#And to Emilio because he deserves it too <3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

disgruntledspacedad · 3 years

Text

The Rules of Engagement (3/5)

The Better Love Series

pairing: Javier Peña x fem!reader/ofc (Ears)

summary: (slow-burn, sexual tension, angst, a little bit of h/c in later chapters) He’s a DEA agent. You work for Centra Spike. Peña’s not your boss, exactly, but you’ve been fwb long enough that certain people are starting to think of you as An Item, and that just won’t do.

words: 3.4k

warnings: 18+ for alcohol, language, smut, violence, body horror, general trauma. Please, please heed the warnings on this chapter, guys. It gets pretty intense.

a/n: Unbeta’d. I know I said this was going to be three chapters, but I lied. Sorry, my dudes - this one got away from me. Inspo credit goes to @tiffdawg, as always.

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

MASTERLIST

Well, fuck. You bite back a massive sigh.

You really, really don’t want to walk through that door.

It’s been a month, and you life has changed profoundly.

For one, you’re not at the office as much anymore - Stechner had made good on his promise to consider you for more flyovers, and boy, has Centra Spike been busy. Some new vigilante group is terrorizing Medellín, and while it’s not Search Bloc’s priority to go after them, they’ve undeniably kept Pablo and his sicarios busy. The radio frequencies are hot right now, and you’ve been doing eight, sometimes ten flights a week.

You absolutely love it. The hours are less predictable and definitely more shitty, but listening to a radio from the cockpit of a plane is much more fun that listening to a radio in a stuffy basement office, so you consider it a fair trade.

It keeps your brain busy, too.

Your social life has taken a massive kick to the nuts. Ana is back at university, and you miss her more than you thought you would. You’ve reverted to communicating with Emilio with gestures and smiles more than words. It’s nice because he’s nice, but you miss actual conversation, stilted as it was. Ana wasn’t all that bad, either.

And then there’s Javi.

You haven’t spoken to him since That Morning, not even a polite 'how are you?' in the hallway. Granted, you’re not seeing him as often anymore, given your new position and hours, but then again, you haven’t exactly sought him out, either.

The memory claws at you every time you relive it - and you relive it often. That anger, that wounded expression. The slammed door, his retreating footsteps. Each time you’re in that building, the walls seem to close in on you, and you have to stop yourself from looking for him, actively keep your gaze from roaming straight to his desk.

God, as if you could make it more awkward.

You’d had one nasty conversation with Murphy about a week after the incident - you’d told him in no uncertain terms that he could either mind his own business or fuck right off, you didn’t care which. He’d left you be, throwing his hands in the air and muttering something about how “you two deserve each other.”

Asshole.

Still, that aborted conversation haunts you - so many aborted conversations haunt you - and you wonder what would have happened if you’d just taken the bull by the horns and addressed the issue with Javi head on.

I’m sorry you caught me rubbing one off on the morning after you almost died, Peña. I can assure you, it won’t happen again. Your friendship means the world to me.

Yeah, right.

God, though, but you miss him.

You miss him so much it aches, a gaping hole that reaches right down to the core of you, but there’s nothing to be done about it. You’d fucked this one completely and thoroughly - any chance of restoring your friendship had drained away with the shower-water, and the more time you spend fretting over it, the more awkward - and pathetic - it would be to say anything.

So, you’d cut your losses, held your head high, and tried not to waste too much time wishing you’d have just kept your fucking fantasies to yourself.

Now, though, you’ve got no choice.

You’d been on Centra Spike’s early morning flight, just another routine scan over Medellín. The shift wasn’t intended to be more than a training run for you, but as luck would have it, the Medellín cartel’d had a busy night, and you’d been caught in the crossfire.

Your plane had just touched down half an hour ago, and now you’re standing on the front steps of the embassy building, fingering a shoebox cassette player loaded with a freshly taped recording full of juicy intel destined for the desk of DEA Agent Javier Peña - an entire, private conversation featuring none other than Verdugo himself.

You’d know that voice anywhere. You’ve studied it for hours, what few snatches you’d been able to glean from the embassy archives. It’s almost as if Verdugo is smart enough to steer clear of the city, or to just avoid phone conversations all together, the absolute fuckwad.

Until early this morning.

On the plane, you’d intercepted a new signal and tapped in on a whim, intending to practice your Spanish more than anything, but what you’d overheard was a fucking gold mine of information.

Verdugo is in Medellín. The sicarios are getting ready to move Escobar. He didn’t say where - fucking bastard knows not to spill all of the beans in one conversation - but apparently the plan requires a rendezvous in El Centro first. Verdugo is en route, and will be there until the next morning.

You’d worked frantically all night, tracing and retracing the signal, triangulating potential addresses, then back-tracking to account for environmental distortion. Each calculation had led you to the same place - an unassuming little house right smack in the middle of Medellín.

Bingo.

“You take it in, Aarons.” Torres had declined your offer to do the honors. “It’s your intel.”

So here you are, bleary-eyed and running on less than two hours of sleep, cassette player clenched tightly to your chest, summoning up all of your courage just to go speak with your ex... well, ex whatever-the-fuck Peña is.

‘This is your job,’ you remind yourself fiercely. ‘You can do this.’

As pep-talks go, it isn’t very effective.

Fuck it. You toss your head back, wishing you’d had time to at least grab a cup of coffee on the way in, and breeze around the corner.

“Agent Peña.”

He glances up lazily, thoroughly uninterested in whatever you have to say. When he realizes it’s you, he blinks once, dropping his cigarette in the ashtray and sitting up to eyeball you with a wary expression.

"What can I do for you?” he asks cooly.

You remember him saying that once before, but the context was totally different.

You shake it off. “Centra Spike has new intel that you’ll want to see right away.”

He purses his lips, tilting his head to indicate the growing pile of bullshit on his desk. “You can leave it here.”

Oh, so that’s how it is, then?

“I can’t.” You pin him with a stare, and he meets your gaze evenly, raising his eyebrows in silent challenge. You clear your throat and clarify. “I won’t.”

He scoffs as you carefully rest cassette tape on his desk, along with a map of El Centro. “We intercepted a four minute conversation with Verdugo this morning. He’s here.” You point to the safe house on the map, which you’ve already circled in red ink. “Feo and Limón are with him. They’re leaving early tomorrow.”

Peña frowns down at the spot where your finger rests. “And can you corroborate that information?”

Oh, the motherfucker. “I verified his voice personally, Peña,” you say carefully, doing your damndest to keep the annoyance from your tone. It’s well within his right to ask questions, after all. “It’s a direct match for the audio samples we have.” You tap the tape for emphasis. “You’re welcome to listen for yourself.”

He doesn’t make a move for a long time. Something hot and painful burns in your gut as you wait.

God, he knows you, knows you better than anybody else in on this goddamned continent. He knows that you know your shit, that you want to catch Escobar as desperately as he does. And this evidence that you have spread across his desk, recorded on tape and marked plainly in red ink, is irrefutable, undeniable - it’s a huge break. He knows that, too.

His apathy is palpable, and it’s driving you up the fucking wall.

When he finally glances up at you, it’s with a doubtful little smirk on his face. “Hmm.”

And oh, wow, you’re shocked by just how much that hurts.

All your life, from the moment you were born into a family of brothers, you’ve had to fight tooth and nail to be taken seriously. It was a fact of life as early as you can remember - ‘look after your sister,’ or, ’she’s just a girl,’ or ‘wow, you’re really great at math, for a woman!’ You’d settled on your career as an analyst because you’d wanted it, not because you’d had something to prove, but still, the military is a male-dominated field, and from the start, the odds had been stacked against you. Landing this CIA gig had been the achievement of a fucking lifetime. Still, the bar is set high in the Colombia, and it’s set that much higher for a woman. You’re well aware of this; you’re reminded every single day.

Point being, you’re used to defending yourself and your abilities; it comes as natural as breathing.

But until now, you’ve never had to fight this battle with Peña. He’d taken you at face value from the moment he'd laid eyes on you, treating you like just another operative. Sure, he might take a crack at you every now and again, but that's all in good fun, and you’ve never been one to shy away from a laugh.

Christ, you never realized just how much that respect meant to you until suddenly, it’s gone.

“If you have something to say about my skills and qualifications, Agent Peña, then I suggest you say it.” You lean over his desk, speaking quietly, enunciating each syllable with deadly precision. “Otherwise, I think we both know that it’s in the best interest of Search Bloc and the Colombian people that we collaborate quickly, so we can put boots on the ground and land this motherfucker behind bars where he belongs.”

Peña’s eyes narrow, and he cocks his head, studying you. You meet his gaze, biting back a snarl. You won’t back down. You won’t allow him to intimidate you.

When he nods sharply and reaches for his phone, you know you’ve won.

♠

Ten minutes later, you’re situated in a conference room with Peña, Steve Murphy, Martinez, and a couple of the other higher ups of Search Bloc whose names you haven’t memorized. Your maps are spread over the table, your tape displayed for all to see, and every eye is on you.

“Verdugo is here,” you say, leaning over the map to indicate the marked house. “He and his entourage arrived late last night, and they’re planning to leave early tomorrow morning.”

“Plenty of time to get a team together.” Murphy interjects, glancing between you and Peña with open curiosity.

You narrow your gaze at him. Drama-mongering bastard.

Peña’s not moving. He’s standing with his hip cocked toward the desk, frowning down at the map with his fingers curled to his chin like he’s totally oblivious to everything happening around him.

You know he’s not, though. That’s Javi’s thinking face, the one he makes when he wants people to shut the fuck up and forget about him until he can work something out. You’re pretty familiar with that one.

The others are babbling in Spanish, discussing logistics and the likelihood of this being another trap.

It’s not. You know this deep in your bones. You’d heard that conversation in real time, had translated, triangulated it.

This is legit.

You’ve just decided to leave them to it when Javi snaps his eyes open.

“I agree with Aarons,” he announces out of nowhere. You’re startled by the confidence in his tone. Curious, you glance up, but it’s difficult to get a read on him. He’s pinning every person in the room except you with a hard stare. “We need to move out now.”

Several of the others make noises of protest, but Peña shuts them all down, one by one. Finally, his eyes flicker up to meet yours, just for a brief second, but there’s something different in his gaze, something new and heavily guarded.

You think it might be an apology.

“Let’s end this.”

♠

He’s on a plane to Medellín within an hour, wearing that stupid bullet proof vest. For just a split second, you wish that you were going, too. You don’t have enough experience, though - you’re not an agent; you haven’t handled a gun since basic. You’d be useless in a real fight, a liability, even.

Still, you feel some ownership in this operation, today more than ever. You don’t even try to kid yourself about Javi anymore, either. Those fucking feelings haven’t faded in a month, not a bit, not even after the awkward conversation you’d had in his office.

‘But he stood up for you, too, afterward,’ something whispers in the back of your mind. You replay that little glance in the conference room over and over as you watch Search Bloc board the plane.

He’s looking for you this time, standing on the ramp with his eyes shaded like he knows you’ll be waiting. He doesn’t nod and you don’t wave, but you make eye contact for a lingering moment, and again, there’s something in his expression that you don’t recognize.

Then the plane takes off down the runway, and you feel as if your heart is swooping away with it.

♠

You volunteer for the late shift at work, monitoring the radio lines in case something comes up. It’s an unusually quiet night, as if all of Bogotá collectively holds its breath, and you mostly spend it watching the clock, calculating the hours in your head.

One to land in Medellín. Two more to mobilize the men. Another half to get in location.

From there, your speculation gets fuzzy. There’s no way to predict the outcome once Verdugo is engaged. Javi’s told you a million stories, each more unbelievable than the last - car chases and rooftop shootouts, standoffs in the street, a fistfight in a church sanctuary, bodies of children littering dark alleyways… you cut off the recollections. They aren’t doing you any favors.

Verdugo is a dangerous man. Anything could happen.

By seven am, your brain is mush and your eyes are hyper-focused in that bleary way that happens when you’ve gone too long without sleep. Your third cup of coffee has gone cold, and people are starting to trickle in. You wave half-heartedly to Torres as you slip out of your headset, rubbing your fingers over your scalp to ease the tension that comes from wearing heavy earphones all night. A shower sounds nice, you decide, and maybe a quick nap afterward.

Somebody will page you with news.

Getting out of the building does a lot to wake you up. There’s something oppressive about the CNP headquarters that seems to abate when you step into the streets of Bogotá. The city buzzes with life even in the early morning, and air is warm in a way that seems to energize rather than sedate. Optimism is easier to invoke as you walk down the street in broad daylight.

Javi had looked at you, at least. He’d listened. He’ll call in to the office as soon as he can. Your intel was good, and they’ve flushed out the rat, he’d promised you that.

Everything will be okay.

You round the corner of CRA 70 and Circular, waving to Emilio, who is working the register of the pharmacy today.

“Orejas!” He shouts, reaching below the counter to hold aloft another bottle of aguardiente. “¡Mira! Solo para ti!”

You grin back at him, raising your voice to shout a greeting, and then, with absolutely no warning, the store explodes.

A loud boom.

A whoosh of impossible heat.

A massive orange fireball billowing from the windows.

Your body flying, flying through the air.

Bright blue sky, and then darkness.

♠

You find yourself lying flat on your back in the middle of the street. Your ears are ringing. There’s a pat-pattering in the air, soft like falling rain.

You blink hard.

It’s not rain, you realize dizzily.

It’s fucking ash.

The air is dark with it, hot and heavy. It coats your tongue and stings your eyes. It’s hard to catch a breath. Your throat hurts, your chest aches. You cough weakly. The smell is terrible, acrid and bitter like burned metal. You can taste it on your tongue.

Slowly, you tense your muscles. Your chest is still burning, but there’s nothing sharp to suggest a serious injury. Your back is sore, your head fuzzy.

You sit up, wincing a little, relieved to realize that you’ve just had the wind knocked from you. You’ll have some bruises tomorrow, but that’s all.

Sound slowly filters in. The hiss and crackle of flame. A shout in the distance. Further away, a wailing siren.

Reality slams into you all at once.

Emilio!

You stand, wobbling more than you think you should, but you push past it. Reality seems to pitch and roil, as if the ground is hitching its breath beneath you. Rubble coats the street, dust clouds the air.

Oh god.

A gaping, smoking crater is all that’s left of Emilio’s pharmacy. The windows are blown out of the businesses on either side, their outer walls bowing under the pressure. Your apartment on the top floor is demolished, the roof caving in, flames licking at the the collapsed floors.

You gasp one long, shuddering breath, taking it all in, and then you’re running, sort of, picking your way through hunks of concrete and twisted metal.

“Emilio! Emilio!”

Your voice is hoarse, the world hushed. Nothing sounds quite right. Your legs are shaking and you can’t catch your breath. Some of the rubble is hot to the touch, and you feel like you’re moving underwater, slow and awkward and stupid.

You approach what’s left of the store, and the smell hits you first. Like cooked meat - charred, greasy, heavy.

You press your hand to your mouth to stifle a scream.

You found Emilio. He’s pinned beneath part of the collapsed roof. You look away quickly, but not before you catch a glimpse of blackened flesh, of bone, blood, and pink frothy tissue.

Acid rises in your throat, and you stumble to your knees, stomach clenching painfully into your ribs as you vomit onto the street. It goes on and on, over and over for an eternity, tears and snot and bile and ash leaking mingled down your face until there is nothing left in you to expel.

The encroaching wail of a siren draws you to your senses. You glance up, suddenly painfully aware of your situation. The ceiling is arching above you, just to your right, and it’s creaking ominously. The fires are still burning, and your shirt is clinging painfully hot against your back. You stagger to your feet once again, dizzy, almost drunkenly. A small crowd has gathered, pointing and gawking, calling out to you in Spanish that you are far, far too overwhelmed to translate.

Gasping, you raise your hands and side-step away, careful of the debris that litters the street around you.

A firetruck arrives on the scene, squalling to a stop between you and the onlookers, and you leap at the opportunity, ducking down the nearest alleyway before anybody can follow.

♠

You aren’t sure how much time you waste in the alleyways of Bogotá.

Seconds?

Minutes?

