#Paloma has yet to comment on the suggestions

[makotoscoffee]

Palo made one tweet and one insta story post about Fanny and yet I'm eating it up like they're having some intense long going feud heat up again

[camilaelisalvarez]

accessing file . . . CAMILA ELIS ÁLVAREZ 

UNREDACTED CASE FILE NO. 479002-BXQ. records show that agent terra, given name CAMILA ELIS ÁLVAREZ, was last seen in madrid on december 18 2018. psych eval describes them as adaptable and vengeful but otherwise fit for service at the firebird agency. at twenty-three, they have been recruited as a junior agent for the past three years. associations include: bruised and bloody knuckles bandaged for secrecy , the misleading facade of amusement in neon lights and how the skies begin to turn grey at the edge of an impending storm. end of file.   -   ananju dorigo, cisfemale, she/her

CHILDHOOD

camila was born on an ordinary spring day in which the sun glared ay everything and everyone but the breeze provided enough cool air to stop anyone from going into complete panic mode from the heat

she was born to ricardo and paloma alvarez, her father was this successful businessman for a company in new york city and her mother was just his assistant

camila was conceived from an affair, her father was already married and as soon as her mother found out that she was pregnant, her father threatened her and forced her to quit her job and so she moved back to Brazil

she was raised by her mother and her grandmother in a small house in a the small town of Santa Cruz de Minas, as a kid she was always seemed level-headed and always strong-minded, she wouldn’t let anyone talk her down or bully her physically or mentally (but really she just put on a brave face, she was just as affected as the next person)

she constantly asked about her father but received no answers from her mother and her grandmother, this only fuelled her curiosity and she made a vow to her younger self that she would find her father and find some answers

YOUTH

camila never really excelled in academics, she was more street-smart than book-smart, her teachers always said that she had a lot of potential in the academic sector but she always concentrated on sport and art, she was more in touch and in harmony with her emotions and that was obvious in her art

she wanted to be an artist for the longest time, at night she would sneak out with some friends and graffiti some of the town walls with a profound message or a sentimental illustration

she was also really good at running, long-distance particularly, she won a lot of marathons, received lots of trophies and medals and it was something that came to her naturally but she kept working at it so she got better, her teachers even suggested it as a career but camila was set on becoming an artist

socially she was adored by her peers to some extent because she was a bit of a rebel, she always spoke out in class and interrupted lessons with a sarcastic yet rudimentary and only slightly offensive comment

ADULTHOOD

as soon as she turned eighteen she moved to new york, partly because she wanted to kickstart her career as an artist and she thought there would be more opportunities there but also because she really wanted to find her father and get to the bottom of her history

she finally found her father by the time she was 20, rocked up to his house, the door was opened by his wife, her father got super angry and completely brushed her off and also since her father is this crazy person who’s so obsessed with keeping up appearances and maintaining his reputation (for his business etc.) he sent out someone to ‘deal’ with camila and her family

she learnt the news of her mother’s death a week after the visit to her father’s home, she was told she died from influenza and a week after that, she got news that her grandmother had died from a heart attack

she moved back to Brazil for the funeral but then discovered that her mother and grandmother were actually poisoned, camila’s always been quite vengeful and her emotion always tends to get the better of her

so she trained really hard and got all the intel on her father, waiting and training till the right opportunity, before she could do anything though, an agent on another mission took notice of her and she was recruited

which brings us to the present day !! mila is 23 years old and she’s been a junior agent for three years and is working her butt off to be a field agent asap

PERSONALITY

she’s very ambitious, she really wants to be a field agent and is always complaining about how she’s ready etc. etc. and always trains super hard so she has like no social life, she’s always in the training room and she’s always focused on her missions which tends to cause in some relationships (both platonic and romantic) to be sacrificed

she’s loyal right down to her core, once she’s established that you are her best friend then she’ll right about give her own life for you BUT it takes a long time for her to reach the best friend stage with someone, she doesn’t open up easily and she often just has a facade of sarcasm and quick-witted comebacks but it doesn’t actually tell you anything about who she really is

she would probably be known to be seem super cold-hearted and distant from everyone but once you get to know her, she’s really thoughtful and a real nerd but she is quite guarded and doesn’t trust anyone easily

she tends to spend her free time training (duuhhhh!) but besides that she loves her movies so she’s probably out in the cinema (by herself) or in her house with a thousand blankets and netflix on the tv

sometimes, she takes the mission personally and it affects her performance, there’s always some bits of the mission that will remind her of her history and its just something that she won’t be able to forget so sometimes she gets too heated during missions and thats when she fails

RANDOM HEADCANONS

constantly have bandaged hands

always have bruised knees

can’t do anything with computers or technology

water bottle is always in her hands

speaks Portuguese when she’s angry

lowkey has nightmares but quite rare

she can speak : Portuguese, Spanish and English  

WANTED CONNECTIONS

*note* all of these are just really brief, kinda default ideas, we definitely can hash out something much more specific !!

junior agent buddy  / best friend: both started at the firebird agency at the same time and built a friendship through their trainings and missions and tasks etc.

senior agent mentor : someone that has taken her under their wing *note* she probably would have been very stubborn at the start and tried to do everything her way , this is also the agent who she would have to accompany during any missions

training partner : they have lots of friendly banter and get it out through faux-fighting each other in the training room

little sibling : someone who she sees as her little sibling and absolutely adores them

confidant : her rock, someone who she tells all her insecurities too and its one of those friendships where they just call each other up or meet at a 24/7 diner when they can’t sleep and its like they just pour their hearts out but then they pretend that nothing happened the next day

frenemies : someone she has lots of FRIENDLY banter with and is very competitive with this person

roommate : someone that she had to share a house with and they could hate each other and are only civil towards each other

hook up buddies : someone that she probably spends the night at his place to relieve some stress but they don’t know each other, its strictly friends with benefits but this could definitely develop into something more

drinking buddy : someone who convinces her to go out and try to have a social life through parties and stuff

study buddy : someone who helps her with more of the smart stuff, like intel and stuff cuz she’s kinda dumb

ex-boyfriend

unrequited crush

OOC

hey guys it’s N again, you know the drill !! like this to get something going between our characters !!! 

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Campechana Conditioning

Author’s Note: This little fic was inspired by The Big Bang Theory’s The Gothowitz Deviation episode where Sheldon tries to train Penny. So I thought of how fun it would be to do it to a certain frenemy, emphasis on the enemy pair from EoA. And lo and behold, here it is. With the bonus of Elena realizing how insane the adults in her life are. Thanks to @pizzansunshine with her thoughtful editing and endless enthusiasm once more. 

“It’s a shame that you have to continue your duties. You just got back this morning.” Mateo said, strolling arm and arm with Elena through the via mercado.

“I know,” Elena shook her head with a sigh, allowing herself to lean closer on Mateo’s shoulder, snuggling closer to the soft felt of his robe. “But remember, we all got to sleep overnight on the ship from Cariza to here so we can be ready to work once we docked.”

“I know. The trip was definitely fun though. It was nice of King Joaquin to allow me to help out at an in progress Maruvian evacuation.” Mateo said.

“Well he said you were a great help at the dig, and they didn’t know what they would have done without you doing the levulan spell to lift all the heavy boulders. My favorite part was the hypnotist show. I will never ever forget the image of Gabe crawling on all fours like a gecko.” Elena laughed.

“Or squawking like a chicken” Mateo added.

“Or Esteban..” Elena began when the doors to Doña Paloma’s emporium opened and said Esteban was waiting for her to finish the sentence with a stern eyebrow raised.

“I’ll leave you to organizing the gifts King Joaquin sent. I’ll pick you up in two hours?” Mateo smoothly intercepted.

“An hour or even half an hour. This will be very quick.” Elena assured him as Mateo gave a gentlemanly bow and kissed her hand before loping away.

“If you are done consorting with your boyfriend, you have work to help attend to.” Esteban said which Elena shook her head at her older cousin’s stiff attitude.

He approved of Mateo she knew. He had even said that Mateo was the best choice to tame her wild impulses. And she knew that he had enjoyed spending a nice, relaxing vacation in Cariza with the family, but now he was all back to business.  

“Alright you two. We have 7 boxes and I want to be done before dinner so it’s best to split this up by Princess Elena sorting the items by value, you will be doing inventory and I will set the up in the shop or send back to the palace.” Doña Paloma instructed.

“Oh Doña? I thought- I thought Julio would be helping us.” Elena exclaimed in surprise to see the statuesque store owner, standing impatiently among the stacks of boxes that the royal family had brought from Cariza.

“Julio,” Doña muttered with no small amount of disdain into that one name, “Has important Magister duties to attend to with the other merchants so I will be assisting you.”

“That’s great” Elena managed to say with some cheerfulness under the older woman’s annoyed gaze and Esteban’s sarcastic eye roll.

“Let’s get this over with.” Esteban said and opened up one of the boxes to pull out several wine bottles.

The three worked in relative silence with a few interjections from Esteban that glass blown jewelry that Elena had thought were a couple of thousands of pesos were only worth a hundred, three hundred at most. Then Doña argued that he had no eye for price and Elena had been correct the first time. They were about to gear up for one of their infamous arguments when Elena compromised to price it at 3 thousand.

After finishing with unpacking the boxes, they started to decide on a window display to highlight the Carizan goods which Esteban favored the theme of the coming Día de Los Muertos.

“I suppose it is a good idea. That way we could show off the shawls as autumn clothing.” Dońa agreed so Elena started to gather up some blankets to use.

Esteban turned away and reached into an elaborately patterned pastry box with the Cariza Kingdom’s seal ontop that Elena hadn’t noticed when she entered. “Would you two like a chocolate drizzled campechanas?” He offered.

The two turned around and looked at Esteban who was wearing a innocent friendly smile. It was was an odd turn-around from his annoyed, and impatient behavior that he had the whole time they’d been working.

“Are you okay?” Elena questioned soothingly. “Have you’ve been working too hard?” “What’s wrong with you?” Doña snapped suspiciously. “Were you hit in the head?”

“I’m just offering campechanas. Nothing’s wrong.” Esteban drew back the box with a look of offense.

“Why do you have campechanas? We bought a lot of sweets from Cariza at home.��� Elena asked.

“Too many sweets I think. So I brought one here so we can finish it up.” Esteban answered, “Again. Campechana?”

