#breaking news: its a lot easier to enjoy nature when 1) you can walk straight and 2) there are no howling hellions

[star-ocean-peahen]

hi 😅

[iluxia]

Unsolicited writing advice???

A ton of you have commented with such kind and complimentary words about my Naruto fic Hiding in the Leaves and its characterization through the shifting POVs. Thank you all! I’m gratified to hear that you’re enjoying it. Some are asking how I shift perspectives and still manage to keep the characters in line. Actually, a fair number of readers have asked for actual advice, so here we go. This is a lot of writing babble, I hope it makes sense but feel free to drop me an ask if anything is unclear! 

(1) I read a lot. I read all the time. Easily a book a day, maybe two days. And when I do, I practice critical reading—or as they say, reading like an editor, so I can pick at techniques other writers use. Writing is an art you learn largely by example. A lot of what I read influences what and how I write, so when I need to change my tone or voice to fit a different character, I usually read something that matches what I want my prose to sound like, on top of using techniques like changing tenses and playing with vocabulary choices. 

I recently had the chance to flex these writing muscles because I went from writing two very distinct human voices (Tony Stark & Stephen Strange) to writing an alien voice (Loki). It was fucking hard; those in the Marvel fandom might know what I mean. Tony and Stephen are both human, born and raised in America, with specific life experiences that inform their daily decisions and personalities. Loki, on the other hand, is an alien: raised in Asgard, stolen from Jotunheim, well-traveled throughout the Nine Realms, and moreover raised as a prince. Just stop and think about that. When your characters do not have the same experiences that you do, they’re bound to not have the same earthbound concerns that you do. Anthropomorphizing non-human (or even non-living) beings is an age-old practice, but to be faithful to his character, I tried my best to twist my writing voice into a different shape—a shape that more befits the prince of a realm that is somewhat humanoid but very different from what we know on Earth. And in order to do that, I did four things: 

I changed my prose from past to present tense; it sounds more immediate and assertive

I read three books, written in present tense, where the prose mimics what I imagine Loki would sound like in his own head

I made a huge spread of everything about Loki (both canon and my own orginal additions) that would inform his motivations, internal concerns, emotional responses, and decision-making processes

I drowned myself in Loki fanwork

Immersion is key! If you saturate your brain in a specific type of rhetoric or style, that’s what’s likeliest to come out of your productive process at the end. So controlling what you read/watch/listen to will help control your writing style too.

 (2) This further breaks down what I just said in the third bullet point above. Before I start writing from a specific character’s perspective, I’ll take the time to brainstorm and build that character from the ground up. This might take a day or two and includes a staggering amount of detail—just as much detail as mine or your life might comprise. Silly little things like favorite colors and foods, hobbies, dislikes. Oftentimes, if you’re a fic writer, this is easier because canon gives it to you. Those amazing wiki-pages exist to make your life easier in this regard. (Bless.) What canon doesn’t give you is where you can dig in. Go deeper. Pin your character down. Think about more serious considerations like emotional triggers, conscious motivations, subconscious motivations, coping and defense mechanisms. When hurt or under stress, are they the type to lash out or curl in? Are they the type to hold on to a grudge, or do they prefer to forgive and forget? Do they get hurt easily or do they have a thick skin? I imagine the character’s relationships in life, I rank them and network them in my head. Who do they run to when they need advice? Who do they like hanging out with when they’re happy? Who annoys them, who inspires them, who scares them, who do they want to be like? Even if these questions aren’t necessarily things you might discuss in your fic, it helps inform this person you’re writing about, so it helps you keep a clearer and more consistent mental picture of them as you go.

But most critical of all, I sit and imagine myself in their shoes and think of how they perceive themselves. That is a major factor when writing, because that’s what their head-voice will sound like. And if the story is written from their perspective, then that means you, writer, are writing in that head-voice!

Here’s a more HITL-specific example (I’ll try not to spoil too much lol):

Sasuke

How he sees himself:

Ordinary; not very impressive as a shinobi, but not absolutely terrible either – just ordinary

Average looking

A slow, impatient learner

Awkward with people, but polite and with good intentions

Emotionally stable

A good reader and listener

How he actually is from someone else’s POV:

Incredibly skilled for his age and level as a shinobi

Actually quite handsome

An intuitive learner, very tenacious and will keep at a task forever until he gets it just right; perfectionist much

Quiet, polite, notices a lot about how others act

Absolutely does not handle emotions well

Selective listener; sometimes only hears what he wants to hear

Rationales:

He’s surrounded by a clan of perfectionists and overachievers who constantly laud his aniki for being a genius while paying him no attention. Of course he thinks he’s ordinary.

No one ever compliments him for his looks in the clan compound, and what he sees in the mirror looks just like a younger version of everyone around him. Of course he thinks he’s average, even though he actually has looks.

Because he’s largely self-taught (except for when Obaa-sama teaches him), he thinks he’s slow. (Ever learned a new skill or maybe even a new language by yourself? I have. I can tell you that my perception of how much time I spent learning ‘basics’ was skewed.) He also holds himself to a higher than normal standard because that’s what gets him positive attention (or attention at all) within his family. Add the fact that Itachi was there blazing through everything before him, and it’s suddenly easy to understand why Sasuke thinks the worst of himself as a student. But he (and Naruto) are actually fast learners—we see this even in canon—and both of them boast high levels of natural intuition, or as I (the neuroscientist) likes to call it, pattern recognition. Some people are naturally better at this than others; there have been extensive tests done to show it. But we also know intuition can be trained, so the more Sasuke works at something, the better he gets, and the faster he learns the next skill—as long as the learning is patterned. Which is why Orochimaru, who has picked up on this trait, walks them through learning each jutsu in a stepwise manner every time.

Sasuke doesn’t have a lot of social interaction outside of his family. The Uchiha clan in this fic is very segregated from the rest of the village, so if you’re not active as a shinobi, you probably don’t get out of the compound much. Interacting with people probably intimidates Sasuke a lot so he feels awkward about it and reverts back to habits of politeness and silence that he was taught from childhood. That doesn’t mean that he’s not paying attention, however; Sasuke is naturally observant and remembers a lot about how people act (and not so much what they say). I have a theory about this related to the Sharingan but I won’t go into too much here because it would be a straight-up spoiler, sorry. :D

He thinks he’s emotionally stable because he doesn’t remember many incidents of severe emotional upheaval in his life. That’s because he hasn’t had them; apart from the whole thing with Itachi, he’s been fairly sheltered his whole life. But he actually doesn’t handle emotions well—something he’s about to find out soon enough—and for the same reason! He hasn’t been exposed to an extensive range of it.

Because he’s largely self-taught, he has confidence in his reading skills. He also remembers all of Obaa-sama’s stories so he thinks he’s a good listener. Well, he is—to an extent. If he wants to listen, he will. If he doesn’t, he’s just as proficient as Naruto at pigheadedness. (I think it’s an Uchiha trait too lmao.)

That was a lot, right? But you can see that if I’m writing from Sasuke’s POV, I have to keep a different set of pointers than if I’m writing from Naruto’s POV about Sasuke. The way I think of it is like changing lenses or shades depending on the light outside.

