#Latin Dance Academy Near Me
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ricbanks · 2 years ago
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Embarking on your journey to becoming a dancer is an exciting and fulfilling endeavor. If you're searching for a Latin Dance Academy near you, look no further than Ric Banks Dance Academy, the best dance school in Dubai. At Ric Banks Dance Academy, they offer a range of dance programs and classes that cater to all levels of expertise.
If you have a keen interest in Bachata, Latin Dance Academy Near Me provides exceptional Bachata dance classes in Dubai. These classes are designed to teach you the art of Bachata, from mastering the basic steps to intricate partnerwork. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced dancer, their expert instructors will guide you on your Bachata journey.
For those captivated by the rhythms of Salsa, Ric Banks Dance Academy offers exhilarating Salsa dance classes in Dubai. With a focus on technique, musicality, and styling, their Salsa classes will help you develop the necessary skills to become a confident Salsa dancer.
To find Bachata or Salsa classes near you, simply search for "Bachata dance classes near me" or "Salsa dance classes in Dubai." Ric Banks Dance Academy's commitment to providing top-quality instruction and creating a supportive dance community makes it the ideal Latin Dance Academy near you.
Enrolling at Ric Banks Dance Academy not only offers you access to skilled instructors but also exposes you to a vibrant dance community. You'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, share your love for Latin dance, and grow together as dancers.
The success of Ric Banks Dance Academy lies in their passion for Latin dance and their dedication to helping students achieve their dance goals. Whether you aspire to perform on stage, compete in dance competitions, or simply enjoy dancing socially, Ric Banks Dance Academy is the perfect place to nurture your passion and talent.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a Latin Dance Academy near you, Ric Banks Dance Academy is your gateway to becoming a dancer. With their outstanding Bachata and Salsa dance classes, supportive instructors, and vibrant dance community, they are the best dance school in Dubai. Don't hesitate to join Ric Banks Dance Academy and embark on an exciting journey filled with rhythm, joy, and self-expression.
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motley-dance-company · 2 years ago
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At Motley, we strive to share the joy of dance with everybody. We offer a wide variety of services including educational classes, workshops and live entertainment for all ages and skill levels. Our mission is to foster the idea that dancing has the power to bring joy to our lives, bring people together and even allow us to express ourselves in new ways. Come join us and explore the exciting world of dance.
To know more about visit our site,
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mylittlehavana · 2 years ago
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Discover the Vibrant World of Salsa and Latin Dancing in Brisbane
If you're searching for an exhilarating dance experience in Brisbane, look no further than My Little Havana dance academy. At My Little Havana, we are dedicated to creating a community of passionate dancers who are eager to explore the captivating rhythms of salsa and Latin dance. Our welcoming environment and expert instructors ensure that you not only have a great time on the dance floor but also improve your skills along the way. Let's dive into the rich world of salsa and Latin dancing in Brisbane with My Little Havana.
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Salsa Dancing in Brisbane: Unleash Your Inner Rhythm:
Salsa dancing in Brisbane has taken the world by storm with its infectious energy and mesmerising moves. In Brisbane, we invite you to join us at My Little Havana to experience the joy and excitement of salsa. Our salsa classes are designed for dancers of all levels, from beginners to advanced. Whether you're stepping onto the dance floor for the first time or looking to refine your skills, our experienced instructors will guide you through each step, helping you find your unique rhythm and style.
Latin Dancing in Brisbane: Explore the Beauty of Latin Rhythms:
Beyond salsa, My Little Havana also offers a wide range of Latin dance styles for you to explore in Brisbane. From the sultry moves of bachata to the energetic steps of Cuban Salsa, our Latin dance classes will take you on a journey through the rich tapestry of Latin rhythms. Immerse yourself in the cultural heritage and vibrant beats as you learn the techniques and intricacies of each dance style.
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Salsa Classes Near You: Find Your Local Cuban Experience:
Searching for salsa classes near me? My Little Havana is your go-to dance academy in Brisbane. With our convenient location and flexible class schedules, you can easily find salsa classes that fit into your busy lifestyle. Our mission is to provide you with a local Cuban experience, infusing each class with the music, culture, and joy that make Latin dancing truly special. Join us to connect with fellow dance enthusiasts and embark on an exciting dance journey.
A Passionate Community of Dancers:
At My Little Havana, we believe that dance is not just about the steps—it's about the connections and sense of belonging that come with being part of a vibrant community. Our dance academy is a place where dancers of all backgrounds and skill levels come together to share their passion for dance. Whether you're attending a class, participating in a workshop, or joining us for a special event, you'll find a warm and inclusive atmosphere that encourages personal growth and lasting friendships.
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Conclusion:
Are you ready to ignite your passion for salsa and Latin dancing in Brisbane? Join us at My Little Havana, where we are dedicated to creating a community that embraces the joy of dance. With our exceptional instructors, unique cultural offerings, and welcoming environment, you'll find a dance experience like no other. Discover the magic of salsa, explore the beauty of Latin rhythms, and connect with fellow dance enthusiasts at My Little Havana. Come dance with us and let your love for dance flourish.
Business Description for Link building only 
Welcome to My Little Havana, the ultimate destination for salsa classes and Latin dance in Brisbane. Our dance academy is dedicated to building a passionate community that celebrates the joy of movement and fosters personal growth. With a focus on fun and skill development, we offer a wide range of salsa classes and Latin dance classes in Brisbane. What sets us apart is our commitment to the fusion of music, dance, and community. As the only Latin dance academy in the area that seamlessly integrates Cuban music and cultural education into our curriculum, we provide a truly unique experience. Join us on the dance floor and experience the vibrant energy of salsa in Brisbane. Get ready to ignite your passion and let the rhythms of Latin dance inspire you. Welcome to My Little Havana, where the magic of salsa in Brisbane comes alive.
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motleydance · 4 years ago
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We at Motley, believe that dance has something to offer everybody, and so we have a myriad of services of the best in dance education and entertainment. We provide Dance lessons in various forms. World class performances. Choreography services for weddings, corporates, schools and colleges.Workshops for corporate events, private parties and social events. Classes and workshops for kids. 
http://www.motleydancecompany.com/
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milliedazzledust · 4 years ago
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Tell me you love me (Nick Scratch imagine)
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Request from @starryblueeyesandstarryblueskies : Could you do a hurt/comfort Nick scratch fic? Like maybe the reader gets hurt by one of the villains in caos?
+ Request from anon: Just an INTENSE “oh my god thank fuck you’re safe” type of scene with nick 
---
“Okay, Y/N, that’s enough”
The girl turned her head to her friend. They were sitting on the stairs inside the Academy of Unseen Arts, talking about spells when the young woman had spotted Nicholas Scratch, talking to the weird Sisters.
“Enough ?” She repeated.
“Stop being distracted by Nick!”
“What ?” She straightened out. “What are you talking about, Brina ?”
“Are you kidding me ?” Her friend laughed. “Every time he walks in a room, your eyes go to him and your mind gets lost into this land of daydream you created to avoid telling him how you feel”
She puffed, averting her friend’s gaze before closing the book on her lap and getting up.
“Stop being so dramatic, Spellman. It’s not like that.”
“Oh yeah ?” She smiled. “Then why has he been staring at you with those love sick puppy eyes ever since he spotted us on the stairs ?”
Her eyes grew big and she took her friend by the hand, forcing her to walk.
“Spellman ! Y/L/N !��� They hear Prudence called before they could disappear in the hallway.
Sabrina glanced at her friend, already annoyed, and turned back to the weird sisters and Nicholas.
“Hi, Prudence” She simply greeted her.
“And what is this book I see…” She pondered with a smirk. “Dark magic, huh ?”
“You do know it is forbidden to practice it” Dorcas reminded them.
“Who said anything about practicing” Y/N answered. “It’s called reading”
“Now if you excuse us, we have to go” Sabrina added.
Prudence looked them up and down before turned around, snapping her fingers at her sisters to tell them to follow her. And once again, before the two friends could go, someone stopped them. This time it was Nicholas. He grabbed Y/N by her wrist, forcing her to turn and face him.
“You’re not using any of those spells, are you ?” He asked.
“If I didn’t know better I’d say you’re worried about me, Scratch”
“I am”
“Well, don’t be.” She smiled at him. “You know I’m powerful. And besides, we have everything under control”
He looked between Sabrina and her, not entirely sure he believed them.
“If you need my help you know you can call me” He insisted.
“I know, Nick.”
“Please be careful” He called before she could get away.
“You know I always am” She sweetly smiled.
He pursed his lips, half satisfied by her answer and decided against his best judgment to let them go. Sabrina grabbed her friend by the arm, both of them making their way to the mortal realm. Half an hour later, they were sitting inside Dr.Cerberus’ coffee with Theo and Roz.
“When exactly did you noticed something was different about Harvey?” Y/N asked them.
“About two days ago. He started acting … weird” Theo answered.
“Weird how ?”
“Talking to a wall, having those spasms and drawing symbols”
“You have them ?” Y/N inquired. “The drawings”
“Yes!”
Roz got a piece of paper out of her bag. As soon as she put it on the table, the witches recognized it.
“We were right” Sabrina told her friend.
“What is it ?” Theo said.
“He’s possessed” Y/N explained. “It’s a sigil he’s drawing. It represents a lock in ancient Greek. Typically, when one’s possessed, they’ll instinctively try to protect their mind by making this”
“How … how do we help him ?” Roz continued, talking to Sabrina.
“I don’t know how to perform an exorcism guys” She admitted.
“I do” Y/N announced. “I’ll do it”
“You know it’s risky” Sabrina reminded her.
“I don’t see any other choices, Brina. Unless you want your friend to die, which will eventually happen”
She sighed, knowing the girl was right.
“How do we help you ?” Theo asked them.
“Staying away is the best option for you” Y/N told them.
“Why ?!”
“Once I’ll do the exorcism, the demon will be forced out of Harvey’s body. There’s a chance it might jump in one of yours to hide from me”
They nodded, understanding what was at stake.
“We’ll be a phone call away in case you need us”
“Don’t worry, it’s gonna be fine” Sabrina reassured them.
Once everything was settled, they made their way to the Spellman’s house. Sabrina had the idea to lure Harvey inside. The house would be empty that night so it was now or never. As the blonde witch wrote the message for her friend to come, Y/N started to prepare for the spell. Candles, cauldron with blood and ashes, a circle of salt and her book of Dark Magic were prepared for the ritual.
“As soon as he’s here, get him in the circle then close it with the salt” She explained to Sabrina.
“You sure about this ?” She asked one last time.
Her friend responded with a shrug. Before she could answer, her phone rang, distracting her. She sighed when she realized who was calling her and turned around for a bit of privacy.
“Nick” She answered.
“Hey! When are you coming back to the Academy” He inquired.
“Why ?”
“It’s almost midnight”
“So …?”
“Look, Y/N, I’m just making sure that you’re alright and not doing anything reckless”
“I told you I’d be careful, didn’t I ?”
“Yeah, well I’m aware of your definition of non-existent sense of self preservation”
“That’s offending”
“But true. Now when are you coming back ?”
“Later. I’ve got to go. Brina and I are kinda in the middle of something”
“Wait …”
She didn’t wait and hang up when she saw Harvey approaching the house.
