#actually i have plenty of time off this month- the day after st patrick’s is a bank holiday for us and then the 29th is good friday

[zippityzap]

i have the day off tomorrow :D

[twistedtummies2]

The Wearing of the Green - Chapter 4

This is the fourth and final part of my belated St. Patrick’s Day Event Story Special. I’m glad I was able to get it all out by the end of the month. XD Again, this four-parter has been heavily inspired by “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” (My major OC in this story, Bannor O’Brien, is based on King Brian from the film.) However, it also contains a lot of refrences and homages to other leprechaun-related things sort of sprinkled throughout. I’m curious about how many of them you guys recognize or have recognized. XD Up until now, I’ve had a lot of kinky teasing and implications, so to speak, but this final chapter is where the actual kinks come into play. Specifically, this chapter contains soft, non-fatal vore, macro/micro elements, belching, and very mild stuffing-type content. If none of that sounds up your alley, then it is probably best you avoid reading this. Also, I actually used a couple of violin covers of popular songs I like as the reference for the music that Bannor (my leprechaun OC) and Malleus use for their fiddle contest. Just for the heck of it, you can find the music I imagine Bannor playing here, and the tune for Malleus’ part here. Feel free to listen to them if you want. ;) Now, let’s finish this sucker off! Hope you all have enjoyed!

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

“A fiddle-playing contest?” Prince Bannor O’Brien - the leader of the leprechauns on Sage’s Island - nodded enthusiastically, even as Malleus Draconia inspected the exquisite violin that had been dropped into his hands. Yourself and Grim sat upon the chest of diamonds inside the throne room of the fairy mound, eyes darting between the two soon-to-be combatants. “Aye!” confirmed Prince Bannor. “There be few things we Little People cherish more than the sound o’ merry fiddles, playin’ a wild tune! An’ I’ve played the fiddle plenty in me time!” “What a coincidence,” chuckled Malleus, smirking slightly. “I’m quite the fair hand with a violin, myself.” “Well, then perhaps I’ve found a worthy opponent!” laughed Bannor. “This musical battle will be legendary!” “Why are so many people in this world so over-dramatic?” you muttered to yourself. “Hm?” Malleus spoke up, his pointed ears pricking upward under the brim of the fine silk top hat he wore for the occasion of his visitation. “Did you say something, Child of Man?” “No, nothing,” you lied. The fairy princes shrugged, then looked back at each other. “Who shall be the judge?” asked Malleus. “You’ve sent all your servants away for privacy’s sake during this duel.” “I shall judge!” declared Bannor, with a proud grin. “Sure, an’ I can play ye a tune worth goin’ a mile aground to hear! No better to judge such a contest than meself!” “That hardly seems fair,” Malleus responded, although he did not sound overly concerned. “After all, wouldn’t you be naturally inclined to vote for yourself?” Bannor opened his mouth to retort to that…then blinked…before scratching at the back of his head with the point of his bowstick. “Ye do have a point,” he murmured…then grinned anew. “Why don’t we leave it up to the human?” “Me?” you blinked. “I think that sounds a bit fairer,” Malleus nodded. “Indeed!” Bannor agreed. “After all, they be the one who this contest is all about.” “What am I, chopped liver?” snapped Grim, huffishly. “You’re not worried I’ll cheat?” you brought up. Malleus raised an eyebrow in your direction. “Would you?” was his simple response. You actually took a moment to ponder that simple question. True, you wanted to go home, not stay here in the leprechauns’ underground palace forever…but you also knew from experience that you were generally trustworthy - if you did say so yourself - with judging things like this, and remaining as objective as possible. And after all, both of the competitors were putting their necks in the noose: if Malleus lost, he would be in the same situation as yourself. And if Bannor lost, he’d have to do anything Malleus said, as well as let you go. Knowing Malleus the way you did, you had a feeling that wouldn’t end prettily. “Well?” Bannor chirped, cocking his head, his large bright eyes giving him a sort of birdlike demeanor. You hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. “I’ll do my best to be fair,” you promised. “Good! That’s settled!” said Bannor with a firm nod of his own, then looked back at Malleus with a superior sort of smirk. “Now, which of us shall be the first to go?” “By all means, you go first,” Malleus purred in a smooth and somewhat oily sort of voice. “Might I be seated somewhere?” Bannor responded by hopping down from his oversized throne, then bowed in an exaggerated manner, holding his fiddle close to his chest as he swept out his cape and pointed to the throne with the bowstick. “Feel free to rest yerself upon me own seat, sir,” he said, and smiled smugly. “After all, ye may never get a chance to use a throne again.” “Not very bashful, are you?” Malleus observed, blandly. “When it comes to the fiddle, I have no reason to be. Sit, man!” Malleus bowed his head respectfully, then strode across the throne room, his booted feet clicking on the stone floor. With a swirl of the green frock coat he’d picked out for the occasion, he sat down, letting the Stradivarius he’d been offered rest gently in his lap. You glanced up at him, and he gave you a reassuring smile. You smiled back, but you sensed you were much more nervous. “Nya…you’re gonna make sure to vote for Malleus, right?” Grim whispered. “No matter what?” “I have to be fair,” you replied, half-sighing and shaking your head. “Let’s just hope he knows what he’s doing, agreeing to all this…” “It’s Tsunotaro,” reasoned Grim. “Doesn’t he always know what he’s doing?” “Debatable,” you chuckled, then added more seriously, “There’s a first time for everything. Now sit still and let’s listen.” Grim nodded, and watched alongside you as Bannor skipped to the center of the throne room and rosened up his bow. He plucked at the strings of his tiny, leprechaun-sized fiddle a few times, as if to test them; the test must have been successful, for he nodded in approval before tucking the fiddle under his chin and smirking at Malleus as he placed the bowstrings just behind the bridge. “Away we go!” he sang out merrily, and tapped his foot four times as he counted down: “Aon…dhà…trì…ceithir!”

