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copias-thrall · 4 years ago

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There’s Magic in the Night

A new year is breaking, and it's full of possibilities.

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(Reminder: not Repugnant accurate.)

It’s a 15min walk from the nearest subway stop in a part of the city that hosts low-income and broke college folk, and you’re beginning to wonder if your heeled boots were the best choice—but the shiny patent of them so nicely offset your cheap pink and black tulle skirt and fuzzy black crop sweater with inlaid tinsel that you’d decided on form or function. You’d almost changed your top when Mary had knelt and given your tummy a raspberry where it hung over the waistband a little, but his cute little pout had placated you a little after you’d threatened to do just that.

“You want a piggyback?”

“Nah, I’m all right, Mare. We’re almost there, right?”

“Yeah.”

Using his chin, he indicates a house down the block with a light on in every window and that’s lit up with string lights. It’s a little run down, but not falling apart. The neighborhood is full of three-story homes that are either co-ops or rented out by various floor configurations.

You’d tried to follow his explanation on who he knew and how, but the most you’d retained was that of the 6 people who rented the entire house, Mary knew 2 of them intimately. (“Yeah, they’ve had it every year that they’re lived there. I’m pretty sure a good third of the crowd is party crashers, but the more the merrier, right?”)

The closer you get, the louder the din from the house becomes—it sounds like there are 4 different playlists fighting for dominance, and the crowd ASMR is strong. There is a gang of smokers spilling from the front porch, down the cement steps, and clumped into murders in the small yard.

Ed and Dee are leaning against the railing on the steps, shivering in their best band tees as they take drags of their cigarettes.

“Hey, man!” says Mary as he leans forward and engages them both in a sloppy approximation of a cool, secret handshake.

“Hey, Goore!”

“Long time no see, dude.”

You nod at them, and they nod back.

“Where’s the rest of the gang?” asks Ed as he strains to see behind you in the dark.

Apparently Mary usually pregamed with his bandmates and then they headed over en masse later in the night. Horrified, you’d tried to convince him to uphold the tradition, but he’d insisted he could break off one year (“I’m not gonna toss you to the wolves, Suey. I see those assholes all the time.”).

Mary blows out a breath, and it hangs in the air like the puffs of smoke.

“Still pregaming. They’ll be by later. I wanted to give Suey the grand tour.”

Mary makes a sweeping motion, then wraps that arm around you. Ed and Dee’s eyes flick back to you.

“He’s a fucking liar; he was afraid one of you would steal me away.”

Ed coughs out the drag he was taking, and Dee snorts.

“You’re killing my street cred, woman.”

“Whatever, dude,” says Dee with a smirk, and Mary glowers at him. “You wanna bum one?” Dee holds out his pack as if in contrition.

Mary’s hand twitches, but he shakes his head.

“Nah, dude. Not unless it’s that chronic shit.”

“Yeah, they got those somewhere.”

“Cool. Cool cool cool.”

A few merrymakers exit the house—laughing and screaming—and they push by the lot of you as they presumably journey on toward another party.

“All right, dudes. We’re gonna go make the rounds, get some cold ones. See you on the other side!”

“Sounds good!”

“Do it.”

Mary ushers you inside, and—despite the open door—the warmth of the house hits you, making you feel suddenly uncomfortable in your winter coat. Like the outside, there’s a general mass of bodies that are sectioned off (in the hall; on the stairs; spilling out of the kitchen; lounging in the living areas) like music notes in a run of measures. You spot a worn-looking chair that’s piled high with coats, and you go to toss yours on, but Mary grabs your arm.

“Geez, Suey. You wanna get your coat jizzed on?”

“I—what?”

“C’mere, let’s not add our stuff to the pile that’s gonna make someone a nice sex bed later.”

He yanks your coat out of your hands and opens a door that leads to the hall closet. A beach ball tumbles out and is joyfully absconded with by a trio of party goers walking by, and Mary catches one golf club in his hand as it falls out from the top shelf and another under his arm. Unfortunately, he doesn’t catch the one that hits his booted foot, but you managed to stand on tiptoe enough to prevent the entire bag from depositing its contents on Mary’s head.

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

Between the two of you, you manage to get the clubs back in order from whence they fell.

You can see that there’s other junk up there and in the back—whether it lives there permanently or was just shoved in there pre-party, you guess you’ll never know—but there’s an entire row of coats on a rod, which seems to be the closet’s main purpose.

“Here.” Mary rifles through the mess until he finds a free hanger. It takes some adjusting, but he finally gets his leather jacket and your coat onto the same hanger and manages to squeeze it back into the mass.

“OK. Let’s go find Shonda.”

“Not Murray?”

“Apparently he’s elsewhere tonight.” He shrugs.

There’s a sudden squeal of voices, and when you turn, you see Kara and Elsie hurrying toward you. Elsie is in a sequined dress so garish it must be fashionable and Kara sports a sparkly red sweater over black jeggings that she’s wrapped fairy lights around.

“So you’re not dead!” says Kara

“Uh … no?”

“Christ, I would have called you, but I’ve spent the last few days with my head in a toilet,” laughs Elsie.

“Yeah, thanks for that guys,” says Mary. “What I really wanted to do at the crack of dawn was take care of this lush.”

“Pffft,” snorts Elsie. “You’re one to talk, Goore. As if your head doesn’t live in the toilet.

“Yeah, total karma, Mary. Remember that time you got your stomach pumped?”

“Jesus, Mare,” you say at him with a bemused smile. He scowls.

“Look. Honey whiskey goes down easy.”

Elsie and Kara cackle before grabbing up your hands.

“C’mon, let’s get you a drink, hon,” says Kara.

“What about me?” pouts Mary.

Elsie sniffs over her shoulder at him as she pulls you down the hall.

“Sorry, Goore. Girls only. Go set shit on fire or something.”

“That was once!” you hear Mary call down the hall after you.

“Wait—what did he set on fire?”

Elsie looks at you and mimics locking her mouth and throwing away a key.

The kitchen is full of bodies. In one corner, there’s a game of beer pong set up, and in the other, people are digging beer containers out of a giant cooler. On the counter are a few bowls half-filled with various snacks—the other half of which seem to be spilled over the counter and crushed into the linoleum floor. There’s a dark-skinned woman in a black & white plaid rockabilly dress and red cardigan who’s struggling to empty a bag of ice into a second cooler.

“Here—let me help, Shonda,” says Kara as Elsie leads you to the full cooler.

Shonda looks up. “Yeah, could you? Dunno where my asshole roommates are.”

By the time the two of them have the contents of the bag in the cooler—the cubes sliding in with a rough whoosh and plinking softly over the beers in the bottom—you and Elsie have fresh beers that she’s poured into solo cups.

“Thanks, Kar.” Shonda wipes her hands on the bottom of her dress, makes a face, then fumbles for a dingy kitchen towel hanging over the fridge door handle.

“Shonda,” says Elsie, catching the woman’s attention. She pushes you forward a bit. “This is Mary’s new squeeze.”

“Oh, um, hi.” You stick out your hand.

“No shit.” Shonda gives you a once over before giving your hand one firm shake. She nods a few times. “Yeah, ok. I see it.” She pats you on the arm. “Good luck with that.” She turns to Elsie. “Is that little shit here? We need to have words.”

Elsie jerks her thumb over her shoulder. “We left him down the hall.”

“He can run but he can’t hide,” Shonda says as she stomps away in impressively high red heels.

“Do I need to go defend his honor?”

Kara snorts.

“Nah,” says Elsie, waving your question away. “She’ll probably just make him do the heavy lifting the other stooges wheedled their ways out of.”

“He is stronger than those skinny arms make him look,” you muse.

Kara leans in. “Oh?”

You grin at her.

The two of them lead you into what must be a dinning room that seems to be the official set up for the snacks and libations. A bar with liquor and mixers have been arranged in the built-in, and there’s a folding table in the corner with an array of chips, snack foods, and a pile of wilted-looking pizza boxes. There’s a center table—which looks more permanent—that some sort of drinking game is occurring over.

You make a beeline for the pizza.

“I think I need a good base.”

As you juggle the pizza slices on a plate on the top of your cup, Kara and Elsie talk rapid fire across you, sometimes asking you questions (about you, about Mary, about you and Mary), other times going into long-winded stories about people you’ve never met, but are hilarious nonetheless.

“Fuck. I’m not drunk enough for this party yet,” Kara laments.

“Well, yeah,” says Elsie. “I thought we’d get our game on.” She pokes you in the belly, and you suck your stomach in away from her touch. “You done ‘getting your base’ yet?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” You dump the paper plate and crusts into a trash bag slumped in the corner.

About the time Elsie is squeezing you three into the game at the table, Mary wanders in. His face brightens when he sees you, and he makes his way over to you, wrapping his arms around you from behind.

“There you are, baby doll.”

“I thought I told you ‘girls only,’ Goore,” says Elsie.

He jabs a finger at her. “I gave you more than enough time to monopolize my girlfriend, Ford.”

“Just keep your dick in check.”

“I do what I want.”

For the next half hour, you engage in a rousing game of flip cup, which you have always been terrible at, but Mary seems to dominate. By the end, Kara and Elsie are hitting their buzz—playfully shoving themselves and others—and you’re beginning to feel more at ease in this sea of unfamiliar people.

Ed and Trevor wander in and motion to Mary, but seem to address the whole crowd.

“Yo!” says Ed. “Wanna go upstairs?” He stimulates smoking a joint at Mary.

“Yeah, man!” Mary turns to you. “You wanna join?”

You shake your head. “Can’t. I get tested.”

“Laaaame,” says Kara, and you jump because you didn’t realize how close she’d gotten.

“You sure it’s ok?” Mary scrunches his face.

“Yeah, Mare. Go! Be free!”

“Don’t worry, Mare,” says Elsie coyly as she drapes an arm around you. “We’ll take good care of Suey.”

Mary looks horrified enough that you think he might change his mind, but then Ed and Trevor are pulling him away. Elsie looks down at you.

“What did you do to that boy?”

You squint up at her. “What do you mean?”