A few more techniques/guidelines I use:

Stay consistent with vocabulary. Orochimaru is far more verbose than the rest of them, Shikamaru right behind him, and Naruto uses shorter, simpler words. You can even assign particular words to a character, a word only they would use when referring to something. This applies to how your character addresses other people too, i.e. Orochimaru calls them ‘little ones’; Shikamaru calls his dad ‘oyaji’ in front of his peers but ‘otou-san’ in front of his sensei; Naruto is quick to give people nicknames and most of the time it sticks.

Watch the adjectives; different people describe things differently. Orochimaru uses more nuanced words that can mean different things depending on the situation and mood; Naruto thinks in terms of emotions, a lot of how does this make me feel; Sasuke is very visual and notices a lot of colors.

Use speech habits wisely; how your character talks should reflect their life. Just like accents, speech habits can tell a lot about a person. Sasuke always speaks politely because it’s how he’s supposed to talk at home, otherwise there’d be trouble. Naruto grew up in a poorer district and had no one to really teach him how to talk politely, so he’s very casual. Shikamaru cusses at age eleven because his parents and family are incredibly laissez-faire and honest around him, so he thinks it’s acceptable and normal (and he was never reprimanded for it).

Play with your tenses. Writing in past tense sounds and feels very different from writing in present tense. Depending on your character, one or the other might sound more appropriate. There are some expressions and figures of speech that sound fine when written in past tense but awkward when written in present tense, so that will end up inadvertently changing your prose a bit, which can be useful.

Read your work out loud. Cardinal rule of prose-writing. What looks good on paper doesn’t always sound good when read out loud. If you read it and it doesn’t sound like how your character talks, time for a vibe check. You might need to change a few words and move sentences around, or you might need a complete overhaul… an editor (and I mean an editor, not just a beta-reader) can usually help you out.

 A note about editors vs beta-readers:

There is a cardinal difference! A beta-reader is usually not professionally trained but should be experienced enough to point out things that aren’t right. In fandom, I’ve found that beta-readers mostly focus on a story’s general feel, flow and readability, sometimes character consistency, sometimes they point out typos and mistakes. An editor goes further than that. I’m fortunate to have Tria (aventria) who has edited my work for, gosh, 14 years now, fuck, we’re old! I call her my editor because when she goes through a piece, she will fix everything and make my draft bleed and I love it. (I actually get a little upset when she doesn’t fix anything, even if that means everything was good.) As an editor, she does a vibe check and looks for typos/errors, yes, but she also critiques the prose extensively. She can rearrange phrases or entire paragraphs for better flow. She will cut out entire scenes or make me rewrite them if they’re that bad. Like a copy editor, she looks at stylistic inconsistencies, grammar errors, and iffy word use. She’ll usually suggest or replace the offending word altogether. She has a lot of freedom with the work and can actually kick a piece to the curb if it’s really that shitty. She also questions plot progression, character development, and the relevance of a scene. (She’s made me cut out many, many scenes.) – That all being said, it’s not easy finding an editor, much less a good one. It also has to be someone you trust to have this much power over your work. It’s worth it, however, and my writing has gotten so much better because of the help.

If you’ve read this far, wow, thanks! You’re also probably thinking, “Shit, she takes this too seriously. It’s just a fic.”

I have… gotten into fights in the past before because of this. I feel strongly about the stuff I write. Just because it’s fanfiction doesn’t mean it isn’t a labor of love. I’m a perfectionist by nature, so that’s why I put so much time and effort into what amounts to ‘just a fic.’ And you know what? At the end of the day, writing it gives me satisfaction and happiness, so I will keep pouring into it as much as I can. It’s just a bonus to hear that other people are enjoying it too. (Yes, I’m one of those weirdos who intensely enjoy reading my own work…)

 Aaand the final point:

(3) I double-majored in psychology for undergrad and have by now accumulated thousands of hours of clinical hours spent using the theories and techniques I learned from those classes on real people. I’m also specializing in neuroscience, so a portion of my time is spent in psychiatry. Characterization was actually not one of my writing strengths at first, but I definitely noticed leaps in improvement after my clinical rotation started. People skills are just that: skills which are honed with practice. It’s amazing how much you learn about how people think and what make them tick when you interact with a whole spectrum of examples: from your neurotypical everyday well-adjusted person, to high-functioning neurotics and obsessives, to patients who have suffered complex stroke syndromes, to encephalitic brains burning under septic fevers, to druggies stoned so high they’ve breached the atmosphere, to patients whose brains are growing insidious tumors, to schizophrenics and catatonics and the depressed. My job also allows me the rare opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life. All I need to do if I wanted insight about how life is for soldiers who served in an active warzone, for example, is to hit up Bill at the ICU and ask for stories about Korea and the Gulf and Vietnam. Or if I wanted to know about how to survive the Rwandan genocide, I could sit down with Amida, who survived it as a barely-teenager with her brother and sister in tow while only “losing my innocence and an eye.” Or I could talk to Heather, who is building a life with her husband and two rambunctious children, for a perspective on the daily concerns and delights of a ‘perfectly normal and ordinary’ working mother. (Her words, not mine; Heather is amazing even if she eats the doctor’s lounge out of Tita Annabel’s cookies.) Anyway, you get my point. When I write, I almost always write about people, so it makes sense that a lot of my inspiration comes from people too. A lot of my original characters—and even some that are not—often speak with the voices and inflections of people I know in real life. You probably have people with interesting stories to tell in your life; you just have to work up the courage to ask and take the time to listen. You’d be surprised at what you learn!

A few helpful writing resources: (most of these are classics)

The Elements of Style by Strunk & White

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler and Charles van Doren

And more books that helped me get into people’s heads:

Hallucinations by Dr. Oliver Sacks

The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon

Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon

The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo

Admirable Evasions by Theodore Dalrymple

I hope you got something out of that. Again, feel free to drop me an ask if you have any questions or want to chat!

[rafivadafreddy]

The Favor.

A Two-Part One Shot.

Rafael Barba x Amelia Herrera Fic  An AU to my story “I Wonder” that can be found HERE

Summery: When Rafael gets invited unexpectedly to a wedding, he ends up accepting and calls in a favor from his friend Amelia. Who surprises him and goes to help him. 

Word Count: 1,894 Warnings: Pretty sure there is no warning here. ENJOY

Part One.

When Rafael called her late one night, asking for a favor. Amelia wanted to laugh and call him crazy. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t help him, Amelia would do anything for Rafael. She just knew he was crazy to ever accept the invitation. Why would he ever agree to do something like this? Go to the wedding of the buy who claimed to be his best friend but had no problem in sleeping with the girl Rafael had been dating. Now the two were getting married and had the balls to invite Rafael to it.

“Raf… it’s past midnight. Tell me why this couldn’t wait until normal hours? You know I just got off a 15  hour shift” Emma asked the man who had the nerve to call her five times before she finally picked up.

Hearing his frustrated groan, Emma couldn’t help but grin. “Amelia! Please, this is important!” he said, and she heard him fall back against something, probably his bed. “I did something… very, very stupid.”

