilege to decide my life and what I am, that obliges you to help other people to have the same privileges,” he says.

Growing up in San Cristóbal, Táchira, Venezuela as the son of Soday Arellano, an attorney, and Filiberto Ramírez, a military officer, Ramírez was allowed to do as he pleased. His sister, Nataly, was not as fortunate. “I never felt that I needed to do something else, because my father’s expectations were different. I felt very supported at home. But my sister was not. For example, she wanted to become a pilot. She really knows how to drive a car. She wanted to become a race [car driver] and pursue that passion, but my father wouldn’t let her. I had the privilege to choose and decide my life, clearly,” he says. “My sister, cousins and friends didn’t have that choice. I had more opportunities to decide my life based on my gender. I was never criticized by my dad when I decided to become an actor. He said, ‘Okay, I guess you know what you’re doing,’ but I don’t know if it would have been the same thing if my sister had wanted to be that.” Incidentally, there are no hard feelings today in his household. “We are, as a family, trying to build opportunities for the next generation so they don’t feel the burden of a gender stereotype,” he says.

Ramírez, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and supports Amnesty International, has always stood up for what he believes in. “I’ve always been an outspoken person since I was a kid,” he reveals. “I didn’t always know what I wanted to do, but if I wanted something, I was determined to get it.”

He had the freedom to try his hand at a variety of careers until he found one that fit. After graduating from Venezuela’s Universidad Católica Andrés Bello with a degree in mass communication and a minor in audiovisual communication with the intention of pursuing international relations, he tried a stint as a political journalist before working as executive director of Dale al Voto, a Venezuelan foundation similar to Rock the Vote. He also worked in promotions at one point before deciding to become an actor.

His first role of note was in the Venevisión soap opera Cosita Rica. His first major motion picture was Tony Scott’s 2005 film, Domino, and first blockbuster the 2007 action flick The Bourne Ultimatum. He has appeared in a plethora of films with big-name directors since his early days as an actor, including Steven Soderbergh’s Che; Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty; andDavid O. Russell’s Joy. Other projects include Vantage Point; the 2015 Point Break reboot; Hands of Stone; The Girl on the Train; and, more recently, Gold and Bright.

He just wrapped Pablo Trapero’s thriller The Quietude with The Artist’s Bérénice Bejo in Argentina and will reunite with Robert De Niro for the third time in a top-secret project. Although he can’t talk about the film, he has plenty to say about De Niro, his co-star in Joy and Hands of Stone. “I’ve only done two films with Bob, but it feels like six because of the intensity of the films, but also because of the intensity of our relationship,” he shares. “I’ve been lucky to become very close to Bob, and he’s an important part of my life, not only professionally but also personally. We try to hang out as much as we can. He’s a great listener and a huge source of inspiration. He’s one of the most polite people I’ve ever met. He treats everyone equally, honestly. That’s very inspiring, especially in this day and age.”

At the end of the day, Ramírez is just looking for things that make him happy. “I’m in New York City right now, and I’m playing one of the most important parts that I’ve ever done and working with some of the greatest talents I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with,” he notes. “I just spent an amazing New Year’s Eve with my family. My father almost died this past year, but he made it [to the holidays] with us. I’m at a great moment in my life. It’s as good as it gets. Is it perfect? No, nothing’s perfect, but that’s part of the challenge. You’re always trying to make things a little bit better. Sometimes you nail it, sometimes you don’t, but you wait for the next day to make it better. I take things one day at a time.”

He references the destruction of his homeland, and the constitutional-crisis protests that swept Venezuela in 2017. “I come from a country that was destroyed by bigotry,” Ramírez says. “My country has been basically morally erased. Almost more than three million people have left the country. However, every time I walk through Buenos Aires [in Argentina], I see young people from my country that have fled there just happy that they’re alive, that they have a new slate in front of them. And that is beautiful. It gives me hope.”