Kara insinuates her way in between you and hands you both disposable shot cups.

“She means you’ve got him pussy whipped.”

You scrunch your face further. “Mary? He’s like a stray cat that shows up sometimes for food.”

“Is the ‘food’ ‘sex’?” Kara jumps her eyebrows at you.

Laughingly, you shove at her. “Maybe.”

Elsie throws her hands up. “PUSSY. WHIPPED.” She downs her shot.

You and Kara follow suit.

“Ok, but seriously,” you half cough as you wipe a dribble off your chin. “Mary does what he wants. I don’t tell him what to do.”

“Aww, hon—we know,” says Kara. “Elsie is just giving you a hard time.”

Elsie shrugs. “I’m a Class A Bitch.”

“She is,” agrees Kara. She turns her cup upside down; a few droplets drip out. “Hey, bitch—go get us more suds!”

“Demanding,” grips Elsie, but she turns to make her way into the kitchen.

You and Kara wander over to the food table to graze, the howls from the newest drinking game dolcet background noise.

“Hey, I know Elsie tends to make people butthurt, but she just has no filter.”

“Oh. No, it’s fine.” You shrug. “People tend to think I’m an elitist snob, so I try to be, um, more open minded.”

Kara grins at you. “‘Splains why you’re dating Mary.”

You throw a withered carrot stick at her. “Don’t fucking call me out like that.”

Kara laughs as she tries to block the attack. The conversation seems to stall after that, so you try and dredge up a question.

“So you guys know Mary from high school or something? Mary was … vague.”

“Just Elsie. That’s why she’s a little protective. He’s seen some shit.”

“Yeah, I know,” you say quietly. You turn to look at Kara. “Did they ever …?”

Kara waves her hand at you dismissively, swaying slightly. “Shit, we’ve all fucked around with each other at some point or other.”

Your eyes bug out. “You and Mary?”

She snorts, and leans toward you at a dangerous angle. “Well I never slept with Mary. But I’ve been with Elsie and Dee, and Mary with her and Trevor, and Trevor and Dee had a thing with Ed.” She screws up her face. “I think I got that right. I can never keep it straight, honestly.” Kara shakes her head out; then her expression changes and she bites her lip. “Shit. Maybe I shouldn’t’ve told you all that.”

You pop a Jax in your mouth. “Mums the word, sister”

As she’s giving you a sloppy, grateful smile, Elsie finally appears—tottering carefully—with three solo cups precariously balanced between her hands and tits.

“Shit—come get your drinks.”

You and Kara scramble to relieve Elsie of her haul without dropping the prizes as the drinking game breaks with an Awwwwwww.

“You guys wanna with another round?” Elsie throws her thumb over her shoulder as she sips from her cup.

“Fuck yeah, you know it!” exclaims Kara as she throws her hands up, beer spilling over the side.

After doing OK in a few rounds of Finger Spoof (you’re feeling the buzz nicely), you look around and realize you haven’t seen Mary in a while. You leave Kara and Elsie to their own devices and head into the kitchen. Grabbing your own solo cup in your teeth—ignoring it as some of its contents sloshes over the side and down your chin—you fish for a lite beer floating in the lukewarm cooler water for Mary.

If you can locate him.

He’s not in any of the rooms downstairs, nor is he outside with smoker’s club. You make your way up to the second floor, hoping he’ll be easy to find up there. There’s a door that’s locked and another where there’s a group hanging out on the bed and each other as Kpop loudly plays.

You find Mary in an open bedroom full of haze. He’s softly strumming an acoustic guitar—his fingers fumbling slightly on the unfamiliar strings as he tunes his way up the frets. He’s propped up in a corner, legs crossed under him, as the others in the room pass a joint around.

Picking your way carefully through the crowd, you make your way over to Mary. People shift and sway out of the way and scoot over when you smush yourself in next to him.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” You lean your head onto his shoulder, and Mary passes off the guitar to someone else. “Where’re Ed, Edd, and Eddy?”

He snorts.

“Went in search of snackies.”

He looks down at the beers resting in the small slick of condensation on the floor and licks his lips.

“One of those for me?”

“Yeah,” you say as you hand him the room-temperature bottle, which he takes up and chugs half of in one go. Watching his adam’s apple bobbing, you lean in to lick his neck. Mary jerks, then coughs, half spraying the beer out his mouth and nose. A few people squeal in surprise as you cackle, and Mary glares at you, wiping at his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his shirt that he’s curled over his hand.

“Fuck. You’re a pain in my ass.”

He drapes his arm around your shoulder, the bottle in his hand resting on your arm. The person who has the guitar now is strumming up a familiar song, and soon everyone is singing along (screaming or shrieking off key in some cases). Under the guise of getting his drink close to his mouth, Mary subtly maneuvers you into his lap—his other hand sneaking up under your shirt hem to rest on the curve of your belly with the tips of his fingers brushing just under one cup of your bra. You’re too loose from the drinking game to really care, so you lean back into his chest, warbling along to the tune as well.

You’re swaying, drink in hand, as you screech along to another song, when suddenly you become very aware of Mary’s erection pressing into your ass.

You turn your head. “Seriously?”

He rumbles into your ear. “Whaddya want? You’re squirming on my lap.”

Giggling, you purposely grind back on him, and he grabs your hips.

“Fuck, baby doll—keep that up and I’m gonna make a mess.”

You lean your head back on his shoulder as you circle your hips.

“You love making a mess, Mare Bear.”

He leans down to bite at your neck.

“I love making a mess on you. Not in my pants.”

“So stop me.”

Mary’s arm comes around your waist, effectively pulling you flush against him.

“FucK.”

More people wander in as the songs turn from nostalgic familiars to those of the drinking variety, and they raise solo cups and bottles in joyful celebration.

Everyone is sloppy; some sway to the rhythm of the songs, others drunkenly half mosh, spilling their drinks everywhere. You grinding your ass back into Mary—and him twitching up into you—is hardly a blip on anybody’s radar. His head thunks down onto the slope of your shoulder, his hips wanting to rut faster than subtlety or your own movements allow.

People are stomping, clapping, and spraying beer on each other as they half mutter words to drinking songs they realize they only half know.

Mary is a mess, trembling as he presses into you and mewling softly with each pass. Conversely, you’re having a grand ole time: rocking your hips as you sway and sing along to whatever the person in possession of the guitar is currently playing. Ignoring your own wetness and the growing throb in between your legs, you try to give him the pressure he needs.

You can feel his chest heaving into your back and the sweat from his forehead on your skin when it’s clear he’s getting close. His limbs shake as his arms squeeze you tighter, his movements almost stilling to nothing—and then he blows out a held breath like a drumbeat, his crotch pressing into you in pulses as he bites down into the juncture of your neck. Gasping, you spill a good amount of your drink as you jerk forward—Mary still rutting shallowly into you.

A few people cheer at your party foul—which hopefully takes any attention off Mary, who is clearly no longer hiding the fact that he’s cumming hard in his pants. He finally slumps behind you, his arms loosening and sprawling open.

“Shit,” he says.

You lean back. “Mmm … good?” you purr.

His hands sneak back under your top to sink into your flesh, and he leans up enough to whisper into your ear.

“You’re a fucking menace.”

“You could’ve stopped me.”

He growls. “You know what you touching my dick does to me.”

“Was I, though? Touching your dick?”

Mary rubs his face into your neck as his hands squeeze your chub.

“Close enough.”

“Get a room, Goore!” screams someone before some of the group toss a couple of empty solos your way.

Mary looks up and grins.

“Maybe I fucking will.” He starts to stand up, bringing you with him—probably to hide the wet patch on his jeans. “See you losers later.”

There’s a general chorus of hoots and whistles, but mostly the crowd goes back to their drinking songs.

“Are we really getting a room?” you ask—arousal curling—as Mary directs you around the second floor, hands on your hips to keep you in front of him.

“A bathroom, yeah.”

There’s a slight wait—one Mary fills with his roving hands and lips—before the woman ahead of you stumbles out, wiping her wet hands ineffectually on her party dress.

Mary ushers you in, locking the door behind you. The two of you look down to inspect the damage. It’s actually not terrible. You can hardly tell at all on his jeans, and Mary undoes them so he can half shuck them down. His boxer briefs are a completely different story; they’re visibly soaked through at the top, and when he peels away the waistband, he reveals a sticky, slimy mess coating his stomach and flaccid cock.

“Shit. This may be a lost cause,” he says as he inspects the inside of the fabric.

“TP?”

“Yeah, unless you wanna lick it off …” Mary looks up at you with a smirk. “Which would be kinda hot, actually.”

“Sorry,” you say as you roll toilet paper around your hand, “but I like my jizz how I like my coffee: hot and fresh from the source.”

He runs a finger through the mess and then wiggles it at you. “It’s still kinda warm!”

You wrap your mouth around it because it’s the last thing he expects you to do.

“Uh …”

He’s momentarily rendered speechless as he watches you suck his finger clean and then smack your lips as if appraising.

“Nah. None of that reheated crap either.”

He blinks down at you. “Should I be horrified that I’m rubbing off on you?”

You give him a smile with your tongue half sticking out as you rub the wadded up toilet paper across his belly.

“I’m pretty sure I was just rubbing you off, Mare.”

Mary’s hands come up and sink into your hair. “Shut up.” He pulls you into a deep kiss. “Fuck. Love it when you tease me,” he says as he pulls away.

“I know.” You beam up at him and continue trying to clean him up.

He looks down at himself. “Fuck it.” He goes to toe off his boots, realizes that he’s wearing his “dress boots”—the less-scuffed ones that lace up to his knees—and snarls in frustration.

When he goes for the medicine cabinet, you step out of the way and toss the slimed wad of paper into the toilet. Making an Ah-ha! noise, Mary turns to you and snaps a pair of hair scissors triumphantly.

“Do the honors, will ya?”

“Wait—you want me to … cut your boxers off?”

“I’m sure as fuck not taking these boots off or spending the rest of the night marinating in my own jizz.”

You snort at him. “Whatever you want, Mare Bear.” You shuffle forward and hop up onto the sink. It only teeters a little.