“Ready ?”
“As I’ll ever be”
Y/N went to hide in the kitchen, waiting for Sabrina to give her a signal. She could hear them exchanged words and Sabrina kept talking to distract the possessed boy as she lured him in the living room. Everything was happening perfectly so far.
“Just sit here, Harvey” She told him. “Make yourself comfortable”
As he sat on the chair, she threw the salt she had in her fist, finishing the circle where he was now trapped.
“What is this ?” He asked, confused.
“Y/N!” She called.
The girl walked from behind him, putting him to sleep with a small incantation in latin. They exchanged one final look, ready to get to work.
“Once I’m inside, don’t come near me » She reminded Sabrina. « Do not touch me”
Her friend nodded. She took a deep breath and stepped inside the circle. Slowly, with all the patience she could conjure up, she started to prepare. Drawing signs on the floor with the blood mixed with the ashes, she started reciting a spell. Harvey started shaking, a small sign he was struggling. As she lit the large candle in front of her, she kneeled down, the last words of her spell pouring out of her mouth, sending her into a transe. Suddenly, she was gone. Her head thrown back, her eyes closed, she seemed in another dimension.
“Harvey!” She called inside her mind.
“The boy is not here” She heard a whisper behind her.
“Who are you, demon ?”
“You’re about to find out, witch”
And so her fight to free Harvey started. It was pitch black inside her mind and she could hear the demon laughing, waiting to attack. She tried to make a step but realized she could not move. Shaken, she look at her feet and saw a large pentagram, a witch trap.
“Shit” She murmured to herself.
She couldn’t reach Sabrina to tell her, she’d have to face him alone. Again, she heard him laughing. She turned around, trying to think of an escape but knew no spell would be efficient against a witch trap. Before she could realized what was happening, she felt what seemed like water on the floor. From outside, Sabrina knew something wasn’t right. Y/N couldn’t feel it in her mind but her body was shaking like crazy. Blood was rolling out of her nose and she almost seemed out of breath. Sabrina tried to call her but knew it was useless. She couldn’t help her, not from outside the circle and not by herself. Cursing, she knew who she had to call at their rescue.
“Nick, I need your help” She reached out to the boy through her mind.
“Where are you ?” She heard back seconds later inside her head.
“My house. Bring the sisters with you”
“Why ?”
“We used a spell and she’s not… I don’t think she’s alright”
“What spell ?” He asked.
“The exorcism”
“Who did it ?”
“…it’s Y/N. You have to hurry, Nick, please” She cried.
He didn’t answered back and she guessed he was rushing to get to the house. She turned back to her friend. Her eyes had turned wide. A large, empty white color staring back at nothing. It was like she had big electric jolts to her body. She could see Y/N trembling, the spasms so violent as she fought. Her body was in a tornado and Sabrina knew if she tried to even touch her it could have devastating effects.
“What the hell is going on” She heard behind her
When she turned around, the weird Sisters and Nick were standing there. The sisters stayed back, accessing the room, but Nick immediately rushed to Y/N once he saw her struggling.
“No!” Sabrina shouted.
He stopped right before crossing the line of salt encircling the young girl inside.
“What did you do, Sabrina ?!” He yelled back, his eyes glued to Y/N
“We had … we had to do an exorcism” She explained. “I didn’t know how but Y/N did. And once… once she started, her body just …”
“Why did you let her do it ?!” Nick cut her.
“Do you realize how dangerous this is ?” Prudence lectured.
“You have to help me” Sabrina said, ignoring their questions. “I can’t make her come back by myself”
Nicholas turned back to the girl, walking in front of her from a safe distance. He knew she couldn’t see him, but maybe she could hear him.
“Hey beautiful” He started to speak. “It’s me, it’s Nick. Can you hear me ?”
His heart broke when he saw her shiver more violently.
“I know you’re trapped, but I need your help Y/N”
Again, no reaction to tell him she was able to ear him.
“Try a memory, Nick” Prudence advised him.
He nodded.
“Do you… do you remember the first time we met ?” He knelt down in front of her. “You were on this rooftop, dancing by yourself. You were so beautiful. You looked like a mad woman, so I called your name but you didn’t hear me. I tried to come closer but I must’ve startled you, because you made me freeze on the spot with a flicker of your hand. I knew when you turned around that I was doomed to fall for you”
“Nick..” She whispered, almost as if speaking out loud was hurting her
“I’m here, Y/N, I’m right here love” He said back.
“I’m trapped with him”
“It’s alright, we’re here to help you get back”
“We need the demon’s name, Y/N” Prudence added, her sisters and her already in a circle.
The girl was looked straight ahead, distressed, almost conflicted by her choice.
“Once I tell you, you won’t have long” She told them.
“Why ?”
“He’ll do anything to keep us from casting him out”
“Makes sense” Agatha stated. “The power is in his name”
“Y/N” Nick called. “Which demon is with you ?”
“His name is …” She stopped herself, pursing her lips.
They could see her fighting a battle to open her mouth, to vocalize the syllable that could end her suffering.
“..B…Buka..vac” She murmured.
Prudence gasped, the simple name enough to horrify her and her sisters.
“What ?” Sabrina asked. “Who is it ?”
“He’s a demonic creature” Nicholas whispered, his eyes glued to Y/N. “He possessed people to torture them and drown them from inside”
Just as he said it, she started to hyperventilate. She opened her mouth to speak but only water came out.
“What’s happening ?” Sabrina shouted.
“Y/N, love, listen to me” Nick vehemently spoke, his eyes filling with tears. “You have to fight him back. Please, you have to…”
He couldn’t speak, his heart was breaking watching the girl he loved chocked on invisible water.
“C’mon Nick, get up” Prudence said. “Help us”
They formed a circle around her, locking their hands as they started chanting in an ancient language. Each of them in tune, they were giving strength to the young witch. Nick closed his eyes, keeping on reciting the words. He couldn’t watch her like this, it was too much. He could hear her struggle to keep the oxygen in her lungs, could guess the pounding of her heart and the fight in her head. In that moment he prayed Satan she’d keep breathing. There was a sense of urgency around them all that was more apparent than ever. They were close to losing their fight and all Nicholas could focus on was his love gasping for air. He let the tears freely roamed on his face, trying to shut the sound of her struggle.
And suddenly, it stopped. No more sound of heavy breathing or coughing, just a heavy silence. Fearful of what he would see, Nicholas slowly opened his eyes. He could swore his heart stopped beating right there when he saw her body laying on the ground. Without even thinking or realizing it, he crossed the circle made of salt and rushed to her side.
“No, no, no, no, no…” He kept whispering.
Her body felt cold, too cold to be alive. She felt like a ghost in his arms. He placed a hand of her chest, praying whatever entities could hear him to make him feel a heartbeat. He waited, but nothing happened.
“Move aside, Nick!” Prudence forcefully told him, pushing him away.
She started to pound on the young witch’s chest with all the power she could muster. Her sisters behind her were silently helping with a spell.
“C’mon, Y/N, breath” She shouted. “Breath!”
With a powerful fist she banged on her heart. The reaction was instantaneous and the girl woke up, taking a tremendous gulp of air as she regain consciousness. In doing so, and just as she arose, so did Harvey who had been asleep during the whole process of exorcism. Sabrina ran to him, wanting to make sure he was alright.
As of Nicholas, he didn’t waste a second before taking the girl in his arms, nodding at Prudence as a silence sign to thank her.
“Oh my god, thank fuck you’re safe” He whispered, crying.
Weakly, Y/N reached for him and hugged him as hard as she could.
“Thank you” She said, her head buried in his neck.
“Never, ever, do that again” He answered, taking her head between his hands. “I thought you were dead, Y/N/N”
A tear escaped her eye as she clasped her hands around his wrists, a simple way to ground herself to him.
“For a moment there I thought so to” She admitted.
Slowly, he helped her to sit.
“Harvey, are you alright ?” She asked, turning her head to the teenager.
“Yes, yes I am” He reassured her.
She closed her eyes, sighing in relief as she put her head on Nicholas’s shoulder.
“C’mon, you have to rest” Nick said. “I’ll take you back to the Academy”
She nodded.
“Sabrina, stay with Harvey to make sure he’s alright” She told her friend.
“You sure ?”
“Yes, I’ll be alright”
“I don’t want to leave you alone, not after all this” Her best friend confessed.
“She won’t be alone” Nick answered her. “There’s no way I’m letting her out of my sight”
Sabrina smiled as she watched the young boy bending to take the girl he loved in his arms. Hands clasped with Harvey’s, she watched the Sisters follow Nick and Y/N on their way back to the Academy. Through the small journey, Y/N slept. Safe in Nick’s arms, she knew she could rest peacefully. She woke up, several hours later, disoriented, in her bedroom at the Academy.
“We’re home” She heard a voice comfort her in the dark.
When she turned her head, she saw him. Sitting on her bed, his back to the wall, his eyes glued to her.
“You know it’s creepy to watch someone sleep, do you ?” She joked.
“I needed to make sure you were still breathing” He seriously stated.
She sighed, getting up to match his position. Slowly, she put her head on his shoulder and entwined their hand.
“I’m alright, Nick”
“I know” He said, closing his eyes. “But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the sight of you so pale and… and almost …”
“Hey, hey! Nick look at me”
She moved, kneeling in front him.
“I’m here, I’m alive”
She took one of his hand, putting in on her chest.
“Do you feel that ? …”
With a little force, he hugged her as hard as he could. His head on her chest, his ear on top of her heart, he listened closely. She let him have a moment, knowing it must have been rough for him. They stayed like that, in each other’s arms, her hand playing with his hair, for what felt like only two minutes.
“I love you, Y/N” He whispered, admitting his feelings.
“I figured” She joked.
He playfully slapped her thigh, making her laugh.
“Aren’t you going to say it back ?” He asked.
“I guess so”
“You … I’m sorry, « you guess so » ?” He straightened up, pretending to be hurt.
“Is that ego of yours bruised, Scratch ?”
“Very much so”
She laughed before looking at him dead in the eyes.
“Then I should probably tell you a secret”
“Is it a good secret ?” He asked.
“I’ll let you decide on that one”
“Alright, I’m listening”
With a wicked smile she leaned into him, slowly putting her lips on his. It was the sweetness of passion, a million loving thoughts condensed into a short moment, a statement from both of them admitting what they refused to say out loud before.
“I love you too, Nick” she whispered in his ear.
“Best secret ever” he answered, smiling, making her laugh.
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jungcity · 5 years ago
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bane of the devil. | vi
genre: vampire!jaehyun [angst | fluff | smut]
pairings: jaehyun x female reader
words: 5.4k
warning: bane of the devil deals with themes of physical, mental, and sexual abuse as well as toxic relationships. which may be upsetting for some readers. you are advised not to continue if you feel uncomfortable to these types of plots.
note: hello, loves! i will probably put botd on hold. to be honest, my laptop is broken and i solely rely on my phone in writing the chapters. i really don’t have a stable internet connection, i only use my mobile data, which is costing me too much money lately during this pandemic. in spite of that, i will still continue to draft the chapters on my phone. and i will try to upload them whenever i could. thank you for reading botd! thank you for all the support and i hope that you, guys, stay healthy during this trying times! sending you lots of love! 🤍
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“the ocean is blood
the sky is red
the sun is poison
the demons watched
in the fire that separates
both your souls apart
they bared their fangs,
their horns tipped with blood.
terrifying, they are
but he is their god
and no wrath would compare
to the one that he has
if the world allowed you to
bleed and crumble to dust.”
