Sigley spent the car ride updating Mara on the latest Einon politics and events. Most of it went over Diana's head but she was able to glean some things. Einon was ruled by Emperor Elo Gammon and the Grand Counsel were his personal advisors who served the people as judges and senators. Of the fourteen members who served in the Grand Counsel of Einon before her family left, only nine remained, including the often-mentioned "General". Mara seemed familiar with the names Sigley mentioned, nodding along and asking questions about them.
Diana also noticed that she mentally cringed everytime she had the name "Gallenos" but she couldn't explain why. It wasn't like she felt more isolated or even felt resentful towards the name "Gallenos". She always thought that her real surname was changed to blend in more with common Earth names and that idea was merely confirmed. Still, each time she heard it, she felt like someone put a cold hand on the back of her neck. Not necessarily unwelcomed but always jarring to the nerves.
Soon the car pulled up to their destination and the door opened. Diana expected to see a large, prestigious looking school with nice landscapes and high fences. As she stepped out of the car, she realized she couldn't be further from the truth.
Before her stood was a cross between a courthouse and a coliseum. The academy was easily ninety feet high and took up high a city block. Diana looked around and saw that the school was in the heart of the city rather on the outskirts as she imaged. A steady slope of stairs awaited her but between her and the doors stood eight forty-foot statures of people. The Stature depicted each person as warriors poised for battle. All were armed weapons, bow and arrows, staffs and so on, except for the stature in the middle. He was an older man, looking tired but with a steadfast look in his eyes and had a cane and a scroll in his hands.
Mara emerged from the car and soaked in the scenery as Sigley started ahead of them. "Einon Academy. Training the next generation of soldiers, senators and upright citizens."
Diana spoke. "Did you go here?"
"Me, your father, countless of our friends. Fewer schools on the planet excel the standards set here." Mara nudged Diana. "Don't worry. It's mostly harmless," Mara said as she started up the steps.
"Define 'Mostly'."
Sigley held open the door for them to enter. "Mostly means mostly. Now stop stalling and let's get this over with and get you enroll."
"Yippee."
Sigley led them into the school and down a hallway filled with glow of holograms. Diana was mesmerized by the different recordings playing until they finally reached the heart of the school, the Grand Hall. With its exotic flowers, beautiful art and buzzing in the air, Diana was stunned. She saw several hallways, leading different in directions and two large doors with intricate carvings on both sides. Sigley opened one of the doors and waved in Mara. "After you, Colonel."
Mara and Diana stepped forward and Sigley held up his hand. "I'm sorry but the Counsel wishes to speak to you without the child. I thought that was implied."
Mara tensed. "This is nonsense. Why can't she come with me?"
"The Counsel has very delicate things to discuss that are unsuitable for... Inexperienced ears."
"In other words, they want me to lecture without worrying about new people hearing it."
"It's okay, Mom."
Mara glanced over. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. It's 'Mostly harmless', remember?" Mara squeezed Diana's hand and smiled.” I’ll be right back. Wait here and don't be afraid to knock that door down if you need me."
"You mean, knock on the door."
"No, I didn't" She said as she walked through the door. With Mara gone, Diana was able to look at the designs of the hall. She look up and saw that the academy was eight stories tall and within the borders of the level were wall paintings. She squinted and saw that each level had a different person from the statures outside. She started to move closer to see the stories in more detail when she heard a sound from one of the hallways. She ignored it until she heard it again, this time with the sound of someone running. Soon, a blonde girl burst into the Grand Hall.
The girl was an inch shorter than Diana and was much thinner. She was breathing heavy and leaned against the wall to catch her breathe. Diana had no idea what to do so she decided to talk. "Hello."
The girl gasped and stared at Diana with a suspicious expression.” Hello?"
Diana laughed and crossed the room to her to try again. "I'm sorry if I scared you but I was curious about these paintings. Could you explain them to me?"
"WHERE IS SHE?!" bellowed a voice from one of the hallways. It was male and sounded furious. Diana and the girl snapped their eyes the direction of voice and the girl hung her head and muttered, "Going through this all over again." Diana looked at her and asked. "What's going on?"
"What's happening is the stupid-" Before she could finished, a young man came charging in the room "There goes the brat," he said, coming straight toward the girl. Diana stepped in between them and tried to resolve everything. "Whoa! Let's calm down, everyone and um, try to talk this through before this escalates." Diana tried to keep her voice calm and cheery but as the young man came closer, the more intimidated she felt. He towered Diana and she got a good look at him. He was roughly 16, a good foot taller than her and had short black hair.
"Get out of my way."
"See, I can't do that because I was told to stay here and I have the feeling that bad things will happen if I move." He stepped aside but Diana stepped with him. "What did she do to you?"
"That insolent child insulted me and if you were smart, you'd move aside and say nothing else to me." Once again, he stepped aside and she stepped with him. His green eyes bore into Diana's head but she didn't care at this point. "Oh! You meant to move when you weren't moving. That makes more sense now."
The young man scowled at Diana's joke and he raised his fist. Diana instinctively used her telekinesis to shove him from her and flung him twenty feet across the room. Diana somehow felt both remorseful and satisfied until she saw the young man start to stumble to his feet. She turned to the blonde girl who started this whole thing and yelled. "RUN!"
In a flash, the girl ran down one hall and Diana ran down another. She wasn't sure if she actually heard footsteps behind her but she didn't care. Mara’s assurance of "mostly harmless” sprang to mind along with with the words “Mostly harmless, my foot".
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Strange Girl.... Part 4: Captain Peacock and the Dragon Crest.
The images flickered to a stop and the room returned to its stillness. "Your father lived in this house for most of his life." Mara said, filling the silence. "This was the home of his ancestors and a grand old thing in its own right. You could get lost exploring here. "She stood up and clapped her hands together.” But that's enough time on Memory Lane. Time to get you enrolled into school." Diana started to retort something clever when she was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. She stood up and whispered to Mara. "Is anyone else supposed to be here?" Mara shook her head.
Diana searched the room for a space to hide behind when she noticed that Mara had walked silently to the wall by the door. "What are you doing over there?" Diana whispered. Mara squinted at an invisible spot on the wall. "Seeing who else is here, Kiddo. Now, shush." She leaned closely to the wall and poked at a speck on the wall with her index finger. Much like the hologram, it likewise flickered to life, revealing an interface to the house at the tip of her fingers. "I was afraid it would all be defunct after all these years but everything seems fine. Now, if I can only remember how it goes. Press 'House', then go to records...," she said, typing words and scrolling past objects. "...and we go to recent records to see who else is here." She finished typed with a smile on her face. Diana could see that after only minutes on there, her mother was already concerned about their lives on Einon in ways Diana could only begin to comprehend.
