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lightisdays2k · 4 years ago

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Day 2: Fluff

Burning Phoenix here, with Day 2: Fluff. Enjoy!

The word ‘strange’ would be an understatement.

Those big brown eyes just kept staring at her, no matter where she went or what she did. In fact those eyes were staring at her so intently, she wondered what the owner of those eyes even wanted.

Carbuncle tilted its head slightly and its ears twitched as it observed Lightning. The rose-haired woman was pacing, and kept sending glances the little messenger’s way.

With a frustrated sigh, Lightning turned to face the fox-like creature. “What do you want? You’ve been following me around all day. And don’t think I don’t know what you are.”

In response, Carbuncle blinked and tilted its head the other way.

It was an adorable sight, but Lightning did not think so. The creature had been following her like a stray looking for scraps, but she knew that it was no ordinary animal. Not only did its fur have a strange tint and shine to it, but the singular ruby horn on its forehead gave it away.

“Stop following me.” Lightning frowned at Carbuncle and turned away.

As soon as she began moving forward, the fox creature began to shadow her again. Lightning rolled her eyes and opted to ignore the miniature stalker. She had better things to do than acknowledge the magical being.

And here she was thinking it was the end of the age of gods. Yet here she was, fresh off the train and heading to her new destination, and was now being followed by what she was certain was a new form of eidolon. An eidolon that was not being at all subtle if it was just walking around in its true form for all to see.

Carbuncle just continued to toddle behind Lightning, its big brown eyes still on her.

It couldn’t believe its luck when it first sensed a strong presence, only to see the subject of that presence step off the train. Not what it was expecting, but Carbuncle was convinced once it saw Lightning head in the direction it was planning to head towards as well.

Carbuncle decided to pick up the pace and walk beside the woman, now facing its eyes forward.

With an irritated sigh, Lightning glanced down at her unwanted company. “Why won’t you leave me alone?”

Carbuncle blink and tilted its head yet again. Its tail wagged in response.

Before Lightning could turn away again, the little fox creature let out a high-pitched bark. A rather endearing sound, but the former savior was not affected. However, the moment Carbuncle barked, her cellphone vibrated in her pocket.

Pulling the device out, Lightning stared at the screen. It was a message consisting of what looked like a sticker of a happy cartoon chocobo surrounded by confetti and holding maracas in its wings.

Lightning raised an eyebrow. Who sent her this message? Once again, Carbuncle barked and the phone vibrated and beeped with a new message. With actual text this time around.

“Hello there!”

“Is that you doing this?” Lightning demanded, frowning at the little messenger.

“No need to be so grumpy. Yes, it’s me. Hello, Lightning!”

“Whatever it is you want, you can forget it. I’m not up to being a pawn in any god’s game.” Lightning said, glaring directly at Carbuncle. The creature may be small but any mystical being was not to be underestimated. She knew from experience.

“No games or pawns. But I like your foresight!�� Carbuncle barked.

Lightning frowned at the screen of her phone before looking down at the tiny furball. “What the hell are you, exactly?”

“I think you already know what I am. I could tell by the way your brows creased and your eyes narrowed.”

“The eidolons vanished from the world a while ago. So why do you exist, and how?” She still remembered the moment her own eidolon, Odin, had knelt down to bid her farewell before he and the other eidolons vanished into scattered light. They were gone now.

Carbuncle’s squeaky bark, and the beeping of her cellphone, brought Lightning back to reality. “Close! I’m kinda flattered you think I’m on such a high level, but I’m not an eidolon. I’m a Messenger! The name’s Carbuncle.”

“What’s the difference?” She huffed.

“Around here, there is a difference. But I’m not here to debate on that! I’m here to pick you up!”

Lightning was slightly taken aback by the odd response. “Pick me up? I don’t remember asking for a cab service from an eidolon… Messenger. Especially some furball.”

Carbuncle did not seem the least bit upset or offended, and instead just barked again, sounding a little hopeful.

“Favor for a friend. You match the exact description of someone I’ve heard so much about, and I’m rarely wrong! Besides, I doubt there’s many with the exact same looks as you.”

“You’d be surprised…” Of course she was not the only one with her description. There was also Serah, her younger sister. Someone she hoped to reunite with soon. Another reason for her trip by train.

“Either way, I’m here to bring you to Insomnia. You’re on your way there, right? So am I! Might as well walk together, right? Makes things easier.”

Lightning scoffed at the messenger. “A little late to be saying that; considering you’ve been following since I got down from the train. And I’m sure you have the wrong person.”

“That temper of yours was part of the description, so I’m sure I got the right person. Though you do seem more carefree now.”

“I was until some fox with a horn on its head decided to follow me like some stray dog.”

“Not fond of the higher power, I see. I understand. That must have been some journey, huh? I’m sure glad you managed to make it this far into your new life; now maybe you can continue where things left off! I’m pretty excited myself!” Carbuncle barked and pranced a bit, its long, fluffy tail wagging a bit.

“You act as if you know me. Carbuncle, was it? I’ve heard the name before, but that Carbuncle wasn’t some miniature messenger, and I certainly don’t recall an eidolon as fuzzy as you are. Not where I came from, at least.” Lightning considered herself to have a good memory, and she knew no eidolon or fal’Cie that took the form of a furry, teal fox with a horn.

“You’re right; I don’t know you. Not personally anyway. I only know you from what I’ve heard and been told! I was hoping you convince you to pay a visit. And since you’re off to the Crown City, this makes things easier. Good thing you decided to get a phone too; I like practicality.”

“Since when did eidolons need phones?”

“Messenger. And it’s just me, really. Nobody else. They’ve all gone.”

“Then why are you still around?” Lightning questioned.

“To be honest…I’m not entirely sure. But I like to believe it’s because I managed to earn my keep and will continue to do so.”

Deciding that she had wasted enough time already, Lightning continued on her way. Carbuncle yet again fell into step with her.

During her walk to her destination, Carbuncle kept silent for a good while, aside from mentioning a few factors like how the lands outside the Crown City used to be a bit more desert-like and barren but had now developed with more life in terms of nature and civilization. But the moment the end of the road seemed to be in sight, the messenger perked up again and began barking, setting off Lightning’s phone in her pocket.

“I’m glad you decided to come to Insomnia. I’ve been looking forward to properly meeting you. And I know someone else who’d be more than happy to see you again.”

Lightning sighed but kept walking. “You keep saying that. Who exactly is this person you’re referring to?”

“You don’t remember?”

“I can’t exactly forget somebody I never met in the first place.” She shrugged, sparing a glance at Carbuncle.

“Well I know you definitely know this guy! Just come with me and you’ll see!”

Carbuncle ran off ahead but made sure to slow down to make sure Lightning kept up. She frowned as she continued on; should she even listen to some fluffy creature that was obviously not a normal animal? And just when she thought she had put her days of following gods, behind her.

In the end Lightning managed to reach Insomnia with Carbuncle still at her side. Somehow nobody seems to be reacting to the strange little messenger.

“Tell me something; can these people see you, or not?” She narrowed her eyes at her unwanted company.

“Well I never really paid attention. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. Either way, follow me! I promise you won’t regret it!”

Lightning crossed her arms and grunted. “I’m starting to.”

“The two of you sure have been through a lot, even if you were both so far from each other. But now that things here have turned peaceful again, you two can rekindle…” Carbuncle barked cheerfully as it pranced ahead.

“Are you going to keep playing games or are you going to tell me who the hell you think it is I know so well that you’d go out of your way to ‘pick me up’ from the station.” By now, she was getting tired of these riddles. Lightning could not believe she was being outfoxed by some…fox.

“Please be patient and you will see.”

Once again, Lightning found herself unfortunately following Carbuncle in the end. The messenger was surprisingly friendly company at least, though she was not going to admit that. No matter how adorable and endearing the messenger was. Especially that bark.

Finally, Carbuncle stopped at some large gates, and barked.

Well, here we are! The Citadel!”

Lightning stopped walking and looked up, only to realized she had been led far into the city and somewhere rather important-looking. The Citadel, Carbuncle had called it. And despite the fact that it seemed like the place should be heavily-guarded, nobody seemed to be manning the gates, which struck the former savior as odd.

Carbuncle then led her around to much smaller gates, likely for the guards. “Come on in. Don’t worry, you won’t cause any trouble.”

“I have a feeling simply walking into some kind of official building through the guards’ entrance while the guards are oddly missing, is exact opposite of ‘not’ causing trouble.” Despite her words, Lightning found herself going after Carbuncle. She had come too far now.

They made their way to the center of the enormous plaza and Lightning had to pause, staring at the huge fountain. It was a rather intricate piece, and the water flowing from it was cool and clear.

“Can I help you, ma’am?”

Lightning whirled around to face who had spoken. In front of her stood a man dressed in a black uniform, his brown was styled into a slight up-do and his eyes had a distinctive scar around them. Yet by the fact he was wearing ordinary, clear spectacles, it showed that his eyesight had not been affected by whatever gave him the scars over his eyes.

“… I’m actually not sure myself,” Lightning admitted and glanced at Carbuncle.

“Tell him your name. Trust me on this.” The messenger barked.

She gave a doubtful look at Carbuncle; why should she trust the instructions of this messenger anyway? But a part of her was rather curious. Somewhat.

Finally, with a defeated sigh, she looked to the bespectacled man again. “I’m…Lightning. Lightning Farron. And I have absolutely no idea why I’m even here.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow. People often liked seeing the palace up close; at times to admire the view and at times to try and worm their way inside to see the king himself. However, by looking at the woman with…a unique hair color, he could tell she was indeed confused. Suddenly her words clicked in his head.

“Pardon me, but did you say ‘Lightning’?” He asked carefully.

“Did I stutter?” She crossed her arms.

Carbuncle began to feel the excitement bubbling up, but it behaved itself for now. The scene was getting rather interesting, and Lightning was quite good at hiding her surprise. But the messenger noticed it.

Ignis thought for a moment. He eyed the strange woman carefully; she was dressed in a white shirt with a white cardigan on top; her pants were brown and she had a suitcase in her hand. What was most striking was the woman’s rose-colored hair and her blue eyes. These factors did not escape Ignis’ notice. Not that they were easy to ignore.

“Well then, Miss. If I may be so bold; please follow me.” Ignis said and walked around Lightning and the fountain, towards a grand set of stairs leading up to the palace.

Lightning frowned. What was going on? She sure as hell did not know who that man was.

As if sensing her unspoken question, Carbuncle walked up beside her feet. “That’s Ignis. He’s a friend. He’ll take you where you’ll want to go. This sure is exciting!”

Lightning followed Ignis, still unsure if this was even a good idea. At least if things went wrong, she knew she survived worse than walking into a wrong building and causing a disturbance. And she’s done even worse. Not that it was a good thing to consider, but better than feeling unsure.

Once inside, Lightning looked around the large halls, seeing paintings decorate some of the walls. Ignis led her to a hall with elevators and called one down, stepping inside and inviting Lightning to follow. Carbuncle kept close to her.

As they rode to the upper floors, Ignis thought to make light conversation. “I’m unsure how you managed to find your way here, and quite frankly, I’m surprised to see you in the flesh. I admit I thought you were a figment of the imagination.”

“That’s…a weird thing to say to someone you just met.” Lightning commented.

Ignis nodded in acknowledgement and pushed his glasses “My apologies. Not to worry though. I’m aware of what happened, and I’m sure you’re eager to catch up as well.”

“Catch up? You act as if you know me, and you haven’t introduced yourself.” She had said that to Carbuncle as well. Why does it seem as it everyone around her may know what was going on, while she was left in the dark?

“Again, I apologies. Ahem. I am Ignis Stupeo Scientia; I am royal advisor to our king.” He said politely.

Lightning gave him a dubious look. “King? A city this advanced and civilized still need age old traditions and leaders like kings?”

“Your words confirm my suspicions that you’re not from Insomnia. Or Lucis for that matter,” Ignis said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again.

“That’s an understatement…” Lightning’s mind spoke. “No. I’m not. I just got here, actually. And somehow I wound up…here. I’m not even sure why.”

Carbuncle looked up at her; its face the definition of innocence despite its clear above-human intelligence.

Ignis said no more as they reached the desired floor.

He led her down the large halls until they were standing before two large doors with intricate designs. Lightning sensed that this room was rather important; given its place in the hall, and with the design of the door itself.

Ignis knocked on one of the doors, and gave it a second or two before pushing the door open. He gestured for Lightning to go ahead and enter. The moment he did so, Carbuncle made itself inside the room. Lightning watched as it did so, before she nodded her thanks to Ignis and stepped inside as well.

The door closed behind her and Carbuncle made its way to the front of the room. Its squeaky bark sounded off in the large room.

“Hey Noct! I’m back! You won’t believe who’s here!”

Lightning stopped and looked up the stairs at the far end of the room, where at the top, sat a magnificent throne. She certainly was no stranger to those; she’d sat on her fair share of thrones herself. But what caught her attention was the man who sat there.

Dressed in all black, his clothing regal and his features rather…rugged. His hair was short but still had a length, and flattened down. His facial hair was more of an obvious stubble than anything. So this was the so-called king?

Noctis looked down from his throne and grinned when he saw Carbuncle. “Hey little guy! There you are.”

He stood up and made his way down the steps to greet his guardian. Carbuncle happily hopped onto his shoulders and nuzzled into his hair, barking loudly, causing a string of beeping noises to which Lightning looked down at her own phone but saw no messages. She looked back up at the king and realized it must have been his.

Noctis laughed as he pulled out his cellphone and took a look at whatever it was Carbuncle had to say. Apparently, a lot.

“Look who’s here! Someone way back when! Isn’t it great?”

“I’m sure you two would want to talk and catch up on all the things you missed out on!”

“Don’t just stand there! Say hello!”

Puzzled, Noctis adjusted Carbuncle on his shoulder and looked up from his device, finally noticing the stranger in the room. No. Not a stranger. The moment he saw her, his eyes widened.

“Can’t be… Is that you, Lightning?”

That voice. It sounded so familiar, and she’d heard it many times before. A long time ago. But there was no way, and yet, there was no mistaking it. She looked him over again until finally it clicked in her mind. She did know him.

“Noctis.”

The king of Lucis grinned and rushed down the stairs to meet her. “Light!”

Carbuncle got off his shoulder and sat on the top stair to watch the two comrades reunite.

“What are you doing here? How are you here?” Nocits questioned, unable to believe his former war buddy was standing right before his eyes.

Lightning smiled ironically. “If I knew that, I would have told you I was dropping by.”

He let out a laugh at that. “I haven’t seen you since…well since the whole deal with Materia and Spiritus!”

Lightning nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Been a long time, huh? Literally decades, or even centuries ago.”

It was especially true for her, who had slept a great deal, living through decades upon decades until she and her friends banished a god to allow a new world to be created. How was she to know she would somehow meet a familiar face from the new Dissidia War? A face she only met once in that one New War; one she admittedly never really forgot.

“You look great, by the way. Uh…nice outfit.” Noctis complimented, still smiling and happy that an old friend was alive and well.

Lightning chuckled. “And you look…different.”

It was true; Noctis looked a little older, more mature compared to his young and carefree appearance way back when they first met. His hair has grown a bit, no longer sporting the spiked look—which Lightning had grown rather fond of—and now he was growing a little moustache and beard, and his posture was that of a regal king. Yet despite this, she could still see that boyish charm and sweetness underneath. He was still Noctis.

“I guess. A lot has happened…” The king trailed off, growing solemn for a moment.

“I know. A lot has happened on my end as well,” Lightning admitted quietly. They were both champions and so they had one thing in common with each other and other champions. The fate of their own world.

Not wanting to sour what should be a happy reunion, Noctis perked up. “But hey, looks like we both made it. I bet your world issues were solved.”

“Yeah, it was. All of it. Funny thing, I actually got off the train and came here to meet with some friends of mine. But I got…side-tracked.” She glared over Noctis’ shoulder, at Carbuncle.

He seemed surprised. “You know Carbuncle?”

Lightning scoffed in response. “Barely.”

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck. “So…you pretty much just got back after finishing off unfinished business…?”

She nodded. “Yeah. And I ended up here. In this building. And looking at you, it looks like you’ve…basically gone through shit.”

He let out a laugh. “Yeah, though I missed a whole ten years of it.”

His words caught Lightning’s attention. “… Ten years. How old are you?”

Nocis was taken aback. “Uh…I know it’s rude to ask a woman her age, but isn’t it still kinda rude to ask a guy that too? Kinda?”

“I mean it, Noct.” She gave him a look. One that was all too familiar to him when she was being serious.

“I’m…I guess I’m thirty now.”

“Wow. You really did get older.” Lightning smirked teasingly.

Noctis flushed at the comment. “Hey! But…yeah. Crystal sleep and all that.” He wasn’t sure what exactly she was hoping to hear from him.

Lightning nodded, expression slightly downcast. “I know how that feels, believe it or not. Twice, or maybe thrice.”

“And you? How old are you? It’s only fair I ask you since you asked me.” The last time they met they had been in their twenties, with Lightning having one year over him.

The former savior paused to think. “Right, twenty-four. I guess. Last time we met, I was technically twenty-one. Maybe I still am, in a way. Or maybe I finally moved on to twenty-four.”

“Uh…what?” Noctis shook his head a bit, feeling confused.

“I guess, chronologically, I’m actually…five-hundred-and-twenty-one.” Lightning said finally, not at all phased by her war buddy’s reaction.

