#Watch Juanita it’s so good

[maplewozapi]

hey, it's me, the anon that left the ask about studying Native American history and cultural appropriation. Thanks for the book recommendations, I've added them all to my to-read list.

It's crazy how much people seem to dislike the topic of history I've chosen, but you genuinely helped so much. Definitely reassured me. I've also bought bury my heart at wounded knee which is a *bit* outdated but was the first book I bought on the topic so I always think of it fondly, and another called Blood and Land, and also one called a Century of Dishonour, which was written in the 1880s (very outdated in areas but also. definitely against the government policies). I'm also trying to expand my reading horizons from what happened in the 19th century USA.

(Btw, wasn't Killers of the Flower Moon turned into a film recently starring Leonardo di Caprio?? I wondered if you'd watched it. I would like to find some more modern films/tv shows with good indigenous rep - I watched Annie Get Your Gun a while back but frankly it was shit. I want to purge it from my mind).

I hope you have a lovely day, I just thought I'd say thanks for the recommendations and the reassurance </3

Yes I am very excited for the movie to come out, and there’s nothing wrong with outdated books besides biases told by the white people at the time, you gotta be picky and not take everything at face value. I read so many old books and university papers of recounts of native history and it’s kind of an art to describe them and the bs some of them say and the crab meat of truth you’re trying to find. Or like by proxy of growing up and hearing stories, and then using those accounts to figure out "oh that’s what they mean" or "Oh they mean this thing not that, they mixed it up." Cultural and language mistranslations are just so prevalent.

Then here’s some movie and video recommendations, I’ll just say with Wind River and Bury my heart again be kinda thoughtful about them. Bury my heart has like this Hollywood kinda atmosphere, more cinematic it’s a great movie but it’s also based on events and they kinda dramatized some. Gives me the same feeling of "woman who walks ahead." Still great movies and a great way to get a feel for thing that happened back then. I really love news of the world too especially what they show with the buffalo and little girl, but I really wish they hired a native actress, it’s true that adoption of any race of people happened a lot in tribes but the representation of native kids in Hollywood is nonexistent and I think these movies would be so much better portraying native head leads. With Wind River if Jeremy renner and Elizabeth Olsen where switched out with native leads the plot would be so much richer. Like a city native and Rez native story would be so good. Movies that greatly follow white leads or have white characters for the yt audience to attach to just limits the movie for me.

[betticajuguitodemora]

I watched the two eps, and what I can say, in general, I liked it!

The photography, filmography, writing (in some moments) and the acting are good.

In the first minutes, you can see that they had a care to maintain the YBSLF spirit.

ALSO JEA'S ACTING LOOKS GOOD AS HELL. ESPECIALLY WHEN HE SINGS TO BETTY OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL

The elevator scene was only kissing but you can see the steaminess on it, but it was too short to me so I got a bit disappointed. All the Armetty scenes are sooo good (thanks for the JEAMO chemistry) but the best scene by far is the "somos novios" scene. It still stucks in my head.

But there was things I didn't liked, like the Marcela and Paty's arc, because it seems they're stuck in time, especially Marcela. I know Nati Ramírez is trying to do justice to her character, but her plot (especially taking Ignacio as her lover and try to put him in the presidency) isn't working to me.

ALSO DANIELITO! OMG, HIS FATE WASN'T WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL. I knew he was dead, but not in jail for fraud with ECOMODA's money!!! And plus, BETTY BEING THE ONE WHO SENDS HIM TO JAIL!!! LOL

Julia's death didn't make sense to me and was unnecessary. Fina Franco is still alive and she would love to be back. For me, it made more sense if Hermes is the one who died and Betty/Julia griefs on him.

I need to talk about Camila. Many people are hating on her now, but I'm sure she will have a redemption journey. Also, I liked how Juanita portrays brilliantilly Camila having a hybrid of Armando/Betty (70%A / 30%B). No wonder she's closer to her daddy lol but I will breakdown on her character later.

Ignacio is like Danielito 2.0. And I loved him, especially the scene where he roasts Camila hahaha. But I HATED that they put him as Marcela's gigolo/mistress. I was like WTF. They should've put him as Marcela's nephew or son!!

Sandra, Bertha and Freddy are good! I had a good laugh with them, and their characters kinda evolved and the actors acting are in point. BUT I'M ALSO MISSING AURA MARÍA. WHERE'S MY GIRLIE

Paty bring the new chief of personal doesn't make sense to me... she didn't even finished college, and saying Gutiérrez just choose her from nowhere doesn't make sense.

The scene of Betty's transformation was expected to be emotional and all, but it didn't worked for me. I'm sorry, but Julia's letter (placed on Betty's old diary, who strangely survived for +25 years) felt too dull, empty and short to me. It's just saying "Betty go back to be ugly" and Betty is like "ok ma 🤓". That's why I'm not buying it.

ALSO, THE FACT THAT ECOMODA'S STORY ISN'T SHOWN ON THE RECOMPILATION. IT BROKES MY HEART! BUT ECOMODA WILL ALWAYS BE CANON TO ME, IDC (maybe post about it later with a storyline of YSBLF - ECOMODA - YSBLF:LHC)

So, so, my final score to these two initial eps are 7/10. It looks good for now, the fans of Betty will like it, and I'm expecting to know how the story will unfold.

[raapija]

Just a regular day

Fernando Alonso/Lance Stroll

No warnings needed, just fluff <3

It's been a long day at the karting track and Lance goes to find Fernando to take him home.

This is part of the pookie au ->

Lance stretched back in his chair and yawned. He was finally done cataloging every piece of paper and recording everything on the computer database. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his watch.

"Half seven..." he mumbled to himself and relaxed for a moment longer. He looked out the office window and down towards the track. The sun was setting and painted the sky pink. It was so quiet compared to just a few hours before with about 20 karts speeding around the track and dozens of family members and friends cheering for them.

Lance could see some movement from the other side of the track where the garages and storage buildings were. He sat up to see better and could make out a familiar figure wheeling along one of the karts used in the race. Oh, Fernando was still working on something. The Canadian decided to wrap up his things and head down to see what he was doing. The whole building was empty, apart from a little old cleaning lady tidying up the offices. Lance said his good byes to her and made his way outside.

***

"Hey," Lance said as he stopped at the garage opening, looking at Fernando hunched over the kart he had been moving. "Whatcha doing?"

Fernando peered up and smiled as he saw Lance, his hands busy loosening some screws. As he looked back down, his face contorted in frustration as one of the screws wouldn't come out. "The engine was making a sound so I'm just checking it."

"It's almost seven, we should go home." Lance said and walked over to him, crouching down and watching Fernando tinker with the engine. The Spaniard's hands were covered in black oil and grease and Lance thought it made him look quite rugged. In a good way.

"Yeah, it's not gonna take long. You can go if you want to. I'll get a ride from someone." Fernando said and Lance huffed.

"I'm not leaving you here, you'll stay the whole night. Besides, it's only us and Juanita still here. And she can't strap you onto her Vespa." the Canadian said. Fernando chuckled and then pointed towards a toolbox off to the side.

"Well, help me then and we'll go." he said and Lance reached for the toolbox, handing Fernando whatever he needed. They worked together on the engine with Lance giving suggestions on the possible fix and Fernando trying them out. Finally, they found the right part that was causing the noise and Fernando ripped the whole thing off and changed in a new one. They fired up the kart and were satisfied to hear it run smoothly.

***

"Well!" Lance chirped with a clap as Fernando got up to clean his hands. It was almost eight now and he was feeling famished. They had only had a quick lunch break between practise and qualifying and that was almost 7 hours ago. "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, sí." Fernando said as he wiped his hands clean with WD-40. Lance grimaced as he knew how rough Fernando's hands would get after that. The Spaniard rinsed his hands with water and then walked over to Lance, pulling him close by the waist. He looked up to Lance and gave him a warm smile. "How was your day?"

Lance smirked at him and loosely wrapped his arms around Fernando's shoulders. "Fine. Busy, but fine. I had a lot of fun actually."

"Yeah?" Fernando hummed. Lance could see how tired he was, eyes all droopy and his whole being a bit disheveled. "A lot of official, very important race director business?"

"Yeah, sure." Lance laughed. His job for today had been to keep a record of everything happening on track. Participants, timing, possible penalties, finishing positions... It was a lot but he was pretty good at handling ten different things at once. And he had a couple people help him that worked full-time at the museum, so it wasn't really all that bad.

"Hmm..." Fernando hummed again and got up on his tip toes to give Lance a good and long kiss. Content with the smooch, he slumped back down and rested his forehead on Lance's shoulder. "Take me home, por favor."

"Okay..." Lance said and held him for a bit longer. Fernando smelled like oil, petrol and sweat, not the best combination of flavours but Lance loved it. It reminded him of his own karting days in Canada.

"Come on, then." Lance said and they let go of each other. They gathered their belongings and closed up the garage. It was pretty dark outside with only a few lamps lighting up the track. They walked hand in hand, talking about what they were going to have for a late dinner. Lance loved these kinds of sweet moments with Fernando. Nothing but them and ordinary every day conversation. Like they weren't famous F1 drivers with a million eyes on them at every waking moment, but just a couple of regular boring people with regular boring lives. Oh, what he would give for it to be like this always and forever. But then again, driving an F1 car was pretty nice, too.

