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redfish-blu · 11 months

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People asked to drop the Danger Days tl from my last post so I’ll do that.

*Disclaimer: Not canon at all this is just my personal idea and take on like. How all that happened. Based on what they said in the videos and comics sort of.

*Disclaimer 2: I have not read National Anthem and I don’t care if this doesn’t line up with that.

Zones Timeline

1947:

- Cold War begins.

1987: Dr. D is born (hey legend).

1991:

- Cold War does not end.

1996:

- 1st Helium War starts.

- NATO and the Warsaw countries exchange declarations of war.

- Most of Eastern Europe is destroyed first, followed by the Middle East. Russia remains intact, as do a few Western European countries. Not including Great Britain or Germany.

- Other countries fall into isolation in fear of being the next targets of war, and either disappear into themselves or join pacts with one another. Some disperse entirely.

1997:

- America dissolves into civil unrest after attacks on the mainland result in various important political figures’ deaths.

- A number of American states cede from the nation and become The Confederacy of California, as per their secession being definitely illegal, and they take the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, and Wyoming.

- Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas are disputed.

- The rest of the states are assimilated into The Federal Republic of The United States, however they are in constant political battles between themselves because now everyone either wants out of the nation or they want control of it.

1997-98:

- Technology stagnates, but still advances. Just nowhere near as fast as it did in our lives.

1998:

- 1st Helium War ends.

- Cherri Cola is born.

- Tensions between the COC and the FRUS are high strung but not hostile.

- This is generally considered peacetime, if peacetime can be defined as you and the person you just fist fought in the bathroom being forced to sit next to one another in the principal’s office. Alone.

- A company specializing in chemistry and weapons manufacturing under the name of “Better Tech” rises in the COC and the FRUS.

2000:

- 2nd Helium War starts.

- Jet Star is born.

- War is declared on the FRUS by the COC, and various military campaigns take place in the disputed states.

- Better Tech supplies resources to both sides in a kind of double entendre situation where neither side knows they’re actually being played.

2001:

- Party Poison is born.

2006:

- Kobra Kid is born.

- Fun Ghoul is born.

- Helium Wars end when a series of nuclear bombs are dropped around the Rocky Mountains.

- The FRUS is never heard from again, and radio/electronic communication is disrupted by damage to the earth’s electromagnetic field.

- Better Tech rebrands themselves to Better Living Industries and gain influence over the COC government with the aim of salvaging the country and fixing the physical damage done by the war as well as the mental trauma of the citizens.

2010:

- BLi attempt to take control of Latin America but are flushed out by rebellion, and Mexico’s border is closed.

- Canada follows suit soon after, and America is officially cut off. Trapping everyone who remains there within the country (legally).

2012:

- Pig Bombs drop, eliminating Texas and New Mexico, whose governments were still kind of functioning independently after Helium 2 and building resistance against the COC.

- Fires of 2012 destroy Phoenix but leave Las Vegas intact. All remaining military units are pulled to Los Angeles.

- This is where BLi’s intense propaganda machine starts working to cover up all the crap they do. Working in tandem with how technologically challenged most people are at that point.

- BLi take what’s left of the lower 48 and establish Battery City as the new capital of America. Their borders define the nation as California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

- However, BLi becomes notoriously bad at maintaining and “cleansing” their proclaimed territories; and most of the area outside of Zone 3 sees little to no substantial BLi presence at all.

- Dr. Death Defying makes his first radio broadcast as a rebel.

2013:

- Analog Wars begin.

- Battle of Utah takes place wherein Salt Lake City is destroyed in a series of Killjoy v. BLi battles.

- Destroya was used for its first and only time during this battle, and was abandoned in Zone 3 during BLi’s retreat.

2015:

- Analog Wars pause after significant damages to both sides prompt an unofficial ceasefire, giving way to a long period of relative inactivity.

- BLi uses this time to build its presence in everyday life, establish the Zones, and advance it’s scientific research and development.

2028:

- The Girl is born.

- Girl’s mom is Drac’d

2029:

- The Girl is found by Killjoys.

- Analog Wars start up again when her existence is uncovered.

2029-35:

- These years see the most one on one fighting between kj factions and BLi since the Analog Wars first started.

- Generally remembered as a sort of Zones Renaissance due to the re-popularization of art, media, and philosophy within the killjoy community.

- Who had fractured off in the years after the armistice and became very detached from one another rather than a collective movement.

2035:

- The Killjoys die.

- Analog Wars officially end.

2036-47:

- The schools of thought built up during the renaissance period fade into the background once again as their figureheads either die off or become irrelevant.

- This is the era in which the Val Velocity era of killjoys grow up in. They were all born well after the Helium and Analog wars began and ended, so they have little to no connection to the values or customs of pre-war life.

- Its very Lost Generation-y in that everyone just kind of wants to party and forget about how their lives suck underneath all the glitter.

2047:

- California Comics events.

- Cherri Cola dies.

- Dr. D dies (rip legend).

- BLi is destroyed.

#danger days #ttlotfk #party poison #kobra kid #ttlofk #killjoys #the true lives of the fabulous killjoys #fun ghoul #mcr

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damonalbarn · 5 months

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DAMON'S 2024 AGENDA

Africa Express

Damon will tour South America with Africa Express for the first time. More dates to be announced (?)

February 16-18, Bahidorá, Cuernavaca, Mexico (Tickets on sale)

February 23, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil (Tickets on sale)

The Curse (The Magic Flute Part II)

The Curse (provisional title) is Damon's new opera commissioned by Jean-Luc Choplin to compose the suite to Mozart's The Magic Flute, imagined by Goethe after the great composer's death and never before produced. We still don't know is he's doing just the music or singing as well. He said: "I'll try to mix Goethe with club music. That's my aim."

It will open in October at LIDO 2 Paris. Tickets on sale in January.

Gorillaz

After finishing with the writing for the opera he will travel with Jamie to India to record a new Gorillaz album. (Damon was in LA before Blur' South America tour doing some 'late-night music session' with Honey Dijon, A$AP Rocky and EarthGang. He also recorded something in Argentina. Could be for Gorillaz or could be not)

He talked a bit about Gorillaz' new direction: "It will be a paradigm shift, it will be very different. It will be an entirely different approach to everything — to the band, to everything. We’re at a point where we’re going to change. Why? Because it was always just Jamie and I. Although it is a very big thing now, it is still, in essence, just two people. If we decided between us that we want to do something unrecognisable then we will. You need that for it to stay alive, really.” - Damon.

And.... regarding Blur:

With the last show in Argentina the band went on an indefinite hiatus. There are no plans for a new tour or album. Some festivals tried to book them and received the response: "Blur will not tour in 2024". On the other hand, the Wembley shows were professionally filmed. Before that some fans were interviewed by a filming crew at the warm-up gigs, so there is a documentary being worked on. We still don't know how or when it will be released. And that's all (for now at least).