The time after the explosion is all a blur, and you run until you literally can’t anymore, until you’re doubled over and wheezing, coughing, hacking, panting.

Some primal survival instinct clicks in your brain then, and suddenly, your mind is clear. You glance around, swiping at your cheeks and brushing the ash from your shirt.

Now what?

You take a shaking breath and think.

Okay, first order of business, you’re absolutely disgusting. You need a shower before you can even think about doing anything productive.

Your bathroom just went up in flames, along with all of your clothes. Your heart clenches as you think of Ana - she’s at university, so that’s out. The embassy has a nice bathroom, but no showers that you’re aware of.

There’s only one place you know to go, and that’s Javi’s apartment.

You glance up at the sky. The sun is still pretty low - it can’t have been more than an hour since you’d left work, and that was around seven am. Javi obviously isn’t home, and you don’t have a key, but if you hurry, there’s still a chance that you could catch Murphy before he leaves his flat.

It’s a long shot, but you decide there’s nothing to lose for trying.

#Javier Peña x reader #javier peña #narcos #javi x you #javi x reader #javier pena x reader #narcos netflix #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fandom #narcos fanfiction #Javier Peña imagine #pedro fandom #the rules of engagement #better love #angst #slow burn #friends to lovers #hurt/comfort #smut

363 notes · View notes

glenncoco4 · 3 years

Text

You Can Count On Me

A/N: Chapter 3 Inspired by 1x23 (Burned)

••••

She needs to get out tonight. Away from the swirling turmoil that’s going on inside her head right now. It’s been two weeks since they lost Dom, two weeks since she found herself standing at the sink in his dark apartment washing dishes. She finds herself thinking about how great of an agent he would’ve made had he been given the chance to grow. She also finds herself yearning for the touch and comfort of her best friend, who she now realizes is the love of her life, and it took loosing Dom to finally admit it to herself.

Something shifted the last time they were together, she’s not quite sure what it is or why after 18 years of knowing him its showing up now but her feelings for him have intensified. The problem is is that she’s not sure how he would react if she came out right and told him that she in fact was in love with him. Would he run? Would he politely reject her? Would their friendship remain intact? But there’s also a chance that he doesn’t turn her down, that he tells her he feels the same way and they live happily ever after. That’s the hope she’s holding onto.

She knows its not healthy to just stay inside and worry about her swarming thoughts while she waits for him to come back. It’s Monday night, she deserves to let loose a little and she knows exactly what she’s going to do.

••••

The music is pounding which mirrors the pounding in his head. Seriously how does he always end up with marks that spend all their time in clubs surrounded by drugs and women. He looks over at the other side of their reserved VIP area where Emilio and Luis are both tongue deep in some of their admirer’s mouths.

Rubbing his forehead to try and help coax his headache away, he suddenly feels the air shift. His cerulean blues scan the room in search and eventually land on her.

Luis pulls back from the leggy blonde in his lap and notices the lawyer’s fixation on something across the club floor, looking in the same direction, he spots her, a knowing smile crosses his face. “Hey, Milio, looks like our boy spotted some eye candy.”

Sliding the brunette’s legs off his lap, Emilio stands up and makes his way over to the lawyer. He takes a seat next to the blonde, smiling. “Oh, papi, she’s quite the looker. You gonna let her slip away?”

“No, I don’t think I am.” He takes a sip of bourbon to calm his nerves. Standing up, Dale straightens out his sports coat before taking a few steps down to the dance floor. He turns back to look at his boss with a devilish grin on his face. “If you don’t hear from me the rest of the night it’s because I’m riding a little wild surf.”

An approving smile crosse the crime boss’ face. “That’s my boy.”

Maneuvering his way across the dance floor towards the bar, he slowly feels his Dale John Sully persona slip away and Marty Deeks start to break through. The first thing he notices as he walks up to her is how fantastic the skin tight mini she’s wearing accentuates her firm derrière.

Her attention is on the bartender giving him ample opportunity to slide up behind her, his breath warm against her ear. “Hey there. Noticed your boots. Takes a girl with a unique style to pull that off.”

An unfamiliar but welcomed chill runs through her body when she hears his voice. She’s finally able to relax for the first time in 2 weeks. “Well it takes a special kind of guy to sit through 2 hours of Donnie & Marie.”

“Oh, touché.”

She turns, unable to stop the smile from spreading to her face. His cerulean blues have a dark hue to them, a blueish grey that she’s never been on the receiving end of. Before she can think any more of it, her brow furrows in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

He tilts his head back towards the VIP section that he just came from just as a loud cheer from the booth erupts when Luis pops another bottle of champagne. “The boss just negotiated a deal with a major player in our case.”

“Is it okay for you to be talking to me?”

“Yeah, told him I was gonna go ride a little wild surf.” His lip curls into a smirk as he watches Kensi’s eyes go wide. “Dance with me.”

She knows they should both be more cautious, especially since he’s in the middle of a major undercover op right now but as he offers her his hand, she can’t help her actions as she places her hand in his.

He leads her out to the dance floor, quickly wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his body against hers. Before he knows it his forehead meets hers, their eyes locked on to one another. They’ve danced before of course, but nothing like this, no this is so far from what they’ve ever done.

As everything around them fades away, the pair is suddenly brought to the realization of what it means to be at peace.

Their positions soon shift as Kensi burrows her head into the crook of his neck, her hands going around his waist as she clings to him. It’s when he hears her inhale and feels her body sink into his hold that he knows what those little glances and feelings they were exchanging last time they saw each other were. Love. And not just any kind of love, passionate irrevocably head over heals love. “I heard about Dom. I’m so sorry, Kens.”

She does her best to hold back her tears, but not before a few escape, landing on the cotton of his button up. “I should’ve watched out for him more. I screwed up.”

He should’ve seen this coming, if there’s one thing his best friend does best it’s beat herself up for things she has no control over. Pulling back from their embrace, his hands find either side of her face as he cradles her head. His eyes trying to convey everything that words can’t. “No, you didn’t. Kens, this is not your fault.”

“How could you say that? He was my partner and I let him down.”

“Remember what you told me my first night at your house?”

“I said, ‘you can count on me.’”

“Right, and I told you the same. So believe me when I say that there was nothing you could’ve done to stop what happened to Dom from happening.”

She shakes her head in acceptance, wiping the tears away from her eyes. “I wish we could hang out tonight.”

“Maybe we can.”

“How? You’re undercover.”

His mind begins to form a plan, knowing that Emilio and Luis are probably watching them, Deeks doesn’t hesitate as he slowly moves in towards her. “Just follow my lead.”

Her brow furrows in confusion and quickly morphs to shock as his lips find hers. She’s stunned at first but once she realizes what’s happening, her body responds.

He just intended for the kiss to last long enough for them to sell a cover, but the warmth and caress of her soft lips have him swiping his tongue across them, begging for entrance.

As their kisses grow more heated and their tongues continue to duel, the brunette moans as her best friend runs his fingers through her hair. Those equal fervor kisses soon leading to wandering hands with the new revelation of their relationship.

••••

He quickly finds the zipper of her dress ridding her of the scrap of clothing and presses her against the hotel room wall. His lips working along her jaw down to her neck. She presses her hips into his, making the tent in his pants beg to be freed. Her fingers grasp onto his golden locks as his touch fills her with more pleasure than she thought was ever possible.

She’s on the cusp of release, feeling that he’s going too slow, her hands find the button of his slacks and works to free him from the restricting fabric.

Realization suddenly hits him that this is officially headed to a place that they could never come back from. Pulling back from his ministrations, his dark blue eyes lock on with her magnetic chocolate orbs. God how he loves those eyes. “What are we doing?”

“I think it’s pretty clear what we’re doing.” She states mater of fact, her lips finding the sweet spot on his neck, loving the way his body reacts to her touch.

“No, Kens, what-“

She pulls back from her ministrations, abruptly cutting him off. “I don’t know how to do this.”

His brow furrows in perplexity, unsure of the meaning behind her words. “Do what?”

Taking a deep breath, she understands that this is the moment. Either he runs or he stays. “Pretend that every time I see you, I don’t want to wrap my arms around you and never let go. I don’t know how to go on when every time you go under my heart goes with you.”

“What are you saying?”

“I want you.” Her eyes now shining with a blissful openness.

His mouth turns up into a slow smile, a sudden onset of disbelief filling his mind. What does he say to her? I love you? That could be too much too soon. Well they have been friends for 18 years, and know everything they need to know about the other. Maybe they should get married. No, that’d definitely be too much. Turns out he doesn’t have to respond because her lips are on his once again and her hands find their way into his boxers before he’s pulling her towards the bed where he’s able to show her what he feels when his words failed to.

••••

There’s a irritating buzzing sound right in his ear, pulling him out of his deep and restful sleep. His brow furrows at the unfamiliar room around him along with the bed he’s in...the warm naked body of his best friend curled around his. It feels like a dream and a nightmare all rolled into one.

He loves her, that he can’t deny. But they’re in some gross hotel and he’s undercover, this wasn’t supposed to go this way. When he wasn’t around Emilio and his crew and back at the confines of his own shitty undercover apartment, his mind would wander to what could be with his best friend. Something in the last few months shifted in their relationship, it wasn’t anything he could define at the moment, but last night made him realize what that aching in his chest was. It was his love for her, his person, the most important thing in his world. He’d find himself thinking about their lives and how intertwined they were.

His phone buzzes once again, pulling him back to the present. When he reads the text, a defeated sigh falls from his lips. Placing a kiss to the top of her head, he slowly maneuvers himself from her grasp, trying best not to disturb her.

He quickly gets dressed, writes a note for her and places on his pillow. Just because he can’t help himself, he places a kiss to her bare shoulder, earning a happy moan from his love...well the woman he loves anyway. He stands back up, taking a few more seconds to look at her, relishing in their activities a few hours ago and it gives him the energy he needs to get this op over with and get back to her.

Walking towards the door, he gives her one last glance before whispering. “I want you, too.”

••••

She startles awake at the sound of a car alarm blaring through the walls. Quickly examining the room around her, flashes of last night as his lips placed kisses over every inch of her and their naked bodies sliding against one another in a passionate state of ecstasy sends a warm feeling to her lower belly.

Speaking of her best friend, she looks around the room trying to gage where he may be until something on the pillow next to her catches her eye and that’s when it hit her...she screwed up.

KayKay,

Had to get back. Turns out you’re not the only one that missed this beautiful Viking mane.

- Your Person

P.S. Remember what I said, partner.

She face plants into “his” pillow internally chastising herself. What did she get herself into?

••••

Stepping into the bullpen, Kensi begrudgingly sits her bag on her desk gaining the attention of her co-worker.

Sam doesn’t know if he should ask but considering her best friend is out of commission he knows whatever’s eating at her needs a sounding board. “What’s up Kens?”

Her irritated facade thankfully works, and she quickly spins around, a hint of anger swirling in her mismatched eyes. “Do guys ever think about what comes out of their mouths before they try to hit on a woman?”

“Uh-oh, what happened?”

“So, last night, I’m having a drink at the place Macy took me after my first shootout. Just wanted some alone time. But this guy walks over...attractive, well-dressed, bonus points for taking the lead. You know the drill all too well. Guess what he used as his opener.”

“Hi. My name is Mr. I have no idea what I’m in for. Can I buy you a drink?”

“See? Now, there wouldn’t have been anything wrong with that. But that’s not what he said. ‘Hey there. Noticed your boots. Takes a girl with a unique style to pull that off.’”

“He was running game.”

Shaking her head in annoyance, she takes a seat at her desk. “Yeah, well if I ever see him again, he’s gonna be running for a whole different reason.”

#Densi #Kensi Blye #Marty Deeks #AU #Densi Fanfic #Kensi x Deeks #NCIS: LA #NCIS: LA Fanfic #You Can Count On Me

14 notes · View notes

newagesispage · 3 years

Text

JULY 2021

THE RIB PAGE

*****

They are still uncovering statues on Easter Island.

*****

Everyone is talking about ‘Exterminate all the Brutes” from Raoul Peck.

*****

Vampire bats, prevalent in Latin America may be on the way to the U.S.

*****

What they call faith, I call strength.

*****

Criss angel will open CABLP, a restaurant in Overton, Nevada. The letters stand for breakfast, lunch and pizza and will include a free meal outreach program to help under privileged and pediatric cancer families.

*****

A fifth ocean in Antartica??** There have also found 4 new ocean species: Apolemia, Tegula Kusairo, Leptarma Biju and Duobrachium Sparksae.

*****

In China they have found a possible new species in a skull that is 140,000 years old.

*****

Why would Jeffrey Toobin be back at CNN?? Surely there are more young deserving talking heads around.

*****

The Keystone pipeline is dead.

*****

5,000 pounds of explosives were discovered in a home in South LA. LAPD seems to have detonated the fireworks in a truck right there in the neighborhood. They were too dangerous to transport but not enough to blow them up??? How stupid are these people??

*****

Days alert : So glad to see Clyde again even if it is only for a moment!! **BTW, I do not understand the Daytime Emmy noms this year as they relate to Days. I really was pulling for Victoria Koneful (Ciara) and she won but George DelHoya (Orpheus), Tamara Braun (Ava) and Cady McClain (Jennifer)??? I was shocked when Cady McClain won. I mean, she was so whiny. I question my own ability to judge a performance. In most categories, the winner was usually the one I thought was the worst option. I was happy for Max Gail and CBS Sunday Morning. Some performances were sure overlooked. What about James Read (Clyde), Paul Telfer (Xander), Bryan Dattilo (Lucas), Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), Daniel Kerr (Eli) and Lindsay Arnold (Allie) ?? As annoying as the Kristen character is and as long as it took me to get used to Stacy Haiduk in the role, she kicked ass this year. Did they even submit clips?? And, they are not often on but Tony and Anna forever!!!!!!** And how wonderful is it to see the Dimera boys all together and recounting the whole fam for the votes? **And one more thing, Days was not even nominated for writing while Bold and the Beautiful spends every other show with the Liam character standing in front of the fireplace making excuses for the same shit! Just push repeat, C,mon!!**Philip had a great line for Brady about following Kristen like a zombie.** Dis Eli really say, “Peacock and chill??’ Are these the things they will have to do to do to stay on the air? It took me right out of the show. It was the same day the ads for Days on Peacock started. OMG

*****

Texas Gov. Abbott vetoed a bill that would make it illegal to chain up dogs without water.**ATexas churches have lost their 501(c) (3) status because it actively ‘educates’ its members on electing specific Republican politicians. –Pete West* This should have been happening long ago. Many churches I know of do this and should not be allowed to have it both ways. #tax the church

*****

Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, Christopher Lloyd, James Caan, French Stewart and Ann-Margaret in Queen Bees and directed by Michael Lembeck?? Yes please!!

*****

NY has suspended Giuliani’s law license.

*****

Miracle Workers: The Oregon Trail is coming to TBS, this will be season 3 in the series.

*****

What is this about Bowen Yang?? A podcast about a sperm bank heist?? Yeow!!

*****

David Geffen has given $150,000,000 to Yale drama school: Every student will be tuition- free in perpetuity.

*****

Allison Mack was sentenced to 3 years.

*****

The latest in sexual assault news: James Franco has agreed to 2.2 mil settlement in sexual misconduct case.** Kyle Massey was charged with immoral communication with a minor.**Bill Cosby is out and here are some reactions: A terrible wrong is being righted.: a miscarriage of justice is corrected. I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward.- Phylicia Rashad*I really don’t ever want to hear again as to why many survivors don’t report their rape or assault.- Charlotte Clymer* Women are showing great restraint in not burning everything to the ground right now and I don’t know how they do it.-Jeff Tiedrich

*****

Amazon is making a series of A League of Their Own with Nick Offerman as the coach.

*****

Does anyone else have family members that are rich, transient, know it all snobs??

*****

It looks like New York’s ranked choice voting is leaning toward Eric Adams for Mayor.

*****

Michigan republicans investigating voter fraud found 2 incidents. One is for a lady who voted by mail and then died, the other was confusion over a man who had the same name as his Father. That was it!