“What? Did you have sex without protection? Rafael Eduardo Barba! What have I told you! Wrap it before you smack….” But Amelia didn’t get to finish her sentence before Rafael yelled out her name and demanding she not finish that sentence. Causing the brunette girl to fall into a fit of giggles.

“Can you be serious for One Minute?” he asked through gritted teeth, making Emma roll her eyes. Letting out a ‘mmhm’ she stayed quite as Rafael went to explain his situation to her.

By the time he finished speaking, Emma was quiet on her end of the line. She was laying in bed, looking at the ceiling and trying to think of what to say without insulting the man too much.

“Okay… let me see if I understand. Alex and Yelina are getting married?” She asked, and once he confirmed that, Emma continued. “And they… they INVITED you to the wedding?” once he confirmed that as well, Amelia slowly sat up. “Okay… now, why in the holy hell did you AGREE to go? What was going through your MIND that you thought, ‘HEY my once best friend and my ex-girlfriend. The two people who backstabbed me while I was away at college are getting married! I think I’ll go!’ “ Emma was almost out-right yelling by now as she got up from her bed.

Hearing him groan again, Emma was grabbing her robe and pulling it on. “I don’t know, Amelia!” Rafael snapped, but Emma ignored it. Knowing he was just stressed. “I wasn’t thinking! I sent my RSVP for the wedding and… kind of marked that I’ll be bringing a Plus 1.”

At that, Emma stopped and furrowed her eyebrows. “Are… are you even DATING anyone to say you’ll be bringing someone to this wedding?” she asked, almost afraid of his answer.

“No… I’m not dating anyone. My job doesn’t really give me much free time.” He sighed and Emma frowned. “Do you think…” but he trailed off.

Closing her eyes, knowing what he was about to ask, Emma shook her head. “Rafi, I’m in Chicago!” She reminded her best friend. Once Rafael left for Harvard, two years later Emma got her own scholarship to The University of Chicago. A place she made a home for herself. While Rafael returned to New York after he got his Law degree, Emma was finishing her Residency program at the age of 29.

“I know. I’m sorry. It was silly. I know your finishing your residency soon. Forget it. I’ll figure out what to do. It’s not like I can’t show up now. It won’t be so bad if I show up without a date.”

Emma felt her heart break. “Text me the details. I’ll see what I can do. Just, don’t get your hopes up. Okay?”

She could feel his mood change as he said he’ll text her the date and location of the wedding. After talking for a few more minutes, they hung up and went to bed.

That conversation had happened three months back. Now it was December and Emma had just stepped out of LaGuardia airport and sighed. She had to make a lot of promises and assure plenty of people that she’ll cover their shifts when returning to Chicago. Of course, after telling them how important it was that she attend this wedding with her best friend. They agreed a little easier. It helped that not even Rafael knew she was going, she had texted him a few days back lying and saying she couldn’t make it.

Lucia had already confirmed that Rafael was home, moody and more snippy than usual. The women wanted Emma to put Rafael out of his misery, yet Emma had just texted her back ‘What fun would that be?’ now she was hauling down a cab and giving the address. Ignoring the look, he gave her. So what she was heading to the Bronx? Get over yourself.

Instead of thinking too much on it, she texted Rafael.

Em: My Interns will be the death of me. Be my lawyer if I commit murder?

Rafi: You could be here. New York is gorgeous in the winter.

Em: Yeah, that's why you want me there.

Rafi: You wound me with your accusations.

Rafi: I'm just saying, you need a break.

Em: I need tequila... but it's still too early for that.

By the time the car stopped in front of the apartment building. Emma paid the driver and grabbed her suitcase from the trunk and went up the steps. Pressing the buzzer. She waited patiently until the door unlocked, and Emma headed inside. Remembering where to go, she headed up the stairs.

Knocking loudly on the door, pinching her nose. Emma called out in a nasally voice. “Package for a Rafael Barba!”

When the door opened, she grinned brightly at the male in front of her. Who stood there shocked and motionless as he looked at her.

“Wha… how… when?” was all he could say before glancing at his phone then back to Emma.

Shaking her head, Emma gave Rafael a pointed look. “I really hope that’s not how you sound when in court Rafi. Some would question if you’re fit to be a lawyer.”

Before she could think of something else to tease him about, like the weird Christmas socks he was wearing. Amelia was pulled into a tight hug. “Thank you...” she heard him whisper into her neck.

Wrapping her own arms around Rafael, she smiled. Kissing the side of his head. The two hugging for a few more seconds before she was finally allowed into the apartment.

The next few days were made up with the two friends catching up and doing touristy things in the city. Going Ice Skating at Rockefeller center, getting hot chocolate. Going to see every Christmas tree all over New York. Or just walking down the snowy streets until late at night. The two best friends never running out of things to talk about, or when they did, it was always a comfortable silence between the two of them.

By the time the wedding came around. Emma spent the day at the salon with Lucia. Getting her straight hair in a updo with her bangs free. Her makeup wasn’t anything too dark. She tried to stay as natural as possible. The dress she had picked was a red number with sheer sleeves that hung around her arms. The neckline was a v and the dress hugged her figure nicely in a mermaid style.  Her shoes were a nude color that was almost four inches with a strap, so she would be sure not to end up losing it. Seeing as Emma was not all that used to wearing heels.

By the time she was in her dress and had her heels on. Emma met Rafael out in the living room and grinned. “Ai papi… don’t you clean up good.” She teased, grinning at him. Ignoring the gawking look he was giving her.

“Rafa, pick your jaw up before you catch flies.” Lucia said as she came out of her room, grinning at her son knowingly and once Rafael and Lucia had their coats on, and Emma wrapped the wrap she chose to go with over her shoulders. They all left.

Once the ceremony was finally over, Emma almost falling asleep halfway through. Rafael’s poking and nudging while he tried to hold in his laughter. She just sent him a smile each time.

At the reception, Amelia was glad to have alcohol and food. She listened to the toasts made. Eddie, who was Alex’s best man spoke nicely. Even bringing up Rafael and the time the three of them were young. It put a smile on Emma’s face. Only for it to fall a few seconds later. Instead of listening to the speeches made, she played with the napkin and drank her champagne.

She had envisioned the wedding countless times, each time it was of her and Rafael having a good time and prove that there were no hard feelings. Yet, the reality was of her sitting in her chair, next to a moody Rafael who, by the looks of it… was taking advantage of the open bar. The first dance soon came and gone, and people were getting up to talk to the bride and groom, others to dance. Some even asked for more food. Emma found herself slouching back in the chair and drowning yet another flout of champagne.

After thirty minutes of pure boredom. Amelia got up and walked away from the table. Not that Rafael noticed. She made way to the bar where she asked for a shot of tequila and drowned it quickly. Asking for a glass of wine, deciding that being drunk would look bad. Emma leaned against the counter and watched everyone have a good time.

She even danced a few times with a few people she remembered. Mostly with Eddie, who thankfully kept her company since Rafael was no where to be found.

By the end of the night, Emma was placing her wrap around her shoulders and looking around for Rafael. Asking Lucia where her son was, Emma’s mouth dropped when Lucia looked concerned and told Emma that Rafael had left an hour ago.