We ask if he thinks his innate optimism—his hopefulness—has helped him navigate through life—the belief that if you want things to be wonderful, they will be. He mulls this over, and he agrees. “I think so. I always try to see the glass as half full and not half empty. I mean, there are days when I just see emptiness, sure—it’s not a constant thing—but most of the time, I have to believe that things can improve. Bad things, evil things just tend to be a little bit louder.”

But it’s in his personality to focus on the good, to live in the moment. He asserts that he’s happy with his path: “I’m very lucky. I also work very hard. I have great people around me, and I try to surround myself with people who have the same attitude. I’m at a very interesting moment [in my life]. But you know, if you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have said the same thing. I’m very open to what the day awaits.”

[haramnamjin]

Love In the Club || One

BTS | VMIN |

Member: V, Jimin + Yoongi 

Genre: Fluff, college based, tutoring

Word Count: 1.6 K

  There were many ways to describe Jimin. Boys would whisper that he was too soft and girls would fawn over how bold he was, especially the strides he took across the plenary stage. His high arabesques gained him brownie points on the judges marksheet and formed a fanbase of juniors who left cute anonymous notes in his locker but no matter how high he scored in his contemporary class, the only grade that brought Taehyung running to his side was his G for physics.

  Jimin looked up into his mirror, remembering that Taehyung never actually ran to help him with his physics. Pushed was more like it, like an instructor pushing a reluctant tourist to bungee jump into an 80-metre drop. Taehyung was called in to the lecturer’s lounge a fortnight ago, being tasked with the duty to tutor another promising student in class who wasn’t so promising in the field of physics. Taehyung, who was usually high-spirited and playful, had a solemn look on his face for he realized that if he took up on the task, he wouldn’t be able to go out for the clubs he worked, and also partied, at. Tutoring someone meant there was going to be a progress sheet and Taehyung was never good at keeping up someone else’s progress sheet unless it meant locking in dates for people who wanted to hotbox a room every week at the LIV, one of the nightclubs Taehyung frequently worked at. So, when Taehyung left the lecturer’s lounge and bumped into a very sweaty Jimin, Taehyung could only muster a small smile before brushing pass Jimin who had always wanted to be friends with Taehyung on his own accord, but now it was going to be forced and Jimin didn’t want the friendship to be merely on a touch and go basis. Jimin knew though, that deep down Taehyung didn’t really like his presence. He noticed that Taehyung made it a point to avoid him during class or even at events. Jimin was also told that Taehyung apparently wasn’t fond of Jimin’s soft approach and therefore disregarded him for it. However, they’ve never had a proper conversation and maybe this tutoring thing could help.

  It’d had been two weeks and still no sign of Taehyung. They shared classes, sure but Jimin could never seem to catch Taehyung whose lanky long legs made him disappear into the sea of students a lot faster. That was until Jimin’s attention from the mirror was torn away by his phone buzzing. Quickly rummaging through his backpack, he swiped the lockscreen to find out that he had a miss call from an unknown number. He texted the number, asking for who was calling only to receive a text that would make his heart leap.

07:43 pm - Unknown number: Park Jimin? It’s Taehyung.

07:43 pm - Jimin: Uh, how did you get my number?

07.43 pm - Taehyung: I have everyone’s number. Where are you now?

07.44 pm - Taehyung: Room 204 right? Can I come over in 5 minutes?

07.45 pm - Jimin: About to leave the plenary hall. Sure but I might take a while to get across campus though.

07.48 pm - Taehyung: Then I’ll see you at the library in 10? Oh and, come with money.

07.48 pm - Jimin: Uh, okay? See you.