Diana walked over to Mara to watch the video recording with her and saw that there was, in fact, someone else in the house but what surprised her most was his appearance. The man was tall and stout, his clothes gave the air of being a some sort of an official and he had wide eyes, tragically making the man look like a human peacock. Diana struggled to suppress her giggling while Mara dropped her shoulders and groaned. "Great, Sigley's here." Diana paused in her laughter to talk. "What's a Sigley?" she asked only to accidentally look at the interface and start the fit of laughter again. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."
Almost aware of Mara's comment, the Peacock, or Sigley, strutted into the room. He cocked his head to Mara and Diana and bowed stiffly before them. "Colonel Gallenos, it is indeed a pleasure and an honor to see you again," he said as if he was reciting some rote greeting. Mara nodded in acknowledgement. "Mr. Sigley. I trust you have been well over these years. How is the General?” "She is well, Colonel, and is eager to speak with you again."
"I'm sure she is." They stood in silence together. Mara and Sigley stared at each other, leaving Diana more and more confused with every passing second.
Sigley cleared his voice in annoyance. "In fact, she is so eager to see you that she sent me to escort you to her office at the Einon Central Academy."
Mara smiled graciously. "Please express my deepest thanks to her but we don't need your assistance. I'm sure she will understand."
His eyes widen in shock but he quickly returned to his arrogant demeanor. "The Counsel insists upon it as well, Captain. It would be a shame for you not renew old acquaintances." Without a second word, he bowed again to them and left the room.
Diana stared at the door in shock. "Please tell me that that was not the official Einon Welcoming Committee because that needed some work." Mara sighed while she reached into her suitcase handle and pulled out a jacket. "Nope, that was a Sigley. Let the games begin." She nodded towards the door and they followed the strange peacock man.
As they walked through the house, Diana tried to remember what Mara had mentioned about Einon but all she could remember was that her father was a scientist, her grandparents had died and they left to make a new life. She didn't recall anything about a counsel or a particular general and certainly nothing about Sigley. She was so wrapped up in her thought that she didn't notice they were outside until the sunlight was in her eyes. She blocked the sun from her face and saw the car they were going to be "escorted" in.
Like Sigley, it looked formal and dolled-up but the similarities stopped there. It was black and regal, demanding respect from passersby rather than mocking and laughter. On the back door, it had crest with a rust colored dragon, crouched with a fierce looking rider saddled upon him and words below them. Diana guess that is was the motto of their people. Her people.
A second man was waiting for them, holding the back door open for them. The man nodded to them. "Good morning, Colonel Gallenos. Please, after you." Diana raised her eyebrow and looked at Mara. "Maybe I'm crazy but something tells me that you're a pretty big deal here and you forgot to tell." Mara scrunched up her face in a way to suggest she was pondering when in reality, she already knew the answer; something that you learnt only after years of being with her. "Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to gauge," she said, making it the third time she had answered a question without answering question in an hour. "This is going to be a long day, isn't it?"
"You have no idea, Di." Mother and daughter both stepped into the formidable car and Diana felt as if she stepped further into a world unlike the one she has known for most of her life. Question and thought whirled around in Diana's head. Who was the General? How did anyone know that they were in the house? Was someone escorting them to the academy a good thing or a bad thing? Sigley entered the car and sat across from them and in the midst of the confusion in her head, one thought stood out: the nickname "Captain Peacock" for Sigley. Nothing like a good running joke to make you feel more at home, she thought to herself as the car drove to them to the unknown.
Diana searched the room for a space to hide behind when she noticed that Mara had walked silently to the wall by the door. "What are you doing over there?" Diana whispered. Mara squinted at an invisible spot on the wall. "Seeing who else is here, Kiddo. Now, shush." She leaned closely to the wall and poked at a speck on the wall with her index finger. Much like the hologram, it likewise flickered to life, revealing an interface to the house at the tip of her fingers. "I was afraid it would all be defunct after all these years but everything seems fine. Now, if I can only remember how it goes. Press 'House', then go to records...," she said, typing words and scrolling past objects. "...and we go to recent records to see who else is here." She finished typed with a smile on her face. Diana could see that after only minutes on there, her mother was already concerned about their lives on Einon in ways Diana could only begin to comprehend.
Diana walked over to Mara to watch the video recording with her and saw that there was, in fact, someone else in the house but what surprised her most was his appearance. The man was tall and stout, his clothes gave the air of being a some sort of an official and he had wide eyes, tragically making the man look like a human peacock. Diana struggled to suppress her giggling while Mara dropped her shoulders and groaned. "Great, Sigley's here." Diana paused in her laughter to talk. "What's a Sigley?" she asked only to accidentally look at the interface and start the fit of laughter again. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."
Almost aware of Mara's comment, the Peacock, or Sigley, strutted into the room. He cocked his head to Mara and Diana and bowed stiffly before them. "Colonel Gallenos, it is indeed a pleasure and an honor to see you again," he said as if he was reciting some rote greeting. Mara nodded in acknowledgement. "Mr. Sigley. I trust you have been well over these years. How is the General?” "She is well, Colonel, and is eager to speak with you again."
"I'm sure she is." They stood in silence together. Mara and Sigley stared at each other, leaving Diana more and more confused with every passing second.
Sigley cleared his voice in annoyance. "In fact, she is so eager to see you that she sent me to escort you to her office at the Einon Central Academy."
Mara smiled graciously. "Please express my deepest thanks to her but we don't need your assistance. I'm sure she will understand."
His eyes widen in shock but he quickly returned to his arrogant demeanor. "The Counsel insists upon it as well, Captain. It would be a shame for you not renew old acquaintances." Without a second word, he bowed again to them and left the room.
Diana stared at the door in shock. "Please tell me that that was not the official Einon Welcoming Committee because that needed some work." Mara sighed while she reached into her suitcase handle and pulled out a jacket. "Nope, that was a Sigley. Let the games begin." She nodded towards the door and they followed the strange peacock man.
As they walked through the house, Diana tried to remember what Mara had mentioned about Einon but all she could remember was that her father was a scientist, her grandparents had died and they left to make a new life. She didn't recall anything about a counsel or a particular general and certainly nothing about Sigley. She was so wrapped up in her thought that she didn't notice they were outside until the sunlight was in her eyes. She blocked the sun from her face and saw the car they were going to be "escorted" in.
Like Sigley, it looked formal and dolled-up but the similarities stopped there. It was black and regal, demanding respect from passersby rather than mocking and laughter. On the back door, it had crest with a rust colored dragon, crouched with a fierce looking rider saddled upon him and words below them. Diana guess that is was the motto of their people. Her people.
A second man was waiting for them, holding the back door open for them. The man nodded to them. "Good morning, Colonel Gallenos. Please, after you." Diana raised her eyebrow and looked at Mara. "Maybe I'm crazy but something tells me that you're a pretty big deal here and you forgot to tell." Mara scrunched up her face in a way to suggest she was pondering when in reality, she already knew the answer; something that you learnt only after years of being with her. "Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to gauge," she said, making it the third time she had answered a question without answering question in an hour. "This is going to be a long day, isn't it?"