*****

Jamie Lee Curtis will get the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 78th Venice International Film Fest in September.

*****

Jerry Seinfeld will star in and direct ‘Unfrosted’ about Pop-Tarts.

*****

Why is Airbnb still listing properties in illegal settlements and outposts in Palestinian occupied territories? –James J. Zogby

*****

Merrick Garland has announced that the Justice department sued Georgia over the voting rights.

*****

The NFL says that it will halt the use of “race norming” which assumed black players started out with lower cognitive functioning in a $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims. The practice had made it harder for black players to qualify. –The Associated Press.

*****

Scary Clown 45 ended his ‘From the desk of Donald J. Trump’ blog after 29 days. Word is that he felt he was being mocked in the media.

*****

Religious leadership keeps engaging in partisan politics on behalf of politicians that are particularly unpopular with younger people and they wonder why younger people are disenchanted with the church. – Schooley ** Give young people credit as well for seeing through the hype and lies of these religious hypocrites who use God only as a weapon and a threat. –Larry Charles

*****

Amazon will stop drug testing for employment. Can every other company jump on this bandwagon? Let’s judge employees on the work they give.

*****

The Backstreet Boys and NSync are going to work together??!!

*****

Showtime is bringing back American Gigolo with Jon Bernthal.

*****

If Biden can carry out air strikes without proper authorization, the Senate can raise the minimum wage without the Parliamentarian. –Alexandra M. Hunt

Reality Winner is out!!

*****

Judy Woodruff has been given the Peabody award for journalistic integrity.

*****

Donald Glover is bringing us Hive. Malia Obama will be a writer.

*****

Nicholas Cage has married Riko Shibata.

*****

Catch and Kill: The podcast tapes, is here on HBO.

*****

Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening will star in Jerry and Marge go large.

*****

Amblin Partners and Netflix are partners.

*****

Fall 2022 will bring the Roybal School of film and television production for underserved communities. They are looking to help 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Among others, the program was cofounded by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling and Eva Longoria.

*****

Will there be a Wedding Crashers2??

*****

The Mysterious Benedict Society stars Tony Hale.** I would love to see he and Danny Pudi in something together.

*****

Actor Stephen Amell from Arrow was removed from a plane after getting into it with his wife. A source said he was drunk and screaming. An official source said that they removed “an unruly customer.”** Andy Dick was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, allegedly assaulting his partner, Lucas with a metal chair.

*****

So.. Fox news was digitally altering the faces of people they did not care for??? Is there no end to their bullshit????

*****

Mark Ronson is set to marry Grace Gummer.

*****

Crime shows seem to be in the cycle of prisoners and the women who get a thrill from helping them escape.

*****

Wolfgang Van Halen has released a debut album: Mammoth

*****

Everyone seems to love Danny Trejo’s memoir and its honesty.

*****

David Spade will take over as host of Bachelor in Paradise.

*****

I am sickened when I see the first question that pops up on an online search is the net worth of a person. Oh this twisted world.

*****

Life is a short pause between 2 great mysteries. –Jung

*****

Prince Harry and Meghan had a daughter that they named Lilibet ‘Lili” Diana.

*****

Michael Flynn’s brother Charles (who withheld help from the capitol on Jan. 6), leads the U.S. Army Pacific and commands 90,000 troops.

*****

I am so excited to read ‘The Boys’ from Clint and Ron Howard, due out in October.

*****

Dave Chappelle closed out the Tribeca film fest with a surprise concert. This was the first in person film fest since Covid. Look for This time, this place which premiered there.

*****

Ron Wood will release the album Mr. Luck: A tribute to Jimmy Reed on Sept. 3

*****

Howard Stern signed a new $500 mil contract with Sirius XM. He is taking the whole summer off and many fans say they will cancel their subscription because they don’t want to pay for a summer of reruns.

*****

Acorn will bring Jane Seymour back to a series. Seymour will be co -executive produce on Harry Wild. Her character will be a retired University professor who loves her whiskey and solves crimes.

*****

Annie Murphy stasr in ‘Kevin can f*** himself about a sitcom wife which airs on AMC.

*****

I still do not understand why Rep. Mike Nearman hasn’t been arrested for letting insurrectionists into the Capitol.

*****

There is a wing shortage??

*****

The Pulitzer prizes have been announced. The list includes Ben Faub, Barry Blitt, Katori Hall, Emilio Morenatti, AP photographers Marcio Jose Sanchez, Alex Brandon, David Goldman, Julio Cortez, John Minchillo, Frank Franklin II, Ringo H.W. Chiu, Evan Vucci, Mike Stewart and Noah Berger. There was a special citation for Darnella Frazier who filmed the death of George Floyd.

*****

Conan’s last TBS guests were Martin Short, Jack Black, Bill Hader, Mila Kunis, Dana Carvey, Patton Oswalt and JB Smoove. There were some surprises. The big musical number never happened when Jack Black hurt himself. It was all funny and sweet but Conan never mentioned the band in the last show WTF????????????????????????????????????????? Music is so important to him and he does not thank the band? ** Colbert and Brian Stack gave Conan a cute send after4, 368 shows on CBS calling him a ‘Slenderman Ron Weasly’. Kimmel wished Conn well also.** Hope his HBO MAX variety show goes well.** BTW, the Duvall interview with Colbert was great to see but why does nobody ever mention ‘Get Low?’ What a performance!!

*****

Tattoos are on the rise.

*****

Fast food drive thru’s sometime close with fake excuses like the equipment is down or something because they don’t feel like working. Good people can’t find work and so many waste the opportunities they have. AAAAGHH!!

*****

Valerie Bertinelli and Demi Lovato will star in ‘Hungry’ on NBC.

*****

Hulu will bring us David E. Kelley’s Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale and Melissa McCarthy.

*****

R.I.P. Gavin Macleod, Frank Bonner, Joy Vogelsang, Benigno Aquino, Champ Biden, victims of the Miami building collapse, Robert Sacchi, Stuart Damon, Johnny Solinger and Clarence Williams III.

5 notes · View notes

th3okamid3mon · 4 years

Text

Spies in disguise, weirdly wholesome (Spoilers)

This movie was so freaking weird. I thought Blue Sky Studios was so dead, the only movie I´ve seen from them was Ice Age and Robots, and Ice Age went downhill after the 3rd movie. But this??? This could be their revival.

Sinopsis:

Lance Sterling is one of the best spies in the agency. He loves his job and does it really well but when a bad guy starts harming different people across the world using his face, Sterling has to clear up his name in any way possible with the help of a young scientist called Walter Beckett. Problem is, though, the same scientist tried a very complex experiment on him by accident which result on him turning into something everybody hates: a pigeon.

Animation:

I´m sure Blue Sky has made more animated movies than just Ice Age, but being completely honest I literally only knew that one. I loved that movie, I also like Robots, but the rest they´ve made aren´t as striking to me.

As an animation studio they know what they are doing, it is really good. The details in the water and rocks, all the backgrounds? They all look awesome!

It´s no Klaus though. In comparison to other movies, this is pretty much blends with the rest of the CGI movies there exist. Ice Age and Robots had a very distinctive style, but this one? This looks like something Pixar would do (they kind of went a bit downhill, Toy Story 4 was not needed and The Incredibles 2 felt off and incomplete, animation was fine, writing meh. I hope Onward and Soul are better. Fingers crossed.) I also thought Dreamworks made it. It´s not very... original as in the style of the animation.

The lighting was cool as hell!! The first scene in Japan WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME. It had amazing highlights and it was perfect blend in the atmosphere. The darks werent so obscure you couldnt see anything and when a certain light hit the character it was a great contrast.

The design of the characters were really great, the background characters looked kind of the same though. It was like the main characters were anime protagonists in this case, not only because of the design but because they use more striking and hotter colors in them while the background characters had really opaque palettes.

Story and Characters:

So.. Disclaimer: Spy movies taken seriously is not my thing. I HATE Mission Imposible. I HATE JAMES BOND 1, 2, 3, INIFINITE WHATEVER. I hate them, they are boring and the main characters are worst than Superman (Who, by the way, I also HATE. not the animated one, just the live action one. LIKE BATMAN I HA-). That´s because they portray them as all mighty, powerful, type of card of all traits. Making them too useful and too able makes it boring and it makes you question Why do they even have a freaking team with them?

In this case you have the all mighty, hella cool and able Lance Sterling. He works alone, he is able to do everything and anything, right? Well, at least he is charismatic and such. Of course you have to add something to him so he isn´t just a cocky super human spy. What do you do? GIVE. HIM. AN. OBSTACLE. AND. MAKE. IT. HILARIOUS. Thank god this is comedy.

It was a really weird premise for the super spy to become a pigeon. From all animals, a Pigeon? Uh... Yeah, sure? This director and writer do know how to make this shit work. And BOI was this really interesting.

So it goes like this: Sterling goes against a bad guy who isn´t even the main bad guyTM. He does his cool fighting montage during which POOF, GLITTER! Glitter..? Da fuq? And he rolls with it because if he doesn´t he COULD DIE. (I know there´s the flashback montage for Walter at the beginning but bare with me). He gets the briefcase, which had a very dangerous and powerful machine which in spanish is called LITERALLY ASESINO (MURDERER) , LA-DI-DA-DI-DA he goes back to the agency and... The briefcase is empty and some agent comes all of the sudden and has some recording where it is shown HE stole it and killed some guys in Japan with it.

But he escaped, relax.

Now, previously he had fired Walter because he got into Sterling´s things and put the glitter bomb, which actually did his purpose: distract and make everyone happy.

Walter is actually a curious character to me. He has good intentions, he just wants to make a safer world and all his inventions in comparison to the rest are to minimize damage and to protect not only the spies but also the villains. Now days we have characters who are mostly all in favor to not kill, because killing is wrong. It´s not a new thing, its a pretty old concept, but it is mostly seen in TV shows (at least from the movies I´ve seen, even if the hero doesn´t want to kill, the villain still ends up dead somehow). From all the movies I´ve seen, there were several that didn´t killed the villain but... I didn´t like them at all because the villain didnt even made sense (IM LOOKING AT YOU FROZEN 1 AND THE INCREDIBLES 2, FUCKING WASTE OF MONEY AND VILLAINS, SO HELP ME GO-)

I dont know why Walter stick to me so much more than any other characters in other movies. His motivations were always for the greater good even as a kid. The biggest inspiration in his life was and is his mother, and I think because of her dead that motivation became even stronger. His whole personality and genuine care into his work to help others leaks in everything he does. It´s in your face, ALL THE TIME, but in a good way? It isnt at the point of being annoying, it´s weird how they manage to make such a nice character with certain points that are quirky without making him annoying.

Ok, back to the story without spoiling much and going to the point, they both start working out how Sterling as a pigeon can do his spy work and Walter works on an antidote while also helping Sterling with the spy work. Question: Is it original? I dont know. Does it matter? No.

Look, the concept of a character turning into something is not really original and as spy movies we all KNOW in all 9 levels of Mictlan that Spy theme movies are not original at all. Spy Kids? That was slightly more original than any other spy movie I ever seen AND I LOVED IT. The important manner here is and will always be the characters which... Well... Will Smith acted as Will Smith, or well.. I watch in spanish... wait...

Ok, I already knew Mario Filio was the official Will Smith voice Actor...

HOLY SHIT, EMILIO TREVIÑO IS MILES MORALES TOO?!?!?

Where was I...? Ah, yeah.

As a plot, it had pretty much a lot of dark themes and several heavy spots. For example: The talk between Will- I MEAN Sterling and Walter in the boat, where they talk about how to fight the villain we saw a bit more of them. We already knew the motivation for Walter, but Sterling? The cocky cock has feelings? WHO WOULD´VE KNOWN! He really doesnt want people to get killed and it gets to him, because that form limits him a lot. Walter is so stress too, they both want the best for the people and they argue but in a manner that makes it a bit heavy. Walter is still young and too dreamy, Sterling has worked in the battle field, he tells Walter you have to fight fire with fire and doing it Walter´s way is not gonna work because bad people doesnt care about the good people. Walter replies that there are no good or bad, only people. (UM... I HAVE A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH THAT?? But I will discuss it later.)

There some scenes i did not expect to get emotional and it quickly returns to comedy but not as awkwardly as I would thought. It´s a fun movie, if it wants too it gets a tad heavy and if it wants to it becomes extremely dumb. It´s a weird blend, the concept is super dumb but the plot and the characters teaches you certain things like: People still get hurt even if you acted with the best intentions. Sometimes to solve a problem you need to think in another way. Kindness is a powerful weapon. And most importantly: Weird is good.

Conclusion:

So... It was a really fun movie. Weirdly wholesome, weirdly good! Pretty good actually, it didn´t get me much as other movies but it did stick to me. It has good animation, the characters are enjoyable and charismatic, the super good boi is Walter MY GOD, HE DESERVES THAT JOB HE GOT. Sterling is a good pal once he sees the value in Walter. That part with the egg was strange but Walter made it have sense and they both rolled with it and it was pretty cool.

Now, the messages are good. I understand people are people and such. You shouldnt kill because its wrong. I mean, the villain DID kind of had second thoughts after Walter saved him from falling after turning the droid off, which was SO COOL TO HAVE KILLIAN LOOK LIKE THAT. He didn´t had to say shit, just that look of ¨Huh... That kid did save me even after I tried to kill him...¨ Yes, give me more shown not tell. THIS MOVIE HAD A LOT OF SHOW NO TELL, THANK YOU.

Still, bad people not always want to change. Some bad people stay bad, and sometimes we will have to fight back. We had movies like The Incredibles 2 or Steven Universe: The Movie shown what should we do and what happens to the villains. They had a backstory, they had their motives, as heartbreaking their backstories were what they did was wrong and at least one of them in those examples were punished for their wrongdoing. Steven in the movie fought back instead of getting himself hurt.

In this movie, the villain was kind of kept a mystery, his backstory wasn´t a flashback or anything, it was told by the character but I think that was a good thing because the pain in his eyes and the anger he felt leaked from his explanation to Sterling. Even when he was explicitly a bad guy from the beginning, before even the movie started, we can see that those bad guys, in fact, are people too, and as the good people they can get hurt too because they have families, friends, pets, interests, hobbies and more. Walter does have a point, they are just people so we shouldn´t kill them. I guess the problem I have with the saying ¨There´s no good or bad, just people¨ is that the people who do bad things, people like Killian, they hurt and murder so many people and I am not fine with those kind of people. I say Eye for an eye, but then again ¨Eye for an Eye and everyone gets blind¨.

I dont know why or how they manage to get somehow complex in movie where a person LITERALLY TURNS INTO A FEMALE PIGEON. Oh, yeah, by the way. Sterling becomes a female pigeon because Walter uses a feather of his female pet pigeon.

I had low expectations and came out impressed and howling with laughter even after getting home. I do recommend this movie for his whole ridiculousness and for his weird but wholesome character development, bonding, different characters and final message.

Weird is good and we need weird to make the world a better, safer place.

-Sincerely weird, T.O.D

52 notes · View notes

amnachil · 5 years

Text

The College Society Chapter 2 Part 3

Enjoy :)

Liam Friday December 8

Lunchtime was almost over. Liam was thinking about Theo the ogre while Nick finished his fries. (One quick question : where did Theo hide the corpse he was eating ?). (He was an ogre for sure, because he definitely had fattened Pete, and soon, the blond boy would be gone forever). (Or not, but it didn't prove Theo was human for all that).

"Jesus, are you listening to me ?"

Liam blinked, surprised. He turned towards the guy who talked to him. I saw him somewhere...

"I asked you already three times if you remember me ?" asked the stranger.

He was blond, with scary brown eyes. Not particulary muscular, neither skinny. I know I talked with him this week but I can't place where.

"Sorry man, but Liam is a bit dreamy." spoke Nick. "He probably doesn't even remember what he just ate."

(This was a shocking exaggeration, he took a pizza.) (Or was it pasta ? Damnit).

"Whatever, I'm Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey. We met at the pool the other day. I kicked you and all, do you recall ?"

Oh. Yeah. Or not. Apparently, he had some memories issues.

"Yeah, hi Damian." he lied anyway. "What's up ?"