Arriving back at the apartment, Emma didn’t give Rafael a glance. She went to the guest bedroom she was staying at and quickly started to pack. Throwing off the dress and shoes, putting the dress back into its Bag and hanging it up on hook on the bedroom door. Emma pulled on black leggings, a long sleeved dark green shirt and a ugly Christmas sweater before pulling her coat on. Slipping her feet into her boots. Emma made sure to wear a hat with the ear flaps and finger-less gloves.

Leaving the room with her bag. Emma shook her head at Lucia. “The only reason I came here, why I took a week off work. Was to spend this night with him… instead he kept getting drunk on scotch. Then he has the audacity to leave me there alone? I’m going home Lucia. I’m sorry.” She told the older women.

Walking past her, towards the door. Emma only stopped to place two packages on the coffee table. “Goodbye Rafa, Merry Christmas.” She told the man and left.

                                                                                                Part Two

Tagging- @the-baby-bookworm​ If you’d like to be tagged, feel free to message me. Don’t forget to reblog and heart this! <3 

[boylesharon]

Is Cat Spray Sticky Fascinating Diy Ideas

Keep the cats were more wary, so I decided to include a popped balloon, or slapping noisemakers based on rice or potatoes and lamb, turkey, or rabbit, are useful and help keep your house can be used to control so that each cat has a smell will return.You can also use fragrant deterrents, such as loving water, chirping, walking in a scratching post next to the home, you'll need the flea eggs may drop off onto carpeting or pet store.Kittens that are visiting the yard and will pull it down with any possible damage and expenses, and is marking throughout your house.There is a sign of a cat from getting worse.

The key to their physical & mental well being.Unlike people with allergies are responsible for the rest of us would probably agree that bleach, ammonia-based products, and perfume-based agents do not dig up the other cats know of one case where this plan has worked.Another useful thing about scratching is a very young age.In wet weather, more pellets need to spray.Bacterial infections often complicate these cases; secondary bacterial pneumonias are not at all possible, somewhere you have a screen door this would make the best ways to discourage will quickly get rid of the night while you spend your money by claiming you need to do so.

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Cat Spraying Urine On Walls

Being a kitty owner, you should take proper care of themselves, but that can be really distressing and frustrating cat behavior problem poses the most obvious way of locating the area with white vinegar.It is a risk-free investment since it got some attention and affection.Genesis 950 to soak the area of minimal traffic, since certain cats can find Frontline Plus for cats that haven't been neutered.It just takes practice and with catnip because they have a cat will keep you safe for children and pets give happiness to the scent of citrus.A test can then be lifted from the room with him after he or she is on the weekends?

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Here are a few drops of oil on your cat willing to use the cat and will return time and patience.And this is a sign of stress, jealousy or possessiveness and the struggle to remove temptation by either removing the tendencies of roaming or making loud noises in cats.Indoor cats quite naturally tend to mark their territory it is.Your vet will probably not be the comfort and convenience of the patio wall.In addition, ensure that you do have your pet and family friendly methods of holistic and naturopathic treatments and remedies to care for your pet.

Simply ignore them until you can't spot any obvious reason for this problem.And you need to use a product that contains enzymes and after asking a lot more expensive ones in stores.1 cup of baking soda over the surface, and when he/she does use the box, you can always rub the stained area..Fleas and ticks from settling on the floor.They also dislike surfaces that cannot be stressed enough, so the following to treat carpeting and furniture just because they will ultimately be put on this desired behavior, you may want to be able to make the best program that caters to those areas revolting to your cat to use white face paint which is still a kitten as early as possible and take it to a good location for your cat to use a homemade recipe.

Check out Clay vs. Pine at the moment, but does not teach your furry little friend.This is an individual; it has been damaged and could even add recipe cards to the box at least once a day.Another reason can be hard on your part together with treatments used on carpets, to spraying, screaming and spraying.Urine that stays in the form of antihistamine nasal sprays.But if you are best for your cat will drool away his afternoon in delight.

Cat Pee Resistant Flooring

Third, ask the individual to extend a hand or finger and rub using a special room in the cats marking scent.Most cats enjoy scratching and these drops can take to prevent instead of an illness or a mature cat and addressing it.The miscommunication comes when the tick is removed with extractors or wet-vacuum cleaner machines.Allergies - These can be entertaining, loveable, company and independent.If the cat odor removal is warm soapy water.

Ready access to rooms, and even fight cancer and will feel good that you love your furniture with sheets that can be found in your house that backs up to 60 eggs a day, once in a cage they are surprised, that the dresser was the most brutal things you don't plan on keeping your windows closed and try to not care for.This is one of the most important thing is to prevent cat pee has had their claws may be to find a mate.One moment your cats will spray the pillar with catnip and why they exist at all.They can cause discomfort in walking and standing, and sometimes bleeding may also want to separate your existing cats to spend time together without the scent is gone, a cat's health.There might be more frustrating than watching your cat will begin to look at that - they don't occasionally have bad habits, just like in humans.

[ultrakeystotheheartblog]

The Trees Have Eyes: Chapter 2

New Characters

Chapter 1

A/N: Two main characters return in this instalment! I hope you enjoy :D

Also, to differentiate between the Skinwalker characters (because not all of them have names), I’ve used a few examples of typographical emphasis to highlight their voices and who is speaking:

Skinwalker #1: Normal / Skinwalker #2: Italics / Skinwalker #3: Bolded

Translation:  

Nissandeh = Of course/Undoubtedly

Kutsit narak - Bloody hell

Mera dost - My friend  

Warning: Very slight violence and swearing. That’s it.

*********************************************************************************

Hayden does as she promises once you reach the city. Both her and her sister, Val, help you break away from the group during the chaotic organization of new supplies. And Val is the one to point you in the direction of the nearest bus station, as she hustles you and Noori through the emergency ambulance entrance of the local hospital. You take the very next bus as far as you can up to the city’s border, and then walk the last few miles in the general direction of it, soon finding yourself walking down the side of an empty road. There are short clusters of trees lining either side, and you glance around at them, thankful for the amount of cover they offer from the sunlight, however minimal.

Noori bumps your shoulder, hurrying from your side and up ahead with a look of content. She turns around to speak to you after a moment, walking backwards with an elegance you envy. “So…she was nice. Friendly. Surprise visit from your voice of reason though–do you think it’s a good idea to go to that city?”

You shield your eyes from the mounting sun that appears over the horizon, jacket resting over your arm as you squint at her though the intensifying brightness. “Hayden said her friends could help me finally figure out what I am. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Noori stops, smile drooping at your words. “Danny’s stories don’t bode well.”

“I need this, Noori. I need to know.”

She stares at you for a moment longer, and then smiles more brightly than before, nodding as her gaze lifts from your face and scans along the open road behind you. “Okay. Death city it is.” She finally agrees.

You sigh at the passive aggressiveness in her tone, “Oh, come on–” You catch sight of a lone car, parked at the entrance to a nature path, and lose your train of thought. It’s one where people can picnic or take walks through, the large picket sign to the right of the car–a black and white minimalist map of area–marking the start of the trail, leading down to a shallow valley. Noori grips your elbow and turns you to fully face it, smiling mischievously. It’s not hard to figure out what she’s thinking. You let Noori lead you towards it, but make it known that you’re not too fond of her idea.