#tour #africa express #gorillaz #the curse #lido #damon albarn #info #agenda #the magic flute #opera #2024

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warnersister · 22 days

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Chapter 1 - The Return to Miramar

The Highwayman Series | Prologue | Chapter 2

‘No Entry – Construction (TRANSATLANTIC RAILWAY DUE TO FINISH 1869)’ the sign read and the frontman on his horse creased his brows into a tight and questioning line. “1869? But its 1863.” He said, voice in a questioning tone. “haven’t you heard?” his companion asked “east and west are racing to see who can build the most. Gonna be shut a while” he said matter of factly, while straightening out his mustache from where the Tennessee heat had frazzled it. The former grunted in response “this is our way though” “well were gonna have to go a different way hangman, don’t fancy getting Spitfire killed by a train” the other told him, motioning to the fine mare he was riding on. He nodded “yeah hornets too young for that, rooster you’re right. You know a different way?” hangman asked. Rooster thought for a minute, straightening out his mustache again, already bunching up under the springtime humidity – but this time, more in thought than in maintenance as he turned to look at his surroundings “already crossed Mississippi” he said, remembering when they’d crossed the mighty river – not wishing to back track on that path. “were gonna have to go the whole way round, through missouri – Kansas, take a left at colorado” “could we not go trough Texas?” Hangman asked, thinking of a shorter route they used to traverse a decade prior. Rooster raised his brows “aint Sherrif Simpson still after us?” he asked and his friend shrugged. “Already told the rest of ‘em to meet us in Louisiana and it’ll take weeks, months to get there if not, were good as dead if the Indians aint as hospitable again” there was silence for a minute “plus you’ve got a stache now and I’ve got this sweet bod, he wont recognise us” Hangman said, flexing while Rooster threw his head back and laughed loudly “bod ain’t as good as mine, bagman” Rooster said and the other shook his head “c’mon. Texas it is."

This route was fresh, recognisable but still; new-(ish). There were plenty of structures that were erected since they’d last abided there, especially in the Plains – a substantially belittled number of natives and much more Easterns who you could tell had no business being in Western heat – searching for green grass but getting tumble weeds in lieu. They’d reached their meeting point but a week later, reconsiliating with Coyote and Bob who’d been engaging in business up in the rockies, taking the strongest horses but only returning with one. “Hercules?” Hangman asked and bob shook his head “struggled all the way up, slipped, poor boy couldn’t handle it. Was cryin’ in the night he was. Had’a put him out o’ his misery” the four all bowed their heads and shook them in remembrance for their fallen companion. “damn” rooster said. “Well there's no way the two of ya can manage all the way to New Mexico on Chinook, let alone California” Hangman said. “we passed a ranch on the way down here in northern Texas, town called Miramar” Bob told him as Rooster and Hangman shared a look. “Ain’t that where we nearly got hung?” Rooster asked “sure is Brad.” Hangman thought for a moment “Good mares?” Hangman asked “the best” coyote said “young lady an’all. Mighty fine on the eyes” “guess we’re heading up North.”

The ride was slightly awkward with Coyote and Bob both on one horse, they changed primary rider every hundred or so miles – and it made it easier to travel at night, but still; a man wanted his own horse and Coyote was proud of Chinook, but the horse was starting to weary with some three hundred pounds on his back. But eventually they saw the sign. White lettering and red background, carved so deeply into old mahogany and almost illegible, but it was undeniably so: Miramar. So close you could almost make out Oklahoma, but far enough away and enough Stetsons present to recognise the contrast between what was and what wasn’t Texan territory. “where’s this ranch of yours, Bob?” Jake asked, swallowing harshly as he eyed the infamous town over his sunglasses; Bob pointed straight ahead, and adjacent to the Sheriff’s office, was an unassuming parlour attacked to a decently sized acreage of farm, a good seven or eight horses feeding off their dinner. “alright. Let’s get in and get out.” Jake said, instructing his horse to move forward as he did so. “you guys got history here or something?” Javy asked and rooster snorted “yeah something like that” “what happened?” Bob asked “lets just say he had a thing for the Sherrif’s daughter and he organised to hang him if he didn’t get out of town.” Rooster explained, recalling the events from what seemed like yesterday. Jake cleared his way as a way to get the lot of them to shut up. He still had the ring he was going to give her in his breast pocket.

They drew a lot of attention as they rode through town – strangers clearly dressed in travelling attire. But they were the Highwaymen, not pilgrims. Coyote hopped off the back of Chinook and Bob followed suit, heading to the girl who had their back turned to them, currently attending to a young pony who seemed to refuse to leave the refuge of her stables. “Excuse me, ma’am – any of these horses for sale?” “Uh huh the lot of ‘em” she’d replied, turning to the strangers to greet them as customers. Jake felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs. “jake?” “hey, petal” he replied, unable to muster anything else as he looked at you, still as mighty fine if not more gorgeous than he day he’d hit the road with rooster. You looked to his left and nodded “Brad” “hey pretty” after the short and unsweetened reunion. “Y’all should get off my ranch. My daddy still has a right mind lynchin’ the two of ya” you say smally, turning to reattend to the horse. “Still?” Rooster asked with a smirk but Jake was taking it more seriously as you nodded your head to the stocks “meaner than the day you left” “sweetheart-“ “I aint talkin to you, Jake” you say and look at your feet “look, my horse passed in the rockies; was hopin’ I could but a new ‘un to get us to California. Got any up for the job?” Bob asked and you looked at him. “Uh, we got a few. Albatros is gorgeous and strong, but I don’t think she’ll last ‘till Cali.” You place your hands on your hips, surverying the pack “Falcon, he’ll get you there but no further.” You say “that there” you point at the strong, pale coloured horse in the back of the field “Lightning. God he can ride, got the strength of Zeus. He’ll get you there, hell he’ll get you through Mexico and back. But he’s my favourite, he’s gonna cost ya” Jake smiled “God he was just a young’un a few years back. My, he's grown” he says, recalling the day he’d gifted you the horse. He’d saved up all his money, didn’t even steal him, brought him all the way from New Mexico. Didn’t even ride him, he walked on foot – made sure the mare had his breaks and god your smile when you accepted him. His hair matched Jakes, so he’d always be there when he wasn’t. “You’re willing to sell him? After all this time?” you finally look at him, pain apparent in your eyes “you left, Seresin” that hurt “you bought him as a reminder. Don’t need no reminder of you, boy” you say “well ‘m here now-“ “exactly.” You cut him off and there is a silence.

“How much for Lightning?” Bob asked after a while. “Make me an offer.”

Prologue | Chapter 2

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youtubemarketing1234 · 7 months

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In this episode, we're talking "All About the Upcoming Tourism Forum in Rocky Point!" Explore the vibrant and scenic world of Rocky Point as we dive into details about the upcoming tourism forum set to take place in this beautiful coastal destination. Discover the agenda, influential speakers, and exciting events that will shape the future of tourism in this remarkable location.

A Rocky Point tourism forum would likely be a platform or event where people gather to discuss and exchange information about tourism in Rocky Point, which could refer to a few different places.

Puerto Peñasco, Mexico: Rocky Point, also known as Puerto Peñasco, is a popular tourist destination in Mexico, especially for people from the southwestern United States. It's located on the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) and is known for its beautiful beaches and resorts. A tourism forum for Rocky Point in Mexico might focus on topics like accommodation options, things to do, dining, safety, travel tips, and local culture.