And so began Bannor’s tune. The first few bars carried a wistful yet pleasant sound; a tune that spoke of good and magical memories, fading into the mind of the one who thought of them. Then, abruptly, the tune kicked into a higher gear: Bannor sawed away at the fiddle strings, bobbing and swaying to his own music as he picked up the pace. The tune retained its nostalgic sentiment, but the memory was growing clearer…and the memory was not simply a nice one, but a FUN one. There was a slightly boastful energy to the piece; as if the player knew he was great, and was happy to brag about that accomplishment…yet it did not spoil the sense of real emotion under the singing strings. It was the sound of a party that was never truly forgotten; the sound of first kisses, of dancing with a beautiful stranger for the first time. A song that spoke of the vibrancy of youth and times past, and the sense of joy that always filled one’s heart when remembering those long-forgotten experiences. The song of a single perfect night, with a perfect lover, and all one’s friends around them. The music was cheery, bright, and filled with quick flourishes; a melody that matched the merry nature of its player as Bannor. The leprechaun danced to his own music, prancing to and fro as he twirled his bowstick between bars, just to show off. His whole demeanor was one of frivolous joy, matching the partying tone of the tune he played. His cape swirled about him as he spun about at one point, before scratching out another chorus; the tune he played was peppy, almost poppy, and easy to dance to and recall. You suddenly realized you were moving to the beat in your seat as you listened; Bannor must have noticed, for he looked you dead in the eye as he pulled the bow across the strings with a long, sensuous sort of sound, and winked. The two-foot tall fiddler hopped up onto the crock of gold itself, as the music picked up again, and his heels tapped out a quick jig. Even this did not stop him from his playing as the music kept to its pattern, the song it played as easy to grasp as it was to understand, yet filled with unexpected complexities. The music was somehow both superficial and deep at the same time; a difficult combination to pull off, yet Bannor somehow managed. Hopping off of the cauldron full of coins, Bannor lighted once more upon his feet as he steadied his playing, as if his violin needed to catch a break as much as he did…then, with shocking swiftness, the music “flipped” back into its jovial, jaunty state, and remained as chipper as it started right up until - with a long, slow, meaningful slice of the bow - it swooped into its closure. Twirling both his fiddle and his fiddlestick, Bannor bowed most low, till his nose nearly touched the floor. Almost without thinking, both yourself and Grim applauded. “Nya! That was really good!” Grim cried out. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone play like that!” you laughed. Malleus clapped more politely, a small smile upon his dark lips. “Well played, Prince Bannor,” he complimented. “Very well played, indeed. I must commend your performance, I do confess.” “Thank ye!” twittered Bannor. His green eyes were aflame with impending triumph as he stood and smirked at Malleus Draconia. “An’ now,” he announced. “Ye can have yer own turn, I think.” The moment those words were uttered, the smiles on your face and Grim’s own fuzzy mug vanished. A worried look passed between you both as you seemingly only just then remembered what was on the line. It was a testament to Bannor’s playing that you had gotten so wrapped up in the performance, you completely forgot the stakes. It was going to be difficult for anyone to beat that, you felt… …But then, Malleus Draconia had never been one to settle for second best. Indeed, as Malleus rose from the throne - holding the fiddlestick and fiddle in one hand, and adjusting the hat upon his horned head with the other - he seemed thoroughly unfazed. Not overly confident, but not evidently very nervous either; a perfect poker face. Bannor swaggered around the dragon, the pair flashing a challenging glare at each other as the leprechaun prince hopped back into his throne, smirking with one hand drumming its fingers on the seat cushion, the other planting a fist into his chin. Malleus, like Bannor before him, calmly rosened up his bow and checked the strings. Evidently, he was displeased with one of them, for he frowned and adjusted the tightness of the A string. Nodding with satisfaction after plucking it again, he cleared his throat and gave a mild sort of smile. “I must admit, it’s been a little while longer than I’d like since I held an instrument,” he said. “However, we’ll see if my personal training still holds strong. Now, sit down in that chair, my friend…” He tucked the violin under his chin, and draped the bow across the strings. Now, at first, you were worried: much like with Bannor’s tune of choice, the piece Malleus began to play started off slow. In fact, it was even slower than Bannor’s song: the first few bars were low and tremulous, filled with a sense of strange ambiguity and mystery, very different from the nostalgic pleasantness of Bannor’s tune, and leaving you uncertain in more ways than one. The way the music abruptly changed - the tempo sharply jolting into a racing, pounding melody, like that of a runaway heartbeat - also caught you off guard, and left you unsure. However, any concerns you had soon dissipated, as the music went on, and the marvelous melody poured its way into your ears. It started off steady and simple; a contemplative, deeply emotional ballad, which carried emotions similar to Bannor’s song, but also somehow distinctly different. Where Bannor’s song had been gay and merry, filled with the simple happiness of youth, this tune was dark and lush, filled with all the melodrama of a Gothic romance. It spoke of love that would never die, and of sins that could never be forgiven nor forgotten. It was tender, yet vengeful; bitter, yet sweet. Its tone carried something that was ageless, something that was unable to stand within a specific period; as if this was a song that had been passed down through generations, whistling through the wind from some far off shore. As the music went on, it only grew stronger. Malleus began to play with the melody more, throwing in slick little flourishes that slid into the main beat with what had to be well-practiced ease. The sweeping sounds were mingled with striking, almost stinging masterstrokes, a sense of adventure and grand scope in every bar. This was not a song of humble parties and temporary pleasure, but the anthem of immortality itself: long strains of sanity, broken up by wild touches of hammering, maddening enthusiasm. A desperate and yet brooding tune. As the song went on, Malleus showed off more and more of his range, and the power the fiddle held in its silver-strung framework of sculpted wood. His fiddling arm pumped and the fingers upon the strings whirled themselves into a blur as he scraped away at the strings with intense, almost ferocious speed, only to then swing around into a calming, lullaby-like mood. The notes, themselves, ran the full gamut: while Bannor’s song had been exquisitely played, it had all remained the same basic key and range. Malleus Draconia seemed to put the fiddle to the test of its own merit, the bowstrings summoning screaming, wailing shrieks of haunting exultation, before dropping down to the lowest notes possible, creaking like the hallowed walls of an aged crypt. Then he would let them fall even lower, till they became the mere whispers of a phantom, before flying up to their highest capacity. In all, where Bannor’s had been peppy and poppy, Malleus Draconia’s song was a rocky yet timeless tune of both melancholy and passion combined. The intensity of the music seemed to flood through Malleus himself, for - like Bannor had - he began to dance to his own tune…yet even then, his eyes remained closed, his expression tranquil and almost dreamlike, as if he were lost in another world, where only the music could reach him. Finally, after summoning several long scores of high, fast notes from the fiddle’s beautifully crafted construction, Malleus Draconia pulled from its plates, posts, and ribs a few final long, dulcet, eternal chords, and - dragging the bow across the strings with something like a hiss - his part of the competition came to a close. Malleus let out a sigh through his nostrils as the music echoed its last notes through the chamber…then he opened his glowing green eyes as a serpentine smile fell across his face. “Was that sufficient?” he asked, softly. So softly, in fact, it almost hurt to hear. Your jaw was on the ground. Grim’s eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates. Even Prince Bannor O’Brien was utterly gobsmacked. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. Malleus chuckled softly, a victorious glint in his emerald eyes. “Speechless, are we?” he crooned. “Well, then am I to trust that my concerto was the superior piece?” “Oh, yeah,” you said, without hesitation or any show of even trying to give Bannor credit. “That was…WOW. Just…just WOW.” “Thank you, Child of Man,” Malleus replied, obeisantly. All Grim could do was clap slowly, completely flabbergasted. Bannor glanced between yourself and the cat-like imp, then back at Malleus, who was staring at him expectantly. The little prince looked back at him, clearly shaken to the core. “I’ve played fer many centuries, but by the stars above…!” He shook his head and sighed, then gave a half-hearted smile as he repositioned himself, his own fiddle and stick disappearing in a wisp of golden mist as he knelt down upon the throne’s seat, bowing his head and swirling his cape dramatically before him in a show of old-fashioned submission and respect. “I yield,” he said. “Good,” was all Malleus said, then looked over at you and Grim. He smiled gently. “The power of the leprechaun’s Come Hither should now be removed. Ashengrotto and Bucchi are waiting just outside.” “Azul?” Grim asked, ears pricking up. “Ruggie?” you wondered aloud. “Yes,” nodded Malleus, and pointed with his own bow towards the stone door. “Meet with them, then collect Spade and Trappola. After that, please head back to campus.” Malleus looked back at Prince Bannor. Something truly devilish glittered in his eye. “We fellow fairy princes,” he said, sibilantly, “Have an arrangement to discuss.” Bannor gulped nervously. You looked between Malleus and Bannor, sensing the tension…but you nodded in easy agreement. “Alright,” you said, then nudged Grim as you sat up from the treasure chest. “Come on, let’s get moving.” “Nya! You don’t hafta tell me twice!” laughed Grim, hopping up from his own seat before smiling and waving to Bannor. “Thanks for all the tasty tuna, Bannor! It really was a lot of fun…but we’ve gotta go back to Night Raven! The Great Grim’s gotta keep training to be the most awesome mage ever!” Bannor gave a weak smile back and nodded, saying nothing. You smiled apologetically to him as he looked at you, then beckoned for Grim to follow as you both headed towards the exit. Bannor lifted a hand, and the stone slab parted just enough to allow both yourself and your feline-esque friend room to leave. You cast one last look back over your shoulder, just in time to watch Bannor stand and sweep one hand limply through the air…shutting the door once again. Now, the leprechaun prince was alone in his throne room with the dark prince of the fae. “I never thought I’d hear fiddlin’ like that from anyone other than…well…meself, I suppose,” said Bannor, with a mild chuckle. He gave a sad sort of smile to Malleus. “I suppose I should point out I never meant to hurt either o’ them. And as fer our own bargain…I probably woulda just asked ya fer a favor or two if ye’d lost.” “You played well, Prince Bannor,” Malleus replied, and placed the Stradivarius inside the box from which it had come, before striding back towards the throne. “I concede you did far better than even I anticipated. But there were few contests of choice you could have picked that I would have lost.” The words were not spoken out of arrogance, but simply as a matter of fact. Bannor looked up, still standing upon his throne, as Malleus glided over, looming over him. Two pairs of green eyes peered into each other; two were anxious and soulful, the other two cold and hard as lime glass. “Unlike you, I have every intention of reaping the rewards of our agreement to the fullest,” Malleus said, darkly. Bannor sighed and crossed his arms. “Faith, yer a hard man, ye know that?” he grumbled, and raised an eyebrow with a pouting sort of look on his freckled little face. “Alright. Our agreement stated I’d give ye the two humans an’ a wish if ye won. So name yer wish!” Malleus smiled. It was a slow, dead sort smile; the smile of a reptile before it strikes for the kill. Bannor immediately felt unsettled. “A wish?” Malleus cooed, coyly. “Why on Earth would I demand a wish from you, little man?” Bannor blinked in confusion. “Yer sayin’...ye don’t want the wish?” Malleus nodded in confirmation. His green eyes were owlish and unblinking, only further unnerving the leprechaun prince, who fidgeted where he stood upon his gilded chair. “But…didn’t ye say-?” “I said that you would be forced to do something for me. One simple thing. That doesn’t mean I wanted to make a wish; I told you if you wanted to think of it like that, you could, but it’s not the same thing.” “Ah. Well, um…then, pray tell, wh-what is it ye want me to do?” Malleus Draconia’s fangs gleamed like an assortment of pearl daggers, as his lips curled into a rare and truly frightening grin. He answered with a single word. “Die.” Bannor cried out as, without any further warning, one of Malleus Draconia’s fingerless-gloved hands swooped down and snatched up the little prince by the waist. The doll-sized little man tried to pry Malleus’ hands free with his own tiny mitts, as his small feet kicked frantically and uselessly at the empty air. He was hoisted up as easily as if he were made of stuffing. “ACK! WH-WHAT IN CHERNABOG’S NAME ARE YE DOIN’?!” yelled Bannor, then let out a strained sound as Malleus squeezed tighter, the superhuman strength of the half-drake threatening to bend his bones. “I am taking what I am owed,” replied Malleus calmly. Then, before Bannor could retort, he leaned in, and let his forked tongue slither free from his jaws, slathering it across the face of the eighteen-inch-tall royal. A rumble of pleasure echoed out from the dragon fairy’s diaphragm. “Mmmmm…Bucchi was not lying about your flavor,” he breathed out, shakily, grinning evilly into Bannor’s stupefied face as the leprechaun spluttered in shock. “No…no, NO! Y-Ye can’t be SERIOUS!” Bannor screeched. “I am deathly serious, Prince of the Shoemakers,” Malleus glared menacingly, his expression stormy and filled with simmering rage. “You kidnapped one of the few mortals I actually care about. Someone I would stop at nothing to protect. Worse yet, you took them when they were under MY guardianship: this is an offense to my title and lineage.” “Kidnapped?! Wait…y-YOUR guardianship?!” Bannor exclaimed, and shook his head, wide-eyed and beyond terrified. “L-Listen…w-wait now, ye don’t understand! W-We can talk this over…!” “I am in no mood for talking,” growled Malleus, and squeezed again, making Bannor squeal. “Y-Ye can’t…can’t just EAT me!” Bannor managed to protest through gritted teeth. “Yer in MY kingdom, ye fire-breathin’ fool! What…wh-what do ye think will happen if ye-?!” “We made an arrangement, as peers of our races,” Malleus responded with a supercilious smile. “In this instance, I am beyond reproach, by the very rules we had our contest under. I would have expected a leprechaun, of all creatures, to have known how a loophole functions.” “Ye…ye tricksy, deceitful, connivin’, double-dealin’, high-handed…!” “Oh, by all means, continue to insult me,” chortled Malleus, then leaned close and whispered into Bannor’s ear. “It will make your digestion far more entertaining to hear those cries change inside my stomach.” GRRRRLLLLG… Bannor shuddered as he heard Malleus Draconia’s belly rumble. Malleus licked his lips as he rubbed his belly with one hand, pawing at his middle through the fabric of his costume. “Mmmmm…isn’t it fitting, in a perverse sort of way?” he cooed. “This whole mess began because a student of Night Raven College was going to eat you up, little prince. And now, I do believe it’s going to end with that very notion becoming a reality. Really, though, you ought to thank me: if you think it’s bad inside of my belly, I doubt you even want to try and IMAGINE the hyena’s.” “My people…!” “Ah, yes. Them. Fear not, I will not cause any further problems for them. Really, perhaps you shouldn’t have dismissed them all…perhaps then I could have had a bigger meal, if any of them tried to stop me.” “I’ll make ye choke, ye cheatin’…!” “I highly doubt that. Thank you for the amusement, Prince Bannor. Now, if you’ll excuse me, seeing as I’m here on a feast day…” Malleus opened his jaws wide. Beyond the curl of his forked tongue and the slippery muscles of his cheeks, Bannor could see the glowing green of his innermost chambers, the gullet pulsing and flexing as it prepared to enjoy its next meal. The tongue ran across the tips of Draconia’s ivory fangs before he spoke again… “...I think I’ll help myself to the hors d'oeuvres.” And before Bannor O’Brien could so much as threaten to leave a changeling in every bed - NOMPH! - Malleus Draconia shoved the Prince of the Leprechauns into his jaws. His mouth clamped down around his prey’s chest as he crammed the little person into his maw. Bannor continued to cry out, cursing in violent Gaelic as Malleus hurriedly began to gobble him up, shoveling more and more of the little caped figure into his gullet as rapidly as he could. He took no time savoring even a single bite; typically, the dragon would not wolf down his food so rapaciously… GULP…GUUULLLP…GUUUUULLLLLP…! …But sometimes, expediency took prominence over tidy table manners. The dragon’s throat bulged grotesquely, the pale flesh straining against the ascot he wore as he guzzled down his victim. Bannor’s form could be seen writhing in the neck-tube, as he squirmed for dear life all the way down the esophagus. Each time Malleus swallowed, the muscles would tighten with almost hydraulic power, forcing a wheezing cry from the leprechaun, whose heart beat against the gullet walls with a staccato rhythm faster than any jig he danced. He could feel more and more of himself sleeping into the ghastly, glowing digestive tract of the half-dragon prince. His waist, his hips, his thighs…inch by inch, the red-haired little elf was forced downwards with inexorable power. The more he wriggled, the further he seemed to descend. As he slid deeper and deeper into Malleus Draconia’s internal furnace, the leprechaun could feel the foul atmosphere grow increasingly worse; Malleus’ breath had actually been fairly decent, but now that he was nearing the stomach, the odor became increasingly acrid and sour. This was combined with the slime and mucus smearing his fine suit, and the oppressive, steaming heat that made his face turn almost as red as his hair, as sweat speckled his little brow. Soon, only the leprechaun’s buckle-shoed feet remained beyond the larger prince’s lips. Malleus pushed the twitching toes past his lips with a SCHLUPP sound. He grimaced at the dull taste of bland, black leather…then threw his head back, tugging at his ascot to loosen it slightly as he swallowed the last of his meal… GUUULLL-LLLUUUP! …And sent Prince Bannor O’Brien into his belly, whole and alive. The lump in the tall, pale, horned fae’s throat vanished behind his sternum…then Malleus sneered slightly, as his stomach sloshed, and his midsection became noticeably bloated. After all, even for Draconia, swallowing something the size of a whole catfish was no easy feat when in humanoid form. His stomach strained against the buttons of his shirt, vest, and trousers. Carefully, Malleus eased himself to sit upon the throne, his dark-clawed fingers quickly darting across his abdomen as they began to fiddle with and undo the buttons… GLORSH! “Ahhhhh,” Malleus sighed with relief, as his pale belly was allowed to spill outward, resting in his lap. The sense of released pressure was so great, the dragon boy felt all thought cease in his head, relaxing into the welcoming sensations of a full, swollen belly. He belched thickly and chuckled softly, placing a hand to his mouth in mock embarrassment as the other petted his stomach lovingly. “UUUURRRRRLLLLLPK! Oof…oh, DO excuse me…I believe something I ate isn’t agreeing with me,” he chuckled to no one in particular, smirking as he saw lumps and bumps form on the surface of his muscular belly. Muffled curses and cries in a foreign tongue came from the gut of the dragon as Bannor was forced to curl up inside the green-tinted gastric chamber. The walls - illuminated as if by the dragon’s inner fire - were a faintly-glowing green, just as his gullet had been. There was light, but it was scant and eerie in nature, allowing Bannor only the barest illumination of his gurgling surroundings. He kicked his feet through the mucky murk that was made up of a blend of stomach fluids and residue from whatever Malleus had eaten last. (Was that a whiff of ketchup Bannor caught in his smarting nostrils?) He banged his fists into the pulsing, veiny stomach walls, jabbing at them and smacking them as they rippled around him, pressing down and then pulling back in rhythmic motions as they worked to churn him up…just like anything else the dragon had ever eaten… “Let…LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT, YE WRETCHED BUFFOON!” Bannor boomed at the top of his lungs. “Y-YE WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS! I SWEAR IT!” Malleus, outside, grunted and stifled another belch in his cheeks. He puffed it out of the corner of his mouth and fanned the stinking air before his face with one hand. The other traced this fingertips across his bare belly in random shapes as he smiled with a sense of sly satisfaction. “HHHRRRLLLMMMPH…phoosh. Hm-hm-hmm…oh, come now, Prince Bannor. Why so…ooooh, aggressive, eh?” Malleus shivered, kneading into his stomach with his hand as it let out an almost possessive burbling noise. He could feel his guts clenching around his prey, then loosening again as they tested the meat packed within. “A wondrous future lies before you! Or rather…inside of me. After all, I should think going from Prince of the Shoemakers to some more weight on my hips would be considered a promotion. Or do you not agree?” The way Bannor kicked indicated that no, he did NOT agree AT ALL. Malleus grunted and chuckled from the motions, belching once more and smirking as he drew circles around his own navel with one claw. His stomach was swollen, but not gruesomely or grotesquely so. It felt taut and tight; whenever he tapped it, ripples went through it, and it shifted slightly. “UUUURRRRP…heh heh heh…still unhappy? What a shame. Perhaps next time you will think twice about taking from a dragon’s hoard. I would have imagined a leprechaun to know better than to take another fairy’s treasure from them.” “I…I didn’t mean to!” Bannor screamed out. “Look, j-just let me out! I…I’m tellin’ ye, we can discuss this! Ye don’t-!” Malleus growled and flexed his abs, his stomach muscles tightening around Bannor threateningly, silencing the leprechaun, who squealed in discomfort as he was crunched in from all sides. After a moment, the stomach loosened its hold, but it was still rather cramped in the swampy prison of draconic gluttony. “Tell your lies to my stomach, little man,” snarled Malleus. “I’m sure my bowels will be quite interested in hearing them.” Bannor whimpered; he still continued to fight, but his anger was starting to give way to panic. He could feel the juices tingling against his skin as they soaked into his regal costume. He pushed upwards, frantically trying to find some way to make the enraged, ravenous fae sick. “I’ll…I’ll give ye a gut-ache like ye wouldn’t believe!” he shouted. “Yer g-gonna regret this! I promise you that!” Outside, Malleus Draconia smiled lazily, reclining in the throne of the leprechaun king as he poked at the bulges his squirming meal made on the surface of his stomach. “Will I?” he drawled, airily. “What a shame…do let me know when I start to. That is, if there’s anything left of you that’s solid by that point.” With a dark chuckle, the head of Diasomnia massaged his wriggling, whining new meal. It had been a while since he’d enjoyed something that could squirm this way… …He wanted to savor this sensation. Just a little longer. “Keep kicking, my dear little friend,” he cooed, poking his stomach teasingly. “I’ll be belching your lifeline of oxygen away soon enough. If it’s any consolation, in the meantime…” Malleus licked his chops as he heard Bannor let out a keening noise within him. “...You truly were magically delicious.” The dragon’s menacing laughter echoed through the hall, mingling with the muffled calls for help from within his belly. However, as his laughter came to a halt, Malleus’ pointed ears pricked up, as he heard a new sound. It was the sound of tiny feet. A lot of tiny feet. A slippery smirk came over his face. “How predictable,” he whispered to himself, drumming his fingers over his stomach.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“PREFECT!” You grunted as, without warning, Ace and Deuce nearly tackled you to the ground. You chuckled and hugged them both back as Grim trotted up and nuzzled their legs with a pleased purr. Ruggie and Azul were following close behind you, each dusting themselves off and looking mildly miffed. After leaving the hall of the leprechaun prince, Patrick had led the four of you through the corridor, back to the bottom of the great well that led into the fairy mound’s palatial depths. Once you had reached the spot - the entryway looming above you like a full moon - he suddenly disappeared, seemingly into thin air. This oddity was quickly followed by another, as a swirl of what seemed to be mighty wind whipped around the three of you, and carried you back up through the well’s long tunnel to the surface once again. “Good to see you both,” you said to your friends from Heartslabyul. “Nya! How come you didn’t give me that reaction?” pouted Grim, pausing in his affectionate nuzzles. “Oh? Does the Great Grim WANT to be cuddled like a stuffed animal?” smirked Ace, teasingly. Grim immediately took a couple steps back and hissed. “That’s a no,” snickered Ace. “It seems like you two managed pretty well,” Azul observed, adjusting his spectacles; his usual tic. “Not a scratch on either of you.” “Not only that, but where have all the Little People gone?” frowned Ruggie, ears twitching as he scooped up his long-discarded hat. He brushed it off and looked around, a little perplexed. “Weren’t there a bunch of those morsels fighting you both?” “More like trying to fight,” Ace snorted cockily. “There were, but I guess they must have chickened out or something,” Deuce responded. “Chickened out?” you repeated, confused. “What do you mean?” “Well, we were bouncing around, flinging magic and deflecting attacks, and all of a sudden that little guy who was leading them-” Azul recalled the name: “O’Reilly?” “Yeah,” nodded Deuce, and went on: “Out of nowhere, he called something out I couldn’t understand…and then - POOF! - they all just disappeared outta nowhere. Real shame, too, the fight was getting pretty good…” Ace, Azul, and Grim each rolled their eyes at Deuce’s words. Ruggie let out his trademark snicker. You, however, felt a bit worried. Your expression must have shown it, because Deuce gave you a look of concern. “What’s the matter, Prefect?” he wondered. “How long ago was this?” you asked. “Just a few minutes ago, basically right before you arrived,” Deuce answered. Ace nodded to confirm and agree with this statement. “Huh. Sounds like it might have been at the same time that Patrick guy disappeared on us,” Ruggie Bucchi observed. That was too much of a coincidence to BE a coincidence. You shared a glance with Azul; his expression matched your own. “Malleus said he had business to deal with,” you said, ominously. “Fairies can have some interesting forms of intuition,” Azul replied. “Perhaps they sensed something was amiss in the throne room, and hurried to see what was going on.” “Psh. A bunch of tiny people versus Malleus Draconia?” scoffed Ruggie. “Come on, I think that’s ASKING to be dragon food.” “That’s exactly what worries me,” you said, and spun on your heel, hurrying back towards the well. “MINION!” shouted Grim. “Where are you going?!” You paused at the well to give a weak sort of smile over your shoulder. “To save the leprechaun prince. Again.” And before any of your friends could stop you, you hurled yourself over the edge and found yourself tumbling back down the well once more.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Let him out.” Malleus’ smile now showed off his teeth. Patrick and O’Reilly stood at the front of the proverbial pack, as the rest of the leprechaun guards - who all looked a bit tuckered out after their skirmish on the surface level - stood behind them. More than a few of them were trembling. Malleus Draconia supposed he could not blame them. The Little People were low on the fairy totem pole…and the sight of one such as himself, with their own prince trapped and squirming inside his belly, would have likely been more than enough to instill fear in even the hardiest of creatures. Still, his green eyes danced with a mixture of respect and amusement. Patrick and O’Reilly showed no such signs of terror. Only simmering outrage. “Your bravery is admirable, little ones,” he commented, stroking the underside of his belly as he spoke. “Unfortunately, I believe I am well within my rights in taking this course of action.” “Don’t hand me that!” spat O’Reilly. “Ye led a team o’ interlopin’ mortals here, on the night o’ the most important holiday our people celebrate! Ye challenged our ruler to a duel, which ye knew he had nearly no hope o’ winnin’! An’ to top it off, ye tricked him an’ ye ATE HIM after winnin’!” “And I think there’s nothing you can do about any of it,” chuckled Malleus. Patrick snarled something in Gaelic. Malleus’ expression softened slightly. “You have my sympathies, Leftenants,” he intoned, and then rose from the throne, still cupping his bloated gut with one hand as Bannor’s fists pounded at his belly walls, forming tiny dents and bulges on the surface. “If my own bodyguards were present, they would, I hope, have the same reaction in such a situation. Unfortunately, as it stands, I have claimed my prize…” He patted his stomach. It made a “blortle” sound and wobbled. “...In a manner that does not defy any of the fairy laws at all. Perhaps I am bending some of the rules slightly, but I have broken none. Considering your monarch stole what was rightfully mine from me-” “SHUT UP! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF IT!” yelled Patrick. “JUST LET HIM OUT!” Malleus’ sympathetic expression shifted. He lifted one hand - the one that wasn’t tracing circles around his own navel - and the cane he had dropped earlier flew through the air and into his grasp. “Do not come between a dragon and his prey,” he said, warningly. “I have tried to be as fair as possible to you all, under the circumstances, but my patience is not infinite.” Sparks of electricity began to surround the scepter-like topper of the staff. The leprechauns all took a step back. “Do not force my hand,” Malleus said coldly, and scratched at his stomach. It sloshed, a muffled whimpering sound coming from the curled up royal packed inside. “This feud is between your prince and myself, but I can easily take this further. I would advise you not to cause me to become angry. Let me leave with my meal, and manage as you will from there…or stand in my way, and at least two of you will join him.” Patrick and O’Reilly’s faces finally did show fear, but nevertheless, they took up fighting positions. Their soldiers seemed equally scared, but they still followed suit. Malleus seemed disappointed, but only for a moment. A wicked smirk painted his lips, which he licked subtly. “Very well, if you insist. I suppose I could go for some dessert…” “STOP!” The sparks disappeared from Malleus’ weapon, and his eyes widened in surprise - in fact, his expression almost bordered on shock - as he looked past the leprechauns to the source of the voice. The little green guards all looked to see who had spoken, and soon showed matching looks of amazement. “Prefect?” murmured Malleus. “You!” exclaimed Patrick, as you ran across the room from the entrance, pausing about halfway to the throne. “How did ye get in here?!” “You left the door open,” you drawled in response. “I know you guys were in a hurry, but next time double-check.” Patrick flushed and said nothing as O’Reilly gave him an almost scolding sort of glance. You paid little mind to the lieutenants. You fixed the dragon prince with the firmest expression you could, as Malleus continued to stare at you, as if stunned by your appearance. “Let him go, Malleus,” you all but commanded. “This really isn’t worth it.” Malleus blinked twice…then his expression cooled and he smiled. “I’m surprised you’re making such a demand, Child of Man,” he purred, and rubbed his belly up and down in a smooth, almost seductive sort of way. “I honestly would have expected you to be the most supportive of my methods in punishing this thieving little creature.” You blushed and squirmed slightly. “If my…INTERESTS had anything to do with it, I wouldn’t have saved him from Ruggie to begin with,” you muttered, then spoke aloud. “Malleus, you really don’t understand what’s going on. These…extremes really are not necessary!” “I say they are,” scowled Malleus, gripping his belly possessively. “How can I be sure he won’t put the Come Hither on you or Grim once more? How can I keep you safe when the threat of being stolen away is always present?” “He wasn’t trying to STEAL me. At least, not exactly,” you sighed. “He was…trying to help me.” Malleus just looked at you. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. “...Help you?” he repeated at last. You nodded. “And what help could he offer that I was not already able to do?” he retorted. “How did keeping you a prisoner ‘help’ you at all?” His gaze softened, there was a sadness to his eyes. “I might not have seen you again, my friend,” he whispered, in a shattered sort of voice. “I’m not saying what he did was right,” you replied. “But how is what you’re doing any better? You’re taking him away from the people who care about him most. Just like he took me away from you.” “I’d call that karmic justice.” “I’d call that two ridiculous misunderstandings!” you almost shouted, an action that made Malleus and the leprechauns alike jolt back, slightly startled. You took a breath then moved closer, approaching the throne. Once you were near enough, you placed a hand on Malleus Draconia’s swollen belly. You could feel Bannor wriggling beneath his skin. You tried your best to ignore the mixed emotions that flooded you as a result as you looked into Malleus’ glowing green irises. “Please,” you implored, softly. “Let him out. This doesn’t have to end this way for anyone.” Malleus looked back at you for a moment, as if checking to see if you would blink. When he blinked first, he sighed, then gave a small sort of smile. “Alright,” he agreed. “Since you are so adamant, and I am clearly in a…precarious position, as it is…” He glanced towards the leprechaun guards gathered ‘round before looking back into your face. “...I’ll do as you ask.” You smiled gratefully and backed up a few paces. The leprechauns at your feet all kept glancing between yourself and Malleus, with mixed expressions of apprehension, confusion, and more than a few looks of anxious hope. Malleus closed his eyes, as if focusing, one hand pressing into his stomach firmly. His nostrils flared as he began to breathe in…his Adam’s Apple bobbed as he gulped down air, sending it into his bubbling gut. Muffled noises of scared confusion came from his stomach as Bannor reacted to the influx of “fresh” (it wasn’t so fresh by the time it reached him) air in the sac-like prison of flesh that squelched and squished around him. Knowing what was coming, you turned pink in the cheeks, then looked down towards Patrick and O’Reilly. “Uh…you and your friends might wanna cover your ears,” you warned. “Just a heads-up.” Taking your advice, the leprechauns hurriedly plugged up their pointed ears with their fingertips. It wasn’t a moment too soon, for a second later, Malleus’ green eyes widened as he thumped his chest with his other hand. His cheeks swelled up almost comically…and then… “UUUUUURRRRRROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRLLLLLLLP-HACK!” The rumbling, wet burp - a most uncouth display from the prince of the dark fae - was concluded by an unpleasant wretching noise. Something solidly visibly came up from Malleus’ stomach, the thick swell in his belly shifting upwards, back into his gullet. He grunted and burped a few more times - shorter, more strained sounds than the first blast - before, finally, a familiar form came slipping from his open maw, and flopped onto the floor of the throne room like a limp fish. Naturally, the solid object was Prince Bannor O’Brien. While Malleus summoned a handkerchief from seemingly thin air and wiped at his mouth - looking mildly disgusted by his own crude behavior - you knelt down beside the eighteen-inch royal. He was covered in a heavy film of stomach slime, his garments utterly ruined, but he otherwise seemed unharmed. With a groan, Bannor’s eyes fluttered open. A few unintelligible mumbles, almost as if he were talking in his sleep, left the leprechaun’s mouth as he blinked blearily up at you. A small smile began to form over his face…but soon, a look of alarm filled his emerald eyes, when he saw Malleus looming over him. Draconia held up a hand, in a placating, patience-seeking gesture, as if to assure Bannor he would not harm him. Bannor glared back, but his expression softened as he looked at you once more. “Did…did you…save me?” he coughed out. You nodded with a slight smirk. “Yeah…for the record, I think rescuing you from somebody’s digestive system is becoming a habit, Your Highness. Please, let’s stop it.” Bannor gave a weak smirk in return. Then his eyes lit up. “Wait…did ye…did ye come back to stay?” he asked, hopefully. “I knew it! I knew ye couldn’t stay away-!” You shook your head, stopping him in his tracks. “Listen, Bannor…your home is amazing. It really is. And I know you mean well. But a person isn’t something you can just hoard like a piece of treasure, no matter what your reasons for doing so are. And besides, I think you really need to get all your facts straight.” “All me facts straight?” Bannor repeated, with a frown. He tossed his head indicatively upwards, towards Malleus. “About him, ye mean? Because-” Bannor paused. He felt the top of his saliva-slickened scalp and frowned. “Hold on…where’s me crown?” “BRRRUUUPP!” Malleus burped again, and a familiar gold-and-emerald crown flew from his jaws. It bounced and rolled across the floor with a jangling sound. The leprechauns gathered around looked almost as green as one of Malleus’ flames; the dragon prince pardoned himself under his breath, covering his mouth, seeming genuinely embarrassed. You couldn’t help but snort with laughter at the look Bannor gave the half-dragon. You quickly composed yourself and spoke up. “Let’s get things on track,” you said, catching the sludge-coated leprechaun’s attention. “Bannor…you never needed to take me away from Night Raven. I didn’t need a new home, because my old home was never really in any danger.” “But…but yer dorm was flooded, wasn’t it?” “Hardly a cause for the greatest alarm, when there is magic around,” Malleus muttered, speaking up and joining in the explanation. “The Prefect’s house is only TEMPORARILY unusable.” “Temporarily?” repeated Bannor. “Yes,” Malleus nodded. “They came to me for help, after I’d seen it all happen.” “I was under his protection, staying in his dorm, until my home got repaired,” you said. “That’s why he was so upset and why all…” You gestured to the prince’s ruined cape. “...THIS ended up happening.” Bannor seemed stunned. “Then…then ye mean to say…I took ye away without there ever bein’ a real reason fer it?” “I’m afraid so,” you chuckled. “Your messenger only got part of the information needed. It wasn’t their fault or anyone else’s; this whole thing has just been one mountain made out of a misunderstood molehill.” You then looked up at Malleus. “That’s also why I wanted to let him out,” you said. “Malleus, he wasn’t trying to kidnap me outright, or hurt me…Bannor just wanted to help. I saved his life, and he was trying to repay the favor by helping me out of what he thought was an irreversible situation.” Malleus’ eyes widened for a moment…then narrowed again. “I see,” he whispered, then looked at Bannor and bowed deeply, one hand to his heart as he bent down on one knee. “In that Event, fellow prince - and I say those words without sarcasm - it is I who am in the wrong. My actions were greatly unwarranted, and could have proven beyond unfortunate for both our races. No apologies of mine can be enough, I’m sure, but I give them to you nonetheless.” Bannor paused for a moment, looking Malleus up and down, before finally giving his answer: “After I get the stink o’ dragon gob outta me hair an’ skin, I think I’ll be able to accept that apology.” Malleus smirked, but only for a fleeting moment. Bannor gave a nervous smile in return. It was equally fleeting. He grunted and got to his feet, his cape still dripping goop onto the floor. “Ahem…I - ugh, excuse me, the smell really is rank - AHEM! I feel I must apologize, too. Me choices were equally bad. I assure ye, all I wanted was to repay the person who helped me, an’ I suppose I was too overzealous in that endeavor. By all rights, they belong with ye, at Night Raven, not here among the Little People. I hope ye will accept me own apology…and, uh…I-I hope ye won’t…y’know…eat me again…” “I think I prefer more filling meals,” grinned Malleus, almost teasingly. Bannor’s nervous smile returned in full force. “Ahem!” coughed Patrick, and your eyes and those of the two princes turned towards him and O’Reilly. They and the leprechaun guards were still watching all this unfold. “Y’know, grand as this may be…we still have a feast to get back to,” Patrick grumbled. “Aye!” O’Reilly nodded. “The night can’t last forever, sir!” “Faith, an’ yer right!” exclaimed Bannor, then grinned up at you and Malleus. “Might I invite ye to join us fer the party, once I summon back my people?” Malleus was all but brimming with delight at the moment the word “invite” was uttered. You chuckled, and nodded. “I think we’d be happy to. After you clean up, of course,” you said, gesturing to Bannor’s clothes. “Ah! Nothin’a  bit o’ magic can’t fix!” laughed Bannor. He snapped his fingers, and with a simple spell, his clothes returned to their clean state, and the smell of Malleus’ stomach acids disappeared into the ether. You were almost sorry about that last part. A few moments later, Patrick came jogging over, offering the Prince his now-clean crown. Bannor replaced the crown on his head and swirled his cape, his freckled face beaming with its usual cheerful radiance. “Summon the Little People back to the dance!” he ordered. “O’Reilly, go fetch the other mortals upstairs! They’re all invited to join in the celebration!” “We’ll make sure they behave themselves,” you promised, as O’Reilly hurried off to the surface, and Patrick raced away to gather the rest of the leprechauns from their hideaways under the ground. “Thank you, Bannor!” “Sure, an’ this is the least I can do,” Bannor replied, then a slight smirk crossed his lips. “In fact…seein’ as this whole chaotic debacle was caused by my own foolery, would ye be against takin’ an offer from me?” “That entirely depends on what it is,” Malleus said. “The offer is for yer mortal friend here,” said the leprechaun prince, gesturing to you. “Me?” you blinked. “Yes, you! Ye’ve saved me life TWICE now, an’ ye helped clear up a nasty mess! Fer that, I insist upon givin’ ye somethin’ in return!” You were about to deny the offer…but, for multiple reasons, you second-guessed that choice. An idea thus came into your head… “Well…honestly, I kinda feel bad asking, but…I understand leprechauns give three wishes to mortals who ‘capture’ them,” you said, with a twinkle in your eye. “Would that apply to those that help them?” “It can, if I say so,” said Bannor with a grin. “I’m the Prince, y’know! Go ahead! Wish yer wishes!” “Remember,” Malleus warned. “Only three. And be careful what you wish for, Prefect.” “That’s alright,” you said with a smile. “I already know what I’m going to ask for.” Malleus smiled, as if he had suspected as much. He waved a hand elegantly in a “go ahead” gesture. Your own smile widened as you looked back into the little prince’s expectant gaze. “My first wish is…”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Well? WELL?! Don’t keep us in suspense! C’mon, let’s hear it!” You chuckled as Ruggie Bucchi nudged you in-between bites of a large sampling from the buffet he had gathered. His tail wagged happily as he slurped and chomped up heaping helpings of meat and potatoes from his plate. Scooping them up with a fork. You chuckled, nursing the cup of cider in your hand as you sat upon the chest of diamonds once more. “It wasn’t for the gold, Ruggie,” you said. “So don’t act so excited.” “Awww,” whined Ruggie, his ears dipping down, as he looked longingly towards the crock of gold in the corner of the hall. He pouted slightly as he saw Grim was chowing down on the contents of another crock…which was filled with fresh, full-sized tuna. “Was your first wish for that?” he asked, pointing to Grim’s gluttonous display with his fork. “Yup,” you nodded. “I figured Grim wouldn’t shut up if I didn’t give him something like that, for a start, and besides, there’s enough tuna there to feed him for a week…” On cue, Grim let out a huge burp and cheered with joy before digging right back into the tuna inside the cauldron, practically upside down as his trident tail whipped about joyously. You squirmed as Ruggie gave you a sly smirk. “Can you count on that?” he teased. “...Well…okay, maybe it’ll feed him for a day, but that’s still something.” “Shishishishi!” Ruggie snickered, and stuffed some beef into his own fanged mouth. “All the same, I’m surprised you didn’t try to get it with your second wish,” spoke up Azul Ashengrotto. He was drinking some cider himself, standing on your opposite side from Ruggie Bucchi. “Wouldn’t the gold have been useful to you?” “Honestly, in my opinion, it would have been more of a bother to me than anything else,” you shrugged, then gave him a slightly teasing smile. “Don’t tell me you weren’t planning to find some way to get it all from me, if I HAD taken it.” Azul’s chilled expression as he sipped from his cup spoke volumes. “Thought so,” you chuckled. “Honestly, Azul…all I really want is to get Grim and I back home to Ramshackle Dorm. So, my second wish was that the plumbing would be perfectly fixed by morning, and my third was that the dorm would never flood again.” “You do realize, that won’t save your home from other potential problems,” Azul noted. “And just because the plumbing is fixed, not everything will be.” You shrugged a second time. “If that happens, I’ll deal with it as it comes,” you replied. “For the moment, I’ve gotten all I need and want…” You looked out over the hall of the leprechauns. A gentle smile crossed your face as you watched the merriment around you: Ace and Deuce laughed and danced together, in the middle of a wide group of the Little People. They all tapped their feet and clicked their heels to the merry tune of a pair of fiddles. Malleus and Prince Bannor smirked at each other over each of their shoulders, as their violins sang out the tune of The Fox Chase. You found yourself tapping your own foot and bobbing your head to the jolly, jaunty music, chuckling as you sipped from your cup of cider and sighed. “...I’ve made a new acquaintance, my dorm will be safe for a while, and I’m certainly experiencing a night to remember,” you concluded, and turned to Azul. “Honestly, what more could I want?” “Your altruistic ideals are truly charming,” Azul said sincerely…then turned away as he added under his breath. “But between us, I’d rather have the gold.” “Hey, cheer up, Azul!” grinned Ruggie. “Now that we know where the fairy mound is, we can easily catch ourselves a leprechaun another day!” Azul’s expression shifted in a sly and sneaky smile. “Why, Ruggie…how could you possibly suggest such a thing? Taking advantage of our hosts that way,” he tutted, insincerely. “Perish the thought.” Ruggie snickered nastily. You smiled and shook your head wearily, taking another drink as you simply soaked in the sounds of the dance around you. You didn’t have the heart to tell either of them that all memories of the fairy mound’s location would be removed from their minds, as well as from those of everyone else…except for you and Malleus. After all, Malleus was a prince of the fae, so he would always know…and you had asked - not wished, but simply asked - if you could join in the Wearing of the Green next year. Naturally, Bannor had been happy to agree. It was nice to have friends in high places. As you were pondering the cheerful atmosphere, Ace and Deuce suddenly came bounding over to you. “Come on, Prefect!” laughed Ace. “Don’t just sit around, let’s dance!” You blushed as you put down your now-empty glass. “I, uh…I-I dunno, I’ve never danced to-” “No buts!” grinned Deuce, and each of them took hold of one of your arms. “Let’s go!” You cried out as the pair dragged you into the center of the throne room…but any protests you had soon dissolved into laughter as the three of you spun round and round, capering to the beat of the twin fiddles. Malleus and Bannor, seeing you join in the frivolity, each grinned and picked up the pace of their playing, the music becoming even faster and more exciting. Soon, Azul and Ruggie were clapping to the beat, cheering you on as you and your friends danced about. The leprechauns applauded as you kept perfect step to the tune. You weren’t sure you’d smiled so broadly in all your life. Silently, you wondered if Bannor would agree to let you bring some friends along next year. For all of the craziness that led up to this moment…a party like this, you decided, was something that shouldn’t be a once in a lifetime event. Besides…they all looked good in green.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, how was your evening?” teased Lila Vanrouge, leaning against the doorframe to Malleus Draconia’s chambers. The fae prince hummed thoughtfully as he shut his wardrobe; he’d long since changed out of his top hat and frock coat, and was now redressed in his school uniform, ready to begin the day’s classes. “It was…eventful,” he chose to say. He smirked over his shoulder at his fatherly assistant. “Incidentally, it appears that their skills in cobbling are not the only place where the Little People show good taste.” Lilia grinned toothily. “I could have told you that,” he practically purred. Malleus chuckled. “Well, at any rate, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to attend a festival of such…entrancing energy,” Malleus said, and a soft, almost sad smile came to face. “Madness only knows when I’ll get another chance.” Lilia’s smile turned sympathetic. “I’m sure it won’t be too long,” he promised, then checked the clock. His smile fell. “Oh, dear…I’m going to be late for my first class. I’ll have to see you later, Malleus. Please make sure you’re on time to your own classes…oh! And don’t get too rough on the sports field today, okay? I know how you young ones can get after a rowdy night.” “I’m not freshly hatched anymore, you know, even when compared to you,” frowned Malleus. Lilia just giggled and waggled his fingers in a jokey sort of wave, before merrily traipsing off towards his class. He shut the door behind him. Malleus rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he went into the adjoining bathroom of his dorm room. He was in the process of checking to make sure his horns were in good condition, and did not require extra polishing…when he heard a knock on his door. “There’s no need to check on me, Silver,” he called out, with a slightly irritated sigh. “I’ll be right out.” He’d guessed it was silver on account of the fact Sebek would have been accompanied by a great deal of random shouting. However, the voice he heard that DID call through the keyhole was that of neither of his attendants. “Good to know, but wrong human.” Malleus didn’t teleport, but he reached the door so swiftly, he might as well have. He opened it quickly but carefully, and looked down at you. “Prefect! This is a pleasant surprise,” he grinned, then cocked his head to one side. “Is everything copacetic? I was under the impression that your wishes would have provided a suitable fix to your housing problem.” “Oh, they did, I just came from there,” you nodded. You smiled shyly up at the dragon prince, your hands behind your back. “I just…well…I wanted to say thank you.” “Oh?” Malleus replied. “For what?” “For everything,” you almost laughed. “For giving me a place to stay, for coming to my rescue, for listening about Bannor…I don’t know if anyone else here at Night Raven would have done everything you did, in the way you did, just for me and Grim. I’m grateful.” “Your gratitude is appreciated, but there’s really no need to worry yourself,” Malleus smiled. “You’re one of the few people I can call a true friend, Child of Man. I would gladly wrestle with demons and catapult angels if it meant I could keep you safe and happy.” “Don’t say stuff like that. At the rate I keep getting into trouble, that might actually end up becoming a thing, you know.” “You say that as if my statement would be any less true,” Malleus smirked. You chuckled, and a slightly sneaky smile crossed your lips. “Well, in that case, I’m hoping you won’t refuse me this,” you said, and revealed your hands from behind your back. Malleus stepped back slightly. He blinked at the object you had thrust toward him. It was a folded piece of card stock, with the logo of Ramshackle Dorm printed on the front. “What…is this?” Malleus asked, tapping the folded card with one long, strong finger. His eyes were wide and questioning. “It’s an invitation,” you answered. Malleus Draconia’s pointed ears pricked up. His wide eyes somehow seemed even wider. His pupils almost seemed to dilate. “An invitation?” he repeated, softly. “For…for me?” “Are there any other devilishly handsome half-dragons in the vicinity?” You smirked wider at the vague hint of green that came to the prince’s alabaster cheeks; his own form of a blush. He carefully accepted the invitation. “Might I ask what the occasion is?” he inquired. “Nothing too special,” you shrugged. “Basically, since Bannor wiped the memories of everyone but you or I about what happened last night at the fairy mound, I figured the ‘sudden and miraculous fixing of Ramshackle Dorm’ deserved some kind of gathering.” “A housewarming party,” Malleus smiled. “Something like that,” you answered, shrugging once again. “But I DO have my memory,” Malleus reminded you, tapping the side of his head in emphasis. “Well, yeah, but you’re my friend. And you were one of the ones who helped me. I couldn’t just leave you out, could I?” The look Malleus gave you so resembled a lovesick puppy that you couldn’t help but giggle. He must have caught himself, because he once again blushed faintly before clicking his heels together, straightening his posture…then, holding the invitation behind his own back and his other hand to his heart, he bowed regally. “I would be honored to attend, dearest mortal,” he intoned, grandiosely. “Good. Don’t be late!” you sang teasingly. “I shall be fashionably early,” Malleus promised. “That works, too,” you chuckled. After that, you bid the fairy prince a polite but hasty goodbye; you both had places to be. In your case, while you had no classes that day, you needed to get everything ready for the party tonight. Feeding a dragon, a hungry octopus, Ruggie, Ace, Deuce, and the resident bottomless pit of the Haunted Mansion was all going to prove QUITE the challenge. A very, very, very blush-inducing challenge. As you exited the castle of Diasomnia’s dorm, and walked along the thorny path that led back to the mirror portal, you suddenly heard a familiar voice… “Y’know, I’ve never particularly understood the appeal o’ this place…I prefer greener pastures, I suppose.” You turned your head…and smiled. Bannor O’Brien was standing under a pale thorn bush, smiling up at you with a twinkle in his green eyes. He had removed his cape and his crown, and looked much the way he had when you had first met him. “What are you doing here?” “I was sittin’ in me throne room, an’ the thought came to me. ‘Bannor,’ says I to meself, ‘tis at their side ye should be. Just one last time,’” he said, with a slightly sad smile. You smiled back, much less sadly, and knelt down to be on more level ground with the prince. “It doesn’t have to be the last time. I said I’d visit next year, didn’t I?” you said, softly. “I know,” sighed Bannor, and looked up towards the sky. “But even for an immortal like meself, next year can feel like a lifetime away.” “Everything is fixed now at Ramshackle Dorm. I’m truly thankful for that.” “Never let it be said a leprechaun didn’t give anybody exactly what they wished for,” said Bannor, puffing out his little chest with pride. “After ye saved me hide twice, I couldn’t exactly rip ye off, could I now?” “I’m thankful anyway,” you chuckled. You paused, then decided to continue: “I want you to know…I actually did almost feel tempted to stay.” Bannor’s eyes widened. “In all the stories I used to hear from my grandparents, the fairy mound sounded like a dream come true. And in a way, it was. I never saw dancing so fine, or heard piping so shockingly sweet, or listened to a pair of fiddles so grand. I definitely never imagined I’d be sitting on diamonds. But like I said to Grim, mortals need bitter to go with the sweet…I could have been happy there, but I don’t know for how long. And besides, like I said, all I needed was my home back.” Bannor nodded slowly in understanding. “I suppose Prince Malleus an’ yer fellow mortals must’ve known that,” he murmured, then smiled up at you gently. “Y’know, fer all their strange points…ye seem to have a great collection of friends.” “I know,” you said, without an ounce of humility, then smiled a bit wider. “You know…you could be part of that collection, if you wanted.” “Me?” blinked Bannor. “Why not?” you smiled. “But…mortals and leprechauns-” “I think we’ve established I have no interest in your crock of gold, and I certainly don’t plan on making any more wishes at the moment.” “But what about the rest-” “We can keep it secret, at least for a while,” you said. “The only ones who need to know are you, me, Malleus, and probably Grim and the Ghosts. I think you can take that much without worry, right?” Bannor’s eyes sparkled like the brightest emeralds of Sage’s Island. “I be forever grateful,” he breathed. “There’s no need for that,” you chuckled. “To be honest, Bannor, I think I’ve had enough of that level of gratitude for a while.” Bannor smirked. “Ye’d better get used to it…my friend,” he said, nearly choking up on the last two words before his voice steadied once more. “When would ye like to meet up?” “I have a day off today. How’d you like to come with me, maybe help me out preparing for a party I’m having tonight with my schoolmates?” “Grand!” Bannor chirruped, and gave a wink. “In that case, I’ll see ye at Ramshackle!” With a snap of his fingers, the leprechaun disappeared. You smiled and stood up, then stuffed your hands in your pockets. As you continued along the route that led back to Ramshackle Dorm, you sang softly to yourself; an old song your grandparents had taught you, what seemed another age ago. You’d never expected the song to become a reality in any way. “In a shady glade, one moonlit night, a leprechaun I spied. With scarlet cap, and coat of green, and crúiscín by his side. Tick-tack, tick-tack, his hammer went upon a tiny shoe! And I laughed to think of a purse of gold, but the fairy was laughing, too. Yes, I laughed to think of a purse of gold, but the fairy was laughing, too…”

