#I don’t see nikki as a lesbian but I thought this would be fun to make

[bosesmikas]

Just for fun

[evensquirrellier]

So track and field events for the Olympics start today and I thought that, in honor of that, I would make an appreciation post for all my favorite Team USA track athletes. Look, I know the Olympics have a lot of problems and I’m not typically the most patriotic person, but track is my everything and I really look up to a lot of these people, and I want to give them little shoutouts to show my excitement.

Here are some of my personal favorite USA track stars!!

1. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone!!!

She is one of my biggest idols. For one, she is literally the world record holder in my event (400m hurdles), and two, she is a female athlete who is great and isn’t afraid to say it, which we don’t get enough of. Whenever I’m practicing hurdles I like to imagine Sydney having once done the exact same drills and it makes me kind of dizzy. One of my teammates went to the same high school as her (not at the same time) and has gotten to meet her before and I’m actually so jealous. Plus she is gorgeous and it breaks my heart a little bit that she is heterosexual 😔

2. Gabby Thomas

She is so cool. Like so cool. The 200m used to be my favorite non-hurdle race and she absolutely crushes it! You can see when she races how determined she is to win and how she will just go after the people in front of her and ahhh it’s so inspiring. Plus she went to Harvard and had a master’s degree? Truly winning at everything. Fun fact: my godmother was college roommates with Gabby Thomas’ mother, which gives us no real connection but makes me feel cool! Also she is also Gorgeous! I will probably keep saying that about a lot of these people and that is because one, I am a lesbian, and two, track is my favorite thing in the world.

3. Alexis Holmes

Idk I can’t really explain why I love Alexis so much, I really just do. The 400m is one of my favorite events, and particularly in indoor she does really incredible in that event. Very few women can run under 50 seconds in the 400 and she does it consistently. I’ve been following her career for a while and always route for her when she runs, and she’s overall just a really incredible athlete.

4. Sha’Carri Richardson

She is so cool!!! She’s getting a lot of attention right now for being in contention to win gold in the 100m, and she’s just really awesome. It is very cool to watch her run because she is such a powerhouse and always looks so happy when she wins. I looooove her nails, like a modern Flo-Jo, and I feel like she is very unapologetically herself interviews in a way a lot of other athletes aren’t. She’s awesome and I hope she wins <3

5. Nikki Hiltz

Thinking too hard about them makes me start tearing up I love Nikki Hiltz!!! Currently the fastest women’s 1500m runner in the US and such a treat to watch run. They have an incredible kick and is another one that gets so excited when they win. They are also one of the few professional track athletes to be openly non-binary and a lesbian, which makes my non-binary lesbian track athlete self feel really really happy, and has organized runs to support the Trevor Project before. Overall a really cool person.

6. Anna Cockrell

Anna! Another 400m hurdler, and one of the best in the world. It is really incredible to see how much she has improved over the years after already starting out so strong, and how she can still hold her own against the best in the world. She’s also done a lot of advocating for mental health awareness in athletics, and is super cool.

7. Grant Holloway

This is the guy my coach has me watch to study good hurdling technique. In terms of technical ability, he is one of the best hurdlers ever, and is currently one of the best 110m hurdlers in the world. He’s kinda tall for a hurdler and so am I, which I know is a kind of weird connection to make but it always makes me route for him a little more.

8. Noah Lyles

I know he’s kinda the talk of everyone right now, but Noah Lyles is pretty cool! He is currently arguably the fastest man in the world, and has a dedication to the sport that I find really admirable. It’s always cool to watch videos of him training because he does so many of the same drills I do, which makes me think I must be on the right track.

9. Anna Hall

Ahhh how could I almost forget Anna? She is an insanely good heptathlete and is world-class level in so many different events. Her best event is hurdles and her “weakest” (still incredible) is javelin, which is also the case for me in the hep, so I like to think that makes me just like her. She’s another one that just seems very enthusiastic a lot of time and it’s really nice to see her happy.

[tommynikkivincemick]

three way call— part 5

Summary: Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx find themselves in the frustrating predicament of being infatuated with the same woman. This calls for a competition.

Author’s note: So I was gonna put Tommy’s date with Y/N in this chapter but it was already getting super long so I decided the date will get its own chapter. I also tried to do a chapter that wasn’t 90% dialogue but it’s still at least like 75% dialogue. Anyway, here’s the new chapter! Feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy xx

Warnings: Language, sexual conversations, a little toxic masculinity.