Noctis was silent for a long moment before he slowly reached out to hold her hand. “I guess we have a lot to talk about huh? I-I mean if you want to! And if you’re looking for your friends, I can have send some people to search for them and let them know you’re keeping an eye out..!”

He let go of her hand and mentally kicked himself. She and he may have had a deep connection years ago during the new Dissidia War, but that did not mean she still…

Lightning sighed and took his hand back. Despite Noctis becoming more…grown-up and mature, complete with a poor excuse of facial hair, he was still that same shy and boyishly charming Noctis Lucis Caelum. And after everything she had gone through, she was not going to pass this opportunity up.

“Thanks, I appreciate the extra set of eyes. And I got nothing but time on my hands.” She said gratefully.

Noctis blushed and looked down at their connected hands. He suddenly felt like he was twenty again, first meeting that stoic and serious warrior who cut down her dark doppelganger with lifting so much as a finger, and then dragging him along to meet some goddess in mechanical clock dress. Neither of them knew they would bond so strongly, even in a place strengthened by the energy of battles. Thinking of those times when he and Lightning… It still warmed him inside.

“You know…I was kinda wondering if you’re still…available…?” Already a king at the age of thirty and he still could not find it in him to ask Lightning out on a date without sounding like a moron.

Lightning smirked. “Why? You had anything planned for the day?”

“Well, uh… I could clear my schedule and stuff. I mean…my duties for the day aren’t that… How do I put this…?” He was stuttering a bit. As if this was their first meeting all over again.

“As long as the place as good steak, why not. And no, I’m not seeing anyone. Yet.” Lightning said, a seemingly mischievous glint in her eye. It seems he was still the man she knew. In some way.

Noctis smiled. She still loved a good steak. He regained his composure, his regal side showing. “Yeah. Steak. I know a good place where we could dine together. Maybe you’ll allow me to give you a tour of the Crown City?”

Lightning could not help but form a smile of her own. “If His Majesty wouldn’t mind entertaining an old soldier, I’d be honored.”

From the stairs, Carbuncle purred in content. “I love happy reunions.”

Lightning let out a sigh when she heard that adorable bark. “First, you need to explain what’s with the furball.”

A chuckle escaped Noctis and he hugged her close. “Sure, once we get to our date.”

Lightning was many things. She had been a soldier, the knight of a goddess and forced to take up the mantle as a savior. At one point in-between, she had been lovers with a prince—now a king. But of all things she was not expecting despite all this, was to be surprised that she would end up reuniting with her old flame, and possibly reuniting with her friends and sister sooner than expected.

All thanks to a persistent ball of fluff.

#day 2 #fanfiction #submissions #lightisdays2k #lightisdays #lightning farron #noctis lucis caelum #noctis x lightning #lightis #nokurai #terribly sorry for getting to this so late #tmblr is horrible at notifying when theres submissions #submission #long post

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hangonimevolving · 5 years ago

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My first real Cricut post

I've been looking forward to writing here about my brand new gizmo. I have fallen in LURVE. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the acquisition of my new Cricut Maker. What is a Cricut? A Cricut is basically a fancy die-cutting machine. What the heck is die-cutting? It's basically cutting out various shapes of different artsy craftsy materials, and assembling them into some sort of artsy craftsy thing.* (I have just completely made up that definition from my own brain, and have no idea if it is actually legit. This is my simple and unresearched understanding of it. And by the way, I am certainly not sponsored or compensated by the company that makes this machine (LOLOL I wish), nor do I mean to imply here that a Cricut is the only machine of this type out there (it's not, there are other brands too). But this is the one I got, so I'mma talk about it.

First of all, LOOK at it. It's beaaaauuutiful.

(too bad I look haggard in the mirror’s reflection. But who cares. The important thing is the MACHINE, man...)

So here is just a smattering of what I’ve done so far with this fabulous contraption!

I think I may have shared an early project already - this little collar bandana that I made for Pixel

I also made these cool 3D elephant puzzles for the kids, using a free template available on the Cricut app:

But then came time for me to test out my own design wings. I had a really steep learning curve, as I learned to design greeting cards and other projects using various colors, finishes, and weights of cardstock.

As my initial forays coincided with the Islamic festival of Eid, I designed a few cards for some (cat-loving) friends who observe the holiday, including one of my two college BFF’s, Y-Clef, who has a real feline-centric sense of humor:

The cards above are constructed of various precision cuts of cardstock, glued or layered with other cardstock. But in my next batch of cards, I experimented with cutting out vinyl embellishments, and adhering them to cardstock.

I then designed a card for my other college BFF, G-Funk, who happens to be the main reason I even bought the Cricut in the first place. She was the one who turned me on to a big sale online, and she purchased a Cricut at the same time - we’ve both been nerding out together as we’re learning new things, so I figured I had to pay homage to this journey in my card to her!

Then came time to begin designing a ton of cards for Father’s Day! Here is the card I’ve designed for Dr. Spouse, the official Apple/Mac Maniac. SHHH, its a big secret - he hasn’t seen it yet. It took me over 10 hours!!!!

I made this project for my dad for Father’s Day - alas, I committed some sort of boo-boo with this one, as I’d intended to leave a 1/2″ strip along the sides, so that I could make them like two-sided pages of a little booklet. But somehow, I didn’t cue the machine up properly to do that, and it trimmed each piece at exactly 5x7. So I had to adjust my plan - ended up punching a small hole in the top left corner, and binding them together with a piece of glittery card twine that I bought once at Target. I think it ended up coming out good despite my slight modification. These are, again, vinyl on cardstock, with the exception of the laddu card, which I made using the “cut/print” feature of Cricut and using both my household laser printer as well as the Cricut machine to cut the image.

I started getting somewhat decent at the vinyl thing at this point, so I fired off a couple of vinyl decals - one for my closet mirror, and a few for the kids’ closet doors....

The NASA one was for Dey’s closet door.

I got REEEAAAALLY ambitious really fast with vinyl. Probably too ambitious, and too fast. One of Vev’s old die-cast airplanes was divested of its original livery many moons ago - it used to be an American Airlines plane, but at some point when he was about 4, he decided to peel all the stickers off and color it completely with magenta markers to resemble a “Wizz Air” jet. If you’re unfamiliar, Wizz Air is a ultra-discount airline based out of the U.K., and no, we have never flown it before, or even seen a Wizz Air jet in person. He only knows of it through YouTube, and I think only fixated upon it because a) it is an airplane, and b) their colors are pink and purple, his longtime favorites. But anyway - at some point recently, he decided he really wished it were a KLM jet. So - cue me, scrubbing all the crayon off of this thing, and creating it a new KLM livery out of vinyl. This was A VERY DIFFICULT task and I definitely think I’m nuts to have attempted this so early on in my vinyl decal-ing career. But it was also fun!

I had some technical difficulties with those teeny tiny letters. some of them are supposed to have vinyl “contours,” or letter portions, but I couldn’t manage to pull them out properly and thus the letters got hollowed out. E.g., the capital letter D ought to have that inside portion of the D filled in, but here it is sort of hollow. Oh well, I did my best. Those letters are literally like millimeters tall, so I can’t even be too upset about it, b/c its just super hard.

In the weeks to follow, I made a series of greeting cards for teachers, an aunt recuperating from surgery, and I started to really enjoy the card-making process more once I got my hands on some new and interesting materials, like different colored cardstock, some new colors and widths of pens to load into my Cricut, and these little marvels called Glue Dots - tiny adhesive beads that you can use to glue little things onto card, and not have it warp or buckle slightly.

I feel like I still need to get a handle on the types of pens I should use for different fonts, and also the appropriate pen nib size to use for different sized fonts - sometimes the writing turns out way thicker and blurrier than I want it to. Will continue to work on this.

Anyway! Coming up next: I am hoping to dive deeper into the processes of using my Cricut for sewing projects, notably a quilted mural I’ve had in the works for over a year now, but that keeps getting shelved and pushed to the side when I have other projects going on. Additionally, I want to learn to use my Cricut to make some faux leather crafts, like earrings, cuff bracelets, and maybe even a simple wallet. I just bought a sampler pack of faux leathers from Amazon in cool, fashion-y colors like rose gold, pearlescent white, beige, etc. I’ve also had a special request from Ajima to cut her some craft foam forms that she can use as stamps - she has been pursuing her own little crafts projects during quarantine, including making stamped design tea towels for friends and family. So I plan to do this for her and make her a special care package.

I’m a Cricutting fiend!

#Cricut #cricut maker #crafts #cardmaking #hobbies

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buxohaqo-blog · 5 years ago

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Old visas might also be used, so long as the visa has expired less than ten years ahead of the date of arrival in Taiwan. Moreover, when you arrive in Taiwan, you might be asked to submit different documents also. Taiwan is a perfect destination for Indian travelers who need to learn more about the wild east.

Your application is contingent on several factors so there's no sum that could guarantee approval. The internet procedure is easy, cheap, and will spare you lots of hassle. Take note that if there's any mistake in the form, you have to resubmit it again.

Foreigners who would like to go to Tibetan settlements are needed to find prior permission from the Home Ministry and receive a permit. No, there's no need to submit an application for a visa sticker, or E-visa nor a web-based Travel Authorization Certificate before boarding an airplane or cruise ship. To begin with, you've got to have a valid passport.

Just complete the form on the site, and print out the Authorization Certificate when your application is approved. Before starting to fill in your application, you ought to be aware that there are a number of documents you want to have. Be certain to look at the Schedule My Appointment page for the required documentation required for your appointment.

| The Truth About Taiwan E-visa So if you intend to return to Taiwan within 90 days, make certain you maintain a duplicate of your visa exempt form since you can just apply for another ROC Travel Authorization Certificate 7 days ahead of the expiry of the present certificate. A totally free entry permission stamp is offered in such situations, allowing a maximum stay of up to 15 days in the region. To acquire the permit demands several weeks, and until you receive it, you can't do the job.

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Taiwan E-visa The process is actually easy and unbelievably, takes 5-10 minutes. The entire process takes 5-10 minutes. When you haven't started the procedure for obtaining your background check, we suggest that you contact an approved FBI channeler.

Definitions of Taiwan E-visa The whole period of stay isn't extendable. You will have to disclose the name and address of the person that you're visiting or the name and address of any 1 hotel where you'll be staying during your visit. There's no longer a charge for the on-line visa services.

Taiwan E-visa - the Story It is possible to print out a duplicate of the approval and carry out with your trip documents. Before starting to fill in your application, you ought to be aware that there are a number of documents you want to have. All application documents won't be returned.

New Ideas Into Taiwan E-visa Never Before Revealed As you most likely already know, not many governments recognize Taiwan as a nation. Foreign travelers who want to go to Turkey must either submit an application for a visa or an electronic travel authorization. The citizens of 23 countries are now able to submit an application for a Taiwan evisa.

Light Layers The climate in Taiwan tends to be quite warm, so make sure to bring clothing that may keep you cool. Have a look at our Taipei travel guide to assist you plan your journey to Taiwan. These helpful hints will help accelerate the visa process when you arrive in Taiwan.

You are needed to finish the Online Application on the site. I truly do HOPE that you'll also get APPROVED.

You have to convince the officer you have a legitimate reason behind staying in Taiwan for at least two months. Furthermore, make certain to guard your heart always since there's a great probability you will fall in love with Taiwan. Don't let a tiny thing like paperwork block you from enjoying your travels, while it's for vacation or employment.

So long as your application doesn't raise any red flags and you have sufficient money to support yourself for the length of your stay, then you need to have a superior likelihood of being approved. Basically, you're writing a sworn statement stating that you're currently not married to a different individual in the usa. Within this circumstance you're able to get started working immediately.

Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Taiwan E-visa Foreigners who would like to go to Tibetan settlements are needed to find prior permission from the Home Ministry and receive a permit. If you would like to work you might have to to have a work permit and a resident visa. Visa fees are available here.

Taiwan E-visa - Is it a Scam? The only situation where you'd require a visa is if you want to know more about assembling a Taiwan bank account, in which case you'd require a visa to acquire the ID, to receive the bank account. If you're unclear about any part of the entry requirements, or you require further reassurance, you're want to get hold of the embassy, higher commission or consulate of the nation or territory you're travelling to. The rest of the passport holders wishing to enjoy a stay in Egypt, whatever the duration and aim of the stay, are required to acquire a visa to go to the nation.

| If Chinese information is needed, please enter the info in traditional Chinese. I truly do HOPE that you'll also get APPROVED.

Taiwan visa requirements and fees change all of the time, therefore it would be a fantastic notion to have a look at the official site of the Bureau of Consular Affairs of Taiwan to be certain you're current. You require a valid passport and visa to go to Taiwan for over 90 days. You must be in a position to present your valid visa together with your passport when you enter Taiwan.

Taiwan residents wishing to go to Hong Kong can submit their pre-arrival registration on the internet or learn more at the Hong Kong Immigration Department site. Moreover, when you arrive in Taiwan, you might be asked to submit different documents also. Taiwan is a perfect destination for Indian travelers who need to learn more about the wild east.

The only situation where you'd require a visa is if you want to know more about assembling a Taiwan bank account, in which case you'd require a visa to acquire the ID, to receive the bank account. It's well worth mentioning that the e-visa scheme enables a tourist to remain in the country for a maximum of two months. It isn't recognized by the majority of countries as a sovereign nation.

To avail the scheme, an on-line application is necessary to be submitted together with an onward or return ticket. Visa-exempt visitors cannot extend their stay. There's no longer a charge for the on-line visa services.

The Hidden Facts on Taiwan E-visa It is possible to print out a duplicate of the approval and carry out with your trip documents. Invitation letter in case you go to Taiwan for business purposes, you might have received an invitation letter, but this isn't always applicable. All application documents won't be returned.

My final travel dream is to visit Studio Ghibli museum. You must make an application for the Indian e-tourist visa at least four business days before your travel date from your house country or where you're travelling from. It will not just save your time and money but in addition make your trip more comfortable.

This form of method is created to generate the Canadian visit to Vietnam simpler and more economical. Basically, you're writing a sworn statement stating that you're currently not married to a different individual in the usa. People appearing to move to Taiwan who can't get a work or family based visa may start looking into studying Chinese.

E-visa India won't be accountable for any delay in the process due non availability of suitable documents. The internet procedure is easy, cheap, and will spare you lots of hassle. Take note that if there's any mistake in the form, you have to resubmit it again.

What Taiwan E-visa Is - and What it Is Not Foreigners who would like to go to Tibetan settlements are needed to find prior permission from the Home Ministry and receive a permit. No, there's no need to submit an application for a visa sticker, or E-visa nor a web-based Travel Authorization Certificate before boarding an airplane or cruise ship. Visa fees are available here.

The birth certificate ought to be at least 6 months, and ought to be original. It is also feasible to submit an application for a multiple visa with a maximum length of 60 days for each entry. In the event the holder wants to apply for another ROC Travel Authorization Certificate, they must do so seven days before the expiry of the present certificate.

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pensurfing · 5 years ago

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30 Days Feeling Better

~~What up guys, it’s me. Ya GIRLLL.~~

So the entire month of July I’ve been eating nonstop healthy. (Now if you want a percentage, I’m looking more towards 90% healthy eating). So for those who are used to my long posts of nonsense, topics, and babbles, this is another long babble and experiment I’ve done. Yet again.

July 1st I cut out fast food entirely. (With the only one allowed cheat, which I choose Chickfila because they actually have a wide selection of healthy fast food items. But I needed to still get a grasp on what to order and why.) Now it hasn’t been 30 days Y E T as I type this out, but I’ve already meal planned and trust me. I’m doing to eat it. July was me teaching myself how to shop healthy, eat healthily, and teaching myself what I do and don’t like about “the healthy demons”. How was I before this fast-food cut?

Before I cut out fast food, let me explain my long long relationship with my eating issues and then when I did decide to eat fast food was the easiest grab.

We can literally jump back to summer before freshman year. I lost all of my baby fat in a single summer and as well as got my big girl boobies. Not just my fat girl boobies. This gained the actual praise of my mother and her bringing me places. My mother to this day doesn’t give praises. It’s not her. Her phrase is “very good” and that’s the end of that discussion. So young Caitlin related this to If I stay skinny, my mom won’t be ashamed of me. Cue Caitlin from freshman to junior year only eating one thing a day and it would be a snack from the vending machine. “BIG TEXAS CINNAMON ROLL”. Boy did I love those things. I did not eat much. Jumping to senior year, with doing baseball, band, having a part-time job at Stone Mountain Park as a photographer, my body DEMANDED me to eat more. So my metabolism and I both were confused as to how much more was being put into my body. I gained weight quickly and was vilified by many of the adults in my life back then; my mother and her little friends, band director who I saw MORE of at the time back then, teachers, name it. High school boys praised said weight gain because I at least gained it “in the right places”. What was the easiest grab for a busy senior in high school? Bring in the dancing fast food mascots.

This continued through college. With assignments, being sent all around the Midtown and Downtown of Atlanta, I was a busy kid. So again, what was an easy grab? Cue now the restaurants that were slowly becoming my silent killers. And add their trusty sidekick, sweet tea. The Southerner’s weakness. And what about after I graduated? It’s only officially been two years after college. 2017, I had the lost of my aunt. Now if you were to ask young Caitlin who her family was, she would just say her aunt, mom, and grandmother. Ya know, the people who cared enough to maintain a relationship with her. This is still true to this day; I have many relatives, but not many family members. If that makes sense. So along with 2017 being the most fulfilling part of my life, it was also the worst. Now cue 2018: The year I tried to ignore it all. The breakup of a best friend, the showing of my PTSD of my abusive relationship, what was my comfort food? The devil that is D U N K I N.

