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citoyenneangele · 4 years

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Les Mis in Bernese (Swiss Les Mis part 3)

The most interesting finding I had during my research at the library was a script of Les Mis in Bernese German (Bärndütsch), a Swiss German dialect, my native language kind of.

I found this extremely fascinating, to read a story that means so much to me, in particular a version of it that is very close to the original in many quotes, in my local language. It was without a doubt a very particular experience for me, enriching in many ways.

This script was written by Ueli Bichsel in the occasion of a open air theatre production in the Bernese old town in 2011.

Sadly it was pretty hard to find actual footage of the show after 9 years, since many of the things are no longer available on the internet after such a long time. This sadly also includes the photos that the theatre company uploaded.

Here is a partly reconstructed version of the website, that does include some aspects of it, like the introduction to the play and the cast, but sadly no photos :(

Here is one of the few pictures I found on the internet a few months ago, featuring probably Javert and Gavroche

youtube

here is a little exctact of the play featuring Valjean’s dispair, a fair in Montreuil, the Thenardiers, Cosette and the other 2 kids, possibly Fantine...

The way this video is arranged makes me suspect there would be a whole recording, to which I sadly don’t have access, but this video just focuses on the woman who plays the accordeon.

Besides that the only file I have access too is a a few scenes that were featured in a christian tv show which you can find here. It is a portrait of the woman who did the co-direction of the production. The portrait starts at about 5mins in. It features besides the portait of Nathalie Trachsel also some behind the scenes clips from the rehearsals, also some scenes from the actual play: Javert upon Valjean’s release, Valjean and the Bishop, Fantine dying, Javert confronting; then after a break The Amis shouting “to the barricades!” (in particular Combeferre, Feuilly, and Enjolras (the guy with the red cravat), them building the barricade, the first attack, Gavroche shooting the sergeant and Gavroche dying, Valjean releasing Javert.

Now let me tell you about the particularities of this play and its adaptional choices:

The language: as I already said, this is the first time I hear and read Les Mis in my native dialect. It is a very poetic form of it using many specific Bernese terms of vocabulary, that I would probably not use on everyday basis.

The script is specifically designed for the square in the old town where it was realised in 2011. Multiple references concerning the nearby streets are being made. Also the actual cathedral of Bern, giving the square its name, is being integrated, as the seat of the Bishop of Digne. I think they invested also some part of the introduction to the play by stating that all of this could also have happened right here, in these streets, which is a pretty powerful message.

The play includes multiple dreamlike sequences, that also explain multiple cast of Valjean. The first dream is kind of a nightmare that Valjean has during his first night after prison where he sleeps on the stone bench which resumes the ordeal he experienced since his conviction for stealing bread (featuring various Valjean-actors at different stages of his life). The next one is the one where everyone surrounds Fantine and wants money from her after her dismissal. Another dreamscene is the internal debate that Valjean experiences after learing about the “trial of the applethief”, where multiple actors represent the different voices in Valjean’s head (Madeleine’s self who doesn’t want to give up his freedom and doesn’t want to give his town up and do good there instead, even if this means breaking with the past, Fantine who insists that he has to save her daughter and thus can’t go in prison, the apple thief who doesn’t want to go to prison for life in his place, the Bishop who wants him to stay with the truth...). The last dreamscene is the near-death experience Marius has after the barricade which is very similar to the finale of the 2012 film which it predates, except that they are actually not singing the finale but the regular Do You Hear The People Sing in (standard) German.

Another particularity is the insert of Javert as some sort of narrator that comments basically the entire story from his point of view. This is particularly interesting because this Javert seems to me more omniscient than I expect actual Hugolian Javert to be. And since there is no story without a narrator, this play ends with Javert’s suicide.

Generally the book seems to have been an important source of information, many of the dialogues are directly taken from Hugo

The influence of the musical is there and reaches also to the point of the already anticipated inclusion of a song into the play. But there are some part of influences that also make me think of other versions, in particular some dialogue seems to be directly taken from 2000 Les Mis (conversation about the cause from Marius and Enjolras)

Marius is a Republican (and sadly partially rude to Gavroche)

Javert tries to hire Gavroche to spy on the Musain, and the latter takes the money, but later uses this against Javert

Gavroche kills the artillery sergeant and not Enjolras, and gets killed while rejoicing his success

preparation for the barricade is featured

In general I have to say that I enjoyed reading this very much as it was really a well done adaptation from how I can tell this. Very detailed.

I am gonna keep a copy of this script. So if you have questions or would have to see something more in detail, just ask ;)

Click on read more to see the detailed summary.

Before the actual script several interesting documents are included

So the very first page is a letter that the director wrote to one of the actors in the play (he plays Le Noir, a elderly revolutionary, who gets a few lines of one of the unnamed workers of the Faubourg that Hugo quotes). He makes an excuse that it took so long, but they had to edit some things because there were not enough male actors for all the roles, so they had to change a few male roles into female roles, and they are also considering where someone may take over multiple roles.

Then we have a list of all the roles with the respective actors who played them. Some roles are still open, and marked with a question mark, as this list was made before the rehearsals actually took place

Next up we have a plan of the rehearsals, with days and hours and everything... interestingly enough they took place at a location that I personally know, so that is very meaningful for me.

Then follows the actual script. The title is Les Misérables - fate, death and love. The translation is by Ueli Bichel, last edited by Marlise Oberli-Schoch, in 2010.

Prologue

Valjean enters from one of the side streads, is poorly clothed, unshaved, lies on a stone bench and sleeps.

Valjean has a nightmare. so there is a scene within the scene. Which explains the quantity of Valjeans that are employed. Like the Madeleine's self, they appear to the actual Valjean actor in the dreams. In this particular dream sequence Valjean is sentenced to 5 years galleys. While both Valjean and his sister Jeanne beg for mercy (because he tried to work but that was not enough to feed all 8 of them, and parents are dead and so on...) the judge has none of this because the LAW.

Valjean2 is sentenced to more prison and other... corrective measures

Valjean 3 and 4 are sentenced to more prison and other unhuman treatment. Javert appears and lets the prisoners to be chained together. They go away

Javert has a monologue about Valjean. Basically he knows that we will say that this sentence is inhuman and that arresting people like JVJ causes more misery since he is the breadwinner of his family etc. But the law is clear and shall not be questioned. He is not in the position to judge the law, and he is also not responsible for the existence of criminals. His duty is it to find out about crimes and to fight them and to deliver criminals to their rightful punishment. He also gives Valjean his passport and tells him what he has to do and what happens if he breaks is parole...and then Javert speaks to the public and talks about how Valjean cried after his first conviction, and how he now doesn't show any feelings anymore. Wonders what happened to his soul.

A woman called Delacroix wakes Valjean up and asks him what he is doing here, why he sleeps on a stone bench and why he is not going to a inn. He says he was rejected everywhere. She gives him a tip and indicates... the actual cathedral that is on that square in Bern where the theatre takes place.

Image/Act 1

Valjean knocks at the cathedral door. First Magloire with Baptistine, then the Bishop come out. While the women are scared the Bishop approaches Valjean without fear and calmly. greets him with a blessing. Valjean tells him who he is and that he has nowhere to stay, that they didn't let him in even in the prison and so on.... Bishop invites him. JVJ continues to talk about his yellow passport. and is surprised that he wants to take him in ... more conversation of this kind. Bishop says it is not his home, it is the home of jesus, that the door ask not how the one is called who comes in, that is asks if one has hunger or thirst.... Says Valjean come sfrom a place where lots of sad things exists, a place full of hatred and anger against the peple, you have the right to mercy. When you go from here with a benevolence, and thoughts of freedom, a penitent sinner and a peaceful man, then you are worth more than anyone of us. Lets him sleep there.[

Magloire has a panic attack because the silver is missing and what else terrible could have happened. The gendarmes bring the arrested Valjean back.The entire conversation about how the bishop exonerates Valjean, by saying he gave him the silver and why didn't he take the candlesticks... And tells him to become a honest man, that he no longer belongs to evil...Javert as narrator again comments the whole scenery and does not believe that Valjean can become a good person in such a short time. Because once a prisoner, always a prisoner.

almost to prove Javert's judgement the next scene is Petit Gervais, but with a girl called Odette, Valjean tears his ticket

Image/Act 2

there is some kind of fair with music and dancing and market, and all kinds of shows. Javert is there, Thenardier is in his inn, Mme T. is there too... Thenardier boasts about how he, sergeant Thenardier, saved a General in Waterloo with lots of overdramatic details People in the audience have mixed feelings about his narration. While someone is totally impressed, someone else has heard other things about this "ghoul". The Thenardiers have first names (Justin and Rose) They have a discussion about their newest visitor and how they can rip him off the best. Make some remarks about his job as a innkeeper that remind me distantly of Master of the house in the musical. Javert has a conversation with Mme T. about Cosette. Then a conversation about Javert, who is new in town. and once they know where he wants to go (the police prefecture) they suddenly ask lower prizes.

So apparently the Thenardiers are in the same place here as Javert, and thus probably also Fantine and Valjean..

Javert arrives at the police. there is a captain Bovet, who is currently ridiculously eating a sandwich and is not bothered by Javert's arrival until he says who he is, i.e. the new police inspector, and he keep telling him that he is not behaving the way he is supposed to according to the official instructions. He wants to see the mayor immediately. On the way, Javert has a conversation with Bovet about how much more clean it is here and how much less crimes there will be here than in Paris. Bovet says that is due to the glass manufacture that the life in Montreuil has never been better. He asks him if he wants to see it. He says, first the mayor. Whom does the factory belong to? To the mayor. He first worked as worker, but after the bankruptcy of the former owner he bought the entire factory six years ago. Javert thinks then it is even better if they first go and see the mayor, when he seems to be the driving force in this town. Bovet says, yes, but also that he is kinda extraordinary, eccentric, well very shy. He lives like an eremit, retired and alone. He even did not want to be elected, he had rejected to be mayor at first. The people think he is abit crazy, but Bovet thinks he is sympathetic and yet he has a bit of pity for him because he is so lonely. A very short, very formal visit at Madeleine's house, where for some reason a soldier is watching, and asking the mayor to come. The scene concludes with Javert-narrator wondering from where he knows this man, finds it weird that this man does not show any interest in the prefect of police (excuse me what are you now, Javert, prefect, inspector, officer? I have lost the overview in this play), wonders if he has something to hide, himself, his face, his voice, a movement, his language....

a woman called Ducret approaches Madeleine, and tells her about one of the girls at the factory, that she has not spoken to ehr yet, but everything indicates that she has a child. Madeleine asks if she is a whore. He only does not want that his workers are captured by moral disintegration. Ducret then suggests to dismiss her. Madeleine trust upon her judgement, and says in this case she shall give her 50 francs and send her away. Ducret has a conversation with Fantine which starts with innocent smalltalk and ends with her being dismissed.

basically Fantine is in a state of powerlessness and everyone wants money from her and threatens her. (The Thenardiers, the landlord the renter of furniture, the letter writer...) Fantine breaks down.

a woman called Françoise who offers haircuts, wigs and teeth, buys Fantine's hair.

Whores in front of the Thenardier's inn and apparently Mme T. is there too, singing (apparently not being a whore). and Javert and Bovet are there too, about how they are being more and more... Two guys called Rambone and Savioni are harassing Fantine who looks worse than the other whores, and Fantine defends herself tries to kick one of them in the eggs ^^ When Javert comes the men disappear...

Javert arrests Fantine and as a narrator he makes a comment in which he says very clearly what he thinks about her (I am not gonna repeat that here though), but basically she is very criminal and is treating good and honorful citizens of this town badly and this can not be tolerated. She breaks down and asks him for mercy because Cosette, you know, but of course Javert doesn't care. So she breaks down and coughs even more...

Madeleine intervenes, Fantine attacks Madeleine, who only wants Javert to release her, but Fantine thinks Madeleine is responsable for all her misery and spits at him. Madeleine says he know what happened, the men are at fault and should be punished, not she. But she insulted the mayor. But the mayor says that this is his business and not the justice's. The whole Javert-Valjean argument about Law and who has what competences Fantine is free. Madeleine wants to pay her debts and bring her daughter back and make that she can live a worthy life again. Fantine faints, and Valjean says to the soldiers to bring her to the hospital

Fauchelevent's incident with the cart. Involves various inhabitants of the town called Toutou, Zidane, Josephine, Fabienne, and Rahel Javert is there too, and in the end of the chapter he is sure that Madeleine has to be 24601

Fantine is deadly ill, Madeleine wants to bring Cosette before she dies

Javert demands to be dismissed, featuring detailed description by Javert on the points where he thought to have recognized Valjean (and reading this script in its entirety makes me realise mistakes that they didn't. For instance here he still stole from a boy (i.e. Petit Gervais and not Odette). Equally detailed description of the apple thief, and who recognized him as Valjean. Mention about the trial the next day. Madeleine says he can leave. Javert insists to be dismissed. Madeleine says, rather than dismissed he'd need to be promoted, he appreciates him as the dutifuly man of honor that he is. Javert has another monologue that how each time when he arrested someone and mercilessly judged him, he told himself "help me god that you will never stumble", And now he stumbled and needs to accuse himelf. It is about justice, the law asks for an example. Valjean just says we'll see.

dreamlike sequence. Features different actors that represent the different voices in Valjean's head.

Bishop: tells him to go his way. And stand to his identity, to lie would be very wrong, he promised to do no wrong anymore.

Apple thief: blames him for making him his substitute, the one who needs to suffer in his place

Madeleine's self: is relieved that Javert is no longer going after him. Valjean no longer exists. This was god's will. God wants me to do more good here, to be an example for others, everything else is destiny. And for that I need to stay the mayor who gives food to the ppor and makes that the orphans get good education. He shall break the candlesticks as he shall break with the past. He shall forget about the bishop. And also this apple thief is a criminal, he shall be in prison.

Fantine: asks when she will finally see Cosette, he owes her a lot for all the injustice she has suffered because of him. She doesn't think the apple thief wil be a better person but he will be an example for her child. He shall save Cosette who is suffering because she is mistreated by the Thenardiers

Valjean wakes up and tells Arnaud to leave for Arras.

Image/Act 3

again no trial scene, just a summary of a very angry Javert who wants to go after Valjean NOW, as he humiliated him

Fantine dying. Javert confronting Valjean and making respectless remarks to both Valjean and Fantine. Valjean in turn accuses Javert of having killed Fantine. Valjean attacks Javert with a chair so that he can pay his last respect to the dead Fantine. Then says to Javert that now he is at his command. Javert makes another extremely unnecessary stupid comment. Valjean approaches Javert and stretches out his hands, as Javert wands to bond them, he knocks Javert down and escapes

Valjean sees Cosette and wants to help her carry the bucket of water home to ther mother. Cosette says she has no mother, thinks she never had one, that she brought her and never picked her up again. Valjean asks if she lives alone. She says, almost, Monsieur and Madame are only beating her. Realizes she is Cosette, says he wants to stay in the inn for the night, she shall show her the way. They talk about the two other children, Popine and Zelma, who never have to work and have beautiful dolls, and always are allowed to play, while she has to work all day and is not allowed to play as the two other kids don't let her. Only sometimes she is allowed to play, when she is done. But she has nothing to play with. She once played with one of the dolls but then Madam beat her. But she has a small sabre of tin with which she dissects leaves and rainworms

Usual Thenardier-inn conversations, in particular the one about the missing bread, the lost money, that Valjean miraculously finds, Valjean buying the work she'd have to do, (socks), he buys her a doll in a nearby shop, the whole negotiation about Cosette, including Thenardier insisting to see a passport. Valjean saying he doesn't have any, it is not required here. If he takes Cosette with him they won't know his name or his address, they will break down all the bridges behind them . However he has the letter of Fantine. They leave quickly.

Here the Thenardiers don't go after him, they just regret that they didn't make more money

another Javert-narrator monologue, about the dangerous criminal that escaped him and that now also has an innocent girl in his hands. He searched with 36 men and 6 dogs but he is like disappeared from this world. He felt so bad wehn he told the police minister about this development. But the latter did not seem to be that interested, talked about social misery, about shortcomings in the health system. Told him about the beggars, the neglected, from the small criminals who kill another man for bread, about big criminals who in hordes rob reputable citizens, he shall not chase a phantom. But our dear Javert is obsessed with said phantom and doesn't want him to escape. He wants to follow his trace until he has him on (no, not under) the guillotine. He is coming to Paris, not for the miserables, for whom he does not care that much, but for Valjean!

Image/Act 4

Gavroche singing a song about Paris in the time text, yet missing

a coin falls on the square (no idea from where), an entire bunch of poor children and teenagers fight upon it. Gavroche, the most streetwise/smart/crafty of them takes it, and escapes, the other children behind him, he gets caught by Javert, the other children disappear Javert treats him badly and takes the money away from him. When he asks Gavroche for his name, he asks Javert back, but he doesn't seem to be interested in reavealing his identity. But then Gavroche tells him his name, because he told him that there are many like him. And he insists that he, gavroche is unique. So basically Javert recruits Gavroche to spy on the Café Musain "because there are things happening that are of big significance for the state and the city", and Gavroche says yes, because he gave him money. Javert wants to know who is there, what they speak about and what they intend to do.

The students and workers in the Café Musain discuss the situation and Javert spies on them. The people is agitated, one fears that there will be a revolution, a uprising of the miserables Grantaire (who is absent in an older version of the script) declares that he only wants to drink and forget about life, a stupid invention without purpose. Bahorel and Joly have a conversation about Bahorel's lover Feuilly talks about Roman Gods (apparently we now have a Jehan Feuilly or is that a Feuilly Prouvaire or whatever?) Grantaire has a monologue about what they consume in different cities, and harrasses the waitress. Courfeyrac doesn't want any kings anymore and does not like the charter, thinks she belongs to the fire. Enjolras comes in with Marius, presents the latter as a friend of his who want to join them. Marius is a republican and declares that he wants to fight for the republic with all his force, however he hopes it won't get that far that he'll need to give is life. But he prefers to do so rather than life under a tyran (suspicously similar to 2000 dialogue if you ask me) They sing the Marseillaise until Louison tells them to stop, because she does not want the police to shut down her pub. Yes, apparently she now is an innkeeper too.

Outside the café: chaingang. Valjean with Cosette watching. The conversation between the two that ends with Cosette saying "If one of them would cross my way, I think I would die... Dad, what are galleys?" Valjean wants to leave. Marius sees her and wants to follow her, but loses her in the crowd. Goes after Gavroche instead and handles him pretty rudely (Sorry Marius, but this is not how you do it). Basically he tells him to find an angel. Gavroche then is just like "but does this angel have white wings?" Marius instead gives him a detailed description of Cosette and her goldbrown hair and white dress, and how velvet her look is and how silky smooth her lips ar and everything...

They are back to the Musain Combeferre says all the workers have to swear that they go to the streets at the first alarm and fight Feuilly says he can be sure, they fight. But the students have to pave the way. We workers fight, and even if there are as many enemies, we'll fight Feuilly says they are 300 already (oukei, now I am really impressed) Bahorel is convinced that in 14 days they will be as strong as the government i.e. 25000 Bossuet declares he doesn't go to bed, he makes cartridges. Feuilly wants to fight. now. Enjolras says first they need to have weapons Courfeyrac insists that the soldiers do have weapons. Le Noir has the "either for the people or against the people speech" that is more or less an exact translation of the speech that one of the revolutionaries in the Faubourg has in the preparations chapter. Gavroche comes, announces Lamarque's death Combeferre: what? Lamarque? The courageous freedomfighter, our advocate? Now we have resist on our own! Away with the government! Feuilly: we overturn the government! To the barricades! Enjolras: it is about us! now its about everything! at his funeral - to the barricade!

Valjean and Cosette in the garden. They are considering to move again. Cosette: we are changing houses like we are changing names. Valjean is like "I know that must be weird for you, but one day you will understand". Valjean goes inside. Marius is with Cosette (Gavroche led him here, for money), lots of poetic blablabla, and <3<3<3, and you know, Marius shows her handkerchief and ask if it is hers, she says yes. In the end Valjean calls her. Says he keeps the handkerchief as a pledge

The "Thenardier Gang" (yes that is how they are called nowadays) sets out to rob Valjean's house. Eponine tries everything that they don't. In the end she succeeds.. Claquesous blames not only her but also the sight of 2 fighting sparrows and a black cat during the day. Cosette tells Marius they are leaving for England and probably won't come back. Cosette says Marius he should follow them, but Marius says he has no money. He says e won't come tomorrow, only the day after, and also he dies if she leaves. Marius says they have to renounce on each other for 1 day, but maybe they'll win life. Marius tells her the address. or more precisely he graves it into the wall, says he lives with Courfeyrac. when he is gone, Valjean decides they need to leave immediately, he has seen people that don't please him and Paris is bubbling, they have no choice...