"You have no idea, Di." Mother and daughter both stepped into the formidable car and Diana felt as if she stepped further into a world unlike the one she has known for most of her life. Question and thought whirled around in Diana's head. Who was the General? How did anyone know that they were in the house? Was someone escorting them to the academy a good thing or a bad thing? Sigley entered the car and sat across from them and in the midst of the confusion in her head, one thought stood out: the nickname "Captain Peacock" for Sigley. Nothing like a good running joke to make you feel more at home, she thought to herself as the car drove to them to the unknown.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Strange Girl In A Strange Place: Welcome Home...Kinda
Diana told Mara of her decision and they came up with a game plan: School would be over by the end of the week and she would have the week after to say her goodbyes and get her things together. By the end of the summer, they should be back home and back to normal or "at least as normal as we were before," as Mara noted after a skeptical look from Di. Normal was never a word that described either of them.
The rest of the week was a blur; everyone gushed about their vacation plans, summer goals were established and scheduled and the two weeks passed by without a second thought. When the day arrived, Diana couldn't help feeling pensive as she met Mara in the living room with a duffel bag packed. "So, are you ready, kiddo?"
"Um, no but yes. I'm still nervous about all of this but I'm doing it." Mara nodded in approval. "So, how are we supposed to get there? Secret base that you guys build here? Click our heels three times? Ask a chubby Scottish man to beam us up?" Diana's eyes widen as she gasped mockingly. "Secret hidden spaceship in the garage?!" Mara shook her head and laughed. "You managed to go two weeks without some science fiction reference. I thought you'd break sooner." "Nah. It's not fun if everyone expects it."
Mara grabbed her suitcase and walked across the room to the door leading to the garage. "By the way, it's more like a portal than a secret base. Less noise and effort required." Diana's jaw dropped as Mara walked into the garage. She had spent most of her life in that house and crawled into 90% of the spaces it had to offer. How could she have overlooked something like that? She ran into the garage after Mara, searching for some indication of a portal but the family car, bicycles, a tool shed covered in dust and other ordinary things filled the room. She looked to Mara. "Where is it?"
"You're looking at it." Mara reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring, holding it out in her hand to Diana. "Your father designed this years ago. He wanted something that no one would stumble upon, something sturdy and portable." Mara had a nostalgic look in her eyes. "He practically poured himself into every detail from the power source to its weight. He wanted it to be perfect." Diana examined the ring in her hand. She could see lights twinkling on the inside so indiscernible that she almost swore the lighting was playing tricks on her. She didn't know what to say.
"You put it on your ring finger and place press here and here," Mara demonstrated on her wedding ring. "Think about where you want to go, then hold your hand in front of you."Diana resurfaced from her thoughts. "Wait, is our wedding ring a portal thingy?" "It's called a 'Portal Key' and yes. It made sense to combine it with my ring. He also made you one, just in case this would happen." Mara grabbed her suitcase while Diana put the ring on her finger and slung the duffel bag over her shoulder. Mara took Diana's hand and spoke. "Take a deep breath and relax."
The garage got dimmer and dimmer as if Diana was going to sleep until they were both engulfed in the darkness. Soon, the outlines of a room appeared: more small tables chairs on the room's borders, what seemed to be a fireplace and more chairs that surrounded a long table covered in cloth,. No lights were lit, giving the room with its high walls a steel color. Diana swayed on her fee and leaned against a wall. "Welcome home... Kinda," said Mara as she left the room.
The stillness of the room calmed Diana down and she decided to walk around, exploring. She noted the room was probably a family sitting room, judging by the furniture and guessed that no one had been there for many years. What surprised her most was the lack of pictures. On Earth, it seemed like Mara covered every surface with pictures and knickknacks but here, there was nothing. Diana walked over the fireplace and noticed that there was something the size of a small notebook on top of it. Curious, she went over and tried to dust it off but the moment she touched it, she heard something spark. She leaped back as far as she could. "Mom! Something weird is going on and I need you to fix it so it doesn't try to kill me!!" She saw something flicker on the wall behind her for moments afterwards until it revealed what it really was: a holographic recording of something.
The video projected was of a young man holding a toddler. "Riordan, it's recording. Are you ready?" The man was playing with the toddler. "Of course we're ready. We're always ready, aren't we, Little Bit?" The young toddler laughed and hugged the man as Mara walked back in the room. The sound from the hologram had warped a little but the faces were bright and clear. "Dad?" Diana whispered into the air. She collapsed into a nearby chair, dumbstruck for the third time that day. She used to wondered what her parents was like at her age; now she could see and hear them. Mara sat down next to Diana as the image showed different videos of a past life. "Was Riordan Dad's real name?" Without taking her eyes off of the recordings, Mara nodded. "Yes. Riordan Gallenos was his name, mine is Xiomara.Yours is still Diana, though." Diana absorbed all of this information in silence. New house, new technology, even a new last name. Somehow, none of this scared her anymore. She did what she always did: put faith in her family, even the ones who were gone.
The rest of the week was a blur; everyone gushed about their vacation plans, summer goals were established and scheduled and the two weeks passed by without a second thought. When the day arrived, Diana couldn't help feeling pensive as she met Mara in the living room with a duffel bag packed. "So, are you ready, kiddo?"
"Um, no but yes. I'm still nervous about all of this but I'm doing it." Mara nodded in approval. "So, how are we supposed to get there? Secret base that you guys build here? Click our heels three times? Ask a chubby Scottish man to beam us up?" Diana's eyes widen as she gasped mockingly. "Secret hidden spaceship in the garage?!" Mara shook her head and laughed. "You managed to go two weeks without some science fiction reference. I thought you'd break sooner." "Nah. It's not fun if everyone expects it."
Mara grabbed her suitcase and walked across the room to the door leading to the garage. "By the way, it's more like a portal than a secret base. Less noise and effort required." Diana's jaw dropped as Mara walked into the garage. She had spent most of her life in that house and crawled into 90% of the spaces it had to offer. How could she have overlooked something like that? She ran into the garage after Mara, searching for some indication of a portal but the family car, bicycles, a tool shed covered in dust and other ordinary things filled the room. She looked to Mara. "Where is it?"
"You're looking at it." Mara reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring, holding it out in her hand to Diana. "Your father designed this years ago. He wanted something that no one would stumble upon, something sturdy and portable." Mara had a nostalgic look in her eyes. "He practically poured himself into every detail from the power source to its weight. He wanted it to be perfect." Diana examined the ring in her hand. She could see lights twinkling on the inside so indiscernible that she almost swore the lighting was playing tricks on her. She didn't know what to say.
"You put it on your ring finger and place press here and here," Mara demonstrated on her wedding ring. "Think about where you want to go, then hold your hand in front of you."Diana resurfaced from her thoughts. "Wait, is our wedding ring a portal thingy?" "It's called a 'Portal Key' and yes. It made sense to combine it with my ring. He also made you one, just in case this would happen." Mara grabbed her suitcase while Diana put the ring on her finger and slung the duffel bag over her shoulder. Mara took Diana's hand and spoke. "Take a deep breath and relax."