And there you have it. My exact to the tee map out of why I went from around 145lbs junior year to slightly about 200lbs two years after graduation.

So why is a month so important? Don’t get me wrong, in no way shape form or fashion trying to replace my therapy. The therapist? Different discussion. But one thing that shocked me was the Nancy does have her decent moments. Which is why I guess I still keep rolling around to her: “Our discussions are here to help yes. But giving yourself a fighting chance would be cutting out something that causes your relapses (PTSD).” In short, I didn’t realize fast food being the tie to a lot of childhood trauma, ex trauma, and why I don’t like myself at 180%. They all tie to that time period. And it is no surprise that there are a number of studies that fast food leads to depression and obesity. She showed me the studies, and I was aware, just didn’t think it would affect me personally. Not the best logic there Cait.

I guess this month was important because it felt like me saying, fuck my past. I’m going to be better and treat me better; I can’t expect to become a better person if I just keep throwing my past mistakes in my face. (Eating wise and also improving me personally wise.) ((AND TO WHOEVER MADE IT THIS FAR. YOU TOO. Don’t let people try and drown you in your past. It’s understandable, you made mistakes. You didn’t say something charming, made someone upset, whatever. You apologized and tried making amends. Did it work, no? That’s ok. You held yourself accountable. Them being upset is their problem. Not yours and not your issue to try and fix up. If they can’t respect the you RIGHT NOW who is wiser than the prior you, then you better fucking leave.))

So to the reason why I actually made this post:

From July 1st to August 1st, ya girl did well not eating fast food and making better health choices. I so far started with just buying salads from Publix. The easy to pick up bowls have been my lifesaver. Literally, your salad, dressing, meat and cheese, and fork is just RIGHT THERE. I bought yogurt for breakfast; yogurt pretzels; tiny juice packs, chicken breasts, turkey lunch meat, any cheese BUT KRAFT, and only baked chips. Which means I took out; Burker King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Zaxby’s, any other heavy fried fast foods, Fried Chickfila items, donuts, pastries in general, brownies, loads of bread, etc. What I allowed: Grilled Chickfila items once a week; cooked veggies, not ice-cold fruits; light meats; no heavy pork, bacon is only “ok”; more seafood; small cookies; and I bought a huge gallon water tug. Put stickers on it, and marked my times of when I need to drink more water. My skin is SO CLEAR.

Quitting old habits cold turkey makes you quit your new habits cold turkey. No one has ever really explained that well to me before. So, here it is in writing so I won’t forget. I’ve felt much better about my appearance to where I don’t hide at home and when I go to conventions now. I lost weight especially in my face and in my lil muffin. I’m fitting old shirts I hadn’t fit since my sophomore year of college, I have more energy to do more things. It’s a huge difference in my mood, behavior and even my body. I’m loving it.

I’m not saying go and run and do a challenge, but challenge yourself. Drink soda all the time? Start with no soda that day, then a week, then a month. Give you sour mood at least a fighting chance. I didn’t know my body was trying to kick my ass and tell me to eat better until this month honestly. Last year, you wouldn’t have been able to convince me otherwise. Some of you may get this far and just go “Cait this is stupid, you’re stupid” and that’s fine. Glad I just wasted your time! Really! But for some who need that sign, my guy this is your gentle sign. Ok?

This has been a Caitlin babble where she didn’t have a sour aftertaste after typing this all out. She felt hopeful, helpful, and proud.

TRD: I started eating healthy this entire month and I’m excited to eat new foods and I feel MUCH better about waking up in the morning; and about myself. It was a hard thing to start, but I did it. Quitting old habits cold turkey makes you quit your new habits cold turkey. So be kind to yourself.

#weight log #eating desorders #tw eating problems #personal #tiny win #pensurfing #?#maybe i had an eating disorder and didn't know

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wupuxahu-blog · 5 years ago

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The Hidden Facts on Uzbekistan E-visa

https://pt.ivisa.com/uzbekistan-e-visa

The ministry makes the choice to issue a letter (or not) dependent on the info that you provide. In the event the point of your visit is tourism, no invitation letter is required to submit an application for a visa. You have to conserve this email, as it's the official confirmation of your approved Visa.

If you would rather have a non-guided company, you can see the Indian Government site. It's possible for you to apply on the e-visa site. Please see the web site of the Uzbek Embassy in Washington, D.C. to learn more.

Top Uzbekistan E-visa Secrets The move is reportedly aimed toward increasing the typical period of stay of tourists. It is a lovely country with an abundance of history and lots of cotton fields. If you don't accomplish this, you may have to pay a fine.

The price of getting the electronic visa is going to be of 20 USD. The applicant does not need to have to be whoever owns a bank card. You may keep your passport when applying.

Please note that a few of the remoter entry points might not always operate frequently. It cannot hurt to learn some basic phrases before you leave so you can be confident that you're able to become around. Any person 18 decades or older can make an application for Armenian citizenship.

Here's What I Know About Uzbekistan E-visa If you don't have these currencies there's an ATM there. You may have to telephone the embassy to ensure it's still active. If you are in need of a visa you will want to apply on the internet for a Turkey e-Visa.

The great thing is, you do not have to make an application for the visa at the embassy. The great majority of travelers require a visa for Ethiopia to be in a position to enter. Citizens from eligible countries do not will need to visit a Ukrainian embassy or consulate to be able to acquire a visa for Ukraine.

The Fight Against Uzbekistan E-visa On the other hand, the principal issue is to have the ability to generate a convincing bundle when asked. If you would like to travel by train, you first must go through a security scan and you also need to demonstrate your passport. If you're a woman, you ought to take a scarf with which you are able to cover your head upon entry.

Be aware that the locations aren't identical for both programs. Visas often spend the sort of an inked stamp, even though some countries utilize adhesive stickers that incorporate security characteristics to discourage forgery. At the time that your documents are verified, you've got an obligation to give your fingerprints and photo (biometric information).

In case you have any questions regarding the parasites described above or believe that you might have a parasitic infection, consult a physician. The most frequent destinations requiring permits incorporate the next. The visa procedure can be difficult but our objective is to create the process as hassle-free as possible.

Top Uzbekistan E-visa Choices The ideal time to apply for your Uzbekistan visa is 1-2 months ahead of your travel date. If you're a vegan, you are going to have challenging time in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has not always had the very best record when it has to do with humanitarian problems.

Uzbekistan E-visa Can Be Fun for Everyone Applicants will have to travel with the passport linked to the internet application. However, please bear in mind that those intermediaries aren't permitted to submit the on-line application for your benefit. Some applications may take more time to process.

Please be aware it is your duty to find and organise the courier support, for example, payment of any courier fees. In addition for the Indian entry, you are in need of a return ticket and you have to be in a position to demonstrate you have sufficient financial resources. Today you can just walk into a financial institution and get exactly the same exchange rate as the open industry.

| A Startling Fact about Uzbekistan E-visa Uncovered Visa request cannot be processed without your initial passport. Even if the visa isn't granted, the fee paid isn't refundable. You may keep your passport when applying.

The ideal time to apply for your Uzbekistan visa is 1-2 months ahead of your travel date. If you're a vegan, you are going to have challenging time in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has not always had the very best record when it has to do with humanitarian problems.

On the other hand, the principal issue is to have the ability to generate a convincing bundle when asked. If you would like to travel by train, you first must go through a security scan and you also need to demonstrate your passport. If you're a woman, you ought to take a scarf with which you are able to cover your head upon entry.

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Uzbekistan E-visa Mexican Nationals Mexican nationals aren't visa-exempt. You've got to get hold of the right embassy. If you need a multiple entry visa, you will nonetheless have to apply at an embassy.

If you aren't an Oman resident, and don't qualify to sponsor visas for different folks, click on Exit. The great majority of travelers require a visa for Ethiopia to be in a position to enter. Citizens from eligible countries do not will need to visit a Ukrainian embassy or consulate to be able to acquire a visa for Ukraine.

The Debate Over Uzbekistan E-visa Based on the nation, a stamp can serve unique purposes. If surgery is essential, confirmation of the diagnosis can be drawn up by the laboratory. The visa procedure can be difficult but our objective is to create the process as hassle-free as possible.

Things You Won't Like About Uzbekistan E-visa and Things You Will The most frequent way of transportation utilized by tourists is the bus. Each traveller should have a different e-visa. If you're staying in a hotel, you'll be asked for your passport at check-in and it'll be retained for a brief period.

The portal gives information on the visa status on the grounds of an exceptional identification number. However, please bear in mind that those intermediaries aren't permitted to submit the on-line application for your benefit. Some applications may take more time to process.

What You Can Do About Uzbekistan E-visa Starting in the Next 7 Minutes Reasons and supporting documentation (like a letter from an employer) has to be supplied to turn in an application for a second UK document. Make sure that you have at least one completely blank page in your passport for this use, and your passport is valid for the whole period of your stay. Please make certain you keep any registration documents issued by the hotel till you exit the nation.

What You Should Do About Uzbekistan E-visa Beginning in the Next 8 Minutes If you are able to discover the ticket office and manage to acquire a booking, you still have very little idea of when the ship will depart. It's possible for you to apply on the e-visa site. If you cannot apply to the e-visa site, you will want to apply through an embassy.

Please be aware it is your duty to find and organise the courier support, for example, payment of any courier fees. In addition for the Indian entry, you are in need of a return ticket and you have to be in a position to demonstrate you have sufficient financial resources. Though the visa requirements appear slightly daunting at first, it truly isn't that hard to do it yourself, and it'll help you save you a substantial sum of money as long as you do it right.

The ministry makes the choice to issue a letter (or not) dependent on the info that you provide. The Form DS-160 can be ready by means of an attorney or representative for your benefit. To do so, you might first require a letter of invitation.

Introducing Uzbekistan E-visa The website is presently beginning its international expansion on the planet, and it has translated its reservation central to English. Nonetheless, Uzbekistan has lots of temples and other sacred places, and that's why you still ought to demonstrate some respect. There are a few discussions on the way in which the evisa is issued.

If caught, you can discover yourself lots of trouble, and the host also. If you're taking a very long trip, the bus will occasionally stop so that those who ride it can visit the bathroom, but it doesn't stop for long enough so that you're able to secure a bite to eat. With a tiny bit of planning you may squeeze all of them into a week, making this the ideal bite of Silk Road splendour.

What You Don't Know About Uzbekistan E-visa If you travel to some other city and intend to stay for longer than three days, you will want to register again. First you have to discover the notoriously hard to find ticket office, which basically keeps track of ships that are departing. You are able to easily apply on the identical moment.

| What You Can Do About Uzbekistan E-visa Starting in the Next 7 Minutes Be aware that the locations aren't identical for both programs. Make sure that you have at least one completely blank page in your passport for this use, and your passport is valid for the whole period of your stay. At the time that your documents are verified, you've got an obligation to give your fingerprints and photo (biometric information).

You are going to need a travel agency to acquire the visa in the very first location, which means that your visa acts as your permit. If you are in need of a visa, you can make an application for an eVisa. It's possible to have a double entry visa by simply paying 10$ extra.

The Start of Uzbekistan E-visa Handicrafts more than 50 years old cannot be taken out of Uzbekistan. Citizens of all countries may submit an application for a visa online. Foreign travelers must receive a visa to go to Azerbaijan.

Don't worry, you're not starting the procedure again, you'll get your visa the exact same day. The most frequent destinations requiring permits incorporate the next. The visa procedure can be difficult but our objective is to create the process as hassle-free as possible.

If you are able to discover the ticket office and manage to acquire a booking, you still have very little idea of when the ship will depart. There's a handy comparison chart on the DHS website it's possible to use too. All you have to do is to see the site www.evisa.tj.

The Secret to Uzbekistan E-visa Tourism isn't exactly frequent in order that they will express their curiosity. You only have to be aware you might not be in a position to get connecting flights with certain airlines, so make sure to permit lots of time to acquire from your very first flight to your Uzbekistan Airways flight. The traveler should have an original, valid passport when traveling.

Uzbekistan E-visa Secrets That No One Else Knows About If you're traveling with children under the age of 16, you do not have to make an application for visa. In the majority of countries, just one class of nationality exists, and just one kind of ordinary passport is issued. They are genuinely friendly and helpful.

No matter where in the world you're based, there are numerous different strategies to get to Uzbekistan. It cannot hurt to learn some basic phrases before you leave so you can be confident that you're able to become around. It's also a category of Indian e-Visa that is circulated by the Indian government.

The Importance of Uzbekistan E-visa Applicants will have to travel with the passport linked to the internet application. Processing of visa application is left up to 10 working days if documents are submitted because of the established purchase. Applications are in the majority of cases reviewed within 7-15 days.

The Uzbekistan E-visa Pitfall It is not essential for the applicant name to be exactly like the cardholder name. The process to get a conventional Indian Visa is quite a bit more complicated and takes a great deal longer, as you're expected to submit your initial passport together with your visa program, financial and residence statements via mail for the visa to be approved and stamped inside the physical passport. You want to turn in an application for a transit visa at a Turkmen consulate and in the majority of instances, you're expected to appear in person.

The Advantages of Uzbekistan E-visa While improvements to infrastructure stay ongoing, it's time to begin planning your journey. You may make an application for an e-visa three or more days before your planned trip and you'll receive it through email. You are able to easily apply on the identical moment.

The Uzbekistan E-visa Trap In case of getting temporary residence card, passenger may remain in Vietnam continuously for a very long time below the term of short-term residence card. In addition for the Indian entry, you are in need of a return ticket and you have to be in a position to demonstrate you have sufficient financial resources. Though the visa requirements appear slightly daunting at first, it truly isn't that hard to do it yourself, and it'll help you save you a substantial sum of money as long as you do it right.

So it's possible, but you have to have a very good reason. The one thing I regretted was I didn't spend more time studying Russian, so my degree of the language was not good enough to get a profound conversation with the people. The astonishing nature enchants with a number of colors.

The site operates in seven distinct languages like English, Russian, and Uzbek, amongst others. Kyrgyzstan has ended the should register. If you intend to go to Uzbekistan, then following is all the information which you need before acquiring the e-Visa.

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jlf23tumble · 6 years ago

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One Direction holiday gift guide

I feel like the only person who’s willingly seen more useless 1D merch than me is Niall (egads, all the “future Mrs. Tomlinson” shirts!!), so naturally, @fullonlarrie figures I’m the best person to create a holiday gift guide (my money’s on Niall, but he has a million dollars for his holiday budget, and if twitter is to be believed, he’s currently fucking his luxurious couch, so it’s up to me, jeepers, the pressure!!)

Lauren’s original request was for a fan-made 1D calendar, but alas, she’s SOL unless she goes official. The options:

Give me cash money, and I’ll create a calendar from my infamous “undefined” folder; I still plan to make myself an X Factor highlights calendar when the shitshow is over (Louis munching on cheese-bugh-ahs so he doesn’t have to talk to Simon and can listen to his boyfriend’s go-to karaoke song in peace; Louis selling me pens; Louis mentoring while dead on his feet; Louis smiling and judging; Louis glaring; Louis sporting hickeys; Louis sharing snacks with Ayda; Louis hanging out with his pal--and mine!--Dermot; Dermot in general; you get the gist).

Encourage fandom artists to create their own calendar (this would be remarkably easy for them to do, and there are so many great artists out there…use your powers, Luke, I mean, Lauren).

Give Simon Cowell cash money and buy an official 2019 1D calendar to fund his next tit job, hoping someone botches it.

Buy an individual calendar (I found some GREAT Zayn, Louis, and Liam options; Harry’s are hit or hugeeee miss, depending on vendor, and Niall’s are just too “Au Bon Pain” for me, so no links for you).

(Lauren also wants a One Direction beer koozie [cozy? koozy?], but these don’t yet exist outside of the D’s notorious pool party pad...that said, they’re remarkably easy to create, so throw a fiver at a merch blank place and make one! I’m probably gonna throw a fiver at a snowglobe creator so I can make “the hug” extra poignant in my bathroom.)

Okay! So with these individual requests out of the way, let me take you on a deeper dive under the cut with pictures and links. There are literally THOUSANDS of choices for mugs, t-shirts, wall art, phone cases, stickers, notecards, etc., so I highly recommend that you visit redbubble, etsy, or society6 and search for your faves (or make your own), I promise you, you won’t regret it! Instagram’s a great place for pins, my two faves being Miri and Milly. Amazon’s another great resource, but god, there’s a lot of random shit, most of it terrible/good and cheapppp, as only the best form of camp/kitsch can be. My recs under the cut are for things that I would gift my own personal IRL friends.

Let’s start with the individual boys, and I forced myself to limit each one to less than five, but you have my solemn oath that you can easily find at least a dozen wonderful items in your price and cheese range on the sites I mentioned above.

Niall:

This one feels obvious, but you can’t think Flicker and not think candles, amirite? Bonus: you can find one of these for each of the boys:

Similarly, you can find this set for each of the boys, but Niall Nails are the only ones I would ever buy anyone ever:

There are a million tragic lyrics on Flicker, but I think millypins captures this one nicely:

Do I really want to wake up to fetus Niall’s smug-ass outline lording it over me? Nope, but I’d probably stick him in our tacky useless front half-bathroom:

Zayn:

I could be gross and say something about him being a real snacc, but I prefer thinking of Zayn as the band’s cupcake, hence, if I threw a cupcake party, this is what you’d see on top (or maybe Harry…maybe ZARRY, I’d take it next level, yo):

Speaking of Zarry, I love everything in this artist’s shop, but especially this pillow:

Someday soon, I’m doing a “my fave Zayn shirts” zodiac post, and you can bet your ass this one’s gonna be on there. That said, it makes a pretty rad tattoo/sticker, too:

Not too many size options, but wow, these are something I’d actually wear and enjoy being sorta stealth about (until someone called my ass out in public):

What the WHAT is happening in the Amazon sports section? Compression cycling socks in a variety of sizes/styles, all with this iconic logo action:

Liam:

My car has really gone ~through it with me (skull gearshift knob, barefoot gas pedal, my burning desire to apply flames to the outside of it), but the Liam car chevron seems doable!