“Hey! Hurry the fuck up in there!” comes a male voice through the door accompanied by banging.

“Fuck off, I’m taking a dump!” barks Mary.

“Dude,” says the voice, but the banging stops.

Mary shifts forward into the V of your spread legs as he hands you the scissors. He keeps his face close to yours. “Try not to cut off anything important,” he breathes at you.

“Of course—you’re no good to me clipped.”

His eyes meet yours, then travel down to his crotch. Carefully (willing your eyes to focus), you start from the top down, snipping the fabric—bunching it up with each shear—until you reach the end of the leg up to the crotch, Mary only flinching slightly (“Careful with the goods, woman!” “Fucking hold still!”). Once each side is cut, Mary and you work together to pull each half free.

As you ball up the front half to toss into the trash basket, Mary uses the back half to wipe up the lingering stickiness coating his cock and stomach.

“Better?” you ask when he’s finished and zipping his jeans back up, the other half of his boxers joining its twin in the trash.

He wiggles a bit. “Eh, it’ll do.” You expect him to back off, but instead he crowds closer. “What about you, baby doll? Maybe I should check on you.”

Before you have a chance to respond, Mary is shoving up the layers of your skirt and pressing his hand into your damp tights. You gasp at the sensation.

“Hmm,” he rumbles, “seems like you could use some clean up yourself.”

And then he’s maneuvering his head in between your spread legs, trying to position your knees over his shoulders. You let out an Oh, as your hands fly down to brace yourself on the edges of the sink; Mary growls in frustration as he tries to first pull down your tights, then to rip them apart to no avail. Before you can stop him, he’s picked up the shears and has snipped a slit in your crotch.

“Mary!” you yelp, but he just dives back down, tongue wiggling through the rip in the fabric to trace your seam before delving into your folds to flick at your clit. At the burst of sweetness, you moan, and your head thunks back into the mirror.

Head swimming, you lose yourself in the feel of his tongue as it swirls around your nub and then presses into it a few times before he’s sucking it in between his plush lips. He repeats this process, sometimes running his tongue down to your entrance and then back up, and at others holding the tip directly on your clit until you start squirming in frustration … only to then flick repeatedly back and forth.

A finger enters you, and you cry out, “Oh fuck,” as you tighten around it. Mary starts to slowly ease it in and out of you as his tongue continues its massage of your hardening clit. You’re really squirming now, rocking into his mouth and down onto his finger—making sure you light up every sweet spot. You feel like a guitar string wound too tight, ready to snap, and your pussy pulsates in warning.

Mary sets his tongue speed to 11, and you feel the tidal wave of your orgasm start rushing toward you. You let out a squeak as your one hand sinks into Mary’s hair right before your climax breaks, and you start bucking into his mouth. Like a good boy, he manages to follow the lead of your hips until your pussy stops popping and your body relaxes—your butt slipping down into the bowl of the sink.

After catching your breath, you look down to find Mary’s twinkling eyes staring up at you from beneath the layers of your skirt. You pet down the side of his head with an Mmm, and his eyes close as he leans into the touch.

“I think you only made me stickier, Mare.”

His head tilts to rest on your one leg.

“Not my fault you get wet as fuck. There’s only so much I can lap up at once.”

You shift up into a sitting position as Mary wipes his face—and the lower part of his makeup—onto your tights.

“Shit. Are the tights a lost cause too?”

“Stand up?”

You hop off the sink, and Mary inspects your backside. He gives it a slap before saying, “Nah, I think you’re good. Just a little damp.”

You crinkle your nose. “Well, I feel slimy. Turn around so I can take care of business.”

Mary peers into the mirror to even out his smudgy face before slurping some tap water from the faucet as you get your situation into a tolerable state.

When the two of you exit the bathroom—Mary’s arm draped back around your shoulders—there are two guys lounging on the bottom of the stairs leading up to the 3rd floor. They look up at the sound of the bathroom door opening, and one scrunches his face at you.

“Dude. I thought you were taking a shit.”

He holds up a blackened Yankee candle.

Mary shrugs at him. “We don’t kink shame here.”

The guy’s companion bursts out laughing even as you elbow Mary in the ribs. He just laughs as he says, “C’mon let’s get some suds.”

The two of you make your way back down to the kitchen where Shonda The Beer Færie has replenished the coolers again. Mary shotguns a can—foam spritzing everywhere—as you search for the elusive opener. Unable to locate it, you try—and fail—to pop the top off on the counter.

“Gimme,” says Mary—belching—grabbing for your bottle. After fishing for another bottle in the ice, he aligns the caps and pops them both with the other.

“My hero,” you say in an affected tone as you bat your curled eyelashes at him.

“That’s fucking right.” He makes an arm in an attempt to bulge his bicep.

You test it with your hand. “Nah. Too small, throw it back.”

Pouting at you, he says, “You’re the worst, and we’re in a fight.”

You shrug as you take a swig of beer. “Eh. I got what I wanted.”

Mary makes a grab for the bottle, but you twist out of his reach and bolt out of the kitchen. He doesn’t catch you before you seek sanctuary in the living room. All the furniture has been pushed against walls, the rug rolled and resting in a corner, and more bodies than there should be are packed into the center as a party mix thumps from the speakers.

You wiggle your way into the crowd and run into Kara and Elsie, who shout Hooray! and pull you into their bump and grind. The 3 of you raise your drinks into the air to avoid spilling on each other as you rock and sway, alternating who gets sandwiched.

Suddenly, Mary is at your elbow.

“Hey! Gimme back my girlfriend!”

“Sorry, Goore,” says Elsie. “Finders keepers.”

For a minute he looks genuinely put out, but then he just smirks. “Whatever, I’ll just enjoy the view.”

“Pig,” Kara spits.

Mary shrugs and starts to do a god-awful wiggle that you think is supposed to be dancing. He has the rhythm—and his ass jiggle is pretty nice—but that’s about all he’s got going for him in the moves department.

The mix must be trying to appeal to all types, but ends up being a spastic mix with no eye for continuity. Nineties Girl Pop transitions into Metal, which transitions into Country, then into Alternative, then to 80′s Power Ballad, then R&B, then Punk.

After screaming along to “Toxic”, Elsie leans in. “Fuck, I’m about to pass out. I need to get some air.”

“Want me to come with you?” asks Kara.

“Up to you, dear.”

They look at you.

“I should throw Mary a bone.”

Kara smirks at you. “Kinky.”

Elsie rolls her eyes at her friend. “C’mon you bitch ass.”

Seeing his opportunity, Mary gives a head nod as he seamlessly switches places with them. He pulls your back into him as his hands come round to rest on your hips.

“Good thing you emptied my dick earlier, or we’d have a problem,” he murmurs into your ear.

“Don’t be gross.”

“K.”

You and Mary grind or shimmy or jump depending on what the song calls for, your beer long drunk by now. At some point someone opens a window, and the chill, near-January air curls in—its icy but brisk tendrils working their way through the crowd. You shiver a little as the sweat on your skin tingles and cools at its touch, and Mary pulls you in tighter.

Meatloaf comes on—🎶 On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? 🎶—and Mary snuffles his face into the crook of your neck, you tilting your head to the side to give him access.

🎶 Will he offer me his teeth? 🎶

He worries at you with his teeth.

🎶 Will he offer me his hunger? 🎶

His blunt teeth sink into you, and you let out a pleased rumble.

🎶 And will he starve without me? 🎶

“Yes,” he whispers into your ear right along with Jim Steinman.

You roll your eyes even though Mary can’t see you do it, but you let him spin you out—jostling the other revelers—and back into him (stumbling) as the drum beat drops. He tries to twirl you, but the crowd has packed back in around you, and all you accomplish is tripping over his boots.

🎶 …I was dying just to ask for a taste 🎶 he mouths at you.

“You’re fucking ridiculous,” you say.

He leans in and nips at your lips, but you turn your head to whisper in his ear.

“I gave you a taste earlier, mister.”

“Mmm, but I’m greedy.”

You let him mouth at your neck as the two of you sway back and forth, Mary’s hands dipping lower and lower.

A sudden commotion is like a record scratch, and everyone turns to the front hall. Mary’s bandmates come into sight—caterwauling with 12 packs of shitty beer held aloft—encouraging the cheers of the other partygoers.

One spots Mary and points his finger at him.

“Goore! Goore! Goore!”

The other band members pick up the chant.

“Goore! Goore! Goore!”

The crowd takes up what has become a war cry:

“Goore! GOORE! G O O R E !”

Mary points back, then puts his hand up in supplication at you as he backs his way out of the room.

“You’re a goddamned tease!” you cry after him.

He shrugs before spinning on his heel to be assimilated in the group, the chant turning into whoops and hollers as they make their way into the kitchen.

Mary had warned you that the band usually did an unplugged set, and you surmise they must need to set up.

Without Mary or the girls, the dance room has lost its appeal, so you meander around the first floor. The drinking games have devolved into “Never Have I Ever,” and while the pizza is gone, a homemade-looking mac and cheese dish in a tinfoil baking pan has appeared.

You pile some onto a paper plate (whose structural integrity you seriously question) and are content to watch the proceedings until a girl in the circles demands you squeeze in with a slurred “None of this wallflower shit!”. They shove a solo cup into your hand, which is then promptly filled with whiskey from a Jack bottle.

For the next hour or so, the guests on either side of you—Lila and Marty—become the best friends you never knew you had while you all hoot and catcall each other to the escalating scenarios. The bromance comes to a swift end, sadly, when Dee appears in the doorframe, sees you, and points dramatically.

“It is time for the festivities!” he yells in deep baritone.

“I’m being summoned!” you yell, and there’s a chorus of boos as you wobbly make your way over.

“Come, yon neophyte, and join us at the gathering spot.”

“Lay on, McDee!”

Dee leads you out into the backyard, which is done up with myriad bulb lights. Mary winks at you as you pass him on the porch—picking your way around the hodgepodge of instruments—before you join Ed, Trevor, Kara, and Elsie at one side of a well-used iron fire pit on the grass. The girls are passing a flask back and forth as they snuggle you in between them.