The garage got dimmer and dimmer as if Diana was going to sleep until they were both engulfed in the darkness. Soon, the outlines of a room appeared: more small tables chairs on the room's borders, what seemed to be a fireplace and more chairs that surrounded a long table covered in cloth,. No lights were lit, giving the room with its high walls a steel color. Diana swayed on her fee and leaned against a wall. "Welcome home... Kinda," said Mara as she left the room.
The stillness of the room calmed Diana down and she decided to walk around, exploring. She noted the room was probably a family sitting room, judging by the furniture and guessed that no one had been there for many years. What surprised her most was the lack of pictures. On Earth, it seemed like Mara covered every surface with pictures and knickknacks but here, there was nothing. Diana walked over the fireplace and noticed that there was something the size of a small notebook on top of it. Curious, she went over and tried to dust it off but the moment she touched it, she heard something spark. She leaped back as far as she could. "Mom! Something weird is going on and I need you to fix it so it doesn't try to kill me!!" She saw something flicker on the wall behind her for moments afterwards until it revealed what it really was: a holographic recording of something.
The video projected was of a young man holding a toddler. "Riordan, it's recording. Are you ready?" The man was playing with the toddler. "Of course we're ready. We're always ready, aren't we, Little Bit?" The young toddler laughed and hugged the man as Mara walked back in the room. The sound from the hologram had warped a little but the faces were bright and clear. "Dad?" Diana whispered into the air. She collapsed into a nearby chair, dumbstruck for the third time that day. She used to wondered what her parents was like at her age; now she could see and hear them. Mara sat down next to Diana as the image showed different videos of a past life. "Was Riordan Dad's real name?" Without taking her eyes off of the recordings, Mara nodded. "Yes. Riordan Gallenos was his name, mine is Xiomara.Yours is still Diana, though." Diana absorbed all of this information in silence. New house, new technology, even a new last name. Somehow, none of this scared her anymore. She did what she always did: put faith in her family, even the ones who were gone.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Strange Girl In A Strange Place, Part 2: Stupid Truth
As they searched for the words to say, they heard a loud, disembodied voice declare "Wipeout!" and start drumming on the door frame. They both laughed and looked at each other. "Gregory's here," said Diana, thankful for the interruption. Mara saw Diana's subtle relief and said "We'll continue this conversation later," as she crossed the room. "Looking forward to that one." Diana took a sip of her coffee, trying to shake thoughts of the impending arguments of Einon from her mind. She heard Greg chat up Mara in the living room. Something about wanting to kill his little brother but that was basically his morning routine.
"Why are you here early? You're not allowed to eat my cereal!" Diana yelled into the living room. "Aren't we rude and selfish this morning? Tyler woke me up early therefore I am here early," Greg responded. He walked into the kitchen and settled himself next to Di. He stood an easy 6 feet to Diana's mere 5' 5", with indifferent green eyes (He always called Poop Green), and shaggy blond hair that fell into his face whenever he looked down, which was often considering his best friend was 5'5".
"By the way, I wasn't going to mooch for the cereal. I was going for the coffee. It's like you don't even know." She smiled. "I'm sorry that I was suspicious of your intentions. Please, proceed." "Thank you."
Soon, they were driving to school together when Greg spoke into the steering wheel. "So what happened between you and your mom this morning before I showed up?"
"What makes you think that anything happened?"
"Well, you both seemed a bit tense, not really tense but more of a nuanced tense, you guys were deflecting something and you have your 'I don't want to talk about it' face on again"."
"Because I don't want to talk about it."
"Which denotes that something happened this morning because you just said so. See?" Greg glanced at her, a smug smile on his face.
"Argh, I hate you so much."
"And yet you love me. What happened?"
Diana shifted in her seat. "I had that dream about Dad again."
Greg frowned. "The one where you're hiding?"
"Yep. So now Mom wants me to visit their old home. Where they grew up, where they went to school, the whole nine yards."
"What's wrong with that?" Diana always gave Greg the partial truth about her family's past. Surprisingly, exchanging an alien planet for a foreign country was easy to exchange in a conversation.
"What's wrong? I don't want to go because A. I like staying in my shell like a hermit crab, B. my parents left for a reason and it's probably wasn't for a better view, and 3-," "You were on letters, not numbers." "Whatever. And C. I had plans for this summer!"
Greg parked in the school parking lot and they both got out. of the car. "First, my dear crazy friend, when hermit crabs find another shell, they moved into it. They're adaptable that way. Secondly, just because your parents moved doesn't mean that they don't have good memories that Mara wants to share with you. Thirdly, gorging yourself on junk food, movies and cartoons doesn't as a 'plan' ."
"I see your logic and replace it with my own. Next week, you're abandoning me for 8 weeks in New York with your family. Have I mentioned how much you suck for that yet today?"
As they were discussing this and walking towards the school, Greg noticed that her mood was improving but she still had the proverbial black cloud over her head. He then had an idea. "Di, quick questions."
"Okay.
"What's my little brother's name?"
Diana looked warily at him. "It's Tyler. Why?" They stood nearby the school's doorway, Di looking at Greg curiously and Greg had a knowing expression of his face. "How long have my parents been married?"
"20 years in October."
"And my grandparents live where?"
"New York." He continued to ask her more questions about his life and his family until Diana snapped. "Why are you asking me this stuff? I know the answes and I'm sure you know them too."
"I do but my point is this: you know all this stuff about me and where I come from. What that about your mom? What she was like at your age, where was her favorite hiding spot, where she meet your dad, things like that. Not only does she want to tell, she wants to show you. You've already told me that you still miss your dad like crazy. Maybe this can help you. Go for it, D. It's an opportunity of a lifetime." With that, he turned and walked into the school, leaving her with his words and the morning's incident fresh in her mind.
She already knew what the right thing to do was. She just had to brace herself to accept it. "Stupid truth and people knowing me. I've got to get new friends."
"Why are you here early? You're not allowed to eat my cereal!" Diana yelled into the living room. "Aren't we rude and selfish this morning? Tyler woke me up early therefore I am here early," Greg responded. He walked into the kitchen and settled himself next to Di. He stood an easy 6 feet to Diana's mere 5' 5", with indifferent green eyes (He always called Poop Green), and shaggy blond hair that fell into his face whenever he looked down, which was often considering his best friend was 5'5".
"By the way, I wasn't going to mooch for the cereal. I was going for the coffee. It's like you don't even know." She smiled. "I'm sorry that I was suspicious of your intentions. Please, proceed." "Thank you."
Soon, they were driving to school together when Greg spoke into the steering wheel. "So what happened between you and your mom this morning before I showed up?"
"What makes you think that anything happened?"