Tommy would never admit it out loud to anybody but when Y/N spent the night in Nikki’s room with his face between her legs, he almost cried. He didn’t, because he wasn’t a pussy, but he really wanted to. It was also not good when the thing that woke him up that morning (well, more like afternoon) was more moaning from the bassist’s bedroom. Jesus Christ, Tommy thought, was Nikki’s jaw not sore by now? Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, the drummer rose and went to lock himself in the bathroom for the next hour to shower, brush his teeth, and tease his hair higher than the gods. After a while, he emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam and hairspray (still in his underwear, but by god, his hair looked fabulous) to find the other Twin sitting on the couch (also in his underwear) with a cup of coffee.

“Morning, T-Bone,” Nikki said with a surprisingly pleasant smile.

“Morning, Sixx,” Tommy replied suspiciously, “Where’s Y/N?”

“Still sleeping.”

“Were you not just eating her out a little while ago?” The younger Twin asked, pouring a cup of coffee for himself and grabbing a cigarette from his pack to smoke, trying hard not to sound bitter.

“Yeah, y’know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and all that,” Nikki’s smile settled into a cocky smirk, “But she went back to sleep right after.”

“Really? I thought it was dessert,” Tommy commented, taking a seat beside the bassist and lighting his cigarette.

“Why the fuck would it be dessert?”

“Well I figure after I take her out for dinner and drinks tonight, Y/N will make a nice sweet treat.”

Nikki elbowed Tommy and the drummer laughed. They sat in silence for a few minutes, getting their caffeine and nicotine fixes.

“We gotta stop fighting, man,” Tommy said finally.

“It’s not fighting, it’s... banter,” Nikki dismissed.

“Well whatever it is, we gotta stop picking at each other all the time. It’s stressing out Y/N and I don’t like it either. I know we have this dumb bet but I don’t wanna lose you in the process, dude. You’re still my best friend and shit, you know.”

“Yeah, I get it. This is a whole fucked up situation. It sounded fun, but a couple days in and it’s already starting to be a drag. Not to be a little bitch, but you’re like my brother, I don’t wanna lose you either.”

“That’s a little gay, guys,” Vince yawned, emerging from his room.

“Dude we said we love each other, we didn’t say we wanna suck each other’s dicks,” Tommy laughed.

“Wouldn’t you, though?” The blonde mused pouring milk and sugar into a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

“NO!” Both Twins yelled, their cheeks turning a vivid shade of red.

“Mhm, okay,” Vince hummed dismissively, sitting in a chair near the couch, “So how goes the bet, boys?”

The Twins both groaned in exhaustion.

“She loves both of us, and it’s hell,” Nikki sighed.

“And we don’t wanna ruin our friendship in the process, which is also a hard thing to do,” Tommy added.

Vince nodded thoughtfully, but didn’t reply, as his eyes said all he needed to say: sounds like a you problem.

“So Tom, are you taking her out tonight?” The blonde said, changing the subject.

The drummer nodded with a smile.

“Yeah man, nothing too fancy. I think we might go out to that state park in Malibu, see the stars. She likes stars. We’ll probably go eat beforehand and then get some bottles and go out there and, y’know, see what happens.”

“Wine, dine, and sixty-nine; solid plan,” Nikki nodded.

“She’ll like that: Malibu is nice,” Vince agreed, “I’ve been meaning to take Lovey up there sometime.”

“Lovey is a cunt,” Nikki said automatically without even a moments thought.

“Hey, man— actually, you’re kind of right,” The singer shrugged.

“Who’s talking about that cunt, Lovey?” A female voice chimed in from Nikki’s bedroom.

“Nikki called her that— he didn’t even think about it!” Vince tried to keep himself from laughing about his friend insulting his girlfriend.

“Sorry— it’s a conditioned response. Like how a dog drools when Pavlov rings a bell? I call Lovey a cunt whenever I hear her name,” Nikki explained with a smirk, “Morning, gorgeous, how was your night?”

Y/N tilted the bassist’s chin up with her fingertips and gently kissed his lips.

“It was a good night, of course. Wanna maybe go fix me some coffee?” She asked the bassist.

He nodded and rose from the couch to go to the kitchen. She took his spot next to Tommy and settled into his side, her head on his shoulder.

“Sleep well?” She asked, looking up at him.

“Hm, well enough. What about you?” The drummer asked, in turn looking down at her.

“Like the dead,” She sighed, and then whispered, “I’m sorry if you heard anything from Nikki’s room last night. I don’t know how thick the walls are and I was drunk and—“

“It’s okay, baby, I get it; we all want. And I know you love Nikki, I don’t blame ya.”

She leaned up slightly and pecked him on the lips.

“But I love you, too, you know that, right?” She asked.

“I know, sweetheart, I love you too,” He said with a charming smile, leaning down and kissing her again, a little deeper, but keeping it short.

