#Fan Pier Park family photos

[sourbat]

Kloktober Day 1: OTP

Happy Kloktober. I'm here to start it off with the OTP.

Summary: The final day at Camp Rock-A-Roonie, and Toki can’t get his mind off his camp counselor 

Tags/warnings: one-sided magtok pining

Read below, or read on Ao3 here!

It was the final evening at Camp Rock-a-Roonie. Last night’s concert had gone without too many complications, and after Dethklok’s arrival, DVD sales of the camper’s concert were the highest they’d ever been. Most of the attendees had long since packed their musical instruments, and those who weren’t already on their way out were busy congregating with their families, eating hot dogs or chili burgers, or making the most of the remaining sunlight to catch the last of the warm rays or cool lake water. A few fans had tried making it their life’s goal to locate and get autographs from Dethklok, but aside from Toki Wartooth, most of the members had disappeared, having driven off in their tour band overnight before anyone could capitalize on the situation. 

Toki remained behind to complete the rest of his camping experience at Rock-A-Roonie. As with his usual escapades, the guys didn’t quite comprehend his reasons for wanting to stay behind, certainly not after learning about the bullying that took place throughout the weekend. Nathan had just the mind to drag Toki into the tour bus upon seeing Magnus Hammersmith, but Pickles ultimately allowed it, figuring once Toki had it out of his system, they could all move one from this stupid camp.  

With the sun beginning to set, Toki could easily conclude that he had tired of the camp. After singing a few several dozen guitars and posing with campers for photos, he was eager to call one of his servants forward and demand for them to call forth the Dethbus. The only reason he hadn’t was for one simple reason: he had yet to speak with Magnus.

After last night’s crazy events, Toki was consumed with the idea of befriending Dethklok’s ex-member. The man had selected him to be in his pretend band, protected him from Ludwig and his no-good punk friends the entire weekend, and even saved his life. It wasn't something Toki would ever forget. It was normal for everyone to be peachy with him, the famous Toki Wartooth, but Magnus had looked after him even before he removed his disguise, and once he revealed his true identity, Magnus refrained from being too clingy or uncouth. Quite the opposite, Magnus remained his usual stoic self; only now, Toki would catch him sharing a knowing smile whenever they made brief contact. What exactly it meant, Toki was still unsure. Perhaps Magnus was just as surprised as everyone else to know Toki was more than a beginning guitarist, or maybe the smile was his way of letting Toki know he wasn’t going to drool over him and ask stupid questions? Whatever the smile meant, the occasional friendly stare wasn't enough a form of communication, and with the sky darkening, Toki was increasingly more anxious to locate the old guitarist before the camp officially closed for the summer. 

He sat by the pier, watching families gather in the parking lot before driving off the campsite, and Toki counted each one off, until all that were left were a few sparse vehicles in an otherwise vacant lot. One of the klokateers approached and informed him that Nathan and the others were waiting for his word to pick him up. 

“It’s getting late, Sire.”

“Tells them I needs five more minutes.” Toki murmured out his answer as his eyes narrowed and honed on someone exiting one of the finer cabins. He studied the figure, squinting past the golden rays that were obstructing his view, and could just make out the round curves of Magnus’ guitar case. Toki brought his knees closer to his chest, and he nervously began chewing the flesh of his inner cheek as he monitored Magnus’ smooth movements. The man looked so cool just walking. Something about the bounce of his hair, the streaks of silver hairs or his belt buckle that glowed under the orange sky, the sharp contours of his face and distinct outline of his nose, and even the way his heels hit the grass,  made both Toki extra eager to speak with Magnus, but also terribly nervous. What could he possibly say to a man so confident, who had everything in the world? Silently, Toki followed Magnus’ stride, until he saw him slow and stop at an old, beat-up car. With swift movements, he unlocked and began stowing his guitar into the backseat, and Toki realized that his dreamy staring was eating away at previous time. 

He leapt from the wooden deck, pushing through his servants and picking up his pace to reach the campsite’s open field. From afar, he saw Magnus close the door to his old car to return to his cabin. So there was still time! Toki maneuvered over the deconstructing stage, jumping over pieces of metal and fixtures in order to reach the empting lot. He ran, pushing fellow campers and fans alike, until he reached the old clunker. Minutes later, he saw Magnus returning to drop off more of his personal items, and judging by the stuffed suitcase, Toki had reached him just in time. 

“Oh, hey Magnus.” Toki stopped to bring his hands down to his knees. In his hurry, he hadn’t any time to relax, much less think of something to say to the older man. One look at Magnus, and the heat from his running over failed to annoy him in comparison to the sudden rush of nervousness. 

“Hey, Toki.” Magnus’ voice welcomed him as he continued to regain control of his breathing and thoughts. Even the way he talked was cool! Upbeat, but also commandeering and…kinda gravely? 

Toki swallowed a few deep breaths, then, after wiping a fine line of sweat from his brown, bounced up and approached the man as he raised a hand and unlocked his car with his car keys. “S-sups? You, uhh, good?” 

Toki watched Magnus place his suitcase down. A warm smile spread across the older man, capturing Tokis attention and threatening to remove the line-up of casual conversation starters his mind had hastily devised. “Yeah, I’m alright,” Magnus replied, his complexion and composure calm and undisturbed. It made Toki jealous. “I’m actually just about to hit the road,” Magnus continued, pointing his thumb to the old car behind him. “I’m surprised you haven’t left yet.” 

“Oh noes,” Toki said, snapping upright. His neck warmed and the palms of his hands began to shake and itch with sweat. Unsure of what to do with them, Toki placed his hands on the side of Magnus’ car. “I wanted to gets to hangs with all the friends I made before I leaves.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

Magnus tossed his suitcase into a messy trunk partially filled with old clothes, crumpled paper and plastic bags. Toki blinked as a wave of dusty air struck his face. He swallowed another thick ball of air as Magnus slammed the trunk shut. His faded denim jacket caught some of the flying dirt and sand, but most of it continued to rise and settle across his bare chest where, once it was noticed by Toki, was impossible to ignore. Even when Toki finally managed to drag his stare from the older man’s chest, there were other things that distracted him. The long, bristly beard. The slight dent on Magnus’ belt buckle. His one rich, brown eye. 

How did such a neat guy end up getting kicked out of Dethklok? Until last night, Toki never paid much attention to the band’s history. Pickles and Nathan had their fair share of warnings, but surely whatever went on between the men couldn't have been too serious. otherwise, they wouldn't have let Toki remain behind, right? Did any of it really matter? 

“Something wrong, dude?” 

Toki caught Magnus peering at him with an odd expression. “Huh?”

Magnus pointed. “You keep staring.” 

A blush exploded across Toki’s face and ears. “Sorries. I just… I was wonderings…”

“Yeah?” 

Had his stares been that obvious? The thought made Toki want to drown himself in the lake, but Magnus’ funny smirk and the way he stood in front of him, holding himself high as he leaned against his car with his arms crossed, kept Toki’s shaking legs glued in place. 

A cool, evening breeze swept past them, and the chilly air helped soothe Toki’s nerves. That, and that knowing smile returning to Magnus. 

“I knows we just mets and alls,” Toki started, and to his surprise, Magnus nodded along to his trembling words, “But since we got along so wells dis weekend, and since you saved my lives–thanks again, by the ways.” 

“No problem, Toki.” 

“W-well.” Toki dug his heels into the dirt before stiffly shoving a hand into his pocket. He shakingly pulled out his phone which, once it was freed, gained a significant amount of weight in his unsteady hand.  “I was wonderinks if you’s maybe wanted to hang outs some times?” 

Toki heard the cracks in his voice and inwardly winced. In front of him, Magnus was unchanged and difficult to read. Doubt hurried its way into his head, and Toki frantically searched for a way to better interest the older musician. Then, before he could process the thought, he added, “It doesn't haves to be with just Toki; I can brings Dethkloks along, too! We cans all hangs out togethers, if you prefers.” 

Magnus’ curious stare broke into a smirk. Toki’s legs wobbled at the prospects of his offering possiblying being rejected. Because why on earth would an old rocker want  to hang out with someone like him? Magnus probably had better things to do than spend his afternoon hanging out with someone as silly and easy to pick on as himself. 

“You know what?” Magnus rubbed the bridge of his nose with a finger and thumb, then chuckled. “I’d be down for that…but I don’t know about inviting the others.”

“Huh?” 

Magnus drew closer. The ends of Toki’s eyes strained as his stare widened at the incoming figure that appeared so giant before him. 

“Not to worry you, or stir up any drama,” he continued, and because they were so close and Magnus was so tall, all Toki could do was lock his eyes with the lips forming each word, until they broke into a low chuckle. “Well, call me presumptuous, but I personally think you and I would have more ... fun if it were just the two of us. Agreed?” 

Toki was sure he had just about had a heart attack at the suggestion. 

Just the two of them? So, Magnus liked him back? He thought he was equally cool and worthy of being friends with, possibly more? A ticklish sensation bubbled up from Toki’s stomach, into his throat. He saw his vision blur a moment, then saw Magnus’ warm smile reenter this foggy mind. Just like last night, Toki thought, and he had to bite his tongue to keep him from laughing or getting too excited in front of Magnus. 

Last night, his mind returned again. Something special definitely happened last night. 

“Well?” Magnus then asked, and he opened his palm in front of Toki. 

“Oh? Oh!” Toki saw his moment opening before him, and as he outstretched his clammy hands, he fumbled and nearly caused his phone to slip from his shaky grip, but he still managed to keep it long enough before placing it into Magnus’ palm. 

Toki swallowed the second he felt their fingers collide during the transfer, and held his breath as he watched Magnus punch in his number. Another cool breeze flew between them, but Toki could hardly sense it through the gathering heat around his face and chest. When did it get so warm, he fretted, but his worries vanished when he suddenly felt the back of  Magnus’s steady hand brush against his face. 

Then, his Dethphone returned into view, and with his mind at a blank, Toki picked the dangling phone before him back into his trembling hands.

A rush of cool air blanketed his face once Magnus broke contact. “See you soon, buddy.” 

Still at a blank, Toki brought a hand to his cheek, feeling Magnus’ gentle imprint seep from flesh to flesh, and reignited the butterflies in his stomach. “Uhm, see you’s,” he said back, his voice now harboring the shakiness that had controlled  his limbs. Thankfully, Magnus didn’t hear it, and had returned to packing the rest of his belongings into the car. 

If it weren’t for that knowing grin of his, Toki might have assumed everything had happened in his head. But it happened, and Magnus confirmed it one last time as he stared out the window and flashed Toki one last playful smirk before driving off. 

Toki smiled, and remained so long after the dust trail in front of him began to disperse, and the sun set into the trees, leaving behind only the glow of his phone’s screen swaying excitedly in his hands. Once he lost sight of Magnus’ car, he lifted his phone and, with a bashful flash of his teeth, stared at the recently added contact on the screen. 

The Dethbus made its return about ten minutes later, picking up a stupidly happy Toki before making its own dissent into the woods. 

Sometime during their drive down the highway, Pickles caught him, still starry-eyed and wearing the cheekiest smile, and commented, “What’s got you all giddy?”

Without tearing his eyes from the screen, Toki answered, “Nothinks.” 

He couldn't explain it, but he knew this was the start of something very special.

[ratnas]

Los Angeles Complete Travel Guide

LOS ANGELES FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE

The second largest city of the US, Los Angeles has its own unmatched magnetism. In my growing up years, I recall Los Angeles as the venue of the Olympics. And then subsequently over the years, this most prominent metropolis in California, as the glamorous hub of Hollywood. Beverly hills where stars own palatial houses. And of course Disneyland ! If you’re a Disney fan, and are traveling with your family surely you couldn’t possibly return without a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim. 

Best Los Angeles Getaway With Family

As LA is huge, with Anaheim being a city in itself, plan your itinerary in such a way that you first visit the parks. There are two Disney parks  near Los Angeles in Anaheim, 26 miles away. It is highly recommended, to first spend 2-3 days here. Stay in one of the hotels just walking distance from the parks and then move to main  LA for the remaining part of your trip. 

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES 

Staying in a centrally located hotel in West Beverly Hills, Hollywood, at the doorstep of the Walk of Fame boulevard has its advantages. Just as you step out, you’ll find yourself on the legendary Walk of Fame boulevard, having the longest list of stars, celebrities and performers. 

It’s a pleasure to stroll here. The views of the tree lined street, the blue skies above and brightly colored buildings is picture perfect in the day and transforms into a wonderland in the night when the fluorescent lights are lit. 

It was Halloween during that time, and if you too happen to visitng in this month, then look forward to being fully entertained by all sorts of the weirdest and scariest dressed passerby’s. 

 There are a plethora of museums on the boulevard that can be visited depending upon your interest and time. These include  the Guinness World record museum, World of Illusions and the Hollywood Wax museum to name a few, that are great for families. Also plenty of cultural activities happen – live theatre, art galleries, film complexes and music concerts. 

BEVERLY HILLS 

Beverly Hills has been the setting of innumerable films, and  to be actually present there was like a dream come true. And above all, the most magical moment was to watch the shooting of a movie starring Brad Pitt on the streets of West Hollywood. This sort of completed our trip and was the ultimate experience. 

If you’re a tourist visiting Los Angeles for the first time, it’s worthwhile to take a chartered tour to the famous Beverly Hills. There are multiple types of private trips with a live commentary at hand including half day, full day or few hours. The three hour tour included Beverly Hills, residence of celebrities and film stars, and finishes off at Rodeo drive . This is actually quite sufficient, as you can do it at your own pace rather than a hurried, longer trip,  in which a lot is squeezed in.  

One advice here,  before the tour begins make sure to eat something and be refreshed as there are no stoppages in between, specially if you have younger children accompanying you. 

https://travelsimplygo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/LA8.jpg

The tour halts at vantage points from where the iconic Hollywood sign is visible on the hill-side. Sunset Point and Bronson Avenue give a clear view, and are ideal spots for photos. 

You’ve seen them in movies, now see where your favorite stars live, hang around for a while, listening to interesting stories narrated by your guide, gazing at their posh, sprawling homes/ mansions !! 

Afterward, the tour continues onto the upmarket Rodeo drive, with its high class stores of luxury brands. Here again there are no halts and is the final destination, where you are dropped off. 

Griffith Observatory – There is more to the Griffith Observatory than the exteriors and stunning views of the city from its elevated position. A planetarium inside and a number of ticketed shows too draw tourists. 

 FAMOUS BEACHES 

Santa Monica beach – the pier at Santa Monica is worth visiting. It’s a picturesque point on the Pacific Ocean, having  loads of activities, a children’s park, or street performers vying for attention and tips. 

The other prominent beach of LA is Venice, spectator sports like basketball, baseball, football, soccer etc are played in abundance  on these beaches. 

The `city of angels’, looks spectacular after dark when it’s lit up and truly comes alive. The best way to enjoy that is to drive through the streets around the Hollywood area, where traffic congestions are less. Admire the high-rises or the  wonderful houses in the residential neighborhood!  

If you wish to have more adventure and unlimited fun, then there is Universal Studios, Hollywood. Apart from the plethora of thrilling rides and sci-fi shows,  of particular interest here are the movie shooting sites, and complete tours of how special effects are created in films.  

Though Los Angeles is fringed by the Pacific Ocean, and has nice beaches, the weather is not typical beach type. It can be classified as a Mediterranean climate – characterized by  dry summers and wet winters. My own experience of the weather in October – sunny and warm during the day and evenings becoming mildly cold as temperatures go down. Going by the diverse activities offered here, travelers can pack accordingly.

[helenagoessensphotography]

Fan Pier Park Family Photos | Boston MA Family Photographer

Fan Pier Park Family Photos | Boston MA Family Photographer

I love when I get to work with families again year to year! This beautiful family kicked off my fall sessions in early September both this year and last year. It was so good to see them all again! This year, instead of the beach, we headed into the city for their photos. Honestly, it was a dream session to start the season. With a beautiful sunset, their Fan Pier Park family photos are just…

[adrianasunderworld]

The boys +baby pt. 2

Because I thought of more things, so why not?

Part 1

Raihan

Big man, itty bitty bebe. When they were born Raihan could almost hold them with one hand. Their little hand barely wraps around his pinky. It's so cute everyone wants to scream. It's just a natural reaction.

Raihan takes a billion pictures and videos. From monthly growth pictures to baby ootd. The baby album is full before they are even a year old. 

Will dress the kid in small matching outfit and go on the town like that. All of his followers agree that kid is cooler than they will ever be.

His phone lockscreen is s/o and baby Napping together when they were 3 months old.

Flygon has become the self appointed nanny. They are the most protective of the baby. Let's them grab at its wings and tail. Naps with them. If the other pokemon get to rowdy when the kid is around, Flygon will growl and snap until they cut it out. Raihan has accepted that they're flygons baby now.