— bane of the devil // vi
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You and Jaehyun. Inside a limousine. Alone.
You would have been a sweating mess if not for the cold provided by the air conditioner. Jaehyun sat, beside you. You fiddled with your fingers, trying to soothe your nerves. Since when did you start being flustered around Jaehyun? Madame Juana’s statement about blocking your heart did not even help, it had only augmented the burden on your already heavy shoulders.
How could someone tell you that? Is it too obvious? Are you too obvious? But you do not even know if you like Jaehyun. Yes, he could make your cheeks heat up, make your heart beat abnormally, but that’s because of his unending bold statements and feisty jests. Not because you feel something for him. Right?
“Where are we going?”
You blinked and shifted on your seat. Jaehyun’s eyes were closed, his arms crossed against his chest. Right. You still hadn’t told him about your plans to become a vampire hunter. In other sense of things, why would you? Do you owe him an explanation? You furrowed your brows at the realizations. If you ever tell him about your plans, he does not have the rights to express disagreement with it.
You tried to rack your brain to remember the long title of the academy. It was Latin, mixed with English at the end. “Vena… Venatri—”
“Venatrix? Academy of the Arcane?” Jaehyun sat up straight, his eyes boring into yours for confirmation.
The name felt utterly fitted to what Madame Juana told you earlier. You nodded. “Yes.”
“What the fuck were you thinking?” He hissed. “That is the school for aspiring vampire hunters!” It would seem like he wanted to shout, but couldn’t. Vampires do not breath, yet Jaehyun seemed to be heaving deep sighs, his nostrils flaring. But his exasperation slowly receded as you showed no bafflement. “You know. And you wanted to be a vampire hunter.”
He stared you down, his face too close to yours. Why do you feel as if you were wrong? Wrong for not telling him about your plan prior to the discussion you had with Madame Juana.
You pressed your lips tighter, and tried to break the eye contact. But Jaehyun grabbed your cheeks, guiding you, once again, to face him. His chocolate brown eyes were full of emotions, the first time you’ve seen them convey such feelings. Even so, you still could not name the emotions in his eyes; there was grief, longing, wanting, and disappointment.
Jaehyun finally spoke in what seemed like forever, “You can do what you want, Y/N. But I don’t want to be your enemy.” He cupped both your cheeks, your noses hairsbreadth away from each other. “Can we not be enemies?”
Jaehyun closed his eyes, then you felt his breath as his lips closes by. There was a small part of you that wanted to push him away. He is a betrothed man. But your heart was elevating, wanting to feel his lips against yours. You parted your lips and waited for the kiss.
Only when Mr. Jones rolled down the partition and cleared his throat did you have the strength to push Jaehyun away.
“We have arrived, Mr. Jung, Ms. Y/L/N.” He gave each of you a curt nod. His face did not give away any clue whether he had seen Jaehyun almost kissing you.
“T-thank you, Mr. Jones.” You presented the butler your wide smile, all while trying to gulp down the embarrassment blazing in your cheeks. Jaehyun shut his eyes again, frustration obvious on his face.
Can we not be enemies? Is joining the Academy meant being enemies with Jaehyun already? You didn’t want to be enemies, too. But if that’s the only way to prepare yourself, to make yourself stronger for the danger that lies in the future— you absolutely, without doubt, would prefer being enemies with him.
The door of the limousine slid to the side, revealing a cemented road. Jaehyun was the first one to depart the vehicle, followed by you.
You stared in awe as the Academy came into view. It was located in the distance. From outside the gates you could see the long pathway, adorned with trees teeming with fronds at the sideways. The wrought iron gate was exactly what you would see before entering a palace or a mansion. It looked regal, medieval, and slightly terrifying for your taste.
Mr. Jones had ordered two men to carry your luggages, you would have refused but the butler gave you a silent tap on the shoulder and a kind smile, resulting in you, letting the two men go.
“Welcome to Venatrix: Academy of the Arcane, Miss Y/N. Mr. Jung.” Mr. Jones slightly bowed, his hand stretched towards the entrance of the gate. As if on cue, the wrought iron gate parted and slid on both sides, revealing a better view of the path that lies ahead. From your position, you could clearly see the fountain at the center and end of the walkway.
Jaehyun showed a vacant expression. Not a trace of perturbation could be felt from him. It almost seemed like he did not care whether he would enter a school that trains vampire hunters— trains his enemy.
A certain conscience for the bond you both have, no matter how complicated it is, ignites in your chest. For a moment, it had not felt right to let Jaehyun enter the premises of his nemesis for your sake.
“Mr. Jones?”
The butler turned his head to yours, his slight smile never faltering. As he noticed your eyes glancing at Jaehyun through your peripheral, he nodded his head.
“Madame Juana has already informed the students about Mr. Jung’s arrival, Miss Y/L/N.”
You exhaled. Madame Juana had prepared to travel ahead of you, to inform the Academy about Jaehyun and to smooth things out. More over, to prevent an infighting by the sight of a vampire.
Jaehyun snorted, “No one could kill me inside, Y/N.”
He said no one could. Not no one would. You rolled your eyes and pretended not to hear him.
Mr. Jones stretched his hand out again, the gates behind you closed, locking the old life away. You took a step and walked towards the Academy, towards the life beyond.
The sound of the water dancing in the fountain covered the whole atmosphere. Little insects and butterflies flew around you and back to the flowers as you neared the main building. A sudden nostalgia washed through you, the structure was like a palace, the tips of it could almost pierce the clouds high up in the skies. It reminded you of Hogwarts. Less Voldemort, you hope.
Madame Juana’s dress touched the tiled floors as she hurriedly walked towards you, Lucas trailing behind her. A warm and tight embrace was what she gave you, her smile lively and endearing.
“I’m glad you arrived safe, darling.” She kissed both your cheeks.
“Welcome to Venatrix, Y/N.” Lucas gave you one of his boyish smiles, before taking your hand and kissing the back of it. Jaehyun snorted, but you weren’t certain for it seemed like you were the only one who heard it. Lucas turned his head towards Jaehyun and gave him a curt nod. The latter only stared at him deadpanned.
Before you could say anything, Madame had already wrapped her arms around yours.
“I have so much to show you, Y/N,” she giggled, excitement obvious on her face. Despite being half a millennia years older than you, Madame still gave away the spirit of an older sister as she led you inside.
Different sets of eyes centered on you as you finally stepped inside the Academy. Some were fascinated, but most looked as if they wanted to strangle Jaehyun. He walked with indifference, clearly disregarding the death stares thrown at him by the students. Lucas was right. Vampires and vampire hunters weren’t friendly to each other in spite of the treaty.
Madame Juana led you to the stairs and into the veranda which overlooked the open courtyard below. Jaehyun stayed in the shadows, mindful of the unpredictable sun.
You strayed your eyes away from him and decided to watch down the students below. All of them are clad with a black suit, adorned with a lot of straps; straps around their legs, their waists, and around their arms. The hair of every women were pulled taut in a high bun, but those who has a shorter hair resorted to hairpins. The men has a similar uniform to that of the women’s. They all looked lethal; kicking, punching, and defending themselves against each other.
“Is that what I’m going to wear?” You asked, cheeks slowly heating up by realizing how the suit hugs the body of the women.
“Yes, darling. For easy movements.” Madame flicked her finger as she looked down the students. “Venatrix!” she bellowed. As if on instinct, all the students drew in a halt, their heads tilted up to see Madame.
They bowed then looked straight to their fronts, fist pressed against their chest where their hearts were located, before shouting the words, “Venatrix: steadfast and loyal!”
Complete and pure awe enveloped you as you stared at them. You have never seen such discipline before.
“I would like to introduce to you our new student: Y/N Y/L/N. She had arrived here in the hopes to hasten her determination and skill—” Madame turned her head towards you. In that moment, you felt the urge to tug on her sleeves and plead not to roar your true reasons of joining the Academy. She smiled and held your hand, before turning her head towards the students down the courtyard. “— to help us protect the people. Chances such as this one are rare. I will tolerate no undermining, and belittling. Camaraderie is all I hope for, and camaraderie you will give to Y/N.”
Slowly, all of their heads tilted up to see you for the second time. You have expected to hear whispers of uncertainties to erupt from the students, but none came. They regarded you with fathomless eyes. Then in the blink of an eye, their fist was on their sides, their backs rigid.
“In Venatrix’s hand, and in Venatrix’s grace,” they bellowed once again.
You knotted your brows, unable to determine the meaning behind the words. Madame waved her hand, then the students went back on their training as if nothing had happened.
“That’s their way to welcome and bless a new student,” Lucas explained from behind you.
You craned your neck to see him, and smiled. “I am so fascinated right now.”
“Come, we’ll show you around.” He nodded while placing his hand on the small of your back.
You nodded your head. As you did so, you noticed Jaehyun looking at you through your peripheral. The sun was glaringly bright in the skies. It won’t be pleasant to ask him to join you. Yet you could not leave him behind. The students have given him cold stares and unwelcoming glances.
Lucas and Madame walks ahead of you now. They were too indulged in their conversation to notice you, sauntering up to Jaehyun behind the shadows of the pillars.
“Do you want to stay here?”
Jaehyun stared at you, “I’ll be fine.”
“Just… don’t get into trouble,” you breathed, glancing around for any eavesdropping ears.
“I am trouble embodiment, kitten. What do you expect?”
You glared at him. Jaehyun’s mouth quirked up to a smile, before waving at the distant student from the other side of the building.
“Hi!” he shouted. The student only stared at him as if Jaehyun disgusted every cell in her body already.
You stared at him with hooded eyes, “Can you not show your fangs?”
As if on impulse, Jaehyun retracted his canines. “Girls finds it attractive, you know.”
“Not in a school where students literally trains how to kill you.” Your vapid reply.
“Y/N?” Lucas called for you from afar.
You took a quick glance at him before waving your hand slightly towards Jaehyun, while mouthing the words, ‘Be good’. He only nodded and faintly gave your back a push.
As you walked through the corridors of the second level of the Academy, more and more students have appeared from different rooms. Some of them were carrying thick tomes, some bandaging their fists or sharpening their knives. One thing you have noticed, they do not smile so often. Only pressing their palms against their chests every time Madame passes in front of them. Which gave you the notion that maybe Madame holds a great position in this Academy more than you would have realized.
Lucas seemed to notice your furrowed brows and inquiring looks, for he leaned closer to your ear while walking. “Madame Juana is one of the founder of this Academy alongside Diego Asdalis. One hundred years ago, they met and decided to build a house for aspiring venatrixes.”
More questions formed in your head by his explanation. “I supposed, Diego Asdalis had already passed away?”
“Yes.” The words were delivered with a certain kind of melancholy and dripping reverence for the deceased leader. “Powerful and cunning he was, he still hadn’t escaped the hands of cancer.”
“I’m sorry,” you muttered, loss for any comforting words to offer him.
“It’s okay, Y/N. I really didn’t meet him.” Lucas chuckled a toneless one, “Madame is the only living person in the Academy who had the chance to meet him. But that didn’t change the reality that Diego was the best venator to ever graced this school.”