The two woman looked at each other and took a campechana. “Mmm delicious.” Elena happily savored the flaky crust and melted chocolate. Campechanas were one of her favorite pastry next to pan dulce.

“Not bad.” Doña commented, discreetly licking her fingers behind her fan.

Then they settled back to business with Elena choosing which crystal altar would best reflect rays of cool orange and yellows to match the garlands marigolds that Esteban and Doña were draping around the windows.  

“Doña, can you hand me that hammer?” Esteban requested. Once she complied, Esteban offered brightly, “Go take a campechana.”

“Sure.” Doña stepped down from the ladder and grabbed a sweet from the box.

They finished making up the window display of a blue crystal altar, draped with marigolds and cushioned by blankets with two mannequins displaying the latest styles from Cariza.

Elena looked out the window but didn’t see Mateo anywhere in sight so she decided to take a seat and enjoy the ice tea that Doña brought from her office.

Elena sipped and smelled the crisp autumn air that was starting to seep in the air as the sun started to set. She wasn’t worried about Mateo’s lateness, Mateo could often get very caught up in his potions and spells in his workshop.

Esteban had been idley looking out the doors when Doña drew two chairs next to Elena, “Would you like a seat, Chancellor?”

“Thank you. Have a campechana.” Esteban opened up his pastry box and placed it on the table, letting the inviting smell waft through the room.

Doña shrugged and took one as he took one for himself.

“I love the beginning of this season. Not just for Día de Los Muertos to come, but for the cooler weather and starting up the fires.”

“I’m glad Día de Los Muertos is coming too. And being able to spend it freely and openly.” Esteban shared a fond look with Elena, thinking of the upcoming holiday. They were so many years he had wanted to visit his aunt and uncle’s altar, but Shuriki....Shuriki was finally gone for good.

“If you want, I can sell you some discounted glass-blown ornaments for your altars. I-well- I always liked those best for the altar. My abuelo was a glassblower and he always said it each one could represent a person since not one could be the same. Or I could even take you to a workhouse and you can make your own. It’s beautiful to watch. Almost like magic, but with fire and glass. Even if you don’t buy anything, it would be nice to see. Like a little break from all the work you do.” Doña suggested.

“What a nice idea. Campechana?” Esteban offered with a feline smile.

Elena’s ear perked suspiciously at that sentence. This was like the fourth time Esteban offered a campechana to Doña.

A fond smile graced Esteban’s features, “That reminds me of Día de Los Muertos when we were younger, Elena. I think I was seven and you were six. We had stolen several cookies from the kitchen and as we were running down the halls like maniacs and I tripped over my own feet and the empanadas flew and hit the valuable glass-”

“Nothing’s change. You’re clumsy then, clumsy now.” Doña commented snidely.

Esteban glared at her, “Are you going to continue the commentary or can I tell the story?”

Doña rolled her eyes and mimed zipping her mouth, then Esteban handed her a campechana.

Elena’s eyes darted between them. Was he...

“As I was saying. The empanadas flew out of my hands and hit the priceless Castillo vase belonging to our bisabuelos and-

“Esteban, a word. Let’s see if Mateo arrived yet. Come on.” Elena pulled Esteban to the door.

“Are you giving her campechana every time she does something you like?” Elena whispered incredulously.

“This is true.” Esteban stroked his mustache, “I talked to the hypnotist before we left Cariza and he had given me the idea. Most people get hypnotized because they want to. It feeds to their expectation, so they’re easily susceptible. But another way to get people to do what you want is conditioning. Reward them everytime they do something you like. Praise them.”

“Give them campechanas..” Elena said slowly before snapping at the realization, “Esteban, you can’t just train her to do what you want.”

“I clearly can. That was the first I got her to voluntarily shut up in years.” Esteban smirked, “Just think Elena, how much easier our lives would be. Think of it not changing her personality, but improving it. She’ll be like when I first met her. More modest. She won’t be thinking of just her personal gain. Actually willing to agree with something I say. She won’t be the high and mighty, arrogant, pretentious, disrespectful, self-centered thorn in my side! It will be like a new era.”

“But morally....” Elena protested, “I guess it would be nice if she was kinder but she’s still a person. She should be herself.”

“Mhhmm. It’s good that you are listening and analyzing the situation through instead of going with your first impulse. When we sit back down, would you like a campechana?” Esteban asked.

“No I would not like one!” Elena retorted, ignoring how as she said it the smell of chocolate just seemed to go under nostrils to tempt her for a bite, “Not like this.”

“Let’s just see what happens” Esteban relented, “In a week I could probably get her to be my personal assistant.” He sighed wistfully.

Elena gave him a withering stare.

“I could. But I won’t. Although it would sort of be deserved after all I did for so she would stop teasing me about the time I got drunk in Nohrborg and I---” Elena looked at him curiously, “Nothing. Story from Shuriki's time. You don’t need to know. And you don’t need to ask Doña about it either. It’s just a nice reprieve from her usual annoying personality. She’s been so hostile to me lately. It’s like she blames me for the fact that Julio is the Magister of Trade now.”

“But you are the reason. You orchestrated the whole thing so Julio could win.” Elena said.

“Yes, but she doesn’t know that! At least I don’t I think so...” Esteban retorted.

Elena shook her head as they both walked to her seat, giving Esteban a disapproving look as he continued with his Día de Los Muertos story.

The conversation changed to other topics and Elena was giving a hearty argument for why folk dancing was the best dance for festival celebrations. “After all folk dance is based on tradition. And celebration. And they each tell a story.”

“No, I’ll have to agree with Esteban on this one. Tango for festival celebrations. There is something much more meaningful about the tango. Not only you dance with your feet, but you dance with your soul.” Doña said and Esteban looked at Elena with an air of superiority.

“I’m glad we agree on something. Doña catch.” Esteban threw a campechana and Dona caught it midair in her mouth.

“Delicioso. I’m murdering my waistline but it is so good.” Doña murmured guiltily.

Elena looked at Esteban’s self satisfied grin and had enough. She pulled Doña to the door before he could protest. “I have to tell you something about why Esteban is treating you this way.” Elena blurted.

“Oh yes I was wondering- Why is Esteban being so nice? Did he get hit by a rock or hypnotized or what?” Doña interrupted.

“Uh well no. I mean we did go to a hypnotist show but that’s not what-”

“That explains it. I hope whatever it is, it doesn’t fade away too soon. Anyway, as long as he’s like this I might as well make him nicer.” Doña said confidently.

“Make him nicer?” Elena questioned warily.

“It’s fine. I’m not going to hypnotize him. I’m just being nice to him. You know, if he is nice to me, I’ll be nice back. Reward his behavior.”

“Reward his behavior?” Elena’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “You’re conditioning him?”

Doña looked surprised that she caught on so fast, “Don’t think of it that way. Think of it as...um what’s that phrase? Kill him with kindness. Oh Elena, I know he’s your cousin and you love him and all that, but think about it. Don’t you want to change some of his personality traits to make our lives easier. At least I want to. I want him to be the good, respectful, thoughtful man he so rarely shows. Instead of the egotistical, impossible, insufferable, spoiled, pompous jerk he always is. Maybe I could even convince him that I should have more power than Julio.”

“Uh huh” Elena nodded, unsure of what she could even say to that.

Doña seemed to take that their private conversation was finished and went back to her seat, “Esteban, I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but you are an excellent tango dancer, and maybe you can show off some of your moves tonight. There’s a dance happening at the community center. If you stayed, we could talk about business just like old times. When I really think about it. So many of your ideas were just... brillant.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Doña. I’m glad you’re seeing things my way.” Esteban said looking directly at Elena as he reached over to feed Doña an campechana, his eyes sparking with victory that he thought he won. Doña gave her a small wink as if the two of them shared a secret in having the upper hand over Esteban.

“You two really have no idea” Elena thought to herself as she watched the two continue their little subtle game of cat and mouse.

The bells to the emporium doors jingled as a familiar curly-haired face peeked in. “Sorry I’m late querida. I got distracted by a new shapeshifting spell and then I couldn’t quiet change back when I was on the ground in the form of a rat. But I did. As you can see.” Mateo said, gesturing to his very-much human body.

Elena eagerly got up from her seat and grabbed a few campechanas for herself. “This was a..very interesting workday afternoon. Um bye. I’ll tell abuela that you will be out, cousin. Adios.”

She took Mateo’s arm and once they were safely outside the door, started to laugh to herself, “Wait till you hear what an afternoon I just had, querido.”

“What? Did the two fight the entire time?” Mateo smiled knowingly.

“Oh quite the opposite.” Elena smiled seeing Mateo’s confused look, “Have a campechana and I’ll tell you all about it.”

[lostbutterflyutau]

EoA Mirror World AU Synopsis (Part 4)

Other Parts: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

For the final part, we jump into the beginning of summer vacation before Isabelle’s eighth grade year and the girls’ senior year.

At the beginning of the holiday, the Crownlets arrive at Isabelle’s house to wake her up one morning. Moana informs her that the bus for Camp Wildwing leaves in only a few minutes.

Isabelle freaks out, commenting about how she can’t believe she overslept. Carla points out that it is highly unlike her to do so and Anna asks where her “super-annoying” alarm clock is, finding it under one of the decorative bed pillows while the younger girl rushes around the room and scrambles to pack, which she somehow also forgot to do. Her friends offer to help, Moana asking why Rapunzel is debating between two dressy outfits if they’re going to be camping in the woods. Rapunzel reminds her of the dance at the end of the session and Isabelle grabs her clothes to change, only to find that, when she steps in front of the mirror, her reflection isn’t the only thing she sees. Behind her, floating above the bed, is her dark sorceress form.

Isabelle: How is this possible? Carla helped me defeat you at the Friendship Games!

The sorceress snaps that the girls will never truly defeat her and covers the room in darkness, taking Isabelle and her friends with her to another dimension where she snaps that she is a part of Isabelle and will always be there, waiting in the darkest shadows of her mind until the day she returns to claim all the magic.

Isabelle screams, startling herself awake and finding that she’s actually on the bus to Camp Wildwing.

Isabelle: STOP!

Mingo: Isa, wake up.

Anna: We can’t stop, Silly. We’re not there yet.