The guy looked at him with a mix of amazement and anger. What did I do this time ?

"I'm Damian. Nicholas. Smith-Carrey." repeated the blond lad slowly. "Not Damian."

Nick swallowed somes fries, fascinated by their conversation.

"Isn't it the same ?" asked Liam. "I mean, I can call you Nicholas if you prefer. Or Dami ?"

The other almost made himself hoarse. He took a moment, and inhaled deeply.

"Okay, you're definitely a freak." he whispered. "Anyway, look, I don't want to lose any time so... Do you want to come with me at this big party this saturday ?"

"I'm sorry, I'm working during weekend evenings." replied Liam. "Plus, I'm not into party that much."

Dami looked at him for a moment. Maybe I have a spot on my face ? This whole discussion was weird. (Dami seemed to be a good guy tho).

"Forget it." this latter eventually said. "Bye."

And he left as fast as he came.

Then, Nick and Liam went to class. The afternoon passed quite fast. Once the last lecture over, they reached their flat. The chesnut boy called his bestfriend before going to sleep (At 8pm, yes, but whatever). He related his day, and when he mentionned the weird talk he had at noon, Nate remained silent for a while.

"What's wrong buddy ?" Liam worried. "Are you attacked by an ogre or somethin' ?!"

"No but... Do you realise Damian just invited you on a date ?"

A what ? That couldn't be possible. Someone asked him out ? Just like that ? No, that's too direct. We don't know each other at all. I met him what ? Two times ?

"I know what you're thinking." laughed Nate. "And maybe you're right. Maybe the man just invited you for a party because you're so damn famous when it comes to partying. Or maybe he just asked every stranger he had encoutered this week to come ? Who knows ?"

"That's more plausible." agreed Liam.

His bestfriend sighed.

"Look, Gwendoline is waiting for me but, promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Of course. I promise."

Why people thought he was likely going to do something silly ? He wasn't clumsy or whatever, was he ? Anyway, he hung up and went to bed.

"That's my fuckin' bedroom !" yelled Nick. "Go in yours for god sake !"

Rebecca Saturday December 9

When Emilio had told her it would be a huge party, she never expected this. The biggest fraternities and sororities organised it together each year. The event took place at the main hall of the university. Apparently, they had the Dean's permission thanks to his grandson, or something like that. Rebecca arrived late, because she had trained with Bob until 9pm. So, when she got there, she saw people eveywhere. Some were drunk, some were high. Most of them were only starting. She glanced couples having sex in the park next to the facility. That's what I call a fuckin' orgy. Her boyfriend had texted her his location, but she couldn't find him. Where the hell he went ? The black girl searched for a long time before she ran into Chelsea.

"Hi Rebbie !" this one yelled. "Having fun ?!"

"Not really ! I'm looking for Emilio ?!"

They were all screaming in this cacophony.

"I saw him like two minutes ago heading towards the dance stage !"

"Thanks !"

Rebecca went inside. Wow, what the fuck is that smell ? The music was more than loud. Her eardums were bleeding. But she saw him. Emilio. Surrouned by two girls heavily drunk. One kissing him, the other way too close to his ass. The hell is he doing ?

"The real nature of people is shown at parties." said someone.

She turned and saw Matthew. The guy wasn't mocking her, he didn't seem happy with what they were watching.

"Sorry. I'm used to this but you're only discovering this part of him."

The black girl looked again at Emilio. It wasn't an accident, he clearly was kissing that girl. Even worst, he also started to kiss the other.

"He's drunk." she said. "He's not controlling his actions."

"Oh yeah, and you feel better now that you found this lame excuse ? Tell me miss, why aren't you over there yelling at him ? Or at least make him stop ?"

She didn't know what to say. In a way, he was right. Even drunk, Emilio shouldn't do that. And she was supposed to be angry. But she was just... like sad. Disappointed maybe ?

"Look, Emilio had always tons of girl around him." stated Matthew. "It's in his nature you know ? I think you deserve better than him. C'mon, let's ignore him. Come with me and Chelsea, you'll have fun, I promise."

I don't understand this dude. He was mean like one month ago and now... Whatever, she didn't came at the party to think. She nodded and followed him.

Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey Saturday December 9

Pasta's place was very well known across the town to be the best restaurant. The owner, Mrs. Liliano, got a secret way to make pasta that people just loved. The Dean's grandson never expected this weird little freshman to work there. But he did. And that was why he declined the invitation to the party. Usually, Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey was more sublte with his preys. But he had quickly realised this one was special. Very special. And tonight, there was the biggest party of december. Summer, that idiotic whore, had been organising it since September. It was the perfect occasion to learn a bit more about Liam. But first, they had to go at the party, obviously. The Dean's grandson entered in Pasta's place with this goal in mind. He went straigh to the counter.

"Look who's here." grinned a cold voice. "Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey. I never expected to see you again."

Strong voice, sweet tone. A bit agressive when she said my name. I love when she says it. Damnit, that's hot.

"Hey Judith." he smiled. "Nice to meet you too. How are you ?"

It was a bit hyprocritical. Judy was one year older, and he had met her when he was a freshman. She was one of the very first prey he had hunted in college. She had earned her place in his DVD number 1, with his special favorites. Also, she did fellatio quite well.

"Better when you're not here." she answered curtly. "What do you want ?"

Funny story. When he had ditched her, she had gone a bit mad. She hadn't appreciated when he had got bored of their routine. She had gone through a supposed break-down and had left the university to work with her mother, the famous Mrs. Liliano.

"I need you to free Liam asap. He and I are going to a party."

Judy frowned.

"No way. You're not putting your dirty hands on this sweet guy. Not on my watch."

That was a bit predictable. This resentful hooker gave him bad intention all along.

"Look, I'm sure we'll go through this." he assured. "For example, you could let Liam come with me and in exchange... We bang together here and there. That wouldn't be the first time we use your restaurant for something else than eat food."

"Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey, you're disgusting."

"How long since the last time you had sex ?"

"Centuries. Fuck you. I'll go get him. But be nice."

"I'm always nice."

They arrived at the party only around 11pm. It was mainly Liam's fault. This guy took an eternity to change, and another to walk to here. At least he agreed to come... Even if he seems a bit off. He was just watching around him, but not really watching. It was like walking with a living doll. I wonder how he manages to find his path in his daily life.

"Dami, is that Theo over there ?"

This. Is. Not. My. Fucking. Name. Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey did his best to not punch this insolent freshman. He glanced at the direction Liam's showed. Indeed, he recognized Theo, with two fatties. One ex-swimmer and a footballer if he recalled right. Greedy bastard.

"We should save them before he..." whispered Liam.

"Before he what ?"

The chesnut guy lowered his eyes and mumbled something so low only god heard. What's his problem again ? This guy is a real weirdo. Simple-minded like he was, the Dean's grandson could probably led him in his bed in the next hour. But I feel something odd. No, I know he'll decline an invitation to have sex. And I don't know why. That's troublesome.

"Liam, I'm inclined to help you, but only if you tell me what's the matter ?"

"I think Theo will ate them both..." he stammered.

Jeez. I must be hallucinating. Did he think Theo was a cannibal ? In fact, it wasn't that absurd but... What the fuck ?

"Sorry Dami, I'm bothering you. I'm really dozy."

"My name is Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey." corrected the blond lad.

"It's what I said."

Fucking god what did I do to deserve such a moron ? Damnit, why can't this dumbass asshole says my whole name like every fucking one else ? What's wrong with him ? Is he broken ?

"Just go to sleep." decided Damian Nicholas Smith Carrey (you see, easy name). "I'm done for tonight."

Liam thanked him and left just like that. And I did all this for nothing. Fucking nothing. He still had half the night to spend. Let's go back to Judy. I could use her skills for fellatio right now.

To be continued

Well... This part is focused on Liam/Damian’s relationship and you can tell it won’t be easy for the hunter. Not easy to catch someone as special as Liam !

As for Rebecca, she’s about to discover something about their college... What exactly Matthew wants ? And how Emilio’ll justify himself ?

See you soon for the next part !

#the college society #cs #Liam #Rebecca #Damian Nicholas Smith Carrey #the hunt is not going as exepcted #Liam's miles away #Emilio is an ass #chapter 2 #Part 3

1 note · View note

mtvswatches · 5 years

Text

Jane the Virgin 1x10 Chapter Ten

Spoilers disclaimer (please read before sending messages or writing comments.)

Stray thoughts

1) This was a low blow…

2) I can imagine the storm will be both literal and metaphorical…

3) Rafael’s father is leaving him in charge of firing some of the hotel’s staff. This is a no-win situation for him. If he fires people, he’ll disappoint Jane and affect those employees’ lives. If he doesn’t, then he’ll have failed his father’s test.

4) Petra has signed the divorce papers because she’s hoping her sudden cooperation will sit well with Rafael and he will pay the prenup settlement. But Rafael is not here for it…

RAFAEL: Should we go over all the crazy lies and the things you've done just in the last six months? 'Cause we can.

NARRATOR: Ooh, yes, let's!

(I’m the narrator, btw.)

5) The hotel is on lockdown with all the main characters there… Bottle episode? Should be interesting!

6) Rafael’s father is also keeping some secrets of his own.

7) I’m at a loss here, a surgical room?

8) And I really don’t know what to make of this…

MICHAEL: It's Rafael. I knew it.

NADINE: Okay, just calm down - and let's think this through.

MICHAEL: He ran this hotel. He knows everything that happens here. There's no way he didn't know about this place. Nadine, think about it. Roman Zazo, one of Sin Rostro's contacts, was Rafael's college roommate. Then there's the multiple passports from different countries, cash and burner phone inside his safe…

NADINE: Which we never found.

MICHAEL: I know what I saw. You know me well enough to know I would not make that up. He must have moved them.

NADINE: Look, Rafael is definitely a suspect, okay? But if he's involved, I got to think he's working for his father. I mean, Emilio is the one that financed the hotel. And Zazo was murdered the same night that Emilio got here.

Either Rafael is a sociopath, or they’re way off. It could be Emilio, but I’m not sold on it. My hunch is that these are red-herrings and it’s got to be somebody else. It must be somebody who has an in at the hotel, of course. That’s why I still think it could be Magda – even more so now after she’s pushed Alba off the stairs. I just hope it’s someone who has already been introduced into the show rather than a new character we haven’t met, you know?

9) Why did she feel compelled to intervene here?

I get that this makes for #drama, but what they were discussing had ZERO to do with Jane, so maybe she shouldn’t get involved and give them the idea that she could be swayed to take sides?

And why is Michael revealing all this investigation-sensitive information to Jane, exactly? Like, I know why – he’s trying to make Rafael look like a criminal. But dude, do your job! He doesn’t even know who could be eavesdropping on their conversation!

10) Oh, Rafael just quoted me!

11) What is Petra going to do with her hostage situation?

12) Aww, Rogelio showed up to support Xiomara!!

Did I tell you that I fucking adore Rogelio?

13) And Jane absolutely shouldn’t get involved in the hotel’s decisions, like, she’s still an employee???

Narrator agrees with me. And I’m still going with the theory that the narrator is Jane? Like maybe this is a story she’s written? And in hindsight, she knows she shouldn’t have read this.

14) OH SHIT! The hospital is notifying ICE about Alba’s alien status!!! What the fuck!!! NOOOOOO!!!

Loving the political commentary, though.

15) Are elevators a thing in this show, like in VM or Grey’s Anatomy?

16) Yep, they are.

17) What does Rose want to see Luisa for?

18) So, Rose panicked because she thought Emilio was dropping her cheating ass for someone else and decided making up with Luisa would assure she’d still get a cut of the family’s fortune, right? Sorry if I’m being a bit cynical, but it can’t be a coincidence that she confessed her love for Luisa right after finding out that her husband might be cheating on her. And I’m super proud about Luisa telling her to fuck off. Rose had her committed, for fuck’s sake! Did she really believe Luisa would forget about that so easily, just because she was telling her she loved her? It makes me think that Rose had probably been manipulating Luisa all along…

19) Michael is genuinely concerned about Alba, and he’s helpful yet again. I appreciate that.

20) Xiomara and Jane are talking about the possibility of Alba getting deported, and I’m fucking crying. It’s too real, and it breaks my heart to think of all these people who are living constantly in fear, dreading getting hurt or getting a ticket or even saying the wrong thing in front of someone because they could be deported and separated from their family. I didn’t think this show would give me this type of feelings and make me think about this stuff – although I do think about it a lot.

21) WTF Rose, what is she planning to do?

22)

Magda is up to something. She was in the bathroom, waiting for Petra to get her some toilet paper when the storm broke their room’s window. She could’ve fought off Ivan, so I’m sure she’s planning something. She never does anything for nothing, you know?

23) How many times is Magda going to ask “Now what”? Hahaha!

24) That is so NOT how you eat an empanada!

I’m also predicting that Jane’s “prayer” was answered because Xiomara heard her talking to Alba or heard her praying and asked Alba to help her with the cooking to avoid disappointing Jane. I’m really hoping that’s the case and that Jane finds out it was her mother who answered her prayer because that’s the type of message I’m here for. EDIT: At least I was right about how the prayer got answered.

25) Uh-oh…

I hate to admit it, but I think it’s obvious Jane still has feelings for Michael.

26) Is Jane really going to veto who can and cannot get fired? How doesn’t she realize that that’s not her place?

27) Please tell me that Luisa is not falling for Rose’s tricks and she’s going to put on her clothes, leave her tied right there, and leave the hospital as if she were Rose…

28) Oh, Luisa, you fucking idiot.

ROSE: Have you ever heard of somebody named Allegria?

LUISA: That's my grandmother on my mom's side. My dad really loved her.

NARRATOR: Rose wondered why Emilio would be spending money on a dead woman.

LUISA: He even named his house in Croatia after her.

NARRATOR: Ah, yes. You see, this is the information Rose came for.

She looks super hot in that shot, though.

29) Alba woke up just in time to hear Xiomara’s prayer…

But she doesn’t remember the accident… I’m predicting she will get her memory back at the best/worst possible moment.

30) Was it Rogelio’s or Michael’s help the one that saved Alba from being deported?

31) How is Jane surprised that her friends are pissed at her? She shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place!

32) I’m sorry, but I feel Jane shouldn’t have been so comfortable with the fact that Rafael didn’t even consider putting her on the list only because of the fact they’re having a baby together. That’s nepotism or something. If they feel her working at his hotel presents some kind of conflict of interests, then she should look for another job. But her being fired or not should have only been about how well she does her job and nothing else. She obviously didn’t deserve to be fired, like she mentioned before, so that’s what Rafael should’ve taken into account.

33) So people were having their faces changed in the surgery room? That means that the Serbian could be anyone that looks like a new character, right?

34) Now, this really makes me think Rafael could actually be a bad guy…

JANE: Look, I-I'm I'm sorry to even ask this, but the passports and the phone that Michael said he saw in your safe, did he just make that all up?

RAFAEL: No. Not all of it. I do keep cash in there, and I needed an international phone when I traveled to find Luisa. And I heard that Michael was snooping around, so I moved it. Look, the guy's got it in for me. He's trying to get in your head, and he clearly has, because you are standing in front of me thinking that I might be some kind of bad guy. That I might have something to do with this Crazy Sin Rostro.

And Jane? “I know you don’t”? You’ve literally just met the guy, you don’t know SHIT about him!

35) Okay, so Luisa is not a complete idiot…

36) Okay…

So now Rose is suggesting Emilio might be Sin Rostro? It doesn’t add up, idk.

37) So it was Michael the one that got Alba out of trouble. Okay, White Bread, that was a genuinely nice thing to do, and you’re not even looking forward to get credit for it.

38) Um, this sounds a bit ominous…

MICHAEL: I'm not just gonna give up on us. You know? We belong together. And I'll never stop believing that.

NARRATOR: And for as long as Michael lived, until he drew his very last breath, he never did.

Is Michael going to die? During the show’s run, I mean. PLEASE DON’T TELL ME.

39) That was a very interesting episode, and apparently, I had a lot to say about it! Looking forward to the next!