"Lancito, churri?" Fernando called for him gently and Lance broke out of his daydream. He had fallen a few steps behind and now had to catch up.

"Yeah, yeah, coming." the Canadian hurried over to the car, throwing his things on the backseat as Fernando held the door open. They then went to their own respective places; Lance on the wheel and Fernando riding shotgun. It didn't take long after pulling out the parking lot that the Spaniard already fell asleep. Lance listened to the radio on low volume, driving along an empty road and cherished the moment once more. Him and his husband going home, the home that they had bought together. Just regular people driving back to their regular home. It was perfect for him.

▹.࿙𝆤𝆤࿚'𝆤࿙𝆤𖹭𝆤࿚𝆤'࿙𝆤𝆤࿚.࿙𝆤𝆤࿚'𝆤࿙𝆤𖹭𝆤࿚𝆤'࿙𝆤𝆤࿚.▹

Thanks for reading <3 I've been thinking of writing something with the karting school for a while now and finally got inspired enough to do it. Hope y'all like it 🥰

[iwanttobeliv]

Betty, la fea: la historia continúa

So much has happened lately irl that I got really behind with my posts about the show. I have watched every episode so far (the most recent being episode 8), and by now more than a few issues I pointed out have been clarified or made worse, but I decided to keep sharing my thoughts on episode 1 as they were conceived.

So, back to:

Episode 1 – Reunited (but it doesn’t feel so good) - Part 2

A controversial topic, Mila Mendoza.

We’ll get to her in a sec.

But first, let’s take a moment to enjoy the little things.

We are at the airport, Armando and Betty standing next to each other as Mila gives us the cliffs notes of their separation as well as some information regarding the timeline that should be helpful (should being the operative word and not a very good one).

This is the first interaction we see of Betty and Armando alone, and I have to say, the chemistry between these two is undeniable!

It’s clear Betty still has feelings for Armando, we can see it in the way she looks at him when he says he needed to see her, before clarifying who the ‘her’ was. And then, after Betty laughs and her eyes go searching their daughter once again, the way Armando looks at her? Oh, we are on! No matter how much time and stuff these two have been through, the feelings are still very much there.

But back to Mila.

I get why in such a short (screen) time people have elected her as “The Worst”.

Mila, the only child of Armando and Betty has been away for 5 years (I’m guessing ‘studying’) and very quickly we get a very clear picture of their family dynamics.

Armando is the good cop, the enabler, the one Camila can bat her eyes at to get away with anything, her ‘Armandaddy’ (I do love a portmanteau). And honestly, this is the least surprising thing in the revival. Under all that yelling and roaring, we always knew there was a soft spot – and of course, their only daughter, their little princess, one who laughs just like her mother and looks at him with adoring brown eyes under those bangs, well… Armando never stood a chance, did he?

No, the surprise comes in Mila’s interaction with her mother – which I think was also one of the main reasons for her rejection as a character. How dare Betty’s daughter be anything but devoted and loving, just like her mother has always been to Don Hermes and Dona Julia? And the fact that she dresses like an IT girl and acts like a Mean girl ain’t doing Mila any favors.

So yes, when she calls Betty by her name and greets her with clear less enthusiasm than her father, I was more than a little annoyed too. But then, thinking about it, and with the bits and pieces we start to collect as the story goes, I suppose I can understand it. And more than that: I can see the potential of this particular plot. Again: conflict.

A mother-daughter relationship never lacks that.

Then again, knowing that and not wanting to shove that chocolate box down Mila’s throat when she dismisses it with a wrinkled nose are two very different things.

I suppose both things can be true.

Moreover, did you see how quickly Armando folded when Mila asked not to be taken to the Pinzons’ home?

Now can you imagine having to be the one always saying no when Armando doesn’t seem to know how to?

Poor Betty, I really think that even without the whole Ecomoda thing that I'm sure will later be explained, it would be nearly impossible to compete for her daughter’s affection and not always be seen as the bad cop.

All that being said, Mila is still so undeniably Betty and Armando's daughter that I can't help but like her at least a little bit.

And I have to say, while the writing doesn't seem to do her any favors, Juanita Molina is doing a very good job with some of Betty's mannerisms and Armando's personality (at the very least the yelling part).

Next: Betty and Nicolas, as some wise ladies once sang: friendship never ends.

[softguarnere]

For Whatever We Lose

Lewis Nixon x OFC (slow burn, enemies to lovers) Chapter Four: A United Front

Summary: Dick, as always, has a plan A/N: Finally, the moment we've been waiting for. Warnings: period typical sexism Taglist: @kujofam @dcyllom

It starts immediately.

They return from their run with Easy Company to find their bunkhouse has been trashed. Footlockers have been overturned, mattresses and pillows have been ripped open and off of beds, spilling feathers across the floorboards. They have to clean it up themselves, of course. And it’s not until they’re halfway through and Juanita asks if anyone has seen her underwear that they all collectively realize that their Army issued undergarments are gone.

Fortunately or otherwise, they aren’t hard to find, seeing as they’ve been strung up on the flagpole. The only person who seems more upset about it than the Women’s Squad is Colonel Sink. We don’t want these girls here! the action screams. But the colonel has never been one to back down from a challenge. They remain where they are.

Other signs that they are disliked and unvalued are less extreme, less obvious.

Someone up the chain of command learns that Minerva can play the piano and that Anna can sing, and they find themselves providing entertainment for an officer’s dinner. Women are constantly assigned to the kitchens for their duties, and snickers about how they’re “back where they belong” follow them everywhere. No matter how they wear their hair, someone always find a way to pull it when running past, like schoolboys tugging on pigtails before giggling and running away.

Except this isn’t the school yard. This isn’t a game. This is war.

The letter that arrives that morning is written in very block-like handwriting and begins with Minerva’s least favorite nickname.

Dear Minnie,

Minerva sighs around a mouthful of toast and reminds herself that she’s fortunate only John-Michael calls her that.

I am fine. How are you?

The Germans are gone now, so things are quiet. Pop and I watch for them from the lighthouse. He says that we are holding down the fort while you are away. So you do not have to worry about us, because Sparky and I can hold off the U-Boats.

I hope your training is going good. Mom and I pray for you every night at church. Jack’s mom –

The name physically pains Minerva to see in print. She squeezes her eyes shut, the paper crumpling in her hand as she lets the wave of emotion wash over her. When it ebbs out to sea again, she continues, not quite from where she left off.

I hope we get to see you before you ship off. You are all anyone here talks about. I am very proud to be your brother.

That last part tugs on her heartstrings in a way that makes her feel guilty for how angry she was with her brother for opening the letter with her hated nickname.

From across the table, Keziah sighs. Her posture is stiff – the sort of tense posture that usually comes from a mother hovering over a child’s shoulder while they try to complete their homework. She jerks her neck, the tilt of her head indicating one of the tables across the aisle from where they sit.

“Look at them,” she mutters. “Gaping.”

She’s not wrong, really. Minerva can’t be sure, but she suspects that someone somehow incentivized Easy Company to be companionable with their new additions, because most of them have been amiable enough. Sure, there are a few who have made it known that they do not agree with the women being made part of their company – or part of the military at all – but the treatment coming from within their own company is nowhere near as bad as what they’ve been experiencing from the others.

And at least the men who don’t seem to mind them too much have tried to be polite. Like Webster, several have introduced themselves, made an attempt to get to know their new sisters in arms. Some are more subtle about their intentions. It didn’t take Minerva long to realize that when she gets up to run Currahee in the mornings, Speirs or Lieutenant Winters – or Dick, he keeps assuring her she can call him – materializes out of thin air and joins her for the run. If one of the girls has to walk somewhere, one or two of the men will peel away from the group to tail them, just to make sure that they get to where they are trying to go.

Though none of the men have dared bridge the gap by sitting with the women during their meals, a chosen few have made a habit out of choosing seats at the table beside theirs. All the women politely pretend not to notice the men glancing at their table, constantly checking up on them. But they would have to be blind not to notice that some of them stare.

Like Bill Guarnere is now. There are nine women at the table, but his gaze keeps seeming to land on Keziah.

“Hey, Guarnere!” The woman in question flashes him a smile, though her eyes are cold. “You never seen an Indian before, or something?”

The man at the next table over blinks, taken aback. “What?”

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you that staring is rude?” Keziah clarifies. She doesn’t turn her attention back to the women’s table until Guarnere has averted his eyes and inserted himself into the conversation of the men beside him. Satisfied, she leans back in her chair and resumes eating.

Minerva smirks. “Poor guy. What a way to get turned down.”

Keziah’s gaze shoots up. Her eyes are wide, and in her surprise, she drops her fork onto her plate with a clatter that makes several other women leave their own conversations to flash her a concerned look. “What?”

“Kez.” Minerva leans across the table, like they’re sharing secrets during class, trying not to get caught by the teacher. “He wasn’t looking at you like that. Not in a bad way, I mean. He likes you.”

“No,” Keziah insists. She doesn’t meet Minerva’s eye. That particular thread of conversation has been severed.

“Okay.” If that’s what Keziah wants to think, she won’t argue. There’s obviously some sort of soreness in this topic, some hurt that hasn’t healed yet. Minerva isn’t about to go picking at other people’s emotional scabs. But she has been on the receiving end of enough looks of that sort to know that Guarnere feels something towards her friend. And she’s a teacher. She sees that look passing between students a hundred times a day in the classroom. Suffice it to say, she knows what she’s talking about.