Not gonna lie, this is REALLY cute, but don’t let it limit you because the Liam jewelry that’s currently out there is amazing:

Fuck Jesus, what WOULD Liam do???

(I still contend that you can make your own iconic Liam Payne/Mona Lisa sweatpants for about $20, but there’s no link…send me some cash, say, $30, and I’ll make ‘em for you.)

Louis:

I promise you, this’ll be full of LAFFs, some “facts” on Louis, circa 2012:

Do you have a tiny dog? Do you have an appreciation for an iconic Louis shirt that you’d like to see on said dog? Here you go!

So many of Louis’s tattoos are art on their own…why not buy a print and stump your future house guests? These are two separate ones:

Speaking of house guests and parties, this is a sure-fire smash (and again, something that’s available for all the boys, but Louis’s version is especially pretty)…judge your own X Factor contest:

I can’t find my fave rbb/sbb travel mug options, but there are quite a few, so do sbb proud and pick your fave!

Harry:

I actually own this, yet I’ve never taken it out of its wrapper, it’s THAT iconic:

Who can keep all your useless work account login information secrets better than Harry Styles? Answer, no one except for Liam (tbh, the previous version of this book is what stores all mine):

I wish this existed in actual book form, but still, pretty damned cool, and you can print them out/frame them, if you’re really good:

“Hip pack,” it’s a fanny pack, a bum bag, and I love it!!

One Direction as a collective:

Oh, Jesus, okay, there is SO MUCH OUT THERE, and most of it is garbage, but it’s fun garbage, so here’s what I would give to a fellow fan, assuming they didn’t already own ALL of it.

These still exist, they still work, and don’t kid yourself, Niall brushes his very own teeth with one (according to my insider…the insider is my imagination):

Would I buy a larrie friend this low-key larrie beach towel? You bet your fucking ass I would:

Wow, people want a lot for the One Direction Monopoly game, but Monopoly is so fucking boring, so just watch this video instead.

I’m not gonna lie, this perfume is fucking VILE, but buy it for the Larry packaging…between us, I see you, sbb:

I absolutely need this on a t shirt to match my fake-o Joy Division shirt:

Look, the only thing holding my remote control together right now is this duct tape (currently, the panel with Zayn’s face), but I’ve seen a TON of proof that you can make cute shoes, wallets, etc., with it):

It’s easy to lump this in with all the other merch everywhere else on Amazon, etc., but I lmaoooooo because it’s so ~serious, like, I’m a goth but I’m also into normcore because it’s the only true goth at this point, so fuck your glitter version, this is my truth:

If you find others, send ‘em to me! You know I love this garbage!

#one direction #harry styles #louis tomlinson #zayn #zayn malik #niall horan #liam payne #1d #merch #christimas #christmas gift guide #holiday gift guide #gift guide

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very-grownup · 6 years ago

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It’s me, committing word crimes once more (why would you click this link, be kinder to yourself)

Trucy Wright sat on the back of one of the hard, plastic airport chairs, rocking slightly with her legs extended. She was looking in the direction of the arrival gate for international flights, but most of her attention was focused on maintaining her balance. The periods of waiting were prime opportunities to hone skills and were not to be wasted. Besides, there was no way she would miss someone arriving, even if a flood of people emerged from the doors.

The heavy security doors opened and closed several times, Trucy's legs remaining steady throughout, inching slowly higher and higher, before they were abruptly no longer in the air and she was no longer on the moulded plastic back of the chair, but across the distance between the chairs and the doors to the international arrival gate. "Polly!" she shouted and Apollo Justice's tired face blossomed into a sudden smile, eyes and teeth shining. She flung her arms around him, pressing her face into the fabric of his t-shirt. It felt thin, but not worryingly so, and he smelled mostly like she remembered: the deodorant was different but similar enough as was the cooled sweat smell of a man prone to perspiring with anxiety, excitement, exertion, anger, fear, and probably other emotions that Trucy had never seen him express (although if she hadn't seen them she wasn't sure who had). The sweat wasn't exactly as she remembered, either, but she had it on good authority from Aunt Maya, corroborating her own observations, that Khura'in was a country deficient in important elements of the American diet, like noodles and burgers, and if you were what you ate, then likely your sweat was, too, and so if you were eating different things, you and your sweat would probably smell different, too. In her mind, it all seemed soundly scientific.

Apollo returned Trucy's hug with enough strength that, if he had been a bigger man, Trucy might have been lifted off her feet. But, unlike Trucy's small gains, Apollo's height had remained the same since they had last seen each other, and after a moment, Apollo ended the hug, holding Trucy at arm's length.

"I've missed you, Polly," Trucy said, because she had. Ever since her daddy had started the process to re-enter the legal community, Trucy had looked upon each of the various assistants and summer students working at the Wright Anything Agency with a frank possessiveness, seeing each as a mixture of younger sibling and cherished toy. Apollo had been the first, though, and when the young man, barely more than a stranger, had hugged her, crying with relief in a court room lobby because he'd thought she'd been kidnapped, she'd felt a weird but pleasant spontaneous warmth that hadn't just been because his reaction indicated just how good her large-scale sleight of hand and ventriloquism were. Others had left since Apollo, but Apollo had been the only one whose absence she had felt, who she'd stubbornly continued texting and sending letters to, even through the periods of prolonged silence.

"I missed you, too," Apollo said after a moment, his voice a bit rough, quieter than Trucy remembered. He was telling the truth, though. He always told the truth, even if saying it made a lump as large and hard as a rock take form in his throat. She'd always liked that blind commitment to honesty about him, even if she pitied him at the same time, kind of like how she felt about dogs when she first found out they couldn't eat chocolate. Although Apollo wouldn't die if he told a lie, probably; he might throw up, though.

There was a greenish cast to Apollo's skin, under the warmth of his tan (maybe he sometimes saw the outside world and sunlight instead of his office and the inside of the courtroom; maybe he got really adventurous and sometimes did paperwork outside!), but Trucy guessed that had more to do with Apollo's fear of heights and complicated relationship with air travel and less to do with a deathly allergy to telling lies which was something she had only just thought of and hadn't had an opportunity to run past her number one source on science (Ema Skye) or a panel of experts (everyone who had ever worked with Apollo Justice). She grabbed one of his hands with both of hers and squeezed, smiling at him with her most disarming stage smile. "Of course you did! And the shine of the spotlight and the thrill of the stage, I bet! Once you've gotten a taste of the limelight with Trucy Wright it's probably hard to go back to the stage of the courtroom! No thrills, no flash, no fire --"

"Usually," Apollo said, wrinkling his nose at the world through Trucy's optimized vocal illusion projection. Trust her best assistant and number one stagehand to also be her harshest critic, the toughest of nuts to crack. Although in Trucy's experience, there were no uncrackable nuts, just ones that required a bit more spit and elbow grease, and maybe literal grease for the metal ones.

"Do you think your luggage is here yet? Do you want to watch me do a disappearing act on the luggage carousel? Do you want to ride the luggage carousel with me? You know the inventor was practically beginning for people to ride it when he called it a carousel. One of those grumpy safety people who always try to stop me should have warned him!"

Apollo laughed, rubbing his face with his free hand. "Not applicable," he said, shrugging a shoulder over which hung one strap of his familiar brown does-it-even-qualify-as-a-backpack-no-it-doesn't-actually-Polly, "no, no, and do you swear you got your confirmation for graduation without any funny business?"

Trucy stuck her tongue out and quickly dropped Apollo's hand to walk with him to the parking lot, looping one arm through his elbow. "That's nothing even for carry-on Polly! I could fit more in my magic --"

"You could fit my entire office in those," Apollo said quickly, raising his voice to more familiar Chords of Justice levels to drown Trucy out. She pouted. "I'm good at travelling light, especially when I chucked the pretense of bringing my suit jacket with me; frees up a lot of space for socks and toothpaste." The grip on Apollo's arm tightened and he said, quietly, "I'm not here to stay, Trucy. You know that."

Chin up; Trucy put her smile back in place. Not even the corners wobbled in the face of Apollo's unappreciated perceptiveness. Why was it never about important things? "The car's parked this way, Polly!"

"When did you get a car? How did you get a car?"

Trucy rolled her eyes and patted Apollo's arm. "You don't need to own a car to drive it, Apollo." For a moment, Apollo's eyes widened in horror, red agitation rising in his face and pushing away the sallow green tint, making him look more like the Apollo she remembered. Then his eyes narrowed, metaphorically shaking himself free of the bait. Trucy laughed. "It's Athena's! I'm just borrowing it! I do have my driver's license, Polly." With a flourish, she flipped open her purse, pulled her wallet out and flipped it open to the glossy rectangle officially obtained with hardly any deceit from the State of California, waving it close enough to Apollo's suspicious face that she bumped his nose. It was back in her purse before Apollo could try and take it from her for closer examination -- not that closer examination would reveal anything but the most flattering driver's license picture that had ever been taken and the rest of the contents of her wallet, but it was the principle of the thing!

When the car was in their field of view, Trucy didn't even have to tell Apollo, which was one of the advantages of the car, but she still felt the need to add a flourish to the occasion, spinning Apollo with her (was it really that different from doing some fancy misdirection while wearing a particularly heavy cape on stage?) and coming to a halt just to the side of the headlights. "Ta-da!"

The car was tiny -- her dad hated going anywhere in it, knees cramped up near his ears in the passenger seat, but she and Athena were firm on the subject of passengers not having a vote in the independent nation of Athena's Car -- a cute little glowing yellow sun bubble of a vehicle that Trucy had taken it upon herself to customize with little painted blue birds (which were, as far as she was concerned, much more tasteful than bumper stickers and when she put it that way, Athena had readily come to agree). Spinning the keys around her finger, Trucy released Apollo's arm and unlocked the car simultaneously, a little bit of nicely timed theatrics that was just for her private, personal enjoyment.

"Cute," Apollo said, touching a bird on the passenger door before getting in, swinging his bag to sit in his lap.

Trucy beamed at this effusive praise and plopped herself in the driver's seat. "So," she asked, looking in the rear-view mirror as she backed the car out of the tiny niche of a parking spot, "do you have a driver's license in Khura'in?" Apollo groaned, the sound echoing in the little car as he pressed his forehead to the top of his bag, and it was -- almost -- like he had never been gone.

To say it was weird being back in LA would have been a misuse of the word. Weird was sitting in the passenger seat of Athena Cykes' little yellow car, his feet bumping empty (mostly, hopefully) reusable water bottles and setting off a symphony in crinkling energy bar wrappers. Weird was being next to Trucy again, close enough to reach over and squeeze her hand in his if both hands hadn't been clasped firmly on the wheel. Weird was her hands being on the wheel of an actual car that was actually being driven, legally, on an actual road and not feeling like any of his internal organs were going to jump out of his throat with nervous terror.

Much.

LA after five years in Khura'in was, much as it had been as a child after a decade of Khura'in, like being dropped onto the surface of another -- like finding himself in a different dimension, even if this time it was a dimension he recognized. The low, smoggy haze always visible to his eyes, even in in the sunshiniest, beach surfingest, high noon, middle of summerest California day. The endless low-level sprawl of buildings in every direction, punctuated by stabs of sleekly modern skyscrapers that were nothing but gleam and windows and edges. Snow-capped mountains on the horizon looking like little more than pale bumps after being reminded of the stomach churning overwhelming height of the Khura'inese mountains. Palm trees and seagulls. The smell of too many people, too close together, the salt of the sea, the garbage slowly baking in overfull dumpsters. The cars and their exhaust and the cars and the noise and the cars.

Nahyuta travelled constantly. So did Ema. He wanted to ask if travelling, especially between countries, ever got so commonplace that you couldn't even remember the disconcerting feeling of having the dry and ragged roots of your soul ripped out of parched and crumbling soil that you were trying to call home. But it seemed like a weird conversation to start when things were finally more normal than weird between him and Nahyuta; he didn't want to tip the scale back to the weird end of things.

Abruptly, the little stuffed samurai dangling from the rearview mirror snapped back into focus. Fuck he was tired.

"I'll take your dozing off as a compliment to my amazing driving rather than an insult to my equally amazing conversational skills," Trucy said brightly. "Daddy never even shuts his eyes when I'm driving him somewhere."

"I was --" Apollo began as Trucy parked Athena's car and fixed him with that still-familiar, unblinking blue gaze that made his tongue go numb at the merest thought of telling the suggestion of a lie (even though there were certain individuals in her life that Apollo definitely thought she should be using that look on instead of him). They were outside the Wright Anything Agency, so unchanged Athena's car could have been a time machine. "I was asleep."

"You were," Trucy chirped, in agreement or confirmation. "I appreciated all the agreements and promises you made, though! It more than made up for the snoring. I should have been recording you; some of those noises would make for great scare effects at a show!"

Apollo got out of the car, refusing to rise to Trucy's familiar, cheerful teasing, but: "You need a meeting of the minds for a legally enforceable contract and that isn't present if one of the parties is asleep, Trucy. Even if said party spoke in their sleep. Which, for the record, I don't."

Trucy didn't step out of the car so much as leap from it with a flourish, landing at Apollo's side in a blink and whisper of cloth. "For the record, I think you need to present a witness or some form of evidence to substantiate your claim. You yourself just established the lack of proper mens rea of an unconscious person." The way the words tumbled as easily from Trucy's lips as any of her magician's patter was like a punch to Apollo's gut, an uncomfortable reminder that it had been five years since he'd seen Trucy. She'd grown up in that time, an always too-mature girl suddenly an adult woman, demonstrating the legal knowledge she'd accumulated by shrewd, easily-overlooked observation over the years as easily as she might pull a string of colourful scarves from the pocket of Apollo's jeans where he knew there was only crumpled kleenex, receipts, and a mint wrapper. Then: "Unless you have a surprise witness to your sleep habits you're going to divulge?" She captured Apollo's hand, peering critically at his ring finger, her smile widening to wicked lengths as Apollo felt his face warm with embarrassment. He reclaimed his hand.

"Only if you've learned to speak cat," Apollo grumbled, even though he shouldn't have let Trucy's teasing rankle him. Reworking an entire country's judicial system and laws, not to mention additional reading on constitutions and assorted human rights legislation so he could try to give a very hot-headed young queen lessons on the subject of constitutional monarchies (and how had that ended up being part of the job of the kingdom's only defense attorney?) wouldn't have left even the most social of butterflies time to develop a social life. The work was important, his work was important, and that took precedence over little things like "making friends" and it wasn't sad if he could go for an entire week without seeing anyone who didn't possess a dragon tattoo.

Trucy sighed. "No, Ivy didn't offer it as a foreign language option for some reason." The hand she lay on Apollo's shoulder was far too consoling, too full of the sympathy and understanding of a peer for comfort. He tried to shake it off, subtly, but doing so left him with no alternative but to proceed through the familiar doors of the Wright Anything Agency. Trucy, undaunted, followed at his heels.

The first thing Apollo noticed threw all the familiar feelings into disarray, out the window, and threw a firecracker after for good measure.

Phoenix Wright, Apollo's adolescent idol, first client (technically), first client to need their account written off, questionable mentor, one-time boss, and all-time instigator of complicated, frustrated feelings Apollo didn't have time to examine and even if he did, didn't need to examine (and even if he did, he couldn't have afforded to see a psychologist when he lived in LA; the prospect of asking Nahyuta for help in Khura'in was terrifying and would surely only lead to offers of spiritual counselling). It wasn't that Mr. Wright had significantly aged in five years, although Apollo could spot a few grey hairs that hadn't been there before, a few small lines at the corners of those deceitfully innocent blue eyes.

However.

Phoenix Wright was sitting behind the desk, frowning at the computer screen with a pen between his teeth, an open file to one side, and he appeared to be working.

Apollo took a step back, double-checking the lettering on the door, but Trucy grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly tight grip. A piece of her private sadness showed in her eyes; did Trucy think he was going to bolt back to Khura'in just like that? He didn't even have a return ticket. "Just making sure we're in the right place." The smile he mustered for her was more awkward than reassuring, he was certain.

Mr. Wright looked up from the computer, removing the abused pen from his mouth and twirling it between his fingers. "The right place - or the Wright place?"

Trucy groaned good-naturedly, shutting the door behind them with a firmness Apollo obediently noted. "Mr. Wright, the homophone dad jokes really need to stay on social media."

"Maybe I wouldn't be driven to these depths if more people I knew were on SmileSpot, stranger." Mr. Wright pushed away from his desk and stood, stretching his arms over his head as he did so, something in his back cracking and making Apollo wince in sympathy before he quickly hid his reaction. It wasn't safe to give Mr. Wright even a fraction of an inch. If Mr. Wright had seen anything in Apollo's face, though, he didn't show it. He flipped the file on his desk closed before reaching to grasp Apollo's hand warmly. "It's good to see you, Apollo. It looks like Khura'in agrees with you."