  Come with money? Jimin thought. Did that mean he shouldn’t bring his books with him or not? Jimin turned off the lights in the plenary hall before running across campus, dodging some other students along the way and nearly tripped over the campus bench but made it to his room in one piece. He switched the contents of his bag with his physics book and a jotter before changing into a black hoodie and ripped jeans. Stuffing his wallet into his back pocket, he locked his room door and charged back across campus to centre square. Pushing the panelled doors, he climbed up the stairwell to the second floor and stopped right in front of the library doors to take a breather. He took out his phone and stared into the black reflection, fixing his hair and fidgeting around with his hoodie. His hair was a dishevelled mess but he didn’t want to make Taehyung wait. He ran his fingers through it quickly before entering the quiet library. Or maybe now not so quiet since a burst of laughter came up on his left, getting his attention and the annoyed librarian. Jimin’s eyes landed on a group of frat boys sitting at one of the tables and focused on the tall blonde who was with them. Jimin pulled out his phone, dialling Taehyung’s number whilst earning a rather infuriated look from the librarian.

Jimin: “Taehyung? Uh, I’m in the library.”

Taehyung: “Where? I don’t see –”

  Taehyung turned his body around, craning his neck to examine the long hall, which made Jimin turn his body away from Taehyung’s view even more because he didn’t want the frat boys to spot him. Especially not with Taehyung. Taehyung noticed Jimin holding his phone to his ear and his hand shots up in the air, waving exaggeratively to grab Jimin’s attention but to no avail. Taehyung then excused himself from the company of frat boys, walking over to sling an arm around Jimin’s shoulders.

 “There you are! I was waving so hard I thought I’d break my arm.” Taehyung exclaimed. Jimin tried to hide his sheepish smile and rubbed his neck, feeling sorry.

 “Yah, I didn’t notice. Uh, how did you get my number anyways?” Jimin asked whilst setting his backpack on the table, dragging the chair out to sit.

 “I’m a part of the student board, I help arrange students to their dormitories. You must have gotten a text at the start of the term informing you of your room number and partner. That was me!” Taehyung stated. Jimin’s eyes widened, absorbing the fact that he had Taehyung’s number all along but never knew it.

 “Jimin, why’re you taking your things out?”

 “You told me to meet you here? You’re supposed to tutor me-”

 “Aigo, did I forget to tell you? I’m taking you out! Can I teach you tomorrow?” Taehyung asked, helping Jimin to put his things back into his backpack.

 “ T-taking me out?” Jimin stuttered, not knowing what to think.

 “Yeah! I felt bad that I hadn’t contacted you for a couple of weeks now. I would teach you tonight but I’ve got work. I thought it’d be good for us to chill first before hitting the books, y’know?”

 “Don’t you work at the LIV? I thought one had to buy some heavy soju to be able to get in first?” Jimin spluttered, trying to grasp at where the night was going.

 “Why do you need to buy some soju if you’ve got me?” Taehyung shrugged his broad shoulders, taking out a packet of walnuts from his pocket and popping a few into his mouth. “We’ll study tomorrow, okay? I’ve got to finish up my rounds tonight or Yoongi will chop my balls off. You know Yoongi right?”

   Jimin looked up at Taehyung. How couldn’t he not have known Yoongi? Yoongi and Jimin were roommates after all, which didn’t help Jimin have a pleasant stay either. Jimin felt that Yoongi had a sharp tongue and a blunt way of going about things, which was why he always felt apprehensive around Yoongi. Jimin nodded and before he could respond, Taehyung was already taking Jimin’s backpack and walking towards the exit. Jimin caught up with Taehyung, spurting out reasons as to why he couldn’t tag along to go to the LIV. Taehyung stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Jimin, letting his head loll to the side.

 “Have you gone clubbing before Jimin?” Taehyung asked, making a pop noise as he cracked another walnut.

 “I have but-” Jimin started.

 “Do me a favour, come with me tonight, as a guest. I need to get another new customer anyways to hit my target. You brought your wallet, right?” Taehyung asked.

 “Yeah, you told me to. Why though?”

 “In case you actually do need to buy a bottle of soju. Yoongi isn’t all that keen when I bring freeloaders. But I’ll try putting you in his good books.” Taehyung said as he outstretched his arm to put his hands on Jimin’s shoulders, to which Jimin stepped back from.

 “Great, so not only I’m going clubbing on a school night, I’m coming back with less cash.” Jimin rationalized.