Rocky Point, New York, USA: There is also a community called Rocky Point in New York, which has its own local tourism and attractions, although on a smaller scale compared to a Mexican resort town. A tourism forum for this location might discuss local events, businesses, parks, and activities.

#rockypointupcomingforum#rockypointtourismforum#rockypointmexico#rockypoint#rockypointupdateforum#rockypointtourism#rockypointnewforum#rockypointevents2023#rockypointnews#realestatetourismforum#buyingpropertyinmexico#realestate#realestateinvestment#realestatetourists#mexicorealestate#lorettasernowski#ricardoborquez#blancavaldez

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skylarisaverage · 8 months

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Thoughts and theories on RDR1 Javier

DISCLAIMER: A lot of this is a big mix of my own theories and actual things you see in the games and my own interpretation of things, if you have anything to add or points to raise PLS do so I love talking about Javier, he's my favourite, and I love talking about him and John's dynamic.

---- I've noticed that a lot of people seem to think Javier didn't give a damn about John or anyone else but himself/was genuinely a piece of shit guy/etcetcetc because he 'lied' about Dutch's location when confronted, saying Dutch was in Colombia when we learn later on that he's in Cochinay in Tall Trees, dangerously close to John, Abigail and Jack in Beecher's Hope.

We do know that Javier helped Bill flee into Mexico after John confronts Bill for the first time and he gets placed in the protection of the Mexican army along with Javier. Javier and Bill, although their relationship rocky, were good enough friends in the events of rdr2(there's a random mission where Bill gets caught by bounty hunters and it's Javier who tracks Arthur down to save him), so of course it'd make sense for rdr1 Javier to do a solid for a friend. Also, Bill obviously has a disdain for Dutch by rdr1, saying, 'Now I'm in charge! No more Dutch, and no more you.' and It'd make sense that Javier and Bill perhaps share the same thoughts on Dutch after his mental break and the downfall of the Van Der Linde gang and they further bond over that. But then John finds him, and he panics. He says, 'I can give you Bill, and Dutch is in Colombia.' I have a theory that Javier thought that maybe John wouldn't find him, but he did, and in that moment he had to choose. Bill, or his former best friend, John? Of course he'd pick John, so he throws Bill under the bus. He knew there was no way he could attempt to reconcile with both Bill and John all together, John had already been shot and left for dead by Bill's men at one point earlier in the game.

And regarding Dutch, I have two theories; 1. He genuinely didn't know where Dutch was and just threw out the first random distant location he could think of so John would go far away and be safe from him and the Mexican army(both the Pinkertons and Mexican army wanted John at this point, dead or alive). 2. He DID know where Dutch was and wanted to get John as far away from him as possible to keep him safe because he knows what Dutch is capable of after all that's happened, and wanted to get him as far away from Beecher's Hope as possible. (Javier doesn't know the Pinkertons have Abigail and Jack, so this would have all been in vain anyway) Also. when John accuses him of leaving him for dead and Javier says 'We thought you was dead, brother. I promise. I'm telling the truth.' Honestly? I believe him. When John gets shot and falls off the train in Chapter 6, Dutch, Micah, Javier and one of Micah's goons go to get him. I have a theory(although far-fetched but LET ME HAVE THIS), that Dutch and Micah got to John's unconscious body first and pronounced him dead, and they convinced Javier that it was so and wouldn't let him near the body for his own 'mental health', and because the army patrol was quickly approaching. Perhaps Javier went into a state of shock, given that he had saved John's life before, but this time, he couldn't save him? Perhaps Dutch promises Javier that they'll go back for his body and bury him properly once the army disperses because the army is now also on their tail after the robbing of the train and they have to leave the area quickly. It is only Dutch and Micah who confidently announce that John is dead, and that the army patrol killed him.

The next time we see John is when he returns to Beaver Hollow, and Javier sees this after the confrontation has started when he runs over to alert the gang that Pinkertons are coming. He's in shock, he doesn't have time to act or think hard about the situation. After the stand-off in which he points his gun in the air, he flees with Bill. Both aren't seen pursuing Arthur and John with Dutch and the remaining members of the gang.

Back to rdr1. At the end of their 'conversation', Javier pushes crates on John and jumps out the window, yelling at him to go back to his farm. If he really wanted to kill John, he could have shot him when he pushed the crates onto him. But he didn't. Javier only starts shooting when John pursues him on horseback.

If you take him alive, that's when Javier gets angry and starts cursing and swearing at him and honestly? Fair enough. If I was in a gang with my best friend and did illegal, bad things with him and then that guy comes to find me years later to take me in for the bad guy things we did together? I'd be fucking pissed too. And heartbroken. (credit to @pinkysberg for this thought, this came from their Javier analysis on TikTok I believe? A v good point and I love it)

I will always lie awake at night wondering how the heck he ended up working for the army when he fought against them so hard he ended up having to flee to the US for his family's safety. I have a thought, maybe they took the remaining members of his family and forced him to work for them to take down the rebels he used to work with before fleeing to the US. Like a Pinkertons and John situation, but in Mexico. Idk. It just sucks. John is fueled by the rage, heartbreak and betrayal of being left for dead by Javier and the gang, but then Javier is also fueled by similar rage, heartbreak and betrayal because he still has love for him, but John won't believe him. Long story short, hurting John is the last thing Javier EVER wanted to do and although he's a bit of a shithead who ended up in the army, he is not a bad guy at heart. He was taken advantage of by Dutch and possibly the Mexican army, and probably had multiple mental breakdowns between the events of rdr2 and rdr1. He cut off his hair. He doesn't seem to have as much pride in his appearance as he used to. I can't imagine him playing much music at all. He's a shell of his former self.

ANYWAY I'm done rambling for realsies now sdjghff;ldghsdlf;

#red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption #rdr #rdr2 #rdr1 #john marston #jovier #red dead 2 #rdr1 spoilers #javier escuella #dutch van der linde #red dead redemption 1 #skylarisaverageposting #rdr2 meta

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hockeylovee12 · 1 year

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Chapter One

All We Have Is Tonight-Luke Hughes

Summary: While on a secret vacation in Mexico with his teammates Luke Hughes meets a girl.

Warnings: 18+ mentions of drinking and implied smut.

A/N: I don’t know how I feel about this chapter I am intending on making this a series but I have written this chapter a couple times and I might redo it more but for now this is what I’m going with because I have more chapters I want to write and post and I need the first one to be done. I hope you enjoy feel free to interact with me. Tell me what you like didn’t like what you wish you saw or what you would like to see anything is welcomed just please be respectful!

June 8th 2022 10:00 PM Rocky Point, Mexico

“Can I get a bud light please” An 18 year old Luke Hughes asks the bartender while taking a seat at the beachside bar.

The bartender looks him up and down

“ID?” He replies

Luke pulls out his wallet and slides the man his Michigan issued drivers licenses

The man takes a look before giving a slight nod and sliding the ID back and handing him the requested drink

Luke takes a sip of his drink

“Can I get 4 shots of vodka” the blonde girl next to him asks

Luke looks over and watches as the bartender serves her the shots and she heads towards the dance floor and hands out three shots to her friends

Luke immediately takes notice of the pretty brunette in the blue dress standing next to her and watches as she takes her shot and makes her way on to the dance floor.