Image/Act 5 (named the revolution)

So basically Lamarque's funeral has already happened. And many of the poor have paid him their last respects. Then the subversive slogans suddenly caused the troops of the king to attack people. People are kinda angry and meet up in front of the Musain. Courfeyrac finds a group of workers who come from the funeral, but luckily have not been among those who were attacked by the dragoons (ah, they are not called dragons, good to know :)), but are very angry, Courfeyrac tells them to go inside they can use people like them. Bossuet speaks with a worker from another group, who has a grazing shot in the arm, but doesn't care, they discuss about their weapons Feuilly asks a working woman what she wants. She says: to fight. Show them up there that they push back against that. Feuilly approves. Another worker has no weapon but would fight if he had one. Bossuet tells him he should provide himself one. Worker sets out to pillage a armorer. Everyone in the crowd shares rumors about what happened, and the Thenardier and Claquesous are awaiting happy times. And Babet also. Extraordinary mention to Combeferre declaring this is the best day of his life. They start building a barricade and undercover Javert has made his appearance.

Eponine tells Marius Cosette has left, apparently without leaving a sign. Marius is heartbroken and wants to die on the barricade at any cost. Which again upsets Eponine because she loves him

Inside Musain. Enjolras wants to know what is happening. Courfeyrac says the rumors are very contradictory and it is hard to tell what is truth and what is a lie. Lots of army, people is building barricades everywhere. Barricade is growing and more people are there. Gavroche comes over the barricade. Asks a worker who has the command. One who's called Enjolras. He wants to know if he is a general. Worker says no, the generals are on the other side. We are only brothers. Gavroche says Enjolras he wants to volunteer. Wants to send him to the ambulance. But Gavroche wants a gun. But Enjolras wants to arm first the men, then the women and only then the children. Gavroche leaves and comes back. Tells Courfeyrac and Enjolras there is a problem and draws their attention on Javert, and tells them how he offered him money to spy on them. For some reason he now knows his name. They arrest Javert and by binding him on the post at the entrance they want to show a warning to anyone who dares to betray them

they are awaiting the 1st attack Combeferre sees someone approaching. Enjolras says don't shoot, we know who it is. Bossuet says it's Gavroche. Gavroche wants his gun. who's there- french revolution. The whole Mabeuf thing except that they really present him as an ancient assemblyman who was "at the convent" (which is here not meant the place where nuns are, but the convention, which is apparently called convent in german for some reason). Javert gets another weird narrator-monologue where he denounces the stupidity of the students who throw their lives away and those of the workers because they always think you can change the world all of a sudden. And how they don't have a chance as badly equipped as they are against so many more well trained soldiers. That has to end badly. Either they die in the hail of bullets or "they are beheaded on the guillotine" (ok apparently this Javert has a guillotine obsession but doesn't know how such a thing works ) Javert goes back into the scenery where Joly reminds him that he will be next... The whole first attack plus Marius wants to blow the barricade up, and thus saves it, and asks for the leader, and Enjolras says its Marius. But all Marius wants is to be alone for a moment

Eponine dies and Marius discovers that Cosette still is in Paris

they sing and women bring food, they reprepare the weapons, basically drink with me mode I guess... Marius writes his letter to Cosette and asks Gavroche to bring it. Gavroche doesn't want to miss the next attack and thinks he shall wait... Marius insists that he has to leave now, that they won't attack until tomorrow. And then it will be too late to go because all the streets are closed. Gavroche goes.

It is night and they are trying to rest. One starts to sing the "Song of the Revolution (Musical)" and then the others join in. Combeferre and Gavroche come back. Gavroche has a bag of cartridges with him. Gavroche asks what is going on with them. Here no one sleeps anymore. The whole army of Paris is around etc. (basically what Enjolras says in the book divided between Gavroche and Combeferre) The whole we'll stay and build the barricade higher, conversation, and the uniform conversation, except it is reduced to the essential and Combeferre doesn't get to say anything, it is all Enjolras, in between Marius asks Gavroche who told him to come back. He says he delivered the letter "to the gatekeeper" Valjean comes with the 5th uniform, the 5 leave. Enjolras cares for Javert. Javert recognizes Valjean and says he's gonna have it easy now. Gavroche announces their arrival. A cannon is being heard, like it being rolled there. Cannon attack. 2 people die. Enjolras says this was a grapeshot, and that they needs to stop this cannon, i.e. that it needs to be "fireworker"'s turn. Gavroche says he takes that over. Before anyone can prevent him from doing so, he is up on the barricade and shooting. he hit his target, and is all excited and rejoicing about how he "blew out his lamp", that he evidently forgot that he is standying on a freaking barricade. This causes him to be also shot, of course, and he falls down dead right into the arms of Combeferre.

Enjolras says to all that the last one alive shall shoot the spy. Valjean asks Enjolras if he can crush this man's skull with his own hands, and since no one has objectsions he lets him. Final attack is announced by both Marius and horns. (yes another Hernani flashback for Autumn ) . Everyone goes to the barricade Valjean and Javert alone. Valjean frees Javert with the mention of the promise he made to the bishop of Digne to never do anything unjust. And killing him because he did his duty as a policman here today, or because he followed him his entire life would be wrong. And if he against the expectance should make it out of here alive he can find him in Rue de l'homme armé. Javert says he hates this kind of games, he shall rather kill him. Valjean tells him to leave. He shoots in the air and goes back to the others where he says he is done. Heavy shooting happens. One after the other the defendants of the barricade die. Valjean does stay at the background and doesn't shoot on the soldiers, yet he supports the defendants of the barricade. he realizes that Marius was hit and falls from the barricade. Valjean goes to him. And whereever he looks there are just dying or dead "revoluzzers" (yes, this is the word he uses in the script, not revolutionaries or something like that). During the very last attack on the barricade he carries Marius away from the barricade and can escape with him to the sewers. The soldiers pull the flags of the revolution out and plant the flag of the monarchy (whatever "the flag of the monarchy" may be)

Image/Act 6

We are in the sewers now. Barely conscious Valjean falls down on a sleeping Thenardier at the gate that leads out of the sewers who thinks he has made the great gain. and of course wants to steal from them. and comments this in a monologue this is observed by Javert. And of course now Thenardier is all about helping these people, if they aren't dead yet etc. Javert says him just to back off, calling him by his name. Thenardier insists to help, but he says he shall just leave. Valjean gets back his conscience and checks if Marius is still alive, wants to lift him up again, then sees Javert and lets him down again. But Javert just asked him if he needs help. Valjean says to Javert he hasn't given him the address , so that je can escape. Javert wants to know who that man is. And reminds Valjean what happened to those who were on the barricade. Valjean says he survives if he gets help quickly. He is a daredevil, an idealist, but a good person and he can do many good things yet for our country. Please let for once in your life reign mercy before law. Javert insists that he is dead Valjean says not yet. Insists that he needs to save Marius and then he says he'll come back They arrange a meeting at the same place at the same hour the next day.

Marius lies in the middle of the open square between Barricade and inn scenery. There is only the bed and Toussaint that cares ffor him and Cosette that is looking over him. Marius has a fever dream and is near death when they sees all the friends including Gavroche and eponing with the revolutionary flags and singing "The song of the barricade" climbing on the barricades. It is the german DYHTPS (Lied des Volkes), arranged kinda like the finale in the movie that came out notabene after this thing here. Basically Marius is convinced that they came to lead him to heaven, but in the end they get fainter again and in the end of the scene Marius is alive and awake and with cosette.

Javert derailed made by Javert-narrator which linguistically resembles the confusion of Javert Valjean comes in in the middle of that and says "here I am" Javert halfway awakens from his trance, makes a step towards Valjean, holds his pistol agains Valjean for 2 seconds, then he turns around makes two steps back and holds it against his head. Light goes out. Shot.

THE END.

#Swiss Les Mis #Les Mis uf Bärndütsch #Bärndütsch #Swiss theatre #les mis #les mis play #les mis script

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jddoesc25k · 4 years

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Week 6 Run 1

Tuesday. OMG! I can’t believe we’re on week six!

We are still VERY tired from our 20 minute run on Sunday, muscles aching and the lot! But I had an animal crossing party to attend after my duties for the day, so we had to hop to it!

Today was 5min run, 3m walk, 8min run, 3m walk, 5min run. I wasn’t too worried after last week, we felt prepared to do these runs.

We were at quite a brisk pace today on our warm up, and when we set off, headphones in, we found the 5m was quite quickly over. Apart from some socially close teenagers, we didn’t have much trouble. We seemed to be going a little further than usual, and worried we might have been a bit too quick on our first run. We recovered quickly and continued chatting, then began our 8mins.

Sarah was soon saying we were half way, and our worst concern was navigating every dog walker, runner and couple in Worksop, all who seemed to be on Gateford estate! We won’t be out at this time again! Way too busy!

We did a bit of off-pavement running on the grass and as we ended the 2nd run I was starting to feel a bit tired. Pat told me I was running quite quickly, so I think I need to find more mellow tunes to run to!

The next run seemed to come around quite quickly, and although my breathing was okay, my legs were burning a lot as we started up the incline that is usually our finishing point. This was a very odd feeling and it made it very hard to keep on going for another 3 minutes when we we normally were just finishing our run, not starting it! Those last few minutes were agonisingly slow, but we kept putting one foot in from of the other.

We finished our run being egged on by a fellow jogger, which was great! 🥰 We continued to our 5minute warm down and finished nearly exactly outside our front door! I checked and on Sunday we did 2.7km in the solid 20m but today we 3.2km in 24m with breaks, so we are keeping an even pace.

We were so close to home, and I was rushing for a bath before the party so we forgot our sweaty selfie! Silly old us!

Two of my friends and family have told me that because of our success on c25k, they have started/are about to start running, which is great! I really hope they find the sense of achievement we have!

Week 6 Run 2

Friday...after saying “maybe later.....” 3 times since Thursday morning and calling off our run because of the rain, we bit the bullet and went for it.

Today was a 10minute run, 3min break, then another 10m run. The rain was definitely falling but it wasn’t too heavy. The problem was we went for a run just after having a meal - won’t make that mistake again! We both had gurgling tummies most of the way round.

It was a little tough getting going, and nearly as soon as we started I was out of breath and Pat’s legs were hurting! (I blame the food!) Sarah told us we were halfway through the first run, and I was very grateful we were nearly there. Around that time my legs started to burn but my breathing was easier. One stops, the other starts, typical! No reprieve haha! Despite the difficulty, we both recovered quickly in between our runs and when we started again I think my music helped my mind wander a little and not focus on the running too much “just 2 more songs to go Jordan! You can do it!”.

As we got part way through the second run I realised I was beginning to feel a bit of muscle ache in my thighs which I haven’t really felt before, only my calves. Pat thinks this means we’re opening our strides up a little more, although I did feel like I was shuffling the whole way round! 😂

Pat must be right though as it we have made good progress - we did about 3k over the 23mins which isn’t a bad time.

We basically finished our walk at our doorstep again, so we forgot to take a sweaty selfie again! We’re going to have to add some distance to our run so we remember!

We’ve got a 25 min run on Sunday, so we’re going to try and take what we have learned and throw it into that! STRETCH!! Water, but no food right before! Don’t forget to pace yourself!

Week 6 Run 3

I still can’t believe we’ve been doing this for 8 weeks guys!!

I had a late night last night, so I got up just after twelve (and missed buying turnips on Animal Crossing! Damn!) and had a day of mooching about on the sofa, watching tv and playing games with Pat. We said we’d go for a run later, when we knew it wouldn’t be busy outside. We had tea and said we’ll go in a bit when our food had gone down. We promptly forgot about our run.

So, at 22:20, we set off! And in our rush to get out before midnight, we forgot to stretch! We looked a bit of a sight doing lunges and stretching our legs on the warm up walk. 😂

Today it was a 25 minute run. While I wasn’t looking forward to it and I knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park (😉), I also felt like we had it in us to do 25minutes. We did 10x2 the other day and 20 last week so I thought: we can do this!

This first five minutes seemed to go relatively quickly. I kept a good pace and was pleasantly surprised when Sarah M started talking at the 5m mark as my breathing was fine and my legs weren’t too upset. However, the next 7.5mins, getting to half way (12.5min) through the run, were very long!

We were on a very very slight hill, but I always feel it in my calves, not as much as usual today, but it was still a little burn-y. The next section (to the 12.5 mins) seemed to take forever! I had started to get a stitch - I think we ran too quickly after eating again 🙈 - so I was breathing deeply to try and take it off, which messed up my running rhythm. After that, about halfway, I purposefully slowed down a little to try and get back on track. Pat did really great all through this - he kept an even pace and didn’t struggle. 🎉

Soon we were at halfway, and we were starting the long straight climb that we always used to end on. The gentle incline was fine, both Pat and I were much better with this than usual. Other than an excess of sweat because the weather was so close we were doing well, breathing evenly, legs doing okay too. As you come to end of this stretch the road banks upwards and we always slow down and it kills your calves because you’re already tired, but we both kept up a ~slower~ but regular pace rather than dragging ourselves up the “hill” as usual. I did have a small stumble here, but I’m blaming that on the street lights being out. 😂

Sarah M. told us we had 5 minutes to go, where had that time gone?? Great! We had just crested the hill where we normally finish running and turned up another hill! Luckily, this was was really nice and gentle and we kept on going. “I am Moana” came on my headphones and Moana and her grandma sung encouragement to me until just after Sarah said “One minute left”. I went for it (a fast jog!) and really ended the run on a breathless high! It was “Run-derful”!😂😂

We are really proud of ourselves! The point of C25k is to run for 30mins, and we just did 25! We both felt we had a little bit more left if we had needed it, so it’s somehow actually become an achievable goal!! Crazy!

We ran about 3.15km in the 25m which is a little slower than we did the other day, but I’m happy with that! I think it’s the longest time I’ve ever run in my life!

Don’t worry, we added a bit on the end of our run so we remembered our sweaty selfie this time!

Peace out ✌️ (Lol!)

🦄💖JD🏃‍♀️🤯

#c25k #c25ktraining #couch25k #ouchmylegs #runrunrun #week6run1 #w6r1 #week6run2 #w6r2 #week6run3 #w6r3 #justonesweatyselfie #sweatyselfie #redface #rain#nightrun

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3packsfrom21 · 5 years

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Changing It Up

Well, they coerced me into writing the summary on Spain and you are all witnesses to the fact that it did not take me a year (it may, however, have taken me a couple weeks).

Up till now you may have heard that the cool weather and rain have been chasing us; we were all hoping that Spain would end that cycle and it did not disappoint. We had one day of rain in the two weeks that we were there.

Spain - the land of fiesta, siesta, paella, and sangria. We arrived on the 13th, (September) with our first stop being Barcelona. We all wanted to get a beach in before Jessica left (since we couldn't send her home without some sort of a tan). The day that we arrived was overcast and therefore not super hot, so we walked to a famous park (Park Guell) which has an amazing lookout on the city. The park was only 3.5km away, with an elevation of 144m (not much). Like I said, it wasn’t hot and the previous day we had sat in a park all day waiting for our bus. I knew it would be a completely reasonable walk, as I had already done it myself last year. If you’re asking yourself why I'm giving such detail, it's because if you ask either of my sisters or Jessica, they will tell you that it was a hike up a mountain that never seemed to end, and that I had not properly prepared them for it. They would go on to say that the park had no grass for them to collapse upon, only rocky benches. Much to their surprise we all survived and made it out in one piece.

***Janae is editing this post and I’d just like to say that when someone says “let’s go to a green space to look at a view and relax for a bit,” I’m expecting a green space that includes grass and a place to actually do that relaxing. What I am not expecting is to walk up-hill through a city (after not sleeping the night before) so that we can sit for a few seconds on a rock bench (the only green in this place was the leaves on the trees), before doing some more walking to see architecture and a view. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Park Guell is lovely. Just not on a day with already swollen ankles and a head heavy with exhaustion. And guys, it may not have been the hottest day, but it was certainly warm.***

***Now Lynece is editing this post as well and I would like to add the fact that before we ventured out, Kiana had made it clear that there was always the option to “catch a bus whenever you guys want”. However, the three times we said that a bus would be a good idea, Kiana seemed to either ignore us or state that it “isn’t that much farther!” Now, I'm all for seeing architecture but there are a few things I need. For instance, food (one small empanada is insufficient). It would also be nice to have a true estimate of the length of the trek, as well as an actual explanation that it is in fact a trek, not just an easy walk across town.***

The following days were dedicated to beach time and tans, as well as trying to eat as much Spanish food as we could so that Jess could go home tanned and well fed (neither of these things have consistently happened in the past month). We ate paella, tapas, churros, tacos, pastries and gelato (I’m aware that the last three aren’t necessarily Spanish foods, but they are the best we’ve had in Europe so far). We learned that Jessica really loves the beach (her favourite part of the trip). She thoroughly enjoyed playing in the waves (or more accurately having them hit her in the face). She was also quite proud of her acquired tan lines; they were well fought for.

We did do some exploring as well - I took them to a park where there was more than enough grass for them all to collapse on (therefore redeeming myself). Barcelona is also known for the many architectural works of Antoni Gaudi, not the least of which includes the very famous and unfinished (under construction for the past 200yrs, its estimated completion date is in 2026), Sagrada Familia. We walked around this massive cathedral, marvelling at its size, and, frankly, its weirdness. It looks like it came out of a Dr.Seuss book. We also went to admire Gaudi’s other works, which are spread around the city, each one unique and fantastical. They always stand out in comparison to the surrounding buildings, which is an accomplishment since many of the surrounding buildings are also great and beautiful. We, of course, did some shopping (another one of Jessica's favorite activities) and, with each purchase, we lamented the ever decreasing amount of room in our packs.

Then, the very sad day came when our group of 4 was reduced to 3. Jessica returned home on the 18th (Sept). The three of us stood, waving goodbye at the gate, acutely aware of the fact that the next time Jess slept in a bed, it would be her own. We wished she could stay longer as much as we wished we could go with her. This is a feeling that traveling brings me consistently: a desire to continue exploring forever and a desire to return to the comfort and familiarity of home. I have to say that no matter the feeling, I'm deeply thankful that the more I see of the world, the more my appreciation for Alberta increases. There are many places I would really love to live and yet I’m completely content (more like thrilled) to remain a resident in the place where I grew up.

Continuing on. Our plan was to leave Barcelona for another city on the same day that Jess left. However, though Spain may be cheap for food and accommodations, transportation is ridiculously overpriced (when compared to the cost of living). On top of that, there are only two bus lines that run between Barcelona and Madrid and only one was actually open when we went to book our tickets. Also, when we tried to look for a place to stay in Madrid, the price on the weekends was double what it was during the week. Therefore, we decided, after much research and deliberation, that we would stay in Barcelona the rest of the week and would push Madrid to Sunday night. So, for the rest of our time in Barcelona we did some more beachin’, eatin’, budgeting and journaling. We then said goodbye to our beloved city of Barcelona on the 22nd...

Now, when travelling, I'm the kind of person that always plans to be very early, rather than just on time. This is to account for washroom breaks and unforeseeable delays (which seem to always arise on travel days). The night of the 22nd was no exception, but somehow my added time wasn’t quite sufficient and we ended up being just slightly rushed. As is the case with most overnight busses, there is some rearranging that needs to be done. For example, our pillows (pillow cases stuffed with clothes) need to be made up, our outfits need to be changed to allow for more comfort (you never know whether the driver will crank the heat or the AC, but either way you can bet that it will be done in the extreme). On top of that, teeth need to be brushed and valuables put into daypacks.