No fraternization, Sobel had warned her and Diana. Well, clearly if the men received the same ultimatums, they aren’t taking them as seriously – or they didn’t receive them at all. What do you do when your captain makes it clear that mistakes will not be tolerated, but then seems to set you up for failure at every turn?

To some, Easy Company’s Women’s Squad seems destined to fail from the start. Despite Sobel’s insistence that Easy Company will maintain its stellar record – or rather, that he maintains his reputation – the girls can’t seem to catch a break.

Anna’s weekend pass gets revoked after Sobel sees her smile at Floyd Talbert. Lori Sinclair’s pass is revoked for having the slowest time up and down Currahee. Lucy McNair is assigned to clean the latrines after a joke about Sobel is – allegedly – traced back to her. Bianca Mancini gets yelled at in front of everyone on the rifle range for not being able to assemble her gun fast enough, and then Joe Liebgott’s is revoked because he steps in and attempts to help her.

“We can’t let them go on like this,” Dick says. It’s morning, and though his tone is strong and assured, his voice is quiet, and Nixon only just hears him over the clatter of silverware and the morning chatter that fills the officer’s mess.

It takes a minute for the caffeine in his cup to circle through his bloodstream and wake him up enough to realize what his friend is talking about, and even then, he’s a little unsure. “Huh?”

Dick shrugs, never taking his eyes off the piece of toast that he’s spreading jam onto. To anyone passing by, it looks like just a casual conversation over breakfast. But Nixon is just awake and alert enough to know that this is very quickly turning into something much more serious.

“The whole company hates our commanding officer,” Dick explains, voice still quiet enough that he won’t be overheard. “But he’s even harder on the women. And then he’s furious when the men try to stick up for them the way they would any of their own.”

“Well, what are we going to do about it?” Nothing they can do, really. Well, maybe something, but he’s not the one clever enough to find it. And honestly, if it weren’t for Dick, he probably wouldn’t even be considering any of the possibilities.

“Not much we can do,” Dick says, affirming Nixon’s original impression of the situation. “But – “ Of course he’s come up with something. Nixon bites the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “ – we can make it a little easier on the women. Show them that they’re not alone in this.”

“How?”

“Let’s talk to their sergeants. Reach out, create a dialogue. Let them know that we’re on their side. Show them that they can count on us, and that we can work together. They’re in this thing, now, and it’s time that they had officers in their corner instead of instigating more trouble for them.”

If he didn’t know any better, he would say that Dick has already planned this whole thing out. “What do you have in mind?”

“Tonight, in here. We’ll meet with them, discuss their concerns, ask how we can help. And then we’ll help them. Whatever they want, whatever they need.” He pauses, quirks an eyebrow. “What?”

Nixon shrugs, smiling into his coffee cup as he sips the hot liquid inside. “Smart move, setting the meeting in a public place, but at a time where we won’t be disturbed. We can still be accused of fraternization, but the accusations wouldn’t hold up very well, seeing as we’re all in a place where we could be caught at any minute. That counts as evidence that nothing inappropriate has happened.”

“Exactly.”

“If Sobel finds out, he’ll probably still revoke our weekend passes, though.”

“Probably,” Dick says. “But it’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

And take it he does.

At the end of the day, right after the last of the dinner crowd has cleared out, the Women’s Squad sergeants appear in the doorway. The smaller of the two hesitates in the doorway, like she’s unsure if this is something she should risk, but the tall one with the dark hair breezes in with no qualms. Revels, reads the name on her fatigues.

 Sergeant Revels, Nixon corrects himself. One of the college grads who was made an NCO by order of Colonel Sink himself. Nixon would recognize the name even without that, though; one of Sobel’s favorite chores to give him is censoring the mail for the company. Clearly the captain didn’t realize that the chore would feed Nixon’s penchant for a good story. Anyway, the name Minerva had stuck out to him because he thought it was ironic that someone sharing a name with a goddess of war would join up, and then be promoted to NCO so quickly. Very fitting. And looking at her now, it is fitting.

He’s seen her around, of course, now that the women are officially part of Easy Company. But this is the first time he’s seen her up close. She’s got a very attractive diamond shaped face, and freckles spatter across her olive-colored skin. When she smiles, it reaches all the way to her eyes, which are a piercing green. Her dark hair, even pulled back in a ponytail, falls in sleek waves over her shoulder. This is the woman who writes with such care, such fine prose, to her family back home in some place called Frisco, which Nixon may or may not have had to look for on a map, just out of pure curiosity. 

“Sergeant Revels.” Dick extends a hand to her, and she pumps it hardily. “Sergeant Bradham. Allow me to introduce Lieutenant Nixon.”

“Nice to meet you.” Minerva smiles.

Ah, there it is! That strange accent that he’s heard so much about. No, not strange. Unique might be a better word for it. It’s not unpleasant – just something that Nixon has never encountered before.

He smiles as he shakes her hand. “The pleasure is all mine.”

The other Sergeant, Diana, seems nice enough. It’s obvious from her body language, the way that she keeps glancing at Minerva, that she feels out of her depth, but is trying her hardest not to automatically defer to her fellow NCO. Good on her. She doesn’t radiate the sort of confidence that Minerva does, but as Nixon watches her, he can tell that she’s a good, thoughtful listener.

Hopefully everyone else does enough listening for all of them, because Nixon sure as hell doesn’t. He wants to help them, yes, and he wants to support Dick, of course, but the old socialite instincts kick in and it’s like his body runs purely on muscle memory for a moment.

As they sit down, Dick offers the NCOs coffee, which they both accept. From his pocket, Nixon produces his trusty flask, and with a quick glance over his shoulder, tips some of the contents into his cup. From across the table, Diana giggles. The joke approved, he holds up his flask as a sort of offering. Diana shakes her head, though she’s smiling.

Minerva, however, pushes her coffee cup towards him when he makes the same gesture to her. He only pours in a splash of liquor, feeling Dick’s disproving glance from beside him. It makes the sergeant all the more interesting in Nixon’s eyes. Especially when she flashes him a brilliant smile and takes a sip of the drink.

Shenanigans over, Dick immediately gets down to brass tacks. He’s gone over his thoughts with Nixon at least a hundred times since this morning. But Nixon is interested to see how the women will react to what he has to say.

He takes careful note of their reactions. It’s a simple meeting, really. Dick just wants them to know that they can come to him with any issues, that he’s on their side, and that he’s willing to do anything in his power to help with their Sobel issues. The women, for their part, seem thankful, and Diana even has a suggestion of her own.

“I think things would be better if the men and women could get to know each other,” she admits. “Sobel has everyone afraid of losing their passes on fraternization charges. Some of the women feel like they can’t get to know the people they’ll be taking bullets for because of the rule.”

“A stupid rule designed to create divisions between us that’s unfairly enforced,” Minerva mutters.

Diana nods as if to say, Exactly! If she were a little braver, those might have been her exact words.

Dick nods, brows drawn in thought. “Okay,” he says after a moment. “I think we can do something about that.”

We can? Nixon almost asks. He takes a sip of his spiked coffee to stop himself. For someone who’s usually good at reading people, he has no clue what his friend is planning. Better to remain a united front, though. He waits until they’ve bid the women good night – with Nixon flashing them his most charming smile – to ask.

“If the men can engage in bonding exercises, then the women should be able to join them,” Dick explains with a shrug. “Like Sergeant Bradham said: they should know the people that they’ll be taking a bullet for.”

“Do you think they will though? Have to take a bullet for someone, I mean.”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

Now it’s Nixon’s turn to shrug. “Some people seem to think that the Women’s Squad is just a publicity stunt. There are rumors that they won’t see any actual combat; just show up and look pretty for photos or do minimal work on the front lines.”

Dick seems really and truly shocked by the news, which in turn shocks Nixon. People have been whispering about it all week. How has Dick not heard the rumors?

“Well. That would be a shame if the military resorted to using them for models.”

Nixon is inclined to disagree. Some of the women are very attractive and would probably make excellent models. He doesn’t bring it up, though, since that’s not what Dick meant, and the joke wouldn’t land well.

“So, what do you have in mind?”

Dick purses his lips. “They’ve hardly had the chance to socialize. The men have already formed into cliques, and I’m willing to bet the women have, too. Maybe we need an activity that will allow them to get to know each other, form new connections.”

“Well, they can’t sit around and do ice breakers without Sobel accusing us of encouraging fraternization. Hell, he would think we had set them all up on first dates.”

“No. But if they were to participate in an activity that would take several hours, during which they would have plenty of opportunities to talk . . .” Dick smiles. There’s a gleam in his eye that, despite how close they’ve become in such a short time, Nixon has not seen before. He can’t help but chuckle.

“What do you have in mind?”

Dick only shrugs, a casual gesture. “How do you feel about a scavenger hunt?”

[thezombieprostitute]

Flowers in Storms

A/N: Another entry for @the-slumberparty​‘s Bingo, again mixing three squares: Friends with benefits, Trapped together, and Flowershop AU. Reader is female.

Warnings: Mentions of the death of a character. Storms and storm damage. Angst.

The bell above your door jingles and you know who it is without even looking up. “Good afternoon, Sheriff. I’ve got your order right here.”

