#I literally did not even look at the ticket price I just clicked and went like an absolute mad lad | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bubmyg · 6 years ago

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dare to begin - jjk

pairing: jeongguk x reader

genre/warnings: college!au, f2l (idiots to lovers), amateur model!jeongguk, aspiring photographer!jeongguk, amateur stylist!reader, graphic design student!reader, a touch of angst, mostly tooth rotting fluff

word count: 16,748

summary: jeongguk has a camera and you have a pirated editing software so what better for two broke college students to do than to open a photography business to their…closest friends on facebook or where kim seokjin’s modeling agency wants to sign jeongguk and you don’t know the first thing about curling his hair.

a/n: this was inspired by that random dispatch photoshoot in vegas...i’m not even sorry

“Oh fuck off.”

Jeongguk’s head lifted from where his forehead was pressed between the crook of his elbow, squinting at you through bleary eyes. “...for once, I didn’t even say anything—”

“Not you,” You clicked so angrily on the notification, it didn’t register and you had to jam your index finger into the button again, “The bursar’s office.”

“Oh, did they—” Jeongguk rolled to his back, head half dangling off the end of your bed as he pulled his phone to his face. “—oh. Tuition statements.”

“How can they make us pay for something that hasn’t even started yet? We haven’t even finished this semester.”

“What are they going to do if we don’t pay by the first day of the semester—” Jeongguk’s eyebrows peered at you underneath his phone, “—kick us out?”

You glared at the mass of numbers twisted into the statement until they muddled together and gave your conscious the mirage that the cost was an extra digit more. Your phone skidded across the surface of your desk, coming to a stop in the pointed corner next to a decorative jar of pens and a concert ticket you’d pushed through the cork board material substance lining the back.

“They won’t kick me out?” You didn’t look up from studying a fray of graining wood on the pointed corner of your desk but cocked an eyebrow at the waiver of uncertain concern in Jeongguk’s voice paired with the change in position from we to me, “Will they?”

“I don’t know,” You answered truthfully, arm slung over the back of your desk chair to face his pouted lips still slung backward over your bed. An unspoken why would they kick you out? “I really don’t.”

He answered your rhetorical with closed eyes and his phone pressing to his abdomen, “I don’t know if I’ll...have enough. That much. By then. Even if it’s not until the end of the summer…”

You scolded the glaring image of your bank statement when you gently tried, “There’s all kinds of loans you can apply for. What about scholarships? Isn’t the science department like...the biggest at the university? Surely they offer something—”

“I don’t think I have the grades,” There was a silence occupied by his notebook with messy organic chemistry notes rewritten twice from the previous semester when he’d taken the exact same class. Jeongguk dropped your gaze, shifting until the back of his head was resting on the side of your mattress while he went for his cuticles, picking at the edge of his thumb while soft red crept into his puffed cheeks and flaring nostrils.

You abandoned the open animation file on your laptop that you’d forgotten to click save on for the seventeenth time within the hour, a final project you just had to turn in with a semi coherence to the material of the semester to maintain your existing grade. You stumbled, desk chair catching on the edge of your crumbled rug but it didn’t deter you from flopping in beside Jeongguk, leaning over him with both elbows pressed into his stomach to snatch his notebook. He eyed you curiously under wavy fringe until you settled on him, chin pressed into the bottom of the pages as a concentrated scrunch met the pass of your eyes over his handwriting.

“What are you doing?”

You glanced up, gradual in the drag of your hands up his sides until you could jam your index fingers into the sensitive spots around his ribs, coaxing a soft squirm and a gasping giggle from his lips.

“Helping you get those grades. Do you really want to take organic chemistry for the third time?” Jeongguk didn’t flinch because your inquiry wasn’t teasing or jabbing, it was serious for the sake of never seeing him on the verge of tears over three credit hours again. He shook his head in negation instead, reaching behind him to snatch one of your pillows to drag behind his neck, propping him up just enough to study the curl of your stature against his chest.

“No, ma’am.”

“Good, now pay attention.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

You watched Jeongguk sink his teeth into the mint chocolate ice cream balanced two dollops high on a cone with a wrinkle to one side of your nose, the smile on your lips forced when he swallowed the green between his cheeks and quipped, “What?”

“You know what,” You twirled a string of hot fudge onto your plastic fork, mouthing your lips over it until the sweet substance melted on the roof of your mouth, “Forget it.”

He shrugged, happily taking another, literal, bite off the opposite side of the treat tower, lips sponging down the length of his hand to noisily suck on the melted stream of ice cream that had rippled across his knuckles.

You sighed. Jeongguk grinned mint green, “Tastes like freedom.”

“My summer job says otherwise.” The bookstore wasn’t a fun place of employment during the school year let alone when three fourths of the student body was gone.

Jeongguk dabbed at the corner of his lips with a napkin, a sharp contrast to the way he’d been barbarically gnawing his way through the ice cream, “So does my summer tutoring. A lesser of two evils.”

“I suppose…”

“At least we can drink on Wednesday’s now and only feel slightly guilty.”

“You don’t drink.”

“I drink a little—”

“Is this your way of asking me to come over for beer tonight?”

He grinned sheepishly, “Doesn’t have to be for beer. Hoseok moved back home yesterday. I’m extra alone.”

You eyed his prize possession, his camera, encased snugly inside it’s over the shoulder case that Jeongguk kept within grasp on the tiny cafe table shared between the two of you. He followed your gaze, a careful hand coming to rest on the strap even though he knew you respected his comfort enough not to touch it.

“So, what, you talk me into following your wandering ass around the park for hours to take pictures and now you want me to hole up in your apartment and watch whatever terrible nature documentary you’ve found on Netflix?”

Jeongguk mumbled around another chunk of the treat in his palm, unaffected because he knew you were going to show up at his apartment regardless of invitation, “I bought us ice cream, didn’t I?”

You grumbled your thanks into your deviation of attention, pulling your phone to your eyes as you jabbed another spoonful of sundae into your cheeks. Jeongguk continued to happily munch while you scrolled through one social media and then the other, finally landing on Facebook with a disgruntled roll of your eyes the second the first post appeared.

“What?”

“Facebook.”

“Did Yoongi post another Area 51 meme?”

You scrolled to the next post just to confirm that yes, sadly, before scrolling back up to the original source of your offending scoff. You eyed the generic smile plastered on the lips of the girl you’d went to high school with, the same as the generic caption on the generic set of pictures she’d taken of her dog and someone’s baby, advertising a brand new photography business, one she’d be doing on the side with no prices listed and simply a shoot me a text to book an appointment!, a service exclusive to those who knew her and who would pay her a little extra because of that connection and a business page created exclusively for a business that would be forgotten by the end of the summer.

Your lips parted to explain, unfortunate in absently scrolling past Yoongi’s string of laughing emojis at whatever Area 51 meme his conspiracy theorist group chat had sent him that morning, before you were pausing. Thumb freezing, lips parted in a perfect circle, eyes the only thing moving as they swept upward.

Jeongguk watched you like you were seconds away from shedding a shell or sprouting a second head or both, ice cream sticking to the pout of his bottom lip and a new melted stream lipping into the stretch between his thumb and index finger. He didn’t follow your gaze when it jerked from him to his camera bag, watching as your entire being lit like the thing you were sprouting wasn’t a second head but instead a hovering light bulb.

“You know what we should do?”

“...go to the park and take pictures of the playground equipment in obscure angles that strangely turn out to be aesthetically pleasing?”

“Close,” Your nail dug into your screen until you were at the top post again, flipping your phone over while you continued to study the zippers wrapped to the width of Jeongguk’s camera bag. When he’d squinted at the screen for what you deemed necessary to get the gist of the post, you continued, “We should open a photography business.”

Jeongguk squinted, “A what now?”

“A photography business. You take the pictures, I edit them. Foolproof way to earn extra cash.”

“In order to have a photography business we have to have something to photograph…”

“I bet we can get Yoongi to pay us twenty bucks to take pictures of his dog.”

“It’s almost not worth the twenty—”

“Okay, forty dollars,” You shrugged, reaching out with your own clean but crumpled napkin to dab at the excess ice cream on his hand, “I’m sure there’s some of our friends back home who need pictures of their baby. Or their cousin’s baby. Or their little brother’s senior pictures—” You blinked at the confused round of his doe eyes, “��what could it hurt to try?”

After a second of silence and swatting your hand away to lick at the dried ice cream instead, “...well we’ll need examples.”

“Good thing we were just about to go to the park—” You gestured toward his camera bag, “—and that thing is virtually attached to you.”

Jeongguk gradually began to loosen, “You want to do this right now?”

You stood then, binning your virtually untouched sundae before reaching out for his mostly eaten treat. He shoved the last of the cone between his cheeks instead of handing it to you, puffed cheeks innocent as he handed you his mass of crumpled napkins to throw away instead before you were taking both his hands to pull him up.

“What better time than now?” You grinned when he cocked an eyebrow, still holding onto your hands, “C’mon. You can help me edit them tonight.”

Skeptical, “Okay…”

Jeongguk dropped one of your hands to reach for his camera, shrugging it messily over his shoulders while you squeezed the remaining appendage in your grasp, teasing, “Don’t act like you weren’t going to take a ton of pictures of me, anyway.”

You weren’t immune to the soft blush that spread outward from the center of his cheeks, chin dropping as he shouldered his way out of the nearby door, holding it open for you and when you skipped through he grumbled, “Shut up.”

You were fresh off a playful argument about whether he could arrange your hair into a halo of hearts around your head when it happened.

“Not possible,” You dismissed, a disguised threat as you glared up at him from your seated place on the grass. He stepped closer and you held up a steady palm, “Do not touch me or my hair.”

Jeongguk whined, fingers wrapped around his lens as he crouched, twirling and snapping a picture of your indignation. “At least lay down for me? The flowers look nice…”

“These are weeds—”

“Please?”

You obliged because the stars in his eyes told you to, falling backwards to the plush earth with an arm tucked behind your neck and a hefty sigh. He’d stepped between your legs, one foot at your knees and one at your hip as he craned, tongue in cheek in concentration until he mumbled, “I still think the hearts would look cool.”

“I thought you were good at this whole photography thing.”

You retracted into yourself before he could grab you, a shriek of laughter tumbling out of your lips even before his fingers curled into your sides and you flailed an absent foot at his stature squatted over you, chanting I’m sorry, stop! until Jeongguk relented to a messy sitting position next to you in a soft cloud of grass clippings and dust, camera plopped in his lap as he glared at you.

You rolled until you were perched on your elbows, reaching out your previously assaulting foot to prod the light denim on his thighs. When he cocked an eyebrow, you tried, “Any good ones?”

Without missing a beat, he hummed, “As good as we can get with that face of yours.”

“Hey!—”

The tiniest of smiles pressed the ghost of a dimple in Jeongguk’s cheek and he tossed his head, “Come here.”

An awkward waddle over and you were pressed into his side, cheek on his arm as he scrolled through the shots on the digital screen. It was something about his ability to capture shots at just the right moment in just the right lighting with just the right angle that elicited a feeling of fond within you, that even if you didn’t particularly like the squash of your chin between your neck or the way the wind had curled the material of your shirt around your torso, it was still a glimpse into how Jeongguk saw the world, saw you. A strange fuzziness bubbled to the tips of your fingers as he continued to scroll through his lens to what he perceived as your beauty, focused more on the gradual smile that grew higher on his teeth as he flipped past candid shots of you telling him off to staged shots of you perched on a park bench looking as skeptical as you could about the barking squirrel perched just out of frame above you.

“Good, don’t you think?” His fond faced you, further melting the numbness on the edge of your appendages to the entirety of your stature.

You relaxed into his so that your nod brushed against his bicep, afraid of what your face would say if you met his gaze and you mumbled, “Told you we didn’t need heart hair.”

“Hush,” Jeongguk’s screen went black as he set it gently on the cross of his ankles, leaning on his palms to accommodate your stature better, “Do you think we got plenty of examples?”

You continued to stare at his blank screen, skin warm on the fabric covering his arm and suddenly it happened when you blurted, “Let me take some of you.”

A possessive hand curled to obscure your view of the blank preview screen, shoulders jumping as he tried to laugh it off, “No, that’s okay.”

Chin on his shoulder, you dared to look at him and utter, “What? I’ll edit them. I mean, I know your face looks like that but that’s the beauty of technology.”

“My joke,” Jeongguk’s neck craned backward to observe you, smile flustered like the pink that had overtaken more of his cheeks, “...why do you want to?”

You shrugged, “You always take pictures of me. I just thought we could change it up—” You swallowed, “You know. For our business.”

“Ah, marketing technique, huh,” Slowly, he uncovered the device, flicking it back to life with a seasoned thumb as he was stretching it to place it softly on your thigh, “Okay, boss. Where do you want me?”

You’d used a camera before but something so expensive to the price tag but priceless to the wary man before you made it an extra weight in your palms, fumbling at first to get anything that wasn’t blurry. One of your first clear shots was after you’d shoved on broad shoulders until he was seated on a wooden bench, awkward and small at first until you sighed with the camera at your hip.

The exasperated relax that sighed from your lips opened up a new realm that had the strange bubbles from earlier lodging into the base of your throat when Jeongguk reclined, both arms framing the back of the bench and his legs flopped open, that slight crinkle to one edge of his nose still present until you slowly rose the camera and it erased into something effortlessly smug.

“I can’t...I can’t get it to focus.” For two reasons now.

Jeongguk nodded in seeming understanding and you had a hunch he didn’t entirely understand why but he patted the spot next to his thigh on the bench nonetheless. “Come here. Rest your elbow on this and then try. It’ll stabilize it a little bit more…”

You startled yourself and him when you bypassed the bench for his thigh, digging your elbow into the taut muscle as you pulled the camera to your face, catching his surprise first and then the slow smirk that melted back into his features, chin tilting as you got a few more shots before pulling your touch away.

The next set of shots was you frantically ordering him to stay like a dog until you’d jogged the proper distance away (Don’t trip! Watch my camera!) and motioned for him to walk to you. It was rigid at first, just as before, a little too fast and his face was on the edge of bursting into audible giggles. You continued to back away, holding up a palm for him to pause again and then you shouted, “Relax!” louder than before and more important.

There was an easy gait to his walk now, feet crossing as they stepped in front of each other, one hand finding the front pocket of his jeans as the oversized hang of his striped blue shirt crinkled at his thin waist. One hand dared to fluff at his hair, gaze going out to the occupants of the park rather than the desolate intersection to his other side and you couldn’t help but giggle at the unsure smile that crossed his lips immediately after the action.

Jeongguk settled for an easy saunter after that, one hand in his pocket, both in, both out, until you were tired of the clench of his jaw and you called over the raise of his device to the lower half of your face, “Hey! Are those yellow converse you’re wearing?”

He frowned at first, “What’s wrong with my yellow converse?” before breaking into a gentle grin, one that started at the crinkles around his eyes and traveled into the wide pull of his teeth as the easy swing of his steps stumbled into his louder laughter and you continued to click away all the same until he set his sights on you. Hunched back, rolled shoulders, arms comically splayed out behind him as he darted for you, a squeak of surprise leaving your lips and before you could think to hold onto his camera and run, he was on you, arms around your waist to direct his giggles directly over your ear.

The excitement died with gentle sways in the center of the sidewalk. Jeongguk continued to hold your hips as he pulled away, quieter now, “Do you think we have enough now?”

“Plenty,” You held his camera out to him until his grip was secure on it, prodding your index finger to the center of his chest, “Did you want to take anymore? I know you originally wanted to come because you had some ideas for your portfolio…”

He beamed, slightly apologetic in the slant of it on his lips, “It’s okay, we have all summer. I’m...kind of hungry anyway.”

“We just had ice cream!”

“We’ve been here for four hours.”

You eyed the time on your phone and then the dip of the sun behind some wisped clouds in the horizon. “Oh.”

“You’ll come with me another day, though?”

You patted Jeongguk’s chest instead of prodding it. “Of course, Guk.”

He plopped in beside you, two paper plates balanced between his long fingers and the curve of his wrist, each piled high in fresh slices of pizza. One plate was deposited to the coffee table beyond the sway of your ankles, the latter pulled over his thighs to begin happily munching at the toppings while you continued to hack at the keys on your laptop.

“Any progress?” Jeongguk leaned closer with grease stained lips, “Making us look good?”

You hummed, dragging your finger over your touchpad. Another notch down on contrast, another notch up on the chosen filter, some color correction, and lessening of shadows to compensate for the natural lighting.

“Trying my best. And…” You navigated to save the image on the screen, one of Jeongguk walking toward you with a hand in his pocket and an easy expression adorning his otherwise tentative features. “I’m done!”

He pouted, grease stained finger trailing to the screen, “You cut off my shoes.”

“I blame your camera,” You exited out of the program, pulling up your internet browser instead. You paused, the cursor blinking on the search engine and you turned to observe the fish of Jeongguk’s lips as he gnawed on another bite of pizza dough, “...do you really want me to post some of these?”

He dusted his fingers on the edge of his joggers, leaning closer until his cheek was smooshed against the crook of your elbow. “I mean, what can it hurt.”

You began to type then, slow in entering the cursed Facebook and you chatted as you typed, “Should we create an official page for the business and everything?”

“Absolutely we should,” Jeongguk made grabby hands at your laptop until you relented and let him pull it into the awkward curl of his lap. His eyebrows furrowed at the first post on your feed, the same Yoongi Area 51 meme that continued to fester in your feed because Taehyung couldn’t and wouldn’t stop commenting on it and his tongue sandwiched in his molars with further confusion, doe eyes scanning down the length of the screen until the tip of your nail pointed him in the right direction.

Jeongguk hesitated again on the first question. Name.

“Uh…”

“I got it,” You leaned your head against his, softly, “Dare to Begin…”

Dare to begin a new semester that neither of you knew if you could properly pay for. Dare to begin a summer of trying to figure out how to pay for that semester. Dare to begin a new semester by some miracle and then what (figure it out when you get there, survive) with a major you adored and a major he did because photography wasn’t a viable career option. Dare to begin a friendship with someone who photographed the world like the beauty he saw it in but photographed you like he was in love with the world because you existed in it.

Dare to begin a new business on Facebook, of all things.

He wrinkled his nose, “I was just going to go with Flash Fiends or something.”

“Oh, come on,” You reasoned your prior thoughts to something that wouldn’t cause suspicion of your sentiments, “Dare to begin, like weddings? They’re beginning their journey with us. Senior pictures? Beginning a journey. Baby pictures? Again...beginning a long life journey—”

“You’re serious about this?” Jeongguk had already typed Flash Fiends in the name box and you squeaked in indignation.

“I guess not,” Suddenly bashful, “I just thought it was creative…”

“It is,” You blinked and he’d navigated through three other windows before he was typing dare to begin with Flash Fiends as the opening line in the description box. He hacked away some more, a generic description and you equally agreed to put prices in the album with the pictures of the two of you. Another jam of his pinky into the enter key and he lifted up off your side to hand you your laptop back. “There! Okay, now do your thing.”

Doing your thing included dragging all the files into an album, adding searchable hashtags, making the post public, choosing to set the last photo of Jeongguk you’d edited as the cover photo. A couple more clicks to make the post, navigating to share it onto your profile and dropping a tag of his profile and, “My thing is done.”

He took your laptop from you to replace it with the extra plate of pizza, sliding the remote into his hand in the same movement and flicking on the television. “Now,” He gestured solemnly to the litter of devices in front of you, both your phones and the still open laptop, “We wait.”

You remembered two of the share notifications before you dozed off underneath the cozy puff of Jeongguk’s duvet and the heavy weight of his arm draped across your waist. One from Yoongi, an oh so serious I’m going to help my friends! share that included the obligatory you’re very talented, Guk-ah! I’d love to have you shoot Holly one day...comment. One from Taehyung, a less than serious share that included a string of laughing emojis solely on the image of Jeongguk lounging seriously on the wooden park bench.

The notification you most definitely did not remember was the email from Kim Enterprises titled internship inquiry.

You crawled from Jeongguk’s embrace to snatch your laptop, afraid to pull the email up on the tiny screen of your phone in fear you were reading it wrong. The light off the screen roused him from his sleep before your suddenly-not-tired-anymore gasp did.

“What? What’s wrong?” He misjudged the search of his hand for you, gently sliding across your cheek instead of your arm like he’d been aiming but you barely flinched, covering your lips with both hands instead.

“This can’t be real,” The words muffled through your fingers before they were in action again, highlighting the email address and jamming it into the search engine.

“I’m not following you…”

“To be honest,” You clicked on the first result of the search, another gasp raw in your throat when the website, that website, emerged, “Me either.”

“B-Bloom?” Jeongguk squinted at the screen, turning your laptop towards the sleep still coating the fringe stuck in his eyelashes, “What is Bloom?”

“A magazine. An extremely popular magazine.”

He brushed your fingers out of the way to navigate back to the tab with your email on it, squinting at the address, “Why did an extremely popular magazine email you?”

“Let me read this email to you, Guk.”

“I can read—”

“Greetings owner of Flash Fiends. We were extremely intrigued by the contents of your recent business inquiry not for the service at hand but rather the individual seen in some of the photos. The social media entity tagged him as Jeon Jeongguk, and if that is the identity of this individual, we’d be interested in signing him—” You paused, swallowing half your tongue and holding a singular finger up as you inhaled audible through your nose, “—for a summer modeling internship in the interest of some of our newest summer spreads, paid of course. If that is something that would be of interest to you, please reply to this email with an updated resume and we will be in touch. Thank you again, and we look forward to hearing from you. Park Jimin, Department Head of Kim fucking Enterprises and Bloom fucking Inc.”

There was a passing moment of silence, some shifting as Jeongguk fell back into the sheets with his pillow curled in his bare arm and he mumbled, “I told you Flash Fiends was an incredible name.”

“Jeongguk! Did you hear me?”

He hummed, “I saw it, too.”

“And? They want to pay you! This is the perfect opportunity to earn the money you need for next semester!”

When he was silent for a frightening second, you shut your laptop and shucked it to the floor, turning until you were facing him. You’d barely settled when a tiny, forced smile was dimpling into his cheeks. “I’m not going without you,” He tried to provide and you frowned.

“Uhm, yes you absolutely are.”

“I’m not a model, babe.”

“You’re entirely more attractive than you give yourself credit for,” You blinked at him, soft fingers subconsciously reaching to stroke wavy tresses from his gaze, “Come on. What could it hurt to try?”

“You said that about the photography business idea, too, and now look where we are,” He flushed under your touch between his eyebrows, “Besides, are you going to run that alone if I leave?”

You bypassed his sarcasm, “We’re in a place where you could get that money you need for next semester. One step closer to graduation. And all you’d have to do is pose for some pictures. They’ll probably pay for your housing and shit too—”

“Okay, but I’m still not going without you,” You waited on Jeongguk to exhale through his nose, considering something over the top of your head before elaborating, “...if I’m going to try this, you’re going with me. Just like the photography business.” Just like everything.

“You need a resume first.”

“And you need some sort of skill that goes hand in hand with a famous model—” He beamed, “—like yours truly.”

“Fuck off—”

“You could be my assistant.”

“Fuck off twice.”

“What about my stylist?” Jeongguk let the suggestion hang in the air for a second before teasing, “Your eyeliner looks half decent sometimes.”

“And does any part of you genuinely think I want to go with you at this point—”

“We also need someone to fake these resumes for us—” His features wrinkled up, “—can we get arrested for that? Should I apologize to my FBI agent now?”

You ignored him, instead saying simply, “Taehyung.”

The software engineer blinked at you past artificial blue, the light coating the dyed grey locks that parted in all the right places around the circumference of his head, baggy flannel wrapped around his knuckles that drummed absently into his desk.

“So...you were serious about that Facebook post?”

“Not really, but—” You exchanged a glance with Jeongguk, “—now we kind of are.”

Taehyung spun slowly in his desk chair, making one full rotation until he pondered, “So, let me get this straight. You want me to fake resumes for the two of you so that you can get a paid internship at Bloom, aka, one of the biggest fashion magazines in the country, because they somehow, through the power of the internet, found your half-joking, half-serious photoshoot and want to sign the amateur model that is Jeon Jeongguk.”

Jeongguk exchanged a glance with you this time, “Correct.”

The older boy blinked, once, twice, four times before shrugging, pushing sleeves up to his elbows as he dug bare heels into the floor, dragging himself closer to the computer to begin hacking away. The blue light turned white and he mumbled, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Twenty minutes later you were sitting across from Taehyung at his tiny dining table with a manila folder in hand containing two pieces of paper, stapled together neatly in the corner, and printed with thick ink you were almost afraid to touch. The man across from you sucked noisily on coffee from a Pikachu themed mug, taking a massive bite from a chocolate energy bar in the same movement and he spoke through the crumbs gathering on the corners of his lips, “I think you’ll find those sufficient.”

You ignored Jeongguk’s flat out whine at the contents of his papers, gleeing, “Oh, good thinking, Tae. I’ll absolutely take credit for RM’s cheekbones in the Seoul music video.”

“Wait—” Jeongguk placed his hand on your arm until he could drag your fake resume close enough to scan it. Another whine, high pitched and through slanted eyebrows and pouted lips, “—why do you get to be attached to Namjoon?”

“Your crush is showing.”

“At least yours doesn’t say you were a former foot model!”

You couldn’t suppress the snort in your throat, gently prying the wrinkled papers from Jeongguk’s death grip to confirm that Taehyung did, in fact, write that Jeongguk had an impressive track record of modeling for various small shoe companies with posters plastered in every massive mall on the south side of the country.

“Why—”

“Because you can’t see your face, dumbass,” Taehyung finished the bar in hand in two bites, shucking the wrapper into a pile of various other trash on the edge of his dining table, “It’s easier to fake if they do check references. What do you think they’re going to do, pull your socks off to check?”

“There’s approximately a million other parts of my body that aren’t my face.”

“Not quite a million…”

“Anyway,” You flattened both your resumes to the table, tapping on the section that said references with a singular reference, “What is this phone number?”

“Mine,” Another energy bar had materialized from somewhere and the wrapper was loudly crinkling in Taehyung palm as he shrugged into another bite, “I’m your manager now.”

“There’s no way this is going to work.”

“This will work,” He took another swig from his mug and when something like a belch rumbled in his throat you figured out that it wasn’t coffee but something carbonated, “What? Do you not have any trust in me?”

You fiddled in the backseat of the cab, the seat belt too tight on your shoulder and digging into that spot on your neck the more you shifted. You tore your gawking gaze away from the city skyline trailing along outside the window to Jeongguk prodding at his thigh with your index finger.

“You think they’ve called Taehyung yet?”

“If they haven’t yet they’re probably not going to,” His chin swiveled from the window to look at you, gently taking the nervous tap of your hand into his palm and holding it in his lap, “They’ve already said we’re in. We’re already here. It’s okay.”

You were silent through another stop sign and the anger of honking traffic over the soft radio before you uttered, “So Taehyung must be some kind of wizard, then.”

Jeongguk’s palm caught on the back of the driver’s seat when the brakes slammed again, offering you another gentle smile as his thumb swiped over your knuckles, “Evidently.”

“We’re here,” The driver informed you over the ambiance of unmoving traffic and screeching tires, holding out an expectant hand for Jeongguk to jam a wad of cash into before he was pulling you out onto the sidewalk after him.

Backpacks on and suitcases barely lifted over the lip of the trunk of the cab before he was speeding away off the curb in a rare moment of serenity on the street. Your easy going shrug in Jeongguk’s direction was short lived until you turned toward the building in question, your building for the next few months, nonchalant turning to ice even as summer heat burned through the fabric of the hoodie you’d adorned since five am that morning at the airport.

A skyscraper was the easiest way to explain it in layman's terms, towering endless stories high so it almost appeared to curve and sway into the flecks of clouds skimming through the blue sky. It seemed to be made entirely of windows, tinted enough and if you squinted, covered in elegant curtains or outlined with towering succulents in molted clay pots. The front door was sliding glass, accented in gold like the name plate jutting out in an awning over a massive outdoor rug with the same name and logo etched in a shag of the same hue. The longer you gaped, the more people entered or exited through the very glass doors, ingraining the soft mechanical hum they made into the forefront of your conscious along with the polished leather shoes and designer purses and singular wedding bands that likely costs more than you would pay in tuition for four years combined.