It should be fucking freezing out, but with the alcohol, the body heat, and the fire, you actually feel quite cozy. There’s a buzz of voices as the band arranges and tunes the borrowed instruments. You think you can see human shapes on back decks in other lots, but it’s hard to tell through the glare of the lights.

The band members take their places, there’s a countdown, and then Mary and the guys jumpstart into their first crowd favorite. While there are some general cheers at favored sections, the intimacy of the party and the lack of mics or speakers make it a quieter affair than their venue shows. You and the girls sway back and forth in your triplet, and even the guys are fist pumping and mouthing along. They play two more of their own songs before doing a few classic 80′s punk covers that really get everyone hyped.

It’s not perfect—none of them are sober, they’re unaccustomed to the instruments, and the cold air isn’t helping dexterity. At one point the lead singer forgets the words and just la la las his way through the verse, which in turn sends some of the other members into a musical stutter. Not everyone is invested in the whole set—some people went back inside after the first few tunes, and others see the band as just background to their conversations. Those who are fully invested have gravitated closer to the porch—but your group of Mary’s bffls are content to hang out by the fire pit where a few people have started roasting marshmallows.

After an … interesting … mashup of “Rudie Can’t Fail” and “Classics of Love” that sounds like a physical representation of a key smash, the band closes ranks, and there’s some whispered conversation and emphatic gesturing.

“Ok!” says Donnie, the lead singer. “We’re gonna switch things up. Usually on backing vocals, Goore is going to take lead for our last song.” There are some boos that probably have more to do with the set ending than Mary singing, but also some whistles that are probably for Mary. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But it’s a party for us too!”

“Huh,” says Elsie.

“What?” you say into her armpit.

“Mary hates lead.”

You know. He’s mentioned ad nauseam.

Mary steps forward and takes position up front. When he brushes his forelock out of the way, he looks up briefly and catches eyes with you. You give him thumbs up. A grin breaks out on his face, and he winks at you. Slowly, he strums chords until he finds what he’s looking for, and you can tell he’s humming along quietly—it’s a familiar sight now to you, but you wonder how much of this crowd has seen Mary chart out a song.

Finding the key he’s looking for, Mary clears his throat. His voice isn’t rich in timbre, but he rasps out with feeling, and his pitch is near perfect.

🎶 So I hear you been wondering I've been wondering too Just what this crazy world has in store for me and you 🎶

You’re surprised at his choice, and you feel your face burn. Mary’s eyes flick up to you—glinting boyishly—and you stick your tongue out at him. He slows the song way down as he sings, changing the frenetic energy of the original into a soulful ballad to which he can growl along.

🎶 You scratching to find a way A tortured soul back from the grave O Baby Doll back to kill them all Now please won’t you stay 🎶

Mary pauses, looking full up at you before taking in a deep breath. A few heads turn to see who he’s looking at. You scrunch your face at him to convey your mortification, but he just shakes his head at you—he’s not going to stop.

🎶 Baby Doll whoa Baby Doll I need you I love you Baby Doll whoa Baby Doll O Please come back to me 🎶

You suddenly feel naked under the interested gazes of the curious onlookers as Mary continues on. He’s mostly singing at the guitar, but his few pointed glances at you make it clear who he’s singing to.

🎶 The tortures of your soul The rotting flesh pain never dulls O Baby Doll you will kill them all Now please come to me 🎶

You try to sink back into Elsie and Kara, who just push you forward again.

“Dude,” Elsie breaths at you.

“This is awesome,” says Kara.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” you mutter through your plastered on smile.

Some of the amassed crowd—which suddenly seems to have multiplied—start clapping to the slowed beat, and it causes a ripple of well-timed claps as well as those who can’t keep a rhythm.

Strumming in deliberate strokes, Mary looks up to hold your eyes once more.

🎶 I see you standing there In the shadows and in the rain A lifeless beauty Nothing could ever ease you of all your pain But Baby Doll the revenge you seek I dunno It will never be sweet But you'll never give it up Now come to me Come on 🎶

You shake your head as Mary continues to repeat the chorus into a soft fade. There’s a moment of silence after he’s finished, and he points out at you.

“Give it up for my very own baby doll!”

Applause breaks out and you give him double Fs.

Mary sets down the guitar carefully as Donnie steps forward again.

“All right! That’s it, motherfuckers! We’re about an hour away from the New Year, so grab a drink and sign up for our mailing list if you haven’t already!”

The crowd is whooping and whistling. A few people crowd up on the porch, as do Trevor, Ed, & Dee. Mary shakes hands, shoulder bumps, and backslaps his bandmates and some of the crowd, but his eyes are on you.

“I’d fuck him,” says Kara with a smirk.

Elsie groans. “Please don’t fuck in front of us. At least find a broom closet.”

You turn to her and give her a wolfish smile. “Who says we haven’t already christened it?”

Elsie buries her face in her hands as Kara tipsily attempts to fist bump you and ends up smushing your tit.

“Whoops! My bad!”

“Bitch, we’re cutting you off.”

“No, you’re not. Who would you do shots with?”

“Suey’s more than capable.”

You make a “who me?” face.

“Mebbe, but I think her mouth is spoken for.”

You’re about to respond, but arms suddenly encircle you, a mouth presses to your neck, and you squawk.

“If you’re not Mary Goore, you better watch your nuts!”

“I’m me, and I have to watch my nuts, anyway.”

You squirm around so that you’re facing him.

“Forget your nuts, I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“Aaaand on that note!” says Elsie, and she and Kara pat Mary’s arm before heading inside.

He looks down at you with hooded eyes.

“Whatever. You’re pleased. You fucking love that song.”

“Oh? Am I?”

“Yeah.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“I still have my nuts.”

You narrow your eyes at him, then point your finger in his face.

“You’re on thin ice, mister.”

“Mmm, I can think of a few ways you can take it out of my ass later.”

Your stomach flips, and you press into him, grabbing his jaw.

“Damn right I will.”

Mary bites his lip as you wiggle your hand in between the two of you to palm at his crotch. He closes his eyes and sways a little

and that’s when you step away from him.

“C’mon—my cup is empty. I need a refresh.”

Mary’s eyes pop open, and he whines while making an exaggerated puppy-dog face.

You snap your fingers at him. “That’s for earlier.”

There are still enough people mingling outside that it takes a while for the two of you to actually make it back inside—some are Mary’s friendly acquaintances he wants to say hi to and others are fans he can’t help but chat up.

“We’re going to be on Instagram again, aren’t we?” you say when you finally start your trek inside, his arm lazily resting around your shoulders.

His head turns to face you, and he gives you an impish smile.

“Tell me if I give a shit.”

You quirk your eyebrow at him. “You might give a shit later.”

His smile turns vulpine. “Promise?”

Your hand slips into his back pocket and squeezes.

It’s actually pretty close to the ball drop by this point, so you and Mary grab up two of the bargain plastic champagne glasses you find lined up in rows on the kitchen counter. When the cheap champagne starts being passed around like you’re all in a pirate shanty, you hold out the glasses (Mary’s already lost the base to his) for a fill.

There’s no way everyone is going to fit in the living room; the majority of the attendees are spilling out into the hall, up the stairwell, and out onto the porch, with you and Mary are squished in by the stairs—but the volume for Rocking New Year’s Eve is turned up so loud the speakers are fuzzing, and a few people are streaming it on the phones.

“T-Minus one minute!” someone screams, and a cheer goes up.

“Oh shit!” you exclaim and start digging around in your bra.

“What?” asks Mary as his eyes flick down to your tits.

You retrieve two silver dollars, warmed by your skin, and press one into Mary’s free hand.

“What’s this?” He holds the coin up at eye level.

“Silver dollar. If you hold onto one as the year turns over, it’s supposed to bring good fortune.”

He looks at you skeptically as he turns it this way and that. “Does it work?”

You shrug. “Can’t hurt. My grandma swore by it.”

“THIRTY SECONDS!”

“Where d’you even get these?”

You grin.

“Amazon.”

Shouts come from the living room: “10 … 9 … 8 …”

Mary turns to face you, and the two of you take up the chant.

“7 … 6 … 5…”

He crowds a little closer, the fist holding the coin draped over your shoulder with yours resting on his hip.

“4 … 3 … 2 …”

You don’t get out the “1” because Mary smashes his mouth to yours—just a hard press of lips to lips—then he’s pulling away to press his glass to your mouth. As you try to sip out of it, you fumble your own glass to his mouth. The two of you only succeed in spilling half the contents all over each other before conceding defeat.

There’s some shrieking a moment before everyone in the hall gets sprayed with foamy champagne. Since there really isn’t any room to escape, Mary and you try your best to duck and cover, laughing as the droplets come raining down. The beach ball from earlier comes out of nowhere, and you punch it back into the air, the plastic of it slick from the champagne shower.

Everyone is still screaming, separated friends are trying to find each other amidst the revelry, and some dude on the stairs is shouting Tennyson over an off-key rendition of “Auld Lang Syne”.

“Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky!” 🎶 Should old acquaintance be forgot, 🎶

Elsie and Kara are jumping up and down from where they are in the living room, pointing, and starting to make their way to you.

“The flying cloud, the frosty light!” 🎶 and never brought to mind? 🎶

The beach ball beans you in the face, and Mary takes it and lobs it onto the porch where it hits the back of Donnie’s head, causing the rest of them to cackle and holler back.

“The year is dying in the night!” 🎶 Should old acquaintance be forgot, 🎶

Like magic, Mary procures a half-full bottle of bubbly from the train of people maneuvering in the hall and takes a big swig before passing it to you. You chug the rest, coughing as the lukewarm bubbles fizz up your nose.

“Ring out, wild bells, and let him die!” 🎶 and auld lang syne? 🎶

Laughing, Mary wipes at your face with his sleeve, and you realize he’s still got the silver dollar clutched tight in his hand.

Song List

Next ➡️

#mary goore #ofc #feral cats fic #gritty girls #gutter punk #my writing #original content

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prefmeapp · 4 years ago

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Prefme Partner, the world’s first all-in-one contactless hospitality solution!