This all still had to be done. So, while we are usually the paranoid travellers clutching their bags every time someone passes, tonight, our tardiness made it so we were a little less observant. Our bags were left in a “that will have to do” sort of fashion. They were a little too spread out to be watched by just one person. But, as time was of the essence, that is just what happened. As Janae and I were in the bathroom, Lynece was left with our packs, and was also trying to finish her list of travel needs (pillow, blanket, socks). Suddenly, someone came and urgently asked her if the pay phone beside her was working. She responded that she didn't know, and he proceeded to walk out the door without even checking the phone. It seemed very odd to her, and she automatically looked around to see if anything had been taken. She noticed that my daypack was absent, but surmised that I'd probably brought it to the bathroom with me. It wasn't until I came back minutes later that we realized it indeed had been stolen. Luckily, I'd taken out my camera and the thief had only enough time to grab the one bag. To add a bit of extra heat to our situation, however, was the fact that we had only a little over 5min until we were supposed to be checking onto our bus. I quickly went to the nearest security guard to inform him of what happened. As this happens frequently (I can’t count the amount of times the locals had told us to keep our bags close), he was less than surprised and said that if I wanted to, I could go to the police station nearby and let them know. We didn’t have enough time for that, so I went and looked to see if maybe the thief had taken the money out of the bag and just tossed it nearby. All the while, I was praying, asking God to help me find it, even just to recover the pack itself (which I used daily to carry water, snacks, my jacket etc…). Unsuccessful, I returned to Lynece and Janae, both of whom were wondering what was taking me so long, as they were worried that we would miss our bus. We quickly went through what had been in my pack, so we knew what the damage was. I’d lost my phone, 30€ in our change purse, my journal (probably one of my most valued possessions in the pack), a Ravi Zacharias book called Jesus Among Other Gods, and my compression socks. As none of these prevented us from catching our bus, we picked up our bags and were about to leave, when there was a tap on my shoulder. Behind me stood a different security guard and in his hands was my pack. We were shocked and just started thanking him repeatedly, while he was trying to get us to actually look in the pack to see if anything was missing. When I looked through the pockets of the pack, I miraculously found that my phone was still there, as well as my journal and my book! All of them had been rearranged and moved to different pockets, so I knew that the thief had thoroughly searched through my pack, but everything was still there. The only thing I didn't find was the change purse, so I surmised that the thief must've only been looking for cash. The 30€ was small cookies (I was just glad to have my stuff back), so we reassured the guard that all was well, thanked him again, and headed for the bus, praising the Lord. We were shocked and amazed. Once seated, and with time to think, I reorganized my pack to the way that I like it. I moved my water bottle, only to find none other than our little change purse tucked underneath. Inside the purse was our 30€. Unheard of. Hilariously, the only casualty to the stolen bag crisis, in the end, was one compression sock (not a pair, just one). So now I just walk off of busses and flights with one ankle the normal size and the other the size of a small watermelon.

The cool thing is that all In all, God prepared us for both situations. Had the pack indeed not been returned, I would have lost the pack itself (which, though inconvenient, could have been replaced) and my phone (I had only taken maybe a half dozen photos on it so it wouldn't have been the worst). Furthermore, this was one of the only times that we had printed off our bus tickets, rather than keeping them on my phone, so we would still have had those. I still had my camera, which I had taken out just before going to the bathroom. Our iPad and tablet were in Janae and Lynece's packs. I would have lost my journal, which would have been sad, but, again, Janae and Lynece both have one as well, so it wouldn't have been the end of the world. The last thing that could have been lost would have been my book, which maybe the thief could have read. So, even if it had all been lost, the Lord prepared it in such a way that we would have been fine. To then have it all returned (minus the compression sock) is nothing short of a miracle, one that has humbled me and given me perspective.

---

We arrived in Madrid the next morning to an amazing sunrise. We had managed to get a hostel right in the heart of Madrid. Madrid is more European than Barcelona, in terms of its style of architecture; it's also much less touristy, so you can still really feel some of the original culture. This being my 2nd time in the city, I had many things that I wanted to share with my sisters. Most of them included food. Some of the bars in Madrid still hold the old tradition of giving free tapas (appetizers) with the purchase of a drink. This started back when there were many people living and working in Spain who still were not able to afford food. Business owners found that their employees were very hard working during the hours before lunch but after siesta time they came back a bit lazy. When they investigated, they discovered that their employees didn't have enough money to buy food for lunch so they would go home/out, have a couple drinks and go back to work feeling a little buzzed and lazy. In response, the government imposed a law that required places selling alcohol to provide a small portion of food (tapas) with the purchase of every drink, thus helping to solve the problem. Now it's become a bit of a tradition and there are still places that practice this. One night, we went to one such place. It was a tiny place, basically one small room and then a small hallway. It was absolutely packed with people. There were some tables but most people ate standing up along the edge of the room, where there was a skinny shelf/bar that was attached to all the walls. We all ordered a drink and were given 4 plates of finger food (tapas). We ate in the hallway facing the wall. Every now and then a waiter would squeeze by (literally squeeze - our backs were nearly touching the backs of the people on the other side of the hallway). It was delicious food and quite the experience.

While in Madrid we also went on our first free walking tour of the trip. Most cities offer them, but we hadn’t made it on one yet. We started the tour around 11 and it went all around the old part of the city, taking close to 3 hours. We saw the oldest operating restaurant in the world; heard about how Madrid became the capital it is today when it had originally been only a small village; learned how the country moved from kingdom, to republic, to dictatorship, to the monarchy it is today; and so on. Overall, it was way too much information to absorb at once, but we greatly enjoyed it.

Madrid also has some great parks and museums. The biggest park is acres large, we spent a little time almost everyday walking around it (more like sitting in it) and enjoying its serenity. The park was also really close to the Del Prado museum, one of the best classical art museums in the world. Fortunately for us, they offer free entrance on certain days (and at certain times) of the week. Due to its enormous size and our lack of time (you’d need a couple days, if not more, to see the whole museum), we had to be strategic on what exhibitions we wanted to see. We decided to do a little portion of the Spanish art section, along with some sculptures, as Lynece had yet to really see any. The paintings were lovely, as is the case with most classical art, in my opinion. I enjoyed how the museum had proportioned the rooms; often there were only 4 or so paintings in a room because the paintings were wall sized. Not overcrowding the art allowed me to appreciate it even more. As for the sculptures, I'm not sure if it's a normal thing that sculptures are extremely old but we saw ones that were dated to 300BC, which, for me, is mind blowing! To have something right in front of you, close enough to touch, that was created 300 years before Christ was even born (and was around when he was doing his ministry), made my head spin.

Now, 2 weeks after leaving, I'm thankful for all the adventures that Spain brought. For me, it was the place where we finally found the sun, where we had some of the best food so far, and where our group of 4 became 3. I think with each place we leave, we hope for the same thing, to someday return and redo some experiences as well as add new memories. At the same time, each new place lengthens the list of places that I want to take my parents and family (all of you!) to. Of course, I’m grateful that I get to already share these experiences with my sisters. I’ve traveled alone and with friends, but one of the most special things I’ve done is travel with my sisters. As we move from place to place, meeting new people along the way, most conversations go to who you're traveling with (friends, people you’ve met along the way etc…). One thing I’ve noticed is that when we tell people that we are sisters, people generally look surprised. We are not sure why; maybe they are surprised that we all like each other enough to go traveling together for so long. Or that we’ve all, at the same time, managed to get time away. Either way, we are grateful to have been fortunate enough that both of these factors worked out; we have God to thank and give the glory to.

Gracias ~ Kiana

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jebentnietalleen · 5 years

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Ok, so we know that Isak tries to call Even at some point and ends up on the phone with his dad. France kinda took a part of this clip and made one with only his dad on Sunday. So I’m guessing we’ll see a clip where he tries to reach out to Eliott? It’s supposed to be a long clip (almost 5mins I think) so I really wonder where they are going with this. Maybe Lucas tries to go see him but someone stops him? Maybe he tries to call too ... but a 5 min clip? That’s pretty long.

hey do you maybe know what’s supposed to happen next? like i havent seen the og skam but from what i vaguely know magnus talks to isak about his mum being bipolar and then what are the next few clips about like what can we expect the next few skam france clips to be about? i’d really appreciate it if you could tell me, thanks xx

I’m combining these asks because they both are about what will happen next. Anon 2: I really can’t predict what happens next based on skam og, because they have changed up the entire timeline! In skam og, Isak already came out to his mom last episode and calls Even on Wednesday, who doesn’t pick up. Then his dad calls him and Isak says it was a joke, he doesn’t have a boyfriend, but quickly takes it back. But that already sort of happened yesterday.

What I think might happen next is the conversation with his mom, I am hoping that it will be a clip face to face, in which he sees his mom and comes out to her. Maybe his mom will explain some more things about being bipolar and this will be the last kick in the butt he needs to call Eliott. I have to say, after todays clip I would be surprised if Lucas waits that long before he reaches out to Eliott.

#skam france

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finn-nelson-for-the-win · 6 years

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Before the World Stops Turning: Pt.6

Hello my lovelies! I’m getting super excited for you all to see where this story is going, so despite scrapping the majority of this chapter that I had originally written, I typed as fast as my fingers would allow because I promised I’d have a new chapter for you all today and I wanted to stay true to my word.

This chapter did end up being longer than the prior two, but after this complete rewriting, it is only about 1/3 the length it was originally. I can’t say for certain just yet, but I have a feeling that Part 7 is going to be the really long chapter...but we’ll just have to wait and see. :)

If you’d like to be added/removed from my tags list for this fic or my Forever Tag list, don’t hesitate to let me know!

Everything I’ve written can be found right here!

I hope you enjoy this chapter! (As always, additional notes and random commentary I have will be at the end beneath the tags)

***

Twenty minutes…I’m twenty fucking minutes late to meet Rae at the coffee shop…

Finn sat at the table in Danny’s dining room with his head resting in his hands, struggling to hold back yet another groan of annoyance. Finn and the rest of Kings and Queens had been in and out of meetings with booking agents, producers, and their band manager, Steven, all day long trying to sort out the logistics of their plans for touring and working on their latest album this summer but Finn’s mind was elsewhere and his eyes had not left the screen of his phone for the last half hour.

Generally Finn did not mind these sort of meetings—which is why it was almost always Finn, Archie, and Chop taking the lead on planning what’s next for the band while Alex and Danny stepped down and played other roles as necessary—but the final meeting of the day with Steven was running much longer than anticipated and Finn was desperate to leave.

“Okay, well I think I’ve kept you lads here long enough and I can tell that Mr. Nelson here is desperate to be anywhere but here right now, so I think we can end the meeting right here for today. We still need to meet up again soon, but I think it will be best for us to pick up where we left off in a few weeks that way we can wait to hear back from the agents and producers you met with earlier today. Enjoy the rest of your day!”

As soon as their manager bid the band farewell, Finn leapt from the chair he had been sitting in and grabbed his cellphone and truck keys, rushing to his truck where it was parked in front of Danny’s house to go meet Rae at Charlie’s Café.

Finn: Holy Shit, Rae! I’m so sorry I’m running late! I was stuck in a band meeting and couldn’t leave until now.

Finn: I’m on my way now, though, and I should be there REALLY soon!!

He had only been driving for a few minutes when he heard his phone ringing where it sat on the seat beside him and he immediately grabbed the phone to answer the call without even checking who was calling.

“Rae?”

“Uh, no, haha…sorry to disappoint you buddy, but it’s me, Archie!”

“Oh, sorry Arch. I just texted Rae and I don’t know why I assumed…anyways, what’s up?”

“Don’t worry about it, Finn, I know you’re nervous for you meet-up with Rae. If I’m correctly recalling the time you agreed to meet with her, you’re already running a bit late so I hate to be a bother, but I think you might have forgotten something very important.”

What did I forget? I have my phone, my wallet, the tickets—

“Fuck! The tickets! How could I forget to grab the tickets? Okay, I’m turning back to get them now…are you all still at Danny’s house?”

“Yeah, Steven left a bit after you bolted out of here, but the rest of us are still here and some of the other guys are playing video games right now.”

“Ah, okay…well, I’ll be there in about five minutes!”

Finn found the nearest place to turn around and began driving back in the direction of Danny’s house, thankful for the lack of midday traffic on this side of town.

As soon as Finn pulled up to the drive in front of Danny’s house, he turned off his truck and jogged towards the front door when Danny opened the door before Finn could even knock or ring the doorbell.

“Archie told me you forgot to grab the tickets for the girl you’re meeting with to give the tickets to. Come on inside and I’ll got grab the tickets from the stack Steven gave us before he left today!”

Finn walked inside and towards the room where Alex and Chop sat side-by-side on the couch playing a first-person shooter game with aliens and Archie sat on the reclining chair watching.

“Chop! Are you fucking kidding me? You killed me again, you prick!”

“Sorry, Alex…it was an accident just like the last time…and the time before that…and the time before that…”

“Fuck off, Arnold! Just focus on killing the aliens and watch your back because I’m not above returning the favor with a little friendly fire.”

“Oh wow, Chop! You must have really made Alex mad for him to be calling you by your real name…” Finn added as he took a seat on the armrest of the couch beside Chop.

“Oh, he’s just mad because as soon as I throw a grenade he always seems to walk into the blast zone and I’m too far away to rescue his arse, so he dies. I’m sure he’ll get over it,” Chop added earning an annoyed grunt from Alex who was sitting on his right side, “Anyways, what are you doing here, Finney boy? Weren’t you supposed to have a coffee date with your girl like…an hour ago?”

“Yes, I was supposed to meet Rae almost an hour ago, but the meeting with Steven ran longer than expected and I left without grabbing her tickets, so I had to turn back. And even though I’m talking to you now, Chopper, don’t you go thinking that you’re forgiven for what you did yesterday!”

“What did Chop do yesterday?” Alex asked with an amused smile while looking between Chop and Finn as he waited for a reply.

“Nothing serious…Archie and I were at Finn’s apartment and the love of his life, Rae—you remember Rae from our show a little over a month ago, right? The one that Finn fell in love with at first sight and her mate Izzie cropped him out of our group photo—well she texted him because they’re supposed to meet up today so he can give her tickets to our next show and I might have stolen Finn’s phone while he was in the kitchen getting Archie and I some drinks and I was texting on Finn’s behalf like the good wing-man I am! Finn’s just being an unappreciative bastard!”

“Me? Being unappreciative? Well I’m sorry that I wasn’t happy that you took my phone and were texting Rae all flirty-like and sending her emojis and winking faces for no goddamn reason! She probably thinks that was me and that I’m some complete and utter freak now! It’s a miracle that she didn’t immediately cancel our plans to meet up today simply out of principle!”

“Simmer down, Finnley,” Archie began in an attempt to act as the mediator to ease the tension between his best mates, “in Chop’s defense, he wasn’t the only one texting Rae while you were out of the room.”

“Archer…are you serious right now? ‘Et tu brute’?” Finn replied with mock betrayal.

“Well, at least all your studying for finals seems like it’s paying off…I’m so proud that you used that reference in the right context, Finn! And yes, it is true. Chop only sent the last message, but I was sending all the other ones, which is why I asked about where the two of you were planning to meet.”

Before Finn had the chance to respond to Archie, Danny walked back into the room with Rae’s pair of tickets and handed them to Finn.

“Thank you so much, Danny! You’re a lifesaver!” Finn replied as he clapped his hand on Danny’s shoulder twice before standing up from the armrest of the couch and shouting his goodbyes to his band mates over his shoulder.

“Have fun, Finnley!”

“Go get her, tiger!”

“Tell Rae I say ‘hello’, lover boy!”

Finn heard Archie, Alex, and Chop call their goodbyes in return, but he decided against stopping to comment on what they said knowing that he was already running very late to his meeting with Rae.

Finn: Rae! I am so, so sorry! I’m a complete and utter idiot and I had to go back and get something, but NOW I’m heading over to the café and I should be there soon.

Finn: I know that I’m nearly an hour late right now and you have every right to leave if you haven’t already because I should have never left you waiting this long, but I should be there in less than 5min if you’re still there waiting.

Finn: I promise. xx

***

Finn walked into Charlie’s Café and scanned the tables to try to find Rae.

She’s not here…

Of course she’s not here! I left her waiting on me for over an hour…she’d be totally mad not to leave…

Wait…

Finn looked over to a small table on the far side of the café, a reasonable distance away from the crowds of students and professors that were waiting in line to place their orders before rushing to their next class or meeting, and his heart immediately skipped a beat.

There she is…and she looks beautiful and…

“Perfect,” Finn said lightly under his breath before clearing his throat nervously and weaving his way between the crowds of people to approach the table where Rae sat.

“Hey, Rae! Sorry I’m so late!” Finn said when he was standing next to the table where she sat.

Rae was in the middle of taking a drink of her iced coffee when she looked up at Finn and nearly choked.

“Oh, hi! Sorry, you just surprised me a bit is all,” Rae replied when she recovered from the brief coughing fit, “I almost thought that you were going to stand me up, haha…but then again, no one ever mentioned who I should be expecting to meet me here, so I didn’t really know who I was even waiting on, uh,” Rae babbled in an awkward attempt to break the ice between them.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry, Rae! My name is Finn…I’m the one who has almost complete control of the band’s social media, so you’ve been messaging and texting me for the last few days. I feel so bad that I completely forgot to mention that!”

“Don’t worry about it! So…you’re here to drop off the tickets I asked for..?”

“Ah, yes, of course!” Finn said as he pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out the two tickets that he had hastily shoved into it as he rushed out of Danny’s house, “sorry…uh, here are your tickets.”

“Thanks, here’s the money…” Rae said as she traded him the money for the pair of tickets.

Finn saw Rae hesitate slightly as she appeared to be considering what to say next and he began to fear that he was imposing on her plans with his presence.

“I guess I better get going…”

“Do you want to stick around for a cup of coffee with me?”

Finn and Rae spoke at the same time and although he heard what Rae said without trouble, the two chuckled nervously and Finn gestured with his hand, prompting her to continue talking so he could be sure that he had heard her correctly and it was not just his wishful thinking.

“Oh, I don’t know, I was just thinking about how nice it was of you to go out of your way to deliver these tickets just to leave a few minutes later…so I was thinking that you could stick around and have coffee with me if you’d like to…if you’re not busy that is…”

Finn stood in place, processing Rae’s invitation and unable to make his brain communicate with his mouth effectively to accept her offer and he could see the exact moment that the feelings of doubt and embarrassment washed over Rae.

“You’re probably really busy, huh? Never mind. Just forget that I even asked,” Rae said as she began to stand up from the table.

“Wait! I’m not busy, I swear, and I’d love to have coffee with you!” Finn replied a bit too enthusiastically for his liking, which caused him to immediately blush as he pulled out the seat across from Rae and sat down.

“Okay, great!” Rae replied with a chuckle as one of the café workers came by to take away one of Rae’s empty cups and to take Finn’s order.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, by the way,” Finn said when the waitress brought his cappuccino to their table along with another coffee for Rae and the various pastries that Finn had ordered the two of them as his way of apologizing for being late to their meeting, “I’m fairly certain that I’m the only member of the band who wasn’t formally introduced to you and your friend after the last show. And I didn’t work up the nerve to introduce myself to you after I nearly tackled you to the ground and knocked your phone out of your hand before the show started.”

Finn’s shy smile and the blush in his cheeks returned when Rae laughed aloud and smiled widely in response to what he said.

“Likewise! I felt bad about walking away so quickly after we bumped into each other, but I was afraid to lose my friend in the crowd if she wandered too far away. And after the concert, when Izzie and I came over to chat with you all, it was utter chaos! So much so that you barely even ended up in the group photo we took because I guess you were rushing to get into the picture at the last minute!”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Finn replied sheepishly as he used his left hand to run his fingers through the short hairs at the nape of his neck out of nervousness and embarrassment, “the rest of the band saw the picture your mate posted and were convinced that I was cropped out of the photo intentionally. They had lot of fun giving me shit about that for a few days afterwards…”

“Finn! Oh no,” Rae replied, trying to show sympathy but struggling to hold back the grin that was spreading across her face, “Izzie and I didn’t even realize it ourselves until the next day and we noticed that the only part of you that made it into the photo was three of your fingers!”

“Really? I didn’t see any of me at all!”

“Yes, really! Take a look…” Rae replied as Finn pulled his cell phone from his pocket to bring up the group photo Rae and Izzie had taken with the band.

“Holy shit, you’re right! The lads are really going to get a kick out of this too…” Finn replied with chuckle and wide smile that made Rae smile in return.

“So, I’ll be honest with you, Finn… last night I was really regretting having agreed to meet with you, but I’m definitely glad that I went through with it.”

“I’m glad you did too,” Finn said with a shy smile, “and I’m really sorry if the texts that you got last night were part of the reason why you felt uneasy about meeting up. Chop and Archie thought it would be fun to take my phone and reply to your texts on my behalf.”

“Is that so? Well that’s unfortunate,” Rae paused briefly to see the confusion on Finn’s face and shoot him a quick smirk, “I found my conversation with them to be rather interesting. Your mate Chop is quite the charmer, although I’ve deiced to take the highroad and be a good friend to Izzie by not reading into his flirting too much.”

“Yeah, Chop is…well, Chop is indeed a charmer, but he’s a great guy underneath his quirky personality. Both he and Archie mean well, but they are two of my best mates and how they show their friendship with me can be a bit much at times, I suppose.”