Seeing the younger girl’s distress, Carla asks if she’s alright and Isabelle lies and claims that she’s fine. Carla goes to speak again, barely getting a chance to think before Anna cuts in, excitedly talking about the things they’ll be doing at camp. She is then interrupted by Principal Paloma and Vice Principal Flores, who say that they’re proud of the students for raising the money for this trip through various fundraisers, including the musical showcase. The trip is a collaboration between the eighth and twelfth grade classes, the intent being for the seniors to mentor the eighth graders and help them understand themselves, become leaders, etc…Hortencia wishes them luck and success, says she hopes that they’ll make good memories at Camp Wildwing.

When they arrive, the girls and Mingo excitedly talk about the things they’re looking forward to over the week.

Snow White: Isn’t Camp Wildwing just beautiful? I can’t wait until we have our first nature walk!

Mingo: I definitely want to go on one of those

Snow White: Oh, did you want to see all the adorable woodland creatures too?

Mingo: Yeah! Specifically moles! More specifically so I can chase them!

Moana: Well, I’m looking forward to roughing it. My grandmother has been teaching me island survival since I was little. I’m going to build my own shelter, forage for food…

Belle: You do know they provide us with food and tents, right?

Moana shrugs, says that she’s going to forage anyway and Rapunzel says she’s excited to relax and just take some time to wander around, especially after the past few months.

Anna: I’ll say! We fought three evil Sirenas who tried to hypnotize everyone with their song, one ridiculously competitive rival school and two evil sorceress friends! Um…No offense.

Carla rolls her eyes, tells Isabelle that she better get used to comments. Belle agrees with Rapunzel, saying that getting away from magic will be good for them considering that WMS has become a magnet for it. Just as she finishes speaking, an announcement goes out for the students to meet in the courtyard where they’re introduced to the college-age sister duo in charge of the camp. The women introduce themselves as Ivy, the overly chipper camp director, and Lilith, her right hand. The sisters inform the students that they are free to do any activities they wish, minus hiking near the rock quarry, which is off-limits. Ivy asks the students to shout out what they’re excited about, getting various answers including team sports, water activities, cookie decorating and crafting. Rapunzel cuts in, says she wants to host a fashion show with clothing she designs and her friends model.

Ivy: Oooh! A camp tradition!

Lilith: We have literally never done that

Ivy ignores her and takes the suggestion anyway before opening the floor to more requests. Hortencia then speaks up, reminding them of the tradition of the Camp Gift.

Lilith: The Camp Gift? Really?

Ivy: Yes, really.

Liilth: But I thought…

Ivy: Well, you thought wrong. As always.

Seeing the interaction, Carla comments to her friends about the tension between siblings. Her friends agree and Ivy continues, explains that, every year, the campers work together to build something useful for future campers. It encourages working together and breaking barriers between the levels of the school. Ivy points out how the gazebo she and her sister are standing in, totem pole and sundial were all made by campers and that she’s sure their group will come up with something inspiring before splitting up the groups to give them their mentor/mentee assignments as provided by Principal Paloma.

Carla is paired with Isabelle as introductions are made all around. Moana and Zooey are paired, Rapunzel and Cristina, Anna and Amara, Belle and Caterina, Snow White and Vivian.  Ivy cuts in, says that the students will be given time to settle and to meet at the dock in fifteen minutes just before she’s cut off by the arrival of a limo, out of which steps Hector. 

Thinking quickly, Ivy escorts him back, asks what he’s doing there and then snaps that he can look around when camp is over after he says something about “taking in the scenery.” He goes on his way and Ivy, noticing the tension among the students, makes up a lie about Hector being an alumnus who likes to visit now and again before everyone is dismissed.

On the walk to the tents, Rapunzel, while pushing Cristina, talks about how she hopes to start on her designs soon and asks if she wants to help. Cristina laughs and says she’d love to, but is also surprised that Rapunzel convinced Ivy to make it happen, after all, they are in the woods. The older girl says that Ivy’s wardrobe makes it clear she has decent taste and that they can make it work. Inspired by her eagerness, Cristina agrees and then comments about how she’ll help as long as her mentor doesn’t put her in something too frilly. Rapunzel shrugs it off and they move on as, in their tent, Carla comments to Isabelle about how the interaction with Hector seemed off to her.

Carla: That was weird back there, right? With that guy, Hector?

Isabelle: Hm? Oh, I guess so.

Carla: Ivy is definitely hiding something. All the signs are there.

Out of it, Isabelle simply nods and returns to sorting out her clothing. Confused, Carla asks if Isabelle is alright since she’s been zoning out most of the day. Mingo speaks up from his bed, suggests that maybe his owner had another nightmare. Isabelle frowns, tosses a shirt over him and says that she has nothing to complain about and that transferring has been good for her. Her new classmates are accepting and she’s actually been welcomed in her eleventh grade level physics class. She says it’s great, especially considering what happened at the Games.

Carla: That wasn’t your fault. That awful Headmistress is the one who encouraged you to try and use all that magic to win the games for Coronado Prep. You simply couldn’t handle that type of power. But, it’s over now and if there’s any group who will forgive you for your past, trust me, it’s this one. 

Moana and Zooey cut in, ask if they’re ready and Carla mentions wanting to run a brush through her hair if she can find it. Isabelle finds it, but when she points to it, the purple hairbrush and several other objects in the room start levitating. Though she’s at first startled, Carla quickly becomes fascinated.

Carla: Did you…? How is this possible?

Isabelle: I can’t believe this! This is…Terrible!

Carla: This is amazing! Are you kidding? This is great! I mean, we’ve all powered up before, gotten the whole crowns, gowns and sparkles thing, shot magical glitter lasers, but nothing like this has ever happened! How did you do it?

Isabelle: I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t! Maybe it’s her!

Carla: Her, who?

Isabelle brushes her off and says that she prefers not to talk about it with Carla or anyone else. After all, Belle said that this place was supposed to be free from magic and that they can’t know she brought some new kind with her. Though hesitant, Carla agrees to keep the secret, mentioning how she’s rather good at keeping them, but also points out that the magic isn’t necessarily bad. Isabelle walks out and Carla attempts and fails at levitating the hairbrush herself.

Mingo: I think you’re just going to have to pick it up

Carla frowns and does so, taking a moment to run it through her hair a few times before heading out, only to smack into Ivy who she swears muttered something about the interaction. Carla asks her to confirm what she said and Ivy says that she didn’t say anything and only came to make sure the students were making their way to the docks. She asks if Carla needs anything and even though she’s told “no,” she continues,

Ivy: Because if there is anything I can do to make this the best week ever, you just let me know! I’ve got this!

Carla: Thanks. I’m good.

*Ivy stalks off*

Carla: People who are that chipper make me nervous

*Anna runs up, hugs Carla*

Anna: This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!

Carla: Okay, most people

The two leave with the others to meet by the dock. After a brief spiel about various lake activities, Ivy leaves everyone to their own devices, with Isabelle deciding to take a walk on the dock, passing Snow White along the way as she feeds some ducks. Unfortunately, due to a broken board, Isabelle ends up tripping right into Lilith, who carefully helps her back up. She asks if the younger girl is alright before turning to investigate the hole in the board and declaring it a safety hazard. She even suggests shutting down the docks, much to the students’ chagrin.

Ivy: Oh, I’m sure it won’t be for the remainder of camp. It just needs to be patched up again! I’ve got this!

Caterina steps up, says that, after analyzing it, the whole dock needs to be replaced. Belle agrees and suggests that building a new dock could be their classes’ gift. Lilith is against the idea, saying that it’s too much work and that it’s a waste of time, earning a glare from her sister that Carla catches and raises an eyebrow at. Moana interrupts, says that while she understands Lilith’s point of view, the school has a reputation to uphold and Zooey declares that there’s no way she’s leaving without making something great. She agrees with Belle and Caterina. In fact, students from both classes agree.

Ivy: Looks like it’s settled then

Lilith: Looks like it.

Carla: That’s some tension, alright

The students get to work tearing apart the old dock while Rapunzel, Cristina and Isabelle, along with some of the art students, work to draw up a blueprint. Isabelle says that they should reinforce the foundation, make it nice and sturdy. Cristina, while sketching, points out a need for ramp and Rapunzel suggests making a wood-carved sign. Snow White throws out the idea of food boxes for the ducks and fish, while Vivian suggests lanterns for them to see at night. Taking in the suggestions, the art students and Cristina make a sketch that Rapunzel says is not only stunning, but perfect for her fashion show. While observing from behind, Esteban comments on how it seems like a lot for the students to take on and Hortencia shrugs it off, saying that she knows her students are capable.

When they start building, Moana takes a moment to comment about how she made her hammer when Belle is using one from the toolbox and earns a sigh in response.  Everyone takes a different role. Some are working with wood, others on painting food boxes and lanterns. Fascinated, Isabelle comments on how Lilith’s lantern is made with solar-powered garden lights and the older woman offers to show her how to put it together. However, before she can, Hortencia dismisses the students, saying that they’ve done enough for the day.

Later that night, both groups settle by the campfire to exchange scary stories. Lilith tells about the legend of Marimonda. Year ago, her and Ivy’s great grandparents came to the forest and decided to build up a camp, but once the building started, strange occurrences happened. One night, after a tree crashed down on their cabin, they ran outside to see a creature rise from the Earth and out of the forest. She had wild hair like the roots of a tree, jagged rock teeth and black tar eyes. Yet, she also had a shimmering aura and left  trails of gem dust in her wake. The creature identified itself as Marimonda, an ancient spirit who lays claim to the forest. She warned the humans that they were trespassing, but they begged her to allow them to stay and share the beauty of the forest with others. She agreed, but only temporarily. Marimonda vowed to return and take her forest back.

Lilith concludes by warning them to watch out for gem dust just as Ivy makes her way through the bushes, startling the students.

Ivy: Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you!

Carla: Then why’d you come out of the bushes?

Ivy: I…Um…Took the scenic route because the forest is beautiful at night. But no one else do it without a guide.  

Ivy dismisses everyone to bed, but the girls linger. Frightened, Snow White admits that the story really got to her, and Moana points out that Marimonda could be some creature that got thrown out of Avalor. Carla confirms that she’s not. That the Marimonda from her realm has been locked away and that Lilith made the whole thing up to scare them. Belle agrees, says that the last thing they need to face another magical creature at the moment.

Rapunzel: Ugh. I feel you. We’ve had to deal with more than our fair share of those. At the Spring Fling, our musical showcase, the Friendship Ga – Oh – Er – Everything turned out alright of course

Isabelle: Um…I’m tired. I’m going to turn in

Carla: Can you not talk about the Friendship Games? I think she’s still shaken by it.

