#new ok ko boards!!!

[technicalknockout]

HEY! I FOUND OK KO CRUMBS!!

I was gonna make a post about it but I cba but still wanted to share it!

So I found Iggy Craig's (one of the storyboard artists for the show) portfolio website, can't really remember how, I go on weird tangents with Google searches sometimes, and it has loads of storyboards and design work of theirs on there. It's really cool early pre-production stuff really appeals to me.

There's a lot of this stuff for the Fionna and Cake episodes and Distant Lands, and OK KO! A lot of the storyboards to look through.

I've seen some animatics for episodes before but the boards here are the much earlier versions of the episodes, and some bits are different and it's really interesting and cool. Especially since I've got lines of the episodes memorised so it's cool to spot the differences.

I haven't looked at everything yet, I don't have the time haha but I looked at the boards for Let's Fight To The End, and there's quite a big difference!

The storyboards detail a longer scene of K.O. being stuck in the subconscious at the start of the episode. I took a couple screenshots.

I really like it. I'm guessing the main reason it was cut was for time. How it was handled in the episode was just a quick version of this.

Also here's a link to the boards Tumblr says the link isn't "complete" so sorry if it doesn't work or doesn't show up just search up Iggy Craig and find their page.

There's also this site called Slideshare.Net which I think all of these boards are being uploaded from, and on that site there's also boards from Ryann Shannon and Danny Ducker. There's the boards from LFTTE where TKO disempowers everyone and they disintegrate instead of lay on the ground. (As well as other episode stuff too)

I don't know how interesting all this really is to people and if it isn't I apologize haha. I just have a fascination with storyboards and animatics for cartoons and paired with OK KO I love it even more.

OH MY GOD THANK YOUUUUU I love these kinds of stuff so much you have no idea how hard im screaming rn.. new ok ko boards auhgjfkgnfjfksnd

Theres something so appealing about storyboards.. I like animated stuff but storyboards!! They're a whole thing!! It's like im looking at the building blocks of an episode!!! Cut storyboards feel like another universe's version of it where different writing decisions were made (imagining lftte as a 40 minute special rn) and spotting lines or scenes that didn't make it into the final product is really interesting. Plus looking at storyboards makes me feel like im a little gremlin digging thru someone's treasure pile and indeed i do giggle annoyingly when i find them

Anyways thanks again for sending me these !!!! youve extended my lifespan by approximately a thousand years

+ no joke i have literally been looking EVERYWHERE for the tko actually murders everyone boards since they mentioned it in the twitter ama. I am eternally in your debt

#time to freak out in the tags #STORYBOARDS!!2!2!! AUJSBDKDNNFKSK #the lines are. the lines are too crunchy. theyre too perfect for this world #someone get me my chair i need to faint #wow i was NOT expecting this right after school #see this is what life is for everyone #new ok ko boards!!! #with tko in it !!!!!!! #<<<<<<<<< #gdnnfndkdknfkksndkdk #best day of 2023 period #oh my god i need to check that website right now #im not sleeping tonight #asks #save tag #storyboard ko is so SMOL AAAAAAAHHGHBHBJJM

[thewildsophia]

OK KO, Let's be Heroes!//KO x Older Sibling!Reader

A/N: I can't believe this hasn't been written before omg. I had the thought of an older sibling reader to KO rolling around in my head while watching the series and was shocked to find no fanfics with the premise. So I did it myself.

NOTE: The Reader's powers are basically Portgas D. Ace's from One Piece. If you aren't familiar, I've attached a few gifs to give you an idea of what it's like.

Word Count: 2026

"Read More Link" placed due to length.

So I can’t think of a realistic way for Reader to be a biological older sibling to KO considering the timeline of what happened.

Soooooooo…You took on the role of KO’s older sibling, even though you’re not related by blood.

[Insert tragic backstory here] and Carol had found you when you were a young teenager wandering about without a home to go to. When she found that out about you, she couldn’t in good conscience leave you alone, so she…adopted you basically. There wasn’t any paperwork involved so you just unofficially become her second child.

Carol was SHOOK when she found out about your superpower (and that’s putting it lightly, she was freaking out--).

It happened when she failed to light the fire underneath her stove a few days after you came to live with her and KO. Not thinking much about it, you held your finger up and lit the fire yourself. When she turned and saw the small fire burning on the tip of your finger she freaked tf out thinking you were hurt. 

A one-hour explanation later, she was now on board as to what power you have: You’re made out of fire and can set other things on fire just by looking at them. You even showed her some of your moves the next day faaaaar away from anything flammable. 

Carol encouraged you to become a hero and with her help you eventually did. You became a decently high-ranking hero at a young age, clocking in at level 6. 

There were a LOT of companies trying and failing to recruit you, but you chose to stay home with Carol and KO (no Carol is NOT crying-).

KO was quite young when you were “adopted,” being around 3 or 4 at the time. Because of that, he always assumed that you were his older sibling by blood and it wasn’t until one day between ages 6 to 11 that Carol told him the truth.

My boy was shocked, but it didn’t change anything between your dynamic. 

In fact, you became even more of an inspiration to him on his path to becoming a hero!

You helped Carol a lot at the fitness dojo until Carol got KO a job at Gar’s, to which Carol also had you hired to keep an eye on KO. Not that she didn’t trust him, she just knew that he could get in over his head sometimes and wanted to have someone be there to protect him. 

Talking about Gar’s, Rad and Enid absolutely ADORE you. You’re the unofficial manager appointed by them truly because you are a few levels higher than them. 

At first, when they heard they were getting two new coworkers, they didn’t think much of it. You and KO seemed nice enough so they didn’t mind having you around. 

It’s not until the Darell robot for the day comes busting into the plaza that their opinion changes. 

Just ask KO is about to get absolutely decked by Darell, you zoomed onto the scene in a blaze of fire and punched the bot, setting it on fire while also hitting it with enough force to send it back to Boxmore with KO nestled into your other arm. 

“Nobody ever touched my little brother.” You muttered under your breath while wrapping KO into your arms further to soothe him. You walk past a stunned Rad and Enid as you enter the store and get back to work.

That day, Rad and Enid also became your younger siblings. Pestering you with questions like “How did you get so strong?” and “Where did you get that power from?” Considering you’re a year or two older and much stronger you embraced the title with honor.

You actually became a little bit of a local celebrity after working at Gar’s for a while. People, locals really, would occasionally come in a ask to take a picture with you. Abashed, you said yes every time because you really couldn’t say no. Real Magic Skeleton even has a picture of you on his site with a small bio (You blushed so hard when you found out you thought you were gonna explode).

Speaking of which, KO LOVES to flaunt you around and hype you up, much to your embarrassment. He says stuff like, “Look at my cool amazingly strong older sibling!” and “My older sibling could beat up your older sibling!” 

KO means well, but he embarrasses the shit out of you.

MAD PROTECTIVE. If Carol is protective then you are on another level entirely. If someone even says something mean about KO it’s on sight. People learned very quickly that you are KO’s older sibling and that you will not hesitate to DIE to protect him (KO prays that it never comes to that).

I could see a rude customer coming in and harassing KO about Cob knows what and you just come up behind them and punch them out of the store. When Mr. Gar confronted you about it, you held your ground and stated proudly what you had done. He was honestly surprised at your resolve and didn’t punish you at all, saying “You should stick up for yourself and the ones you love.”

Lord Boxman even became a little weary about attacking the plaza knowing that you worked there and you are a pretty strong defender. That doesn’t stop him, of course, but he does strategize to combat you better.

Professor Venomous encourages Boxman to capture you and “convert” you to villainy since your power is something that could be very useful to them. You’ve heard people throughout your life make comments about how “villainous” your power is, but you never let it get to your head since you know who you are and that’s all that matters. 

Taking. Naps. Together. Seriously, if KO ever doses off during one of his shifts, you’re quick to follow him. You’ll scoop him up into your arms and sit down somewhere in the corner and fall asleep with him. Rad and Enid think it’s absolutely adorable and have several pictures of you two.

Rad and Enid will even join your cuddle pile in the break room when time permits (or when they make the time themselves).

KO will even occasionally crawl into your bed at home and sleep with you there. He says that your bed is more comfortable than his, but you really know he gets lonely sometimes.

Piggyback rides! KO loves to lounge on your shoulders and back and will often hang off of you as he does with Rad. 

You’re also just used to the feeling of holding/carrying KO that it sometimes feels weird when you haven’t for a while.

When you met TKO for the first time you kinda panicked like many of the other plaza members. It was an especially stressful time in your life (and probably much more for Carol).

TKO wasn’t that fond of you either which made everything 10x harder to deal with. He didn’t actively dislike you, it was more like he wanted nothing to do with you.

Once KO came out of that initial swap between himself and TKO, you didn’t really think much about it. 

When he mentioned some “Shadowy Figure” though you immediately began to do as much research as you could on the guy, you were determined to beat the crap out of this guy (if not kill him-).

Listening to KO cry into your and Carol’s arms blabbering about, “I’m so sorry!” and “I don’t know what he did to me!” You honestly thought this man had touched KO (I know I’m not the only one…right??). It took a lot of coaxing, but you eventually managed to understand what happened when KO told you the full story.

It’s not until Dendy begins to monitor KO and TKO that you start to give his alter much thought. You encourage KO to pursue research into his darker ego, assuming he’s okay with it of course, and offer to be someone he can talk to about it if he isn’t comfortable talking to anyone else about it. 

During some of these talks, you open up about yourself a bit to KO to make him feel better and let him know that the negative emotions he feels are normal. 

During some of the more intimate conversations, you tell him how you used to hurt people and even kill at times before Carol took you in.

KO doesn’t believe you at first. How could someone so kind and loving have killed in their life? You use that to help you explain that good people do bad things sometimes, but that doesn’t make them a bad person. 

You teach him that TKO isn’t something that he should be ashamed of and cage up in the back of his mind, but could instead be someone to rely on in times of need.

He feels a lot better after you tell him all of this.

Hugging and holding KO close to you during nights when he feels really bad about himself. Where he doubts his ability to become a good hero and to be able to harness TKO’s powers. 

You’d rock him back in forth in his bed while quietly soothing him over his crying. He asked you not to tell Mommy and you promised him that he had your word.

I could honestly see Reader lying to cover up KO’s tracks. Like KO is caught doing something he absolutely should not be doing and instead of immediately admitting fault, you would come up with some realistic yet unfeasible lie that only works about 50% of the time.

KO loves to spar with you! He learned most of his physical skills from you, stuff like punching, jumping, kicking, and all that fun stuff. You’ve never used your fire powers against him though.

There was one incident where Boxmore accidentally found out what your weakness is, that being water. A Shannon bot had thrown you into the little kiddie pool Rad and Enid had set up before the attack started.

When you jumped out of the pool soaking wet and unable to start a fire, the stupid sibling trio laughed and mocked you. Enid was quick to come in with a kick to Raymond’s head and you soon found your footing.

Boxmore learned that day not to underestimate you as even without your powers you’re still a physically strong hero.

However, it would seem that Boxman and Professor Venomous stored that data about you since some of the bots they send are equipped with water guns. You’ve gotten pretty good at dodging them, so that’s kinda cool.

You do remember one time after KO had gotten a handle over TKO where you had been drenched with a bucket of water and right as you were about to get socked by Raymond, KO had pushed you out of the way and dodged the punch himself.

You had never been more proud of KO than in that moment and you made that known to him after the fight. You ran up to him and cradled him in your arms talking about how proud you were and that he was becoming such a fine hero (that last one got him to blush a little).

Rad and Enid definitely took a picture of this and then proceeded to print out a copy and put it in the break room.

When you and KO found out that your mom was dating Mr. Gar, you both were a little unsure about how you felt. When Rad and Enid asked about it, they asked the two of you together and then asked you separately. 

Seeing as you’re the older sibling they thought that you would have had a better idea of how you feel about the whole arrangement and were bummed out when they realized that you really didn’t know how you felt. 

After the date you four hosted for Carol and Mr. Gar, both you and KO see how happy Mr. Gar makes your mom and decide that if she’s happy then you’re happy as well.

KO is honestly one of the best younger brothers you could ever ask for. He’s kind and selfless and wants to help others when he can. And in return, you are the best older sibling that KO could ever ask for.

Sorry the format looks off in some places, Tumblr just makes booty juice decisions like limiting the character limit per block to 4096 words...

#ok ko #ok ko let's be heroes #ok ko x reader #ok ko let's be heroes x reader #KO x reader #Enid x reader #Rad x reader #Radicles x reader #carol x reader #sibling reader #thewildsophia writes

[popculturebuffet]

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Review: That's How It Could've Happened, But How About This?

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF AHEAD. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN AT LEAST EPISODE ONE, TURN BACK. SERIOUSLY DUDE. DO IT NOW. IF YOUR COOL WITH SPOILING YOURSELF, ROCK ON.

Hello all you happy scottaholics. I"m back in the saddle again. For those just tuning in i'm Jake, I review stuff.. and a few years back I reviewed the entirety of Brian Lee O'Malley's masterpiece, and the movie as a chaser, having been a fan of Scott Pilgrim since my teens but only having just revisited it at the time I started my retrospective. It was a wonderful journey that made me appricate one of my favorite comics even more and gave me a ton of my best running gags. You can find links to each review HERE in one masterpost.

So naturally when the anime was announced last year, I was entirely on board: I loved this story in all three of it's major forms and was excited to see it again, maybe updated a tad. I was also curious if the story would get a setting update, what would change , and what subplots we'd FINALLY see on screen after the film had to trim a lot thanks to half the series not being finished yet and a tight two hour run time. I was cautiously optimistic when the cast was announced as while I was happy to see the massively talented breakout cast of the film return and get another shot at the characters, I was worried it'd just be the movie but animated.. which thankfully turned out not to be remotely true once trailers came out. Instead they'd simply get a shot at playing the characters again but this time with diffrent characterizations. I coudln't be more stoked.

As it turns out though.. O'Malley had zero intention of telling the same story again. In fact, he almost DIDN'T sign on despite getting the juciest of offer, with the anime's studio, Science Saru, wanting their next project after their breakout hit Devilman Crybaby to be Scott Pilgrim and coming to O'Malley Directly.

The problem wasn't the offer: O'Malley, unsuprisingly, was a fan of Science Saru, who in addition to Devilman had also made Space Dandy and the early pilot shorts for OK KO. The problem was O'Malley.. really didn't want to simply retell scott's story a fourth time. It was a story that was personal, deeply loved and made his career.. but after a movie that everyone knew and love and a video game that was so well loved it was many's holy grail for a rerelease for over a decade after it was delisted, he didn't know how to take the story in a new direction and didn't want to do the story again if it was simply going to be a rehash: people could read the book sometime or watch the movie if they wnated Scott fighting the exes.

Thankfully for us, Brian brought up the offer to his good friend BenDavid Grabinski, a tv and film writer. BenDavid was a huge fan of Scott Pilgrim and thus when the idea came up coudln't help spitballing ideas. And one stuck: What if Scott LOST that first fight. It was naturally just a joke.. but like when Superman died.. it's one that had some heft to it. If Scott were gone what would happen to everyone else? How would Ramona react to his loss? Was Scott really gone? how would his friends go on without him... and what would happen to the exes now they weren't guaranteed to die in a fist fight and the entire problem with Gideon's whole plan was laid bare?

These questions and more are answered as Ramona gets to the bottom of what REALLY happned to scott, who unsurprisingly is not dead and even more unsurprisingly the truth is all kinds of bananas. The story of a human tire fire learning to be a better person and not runa way from his problems... becomes the story of a much more composed tire fire learning she can't run away from her problems after she chases after what might have been, forced to get closure with most of her exes as she tries to hunt down the ex that never was. Along the way there's messy bisexual love triangles, movie rental melee's, Tony Hawk style antics done on swarms of paparazzi ninjas, the greatest musical of all time, the rise of Matthew patel, the fall and re-rise of Gordon Goose, explosions, cameos, and more as Ramona Flowers gets it together while Scott Pilgrim takes off, resulting in one of the best animated series of the 2020's and possibly the best of a very stacked 2023. So take off with me as we press start on a fresh new take on one of my favorite franchises under the cut.

Ramona Flowers Gets It Together

This one's going to be a LOT to unpack, and the best place to start is with our new lead: Ramona Flowers. Ramona has never been unimportant to this franchise: after all it's her exes that make up the fight of the week each volume and who give the franchise it's hook, and in the comics she develops alongside scott: As I said in my reviews, Ramona develops alongside him, having to learn to not keep people at arms length and to not run away, nearly running away from everything before coming back, realizing Scott's worth it. Through each other, they grow stronger.

So with Scott gone... Ramona is forced to grow all on her own. If she wants to date Scott, SHE has to fight this time, and she can't run like she tends to. In the comics, she had to scrap with Envy and Roxy, but all the weight to evolve as a person was put on Scott: Ramona had a stable job, was content in her life even if her friend group was basically "Whoever scott happened to be friends with", she was seemingly all together until the last three volumes slowly chip away at that and reveal she's just as bad at staying and improving instead of noping the fuck out of an intense situation as scott. She has to evolve.. but her getting better isn't the point till the climax of the story. It's a lesson in how while a relationship can HELP you grow, ultimately it's on you to: Scott grows because he stops running and embraces his evil self and thus the memories of all his fuckups, embraces that he could sometimes be shitty so he can learn past it. Ramona has to choose to stand and fight gideon and let go of hte hold he has on her, to let go of running and embrace what she has.

Here without Scott and only the vauge mystery of a guy she dated once, Ramona instead has to confront herself: many a character question her doing this. While it starts simple enough with just Julie questioning it, because Julie hates scott as much as I hate the comics version of her, we get harder questions from Kim, whose dated Scott and knows how insesntive he can be, and Lucas who KNOWS Ramona and knows her style is to run. That a happy ending isn't as easy as finding scott again andmaking out intensely. Ramona has to make her own happy ending.

As a result instead of being the sneaky deutratonist or a prop depending on the version (I Love the movie but man do they not do her well), Ramona has to confront her past on her own, and instead of just getting cathartic punchings, she has to actually.. TALK to her exes and resolve things like an adult. And you can imagine how much she likes the prospect of that.

And this flip in how the story works.. is brilliant: It allows us to get to know Ramona: We're seeing things from her perspective instead of Scotts so we see her way more vunerable, genuinely shaken by Scott's "Death", obssesed with solving his kidnapping, and forced to confront her past. Granted like the books we also get to see the lighter side: Ramona is still the straight man to a lot of the cast especially her exes. She and Kim are the sanest one's here and Kim is often out of focus, leaving Ramona one of the few rational people in a sea of gloriously goofy nonsense. Yet we also see her own intrests: she's a columbo fan, turns out to be a natural for stunt work, and has a meticulous routine for her hair dye. We also find out she's a blonde which is only TECHNICALLY cannon to this version.. but fits too well as her hair color to work.

We get to see Ramona not as some ideal to chase slowly turned into a person but just.. a person. Funny, aloof, kind, easily baffled... this is easily my favorite verison of her. Granted it's not exactly ac ontest: The comic's version is great and this simply takes the best of that and fleshes her out, the video game is a 16 bit brawler, and the movie... well look I like the movie, but the film version is a nigh emotionless prop that barely gave Mary Elizabeth Winstead anything to work wtih forgetting ramona HAS emotions who instead of simply having her emotoins amplified is outright brainwashed. I used to think Kim got the shortest end of the stick but doing this review.. no it was Ramona. Ramona got screentime but had any personality stripped. Thankfully both Ramona and Mary Elizabeth get a second shot on the screen here.

Mary Elizabeth's performanc ecan't be overstated: she nicely ballances Ramona's stocisim, something key to her charcter as her main problem is distance, that she puts up and that she creates by running away, with the emotoin peeking up just underneath to say hello. IT's a truly great performance and I hope she'll consider doing more voice acting, she's an natural.

And this is great as Ramona's quest eventually leads her back to scott.. and to an ending that's both profound.. and pokes some holes in the series itself.

The Adventures of Scott and Scott

So turns out Scott was kindapped by of ALL characters, Robot 01, the Katanagi Twin's robot minion who shows up for one fight in the comics and video game and then explodes real good. Here he's their little robot son.. and how Scott got kidnapped.

But thankfully the culrprit isn't the Twins. I would've liked for them to get more to do, more on that later. THeir involved, having leant their robot boy to a friend since , as a robot who can't eat, Robot 01 has never had meat and has no human limits and thus is the strongest robot vegan who ever existed.

God I love this stupid reveal. Anyways, turns out Scott's kidnapper.. is SCOTT. Specifically a version of him who did the usual story, won, had a happy ten years with Ramona, then it fell apart after an argument which he assumed ended in divorce.

This is another twist that was brilliant.. I thought Scott's kidnapper was another scott, but I assumed a clone situation. I never thought FUTURE Scott but it's such a brilliant move. We see a Scott who won.. but who simply didn't let the lessons he learned stick. It's easy to learn something about you sucks, I have many a time.. it's harder to make the changes stick. I can't tell you how many ephnaiinies i've had only to end up back where I started. Some change has stuck with effort, but it's not easy. You have to constantly work at it, to grow. And it's easy enough to backslide.. and thus sadly easy to buy that this verison of Scott , when hit with his relationship not working, spiralied instead of working at it , not helped by Old Ramona, their words not mine, ghosting him.

He's a ghost of Scott future, every bad thing about the guy amplified: he's oblivious, thinking his newest band is going anywhere with his gloriously crappy music video, and refusing to accept it was his fault, throwing a tantrum when Young Scott states the obvious solution: just tell his younger self some of his fuckups and hopefully that'll right the relationship. Instead Future Scott goes for the solution that's easiest and laziest: use time travel to undo his relationship. And naturally this being Scott he got this stupid idea from taking a joke Wallace told him seriously. I love Wallace's "Buddy I was kidding".

I also love the performance here. Rather than use Michael Cera , Future Scott is voiced by voice acting, comedy and beard legend Will Forte. Forte's goofy nature, penchant for playing man children blind to their own flaws, and deadpan deliveries make Future Scott work. He's deeplys ad, but also deeply hilarious, sharing some of Scott's weird intricates like assuming because Future Wallace's husband works for nintendo he gets all the video games for free and making a virtual boy scrapbook of his relationship.

He's still throughly Scott.. just one who can't get past himself, requiring Scott and Future Wallace to go to Future Ramona for help. Shockingly.. she's more than willing too: While she still has Ramona's own problem of running away at the first sign of trouble, she does still LOVE this idiot, she just dosen't know how to fix it and knows she can't talk him out of this, so she sends scott back to be with his ramona... well rides him back leading to some awkward selfies.

But naturally for this tale, Scott coming back.. dosen't fix things. And not just because his older self put anti kissing nanites in him.

Scott has grown some from seeing what he could be: He apologizes to Knives, in a scene that I truly love.. mostly for this line "Apparently a 23 year old dating a high schooler is frowned upon by society".

And I have to stop for a minute to give ALL the props to Michael Cera. He already had done plenty awesome this year as the boy of the year

He didn't need to go for two but he did. Cera wasn't at all bad as Scott the first go round: the character was different, a bit less goofy but still awkward as hell and oblivious to his own flaws: the core was there. Here .. Cera is playing the character as on page, if slightly amped up: Goofy, excitable, trying to ignore his painful past and flaws, charming.. all the good and bad of scott is bubbling around this guy. And the line deliveries my god: we have instant classics like "I'm using the world wide web" "The place where they make the video games", the instantly memetic sonic scene (Which would be me trying to flirt with a girl, ngl), and the above frowned upon line. Cera just bubbles in this roll, sliding into who scott is: Loveable but a total mess who needs to get his shit together and has made some grave mistakes.

Granted they also take steps to make sure Scott's relationship with Knives as judging from interviews, O'Malley is kinda tried of the take that scott pilgrim is a bastard man. I mean he is, but it's less that Scott has some shit to work out and need to be better and more that everyone acts like this is a new discovery. As the author himself said it's there on the first page and a good chunk of chapter one is the people who know him best asking what the hell is wrong with him.

Granted this is mixed with Stephen hooting and hollering as much as he can with his stoic personality, Neil being in awe and asking if they'd "done it yet" and Wallace being tempted with the idea of a high schooler himself, though I get the impression he never seriously considered it. So it is muddled slightly.. but not NEARLY enough.

I do get it with the movie: the movie.. outright portrays Knives as a legit love interest, and while it ages Scott down, it's not enough to make that not blehhhh and the game has Knives end up with Kim, which younger me didn't get was still pedophilia. So I do get it as while the comics make it clear this is messed up, it got muddled.. but it's also still a pretty weak gotcha when the source material has always said "This is wrong" They even bring up trainspotting for fucks sake, which I haven't seen but is a pretty good indication O'Malley knew what he was doing.