Embracing the new normal in the hospitality industry in the post-covid world!

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With Prefme, hotels can now offer guests a more hygienic way to enter their rooms as they don’t need to touch the physical keys repeatedly; the Mobile Key feature allows them to unlock their rooms via their smartphone, which is more convenient for guests, while efficient and cost effective for hotels.

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As soon as the guests enter the hotel, Prefme app adapts to the hotel theme and guests can browse through the entire list of services like spa, golf, dining and more. Prefme allows guests to book these services right from their smartphone helping hotels to deliver a truly contactless experience.

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#hospitality #hotelapp #digital #contactless #concierge #hotels #mobileapp

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womanlalaboy · 6 years ago

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Womanlalaboy's Travel Guide to Batulao

SUMMARY

Elevation: 811+ MASL Jump- off: Evercrest Golf Course, Nasugbu Days / hours to summit: 1 day / 2-4 hours Climb: Minor Difficulty: 4/9 Trail class: 3 with 60-70 degrees assault Features: Open trails, rolling slopes, scenic views of Batangas

Type of Travel: DIY Date of Travel: most recent is Feb. 2019 Duration: 1D Budget: P 600 - P 700

Batangas sure is rich in natural treasures- from beaches to waterfalls to history and culture, and to mountains that are clamored about by most climbing enthusiasts. A day or two wouldn’t be enough to sample everything Batangas has to offer, but climbing Batulao can somehow give you a glimpse of what paradise is.

Batulao is my first official climb, but we were welcomed by a typhoon during our first time hiking, so we vowed to come back on a sunny day and witness the majestic views of Batangas landscape. Our most recent climb was Feb. this year during the long weekends. There were over a thousand climbers that time and we’ve watched how the paths crumble with every step. It was concerning to see that much people in a hike that’s supposed to give you a moment to breathe and contemplate life. I’ll publish a separate write up for the environmental impact of over- commercializing places like Batulao. For now, we’ll focus on how you can get around hiking this beautiful mountain, but please to avoid doing your hike on weekends and during holidays.

ITINERARY

5:30 AM - Meet up at Pala-pala terminal 7:45 AM - ETA Evercrest 8:00 AM - ETA trail head 8:30 AM - Start Trek 11:00 AM - Summit 12:00 PM - Start Descent 2:00 PM - ETA trail head. Lunch 5:00 PM - ETA Pala-pala terminal 6:00 PM - Imus

From Manila, it will only take about 3-4 hours to reach Batangas and you wouldn’t need to transfer from one bus to another so basically, it’s not that hard to get to Batulao and you wouldn’t need to worry so much about the travel time unless it’s around holidays and long weekends. If you will do a DIY hike, you’ll have to endure the Manila traffic. Since buses will have to take E. Aguinaldo Highway, you’ll have to pass through traffic prone areas like Bacoor, Dasmariñas and Tagaytay. It’s still best to allow an allowance of another hour for this case.

HOW TO GET THERE

Commute from Manila: Board any bus bus liners bound for Nasugbu, Batangas from EDSA, Quezon City, Taft Avenue, Pasay and in Cubao. Drop off at Evercrest Golf Course and ride a tricycle or walk to get to the trail head. DLTB bus bound for Nasugbu in Buendia Station costs around P 111.

Commute from Bacoor or Imus, Cavite: Ride any bus bound for Nasugbu, Batangas. The bus liners are usually found along Emilio Aguinaldo High way from Waltermart Dasmariñas as well as from Silang. You can also ride a van from Pala-pala Terminal.

You can simply tell the bus driver or conductor to drop you off at Evercrest or just inform them that you’re off to Batulao. From Evercrest, you can either walk your way to the trail head or hail a tricycle for P 100 per way (good for 4 pax).

Private car via Emilio Aguinaldo High way: You will have to pass through Imus, Dasmariñas, and Silang. Simply continue til you reach Batangas-Cavite boundary. Take the road marked by an arc, leading to Nasugbu, Batangas

Private car via SLEX: take Sta. Rosa Exit and continue driving along Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road. When you hit a fork, you’ve reached the Batangas-Cavite boundary. Take the right road marked by an arc, leading to Nasugbu, Batangas.

Private car via CAVITEX: Drive along Antero Soriano Highway. You will pass through Kawit, Tanza, Naic, and Ternate then drive through Mt. Palay Palay National Park and Kaibiang Tunnel to reach Barangay Papaya and then Barangay Calayo and Nasugbu town proper.

Private car from Alabang: Take Daang Hari, turn left to Paliparan, right to the junction leading to Carmona, left to Aguinaldo Highway up to Tagaytay junction leading to Nasugbu. Another option is to Take Daang Hari, continue on Daang Hari extension past the dikes, turn left at the end and go towards the San Miguel and Purefoods plants along Governors Drive. Turn right when you reach Governors Drive and continue until you reach Naic, then turn left and on to Puerto Azul, Caylabne.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

Some experienced climbers do more than just hiking Batulao. Batangas is rich in mountains to climb, so some hike one or two other mountains apart from Batulao. 3 of the nearest mountains that can be a part of a probable twin hike or trilogy hike are Mt. Talamitam, Mt. Apayang and Mt. Pico De Loro.

Mt. Talamitam

Jump-off point: Sitio Bayabasan, Brgy. Aga, Nasugbu (KM. 83) LLA: 14.1158° N; 120.7577° N; 630 MASL Days required/ Hours to summit: 1 day / 1.5-2.2 hours Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3 with steep assault (100m)

Layon Bilog / Layong Bato

This area can be found at the foot of Mt. Talamitam (considered as Mt. Batulao’s “little sister”). You can wash up by the river or do rappelling, but whichever you prefer to do, you’ll surely enjoy this sight.

Mt. Apayang

Mataas na Pulo, Nasugbu, Batangas 700+ MASL (Approximate) Specs: Minor Climb

Mt. Pico De Loro

Maragondon, Cavite and Nasugbu, Batangas Major jump-off: DENR Station, Magnetic Hill, Ternate, Cavite Minor jump-off: Sitio Fronda, Brgy. Papaya, Ternate-Nasugbu Highway, Nasugbu, Batangas LLA: 14° 12.855 N; 120° 38.785 E; 664 MASL Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 2-5 hours Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3 Features: Distinctive spire at the summit, forests, scenic views of Cavite Last updated: September 16, 2016

SAMPLE BUDGET

138 - Bus transportation from Pala-pala to Nasugbu and vice versa 50 - Tricycle fare back and forth (P 100 for 4 pax) 160 - Registration 100 - Guide fee per head for 5 pax (500 / guide) 50 - Batangas Lomi

___________________________________

498/head of 5 pax

Batulao is one of the most accessible mountains to hike. Due to its proximity to the metro, it’s considered a favorite among city folks who want to escape the gritty streets of Manila, but despite its fame, Batulao still is far from being perfect. For one, the water is scarce in the place and during peak season, they usually run out of water. We’ve encountered that during our last hike so instead of taking a bath, we settled to washing with wet towels before changing clothes. The bath fee at the trail head would cost P 25 per pail (timba/balde). If you need to take a piss or answer nature’s call, you’d have to pay P 10.

Another thing to take into consideration is the registration fee. Unlike most climbs, the registration for Batulao would have to take at several occasions. P 30/head (1st Registration); P 30/head (2nd Registration); P 20/head (3rd Registration); P 20/head (4th Registration); P 20/head (5th Registration); P 20/head (6th Registration); P 20/head (7th Registration).

There are refreshments and meals available at the stops and camps, but I advise that we do not patronize these. With the increasing demand for convenient food and drinks, we also raise the environmental impact of consuming these goods. The same goes for souvenirs such as bag tags. In the next few years, it wouldn’t be as fun and as magical to climb Batulao if instead of being accompanied by luscious green trees and plants, we’ll be trekking a mountain of trash.

WHAT TO BRING

Packed lunch (advised)

Med Kit/ Personal medicines

Raincoat when necessary

Extra clothes

At least 2 liters of water

Whistle

Trash Bag

Toiletries (esp. alcohol)

Trail food (energy bars, peanuts, chocolates, banana, salt)

Sunblock

Cap

Headlamp when necessary

Gloves (not required)

Trekking pole (advised when it’s raining)

Handkerchief / scarf (advised)

NOTES

No reservation is required to climb Mt. Batulao.

A large number of tourists swarm the place during weekends especially during long weekends or holidays. Avoid doing the hike during those days.

Sun exposure is notoriously acute when dry. Apply plentiful of sunblock whenever needed.

You’ll have to pass through tall grass lands so it’s better to be well-covered to avoid cuts and skin irritation.

While hiking, wear quick dry clothes and stay away from cotton fabrics and denim pants since you will be sweating profusely during the climb.

Wear a pair of hiking shoes when you climb Batulao during rainy days. The mountain can be very muddy, and hiking sandals can be hard to deal with at times like this.

Guides are required to hike Batulao with a ratio of 1 guide to 7 hikers.

There are 2 trails to choose from (old and new). However, you can talk to your guide to see if you can hike half with each trail.

If you want to stay overnight, you can pitch your tent at the designated camping sites. The guide fee, though would be P 1000 for an overnight stay. Tent rentals are also available at the registration area, but if you want to help lessen our environmental impact, opt to do a day hike instead.

Shower rooms are available at certain camps as well as at the trail head.

Water is scarce in the area so they require a fee whenever you use their toilet. At the registration area, you can take a bath for P 25/pail (timba/balde), and you can use their toilet for P 10.

Refreshments are available at stops and camps, but to avoid our environmental impact, it’s best to avoid those.

LEAVE NO TRACE (LNT): Kill nothing but time, take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.

MORE...

Also see: Batulao Revenge Hike photo sets Also read: Panhik #2: Braving Batulao Also read: Womanlalaboy’s Travel Guide to Gulugod Baboy

#womanlalaboy #panhik #travelguides #batulao #mountain climbing #hiking #trekking #climb #hike #mountain #batangas #braving batulao #batulao revenge hike #nature #philippine #mountains of the philippines #pilipinas #pilipino

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primary-colour-hair · 6 years ago

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Powerful Yet Powerless: Working through Hurricane Sandy NYC

6 years ago October 29th 2012 Hurricane Sandy hit New York City and was one of the most challenging time of my life. While we knew this was possible we did not know it would actually hit or be as devastating as it was and cause so much chaos. Luckily I suffered no damage to my apt but all of Lower Manhattan below 34th Street (including my building) was without power for a week and due to this the salon/school was forced to close.