 “Or no cash! It’s always all or nothing with me, Jiminie.” Taehyung winked and Jimin had to refrain himself from reacting to it. “It’s okay if I call you that right? I overheard some of the juniors calling you that and it actually fits you.” Taehyung asked for reassurance and Jimin shrugged, even though inside he was already yelling.

 “So, are you coming or not?” Taehyung asked, fixing Jimin’s backpack higher onto his shoulder. Jimin thought for a moment, how bad could a night out be? Jimin responded with a yes, earning hollers from Taehyung which made the librarian push them both out of the library. Taehyung and Jimin stumbled out and Taehyung laughed.

 “She’s got a crush on me, that one.” Taehyung said, huffing his chest out. Who wouldn’t? Jimin thought to himself, staring into space before he felt something warm pressed against his right palm. He looked down to find Taehyung’s hand clasped in his and felt Taehyung’s thumb caressing his hand for a short second before he looked up. Taehyung smiled before walking forward, dragging Jimin by the hand behind him.

 “Let’s go, Jiminie.”

[ghosthunthq]

Call of the Moor (Part 1/2)

For: @vzyfny

By: @csakuras

Prompt: Friendship, Adventure, Supernatural.  Theme: roadtrip, hitchhiking, autumn.

In the autumn following Noll’s 13th birthday, Martin proposed a road trip.  The trip in itself wasn’t an unusual suggestion; the family had taken many such trips, mainly to paranormal hotspots, in the years since the twins had been adopted.  What struck him as unusual was the timing— their past trips had all been during the summer holidays— and the fact that this time, Lin had been invited.

On one hand, he could almost understand the reasoning.  Noll’s Qigong training had taken priority during the summer, so they had forgone the usual family road trip.  Rescheduling it to their half-term break wasn’t unimaginable.  On the other hand, bringing Lin along, while Luella got some rare time to herself at home, seemed to defy the very concept of a ‘family’ road trip.  The whole thing struck him as suspicious.  But as he could not refuse anyway, Noll decided not to speak up about it.

And that was how he found himself in the backseat of a car, Gene sitting beside him, Lin in the front passenger seat, with Martin driving.  Their destination was Dartmoor National Park, in Devon.  Martin had rented a car just for the occasion, a particularly tiny one, in order to “navigate the narrow country roads.”  And while this wasn’t a problem for the twins, and it was a tight but manageable fit for Martin, Lin looked as if he had been crammed into a sardine can.  The top of his head was flat against the ceiling, and he was forced into a slouch.  His knees were also nearly up to his chin, due to the lack of leg room.

Gene found this all very hilarious and made sure to mention it at least twice an hour, which also prompted Martin into apologizing for the umpteenth time.  Lin weathered the ordeal with polite grace and stoicism, but Noll could sense the discomfort coming off him in waves.  He was torn between pitying the man, and annoyance at how big of a deal Gene had to make of it.  It’s not like it was that funny.  (It was just a little funny.)

They had been on the road for roughly five hours now, not including rest stops, and were finally within the park.  Rolling green fields gave way to rust brown moor, rocky tors dotting the wild, desolate landscape.  Hills stretched on to the horizon, where they met overcast sky.

Martin soon stopped the car and led them on a short hike, where he made the twins and Lin climb up on a tor so he could take their picture.  Once again, Noll had to question why Lin was there, a question the man seemed to be asking himself as he stood awkwardly with them on the rocky outcrop.

Afterwards, they returned to the car, and before long were winding through claustrophobic, maze-like country roads flanked on either side by tall hedgerows.  At times these roads grew so narrow, the hedges brushed right along the sides of the car, branches scraping and snapping as they squeezed through.  It seemed Martin had been right to rent such a small car.

Noll sighed.  Martin had promised that the first village they came to, they would stop to have some tea.  This was the only thing he had to look forward to.  He had already finished reading his book on Dartmoor legends, and so now was forced to actually listen to the conversation in the car.

“You think we’ll see some Dartmoor ponies, Martin?”

“I’m sure we’ll find them roaming around soon enough.”