“Lukey!” Luke turns around and sees his teammates and best friends Mark Estapa and Ethan Edwards walking towards him

“Hey buddy!” Mark says taking a seat next to him

“Can I get two Coors light?” Mark requests and the bartender obliged and Mark hands a beer to Ethan who nods to the bartender and takes a seat on the other side of Luke

Luke rolls his eyes at the fact that Mark wasn’t carded but that’s usually how it goes for Mark and the rest of Lukes friends except maybe not Dylan cus he kinda looks like he’s 14 with a beard.

“How you doing?” Ethan asks

“I’m fine why?” Luke questions suspecting an ulterior motive

“Why can’t we just check on a buddy?” Mark questions acting offended Luke shoots him a ya right look and Mark lets out a laugh

“Dude you need to get laid you haven’t hooked up with a girl this entire trip and we leave tomorrow!” Ethan says

“Say it louder I don’t think China heard ya” Luke remarks

“Seriously dude even Duker made out with a girl” Ethan says and Luke rolls his eyes and turns to his left seeing Dylan surrounded by a couple of girls clearly telling jokes

“Come on” Mark says starting to get up and accidentally bumps into a pretty girl wearing a blue mini skirt

“My bad. You wanna dance?” Mark asks and on to the dance floor they go

“Seriously Luke” Ethan starts again

“Alright alright I’ll go just let me finish my beer” Luke says Ethan puts his hands up defensively and jokingly then grabs his own beer and heads off leaving Luke sipping his bud light

“Can I get a shot of vodka?” Luke turns around and asks the bartender

“ID?” The same bartender from 10 minutes ago asks Luke scoffs and slides him the ID a second time before receiving the request shot and his ID back Luke takes the shot and makes a face out of disgust

“Just pretend it’s sprite” a voice from behind him says

He turns around and sees the girl in the blue dress he was admiring earlier

“What?” He questions

“Just pretend it’s sprite the mentality helps” She explains Luke smiles at her

“Two shots please” She requests taking a seat next to Luke

She is given the two shots and slides one to Luke

“Ready it’s nothing bad just some sprite” She says with a smile

“Cheers” she says once Luke picks up the shot glass

They both down the drink and Luke makes a face but not as bad

“See it’s mentality” She says with a smile

“I’m Luke”

“I’m Izzie”

Luke holds up two fingers towards the bartender and points towards the shot glasses

“ID?” He asks

“I’ve given you my ID twice” Luke says and the bartender just looks at him frustrated Luke slides over the ID for a third time and the bartender returns it and pours them two shots.

Izzie and Luke cheers and take a shot together this time Luke doesn’t make a face

“So where you from?” Luke asks

“Arizona” She replies

“Pretty hot there?” Luke says mentally kicking himself that that’s the best line he could come up with Izzie lets out a little laugh

“ya ya it is” she responds Luke racks his brain for something anything half way decent to say but Izzie beats him to it

“So Luke you wanna dance or do you more sprite?” She asks with a smirk

“How about both” Luke responds maybe another shot of ‘sprite’ will given him some game he hopes Izzie does a similar motion to what Luke did and the bartender pours two more shots

They cheers and drink Before Izzie stands up and grabs Lukes hand

“Come on this is my favorite song” She says as they disappear from the bar onto the dance floor

Thankfully for Luke Izzie did most of the work seeing as how Luke kinda sucks at dancing.

Halfway through the song the beat drops and Luke looks straight into Izzies eyes and he starts to feel something impulsive build up in him and he leans forward and kisses her at first she reacts a little shocked but then she wraps her arms around his neck and he wraps his arms around her waist.

Izzie pulls away for a second and smiles at Luke.

After a few more dances, a few more shots and a few more kisses Luke leans in and whispers in her ear “Do you wanna get out of here?”

Izzie smiles and nods “just let me tell my friends I’m leaving��

Izzie says then walks towards the group of girls dancing on the other side of the dance floor

“Did Lukey find a girl” A voice asks

Luke turns around and sees his friend Mackie a little drunk

“Ya I’m gonna head out” Luke says

“Enjoy big boy” Mackie slurs then continue walking

A few seconds later Izzie grabs Lukes hand again and the two leave.

“What do you wanna do?” A now clearly tipsy Luke asks

“It’s such a pretty night” Izzie giggles as they walk down the beach

Once the two were a good distance away from the noise they had grabbed towels from a nearby stand and sat down on them looking up at the starry night.

The two still very much drunk but coming down a little start talking about random things soon their hands are back on each other and then their lips.

Before they know it the two are taking off articles of clothing and one thing leads to another…

The Next Morning

Luke Hughes wakes up to the blinding light of the sun shining in his face and a pounding feeling in his head.

He slowly begins regaining focus and takes a look around he sees his shirt and pants in a pile next to him leaving him in only his boxers, he sees his phone, keys and wallet the one thing he doesn’t see is Izzie. Luke spends the rest of the morning looking for her and fails. He’s so confused on what happened the only thing he knows is that Izzie is one girl he won’t forget.

#luke hughes #umich hockey #umich boys #umich #hughes brothers #jack hughes #quinn hughes #lh #feel free to interact #original character #original story #luke hughes x original character #sweet and simple #one night stand #new writer

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beni75 · 22 days

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Photos and texts: @thomaspeschak

1-. A curious gray whale exhales almost directly into my camera

2-. A curious juvenile gray whale vigorously exhales and speeds past my camera in Mexico's San Ignacio Lagoon

3-. A Humpback whales breaches in the North Pacific Ocean off Canada's Great Bear Rainforest

4-. A dusky shark charges through a baitball of sardines

5-. y 6-. A whale sharks swins in shallow water in La Paz Bay, Baja California Sur

7-. A reef manta ray feeds on a plankton patch by barrel rolling over and over again in the same spot, not unlike a puppy chasings its own tail

8-. A reef manta ray feeds along the drop off at D'Arros Island an St. Joseph Atoll. Seychelles

9-. African peguins

10-. A endemic Socotra cormorant comes in to land on a roosting rock deep within the Fjords of Oman's Musandam Peninsula (2012)

11-. African peguins shelter and nest in decaying building long abandoned b the guano industry on Namibia's Halifax Island

12-. At Aldabra atoll green sea turtles often rest for hours on the sandy seabed between coral outcrops

13-. Blacktip reef sharks inspect the hull of our boat on Aldabra's tidal flats. Seychelles

14-. Blacktip reef sharks patrol the drop off where D'Arros Island's coral reef descendes into deeper water

15-. Cape fur seals surf Altantic swell in the Table Mountain Marine Protected Area

16-. Cape Gannet colony on Bird island bathed by lightening and the beam of the lighthouse

17-. The hunt begins at dusk and continuous deep into the night

18-. A curious gray whale swins upside down beneath our boat in Mexico's San Ignacio Lagoon

19-. A venomous lionfish hunts baitfish in Mozambique's Ponta do Ouro marine reserve, by @thomaspeschak

20-. A salmon leaps high into the air to clear a raging waterfall

21-. A wild rocky point just out into the North Pacific Ocean

22-. A large potato grouper hunts amongst schools of baitfish that seasonally drape southern Mozambique's reefs

23-. Dolphins of Indo pacific

#photography #animals #underwater #sharks #whales #penguins

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mapsontheweb · 1 year

Photo

Mountains of the World by Rise Above Surroundings / Jut

by u/Gigitoe

Jut is an indicator I developed to quantify how sharply/impressively a mountain rises above its surroundings, factoring in both height and steepness. A mountain with a jut of X rises as sharply/impressively as a vertical cliff of height X. Roughly speaking, the higher the jut, the "bigger" and more imposing a mountain appears.