“What’s a venator?” It’s the first time you heard the word. Along with venatrix.
“It’s a male hunter. While venatrix—”
“Is a female hunter?” You predicted with a smile on your lips.
Lucas nodded while pointing at you, “Yes! So, you’re going to be a venatrix soon— oh! Here we are!” Then he stretched out his hand to show you something.
You stared at the painting with veneration. The portrait depicts a man of fine features, his eyebrows were thick, his eyes the color of the skies at night, his lips were full and luscious. At the end of the portrait was the words, ‘circa 1894’.
“This is Diego.” Madame looked up at the portrait, her back facing you.
Diego’s eyes seemed to be looking at you with curiosity. As if he knew your true intentions of joining the Academy. And that he wasn’t entirely certain if he was happy nor disappointed in you.
“He was a fine-looking man.” You covered your mouth as quickly as you could after the words slid out. Madame and Lucas stared at you, then they let out a merry laugh that echoed through the walls.
“Yes, he was, darling. But behind the beauty, he was the most valiant man you’d ever meet.” There was affection by the way Madame stated the words. “I was lucky I had the chance to meet Diego,” she sighed. Then she turned around to the other corner, and the three of you descended the stairs. “Let’s go to the armory.”
You took a perfunctory glance towards the portrait, before letting Lucas guide you away. The three of you veered on your right. Bushes of flowers adorned the pathway. From the distance, you could see the students going on with their training.
“Madame!”
A girl darted towards you and hugged Madame as if she was afraid to let go. Lucas rolled his eyes, but a smile had spread on his lips as he watched the two women. Curiosity wrapped around you as you stared at the woman, her hair was in a tight and high bun, and she was wearing a uniform similar to that of every women in the Academy. But there was a white insignia pinned on her chest— an arrow piercing the center of a circle— the same as Lucas.
“Is she the girl?” she asked, looking at you in wonderment. Madame nodded at her. She trudged the distance between the two of you, hair swaying left and right behind her. Her hand was outstretched to you in an instant, a wide smile etched on her pinkish lips.
“Hi! I am Eva!”
You blinked and swiftly took her hand to shake, “I am Y/N.”
Her next move was unexpected, for she pulled you in a tight hug. “Finally! I am so excited to meet you!”
“Hey! Don’t scare her!” Lucas tried to unwrapped Eva’s hands around you.
The woman frowned at him, “You’re such a pain in the ass, Lucas.”
Lucas ignored her and turned his head towards you instead. “Y/N, this is Eva. She’s the commander of the women here in the Academy.”
“And he’s the commander of the men.” Eva cheekily said, her thumb pointing at Lucas.
“That’s so cool.” You stated, in awe. Certainly, it takes too much training, discipline, and hard work to be one of the commanders. “Is that why you have those?” You pointed at the white insignia pressed to both of their chests.
Eva’s head bowed down and then back to you, “Yes. This is more like a sign that we already are a member of the VHC.”
“Simply put, they are called professors,” Madame chimed in. “But they don’t really teach those boring Algebraic expressions,” she laughed, “Only the history of the Corporation. Strategies how to outwit a vampire and trainings on how to kill them.” Madame went on, her fingers swaying by every word.
“And we don’t really stand in front to talk for hours. In here, we learn from each other. If you have something to share, you could always talk about your sentiments. And vice versa,” Lucas explained with a smile.
“We completely involve ourselves only when it comes to trainings. Such as the archery, fencing, swords, daggers— to prevent injuries.” Eva smiled.
For a moment, all feels too overwhelming for you to process. But you would never deny the thrill that was coursing through your veins as you took in their explanations. Venatrix feels so different from universities. That is expected for an academy which literally takes in and teaches students how to be a vampire hunter, and not how to achieve a certain profession after graduation. But there was a particular divergence by the way the students enrolled here were free to talk about what they know, and to ask about things that they don’t. Some schools does not allow the same freedom for students.
“By the way… where is the infamous vampire?” Eva glanced behind and around you, her eyes searching for the dimpled vampire.
“Oh, the sun isn’t very cooperative today. So he remained inside,” you explained with a small smile.
Eva frowned, “That’s too bad. I’ve heard a great deal about him.”
“Alright, that’s enough Eva. Y/N needs to see the armory,” Madame voiced out.
“Oh! I’m sorry, Madame. I suppose I should get to work, some venatrix needs a little bend today.”
“Go easy on them, Eva. Two venatrixes literally fractured their bones by how arduous you train them.” Lucas crossed his arms against his chest, exuding authority.
“If they don’t learn the hard way, Lucas, they would die in the most dumbest ways once they come face to face with a fledgling,” Eva rolled her eyes. She turned to face you, and gave you one last hug before darting away, waving her hands to the three of you.
Fledgling are the newly born vampires. They are more feral and they require a great deal of pure human blood in the span of twenty-four hours after being turned. Or else they would die, wither and not complete the vampire process. To encounter a fledgling would be like encountering a wild beast. Eva was only right to go hard on the hunters if they wanted to defeat a raging fledgling.
“She would authorize your own training, Y/N,” Madame pronounced as the three of you continued your walk towards the armory.
A trail of sweat ran down your spine, you have no idea if it was because of the sun already at its peak or the thought of Eva bending and breaking all the bones in your body.
“It’s a pleasure.”
“You can drop the pleasantries, darling.” Madame chuckled, “No one, who truly knows Eva, would say that,” she added.
Before you could attempt an answer, the oak door of the armory already opened, revealing rows and rows of weapons; knives, daggers, swords, bows, balisongs. They were hung up on the wall, high enough to be reachable. Several shelves containing of weapons and armors greeted you whenever you look. It would seem as if the whole cavernous room was meant for weapons and weapons only.
Lucas placed a hand on your back, guiding you towards the iron shelves. The edges of different knives caught the infiltrating sunlight through the windows, intensifying its sharpness with a white light.
“You could pick your own weapon, Y/N. Whatever you’re comfortable with,” Madame told you.
You picked up one dagger, its hilt twisted in a spiraling motion, the blade silver, mirroring your face in a blurred image.
Everything felt like a fever dream. Ever since your parents had died, you have dreamed of mastering every weapon in the armory. You have yearned to train yourself, prepare yourself, for the vengeance that whispered to you and for the wrath that pulsated in every cell of your body. That vengeance feels so near, as if you could grasp it at any moment.
But as you think about the toilsome training every student in the Academy has gone through, and is still going through, the fire in your heart could not help but waver. Am I capable? was the incessant question in your mind.
You felt a hand on your shoulder, it was Lucas’.
As if he saw the concern in your eyes, he said, “Don’t worry, Y/N. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“Thank you, Lucas. That’s comfor—”
You were interrupted by the loud bang of the armory door as it opened. A huffing venator darted towards Lucas.
“What happened?” Madame inquired.
The venator pressed his palms on his knees, breathing heavily. “The… the vampire—”
Without another word, you departed the armory and ran straight towards the second floor of the main building. The sky was dark, the sun nowhere to be seen. Perspiration covered your whole forehead, the sweat dripping down your face, as you ran and think about all the hideous things that could happen to Jaehyun inside the academy of vampire hunters.
Lucas and Madame swiftly trailed behind you, their own brows furrowed. Before you could climb up the stairs, a brawl in the open courtyard drew you in a sudden halt. Jaehyun’s figure was easy to track even in the throng of individuals. He was staggering on his feet, before the venator kicked him right on his stomach, causing him to crumple on the ground.
An alien type of resentment flowed in your veins by the sight. Not because of Jaehyun fighting with a hunter, but because of the hunter hurting Jaehyun. You ran and shouldered your way towards him. Jaehyun is fully capable to land a straight blow towards the hunter. Even in the blink of an eye, he could kill the venator. But he laid still on the ground, acting as if he was in pain.
The venator grabbed Jaehyun’s collar, and it took all your willpower not to fly towards them and push the venator away. Your feet were locked up on the ground, unable to move. He grabbed his collar tightly, his fists turning whites. A trickle of blood ran down the side of Jaehyun’s mouth, but there was amusement in his eyes as he stared at the venator. As if he was fascinated by the hunter’s audacity and bravery.
“In here, vampire, you are not a god.”
You had witnessed how the venator’s jaw tightened by his words. Anger flows freely on his face, his own veins protruding on his temple. No one, in the crowd of hunters, dared to move a finger to stop the fight.
Jaehyun smiled a smugly one. His nose made a long snorting sound, and before you knew it, he had already spat saliva in the venator’s face. Stillness covered the whole courtyard. Your mouth demanded to release a scream, or any sound, but none came. You stared in horror together with the venators and venatrixes spectating the brawl.
The venator who has been grabbing Jaehyun’s collar went stock-still, his jaw pulled taut. The vampire laughed, which intensified the ire resting in the venator’s bones that he attempted to punch Jaehyun right in the face.
You could not watch it anymore. You ran towards them. With all your might, you grabbed the venator’s arm.
Before you could say something, the venator flinched, which caused his arm to hit you right in the nose. You saw the way Jaehyun’s eyes widened as you fell on your breeches to the ground, your vision swam. Shouts filled the whole courtyard, but you could not name the voices. Warm liquid flowed from your nose to the sides of your mouth as you struggled to stand up. Delicate hands held you, helping you on your feet.
It was Madame Juana, her brows knotted in concern. You blinked rapidly, feeling as if you were saved from drowning.
“Venators! Hold Jaehyun! Tightly!” Lucas bellowed, then he turned his head towards the unconscious venator on the ground. “Bring Peter to the clinic! Now! Before he dies!”
Six venators flew to Jaehyun’s side, the two gripping his arms, while the other four guarding him. His fangs were bared, his eyes red. Visions from yesterday swam in your mind. The visions from where Jaehyun fought with the other vampire. He looks as if six venators wouldn’t be able to stop his wrath.
That’s when you came into view. You touched the liquid that had ceased to flow from your broken nose, then you wiped off the blood with your shirt. Panic strikes Jaehyun’s eyes as he looked at you. His throat bobbing up and down. He struggled to release himself but the venators grip was tight. But Jaehyun possesses a Herculean strength, no venators could hold him any longer.
“I’m okay,” you told him.
His eyes seemed to calmed down as they returned to their natural color, his fangs slowly retracted back to its normal form. Then he gave the venators a lackluster gaze.
“Unhand me.”
The venators exchanged glances with Lucas, their commander. He pursed his lips and walked towards Jaehyun.
“Swear that you will not harm anyone.”
Jaehyun hung his head, a chuckle resonating from his throat. Then he tilted his head to stare Lucas down with an icy glare. “Swear that your dogs won’t touch Y/N again.”
“It was an accident,” Lucas stated, trying to placate the vampire’s anger.
“Do I give a flying fuck? Once she ended up bleeding because of these fuckers again—” Jaehyun ran a swift glare around the courtyard and the venators, “— I will burn this whole academy down.”
“That’s not exactly the nicest shit I’ve expected you to say, vampire.”
All head turned towards the owner of the voice. Eva sauntered up towards the scene. Venators and venatrixes parting to give her way.
“Eva,” Madame called out, warning Eva with her eyes.