40) Hope you enjoyed my recap, and, as usual, if you’ve got this far, thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recaps and my blog, please consider supporting it on ko-fi.Thanks!

#Jane the Virgin #JTV #Jane Villanueva #Gina Rodriguez #Rafael Solano #MTVSwatches #JTV recap #JTV 1x10

10 notes · View notes

diveronarpg · 5 years

Photo

Congratulations, KIERSTEN! You’ve been accepted for the role of IMOGEN with a faceclaim change to Brittany O’Grady. Admin Kaitlin: Oh Kiersten... It’s no secret to anyone who asks how much I am in love with Isabella Gagliano. They are such a fascinating character. They bring this vibrancy, this sheer tour de force with them around every bend, carry their thirst for justice with them around every corner--their pen as their sword and paper as their shield. And you, Kiersten, my sunshine angel you brought them to us full throttle. I am particularly in love with the plots you’ve laid out for them, all the ways they seek to raze Verona to ash for the sake of the truth, no matter how bloodied it may be. I absolutely cannot wait for them to bless our dash. Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER:

Alias | Kiersten

Age | 20 (dub club, baby!)

Preferred Pronouns | she/her

Activity Level | 6.5/10, give or take a number depending on assignments, muse, mood, and all that jazz! I’m getting ready to go back to school; however, I think I’ve managed to keep activity up pretty well, in spite of that. Anyway, I have burning passion for writing (and pain)–and DiVerona! And along with my burning passion comes guilty pleasures–that is, prioritizing replies over not-so-important (but aren’t they all supposed to be important? c’est la vie!) assignments.

Also… I’m just gonna slide this here… https://catherinedaly.tumblr.com/ :)

Timezone | EST

IN CHARACTER:

Character | Isabella Elena Gagliano (with a FC change to Brittany O’Grady, pleeeeease!)

ISABELLA

origin: Spain

meaning: pledged to God; God is bountiful

“Qué linda, qué hermosa–nuestro amor. Gracias a Dio.” These are some of the earliest phrases that she can remember coming from Candela and Emilio Gagliano throughout her childhood. Affectionately nicknamed Bella from an early age, the Gagliano child has never been a stranger to beloved adoration. Every morning, her parents would shower the beautiful babe with kisses; every night, they would get on their knees and pray at the side of the crib, thanking God for the gift He deigned to give them.

ELENA

origin: Greece

meaning: shining light; the bright one

Candela Gagliano knew what she was doing when she looked down at her darling baby and decided to gift her with a middle name full of light and brightness. That is what Isabella was to the Gagliano family: a bundle of light that, when cultivated as sweetly as she’d been, would one day righteously burn anyone who dared to try to snuff her out.

GAGLIANO

origin: Italy/Germany

meaning: joyous; brave

There’s bravery in looking the hurricane in the eye and now cowering, but winking. There’s bravery in relying on words and ink rather than guns and bullets–this ideology has been absorbed by the little canary who prefers to sing her truths rather than fight battles that she knows she’s unequipped for. She takes immense joy in dealing justice–a rarity, especially in a place such as Verona.

What drew you to this character? | Would you believe me if I said a bit of my heart has always belonged to Isabella Gagliano? I’m no better than Eros leaving Psyche to tend to her as she so rightfully deserves. When I began toying with the idea of applying for a second character (yes, I know I’m tardy to the party), I told myself that I would look for someone who pushed me out of my comfort zone of innately soft characters. By no means do I consider Isabella rough, but she’s brazen in a sort of “it’s better to ask for forgiveness rather than beg for permission” kind of way. There’s a fire inside of her that I’m dying to get ahold of. And, after going through the list over and over again, I realized that I couldn’t turn a blind eye to Isa anymore.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? | Where do you see this character developing, and what kind of actions would you have them take to get there? 3 future plot ideas would be preferable.

SEE, I’VE COME TO BURN YOUR KINGDOM DOWN: Isabella is no stranger to injustice or loss; she’s had more than enough of her fair share of both while living in Spain. Her move to Verona was meant to only be an escape, to rid herself of the plaguing thoughts of her mother and father, but the seasoned man who took her underneath his aged wing implored her to write, she could not refuse. She wrote. The Verona Giornale took note of the little canary and offered her a place, promising her as much anonymity as they can give under the moniker of Imogen, and she greedily took them up on her offer, promising herself that she would EXPOSE THE MOBS FOR ALL THAT THEY’VE DONE. And may God have mercy on the souls who find themselves immortalized in ink by Isabella Gagliano; for, if they want to live like gods, she will assure that they are crucified like them—painfully, magnificently, and publicly.

YOU HOLD MY HEART, YOU HOLD ME DOWN: Isa was the one to force her beloved to choose between her heart and her family, for she was under the guise that she meant more to Celeste than the family that left her with no choice but to marry and join the likes of the Montagues. But if there was one thing her parents taught her, it was to never make assumptions; and yet, the Gagliano woman did and got burned in the end. Casting Celeste out of her house that night was the most painful thing she’d ever done, and I’d like to see how she could come to terms with it. Logically, of course, it makes sense–Isabella cannot afford to lose herself in a woman that can never fully be hers, but her bleeding heart cries for its stellina, cries to have the other sweetly nestled against the contours of Isabella’s body, even if only for a night. EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CELESTE is something I’m dying to do, especially since I see Isa as a rather possessive person; will she cave for Celeste, or will she go out of her way to try to make the Duval woman jealous? Will she seclude herself because of her battered heart and work twice as hard to expose the evil doings of the mobs?

CORRUPT A MAN’S HEART WITH A GIFT–THAT’S HOW YOU FIND OUT WHO YOU DEALIN’ WITH: I’d like for Isa to LOOK FOR WEAK LINKS WITHIN THE MOBS’ ARMOR, for both her own sanity and her publications. Though Fate has been cruel to her in the past, she’s loathe to believe that it could continue to be; surely, Isabella believes, not everyone involved in the work of Damiano or Cosimo is there because of their own volition. Surely, she believes, there are some willing to sing their song for her, so long as she offers something in return. While neither of us are sure what will be offered, I’d love to get the chance to flesh it out and figure out just how far Isabella will go to get what she thinks she needs.

Are you comfortable with killing of your character? | Only if it’ll cause the maximum amount of pain possible.

IN CHARACTER INTERVIEW:

What is your favorite place in Verona?

Wrapped under plush blankets, arm strewn lovingly across a frame she’s mapped dozens of times–that’s her favorite place in Verona. But, there’s power in a name and in the unfettered truth that she’s too selfish to give up; to remedy, Isa keeps the truth tucked close to her chest out of fear that, if she shares, she’ll lose it and Celeste. So, Isabella settles for something far more bland, but still honest: “My office– at home or at the Giornale.” The answer is far more bland, but it’s still honest. Both places scream Isabella Gagliano, for they’re littered with pads of paper marred by her loop-filled handwriting and her walls and desk are decorated with pictures she’s taken in her down time (however, her office at home dons more intimate photos–candids, true moments of happiness–than the one at work). “There’s something liberating in sitting down in a space that’s wholeheartedly your own and and just… Being able to write and to be. It’s cathartic, really.”

2. What does your typical day look like?

“I don’t really have a set pattern of what I do every day.” Isabella prefers to keep a healthy amount of change in her life, just in case someone starts to trail her. Writing under a moniker offers more protection than her given name, but it doesn’t offer invincibility; she wishes to follow in her parents footsteps, but in her own way: stealthily, creatively. It’s not easy living in Verona without mob protection, but she makes do with what she has; besides, she’d rather die a martyr than a murderer. Languidly and cat-like, she places an elbow on the arm of the leather chair, lips jutting out in thought. “But, first and foremost,” the curly-haired brunette begins, “I wake up. The time varies, depending on what I have planned for the day. If I have a ridiculously light schedule, I’ll lounge in bed ‘til noon or I get hungry—whichever comes first.” Playfully, she chuckles at her own admission before continuing, “But on ‘normal’ days, I head to Giornale, I interview people, I write. Maybe I’ll find time to visit a few friends or just wander around the city. I’ve been here for a few months, sure, but every single day I feel like there’s something else–something new–that I learn. And that’s a journalist’s dream, no?”

3. What has been your biggest mistake thus far?

“So what—this is it?” Disbelief colors her words and she’s grateful; without it, she knows without a doubt that Celeste would be able to hear the begging undertones, the wretched part of Isabella that wants nothing more than to love and be loved in return.

“Mi amore, what do you want from me?” Celeste’s voice is tired, worn. “You know me better than I do myself; you know—“

“What do I want? What do I want, Celeste?” Exasperated hands slam against her countertop, causing the other to jump in her perch on the couch. “You! All I want is you! How many languages do I have to say it in for you to understand it? How many times?” Isa rakes her hands through her curls to calm herself, but it’s no use; panic and vexation have settled deep within the marrows of her bones, for she knows deep down that this is the end.

“I can’t leave Tomas—“

“You don’t even love him.” Isabella’s voice cracks as it stumbles over the four letter word, the four letter word she’s breathed countless amounts of time against the soft skin of Celeste’s neck, at the insides of her thighs. Isabella closes the distance between them, brown eyes imploring as she nestled beside her lover on the couch, fingertips reaching and finding purchase on the other’s hands. “You love me. Why—why am I not enough?”

For the first time since the conversation began, she swears she can see guilt in her lover’s alluring eyes. Celeste says nothing, and the silence is as loud as anguished screams. Because you can’t provide for me in the way that my family needs like he can, Isa supplies mentally, because you have no merit in Verona. Because you are neither Capulet nor Montague aligned.

Because you were too late.

“Then go.” She all but snatches her hand away from Celeste’s and she abruptly stands. “Get out. Get out.” Heavy footfalls thump against the hardwood floors as she disappears down the hall to their—no, her—bedroom. A few moments pass before Isabella rounds the corner, Celeste’s belongings carelessly bundled in her arms. “Leave,” Isa hisses, all but throwing the clothes at the redhead, “and stay gone. Stay with him in that big, grand house of yours.”

The Duval woman can only comply. With clothes in her hands and tears in her eyes, she casts her beloved a longing look before leaving. And as soon as the door slams shut, Isabella crumbles to a heap of bitterness, of brokenheartedness. She pulls her knees to her chest and raggedly sobs until her throat is raw.

———

“Signorina Gagliano?” the interviewer prompts, brows furrowing.

She blinks—once, twice, then murmurs, “Perdonami—my mind has been elsewhere as of late.” Then, to remedy her inappropriate silence, she flashes a grin and admits, “Honestly, it’s a bit unnerving being on the other side of this. I’m much more comfortable in your position, caro mio.” His chuckle reveals that he’s not upset, not even bothered. He just wants answers, Isa tells herself.

All anyone ever wants is an answer until it’s not quite that they want to hear. She swallows thickly.

“My biggest mistake would have to be giving people the benefit of the doubt.” Doing so with Celeste had left a gaping hole in her chest that she knows will never fully fill. “When somebody shows you who they are the first time, amico mio, you better believe them.”

What has been the most difficult task asked of you?

“To write,” she murmurs softly, brown eyes more vulnerable than she’d like to admit. It comes as easily as air to her, that writing, but it brings so much pain, so much misery. It dredges up memories that she has spent years trying to bury. “It’s a gift and a curse, you know.” To equally love and hate what you do, to know that it’s the best thing to do–even if not for your own gain. She knows this better than many at the Giornale, for they write from a distance with no ties to the mobs, but she writes from unwanted connections: her lovesick heart, her bitter soul. “But, you know what they say: Nothing easy is worth having, or something along those lines.” And truly, deep down, Isabella knows this as well as she knows the sky is blue and the grass is green, but it doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.

4. What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

This is the one question that leaves a metallic tang in her mouth—the mention of the mobs in what she thought was lighthearted practice for one of the newer interns has driven her to lock her jaws until she bleeds. This is all they do: they kill, they steal, and they lie—for trivial, worldly possessions. Money. Fame. Power. Her fingertips twitch involuntarily, the minuscule movement born from irritation and disdain. And this is why I’m here—to strip them of it all, to remind them that the pen is far mightier than the sword.

Isabella clears her throat and her mind by extension; to blatantly admit something that bold, even in the face of a comrade, would be the final nail in a casket she’s not yet prepared to lie in. “I’m not sure if it’s fair for us to have a say on a world that we know nothing of,” she breezily lies, fingertips absentmindedly tugging at her dark brown curls. A brow arches, however, asking the question that she knows better than to voice and he knows better than to answer: Don’t you know better than to ask about the work of the Devil?

Nonetheless, glossed lips tick upward at the corners, just enough to indicate a smile. “My thoughts are based on facts and facts alone when it comes to things not prominent in my own life, so I’m sure that makes them rather bland.”

Extras: If you have anything else you’d like to include (further headcanons, an inspo tag, a mock blog, etc), feel free to share it here!

EXTRAS:

MBTI: ENTP - The Debater

ZODIAC: Libra - October 11, 1994

MOCK BLOG:

https://isabellagagliano.tumblr.com/

PLAYLIST:

https://open.spotify.com/user/r7z4vyhjr8g2jp2t30pkapvwf/playlist/6eVrYzXLiF281uOg3GeqI1?si=PPb1kT6lQp6ZTCDGgA3sqw

HEADCANONS:

Isabella has a tiny, scripted-font “C.” behind her left ear. One drunken escapade quickly led to another, and before either Celeste or Isabella knew it, they were in a hole-in-the-wall tattoo shop. Isa held Celeste’s hand as she got her tattoo—“I love you, stellina, I love you,” the brunette had slurred with a lazy grin throughout the process.

The Gagliano woman is possessive, to say the least; but who can blame her—the child who lost what was most important to her at the time to outside forces, to greedy hands that only sought to take?

Along with journalism, Isa enjoys photography in her free time.

She’s fluent in Spanish, Italian, English, and she knows conversational Russian.

The man that took her in and encouraged her to write recently passed; she visits his grave at least once every two weeks.

#accepted #accepted: imogen

2 notes · View notes

lauraramargosian · 6 years

Text

Kidney Disease Treatment: The 11th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic!

Kidney Disease: The 11th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic is raising awareness!

George Lopez and his team raising money for kidney disease

Kidney disease treatment is no joke. Remember when George Lopez had to learn that he was in need of kidney disease treatment? Well, if you didn’t know there was a time in Lopez’s life when he needed kidney disease treatment and fast. His wife stepped up to the plate and was ready to do all she could to help with his kidney disease treatment plan.

“I’ll give you one of mine,” Ann Lopez told her husband. When the words flew from her mouth the comedian thought she was just joking. George Lopez, best known for “The George Lopez Show,” wasn’t living in a comedic world at this moment in his life.

The day was Tuesday, April 2005, the Lopezes arrived at Cedar -Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles gearing up for surgery in neighboring rooms. First, it would be her surgery and with love, faith and devotion she left George a letter and a rosary.

Mrs. Lopez opened up about the letter, saying:

“I wrote that I was doing this out of love, and that I had faith in the operation,” Ann recalls. “To me, this was about us, about our daughter, Mayan. But George, he comes from a very dysfunctional family, a horrific childhood. It was hard for him to accept that someone would give him the gift of life.”

Ironic, how some people with the hardest lives have to face hardships but the truth is, this makes us all grow stronger and George has been a positive influence in the industry for such a long time, we are thankful that his beautiful wife was able to give him the gift of life. Ann wasn’t worried, in fact she was excited to be able to give her love another chance at a healthy life. But George, he was nervous.

TOLUCA LAKE, CA – MAY 01: (L-R) Cheech Marin, George Lopez and Eddie Van Halen attend the 10th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic at Lakeside Country Club on May 1, 2017 in Toluca Lake, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for George Lopez Foundation)

“I was crying. I thanked her and I told her I loved her,” George recalls. “I was more concerned about her than I was about myself.”

The two (as expected) spoke on one another through the phone because they had to be in different rooms and post kidney treatment would take sometime in recovery.

Ann Lopez’s surgery took two hours. And George’s took five. But he was given the chance to continue making people laugh. And I’ve we’ve said before, laughter is a gift, if you can make someone laugh, you can make someone listen.