Raihan would honestly do challenger battle with the baby in a sling, (he sees you Leon) the only thing stopping him is all the weather affects he uses would probably not be good for them. S/o would kick his ass if he tried.

Loves reading to them. They have a whole collection of storybooks. The kid ended up learning to read at an early age.

Raihan is definitely protective. Not in an extreme over bearing way. He worries, he's a papa bear and it shows.

Was the parent that had separation anxiety when the little one started preschool/kindergarten and the kid was just, "bye bye papa!"

Piers

Exhaustion, thy name is Piers. If Piers wasn't sleep deprived before, he is now. The second the baby is put down for a nap hes right there with them. S/o has found Piers out cold right next to the kid multiple times. One time they found him on the rug next to the crib, he didn't even bother to make it to the chair.

Never have to worry about a babysitter there's usually a member of Team Yell ready and willing to lend a hand. Piers didn't think you could baby proof a town, but hey who is he to question it? It truly does take a village.

Marnie is 10/10 best auntie. When she comes home she passes her brother entirely and must greet her favorite squishy. Sorry Piers. 

Didn't take long for Piers to realize the kid responds well to music. The second he'll start practicing, they'll quiet down and look at him And start giggling. Whenever there's a movie with music on, they'll sit and give it their full attention.

They have onesies and shirts of his merch. That was s/o doing. The first time they showed him, they held the baby up and said in a tiny voice "I'm your biggest fan, daddy!" He couldn't handle it.

His pokemons relationship with the baby is tolerable to down right scared. They understand that it is small and must be protected. They aren't even bothered by the screaming and occasional smellyness. But the second that kid could grab things and crawl it was over. They all live in terror. Babies have death grips and will smack you and the pokemon have learned that the hard way. Everytime it waddles over to one of them they run or tuck in their legs and tails. There is no safety in this house.

Leon

The one to spoil their kid the most. Always got Hop presents whenever he could. The kid is no exception. There are toys everywhere. 

Leon's office at home and the battle tower are just pictures of his kid.

Hop is the go to babysitter. The baby loves to nap on dubwools wool. 

Despite that Leon is often busy in the tower, he always finds a way to spend time with his kid. From bringing them with him to battle trainers to taking them to the park. If he has extra free time he'll take the family camping. 

Wasn't home very often after he moved out. But now that the baby is around, he puts more effort to visit Potswick so his mom and grandparents can see them. (Especially because they keep insisting on it.)

Often falls asleep with the baby snuggled up on his chest. S/o takes pictures everytime.

Leon learned the hard way how much of a death grip babies can have on hair. He ties his hair up more often now.

The worst offender at baby talk. 

Despite no longer being champion, Leon is still a popular public figure in Galar. As such there are still a ton of fans that clammer for his attention and tabloids that want photos of him and his family. Leon wants very badly to shield his kid from that, because he knows what it's like to grow in the spotlight. 

All of his pokemon are very protective of the baby. Especially Charzard and Haxorius. That is their baby and you can't get close enough unless they say so. Leon has had to put them back in balls often because they can get out of hand.

[callmeblake]

Frank Iero, New York, NY, June 2019 (X)

Aug 29, 2019, 09:10am

Frank Iero May Just Be His Own Puppet Master

Photo Credit: Audrey Lew

Interview below the cut

Derek Scancarelli

Contributor

Hollywood & Entertainment

I am a music journalist living in New York City.

Frank Iero is breathing deeply and fighting off nausea. This isn’t uncommon for the 37-year-old guitarist and vocalist, given his predilection for debilitating anxiety. But on this occasion, it isn’t pre-show jitters.

“Oh my god, I hate this f*cking boat,” Iero says, as the docked vessel on which he sits knocks against a pier in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Iero and his band, The Future Violents, just finished an intimate Saturday matinee show as fans sweat, sang and caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.

It had been about 16 years since Iero and his now defunct band, My Chemical Romance (the band broke up in 2013), first performed on water. In July of 2002, the band released its debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. In October of 2003, the soon-to-be emo heroes performed alongside New York Hardcore legends Sick Of It All at an aquatic gig booked by New Jersey college radio station WSOU. And in June of 2004, My Chemical Romance released Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, the band’s platinum-selling breakthrough record. In a matter of two years, Iero’s life changed dramatically.

In 2019, Iero still hasn’t found his sea legs, but a lot more has changed. He’s fathered three children, released three full-length solo records (including 2019’s Barriers), and survived a near-death experience. And as he gets older, he finds truth in life’s greatest clich��s.

“Time flies, it just screams by,” Iero says. “You think you’re appreciating the time, but it’s easy to take it for granted. It’s a shame.”

But Iero is trying his hardest to pay attention to the little things, especially when it comes to family. He and his wife, Jamia, have three children together: nine-year-old twin daughters, Cherry and Lily, and a seven-year-old son named Miles.

“It’s wonderful to see them evolve and come into their own,” Iero says. “But it’s funny how personalities are innate. We shape the way they experience things or teach them the ropes, but for the most part, I’ve found that we are who we are when we’re born.”

From the start, Iero has seen an even split in the twins’ personalities. Cherry, he says, most behaves like her mother, whereas Lily possesses her father’s attitude.

“Some of the sh*t I hear coming out of my daughter's mouth,” Iero says laughing. “My God! It’s stuff I think but never say — they don't know to be ashamed yet! It's amazing and honest and pure. And I know exactly where she's coming from because I feel the same way.”

As part of fostering a relationship of trust and honesty, Iero has been age-appropriately transparent with his kids about the 2016 accident that almost killed him, his brother-in-law and guitarist Evan Nestor and his manager Paul Clegg.

While unloading gear from their van in Sydney, Australia, a city bus crashed into the group and their vehicle. In a 2017 interview with MTV, Iero recounted, in vivid detail, the moment he was dragged underneath the bumper of the bus, the screams of his brother-in-law, and the blood pooling from his manager.

Although Iero was able to walk into an ambulance carrying one of his friends, the scene was a spectacle overrun with emergency personnel — they even landed a rescue helicopter in nearby Hyde Park. Despite serious injuries, amazingly, there were no fatalities.

When Iero returned home from the hospital, he explained to his children that he was in a car accident, but that it was a singular freak incident.

“You don't want to lie,” he says. “They're getting older. Their friends and their parents are on the internet. They're asking questions. It does get back to them.”

Iero was as honest as possible, but avoided any gory details. He was also conscious that it wouldn’t be long before he would travel for work again — and he didn’t want to scare his kids any further.

Almost four years later, residual damage from the crash is impossible to ignore. Nestor has nerve damage in his leg that may never be corrected. Clegg’s leg and knee have undergone multiple surgeries, but are in poor shape. And Iero still has a tear in his shoulder that hurts every time he plays the guitar. Despite the pain, he’s afraid to undergo surgery.

“I was lucky enough to walk away and still play,” Iero says. “If I were to test fate again and go under the knife, if something were to go wrong… to let that be taken from me … no, I can't.”

On some days, the emotional toll of surviving such a traumatic accident weighs more heavily. Iero describes his recovery as non-linear: some days he feels collected and in control, other days the memory rushes back into his mind.

After his new band finished recording Barriers, Iero and his team went back to Australia for appointments pertaining to the accident and corresponding litigation. As soon as he exited the plane, Iero felt like he’d returned to the horrific scene. For the following week, he was barraged by an unending state of panic.

“You go through these instances of PTSD,” he says. “You never know what's going to trigger and send you all the way back to the beginning with recovery.”

Iero greatly underestimated how difficult his return to Australia would be. When navigating to a doctor’s office near where the accident occurred, he couldn’t bring himself to walk down the street. And suddenly, he felt surrounded by buses.

“I don't know if this is true,” he says. “But it felt like every other car on the street was one of these f*cking buses. They were everywhere. It was frightening. I couldn't do anything. I was shaking like a leaf.”

Despite the traumatic flashbacks, Iero continues to reflect on that day. In the promotional run for Barriers, he discussed the accident at length. And on the record itself, he addresses the complicated ripple effect it’s had on his entire sense of self.

“I don't think it needs to define me,” Iero says. “But it was something I needed to talk about on this record. It's not something I could sweep under the rug. But do I want to dwell on it every day and relive it? No. But I think about it constantly. I feel the pain constantly. It's on my mind.”

In recent interviews, Iero has tended to frame a few philosophical takeaways from his ordeal. In simple terms, the first idea is that he’s found a new lease on life — that everything happens for a reason and he’s been given an opportunity to seize the day. The second philosophy is much darker, a sort of survivor’s guilt compounded with fear and existential dread. The third and most abstract consideration is closest to Simulation Theory — where Iero has the ability to control his own artificial timeline.

Sometimes, Iero questions if actually died that day. He wonders: Is this all real?

“It’s hard. No one can tell you what to believe,” he says. “But you come to this realization, ‘Well, this is real to me, the hand I was dealt, so I have to make the best of it!’”

Through the acceptance of uncertainty, Iero surmises that he just may be his own puppet master.

“If this is a figment of my imagination,” Iero says. “If this is all in my head, then I am the master of my own destiny. If I want to do something, I can manufacture it. And if it's not the case, then at least it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe putting positive vibes out into the universe is beneficial. If we didn't make it and we're just going through this weird labyrinth in my mind, I can do anything I want.”

And lately, he’s been doing just that. Call it sorcery or the power of positive thinking, but Iero is motivated. For Barriers, he was able to assemble a dream band, The Future Violents (different lineups of his backing band have previously gone by The Cellabration and The Patience), featuring his brother-in-law Nestor on guitar, Thursday’s Tucker Rule on drums, Murder by Death’s Matt Armstrong on bass, and Kayleigh Goldsworthy on keyboard.

The theme of the album — and his own internal dialogue — mostly relates to tragedy and timing. Did the universe have a course set out for him? Or was he just some random victim?

“The crazy thing is that you didn't do anything wrong,” Iero says of the accident. “Yet, all of this stuff was taken from you and you have to make these decisions. You get angry a lot.”

He continues: “These random, abrupt, violent actions. Do they happen to us? Or for us? I wouldn't have been able to make this record if it didn't happen. And it made me realize a lot of things about myself. Am I happy it happened? No. But I'm happy where I am right now.”

Iero views Barriers as an exercise in vulnerability. If the aftermath of his accident taught him anything, it’s that success was meaningless to his character, but adversity helped him grow. For the first time, addressing childhood trauma helped Iero expose himself in a way that felt freeing.

“When you put something to song, it gives that memory weight,” Iero explains. “If you never talk about it, it's almost like it didn't happen. There's a fine line between relinquishing that power to this memory, situation or trauma, or holding that power over it and creating your own narrative from it.”

Barriers also intertwines Iero’s childhood experiences with his current perspective as a father. This go around, he felt comfortable writing about his parents’ divorce — the couple split when he was three and divorced when he was seven.

He looks back on the unpleasantness of the process and his consequential understanding of his mother’s issues with addiction, depression and mental illness. On his 2016 record, Parachutes, Iero first referenced his mother’s struggles and his own liability to inherit her traits. He’s still horrified by the idea of predeterminism.

“When you're a young kid being surrounded with it, it doesn't feel right,” Iero says. “You're not happy. You're scared. You're constantly concerned for your parent. It’s almost as if you become the caregiver.”

He continues: “Then you see yourself falling into these patterns that you were witness to and maybe in a roundabout way were taught. That addiction, that depression, runs through you. It's easy to fall off that cliff. I don't want that for my kids and I need to stop this cycle. Like this sh*t stops with me. Whether it be I get okay, or I f*cking turn my lights out.”

It’s this sort of tongue-in-cheek use of concerning language that keeps Iero’s fanbase enthralled, yet somewhat on edge. Take for example, in the comment section for his video “Young & Doomed,” some diehard fans are troubled by his repeated use of the words “hurt myself again.” While he’s surprised to hear about the response, he counters that the record is ultimately meant to feel uplifting and positive, even if addressing dark topics.

“I don't think that we should strive for perfection,” Iero says. “This idea that we should all have this perfect life and be pretty and purse our lips to post a picture on social media is bullsh*t. The things that make us unique are important.”

He continues: “Sometimes we're our own worst enemies and we hurt ourselves. Those scars, though, are important. They're beautiful. ‘Young And Doomed’ is a call to arms to celebrate the things people think are wrong with us.”

Now, Iero just hopes his story and music inspire fans to try, fail and try again.

“You don't find out who you are unless you get a scar and get hurt,” Iero says. “You should be hurt, hurt other people, and learn that it feels terrible to hurt someone else. You should feel sorry for it and make amends for it. These are important lessons to be a better person. You find out who you truly are by attacking things that scare you the most.”

Frank Iero is currently touring Europe with Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers.

[avaantares]

Imma rant for a minute. (This is me being critical of a thing, so if you’re eschewing negativity right now, feel free to scroll on past.) :)

Sooooo I took a break from replaying FFVII:R tonight (last night, by the time this posts) to watch the stream of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, a show I already knew to be terrible (but hey, you can't argue with free musicals, right?). Long before the musical opened, I’d read The Phantom of Manhattan, the book it’s based on, and that was... like... Hmm. Think of a bad fanfiction you've read. I mean a really bad one, one that gets every single character wrong, has the stupidest of stupid fiction tropes, includes ridiculously contrived scenarios to kill off characters and weird medical "science" and historical inaccuracies and a totally implausible plot, all mashed together just to reinforce someone's OTP which was kind of an unhealthy relationship to begin with and got considerably more unhealthy in this story, AND it includes a lengthy author’s note in which the writer bashes the author of the original work his story is based on and explains everything that author did wrong and how it should have been written, using examples from the fic writer’s own work to demonstrate.*

Then picture that as a $24.99 hardback.

So I knew the general story already, and I'd seen a couple of clips from the stage show, and from what I remembered it was all pretty forgettable. But like I said, free to watch, right? Nothing to lose but a couple of hours.

Oh. My. Goodness. I was not prepared for the full experience. It's like Phantom of the Opera and Cats had a (secret) baby that got shoved in a blender with all of circa-2004 Fanfiction.net and then pasted back together by a YA fiction editor’s intern. Despite a truly exceptional cast and some strong visual and set design, it wavered between cringe-y and I’m-going-to-hurt-myself-laughing levels of bad.

Mind you, it’s still better than the book, in which (SPOILER ALERT if anyone cares, which you probably don’t because if you’re the type of fan who would, you’ve probably already seen the show) Christine’s son is not the byproduct of a willing affair she had with Erik after she became disillusioned with her marriage, but was conceived after he kidnapped her at the Opera House, and... let’s just say consent was dubious, at best. (IIRC she was “half swooning” and not entirely aware of what was happening.) Also there’s some nonsense about Raoul being impotent from a war wound and never having consummated their marriage... But broadly speaking, the story is the same as the musical -- by which I mean it completely negates everything good and symbolic and meaningful about ALW’s Phantom of the Opera, to which the book was as much a sequel as it was to the original Gaston Leroux novella.

Love Never Dies fails as a sequel for a number of reasons: Every character you liked in the original? Assassinated. Raoul, who was willing to sacrifice his life for Christine in POTO, is now an abusive, alcoholic wastrel who has gambled his family into crippling debt. Christine cheats on her husband with a guy who has made a habit of kidnapping and threatening her, and who has actually murdered a number of people. Meg, Christine’s dearest friend and confidante, is now a washed-up burlesque dancer who -- again, SPOILER ALERT -- tries to kill first Christine’s son, then herself, then finally succeeds in killing Christine. The broadest take-home message of POTO, that kindness and love can heal even the deepest wounds, is undercut by these dramatic character reversals. Even the show’s title anthem “Love Never Dies” is contradicted by the love triangle at the center of the plot. Maybe love never dies, but that doesn’t stop Christine from cheating on her husband, Raoul from walking out on his wife and son, Erik from threatening to kill Christine’s child if she doesn’t do what he wants, Meg from betraying and murdering her best friend... yeah, let’s not take relationship advice from this group. 

But beyond that, LND is just bad structurally. The Phantom’s opening number builds up to be a “Music of the Night”-style anthem -- a dubious choice, since it makes everything he sings for the next half an act feel flat by comparison. Then we go into a surreal Coney Island segment for a while, then a bunch of really awkward dialogue exposition gets crammed in, and then twenty minutes into the show we finally meet Christine and her family, which kicks off the actual plot. The pacing is uneven. The tone is all over the map, too, bouncing between Phantom-like operatic ballads and Jesus Christ Superstar-esque carnival rock numbers. (All of which, I have to say, the Melbourne cast knocked out of the park. The vocal performances were definitely not a weak spot in this production.)