So here they make it clearer that while Scott's still stringing this poor baby girl angel baby along, he dosen't really consider it a relationship, or just dosen't want to and after seeing what he easily could be even with Ramona, apologizes way sooner. So they did make strides to make things a bit clearer here if only so another version didn't miss the point.

So one rant later while Scott and Ramona think things are wrapped up.. it's just not that easy. You can get closure, we'll get into the exes more shortly, but it dosen't mean your done or done growing... or that the past is done with you. Or future in this case. Like I said, Old Scott/Future Scott put nanintes in scott and after figuring out the exes aren't involved, the two get kidnapped along with the exes , knives, pretty much anyone who can throw a punch.

The kidnapper is naturally Old Scott.. EVEN OLDER SCOTT.

I love his look: he still has his old jacket, his iconic x-men one, but laso looks like Ryu from Street Fighter 5, just with a giant beard and crazy eyes, being a mix of that ryu and devil ryu.. and nega scott. Old Scott wasn't a great person but still had the potetial to turn it around if he got his finger out of his ass. Even Older Scott is every horrible thing Scott Could've been.. and this is something the comics foreshadowed was possible.

And the thing is while Ramona was being dickish in her own right there, not getting that while Scott cheated on Knives with Ramona he had changed since then, she's not WRONG. Scott was VERY close to giving up on change entirely if Kim hadn't turned him away. Hell had Ramona not come along Scott might've become Old Scott sooner just by dating a teenager. The potential to, like the exes, sink into his resintment and worst self was always there... this is just a Scott that did. A Scott who when faced with the fact change is hard would rather hull up, get buff and plan to kill everyone he cares about just to avoid changing. This is the Scott he almost became.. and sadly at least one scott did become.

He's also horrifying for more than just the implications of seeing this guy who while a dickhead, CAN be better if he puts in the effort and does change and grow in both main versions as his worst self. It's sad to see that.. but we also quickly see just how dangerous an evil ex scott would be: After all Scott beats all the evil exes... I mean original timeline scott beat Lucas and Todd via Indigo League style technicalities, but still. While Scott was still beatable, it took multiple rounds, a feint, and ramona's help to put down the last four exes, he was still fairly strong.. so give him 24 years more of experince with ten of those spent JUST training and specifically preparing to counter the exes , ramona and his past self.. and you have an unstoppable monster that NOTHING can stop and everyone else is very lucky they get sent back. They all put in a good offense.. but the league is out of their league.

Even Older Scott is a brick wall.. and one that smacks straight into Scott and Ramona trying to run from their problems. Scott is forced to face the fact that even getting better might not last even if he dosen't become this guy and Ramona's forced to face the hide this guy is right. Our heroes are up against the wall, their relationship almost over...

Enter Even Older Ramona. Turns out Even Older Scott just.. ghosted her. But her presence finally gives present Ramona the wakeup call she needs as finding our her older self just.. ran away each time her and scott had issues.. gives her a needed ephinay the same way Older Scott being a dumpster fire on cocaine gave this Scott one and Scott in the comics got one from seeing a dark mirror in gideon: Ramona Flowers.. always run. Lucas outright said as much and with the series fleshing out the exes more, almost there just give me a minute, we find out she just.. bounced on each relationship. Matt isn't a suprise, his backstory is the same as it ever was, and in some cases she was ENTIRELY justified in her assholery: Todd was an obnoxious prick she left another, far better guy for, the Twins were recontexculazed as serial predators who preyed on new freshman with Ramona dating them both being a way to get even on both of them, so while she still did a bad it was on legitly bad people, and Gideon.. is still Gideon. He may get more development here and have his own backstory.. but the series makes it VERY clear he was every bit as shitty to ramona as previous versions, he just hadn't got to using the glow or mind control chips levels of creep yet.

But as i'll get into more in a bit... she legitly hurt everyone else: While Matt didn't get into supervilanny till high school, it's hard not to think that being used as a weapon to keep other boys away didn't lead him down the tryhard path he now walks, Lucas was left devistated and became a xerox of a xerox of the kind of guy Ramona left him for, and Roxy was left genuinely devistated thinking she was nothing. All Ramona has done is run and deny people closure and the series reckons with that.. and like the comics forces Ramona to stand and fight, recognizing that her relationship with Scott could end badly.. but it's worth having.

It's a neat metaphor: our heroes see exactly how badly things could end... and that's how relationships can be. You worry about how badly things are going to go or how you'll fuck up. But the only way it can go forward.. is if you try. Risk the hurt for the good. present/past/whatever Scott made a valid point when trying to talk to his Older Self before seeing that was a lost cause: There had to be good times too? While Old Scott and even Older Scott bury them in self pity, a relationship, even if it fails.. has something to add. Something to help you grow. And given Brian himself had been through a divorce after a ten year marriage it's hard not to see the subtext, to see that idea of "would you talk yourself out of a relationship if you knew it'd end". And the answer he and Ramona have.. is no. It's worth the risk, worth the pain, and worth the possiblity that someone else can do it better.

Granted this being scott pilgrim doing it better involves the ramona's fusing and Even Older Ramona, while done with Scott (He ate up his second chance a LONG TIME AGO) gives both Scott's another chance. As she puts it "This one's just an idiot kid... and this one's a real mess" (When told to kick his ass) "It's never too late to clean up a mess.. " Despite it all.. part of her loves him.. and gives him another chance. Not with her, Oh lord no, but to be better. That .. we can always be better, no matter if your 23 or 47, you can become better. As Super Ramona says "What you've done in the past dosen't define you, hell me keep remembering that". It's a beautiful message: you can screw up, there is no happily ever after.. but you can always be better even if you stumble. And as our heroes face a new future together once again.. it feels a bit brighter this time, like these two kids will make it you know?

Not That Evil

One big pull of doing the story this way for Brian and BenDavid was the exes. Brian admitted in interviews he wrote the books by the seat of his pants and as a naive 20 something who didn't know how skaters or musicians worked except via magazines. Moving to LA among other stuff gave him more perspective, and he wanted to add that to the story, flesh the Exes out as people and use the bits he didn't have time for in the original.

As such 5/7 go from sometimes one dimension, sometimes wholly evil bastards for Scott to punch.. and Lucas, to 5 very flawed , very intresting people we get to see way more of and who all get something resembling a happy ending. Also Kyle and Ken are there. Getting them out of the way once again the adaptation barely uses them, as their more a plot device/backup so we can hear Will Forte sing the theme to Bubblegum Crisis. You know when Brian hinted at that scene in interviews pre show I expected to here Kirean Culkin, Bree Larson, maybe even Micheal Cera. I didn't expect Will Freakin Forte and god bless Brian for that.

So yeah the Twins are.. fine here and I love the anti climax: they don't get closure with ramona.. but are cool with Scott since they'll be buddies eventually. I also like that out of ALL the exes for Scott to befriend after they respawned it's these two guys.

Thankfully everyone else gets way more and no where is that more apparent than with MATTHEW PATEL, the first evil ex.. and the one who naturally gets the most to work with, going from the biggest jobber who ever jobbed, to the guy who killed scott pilgrim

Satya Bhabha gets to have a fucking feast here and I hope this leads to more rolls, voice acting or otherwise. While he was already one of the highlights of the film, easily, taking what was implied to be a music number and making it into this glorious thing.

The series takes it to new heights.. mostly by giving Matt his best life. Granted.. this life naturally dosen't include Ramona who walks out pissed off and Matt is befuddled "Wait we DON'T get her automatically if we win?"

So he does what you'd expect from an egocentric theater kid who realizes he was just played and this whole evil exes setup is a sham... call a meeting in GIDEON"S OWN LAIR to dramatically reveal it all. And punch the head off a good soft robot boy because he's a prick and a half. A loveable prick and a half but still.

It's something I just.. never thought about with the league. I assumed it was simply a "If I can't have you" situation as that was GIdeon's whole goal.. and to put her in his girlfriend freezer which i'm sure Matt released. Gideon and Roxy seemed like the only ones who wanted her back. But given the weird logic of this unvierse even if some of them DIDN'T want her, I like the idea they'd still like to keep that option open by unaliving someone. It's fucked up as it is sensical for a group that all gathered to keep their ex from moving the fuck on.

It makes equal sense that this was all a ponzi scheme, Gideon , being an entiled dick, just.. assumed he got her if anyone won. That the exes wouldn't object or, more likely, they simply woudln't make it far enough. They were just patsies so he could swoop in and score her on the rebound, also not getting that would never work and sh'ed just hammer his nuts so far in they'd be impacted.

What threw me after this.. was Matt's Challenge to gideon. Not him challenging Gideon, I expected that easily: Matt gets all of Gideon's empire if he wins, Matt dies if he looses. I figured Gideon would kill Matt, again, and would do some sort of cordinated strike. But as before Scott Pilgrim Takes off Decides

Instead we get an absolutely gorgeous, awesome fight scenes. one of the best i've seen in animation and one of the best of the year, which given Invincible came back, is saying something. Gideon, while not having his pixel or glow powers, fights well with swords, a harness and pure skill while Matt is consistently forced to push his powers in new and creative ways. While we get the ones he got to show off against scott, fireballs and demon hipster chicks, we also get to see a lot of cool new shit as he manifests arms ala the Hindu god shiva, with all his powers seeming to tie into Hindu mythology instead of "magic stuff I guess" like the originals. It's a tense fight I assumed would end one way.. but instead... Matthew Patel FUCKING WINS and wins Gideon's emppire, only leaving him alive as a brag

Yeah I assumed from this when first watching that this was some sort of Buffy "Superstar" situation, that Matt had altereted reality to make it better for him. Instead.. nope. This just happened organically. Turns out Matt is badass as fuck, Scott simply had the power of friendship and punches. No power scaling here bitches.

As a result... the League falls apart. Matt is TECHNICALLY leader.. but in practice the exes all go off to do whatever, with Ramona instead encountering them organically. Matt spends the season as a highly paid CEO, mostly showing up once in a while to shut down a whole movie production because it makes him look bad, pathetically hit on ramona.. then get scared when he finds out Scott is alive. My faviorite bit of that is his very timid "Is he mad at me?" like he's a second grader and Ramona's understandably irritated "I dont' know dude" as a response.

Granted this dosen't stop his dreams as Knives and Stephen are able to pitch him a Scott Pilgrim Musical, one of the most gloriously batshit subplots in the history of this franchise. Which really can be said for.. most of this fucking show, but I digress. Despite seemingly hvaing no talent, the prospect of finally getting his broadway dreams back after his dad crushed them is enough for him to level up again, do a performance everyone loves and become a broadway icon. I assume the last part. Hamilton move over, your new compettiion's in town.

(Sidebar to that refrence, I think Hidgens and Matt would be besties. THeir both weirdly violent and obessed with musical theater).

Hell Matt.. dosen't even get upstaged by Gideon. When Gideon tries a looney tunes plan to bomb the theater, the Demon Hipster Chicks just.. disarm it and Matt.. gives Gideon his company back. Turns out being a CEO is hard yo. He's already lost billions. So Matt has his career, his musical, the only thing he didn't want to give up and Gideon could care less about anyway, and a new evil bestie. Life is good.

And naturally it sucks to be Gideon Graves as a result, or rather Gordon Goose. I liked giving Gideon a backstory, aging him down to be julie's old peer who used to wear no fear shirts every day and got shot down hard. Huh I never knew the guy I knew in high school who gave every girl he knew an invitation asking them out in high school became a super villian.

So Gideon spends most of the series in a depressed daze secretly plotting revenge and watching anime. Why is every guy I knew in high school compressed into one sad canadian?

Where he's crashing though was a nice twist: Julie. For those who read my reviews of the comics, you'll recall I didn't exactly like Julie very much. And for good reason: she's the worst. Here she still is.. but Brian found the secret to having a character whose human garbage around without making the audience pull their hair out. You have to make them entertaing. Julie is still a high school alpha bitch all grown up here, but instead of just constantly talking about how Scott sucks, she gets to be funny. She swears constantly, taking a great gag from the film and escalating it, slacks off at her job, and snarks to Ramona about her taste in men.

She also.. gets redeeming qualities. Something I never thought any verison of Julie could possibly have, but here we are. Instead of just seeming to know Ramona and only claming to be her friend because Julie Powers is a starfucker, she's GENUINELY a good friend to Ramona, giving her the info she needs and being contrite when Ramona catches her with Gideon. Julie here feels more like a person and less like a blob of all the worlds sins congealed into that bitch.

And yes she ends up with Gideon, a ship I never thought of in my darkest day but somehow works perfectly. Their both awful in a way that's made for each other and Julie taking in Gordon at his lowest is genuinely sweet.

We get to see Gideon not as G-Man.. but as a nerd whose lost everything.. and gets the greatest and most wholesome montage ever with Lucas Lee. Seriously Lucas and Gideon fucking around Julie's house like two teenage boys is one of the greatest thigns ever put to film, even greater knowing it was somehow only 90 fucking minutes. It's fucking adorable.

What helps though is that while Gideon is a touch more sympathetic and pathetic... he's still not let off the hook for how he treated Ramona. He's not putting the glow in her and stuff, but he was still the same controlling manipulative asshat. I mean he still made the league just to win her back. It's just without the league or the trappings of power... he's a less charming scott, something the books largely hinted at. Ramona DOES get him to be a better partner to Julie, calling him out for leaning on her hard and taking advantage of her, and as a result instead of leeching off her they become equal partners in villianny with vauge never to be elaborated on plans at the end. And it's honestly.. sweet. It's nice their evil together. Sure they'll probably be meancing our heroes with a super mario bros 3 airship eventually, i'm sure, but at least their better. And matt freed his frozen kidnapped wives so we're good.

So moving right along fun and fancy free we have Gordon's best bro, Lucas. Lucas Lee takes more after the film, something Brian admitted was unavoidable for some things: after the movie made some versions of the characters more iconic he really coudlnt' go back. It's why getting the movie cast was so important: While this was going to be it's own thing, having them added a layer and frankly he didn't think anyone else could do it as well. I do think someone could've, there's tones of great voice actors, but i'm still glad he got the all star cast back as their just.. giving it their fucking best. God bless Michael Cera for reviving that email chains.

And you can feel the enthusiasm in most performances, but especially Chris Evans, who responded back within 20 minutes of being asked and hams it up. This Lucas is a bro whose on the verge of being cancelled and who is delightfully try hard, saying let's party as every other line in his films, throwing parties, and generally being axe bodyspray made into a person. He also tony hawks a lot, and you can tell BenDavid loves skater culture.

Lucas is fun to watch, being arrogant and an asshole, but one whose hilarious epsecially squeezed into Scott's t-shirt playing him in young neil's movie. It's a great visual. And his downfall being dating a 30 year old who happens to LOOK like a high schooler is both a brilliant meta joke on ellen wong, and just.. fucking great.

The show also, like all the exes, fleshes him out: It takes what we knew ,that Ramona cheated on him in high school, and fleshes it out: Ramona was his everything, helping a skinny skater kid get by, fixing his boards and generally being sweet.. then aburbtly left him for a fuck boy, with Lucas deciding to become the KING of all fuck boys in revenge.

Lucas isn't super deep, but I love that he's not just the dudebro party massacre we see on the surface: he does actually read the script, has genuine insight into ramona pointing out how unlikely the regular ending of the story is .. simply because she always runs. He also willingly skates into a cloud of ninja paparazzi to cover for her.

And the skating scene.. is one of my favorites in the show. Granted I like me some tony hawk even if I suck eggs at it, so that helps, but the animation is gorgeous. Granted this whole damn cartoon is gorgeous: Science Saru put their heart and soul into every frame and everything looks stunning, having a very early 2000's look with it's frayed edges on the characters, and capturing Brian's style perfectly.

The Skating Segment shows this off, with fluid motion, some great set pieces and some impressive jokes like the alien. It's fucking great.

So Lucas ends up not even able to afford a first class ticket back home.. but finds happiness as a barita. and Stacey finds happiness starring at his ass. Everyone wins. I kinda low key ship those two.. I mean Stacey's a bit younger, yes, but it's not knives level of age gap, and Lucas could use someone with their head mostly on their shoulders. They do try teasing him and kim.. but she'd eat him alive. It'd be fun but she would. So speaking of Kim and the evil exes, let's roll on to my faviorite, Roxie. Roxie is a fucking delight this time, with Mae Whitman, unsuprisingly, bringing her best. It's fun to get to see her cut loose and just play a horny lesbian ninja gremlin like she deserves, with Roxy hamming it up. She spends the evil Ex meeting dunking on everyone else ("Act like you've been here todd!"), and already being the best. She comes off as a combo of her two versions: she has the manic gremlin energy of her film counterpart, being as bi-furious as ever, but has the snarky energy of her book counterpart, being willing to take shots at people and question them... it's just spread to all of the exes since Scott isn't around to be the sole obstacle in her way of ramona.

She's then the first ex Ramona has to deal with herself on her investigation, and it perfectly fits her character: In the film she tried to jump the line, but got a cup of accidental boob punch instead, and while she did wait for Todd to get headbutted out of existence in the books, she also started her attack with some ninja poster clones of Canadian hillary duff in the excellent Free Scott Pilgrim one shot (The very comic that got me into the series), and tried the same sneak attack that ended up in boob punch city. No matter the version Roxy is an impatient little cave goblin and of course the second she realized Ramona was free and the others had stopped giving a shit she'd be the one to show up at her door.

She's also the only one Ramona has to fight instead of just having an adult conversation. And while Takes Off changes a lot by design.. it dosen't deny giving us another excellent Roxie vs Ramona fight, something that I didn't realize was a tradition till this one. Still they saved the best for possibly last as the two's video store dustup is one of the best fights of the series, only topped by the final battle with Even Older Scott and even THEN it's a very close call.

Starting with a furious one on one in No Account Video, one of my faviorite settings from the books i'm glad to see get fully fleshed out and used here, even if it gets wrecked and then shut down as a result, with sprinkler's going off, discount tapes being bodied and Hollie deciding fuck this i'm clocking out, we then get a fun take on an old trope as a stack of tapes fall on them, leading to the two getting stuck in video land. We get westerns, film noir, samurai flicks, Hollie griping about them ruining her faviorite movie but watching anyway, it's a gorgeous fight and the video tape grain just adds to it.

We also get at least one fun bit using the medium as when Ramona gets sucker punched, Kim simply rewinds to help her new bestie out.. and Roxie takes it like a champ and... exits the tape JUST to stomp the remote. Fucking amazing.

The best part though, like a lot of SPTO, isn't the punching, though it's glorious but the payoff. With both exhausted, Roxie lashs out in a brutally painful way, blood down her cheek. It wasn't just that Ramona left, it's that she left.. without saying anything: we get an actual sense of their relationship this time and rather than be the "phase" Ramona cruelly brushed it off as the last two times, we see the two slowly fall in love, a really cute shot of ramona throwing a blanket over the two of them.. and then Ramona moving out, almost saying something but not wanting to, leaving Roxie devistated. It's easy to see WHY she has this bubbling anger at Ramona: every time they've fought, she's made her feel like nothing, something she vocalizes here. It takes what was an extremley dated bit that made Ramona come off like a giant asshole in the previous versions, it's fine if she realized she's not bisexual (which any scene with her and kim in both the comic and this very anime proves is just.. factually false), but it's a face punching way to put it, and puts it in the context of really hurting someone. Ramona realizes she done fucked up, genuinely apologizes and the two.. just collapse. Their friends now.

I also love Roxie hitting on Kim. I could honestly see those two working out.. I mean yes there were no sparks but Kim was kinda put on the spot there and Roxie was on the rebound. Give em some time. Plus I think Kim would work well with a feral gremlin she has to reign in. She's done it before. Roxie also asking about hollie right after before cheerfully leaving.. it's the best. Mae Whitman's the best and I could see her headlining a spinoff easily. Give me more of my feral cave gremlin daughter comma you cowards.

Finally we have Todd. Unlike the others, Todd.. isn't really fleshed out more and is given an entreily new personality from the comics swaggering egotistical rockstar jackass (Since Lucas very much had that niche filled), and the film's errrr...

Brandon Routh done good with the cleaning lady bit, but he wasn't given much to work with. Here... he makes Todd into a gloriously dumb and horny slab of moron. The guy can't go ONE SCENE without nearly fucking envy, which is one of the funniest bits in the show, capped off with the glorious wolf whistling, then fucks Wallace about ten diffrent times that we see over three days, then gets an adorable wallace sailor tatoo.

Todd.. really isn't changed. He was a fucklord in high school and he's a horny cheating mess now. He's an excus efor an already rediculous show to take it up to 11.

So let's unpack the show's sense of humor since I hadn't got to yet: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off takes an already ridiculous franchise with psychic vegans, bollywood hindu sorcerers and literal one ups, and decides to take it to the next level with film fights, lucas lee pro paparazi ninja skater 3, future renditions of Konya Wa No Hurricane by will forte, the montage from stepbrothers: Canadian edition, stunt double fights, and Matthew Patel: The Main Character. This is a series that takes it's emotinal consequences seriously and not much else. And I love it: I love weird shit, I Love balls to the wall humor, and the humor still feels very much scott pilgrim just taken up a notch.

And episode 5 is where it hits it's what the fuck is this peak as Ramona infiltrates the set of the Scott Pilgrim movie. The episode feels like one long shit post and i'm entirely in favor of it. We have Wallace fucking todd and casually dumping him, Envy and Wallace siccing their stunt doubles on each other, an Edgar Wright stand in voiced by Kevin Mcdonald for some reason and Young Neil, who in this series is entirely shit post and i'm here for it. IT's glorious chaos and only the ending is really at all emotional on some level. I mean I feel for Todd, even if he was a cheating bastard, but it's hard to take his grief or envy's seriously when Envy is a carcature of herself in this series and Todd's depression is eating a KFC bucket of poutine and sadly recounting every place he and Wallace made out. Todd isn't given extra depth.. but even as a villian he never really had depth to begin with. He had a disapproving dad and a massive ego. It's fine if he's a giant goofy blushy man who's soul wallace destroys. Brendon Routh does a phenomenal job with that.

Overall the expansion of the exes is part of what makes this adaptation so fantastic. With the exception of the twins they all get to live their best lives, and we get to see more of them. It's fun to see them implicitly join scot'ts friend group, and i've already written little chats about that, as it's fun as hell now their full characters in the world instead of respawning back probably not having learned much except not to punch scott in the face.

And the Rest

So with everything upside down, how do the rest of the people in Scott's Precious Little Life fare when the main character their built to support is gone? It's another hook of this series: if scott's gone, even just temporarily, what happens to everyone else.

Sex Bomb-Omb naturally gets impacted the most, and the versions here are superb.

The standout of course is Knives who deals with Scott's death by discovering a new love: playing music. While Knives had always been a huge fangirl in past versions, it was in the way more teens find music: by glomming on to the first band or two that makes them feel something and guarding that new faviorite thing like a cat with a ski chalet

See? Despite letting these characters live rent free in my head for the past decade, I never once thought of this idea, letting Neil join shatterband, sex bomb omb's followup as it crumbles to dust in the comics, instead.

In hindsight this idea is the most obvious thing: Knives loves music, it's an easy excuse for her parents that eases them into the fact her friends are all 20 year olds, so she can stay with the group easier, and as for why Stephen and Kim would let it happen... both have always liked her. Kim's annoyance is more worrying about Scott scarring her for life, and Stephen an dher get really close towards the end of the series, with him becoming a big brother towards her. The two becoming big siblings to her and letting her join makes sense.

It's especially nice to see with Kim. Kim interacted with Knives a BIT in the books, being the only one on Team Sex Bomb-Omb (The band plus knives and young neil), to take scott to task for the Knives thing to his face, at worst getting annoyed Knives is copying her. Granted like most of the Team, Kim still fucks up with her, most notably.. this

Which at the time I, and apparently the devleopers of the game, saw as a shippable moment but nowadays I see as NOPE PLEASE STOP, PLEASE STOP.. PLEASE NEVER AGAIN. AGE GAP'S STILL AS WEIRD AS WITH SCOTT. PLEASE DONT' TRAUMTIZE THIS CHILD MORE. Kim gets more of a pass than her band mates and neil because she was drunk at the time and clearly regrets it, but it's still something entirely fucked up I wish hadn't happened and feel bad for all involved. This is not how you should find out your bisexual.

The series wisely avoids this as they've realized "This is also statutory". and instead nicely has Kim take up the big sis roll to Knives, being the only one to really look after her after her boyfriend allgedly exploded and was found to have been cheating on her.