The more intimate Y/N became with the Twins, the more she noticed their subtle differences. For example, their scents; Nikki smelled like expensive whiskey (despite drinking mostly Jack Daniels), leather, luxurious pipe tobacco, blood, and incense. Tommy smelled like sand and surf, clean lime, sage, peppermint, and what might be sandalwood— though above both of them hung a thick layer of cigarette smoke and the liquor of the night. Where Nikki was dark and brooding, Tommy was bright and bubbly. Nikki’s love was all consuming and intense; Tommy’s love was easy and exuberant. If Nikki was a glass of wine, Tommy was a margarita. Tommy was an angel and Nikki was a devil. It was jarring how two totally different people could somehow look and act just alike.

She supposed that was part of the reason she loved them both so much; they were yin and yang but hey, to the eye they were both black and white. Both beautiful with sharp cheekbones and jawlines, fluffy black hair, sparkling eyes (Nikki’s were a bluish shade of hazel while Tommy’s were on the green and brown side), towering height, lean builds, kissable lips, and heartbreaking smiles. They were truly two sides of the same coin.

Nikki has to admit as he watched Y/N curl up with Tommy that they looked good together, slotting against one another like puzzle pieces. But little did he know that Tommy thought the same about her with him. The truth was that they brought out different sides of her; with Nikki she explored the side of herself that was a jaded, experienced, sensual heartbreaker of a woman, and with Tommy she felt like a young girl experiencing real love for the first time.

“You know what’s weird?” Vince piped up, breaking everyone’s focus, “That Y/N works so well with both of you guys. Like, if I was a girl, I could definitely put a ring on Tommy, but I would kill Nikki in cold blood in the first month.”

“I’d probably cheat on you, Vinnie,” Tommy joked, “But if Nikki was a chick? I’d never cheat on him because I know he would like carve my heart out and offer my soul to Satan or something.”

“You wouldn’t cheat on me anyway!” Nikki laughed as he returned from the kitchen, handing Y/N her cup of coffee, “We’re soulmates, man. If I were a woman, you’d be so deeply in love with me, you wouldn’t even think about another girl, not even Y/N. Plus, I mean, I’d be sexy as fuck as a chick.”

“I’d be hot as a chick, too. I think if we were girls, we’d be lesbians,” Tommy mused, “No matter what we are, one thing would be constant: we would love the ladies and the ladies would love us. Y/N, would you still be into us if we were girls?”

“Hm...” She hummed in thought, looking over the two of them, “Yeah, I’d still be down. You two already kind of look like ladies, with the makeup and the hair and the heels. It wouldn’t be so different.”

“We do not look like ladies!” Vince protested.

Y/N finished her coffee and got her clothes on and threw her hair up with a red scrunchy before going home to get ready to go out again. She showered and did her hair and put on makeup, but then came the time to pick an outfit. She didn’t know what she and Tommy would be doing; he told her it was a surprise. So, she called him.

“Mötley residence, Mick speaking.”

“Oh, hey, when did you go over?” She asked.

“About an hour ago. How was last night? Vince said you and Nikki got down and dirty,” The guitarist asked, trying not to sound too much like a gossipy hairdresser.

“We didn’t go all the way, if that’s what you’re asking. Nikki wanted to go down on me, and it sounded good so I let him. And that was... wow. He could have a good future as a prostitute, let’s put it that way,” She dished with a wistful smile on her recently red painted lips.

“Very interesting. And you’re going out with Tommy tonight, right?”

“Yeah, I actually called to ask him something.”

“Is he gonna get a taste tonight?”

“Quit being a gossip, Mars man!” She laughed, “Besides, I’ll tell you and Vince how tonight goes, anyway. Now would you please put Tommy on?”

“Sure thing, kid. TOMMY, PHONE FOR YOU!” Mick yelled into the house.

Y/N heard a clattering in the background before the desired voice came over the line.

“Mötley residence, Tommy speaking,” The drummer greeted with a chipper tone.

“Hello, Tommy, my love,” She grinned, twisting the phone cord around her fingers.

“Oh, hey! What’s happening, hot stuff?” She could practically hear his smile.

“I just wanted to ask what I should wear; I don’t know where we’re going, so...”

“Hm. Uh, something comfortable. Maybe something with another layer on top? It might get cold. But if you don’t want to, I’ll give you my sweatshirt or something, I don’t mind, and I always have a jacket in the van—“

“Tommy, babe, I’ll just break it down, ok? Boots, sneakers, flats, or heels?”

“Definitely not heels. I vote boots,” He replied.

“Dress, skirt, shorts, or pants?” She asked.

“Skirt, but wear tights or something. Like I said, it might get cold.”

“Honey, I don’t think my fishnets are really gonna help me,” She smirked.