“I know exactly what you mean! That’s great that you three are such close mates and are in a band together. How long have you three known each other?”

“Well the three of us grew up in the same area. Archie’s family and mine knew each other since we were babies, so we’ve basically known each other all our lives. And then when Archie and I were about six years old we were on a footie team together and Chop joined as well. We found out that he was new to the area and going to the same school as us and he became the latest addition to mine and Archie’s little dynamic duo. And the three of us have been inseparable ever since, which is why the summer before Archie and I decided to start Uni, the three of us started this band together and named it what we did. And the rest is history…”

“That’s so cool! I don’t think I follow though…why did you call your band ‘Kings and Queens’?”

“Oh, that! It’s after the streets that the three of us grew up on. Archie and I lived about three houses down from each other on Kings Road and Chop’s family moved into a house on Queens Street.”

Rae nodded in understanding and gave Finn a stunning smile that nearly made him choke on the sip of coffee he was taking during the short break in the conversation.

“Uh, so what about you and your mate Izzie? How long have you two known each other?”

“Well we shared a mutual best mate from when we were much younger, but I never actually met her until we were both about 16 or so. We became pretty close mates and when we both decided to go to Uni here in the city—and the mutual friend we had decided to go to school further away—Izzie and I grew to be much closer and now she is definitely one of my best mates.”

“That’s great! So what are you studying here at Uni?” Finn asked as he grabbed one of the pastries he had ordered and took a bite as he waited for Rae’s response.

“I’m double-majoring in English and Psychology with a minor in Music,” Rae replied pausing briefly when she saw Finn’s eyebrows raise in surprise, “but I’ve been debating adding on another minor or a third major.”

“Holy shit! That’s really impressive, Rae! You must be a really good student to balance all of the work that comes with such a full course load!”

“Oh! Thank you, Finn, but um, I’m not that smart,” Rae mumbled shyly, “there’s just so many different things I want to study and learn about that I couldn’t stand that thought of settling for just one area of study.”

“Well I think you’re a lot more intelligent than you give yourself credit for,” Finn replied with a smile when he saw how his compliment caused Rae to blush slightly.

“So, uh, you mentioned that you attend Uni too, right? What are you studying?”

“I do, yeah! I’m just finishing my third year here, actually. My major is Digital Culture with a concentration in Music. I’ve also started taking a few different economics and business classes, so hopefully I can add on a Business Minor.”

“That sounds really cool! So what exactly do you do as a Digital Culture Major?”

“Since my focus is in music, it essentially means that I work with different computer programs and types of technology to create music as well as learning the recording and production aspects of music. I started out studying business at first because I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I became interested in music production as Kings and Queens began gaining popularity and we began recording our own music and taking ourselves more seriously as a band about halfway through my first year of Uni.”

“Oh wow! That’s so cool! So you guys produce your own music?”

“Yeah! We have our own makeshift recording studio set up in Danny’s house and he does most of the work in that aspect, but I like to help out wherever I can. In fact, just the other day I was at Danny’s house recording guitar and vocals for a song I had an idea for! It’s still really rough, but I think it has some potential,” Finn replied with a nonchalant shrug.

“Do you write music as well?”

“Yeah, it’s normally me or Archie that write the lyrics that are later put into our songs. The other guys help a bit too, of course, but they generally like when we take the lead with that.”

“Huh, that’s interesting…normally the lead singers of bands play a pretty big role in song writing and lyrics.”

“Yeah, well Chop has the charisma and stage presence to be the band’s leading man, but he’s not always the most creative or poetic when it comes to writing lyrics. He prefers to just let me and Archie be creative and then he can stand up front and win the hearts of every beautiful girl in the crowd with his self-proclaimed ‘angelic voice and amazing dance moves’” Finn added with a scoff that led Rae to chuckle.

Rae reached for her iced coffee with a smile still lingering on her plush pink lips and took a sip before reaching for her cell phone where it sat face-down on the table to check the time out of habit.

Finn was watching her out of curiosity and he knit his eyebrows together in confusion when he saw her press the home button on her phone but the screen did not light up or respond in any way.

“I have a habit of checking the time on my phone quite frequently,” Rae explained with a small chuckle when she caught onto Finn’s obvious confusion, “but my phone battery was running low earlier while I was waiting for you to get here, so I had to power it off so the battery wouldn’t die completely.”

“Sorry again for keeping you waiting so long…it’s been a long day.” Finn replied with an apologetic smile when she reminded him of just how long she had been waiting for him to arrive.

“It’s not a problem, really. Why was today a long day?” Rae asked as she continued picking at the blueberry scone she had been nibbling on throughout their conversation.

“Oh you know…just a long day of band meetings, practice, and boring stuff like that…I’ll spare you the details because it’s all a lot less interesting than it would seem. That’s why I was late coming here: a meeting with the band manager ran almost an hour longer than it should have! Well, that, and I was so flustered about meeting you here and being late that I got halfway here and realized that I forgot to get your tickets, so I had to turn back and get them before finally coming here! Which in turn made me even later than I would’ve been.”

“Well, I think your day sounds much more interesting than my day, certainly! I still can’t believe that you forgot to grab the tickets before driving here, especially since the tickets were the only reason why we’re even meeting here today…well, perhaps not the only reason,” Rae replied with a smirk before grabbing her cup to take a final drink of coffee before setting the empty cup aside.

The screen of Rae’s cell phone lit up when she powered it back on and a series of text message notifications flooded in.

“I, uh, sent you a few texts when I was freaking out about being late because I didn’t want you to think that I had forgotten about our plans to meet-up,” Finn mumbled when he noticed Rae scrolling through the long list of message previews that were on the lock screen of her phone with a poorly concealed smirk.

“I noticed, although I’d say that there are a bit more than just ‘a few’ messages,” Rae teased, “I’ll read them all later to avoid causing you any further embarrassment.”

Finn looked away from Rae and tried to ignore the satisfied smile on her face at seeing how much her teasing caused him to blush.

Rae’s phone chimed loudly a few times and she looked up at him apologetically before picking up her phone from the table to read the messages she had received.

“Oh, sorry about that. I just got a few texts trying to make sure that I picked up the tickets without trouble and that you didn’t turn out to be some creep who kidnapped me or something…I guess I can see why they got worried, seeing as I’ve been at this café for nearly three hours already!”

“Three hours? Wow, I guess you’re right! We’ve been here talking for close to two hours now. I’m sure your, er, friend is pretty worried about you meeting up with some random guy!”

“Not likely. They were first and foremost wanting to make sure that I picked up their ticket because I promised that I would. Izzie is my best mate, but she certainly has a funny way of showing it!” Rae replied with a chuckle.

“Well, I suppose that I’ve monopolized enough of your attention for one day, Rae. I’m supposed to meet Archie at the library to study for one of the exams we both have later this week and I can’t cancel on him, as much as I would like to do exactly that if it meant that I could keep chatting with you.”

“No problem, I should get going now too,” Rae said as she stood up from her chair and brushed her hands over the fabric of her dress to smooth out the wrinkles that had formed from sitting down so long, “Thank you again for the tickets and for keeping me company while I drank my coffee!”

“Of course, Rae! The pleasure was all mine. Drive safe!” Finn called as he stood from the table and Rae began walking towards the door to the café.

Drive safe…are you fucking kidding me?

Way to go, Finn! You spend hours chatting with this amazing and beautiful girl over coffee and the best thing you can think of to say is “drive safe”

Ugh, why am I such a complete and utter twat!

***

When Finn walked into the library and found the table that Archie was sitting at as he tried to rearrange his pages of notes on the table, he was still struggling to wipe the goofy grin off his face following the last two hours spent having coffee with Rae, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Archie.

“Well, someone certainly looks like their day has taken a turn for the better since the last time I saw him a few hours ago. I’m assuming that your meet up with Rae went well?”

“Arch…it was, well she is—I mean, well,” Finn struggled for words as he pulled out a chair from beneath the table and took a seat, sighing deeply, “great…just great.”

“Wait, Rae is great or your meeting with her was great?” Archie asked with a cheeky smirk.

“Both,” Finn replied without hesitation.

“Huh, I see…well, I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself. Now are you ready to spend the next few hours studying for this exam on Thursday?”

As soon as Archie began searching through the open documents on his laptop to find the Exam Study Guide their professor had emailed them to help them better prepare for the exam, Finn felt his phone vibrate a few times from within his back pocket and he pulled out his phone to see what notifications had come through.

RAE: Hiya Finn, so I just plugged my phone in to charge and read through all your text messages...

RAE: It’s sort of adorable how flustered your texts are and how much you were freaking out about being late. No worries though, I’m just glad you did make it eventually.

RAE: I had a lot of fun talking to you and getting to know you a bit more over coffee today, by the way. Maybe we could do that again sometime? Anyways, have a nice week and I look forward to seeing you perform again on Friday night! xx ^_^

The goofy grin that had faded significantly returned full-force as he read through her texts and he couldn’t help but linger on her message where she called him—or his texts, but he interpreted it to mean him too—adorable.

Wait a second! Did Rae just informally ask me out? Or at least ask to hang out with me again…?

Finn was about to begin typing his response to Rae’s texts when another notification came through on his phone from his personal social media account.

Rae_Earl1 followed you

@eveerez @tinakegg @hey1tskat1e @lurkernolonger @milllott @nutinanutshell @i-dream-of-emus @milymargot @vivammfd @bitchesbecrazy89 @arathewallflower@mallyallyandra @kneekeyta

A/N: So originally, this little meeting between Finn and Rae did not go quite so smoothly...Finn was still running late and Finn still forgot to grab the tickets at first, but it was going to all keep going downhill from that point forward for about 10000+ words...buuuuut I randomly became inspired while reading through and replying to Anonymous messages and reactions to the prior chapter while on my walk to work Monday morning. That inspiration led me toward the decision to move the story in a slightly different direction than I had initially planned and that meant rewriting or at least adjusting the events of some of the upcoming chapters that had already been written.

I basically deleted everything I had for this chapter and started all over again earlier today, but as I planned out some of the events that are coming up in the next few chapters, I decided that it’d be best if I added some flirting and Rinn cuteness in addition to a tiny bit of drama and silliness in the beginning of this chapter...not to spoil things, but shit is about to get sort of intense and even if you think you know where this is story is going, I’m fairly positive that you do not hahaha

So in the notes at the end of the previous chapter I mentioned that I’ve had this blog for over a year (I don’t remember which day exactly, but I know it was in the end of October and last Halloween was the first time I officially posted on here, so I’m going off of that) and I thought that was a good enough reason to do some revamping.

In addition to fixing some weird tagging on posts and updating my blog description, I also decided to create a page of some of my favorite fics that I’ve read recently, been tagged in, and/or reblogged over the last year in the event that you want to know what I’ve been reading and enjoying and if you ever want to check out some of my personal favorites. All those posts can be found in the “Fic Recommendations” section at the top of my blog or tagged with “my fic recs” in the tags of the posts. Do you have a favorite MMFD fanfic writer and/or fanfic that you think I should check out if I have not done so already?

Please let me know because I’m always happy to find new favorite writers and favorite fics! :D

Also, if you recall my last author’s note, I asked your opinions on whether you all would like to learn more about me since I have remained relatively anonymous for the past 6-ish months that I have been writing and posting fanfics on here...I was already mostly decided and ready to reveal my secret identity to you all, but the responses that I got sort of confirmed my plans.

In case you have not yet seen it, I posted something earlier today where I shared a few random facts about myself and also included a few recent photos of myself so you all could put a face to my name and my writing if you choose to do so.

Feel free to check it out if you would like to see what the oh-so-mysterious Sarah aka “Finn-Nelson-for-the-win” looks like or if you want to get to know me a little bit better!

I sort of like this thing I have going of posting on Saturday and Tuesday evenings, just because it works fairly well with my work/Uni schedule so I’m not neglecting my life responsibilities for the sake of fanfiction (although if I had a choice between the two, I’m sure we all know what I would pick), so with that being said: I look forward to hearing what you all think of this chapter and if you have theories for any of the drama and/or shenanigans that are coming in the next chapter(s), I’d love to hear them too! Stay awesome, my friends! :)

#My writing #finn-nelson-for-the-win #the concert series #Before the World Stops Turning #part 6 #mmfd #mmfd fanfic #my mad fat diary #my mad fat diary fanfiction

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summerrrluvvv · 4 years

Text

Chapter 5:

Day 4 in Miami

Zion:

I woke up early to cook breakfast after letting Kyrel out. I made French toast, biscuits, eggs, bacon and sausage. It is weird being around a man that do not want to dick you down 25/8. “Z cooking breakfast?” Ari said. “Somebody got the cutty last night” Mel said jokingly. I smiled and shook my head. “Actually, no I didn’t thank you mam” I said to her in matter fact manor. “Well I got some cutty last night” Tye said smirking. “Well not really but let’s just say he has been fed” She said dancing with her tongue out. Mel frowned and sat down. “I aint had cutty in damn near 6months!” Ari sat down in the bar stool next to hers. “I only ever had cutty one time, but I might get it again” She danced in her seat. “Spill” Tye said. Ari blushed. “He took me to have picnic on the beach, we talked and laughed and went swimming and then he took me home but we kissed and I almost fucked him on that beach whew chile” She said fanning herself. I smirked as I was making the mimosas. “Kyrel came over and just cuddled with me all night” I said feeling giggly. “Awww, see I need this in my life ASAP!” Tye said. Mel and her high-five. “Actually, I have a date tomorrow with Malachi” Mel stated happily. “Okay I see you” I said happy for her. “I got another date with Anthony today, his family barbeque and he said yall can come” Ari said. I shook my head. “Kyrel is taking me on a surprise today!” I told her. Tye nodded. “Yeah Samar and me having a movie night at his crib” She told us. “Well I guess just Mel and I” Ari said to us. Mel frowned, “Damn third wheeling in this bitch” She said. “When are you going to tell Samar Tye?” Mel asked. Tye shrugged. “Girl probably on my death bed” She stressed. “Telling him now would be weird and just throw our mojo off” I nodded. “Yeah just shhhh” I said. “Let’s cheers” I gave everyone a wine glass filled with Mimosas. “Let us Toast to Day 4 of our Miami trip! May we have fun together and get dick individually and thrive and get lit everyday no sad days no bad days” I said. The girls clapped and we drank and ate our brunch I made. It was around 2pm and we all had things to do. Kyrel told me to get cute and pack a 1-night bag, but maybe wear a swimsuit and so I chose the best thing close to what he suggested. He pulled up blasting music, I was excited to see what he had in store.

Kyrel:

I sped over to Zions house anxious as fuck about this date I had planned for us. I had my home boy Chris lend me his speed boat, and his place of Sanibel Island. I hate a whole day and night planned. I know its seems cheesy to be going all out on a girl you met 4 days ago never been in any serious relationship, but I felt like this is a once in a lifetime thing where you meet somebody and oddly you can’t see yourself with anybody else no matter how short the time we had was, I wanted to spend it showing her I wanted for a split second to give her everything. I was scared she hurt me eventually, but I take that risk.

“17 tight jeans and she bout it. White beater T, pretty teeth, yeah she got ‘em

Her body commands your attention (she keeps it so gutta man) Can I take you out,

I'll pay for it.

Girl I got enough, so enjoy it

I'm hoping that your momma don't mind

Cause girl I gotta make you mine.

Girl give me a chance I'm a take it.

Yeah I know I'm young but I'll take it.

I just gotta know

Is this love? Because I gotta know, is this real?

Girl I gotta know, is it you taking over my heart.

If its love, then all my girls and them I gotta give them up.

My playing days is over I gotta hang it up.

I gotta know, I gotta know, yeah, is this love?” I sang horribly blasting “Is this Love” by Chris Brown. As I was pulling up, she came outside. She must have been excited cause I could not even probably greet her at the door. She came to open the door, and I unlocked it for her. “Damn Z, I was coming to give you these” I said smiling hanging her some flowers. She blushed. She started giggling. “Thank you so much, wow Thank you” She said smelling the red roses I gave her. “This is so sweet” She kept saying. “Just wanted you to know you are appreciated” I told her. We listened to this playlist I had made for her about her. Fabulous” Into You” started to play. “Oh, Ima dedicate this song to Zion Ford” I said. She covered her face “Oh lord” She said smiling.

“I can't really explain it

I'm so into you now, I wanna be more than a friend of you now

When they ask, I mention my baby girl in the interviews now

And I don't bring the problems from the 90's into 2 thou'

There's no reason to have a friend or two now

'Cause the kid's ready to tell you how he feel in a few vow's

Maybe, I'm speaking general now

But girl I'mma do whatever just to keep a grin on you now

Where I go, they wear bikini's in the winter too now

What you think about, tan lines on the skin of you now

Why wouldn't I wanna spend a few thou'

On 5th Ave shopping spree's, and them dinners to Chow's

I ain't concerned what other men would do now

As long as when I slide up in you, you growl

And any dude with you, he better be a kin of you now

And I ain't jealous it's the principle now, I'm so into you

I really like

What you've, done to me

I can't really explain it

I'm, so into you

I really like

What you've, done to me

I can't really explain it

I'm, so into you” She kept giggling but singing along with me. I kept trying to move her hand. “Why you are blushing so hard?” I said laughing. She poked me. “Cause you nigga damn” She said. We pulled up to park my car. I covered her eyes as we walked into the boat. “What the fuck” She said still not being able to see. “Shhh” I told her. I opened her eyes and she looked at me. “Kyrel what is this?” She asked confused. “We are taking this boat to an Island” I told her. She looked at the boat and looked at me. “You know how to drive this? You got the GPS?” She asked looking concerned. I laughed and nodded. “Okay I’m just checking” She said. I passed her a wine cooler and got her comfortable with a blanket. I grabbed the speaker and started playing music. I started the boat and she just sat there relaxing enjoying the view. “ZiZi you want to drive the boat” I asked her. We were 25mins away from the Island. She looked nervous, “Ima drive us into the whole island I don’t know” She said. I laughed, “Come here” I said. I slowed down the boat and let her get in front of me, and steer. “Woah” She said. She was happy as hell. “We bout to go to the Bahamas baby hold on” She said laughing. “You the captain” I told her. I took back over, and we docked the boat the Island. I had a bag full of wine, roses and massage candles, and food. I unlocked the door, and led her in. I am thankful Chris had this place cleaned before I came out here. It was nice little one floor spot. “Ima go get changed” She went to the room, while I set up in the living room, and unpacked our sandwiches and stuff. I was anxious as fuck because I knew we was going to have sex tonight. I lit candles in the living room and rose petals. I got my speaker and let my playlist play. “Before I do” by Sevyn Streeter played. She came back with nothing on. Her hair was messy but sexy. I was trying to show her what I had set up, but she did not even give me any time before she pushed me on the couch and started kissing me. “We can do all that later” She said undressing me before I knew it. I did not waste any time laying on my back and allowing Zion to take control. With she pulled down his my adidas sweatpants, and my Calvin Klein boxers. She pulled them down further looking at me and the dick in between my thighs, and it was safe to say she was intimidated. “I don’t remember you being this big” She said, I started laughing at her nervous expression. I began to stroke myself, allowing my dick to grow longer as I became harder. Her hair laid over my lap as she started to put my dick into her mouth. After about 5mins, Zion grabbed a condom then got on top of me. She sped up the pace a little, catching her rhythm, I almost had to tap out, she sped up and then slowed down looking at me intensely. This was way different then the first time. This was more emotion involved, it was her way of saying she appreciated my surprise. I ran my hands softly up and down her back as she continued to ride harder and faster. I felt like I was about to go crazy any moment. She just kept looking at me and then she kissed me, “Look at me” She said. I kept looking away so I would not cum quick. But she kept forcing my head to look at her. “Cum with me” She said. Kissing me, I damn near cried letting lose, as she moaned into my ear. I was stuck for a good five minutes as she slowed down, and then she stopped smirking at me. “You good?” She asked. I was speechless so I just nodded.