Hence we get one of the the best scenes in the series, the drum session. Which I know some did interpret romantically but first off...

And secondly.. really dosen't given the context: Kim sees the band needs a bassist.. but more importantly sees Knives is trying really hard to learn and is clearly spiraling after Scott's death. So she invites her to play since Neil is busy with his screenplay and Stephen, as usual is handeling this sudden loss with all the grace and dignity he's known for

IT's a beautiful scene as two people simply bond as they jam, and both heal a bit from what they've lost. And we find out Knives is a musical progidy who mastered the Bass in only four hours, and masters a keyboard later in less.

This gives Knives her first real plot in the series that isn't tethered to Scott in some way, something that was jarring to realize, but easy to see why: the books are centered around Scott's life, his friends, his love intrest, etc. Their there as needed for his story. Knives has one of the most detailed and intresting character arcs of the main cast.. but it's still thorughly tethered to Scott: his dumping her sends her on a journey of spiraling depression and growth, eventually going from someone who puts scott on such a pedestal that she attacks his new girlfriend instead of seeing the obvious, to accepting Scott wasn't perfect, he cheated and that while he opend her world up, they were really bad together and it was never an equal paring. Even the fun subplot with her dad as the mystery swordsman in book 4.. is because he thought she was still dating Scott and thus attacked him for dating his daugther. The movie makes this worse by trying to make the relationhsip seem legit missing the point entirely. While Knives has a friend in Tamara an da passle of high school drama she gleefully tells scott about, neither are important to the narrative. We only meet her parents because her mom was there when Knives met Scott and her dad tries to run him through.

Here while Scott certainly is part of her story, why she met sex bomb-omb and why she wears his jacket for most of the series, and his death certainly had an impact, she moves on quickly here not because she forgot Scott like it seems a chunk of the cast do or she's TRYING to avoid thinking about him like Kim and Wallace seem to be, she just found a healthy creative outlet, something to put her pain into in a healthy way instead of getting highlights and trying to murder Ramona or dating a guy who looks close enough to Scott. Knives moves on faster here, taking what's implied to be maybe a month at most to move on versus a year.. because she's not isolated in her pain. Scott's friends dont' dump her because it's awkward now and then awkwardly let her stay around post neil because they feel bad. Kim invites her in and after hearing she can wail, Stephen warmly welcomes her into the band, and the two become besties. So we have to talk about Stephen really quick as his plot dovetails into Knives, with the two being a duo for half the series. Stephen is based more on his movie self.

Yeahhh while I love the books on re-read, Book Stephen sucks. He just.. sucks. If your wondering some of the lowlights i'm glad you asked, here's an expertly crafted montage.

And that's just what I could fit into a montage: he also cheats on Julie for most of volume 4, focuses on his affair with joseph to the point he refuses gigs when it's clear playing live is something Kim LIKES doing and helps her relax, and never even informs Scott the band's broken up. The last one's .. iffy because Scott was in a waking depression coma after loosing Ramona, so he coudl've told him and forgot, but out of Scott's friend group he's the most consistently dickish, with Kim's grumpy nature mostly being a wall. It's partly the writing as , again given this is scott centric, we dont' peel back the layers on him the way we do with say Ramona, Knives or Kim. We don't see why he thought it was easier to cheat like we do with Scott and Knives, which wouldnt' make it okay but would make him less punchable. we don't know WHY he stays with Julie. Stephen is just an enigma and as such comes off immesnely annoying when most of his major endevors screw up everyone elses life in some way. And as one final coda to this rant, i'm not saying telling knives about Scott's two timing is bad... i'm saying he's the wrong person to tell her as not only did HE cheat on his partner, and as the last panel shows, KNOWS it's wrong Ramona clearly dosen't know half a year into the relationship, but won't tell her anyway for a friendship he REALLY dosen't seem to remotely care about.

So yeah a hammy constantly anxious relatable stephen was better, and Mark Webber was a delight by contrast. We didn't get to know movie Stephen.. but I didn't want to punch him either. So having Anime Stephen be more like the one who isn't punchable was smart: He's still panicky, crying more over the fact Scott leaves them baseless than over the fact his friend's dead (Which is mildly douchey but as we learned with Julie, if it's for a joke it's fine), and still obessed with making music his career while his band mates are like "Yeah fine whatever", so he's not really changed hard from the core of the character, but he is a delight and him and Knives becoming best friends in a far less hypocritical sense is adorable.

I also REALLY love their pet project: After Young Neil's movie falls through, more on him shortly, they make Scott Pilgrim, the original timeline, into a MUSICAL, complete with a bread makes you fat music number. I do like the ocasional nod here and there: O'Malley and Grabinski conciously didn't want to just.. repeat a gag because it was expected, but threw a few of the more iconic bits in as long as they could remix the joke. It's why the pee bar and the shoe tying making cameos, as their in new contexts, while there just wasn't room for the l-word or scott going out a window.

This whole subplot is gold from Stephens aying "as a creative to another creative" a hundred times, something I relate to since i say as a critic way more than I probably should, to it paying off.

And this is where Knives asceneds. By the end she not only gets closure with scott, admitting she's glad he's back but is glad he died, as the relationship wasn't healthy and she could grow into a hit songwriter, but she has a huge career with an award winning (Probably) musical, a new best friend and mentor, and writing songs for her fav envy.

And most nicely for me.. .I get a reality where Sex Bomb Omb dosen't fall to pieces in some way or form. Yeah without Stephen's drama or callousness depending on the version and with Knives creative vision the band not only stays together, but has a real shot at being something, giving everyone in it a bright future. Knives Chau really got to take off.

Kim is as usual the meaning in my life and the inspriation, with Allison Pill getting to do more with the character since she's not shunted to the background to say one or two lines. I mean she's still IN the background sadly: She gets a major roll in episode 3 and then just shows up when Sex Bomb Omb's together, not even getting that involved in the musical. I really wished after the film Kim got a big beefy roll. She could've been Ramona's sidekick or something like that, the two been clue buddies together. But I suppose the raw sexual tension would've left Scott out. Still she plays of Ramona well and it woudl've been nice ot have Kim around to response to the madness of episodess 4 and 5 with ramona. Still she gets a better shake than the movie: Episode 3 highlights how this version is actually over him, but encourages Ramona's attraction to him, simply warning her of what he's like, is a good friend to Rammy, and gets that moment with Roxie. I love how sh'es just like "I'm not... oh alright". And I think given another chance there would be sparks. Kim is sadly not given MUCH but it's still more kim pine, and i'm always in favor of that.

Finally we have my newly adopted son Young Neil. Unlike with Stephen, they didn't really take from the previous neil, whose super excited, and goofy and better than the graphic novel version whose alright. They go back to the Graphic Novel's glass eyed, barely emotive werido.. yet STILL make him something new rather than just adapt that version.

The result is a neil whose spacey, barely emotive.. but also REALLY dumb and really weird. Naturally I love him and relate immensely. Neil is somehow CRITICAL to the plot this time and entirely unaware of what is going on. He's season 1 todd chavez and it's wonderful.

This Neil gets most of the best bits, with Johnny Simmons having perfect timing. A good chunk of this series weird shit comes form Neil, who takes Scott's death as as sign he should persue his passion for screenwriting and get's his big break when in a half assed wel lmeaning plan, ramona adapts his book into a screenplay and sends it to him. Neil sees a mysteriously cloaked future ramona writing the script.. then assumes it's his sleep paralysis demon and he's a scripting genius.

We then get two glorious episodes of Neil at a movie set not remotely qulaified to be there as he assumes Americans and then the japanese call golf carts mario karts, gets a perscription but somehow winds up with sunglasses, and barely registers Matthew shutting his expesnive nightmare of a film down becuase he can't drive golf carts anymore. It even takes a lengthy and fucking glorious scene with sex bomb omb for him to realize "oh maybe my sleep paralysis demon didn't write this". Just the casual way he says it while everyone else is baffled, and how Kim and Knives have to slowly explain reality to him is great. Neil is comic relief incarnate and I love him, easily the best version. I'm also happy that like most of the cast, he gets a happy ending, as he apparently got a job at the studio after Gideon reopened it driving his cart around. Nick Frost is right, Young Neil really is off the chain.

So onto the one charcter who over FOUR DIFFRENT MEDIUMS has never really talked to anyone I just talked about but knives, we have Wallace. First off: yes i'm still disapointed he never really talked to Sex Bomb Omb. I got it vibe wise: everyone has friends who just.. don't know each other, but the intro got my hopes up they'd actually.. hang out at some point. But just like everything else, the intro isn't remotely indicative of what happened in the anime. The comics sure. And it's a true banger.

Seriously the colors are vibrant, the song is vibrant and fits scott perfectly, with Necry Talkie really nailing him down, and it's a perfect intro. Even if it ends up being nothing like the series , I still love it. One of my faviorite anime intros of all time. Love that cute falling shot of scott and ramona and the bit showcasing the exes. So good.

What was I on about? Oh yeah Wallace. Wallace here is a mixed bag. As with the film Kirean Culkin is perfect as Wallace: he gets the dry tone down, his drunken antics down and the whole sarcastic vibes perfectly. He was the best performance of the film, and while the compettition's too steep here for him to win again, he's still amazing.

That said Wallace.. is a bit more of a dick here. He comes off more.. tolerating scott instead of having a genuine friendship with him, and the only hint we get of him mourning his best friend is just how plastered he is.. and even then he threatens to change the locks. If Ramona reminded him to. I get the two weren't going to be as focused on, but it's still sad.

I also wish his friendship with Ramona stayed. While it makes sense they don't bond, Scott isn't around to link them, it was one of the funnest parts of the books.

Really this Wallace shows why he needs Scott and what he might be like when his bestie isn't around: Just because Wallace is more put together.. dosen't make him not an asshole. While I admi the's more dickish here with reflection.. I have to say it's not out of character. He's still giving us killer bits from wanting to see a notriously straight actor play him, to his smug acceptance of becoming an actor, to his deadpan acceptance that todd's in love with him, he's still the wallace we love... it's just we're seeing the side of him that dosent look better with a dumpster fire constantly ned tot him.

The biggest douchery is of course stealing Todd from Envy.. but besides it taking two to cheat, Wallace stealing someone's boyfriend.. isn't new behavoir. I laughed at how out of left field the PARING was.. but Wallace is Jimmy's bi or gay or pan, whatever he is, awkaneing in the book and film, and Stacey's reaction in both makes it clear he steals her boyfriends CONSTANTLY. So him stealing Todd and then explaining it was just a fling to him.. is entirely in the realm of Wallac'es douchebagery. He's not a terrible person.. but like everyone else in the cast he's a mess. HIs abuse of his stunt doubles was a bit over the line, but is so over the top it works. And this wallace also sings us complicated. So while I wish we got to see more of the Wallace we don't in the books... what we do get is still great.

Envy.. gets the shortest end of the stick here next to the twins, as she at least had a fairly comepelling arc in the book, being the focus of volume 3 and a major part of volume 6. Here while Brie Larson is once again great there really.. isn't much for Envy here. Even the film, which basically squoozer her in at the last second, still gave us an awesome version of the phone call she gives scott and the iconic black sheep sequence. Here while Envy gets another all timer scene in her funeral concert, the second most obnoxiously awesome crashing of a funeral behind flintheart glomgold

Envy DID at least get to dance on his casket. Or a stage above his casket. still counts.

Envy.. is left at the face value we meet her at the start of volume 3: queen biatch, queen of all the chaos, queen of all you love and adore. She's still a lot of fun from the above horny antics with todd to her yanking Ramona out of a talking head interview to fight her battles for her, but there's .. nothing really to her and it stand sout in a series that gives everyone else but the twins something new.

Okay ALMOST everyone as Stacey is once again out of focus like the comics. The movie gave her a bit more, but here she's scott's sister who calls people. That's it. It makes sense, Ramona has no real reason to talk to her, but it's a waste of your Anna Kendrick to not find more antics for her, especially since they found wallace and Neil great subplots. That said she does live her best life at the end starring at lucas' butt.

I also want to note the presence of Hollie, kim's roomate, best friend and co-worker. She does little, Shannon Woodward does a fine job, but I like that she's in here at all: Hollie was a character I liked in the comics.. who went on to steal kim's boyfriend for plot convience. So having a verison of her that dosen't do that shit and is just Kim's snarky foil and friend again works for me.

Finally we have a bunch of cameos, the bulk of them legendary. We get Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as security guards, Weird Al as the intro narator for the doc on the failed Scott Pilgrim film, comedy and voice acting legend MIcheal Mcdonald as Edgar Wrong, Bowen Yang as a tv gossip, kal Pen as matt's lawyers and Kirby HOwell Baptiste as Lucas Lee's agent. All fun one or two off bits, all fantastic.

Finishing off the character stuff we have a missed opportunity too: Joseph and Lisa get to cameo.. but are once again left out, to my annoyance. I get not being able to fit them in and Lisa has less of a point without Scott around.. but it'd still be nice to get a scene or something, especially since I was far from the only person asking for Lisa Miller to get a proper apperance.

So with that we close the book on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.. and it was phenominal. While I would've loved a new adaptation, this.. is even better: a spirtual sequel that expands the characters, is not afraid to go full nonsense, let's a lot of the cast from the film fully shine, and has a bitching soundtrack once again. Not a ton of original songs sadly, but I Feel Fine and Orange Shirt are bangers, and we get Will Forte singing an anime theme song. If the last part dosen't appeal to you, I don't know how you got this far in the review. Takes Off is one of the best entries in this franchise and leaves me hopeful we'll return to this world again. Maybe not on screen but hey, even with the mountain of work it took to get this cast together again, tthis adaptatoin has proven anything is posisble.

Thanks for reading.

#scott pilgrim takes off #scott pilgrim #ramona flowers #netflix #lucas lee #roxie richter #kim pine #wallace wells #knives chau #stacey pilgrim #gordon goose #julie powers #todd ingram #matthew patel #the twins #robot 01 #lbgtq+ #kieran culkin #michael cera #mary elizabeth winstead #brie larson #satya bhabha #jason schwartzman #chris evans

[ryannshannon]

Going down memory lane posting all my OK KO boards I never uploaded here! These were from Monster Party. It was so daunting to layout scenes with so many new characters, but the ghoul school girls were so fun to draw it made it worth the challenge!

#OK KO! #ok ko let's be heroes #storyboards #ghoul school

[ozcarr]

A couple years ago I thought it would be a fun idea to do an OK KO adaptation of Legendary (the deckbuilder board game).

I thought it was such a good idea that I spent hours and hours of my life creating new game rules and drawing out the board and stater hand fight/recruit cards. You gotta understand, I had all the little mechanical changes worked out, but I won’t waste your time explaining all the gimmicks I had planned.

Then I realized that the target audience was literally one person: me. And I didn’t wanna do any more work! I was tired! Why did I do this?? What’s wrong with me??

I guess just take this as proof that I can draw backgrounds and scenery? (if given clear reference materials, obviously. Took a lot of screenshots of the cartoon and the beat-em-up game for this. It was laborious.)

#fan art friday #ngl I’m pretty sure I was unemployed and on Ritalin when I did this. #wish I could recapture that spark #ok ko #ok ko let's be heroes #board game art #fan art #my art

[longelk]

I've beat inscryption but kaycees mod is beating my absolute ass! I cannot for the life of me beat it even once!! Give pro strats pls... (also I love your art so so much obviously but I also think it'd be fun to ask you about the game itself if that's ok!!! :,D)

ofc id be happy to talk about the game itself!! dont feel bad about losing to kmod its very hard on purpose because kaycee likes inflicting pain!

first of all, i learned a lot of lifesaving strats/tricks from this little fanmade kmod wiki! it gives pros/cons for each starter deck and goes into detail about how hand manipulation works and stuff, check it out for sure

that said the most important things to do are:

keep a small deck, especially try not to have more than one or two 1-blood cost cards or free cards

have a big damage card that can 1-hit KO leshy on the first turn (5 damage until you get the challenge that starts you off with 1 damage on your side, then this card should do 6 damage)

those rules probably arent as important when youre just starting and the challenges arent too bad, but eventually leshy is gonna pull a bifurcated turkey vulture on his first turn when you turn the heat up down the road so itd be wise to get into the rhythm early. im assuming you only have vanilla deck unlocked, so try buffing the wolf with bifurcated or at a good campfire

you want to keep your deck small so you can reliably pull your win card preferably on the first turn, when you have too much useless crap like pelts or extra 1-blood costs, theyre going to be pulled in your starting hand and you wont be able to do enough damage in time.

its wise to have at least two 1-Hit-KO win cards to prepare for the prospector since he wipes your board after phase one, and having a backup is valuable when you cant trim down your deck enough

try to avoid map nodes that give you cards, and try to aim for map nodes that will take away cards (or otherwise wont give you new ones). use the campfire to try and get rid of cards you dont want, try to fail cave challenges, dont buy pelts from trapper (buy his knife instead if you can), etc. if a campfire doesnt kill your card you can also exit to menu and re-enter the game to have it buff your preferred card instead lol. and if youre forced to pick a cost card, go with 3-blood cost. if youre forced to pick a family card, try to get one that you can fuse with your win card at mycos. again, you can always exit/re-enter start menu to see what your other options are

that said, ive started doing something on my own that i havent seen mentioned anywhere, and its making sure to use an item in battle if backpack is your next node, to prevent yourself from getting packrats from having a full inventory. im sure theres a strat where you can get a bunch of rats to fuse at mycos but it isnt worth it imo

that, and also try to have at least one item that can instantly kill/remove a card from leshy's board before you fight final boss leshy, like the hook, trapper knife, or scissors. ideally you want to kill his moleman so you can use your KO card before he pulls out prospector and wipes your board and things get hairy. there is a guaranteed backpack node before you fight leshy, you can actually exit and re-enter game to make sure you get the item you want if you dont feel bad about it lol (magickal bleach works against the moleman too but you have to unlock this)

getting your KO card is easier once you unlock the Blood deck (its the first you unlock i believe, after 1-2 challenges) cause it gives you a goat and moose! try to buff that moose at least once, maybe give the goat a good sigil like undying, fecundity or hoarder (hoarder can be a lifesaver if your deck is too big, its the sigil magpie has) or otherwise you can sacrifice the mole to the goat at an early sacrifice stone

#also if you ever try to do skullstorm check out @skull-storm-daily 's pinned post for some great tips #but for now just try to keep deck small and buff your OP cards! #mantis deck is another OP deck to start with but ive always stuck to my trusty goat and moose #i believe in you. have fun #ask #kaycee's mod

[notquiteapex]

So, how's the JukeBox development coming along? Well, it sure is coming, I promise.

In case you don't know what a JukeBox is, it's a little hotkey device I'm building! I originally made this to assist with my endeavors in streaming, but it turns out having extra keys is very useful for a lot of things! Whether it be hotkeys for quickly running macros via AutoHotKey, managing your Discord audio settings, playing funny sounds with VoiceMod, switching tools in your favorite art program like Paint Tool SAI, or managing OBS like I do. It's a very powerful device, and all it does is act like a keyboard with the F13-F24 keys. I bet you didn't even know there was more than the F1-F12 keys, am I right?

About a year ago, I said I would begin selling these soon. That was a bit of a lie, fortunately I am very good at those. That last bit was also a lie, in case you couldn't tell. I got the opportunity to work on the JukeBox as part of an independent study for college credit, so I took a lot of time to plan and rethink the product. That part wasn't a lie The result is the new V5 board!

Ok so this isn't the actual V5 board yet.

I decided to completely change up what makes up a JukeBox. I decided to use an RP2040 chip, which is used to power a Raspberry Pi Pico. I used a Pico board, along with the old JukeBox V4 boards, an RGB LED ring, and an OLED screen to build my ideal V5 prototype. The result is the same JukeBox known and loved but with some added features, like reactive lighting and a screen to display fun graphics and info!

This is the finalized board, it's design has been shipped off to manufacturing, and will hopefully arrive right at the start of the new year. I'm paying a lot of money for just 10 of these things! I can't wait.

The plan is to sell 3 versions of the board, a basic variant (keyboard only), an RGB variant, and an RGB plus screen variant. Prices are still being determined, but they will be higher than previously anticipated due to rising material costs. The goal is to keep the basic variant at $25 to maintain affordability. You will also be able to choose what kinds of keys you want, be it Cherry MX Blues or Kailh Choc Whites.

I'm working on the final casing. It'll be a 3D printed shell with some nice M2.5 nuts and bolts. It'll also be in a mostly-opaque white so the RGB looks good shining through. The legs are also completely optional, both the case and the legs will have nice rubber feet to keep the board steady. The keycaps will be "relegendable", meaning you'll be able to stick a piece of paper in them with whatever you want on them. You get everything seen here, plus a USB-C cable, and my deepest gratitude. Maybe some day you'll get to have a JukeBox in atomic purple instead of a basic white!

The best part about it all is that you don't need to install any drivers! The keyboard component is always guaranteed to work on any computer that supports USB, and most usually do (hopefully). The screen and RGB won't work without a companion app, sadly, but I'm working hard to make it painless to setup and use, near plug-and-play. I've been writing it in Rust while working on the board, and it will support Windows and Linux without much issue.

Lastly, the entire project is going to be open source! The code will be under an open license, and all the physical parts will be usable under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA). I won't allow people to just up and sell the boards without modification, but if someone wants to make and sell their own variant I'd be more than happy to allow it if they ask. Devices like these should be cheap and accessible for everyone.

Hopefully I'll start selling these on my Ko-fi before Q2 of 2024. See you then!

#jukebox #fti #friendteaminc #apexs gadgets #apex barks

[bonniebird]

Hope Mikaelson x Reader  

Requested by @kloy344​

Halloween event

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Make a request

Hope stopped as she rounded the corner. She’d finally shaken whatever was behind her. She’d need to fill in Alaric once she got back to the boarding house. “Are you ok?” Looking up Hope realised that she’d stopped outside of a restaurant. A sign outside said ‘Now open until eleven.’

“Fine thank you.” She said as you stepped off the wooden decking area with a tray of dirty dishes still in your hands.

“Are you sure? You looked like you were hurrying. You can come inside if you need to?” You offered. Hope smiled at that and nodded.

“Are you still making food?” She asked. You frowned and glanced back.

“Well, the chef is packing up. He doesn’t like that the new owners are making us stay open late. But I know there’s a sandwich in the back. It’s fresh. Well from this afternoon.” You smiled when Hope nodded and led the way inside. A few people were sitting at tables around the room and through a small door at the back, as you went through to the kitchen, Hope could see a man in chef’s whites arguing with someone. You hurried back with a sandwich and a side salad wrapped in clingfilm. Hope took it and happily tucked in. She hadn’t eaten anything all day.

“You know they want us to stay open till midnight on Halloween. Chef’s pretty mad about it.” You muttered. You had gestured over your shoulder as you spoke and Hope’s eyes flicked to the argument going on.

“Maybe they’ll change their mind?” She offered. You shrugged and waved off the cash she tried to hand you. “On the house.” 

Hope dropped by often after that. Always in the evening. She’d have something to eat and wait while you closed up and walked you home. Eventually, the kitchen would set aside a dinner for her even if they had to leave early. Your co-workers started to make jokes about Hope being a ghost or a vampire. She only ever showed up at night.

"There’s a rumour going around that you’re a vampire." You said as you closed up and found her waiting for you.

“Oh yeah? Are you scared of vampires?” She said playfully.

“Given that they’re not real. I don’t think they’re scary at all.” Your answer seemed to amuse her as you reached your home and she waved you off saying she had to get back home.

The week before Halloween Chef was arguing with the manager. It was such a rowdy argument that everyone was sent home. You started walking home alone, in the dark, wondering if Hope would drop by. As you turned the corner something collided with you.

You screamed as something with black eyes, veins across its face and pointed teeth which caught the light of a street lamp pinned you down. It was all you could do to keep the snapping teeth at bay. Suddenly, just as your arms started to buckle, they flew into the air. Scrambling to your feet you froze. It was a man. One of the people who worked for chef. He was growling at Hope. She was crouched under a street lamp. Her eyes glowing and her teeth bared. You stared at her, unable to look away while your feet remained glued in place.

When she chased the other vampire away she turned to you. Finally, able to move you stumbled backwards.

“(Y/N).” Hope said softly.

“I have to go.” You said quickly and ran the rest of the way home. Hope’s eyes closed and tears dribbled down her cheeks as she listened to the panicked way your heart pounded as you made your way home.