The next morning, Isabelle has another nightmare. Her shouting startles Carla, who ends up falling out of her bed. Scowling, she looks up, eyes widening when she sees how Isabelle’s bed and belongings are all levitating. Just as she asks what happened, everything crashes back down and Carla insists that they talk. Isabelle rejects the offer, but Carla pushes, saying as they head to the dock after changing that they need to talk and figure out what’s happening with her magic and that she needs to learn to control it just as a sailboat crashes into the dock. Isabelle immediately thinks her magic is at fault and tries to apologise, but the kids on the boat reveal that it was a sudden gust of wind that propelled them forward after they were stranded in the middle of the lake. Anna wonders if it was Marimonda as Isabelle slinks off.

Oblivious to the magical trail of gem dust, the students gather together to form a plan for fixing the runway/dock again and Isabelle runs off, laments through song about how she used to understand the world, but now everything is mixed up and she’s worried about the darkness coming back to overtake her.

Isabelle: If I can stay with the light I know I’ll be free. And I can start to be whole, I can start to be me. But instead I am struggling with all that I see. And these friends…Mustn’t see the darkness in me.

Carla goes looking for her mentee, stopping by the tent to ask Mingo if he has any idea where she could be hiding. Mingo asks what’s going on and if Isabelle has been “lifting things again.” Carla says that she’s not sure why it’s happening, but that she’s tired of playing games and needs to deal with the situation. Mingo claims that he knows how to find her and they go off, unaware of Isabelle walking back through the woods. She tells herself to take a deep breath, that she is not a monster and literally runs into Lilith and Caterina. Isabelle asks what they’re doing and Cat explains that she was taking a walk and animal watching until she got lost. She shows off her biology notebook and asks if Isabelle wants to join. Lilith offers to show them back to the main grounds, saying how she knows everything about the woods due to having grown up there.

Caterina: That must have been interesting, growing up at a camp

Lilith: It was…Most of the time. I used to wish that my parents would sell the place and move to the city like normal people.

Isabelle: Really?

Lilith: I was ten.

The girls laugh together and head onward, unaware that Carla and Mingo are watching the interaction. They agree that Isabelle will be fine for the time being and leave her with her new friends.

Meanwhile, Hortencia is supervising some of the other girls in a rock climbing exercise. She says that rock climbing is about trust and how Rapunzel can trust Belle to spot her. Zooey comments that it means she can go faster and Moana agrees, says that she’s been waiting to do this activity since arriving. Belle and Rapunzel scold both of them for their impatience while Cristina laughs and Isabelle and Caterina step up to the platform after waving Lilith off. Moana says that it’s great to see them and that they can help Zooey. She runs off to find another harness and Caterina becomes distracted by watching Rapunzel climb, mutters something about how the pulley system on the harness works and moves in for a closer look.

Carla steps up behind Isabelle, says they need to talk just as an earthquake, or what seems like one, hits. Isabelle comments that they aren’t near any fault lines and one of the other students points out a trail of gem dust just as Rapunzel slips. Startled, she asks to get down. Belle tries, but comments that it’s stuck. She gives the rope a tug and suddenly a vine shoots up alongside the rope and into the pulley, getting caught in it and sending her friend first up and them tumbling down as it slinks back. Rapunzel snaps, asks what Belle is doing and Belle apologises, says that she has no idea where that vine came from before offering to help. Throwing her hands up to indicate ‘stop,’ Rapunzel says “no thank you” and ends up sending her friend backwards with a sun-shaped force field of some kind. When Belle returns, she’s soaking wet and Hortencia, who was witness to the whole thing, asks what happened.

Hortencia: What in the world just happened?

Rapunzel: I am so sorry…I think. Did I just do…whatever that was?

Isabelle: I…don’t think it was your fault.

Isabelle offers to get Belle a towel, only to be followed by Carla who eagerly points out that Isabelle isn’t the only one with new magic. She says it’s great and Isabelle contests her, says that her friends could have hurt each other and laments about what happened just as they run into Ivy, who asks what’s wrong. Isabelle blurts out that “Belle just fell into the lake” and Ivy runs off to get a towel and new clothes for Belle ahead of them. The moment she leaves, someone screams and the two girls follow the sound to the mess hall, where Anna, Amara, Snow White and Vivian are decorating cookies, or were supposed to be. The place is a mess.

Anna explains that she was looking for more sprinkles and frosting and sprinkled frosting and ran to the kitchen to get some, except she went too fast and ran into the whole shelf, knocking it down. She demonstrates, taking off at an unnatural speed and slamming into a nearby wall, the whole group cringes.

Carla: Oookay. Anna, here’s an idea. Why don’t you stop running?

Vivian says that they should clean up and she and Snow White go in search of paper towels, but both are too short to reach. Snow White thinks aloud about how they could use some help when a bird flies in, knocks the roll into her hands before settling on her shoulder. She thanks him, answers his request for a snack and suddenly realises that she understood the bird. Startled, Snow White shakes it off, says it’s impossible and the bird calls for more friends to see if she can understand them as well.

Carla: Are you seriously talking to the birds?

Snow White: Um…yes?

Rapunzel and Belle burst in, recount the rock wall situation for everyone about how this mysterious rose vine got tangled in the pulley and shot Rapunzel upwards and then how the latter of the two made some sort of sun shield that knocked Belle over and then disappeared.

Belle: Speaking of disappearing…has anyone seen Moana?

The mentioned girl then comes through the door, riding a wave of water and knocking into the wall. When asked how she did it, Moana says she doesn’t know. Only that she was running with Zooey to get a harness and then she slipped in a puddle, but instead of falling, the water started carrying her until she was in the middle of the woods. Rapunzel questions why, if she has this mystery water propelling her, it took her so long to return and Moana explains that, when she got farther away from camp, she wasn’t able to summon it. Anna jumps up, says that being at camp must be giving them all new powers.

Carla: Not all of us. I don’t have any magic powers

Carla crosses her arms, frowns and throws a look towards Isabelle, who shakes her head. The older girl sighs, lies about Isabelle having magic and wonders aloud exactly what at the camp is making this happen. Vivian speaks up, suggests that maybe it’s Marimonda just as Ivy comes through the door and hands off a towel and clothes to Belle. Looking around, she asks about the mess and Carla says they’re “still trying to figure it out.” Ivy offers to clean it up and moves to do so when two other students interrupt, asking for various things before Lilith burst in She approaches her sister, whispers that Hector is back and ask if Ivy wants her to handle it.

Ivy snaps, “Absolutely not!” And stomps off.

Carla then tells Snow White or Vivian, whoever it is, to quit screaming, only to be told that no one was screaming, though she swears she heard something. She shakes it off and Belle speaks up, asks if they can forget about magic for now. She says she was looking forward to the trip for a month and wants to enjoy it and getting to know her mentee, Rapunzel and Moana agree. Carla insists that they need to figure out the magic situation, but agrees to let it go for the time being, so not to start conflict. Though she makes it clear she is not happy about it and they go off to make paper lanterns with their classmates.

Despite the fact that the pairs are meant to work together, Isabelle isolates herself, explains to Mingo when he asks why she’s alone that she believes her inner darkness is causing the magical mishaps. She thinks the evil sorceress is still part of her and that her magic is infecting the other girls, admits that she doesn’t know what to do.

After releasing the lanterns, everyone goes to bed for the night, but Carla is startled awake in the early morning and gets up to find Isabelle’s bed empty and her friend running across the camp. Thinking quickly, she grabs her shoes and chases after her without bothering to change. She calls out her name and the two stop in the middle of a cleaning. Carla demands to know what Isabelle, who is fully dressed and carrying her suitcase, is doing. Isabelle admits that she’s meeting a cab to go home, which Carla raises an eyebrow at, crosses her arms.

Mingo: She thought you’d talk her out of it

Carla: You know I would.

Carla tells Isabelle that she can’t leave, reaches over to touch her arm and is suddenly given insight into Isabelle’s innermost thoughts.  She sees how Isabelle blames herself and her dark side for the magic happening and how she admitted to Mingo that she believes the magic is infecting he friends. When she snaps out of it, Carla reassures Isabelle that she doesn’t have a ‘dark side.’ That the only thing in her is herself. Isabelle asks how she knows what she’s thinking.

Carla: When I touched your arm, I could see things. I could understand why you were leaving…My new magic. This is my new magic! This is incredible!

Isabelle: No, it’s not. I’m infecting you now!

Carla: Isa, you have to stop looking at this as a bad thing

Isabelle: Easy for you to say. Magic turned you into something beautiful. The last time I tried to use it, it turned me into a monster. I’m just so afraid it’s going to happen again

Carla: It’s true. Last time, I turned into something amazing. But, I’ve let magic turn me into a monster too, so if anybody understands what you’re going through, it’s me. And the rest of our friends are here for you too, but not if you run away.  

Isabelle agrees to stay, but still wants to keep her distance and Carla relents just as they’re both startled by a movement that turns out to be Lilith, who was chopping up firewood. She admits that it’s weird to do it at night, but that if she doesn’t do it now, her sister would, and she already has so many things to do. She then asks why they’re sneaking around and Carla lies that she was sleepwalking and Isabelle came to lead her back. Lilith offers to walk back with them, says she’ll protect them from Marimonda.

Carla sighs, says that Marimonda is just something she made up until Lilith points out the strange happenings and turns away with Isabelle following, a trail of jewel dust raining down from her pocket that Carla and Mingo notice. Mingo asks why Lilith would make up such a story if she’s actually the force behind the legend and Carla points out that the older girl did say she wished her sister would sell the camp. If people thought it was haunted, they may not come to the area, which would only help her. Mingo says they should tell the others and Carla disagrees, saying that everyone is going through a lot and doesn’t need that on their shoulders too.

Later that morning, everyone is back to working on the dock, minus Rapunzel and Cristina, who are sewing together some of the fashion show pieces. Rapunzel comments about the slow work, and Belle points the finger at Anna, who’s in charge of the wood and says that she can’t go any faster or she might end up in the woods. Moana shares the sentiment, saying that she’s been afraid to go near the water in case her magic triggers it. Belle nods, says that she’s been careful as well since she doesn’t know how to control her own power. Snow White assures them that it’s okay because none of them understand it and Carla cuts in as she steps onto the dock, saying that their lack of understanding is exactly why they can’t pretend magic doesn’t exist. Moana stops, asks if Carla has a power and she confirms that she does. When she touches people and wills herself to, she can “feel what they’re feeling and see their memories.” Anna excitedly demands that Carla try it on her and puts the other girl’s hand to her head, dragging her friend into world of crazy, candied fantasy that leaves her completely stunned. 