"Well, you both seemed a bit tense, not really tense but more of a nuanced tense, you guys were deflecting something and you have your 'I don't want to talk about it' face on again"."
"Because I don't want to talk about it."
"Which denotes that something happened this morning because you just said so. See?" Greg glanced at her, a smug smile on his face.
"Argh, I hate you so much."
"And yet you love me. What happened?"
Diana shifted in her seat. "I had that dream about Dad again."
Greg frowned. "The one where you're hiding?"
"Yep. So now Mom wants me to visit their old home. Where they grew up, where they went to school, the whole nine yards."
"What's wrong with that?" Diana always gave Greg the partial truth about her family's past. Surprisingly, exchanging an alien planet for a foreign country was easy to exchange in a conversation.
"What's wrong? I don't want to go because A. I like staying in my shell like a hermit crab, B. my parents left for a reason and it's probably wasn't for a better view, and 3-," "You were on letters, not numbers." "Whatever. And C. I had plans for this summer!"
Greg parked in the school parking lot and they both got out. of the car. "First, my dear crazy friend, when hermit crabs find another shell, they moved into it. They're adaptable that way. Secondly, just because your parents moved doesn't mean that they don't have good memories that Mara wants to share with you. Thirdly, gorging yourself on junk food, movies and cartoons doesn't as a 'plan' ."
"I see your logic and replace it with my own. Next week, you're abandoning me for 8 weeks in New York with your family. Have I mentioned how much you suck for that yet today?"
As they were discussing this and walking towards the school, Greg noticed that her mood was improving but she still had the proverbial black cloud over her head. He then had an idea. "Di, quick questions."
"Okay.
"What's my little brother's name?"
Diana looked warily at him. "It's Tyler. Why?" They stood nearby the school's doorway, Di looking at Greg curiously and Greg had a knowing expression of his face. "How long have my parents been married?"
"20 years in October."
"And my grandparents live where?"
"New York." He continued to ask her more questions about his life and his family until Diana snapped. "Why are you asking me this stuff? I know the answes and I'm sure you know them too."
"I do but my point is this: you know all this stuff about me and where I come from. What that about your mom? What she was like at your age, where was her favorite hiding spot, where she meet your dad, things like that. Not only does she want to tell, she wants to show you. You've already told me that you still miss your dad like crazy. Maybe this can help you. Go for it, D. It's an opportunity of a lifetime." With that, he turned and walked into the school, leaving her with his words and the morning's incident fresh in her mind.
She already knew what the right thing to do was. She just had to brace herself to accept it. "Stupid truth and people knowing me. I've got to get new friends."
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Strange Girl in a Strange Place. Part 1
“Diana!”. She felt a stillness she hid in the strange room. Felt the anticipation of getting caught but she didn’t worry much. She had found a good hiding spot. He had been looking for her a while now. “Diana, it’s Dad. You can come out now.” She was tempted to come out until she remembered he rules: Find a good hiding spot and stay there until her said the safe word.
She hid on top of a shelf, high enough that you couldn’t see her for a certain angle. Only problem was she could barely see out from there. She heard feet shuffling, then a loud thud before the silence continued on. Then finally, she heard her father voice again. “Come on out, Little Bit.” Diana smiled to herself and climbed down. She peeked out to see her father in the middle of the empty room. “Good spot, huh?”
Her father helped her climbed down and hugged her tightly. “It was a great spot, sweetie. I didn’t think I would find you by myself.” Diana looked around the dark room. It didn’t look like anything for her house but it felt familiar. She looked into her father’s face. Even with his dark complexion, she saw that he was covered in dust and dirt and his large brown eyes seemed anxious instead of relaxed as they usually did.
“Now, remember, Di, you always have to-” She woke with a shock. It didn’t make a different. She’s never heard the end of the sentences before but it always stung when she woke up. Diana open her eyes and remembered where she really was. She was in her room, surrounded by pictures, books and massive heaps of clothes. Though the ceiling fan seemed closer than usual.; probably because it was. “Oh, crap, not again!” Without warning, She collapsed into her bed faster and harder than expected, causing the bed to groan in protest. “Ow!” She agreed loudly. To add insult to literal injury, her alarm clock stared the awful truth at her. “I had 15 minutes left. Jerk!”. She slammed it aside, rolling over to seize a few moments of peace when she heard a voice calling her to breakfast. “Be right there, Mom!” She rolled out of bed. “Well, the hits just keep on coming, don’t they?”
As Diana came down the hall towards the kitchen, she passed by the usual pictures: pictures of past recitals, old family and past vacations. None of these pictures were new but there was one that always caused her to linger. It was one of her and her parents at a someone’s wedding, she was 9 and wore a green sundress with her hair in braids, her mother likewise in a sundress but a blue one and her father dressed in blue to match. The faces all smiled back at her as if someone had mentioned a special joke only the three of them knew; she remembered the sun shining brightly and a warm breeze blowing. She smiled bittersweetly at the plaque directly below the picture, the one say “In memory of Robert Gallagher. Born May 9, 1964, Missing: August 17, 2006. Loving father, husband and friend.” She was 16 now and the pain reared it ugly head briefly and only occasionally. She sighed. “What was I supposed to remember, Dad?” she said, knowing the picture wouldn’t talk back. “What do you say, Kiddo?” Her mother yelled. “Nothing, Mom. Just talking to myself.”
Her mother was already sitting at the kitchen island with her breakfast made when she entered. “Coffee’s done.” “Aw, thank you! Had a rough night.” She turned her back toward her mother, getting her cup and bowl. “Really?” Her mother said, “What happened?”
Diana braced herself involuntarily. She had to figure out a story fast; one that wasn’t a lie but just didn’t highlight the whole truth. “Um, crazy dreams again. Nothing new.” Diana started to pour her coffee. “Nothing new? Not even screaming and crashing into your bed so hard that I thought that you’d fall into the basement? Hmm.” Diana turned to her mother, who was smiling at her from above her coffee cup.
There was a lot of things people loved about Mara Gallagher. Her clear eyes that saw through everything and everyone, the strength she exudes, her loyalty. Her lack of tact, however, was always a more acquired taste. Diana tried to laugh it off, putting on a wry smile and said “Crashing into the bed doesn’t count as something. I didn’t break the bed frame again so that’s gotta count for something.”
Mara gave her full attention to Diana. “What was the dream and how bad was it?” Diana sighed and decided to get settled in for the upcoming lecture. “It was the one with me hiding from Dad again and it wasn’t that bad. Honestly, I caught myself in time before I could have drifted into the ceiling fan and-”
“Whoa,” Mara interrupted with a start. “How close were you from the ceiling fan?”
“Um, not that close. Just about like a foot, foot and a half-
“Diana!”
“About 6 inches.” Diana blurted out, eyes closed with frustration. This wasn’t going as well as she‘d hoped.