Some things to note:

The most impressive mountains in the world, measuring over 3000 m of jut, are Annapurna Fang (world record, jut = 3395 m), Nanga Parbat, Machapuchare, Dhaulagiri, and Gyala Peri—all of which are in the Himalaya.

The Alps have 2.5x the jut of the Colorado Rockies, despite having a similar elevation. That's because the Colorado Rockies rise from a high plateau, rather than from close to sea level. Other mountain ranges with a higher jut than the Colorado Rockies include the Canadian Rockies, Southern Alps, and even the British Columbia Coast Ranges.

Jut-to-elevation ratio increases as one moves closer to polar latitudes, as glaciers carve steeper slopes and deeper valleys. The Equatorial Andes and Patagonian Andes have a similar jut, even the Patagonian Andes have about half the elevation.

A mountain with a jut of 10 - 100 m is perhaps more aptly called a hill. Points with jut below 10 m don't rise significantly from there surroundings, and were not included.

Some regions of the world are not well-mapped in the GeoNames database, including Mexico, polar regions, and the Tibetan Plateau. Places without dots may still have mountains, that just aren't in the database and therefore couldn't get measured.

FAQ:

Q: How is jut different from prominence?

A: Prominence is actually a bit of a misnomer, and should be called "independence," as it determines whether a point rises independently enough to be considered the summit of a mountain, rather than being a subpeak or non-summit point.For instance, Lone Pine Peak in the Eastern Sierra has a low prominence of 129 m, as it is connected to Mt. Whitney, and might as well be considered a subpeak on the Whitney massif. However, its jut of 911 m is very high, as it rises very sharply above Owens Valley. There are many non-summit points with low prominence that still have a high jut, such as the Nose of El Capitan, or the rim of the Grand Canyon.On the other extreme, an example of a high-prominence, low-jut point is Dome Argus, Antarctica. Since it's the highest point on the Antarctic ice cap, its prominence a high value of 1639 m. However, since the ice cap gains elevation super gradually, its surroundings are flatter than Kansas. Not surprisingly, its jut is only 0.2 m.

Q: How does jut work?

A: Let P be the summit (highest point) of a mountain. You're standing at some point Q on the planetary surface, looking up at P. How impressively P rises above you depends on both the height (h) of P above Q and the angle of elevation (θ) of P above Q.The formula h|sin θ| factors in both height and steepness to describe how sharply/impressively a mountain rises above an observer. Note that |sin θ| equals 1 when θ = 90° (standing under a vertical cliff) and is lower for less steep rises. Thus, it can be thought of as a penalty to impressiveness incurred for lower steepness.The jut of P is the maximum possible value of h|sin θ| from any viewpoint on the planetary surface. The location that maximizes h|sin θ| can be called the "base" of a mountain, and is usually at the bottom of a major mountain face or an adjacent valley.For example, a vertical cliff of height 100 m, a 45° slope of height 141 m, and a 30° slope of height 200 m would all measure a jut of 100 m, and be considered to rise equally sharply.

For more info on how jut works, check out this post.

This visualization was made possible with Google Earth Engine, MERIT DEM, and GeoNames.

#maps #Gigitoe #geography

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angelkakewritings · 1 year

Text

Disclaimer: I do not own the canon character of Alejandro Vargas or any of the canon characters or canon lore of the games.

Author's Note: The story presented ideally takes place before the events of mw2. Although La Quebrada does truly exist in Acapulco, Mexico, the name has been reimagined into the setting of Las Almas.

This story was made for fun! If I got any of the lore incorrect please forgive me!

Description:

Alejandro Vargas x Female Reader

One Shot

Pronouns include She/Her/Hers

MDNI / 18+

CW: Soft Dom/Sub elements, power dynamic, female receiving oral, oral fixation, fingering, mating press, cervix kissing, porn with a plot, unprotected sex, breeding, cursing , public sex

"You're late."

The baritone voice rang out amidst an endless stream of cars passing below the two, his broad pair of shoulders turned at the sound of gravel crunching under the weight of a pair of boots.

No matter where the two found one another, her lithe legs were the first to walk in, donning the spandex of her special forces catsuit that was practically a breath of nothing against her nubile form.

A scoff left her beestung lips before she shut the military grade car door behind her. "I wish I had your time colonel! It would make my job a whole lot easier." She retorted, waving the cups of coffee in her gloved hands.

The corners of his lips curled into a warm smile at the mundane gesture, something that was rare in their abnormal line of work. "What?"—" You don't like gathering intel for me?" He cheekily asked, taking the paper cup into his calloused hands and cracking open the lid, the aroma of the freshly roasted coffee wisped into the air of Las Almas.

She playfully rolled her eyes, "And miss out on the theatrics that you and your boys make?" She laughed, now standing beside the colonel, "It's what I live for!" The woman cheeped, playfully nudging Alejandro.

"Theatrics! What theatrics?" He chuckled.

"Meeting en La Quebrada?" The highest point in the city?" Her tone matter of factly, pulling the aged black army jacket tightly over her chest. "We could've met at some sleazy little motel, a plaza or hell! Even the base itself!"

"La Quebrada is one of the last remaining places in Las Almas that aren't crawling with those vermin. Hell, it's possibly the last place that el sin nombre doesn't have his eyes over. " He rebutted, taking sips in between.

The woman took a moment to look around, only to be met by nothing else but thick and boisterous mountains that towered over the two.

"Tal vez tienes razón..." She trailed off, her words and subtle movements bouncing off the rocky formations. "Solo falta que nos encontremos unos par de mocosos por ahí cojiendo."

The two looked at each other and began snorting, laughing in between.

It had grown to be a conscious feeling the two had shared, knowing deep down in the pits of their stomachs as to why the meet up point was so far from the base.

It was the same feeling he had shared with Valeria and Rudy at one point in time.

It was the same feeling that had gotten him into moral conflict, over and over again.

He was in agony witnessing how the moonlight was illuminating her skin, taking in every freckle, mole and blemish that decorated her face.

In every briefing, no matter how harsh and gruesome the details of her assessments were, he couldn't help but be mesmerized in the way her eyes always managed to beautifully catch the light.

"Do you wish you were ever down there?"

The question broke Alejandro out of his love stricken daze, he looked down at the intelligence officer.

"Hm?"

"-I said, do you ever wish you were down there?" She asked, pointing her head over in the direction of the city.

"I'm down there when needed." He gruffly answered.

She rolled her eyes at hearing the colonel's oh so typical response, "I meant- you know! Being down there and just taking it all in, slowly and figuratively, just like everybody else."

The words leaving her tongue caused his brain to rack up past battles he had endured with the men and women he fought alongside with who no longer walked the face of this earth.