While I really like a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stuff -- I've seen a number of his shows on stage, some of them three or four times -- his titles seem to be hit-or-miss. For every Phantom, there's a Whistle Down the Wind. Some of that isn't his fault; a mediocre lyricist or book writer can do a lot of damage, even with good music. This musical had two lyricists and four writers, and it shows. But IMO, this is also not Lloyd Webber’s best work. Apart from the title song, which I’ve heard often enough to know it outside of the show, I can recall the melodies of... two songs? The score isn’t bad, it’s just not as instantly memorable as Sunset Boulevard or Joseph or Phantom. And a weak story plus average music doesn’t equal a great show.

I’m sure I’ve complained more than anyone cares to read, but I have one final rant about something that caused me to startle my dog by making some very screechy noises: When Christine arrives by ship, the Phantom sends a horseless carriage to pick her up at the pier. Mind you, this scene is specifically stated to take place in New York in 1905. The crowd of onlookers is utterly SHOCKED by a vehicle that moves by itself. “There are no horses!” someone exclaims. "How does it work?"

Apparently all four of the credited writers slept through history class, and also couldn’t be bothered to Google a photo of New York at the turn of the century. Automobiles have been around since the 1880s, and by 1905, New York had so many cars on the streets that the New York Supreme Court had to hand down a ruling guaranteeing that horse-drawn transportation still had the same right-of-way as motorized vehicles, because the motorists didn’t want to share the road. Heck, my own great-grandfather owned a car by 1895! Glaring, easily-avoided errors like this jar me so far out of the story -- even good stories, which this one wasn’t -- that they actually bother me more than other, more significant failings. At least do your basic research, people. Use Google. Grrr.

Anyway, I’m just rambling now because I can’t sleep and I'm on prescription narcotics for pain and my dog is tired of listening to me grumble. Don’t mind me; I’m not actually this negative in real life. 😅

----------------------------------------------------

* I am not exaggerating. In the foreword, author Frederick Forsyth bashes Gaston Leroux and gives examples from his own works to explain how Le Fantôme de l'Opéra could have been written better. Like. DUDE. NO.

That book went straight into the donation box the moment I was done reading it. When Love Never Dies came out, I briefly regretted getting rid of it, but then I remembered how bad the story was and stopped feeling bad.

[katahnisharma]

the press tour [5] | t.h.

Word Count: 2.5 K

Warnings: none, i don’t think??

Summary: You’re a new, inexperienced actress plucked from the obscurity of everyday life to play the lead in the reboot of a famous British Jane Austen novel, and Tom Holland just so happens to be playing your love interest.

A/N: This one is a mini chapter so it’s shorter, but next week’s will be longer. Also Tumblr apparently won’t let me link things so if you’re looking for my masterlist, playlist, taglist, or writing challenge it’s in my bio <3 

Tom Holland and Zendaya Officially Together! Is Marriage on the Cards?

“Ugh! It’s on BBC too?! I thought they had journalistic integrity!!”

For the past two days, every news channel had been carrying Tom and Zendaya’s whirlwind romance. Everywhere you looked, there were pictures of the two of them being cute somewhere. Out to lunch, taking a stroll in New York City holding hands, kissing in Paris, even posing for photos with fans at Central Park. It hurt every time you turned on the TV, it was like you were intentionally trying to see the new reports. You were shocked Tom had moved on so quickly, and with the girl he had always said he felt nothing for.

Guess that was a lie.

There were so many thoughts running through your mind about Tomdaya that you didn’t hear Bailey come down the stairs and stand next to you with her hands on her hips.

“That’s it, you need to leave the house. You haven’t moved from this couch in two days. You need to get out and date.” She said, pulling the blanket off you. You winced and glared at her, snatching the blanket back. You were also clutching a near empty tub of Haagen-Daz cookie dough ice cream, but you had mixed reactions about it because the brand was apparently Zendaya’s favorite.

Wow, you were petty.

“Really? What, just like that?” You muttered, poking around the tub with your spoon. You’d been picking out the cookie dough bits, and Bailey used to tease you for it. She thought it was stupid that you bought ice cream just to pick at it, but now it just made her sad. You looked so tired and upset, it was killing her.

“What, like it’s hard? You’re Y/N Y/L/N! All you have to do is bat your eyelashes. flash a smile and you’re set!” Bailey cried, sitting next to you and throwing the tub over your shoulder. You let out a yell, but she pulled you back before you could go find it. She looked at you and you felt yourself shrink from her eyes. You knew she was right, but you weren’t over Tom yet. Your heart needed time to heal.

“Fine, give me some time to get over him and I’ll do it. But I’ll only date on one condition.” You said, and Bailey let out a sigh of relief. If it meant you would finally leave the house and get out a bit, she would do whatever it took. She leaned forward and motioned for you to continue.

“You have to date too.” You smiled, and Bailey immediately recoiled. She jumped up from the sofa and began to pace around the TV. You watched her, rolling your eyes at how dramatic she was being.

“Yeah, no. No, absolutely not!” Bailey said, standing in front of you shaking her head emphatically. You got up and threw the tub in the trash. Surprisingly, you felt a little lighter having done it, and you turned back to see Bailey staring out the window.

“Too bad then. Bumble would have been perfect for you. The women get to pick the men, which is perfect for a powerful, independent woman like you. No more creeps and losers. Plus, I mean Priyanka Chopra created it so....” You said, and you swore Bailey perked up a little. She turned to look at you and she pursed her lips.

“Shut up, you’re just trying to flatter me. And you know I love Priyanka.” She whispered, and you laughed for the first time in a while. You had almost forgotten what that sounded like.

“Well, duh. Is it working?” You giggled, and Bailey threw a pillow at you which just narrowly missed. You threw it back and it hit the vase that held Tom’s lilies. They were dying anyways, and the vase hit the floor and shattered. You weren’t one to believe in signs, but it seemed like one.

“Yes. Alright, I’ll think about it. Now get up, the Met Gala is in three days and you need to meet with designers.” Bailey said, giving you a dress to change into. You took it and realized it was the same one you had worn on the date with Tom. Bailey saw the look and gave you a “come on, just wear it” look, and you weren’t about to argue with her while she was considering dating for the first time in five years.

“On it, boss. I’ll be back in a bit.”

✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦

Three days later and you were standing in front of the mirror, completely taken aback at your appearance. There you were, looking ethereal in a custom Maison Valentino gown and your makeup done to perfection. The theme for the Met Gala was Ethereal Fairytales, and Pier Paolo Piccioli had outdone himself. Your inspiration was Rapunzel, and you couldn’t be happier with it. The dress was a light purple satin that draped to the floor in a long train. The sleeves were a light chiffon that extended into a lacey, embroidered cape in the back. The rest of the dress was done in brocade, with jewels and flowers sewn into the fabric. With the lace and embroidery, the gown looked much heavier than it was. In reality, it was so light that you felt you were wearing feathers.

“You look so beautiful!” Bailey squealed, clapping her hands behind you. You turned and smiled, thanking Pier for his handiwork. Bailey looked gorgeous herself. She was wearing a strapless pale pink Stella McCartney dress with clear sequins. When you had asked her to come with you to the gala, she’d nearly had a heart attack. And then she had pulled out the only formal dress she had, and your heart nearly broke. Bailey hadn’t bought a new dress in years, though you knew you paid her enough for designer clothes. All the money she made went back to her family, keeping only what she needed to survive.

So you bought the dress for her, whatever she liked. At first, Bailey protested and refused to wear it. She thought it was far too extravagant and she felt embarrassed that you were spending all this money on her. But you assured her that she deserved it, she was the world’s best personal assistant. Plus, Priyanka Chopra was going to be there and she had to look stunning in case they bumped into each other.

They weren’t actually going to “bump into each other,'' you'd asked Priyanka if she would mind meeting Bailey at some point in the night. But Bailey didn’t have to know that. As far as she knew, the meeting would be purely kismet.

“You think so? I feel like a goddess.” You whispered, and Pier nodded in agreement. Bailey took your hand and twirled you around. The dress moved with you, and it made the most beautiful sweeping motion. Your hair was curled slightly and left half up and half down, and somehow Christian Louboutin had gifted you a pair of Degrastrass. Bailey had done her own makeup, she insisted upon it, but you bought her a pair of nude Sandale du Deserts which you wouldn’t let her refuse.

“Well, you look like one. And thank you for letting me come, and spending all this money on me. You shouldn’t have.” She whispered and you slung and arm over her shoulder.

“You don’t have to thank me, we’re best friends first and foremost. I wanted you here, and as for the money it was no big deal at all. I’m just glad you actually agreed to wear everything.” You laughed, and she nudged you slightly. You asked Pier to take a picture of the two of you, and he agreed graciously. You’d post it to your instagram later. After Pier had taken a picture of you and you’d grabbed your clutch, the three of you were planning to leave.

That is, until something on the TV caught your attention.

Pier had turned on the live red carpet updates for the Met Gala, because you loved seeing what everyone was wearing. There were some big names at the event, and Bailey had screamed when Nick and Priyanka arrived. The couples of course looked amazing, and you found yourself wishing that you had a date too. You wished you were here with Tom.

And that’s when you saw them.

Tom and Zendaya had stepped out of a limo, and your heart stopped. You almost weren’t breathing as you realized they were wearing coordinated outfits. Law Roach guided them up the steps and Bailey rested a hand on your shoulder to console you. They looked so beautiful together, you almost cried. Then you remembered Nina Park had done your makeup, so you couldn’t cry. Zendaya was wearing a gorgeous blue gown in the style of Princess Tiana’s from the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog. Except it had been elevated, so that the dress was a modern take. The left sleeve was satin and hung from her shoulder and the bodice was lace to match the lace trimmed hem. Tom was so handsome it hurt. He wore a cream colored suit that was trimmed with gold around the edges. A blue sash went across his chest and it accentuated his body. Tears pricked your eyes and you physically willed them away.

You cried for days over Tom, but you refused to do that today.

“You okay?” Bailey asked, and you nodded, straightening up again. Pier stood by the door, giving you a sympathetic look. You knew he meant well, but it rubbed you the wrong way. You didn’t want people to pity you, you wanted them to just see you.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go, we’re holding everyone up.” You said, and Pier took your arm to lead you out. Bailey walked behind, making sure your train wouldn’t catch and keeping photographers at a distance. There were lights everywhere, and you could barely focus as the cameras flashed. People shouting your name, telling you to turn, asking you about Tom, it was almost too much. Thank God for Pier, or you would have fainted on the spot. A particularly bold photographer moved forward, jostling to get your attention.

“Y/N! Y/N! How do you feel about Tom and Zendaya?” He yelled, and for a brief moment Bailey looked as though she was about to physically throw him out. But you held up your hand, and tried your best to plaster a smile on your face. Pier steadied you and you gave the photographer a defiant look.

“Why, am I supposed to say something scandalous?” You laughed, and the photographers laughed with you. For the first time in a while, you felt as though you had the upper hand. The photographer went red, but he persisted.

“I mean, how do you feel after Tom dumped you for Zendaya?” He shouted over the noise and your face went slack. You felt sick to your stomach, hearing someone say it for the first time. Sure, you had never officially dated each other, but the man was right. Tom had dumped you for one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Ouch.

“I’m happy for them, Tom and I are just friends. Nothing more. That salacious enough for you?” You asked, and the photographer went silent. Bailey came to your aid and told the photographers to stop asking questions. This wasn’t an interview, she said, and they needed to respect your privacy. Pier took your hand and lead you farther up the carpet. You were still shaking from the encounter, but you forced yourself to smile. Your father had always told you to never let your detractors know they hurt you.

It was a sign of weakness, and you weren’t weak.

“Alright, this stretch is just cameras, Pier will be answering the questions.” Bailey said, and you breathed a sigh of relief. You didn’t think you’d be able to endure any more questions about Tom and Zendaya. Pier stood with you as you posed and looked on as Pier talked about the process involved in creating your dress. From the corner of your eye, you could see Beyonce and Saoirse Ronan climb the stairs behind you. Bailey was watching, completely starstruck.

“See Priyanka anywhere?” You asked and Bailey shook her head.

“No, she’s probably inside with Nick already. It’s fine, it was cool just getting to see her on TV.” Bailey gushed, and Pier helped you up the steps to the top to take your final picture. Bailey stood next to you, because you made her, and you both looked down onto the street below.

“I would never have imagined I’d be here.” You said, and Bailey looked at you. She had more faith in you than you had in yourself, and though she wouldn’t say it aloud, she was extremely proud of you.

“Well, I would have. I know I don’t say this often enough, I’m really proud of you Y/N.” She said, and your mouth dropped a little. Bailey wasn’t one to talk about her feelings, so this was a big deal.

“I love you, you know that right?” You said, and Bailey rolled her eyes. You could see her eyes start to well up, and she dabbed at them lightly.

Awww, what a softie.

“Yeah, yeah. Stop making me cry, my makeup actually looks good today.” Bailey whispered, and she helped you up the stairs as Pier followed. The carpet began to get thinner, until you reached the doors of the Metropolitan. One more step, and you’d be inside one of the biggest events of the year.

“Ready?” Bailey asked, and you smiled at her and Pier.

“As I’ll ever be.” You replied, and with that you walked out of the frying pan and into the fire.

[marbledaesthetics]

Only on Principal | afi | part ii

masterlist part i

pairing: ashton irwin x ofc

warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, slow burn, mutual pining, fake (semi-coerced?) relationships, injuries, implications of anxiety