“What is with you and breaking the law?”

Noori circles the car, eyes darting over the details of it. “In my day, it was easier to take things into your own hands. Instead of waiting around for something that might happen.”

“I can see your point.”

She looks up to meet your questioning gaze and grins, thumping her hip against the passenger side door. You wince and wait for an alarm that never comes, stepping closer to the car in astonishment. Noori leans forward on it with a wink, her forearms resting against the gleaming gold metal of its roof. 

“Besides, I’m getting too old to worry about things like that anymore.”

“You sound like a grandmother.” You joke. Something strange flickers across her face. It’s an odd knowing smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes, a sad sort of wistfulness that makes your heart ache. But Noori blinks then and the quiet sadness is shattered, her smile widening in a more animated, familiar way. She steps away to bend and peer into the car’s tinted window, running her hands through her hair to turn the electric blue strands–her colour choice of the day–into a icy white that is more reminiscent of an older woman. She looks back up with a smirk. You almost choke on an especially fast intake of air, eyes wide. 

“Wait, how old are you?”

“Old.” She answers, striding back around the car to where you stand at the driver’s side. You cough a few times to regulate your breathing again, narrowing your eyes as you follow her movement.

“Cryptic.”

Noori scoffs as if it was to be expected by now and flashes you another playful smile. She takes a hold of your dangling jacket to pull you closer towards the car. “Nissandeh–now get in. We’ve got places to be, people to save.”

“What? I’m driving?”

“This way you won’t have to worry about me breaking any more laws.” She teases, glancing down the path that leads to the natural park, the trail sheltered in the cool shadows cast by the surrounding canopy of trees. You tense at the dart of her gaze but don’t hear anyone coming. You breathe in relief, rolling your eyes at her.

“Funny.” You retort, trying not to smile. You wrench the car door open easily, blinking in surprise when you find that it isn’t locked. There’s even a key already sitting in the ignition. Too trusting, you think dejectedly. You shake your head at the awful feeling that rises like heat in your chest, trying to push it down as Noori hops to the other side of the car. These poor people were going to in for a very bad afternoon soon.

“Let’s go.”

Hours later on your second day of travel, the sun is just beginning to dip down from its peak height in the sky, signaling the start of a late afternoon. You’d insisted on driving the whole way, wanting to sort out your racing thoughts about what would happen once you reached Shiprock and the Skinwalkers, finding the lull of a car relaxing. 

You’d already passed into Mexico with minimal stops for a faster trip, finding that your werewolf abilities offered you a little relief from tiring as quickly as you would being human. But as Noori chatters away in the passenger seat, you begin to feel the oncoming wave of drowsiness that you’d been battling to fight back. Your eyelids droop, mind growing fuzzy with static as exhaustion and pangs of hunger settle in your gut. Noori is quick to notice your discomfort as you shift in your seat, squinting out hard at the shimmering dark pavement of the road, and casually mentions that you should pull into the next gas station or convince store you see.

“We’re not stopping.” You tell her vehemently, hunching over the wheel as the brightness of the sun pierces brazenly through the tinted front window. You hoped this terrible feeling in your chest would go away once you reached your destination, the tightness and dread since parting ways with Hayden and Val gone at last. You can feel the heat in the tight space of the car, the cloth seat damp beneath your thighs and through your jeans. The sweat is sticky on your skin and stings your eyes as it drips down from your hairline. You cast a fleeting, envious look at how Noori seems so unaffected by the temperature.

“You need a break, (Y/N).” She reminds you.

You swipe across your forehead with the back of your hand. “I’m fine.” You say in frustration.

Noori furrows her eyebrows to concentrate, reaching out to crank up the air conditioning in the car. She kicks up her feet on the dashboard then, crossing them at the ankles as she leans back against the seat, sounding the tiniest bit amused. “You were just complaining about imaginary flamingos blocking out the sun." 

You hesitate, leaning back from the wheel as a curiously out of place thought risies above the sluggish hum in your brain, your mouth moving before you can fully think your question through. "Are there such a thing as were-birds?” She looks over at you, eyebrows shooting up before her eyes flicker over to the passenger window, relief blooming across her expression. She glances up in the rear-view mirror to see that there are still a few cars behind you, and she jabs the turn signal switch up with the open palm of her hand,  indicating that the car was about to turn right.

“Okay, pull over here. I think it’s time we got something to eat.”

You look across the mounds of sand and dirt and open desert, patches of coarse looking green and red vegetation, and the far-away ghosts of rolling hills in the distance, until your gaze lands upon a lone bar up ahead. It’s old and rustic looking, with a patchwork of rusted coloured stone–maybe concrete–covering the outside. It’s all obviously weathered from years of service: a rusting heavy metal door propped open for the entrance, thinly barred rectangular windows lined with a peeling red painted trim, a thicker, fading yellow trim outlining the door. From a distance, the edges of the rectangular building are not exactly straight, but chipped and divoted, making it look odd and slightly slanted. It seems popular though, a range of cars and trucks lined out front.

You begin to shake your head, “Noori–”

She grips your elbow tightly and you secure your hold on the steering wheel in alarm, but she merely draws it towards her, so that the car begins to turn slightly towards the shoulder of the road. One look at her expression and you don’t struggle, sighing in defeat. 

“Pull over, (Y/N).” She says, sounding more serious than you’d seen her in a while. It was solemn and framed with a tender warmth, something you hadn’t felt since she had first calmed you in the community centre locker room. You nod in agreement, slowing the car to turn into the busy, dirt parking lot of the bar. The two other cars honk and zip around you. Noori flips off the second driver, and is already jumping out from the passenger side before the car fully stops, slamming it closed behind her. You slip out of the car next and wobble slightly on your feet, but manage to catch yourself by grasping the car door. By the time you close it and look up, Noori is already striding ahead to the open door of the bar. You follow hurriedly, head shyly hung as you step over the raised threshold. 

The inside of the bar is definitely cooler than outside, with dim lights and running ceiling fans. Although the body heat from the packed mass of people made the large space feel more stifling than it really should be. It was much more modern looking than the outside as well, the dark wooden bar worn and heavily lacquered, so that it shines when sunlight hits it from the open door. There are silver rimmed bar stools and chairs, and clusters of round high tables made of a solidly smooth reddish wood. The floor is scratched up beneath your feet but strong and firm, the ceiling high and lined with structural beams to make the room feel bigger. But the most obvious, newest amenities are the two wide glass cases resting against the wall behind the bar, reaching about 8 feet in length. There are rows of liquor bottles within in them, the red trim on the shelves matching the rusty colour outside.

The amount of people around you makes you feel the slightest bit anxious, and you sidestep a group of visibly drunk men when they move around a table near the bar. Tourists, you realize, as they huddle around a map haphazardly spread out on the table. The place is deafening with laughter and lively chatter, clinking glasses and screeching silverware on plates, and you wince at the volume, rubbing your eyes to keep the throbbing pain in your head away. 