Inevitably, the bulk of it was between Gene and Martin.  Lin tended to only respond when spoken to.

“So, Lin, studies going well?” Martin asked, in a blatant attempt at involving the man in conversation.

“Yes, thank you.  I should be earning my degree in spring.”

“Splendid!  Will you be looking for employment soon, then?  Or I suppose a talented young man like you would already have something lined up, I imagine?”

“Not yet.  Though I will always have my family’s business to fall back on, it would not be ideal.  I am hoping to find something in the technical field.”

“You don’t say?  Given your background, I wouldn’t have guessed!”

“I…have a passion for computers.”

“Did you hear that, Noll?” Martin called.  “Won’t you have a need for technical experts in the new lab?”

“We’ll have a Mechanic Team,” Noll nodded.  “I don’t think they’ve begun hiring yet.”

“Well, there you go, then!  That’s one possibility.  And I’d be happy to write a recommendation.”

“Thank you, Professor.”  Lin paused.  “…I’m sorry, what is this ‘new lab’?”

“Oh, haven’t we mentioned it yet?  SPR is creating a specialized research institute right in Cambridge, due to open next year I believe.  Noll’s worked tirelessly to secure funding for it,” Martin chuckled.

“We have a generous donor,” Noll muttered.

“Yeah, but you went all out, didn’t you, Noll?” Gene teased.  “Broke out the magic tricks and everything.  You should’ve seen it, Lin!  My brother, trying to be social.”

“That…is difficult to imagine.”

“You should come to the next party!  I bet the patrons would love to meet you!”

“Oh, no…I couldn’t possibly…”

By now they had escaped the hedgerows, and drove down a road with trees on one side, and a low stone wall separating them from the moor on the other.  Treetops flashed by, a swirl of gold, scarlet, and copper.

Then without warning, a dense fog descended, obscuring their way.  Martin slowed the car.

“Whoa, this is spooky!  I feel like anything could jump out at us now!” Gene chirped, as if such a thing would be desirable.

“A spectral dog, perhaps?” Martin suggested, with equal enthusiasm.

“Yeah, a hellhound!  Like from The Hound of the Baskervilles!”

“Or perhaps even a headless horseman!”

“Ooh, a dullahan?  Noll, we’ve got some Irish in us!  Maybe it’ll think we’re cousins!”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Hey, I know!  It’s almost Halloween, and this is the perfect atmosphere!  We could trade scary stories!”

Lin let out a small sigh.  Noll couldn’t help but agree.

“You first, Noll!” Gene grinned.

There was no point in arguing.  “Once there was a boy named Eugene.  He spoke too much, and so a witch put a spell on him, causing his mouth to sew itself shut.  He spent the rest of his life mute.  The end.”

“Is that really the best you could come up with?”

“I included a witch.  I thought you would appreciate that.”

Both adults chuckled.

Gene pouted.  But before long, the mischievous grin was back.  “Okay, now it’s my turn.  I’ll tell a story that’ll even get you spooked, Noll.  After all, it is a true story~”

He knew at once that nothing good could come of this.  And sure enough, Gene launched into a familiar tale, one from long ago…

———

It must have been when he was four or five, back when they were living in Boston.  While their mother used to answer the door when they were very young (or, more frequently, ignored the door bell entirely), once the boys had grown tall enough to open the door themselves, that task had automatically fallen to Gene.

That night, however, Gene happened to be stuck on the toilet.  When the door bell rang, Mother called drunkenly from the kitchen.

“Eugene, answer the door!”

“Mama, I can’t!” Gene called from the bathroom.  “I’m pooping!”

The bell rang again.

“Answer the door!”

“I can’t!”

It rang again.

“Eugene!”

“Mama!”

At the time, Noll had been sitting in the living room, gazing at a newspaper Nuptadi had given them the other day.  He couldn’t read any of it, of course, but he liked to look at the pictures and imagine what the words said.  But all this racket thoroughly disrupted his concentration, and annoyed, he got up to answer the door himself for the first time.