But she only smiled at the witch, before standing face to face with Jaehyun. She was obviously much smaller than him, causing her neck to crane upwards a little bit. “We could kill you without doubts here,” she warned.
“Try me.” Jaehyun squinted his eyes.
“Jaehyun, please.” You walked towards him, your nose still aching. Gulping down the agitation, you held his shoulder with the hopes to soothe him. “Let it go.”
His tense muscles seems to calm down under your touch. Then a nod from Lucas made the venators release him, at last. He broke his eye contact with Eva, then he focused his attention on you. “Are you still hurting?”
“A little bit. But I’m fine.”
“Y/N, I think we should go to the clinic,” Lucas advised.
You turned your head towards him, “Yeah.” Your feet started to walk, Lucas guiding you towards the clinic. It was located behind the main building, you’ve noticed earlier as you roamed your eyes before entering the armory.
A hand caught your wrist, turning you around. It was Jaehyun.
“I’ll come with you,”
“Jaehyun, Peter is on the clinic. We couldn’t let you near him now that he’s possibly in a coma,” Lucas stated.
Jaehyun did not look at him, he only pulled you towards the clinic. You pursed your lips. There’s nothing you could do about it. Madame Juana signed Lucas to back down, so he formed his lips in a tight line and joined the two of you.
You dare a glance to your back. Eva was dissipating the crowd of venators and venatrixes by bellowing orders. They were quick to get back on their training, as if nothing had happened.
The clinic was the only room in the whole Academy that appeared to be in modernly designs. A girl, uniformed with white clothes, similar to that of a nurse, stood up when you entered. It would seem as if she knew what to do with you already. For she sat you on the bed covered with white linens.
Jaehyun stayed in Lucas’ care, at the sofa in front of the nurse’s table. Madame had gone with you behind the curtains.
“Does it still hurt?” Madame asked, placing a hand on your shoulder.
“It does,” you admitted. Your nose feels as if it was cloven in two. You could feel the swelling of the muscles in it and the ache in your bones.
The nurse smiled and gave you a clean cloth. It felt ice cold in your hand.
“Just press it over the swell for fifteen minutes,” she instructed. Her hands guided your back to lay on the bed. You felt the ache in your head as you oblige and lay down on the sheets.
“Ms. Jane, could you watch her for me?” Madame asked, “I just need to check up her bedroom.”
The nurse smiled, then Madame held your hand. You nodded and then she departed the clinic. Silence once again enveloped the whole room when the nurse walked back to her table. A glimpse of Jaehyun’s pants caught your eyes as the curtain swayed. No conversations, nor whispers, could be heard from the both of them. After a few minutes, the door of the clinic opened and closed.
You turned on your sides, and tried to close your eyes. Jaehyun probably had exited the clinic already. The curtains suddenly rattled. You anticipated to see Lucas’ tall frame, but the dimpled vampire greeted you.
His face was impassive as he took in your situation. Then he sat on the small space beside you, his eyes looking at the floors.
“I tried not to fight him,” he said defensively.
You were out of words to say. However, you have witnessed how Jaehyun had barred himself from attacking the venator back. He could easily knock him out on the ground, but he didn’t. It wasn’t like you have little faith in the venator’s skills, it was only that Jaehyun still possessed an inhuman strength for being a vampire.
“I know, Jaehyun.” Your voice was delivered as a whisper. “I just hoped that you didn’t hit him back.”
Jaehyun snapped his head towards you. “But he hit you!”
“It was an accident. I am alright,” you weakly stated.
“Alright? You have a broken nose, Y/N.”
You sat, then you hugged your knees closer to your chest. “I need this, Jaehyun.” Your lips tightened, “Please, don’t ruin this for me.”
A spark passed through Jaehyun’s eyes. Your words were like a bolt out of the blue. Then he painted his lips a low-spirited smirk. Your breath was caught in your throat by the sight of him. He looked… hurt.
You pursed your lips, then laid a hand on his shoulder. By your touch, Jaehyun bolted upright.
You will hurt, you will bleed, your bones will break. Those are the things the Academy needs you to sacrifice. Jaehyun isn’t the man for patience, but your conscience wouldn’t be able to rest if he keeps on losing his restraint by the sight of you either bleeding or hurting. On top of things, why would he sacrifice his life in his enemy’s ground for you?
“I didn’t mean it that way,” you breathed. You feel wretched immediately, as if you were splashed by cold water.
But Jaehyun had already turned his back on you and departed the clinic without a word.
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latinrevolutiondance1 · 4 years ago
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Salsa Dancing Near Me
Salsa Dancing Near Me
September 29, 2020
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 Salsa dancing is an amazing, fun way to have a good time and make your neighbors green with envy. It’s easy to learn, it’s easy to dance and most of all, it’s a great way to get out of the house and meet new friends. This year, I’m looking forward to learning to salsa dance! Here are some tips that will help me become a more confident dancer. Salsa dancing is very different from ballet or jazz dancing. It uses the same basic moves and is performed on the ground. The key to mastering the moves and learning to dance salsa well is learning how to breathe. You will be breathing through your nose and mouth and holding the breath for long periods of time. By doing this, you will develop your awareness of your body and how it feels.
Salsa dance also takes a lot of concentration. When you have a partner, they may come to you in order to ask a question or perform a trick move. If you don’t have a partner, your focus needs to be on the movements of the music that you are playing and the movement of your body. Concentration is one of the keys to making moves look very good and also to making your body feel as though it is moving.
Another important thing that I have learned about learning salsas dancing near me is that it is not just a matter of being in tune with the beat. You need to be aware of the surroundings as well. It is important to take breaks in between moves in order to see what’s going on around you. Try to use other colors in your salsa dance moves and try to incorporate movement into your dancing. You don’t have to be an expert dancer to perform a beautiful, intricate movement. You can even get help with salsa dance moves by asking a friend who has just learned how to salsa dance.
My friends and I are also learning a lot of other salsa moves that we can perform at parties or other gatherings so that it will be a good place to go when friends and family gather. If you find that you can do better salsa dance in a group than you can perform in front of a larger audience and invite people to join in on the fun and excitement. You can even practice a few moves before you actually go out and put them on.
When I began, I didn’t think that I would ever be able to learn to salsa dance salsa. but I did a lot of research online and I have a lot of friends who are learning to dance. as, well.
Find out what the hype is about at Latin Revolution Dance Academy. We have Salsa Dance classes for beginners to advance level dancers. You can sign up to Salsa Dance Classes here.
To find out more, visit us at www.latinrevolutiondance.com
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qqueenofhades · 5 years ago
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Maria rescues Asher from some situation.
Padua, 1678
It is a warm summer’s day, the hum of educated conversation fills the cathedral, and the line to greet the new Doctor of Philosophy, who stands by the altar adorned in the traditional laurel crown, ring, ermine mozzetta, and book, is general. The professors and students of the University of Padua, the Senators of Venice, and the visiting faculty from the universities of Rome, Perugia, Bologna, and Naples are all pressing forward with expressions on their faces that Maria de Clermont approves of, even if she thinks they could stand to look a touch less astonished. This, after all, is unique in that Professor Rinaldini has just awarded a Magistra et Doctrix Philosophiae, rather than a Magister, and the proud graduate is a woman: Lady Elena Cornaro Piscopia, who has just dazzled the masses with an hour-long exegesis in Classical Latin, carried out on difficult and randomly selected passages from Aristotle. Maria and Asher, on a visit to Venice to investigate the making of this new Congregation, decided to pop up to Padua for the occasion, and in Maria’s opinion, it was very much worth it.
“Congratulations, Doctor Piscopia,” she says when her turn comes, stepping up and shaking the other woman’s hand. “It was truly impressive. If you are ever in France, you must delight us with your company.”
“France?” Lady Elena looks surprised, then nods, having heard the accent in Maria’s Italian. “Have you come this far on my behalf, my lady?”
“Only from Venice.” Maria ignores the elderly proctor harrumphing behind her, as if to say that it is his turn now and he wishes to make investigation of the refreshments before those greedy bastards from Rome steal them all. “Though my husband and I are lord and lady of Sept-Tours, near Clermont in the Auvergne. A… charming estate.”
Something flickers in Lady Elena’s eyes at that – not the usual wariness of someone who has heard the rumors, but excitement. She lowers her voice and steps closer. “Are you then Lord Asher and Lady Maria de Clermont?”
“We are.” Maria supposes she need not ask how such a clever woman as Lady Elena has found that out. “Is it of interest?”
“You, surely, knew the master Aristotle?” Lady Elena, also ignoring the proctor’s continued harrumphing, looks as if the golden fleece has fallen into her lap. Even more quietly, she whispers, “In person?”
Indeed, Maria knew the man, who was resident at Plato’s academy in Athens in the fourth century BC. She never cared much for his ranking of natural creatures placing women lower than worms, though she can admit his attractions for scholastic theology, and she wishes to support Lady Elena in her exploits. “I had… some knowledge of him, indeed. As I said, you should be welcome at our estate if you ever wished to hear more.”
Lady Elena, looking delighted, agrees that she shall remember it most devotedly, and Maria wryly supposes this obliges her to recall if she ever ran into the eminent philosopher one day in the agora. But she can see her husband across the way, trapped in polite conversation with the most boring and overbearing member of the entire philosophy department (doubtless burdening the masses with his opinions of what Lady Elena could have said instead), and Asher catches her eye and mouths, Save me, my love. Urgently.
Maria snorts to herself, flutters her fan, and swans elegantly across the transept to her husband’s side. She does like that black and gold doublet on him very much, his tall and lean frame, the artful elegance of his dark curls, his silver eyes, as it strikes her that while she has looked at this man (and done other things with him, believe you her) for almost eighteen hundred years, the attraction still has yet to wane in the least. Indeed, what with this heat, she has in mind the cool balcony of their villa, a bowl of strawberries, and a bed in linen. They shall still be exerting themselves, but at least it will be in their skins.
“Pardon me, Professore,” Maria says, stepping up with an extra-large flutter of her fan and an eyelash-fluttering simper. “I really must collect my lord husband, begging your pardons, but I vow, we were both most fascinated. You truly are very learned. So delightful. Thank you so very humbly, thank you.”
With these and other platitudes, she takes Asher’s arm and steers him away, as he glances at her with amusement dancing in his eyes. “If that man was too foolish to hear that you would have gnawed your own arm off sooner than be subjected to his tedious gasbaggery, there is truly no hope for him.”
“Oh, I think that was never in any doubt.” Maria raises an eyebrow. “Do you?”
“Not in the least,” Asher remarks, putting his hand over hers. “Let us hope that he is prevented from inflicting his abominable opinions on the Metaphysics on poor Lady Elena, though doubtless she has dismantled him half a dozen times on the selfsame subject. I would pay to watch.”
“Mmm.” Maria would as well, but she thinks she has had enough philosophy for the nonce. Asher is the diplomat and the poet and the scholar of the two of them, bless his heart, but she tightens her grip on his arm. “Would it be terribly uncouth if we were to make our excuses?”
Asher raises an eyebrow right back at her – knowing, as ever, exactly what she is thinking. “You are a woman of very forward appetites, Lady de Clermont. And the pair of us in a house of God.”
“And you, Lord de Clermont, look very fetching in that new doublet.” Maria crooks a finger at him. “Really. Do let’s go.”