It’s great he got a second chance at life. Living a life with Kidney Disease is not an easy life. And we’re certain that’s why George Lopez is now taking part in the 11th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic, raising money and awareness about kidney disease.

Sponsors included Century Healthcare, 3 Arts Entertainment, Aftershokz, Allen & Anita Kohl, Alveo Technologies, Axis Capital, Baltaire Restaurant, Beer Pong Golf, Boulevard Management, Bunnin Chevrolet Cadillac, The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation, City National Bank, CoachLabs, Coca-Cola, Combi Charitable Foundation, Committed U, Companion Life, Curtis & Co. Watches, El Chicano Productions, Endemol Shine Group, Fifty150 Brand, Glenmorangie, HBO, Healthcare Highways Rx, Ken Corday of Days of Our Lives, King Taco, MGO Wealth Advisors, Moët Hennessy USA, Municipal Packaging, OnCore Golf, PXG, Santo Mezquila, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, Snoop’s Premium Nutrients, Stacey & Larry Kohl, Sultana Distribution Services, UTA, Vektor Vodka, Vino Latino USA, WebTPA, WBBO, Sheryl Underwood Radio, ZORIZ Golf and many more!

Doris Bergman’s Annual “Gratitude Lounge,” is also featuring an amazing assortment of luxury gifting!

George has made it his mission to raise awareness to kidney disease and organ donation.

“As we enter our tenth [now 11th] year, we continue to improve quality of life for underprivileged children, adults and military families, giving them the opportunity for a brighter future. Please join George Lopez in supporting this very worthwhile cause.”

Did you know that Kidney disease is the 9TH leading cause of death in the United States.1 An estimated 31 million people in the United States (10% of the adult population) have chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

Kidney Disease Facts and Kidney disease treatment

9 out of 10 people who have stage 3 CKD (moderately decreased kidney function) do not know it.

CKD is more common among women, but men with CKD are 50 more likely than women to have their CKD turn into kidney failure (also called end-stage renal disease or ESRD).

Some racial and ethnic groups are at greater risk for kidney failure. Compared to whites, the risk for African Americans is almost 4 times higher, Native Americans is 1.5 times higher, Asians is 1.4 times higher. Compared to non-Hispanics, Hispanics are almost 1.5 times as likely to be diagnosed with kidney failure.

The leading cause of kidney failure is diabetes.

Kidney disease treatment ranges from simple diet changes to needing a transplant.

“Diabetes causes 44% of all new cases of kidney failure. In 2012 it was the primary cause for 239,837 kidney failure patients. An estimated 29.1 million people have diabetes; 8.1 million of them don’t know they have it. About 40% of people with diabetes will get CKD.7 African Americans with diabetes are 3.5 times more likely than whites to get kidney disease. Most people (69%) participating in a 2011 nationwide survey by the American Kidney Fund could not name diabetes as a leading cause of kidney disease, despite the fact that over half (55%) had a loved one with diabetes.”

And then of course, high blood pressure is the 2nd leading cause of kidney failure.

“High blood pressure (HBP) causes 28.4% of all new cases of kidney failure. In 2012 it was the primary cause for 159,049 kidney failure patients. An estimated 70 million (29%) people have HBP — that is every 1 in 3 American Adults. And most people (85%) participating in a 2011 nationwide survey by the American Kidney Fund could not name high blood pressure as a leading cause of kidney disease, yet most of them (75%) had a loved one with high blood pressure.”

Kidney Disease: Early Detection and Treatment

According to “Medlineplus.gov,” here are some things to consider if you’re worried about kidney disease.

How can you tell if you are at risk for kidney disease? Ask yourself these questions

Do you have diabetes (problems with your blood sugar)?

Do you have high blood pressure?

Do you have heart disease?

Did your mother, father, sister, or brother have kidney disease? (Kidney disease runs in families) and may eventually need kidney disease treatment

It doesn’t matter how old or young you are kidney disease treatment is important.

“If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are at risk for kidney disease. Now is the time to get tested. Your health care provider will order two simple tests to check your kidneys—a blood test to check your glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and a urine test to check for protein.”

These tests are a quick and painless way to get tested to see if you need kidney disease treatment. And it’s certainly a great way to stay ahead of the staying healthy game.

[ Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Carlos Santana at Padres El Sueno de Esparanza! ]

TOLUCA LAKE, CA – MAY 01: (L-R) Pat Monahan, George Lopez and Eddie Van Halen attend the 10th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic at Lakeside Country Club on May 1, 2017 in Toluca Lake, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for George Lopez Foundation)

Those are the facts, it’s not all about “drinking too much,” or “doing drugs.” Health is a constant crisis all over the world. And that’s why George Lopez and other high-profile celebrities including Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Anthony Anderson, Andy Buckley, Yasiel Puig, Eddie Van Halen, Luke Wilson, Don Cheadle, David Arquette, Adam Rodriguez, Cedric the Entertainer, Joe Mantegna, Dean Geyer, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Alfonso Ribeiro, Dennis Haysbert, Tim Allen, Oscar De La Hoya, Sheryl Underwood, Joe Regalbuto, Joe Pesci, Billy Dawson, Esai Morales, Bruce McGill, D.L. Hughley, Emilio Rivera, Frank Buckley, Dr. Jason Diamond, John Brotherton, John Pyper-Ferguson, Johnathan Fernandez, Ken Corday, Kevin Rahm, Kyle Lowder, Jonathan Antin, Lizzy Small, Mark Rolston, Mauricio Umansky, Norman Nixon, Pat Monahan, Patrika Darbo, Paula Trickey, Richard Karn, Roland Martin, Steven Michael Quezada, Yancey Arias, Vinnie Jones, Gary Valentine, Phillip Palmer and others will be taking part in the tee off Monday morning, May 7th.

But you can make a difference as well and you don’t need to be rich. Firstly, if you can’t visit www.georgelopezfoundation.org and give a donation, make sure to stop in and learn more about kidney disease, share this article and spread the word. It starts with education and the whole point about any disease is knowledge!

[ Selena Gomez teaches us to take care of our health! ]

We all know someone who suffers from a chronic illness but many have become afraid to speak up and talk. That’s why it’s important to share, learn and remember that our bodies are truly amazing, they spend every waking and sleeping moment attempting to heal the damage done naturally and unnaturally, so, if you find yourself on the wagon of drinking, drugs or other things that could be harming your bodies systems, take a step back and remember, you deserve to live a healthy life.

Some people aren’t given a second chance but education, just knowing it can happen to you… well, that can change your life.

Huge shout out to George Lopez and the rest of the team for continuing to tee off to raise awareness to kidney disease, we are proud of you.

Do you know someone who has had a kidney transplant or needed kidney disease treatment? How did it go? How are they doing now? Let us know in the comments below (and of course use an alias for their name) but talking about it is important because it teaches. And you never know who is reading your comment. Words are power as are stories. And it’s all about giving back at the Celebrity Golf Classic and taking action on raising awareness to kidney disease and kidney disease treatment!

Blessed be!

Throwback: 10th Anniversary George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic 2017

youtube

The post Kidney Disease Treatment: The 11th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic! appeared first on Celebrity News | Positive Celebrity Gossip | Laurara Monique.

No related posts.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2K2LqDj via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

1 note · View note

interspersus · 2 years

Text

25 Movies To Watch Again

1. 300

“Children, gather round! No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight… and die. A new age has begun. An age of freedom, and all will know, that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it!” – King Leonidas (Gerard Butler)

2. Braveheart

“Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!” – William Wallace

3. Coach Carter

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez)

4. Dead Poet Society:

“They’re not that different from you, are they?

Same haircuts.

Full of hormones, just like you.

Invincible, just like you feel.

The world is their oyster.

They believe they’re destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you.

Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils.

But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in.

Listen, you hear it? – – Carpe – – hear it? – – Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.” – John Keating

5. Don Juan DeMarco

“There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio.

What is sacred?

Of what is the spirit made?

What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for?

The answer to each is the same – only love.” — Don Juan DeMarco (Johnny Depp)

6. Freedom Writers

“I don’t want excuses. I know what you’re up against.

We’re all of us up against something.

So you better make up your mind, because until you have the balls to look me straight in the eye and tell me this is all you deserve, I am not letting you fail.

Even if that means coming to your house every night until you finish the work.

I see who you are.

Do you understand me?

I can see you. And you are not failing.” – Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank)

7. Good Will Hunting

“They don’t know about real loss, because that only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself.” – Sean (Robin Williams)

8. Hitch

“Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away.” – Hitch (Will Smith)

9. Into the Wild

“I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships.

God’s place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience.

People just need to change the way they look at things.” – Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch)

10. Lord of the Rings

“So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide.

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring.

In which case, you were also meant to have it.

And that is an encouraging thought.” — Gandalf (Ian McKellen)

11. Marley and Me

“It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not.

Sometimes it takes a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see.

Ask yourself, how many people in the world can truly make you feel rare, pure, and extraordinary?” –John Grogan (Owen Wilson)

12. Million Dollar Baby

“To make a fighter you gotta strip them down to bare wood: you can’t just tell ’em to forget everything you know if you gotta make ’em forget even their bones… make ’em so tired they only listen to you, only hear your voice, only do what you say and nothing else… show ’em how to keep their balance and take it away from the other guy… how to generate momentum off their right toe and how to flex your knees when you fire a jab… how to fight backin’ up so that the other guy doesn’t want to come after you. Then you gotta show ’em all over again. Over and over and over… till they think they’re born that way.” – Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris (Morgan Freeman)

13. Mulan

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” — The Emperor (Pat Morita)

14. Peaceful Warrior

“The warrior does not give up what he loves, Dan. He finds the love in what he does.” – Socrates (Nick Nolte)

“The accident is your training. Life is choice. You can choose to be a victim or anything else you’d like to be.” — Socrates (Nick Nolte)

15. Rocky

“Ah come on, Adrian, it’s true. I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know?

‘Cause I was thinkin’, it really don’t matter if I lose this fight.

It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either.

‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.” – Rocky (Sylvester Stallone)

16. Rocky Balboa (Rocky 6)

“Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t how hard you can hit.

It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

It’s how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning’s done.” – Rock Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)

17. Rudy

“In this life time, you don’t have to prove nothing to nobody, except yourself.

And after what you’ve gone through, if you haven’t done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen.” – Fortune (Charles S. Dutton)

18. Runaway Bride

“Look, I guarantee there’ll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing.

But I also guarantee that if I don’t ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you’re the only one for me. “ — Ike Graham (Richard Gere)

19. Stand and Deliver

“There will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion.

Because of these two strikes, there are some people in this world who will assume that you know less than you do.

Math is the great equalizer… When you go for a job, the person giving you that job will not want to hear your problems; ergo, neither do I.

You’re going to work harder here than you’ve ever worked anywhere else. And the only thing I ask from you is ganas. ‘Desire’.” — Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos)

20. The Bucket List

“You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death.

When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions.

Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ ‘Has your life brought joy to others?’” — Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman)

21. The Empire Strikes Back

“Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.” — Yoda

22. The Mighty Ducks

“Neither do hockey players. Have you guys ever seen a flock of ducks flying in perfect formation?

It’s beautiful. Pretty awesome the way they all stick together.

Ducks never say die.

Ever seen a duck fight?

No way.

Why?

Because the other animals are afraid.

They know that if they mess with one duck, they gotta deal with the whole flock.

I’m proud to be a Duck, and I’d be proud to fly with any one of you.

So how about it? Who’s a Duck?” – Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez)

23. The Notebook

“My Dearest Allie. I couldn’t sleep last night because I know that it’s over between us. I’m not bitter anymore, because I know that what we had was real.

And if in some distant place in the future we see each other in our new lives, I’ll smile at you with joy and remember how we spent the summer beneath the trees, learning from each other and growing in love.

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that’s what you’ve given me.

That’s what I hope to give to you forever.

I love you.

I’ll be seeing you.” — Young Noah (Ryan Gosling)

24. The Pursuit of Happyness

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something.

Not even me. All right?

… You got a dream… You gotta protect it.

People can’t do somethin’ themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it.

If you want somethin’, go get it.

Period.” – Christopher Gardner (Will Smith)

25. Vision Quest

“I was in the room here one day… watchin’ the Mexican channel on TV. I don’t know nothin’ about Pele.

I’m watchin’ what this guy can do with a ball and his feet.

Next thing I know, he jumps in the air and flips into a somersault and kicks the ball in – upside down and backwards… the goddamn goalie never knew what the fuck hit him.

Pele gets excited and he rips off his jersey and starts running around the stadium waving it around his head. Everybody’s screaming in Spanish.

I’m here, sitting alone in my room, and I start crying … That’s right, I start crying.

Because another human being, a species that I happen to belong to, could kick a ball, and lift himself, and the rest of us sad-assed human beings, up to a better place to be, if only for a minute… let me tell ya, kid – it was pretty goddamned glorious.

It ain’t the six minutes… it’s what happens in that six minutes.” – Elmo (J.C. Quinn)

#movies #films

12 notes · View notes

megatraven · 3 years

Note

who’s your favourite LI from each series you’ve read? :o and why?

*claps hands together* ALRIGHT!!!! (warning: as i typed i grew more and more long-winded and i dont apologize for it but u should kno)

alright obviously i have to start off with Astoria, of which Alex is my favorite LI! I'm not gonna go into why because *gestures to entire blog* and i've made multiple posts about it

from Immortal Heart Society, it's definitely Emilio thus far. admittedly i havent tried reading the other two, but I like emilio a lot! he's really grumpy and weary it seems, but i find the grumpiness charming and the weariness feels like it's there to be driven away by mmc's fresh approach and excitability. he's fun so far!

from My Siren Crush, I gotta say it's Maxime so far!! he and Arianna only have 6 episodes each so it's hard to say, but i LOVE his personality and how sweet he is. I really like that he's shy and that he does a lot of different kinds of art, and how gentlemanly he is!

from Ever After Academy, it's definitely Arin!! Sure they've only got one season so far, but they were my favorite character almost right off the bat, before we even knew they'd be getting a route! I love how much they care about the people around them and ho they do their best to do the right thing, how they take on so many responsibilities and are willing to do so again and again, if that's what it takes to get a happy ending for everyone. they're so funny, too, and i just really am a slut for the dynamic they have with fmc, the HISTORY....... incredible

from Tales of the Wild, it's Bram!!!!!!!! my sweet bear boy, he's so kind and gentle and strong and Stubborn af..... i really really love bears so i knew i was a goner the instant we were able to vote for him to be a new LI. his route is really interesting so far, too, what with MC being a dinae whose animal form was stolen! he cares so much about her and just wants to keep her safe, to the point he makes a Very Important Oath to her... like......... he cares her....... its so sweet..

from Reigning Passions it's gotta be Xenia!!! :D i admit i have a Slight obsession with spider-people, and the moment I saw her i knew that I was gonna love her to death. when she got a route i was so overjoyed! she's just. so genuine in everything that she does, she does her best to truly do what's right and what's good for the kingdom, and for mc. she's incredibly smart and resourceful, her magic is SO COOL, and she's just really really gorgeous. i like her dry sense of humor and her blushing sprite...... i love that she slowly gives her trust to mc, and confides to her about personal matters such as her late husband, and how she clearly still loves him even whilst loving mc. she feels like such a unique character, i really just adore her <3

from Sin With Me, i've gotta say my favorite atm is Onyx! I love all the routes, but DAMN onyx's really went all out with making her a fucking DRAGON?!??!?!?!? queen shit. she was also a really unique route in that she dealt with a lot of trauma from past abuse and had to learn to open up about it and accept that what happened t her wasn't right, and that she wasn't a failure for it. it had such a strong found family feeling, even compared to the other routes. everyone just wanted her to be happy. they accepted mc into their ranks quickly because she made onyx happy, and that's all the troupe wanted. and she is so pretty and funny..... she's so CUTE...... and i think it's one f the few cases where the LI is shorter than the MC?? idk she's just. so badass, and i loved her route to pieces!!!