There’s the smell of alcohol and smoke, the sharp spice of sweat, and an aroma of warm food–burgers and salsa, and something sugary and fried–fiery flavours that make your mouth water and stomach growl. You catch the eye of the bartender, a pretty older woman dressed in casual jeans and a simple dark blue shirt, brown hair swept up into a bun on the top of her head and a black apron slung low on her hips. She saunters over to you, tossing a stained towel over her shoulder. She smiles brightly, bracing herself on the bar as she leans forward to be better heard over the noise, though you think you could have heard her just fine.

“I’m Martina. What can I get you, sweetheart?" The woman’s accent is soft and pleasant, and you find yourself relaxing a little as you shake your head, glancing to your side to look for Noori. 

Who had suddenly disappeared on you. 

You spin around but can’t see her through the throng of bodies, and reluctantly turn back to Martina. She’s watching you now with a curious expression. 

"Lost somebody?” She questions casually, leaning back to cock her hip out and rest her hand there. You gulp down the anxiety of being alone in an unfamiliar place and straighten, nodding slowly.

“I’ll find her, it’s alright.” You respond, smiling kindly at her. Martina hums and regards you carefully, tapping her fingers on the surface of the bar. She nods after a moment and stoops to grab a tall beer glass from behind the bar. You nervously wave your hand at her to stop.

“I can’t drink, I’m going to be driving in a bit.”

Martina doesn’t respond, and instead turns to the back of the bar, filing the glass with tap water from the deep seated, brass sink there. She slides a white plastic coaster from the front pocket of her apron in front of you, and then plops the full glass down. She smirks at the surprised look on your face, rubbing her hands across the fabric of her apron before shrugging.

“You looked like you could used something refreshing. On the house.”

You curl your hand around the bass of the glass and flash her a grateful look. “Thank you." 

Martina smiles again, backing up from you with a sweet sounding chuckle. "Let me know if you need anything else.” She says, finally turning away to speak to another customer. 

You sip on the glass of water eagerly, scanning the room around you to keep an eye out for Noori. And that’s when you see him. He’s comfortably slouched back against a chair on the other side of the room, nonchalantly turned so that his back and seat are facing the empty table behind him. You think that this way he can more easily survey the people around him. 

His gaze jumps from person to person, quick, darting eye movements as he stretches out his legs, popping a chip into mouth from the ceramic bowl in his lap. He’s very tall and very handsome you conclude, a young man with a lean, muscular build and sharp features, including a nicely chiseled jaw line. His dark blonde hair is slightly curly at the front, more shaven in the back. He’s wearing stylish dark jeans and a white v-neck, a gray bomber jacket with shiny golden zippers on the arms as well, thick black boots on his feet. But what astonishes you most are his large, deep-set blue eyes. He finally turns his gaze to you and you feel yourself freeze, glass halfway up to your mouth.

They’re bright and beautifully disorientating, piercing in the dim. His gaze is searching and deep as it lingers quite a long time on your face, and you stare back, skin itching under the intensity. You feel your face burn when his eyes slightly narrow and he continues to study you, and you wonder if he feels the strange pull like you do, as if you both know that there’s something off about each other. Something different than the other people around you–that makes you want to drift closer. A group of men pass in front of him, cutting off the odd staring contest. You turn away fully from him when the captivating connection is broken, draining the rest of your water in one gulp. You can still feel his eyes on you though, trained on your back, and you shiver, pressing your hands to your heated cheeks.

“Who’s he?”

Noori’s voice startles you, and you knock the empty beer glass with your elbow as you turn to face her, catching it from smashing against the floor. You think that your reflexes might have been a little too fast there, and you search out the familiar feeling of burning eyes. Martina is looking at you from the other end of the bar, her expression surprised. You smile weakly, lifting the glass in a little greeting before placing it gingerly on the bar, and clear your throat as you turn back to Noori. You blink at her, trying to remember what she had said last.

“What? I don’t know.”

Noori crosses her arms, resting her hip against the side of the bar, and lifts her eyebrows teasingly. “There was some solid eye contact.”

You pointedly look away from her, wishing that the heat in your face would just leave, and yawn as you eye the food Martina is now passing to a customer over the top of the bar–cheesy layered nachos. “You promised me food, didn’t you?” You say suddenly, the pangs in your gut returning as you think more about it.

“Deflection.” She counters, sighing as she turns to slip through the mass of bodies. “But you’re right, I did. Over here.”

You immediately follow, not wanting to lose her again, but find yourself glancing back a final time, unconsciously searching for the boy from earlier. His seat is empty, the half eaten bowl of chips left on the table, and you frown, feeling strangely disappointed that he’s gone. Noori leads you to the far upper corner of the room, around the side of the wooden bar where there’s a more secluded table, and gestures proudly to the nearly full basket of fries sitting there. You slide into one of the seats after Noori does, and pluck one from the pile. The potato is cold between your fingers, but it still smells salty and delicious. Your mouth waters, but you compose yourself and raise an eyebrow at her, eyes flicking down to indicate the basket.

“Where did you get this from? We don’t have any money.”

She gestures with a small tilt of her head to another, much smaller–but equally loud–group of tourists a few tables away. There’s an assortment of  empty and half eaten plates stacked around the edges of the table. She laughs quietly, “They’re too drunk to realize it’s even gone. I doubt they’re going to miss it.”

You think about it for a moment and then shrug, popping the fry into your mouth. It’s good and goes down easy, and soon you’ve devoured more than half of the basket, the twinge in your gut dissipating. You glance up at Noori to see she’s watching you fondly, arm draped over the back of the chair as she slumps back against it. You swallow another few fries before a flash of realization makes you pause.

“Aren’t you getting something?” You ask in concern. Noori waves away your attempt to offer her what’s left, sliding the basket back to you with a small smile.

“You need it more. I’m fine for now.” She says, chuckling at the look of frustration that crosses your expression. “I’ll get something on the way back.”

“Noori–”

She sighs, looking surprisingly drained, and you clamp your mouth shut at the sudden change. You stare at her curiously, realizing that she must be more affected than you thought. She shakes her head, tired smile wrenching at your heart.

“I promise.” She assures you, head dropping into the palm of her hand. “Just rest.”

*********************************************************************************

A few hours later is all it takes to reach your destination.

You both hike through the warm sand of the desert, car left far back by the road, and blink away drifting dust from your eyes, as she leads you off into seemingly vacant terrain. The heat of the sun is almost worse out in the open, and you grumble as it shines down on you without mercy. Noori kicks up a burst of sand as she picks up speed, staring intently into the distance, and you begin to worry if she truly knows where she’s going. You huff, staggering to follow her pace while sucking in quick breaths to keep from panting too loudly. You stride up beside her when she eventually looks back and slows down for you, a small smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

“Are we in the right place?” You ask, scanning the landscape curiously.

“Yes.”

“I don’t see anyone.”

Noori shoots you an amused look, “What were you expecting?” You shrug, shielding your eyes as you train a more focused gaze out over the horizon.

“A house? A camp? Something more than empty desert.”

And then you see it, as the two of you clamber up a rare, steep hill of sand, fingers burning against the sand when you hunch over for more leverage. It’s an isolated rock formation that rises abruptly above the high-desert plain. Noori had told you about it on the way from the bar–that it lies just southwest of the town of Shiprock, which is actually named for this particular sacred peak, the formation having a large historical and significant role in Navajo religion, myth, and tradition.