“I just think you look sexy in a skirt, that’s all. Especially that black leather one,” He hinted.

“That was the plan. Okay, thank you, baby, that’s all I needed,” She concluded.

“Alright! I’ll pick you up in a little bit,” He said excitedly.

“Alright. Love you, bye,” She said. M

“Love you, bye.”

She finally decided on black leather boots, the leather skirt and fishnets (as requested by the lovesick drummer), a red, off the shoulder top, and no jacket because truth be told, she kind of wanted to borrow Tommy’s; it was a little beat up and worn in, but that only made it more comfortable, plus it smelled like him. As she sprayed perfume on her neck, as if on cue, the doorbell rang.

“IT’S OPEN!” She yelled as she fine tuned the details of her outfit.

She heard the door open and close and heavy footsteps on the wood floor. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind and a pair of lips found her neck.

“You know, you shouldn’t just say the door is open when someone rings the bell. I could have been a serial killer,” The familiar voice of Tommy murmured in her ear.

“You’d kill me if you were a serial killer?”

“Oh, for sure,” He laughed and turned her around to face him, “But let’s be real, if anybody in Mötley Crüe was a murderer, it would be Nikki.”

“Absolutely.”

The drummer leaned down and kissed her lips gingerly before throwing his arm over her shoulder as they left her apartment. He opened the door of his van for her and got in the drivers seat. Y/N glanced in the rear view mirror at the back of the van; he had cleaned it up, which was nice. There were blankets, pillows, a large cooler, and a little lantern in the back.

“Are we going camping?” She asked.

“Kind of, but not really. I was gonna take you out to eat but I decided it would be better to pack everything into one experience, so I just got takeout from that hotdog place you like on La Brea, and doughnuts for dessert,” Tommy explained as he backed out of the parking lot and got on the road.

“Well, where are we going?” She asked impatiently.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” He winked at her and laced his fingers with hers, driving into the night.

Tag list: @jayprettymuchomw @kayladurin @crazysaladchopshop @iamtiber-andtiberismusic @loveofmyloif @saints-of-the-universe @tommyfuckinlee @oh-well1 @cranberribread @princesadeltoro @prostidudes-for-justice @miriampraez @tarahell

[happinessevent]

incomplete list of my love nikki headcanons

theres probably some future events that are gonna contradict all of this but do i care? no

Nikki used to bleach her hair blonde as a teen, but she started liking cute pink stuff again when she went off to study fashion design, so she let it grow back pink

giftys feed on fabric scraps and brooches

Kimi & her parents are fantasy-dressup-jewish. i have some thoughts about religion in Miraland and worship through dress when fashion is at the center of normal life but the world isn't ready for that

children in North go to self defense lessons after school (not mandatory but like. everyone attends or their parents get pissed. sort of like music lessons but deadlier!)

associations are real organizations in Miraland that can be founded by a small group of friends who want to have fun battling each other or by professional stylists who run them like a small company. either way the basics are the same - the focus is on community, taking "commissions" (giving styling help to whoever comes by), offering resources through a library of books abt styling/design or even a collection of basic materials if the community is more design focused. associations also organize events in their community, like styling tournaments. just imagine a love live style plot where a group of girls start their own association as a school club to save the school from closing. that’s how i see associations in my head

naming items you create is considered something only "real" designers get to do, and design students naming their projects can often come across as pretentious. at least one world famous designer lets their toddler name all their creations and thinks its mad funny when fashion magazines talk about their genius symbolism

the scientists, mechanics and coders on Ruin Island are very skilled at their craft, but they can only take technology so far on their own. they work on their creations as much as they can before they can't get any further with human skill alone, then they infuse them with Ruin's "secret ingredient" - a powerful core found in an underwater cave right below the island. no one figured out how it works in the hundreds of years since it was found, but its power is used in everything made on ruin from war machines to holograms to fridges. that’s how they make sentient AI - they teach the program all the knowledge it would need, then infuse it with the core's power to give it true free will. proximity to the core (since it's right under the island) powers all electric devices on ruin so almost everything is wireless and doesn’t require charging. it's also a very well kept secret, so anyone from the mainland wouldn’t be able to understand a piece of ruin tech even if they were usually good with technology.

gender roles do exist in Miraland, but restrictions on clothing are pretty much self imposed. your gender doesn't matter when you pick between a suit and a dress, it only matters if you can pull it off and look comfortable when you wear it. if your presentation makes you uncomfortable you will almost certainly lose a styling battle. that's why Kaja (Official Butch Lesbian) wouldn't offer to battle on feminine styles - she would 100% lose even if her outfit was really good

the movie industry in Miraland would be WACK imagine cinema with no violence at all, not even fake fights, since the actors could hurt themselves (blood curse) & no one would relate to it anyway. imagine drama films with heavy symbolism in the costuming with colors and shared motifs on the fabrics and references to real famous pieces/suits/specific stylists that have meaning in the plot... i don't have a more specific headcanon for this i just think it would be neat

[serenamantra]

As you can see, the last year of being a college student made me so busy, exhausted and stressed at the same time. I really don’t know what came up to me that I tried being part of the college board in our department because of course, you will always think that if you’re graduating, sobrang hirap ng ayusin ng time management mo; the duties and responsibilities sa orgs and subjects mo for the 2 semesters and syempre, your sleep.