“You have saved my life, my love,” Asher says gravely, following her to the door, and into the sunlit brightness of the garth. “I can refuse you nothing.”
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blackpinkofficial · 6 years ago
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On a modest stage inside a tent in downtown Los Angeles, the four members of the South Korean girl group Blackpink assume a diamond formation and aim their fingers like guns at the audience as they launch into the chorus of their breakout hit, “Ddu-du Ddu-du”: “Wait till I do what I ... Hit you with that ddu-du ddu-du du!”
It’s the afternoon before the Grammys at Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge’s annual showcase, where he presents the company’s prospective superstars to a crowd of record executives and industry types. (Past performers have included Ariana Grande, Halsey and Shawn Mendes.) With their intense choreography, dance-heavy beats and Clueless-esque high-fashion looks, the four women offer the kind of bells-and-whistles pop production that makes them an anomaly not just on today’s lineup, where rappers like 2 Chainz and Lil Baby abound, but also on the charts, where women like Grande serve up their divadom with an extra dose of realness.
The showcase marks Blackpink’s first stateside performance, though the band made history long before: “Ddu-du Ddu-du” became the highest-charting single by a Korean girl group on the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at No. 55 last June, and this April the act will be the first Korean girl group to play Coachella, before embarking on a North American arena tour. “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” sung mostly in Korean, is a boastful warning to those who underestimate Blackpink, with a hook (meant to imitate the sound of bullets flying) that’s also a canny invitation to non-Korean listeners -- anyone can sing the words. The buttoned-up UMG crowd seems a little unsure, but also intrigued: Just as Blackpink’s Jennie -- soft-spoken in person, but onstage a fierce singer and rapper -- slides into a rat-tat-tat flow in the second verse, more and more audience members whip out their phones to capture video.
There’s no longer any question that K-pop is happening in America. BTS, the seven-member South Korean boy band, scored two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2018 and became the first K-pop group to sell out an American stadium when it played New York’s Citi Field in October. Yet despite the group’s visibility here, K-pop remains somewhat detached from the mainstream: It receives relatively little top 40 airplay despite fan-army pressure on radio stations, its artists rarely tour with non-K-pop acts, and outside of its intensely passionate fan groups, K-pop stars hardly drive the wider “conversation” that someone like Grande can dominate with a single tweet.
Blackpink represents Korean music’s latest, greatest hope at breaking out of the American K-pop box. The group believes its multinational identity gives it global appeal: Sweet-voiced Jisoo, 24, is a South Korean native; buoyant rapper Lisa, 21, is from Thailand; guitar-playing Rosé, 22, grew up in Australia; and Jennie, 23, was born in South Korea but spent some formative years in New Zealand. “You don’t have to understand Korean to understand the music, the visuals, the vibe,” says Jisoo, through a translator. (Rosé and Jennie are fluent in English; Lisa alternates between English and Korean during our interview.) “We’ve got so much Korean culture and so much Western culture in us,” adds Rosé, her Australian accent still pronounced.
And though occasional English lyrics already pepper their tracks, Jennie notes that recording all-English songs is something they “definitely want to do” in the future. (They’re focused on making their debut album first.) Even their sound -- an omnivorous fusion of fist-pumping EDM and booming hip-hop beats with flashes of house, ’80s pop and harmonica-driven folk -- seems conceived for the widest possible audience. “I was immediately drawn to their fierce and empowering energy,” says Dua Lipa, who asked the group to guest on last year’s bilingual banger “Kiss and Make Up.” “They are not just giving you hit songs -- they are sending a message that resonates beyond the lyrics.”
Last fall, Blackpink signed to Interscope Records, which will serve as both a creative and business partner to YG Entertainment, the group’s Korean home and one of South Korea’s three main music companies along with SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. These companies serve as label, management firm and production studio, controlling almost every aspect of their artists’ careers. Interscope chairman/CEO John Janick says that YG’s leadership -- Hyunsuk “YG” Yang, its founder, and Teddy Park, Blackpink’s main producer and creative director -- “runs the show,” but the relationship is collaborative: Sam Riback, Interscope’s pop-rock A&R head, has made multiple trips to YG’s Seoul headquarters and “has been sending them lots of different ideas,” according to Janick. “Our goal,” he says, “is to amplify what YG has been doing globally.”
If Interscope can help turn Blackpink into a truly global superstar act, the partnership could become a model for other labels looking to invest in K-pop and even pave the way for joint imprints. “This deal could be a benchmark,” says YG’s Joojong “JJ” Joe, who heads the company’s U.S. operations from a small house near Los Angeles’ Echo Park. It will also confirm Interscope’s foresight about K-pop. In 2011, the label signed the group Girls’ Generation during one of the earlier waves of K-pop imports, when artists like BoA and Wonder Girls worked with Western producers and companies.
At the time, those artists barely made a dent on the mainstream charts, and their backers took a hit: Despite high-profile promotional appearances, Girls’ Generation’sThe Boys LP sold only 1,000 copies in the United States during its first week in 2012, according to Nielsen Music. Since then, however, streaming platforms have made it easier for fans to discover and support Korean music, while the growth of social media has also allowed them to forge deep connections with artists everywhere. “In this era, people find their music and their talented artists on the internet,” says Susan Rosenbluth, senior vp at AEG Presents/Goldenvoice, who helped book Blackpink’s North American tour and notes that K-pop’s stateside audience “does not follow along ethnic lines.”
To Janick, the success of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s chart-topping Latin hit, “Despacito,” aided by a Justin Bieber remix, made English-speaking listeners more open-minded in general to music in other languages. “We’re going to have hits from all different territories -- more of them, and more often than we’ve seen in the past,” he says.
But the onus isn’t just on listeners to embrace Korean music -- it’s on industry gatekeepers too. At the UMG showcase, the reaction to Blackpink is enthusiastic, but it feels muted compared with the rousing ovation the crowd gives classic-rock revivalists Greta Van Fleet, whose 2018 debut album was notoriously panned by some critics as derivative. The response to Blackpink’s Interscope deal, however, suggests that attitude could change.
“So many artists on our roster started calling, saying, ‘I want to work with these girls.’ Radio stations were asking when new music was going to be out,” says Interscope executive vp business development Jeremy Erlich, who facilitated early conversations between the label and YG (he and Joe attended business school together). “The industry’s ready. When the music comes out, I don’t think there’s going to be many people saying, ‘This is just a fad.’”
The day before the showcase, the ladies of Blackpink are ensconced in a hotel suite high above downtown L.A. Lisa, dressed in a gray fleece and a checkered coat, spies the Hollywood sign through a corner window and bounds off a couch for a closer look. Her bandmates, cozied up in brightly colored sweatshirts and cardigans, admit they weren’t expecting Los Angeles in February to be so chilly. During some rare downtime the previous day, they went shopping in Santa Monica. “It was supposed to be for fashion,” says Jennie, “but we ended up just grabbing anything that was warm.”
This is Blackpink’s first trip to L.A., but it has been almost a decade in the making. The group’s members came to Seoul from all over the world starting in 2010 to take part in YG’s rigorous recruitment and training process. The company and its competitors hold tryouts both within and far beyond Korea (Rosé traveled to Sydney from her home in Melbourne), seeking recruits who are typically preteens or teens, ethnically Korean and fluent in the language, though these qualities are not mandatory. Lisa, who auditioned in her native Thailand in 2010, didn’t speak any Korean when she began training in Seoul in 2011.
For all four women, joining YG meant enrolling in a kind of full-time pop-star academy that Jennie calls “more strict than school” and that Rosé likens to The X Factor with dorm rooms. For 12 hours a day, seven days a week, the future members of Blackpink -- along with, by Jennie’s estimate, 10-20 other aspiring singers who cycled through the project -- studied singing, dancing and rapping, taking part in monthly tests designed to identify their strengths and weed out subpar trainees. “Somebody would come in with a piece of paper and stick it on a wall, and it would say who did best, who did worst, who’s going home,” recalls Jennie, whom YG initially steered toward rapping because she spoke fluent English. “You get a score -- A, B, C,” Lisa explains. “Lisa would always get A’s for everything,” adds Jennie with a laugh.
The process was lengthy. Before Blackpink debuted in 2016, Jennie spent six years in training, Lisa and Jisoo five and Rosé four. For the members who had left behind life outside South Korea, the pace of training on top of the culture shock was sometimes tough. “I’d call my parents crying,” recalls Rosé. “But as much as it was hard for me to cope with all of that, it made me more hungry. I remember my mom would be like, ‘If it’s so hard for you, just come back home.’ But I’d be like” -- she mimics a surly teen’s glare, much to the others’ amusement -- “‘That’s not what I’m talking about!’” Lisa credits her future bandmates with easing her transition. “Jennie would speak English to me, and Jisoo helped me out with my Korean,” she says. Rosé was the last of the bunch to enter training, but she remembers the four of them bonding during an all-night jam session when she arrived. “We just clicked,” she says.
That’s clearly still the case: Rosé sometimes puts her hand on Lisa’s knee when translating for her, and at one point Jennie and Jisoo huddle close together to silently adjust one of their necklaces, displaying the intimacy of close friends. “We don’t really have a day off,” says Lisa. (Once every two weeks, Rosé clarifies.) And because their families are so far-flung, they often spend their time off with each other anyway. “We’re stuck together,” says Rosé, laughing.
While K-pop companies have a reputation for packaging groups assembly line-style, Blackpink’s members insist they have plenty of creative input, despite having no official writing credits on their tracks. Park plays them music he’s working on and “really tries to put our thoughts into our songs,” says Jennie. “He really gets his inspirations from us.”
“It’s important as recording artists that they actually truly own their songs,” says Park. The women all make suggestions about who should sing what, and if a part doesn’t feel right to someone, he will make adjustments. “He doesn’t just bring us a song, like, ‘Go practice,’” says Rosé.
Besides, the members of Blackpink have another creative outlet: Last fall, YG announced that they would all release solo material, starting with Jennie, whose debut single, “Solo,” topped Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart in December. Though the music is still created and put out by YG, the idea that group longevity and solo success aren’t mutually exclusive is a radical development in girl-group history -- one that Janick says only “makes the brand stronger.”
Stars who come through companies like YG are called “idols” in Korea and have historically been expected to maintain a squeaky-clean image. When Blackpink debuted, Jennie says YG was very selective about its promotional appearances: “We were trained to be a little more...” “Closed in?” Rosé suggests.
“Closed in” is exactly what the outspoken women ruling the U.S. charts now, from Grande to Halsey, are not -- they make deeply personal, even raw, music. But while Blackpink may well find success catering to an audience craving its kind of TRL-era pop spectacle -- Interscope’s Erlich calls the group “the modern Spice Girls” -- lately the band has been less concerned with appearing perfect, both onstage and off. “We always wanted to be out there, to be more true to ourselves and a little more free,” says Jennie. “Even we can get things wrong sometimes. We want to just show them the real us.”
Jennie and Lisa do just that when I ask how they expect to be received as rappers in America. Lisa lets out an embarrassed groan, withdrawing into her fleece. She has loved hip-hop since childhood and is obsessed with Tyga (“I love his swag,” she says, blushing). But she and Jennie seem well aware that a group of Asian women adopting a style pioneered by black American artists might be a hard sell for some stateside listeners who are keenly attuned to debates about cultural appropriation.