For a moment, he could've sworn he smelt gunpowder in the air.

"We're not like everybody else. You know that better than anybody." His reminder held its weight as the two stood in silence, taking in the horizon of Las Almas that appeared to be a cluster of stars from where they were standing.

Truly a city of souls.

"Enough theatrics." She exhaled, "Let's talk about what we're really here for." She pulled open her jacket, digging into thick lining to pull out a stack of folded papers.

"That block search you organized did us some good, your men managed to bring back a couple of the cartel's made men. It took a little time...but the sight of un vaquero with a blowtorch and a pair of pliers could make just about anybody sing out their secrets."

Alejandro grinned silently, his heart swelling with pride at hearing how efficient his men were. Pulling the corners of the folded piece of paper, it unraveled the long list of coordinates and marks etched across the face of a map.

"Trading routes, safe houses, labs..." The intel officer's fingers listing off the marked areas with their matching coordinates, closing the space between her and her superior. "We strike from the shadows and those fuckers won't have anywhere else to go to but a cell in a federal maximum security prison or six feet under." She stated, looking over at Alejandro through her long and wispy lashes. "We're gonna take back this city Colonel...not just for us but for our people."

Her gaze sparked a flame at the base of his loins that seared its way up to his stomach and quickly into his heart, setting it ablaze.

"Eres perfecta." He remarked, unconscious to the fact that his hand had found its way on top of hers., their hands resting over the heart of Las Almas.

"Alejandro..." She hushed out.

The atmosphere suddenly felt tangible and hot to the touch. Alejandro didn't know if it was the sudden euphoria at hearing a new hope for his city or the adrenaline from standing so high above ground but it was enough to give courage to follow her actions.

She leaned towards him. The aroma of musk, coffee beans and his cologne engulfed her slowly then at all at once.

His mind let out a silent prayer to La Virgen, wishing he could always carry the ability to remember the sweetness of her lip oil and softness of her hands. But above all, he desperately wished to capture the moment in a glass bottle and take it with him to the ends of the earth.

Her fingertips followed the crisp of his jawline and down to his bulbous adam's apple, twirling the silver strand of his dog tags around her fingers and pulling him deeper into the kiss.

She was immaculate, intelligent, and divine.

"Te necesito..." He hushed out in between airy kisses, his words fell into a plea.

A silence followed as she took in the shades of pink that dusted the conch of Alejandro's ears, how the moonlight exquisitely reflected the thin coat of her gloss that was now on his scarred lips.

"You can have me." The woman responded with, running her hands at the nape of his neck and through his dark hair. A thud followed as he made haste with her aged military jacket, swiftly in scooping her with his strong arms.

He led the two to the hood of her car, preciously laying her down on top. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist and began popping off the buttons of his work shirt.

With a sole hand, he pinned her wrists above her head.

"Te vez tan bella asi debajo de mi..." Alejandro cooed, enchanted by the juxtaposition of the size of their bodies. He slowly pulled down the metal zipper that held her catsuit together, undoing the ribbon to a present. The man let out a soft groan at seeing the threat of her breasts spilling from her undergarment. Greedily, he began to kiss at the exposed flesh.

The dogtags tucked between the swell of her breasts winked against the light with every heave of her chest made. A pair of lips and tongue wrapped around the hardened peak of her nipple, sucking and flicking against the supple skin.

The bend of her knee began to press up against the hard-on that angrily strained against his pants, rubbing up and down at the bulk between his legs. The sensation had Alejandro hissing between his teeth, his teeth nipped at the fullness of her tits.

Shedding off the spandex from her full hips, he painted a trail of pink and purple bruises to her navel. Her eyes flickered down , baring witness to the pornographic sight of the colonel now being face to face with her clothed flesh.

"Fuck." He cursed at pushing her underwear to the side, revealing her plush cunt that was practically sobbing. He pressed one final kiss to her inner thigh before propping his lips and tongue deep between her, lapping away.

Her back arched against the sleek hood of the car with every pulsating movement his tongue made against her core.

"Oh my fucking god..." She whined, currents of electricity ran up and down her spine at feeling his two fingers prodding her.

"Mirame." He demanded.

The woman held her breath and did as she was told by her superior. Her doe like eyes met his intense orbs that were incessantly whispering out want and desire. The sound of explicit squelching and pants filled the night sky as he kept sloppily eating her cunt, his nose resting on the bridge of her pubic bone.

"Alejandro. I'm-" She gasped out, her hips beginning to buck against his chiseled face.

"Hold it."

A string of spittle and slick tethered the two, he pulled his head back and came up from his knees to undo his holster that sat on his hips.

Moving to the end of the hood, she further parted her knees.

His erection sprung free from its constraint, it was hard and hot to the touch.

"Fuck." She breathes out, his thumb finding its place on the bundle of nerves between her legs.

He pushed her back down, swishing his fingers into her mouth to collect saliva to coat his cock.

His lips replaced his long digits as he hunched over her, a blunt pressure began to fill her hot core up as he pressed himself inside of her.

Sloppy decibels of his calloused flesh slapping against her dew like skin rang throughout the night as he rhythmically rocked himself into her.

Her body began turning inside out like a cat's cradle.

She looked up at him, her knees folded into her chest with her full blown out in a sex drunk haze as he plunged his engorged cock into her, her dog tags jingled with every bounce of her chest.

The sound of his name bounding off the palette of her tongue like a prayer sent tremors up and down his broad form. He groaned at the sensation of her fingernails gripping and tearing their way into the tender flesh of his forearms.

He sharply smacked the round of her ass, his hand anchoring onto her ankle as he angled himself to kiss her cervix.

She spasmed, choking on a series of curses and praises as her eyes filled with brilliant stars.

Avariciously, her hands cupped the sides of his face as she rode her high out, fucking herself onto his dick.

The intensity of the situation finally caught up to him. Hot, white thick ropes erupted from him and spilled deeply into her womb.

Their foreheads leaned on each other, panting and coming down from their euphoric high.

Even for only that moment, she was his and he was hers.

#alejandro vargas #mw2 #cod mw2 #fanfic #alejandro vargas x reader #alejandro vargas x you #alejandro vargas smut #romance #just for fun #oneshot #mw2 fanfic

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nuagederose · 6 months

Text

Dark Roots of Earth | Chapter One: Empty Spaces

(book two of As the Seasons Grey)

“When’s the last time it snowed in L.A.?” Christine asked.

“No idea,” Eric confessed. “I do know it’s been a hot minute, though. A cold minute, rather.” He peered out the window to the jagged, snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains down below the plane; Christine followed his gaze to see the mountains for herself. After a nearly two hour layover in the airport in Dallas, she looked on at the vast landscape far below with a twinkle in her eye and her lips slightly parted. The only mountains she really knew were the Catskills and the Appalachians; to see the faint glimmers of Denver off in the distance under the snow line, nestled down on the edge of the Rockies made her think of Christmas time. Christmas in the beginning of June, with the tinsel and trimmings on everything even as summer commenced all around them. She leaned back in the seat with her feet up on the rung underneath the seat before them, and she sighed through her nose.