“This can’t be it,” You panicked from Jeongguk’s arm again, finding it to dig your fingernails into and turn back onto the street, frantically trying to catch sight of your long gone taxi driver but the street had filled in your moment of disbelief and all shades of yellow and orange began to look the same. “Surely we told him the wrong address.”

“Babe,” He didn’t move his arm so as not to startle you, wincing the further your nails curled into his skin but gentle in his call nonetheless, “Baby, hey—” His eyes trekked the jump of your throat as you swallowed, finally meeting his eye contact, “—let’s just go inside. The worst they can tell us is no.”

They didn’t tell you no but the look from the receptionist told you to be self conscious of the joggers shrunk just above your ankles and the tattered edges of the hoodie curled around your knuckles that curled your skin anemic into the handle of your suitcase while Jeongguk easily chatted through her questions and paperwork, confirming that yes, you were the guests of Kim Enterprise. When you uttered purple to his under the breath pick a color inquiry, you didn’t expect it to be for a spiraling wrist band with a shiny metal key attached to one end, an end that pressed into the pulse point on your wrist. He turned from the desk, a folder in hand and a matching blue band on his wrist, one he shook at you so that the key twisted softly underneath the massive crystal chandelier taunting the space above the front desk.

“We’re on the tenth floor,” He seemed entirely too at ease in the drape of his oversized crew neck and baggy joggers over open-toed sandals amongst luxuries like a jar of pens perched on the edge of the front counter you commended him for grabbing because the shiny ballpoints seemed to be carved of the same, close-to-real gold accented every inch of the building. He flicked his head again, soft bangs bouncing, and you were left to stumble after his stature until his advancements had to pause for a tall man in a matching tracksuit walking a happy looking doberman from the direction that you smelled chlorine.

“Does this place have a pool?” You whispered with your hands braced between his shoulder blades, waiting until the man was out of sight to navigate for the elevators.

Jeongguk waited until he stabbed the button, stepping back to jostle the folder in hand to squint at one of the pages. “Looks like it—” His eyes glinted for a second, “—and a full gym!”

He continued chattering about the amenities while you stepped onto the elevator, listing off the various delivery services that would come to the front lobby versus the ones that would bring it to your door, only pausing through a rant about what the in house cafe coffee cost when you jammed the key on your wrist into the lock of the apartment, your apartment, and pushed the door open.

Jeongguk mirrored your panicked thoughts from earlier when he let go of the handle of his suitcase, causing the lopsided storage to tumble to the hardwood below. He articulated it next, “This can’t be it. There has to be a mistake. We’re in the wrong apartment or something—”

“Guk,” You comforted him with a hand on his hip, “Our keys wouldn’t have worked if this wasn’t the right place. They wouldn’t have called us by name at the front desk…”

You followed the awe of his gaze as it tilted upward and in swivel, taking in the muted caramel hardwood glossed underneath fluffy white rugs and hues of blue leather furniture, similar wood color to the floor marking that of the cabinets and tables nailed to walls or pushed into corners, accent pieces and fake flowers doused in blacks and whites sprinkled throughout the various nooks. The windows you’d noticed from the street stretched out in the opposite direction from where you’d came in, allowing you a view not of the street but through the city, a birds eye view through buildings taller and shorter than your own, some close enough to theoretically touch and others just an unworldly as they would be from ground level. Thin black curtains swayed from gold accented rods, a result of the white ceiling fan and the chill of air conditioning seeping out through various vents pressed into the crown molding of the rippled ceiling. A staircase marked the far corner, spiraling upward into an open concept hallway that disappeared into another handful of doors, the wood a slightly darker shade than that on the floor but the railing coated in a curved gold metal.

He swayed next to you and when he shuffled forward, you registered that he’d stepped out of his sandals, picking his feet up like prolonged contact would dirty the immaculate condition. He’d no much as peeked around the corner, the curve of broad shoulders a sliver in your peripheral, when a noise of surprise came high pitched from him.

You peeled off your tennis shoes by the heels, taking long steps until you were behind him. In the kitchen, an open concept room marked onto by the black marble bar that made an L shape to the hum of shining appliances.

“The lights are motioned censored,” Jeongguk provided at a breath and the two of you were still enough in silence that they flicked off. You moved to test his theory, flailing a hand out and frosted globes curled into the ceiling in threes illuminated once more.

You stepped around him, hardwood trailing into slick white tile and you nearly stumbled into the edge of the countertop when you tried to step for the neatly folded triangle of paper perched in the center next to a bowl of fresh fruit. You plucked it into your grasp, not without dislodging a yellow apple that rolled a few paces across the specks of silver shining through in the countertop, using your thumb to smooth out the creases to squint at the printed type.

“What the fuck are we doing?” Jeongguk uttered finally, still rooted in place but slumped against the wall.

You flipped the paper over, “Apparently heading to the agency for a meeting with Park Jimin.”

His eyes closed, feet shuffling until his entire back was pressed into the wall, “I knew that. They said that in the confirmation email. I meant—”

“—we can figure out what to do with this place when we get back. We need to get ready,” You glanced at him, “I mean, you can go in our airport clothes but I’d rather...not.”

“Right…” Jeongguk squinted, eyes trailing over your shoulder to the nestled staircase as he pushed himself up off the wall, “You think the bedrooms are up there?”

You frowned, “Why not just change down here?”

“On account of giant ass windows and thin curtains I don’t entirely trust yet,” His voice echoed to you no matter where he ventured into the house, going first to snatch his fallen suitcase and then secondly making his way for the ascend.

You almost tripped trying to collect your own bag, heaving by the time you caught his stature on the stairs and he turned to you with an amused cock of his eyebrow. “Coming with?”

“Don’t leave me down there alone,” You countered, shoving at his waist, “Too big for me to be by myself. This makes my dorm look like a thimble.”

Jeongguk laughed, a soft sound as his feet hit the next level, glancing down each hallway and then at you. It was an unspoken race until your coiled muscles jumped the opposite direction, meandering into bedrooms at each end of the upper level. You heard his cackles grow louder from within the first door your reached and your conscious had just began to affirm the same thing he yelled to you, “These are fucking huge too!”

A massive queen bed with a white duvet and two white blankets neatly folded at the end, two white wicker rocking chairs, a white throw rug peeking out from underneath the bed frame, white tile in an en suite bathroom like that in the kitchen cut off where the slightly darker wood floor began.

You dropped your suitcase unceremoniously in the threshold, picking your feet like Jeongguk had been before as you dug into the top pouch of the bag to retrieve a different outfit. Three splashes of water to your cheeks and a struggle with a jean button confirmed you were very much still alive and you dared to wander out into the hallway after a fight with an automatic sink faucet.

There was one more bedroom half the size of the one you’d claimed on your side of the hall, one you inspected with a quiet hum, dragging the door shut behind you as your sweeping steps brought you back outside. The false sense of serenity your anxious mind had calmed you into immediately erased when there was a figure standing at the head of the stairs, forcing a scream from your lips.

“It’s me—” But it didn’t look like Jeongguk, not the Jeongguk you were used to anyway. Neatly pressed black slacks falling neatly around his ankles, a black baggy top that curled into his elbows with vertical blue stripes cutting down the surface of the fabric, the material tugged and cinched with a thin belt at the point of his thin waist, new jewelry curled over his exposed wrists and collarbones and fingers, hair slightly damp and parted effortlessly.

“What the fuck?” You barked.

He glanced down at his shirt, picking at one of the loose buttons and then finally deciding to do it up, a muted, “Does this look okay?” catching in his throat when you rushed for him, catching his wrists and quickly undoing his previous action. He was flushed harsh at the neck when you glanced up at him, sheepish in the smile that crossed the own heat flaming through your stature.

“Yes,” You affirmed, “You look great, but…”

“But—”

“Aren’t I supposed to do your hair?”

Jeongguk blinked at the pink in his cheeks worsened. “Yeah, I was thinking…” He seemed to wince but you knew it as embarrassment, “Maybe you could curl it for me some time? More of a wave than what’s naturally there...you know.”

You eyed one of the wispy strands that swayed out over the top of his ear, not included in the wet swipe of his brush through his tresses.

“What do I look like?” You teased, grabbing his wrist to tug him down the stairs two at a time, “Your stylist?”

“Jeon Jeongguk and…” The man behind the counter trailed off, reading your name a bit quieter from the front of a blue file folder with a raised eyebrow. You nodded with a smile nonetheless, nudging Jeongguk who was still fixated on an oak tree sized fern resting in front of the sleek wall beyond the counter.

“Perfect,” His chair clicked across the plastic mat underneath the wheels, head disappearing into a file cabinet before returning with two laynards. He passed them across the desk, blank ID badges encased in thick plastic sleeves that would earn you clearance. “Your headshot will accompany the ID—” He was addressing Jeongguk point blank, “—once you take an appropriate one. Company protocol.”

Jeongguk passed you one lanyard, untangling his absently and he inquired softly, “...when will those be taken?”

The man frowned, “In just a few moments? Were you not aware?”

“I thought we had a meeting scheduled with Park Jimin,” You drew the man’s attention to you, stretching the lanyard around your neck.

“Oh, you do,” He smiled, “His meeting is running late, so we’re going to send you to the studio first.”

“We weren’t prepared for a shoot…” Jeongguk tucked his own badge over his neck.

The man willingly addressed you this time, smile tight lipped as an obnoxious office phone began to ring behind him, “Well, I’m sure your extremely talented stylist will be able to make you presentable from the shoulders up, yes?”

You swallowed, “Absolutely.”

“Perfect. The studio is down the hall to the left. Follow the signs posted on the wall,” More plastic wheels clicking across the floor and the ringing silenced as he placed the speaker against his shoulder, “Now if you’ll excuse me. Hello, Kim Enterprises—”

“Hey,” Jeongguk nudged you as you trailed down the mentioned hallway, squinting at an array of plastic signs drilled in a row on the wall. He tripped when you abruptly turned, pointing to direct him instead but he just nudged you again, “You can try out the whole curling my hair thing a bit sooner than expected.”

You dared to glance away from the scattered map in your brain to the shag of his locks of his eyebrows, ones that had already begun to dry and scrunch into soft waves. “Yeah,” You nodded, nudging him in the direction of the arrow for headshot studio, “Maybe.”

There was a woman stationed outside one of the open doorways, absently scrolling through her phone and she jerked when you approached, pocketing her phone in a messy fumble. “Ah, hello!” She greeted, and you rushed for the plastic at your chest to flip it over to display your name. “You must be the new duo...Jeongguk and—” She squinted at your name, uttering it too. “—perfect!” Soft curls bounced around her shoulders and when she turned you were knocked backward by the overwhelming smell of vanilla, but it faded like her figure into the room. “If you’ll follow me…”

The room opened into rows of empty makeup counters, bright lights burning hot over the top of walls half coated in mirrors. A few of the chairs were pulled out, like they’d been used earlier in the day, and some spare makeup bags were left sprawled with the products rolled onto the white counters. The woman was standing in a far corner at a clean counter aside from a neatly packaged makeup bag, a hair dryer, and a curling iron with the cord wrapped neatly around it’s head.

“I think you’ll find this sufficient,” She chirped in reference to the items at the table. She pulled out the chair, just for extra measure. “If not, there are extra of everything in the cabinet on the far side of the room. If the skin tone is not correct, your welcome to any of the others, as well. This bag is yours for the duration of your stay so I recommend keeping it stocked so you do not waste time before shoots.”

“Other than that, have fun!” Her hand centered between Jeongguk’s shoulder blades, pushing until he followed her unspoken lead and collapsed into the chair. “Come across the hall when you’re prepared. I’ll notify our photographer of your arrival.”

He stared at you through the mirror until she’d slipped out of the room and then some, finally uttering slow and gentle, “Uh. So, what are you going to do to me?”

You decided to place your fingers in his hair to calm yourself in the slightest, fluttering the strands in both palms, and even your teasing was absent, “I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to fix this—”

“Should you start with makeup?”

Both your gazes absently trailed to the rolled up black bag and your gradual nod came before your steps trailed to the opposite side of his chair. “I’m not going to do much…” You rambled while you discarded a liquid foundation that was a shade too light for Jeongguk for a powder one that appeared to match. “You don’t need it…”

You shook some of the substance into a tray, marveling at a clean powder brush before jabbing the soft end into the pile of dust curled in your palm. Your nose wrinkled when you moved for him, using your free hand to nudge his bangs out of the way before your internal monolog told you fuck it and the same stabbing motion became the end of the brush into the center of Jeongguk’s nose.

He spluttered and you panicked when the fallout of the clumped dust spread below to the black fabric of his shirt. “That how you do it, huh?” He spoke through powdered stained lips and you frowned, spreading it up and over his cheekbones.

“Close enough,” You finished evening out the powder before dropping the brush, reaching to dust at his shirt instead. He let you, waiting until you’d dulled the color into soft, barely there blots along the surface of his chest and watching with rapt attention as you straightened, settling curled fists onto your hips with a huff.

“I think that’s enough makeup.”

“It’s just powder.”

“Exactly. You can’t even tell it’s there—” Jeongguk gestured to the drying and fraying mop on his head before sanctioning his hands underneath his thighs again, like you’d bite him if he moved while you worked, “—now fix my hair.”

You unraveled the cord, plugging it into the row of outlets lining the far wall before stretching the warming end of the iron toward Jeongguk’s face so quick he ducked, an attempt to loosen the perpetual frown that was carving a discolored circle into your bottom lip from the harsh suction of your teeth into the plush substance. When it didn’t work, he rounded his lips and blew upward so that the section of hair you feathered into your fingers fluttered out of your grasp. You cracked a smile then, dropping the curling iron to your side and you cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Behave.”

He giggled, a soft sound that matched the crinkle of his powdered covered nose and his hands went back to being stiff underneath his legs. “Yes, ma’am.”

If it weren’t hard enough teaching yourself to curl short strands of hair on someone else, it was worse that the someone was Jeongguk, wide eyes coated in celestial bodies peering quietly up at you, a soft encouragement paired with tender giggles when you cursed. You nudged at the last strand, waving it over the tip of his right ear and you leaned back against the counter to inspect your work.

It was his expression that faltered you now, an absent fondness that stared deep into your gaze when you met the very things that could rival any planetarium and you stuttered, “I-I think I’m done?”

“It looks good,” Jeongguk leaned forward to confirm, squinting at himself in the mirror, fixing a few strands to his liking and then he added a bit slower, “We can practice…”

A squeak left your lips and you went to cover your face because we can practice meant it wasn’t that good, but you weren’t allowed to wallow in it for long when two hands wrapped around your wrists, prying your cover away and drawing you closer until you were all but leaning over Jeongguk.

“It’s okay,” More absent swiping to your knuckles and the freckle on the center of his bottom lip prominent when dimples pressed into his cheeks, “Ready?”

You let yourself smile, “You’re the model here, Guk.”

His headshots developed instantly and were sprawled in massive print sizes on the grain of Jimin’s desk, a glaring documentation of Jeongguk’s first professional shoot, your first time curling his hair, and the endearing little smile he allowed to adorn a sliver of his teeth. But even if you found it endearing, Park Jimin’s cross expression seemed to suggest the opposite.

“Are these the ones you chose?” He mused, dragging a finger across the thing white space framing one of the photos. It was a pre-teeth smile, pulled lip dimpling the freckle on his chin, nose a second away from wrinkling at you flipping him off behind the scenes.

Jeongguk considered his affirmation as a failure and it showed in the way it slid off his tongue, “...yes?”

Another handful of heartbeats into Jimin’s silence and Jeongguk uttered, “I mean...uh. T-they probably would look a little better if you’d adjust your umbrella lights. Or, you know, purchase new ones. They seem to be out of date. And are worsening the contrast—”

A second longer and Jimin shrugged, effectively cutting off Jeongguk’s rambles, and he gripped the edge of the photograph instead, sliding it into a neat pile with the others. They were quickly slipped into a folder, one he passed aside to make room for intertwined fingers in the center of his desk.

“They’ll suffice for now,” Thin eyes studied you fully now, disregarding the hunch of Jeongguk’s shoulders in the chair next to you, snake like black peering out from beyond bleached blonde fringe, “...can I ask who you are?”

“His stylist.”

“Name?” You uttered it and Jimin nodded, leaning back into the plush back of his chair. “So is there a reason you’re here…?”

“I think I’ll need to know about Jeongguk’s future endeavors here if I’m going to, essentially, be responsible for his look—” You ignored the dry texture cracking at your tongue on the roof of your mouth with each new syllable, all the moisture instead clamming your palms that roughed out of sight on your thighs, “—don’t you think?”

He seemed impressed with that answer, two hands threading at the nape of his neck to let plush lips quirk with the raise of one eyebrow. “I think you may be correct,” Jimin drawled slowly, “You may stay.”

You bit down the sarcastic thanks for the permission because he was done targeting you, testing you, instead focusing his attention back on Jeongguk. The man fell forward again, dragging his chair closer with two hands between the languid part of his thighs before they transferred to rest on the round, plastic arms.

“It’s a relatively simple internship. We already have you booked for some very specific shoots for our advertisements and the main magazine alike. I’ll email you a calendar, but for now—” Fluffy blonde locks disappeared from view before he resurfaced with a highlighted piece of paper in hand, slapping it the table and pushing it until it fluttered at Jeongguk. “—you’ll see your shoots highlighted in pink. Anything else you need to attend is in yellow. Meetings, check ins, things of that nature.”

Jeongguk still seemed like a fish out of water so you leaned toward him and questioned, “And the green color?”

“Retreats, bonding opportunities. Things of that nature,” Something genuine sparked in the smile on Jimin’s face as he glanced at you, “Seokjin is very into the team aspect of our company. You’re welcome to any of them, assuming you have the time between other schedules.”

Jeongguk still hadn’t spoke, drilling a hole into the paper, so Jimin took the social cue to inquire, “Any other questions?”

You were about to wonder about the glaring pink and yellow overlap for the Monday of the upcoming work week when Jeongguk spoke, firm and assuring as he glanced up.

“I understand I’m here for modeling, but I’m extremely interested in photography. Independent and contracted, studio and otherwise. The times between schedules, would I be able to shadow some of your techs? Just for...the experience?”

Jimin barely faltered at the hopeful fidget of Jeongguk’s fingers in his lap, “I don’t believe we have the opening nor the time for that kind of request. I’ll check for you, but I wouldn’t count on anything.”

Translation, don’t ask questions, do what you’re here for.

“So,” Jimin was still chatting as he pushed himself off his chair, back arching into a stretch, “We’ll see you Monday morning for the cover shoot?”

You froze into standing, the hand you were about to offer to Jeongguk consulting the chair you perched in as a vice as your knuckles bled anemic into your bone, “Excuse me...the what?”

“The cover shoot,” Jimin blinked as though that should be common knowledge to two rookie interns, “Seokjin recruited you with this concept in mind. You’ll be on the front cover of the next issue of Bloom.”

More silence that Jimin was unaware to, moving around the side of his desk to make it to a row of towering file cabinets in the corner. He had the folder of Jeongguk’s headshots in hand, filtering it with careful thumbs even when you uttered a half octave softer, “Can we know what the concept is?”

Jimin smiled, the answer obvious as the mentioned cabinet rebounded audibly into a magnet placed on the inside of black metal.

“They’ll be happy to explain it to you in your pre-shoot meeting Monday.”

“What if we’re doing all this—” Jeongguk winced for the fifteenth time when you lowered the curling wand to another strand of black, “—and it’s a shoot for my feet.”

You resisted the urge to accidentally let the edge of the iron graze his cheek in the unwind from the soft wave of his tress. You shifted where you perched on the marble, letting your thighs fall further apart for his waist to lean against the edge of the counter. With a hand on his shoulder, you pushed until his eyes trained on you, slightly sheepish, slightly shameless, entirely endearing and you sighed at the last attribute.

“You think they’d put a whole ass foot on the cover of Bloom?” When he whined, you reached for another, untouched piece of hair, twisting and pressing it to the heat, “Nothing else. Just a foot. Maybe some scandalous ankle—”

Jeongguk pinched your thigh, “You’re mean.”

“This meanie can let you style your own hair and look like that on a magazine that everyone on campus is definitely going to see,” You ducked until he met your gaze again, serious despite the upward curve of your lips, “How mean am I now?”

“You’re not,” He grumbled, glancing off to the side, “You’re the best.”

“Thought so,” You let the curling iron teeter to its stand on the counter, bracing your hands on either side of you to inspect your work, “I...think we’re done.”

You resisted the urge to scream when Jeongguk ruffled searching fingers through the front, letting the styled strands fluff outward in the carefully done part you’d established with a complementary pen you’d found in a drawer in the kitchen. He arm fell limply to his side, latter tucked firmly in the unzipped pocket of his joggers and he looked at you from the winced corners of his eyes, “Does it look okay?”

You were gentle in pinched his chin between your thumb and index finger, turning his head so doe eyes were peering at your from the center of their endearing glory, but your lips fished and you hummed in Park Jimin fashion, “I mean, it’s still your face, but from what I have to work with—”

“That’s still my joke and it’s not funny anymore.”

You surprised Jeongguk and yourself when you used your grip on him to lean forward, feathering your lips to the center of his cheek, drawing a natural shade into the artificial blush you’d rubbed in light doses to his skin. “You look great, Guk,” To amend the tingle lingering on your lips, you added, “Only be, like, three-fourths as nervous as you were before.”

He disappeared from between your legs and was six steps up the spiral staircase to retrieve his bag when he managed to choke out a less than threatening, “I’ll leave your ass here alone.”

You hopped down from the counter, shuffling through the apartment to retrieve your key still stuck to its spiraling purple bracelet next to your phone that set on a charger attached to an extension cord (fatal flaw of the millions invested in the apartment: outlets placed in inept locations) when you heard two footsteps behind you, a descend on the staircase, and then a long pause.

And then, “...do you think I should change shoes just in case it is of my feet—”

You were lost on one end of a long conference table while eight experienced professionals chattered on the likes of composition and aesthetics and ambiance and the vision of the newest issue, a list of words that meant similar but different things in the digital world with the manipulation of graphics at the tips of your fingers and you were more entertained with the aesthetic of the swirl of auburn color bubbling upward in your coffee when you stirred it with the tiny black straw. You were seemingly forgotten among the bustle that ended the meeting, a cattle like usher toward the singular door when the room was barely filled anyway and you found yourself hopeless in a room three times the size of the previous one with equipment you didn’t understand, more terminology you couldn’t grasp, and an entire missing Jeongguk.

The woman from your check in was back, bringing you your makeup back with a disapproving tut, ushering you with the heel of her palm on the small of your back toward a tiny collection of tables in the corner of the studio, a shortened version of the one you’d been in the day before, and you found it all but occupied by a new set of strangers.

You nudged the roll of your bag into the only empty spot, turning in time with the soft hush that met the other individuals milling about your general vicinity and you squinted because oh god, what now?

Words like alluring, sensual, lithe could all be replaced with much simpler adjectives, one in particular that struck bluntly at the forefront of your conscious, one you wished to express to the various shoot executives mulling over a concept they could easily direct in a hands on fashion without needing a briefing. You’d thought that into the swirl of your coffee and you assumed the cloud of cream that had surfaced, breaking into various puzzle pieces outward toward the rim of the cup agreed with you.

You understood why the bolded letters of various synonyms taking up a bullet point list on two pages of an outline, a waste of space and trees, was needed because your crude, one bullet wasn’t enough to encompass the entirety of Jeongguk’s being as he made his way toward you.

All eyes were trained on the rookie subject of the shoot but he was focused on you, a soft excuse me to the woman standing in front of you as he shouldered around her to tower over you. It was Jeongguk, your Jeongguk, but you felt some fraction of what everyone else did with him that close looking like that.

Tight jeans ripped in strategic places hugging taut thighs, cuffs buttoned loosely on relaxed knuckles, a sheer black shirt coated in metallic specks tucked neatly at the cinch of his lithe waist and secured in an equal V to the dip of defined collarbones. His hair was like you’d left it but frayed from the heat and softening from the lack of product, parting more on one side than the other and flopping into his eyes that blinked curiously at you.

“Hey...hello—” Jeongguk snapped his fingers, waving his hand so you felt the brush of his palm on your nose, “—did you hear me?”

The neanderthal corner of your conscious had enough sensibility to not utter what you wanted, instead bypassing his inquiry to all but shout, “Where are your other clothes?”

“They’re...in the dressing room? With my other things?” Someone yelled something you didn’t quite catch but the slide of Jeongguk’s palm down your elbow suggested he did, “Look, they sent me to you for a last minute check. Do I fit whatever concept they were talking about?”

Your subtly was forgotten, buried by the singular word that continued to expand into your thoughts, likely dilating your pupils the same way and the culprit of the saliva that pooled back by your molars.

Graphic design didn’t mean you were above putting size seventy-two Comic Sans font onto a document to print and plaster everywhere but even Comic Sans wasn’t worthy of whatever the concept was Jeongguk embodied. Nonetheless, you let the muted scream in your throbbing head takeover.

“You look sexy, Guk.”

He flushed at his neck first, traveling around to dip into his chest but it didn’t crack at the clench of his jaw this time, something lingering in the flash of black in his irises and his throat jumped, fingers curling over your arm and you briefly forgot where you were until someone’s stature was intentionally bumping into Jeongguk’s side, breaking his grasp on you to shove him in the opposite direction.

“Shooting in five.” You felt like you were underwater, coherent enough only to register you can’t see lightening under the sea (the flash of a camera) and you were fairly certain you’d been pitched off the edge of Atlantis when you came to enough to realize the prior five was up and they’d created a makeshift “wall” (a piece of plywood coated in white plastic) for Jeongguk (the, very sexy, “model”) to lounge against with his hands shoved into his pockets.

Part of Jeongguk’s shirt had come untucked from his belt, fluttering at the apex of his thigh, and it made your fingers itch to fix it until words of encouragement from the photographers elicited him to lift the arm on that side, palm smoothing down the back of his head until he found comfort in threading long digits into wavy tendrils. The sensible part of your brain moved to fire the necessary neurons to be annoyed that he’d just touched his hair again, hair you’d practiced on all weekend, burning yourself four times and the sheets of the unoccupied bedroom of the apartment once.

But the feral cloud in your conscious won and you chose to focus on the sliver of his waist that appeared instead.

You continued to eye it as he approached you again, sensibility pouting when you didn’t acknowledge that his sweat had smeared some of his carefully applied eyeliner or the lackluster gloss left on his lips wrapped around the ribbed edge of a water bottle, by passing all of those things in favor of his neck as it jumped and gulped.

Jeongguk pulled off the water bottle with a labored breath and the only thing familiar in his stature was the slight slouch toward you, gentle fingers brushing past your wrist to grip the table behind you and lean into it.

“Good?” He breathed, heat off his aura suffocating you and you wondered is the bottom of the ocean hot? too.

“Y-yeah. Yeah! Talented. Brilliant. Incredible. Amazing. Show stopping—”

He laughed and that was sexy too, shrugging into another languid gulp of water, pointed in stretching his neck out and he held the open bottle toward you until you took it. “As good as that Vine, huh?” His teeth appeared into the teasing smile that whipped away from you as he sauntered for the array of computer monitors in the corner displaying his shots.

You fumed.

“That’s a Lady Gaga quote, dumbass.”

Your knees, crossed albeit, were digging into the side of Jimin’s thigh and for a table to be so small in a quaint corner of a bustling rooftop restaurant, it garnered well over the decibels needed to make other patrons glance your way when a round of applause waved through the group.

It was Jimin who had elicited the reaction with the piece of paper in his hand, firm and glossy and making that distinct flop noise when he’d untucked it from it’s folder pocket and maybe if you didn’t have to crane from your position next to him to see the image splayed out over the front, your knees wouldn’t be invading his space. He didn’t seem to care, wearing a charming smile that flashed over the top of your head to the man most affected by the various interest levels of stares gathered from around the general vicinity of the restaurant.

There was a chunk of steak still stabbed through the throngs of Jeongguk’s discarded fork, meticulously cut by his focus that so desperately tried to evade the situation at any given opportunity. You noticed the pink in it before the pink spreading outward on his cheeks, framing the grateful smile he gave as acknowledgement before bowing his head at the audible emissions of praise.