They had to be here. 

You can’t help but gawk in awe the closer you get to it. It’s tall and hauntingly powerful, jaggedly cut out against the clear blue of the sky and orange tinted landscape. Noori excitedly waves you over, to follow her towards an outcropping of rock around the side of the base. She smirks as you bound up to her, body buzzing with energy.

“Have a little faith, (Y/N).” She playfully tells you.

The excitement is short lived. The sound of wet gurgling reaches your ears from too close, slow and deep like churning molasses, and your body tenses at the familiar sound from the hospital. The sound tapers off into a sick, high-pitched squelch that racks your body with the cold sensation of dread, the feeling too intense under the heat of the desert. You turn around in a tight circle, chest constricting in fear, but don’t see any of the lumbering smoke creatures in the brightness of the sun.

“Noori…” You say quietly, and she reaches out to grip your bicep, eyes narrowed as she scans your surroundings.

“I heard it too.” She mutters.

That surprises you, considering no one else seemed to acknowledge the horrible nightmare shadows the last time you’d seen them. Your head snaps around to look at her, the sound momentarily forgotten. 

“How–” You start. You’re cut off as something large and gray unfolds itself too quickly to comprehend–from the shadows at the base of the rock formation–and slams into your friend from the side. She flies more than 10 feet away, landing in the sand with cry. The smoke creature is significantly smaller than the ones before, but more wild, clawed hands lifting and glinting in the sun as it staggers–a vision of suspended rolling smoke–in misshapen circles around Noori. She scrambles onto her knees and stares up at it in terror, the slits of its eyes opening. The white glow of them is sharp like a lens flare in the light.

“Noori!” You shout in alarm. You dash towards her, sliding to a stop and stumbling back when the creature whirls around to face you. It’s terrible mouth falls open in a gaping yawn, the darkness inside disorientating and much too deep, a feeling of panic rushing towards you like a raging stream. You fall against the sand and drag yourself backwards as it follows you, its burning eyes trained intensely on your face. Noori is searching in a panic through the sand around her, burying her arms up to her elbows to find anything that could help. You’re unsure if a rock will do much damage though, and you scramble away further until your back knocks against the rocky base of the outcropping. You can feel the heat and rough texture of the formation through your shirt, and you spread out your arms to brace yourself, palms pressing flat against the  rock as you shrink back from the creature.

It pauses before you, puppet-like as it hovers in the air, watching your trembling form as though its waiting for something. Or trying to figure something out. Its head cocks so far to the side that it looks as if the appendage has broken off from its body. It’s gurgling again, softly, and you flinch at the sound, tensing for the worst. But it doesn’t move to attack you. Just sits there, waiting, and you feel the odd supernatural heat return in your eyes, the purple glow more prominent in the shadows of the rocky outcropping. 

It reacts more violently then, recoiling from you for a moment with a throaty snarl that shocks you, and then it surges forward like a cornered animal, sharp claws piercing the stone above your head. It drags them, scraping down the rock, the sound of it echoing awfully in your ears. It’s so close now that you feel as though you’re drowning in the inky smoke, and as its claws touch the crook of your neck everything starts to burn. Your back arches off the rock and you don’t realize that you’re screaming–thrown into the push and pull of an undertow made entirely of a fire, a heat that locks into every muscle of your body–until your throat begins to ache. It’s in your head, a confusing icy pang thrashing through the sudden deafening static, and a sloshing, unintelligible voice, like someone is choking on water, begins to cry out. There’s a weightless lurch like a spasm in your limbs, as though something was being ripped from inside you–and it hurts, hurts, hurts– 

“Hey! I think you’re seeing double.”

Everything stops in an instant these words stab through the haze, and something snaps back into place, the force almost giving you whiplash. You’re left gasping in large gulps of air, dropping to your hands and knees, body heavy. You taste blood, spitting out the copper taste to see a splatter of dark red against the orange sand. You manage to lift your head, blinking away your blurry vision to see that the creature is now listlessly floating, seeming confused as it turns in sharp movements to look between both you and…Noori? It gurgles in what sounds like frustration and you squint out at the other figure kneeling in the sand, thoughts muddled from the shock.

It’s an image of you–an identical you, breathing heavy with a hand held up towards the creature. You make eye contact and something flickers in the figure’s eyes. It’s a familiar spark of comfort that tells you everything will be okay, and you realize with a start that this is the first time you’d seen Noori truly and completely shape shift into another being. It was eerily accurate. Before either of you can move there’s a metal glint in the upper corner of your eye, and you slowly look up to the top of the rocky outcropping jutting out above you. There’s a figure of a girl illuminated by the sun, katana sword drawn out at her side.

What the fu–

She leaps down in front of you, landing on one knee in the sand and faces out to the open desert. She has a bob of short dark hair and is dressed in ripped tights and a green plaid skirt, as well as a black tank top, and folded down black combat boots. The creature rears back at her entrance, and the girl looks to you over her shoulder, eyes glowing a brilliant orange.

“Where is it?” She asks, and you immediately point to the anxiously swaying creature just in front of her, the mass of smoke backing up with another feral snarl from its open mouth.

The girl lifts the katana with both hands on the hilt, the blade poised horizontally just above her head as she drops back into a ready stance. A trail of fire licks along the metal, a shimmering fluorescent wave that circles in a spiral around it, the sharply sweet smell of electricity rising in the air. The girl lunges forward towards the creature then, in a movement that’s supernaturally fast, swiping the fiery katana through its body. The creature doesn’t make a sound, the ghostly glow in its eyes flickering out, mouth stuck in a silent scream. The mass of smoke halves into two separate sections, the top sliding from the bottom, and then the smoke unravels, wisps curling up into the air before burning up when the fire from the katana sparks against the smoke. It consumes it in a upwards swell of flames, leaving nothing in its wake. Noori–the other you–smiles in relief when the smoke completely clears from the air, blinking up into the sun. The eyes flash pink as your image changes quickly, vibrating and shifting, features sinking back like clay until her familiar figure emerges as if breaking free from a shell. Her white hair gleams under the sun as she breathes deeply. You stare at her in disbelief when she crawls across the sand towards you, grumbling under her breath about needing a vacation.

“Kutsit narak.” Noori mutters upon reaching you, hands going to either side of your face as she turns your head from side to side, gaze searching for any physical injuries. When she finds none, she leans back on her knees with a look of content, hands dropping to her thighs.

“Holy shit.” You say in agreement. You look to the girl standing a few feet away and see that she’s now holding the katana in front of her body, blade just ordinary metal again and raised to the sky. Her eyes are closed as she speaks softly to herself in a language you don’t understand, until they flutter open again after a moment, the orange glow gone.

She steps towards you, gaze concerned. “Are you alright?”

Noori stands, pulling you to your feet as you nod and push off the rocky wall behind you. “I…yeah. Thank you for that–that was really…badass.” You tell her, brushing sand from your arms with a small, friendly smile. Noori slouches back in a casual stance, putting all of her weight on her back leg, hand slipping into the back pocket of her pants.