word count: 4.4k

a/n: sorry this took so long, I just recently restarted classes and I never have the time to write. I wish I could say the next one will be sooner, but I haven’t even started it (oops). I do have an idea of where this will go moving forward, so hopefully, once I can get around to writing, it will go quickly. 

~~~

It’s nearing 10 o’clock when Ashton pulls up to the building Hylla described, a brick building with tall windows, two stories high. The sign above the front door reads The Ink Pot, but he passes it by in favor of following the small alley to his left, as per her directions, where he found a small side door.

He hesitates before knocking, knowing he’s a few minutes early. He’d spent the past week kicking himself over the way he had treated her, and he was anxious to see if she would still be upset by it.

The door swings open, snapping him from his thoughts, to reveal Hylla, holding a mascara wand and small, squirming dog. “Hi, you can come on up, I’m not quite ready, yet.” She motions for him to follow him up the stairs just inside the door. “You can chill wherever while I finish up.”

Hylla disappears after setting down the small pup, who immediately scuttles over to Ashton, at the top of the stairs. He crouches down and scratches its ears lightly, giggling when it attempts to climb into his lap. “Well, hello there.” He moves to sit on the end of her couch, leaning back down to continue petting it.

Hylla comes back a minute later, shaking her head in amusement at her dog, who is now lying on Ashton’s foot while he scratches her stomach. “Are you being needy, Karma? Worst guard dog I’ve ever seen,” she teases, laughing as the dog gets up and barrels into her shins.

“What breed is she?” Ashton asks, brushing a bit of dog fur from the bottom of his jeans.

“A mini Australian shepherd. She’s super smart, but she’s also a total brat.”

Ashon giggles, and she immediately yearns to hear the sound again. She mentally scolds herself, reminding herself that she needed to keep their relationship amicable for the next eight months.

“Are you ready, then?” Ashton asks, breaking the slightly awkward silence. He stands and slides his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah, I just need to put this little one somewhere she won’t cause trouble.” She herds Karma into a corner of the kitchen full of dog things, closing a baby gate to keep her there. Upon watching this, Ashton notices that most things he could see are baby proofed.

Gesturing to the nearest baby lock, he asks, “Do you have a kid?” then quickly backtracks. “Wow, that was really blunt, sorry.”

Hylla just laughs, brushing it off as she pulls on her shoes. “No, like I said, Karma is super smart, but she loves causing trouble. She knows how to flip light switches, open cabinets, doors, the fridge, so: baby locks.”

Ashton laughs, a full sound from deep in his chest. “That’s amazing. In theory, that would be great, but I could see how she could make a mess, though.”

Hylla makes a small noise of affirmation, and they head out. They make small talk on their way, allowing the radio to fill stretches of comfortable silence.

Ashton parks a few blocks from the coffee shop, giving them a chance to be spotted before they enter. He gives Hylla a small, reassuring smile before hopping out of the car, opening her door. He helps her out of the car, lacing their fingers together as they make their way to the shop.

A handful of fans recognize Ashton, but none make a fuss about Hylla’s presence, being kind without prying.

They choose to sit at a bar along the front windows, keeping an eye out for the paps that were bound to arrive. They continue to keep their conversation light, occasionally speaking to fans that approach.

After some time, they notice the herd of paps outside had grown to a size plenty more than sufficient for their purposes. They meet each other’s eyes before rising from their seats in unison. 

Ashton takes Hyllas free hand in his, squeezing lightly. “You ready?”

She smiles back and nods, using her drink to gesture for them to leave.

As soon as the door opens, they’re overwhelmed by flashes. Ashton makes a point of ignoring the cameras, leading Hylla toward the pier, where it would be more difficult for the paps to follow.

Hylla tries to keep her head down, knowing there are already enough pictures of her face for Twitter to find her. The noise was overwhelming, with questions being shouted over each other, and Hylla is forced to press closer to Ashton to keep her balance as they fight their way through the crowded sidewalk.

One man pouches forward, gripping her arm tightly and asking a question she doesn’t quite hear. She freezes, eyes going wide as the man’s grip grows tighter. Immediately, Ashton puts himself between the two, dropping her hand in favor of pulling the man’s off of her and pushing him back. As soon as she’s freed, she stumbles back, heart still racing, and watches Ashton shoo away everyone who hasn’t already taken their cue to leave.

Once they are gone, he turns back to her, concern pinching his features. “Are you alright?” he asks softly, lightly brushing his fingertips over the bright red marks left on her elbow. 

“I’m okay,” she says quickly, “just a little shaken up— I wasn’t expecting that.” Her reply comes almost too fast for Ashton to believe her, but he just nods, drawing her closer to him, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before continuing toward the pier. 

Their silence is comfortable as they walk, filling the long stretches between bits of small talk.

Occasionally, a fan will ask Ashton for a picture, and Hylla happily takes the photos, opting to stay behind the camera, despite several invitations to join them.

They eventually find themselves at a picnic table, their gazes drifting between each other and the water.

“I’m actually kind of surprised we didn’t get more questions today,” she mentions, absentmindedly running her nails through the groves in the worn wood.

Ashton shrugs, drumming his own fingers on his thigh. “They usually aren’t the type to pry, but those pictures are probably trending by now.”

“I suppose it’s nice how they don’t track you everywhere. I imagine that would get old.”

“It can when it happens a lot, like when we’re on tour. Usually, it screws up plans more than anything.” He pauses for a second, taking in the sounds of the boardwalk before looking back to her. “So, I still don’t know much about you. Where are you from?”

“I grew up in Long Beach. My mom grew up in the LA area, but my dad is actually from Puerto Rico.”

“Puerto Rico, I think you might have mentioned that last week.”

She raises her eyebrows a bit, shocked he remembered. “Yeah, I did.”

“Does that mean you speak Spanish?”

His voice is genuinely curious, but Hylla can’t help but tease, “How original, no one has ever asked me that before. But, yes, I speak Spanish.”

“Well, I’m sorry I asked,” he says, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I feel like you mentioned your mom, too. Are you a family-oriented person?”

“Yeah, my entire family is pretty close.”

“Mine, too. Do you have any siblings?”

“Two brothers and a sister, plus a few cousins I’m super close with.”

Ashton gave a quick glance around, making sure everyone was out of earshot before speaking. “This whole thing must be hard then, not being able to talk about this.”

“A little, but I’m honestly so busy I don’t get to see them half as often as I’d like to even have to avoid talking about it. I assume it’s gonna get even harder with this being public now.” Hylla spoke quietly, also concerned about potential eavesdroppers. “This probably isn’t the place for this conversation.”

“You’re probably right,” He said, standing up from the table. “Should we move this somewhere more private?”

He held out a hand, which she took, lacing her fingers in his as they made their way back up the pier. “What other things should you know about me?”

“Well, apparently you speak Spanish. Any other fun talents you’ve been hiding from me?”

“You already know I do art. That takes up most of my time.”

“Other than tattoos, what kind of art do you like to do?”

“Uh, a little bit of everything, I guess? I do a lot of digital things because they’re the easiest to get to clients that commission me, and I can print them into stencils. I paint, sometimes. As long as I have a pen and something to write on, I’ll doodle. How about you? Any random talents you’re holding out on?”

“Nothing spectacular. I can whistle really well, but I suppose that goes with the music thing.”

They spend the rest of the walk back to the car chatting, talking just enough to fill the silence. They had almost made it back to the car when they saw a few more paps; though, they appeared to be less pushy than the ones they encountered earlier.

Hylla’s first reaction was to ignore them, avoiding direct eye contact, but Ashton smiled at them, politely telling them he would answer any of their questions. She was honestly surprised they left graciously, allowing the pair to go about their business.

Ashton opened her door for her, allowing her to climb into the passenger seat before getting in the car himself. Neither of them spoke until Ashton pulled into traffic. “Are you doing okay? I know all of this can be overwhelming.”

Hylla shrugged, running her fingertips over the seams of the center council. “I’m fine, I wasn’t really as prepared for dealing with them as I originally thought, but it’s something I’ll just learn with time, I guess. Honestly, the fact that they just left when you asked them to really shocked me.”

“They aren’t all quite as pushy as the ones this morning,” Ashton assured her. He made quick glances at her while he drove, debating whether he could hold her hand without people around. “The shoving and mobbing is something we hardly ever have to deal with around here, and security is usually with us in places where the pushy ones like to show. Speaking of which, how’s your arm?”

Hylla hadn’t really had much time to think over the morning’s events, so she was surprised to see how dark the bruises were when she looked down. “It looks worse than it feels. It’ll probably be pretty sore tomorrow, though.”

“Once we park, I can take a look at it. I might have something at home that could take care of them.” He couldn’t help but feel guilty, partially responsible for what had happened. “We probably should have iced it earlier, stopped it from getting this bad.”

Hylla shook her head, shrugging off his concern. “It really doesn’t hurt, Ash. It’s not a big deal.”

“I know, but I hate that they hurt you. I should have expected something like this.” He speaks quietly, shifting his eyes back to the road.

“This isn’t your fault, Ash,” she said, not even thinking as she put her hand over his on the gearshift. “You know that, right? I signed up for this. This whole thing doesn’t need to make me your responsibility.”

Ashton’s fluttering heart sank at her words, feeling pushed away. “I know that we really aren’t that close, that I don’t necessarily need to, but I’m still worried about you, and I still care that you got hurt.” His face is red as he pulls into a park’n’ride, catching her gaze before quickly averting his eyes. “Is it okay if I take a look at your arm?” His words are cautious, not wanting to overstep any boundaries or make her uncomfortable.

“That’s fine, Ash.” She twists slightly in her seat to face him more and whisks the knuckles of her uninjured arm over his cheek to bring his attention back to her face. “And, thank you for caring, even if you don’t really have to.”

“Of course, Hylla. I’m not about to just ignore you as soon as we aren’t in public, even if I technically can.” He speaks softly, but with a tone of finality that affirms his words. 

Hylla hums softly in response, taking more reassurance from his words than she realized she had needed. 

He takes his time inspecting her bruises, softly grazing them with his fingers. Ashton sighs, his tone softer when he continues. “I know I wasn’t particularly pleasant when we first met, scratch that, I was a total douche, and there isn’t an excuse for that, but I really would like us to be friends, to be able to enjoy each other’s company if we’re going to be spending so much time together.”

“I completely understand why you acted the way you did that first day; I probably would have reacted the same way if our roles were reversed. You didn’t get a choice in the situation, and I was the person they were forcing onto you, so you lashed out. I’m not upset about you having feelings, Ashton, and I also want to be able to enjoy each other’s company throughout this.” She paused in a way that suggested she wasn’t done talking, but couldn’t bring herself to suggest that their relationship could go further than just friends.

Hylla was snapped from her thoughts when Ashton’s gentle hold on her arm trailed, taking her hand in his, drawing her gaze back to his. “I’m glad we both want that.” He wore a light smile on his face, gently stroking her hand with his thumb as he spoke. “Those bruises are getting kind of gnarly. Want to maybe get some food and head back to mine so I can clean them up?”

His tone is meek, bracing himself from the rejection he feared, expecting her to ask him to just bring her home. Despite her reassurance that she understood, he still was worried he had screwed over anything that could have ever possibly happened between them with his behavior.

“That sounds good.” She squeezes his hand, smiling at him. He sighs lightly with relief, taking her acceptance of his offer as a good sign. With a small, mischievous smile, she mutters, “Feels good, too.”

Ashton barks a loud, sudden laugh and throws his head back, completely caught off guard by the change in mood. He continues to giggle as he pulls back into traffic, heading toward his house. “A pun at my expense? Already?” He trails off into a fit of giggles, his smile growing further. “Oh, you are just gonna love the guys.”

Ashton falters, worried he’s jumped too far ahead of himself, despite the fact that they both knew that she would be meeting the guys sooner rather than later, but Hylla's unfazed. “It’ll probably be even harder for you to keep this from them than it will be for me to keep it from my family.”

Her comment throws him— he hadn’t even considered the fact that he couldn’t tell the guys about the nature of their relationship. “I guess we never did finish that conversation, did we?”

She shrugs off the question, hiking one knee to her chest and leaning against the door. “I don’t really know what else to say. I mean, it’s going to suck keeping this from them, but what more is there to dwell on, really?”

Ashton takes a quick glance over at her, sensing that the situation bothered her more than she was letting on, but decides not to push the matter. “Tell me about them.”

Hylla tilts her head just enough to stare, quirking her eyebrow at his request. 

“They’re clearly important to you, so, tell me about them.” She smiles, shaking her head as she thinks.

“Well, Kendall is the oldest, she’s 28. She loves to tease, and is bossy as hell, but her heart is always in the right place. Micah’s 26. He can be a little protective, but lets me get away with everything because he’s a total softy. Kian’s only twenty, but protective to the point of overbearing and likes following the rules. He loves playing tough guy, and hates acknowledging that I can handle myself. Issac and Lydia are my cousins, but we spent so much time together as kids that we’re practically siblings. Lydia is 27, and Issac’s my age— actually, he’s two days younger than me and I will never let him forget it.”

Ashton smiles as she rambles, listening attentively to her stories with the people she cares so much about.

She trails off in the middle of a story from her childhood, blushing when she realizes they’ve stopped in Ashton’s driveway. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.”

“Don’t be. They sound amazing.” They both exit the car, walking up to the house. “I wish I got to see my family more, but the guys are like my brothers, now.” 

Ashton opens the door for Hylla, stepping in behind her and dropping his keys into a bowl by the door. He kicks off his shoes, and Hylla follows suit before continuing to stand awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.

Ashton shows her to the kitchen, telling her to make herself comfortable before disappearing upstairs to grab some things for her arm. Hylla perches herself on a stool at his counter, pulling out her phone to see the pictures of them starting to trend.

Ashton returns carrying an assortment of first aid supplies. He chuckles lightly when she shows him her screen, mildly impressed that they’ve already seemed to have identified her, along with several of her socials.

“Twitter really is better than the FBI, aren’t they?” He nods, pulling a stack of takeout menus from a drawer.

“What are you feeling for lunch?” he asks, flipping several of the menus to face her.

She glances up from her scrolling, returning her phone to her pocket. “I’m not picky, but I’m always a sucker for Thai.” She pulls a few menus from the stack, allowing Ashton to pick from those.

Once they’d placed their orders, Ashton sits facing her, inspecting her bruises again. He holds her arm gently, careful not to put more pressure than necessary on the sore area. He rubs a balm over it before wrapping it with a soft ice pack, smiling at her gently.

“You really need to stop feeling so guilty about this, Ash.” Her words stun him, and he meets her eyes again. “This is not your fault, and your guilty face is making me sad.” She jokingly pouts at him, earning herself a giggle.

“I know,” he sighs lightly and sits up straighter, twisting to face the counter, “but I can’t help but feel bad that being around me got you hurt.” He has his own small pout, fuming over the incident.

“It’s a bruise, Ashton. It’s not even that bad.” She moves the compress, poking it harshly to prove her point, but the small wince she makes nullifies it. “Okay, maybe it’s a bad bruise, but I’ll be fine. I’ve probably given myself worse bruises running into tables, so you can stop worrying so much.”

Ashton resituates the compress, holding it there to keep her from moving it again. “Was awful to you that first day, and now this happened. I can’t help but think that you're gonna hate me if this sort of thing keeps happening.”

“I’m not a dog, Ash. A few bad days aren’t gonna train me to hate you.” She chuckles a bit, smiling warmly. “I already told you that I’m not mad about you being in a mood that first day and that this isn’t your fault. You don’t need to be so hard on yourself.” She reaches out to cup his face, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone soothingly.

Her touch feels natural, and Ashton has to restrain himself from leaning into it. “I’ll try to stop worrying so much, but you need to leave your ice pack on so it actually starts healing,” he teases, placing his hand on her knee, brushing the inside of it with his thumb.

“Deal.”

They remain in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying each other’s touch within their own little bubble, until the doorbell rings, startling them both. They jump apart guiltily, breaking their worry free bliss, and they both flush. Ashton sighs lightly before moving to answer the door, already missing her touch.

Hylla readjusts in her seat, trying to process the moment they shared. She ached to return to it, to pursue a romance outside of their contract without regard for the consequences, but she chastised herself, unable to push her worries from her mind. No matter what happened between them in private, they would be forced to regularly see each other until their contract expired, and she wasn’t sure she could keep something like that to herself for so long.

Ashton comes back with their takeout a minute later, firmly refusing to allow Hylla to pay him back for her meal. Once they are both settled with their food, he rekindles their conversation for a third time. “Tell me more about your family.”

Hylla thinks for a moment on what she should start with, surprised at how interested he is. “Well, my dad’s family is from Puerto Rico; They moved here when he was eleven. My mom’s family came over from Southern Europe before the first world war. They’re both deeply connected to their cultures, so we have a lot of strong traditions. Between running the shop and now this, I don’t get to see them half as often as I’d like, but we try to make a point of doing big family dinners as often as we can— which you will most definitely be getting dragged to at some point in the near future. There is no way they will let me get away with not bringing you around more than once, now that we’re public.”

Ashton chuckles, heart fluttering at the prospect of meeting the people that were so important to her. “Well, I’ll give it a week at most before the guys start showing up here unannounced to try and meet you, so I guess we’re even there.”

“Speaking of meeting people, we’re going to need a solid story of how we met because my family will pick up on anything that doesn’t quite match up, so our details need to be on point without seeming rehearsed.”

“The guys won’t necessarily need details, but if the situation seems weird, they’re gonna start asking questions we probably won’t be able to answer.”

“So we need details and a vibe.”

They sit quietly, only the sounds of their chewing disturbing the thoughtful silence as they run through scenarios. They occasionally bounce a few ideas off each other, shooting down the ones that would spark too many questions, before settling on meeting at a farmers market they both occasionally shop at.

They discuss the details of the meeting, occasionally jotting down details to remember, until long after their food has been finished. The conversations strayed frequently, and Hylla longed to hear more about the man beside her, who she suspected was holding something back, giving few details of his own life when she tries to reciprocate his curious nature.

Even after the details had been arranged, their conversation flowed easily, but Ashton remained reserved, worried if he shared too many of his own experiences, he’d lose sight of what he has in common with Hylla. He could recognize so much of himself within her— valuing her connections to her family and culture, the strong sense of creativity she pursued— despite the fact that they led completely different lives, and he clung to that connection, terrified she would lose what little interest in him he hopes she has without it. 

What Hylla does learn about him is mundane, but she adores the knowledge, nonetheless, They exchange random favorites— foods, movies, authors— and other small things, keeping their conversation light until Hylla decides she’s stayed her welcome.

Upon arriving home, she immediately takes Karma for a walk, taking some time to think over the predicament Ashton presented. She’s close with her family, and has never been good at hiding things from them. If one of them directly pointed out something was weird about the couple, she isn’t sure she will be able to keep up the act.

Her worries continue to pester her as she sets things up in the shop for the next morning, and while she attempts to sleep. Eventually, after giving into her insomnia, she pulls a sketchbook from the pile on her desk and settles back on top of the comforter to draw.

She doesn’t pay as much mind to what she’s drawing as she does to blending each part into a single piece. She starts with thin line work, dainty lines flowing to the edges of uncompleted figures, but quickly switches to thicker, bolder marks, all but overtaking the delicate start to the piece. When she comes back from her place deep in her thoughts, and takes the time to examine what she’s done, she is shocked at the wholeness of the piece. Even without the detailing of a finished piece, it seems cohesive and clear-cut, as though it told a story.

The upper half of a wolf vaguely encircles the dainty, loopy outline of a girl holding a flor de maga, a Puerto Rican hibiscus flower, as though using it as a pen. The wolf’s teeth are bared, but its expression is soft and curious as it faces the girl, who appeared to be unbothered by the beast’s presence, focused on the image below them. In roughly the shape of a tiara, vague figures of half sketched people struggle toward a man holding a flag, standing firm against strong winds. The piece bleeds with emotion, feelings of passion, admiration, understanding, and inner strength.

Hylla stays up until the wee hours of the morning, shading and adding details to the piece until she feels as though she’s done it justice. It’s raw, and she doesn’t quite understand why the textures and patterns work together, but everything fits together in a way that satisfies her. Finally, she moves the sketchbook to her nightstand, sprawling out on the bed to get some sleep before she has to open the shop.

~~~

masterlist

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[bigfan-fanfic]

Forms of the Gods (Percy Jackson Thoughts)

I love the Percy Jackson series. I admire so much the creativity it takes to reimagine the myths in the modern era. And I’ve been thinking of how the ancient gods interact with mortals today, when hardly anyone truly believes in their existence.