Carla: That explains SO much

Anna: YUP!

Shaking off the experience, Carla tells them that they can’t just brush their powers off because it’s inconvenient and that they may actually make things better! She explains that this has to be some kind of fate and encourages them to embrace their powers.

Carla: So you have magic and it’s not that great. But when it found you, you know it was fate and it might seems scary now but it could be wonderful too. So how ‘bout we embrace the magic and make the magic a part of you?

Encouraged, the girls decide to try testing out their powers, using them to assist in the building of the dock and help out other students. The process is sped up immensely and they manage to finish the project. Moana admits that it was a good effort and Carla points out that it was due to their magic.

Moana: Okay. That was pretty amazing.

Carla: And look what you managed to accomplish

With the dock finished, Rapunzel insists on a run through for the fashion show and Carla runs off, thinking that, if Isabelle knew the good it could do, then maybe she’d embrace her own magic.

Carla: I’m going to go find Isa. Seeing what we’ve managed to do here might make her embrace the new magic too! Not that she has any.

However, along the way she overhears and is intrigued by an argument between Ivy and Lilith, where the older sister says her younger sister is doing too much and has to let it go. Carla concludes that Lilith wants Ivy to get rid of the camp just as they both stomp out the door. Curious, she stands back, follows Lilith’s path before going after her into the woods and to a hidden cave, being startled along the way by the ground shaking again. Seeing some sort of magic blast, she concludes Lilith must be up to something and texts Isabelle, telling her to meet by the rock quarry.

In the tent, Mingo points out that they aren’t supposed to go to the quarry, but Isabelle insists it’s important and goes, seeing the same strange glow Carla already witnessed along the way before running into her friend, who quickly grabs her hand and drags her off without another word. When Isabelle asks what’s happening, Carla says that she thinks it’s Marimonda…or rather, someone who wants them to think she’s real. So, they investigate, finding that the cave is full of sparkling, glowing crystals. 

Isabelle: This place is beautiful!

Carla: There’s…Maruvian Magic here. I can feel it.

Mingo says that he thought the story about Marimonda was fake and that Lilith made it up. Isabelle asks what Lilith has to do with this and, from behind the shadows, Ivy cuts in, admits Lilith had nothing to do with the magic, she did. Carla says that she had thought it was Lilith trying to scare people away and Ivy says she wouldn’t want to scare anyone away, walks past them as if in a trance. Carla grabs her wrist, wills herself to look into Ivy’s memories and sees Hector bullying her for falling behind on rent, saying that it’s now his land and intends to make it into a resort despite her pleading for the camp, saying it’s been in her family for years. He scoffs, says that leaving the camp won’t make him any money, but makes a deal and gives her until the end of the month to make up for it. Distressed, Ivy ventures into the woods and ends up finding and following a trail of jewel dust into the cave, finding a group of magical gems that give her magical power. She steals them, makes them into a necklace. Lilith is against it, saying that her sister doesn’t know what they are, but Ivy insists that she figured it out and can control their power, which involves growing vines and plants. Despite her sister’s protests, she insists on using the power, saying that if it is to be their last week at camp she will make it count. Her memories reveal that her and her powers were responsible for the boat crash and earthquake, though they were accidents. Again, Lilith scolds her for using the magic, and it’s revealed that she used the Marimonda story as a cover up for her sister, which led to the argument that Carla heard.

Snapping back reality, Carla realises that Lilith was not talking about letting go of the camp during the argument, but of her sister letting go of her magical jewels. She points out that every time Ivy used magic, it caused a problem elsewhere on the camp grounds and that her sister was covering it up. Ivy asks how she knows about the jewels and the magic.

Carla: I can see things. Feel things. Because I have magic too. And so does she and so do our friends.

Isabelle insists that Ivy stop using the magic because too much of it can be dangerous, but Ivy refuses to listen, insists that she has it under control and will use it to save the land.  With that, she swipes the last two of the seven jewels and uses her power to trap the girls before transforming herself into a dark forest sprite, floating out, and trapping them inside, saying that they’re “not on the same page.”

Meanwhile, on the docks, everyone is preparing and dressed for the fashion show dress rehearsal. Rapunzel notices that Carla and Isabelle are absent and asks where they are. Since no one knows, she concedes, decides to start without them and teases Cristina about liking her new dress, frills and all before sending her on her way up the dock. Seeing the other students’ curiosity, Rapunzel tells them it’s merely a preview and that she has another line planned as well, but then, the music cuts off as Ivy approaches with everyone assuming that she’s Marimonda. Everyone except Lilith, who asks Ivy what she’s doing.

Belle: Wait, that’s Ivy? Am I insane or are her feet not touching the ground?

Ivy ignores her, announces that Hector wants to shut down the camp, but that she’s taking care of it and traps them all behind a wall of overgrown vines and plants, destroying the dock in the process.

Amara: Oh, come on! We literally just finished building that!

Ivy announces that she’ll use the magic to protect them, tells them to behold her power and not fear people like Hector, after all, she’ll protect them with her walls of thorns. She insists that the camp will stay, oblivious to the fact that she’s only scaring the students. After her song, we cut to the Crownlets hiding behind a docked boat.

Snow White: Why do these kinds of things always happen to us?

Rapunzel: What are we going to do?

Moana: What we always do. Save the day!

The others agree and they decide to stand together, if only to stop Ivy from trapping everyone in. They step up, using their powers to assist their classmates and find ways out, activating their partial transformations along the way. Snow White asks the groundhogs, Belle attempts to fight with her own vines, Moana by summoning and riding on water.  Ivy stops them all and the brambles grow back and seal themselves back up. Frustrated with their efforts, she simply starts trapping everyone, minus Anna, who’s zipping around it all, in cocoons of vines. The girls barely manage to escape and Belle points out that Ivy’s magic has grown too powerful.

In the same moment, in the cave, Mingo manages to claw the vines off of Carla and Isabelle. The older girl insists that Isabelle use her magic to move the boulders from the opening, to which she initially hesitates and then concedes to when she realises that they need to help their friends. With some effort, she manages to move the rocks over just enough to them to escape.

Back in the courtyard, Ivy asks why the girls continue to fight her. After all, she’s doing this for them. Lilith pleads with her, says that she doesn’t know what she’s doing, but Ivy refuses to listen, allowing the magic to further corrupt her. Trapped behind the wall of vines, Isabelle again refuses to use her magic, not wanting to bring out the darkness by using too much of her power. Carla reminds her that their friends are in danger, triggers a princess power-up that inspires Isabelle, who successfully manages to create a hole big enough for them to walk through.

Lilith: Please, Ivy! What you’re doing is crazy! You have to listen to me!

Carla: That isn’t Ivy! That’s someone who’s been corrupted by Maruvian Magic.

Lilith: Please! Whoever you are, let my sister go! Please come back, Ivy! I need you!

Ivy doesn’t hear her, lets the vines consume her and seal off the area, which begins to burst with trees and roots. A now blonde Rapunzel throws a sun shield up for the time being, but admits that she can’t hold it for long. Carla confronts Isabelle, says that they need her magic to pull the brambles apart. Isabelle insists that she can’t. That it’s too much. She insists that she’ll end up turning into that sorceress again and things will just be made worse. But, her friends stand up, say that they refuse to let that happen and that she has to at least try to embrace the magic and be stronger than the darkness.

Though frightened, Isabelle tries, but the fear begins to consume her. All she sees is darkness, the image of the sorceress taunting her until a stronger force breaks through to remind her of who she is.

Carla: Isabelle! Listen to me! You are in charge!

Rapunzel: You’re a light! A force for good!

Moana: Yeah! You can kick the darkness’ butt!

Anna: We’re here with you, Isa!

Belle: And we’ll be here no matter what!

Snow White: We believe in you!

Carla: You are not a force of darkness!

Isabelle hears them, their words snapping her back to herself and through the darkness as she declares:

No! I am Isabelle Castillo-Flores and the magic I carry inside me is the magic of friendship!

The brambles break open, as does Ivy’s necklace containing the magical jewels. Drawn by the forces in them, they scatter to the girls and activate their princess transformation, which is Isabelle’s first as she’s granted a flowing, sky blue gown and tiara. Their combined force finally busts apart the trap and changes Ivy back to normal, much to Lilith and the students’ relief. Mingo congratulates Isabelle, compliments the jewel around her neck, which Belle turns her attention to, asking exactly what it is. Carla says that she’s not sure, but theorises that they have some sort of connection to them, makes a mental note to ask Elena and Mateo. Rapunzel cuts in, says that they are pretty and suggests they let her mother, a jewellery maker, turn them into necklaces. That way they’ll always have them. Carla hesitates, puts a hand to the jade necklace currently hanging around her neck. Rapunzel asks what’s wrong and Carla admits that her necklace was a gift and that replacing it seems wrong to her. Her friend smiles, says, “Really? Is that all? Well, I guess we’ll just make you a bracelet instead!”

Ivy: I am so sorry. I only wanted to make this the best week Camp Wildwing has ever had and instead I made it the worst. Maybe it’s for the best that I’m losing the camp to Hector.

Hortencia scowls at her comment, says that no, she shouldn’t sell the property. That the camp means too much to so many, including her, and Isabelle steps in, saying that they can’t give in to Hector. She suggests that maybe, since it meant so much to Principal Paloma, that it means a lot to other past campers. Cristina nods, says that they can reach out to those campers and see if they’ll help them save it. Amara suggests a fundraiser. Anna says they can host a charity ball instead of the dance. Moana insists that the Crownlets play and Snow White says she’ll write a new song. Ivy admits that they’re good ideas but that they need a location bigger than the courtyard used for the end-of-camp dance, to which Carla suggests the Crystal Cave.

Still, Ivy hesitates, says it’s too much, but the girls?

They got this. 

With Carla leading the fray, they use their powers and the help of the other students to put everything together, discovering that the magic really is helpful as Anna uses her super speed to deliver invitations. Belle uses her own rose vines to push away rocks and clear the cave. Isabelle’s telepathy helps with the decorations and invitation prepping and Rapunzel uses her power to make a solid, sun-themed crystal light fixture.