Hope tag list:

@DeanWinchestersgirl363 @thekayarlene @linkpk88 @babypink224221 @lisainhell @spiderwebs-blog @gryffindorqueensworld @rockyrascal @twerp8999 @bluebear142077 @multi-fandom5 @rafecameronswhore @salemsnothere @supernatural-wolfie @why-am-I-here-01 @babygrinchsblog @love1deandra @archaeologydigit @im-eating-rn @bucketbunny @littlefreakingfangirl @jayyeahthatsme @gillybear17 @bluejaysaysstuff @kaitieskidmore1 @thebaileybugle @bluejaysaysstuff @slxthxrxn-sxmp @hc-geralt-23

#hope mikaelson #hope mikaelson x reader #bonniebird #the originals #legacies #halloween2022

[itisannak]

Dr. Angel Face Prequel, Part 8: First Fight to First Anniversary (Calum Hood Smut)

Summary: Calum and (Y/N) have their first fight ever. After bouncing back from it, they celebrate their anniversary and exchange the most thoughtful gifts This is an NSFW story. If you feel uncomfortable reading contents of this type, please, scroll through the chapters to find something you might like. (Smut / Fingering / Public Sex / Risky Sex) (Words: 6.3k) Dr Angel Face Main Stories: Fetish / Heat / Heat Extended / Dr. Angel Face / Dr. Angel Face Alternative  /  Dr. Angel Face Prequel 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 /  My Full Masterlist  /  Dr. Angel Face Masterlist  / My Ko-Fi

"How was New York?" Amelia asks, joining me as I stare at the OR board. "New... I don't know, I didn't see much." I reply. "Ooh, that sounds nice." "It wasn't anything like that. Calum was doing promo, I was stuck in a hotel room. And we only went out twice, and that was strategically planned to avoid paps and fans. It wasn't the dreamy New York trip I was hoping for." I sigh. "I am sorry. I know you wanted it to be special." "I knew what I signed up for. Anyway, I am back now, and I have a spinal shunt on a toddler. So, wish me good luck." "You don't really need good luck. But yeah, Good Luck. Karev is assisting?" She asks and I hum. "With the help of Robins via videoconference." "No one recognizes this about you, but the fact you are going your fellowship like that, over videoconferences and with such a long distance from your mentor, is admirable. You are one badass gal, Dr. Angel Face." She teases me, making heat cover my cheeks. "I am going to kill Calum for that nickname." I groan. "It's cute, and it suits you. Let him live." Amelia sings as I walk further from her.

The nickname is now stuck with me at work and home. Even Calum's friends have adopted it. For nearly a year now, I am Dr. Angel Face, and it is lovely. I never want it to change, I never want to be called another nickname, ever again.

"Good morning, buddy. How are you feeling today?" I ask the toddler who hides in his mother's arms, suckling on his pacifier. "Say good morning to Dr. (Y/N)..." His mother coos, stroking his head softly. "He is a little shy today. And a little fussy." She replies as I wait for the interns to scram in. "It's alright. As long as he is not fussy because of a headache." I reply, turning to the interns. "Shall we hear the patient's history?" I ask and the intern nods. "Sammy Spelk, age 3. He was diagnosed with hydrocephalus a month ago and referred to us. He has no other conditions and his morning labs were normal." He narrates and I hum. "Little Sammy over here is going to let us see his temperature, right?" I ask the toddler, sitting on the edge of the bed. I show him the temperature gun, letting him inspect it. "Let's use it on mommy first." I say, pointing the gadget to his mother's forehead. It makes a beeping sound and the LED screen flashes green, showing me her normal temperature. "Are you ready, Sam?" I ask and he points at his head. I smile at him, preparing the gun before pointing it at him. "97.5, we are alright. Now, we are going for a walk and we are going to get a picture of your head. Ok, Sam?" I ask, looking at the interns. "We are heading into surgery after the CT?" The mother asks and I nod. "If there is no swelling, we are going to prep him for surgery. I will send someone out to inform you while we are in. I have done this surgery countless times. And I am being assisted by the hospital's chief of surgery, and Dr. Robins, who is a top pediatric surgeon. Sam is in really good hands." I assure her and she sighs. "Do you have children?" She asks me and I shake my head no. "No, I don't." "You are very good with Sam, and he is not an easy child. He seems to trust you." She states. "It is one of the reasons why I chose pediatric neurosurgery. Children are much better patients than adults." I joke as the intern rolls in the wheelchair for Sam. "Can I come along?" The mother asks. "You will have to wait outside the radiology department, but yes, it's preferred if you do follow." I reply, helping Sam onto the chair.

"Your phone was shut off..." Calum states as my call goes through. "Good evening to you too, my love. It is so nice to finally hear your voice after such a long day." I tease him, earning a scoff. "You are a pain in the ass, Dr. Angel Face." "I have been told. Multiple times, by my boyfriend who wouldn't change anything about me." "Smartass..." He mumbles. "I was in surgery, I needed to be undistracted." I explain and he hums. "Am I a distraction, Dr. (Y/L/N)?" He asks. I can practically hear his cocked eyebrow in his voice. "The worst kind of. Anyway, why were you calling me?" I ask him. "I wanted to ask what you'd like for dinner... Remember, date at your place, tonight?" "Of course, I remember. But I thought I'd be cooking." "Well, you said you had this exciting surgery today and I thought you'd need to rest a bit, that's why I am suggesting takeout." He explains. Oh no, his caring and considerate side. I can feel my heart pounding, my knees becoming weak. "Just say you don't like my cooking, Hood..." I laugh and he sighs, in playful frustration. "I could eat some stir-fry tonight. Maybe some chicken wantons too." "Rice cake too?" He asks and I hum. "Do you even need to ask?" "I will be over at your place at 8:30." "I will be waiting." I cheer, a smile permanently tattooed on my face nowadays. He makes me happy, the happiest I have been in a relationship. And he is the longest relationship I have been in, I am not afraid to admit it. Sometimes I catch myself thinking he is the one, the one I am supposed to grow old and spend the rest of my life with.

True to his word and never late, Calum knocks on my door at 8.30. I rush to the door, opening it with a smile on my face. However, Calum's energy doesn't seem to match mine. "Hi. Come on in. Is everything alright?" I ask, moving aside to let him in. He hands me the takeout bag, walking straight to the living room. He is silent, and he seems broody, like something is bothering him. "Cal, did something bad happen?" I ask him, leaving the bag on the coffee table. Calum digs his phone out of his pocket, focusing on it and completely brushing me off. "Calum, I am getting a little worried. What is going on? You seem angry." I take a seat by him, reaching to take his hand in mine. He pulls it away, handing me his phone. "Someone took pictures of us in New York." He snaps. I furrow my eyebrows together, looking at the pap pic. "Took pictures of us doing what?" I ask. "On our date. There is one of us walking to the restaurant, and some of us kissing..." He sounds just as tense as he did before. "Oh." I simply breathe out, not seeing where the tragedy is in someone taking a picture of us kissing. "Oh? Is that all you are going to say?" He asks me and I shrug, locking the phone and handing it to him. "What more is to say? We both knew it would happen eventually." I reply. "This is a fucking disaster, (Y/N). The worst thing that could happen. I don't understand how you can be so calm about it." I stare at him, shocked by his choice of words. "A disaster?" I ask, blinking fast as I stand up from the couch, with my arms crossed before my chest. "You know what I mean..." "No, I don't know what you mean, Calum. I don't know why us finally going public is the worst thing that could happen. I really don't, unless you are embarrassed about dating me. I know I might not be the most polished, or the shiniest woman you could have by your side, but I am fucking amazing and I fucking deserve not to forever live in secret." "(Y/N), this is not what I meant." He says through gritted teeth. "I think you should go, Calum. Go home, talk with your friends, and sleep on it. Get your head clear. Take time, take a day, a week... Just, come back to me with a clear head." I try to remain calm, but my voice breaks at the end of the sentence. "(Y/N), come on. I am sorry." He stands up. I pick up the bag from the coffee table, handing it to him. "Goodnight, Calum." I say simply, stepping aside and looking at my feet, waiting for him to go.

He sighs, leaving the takeaway bag on the coffee table, before walking out of the house. I pick up the bag, head straight to my fridge, and place it on the very front of the fridge, before heading to lock the door and head to bed.

-

"Can you touch my finger, Sam?" I ask the toddler, holding a finger up for him. He seems to follow the command with ease, reaching for it with both hands. "Good job, buddy. Now I am going to hold this light in front of you, for just a few seconds." I explain, taking my flashlight out of the pocket of my coat. "Pupils are responsive and we have good gross motor function. Now, Sammy, can you look at my finger?" I ask, holding it up again. I move it from side to side, while my intern holds Sam's head steady. "Follow my finger, Sam." I say softly, moving my finger from side to side. "Look at you go... Excellent. And now for the fun part." I announce, reaching for the markers and coloring pad on the nightstand. "You are going to paint with mommy. I heard you are an amazing artist." I hand the pad and markers to his mom. "Why are we handing the patient these?" I turn to the interns. "Fine motor function?" One asks me. "And why this particular method." "Cause he is... a kid." She replies and I hum. "Give him time to color, and we will be back in an hour. This far he is doing great." I assure the mother. "Thank you. We will get straight to color, right buddy?" She opens the pad, spreading out the markers for her son.

I know I gave him time to think and all that stupid shit, but Calum has not even called me yet, nor texted me our usual good morning. It is less than 24 hours since he left my house, but it has been a long, torturing day and I am honestly over this whole argument. He should, by now, have admitted he overreacted. I should not have suggested that he take time if I wasn't prepared to wait for him to do his thinking. I must know better by now. And I know he is not embarrassed by me, not the tiniest bit, but the drama queen inside me wanted to make an entrance. I unlock the door to my apartment, kicking off my shoes. I cannot wait for winter to give place to long, summer daylights. I am not built for early, dark nights.

Before I could even head to my kitchen and dig my way into last night's leftovers, the doorbell rings, signaling that someone is behind my door. I peep through the peephole, finding Calum waiting for me to open up. I open the door, looking at him with knitted eyebrows. "Can I come in?" He asks, pointing inside the house. I move from the door, inviting him inside. "I just got home." I state, shutting the door behind him. "I know. I was waiting for you in my car." He replies. "A tiny bit stalkery. Why didn't you use your key?" I ask, signaling for him to follow me to the kitchen. "I didn't know if Jean was home and I honestly didn't want to stumble upon her. She is not the friendliest..." He mumbles and I hum. "Yeah, she is like that lately."

I reach inside my purse, taking out the picture Sammy gifted me earlier this evening, and putting it on the fridge, choosing a cute magnet for it. "Cute art. Must be expensive." Calum teases me. I cannot help the smile that curls up my lips. "A patient gifted it to me to thank me for my job." I reply. "Should I be jealous of the competition?" He asks me. "He is way too young for me. Takeout?" I ask, opening the fridge. "No, thank you. I was hoping we could talk..." He leans against the counter. I shut the fridge close, turning to face him fully. "Do you want to start?" I ask him. "I am not embarrassed by you. If anything, you are the one way out of my league. The pap pictures are a breach of privacy, my privacy, and I want to keep some things to myself. Not because I don't want to scream from the rooftops you are mine, but because people knowing means they are going to harass you. I don't want that, I don't want to put you in the bullseye. I know what it does to relationships, I have seen it tearing couples apart. I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to be attacked. And going public means that you are now part of my public image, it means that the PR team controls my public life and yours. I have learned to live with that, but you shouldn't. I know I overreacted yesterday, I know I did not use the right words. And I am sorry for that. I am sorry you felt that I am embarrassed by you, for even a second. I love you, (Y/N). I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone. And I am not saying this to win you over or to end this argument. I am saying it because it is how it is. It is how I feel right now." He talks fast, his slight lisp becoming more prominent as his frustration grows. I chuckle, shake my head and move closer to him. I hold his face in my hands, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. I feel him sigh in relief as we kiss, moving his hands to my lower back, holding me close to his body. "I love that you want to protect me. I really do. But I am a grown woman, and I survived med school when I was a teen. They can bring it on. I have a thick skin, and I can take care of myself." I whisper softly, resting my forehead against his. "I can't stop worrying about you." He admits. "I promise, if it ever gets bad enough that I cannot handle it, I am going to tell you. I will not let it come to a breaking point." I hold my pinky up, earning a chuckle from him. He links his pinky with mine, leaving a peck on the tip of my nose. "And since we are apologizing, I want to say I am sorry for how dramatic I was yesterday. It was not fitting to the situation." "You have a bit of a flair for the dramatic. You could have made an excellent actress." He teases me, softly pushing my head to rest on his chest. "It is one of the things you love about me." I point out and he hums. "It is pretty high on my list."

"My mom and my sister are visiting in 3 weeks." Calum comments as I walk into the living room, holding the fresh takeout food just delivered to my house. "They are? That's exciting. Are they staying at yours?" I ask him and he hums. "Of course. I cannot let them stay elsewhere." "How come they are visiting now?" I ask him and he shrugs. "Mali wanted to visit on my birthday, but she couldn't, she had some studio sessions to finish. And my mom wanted to come with me on New Year's... She wanted to meet you, but she couldn't come last minute. So, she is visiting now." He makes room for me on the couch, lifting the lap blanket so I can curl up to him. "I am meeting your mom?" I ask him and he hums, digging into the delivery bag. "Are you nervous?" "No. I mean, I obviously want her to like me. But she sounds like an absolute sweetheart and I think she already likes me." "She does. She likes how grounded you keep me." "I keep you grounded? Really?" I ask, picking up my chopsticks. "Before I met you, my head was in the clouds. Then I went through that breakup with my ex and I lost my balance. But you came along, and you made me feel things again. I had to find my balance again to be with you." He replies, handing me my box. I smirk to myself, leaning my head on his shoulder and pressing a kiss on the hollow point of his jaw. "You make me sound like some sort of magical creature. Like your life was nothing before I met you." I comment and he shakes his head. "My life was fucking amazing. It still is. I just didn't have to mindset to enjoy it fully. You didn't change me, but you certainly helped. And to sum it up, you are a magical creature. Something between an angel and a fairy godmother." He presses a kiss on the top of my head before digging into his food. "You know that everyone at the hospital calls me Dr. Angel Face now?" I ask him and he scoffs, smirking as he chews his food. "It suits you." He says. "I think I will have it embroidered on my lab coat." I joke, picking a dumpling with my chopsticks. "With a set of angel wings next to it. You will definitely rock it." "I will suggest it to the chief." "Speaking of suggestions, our anniversary is next week." "I know. But I am working the night shift that day." I reply, hating that I have to rain on his parade. "I know, I remember. So, on your day off, I am taking you on a short trip." "A short trip? Where?" I ask, sounding a bit excited about it. "Just less than an hour away from L.A. Not too far. There is a vineyard, in Moraga Drive, they give tours and have wine tasting. I have booked us a group tour." "Are we taking friends with us?" I ask and he shakes his head no. "No, I just thought it would be fun to blend into a crowd of strangers to celebrate our day." He explains, picking up one of his spring rolls and feeding it to me. "Aren't you afraid of being recognized?" I ask and he shrugs. "Well, the secret's already out. Nothing more to fear." He replies, planting a kiss on my forehead. "In that case then... Let's get drunk on Moraga." I giggle, making him hum.

-

"Do I get the royal treatment this morning?" I ask Calum as I make my way into the kitchen. He is up, behind the stove cooking breakfast for us, looking like a sexy little lumberjack with his flannel shirt over his grey tanktop, and the 3-day-old stubble decorating his face. It is just a pair of hairs, nothing more, but in my head, it is the sexiest thing. "It is just pancakes and coffee, don't kick your panties off just yet. It is early, you still have time until breakfast's ready. You might want to go lay down for a bit longer, I'll call you." Calum suggests as I take a seat, setting up my iPad on the island and opening my notepad. "I have to study for this neonatal procedure. Robins has sent me a pack of notes and a video. I have already watched the video, don't worry about the gore. I am just taking notes of the notes." I assure him, clicking my pen. "I love gore." He teases, mumbling under his breath. I smirk to myself before opening the article Robins sent to me. "Is it interesting?" He asks me, passing me a mug of coffee. "To me, yeah. I doubt you would have any interest in neuroendoscopic neonatal procedures for spinal fluid dynamics, though." I state, scribbling down on my paper. "I have a huge interest in the things you are interested in." He comments, moving behind me and resting his chin on top of my head. "Ok then. I am studying for an endoscopic septostomy. The plan is to prep now for the procedure so that when the mother goes into labor, I perform on the baby straight away. Right now, there is an obstructed ventricle on the baby's brain, which does not allow the proper circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. Our goal is to unblock the ventricle and allow proper circulation, thus connecting the 3 ventricles of the foramen of Monro." I explain, drawing a quick shape on the paper to explain it. "It sounds all very sexy when you say it." He plants a kiss on my jaw. I giggle, feeling ticklish from the way his day-old beard rubs on my skin. "It is truly such an exciting thing to do. The whole procedure is nothing sort of art. Minimal need for interventions post-surgery. And no severe complications. It is exciting just thinking about it." I explain and Calum chuckles. "I can see how excited you are. When is the mother due?" He asks. "4 weeks. I have time to prep, but you never know when she might get into labor. I want to be ready for any case." "You know you are my personal hero, right?" He asks me, wrapping his arms around me. "It is really not that big of a deal..." I feel my cheeks heat up at his compliment, still getting flustered when he praises me "It is. You should see yourself when you are talking about all that medical stuff... You can light up the whole town." Calum kisses my cheek softly, letting his peck hover over my skin.

"Don't you people have any fucking sense for others in this house?" Jean almost screams, making both Calum and me snap toward the entrance of the kitchen. "I didn't realize you were home." I stutter, watching as she fumes. "I come home after a night shift and I am looking for a bit of quietness to have a bit of sleep, and there you are, laughing like hyenas and talking like you are 3 miles apart." She groans. "I don't think we were that loud." Calum protests, for the first time confronting her. "Of course, you fucking don't. You weren't the one being awakened." "Jean, you know you don't live alone. And we were not loud. We were just talking. I am sorry you are not asleep now, but you are being insufferable the past few days. Everything annoys you." I say calmly, knowing that even a raise in tone will upset her. "Of course, I am not living alone. We used to be two. Now it's three of us..." She says bitterly, walking away from the kitchen.

Calum stays and stares at me empathetically, waiting to see my reaction now that she is gone. "I don't think she likes me much." He mumbles, his voice barely above a whisper, making sure she does not have an excuse to be bitter. "I don't think she likes anyone to be honest." I roll my eyes, shutting my tablet case closed. "Maybe I should stop spending time at your house..." He suggests and I shake my head at him. "I think it is time I stop spending time at this house." I reply and he looks at me with knitted eyebrows. "Jean... She used to have a little crush on me. I made it clear I was not interested and she dropped it. But when I started dating you, she started acting weird. I don't think I am comfortable with this behavior anymore. I think it is time I find a place for myself." I explain, tilting my head to the side. "Well, that explains a lot..." Calum replies, taking a sip from my coffee. "So, you are planning to move out?" He asks me, making me shrug in response. "I don't see another way to cope with her being awful. I am tired of this. She is not mean to just you, she has become aggressive with me too." I state and he sighs, leaning in to peck my forehead. "Pack a little bag with what you'll need. Come stay with me while you prep for the surgery and we will look into options for moving out. Go, I'll stay here and tidy up your kitchen..." He suggests, stroking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You don't have to take me in like a stray. I will be fine here." I assure him but he does not seem to be taking no for an answer at the moment. "What kind of boyfriend I would be if I let my girlfriend stay where they don't treat her right?" He asks, picking up the plate of pancakes before me.

-

"New dress?" Calum asks as he enters the master bathroom. I shrug, leaving my powder brush by the sink. "I figured our first anniversary deserved something nice." I reply as he moves behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist softly. He pecks the top of my head, smiling as he looks at us in the mirror. "I can't believe you have been mine for a year now... How did I ever get so lucky?" He asks, not breaking eye contact through the mirror. "I don't know... But thank your lucky star for me too." I reply, stretching my hand back to stroke his hair. "I'll make sure I do. Almost ready?" He asks me, lowering his lips to the nook of my neck. "Just lipstick and perfume and we are out of the door." I reply and he hums. "I think gloss will suit you better today." He comments and I cock an eyebrow at him. "Ok, Mr. MUA... I'll take your advice today." "I'll pick your perfume." He pecks my temple, moving to the drawer of my toiletries in his bathroom. "Is this a dig to my taste?" I ask him with a soft chuckle. "You obviously have great taste. You are dating me. I just want to pick your perfume." He replies, picking up the little bottles and opening the caps to smell them. "This one. This one always smells good on your skin." He comments, taking a deep whiff of the perfume before letting it rest on the counter by the sink. "I will be out in a second." I smile, applying a layer of lipgloss to my lips. "Gonna check if Duke is set..." He says, pressing a kiss on the side of my head. "I'll meet you downstairs." I reply cheerily, throwing the gloss inside my little purse.

The sun is shining brightly as we ride through the Californian road, blasting some soft music with the windows rolled down, letting the soft wind hit our faces. Even with sunglasses on, the light is so bright that I have to narrow my eyes to be able to look out of the window. "The only thing that could make this thing better is if we were in a convertible." I comment, leaning my head back against the headrest of my seat. Calum smiles and picks my hand from my lap, not taking his eyes off the road as he brings it to his lips. "Next year." He replies, fixing his sunglasses. "You are not taking me to the same place on our next anniversary." I comment and he hums in surprise. "Already having expectations for next year?" He asks. "Why shouldn't I? I am not planning on breaking up with you, and I am not letting you go... So..." I reply with a shrug. "That doesn't sound too bad. I am going to keep your word on that." He chuckles softly, smirking without turning to look at me. I smile to myself, reaching to stroke the hair on the side of his head. I can't remember the last time we had a soft day like this, usually too preoccupied with work and other obligations. So I am going to keep it as a sacred gift. "What is it, princess?" He asks me and I shrug. "Nothing... I just like spending time with you." I admit, not able to take my eyes off my man. He stays silent, but his eyes crinkle as a smile spreads on his face.

Calum pulls me from the group, looking around to make sure no one is looking at us as we walk further into the barrel cellar. "Where are you taking me?" I ask with a very soft giggle, taking a sip from the Merlot sampler we got handed before walking from the crowd. "Somewhere a bit more private." Calum replies, bringing the hand of mine he is holding to his lips. "Why do we need privacy?" I ask as he picks a corridor at the very back, hidden from the attendees. "Because you look a little too good in that dress." He comments, cornering me up against a barrel. He picks up the sampler glass from my hand and leaves it aside, before he leans down to kiss me, placing his hands on my hips. My hands move to the loops of his jeans, fingers going through them to pull him closer to my body. "You smell so sexy." He mutters against my lips, trailing a hand to cup my jaw and keep my head steady. "My boyfriend picked my scent today..." I giggle a little loudly, making Calum groan before he muffles me with a kiss. "I will need you to be really, really quiet. We don't want everyone hearing you and kicking us out." He says sternly, gripping my jaw firmly. "Why would they kick us out?" I ask, knitting my eyebrows together. Calum chuckles, inching the hand that was resting on my hips down to the hem of my dress. "We both know how vocal you can be when I touch you, angel." He comments, bringing his hand in between my thighs. I gasp, eyes going wide as I muffle my mouth with my hand. Calum has a devilish, triumphal smirk stretching on his lips as he discovers my core. "Angel is not as angelic as expected... Not wearing panties today?" He asks, rubbing his fingers on my slit, putting a little pressure on my clit. "Must have forgotten about them..." I tease, throwing my head back against the barrel. I spread my legs more, completely ignoring all logic that says we should not be doing that right now, in this place. "Where is your mind, princess?" He chuckles in a low voice. "On you." I reply, knowing my response will make him hum in pleasure. "That's my girl... Should reward you for that." He hums, gathering my wetness with his fingertips. He grabs my chin and pulls my head down, bringing his lips to mine as he slips 2 fingers inside me. I am grateful for being muffled; the sigh that leaves my lips would have caused some queried looks if not suppressed by his kiss. He curls his fingers up, smirking against my mouth at my little gasp. I feel my face becoming hot, the rush of the moment taking over my prudish side. But who am I kidding? My prudish side has been muted for a year now. "Do you have any idea how wet you are?" Calum asks, caressing his fingers inside me slowly as he moves his lips to my neck. "You will be a good girl and stay quiet for me, won't you baby?" He asks me, grazing his teeth over my sweetspot. "Because if you won't, we will have to stop this. And we don't want this, do we?" He asks me in a condescending tone. I purr in agreement, pressing my lips together to force myself to stay quiet. He picks up the pace of thrusting his fingers, while his thumb moves expertly to stroke my clit softly. His fingers cause a knot in the pit of my stomach, while his thumb on my clit makes me tingle all over, sending electricity down my spine. I have to brace myself, so I cling to him, burying my face in the side of his neck. My nails clutch onto his back as I become more and more lost in pleasure. My left leg hikes up, wrapping around his waist as I lean back, hiding my face to the side, muffling my mouth with my hand. "You have to stay still, princess." Calum comments. "I can't. I can't. I am sorry." I mutter, bucking my hips against his hand. "I need you... I need your cock." I whisper, looking at him pleadingly. "Not here, angel. But I promise you, you will get everything you crave when we return home." He replies as I pulse around him. "I need to..." I begin, but before the whimper could escape from my lips, I bite onto my hand. "I know, baby. Cum for me." Calum leans in, pressing his forehead against mine. It is mind-blowingly intense, trying to cum without making a single sound and drawing attention to us. Yet, I dig my nails into my palm and manage to ride my high without making noise. "You look so cute, all flustered from your orgasm." Calum comments, pecking the tip of my nose. "You know, I was never that risky before I met you." I state as he moves his thumb against my clit, prolonging the euphoric feeling coursing inside me. "What are you talking about? The first time we fucked was in a supply room in the hospital you are working." He points out, taking his fingers off from inside me. There is a numb pulse on my core at the loss of contact, but then I watch as Calum brings his fingers to his mouth, taking my taste, and the pulse becomes heat, spreading on my sex and my whole body. "I think we should leave. What do you think, angel?" He asks me, fixing the hem of my dress. "Who needs wine when I can get drunk on you?" I ask, gulping the knot in the back of my throat that forms just at the thought of what will happen once back home.