I previously lived in Bermuda for 7 years so was very used to hurricane warnings, high winds, tropical storms, hurricanes, loss of power and having to improvise. I had experienced several hurricanes including 2 that had shut down the salon for 3+ days each as the power was out downtown. In the aftermath I had rescued my garden furniture from a 60ft drop onto the 8th tee of the golf course at the back of my house and had watched a whole beachfront restaurant get washed away from the cliffs above. But nothing could prepare me for the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

I lived on the second floor of a pre-war building in the heart of SoHo. My sturdy building was over 100 years old and was not going anywhere. (nor was I) It was likely my street would be flooded or windows may leak as my building was in an evacuation zone, a part of the city that would spend the rest of the week without electricity.

As I left work on Friday evening it was uncertain how the next 48 hours would play out or if anything would even happen. My boss's kids helped me put towels around our windows in our SoHo School to soak up any leaks. The building management company sand-bagged the entrances and we crossed our fingers. We had scheduled a big event for weekend and although many people had cancelled we still had many Ambassador salon owners & stylists who had arrived earlier in the week for a long anticipated 4-day education event and decided to stay. We hosted one day of their event and were forced to cancel the remaining 3 days when the venue lost power. See Salon Today for a write up about how the business coped with this.

I spent the weekend at The Highline Park & Central Park and except for the updated news bulletins no-one would know there was a hurricane due. The weather was grey and cloudy yet the water was the proverbial calm before the storm. It was a normal NYC weekend, anything could happen.

When the MTA Shut down rail & bus service on Sunday afternoon we knew it was serious and imminent so we waited!

By Monday morning the wind was picking up and the streets were eerily empty. The owner had made the decision to close the salons, school and academy for the day due to the MTA Shutdown and hurricane threat. The hardest part was the waiting so I walked to work to see what was needed. The perils of living 3 blocks away and being a Manager/Key-holder is that you still go to work, even when no-one else does. I did what I do best which was work: I emailed all staff & students that we were closed and to stay tuned for updates. I answered emails, planned & adjusted schedules, organized closets and even did 6 loads of laundry!

By Monday evening the wind had really picked up and was howling, trees were shaking and the water was choppy but, for now, I still had light & power. My building was loud with the sound of pounding feet & banging suitcases as my neighbours packed up to leave SoHo. For me, life carried on as normal and I was staying put. I cooked dinner and sat down to watch a movie: the Con-Ed robot call came just as the opening credits were rolling (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows) advising me that the power was about go out. Literally 5 seconds later it did.

Although you can think you are prepared for a power outage you never really are. I had candles but couldn't find the lighter, had a torch but dropped it and the batteries fell out and had failed to fill the sink with water for whatever cold water is required for!

I ate dinner in the dark and watched the movie on my laptop, until the power died. Then I went to bed. My building was unusually quiet and as nice as that was it was also quite eery. As far as I could tell, my neighbours next door were home but no one else on my floor was. As the week went on it was apparent we were the only tenants left in our 6-story building.

I woke up the next day very early and for that blissful second when I awoke all was well until the reality kicked in: I had no light, heat, electricity, phone service or wifi, no fridge, could not take a shower or flush my toilet, or use my phone or laptop. More worryingly, I could not really see to get dressed so ran the risk of odd shoes! As I had no food I decided to take a walk to see how my city had fared overnight. My street was messy with tree branches and leaves but not flooded, good sign! I had absolutely no idea if anywhere was open or if anywhere had power. By the time I had walked up to 23rd Street I saw a few groups of people walking and then I saw a store open! It was running on a generator and was both warm and cold at the same time! I asked the store owner for any news and he told me power was completely out below 34th Street and spotty above it.

The next day I woke up early with a plan to keep walking until I found electricity and life. I packed my electronics and chargers and started walking north. I walked from SoHo to Midtown (36 blocks, 2.5 miles) and once I got past 30th St I found a deli, with electricity! I bought breakfast, snacks and drinks and continued. My plan was to find a hotel and park myself in the lobby to inconspicuously charge my devices. I walked a few more blocks and found a hotel with a large lobby. It was packed! I perched on a window sill and begged my way to 1 socket to charge the first device I could. I scoffed my breakfast eagerly and chatted to the people around me, most were locals living in a blackout zone. Eventually I was able to nab a seat and a second socket and even connected to the wifi. My first concern was to let my family back in The UK know I was fine then check the local news. Wow, we were very lucky in NYC that although we had damage and loss of power many places close by were flooded (including the subway), there was a lot of damage and many waterfront homes had been flooded or sadly washed away. Eventually I found out that a few of my co-workers who lived on Long Island, Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn had severe damage to their homes.

I checked in with my owner and team to ensure all were ok and then logged on to the school social media to give our students an update. I spent the day answering emails to students, staff, stylists, class attendees and hairdresser friends across North America reassuring them I was fine and New Yorkers were made of tough stuff! I had Advanced Academy Classes scheduled for the upcoming weekend in our NYC Academy and in Philadelphia, North Carolina and Chicago. I spent several days liaising with the team to check, confirm or reschedule travel but as I had no idea when the airports would re-open there was literally nothing I could do but wait for updates. By Wednesday limited buses were running in Midtown and parts of Manhattan but they did not go Downtown below 14th St as all the traffic lights were out (no power) and it was too dangerous. Some subways lines were slowly reopening in parts of the city (mostly above ground lines) and others were in the process of being pumped. In Midtown tourists were buzzing about without a care in the world while locals compared stories of their neighbourhood.

As the week progressed I continued my daily walk to and from the same midtown hotel with all electronics I could carry leaving my apt as soon as it was light and returning before dark. I made friends with the other people in the lobby who were also trying to work from a single socket and lobby bench and we all shared power sockets, news, stories, drinks and snacks glad of the sense of normality, if even for an hour. My building was still almost empty and it was unnerving walking below 14th Street due to the lack of street lights, traffic lights and phone signal.

The organisation we were scheduled to teach 2 of our upcoming weekend classes for in Chicago and North Carolina were pressing me to confirm our staff would be travelling. It was difficult as I was unable to contact some of the staff and local transport was very spotty with airports runways slowly reopening and flights being cancelled daily. By Friday I had organised for the 4 staff to get a ride to the airport(s) and kept my fingers crossed their flights would take off. I cancelled the Philadelphia class.

I checked on the salon one day and found my owner and co-worker there, fulfilling product orders, packing them and driving them to midtown to mail. We had no light, no power but had to remain some sense of normality to the rest of the country and orders had to be filled!

All this time I had still not had a shower and had begged a shampoo sample from a hotel employee to shampoo my hair in the restaurant bathroom, generic product never felt so good!

By Saturday morning I had had enough, having broken sleep, poor nutrition and lack of bathing and was on the verge of tears wondering when normality would ever resume when at 5am the power came back on! It was amazing, my lights came on, the clocks started flashing, the radio blasted out and general noise resumed. I was so happy!! I jumped out of bed and plugged every device in to charge up. I checked my apartment for damage and all was fine (thankfully)

I took a (cool) shower, grabbed my camera and ran out into the street. I could not stop smiling and felt so alive again! I walked through SoHo to The Lower East Side towards the sunrise like a moth to a flame and walked over The Manhattan Bridge. My City was waking up and had been brought back to life, horns were beeping, lights were flashing and normal life was resumed. I walked across The Bridge to Dumbo and back marvelling at the golden skyline staring back at me and how lucky I was to live in this amazing city.

Eventually I went home and had the longest shower ever then took myself out for a celebratory dinner!

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spellucci · 2 years ago

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Dora Crosses the Delaware (bay)

Saturday, June 25, 2022

We got up at 6:00 to pack up, make coffee, and pick up more poop bags before getting in line for the Lewes, DE ferry at 7:20. We had the chance to say goodbye to Abby & Himal as we scurried about.

Charlotte texted that Tim had forgotten his beer in her fridge at the previous night's cocktail party. We cracked wise about going drinking with her at 7:00 am, but we're able to rescue the errant beer and exchange more goodbyes at her place.

The ferry dock was designed to entertain waiting kids — playground and free mini-golf. Dora strolled around greeting everyone with enthusiasm and striking up conversation with many dog-lovers.

The ferry faced a parking area for Higbee Beach. We would be looking back at Higbee for the first part of our crossing.

Two older men wearing Security vests, channeling their inner TSA agent, started heading our way. Jeanne was giving a tour of the RV to another couple. One of the Security men he declared he wanted to see inside. After grumpily waiting until the disabled woman of the couple slowly got down Millie’s steps, he growled he had seen what he needed to.

Blasts of the horn and we rumbled aboard. We were #2 off the front of the ferry — just a small car and a net between us and the water — so Tim climbed up to the roof to get out a chock for our wheels.

Laughing gulls followed us across the bay in aerial acrobatics.

The weather was beautiful— sunny and warm with enough breeze for comfort. We went to the upper deck just as the ferry started rolling with ocean waves. Tim’s grace and agility were put to the challenge as he climbed the steep stairs carrying Dora. Jeanne clung to the handrails.

Dora was her usual social butterfly self.

We disembarked at Lewes and enjoyed our first view of diesel fuel at under $6.00 since March. We did laundry and went grocery shopping. We can’t get into Assateague until tomorrow, so we have a whole day with no plans and only ourselves to consult. We head for a potential place to camp — 3Rs Beach.

3Rs Beach is dog friendly! We have lunch and pack our beach gear. Higbee taught us what we need to pack and how to keep Dora shaded. Frisbee, carrots, water bowl, towel, mat for shade, cable, chew toys — and towels and water for the humans.

The waves are surf-able and much too violent for Dora. Too much undertow for Tim and Jeanne, too, but the water temperature was great. There were plenty of younger people body and boogie surfing. No lifeguards.