The Crystal Ball is a success, with Ivy even taking time to thank the girls for their help, to which Carla replies that “it’s what we do.” Anna mentions that it’s thanks to their powers.

Anna: I handed out like, four-hundred fliers, set up the stage and still had time to pick up the cake! I love my super speed!

Carla theorises that the jewels must be the source of their powers, that perhaps, they were meant to have them and that she’ll look more into it on her upcoming visit to Avalor.

Carla: There is one thing I wonder about, though…

Isabelle: What’s that?

Carla: Where did the magic that hit this cave come from?

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Title: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Author: Erika L. Sánchez Genres: Contemporary Pages: 352 Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers Review Copy: Purchased Availability: Available for purchase now

Summary: Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

Review: (Note: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, mentions of rape, brief descriptions of attempted suicide, homomisia, sex-shaming, fat-shaming, murder, and a semi-graphic description of an animal being slaughtered.)

This review is going to be a difficult one to write. On the one hand, there are a lot of excellent parts in Erika L. Sánchez’s debut—a prickly, angry heroine who deals with anxiety and depression, struggling to survive in the aftermath of her older sister’s death and trying to forge an identity and future for herself in spite of her parents’ demands and expectations. Mexican culture and the Spanish language permeate every corner of the book, and Julia’s opinion of and experience in Chicago are colored by all of that.

There’s also a lot of discussion about immigration, from the very real dangers and fear that compel some to risk everything to cross the border to the alienation and loneliness of being kept apart from family. At one point, Julia’s English teacher urges her to write about her parents’ undocumented status for a college entrance essay, and Julia’s immediate reaction is fear for her parents and disbelief that he would ask her to do that. Her family and community have seen lives torn apart by immigration enforcement; how can he be so cavalier about suggesting she expose her parents when there have been raids at the plant her father works in?

Julia’s anxiety and depression are also important to see on the page, both how mental illness is generally not talked about in Latinx communities and also in positive depictions of therapy and medication. This is the third YA book I’ve read in the last few years that stars a Latinx character who deals with mental illness (When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez and The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork being the other two), and it is reassuring to know that there is yet another novel out there to help Latinx teens.

Unfortunately, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’s helpfulness will be limited by its unrepentant fat-shaming. While the sex-shaming generally gets a not-insignificant amount of pushback, either from Julia’s commentary on double standards or from a conversation with her therapist, the fat-shaming largely goes unchallenged. And it is pretty awful and omnipresent: “Amá says Paloma has a thyroid problem, and I feel bad for her, but I’ve seen her eat three tortas in one sitting. Thyroid, my ass,” or “She is always sucking her teeth at what I’m wearing or making some comment about my weight, even though she’s more floppy and misshapen than a sack of laundry,” or “Even if they’re fat, they move as if they think they’re fabulous.” That last one is a clear moment where Julia’s own internalized fat-shaming has popped up, but aside from a brief passage where Julia points out that she’s fat on the U.S. side and too skinny on the Mexican side, all of this cruelty and snark and disgust about other people’s bodies is a slap to the reader’s face. It has been a while since I’ve read a book that made me feel this awful about my own fat Latina self, so take that under advisement before you dive in.

Otherwise, IANYPMD felt unbalanced plot-wise. Based on the summary, I expected this to focus mostly on Julia, her best friend, and her boyfriend uncovering the mysteries of Olga, but Olga gets shoved aside for a good chunk of the book to grapple with Julia’s problems, and the best friend and boyfriend do almost nothing to help uncover those mysteries. This had the unfortunate consequence of giving these supporting characters too little depth to be adequate supports for Julia’s story, and Olga’s story turns more into a distraction or an afterthought than anything else. I think I would have preferred there was no mystery to Olga because of how inadequately her story was handled.

Recommendation: Borrow it someday. While I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter tackles important and timely issues related to mental health, immigration, and the Mexican-American community, the novel is kept from greatness by its pervasive fat-shaming and unbalanced plot.

[cassandraemeraldsong]

ALL OF MY SPOILERY TAZ THOUGHTS

i wanted to post all this in a facebook comment on their spoiler thread but it was just. so much. stream of consciousness, extreme and immediate spoilers for ep 57:

SO fucking. My Beautiful Boy Magnus, he created the chalice? and became a lich. Did he create the chalice because of the events that lead to Julia's death? to correct Julia's death? that honestly seems like a very alternate-dimension-Magnus thing to do and an even MORE magnus thing to do would be to realize how dangerous the chalice is before he could use it. this is what i'm assuming happened. i also imagine he became a lich as a result of Julia's death, right? cos liches are born from/sustained by intense emotion? am i remembering that wrong? maybe that was just Hurley's thing. But mags was definitely a lich when he met Jack & June right? he was wearing the red robe. And you'd probably need lich-like power to make something like a temporal chalice.

also side note it would be AMAZING if travis gave griffin magnus's backstory on day one and remember griffin was like "YEAH IT WAS SUPER DEPRESSING AND HEAVY, WAY TOO HEAVY FOR THIS COMEDY PODCAST" but little did we know he fuckin. stored that shit for later. what a guy

SO if he created the chalice, was he in cahoots with other people who were creating other relics? otherwise it would just be a bunch of different characters who by happenstance made a bunch of powerful objects that needed to be stopped? how are the relics connected if Mags only made the one?

i firmly believe the Director is NOT the "big bad." i think griffin's written her in a way that would suggest she's doing what she thinks is right. she might not be, in fact i think she's probs doing some real harm. but i think whatever she's doing is of equal horribleness as whatever harm the relics could do (hence paloma's "third option" prophecy). idk i'm not 100% with the red robes yet, even tho barry bluejeans is my heart and my soul and my everything. i think griffin's gonna write some grey area out the wazoo

SO MAUREEN's vision saw seven birds/red robes. assuming now they're called birds cos they fly from planar dimension to planar dimension? the whole dimension thing still confuses me. i gotta re-listen to lucas's speech. BUT she saw "The Protector," who i guess we all officially assume is Magnus now? i sure do. and "The Lonely Journal-Keeper." is this Barry? i feel like it is. the blue and silver journal magnus saw has gotta be that journal. and Barry sure does seem to be keeping track of things. although as i'm writing this, maybe it's not barry? he doesn't seem to be particularly "lonely," i imagine when we meet the "lonely journal-keeper" it'll be someone whose SOLE job is to sit alone and write things in a journal to be fed to the voidfish. Barry seems to be doing a lot of rescuing, not a lot of writing? we haven't seen much. but journal-keeping sounds like one of those roles that would be an all-time gig. maybe we haven't met the journal-keeper yet. is Barry the Peacemaker? that sounds kinda likely. he's quelled a lot of stuff so far, seems like he could be sort of a diffuser between the BoB and the IPRE. he's already sort of diffused tension with Our Boys.

she also saw The Twins. the only twins we’ve seen obvs have been Edward and Lydia. i have. NO idea how they’d fit in. but now that we have Barry Bluejeans Confirmed i feel like these red robes might all be people we’ve met? it just seems story-wise like a thing. so the twins. also The Lover. Julia? Lup? is Julia also Lup? ((<i literally wrote that line and then realized 5 minutes later that i had been staring out a window pensively for 5 minutes wondering who Lup is. i’m in deep)) part of me feels like since the Umbrastaff took such a shine to taako that they’d be connected in some way. also Julia wasn’t a wizard right? why would she have a staff. also taako doesn’t seem much “The Lover” type. i feel like all this has to be related somehow tho cos of when that Red Robe was like “YOU FOUND HER ??” - sounds lover-like to me. We’ve also got “the wordless one.” probs davenport. or ACTUALLY maybe the voidfish ?? #VoidfishForRedRobe2017

this voidfish baby ??? is The Mother Voidfish definitely with the BoB? that would imply that the BoB has been around longer than IPRE, if indeed IPRE has its hands on the baby voidfish. IPRE needs to be destroying information somehow. (or does Lucretia have the baby voidfish in her vault? very possible, but i ignore this cos i don’t want her to be Big Bad lol) the Voidfish showed Magnus MANY voidfish in the vision, right? do many exist in this world? is there one voidfish per dimension? this mama voidfish has been bros with Magnus this whole time - did the director steal this voidfish from IPRE? the voidfish says it wasn’t imprisoned. was it previously fed by IPRE and now prefers to be fed by the BoB? that’s dumb. i need to re-listen to the Mags/Voidfish vision scene

oop i just had the thought i bet Lucretia was a red robe. she said to Merle at the spa that she used to support others, but made the choice to change paths and “lost many friends in the process.” maybe the seventh relic is her staff. shoot

i don’t think merle and taako were red robes. i wonder if they’re some of the people magnus has rescued tho? maybe they’re the ones in magnus’s vision escaping on the silver ship. regardless they’re definitely dying and crossing planes, hence Kravitz being mad @ all three of them for dying so much. why would merle have the most deaths i wonder? you’d think that would be magnus.

anyway, fuck me

[tigerlilynoh]

Job & Family DS: Aftermath - The Matter of Ms. Pond

Words: 3,613 Spoiler warning:  Contains spoilers for the end of Job & Family.

10/04/11

“I’m going to get him.”  Dylaniel said as he stood up from his seat at Sam & Ruby’s dining table.

Sam, Ruby, Kay, & Dyl had all been called together to hear Castiel’s account of Dean's emergency meeting after being questioned by the DEPA agents.  Tom hovered in the living room, trying to listen to news about his uncle while trying to distract the family's infants.

“Dean doesn’t want to leave.”  Castiel told Dylaniel while taking a step toward the nephilim to potentially try physically stopping him.

“I don’t care what he wants, he’s in danger.”

“You can't just take him.”  Kay warned her cousin.  “He’s not an idiot, he knows what's going on and he probably has a better idea of the actual danger than us.”

“He doesn't want to leave his partner.”  Castiel voiced the underlying issue.

“I'll take his boyfriend too.”  Dylaniel revised his plan.

“Dyl, you can't just going around kidnapping people.”  Ruby cautioned.

“Leaving him exposed like this is a bad idea.”

“Nobody likes it, but we can't force him to do anything.”  Sam joined in the attempt to get Dylaniel to back down.

“Maybe I can't force him to come here,”  Dylaniel conceded.  “but I can explain to him how stupid he's being.”

“Don't contact him right now.  The DEPA has to know what you look like after that whole church video thing.”

“Dyl, just sit down and take a minute to get yourself under control.”  Kay told him.  Dylaniel’s lips thinned, but he sat back down.