“How do you do that, Y/N?” Lee walks up to the counter, shaking his head. In the years he’s been visiting your flower shop he still hasn’t figured out your secret to knowing he’s the one walking through the door. He’s tried showing up on different days, at different times, in different weather patterns, and you still know it’s him. “One of these days you’ll have to tell me your secret.”

“Maybe someday,” you tease. “In the meantime, here’s your order. Make sure to give her my love while you’re out there.”

Lee nods his thanks and heads on out, pausing to turn back and ask, “are we still on for Tuesday night?”

“Yeah,” you smile. “Unless that storm we’re supposed to get gets worse. Then you’ll likely be on call.”

“Thank you, Darlin’” he tips his hat and heads out, flowers in hand. 

It’s been several years since Juanita, Lee’s wife and your best friend, passed on. You were both in a lot of pain at the loss and, after a year, ended up finding comfort in each other. Not a relationship, Lee couldn’t risk looking like he was moving on too quickly, lest he lose his next election. Friends with benefits and it worked for the two of you. 

You both became workaholics when Juanita was buried, burying yourselves in your jobs. It wasn’t healthy and it came to a head when Lee came in to buy flowers on what would’ve been their anniversary. You had told him he needed to take better care of himself and he threw that right back at you. Soon after you both agreed to start meeting up, as friends, just to make sure you each took some time off work. 

Your relationship grew from there but neither of you felt it was right to actually be dating. So you made arrangements, trysts, and other fun things but neither of you asked the other for more. Tuesday would be your next “not-a-date” and you were looking forward to it.

Business was painfully slow Tuesday but that didn’t surprise you. That storm was building and people were prepping for the worst. Lee had called and told you he was on call for the night and you reassured him you’d be home by the time the really bad winds hit.

Unfortunately you weren’t paying as much attention to the windows as you probably should, too busy making sure that your flowers would survive the likely loss of power. The next time you looked out the window it was hailing pellets the size of golf balls and you decided it was safest to just stay in the shop. You’d been through a few twisters by now and knew how to handle yourself but you still found yourself shaking and nervous as you plotted out the safest spots in the store. 

Your nerves got worse when the power cut out. The scream of the wind and the hail against the roof were the only sounds you could hear. You lit one of your emergency candles. It wasn’t much but there was something comforting about the little source of light and heat. You let yourself relax, watching that little flame, until some red and blue lights distracted you.

You heard the front door slam open followed by Lee shouting your name. You ran to the front of the shop and hugged him tight before yelling, “what the hell are you doing here, Lee?!”

“I could ask you the same thing, Y/N! You promised me you’d be home before this storm got rough. I tried callin' your home, which still has power by the way, and got no answer, so I ran out here hoping, praying you weren’t stuck in a ditch or worse!”

“I can look after myself and you shouldn’t worry about me like that,” you protest. 

Before Lee could yell back you both heard a loud boom as lightning struck a nearby tree. You pulled Lee away from the front door and windows as the tree started falling. Much to both of your dismay it landed on your cars. 

“Fuck,” he whispered. “That’s gonna be a lot of paperwork.”

“For both of us,” you agreed, grateful you were caught up on your insurance. “In the meantime, looks like we’re trapped together here. Come on back, it’s a bit safer there. You got your radio? Let the other officers know?”

“Yeah, yeah. You get on back and I’ll radio. But we’re not done talkin’ about you lyin’ to me!” Lee turns away and radios the station letting them know his car is done for, “happened while rescuing a citizen trapped in a store but now we’re both here. We’ll be alright but I’m out for most any calls.”

“Roger that, Sheriff” you hear as Lee walks to join you. 

“Now,” he says as he crosses his arms and glares, “you wanna tell me what the hell you’re doin’ puttin’ yourself in danger like this?” You’ve noticed over the years how his accent gets stronger the angrier he is. It’s cute when it’s not directed at you.

“I genuinely lost track of time, Lee. I swear it was a legitimate accident. But you didn’t have to come out and save me. I’ve been through these things before and know how to take care of myself.”

“You’d be better at takin’ care o’ yourself if you were at home. Why’d ya even bother openin’ the damn store today? Coulda saved me a heap of trouble and a car!”

“That’s on you,” you countered. “I didn’t ask you to come get me, so you do not get to hold that over my head. And the store was closed most of the day but I had to be here to make sure I’d still have a store to come back to. I got caught up in the preparation and lost track of the time. You know that happens to me.”

“Why the hell couldn’t you just stay home where I…” Lee falters. “Where I’d know you were with your neighbors, lookin’ out for each other?”

“What were you about to say?” Lee shakes his head but you press him further. “You were gonna say something else just now. What was it?”

Lee lets out an exasperated sigh. He knows you well enough to know he’s not getting out of this one. His tone is quiet as he admits “I was going to say, ‘stay home where I could keep you safe.’ It’s…it’s what I say every time I visit Juanita. I just…I don’t want to lose someone else because I couldn’t be there.”

Not knowing what to say you opt to wrap Lee in as big a hug as you can. He gives you a gentle hug back and you stay like that for a long time. Long enough to notice the wind dying down and the pounding of the hail soften to the patter of just rain. 

The hug finally breaks when Lee’s radio chimes in, specifically calling for him. He walks out the front to respond leaving you in the back room. All by yourself in the dark with just a candle. You take the time to clear your head and, by the time Lee walks back in, you’ve made your decision.

“Deputy is drivin’ out here to give us a lift,” Lee tells you. “We’ll drop you off at home and I’ll get back to work.”

“Sounds good, Sheriff.”

Lee freezes. You only call him Sheriff when there are other people around. “What’s goin' on, Y/N?”

“We should probably stop hooking up,” you admit, not meeting his eyes. “I know we agreed on no romance, dating or whatever but…this whole thing was supposed to be temporary anyways. A way to stave off the worst of the grief as we healed. But I don’t think it’s working. I’m the last person to tell you to move on but if you’re still blaming yourself, blaming her, for her death, you need something more than I can offer.”

Lee focuses his attention on the floor, even though it’s too dark to see anything. When he doesn’t respond you continue, “I’ll still happily be your friend, that sure as hell won’t change. But I’m not gonna keep up the rest. It’s been fun, don’t get me wrong, but I think it’s keeping us from healing like we should be.”

He continues to stare at the spot on the floor until you hear the deputy’s car horn. You walk out in silence and get in the back of the car while Lee and the Deputy discuss all the damage and ongoing situations. They drop you off in front of your home, Lee never once acknowledging you. 

Over the next week you and your neighbors set to picking up the pieces, helping each other out, finding missing pets and more. Happily there weren’t any fatalities. Lee was purposefully keeping his distance from you, sending other officers to areas he knew were helping. The rumor mill was buzzing, of course, but you made sure to not feed the fire. 

When you finally got back to your shop the power had come back and you started salvaging what flowers you could. There were phone calls to suppliers and insurance companies to be made and you settled in for a long day on the phone. 

The front door jingled around noon and, without looking up, you call out, “mornin’ Sheriff.”

Lee lets out an exasperated sigh, “one of these days, Y/N.”

You look at him and ask, “do you actually want to know or do you want to keep it a friendly mystery?”

“You know what, I do wanna know. How the hell do you always know it’s me?”

“You’re always wearing the cologne Juanita would buy for you. That stuff she had to order special from the catalogs. You would’ve run out of it by now but I’m guessing you keep buying it because it makes you think of her.”

He purses his lips and nods, “the smell makes me think of her. My complaints about the cost when she first bought it for me were tempered by her assurances it would help me stand out while campaigning. It just kinda became another thing we would laugh and kid about.”

Lee takes his hat off and walks towards you, “I do need to apologize for bein’ so short with you. I’ve had some time to think and, you’re right. I don’t know that I’ll ever heal from losin’ Juanita, but I need to try and I can’t do that if I’m treating you like I would her. If I keep seein’ her in your place. If I keep wishin’ it was her laying next to me instead of you.” The confession hurts but you take it in stride.

“I’d still love to have ya as a friend,” Lee looks at you sheepishly. “I ain’t been much of a friend but I’m hopeful you’ll let me work at being better at that.”

You give Lee a soft smile and walk towards him with open arms. He welcomes the embrace and you feel his shoulders relax. It takes a while but you finally break the hug, tears in your eyes but a smile on your face. You both needed this.

It’s been a couple years since the storm but you and Lee are still good friends. So much so that he considers it his duty to keep an eye on your new suitor, a war veteran who came home missing an arm. When you asked Lee why he was stalking your date he looked offended, “I’m the Sheriff and your friend. I have to make sure this new guy isn’t takin’ advantage of our town’s sweet florist.”

You’re working on paperwork when you hear the front door bell jingle. Without looking up you say, “welcome to the Bouquet Boutique! Let me know if you need help with anything.”

“So that’s what you tell your customers,” Lee says with a smile on his face. His smile grows when he sees your look of confusion. “I’m tryin’ to go without the cologne for a while. See how that works.”

“I’m proud of you,” you say as you give him a big hug. “I’ve got your order right here, Lee. Make sure to give Juanita my love.”

“Will do, Darlin’. Will do.”

[yumejoshi1]

(I'll delete later)

I know there's enough negativity right but gaaah, it's so difficult being a Green Gay Ninja's supporter!