She reopened her eyes to see Mara with the same expression, leaned forward on the countertop. “Di, your powers are progressing faster than we expected. 2 years ago, you couldn’t move a shoe more than 5 feet, now you’re floating in your sleep.” Mara stood up and walked over to Di. “Kiddo…I don’t have the training to teach you, not the way that you need it.” “What you’ve taught me has worked so far. Everything is fine.” They stood in the kitchen facing each other, silently mapping out their valid argument for the other. This wasn’t their first discussion about her gifts.
Before Diana started school, her parents sat her down and told her the truth: that instead of being immigrants from another country, they were actually from another planet named Einon. Her father always joked that they took the term “Illegal aliens” to a whole new level. They didn’t tell her a lot about the home world other than they left when Di was 3 to start a new life and that they met at an academy for gifted students.
They also warned her that as she got older, she would have an advance telekinesis, moving things with her mind and that they would help her control it. Di , however, was never sure when or where the “advance” part of her gift would kick in. In her experiences, it seemed like a misnomer, like the time when she broke 3 windows in the living (she has a cold) to accidentally lodging a toothbrush in a wall in the bathroom (she was aimed for the trashcan), to breaking her bed frame and a lava lamp (caused the same offending dream of she had that morning). Mara had shown Di some techniques to control the telekinesis but it didn’t as she truly needed. They both knew they would have to go back to Einon and it was only a matter of time.
She hid on top of a shelf, high enough that you couldn’t see her for a certain angle. Only problem was she could barely see out from there. She heard feet shuffling, then a loud thud before the silence continued on. Then finally, she heard her father voice again. “Come on out, Little Bit.” Diana smiled to herself and climbed down. She peeked out to see her father in the middle of the empty room. “Good spot, huh?”
Her father helped her climbed down and hugged her tightly. “It was a great spot, sweetie. I didn’t think I would find you by myself.” Diana looked around the dark room. It didn’t look like anything for her house but it felt familiar. She looked into her father’s face. Even with his dark complexion, she saw that he was covered in dust and dirt and his large brown eyes seemed anxious instead of relaxed as they usually did.
“Now, remember, Di, you always have to-” She woke with a shock. It didn’t make a different. She’s never heard the end of the sentences before but it always stung when she woke up. Diana open her eyes and remembered where she really was. She was in her room, surrounded by pictures, books and massive heaps of clothes. Though the ceiling fan seemed closer than usual.; probably because it was. “Oh, crap, not again!” Without warning, She collapsed into her bed faster and harder than expected, causing the bed to groan in protest. “Ow!” She agreed loudly. To add insult to literal injury, her alarm clock stared the awful truth at her. “I had 15 minutes left. Jerk!”. She slammed it aside, rolling over to seize a few moments of peace when she heard a voice calling her to breakfast. “Be right there, Mom!” She rolled out of bed. “Well, the hits just keep on coming, don’t they?”
As Diana came down the hall towards the kitchen, she passed by the usual pictures: pictures of past recitals, old family and past vacations. None of these pictures were new but there was one that always caused her to linger. It was one of her and her parents at a someone’s wedding, she was 9 and wore a green sundress with her hair in braids, her mother likewise in a sundress but a blue one and her father dressed in blue to match. The faces all smiled back at her as if someone had mentioned a special joke only the three of them knew; she remembered the sun shining brightly and a warm breeze blowing. She smiled bittersweetly at the plaque directly below the picture, the one say “In memory of Robert Gallagher. Born May 9, 1964, Missing: August 17, 2006. Loving father, husband and friend.” She was 16 now and the pain reared it ugly head briefly and only occasionally. She sighed. “What was I supposed to remember, Dad?” she said, knowing the picture wouldn’t talk back. “What do you say, Kiddo?” Her mother yelled. “Nothing, Mom. Just talking to myself.”
Her mother was already sitting at the kitchen island with her breakfast made when she entered. “Coffee’s done.” “Aw, thank you! Had a rough night.” She turned her back toward her mother, getting her cup and bowl. “Really?” Her mother said, “What happened?”
Diana braced herself involuntarily. She had to figure out a story fast; one that wasn’t a lie but just didn’t highlight the whole truth. “Um, crazy dreams again. Nothing new.” Diana started to pour her coffee. “Nothing new? Not even screaming and crashing into your bed so hard that I thought that you’d fall into the basement? Hmm.” Diana turned to her mother, who was smiling at her from above her coffee cup.
There was a lot of things people loved about Mara Gallagher. Her clear eyes that saw through everything and everyone, the strength she exudes, her loyalty. Her lack of tact, however, was always a more acquired taste. Diana tried to laugh it off, putting on a wry smile and said “Crashing into the bed doesn’t count as something. I didn’t break the bed frame again so that’s gotta count for something.”
Mara gave her full attention to Diana. “What was the dream and how bad was it?” Diana sighed and decided to get settled in for the upcoming lecture. “It was the one with me hiding from Dad again and it wasn’t that bad. Honestly, I caught myself in time before I could have drifted into the ceiling fan and-”
“Whoa,” Mara interrupted with a start. “How close were you from the ceiling fan?”
“Um, not that close. Just about like a foot, foot and a half-
“Diana!”
“About 6 inches.” Diana blurted out, eyes closed with frustration. This wasn’t going as well as she‘d hoped.
She reopened her eyes to see Mara with the same expression, leaned forward on the countertop. “Di, your powers are progressing faster than we expected. 2 years ago, you couldn’t move a shoe more than 5 feet, now you’re floating in your sleep.” Mara stood up and walked over to Di. “Kiddo…I don’t have the training to teach you, not the way that you need it.” “What you’ve taught me has worked so far. Everything is fine.” They stood in the kitchen facing each other, silently mapping out their valid argument for the other. This wasn’t their first discussion about her gifts.
Before Diana started school, her parents sat her down and told her the truth: that instead of being immigrants from another country, they were actually from another planet named Einon. Her father always joked that they took the term “Illegal aliens” to a whole new level. They didn’t tell her a lot about the home world other than they left when Di was 3 to start a new life and that they met at an academy for gifted students.
They also warned her that as she got older, she would have an advance telekinesis, moving things with her mind and that they would help her control it. Di , however, was never sure when or where the “advance” part of her gift would kick in. In her experiences, it seemed like a misnomer, like the time when she broke 3 windows in the living (she has a cold) to accidentally lodging a toothbrush in a wall in the bathroom (she was aimed for the trashcan), to breaking her bed frame and a lava lamp (caused the same offending dream of she had that morning). Mara had shown Di some techniques to control the telekinesis but it didn’t as she truly needed. They both knew they would have to go back to Einon and it was only a matter of time.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Marvel Week!!!
Like some of you might know, I am a movie lover. Not quite a cinephile because a lot of movies that are called "Guilty Pleasures", I call "Household Classics" but a movie lover nonetheless. As my love of movies and love of sci-fi grew and prospered together, there was the great duo of movies and Stan Lee was present. As one of my past posts said, X-Men was the movie that turned me into a geek and with the recent influx of comic book movies (CBMs), Marvel has wormed even further into my good graces. On the darker side of that, they have taught me that no franchise is invulnerable to bad acting, directing and overall bad storytelling but I digress.