“Me and Lisa don’t talk about it out loud, but I know we have this big pressure,” says Jennie, who adds that she studied artists like Lauryn Hill and TLC when she first started rapping. She looks across the room at Lisa: “She’s going to kill it.” Lisa just scrunches up her face.
That kind of vulnerability may be what ultimately endears Blackpink to an American pop audience. “The artists that are the most successful in these situations are really authentic with how they can relate to a coming-of-age experience” in their music, says Goldenvoice’s Rosenbluth. “There’s a certain amount of authenticity to Blackpink that I really love. The dedication is heartfelt.” 
Back at the showcase, the band finishes its set with the reggaetón-tinged “Forever Young,” featuring an intricately choreographed, hair-flipping dance break. As the beat reaches its booming climax, the bandmembers whip toward each other and strike a statuesque pose with their hands on their hips, just in time for the music to stop. They hold still for a moment as the lights dim, then drop their arms and turn toward each other, catching their breath and grinning like four young women who can’t quite believe they’re here.  
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herphdjourney-blog · 5 years ago
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What is “Inclusion”?
That question was the focus of this year’s Gender and Diversity in Organizations (GDO) Plenary at the Academy of Management (AoM).
Modupe Akinola, PhD, an Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School, said inclusion is: “Feeling like I can be myself and people are curious about my story.” Further, that “inclusion” is when people are not just curious about her identity but also about WHO she is and WHAT makes her who she is.
Derek R. Avery, PhD, the David C. Darnell Presidential Chair in Principled Leadership at Wake Forest University, said that inclusion is “when you can be exactly who you are and it’s OK.”
Other scholars shared insights on inclusion that I’ll touch on in future posts. I recorded the session so that I could cite them in my future work!
But first...under Modupe and Derek’s conceptualization of “inclusion,” let me introduce myself:
My identity:
I am an Afro-Latina, PhD student in organizational behavior, executive/life coach, entrepreneur, dancer, licensed Zumba instructor, traveler, and survivor. I’m from NYC and the daughter of 2 Central American immigrants.
WHO am I?
Hi! My name is Samantha and I am proudly multidimensional.
WHAT makes me who I am?
All of my life experiences these past 43 years.
Yes, I’m 43.
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I started my PhD Journey at the age of 41 after 20 years of progressively advancing in nonprofit organizations doing fundraising and communications work on behalf of causes that I care about.
...after 10 years of teaching and performing Latin dance on stages around the world.
...after 2 bachelors degrees and 2 masters degrees.
...after several heartbreaks.
...after 2 near-death experiences.
...and after lots of world travel, including many visits to Costa Rica, where my mother is from, and Panama, where my father was from. He passed away but he was pretty awful during his lifetime (that’s a story for another post). My father’s awfulness & other grown men’s awfulness during my childhood led me to pursue the academic and professional experiences that shaped who I am today.
MY EDUCATION:
My undergraduate degrees are in Psychology and Women’s Studies. My 1st master's degree—was in Women’s History, which I earned in 2 years while working full-time. My 2nd master's degree was in Nonprofit Management. I earned that in 2.5 years while working full-time in an extremely demanding role. Toxic work environments led me to pursue training and certification in life/executive coaching. Now, I am pursuing a PhD in Organizational Behavior.
MY WORK:
I started working at nonprofit organizations during my undergraduate years. Besides the Help Center on my campus, where I volunteered for 3 years, my first off-campus job was an internship at a domestic violence shelter. 
Immediately after college, I worked at a civil rights organization, a homeless shelter for women, and a reproductive health clinic. 
I worked at feminist organizations for a while but although they espoused diversity values, their lack of a racial analysis or an intersectionality framework in practice is what led me to move on to racial/social/reproductive justice organizations. 
My experiences advancing in those organizations is what led me to explore what “leadership” looked and felt like via additional education, workshops, books, blogs, conferences, etc.
Now--I am specifically interested in how people can thrive, not only survive, and I’m both fascinated and saddened by toxic workplaces...as well as by Jeffrey Pfeffer’s book, Dying For a Paycheck.
I study whiteness--not as a skin color but as a phenomenon of power and dominance. I also study thriving/flourishing, allyship, women’s leadership, courage/fragility, rage, love, intersectionality, CEOs, nonprofits, and philanthropy.
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MY PASSION:
I have been dancing all of my life. As a kid, I also did gymnastics and cheerleading.
After graduating from undergrad, I also started dancing, teaching, and performing Latin dance around the world. I did that for 10 years until injuries and my intellectual curiosities channeled my attention back to nonprofit organizations and to my first master's degree.
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MY DEFINING MOMENTS:
I had my 1st health scare in 2012: blood clots had traveled to both of my lungs from my left leg (a “pulmonary embolism”) but I had NO CLUE that was happening. All I knew was that it felt as though I was having a heart attack. I was hospitalized for a week but then put on blood thinners + watched over by doctors (and my guardian angels) for several years.
That was my 1st wake-up call.
I had been dancing all of my life but stopped and let the “work grind” take over my life. I had been relatively healthy all of my life, so I took my health/wellness/life/blood circulation for granted. My spirit and all of the cells in my body rebelled against me.
After that experience, I was so freaked out that I might die at any moment that I decided to pursue things on my bucket list, including more education and world travels...especially solo world travels, which freaked my doctors AND my Madrina (“godmother” in Spanish) out.
I had my 2nd health scare last year during the 1st year of my PhD Journey...a 2nd pulmonary embolism. You would have thought I had learned my lesson about the pitfalls of sedentary work life the 1st time around, right? 🤦🏽‍♀️ Now I am on blood thinners in perpetuity and more concerned about LIVING (literally staying alive) than I am meeting others’ conceptualizations of “success” in this “publish or perish” academic culture.
I bring all of the above into my PhD Journey, which is why so many of my social media posts are about wellness, self-care, and a #FitPhDJourney.
It’s not that I don’t “grind.” Folks only see the moments when I take a break to capture my life. Not when I’m interviewing research participants for my qualifying paper, analyzing data for my research fellowship, writing papers under huge looming deadlines, coaching clients, working on consulting projects, or laying on my couch depressed and unable to leave my apartment for entire weekends (yes, even coaches are HUMAN).
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How do I deal with the stress of this PhD journey?
I try to find moments of peace, joy, and community. Those moments look different for all of us but for me, dance, travel, and adventures have always been my go-to stress relievers. And, since I recently decided to become a licensed Zumba instructor as an act of survival, I also post a lot about Zumba. 💃🏽 I’m aware that my mere existence in this world is resistance to what Max Weber described as the “iron cage” and what Barker & Thompkins described as “concertive control.”
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So, circling back to the question of “What is Inclusion?” as I wrap up this very long post...
If we agree with Modupe and Derek’s definition of inclusion (and we should...BUT I will also share other scholars’ insights on other elements of “inclusion” in future posts, which may resonate in other ways with you), then I have questions for you:
Taking intersectionality into account when understanding the multidimensional nature of oppression, what are the implications for mentoring [PhD] students who have various racial, ethnic, gender, family, nationality, professional, academic, and life experiences?
How do we support [PhD] students in their various journeys in ways that challenge them and prepare them for the future THEY want without putting them in the aforementioned “iron cage” of “concertive control”?
If culture and socialization work as unconscious filters shaping our perceptions, how do you engage in reflexivity and mentor people who may or may not look like you...and may or may not want to BE like you “when they grow up” even though you’re amazing?
More to come on “inclusion” in future posts…
xoxo, Samantha
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reaperofangelsao3 · 6 years ago
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Spin the Bottle Scene
So contrary to popular belief, I do write more than Harry Potter and Miraculous Ladybug fics. I’ve been working on and off on a book for about 5 years now and while I really just need to get my crap together and write it, I still need to get a proper feel for the characters since I never actually took the time to do that?
Anyway, this is just something I thought up while I was in the shower. It’s short and sweet, so I hope you enjoy.
You can also read this on my Ao3, here.
Also, this, and any other sub sequential writing Prompts I post for this will be under the tags “Academiae Wisp” (the title of the book) and “Academy Wisp” “Wisp Academy” because I can’t expect you people to remember how to spell Latin words since I can barely do it on a good day.
Thomas chuckled as he watched his friends whoop and holler and run around like animals. It was well into the summer at this point and he along with a decent group of students decided to stay on campus for the holidays, and they were all partying and drinking like soldiers come home from the war with the promise of not going back.
To say that they were completely out of control would be a gross understatement, but it was controlled chaos. They had spelled an area in which they had to stay in and even set up tents and everything, with spells to keep the girls in their tents and the boys in theirs. They only had about six acres of land they could royally fuck up, and had yet to do that five hours in, so that was at least a good sign, right?
They had had dinner, so people weren’t too drunk yet, but Thomas imagined that most everyone would be drunk before the end of the sixth or seventh hour, which would probably be coming faster than it seemed it would. It was a party full of magic-wielding teenagers, after all. It was hard not to have fun just watching them go nuts.
Thomas, though, soon noticed someone who really didn’t look like she was having fun. Someone he had gotten to know pretty well over the past few months, if he did say so himself, and yet somehow she still held back something that she didn’t seem willing to share with him, or… anyone else for that matter. Her friends seemed to know, but they wouldn’t tell him either.
So he walked over to the red haired beauty who was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, and sat down right next to her. The girl flinched a little and looked up at him with those striking green and gold eyes, staring up at him.
Thomas felt his voice get stuck in his throat for a moment. This was happening more and more frequently around her, he found, and it was a little disturbing to him. He had never lost his voice around girls before, or even guys for that matter. What made her different, aside from the fact that she was meant to be the new Lady of Time? No, that couldn’t be it, anyhow. He didn’t really get nervous around the Time Lord, after all.
“Hey, Rosetta. What are you doing here, sitting all alone? I thought you would be hanging out with Ed? Or Elina and Cassandra? Maybe even your brother?” He asked curiously, then looked over, spotting Will among a crowd of people near immediately. Will never got drunk, and now wasn’t an exception. He was probably the most sober person here, even if with the fumes from the magical drugs people were using to get high, since Guinevere didn’t have the proper conditions to grow pot or make the more dangerous variety of drugs on Infante or Florentia.
He looked further, and saw Cassandra, who looked drunker than anyone else there (that was saying something) with a glass of wine in one hand and clinging to Elina with the other, who was helping her stay up right, looking a little exasperated.
Ed was nowhere to be seen. He had a tendency to disappear at events such as these.
“Well, I would, but as you can see, I think they’re a little… uh… busy.”
“I do see that.” Thomas chuckled at her meek, quiet voice, the voice he could barely hear over all the racket, yet his hearing seemed to hone in on just naturally. “What do you think of this mini riot?”
“It’s... active.”
Thomas snorted. “Why so unenthusiastic, my Lady of Time?”
Rosetta’s face turned a little red and she shrugged, looking out over the crowd of dancing children. “It’s just sort of tame, you know?”
Thomas barked out a laugh. “No, I don’t. Enlighten me.”
“Well, I-”
“HEEEEYYYYYYYY!”
Rosetta and Thomas looked over at the sound of a girl yelling and saw one of their classmates, Heather, he believed, who was grinning and holding up a bottle of Serpent’s Venom Rum, the deep purple glass shining with the colors of the fire. The party quieted down a little and the majority of people looked over at her.