Calum takes my hand in his as I lay my head to rest on his chest. Still breathing heavily from his orgasm, he brings my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles softly. "Why does it still feel so good?" He asks with a sigh. "Would you rather sex was bad?" I ask him back and he chuckles. "It was rhetorical." He points out. "Ashton thinks we are still in a honeymoon phase." Calum adds and I move my gaze to meet his. "You are talking to Ashton about our sex life?" I ask and he rolls his eyes. "No. Obviously no. He just thinks I am smitten. And I don't disagree, to be honest." "Oh, Hood is in love." I chuckle, leaving a kiss on his chest. "I am." "Luckily, I am in love with you too." I rest my ear on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "We really left our date to come stay in, huh?" He comments and I hum in agreement. "There isn't a better place to be than with you." I reply, tracing a pattern on top of his stomach. "I got you a little something." He states, sitting up to reach under his bed. "What a coincidence... I did too." I cock an eyebrow, getting off the bed to head to the drawer I keep my stuff. "You really shouldn't have." He sighs. "Likewise." I kneel on the end of the bed, passing him the little cardboard box. He hands me the gift bag, motioning me to stop before I open it. "It is really stupid, the thing I got you. But it was stuck in my brain since we talked about it." "I am really curious about what it is." I comment, tapping my fingers on the bag. "You can go ahead and open it if you want to." He suggests but I shake my head. "Yours first. I have to explain it a bit." Calum eagerly undoes the bow that holds the little box together, lifting the lid to take a look inside.

"I always love it when you wear rings. And I thought about what I should get you, and it was this. This is the snake from the international medicine symbol, shaped like your initial. I know it is stupid, but I thought that it would be like having a little bit of me wrapped around your finger." I explain, watching as Calum takes the ring out of the box and slides it on his finger. "It is one of the most beautiful gifts I have ever gotten. I love the thought behind it. Wait, did you design it?" He asks me and I shake my head no. "I described it to the jewelry designer and he made it for me. I am not that good at designing." "It is beautiful. Thank you, my love." He runs his finger over the ring, smiling as he takes a good look at the chunky, silver ring. "My turn now." I announce, opening the bag. "I am really embarrassed about my gift now." He warns me. I reach inside, picking out a brand new lab coat, embroidered with the hospital's logo on the right side of it. On the left, it has my name, and title, with a bit of addition underneath it. 'Dr. Angel Face', with angel wings on either side of the sentence. I laugh softly, remembering when I jokingly suggested I should have the nickname embroidered on my coat. "Calum, this is... Amazing. I don't know what to say." I am still looking at the coat, running my finger over my nickname. "Wait... That's the title I will get when I complete my fellowship." I point out and he hums. "I am so sure it is coming soon, I don't see the point of not having it embroidered on the coat already." He states. I leave the coat aside, moving closer to Calum and cradling his face in my hands. "I love you so fucking much." I state, before leaning in to kiss him.

--

Announcement: Two more parts for the prequels before I post the next part of the main story. It is going to be titled Wrapped Around Your Finger, and I will probably have to break it into 2 posts because thus far it is 38k words and I am still not done with the plotlines I want to include.

Dr Angel Face Main Stories: Fetish / Heat / Heat Extended / Dr. Angel Face / Dr. Angel Face Alternative  /  Dr. Angel Face Prequel 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 /  My Full Masterlist  /  Dr. Angel Face Masterlist  / My Ko-Fi

#calum hood #calum thomas hood #calum 5sos #calum hood imagine #calum hood fic #calum hood smut #calum hood smut imagine #calum hood smut fic #5 seconds of summer #5 seconds of summer imagine #5 seconds of summer fic #5 seconds of summer smut #5 seconds of summer smut imagine #5 seconds of summer smut fic #5sos #5sos imagine #5sos fic #5sos smut #5sos smut imagine #5sos smut fic #imagine #fic #smut #smut imagine #smut fic #wattpad #wattpad writer #ko-fi #ko-fi writer #c.t.h

[sinful-liesel]

Tears of Themis - Artem Nendoroid + Artem 2023 Birthday Merch ✨

Hello~ I’m hosting a group order for Tears of Themis official merch. USA & International orders OK! (USA based) Please see the order form below for more details.

Reblogs & shares are appreciated! ❤ #lieselGOs

GENERAL INFO

Order Form: bit.ly/43UGqul

Deadline: May 08 (11PM CST)

Payment: Paypal, Ko-Fi, Venmo, & Google Pay

PRODUCT LINEUP

Artem Nendoroid

Birthday Gift Box

Can Badge

Shikishi Board

Acrylic Panel

Enamel Pin

Acrylic Standee

*New*

Acrylic Puzzle 

Enamel Pin

Enamel Pin

Cozy Couple's Getaway

RR Can Badge

RR Holo Can Badge

RR Acrylic Panel

The Men from N.X.X.

RR Holo Ticket Set

RR Square Badge Set

Marius Personal Story

RR Can Badge

#tot merch #tears of themis #artem wing #luke pearce #marius von hagen #vyn richter #tot #otome game #otome merch #josei muke #lieselgos

[mrawkweird]

Can you imagine being Ian James Quartly right now?

After finally getting your show off the ground, stuffing it with all the stuff you love including stuff from the very network you work with just to have the network pull the rug from underneath you at every turn.

Cutting down production on big special episodes like the Crossover Nexus that originally was meant to be a half hour cut down to 10 minutes.

Next to no advertising, shadow dropping episodes on their app no one really uses making the creator having to advertise on his own twitter

Being canceled and having to warp up the show so people still feel satisfied, and having the finale being labeled as a special and be packaged with a Teen Titans Go Rerun and then immediately pulled from syndication.

AND THEN after years of being over and done with to add insult to injury they WRITE YOUR SHOW OFF FOR TAXES and pull it from the biggest streaming platform it's available on along with any other trace of it on their social media

KO was legit the last all ages propertey that wasn't attached to some already exiting big franchise that I loved and I think I've been more cynical ever since I heard the news it getting canceled

Dude crossed over with Sonic The FUCKING Hedgehog before his movie brought him back into mass public relevance, shit was 100% made for me. So to have my favorite show on the my favorite network get shot in the knees, die and get buried just to have the network comeback to the grave years later, dig it up, and fucking cremate it for money alongside all the other bullshit the big wigs in charge have pulled it's not hard to think that industry is rigged against actual good content when they prefer the ones that they can pump out endlessly.

It's why I think Primal is so important, a show that could not have been made by a corporate board. A show with next to no dialogue, intense violence and long shots of just atmosphere and silence. It's why I'm glad Genndy was given the position to pretty much do whatever the fuck he wants. It's what I think every big creator deserves. Like if Rebecca Sugar wants to make another show (my personal feeling of Steven Universe aside) she should be allow to do whatever the hell she wants.

In the end the only "good" thing that came from this is reaffirming the era of Piracy

The level of disrespect that hit OK KO to me is honestly damn near unprecedented. Like, that was some DC Nation level disrespect. The only possibly higher level of disrespect would be Justice League Action disrespect.

That man Ian gave us a show that was built from love, care and THICC and he kept getting slapped in the face at every turn. OK KO Let's Be Heroes was the show for you if you basically had a childhood. It was the show that we the people, of many cultures, would want to do ourselves. It was a toy box with all your favorite action figures. Ian deserves to be rolling in zillion dollar bills for OK KO and instead they virtually gave him $20 and threw him a ditch.

No matter what they do they can't fucking erase this away from me.

Creators should be allowed to have control over their own vision if it's genuinely not hurting anybody. We've been getting nothing but quality from Primal and nobody stuck their hands in that. Even going as far as to withhold a real preview because Genndy wanted the episode to be experienced firsthand. People shouldn't have to keep fighting so hard for their visions to not only be realized but fucking protected from being erased at the whim of a company that can't be bothered to think outside themselves for one millisecond.

People can't tell me to not pirate shit all the while making my access to the content impossible. At that point you want people to steal it from you. And guess what? The streets are gonna do what the streets need to do just like they got their hands on the animatic for Genndy's unreleased Popeye film. Like, don't try and play dirty with the community because we stay grimy. They fucking put us there.

#Animation #Cartoon Network #OK KO: Let's Be Heroes #Primal

[kuyabonoforyou]

PATRICE'S STORY

Dear Kuya Bono,

               Kumusta po ang lahat. I hope everybody is OK. Ako, mas OK ngayon kesa nagdaang mga taon ng buhay ko. Nag-explore kasi ako noong 2018. Nainggit sa mga pinsan ko at pinatulan ko rin yung sinasabi nilang ‘Get Out of your Comfort Zone’.

               DALAWANG TAON DIN NA NAMUHAY ako gaya ng buhay ng mga pinsan ko sa Maynila..at nakasanayan at nagustuhan ko na rin ang pamumuhay nila….pero NAGKA-PANDEMIC kaya’t noong JUNE 8, 2020 ay…wala akong choice kundi ang UMUWI muna dito sa Probinsiya.

>>>>> 

               Graduate po ako ng BSE  Major in English noong 2016. Same year ako nag-take Licensure Examination for Teachers at pinalad naman mapabilang sa 31,334 na pumasa. Imagine that number of new teachers. Secondary pa lang yan ah. Sa Elementary naman ay 23,378 ang pumasa.

               Hindi lang ako at pamilya ko ang natuwa sa pagkakapasa ko ng Licensure Exam Kuya Bono kundi…baka, lalo na si Yosee. Matagal na kasi siyang nanliligaw sa akin noon kaya lang, parang hindi siya seryoso…kaya’t hindi ko rin siya sine-seryoso.

               Kabarangay ko lang si Yosee. Puro opposite ang mga purok namin. Purok Uno sila, Purok siyete kami.

               Sa paraang pabiro ko lang nasabi noon kay Yosee ang ganito;

               “Yosebio,..pag pumasa ako sa Board Exam, sasagutin na kita….”

               “Luh, huwag na! Ayoko ng ganon. Di naman ako desperado sa chance na maging GF kita noh?...Kung sagutin mo man ako dapat dahil yan sa…mahal mo ako, hindi dahil sa masaya ka lang kasi pumasa ka sa exam. Apaka-kenkoy mong babae ka!”

               “Kaarte mo naman Yosebio. Ayaw mo di huwag….at lalo namang hindi ako desperadang maging tayo noh? Ang kapal mo!!!”

               “Mas makapal ka! Dadaanin mo pa pala ako sa pustahan eh. Pano kung di ka pumasa eh di hindi rin ako pumasa sayo?! Style mo bulok!”

               “Mukha mo bulok! Huwag ka na ngang pumupunta dito sa’men noh? Istorbo ka lang sa buhay ko! Uwi ka na!”

               “Oyyy…nagalit naman agad. Joke lang darling ko…..di ka mabiro…..”

               “Anong darling ko?! Di pa tayo noh?”

               “Tayo na….kasi sigurado namang papasa ka sa exam eh. Ikaw pa ba? Maganda na…matalino pa…”

               “Hay naku Yosebio,..hindi mo ako mauuto….”

               “Payag na nga ako eh. Sagutin mo na lang ako kapag pumasa ka sa exam….pero kapag hindi ka pumasa. Liligawan pa rin ulit kITA kahit na…back to zero ako, start from the beginning…OK lang sa akin kasi….mahal  kitang totoo…todo todo walang preno…SAGAD HANGGANG BUTO!”

               “Diyan ka magaling sa kasaltikan mo. Alam mo, kaya hindi ako naniniwala sayo eh kasi puro ka biro….”

               “Hindi. Promise. Mula mamayang gabi bago ako matulog, madadasal ako…ganon din paggising ko sa umaga, magpe-pray ako….hihilingin ko kay Bro na….ipasa ka niya sa board exam…..para maging tayo na….para matikman mo na ang aking matamis na halik….at naguumalab na yakap…aking mahal na Patrice, Pa-kiss na lang, KAHIT isa lang please…..”

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               Kahit hindi kataasan ang score ko sa LET ay nagpa-ranking pa rin naman ako, baka sakaling suwertehing magkapagturo sa Public School…kahit na, alam kong mahirap kasi nga napakarami naming bagong teachers.

               Alam kong matagal makatanggap ng balita tungkol sa ranking kaya’t nag-apply muna ako sa isang Private High School sa bayan pero huwag na lang nating pagusapan ang suweldo dahil talagang minimum lang. Mas mataas pa nga ang suweldo ng nakababata kong kapatid na si Perry sa kaniyang trabaho bilang collector sa Lending…at pinagyayabang niya sa akin yun kasi siya, hindi tapos ng college. Choice niya yung hindi  magtapos kasi tinamad nang mag-aral at pinakinabangan na lang niya ang pagkahilig niya sa pagmo-motor sa pagiging collector. Bestfriend ni Peter si Yosee kahit na hindi sila magka-age kasi, si Yosee ang ka-age ko. Ka-batch ko siya sa public elementary school dito sa amin…pero hindi kami close noon. Ang ka-close niya ay yung mga kagaya niyang bardagul na laging pasimuno sa mga kalokohan sa school.

               High School, sa private nag-aral si Yosee. May kaya kasi talaga sila kahit noon pa. Empleayado sa DENR ang Papa niya, pero siya din ang boss sa kanilang malawak na Palayan at Maisan, malawak na Manggahan at may Poultry din sila. Ang Mama naman niya ay may puwesto ng dry goods at beauty parlor sa bayan. Yung mga nakatatandang kapatid ni Yosee ay nasa abroad kaya’t well-off talaga sila…pero walang yabang at arte si Yosee sa katawan. Napaka-simple niya at barriotic pa nga kung pumorma.

               College, nag-enroll siya ng Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major in Crop Science sa Mountain View College sa Valencia City. That time ay dalawa na lang sila ng bunso niyang kapatid na si Carmela ang naiwan dahil ang mga nakatatandang kapatid nila ay nag-stay sa Maynila at yung dalawa, panganay at sumunod sa panganay ay nagpunta sa America.

               Ako naman ay kumuha ng Bachelor in Secondary Education major in English sa BukSU o Bukidnon State University dito lang sa amin sa Malaybalay, Bukidnon. So, hindi kami schoolmate ni Yosee pero, updated ako tungkol sa kaniya dahil nga sa bestfriend siya ng bunso kong kapatid na si Perry…at nagkukuwento ito tungkol kay Yosee kahit hindi naman ako interesado.

               Vocal din si Perry noon sa palaging pakumusta daw ni Yosee sa akin…pero that time ay, wala talaga akong interes kay Yosee kasi, in-love na ako noon sa ka-klase at secret boyfriend kong si Michael.

               Nakay Michael Kuya Bono ang mga katangian ng lalaking pangarap kong maging boyfriend. Guwapo, mas matangkad sa akin, malinis sa katawan, matamis ngumiti at matalino.

               Consistent Dean’s Lister si Michael Kuya Bono, hindi siya bumababa sa Top 5. Ako, never mind. Hindi ko na-experience ang mapasali sa Deans List kasi hindi naman ako matalino at hindi ako masipag mag-aral. Masipag lang ako sa bahay, masipag akong magluto at maglinis pero tamad akong maglaba at mamalantsa,..kaya kay Mama napupunta ang mga gawaing ayaw ko.

               Balik tayo kay Michael. Kabatian ko na rin siya dati pa, naka-grupo ko din siya sa Project noong 3rd year kami pero hindi naman kami nabigyan ng chance para maging close noon. Siya ang group leader noon kaya’t naka-distribute amin na mga members nya ang kaniyang atensiyon.

               Pero noong 4th year na kami, pareho kaming na-assign sa Silae National High School para sa aming Practice Teaching. Pabor kay Michael na sa Silae kami na-assign kasi, taga-Kibalabag siya which is katabi lang ng Silae. Pero ako ay sa kabilang panig nakatira at malayo sa Silae ang sa amin.

               Mabuti na lang at nag-abroad noon ang panganay naming si Kuya Paulo. Binata pa siya noon at INIWAN niya kay Papa ang kaniyang Honda TMX 125 pero madalang namang magamit ni Papa dahil walang daanan ng sasakyan papunta sa bukid niya.

               Ang motor na yun yun Kuya Bono ang ginamit ko sa pagpasok sa Practice Teaching ko at dahil sa motor na yun ay, naging kami ni Michael.

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               Grade 5 pa lang ako marunong na akong mag-motor. Nagsimula akong matuto sa tricycle ni Tito Tonyo na kapitbahay lang namin. Noong High School ako, nagagamit ko na rin ang motor ni Kuya Paulo kapag wala siyang sumpong. Madalas kasi ay madamot siya sa motor.

               Unang araw ng Practice Teaching namin ay nagulat pa si Michael noong makita niya akong nagpa-parking. Naka-jogging pants lang ako noon pero dala ko ang pencil cut naming paldang uniform sa Practice Teaching. Nagbihis na lang ako noon sa CR ng Faculty Room.

               May dala akong baon noon na lunch Kuya Bono pero inaya ako ni Michael sa bahay nila na nasa kabilang barangay lang naman. Sumakay kami sa motor na dala ko pero siya ang nag-drive at ako’y angkas niya. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam ‘non Kuya Bono, feel na feel kong kaangkas ako ni Michael sa buhay niya.

               Noon ay nakilala ko na rin ang magulang at dalawang kapatid niyang wala pang asawa. Bunso si Michael at…mamangha ka talaga sa mga naka-kuwardong graduation pictures ng mga kapatid niya sa kanilang dingding. Ang ayos ng pagkakahilera. Kagaya ng pagkakahilera ng mga pictures ng mga naging Mayor sa mga Munisipyo. Walo silang magkakapatid at si Michael ang bunso at picture na lang niya ang kulay sa dingding na yun.

               Malaki ang bahay nila Kuya Bono pero simple lang. Para itong Ancestral House. Malawak din ang kanilang bakuran at napakaraming tanim sa paligid. Mabait naman ang parents ni Michael. Makuwento ang Mama niya at lagi itong nakangiti. Ang Papa niya, hindi palangiti, mukhang strikto at English Speaking….pero nauunawaan ko naman  yun kasi, siya ay retired principal.

>>> 

               Naging sobrang close kami ni Michael Kuya Bono at talagang in love na ako sa kaniya pero, alangan namang ako ang manligaw? Ramdam kong caring din siya sa akin pero hindi naman nagsasalita. Eh ako, experto ako sa pagtatago ng damdamin ko kaya’t alam kong hindi rin ako nagpahalata na gustong-gusto ko siya.

               Kaya lang noong sumapit ang 21st birthday ko Practice Teacher pa kami  noon, tandang-tanda ko pa, LUNES yun at katatapos nga lang ng Flag Ceremony at nakikipagkumustahan pa lang ako sa mga estudyante ko noong biglang pumasok ang dalawang lalaking Grade 10 Students. Yung isa ay may dalang gitara.

               “Yes boy? What can I for you?” tanong ko sa kanila.

               “Haharanain ka namin maam…” sagot ng isa at yung isa’y nagsimula nang tumugtog ng gitara. Yung isa ay kumanta naman ng EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD NG AIR SUPPLY.

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               Nasa kalagitnaan na siguro ng kanta noong pumasok naman si Jericho, ang pinaka-poging estudyante ni Michael at may dala itong bouquet of red roses. Tilian kami noon, oo Kuya Bono pati ako ay nakitili sa mga babae kong estudyante. Ang tamis ng ngiti ni Jericho noon….diretso siya sa akin at inabot ang bouquet ng pulang rosas.

               “Ano to, anong nangyayari?” tanong ko kay Jerico. Sumenyas siya sa pinto at doon ay lumitaw naman si Michael. Parang maiihi ako kilig noon Kuya Bono, patuloy pa rin noon ang pagkanta nung dalawa sa harapan pero noong matapos sila ay pumasok si Michael.

               “Saglit lang to guys!” Tila paumanhing sabi niya sa mga estudyante ko.

               “Ahmm…..Patrice, sa totoo lang hindi ako marunong manligaw. But…here and now…I am expressing my love to you. I LOVE YOU…..can you be my girlfriend?”

               “YES! YES!!!” narinig kong sigaw ng isang estudyante ko, una siya lang pero halos mag-chorus na sila sa pagsigaw ng YES! YES! YES!”

               “Yes…daw…” Sabi ko.

               “Gusto ko manggaling sayo. It is a yes?”

               “Michael….of course, YES!”

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               Nakakakilig diba? Pero…hindi kami nagtagal ni Michael. Sorry to disappoint you pero,..BU-ANG kasi ako at nakakahiya ang nangyari.

               Buwan na ng March noon. 7 months na kami ni Michael noon kasi, September 22 ko siya sinagot. Gaya ng dati, umuwi kami sa bahay nila ng Lunch Time pero kararating lang namin ay nagpaalam ang katulong nila. Ang Mama ni Michael ay nag-attend daw ang Mama at kapatid niya ng kasal. Ang Papa naman daw niya ay may nilakad sa Maramag, isang bayan din yun ng Bukidnon. In short, kami lang ang tao sa bahay nila.

               Dati nang maka-serve ang pagkain namin sa mesa. Pagkakain namin ay nag-shower si Michael pero hindi muna nagbihis. Nakatapis siya ng tuwalya noong tabihan niya ako at ang lakas ng kabog ng dibdib ko noon Kuya Bono. Hinagkan niya ako sa labi at naging maalab yun…hanggang sa hinila niya ako sa kuwarto niya nakatabi lang ng salas. Sumama naman ako at doon Kuya Bono ay natangay na rin ako. Hinayaan ko na siyang tanggalin niya ang saplot sa katawan ko. Nakabuyang-yang na ako ng hubot-hubab sa kaniya…tapos pumatong siya. Nagulat ako noong madama ko ang kaniyang…ANO sa pagitan ng hita ko…ang tigas at parang ang laki.

               Doon ay natakot ako Kuya Bono. Bigla akong bumangon, tinulak ko siya. Dinampot ko ang mga damit ko saka ako lumabas ng silid niya. Sa salas ay magmamadali akong nagsuot ng panty ko, bra at ang palda ko…at noong sinusuot ko na ang blouse ko ay nagulat ako dahil napansin kong may nakaupo sa sofa….may hawak na diyaryo….pero sa akin nakatingin---ang Papa ni Michael.

>>> 

               Sa sobrang hiya ko Kuya Bono ay umalis ako ng walang imik sa Papa ni Michael. Bumalik ako sa school mag-isa pero hindi na pumasok si Michael nung hapon.

>> 

               Kinaumagahan ay sa BukSU kami, kasi may klase pa ako noon liban sa Practice Teaching. Noong matapos ang subject na yun ay nilapitan ako ni Mara, ka-klase ko siya at ang sabi niya;

               “May kakausap sayo….pinsan ko….PUWEDE, sama ka?” Sumama naman ako Kuya Bono kasi, alam ko namang hindi gaga si Mara. Actually isa siya sa mga campus crush sa school at lagi ding parte ng Deans List. Dinala niya ako sa library na malapit lang sa classroom namin. Doon ay nadatnan namin si Katarina. Kilala siya ng lahat kasi nag-runner up siya sa Mr. & Miss BukSO nung nakaraang taon. Pinsan siya ni Mara.