It was a long time coming there on that flight, and she was eager to feel the breeze and the spray from the Pacific Ocean. Eric had told her about the Santa Cruz Boardwalk before they boarded as well, the West Coast equivalent to Coney Island.

“All I know is there's a big amusement park there,” he had told her. “I don't know what else, just that it's a lot like Coney Island.”

It was nearly summertime, and she needed a day in which she could let loose and not think of anything for a while, especially not pertaining to that summer wedding as well. If only she could have brought Alex along, then she would not have to imagine him in a monkey suit, drenched in sweat under the New York heat. She closed her eyes and she tried to think of something else.

Anything else.

Anything that had nothing to do with a Fourth of July wedding.

“We should make a trip into the mountains at some point,” Eric then suggested, which in turn made her eyes pop wide open. “You know, just to check it all out, ‘cause we don’t really have mountains back east.”

“Right?” she chirped. “I’m eager to see the Pacific Ocean, though.”

“Oh, absolutely,” he said with a nod. “Given the choice, I’d take the beach over the mountains.”

“The mountains can be rough at times,” she followed along. “There’s just something… dare I say, romantic about the beach. Romantic and lively.”

“Romantic and yet also sinister,” he added. “You’re looking out to the ocean, which extends for as far as the eye can see. You’re at the end of the world, pretty much…” His voice trailed off, and she noticed that he was looking at something across the aisle from them. Christine turned her head for a look over at the empty seats next to them: through the window on the other side, she spotted a field of cloud cover over the southern most part of the country as well as what appeared to be Mexico.

“Looks like there's a hurricane coming in,” he remarked.

“Already?” she wondered aloud.

“Oh, yeah. This side of the country's been crazy active weather wise for like the last year or so. Getting lots of snow and rain, and then lots of wind thereafter. It's just gonna be up and down and up and down from here on out, I suppose.”

Christine craned her neck for a better view of the blanket of puffy white clouds down below, and more so as they seemed to extend far off into the distance with the curvature of the earth. The sight of the clouds made her think of the heavens, and more so when she returned her gaze to the window next to Eric: she peered up to the stretch of deep royal blue directly overhead and she thought of Chris.

She thought of those final moments in the graveyard before they left for California, and she wondered if his spirit was still among them down there on Earth, or if he had made his place elsewhere. In that rich field of blue over the roof of the plane, she imagined him up there, long lush dark curls under the knit yarmulke, chubby little childhood tummy that was always so soft and warm for her...

If only there was a way that she could tell Alex about him. Accessing his memory to bring forth to crystal clear words was such a daunting task for her that she had no idea as to where to start. Perhaps she could begin from the very first day in which she and Chris had met, but it would require hours upon hours of story telling on her part for him, and as far as she knew, Alex didn't have hours and hours of free time for her. The man was going to be married to Captain Howdy in a little more than a month, and she could feel the sands of time slipping away into the black rocky swells of the earth below. She gazed down below at the mountains, at the way the sunlight only just caressed the white caps and missed the pitch dark ravines in between. She couldn't help but think of Alex and his helmet of black hair lined with a gray streak.

They soared over the Rocky Mountains and proceeded over the rolling, rocky desert in Arizona and the southeastern corner of California. At some point, as the plane began to lower closer to the earth, she spotted the vast strip of blue on the horizon beyond them in the window opposite them.

“There she is,” Eric declared in a low voice.

“Pacific Ocean blue,” Christine said, and she could scarcely contain her excitement all the while.

The plane shuddered and shook with the incoming wind, such that she clutched at the armrests on either side of her.

“Turbulence,” Eric assured her. “And the first we've felt since we left New York, no less.”

They stared out the window to the rolling desert down below: on the distant horizon stood the glimmering subterranean jewel of Las Vegas as well as the cold, vast White Pine Mountains off to the left.

“I assume that big gap there in the ground is Death Valley,” she remarked with a gesture to the left of the mountains. Indeed, a long low dark shadow spread north all along the base of the mountains, to which Eric took a closer look at.

“I'm not too sure,” he confessed. “I thought Death Valley wasn't that close by.”

Another round of turbulence welled up around them, and Christine clutched at the armrests again. They soon cleared the desert only to follow it up with the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which were also still capped with thin blankets of snow as well. Christine felt her head spinning as the mountains fell away to the expanse of the Central Valley down below.

“I think we're getting close,” Eric told her, and sure enough, the lights for the seat belts flickered on, and they did just that. “If I remember correctly, Monterey Bay comes up after the next mountain range here.”

The Central Valley stretched on north with the Interstate 5 and the collection of tiny dots and lines that were the cars and big semi trucks. All the stories to tell down there, and so little time to even so much as consider them.

“Where's Paso Robles?” she asked Eric. “I remember Alex talking about that place when he and I had a couple of glasses of wine together.”

“Paso Robles? I think we're gonna fly right over it.”

She peered out the window on the other side of the aisle, where she was met with the tops of the coastal mountains followed by rich blue ocean. She knew they were flying over it as she could barely see the edges of the vineyards or the heart of town. Nevertheless, she wondered about traveling there at some point, traveling there and trying a bottle of wine or two with Alex and Eric on either side of her.

Another gust of turbulent wind, and they ducked further down towards the earth.

“I reckon we're gonna make a circle around Monterey before we land,” she said aloud.

“Yeah, I think so, too,” Eric quipped. “It's too windy otherwise.”

They dipped further down, and Christine spotted the low green hills that surrounded Monterey Bay and the long, low crescent of a coastline that hugged the royal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Somewhere down there stood the runway.

Eric gripped onto the armrest next to him as they sank further down.

Christine closed her eyes and thought of Alex again. If only there was a way to interrupt the wedding. If only they could think of a proper plan, and if only there was no worries about Valentina potentially getting caught by Captain Howdy or even Alex himself. That wedding mustn't happen. She knew in her heart that they must not go through with it.

Even if it did take place on the Fourth of July, that marriage was a disaster waiting to happen. They wouldn't be married a week for the arguments to unfold; Christine still flashed back on the first night when she and Eric had helped themselves into his apartment and she nearly caught them in Alex's bedroom as well as the bathroom. The memory of that still lingered in the back of her mind, like the demon Captain Howdy was to Alex himself.

Soon enough, the plane dipped down towards the stretch of black tarmac down below, and they touched down at the Monterey Airport, a few miles outside of the town itself.

Christine was eager to step off the plane and take in the smell of the Pacific Ocean, especially once Eric got the keys to their rental car. They were greeted by a hard gust of wind out from the northeast, as if nature wanted to tell them that home was still on their shoulders. Their little black car had been parked near the front of the lot, right by the big glass sliding front doors of the airport: he helped her load up the trunk and the back seat of their rental with their things and the two of them hastily climbed into the newly upholstered front seats.

“Yowza,” Eric muttered as he ran a hand over the crown of his head so his hair would lay flat.

Something about the winds made Christine think of Halloween and also Day of the Dead: perhaps it was from the fact that everything around them, despite being a mere stone’s throw away from the beach and the ocean, felt as dry as a bone. Dry as a bone, the bones of Chris’ remains left six feet under.