But then again, I survived doing so and I’m so proud of myself. Ang pagsabay sabayin ang school requirements, graduating requirements, the college board thingy requirements and such. But you know, I had so much effort and sacrifices once I stepped on my 4th year as a college student. Sobrang bad ko kasi as a student I just took it like something that is not important dahil I’ve got so many destructions while I started my college years. 

Story time: I was having a hard time picking my course since I had arguments with my parents, my siblings and to my best friends (I think I may have said this one to my past posts) I really want to be a veterenarian when I was young. But my school doesn't have that course and I have to study in that school up until my dad decided to retire. So no to other school for me. I had to settle for a course that wasn't and never been my choice. It was suggested by my sister. It was a business course and I had a very hard time with it because I don't really understand what the fuck I'm being in to. But for that few months, I had friends who helped me survive a course that is their passion. And I had one subject that made me realize what I can finally fit into, general psychology. This is where I decided that in the next semester, I'll be shifting to Psychology. Thanks to my friends in CBA, I get to survive a course that I cannot understand. They helped me acquire and face the fear of being all alone in a world I couldn't understand. They brought me the comfort while I was in their home and I will forever hold on to the friendship we shared. I get to spent time with them whenever we are all free and I miss them so much. And I'm so happy all of us graduated at the same time.

Another one who saved me from being so bad is I joined the Christ's Youth in Action in our school. I had fun and had a very strong faith because of this organization. We worked for people who have strong faith or guided the youth to be one of us. It was one of the reason why I was busy in the first year of my college years. But then I stopped and I quit. I was in that moment that I am in the moment that I don't enjoy it anymore being with the people inside the organization. The people who calls themselves "leaders". It felt like I really need to be this "perfect" in everyone at the organization and that was being plastic. And I hate being plastic. So I stopped. I'm still friends with them but with those people who knows and accepts the real me. I don't like to surround myself with people who think so high of themselves and that they won't commit any sin or mistakes because they are part of the CYA. It was frustrating and suffocating.

(This is the part where I thank everyone who made the possible of my graduation. Charot)  

I would like to thank my mom and dad for they have given me so much patients and they opened there doors for my choices in my college years. Thanks for telling me the things I had to do and the things that is right for me. Thank you for understanding my life decisions. I was so mad at you for dectating my course when I was still a freshmen but end up dealing with my "psychology major behavior". Thank you because you loved me with all your heart. Everyone would love how you shrugged off my behavior of drinking too much and sleeping late or going home late and you thought I was going to be a disgrace but hey! I finished college without getting pregnant or marrying someone. Haha! I love you my parents. Someday, I will choose the right path and I'll give everything back that you deserve. I am so blessed to have you as my parents. (Sorry for the photo, I didn't get to have a photo with them and di pa nasesend sakin yung photo ng photographer ng school namin yung sa bacclaureate mass na photo namin)

For my second parents, thank you for spoiling me of everything that I needed and I wanted. Thank you for always telling the things I should do in a harsh way. Thank you for letting me see how awful marriage is. JOKE HAHAHAHAHA I wish you all the best. And thank you for giving me a job! Hahahahaha (They are the one who accompanied me in my graduation because my mom is busy preparing for the celebration at home and my dad's entitled to be the host of the commencement exercises)

After leaving College of Business and Accountancy, I was judged by a person whom I am very close with now. She thought I was one of the "pabebe" girls who she'd never be close with cause she's a lesbian. And she hates pabebe girls. But honestly, we really can't remember how we met and got close. Its just that, up until now we are super close and I even announced it that she's one of my bestfriends. And she does too. Hihi. I would really like to thank her for telling me to hate girls na puro lang arte wala namang substance. Coming from a lesbian! Hahahaha. Bet she still got that feminine side of her. Thank you for that 3 years. You were a savior. Along with her, I got really close with boys. Again. She's friends with boys because she knows she will feel at ease and because of that, I got pretty close with them. We call ourselves "Pandok Arak" (means mukhang alak). During the easy moments of our college life, we usually end the day drinking. Probably it is the reason I got a high tolerence towards alcohol, we were drinking gin bilog with dalandan 6 days straight! After our last class! We separate ways on our last year during 1st semester because we were apart in our practicum. But after that, we made sure that after graduation, we will celebrate and drink away the stress and busy schedule we had for almost a year. And I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for saving me from drowning to my sadness. You were there when my bullshit ex had to treat me like trash every goddamn time. Thank you because you didn't leave me and we got through this together. I will never forget you. 