Whatever that meant; Apollo made a noise that belonged in a sound library under 'neutral' and looked away to scan the rest of the office, casually. There was still the spirit of something very antithetical to a law practise inhabiting the place, even if Trucy had gotten much better at tidying her magic props away in an unobtrusive manner. There was even a second desk with what appeared to be an actual, functional computer on it.

Trucy announced, "I'm going to get takeout from Mr. Eldoon! Don't let Polly leave, Daddy!" disappearing out the door before anyone could react.

"Should I see if I can find Trucy's handcuffs?" Mr. Wright asked after a moment of strained silence.

Apollo pointedly set his bag on the familiar couch, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm not going anywhere," he said, exasperated, before moving to inspect the new desk more closely. It wasn't shiny new; clearly, it had been used, but there was a sparseness and lack of personality to it that suggested it was currently unoccupied. He knew Athena was no longer with the Wright Anything Agency (but her new enterprise must be somewhere within walking distance if Trucy had casual access to her car) and it obviously didn't belong to Trucy. Apollo brushed his thumb along the edge and it came back barely dusty.

"My last articling student passed the bar and decided to take a vacation before finalizing any of her career decisions," Mr. Wright said, his voice breaking through Apollo's thought process before it could drift further into investigative patterns. It didn't look like the former articling student planned to hang her shingle at the Wright Anything Agency when she came back from her vacation, though. There wasn't even a stray sticky note left to remember her by.

Mr. Wright cleared his throat. "How about some coffee while we wait for Trucy to get back?"

"Coffee would be fine," Apollo said, looking at Charley (someone had, thankfully, been remembering to water him regularly).

The relief coming off Mr. Wright was palpable. Apollo had never thought of the older man as having a problem making conversation. When he wasn't being difficult or lost in his own darker thoughts, Mr. Wright was easily more charming and personable than Apollo, someone who nervous clients often found relief in speaking to, but he could also be reluctant to take action or initiate things that would be uncomfortable, especially more personal conversations.

Neither of them wanted to jump into discussing Kristoph Gavin's appeal.

#word vomit

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we-rolling-stones · 7 years ago

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Turtle Time

Turns out, we'd been spoiled for border crossings when entering Lesotho. Mozambique was much, MUCH more intense. After leaving the bush house, we headed south to Nelspruit to pick up Matt's passport with US visa contained (huzzah!), then west to the Komatipoort border between SA and Mozambique. As soon as we rolled up towards the South African portion of the border, we'd been marked: a guy standing outside the customs office spotted the Land Cruiser and our two white faces and started waving us towards a parking space - taking ownership of us like we were passengers on his paid tour of the border space. As soon as you leave the car, he's full of instructions - go here, bring this, you'll need that later.

Despite our polite peristence that we didn't need any help, he was impossible to shake off - after leaving South African customs, literally running across the border no-man's land to the Mozambican side to meet us, attempting to steer us toward his preferred third-party insurance provider (a mandatory purchase for border crossing), filling out our forms for us, talking to the customs officials on our behalf. He's soon joined by other guys, following closely, offering you SIM cards and emergency triangles and vehicle stickers, who shuffle nearer and nearer no matter how many times you say you're not interested. As the female of our pair, I am of no consequence - everyone focuses on Matt, the man and clearly the decision-maker of our group. When all our papers are in order, we escape back into the car and leave our small crowd of new friends with Matt rolling up the window and still muttering "no....no thanks..." in the faces of four or five disappointed guys as we drive off...

....only to spend 20 minutes waiting at a construction stop-go no more than 50 metres from the border.

We spend the night in Maputo, the country's capital, at a backpacker's called Fatima's Place in the middle of the city. Given the options to camp in our roof tent in their driveway for MT 700 per person or to get a bed in the dormitory for MT 800, we say to hell with camping. They've even got a bar and free wi-fi! We go for a nighttime stroll around the city, hoping to make it to the beach (our backpacker's is only three blocks away), but we take a wrong turn and wander aimlessly for a while instead. Maputo is a weird mix of Eurasia and Africa: a former Portuguese colony, the country's official language is still Portuguese. But there's obviously been a lot of Communist influence: we spot a few Soviet-style boxy high-rise apartment blocks, and our hostel sits on the corner of Mao Zedong and Lenin Avenues. Significant amounts of money have obviously been invested in parts of the city: there are some beautiful mansions facing the coast, and the spacious ground floor of one building boasts a plaque commemorating its dedication as a restaurant in 2013 by the mayor of Maputo. It's tropical(ish) - there are palm trees and sand everywhere. But the sidewalks are mangled and broken; the mansion by the sea has never been finished and sits abandoned behind a construction curtain; the restaurant has closed down since 2013 and is empty.

For example: a mansion on the coast, overlooking the ocean on one side and...an abandoned garage on the other.

Maputo feels like the kind of city whose magic opens up to you only after you stay for a while. But we've got a craving for the beach, so we head out the next day: south to Ponta d'Ouro, a tiny village in the far south eastern corner of the country. Asia's influence in Mozambique becomes evident - the road to Ponta used to be a sandy track, impossible to navigate when wet, making the 300-km journey take 5-6 hours to complete. All that has changed with the entrance of the Chinese, who have built a tarred road system the entire distance between the two cities that's so new our GPS doesn't recognize it.

We fly through the journey in just 2.5 hours and arrive in the rain to our new home for the next week - Gala Gala Eco Lodge, a deceptively large quasi-village with what must be 50 campsites and a handful of cabanas. After checking in, we head over to the beach to check out our REAL priority for the week: SCUBA DIVING!

That's right. This week we are getting PADI certified. An open water course, which qualifies you to dive up to 18 metres, takes around 4 days to complete. It includes a theory section (lots of reading and quizzes), a pool day (attempting to control your buoyancy in water that's barely deep enough to dive in), and 4 sea dives, each of which test a variety of skills alongside your exploration of the reef of the day. These include recovering your regulator in case you somehow lose grip on your only air source...the tube that goes in your mouth; taking your mask off at the bottom of the ocean, putting it back on, and clearing it of seawater by blowing out your nose in case you have a death wish, or otherwise get your kicks out of doing stupid and scary things, etc.

Thankfully the skills get less scary the more times you practice, and after 5-10 minutes of skills at the start of each dive you get the rest of the time to explore the reef. We don't have an underwater camera so this part will be left to your imagination, but DIVING IS AWESOME. We've seen pods of dolphins surfing massive waves amidst rainbows in the sea spray on our way out to the dive site, a stingray with a 5-foot wingspan swimming in and out of a cavern, a green turtle, a pufferfish chilling under an overhang, a (giant) potato bass guarding his reef, an octopus hiding in a hole, a few giant moray eels, and many more exoticities. Despite all my anxieties to the contrary, we have not once been attacked by a sea creature from below.

We spend five days completing our course at a leisurely pace with Blue, our tremendously patient and talented scuba instructor, her boyfriend Tibo - also an instructor - and Alarda - another South African from Mpumalanga who's the only other student this week. Our lessons are interspersed with naps, lounges on the beach, and consuming vast quantities of peri-peri prawns.

vimeo

Also beaching. Lots of beaching.

We are one of approximately 5 tourists in town (it's low season), and so we are persistently followed around by guys selling things - from bracelets to bowls to backpacks to shoes. One man speaks to us for 20 minutes in the beach parking lot, showing off his handmade leather wares. When it becomes apparent that we've got tight wallets, he pulls out his trump card - "want to buy some weed? Good price, 100 rand a bag."

We did not support our local drug cartel, but Matt did buy a pair of board shorts branded with the logo of Deutsche M, one of the Mozambican beers.

Alarda, Blue, Tibo and us all become fast friends and by the last night after our final dive, we're all having sunset drinks together on our favourite beach before going out to Lulu's (a local restaurant frequented by ACTUAL locals, a rare and difficult find) for peri-peri chicken.

Blue forgets to take our photos for our PADI cards until we're saying our goodbyes, so she does it quickly on her phone. Our diving card photos will forever show us in the dark, in a parking lot in Ponta after a few beers, happier than ever that we're here.

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vladynews · 4 years ago

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just how to look after a dachshund

I have actually been keeping the dachshund for 25 years, so the type's features will certainly be prejudiced. I love these sausages with all my heart. And also not just me. In one Germany currently lives more than a million dachshunds. At the exact same time, their popularity is steady. It does not depend upon the variations of fashion - and also lots of types can flaunt the same?

Dachshund is one-of-a-kind. Little dimension and unpretentiousness in treatment make it a popular friend for residents. At the exact same time, the language does not resort to call the breed ornamental. Dachshunds stay "genuine", serious dogs.

The look of the dachshund

Taxi is one of the most well-known breed worldwide. A long and also short sausage pet dog just looks ridiculous prima facie. Cabs have effective paws and huge breasts. They are not large, yet extremely solid pets - their muscles are well developed. Strong constitution and endurance are a tradition of the centuries-old searching past.

A lengthy head with a smooth transition from temple to muzzle is decorated with huge ears. Brownish eyes always look with interest, in them you can see a remarkable intelligence.

What are the dachshunds

Inside one breed, there is a division by the type of wool and size. Because of this, there is a big variety of tex.

There are 3 dimension groups:

* Rabbit dachshund - weight 3-3.5 kg * Small (small, dwarf) dachshund - weight 4-5,5 kg * Standard dachshund - weight 8-9 kg

By the sort of woollen are additionally distinguished by three ranges:

* Smooth wool; * Long-haired; * Hard woollen.

Nowadays, hard-coat dachshunds preferred as functioning hunting canines: they do not freeze as their smooth congeners. The layer is not confused or unclean, as in the case of lengthy layer dachshunds. Sticker labels have their very own shade, which is called "boar".

Long-haired dachshunds swiftly ended up being ornamental canines due to their amazing appearance. Smooth hairs are just as suitable for searching as well as for home life.

The most typical shades of tex:

* Black-floor; * Red (from dark to intense orange as well as sandy);. * Coffee (chocolate);. * Marble (tricolor).

There are cream, tiger colors.

Character of the dachshund: 7 character features.

Even bunny dachshund is not a decorative "girls'" type. The smallest dachshunds were reproduced particularly for rabbit hunting. With a typical dachshund hunting not just on the burrowing monster (fox, badger) however also any kind of various other video game.

Individuals.

There are a number of kinds of searching dogs (sweetheart, dog, cop, and also others). Most of them work in pairs with a man, waiting on a group from the hunter. But not a dachshund. Regular pet dogs should discover the beast themselves and also get it. Struggle in a slim dark burrow is individually. A person there is no helper to the pet dog.

The first high quality of a dachshund is wilfulness. Dachshund groups are very easy to find out, but every time they assume concerning whether to execute.

Interested.

Once in the brand-new space, the dog will not relax till he examines every corner. A stroll for a dachshund is a real vacation since there is a feast of smells exterior.

Energetic as well as playful.

Brief curves of the legs can deceive the ignorant. Dachshund owners recognize that these pets have incredible endurance. If a dachshund is in great physical form, it prepares to cover a few kilometers on a daily walk.

Dachshunds must be permitted to spray out energy. They happily carry the ball, play with congeners, and also amuse the proprietors with their grimaces. Do not presume that due to the brief legs of the dachshund runs slowly. If wanted, it becomes an actual torpedo!

Tender

Like several hunting pets, dachshunds can completely ignore the owner on a stroll, with the rapture to hurry around the countryside as well as discover their own activities. But what they are really caring! Drinking on your back to scrape a stubborn belly, sticking your nose under your arm, as well as reaching lick your nose is all right.

Those that say "pleased not to buy" have not yet acquired a pup dachshund!

If you win a dachshund, you will not find a more caring pet. Dachshunds love to iron as well as cuddle with the owner in your rest.

Gambler

A lot of dachshunds do not recognize the anxiety - they hurry strongly at the adversary a lot bigger than themselves. If the dachshund wakes up hunting exhilaration, it ends up being deaf to your commands, feels neither discomfort neither tiredness, focusing on the target. Dachshund is exactly the dog that can bark for hrs on a rescued feline from a tree.

Smart

Dachshunds do not join agility and also will certainly not amount to in obedience to pets' official types, but no one will question their knowledge. It is the intellect that provides a dachshund a special appeal and slyness. They are damn ingenious in their tricks, after which they request for mercy so artistically that it becomes difficult to vow, just chuckle.

Vitality enthusiasts.

Dachshunds are not sad, are not annoyed, as well as do not hover with guilt. Searching - with excitement. For me, a dachshund is an endorphin canine!

Even if a pet's back legs fall short, dachshund proprietors usually do not also consider mercy killing. Due to the fact that their dog continues to enjoy life. Caring dachshund assists them leave any kind of condition, billing with positive outlook everyone around.

Dark side of dachshund: 6 unfavorable top qualities.

Since I'm a big lover of a dachshund, any flaws of these dogs seem to me simply cute attributes. If you are not yet struck by taxonomy, pay focus to them to assume about the repercussions before your very first dachshund.

Mania of greatness.

Any kind of dachshund, also a small one, will believe greater than as soon as regarding the question - isn't it the main one in this residence? For this insolent long-nosed pet dog to follow your orders, you will have to inform from the very first days. All your life proves that the owner is the main resource of food, enjoyment, and also enjoyment.

Which you can alter the dachshund, even if you have no time for it now/lazy/you are really worn out/ when can. If you provide the slack, your point of view will certainly no longer be taken into consideration by the dachshund when making decisions.

Arbitrariness, stubbornness, and a propensity to control make a dachshund inappropriate for elderly people or beginners to pet reproduction. Owners who can not place the dachshund in position develop a despot as well as a beast with their own hands.

Loud voice

For seekers, it was very crucial to hear the dachshund providing a voice while in a deep opening. On the other hand - if an animal is not appropriately raised, the dachshund can turn into a bastard.

A separate issue emerges if the dachshund groans and also barks, being left alone. Pets robbed of job do not get either physical or psychological stress and anxiety.

propensity to bite

Numerous individuals take into consideration dachshunds hostile. Typically, dachshunds attack their own proprietors as well as household members - if they consider themselves leaders.

The second reason for bites - if the dachshund safeguards itself, it hesitates. It is not permitted to beat the pet in the process of education or shed. This will not end well, particularly if the dachshund has a remarkable memory. A pet dog can toss on a particular odor, as an example, on drinks.

The 3rd reason is territorial aggressiveness. When I first brought a dachshund to my dacha, it bit my neighbor's leg with blood. She did not bark, just turned up and also barked on the back. It took place when an old lady pertained to our residence. The dog had actually never ever seen her in the past as well as chose that she was an unfamiliar person. It was not simple to describe with a bitten canine! Bite the dachshund as well as neighbor's kids if they were running around our website with squeals and noise.

Zoo aggressiveness.

Dachshund can get along well with cats in the residence - and also selflessly go after strange cats on the road. They need to realize their hunting impulse.

The amount of times I have actually seen the sobbing owners who chose that the hamster in the cage is not endangered with anything. The village dachshund can choke bunnies or hens, so the animal can not be release on a self-guided walk.

Contrary to fears, dachshunds can quickly quadrate pet cats in the same house. If you take a dachshund to a grown-up pet cat, they will certainly end up being buddies forever.

Without timely socialization, dachshunds barely interact with congeners, especially bigger than themselves. Greater than as soon as, I viewed a tiny "sausage" flick its teeth a centimeter away from the face of a puzzled Labrador or a sheepdog. It only stays to advise maintaining the dachshund on a leash due to the fact that fearlessness will certainly not help her avoid injuries in a battle with a pet dog a number of times bigger than herself.

Gluttony.

When the dachshund is awake, either states is looking for food or consuming. Dachshunds are the masters of pleading, as well as their begging look bumps out the most relentless. Never before have I seen a dachshund hug a lot that she would quit a delicious item.

On the one hand, a dog-leaver is okay, since it makes training simpler. On the various other hand, for a lot of the walk, you will make certain that the family pet does not vacuum from the ground.

Dachshunds are not just begging yet additionally swiping. My rascal as soon as chewed a bag of food, which I thoughtlessly left in the hallway. The dog looked like a globe yet was not mosting likely to pass away.

If you take a puppy to your home, you need to learn to order. You require to hide not just the food however all the potentially hazardous things: dachshunds might discover it edible what you can not think of - lipstick, lotion, made use of baby diaper.

Devastating propensities.

For such a lap dog, the dachshund has exceptionally powerful jaws. As well as paws. And claws. In a word, you must not let such a family pet obtain bored, or you will have a developer repair work in your home. It is simple to dig a couch, playing in the red. It is simple to rip the wallpaper. Grind every little thing, left neglected - why not? The dacha location of the dachshund can destroy the grass, steaming holes in it.

Dachshunds cope with toys from the pet store in a matter of mins, as well as just deals with like deer horns, or rubber rounds can take them for a very long time.

Inquiries of treatment and upkeep of a dachshund.

The popularity of dachshunds was substantially added to their unpretentiousness in web content. They really feel equally confident both in the streets of the metropolis as well as in the town. Cabs willingly eat both healthy food and commercial feed. They do not need to wipe their ears or eyes. The care varies just depending upon the type of wool.

Dachshunds need to be cleaned every time after the walk: their breasts and stomach get dirty promptly. You can show your pet dog to use a water resistant one-piece suit. Clothing will additionally be useful in winter season - smooth wool dachshunds are really cold. They should a minimum of use a coat.

Dachshunds do not like to stroll in the rain. If they do not like the weather condition, the pet will quickly chrome or rest on his back. You will be cursed to drag the "unhappy" on a chain (do not poop in your home), gathering the condemnations of passers-by. When you transform to the residence, the victim will support up as well as rush on all four paws.