Zeus is a guy you might meet in a bar or at the gym: the guy who flirts with anything with a pulse. He’s quite obviously a douche just looking for a one-night stand, but he’s so devastatingly charming and handsome that the little voice in your head telling you he’s bad news goes unheard. But when he’s not picking up women (or men, as the mood takes him), he’s actually an avid NASCAR and Formula One fan. Also sometimes he’s a handsome guest meteorologist that appears for one broadcast on your local news channel, then vanishes, and people have dedicated entire subreddits to tracking him down, to no avail.

Hera is the goddess of marriage, so perhaps surprisingly, you will find her most often in divorce court. She takes the form of a firm but fair judge with a reputation for the most equitable divisions of property and the best custody arrangements. You can find her as a social worker who knows all the ins and outs of protecting victims of spousal abuse. Marriage is her domain, and she feels it is her personal responsibility to protect the innocent when a marriage goes wrong. She also commonly takes the form of a site inspector for animal adoption, although people might be weirded out by how often she gives the animal in question a side-eye, as if trying to see if it is hiding something.

Hades is a grief counselor. He’s the kindly man comforting a child at the scene of a tragedy, allowing him to carry them as he searches for their parents. He’s chasing stupid kids away from headstones, and he’s the janitor at a crematorium who always has some insightful comment to make. He’s also a Wall Street broker who is particularly good at playing the market, and he’s a banker who finds a way to be extra lenient on loans for those who need it. But he’s also the IRS auditor that everyone’s so afraid of.

Poseidon is a surfer dude who always shows up on the red flag days at the beach and never wipes out. He’s a lifeguard on other days - sometimes he’s incredibly strict, sometimes he’s saving a kid from a riptide, and sometimes he’s ignoring the ocean entirely and flirting with some lady, putting suntan lotion on her back or some such. He’s that dude on a hiking trail who’s riding a horse for some reason, and doesn’t seem to use a saddle. He’s a businessman peddling the newest earthquake protection developments for buildings, and he’s protesting against ocean pollution and whaling. He’s that guy who’s rescuing baby seals and helping clean up oil spills. And he’s a fisherman who comes to the pier every so often and sets out his rod. He always catches enormous fish but throws them back, shaking his head. People are always scared of what he might find to be big enough.

Demeter is a protestor outside a fracking site. She’s the lady selling organic jams at the farmer’s market, and she always knows who has the best fresh fruit. She’s partner at Golden Sword Law, an environmental activism group, that always lobbies against laws that would allow harmful emissions. She’s the kindergarten teacher who launches a classroom vegetable garden, and she’s a horticulturalist preserving the old ways of farming.

Hephaestus is the guest judge at a robotics competition. He is the blacksmith at a Renaissance fair, and he’s the guy at Medieval Times who is in charge of the swords. He’s a firefighter with some bad burns, but knows hot to get someone out of a building well enough. He’s at underground robot battles, and he’s also a gruff yet surprisingly effective therapist for people who have been cheated on.

Hermes is the new mail carrier who delivers the mail earlier than you expected, and there’s always money in the envelopes when he comes. He’s the mugger on your first trip to the city who takes the money but gives you back the wallet or purse and says welcome. He’s a jogger who seems to be blessed by traffic lights, and he’s the guy who gives you the best directions.He’s a shopkeeper who always spends all your time talking about his day, but you don’t mind because he’s so interesting. And he’s an up-and-comer on late-night poker tournaments who folds at the oddest, yet most opportune times. He also has one of those obviously phony psychic networks. All of his social media is full of viruses and sends spam by the second.

Apollo is that backup singer or that drummer that’s oddly more attractive than the lead. He’s the opening act for the concert you came to see, and you end up buying his album and having him sign your forehead before you leave. He’s the teenager playing the guitar to earn money for college, and he’s the handsome and talented new doctor that makes everyone want to get food poisoning or something.

Artemis is the lady giving tours at space museums who knows absolutely every fact there is to know about the moon. She’s the naturalist nursing wolf pups who has a knack for rehabilitating animals back to the wild. She’s on the news for breaking into a zoo and releasing the animals, and she’s an animal rights activist who shows up wherever she’s needed.

Ares is the guy starting a bar fight, and the guy ending it. He’s the bouncer who always makes sure everyone leaving with someone is willing and consenting. He’s the guy who intervenes in a street brawl and rips the fighters apart, sustaining several blows in the process. He’s a competitive body builder, and a mechanic in a chop shop. He’s also sometimes the guy at Medieval Times with the swords, but he’s more often in the show as a knight.

Athena is, shockingly, an Internet troll. She goes by the handle owl-eyed-fact-checker and posts essays that illustrate with grace and humor how the OP is completely wrong and foolish. She responds to every comment, and when she cannot win an argument, resorts to changing the topic. But Athena is a stern teacher who throws a surprise pizza party instead of a pop quiz, and she is a substitute that the kids know better than to mess with. She’s a historical consultant on a TV show, and she’s a regular attendee of quilting bees and crafts shows. She also is a guest appraiser on Antiques Roadshow.

Aphrodite runs a dating site that she also uses. She’s administrating singles’ events, and promoting her own skin care line. She’s a model, but she’s also an activist for including all body types in fashion. She’s a marriage counselor, and the best-selling author of the self-help book True Love Takes True Work. She’s a romance novelist, she’s a soap opera writer and star, and she’s a vicious Hollywood agent. All her social media simultaneously posts body positivity messages and advertisements for her cosmetics side by side.

Dionysus (at least, after his term at Camp Half-Blood ends) is a theater critic as often as he is an actor. He plays Rosencrantz in an avant-garde production of Hamlet and completely steals the show, then plays Ophelia in the next showing and again, completely steals the show. He’s in the background at the wildest Hollywood parties, and he’s a surly loner you see at a wine tasting, claiming that he’s had a bottle of some rare wine nobody’s ever heard of.

Hestia is the relative you don’t remember ever meeting before at a family gathering, but you wish you had, because she is such a hoot. The only record anyone ever has of her are the family photos. Every member is in them, and no one can remember who exactly took the pictures. She’s a little girl picking up litter at the park, and she’s a guidance counselor at college who is incredibly good at curing homesickness.

[animorphstruther2002]

WIP story.

"You're home!"

"Finally, you miss me, babe?"

"More than you can imagine! What took you so long?"

"I know, I know, traffic was hell. Let me put my cycle away and I'll join you up on the porch."

"Nope, I've got a surprise for you inside."

As she turns to go inside I park my bike in its spot, and join her in the living room. What I see there leaves me nearly speechless.

"My... my jacket. You found it! Where was it?"

"I went over to your parents place while you were gone on that trip a year back. It was in a closet, I fixed it up. Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! I can't believe you did that!"

"Try it on, I need to see if it fits!"

I walk towards the jacket, circle it, lift the sleeves, it's been made just like new, except for a little patch right over the heart on the inside.

"What's this?"

"My initials, and yours. I figured I could make a few changes while I was fixing it up."

"There's more? Where?"

No answer, just that sly smile of hers, that one that she knows drives me crazy.

"Just try it on, come on!"

Lifting the jacket off the rack feels just like my high school days, the same familiar weight if the heavy brown leather, and as I slip it over my arms I have flashbacks to those days. My first kiss, in a movie theater. My first motorbike, bought after two years of saving, and even more arguing with my parents. Meeting Abi, after crashing in a storm trying to get home.

"This... I can't believe you did this for me. It's perfect."

I slip my hands into the pockets and feel something else, pulling it out I find a pair of aviators, well tinted.

"I thought you might like those" Abi says.

"It's all perfect. Thank you."

Bringing her into a kiss reminds me of something I got for her, after finally getting back from a week long trip for work.

"I've got a surprise for you, too."

She looks up at me, quizzically.

"I'm off for the week, only to be called in case of an extreme emergency."

"The whole week! You haven't been off for that long in two years! What happened?"

"I put my foot down, told them if I didn't get some quality time with my girl I was done, they bent."

"That's great honey! We can finally go to that barbecue with my family!"

"I can't wait, but first I need a day with you, and only you. I was thinking a movie, and then down to the pier for a while, check out the carnival."

"That sounds amazing, but tomorrow, tonight I just want to be alone with you"

The next day is one for the memory books. Abi goes all out, wearing the sundress I love, and the perfume she wore on our first date. I give my new jacket a test run in the movie, and get a few annoyed looks for paying more attention to Abi's lips then the movie. Lunch at the pier turns out to be phenomenal, with greasy medium rare burgers, and crispy fries. The pier carnival holds up to the rest of the day, with Abi winning a small bear, and me crushing her and winning a massive duck stuffed animal. Somehow the two switched hands partway through the day, I couldn't say how. Even the ride home is a good one, the sunset illuminating Abi's beautiful red hair, and the mallard's green fuzz sandwiched between us.

"Today was amazing," Abi says as we lay in bed, "tomorrow we meet my family in the park for the get together you've been promising for a year now"

"Alright, I get it, sorry my job is so demanding" I say, while I can't help smirking at her blatant sarcasm.

Rolling up to the park Abi's kid sister, Cat, is the first to notice us.

"Abi! You guys finally made it"

"Sorry, someone" she says while looking pointedly at me, "couldn't get up on time"

"Sorry, sorry, it would have been easier had someone not been jabbering in my ear all night."

"Alright you two, calm down and come get some brats" Abi's dad says as he walks over, with two sausages, handing one to Abi and one to me.

"It's great to finally get together again, sorry my job has been so demanding"

"Well you can make up for it by pushing me on the swing" Cat says, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the swing set. Abi follows, and leans against me while I push.

"Thank you for coming out"

"Babe, there is nowhere I would rather be"

Just then I hear a yell, distinctly stupid, "Hey, Grip, boss wants you."

"Tell her to shove off, and I told you not to call me that when I'm off the clock, I told her I wouldn't be available all week. Unless the world is literally ending, I don't want to hear it."

"She said you'd say that, she said to tell you that it would end for you if you don't come in"

"And I say I'm not coming in, I'm busy."

The goon's phone rings, he answers it then passes it to me.

"Grip, it's hit the fan. You need to come in." That oddly twinges voice of the boss ringing through the speakers.

"Boss. You know I can't. I told you, I'm with Abi and her family.  I'm busy."

"Sucks, we need you to come in. And you know you don't get a choice here. Tell you what, you do this, you're even. No more, not unless you want. Full freedom, full severance, for life"

That was a good deal. The thing is, I did need this job, at least this last one. That full severance pay would support Abi and me, along with her whole family, if they wanted. I had gotten mixed up with this group, you may have heard of them. They usually go by the FBI. This branch, the Watch, was special though, they dealt with the weird, and I don't mean like naked dudes in LA. I mean like magic. I had dabbled in magic for a while, before I realized I had no skill for it, may or may not have blown up a small warehouse. I'm not at liberty to say. These guys found me, smoking from most orifices and quite a few pores, buried under the rubble. In return for saving my life I've done odd jobs for them for a while.

"Abi-"

"No. Nope. You promised. You said a week."

"I know. But-"

"No buts. You owe me at least today."

"You could let me talk to her," comes a tinny voice from the phone, which I was still holding up. "I'll explain the urgency if you'd just let me."

"No, boss, are you sure the job can't wait till tomorrow?"

"I'll give you twelve hours. Then you need to be here. That's all we can take."

"Thank you. Really."

I look up at Abi, almost in tears, and smile at her.

"I've got twelve hours, let's make the most of it."

She jumps into my arms, tears wetting my shoulder. Cat breaks us up by tugging on my arm,

"Well if you're not gonna talk in the phone, you could at least push me!"

Those twelve hours were the best of my life, after the barbecue Abi and I went home and watched a film, some obscure German film she wanted to see, and I almost fell asleep on the couch, only kept awake by her insistent jabbing in my ribs. At 11:30 I left her sleeping in bed, and rode to the office.

I get ushered up by the same goons that came to the park, straight to Mrs. Boss, real name unknown by all, probably even her cat.

"About time" I'm still five minutes early. "We have reports of a large magic blast inside the Great Sand Dunes, Colorado. You need to go and investigate."

"Colorado? I hear it's nice this time of year."

"Your flight leaves in 20 minutes. I trust you packed?"

"You know me. When was the last time I packed?"

She just rolls her eyes, almost imperceptibly, and gives me my key card to the basement.

I love the basement, it's full of guns and armor, but even cooler, it's full of funky gadgets. like a watch that can shoot little darts, or a ring that can absorb and release energy, or even a necklace that can make people explode if they put it on wrong. They've never let me take that.

"Pleased to see you again, Grip."

"You can't be sneaking up on me like that when I'm down here, I'll end up shooting you with a watch or something."

"I wish you best of luck with that, but we can argue over your skill later, now I get to show you what you can take."

"Oh goody, my favorite part. Which guns do I get this time?"

"The same as always. A 9mm and a shotgun. Why do you always ask?"

"Force of habit I guess, any other goodies in that bag of yours? Don't make me trick or treat for them."

"I would love to see that. But no, we don't have time. You get a ring, as per usual, and you get this."

He pulls out a small knife, sheathed in leather, with a strange glow about it.

"What is that? You know I prefer my distance."

"This is a single use sniper. It can hit any target within sight lines. You needn't even get within magic range of our guy."

Why they haven't used it before makes me curious, and Jones reads that in my eyebrow raise.

"We need to be in sight lines. And this magician is very good at staying hidden. We don't even have a photo of him."

"Then how am I supposed to see him? If the nation's best can't even spot him, what can I do?"

"That's where it gets tricky. And that's also where you have operational lead."

In other words, I have to improvise. Great. Well, that is why the hired me.

"Alright. Thanks for the gear. I'll be going now. To my certain demise."

"Bah, you said that last time."

After landing in Colorado I realize I should have packed a warmer jacket, even in October it's cold. Driving from Denver down to the dunes, arriving after a night of flying, and entering the regional office, it sinks in how this job might go. Just like the fireball that sinks into the concrete at my feet. I dive into the building, but no more flames impact around me. I get into a crouch behind a desk, and see a young intern around the corner. He motions for me to join him, and explains the buildings defenses, no magic can get in, at the cost of magic in the building being impossible. He leads me to the office of the general, who motions for me to sit and wait while he's on the phone.

His office is small, with pale yellow walls and a too big wooden desk. On the desk was a picture of a young girl, I assume his daughter, and a lamp. A pin on his chest announces his rank and name, Gen. Watt. He murmurs into the phone for another minute then motions me over.

"Thank you for coming. I assume you met the little goblin at the door?"

"Charming, isn't he? Is that our man?"

"If it were that easy, we wouldn't need you. That's a golem he's put there, when we destroy it another just shows up."

"Well, what have you got for me then? Anything better than somewhere in a park larger than Connecticut?"

"Not really, I'm sure you've heard how elusive he is. All I can give you is a wish for good luck."

"Well, I'll head out then. Thanks for the rest stop."

After our closing remarks I head out into the park, taking the back this time. Making my way to the motel down the road I try to come up with a game plan, preferably one that avoids fireball slinging gremlins.

It's amazing what your mind thinks of when you are on the verge of death. I remembered the night I met Abi. I had just crashed my bike. She was a first responder. My phone, having registered a spike in heart rate had queried a 911 call. My last act before passing out was to accept. I woke up in a hospital, nearly dead. The doctors said I would have, had a donor not given a large sum of money. That donor was the government, and that's why I'm working for them, at least on the outside. Abi was the ambulance driver. She came to visit me in the hospital, said she did it for all her patients. Later she admitted to thinking I was cute, even, especially, all beat up, and unconscious. She was by my side for most of the recovery. Once I got out, we moved in together. The rest is, as they say, history.

I wake up tired to a chair. I heard a grunt,

"Oy! Was he awake fer!"

Darkness encloses me as a fist collides with my jaw.

I again join the world of the living. My first sight is an ugly nose, pressed near my face, as a humoncolus inspects my head.

"Yes, all very well. Fine and dandy. Superb", it says in a nasally voice, with a distinct lack of caring. Once it notices I'm awake it jumps away, and starts to inform me of my situation. I've been captured by the wizard, who is holding me until further notice. After the clay bore leaves I check my gear. The guns are gone, so is my ring, but the knife is still sheathed in my boot, on top of my foot. That'll be a fun challenge to get to. It must have slipped down when they got me.

As I'm finishing the check for broken bones, none, a woman walks in. She is wearing a red robe, almost like a bath robe, except more like silk than cotton. She also has on dark green combat boot, the ones with straps and laces most of the way to the knee. Her dark hair is cut in a bob that almost covers her eyes. As she walks in she starts speaking.

"So, you're the infamous Grip. I thought you would be harder to catch"

I try to reply, only to find my jaw erupting in pain.