“Quite the cover photo,” Jimin was still speaking, on the tail end of his reveal speech. He pulled the photo away to glance at it again, “And for an amateur on their first job as well. Phenomenal, truly.”

You touched Jeongguk’s thigh and it was the strength he needed to utter his thanks, soft at first and then louder as he addressed the other occupants at the table, “Thank you. It...it means a lot—” He turned and you followed his gaze to the one individual at the table who you’d yet to hear speak, seated at the head of the table opposite Jeongguk, wearing a black waistcoat and an easy smile to petal shaped lips.

“—and thank you, Mr. Kim, for this incredible opportunity. I-I...we—” He glanced at you for permission to include you in his speech and you squeezed his thigh in encouragement, “—we wouldn’t be here without you.”

Seokjin bowed his head in a similar fashion to Jeongguk, dropped the cloth napkin scrunched in his palm to hold that hand up in solace, “You’re very welcome but please, call me Seokjin. Before you ask, my father wasn’t Mr. Kim, I just don’t want to be called that.”

Jeongguk didn’t know whether to laugh and he wasn’t the only one so Seokjin tried to amend further, “Formality is outdated. Am I right?”

Someone, a marketing tech for the specific cover shoot, murmured quietly to sate the CEO, “Correct, Seokjin.”

Other customers had gone back to their previous dinner table discussions, returning the restaurant to the dull roar of before, and your table was no exception to the seemingly mundaneness. Ice cubes against frosted glass, the click of cutlery into glass plating, an occupied silence filled with content chewing and thoughtful swallows.

Questions to proceed the cover shoot reveal.

“What exactly were you doing before this? I understand you’re still in university?”

Jeongguk didn’t have to lie on that question because Taehyung hadn’t lied on your resumes. Or your cheat sheets, depending on who was asking. You’d forced him to sit on the floor in the living room of the apartment and recite back any and everything contained on the email attachment Taehyung had begrudgingly sent you again, from the way your name and phone numbers were ordered on the header to the exact digits, a forward and back recitation of Taehyung’s phone number (a series you’d, unfortunately, never forget).

“Yes, I’m going to school for, uhm...chemistry,” He winced because that also wasn’t a lie. Unfortunately.

You kept quiet because they hadn’t asked you. On guard. On call, maybe. Eager to recite your major and list of minors like you were at a family barbecue with cousins who refused to talk to you for three years.

An impressed murmur rounded the table in a wave. “Chemistry...What will you do with that?”

Like clockwork. “Med school, possibly. Maybe teaching. Not sure yet.”

“And your modeling experience—” Now into the flashcards once stacked in the need to review pile, “—who did you say you were signed with?”

“Ah…” His knife hit in a resounding rebound through the slab of meat he was attempting to dice into another tiny cube, “Well I wasn’t really signed, I just—”

“You weren’t signed?”

You swallowed because it wasn’t Seokjin who’d ask the question but the smile on his lips had wilted into the furrow of his eyebrows, two elbows hitting the table as his fingers clasped in front of him.

“The company has changed names since then,” Jeongguk jammed the cube into his cheeks but chewing didn’t let him off the hook as ambient dinner noises paused in wait of his answer, “It’s been a while…”

“Your resume says you’ve had published billboards up until last year. Were you not signed then?”

“It’s been a while since I originally signed. I had that contract for five years time and the company changed possession three times in that period. Who knows what it’s called now, you know?”

Safe.

Your on call button beeping eagerly in the forefront of your conscious gradually flickered until it was off because your lie wouldn’t be as easy. You couldn’t produce a selfie or even a fake contact that would ring to rap superstar Kim Namjoon. Even Taehyung wasn’t that good.

“Your manager, agent, whatever you have—” It was Jimin who asked this time, curious, “—would we know him?”

“Kim Taehyung,” Jeongguk offered up the name with little hesitation and you almost choked on a clump of parmesan tickling at your throat. The cheese convinced you there were a million Kim Taehyung’s in the world, the name not your eccentric, software engineer group project partner who’d once recited the HTML of the university’s financial aid office web page to you by memory and you managed to swallow down a gulp of your ice water, cube included, with minimal tears pooling due to your choke. “He’s our manager.”

The introduction of our caused eyes to fall upon you and blinked through the bleary tears remaining in makeup coated ducts. Some of the product smeared into your eyes then, worsening the tears of pain, but no one addressed you still. You just nodded to ensure they didn’t.

The end of the meal meant goodbyes and goodbyes meant brief instances of small talk with each individual at the table. For you, they were limited to thank you for the meal. For Jeongguk, it was a sentence or two more, ones you were in earshot of.

Seokjin came last, a soft hug wrapped around your shoulders that was awkward in the way that he patted at your arm. It was a firmer hand he reached for Jeongguk a firm shake in the middle of two broad statures as he stared directly through the haphazard fringe stringing into Jeongguk’s lashes.

“Congratulations,” Another firm shake that traveled up into a pat on Jeongguk’s shoulder, “I look forward to seeing more of your work.”

You trailed Jeongguk’s pointed trek through the front door of the apartment building, taking three strides to his normal one and you tried to slow him with a tempting, “Should we go get ice cream? We should go get ice cream.”

He was slowest when in front of the elevator, jamming his middle finger into the up button. “Why should we go get ice cream?”

“To celebrate?” Your toe caught on the small gap between the ground floor and the elevator, “They seemed to really enjoy it—”

“I’d rather just go to bed,” It was harsh in delivery but his eyes softened and his chin tilted down toward you, “...if that’s okay. Sorry.”

“That’s okay,” You affirmed and as an afterthought you teased, “Beauty sleep for the superstar.”

His smile was a ghost on the dimples in his cheeks, eyes downcast so his eyelashes shadowed on his cheekbones and his head dipped away from you to stride down the hall, staying that way as he fiddled with the blue spiral on his wrist and pushed into the apartment.

Jeongguk was with you in peeling off your shoes onto a makeshift welcome mat, a plastic takeout bag from the Thai food you’d gotten the second night, before affirming again, less harsh and almost tentative, not to ask but that you’d say no and he wouldn’t get to complete his request.

“...it’s okay if I go to bed? If I leave you alone down here?”

“Yeah,” You reached to touch his wrist, feathering your fingers over his knuckles, “Maybe I’ll figure out the TV so you don’t have to do it for me every time.”

He tried to smile. It didn’t fool but you let him go anyway, watching mute as he ascended the stairs, sluggish and slow like his fingers fiddling at the buttons of his creased button up.

“Jeongguk—” He looked at you now, fingers braced on the railing, shoulders slumped as he turned, “—take your makeup off.”

“Thank you, baby,” A soft murmur that echoed in the silence of the house, “Good night…”

You tried the television twice and gave up on the third time’s the charm, trekking the route Jeongguk had made up the stairs but turning the opposite direction for your room. You saved the shower for the morning, pocketing your jewelry in an empty pouch of your suitcase, swiping a baggy t-shirt off the floor that smelled like your roommate, washed your face in the facet you’d mastered in three weeks time, tucked yourself underneath cool sheets, raising your phone to your face where it was attached to a looping extension cord plugged into yet another inopportune outlet on the far side of the bed.

A makeup tutorial that was less of a tutorial and more of a demonstration of the guru’s skill set elicited the sleep in your eyes and you’d nearly dozed off when another light peeked from your peripheral, one that startled you to lock your phone and squint.

It was Jeongguk, body language like you’d left him but pajamas on in place of his dress clothes with a blanket sanctioned over one shoulder and dragging against the ground like his sluggish footsteps. A pillow was clutched in his latter arm, squished against his chest with his chin resting on the plush surface, forming a natural pout on the purse of his lips and the wrinkle of his nose.

“Hey,” You didn’t question, the initial startle of your heart morphing into something fond and heavy in your ears that caused you to spread your arms, “Come on.”

Mindless shuffling was domestically mundane, tugging apart the made side of the bed, replacing the pillows with his, tucking the duvet at his waist and his blanket over his shoulders, shifting further into the warmth to let him drape a hand to your hip, contact, while you propped yourself up on the curve of your arm.

“You okay?” You thumbed soft strands of his fringe between your thumb and index finger and when he didn’t jerk away, you went to stroking the tresses between the spaces in your digits. It was wet, shower fresh, not dry enough to curl yet.

Jeongguk grumbled, voice muffled and raspy into his pillow that he mushed his cheek further into, “Just couldn’t sleep, is all. Your bed is comfier.”

You ignored the way his fingers fist further into your shirt at your hip. Carefully, you nodded, “You sure that’s all?”

He hummed again, a mixture of hesitation affirmation and the reaction to your nails scraping into his scalp. You repeated the motion just to hear him mewl and feel him relax, melted shoulders shifted until he was close enough to wrap an arm around the small of your back.

“The shoot turned out really well, huh?” Jeongguk snorted, the breath fanning against your neck and you frowned, “I mean, it’s really cool. That you’re going to be on the cover. Looking like that—”

“I guess.”

You went to scrunching his hair at the back of his head between your palm, “The other things we’ve been working on since...they’ll turn out great too. Who knows, maybe you can erase the foot modeling for something legitimate and credible.”

Jeongguk’s hair ruffled in your grasp when he adjusted his cheek on the pillow, pulling away from your chest to be eye level.

“You know something?”

You let your hand flop out of his hair to the pillow, “What?”

“I haven’t taken a single picture since we’ve been here. I haven’t even thought about touching my camera.”

“I hate it,” He continued, blunt with his nose crinkled at the bridge, “I miss it…”

“We have a day off in a few days. Maybe we could go exploring with it—”

“—and I can’t believe I’m saying this but I miss school. I miss being at university,” Jeongguk blinked, a prolonged blink that scrunched at more parts of his face, “Okay, I don’t miss that. I...I don’t know what I miss. It’s...something. Mostly photography probably but I think it’s just…”

“...I think it’s just knowing. I miss knowing. As in having at least a sense of what I’m doing. Where I’m going. What I want to do.”

Your features softened into something grim, nodding when he glanced at you. His laugh was bitter as he held your eye contact, “In short, I hate this. I, frankly, hate that you convinced me to do this. I...I can’t wait to go home.”

“I’m sorry, Guk, I didn’t—”

“It’s not your fault,” He breathed in, holding it, eyes closing, “Please don’t apologize. It’s been like this for a while. Me not...knowing.”

“I thought you were right. Money can fix a lot of things, like paying off my loans and tuition. But paying my tuition means I’m stuck in an unspoken contract of sorts with a major I hate that’ll propel me toward a career I’m unsure of but already hate, anyway.”

“The only thing I’m sure of is my camera,” Jeongguk shrugged, eyes open and wide and starred in natural celestials and a shimmer of tears, “and I don’t even want to touch that anymore.”

“I mean I do, but I don’t...you know?” His voice broke then, a glisten falling to his cheek now as a tear finally lipped over and you cooed, rushing forward to intercept him back into your embrace.

“What’ll make it better?” You held him with two arms around his neck, cheek pressed into the damp strands at the crown of his head.

“Don’t know. Leaving probably. But...I’m not going to do that. It’d make me feel worse. Quitting, you know.”

“What can I do? Anything? I already made you come here…”

Jeongguk pulled away from the damp spot he’d rounded on the collar of your shirt and the base of your throat, cheeks blotchy and tearful and he scolded, “I told you not to worry about it. I’m the hot mess.”

“Yeah, but you’re my best friend,” You thumbed at his cheek, collecting the drying tears, “My hot mess.”

You didn’t expect Jeongguk’s strawberry tulip bud lips to taste like salt the first time you kissed but you cleared the culprit of the taste with your thumbs while he pressed desperate affections into the seam of your mouth, holding you tight to him at the waist. You let him because you wanted it too but took his lull for a breath to cup his face, still working at clearing the fresh wave of tears on his cheeks while you hushed, “Not now.”

“M’sorry,” He apologized this time, a messy blubber through your tender touch, “I didn’t—I didn’t want to do it like this.”

“If I don’t get to apologize, neither do you,” You kissed his nose in lieu of his lips, “You can kiss me all the time once you figure you out.”

Jeongguk sniffled, “Be careful. That’s incentive.”

“Maybe that’s why I said it,” You kissed his eyelid in tandem with another swipe underneath it and you mirrored the action on the opposite side, “And you never answered me. What can I do?”

He smiled when he noisily advertised the snot in his nostrils this time, squeezing your hips, “Just be you. You’re the last thing I photographed.”

“You’ll always be the thing I photograph.”

You were halfway through waving a strand of his hair down the battery powered wand in your hand, an online purchase with your second intern check. It was a seasoned movement now, easier with his hair that had grown without cut since you’d been in the city. It was an advertisement shoot, a casual look that would be perched above bar codes and brand affiliates on the back page of the magazine.

“Crouch for me,” You paired it with a light smack to his shoulder, catching attention where it had wandered to a loose strand on the baggy t-shirt draped over his stature. Jeongguk was purposeful in being awkward, bending at the waist and the knees and he dramatically sat a hand on his thigh, cocking a hip out and sticking his tongue out at you.

“Better?”

“I can’t stand you—”

“Is it their break?”

You managed to maneuver your surprise into the jerk of the curling wand away so it didn’t burn Jeongguk, both of you glancing toward the new presence in the room. It was a frantic looking intern from the front desk, one that came and went on an odd schedule you couldn’t quite pinpoint but he looked two seconds away from tearing his hair out at the roots anyway. When the photographer nor the set manager didn’t respond, he took it as an affirmation, forward in grabbing Jeongguk’s arm to tug and motioning you with his free appendage.

“I guess it is now,” You exchanged a glance with Jeongguk when the intern scoffed, not letting go of the larger man before him until you were halfway down the hallway and an abrupt turn to another later.

“You’re needed with one of the head executives.”

The cover shoot magazine was set to go in print within the next few days and urgent around the studio meant they went about airbrushing the static in Jeongguk’s curled hair a different way and were seeking approval of the talent. You assumed Jimin was about to tutt in disapproval when you couldn’t see the smudge his stocky finger was gesturing to on the life sized image plastered across the center of his desk.

But you turned past the sign indicating his office and you almost parted your mouth to gently correct the frazzled twenty-something, help him out for something that was bound to be corrected anyway, but he paused in front of an office, that office, one with a name plate bigger than the rest and the only one displaying the company logo in tandem.

“Seokjin requested to see you personally,” The intern knocked but didn’t look inside, just propped the door open and gestured, “In you go.”

An excuse was on the tip of your tongue and you ran into Jeongguk on the way to express it but the intern had already coaxed at Jeongguk’s larger stature and you both were shoved into a shut room before your brain could even process that I have to use the bathroom on the first floor because that’s the only soap I’m not allergic to wasn’t a viable excuse.

“Hello,” The sheer size of Seokjin’s size seemed to swallow his broad shoulders even in the tight hug of a navy suit jacket to the definition of his shape but the enormity contrasted to the warmth in his voice, smile, and eyes as all gestured for the open chairs turned inward toward his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

He shuffled at two specific sets of papers as you tripped over Jeongguk’s ankles for the same chair, catching and narrowly avoiding a spill of an empty piece of furniture. You settled as the horror set in of what sets of papers Seokjin held, stapled leaves taken from the same blue file folders you’d been greeted with on day one.

You were useless in noticing you’d left your ID badge in the studio, too.

“I ran your references, out of curiosity…” Seokjin bent the papers in hand at the thumb, “Tell me about Kim Taehyung.”

“That’s our manager,” A robotic answer spoke in monotone, Jeongguk’s blank gaze on the turtle paperweight perched on the edge of Seokjin’s desk suggesting the same type of mechanical movement.

“Your manager is a member of two seperate government watch lists for hacking low level search engines?”

Your eyes bulged and you forgot your role, “He is?”

“I don’t know,” Seokjin smiled gently, “but he probably should be if he isn’t. He’s not very subtle about it. Between him and the conspiracy theorist…”

“Yoongi,” You breathed, “Yeah...probably.”

“You—” He shuffled deeper into his array of papers, plucking one specific piece out to slide across the desk at Jeongguk. You recognized it as a screenshot of his online portfolio, the chosen album one of fresh summer wildflowers (weeds, you’d informed him behind the scenes) from the summer prior, “—you’re very talented.”

“And you…” This time a screenshot of your commissions profile, various examples of your work scattering the black and white screen cap, “You have an eye for design. My layout team could learn a thing or two from you.”

“I checked with your university and don’t worry, not your grades. I don’t care about those numbers frankly…” He tapped on something on the top paper in his pile, “Your majors. You didn’t lie about those. Graphic design, that suits your passions, from what I can tell at least.”

You nodded.

“But chemistry?” Seokjin blinked, “I can’t imagine that fulfills you in the slightest. You said you plan to be a doctor?”

“I don’t know,” Jeongguk answered, quick and honest and for once he didn’t slump into the answer. “You’re right. It doesn’t.”

“Can I let you in on some cheesy but true advice?”

More nodding, this time from both.

“It’s not worth it if it doesn’t fulfill you. Certainly not something so far in left field from what you clearly love to do. I said I didn’t care about grades but…” Seokjin cocked his head, a knowing smile on his lips, “Those grades don’t match someone who's passionate about their field.”

“I’m going to have to pull the cover shoot, for obvious reasons. I’ll have to send you home as well, with the rest of your internship pay, of course.”

You rushed to deny that in the same sentence that Jeongguk did, apologetic and hot at the neck when Seokjin held up a hand.

“You get the pay on one condition. You go home and do something with it. Something something, not just continue on with that boring chemistry degree.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I told you to call me Seokjin but I’m going to change that, too—” Seokjin stood, rounding his desk for a handshake that Jeongguk rushed to straighten and intercept, “—call me Jin when you book your first photography gig, alright? Even if it’s just your conspiracy theorist friend and his fried chicken looking poodle.”

Jeongguk laughed, loud and unabashed and you were the first person he directed his joy at, only causing your elation to grow tenfold in your heart.

“You too, after you design the new McDonald’s logo or something. I’m getting pretty tired of those golden arches…”

You thumbed at the tassel dangling off the graduation cap flopped top down on the edge of Jeongguk’s mattress. It fit Jeongguk’s head better than yours, so you brought it over for him to borrow so that the fight in the bookstore was one less stress his graduation checklist had to suffer from.

“Taunting me with that?” Jeongguk’s neck hinged over the side of the bed, blinking backward at you.

You glared, breaking away from the yellow fringe to crouch in front of his face, squishing his cheeks together to plant a chaste kiss on the exaggerated pout of his lips. One of many you’d planted on him after he’d met with his advisor to change his track from chemistry to digital imaging, adding an extra summer semester onto his graduation while he watched you take your leatherbound diploma in only muted jealousy from beyond the lens of his obnoxious camera obscuring the view of a dad in a Hawaiin shirt and sandals.

Your headshot, the original one you’d taken messily after burning your arm and testing eyeliner thickness over the same mark, was framed in his room but not hung, leaning against the wall where he’d nailed a hanger but couldn’t get the cheap balsa wood to center. You pointed to it, “Taunting me with that?”

“No,” He reached for you, grabby hands until you stepped into his embrace, allowing him to pull you down onto his bed, “I think you look cute.”

“I think you’re a sap.”

“I think I’m allowed to be considering you’re moving next week.”

“You’re renting a space in my bed in eight weeks,” You sat up to poke his nose, “We both lose.”

Jeongguk pouted, “Hey.”

You just grinned, “Hey, what?”

“That was the best part of that internship,” He marveled, blissful as his eyes shut, “Living together.”

“Oh yeah? Not the whole introspective finding myself thing?”

“Nope—” The fullness of his teeth shined even as his eyelashes stayed glued, “—the whole getting to cuddle the secret love of my life thing.”

“It wasn’t that secret.”

“It was.”

“Hmm, okay,” You folded your arms at your chest to prop yourself up on his stomach, “Speaking of secrets. Have you checked your phone?”

“Did Yoongi add us to another group chat?”

You snorted, “Check your phone.”

You huffed when Jeongguk used the top of your head to hold his phone, thumb flexing against your forehead as it scrolled, and you giggled when all his motions, breathing included, gradually stalled.

“Did Taehyung figure out how to hack email addresses too?” When you didn’t respond, Jeongguk peered at you underneath his thumb, “Ha-ha, very funny.”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I got another email from Jin.”

“Oh, that,” You grinned, “Yeah, I do know about that.”

He grumbled, thumb moving into action again as he clicked around, opening the email and enlarging the font to read.

“Jeongguk. I’m happy to hear you’re graduating soon and in something you seem to enjoy! It just so happens that we have an opening here in our photography department and we’re seeking someone with your exact credentials. I’ve reviewed your updated profile and can’t say I’m anything less that thoroughly impressed. If you can provide me with an updated, and legitimate, resume, the spot will be yours upon graduation.”

“Thanks for not spending my money on booze,” Jeongguk added with a laugh, “Seokjin (Or Jin. Just not sir. Or Mr. Kim).”

“Really?” You rewarded his face with a kiss to his chin, moving the affections up his cheek as he marveled, “They really want to hire me?”

“They really want to hire you. For real, this time.”

“But...but wait—” He stopped you with the heel of his palm into the center of your forehead and you huffed, “We...we just got things figured out. And I’m going to have to move closer to the company…”

You did your best to plaster indignation onto your features, “You really think you’re going to get away with leaving your stylist here?”

Jeongguk’s eyes bulged, hopeful but not following, “...what?”

“Grab my phone for me.”

He happily obliged in dipping his hand into the back pocket of your jeans, handing you the device with a smile but deeply concerned, singular, eyebrow. You huffed, fumbling at the screen of your phone until you pulled up your own email, one you’d received two weeks ago and you enlarged the font to hand to Jeongguk.

He frowned through his intense scanning before whining, “Is this why you wouldn’t tell me anything about your job offer?”

“Yes.”

“...did he hire you to run the design department?”

“Not yet but I am working there.”

“...so we’re not getting that apartment back home?”

“Nope.”

“...are we still moving in together?”

“Absolutely.”

An extra silence and you could feel the gears churning behind his skull in the rapid thrum of his heart at your palm, “...back to the previous apartment?”

“I don’t think that’s available anymore but no. I asked for something a bit more our taste.”

“So we can buy real welcome mats this time?” Jeongguk propped himself up on his elbows, curling his stature so you were drawn closer to his face and he happily rubbed his nose to yours.

“You didn’t like our bachelor pad chic decor?”

He ignored you, “And can we build IKEA tables together? Oh, what about name our apartment, you know, like people name their cars—”

#bts reactions #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts fluff #bts x reader #jungkook imagines #jungkook imagine #jungkook x reader #jungkook scenario #jungkook fluff #fic: dare to begin #AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT'S DONE!!

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callmethehunter · 4 years ago

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Spirit Airlines is an unethical company- it is evil and must be exposed! Spirit airlines sucks and they dont care one bit for their customers

Spirit deliberately does everything it can to nickel and dime you and to mislead you. They are plastering their new "policy" of hassle free cancellation due to covid....how altruistic you may be thinking .... don't be fooled. I had to cancel my flight plans and went online 4 days before the flight. I canceled my itinerary. And I received a total CREDIT on the screen - the full $250 that I had spent. Thanks to a gut feeling, I paused to take a screenshot of the computer screen. Fast forward to The day of the cancelled trip -Sept 7th- when I get an alert about checking in. Hmm- that's a little ominous. But I wrote it off as an automatic leftover message from my initial plans. Surely the system had cancelled my itinerary! Or else why would I have gotten that official posting? And besides, I had proof in the screenshot. Little did I know it was the beginning of the worst runaround, vicious cycle created to confound and frustrate every reasonable effort I made. I called and finally got a live human being. I telll him INo. He continues with saying he had no access to the email. "I can't see your screen shot" he says. I asked to be transferred to a supervisor who would be able to see it! And have access to the emails. Why make me submit the claims and the proof but not even look at it? I declined the 72 dollars. I was livid! And indignant, incredulous and insenced! Meanwhile my initial choices of flights to Ft Lauderdale were closing up. " no available seats". I notice the prices are also higher. I picked up the phone and called again. To plead my case this time to a lady rep who would ultimately put me on hold and then tell me matter of fact "you have forfeited your flight mam" oh! FORFEITED?? How's that? Just 2 hours ago I was offered 72 dollars for the return portion. But at least SOMEthing --now this asshole lady was changing the story and seemed to be relishing the act of screwing me out of ALL my money. "You were a no show so all of the ticket is forfeited". I had choice words for her. And I demanded to be put through to a supervisor. She told me to hold. I said what if I ge disconnected? She said "no mam just hold on one moment". A survey came on. Then the line went "click". That bitch did that on purpose. Back to square one. I changed tactics and texted a number listed for help in order to get "immediate assistance" sure enough I eventually was texting my complaint and my request for full credit - but this time the person seemed rational. The first thing they asked for was " can you text me the screen shot" so for the 3rd time I uploaded and sent it. To make a long story short I again pleaded my case via texts and added the mistreatment by the asshole lady, the conflicting refunds or lack of refunds they cited, her hanging up on me, the runaround and circular reasoning. Moral of the story: Never fly Spirit. They are literally stealing and lying. SPIRIT AIRLINES SUCKS. AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE

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artificialqueens · 5 years ago

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Galactica, Chapter 16 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Hello pumpkins! Thank you so much for all the love, we adore you! Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Sutan was smitten with a mysterious new girl, and Fame finally approved the Fashion Week designs.

This Chapter: A mystery, a flea market, an apology, a high society gathering, and a bedtime story.

***

“Come in!”

Katya pushed open Pearl’s door, then stood there, arms crossed, a deeply unhappy look on her face. Katya didn’t get mad very often, so when she did, people took it very seriously. Pearl took one look at her and scrambled up into a seated position on her bed.

“What’s wrong?” Pearl asked, a little worried.

“What did you do to Violet?”

“What…” Pearl scoffed, slightly offended. “What makes you think I did something?”

“Well, this is the third week in a row that she’s turned down our brunch invite. So naturally I assume you broke her poor heart. Didn’t you?!”

“No!” Pearl exclaimed. “In fact, if anyone broke anyone’s heart, it’s her! She completely ditched me at the Vogue party and now she’s acting like I don’t even exist.”

Katya narrowed her eyes, contemplating this claim. Pearl’s eyes were wide and innocent and she looked like she was telling the truth, but Katya wasn’t buying it. Something didn’t smell right.

“Huh.” Katya sat down beside Pearl on the bed. “Walk me through the party. Everything you remember.”

“Okay, so it started out great. She looked super hot; I looked super hot.”

“Naturally,” Katya chuckled.

“She didn’t want to do the whole step and repeat thing, but of course I have to, so she kind of stood to the side while I took some pictures, and I was like, clowning and flirting with her, and she seemed really into it. Real giggly and adorable.”

“Okay...” Katya raised an eyebrow.

“And then we went in, and she just...disappeared.” Pearl groaned. “I couldn’t find her anywhere. And the next thing I knew, she was sitting at the bar, flirting with some dude, having the time of her life-”

“Go back,” Katya said. “When you went into the party, you’re saying that she disappeared without saying one word to you?”

“Well, no, she said that she was going to get us drinks.”

“And what were you doing while she was getting drinks, Pearl?” Katya asked.

“I was dancing. Waiting for her! And...oh, shit.” Realization dawned in Pearl’s eyes. “Do you think she saw that girl kiss me?”

Katya covered her face with her hands, moaning, “Peeeearl, for fuck’s sake!”

“Well it was only like a second! A few seconds, tops! And I pushed her away!” Pearl defended herself. “And anyway, why wouldn’t she have said anything?!”

“Does she strike you as the type who enjoys confrontation?” Katya asked pointedly.

“No. No, definitely not. Ugh, fuck.”

“And anyway, what did you say when you saw her at the bar?”

“Uhhh...I kinda just...left.”

“Pearl!” Katya admonished.

“I was pissed! And I don’t like confrontation either.” Pearl crossed her arms sullenly.

“You need to talk to her.”

“Well, I’ve tried, Katya, but she doesn’t want to!”

Katya placed a hand on Pearl’s shoulder and said, “Try again.”

Pearl nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

***

“Patrick! Patrick, come here!”

Patrick looked around, trying to locate the face of his wife in the crowd of poorly-dressed shoppers who were surrounding them.