Ariana:

“Caramel drippin in my bed, yeah you know what’s going through my head, I’m thinking about getting with you tonight, I’m thinking about, wifing you up for life”. “Caramel” by Lloyd blasted through our Airbnb as Melody and I were getting dressed. Zion had just left with Kyrel, and Tye left to go get food wit Samar for the movie night. I kept tossing out clothes, I could not find nothing nice to wear appropriately to a family barbeque. “Mel how about this?” I said to her. Melody was bored sitting on my bed as I kept trying on clothes. “Just wear a simple nice fit Ari” She said. I nodded. “Yeah you right” I said. I ran and grabbed and got my simple dress and combed out my hair. Melody helped me with my makeup. As I was putting on my shoes, I got a call from Anthony letting me know he was right around the corner. “I can’t believe you got me third wheeling” Melody stressed. “I’m sorry Mel, there might be guys there” I assured her. She rolled her eyes. We walked outside and Anthony pulled up. I got in the front seat and Melody got in the back. “Hey what’s up, I’m Anthony” He said introducing himself to Melody. She smiled and put her air pods in. “So, you excited?” He asked. He had looked nice and smelled good. I shrugged. “I mean kind of, I’m hungrier than anything” I said. He laughed. “Good cause we got the best food over at my kinfolk spot!” He said. I playfully rolled my eyes. “We gone see, I got my sneakers on just in case you trying to get schooled in some one on one homie” I said. He sucked his teeth in. “Yeah aight” He said. The drive over was not long maybe about 30mins. Melody was a little quiet most of the ride, but Anthony got her to open up. Anthony pulled into a driveway with lots of cars and kids running around. “Whose place is this in the family?” I asked. He smiled. “My abuelita”. We got out the car and went inside. Reggaeton was blasting, the adults were dancing around in the living room and men were playing spades in the back yard, while kids were flying kites and chasing each other. “Hey abuelita” Anthony called out to an older woman seasoning the food. She smiled at him and kissed his cheeks. “My Antonio, and this must be your special guest?” She asked. He smiled and nodded and another women called his name. “Antonio” It was a chocolate woman. He smiled. “Tia Nessa, this is Ariana. My friend, novia” He said to her. She smiled at me. “This is Melody my friend” I said to her as she was hugging me. She hugged Melody and brought us into the back yard the women were dancing and drinking. “Ladies, Antonio brought his friends” His Aunt Nessa said. Everyone was so welcoming. They had us drinking shots and got us Lit off Margaritas. Anthony was at the card table smoking a cigar and chilling. Melody and I danced around with the women and kids. I soon felt hands around my waist. “One on One?” I heard Anthony say. He grabbed my hand and brought me over to goal. I smirked. “You going to wait till Im lit, trashhh” I said. He giggled. “You’re a pro it shouldn’t matter” He said. Most of the fam stood around to make bets and watch us. I put my hair up, and his Tio gave me some basketball shorts. “Alright, whoever gets 3 in the basket wins whoever loses takes whole bottle of Tequila!” He shouted. They blew the whistle and we started playing. “Come on baby” I said, dribbling the ball and faking him out and then I scored. The girls screamed in excitement. “Come on Nephew!” His uncle screamed. Anthony scored one, and it left us with one more shot. “I really like you, alot” I told him. I started to flirt with him and finesse him which was all honest things boy was a sucker and got distracted and I scored. Everybody went crazy. “Better drank that bottle nigga!” I yelled. He laughed and went over to the bottle and took a little chug before he almost threw up. Everyone booed him. Everyone settled down and we ate. Anthony was not lying. It was bomb as fuck. Melody was dancing with Anthony cousin Fredrick. He was 14 so I know she was slightly annoyed, but she was drunk so anything was fun to her. Anthony and I ditched the party for a minute to walk and talk. “How you enjoying the party?” He asked. I smiled. “I love it, you were raised with abuelita?” I asked him. He nodded and smiled. “Yeah, my mom was too young to take care of me, she ran off to Puerto Rico and My dad died before i ever met him” He said. I slowly nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that” I told him he smiled. “It’s cool. He left me alot of money that I invested into a t shirt company. That is why I got nice things; I take care of my whole family. No worries they just party He told me smiling. “Even if it’s not long I’m enjoying your company” He told me. I smiled and turned him around so I could kiss him, made out for a minute as fireworks went off. “Let’s get back before my abuelita think we are fucking” He said laughing. When we got back to the party we just danced and drank. Melody was just chilling. Sooner or later this man was about to get my draws and I was sure of it. I thought as he smiled at me and made crazy faces.

Melody:

All the margaritas and Tequila shots at the Barbeque started to hit me. I seen Ariana and Anthony dancing around on the dance floor with his family. I got offered to dance but I declined. I walked over to Ari trying to seem sober. “Ari, I’m tired, I’m going to catch a LYFT home” I told her. She was drunk as well and shook her head. “No stay” She said. “Ari, I’m going to see you at home” I said walking off. I was annoyed that the girls trip turned into a nigga trip. I guess I was irritated everyone was boo’d up but me. I was walking down the street; I did not know where the fuck I was going. I see a text come in from Isaac. “Hey Melly, I couldn’t find the words to say it when I saw you yesterday, but I want you to know I miss you” I read. My eyes were getting glossy the liquor was taking over. I hit the call button. “Hey what’s up? I didn’t expect you to call” He said. “Isaac, can you come get me” I said. “You alright Mel?” He asked concerned. “No, Ima send you my location” I hung up the phone. I sat in the sidewalk waiting for Isaac drinking the rest of my margarita. I see an Audi A8 all red pull up. I stood up stumbling a little bit. It was Isaac he had on grey sweat shorts and White T and his vans. He opened the door for me and sat down hard as hell. He got in the car and looked at me. “You good?” He asked. I smiled at him drunk and nodded. I gave him my phone for my address, and he pulled off. “Why you out here?” He asked. “Ariana met some nigga and his family was having a party, so she brought me out here” I said sipping through my straw. He grabbed my cup and smelled it. “You drunk Mel?” He asked. I shrugged. “Maybe and give my cup back!” I yelled. He rolled down the window and threw it out. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are throwing MY shit out the window, you not my nigga, you didn’t even want me and now you throwing cups out the window nigga you tripping” I snapped. “Fucking got this dusty ass white tee on and these dick print shorts coming to save me bye nigga bye actually let me out I will walk” I was angry as hell for no reason. He just kept laughing at me. “Chill out with all that, you called me to come get you. I could have left your drunk ass there on the curb, but I didn’t because I love you” He said. I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t because I love you shut up” I said mimicking him. He sighed and laughed a little. We sat in silence and turned on the radio. “You” by Jacquees started playing. “You must got somebody now huh?” He randomly asked. I looked at him and looked towards the road. “No why?” I asked. He shrugged. “Just wondering” He said. “I been focused on me” I snapped. He stopped at a stop light. “That’s what I wanted for you to do” He said. I rolled my eyes. “Melody look man, I aint going to beat around no bush you know me. I want you” He said to me. I felt my heart best out my chest. “What you mean?” I asked. “Shit was cool, I was doing my thing being single just living but after a while shit got weird. I could not get you out my head then you posted it a pic on Ig looking good as ever. I tried to play it cool still but when I see you out here in Miami, just having fun with your girls happy, you seemed different, and not that anything was wrong with you. I just needed to lose you to realize that I wanted you and I needed you”. I did not know what to say.

We pulled up at the house, and I got out the car. He got out and laid on his hood a little. I looked at him still feeling the liquor. “I got to go” I told him. I struggled to get in the house. I tried not to cry, I went in the bathroom and it was a bottle of patron in my bathroom. I quickly drug some of it and got in the shower. I got out the shower and picked up my phone and called Isaac. “Hello?” He said breathing into the phone. “Come back” I said. I played music on my playlist with the house speaker playing “Exchange” by Bryson Tiller. Before I knew it, the doorbell rang. I walked downstairs in my robe and opened the door. He looked at me, and I looked at him. He closed the door behind him. “Come here” I said. He followed me upstairs and stood by the door. “Mel you drunk right now” He softly said. I came up to him and closed the door. “So, give me all of you and exchange for me” Bryson sang. Isaac tried to hold his ground but temptation I guess was giving in. He did not waste no time, grabbing me and kissing me. He backed me up on the bed. I pulled his shirt off him; he was looking sexy as hell with his eyes low and his tatted body just staring at me. I looked down and could see the outline of his dick extremely well in the shorts he had on. It excited and made me nervous at the same time, it had been a minute. He pulled me by my legs to the edge of the bed taking me out of my thoughts. I leaned up and he pushed me back down, he leaned over me and started kissing me softly. He took my left breast into his mouth giving it just enough loving to make me moan, then he switched to the right, giving it the same amount of attention he began kissing down my stomach, once he got to my thighs he pushed them open, making me go crazy, I let out a moan, and he started feasting on me, It just felt too good, he looked up at me, the whole bottom half of his face glistening. He smiled at me. “You still taste good”. I could not believe this was happening.

Isaac:

My min was going crazy, I had thought about this moment so many times believe it or not but not like this, I was going to go smack crazy. She looked up at me wanting me, I climbed on top of her, I kissed her deep as I pushed all the way in, she made a face of pain but it was replaced with a moan after a few strokes. She felt good as hell. She felt like heaven if it was on earth. This shit was too good for me to let some other nigga take my girl. I looked her in her face as I started to slow stroke, watching the emotions play out on her face, she was fucking beautiful. Her eyes were closed, and she looked like she was ready. She opened her eyes and looked at me, she had her legs wrapped around my waist, and put her arms around my neck as she pulled me in for a kiss. She took her time kissing me, she then pulled away and just looked me in my eyes. This was love making. I had to think about all types of weird shit to keep from cumming, but it's like damn she just kept getting wetter and wetter, she came and I was so close I didn't even have the energy to pull out and I just let go inside of her. She grabbed my face and kissed me intensely. Afterwards I rubbed her back into she fell asleep on my chest. Maybe she will regret it in the morning but right now, I enjoyed the moment.

Tye:

“Bro I hate shopping” Samar said as we were getting food to make Nachos for movie night. I shook my head. “See I should’ve left your ass in the car all that whining nigga grow up” I said. “Grow up” Samar mimicked back smiling. “Fuck that lets go get pizza” He said. “Papa Johns?” I asked. He smirked. “Nah even better Dijornos” He said laughing. I pushed him playfully. “Shut the fuck up Samar before I murder you with this buggy” I said. He started jogging slowly. “Somebody help!” He yelled loud enough for just us to hear, Thank goodness. He grabbed some chips and stuff for the Nachos, and we got cookies to bake. After we left Walmart, we got some weed. Samar already had a lot of liquor at his Airbnb so we aint really to get anymore.

We got back to his place, and I started cooking the Nachos. He decided we should watch Harry Potter and drink every time they say Hogwarts. It was my first time ever watching so I was excited. “We about to get fucked up” He said. The nachos were ready, and we had made a little set up for our drinking game. Samar started the movie in already 35mins in, a bitch was lit! I was drinking just because they were in Hogwarts. “Nigga they aint say Hogwarts!” Samar said lit as well. “Well hell they will soon they live there!” I stressed. “I’m taking a shot because you said Hogwarts” Samar said. “Throw me a mini party Samar” I stressed. Samar went and got his equipment and started DJing in the living room. “You bad girl and your friends bad too, you got swag saucy drippin swag goo, I may be young but I’m ready. To give you all my love” I sang as he played Beyoncé “Party”. I danced around the living room. “Aye all my ladies that like to Party let me hear you say it!” He yelled. “Cause we like to Party ayyy ayyy ayyy ayyyy!” I yelled lit. He switched the song to “Yummy” by Justin Bieber. “Yeah you got that yummy yum that yummy yummy yum” I sang as I twerked with my cup of Ciroq. “Fuck it up Tye Tye, they jealous over here in V.I.P” Samar yelled on the mic. My drunk ass turned around trying to see the Jealous hoes but realized it was just me at the pretend club. I partied with Samar for 2 hrs before we chilled out and smoked listening to Frank Ocean. “Thinking about you”. I got up with my blunt and danced around the room before getting hit with a pillow. “Motherfucker!” I yelled cause the blunt flew out my mouth. I placed it down to smack him with my pillow. “Come find me nigga!” He said before running around the Airbnb. His Airbnb was like ours a big ass mansion. We chased each other all over the house. I ended up falling after tripping on the pillow he hit me with. He fell on me after and rolled over to just look at me. “Imagine” by Ariana softly played. “Kiss me and take off your clothes Imagineeee a world like that, Imagineee a world like that”. I looked at him back. My heart raced and I felt the courage to kiss him so I did. I felt his lips not responding to me kissing him. “Im sorry” I said drunk and embarrassed. I got up and started to walk off to the room I picked to stay in. I felt Samar grab me back. I turned around and he kissed me. I gave into the kiss. “Can you Imaginneeee it” the song played. He pushed me up against the wall and kissed me instensly. “I think I started something I think I started somethin', I got what I wanted. Did didn't I can't feel nothin', superhuman. Even when I'm fuckin' Viagra poppin', every single record autotunin'”. “Novacane” by Frank Ocean played. We kissed walking backwards into the kitchen. He had me in the kitchen corner, he pulled my shirt off and I was pulling off his, we was moving fast as fuck. It was like if we were trying to hurry before we changed our mind. He turned me around and I was bent over the kitchen counter, as I felt him, use is fingers to make me more turned on then I already was. He softly put his tip in snd then all of him was inside of me. I couldnt believe this shit was happening.

“Novocaine, baby, baby, Novocaine, baby, I want you

Fuck me good, fuck me long, fuck me numb

Love me now, when I'm gone, love me none” I heard as we were fucking in the kitchen. Samar was kissing up my back making me moan out loud. I felt like I was dreaming. He grabbed my hair, “Tell me you love it” He said. “I love it, I love you” I said. He grabbed my neck and whispered in my ear. “I love you” and without warning, I came instantly and then again. I wanted to cry. Samar pulled out, and we cleaned up and just stood there quietly. “Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts” He said finally, he started taking 3 shots of liquor. Before he walked up on me again and kissed me again and walked off. I sat there still drunk and confused and, in a daze if what happened, happened.

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brainsinmyheadfeetinmyshoes · 7 years

Text

Celia’s Birth Story.

Welcome, Celia Fe! Born 08.05.17, surprising everyone 23 days before her due date.

*****

At my 36wk mark on Monday, I had a funny inkling that the baby would be here soon. I called to make a hair appointment and thought, "Wouldn't it be ironic if she's born before then?" The inkling kept tickling my mind and emotions and I wrote it off as a sense of preparedness. I was prepared for labor and delivery, and it was just me, ready to get to the other side.

By Wednesday, the inkling grew frenetic. I just KNEW she would be here soon. I was filled with strange new energy to get ready, quick. Pack the hospital bag. Take maternity photos with the boys NOW because the weekend might be too late. Get out the carseat and wash the cover. Just totally overwhelmed by this sense that she was coming SOON. And after I ate a hearty yogurt-apple salad at 3pm, I wasn't hungry again. Strange, I'm always hungry...

At 7pm, I tweaked an abdominal muscle somehow. It felt like the baby kicked or elbowed me and it triggered a sharp round ligament pain... except the pain spread to the other side, and lasted for hours. I couldn't roll over in bed or walk to the bathroom without assistance. After five hours, I phoned Labor and Delivery and they suggested I come in for monitoring. The jostling car ride over was terrrrrrible, but it was kind of nice to have a practice run since we hadn't delivered at this hospital before.

They kept us in triage for about six hours, then sent us home. Contractions started while there, and were regular, but I only dilated 1cm. The doctor credits the abdominal pain to carrying very low with very weak muscles. She said she could tell that the musculature was stretched thin because she could see baby's movements clearly without even palpating. She recommended a support belt, even if I only used it a few days, and sent me to labor at home.

We got home soon after 8am Thursday, and I proceeded to sleep most of the day while Erik took on the boys. I had the genius idea to try using our jersey-knit-fabric baby carrier to help support my belly once I dared to stand up and it made a huge difference. I had found a pelvic tuck-and-lift exercise that I intended to try anyway with my low belly, so this made it very easy to do. It entails manually lifting the belly during a contraction while tucking the pelvis in and bending the knees, for ten consecutive contractions. This presumably gets baby over the pubic bone and into the pelvic cavity, also coercing her to rotate into an optimal position if necessary. Contractions had continued most of the day at regular intervals and were around 5min apart at this point, so it was a straightforward activity. I think ultimately, it worked magic, because my pain went from a 7-8 at the hospital, to a 5 late Thursday, and ultimately, was nonexistent when active labor began. My belly felt and appeared higher than it had been as well, reducing that abdominal strain, with much less overhang over my pubic bone and a much more heartburny, cut-off-air-supply feeling at my breastbone.

Thursday night, contractions all but disappeared, so everyone got pretty solid sleep. Friday, I craved oatmeal for breakfast, despite it being an unfriendly gestational diabetic breakfast, but I needn't have worried about that--my appetite remained nearly nonexistent. It was extremely hard to choke down food these two days, made worse by the guilt that I should keep my energy up for active labor. I learned that I was likely experiencing "prodromal labor," which is essentially when early labor comes in fits and starts. It features very real contractions, at regular intervals, with real pain, that are productive at effacing and dilating the cervix, but never seem to amount to much. It can last up to a month before active labor begins. After a quiet morning, mine started up again in the afternoon at 15min apart, then progressed to 10min apart, and disappeared at bedtime. I resigned myself to this pattern for days on end. On the one hand, prodromal labor often shortens active labor which is nice, and gives you a chance to practice relaxation and breathing techniques, but on the other, it's total crap for morale and is physically taxing. Plus, who wants to be in limbo?! Either baby is coming or she's not...!

Around 1am Saturday, an extra hard, long contraction woke me up, and it was followed by three more before I finally got out the timer. They were between 60-90 seconds long, every 5-6 minutes. (Everything prior had been a minute or less long, with less intensity.) I got up to shower and move around, figuring they would stop if it was more prodromal labor. But they didn't. So then I thought, maybe they'll stop when I lay back down. But they didn't. After a few that required serious concentration, I was ready to hit the hospital. I could only take so much solo. Our sweet neighbor came over at 3:30am to stay with the boys, and off we went, with contractions every 3-4min.

I was admitted at 4:15am, at about 4cm dilated. I had been waffling about an epidural--I had one with Lucian, with a bad experience, and had no choice but to skip it with Lionel. So having a choice now was tough. The thought of getting hooked up to an IV, waiting for labs to come back, talk with the anesthesiologist, sit very still while they hooked it up to my back, the chance that I would be a passive agent at delivery... the hassle hardly seemed worth the (sheer bliss of) numbness. On the other hand, being a hero for hours upon hours as I slooooowly dilated was not something I had the morale to do. So a rock and a hard place. I got the IV drip just in case (extra fluids never hurt), but the conversation pretty much ended after that, because things moved quickly, thank heavens.

Within an hour I was at 6cm, which is rapid progress. It was the same every contraction: Erik would put his hands on my shoulders and apply pressure, and I begged him to give me a pep talk (even though I hate pep talks and he hates giving pep talks and also, he sucks at giving pep talks), while I inhaled, then moaned deeply, 5-8 times. Breathing was the thing I did poorly with Lionel and I didn't want to make the same mistake this time. The very sweet nurse, who stayed with us the whole time, constantly said, "Good job, you're doing great" about my breathing. At some point, I told her, "Tell me I'm one of the best you've ever seen," (Again, seeking that pep talky validation, haha) and she said, "You're really doing everything so well! Your Blah-Blah Breathing Technique is perfect. Do you do yoga?" And I almost laughed, because me, do yoga? Maybe four times in my life. I suck at breathing, that's why I DON'T do yoga. Ha! But maybe this will initiate me to a yoga practice since I apparently am capable of being a pro breather.

I had the urge to pee around this point, but the act of squatting on the toilet squared up the pressure way too much, so my grand plans of walking and moving during labor went right out the window then, and I just stayed in the bed. But it was really great to feel like that was 100% my choice, which was not an autonomy I felt I had with Lucian and Lionel.

Things got pretty dire at 7.5-8cm. It was totally textbook. That's when women tend to want to give up. To think they can't do it. They really need to gather themselves between contractions so aren't chatty or cheerful. The sounds of labor follow a certain pitch and scale. But damn, it was really hard. During the car ride, I had explained to Erik that the pain during a contraction was like changing gears in a car, with identifiable levels requiring deep breathes, then faster deep breathes, then a low moan with each breathe, then a louder moan, etc. You can physically feel the uterus kind of inch upward, like drawing up a curtain, bunching at the top to dilate at the bottom. Each time it bunches, the pain amps up. And from 8-10cm, that curtain was totally being yanked into place within me. And I couldn't find the corresponding response, since I was already moaning and groaning up a storm and had nowhere else to go. Especially when the urge to push kicked in, when it felt like my uterus was squeezing so tightly, I had no choice but to join it.

The one thing that got me through that last 10 minutes before pushing was a cherry popsicle. I was drenched in sweat, and couldn't open my eyes, and the contractions came every 1min, and I was so tired and just wanted to rest, and the thought of that icy sweet relief got me through each contraction because I couldn't wait for another taste. It was a perfect gift.