In the past 5 years, Marvel has decided to step up their game, in the past with the release of Iron Man movies and recently with the release of release of Thor, X-Men: First Class and the upcoming Captain America. My little heart could barely take all of the wonderful cornucopia and I decided to do a week where I would watch at least one Marvel movie all week and finish it with Captain America. I might post Sunday my thoughts and feelings about it all.
In the past 5 years, Marvel has decided to step up their game, in the past with the release of Iron Man movies and recently with the release of release of Thor, X-Men: First Class and the upcoming Captain America. My little heart could barely take all of the wonderful cornucopia and I decided to do a week where I would watch at least one Marvel movie all week and finish it with Captain America. I might post Sunday my thoughts and feelings about it all.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Movie stubs
Growing up, I didn't really go to the movie theater a lot. My famaily regularly raided the Blockbusters and just load up on movies or just randomly watch whatever was cable (which is why Hudson Hawk, Rock-A-Doodle and The Princess Bride are some of the most quoted movies in my family. Still, the movie theater just seemed like something to do on special occasions. Even now, I only go see the theaters if it's a movie I'm really excited about or if I'm going with a lot of friends.
I'm not sure if it because of the Special Level O' Fanciness or bragging rights of "I was there that night" , I started collecting my movie stubs over the year. A few are missing: My Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, Star Trek 11 and Transformers 2 (though that possibility of me throwing out the last two are fairly high.) but it's okay. I have the memories and the studios still have my money.
I'm not sure if it because of the Special Level O' Fanciness or bragging rights of "I was there that night" , I started collecting my movie stubs over the year. A few are missing: My Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, Star Trek 11 and Transformers 2 (though that possibility of me throwing out the last two are fairly high.) but it's okay. I have the memories and the studios still have my money.
Movies above: Men In Black 2, Return To Neverland, Wild Thornberries: The Movie, X-Men 2, Ocean's Twelve, Dodgeball, Serenity, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Longest Yard.
Movies above: Last Holiday, Mission Impossible 2 (Twice), Over The Hedge, Superman Returns, Casino Royale, Rocky Balboa, Iron Man (Twice in 24 hours because I missed the Nick Fury cameo)
Above: Spiderman 3, Fantastic Four, National Treasure 2, Transformers and Hairspray
Speed Racer (Twice. I love that movie), Iron Man again, Indiana Jones 4, The Dark Knight, Bolt, Bedtime Stories, TMNT
Above: Avatar, Iron Man 2, Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Transformers 3, Jane Eyre again and Green Lantern.
As you see, I've saw a few movies more than once in the theater. I have an addictive personally at times. As for why I'm doing this, why not?
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Period Dramas and Sci-fi - Not That Different
As I have stated before, I love period dramas. I'm not sure about the idea of people 300 years ago dealing with the same problems that we deal with now, the language or the costumes but I love it, have for years. Earlier this week, I had the idea that the line between period dramas and sci-fi movie and shows aren't that clear. I'm not saying that they're practially siblings, more like cousins. Here's the reasons why I feel this way:
1. Costumes.
Granted, the different between a 1840s dress and the Starfleet uniform are pretty vast but bear with me. They give us an idea of the times in which they lived, stark contrast between our lives and gives a feeling of another world, even if it is on Earth. It not only affect the audience but the actors as well. For example, Richard Armitage said that a darned button on his costume in the miniseries North & South helped him get into character by creating a backstory for it; Tom Hiddleston said the the hat he wore during Thor was uncomfortable and channeled his discomfort through out the movie and when Anthony Hopkins and Chris Hemworth saw each in their full armor onthe set of Thor, Hopkins said "God, there's no acting required here, is there?"
Sure, people might be able to talk the talk and walk the walk but can you do both in someone else's clothes? Very hard.
2. Same ole crap, different day.
Once you take out the spaceships, alien planets and phasers, Star Trek is about ship full of explorers who depend on each to survive their expeditions to strange lands, Star Wars becomes a movie about a group of people who believe that they can change the world by one movement. Once you take away the horses and all the fanciful language, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility becomes a coming of age tale for Elinor and Marianne, Wuthering Heights is now a simple story of the darker side of love, and A Midsummer Night's Dream is the last house party that 50% of the people there really can't remember. A genre is like a medium: no matter if it's animation, live action or victorian as long as the story is still preserved.
3. "Is that guy just in everything?!"
Mark Sheppard, Patrick Stewart, Harrison Ford, Clancy Brown, Hugh Jackman. One of the things that links these actors together is that they all have down at least 5 different sci-fi movies/tv show appearances about 15 different franchises (Warning: I merely glanced at their IMBD pages so please excuse me if I'm wrong). These aren't all the actor who could be called "Sci-Fi Actors"! There's tons more. On the other side, we've got Period Drama Actors: Alun Armstrong, Francesca Annis, Hayley Atwell, Helena Botham Carter. Between these 5, I counted about 35 different movies but I'm pretty sure that my math is off by a lot. After a while, it does kinda seem like they're recycling the same old actors for everything but they're really good actors.
So for those who just skimmed this whole thing and just want to the vague idea of it, here it is: Cool clothes, plot lines that matters, great actors that are well known in the genres are not exclusive to only one genre and you should shouldn't look down on one if you prefer the other.
1. Costumes.
Granted, the different between a 1840s dress and the Starfleet uniform are pretty vast but bear with me. They give us an idea of the times in which they lived, stark contrast between our lives and gives a feeling of another world, even if it is on Earth. It not only affect the audience but the actors as well. For example, Richard Armitage said that a darned button on his costume in the miniseries North & South helped him get into character by creating a backstory for it; Tom Hiddleston said the the hat he wore during Thor was uncomfortable and channeled his discomfort through out the movie and when Anthony Hopkins and Chris Hemworth saw each in their full armor onthe set of Thor, Hopkins said "God, there's no acting required here, is there?"
Sure, people might be able to talk the talk and walk the walk but can you do both in someone else's clothes? Very hard.
2. Same ole crap, different day.
Once you take out the spaceships, alien planets and phasers, Star Trek is about ship full of explorers who depend on each to survive their expeditions to strange lands, Star Wars becomes a movie about a group of people who believe that they can change the world by one movement. Once you take away the horses and all the fanciful language, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility becomes a coming of age tale for Elinor and Marianne, Wuthering Heights is now a simple story of the darker side of love, and A Midsummer Night's Dream is the last house party that 50% of the people there really can't remember. A genre is like a medium: no matter if it's animation, live action or victorian as long as the story is still preserved.
3. "Is that guy just in everything?!"