Fame had come home last night, fully drained after a long week at the office. When her mood and her energy levels hadn’t recovered after a long bath, Patrick had made a decision.

The Grand Market Place in New Jersey was one of Fame’s favorite places on Earth. Honestly, any flea market where Fame could walk around in peace was her happy place. Patrick had gotten their car out nice and early, not telling Fame where they were going until they were well on their way to the Lincoln tunnel, where she figured it out.

Patrick finally located Fame, waving at her as he made his way towards his wife, two strawberry melon coolers in his hand, one for each of them.

“Look! Look!” Fame smiled, her entire face lighting up as she held up a small porcelain figurine of a chicken.

“It’s a Royal Copley! See! The stamp is still there!” Fame turned the chicken upside down and showed him the bottom and the brand of the figurine. “It’s an original, I have to have this! It’s an Araucana, my favorite breed!”

Patrick laughed, basking in the joy Fame was radiating. He had sworn on his life that he would never tell anyone that Fame was an avid collector of porcelain animals, but chickens in particular. Her private collection had nearly 100 small chickens meticulously on display in one of Fame’s workrooms.

“I know it is, baby.” Patrick traded the drink and held his hand out for the figurine. Fame took a sip and smiled, not a single complaint falling from her lips over the sweetness of the drink as she turned around and started to argue with the woman in the stall over the price.

Patrick smiled to himself, thankful for the dork of a woman he had chosen to marry. Fame had grown up on a farm, her dad specializing in the breeding of rare chicken breeds for competitions all over the country and he loved seeing the side of her she normally kept so carefully hidden from the rest of the world.

Patrick took a sip of his drink, watching his woman. Spending some time outside of New York where literally no one knew either Fame or himself had been the right decision for today. It was liberating in the best of ways and just what they both needed, a Saturday away from the city in the early September sun.

***

Violet would have never opened the door if it wasn’t for the insistent knocking. She had tried to ignore it, had even made a cup of tea while desperately attempting to tune it out, but as the kettle whistled, Violet’s nerves had finally broken down.

She opened the door, only to be greeted by the sight of Pearl’s face, her hand raised to knock for the hundredth time.

“Violet-”

“Go away.”

Violet tried to close the door, but Pearl shoved her foot forward, her heavy leather boot the only thing saving it from getting crushed.

“Please-” Pearl groaned, her hand grabbing the door and prying it open. “I brought you a housewarming gift.”

Pearl tilted her hip, and Violet saw that she was carrying a basket of what had to be top shelf liquor.

“You can keep it.”

Violet tried to close the door again, but Pearl’s grip was too strong.

“Listen, I’m sorry about the whole mess-”

Violet paused. Pearl never apologized. Ever. Sure, the blonde pleaded and played cute, knowing just how to say sorry without the words ever leaving her mouth, but she had just said them, and from what Violet could see, she actually meant them too.

“Can I come in, please?” Pearl sighed. “I really need to talk to you.”

“Fine.” Violet took a step back. “Two minutes.”

Violet had intended to be in control, but it wasn’t until she had let Pearl in that she realized the blonde hadn’t been in her apartment yet.

“Nice decorating.”

Violet felt a flush of shame wash over her. She hadn’t gotten anything done with her place, the apartment just as empty as it had been when she had just moved in, but with Courtney taking all her time at work, and Sutan getting what little she could spare outside of it, she hadn’t had time to get anything done.

“You wanted to talk-” Violet leaned against the wall. “Talk.”

It was clear that Pearl wasn’t used to being put on the spot, but she recovered quickly.

“First of all, I thought you were a real bitch when you randomly ditched me to flirt with some guy.”

Violet’s eyes widened. “Wha-” Pearl was being wildy unfair. “That’s not what happen-”

“And it really fucking bothered me. Especially because that didn’t seem like you. Ditching someone I mean-”

“I didn’t-”

”And I might have realized earlier today that you possibly saw me on the dance floor.”

Pearl’s admission felt like a slap to the face all over again. Violet had tried to forget Pearl kissing the redhead, she really had, but it seemed like the world was intent on reminding her of it every chance it got.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“But it does. Vivi, I swear, she’s just someone I used to mess around with. I pushed her away right after she kissed me. The only person I wanted that night was you. Pinky swear.”

“Pearl…” Violet wanted to accept the pinky swear, wanted to forgive Pearl so badly, the woman was one of the few people she considered friends, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t hurting.

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

It was true. Violet missed Pearl, missed their friendship, missed having fun and feeling young and stupid and so very alive.

“Can we please just be friends again?”

A part of Violet wanted to say no, wanted to do what she always did which was run away, but for once, she knew it was worth the risk.

“Of course.”

Hugging Pearl felt amazing, and Violet clung to her friend, her fingers buried in her blonde locks.

***

Violet hurried down the stairs, fumbling with her earring as she took them two at a time. She hated herself, but she was almost late to be picked up, the clock in the lobby telling her she only had two minutes before she was supposed to be out on the street.

Violet hadn’t meant to take so long, hadn’t wanted to be almost late, but she had changed her clothes one too many times, her stomach filled with fluttering butterflies of nervousness.

Sutan had invited her out over text two days ago, and while Violet had agreed right away, it was driving her up the wall that she had no idea what they were doing and where they were going.

He had only told her to dress up, and that he had their tickets already booked, which wasn’t really much to go on.

Violet had agonised over what to wear for hours, but had ended up settling on a red evening gown, overdressed seeming like a much better option than underdressed.

She closed the lock on her earring, but as she reached out to grab the door, she felt her phone start to buzz away in her clutch. She could see Sutan through the glass in the door, a phone to his ear.

“I’m here!”

Sutan turned around, a smile breaking out on his face as he recognised her. He tapped on his phone, and Violet’s clutch finally stopped buzzing.

“Hello lovely eyes.”

Violet was just about to open her mouth to return his greeting, when she realised that he was holding a half smoked cigarette.

“I didn’t know you smoked.” Violet bit her lip. This was the first time she had seen a cigarette in Sutan’s hand, his apartment not smelling of smoke at all.

“I don’t.”

Violet raised an eyebrow, and Sutan laughed.

“Okay, so, I guess I’m obviously smoking right now.” Sutan dropped the cigarette, and stepped on it, Violet barely holding in a groan as she couldn’t help but worry about the Gucci sole. “Raja has me by the ball with the whole new models thing.”

“Ah…” Violet was well aware, too aware, that Fame had already rejected over half of the girls Elite had suggested. “I’m sorry.”

“Let’s not talk about work.” Sutan held a hand out, and Violet took it. She had expected him to pull her in for a kiss or a hug, but instead, he spun her around.

“Suta-” Violet wanted to protest, but her muscle memory had already taken over, her body following his lead as she twirled once, twice, before Sutan stopped her again.

“You look gorgeous.” Sutan smiled, her hand still in his . “Is it Valentino?”

Violet nodded. “2011.”

“It suits you.” Sutan pulled her in, and Violet followed, the man clearly going for a hello kiss, but Violet turned her head to the side, his lips hitting her cheek, clearly indicating to him that she wasn’t going to kiss someone who had just smoked.

“Mmh.” Sutan hummed against her cheek, and Violet barely contained a shiver, the scent of cigarettes and his aftershave overwhelming her.

***

“How long does it take to get there?”

Violet leaned back against the seat, her black hair spilling over her long and slender arms. Sutan had been absolutely serious when he had complimented Violet’s outfit, the red dress spectacular. The chest was what drew his attention though, her delicate collarbones standing out, flounces flanking the bare skin, Violet’s small breasts half covered by the fabric.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Sutan smirked, his driver pulling out from the sidewalk.

“Fine.”

“You’re not even going to pretend to want to know?” When he had told Violet he was keeping the evening date a surprise, he had expected a pointed reply, some nagging or at least a few texts, but Violet had simply accepted it, the woman he was sharing his car with once again so different from everyone else he would normally date.

“I can be patient.” Violet smiled, a teasing glimt in her eyes.

“It’s no fun if you’re not fighting to find out.” Sutan flicked Violet’s earring, which made her yelp and laugh, his move earning him a slap on the thigh. “We’re going to the reception for the new Ralph Pucci exhibition.”

“Wha-” Violet turned towards him. “Are you kidding me? Ralph Pucci, the Ralph Pucci? Are you taking me to the reception of ‘The Art of the Mannequin’ exhibition at the MET?”

“The one and only.”

***

Violet was filled with glee.

She was at an actual reception at the MET as a proper guest. It was something she had longed for as a fashion student, and something she missed from her younger days, the atmosphere of a cultural premiere always something special.

They had already watched the opening talk and Sutan had gotten them glasses of champagne, the man offering his arm to her without question.

Violet had scanned the room when they had arrived, but there was no one there that she knew, no one who could potentially recognise her for who she used to be.

It was wonderful to walk through the exhibition with Sutan, the man saying quick hellos left and right, but he never strayed from Violet’s side. They each emptied two more glasses of champagne, sharing a few pieces of fruit from the platters the waiters carried around the museum halls.

“Oh.” Sutan leaned down, his breath hot as he whispered into Violet’s ear. “I just spotted Cory Bautista.”

“The co-owner of Model Management?”

“Of course you know who he is,” Sutan chuckled. “I have to go talk to him. Will you be okay on your own?”

“Afraid I can’t take care of myself?” Violet reached out, gently adjusting Sutan’s suit jacket.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Sutan placed a quick kiss on her lips before he walked away, allowing Violet to wander around the exhibition. She had no idea if Sutan had just been lucky when he picked the night's activity, but for Violet it was an absolute joy to get to look at and read about the history and evolution of the fashion mannequin and it’s creator.

Violet was just reading a sign, when she heard a voice besides her.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” It was a soft female voice, her tone almost melodical. “An artist who is actually appreciated in his own time.”

“It is…” Violet smiled to herself. She didn’t turn around, the art in front of her too exciting. “Can you believe they’re actually showing the original 1979 action mannequins? And look, they even have some of Michael Everts prototypes. Isn’t it fascinating? I love how you can clearly see the evolution.”

“Oh wow,” The voice chuckled. “You’re a real expert, huh?”

“Hardly.” Violet shook her head, “but I graduated from Parsons two years ago.”

“And what do you do now then? Do you work for the museum?”

“No, I actually-” Violet turned around, surprised to find an unmistakably familiar face. A face she’d seen splashed across tabloid covers while standing in line for the checkout as a child, the cheerful looking redhead providing some of the most colorful stories during the late 90s and early 2000s.

“Ms. Monsoon.”

“Jinkx.” The woman smiled warmly and held out her hand. She seemed charming and sweet, nothing like the irresponsible, brazen party girl the tabloids had painted her as years back. “And you are?”

“Violet. My name is Violet. I’m sorry, I just didn’t expect to see you…” Violet trailed off uncertainly.

“Standing upright and speaking in coherent sentences?” Jinkx guessed with a chuckle.

“Well, no, I just-”

“It’s fine, sweetie. It’s always nice to surpass people’s expectations, even if they’re rock bottom.” Jinkx gave another crooked smile, the mischievous glint in her brown eyes telling Violet that she was in no way offended.

“I like your dress.”

Jinkx was wearing a bright scarlet gown. It was clearly custom made, the cut telling its own story of a competent tailor, but Violet wasn’t sure she would have ever paired it with Jinkx’s copper hair and red lipstick. The colors should be clashing horribly, but somehow, it was working

“Thank you! Coming from a Parsons alum, that’s quite the compliment,” Jinkx said. “You never told me where you work these days.”

“Oh, I’m at Galac-”

“Hey-” Violet turned around as Sutan walked up behind her, pressing a quick kiss against her temple. “Sorry I was gone for so-”

It was then that Sutan looked up, his entire body stiffening as he recognized who Violet was talking to.

“Jinkx.”

“Sutan, well well well. I’m not going to say I didn’t expect to see you here, but I certainly didn’t expect to see you in such excellent company.”

Violet couldn’t help but notice how quickly Jinkx’s demeanor had changed. She glanced from Sutan to Violet and then briefly at the ceiling, her face unreadable. She leveled her gaze back at Sutan, looking straight into his eyes, making Violet feel more than a little uncomfortable as Sutan responded to Jinkx’s stare.

“You’re looking very… radiant tonight.”

Violet could hear a sour, mocking note in Sutan’s silky voice. She had no idea what was going on, had never seen Sutan like this before and she couldn’t recognize the man who had whispered into her ear merely minutes before, the energy he was giving off now reminding her of Raja on her worst days.

“Whoaaa… Alert the presses,” a voice called out. “Since when are you two allowed in the same room?”

Violet turned to see none other than Bianca Del Rio approaching the group.

Shit. Shit shit shit.

Violet couldn’t be sure that Bianca actually knew who she was, or would recognize her out of the context of the office, but she wasn’t prepared to stay and find out. She began to back away, doing her best to obscure her face from Bianca, her heart hammering away in her chest.

“Heya, red.” Bianca slipped an arm around Jinkx’s waist. “Is this asshole harassing you?”

“Shut up, B,” Sutan said. “Actually, I was just about to take my date and-” He glanced around for Violet, who was by now standing by one of the mannequins on the other side of the room. “Um…”

“Uh oh. Boy wonder got ditched?” Bianca joked.

“I knew she had good taste,” Jinkx replied, and both of them cackled gleefully.

“I’m glad you’re well, Jinkx,” Sutan said, sounding like he had to muster all of his strength to get out the sentence. “I’ll leave you to it.” He managed a smile, “Also, Bianca? Kiss my ass.”

Bianca laughed uproariously, raising her glass to him as he took his leave.

“Love you too, Tan!”

Sutan spotted Violet and took her hand, guiding her quickly to the far side of the room.

“What was that about?” inquired Violet as soon as they were at a safe distance away.

Sutan took a deep breath. “Jinkx and I used to be…” he groaned, wincing, before finishing, “...involved.”

“Seriously?” Violet couldn’t imagine Sutan and Jinkx together if her life depended on it; they seemed too different, like night and day.

“Yes. It didn’t end well, to say the least. But...that was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter now.”

“Okay,” Violet said simply. If there was one thing she understood, it was the desire to forget your past, and who was she to probe, when there was so much she’d never want to share herself.

***

“Are you comfortable, baby?”

Katya and Trixie were together in bed, both of them wearing their matching fluffy pajamas.

Trixie nodded, a smile on his face as he snuggled into Katya’s side. Trixie came home from his bar night with Pearl pretty drunk, so Katya had brushed his teeth and tucked him into bed.

“Good.” Katya smiled and leaned down, placing a sweet kiss on Trixie’s forehead before she picked her book up. She had learned through countless nights in Trixie’s bed that there was nothing that put him to sleep easier than a book he found utterly boring.

“In 2008, a study from the University of Texas at Austin found that, ‘There are many inadequate high school facilities in Texas, and unfortunately many of these are found in areas of low socioeconomic status and high minority percentages.’ The researchers also determined that inadequate high school facilities and poor classroom conditions had a negative impact on students’ academic performance.”

Katya stopped her reading, completely horrified with what she had just read.

Trixie looked up at Katya, a sad look on his face.

“Keep reading baby… Keep reading.”

Katya smiled a little.

“The researchers found that high school students perform better on tests if the classroom has a view of a green landscape, rather than a windowless room, or a room with a view of another building or a parking lot.”

“You’re my green landscape, baby.”

Katya leaned down and kissed Trixie’s little bald spot. “You’re my green landscape too, baby.”

#rpdr fanfiction #thedane #veronica #galactica #lesbian au #fashion au #pearlet #vitan #trixya #violet chachki #katya zamolodchikova #pearl liaison #miss fame #raja gemini #jinkx monsoon #bianca del rio #trixie mattel

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just-some-random-blogger · 6 years ago

Text

Spring

[PART TWO OF AUTUMN]

NCT Jaehyun x Reader & Jungwoo x Reader Characters: Jung Jaehyun, Kim Jungwoo, OlderBrother!Johnny Seo, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul (Ten), & mentions of Lee Taeyong Summary: Running away from your problems never helped anything, esspecially if it can come back and haunt you. Warnings: Infidelity, unhappy marriage, bad relationships, angst, typos prolly, unanswered questions, don't ask for part 3 cos i wont make it lolol, etc. Words: 5k+

A/N: this is prolly NOT what yall wanted HAHAHHAHAHAHA kinda not sorry but this is what yall get. Hello, i hope you enjoy @justacinnamonroll-lover

NO MORE PART 3. THIS IS THE END. BYE. HUHUUH

---

"Hear me out though!” I chuckled as Johnny pulled a pained, slightly amused face. “Listen, I don’t care if you already bought two sky diving tickets! I’ll say it cleary, I am afraid of heights, there is no way I’m doing that.”

I chuckled at this ironically tall buffoon and tread after him and his long legs, “But oppppppppaaaa, remember, you loooove me.”

My older brother made a sound, “Die with your love.”

I pulled my head back and chuckled, “Wow, okay, violent, uhmmmmm.”

Johnny laughed and slowed his paces down. He turned to me and huffed, I nudged him on his shoulder. “Oh, come on, you know you want to.”

“We’ll see how much I want to after you buy my lunch,” Johnny spoke.

“Ooooh, bribery,” I grinned and fiddled with my fingers, “I’m down. What did you want?”

“Oh, no, no, no, the key is finding something that I want, then, then we talk.”

I laughed at the challenge proposed by my brother. “Okay, deal.” I outstretched my arm and we shook hands.

The two of us then strut down the large lobby of this hundred floor building our father owned, ready to head on out for some grub.

At this point in time, Johnny was about to become the CEO... but we all know he doesn’t because of his car crash...

“Mr. Seo,” a voice called from a far corner. Then there emerged a man in a suit similar to my brother. He had a milky white complexion and bright eyes. When he flashed a smile, my heart skipped and my lips mimicked.

Johnny slowed down not one bit and it made it clear to me that this man was simply an underdog looking to buy some of his time. And so I caught my brother’s arm and raised my brows. He turned to me and did the same. I then shrugged and pursed my lips.

Lucky for the man though, he caught up with us before we could exit.

He airily called for my brother again, and this point, Johnny finally noticed him, or rather, finally stopped ignoring him.

“Name?” Johnny blurted, turning to the dimpled man who smiled brightly in relief.

“Jung Jaehyun,” he nodded, “we spoke on the phone, about the expansion.”

For a moment, Johnny looked clueless, up until a light bulb flashed over his head. He begins to chuckle, “Ahhhh, I remember.” Johnny chuckles, “You have such a shocking proposal, Mr. Jung.”

Mr. Jung faintly smiles, “May I offer you to talk about this matter over some lunch?”

“Ah, it’s not me you should entice,” Johnny turned to me, “but who I already have plans with.”

My brows quirked up at Johnny’s words and the man turns to me. I purse my lips and hold out a hand for him to shake, introducing myself.

“Ah, Mrs. Seo--”

“Ani. Ms., Ms. Seo, his sister.” I corrected. Johnny looked at me, a grin forming on his lips. He knew full well my selfishness with his work and how I would readily reject this man. I cleared my throat, “What you want to talk about must be important, but... I have not met with my brother in months, so please understand.”

Mr. Jung’s jaw slacks, “Ah... ye. I’m sorry. Surely family comes first before work matters. I mean, we work for our family, right?”

My lips curve into a smile at his words and Johnny pats his shoulder, mumbling something about calling him later. As my brother and I make our way to his car, I turn to Johnny fondly, “He’s nice. I like him. Make sure to really call him, oppa.”

Johnny whipped his head to look in my direction, as if I just stole a year of his life, “Ya! What do you mean you like him?”

I rolled my eyes and got into his car. He followed. “I just like the fact he has filial piety.”

Johnny scoffs, “You think he’s cute?”

I chuckle, “Yes, but I think you’re cute too.” I tease, moving to pinch his cheeks. He scolds me in annoyance and starts his car after securing his seat belt. I fasten mine as well.

“Stay away from him,” he says lowly, “I won’t approve.”

I chuckle, “Ye, ye.”

---*

"That's how you met your husband?" Ten scoffed at the story I spoke. His wife however had the exact different reaction.

"No, no, no, don't tell me. After that you end up meeting at some some coffee shop near your brother's building and end up having lunch together." Ten says with a sour expression as he feeds his daughter some more baby food.

His wife clicks his tongue at him and Ten shrugs.

A small hand tugs on my shirt, "Can I mwake moor chowate sanwishes?" my son asks, chocolate spread marking his chin and cheeks. I chuckle at him and nod, picking up a tissue and wiping his face.

"What about Jungwoo? How’d ya meet him?" the woman asked, placing a watermelon in her mouth.

"I already told you how I met him, babe." I spoke, making Ten snap at me because of the pet name. I laughed at his cutely jealous reaction.

"Oh, ye, ye." the woman nodded. She clapped her hands. "How did you end up together then? With Jaehyun, I mean."

I breathed in deeply, turning to the blue sky above me.

Honestly, I am so thankful that I the world allowed me to have these two as my landlord. If they hadn't been here with me all this time, I would've probably caved and gone crazy.

I turned to my baby boy, happily sitting on a picnic mat, victoriously munching on the slices of bread he assembled, looking out to the fields of green grass before him. He doesn't deserve that kind of pain, having a mad mother.

"It was at an auction. Jaehyun bought the painting I wanted at an unimaginably high price." I spoke.

Ten clicked his tongue. "What a waste of money."

His wife gave him another look.

"Honestly, I agree," I offered, "he tried to be romantic by buying it then giving it to me, obviously in exchange for a date. But all I thought of him was haughty at that point. I only agreed because, well, I was getting such a beautiful painting at such a cheap price."

"Pah, it still worked though," Ten pointed, "you ended up marrying him anyway."

"Yes, but obviously, it wasn't the painting!" the woman yet again scolded his husband.

I chuckled, "It's not."

---*

"You're as impressive as you are beautiful," the man spoke smoothly, dimples showing. I broke into a bubbly laugh, "Wahhh, that's not very much. But I'm sure it worked on all the ladies."

We continued walking on the damp sidewalk; the rain that has passed made it glisten, similar to the stars out at this moment. I slightly jump as a few raindrops fall on my head as we pass a tree. The man beside me laughs.

"Wow,” I turn to the man who chuckled at me, “how gentlemanly of you, Jung Jaehyun."

"No," he speaks firmly, grabbing my wrist. I look at him, heart fluttering, not caring as to why his reply was such, and confusing. Jaehyun smiles widely, "you are beautiful, Ms. Seo."

My breath gets caught in my throat.

"Are you afraid of calling me by my name?" I speak lowly.

It'd been nearly a month since the day he bribed me out on a date, and I was drastically slipping on this slippery slope to his heart. Yet, he has never called me anything but miss Seo. It slightly worries me.

"I am not afraid of anything," he says and I want to scoff but he continues, "except maybe losing what we have made in this month..." Jaehyun trails off. My hear pounds when he ends his words by speaking my name.

"Mr. Jung," a foreign voice calls for far behind me. I turn around and see that there was an old man that came out from Jaehyun's building, the one we were currently in front of.

I move to pull my hand away from Jaehyun's, but he tightens his grip which lands on my palms. I turn from his fingers to his eyes, his expression was no longer the same. He gently pulls me behind him.

"It's late Mr. Moon, you should be at home," Jaehyun speaks clearly.

The said man clears his throat and moves closer to us, "The vice president said you went home."

"Taeyong wasn't lying," he said, voice mixed with annoyance and slight anger, "I am on my way."

I wasn't the only one who noticed this. Mr. Moon lets out a sigh, "Mr. Jung, please rethink their offer--" "I already told you what I think about their lowly offer." Jaehyun scoffs. "Don't speak to me again outside my office."

With that, Jaehyun stormed away, pulling me along with him.

He brought me to his car and I sat in the front seat. I turned to Jaehyun as he started his Lambourghini, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what, sweetheart?"

I was taken aback by the sudden pet name he used. My breath hitched and it was audible enough that he turned to me. Jaehyun smiled.

"Act cold to everyone?"

He placed one hand on the wheel and another on the gear stick. He released a chuckle, "Don't you think that it's the other way around?"

---*

"Jungwoo!" Ten's wife spoke, "tell me about him."

"Ya, you are so nosy." Ten scolded this time around.

"Wae! I can ask what I want!" she raised her voice then turned to me, "but you only have to answer the same way.”

I chuckled at her expression and it was then that her baby started giggling at the faces her father was pulling.

"He was my happy pill. He brightened my day whenever I felt like I was on the brink."

---*

"I fucking told you, Jungwoo," I snarled, shoving him away, "I don't want to fucking go ice skating."

Why couldn't he take a hint? I didn't even want to see him today because I had seen Jaehyun being flirted with by some young woman in his office. I was bringing him lunch, but all that went into the trash, literally, I dumped it in the trash.

Now I was in a horrible mood.

Jungwoo called me and said he wanted to take me somewhere. I refused, telling him why, but he insisted, saying he could cheer me up. And now just as I knew I would, I was now taking out my anger on him.

I expect him to lash out on me at this point, but instead he chuckled and cooed, "Ah, baby, you're so cute when you're angry." Jungwoo took my hand and pulled me with me, "Kaja, the rink awaits."

The next thing I knew, I was on the ice, latching on Jungwoo for dear life, "Ah, you didn't tell me you sucked at ice skating."

I growled, "Why do you think I didn't wan to fu--" "Ah, ah, ah," Jungwoo pulled way from me, "You want me to pull away?"

"No, you asshat!" I called, gripping him tighter.

"But I will if you don't clean your potty mouth."

I huffed but complied, "Please don't let me go."

Jungwoo blinked rapidly, lips twitching, breath hitching. "Please, what?"

My brows knit quizzically, "Please... sir?"

Jungwoo threw his head back and pulled me slowly into his arms, "Baby," he spoke airily, peering down at me, "I'm not that kinky."

He smiled, and pushed hair behind my ear. He then caressed my cheeks and licked his lips, "Jungwoo. Kim Jungwoo. Remember my name."

---*

"Okay, come on," Ten said, carrying Autumn in his arms, "Time to go home."

I turned to my son who was tumbling in the grass nearby and called him. "Come on. Picnic time is over!"

He turned to me smiling widely, "I had swo mwuch fun! Can we pwicnwic toime again?"

I walked over to him and brought him into my arms. "Of course baby, anything for you."

"Can we bwing appa next toime?"

I froze where I stood and turned to my child. He looked at me with his big eyes and my heart started to hurt.

"Maybe."

He took my words gleefully.

After cleaning up, we went into the car, and drove back home, to our noodle place.

"Oh, look, it's only eight am! It looks like we have to won't open late today." the woman in the front seat beamed. "Ah, I'm excited to cook some ramyeon."

"Darling, you always cook ramyeon. Everyday, to be exact."

"Yes, but why would I tire if it's something I love to do?"

---*

"Tell me, why would I get tired of helping you?" Jungwoo muttered softly, crushing me against his chest. I poured my tears out against his shirt, feeling my neck get pressed on by guilt.

"I'm crying to you over another man, my husband, your rival."

Jungwoo stayed silent for a moment, and at this point, I felt scared, that maybe he realized the weight of my words and would pull away. And when he did, I started to shiver. He spoke my name and I looked up at him.

"Why would I tire of you when I am so helplessly in love with you?"

My heart stopped for a second and then beat like a hummingbird.

Jungwoo wiped a tear rolling on my cheek and looked at me in the soft expression he always did. He let out a soft chuckle and examined my face, "I have seen you at your worst, when you're red in the face, puffy eyed, and runny nosed."

I turned away from him and attempted to turn away. He held me in place and took my chin, moving my head to look at his. Tears welled in my eyes at the sight of his sweet smile.

"Jungwoo--"

"Don't say anything if you're trying to change my mind." he said. "Whatever it is you are facing, I will be here to face with you. And in the same way, I hope to face every other thing you will in the future."

---*

When we arrived at the shop, I helped my son get down from the car. He hopped off cheerfully and turned to me with a smile. I smiled back at him. He moved to go inside, up until he stopped and shouted, "Appa!"

My heart dropped.

The boy ran off inside and I quickly followed after. I called his name as he rushed inside. And just as the boy said, there stood a man there, face wet with tears, eye red.

The boy ran to him and wrapped his arms around his legs, "Appa! Did you cwome for pwicnwic toime?"