The team assembled quickly as I escalated. My waters hadn't ruptured throughout ALL of this, and I felt enormous pressure. I just wanted to push, if only to force that pressure away. Two residents managed the delivery and through my last 1-3 contractions as I begged them to let me push, they said they wanted to wait for the attending physician. F*** that, man. I know there are protocols that they need to follow, but I feel like they had enough notice to get themselves organized. I recall mention of baby's heart rate slowing down and I think that was the main motivator for them to let me push. Apparently the attending physician WAS present, but I never registered her entrance. They poked that amniotic sac, and oh, the relief as the clear fluid poured out. Only not. I recall pushing being a welcomed reprieve from contractions with Lionel, something I bore cheerfully, but I wanted this baby OUT. I didn't pay any attention to riding the waves or pausing between contractions, I just inhaled and pushed, inhaled and pushed. Erik thinks it lasted for three contractions. I think it was for maybe 6-8 counts of 10, which didn't necessarily correspond with contractions. Who cares. At some point I was positive her head was out, but when I asked, they said she was only just crowning. Which made me push harder, damn it.

Within probably five minutes though, she slithered out, 1hr 45min after I set foot in the delivery room, and they put her right on me. She gurgled and cried right away so the neonatal team didn't have to sweep her off, though they did assess her right away and she passed with flying colors. Delivering the placenta, an unpleasant memory from my other two births entailing much unceremonious yanking of the umbilical cord, was no big deal this time, requiring only two small pushes. As they rinsed me off, someone (maybe it was the attending physician) said, "Does it make it better to know you had zero tearing?!" So no stitches for me. A nice reward I suppose, though things are so messed up from the waist down postpartum, it doesn't seem like such a huge perk. Maybe I'll be grateful in a few days, when the swelling has gone down and I'm not using sitz baths. I don't know. Tearing was never one of my big hangups.

They brought her right back for skin to skin contact. She was so peaceful, though alert, and had no trouble starting to nurse. In fact, she's a champ breastfeeder with a hearty appetite and thank goodness--they have to check her blood sugar at least six times, and get good readings before we're discharged because of the gestational diabetes. But go me for managing my sugar well enough for her not to tank. Also, because she's considered preterm (by only two days but still), all the usual concerns about weight gain and jaundice are especially heightened. Despite being only 5lb 15oz, all the medical staff assess her to be very healthy, appearing more advanced than her gestational age. So it was just time for baby girl to come out!

Erik says he was really impressed by me throughout. I seemed calm and in control, did a great job breathing, managed the pain well, and did everything like a champ. It feels good to hear, of course. But despite having that same sense myself--I knew what was going on and what to do this third time around--coming out of labor and delivery, all I've felt is relief, with a slight tinge of negativity. It was a hard battle won. Such a hard battle. The pregnancy wore on me. The gestational diabetes wore on me. The prodromal labor and abdominal pain wore on me. So my feelings of, "Whoa, that was really something, can I try it again and do better?" after Lucian, and "Whoa, I delivered a baby in an hour with no epidural, I'm a rockstar!" after Lionel, are in sharp contrast to a feeling of not wanting to do this again for a long, long time. If ever.

Another way I know labor impacted me differently this time, is that when they gave me Pitocin to control the bleeding immediately after delivery, each tiny little cramp I felt entered my psyche as, "Oh God no, not another contraction," and I braced myself. It took quite awhile to mentally accept that it was over. So it caused a little emotional trauma I think.

Finally, I was so excited to write out Lucian and Lionel's birth stories. It was cathartic. A processing mechanism. Something I had to do before I could get any sleep. This time, while I've still written all this out in less than 12 hours following her birth, it came from a place of, "I guess I gotta document this one too," despite the strong desire to just leave it in my memory. Perhaps that means I did a proper job of emotionally processing in the moment. Or perhaps I'm just so bone-weary from these hard years of childbirth and child-rearing, it feels like an excessive mental exercise. Regardless, I've written the thing now, and I know I won't regret it!

Erik is bringing the boys now with cupcakes to celebrate Celia's birthday. I can't wait for them to meet her. And I can't wait to eat a cupcake.

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latinalesbi · 7 years

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Do you have a feeling one way or the other if The Fosters will be renewed for a 6th season? With them only shooting 18 shows instead of 20 made me wonder. (I read that somewhere). But then last night someone asked Bradly and he said there are rumors.

Peter also mentioned season 6 in an interview. Freeform doesn’t really have a more successful show (even though last week’s ratings were the worst ever, not surprising considering how awful the episode was). I think if they can’t get key players in place it’s not going to be possible. So, I imagine that’s what the rumors are about.

Anonymous said: Hopefully Callie doesn't do anything with Russell. Her going there was so stupid. Thx just adds another traumatic even to her life. She doesn't need anymore trauma. Hopefully we don't see her acting out like she has been. I think she got some trauma from being in juvie.

Doesn’t do anything? You mean like get raped? I don’t think we’re going there. Peter pretty much said that but the trial isn’t over either (sigh, le sigh, fuck me). He said, this is it for her though, a turning point. We will see. I am sick of her story.

Anonymous said: this was one of the worst episodes this season, if not ever. last week's episode with the whole kyle twist was the right move. take this stupid storyline and make it about callie's character development and turn her whole "the system is rigged" ideology upside down. this could've been big. but no they had to make troy guilty, make callie right (wow! teen detective cracks the case! does it illegally! yay for criminal justice!!!).

Yeah, I agree. And so did Vulture.com, which is usually up the producer’s ass. The Kyle twist would have had far reaching consequences for Callie. This just lets her be just as self righteous as before. I am sick of it, no one is always right, and Callie does not have a clue on how to do things right. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand the quick confession. It was terribly written with characters we don’t give a shit about and they’re doing it again with Diamond, literally no one cares.

And just so you feel a little angrier, they cut a Stef and Lena scene according to Peter on Afterbuzz.

Anonymous said: So sick and tired of Callie getting in to truble like every 5min!!! Really hope season 5 will be less of these drama and more of the family love..

Well, as Peter said:

Final thoughts on what to expect next season?Season 5 is a little bit of a reset to our family, our home, and the sort of simpler and brighter and happier times that our family really needs.

Let us hope that is true, it’s what the audience needs.

Anonymous said: In the picture you post of Bts of Maia, Sherri and Teri.. The 4 picture in one. The one of Teri, looks like she got hit in the face. Might be just my eyes.

Good call. There does seem to be something... Stef has some explaining to do in terms of her role in getting Callie in this particular mess. She wasn’t really looking out for her. Another terribly written story.

Anonymous said: I hope AJ is still in the show a lot, despite not being with Callie anymore. Like it'd really upset me if they just stop his character from having screen time. I really like his character and he's more than just a love interest. I just noticed how he was on the show often when he was dating Callie and then suddenly after they break up he has no screen time. At least he is more of a main character compared to people like Wyatt

Peter said he’d be around but obviously not as much. Too bad we get rid of AJ and have to put up with more odious Aaron.

Anonymous said: If Maia is in "Callie" clothes and is shooting a scene ifo the house, that must mean that Callie's okay, right? Like, the whole trafficking monkey business is short-lived?? I hope.

I think she gets out of that in the first episode but that means another season opener filled with complete bullshit drama.

Anonymous said: I finally saw last weeks episode. Now, Mariana has always been my favorite of the kids. But last week was the first time I ever disliked her. It was Emma's choice to have the abortion. I hope in 4x20 she apologizes and the two reconcile.

Mariana who self invited her bio daddy to a house she doesn’t pay a single bill for, that Mariana? Yeah that Mariana is unlikable.

Anonymous said: I miss the old Jesús :( I was re watching the first episodes and seriously, everything about him is so different now. I liked him because he was so protective over his moms and the family in general (Even when he was together with Lexi) and now it seems like everything is just about Gabe or Emma. I don't why I haven't noticed before, but this Jesús sucks a lot.

This Jesus has been Jesus for nearly 2 seasons and he just now had a nice scene with the moms. It’s ridiculous. I know this question is old but I feel exactly the same way, new Jesus is all about his bio daddy and his penis. I am sorry but that’s all I see. Old Jesus was handsome, gentlemanly and most importantly Latino.

Anonymous said: I've noticed fosters ff has been super slow lately.. do you think it's because of a lost of interest in the show?

I don’t know because I only follow Stef and Lena fanfic and that’s always been slow.

Anonymous said: My finance, myself and many of our friends are die heart Fosters fans. We used to watch episodes live, now we DVR them & watch when we have nothing else to do (weeks later-fast forwarding most of the episode). These storylines (Daimond, Aaron, Gabe, Anna) are really sucking the want to watch out of us. Unfortunately, this has made us unsure if we will DVR or tuned in for the finale or next season. Hope the show producers/showrunners do better & hope they don't lose more viewers due to this.

You aren’t alone. It bothers me more than the fact that Stef and Lena weren’t allowed to kiss. The last few shows, I mean, I watched hoping they’d surprise me. I watched, hoping for some neat moments. I didn’t care at all about any of the main plots. AT ALL.

Anonymous said: I just saw Maia Mitchell's instagram story and she was in the car with Robert and why does it look like Gabe is going to be meddling in family affairs I'm so done with this show

There does seem to be at least a Stef and Lena scene, still, I know episode 2 won’t be my favorite.

Anonymous said: As someone who was born to a teenager, I definitely identify with Mariana being angry with Emma, as my entire existence is predicated on my birth mother's decision to not terminate her pregnancy. A abortion as an adopted kid is always a touchy subject, and I would like to see both pro-choice and pro-life arguments being presented.

Wrong person to send this anon to. There’s only one person that gets to decide and that’s the pregnant woman. There’s no such thing as a pro-life argument for me. Sorry. I mean, not to get personal but since you did, how many of us are accidents? How many of of our lives were dependent on a such a choice. I was. I totally support any choice my mother might have made. If she had made the opposite choice, I wouldn’t care because I wouldn’t exist. It’s really a silly argument.

Anonymous said: sherri has MASTERED the look of love when looking at stef. in the episode when frank passed in the bathroom Lena is leaning on the sink mesmerized by her woman before she rallies the troops. that wonderful kitchen kiss scene when stef is having flashbacks. & in the making out in the rain scene. it's really beautiful to look at how much she loves her woman. also love stef stroking lena's face & then she pulls her chin up right before the kiss. these woman are absolute goals

Anonymous said: i'm the anon who just wrote about sherri mastering the look. in the making out rain scene one thing i love is seeing sherri smile into a kiss. she's so relaxed with teri now which means more from lena. after the cut back from jude clapping, that is my fav. angle they captured because you can see how close they are, like physically, second because we can see sherri smiling & then putting a bit more force behind the passionate kiss. i'll never be over that kiss. we're blessed

Yep, gonna go watch it again!

Anonymous said: Why is Stef so cool about what Callie did ? I know the girl isn't going to prison and I know Stef has to be supportive and all but Callie did all of this. It's on her and I don't understand why Stef and Lena are son nice with her. Even if they don't want her to suffer, I wish someone could tell her that what she did was wrong. Now we are supposed to feel sorry for her. I'm so tired of Callie. I wonder what happened to this character.

They took her too far. This isn’t life is so unfair to me Callie that we could relate to. This is self destructive Callie who gives a shit about everything and it’s hard to relate to.

Anonymous said: Does Lena have an EdD? That could help her a lot in terms of future employment if Anchor Beach goes private.

My great big hope is that Anchor Beach goes fully public. Peter said it won’t be resolved in the way we expect so that’s what I hope. The charter has been revoked or whatever, if it’s an affiliated charter as it has been portrayed then the San Diego Unified school district would take over. The school is worth more than 10 million btw. That’s my opinion.

Lena having a PHD? I would assume so. Mike said she did but I have been unable to identify it on her wall.

#speculation #boy i was behind on these #Anonymous

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mabsj · 4 years

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Hi there everyone and good evening. I started to type this post on 19/03/2020, Thursday, 11.30pm. I would like to share to you another horror experience happened to me at Malaysia estimated about 2years ago.

The incident happened along the journey of going to the destination and back to Singapore. That time I was sending my Late Uncle to Thailand. He usually take train(KTM) to go back to his hometown. And his hometown is at Narathiwat, Thailand. Usually his departure to home goes smooth but only for that time of point, it didn’t. He missed his train to Thailand and was stuck at Malaysia train Checkpoint. He decided to stay at the pavement of the Malaysia Train Checkpoint and wait for the next available train the next morning. I could remember the train the he should be boarding departs at 8.30pm and he want to wait till the next morning at 10.30am the next train departs to his destination. As a nephew, who wants to let him stay cold outside there without proper rest. So I grab my brother car and decided to fetch my uncle at Johore Bahru and send him to Kelantan. So from there he can take bus or train to his hometown. I know it’s sounds crazy but his wife at Thailand expected for his arrival.

Manage to grab my brother car and zoom I speed off to fetch him and when I arrive, drink some coffee and fill up petrol and starts the journey. I start my journey at around 10pm at night. I don’t know how long the journey would take at first but according to Google Maps, total journey takes about 13hrs.

First leg of the journey after a few hours of driving, I reach RnR Ayer Keroh, that is Alor Gajah, Malacca Zone. Have to rest for a moment after driving more than 2hrs straight. Freshen myself up and had my massage from the Massage Chair on every RnR Stops. After 1hr of rest, we continued on and pit stops followed by Kuala Lumpur. And from there, my Late uncle ask me to cut through the road. And I know if I were to cut through, I would pass by Raub old highway. And it’s a pitch-black road where cars or motorcycles would use their high beam lights to see through. I got no choice but yeah just want him to arrive as early as possible. And along the road between Kuala Lipis and Gua Musang if I could remember clearly, something happened.

The road which is totally pitch-black while your surrounding is all woods, trees, road lamp only depends on your vehicle high beam lights, just imagine guys, after for an hour I drive, I don’t even see any food stalls. To my thoughts, who would want to set up a stall in the middle of nowhere. And indeed, we saw one. My Late uncle told me to stop, and get ourselves some food and drink to eat and rest for awhile. I told my uncle, In English,”Are you sure uncle? That shops seems to look different. Driving for hours and out of nowhere appear this shop with no customers sitting on it.”. Maybe it’s late night. “Just stop. We take a rest for awhile. You are tired”. So I had no choice but to make a U-Turn and stop and park beside the Warung.

I was still inside my car while my Late uncle already got out of the car and even sitting on the chair. I got chills around my body. My body hair stands up and I know it does not seems right. Maybe It just my negativity thoughts. So sit with him and waited for order. The light was on but there is no one around. So I walk around the shop and thinking the owner of the shops may be resting or something. I don’t dare to enter the cashier area as I scared I would be caught as intend to rob. So I slowly walk and suddenly a voice came being heard from my back. “Yes What do you want to eat?” Shit Crap I jumped and turn around with shock while catching my breath. I just pass by there and I am very sure there is no one there. “We would like to order some food and drinks”, I replied to him. He walk to the table where my Late uncle is sitting. I followed him by behind. Ordered some food and the way he talk, replied is sound like creepy. The food was prepared quite fast. Usually it will take about 15-20mins. But this one, he served withing 5mins together with our drinks.

So while we are eating, we heard a car passing by. And upon passing by, that car sounded their car horn at us. Maybe he wants to indicate he is passing by. So we both let it be. But it happends again. Another car pass by and sounded their horn at us. Not only once, but nearly 4 times. “Lets carry on our journey. We are running late”, I told my Late uncle. And he agreed. We called the Warung uncle and our eyes are looking at the cashier area because that’s where we last see him entering. And suddenly, we heard a reply behind us. I was shock like how in the world he is right behind us?! I just literally gave him the cash and told him to keep the change and I told my uncle to get into the car. As soon as we get inside the car, I drive off. Make a u-turn to continue with the road. And just about 100m, I look at the Warung through my rear-view mirror. And to my surprise, the chairs were flipped upside-down. Usually when it was put like that, it indicated the shop is closed. I just continue on. I thought to myself maybe I was a little bit sleepy. Few hours later, we arrive at my uncle destination, Tumpat KTM station. We arrive early and luckily his train was due to arrive in 2hrs later. And that was the last train. So I accompany him bought the train ticket, and buy some titbits for him to eat while in his journey to hometown and check-in. Before check-in, my Late uncle advise me to find a hotel or a safe crowded place for me to sleep and depart in the morning instead of straight after this. “it’s ok. I will be fine. If I were to feel totally sleepy, I will find a petrol station or pit stop and get myself to sleep”, I said to him. Just be careful, update me where is your whereabouts, and keep praying inside your heart if anything happened” he said. I was clueless but I was too tired to think for an answer.

After sending him, I went to nearby shop to buy some drinks and ciggerate. A long journey back, but this time, I decided to take a shortcut to Johore Bahru. Instead of driving back to where I drive previously, I decided to drive by Terengganu, Cherating, Kuantan, Mersing, Kota Tinggi, and lastly, Johore Bahru. The journey took about 9-10hrs according to GPS. The GPS that I use previously is Google Map. But this time, I use WAZE. A lot of people said WAZE is much better. But yeah, there is positive and negative of it. and furthermore, the route that I’m going to drive is Kampung Area. Where the road is only meant for 2-way Traffic, no lamp post. And the darkness is, I could say honestly, from the view inside your car, the visibility is just 5-8metres without your headlight turn of. But if with headlights on, if you are using Halogen Headlight, low bean your visibility will be around 10-14metres. But with high beam, you can barely see after 100metres of your view due to fog. Advisable use HID 8000K. its white and yellowish. And that’s the minimum of using low beam. Don’t use LED. It may be clearer but you going to blind up the oncoming traffic. That point I was using Halogen light. The length you may heard it quite far. But in reality, inside your car, your 10-14metres is not exactly as what being mention. It was counted from your car front bumper to the furthest.

I started my journey. Just after I turn right upon junction ahead, I saw the dark road ahead of me. There will be cars but minimal. Like you can see around 1 or 2 in every 7-8km. and the dangerous is, the bend, big lorries, blind spots. That is not going to be my dangerous. There is much more dangerous ahead which without my knowing.

I just enter the zone of Terengganu. It’s creepy. Been driving for 1hr. And I don’t see any food stalls. Kampung route they do have food stalls but not like RnR. This one is built just beside the road. Some of it will open 24hrs but some will not. 20mins driving along Terengganu zone…………

20mins of driving, in the middle of nowhere, pitch black just only hoping for your headlight, MY CAR SUDDENLY BREAK DOWN! Break down in the middle of nowhere. You don’t even know how far is the workshop and you don’t even know how far is the petrol station. And furthermore, some of the kampung area have telecom signal and some do not have and some will have but not as strong. And my phone signal is weak. Like 1bar. And mostly will be no network. I was scared at that point. So I try some of my basic knowledge and see what’s wrong with my car. Theirs is a different between car battery weak, no petrol and sparkplug out. I just top up petrol before my journey back and petrol is out. I turn my car key to ignition slot and turns out all the indicate is still clearly visible. No weaken of lights symptoms. I tried to start the car and my car cranks up. And spark plug and battery is not an issue. So I look around the engine bay with my phone torchlight to see anything burst. And suddenly…

Guys. My boot door suddenly SLAMMED!!! “BAAAM!!!” I was shocked till I hit my head on the hood cover when I suddenly raise up my head in a shocking way. My heart pump truly fast. Just like you finish your 400m sprint. Firstly, I thought it’s the wind. But it’s impossible. It may be cold at night but there is no wind. I’m driving an SUV and my boot door opens sideways. I mean pull the door and it opens sideways. So I check inside my car if there is any animals like monkey or something but there’s none. So I check the surrounding of my car and still there is no one. To my confusement, “maybe passing by cars that regulates winds close my boot door”, I said to myself. So I didn’t manage to see what is the issue to my car engine bay, I decided to give it another shot to start the engine. Just by only one CRANK, the engine starts running. Felt happy and closed the hood of my car and get inside my car and start driving.

Everything goes smoothly. BUT only for the time being. I didn’t ever thought of what is going to happened next. What happened next is, my car became heavier and heavier. My thought was maybe I’m driving uphill. But at the same time, I played surah Yassin through the CD Player. When it started playing, my car begins to shake aggressively. At the same time I heard soft screaming. I was like, gosh. May this be a bad dream. Not reality. Hahahaha. Just want to make myself relax and not to think negative. I decided to play it louder. Not too sure whether I turn the volume up to the max or not, I just turn it up to full blast. I can’t stop the car because the road is like pitch black. And I know it’s not safe to stop. Make my decision to continue driving and stay inside my car.