All the dachshunds, as well as the hardcore ones, too, like comfort and comfort.

Difficult woollen dachshund need to be cut (plucked undercoat) 2 times a year during the seasonal molting (springtime, fall). Long-haired - regularly combed and also bathed. Smooth haired dachshunds, deprived of undercoat, the most comfy in day-to-day life. They are easy to clean, dry promptly, and also the home's woollen will be couple of. Nonetheless, hard as needles, hairs can purposefully get stuck in bed linens.

All dachshunds expand claws very rapidly, especially on the front paws. They are needed to dig. If the pet dog does not search and also strolls little on the asphalt, the claws grow as well long. They are shortened with claw cutters once a month.

Conditions of dachshund.

The bright side is that the dachshunds describe long-term pet dogs. I personally dealt with a 19-year-old cab. The life expectancy of 15-17 years in these dogs is considered the norm.

intervertebral hernia.

Amongst the public, there is a deliberate point of view that issues with the back of the dachshunds are connected with a disproportionately long body. However this is not the situation. Many cases when the back legs of the taxa stop working are related to hereditary discopathy.

In this situation, the canine has an illness of cells regrowth of the intervertebral disks. They lose their elasticity, and by the age of 4 years, there is a risk of disc herniation (outcropping, tear).

When the disc is sticking out, there is pinching of nerves or spine. Depending upon the rupture's size, this is either uncomfortable or a photo of paralysis (the pet can not lean on his back legs, urination and also defecation are disturbed). Therapy can be both operative as well as conventional. To choose the ideal technique, you require to "see" the rupture - CT or MRI.

A pet older than 4-6 years can prompt a rupture by leaping from heights, injury during energetic games with various other pet dogs. The only avoidance is to maintain excellent physical shape and avoid weight problems.

Supposed chondroprotectors do not influence the procedure of disk devastation. They are not used either for treatment or to prevent discopathy in dachshunds. Genes plays a decisive role: dachshund can live a life without having issues with the back. Or it can for the first time "buckle" at the age of 4, and also with age, the assaults will be duplicated regularly.

Bust gland conditions.

Dachshunds are very caring mothers. Also after the very first birth, they take superb treatment of pups, can embrace other people's cubs, such as kittycats. This is because of the high hormone history. But if the bitch is not decontaminated and also does not bind, there are troubles.

After a leakage, dachshunds often have an incorrect pregnancy and after that an incorrect lactating, mastitis. At an older age, deadly lumps happen on the mammary glands.

Because of this, it is suggested to castrate the bitches that are not associated with breeding, ideally - also before the first leak.

Parodontosis.

Dachshunds, specifically dwarfs, often tend to create tartar. Preferably, a pet dog must be instructed to comb his teeth (brush + paste) from youth. Tartar leads to periodontal disease, bad odor from the mouth, and loss of teeth.

Heart failure.

Type illness tax - mitral heart shutoff failure. In older pets (usually after 6 years) its sashes begin to deform as well as can no much longer close firmly.

Just when the left atrium is currently greatly expanded, owners might see a regular cough, lack of breath, intolerance to physical activity. A senior dachshund needs unique care.

Suppose the dachshund is older than 4 years old. In any kind of case, after 6 years, it is better to inspect the heart frequently.

Verdict.

If you as soon as begin a dachshund, it is likely that from this particular day on, just dachshunds will certainly stay in your home. Despite just how remarkable the other breeds of pet dogs are, they are not dachshunds, which states all of it.

Let such a pet dog needs attention. The moment invested will repay a hundredfold. It is difficult to mope when there is an energised, crafty long-nosed pet.

Comments from dachshund owners.

Why did we pick a dachshund.

Fifteen years earlier, when my child was in elementary school (that is, currently ripe for a pet dog, upkeep as well as treatment), by now my kid had actually reviewed several publications about canines and also enjoyed lots of films on the same topic, and also consequently, there was a passionate wish to obtain a pet dog.

They began to choose a breed for an apartment. We do not have a summertime home. It was not feasible to take a huge dog to the areas. As well as right here, a good friend, who stayed in 2 dachshunds, used this type. In the beginning, I was hesitant. It appeared to me that she was such lengthened as well as brief legs. Yet in the long run, we took a puppy with a common long-haired dachshund.

So this is our initial experience of maintaining a pet. As you create in this short article, dachshunds are unreliable, clever, and also they will certainly follow your order if it coincides with her desires. Now our charm is 15 years of ages. Over the years, she has actually been so mischievous: stripped off wallpaper, ate shoes, telephone and television cable televisions, ate off two males's bags at her spouse, and so on. A great deal of other things. Yet she offered as well as remains to provide us so much positive that thanks to her, we have one more long-haired dachshund (miniature, it is currently 5 years old), and also many thanks to her, we fell in love with this breed.

Exactly how do you agree kids and pet cats? With children, it is terrific. The main thing is to let the dog know that this is our youngster, and you can't injure him. They are hardly ever wise, as well as sometimes it seems that she comprehends the significance of what you have actually claimed. With felines, obviously, they likewise get on quickly. I would like to discuss another such factor. It is a solitary type. There are many similarities. Yet they are so various. Every one is an individuality.

The initial meeting.

That's why we are still ahead of us, however my partner came back from work and also fell for her. Now we discover the very first attributes of her personality. Gina always attempts to visit bed with us if we don't let her begin yelling and barking. She is extremely active throughout the day and also enjoys to play with kids and also cats with whom she ended up being pals very quickly. Currently she is a full member of the family!

This love is for life.

For 12 years, we have actually been living with our preferred dachshund. We have actually started our charm absolutely casually - we searched for a lap dog in your house. There was already a huge canine in the yard, and our grandparents desired a "bell", so your home allows, and we needed a guard inside.

However we did not consider that the old people would certainly not have sufficient toughness to take care of this "battery". We took it to the apartment. Whatever that can be chewed up in the very first days was chewed up, whatever that could be excavated as well as excavated. Most of all, we got winter months shoes, made from real natural leather and also with natural fur - we pulled every little thing up.

I was the just one that went to bed with me. She was not interested in the reality that she can be stuck to her feet - she crept to the pillow during the night, and in the morning, I awakened from snoring and a dachshund muzzle on the cushion. When I had a kid - I did not need a child monitor - dachshund lived under the crib.

Now my boy is 5 years old, and our doggie is the ideal girlfriend in all leprosy. They rest together, as well as frequently the dog replaces the youngster's cushion.

0 notes

kokkoro · 7 years ago

Text

you and me (were meant to be) (1/3)

Her name is Clarke and she likes coffee and it takes you half a second to decide you like her.

or the ‘i just met you but there’s this couples contest on campus rn and all my friends are busy and you’re just sitting there reading on the quad, pls the prize is a Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 and my coffee machine broke last week and im dying pls i need my coffee’ au

(aka the couples competition au) (on ao3)

If asked you would say you were bribed. Or blackmailed. Something dramatic like that. Except you don’t even like coffee and the last time someone tried to force you to do something you didn’t want to do they ended up with a fist to the face and a bloody nose. What you do like though are pretty blonde girls in loose button-ups and tiny jean shorts and backward snapbacks, so in hindsight there really was no hope for you.

So you say yes, and it's this wobbly cracked thing that stumbles from the tip of your tongue in two pieces that’s only halfway out your mouth by time she’s pulling you to your feet.

“Come on,” she says, urging, her lips halfway to a grin and you’re already lost. “The competition starts in ten and we still haven’t signed up.”

You’re pulled from your spot in front of the library and into the thick of things without warning and she doesn’t let go of your hand in what you assume is a precaution against losing you to the droves of people congregating on the quad. This is what you imagine a stampede to feel like, the cacophony rattling and your breath lodged just below your throat, but you focus on her hand and everything thins. It’s the beginning of October, right when the chill of oncoming autumn is contested only by the sun’s last attempts at summer, but you know it more commonly as homecoming week.

There’s stands with food and drinks and the art students have dragged out displays and people crowd in a manner that makes at least some semblance of sense. Clubs and various organizations shout to be heard above the ruckus of the radio club, vying for the attention of the incoming freshman who wander through the chaos like lost souls in the styx.

You see the queue for the line by the practice field. It’s not long, but the sun’s in your eyes and Clarke turns the hat on her head to block it. She fiddles, lifting and shifting until it rests the way she wants it. It sits a little askew, her blonde hair ruffles and curls.

“Have you done this before?” she says.

You look away only to settle on a burly young man attempting to rip his shirt off, and you turn back to focus on Clarke. That’s also a terrible idea, so you shift to watch the line steadily move forward. “Gotten drafted into a couples competition by a stranger? No, I haven’t.”

“Enjoyed the festivities I mean.” Clarke says, and the small smirk she wears means your attempt at humor went better than planned. “Did I drag you away from something important?”

“Not particularly.” You’d actually be apart of it if you hadn’t been coerced into delegating the task to Anya. She had said you needed a break. Really, you think she just gets off seeing the freshmen's faces when they meet you for the first time and are lulled into a false sense of security. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t find it amusing in some ways.

“Good.”

The silence picks up, interspersed by the low chatter of the couple in front of you. The girl giggles, tucked into the side of her boyfriend and he bends to whisper something into her ear before pressing his mouth to the side of her head. She swats at him playfully, but her retaliation doesn’t last, her arms wrapping around his torso.

“Why me?” you ask softly and Clarke brows scrunch, confused, so you squeeze her hand and repeat: “Why me? Surely you’d have a better chance with someone else.”

Clarke snorts and looks ahead, standing briefly on her tip-toes to peer around the people in line in front of you, tilting the bill of her hat back. It’s another second before she says, nonchalant, “And be utterly heteronormative? Please. I didn’t spend my high school years struggling with my sexual identity to stop here.” She glances at you and maybe you’re imagining the way her eyes dart to your lips. “Plus all my friends were busy.”

Your heart thuds, a quick one-two beat, and you feel lost. It takes a second to pull yourself back. “What makes you so sure?”

“About what?” Clarke says with a slight smile.

You watch her watch you. “Me.”

“A hunch?” she says, raising her shoulders in an innocent shrug. “Am I right?”

She is. God, she is. Your eyes dart to her lips--to her eyes and the faint flush dusting her cheeks and you swallow before tearing your eyes away, but she lets out a small laugh and you’re right back to where you started.

“You have rainbow pin on your bag,” she points out, her voice soft and unassuming, and you look down despite knowing what you’ll find. You completely forgot you had that. “I figured the odds were in my favor. But if you’re not comfortable with, uh, this… thing, I… No hard feelings, really. You don’t have to do this.”

You move another pace forward, tugging her gently forward with you. You’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. “I want to.”

“Okay,” Clarke says, a grin slow to form on her lips. She squeezes your hand and you feel it light a fire in you. “Then lets kick some ass.”

You’re still staring at her by the time you make it to the front and the guy behind the table at the sign-in tent can’t keep the wry smile from his mouth. He taps his pen against the plastic fold-out table. “Welcome to the annual Official Unofficial King and Queen Competition. . .ladies,” he says, and Clarke scoffs quietly next to you, her thumb passing restlessly back and forth across your knuckles. “Here to sign up? You’re just in time. Names please.”

“Clarke and Lexa,” Clarke supplies easily, and the guy mmhmms as he scribbles chicken scratch onto a ledger. You catch Clarke eyeing the impressive coffee machine up for grabs, this superfluous monster of a machine that you’d swear could sooner do your taxes than make you a cup of coffee.

“Nice to meet you, Clarke and Lexa,” he says, peeling off two stickers from a roll by his right elbow and holding them out to you. “Stickers where we can see ‘em, alright? You can leave your belongings here is you want and the competition starts in five. All couples should be by the platform on the practice field by the start time, you know the deal. Good luck guys.”

You take yours somewhat awkwardly, stuck to your index finger, unsure of what to do with it until you see Clarke place hers on the sleeve of her button up, patting it down with this small determined look on her face. You place yours on your stomach, over the loose white tee you’re wearing, and then hand over your bag for safe-keeping.

Clarke takes your hand again a second later like it’s already a habit, threading your fingers together and wiggling, and you allow yourself to be led. From what you can see, the practice field is set up accordingly. There appears to be what seems like an obstacle course made out of some of the old football equipment set up at strategic points on the field. Even the few rows of bleachers have already started to fill out with spectators. They’re either friends of the competitors or those with down time during the festivities and looking for a laugh.

You’re not unused to the attention though it’s hard to not find it a tad unnerving. This is nothing short of a spectacle, meant for entertainment and the emotions and thrill competition brings, perhaps at the expense of your pride. You’ve learned from experience not to let it get to you. It makes you impulsive, a little bit reckless, and that’s not something you are. But now, as Clarke leads you up onto the platform and the adrenaline begins to prickle to life under your skin, you let it. You have a feeling you’ll need it.

The group of couples line up in a row and you and Clarke find a spot near the end of the line as one of the last few onto the stage. She sticks close, her arm around your waist and this small determined grin on her face as she scopes out the competition, looking up and down the line appraisingly. Watching her drowns out the noise, the persistent chatter of the other competitors and the far off white noise of the people filling out the stands.

Confidence looks good on her.

She snaps out of it the second someone tests the microphone and the sound blares loudly, her arm tensing around your waist. A few boos and curses issue out from the stands and your host, a tall, bright eyed man with shaggy hair and a slight beard, laughs. He shakes it off, tapping the microphone one more time to make sure it works as intended, before spreading his arms wide.

“Welcome!” his voice booms over the speakers, voice low and powerful, and the crowd erupts into cheers. You can feel the sound in your chest. “To the annual official unofficial Polis U King and Queen Competition!”

The man takes a moment to bask in the noise, scanning the crowd, smiling as random onlookers take notice of the commotion and try to find seats among the madness. “Today, these young lovers will seek to prove their worth in three grueling tasks for the right to become this year’s top couple. So sit back, relax, pick a favorite, they’ll need all the help they can get.”

“Are you ready?” you hear Clarke mutter, just barely over the noise, and you dip your head, angling towards her. You try not to look at her, but she turns to you then and your world seems to crumble, leaving nothing but the sight of her looking back at you.

“I was born for this, Clarke,” you tease, and her lips stretch into the widest grin.

“--first,” the hosts voice cuts through your self induced fog and you look back up and out over the crowd, trying to ignore the way Clarke holds you tighter. “Let us weed out the weak.”

A stagnant pause hangs over the training field

“Contestants!” the man continues, and there’s a certain satisfaction you find in the way a few of the men in line jump at the words that travel over the loudspeaker. “Spread out before you is an obstacle course designed to test your physical limits. Men, and women,” he corrects quickly at the sight of you, “must carry their ladies safely all the way across field to the end. But the catch,” he motions to a helper down on the field and they quickly toss up a brightly colored beach ball, “is that this must as well.”

“You are allowed,” he continues, “to use this ball to knock the other competitors ball out of their hands. You may not tackle, hit, or otherwise hurt your fellow competitors, but besides, be one of the first fifteen couples to cross the finish line and you’re through.”

Clarke pokes you in the side as you and the other competitors are herded off the platform and down onto the field. “How fast can you run?”

“Fast enough,” you say.

“I say we book it. Let the rest fight amongst themselves.”

You fight back a smile as you watch her out of the corner of your eye, taking a knee once you arrive at the starting line. You brace your hands against the grass and Clarke clambers onto your shoulders, her touch light against your back. When she finally settles, hands on your head, you hook your arms around her thighs and try to make sense of the extra weight. “Ready?” you say, tilting your head back and tapping her leg to get her attention. From the look on her face, you have an inkling she might be afraid of heights. “on three, two, one--”

You stand and Clarke’s grip tightens on your hair briefly, fingers tugging a bit at the strands, before the tension relaxes. She gathers her bearings, legs clenched around your shoulders, feet hooked on your sides. Any tighter and the circulation to your arms might cut off, but she takes a moment to center herself.

“I’m good,” she says, a bit too quickly. “Yeah, I’m good.”

She holds out her hands and one of the event staff tosses up a blue beachball that she catches just barely. She lets out a slow breath, nodding to herself, and clutches the ball to her chest.

You find your place behind the line, watching the others settle in beside you. Some look lost. This palpable apprehension that seems to take hold in their eyes. They won’t make it twenty feet, you’re sure. The tall dark man with the broad chest and the small firecracker of a woman on his shoulders not ten feet down from you, however, is another story altogether.

Everything drowns away the second the countdown starts over the speakers. You feel kind of stupid, but there’s a pretty girl with her legs around your neck and everything else seems to fall away in comparison. She’s warm. Not to mention probably more embarrassed about this than you. Or at the least that’s what you find yourself hoping the second the countdown reaches zero and you bolt off as fast as you can towards the finish line.

Only to make it two feet before someone comes running at you from the side with a yellow beachball.

You manage a strangled “Clarke,” and she turns.

There’s a split second you take to brace yourself and Clarke is just as fast. She meets the impact head on, leaning in with her weight as you lurch to the side. The resulting impact causes the couple to jerk back and without the necessary balance they topple to the ground.

The crowd roars.

“Motherfucker,” you hear Clarke huff under her breath, and you try and fail to wipe the smirk from your face.

It’s awkward running with someone on your shoulders, you realize. You’re scared she’ll fall off, but if the numbness you’re beginning to feel in your arms is any indication as you step through a rows of tires spread out past the twenty yard-line, you think she’ll be okay.