The man looked down at the child and I gulped, "What are you doing here?"

"I-" his voice cracked and then he crouched down to the floor, looking the boy in the eyes. The younger version of the that teary eyed, suit clad man, smiled and introduced himself. He then raised his small hands and wiped away the tears streaming down from his face. "Do you haw a booboo?"

The older man let out a chuckle and turned away from the boy, standing up.

"Is he... mine?"

"Of course he is. Would I lie to my own son?"

The man took a step back and knit his brows, "How do you know?

"The same way you're here. It's in your bones... you feel it." I spoke. The boy pouted and tugged the man's jacket, "I can help wiv booboos."

The small person was unmistakenly his, even if he couldn't believe my words. Anyone can see that my son had his father's eyes, nose, and lips.

"If you had known, why did you leave?" he said, voice slightly angry. "Why didn't you go to me?" he added, softly.

"I didn't know I was pregnant, until I was already so far out of reach. And when I did, I figured you don't deserve the trouble."

"Trouble?! He's my son!" he raised his voice. "He's the son of the woman I love... how... how could you think that?"

"I also figured," a tear fell from my eyes, "that if it wasn't trouble, you'd find us, because that's who you are... and I have never stopped loving you."

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putschki1969 · 6 years ago

Text

VOICE Tour Live Report Part 2

Hi everyone!

It’s been 84 years...Okay, here is part two of my report. The ACTUAL report so to speak. Just in time for the tour final. I am expecting some news articles to be posted soon. I hope we will get some nice pictures of the Tokyo live. Anyways, sorry to have kept you waiting. Things have been crazy in Japan. There was a lot of stuff that didn’t go according to plan and I never got the chance to write the rest of my report while I was in Japan. And now that I have been back, I have been pretty busy with work >_< Unfortunately, writing reports like this takes A LOT of time because I try to do it as detailed as possible, I wanna do Wakana’s live justice after all. Oh well, I should stop rambling and start with the actual report. Before I focus on the songs I would like to share a few general thoughts.

Seating/audience: As most of you probably know, I attended both the Tokyo as well as the Fukuoka concert of Wakana’s tour. I had amazing seats for both lives. In Tokyo I was seated in the second row and in Fukuoka I had a first-row seat. Both were located right at the center so Wakana was literally in front of me. BANZAI!! The Fukuoka stage wasn’t very high and there was only about 1 ½ metres between the stage and the first row so basically I could have reached out and touched Wakana (not that I would ever do that but you get what I mean XD). It’s the closest I have ever been to her during a concert. I was able to see every micro expression on her face, I looked into her eyes, I waved at her, it felt so good to be noticed. On a more or less related note I wanna add that I felt kinda bad for Wakana because for the Fukuoka live the hall was pretty empty, I think the audience only filled about half of it (if not less - for reference, the main hall has a capacity for about 1,000 people, I think we weren’t even 500 people in the audience). I hear it was the same for her other venues (except the Tokyo live which was quite well visited but even there the upper floor was empty). Lining up for the goods was also completely different. Merchandise sale started very late, about 1 ½ hours before the live and there were hardly any people lining up. It’s really sad to see Wakana getting so little support for her solo activities. I guess lots of YK and Kalafina fans aren’t really interested to follow her. Right now Wakana’s management is making the mistake of still thinking in Kalafina dimensions. Wakana as a solo artist simply can’t fill out halls like Kalafina. Maybe at some point in her career she will be able to but I feel she will have to do a lot of tie-ins to achieve that sort of popularity. Right now it would be smarter to go for slightly smaller (and more classical) venues I think...This way the halls would fill up quickly and it would probably reduce the ticket prices (which in turn would make more people willing to purchase them). I hope for the next tour they will consider making some changes. Wakana deserves to perform at sold out lives.

Band style: Speaking of “more classical” venues, I feel like Wakana would also benefit from a more “classical style/acoustic arrangement”. The band style is a bit overwhelming at times, there were a few songs that would have sounded SO MUCH better with a less band-heavy arrangement, at least in my opinion. In particular the drums and bass guitar felt a little overbearing during some parts of the performance (“Yakusoku no Yoake” and “Toki wo Koeru Yoru ni” immediately come to mind - the bass was bordering on obnoxious during “Toki wo Koeru Yoru ni” and the drums kinda almost ruined the mystical/translucent atmosphere of “Yakusoku no Yoake”). Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming the musicians, I think they all did well. The guitarist was particularly dedicated, he switched between e-guitar and acoustic guitar throughout the entire concert, even during songs. There was a staff member that constantly had to run back and forth, I felt kinda bad for him. At any rate, all the musicians were really into it and they were obviously having lots of fun. Unfortunately, most of Wakana’s songs simply aren’t suited to be played by a “standard” band.

Vocals: Wakana’s vocals were great during both concerts. As far as I can tell she hit all of her notes, to me she sounded particularly beautiful in Jidai, Boku no Kokoro no Tokei, Hikari Furu and Ai no Hana. At no point did she seem exhausted, I didn’t notice her getting out of breath and she barely even sweated. Due to the nature of most songs, she didn’t move a lot so she was able to focus fully on her singing. I did notice however that her voice got occasionally drowned by the band. Once in a while she would sing her lines really quietly, not sure why though. Maybe she lacked confidence or she forgot the lyrics. Perhaps she purposefully used a quiet voice and didn’t take into account that the background music and band would be so loud. That’s just a minor complaint though and didn’t really take away from the overall experience.

Production: The stage set up was very simple which I didn’t mind. The decoration consisted of these metal thingies hanging from the ceiling (as seen on the report pictures). The atmosphere was mostly created via the lighting. There was a screen in the back but it was barely used. To be honest, I only really noticed it during “Kaze ni Naritai”. I am sure it was used during other songs but for the life of me, I can’t remember. There was no choreography or anything. Wakana just did what she felt like doing. Some swaying here, some arm gesture there. A bit of walking across the stage during the more up-beat songs. The outfits were obviously chosen by Wakana herself. You could tell she felt very comfortable in them. She also opted for flat sandals. It’s details like that which made the lives feel very real and intimate.

MCs: Wakana was quite nervous during her MCs (especially at her Tokyo live which was filmed). At times she was a bit awkward and didn’t really know what to say. She even admitted to feel a little uncomfortable since this is the first time in her solo career to have so many cameras around. She definitely talked a lot more at the Tokyo live but I am not sure if all of that is gonna make it onto the DVD/BD (I hope so though!). During her Fukuoka live she was far more relaxed and towards the end you could tell that she didn’t mind the MCs at all. She was able to talk freely at that point. Either way, at both lives she managed to work her way through the MCs. The audience was very supportive and found her little awkwardness quite precious. I mean, how could you not find her cute?

Tokyo or Fukuoka? Overall, I thought the Fukuoka live was much better than the concert in Tokyo. Wakana was more relaxed and I guess she didn’t feel as pressured since there were no cameras. She cried at the end when she said her final goodbye. It was so sweet. Also, the acoustics were a lot better at the Fukuoka Convention Center, at least it sounded that way for me. The band wasn’t so loud and Wakana’s microphone was quite well-balanced which really cannot be said for the Tokyo live (but as I mentioned in my previous post, I think it will be easy to fix with a bit of studio magic, the video release should sound fine).

Okay, now let’s finally get to the songs...

01.約束の夜明け | Yakusoku no Yoake Wakana came on stage wearing the orange/salmon-coloured dress and flat white Roman-style sandals. The lights weren’t doing her arms any favours to be honest but aside from that she looked gorgeous. The colour of the dress really accentuated her skin tone. Her hair was made up in an elaborate ponytail with lots of braids. For this song there was some sort of see-through screen similar to the one used for Koibito no Mukashigatari no Yūgure no during Kalafina’s FOTW tour. The song started with a short intro/overture that sounded very epic. I think they should have added that part to the studio version (since that one starts rather abruptly). As mentioned in my quick overall review, everything was quite loud during this song (more so during the Tokyo live than the one in Fukuoka). I didn’t really like how the band sounded, to me it felt rather overwhelming. I think something different is needed for an almost ethereal song like that. Maybe some strings or a flute...Sometimes a little less is more. On top of that, Wakana’s singing was quite loud to compensate the sound of the instruments so that didn’t exactly make it better. Wakana did a little “oohhhh-ing” for the rather long instrumental section that starts around 2:40 minutes. It’s also noticeable in the studio version if you listen closely but it’s barely there. For the live version Wakana is doing some proper “ooohh-ing”, it sounded really nice. I expected to REALLY love this song since it’s among my album faves but unfortunately the loudness and arrangement made it very hard for me to fully appreciate the performance. It wasn’t bad or anything but I also wasn’t blown away. I guess you could say it was a little underwhelming...

02.流れ星 | Nagareboshi A straightforward performance. Sounded pretty much exactly like the studio version. For me this song is ranked pretty low as far as the album tracks are concerned. I had hoped Wakana’s live performance would make me appreciate the song more but I still feel the same way about it. I mean, I don’t dislike it or anything, I just don’t enjoy it as much as most of the other album tracks. It just doesn’t click with me if that makes sense. At the end of the performance we get a small highlight. Wakana went up to her little table and picked up a couple of instruments. First she used the tingsha to create some sort of “bling” sound. Then she took the big rainstick and slowly moved it upside down to create the sound of rain. Honestly, I can’t wait for you to see her face on the video release, I hope they caught her expressions on camera, she looked so happy playing those instruments. Like a little child that got to play with her favourite toy.

MC: I don’t have much memory of the MCs tbh (or rather, I don’t remember what was being said in which MC because there were SO MANY) but I think she talked about her album release here and how she wants people to listen to her as an individual, she wants people to focus on her as a human being, this tour is only about her and her voice (which is also why the tour title is “VOICE”). This is also where she talked about the weather I think. How she tends to be really unlucky and wherever she goes she brings rain with her. During her first few tour lives the weather was always really nice but unfortunately it rained a lot on the day of her Tokyo live. It did however stop raining towards the late afternoon. The weather wasn’t exactly nice but at least we managed to stay dry. It was super hot and sunny for Wakana’s Fukuoka live. Maybe she mentioned the cameras here too or it might have been in a later MC...? Anyways, she confirmed that we would get a home video release for this concert.

03.瑠璃色の空 | Ruriiro no Sora This is probably my least favourite song of the album, it’s just not my cup of tea. As a result, the performance didn’t really stand out to me and I don’t have much to say about it.. However, for those who like the song I think you will like the live performance because Wakana sounded really good. No complaints.

04.Hard Rain This is where the concert really picked up for me. It was the first up-beat song of the live and I generally enjoyed the performance. In the beginning when I first listened to the album I wasn’t sure whether or not I liked “Hard Rain”, both “Ruriiro no Sora” and “Hard Rain” have a similar vibe, they almost sound “jazz-y” to me and honestly, jazz is a genre I don’t enjoy at all. But unlike “Ruriiro no Sora” “Hard Rain” managed to win me over. The studio version is really nice but the live version is so much better. Wakana delivered a lovely performance, her stage presence was great. During the chorus she kept walking from one end of the stage to the other, flapping her multi-layered skirt. She came right to the edge of the stage so I felt really close to her.The “paya-paya” part at the end of the song was lip-synched to some extent. Or at least they had a very loud track playing in the background. The last few “paya-payas” she sang herself.

MC: I think in this MC Wakana talks about the privilege of working together with so many different and talented composers/songwriters. She feels honoured that all these beautiful songs were made for her. She learned a lot, she got to meet lots of amazing people, she got a lot more involved in the creative process. The next song was composed and written by Yūko Andō, Wakana is particularly smitten by this piece because it’s so powerful, it’s a showcase of female strength.

05.記憶の人 | Kioku no Hito In my opinion Wakana’s live performance far exceeded the studio version. Those who already love the studio version will fall in love even more with the song once they watch the live. At least that’s what happened to me. There was so much emotion in her voice. She sounded beautiful. THIS is the kind of singing style I enjoy most from Wakana, it’s this kind of song where she gets to shine. The previous songs lacked this particular charm (at least it felt that way to me). Don’t get me wrong, they were all solid performances but there are distinctive aspects of Wakana’s voice that I originally fell in love with and that aren’t really all that present in the above mentioned songs (because they are a different style to what Wakana usually sings). Does this make sense? The band thankfully held back here, the arrangement was very simple, no excessive use of drums, e-guitar or bass.

06.時の音 | Toki no Ne Just like with “Kioku no Hito” this song was much more impressive being performed live (as impressive as a slow ballad like that can get :P). While listening to the album I usually neglected this track because I didn’t really care for it all that much. However, Wakana’s nuanced performance really moved me. There was something in her voice that struck my heart, it’s hard to explain. Once again the band held back for which I was very grateful. An understated piece like this sounds best with a simple arrangement.

MC: I think this might have been the MC where she talked about the sky and taking lots of pictures. She loves watching the sky, the sun and the trees. How the position of the sun changes the entire scenery, how the strength of the wind puts everything in motion. She wants everyone to get a feel for the summer wind so for her cover corner she chose the song “Kaze ni Naritai” as intro. She thinks it’s a perfect song for the season.

07.風になりたい | Kaze ni Naritai ❇Cover (original by THE BOOM) Probably the most quirky and laid back performance of the night. A feel-good song if there ever was one. Everyone had a blast. Wakana was so hyper and she was dancing around like a little girl. She got the audience to clap along, it was a ton of fun. I didn’t expect to like this song so much because I wasn’t really impressed with the original when I listened to it on youtube but boy, Wakana truly worked her magic, I was mesmerised, it felt like we were all at the beach. Throughout the song she used a small rattle and let me tell you, she took the shaking seriously. Can’t wait for everyone to watch this performance on DVD/BD.Vocally this song wasn’t outstanding or anything, it was just about having fun.

MC: Next up she talks about how there are so many artists she admires and she decided early on that she wanted to sing some of their songs during her lives. Last year during her autumn tour she already sang a song by Spitz (they are among her favourite bands) so for this tour she KNEW that she wanted to sing another Spitz song. This time she chose Hotaru which is one of her all-time favourite songs.

08.ホタル | Hotaru ❇Cover (original by Spitz) Ever since Wakana had mentioned in an interview that she would love to sing this song together with the lead singer of Spitz one day, I have been in love with it. I watched the original on Youtube and was immediately smitten by Masamune Kusano’s voice. Wakana uses a very similar style to sing the song, it’s very intense and soulful. The arrangement is also pretty much the same. Just imagine the original being sung by Wakana and you will know what to expect.

MC: This MC was pretty long and quite different at the Tokyo and Fukuoka live, I fear I might mix up things a little. Here she talks a lot about loving Miyuki Nakajima. Last time she sang “Ito” and this time she is gonna sing “Jidai”, a song that has left a huge impression on her. She used to sing it as a young girl but back then she didn’t understand the meaning of the lyrics (find the English lyrics HERE). She just sang it because she liked the melody. As she became older, the lyrics gradually started to make sense and now it’s so much more powerful. Wakana says that as time goes by so many things happen, everything changes, steadily we learn to love new things, we say goodbye to old things. At the Tokyo live she tried to recite a part of the lyrics but for some reason she couldn’t remember the lines in the heat of the moment. She was standing there, flustered, trying to remember the lines. Not a single word came out of her mouth though. She looked at the ceiling looking for a hint but obviously there was none, the pianist even started playing a few tones so Wakana would remember but nope, it didn’t happen. Eventually Wakana gave up and just decided to sing the song. I hope they keep that part in the DVD/BD.

09.時代 | Jidai ❇Cover (orignal by Miyuki Nakajima) Absolutely breathtaking, I LOVE this song so much, I understand why Wakana is such a big fan of it. And really, Wakana sings it perfectly. This is the kind of song that was MADE for her. It was a very emotional performance for everyone because we all had to think of Kalafina parting ways and Wakana taking a new path.

10.水の証 | Mizu no Akashi I was so happy to hear her perform this live since it’s literally one of her oldest songs. I have never attended a YK live so last year during Wakana’s symphony concert, I got to listen to it for the first time. I was mesmerised back then and I was just as charmed this time around. I feel like Wakana is getting better and better at performing this song. She literally sounded like old-school Wakana. After the song had ended, Wakana took a small bow and walked off. Since the music was still playing there was no applause.

～ Mizu no Akashi inst ～ (dress change): The instrumental started out quite slow and quiet. Steadily it became more up-beat and epic, basically like one of YK’s typical instrumental pieces. I liked it quite a bit but I wasn’t blown away. Not sure if Satoshi Takebe arranged this or if the musicians improvised, either way, it was a nice little transition. They then played a little intro for Tsubasa that reminded me a lot of the beginning of “the battle is to the strong”. That was pretty epic. Wakana came on stage wearing her heavily patterned dress. I personally liked it a lot because the cut of this dress was much more flattering than the previous one. Plus, we got some Waka-collarbones and in my book that’s always a bonus.

11.翼 | Tsubasa I am really sad that Wakana doesn’t perform the song like she did on the music program Bokura no Ongaku (CLICK ME). That rendition had so much edge, she was literally growling some of her lines. Something we have never really seen from her before and certainly a welcome change. Ahhh, that was such a powerful performance. Alas, for this tour Wakana has decided to sing the song in a manner that’s quite similar to the studio version (comparable to the version we got from the Odaiba Venus Fort release event). Wakana does well, she sounds good, there’s no doubt that it is a great performance BUT there is a lack of “oomph” if you know what I mean. Her expressions and gestures also aren’t as passionate as they were in that music show. But hey, it’s fine. Perfectly enjoyable performance.

MC: There was a short MC where she talked about wanting to enjoy the following song together with the audience. Once again she invited us to clap along. a few people got up from their seats.

12.君だけのステージ | Kimi Dake no Stage WOW!! Wakana was glowing in this one, the song radiates so much happiness. She had a smile on her face the entire time. I can’t remember the melody of the song but the chorus is super uplifting and cheerful. I hope we will get a single release in the future. I can understand why it’s not on the album though, it’s too up-beat I think, it wouldn’t have fit the overall vibe XD

MC: This is when the band introduction happened...I wonder if this was also where she asked the audience members about where they came from. At one point she asked everyone from Tokyo to raise their hand, then everyone who came to the live from another part of the country. And finally she asked everyone from overseas to raise their hand. OF COURSE I was raising my hand as fast as I could. I am kinda sad that she didn’t ask the same question at the Fukuoka live T_T

13.むすんでひらく | Musunde Hiraku Solid performance, perfect continuation of “Kimi Dake no Stage”. If I am not mistaken I think she struggled a bit with some of her notes...probably because of the faster tempo...Almost everyone stood up for this song and did the typical Kalafina hand/arm gesture. Not sure what to think of that actually. It’s like no one was invested in the live until she started singing a Kalafina song. Wakana had tried really hard to engage the audience during Kaze ni Naritai and Kimi Dake no Stage but you could tell people were holding back (for whatever reason). With the first note of “Musunde Hiraku” everyone literally jumped out of their seat. Kinda disrespectful if you ask me...maybe that’s just me reading too much into it but it didn’t sit well with me...

MC (Satoshi Takebe joins Wakana on stage): This part and the following two songs were Tokyo-exclusive. Wakana asked everyone to take a seat again and introduced Satoshi Takebe. She talked a bit about him being the producer of her previous and current tour, about him being awfully busy (they didn’t even have time to rehearse together!). He then says a few nice things about Wakana and apologises for talking too much. Wakana tells him it’s totally fine, she has been talking all evening and is happy someone else is taking over. She was like, “please keep talking so I don’t have to talk!” XD Satoshi Takebe explains that they decided to perform two songs together, the first one being a song that Wakana has always wanted to sing at a concert, she has been singing it so often at karaoke. The second one being a song Satoshi Takebe has always wanted to try and play.

14. ハナミズキ | Hanamizuki ❇Cover (original by Yō Hitoto) Sorry, can’t say anything about this. I hadn’t known that song prior to this performance and tbh, it didn’t really stand out. I thought it was quite boring tbh…But maybe that’s just me being overly-critical and me not having read the lyrics. I am always having a hard time judging songs that I have only listened to once. I am not able to take in everything the first time. Plus, at that point I was fighting a battle with exhaustion. I had arrived in Japan that morning and didn’t get any sleep on the plane. I kinda wish she would have sung this in Fukuoka too because there I would have been able to appreciate it more. I have basically no memory of it so it’s hard for me to write a proper review. Wakana definitely sounded good but I don’t think it was a very challenging song...or maybe it was? Ughhh, sorry, I fail...

15. oblivious I have never been a big fan of “oblivious” to begin with and this new arrangement doesn’t really do anything to improve my opinion of it. Wakana performed a similar version during her symphony concert, it’s just a bit more up-beat now. They pretty much removed all the “oooohh-ing” parts so Wakana is only singing the verses and chorus. Just at the very end Wakana is doing a bit of “oooh-ing” but she chose to do it with a very thin and breathy voice. Not sure why because she could have definitely sung it with a fuller and more “operatic” voice. Personally I feel like without the operatic style “ooooh-ing” the song isn’t all that special. I guess you will all have to judge for yourself. Those who love “oblivious” might find something to like here too.

MC: Here she talks about time and clocks, pretty much the same thing she has been talking about in many of her interview. Time is the theme of quite a lot of her album tracks, she is generally very fascinated by time.

16.僕の心の時計 | Boku no Kokoro no Tokei A touching performance. One of my favourites actually, didn’t expect to like it so much. Her vocals were lovely here, especially towards the end. Can’t really say anything else about it.

17.時を越える夜に | Toki wo Koeru Yoru ni Unlike most people, I have loved this song from the get-go. I think it’s a beautiful ballad and I could listen to it all day. BUT the band really ruined this performance for me. Okay, maybe “ruined” isn’t the right word, there was still some enjoyment to be found, Wakana’s vocals were on point after all but it just wasn’t what I had hoped for. As I mentioned at the beginning of this report, the bass was super obnoxious during the chorus. It was totally out of place. I hope they can work some studio magic to make it sound better on DVD/BD. Or maybe it was just my personal perception and other people liked it...???

MC: Wakana says that this is the final song of her concert *fake news XD* and thanks everyone for coming.

18.金木犀 | Kinmokusei Ahhhh! A beautiful and solid performance, nothing more to say about it. I was already smitten with the studio version so Wakana didn’t really have to do anything to convince me to fall in love with the live version.

~EN ~ Wakana left the stage and people started doing the usual clapping for an encore. They didn’t do the typical “encore” chanting. The band returned and the pianist started to play with a sort of organ setting. It sounded very epic. Wakana comes on stage wearing her album cover dress. The sleeves were altered slightly, instead of long sleeves she now has the fabric flow freely around her arms. It’s a very good look on her, she literally looks like an angel. She has some accessories in her hair that look a lot like the ones she used for the 10th Anniversary Live.

19.ひかりふる | Hikari Furu I think this performance will be quite polarising. Some will love it, others will hate it. Personally, I really loved it because Wakana sounded great. Yes, Keiko and Hikaru are missed dearly and a couple of their essential lines (e.g. “hikari no naka”) were left out but nonetheless, Wakana did an amazing job (especially during the climax). As I mentioned before, the song starts with some sort of organ-style playing by the piano and Wakana’s angelic singing. As the song progresses the other instruments join in, the arrangement sounds quite dramatic. For some reason I was reminded of Queen’s music (probably because I had just watched the movie Bohemian Rhapsody on the plane). Wakana sings as many of Keiko’s and Hikaru’s lines as possible and she really does them justice. She doesn’t necessarily try to imitate their singing style, her “mabushii asa” for example sounds totally different than Keiko’s. Overall I am very happy that she decided to sing this song, it was definitely one of the highlights of this live. I guess everyone has to decide for themselves whether or not they like this new arrangement.

MC: Here Wakana talks about the final song of her album. During the Tokyo live she explains that this song is very special because it showcases the power of lyrics. The melody is cute and playful but that’s actually quite misleading because the topic of the song is profound and sad. She also mentions that the song was composed by Shusui and another Swedish composer who she had first met more than a decade ago when she was still in her teens.I think she might have only sad that at the Fukuoka live, not sure o.O

20.愛の花 | Ai no Hana Hands down my favourite song of the album and probably my favourite performance of those two nights. I don’t know what it is about this song but I am just so freaking in love with it. I guess it’s just like Wakana said in the MC, the juxtaposition of the sweet melody and the tragic lyrics makes “Ai no Hana” so precious. There are so many emotions combined in this song. Tragedy, sadness, joy and hope, they all come together to create a beautiful song. Wakana sounds like an angel, especially after the second chorus when she does her “ooohhh-ing”. The live version is SO MUCH better than the studio version. Her high notes are gorgeous. The end of the song is also improved quite a bit because it doesn’t end so abruptly after the final chorus. The chorus is repeated a second time (starting from “kōri mo tokasu ai no hana) which adds a lovely climax.

MC: Wakana thanks everyone and once again introduces the band members. One by one they start leaving the stage until only the pianist is left. Wakana says that she wants to sing one final song accompanied by just the piano. The song is written by Satoshi Takebe and it means a lot to her. The past year has been filled with lots of emotions, there has been sadness, pain and joy, she has made so many new experiences, she has worked really hard on writing all these lyrics. Every time she stands on stage she knows it’s all worth it. She was born to sing, she wants to keep on singing, she wants to deliver her songs to an audience. She has put all these feelings into the lyrics of the next song.

21.あとひとつ | Ato Hitotsu So simple and yet so beautiful. I think for most of you who are not really fans of slow ballads the song will be too boring. For me personally, it was love at first listen. The melody of the chorus is still stuck in my head. I wonder if we'll ever get a release for this song. I really hope so! It would go perfectly with “Kimi Dake no Stage” - topic wise I mean. And it would make a lovely B-side. This is just about Wakana declaring her love for singing and performing, about being herself, about treasuring the moment, about following her dreams. I don’t remember everything but the lyrics are so sweet, I honestly couldn’t help but cry.

Final greeting: Wakana walked from side to side saying a few parting words. In Fukuoka she started crying, it was so precious. First she only teared up a little but then she kept talking and the tears were just flowing down her face. She didn’t really say anything special, just the usual stuff (so happy to be back home, to be welcomed so warmy, etc). She can’t wait to be back, there will be many more tours (she made it sound like another tour was already in the making, there was no official announcement though).

#kalafina #wakana #report #live report #wakana live tour 2019 voice #tokyo #fukuoka #long text post

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katzenflocken · 6 years ago

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LA Times

I went to a Halloween party in October and I wrote down my experience in my phone.

A month or so ago I had made the decision that I wanted to attend a Halloween event and ultimately I decided on scream in Edmonton. I had bought the pre-sale ticket without actually knowing who was playing since there was no lineup details but this didn't concern me because I just wanted to go have fun and listen to some jams with cool people. I had calculated the cost of bus and hotel and came up to roughly 700 for a comfortable trip with all the best food/mixed drinks at the show. I had already had my own party favors so this was one of the reasons why I wanted to keep it local in Alberta. But then the lineup got released and I only seen one artist that was potentially going to be "okay" after listening to their SoundCloud. I was feeling very on the fence and on top of that, the party only went until 2am which was making it real hard to justify a long boring ass bus ride for a short night of mostly lame edm music. (No offense to the edm enthusiasts out there)

After some Olympic tier mental gymnastics of being so sure I wanted to go to Scream, I got curious and went to the handy dandy Resident Advisor and looked at shows in Alberta then Vancouver, even Toronto. I didn't see any events I was interested in and I left it at that. Then I got the brilliant and brave idea to possibly venture outside our borders, and a few clicks later I stumbled upon louisahhh's upcoming events and noticed she was playing a show along with boys noize and tbh, it was a no brainer. I had to make this happen. After a few calculations, it was literally going to cost the same as going to Edmonton (600 cdn) but with more spending money required in American. So naturally it was 💯 percent the logical choice. The event was called Minimal Effort which was an all techno show with 4 stages. Like holy shit! This event was most definitely calling my name.

I had told family and a few friends and some them ask me why? I've already vacationed once or twice this year so why a third time? I really don't know why, there is no reason. I just like doing these things. It is true that given the current situation, I better to avoid these such things. but the idea of letting someone's words prevent me from doing something so fun and exciting yet so doable drives me mad. In fact this very idea is what makes it so evident that I am in control of my life. I create the reality I live in and why should I let others shape it for me with manipulating opinions. I would argue I am not living to die, I am dying to live. Personally I don't think it's very odd or strange to do exactly what you put your mind to, so it is in such a context that I wanted to make this trip. I hope people see what I do and feel encouraged or empowered. If I can do it you can too. But everyone isnt me and is open to their own opinion.