Multiple cars high-beam at me. Even the truckers. Just to be safe, I turn on my hazard lights and driving slowly so that it any vehicles behind me can pass by. I have to search for a nearby Mosque. I can’t go to Surau because surely it will be locked. So I go to Masjid and it’s 45mins from my location. Like it or not, I just have to make my way there to make myself safe. 45mins of driving, I reach to nearby Masjid and the gate is still open and I drive inside and park my car and I went to take my ablution and sit inside the Mosque till I fell asleep till dawn. I woke up upon hearing the Azan Subuh. Wake up, and re-take my ablutions again and do my Dawn prayer.

Get into my car once done praying and I didn’t realise my phone battery was dead. Charge it up and to my surprise, I got a lot of whatsapp missed call from my Late uncle and his wife, FB calls and text even from my wife. So I told my wife, I’m fine and want to continue my way back home. I’m still at Terengganu Zone. Been driving for 3hrs and still at Terengganu? Usually it will take about 1-2hrs. She will know my whereabouts because we both install GPS Tracker app so we will know where each other are if we were to go for holiday and we lost each other. I arrive Johore Bahru at around 6pm. Reach home at around 7+ pm. I wash myself up and had my dinner and have a chat with my wife. She told me that my Late uncle was worried because he told my wife, while on my way sending him to Tumpat,Kelantan, there is something following us when we stop for supper on this one Warung. He wanted to accompany me till dawn but I insist of him to reach his hometown meet his wife on time.

My Late Uncle worried till he call me non-stop and ended up to inform my wife if I were to reach home, told me to give him a call. I did and I told him what happened. I do know it’s spiritual activity around that Kampung but I know, Kampung area is always like that. Weird things happened during at night. Just need to calm down and realise yourself and know what decision are you going to make to protect yourself. To me, something like this is what I call Challenging. It challenge your mentality, your Iman. I may be scared but not totally scared. Because what I learn is, if you are scared with spirits or could say Syaitan(Satan), Syaitan will continue playing with you. But if you are brave, remember, Allah is there to protect you. Don’t ever kneel down to Syaitan. It will be the worst. That’s all for my Paranormal Incident that trully happen to me after I send my Late Uncle to Tumpat,Kelantan.

Assallammu’alaikum

Signing off,

~Azah~

#paranormal ghost

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sneakyhomunculous · 4 years

Text

RPT Phoenix Report: Back to Back!

Part 2: The Tournament

My flight is an early Thursday Morning (7AM) and arrives around 9:45 AM Phoenix Time. I was upgraded to First Class and the flight was smooth sailing.

I uber over to The Breakfast Club next to the Convention Center to eat, and then wander over to try and complete my deck.

I ordered most of the cards I needed ahead of time, but the few last-minute changes left me scrambling for a few cards. Luckily between a couple of the vendors I completed my deck no problem.

Unfortunately, registration is not until like 4PM and not a lot of my friends are in town yet.

Luckily, Tom Ross and Jarvis Yu show up and are looking for food. 2nd brunch it is.

We eat across the street at Majerle’s and when we walk back we realize people already have the signature PT PHOENIX Bags, so registration must be open earlier than we thought.

We go register and get our bags and I get in the que!

We quickly fire an 8 man with a nice group. I know I was feeding Hunter and my 2 Opponent’s were Kevin Jones and Ben Weinburg.

I drafted a Ru Deck that was wide open and 2-0 in some great games.

While they finish up the draft, I begin looking to book a massage.

I find a bunch of places around the Convention Center, but they are mostly like out-booking to your home/hotel type places.

I finally get an answer from this girl Katie, she can take me but not until 6:30 which is like almost 2 hours away. But I really want to get the massage and she had great reviews; booked!

I just wander around the site clowning for a few hours before leaving for the massage.

Katy was wonderful; one of the best massages I’ve had, and it was only 85$ (I’ve paid like 2-3x as much at nice hotel/spas etc. for much weaker massages).

This is another big thing for me.

At any big event, especially Pro Tours, I try to be fully relaxed and rested to clear my mind and then once it starts,

I am thinking ONLY about the tournament.

I always try to see a movie/get a massage the day before and I like to eat nice filling dinner’s of exactly what I feel like.

When I walk out of the massage, I am looking for food and there is a spot called Dust Cutter in the building adjacent to me that looks like it has good reviews.

I notice Tom in the group saying he is just leaving the site, so he and Kevin end up meeting me at the restaurant.

I get this Arizona Cheese Crisp barbeque chicken pineapple thing, and it’s basically like in between a quesadilla and a flatbread/thin crust pizza and it was gassssy.

We Uber to our BNB and Tom loses the first game of the weekend lets goooooo.

We somehow find our place in a maze of similar looking complexes, and the rest of our group is already here. It’s Allen Wu, Hunter Cochran, Jarvis Yu, Nate Knox, Me Tom Ross and Kevin Jones. ‘

Sickass squad IMO.

The rest of the group tells us that the cleaning team hasn’t yet arrived to pickup from the previous guests…. And it’s like almost 10 PM.

But they end up showing up shortly after and clean it up quickly as Allen and Hunter jam Breach mirrors while Kevin 6-0’s me in G1’s of his Bant Spirits vs my UW control.

Nice Confidence booster going into the PT!

Losing every single game to drunk Kevin Jones playing one of the most popular decks.

We have 3 bedrooms with a total of 2 large beds, and 2 smaller beds. So basically with 7 people 2 people get shafted into having to share a smaller bed.

I shotgun one of the bigger beds with Tom and go pass out while people are still up bustling around.

I wake up fresh right before my alarm, and I realize most people are already up.

I woke up to Allen bustling around me and Tom’s room seemingly finishing up getting ready to go, and think nothing of it.

After showering and getting in my 50 Jumping Jacks I quickly get ready to catch the uber with the first group headed to Breakfast Club.

In the Uber I learn Allen swapped with Tom and was now my roommate, so indeed it was he sharing the bed with me.

I can’t help but think his superpowers may have rubbed off on me.

Also, 4700 ELO in one Queen bed is A LOT of ELO in one Queen bed!

We are extremely late.

I let the group know it should be ok, as the Breakfast club was quick for me yesterday, and it’s only a 5min walk to the convention center.

But the problem is Friday traffic has us arriving around 8:30.

We go to the bar and order to go, but at 8:52 we still don’t have our food lol. The draft fires at 9. I ask the bartender to please go check and he quickly returns with our food.

We scamper over to the site, Jarvis and Allen hitting somewhere between a jog and a full sprint during the last stretch of convention center floor.

Pods are just going up and I sit right around 9am ready to go. I open my French toast and bacon and begin casually eating my food. My tablemates are both jealous and surprised.

I have an overall nice-looking pod, the only players I recognize are my teammate and friend Ty on my direct left, and then David Pargh 3 to my left.

At around 9:02 pargh calls a judge and asks if he has time to run to the restroom, the judge tells him we should be starting within like 2 minutes so he should wait. I snap off the “ I will take the over on 2 minutes”. My table laughs but then I reassure Pargh; No really… You can go to the restroom. We have at least 5 minutes and if they are about to start without you I will stop them.

He gets up and starts running!!!!

As he arrives back at his seat out of breath; they announce that they are dealing with some registration issues and should have them all resolved very soon.

2 minutes looooool; too bad the WOTC lawyers are such nits and we can’t wager on these things.

At 9:14 or whatever it is I finally crack open that first pack

Protean Thamaturge 1/1 Copy 1U copy rare vs Mire’s Grasp

I believe thamaturge is slightly better, but my draft pod looks weak to me so I just take a safe pick of Mire’s Grasp that I ultimately regret a bit.

I’m passed a really bad pack with omen of the forge and 2/4 dryad rare as only options.

I take the Ilysian Grove Nymph (Not a Dryad)

3rd pick I take Heliod’s Pilgrim out of another weak pack. I have a Grasp already and there is just no card on a close level anyway.

4th and 6th I take Daybreak Chimera’s and I assume I am going to setup to be some sort of white aggro deck. I fill out with like a 7th pick favored of Iroas and an indomitable will, I also have a mogis favor I guess I 5th picked.

I open Mire’s Grasp and Daxos, and I take Daxos due to having no cheap plays and 2 chimera’s

I am passed Reverant Hoplite and another mire’s grasp; take hoplite

3rd I get a final Death over nothing, and I fill out this pack with a lagona band ¾ return an enchantment to the top, 2 white omens and a blackomen, and maybe like a flicker and a unicorn.

Going into P3 I am dying for cheap plays and white pips, and also an apathy to get with my pilgrim.

I open apathy and quickly check that box, but the cheap plays are a struggle. I end up taking like a nyxborn courser 2nd or 3rd pick, and a soulreaper of mogis like 4th. Not ideal and I am really worried, but I find a 6th pick hero of the pride, 7th pick pious wayfarer 8th pick hateful eidelon to at least end with a playable curve.

My deck looks like a 4/10 to me but I am still confident in my chances.

I end up registering 16 lands 9/7 when I should really be playing 17 bc I just decide I don’t want to lose to flooding and I will live if I get stuck on lands for a bit with this deck.

R1 vs Andrew Matthews:

This player was feeding me, and I hate how the R1 Matchup is random. I don’t understand why we can’t just play R1 Across, but alas.

My opponent starts off with a mulligan to 5.

You don’t go 50-10 in your last 60 high level matches without a lot of luck!

He still almost beats me because my draw is awkward, and my deck is not great.

But once again some luck for me; he makes a game losing mistake.

I say go with dreadful apathy on his 7/7 typhon, and he has a 6/7 as well, end of turn I activate apathy. In response he return to nature’s my apathy…….

I say ok and bin my apathy, then let him know the trigger can resolve now. And he says well it isn’t enchanted anymore.

So we get a judge and he confirms that it obviously is still getting exiled, and I untap lagonna band the apathy back to my deck and use it on his 6/7 the following turn and barely win.

He is GB with a bunch of mire’s grasps and multiple 6/7 colossus’

Game 2 I die horribly

G3 is somewhat interesting after thinking I was wayyy ahead and going to win, my opponent plays a klothys design. He had a 5/3 forerunners giving trample that I had apathied, and he had a hateful eidelon and a nyxborn colossus, so he is attacking me for 15 trample.

Luckily I had daxos and like 26 life, but I take 15 and now have to play extremely carefully around another designs. I draw flicker of fate for my turn to make it trivial as I just activate and move the apathy to the 6/7 and kill him over the next couple turns. Turns out he did have second designs :0

1-0

R2: Teammate Ty Thomason

Ty was on my left in the draft and is RG. I don’t really know much of his deck except that I passed him R omen and furious rise along with an assortment of green creatures and incendiary oracles.

In G1 I think I mulligan and have to keep a land heavy hand, and I draw my 5th land early and by turn 4 think I am a huge underdog in the game, but I draw like 5 or 6 spells in a row 2 of which are daybreak chimera and I fade his furious rise hitting removal for them over 3-4 turns as I tear away his life total from the sky.

In G2 I think I am doing ok, and I let him untap with renatta hoping he plays just one big thing, but he has 2 2 drops, and also has like warbriars blessing at a bad time for kill my unicorn. My removal is awkard and expensive making it hard for my little shitters to get thru his multiple renata beefed 2 drops.

I still think I am even and have good chances, but the storm’s wrath I forgot I passed him kills any hopes I had fast.

G3 is an epic one that I don’t believe I can do justice from memory. I keep a 2 lander on the play with a t2 daxos and some assortment of expensive cards one of which is hoplite.

I miss my land for a turn but I hit my 3rd plains on t4 and then nail a swamp on t5 which keeps my right in the game.

Unfortunately, he sort of stabilizes the board and despite hoplite for 6 or whatever and having 30+ life, I don’t have great attacks just yet. To make matter’s worse he has an oread rummager in play to go a fresh renatta, and his deck contains a storm’s wrath that should end the game on the spot at any point, and wings of hubris that will be really problematic at any point on renatta.

I finally have an ok window to attack and also have no choice because he just drew wings an attacked me with renatta for double digits.

My life total is now somewhere around 20 and I make a huge attack but making sure to leave back a couple tokens to not die to a counterattack if Ty blocks optimally.

He blocks perfectly this turn and I chipped him down to like 11 or so while gaining a few life in the process and lowering his green pips some small amount, then he untaps and hits me again down to like 9.

I untap and peel an omen by the sun and decide I can attack with everything as I have omen plus another blocker and also gaining 5 life. I play my blocker to gain 1 from daxos and then my omen to get a tap with unicorn and send the squad. He blocks perfectly again I only gain 2-3 life from tokens dying and he goes to 1 putting me at like 13 + 4 from the omen so 17 I think but I can’t remember exactly.

So I have 3 blockers my 3/3 chimera and two tokens facing down renata a 5/5 typhon and 6 other small creatures. But his hand is a nylea forerunners that he casts and after quick math my stomach drops because I am dead on board. I try to feign a bit of confidence as he counts the total number of creatures…

By the grace of God almighty, or maybe from the Allen Wu aura that I acquired from sharing the bed with him, Ty and I have exactly the same number of creatures.

So despite being at 1 Life Ty can say go because he has a chance to survive if I don’t draw an enchantment.

In his head his carytids were staying back to pump his 4/5 menace thing, but really carytids were 2/2 from renata and would’ve pushed him 1-2 damage past lethal if they just attacked.

In my upkeep I scry with my white omen sac and see plains then flicker. Flicker is easily lethal as I flicker my black omen with 1 mana left tapping a blocker for lethal, but I also have hateful eideilon to get back and play with my last mana to tap another blocker and play around any removal which he very clearly doesen’t have anyway.

2-0

At this point I am feeling on top of the world. 2-0 with a medium deck beating the best player in my pod, knowing my constructed deck is as bladed as ever.

While using the restroom after this round a guy from my pod asks how I did, and tells me he lost to the busted deck. It is Pargh who will be my opponent. He is UB and got the thaumaturge 4th and also all of the late U omens and things to go with pharikas spawn and thirsts and shimmering chimera etc. I just accept that it will be a tough match and I won’t be dissapointed if I lose.

R3 vs David Pargh:

G1 I keep a hand of like Daybreak Chimera Daybreak Chimera Dreadful Apathy 2 plains swamp lagona band trailblazer.

Unfortunately my first 2 draws are swamps and i feel obligated to play dreadful apathy t3 on his eidelon of philosphy just to be able to t4 chimera.

I do t4 chimera but t5 i draw yet another swamp leaving me with all white cards and no way to double spell. T6 is another single spell turn for me, and despite him flooding and me landing a hoplite for 6, i can only chip him down to 1 life before he has seen so many cards with omens and thirst that he finds gray merchant to stabilize and virtually lock the game.

I am frustrated going to SB bc it was a game i could easily have stolen If i just drew plains or spells instead of swamps. But i realize it’s part of why my deck sucks and I need to get over myself.

G2 is another drawn out affair where i think I have some chances early, but I begin to flood and it slips away fast. I die to the combination of pharika’s spawn shimmerwing chimera tymaret and some counterspells plus a final death.

2-1 and still feeling great.

We find out over the loudspeaker during this round that there will be no lunchbreak. I am suprinsingly happy with this. I am not hungry and ready to play some constructed to shake this loss off.

R4 vs Mark Lepine on UW Spirits

I don’t know Mark, but I do know he is an old school pro who got DQed recently for peeking in drafts. I will just say now that in our match he was extremely pleasant and did not seem even remotely sketchy at any point. That being said, I was aware of the DQ and on edge to make sure and watch close for anything fishy. We exchange decklists and i quickly see he is UW spirits, except he has 2 essence flux? and 1 Bygone Bishop???

I get the oracle on those and we get into a game 1 where everything goes right. He floods a bit and my first wrath comes down when he only has 2 mana open and no selfless spirit, and then my 2nd is cleaning up most of his resources with my life total still high. After azorious charming something to the top with t5eferi in play I know it’s over and after a dig he soon quits.

G2 is a bit odd, in that he floods and attacks me with mutavault a bunch, i at some point seal away it and he doesn’t have rattle chains and i know it’s over. We play a few more turns, and i have a spot to slam trawler, but instead go for dig EOT bc it’s so likely he has a dispute/stroke for how little he has done in the game.

Except as i cast dig he immediately says ok. And i say it resolves?? And he shakes his head and says yeah, you wouldn’t expect it to huh?

He has been friendly all match, and it just seems like more of that.

I am not sure if he’s leveling and holding a counter for trawler, but anyway i untap and have even better plays to not even have to sweat it. Then the following turn when i play trawler he was just actually being geniune and had no counter and dies to it lol

3-1

R5 vs Johnathan Lum on Sultai Delerium

G1 goes quite smoothly. I think i Censor a courser and then clean up a courser and wayfinder with a wrath, i censor a Nissa at some point, and i draw lantern to exile an URO and then later his graveyard preventing myself from ever getting Emrakuled before i can just close the game with elspeth.

G2 is another smooth sailing game early, except he eventually does build up to emrakul and i can sense it happening, but can’t really stop it anyway. The turn before he emrakuls I play trawler with a sabatoge up, so i sabatoge the emrakul and have a hand of opt only. I untap and he is taking my turn. He says draw.

My one detention sphere. He immediately spheres trawler (Bad sequencing there of course) then he opts, revealing a land. He keeps it and doesn’t play it saying go back to me again. So i have 9 mana and a glacial fortress facing down no hand but an uro that can come back next turn my life is like 17 so I’m not that worried but def a close game.

I draw dig thru time and hit 2 teferi’s and a sabatoge lol I take little teferi bounce my detention sphere freeing dream trawler with counter backup.

I managed to win a few turns later.

4-1

R6 vs Charles Wong on Sultai Invertor

Charles seemed to be a good player to me, but I didn’t know him before this match.

In G1 he had multiple carytids and a wayfinder, but i countered his URO on the way back down and I feel like he had 6-7 lands in play at a point where i had cycled 2 farmlands 2 charms a censor and 2 opts, and i have literally only lands than don’t do anything still. At any point if i draw a dig teferi narset or whatever I just win easily I assume, but instead he just resolves a topdecked jace, then untaps and resolves invertor and kills me.

Frustrating to lose to flooding in a deck that is so good at preventing that, but it happens.

G2 is just not close. My opp TS me and then t3 tracker resolves and he disputes my next 2 spells as i fall behind even further to a resolved Jace. He untaps after disputing my t5eferi or whatever and says oh u are dead, dig invertor.

30+ min in the round is not bad tho. Thats a jimmy johns run lets goooooo.

4-2

I clear my head during this walk and grab my sandwich and head back to the site ready to crush the last two rounds.

I’m just finishing my sandwich as pairings go up, Paul Reitzl is my opponent.

I am a bit annoyed at 4-2 to be playing someone so good, but that’s how the PT goes sometimes.

R7 vs Paul Rietzl on MonoB Vampires

His list looks mostly pretty standard.

In g1 he thoughtseizes me on either t1 or 2 I can’t remember exactly but my hand is just like 2 opts a farmland an elspeth and some other lands. I say this hand is gasssss against TS as i reveal it. He says it definitely is. And then i mention that I think my deck just may be really good against thoughtsieze as he’s thinking.

I tell him that elspeth is insanely good when he asks if he should take an opt. he says you are just going to see so many new cards. I say yeah but you can’t stop me anyway, he must agree as he does take elspeth. In this game i play those few opts and am flooding a bit but have 1 key spells t4-5 maybe a counterspell I don’t recall exactly.

He now has black castle and just uses it mainphase to draw a card up to 6 cards lol, down to like 13 life or whatever.

I untap and just have all lands and wrath so i escape elspeth make tokens. Then he goes like play knight of ebon into champion draw 3 or something bc he had a dusk legion zealot. Then i wrath and make 2 more tokens say go. He untaps and plays 2 dusk legion zealots down to like 8. I pump my tokens and attack and he double blocks one down to 5. i still have all lands but i drew a lantern and have that ready to cycle and say go, he untaps and murderous riders my elspeth down to 3 playing rider.

I cycle lantern as the third card in my yard besides elspeth and hit a land. So on my turn I need to draw a banger and censor does qualify as it is just an elspeth plus a card. I cycle into nothing and play elspeth for the 3rd time and pump my tokens forcing him to block both with rider + his last zealot.

He untaps and scoops showing me like 3 more swamps in his hand (he drew like 10+ lands, but apparently that happens often to this deck according to Tom Ross who played a lot of it).

G2 is another slow paced game where he hits me with mutavault a few times but I’m able to seal away it and then land teferi. He had the end of turn grasp but i have trawler and know If he has no TS it will be over. He untaps and draws a card with either castle or champion then plays a swamp and says i know you have what just the wrath?? Hmmmm and taps the black mana; i hold my breathe as the duress hits the table. lets goooooooooooo

He can’t take dream trawler so who cares what he took. I have exactly 6 lands and a teferi time raveler on 1. I put my hand on the table for duress and it was like trawler wrath censor. He took wrath and says go.