To my highschool bestfriends aka sisters, thank you for picking all the trash I put into you with my colleg life problems. We handled it amazingly! College may had brought us apart but thank you because you all tried. To all the fights and sweet moments we will forever cherish! We are almost done with school (We're still waiting for Nikki) and I can't wait to finally accomplish our dreams for ourselves together! 

Thank you also, Bem. Without you, I didn't might walked that stage and got my diploma. Thank you for telling me to work that ass and finish all the requirements needed. Thank you for letting me be the "bad" side of you that you should need. You might not get it but you'll thank me later. Haha! You cried during our graduation because I whispered to you that "Bem, graduate na tayo. We did it!" It was a very heart warming and touching moment of our lives. Thank you for keeping me strong and saw that moment with all our batchmates. I can't wait till we grow old and finally call ourselves "successful". Cheers for the nights we forget our stress and live!

Thank you to my college sisters! Because all of you took part of making me the "Sam" that I am now. You made me look that brighter side on how things maybe if I follow your footsteps. Thank you for all your help! We did a great job!

Thank you for the people that was a total stranger for me but now we get to share our problems together. You were the "snap of fingers of thanos" because when everybody was gone, doing their own lives, you were there for me. Although I usually wake up with a messed up hangover or relationship because I will choose to drink alcohol with all of you rather than swallowing the toxicity he gives. Hahahahaha

And of course, thank you for standing me up and helping me face my fears of loving and fighting for what is right. I love you. Thank you for saving me from drowning. Thank you for the gift of friendship, you were the way I get to be close with them and build a new friendship that is going to cherished forever.

And lastly, thank you God for not giving up on me. I owe you big! I'm so sorry for being hardheaded and full of shit. Thank you for making me the person I am now. Without my faith on you, I might end up hating myself now. Thank you for opening doors and giving me another chapter to live and love life.

It lead us to a very stressful days, weeks and months and finally it came to an end. Thank you, UNC for the 13 years of mixed emotions. It was indeed an amazing journey. Probably I will miss all the things I went through in this university pretty much and it would be very sad to see that for this year, I didn’t fall in line for an enrollment. Ohhh. I hate separation anxiety. But nonetheless, thank you for your time and I’d hope to see you soon. Same goes to my friends! When all things falls into place, I hope we see each other at the top. 

[docholligay]

Doc, what was your favorite part of the trip? What was the most surprising? What would you want to do again?

I haven’t read Jet’s yet, by design, because I didn’t want to be influenced by her answers, and also I usually read long-read articles in the tub.

My favorite part of the trip, all in all, if I had to pick just one, was the surprise. I love surprises, I live for them, and i love really unexpected surprises, and I knew there was no way she would ever expect that I would do something like this.

(Again, a million thanks to the sponsor who made this happen, who wishes to remain anonymous, this was amazing)

I was on the MAX for as long as my flight was, taking the train all the way out of the city and then taking the bus, the whole time hoping that I wouldn’t accidentally spill the beans.

It’s so funny, I have exact same thing every time I fly to Portland: A small split of prosecco in the airport, 2 chicken strips, and two glasses of the complimentary Horizon wine on the plane. Exact same. Every time. I don’t like to fly, and ritual is very comforting to me.

I WAS TERRIFIED, HOWEVER, THAT THIS TIME IT WOULD GET ME MAGICALLY DRUNK, AND I WOULD SPILL ALL THE BEANS,AND ALSO THE REST OF THE TACO FILLINGS, OH MY GOD I AM MAKING TACOS FOR DINNER.

Also the gal at the airport bar didn’t recognize me because I was dressed up as Lena for the entirety of my flight. TRAPPED IN MY BOY PANTS: THE VACATION.

One of the funny things is Jet KNEW something was being delivered, because she never would have believed I forgot our friendiversary and didn’t send anything at all, so I ordered Chinese to her house with garlic shrimp, a la Winston and Lena, and Mike emailed me, afraid that I’d screwed up and meant the food for me and hadn’t gotten to the house in time (In fairness, the gallon of soup was 100% for me, and I ate the entire thing that night.) But no, I had my bases covered, and she assumed, as I had hoped, that it was my gift for her.

