Gavilan

agenda

peace, equality and simplicity in the streets

2nd base: exist in a public space together

3rd base: you witness me have a real, candid emotion

So are

colostomy bags

Diapers

insulin pumps

Oxygen systems

rollators

hearing aids

compression garments

prosthetics

FREEDOM AIDS

- service animals

- noise cancelling headphones/ear defenders

- wheelchair attachments

- fidgets

IT’S DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH YALL

Slow-burn romance and a power-couple in the making while unraveling the mysterious otherworldly conspiracy

I honestly wasn't expecting any type of romance and dove in just for the desert aesthetics and the mystery of it all, but was immediately sold on the couple dynamics :D absolute bestest strong leads with a no-nonsense attitude towards everything, a certain amount of ruthlessness, and a very grounded approach to dealing with their weird lives and solving whatever needs to be solved.

The premise is also very cool - an amnesiac feisty (and gorgeous) young woman looking into her past that is somehow connected to the deaths of 19 members of the team led by the ML (with him being the sole survivor). All happening in the middle of the desert. They also get a bunch of annoying teens as their found family, along with the ML's slightly annoying friend, a girl with a detachable tongue, an old guy who does magic light puppet shows, and a... rooster as a pet. That chicken was damn important and played a few key roles of its own! XD

Bai Yu and Ni Ni's chemistry definitely elevated the whole show to a new level, but the mystery of their pasts, the parallel worlds, and the magical beasts and whatnot was interesting enough to watch through the whole show. The ending seemed a bit rushed, as they often do (I wouldn't mind some more world-building and maybe one more full episode on the war thingie) but overall it was still very solid in all aspects - the filming, the acting, the writing, and of course the chemistry, which is just pure magic and I'm glad to have witnessed it :D

I also loved the intricate 'love will save the world' message that got delivered through Ye Liuxi and her softening after amnesia and having fallen in love with Chang Dong. Otherwise, she would have probably destroyed the barrier between the two worlds with all the demons kept there and be done with it, no matter the cost.

In the end, there was a sort of balance and a compromise (after the war and a revolution of sorts :D), so I guess it's a happy ending, although I still have questions about how that other world fares economically, but I'm not too picky about it. I'm just glad the leads survived and got back together XD

Also:

great styling and outfits for Ye Liuxi (especially in the other world, she was like a Tomb Raider Warrior Princess :D)

overflowing adorableness and cuteness of the OTP while they remain pretty much mature and grounded

both leads are strong-willed and start off as partners and allies (which is a huge turn-on in my book)

but before that, they are grumpy and grumpier :D

interesting enough mystery and overall world-building

strong enough storytelling to keep me watching till the very end

yummy ost

fl who can kick ass and reliable ml who can solve literally any problem

ice water

the common use of dryers for your clothes

carbon beach in malibu california

fall foliage in boston massachusetts

central AC

that thing where if you pump your arm at a passing 18 wheeler they'll honk their big loud horn just for fun

your ability to attend college/course of study/subsequent career isn't locked in by the results of one exam you take at 16 years old like in most of eurasia

that it's appropriate to wear blue jeans almost anywhere

rock music, and all its parent genres

these really beautiful string art earrings i bought on the agua caliente rez

mexican, italian, and chinese food all on the same street

no official national language or religion

how we smile too big and shake people's hands too hard and immediately give ourselves away in foreign countries by our gregariousness

broadway musicals

17. the way that when the monroeville council ordered the library to take down the pride display of childrens books the librarians read them all for storytime cover to cover

18. the sensory rooms at the pittsburgh airport

19. my grandfather

20. the protestors standing at the corner day in and day out

21. little free libraries

22. the neighbor at my old house who was just so unfailingly nice

23. the random immigrant communities. pittsburgh has a huge (proportionate to the population of bhutan) bhutanese community. why? who knows

24. the fact that george washington wrote a letter to a bunch of scared jews and said that america wasn't going to be like europe and we could be safe here and so far it hasn't been like europe not really

25. the view you get driving around pittsburgh because you'll just be going to some random game store and then you'll be like dang this is beautiful

26. because i was born here

27. we have birthright citizenship

28. the book loft of german village in columbus ohio

29. striking up a conversation with someone who you don't know and complimenting them on things and you can just. do that.

32. American foodways being complex, beautiful, and informed by EVERYONE who lives here.

33. Frybread.

34. Related, Navajo tacos. So fucking good.

35. Fireflies on a soft June night

36. The calling boom of massive summer storms that rise above the prairies as far as the eye can see.

37. The Rockies. The Uintahs. The remains of Lake Bonneville. The majesty of mountains that have always known people.

38. The dedicated coalition of people determined to bring back the American Bison- related, every video of them roaming free and thriving.

39. American and Mexican flag crossed pins on airport workers in silent but visible protest in SLC, because it was Mexico first and some of us do remember that fact.

40. Every little old boomer lady who comes to my library to make protest signs, because she's done it all before and by god, she'll do it again.

41. The Book Cliffs.

42. New Orleans Mardi Gras.

43. The indomitable spirit of Detroit.

44. Y'all.

45. Mukuntuweap/Loogoon/Zion National Park

46. Gas station employees calling you darling, sweetheart, and honey.

47. Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons.

48. The dedication to fixing what we fucked up environmentally. Even the stodgy old conservative farmers by my uncle's house want to do better, and we have! We can do it! We can!

49. Dark sky parks.