Watching Bagi literally building the stronghold alone is so sad (At least she got Juanita)

The leader (💚Etoiles💚) won't participate temporarily bc whatever he does he'll get hate, and he isn't enjoying the event at all due to a mixture of situations

We all know Rubius and Kameto won't log. Roier is sick, Forever is MIA and we don't know when Mike and Maxo will log again

No matter what Fit does, it won't matter because the second he logs off the GG Ninjas will get to third place again

And I love Quackity, but he can't give one step without dying to whatever that is in front of him, even air, making his team lose points.

And it's sucks and I may be biased, but the team had so much potential! They just need a bit of coordination (and therefore, communication) and they would be unstoppable! Bc with company they'll enjoy it more!

For example, Elotoier (Elotes / Roier duo) was so fun to watch bc they're both good at PVP and are able to understand each other! Back at the first day when they were looking for the Global Missions Center it was so fun to hear the banter!

Hopefully the active ones (Maybe Rubius too if he wants, now that he isn't an angel anymore) get in contact offstream and coordinate! Please don't give up!

[neopuff]

so i just rewatched Hunters (2020) on amazon over the weekend - little did i know that amazon had chopped up and reorganized the first season to make it over an hour shorter than it was originally

wish i'd realized it sooner cuz a lot of good scenes were removed, maybe not plot important but they emphasized the point of a show where the discussion is Nazis Are Still Alive and Well. but anyway. for anyone who wants to know what all was cut here's an incomplete list of everything i noticed as i skimmed through the original version of the show today:

ep 1:

jonah thinking about college letters/looking at carol across the street before ruth gets shot

travis introduction scene

nasa nazi lady choking on her food, stripping in the bathroom

jonah & friends looking at girls on the beach

meyer talking about chava and the human chessboard scene

jonah eating the soup and yelling that its not his safta's soup

some dialogue removed from meyers speech to jonah at the end

ep 2:

the whole team introduction scene??? with all the comic book-y styles

"im tired im hungry im in fucking florida" millie scene

holstedder holocaust flashbacks were completely removed?

lonny saying he'd fuck ruth if she was younger and that everyone scares him, jonah mentioning cheeks and bootyhole to him

movie opening changed to mix with team introduction scene

scene with holstedder at the piano felt very different

meyer picking up the phone

how many nazis were killed in nuremberg

maria introduction scene

biff and tobias phone call

schidler corp nazi writing July 13 on a map

ep 3:

ruth first night in the camps flashback was shortened significantly

lonny pissing his name on the ground

millie and maria scene w/ travis watching them (that acknowledges sommers)

eva talking to nazi employees, "darwin's offspring"

Know This Now: How To Find A Nazi

"no one wants to be robin" "robin's got it made" conversation. "there's nothing wrong with wanting to stay alive"

stayin alive boardwalk scene where jonah sees young ruth

bootyhole and jonah couch conversation

joe and roxy hand scene and conversation extended

some travis stalking millie scenes were removed

"homegirl is a jew"

eva talking about biff's weapon, then travis and eva phone call where he reports heinz' death. a bunch of lines were cut. including "we've got friends in the FBI"

"ruth chose the darkness" mindy @ jonah

lonny and harriet scene in the restaurant

ep 4:

travis looking at photos in jonahs bed

wolf/ruth conversation lines cut

a bit of harriet & contact man's scene cut

lines from murray and bank nazi were cut, criticism of meyer's character

"compensation from maryanne's family is prepared" money scene with tobias

lonny harassing the bank cops

millie/maria i love you scene

meyer gives jonah the ring

ep 5:

"i don't look that jewish" "you? jew." lonny and jonah scene

tilda sauer presentation and information

jonah being terrible to carol

lonny on the phone with his agent

some dialogue between biff and juanita

ep 6:

some of harriet's flashbacks were cut, small scenes

some dialogue between biff and juanita

ep 7:

some of joe's traumatic share time story was cut

the slinky on una's stairs

music box cipher with the lullaby to get the code

joe: "hi. you're little." @ roxy's daughter, lingering looks between joe and roxy

lonny on the ground bleeding

ep 8:

travis arguing back at eva

jonah apologizing to mindy

Game Show Sequence - Why Does Everyone Hate the Jews?

ep 9:

US tribunal was reshot as a serious flashback rather than an old timey TV screening, also many lines were cut. "yup, that shit really happened!"

carol finding jonah's college acceptance letters

lonny and harriet talking about lonny's dad

jonah's friends seeing him drive away with the hunters and discuss talking to the cops

biff and millie talking

travis drinking eva's blood milk

big soundtrack change while lonny's sneaking into the electrical part of the factory

lonny explaining his fake bomb

ep 10:

harriet fishing meyer out of the water

millie talking to travis in jail and he talks about orange and a bunch of other lines were cut

meyer and ruth flashbacks were shortened i think

travis' parents coming to see him in prison and then he asks for a jew lawyer

some of travis' conversation with the lawyer was cut

[yaachtynoboat711]

Coffee Bae

Pairing: Kevin Atwater x Black Med! OC (Karis Z. Brown, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.C.)

A/N: Hey y’all! Happy New Year! After the love “Just One Round” received, I wanted to give y’all an origin story. Also, I wanted to modify something. While Black women wake up phenomenal beings, we can’t do everything. That being said, Karis is just cardiothoracic surgeon, rather than both a trauma AND cardiothoracic surgeon. I’m sure she’ll thank me for lessening her load. Y’all ready? Cool, here’s the story!

**I had to re-upload because the rough draft uploaded rather than the finished product. I apologize**

Summary: A chance meeting at the local coffee shop get Kevin and Karis together.

Word Count: 1384

Warning(s): Black Love, language

Pressurized steam, clinking porcelain, shouted names, and scattered conversations were the soundtrack to Karis’s morning trip to her favorite coffee shop, Jahva Coffee Bazaar. Her godparents’ coffee shop had been her safe haven since she moved to Chicago nearly a year ago. Karis traded in Hand Grenades and beignets for Harold’s mild wings and miserable winters. However, with the dramatic change in environment came unprecedented professional and personal growth.

Today was her first lecture at Chicago Central. She would be speaking to the med school students as a part of their cardiology education. Nervous was an understatement; she spent most of the day before revising and rehearsing the lecture. Now, she was at Jahva in her usual spot: the corner booth in towards the back.

One of the unique elements of Jahva was the element of community. Bruce and Juanita— Karis’s godparents— insisted strangers sit together when it got busy. For some reason, today was that day. The Friday morning traffic was busier than usual; more students and professionals stationed their electronics on the tables and counters. To make matters worse, it rained throughout the morning.

Kevin braved the rain to make it to Jahva. Wayward droplets cascaded off of the sleeves of his black puffy coat, falling to the welcome mat at the front door. He scanned the coffee shop for an available seat as he stood in line, cursing to himself as he failed to find a vacant spot.

Sure enough, he spotted Karis in her corner booth. Just as he confirmed his intended destination, Bruce, her godfather and shop owner, caught Kevin’s attention.

“Kevin, my man! What’s good witcha this mornin’?” The two men dapped each other up.

“Can’t complain, Unc. I don’t have to be at the station until later on…,” his eyes wandered back towards Karis,”…so I’m here.”

This time, her gaze met his. She grinned and returned her focus to her MacBook.

Kevin resumed his conversation with Bruce, “Aye real quick. Gotta question for ya, Unc.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you know who that beautiful young lady is over there?” Kevin nodded in her direction as to not gain attention to himself.

Bruce chuckled to himself, “Of course. She’s my goddaughter. She’s a surgeon and just moved into the city bout a year ago. If you want to sit by her, just go over there. I’ll send your usual that way.”

Kevin patted Bruce’s back in appreciation, “Good lookin’ out, Unc.”

Karis watched the tall, handsome man strut towards her. In a panic, she re-opened her lecture notes on her laptop. She had to look busier than she actually was. Her commitment to the diversion worked. She felt a presence in front of her. Her eyes met his once again, this time, she smiled, revealing the thin gap that nestled between her two front teeth. His gaze intensified.

“Is uhh…,” Kevin began to fumble over his words, “is this uhhh…seat…taken?”

Karis chuckled at his schoolboy-like nervousness, “Actually, I was hoping you sat next to me when you came in.” She picked her work bag out of the empty seat across from her, “Please, have a seat.”

Kevin bit his lip as he sat down, excited that she accepted his request. He thanked her, to which she graciously welcomed him. As he sat down, he reached his hand out towards her, “I’m Kevin by the way. Kevin Atwater.”

She quickly shook his hand, “Karis Brown. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Karis? I like that,” a grin spread across his face, “Beautiful name for a beautiful lady.”

The next twenty minutes were spent with a lively introductory conversation. He was shocked to hear that she was born in Colorado Springs and raised in North Memphis. Like most people, he observed that didn’t seem to have a Memphis. “Oh no, honey, I’m just not around my peoples. God knew not to let me work at home,” she joked.

“Oh, so you from Memphis?! North Memphis?! Project Pat, ‘Today you'll hear the story of Russell Resthaven and the day he tried to save his girlfriend’, Nawf Memphis?!” he jokingly replied as he pulled his coffee closer to him.