It couldn’t be that difficult, after all.  He just had to open the door and check who was ringing.  It would probably just be Nuptadi anyway.

But Nuptadi was not who greeted him at the front door.  As soon as he pulled it open, a chorus of voices rang out.

“Trick or treat!”

Noll’s eyes bugged out at the sight before him.  Three large, orange heads planted on bodies clad in black leotards.  Their faces grinning horribly down at him.  They must have been only teenagers, visiting the house out of a misguided idea that its shabby appearance was intentionally done to look spooky.  But to a young Noll, they appeared to be giants.

“Oh my gosh, look how cute!” one of them squealed upon seeing him.

“Awww!”

“Watch out, kid!”  One of them, a male, made a clawing motion with his hands.  “If you don’t give us candy, we might just eat ya!” he growled.

“Don’t say that!”  Another one elbowed him in the side.  “You’re scaring him!”

Noll just stared, frozen in place.  What did these creatures want?  Candy?  What?

One of them crouched down.  The grinning orange face loomed closer.  “Hey, where are your parents, little guy?”

Mother chose that moment to call from the kitchen.  “Eugene, who’s at the door?”

“I’m not at the door, Mama!  I’m on the toilet!”

“Oliver, who’s there?”

Noll seemed to have lost his voice.  What could he say to describe what he was seeing?  How could he possibly find the words?

“…I don’t know these people,” he finally said, and slammed the door on their big pumpkin faces.

———

Noll shuddered at the memory.  Gene, on the other hand, burst out laughing.  “Our parents never told us about Halloween, so Noll was totally convinced they were actual pumpkin people!  Can you imagine…!”

Noll glared at him.  This wasn’t funny at all.

Fortunately, Martin only chuckled lightly.  Lin gave a weak smile.

“Okay, Lin!  Your turn!” Gene said, rounding on him.  “You’ve gotta have some interesting stories, right?”

“I…”

But Lin was spared the humiliation.  Just then, the car gave a massive jolt.  Martin hit the brakes.  Fortunately, since they weren’t driving fast to begin with, they came to a stop without issue.

“Is everyone all right?” Martin asked.

They all mumbled in reply,

“What was that?” Gene asked.

Martin sighed.  “I’ll go and take a look.  Boys, stay inside.”

He opened the driver’s side door and got out of the car.

“What if it’s the Hairy Hands?” Gene said.  “You know, that legend about a pair of spectral hands that appear and take hold of the steering wheel?”

“Gene, if such a thing had appeared, wouldn’t you have noticed?”

“Hmm, good point.”

“Besides, that legend has already been debunked.”

Martin opened the door again and peered in.

“Bad news.  It appears we’ve hit a nasty pothole, and have a flat tire.”

Noll sighed.  He wouldn’t be having tea for a while now.

“Lin, would you come help me with this please?  Boys, I’m afraid you’ll have to get out as well.”

They all exited the car.  Lin examined the tire with Martin, then they went to open the trunk.

Noll decided to just stay out of the way, and sat on the low stone wall with Gene.  After a few minutes, he glanced at his twin, who had gone suspiciously quiet.  Gene stared out at the misty moor; something had evidently caught his attention, but when Noll looked, he could see nothing.

This wasn’t exactly unusual for him, so Noll chose to ignore it.  He began flipping through his book again.

Minutes later, as Martin and Lin got the jack into place and began working on removing the flat tire, another car approached from the opposite direction.  The road here wasn’t as narrow as it had been earlier, but it would still be difficult to squeeze past.  The other car slowed to a stop in front of them and the driver leaned out the window, presumably to ask what the problem was.  As Noll watched, Martin and Lin went over to explain.

Suddenly, Gene got to his feet.

“Gene?”

Without even a look back, Gene climbed over the stone wall and went marching off into the moor.

Noll stared.  What was that idiot thinking?

“Martin,” he called.  “Gene just ran off.”

But Martin did not seem to notice, too busy talking to the other driver.  Meanwhile, Gene faded into the mist.