You hear a chorus of shouts among the cheers from the stands and the slightly unnerving laughter behind you, but you don’t look back, keeping your focus on putting one foot in front of the other. You stumble out of the last tire and Clarke’s free hand is quick to tangle itself into your shirt to keep herself upright. It rubs roughly against your collarbones, and if nothing else it reminds you to breathe.

“Lexa,” she says a little breathlessly, releasing her hold. You feel her shift to glance at the commotion behind you, and you’re not sure if she’s scolding you or warning you as you sprint headlong into a barrage of standing football dummies.

They’re placed close together, which is good for you if a bit ridiculous to think about. Blue, red, yellow, red, blue--they pass in a blur, knocking against your elbows and Clarke’s knees. Somewhere to your left you have a feeling someone is close behind and when you burst through the thick of it you feel a little disorientated. The other couple overtakes you, taking advantage of your sudden stupor, and you know that means the others are not far behind.

You don’t remember the rest. It flies by as you attempt to gain back what you lost, unaware of much besides Clarke urging you on and the finish line not ten yards away. You come in second and you don’t realize you’ve finished until Clarke’s gleeful yelp, too focused on getting back the air you lost in that last made dash. She drops the beachball unceremoniously in favor of wrapping her arms around your neck and it only makes it harder to breathe. The sudden stop in forward momentum and the enthusiasm of Clarke’s excitement however, is all it takes to cause you to trip.

It’s much like crumbling, undignified and maybe a bit embarrassing. You manage to land somewhat on your butt, leaning heavily on your left arm with Clarke draped over your right shoulder and half in your lap. She’s laughing though, this bubbly thing that’s more a snort as she tries to pull herself the rest of the way over your shoulder. To little success. You try to help her and she nearly elbows you in the face.

She rolls off eventually, somersaults onto her back in the grass, her head near your thigh. She’s red in the face, hair wrestled free from the hat that had tumbled off just moments ago, and her chest heaves in gulps of air under her nearly untucked up button-up, but her smile -- god, her smile.

You lean over, blocking out the sun, breath coming in much more manageable intervals and wait for things to settle. Around you, a few more couples come running in and they’re careful to keep clear of the both of you. It’s a hard won break and you’ve earned these few moments of respite.

It’s a moment or two before Clarke finds the wherewithal to move, taking one last deep breath before propping herself up on her forearms. She smiles at you this time, little bits of grass in her hair, and it’s almost as if you’re the only thing that matters to her.

Standing, you brush the dirt from your palms on you jeans, and you pretend you don’t notice the way she watches you. Casually, cautiously. The curiosity in her eyes is hard to mask and you don’t think she cares. You bend to pick up her hat, smacking it against your thigh to dislodge the bits of dirt and grass and when you offer her your hand there’s no hesitance when she takes it.

“Thanks,” she says, finally back on her feet. She’s close and her words are soft and you give back her hat wordlessly. She flexes the bill until she’s satisfied with the feel, and you brush a few blades of grass from the strands of her hair. The grin that captures her lips is slow and soft like honey, and you’re surprised by the way it has you yearning. “What a way to kick things off, am I right?”

“I don’t do things moderately,” you say, tilting your head and taking the time to observe her back.

She looks up at you, amused. “Neither do I.”

Clarke turns the hat around in her hands, fiddling with its weight that she’s so suddenly taken by. You see the decision she makes then though. How it begins with this little nod and the determined set to her lips, and how it ends with her hat on your head.

It’s the moment you realize you want to know what it’s like to kiss her.

You’re herded back towards the other side of the field before you have a chance to really think about those thoughts. That doesn't mean you let go of Clarke’s hand even though the opportunity presents itself. You quite like how she twines her arm with yours and the gentleness she has as her thumb passes over your knuckles, soothing. It’s unconscious, like breathing, and so is the small peck you press to her temple as you wait--offhand and it surprising even you. You pull away, pretending to focus your attention back on the emcee.

The problem with that is, you find you only half pay attention. The announcements are background noise compared to the softness of her touch and you have to wonder if she’s aware of what she’s doing to you. It’s a tragedy then, that Clarke lets go of your hand long before you’re prepared for it and you look at her in mild confusion as she slips her fingers from yours. She gives a small shake of her head, brows knit adorably as if to ask what’s wrong, and you find it’s hard to voice the truth.

You watch as she accepts a blindfold from one of the event staff as he makes his way through the remaining couples and there’s no hesitation as she goes about securing it round her face, blocking her eyes. When she lets go it slips down over her eyes and this low laugh escapes you before you have a chance to reel it back in.

She looks at you disappointingly but lets you position her in front of you as you go about untying the knot she made.

“This is--” you give a generous tug and it holds tight “--quite the feat you’ve managed here, Clarke.”

“It’s tougher than it looks,” she says. You can’t see her eyes, but you can see the smile that curls the ends of her lips.

“I’m sure,” you mutter back, struggling for a few more seconds until the knot gives and you’re able to pull the fabric free.

You keep Clarke close as you reapply the blindfold to her eyes, laying it gently across the bridge of her nose and over her eyes. You secure it with a simple knot, careful to avoid getting the strands of her hair caught in the tangle.

“Everything feel okay?” you ask, running your fingers through her hair a few times to tame the mess you made. She doesn’t bring attention to it and you drop your hands from her hair before they betray you and they drift down to her lower back.

“Fine,” she says, and her head turns towards your voice. “It feels fine.”

You smile and it’s something you’re glad she can’t see. “How many fingers am I holding up?” Your hand near her back stays where it is, too content with the contact as your are. The other however, doesn’t move from your side. It’s a simple thing to forget to mention.

She hums, even though you’re sure she’s rolling her eyes at you from behind the blindfold. “Four.”

“Good guess.” You watch her lips curl into a grin, only vaguely aware of her left hand as it finds the fabric of your loose shirt and holds on. But you are all too aware of the feelings it ignites in you. “But no.”

Clarke huffs, though she looks unbothered by the development, stepping in closer so that she’s just shy of touching you. She smells like too much sun and the warmth it settles in you simmers just below your skin. If Anya could see you now, you’d never hear the end of it.

“Do you trust me?”

Clarke shrugs, leaning forward so that her nose bumps your shoulder. “Sure,” she says, the word muffled by your shirt. “I trust you.”

The noise over the microphone drowns out the words you don’t get to say, and Clarke picks her head up from where it was tucked against you. Her eyebrows furrow, concentrated, and you figure you should do the same.

There’s seven items down by the stage about a hundred feet away and while you and the remaining fourteen couples had rested and prepared, the event staff had taken the time to litter the open space with a new set of obstacles. Still mostly random football equipment (and a couple blow up halloween decorations) it doesn’t change the fact that you’ll have to guide Clarke through it by word alone.

You lead Clarke to the starting line, keeping hold of her hand until the emcee announces the countdown to start. When you let go, she looks a little lost without a tether to you, but there’s no time for reassurances as the air-horn sounds and the chaos erupts once again.

“Clarke--”

She locks on to your voice immediately, sight trained in your general direction. Among the slew of other voices, you wonder how she managed it, but she wastes no time in moving towards you. Her determination is to be admired at the very least.

“Clarke, slow down.”

“Not helping,” Clarke says in return, voice strained and arms outstretched, but she heeds your suggestion. “We don’t have forever, Lexa, where am I supposed to go?”

You take quick stock of your surroundings--the other stumbling couples, the tires and football dummies and random beachballs--and come to a quick conclusion. Just because you can’t lead her through it yourself, doesn’t mean you can’t walk it with her.

You stand in front of her, counting your steps until you can’t move forward anymore, a large blue football dummy blocking the way. “Six steps forward,” you call back to her. “No--no,” and she stops, “--no turning, just forward.”

Clarke huffs, but starts back up immediately, careful to keep in a straight line, and you get out of her way. She stops a bit short of the dummy, but for the most part you’d consider it a success. “Now what?”

“One big sidestep to the right,” you reply, and then you start all over again.

There’s a process to it, an almost rhythm that the two of you settle into as you make your way through the makeshift course piece by piece and Clarke listens intently. Without touch it’s a slow careful pace. By the time your feet away the crowd is a constant stream of shouts and you struggle to be heard over the chorus.

The moment she picks up the stuffed animal by the stage, the first sound of the air-horn blaring out across the practice field, and she tugs down the blindfold to see the evidence in her hands, the realization is slow to come. But when it does, it’s all consuming.

Clarke looks to you with wide disbelieving eyes and then back to the toy in her hand and lets out a little scream. Her body buzzes with energy, high off the feeling, and hurls herself at you, arms cinched around your neck and pulling the air from your lungs.

You stumble a few steps back, your right hand reaching up to stop her hat from falling off your head while the other finds its place around her waist. It keeps the two of you upright in the rush that follows. It doesn’t temper her excitement, however. In fact, it heightens it, and she bounces on the balls of her feel while her hug reaches bone breaking levels. You feel as if you’ve run another mile, but you consider the reward worth it.

“Clarke,” you say, and it's breathy from the air you can’t seem to inhale and she pulls away still holding your hand.

She studies you for a moment before shifting her attention to the field as the other couples snag the remaining items to qualify them for the next round. There’s a fire in her eyes and it burns when she turns back to you. “I think we can win this.”

You exhale and it escapes quietly among the noise, but you watch her and it’s her windswept hair, flushed cheeks and bright eyes. Her breathing comes in long steadying inhales, as if she’s collecting all the courage there deep in her gut. You wonder if that’s how it works; through sheer force of will.

“Does that mean you doubted me before?” you say, teasing, and she tugs the bill of the hat down over your eyes. Warmth floods to your chest and a smirk is quick to steal your lips. You clutch her hand tighter, but when you tilt the bill up again, she’s not looking at you anymore.

It's the moment you feel most lost in her.

You have this odd sense of dread when a small part the field is cleared in front of the platform and the staff hands out blindfolds to the remaining contestants. Clarke offers to tie it for you, slightly smug, and you decline the offer only because having her hands in your hair sounds like the beginning of a disaster. You wait until the last possible minute though, when they’re leading Clarke away and suddenly you find you’d rather be staring at the inside of a black cloth than watching her walk away from you.

It’s a bit dramatic to think, yes, but it feels like the truth.

You don’t quite know what’s going on but you let yourself be led, pliant as someone places you in an indeterminable spot on the field. The wait isn’t long though and you’re thankful. It's hardly a minute later when the microphone crackles and the man’s familiar voice picks up over the speakers.

“This is it, ladies and gentlemen. The ultimate test. The couples must find their way back together. Without sight, without sound. Only touch.” the crowd ohhhs and wolf whistles and you roll your eyes behind the blindfold. “You have five minutes. Good luck.”

The first hand you hold is large, calloused, and the touch lasts no longer than five seconds before the both of you let go and move on. The second is smaller, slender, and it makes you pause. Your mouth opens slightly, but you remember yourself, closing it before anything has a chance to make it out. They hold you too tight and it takes them a moment to realize you’re not holding them back.

The third… The tips of their fingers finds your arm--the point of your elbow, fingers cold and hesitant. they trail down the inside of your forearm and it feels like forever, but when she folds her hand into yours, her thumb brushing softly over your knuckles, you accept it gently.

Something in you flutters, right there in your chest. High and light and it’s a bit like losing the ability to breathe. Like having the wind knocked from your chest, but carefully, and how it fills again, softly. So you step in closer and breathe in, pressing your lips softly to her temple.

She squeezes your hand tighter and that’s the end of that.

(somewhere off in the stands you hear a few people cheer and it’s enough to quirk your lips against her skin)

You don’t know how long you stand there, but it's probably barely minutes, and when you get the okay, you hook a finger around the blindfold and tug it down. Clarke’s eyes are the first thing you see. Blue and a hint of sun. She raises your linked hands into the air, a triumphant gesture, and you can’t help but laugh when the crowd seems to agree.

The both of you, along with the two other couples who passed, are herded up onto the stage once things settle. Clarke tugs you, your linked hands hanging between the two of you, as she bounds up the steps with you in tow. The grin hasn’t left her face since the little show-off down on the field and it only grows under the attention. You’re the first up onto the stage and you move down to make room for the others.

The emcee starts with the couple closest to the steps. You recognize them to be the couple you saw at the beginning. The fire is still very much evident, but there’s a softness in the way the man has his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder, her body tucked comfortably into his side, her arm slung low around his hips. He catches you watching, and the knowing smile and quirked brow he shoots back at you makes you feel just a tad self-conscious. But there’s not much to look at besides Clarke, and the time it takes to succumb to that notion you already feel like you’ve proven his point.

So you don’t deny it, idly tucking a wayward strand of hair behind Clarke’s ear. At least not to yourself.

“And who have we here?”

The suddenness of the words surprises you and you turn your attention to the emcee and the microphone he reaches towards Clarke. There’s not an ounce of hesitation on her face.

“Clarke,” she says, and you can tell she’s enjoying this far too much. “This is Lexa.”

“And how long have you two been together?”

Clarke pulls a little away to look at you, amusement stretched wide across her face, carried in the apple of her cheeks and the grin she tries to fight off and the words just kind of fall out your mouth. “It feels like forever.”

The emcee laughs, nudging you with his elbow. “Is that good or bad?”

“Definitely good,” you reply, still focused on Clarke and that almost awed look she’s giving you.

“Do you think you have what it takes to win?”

You acknowledge him finally. “Yes.” There’s no hesitation in you either.

“What do you think?” he boasts, turning to address the audience. “Who should take home the coveted title?”

A mess of noise surrounds you, rising up, and it’s hard to make out heads or tails of anything. But what you can hear are chants of ‘kiss, kiss, kiss,’ echoing from the stands and its metronome is a steady beat amongst the growing chaos.

Satisfied with the reaction, the emcee turns to you and the other couples, grinning. “Well, you heard the crowd. Who’s first?”

The couple at the opposite end doesn’t wait, the small woman taking hold of her boyfriend by the collar of his shirt and dragging him down. He doesn’t seem to mind at all, smiling against it and pushing back when the surprise wears off and the reaction from the stands is immediate.

There’s whistling and hoots from friends in the stands and a middle finger courtesy of the girl wrapped around her boyfriend, but from what you can discern from the energy, it’s all in good fun.

The second couple, a tall, shy young man and his equally tall girlfriend, share a soft kiss that ends far too quickly for the audience's liking, but the girl laughs, hands cupping the back of her boyfriends head and leaning in again to peck his flushed cheeks with a quick, thankful kiss.

It’s when the noise dies down again that you realize there’s no one left but you.

Before you can comprehend it, Clarke takes you by the hips with such bravado you momentarily lose your train of thought, eyebrows wiggling in an attempt at alleviating the sudden tenseness she must feel in you. There’s a lopsided little tilt to her lips, but she waits for you, the crowd silent and watchful, and if you weren’t sure before, you are now.

You probably love her and the craziness of that thought doesn’t scare you as much as it should.

You cup her cheeks in your hands, and you feel more than hear the soft gasp she takes. You’d swear you could feel it under the tips of your fingers as you lean in, all slow and tortuous, noses touching first. Her breath fans across your mouth, uneven and a little bit nervous. Or perhaps that’s you, because you’re sure it’s her who closes the last few centimeters like she can’t take the thought of waiting a second longer and the cheer that erupts from the crowd is lost somewhere in the mess of your mind.

Maybe, you think. Maybe she’s just as breathless as you.

#clexa #clarke griffin #lexa #this was supposed to be stupid/fun and without stress but then it turned into a project #cc au #its basically all done tho so updates will be on sundays

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roshan-jha · 4 years ago

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A Handful of Alluring Stickers at Cheapest Price

Use of a sticker is not just for a refreshment purpose rather it’s more objective or indicative, whatever you may name. For example a custom sticker which writes, careful pedestrians! Crossing ahed! Indicates the passerby to be alert in mind. Or a funny sticker on toilet seat with a print, concentrate if wish to win! Implies a burlesque connotation. Like in so many ways, a sticker proves it’s sedulous protean.

Now, there are so many shops out there, which specifically pay a scrutable attention on custom sticker printing. These shops make all the stickers available in various shapes, from tiny to huge, which also shows a notable fluctuation, a pinch of few pennies to a copious amount, in case of big hoarding. So, let us turn over the pages that stores a diversified compendium on multifarious stickers.

A sticker, solemnly for individual purpose

These are those, which specifically made for individual goals. For example

An inspirational sticker for study room

For those, who are subterfuges, escapist or a competitive examination aspirant, need ardent attention to their study, these are for those. Because, these are those inspirational quotes which inject motivation into vain. For instance, success is not a cup of tea until, you habitualised it! Or so. Thus, an ideal place to keep these are would be study rooms.

Printed car stickers:

This is comparatively new as compared to others. Although a prototype of it (i.e. hand written stickers) existed before. Especially, on the top of those big good carriage trucks which writes cautionary note. (like, Goods Carriage or be careful, truck is passing by, on the head big Lorries). Gradually, the idea of a proper car sticker dripped from those hand written forms.

A hilarious sticker above the toilet seat

It’s most drolling and hilarious out of everything. A sticker just above toilet with a cracking joke, shhh…it’s pooping time! Do concentrate! Is most amazing out of everything. Hence, if you are a crazy bachelor and want to give a different decoration to your 1 BHK flat, then this one is for you.

A bag of colourful name slip stickers for the kid:

Let's say your kid is a little restive and maladroit. As a parent, you should teach her all disciplinary norms and moral values. So do start with a list of school stickers. Buy a set of these and then paste these on the book cover that are wrapped with brown paper.

Personalised Bike stickers:

You may need a sticker for you new Pulsar 125 Cc bike. Because, you already have noticed some unwanted attentions from your friends. So, to stop these while not saying any word directly to them, you can try this idea with a quote like, ''Dekh bhai...taang mat kar''! And paste it above the headlight of the bike.