"Ah, you've discovered what I like to call my 'anti-sarcasm muzzle. Although it won't let you talk at all. I suppose that anti-sarcasm is wrong, but I'm sure you would only reply in sarcasm anyway, so it might work. But I digress, welcome to my abode."

She said this last part in a very unwelcoming way, with a distinctly angry smirk. Almost like we were hunting each other.

"I trust you weren't hurt to much? You never can tell with those golems."

Just then a clay abomination walks in.

"Ma'am, you should probably come see this. There's a lady outside yelling at the door," again, the nasally voice grates on me, why do they always have to be annoying? The witch walks out, and as she does I realize that she is probably the wizard I was looking for. I might be a bit concussed, not as fast as I could be. Or, not fast at all. I try to yell a question at her back, but am once again stopped by her stupid magic muzzle thing.

She comes back sometime later, this time with a staff, and a dark purple robe. I can't tell if this is still the same day, my cell not having any windows, so I assume the clothes change marks a new dawn. She says nothing, just smiles, maybe a bit sadly, and casts a quiet spell. All my joints instantly erupt into pain. She turns and walks out the door. As she leaves I hear a screaming, and I realize as my throat gets sore that it's me, not one of her golems.

After what felt like years she returns, that same faint, sad look on her face. She casts another spell and the pain recedes.

"That was one hour. You held up remarkably well, I'm surprised at how long it took you to faint. That was to show you just what I'll do, and trust me, it wasn't as far as I'll go. I don't want anything from you. I don't even want the Watch to leave me alone. They will be a non-issue here very soon."

As she turns to leave she remembers something.

"That girl at the door, you might know her. Her name is Abigail."

A whole new kind if pain washes over me, hurting worse than her magic ever could.

A homunculus comes into my cell. It brings a tray of food, along with a glass of water. It unlocks my hands, sets the tray in the floor, and leaves. I would the food down, this being the first meal I've had since landing in DIA. It consists of bread, and a thick potato soup. The dirt on the floor getting into the soup only enhances the flavor. I find a note under the bowl,

Sorry I forgot to feed you. Oops. I'm not used to this whole "gaoler" thing. Don't worry, I've fed Abigail. She seems very healthy. I think. Is she usually that pale?  Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow morning. Don't wait up. Ha.

The note almost takes away my appetite. But I haven't eaten in so long I manage to choke the rest down. I fall I to a fitful sleep, finally able to stretch on the floor as long as I don't move my feet to much.

I'm woken by the door clanging open. I sit up, and quickly realize just sore my whole body is, after fitful sleeps in a chair and on a stone floor. It's her again, this time in a light green robe.

"Do you only wear robes? That seems cliche" I manage to get out, through my sore throat.

"Oh. My muzzle seems to have worn off."

I feel a clamp over my face, and am unable to speak again. She moves a bit closer, and taps her staff against the chains on my feet, which fall into the stone. She taps it again on the far wall, and a small cot appears.

"Truly sorry, as my note said I'm really not used to this whole prisoner thing. I've come to talk with, or I guess to, you. As you can't leave, having seen me, you will have to stay here forever. Or at least until I finish my task."

With that, she turns around and walks out of the cell, the door closing behind her.

Days pass, food appears on the floor, nothing changes. With each meal I make a mark on the wall, the lines slowly add up.

I can speak again, and I've started talking to myself, quietly recounting the events that led up to this. I almost manage to convince myself there was nothing I could've done, but I'm never quite able to shake the image of Abi in a cell like mine. Each time I try to remember how I got caught. Each time my memory blanks after I leave the office. What if I had left out the front? Would she still have gotten me?

Eventually the sorceress returns. Her robes are gently smoking and covered in ash. Through the various holes I can see her undershirt, a tasteful red to go with what I assume to have been a purple robe.

"Good to see you're still here. I almost thought you would have tried to escape by now. Is Abi really that important to you? I wouldn't hurt her. I'm not like that."

By now my knife is accessible, and I'm only waiting for am opportunity to use it.

"What do you want with me? What are your plans here?"

"I told you, I don't want anything from you. You are just a nuisance in my way. As for my plans, I only want equality for the masses."

[  ] Robin Hood approach!!!

[  ] Plan (eat the rich? The FBI? Gov in general?)

[  ] Grip doesn't believe, then does(?)

[  ] Abi reunited

[  ] Grip agrees to help

[  ] Sorceress dies(?) Disappears(?)

[  ] Grip finds Gov being bad

[  ] Grip + sorceress defeated by tyrant(?) Or beat them(?)

[thepencilnerd]

- 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞 - 5

➳ Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5

➳ Pairing: Jaebum x Reader

➳ Summary: AU! After taking a gap year from college to pay for your tuition, you felt like your life was finally back on track—until you met him. What happens when life doesn’t go the way you intended it to? What happens when you find out that your anchor is just as broken as you are?

➳ Genre: AU, fluff, angst, friends to lovers

➳ Word Count: 3.4k

➳ Warnings: Swearing, heavy angst, mentions of familial problems/abandonement

♪ Older- Sasha Sloan

a/n: Masterlist & links to other parts can be found @ my main URL because links are apparently broken :( || longer chapter—and so much fluff, who am I... 

“How many marshmallows?” Jaebum asked. I was distracted by the pink and purple sunset that streaked the sky. We were currently at the on-campus café and were able to grab the last table with a window view. 

“Four, please,” I grinned widely, squinting as I rubbed my nose at the overflowing aroma of coffee, cocoa, and spice that encased the room. Plopping four jumbo marshmallows into both mugs, I clapped my hands like a toddler out of excitement before skipping back to our table. 

Sitting down, I rubbed my hands eagerly and thanked him for the treat. “Thanks, Jaebum.” 

As he blew away rising steam across his cup, he raised his eyes up to me before smiling in return. “Don’t thank me yet,” he said with a wink, sipping his drink. 

Tilting my head to the side and furrowing my brows, I scowled, wondering what else he had up his sleeve. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Are you doing anything tonight?” he replied, ignoring my question and replying with another question. 

“Why?” I retorted dryly as I sipped on my mug, eyes still narrowed at his possible motives. 

“We’re going to the pier,” he hummed cheekily. 

My eyes grew to the size of baseballs and I nearly choked on a marshmallow. “Wh—wh—what? The pier?” 

“They have the winter arcade set up,” he noted. “It’ll be fun.”

Coughing, I stared at him with a deadpanned expression and tried to come up with any excuse I could. “It’s freezing and I have an essay to write.”

“Bull and shit,” he trilled sing-song voice while chewing on a marshmallow. 

“I do!” I insisted. 

“Mhm.” I couldn’t get anything past this guy, could I? 

“How do you know I don’t have an essay worth 30% of my grade Mr. Psychic?” I speculated, leaning in and giving him the best impression of an interrogation stare I could, but failing miserably. He leaned in close so that I was able to notice features on his face I hadn’t seen before, including the two moles on his eyelid I originally thought were piercings. 

“It’s 75° degrees outside, and if you were telling the truth, you would have said yeah when I asked you if you were busy tonight,” he winked. 

Pressing my lips into a forced smile and squinting my eyes at him, I refrained from flicking his forehead in the middle of a public place. Reminding myself to punish him later, I shut the profanities that threatened to escape my mouth by chugging what was left of my cocoa.

“The pier’s not even that fun...” I sulked. 

“It’s fun if you go with a fun person,” he replied with a toothy grin while shooting me a wink.

Cheeky little shit. Biting the inside of my cheek, I shrugged. “How are we getting there? I don’t have a car, and I’m pretty sure you don’t either.” Gulping down the last of his melted marshmallows, he bore a charming smirk and waited patiently for me to finish my drink. 

“Oh—I almost forgot,” he exclaimed as his hands reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Switching on the front-facing camera, he flashed a bright smile while forming his hands into a peace sign and quickly snapped a photo of us. 

“What the hell was that—” I coughed, caught off guard at his sudden photobomb. 

“Our first official hangout as friends,” he stated as if it were an obvious fact. I was appalled. How could someone be this–bold? 

“Do you get embarrassed?” I asked out of genuine curiosity as I leaned closer to him to study any facial ticks. 

The edges of his lips curled into a childlike smirk as he rested his elbow on the table and placed his chin on his hand. “Honest answer or the one that’ll make you feel better?” 

Blinking widely, my jaw dropped at his audacity to use my own comeback against me. “H-honest. Honest answer.” Cheeky little shit.

“Just around you,” he murmured, emphasizing all three words. Not realizing until after he said it how close he had moved to me, his breath fanned on my neck and I almost kicked him from under the table. Trying to change the subject, I lightly smacked him on the shoulder to knock some sense into him and made him retreat sheepishly back to his seat. 

“So how are we getting there?” I sighed, giving in to his plans for the night. His face lit up at my surrender and beamed brightly. Suddenly, he got up from his seat and dashed outside with both of our bags. 

“Hey!” I shouted, returning the mugs to the pick-up counter and thanking the barista, I ran as quickly as my legs could carry me. Once outside, I looked around like a lost puppy as I tried to find any signs of Jaebum and scoffed at the prospect of him actually ditching me.

“Boo,” a voice whispered from behind me, grunting as he earned an elbow to the stomach. 

“What the fuck, Jaebum?!” I swore, clutching my hand over my chest to check my heartbeat; a habit I picked up over the years due to my particularly jumpy personality. 

“Sorry,” he chuckled while gripping his stomach. “The opportunity just presented itself.” 

“I thought you ditched me,” I grumbled under my breath, my hand still pressed firmly on my chest. 

Looking up momentarily, his lip quirked into a pressed grin, clearly trying to hold back a giggle. “Why’d you run out so quickly?” 

“You just left without me-” I caught myself by my tongue and stopped mid-sentence. Why did it matter whether he left with or without you? “Because you had my stuff. M- my bag.” 

“I just wanted to test out a theory,” he assured, flashing me a gummy smile this time. Swinging his arm over my shoulders, he dragged me across the parking lot and into the motorcycle sanctioned area where I silently began praying to the devil that this was just another prank. 

“No.” Counting the number of times in my life that I had denied or rejected the idea of something, there was never a sterner or more instantaneous refusal than this. “No,” I repeated, this time letting a scoff of disbelief slip out. 

“So Y/N isn’t a fearless fire-eating dragon after all.” Jaebum’s face resembled a child who had taken the opportunity to say ‘I told you so’ to their own parents. 

“Ha ha,” I deadpanned sarcastically. “You’re hilarious, Jaebum. One for thinking that I’m actually fearless and two for thinking that I’m actually going on that—demon.” 

“It’s not a demon,” he mocked, holding back his laughter while he patted the top of the seat as if it were a dog’s tummy. “It’s a Suzuki and I am a very capable driver.” 

“Do you honestly think that I’m getting on that thing?” I huffed with my arms crossed and feet planted firmly on the ground. 

“Please?” he asked quietly. With his lips pursed in a small pout and eyebrows frowned sadly, I felt my heart beat faster and chest get heavier with each passing second. 

“No-” I refused again but was cut off by Jaebum’s hands holding mine.

“Please?” he pleaded again, squeezing my hands tightly.

His hands are warm...

“Fine!” the word coming out of my mouth by accident as a desperate attempt to get him to let go of my hands by whatever means possible. Snatching my hands away from his, the cold returned as I rubbed them together and tried to warm them up again. 

Jaebum’s face was beaming again. Handing me his extra helmet, (how he got an extra one of those expensive things, I will never know) he sat on the bike comfortably and patted the back seat, urging me to sit behind him. Swallowing the lump that had built in my throat, I told myself that it was just another day to step out of my comfort zone. Right?

Thinking of what people did in the movies, I wrapped my arms around his waist but tried to keep my body from touching his; physical contact was the just one of the few things on my list of top ten fears. He glanced back at me quickly and I could’ve sworn I saw a grin, but before I could confirm his face behind the helmet visor, he revved the engine and took off. Being the unsuspecting and unprepared passenger, I was thrown forward as my body flung onto Jaebum’s back, making my efforts of maintaining a space bubble futile.

Clutching onto him for dear life with my eyes shut tightly as he sped through traffic and onto the highway, I somehow built enough courage to open my eyes and admire the passing view. The sunset was still streaked with cool tones of purple, warm shades of orange, and vivid hues of pink, making the current season of winter seem nonexistent.

Due to the serene view, I felt grip around Jaebum slowly relax so that I was now leaning comfortably against him, but arms still wound tight so that I wouldn’t drop, tuck and roll into the pavement. 

Magnetized by the flying colors as we sped down the road that led to the beach, the salty air of the ocean and the cool breeze began to flood my senses. Although I was never fond of the briny smell and I hated the aftereffects of sand getting stuck everywhere, the combination of the scenery and refreshing air made it inviting, marking it as the first enjoyable time I’ve ever had by the beach. 

At the stoplight before the entrance, I looked forward and saw that Jaebum’s head was turned around to see me. Heat rose to my cheeks as soon as I caught him, but he immediately snapped out of his light daze as he turned into the parking lot. Parking the mechanical nightmare of a demon, I unwrapped my arms from his waist sheepishly, not realizing that I had virtually been hugging him for half of the ride like a koala bear. 

“You okay?” he asked sincerely, holding out his hand to help me off the bike. 

Nodding my head, I handed him the helmet. “It wasn’t as terrible as I thought...” I hummed, hating how passive I was around him. How could I get mad at him for being nice? 

Smiling with contempt, he packed the helmets into their bags and stored them in the rental lockers. When I offered to pay the fee, he waved his hand and shook his head. “Consider today my treat.” With the click of the lock, he smiled proudly as we began walking to the pier.

“Did you really have to pay for the tickets?” Jaebum whined. We were walking down the bridge that led to the main rides and arcade, but he was still nagging at the fact that I had paid for our tickets at the entrance. 

“Should’ve handed him your card quicker,” I teased, sticking my tongue out and skipping to the arcade. “Come on slowpoke!” 

There were a couple things in the world that made me smile; flowers, rainy weather, cafés, old photographs, lights, and carnival arcades. Everything else that came afterward was secondary. 

“I didn’t know you were an arcade geek,” he chuckled deeply. For a second, I paused and felt my heart flutter when I admired his crinkled eyes, but dismissed the thought and ushered him to follow me through the brightly flashing room. 

Jaebum seemed captivated by my joyful and childish side that I’d never shown to anyone before, so far to the point that I don’t think anyone else knew it even existed. Between switching off to take turns for the games, I constantly felt his eyes glued to me like magnets, studying every single tick and quirk I let slip from my control. 

Repressing the urge to get annoyed and tell him to stop staring, I danced around like a giddy toddler whenever I beat him in a game and he did the same.  We didn’t refrain from giving each other back-handed compliments either. Exclaiming and jumping around like children, I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed this much to the point of my stomach hurting and cheeks becoming sore.

It was already dark outside when Jaebum and I came out of the arcade and we were tired from all the energy spent while playing almost all of the games. I sucked at skeeball, whereas he beat me by 20 points; he was shit at the claw machine, but I managed to win him a plush bunny hat with attached paws. 

“Hotdogs or burgers?” I asked first, my hunger speaking for me like a ravenous bear that had just come out of hibernation. 

“Burgers,” he replied eagerly. Agreeing and finding the nearest burger shack, Jaebum was the one trailing my tail this time, catching up to me at the ordering counter. Ordering two double-cheeseburgers with fries and sodas, Jaebum slid his card swiftly across the machine before I could and shot me an innocent grin, sticking his tongue out playfully. 

Crinkling my nose and knitting my eyebrows at him, he also took the liberty of taking our order after it came out on the tray and finding a table by the window. Immediately after we sat down, I reached for a french fry but Jaebum got to it before me. 

“Excuse me—” my oncoming rant was interrupted by him dipping the fry into barbeque sauce and plopping it into my mouth, effectively shutting me up. Chewing begrudgingly with a light scowl, I gave up and gave into his babyish face. 

“Do you like roller coasters?” I asked in between devouring my burger. “Surely a bold and confident guy who rides a motorcycle wouldn’t be scared of a few loops, right?” 

Jaebum’s eyes widened at my question and cleared his throat. “No,” he replied. I think this was the first time I’d ever heard him say no. My raised eyebrows urged him to elaborate further. 

Letting out a nervous chuckle before he started to explain, he ran his hands through his hair and took a sip of his drink. “When I was 12, I went on a school field trip to an amusement park. I thought it would be fun with all the rides, games, and food, but I ended up getting stuck on one of the roller coasters in the middle of a loop and-” he paused, reliving the memory for a moment before shaking his head. “I just—I don’t do roller coasters.” Forcing his face into a smile to distract himself from thinking about it further, I saw discomfort flash across his face before fading quickly. 

Dipping a fry into barbeque sauce and shoving it into his agape mouth, he blinked out of his trance before breaking into light laughter. For the rest of dinner, I was surprised when I found myself opening up to Jaebum as we shared everything from our first time seeing snow all the way to our senior prank day in high school.  