The End

[no-reaction]

Mocha Bread - bread making at home during covid

It’s been a while since I updated this blog. Well life’s been busy, when one has to be an adult... Last time I was here (June 2015?!), I just gave notice for my old job, and went back to school to complete my master’s degree in communications. A year later, I took on an events and engagement position at the largest charity foundation in Hong Kong. Another four years, despite the terrible hours and amount of (really meaningful) work, I am still with the company (with 2 promotions!), and I am glad to still be offered a new contract in times like these. 

Yes, the coronavirus... In Hong Kong, I’ve been working from home right after the Chinese New Year holiday. Luckily for us, after a short period of madness where people were hoarding TP and rice, things have *kinda* gone back to ‘normal’. It’s been a rather surreal two months (and ongoing) of work-from-home experience, but that also means I actually have the time to start playing with recipes again! 

Bread is not something I am very confident with, mainly because Hong Kong is rather hot and wet climate-wise. I always had trouble getting doughs to properly rise in “room” temperature. Three years ago, I actually purchased a mini oven with a dough fermentation mode, so that should solve the problem? Since I have plenty of time, I could even make bread in a leisurely manner. (Funny though, after all these years, I still have not caved in to get myself an electric mixer, because I really have no space for that. Someday my friends, someday...) 

Well, the bread recipe today in fact is not my first stay-at-home experiment. I started off with a yeastless recipe, Irish Soda Bread, just in time for St Patrick’s Day, then I went on to do an overnight pizza dough from the Smitten Kitchen (because I’ve actually never tried fermenting dough in the fridge). So officially, this is my third bake, the Mocha Bread. Again, I did part of the fermentation in the fridge overnight to see what will happen (hey, I did say I am experimenting!)

Mocha Bread (Makes 2 large-ish loaves)

Ingredients:

375 g strong white flour

2 1/2 tsps instant dried yeast (I use Saf-instant Gold - it’s so much easier, no need to proof or dissolve, just throw it straight into the flour mixture)

55 g superfine caster sugar

1/4 tsp salt

20 g unsweetened cocoa powder

10 g instant coffee powder

70 g roughly chopped dark chocolate

50 g unsalted butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract

90 g dark chocolate chips

185 mL warm water (around 40ºC)

Steps:

Chocolate mixture - melt chopped dark chocolate and butter in a bowl, either over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the base of the bowl touch the water!) or if you are lazy like me, you can do it in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds, stirring in between). When fully melted, add egg and vanilla into the mixture 

The dough - combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, coffee powder, then add in the chocolate mixture. Use a large wooden spoon/spatula to combine the wet and dry ingredients, and mix until the coarse and sticky dough comes together. You can then start using your hands to knead the dough for another 5-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic - add extra flour if necessary (If using a mixer, use a dough hook, and set to lowest speed to mix for 1-2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and knead for another 5-10 min until a smooth dough is formed).

Proofing - grease a large bowl and transfer the dough into it and ensure the oil lightly coats the whole dough. Cover in cling film and leave the dough in a draught-free place for 1-2 hours, or until the dough is doubled. 

[Here I placed my dough into the oven and tried the fermentation mode, which kept the temperature at around 30-ish ºC - half an hour later, the dough rose quite a bit already, but to experiment, I left dough in the fridge and went to bed. The next morning I took the dough out and left it in room temperature until the afternoon to continue the rest of the proofing and it turned out quite ok! Generally speaking, if proofing in the fridge, remove the dough from the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake it, to give the dough enough time to reach back to room temperature,]

Shaping the dough - knock back the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide it in half. Flatten each half to around 1 cm thick and scatter chocolate chips onto it. Roll up the dough into logs and transfer them onto a greased baking tray. Use a knife to make three diagonal slashes across the top of each dough. 

Second proofing - cover the doughs with a damp cloth and leave them for an hour in room temperature, or until they double in size.

Baking - preheat the over to 180ºC (350ºF). Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes. When done, it will sound a bit hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

The bread turned out pretty well. Taste-wise it’s bittersweet though I wouldn’t mind a stronger coffee flavour, and it goes really well with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or as a snack in the afternoon. Since I live with my mum, with two people, the bread could last quite some time. It freezes pretty well too, so I suggest slicing them after cooling, wrap it up and leave one of them in the freezer until you are done with the first :)  

[luckylq3-blog]

The secret to success in this contest

Assistant coach Terry Murray and goaltending coach Andrew Allen remain on the staff.Barr, who joined the Sabres after four seasons as an assistant in New Jersey, is reunited with an old friend. Barr and Panthers coach Gerard Gallant played parts of five seasons together in Detroit, from 1987 to 1991. Gallant was looking for two assistants after firing John Madden during an organizational shakeup, and the Sabres were aware Barr was a candidate.The 55 year old Barr joined the Sabres despite not knowing Bylsma.

Just like his fellow Food Network Star mentor Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay is the very kind of Star the finalists are hoping to become. When Season 13 kicks off on Sunday, cheap nfl jerseys June 4 (mark your calendars for a 98c premiere), an all new crop of competitors will be looking to him for the kind of been there done that advice and guidance that only he can offer, a mix of "honesty, tough love and true advice," he told us recently. To him, the secret to success in this contest, which essentially acts as an 11 week job interview for one of the most coveted positions in the culinary industry, is simple.

wholesale nfl jerseys Zach Parise's non contact yellow jersey is in the washing machine and he's wearing a real practice sweater again. He took part in some regular shifts today and took part in game like situations and bumping. He'll get more reps in Wednesday's practice and Yeo said there's a chance he returns Thursday against Chicago.  wholesale nfl jerseys

wholesale jerseys "Prevention is the best medicine," Tierno says. Make sure your child is up to date on scheduled immunizations and that everyone in the family https://www.wholesalejerseyslan.com/ has gotten a seasonal flu vaccine. In 2010, the CDC began recommending flu vaccination for everyone over six months old.  wholesale jerseys

wholesale nfl jerseys Better penetration means better durability and stronger color. Yes, I said penetration. Stop giggling.. Between 1821 and 1826 St. Charles served as Missouri first capital and tours of the old capitol building are available. Walking down brick lined Main Street is stepping back in history, although the old buildings house modern day businesses shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and even a technology company..  wholesale nfl jerseys

Cheap Jerseys china Dab the excess water from hair. Make sure that you do not rub your hair vigorously with the towel. nfl jerseys This will only rough up the hair cuticles and contribute to frizziness. Detroit C and captain Henrik Zetterberg didn't play because of a lower body injury after skating in warmups. He is day to day. Chicago Fs Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa were both on the injured list with lower body injuries. Red Wings' F Mikael Samuelsson returned after missing 19 games with a broken finger.  Cheap Jerseys china

The Robinson Patman Act was enacted during the Great Depression to offer protection to struggling small businesses. It is increasingly viewed by experts as anachronistic and problematic because of its overly technical requirements. Its prohibition against price fixing, however, remains useful to private litigants.