But I didn’t, as astute viewers may note, and i did in fact manage to get off the bus on a pitch black street with no sidewalk, stare at my phone, shrug, and walk to where I thought the little dot would be.

Luckily, a Jedi came crashing through the bushes, whispering my name.

When Jet first saw me, it took her a solid 10 to 15 seconds to even register who I was, thought in fairness I was bouncing around so much that I think a reasonable person might have had a hard time telling through the blur. She, of course, repeatedly called me a shit, because what else was she going to do, really?

That was a great moment, just her utter surprise and my utter delight that she was surprised and I hadn’t ruined it, and it had all worked out, and I knew that it would be a tough surprise to top ever.

Other than that, if we break it down by day:

Wednesday:  Best: Dinner at PokPok. This is a place I’ve always wanted to try, and the food did not disappoint, it was so amazing, and Jet’s delight at the discovery of the Mango Alexander was everything I had ever wanted in life, and also her surprise at how much she liked the food! I had ordered what was essentially a grilled chicken half and rice, in case she couldn’t handle the rest of the food, but she really loved the chicken wings (we all did) and the mussels with the crispy crepe. (I was the only one who lost my shit for the fruit salad, due to its twin sins of being very spicy and not meat, but I would fucking order it again in a heartbeat)

Most surprising: How good the roast beef was at Jet’s butcher! I’m a little jealous, the pastrami was middling, but the roast beef was EXCEPTIONAL.

I also really liked sitting Jet’s ass down and forcing her to work, and forcing her to write, and we’ll be doing that again when she’s here SO LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

Thursday:

Most surprising: THAT OREGON FUCKING SHUTS DOWN OVER LITERALLY 0 INCHES OF SNOW. My whole plan got ruined that day, which I am STILL exceptionally shirty about and will be until the day they lay me in my grave and PROBABLY AFTER THAT IF WE ARE ALL BEING HONEST, so I didn’t get to go see Vista House, we never got to Mount Hood itself, never took the historic highway all the way up and boooooo. So we went to Bonneville Dam, where Jet discovered the fish ladder, and oh my god, her actual delight was so funny and heart warming and amazing. Her telling Mike THEY HAD TO COME BACK WHEN THERE WERE MORE FISH IN THE LADDER.

Best: When Jet stole the pint glass from Full Sail Pub for me, because they were way different and nicer than the ones given out at the tour, and stolen pint glasses with the name of the place on them have the highest ranking on my pint glass system. (Best = I went there, glass was stolen from the table, Second = I was there, I bought it Third = someone else was there, they stole it for me. I generally don’t bother with someone going a place and buying me one or I’d have a million of them) It was just a fun, unexpected moment, and I really enjoyed myself.

I also really loved the picnic at Bonneville, where Mike and Nikki had never had a real picnic, with a full spread.

Friday:

Most surprising: Jet’s absolute love of the blue cheese on honey! It’s one of my favorite pairings, ever, in life, but I didn’t expect Jet to like it as much as I do. But she absolutely loved it. The whole experience of Chizu was exceptional, the way the cheese boards were laid out, the thoughtful pairings with each, even if I found the cheese a bit milder than was to my general liking, but some of that was when we did the cheese omakase, we noted that Jet had never had fancy cheese before, so she was fairly new to it.

And the Japanese garden was absolutely beautiful, just lush with foliage and more people than I thought there would be, but it was thoughtfully laid out and I loved the meandering paths. It would be a great place to hang out for a few hours and sit and think, if one were by themselves and inclined to do such things. The tea place (the Umami cafe, which will never not remind me of umami tits, which will never make anyone but Jet and me laugh) was also lovely, very modern, and I really appreciated that they had pre-paired small bites with tea, so it was very easy to get something that would offset it nicely, which was good for me, as I don’t know overly much about Japanese sweets. I got the genmaicha, which I really love for the earthy roasted flavors it provides, with a little manju cake, which was just this side of too sweet for me but actually worked really well with the genmaicha’s deep flavor, so that was a fun unexpected pairing!

Best: Either Chizu or Bad lesbian advice, which was me cosplaying Haruka and Michiru and was an experience, and by ‘an experience,” I mean neither Jet nor I could fucking breathe at times we were laughing so hard, and have sprung off a million inside jokes that we will laugh about until we die. (Jet, if you’re reading this, I want you to know I can hear you with my Senshi EYES and my senshi HEART)

Saturday:

Most surprising: After taking Jet and Mike to El-Masry, we just discovered that Mike just has a general passion for middle eastern food! This is the second middle eastern place I’ve taken them, and Mike loves the flavors and spices (I do too--never met a style of middle eastern cuisine I don’t like) so I’m working on trying to find other middle eastern places they can go.