Cautionary stickers for public places:

You can see these abundantly everywhere especially, on road sides, street light overheads, on the verge of a swerve turn. The caution messages are like, ''drive slow, swerve with 100 mts'' near the road turn or ''save public property'' near public park, garden or don’t spit or stick no bill on the wall of a public property etc.

Stickers for commercial and promotional purposes:

Stickers are most impressive of means of cheapest yet brilliant promotional hack. Let’s say you want to draw more customers to your grocery super mart for the next festival. So, you can print a set big hoarding stickers highlighting on bigger discounts and buy-one, get-one free products. Say, wow! What an offer for this festive season! Buy one cloth get 4 free! In this way promotional stickers are of myriad types.

Stickers for Official podiums:

These are very typical and frequently in front of the washrooms. Namely, Ladies and Gents etc. These are equally important for public toilets as well.

Average pricing

Pricewise a sticker or a set of these are cheapest. One of each generally start from Rs. 3 or 4/-. In fact, I don’t find any other thing as cheap as it. Thus, it’s really an omnipotent thing. While it has best service one hand, it is of almost no cost on another side. What else, a middle class can imagine than this?

So, I believe you already have got bounteous ideas regarding plethoric uses of stickers. So, order few customized stickers and stay refreshed.

#Custom sticker printing #School stickers #Custom sticker printing Car sticker

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very-grownup · 7 years ago

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I finishing writing this scene and also answer the question ‘how long before I start slamming italics on everything?’

"When did you get a car? How did you get a car?"

"Cute," Apollo said, touching a bird on the passenger door before getting in, swinging his bag to sit in his lap.

#word vomit #whenever i look back at my writing and see italics start to hit all i can think about is emily of new moon

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youmightaswell · 5 years ago

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LIVE

Vacationing at the TWA Hotel - AKA The Queens Riviera

After crossing Montauk off as my summer vacay spot due to bouts of both Lyme Disease from a tick, and more recently this summer, meningitis from West Nile Virus I caught from a mosquito bite at Gurneys, I decided to have a quick getaway in a less nature-y spot.

Enter: The Queens Riviera aka The TWA Hotel

There’s nothing I like more than black, white and red mid-century decor, the price was right and it is just a short cab ride from the Upper East Side. Sounded like the perfect recipe for a staycation.

A friend and I booked a room with two queens beds overlooking the runway. I figured if all else failed I could simply lay in my bed and stare at planes taking off all night like a true mental patient.

And while that was certainly fun, there is so much to like at the TWA Hotel that we almost didn’t have enough time to do it all.

Overall the stay was great and the hotel is super trippy and definitely an IG poster’s dream. However, there were some noticeable oddities and things that need to be fixed.

So here is a run down of the things the TWA got right and some it got very wrong.

RIGHT

- I arrived super early -- at 10:30am -- even though check-in isn’t until 4pm, but they had my room ready and sent me right up. I really appreciate when a hotel allows you to go to your room very early. The place is like a ghost-town in the hotel area so I assumed most rooms were empty. It was easy to get restaurant and bar reservations as well.

WRONG

- There are no bell boys or any help whatsoever with luggage. And normally that wouldn’t be such a hardship, especially because most people checking in aren’t staying more than a night or two, but the check-in area is super far from the room elevators and up stairs. There are two different wings - ones facing the runway and one not -- but both are very far while lugging bags. Not only that but after lugging a heavy suitcase up multiple stairs there is an extremely long way to the elevators up a red carpet that does not make it easy to pull a roller bag, especially when also carrying a duffle. I saw older people, and families staying after a long European trip, struggle for quite a while with no help offered. Our room was $350 which is about right for a luxury hotel and while the decor is indeed luxurious, the lack of service is decidedly not.

WRONG

- Service overall is a bit iffy. When I first made my online reservation I followed it up with a call directly to the hotel to see if guests were allowed to use the pool prior to 4pm check-in. The guy who answered the phone was barely paying attention and was giggling with someone else in the background. Finally he said he didn’t know and I could check when I got there. I tried to explain I wouldn’t arrive so early if I would be prohibited from waiting at the pool area. He was totally unhelpful and not knowledgeable. A few days before my arrival a friend posted on Instagram that the pool was closed and drained. So I emailed this time and got a great, quick response from a manager there. Pro tip: Do not call with questions, email. Upon checkout clerks were overwhelmed and didn’t seem to know how to use the system very well. My friend and I wanted to settle changes from our stay. We didn’t want to split them, but rather wanted to charge $103 on mine and $183 on hers. The clerk said it was not possible and we were there a good while until finally another clerk walked over to see what the trouble was and trained her.

RIGHT

- The hallways are adorable and everything is immaculate.You feel like you are on the set of a movie or back in time.

The room was small but clean and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Jet Blue check-in area and runway were amazing.

WRONG

- The room comes with no closets or drawers. Even though we were staying just one night it was really annoying to have no place to put clothes, especially because the room is so small there is no place to keep two open suitcases without tripping over them and each other. I even called to see if we had somehow mistakenly been put in a day room (the hotel offers 10-6pm stays for those hoping to catch a plane and how just need to freshen up) and was told that there simply are no closets or drawers. Bizarre! I spoke to a Dutch family at the pool who said that the family of three had multiple bags and had been staying for two nights and the lack of closets was painful.

WRONG

- My goal in checking in so early on a Thursday was to spend as much time at the pool as possible. I got there at 10:30am and every one of the paltry 10 lounge chairs were taken. This was super frustrating because the chairs never became free, and TWA sells day passes for the pool for $25. So while the hotel itself is not crowded, there is a constant stream of people who head to the pool area and it is tiny. There is no place to sit even if you pay the $25 and people were forced to put down towels on the concrete or simply stand.

RIGHT

- Still, the pool was warm and fun. (Especially if you are gangsta like I am and bring your own float.) In fact, because there were no chairs I befriended a family and asked if I could use their young daughter’s chair while she swam. The girl initially had a fit even though her mother said sure because her daughter stayed in the water all day. But I took out the float, blew it up and offered it to her in trade for her chair. She was thrilled. It was sort of like using cigarettes in prison to get an extra honey bun. I’m street smart like that.

Pro-tip: Always BYOF - Bring your own float.)

The next morning I got to the pool at 9:15 and staked out two chairs. They were all filled by 10:45 again.

RIGHT

- The pool menu is small but really good. I appreciated it offered mostly healthy food and that prices were not astronomically high. In fact, I’d say the hotel got pricing right overall.

Food in the pool bar as well as in the Jean Georges restaurant, Paris Cafe, was synonymous with that of Manhattan eateries. Drinks ran about $16-$19 which are not cheap, but certainly within the range of how much one pays at a nicer bar or lounge. The quality of food and drink is top-notch as well. We ate salmon at Paris Cafe that I am still dreaming about. Both my friend and I mentioned it was the best salmon we had every had, The sauce that accompanied it was amazing and both sushi items were noteworthy as well.

RIGHT

- The Connie - a bar in a 1960s TWA jet was super fun. We dressed to impress but any dress code is acceptable all over the hotel.

WRONG

- Security is a bit off as well. Upon entering the pool area you are told to put all your stuff in a clear tote bag provided so they can see all your stuff. Yet, a friend came to visit us for the day, made it to us with his full backpack and was not even asked what room he was staying in or if he had a guest pass. Because you are sitting literally a few feet form the airport runway it seems security practices should be a bit more stringent. There was also a man with a big video camera who stood by the pool areas the whole time we were there filming places taking off and landing and videoing the check-in areas. While I”m sure he was there officially it did seem strange.

RIGHT

- The place is huge with so many fun areas to explore. With 512 rooms, there is ample seating indoors for triple all those guests even if at maximum capacity. There are great little rooms to snap pictures in and tons of areas to catch some quiet and relaxation.

WRONG

- That being said, the usage of space is bizarre and very off. The aforementioned pool area is tiny and yet it is one of the true highlights of the stay. And the roof the pool is on is shared with an eatery that takes up triple the amount of space the pool does. So while people were trying desperately to find somewhere to lounge by the pool there were tons and tons of empty tables that no one could use unless they had lunch reservations. The space would have made way more sense with at least triple the amount of pool lounge chairs and a greater pool deck area and way less bar/eatery space. One older guy entered in his swimsuit and was frustrated there were no lounge chairs at all and started yelling, “I paid $25 to stand for hours at a pool?”

Other areas of the property seem disproportionate as well. There is a 10,000- square-foot gym. It is literally insane. There is a full spin class room, about 25 medicine balls, and enough weights to keep 100 bodybuilders happy for days. It’s bigger than any City gym and is completely empty. We checked it out multiple times and there was at most two people in there. It’s a huge waste of space, didn’t offer any group classes in yoga or Pilates and is just way too much gym for a travelers hotel. There was a lone person staffing it.

RIGHT

- The gym does offer brand new ON Cloud Swiss sneakers to use complimentary while working out. Great idea seeing that travelers may not have packed gym footwear.

RIGHT

- The branding of the place is on point. Everything is immaculate (the hotel just opened two months ago so that is to be expected) and looks perfectly retro.

There is a fashion exhibit chronicling TWA flight fashions.

Classic cars line the entrance.

There is an aviation museum. A reading room.

RIGHT

- It was fun to see a bunch of people dressed in ‘60s garb. This is definitely the place to get your craziest vintage fashion some wear.

RIGHT

- By the gym is a gift shop and it offers amazing wares, all TWA branded. The prices are amazingly good, especially for a hotel shop. Huge beach towels are just $12, sweatshirts are about $40, even leather sneakers are just $65! There are lots of little gifts under $5 like airplane wings, pens, stickers, etc. What’s a bit odd is that they empty it out nightly and have to reset it up every morning. Again, a lone staffer manned it and no one working at the hotel seemed particularly engaged.

WRONG

- The bizarre use of space is further highlighted by these big empty areas or excessive seating areas and yet there is no children’s play area. Kids were running around at the pool and inside and overwhelmed parents seems to be at a loss of what to do with them. There is certainly more than enough space that is underutilized to offer a great playroom.

WRONG

- There is also no spa. Less gym space, more services please! Weary travelers would eat up a sauna, Jacuzzi, steam room and would love to book massages. The facility should also offer manicures, pedicures, waxing, etc. I was achy and tired after our long day and really wanted a massage or at least a foot rub. TWA, you let me down!

WRONG

There is no store onsite for basics. There is a tiny, unstaffed shelf that offers chocolate and tampons with a sign direction patrons to pay by check-in. Bizarre! My friend was getting a cough and had to walk into the Jet Blue terminal and go to a Hudson News to buy cough drops, nasal spray and other personal care items. It would be nice to have a shop in the actual hotel to sell a wide variety of magazines, pharmaceutical items, and things needed for air travel.

RIGHT

- Who would think watching planes take off all day and night would be so meditative and therapeutic? My friend and I are not aviation buffs but we quickly became mesmerized. We marveled at the intricate designs on different planes’ tails and were intrigued by seeing airlines we had never heard of.

WRONG

The vibe is just bizarre. Almost Lynchian. The congregation of such a weird mix of people can be jarring. At the restaurant for dinner there were people in gowns seated next to tourists in shorts and flip flops. In The Connie -- a bar made from a real 1960s TWA jet, there were fashionistas alongside toddlers and 10-year olds. The hotel seems to suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder. What is it? Is it a luxury destination? Is it a hipster’s paradise? Is it a crash pad for weary travelers? The whole feel is very confusing and surreal.

WRONG

- I had ordered a car service to get there and the driver had no trouble finding it. He mentioned he had seen signs and always wondered what exactly it was. However, upon departure the same car service was late by nearly 15 minutes. I kept calling and they kept asking what I was wearing -- that the driver didn’t spot me. I kept trying to explain that even it is Terminal 5 in JFK I was not actually in the airport area. I was at the TWA Hotel. Obviously this is not the hotel’s fault but it would make a lot of sense to have a Taxi station by the parking lot for hotel guests. There is no way to hail a yellow cab from the hotel. If my car had not finally figured it out I would have had to get an overpriced Uber or tried to drag my luggage on the Air Train.

***

Overall we had a great time and hope the hotel works out some of its kinks. I just wonder if it could ever actually make enough money to actually profit. The renovations are so extensive I can’t imagine the revenue the spot brings in will ever even touch that. I made a bet with a friend that it would be sold, changed or out of business within two years. Only time will tell, but I do plan on doing another over-nighter next summer.

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howtotrainyourteacher · 8 years ago

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About to become an NQT? Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare for your new class!

After getting an ask about what to prepare for starting as an NQT, I thought I’d make a detailed starter pack/list of all the things you will need to successfully start the year in an organised way!

(Disclaimer: I have undoubtedly missed off a few things, but this is everything I used to start the year off with and I’ve been okay so far!)

Transition days - If your school is organising a transition day/afternoon then I strongly recommend attending. This will give you a great first introdcution to your class as well as a feel for your classroom and the school routine in general. Make sure you have some exciting transition activities too (here’s a link to what I did with my new class). If possible, ask to come in for additional days before the summer holidays to get to know the children, staff and general day to day routines of your new work place, it’ll help hugely for September. (I went in and sat at the back of the class making resources all day and supporting group work, it was so useful).

Class list and handover day - Get a class list as soon as you can so you can get learning names of all your children. They’ll be with you for at least a year so it’s essential to learn them all by the end of the first day, if not the second day of term. Try to get copies of recent assessments or assessment results too so you can determine the spread of abilities in your class too. Some school have an official ‘handover’ day or afternoon where the current class teacher cn discuss with you everything you need to know about the children you’ll be teaching and ‘hands over’ all their classes results, groupings, files and other information about the children.

Classroom preparation - If you can come in over the summer, or early September, then do so to prepare your classroom. You’ll need to back displays, get working walls up and running, sort out pencil pots/staitionary, organise provision areas (reception/KS1), make classroom labels, create peg and draw labels for children, noticeboards will need filling, resources will need laminating - as well as plenty more bits to prepare!

Classroom organisation - This relates more to how you want your classroom to work, how to set your tables out (rows or grouped, horseshoe or islands etc), to have or not to have a carpet area, areas of continuous provision, where to keep books, where your desk will go, places for children’s things (drawers, trays, fruit/water area etc..). Play around with the structure/furniture of the classroom as much as you are able to, you need to be teaching in a space that works for you :)

Teaching file - Buy yourself a nice, shiny teaching file (with plenty of dividers) ready for the start of the year. Start filling it with any class information, school information, assessment results and policies before the school year starts.

Assessment file - Have a seperate assessment file for all your class’s results. Divide it by pupil so that you have a section for each child’s results/examples of work. If you have any previous assessment results for your class, add these too as a year starting point.

Year long plans and curriculum - Check if your school has a curriculum/year/two year rolling long plan for you to follow. If they do, then use this to base your planning and topics off of. If not, then print off the relevent pages of the National Curriculum and highlight roughly which bits you plan on teaching in Autumn, Spring and Summer terms, to ensure you cover everything over the year.

Schemes and resources - Find out if your school plans from/uses any schemes (My school use Hamilton Trust and Mathletics a lot). This will save you a lot of time if you have these schemes ready to hand!

Medium term plans - Create your medium term plans from all the resources you have gathered so far. Or if you work in a school with 2 or more form entry, ask your collegues in the same year group whether you can split the planning and plan half the topics between you to save on paperwork!

School and exam policies - Not fun to read, but familirize yourself with school policies (and SATs ones if you teach years 2 or 6) to get a feel for the sort of school you are in. Definitely read the teaching and learning, curriculum, marking and feedback and behaviour policy as soon as you can as these will impact on daily teaching from the word go.

Behaviour management systems - Most schools these days have a policy that runs throughout school. Make sure you know it inside-out and it is clearly displayed in the classroom.

School familiarisation - I work in a tiny school, but even so, I am always finding new spaces, new places where resources are kept and more interesting things in the back of my predecessors cupboard! Make sure you know where things are kept in school and get familiar with the outdoor spaces, everyone’s classroooms, the hall and basically the entire building as soon as you can.

Tidying and new equipment - There will always be things in your new classroom to tidy, my predecessor left me a whole cupboard full of files which I am still sorting out! Whilst cleaners will clean, you will need to tidy the classroom and sort out any larger items that need throwing out or replacing. Before you start the year is a good time to get requests in for new equipment too.

Fun things! - Always plan for some fun things to do in your first few days of term. Whether it’s buying a class mascot soft toy for the children to bond with or getting heaps of stickers in to reward children with, make preparing for your new class fun :D

DON’T PANIC if you can’t do/get hold of everything on this list straight away! Most things can wait until summer term has finished and you may well have to wait until September inset days to be fully prepared.

If you have survived collecting all of this information (there was more to write about than I originally thought), here’s a list of all the useful blog posts I’ve previously written that will get your NQT year off to a flying start:

Essential stationary for any teacher

What’s in my teaching bag/s

Tips for making marking quicker

NQT advice and tips

5 Things I learnt as an NQT

How I plan now I’m an RQT

Reflecting after a day’s teaching

Strategies to help deal with parents

Also here’s a link to a post about classroom procedures whichyou may want to discuss with your new class on their first day. (it’s very long and ery American but has lots of good ideas you might like to borrow for your own classroom procedures).

Best of luck to all trainees who are very nearly NQTs, not long until you’re all qualified and finished with training!

#nqt #primary teaching #pgce #NQT year #pgce advice #hints and tips

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