Eric drove them away from the airport to the Monterey-Salinas Highway, the main artery that led closer to the Pacific Coast Highway itself: all the while, they were met with the view of the ocean and the field of blue that expanded for as far as the eye could see. Far off in the distance stood a thin veil of gray as the beginnings of a marine layer once the winds died down with the incoming nightfall. The gray that reminded her of the streak of gray in Alex’s hair.

The highway morphed into what she assumed was the main street of Monterey, Fremont Street, whereby Eric brought them to the next streetlight. He caught it green and wheeled it around so they could reach their hotel with the red roofs on top in one fell swoop. They bounded into the narrow parking lot behind a series of butterscotch-colored low buildings, and he turned to her with a straight face.

“You, my friend, are nuts,” she declared.

“Nah, it’s just all about timing,” he assured her. “Especially here.”

“And it’s amazing that you remember the way to the hotel here, too,” she noted.

“I looked up the map before we left and it seemed simple to me,” he assured her with a shrug. “Leave the airport and just follow the signs and keep an eye out for the place with the red roofs.”

They both climbed out as a big gust of wind slammed into them, and they ducked into the front lobby to check in. Christine stood next to Eric with her hands tucked into her pockets, and she wished that she had brought a light jacket with her, something other than her long green jacket.

“It's so windy!” she exclaimed as Eric signed them in.

“It's a Santa Ana event,” said the girl at the front desk. “Or a Diablo winds as they're known up in the Bay Area. After this, the southern tier of the state is supposed to get slammed with rain.”

“Wow,” Christine gaped at her. “Well, we're from New York, so... you know, if it gets windy, it gets windy. Rain usually doesn't follow for a couple of weeks or so. We have more clear cut seasons.”

“There's a big part of me that's envious,” said the girl with a smile, and she handed Christine the room key.

“No reason to be!” she insisted. “I've always wanted to come out here to the West Coast, I've never been here before.”

“You'll love it here, I promise.” The girl flashed her a wink and, after she and Eric thanked her, the two of them made their way out of the lobby and towards the covered walkway on the other side of the blacktop. It was a bit of an event to lug their things into the room, a cozy but spacious room with a cleanly scrubbed muted blue carpet and two twin beds. Christine set her bag down on the table next to the television, and then she stretched her arms over her head. Eric took his seat on the edge of the bed closest to the bathroom, and he bounced on the mattress a bit as if he was a young boy again.

She whirled around, and then she stepped over to the window to open the drapes. The afternoon sunlight washed through the clean glass onto the white vents of the air conditioner and the heater as well as the grains of the carpet. The only thing missing about the room was a series of nets and sea creatures: Christine wanted it all to be indicative of the ocean and the heart of the Pacific coast.

“Okay! So, what should we do first?” He rubbed his hands together and ran his stout fingers through his inky black hair.

“I’m kind of hungry,” she said. “I actually haven’t eaten since we left New York. You wanna get something to eat?”

“Oh, absolutely,” he replied. “The girl at the front desk told me there’s all manner of restaurants up and down the street here, and about three blocks away is a big grocery store. We could get some food and then take a walk down to the beach.”

“We should go down to Cannery Row tomorrow morning after breakfast,” Christine suggested.

“Ooh, yeah! I was hoping we could walk around down there tomorrow. You know, spend half the day there, and then we could go to the Boardwalk at some point. We’re here a week, we’ll make the most of it all.”

“Eat the food and have all the fun near the beach,” Christine declared. “Get some clothes, too.”

“Get some clothes and surprise Alex,” he added.

She thought of him right then, and she thought about keeping a log for their trip there on the California coast just to bring home to both him and Valentina as well: she knew she would want to know about the West Coast once they returned home.

Eric took a step into the bathroom: within seconds, Christine was met with the whirring sound of water in the pipes. Thus, she had time to herself to write the first part of it all and call her parents with the phone on the nightstand.

It rang three times and she realized that Wendy wasn’t home yet.

“Hey, Mom, it’s Chris,” she began. “It’s about three o’clock. Eric and I landed in Monterey and we made it to our room okay. We’re gonna go and get something to eat and then take a walk down by the beach. Tomorrow, we’re gonna go to Cannery Row and maybe the aquarium, too. I’ll tell you more later afterwards. Love you—bye.”

She hung up the phone, and she padded over to the table with her purse. She took out a pen from the inside pocket, and then she picked out the pad of paper from underneath the lamp.

The flight from New York to Dallas, then from Dallas to Monterey. The views of the mountains and the vast Great Plains. The stretch of the Mississippi River into the unknown. The veil of blue overhead. The hurricane coming into the mainland from the Pacific Ocean. She thought about Alex, and she had the impulse to call him to tell him they had made it in one piece.

As far as she knew, Captain Howdy was there with him. Waiting. Haunting him. Haunting him like how Chris haunted Christine herself.

The water switched off, and she tucked the single piece of paper into her purse. She returned to her suitcase for a fresh change of jeans before he ducked out of the bathroom. All she could think about was Alex and the wedding. That wedding.

There had to be a better way. It was something she couldn’t stop thinking about as she unpacked her long green jacket and slung it around her body.

Eric left his hair to fly as they walked down the street to the big grocery store in question, a big warehouse nestled back in the trees about a block from the beach.

“This place is like a mansion,” Christine declared as she picked out a basket. The assortment of smells that hit them, from the fried chicken to the Chinese food to baked goods, followed by the big produce section and an entire aisle dedicated to kosher cuisine.

The boxes of black and white cookies and New York cheesecake caught her attention. She picked up a box of black and white cookies, and she looked on at her own reflection in the plastic.

“You ever had any of those before?” Eric asked her.

“From one of the bakeries back east, yeah,” she told him. “It’s been a long time, though. I haven’t had one since I was like ten.”

“Let’s get some,” he suggested. “Some rainbow cookies, too…” He also picked out one of the cheesecakes on display as well. She spotted some coffee cake on the bottom shelf, and she wondered if Alex would go to bed that night with a warm feeling inside of him. He was going to bed with someone who didn’t love him.

They filled up their basket by the time they checked out, and proceeded on down to the beach. It was a bit of a walk, but it was something the two of them could handle, especially with the wind blowing and the smell of the sea salt all around them. Eric kept the burlap grocery bag in hand as they strode over the rise of sand dunes; when they reached the summit, they stopped, and they looked out to the ocean before them. The sun hung low over the blue waters and the never ending expanse of waves, and the chill of the ocean loomed over them.

“What’re you thinking about?” he asked her over the noise of the gales and the waves that crashed down on the shore below. Even with the Santa Ana event in full swing on the mainland, the sea still thrashed down before them as if that aforementioned Pacific hurricane had made landfall right then.

“Alex,” she told him. “I just… I wonder how he’s doing right now. I wish he was here with us, too. I wish he could see the ocean like we are right now.”

“He’s with us in spirit,” Eric pointed out as he reached into the bag and took out the black and white cookies for her. Christine gazed back at him and the little thoughtful smile on his round face, accentuated by the hazy sunlight right over their heads. His long black hair lapped behind his head against the winds as if he walked with a sail behind his back. She stood there with one hand in her pocket and her other hand holding onto the box of black and white cookies.

If only there was a way to tell Alex about Chris.

And if only there was a way to Eric about Ann.

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