Without even picking up my trawler or untapping my lands I just pickup my censor draw a card without looking at it instantly tick my teferi to 2 and say go leaving the trawler in play and my lands tapped lol.

He untaps and does some irrelevant things like sorin pump champion attack for 5 i take it untap cycle something kill sorin gain 6.

He untaps again and says he has outs. He has to hit that one or that one. And I say woah having multiple things is a lot more than i expected. He says well it has to be right now, and plays dusk legion zealot. Then he says we did it! And slams Rankle and attacks making me sac and discard. But he now has no hand and I have wrath + field of ruin for his castle so it’s me at a high life total and 8 lands vs his 6 swamps and me getting the first draw step.

I’ll take the teferi/dig/trawler tribal side of this game. I untap and draw t5eferi so i wrath and say go, he just draws sorin with no board or muta so it does nothing. I draw t5eferi again, play one and plus hitting dig so gg yo untap 2 go.

He untaps and plays mutavault he drew and starts tanking and tanking. I grab sorin to see what the deal is if maybe it gives deathtouch somehow when sacking a vamp? But no he is just considering sacking mutavault putting tef to 2 and then drawing a vamp next turn to kill it from 3.

But i tell him I have dig thru time and another T5feri so it doesn’t matter at all, but just put a counter. When i say this he laughs and immediately throws mutavault at my teferi. I laugh and say I told you not to do that. He says I have to hope you’re lying as I am casting my dig.

I hit spells like counter spell charm and then draw another trawler and yeah, i win from there.

5-2

R8 Vs Justin Porchas on UB Invertor

I recognize Justin but don’t remember from what, and it was that we IDed into T8 of the GP Dallas I won. So we’ve never played, but we have shaken hands!

He has a pretty stock list that I think I’m favored against, but he plays very well and seems to know his deck + the matchup well.

G1 goes really long which really favors me, but I cast multiple digs and am just not finding hard counters so there are plenty turns I am in big danger of getting combo’d. He eventually does invertor with 2 jace in his yard and i think 2 other cards? And then he plays oracle keeping one of them on top.

He untaps and plays a jace with 3 cards in the deck and I believe I succesfully counter it, but when i cycle my charm and untap and draw a land I am dead if his next card is jace and he goes for it. It’s basically 33%, but it feels like 50% bc when he played oracle he seemed to snap throw 1 to the bottom as if it was Jace+ another, not just 2 jaces who cares. That was my read anyway. We’ll he untaps and says go so i have one more chance. I draw an Opt I believe. At this point I’ve run sort of poorly with seeing the bottom 15+ and knowing my deck still has 3-4 hard counters another dig and teferi in only like 15-20 cards. Justice prevails as I cycle into I believe the absorb or veto I can’t remember. He untaps and goes for Jace and when I counter he concedes.

G2 is somewhat interesting but he resolves jace, and i do deal with it with t5eferi, but he kills my teferi and also lands the new 5 mana ashiok. That cards is actually busted and it runs away with the game as I am disctracted trying to deal with it while he sets up invertor jace to kill me.

Going to G3 we have a little under 20min I believe and as I am presenting Justin notices one of his sleeves is different for some reason. He has black Matte sleeves but this one is just solid black. He asks if I want him to just flip the card over. I said no you don’t need to do that, just look at it and see what it is yourself and if you can tell what happened?

He just flips it anyway and it’s a Jace Wielder of Mysteries. OK? That is a bit weird but before I can start questioning he calls a judge on himself. The judge comes over and Justin hands him the card and says “This is Matt Costa’s” LOLOLOL

He Thief of Sanity it from Matt in a previous round and didn’t realize it until now. So the judge rules that bc it’s between games and he never got caught presenting an illegal deck basically, the fix is just to return the card to Matt and carry on. This rule sounds right to me in limited, like say you have a dreadful apathy that was actually your previous opponents, and you find it during sideboarding. You call a judge and this is the fix, just give it back move on. But this is a bizzare circumstance.

I just played two games in a constructed match where my opponent happened to have an extra copy of the single best card in the matchup?????

Is the fix really just “I know you fought hard both of those games against the onslaught of jace’s, but for now we just move on?”

And to be fair the head judge said, it’s on you to count if he has 60 and if you do so and it’s 61 he would’ve gotten a gameloss for this.

So idk, i remember back in 2008 it was cool and normal to pile count your opponents deck, but i thought these days everyone was off that. I certainly haven’t done it in years, but maybe I should start again?

Anyway, I feel a bit bad for Costa who may get a gameloss midgame here. Snook is sitting next to me Costa’s good friend and he looks sick. And i look at him and say let’s just hope Matt is done with his match. And snook nods and said that is the only thing I am thinking.

Turns out Matt was done so mise.

But anyway Justin and I are now going to a G3 with a fair number of jaces in his deck.

I hate that I can’t remember much about this game, but I know I had a good hand and ended up winning a super super tight one at the end.

He went for invertor when i was short counterspells and i was worried he was holding an oracle to go with the one in his yard. But whenever he does go for the oracle i dispute it, and he pays going down to 1 mana which lets me use my last piece of interaction, another dispute, and he concedes. If he just had another oracle/jace for next turn I had nothing and would’ve died, so that was a nailbiter to finish it off.

6-2

This one is getting really long and not much interesting happened this night anyway. We did go to a really nice Thai restaurant, but I will pick back up here on the final part 3.

There we will go over day 2, and then my

spoilers:

Top 8 match against Huey!

Thanks for reading, see you back tomorrow for the rest.

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quirkyqirl · 5 years

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My birthday was June 20th and I celebrated in Puerto Rico. Last year I wanted to go but the hurricane season put a stop to that idea. I was super excited because my first blog was actually about Puerto Rico and the aftermath of the hurricane season. I paid for the flight with my southwest accrued reward points which I only paid about $72 in taxes. I booked an Airbnb as usual. I had an early morning flight because I was so anxious to be there. I touched down about 9 am and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the airport is. I reached out to my Airbnb host to let them know I was here. They told me that had a previous guest that was leaving so they will let me know when the place will be ready. I was a tad bit upset because we had previously discussed that I could check in early because of my early flight time. So I found a somewhat comfy spot in the airport window ledge inside because it was too hot outside. Frankly, I was bored out of my mind like I wanted to be out in the elements. I thought about going to the beach but I didn’t want to drag my bag with me. Then this little ray of light came in the shape of this little lady. She started speaking Spanish at first and I laughed and said English. I don’t know why people always approach me speaking Spanish even when I am at work. Well, she was trying to sign me up for a timeshare meeting in return I ‘ll get two excursions of my choice for a discount of $40. I said why not because I did want to enjoy my birthday vacation. So I left a deposit of $20 and she left me all the information such as where the meeting will be. She also told me I could go to the restaurant upstairs after I told her about my long wait. I ventured up there but I didn’t really like anything on the menu so I went back downstairs. But after a while, I changed my mind about the restaurant. On one side of me sat a guy smacking gum loudly and the other side sat a very loud family overly happy about something. So I went to the restaurant and ordered their version of a Cuban sandwich combo. Just that was like $14 and to be honest, everything I purchased was a tad more than if I would have bought it in the USA. After you get food you go find yourself a table. There was this guy with I guess his son that kept staring at me. But I kind of ignored it because after being to Mexico I was used to the stares. So I spoke to my friend while I ate but the reception was not that great but neither was the food. The Airbnb host messages me telling me I could check in which was like 12ish now. The next thing I learned that Uber is not allowed to pick you up from the airport so I had to use ground transportation. The driver came pretty quick after I was assisted at the kiosk. The neighborhood I was staying at was called Carolina and as we drove into it heavy rain came down. I eventually got there the host told me on the phone to wait he was trying to get an umbrella. Wow, he held the umbrella over my head and showed me the way to get to the unit his grandmother was yelling at him about something. It was a cute studio attached to their house and I guess it was just okay for me. It was one outlet that was not near to the bed. The outlet had everything attached to it like the tv, microwave, mini-fridge you name it. After I hung out for a while and listened to the rain I decided I wanted to go out. So my first stop was the San Juan mall I utilized Uber to get there. The Uber app for some reason pinned my location wrong luckily the driver spoke English and she just told me to text her with the actual address. This mall is beautiful! It was breathtaking like the Aventura Mall or Bal Harbor. So I went to H and M and just for a purse and socks it was like $ 31. Like I mentioned earlier they have some price gauging or high taxes. Some of the stores I didn’t recognize so I went looking for food. My choice was a place called burger and beer. It had an outside bar and inside I chose inside. I ordered some chicken burger with mushrooms, onion ring, French fries and some cocktails. The food was okay, drinks better and the cost was Puerto Rico priced. I got lost coming out but eventually, I found my way out and sat outside for a while. They have glitter on the entrance to the mall that you can see vividly at night. Eventually, I Uber my way back to my place. I stayed in that night because I had to be at the hotel for the timeshare meeting at 7:45 am. I felt old that I didn’t stay up until 12 am for my birthday but I made up for it in the morning. I made a couple of videos, selfies and added some birthday dances in the mix. I made my way to the ESJ Hotel for the meeting. I had been to a timeshare meeting in Cancun before so I knew the drill. I registered sat and waited until the person that would be trying to make me spend money came. She was lovely and adorable, to say the least. We went to the breakfast buffet and grabbed the table. The food was not my cup of tea I was quite disappointed since I am a die-hard foodie. The toast was stale, eggs were not seasoned but the juice tasted like flavored water. Afterward, we discussed that I was a blogger and I traveled frequently and she discussed her being a mom wishing she had the open schedule to travel like I. She showed me the model units and other aspects of the place. I personally think timeshare are not that smart most people are trying to get rid of the timeshare. She even brought her boss to give me a lower rate but I just don’t really think timeshares are a financially conscious idea. She was really nice she even offered me a drink or to come by later for a party they were having that night. So I went to collect my activities vouchers which were a beach day and a boat ride. The boat ride was not available on the days I would be there so I got a $50 gift card for the inconvenience and only paid the initial $20.The beach day was on their property in the back of the hotel. With the voucher, I got an umbrella, chair, two free lunches and two corona. So I was a kid in the candy store with two everything. I sat there relaxed and enjoyed the different scenery and ate like a pig. I got in the water and it felt amazing. I think that was the perfect way for me to spend my birthday drinking, eating on a beach somewhere different. The skies start getting really gray so I decided to leave. The company that owned the chairs and umbrellas was leaving soon anyway. I didn’t go out that night because I started feeling sick. The next day I went to the Bacardi factory which I had been dying to go visit. So after research, I took a Uber to old San Juan to catch a ferry to Catana where it was located. A roundtrip ticket was only $1 and it was like a 5min ride. Once in Catana, I had to catch another Uber to the Bacardi factory. The factory was huge on its own property. I initially signed up for the mixology class but the next class didn’t start until 12 pm and it was only 9 am,so I switch to the rum tasting class. They gave me two tokens for free drinks so I went with a drink called sunset mojito. I hadn’t even eaten yet but it was my birthday YOLO. We have to get on a trolley to begin the tour which began with learning the history of Bacardi. I didn’t know Barcardi was created in Cuba originally. The tour guide name Eric was quite witty which was entertaining. We ventured into the factory and saw behind the scenes and the next was rum tasting. It was about five different types of rums and they had different tastes. After the rum tasting, we went to the gift shop which I left the group. I headed back to the outside bar to get my last courtesy drink which was rum based. I sat down by the taxi pickup spot and began a conversation with this taxi driver who was waiting for his passenger. I went back to catch the ferry and once back in old San Juan I dined at a place called Tijuana’s. I was starving so I ordered a ground beef dip with chips with Mahi and rice. I ordered another drink I must admit I had too much alcohol. I barely could make it the Uber once I finally left. Once I went back to my place and pretty much passed out until 10 pm. I had slept off the alcohol and with my friend telling me I need to hit up the nightlife I decided I should. So I got ready still sipping on my leftover drink and headed out. This Uber driver was totally different from the rest. I thought went I met Albert he was pretty normal well he wasn’t. When we began to talk I felt he tried to scare me when he told me I shouldn’t be going out by myself to old San Juan. So he said he will give me his number in case I needed help. Soon as I got out of his car and began to walk around he texts me and said he would like to hang out. I said well you know where I am but he claimed he had got another ride and he would come back for me. All the natives kept telling me to go to La Placita that’s where the parties were at but I chose here. I finally found a bar playing English music so I got a frozen sangria and sat on the balcony. Alberto starts texting me from two separate numbers which were weird. Asking me did I block him because I was not answering his calls. So he kept trying to get me to leave the bar so I said if you really wanted to hang out that’s where I was at. The bartender and I started talking and I told him the situation he started laughing told me to stay and gave me a drink on the house. Well, Alberto still persisted in me coming out to help him find parking. I stuck to my guns and he finally came up and I thought to myself he is good-looking why is he so crazy? We talked and then he still tried to get me to come outside. He said he did not like the environment and in his offense, two drugged up guys had asked me for money prior on separate streets. So I thought maybe he was not too bad plus he started resembling a shorter version of Liam Hemsworth. He told me his father was American from Los Angeles who came there to start a business when he met his mom. Which he said that’s why he looked so Caucasian. The bartender waved at me to signal they were closing at 2 am. Albert explained that all the bars were closed but as we walked outside the other bars was still opened. We sat outside and talked so more until another drugged out guys came and asked for money. With that Albert said let’s go I am going to take you home. Once inside he like switched and started asking all these sexual questions. I really played it cool and just prayed that I make it back safely. Apparently, he had a fixation with women of my type because there is not many there. Then he started saying he wanted us to kiss so I said I’ll think about it. I don’t know if he thought I was drunk but eventually, I got to my neighborhood and pointed at a different house from to actual one. So he pressured me about the kiss and I said firmly “no”. So I was courteous and said goodnight. He asked could we go to the beach and I was like noooo. I got out and he called me back and started saying am boring. Okay let me remain boring and I walked off. He began texting me that he wanted to have sex with me but am too boring. When I say I ran in and made sure that door was closed properly and tight. The next day was my flight so I left rather early to the airport. The airport is really nice with so many stores. I decided to eat at Margaritaville before my flight and work on my laptop. However wi-fi you have to pay for it which is so greedy to me. I had a safe flight and I was super tired once I got back home. The key tips I would like to offer is Puerto Rico is somewhat pricey so be prepared. Really research where you will like to stay because apparently, I was staying in the unsavory part of town. Try to travel with someone else or if you like me just to be cautious. An enjoy yourself I would rate this trip was an 8. I actually think that Puerto Rico is a more upscale version of Cuba. But I love Cuba despite it not being Americanized but I felt more at home there. I hope you enjoy the many pictures I have below until next time.

I am racking my brain on where I will be going this year for my birthday. Last year it was Puerto Rico and ironically PR was what my first serious blog was about. I blogged about the after math of the hurricance on PR. My birthday was June 20th and I celebrated in Puerto Rico. Last year I wanted to go but the hurricane season put a stop to that idea.

#birthday #blog #blogger #Blogging #blogs #gemini #inspiration #opinion #photography #puertorico #Travel #usa #vacation #Wordpress

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apexart-journal · 6 years

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Bao Chau Ngo Dinh: New York - Missing day

APPENDIX (for those things I had no time to write about)

Firstly, I realize I don’t have any photos with Apexart team, with Nancy, except a video with Margaret. OMG!

NEW YORK SUBWAY:

At the end of my one month in New York, I began to complaint about subway because of the delay of L train. I waited in Battery Park for the last meditation at Brooklyn, because I didn’t want to be late, a the result I was still late 5mins therefore I must run to the class. Even though I was not pleased about subway, those were the last trains anyway at the same time.

But I still love going around by subway. I love the stream of hurried people, love all of the performances there and I also love subway artists.

I was getting FAMILIAR with it and I knew it was the time for me to leave NYC.

I still remember the first time I experienced it with Margaret, she showed me how to use the subway card on the way to Apexart space. And the my first volunteering activity in Brooklynn, that was the only time I got back home lately. I got a little scared when I went to wrong station and no trains anymore. At that time, I didn’t know the small station, may be the uptown or downtown one would have been placed across the street. I chased a woman who said that was the last train tonight, and asked “excuse me, Could you tell me how to go to Manhattan? Thank you”. I followed her words, went across the street, I stood right at the subway station but I didn’t realize ( smile), I looked at a dark frontal and procrastinated street . I am laughing with myself when sitting here in Vietnam and writing about this.

For me, trains seem a small society, a quiet one actually , sometimes it will be noisy if there are two Chinese women there.

KINDNESS

I always said about the kindness of people I met during my stay, and now I emphasize this in my writing. Is it because I am a nice person so all people I met were so nice? It’s called the law of attraction, isn’t it? Truly, I didn’t have any trouble with anyone untill I got on the airplane to flight back to Vietnam. I sat nearby a guy from Dubai. And it was a nightmare. Yes, one dreaming month passed and I was woken up by a nightmare. C’est la vie.

In New York, I was sitting on a train, suddenly a black man came and stood besides me and started to tell everyone about his situation and ask for some help. I didn’t know why I was scared, may be these was the second day of mine. People who were surrounding me seemed did not care much, but when he stopped talking, a young lady gave him some bars of chocolate, another woman gave him some fruits in her Trader Joe’s bag. I left the train with a smilling on my face.

In Washington, a stranger helped me find the right line of metro and also said she would notify me if the train got to my station. I knew where my stop was but I kept silent and warmly received her help. She was a new comer to this city, but no one could not be newer than me.

Some of stories like that make me love people there and NYC more.

NANCY

I don’t know what will you think if you have 4 hours meet someone and (maybe) never get a chance meet them again. 4 hours of your whole lifetime.

I had less than 4 hours meeting with Nancy. At the fourth psychology session, I left soon because of backing my luggages. And my purpose was to say goodbye to her.

Those were strange meetings. In my culture, people don’t tell their problem to a stranger and they need go to psychiatric hospitals if their mental sickness become serious. Nancy loves flowers, there was always a vase of flowers on the table in the meeting room. I saw yellow roses three times.

How do I tell you about her? I just wanna say thank you to her, I appreciate spending time with her.

And thanks to all of her museum cards. I had a marathon day with art. And that was an inspiring day.

SUNBATH:

There is one sidewalk which is under shadow of buildings, I always choose walking at this side. Although I come from a tropical country, but I if walk in direct sunshines, I will got a dizzy. That’s why I skipped a canoneing, I worried I could fall down into water if I came there and tried it.

New Yorkers love sunbathing, even 12pm or 1pm. You must see how Vietnamese avoid the sun. That’s a funny two opposite attitude towards a thing. Two weeks later of my fellowship, it was warmer and more sunny. People lied down on grass in parks, some of them wore bikinis. Enjoy the sunshines. My friend who is abroad student in Connecticut told me maybe they were insane but somehow our bodies were different. Sometimes I know how they are but I was still surprised observing it directly. Traveling brings this to us.

FOOD

Finally, there was something I did not like much. In my journal, the only time I mentioned about food was Vietnamese restaurant at 1 Av. I found it accidentally when I went to have a typical breakfast of NY at Tompkins Bagel. And I didn’t say anything about my bagel. Most food I bought from Whole Foods , after few days of getting sick with food trucks. And until the third week, I got sick with meals from there, because I ate all of them. But sushi there were good. I like cooking but there was no time for it, I cooked about 10 times in a month in NYC. Even at the popular local pizza in Waterbury , pizzas were not good. They were too salty. And tempting ice cream were too sugary in NYC. May be, I didn’t know where to eat good food and sit down restaurant was expensive for me. But the last meal with Apexart team was good, on my LAST day in NYC.

WHICH THINGS WILL BE CONTINUING TO ME?

That’s the spirit of fellowship - embarking on the unknow things.

Travel far enough, you meet yourself.

(Vietnam, 6/7/2018,10:45am)

#Bao Chau Ngo Dinh #Inbound from Ho Chi Minh City

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quirkyqirl · 5 years

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#birthday #blog #blogger #Blogging #blogs #gemini #inspiration #opinion #photography #puertorico #Travel #usa #vacation #Wordpress

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quirkyqirl · 6 years

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My Trip to Puerto Rico My birthday was June 20th and I celebrated in Puerto Rico. Last year I wanted to go but the hurricane season put a stop to that idea.

#birthday #blog #blogger #Blogging #blogs #gemini #inspiration #opinion #photography #puertorico #Travel #usa #vacation #Wordpress

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