               “Hi!” Nakangiting bati niya sa akin saka niya ako pinaupo sa harap niya.

               “Ako si Katarina…..”

               “Kilala kita….” Nakangiting sagot ko.

               “Patrice right?”

               “Oo….”

               “Ahm, hindi na ako magpaligoy-ligoy pa Patrice. May itatanong lang ako…..”

               “Sure. Ano yun?”

               “Hindi ba nabanggit ni Michael sayo na…girlfriend niya ako?”

               >>>

               “Girlfriend ka niya?...hala. Sorry, hindi ko alam…wala, wala siyang nabanggit sa akin…ang alam ko talaga, wala siyang girlfriend…..sabi pa nga niya hindi siya marunong manligaw….”

               “Complicated kasi ang sitwayson ko dito sa school…kaya usapan namin ni Michael na, sikreto muna ang relationship namin. Akala ko OK lang sa kaniya.

               “Sorry Katarina, hindi ko alam….”

               “May estudyante ka na…kapatid ng friend ko. Yung friend ko ang nagkuwento sa akin na….sinagot mo daw si Michael infront of your class….”

               “Oo, totoo yun…pero promise, hindi ko alam na kayo….”

               “Sigh. Anniversary namin ngayon. Nasa simbahan siya…naghihintay sa akin. Hindi ko pa siya nako-confront tungkol sa inyo…and I decided na sayo ko alamin kung totoo..bago ako humarap sa kaniya…and I think, kayo nga diba?”

               Hindi ko nasagot ang tanong na yun ni Katarina.

               “It’s OK Patrice. The truth is, mahal ko si Michael pero, sa ginawa niya…pinatunayan lang niya na…hindi niya deserve ang pagmamahal ko. Pupuntahan ko siya para makipagbreak na. Mas OK na yung may closure diba?”

               “I’m sorry Karatina…promise hindi ko alam….”

               “No, it’s OK. Siguro nga…kayo talaga ang para sa isa’t-isa…and I want you to know na hindi ako galit sayo. In fact, sobrang nagpapasalamat pa nga ako kasi…pumunta ka dito at nagsabi ka ng totoo….thank you Patrice….” Pagkasabi ni Katarina yun ay nakita kong tumulo ang luha sa makinis niyang pisngi.

               Tinapik pa niya ang balikat ko noong bago siya marahang lumakas palabas ng library.

               “Tara na din…” Aya sa akin ni Mara pero ang sagot ko;

               “Mauna ka na Mara…dito lang muna ako……” Pag-alis ni Mara ay, nagisip ako ng gagawin ko kay Michael.

               Mahal na mahal ko din siya Kuya Bono kaya lang, HINDI OK sa akin ang ginawa niya,..o mga ginawa niya. Una, yung pagtatangka niyang kunin ang pagkababae ko. Pangalawa,..may girlfriend pala siya.

               Noon ko lang nakaharap at nakausap si Katarina Kuya Bono pero natantiya kong mabuting babae siya,..at nakonsensiya ako kasi…bahagi ako ng sakit na dinanas niya dahil kay Michael.

               Noon din sa library ay nagdesisyon ako. Makikipagbreak na din ako kay Michael kahit na…mahal ko siya.

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               Hindi lang actually si Katarina ay yung attempt ni Michael na kunin ako…ang mga dahilan kung bakit, kailangan ko na din talagang iwasan siya. Isa pang major reason ay yung…nahihiya na ako sa magulang niya, lalo na sa Papa niya.

>> 

               Hiyang-hiya pa rin ako sa sarili ko Kuya Bono kapag naaalala ko yung tagpong yun na…siguro nakita ng Papa ni Michael ang buo at hubad kong katawan.

>>> 

               Hanggang sa maka-graduate kami ni Michael ay hindi na siya lumapit sa akin…at wala na rin akong pakealam noon sa dahilan niya. Then, days before graduation namin ay madalas ko silang makita ni Karatina. Minsan nga, nakasalubong ko pa sila sa corridor at nag-ngitian kami ni Katarina….at nakapagtataka Kuya Bono kasi, hindi naman ako masyadong nasaktan o nagselos. Actually, masaya ako para kay Katarina kasi…siguro ay nagawa niyang patawarin at bigyan ng pangalawang pagkakataon si Michael…at hindi niya ako inaway diba? At sa totoo lang, bagay sila ni Michael. They really look good together…

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               So far noon Kuya Bono ay si Michael ang pina-OK na naging boyfriend ko; pinaka-guwapo, pinakamatalino, pinaka-maganda ang family background pero siya pa ang hindi ko iniyakan.

               Nakatatlong boyfriends din ako noong High School. Hindi pa K to 12 noon. Dalawa noong 3rd year then isa noong 4th year na na-extend pa ang relationship namin hanggang First Year ko sa college. Silang tatlo pero third party ang reason kung bakit ako nakipag-break. Ayoko kasi ng lalaking HINDI LOYAL AND FAITHFULL…Kaya kahit masakit, nakikipagbreak ako. Sa relasyon Kuya Bono ay idol ko ang parents ko. FIRST AND LAST LOVE nila ang isa’t-isa.

               Pareho din silang nag-abroad noong maliliit pa kami. Si Mama nag-DH sa Kuwait, then si Papa nag-Saudi naman pero pareho silang hindi nagtagal sa abroad kasi, ayaw nilang masanay na malayo sila sa isa’t-isa. Nanghihinayang sila sa mga taon na hindi nila kasama ang isa’t-isa.

               Ganon ang gusto ko. At gusto ko ng lalaking loyal at faithful…yung ako lang ang mahal at pakamamahalin.

               Oo, hindi ako kagandahan…at hindi naman ako nag-aasam ng guwapo eh. Actually, akala ko nga swerte ko lang kay Michael. Akala ko, may nakita siyang special sa akin…something na hindi nakikita sa panlabas kaya niya ako jinowa….pero na-realize ko din na…gusto lang niyang makaisa kaya siya nag-effort din sa akin.

               Then nung bakasyon, eto naman si Yosebio…o Yosee, na unang lumapit sa akin dahil kukunin daw akong muse sa team nila sa basketball. Nagdidilig ako ng halaman noon at tinapat ko sa kaniya ang sprinkler.

               “Ay bu-ang ka ba? Kagagaling ko sa basketball..mapapasma ako!”

               “Umalis ka kasi dito. Huwag mo akong pagtripan!”

               “Seryoso ako Patrice, wala kaming muse kaya ikaw na lang…..”

               “Ang sama mo noh? Porke wala kayong mahanap…mapipilitan kayong ako na lang ganon? Lumayas ka nga dito!” Sabi ko saka binugaan ng tubig kaya tumakbo sa kinaroroonan ni Perry….pero panay pa rin ang tingin sa akin at nagpapa-cute. Ngingiti-ngiti, kikindat-kindat at saka parang batang nagbu-beautiful eyes. Napapangiti ako sa kakulitan at  kakengkoyan niya pero hindi ko pinapakita. Tumatalikod ako kapag napapangiti ako para hindi niya makita at nang hindi niya isiping….napapasaya niya ako.

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               Alam na alam ko naman na ganon ang style nila ni Perry sa babae eh. Pareho silang naniniwala sa kasabihan nilang; “IF YOU CAN MAKE A LADY LAUGH, YOU CAN WIN HER LOVE!”

               Kaya yung style ni Yosee na yun, hindi epektibo sa akin. Kaya yata nag-isip sila ng iba. Sila kako kasi, alam kong kakutsaba niya ang kapatid kong Perry. Unang araw ko ng pagtuturo sa Private High School sa bayan na sabi ko’y pansamantala lang habang hindi pa ako nabibigyan ng break sa Public School….ay, nakisuyo ako kay Perry na ihatid ako. May MIO kasi si Perry, regalo sa kaniya ni Papa noong mag-tapos ito ng High  School. Bigla siyang nagdahilan, magsi-CR lang daw kaya hinintay ko naman. Kaso paglabas niya ng CR, may LBM daw siya.

               Maya-maya’t dumating si Yosee dala ang kotse ng Papa niya. Halata sa ngiti ni Perry noon na planted ang pangyayaring yun. Sumakay na rin ako sa kotseng dala ni Yosee kahit na, hindi ako nagre-react noon sa mga pambobola niya.

               “Ang isang magandang dilag na kagaya mo, hindi dapat sa motor sumasakay….” Sabi pa niya noon pero hindi ako nag-react. Sinulyapan ko lang.

               “Mula ngayon, hatid sundo na kita….” Sabi pa niya noong bumaba na ako sa harap ng school at noong labasan ng hapon ay nandun na siya, nakatayo pasandal sa kotse at nakakaloka ang ngiti niya sa akin.

>> 

               Pinanindigan niya Kuya Bono na ihatid-sundo ako kahit noong busy na siya sa farm nila. Isa kasi siya sa mga nag-ooperate ng malalaking makina na pansaka, in short, sa sarili nilang farm niya ginamit ang pinag-aralan niya. Hindi siya nag-apply sa iba.

               Tuwing Sabado at Lingo, nasa bahay din siya kahit wala si Perry, ako ang ina-alaska. Hanggang sa napansin kong parang seryoso na siya pero dinadaan lang sa biro. Wala na ring babaeng nali-link sa kaniya noon, ayon sa mga kaibigan ko dito sa baryo….at ayon din mismo kay Perry.

               “Seryoso yun sa’yo. Alangan namang gagaguhin ka nun eh…tropa ko siya. Hiya na lang nun sa akin….” Ito pa ang sabi ni Perry sa akin noong minsang, tinanong ko kung wala na talagang babae si Yosee.

               At yun nga, sinagot ko na rin kahit na…may duda pa ako noon sa kaniya at hindi ko pa siya ganon kamahal.

>>> 

               Pero habang nagtatagal Kuya Bono ay unti-unti siyang napamahal sa akin. Nakasanayan ko ang kautuan niya,….kasi, sa kabila ng mga kalokohan niya Kuya Bono ay mabait siya, may isang salita at marespeto.

               Lagi niya akong hinahagkan pero sa pisngi o noo….at kung sa labi naman ay smack lang….at hindi ko namamalayan Kuya Bono na,…talagang mahal na mahal ko na siya. Yung tipong, siya na talaga ang gusto kong makasama sa habang-buhay.

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               Noong kaga-graduate ko pa lang ng college ay kinukumbinsi na ako nina Alice at Gwen…mga pinsan ko na mag-call center din sa Maynila. Si Gwen, hindi nga college graduate eh, second year lang sa Nursing ang naabot niya.

               Noong kasal ni Ate Mayet na pinsan ko din, kapatid ni Alice ay umuwi sina Gwen at Alice kasi mga abay din sila kagaya ko, partner ko din noon si Yosee at, sakto pang SECOND anniversary namin noong ganapin ang seremonya ng kasal nina Ate Mayet at Kuya Kris sa simbahan.

               “Next year, tayo naman pakasal…” Narinig kong sabi ni Yosee noong kami ay nagma-martsa sa aisle ng simbahan. Hindi ko yun pinansin kasi, palabiro nga siya at baka biro lang niya yun…pero seryoso pala siya.

               Kinagabihan kasi, sa handaan ay inulit niya yun sa akin kaya ang tanong ko;

               “SERYOSO ka ba?”

               “Oo, bakit? Nasa tamang edad naman na tayo ah. 24 na tayo pareho….”

               “Masyadong maaga Yosee. Ganiyan dapat kina Ate Mayet,…27 siya…28 naman si Kuya Kris….”

               “Ayaw mo di huwag!” Ganito ang narinig kong sagot niya at bahagyang nakasimangot. Hindi ko na lang pinansin.

>>> 

               At dalawang taon na akong nakapila sa ranking Kuya Bono pero, wala pa ring good news. 2 years na rin akong nagtitiis sa kakarampot ng pasuweldo sa Private School sa bayan….at iyon ang dahilan kung bakit, nakumbinsi na ako ng tuluyan nina Alice at Gwen na mag-apply din sa Call Center kung saan sila nagta-trabaho.

               Ang alam ko Kuya Bono ay, hindi naman talaga ako materialistic na tao pero, nakakainggit din kasi talaga ang mga pinsan ko. Iba sila manamit, iba silang kumilos at magsalita since nag-call center sila,…tapos ang mga gamit nila, alahas, cellphone…mga mamahalin talaga.

               Ang reason ko talaga noon kung bakit ako umaayaw sa anyaya nila ay, ayoko mapuyat gabi-gabi. Kaya lang sabi  nila, nakakasanayan naman daw yun…at hindi naman sila dry Kuya Bono, fresh skin nga sila eh kasi bumabawi naman daw sila ng tulog sa araw.

               Nag-decide akong sumama sa kanila…pero noong magpaalam ako kay Yosee, matigas ang kaniyang PAGTUTOL…pero wala siyang nagawa kasi, katawan ko, sarili ko ang boss ko sabi ko pa sa kaniya…at lalo pa akong nagmatigas noong sabihin niyang; “Pag umalis ka, manliligaw ako sa iba!” At ang sagot ko;

               “Eh di manligaw ka!”

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               Noong mga unang buwan ko sa Maynila Kuya Bono, lalo na noong training days ko pa lang….madalas kong maisip si Yosee. Liban din sa, napaka-kulet sa text at chat at pinapauwi ako…pero nagmamatigas ako, sabi ko hindi ako uuwi. Hindi na niya inulit yung banta niya na manliligaw sa iba.

               Sa totoo lang, umiyak siya noong paalis na kami papuntang Maynila at ang higpit ng hawak niya sa  kamay ko na parang bang, ayaw talaga akong paalisin.

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               Nasabay nga ako sa buhay KUWAGO Kuya Bono, gising sa gabi, tulog sa araw…at hindi ko namamalayang, tuluyan ko nang napabayaan si Yosee. Hindi kasi ako puwedeng magbabag sa chat o text sa gabi kapag nasa trabaho ako at sa araw naman, siyempre tulog ako maghapon….at sa pagdaan ng mga araw Kuya Bono ay, totally wala na. Kahit si Perry, hindi na rin nagkukuwento tungkol kay Yosee.

               Pero isang araw, 7 months na ako noon sa Maynila at chinat ko ang kapatid ko. Kinumusta ko si Yosee. Ang reply niya sa akin;

               “Ate…ang relasyon inaalagaan. Hindi yung kukumustahin mo lang kapag may time ka….” Hindi na ako nag-reply. Ramdam ko kasi na disappointed sa akin si Perry. Hinayaan ko na lang Kuya Bono at, sa totoo lang ay….hindi ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon noon na mag-emote kasi,..mas pinili kong matulog kesa sa mag-isip ng kung ano-ano. Pero with all honesty, hindi ito ibig sabihin na….hindi ko na mahal si Yosee. Mahal ko siya pero, wala lang talaga akong time…AT magkaiba nga kasi ang FREE TIME namin. Gising siya sa oras na tulog ako and vice versa.

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               Hanggang sa, napako na rin ako sa buhay call center Kuya Bono. Nakigaya na ako sa mga pinsan ko na naging materyosa at nahilig sa mga mamahaling items na…kadalasan ay pinapangutang lang naman pala. Kaliwat-kanang LOAN AND INSTALLMENT.

               Sumapit ang pasko, hindi ng kami nakauwi…ganon din noong sumapit ang HOLY WEEK, may pinili naming magpipinsan ang sumama sa Palawan.

               LIMANG ARAW ang bakasyon na yun sa El Nido Kuya Bono at noon ko nakilala si RICO, sa facebook.

               Napansin kong marami na pala siyang message sa akin dati pa. Nakita ko sa message request. That day sa El Nido ay kinonfirm ko na rin ang Friend Request  niya kahit napansin kong lilima ang pictures niya. Sabi niya, hindi daw siya mahilig sa camera. Sabi ko, bakit naman eh ang guwapo mo nga.

               “Mas gusto ko sa text at call kaya…puwede, pahingi ng  number mo?”

>>> 

               3 months lang siyang nanligaw sa text at call Kuya Bono, sinagot ko na si Rico. Gising pa siya kapag ala-una ng madaling araw na siyang BREAK TIME namin. Saka pa lang siya matutulog pagkatapos naming magusap.

               Sa umaga, alas nuwebe…naging pampatulog ko ang kanta niya. Naka-loud speaker lang ang phone ko, kumakanta siya at naggigitara. ISA YUNG TALENT NIYANG yun Kuya Bono, ang husay niyang maggitara at ganda ng boses niya pagkanta…na naging dahilan kung bakit ako nahulog sa kaniya kahit hindi pa kami nagkita sa personal.

               Kapag matutulog na ako sa umaga,..tatawagan ko siya.

“Malko,HELE TIME NA”…Sabi ko. Siya ang nakaisip ng tawagan naming yun. MALKO..na shotcut ng MAHAL KO. At kapag tinawagan ko siya sa umaga at matutulog na ako, kahit anong ginagawa niya, ititigil niya at kakantahan niya ako hanggang sa makatulog ako.

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               Kaya lang, natapos din ang relasyon namin ni RICO. Parang nagising na lang ako sa katotohanan na, nakikipaglokohan lang ako sa kaniya. Ilang beses ko na kasing inaya na mag-kita kami sa personal pero, puro palusot siya. Hanggang blinock ko na lang bigla sa PHONE pati sa Facebook.

               Nakakalungkot lang kasi, kinailangan kong magadjust noon sa nakasanayan ko nang HELE TIME ko sa umaga para makatulog. Pero, naka-move-on din ako…at OK na ako noong bago pa magsimula ang PANDEMIC.

               JUNE 2020 noong mag-announce ang company na, WALA MUNANG PAPASOK…pero may ilan na nabigyan ng unit para makapag-work from home. Kasama dun ang mga pinsan ko na talaga kasing magagaling na sa larangan ng call center.

               Ako, wala akong choice noon kundi umuwi muna dito sa amin….NOONG JUNE 8, 2020…..AT HINDI KO INAASAHAN KUYA BONO NA….muli pa lang mabubuhay ang pag-ibig ko para kay YOSEE.

               After 2 years na hindi kami nagkita,…I never expected na sa muling PAGTATAMA ng  paningin namin ay…may luhang papatak mula mga mata namin.

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               Nangyari ang muli naming pagkikita ni Yosee noong kararating ko lang ng Malaybalay. Kababa ko lang ng tricycle noon mula sa bus stop, papunta sa TODA ng aming barangay, at yun nga…kabababa ko lang ng tricycle ay kaagad si Yosee ang nakita ko na noon ay naglalagay ng akung ano sa compartment ng kaniyang motor, may kasama siyang babaeng seksi at maputi na nakatingin din sa compartment ng motor. Kahit naka-face mask siya Kuya Bono ay kilalang-kilala ko siya, sa lahat ng anggulo. Noong isara ni Yosee ang compartment ay sa akin napunta ang paningin niya at doon ay…nagkatitigan kami.

               Nakita kong nagpunas siya ng luha. Kinausap siya ng babaeng kasama niya at ako’y sumakay na rin sa naka-parking na tricycle ng itinuro ng lalaki. Sa sulok ng mga mata ko’y nakita kong umalis na si Yosee kaangkas ang babaeng maganda….at noon ay tumulo na rin ang aking luha.

               Na-miss ko siya….at mahal ko pa. At hindi ko inaasahan ang pagdating niya sa bahay namin kinagabihan pero, iba na siya. Hindi na siya yung maingay at masayahing Yosee na nakilala ko noon, kasi nung gabing yun ay seryoso siya.

               “Kumusta ka na?” ito ang una niyang tanong sa akin.

               “OK lang…..ikaw? Mukhang maganda yung kasama mo kanina ah…..”

               “Si Trisha. Hindi mo naman nakita ang buong mukha niya ah…..hindi siya maganda, hindi mo siya kasing ganda pero mabait siya…..”

               “Maputi naman saka seksi…..”

               “Ahm….Patrice, kaya ako nagpunta dito kasi….napagusapan ka namin ni Trisha kanina. Actually, nag-away kami…noong malaman niya na….HINDI PA TAYO OFFICIALLY BREAK…..at walang closure ang relasyon natin noon…..”

               “Tapos….”

               “Eh….” Natigilan siya sa pagsasalita. Tumitig siya sa mukha ko.

               “Ano, hihingi ka ng closure Yosee. Paano kung, hindi ko ibigay sayo ang closure na gusto mo?” Muli siyang napapatig sa mga mata ko.

               “Anong gagawin mo kung ayaw kong magbigay ng closure Yosee?”

               “Ano namang dahilan para hindi mo ibigay?”

               “Paano kung….gusto ko nang bumawi sa mga pagkukulang ko sayo Yosee…kasi mahal pa kita at mangangako ako na hindi ako aalis ulit…at handa na akong pakasalan ka….”

               “Ganon ba kadali yun para sayo Patrice?”

               “Valid naman siguro ang dahilan kung bakit kita napabayaan Yosee eh diba? Pinaunawa ko naman sayo yung naging trabaho ko…..”

               “Patrice dalawang taon na ang nakaraan mula noong balewalain mo ako. Nagmakaawa pa ako sayo noon na huwag ka nang umalis….”

               “Nagsorry naman ako sayo noon diba Yosee?...at sabi ko nga, babawi ako….hindi na ako aalis ulit, magpakasal tayo…..”

               “Oo, inaamin kong mahal pa rin kita Patrice pero…paano naman si Trisha? Naibigay na niya ang lahat sa akin. Mahal niya ako…mahal na mahal at hindi ako kagaya mo na handang iwanan ang mahal niya para sa iba…..”

               “Yosee, tao  lang tayo, nagkakamali sa mga desisyon natin….pero ang mahalaga handa tayong magsisi at bumawi….at babawi ako sayo…..”

               “Huli na Patrice. Nasubo na ako kay Trisha. Ikakasal na kami…..at kahit hindi mo ibigay sa akin ang closure na hinihingi ko….OK lang sa akin. Sige, aalis na ako….”

>> 

               Pagkasabi niya nun Kuya Bono ay tumayo na siya at walang lingon na tinungo ang gate namin…pero sinundan ko pa rin siya ng tingin hanggang sa mawala na siya paningin ko.

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               Sa kagagahan ko Kuya Bono ay nagpatulong pa ako kay Perry. Gusto kong ma-win back si Yosee pero, sinupalpal lang din ako ng kapatid ko.

               “Umalis-alis ka pa kasi? Anong napala mo sa Maynila? Ni hindi ka nga nagpadala ng suweldo mo kahit minsan kina Mama ah, tapos ngayon uuwi-uwi ka at guguluhin mo si Yosee? Tanga ka? Pinabayaan mo tapos gusto mong balikan ka?!”

>>> 

               Nakakatakot ang Covid 19 Kuya Bono ay nagdulot din ito ng…distansiya sa bawat isa…pero makaraan ng ilang buwan at taon, ngayon ay OK naman na. Halos bumalik na tayo sa normal na buhay natin….pero yung sa amin ni Yosee,..hindi na nabalik. At kahit masakit ay tinanggap ko na lang. May imbitasyon pa ako noong kasal nila kahit na, bilang na bilang lang ang imbitado dahil….bawal pa noon ang mga pagdiriwang na dadaluhan ng maraming tao. Ginanap ang kasal sa FARM nila, parang Garden Wedding….pero nalaman ko lang ito kay Perry kasi, hindi naman ako nagpunta. Pinili kong huwag nang dumalo dahil baka…umiyak lang ako doon.

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               Hindi ko first time ma-brokenhearted Kuya Bono pero, dobleng hirap pala ang masawi sa panahon ng pandemya kasi, wala kang magagawa kundi magmukmok lang. Hindi ka puwedeng lumibot sa mga kaibigan mo para mabawasan mang lang sana ang kalungkutan mo.

>> 

               So I had no choice kundi ang magmukmok. Kain-tulog sa bahay ng ilang buwan at noong OK na ulit ang pandemic taong 2021 ay nag-open na ulit ang call center pero, hindi na ako pinayagan ni Papa na bumalik ng Maynila. Magturo na lang daw ako kahit sa Private School lang ulit pero, hindi na doon sa pinagturuan ko noon dahil nagalit sila sa akin na sa text lang ako nag-resign. Biglaan lang kasi ang pagalis ko noon.

               Nag-pa-ranking na lang ulit ako nag-apply sa ibang school pero dahil MODULAR ang klase ay hindi naman ako natanggap. In short naging tambay ako sa dito sa bahay sa mga sumunod pang buwan hanggang sa biglang may nag-text sa akin, bagong number.

               “Hi Patrice. Kumusta? Sana hindi ka na galit sa akin….” Ganito ang text niya.

               “Who are you?” reply ko.

               “This is me, RICO…at handa na akong magpakita sayo…..”