from Sweet Enchantments my favorite is Lucien! (with a shoutout to emeril for close second)! the character growth he undergoes in his route is just ASTOUNDING, it's written and paced so well, i can't help but love it and him!!! also one of my favorite colors is turquise and thats His Color(tm) so im a hoe for that. i just. really my big thing with him is that he grows and flourishes into such an incredible character, so sweet and humble. he's also a very very funny LI (imo), and i love seeing him interact with all the other sweets characters! his cgs are the most gorgeous things...... there's a scene where he takes mc into the human world, to a cafe so she can call her parents, and it's so sweet. there's another where he takes her out and plays soccer with her. he just cares so much about her and her wellbeing, and even when he gets afraid that she'll leave him (when she's feeling homesick especially), he talks it out with her and learns to move past those feelings. he promises himself to her before he's even out of Sweets, and i just.......... it's so romantic and precious ;O; <3

from Havenfall it's always gonna be Mackenzie!!!!!! she was my VERY FIRST lovestruck route so she is always going to have a very special place in my heart. plus i mean. LOOK AT HER. her cute face and her CUTE WOLF EARS <333 she's so cool and nerdy!!! she's so STRONG!!! her protective streak is so charming and endearing..... the way that she forgives annabelle and damien and accepts them into her little supernatural family is really precious <3 she's so strong and that strength comes not only from her, but from her bonds with everyone else, and it's...... magical. it really stole my heart and sold me on lovestruck!!

from Love & Legends my favorite (so far) is Alain! I've only read three full routes so far, but Alain is incredible despite the shortness of his route. afaik it's the only route where the mc actually has magic (which i like), and they're ACTUALLY childhood friends to lovers in that mc is a reincarnation across time and space of his childhood friend. he's so cool and sweet, he would do absolutely anything for her because he loves her so so much. which is definitely one of his faults and what led him to being one of the Witch Queen's generals, but when mc came around......... you could tell he was so broken hearted by everything, but that he couldn't bear to not love her, even when it made him bad. and you can see that love again, when mc is selfish, and he leaves her out of anger in chicago. he keeps an eye on her despite his anger and his hurt, because his love is that strong. at some point, this one god speaks and says that alain's route is the only one of his lifetimes that doesn't end in tragedy, where he gets to be happy. i lvoe that trope so much even though it hurts so much. in the other two routes i've finished, he can't leave the witch queen's side, because she's that friend he knew, who he's loved for so long. in his own route, he's only able to leave the witch queen because he finds mc- a glance into what the witch queen could have been. who she should have been. someone kind and strong, who would love him, too. i dunno. his route is just really amazing and so is he :)

in Starship Promise......... it's a hard choice, but i have to say Nav ;O;; whenever i think of nav i think of that one fucking scene........ the one that broke my heart and made me cry for like Days. Stop him. Stop him. Stop him. gods, that was an incredible scene, i don't think i'll ever get over how powerful it was. not to mention... SALAD BOY!!!!! nav is Also a very funny character. he's a secret sadboy who tries to hide it with his charm and good looks, which, A for effort bud. he ends up being unable to leave mc behind, because- even though it scares him- he's fallen for her. his story is really incredible, he's an amazing character and it was wonderful to see him get the justice he deserved.

for Villainous Nights, i'll have to say my favorite LI is Lorelei! :D i'd say renzei and juliette are super close seconds tho. but Lorelei!!!!!!!!! I think she was one of the first routes I read following mackenzie, and she was definitely the first I read from villainous nights! i loved how strong and silent she was, and how much she loves coffee, and how she can make the earth quake. i always loved how hard she tries, how much effort she puts into being in control of herself, how much she does to try making things right. she did bad things in the past, blinded by optimus' promise to do good. and when she realized it, she couldn't stay with them. she turned her back on them and did her damned best to make up for all the hurt she caused. she loves the earth and its people and its nature, and she wants to keep it all safe. she had a broken heart, but with mc by her side, she's finally able to heal and find closure that she couldn't get before, on her own. not to say every LI isn't unique, but lorelei's is another route that just really stood out from the others. her panic attacks, the way she goes mute when she's overwhelmed, how the earth trembles when she gets angry or afraid and how she tries to push her emotions down to stop it........ i havent any of that- especially her muteness- in any other LI in the app. (not that ive read every story yet). lorelei is really incredible and i love her lots my butch wife ;O;

for Queen of Thieves, it's DEFINITELY Nikolai! first and foremost he's demi!!!!!!!! which i was so excited to find out about!!!!!!!!!! that made me instantly love him, and i think that ended up being the reason why i finally started reading QOT at all. i'll take all the a-spec rep i can get, thanks. aside from that, his route is just..... incredibly well-written. everything about it feels like it has this quiet intensity, which matches him perfectly. his self-sacrificing bullshit..... his truly tragic backstory........ how he came to make the poppy........ ho much he loves his little family, how much he loves mc, how much he loves ELIZABETH......... there's nothing abut nikolai that i dont love. he's so smart, but so fucking stupid sometimes, it's the best. he's the best. that first night, in his last season i believe, when he didn't have a nightmare for the very first time ever........... i don't know if i have ever been so happy for a fictional character before. i was so overjoyed for him. he's an incredible character and so, so interesting and multi-faceted, i can't imagine anyone else taking place for my #1 qot character :^)

and last but not least.... Gangsters in Love! My favorite here...... changes a lot, i'm not even gonna lie. it's ALWAYS constantly changing between chance, rory, and ash. like. i just can't pick one. so i wont go into as much detail here as the other paragraphs, but chance is just so FUNNY and dumb like yeah he's a badass ganglord wh orides a motorcycle but also he wears a shirt with a stupid little frog on it i LOVE him. i love how much he loves his gang, how much he loves mc. and ash... who WOULDNT love ash? he's such a sweetie and his smiling sprite makes my heart stumble and he's a dog person???? dream man. he's so silly and cute, he does his best to protect the gang and find justice for his sister, it's so admirable ;o;; and RORY!!!! rory is so badass and cool, she's wicked smart and kinda reckless but in the most charming way. i always really appreciated that her route touched on her alcoholism and showed her growing past it. i loved her character growth in general, and i ESPECIALLY loved how she acted towards stella and how she grew to love her.

that's..... that's it, i think!!!! :0c thanks so much for asking!!!!

#meg speaks #lovestruck voltage #lovestruck

5 notes · View notes

medievalcat · 6 years

Text

anyway I finished rereading the Sparrow and here are some thoughts theres like spoilers in it for the sequel too lol I didn’t reread that one

if it ever gets adapted one of the biggest challenges in doing it right would be portraying the aliens visually in a way that isnt too cartoonish/ridiculous or taking people out of the story.....that could be pretty difficult if I’m going to be honest here. Especially because the content involving them is so serious....however I’m not opposed to an adaption. I kind of was thinking of how the Witch managed to make its main villain, a talking goat ( who admittedly is Satan but ... appears as...a farm animal) be so scary and effective but like...a goat is an actual existing animal we dont have to create a cgi or a design for and also Black Philip’s important scene at the end where he actually speaks, he’s unseen, and that makes it so effective. Maybe they could do an “unseen” thing for some of the scenes with the Jana’ata? I do think a movie would not work too well, I think it is so dense and the narrative’s back-and forth between the decades is far better suited to a miniseries where everything can be focused on without being condensed to a point where the narrative suffers, which is what would happen if it was a movie, even a long pushing 3 hours movie.

I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone because of the horrific things it covers but I don’t think you can really say it’s “torture p0rn” or anything despite my issues with some things in the book and some things the author has said. There is a lot to address but that’s maybe a set of things that deserve a deeper analysis than I can think of right now on this post.

Anyway a lot of the reviews online of this book are like “this is unlike anything you’ve ever read” and “it’s hard to describe” which is true. The premise is, it’s the late 2050s, and Emilio, a priest and the sole survivor of Earth’s first expedition to meet aliens, has returned, horrifically mutilated, and is in the Vatican area, not quite on trial, but kept there to physically recover and expected to eventually explain what exactly happened. he doesn’t completely explain the full extend of what happened to him until the very end, but it’s no “spoiler” that he was tortured and sexually enslaved. The narrative goes between the ‘current’ time where Emilio is in Italy, and the past, where he and the other crew members journeyed into space and lived on the alien planet. They had incredible and enlightening experiences learning and teaching the aliens they met, and Emilio even feels closer to his faith there, one of his friends even thinking he is a mystic saint. One of the crew members dies, another falls very ill....and pretty much all these terrible things unfold in the last sequence of the book, beginning from about when Emilio explains in 2060 the evolutionary history of the aliens. I know that some people don’t mind spoilers and when I was rereading this, some of the reveals were just as effective even thoguh I knew them, but I do think it’s worth reading without knowing everything.

It kind of is hard to explain this. I want to say “it’s not a religious novel” in the way that it’s not like...what people think of when they think of ‘religious fiction’, but it’s not...against any religion, and so much of the story is about the good parts of faith, and how even when someone’s faith is challenged, that doesn’t mean they should feel they have to give up their faith or believe they are forsaken or irredeemable. Emilio is a Jesuit, Sofia is Jewish, Anne is a kind of secular former Christian, for example. There’s a lot about theology from different perspectives. I think the author is a former Catholic who converted to Judaism.

There is a sequel but tbh I didn’t care for it and found it hard to follow. People have mixed feelings about it they either love or hate it. I can’t even say “at least Sofia was revealed to be alive” bc she got killed off from what I remember :/ although I don’t remember how it was done so maybe I should reserve complaints because it could have been done well and I don’t remember enough. I think the Sparrow works as a standalone book if you want it to.

There was going to be a movie adaption a while ago...please look it up and see the casting and be grateful it wasn’t made. There was also a tv series optioned by AMC but I don’t think it’s still on the table. I sincerely hope casting people in 2018 wouldn’t do something like this.

Emilio and John are in a spiritual marriage and if there ever is an adaption worth watching I hope someone does one of those fake genre remix trailers to make it look like a romantic comedy because so much of their dialogue genuinely is romantic comedy, in all seriousness I loved reading their interactions, they Care About Each Other So Much.

#i say things #book blogging

0 notes

drippeddaily · 7 years

Text

Introduction to Norwegian Hip Hop

Yo!

11 months ago /u/mandrup made a guide to Danish Hip Hop, which was the reason that got me into Danish rap and hip hop. S/O to Mandrup! I've been into hip hop for many years now and have seen great things happening in the Norwegian scene, and I wanted to show Reddit's Hiphopheads what Norway has to offer of rap and hip hop.

I've sorted, categorised and formatted as /u/mandrup, basically the same guide just with Norwegian instead of Danish hop hop, so please send him some love and check out his guide in the link embedded above.

OSLO

Arif: Formerly known as Phil T. Rich, the Oslo rapper has become one of Norway's most popular artists since he won URØRT ("Untouched"), a musical competition for unsigned artists, in Nov 2013. He's not afraid to blend genres in his songs, he has great wit and will probably continue to dominate the Norwegian music scene in the forthcoming years.

Phil T. Rich - #FÆRDIIH

Arif - Sulten

Kaveh: The 23-year-old rapper has already been in the game for 7 years and has recently started to rap in English. Struggled to find his sound over the years, but has imo still managed to deliver good music.

Kaveh - The Man

Jonas 'Shablo' Benyoub: Upcoming artist and a great guy. Been an underground name for many years, but was signed by Universal earlier this year and has released a couple of official singles. He can rap and sing but is probably best when he balances the bridge between pop and hip hop.

Jonas Benyoub - Phadman

Ivan Ave: Not sure if he's from Oslo or not (I've read it somewhere at least), but I'll include him in this section nonetheless. A natural rapper with great flow. Raps in English. One of my personal favourites.

Ivan Ave - Also

Zamour: He has rapped for some years but didn't really gain any traction before he released his refreshingly honest Er Det Feil, where he raps about some of the problems with the Norwegian hip hop culture. Not afraid to speak his mind and was a fresh breath into the scene.

Zamour - Er Det Feil

Karpe Diem: To say they're making hip hop nowadays is far-fetched, but they deserve recognition. The duo consisting of Chiraq and Magdi are legends in the game and they are the reason why urban music has become popular over the decade. First hip hop artists to sell out Oslo Spektrum (cap. 8,700) (2013).

Karpe Diem - Lett Å Være Rebell I Kjellerleiligheten Din

Tommy Tee: OG #1. Started Norway's first hop hop magazine, Fat Cap, in 1989 and has been the radio host for National Rap Show since 1993. Huge promoter for hip hop in Norway and an absolute legend.

Tommy Tee - Takin' Ova

Gatas Parlament/Don Martin: Gatas Parlament is a rap group currently consisting of Jester and Elling Borgersrud, but former members include Don Martin and Aslak Borgersrud. Pioneers within Norwegian hip hop. Known for their political songs and old school sound. The most notable member is, however, Don Martin, who's managed to make a career on his own. Always sworn to his sound and is currently a DJ and radio host. One of the veterans.

Gatas Parlament - Anno

Don Martin - Diamanttyv

MSK: One of the new kids on the block but hasn't managed to properly make a name of his own yet. His songs have mad beats and his flow is great. Maybe just a matter of time before he earns some well-deserved recognition.

MSK - Fullt Hus

KingSkurkOne: Relatively unknown card in the Norwegian music scene but has been in the spotlight following his feature on Linda Vidala's BÆNGSHOT, imo one of the most annoying songs ever made lol. Signed to the famous NMG Huset, a Norwegian hip hop label based in Bergen dominating the hip hop scene.

KingSkurkOne - Sånn Som Meg

Other mentionable artists: Barry, Iver Kaliber, Lars Rubix, Snow Boyz, Pasha, Jesse Jones, Warlocks, Son of a Light, Tøyen Holding

BERGEN

Lars Vaular: Most known rapper from Bergen and a pioneer within Norwegian hip hop. Received many awards and has consistently delivered solid music over the years. Never disappoints. He's not afraid to experiment with his sound (e.g. one of his music videos is him performing a ballet dance) and push the limits of hip hop. Legend.

Lars Vaular - DD EG gjør

Dårlig Vane: The rap group has gained a lot of attention the last year because of their bangers (e.g. Gikk i bakken, 2 Blå, Vetsje Bedre), but mostly because of winning Urørt 2017. They make hard, trap-infused party songs (Norway's Migos?) and have a great future ahead of them.

Dårlig Vane - Gikk i Bakken

Hester V75: Another rap group from Bergen who's managed to make a name for themselves in a short time. I would say they make alternative, indie-esque hip hop, although, they aren't afraid to experiment with a variety of sounds.

Hester V75 - Secta

Kartan Lauritzen: Originally from Balestrand, but has resided in Bergen for the last 5-6 years. A superb live artist with great wit. One of the funniest rappers and he doesn't take himself too seriously. He makes happy, pop-rap; most of the songs are just about having fun, really. His music videos are also great.

Kjartan Lauritzen - Havana

Kamel: Kamel aka Kamelen aka Slim Kamel aka Unge Slim, is a 24-year old rapper from Laksevåg in Bergen. He got famous over night for escaping jail and releasing his first single Si Ingenting ("Say Nothing"). He was wanted for several crimes but went underground for a couple of months before he voluntarily handed himself in. His intention was to make songs he could release while serving his time to maintain his relevancy and attention.

Kamel - KJELTRING

Store P: A member of the Bergen rap group A-laget, but has received great critics as a solo artist for Regnmannen (2014) and Rommet (2017). He cements his sound between Rap and RnB fantastically.

Store P - VI ESJE HERFRA

Other mentionable artists: Spetakkel, Yoguttene, Jonas V, Sushi x Kobe, Klaus Perry

NORTHERN NORWAY

RSP: Veteran from Harstad, member of the rap group Kompani 69 from the same place. Been in the game since the millennium and makes music considered as old school.

RSP - Vater

Joddski: Also one of the veterans in Norwegian hip hop. Formerly part of the rap duo Tungtvann and currently a solo artist. Similarly to Don Martin, Joddski has kept rapping and maintained relevant as an artist over the decade. Author of the book Full Sirkel (2017), a book covering the hip hop development in Norway and other unpublished rap histories.