High tide and hunger motivated us to move around 5:30. We cooked dinner and leisurely watched the sunset and the Over-Sand Vehicles coming in to air back up.

The parking lot was busy all night with fisherman and OSV coming and going. We probably would have slept better at Cracker Barrel, but bragging rights for sleeping at the beach close enough to hear the surf was worth it.

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bondehuff8-blog · 6 years ago

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Denver Movers, Cheap Movers

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littlegoa · 3 years ago

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Pipe Smoking - How to Smoke a Pipe like Expert

Since I opened The Pipe Nook, I've had inquiries from many who don't yet smoke pipes, in regards to how to get into the hobby. While pipe smoking for me is the most enjoyable form of smoking, I have to admit that there is certainly a learning curve! I made many attempts along the way before I finally discovered the secrets to pipe smoking success. Below, you will find some basic tips to get you started on your pipe smoking journey. If you're already a pipe smoker, this information is fantastic for sharing with friends. Look for the link below to save the contents of this blog as a handy one-page reference!

Things you'll need

A pipe and some tobacco.

A tamping tool. A golf tee, Bolt, Pipe Nail, or any wooden or metal T-shaped object will do.

A soft-flame lighter or matches. Torch lighters get too hot and can damage your pipe.

Basic Steps

1. Pack your pipe to about 75% full, to allow space at the top for the lit tobacco to "bloom." Most people recommend a 3-Step packing method, but sometimes I only need to do this twice. Here are some guidelines:

Gently fill the bowl to the rim, then lightly pack it down until it's 50% full or less.

Fill to the rim again, and pack down a bit more firmly until it's 50% to 75% full.

If there's room, add a bit more tobacco, and press down just a tad more firmly. Don't go more than 80% full, or things may get messy when you light it.

2. Don't pack so tightly that a test puff feels like a milkshake, or so loosely that it feels like no resistance at all. You want it to feel like sipping water or soda through a straw.

3. For the First light, take sips (not gulps) and move the flame around until the top of the tobacco is evenly lit. It will most likely bloom up and go out quickly. This is known as the "false light."

4. Once out, tamp the tobacco gently and uniformly. This is the “cake” or burning surface that you'll use to get your true light.

5. Light a second time the same way as the first. You should be on your way, but it sometimes takes a third light to really get going.

6. Tamp gently along the way whenever the top gets looser. Once you've smoked for a while, the top will get moderately "fluffy" with ash; gently upturn your bowl and tap the loose ash in an ashtray. A coffee tin or any similar metal or wooden container will work.

7. Take gentle sips and enjoy the taste of the tobacco. Congratulations, you're smoking a pipe!

General Tips

If your tobacco is moist, leave it out to let it dry a bit. Moist tobacco causes too much hot vapor in the smoke, a large contributor to what is known as "tongue bite."

Don't fight to keep it lit! You'll only frustrate yourself and burn your tongue. If the smoke tastes too hot, let the pipe cool down for a bit. If it goes out, just tamp and relight. Take your time, be patient. Pipe smoking in India is about relieving stress and enjoying the moment.

Don't inhale! It's not a cigarette, and shouldn't be treated as though the point were to get a fix.

Learning a cadence that keeps the pipe lit better for you, yet doesn't make the smoke too hot to enjoy, is a knack only learned with time and experience. Your cadence won't be what another pipe smoker's cadence is, so don't compare. Just learn what works best for you!

If you don't like the first tobacco you've tried, don't give up: There are literally HUNDREDS of blends to choose from. I always recommend trying at least one of the following 5 blends before throwing in the towel: An Aromatic, a natural Virginia, a natural Burley, a Latakia Blend, and a Perique Blend.

That's it! Of course, pipe smoking is a nuanced and highly personal activity that you will get better at over time. But these general tips are all you need to get you on your way!

#Pipe smoking #glass pipe #smoking pipe #Ganja Pipe India #Weed Pipe Online #Smoking Pipe India

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jimmydemaret · 4 years ago

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comfortersetss · 3 years ago

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GREENS TOWEL 6 Pack Golf Towels with Clip for Golf Bags, Plush Microfiber nap Fabric, 16x16, The Original Greens Towel Value Pack

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bulletinwave · 3 years ago

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Cooling Towel 6 Packs ,KEAFOLS 40x12’’ Chill Ice Sports Towel Neck Headband Bandana Scarf for Instant Relief Stay Cool with Cold Microfiber Cloth for Yoga ,Golf ,Gym Fitness&Summer Outdoor Work

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brynsconsumption · 4 years ago

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02.01.2021 - Day 11

Monday funday.

I woke up around 9:30 before my alarm so, go me. I got out of bed, opened up all of the blinds in the apartment and turned on all the lights. Then I made my bed and folded all my blankets up nicely and uncovered Juno and gave him fresh food, water, and seeds as a treat. I headed to the bathroom to do the morning routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face, moisturizing, and taking my daily vitamins. I then sat at my desk to do some simple makeup, just eyebrows and mascara for today. I got dressed in an outfit I really like for my all online days, my Golf Wang sunflower tee and fav Brandy sweatpants with bright yellow socks. The colors make me happy and it’s comfy for my exercise class and meditation class.

Morn routine

I made myself a quick breakfast before Posture and Personal Exercise, I’ll let you guess what it was. Did you guess oatmeal with honey, cinnamon, and flax seed? You’d be correct! aaaand of course, a chai tea latte to drink.

I love oatmeal

My exercise class is online on Mondays so I practiced on the floor in my room. I love the class a lot as it is fun, a good stretch/workout opportunity, and the instructor is super sweet and fun. After that class I had to run to target super quick before my Mindfulness class to pick up raisins... and i also grabbed milk and paper towels for the apartment. The raisins were required for class today and I asked the professor if I could use a stand-in other food and he said it would be “much more difficult”. Let me just say that I definitely could have done the activity without buying a 6-pack of boxes of raisins, but alas, the damage is done. In the beginning of class we did a 30 minute body scan meditation which felt really nice to practice.

During our break I made myself another chai latte hehe. Then we finished up discussing our homework for the week, did the raisin activity, and said our goodbyes until next week. Next up: Scandinavian Folklore. Luckily today was a pretty relaxed, listen-heavy class, as I needed to finish my concepts and sketches for my Text & Image business card. I definitely should have had it done sooner but alas, I am a chronic procrastinator. I worked on my slides all through class and then some, finishing up about 10 minutes before class would start. Classic. I ate a quick banana then sat down for my final class of the day. I’m actually really happy with my concepts and got lots of positive feedback! I am excited to get into my first drafts.

Today is also Lisa’s birthday! I made this cute collage of pics of us to post on my Instagram story!

Some of my favorite pics 🥺

After class I sat for a bit to read and clear my school emails, as they had kind of piled up throughout my busy day and I really don’t like having unchecked notifications. I also looked a bit as some various design internships on Handshake. Then I wrote out my plans for tomorrow/the rest of the week a bit to clear my head.

Juno and I sat down for some cucumbers, green grapes, and carrots for dinner(?) ((I do not live by the standard 3-meal day)). I got him a bowl of fresh, brita-filtered water from the fridge for drinking and he seemed keen for a bath. So I got another bowl of filtered water and microwaved it so it wasn’t straight-from-the-fridge chilly. He hopped right in and gave himself a mighty fine bath.

Happy boy, loves his grapes

Bath time!

I will now probably do some readings, maybe make a pb&j, and get ready for bed, as I have Color & Form bright and early tomorrow and I’m excited to make my prints. See ya tomorrow!

Some numbers:

Steps: 1,540 (busiest class day)

Phone screentime: 6hr 38 min

Money spent: $9 at Target

Ingested:

Vitamins

Oatmeal with almond milk, honey, cinnamon, flax seed

Chai x3

Raisins

Banana

Cucumber

Carrots

Grapes

Zoloft

Possibly a pb&j

Media: Looked at pinterest for inspiration for my business card, minor Tiktok and Snapchat use, texted friends

Juno: pellets, water, seeds, cucumber, carrot, grape, a good ol bath

Overall: Busy but not too overwhelming of a day 😌 mood: accomplished

Grapes taste better when they aren’t the ones handed to you

#brynsconsumption

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bdmsandiego · 4 years ago

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Unique ideas for making a gift baskets

When you make a gift basket, there are so many different themes that can be used. However, below is a list of some popular gift baskets. You can buy a gift basket from any

Gift shops San Diego as well as you can make a gift basket at your house, too. There are so many stalls for gift baskets during Christmas. You can buy it from there or you can order your gift basket if you can use the Website

Let's start with your close friend and family member that you can give them what kind of gift basket.

1. Traditional gift basket: To explain the value of Christmas, some red Christmas caps, sun glasses, fragrant scents, and add some traditional music CDs, you can fill your Kentucky gift baskets with some fresh fruits, chocolates, a letter or poem. For a gentle and sweet touch you can also add some homemade cookies.

2. Gift basket for coffee lovers: When you know the theme, it's really simple. Only add a few different kinds of packets of coffee, some coffee books, a nice coffee recipe, sweet coffee mugs, some dark chocolates and coffee flavors.

3. Gift Basket for Chocolate Lover: Fill your chocolate cake basket, it is better to buy homemade chocolate cookies otherwise some shop cookies, chocolate sauces, a large pack of dairy milk chocolates and some worldwide chocolate recipes.

4. Gift basket for grandparents: Fill the Kentucky gift baskets with some beautiful art works of children, gifts which made by kids, some unforgettable pictures of your family and some picture frames. You can also take and decorate a wooden frame, some lovely family videos, and some candies, chocolates, cookies, tea, biscuits, candles, and some Christmas pieces.

5. Gift basket of Golf lover: For golfers, by adding a golf ball, a small towel, a cooler to keep their drinks cold, sun glasses, some special golf sticks, you can make the Kentucky craft.

6. Flowers Gift Basket Lover: In this country, most 80% of individuals like flowers, so you should be careful when making a basket for flower lovers. Add some red, white, yellow flowers into your basket with different colors of flowers.