“So the DEPA were watching Dean, but what do they want?”  Ruby redirected their focus back to diagnosing the specific threats & issues.

“He said they asked about Sam and he suggested to them that Sam was dead.”  Castiel explained.  “They had identified Bobby & Rufus as hunters and were investigating Jody.”

“Bobby’s out of state with Jody.  I'll let them know to stay on vacation until we get this sorted out.”  Ruby updated everyone.  “And he knows how to get ahold of Rufus.”

“Dean was also asked about a woman whose name he couldn't remember, either Paloma Martins or Martens.”

“She isn't any hunter I've heard of.”  Sam said with a shrug.

“Does that sound familiar to you too?”  Kay asked her cousin.

“Vaguely.”  Dylaniel's brow furrowed imperceptibly.  “That's alarming.”

“Great.”  Ruby sighed.  “I'll add the names to my persons of interest list.  I can't wait until one of those DEPA souls comes through my workshop, then maybe we could get some better intel.”

“I'll see what I can do.”  Dylaniel commented.

“Don't go killing Feds.”  Kay warned, uncertain if he was joking or not.  “The last thing we need is an act of war.”

“I'm not affiliated with any faction.”

“Good luck explaining that.  Heaven knows you're related to Dean & Kay’s related to Sam.  It doesn't take a genius or a paranoid to connect those dots.”  Ruby pointed out.  “Any more intel we can use, Cas?”

“The agents also questioned him about an Amy Pond-”

“Amy Pond?”  Sam & Kay both asked at the same time, then looked at each other.

“She’s- is she alive?”  Sam asked Kay, who apparently had heard of her.

“She should be.  I think she died… around-”

“2018.”  Dylaniel filled in the blank.

“Who's Amy Pond?”  Ruby raised an eyebrow

“She was,”  Sam paused for a moment trying to figure out how to describe her.  “an old friend of mine when I was a teenager.  We were pen pals until I went to Stanford and then we met up a few times.  Near the end of my freshman year she just dropped off the map… I assumed she’d died.”

“Died?”

“Amy's a kitsune.”  Sam explained, then his face dimmed a bit at some memory.  “I... figured a hunter probably got her.”

“Why is the DEPA asking Dean about her?”  Ruby mused.  “If you thought she was dead for so long and Dean's never heard of her, I'm guessing she hasn't just been crossing too many paths with you guys.”

“Because she's going to try to contact him.”  Dylaniel speculated.  “Kit originally contacted my dad in an attempt to reach my uncle.  If she's come out of hiding it's probably because she's trying to find Sam.”

“Who's Kit?”  Sam asked.

“Her son.”  Kay explained.  “In our time, after things started falling apart her pack was attacked by Lilith’s demons.  She died in the attack and Kit went looking for help from the only nice hunter he'd heard of.”

“So she might be looking for the only nice hunter she knows this time around.”  Ruby agreed with the theory.

“My dad was a lot easier to find than my uncle in our time.”  Dylaniel continued.  “It stands to reason that Dean will similarly be an easy point of contact.”

“We need to go- warn Dean and find out how to help her.”  Sam said as he shifted, seemingly to get up, but Ruby put her hand on his arm silently asking him to hold still.

“You aren't going anywhere.”  Kay told Sam.  “If there's a chance that DEPA is watching Dean, you're staying the hell away.”

“Same goes for you, Dyl, & Cas.”  Ruby added.  “You all are pretty recognizable to the right eyes.  I'll switch meatsuits and make contact with Dean.  I can let him know to watch out for her.”

“While we're at it, we need to find out how closely he's being watched.”  Kay suggested.  “It’d be nice if it turned out to be a one time shakedown and we can cut down on this cloak & dagger stuff.”

“I have something that might help.”

Dean had barely been at work long enough to start the coffee maker and begin reviewing parts orders for the last week when he heard someone walking into the garage.  He'd mostly calmed down after the unnerving run in with the agents, but he still felt strangely exposed.  They'd dragged him through the mud, threatened him in nearly every way imaginable, and forced him to isolate himself.  But on top of it, the experience had made him feel vulnerable in a way he wasn't used to.  He leaned to peek out the doorway of the garage’s small office.  The woman who ran the bodega down the street was looking around for something.

“Need some help?”  He called out to her.  When she saw him, she quickly walked to the office he was in, entered, and closed the door behind her.  Before he could ask what was going on, she started.

“Dean, it's Ruby-”

“What are you doing here?”  His mind was racing trying to imagine all the ways things could go wrong- or maybe how they had.

“We’ve got a bit of a situation.”

“No shit- is everyone okay?”

“We're fine.  Cas told us about the DEPA goons dropping in on you-”

“If I get spotted with you-”

“I know, but right now we're okay.  Here.”  Ruby handed him an analog wristwatch.  “The dial in the bottom right tells you how many people are observing you at any given moment.  We use spells like this for our agents in the field.”

When he put it on the dial only read one, presumably Ruby.  He wasn't a fan of wearing a spell that was probably patented by Hell’s spymasters, but it was better than constantly worrying about surveillance.

“When you say observing?”

“Seeing, hearing, scrying, et cetera.”  She explained.  “It's the best I could do on short notice, but with some time I might be able to get more data output into other dials or subtle displays.”

“Thanks, even this is a big help.”  Dean studied the watch.  “I'll track the numbers, see if they're watching me and if it's a routine or random.  Until then I'm pretty much stuck and you should get back out of dodge.”

“I haven't finished all my business yet.”  Ruby moved closer to him.  “We think Amy Pond might try to contact you.”

“Who?”  He recognized her name from the conversation with the agents, but he didn't have a clue who she was.

“I guess she was Sam's friend when he was a teenager- You met her son, Kit, back in 2039.”

“Kit…”  Dean pursed his lips.  She was a kitsune- and she was trying to find him, potentially putting all of them in danger.  “What does she want?  I can't be seen with her.  I told them I didn't know her.”

“We think she's looking for help, couldn't tell you what with though.”

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose.  In general he didn't have anything against trying to help her.  He'd barely interacted with Kit, but he seemed like a decent guy.  That was enough to overcome the resistance that he felt about Amy being a kitsune he'd never met.  But having her ambush him, while he was potentially under surveillance and she was wanted by the DEPA… as much as it made him feel like a horrible person, he wanted to get her away from him as fast as possible.

“If I see her I'll send her to a crossroads demon.”

“Like she's gonna go talk to a stranger.”  Ruby argued.

“I’m a stranger.”

“You're Sam's brother.”

“She knew him when we were teenagers?”  Dean shook his head.  “Me being his brother might not earn me too many points.”

“She’s coming for you.  I know you don't want trouble- I get that you want out.”  He hadn't made a big deal about cutting back on hunting and focusing more on the mundane.  No one had asked him if he wanted out of the life.  It felt bizarre to hear, but her nonjudgmental tone made him feel less ashamed at the thought of retiring.  He just had to keep his head down and make it past a rough spot.  “But trouble is coming for you and you're gon-”

“Excuse me?”  A woman called from the other side of the door.

“She needs help.”  Ruby mouthed to Dean.  

He got up to open the door.  If it was Amy he wanted to get her out of view as quickly as possible.  A woman with pale skin & messy brown hair stood just inside the door to the garage.  She was holding an oversized sweater around herself in a very nervous posture.  Her eyes flicked around the room and her nose twitched curiously.  Dean immediately saw the resemblance to Kit.

“Excuse me, are you Dean Winchester?”  

“Yeah, come on in.  Have a seat.”  Dean invited her to the small office where Ruby was still waiting.  When Amy saw Ruby she hesitated to enter.

“I need to talk to you about something private.  It's not about a car.”  Amy explained to Dean.

“I can wait outside.”  Ruby started leaving.

“Don't go far.”  Dean suggested, hoping to keep his sister-in-law away from the line of sight of anyone on the street.

“Are you Sam's brother?  The hunter?” Amy asked as soon as Ruby was outside and the door was closed.

For just a moment it was so tempting to find a way of deflecting Amy, but he couldn't do that to her.  The closer he looked at her the more he could see that something was wrong.  Her skin was pale & clammy, with a bit of shadow around the eyes- she hadn't been sleeping enough.  She was pressing her limbs to herself & the office chair in order to conceal that she was trembling.

“I’m Sam's brother, but I'm not much of a hunter anymore.”  He hoped that put her more at ease.

“I need to see him, it's an emergency.  I need his help.”  

“Sam's in a bit of a tight spot right now.  There are some very powerful & bad people looking for him, including the DEPA.”  Amy's eyes widened at the mention of the organization.  “I might be able to help you.  Our friend Ruby- she's the one waiting outside, she might be able to help also.  So if you can tell us what you need, maybe we can make it happen.  Okay?”

Amy thought for a moment, then nodded agreement.  Dean tapped on the window into the area where Ruby was waiting, letting her know to come back in.  While Ruby was coming back in, Dean poured Amy a cup of coffee, which she eagerly accepted.  He quickly checked his watch to confirm they weren't being observed before they started getting to the meat of it.

“My name is Amy Pond.”

“Sam's friend from way back.”  Dean offered to show some level of familiarity with her, hopefully reinforcing a sense of trust.

“He told you about me?”  Amy asked a bit surprised.

“Very little.  He said you're,”  Dean lowered his voice a bit to show his sensitivity to the elephant in the room.  “a kitsune.”

She nodded and absentmindedly pushed some hair behind her ear.  The sleeve of her sweater fell down her arm a few inches revealing several day old bruises.  After spotting Dean looking at them she covered them back up.

“What happened?”

“My pack has been under attack for weeks.  A group of hunters hit us, so we've been on the run, but even non-hunters are looking out for monsters these days.”  Dean's heart broke a little when she called herself a monster.  “We'd lost our leader & most of our fighters.  We haven't been able to hunt enough, so we’ve been scavenging off corpses & animals.  Our children are getting sick.  Half the time there's a guard at the morgue now- it's a fight just to get scraps or we can try to get fresh food and risk having another attack on us- we can't take another.  The children are too weak to keep running like this.”

“How can we help?”  Dean asked.

“I can talk to Kay.”  Ruby suggested to Dean.  “She might have access to some end of the line meatsuits.  That'd be a little food, but that's just part of the problem.”

“Any food would be incredible, but I need to get my pack out of the country.”  Amy replied.

“Where are you trying to go?”