Cheap Jerseys china The Taj Majal might be the more appealing of the two options for those who'd like to break up their day of gambling with some climbing. http://www.okcheapjerseys.com/ The Steel Pier amusement park, directly across the street from the casino, has a climbing wall among its attractions. Golden Ring's tour allows participants six hours on the ground in Atlantic City, so there's plenty of time for both amusement and gambling..  Cheap Jerseys china

Cheap Jerseys from china By contrast, Countess Beauchamp, like Queen Victoria, did not enjoy children's company once they had reached the age of discretion to her mind, two years old "and then she got terribly bored with us. We were each displaced by the next arrival. I had quite a long innings," Lady Sibell conceded, "because she had a miscarriage in 1908.".  Cheap Jerseys from china

cheap nfl jerseys Both stupas have been enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Boudha attracts tens of thousands of Buddhists around the world during Buddha Purnima (full moon birthday of Lord Gautam Buddha). Once on the top, wholesale jerseys from china we can feel peace and enlightened at the same time the breathtaking view of Kathmandu Valley below will compel you to forget all the worries and anxieties.  cheap nfl jerseys

Cheap Jerseys china Rafting has had its own share of problems when it was in its infancy. But technology has lifted raft design and raft building to new heights thus making it an exciting sport. Guides have also become extremely advanced in their knowledge of the sport when it comes to keenness and safety matters..  Cheap Jerseys china

wholesale jerseys from china Oh, what a better time that was, when we truly loved our sports heroes and felt for them when they were beaten. The remake of that ad, in 2009, https://www.cheapjerseys18.com/ showed how much we've lost in 30 years. As Troy Polamalu, the Pittsburgh strong safety, limps off the field, a kid offers him his Coca Cola Zero.  wholesale jerseys from china

cheap jerseys SubscriptionsGo to the Subscriptions Centre to manage your:My ProfileThe practice of "double dipping" chips can be as contentious among groups of people as the very flavour of chips considered best. (Ketchup. Ketchup chips are the best.)Some people, like Seinfeld's George Costanza, see no problem in dipping a chip, taking a bite, and dipping again to ensure that each bite contains the snacker's preferred ratio of dip to chip.Others, like Costanza's one time girlfriend's brother Timmy, is strongly opposed to the double dip.As he told George at a funeral during an episode of the show that aired in 1993, "that's like putting your whole mouth right in the dip!"With apologies to Team George, it appears as though there may be some crumbs of truth behind Timmy's argument.An undergraduate research team at Clemson University in South Carolina recently looked into the age old quandary of whether or not double dipping is OK from a hygienic perspective.To do this, they conducted a series of experiments aimed at determining how much bacteria can be transferred between bitten crackers and dips of varying acidity levels."Members of the no double dipping enforcement squad, prepare to have your worst, most repulsive suspicions confirmed," wrote Clemson food science professor Paul Dawson in a piece about the results this week.As it turns out, his team found about 1,000 more bacteria per millilitre in cups of water that had been penetrated by bitten crackers than in the cups of water students had tested with unbitten crackers.Both bitten and unbitten crackers were then dipped into actual food dips to see if similar patterns presented themselves.Intrigued by the question of whether or not double dipping is a 'food safety problem' or 'just a nasty habit', Clemson University food science students looked at the bacteria levels of dips hit with bitten vs cheap jerseys.

[cumfuqmedaddy]

You know I share a lot of sexual stuff but today will be different so just scroll past this; I honestly don’t care.

I didn’t know I was pregnant when I was 23 and miscarried in St Patrick’s Day. It was super early on and that morning I called my boyfriend and cried and was shaking and just flat out not okay. He was six years older than me and working a night shift management gig for a super predatory loan company and promised he would go with my to my 8am obgyn appointment. He didn’t show and I found out I would most likely never have my own children. I told the doctor they had switched my birth control on my last visit and I had been severely depressed and suicidal since they had. The male doctor brushed me off and wrote down I was overly emotional when I was crying about how I couldn’t stop thinking about killing myself and a month prior I was so happy and full of life. It wasn’t me. I tried calling my boyfriend for hours terrified he got in an accident since he missed the appointment. He told me he just drove straight home and fell asleep, forgetting that I was going to the doctor.

We dated for three years and everyday was hell, especially at the end. He brought up how he had an ex who checked herself into a mental hospital and I could only nimbly think that I was next. I cried after we had sex almost every time at the end. I could tell his view of me changed. I was not his sexy little girlfriend, I was his hurt and broken girlfriend that could never give him a family. I don’t think he even knew he felt that way but every touch and word he gave me showed me that. There was no love. We broke up for a month or two and he invited me over one day when we were getting back together and said he wanted to please me. He put me on my hands and knees and blindfolded me. He played with me, stuck ice in me, and started fucking me woth what I though was a dildo but turned out to be a hairbrush. He showed me what I came with and I wanted to throw up. I didn’t want to be fucked by that and started crying and said I didn’t want that inside me. He asked why and I was to proud to say I was humiliated by it and told him it was trashy. He called me an elitist and gave examples of all of his female friends that did. He shamed me telling me women didn’t always have money to buy dildos. I don’t think we used protection the rest of our relationship and we never had pregnancy again despite all the nonstop sex. It was almost a punishment to see how no matter how often I let him cum inside me, I could never do that one thing you were supposed to do as a woman.

On my 25th birthday he told me he would be out of town for his friend Angelique’s wedding. He promised he would make the day we did celebrate action packed and he had everything planned. He had nothing planned and drove around from place to place. When he would begin to see me having fun we had to leave immediately. That Saturday on my actual birthday I celebrated with two friends and waited for my boyfriend to call since he said he would come by after the wedding. He told me he was too tired from Becca’s wedding. He never showed. His birthday was a month after mine and I rented a car to allow him to drive to New York to visit his family, we were living in the south. He fell asleep and I picked up his phone to take a sexy picture for him to be surprised with. I unlocked his phone and a text came through from a girl named Megan begging for him to call her when he made it home safe. I frowned and did the one thing I never did before, went through the messages. He had been talking to her, seeing her, fucking her since we went on our break the fall before. I was crushed and carefully took pictures of the messages and her number on my phone. I woke him up and confronted him with everything and he cried saying the whole reason he was going to New York was to talk to his dad to try to stop cheating. We stayed together and I found out the wedding he went to was with her. I’m still angry at her but mostly because I was just as foolish as she was and it hurt.

We finally separated before my 26th birthday. It hurt. Mostly because I was so embarrassed I let him mentally and emotionally abuse me for so long. Sexually too but I have a harder time recognizing all of the sex was that way. I still kept in contact with him for a few months and we still fucked, him buying a hotel room to fucking me in after saying he wanted a special night out in this sexy dress I bought for Vegas. It barely covers my ass and was cut super low. I showed up all dolled up. He showed up I’m gym shorts and a ball cap. I don’t know if you have ever gone out looking like a prostitute when your partner didn’t match how sexy you looked but it stung. He even made me go up to the hotel front desk for my key so everyone saw me dressed like that. I didn’t really care. I knew it would be the last time I fucked him though we would flirt and phone sex for months after. The last time I saw him was for his birthday, I got tickets to a concert and he cried the whole way there about being a father and how it wasn’t fair we lost the kid. At least I think, I can’t remember which was last. But that night was the first time he seemed to truely understand the loss in the way I did.

I tried to be his friend even after all of that. I’m just nice and I didn’t want all of those years we spent together to mean nothing. It had been three years since I lost our child and I texted him crying on st pattricks day, devastated. I was barely an adult, almost a kid still when it happened. At least that is what it felt like. I was a full blown woman now, sexy and fun with a career just not the family. He understood and was kind. The loss hit me hard for that stretch of St Pattricks Day until Mother’s Day. It was like this ache inside of me. So empty and I knew it probably will not be filled. He texted me that he got someone else pregnant. I did the math and we had sex in the time they he knocked her up. The baby was due on my birthday by the math. It was cruel to tell me on Mother’s Day she was so far along and he had plenty of time but he waited until then to tell me. It was like a brag that he won almost it stung. I didn’t take it well.

He was horrible and I’m angry I ever let that happen but it’s Mother’s Day the year after and his new wife and kid and her two other kids are happy, maybe with him. I am happy I never have to see his face or hear his voice again. I just hope he treats them better than he did me. I know he won’t, he loves the pain too much and I hope they can find peace and get out if they need to. Fuck you Chris, I hope life treats you kinder than you treated me or every day would be hell, I am so thankful you told me you didn’t see a future woth me because I created a better one than you ever thought I was capable of.

I am in a happy, healthy relationship now with a man who loves me very much even if it gets hard. He is so polite and kind it almost seems fake but it’s genuine. That took a long time to get used to being treated so nice and we had a lot of breakdowns because it was so hard to trust it wasn’t just a way to make me turn a blind eye to something fucked up. Not everything is perfect because no relationship is perfect but to have such a pure and honest love has been earth shattering to have. I don’t deserve all of the support and kindness he gives me but I hope that I continue to try and earn it. I love him very much.

So anyway, Happy Mother’s Day. Maybe motherhood came to you in ways you didn’t expect, want, or sorely wished you had, but things will get better with time and with love. Stay safe out there.

[likethetailofacomet]

The Broken Bits, Chapter Two:

Come Again No More

A/N: Moving right along with this new age in Cordonia’s history and what it means both politically and personally. 

Pairing: Drake x Claire, Bastien x Annabelle 

Word Count: 4,124 

Song: Hard Times, Eastmountainsouth

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count it's many tears While we all sup sorrow with the poor There's a song that will linger forever in our ears Oh, hard times come again no more 'tis a song a sigh of the weary Hard times hard times come again no more Many days you have lingered around my cabin door Oh hard times come again no more

Claire looked out the window in the kitchen, the just risen sun reflecting off of the lake’s surface like diamonds, the green of the trees and the vines and bushes glowing like emeralds, like jewels of the forest. Home. She took a sip of her coffee as she let the word sink into her bones. Sure she’d stayed with Drake throughout most of the social season, but the constant danger they’d been living under had kept her from ever feeling safe. Safe. Another thing she hadn’t felt in ages. She set her mug down on the counter and moved closer to the window, leaning against the cool glass as she looked out. The last time she’d felt truly safe, truly at home, was 4 years ago when she was with her mother and Brielle; before moving to New York, before working at Keagan’s, before Alex and before Cordonia. When she closed her eyes she could still picture their front porch; the swing with the large, always fluffy cushions covered in floral patterns and caked with actual pollen from the black eyed susans and tiger lilies and lilacs that grew along the rail. She could still see the glass door and the big picture window that would hold candlesticks at Christmas and giant shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day; could still see the tiled kitchen table, the light wood cabinets, and the one drawer that didn’t quite close all the way from that time Brielle had shoved too much junk into the junk drawer. When she opened her eyes all those images were gone, but the feeling remained, and that’s how she knew that this was her home now.

She listened as the breeze blew through the trees, a gentle whoosh as the leaves and branches swayed in the sunshine. She heard the sweet sounds of swallows singing as they swooped low over the lake. So different from the sounds of the city that she’d left behind, all harshness and volume. She took a breath and focused on the sounds she could hear inside the cabin- the coffee maker dripping, brewing a second pot of coffee for the day, the fireplace crackling, warming the whole first floor, the water rushing through the pipes from Drake’s shower. It was that last one that made her feel the most like this is where she was meant to be- Drake. Claire sighed, thinking of the man who held her heart, who’d held it from the moment that their lips met that first, electrifying time. He’d been making excellent progress in his recovery after the attacks at the Engagement Ball in Ramsford, and Claire knew that he was thrilled to be able to do something as simple as shower without help- up until two weeks ago he’d still been in a sling and unable to raise his injured arm more than a few inches. Small steps, she was constantly reminding him, are still steps in the right direction.

 “I know, Berkley,” he’d say with a grumble, brows furrowed and a determined look in his deep eyes. She’d brush the long roguish hair from his face and drop gentle kisses to the corners of his eyes until the annoyed little crinkles there smoothed themselves back out and he’d sigh. “I just hate not being able to do things…or hold you…”

Claire knew that Drake hated feeling dependent on anyone but himself, and that even leaning on her these past few months had been difficult for him; not because he didn’t trust her, but because he wasn’t used to having someone to trust, not in this way anyway. “I know, baby,” she’d say, all patience and love, “but you will.”

The sound of the water stopped as he turned off the shower. Claire helped herself to more coffee, pouring a mug for Drake as well. She pulled the milk from the fridge and added a splash to his leaving hers black before bringing both mugs to the small table. She sat, gazing out the window absently, her thoughts returning to the newly found feeling of home as she waited for Drake to come downstairs. She brought the dark, bitter liquid to her lips, breathing in the nutty aroma before taking a big gulp of coffee. As it slid down her throat waking her up, she heard the heavy sound of his footsteps coming down the stairs. She turned in her seat and pulled one leg up tucking her foot beneath herself. This. This is part of what made this place home; seeing him in the morning, coming home to each other at night. Her heart swelled like it had every morning as he made his way into the kitchen, but faltered at the frustrated look on his face.

“Berkley, I need... can you...” he sighed and frowned, holding a towel in his good hand. His hair was still soaking wet, his shirt only buttoned half way from the bottom up. He’d shaved, a piece of tissue stuck to a nick near his chin, but otherwise his face was completely smooth save for the furrows in his brow and the tight set of his lips. It wasn’t just his shoulder, Claire knew; he was nervous, though he wouldn’t say it.

She rose, wordlessly, and crossed the room to where he stood. Drake cast his dark eyes downward before flicking them back to hers. Oh, Drake, it’s okay. She swallowed a thick knot, her hands going to his face, turning it so he’d look her in the eye. “Good morning, sunshine,” she said, simultaneously raising on her toes to capture his lips, and reaching out to grab the towel from him.

The feel of her lips on his instantly softened his frown as he kissed her back slowly. “Good morning, Berkley,” he sighed, relinquishing the towel to her grip, hand going to her waist. Without prompting, she brought it up to his shaggy hair and started to dry his dripping locks.

“How’d you sleep, Councilman?” she asked, finishing with his hair, running her fingers through it loosely.

“Fine,” Drake replied as she tossed the towel onto the countertop. Her fingers went next to the unbuttoned buttons of his shirt, starting around his ribs. He’d done as many of them as he could, but Claire knew it was still hard for him to keep his arm up for an extended period of time, and washing his hair in the shower had maxed out the ability in his shoulder for the morning.

“Just fine?” she questioned, one eyebrow arching high. “You were snoring all night…seemed pretty restful to me.”

“I don’t know…good I guess…”

She could tell that he was on edge about the first official Council Meeting taking place in just a few hours. Of course there had been plenty of strategic meetings and Drake had been in on all of them, but this would be the first gathering of the entire Council since they’d all sworn in two weeks previously. Claire had beamed proudly at him as he swore to serve the citizens of Cordonia fairly and to uphold law and peace in their country, and they’d celebrated that night by going out to dinner, just the two of them. He’d been so happy that day, so sure of himself and confident that he’d do the best job that he could in his new role as Valtorian Representative to the Common Council. Now that it was time to actually step into those shoes, she knew he was having some doubts and jitters. She paused her buttoning to grip the lapels of his shirt and pull him closer to her, pressing her chest flush against his body.

“Hey, look at me,” she whispered, a faint smile on her lips and in her eyes. He complied, dropping his gaze to her face, mouth falling open, a small breath slipping out. Claire held his eyes with her own for a few seconds, demanding his attention, insisting that he drop his insecure thoughts. She placed her hand flat against his chest, over his heart where it was beating with nerves. “This is the best thing to ever happen to this country, Drake. This council… this new chapter…” she felt his fingers curl around her waist as she continued. “And you’re part of it. And you’re going to be great, Drake. I know it, Liam knows it…Bastien has said so…and I think you know it too, huh?” Her smile grew as in his eyes something changed, and he knew that she was right.

He took his hand from her waist and brought it up to cover hers, wrapping his fingers around her whole hand. “You really think so…” it wasn’t a question, it was a realization- she believed in him, and not just because she loved him.

Claire nodded as he squeezed her hand. “I really do,” she said. He loosened his grip to let her finish his buttons before ducking his head to catch her in another kiss. Both hands went to her hips as he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against hers. A small, breathy sound came from the back of Claire’s throat as Drake’s tongue slipped into her mouth, sliding against hers.

“You taste like coffee,” he said smiling, lips still pressed to hers.

Claire nodded, breaking the kiss with a tiny peck, and fixing a stray piece of his hair. “Just made some,” she said, stepping away to grab his mug and hand it to him.

“Thanks, beautiful,” he said, and Claire knew he was thanking her for more than the caffeine. He followed her to the small kitchen table, sitting across from her, their feet finding each other, Claire’s resting on top of Drake’s. They passed the morning by talking about everything but how nervous Drake still was; Claire had an appointment with immigrations to finalize her citizenship, she also had an appointment with her therapist, and then errands to run including a stop at the market to pick up items for dinner that night.

“Don’t forget,” she said as she handed him his to go mug at the front door. “Bastien’s coming for dinner tonight.” She smiled as she said it, absolutely ecstatic that Bas had agreed to join them. She had grown to adore the man, and loved the relationship he had with Drake, loved the sense of family that she felt whenever the two of them were together.

Drake smiled, knowing how excited she was. “How could I forget, Berkley?” he dropped a quick kiss to her nose and sighed. “Okay,” he took a deep breath, eyes widening. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need it, but…luck.”

Drake felt his heart skip as he looked at her standing there in his doorway- their doorway. It could be any doorway in the world, he thought, and if she were standing in it, it would be home. “I love you, Claire.”

“I love you too. Now get out of here so I can be productive.” She pushed him playfully out the door, careful of where she placed her hands so as not to put pressure on the still sore, still healing scars that covered most of his left pectoral and shoulder. As she pushed, she leaned out the door and watched him shake his head, a grin on his face as he walked to his truck and climbed in. Drake Walker, Cordonian Common Council Representative for Valtoria, suit and tie and rusty pick up. She bit her lip. Oh how I love this man. Claire stood on the porch until his truck was no longer visible, before heading back inside to get ready for her day.

As the clock struck 8am she felt the phone in her pocket buzz, and she answered it without having to look at the caller I.D. “Hey, stinker,” she said, a smile drawing itself across her face as Dan’s voice returned her greeting. She had about twenty minutes to kill, and he had just gotten off of work, so the two chatted a bit, filling each other in on what was going on in their lives. Dan asked how Drake was feeling about his first day as a councilman –‘Nervous, but he’ll be great, I know he will,’- and Claire asked if he’d gotten over his crush on Olivia yet.

“It’s not…C…come on you know me… you know I don’t do crushes…I just…she’s nice, okay? We talk from time to time. That’s all.” Claire covered her mouth with her hand so as not to laugh directly into the phone as Dan stuttered and sputtered.

“Sure, D, whatever you say. I’m not rolling my eyes at all,” she said as she rolled her eyes. They amicably filled all twenty minutes talking and teasing as if they hadn’t gone three and a half months without seeing one another, as if there weren’t thousands of miles and an ocean between them, as if there were only precious few hours before they were both standing behind the bar cutting lemons and prepping margarita mixers. Easy. Their friendship had always been easy, would always be easy.

“Love you, Stinker,” he’d said after she promised to call him the following week to let him know how Drake’s first day was. She finished her coffee in one gulp and set about her errands for the day with one last look around the cabin, thinking again how happy she was that they’d be hosting Bastien for dinner.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .

Drake arrived in Fydelia early. While the palace was being reallocated as a tuition free trade school, complete with dormitories, classrooms, offices, athletic fields and more, the smaller Mythra Estate House, which had served as a second home to the Royal family for years, was now being used to headquarter the Common Council. Drake couldn’t even come up with a guess at how often he’d been in this building- dozens and dozens of times throughout his life- but stepping through the door on that day made it feel like a whole new place. Everything still looked the same- one of the conditions that the more traditionalist members of the former Noble class had held tightly to, was that all Royal buildings and estates should be maintained and preserved no matter what their new purpose would be. But just because the trim and carpets were the same meant nothing about how it felt to walk through those doors.

A smiling young intern greeted him from a small wooden desk. “Good Morning Councilman Walker,” she squeaked, as she stood. Her curls were barely contained in a bun at the back of her head, her eyes wide with eagerness and made to look even wider by her glasses.

Drake smiled warmly at her. She looked about as nervous as he felt. “Good Morning,” he responded, gesturing with this coffee laden hand as the other was gripping his briefcase.

“I’m Norah,” she introduced herself, straightening her skirt nervously.

“Nice to meet you, Norah,” he nodded to her. Drake had pushed heavily for college students to be employed as interns for the Council. His theory was that if there were young minds that were passionate about this new page in Cordonia’s history, then they should certainly be a part of writing it. Norah seemed like this was her dream job, and Drake felt his smile widen. “Are you studying politics?”

Her green eyes flashed with excited interest. “Yes,” she nodded so vehemently that some pieces of hair fell from her bun. She scrambled to fix the strays as she continued. “Yes, and, well, Councilman Walker, I know that you were the one that pushed for the interns and I just want to say thank you because you are the reason that I’m able to be here, at the start of all this, and…” the words were spilling from her lips and it reminded him of Claire and how she always spoke in double time when she was nervous or excited or frightened. “And well I just wanted to Thank you, sir, and let you know that I’m happy to help however I can.” She grinned sheepishly and adjusted her glasses.

Drake felt his smile spread and some of his nerves dissipate. “Well,” he cleared his throat, not sure how to respond to her outpouring of gratitude. “Well, it’s my pleasure, Norah. We’re glad to have you. Now,” he glanced at his watch. “Can you tell me where I’m supposed to be?” he let a casual little laugh escape him as he asked.

“Of course, sir,” she nodded and gestured down the long hall in front of her. “The Council Chambers are straight through there, located in the old Library. I believe Councilwoman Nevrakis and Councilman Beaumont are already there.” Drake thanked her and she resumed her position as he headed to the room that she indicated.

Within fifteen minutes of his arrival, Drake was seated at the large mahogany table with the full Common Council: Liam sat at the head of the table with Leo, Representative from Fydelia to his right. Next to Leo sat Olivia, representing Lythikos, Maxwell representing Ramsford, and Kyla Manifustos- Cordonia’s top Social Justice attorney- representing Essenwood. Drake took the seat directly to Liam’s left, with Hana next to him- she’d be representing Portavira as Penelope had declined the offer to pursue the aspirations that the nobility had kept her from. The last seat was given to Asher Kaliphos of Castelsarreillan. Drake didn’t know much about him, other than that his appointment to the council had caused waves with some of the traditionalists; he had been the former head of the coalition for reform, a group that had been responsible for several peaceful protests in the past decade. His appointment had actually come at Leo’s suggestion, his reasoning being that to keep things fair and even, all viewpoints should have a place at the Council table. Drake represented the common people, Olivia and the Rhys brothers were a nod to tradition, while Hana offered an outside view, Maxwell- the younger of the Beaumonts, represented overlooking the long standing tradition of the eldest sibling inheriting titles and land, and Asher and Kyla stood to show the rest of the country that this new system, the Common Council, was not simply a reset of Cordonia’s old ways, but an actual representation of the people that lived there. Drake knew it meant that they might butt heads. He was hoping for it, actually, as it meant that passionate opinions were being represented and heard, and kept from turning into rebellions.