7. Kid's gift basket: Fill your basket with a cartoon movie ticket that makes them happier with some candy, cookies, popcorn, chocolates, some soft drinks

8. Parent’s Basket of Gifts: You can add your favorite magazines, a fragrant fragrance, a great mug, and write something about yourself on the mug. If your parents like sports, add a movie of those sports and eventually, in a beautiful picture, a sweet family photo.

9. Gift Basket Anniversary: Pack some chocolates and a bottle of champagne to make your Kentucky craft a dream basket. And add a little sweetness to it by putting some candles and candles stand.

10. Fisherman Gift Basket: Fill your basket with tackle box, long nose fishing pliers, and point to local fishing, fishing DVDs that will enhance you’re fishing free Reprint Posts, a comfortable gloves.

Always note that everyone is careful about their choice and taste when you make a gift basket or buy a gift basket for some. An appreciable thing is the gift basket. Visit our Gift Shops San Diego in Bazaar del Mundo.

#giftshops #sandiego #homedecor

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rambeautan · 7 years ago

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Miss You Like Crazy

Something I wrote in 2016, and resurrected today for my readers at FF net and A03. A fellow follower pmed me asking if I'm still alive as there's no updates on any of my fanfictions. Well that's because I haven't time to write for weeks/months now. Since I went back to Uni I'm always on breaks from writing. Hope this will suffice moir readers until January 2018 at least.

Summary: SasfemNar. Sasuke's furthering his studies at University, leaving his bestie back in his hometown. Itachi questions his brother's relationship with his best friend and whether they were really, just best friends.

Sasuke folded his handkerchiefs and tucked them into the small spaces between his shirts and pants inside his luggage. He made a mental note to swipe another pair of Itachi's unused leather gloves, patting himself for saving another 3000 yen. He had so far swiped 3 shirts and 2 shorts from his brother, all unworn. His brother model and entrepreneur receives a lot of sponsorship clothings which Sasuke always took advantage of.

Initially he planned to swipe one of Itachi's unused designer jeans, however the fact that his brother was so much taller than him at 180 cm feet compared to his 172 cm deterred him from doing so. He didn't want to alter them himself. Plus his brother's jeans were mostly blue or some other colour variant compared to Sasuke's choice, that would always be and forever be, black jeans.

Over the summer Sasuke had grown about seven centimetres, and since he started following the older Uchiha to the gymnasium his body was more toned and he felt fitter. It was important for him to start a healthy lifestyle before he entered the life of a university student. Sasuke snickered when he realized that his best friend Naruto had only hit puberty a little later than him. He only realized it upon their reunion at New Year's eve. It was the first time he saw his bethorst friend after the summer break. It did not matter to him that they were essentially different physically anyway.

Sasuke spent enough years around Naruto to realize that the dobe's father, Mayor Namikaze Minato and Mrs Konoha 2012, Kushina Uzumaki made a very handsome couple. They were both tall and lanky. Still, Naruto at seventeen had not caught up to either of her parent's height. Naruto was only 168 cm, four cms shorter than him. She was disappointed that she was shortest amongst her peers.

Her peers. Naruto had always thought of herself as one of the boys. She was often teased by their classmate, Sai for that. The insensitive prick also teased her for looking as flat as a plane and was so often unjustly compared with Sakura, who was quite chesty and and Hinata who is, well endowed. Sasuke never needed any of Sai's teasing of his best friend, often dismissing Sai when Sai was being over the top. But Naruto, she sometimes ended trying to flatten the socially inept Sai's nosy nose. In fact any comment from Sai never failed to make the blonde's blood boil.

Naruto who was once an annoyance, but now his best friend forever. Sasuke smiled at how Naruto had wiggled into his life and cemented herself there as his ultimate shadow, silly and crazy Naruto. He glanced at a framed picture of him and Naruto at a school party. He checked out his height contrast as he stood beside the 6 cms shorter tomboy. He chuckled at the thought of him winning over a non existent height competition, between him and Naruto.

"I should give this to you before I forgot… again," Mikoto's voice interjected his son's thoughts. She peered into his room, only half her body showing behind a laundry basket she's holding.

Sasuke got up from the floor where he was packing his things and approached his mother. In the basket on top folded of clothes in the laundry basket were two gray rectangular boxes.

"One is for you and another is for Naruto. Keep it close ok as they've got your names engraved. There's plenty of refillable ink in there until you come home again," he took both boxes and kissed his mom on her temple. Mikoto smiled and then disappeared to her room.

Sasuke glanced at Itachi's room just opposite his room and saw that the door was still closed. He knew his brother had worked the late shift yesterday following his company's fourth outlet midnight sale so he realised that his brother would only be awake sometime around noon.

Sasuke sat back on the floor and opened the box and took out a black stylish pen adorned with silver accents. It had the name Sasuke Uchiha engraved on the body. Sasuke thought he would get his mother something too before he flew out for university tomorrow night. He peered at the other box which held an orange pen adorned with golden accents with his best friend's name engraved on it.

The Uchiha was a close-knit family, but not the kind to say thank you all the time or apologize to each other. They conveyed their thank yous by actions and gestures, and words were only used in very delicate situations. In the rare times that Sasuke used the words, Thank You and Sorry with his family, he freely used those words with Naruto. He did not know why he was more open with Naruto, but it was easier being expressive with his bestie than his family. Maybe because Naruto wore her heart on her sleeve which made things easier for Sasuke. She was the most honest and loyal friend he ever had, though she also had her annoying tendencies.

The house was quiet with Itachi still asleep, and his mom in her room. The Uchiha patriarch had gone to a golf tournament since early morning. Sasuke finding the quietness overwhelming especially with his anticipated travel, took his earphones and tuned to his favourite tunes. Music blasted into his ears as he sorted his remaining clothes to be brought to uni.

_____________________________________

Sasuke finally finished packing, so he zipped up his trolley bag and parked it next to his bed. Next to it was a stack of boxes. Each box labelled: for donation, the address to his campus and also to Naruto. He and Itachi had compiled their old but good clothes to give to Naruto to sell at the Flea market. Naruto liked opening up stalls for extra money, which she spent mostly on ramen and Sasuke.

Sasuke's was about to press skip for the next song in his music playing app when a call came in. He saw the ID and immediately answered.

"Teme," the husky voice blared from his earphones. Sasuke had accepted the call, even before the ring tone had begun. He smirked when he realized how Naruto's voice made his heart all tingly.

"Dobe." Sasuke smiled at his teasing nickname which belonged to their early friendship days.

"You free this evening? Dad wants to give you a studying gift and he wants to meet before you depart…"

"...Ok. What time? I have something for you too, from Mom."

"Be here after lunch."

"Ok."

Sasuke plucked his earphones out and stuffed it into his backpack. He grabbed his towel and headed to the shower as he got a meeting to go to.

After showering at the shared bathroom at the end of the hall, he peered into his brother's opened room door. The elder guy's bed was unmade but his brother was nowhere, so he headed back to his room. He entered and saw that Itachi was picking his face using Sasuke's full length mirror. His brother had always been a bit vain, a kind hearted but certainly vain man.

"How's the preparation going? Do you need to run to the mall for anything, or has raiding my room solved your packing pribles.?" Itachi asked knowingly.

"85 percent solved but I need jeans. Black ones."

Itachi glanced at Sasuke's reflection as the younger sibling started dressing up for lunch. Sasuke wore an indigo shirt paired with dark jeans.

Itachi already knew who his brother was meeting, but he still asked. "Meeting Naruto?"

Sasuke nodded while picking socks from his drawer to match his white sneakers.

"Minato wants to meet me before I depart."

"How's the bestie reacting to you moving away?" Itachi asked as he sat on his brother's bed. Itachi had always known that the two best friends would be separated. He was just curious about how Sasuke was handling it.

Sasuke side eyed his brother. It's a regular question which he cared to answer though it was something Itachi should've known about. "We'll keep in touch. There's a tonne of apps for that."

"What would happen if you found a girlfriend at campus?"

Sasuke paused in his movements, he was raking his hair on the back of his head trying to enhance the spiky locks making it look more gravity challenged. He had his hand hovering in his hair. Noticing that he was almost done with his hair grooming and that he needed to respond to Itachi he dropped his hand for awhile before decided to just ignore the unspoken question in Itachi's words. Not that he needed to confirm with his brother about us love life.

"That's not my main focus being in university," Sasuke answered as he continued to rake his hair upward after the awkward pause. He hated when Itachi was being in a happy relationship, because Itachi was suddenly all sage like in the matters of love. Sasuke could understand the unspoken question about his and Naruto's status as best friends, their close friends wanted them to be more than best friends Sasuke suspected. The problem was that there was no way that the dobe would feel for something like that for him. Naruto was never inclined to like him romantically, Sasuke thought.

"I've got to go. Bring me to the mall tomorrow so I can max out your credit card on things I need." He said as he picked on his white sneakers and exited his room, while also changing the subject.

Itachi laughed and laid back on his brother's bed. He rummaged for his brother's diary which was placed under the mattress and began reading on the boy's daily rants about life, aspirations and anecdotes. Sasuke knew about his brother's intrusive habit, but he didn't care. Itachi wasn't one too share his daily ramblings about how raising his brother's wardrobe was better than shopping on his own anyday.

Sasuke smirked as he saw from the corner of his eye, that Itachi did not bother to leave his room even without him being there. He had ranted enough in the diary about his brother to rile his brother a bit, and also an appreciation note for his only sibling. It was his way of making his brother know about his unspoken feelings.

As he swiped his mom's car keys and wallet. He thought about his unspoken feelings for his best friend. Words that he was not brave enough to confess, and not even write about. He may have written about hints of his fondness towards Naruto for Itachi to read, which eased his thoughts a bit. Something which sat uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach, which made his heart bloom but his mind in turmoil. His mixed feelings about what he wanted from Naruto, maybe not now, but maybe in the future.

#my fic #naruto fanfiction #sasunaru #sasufemnaru #naruto gendebend #naruto uzumaki #naruko uzumaki #sasuke uchiha #itachi uchiha

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