So my passport is lightly damaged, a few months after I got it I washed it lol whoops. I've been using it since without incident and it expires pretty quick in early 2019 so I felt confident I will make it on the plane and I did! I flew air Canada btw and their service was very meh. There was also some meean turbulence, other than that it was boring. Planes suck ass and I can't sleep on them. I had bought a roaming plan so I can text and use Google maps like a real Traveller. This was the best decision of the whole trip actually, so get ur phones working guys!

Upon landing I was very nervous because I literally didn't want to pay a lot of money to get downtown where my hostel was. But I asked this Tony hawk looking guy he gave me the rundown and to take the skyaway bus which was like 9 dollars. Hella life saver! I got downtown and got Subway spicy chicken wrap at Union station. Now I taxi'd to my hostel... It was near or in the ghetto. When the man dropped me off it was dark and these yuuuge dogs were jumping at me from the other side of the fence, confirming my suspicion that this is in fact the ghetto. I find the property next door and these dudes are smoking outside, I got their attention and they said to go upstairs and talk to "Champaign". In my head I instantly thought a black drug dealer... But then I was greeted by a slim easy going japanese dude with a samurai ponytail who spoke poor English but still had a friendly vibe. Turns out he is the cook/caretaker. I came on the night they had a dinner party that they hold once a month. Pay 10 dollars and you can eat the food that he was cooking. Champaign cooked for a army and I felt like an asshole because I literally came with a belly full of Subway. I had a few snacks and met the other Traveller's/Tennant's that were residing here. In that exact moment I felt like this is exactly where I needed to be. I was not alone and I was amongst other human beings like myself and we were all brought together by an unknown force all so Champaign can go to bed we knowing no one went to bed hungry. I actually passed out after midnight. Kinda lame but tbh I was wiped out from that hectic almost frantic trip to this hostel. The toppest compliment I give to any hotel/hostel is that this place had the best mattress, apparently they were italian (I asked lol).

Saturday (party day). My goal in the afternoon was to adventure and have a decent meal but it was getting off to a slow start due to me not figuring out where I wanted to go. I was recommended business district and looked up reviews but it was all meh. I want that yummy and probably unhealthy local food locations. The guy also said to take an Uber. Which I was like uhhhhhh iduno man... Maybe. Then as I was just getting ready to leave, this korean guy named Sam asked where I was going and he said "you should check out Korea Town, it's dope!!" And I looked up places and he said "no go here!" And I was like okay. Then he said he'll come with me and show me around after he finishes the laundry. Like a good lad I waited and in between he looked at me and whispered "hey do you do... Stuff" and there are a lot of implications there lol so I had to ask like what? And he pulled a little baggie and my reply was "yeah I like stuff" then did it and the kid lit up like a Christmas tree. He was mad hype folding the towels and then him and Champaign blazed downstairs.

One of the most fascinating yet mundane happenings was that I installed Uber on my phone. While those guys were blasting off I went ahead and gave the Uber a good historic first whirl. Little did I know my life was about to change in that exact moment. In 2 minutes after selecting where I wanted to go the driver was there. Holy shit! The cool part was that I only paid 8 dollars to go to the opposite side of the downtown. I wish I can expand on what I did, but tbh all we did was just walk and talk. It was great because it made me feel more immersed in to the city. Kind of like you had to be there type of experience. Then it was food time, he pointed out a Korean joint and I got a meal and he didn't order anything and then like 10 sides came and then 6 more little plates for the main dish. I told Sam he can have some because this is absurd. As we were eating, I slowly gazed around the place and everyone was just a little bit chubby. Sam told me Koreans don't waste their shit and eat as much as possible... Plus it's America lol. After eating like an animal and totally ruining my white shirt we went to get smokes and the line at 711 was almost way too long. Sam pointed out that everyone was powerballin' it... Then upon paying for the smokes and soda I said "one Powerball please". I had caved in and joined the race. We took an Uber back and the driver was a Mexican mom. She was cute in a grandma kind of way and we talked about there should be a "good news" radio because it's so scary listening to the radio. We laughed and laughed some more while Sam had fell into a Korean BBQ coma.

We get back to the hostel, Sam goes back to work and I have about an hour to get ready/nap before the party. Sam asked if I needed party favors and I took him up on his offer, because I hate asking at parties because it's so sketchy. At this point of the trip I realized everything is going 110% right. Sometimes I feel like I am just lucky because I always find myself in surprising situations and that now it's almost normal to me. My body and mind was totes ready to party, then I almost forget... I have stickers!!! I always have some in my bag and I grabbed at least 50 of them. People always love that shit, plus it makes everything more fun by adding another layer to the party... Lol get it? Layer?!? Aaanyways the one girl showed me how to work the door lock, basically it's an app that registers my phone to the deadbolt... What a game changer! Technology huh?! What a cool place! Then the Uber came and took like 4 dollars to get there, I think I can get used to this LA lifestyle if I ever had the chance. The dude dropped me off and I was proper nervous, made sure to hide my shit good and have my ID, ticket and game face ready because there was like 8 security in front... Also I am a pretty nervous person in general, I may seem cool and collected on the outside but on the inside I am a scared little shaking Chihuahua barking internally.

So I finally made it! All my hard work payed off! The weird thing was the guy didn't even look at my ticket, just my ID. Any Yahoo off the street could have walked in. Butt fuck it, I am here and that's all that matters. Imediately I get a beer... 8 dollars. The shit I put up with tbh, the price I pay for fun is worth it but my goodness is it painful. I wander around the theatre and it is nicely large and open. Not hot!! Can you believe that? The other stages weren't bad, too much to take it all in tbh. I settled at the main stage which was the first one you sent me when you walk in. The first artist playing was a chick, she played some good jam actually so I quite enjoyed her set. The only thing that led me to believe she doesn't actually make music and only is a DJ, was that every track she played I knew. Which is expected from shows like this but she didn't play anything "original", it's not a bad thing but if I was to critique her I'd be disappointed because I am the type of person to be wowed and I like to seek new material. I went for a smoke and met this couple dressed and Vegeta and Bulma, hella rad. They were cool, totally forget their names tho. Met this Mexican dude too who was a little short had crazy contact lenses and had a friendly chat. he was rolling which was cool because I wish I was, I even asked him but he was fresh out. The party started picking up too and louisahhh's set was about to play and I am 3 beers deep so I gotta step up my game. And guess what!? It's Modelo time homie!! Met a dude in a headdress and took a pic with him to piss off other people who are against that bullshit, as long as they are respectful about it I think it's awesome... so @ those who are trying to be offended on purpose, fuck you. Went to the bathroom and dropped my Modelo and the worker watched me do it and didn't say anything and swept it up. I went back to get another normal beer because the Modelo was 9 dollars. They mind as well get the lube ready because they are already fucking me dry. I had run out of party favors at this point because I only had a little but that's not why I am here so I accept that fact and I am just glad to be here. The dancefloor was sticky but as more spills happened it was less annoying and more people came, it made it more bearable lol if that makes sense. The sound was definitely worse at the front of the stage so I found that sweet spot 15 feet back in the zone where the speakers were pointed. 7/10 audio, it's no pk system but hey I don't mind too much! Louisahhh was stepping in and she had a super neat outfit going kind of future/madmax like. Her hair was excellent if I might add. I've always wanted to catch her set but never had the chance until now. I could say it was what I expected, which was basically the same set I've heard her play on other sets I heard from her. It's not a negative but mental gymnastics aside she could have spiced it up some more by playing new shit, like I said. I am just glad to be there.

After louisahhh played her set Boys Noize had stepped in and he opened up with that one song he always does lately lol I forget the name but let me tell you, my body was ready! The "wares" I had bought off Sam at the hostel were already used up but I didn't need any, my body was tingling from the energy in the room. I met the maddest group of lads in the crowd and I gave them a handful of stickers to help me distribute. They loved it! I was also doing "rogue" work by slapping stickers on people without them knowing. The funniest ones were the Dealer and Wasted stickers. The lazers and lights in this place were magnificent. Production was nearly top notch 7.8/10. it's a theatre but they used it as well as they could. I want to describe this experience more but going to a party is the purest chaos you can experience. It almost can't be explained, only witnessed. I honestly love being social at these events. In real life I can be very shy or unwilling to exchange or talk with others. It pains me really, I just love people and I want to make genuine friends but I feel so reluctant to meet new faces because I don't really click that well with others. I know that I am unique and sometimes strange, I am sometimes don't give a fuck but I tend to be antisocial because of paranoia that other people won't like me when they get to know the real me. When I attend rave parties, I tend to feel more free and open because I know the people in attendance are also there for the same reason I am. Obviously this may or may not be a healthy life style but it is very fulfilling in a very emotional way. I may not have that many real life friends but when on the dancefloor everyone is my friends lol that sounds like the gayest shit ever but it's true. Anyways party is still bumping and it's 6 am and I am wiped out, boys Noize played some of the best tracks I heard at awakenings I noticed. Kind of the same shit really. But it was LA so more mainstream crowd. I leave the club and it was so fucking foggy outside, like a horror movie. 2spooky4me. I hit up Uber like 4 blocks away because it was just too crazy in the front of the theatre. I got this younger driver about my age and we talked about McDonald's lol she was fun then I get back to the hostel hungry as fuck. Eated bread and smonked some herb and hit the hay.

Next morning I hung out in the common area. Watched friends and watched Champagne die from smoking weed lol he was my favorite. Cool hostel tbh very home like. I had few hours to myself before my flight so I decided I wanted to go to little Tokyo. I had to say goodbye to the hostel, the guys downstairs gave me a donut lol and I got into the Uber. The guy talked about the dodgers game like I actually give a heck about sports. He dropped me off at the entrance of Little Tokyo. This was actually the most wholesome part of my trip. The first sight of the Japanese style outside mall was kind of exhilarating because LA is mostly just the same everywhere. The buildings and decorations were very refreshing and it was a feast for the eyes. Such beauty. As I continue to explore the small but busy space I feel this feeling of wonder and excitement, it made me feel less hungover if I am being honest. The world I was seeing in that moment was powerfully moving and rich with happiness. I wanted to stay forever. In the centre there was an open space where an older Asian man in a scooter and an array of instrument s in front of him. He had a little sampler Casio and hi hats and maracas. It was like a scene out of the movies where you see those cute moments because he was playing to this couple from China that were standing in front of him and you can hear them talking to the Man in between singing lol, they gave him money to play that song from toy story "skies of blue" or whatever it's called and then at the end he pulled out the maracas and hit them on the cymbals with style. I filmed a little bit of it actually. I ended up eating sushi and chicken katsu outside on the deck and just enjoyed the experience. Alone. Fucking sad actually that I couldn't share my emotion with someone else but I really enjoyed the place. I shop in the anime store and gift shop, got a few things for friends and family then had to rush to the airport. I got to Union station and shuttle to the airport right on time. Slightly early since the flight changed to a later time. I walked around and had some beer and wings then got on the plane. Nice cozy airport experience. My dad picked me up and he was working in siksika that week so I slept in his trailer. It was cold as shit and I was late for work the next day like nothing ever happened lol. Just a quick weekend trip, no big deal. Travelling is so so so much fun, I want others to read or see my adventures and feel somewhat inspired to take more risks and go on their own adventures. Its good to open your eyes and free yourself of your surroundings, especially on the reserve. There's a world out there and there's more to life than the bullshit drama that happens here. I look at the world in wonder and amazement, I know it's a sick and sometimes dangerous place but I make it my world by appreciating it for what it is. Everything is kind of all right. Sometimes I wish I didn't exist but I don't want to die either, doing these things remind me that life can be great so I hope I don't come off braggy or I am acting "too good". I make minimum wage yet I still do all this cool stuff. It's not hard to do, just literally set your mind go and do it . I chase my dreams while others think "what if" lol but yeah do more fun shit guys!!!!

#travel #los angeles #america #little tokyo #boys noize #louisah #airport #journal #adventures #rave #party #friends #strangers #bread

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neverland93 · 7 years ago

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Peter Pan imagine/ Mad Hatter

Hi! Can you do a readerxpan with the song Melanie Martinez -Mad Hatter? Add whatever you want: smut, violence.. whatever you feel like, I don’t mind.

Warnings smut, violence,cursing

You weren’t a bad kid, but you definitely weren’t good, you had your share in getting grounded and in deep trouble, but nothing ever too crazy.

You see you lived in a small town called StoryBrooke , living with your sister Emma Swan the savior was kinda irritating. She was always on you for anything and everything, you weren’t aloud to be out a certain time of day, you couldn’t wear a certain type of style , you couldn’t hang with certain types of people, you were trapped it felt like, so of course you were going to rebel ever so often.

“Y/n!” Emma yelled for you . “You’re going to be late for school!”

“Okay okay okay!” You ran down stairs in a crop top, jeans, and some boots.

“Where do you think you’re going ?” Emma said

“To school?” You almost questioned it

“Not like that.” She said

“Oh come on.” You said rolling your eyes

“Go back upstairs right now and change .” She said

“I’m going to be late!” You yelled back

Emma looked at Hook for advice

“Would you rather her be late or in that ?” Hook asked

As she was about to say anything the bus honked

“Saved by the bell! Well in this case, a horn.” You ran out and didn’t say an other word.

Going to school you had one motive , graduate . You hated school, you didn’t get bullied or anything, but you just hated it. Clicks would aline, teachers were mean, P.E sucked , food was terrible. It was just a bad time all around , yeah you had friends but you always felt like you didn’t belong, when you were there all you wanted to do was to be gone.

The only thing that helped was music , you loved music, when you felt like everything and everyone was against you music made you feel better. It didn’t matter what type it was , as long as you hear music you knew everything was going to be okay.

Going home you saw that Hook and Emma were waiting for you at the door.

“Uh, yes ? “ you asked

“You got a D , in P.E , a D!!” Emma said a little louder than she should

“I told you to just home school me.” You folded your arms

“You know I can’t do that kid” She said

“Yeah because you’re too busy being everyone’s precious hero aren’t you?” You said

“That’s enough.” Hook said

“No it is not enough!” You said

“If you would just stick your head out of your ass for a second and care about your sister maybe I wouldn’t get such low grades!” You yelled

“That’s it , you’re grounded.” Emma said

“ Stop trying to be mom you will never be mom!” You yelled

“Your sister took your phone and threw it , crashing it, no more music , no more leaving this world for a couple of minutes and entering a place with only music and yourself, your peace was gone.

“No! How , how could you?” You yelled

You ran , You ran til you couldn’t run anymore, running into Mr Gold he saw you were crying.

“Why the tears Dear?” He said

You sniffled “ My sister destroyed the only thing that mattered.”

“And that is ?” He asked smiling

“My phone, it had music, I would listen to it when I was sad, or feeling alone, now, it’s gone. Just like how I want to be right now.” You said

“Gone ?” He asked

“Yes, gone, forever.” You said

“I can , make that happen.” He said with a smile

“How ?” You asked with a little hesitation

“I could send you to another world.” He said

“Really?! Where ?” You asked

“Ah ah ah, all magic comes with a price dearie, are you sure you want to know ?” he said

“Yes , I’m sure.” You said

“I can send you to a place called Neverland, BUT on one condition, your life here , will be gone forever, any memory of you will be no more , of you ever wanted to come back, no one would remember you.”

You were a little scared “No one ? At all? “ You said

“Never again.” He said

You thought about it for a while , but you thought about how truly un happy you were here, and it wasn’t healthy for you , you needed to leave , even if it meant to leave something such as your sister behind. “I’ll do it.” You said

“Ah yes of course .” He said

“Now drink this , and in a few seconds , you will see.”

He hands you a vile with liquid in it.

“What’s this ?” You asked

“It’s your ticket out.” He smiled

You were hesitant, but you drank it , it tasted bitter but also like cherry syrup.

“Yuck.” You said , you suddenly felt dizzy , and then you fell, but you didn’t fall on the floor, you fell through it.

“Whoa!” You yelled

Falling into what appears to be a galexy hole , you could see the moon, the stars, the Milky Way, all of it.

You arrived on Neverland , feeling scared, but hey who wouldn’t ?

Walking through the woods you were a little nervous, not knowing what kind of people you would run into ,if they would like you , if you would have a home or sleep on the streets, it was intimidating.

Then , you hear a twig snap behind you , you quickly turn around

“Who’s that ?!” You yelled but there was no one , you looked a little more in that direction, looking to see if there was an animal in need or anything like that. There wasn’t.

You turn around and bump into something hard.

“Ouch.” You said , face to face with a chest of young man.

“What ?” You said looking up , it was, a boy. A cute one at that.

“Who are you ?” He asked , he had a British accent.

“Uhm , I uh I I -“ You were stuttering, He was so damn gorgeous.

“Are you going to talk or ?” He asked with a little attitude

“My name is Y/n .” You said quickly

“Who brought you here?” He asked

“I was sent here .” You said

“How ?” He asked

“You sure have a lot of questions .” You said

“Do not make me repeat myself.” He said angry

“Uhm by magic.” You were a little nervous now

“Magic ? You know magic ?” He asked

“No I took a potion to send me here , because I needed to run away.” You twiddled your fingers .”

He rolled his eyes

“Gosh we have enough people as it is, first the lost boys, then the Indians , then the mermaids, now you!” He said with an attitude

“Oh…” you said a little sad

“What do you have to offer? He asked

“Excuse me?” You asked

“You heard me.” He said

“ I - I don’t know I just ran away , I really have nothing.” You said

“Well , we will have to find out then won’t we ?” He said

Grabbing your arm he pulled you to the campsite where all the lost boys are.

“Hey let go!” You yelled but he didn’t , in fact he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder, carrying you all the way over.

“You Asshole!” You yelled , kicked, scream, but eventually gave up.

You guys got close and he finally put you down.

“What the hell?!” You said

“Shh.” He said “These are the lost boys, lost boys, this is Y/N.”

“Hi” they all said at once , then went on doing their own thing.

“Who are they ?” You asked

“I literally jus told you.” He said annoyed

“You know what, there’s no need to be mean to me.” You said

“I’m king of this island and I can do whatever the hell I want.” He said

“Who died and made you king?” You said folding your arms

“Nobody died , I liked.” He said looking into your eyes , “So be careful what you say love.” He smiles in a wicked way.

You were in shock , not really knowing what to say.

Peter looked at you up and down, you didn’t say a word.

He then left you with the boys.

“So like, what are you doing here?” a boy asked

“I gave up my life style back at home and moved here, I was un happy.” you said

“Hmm.” he said then left

“Well it was nice talking to you too?” you said

Later on the night the festivities started.

One thing your learned very quickly from the boys ,they never walked, they ran, they ran like wild men, they had no manners, they fought over everything, they spit, they yelled, you wonder if this was a bad idea.

They ran to the dinner table, you were surprised at what they had, cookies, bread, soup,veggies, it was an interesting combination but you didn’t mind, you were hungry!

You ate and Peter sat next to you, watching you eat as he ate, it was intimidating.

“What are you doing?” you asked

“Whatever I want.” he said bluntly

“Could not be an ashole for two seconds?” you said

He laughed “No. Now eat your food.” he said

You ate it with him looking at you, you didn’t know but the sight of you licking your fingers, the way you licked your lips, it turned him on.

Later that night all the boys went to bed and it was just you and Peter

“Let’s go.” he said getting up from the campsite, pouring water on the fire.

“What why?” you said

“Did I say you could ask questions?” he said, you shook your head no.

Peter felt bad he was being an ass , you were an attractive young girl, but an ass was the only way he knew how to act towards anyone.

He took you to his cabin, it was huge,,beautiful, luxury cabin.

“Wow.” you said , its beautiful

He went to the shower, “ Do you want to take one first or should I?” he asked

“Oh uh, uhm.” you stuttered

“I guess I will.” he said as he took off his shirt. and enters the bathroom, he shuts the door and you were shocked.

His body was amazing, he was hot, of course, but honestly, he was still an asshole.

A couple of minutes go by and he comes out with only an towel.

“My clothes are in the dresser.” he said bluntly

Your eyes wonder and look at him, he gets a shirt and pants, and then goes back in the shower.

He comes out, and simply goes “Your turn.”

Showering in Peter’s bathroom was intriguing, all of his soaps , and smells, they smelled like mint and vanilla, there was a cinnamon one , you took that one, you put back on your clothes because you had only the ones on your back.

You went outside into the room.

“I only have these clothes…” you said

“I can get you others.”

He gets up from the bed and opens the dresser

“You have other clothes for girls?” you asked

“I have a big t shirt, deal with it okay?” he said

You nodded.

You changed into his shirt, it was soft and it smelled amazing.

You came out , no bra, no panties, just his shirt.

You go to his bed, and he gets off, he puts a blanket on the floor and lay down on his back.

“The bed is mine?” you asked

“Yeah.” he said

“Oh thank you.” he nodded

You stood awake in the late night, tossing and turning ,

Peter started to groan , almost whimper, it scared you, you sat and looked at him, he was still asleep, he was having a bad dream.

You tried to whisper his name but it only made it worse.

“Peter!” You yelled a little louder then he should he woke up and screamed , it was a terrifying scream. It scared the shit out of you .

You can see the fear in his eyes. “Are you okay ?” You asked

“I’m fine.” He said taking off his shirt , he was sweating, a lot, he looked stressed, like he barely slept.

“ Peter, whatever it is, I can help you.”

“There’s nothing you can do.” He looked at you

“I can help.” You said

“You see, I have nightmares too, what helps me is music .”You said

“Music ?”he asked

“Why yes , music is beautiful, it helps all kinds of people through their pains and sufferings. You see his flute and pick it up, “may I?” You asked

He nods

You play a song you made up when you were little , you didn’t know much about the flute but you tried your best, it wasn’t best and it wasn’t the most terrible thing.

At one point he even laughed because you played a note terribly wrong.

“Hey shut up I’m trying.” You laughed as well

“Thanks.” He looks ahead into nothing

“Peter are you okay ?” You asked

“ you wanna know why I made this island?” He said

You nodded your head and sat on the floor with him

“I’m not the best person, I’m was way worse than I am now. You see , when I first moved to this place I was wreckless, I still am . I hated everyone, everyone that was normal , that’s why you noticed every lost boy has a little something off about them, they’re crazy , I feel more sane when I’m with them.”

You nodded , letting him know to go on “I’m nuts, I’m mad, I’m the craziest thing you would ever see. People say I’m psycho , well, I probably am. I used to kill my lost boys, I would teach them how to fly, then I would throw rocks at them, make them fall into their death, sometimes into the ocean and let them drown. I would make the fairies my slaves , I would make them do the most disturbing things for me, I would poison the pirates with all types of stuff , I would laugh at how drunk I was the morning after getting wasted , I drink so much , I would black out and wouldn’t be up until it got dark the next day.”

You looked at him and shook your head , “ So, you’re crazy.” You asked

“ Yeah , I guess, we’ll I mean so what if I am? The best people are.” He said

You looked at his arms , his hands , they looked rough , like they haven’t been handled by a girl in so long . “Peter .” You looked at him He looked at you and he already know what you were thinking because he grabbed your chin and kissed you , you were taken back at first but you kissed him right back.

His lips were like velvet, they melted like chocolate into yours, he slowly rubbed your legs going more and more up your big shirt, you were getting nervous, but you would never show it

. Grabbing his hair you got a little moan out of him, he then went under your shirt and grabbed the inside of your thighs , You twitched a little bit, you never been handled like that before, he picked you up so that you sat on his lap, still on the floor you disconnected your lips from his , he looked at you “ Are you okay?” He asked so politely You nodded your head , “ Go on.” You smiled He grabbed your ass and lightly squeezed it , you loved it , moaning a little bit and feeling nervous about being loud because the lost boys would hear.

He then rubbed the top of your clit and you were slowly getting turned on , with his other hand he grabbed your boob and started to play with your nipple, flicking it and making it hard. He then lifted you up and lay you down on the bed , kissing your stomach and making his way to your thighs , he kissed your thighs so softly yet rough all at once , he kept getting closer to your clit , til he licked it and you gasped, it caught you off guard.

He started to eat you and you couldn’t help but make noises “Oh fuck.” You moaned He fingered you and ate you out all at once , it was a lot for your first time.

You were getting a little loud “Peter stopped and came up and kissed your forehead “Shh loves, the lost boys will hear.” He laughed, so hot. You nodded He began to take off his pants and his boxers It had to be at least 6 inches , You gulped loud “Peter.” You said “Do you not want to?” He asked “I’m a virgin…” You said “I’ll go slow okay ? If something hurts just tell me okay ?” You nodded, you didn’t understand he was being so sweet, it’s like sex changed him ,he was so much nicer.

He slowly entered you and you lost it. “OH FUCK.” You screamed At this point Peter didn’t even care , you felt so good. “You’re so damn tight.” He said He thrust in you and you just kept moaning, scratching his back as he left hickeys all over your body, but not to where the lost boys could see, he only wanted to see them. He whispered sweet nothings into your ear He kept asking if you were okay , he kept telling you how beautiful you were, he kept telling you that you were going to be okay.

He looked deep in your eyes and all you could do was just moan, you could barely speak, he left your breathless. He then took off your shirt and started to suck on your tits, licking and hitting on your nipple, he was so good at what he did . How the hell ? When the hell? It didn’t matter . He was amazing at it. He was getting close to cumming , and you were too. “Peter I’m gonna -“ “Me too just hold on a little longer love.” He said His thrust were getting sloppy and he was swearing up a storm.

You scratched his his back so hard , leaving marks and even drawing blood, he loved pain, it turned him on.

You then bit his neck and that’s when he lost it , he came in you and you came as well. Both moaned and yelled, he got off of you and lay on hi back , panting and breathing hard , looking at your and wondering what you were about.

He was curious, he liked you already. “What ?” You asked shyly He laughed “You’re crazy, just like me.” He said “ how ?” You asked a little curious “ you came on my island this morning and by tonight I have you naked in my bed.” He smiled wickedly “You got on top of him “And , so what if I’m crazy ? The best people are.”

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mamasgonewalkabout-blog · 7 years ago

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There & Back Again - A Tourist’s Tale

Townsville to Tanawha in Seven Days - The Adventure Continues

Well hello there (you good looking reader you). This week’s episode consists of our jaunt back down the coast of Queensland (after our grand Magnetic Island exploits).

I believe we left off arriving in Townsville, which proved to be (unexpectedly) chalk full of good things. Our hotel’s oceanfront location proved to be a perfect base to explore “The Strand” It’s a beautiful esplanade boasting a multitude of parks, gardens, restaurants/pubs and shops (all along the water). And, the BEST Indian Food restaurant EVER. Delish!

Townsville also happens to be home to The Reef HQ - The Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. So, of course, we had to go check that out. I admit that having the glass between us allowed me to really appreciate critters without being scared silly!

We checked out several very cool lectures in the theatre space (it was like being on a school field trip!) and managed to snag an invite to the Turtle Hospital, where we had the sincere honour of meeting some of the patients.

I gotta tell you, it was an experience I won’t soon forget. Seeing sea turtles up close, and learning about the horrible adversities these poor little guys face... Look, nature itself is hard enough on these guys, but man... Between ingesting our plastic crap (causing them to float and slowly starve) and our boat propeller’s cracking their shells (literally breaking their spines)... I felt guilty being a human being standing next to them! It was an eye opener for me. *Incidentally, Australia is banning the use of disposable plastic bags in grocery stores as of July. We bought a water bottle and canvas bag from the Turtle Hospital too. Perhaps the little steps will make a difference - here’s hoping!

So, that was our one day there. It was great. Finis. Then we started the looonnnnngg journey back down South - which we broke into 2 nights. First stop, Mackay.

I gotta say, it didn’t knock my socks off (they barely lost their elasticity really). Now, in fairness, we arrived on a Sunday. And most of these towns hearken to the days gone by (Everything is CLOSED on Sundays) so it was a bit of an eerie ghost town. We wandered around for hours, waiting for a handful of restaurants to open for dinner. This turned into a bit of a fun game as we waltzed about all alone, like we owned the place, looking for anything interesting really! Seek and ye shall find!