“You teepeed your principal’s house?!” I gasped. “No freaking way.”

Eyes crinkling and lips contorting into a bright grin, Jaebum just nodded his head, insisting that he went through a phase during senior year. “The principal was an ass and I figured I’d give it one last hoorah with flying colors—or two-ply cotton.” 

Letting out a giggle, I shook my head and tried to envision a delinquent Jaebum running around the halls with cans of silly string and confetti poppers. The sun was still half-visible on the horizon and Jaebum and I had found a perfect place to sit on the dock after dinner. 

Brushing off the flecks of sand from my ankles, I narrowed my eyes lightheartedly at Jaebum, silently hexing him for convincing me to sprint across the shoreline in sneakers and jeans. He simply scowled back with a pouted grin. 

“So is this the point where I ask you cheesy questions and try to get to know you better?” I hummed while swinging my legs back and forth off the edge of the dock, leaning back onto my hands and as I waited patiently for his response.

“That would be too predictable, wouldn’t it?” He mirrored my body position as his weight shifted to his hands and he looked up towards the sky, reminding me of the first day I saw him on the field and on the roof. 

“What were you doing on the field that night?” my voice started, a tinge of anxiousness lacing my tone for the fear that I would be crossing his line of privacy. Closing his eyes slowly and breathing once before opening them, he directed his gaze to me and wore a pained smile. 

“Honest answer or the one that’ll make you feel better?” he swallowed, clearly pushing through his discomfort. Looking at him thoughtfully, my pensive face told him to continue.

Taking a breath and breathing out deeply, he bit the inside of his cheek. “I finished evening class early and tried to go up to the roof for some fresh air, but it was locked. I figured the empty field would be good enough.”

Examining his gaze that scanned across the rippling water, his face was as still as stone but still emitted a type of affliction and melancholy I couldn’t put my finger on. 

“Whenever I feel like I can’t think straight, I always go up to the roof and do that,” he explained, returning to his previous position of staring off into the sky. “It’s like splashing cold water on your face or smelling the rain. “It helps me—”

“Breathe,” I whispered. 

His breathing stilled for a moment before he continued. “My parents left me when I was 3.”

 I was taken aback at his sudden and personal confession. 

“My parents fought all the time,” he chuckled dryly. “It made me wonder if I was really the kid in the house or just a small adult. It was always loud; the T.V. turned up too high to cover their shouting, plates disappearing and showing up as shattered pieces all over the floor, and the number of times they packed up a suitcase and stayed at a relative’s house for days on end.”

Jaebum’s voice broke at the last sentence as his eyes watered and formed tears that threatened to spill. Scooting closer to him, I tried to come up with a way to comfort him, but all I could think to do was hold his hand firmly and give a reassuring squeeze whenever I saw his eyes glaze over. 

His hands were still warm.

What the hell are you doing? 

Tugging his lower lip in between his teeth, his lip trembled when he tried to force a grin, making me grip his hands tighter in mine. “I thought it was getting better. It had to be getting better. They hadn’t fought all week. Then I woke up one morning and they were gone.” 

Clenching his jaw before opening it and jutting his chin out, he scoffed and shook his head, tears now trailing down his cheeks. “You don’t have to tell me if it’s too much, Jaebum. It’s okay...”

With a restrained grimace, he tried opening his mouth a few times before lowering his head and sniffling. 

“I tell myself that if I look at the sky, they’ll hear me,” I murmured quietly, trying to fight the soreness in my throat as my fingertips now unconsciously began stroking the tops of his hands. “Rose petals too, since they were my mom’s favorite. They’re probably somewhere in the Bahamas right now—maybe Fiji.” A snort of disdain escaped past my lips. 

His warm hands were now holding mine and I noticed how snug they enveloped my smaller ones. We both looked up to see that the sun was finally beginning to fade as nightfall came. The silence that shadowed in the next few minutes signaled that honesty hour was concluded for the day.  

Watching the sun disappear along the ocean horizon was actually not as overrated as movies made them out to be. Shifting my gaze to Jaebum, he adjusted from his sitting position and lied down sideways so that his head was resting comfortably on my lap. 

He closed his eyes and eased his breathing, relaxing into my touch when my hands instinctively reached out to brush through his hair. 

Stop it.

“Don’t fall asleep for too long, okay?” I giggled softly, giving him a warm-hearted smile even though he couldn’t see it. Grinning at my laughter, he nestled his head closer to me, drifting into a light haze as my hands continued to stroke his hair and lull him to sleep. 

Even my conscience couldn’t fight back the melancholy wave that washed over me as I watched him doze off. Just friends. 

Right?” 

[fishterri]

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The best things to do in Malibu, California!  Discover the most picturesque beaches, celebrity hot spots, and natural hidden gems.

When you want to escape the hustle and noise of Los Angeles, head up the Pacific Coast Highway to explore the spectacular cliffside shoreline of Malibu, California.

It’s hard to believe this laid-back coastal town is only 40 minutes away from the big city lights of LA.

Malibu might be most famous for being the place that many celebrities call home. It is an exclusive town with a lot of privacy hedges and million-dollar homes nestled on the Pacific Ocean.

If you’re lucky, you might even run into a celebrity as you explore the city.

Nicknamed “the ‘Bu” by surfers and locals, Malibu residents will boast that they have “21 miles of scenic coastal beauty” for all to enjoy.

This photogenic coastline is loaded with little nooks of pocket beaches that will dazzle your senses. The climate is consistently comfortable and usually stays between 76 F and 49 F degrees year-round which makes it perfect for beach time.

These are our picks for the best things to do in Malibu, whether you’re visiting for the first time or you’re a local.

Head to the Beach

Zuma Beach

Zuma Beach is one of the largest (1.8 miles) and most popular beaches in Los Angeles County known for having long, wide sandy areas and excellent surf.

If you plan on taking a swim, know that the water here tends to be a little cooler than the other Malibu beaches.

You’ll be comfortable at the family-friendly Zuma Beach with easy access to restrooms, two food concession areas located on each end of the beach, and eight parking lots with 2000 parking spaces to accommodate the crowds.

One of the best things about Zuma Beach is that they have beach wheelchairs available for beach enthusiasts who may need additional assistance enjoying the sandy shores.

Surfrider Beach

Surfrider Beach takes up about a mile of California coastline and is a little less than an acre of land. This beach has some of the best surfing and swimming in Malibu and was made popular by surfing movies of the 1950s and 1960s.

The beach is also part of the Malibus Lagoon State Beach area which houses an estuary for over 200 species of native and migrating birds. So if you’re a fan of birdwatching, this is one of the best places to visit in Malibu after you’re done with the beach.

Just note that the swimming areas at Surfrider Beach are limited and there are only 90 parking spaces available so it can get a bit crowded in the summer months.

Point Dume State Beach

The features of Point Dume State Beach are likely what you picture when you dream of those gorgeous panoramic cliffside views in Malibu. This beach has it all – cliffs, rocky coves, tide pools, and large sandy areas.

If you drive to the end of Westward Beach Road, you’ll find yourself on a cul-de-sac which is the access point to the Point Dume Nature Preserve. On a clear day, you may even be able to see out to Catalina Island in the distance.

TIP: If you are visiting between December and mid-April, be sure to hike up to one of the Malibu cliff sides to watch for the California gray whales during their migration season.

El Matador Beach

Get ready to be in awe of the caves, sea stacks, and arches that make this area a very popular Malibu spot to take photos.

Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach is made of a few smaller pocket-beaches along the west end of Malibu. As you drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, you will see clearly marked signs naming: El Pescador, La Piedra, and El Matador.

You don’t want to miss El Matador Beach. It’s a popular Malibu spot and one of the best places to watch the sunset in town.

Paradise Cove Beach

Paradise Cove is a public beach that is located in front of the locally owned, Paradise Cove Beach Café. Be sure to make a pit stop at this family-owned gem to enjoy the best beachside dining in Malibu.

This cool café gives off the ultimate Southern California beachy vibe with all of the wooden Adirondack chairs, palm trees, and thatched umbrellas. You might even recognize the building once you arrive, it has been featured in many beach scenes in Hollywood movies.

Enjoy dipping your toes in the Malibu sand while munching on some delicious cinnamon French toast and a BBQ pulled pork benedict, or while sipping one of Bob’s Fresh Fruit Boba Rum Drinks.

TIP: Ask them about their picnic packages for a unique lunch on the sand.

Go Hiking in Solstice Canyon

Solstice Canyon sits inside the picturesque Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and offers several options for hikers at all different fitness levels. This is also a great spot for avid bird-watchers.

Enjoy a beautiful hike on the popular 3.2-mile Solstice Canyon Loop. This trail takes you past a waterfall (although a very small one) and the oldest existing stone building in Malibu.

Another option in Solstice Canyon is the 3.7-mile Escondido Falls Trail. This is a fun hiking trail that takes you through a residential area before opening up into shaded paths and then to a waterfall that may or may not have flowing water depending on the time of year.

Lastly, the Grotto is a cool rocky area along the Santa Monica Mountains that is found at the halfway point of the 3-mile Grotto Trail.

This trailhead is located at the Circle X Ranch Visitor Center in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area. It has incredible views of Malibu and ends in a spot where you scramble through some boulders to reach the short waterfall and enclosed pool area.

Shop & Eat at Malibu Country Mart

After a long day of hiking and surfing, drive to the best seaside shopping destination in Southern California, the Malibu Country Mart.

This is a prime destination for upscale shopping, dining, celebrity spotting, and spa-life. The Mart is open from 10 am – 7 pm and has plentiful parking.

Grab a tasty and nutritious Acai bowl at SunLife Organics, buy a “California-chic” outfit at M. Fredric or Cynthia Rowley, or grab some sage and crystals at the Malibu Shaman metaphysical store.

For a unique high-end car washing experience, hit up the Malibu Car Wash where you might rub elbows with a local celebrity giving their Ferrari the royal treatment.

Tour the Adamson House Museum

The Adamson House is a gorgeous 1929 Spanish Colonial residence, estate, and gardens area that’s located along the Pacific Coast within the Malibu Lagoon State Beach Park.

Taking a tour of the Adamson House Museum is a great way to learn more about the history of this unique area of California and to get a close-up look at this gorgeous house. The interior still has most of its original furnishings and stunning tile work from the 1930s.

I highly recommend visiting this Malibu attraction during the holidays when you can check out the Adamson House and Pier decked out in vintage style holiday décor. They even have holiday tours led by docents with live holiday music and refreshments.

Learn How to Surf or Standup Paddleboard

If you’re looking for a fun but challenging water activity, one of the best things to do in Malibu is to take surf lessons. Check out the Malibu Surf Coach, they have hour-long lessons starting at $100.

Looking for a more chill way to experience the Pacific Ocean? Standup paddleboarding, otherwise known as SUP, is for you. It’s also one of the best ways to experience the tranquility of the ocean and even see dolphins, whales, or seals up close and personal.

There are some basics that you should read up on, but once you master standing up on your board you will be ready to start exploring. The Malibu Surf Shack offers paddleboard rentals for $45 for two hours.

Enjoy Lunch With a View at the Malibu Pier

Built in 1905, the Malibu Pier is the most recognizable landmark in all of Malibu, California. You will likely recognize its double white towers and long wooden pier from some famous Hollywood films.

This is one Malibu spot that is oddly a favorite of both fishermen and celebrities. To fish, you can rent a rod and grab your tackle at the Ranch at the Pier located at the end of the pier.

Also at the end of the pier, you’ll find the charming Malibu Farm Café. It doesn’t get much cooler than eating a fresh farm-to-table lunch with some of the best views in Malibu.

This counter-service café is typically open from 8 am to 4 pm Monday through Thursday and on weekends they are open from 8 am to 9 pm.

At the land-end of the pier is another nice dining spot that serves scrumptious seafood, the Malibu Farm Restaurant & Bar. This full-service hot spot is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset.

TIP: There are a lot of beautiful views to enjoy while dining near the ocean but the breeze can get chilly, so be sure to wear layers and bring a jacket.

Visit the Getty Villa

The Getty Villa is a work of art unto itself and is the “little sister” to the world-famous Getty Center in Los Angeles.

Explore the ancient art exhibits, the stunning architecture of the Getty Villa, and the four gardens that blend Roman architecture and open-air spaces. Admission is free but parking will cost about $20.

Sign up for the 40-minute garden tour that takes you through a unique and very fragrant herb garden. In the garden, you’ll find a variety of fruit trees including pomegranate, apricot, fig, and pear trees as well as familiar herbs such as mint, basil, thyme, and sage.

TIP: If you are looking for unique things to do in Malibu, make a reservation for “Tea by the Sea”. The price is a bit steep at $44 per person, but the delicious tea party and meal inspired by the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that grow in the villa’s garden just steps away makes it a very cool experience.

Tips for Visiting Malibu

Don’t be fooled by bogus “Private Beach” signs posted near Malibu beach trails. Every beach in California is open to the public up to the mean high tide level. What that means is you are legally allowed to be there as long as you don’t venture onto private property. Walking down from an adjacent beach is 100% legal.

There is an App for that. Download the “Our Malibu Beaches” app for planning your Malibu beach excursions. You’ll find insider info, details for parking, tips for finding those secret stairways, and navigating your way around all of the nooks.

Check out the fancy homes of Malibu – If you want to check out some of the most expensive homes in Malibu, head to Broad Beach. Be sure to explore during low tide or you may not have any sand to walk on, as this strip of beach is super narrow.

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Hong Kong Sightseeing: 10Best Sights Reviews

New Post has been published on https://www.travelonlinetips.com/hong-kong-sightseeing-10best-sights-reviews/

Hong Kong Sightseeing: 10Best Sights Reviews

The whole of Hong Kong is a sight to see: myriad skyscrapers set around one of the world’s most dramatic natural harbors make for an intriguing panorama by day or night, at dawn or dusk, noon or midnight. 

Some of Hong Kong’s sights have been constructed on purpose, others have just grown up of their own accord. Madame Tussauds is a slightly unusual sight, but it’s as much fun observing the reactions of the local visitors as it is marveling at the waxworks of the rich and famous. And the Goldfish Market is pure Hong Kong – right in the heart of the city, a thriving sub-culture that’s right on the street. 

And – get this – many of Hong Kong’s sights charge no admission at all, or just a couple of bucks. Stroll along Sai Kung’s Seafood Street for as long as you want, and it won’t cost you a red cent. Star Ferry and the Happy Valley Racecourse must rank as two of the world’s cheapest attractions.

Not all of Hong Kong’s major sights are in town – hop aboard the ferry or the cable car to see the Big Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, or wind your way out to the east of Hong Kong for a stroll around the old fishing port of Sai Kung and its buzzing seafood street.

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

The gods of literature and the military are celebrated here in one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong. Built in the 1840s, you’ll find two unique chairs inside that were once used to carry these deities through the city during festivals. Former visitors have left sticks of incense over the years, which are now hanging from the ceiling; you can still buy one in hopes of fulfilling a wish, while a fortune teller runs a brisk business to one side of the temple. Man Mo is very much on the tourist trail, but with very good reason, and handy for antique shopping along Hollywood Road.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: Man Mo’s traditional architecture makes for a delicate contrast with the surrounding (rather dull) skyscrapers.

Ed’s expert tip: Fans of the Oscar-winning film “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” will recognize Man Mo which was the backdrop for several scenes.

Read more about Man Mo Temple →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Surrounded by high-rises, this downtown racecourse is one of the greatest stadiums on earth to enjoy a sweaty, noisy and adrenaline-pumping horse race at night. Dating back to 1844, the 55,000-seat racecourse is one of the earliest public facilities in colonial Hong Kong. Regular races take place every Wednesday and Saturday from September to June on the 30-meter-wide grass track. A 978-seat iPad-equipped betting hall is located on the second floor of platform one. Visitors can either pay HK$10 (US$1.3) to sit on the public spectator seats or HK$100-150 (US$13-19) to enter the member-only zone. There are a total of seven restaurants and bars in the complex from Cantonese dining to al fresco drinking. On the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand of the racecourse, there is a 670-square-meter museum, Hong Kong Racing Museum, tracing the past and present of the city’s enduring pastime.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: Even if you’re not interested in racing, you can’t help but enjoy the spectacle of this very Hong Kong entertainment.

Ed’s expert tip: There’s a “beer garden” with racing commentary in English available at Happy Valley near the finish line.

Read more about Happy Valley Racecourse →

Photo courtesy of Kowloon Walled City Park

The Kowloon Walled City was truly infamous as it was the only district in Hong Kong that avoided British rule during the 1840 Qing Dynasty. So who ruled the walled city? No one! It was in a state of lawlessness and ruin until it was demolished and the site turned into an award-winning park in the 20th century. It is home to Bonsai trees, relics from the Qing Dynasty, and a popular giant chessboard. This is the ultimate urban regeneration project, not just in Hong Kong but just about anywhere in the world. There’s always a pleasant air of calm, whatever the time of day.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: This would be a first-rate park anywhere; but its history makes it unique.