Before she could acknowledge his knowledge of Memphis rap, her phone lit up with the reminder of the engagement in 45 minutes. “Shit!,” she yelped. She put her laptop and tablet in her “professional” work bag—a large bronze Telfar shopping bag. She took a napkin and scribbled on it. “I’m sorry, but I gotta go. It was nice to meet you, Kevin. Have a great day,” she called out as she walked out.

A defeated Kevin looked to Bruce, who just shrugged his shoulders. As she reversed out of the parking lot, a knot of guilt pained Karis’s stomach. She didn’t want their conversation to end so abruptly. However, it had been years since she held an entertaining conversation with a man. “Don’t worry, he’ll be at Jahva another day,” Karis assured herself as she drove to Chicago Central University. Only time would tell.

Sundays were for church, sports, and cleaning. Karis made it to church, even after working an overnight shift. After church and a quick nap, it was time to complete the weekly cleaning reset. Karis changed out of her scrubs in favor of the new fuzzy lounge set her mother sent as a house-warming gift. She then lit a fresh linen scented candle before calling on her Google home device, “Hey, Google. Shuffle my holy ghost cleaning playlist.”

“You got it. Shuffling Holy Ghost Cleaning Playlist on Spotify.” Her Nest got things started with Fred Hammond’s “We’re Blessed”.

Song after song, she rid the house of the passing messes made during the week. She re-homed the pile of boxes that crowded the foyer to their respective places. She swept and cleaned her floors. Finally, she gave the kitchen a deep clean: mopping the floors, disinfecting the newly-installed granite countertops, and washed the dish towels and carpets. Maintaining a clean house as an on-call surgeon was hard; but the thought of cleaning during the week was laughable.

The praise and worship cleaning service faded out to an incoming call from a 708 number.

She jogged to the living room to see the unknown number. She initially wanted to push it off, assuming it was a scam call. Yet, something told her to answer.

“Karis Brown,” she answered with reasonable hesitation.

“Karis,” there was a sigh of relief on the other end, “Girl, you had me worried you wasn’t finna answer.”

“Kevin?,” she asked.

“Not gon’ hold you, I was scared I’d never talk to you again until I looked down and saw your name and number on that napkin.”

“I was hoping you’d gotten it. How was your weekend?”

The two engaged in small talk once again, he asked how the Friday lecture went and the weekend went overall. All went well by her account.

“Listen, I uh…was wondering…if umm…you wanted to…go to brunch in about an hour? It’s a place I’ve been meaning to go that’s in Bronzeville. I wasn’t sure if you were in church or sleep or anything like that.”

She chuckled at his consideration, “You’re so cute. I went to 7:30 Eucharist after my shift this morning so I’m good to go. I would love to continue our conversation.”

“Bet, so it’s… 10:45 now. Say I meet you at noon?”

“Sounds good. See you then, Kevin.”

Karis couldn’t put your finger on it exactly, but something about talking to Kevin refreshed her soul. Karis’s walk to her closet was a scurried shuffle. She was elated for the outing with Coffee Bae.

Fin.

My Lawwwd! A Taglist Turlaaaaaaa!

@muse-of-mbaku @kumkaniudaku @goddessofthundathighs @mbakusthrone @mbakuwife @crushed-pink-petals-writes @forgottenthoughtsandmemories @jackburtonsays @randomwordprompts @bakarilennox @wakandan-flowerz @ljstraightnochaser @babygirlofwakanda @eerythingisshaka @turn-thy-paige @darqchilddaydreamz @doublesidedscoobysnacks @wakandas-vibranium @oshasimone @destinio1 @sonofnjobu @teheeboo @sarahboseman @itsjustyazz @iamrheaspeaks @chaneajoyyy @lovelynervouschaos @katasstrophey @mareethequeen @jozigrrl @jellybean531 @awerkofart @storibambino @blackgirloneshots @royallyprincesslilly @certifiednatural @orchiddreamz

[stressedlawsecretary]

Today's Focus

11.30.23 - It may be Thursday but we are easy like Sunday Morning today folks. We got some chill music on while we decorate the cubicle for the holiday and at least it's not as cold as it was.

Work - I have to figure out where a couple of documents go now that I sent the case file off to A&O; I probably ought to print out the efiled docs and make a physical case file for one of Jenna's case. That's about it I think; mostly just have to wait for people to need me.

Background Noise - I have 103 on the Watch Later, and I'm still trying to get through some saved Film Theories and specifically Karl Jobst's look at Todd Rodgers & Billy Mitchell.

I got through like seven (7) videos on my list yesterday, which is pretty good for a Wednesday.

Study - It is book day so I'm set up with goals like this:

Juanita Milam's testimony at Emmett Till's murder trial

At least three (3) articles on environmental conservatoin

At least three (3) articles on Moms for Liberty

At least three (3) chapters of The 16th Round

At least three (3) chapters of A Short History of Paper Money & Banking

In terms of what I did yesterday, I did get through 8 hrs on my DVR, including a couple Jeopardy episodes, and two full CBS Sunday Morning issues which are an hr and a half a piece btw. Keeping up on current events we are.

Extras - I got a bunch done yesterday so I think it's just finishing picking up the trash in the bedroom and getting everything out to the curb today. Gonna try to make a shrimp curry for dinner tonight; my authentic butter chicken was bomb af so wish me luck this comes out just as good.

[katb357]

Sicktember 25: Taking a Sick Day

J. Gage/M.Lopez/Emergency!

Thank you once again, Xav!

Johnny surveyed Marco’s garage. When he agreed to come help clean it out, he hadn’t realized how big a job it was going to be. Of course, Marco had a big family, and a big family meant lots of stuff piling up. Or so it appeared here. The place was in utter contrast to Mama Lopez’ immaculately kept house. “Ai ai ai, Marco! Maybe we should call the rest of A-Shift to come help.”

“It’s not that bad, John. Besides, we don’t have to finish it all today. Next weekend, Fernando and Romero are taking their turn at it.” 

John pulled on his work gloves. “I see what happened every time Mama told you to clean your room. You brought the mess out here and dumped it.” One side of his mouth quirked upwards in a crooked grin as he uncovered a pile of old notebooks. “Wow… I wonder what’s in these.” 

Marco shrugged. “Probably old schoolwork. Nothing anyone wants to keep anyway.”

John pulled the top notebook off the stack and opened it to take a look. He snickered as he read aloud in falsetto. “‘Lucia thinks Marco is soooo cute. I think she’s lost her marbles.’” He tossed the notebook back on the pile. “Nope. Not schoolwork.” He picked up the box of notebooks and toted it to the garbage bin. “You sure you want me to toss these? Maybe you should read them… find out who else thought you were cute.” 

Marco scoffed, “muy aburrido…very boring!”

“I don’t know. Juanita had more to say about you… I only read the first couple a sentences.” He snickered again. “Maybe I’ll take them home, learn something new about you.” Instead, he hefted the box into the trash bin.

Marco waded into a pile of wood and started stacking the various sized beams to one side out in front of the garage. The two friends bent to their tasks and were quiet for a while. John loaded more boxes of junk into the bin while Marco did an admirable job sorting the wood. They worked for a couple of hours in relative peace, until John ran across a box of old sports equipment…

John pulled an old football out of the box. “Hey… this is in decent shape. Just needs a little air!” He tossed it from hand to hand and then called to Marco, “Go long!” and sent the football spiraling toward him.

Marco looked up just in time to see the ball coming straight at him. He grabbed for the ball, stepping back as he did. What he didn’t see was the nail sticking out of the board right behind him. When he stepped back with his left foot, the nail went right through the sole of his sneaker and into his foot. The shock of the injury sent him stumbling into the pile of wood with a cry of pain.

John watched for just a second, his jaw falling open and his eyes widening as Marco fell. Then he snapped out of it and into paramedic mode. He darted forward and knelt beside his friend. “What happened? Where are you hurt?” A stupid question, as he could see the board stuck to Marco’s sneaker. “Damn. Marco, when was your last tetanus shot?” 

“Less than a year ago,” Marco gritted out. He was sweating and pale. 

“OK, that’s good at least. Listen… is there a first aid kit out here? If not, I’ll go get one from the Rover.” 

“If there is, I don't know where.”

“Got it.” Johnny considered the situation for a minute. When he saw bright red blood seeping around the nail in Marco’s shoe, he knew what he needed to do. “Listen… I don’t know how long that nail is or how deep it went into your foot. I need to take you to Rampart, pal.” 

Marco nodded. “Whatever you think is fine. Just don’t tell Mama. I don’t want her scolding me for getting hurt messing around in here.”

“Not a word… though ya know her scolding usually ends up with her feeding you. Not a bad trade-off.” He helped Marco up with a warning of “Don’t you put any pressure on that foot!” and supported him all the way to the Rover. “You should lie down in the backseat and keep your foot elevated.”

Marco complied, but it was obvious he was in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to be done about that until they reached the ER.

Thankfully, Rampart wasn’t very far away. John had Marco there within about ten minutes. He pulled up to the ambulance bay and waved down Charlie Dwyer. “Hey, we need a wheelchair out here!” In no time at all, he was wheeling Marco inside. He tossed Charlie his keys. “Move my Rover for me, OK?” Dixie directed them to Treatment Room 3. 

John filled Dr. Brackett in on what had happened, and Brackett examined the site. He decided to get an x-ray to see exactly what they were dealing with, and so he could get the nail out quickly.