Seriously, take a good look at some of those street view pics. Not another soul! CUE THE TUMBLEWEED! And then you look up and there’s a bazillion cameras..... For the crazy crowds??? (I hope they got my good side. Pretty sure if I have one, they caught it! lol)

We wound up hitting up the local theatre to watch the latest Avenger’s movie. And the answer to your questions are YES and YES. Yes, going to the movies is just as stupid expensive here as at home and Yes, they have a a whack of commercials prior to the movie too. It’s an epidemic! LOL

*Highly recommend the Avengers movie, btw. Plot is holier than Swiss Cheese but it’s an exciting, comedic and visually stunning ride.

So we said good bye Mackay and hit the road <Jack>. Next stop, the mining town of Gladstone. It had a cute little downtown core - BUT most everything was CLOSED... AGAIN <sigh>. Managed to find an open restaurant, ate a nice dinner & retired to the Motel (yes, I said MOTEL) Mmm hmmm, kickin it hardcore on a Monday night. All in all, it was fine. Hey, even the cockroach I discovered on the curtain in our room was friendly enough!

Good bye Gladstone!

Needless to say, we were ready to hit the road bright n’ squirrely for the final leg of our highway trip - Destination: Mount Coolum for a few days (please oh please, for the love of all things Holy, let it NOT be a ghost town!)

Okay now, remember how I mentioned that this highway was this long, desolate, life sucking thing that went on forever with nothing for 100′s of kilometers? Does that sound like a good place to run out of gas to you? Hmmm?

This is where I so regret NOT taking a picture to punctuate the whole story. But, I just couldn’t do it! I felt taking a picture, while barely containing our laughter, would have been rude. I’ll try and keep this short (promise). In a nutshell:

- I didn’t get gas when I should of. Sue me!

- The dreaded ‘yellow’ you-got-no-more-gas-soon warning sign is now alight, causing John to lean over and look at it EVERY 5 SECONDS and remind me that we really need gas, and we probably should’ve filled up ‘back there’ (ya think????)

- We ask ‘the Google’ to find the nearest gas station and followed it’s direction down a road not fit for man nor beast (this is the part in the movie where someone dies... surely!) *I should mention that the next gas station shows as approx 70 kms away!

- As John is rattling off the merits of the town we’re about to come upon “It has a race track!”, we roll onto the main street. One. Dusty. Uninhabited. Street. Where any store that may have existed 1000 years ago is now something out of a museum exhibit.

- The Google says we have now arrived at our destination. Imagine it. There’s a dilapidated HOUSE with a sun-faded sign on the side of it that looks like it may have said “GAS” at one time.. but now all you see is a faded “AS” (you have no idea how hard it is for me not to add that extra ‘S’!)

- So we keep going (there must be more down here, right?) and come to a dead end. That was it. We look at each other, say an expletive or two and turn around. “Might have to start knocking on doors and testing out that ‘Aussie Hospitality!”. Hmm... let’s take one more pass. Maybe we missed something?

- We take another pass, and bowl me over with a feather if there is not a single antique looking gas pump (on the frickin’ SIDEWALK!) in front of that old house (I cannot make this stuff up!) I don’t know how we missed it the first time?! So we park beside it. What have we got to lose, right????

- The price on the gas pump is $1.47/litre - today’s pricing... the door to the house is OPEN. What the what now? Could it be true?? *If this is some sort of cruel joke by the locals looking for some fun - watching tourists try and get blood from a stone, I’m gonna be PISSED!

- I pick up the nozzle, it resets... ready to rock. EUREKA! We’re saved! I proceed into the ramshackle house, to pay, and am greeted by a friendly shopkeeper who runs the ‘store’. Oh yes, there’s one 2-litre jug of milk AND a single loaf of bread in the fridge for sale. AND there’s a cafe menu - fish n’ chips are on special, dontcha know! (OMG, I can’t even imagine how long that fish has been there!!!)

- I pay and we get set to leave. John and I just keep looking at each other like we may be sharing a hallucination. “The pump is on the sidewalk” John keeps mumbling. Should we have taken a picture? YES! Sorry. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this one... it was an experience!

Full of gas (of suspect age and origin) we eventually made it to Mt. Coolum - a beautiful National Park just minutes from the beach. The AirBnB space and our hosts were AMAZING!

Our hosts were so sweet, leaving us chalkboard notes every day:

We got to settle in and enjoy the best of all worlds again. The backyard of the house WAS the National Park and we were able to literally hike the mountain from there. It was a hell of a hike (think Grouse Grind) but well worth it!

Spent some time at Coolum Beach as well and did some body boarding. It was a great place to spend John’s birthday too :)

From Coolum we also drove the nearby town of Eumundi to check out their famous Market. It was huge! Must have taken up 6 square blocks and took us hours to navigate. *How much is a parking ticket in Eumundi? Oooh, I know this one! It’s $63 AUD. Yes it is :(

We had fun (despite the ticket) and found some cool items and lots of local artwork everywhere

And also went back to Noosa Heads (which is hard to photograph well - sorry!

All in all, our three nights in Coolum were lovely. Great food, beach, people, hiking... and it was such a nice surprise to find a little gift bag, on the hood of our car, upon our departure. How nice is this?

Then it was off to Tanawha (again). We had stayed at a beautiful rainforest B&B at the beginning of our journey (which seems like a lifetime ago!) and both John and I had been sad to leave so soon. We’d really ‘clicked’ with our hosts Liz & Steve and frankly, it’s like a 5 star resort. It’s true!. I can hear that guy from Jurassic Park saying, “We spared no expense”. So we booked an encore with them for the next 4 nights to relax and explore the Hinterlands more. (We’ve heard the drive/scenery is to die for). Upon our arrival in Tanawha, we were greeted with MORE GIFTS!

I don’t know if I can fit those paper flowers in my suitcase :(

So, we’re now in the rain forest enjoying our hosts and getting ready to do MORE exploring of this beautiful country. I have actually unpacked (for the 1st time this whole trip! LOL) and am planning to milk these last few days to the last drop. It sounds like a fairytale, I know. So, I’ll admit, it’s not always this amazing feeling. There have been mornings when I really didn’t want to do anything. I’m in (what I consider paradise) and I feel BLEH. It’s happened. On more than one occasion. I miss my family. My friends. My cats. But I then remind myself that I better take advantage of opportunities (actually, I say ‘Pull your head out of your ass, it’s not a hat!’) and life goes on. Ces’t la vie :)

So, we’re in the final stretch!! Hope you’re still enjoying coming along for the ride! Hope to have more to share soon. Cheers!

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travelteatv · 7 years ago

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In April of this year, my friend Hamilton and I went on a road trip around Latvia and Estonia (well one place in Latvia and a bunch of places in Estonia). I’ve done individual posts on each day of the trip but figured it might be helpful to do an overview of the entire route.

RIGA -> TARTU -> TALLINN -> PARNU -> RIGA

We flew in with Ryanair and returned on Air Baltic, both are obviously basic airlines but its only a 2 hour 40 flight so didn’t really matter to us. We only booked about 6 weeks ahead of time and could still get affordable flights.

Please note that we did this over only 6 days simply because that’s all the time we had, you could definitely do it over a longer period and visit more places/stay in some for more time.

We used Sixt car hire and got a nice little Seat Leon, which did the job. I didn’t drive this time because it was cheaper not to and there wasn’t too much driving, but I can tell you it was enjoyable to sit in. Hamilton also seemed to enjoy driving it. The drives in between each place were never that long and generally the roads were incredibly empty, so if you’ve never driven on the right hand side of the road, Estonia is a good place to start.

We had a really good time away and planned it all quite loosely before hand – we prebooked the accommodation, flights, car etc but didn’t choose precisely what we were going to do at any point. I did look up how much different things roughly cost so we we had an idea before we got there (museums, art galleries etc) but I’ll be honest and say I expected food and drink to be less. They were of course cheaper than in London but I wouldn’t say much less money than when I’ve been away to say France/Germany. We were spoiled by how little we spent on our Croatian road trip, I think (link to our Croatian itinerary here). I have a few recommendations of places to eat/drink here and there but often we ate on the road to save time/money.

(Click on the days for a link to the individual blog posts)

DAY 1 – RIGA

I absolutely loved Riga – its cool and trendy yet has so much history and stunning architecture. One minute you’re walking through fairytale streets and the next you’re in a modern bar. You’re spoilt for choice with food and drink options and there’s plenty to do for a few days stay.

Accommodation: We stayed at the Wellness Centrum Hotel and Spa, which cost £64 (between us). It did everything we needed plus that bit more with spa access, breakfast included and a great location for exploring the old town. The rooms weren’t huge but that didn’t bother us.

Things we did:

Explore the Old Town: Its really nice just to wander round and soak in all of the cobbled streets, churches, gates and squares around the city. Plus its free!

St Peter’s Church Tower: Costs €9 for entrance to the church and to go to the top of the tower for good views of the city. When we went there was lots of art on display around the church but I’m unsure if that is always there.

National Museum of Art: This costs €6.50 and I really recommend going. There is so much Latvian Art to see and its beautifully laid out. There’s also a really nice (and quite upmarket feeling) cafe/restaurant. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that the art gallery staff have no issue really intently watching you look at the art to the point where it becomes slightly unnerving. This may be because the place was almost empty on a Tuesday afternoon though, I can’t be sure.

Art Nouveau architecture: There are a few streets close to the national museum of art that are full of insane buildings. Whether or not you’re an architecture fan, its worth a look. Again, also free!

. .

DAY 2 – RIGA/TARTU

Tartu wasn’t as large as we had expected – personally just over a day there was long enough for us. It’s pretty but not in the same way as Riga.

The Leaning Art Museum

Accommodation: In Tartu we stayed at the Alexander Apartments which cost us £40 for the night between us. It had on street parking out front and looked like an adorable dolls house inside. The owner was really sweet and couldn’t have been more helpful.

Things we did:

Cathedral/University museum: The remains of the cathedral are free to walk around and quite cool to see. In summer the towers are open but you have to pay a fee for access. Right next to here is the University museum, which we went into in all honesty thinking it was the art museum (damn google maps). Its only €5 to go in but depends what your interests are as to whether you’ll want to go; its mostly a history of the museum. If the special exhibit about crime scenes/detective work is on – it has real tapes/stories of crimes that happened in Estonia and information about them that is really, really interesting. And it’s all in English.

Old Town: Not as large as Riga’s old town in comparison but still has some lovely parts that are worth a look in. It was getting dark by the time we got there so we didn’t get so see that much of it.

National Museum of Estonia: 100%, definitely go here. Its one of THE best museums I have ever been to. It costs €14 to get in which is a little pricey but worth it. For one thing its huge but also it has so many different objects, displayed in really well thought out ways. Top tip though: get one of the key cards that translates displays into English (or your home language) when you go in. We didn’t get given one when we went in and were super confused most of the time we were in there.

Upside Down House: This is just a bit of fun really. Well, really fun. We went right at the end of the day and had the place to ourselves. Its right next to the National Museum and its literally a house built upside down, with furniture stuck to the ceiling. It does make you feel a little motion sick but thats part of the fun.

DAY 3 – TARTU/TALLINN

We really enjoyed our time in Tallinn – it was after a day of walking around Estonia’s parks (Lahemaa and Lake Endla) so we were quite tired but Tallinn was worth the effort to walk around. It was a shame that the temperature dropped a little but it only rained once we had gone inside for dinner at Kompressor (a great pancake place). We did things in Tallinn in the evening once we had arrived and the next morning – you could definitely spend a lot more time here than we did.

Accommodation: It cost us £56 between us to stay at Roosikranti apartment near the old town and it worked out well for us. It had underground parking and was quite close to everything we needed.

Things we did:

Parks – Lahemaa, Lake Endla and Jagala. I’ve given a proper run down of the three amazing places in the longer, dedicated blog post but in short, they are all on the way to Tallinn from Tartu, so if you have a car its easy to stop at all three. Lahemaa and Lake Endla have boardwalks through the bogs which are magical. Best of all, they’re all free!

Old Town Tallinn – a million and one buildings, churches and streets to see. We arrived too late to go inside any of them but still really enjoyed what we did manage to get a glimpse of.

Kerhwieder Kohvicum cafe – this isn’t a huge tourist destination, its a cafe that serves hot drinks as well as alcohol, with a really nice interior and good atmosphere that is worth stopping by.

DAY 4 – TALLINN/PARNU

The places we visited on the second morning were slightly out of the city, so we drove there before continuing on to Parnu. Parnu is a summer beach resort and we weren’t there in quite the right weather for that (it was literally snowing) but we didn’t mind that because we had booked ourselves into one of Parnu’s many spa hotels.

Accommodation: The Estonia Resort Hotel and Spa cost £78 between us for one night, which may seem like a lot more than we had been spending previously (I mean, it was) but remember this included breakfast and spa access. Its a well put together place with a good breakfast and free parking. The hotel is quite large – there are two sides to the hotel, we had to walk across the internal bridge to get to the spa but this was no issue.

Things we did:

KUMU – an amazing art gallery within the most incredible building. Its only 10 euros for a ticket and well worth it (they do also do one euro days and free days but I didn’t attend one of them – the list of those days is here). We went first thing in the morning and it was practically empty, which, for such a large building was a bit eerie at times. Imagine being in an empty Tate Modern.

Kadriorg Art Museum/Palace – Its €6.50 entry to this former palace, now art museum. As well as a collection of art, it has beautiful rooms and gardens. The gardens were a bit dilapidated when we were there but it was quite cold, I imagine its better in summer.

Spa – I’ve been to a few spas in my life but not loads. This was Hamilton’s first experience aside from the small hotel spa at the first hotel in Riga. It has a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor jacuzzis, saunas of varying heats and different types of steam rooms. It has a relaxed atmosphere and isn’t too uptight/serious. Its also very kid friendly, which may or may not be what you’re looking for.

DAY 5 – PARNU/RIGA

Accommodation: You may have noticed we upped the price for our last hotel, well we decided to go all out for our final night and I’m so glad we did. We stayed at the five star Grand Poet by Semarah which cost us £89 for the night (between us). This meant it cost £45 each to stay in a five star hotel in a European city on a saturday night. It had amazing breakfast and a really nice swimming pool/spa area. Could not recommend this place more.

Things we did:

House of the Blackheads – Riga’s eiffel tower. You can get a tour and go inside but we were impressed enough by the outside not to be upset that we were there too late for one. Of course, free to look at!

Rooftop Bar – the original rooftop bar we wanted to go to was closed but the Radisson Blu still has a really nice one that’s worth a visit. Free to go inside!

DAY 6 – RIGA

This was the day we flew home, so I had a wander round the city (which was very pleasant) and got some souvenirs – knitwear and black balsam, to be precise! Then went to the airport (bus/taxi are the easiest options. A bus is €2 and a taxi is around €15.)

OVERVIEW | BALTIC ROAD TRIP In April of this year, my friend Hamilton and I went on a road trip around Latvia and Estonia (well one place in Latvia and a bunch of places in Estonia).

#Baltic Road Trip #estonia #estonia road trip #latvia #latvia road trip #National Park #parnu #riga #Road trip #tallinn #tartu #Travel

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theonewherejgoesonajourney · 5 years ago

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Detailed: Cebu – Tagbilaran – Danao – Panglao – Oslob – Badian 7D6N Itinerary

Waddup, waddup! I am writing this travel blog to share with you guys how I spent P19,000.00 for an all-in Cebu-Bohol-Cebu travel package for 7 days and 6 nights! Yes, all-in! This includes my roundtrip airfare, accommodation, private tour transfers (yeah, read that right, private!), meals, souvenir shopping, pasalubong and etc.! But if you’ll deduct my personal expenses like souvenirs, snacks, pasalubong and such; y’all can just enjoy this itinerary for just P16,200.00 or lower!

Now, let’s go by each day as I show you guys the itinerary I made, the what’s, where’s, why’s, when’s and how’s of this trip!

If you guys wanna skip to the breakdown, click the link below:

the link below

xxx

This all started when a good friend mine, RC, shared that there was a seat sale in AirAsia. So last 09 March 2019, we purchased the tickets for a 7-day trip in Cebu! Our trip was also a celebration of our 10th year of high school friendship with 2 more friends. Before booking the ticket, we still don’t have an itinerary and the initial plan was just for around 4 or 5 days, but upon a very short discussion and unreasonable impulse, we took the 7-day flight instead!

The initial itinerary I made was Cebu-Badian-Dumaguete-Siquijor, but checking our time and budget, I created another itinerary that will suit our requirement!

1 night in Cebu with city tour, 1 night in Danao after a city tour in Tagbilaran, 2 nights in Panglao after a hike and an adventure in Danao, 2 nights in Badian after a city tour in Panglao then water adventure while in Badian. With this itinerary, we have more chances of not being sun kissed during the earlier days thus having better aura photos! Tan lined photos are more acceptable in the latter days where we will be spending a lot in the beach and Visayas water!

xxx

DAY 1 – Private Cebu Twin City Tour

Our flight was at 0825h, estimated time of arrival in Cebu was at 1025h. This is my first time going to Cebu and our first time to travel all together as one! I got my roundtrip airfare for only P1,855.18! We got a free ride from my papi so that’s additional pocket money for us! But if you’ll be coming from Pasay, taking a metered taxi or a grab would approximately be around P250-P300 per vehicle (good for 4 pax with 1 hand carry luggage each).

Upon arrival at Mactan airport, I was shocked with their airport’s beauty! We all rounded up and met Sir Jubet from New Californian Rent a Car at C11, I am then again surprised because I was advised that our private car hire for 10 hours was an Innova but we were upgraded to a Hi-ace van!

Before we start the tour, we asked Sir Jubet to drop us off somewhere nice for lunch. He drove us to a sutukil (SuTuKil is a combination of the Cebuano words sugba (grill), tuwa (stew), and kilaw (eat seafood raw). We had our lunch at Fredz Sutukil, this restaurant was the pick your seafood and we’ll cook it for you for free type (but do not be deceived with this line, because we are not sure if all sutukil’s are like this, but they charged us 15% for service charge! Wow, even a hotel or a high-end restaurant has a lower service charge than this one!), honest review, we paid for too much, P679 to be exact, for 3 pretty plain and limited viand and a rice platter. I personally just enjoyed the buttered shrimp though some are over cooked, I was disappointed with the grilled squid and baked oysters (they only used margarine instead of cheese). The platter of rice seems like it’s only good for 3 pax. Also, always check your bill because we were charged higher than the total; lucky us we had a friend that is good in Math!

After lunch, we headed straight to Mactan Shrine & Lapu-Lapu Monument to start our DIY twin city tour. I highly suggest you guys to hire a tour guide if you’re into historical stories because historical markers are not present in every place you’ll be visiting. We only did a short visit and photo op here since we didn’t have a tour guide and the weather seems gloomy. Afterwards, we went to Alegre Guitar Factory, (this is where I bought my travel momentum!), on our way, it rained hard, until we reached the place. We had the chance to witness how a guitar is made from scratch! Upon entering the place, we were welcomed by one of their staff and he gave us a glimpse of the factory. There is a wall of guitar bodies there that is made from different woods, I asked what wood is normally used in their guitars and he told me that it was mahogany. In their shop, there were different kinds of guitars that they are selling at more or less that P1,000-P2,000 and above. A nice classical guitar is at around P4,000 plus.

We then went to Cebu city, the rain stopped while we were at the Alegre Guitar Factory but upon leaving and while we were on the way to Cebu city proper, it started to rain again, then stopped when we were approaching Heritage of Cebu Monument (the weather here is crazy!). The Heritage of Cebu Monument is just in the middle of the road, it’s a nice sight for locals residing in the area! And since we still don’t have a tour guide, sadly, we did not get the story behind this monument. I’m just not sure if there was a historical marker because it was too hot to stay. Yap – San Diego Ancestral House is just walking distance from there, an entrance fee of P50 per pax will be collected upon entering, this comes with a brief background of the house from their staff/local house guide. They will also accompany you around the house and explain the antiques around, there was this very old radio there that is still functioning! They also have a garden there with a harp player who plays both classic and modern music!

Next stop, Magellan’s Cross and Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino! We first visited the church, there was a school beside it and since it was Thursday, we encountered kids during their dismissal. I believe that when you visit a church for the very first time, make a wish because it will come true. I always do this, and I can vouch that two wishes of mine had already come true! The church has a path going straight to Magellan’s Cross, this was a surreal moment for me (but nothing has still topped my encounter with Mt. Mayon!), this famous cross was just once in my history books but now here I am and surrounded by my very good friends! It’s actually just very simple, it was small and solemn (though there are lots of candle ladies in the area starting from the church selling prayer candles). While taking photos, we saw a guy doing this shot that we copied, that was copied by other people we were with as well! Lolz. See the photo below!

We got hungry so we skipped Fort San Pedro and the running tour of Colon Street, Fuente Osmena Circle and Capitol Site though our driver said that Colon street was what we passed going to the church. Before going to Larsian (it’s a big barbecue/sutukil place located in Fuente Osmeña Circle), we went shopping for dried mangoes at 7D factory (it’s a little far from where we were), it’s cheaper to buy their products there than the mall or market (since it’s a little far, you should buy a lot! The difference of their price from retailers is around P20-P50). We then went to Larsian for an early dinner, we ate at Smiley Best BBQ and this really is a comeback from our limited lunch earlier! And with just a difference of P34 per person from our lunch budget, we had: grilled boneless bangus, baked oysters, chorizos, bbqs, 2 cups of rice each and a liter or soda! I will vouch that your money will be spent here with satisfaction! A definite “go-back-to” in Cebu! (Also, they don’t have service charge and Smiley Best BBQ gave us a discount!)

We then called Sir Jubet so that we can now go to Fort San Pedro, seeing it earlier, seems like the place looks better at night, and I was right! Since there was a park outside it, the light decoration was pleasing to the eyes! But since we had limited time, and because it rained (again), we just had a few photos outside and just had a rolling tour instead. Our place to stay that night wasn’t far from Fort San Pedro and the pier going to Bohol, so I highly recommend The Sampaguita Suites Cebu. We got the Triple Sharing Room so we had to pay P200 for the 4th person plus a security deposit that is refundable upon checkout at P500. We just combined the beds (the room has 3 single beds) so all of us can fit. The room is just enough to what we paid for: it is air conditioned, there is a vanity table, enough outlets (I suggest you guys to bring a Multiple-Port USB 2.0 Hub so that you and your friends can charge all phones and power banks/gadgets easier), private bathroom, soaps and towels, and Wi-Fi!

We ended the night early, we settled at around 2000h and lights were out at around 2200h because we have an early itinerary tomorrow bound to Bohol!

Like and subscribe MJ’s Youtube channel and check our our vlog for Day 1 below!:

Vlog: Cebu City Tour | DAY 1

Suggestion/s:

Take an early flight where you will arrive Cebu at 0600h or 0700h so that you can visit all tourist spots before it goes dark.

There were a lot of buffet restaurants around the area upon exiting Mactan Airport, better take your lunch here. Saw some at P300 per pax.

Hire a local tour guide, you help them have income, they’ll help you know Cebu! You can ask one from your transport supplier or if you’re gonna take a tour package, have your travel agency book you one!

A tip goes a long way! Don’t forget to tip your tour guides/drivers!

There’s a lot of per kilo dried mango in Tabo-an Market in Carbon. We bought some before heading back to Manila from Badian. The price is half the branded ones, the taste is still good! There’s also branded products there (7D products are P20-P50 higher than the factory price). It is better to buy pasalubong here than what we did on the first day since we had the struggle of carrying them all throughout our tour.

Bring a Multiple-Port USB 2.0 Hub for multiple charging and power banks! Extra phone connector will also help for just in case scenes.

Bring a tumbler! Be hydrated always, you guys! You can fill it at the airport and restaurants you will visit. This is my way of lessening my cost in water since my tummy is not water conscious as well and lessen your use of plastic bottled water!

Supplier/s:

New Californian Rent a Car – Sir Rico: 0945 132 9178 / 0917 167 4247 / 0921 204 4322

Sampaguita Suites Plaza Garcia – (866) 266-3306; we booked via Agoda.com

Expense Breakdown: open image in new tab for clearer view for all expense breakdowns

Reference/s:

Definition of Sutukil - www.tagaloglang.com › TAGALOG-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

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DAY 2 – Private Bohol Countryside Tour

We need to wake up early because our ferry transfer is at 0700h. We fixed up at around 0530h (we all took a bath last night then took a half bath in the morning to save time). After fixing up, we bought our breakfast at Mc Donald’s that’s just across our hotel. We then hailed a taxi for our transfer out to the pier (since it’s less than 10 minutes from our place, we didn’t hire a private transfer anymore that costed P500 per way), unfortunately, the taxi driver contracted us at P150 and declined to use the meter (knowing that we weren’t locals, a sad foreign scene) and since there were no taxis in the area at 0600h, we took it. Upon arrival at the pier, we were charged P10 if we wanted the taxi to enter the area (to ease the drop-off of luggage).

When we entered the area, we were then advised that we should check-in our hand carry luggage because we cannot take it with us inside the ferry boat. Each luggage is at P50 each, up to you if you want to check-in your other bags as well, we didn’t. The trip will take 2 hours so you guys can have a quick snooze from your early wake-up. They play a movie inside for the guests, we took the tourist class ticket so I’m not sure if there is also a movie streaming for the business class tickets.

Oh, we traveled in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak so we were very careful of our actions and distance with other people. We arrived at Tagbilaran, Bohol pier at around 0900h and met with Sir Julius from Bohol Car Van Rentals & Tour and immediately started the Countryside Tour. We first went to Blood Compact Site, and again, since we didn’t hire a tour guide, we just had a photo op with the statue there and had a quick sightseeing of the area. We then went to Baclayon Church, there is a museum there that has an entrance fee of I think P30 or P50 per pax, we skipped it and went directly inside the church (the façade was being built when we were there, Sir Julius said that the damage was still from the 2013 earthquake, and the restoration took place just recently). Upon entering the church, there is a basket of scarves there that anyone can use if they are wearing skin revealing clothes to pay respect and shall be returned once you exit. Again, I made another wish here because it’s my first time here! The sun was really high that day so we didn’t stay long. What I like about this church is that it faces the sea, so every time you finish praising the Lord, you get to see this beautiful scene! What a view!

Afterwards, we went to Bohol Lemur Butterfly Park, the entrance fee is at P70 per pax. This comes with a staff/local house guide. They will also accompany you around the place and explain the different animals you’ll see plus an instant photographer! I forgot to ask for his name but shoutout to you Kuya! There’s a lot of animals there, not just butterflies; there’s also an alligator or crocodile there (I wasn’t listening then hehe), different birds, lemurs, and snakes. Next stop, the famous Man-made forest, did you know that this is the first and only man-made forest in the Philippines? Awesome, huh? It’s actually just a regular road where bus, motors, tricycles pass by to get to the other side of the road. Y’all need to park beside the road and wait for the perfect time where there are no vehicles passing by to take that perfect photo. We spent more than an hour here because of the latter! We practiced a lot of jump shots here! The place was really mesmerizing, you’re surrounded by lush green with calmness of its serene silence. When you view it from below, the way the branches and trunks of the trees form is like they’re comforting you with a big warm hug.

Lunch time! We skipped one of the highlights of the Countryside Tour, the Loboc River Cruise (buffet lunch here is at P650 per pax with live entertainment), because of the COVID-19 outbreak, we opted to have lunch in a less crowded place instead so Sir Julius drove us to Mayang Maye restaurant. The place was really cozy and homey, they also have fruit shakes! Fun! We badly wanted one after a tiring morning tour. They had a boodle fight menu and because the photo looked promising, we ordered one, it was named Meat Lovers, that was good for 3-5 persons. Initially we planned to invite Sir Julius to join us in the boodle fight, but when our order came, honest review, it wasn’t like the one in the photo. It looks like it was only good for 3 persons, so instead, we ordered a solo meal for him but he declined it. And just like with our day 1, our lunch is not a happy meal, but comparing it to our Cebu lunch, our stomachs were satisfied here somehow. Another unhappy moment was our fruit shake, it was presented to us in a large cup showing that the shake is not full, maybe they ran out of the right cup size for what we paid for?