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               Na-curious akong masyado kay RICO Kuya Bono dahil sa mga sunod-sunod na pag-amin niya. Una, kilala daw talaga niya ako noon pa…at taga dito lang din siya sa Malaybalay.

               “Sino ka ba talaga? Wala naman akong kilalang Rico?” Tanong ko pero ang sagot niya.

               “Magkita tayo bukas sa Kaamulan Park. Dun sa garden sa may FOLK ART THEATER…doon ako magpapakilala sayo….”

               “Michael, ikaw ba yan?” tanong ko pa pero ang sagot niya;

               “Basta, bukas….5PM, makikilala mo na ako…..”

               “Bakit ba may pasuspense ka pa kasi?” reply ko pero ang sagot niya;

               “Basta, tandaan mo Patrice, mahal na mahal kita….at sana kapag nakita mo na ako, please….ibalik mo yung dating pagmamahal mo sa akin…..”

               “Michael, ikaw nga yan noh?”

               “Basta, bukas Patrice dun sa garden ng folk art theater. May mga upuan doon….doon kita hihintayin…..”

>>> 

               Kinabukasan nga Kuya Bono ay sinakyan ko ang motor ng Kuya ko at mag-isa akong nagpunta sa Kaamulan Park at doon sa garden ng FOLK ART THEATER AY…wala namang tao. Medyo madami ang tao sa park pero doon ay wala. BAKANTE ang mga concrete bench doon.

               Gayunpaman ay umupo pa rin ako doon at nagsimula akong mag-text kay RICO pero hindi siya nagrereply at noong tawagan ko ay naka-OFF ang cellphone niya. Naka-data ako noon Kuya Bono kaya’t nag internet na lang ako kasi sabi ko, maghihintay ako kahit 10 minutes lang. Naglaro ako ng Tongits Go muna na siya kung kinaaadikan noon pero nabuset lang ako dahil sunod-sunod na talo at yung isang kalaban ko’y kaagad pang nagdo-draw kaya madalas ay nabe-burn ako.

               WALA PANG 10 minutes noong marinig ko ang tugtong ng gitara sa gawing LIKOD ko…at paglingon ko’y isang napakaguwapong BINATA ang tumutugtog ng gitara…at kaagad ay kinatahan ako…..kantang minsan na niyang kinanta sa akin noon PERO hindi niya kinanta bilang PANGHELE sa akin noong nasa Maynila pa ako.

               Pinanood ko siyang kumanta,…pero hindi niya tinapos dahil alam kong ramdam din niyang ang dami kong itatanong sa kaniya….pero noong tumigil siya sa pagkanta ay siya ang unang nagsalita.

               “RICO ang palayaw ko…at yung mga pictures sa facebook ko ay…PICTURE ng Kuya kong namatay. I’m sorry kung nagsinungaling ako sayo…PERO YUNG DAMDAMIN KO….YUNG MAHAL KITA…ay hindi kasinungalingan….Mula pa noong 4th year ako…palihim na kitang minahal…..at nagsimula iyong damdamin kong iyon noong utusan kami ni SIR MICHAEL na haranain ka sa classroom niyo…..”

               “Eh Jericho…..alam mo naman sigurong…..malaki ang agawat ng edad natin….”

               “4 year lang, hindi malaki yun and besides….IN LOVE, AGE DOEST MATTER…..”

               “OK,..pero nagulat talaga ako….”

               “I’m sorry…at pasensiya ka na kung…HINDI NA KITA TATAWAGIN NG MAAM HA….KASI, gusto ko na yung dati nating tawagan….Malko…puwede ba…balik tayo sa dati?”

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               Sa ngayon Kuya Bono ay, going strong naman kami ni JERICO. 5 months pa lang mula noong magkabalikan kami pero,…ayoko nang humiwalay sa kaniya, ganon din siya actually. DEDMA na lang din ako sa age gap namin kasi, hindi naman masyadong halata. SO FAR ay wala pa namang nagkamaling sabihing mag-ATE kami or something.

               May appointment na rin ako Kuya Bono sa isang public school pero sa August 2022 pa ako magre-report. Si Rico ay nagta-trabaho sa BANKO pero, hindi siya nagkukulang ng oras sa akin. We see to it na nagkikita at nagkakasama kami araw-araw. OPEN NA SIYA DITO SA BAHAY AT GANON DIN AKO SA KANILA. Actually, gusto na nga ng parents niya na magpakasal na kami kasi atat na silang magkaapo.

               Only child na lalaki kasi si Jerico at panganay pa. Sabi ko naman, bigyan ko lang ng isang taon pa si Jerico…at kapag hindi nagbago eh di, papapasal na kami. Siya lang naman ang iniisip kong baka magbago pa kasi, bata pa nga….pero ako, natuto na ako…I WILL NO LONGER TAKE LOVE FOR GRANTED. Ibibigay ko ang lahat ng panahon at oras na kaya kong ibigay kay Jerico, siyempre ang akin ding love and honesty sa kaniya.

               Si Yosee, happy  naman. Di pa kami nakakapagusap pero nakikita ko siya lagi, madalas ay kasama niya ang buntis niyang asawa.

               Si Michael naman ay nasa Thailand, doon siya nagtuturo ng English. Nagkaka-chat kami,. Single pa siya pero….nakakapagduda siya ngayon kasi, parang lumambot siya at lagi ay mga guwapong lalaki ang kasama niya sa mga posts niya.

               Anyway, bago pa ako maging Marites ay tapusin ko muna ang aking kuwento Kuya Bono. Special SHOUT OUT na lang sa MALKO, HE IS one of your avid listener….lalo na sa SIT kasi, may gusto daw niya ang mga tema ng mga kuwento doon…at saka, maiiksi lang kasi…pero ako, I LOVE ALL YOUR CHANNELS AT LAHAT NG KUWENTO…NAPAKINGGAN KO NA….at sana, one day ay ito namang kuwento namin ang mapakinggan ko.

               Umaasa at nagpapasalamat,

               Patrice

#dkbstories

[popculturebuffet]

Holiday Finale: the Ghost and Molly McGee: Festival of Lights and Saving Christmas Review (comissioned by Weird Kev 27

Merry Christmas Eve all you happy people! We're to the end of our christmas celebrations for the year but before I close up shop for a day or two, we have one last present to unwrap courtsey of Kev: Last year's holiday double feature from the Ghost and MollyMcGee

TGAMM isn't a show i've talked about yet on this blog, but no time like the present, as it's an excellent show. Just watching these eps I often found myself pausing as the animation is just all sorts of fluid and expressive. That's the standard for Disney at it's best granted but this show just has it's own bouncy style all it's own.

The premise is simple: An overly chipper 12 year old named Molly McGee moves to the failing town of Brighton with her family, finally finding a "forever home" after moving around a bunch. She ends up best friends with Scratch, a cynical , lazy and often hungry ghost who the rest of the ghost community laughs at, who makes the mistake of cursing her with "never leaving her"… and soon despite himself ends up genuinely enjoying this friendship while trying to ballnce that with his job of making people miserable.. not a great thing when his best friend is determiend to make everyone's lives better. The show is a fun comedy, helped by the fact it's leads are two of my faviorite voice actors, Ashly Burch of OK KO and Final Space Fame and Dana Synder of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Venture Bros, Jellystone and tons of other stuff fame. It was nice to see Ashly get a lead roll and Dana get a lead roll agai, so I was already on board but the show is enjoyable, inclusive, and fairly funny, so I liked it. I'm horribly behind on season 1b, but i'll get to it before the years out. The show made my top 20 episodes list last year and for good reason, so it's nice to have at least one more season of it.

So that brings us to today's review: last year they did a holiday special but nicely, we got a holiday treat as Ghost and Molly McGee is the first show i've seen in a while to do a full on Hannukah special!

Yeah while i'm not Jewish myself, i've had a fondness for shows helping my dumb ass learn more about a holiday, having grown up with Rugrats Passover and Hannukah specials. It's just nice to help kids learn there are more holidays than christmas and what exactly goes on in those holidays, and spoilers this won't be the last special that isnt' Christmas. And I do love Christmas, I just feel other holidays deserve love too especailly with all this war on chistmas bullshit> The world is wide enough for all holidays and I shoudln't have ot say that but given it comes up every year.. yeah , I do. So put on your yammukah as we have both a happy happy hannukah and a merry christmas in the same episode with Festival of Lights and Saving Christmas.

Festival of Lights: It's the final night of Hannukah, and the McGees are visting Book Marks the Spot, the Stein-Torres' bookstore. As for that name, i'm.. not a fan? I like the store itself, as someone who loves little independent book stores and used to work at one, in fact that's where I got my complete set of TinTin and first edition of the Colour of Magic among many other treasures due to having an insane amount of credit form working there. It's just the name is…

Like I get it's a pun on both x marks the spot and Bookmarks, but it just dosen't work. Like… the store isn't pirate themed. I mean books are a treasure, but if you wanted a piratey name that didn't necesarily require a theme just call it hidden treasure books or something. Not everything has to be a pun. It's ran by Libby's mom Leah, who weirdly isn't named on the episode itself but is on the actual wiki page for her. I assume this is a Boonchuy Parents situation where they were named later via word of god because you can't just.. mention that in episode? Please? Make my job easier?

For those new here Libby is Molly's Best friend/probable love intrest, a somehwat shy girl Molly's age who loves beat poetry and clearly molly. Look i've never been subtle in my shipping, i'm not starting now.. though if your new then welcome to the thunderdome bitches! Seroiusly though the two just play off each other really well, are really sweet together, and the list making episode where Molly has to tell Libby.. comes off entirely romantic in Molly's not wanting to loose libby. Could be intentional, could be untetional, we've still got a season to go.

Molly tries to be supportive.. though mostly she just googled hannukah and readas she goes while Libby looks on apprceatively. Scratch is also there but he was dragged there, like the surly teenage sons the McGees never asked for but welcomed into their home anyway since he was there first and having a ghost meant they could get some money back.

Things quickly take a turn though as the lights go out. The good news is that Mrs. Stein Torres has a generator and that Chucky was busy chainsawing someone in half this holiday season, so their safe. The bad news is that it only has an hour of fuel, though people still flock to the store for warmth and Mrs. Stein Torres is happy to have them. MST is played by the incomparable Pamela Adlon aka…

Though Bobby is, rightfully, her most famous roll and one of her best, Adlon has a rather long and storied career in voice acting: She's voiced Dewey Duck (Quack Pack), Spenelli (Where I first met her), Milo Oblong, Brigette Murphy, and Dr. Joanne on the now cancelled Tuca and Bertie. In addition to that she wrote and starred in the amazing FX Comedy Better Things which I highly recommend and is a talented and wonderful person.

If your familiar with the story of Hannukah you likely know where this is going: As with the oil in the temple under siege lasted 8 days instead of one, giving us 8 nights of Hannukah, the generator will last for 8 hours, with a story for each hour.

Hour 1: Scratch is ready to just run out until he finds out Hannukah involves foods in fried oil. Scratch then sings a whole musical number about fried food while Libby tries in vain to get him to use the actual names. still it's adorable, esecially to see him hang out with Libby for a change, as well as relatable since I too will stuff my face iwth anything fried.

Hour Two: The kids and Scratc h play Dreidel. I still don't quite know how it works, but it's fun to watch the kids all loose it as they all loose, cumilating in Libby winning the gelt and Scratch being pissed off to find it was choclate. Are we sure Scratch isn't just my ghost sent backwards in time and through space? Are we positve on that?

Hour Three: Libby has a spelling bee and asks the McGees to spell Hannukah, which has 16 diffrent spellings. Neat to know, one of the weaker segments

Hour Four: We then get one of the stronger ones, as Libby introuces the Miracle Box, a box where you put in a miracle that happened to you this year. It's a really sweet concept and one i'd love to try. We get the jokes you'd expect: Sharon's miracle is the van is still running, while Darryl's.. is that he didn't get caught. ("It's best you don't know"), while we get some sweet one: Molly's is natural meeting scratch, Libby's Mom's is Libby (She apparently does this every year), and Scratch's, which he spends the segement trying desperattley to not have read aloud as he wasn't aware of that part is the entirely sweet "I used to haunt a house, now I haunt a home

Everyone present finds it sweet while Scratch is embarassed.. but i'ts also a nice sign of just how far his character has come in only half a season. While he only admitted it when he didn't think anyone else would eve rknow, it's still sweet to see him accept that this is his family now.. and his life is better fo rit.

Hour Five: A truly excellent bit of slam poetry by LIbby about the tale of Hannukah. Also a nice call back to her talent for it that was revealed earlier in the season> This show has a really strong continuity and I love it for it.

Hour Six: Scratch eats too many Latkes… methinks they didn't have enough time for another segment, but given how serious the segements before and after this one are, it's fair enough.

Hour Seven: We get a really nice, if suprisingly somber segment as Leah talks with Abby, a local baker played by Eden Rigel, sister of Sam "Pull on My Motherfuckin Beads" Rigel. Eden's best known for voicing Boscha on the Owl House. Abby is also Jewish but has admitely not practiced her faith in some time, but seeing the Stein-Torres Menorah reminds her of it and Leah warmly welcomes her to it… and to her family history. As it turns out their Menorah was the only thing her grandparents took with them when they fled Germany from the Nazi's. The show dosen't come right out and say that.. but anyone familiar with history, paticuarlly Krystalnacht, can spot the obvious. It's done painfully well with nice subtly: we only see her great grandparents fleeing with the menorah while a brick's thrown through the window and there's a mob of angry noice.. just enough to get past Disney's censors, but more than enough to get the point across. We also see them as they immigrate, have a son (Leah's father and LIbby's grandfather) and we see a Young Leah light the menorah for the first time> This Menorah is their family legacy an din just two mintues of screentime we see what that legacy means. It's an utterly beautiful piece of animation, just two minutes to show the pride in their history and what they escaped to get there. Hour Eight: The power finally goes out.. only for power everywhere to kick on. Libby proclaims it a Hannukah miracle, Scratch eats even more latke's and this slam dunk of an episode ends.

Seriously this episode is beauitful, a true masterpiece having both hilariaty and a lot of heart. Only the spelling bee bit didn't qutie work for me. it's a nice educational piece that helps tell the gentiles like myself about the holiday. I may still not get how Dredl works, but I feel warm having watched this.

Saving Christmas:

This being a two shorts show we have a traditional Christmas Specail to follow things up. It's the annual Snowflake Celebration, with the Mayor, voiced by my boy Patton Oswalt and looking just like him, being happy they'll crush perfectborg.. only for the tree to fall apart then catch fire. The Celebration is in ruins and so it seems is Brighton's christmas so Molly decides to find a Donor. Now who in town his rich and has lots of money?

…. okay maybe save him as plan B. For Plan A Molly seeks out Mr. Davenport, played by Thomas Lennon of Reno 911 and Jellystone fame, whose shockingly shot up as a voice actor in the past few years, taking on a lot of rolls. And given his distinctive southren voice, great comedic timing and general awesomeness i'm on board.

Mr. Davenport is the father of Andrea, Molly's rival and general mean girl sterotype. That said.. Andrea is actually on her side for once: Since the festival has a Snowflake Queen Andrea wants the part and as we'll learn it turns out it's not just for the attention or the viewcount as it normally would be for her and frankly this family in general: while the social media attention is nice, she wants to do it to honor her mom.

Mr. Davenport though.. is a.. what's the term for it this time of year… a holly jolly dickhead. Yeah tha'ts it. Think I nailed that. He says it's a time for making money, that giving someone something for free is against his nature and his daughter can jsut photoshop that bitch.

So in the face of such Scoogey opposition, Molly decides to pull a christmas carol.. my third reviewed this year. I did not plan for this when I set the schedule, as I didn't think about Last Christmas! Being a take on it and assume this one was only a take on it for the last act as I hadn't seen this episode till now (I only watched Festival of Lights last year). But no Molly's entire plan is to Christmas Carol the spirit of charity into this bastard.

Scratch agrees because it's bound to be hilarious and he's right: The next few minutes are just Mr. Davenport hilariously not at all getting the points Molly tries to make and Thomas Lennon's delivery is perfect: showing him his past and how his dad wasn't a good father (with Pete and Darryl playing the parts and both ilariously dressing up for the 1880s instead of 1980s.. then just throwing in rad slang to try and compesnte), that his dad was a great buisnessman, showing him the McGees house just has him grouse about how poor they are instea dof how loving they are, and attempting to show his store closed.. dosen't work because it's an ally and Scratch flying him around dosen't scare him so much as make him want more.

While all of this is funny and a nice subversion of the Scrooge story, as well as a well done one: Molly tried to simply use a full bullet points.. not getting how each stop on the Ghost's journey was pointed: Showing him Fezzywig was to both set up belle and to show Scrooge what he could be, his failed romance with Belle reminded him what his greed already cost him, Fred showed him his nephew still love dhim even as he mocked him, the cratchets shoewd him both true kindess and the cost of his greed, and the future hammered both parts home. Each part was aimed carefully at the target. Molly simply didn't know mr. davenport well enough to actually effect him in any way.

The results though.. are terribly sad. Molly has no christmas spirit left, being utterly defeated and not relaly planning to celebrate tommorow. She coudln't save christmas, so the joy that's usually at the center of her is gone.. and given up to this point we've only seen molly this low when she nearly lost Libby, it's painful to see. We've seen her desperate… but we've never seen her out and out give up.

Scratch is naturally pissed off as hell. Not only did someone break Molly.. but on Christmas. So he decides if Mr. davenport is going to be stubborn about this, he's going to get it the hard way. The hard way.. dosen't quite work as just tossing him around only makes him Giddy. Thankfully, Scratch DOES find something that FINALLY gets through this dickhead's thick skull: Andrea, sadly starring at a picutre of her mom, putting the princess dress away and crying her eyes out. Which made me tear up just THINKING about it and finally gets Mr. Davenport to see that ther'es more to christmas. He agrees to fund the festival as you'd expect.

The ending as a result is super sweet, as Molly awakes to find the day saved, the town sings a song, Andrea gets her moment she wanted.. and Mr. Davenport sees you can use money to make merry.. and sometimes.. that's the real magic. Using what you have to help someone else. He also gets a fuckton of social media views from it, and without that being WHY he did it. Karma does work apparently! Maybe it's just if your rich but either way it's a sweet sendoff.

While it had one hell of a tough act to follow, Saving Christmas is a nice sweet christmas special. It's also really damn funny, clever and the ending is genuinely sweet. It's a good time and worth sticking around for after Festival of Lights. While the former is clearly the main attraction here and the better of the two by a mile, Saving Christmas is still a fun take on a christmas Carol and Gives Thomas Lennon a chance to flex his comedic chops. And both are worth making merry over. Have a wonderful christmas time, a happy hannukah and thanks for reading. I'll see you in a few days for the last few reviews of the year.

#the ghost and molly mcgee #molly mcgee #scratch #libby stein torres #molibby #hannukah #christmas

[clarkultimatum-blog]

Gifted my gf a nice watch and recieved an insulated mug 😫

Don't get me wrong pero valid pa ba yung pakiramdam ko na she's missing a detail of what I like to recieve from her this Christmas? Yung gift na nakuha ko from her is an insulated mug. I mean kaya ko bumili ng cheaper insulated mug pero hindi ako bibili ng overpriced insulated mug para magamit lang sa office. Adding up kasi parang hindi pinag-isipan. Not even my favourite color pa. For the sake na "something useful". Hindi ako nagkakape everyday sa office kasi mas gusto ko magkape sa bahay dahil wala akong time mag-kape. Binanggit ko naman sa kanya na ayaw ko nagkakape sa office. So halatang hindi nakikinig.(Live in po kami) I'm giving her na my wishlist because she asked for it. Ako naman binigay ko. Ok lang sa akin na wala doon mismo yung ibibigay at least may guide siya kung anong line ng gift ang gusto ko. Funko pops, Nintendo Switch games, chopping board or new watch na din kahit hindi yung aabot ng 2k man lang sana.

So please lang guys, be attentive pa din when you give gifts and never, ever give a gift from a company giveaway.

[benefits1986]

2020. Finally, my Japan dream came true. And yes, ganyan orientation ng photos kasi may plot twists na naman this trip. Also, marami-rami pa akong baon na photos and vids, pero coming soon na. Doon na lang sa isa kong mas matinong blog, probably.  This destination has been on my bucket list since 17 years old but of course as a lower middle income firstborn, Japan is but a dream. Lalo na, I stopped school that year and yes, I’ve no passport pa so hindi talaga aligned. Sabi ko rin noon, kahit super tipid trip lang basta ma-swing ko, g na. More importantly, I was in deep thoughts na ‘pag gumaling si mother dragon, papa-tranquilizer ko siya para pag-land namin, saka na sa ulit nerbyosin. Tapos punta kami Disneyland para sa pangarap kong Mickey Mouse na pencil. Such a vivid memory tapos naluha ako kasi hindi nga aligned. So yes, Japan dream is more than the usual dream. MMK levels pero may hefty serving of Emily In Paris, third world edition.  Sabi ko pa noon, matatawid ko rin ‘yan sa tamang panahon. Akala mo naman napakataas na pangarap, noh? But, wala akong pake kasi kanya-kanya naman tayo ng trip. Not a super fan of the whole pop cult thing pero kakanood talaga ng Eiga Sai ‘yan after sawaan ang reruns ng anime sa free TV. No prob naman sa anime reruns pero as we adult, the themes that we are looking for get more real and darker. 

I also love Jap food kaya nung may sweldo na ako, Little Tokyo is my break from reality and insanity. As I was downing salmon and uni sashimi, inisip ko na ansarap na nga dito nung version, what more sa Japan mismo ‘di ba? Ah. Kakalig the thought!!!  Hassle ‘yung concept map sa utak ko now kasi andami ko na namang gustong sabihin about this dream turned reality, pero sige, gawin na natin kasi I am giving myself 45 mins. max para malatag ‘to since dami ko pang tasks for month-end, the coming months both sa work and outside work. :D ‘Yung work, OK lang e, ‘yung outside work ang mas nakakapressure to be honest. Deadlines versus dead lines na naman po ang peg natin because Taurus szn is fast approaching.  Upon careful research and well-curated content about Japan, I picked Osaka-Kyoto over Tokyo. Never talaga ako fan ng cityscape kahit super sure akong I will bask in the clever design and myths of Tokyo. Also, cheaper ‘yung cost estimate ko ng Osaka. LOL. Osaka because it’s the kitchen of Japan saka mas accessible sa USJ. Actually, ang pinunta ko lang naman talaga sa Japan when I got my passport and syempre, saktuhang budget is USJ x Harry Potter. TBT, kahit ‘yun lang talaga tapos uwi na ako, oks na. Kahit alam ko, walang English VOs, oks lang. Kasi, sabi ko, ‘pag nakuha ko ‘yung USJ x Harry Potter, next in line na pangmalakasang UK/US Harry Potter Mega Tours. Ganun lang.  ‘Yung tatay kong pakitong-kitong as usual basher kasi ‘yung travel date namin is really close to the pandemic lockdown. Pero, nilaban ko kasi ‘yung mismong good friend ko from Tourism Board PH mismo, go pa rin kahit ilang days later pa sila nag-travel. Anxiety 100000000 ako pero dahil nga mapilit ako and YOLO moment ko ‘to, sabi ko na I WANT THIS SOOOOO BADLY. Hamuna COVID noon. Plus, I monitored the news naman talaga na wala pang cases in Japan. My good friend assured me na that I can fly pa talaga plus sabi na push ko na kasi sayang since alam niyang gustong-gusto ko ito. Sabi rin niya, I will be getting rekta updates from her bago sila mag press release sa madlang people, so ayun na nga. Wala na. Touch move. Bahala na. Bye, Pinas. Babalik naman ako.  Dad was so ugh. Sabi niya ‘di na lang daw siya sasama. Sobrang banas ako sa kanya that time kasi inayos ko na lahat. Kinalma ko na anxiety ko tapos naglaan talaga ako ng oras, effort at budget para makasama ko siya sa supposed trip with mother dragon na ‘to. Baka raw deliks mag-fly, etc. Finally, I said na kung ayaw niya, iiwanan ko siya. Period. ‘Di ako nag-mega plan para lang mapunta sa wala ‘yung hirap at pagod ko. At the back of my head, alam ko he means well pero, syempre, push ako. Plus, alam ko rin dahil Q4 pa lang, deep dive na ako about the pandemic, this flight may be the last one na and will resume ulit sa panahong ‘di ko masabi mismo. Kakanood ng Black Mirror e. Kinausap ko rin lungs ko na galingan namin since prone nga ako mapaos lagi lalo ‘pag pagod. LOL. Laban lungs mantra was birthed. :D Graphic. Fantastic. Sabi ko pa noon, dreams turned realities usually mean na dragons sila. Lahat ng walang kwentang line of thinking para mapilit lang talaga.  Syempre, todo disbelief tatay ko na tutuloy pa rin ako. As if, hindi niya ako kilala. Sooooo, ending kahit reklamo siya ng reklamo, aba naman. Sumama rin. Tawang-tawa kami pa-airport kasi baliw daw ako. Sabi ko naman, mas baliw siya. :D LELS. Nag-attendance check pa siya sa mga kasama namin sa flight and sabi, buti na lang daw saltik ako kasi almost full ‘yung flight. As in. Syempre, sungit mode na naman ako kasi apaka feeling niya talaga. Hahahahaha. Natuwa din naman kasi all-expense paid ko ‘tong trip na ‘to kahit nakakalumpo. Sidenote: One of the reasons why I don’t have a new car is because between a car and travel, travel is an essential for me. Kaya ko naman mag-Grab, carpool, jeep, bus, train, trike and bike. Plus stress talaga ang lagay ng kalsada kahit saan sa Manila. Ako lang ‘yan a. 