The Council discussed a variety of topics ranging from Education to Disaster Relief to Foreign Policy, but the biggest item of discussion was the upcoming diplomacy tour that Liam had announced shortly after the swearing in. As Cordonia was making drastic changes, they owed their closest allies personal visits to assure them that their alliances still stood, and their first trip would be a three pronged affair stopping first in New York, then Milan, and finally Paris. Liam explained that half of the council- himself, Maxwell, Olivia and Drake- would travel while the other half – Hana, Asher, Leo and Kyla stayed behind. The trip would begin in just three days’ time, and Drake realized that that would be the new pace of his life; short notice, lengthy trips, long meetings. None of that was a deterrent to him though, because he knew how badly this all needed to happen…knew it was the only thing he could do to try to help make his country more safe, more secure, it’s people happier and better provided for. These things were all of great importance to him for many reasons, but of course, Claire was one of those reasons.

Drake rose from the table as the meeting concluded, thinking about her bustling around the kitchen preparing dinner. He thought about waking up next to her and taking her out for a horseback ride and walking hand in hand on the beach. He dared to imagine her in a white dress, dared to imagine a family in their future. These were things that he knew he wanted. He knew he wanted them with Claire, and he knew he wanted them here, in Cordonia, so he’d do his part to help his country for the people, for Liam, but also for himself and the family he dreamed of building with the woman he loved. He said goodbye to the various council members, lingering a while to speak with his friends, before heading back out the way he entered the building. He said a quick goodnight to Norah, who even after six hours still looked at bright eyed and enthusiastic as she had that morning. He shook his head with a smile, thinking to himself how that brand of enthusiasm would have bothered the old Drake, but he found himself already taking a liking to the overly committed intern. He sent a quick text to Claire to let her know that he was on his way home. Home. To her. He smiled to himself as he climbed into the truck and started the ignition.

The drive from Fydelia to Valtoria was about an hour, so Drake had plenty of time to contemplate the evening ahead of him. He’d been meaning to talk to Bastien about the ethereal dreams he’d had right after his surgery, but so much was happening and changing and all so urgently and quickly, and he’d been focusing on his recovery through it all. This would be the first time that he’d get a chance to sit down and really talk to Bas. He’d shared his dream with Claire; he’d seen his parents, a flash of a memory of them dancing and laughing. He’d seen himself and Claire, remembered the way she begged him to come back to her. It had become clear to him why Claire appeared in his dream, why his parents had. But there was a third couple as well- a young Bastien and a copper-haired woman named Annabelle who he could almost remember, but every time he tried to think of her, she danced further from his memory until she was gone. He sensed that she’d been important to him, but couldn’t remember how… he sensed that she’d been important to Bastien, and couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been in love with her.

Drake knew that Bastien considered him and-his heart ached to think her name, but even Savannah- as his own family; knew that he had no wife, no children of his own, but until the dream he’d had, until he’d seen Annabelle, he’d never given it a thought.  Bastien was Bastien- always there, always strong. He was the closest thing Drake had to having his own father in his life. He’d been there for Drake on countless occasions, and Drake looked up to him more than anyone else he knew. Drake Tonight, in his home with Claire, he’d finally get his chance to broach the topic. He was excited that Bas was joining them, as he knew that Bastien had joined the Walkers for many a family dinner, and now that things were finally starting to feel peaceful for both of them, he looked forward to having that happen more often. No more heartache, no more hard times. Only peace, now; only progress.

.  .  . .  .  .  .

Annabelle folded the newspaper she’d been reading and stood to cross the darkened room. She gazed out the window of the gallery as the lights along the Seine came to life, thinking about what she’d just read and trying not to let her hopes soar too high. The Cordonian Council was set to travel to Paris and with every beat of her heart she heard his name. Bastien. Bastien. Bastien. For just over two decades she’d only been able to survive by not thinking of him; by simply hoping that one day he’d show up out of the blue. Now she wondered how many times he’d been in Paris and not come to her. She wondered if he’d come with the delegation and if so, if he’d finally be ready to lay aside all that had kept them apart. She hated the way her heart was tearing at itself both wanting and dreading the day to come so that she’d know once and for sure if he was still holding on to her. Forever entwined, she’d told him once, and felt it still. As the moon rose over the river, Annabelle locked up and headed to the place where she sleeps- it wasn’t home, she’d never called it that; home was in his arms, and in just over a week she’d know if home was a place she’d ever return to again.

tagging:  @ooo-barff-ooo  @sleepwalkingelite  @zaffrenotes@brightpinkpeppercorn @jovialyouthmusic @mind-reader1 @endlessly-searching-for-you @notoriouscs @endlesstaylormckenzie @agent-bossypants @andy-loves-corgis @akrenich @nekkidmolerat @indiacater @thequeenofcronuts @the-everlasting-dream @the-whiskeywife @roonarific @stopforamoment @mkatschoicesblog @mfackenthal @drakewalkerisreal @jlouise88 @drakesensworld @gibbles82 @gardeningourmet @iplaydrake @speedyoperarascalparty @bobasheebaby @carabeth

[catholicartistsnyc]

MEET: Jenna Mohr

JENNA MOHR is a cosmetologist and hair stylist living in NYC. (Instagram / email: jenammohr@gmail.com)

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from?

JENNA MOHR (JM): I moved to NYC after college to start a new job as a tax accountant in Midtown Manhattan almost 4 years ago.  I came from Charleston, South Carolina, where I was ready to take a position at a local firm and live a comfortable life eating lots of great food, listening to local music and enjoying cheap libations with friends.  Living in New York and working as a hairstylist had always been a dream of mine; but as time progressed, I grew to accept the notion that my dreams might end and not materialize into reality.  

A friend from high school, who was studying accounting at Clemson University, mentioned that his classmate had just finished an internship at a firm in NYC that was hiring.  We were able to get a hold of the recruiter, and the rest is history. Now, I am living out my dream working at a Big 4 accounting firm to pay the bills and going to Arrojo Cosmetology school part time, contemplating what my next move will be.  I would love to style/cut hair in the film, theater or print industries and am excited to explore those avenues once I graduate in February. I have close to no free time and eat mostly Cliff bars, but, hey! Living the dream!

CAC: What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

JM: I have never contemplated the term “Catholic artist” until answering these questions, but I suppose I can call myself one now.  I definitely define myself as a Catholic but feel that I am growing into the term “artist” since I had to convince everyone around me in New York that I was an accountant first until I started cosmetology school in September 2018.  Now my mission as a Catholic cosmetologist is to help bring out the innately good and beautiful in whoever I am working with.  Although my profession as a cosmetologist is seemingly aesthetic only, I have come to discover that how you treat the individual you are working with and make them feel, regardless of what they end up looking like, is where the value is. Being in this profession, I have realized how truly selfless I need to be in order to give of myself to the client. As a result, I feel that my faith has strengthened because I recognize that only God and his grace can give me the emotional energy I need to make whoever is sitting in my chair to feel like the best possible version of himself/herself.

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

JM: Sister Virginia Joy with the Sisters of Life!  I first met Sister Virg in middle school where she was the assistant soccer coach and also a high school academics/college admissions counselor.  I told her how I wanted to be a hairstylist but that my parents wouldn't let me and said I needed to get a 4 year STEM degree instead.  Throwing in the towel, I thought I may study engineering but Sister Virg challenged me to not give up on my dreams.  She helped me to to devise a plan where I could study accounting, specifically tax since it is seasonal nature, and then pursue cosmetology down the road in the "off seasons".  My sophomore year, she told our soccer team she was moving to the Bronx to become a nun.  Fast forward almost a decade and I also am moving to New York and reconnecting with Sister Virg. She helps to keep me Catholic by inviting me to Catholic events throughout the city and I have even gone to the house to style one of the mother's hair for a gala.

A special shout out to St. Patrick's in Midtown because I have the opportunity to go to daily mass and confession at one of the most beautiful churches in the country and arguably the world.  Also, it has been a safe haven for me where I would go to nap during my lunch break during the gosh awful tax seasons where it was not unusual to leave the office before 2AM for months at a time.

Finally, reading the daily liturgy has given me the daily courage and reminder of what it means to be Catholic.  Through daily readings, I have discovered one of my favorite passages where Jesus wakes the young girl up from the dead saying, "Talitha koum", or "Little girl, arise".  This phrase is my own personal, "YOU GO GIRL!", from Jesus.  I got it tattooed on my finger (highly advise against finger tatts, they fade and will look a little silly) as a reminder to keep pushing and pursuing my dreams.

CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

JM: I don't know a lot of Catholics or a lot of artists but Renee Roden (the editor of the newsletter!) has been instrumental in supporting my art and faith.  She asked if I would like to be one of the featured artists on this blog.  When she asked, I think that is one of the few times where I really felt like an artist and more importantly, a Catholic artist.  She has invited me to plays, readings and is always excited to explore art and our faith.  I am incredibly grateful for a friend that shows so much gumption for a world that I love and admire so deeply.

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

JM: My first reaction is: how can the two be separated?  The Church and the arts have so much in common and both are all about exploring, discovering and seeking truth in some form.  I think if we look at it from that angle the Church will naturally be more welcoming to artists.  Seeing that my free time is limited, I am not aware of a lot of "happenings" in the city; however, I think if parishes hosted open mic nights or other art forums and extend it to the general community that people would be receptive.  I understand that Church and religion can seem scary and rigid but I think a forum that allows people to express themselves free of judgement can create a bridge to a safe space that the Church needs to extend to the outside community.

CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

JM: I think it is a 2-way street!  The outside world, particularly NYC, can seem scary to a law-abiding Catholic.  However, these safe spaces, created through art forums can help to bridge those gaps.

CAC: Where in NYC do you find spiritual fulfillment?

JM: I am a parishioner of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral; however, I have been attending St. Cecilia's in Brooklyn lately due to its proximity to where I live.  I highly recommend both!  While Old St. Pat's is the cool, hip place for young folks to be,  St. Cecilia's, at a fraction of the size, has also been great and just as welcoming!  Both have beautiful music and the priests are very kind, welcoming and give great homilies.  If you are in Brooklyn, you should definitely check out St. Cecilia's, us Catholics are out here too!  

(Side note, St. Cecilia's is close to McCarren Park, Graham Avenue with so many cute places to eat and stroll around. I am currently answering these questions at FourFiveSix an outdoor bar with eclectic decor and food inside.  Only a 2 minute walk to St. Cecilia's and they have WI-FI!)

CAC: Where in NYC do you find artistic fulfillment?

JM: I like to sit at the park and listen to my thoughts and take in the sites.  I love North Brooklyn Farms in Williamsburg (you should visit since it will be closing soon!).  You can see the Manhattan skyline and the old Domino sugar refinery factory, my favorite building in the city, is located there as well.  I love the industrial look that parts of Brooklyn has to offer.  I think a lot of that architecture and scenery influence the styles I like to create as a hairstylist because it is all about embracing the imperfections and bringing them to light in a romantic and beautiful way.  

Due to my schedule, I haven't had a lot of opportunity to join many other extracurricular activities outside of work and school; however, I believe there is so much to be inspired by in our everyday lives that may transpose into another medium.  You never know what may trigger an idea for a new hairstyle; it may be a building, a sign, someone on the subway, construction sites throughout the city, even a podcast!  

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?

JM: I read the daily readings/reflections from the Laudate app on my phone on the way to work every morning.  It is a great way for me to set the tone for the day. Sometimes I will go to daily mass and/or confession at St. Patrick's.

CAC: What is your daily artistic practice?

JM: Right now, my daily artistic practice is going to class every evening.  On the weekends, I may do hair for my friends.  In the past, I have gone to a music festival to braid hair. I love music and the performing arts in general so I was very excited to be in a setting where I could experience both!

CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?

JM: I love cutting and styling hair.  I enjoy challenging myself, learning new skills and most importantly, seeing a client's reaction when they are feeling the LOOK!  I am actually surprised by my most recent day in which I was most completely living out my vocation as an artist.  I braided my friend's hair this past weekend.  I was nervous because I am not super experienced with braiding add-ins (adding additional hair so that braids can be longer/fuller/more colorful, etc.) or working with natural hair.  I was satisfied with the outcome and enjoyed the process but there was still plenty of room for improvement.  What caught me by surprise was my friend's reaction.  She was so grateful and excited that I was open to learning and pursuing a skill, being able to work with multiple hair types, particularly natural hair types, that is so under served in the beauty world.  I am realizing that my sense of fulfillment, as far as living out my vocation, does not need to come from a high-profile job but can emerge from small encounters and bring a massive impact to myself and the client.

CAC: You actually live in NYC? How!?

JM: Friends of friends, my alumni group on Facebook, and the good Lord! This is the first time I am renewing my lease since I've lived here and I couldn't be happier! For one apartment search, I posted on my Facebook alumni group to see if anyone was looking for a roommate and reconnected with a girl I had interned with years ago for Charleston Fashion Week! Whenever I was searching, I think it was very helpful to start with the resources I had - friends of friends, alumni groups, or anybody I knew that was already living here.  The options can be very overwhelming but I found that using my current network, as small as it is, to be very beneficial.

When I first moved here, I wanted to be in Manhattan so that I could ensure I was able to navigate life and get to work.  Then I discovered North Brooklyn Farms and Brooklyn and cheaper rent and I've been moving further east ever since.

CAC: But seriously, how do you make a living in NYC?

JM: I became an accountant first and got my CPA.  It was brutal. I know that my vocation is to be a world class hairstylist ideally in film, theater or print.  However, I wanted to make sure I had a practical course of action to get there that would allow me to pay for my education and support myself in the city.  My plan A started with my plan B.  It took years of discipline and I know that I am coming into my vocation a little later than most; but Hey, look at Sarah! God's timing can be worlds different from ours; but patience, practice, discipline and most importantly faith has helped me to reach and keep striving for my goals. How much would you suggest artists moving to NYC budget for their first year? I think the important things to consider are transportation, food, rent, laundry and maybe a flight home to see mom every once in a while.  If the budget allows, you may consider a gym membership that has a shower...you never really know the quality of the apartment you are about to be living in or the responsiveness of a landlord.  Having a gym membership proved to be very helpful when my bathroom was out of commission for about a week. After that, you really need to tailor it to your lifestyle and figure out how much you want to spend.

CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NYC?

JM: Find a good coffee shop or cafe! Some of my favorite coffee shops are closing due to increased rent prices so if you have a local coffee shop that you love, keep loving on them!  These types of places will also host great events for artists and can be a great way to connect with others with shared (or different) interests.  I love working outside as much as I can or to find a space with great natural light.  I have enjoyed North Brooklyn Farms, Domino Park, McCarren Park, Little Skips, 19 Cafe, Bushwick Grind, FourFiveSix and runs along the east river through Williamsburg into Greenpoint or across the Williamsburg Bridge.

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?

JM: GO TO CHURCH (and confession)! Even if you feel like you are losing your religion as an adult, stay open to God's grace.  I think NYC is an incredibly challenging place to live - spiritually, financially, emotionally.  If anything, allow the church to be a quiet place to sit and find solace in the silence, and let the Big Guy do the rest.  I love going to confession in the city, because nobody knows who the heck you are!! It's such a weird and liberating sensation knowing that the guy behind the screen may never see you again.  Also, I have had some of the best confessions of my life at St. Patrick's in midtown.  You would think that it could potentially be an assembly line of people expecting a dry, one-size fits all confession and absolution; but it could not be more the opposite!  The priests will make jokes, advise you on your life, provide tailored insight and give you a penance that will make you feel awesome.

Make friends with the non-Catholics and non-religious.  I am a cradled Catholic and love my faith but God gave us free will and I want to use such an incredible gift and what better way than to learn about others who do not share the same beliefs as you.  I recently met a man who said that he has always wanted to be religious.  He considers himself spiritual but his parents never took him to church and religion is something he has always wanted to explore but didn't quite know how.  These kinds of people need you in their lives.  You don't need to turn them religious, or Catholic, but being there and listening is sometimes all it takes.  I try not to tell people that I am religious or go to church because realistically, it can scare people off sometimes.  However, some of my friends that I have become close with in NYC say that they admire that I still practice and have even asked if they could come to church with me.  We are just mediums for God's art; sometimes we just need to show up and he will take care of the rest.

Call mom.  Like St. Monica (also my mum's name!), our mothers are likely worried sick that we are turning into delinquents hustling in the city.  Let her know you are doing OK, brushing your teeth and still going to Church.  And if you aren't doing those things, call mom anyway and tell her you love her and thank her and then try to go do those aforementioned things.

If you know anyone looking for a hairstylist please don't hesitate to reach out! I am new to the artist world and would love to become as immersed as possible in my spare time while I am waiting for school to finish in February 2019.

[aniallstory-blog]

Chapter Five

Note: Wow, I am feeling so grateful for all the new followers, likes and support after that last chapter! I’ve really grown to love this story so I’m really pleased that other people are enjoying it too! :)

-

“So where's the man that's been keeping my best friend away from me since he got home?” My friend Charlotte asked as we ate lunch. I grinned sheepishly, knowing I had neglected her over the last month and a half since Niall got home.

“He's in New York,” I admitted. “He left about a week ago to meet up with some writer he's been working with and tonight he's going out with his cousins and a few of his friends to some fight for St. Patrick's Day.”

“Of course he is,” She laughed. “You didn't want to join him?”

I wrinkled my nose as I took a sip of my drink.

“I hate those things. I indulge and tolerate most of his sports obsessions, but I get queasy watching men beat the crap out of each other like that.” Charlotte nodded her head in agreement. “Besides, I'm going to meet him in Mullingar to see his mum for mother's day and I'm hoping to sneak to LA for a few days to see the new house when he goes back next month so I couldn't take more time off work.”

“Oooh, the new house. Look at you with your second home in Hollywood,” She teased, putting on a posh accent. “That sounds nice though.  Gonna get some wedding planning in?”

“Um, maybe. I would like to look at some potential venues while we're in Ireland, but we'll see.” 

I hesitated slightly before I answered and let out a quiet sigh after, something that Charlotte picked up on immediately.

“What's wrong, Avery?” She asked gently. “You don't seem nearly as enthusiastic as you did about it at my birthday. Are you two having issues?”

“No! We're great, really great actually.” I rushed to assure her. “Niall's just being a bit odd about the wedding.”

“Odd how?”

“He doesn't really want to talk about it, I guess. I keep asking his opinions on things and he shrugs me off. We haven't even discussed dates yet because he changes the subject or distracts me whenever I bring it up.” I explained, absentmindedly playing with my engagement ring. “I'm kind of worrying about it to be honest.”

“Worrying about what?” She asked, looking at me like I had two heads. “That he doesn't want to marry you?” I hesitantly nodded and she actually laughed out loud at my response. “You've absolutely lost the plot, hun. That boy loves you more than I think I've ever seen anyone love anyone. His whole face lights up whenever you're around just like yours does whenever you're even just talking about him. I have no doubt he wants to marry you.”

“Then why won't he talk about the wedding with me?”

Charlotte shrugged as she popped a cherry tomato in her mouth.

“Have you tried asking him that?”

“No,” I mumbled, knowing that I probably should have. “I'm scared I won't like the answer.”

“He must want to marry you or he wouldn't have proposed,” Charlotte pointed out. “Asking him what his issue is will uncover any issues and you two can work through them together. Not asking will leave you stressing and wondering what's wrong forever when there may not even be anything to worry about.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I'll talk to him about it the next time it comes up.”

Charlotte shot me a look that clearly said I should bring it up instead of just waiting for it to happen, but she didn't push it any farther.

“You really have nothing to worry about anyway,” She informed me. “I'll walk him down the aisle with a shotgun if I have to, I need this wedding to happen. I plan on meeting my husband there.”

I snorted out a laugh.

“Oh, you do, do you?” I asked as she nodded with a smile. “Well Harry will be there.”

“No thanks,” Charlotte said, wrinkling her nose in mock disgust. “He's cute, I'll admit. But unlike some people I don't think it's right to seduce my best friend's cousin.”

I stuck out my tongue at her dig.

“Well then who are you hoping for?”

“I'm not sure, depends who's there,” Charlotte pondered. “Oh! What about Olly Murs? He's good friends with Niall, right?”

“Yeah, he is,” I laughed. “But that doesn't mean he'll be at the wedding. He could be on tour or busy with his own career.”

“Well you just tell Niall to invite his most attractive, single, preferably rich friends and I'll figure it out on the day.”

“Okay, I'll pass the message on,” I assured her as my phone buzzed on the table and a message from Niall popped up on the screen. “Speak of the devil.”

I quickly put down my fork and opened the message and could barely contain the laugh that burst out of my mouth. The picture was of Niall in a bright green suit with four leaf clovers all over it.

“What do you think, Ava? I picked up my suit for the fight tonight.”

“What? What's so funny?” Charlotte pestered, an amused look on her face. I turned my phone around so she could see and her reaction was pretty much the same as mine. “Wow, Avery. That's bad. I mean I know he has a stylist, but I didn't think his style was that bad when left to his own devices.”

“Neither did I,” I giggled, shaking my head as I typed out a response.

“Wow, Ni. That's something else. Very glad I'm not there, you're so embarrassing ;)”

His reply was almost instant.

“Oy! Watch it, missy. You'd be all over me if you were here, only fooling yourself.”

I laughed and shook my head again, but put my phone down, reminding myself to answer him later before turning my attention back to my friend sitting across from me.

-

I didn't hear much from Niall for the rest of the day since I had to go back to work after my lunch date and he was busy with his friends. However when I woke up the next morning I had over ten text messages and a handful of missed calls from my fiance in what I assumed was a very drunken state. My suspicions were confirmed as soon as I went on social media. There were several pictures of Niall and his cousins and friends in those horrible (but slightly adorable) Irish suits at the fight and plenty of pictures and videos of their night out after including one of a very drunk Niall singing Oasis. I couldn't help, but smile at how cute he was as I messaged him back.