Moving on, we skipped the Sipatan Hanging Bridge (it’s P30 per pax entrance fee, this is just a photo op and like the Man-made forest, this bridge is used normally by locals to pass) and the Bohol Python and Wildlife Park (since we already saw a snake in the lemur butterfly park, we decided not to go there anymore). We then went to Bohol Enchanted, and finally, my first time to see a tarsier! We got the chance to see three of them, and because they are nocturnal creatures, silence is a must when you lurk to look for them clinging on the branches of small trees. There were also butterflies there and different animals there. My friends did their souvenir shopping here, there’s a stall selling goodies and Bohol merchandise.

Upon checking them online, I saw a lot of bad reviews because the place we went to is not the regular place to see a tarsier. Seems like the one we went to is a zoo where the animals are well, indeed in a cage, though the tarsiers are not; I believe the regular place to see a tarsier is at Tarsier Conservation Area (Loboc).

We then went to Sotera's ATV Rides, we took the second trail that takes up an hour to travel and would have the view of the chocolate hills for photo op. We went there at around 1400h and damn, the sun is really high! They will be lending you a pair of rain coat and rain pants to protect you from the mud that will really stick! If you’re into a dirt adventure, you can decline to borrow it, but since we aren’t, we all took it and we are all glad that we did because the place was really muddy when we took the trail! We also swapped our sandals to their slippers, take them too, cleaning is way easier after the adventure! As expected, I crashed, again lolz; hey, at least now it’s on a tree stump not a person! It was a lot of fun though I think that the price is too much? Not sure, just comparing it to my Mt. Mayon ATV ride. We had a little mechanical problem here and there but no fear because their staff/local house guide always helped us and was our instant photographer too! He has all these photo manipulating tricks so just follow it! Just not sure if all of their local house guide does it. After fixing and refreshing up, we then went to our last stop, the wonderful chocolate hills! Again, I was taken away because these hills were just once in my history book but now, here I am, facing them! We encountered green hills because it wasn’t summer time yet, so if you guys want to see their chocolate form, visit around dry season. You have to take a steep ladder to go to the viewing point of the chocolate hills and while going there, the wind will really ruin your hairdo. The sun was calmer when we were there because it is already late in the afternoon, there is a souvenir shop here as well so if you haven’t bought anything yet, you can here. I bought this tarsier scrunchy for only P50!

We left around 1645h and arrived at Danao at around 1800h, we will be staying the night here because we will be waking up early the next day for our Sea of Clouds adventure! I opted to have us stay in Danao instead of Tagbilaran so that we can wake up at around 0500h instead of 0300h and travel to Danao for the hike. We stayed at this amazing place called Gonzaga Legacy Fairytale Hostel, I connected with Sir Carlo and he was very accommodating! The place was beyond my expectation, it has this rustic vibe where you would rather chill in their common area either in the first or second floor, there is a swimming pool, a garden, stray puppies and of course, the touch of province life, “tukos” or geckos. We lounged at the second floor’s common area that has this breathtaking view of mountains, with the right mellow music, drinks and friends, damn, this is the unwinding you need from your metro work life. A quick escape from the hustle and bustle of Manila. The hostel has no restaurant though I think you guys can cook because there is a kitchen area on the first floor, I’m just not sure if there is a fee. The nearest restaurant that is still open was the one in the Danao Adventure Park, there’s not much means of transportation in the area, especially at night time, so we asked Sir Carlo how to go there, he told us that it is a 10-minute walk from the hostel, but he then offered us a ride on his motorcycle, we took it and paid him for the service; we made 2 trips, each trip has 2 passengers plus the driver with no helmet! (A dangerous experience so better get insured and have your life protected!) We made it all in one piece to the restaurant, luckily, they were still open because we didn’t have any stored food if they weren't. The dinner here is also a comeback from our lunch, we are finally for the first time on the budget for our meal! I just initially budgeted P150 per pax per meal assuming that we will be having solo meals every time, but since we’ve agreed to do ala carte, I suggest you guys to have a meal budget of P200-P250 per pax. When we were done, we walked back to the hostel, assuming that we can take it since it’s walking distance. While walking back, we’re all afraid because there’s no vehicle, no street light, nor people passing by, so upon reaching the curve road and seeing that the road ahead is still long, we all went back to the restaurant and tried reaching Sir Carlos. We tried for some minutes and when we went through, (thank God), 2 motorcycles will fetch us!

We got the Family room that has 2 double beds with kulambo each, there’s also no security deposit here. Rooms here are very simple: it has a stand fan, a table, enough outlets, private bathroom and towels, oh, they also have water dispenser!. The water pressure is weaker than the city’s. But hey, the whole place is great with its amenities and our stay there also includes light breakfast for 4 pax so that’s another plus! Plus there is Wi-Fi!

We ended the night at around 2200h and fixed our stuff for tomorrow’s hike to see the sea of clouds!

Like and subscribe MJ’s Youtube channel and check our our vlog for Day 2 below!:

Vlog: Bohol | Chocolate Hills, Man-made Forest, ATV | Day 2

Suggestion/s:

There is also a 0600h ferry schedule that you can take so that you can have more time doing the Countryside Tour. But if you guys won’t be going to Danao for the hike, either 0700h or 0800h trip will be fine.

There is a buffet restaurant inside the Bohol Enchanted, you can save time if you opt to eat here if you decide to visit the tarsiers in their place.

A tip goes a long way! Don’t forget to tip your tour guides/drivers!

You can swap the ATV trip with the Chocolate Hills so that it won’t be too hot when you rie through the ATV course.

There’s a lot of souvenir shops in the places that we visited, cheapest one I saw was the one in the Chocolate Hills viewing deck.

Bring an insect repellant, since the hostel we stayed in Danao is surrounded by trees, bugs might visit.

Bring a Multiple-Port USB 2.0 Hub for multiple charging and power banks! Extra phone connector will also help for just in case scenes.

Bring a tumbler! Be hydrated always, you guys! You can fill it at the place your staying at and restaurants you will visit. This is my way of lessening my cost in water since my tummy is not water conscious as well and lessen your use of plastic bottled water!

Supplier/s:

Oceanjet Fast Ferry – we booked via Klook

Bohol Car Van Rentals & Tour – Sir Sherwin: 0926 710 3220 / 0956 153 1337

Sotera's ATV Rides - 0946 721 5056; we booked on the spot

Gonzaga Legacy Fairytale Hostel – Sir Carlo 0956 160 4241; we booked directly

Expense Breakdown:

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DAY 3 – Bohol Sea of Clouds (Mt. Puntaas) and Danao Adventure Park

Need to wake up early, again, because we need to do a hike. As per Sir Carlo, it is best to be on top at around 0500h-0600h so that we can view the sunrise as well while hiking. We fixed up at around 0400h, and again, we all took a bath last night to save time. After fixing up, we informed Sir Carlo and his friend that we are ready. A huge tip, don't drink too much water before going out or take a pee first because the hike is a little long especially if you're not much of a hiker (or not into exercise). Each motorcycle that we rented still carried 2 pax plus the driver, it took us more or less 20-25 minutes before arriving the foot of the mountain. Since I have a little bladder, I needed to go and there is only one available comfort room there, it is located in a local's house and there is a fee of P5 per pax. Expect a provincial type of comfort room with the little toilet and no lights available.

There is an entrance fee of P25 per pax, we were guided by an elder going up the mountain with Sir Carlo and his friend, she was stronger than me! I needed to take a pause now and then but nanay just hiked continuously, she's amazing! The hike we took was the long way so we reached the top after 30 minutes with lots of break haha. Unfortunately, because the wind was strong that day, we only saw very thin sheets of cloud, but nontheless, we saw the beauty that is behind the clouds that swim in the area! We also saw rice terraces while hiking and we climbed a chocolate hill! Yes! A chocolate hill! Who would've thought? The moutain top is not that broad, during our hike there were few people there and one group even brought a dog! There is also a little store before you reach the top of the hill where they sell champorado, snacks and drinks (the champorado was really yummy!).

We stayed around 30 minutes for picture taking and viewing. The view was amazing, we even saw our hostel from there! Going back down, we took the shortcut that was maybe around 10 minutes shorter that our earlier route. We stopped at a market place before going back to the hostel to buy some stuff and food.

Upon reaching the hostel, we all took a quick rest before breakfast and explored the place more. Sir Carlo upgraded our simple breakfast to a rice meal with eggs and hotdogs! That I believe should only be bread and coffee. Yum! Afterwards, we then went to Danao Adventure Park that was just less then 5 minutes away. There was an entrance fee of P40 per pax and the ride choices were sold separately and by pair/package. I didn't try any ride because it was extreme for me since I have a problem with my back and I haven't cleared extreme activities yet from my doctor. But my 3 friends all took The Plunge and I recorded them all! Based on their screams in the video, the ride was heart dropping! The ride was at P700 per pax and it lasts less than 10 minutes from dropping you to pulling you back in. See below prices of their other rides.

We then took our lunch at the same restaurant where we had dinner last night. Restaurants in the area is very limited, even up to none because the place is not actually high in tourists. This park is their main attraction so far. After lunch we went back to the hostel, took a bath and fixed our stuff to transfer to Panglao, Bohol. Oh, we also had the chance to meet the owner of the hostel! If I remember correctly, he's Dutch. Before leaving the place, there was this freedom wall near the stairs where we left a message!

From Danao to Panglao, it took us around 2 hours via private car. We arrived at Bohol Sea Breeze Cottages and Resort at around 1500h, do note that this not a beachfront property, you need to walk for a minute before reaching the beach. Though this property is cheap and can accommodate 4 pax comfortably. We got the Economy Quad Room that has 1 bunk bed and 1 double bed. They also provided us with towels, soap and dining stuff. There is also a water dispenser in the garden area with free water and a cooking area (with charge). There is no security deposit and the front desk associate was very nice and helped us to our little house. Rooms here are like houses that are side by side.

We wandered by Alona beach after freshening up and just enjoyed the view, (honestly for me, the beach was okay, I prefer Calaguas beach though) we decided to swim tomorrow since we had a very tiring day (plus the earlier tiring days), we lounged near Namaka Bar where we had our early dinner. There are not much water activities here than Boracay, what the vendors offer are city tour, whale shark encounter and island hopping tour. The beach is calm and there is a rope dividing it where the tourists can only swim, I guess?

After several days in land, starting today until our last day, we will be spending it by the beach! We took lots of photos here, good thing the weather is nice unlike in Cebu lolz. We also decided to cancel our Panglao City Tour tomorrow because we are all tired from a packed 3-day tour. Good thing Sir Sherwin is flexible to our request of last-minute cancellation. (in my itinerary, the city tour will cost P510 per pax)

During dinner, we treated ourselves with cocktails since the bar had a promo. We had pizza because in the area, the restaurant available is a Chinese restaurant that is very pricey and Namaka (we didn't explore much because we are tired). The price is kinda expensive, though the food tasted good. There was a fire dance as well at the restaurant.

After dinner, we walked by the beach and discovered that there were more restaurants there that serves rice! Hahaha. Now we know, we will be taking our meals in the area tomorrow. We stumbled upon a henna booth there where we all got inked! The price ranges from the design you want and the color, the regular ones is at P100 each. There is also a shop in the area for snacks and stuff.

End of day 3! So far our best sleep because we had a comfortable bed, air-conditioned room and a decent big bathroom! There is also a vanity table and television, but we didn't use it all throughout our stay hehe, there are enough outlets, water dispenser in their garden area and Wi-Fi!

Suggestion/s:

If you want to witness the legit sun rising and sea of clouds, better hike at 0500h so that you'll be on the hill at around 0530h. Since the view depends on the weather (the sea of clouds appears if it's not windy and rainy), y'all got to pray for it to be there because even the predicted weather online varies in real time. The view is still pretty without the sea of clouds but it'd be nicer if you'll witness them!

Wanna try all the rides at the Danao Adventure Park? Save up! During our visit, for you to enjoy all of it, it'll cost you P3,640 (with entrance fee). They also have an accommodation here if you opt to stay in the area.

Hire a local tour guide, you help them have income, they’ll help you know Bohol! You can ask one from your transport supplier or if you’re gonna take a tour package, have your travel agency book you one! (In this tour though, I’m not sure if tour guides are available – for us, since we had a very friendly contact person at the Fairytale Hostel, he served as our local tour guide. Though we didn't gather much information of Danao itself since Sir Carlo was new to the area. We paid him for the motorcycle rides since there is no form of transportation that is on plain sight available.)

A tip goes a long way! Don’t forget to tip your tour guides/drivers!

There’s a souvenir shop at the Danao Adventure Park.

A GoPro is very essential so you can capture yourself while doing the extreme activities! But a phone is fine to if you can hold it steady while dangling in midair!

If you opt to have a beachfront hotel, you can explore other options than what we stayed at there are lots in the line of Ivywall Panglao (though maybe the price is high since the hotels are directly by the beach)

Bring lots of snacks, buy some while en route to Panglao because the stores there sell limited snacks.

Since there is a whale shark encounter here already, you can also opt to take it here than in Oslob, Cebu.

Bring a Multiple-Port USB 2.0 Hub for multiple charging and power banks! Extra phone connector will also help for just in case scenes.

Supplier/s:

Bohol Car Van Rentals & Tour – Sir Sherwin: 0926 710 3220 / 0956 153 1337

Bohol Sea Breeze Cottages and Resort – (038) 502 9036; we booked via Agoda

Expense Breakdown:

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DAY 4 – Free at own leisure / Beach day!

Since we cancelled our Panglao City Tour, this is our first day to wake up a little late in the morning haha and we have extra money for food for today! We had our brunch at Aquatica Beach Resort (they also have an accommodation here, they're beachfront!) The food here is super nice! The value is equal to the food quality that's why we had our dinner here as well. For today, we just went back to the beach and just relaxed, swam and took photos. The sun wasn't that high so it was really a good day for a swim! Unfortunately, I didn't last long in the water because I got a skin reaction. We were out until late sunset and settled back at the hotel early since we have an early ferry transfer to Badian, Cebu tomorrow.

Suggestion/s:

Sunblock and stay hydrated! We’re lucky that the weather there was calm that time.

If you got extra money and energy you can do the city tour that will cost about around P500 per pax with a group of 4 pax. You can also do the tours offered by the vendors by the beach!

Got more extra money? Try the amazing restaurants by the Aquatica Beach Resort, some offer international cuisine! (fruit shakes are expensive here though, the restaurant at the Aquatica Beach Resort is my best pick for budget friendly and quality food! They got cheap fruit shake too!)

If you’re a diver, there is this dive shop near Namaka bar where you can schedule a dive!

There are limited souvenir shops in the area where we’re at.

Supplier/s:

Bohol Sea Breeze Cottages and Resort – (038) 502 9036; we booked via Agoda

Expense Breakdown:

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DAY 5 – Oslob Whaleshark Encounter

Another day to wake up early again! Today we will be going to Oslob, Cebu then to Badian, Cebu! We need to be at the pick-up point (Rona’s corner near Mcdo) around 0500h since there is a scheduled port transfer by Apekop Travel (this is included in the ticket you’ll be buying). For easier transaction, better contact them directly via cellphone so that they know that you are already in the area since you’ll be with other guests in the shuttle. From our hotel, Rona’s corner is less than 10 minutes away via car/tricycle. You should contract a tricycle the day before because there are none in the area roaming at 0500h, we tried scheduling one but didn’t push through since the fare is “special” because of the time of pick-up. One tricycle can carry 2 pax with luggage at P150 per way. We asked the front desk if they have a friend who uses a tricycle and could help us pay a lower rate, unfortunately all charges are higher since there are no passengers that can be picked up early in the morning. Fortunately, we are very lucky to be offered a ride by the owner of the hotel via their minivan! We paid P80 for the ride and lots of thank you!

The shuttle transfer is kinda long, around 20 minutes from Rona’s corner. Once you arrive, y’all be signing a waiver at their desk, the boat arrived kind if in the middle of the sea (since it’s low tide) so we need to walk for around 5 minutes before reaching a boat that will take us to the main boat. The travel time to Oslob, Cebu is 2 ½ hours so you can take a quick snooze from your early wake up, life vests will be provided as well. Minutes before we reach Oslob, rain came pouring down again while sun was high (crazy Cebu weather is here again) so we got worried coz maybe the tour will be canceled because of the weather. Fortunately, again, the sun was high up when we reached the Oslob Whaleshark Encounter venue! I contacted Ms. Alice from BCD’s Place to rent a van that can transfer us until Badian, Cebu. She gave us a special rate of P2,000 per van per way (that was at P2,500 originally). BCD’s Place also has accommodations if you opt to stay a night instead in Badian, Cebu!

Before riding the boat to the whale sharks, their staff will be conducting a short seminar about whale sharks, the do’s and don’ts during the encounter and some reminders. If you’re not wearing rash guard, better use a sunscreen protector because y’all be spending 30 minutes in the open sea (though you’re not that far from the shore). We got the boat all to ourselves with 2 boatmen, they have snorkeling gears that you can borrow that is inclusive in your payment (though I suggest you guys to bring your own snorkeling gear (the eye mask with mouth piece is better than the whole face gear for me. It’s more hygienic too, since the rented our gears are used by any one and every one). Bring aqua shoes too, it’s safer than plastic slippers. There’s lots of shops in the area where you can buy snorkeling gears, aqua shoes, bathing suits, souvenirs and other essentials!

It'll only take you some minutes before reaching the area where the whale sharks are, a lot of people were there but you won’t bump into each other coz I think limited boats are allowed in the area. The boatmen were really helpful, they took most of our photos in videos! Life vests were provided, but if you can swim, you can opt to not take the life vest. In our case only RC and SL can swim so MJ and me can be seen mostly by the boat’s outrigger/float. The struggle and anxiety of drowning is real for me, knowing that the area we’re at is really deep with big whale sharks swimming around. These gentle giants of the sea live up to their names, since they are domesticated, they are aware of the tourists in their surroundings. They never charge to the people and just eat the fishes that the boatmen throw. I got the chance to see some even if I was scared the hell out! I even got to have a video with one! Looking at them on top of the sea, their size seems manageable but once you look at them down the sea, damn they are really big! We started at around 0900h and ended around 1030h. Before going to Badian, Cebu, we stopped by a bakery to buy some breakfast! (This is a hack we just thought off after eating! To lessen your cost of breakfast, you can substitute it with bread! You’ll get a full stomach too!)

The travel time was around an hour to Matutinao Beach & Cottages, and when we reached the place, all of us got the last but not the least moment! Now this is the best accommodation we got! The whole place is very cozy starting from their welcoming area up until their rooms! You’ll have the metro hotel vibe in their rooms because of their modern design from the beds, amenities up until the bathroom! We got the Triple Room, we just combined the beds (the room has 1 double bed and 1 single bed) so all of us can fit, there is no security deposit here. The room is more than enough to what we paid for! It is air conditioned, there is a vanity table, enough outlets, private bathroom, towels, bottled water, television, cabinet, very comfortable beds and Wi-Fi! The whole area is also a big plus with their accommodating and friendly staff!

The hotel is also just facing the Kawasan Falls entrance! Like literally just 10 steps from the property’s gate! There is a restaurant inside the area of the hotel and they got lots of options to choose from! We spent all our remining meals here before going to the airport! Their food serving is enough for 2-3 pax per order and are very tasty! The best part here, (yeah, there’s still more), we got a beachfront property! Each room has chairs and a table in their veranda y’all can just chill while looking at the sea or chill by the shore, listen to the waves and birds passing by. A phrase that describes all of this for me? “This is the life!”

Since we do not have any activities left for the day, we had the whole afternoon to just relax and enjoy the place!

Suggestion/s:

Hire a tricycle beforehand if you want to take this itinerary, tricycles are not available early in the morning in the area where we’re at in Panglao.

If you took the Whaleshark watching in Panglao, you can directly go to Badian, Cebu already and take the Badian Kawasan Falls Tour if time permits.

A tip goes a long way! Don’t forget to tip your tour guides/drivers!

There’s a lot of souvenir shop at the Oslob Whaleshark venue.

A GoPro is very essential so you can capture yourself while swimming with the whale sharks! But a phone is fine to if you can risk brining it in the open sea!

BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION AT MATUTINAO BEACH & COTTAGES! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PLACE!

Early booking is a must in there though since they only have 8 rooms that is a combination of twin and triple sharing room.

Bring a Multiple-Port USB 2.0 Hub for multiple charging and power banks! Extra phone connector will also help for just in case scenes.

Supplier/s:

Apekop Travel – 0917 880 1464; we booked via Klook

BCD’s Place – Ms. Alice: 0917 799 5330; we booked directly

Matutinao Beach & Cottages – 0916 537 4168; we booked directly

Expense Breakdown:

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DAY 6 – Kawasan Falls (without canyoneering but you should do this with it!)

Since we are literally just in front of Kawasan Fall’s entrance, we decided to do the tour at around 0830h. This tour normally comes with canyoneering where you guys should really take if you’re into extreme adventure! You’ll do water rafting, climbing, and jumping off a waterfall! In the original itinerary I created, we should all really be doing the canyoneering, but, since I am not physically okay to do such. Unfortunately, we then all decided not to take the canyoneering totally and just visit the Kawasan Falls.

You need to trek for around 30 minutes before reaching the turquoise watered falls, along the trek you will encounter mini falls, a long walk on a rainforest, old bridges and more! We had a tour guide during this tour so we learned that, yes, a lot have died in the area because they opt to swim without life vests. It is better to go to the falls early so that you’ll have plenty of time to take pictures without a lot of extra people in the background.

The water there is deep and very cold, locals put a rope where travelers can only swim, strictly with life vests. Thanks to our tour guide, we got lots of photos together in the water! We spent around 2 hours there before having lunch in a karinderia near the entrance with our tour guide.

Since we only have a half day tour, we got the chance to enjoy the day with photo shoots and really take a break from all the tiring days earlier. There’s not a lot of places to explore in the area, but we heard from a group that is staying at the hotel that there are bars in Moalboal (30 minutes away from Badian).

The place is really relaxing, calm sea and a very serene view! Again, need a place in South Cebu? Go to Matutinao Beach & Cottages!

Their restaurant sells alcoholic beverages (limited choices though), but there’s a shop near the church that sells food and drinks too. The hotel doesn’t charge any corkage fee for outside food, eat it by your veranda while enjoying the view!

Suggestion/s:

To fully enjoy the day, I really suggest you guys to do the canyoneering! But if opt to just swim in the falls, then you’ll have half the day of relaxing!

You can also include Osmeña Peak if you have extra budget with this tour. It’ll cost you P700 per pax (rate given to us by Matutinao Beach & Cottages last 2019) for a group of 4 pax.

Hire a local tour guide, you help them have income, they’ll help you know South Cebu! You can ask one from your transport supplier or if you’re gonna take a tour package, have your travel agency book you one!

A tip goes a long way! Don’t forget to tip your tour guides/drivers!

There’s a lot of souvenir shops inside the Kawasan Falls proper.

A GoPro is very essential so you can capture yourself while swimming! But a phone is fine to if you can risk brining it in the water!

BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION AT MATUTINAO BEACH & COTTAGES! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PLACE!

Early booking is a must in there though since they only have 8 rooms that is a combination of twin and triple sharing room.

Bring a Multiple-Port USB 2.0 Hub for multiple charging and power banks! Extra phone connector will also help for just in case scenes.

Supplier/s:

Matutinao Beach & Cottages – 0916 537 4168; we booked directly

Expense Breakdown:

xxx

DAY 7 – Pescdor Island Swimming, Sardine Run and Turtle Watching

Last day in Cebu and we’re going back to reality by tonight! Today, we will go to Moalboal to swim in pescador island and with sardines and turtles! We were fetched by a tricycle (that fit all 4 of us) at around 0800h which was a great touch to today’s tour! We traveled for almost 30 minutes going to Moalboal and upon reaching the municipality, we bought some bread (breakfast hack!) for breakfast then went inside their tourist registration office. We were presented with the background of Moalboal and the do’s and don’t’s during the tour.

And yet, again, with the crazy weather of Cebu, rain starts to fall when we were waiting for our boat. We walked towards the boat since it’s low tide, a fun walk because a lot of starfish were scattered! We got the boat all to ourselves with 2 boatmen, they have snorkeling gears that you can borrow that is inclusive in your payment (though I suggest you guys to bring your own snorkeling gear (the eye mask with mouth piece is better than the whole face gear for me. It’s more hygienic too, since the rented our gears are used by any one and every one). Bring aqua shoes too, it’s safer than plastic slippers. If you’re not wearing rash guard, better use a sunscreen protector because y’all be spending 2 hour or so in the open sea There’s lots of shops at the boat waiting area where you can buy snorkeling gears, aqua shoes, bathing suits, souvenirs and other essentials!

The boat ride to Pescador Island is around 30 minutes, where you’ll have the chance to see corals and different fishes! Life vests were provided, but if you can swim, you can opt to not take the life vest. We spent around 30 minutes before going to the sardines!

Y’all know when your near because the strong scent of salty fish will welcome you! Remember the courage you need to put up with swimming with the whale sharks? The struggle and anxiety of drowning is way bigger for me here! Not only knowing that the area we’re at is really deep but I can literally see a dark pit without any sea floor, yeah, that’s how deep it is. You’ll witness a lot of swirling sardines that are bigger than the ones we eat! Unfortunately, we don’t have any videos for today’s trip because we lost the memory card when we were packing. We also some divers deep down, so if you are one, you can be closer with the sardines!

With 2/3 activities, we are already exhausted. Last stop, sea turtles! This is the highlight that I have been waiting for since day 1! We went to the area where sea turtles normally stay, but, sadly, since the water is still shallow for them, our boatmen told us that they are swimming in the deep areas at that time. We did see one though a little far from our boat, he’s just looking around popping his head in the open air.

We then went back to land and traveled back to the hotel. Exhausted and hungry from swimming and snorkeling! We arrived the hotel a little around 1130h, had lunch, fixed up and enjoyed the view one last time. We left at around 1400h via private car and made a detour to Tabo-an Market in Carbon to buy more souvenirs. I suggest you guys to buy here instead if you’re not into branded food. We reached Mactan at around 1900h so we decided to have dinner at the famous Rico’s Lechon where here, we experienced a legit baked scallop that’s only for P200 per 8 shells! We had 2 rounds!

Wrapping it up, with bags full of souvenirs and dirty clothes. We left Cebu with lots of new and treasured memories! Indeed, a way to sum up a 10-year long friendship of ups and downs, makeups and breakups, tears of joy and sadness!

Suggestion/s:

You can opt to stay the night before in Moalboal instead of Badian to save time going back and forth.

Hire a local tour guide, you help them have income, they’ll help you know Moalboal! You can ask one from your transport supplier or if you’re gonna take a tour package, have your travel agency book you one! (In this tour though, I’m not sure if tour guides are available)

A tip goes a long way! Don’t forget to tip your tour guides/drivers!

There’s a lot of souvenir shop at the boat waiting area in Moalboal.

A GoPro is very essential so you can capture yourself while swimming with the whale sharks! But a phone is fine to if you can risk brining it in the open sea!

Bring a Multiple-Port USB 2.0 Hub for multiple charging and power banks! Extra phone connector will also help for just in case scenes.

Supplier/s:

Matutinao Beach & Cottages – 0916 537 4168; we booked directly

Expense Breakdown:

Extra tip: If you’re fine to get a little sunkissed in Bohol, you can do this itinerary as below, it’s a little jam-packed though:

Day 1: Cebu Twin City Tour

Day 2: Travel to Moalboal, Cebu (etd 0400h) – Pescador Island snorkeling, sardine run and turtle watching – transfer to Badian, Cebu

Day 3: Badian Canyoneering with Kawasan Falls Tour – Osmeña Peak (if time permits though this is better done during sunrise) – transfer to Oslob, Cebu

Day 4: Oslob Whaleshark Encounter with Tumalog Falls (if time permits) – transfer to Panglao via fast ferry – Panglao City Tour

Day 5: Bohol Countryside Tour – transfer to Danao

Day 6: Sea of clouds and Danao Adventure Park – transfer back to Panglao/Tagbilaran (if via Tagbilaran, get last ferry bound to Cebu)

Day 7: Depart via Panglao or Cebu airport

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