“Hey, Marco… while Doc gets those images, I’m gonna go get my keys from Charlie. I’ll be back in a few.” John slipped out the door and went to find Charlie.

After looking at the images, Dr. Brackett decided he could safely remove the nail right there in the treatment room, and that Marco would end up with only a few stitches to remind him of his misadventure. And one very sore foot.

A nurse with a name tag reading “L. Garcia, Student Nurse” stepped into the treatment room. When she saw Marco, her eyes lit up and she smiled broadly. “Marco Lopez?!” She began chattering at him in Spanish. “It’s been so long since I saw you! Do you even remember me?! I’m Juanita’s friend!” 

Johnny stood at the door, shaking his head. The nurse was pretty, but she was clearly totally interested in Marco. 

Marco’s eyes widened in recognition. “Lucia?”

She nodded, beaming. “That’s me!” Then she suddenly remembered herself. “Uh… Dr. Brackett. Dixie says you’re needed in Treatment Room 2. It’s urgent.” 

Brackett nodded. “Thank you, Nurse.” Turning back to Marco, he told him, “Come back in a couple of days. We’ll check that wound out and make sure you’re fit to go back to work…maybe a week. I think it’s best you keep your weight off it for a few days…Dixie will have someone fit you with some crutches.”

John glanced at Lucia and waggled an eyebrow. “I’ll, uh… leave you two to get reacquainted. Still have to hunt down Charlie. If he left with my keys…” He rolled his eyes and turned to head back down the corridor. 

Marco smiled at the nurse… “Believe it or not, I was just thinking about you this morning…”

The End

[ronanlynchbf]

tagged by @valenight for this THANKS SHEA MWAHHHH ❤❗❗❗

last song i listened to: juanita by angélica garcia i LOOOOOVE that song sm AOUGHH

last movie i watched: badhaai do <333 which i'd been meaning to watch ever since it came out but i never got around to bc there weren't any sites that had it with english subs so i couldn't watch it anywhere 😓 until now 💪

currently obsessed with: origami!!! i'm not very good at it yet but i've also literally just started so it's fine i'll get better with time 👍 it's super fun and also kinda relaxing in a way which is always good 4 me bc i'm wayy too on edge all the time. that sitting in bed with the anxiety of an animal being hunted for sport post is the realest post of all time tbh like actually so true 🙏

i feel like i've tagged almost everyone in variations of these at least once already so i'm gonna neglect tagging ppl this time bc i rlly can't remember who i did and didn't tag in these SORRYYYYYY

[signalwatch]

Watched:  09/21/2023

Format:  TCM

Viewing:  Second

Director:  Douglas Sirk

Sometimes you just need a good cry.  This is the movie to make you do it whether you like it or not.

Way back in the mid-90's when I was going through film school, we, of course, had screenings of films.  The movies were curated and representative of a variety of eras, forms, genres, etc...  all tee'd up to illustrate whatever the instructors planned to discuss that week.  It's a weird way to do homework, but we saw some great stuff.  Also, I got to learn to sit with films that were never going to be my cup of tea, especially at age 19 or so.

One of the films shown was Imitation of Life, a 1959 melodrama spanning decades and following a young, widowed white woman, Lora (Lana Turner), who teams up with an African-American single mother, Annie (Juanita Moore), to jointly raise daughters of a similar age.  

It's actually a remake of a film I haven't seen from 1934, starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers.  And one day I'll watch that one, too.

During the same meet-cute where Annie and Lora meet, Steve (John Gavin) appears as a photographer, indirectly getting Lora her first gig and - as this is Lana Turner - deciding to woo her.  Lora welcomes Annie and her daughter into their humble apartment, and as Annie settles into triple role of housekeeper, best friend, co-mother, Lora's dreams of success on the stage suddenly take off. 

At the half-way point, the movie escalates quickly.  We have a time shift to the end of the girl's high  school careers.  Lora's daughter, Susie (Sandra Dee), is a perky, happy rich blonde girl attending a nearby boarding school.  Annie's daughter, Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner), has matured into a lovely but bitter girl.  Early signs of her wishing to "pass" as white have grown, and now she's hiding her mother and the fact she's Black from anyone she can.

To put a point on it, the title has meaning!  As Lora is focused on her career, she misses what's happening with her daughter, with Sarah Jane and - finally - Annie.  She's been able to outsource her mothering role to her friend, running from job to job, and having no real interest in what's happening with Sarah Jane other than a detached view of her friend being upset.  But Susie herself is living in a world of illusion - believing she's falling in love with Steve, who's essentially treating her like his daughter or pal.  

Sarah Jane's story is paired with Annie - who can't do anything to help her daughter and stay in her life.  The dialog may be a bit clunky by 2023 standards, but in 1959 as much as today, this is some rough stuff to watch in the best way.  

SPOILERS

Look, Annie is slowly dying over the last 45 minutes of the movie, and nobody fucking notices, even as she's lying in bed.  Lora is preoccupied with Steve, her career, etc..., Sarah Jane has run off to the West Coast to live as a white woman, and Susie is convinced she's marrying Steve - and when that doesn't work out, she's going to run away to Colorado.

Annie can't save these people from themselves, and she can't be there for them anymore.  

Anyway, she passes - and you think you're okay, until the funeral and there's Mahalia Jackson.  And I was utterly wrecked.

Back in my college days, by the end of the film, the snobby film kids were largely locked in, myself included.  I think I was more invested this time than even on a first viewing.

Melodrama gets some side-eye.  We think of it as "soap opera" or low-class.  There's surely some misogyny baked into this take as this film, and many others aimed at women, were busily passing the Bechdel test decades before it was dreamed up - and this doesn't deal much at all with masculine interests or pursuits.  But at the end of the day, melodrama can be more universally understood than big concept pictures and the accessibility of the emotional content - when done well - can carry over complicated ideas.  This is a movie about challenges the audience who showed up for a Lana Turner movie* may not have been aware they were getting.

The movie is matter-of-fact about the world to which Sarah Jane is reacting, and her desire to want something other than the race-based class system into which she was born is understandable, if utterly tragic..  But the love of a mother being so great that she has to let her daughter go is some moving stuff.  You hope that audiences of 1959 (or 2023) understood their part in the tragedy.  Only in death is Annie truly appreciated.

It's Sirk, so every frame is gorgeous, and I half want to re-watch immediately to determine some of what he did to drive the story with camera and lighting - with astounding use of technicolor in mostly domestic, not-exotic locations or sets.  This is his final Hollywood melodrama, and I've only seen this one and All That Heaven Allows.  I'm curious to check out more.    

*prior to making this movie, Turner had been caught up in a sensational news story as her mobster boyfriend was killed by her own daughter who was protecting Turner from physical abuse.  Prior to that, Turner was considered one of the sexiest women in film (see: The Postman Always Rings Twice), and arguably Turner was continuing her run of doing quite well in this department with this film.

[3monthsineurope]

36 hours in Houston

October 12, 13, and 14, 2022

Dad had wanted to take the family to a Mariners playoff game for about ten years or so. So, when the Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays the week before, Mom and I set everything up (courtesy of Dad) for the four of us, plus Ingvar and Malik, to head to Houston!

On Wednesday afternoon, Ingvar and I drove down to Camano Island to meet Mom and Dad. Then the four of us drove down to Ballard to pick up Malik. Haley was in LA, but Malik was in Seattle, so Haley was going to meet us in Houston. We parked the car at Master Park, then took their shuttle to the airport. All five of us went through security. We all went into one of the lounges and had some snacks and Ingvar and I each had a drink.

Our flight to Houston was direct, but a red eye. We left Seattle around 11pm. We all tried to sleep on the around four hour flight, but none of us were well rested. We arrived in Houston around 6am, with Haley arriving around 6:30. We ordered an XL Uber and made our way to the garage for pickup. We had a driver come, with one less seat than we had requested, which was strange. I sat in the back back with all the luggage, with Dad in the front seat, and the other four in the middle. Our driver was pretty aggressive and jumpy, so I did begin to feel a bit anxious. The drive was about 45 minutes to our hotel.

Mom had booked us two rooms at a Marriott in Houston. Juanita works for Marriott and gave Mom her friends and family discount, which was awesome! We arrived at the hotel around 8 am, on Thursday. Mom and Dad had a room, and next door, the four of us kids had a room with two queen beds. Thankfully, the hotel let us check in super early. We were all so pooped! We all grabbed some buffet breakfast and coffee in the lobby, then headed into our rooms. We had some breakfast, then took a few hours nap/rest. That was crucial for the rest of the day!

Around noon, we freshened up and got ready to watch the Mariner’s play the Astros in game two of the first round of the World Series. We were all so excited! It was really cool to see a dream of Dad’s coming true. We all dressed in our Mariner’s jerseys (Dad had bought the boys some and rush shipped them, how nice is that?!). We called an XL Uber and headed into the stadium!

We were some of the only Mariners fans out there, but there were some others! We took some photos outside of the stadium, checked out the team store and bought Dad a t-shirt, some of us grabbed some (expensive) beers, and then we found our seats. They were between right and center field and had a good view! We were seated around some other Mariners fans, which was really cool! But, of course we were in the minority of fans. Before the game started, Juanita and her sun Noah, joined us to watch the game! Mom was in Texas the last week, so this was an extra time to see her, which is lucky!