Also that I preferred the Chinese garden to the Japanese garden. The Japanese garden was gorgeous and I cannot recommend enough seeing both if you’re ever in Portland, but the Chinese garden is an architectural model, a tiny oasis in the middle of a massive city, and the detail work on all of the building and pathways absolutely captured me, the scents of the garden and the floral arrangements we were lucky enough to be there for, the entire thing almost felt a dollhouse made by a master, a small space transformed into something so much bigger than its own footprint, it had an immense quality to it.

The teahouse was excellent too, though I think I preferred the tea I got at the Japanese place (This was the fault of me trying something new because the tea menu was much larger, and I just find chrysanthemum tea middling, as it turns out.) The teahouse was done in a more old-world style than the sleek lines of the Japanese tea house, which was very modern, and I am very old world myself in a number of ways, and more is more, and I loved the carved dark woods and gilded edges of frames peeking out at me.

ALSO JET BOUGHT A BIG GIRL COAT. We finally just fucking went to Macy’s and I got to have her and Mike buy coats, and I got to talk about cut and fashion and fabric and I fucking live for that shit, i was a bouncy happy little ball in the men’s outerwear section.

Best: Dinner at Nomad. I’m struggling to find the words to describe Nomad, and if I finish all my writing chores for the month, I may sit down and write out course by course my impressions of the entire meal. Jet was legitimately surprised to see me in a suit, though she was really nice and did compliment me on it, because I haven’t worn a suit in years and it was a little odd for me, too. Joyce the bartender was an absolute delight and one of my favorite elements of Nomad, so kind and funny and excellent. The food itself was simply art. It’s so difficult to describe how a few mouthfuls can really speak to you, how it can bring the essence of everything down to one moment, and be perfect in that moment.

Also, note for the next trip I go on: I NEED A FOOD NOTEBOOK TO WRITE IN. I have a very strong memory but no one has total recall.

I have never been a volume eater, and eating for eating’s sake doesn’t really interest me--part of the reason my mom started teaching me to cook is that I was underweight. Because food was boring and I was ready to go run around instead of sitting and eating, and I didn’t care about missing dessert because sweet is just another thing I’ve had, even as a kid. So she started to teach me and I got into food as construction, as art, as something that CAN be interesting and that’s how I got into cooking. Nomad takes that idea of food as art, and elevates it about anything I’ve ever had, even the restaurant with one Michelin star I’ve been to, although I would argue that Nomad would EASILY and HANDILY get a Michelin star if Portland was included in the Michelin reviews.

Anyway you’re not asking about me and the food, you’re asking about me and Jet. It was so wonderful and interesting to talk about the food with her, to get her impressions, we laughed over how she’s so visual, and I’m really not, I’m very texture and scent based, as far as things having an effect on flavor. We sometimes had totally different impressions of things! Including one time where she thought a puree of different beans and vegetables tasted like peanut butter, because it looked like peanut butter, and I swear I looked at her with INTENSE CONFUSION, because it was neither sweet nor nutty--I guess it was fatty like peanut butter, and coated your tongue, but lots of things do that. So we really laughed about that. We got a little table just on the edge of the kitchen, where I could watch them work even though we weren’t at the “chef’s table” so that was such an extra little delight. I think that was the best time I’ve ever had with jet, out of A LOT OF TIMES, but it was just a really nice extended evening with really nice cocktails and fun dress and good company and we made it last all night and it was just one of the best nights of my entire life.

Sunday:

The best thing about me going home is always the Ramen Of Sadness, which is Kizuki Ramen, which is fucking great and I cannot recommend enough, I go to a ramen place in every city I visit (that has one) and Kizuki is my favorite. I always get the chicken rich ramen and the cedar sake, because they are both fucking amazing.

SURPRISE I DON’T GET TO GO HOME.

So the melting pot was the surprise, and I was fucking tired and frayed at both ends because THEY KEPT MY BAG AND I HAD TO SCROUNGE TOGETHER A KIT AT TARGET, but the Melting Pot ended up being such a nice way to end the night, WHERE JET WAS TOTALLY NOT SORRY ABOUT ALL THE MARSHMALLOW THINGS IN THE FONDUE PLATE, it was warm and happy and it’s a silly chain restaurant but one I’ve always wanted to try, and we had a great night there laughing with our server and our lyft driver and we just had an amazing time.

Not to get gross or ‘have a feeling in public’ as the children say, but it was just really nice to have a week with Jet, and it was nice that it was a surprise for her and she had no time to hype herself up worrying about the house being clean enough, so she got to just enjoy me being there and we got to just have fun, and I will always really cherish it, and I can’t wait for our road trip.