Joddski - Bjørn Sundquist

Klish: Rapper from Tromsø who definitely deserves more recognition. His most recent album Røyk og Speil (2016) was a superb album filled with bass-heavy and quality specced songs.

Klish - Tøyen om natta

Other mentionable artists: Thomax

OTHER

Philip Emilio: One of the best examples of artists representing the new school of Norwegian music. He mixes rap and RnB, however, he's still considered to be an RnB artist. He has lived in the shadows of his label colleagues Arif and Unge Ferrari, but his recent EP proves he's equally as good as an artist, if not better. Worth following.

Philip Emilio - Pelikaner

Unge Ferrari: Unknown for everyone 3 years ago, arguably the most popular artist in Norway at the moment. He shares many traits with Philip Emilio; balances rap and RnB, same label and similar sound, possibly somewhat rougher. Nonetheless, Unge Ferrari has in the last three years delivered radio friendly winners and risen to the top of Norwegian music.

Unge Ferrari - Ashanti

Unge Ferrari - Vanilje

BONUS SONGS

Nora Collective - Bulmers

Lars Vaular ft. Unge Ferrari - Panorama

Arif, Unge Ferrari - BBB

I've most likely forgotten a lot of great artists, these were just the artists from the top of my head and playlists. To Norwegian Hiphopheads: Give me a shout if I've forgotten someone important, I'll then try to add them ASAP.

Aight. That's it. This took awhile. Let me know what you think.

Edit: Formatting.

Edit 2: Yes, I've left out many artists. I'm going to go through the comments and add many more. Peace!

Edit 3: SO to my homie Ares.

Yo!11 months ago /u/mandrup made a guide to Danish Hip Hop, which was the reason that got me into Danish rap and hip hop. S/O to Mandrup! I've been into hip hop for many years now and have seen great things happening in the Norwegian scene, and I wanted to show Reddit's Hiphopheads what Norway has to offer of rap and hip hop.I've sorted, categorised and formatted as /u/mandrup, basically the same guide just with Norwegian instead of Danish hop hop, so please send him some love and check out his guide in the link embedded above.OSLOArif: Formerly known as Phil T. Rich, the Oslo rapper has become one of Norway's most popular artists since he won URØRT ("Untouched"), a musical competition for unsigned artists, in Nov 2013. He's not afraid to blend genres in his songs, he has great wit and will probably continue to dominate the Norwegian music scene in the forthcoming years.Phil T. Rich - #FÆRDIIHArif - SultenKaveh: The 23-year-old rapper has already been in the game for 7 years and has recently started to rap in English. Struggled to find his sound over the years, but has imo still managed to deliver good music.Kaveh - The ManJonas 'Shablo' Benyoub: Upcoming artist and a great guy. Been an underground name for many years, but was signed by Universal earlier this year and has released a couple of official singles. He can rap and sing but is probably best when he balances the bridge between pop and hip hop.Jonas Benyoub - PhadmanIvan Ave: Not sure if he's from Oslo or not (I've read it somewhere at least), but I'll include him in this section nonetheless. A natural rapper with great flow. Raps in English. One of my personal favourites.Ivan Ave - AlsoZamour: He has rapped for some years but didn't really gain any traction before he released his refreshingly honest Er Det Feil, where he raps about some of the problems with the Norwegian hip hop culture. Not afraid to speak his mind and was a fresh breath into the scene.Zamour - Er Det FeilKarpe Diem: To say they're making hip hop nowadays is far-fetched, but they deserve recognition. The duo consisting of Chiraq and Magdi are legends in the game and they are the reason why urban music has become popular over the decade. First hip hop artists to sell out Oslo Spektrum (cap. 8,700) (2013).Karpe Diem - Lett Å Være Rebell I Kjellerleiligheten DinTommy Tee: OG #1. Started Norway's first hop hop magazine, Fat Cap, in 1989 and has been the radio host for National Rap Show since 1993. Huge promoter for hip hop in Norway and an absolute legend.Tommy Tee - Takin' OvaGatas Parlament/Don Martin: Gatas Parlament is a rap group currently consisting of Jester and Elling Borgersrud, but former members include Don Martin and Aslak Borgersrud. Pioneers within Norwegian hip hop. Known for their political songs and old school sound. The most notable member is, however, Don Martin, who's managed to make a career on his own. Always sworn to his sound and is currently a DJ and radio host. One of the veterans.Gatas Parlament - AnnoDon Martin - DiamanttyvMSK: One of the new kids on the block but hasn't managed to properly make a name of his own yet. His songs have mad beats and his flow is great. Maybe just a matter of time before he earns some well-deserved recognition.MSK - Fullt HusKingSkurkOne: Relatively unknown card in the Norwegian music scene but has been in the spotlight following his feature on Linda Vidala's BÆNGSHOT, imo one of the most annoying songs ever made lol. Signed to the famous NMG Huset, a Norwegian hip hop label based in Bergen dominating the hip hop scene.KingSkurkOne - Sånn Som MegOther mentionable artists: Barry, Iver Kaliber, Lars Rubix, Snow Boyz, Pasha, Jesse Jones, Warlocks, Son of a Light, Tøyen HoldingBERGENLars Vaular: Most known rapper from Bergen and a pioneer within Norwegian hip hop. Received many awards and has consistently delivered solid music over the years. Never disappoints. He's not afraid to experiment with his sound (e.g. one of his music videos is him performing a ballet dance) and push the limits of hip hop. Legend.Lars Vaular - DD EG gjørDårlig Vane: The rap group has gained a lot of attention the last year because of their bangers (e.g. Gikk i bakken, 2 Blå, Vetsje Bedre), but mostly because of winning Urørt 2017. They make hard, trap-infused party songs (Norway's Migos?) and have a great future ahead of them.Dårlig Vane - Gikk i BakkenHester V75: Another rap group from Bergen who's managed to make a name for themselves in a short time. I would say they make alternative, indie-esque hip hop, although, they aren't afraid to experiment with a variety of sounds.Hester V75 - SectaKartan Lauritzen: Originally from Balestrand, but has resided in Bergen for the last 5-6 years. A superb live artist with great wit. One of the funniest rappers and he doesn't take himself too seriously. He makes happy, pop-rap; most of the songs are just about having fun, really. His music videos are also great.Kjartan Lauritzen - HavanaKamel: Kamel aka Kamelen aka Slim Kamel aka Unge Slim, is a 24-year old rapper from Laksevåg in Bergen. He got famous over night for escaping jail and releasing his first single Si Ingenting ("Say Nothing"). He was wanted for several crimes but went underground for a couple of months before he voluntarily handed himself in. His intention was to make songs he could release while serving his time to maintain his relevancy and attention.Kamel - KJELTRINGStore P: A member of the Bergen rap group A-laget, but has received great critics as a solo artist for Regnmannen (2014) and Rommet (2017). He cements his sound between Rap and RnB fantastically.Store P - VI ESJE HERFRAOther mentionable artists: Spetakkel, Yoguttene, Jonas V, Sushi x Kobe, Klaus PerryNORTHERN NORWAYRSP: Veteran from Harstad, member of the rap group Kompani 69 from the same place. Been in the game since the millennium and makes music considered as old school.RSP - VaterJoddski: Also one of the veterans in Norwegian hip hop. Formerly part of the rap duo Tungtvann and currently a solo artist. Similarly to Don Martin, Joddski has kept rapping and maintained relevant as an artist over the decade. Author of the book Full Sirkel (2017), a book covering the hip hop development in Norway and other unpublished rap histories.Joddski - Bjørn SundquistKlish: Rapper from Tromsø who definitely deserves more recognition. His most recent album Røyk og Speil (2016) was a superb album filled with bass-heavy and quality specced songs.Klish - Tøyen om nattaOther mentionable artists: ThomaxOTHERPhilip Emilio: One of the best examples of artists representing the new school of Norwegian music. He mixes rap and RnB, however, he's still considered to be an RnB artist. He has lived in the shadows of his label colleagues Arif and Unge Ferrari, but his recent EP proves he's equally as good as an artist, if not better. Worth following.Philip Emilio - PelikanerUnge Ferrari: Unknown for everyone 3 years ago, arguably the most popular artist in Norway at the moment. He shares many traits with Philip Emilio; balances rap and RnB, same label and similar sound, possibly somewhat rougher. Nonetheless, Unge Ferrari has in the last three years delivered radio friendly winners and risen to the top of Norwegian music.Unge Ferrari - AshantiUnge Ferrari - VaniljeBONUS SONGSNora Collective - BulmersLars Vaular ft. Unge Ferrari - PanoramaArif, Unge Ferrari - BBBI've most likely forgotten a lot of great artists, these were just the artists from the top of my head and playlists. To Norwegian Hiphopheads: Give me a shout if I've forgotten someone important, I'll then try to add them ASAP.Aight. That's it. This took awhile. Let me know what you think.Edit: Formatting.Edit 2: Yes, I've left out many artists. I'm going to go through the comments and add many more. Peace!Edit 3: SO to my homie Ares.

#IFTTT #reddit

0 notes

junker-town · 7 years

Text

A comprehensive list of coaches the USMNT could target

It’s anyone’s guess what Sunil Gulati and his colleagues are thinking, so let’s take a look at anyone who might be on the radar.

Bruce Arena was hired as a stopgap to turn the United States around after the struggles of Jürgen Klinsmann. He was always going to struggle to earn a contract renewal without a spectacular World Cup run, and will now almost certainly find himself out of a job after failing to qualify for the World Cup entirely.

Despite Sunil Gulati’s statement that he won’t blow up the system, he is going to have to conduct a coaching search. He might already have a preferred candidate in mind, but following the debacle that was the Hex, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on him to broaden his horizons and cast his net as far and wide as possible.

For that reason, here is a list of all types of potential USMNT coaching candidates, grouped according to how likely they are to be considered and how likely they are to get the job.

The top candidates

These are the coaches that we expect U.S. Soccer to have near the top of their list for potential replacements. They may not be your favorites, but they’ll be discussed a lot in the coming weeks.

Tab Ramos — United States men’s Under-20

Ramos debuted for the USMNT in 1988 and has been a fixture in American soccer ever since. He was hired to manage the Under-20 men’s national team in 2011 and recently signed a new contract to continue in his jobs as U-20 coach and youth technical director, so he’s clearly valued by U.S. Soccer. Thanks to his successes with the U-20s, guiding them to the knockout stages of the last two Under-20 World Cups, Stars and Stripes FC speculated he might be in line to replace Arena before Tuesday’s disaster.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Peter Vermes — Sporting Kansas City

Another former USMNT player, Vermes has been in charge of Sporting Kansas City since 2009. He’s won MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup with the team and Americans like Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, Benny Feilhaber and Dom Dwyer have improved under Vermes. He’s a popular pick for having an established style of play — a 4-3-3 formation with high pressure and a lot of possession. Sporting KC ranks No. 1 in MLS in average possession and passing percentage this season, and is regularly near the top of those lists.

Caleb Porter — Portland Timbers

Porter is also noted for having his teams keep possession with the ball on the ground, though his Timbers have usually done so in a 4-2-3-1 formation that functions a bit differently from Vermes’, with a true No. 10 in an advanced playmaking role and without a dedicated true defensive midfielder. Porter won a national title at Akron and regularly made deep runs in the College Cup with a style dubbed “death by 1000 passes.” He carried that to his current job with the Timbers, where he’s won an MLS Cup. Notably, Porter also oversaw the USMNT Under-23’s disastrous failed 2012 Olympics qualifying campaign.

The dream hires

If the USMNT hires any of these coaches, it’s an incredible coup. They are unlikely to hire any of these coaches.

Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images

David Wagner — Huddersfield

The German-American former USMNT player got his start working under Jürgen Klopp, then took his high-octane counter-pressing methods to Huddersfield, who he guided to Premier League promotion. Huddersfield looks capable of staying up and Wagner has been linked to Bundesliga jobs, so this isn’t happening. He has better job prospects.

Luis Enrique — Unattached

Following a mostly successful stint with Barcelona, Enrique is waiting for the perfect opportunity. The USMNT might be that if he’s looking for a change of pace and less stress. But if he wants a big European job, he’ll get one pretty soon. This is a complete pipe dream with no basis in reality.

Thomas Tuchel — Unattached

I could copy-paste all of the above, but just swap out Barcelona for Borussia Dortmund.

Gerardo Martino — Atlanta United

The Argentine manager has an expansion Atlanta side playing prettier soccer than anyone thought an MLS team was capable of. Martino’s stints with Argentina and Barcelona weren’t great, but they weren’t disastrous either. And he worked miracles before that, with both Paraguay and Newell’s Old Boys. He’d be a great hire, but Atlanta’s got deep pockets, and there’s no indication he’s looking to leave his current gig.

Sure, why not?

These managers shouldn’t be at the top of U.S. Soccer’s list, but don’t get upset if they get hired. They’ve all done good things and would be deserving of a bigger job.

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Oscar Pareja — FC Dallas

Once among the favorites for the USMNT job, his stock has dropped considerably as FC Dallas has slid down the standings in MLS. But he’s still overseen the integration of young American talent into a pro side successfully, won a Shield-Cup double in 2016, and worked miracles with a Colorado Rapids team that didn’t have much talent. He can’t be written off because of one bad year.

Greg Vanney — Toronto FC

Sure, he has the most talented roster in MLS helping him out, but Vanney still deserves credit for doing what no Toronto FC coach before him could do. Not only did he make the playoffs, but he won two playoff series last season too. This season, TFC is running away with the Supporters’ Shield. And the cherry on top — Vanney’s preferred 3-5-2 formation suits the USMNT’s player pool well.

Jesse Marsch — New York Red Bulls

Despite ownership not spending like they did for his predecessors and his sporting directors making some questionable moves, Marsch has kept the Red Bulls playing consistently good soccer, winning the Shield in 2015 and guiding them to another first place finish in the East last season. He’s shown some tactical flexibility, setting up his team successfully in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 variants.

Patrick Vieira — New York City FC

It seems more likely that Vieira’s next move is to Europe rather than the USMNT, but he’s had NYCFC playing excellent soccer over the last two seasons. His team plays a very aggressive high-pressure style and puts together the most spectacular highlight plays of anyone in MLS. Unfortunately, NYCFC gets a bit too aggressive at times and gives up silly goals too.

Out there, but good ideas

No one expects these coaches to be real candidates, but they’d make for great hires.

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Miguel Herrera — Club America

Herrera, the former Mexico manager who engineered a turnaround after El Tri’s disastrous 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, has repeatedly stated that he’s open to an offer from U.S. Soccer. He’s gotten results consistently with Mexico, America and Tijuana. His up-tempo, attacking back-three setups both suit the player pool well and would be entertaining. U.S. Soccer should call him.

Carlo Ancelotti — Unattached

An expensive safe hire, if he’s interested. Ancelotti just got fired by Bayern Munich because his players found his training methods to be too simple post-Guardiola, but that’s fine at the international level. Tactics have to be kept simple when players don’t train together every day. Ancelotti is one of the best in-game tacticians in the sport and would instantly make the USMNT better. But he might not be the slightest bit interested.

Out there, but bad ideas

These names get brought up a lot, but should not be considered.

Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images

Marcelo Bielsa — Lille

Salts the earth everywhere he goes. Ruins careers. One of the game’s most brilliant theorists, but in practice, he’s been very bad for the last three teams that hired him.

Louis van Gaal — Unattached

His stars dragged him to results with the Netherlands. His Man United teams were unwatchable. He did a bad job at Bayern too. Avoid at all costs.

Guus Hiddink — Unattached

Last successful permanent job was Australia over 10 years ago.

Roberto Martinez — Belgium

Sounds very smart on television. In practice, he makes strange player selections and his teams leak like a sieve defensively.

Arsene Wenger — Arsenal

He’s a bad coach.

These are names we are contractually obligated to list

Sigi Schmid — LA Galaxy

Jason Kreis — Orlando City

Gregg Berhalter — Columbus Crew

Bob Bradley — Unattached

These are names that always get mentioned. But if any of these men get the call, either a half-dozen candidates have rejected U.S. Soccer or something is horribly wrong with the decision-makers at Soccer Towers.

0 notes