“Hachijō-jima.”

“That island in Japan?”  Dean had read something about it in the news just recently.  “They're evacuating that place.”

“The island’s being converted to a refugee camp for non-humans.”  Amy explained.

“If there aren't any humans, how’ll you survive?”  Ruby asked.

“The government said it will delivering shipments of food & other supplies- the brains are animal, but it's possible to live off of them.”  Amy answered.  “They’ll let us live, they just want to keep us together in one place.”

The whole thing seemed wrong somehow.  The cynic in him expected the non-humans to simply be slaughtered upon arrival- even it they weren't, they'd still be more or less confined and almost certainly in meager conditions.

“They're making an internment camp?  If you're lucky.”  Dean speculated.  “You're talking about putting your lives in the hands of a human government while the world is still relearning to be scared of the dark.”

“That's my people’s homeland before we scattered.  We're part of their culture.  If any government is going to protect us it's Japan.”  Amy added, but didn't deny Dean's characterization.  “I know it's dangerous, but… We have claws & fangs and we eat people.  We're horrible monsters- and scared people don't think twice about it.  Six of my pack have been killed in the last month.  Our people are dying out.  At this point I don't care if we're stuck there as long as I don't have to worry about my son getting killed in the street.”

“Being locked up on an island, that's not a long term solution.”  Dean looked over at Ruby.  The coven’s sanctuary wasn't large enough for them to just take in every sympathetic person they met.  Not to mention, there wasn't a close hunting ground for the kitsune that might not be as self-restrained as Kit or Amy.

“Anything is better than this.”  Amy told him.

“I'm hearing two different issues.  You're worried about your pack and you're worried about your species.”  Dean said.  “I know that kitsune are endangered- I can't imagine what that's like, but if there was a way to keep your pack safe without stuffing you in the cage with the rest of the species-”

“My pack needs to rejoin our people.  We don't have any fighters left let alone someone capable of leading a pack.”

“What about your son?”  Dean asked.

“He's too young for starters.”  Amy rejected the idea.  “Jacob might be able to be a fighter someday, but he isn't ever going to be leader of a pack.”

“Why can't he lead?”  Dean remembered Kit’s speech impediments, but he found it hard to believe that something as small as that would be a problem.

“There's… there’s a problem with his status… his legitimacy.”  Amy rubbed the back of her neck anxiously debating whether to tell them something.  “I temporarily ran away from the pack when I found out I was pregnant.  There was a chance it was Sam's kid- the pack would've…”

Dean’s brain hiccupped on the thought that Sam had had sex with Amy and might've had another kid.  He glanced over at Ruby, who was just staring at Amy.  It was hard to imagine what she was going though.  Amy wasn’t like a mistress, she’d been with Sam before he’d even met Ruby.  Maybe she was an ex-girlfriend or a friends that he'd experimented with, they’d been teenagers after all.

“Is Sam the kid’s dad?”  Ruby asked slowly with more composure than Dean suspected he'd be capable of.

“No, Jacob’s a purebreed.”  Amy shook her head.  “But it looked bad disappearing and then coming back to the pack with a pup- especially since I'd disappeared before, when I was visiting Sam at school.  I stayed with him a few times when I was in heat because I didn't want the guys in my pack to… Nothing really went 100% to plan, so when I got pregnant I panicked.”

“Sam said you stopped talking to him all of a sudden.”

“I didn't want him to know about the baby.”

“He would've tried to help.”  Ruby sighed knowing full well that Sam probably wouldn't have even cared whether he was the biological father.

“He'd been talking about going to college for years.  I thought he might drop out.”  Amy had avoided meeting Dean’s eyes while explaining what had happened a decade earlier.  After a painful silence, she looked to Ruby & Dean with apprehension.  “Are you going to tell him?  I don't want to mess up whatever is happening in his life, I swear.  I just thought he might help us, for old times sake.”

“I'm gonna tell him.”  Ruby said after a few moments of consideration.

“Rube-”  Dean started.

“He thought she was dead and now he what, thinks that she just left him?”  Ruby gestured at Amy, clearly upset at the idea.

“It's simpler if she just left him.”

“Simple isn't always better.  You know that, Dean.”  Ruby told him pointedly.  His stomach knotted and guilt flared in him on so many different fronts that he didn't know how to respond.  “I’m not gonna just go along, with me knowing about his ex & break up while he’s in the dark.  This whole thing probably already reopened an old wound, the least we can do is clean it up...  Anyway, he’s an adult- he’ll survive a little fresh heartbreak.”

“You're…”  Amy asked Ruby, realizing that she had some greater connection to Dean & Sam.

“I'm Sam's wife.”  

“Oh god…”  Amy’s eyes widened in horror, then covered her face with her hands and recoiled into herself with visible embarrassment.  She shook her head a bit causing a few exhausted tears to fall to her lap.  “I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean…”

Before Dean could figure out what she was doing Ruby stood up, walked over to Amy, then knelt down and hugged her.  He couldn’t remember seeing Ruby comfort someone outside of the family or coven before.  His assumption had been that Ruby would want as little to do with Amy as possible, but trying to reassure & console her was far from that.

“I'm not upset.  I tried to protect Sam a long time ago.  You're trying to protect your family now.”  Ruby spoke in a very gentle voice, that reminded Dean of Kay’s mom.  “If you really want to go to that island, we’re gonna get you there, and I'm gonna do everything I can to keep you & your son safe.  I promise.”

“I know you're scared, but you just got a promise from one of the most politically powerful demons in existence.”  Dean explained the gravity of Ruby's statement.  “You're gonna have a lot of people in the shadows ready to help if you need it.”

“You're a demon?”  Amy stared at Ruby, startled that she was being embraced by hellspawn.

“And you're a kitsune- I guess Sam has a thing for women that can dismember him.”  Ruby observed, earning a weak chuckle from Amy.  “Drink your coffee and rest for a few minutes.  I'll go get your travel arranged- if you want to talk to Sam-”

“No.”  Amy quickly replied, then added.  “Not yet, maybe when things are simpler, but it's too much right now.”

“Okay.  I'll be back in just a minute.”  Ruby said, then disappeared.

“Is Sam happy?”  Amy asked Dean after a few seconds of quietly looking at her cup of coffee.

“Yeah, he is.”  He could see the relief on her face, despite the faint longing in her voice.  “He has three kids.  The oldest is about your son's age- he's adopted-”

“We should set up a play date.”  Amy joked.  

“I'm sure they'd be friends.”  Dean smiled sadly.

“Another time maybe.”

[furynewsnetwork]

LISTEN TO TLR’S LATEST PODCAST:

By Aidan Mattis

This past week at CPAC, hundreds of conservatives gathered to meet, discuss, and speak at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland. The attendees of the conference ranged all across the conservative spectrum, including Libertarians, Republicans, and newer, Donald Trump model conservatives. Support for Trump at the conference was not universal, yet those who stood behind him were very passionate.

When asked about what pushed them to vote for Trump, CPAC attendees followed common themes of economic concerns and illegal immigration. Paloma Zuniga, a Mexican born American citizen and business owner, said she has witnessed first hand the effects of unfettered immigration from her homes in California and Mexico.

“The United States is becoming a third world country,” she remarked, “and the reason why is because nobody is doing anything about immigration,”. Referencing her experience as a California resident, she mentioned that criminals were not the only problem at hand. This seemed to be a nod to President Trump’s suggestion that Mexico is “not sending their best people.” Zuniga also saw an issue with lack of integration. She explained that America is not Mexico, and that the problem comes with immigrants crossing the border and refusing to take on American customs. She expressed that, in her opinion, “It’s not just the criminals, it’s also the people that don’t adjust, that don’t integrate into the culture”. Zuniga traveled to the USA often as a child, learning English at the age of 10. She is now fluent.

Asked about the possible effects of Trump’s protectionist policies on her homeland, she remarked that “They will hurt Mexico at first…but the United States is not responsible for the Mexican economy. [Mexicans] feel that the US owes them something, the US doesn’t owe them anything.” Zuniga was not complimentary of Mexico’s current President, Enrique Peña Nieto, expressing that she has been waiting for a candidate like Trump for decades. Of the American President, she believes that “Donald Trump will give the Mexican people an example for what to do…[Trump] has motivated the people to do what they have to do.”

Voicing economic concerns was Kira Innis, a 30 year old African American woman, proudly wearing Trump’s trademark “Make America Great Again” baseball cap. Innis voiced concerns over the American economy, firmly of the belief that Trump’s experience as a businessman would benefit the country. Innis suggested that “We are a country built on its economy, we are a business. We have to be run like a business.” Once the economy recovers from the 2008 recession, as GDP growth still hovers around the 2% mark, Innis suggests Americans can begin to work on “Academia, economic reform, you know our social issues, making sure our borders are secure.”

Innis was passionate about her concern that America could be “at the mercy of any foreign invaders”, and that recovery needs to happen as swiftly as possible. Taking note of the general surprise at the outcome of the election, she remarked that “The forgotten man, and the forgotten women, are no longer forgotten. That sleeping giant that woke up on November 8th is wide awake with a shot of caffeine going through his veins.”

A third voice from the conference was that of College Republican Taylor Chaffetz, whose support for Trump was unwavering, despite his disparaging comments about women. “I would say that he thinks the utmost about women!” Ms. Chaffetz exclaims. Referencing Betsy DeVos and Kellyanne Conway as examples of women whom Trump has elevated to high offices, she believes Trump is focusing on selecting the best candidates, regardless of their identities.

Chaffetz was also very supportive of Melania Trump’s decision to take her responsibilities as a mother over the responsibilities of First Lady. Melania has been attacked in the past, not only for her nude photo shoots many years ago, but also for her supposed lack of command of the English language. Discussing her Netflix show, Chelsea Handler was asked if she’d host Mr. And Mrs. Trump, replying “No. Melania? To talk about what? She can barely speak English.” Of Handler’s comment, Ms. Chaffetz said “I don’t understand the criticism, maybe they’re jealous that she’s so pretty? She’s so intelligent, she speaks five languages and english is her last language. Of course she’s going to have trouble.”

The level of enthusiasm for the new president varied widely among CPAC attendees, but there was no shortage of people willing to express how they came to support him in the election. Though the outcome of Trump’s strict illegal immigration policy, protectionist economic policies, and often less than nuanced approach to communicating is yet to be seen, his supporters remain optimistic about the future of the United States of America.

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