The brunette smirked, her hair bouncing a little as she hollered. “WHO WANTS TO PLAY SPIN THE BOTTLE?!” She yelled, and nearly thirty people cheered or whooped in response, which left less than half of the other students who weren’t in the game.
Thomas looked at Rosetta and smiled shyly before getting up and jogging over to join the game, knowing if he didn’t play, he would probably get heckled by the other students.
He hadn’t expected Rosetta to follow him, but when he saw her sit at the opposite side of the circle next to her brother, he figured she had. She smiled up at her brother, who smiled back, looking excited. Figures. Will was always excited for stupid drunk games.
Heather smiled and spelled the bottle, then had it float to the middle of the circle. A light shone from the bottle like a laser, pointing to her. “Okay, everybody got their wands?”
The students pulled out their wands in response.
“Good. Okay, this is how this works. There’s too many of us to reach and spin it, so we’re all going to use our wands to spin the bottle, no tricks to make it land on the person you want. I added a light to the bottle so we can see who it stops on. Now, some special rules!” She yelled, grinning. “Everyone knows the basic rules of Spin the Bottle, but just in case - your task is to spin the bottle, duh. You spin the bottle and whomever the bottleneck points to, you have to get up and go kiss that person. As for the special rules…
“First! Since we happen to have students who have siblings in this circle, if it lands on your sibling, you can either pass with a kiss on the cheek or you can respin. You can decide on this however you want.” She looked pointedly at Rosetta and Will, then at Thomas and glancing to his brother, who was also in the circle.
“Second! If you spin it and it lands in between two people, you gotta kiss them both! No playing favorites or this-person-isn’t-as-bad-as-the-other!
“Third! If it lands on the same gender as you, you still gotta kiss them, whether you happen to be straight or gay or indifferent!
“Forth! If you are absolutely adamant that you are not going to kiss whomever your spin lands on, or whose spun landed on you, you can roshambo it. If you win, you go scott free, but if you lose, you gotta do a dare that the winner gives you. You can only use this privilege three times! Everyone got that?”
Everyone looked at each other and there was a quiet murmur before all the students gave a vague nod.
“Good. Now, since I was the one who suggested it, I’ll nominate someone.” Heather looked among the other students for a candidate, smirking at a blonde fairy who was sitting a little too primly for her taste.
“Oh, Ver-oooonnn-i-caaaa.” The girl sang, and the fairy, Veronica, perked up, then sighed.
“Merlin, save us.” She mumbled. “Okay, Duke, geez.” The fairy said and pulled out her wand, waving it in a simple motion, and making the bottle spin in a frenzy, but staying glued to its spot on the ground.
And it all went downhill from there.
Veronica was made to kiss some guy names Kurt, then Kurt was made to kiss one of the boys from the soccer team, who then somehow won a round of roshambo to get out of a kiss from Angelica, who was known for being extremely lucky when it came to chance games. Angelica didn’t seem too phased when her spin landed on another girl and, in fact, kissed her quite vigorously, which surprised more than a couple people. That girl was forced to pass because she was too frazzled to spin the bottle correctly, so it went to the girl next to her, who spun it and got it on Will. Will had managed to get away with a light peck, as the girl didn’t seem too interested anyway.
When Will spun, and it landed on a boy, though, the boy suddenly looked a little nervous. It was obvious that boy had never had any intimate experience with anyone, but when Thomas saw the seemingly innocent smile on Will’s face, he was suddenly regretting it very much that he was sitting right next to said boy.
Thomas shifted away from the boy uneasily, and so did the guy on the boy’s other side, as Will stood up and stalked over to the boy. The poor guy fidgeted in his seat, looking nervous as all heck, as Will moved to stand over him, sitting down, straddling the boy’s lap.
“You look nervous.” He commented, and the other nodded a little quickly, which made Will snort softly. “Then let me help take the edge off.”
He grabbed the boy by his collar and kissed him, and Thomas was surprised to see the boy instantly relax, and he heard multiple girls squeal and cheer.
Will got up seconds later and went back to his seat by Rosetta, who was gagging playfully, to which he laughed at.
“Aw, what is it, sis?”
“I never needed to see my brother kiss another person, like, ever, in my life. I think I would have preferred to see you makeout with a toad than ever have you put me through seeing you kiss another human being.” She gagged again, but Will only laughed harder.
It went on like that for another couple rounds, with cheers and laughter and squeals all being shared, until Rosetta had to roshambo out of kissing some guy who looked all too happy to have gotten her as his spin, and she made him spell himself into a feather suit and do the chicken dance around the fire.
All eyes were on her now as she pulled her wand out, looking at the bottle like it was the bane of her existence.
He glanced over and watched as Heather muttered something under her breath and Thomas rose a brow, wondering what she could be doing, then heard cheering.
He glanced down and saw Rosetta staring right at him with Cassandra, Elina, Will, and quite a few of the other students cheering and yelling loudly. He wondered what for, then glanced down, and saw a shining red light on him.
Thomas felt his face heat up like a volcano ready to burst, and he looked back up at Rosetta, who was still sitting down. Will was laughing and nudging her to get up, and people started cheering her name.
“Go, Ro!” “Go get ‘em, girl!” “You can do it!”
And then gone was the shy girl he had come to know.
Gone was the meek, timid girl who liked to saunter during their recess period.
Gone was the girl who stumbled over herself whenever someone got her face to go pink like it was right now.
No, she stood right up, the flowers weaved into her braid, the ones that Cassandra had put in her hair before the poor Elf got drunk off wine, blooming brightly in her hair as she walked right up to him, and Thomas felt himself grow nervous. His heart started beating erratically, and he felt like a fox torn between getting the berries or going for the plump field mouse.
Rosetta got on her knees in front of him and started inching closer, and Thomas was stuttering out words he wasn’t thinking about nor sure he meant before he could stop himself. Why was she looking at him like that? Her emerald eyes were so big, so focus, watching him like hawk.
“R-Ro, you kn-know you don’t have to do this, r-right?” He stuttered out as she got closer, now practically in his lap, one knee on either side of his own knees as they lay stretched out on the ground, his back to the fire. He couldn’t even lean back of her because of that damned fire.
She didn’t say anything and just inched closer, now straddling him properly, her knees on either sides of his thighs, and her arms lifting up a little.
“I-I mean, I know that you don’t really like me like this, s-so you don’t have to kiss me or anything if you don’t w-want to-”
Her hands were on his shoulders and fucking fuck her eyes were distracting and her breath on his lips was making his head spin.
She did pause, though, looking a little confused as she glanced into his eyes once more.
“Now, Thomas, what would give you such a silly idea?”
That was all she said before her lips were on his, and her arms had slid up from his shoulders to trace over the sides of his neck, and all the tension left him so quickly he nearly fell back into the fire.
He now understood how the boy next to him had relaxed so quickly. If Will was as good as his little sister at this, then it was just too easy to just let go and kiss back. Her lips were so soft, and it was like she knew exactly where to touch to make shivers go up his spine and force his heart out of his chest and into the clouds. His brain had melted somewhere in between the beginning of the kiss and when she had slide her hand up into his hair and put the other around his neck, until he was just putty in her hands.
And then visions started filling his head, ones he didn’t understand. They weren’t of either of them or any of their friends. They were visions of complete strangers.
He watched as couples square danced at a wedding, with the bride laughing and desperately holding up her dress as she danced with her new husband. He heard fiddles and flutes, all playing some tune he didn’t recognize. Sure, he knew it was some folk or high-paced Celtic tune, but he hadn’t ever heard it in his life.
Soon there was cake, and the bride had grabbed a handful of it and pushed it into her groom’s mouth before kissing him like the pastor had just allowed it for a second time, and then there was more dancing, and laughing, and playing silly games. Dogs ran around and barked and hopped around the celebrating families, who fed them and played with them. Children were running around playing random games that probably didn’t make sense to anyone other than them, and at some point the bride and the groom had managed to sneak off, going deep into the woods and dancing in silence among a prearranged area, quiet and happy and exchanging silly sweet-nothings and kisses until night fell upon them, leaving them with fairy lights and fireflies to light up the forest around them.
Thomas was used to giving people happiness, not the other way around. Everywhere he went, people couldn’t help but be happy, and the only people who had any sort of defiance over that were the Council members and heirs to the Council. People couldn’t just make him happy, couldn’t just turn on the ‘joy’ switch inside his head like his presence did them.
But the scene of the wedding that flashed through his head, that made him so inexplicably happy. He couldn’t even tell you why. It’s not like he knew them. But the pure, raw happiness that the wedding just oozed was infectious and honestly, Rosetta’s kiss just magnified it several times.
So he was disappointed but still incredibly light-hearted when she pulled away, and he knew his eyes were shining just like hers were.
She smiled at him, and that’s when he registered that everyone around them was cheering. Her hand was still in his hair.
“That’s how I know this party is tame.” She whispered, grinning at him before getting up, turning around and swaying back to her spot next to her brother, who was laughing and cheering for her just like the rest of them, and he heard Angelica laugh loudly.
“Look at that, Ro! You kissed him so good, he’s staring after you like a lost puppy!” She laughed and tumbled back onto the ground.
Rosetta turned her head and winked at him playfully, causing his face to heat up, and he was sure from the increased volume, he was blushing.
Thomas decided it might be best he take a break to get himself back under control, but of course, when he got back in the game, it landed right back on Rosetta.
He was going to have a lot of things to remind him of this night, wasn’t he?
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ricbanks · 1 year ago
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Discover the Rhythm of Passion with Our Tango Classes Near You!
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motley-dance-company · 4 months ago
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Discover the Best Dance Academy in Bangalore: Motley Dance Company
Bangalore is a city known for its vibrant culture and artistic spirit, and the Motley Dance Company stands as a beacon for dance enthusiasts. Whether you're looking to perfect your moves or start from scratch, this premier dance academy offers classes that cater to every level of dancer, from beginners to professionals.
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galaxydanceacademy · 3 years ago
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Stay in shape while having fun with the best dance studios near me. There are lots of dance styles to try: fitness classes, latin, ballroom, and more. And at Galaxy Dance Academy, learning dance is always fun! Step inside and you'll find a warm, welcoming, and 100% non-judgmental community that will inspire you to reach new heights, feel and look confident, and have fun doing it.
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motleydance · 3 years ago
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About our Salsa classes
Learn to social dance at our Salsa classes. Our salsa classes bring together people from all walks of life to enjoy this incredible dance and immerse in the rich culture. We deliver the best Salsa experience through our internationally trained team of instructors with a focus on great technique, a well-researched syllabus, and pure fun!
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edithhatley · 4 years ago
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Join Us
Join Us
November 17, 2020
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Are you looking for salsas dancing near me?
Check out a local Latin Revolution Dance Academy Studio in Etobicoke Ontario. We specialize in Kizomba, Salsa and Bachata lessons.
We are offering
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We have a large group of students
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We also host salsa dancing competitions, where our students compete against each other to see who is the best salsa dancer.
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We are offering a variety of classes
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I am so proud to be teaching
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I am truly blessed, I will always cherish this opportunity that I was given.
For anyone who would like to try their hand at learning, please contact us. 
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