Mark Sheppard, Patrick Stewart, Harrison Ford, Clancy Brown, Hugh Jackman. One of the things that links these actors together is that they all have down at least 5 different sci-fi movies/tv show appearances about 15 different franchises (Warning: I merely glanced at their IMBD pages so please excuse me if I'm wrong). These aren't all the actor who could be called "Sci-Fi Actors"! There's tons more. On the other side, we've got Period Drama Actors: Alun Armstrong, Francesca Annis, Hayley Atwell, Helena Botham Carter. Between these 5, I counted about 35 different movies but I'm pretty sure that my math is off by a lot. After a while, it does kinda seem like they're recycling the same old actors for everything but they're really good actors.
So for those who just skimmed this whole thing and just want to the vague idea of it, here it is: Cool clothes, plot lines that matters, great actors that are well known in the genres are not exclusive to only one genre and you should shouldn't look down on one if you prefer the other.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Who Scarf
I didn't start this with the idea of making a Dr. Who scarf because, alas, I have never seen Dr. Who (I know, I know). I got the idea of hte scarf from a Korean drama where one of the lead characters had this ridiculously long scarf and I wanted one too. It wasn't until I was about 1/3 into it that I saw and accepted the Who-ness of it.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Jayne! The hat they call Jaaaaayyynnneee!!
I love a lot of things in the world: Baseball, BBC and Korean drama, chewing gum, kicking butt, etc. But it's always great combining 2 of your loves into an even awesomer package.
I fell in love with Firefly 8 years ago and later fell in love with knitting about a year and a half later but I didn't think about making my own Jayne hat until about 5 years ago when I rewatched Firefly. It took me FOREVER to finally make my own but it was worth it. It's one of my favorite hats and I wear it when I feel rebellious. Fly on, browncoat!!
I fell in love with Firefly 8 years ago and later fell in love with knitting about a year and a half later but I didn't think about making my own Jayne hat until about 5 years ago when I rewatched Firefly. It took me FOREVER to finally make my own but it was worth it. It's one of my favorite hats and I wear it when I feel rebellious. Fly on, browncoat!!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
A Eulogy Of Sorts
Today, we bid fairwell to a good friend of mine. As friend who worth has been more than I thought it would be, a friend whose great example would prove to be a guide post and introduced me to new people and new worlds. Yes, dear readers, we are here to say our final goodbye to...my 2000 X-Men VHS.
I was 8 when it was released. I had already loved Star Wars, dabbled in Batman, fudged my way through Star Trek (e.i. I know enough to have a conversation with true fans) but wasn't really into sci-fi. Then my older sisters saw it and told me and my mother about how good it was and how wonderfully they casted the characters and I was completely lost. "What's a mutant? Who's Magneto? Why are wolverines talk to a rogue?!" and other adorable clueless questions like those. The last superhero movie before 2000 was Batman And Robin but I was too young to remember what a colossal failure that it was.
Once X-Men was released on VHS, my family bought it and we all watched it together. I was hooked within the first 10 minutes and loved everything, including how fantastic Hugh Jackman looks in denim. I pretty much watched it everyday for about 2 months then my father gave me his X-Men trading cards he bought years earlier, thus leading me further on the path of Geekiness.
With the X-Men: First Class release fast-approaching, I decided that a reviewing of the 2000 classic was in order and was heartbrokened to find it not working. Despite my best efforts, it couldn't be revived
On May 8th, my VHS died at 10 years of age, leaving behind one ticked off geek (I really wanted to watch it!) and many friends.
We remember at this time that it is an older movie so it will be bit cheaper to upgrade it. Still, it doesn't take away the sting. Moment of silence! *Bowed head with fist in the air*
I was 8 when it was released. I had already loved Star Wars, dabbled in Batman, fudged my way through Star Trek (e.i. I know enough to have a conversation with true fans) but wasn't really into sci-fi. Then my older sisters saw it and told me and my mother about how good it was and how wonderfully they casted the characters and I was completely lost. "What's a mutant? Who's Magneto? Why are wolverines talk to a rogue?!" and other adorable clueless questions like those. The last superhero movie before 2000 was Batman And Robin but I was too young to remember what a colossal failure that it was.
Once X-Men was released on VHS, my family bought it and we all watched it together. I was hooked within the first 10 minutes and loved everything, including how fantastic Hugh Jackman looks in denim. I pretty much watched it everyday for about 2 months then my father gave me his X-Men trading cards he bought years earlier, thus leading me further on the path of Geekiness.
With the X-Men: First Class release fast-approaching, I decided that a reviewing of the 2000 classic was in order and was heartbrokened to find it not working. Despite my best efforts, it couldn't be revived
On May 8th, my VHS died at 10 years of age, leaving behind one ticked off geek (I really wanted to watch it!) and many friends.
We remember at this time that it is an older movie so it will be bit cheaper to upgrade it. Still, it doesn't take away the sting. Moment of silence! *Bowed head with fist in the air*
Friday, May 6, 2011
Reasons why I'm doing this
So I'm not really one for putting things out there on the internet, partially because I'm paranoid and don't trust poeple (no offense) and partially because I guess you all have better things to do than read what I have to say. Even in the age of Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, even as I type this, I'm coming up with other things I could do instead. That is until io9's observation deck.
For those who don't know, io9 is a website that posts all things sci-fi/fantasy with great geeky humor that isn't insulting and the Observation deck is one of the forums where people post tips, activites, random musings and where I'm known as geesejuggler. After the observation deck started (or as it's been christened, the O-Deck), some of the regular commenters decide to different things that other commenters could participate in together on different days of the week and hashtag them: #MusicMonday (where you upload songs that you've been listening to), #GameroomTuesday (to discuss video games), etc. Anyway, one of the hashtags is #ThursdayShortStory in which you write an original short story and post it either on the the itself or on your blog then post the link to the forum.
Still confused? Me too but just bear with me. I've been working on some story ideas and I decided to start a blog, post some of my stories on the forum so I can get some feedback on my writing skills (which level is about a -15) to improve in the future.
So that's it. Hopefully, you're a fast reader so as not to waste too much of your time.
Juggler out!
For those who don't know, io9 is a website that posts all things sci-fi/fantasy with great geeky humor that isn't insulting and the Observation deck is one of the forums where people post tips, activites, random musings and where I'm known as geesejuggler. After the observation deck started (or as it's been christened, the O-Deck), some of the regular commenters decide to different things that other commenters could participate in together on different days of the week and hashtag them: #MusicMonday (where you upload songs that you've been listening to), #GameroomTuesday (to discuss video games), etc. Anyway, one of the hashtags is #ThursdayShortStory in which you write an original short story and post it either on the the itself or on your blog then post the link to the forum.
Still confused? Me too but just bear with me. I've been working on some story ideas and I decided to start a blog, post some of my stories on the forum so I can get some feedback on my writing skills (which level is about a -15) to improve in the future.
So that's it. Hopefully, you're a fast reader so as not to waste too much of your time.
Juggler out!
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