Ed’s expert tip: Get here first thing in the morning to watch, or join in, tai chi classes.

Read more about Kowloon Walled City Park →

This intriguing museum traces the relatively recent history of medical science in Hong Kong. In 1906, in response to Hong Kong’s ongoing epidemic of bubonic plague, the Bacteriological Institute opened in this building as the city’s first medical laboratory. Over the decades the focus changed (as did the name, to the Pathological Institute), and the building eventually was turned into a museum. Today it houses several galleries with exhibits devoted to Chinese herbal medicine, dentistry, and a unique comparison of Chinese and Western medicine. The building itself is quite interesting as well; among its charms are several fireplaces, a beautiful entry hall, and carefully tiled floors.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: This is not only an unusual museum in a lovely old building, but its contents are also well interpreted.

Ed’s expert tip: This museum lies in a charismatic part of Hong Kong, well worth exploring on foot either before or after your visit.

Read more about Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Po Lin translates to “precious lotus,” and this monastery is one of the most famous of Hong Kong’s numerous attractions. In addition to being one of the most opulent and grandest temples in the country, this is also home to the famous “Big Buddha,” which measures more than 100 feet high. Made of bronze and seated in the mythical cross-legged repose, this statue is an attraction on its own. The views of the countryside are spectacular, and an excellent vegetarian cuisine is served by monks in the canteen. Most people come here by road or cable car, both exciting journeys in themselves.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: You can’t ask for a bigger contrast to downtown Hong Kong than this hilltop retreat with its superb views.

Ed’s expert tip: If you’re reasonably fit, it’s perfectly possible to hike up here either from Tung Chung or Shek Pik Reservoir.

Read more about Po Lin Monastery →

A hidden gem of Hong Kong, this fishing town is where Hong Kongers retreat for sea-swimming, kayaking and some of the city’s best seafood. The center of the town is a 1,000-meter-long street lined with seafood stalls. Each looks like a mini aquarium as the boss displays an amazing array of freshly-caught seafood for diners to order. Across the street, fishermen sell curious looking catch right off the boat at the pier. Many of them also offer sailing trips around the surrounding islands for around US$20. Some six kilometers south of the seafood street is Trio Beach, a nice soft-sand stretch with calm and clean water, relaxed atmosphere and opportunities for seaside barbecue. For the truly energetic type, Sai Kung Country Park provides some of the most challenging but rewarding hiking experiences through mountains to beaches.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: There’s something very laid-back about Sai Kung, and especially in the older parts of town.

Ed’s expert tip: Tour operator Kayak and Hike organizes kayak trips from Sai Kung waterfront to marine life-abundant Ung Kong Wan.

Read more about Sai Kung Seafood Street →

Photo courtesy of Madame Tussauds

Yes, there’s even a Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong. Exhibits include “Hong Kong Glamour” (rich, famous and/or powerful), “Historical and National Heroes” (such as former President Hu Jintao, the British Royal Family, and astronaut Neil Armstrong), “World Premier” (national and international film celebrities), “The Champions” (athletes like David Beckham and Tiger Woods), “Music Icons” (international stars like Elvis and Madonna displayed alongside Chinese pop sters like Leslie Cheung, Teresa Teng and Joey Yung). As always at Tussauds, the waxworks are amazingly lifelike, enough to make you do a double-take, even in an age when international celebrities are so familiar from the media.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: The original Madame T opened its doors in Paris in the 18th century: talk about an enduring attraction.

Ed’s expert tip: Get here at opening time (10am) to avoid the crowds.

Read more about Madame Tussauds Hong Kong →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Tung Choi Street is Hong Kong’s street shopping center. Not far from the Ladies Market in the north lies a treasure island that’s uniquely Chinese, the Goldfish Market. This fascinating market is a great place for families to visit. Bags upon bags of live goldfish in different sizes and colors can intrigue even the naughtiest kids. These are sold as pets as the Chinese consider goldfish a sign of good luck and some of the rarer species in the market can fetch great prices. Besides the kaleidoscope-like display of goldfish, the market also sells other small pets including turtles, rabbit and hamsters.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: There’s no razzmatazz involved here, just a straightforward chunk of life in downtown Hong Kong.

Tracy You’s expert tip: The Goldfish Market is a quick walk from the Flower Market on Flower Market Road and the Bird Garden on Yuen Po Street. These three can be easily combined into one trip.

Read more about Goldfish Market →

Star Ferry is the loveliest attraction in Hong Kong. This 115-year-old service is one of these rare attractions that are hailed by both tourists and locals. Shuttling between Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon side, and Central and Wan Chai on Hong Kong island, these 20-minute boat rides represent a lifestyle of the past: slow, soothing and stress-free. That’s exactly where the excitement and enjoyment lies. It’s fascinating to see the hyper-busy city from these boats: century-old colonial buildings rub shoulders with glass-walled skyscrapers on the two jam-packed waterfronts. Even with the MTR efficiently connecting Kowloon and Central, locals still choose to ride the Star Ferry now and then for that classic Hong Kong moment.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: This is a piece of history, a sightseeing tour, and a super cheap transport of delight!

Ed’s expert tip: Time your star ferry ride with A Symphony of Lights to achieve an optimal Hong Kong moment.

Read more about Star Ferry →

The 552-meter mountain boasts that classic Hong Kong view. Near the summit there is an entertainment and viewing complex called Peak Tower where travelers can snap that perfect souvenir photo. In the foreground, a forest of skyscrapers rises in eye-opening density beneath your feet while Victoria Harbour glitters in distance. Go on a nice day, you can also make out the outlying islands scattered over the South China Sea. Various modes of transport reach the top but the 1,350-meter-long tram (funicular) line is most popular. The 125-year old track is said to be the first railway in Asia and the eight-minute ride can reach as steep as 30 degrees.

Recommended for Sightseeing because: Missing out the Peak is like ignoring the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Buckingham Palace in London.

Ed’s expert tip: The lush mountain also provides great hiking opportunities. Hikers can bypass the tourist viewing deck and reach the less-crowded summit via several footpaths.

Read more about Victoria Peak →

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Things to See and Do in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City

Hell’s Kitchen keeps the pulsing energy of Midtown Manhattan, while enjoying a vibe that is more local and laid-back | © John Piekos / Getty Images

You're reading: Things to See and Do in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City

Known for its colorful characters, international eateries and Off-Broadway shows, Hell’s Kitchen is a New York City neighborhood that deserves a closer look. Whether you’re looking for a hidden gem Thai restaurant or a base-thumping gig at Terminal 5, here are Culture Trip’s top recommendations.

New York City is a melting pot of cultures, and perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. The pulsing energy from nearby Times Square is palpable here, but the vibe is far more local and laid-back. Its main thoroughfares – 9th and 10th Avenues, between West 34th and West 59th Streets – are veritable parades of luxury condos and theaters, as well as bars and restaurants. Expect cuisine from nearly every corner of the world, whether that’s Cuba, Japan or Ethiopia, plus a truly creepy haunted house. Here are the top spots that give Hell’s Kitchen its energy and character.

Chow down at El Burrito Box

Bar, Mexican

It’s remarkable that such a small hole-in-the-wall houses such unforgettable food. Amid the Hell’s Kitchen lunch rush, you can count on El Burrito Box to be overflowing with patrons for good reason. As if complimentary homemade chips and salsa are not enough of a draw, their fat, loaded burritos offer a different blend of ingredients that prove quite refreshing compared to the chains. Though mostly a spot for take-out, those lucky enough to snag a barstool can enjoy some good 9th Avenue people-watching while savoring every last bite.

Grab a hot dog at Rudy’s Bar and Grill

Bar, American, Wine, Beer, Pastries, Fast Food, $$$

© Patti McConville / Alamy Stock Photo

Read more: What Is My Kitchen Sink Made Of?

Rudy’s offers its patrons complimentary hot dogs with each drink order. Formerly a speakeasy that has since been frequented by some of New York’s most famous residents, this dive is easy to spot for its iconic pig statue, which has served as the bar’s vigilant bouncer for two decades. Rich with history, booze and hot dogs, Rudy’s Bar is a must for travelers and New Yorkers alike.

Drink beer at Valhalla

Bar, Pub Grub, $$$

With a beer list sent from the heavens, it’s no wonder this beer hall on 9th Avenue gets its name from the Viking place of eternal rest. Beer lovers will swoon at the wall-to-wall taps, serving up the best brews for all seasons. Valhalla takes bar food up a notch as well, with savory sliders and buffalo wings packing a unique kick. It amplifies the average bar experience by putting an emphasis on quality flavors. Beer fans from far and wide will all tell you: this bar is nothing short of paradise.

Try homemade noodles at Pure Thai Cookhouse

Restaurant, Thai, $$$

© Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg 9+ / Alamy Stock Photo

In a stretch of Thai restaurants, Pure Thai Cookhouse is without a doubt one of the surest bets. The ambience of this tiny gem has an authentic charm that is sometimes absent from many other spots in the neighborhood. Along with their quiet, tasteful aesthetic, Pure’s number one priority is flavor – and they deliver. Make sure you try the Ratchaburi crab served with homemade pork noodles, passed down from a family recipe. They don’t take reservations, so get there early for dinner.

Listen to live music at Bar Nine

Bar, American

Once you get past the seemingly endless crowd ordering drinks, Bar Nine will show you a good time. The space includes a few classic arcade games, pool tables, a photo booth and Skee-Ball. But it’s most famous for its live music, every night of the week. Head down on Fridays and Saturdays to catch the Dueling Piano Show featuring Donnie Kehr of Jersey Boys. This ain’t no Frank Sinatra sing-a-long; expect everything from rap to country music. If you want to see what we’re talking about, it’s best to reserve a place in advance.

Catch a gig at Terminal 5

Music Venue

© John Muggenborg / Alamy Stock Photo

Many New Yorkers seem to have a love/hate relationship with this Hell’s Kitchen’s venue. Nearly all of us have endured a night or two here that we have surely never forgotten. From sold-out shows that barely afforded space to dance in front of the stage, to rubbing shoulders with famous faces, Terminal 5 is something of a rite of passage in our city. With three staggering floors, it is easy to find space to get your swerve on or just hang by one of the many bars.

Read more: The 7 Best Cabinet Paint Colors for a Happier Kitchen, According to Interior Designers

Delve into Fountain House Gallery

Art Gallery

This art gallery (and its studio space in Queens’ Long Island City) provides a platform for artists with mental illness to exhibit their work. Displays range from fiber art, exploring the themes of dreams and transience, to graffiti-style spray paint on board, inspired by the grit and energy of New York City streets. Note: it’s open every day except Mondays.

Explore the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

Museum

© robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo

Head to the waterfront and you’ll find an enormous aircraft carrier permanently docked at Pier 86. The USS Intrepid fought in World War II as well as the Vietnam War; now, it’s a museum. Climb aboard to learn more about American military history, as well as snap photos of the Concorde and the Space Shuttle Enterprise. You can even clamber inside Growler, the only US guided missile submarine open to the public. Guaranteed to be a good afternoon for families and military history buffs.

Venture into Bane Haunted House, if you dare

Amusement Park

Just going by the numbers, Bane Haunted House is the biggest and baddest haunted-house attraction in the city, with more than 100 live performers and nearly 40 terrifying rooms spread over 40,000sqft (3,715sqm). The super-committed actors, the labyrinthine design and the climactic ending confirm this spectacle’s fear factor. Expect to get separated from your group, crawl through a “morgue” and get stuffed in an upright coffin. If you can’t handle it, yell mercy to be escorted out (without a refund).

Anne Bauso contributed additional reporting to this article.

These recommendations were updated on July 18, 2021 to keep your travel plans fresh.

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Kitchen

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New Post has been published on https://primortravel.com/7-reasons-to-base-yourself-in-brooklyn/

7 Reasons to Base Yourself in Brooklyn

Williamsburg, Brooklyn (photo: Enzo Tica)

Brooklyn may not be the first place you think of staying when planning a trip to New York City; however, this borough has much to offer.

Located across the East River, Brooklyn covers a sprawling area three times the size of Manhattan. It boasts a larger population, too, at 2.6 million people. 

The neighborhood of Williamsburg is as close to Lower Manhattan as you can get without actually being on the island.

It’s connected by the massive Williamsburg Bridge, which allows for cars, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Colombian coffee at Devocion in Williamsburg

I grew up in a suburb of New York City and have tried to visit friends and family annually for the last 20 years.

One year, I visited while my brother was living in Williamsburg, which gave me a chance to walk around this trendy area in person. Numerous Brooklyn coffee shops, bars, and restaurants caught my eye. 

Devocion was one of them. This Latin American cafe sourced their beans from Colombia, where I used to live, and first gained an appreciation for coffee.

The interior featured exposed brick and a skylight, allowing natural light to fill the space occupied with folks on their laptops. It was my kind of place!

Side note: a few years after I stopped into Devocion in Williamsburg, I came across a Devocion cafe in Bogota!

Other notable neighborhoods include Greenpoint, Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Bushwick.

Beyond the hipster hangouts, cool cafes, and incredible eats, here are seven more reasons to base yourself in Brooklyn. 

Why Brooklyn?

1. It’s More Affordable

I’ll just put it out there for the few readers who don’t already know. Hotel prices in Manhattan are insanely high.

Staying in Brooklyn is the more budget-friendly choice, thereby allowing you to keep your overall trip cost in check.

The NYC subway system is easily accessible, so you’re not losing anything in terms of getting around.

And, as you’ll see below, there are plenty of fun things to do in Brooklyn that won’t cost you much at all.

View of Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge (photo: Ethan Bykerk)

2. The Brooklyn Bridge

An icon of New York City, the Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River, connecting Lower Manhattan with downtown Brooklyn.

This neo-Gothic suspension/cable-hybrid bridge took 14 years to build. It opened more than 138 years ago, on May 24, 1883.

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is a popular and free experience available to anyone visiting the city. The bridge is 6,000 feet long, or about 1.1 miles.

If you’re staying in Brooklyn, give yourself some extra time to explore the Brooklyn Bridge Park before your crossing.

Check out Jane’s Carousel, a fully-restored (and working) carousel that dates back to 1922.

Once you’re on the bridge, you’ll be treated to beautiful views of Manhattan, including One World Trade Center.

3. The Scenic Views

Manhattan has one of the world’s best skylines, yet it’s hard to appreciate when you’re in it.

Base yourself in Brooklyn, and you’ll be better able to enjoy the view. Beyond a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, you can take in views from the park and piers below it.

Plus, you’ll also be able to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island too.

Mural in Williamsburg (photo: Nelson Ndongala)

4. Street Art and Galleries

If you like street art and monumental murals, then you’re better off in Brooklyn, where local artists brighten the streets with their thoughtful pieces.

Casual fans can soak up the artsy atmosphere as they go about their day, while those more interested in the local scene can try a self-guided walking tour or a paid one with a company like Graff Tours.

After taking a graffiti tour in Buenos Aires, I gained a much greater appreciation for these artists.

But, there’s more to Brooklyn’s art scene than what you see on the streets. There’s a thriving gallery scene, too.

Timeout highlighted 16 of the best art galleries in Brooklyn, so you can get a feel for what’s available.

5. The Brooklyn Museum

Located at the northeast edge of Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Museum is New York City’s third-largest museum by physical size and has a collection of 1.5 million works.

The Egyptian collection covers 3,000 years, while American luminaries such as Norman Rockwell, Winslow Homer, and Georgia O’Keefe are well represented.

General admission is $16 for adults and $10 for students (with a valid ID). Ticketed exhibitions are extra.

6. Prospect Park

Prospect Park is to Brooklyn as Central Park is to Manhattan. This sprawling green space includes the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Museum, historical landmarks, and a lake.

Take a break from the city with a leisurely walk through the park. There are plenty of street vendors, or you could buy some food at a local deli and make a picnic.

7. Coney Island and the Beach

Visiting Coney Island is a quintessential NYC experience, especially in the summer when the beach is packed.

The amusement park is home to the famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, held every July 4th since 1967. But you don’t need to eat 76 hot dogs to get a feel for it. One will do just fine!

When I visited Coney Island in my twenties, it was to get over my fear of roller coasters.

Coney Island is home to the Cyclone, the world’s second steepest wooden coaster, which reaches 60 mph. Not bad for a ride that opened nearly 100 years ago (in 1927).

The Coney Island boardwalk is home to the New York Aquarium. And if you keep walking east, you’ll hit Brighton Beach.

***

As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons to base yourself in Brooklyn when visiting New York City.

Each neighborhood has its own vibe and culture, and you could easily spend months (or years) trying to get a feel for them all.

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This story is brought to you in partnership with Condor Hotel.

Last Updated on August 21, 2021 by Dave

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