The game was a really great game! Sadly, the Mariners lost, making the series Astros 2, Mariners 0. The final score was 4-2. It was a good and close game though! We really enjoyed being there! Some of us got up a few times to get drinks and food for everyone, and once an Astro fan was rude to us about it! Ugh, people. That same woman told us to “fuck off” after the Astros won, which was so rude! She was drunk. A lot of Astros fans around her have us sympathetic looks, like they were ashamed of an Astro fan for being so horrible. While we were all leaving the stadium, she actually said something really rude to Mom. Malik started to get heated and stood up for Mom. I just can’t believe people sometimes!

All eight of us walked to Juanita and Noah’s hotel, a few blocks away. They took us up to the rooftop and showed us a great view of the city! We spent some time taking photos, then the six of us took an Uber back to our hotel. We all changed into some different clothes, then took another Uber to meet Juanita and Noah at a nice restaurant. We had looked around online earlier in the day and made a reservation at a place called Ruggles Black.

The eight of us had a great dinner! We sat outside and chatted about the great game and time we had. We shared a reallllly yummy brie and charcuterie board, then I had a lamb burger with sweet potato fries. We also shared some dessert!

After dinner, Juanita and Noah took their own ride to their hotel, while the six of us took an XL to ours. We got back to the rooms around 11–it had been a long and amazing day! We were all really tired, so Mom and Dad went to bed in their room, and so did we. Haley and I watched a bit of FoodNetwork before falling asleep, then we all slept well!

Haley and I went down to breakfast with Mom and Dad around 8:30 on Friday morning. Ingvar and Malik both wanted to keep sleeping, so Haley and I brought them up some plates when we were done. Uncle Mike was coming to visit! He lives in Austin and drove down to Houston to visit with us. I hadn’t seen Uncle Mike or any of the cousins since I watched Nick graduated from the Air Force in 2015. For Haley and Dad, they hadn’t seen him in much longer! But, Mom had seen him the week before when she was in Texas visiting Juanita. Uncle Mike met us in the hotel when we were all finishing getting ready, and packing up the room. It was really nice to see him!

We all checked out of our rooms, and left our luggage at the hotel. Uncle Mike wanted to take us all to lunch, and Haley found a BBQ place not too far away. We all walked, as it wasn’t too hot yet (well it was really hot for us, but not for Uncle Mike). The BBQ place was actually really tasty—even Uncle Mike was surprised and impressed, since we had just chosen a random place. Uncle Mike bought our whole meal—thanks Uncle Mike! Ingvar and I shared a BBQ plate of macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and some pork. It was really tasty, but I’m also glad Ingvar and I shared! Juanita and Noah showed up, to say goodbye to us all, hello to Uncle Mike, and give us some hugs and cupcakes for our flight. It was nice to see them again! It was Malik and Ingvar’s first time meeting Uncle Mike, so it was nice to all sit down and share a meal together.

After lunch, we walked around the area for a bit, but it was very boring and industrial, so there wasn’t much to do. We actually walked past our hotel on accident, and then had to scurry a bit to make it back in time, to leave for our flight. All was well, though! We got some photos and said goodbye to Uncle Mike, then the six of us took an Uber to the airport. Haley’s flight was before ours to Seattle, so after security, we all walked her to her gate. We hung out together until it was time for her to board, then said our goodbyes. Malik was flying back to Seattle with us, to spend some more time with his mom. The five of us then traveled to our gate and then eventually boarded our direct to Seattle. Mom and Dad sat behind Ingvar, Malik, and I (I was in the middle). We napped a bit, listened to music, and watched some stuff on our phones, and I blogged a bit.

Once we landed in Seattle, we all got picked up by Masterpark, then Mom drive us northbound. We ended up getting Dick’s because we were all hungry, in north Seattle. Malik’s mom met us there and picked up Malik, which was nice of her! It was nice to get some burgers and shakes, then Mom continued the drive up to Camano Island. Ingvar and I were eager to get back to Bellingham, as we both worked the next day, since this was such a last minute trip. We thanked Mom and Dad for the amazing trip to support the Mariners, then drove home. What a great trip! It was so special for the boys to also go on their first family vacation with us! :]

[glenngaylord]

Forrest Grump - Film Review: A Man Called Otto ★★★★

Have you ever watched a film that you knew in your heart of hearts was not very good? That it was filled with endless tropes and a way-too-predictable storyline, and yet somehow you found yourself in love with the characters and would follow them anywhere? Consider my surprise after seeing A Man Called Otto, which had a trailer set to what I could only call “Movie Theater Repellant Mode”. It had everything I detest in previews: stupid cat reaction shots, people yelling at each other over things like bad parking jobs, and the not so subtle hint that you’re about to experience something cloying on a whole new level. Cut to me sitting there watching the end credits and finding myself ugly crying with that figure eight mouth Laura Dean tends to get when she’s really, really upset.

Based on Fredrik Backman’s novel, “A Man Called Ove”, which also resulted in the 2015 Oscar-nominated Swedish film of the same name, the Finding Neverland team of writer David Magee and director Marc Forster have given us one of those highly mainstream Hollywood studio films that they don’t seem to make anymore. I kept thinking of The Accidental Tourist while watching and realizing I haven’t seen a film like that since it warmed my cold, dead heart way back in 1988. Stories of grief-stricken people  surrounded by a quirky cast of characters designed to melt their hearts are more likely to end up on the Hallmark Channel than in a multiplex. Well, if you’re like me, and you cherish the experience of crying in the dark with your fellow movie lovers instead of alone at home as you sadly flick your lamp on and off, then get out of the house and go see this one.

Tom Hanks, the Jimmy Stewart of his generation, stars as Otto, the grouchiest curmudgeon this side of Clint Eastwood’s Walt “Get off my lawn!” Kowalski. When we first see him, he’s complaining to a cashier at a hardware store who won’t sell him the exact amount of rope he needs. As deftly played by SNL’s Please Don’t Destroy standout, John Higgins, he’s intimidated and exasperated by Otto, which will turn into a recurring motif throughout the film. Otto has deep wells of grief which he takes out on almost everyone he encounters, from neighbors walking their dogs to unsuspecting delivery drivers who dare to park on his gated stretch of street.  

Of course, someone will come along who will make this Grinch’s heart grow three sizes, or in this case, a whole cavalcade of characters will take up the cause. From a highly empathetic transgender student (Mack Bayda) of Otto’s late wife to an elderly couple (Juanita Jennings and Peter Lawson Jones) who have a storied past with our protagonist, Otto’s defense mechanism of bridge burning meets its ultimate match in the form of new neighbor Marisol (a hugely winning Mariana Treviño ), who along with her husband and two children, with a third on the way, guilelessly kill Otto with kindness. Marisol intuitively seems to know exactly what Otto needs to get him out of his depression, resulting in their prickly yet truly endearing relationship.

Where this is all heading can easily be gleaned by anyone who has ever heard a story of any kind, but the prickliness in Hank’s wonderfully modulated turn took me by surprise. His best performances, for me, have always had just a hint of simmering rage to them, and his Otto, keeps his walls up and his demeanor tightly coiled. This helps undercut the sentimentality at the core of this particular tale, and is largely why it worked so well for me. Further, scenes like Treviño's hilarious reaction to finding out about a serious medical condition, kept the pap at bay.

We get pieces of Otto’s tragic past sprinkled throughout with Hank’s own son Truman sweetly, if a little flatly, playing his character as a young man. It’s in these flashbacks where we meet Sonya (a lovely Rachel Keller), whose story, filled with trauma as it is, contributes to Otto’s suicidal ideation. The original film version delved more deeply into Otto’s childhood and his relationship with his father, which the current film largely jettisons. Also gone is the voiceover and two key characters have been combined into one, which contributes to a stronger emotional connection. Magee also connects the dots to several loose plot threads which originally did not have much weight. That first film, while sweet and touching, rushed through its final act, leaving me pleased but not moved to the convulsive fits I burst into with the new one. In the prior film's favor, however, is a truly dynamic performance by Felip Berg as the young Otto. Truman Hanks doesn’t exhibit as much range and his lack of experience shows at times. Luckily, unlike Berg, he’s used sparely, perhaps to cover up these flaws.

The remainder of the cast, while uniformly solid, includes such standouts as Cameron Britton as an overly friendly, constantly exercising neighbor, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Marisol’s slightly dim husband, and Mike Birbiglia as a truly evil real estate developer. But make no mistake, Hanks, and especially Treviño, own this film. Her portrayal, while laced with a surplus of comedic beats, builds in power as she gives her character such a winning specificity. Their chemistry sparks what could easily have been a predictable slog.

Much like last year’s Coda, I feel A Man Called Otto has the ability to give mainstream filmmaking a good name. This year has seen some fascinating experimentation with the storytelling form, whether from the elliptical style as seen in Tár and Aftersun, the unconventional structure of Triangle of Sadness, or the thousand shots per minute onslaught of Everything Everywhere All At Once. Yet here we have an old school Hollywood film which can win our hearts, and that seems all too rare these days.

[enchantechante]

Watching Dead Presidents

(bc I like watching old black movies first thing in the morning idk why it wakes me up)

and I've never seen this before

this s*x scene w Larenz Tate & Juanita Jackson is so cringey 😂😩 these lil chihuahua kisses 🙄🙄🙄

Good to see a brotha safely leave the sneaky link tho