So, ayun na nga po. As usual, before pa lang mag-take off, tulog na ako then ‘pag gising ko, nasa Osaka na kami!!!!! Ritual ko ‘yan sa lipad na matulog kasi usually, first flight out, last flight in ako. Less stress since forever delayed plus maxxed out mo talaga ‘yung mga araw na andun ka sa pupuntahan mo.  And, damn. Ang lamig. Eto pala sinasabing Osaka has an air that brings chills to your bones. Partida, mga 11 degrees levels pa lang ‘yan pero lamigin talaga ako so parang kakalas buto ko not because may edad na but because ganun talaga since 17 years old. LOL. Si dad naman, super onti lang ng layers ng damit during our whole stay. Happy siya sa malamig. 1 heat tech top, 1 heat tech bottom, Levis 501s, Levis shirt, kicks, beanie, heat tech socks. Yun na. Ako, akala mo winter na dahil ang sagad talaga ng lamig.  Syempre, another challenge is hindi maligaw sa train. Dad was kabado AF kasi bumulaga sa amin ang napakalaking terminal. Pero sabi ko, heck. Isipin mo na lang nasa Quiapo ka pero organized. I can’t forget my first time to pee in Japan. Solid na agad. Hahahahahahahaha. ‘Yung kakalma ‘yung pantog mo to the point of nearing meditation state na. Shet. Just realized na ‘yan pala unang-una kong ginawa as soon as I landed. Sabi ko after hitting the flush button na this is a worthwhile trip. Mhie, ano na? Why naman ganun?  So, kinikilig talaga ako pero shet, ang hirap mag-navigate lalo na I really have a hard time na ‘di maligaw even in Manila. Pero pinaghandaan natin ito. In a mala-Recca hyperfocus mode, kinausap ko mga dragons para ma-sure na maging bragging rights ko na yes, first trip ko to Japan took forever pero ‘di ako naligaw. CHZ. Pride talaga. My vice. My poison. Pero kahit mapride ako, isang tip para ‘di maligaw is ask for help. Kasi kahit naman ‘di English speaking ang Japs, sobrang nice nila na parang nasa Black Mirror EP ka ng Nosedive. HAHAHAHAHA. Sobrang they take tourism seriously and syempre, hardworkers talaga sila kahit robotic na galawan pati smile and quality of service nila.  And, we rode the train na shet apaka layo. I googled naman na malayo talaga so kalma lang. Recounted all the content I’ve curated para naman ‘di ako mastress kasi si dad, todo bash na naman na baka naliligaw na kami. Sabi ko, dad. Kalmahan mo lang. Tumabi ka. Wala tayo sa MRT or LRT na isang line lang. Sabi niya, bahala ako sa buhay ko.  Sarap magsulat ng graphic Taglish pero gigil kasi ako masyado and super unfiltered kaya pasok Taglish na mas Tagalog.  After what felt like forever sa train, bumaba na kami. FUCK. Haba ng lakaran. Buti na lang shift na ako from Presto to UB. Nike girl kasi talaga ako because of the brand story pero comfy pair talaga UB sa travel in all fairness. Ni-research ko rin ‘yan ng bonggang-bongga and my good friends also bashed me na bakit ayaw ko bigyan ng chance ang UB. Mahaba ‘yung lakad pero ‘yung hotel I booked is sobrang lapit sa mismong stairs ng station across Uniqlo and H&M. Hahahahaha. Kaya pala kahit super sale like 70% off ko siya nakuha, mahal pa rin for me. Hindi pa kami nakakaakyat ng stairs, pagod na ako pero ‘yung kilig ko, naguumapaw. As in. HAHAHAHAHA. Eto na po. Ubusan na ng funds pero go lungs. Eto na ‘to.  Siguro, talagang sabi ng universe, sigeeee. Wait ka muna diyan. Tiis lang muna para sa first trip mo sa Japan, talagang masasabi mong, the dream is worth the wait. Habang papalakad kami sa hotel, naluluha ako. TENGENE. Sayang dahil hindi cherry blossom szn pero mala-anime frame ng lumalaglag na sakura ‘yung feeling ko. So weird pero ganun talaga. Babaw ko talaga. Hahahahaha.  Sakto rin may bath tub sa room kaya isa sa mga una kong ginawa is bili ng limited edition wasabi bath bombs tapos ligo-ligo. Muni-muni. Namiss mother dragon tapos narealize ko, wrinkled na palms ko at sayang ang oras.  Lakad-lakad. Check ng mga damit and other stuff. ‘Yung mga dala kong damit, mas mura ko nabili sa Manila kaya wala na akong binili. Common misconception kasi na mas mura damit sa ibang bansa. Nope. Kahit compare ko pa sa Malaysia and HK, since budget hunter nga ako and curator (ems), maraming good deals sa Pinas. Hahanapin mo lang talaga. Kahit sale season pa ‘yan. So if may bibilhin ako, naka-compare na ‘yan sa kung ano mang meron sa Manila agad. If mas goods, go. Else, sa Manila na lang ako bibili.  Natulog lang ako then poof. Masks are being hoarded na. I didn’t get pa kasi sabi ko later na. Messaged my good friend and asked anong lagay ng Japan lalo ng Osaka. Confirmed. First case. Meron na. Sobrang efficient ng Jap government. Nawala bigla ‘yung hoarding ng masks. And widely available. Tip: Lipat ka lang sa ibang shop kasi wala namang sinabing bawal mag-hoard. 1 box or package lang ng mask per store. LOL. ‘Di naman ako nag-hoard since 2 lang kami ni dad. Tuloy pa rin ang mga turista. Marami-rami ring Pinoy, pero for me lang, solid kasi onti lang talaga ang tao. Wala akong nakitang bata masyado sa train, and  bulong pa ni dad sa train, feeling daw niya bumata siya kasi halos puro oldies ang kasabay namin pa-USJ station. LOL.  COVID kagulo aside, sobrang sulit kasi ‘di masyadong mahaba ang pila which I abhor sa lahat. Halos nasolo rin namin ang fave spot ni dad as a tourist spot lover sa may Glico Man. Hahahahahaha. Napa-wow siya kasi sa mga content curations na ni-immerse ko siya, sobrang full house ‘yan. Todo pic and selfies siya tapos ako naman, nag-try ng secret menu na squid ink takoyaki + whiskey highball by the river so early in the morning. Takoyaki pa lang ang tinde na ng presyo, mhie. Pero super legit and one for the books. Plus morning booze is liferrrrrr.  Si dad, kanin pa rin bfast. 7Eleven baka naman sa Pinas galingan niyo. Hahahahaha. Sobrang sarap pero kaya mong umubos ng 1-2K ‘pag gusto mong mag mini bfast haul. In Jap, convenience stores plan their inventory based on the weather. Galing nooooh. Since maaga akong magising, kitang-kita ko na talagang fresh stocks sila ng relevant finds kaya putok na putok ang conversion. HAHAHAHAHAHA.  ‘Di rin kami naligaw pa-USJ. Sabi ko, parang HK Disneyland lang ito pero mala-Give Yourself Goosebumps edition. Mas ingat na kami mag-move around kasi mahirap na rin talaga. But, sabi ko nga kay dad, andito na kami, so fuck it. Hahahahahahahahaha. Nag-enjoy naman siya kaso umuwi kami ng maaga kasi baka raw maiwan kami ng train. ‘Di ko na lang pinatulan kasi nastress siya nung nastuck kami sa Macau dahil din sa maling diskarte niya. Hahahahahaha. Sabi ko na lang, babalik na lang ako ng ‘di na siya kasama. And nakalimutan ko rin magbook ng hotel outside USJ that time kasi ‘di ko naconsider ‘yung COVID cases as a variable sa trip na ‘to. ‘Di ko naman puwedeng bully masyado dad ko kasi kita kong worried din talaga siya.  Soooo, Harry Potter. Sobrang galing kasi kahit bumili pa ako ng early access ticket, walang pila. As in. Kahit saan. Tapos cutie pa na kasabay namin pumasok ‘yung mga school kids with their signature uniforms and backpacks. Such a pak snippet talaga. ‘Di na ako masyado naka-snap ng pics and vids kasi ‘yung kilig ko ‘di ko na talaga kinakaya. As in. Shaky hands talaga ako na akala mo naman first year student ng Hogwarts.  Also, hearing KAWAII irl is soooooooooooooo euphoric. Hahahahahahaha. Tabi. Wala kayong paki. In Jap kasi, ngayon-ngayon pa lang na-counter culture ‘yung plus sized women. Stick-thin talaga sila for a long time kaya getting KAWAII with peace sign irl is sooooo glorious. Tapos ‘yung mga nag-comment diverse sila: staff, students, teens, parents. So benta po tayo, opo. Confirmed. I usually shut down compliments and pick up lines kasi ‘di ako fan. I am sooooo critical sa self ko as a panganay na laging “not good enough” ang side dish sa bawat meals. :D Luh but true that bit. 

Sabi ni dad, aynako. Matic na raw ‘yung Kawaii comments kasi ‘yung damit ko akala mo talaga may prod sa USJ. Hahahahahahahahahahahaah. Hindi naman siya pasavogue but it’s so me. Hindi lang ako bumili ng wand kasi nga babalik ako. Then medyo off lang ako sa merchs kasi mas maganda ‘yung quality ng scarf plus a tiny haul gifted by a good friend from London branch. Mga 1 hour ata akong naghahanap ng merch pero so flimsy talaga ng choices.  Tipid mode try pa ako kasi since nga wala akong napiling souvenir maliban sa magnet which is weird because I hate magnets, pero ang ganda lang nung magnet na ‘to. Mga 600 php din kaya dapat talaga maganda. Pota. Then, I got a plastic mug ng Butterbeer. Mhie, ang mahal. Hahahahaaha. Leche. The picture ulit. More Kawaii comments in the air. Tabi ulit. Tabi. Tapos, sabi ko shettt. Gusto ko nung metal version. Sabi ni dad, tatanga-tanga raw ako na ‘di ko pa binili ‘yun agad. Sabi ko oks lang. No prob. Kasi ‘di naman siya nagbayad. Hahahahahahaha. Sabay sabi niya sana all. LOL. Very third world po tayong nakaka-LL pero shet. ‘Wag ka na mag-convert. Harry Potter ito e.  ‘Di na naman ako nakakuha ng as much photos and vids as I should kasi nag-immerse lang ako sa moments na andun ako. I have arrived. ‘Yung kababawan pangarap ko, natupad na nga on steroids pa. Then, kasama ko pa dad ko. LOL. Mas wild ‘yun kasi solo travel lang talaga plano ko. Pero alam ko, gusto niya umaalis ng bansa kahit kuripot siya. Sabi ko rin, in a few years, ‘di na to makakalakad ng 2 hours straight. Dati, kahit 4 hours lakad, g lang. Now, medyo iika-ika na siya e. Hahahahahaha. Sorry dad. Better late than never. Ginagawaan ko naman ng paraan. 

Siguro, ang pinaka wild kong realization sa Japan trip na ‘to is nung nasa crossing ako pauwi. Wide-eyed ako sa laki ng LV and Apple stores. Ganda ng look, feel, vibes. Just after sunset. This is a plot twist. Be warned.  While Japan is a dream, its realities hit me so hard.  Imagine? First world siya pero dama ko ‘yung depression sa paligid. Seeing topnotch service pero ‘pag lakad pauwi ng mga workers, kitang-kita ‘yung pagod nila. So saddening and maddening. Tapos, bakit sobrang ‘di pa sila happy e maganda ang infra, healthcare at iba pa nila. Sa Pinas, sobrang olats pero kahit tambay makikita mong masaya, as in masaya.  Tagal kasi nung stoplight sa Ped Xing. Kaya naluha ako. Slight lang naman.  Yes, Japan happened at this point in my life to make me see na though money is never an issue sa akin, it was a cause of shit sa family namin. But, money is but a means to have more options lang talaga. ‘Wag mo isama ang essentials diyan a. Beside the point ‘yun. Really had to wait this long kasi kung noon siguro, naging alipin na tayo ng well-dressed fallacies of success. ‘Di ko sinasabing ‘wag mong hangarin ang mas pak na income and benefits. What I am saying is that money and happiness are not bedfellows most of the time.  Kung baga, e, ‘yung Kobe beef meal namin ni dad na syempre, pinaghirapan natin is good but the memories that go with it makes it worthwhile. Saka, sa truth, I don’t like steak bilang seafood po tayo. At, nag give way ako kasi gusto raw niya. Kakanood kay Mark Wiens. Pota. Kaya ekis yung king crab. Need ko talaga mag-prioritize that time e. Ako na lang nag-adjust and ‘yun nga, babalik ako. LOL. ‘Yung ngiti sa mata ng tatay ko nung binilhan ko siya ng Tokyo release ng Olympics (if I remember right) nakita kong na-proud siya sa akin. Hahahaha kahit bully-han gallore kami kasi ‘yung Nike na fresh drop doon, nabili na sa Manila.  Also, ang best food experience namin dito is ‘yung ‘di daw gutom dad ko pero naka-20 plates kami sa isang wala sa Google na sushi with conveyor belt ganaps sa malapit sa hotel namin. Ganda ng conversation namin. Nagpa-thank you sa akin tatay ko. OPAK. Tapos sabi, kaya ko na raw talaga kahit saan kasi ‘di kami naliligaw sa Japan. Saka, mahirap daw talaga ako ma-impress. ‘Yung mga gusto ko raw ay kakaiba like ‘yung crab innards na akala niya eew pero sherep pala. Hahahaha. Super cringe ako sa mga ganitong instances pero sabi ko, siguro, dami lang niyang nakaing sushi masyado. Saka kung sa mga travel buddies ko nga, todo ite planning ako, e siya pa ba naman na tatay ko, ‘di ba? Sabi ko rin na pasensya na at medyo na-late ang aming Japan el grande as a lower middle income family. Medyo na-late po tayo sa career pero ginagagalingan ko naman sa abot na pake at mood ko. LOL. Iyak-tawa siya e. Ako naman, kurot-kirot inside but maintained ang RBF natin because fuck off.  Nag-go na ‘yung ped xing light. I looked up and whispered: Thank you, universe. Thank you, mother dragon. Your love and life lessons live on, indeed.  ‘Di na kita nakasama sa Japan kasi ikaw ang pinaka nega star and love-hate bestie ko 5evs talaga. And 100% sure ako na if andito ka, ‘di ako matutuloy kasi syempre, gagamitan mo na naman ako ng “ikaw ang nanay, ako ang anak” very “tabi na. Alvene” argument mo. Hahahahaha.  Midweek kagulo naman po tayo sa ngalan ng pangbalik Japan pero baka Shirakawago na tapos may private onsen tapos may ink sesh, tapos may king crab + dojo-tea ceremony + king crab sitdown meal + art scene ng mga newbies and OGs + Haruki Murakami PL vinyl hunt + film snaps (lollollolloll in bnw kasi solid ng color palette doon. NKKLK. Parang may sapi.) + biking sa gedli naman this time around. I-add ko erotica scene. Erotica ha. ‘Yung artful at rooted sa phenomenlogy of love slant. Photo op with Jiro and location nung Railways na Jap movie. CHZ. Ekis na talaga dad ko sa trip na ‘to kasi ‘di niya trip ‘tong mga ito. At saka, baka naman mahaginan ng company trip if and only if makapag-summit levels ng Mt. Fuji ang mga kaganapan. Luh. Luh. Luh.  Linawin ko lang ‘yung erotica scene. In Japan, sex/work mindset ng mga tao kaya sobrang dying breed na talaga sila. ‘Di ba ang weird? ‘Di naman kelangang maging hayok pero I want to understand bakit ganun though may mga assumptions na rin naman akong bitbit. Si V kasi may pakana nito at mga pasa-links and memes niya kaya napunta ako sa universe na ‘to. Again, goes back to first world ka pero bakit ang unhappy mo much? Bakit?  Oks na? :D LELS. Baka ma-screenshot ako e. Hahahahaha. CHZ.  AGHHHHHH. How to balance career x lifegoals. Know your why and why not. Easier said than done, but can be done. AJA! 

[bonniebird]

Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader

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With a sigh you shut the front door. When you’d seen the small house it had been nice. Old kitchen but in good shape, plush carpets, new air conditioning and a good bathroom. Plus a small cloakroom. A large living room off a small dining room and two reasonably sized bedrooms. It was perfect.

Until the topic of rent came up. With rent at four hundred dollars a month and no furniture there was no way you could make enough to rent the place, buy furniture and cover your other bills. Using all your savings you put the deposit down and tried to find a roommate. You put a notice up at the mall, pool and video store. Steve let you put down the number for Scoops Ahoy and fielded several calls for you. It turned out that even in a town as small as Hawkins. There were a lot of weirdos. During your second round of roommate searching, with less than a week to go to find a roommate, you went to the community pool to post a last flyer on their message board. You jumped when someone reached over your shoulder and snatched the flyer from you.

“Hey!” You snapped. When you turned around and saw Billy, a few of his friends scattered behind him. 

“You know putting this up will just get a load of creeps calling you.” Billy said as he looked it over. “Two hundred for rent?”

“I have someone fielding my calls. From creeps… please give that back it’s the last one I have and I can’t afford to get any more printed.” You asked quickly. Billy looked for a moment like he might rip the page in half but he handed it back.

“Just the two hundred?” He pressed.

“I’ve already paid the full deposit. I just need next month’s rent. I have half. Plus monthly expenses. Also some furniture because there isn’t any.” You explained quickly. You hoped that maybe one of the pool workers would pop up and say it was just the deal they’d been looking for. Instead Billy reached into his red Hawkins pool duffle bag and held out a roll of cash.

“Should cover a lot for the rest of the month.” Billy said.

“Excuse me?” You asked.

“I’m looking for somewhere to move.” Billy said quickly. The people around him seemed to go nervously quiet.

“You… are? You don’t want to see where it is?” You asked. He frowned at you and pointed at the poster. “Right. All the info is there. Ok… well here.” You took the poster and wrote down the full address.

The day you moved in went quick. Your friends helped and by the end of the day you had managed to move in everything you needed. Once everyone had gone you turned to look at your hard work. You had one side table next to an old armchair that you and Steve had found on the side of the road and you and Nancy had reupholstered. You had one mug which hung from the mug rack in the kitchen. The dining room was empty. Your room had a small wardrobe and a mattress. It wasn’t much but it was a start.

A thumping at the door made you abandon your critical judgement of your new home. Opening the door you found Billy and his friends. “You have no stuff.” Billy commented as he dragged a few bin bags into the hallway.

“Oh. Yeah… I’m sure it’ll be full here in no time.” You said quickly. Billy shrugged and let you lead him to his room off the living room. He dropped his bags, his friends doing the same and then followed you around the house.

Billy seemed to be more set up than you. He actually had a bed frame. By the time he had moved in it was late but he added a coffee table and a tv to the living room and several gym pieces to the dining room.

At first having Billy as a roommate was working well. You had bills covered, he dropped you off and picked you up to do big shops at the mall, the two of you even managed to gather enough dishes to have a full set for two people. But as soon as the first month was over things started to go wrong. Billy was less persistent in helping out and a few times you had scrambled to cover his part of the bills by picking up extra shifts and towards the first year mark of living in the new house you had picked up two more jobs, one at the video store and the other at Scoops Ahoy on the weekend when you had days off from your first job.

  “You haven't put in your half of the electricity or the cable bill.” You said irritably. You’d had to press and press for his half of the other bills and while you’d been warned to be weary of Billy’s temper, you found yourself unable to curb your tone.

“I don’t have it.” Billy muttered.

“But you got paid yesterday! How can it all be gone already?” You chastised him. He frowned at you, cigarette in his fingers flicking irritably. 

“I had a few days off this month, I didn’t have enough to cover it. Unlike you, I enjoy having fun.” Billy snapped.

“Fun. You are risking our electricity being cut off for some fun?” You said, irritated enough to scoff and roll your eyes at him.

“If you’re so worried about the bills maybe you should walk to work instead of spending a hundred a month on the bus fare.” Billy sounded sharp when he spoke. He seemed to grow bigger in the doorway. 

“Walk to work?” You snapped. Your voice had raised and become shrill. Billy raised his eyebrows at you. “I’m working three jobs. I haven’t had an afternoon off let alone a day off in over two months.”

Tears angrily prickled your eyes and you rubbed at them. Billy cleared his throat and stubbed his cigarette out. He tried to speak but you harshly pointed a finger at him and shook your head as you sniffed. You were exhausted. You still hadn’t found a bed frame and you had to get up so early and got back so late you barely slept.

“How much are we short by?” He asked quietly.

“Forty nine dollars.” You said and sniffed, trying to not look emotional. Billy didn’t say anything. He nodded and went into his room. The next morning you got up before him, not hearing the usual rucas of him getting ready and walked across town to the video store. Kevin had said if you got there early he could give you a long shift and you’d have a bonus for helping him check the stock.

“Billy?” You said in confusion when you went into the back and saw Billy. He looked oddly comfortable squashed into the back office with Kevin who was handing him some papers.

“(Y/N)?” He answered without looking up from the papers he was signing.

“What’re you doing here?” You asked dubiously.

“I’m about to start a shift… what’re you doing here?” He asked once he handed the paper work back. Kevin took it and put it in a grey filing cabinet at the back of the office then he shuffled past you.

“He only got the job because he knows you. He better be good at the job.” Kevin muttered. You nodded and promised it would be fine and he left to check the store before he opened.

“You got an extra job?” You asked.

“Yeah. Well. We needed the extra money for the bills right.” He said as he got up and walked over to you.

“Right! That’s great we’ll only be a few days late with the bill.” You said cheerfully, feeling relieved.

“Well… yeah. Also and don’t freak out. But, the pool will be closing in a couple of weeks and won't open again until the summer.” As Billy spoke he crossed the distance between you and put his hands on your arms, just below your shoulders, holding you steady. “Are you ok? Your eye is twitching and you’re breathing kind of weird.”

“The only way I could work more hours is if I don’t sleep.” You mumbled.

“I have an interview at the garage at the end of the mall this afternoon and I found you a bedframe. It’s second hand and a little broken but I think I could fix it?” Billy frowned like he wasn’t sure you wouldn’t slap him. When you let out a relieved sigh he let you go.

“Really?” You asked hopefully.

“Yeah. If I get the garage job you’ll be able to drop one of yours and we can both have time off. You should have said before, I didn’t realise…” Billy muttered awkwardly. You followed his gaze and saw Kevin, Steve and Robin watching from the end of an aisle.

“Thanks Billy.” You said and sighed as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

“You’re working at the mall in the afternoon? Maybe I could give you a lift? My gas bill goes up but you can get that massive monthly bus fare way down.” Billy smiled when your eyes glazed over.

“I guess…” You started to speak but trailed off doing the math in your head. Kevin called out to you both to get to work and Billy promised to give you all the details on his car so you could put it into your complex bill planner.

Billy tags:

@lisainhell @spiderwebs-blog @gryffindorqueensworld @rockyrascal @twerp8999 @theletterhart @boardstomymood @big-galaxy-chaos @greekktragedyy @ietss @alexxavicry @daughterofthenight117 @sarcasm-n-insomnia @multi-fandom5 @skylermoyer @justice-for-the-kaldorei @favmeyou @kaylantus @supernatural-wolfie @yougottalovefandoms @alwaysadreamingoptimist @love1deandra @archaeologydigit @im-eating-rn @bucketbunny @littlefreakingfangirl @hardladyheart @gillybear17 @lchufflepuffcorn

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