“Sorry I missed your calls, love. Looks like you had a great night, hope you're not feeling too poorly this morning xx”

I'd barely dragged myself out of bed, two minutes later when my phone lit up with Niall's face on the screen.

“It's not mornin' here yet so I don't feel poorly at all,” A very drunk Niall slurred through the phone before I could even say hello.

“Technically it is morning, babe,” I pointed out. “It's 3AM and you should be sleeping off all that alcohol.”

“Barely had a drop,” He lied. “Don't know what yer talkin' about.”

“Oh sorry, I must have you confused with my other fiance who was caught singing Wonderwall a few hours ago,” I teased causing a much too enthusiastic laugh to come from Niall. “Did you have fun?”

“Course I did. The fight was great, ya missed a good one,” I scoffed and Niall laughed knowing how much I disliked the fighting. “S'always a good time with the lads. Was nice to have us all together. Missed ya though.”

“I miss you too, hun,” I smiled as I went in to the kitchen to make some tea. “Can't wait to see you next weekend.”

“Me neither,” He agreed. “Love takin' ya up to Mullingar. Showin' you all my favourite places and seein' ya bond with me family. Don't even mind when Ma tells you all those embarrassing stories about me.”

“Now I definitely know you're drunk,” I giggled. “You hate when your mum tells me tales, you looked like you were going to kill her the first time.”

“S'all an act,” He admitted. “I love it. Love seein' how easily you fit in with them, seein' ya just be part of the family. Can't wait until ya are for real.”

I knew he was drunk and rambling, but my heart skipped a beat at his words and I thought back to my conversation with Charlotte. Maybe I was just overthinking things and worrying for nothing.

“I can't wait either, Ni.” I smiled.

“Still can't believe ya agreed to marry me,” He mused. “Don't know how I got so lucky. Most beautiful woman in all of England wants ta marry me, an average to mediocre looking Irishman.”

“Niall! Don't be ridiculous!” I scolded, not appreciating his self-deprecating comment even if he was just drunk and being silly. “You're the most handsome man I've ever met and I'm not just saying that.”

“Sure you're not,” He said sarcastically even though I could hear the hint of a smile in his voice. “Yer biased, blinded by yer love for me.”

“Not true at all,” I insisted. “Why don't you go ahead and tweet that? I'm sure your fans will put you straight pretty quick.”

“They're blinded by their love for me too!”

I rolled my eyes despite the fact that he couldn't see.

“Yes, Ni. You're right. Me and the millions of other women in the world who would kill to have sex with you are all deluded. You're actually hideously ugly.”

“Hey now!” He protested. “I said mediocre! Not hideous!” I giggled and could practically hear Niall shaking his head at me. “So cheeky, ya are.”

“I was exaggerating to prove my point!” I defended myself. “I think you're incredibly sexy and I love you to death.”

“I love you too, Ava.” Niall said, his voice wistful and longing. “I wish you were here. Could use a cuddle while I sleep off all this alcohol.”

“Thought you didn't drink much?” I teased.

“Was lying.” He giggled. “I'm plastered.”

“I know, hun. I can tell. You're cute when you're drunk though so it's alright.”

“So good t'me,” Niall mumbled, his accent thick as he sounded like he was drifting off to sleep.

“Goodnight, Ni. Hope you feel alright in the morning.”

“Thanks, Ava,” He sighed. “Love ya so much.”

“I love you too, Ni.”

With that he hung up and I was left standing alone in our kitchen with a dopey smile on my face. He may have been drunk, but he'd managed to ease my fears without me even bringing them up. He couldn't wait to marry me, he'd said so himself.

[getseriouser]

20 THOUGHTS: And then there were Eight

WELCOME to September.

Any by that, I do hope you enjoy the Legends game tomorrow evening, and the AFLW State of Origin Saturday, because the Crows-Giants Qualifying Final is still seven days away sadly.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, we find ourselves in the pre-finals bye, the chasm of over-self-consciousness, a space in your year where time slows down, it doesn’t’ feel right nor feels comfortable.

The end to a rather exciting year was even more exciting, the fact Melbourne was out of the eight, in the eight and then ultimately out of the eight, all in during time on in the very last quarter of the very final game of the season was mesmerising.

But now, yep, we’ve got a bit of mickey mouse filler really until this time next week.

Talk amongst yourselves...

 1.     Ten teams have gone by the wayside, so who’s who in the Finals Zoo? Always easier from the top four as history teaches us but gee, the 2017 Sydney are probably a better team than the 2016 Bulldogs, and the Swans finish in sixth, with a home final, the Dogs were seventh and had a trip to Perth in Week One. From there, the Dogs had to go via the cape last year and to their eternal credit did it with aplomb, taking out all the key players. This year, three of the top four are either untrustworthy, grossly overrated or properly unproven. Sydney, these finals are on your terms gentlemen.

 2.     Here’s the theory I can’t believe this column has ended up with after all the thousands of words dedicated to these two teams – the winner of Geelong vs. Richmond will be incredibly hard to stop hoisting the cup. Here’s why. If Geelong wins, it hosts a prelim final, probably against the GWS, down at Simmonds, and if the Cats can overcome the Tigers juggernaut up the highway next Friday, whose to stop them getting through the Giants on their own turf. Then, as a Victorian side at the MCG on the last Saturday in September, two finals wins under their belt, their skipper back, good luck stopping them.

 3.     On the other hand, and here’s the one that gets the hair on the back of your neck standing up – imagine, bloody imagine would you, that Friday next week, about 10:30pm, Richmond is in front when the final siren goes. First finals win in forever. Not just a finals win, but it’s a qualifying final win, which earns them a home preliminary final. The monkey is off the back, they will be the darling of Melbourne come a fortnight’s time, the utter momentum this city would generate for them alone will be almost impossible to stop. For those under 40 really, watch what happens when Richmond is top of the tree, it’s incredible. It’ll almost win them the cup almost in itself.

 4.     Adelaide and the GWS are the other fancies, get the double chance and damn, one was minor premier, the other has the best team on paper, so plenty of credentials between them. For the Crows, get the first win out of the way, prepare well to take care of whoever they confront in the Prelim, take their chances and back their form in come Grand Final Day. Super plausible. For the Giants, if they don’t win Thursday, they need to take out Geelong or Richmond in Victoria at some point, and not beyond them, but their form line doesn’t arouse enough to make you feel confident. Maybe 2018?

 5.     How about those bloody Demons hey? On one hand, they were bloody stiff. Had a great record against top eight sides, finished with 12 wins and a percentage over 105, most years that gets you in comfortably. But when the finals spot was on their racquet, and they chose to double fault big time against the Pies, especially in that first quarter when by the time they had racked up their sixth tackle, they were six goals down, it’s all on them. Really super list, but no pressure on them making the finals next year is there?...

 6.     West Coast, how lucky? They are an average side at best (watch them do well now I’ve chucked the jinx on). Look, the actual player roster is fine and it’s why I scoff at suggestions they were staring down some serious list management decisions at years’ end because I don’t fault the on-field capabilities at their disposal. Sure, their best player was out all year with a knee, but with him they should be top four minimum. So they’ll bundle out, avoid too much heat, and Adam Simpson can feel a bit better next year should they not start so well, than otherwise we suppose.

 7.     Essendon, now there’s a good news story. Shame they end up facing the best team in the comp first week otherwise we’d actually back them to sneak a finals win way ahead of schedule. Sure, they flirted with danger letting Freo get far too close last weekend but say what you like about their crime and their time, this is a footy side that can do some things in the years to come. Thoroughly deserving of a finals spot and will disgrace no-one no matter how they go against the Swans.

 8.     And can we point out, further to the success story of the Bombers, that to have Paddy Ryder for Port in the finals after the year out too, that’s a great news story in itself. Traded out because of the drugs saga, sitting out the 2016 season at his new club and then to do so well this year, earning AA honours to boot, awesome result for the Western Australian ruckman.

 9.     Onto the All-Australian team, not too bad a year for the selectors other than missing Clayton Oliver. The only other real note is an extension of the previous thought, that for Ryder but also Michael Hurley and Michael Hibberd, to miss all of last year and then to come back and earn a spot in the AA team is such a magnificent achievement, cop that to WADA et. al.

 10.  We must at this point offer an apology. This column found excellent value in Josh Kennedy for the Coleman, and then at worst suggested the hedge bet on Joe Daniher late was excellent logic. We didn’t allow, sadly, for the ten-goal Buddy Franklin show to come in over the top. What is it they always say – the house always wins?

 11.  Alright, alright, let’s address it. Nathan Buckley. Three things here clearly. One, they did in fact look around at who was gettable, poachable, and must have gotten donuts. Two, if there’s no-one out there who they think would be that ‘ significant upgrade’ over what’s already waiting at home, then they’ve chosen to stay faithful. Three, Eddie McGuire, even though he say he would have if he had to, is really glad he didn’t have to sack his great mate, immensely glad.

 12.  So now Collingwood is all in on the Damien Hardwick precedent. We will see assistant coaches turned over, and Scott Burns, Anthony Rocca are two already to move on, we will see further changes in the football department, the fitness guy has already gone, the list management team will reshuffle big time too. We will see who comes in, if it can make any sort of difference, the jury remains unconvinced.

 13.  Last one on the Pies – they are hard to read. Overall, and rightly so, a disappointing year, no question. Technically though this is the first season for Buckley to perform better than previous, yes, the ladder position is lower, but the points tally is higher. Collingwood were the only side to not lose by more than 40 points, they were largely one of the unluckier sides in close games, and had a harder draw than Richmond or Essendon. They get the soft draw next year the Pies which helps -  they played the bottom 8 teams 8 times in 2017, Richmond and Essendon 12 times, Geelong 11.

 14.  Just some numbers on those close games, for matches decided by three goals or less, St Kilda won four of five, yet North Melbourne won four of ten. Yes the Saints missed the finals, just, but we don’t really see these two teams together, but the Kangaroos left plenty of wins out on the park, inexperience, a bit of bad luck, either way there’s some optimism for the North fans next year. Further, games a goal or under, Giants 1 loss from 6, North 1 win from 6, Geelong unbeaten from 5, Dogs 3 wins from 4, Pies one win from 4.

 15.  So apparently Dusty will make a decision soon. He might end up staying after all that, but can we make a case for North? Yes, it’s about a million dollars extra after tax to move to Arden Street, but if we flesh out the previous thought a bit more, they had three close losses by Easter. Win all those, they are 5-2 after Round Seven and the season looks way different. They played like a 10, 11 win team this year, and with Dusty on board, with further games into their kids, they are not far off top four. It’s a stretch, but the comp is so even you can’t rule anything out these days.

 16.  The Crouch brothers have become a column favourite and we will continue to push their cause, and this week particularly Matt’s. The second youngest named on Wednesday night (Zach Merrett is only five months younger). But whilst the Bomber winger is heralded as one of the very best young players in the game, and someone who had a huge 2017, he ranked 4th for disposals per game yet Crouch was ranked 2nd. Crouch too was 7th in the league for effective disposals per game and 9th for score involvements. He was as instrumental to Adelaide taking home the minor premiership as any Crow and whilst most outlets have awarded their player of the year to a Dangerfield or a Martin, The Age actually had Matt Crouch on top. He is only 22, that’s all, but a megastar in the making.

 17.  As this will be the last column for the footy season, let’s finish off with some predictions of the weeks to come. Firstly the Brownlow, and well, theory has it the ineligible Patrick Dangerfield, who wins the count, hangs the medal over the second place getter in Dustin Martin. Oh, what theatre! But we think one of two things will happen – either Martin smashes it in anyway on his own merit, well over 30 votes, well ahead of Dangerfield. Or, someone pops up from nowhere and goes super close to winning it. Watch out for Tom Mitchell, Josh Kennedy or even my man Crouch. Matt Priddis won his Brownlow as a $41 chance, for what it’s worth that’s Marcus Bontempelli’s odds this year.

 18.  Then we have the Grand Final. I tell you, I am beyond compelled by the winner of this Geelong-Richmond game. The path that opens up for the winner is so advantageous and as the Dogs proved last year, getting on a roll is beyond powerful. I have massive respect for the Crows’ season, I think Sydney is the best team in the competition and its shattering they missed top four, but right now, I am tipping the Tigers to win next Friday, and I don’t know who beats them after if they do.

 19.  We have the free agency/trade period next month and we expect a bit to happen. We wonder if someone pays the price to get Tom Lynch down from Gold Coast a year early (Collingwood or Carlton), we wonder if Jake Lever does indeed up a Demon and too whether Gary Ablett plays on but down at Geelong. It appears Josh Kelly will stay or become a Saint, that North Melbourne despite all their cash may fail to land a big fish, and that it will be the pursuit of Jacob Hopper, Devon Smith and Steven Motlop that may cause the biggest news. We do expect that Bryce Gibbs does get home this year though, write that one down.

 20.  And we sign off the year with another retirement during the week, although if we’re honest we knew a little earlier but kept it in camera – Leigh Montagna finishes up after 287 games with St. Kilda. A terribly underrated midfielder, a key component of the more successful periods for the Saints in the early part of last decade and then again in those Grand Final years. He played 21 games or more ten of the last 12 years, so he was incredibly durable and reliable yet a hamstring on its last legs went at the SCG and that was that. He will end up in the media, a proper talent in front of the camera or equally behind the mic, and deserves all the success he has upcoming. A terrific competitor, a highly-skilled midfielder turned backman and an even better bloke. Well done to him.

(originally published August 31)

[vamos-a-barcelona]

I feel like I am always so on top of my posts in my head but never actually post them. Wow am I behind!! I’m sorry, but nonetheless I am back.

Two Thursdays ago all of my classes were cancelled because of a strike. People were mad because 12 government officials have been in jail for over a year with no trial and because of the desire for Catalonia's independence. It seems like there is a different strike every week, its one way of getting the people what they want. As I write this on Monday, there is ANOTHER strike with the metro workers. They cut down the running metros by more than 50% so getting to class this morning during rush hour was nice and snug after waiting for two trains.

Anyways, that weekend was lovely. We were able to sleep in on Thursday, eat a big brunch, pack, and then head to the metro with plenty of time. Me and Isabelle decided to go to Dublin pretty last minute. Everyone goes during St. Patrick's Day, but I knew I wouldn't be able to see the things I wanted to if I went then. We arrived on Thursday night and after a few hiccups in the road, finally checked into our hotel right in the middle of Temple Bar area. Isabelle and I have been wanting Sheppard's Pie for awhile so before we left, we looked up the best places to get it and turns out it was only a 3 minute walk- how perfect! We got our Sheppard's Pie, which was delicious and had mashed potatoes ON TOP, and then a Guinness. It was a lovely start to the trip.

We went to bed early on Thursday so we were up and at it on Friday. We started the day off by going to Trinity College. We walked around the campus, which was so stunning. The Book of Kells is located in the Old Library at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript of the Gospel written in Latin. It was stolen by the Vikings many years ago, but was returned after a couple months. It is now said to be most priced treasure of the Western World. The book itself is very old old so we are not allowed to touch it or take pictures, but it was definitely interesting to see. The thing I liked most about Trinity College is the Old Library. Back in the day, any book that was published was required to give a copy to the Old Library. This didn't go on forever obviously, but there are over 200,000 books on display there. The library itself is old and wooden with statues lining the rows

[initiala]

Happy Valentine’s Day @fairytalesandtimetravel!!! I had so much fun talking to you this month, though I apologize for how infrequent it got as the school year decided to slam everything down on me. Now this is a bit more St. Patrick’s Day than Valentine’s, but I loved your prompt and pulled in some of my own experiences as well ;)

“Doesn’t this country know it’s summer?” Emma grumbled as she pulled her beanie more snugly around her ears.

Her new beanie, made with genuine Irish wool (dyed green, since Mary Margaret said it matched Emma’s eyes), because it was the end of June and Emma had foolishly believed that she could wear summer clothes on this trip around the British Isles.

But apparently Ireland hadn’t received the message that the summer solstice had passed two days before; the rolling green hills were capped with low-hanging gray clouds, blocking any sunshine from warming the air. Everyone had bought out the gift shop’s supply of wool sweaters and scarves the night before, after the news report that the next few days were sure to be more of the same. As she dubiously eyed the path up to the castle, Emma had yet to decide if there was a constant drizzle or if it was just that foggy, but either way the weather was chilly and damp.

And the most infuriating thing of all? The island still managed to be one of the most beautiful places she’d ever been to.

She followed David and Mary Margaret up to Blarney Castle, their last touristy stop of the day before heading back into Cork. The streams around the castle grounds flowed noisily along, the water swollen up and over the banks. Full and green trees hung low, heavy with wet, their leaves trailing in water and giving Emma plenty of exercise as she ducked under branches and away from Mary Margaret’s ever-snapping camera. “Newsflash, cameras do not steal your soul,” Mary Margaret commented as Emma slipped away yet again from another photo.

“Thanks for the update, still not gonna risk it,” Emma replied.

“It’s like you don’t want people to know you’re on vacation with us,” David said, holding a branch up for Mary Margaret to walk under.

Emma didn’t reply; in truth, it felt a little awkward to be the third wheel, especially knowing that David was about four seconds from throwing his carefully-made plans out the window and proposing to Mary Margaret on the first windswept, sheep-speckled hillside he could find (of which there were many). Not wanting to sound like a sad sack or leave an open invitation for Mary Margaret’s matchmaking to make an appearance, it was just easier to stay silent.

There were relatively few people when they entered the run-down castle, which turned out to be a blessing: the damp made the stone stairs fairly treacherous. Emma made her way through the crumbling castle, pausing here and there to read the signs about how the inside had originally been laid out. She heard Mary Margaret’s camera going a million miles a minute somewhere behind her and resisted the urge to flip the camera off: she’d just get guilted half to death and Emma knew Mary Margaret only meant well.

Oh hell, she felt guilty just thinking about it.

Emma knew she was in pretty good shape, but the castle stairs were steep and she was a little winded as they came up to the top. On a clear day, the view would be spectacular; she leaned out of a crenel and watched the clouds scuttle low in the sky, the misty air obscuring most of the land past a half mile away or so. “Please don’t tumble out of a castle tower, I really don’t want to explain that to your boss,” David said, gripping the back of her leather jacket for good measure.

“You’re my boss, David.”

“Okay, the insurance company then.”

“Spoilsport.”

“Children,” Mary Margaret said, snapping a picture of the two of them with a mischievous smile on her face. “Let’s go kiss the Blarney Stone so this nice young man can go home out of the wet. And so we can get some of the stew that one pub was advertising.”

Emma looked over to where Mary Margaret’s ‘nice young man’ stood. In reality, he looked to be about their age, possibly a few years older; she couldn’t tell what color his eyes were from here but he watched them with interest. The wind-tousled hair and the smirk on his face didn’t match her description either -- oh no, nice was absolutely not the word Emma would use to describe this guy. “Have you even looked at him?” she hissed.

Mary Margaret looked properly appalled, smacking her on the arm discretely. “Emma!”

“He looks neither nice nor young!”

“He looks like he’s David’s age and, well, okay, he looks a bit… impish, but I call you nice even when you’re being all… you,” Mary Margaret hissed back.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You know what it’s supposed to mean, Miss Prickly Pear! You know what I think?” Mary Margaret asked as they let David lead the way. “I think you definitely looked at him and that’s why you’re being this way.”

“What way?” Emma hissed, but Mary Margaret didn’t respond as the man began talking.

Okay, maybe she knew what way. Up close, the guy was hot. He had a musical kind of lilt to his voice as he talked about the legends behind the Blarney Stone, weaving in little jokes as he went, and Emma caught him looking at her appreciatively more than once. “Now, it’s a bit of a drop to get to it,” he was saying, “but I promise I haven’t lost anyone yet.”

Emma’s gaze snapped to where David was about to lay on a mat on the stone walkway. “Wait, what?”

“Aye,” the guide said, setting up the souvenir camera. “Stone’s down there, love, built into the battlements. What’s the fun without a bit of danger?”

David grinned at her as Emma watched, transfixed and feeling slightly green around the gills; the guide had him lay on his back, grip some metal poles bolted into the stone walls, and bend himself halfway down the wall as the guide held David’s waist. A photo was snapped, and then David was getting back up, looking a bit red from all the blood rushing to his head but still grinning. “I am not doing that,” Emma stated flatly.

“Says the woman leaning out of the tower earlier?” David asked.

“I was barely poking my head over the side!”

“Oh, come on Emma,” Mary Margaret said, slipping her own beanie off her head and shoving it in her pocket. She too managed the feat and got a photo to prove it.

But Emma dug her heels in, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly as the guide waited her out. “It’s alright, lass.”

“It’s slippery.”

“I’ll hold on to you.”

“Then we’ll both fall to our deaths.”

“Someone’s been listening to too many Holmes dramas,” the guide said with a small sigh. He waved her over, holding out his hand. “Come here, Emma, it’s perfectly safe.”

She started to ask how he knew her name, but remembered Mary Margaret’s goading. Feeling churlish, she went to kneel next to him. He stuck out his hand and she took it, cautiously. “Name’s Killian,” he said, grinning at her. “There, now we know each other. Better to fall to your death with a friend than a stranger, aye?”

“You really need to work on your bedside manner.”

Killian laughed, then canted his head down to where the stone lay embedded in the wall. “It’s that one there, right at the end. And see past that? There’s a safety catch. So no deaths today, not on my watch. Just a quick dip, then you’re back on your feet. I’ll hold on the whole time.”

Emma glanced down at the stone and then back up at Killian. There must have been something in her eyes because he gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Try something new, darling. It’s called trust.”

She wasn’t one to trust people easily. And even with the safety bars below, this still felt like something unnecessarily risky -- like cliff-diving in the Philippines or some other dangerous touristy thing. But she found herself nodding and laying back. Killian’s hands held her hips firmly and he gave her another smile, and she had a bizarre, fleeting thought about what this might feel like in an entirely different situation: one with less cold, wet stone under her back. “Down you get, love,” Killian said. “And no pretending either, don’t be afraid to really get into it.”