Noll clicked his tongue.  Usually he wouldn’t bother, but knowing Gene, he might just go sink into a peat bog and disappear, not even leaving a body behind for dissection.

“Stupid medium.”  He gave chase.

———

In the end, the other driver had no choice but to turn back, as their car could not be moved aside just yet.  Lin returned to replacing the tire with Martin.  

“I do apologize for the trouble, Lin,” Martin said.  “This trip hasn’t turned out quite as I’d hoped.”

Lin shook his head.  “It’s fine, sir.”  Actually, he was glad to be outside, stretching his limbs after hours of being trapped inside that cramped car.  And he did not mind the mechanic work.  He would rather be doing this than forced into strained conversation with the twins.

As if reading his mind, Martin asked, “By the way, how have you and Noll been getting on, if I might ask?”

“He has shown remarkable improvement.  Oliver is an excellent student.”

“Yes, but on a personal level?”

Lin pursed his lips.  “It has been…courteous.”

In truth, though Lin had been training Oliver for several months now, their relationship was still stiff and cold.  For one, Lin was not good with children.  And it certainly did not help that Oliver was socially awkward as well.  The two of them seemed to have decided unanimously that their interactions would not go beyond the Student-Teacher relationship.

Which made this trip all the more awkward.  Martin had clearly invited him along hoping it would be a bonding experience for them, but they had barely spoken a word to each other the whole time.  At this rate, he saw no hope of things improving.

Not to mention, the fact that the boys were Japanese still bothered him.  He knew that was unfair.  They had as much to do with those atrocities as he did.  But he could not help the aversion.

He did feel sorry for them, though.  If he weren’t already sympathetic to Oliver’s plight, learning of their history alone would have been enough to get him to agree to teaching him.

“…I must admit, it still surprises me,” Lin said quietly, thinking back to the conversation in the car.  “How lightly those two take their past.  Eugene in particular.”  Though the story itself had been amusing, Lin could not bring himself to laugh, considering the context.

“Indeed, though that goes for Noll too,” Martin nodded.  “The first time we introduced them to relatives, Noll told them of his mother’s death to break the ice.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I believe that was the only way he knew how to garner sympathy.”  Martin smiled sadly.  “Unlike Gene, he has a very difficult time making friends.”

“I see.”  So that explained it.  Normally one wouldn’t push their son to become friends with a man twice their age, but it seemed Martin was desperate.

“Speaking of which…”  Martin stood, stretched, and peered over to the opposite side of the car.  “How are you boys holding up?”

But they were gone.

Lin looked around.  The twins were nowhere in sight.

Martin just sighed wearily.  “I suppose I ought to have expected this.”

“Does this happen often?” Lin asked.

“Those boys have a propensity for wandering off on their own.  Sometimes I wonder if they simply forget that they are wanted.”

The two of them called the twins’ names.  But they heard no answer.

“Now where could they have gotten to…” Martin murmured, his gaze turning to the moor.

“Perhaps they’ve gotten lost.  Especially in this fog, it would be very easy to lose one’s way…”

How long had they been gone?  There was no telling how far they might be now.

Martin heaved a heavy sigh.  “Well, I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually.  Those boys are smart and gifted, they will surely manage…”  But he did not take his eyes off the moor.

When Lin remained silent, the older man attempted a chuckle.  “It’s a good thing my wife isn’t here.  She would be worried out of her mind.”

This was getting painful.  “I will go look for them,” Lin finally said.

Martin looked at him in surprise.  “Are you sure?  It wouldn’t do for you to become lost as well.”

“I will be fine, Professor.  I have my own methods.”

“I should go, they are my responsibility…”

“No, one of us should stay with the car.  And I believe I have a better chance at finding them.  I promise I will bring them back safe.”

Martin stared at him for a moment longer, then nodded.  “Very well.  I place them in your trust.”

He nodded back.  He didn’t know exactly what he had done to earn so much trust from the man, but he knew he had to honor it.

Lin looked out over the foggy moor.  He put his fingers to his lips and whistled.