Emma scoffed, then pulled herself down and back. She saw a fleeting glimpse of that beautiful countryside before she firmly shut her eyes and pressed her lips to the cold, wet Blarney Stone.

As Killian helped her back up -- her actual back was protesting the exercise -- Mary Margaret and David were applauding her, and Emma was pretty sure it was only a little bit sarcastic. Killian helped her to her feet as well, clapping her on the shoulder with yet another grin. “Good show. Now, if you want your photos, those will be down at the booth as you’re leaving the grounds. It looks like we’re going to get more rain in a bit, so I suggest you three hustle if you’re going to escape most of the wet.”

David and Mary Margaret nodded and started back down the castle. Emma started to go after them, then glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, Killian?” He looked up, with an oddly hopeful look on his face. She smiled a bit, then lifted her hand in farewell. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, love. Have a good day.”

Emma bought her souvenir photo.

After they got back to the hostel and all traded turns in the shower, Emma couldn’t decide if she wanted to lay down on her bed and never get back up, or if she should feed her rumbling stomach. Her legs hurt from all the climbing that day, but she knew she’d only be grouchy and get a headache if she didn’t eat. So she popped a few Tylenol and followed her friends down the street to the pub they’d discussed earlier.

It was warm and cozy inside, dim lighting and old, dark wood breathing a sense of history into the place. The stew was excellent, as were the beers -- though Emma still had some trouble adjusting to this warm beer thing -- and they decided to stay and listen for a while as a local band was getting ready to play their set.

Emma was absorbed in going over tomorrow’s plans with David when she heard a familiar voice over the microphone announce the band and then count off to the first song. She looked up and realized with a shock that it was Killian on the guitar and singing. A man with curly hair was on the fiddle, and there was another man and a woman -- one on a hand-drum and the other with a pipe; there were a few other instruments at their feet and occasionally they’d swap out. Apparently they were regulars, because as the evening wore on folks started to call out favorite requests and Killian would banter with them, to much laughter.

She was up at the bar getting refills when Killian announced a short break. She felt someone come up to the bar next to her and heard Killian say, “Couple of waters, cheers lad.”

Emma totally wanted to blame the alcohol for what happened next, but she knew deep down that she’d somehow hoped she could see him again. Or maybe the Blarney Stone magic was starting to work. “Hey,” she said, turning to look at him. “You guys aren’t half bad.”

The look on his face was priceless, shock and a bit of awe as well. “Emma.”

Her smile faltered a bit, worried that this would be a bad thing. After all, he wasn’t being paid to calm down the crazy girl at the top of a castle here, he was performing. And it had only been for a few minutes earlier that day, it wasn’t like they’d shared this magical moment and birds would start singing anytime they were near -- oh, God, she was spending too much time with Mary Margaret on this trip. “Yeah,” she said, as the bartender came up with her tray of drinks and a few glasses of water for Killian. “Sorry, I just thought -- your band’s good. We’ve been enjoying it. I’ll, uh, let you get back to your break--”

“No, love.” Killian’s hand shot out and stopped her from moving. “Apologies, I was just stunned to see you here. You must have been tucked away in some corner, I would have noticed otherwise.”

Emma was grateful for the dark, it hid her rising blush. “Oh. Well, yeah, we have a table near the back.”

“I see. And I’m keeping you from your friends now.”

She shook her head at the sad sound of his voice. “No, I was just getting refills. I needed to get up and move anyway, David’s a planner and Mary Margaret has all the Lonely Planets out and it’s starting to get on my nerves a bit.”

“Like a bit of spontaneity, do you?” Killian asked.

The glint in his eye made her warmer. “Kinda,” Emma admitted. “Sometimes you just need to fall off the beaten track for a while, you know? Stuff happens and that’s where the story comes from.”

“A life of adventure.”

She nodded. Killian glanced back at the platform where his band mates were, then back to her. “Listen, I need to get these over to the lads and I’m sure your friends would appreciate their drinks. But pop back up here in a mo’?”

Emma considered him, then decided to take her own advice. Fall off the beaten track for a bit. “Okay.”

She dropped off David and Mary Margaret’s drinks with a hurried explanation, then brought her pint back up to the front of the pub, where Killian waited for her. He gave her a grin that promised mischief, then plucked her glass from her hand. “Do you know how to jig, love?”

Emma looked at him as if he’d grown another head. “Do I know how to what?”

The man with the curly hair and the fiddle stepped up to the mic. “Lads, I’ve had a request -- seems my little brother doesn’t get enough exercise climbing up and down the hills all day and wants to show off for this lovely lass.” Emma’s face was definitely, noticeably red this time, glaring at this guy who claimed to be Killian’s older brother. “So dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to burn off Mrs. O’Malley’s stew.”

“I have no idea what to do!” Emma hissed as Killian took her hands and the band started up a jaunty tune.

“Then it’s a good thing you’ve picked a partner who knows what he’s doing,” Killian told her with a wink. “Follow my lead.”

There was a lot of bouncing involved, but as Killian whirled her around the pub floor with the other people dancing -- David and Mary Margaret included, after the first song -- Emma would later swear she’d never had so much fun or laughed so hard in her life. He took her through four songs before Liam -- his older brother -- and the rest of the pub teased him back into finishing the night’s set.

Emma caught her breath at their table in the back, watching Killian play as she nursed her drink. He caught her eye a few time as he sang, winking once, and when they finished their set for the night he gave her a subtle look to follow him.

As planned out as the trip had been -- chilly weather and new wool sweaters aside -- Emma was pretty sure that no one, least of all her, would have planned on her making out with an Irish pub musician behind the very pub he’d been playing at.

And really, that’s kind of how she preferred it.

[whotookmycrayons]

Dear -----,

First, I hope you are able to truly understand all that I will say in this letter. Understanding of my words can be difficult and realizing that, while I may leave some things left unsaid, what I am saying is the truth in my words and should be accepted in the most positive way. I am truly lucky. I'm lucky because I was able to spend time with you during a very important portion of my life. Yes, that portion may only seem to have been roughly a month's worth of time but length of time and the value of time are not always equal. Indeed, our lives can change in a instant. What we all yearn for is the hope that in that instant our lives are changed for the better. I know I have told you many of the things that I am about to address in the following passages but I have to pay respect to my feelings by writing them out, I hope this will serve to reinforce my spoken sentiments. When I first met you I knew you were going to be a factor in my life. At the time I met you, in that damn Sports Authority, I was in and out of a relationship that had up to that point lasted about two years. I had just began that job a few months prior and was finally getting settled with the idea of living in Austin permanently. My failed college attempt made me take the unappealing but necessary step into the workforce. Austin had become a new opportunity to prove to myself that I had what I needed to succeed. Being in those spaces and seeing the growth that was taking place was intoxicating. Austin offered a chance to live in a young cool city filled with beautiful people and beautiful scenery. I needed to be in on that. Sports Authority sucked. It barely paid the bills but I didn't have to work a lot, so it was cool. Then suddenly it offered up something new: you. I couldn't help but be attracted. A pretty face and a very approachable vibe. A certain type of authenticity that a lot of other people seemed to lack. This is how I felt about you. But, seeing as how I am terrible with women and also if I recall, you having a boyfriend, I didn't do much to advance anything between us. I stumbled awkwardly through our interactions but those clumsy moments were caused by the giddiness I felt. I held out hope that you would maybe stick around for a bit and maybe at some point I'd have the balls to ask you out. You left pretty soon after I thought that. With a resounding thud that dream dropped dead. Stephanie from work threw a birthday party. I agreed to go and went just to get trashed but there were only like 4 people there so that seemed like an awkward moment waiting to happen. I had brought my roommate Lauro because I sensed the possible lack of people and knew that he loves to talk. As I got there you stepped in from the balcony. We said hi and I wanted to jump up and down. You left pretty much right after that. All I could think about the rest of that night was you. As we left Stephanie's apartment, Lauro and I talked, he thought he was putting all the right moves on Stephanie, I told him her boyfriend was sitting right next to her the entire time they talked. I asked him if he remembered that girl I had said hi to from the balcony, he said yes. "One of these days I'm going to fuck her," I said. A simple goal. I like to start simply. I knew however that wasn't all I wanted. A crude remark is all that he would understand but I knew what I really wanted. A couple months pass, I think I add you on Facebook. I had finally moved out of the college apartments and into a one bedroom apartment with the same girlfriend from before. It was off Oltorf and I felt like I was finally getting my roots dug into Austin. Still in a familiar area but in much more residential apartments with true Austin residents. Sports Authority still paid the bills...barely. Although I lived with my girlfriend I frequently found myself alone. Our school and work schedules never lining up we didn't see much of each other. I didn't like this. I stuck around but there was sex and bills being paid, simple. I wanted more, more life, more vibrancy from the person I was with, but maybe that was asking too much. Maybe, this is what I need: stability and predictability in my life of poor planning and irresponsibility. Love is present when our weaknesses can be found and covered by the person you are with, and she was able to provide that. I was able to provide much less. Stability doesn't always bring happiness and love can be rejected. Instead of talking about these issues we both suffered through and tried to improve individually. I still thought of you. One day as I left Sports Authority I remembered you and I remembered the fact that you worked at HEB. Facebook creeping (Don't blame me, blame technology!) allowed me to find out that you worked at the HEB off William Cannon. It wasn't out of my way so it wouldn't seem THAT weird if I walked in there, right? You probably won't even be there any way, I mean, there's a lot of employees there, what are the real odds that I'll see you? "At worst, you're at HEB, at best, you get to see -----," I figured. What exactly I did after I saw you wasn't really even considered. I walked in and bam! There you are. Oh fuck, now what? I say hello and feel as though I'm floating, I form some types of words and I think you're able to understand them and what is life!? I say bye and walk towards the rush of the store. I gather myself near the toothpaste. "Ok, you're here, don't be a bitch, you drove here with the intention of seeing her and there she is, so what are going to do? Just walk out and be happy with saying hello?" I bought toothpaste and a few cans of tomato sauce. I walked back towards your area and hyped myself up. I walked out of there with your number and a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes you surprise yourself. I got to my apartment and immediately tried texting you. We had a few exchanges but you didn't seem very interested. Somehow, I was able to meet up with you. It was at that bar Metal and Lace. It wasn't my crowd but you were in that crowd so I was there. I dragged Lauro along. We talked and I still had trouble believing all this was happening, I think you threw up on my truck that night. We all went back to your place to smoke and chill. You lived in the apartments behind my complex. That entire time you had been living across the street from me! We left and I gave you a huge hug. I wanted to tell you so much but all I could say was I hope I'll see you again. It was some time before I got to see you again. I was still in that relationship of convenience but I had become a better person. I was trying become more responsible and reasonable. I tried to focus on positive mental energy and being more understanding. Becoming more comfortable with myself above all else. My relationship had improved and so had my circumstances. Austin had become home. I worked, lived and played on the streets of one of the most desirable places in the country. I had blossomed out of the negative shell I had become during my first few years in school and work. There were many new and exciting opportunities and people that were coming into my life. I still thought of you. I was able to get you out with me, by ourselves, finally. It took me a long time but I finally had the moment I wanted so badly. We met up at Sidebar and sat out in the back. We talked over beers and as I learned about you I became more enamored. Learning the true depth of your personality was riveting. I hoped that we could sit there and talk forever, but I would settle for tomorrow. That would still have been asking for too much. I had to return to my girlfriend and you had to return to your life. We played some pool and then you were gone. That night did happen, right? I finally left Sports Authority for my first full time job, delivering medical supplies. It was finally going to allow me to actually pay rent and have money to spend. My girlfriend became an ex-girlfriend and I moved in with my college drinking buddy Mike. I started to go out more often and whenever I did I hoped I would run into you. My deliveries took me into the small remote locations littered around the Austin area. I remembered you telling me how you grew up in one of those small isolated areas and thought of you when I drove in these places. I contacted you somehow and was able to get you out with me again. This time you had a boyfriend but I didn't care, I couldn't be a hypocrite in this situation, I did the same thing. We met up a few times, a lunch at Pluckers, and you complained about him to me and I figured that all I might be was a distraction from a bad situation. It didn't matter to me what you were using me for, just as long as there were moments where it was me and you, that was all I needed. It was St. Patrick's day and I needed a drink. That day at work I had lost my dolly. It was assigned to my van and I left it out somewhere, this was an issue, I'd be without a dolly taking extremely heavy boxes to areas where access was not convenient. Work had just become even harder. I sent you a text asking if you had plans. You replied no and I said I didn't have any either. I said that I wanted to do something but with SXSW in town and St. Patrick's day I was wary of going out to do anything. Maybe I'll just stay home and have a beer, you asked if I wanted some company. At that moment you could have fired me from that job and I wouldn't have blinked. I thought maybe things had gone poorly with your boyfriend and I was allowing you a way out of your place. Lucky me. It turned out that I was mostly correct. I took you out to buy a dolly with me. I thought this might all lead up to sex, I was right. I enjoyed the night, but not the sex, it felt forced by both sides. It seemed like we both felt we were supposed to but we both had plenty on our minds. I drove you back to your place in the morning and dropped you off. I felt like apologizing the entire time, this wasn't what I really wanted, of course you're beautiful and sexy and a whole lot of fun in bed. But, I wanted something more and knew this wasn't a good start. I dropped you off and on my way home I tried to pump myself up, "Yeah, you said you were going to fuck her Arnold and you did!" "Now it's time to move on, she's going to go back to that dude and never be your problem, the perfect scenario to a guy!" I wanted you to be my problem. I knew I likely wouldn't see you again. I tried frequently to get you to go out with me again. I tried inviting you to everything Austin had to offer but you declined . I finally gave up and realized that I had to move on, you were never going to be with me. The delivery job beat me down mentally and physically. Being around people that needed help and only being able to provide a small relief felt rewarding at times. More often though I felt helpless. Riding in that van, in areas with little radio and phone reception, I was frequently left with my thoughts. Those thoughts often included you in them. I needed to get out of that damn van. I needed something new so I opted for a job in a catering kitchen in downtown Austin. It was the best decision I made in my life. I enjoyed being around food and the people that a kitchen attracted. I made friends with everyone there and really began to feel as though I was taking control of my life. The friendships I made helped me grow out of that young man that lacked confidence. I saw that people appreciated my work ethic and found me to be a person worthy of being a friend. The things that I felt about myself but was never really sure of were finally being proven as true. At the same time there were many changes going on, friends that I had made were leaving Austin, others began their lives with husbands or wives. I finally had the mental capacity that I always wanted for myself but had no one to share it with. Time passed and I became more restless. Work was going well and my relationships with friends were becoming stronger than ever. I was still alone. I tried dating and realized I'm awful at it, I tried online stuff and realized I really didn't want that. I tried getting back with the ex-girlfriend and realized that was just a silly thought. So I turned to my work. I had always neglected my work in favor of fun and friends but since there were fewer of those around I figured why not? I'll pour myself into my work and try to make some money for once. The money came and I began to have ideas. If I were to do this amount of work in a place that was affordable, unlike Austin, I would be able to make enough money to potentially try out some interesting business ideas. At the very least, I could pay off some student loans and become financially independent so that bills became something I didn't need to worry about. This is where the whole Detroit thing comes into play, we know how that goes. Everything was going well when it came to planning my move but before I got out of Austin I had to try and get in contact with the person that most represented Austin to me. I debated for weeks whether I should get in contact with you and when I should, if I did. I figured you were probably with someone because you're Karen and of course you're taken. I finally decided I had to see you. It wasn't right for me to leave without you being at least a tiny part of my final weeks. I messaged you on Facebook (because I've deleted your number a million times and regretted it a million and one times) and to my surprise you got back to me, you even seemed enthusiastic about it. But, that's your personality and I had been let down before. You followed through. Driving out to that punk show I wanted to make sure I was going to let you know how I felt about you. I told myself that would be the last time I get to see you and this opportunity would never come again. I don't have to recount those moments that followed that night. You and I both experienced them together. And for me at least, those moments are still so fresh that to remember them is like planning a funeral for a newborn child, an unpleasant reminder that even the most beautiful moments life provides will come to an end. I cherish each second of time we had before I left. I held on to the idea of you because I knew the reality of you was going to be more amazing than I could even imagine. I would find myself looking at you from afar during our time together and feeling as if I were in a dream. Walking to you across the parking lot of a laundromat, sitting in the dark of the trees with you, and eating an unseasoned steak were reminders that life is magnificent. Truly, I can't think of words that would come anywhere near conveying the emotions that I felt. It was perfect. When you said you wanted to come with me I had a moment. I was excited at the possibility of it, I was excited that the idea came from you, and I was excited that I had made you feel like that was even a possibility. I was not excited at getting over the inevitable heartbreak I was going to feel. I sat there and realized that this was the hardest I was ever going to take a "break-up" for lack of a better term. This was going to be what I had to suffer through up here. The girl of my dreams finally becomes a reality, only she becomes a thing of the past because I'm trying make other dreams become a reality. Ouch, I had to brace myself. That last day with you was brutal. The text later saying you loved me was like a stake to the chest. As I drove out of Austin, I called Ernest in a panic, "What the fuck am I doing!?" He assured me that if I felt before this was something I needed to do, then I needed to do it. I knew that was the answer but it helped to hear it again. Still, leaving you that day was the hardest goodbye I had to say. I made it to Detroit. Our conversations we had when I first got here saved me. I probably would have turned right back around if not for you talking to me. It might seem weird but that's the case. If you were going to come up here I needed to handle my shit so you wouldn't need to worry about anything. You were going to be a guest on this journey with me and I was going to make sure you had all your accommodations. As time wore on contact became more scarce and I completely understood. This wasn't your dream, it was mine. I'm still asleep but you've woken up. You not being here is sad for me but it's not sad because you decided not to come, it's sad because it continues the tradition of you being only an idea to me. Now the reason we can't be is because of me, what a cruel twist. I'm sorry I ever planted that idea in your head. I'm beyond thrilled we had our moments together and I know we'll have more in the future. I hope at the very least you remember me fondly. I hope you'll be able to think of the name Arnold and be flooded with positive thoughts the way I feel when I think of you. I hope you realize just how great you truly are and strive for more. "Don't dim your own light," as a friend has told me. You are a beautiful shape of light and you must recognize that for you to feel better about yourself and make the progress you deserve. I love you, and I knew that if I ever had the chance, I would be able to tell you that, and you would believe it. If you were to feel, even a small percentage, about me the way that I feel about you then miracles do happen. Do you remember when I told you that no matter what happens between us, I'm thankful. I said I was thankful to you because you helped me create something. The sentiments I laid out in this letter are a needle tip on the mountain of creation you have inspired. You being yourself and allowing me to end up beside you even for a brief moment let's me feel like anything can be done. You helped me create a new chapter in my life. The theme of this chapter is love. A pure love based on the fact we can love even when someone isn't around physically. A love of a person through perseverance and a belief that when we experience something together it far outperforms our individual dreams. This chapter is based on you and I thank you. I look forward to showing you in the future what you helped me create. Love, Arnold

[canaryatlaw]

Alright well, today was pretty good. I know I was kind of brief last night since I wanted to get to bed, but the retreat was really nice. And I wasn't the youngest one there, there were two other girls around my age so I didn't feel weird about that. And there's a girl who graduated from one of the other law schools in the city in May and also does child law haha so I ended up talking to her for a while which was really nice. So today, we were told breakfast would be at 9, so I set my alarm for 8:45, and I wake up to an empty room, where there had been two other occupants during the night- two beds and an air mattress, with plenty of space. It was also like, frigid last night, and I didn't bring my sweater or anything with me so I wound up sleeping with my coat on, lol. Been a while since I've done that. Ah well. I got ready pretty quickly and went downstairs, not everyone was up yet and breakfast wasn't quite yet ready so we sat and talked for a while before getting breakfast. They had this blueberry French toast bake which I'm all about because that shit's like my favorite thing ever (I have an entire Pinterest board dedicate to it) and scrambled eggs with bacon and sausage, and fruit and such. So it was really good. Around 10:30 our "speaker" arrived, who was the family ministry (our official title, I guess it sounds better than kids) director at another church. She only spoke for like 45 minutes, and talked about caring for yourself while caring for others by focusing on God and taking care of your relational, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Afterwards they just wanted everyone to go have quiet time and just do whatever to spend time with God so I went back to the bedroom I slept in with my music (I've been perfecting an instrumental hymns station on pandora and we've made a lot of progress there) and just sat and journaled about just about everything, which seems kind of silly because I obviously write these long things every night, but I hadn't actually written in my physical journal since July, so I suppose I had a lot to catch up on. But I just talked about being exhausted with everything but still so in love with my work, and the issues I've been struggling with, especially with guys and finding the right one and trying to be so patient until that happens. I'd say it was pretty productive. I did that for over a solid hour, then just read from my bible till about 1:30 when we reconvened for lunch which was casual, it was like sandwiches but good quality stuff and they had a griddle out so you can like grill your sandwich which I did of course and it was pretty banging. I'm like, not a big sandwich person typically because I can be really picky about what I actually like on it (and I pretty much hate soft sandwich bread in any form) but when it's like good quality stuff it's like my favorite thing ever so it was highly enjoyable. After lunch we met up again and just kind of did a "deeper" check in as opposed to the one we did last night, just areas in your life where you feel like you're winning and those you feel like you're losing, and of course everyone got pretty deep with things but it was definitely very cathartic, that much you could tell. I just talked about how I'm at this weird place where I love so much of what's going on in my life but also struggling with being so incredibly burnt out, and that's not what I want for my life because I want this, I really do, but I have to figure out how to make it work for me on a physical and mental level so I'm not dragging the way I have been for the past month (though this week has been considerably better). And then I talked about not really finding a big group of friends in the city and how I'm alone a lot and while I can definitely appreciate it more than I once did, I definitely feel lonely for the kind of close companionship having best friends you see every day brings.8 felt like that was pretty good for me. After everyone finished we closed out in prayer and then we were done, so we packed up and headed out. I got a ride back with the same couple from yesterday who live in my neighborhood, along with a few other people who live further south so we dropped them off first then came up north and dropped me off. It was just a really nice weekend, I got to talk to so many nice people and I'm just really glad to have those relationships in my life that can hopefully grow into something more. During the car ride we were talking about food and I decided I wanted sushi for dinner, so I texted my roommate to see if she was around and she was, so shortly after I got back we walked down to a sushi place not far from us. It wasn't too crazy, Chicago in general was kind of nutty today because it's the unofficial St Patrick's day celebration (which is dumb because it's not till next Friday, it should be next Saturday) and people always go a little nuts, but thankfully there aren't all that many bars up by us so it was more contained. We had a very nice dinner, good sushi so it was highly enjoyable. We walked home after and decided to watch Moana because we had discussed doing so soon and I hadn't seen it yet, and I definitely loved that movie just as much as I expected to. Like, ah, it was so good in so many ways. I love Moana as a character, like, so much. She's amazing and she makes me so happy. I also loved how matriarchal it all was, and how nobody questioned that Moana would lead the village one day because she's the child of the chief, doesn't matter that she's a girl. That scene though where her mom sees her packing and realizes she's running off and just hugs her and let's her go I was like 😭😭😭 and then the climax was so beautifully handled, I loved it. So much female empowerment, and not a hint of romance which is amazing, especially for a Disney movie. So I definitely enjoyed that. It was still fairly early then so we decided to watch dr strange, which I never really had much of an interest in seeing for various reasons, but it was a marvel movie so I figured I should probably see it at some point for continuity purposes if he's going to show up in later movies. It was pretty good. Was it very strange to have Tilda Swinton as "the ancient one" when pretty much everyone around her beside Strange is a POC? Of for sure. But beyond that the story was pretty good, interesting villain and final resolution, as well as showing the way he developed his powers. I really liked Rachel McAdams character too, she was so overwhelmed when she was forced into these ridiculous situations haha but she handled it all like a champ. So that was good. When we finished with that I figured I should probably pack since I'm flying home tomorrow, so I did that and then got ready for bed and that's about it. The plan for tomorrow is to wake up at 8, be out the door by 8:45, be at the airport by 9:45 (probably won't take that long but I don't want to chance it with traffic) for my 10:45 flight. The sucky part is I have a long layover in Baltimore, and my plane to NY doesn't get in till 5:30, so I'll be hanging out there for a while. Ah well, could be worse. Excited to see my family of course, and I would like to get some sleep so I can enjoy seeing them for sure. So goodnight peeps. Hope you had an awesome Saturday.

[charllieeldridge]

What To See & Do With 24 Hours In New York City

We recently headed to the Big Apple with big hopes of seeing it all. When we were researching the sights around the city, we had a hard time visualizing distances and weren’t sure what we’d accomplish in our short visit to the city before heading upstate.

Of course, a weekend in New York would be better, as with only 24 hours, you’ll barely have time to scrape the surface. So, what exactly can you see in 24 hours in New York City? It turns out, quite a bit.

In this article, I’m going to list everything that we managed to take in on our recent trip to New York City and hopefully it will give you an idea of what you’ll be able to cover in a day. One thing to make sure of is that you’re wearing a good pair of shoes when exploring NYC!

Note: This entire itinerary is based in Manhattan and while I’m aware that New York has many wonderful boroughs to explore, we stuck to Manhattan for the sake of seeing as many sights in the shortest amount of time. To maximize our time in the city, and to arrive in style, we took a Blacklane car to get us from the airport to Manhattan, but you could also take the Air Train from JFK. 

What to see and do with 24 hours in New York City.

Where To Stay: Lower Manhattan

I recommend staying at a hotel in Lower Manhattan and branching out from there to see all of the sites around the area. We stayed at the W New York – Downtown and found its central location to be the perfect base for our explorations around the city. The staff were young and the hotel was very chic — make sure to check out their onsite lounge with live music!

If you’re on a tight budget, there are some hostels in Manhattan, but even they are expensive. You could stay in a cheaper borough (like Queens), but then you’ll spend more time & money on transport. Another great option is to check out Airbnb for some cheaper rooms for your 1 day in New York. 

What to See Around the Financial District:

*Note: You’re going to want to eat at some point during your whirlwind trip to New York City. Check out this post which lists the best places to eat in NYC, according to a local.

Battery Park: This beautiful, 27-acre park is located at the southern tip of Manhattan and it is the perfect place to start the day. Walk along the sea wall and take in the next sight.

The Statue Of Liberty: You can see a side profile of the famous statue from Battery Park and there are numerous ferries to take you closer. If you hop on the boat that visits Ellis Island and Liberty Island, it will take up an hour and a half of your day (even without even getting off), so for the sake of time, snap a photo and get moving.

Broadway: From Battery Park, take this famous road to the next sights.

The Charging Bull: In the name of financial prosperity and luck, fight through the crowds of tourists to rub the lucky bronze balls below this 3.2-ton famous statue.

Trinity Church: Just a little further down Broadway you’ll see Trinity Church on your left. If you’re quick, you may even have time to head inside for a peak.

Wall Street: Wall Street has a fascinating collection of Gilded Age architecture. Here you can take in a few major sites within minutes — The Trump Building, Federal Hall, 14 Wall Street (Bankers Trust Building), and the New York Stock Exchange (among others).

The Brooklyn Bridge: There’s a beautiful walkway that runs along to the East River on FDR Drive. Take this and you’ll have lovely views of the Brooklyn Bridge, plus you can shop for some touristy New York trinkets from vendors here.

Chinatown: From the Brooklyn Bridge take St. James and Bowery streets into Chinatown. Source out a popular Chinese restaurant and enjoy some soup dumplings. I recommend Joe’s Shanghai for authentic soup dumplings. 

Canal Street: This 2.5 km east-west street is your best bet for finding cheap knock-off sunglasses and inexpensive tourist garb. Don’t spend too much time shopping, there’s lots more to see with your day in New York.

Little Italy: Hopefully you brought your appetite. Little Italy has some of the best restaurants in all of New York. You’ll have a bit of time to explore the area before popping in for a bite.

SoHo: Named for its location (South of Houston) and its similarities to London’s SoHo, this is a great area to roam around for a bit. There is a lot of charm in the neighbourhood’s narrow, cobblestone back streets.

Tribeca: Another acronym based name (“Triangle Below Canal St.”), Tribeca is a great place for fans of neo-Renaissance architecture. Some places to see include the Powell Building, a row of White neo-Renaissance buildings on Worth Street and the New York Telephone Company (140 West St.).

Freedom Tower & World Trade Memorial: End the day off with a walk through the beautiful and profoundly evocative World Trade Memorial, all the while looking up to see the tallest building in the Western hemisphere, the Freedom Tower.

…SLEEP!

What To See Around Central Manhattan:

After a good sleep, hop on the subway at Wall St. Station heading uptown on the R-line ($2.50 – around 20 minutes) to 14th St. Station (Union Square) and get ready for another jam-packed few hours of sightseeing in New York.

Union Square: Sometimes there are events and farmer’s markets here. Definitely check it out.

5th Ave: Another one of New York’s most famous avenues, 5th Ave. has some beautiful architecture rooted in the Gilded Age, such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York Public Library, Rizzoli, Saks Fifth Avenue, Flatiron Building, etc. Plus, many more shopping opportunities for those not on a strict budget!

Central Park: Follow Fifth Avenue north until you hit Central Park on your left-hand side. You won’t have time to see much of this 3.41 km2  green space, but you’ll be able to see the south end all the way to the fountain. When you reach the fountain, loop back around to the west side of the park and exit on Central Park West.

Columbus Circle: This is a beautiful roundabout to take a couple of photos before getting on the subway at the Columbus Circle Station. Take the A-C-E train downtown and get off at 59th St. Station.

The Chelsea Market & Neighbourhood: Get off the subway at 14th St. and head for the amazing Chelsea Market which is open Monday to Friday (7am – 9pm) and Sunday (8am – 9pm).

The High Line: My personal favourite part of New York City, the High Line is an abandoned railway track turned pedestrian walkway and garden. Benches, flowers, amphitheaters, grass, and foliage make this one of the most beautiful and romantic city walks. There are also plenty of dinner options around here and some snack stands on the High Line itself. Get off on 30th St and head east.

Madison Square Garden: Turn left on 7th Ave off of 30th St and head north. Almost immediately you’ll see one of the world’s most famous venues, Madison Square Garden.

Times Square: Continue northbound on 7th Ave and basically just follow the bright lights and camera-happy tourists until you reach Times Square. Take a few photos and try not to have a seizure amongst the flashing LED TV Screens that are the size of football fields. If you’re looking to find mouthwatering barbecue in New York, stop in at Virgil’s in Times Square.

Have Some Extra Time?

Why not go sailing? Consider a day sail around the waters of NYC. Check out companies like Sailo who offer many popular rentals for around 2 – 4 hours including sunset cruises overlooking Manhattan.

Once you’ve seen the city by foot and your legs are sore, you can relax on a sailboat and enjoy the view. They’ve also done plenty of trips that are organized bachelorette parties, as well as sightseeing trips around the bay.

All of their boats in NYC are rented with a licensed captain which is included in the price, so all you have to do is book a trip and then show up on the dock.

Time’s Up!

By this point, your legs will be aching and your camera shutter finger will be twitching, but you’ll have seen a lot of New York (well, only Manhattan actually).

Of course, you could go a whole different route and head into Brooklyn or check out the beautiful Staten Island area, but that’s what is so great about New York City, you can explore it for months and still not see it all! Some of it will just have to wait until next time.

One important thing to note is that you’ll want to make sure you have travel insurance for a trip to New York (and the USA as a whole).

Not only should you have insurance for anywhere in the world, but the cost of visiting a hospital in the USA is incredibly expensive. Enter your information below to get a free quote from World Nomads, a popular insurance company for travellers.

  What did we miss? If you think it’s possible to see more of New York in 24 hours, please share it with us in the comments below. If you think that it would be impossible to see all of this in 24 hours, tell us we’re crazy!

Don’t believe it’s possible? Check out our fun, quick video of our 24 hours in New York City!

Some images in this article were sourced from Shutterstock.com.

Like This Article? Pin it!

  The post What To See & Do With 24 Hours In New York City appeared first on Goats On The Road.

What To See & Do With 24 Hours In New York City published first on https://travelaspire.weebly.com/

[auburnfamilynews]

The Tigers will host five more top targets this weekend in an effort to close out the 2019 cycle strong.

It’s plenty busy on the recruiting trail right now. Auburn coaches are traveling all over the country (more on that later) visiting not only their top targets in the 2019 class but future classes as well. Offers are flying out daily to top level 2020, 2021 and yes even the occasional 2022 prospects. This is typically one of the busiest times of the recruiting cycle as coaching staffs attempt to put the final touches on their signing class and start building momentum for next year.

Official Visitors

Like last weekend, Auburn is expecting five official visitors on campus over the next couple of days. Unlike last weekend, I think there’s a VERY good chance the Tigers add a commitment by Monday. Here’s a look at who is expected on campus later this evening.

4* ATH John Rhys Plumlee | 6’1” | 185 lbs | Hattiesburg, MS | UGA Commit

This was the big surprise of the week. The longtime Dawg commit may have lost his place in that class when UGA pulled off a late flip of former Ohio State QB commit Dwan Mathis during the early signing period. There’s been rumors in recent weeks that Plumlee is being asked to blueshirt (explanation of a blueshirt) which may have put the talented athlete back on the market.

Interestingly, Plumlee prefers to play QB in college and that’s where Auburn is reportedly recruiting him to play. Now could this be a Jason Smith like situation where Auburn allows him a shot at QB before convincing him to slide elsewhere? We will see but it could also mean the staff expects some attrition at the QB position this spring especially when you consider the attempts to evaluate graduate transfer options.

As for Plumlee’s talents, he’s a big time athlete. He could play QB, WR or DB at the next level and is also a terrific baseball player. Plumlee is very quick, able to change directions at a moments notice and has outstanding top end speed that makes him a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. He’s got some Manziel to his game at the QB position in that he’s at his best in the midst of chaos. With a quick trigger and quick feet, he can get himself out of trouble in a hurry and be an all around headache for defenses. Plumlee would definitely give Auburn a dual threat option at QB. Given the signing of Nix though I expect Plumlee’s future at Auburn would be either at slot WR or safety. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are thought to be the teams to watch heading into this weekend. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers can make a strong late push for another elite Mississippi prospect.

3* DT LeDarrius Cox | 6’5” | 300 lbs | Mobile, AL | Tennessee Commit

For months now the thought has been that Cox would eventually land in Auburn’s class. Despite being committed to Tennessee, he’s 100% predicted to the Tigers via 247’s Crystal Ball feature. But as this recruitment has gone on the likelihood of that flip seems to have gone down. Publicly, Cox continues to say all the right things as a committed prospect but he’s set to make two huge visits in the coming weekend. This week its Auburn, next week its Ole Miss. If either of those programs plan on making a big move, now is the time.

Would Auburn take both Cox and 4* DL Charles Moore if they wanted on board? No idea outside of Moore 100% has a spot. VERY interested to see what news comes out on this young man after his visit this weekend.

3* OT Ira Henry | 6’5” | 320 lbs | St. Louis, MO

I’ve been waiting for some new OT names to pop up and yesterday one finally did. Henry has become one of the most sought after prospects on the trail late this cycle with Florida, Florida State and now Auburn hard after his signature. Henry took an official visit to the Gators this past weekend but its the Noles to keep an eye on. They have plenty of playing time to sell and Henry has considered FSU is “dream offer”.

Henry’s senior tape is not available but what you see on his junior film is a guy that can move despite his size and someone with A LOT of power in his punch. At times he can be a little overly reliant on the fact he’s just bigger and stronger than his opponent but I love how light on his feet he is at 320 lbs and his ability to finish. The Tigers need help at the OT spot for 2020 and beyond. Henry would sure help in that regard.

3* LB Christopher Russell | 6’1” | 228 lbs | Dyersburg, TN

Once a Memphis commit, Russell has become one of the top targets for a number of SEC programs. He’s already officially visited Texas A&M, will be on the Plains this weekend and has visits still scheduled for Arkansas and Tennessee later this month. The Hogs were thought to be the leaders in this race at one point but now it’s the Vols who have picked up the intensity after losing JUCO LB commit Lakia Henry.

Russell is a thumper and a clear MLB at the next level. While he doesn’t necessarily face the strongest of competition, he dominates like he should at that level. I have some questions about his speed but there’s no denying that inside the box he’s a force to be reckoned with. Auburn has made him a clear priority in recent weeks and will attempt to make a major move in his recruitment this weekend.

2* ATH Kameron Brown | 6’0” | 222 lbs | Buford, GA

I will be stunned if Brown is not on Auburn’s commit list by Monday morning. The younger brother of super star defensive tackle Derrick Brown, Kameron has spent most of his recruitment trying to convince schools to take a chance on him despite his size and slow 40 time. He finished second in the state of Georgia in tackles in 2018 with 205 and does carry two offers from strong FCS programs UT Chattanooga and Furman. But no FBS schools had come calling just yet.

Until now....

The Tigers offered Brown on January 8th just a few days before his older brother announced that he was returning to school. Interestingly, Auburn is reportedly recruiting him as an athlete. While he might get a shot at linebacker, his future might actually be at the 3-back (H-Back) position. If that’s the case, the future of that position continues to be confusing considering all the different type of athletes the Tigers have signed in recent seasons. That aside, Auburn would be getting a talented young man with a serious chip on his shoulder ready to prove his worth if he were to commit this weekend. Everyone that has spent time with the young man only have really positive things to say about his effort, attitude and leadership.

Curious Case of Dylan Jordan

One target that will not be on campus this weekend is 3* LB Dylan Jordan out of Pittsburg, KS. He recently became a top target for the Tigers and as late as Wednesday evening was expected to visit the Plains this weekend. But yesterday he surprised everyone by announcing he will instead take an official visit to TCU.

So it’s official, this weekend I’ll be taking an OV in Fort Worth pic.twitter.com/Ygp631MMu2

— DJ3️⃣ (@thedylanjordan_) January 17, 2019

Now the Horned Frogs were the originally scheduled destination before Auburn began their push but Jordan told numerous Auburn reporters he was going to the Plains instead. But the TCU staff visited him on Wednesday and apparently convinced him to go back to his original plans. Jordan has stated he wants to commit on January 28th in the past so the Tigers will need to scramble to get him on campus if they want to make a serious move in his recruitment. As of today, TCU and Utah appear to be the top schools to watch. But don’t expect Travis Williams to go down without a fight in this battle.

Interesting Early 2020 Note

Watching offers roll in over the past week for future classes, something interesting caught my eye. Auburn had offered two OTs from the state of Arizona. After some digging I found something interesting.

Interesting note on 2020 recruiting Auburn has already offered 5 players from Arizona in next year's class Auburn offered a total of 4 players in the 2013-2019 classes combined from Arizona Why the change? Dillingham grew up/coached in Arizona

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) January 18, 2019

For those unfortunate folks who have Twitter blocked at their workplace, Auburn has offered 5 players in the 2020 class from the state of Arizona. They offered a total of 4 from 2013-2019 per 247’s “Offers” feature. The link? Auburn’s new offensive coordinator and QB coach Kenny Dillingham.

Auburn’s newest staff addition grew up in the state of Arizona, coached high school football there AND landed his first collegiate gig as a grad assistant for Mike Norvell at Arizona State. Pretty clear he has some connections in the area. In the 2019 class, we’ve seen the clear effect Marcus Woodson’s addition to the staff has had on the trail. All of a sudden Mississippi is a place Auburn can recruit again. Might Dillingham open up some options further west?

Maybe.... Arizona is a bit of a different beast than Mississippi but it’s still something interesting to monitor as we head into a new recruiting cycle. Whether anything materializes in these recruitments is still to be seen and I sure as heck ain’t expecting Auburn to open up a pipeline to the Copper State but I also wouldn’t be shocked if there’s someone a little further west is listed on Auburn’s signee list in 2020.

Tim Horton Impact

Earlier this week, DesertWeagle made the accurate observation in the comment section that we really haven’t talked much about the Tim Horton news on this site. Honestly, I haven’t had much of an opinion on it because I want to see how it plays out. Is he going to take Patrick Suddes old role and become the big picture/right hand man guy for Gus? Or is this Scott Fountain 2.0 and he pops up somewhere else as an on field coach. Neither move would surprise me and until Gus brings in a new RB coach it’s hard to really speculate on the impact moving forward.

However, I will say that Horton doesn’t get as much respect as he should as a recruiter. It’s not as simple as position coach gets all the guys for his position. Often times, it’s the area recruiter that lays the groundwork for top targets. Horton is a very big reason why Auburn has found success in the Tampa and Birmingham areas under Gus Malzahn. His biggest pull was obviously Kerryon Johnson but he played an important role for guys like Austin Troxell and Nate-Craig Myers as well. His biggest impact in the 2019 class was his work on recently tabbed 4* RB DJ Williams who might end up making Horton look REALLY good in a few years.

But I also understand the move. Horton is a solid, not elite recruiter and the RB coach spot is a place where you can find one of those. You see what someone like Dell McGee is doing at Georgia and it’s hard not to feel like the Tigers could get more from that position on the staff. It will be VERY interesting to see who Gus brings in to replace Horton. He will inherit a talented RB room and replace some big shoes when it at least comes to pedigree in producing elite backs in this league.

War Eagle!

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/1/18/18187784/2019-auburn-football-recruiting-another-busy-weekend-ahead-john-rhys-plumlee-kameron-brown

[kfcgiselle495-blog]

Diet regimen And Recipes

Complying with the incredible success of the Power Equilibrium wrist band Wellness and also Treatment have right now released pair of brand new Power Harmony colours to include in its own awesome variety. Obviously, white is actually commonly made use of a history as it boosts any and all colours around it, however overuse can make a feeling of sterility as well as coldness. Be it eco-friendly, blue, reddish or even pink, every colour has a distinct capacity to treat diseases. Observe along with a coating of BrightWhite spf 70 Skin layer De-Pigmentation Sun block in the course of time. Paint all of them dark eco-friendly, lotion or Http://davidfit.info even blue and also utilize low-gloss or timber fittings. But, if you like your music to appear as if you are actually joining to life gig, an ensemble or vocalist, this body is actually excellent. 2 substitutes are bubbly off-white, a pale tan akin to the shade of watered-down ginger dark beer, and sparkling wine along with ashen pink undertones. Coat the whole face with your opted for environment-friendly foundation colour. I coloured a white base memory card along with Trouble inks, branded the Floral Borderline along the best and also bottom edges making use of some of the colours at that point branded a sentement in black cheek by jowl of the memory card. It is necessary to highlight that when techniques like media education are checked, youngsters ought to be actually provided the opportunity of educated consent as well as the right to take out. All the continuing to be colours are created by incorporating differing magnitudes of thumbs-up in the mix. All-natural active ingredients operate the most ideal without any injuries for whole physical body featuring hairs. Royal blue was actually a colour numerous desired to be the colour of St Patrick's Time however it never ever acquired the love and also decision of the heathens who performed certainly not give up on the environment-friendly. Once I was able to observe a row of different-coloured cable television ties holding a gateway all together through redoing the colours Ed told me were there. I may imagine a nice Amber tinted sweather during the course of the refreshing days of Fall. If the stain is on the hands or even other revealed part of the body, rub the skin layer along with warm water. " Use some color in your clothing whether it be your best or even your bottom, yet don't use dark or even grey unless you are actually going to seasoning it up," states Ilasco. I am actually really honored to become this month's Attendee Developer at CAS Christmas time where the concept is "Bird" and also there is actually still plenty of opportunity to join in the exciting. After blue, violet as well as green are actually the colors that individuals checklist as their preferred, according to my unscientific survey of just how I presume individuals might answer if I asked. Did you get this code working with the much older 2416 Eco-friendly shows. I go to the factor where I don't desire to dedicate to investing either the time or the cash on coloring my hair, which plenty of women carry out. It's a personal choice that I hope to be choosing the right way. I've always loved utilizing various tones of the very same colour when enhancing, it is actually a lot easier because you know the colours will definitely often work together.

The phone packs a significant display screen, a 2nd display for quick managements and also an AI-powered virtual aide that vows to subtly assist you out throughout the day. I mean to incorporate a varying meeting display screen as well you could possibly refer to as the date at set few seconds as if you pushed the date button I assume button B". This will show the date then return back to time and also temperature level.