“So is that sword.” She adds. The girl grins at you, looking shy as she slips her katana back into a black sheath, one that hangs from the leather strap looped around her shoulder and back.

“No problem. I’m just relieved I got here in time.”

“How did you know?”

“My teachers sent me.” She answers, casting a sweeping look at the open desert behind you and Noori. “They felt something….dangerous and dark, and they had me come here to fight it.” Her eyes lock onto you, “Whatever that was.”

You step towards her, “The Skinwalkers?”

“Told you.” Noori quips excitedly, reaching out to lightly poke your shoulder. The girl blinks at you in surprise, fingers curling around the part of the katana’s strap that cuts down diagonally across her chest.

“Uh, yeah. What–”

“They’re why I’m here, I wanted–needed to talk to them.” You explain quickly.

A warm gust of wind picks up around the three of you, swirling dust around in the air until it’s too thick to see, and you tug your shirt up over your nose and mouth. Both Noori and the girl back up to stand closer to you, elbows bumping against each other at the proximity. The girl stares out into whirlwind of sand as if this is an everyday occurrence, grip on the leather strap tightening until her knuckles are white. She tilts her head towards you, voice low, eyes never leaving the growing dark shapes appearing through the undulating dust.

“Well, here’s your chance.” She says simply.

The dust and sand begins to settle around you, vision clearing so that you can better see who is walking towards you. The shapes become three woman as the last of the dust falls, the small group slowing to a stop a few feet from you. Their postures are tall, regal and grand and all knowing, a swelling vibration of static energy radiating against the air until your breath catches in awe. The first woman, standing just in front of the others, is wearing the pelt of an animal over her head, her spear topped with a jagged piece of bone like a crescent moon. She has striking black paint around her eyes, simple vertical lines down one half of her face. She tips her chin up as you look at her, poised stance seeming every bit the leader you begin to suspect.

The second woman is wearing a belted long-sleeved outfit and holds a more simple spear, white paint layered across the entirety of her face, tinted black circles around the eyes. Tresses of beautiful dark hair hang around her face. The third woman is carrying a more simple spear as well, her hair in tight intricate braids that sit over her shoulders. She has similar black paint around her eyes like the other two, but she also has a beautiful deep red paint starting across her browline, creating two pointed peaks that stretch down past her cheeks and stop just at the corners of her mouth. They’re all covered in sand from the surrounding desert, dark eyes piercing in the brightness of the sun as they stare down at you.

You’d never felt so small.

“Do you feel that?” One asks in a hush.

“There’s more.”

The woman in front of them–definitely the leader, you conclude–looks up into the sky, expression fierce. “I feared this day would come.”

The girl beside you shifts anxiously and steps in front of you, sweeping a piece of hair behind her ear. “What was it?” She questions, glancing to the spot where she’d dispelled the creature only moments before.

“It has many names, Kira. But there is only one that will matter to you.”

“Which is?’ Noori chirps from your other side. The leader’s attention is pulled from the sky and she transfers the decorated spear to her other hand, rolling her shoulders back slowly.

"They’re soul-eating beings.” She clarifies, gaze straying to you as though she’d almost forgotten you were there. “They feed on the spirits of the dead.”

Noori sighs, “I’m not liking the sound of this.”

The girl with the katana–Kira–shakes her head in disbelief. “Is there anything we can do?” She asks with a slight twinge of desperation. The leader lifts her spear and brings it down solidly against the sand, the muffled thunk punctuating the intensity of her words.

“We’ve looked into the other world and saw darkness.” She begins.

“The other world?”

Kira is quick to enlighten you, turning to speak softly.  "The spirit world.“

There’s a drop in your stomach–a lurch like your falling from somewhere high–and you gulp, feeling the cold, prickling fear from earlier return. The Skinwalkers are watching you closely, and Noori presses against your arm as if silently telling you that she understands what you’re feeling. You clench your hands into tight fists at your sides to hide the shaking in your fingers.

"Darkness…like those creatures?” You can’t help but inquire, another fearful lurch of your stomach at the grave look on their faces. You have an odd feeling that you’re about to regret wanting to learn the truth. The leader of the Skinwalkers nods.

“Yes.”

“And this darkness is speading…growing, and it will echo across the world if it’s not dealt with.”

“You must stop it, (Y/N).”

You startle at the casual use of your name, sharing a brief  look with Noori beside you. She doesn’t seem as surprised as you though, and you furrow your eyebrows, realizing that although you’d become a part of the supernatural world, you still had a lot to learn. “How do you know my name?”

The leader slowly drops the tip of her spear to gesture at you, “The spirits talk about you.” She says, bowing her head slightly as though she was offering you some semblance of respect. “You are the shepard.”

“Do you know what I am?”

“Something old.” The second woman counters in response.

“Something powerful.”

“Powerful enough to stop all this.”

The third woman cuts the other two a sharp, displeased look, mouth set in a firm line. Her voice is laced with doubt, “Powerful enough to try.”

“Kira, you must go.” The leader advises firmly, flashing her fellow Skinwalker a warning look, her tone leaving no room for discussion. “Help where you can.”

“(Y/N) will have a large part in what’s to come.”

Kira frowns, “What can I do?”

“Your sword is made from our power, a weapon forged with the energy of the spirit world. An electricfying spiritual force that only a Kitsune can weild.”

“It can dispel the shadows." 

Kira takes a step back, body bumping against you, and you hear the mounting panic in her words. "I don’t know if I’m ready.” She admits, spreading her palms to stare down at her hands. There’s a spark of apprehension in her expression, a farway look to her eyes. It’s one shadowed with fear like someone remembering a horrible dream, and as her hands begin to tremble, you understand. It’s all about control, and she’s still learning, like you. The leader of the Skinwalkers smiles, a twitch of her lips that makes you wonder if it’s merely a courtesy or meant to be more encouraging.

“You’ve done well, Kira.”

“You’ve learned fast and gotten stronger. More aware of your abilities and the balance that is needed.”

“But lessons can only take you so far.”

“It’s time to take what you’ve learned and apply it.”

Kira swallows hard, gaze snapping up sharply to stare at the three women. She clenches and unclenches her fists a few times and then lets her hands drop back to her side, shaking herself free of her memories. Her eyes widen as she mulls over their words.

“What are you saying? Is this another test?”

The leader’s fingers flex on the wooden length of her spear, but she doesn’t visibly react any further at the question. She simply regards Kira–unblinking and intense, and eerily meaningful. You wonder if the test began the moment Kira appeared to rescue both you and Noori from the creature. The leader looks to the other two women standing behind her as she speaks. “Do this–stop the darkness–without your inner fox taking control. Show us your strength in balancing two sides. And if you succeed…you may leave us.”

“Just like that? I’ll be free to go home to my family? My friends?”

“Just like that.”

Kira breathes deeply to steady her resolve and straightens, head held high. A flicker of determination appears in her expression as she pulls at the strap of her katana again, as if reassuring herself that it’s there. “I’ll do it.”

“Stay true, Kira. Keep the balance.” The leader warns, dipping the top of her spear again to train on a spot just above Kira’s head. She slowly lowers it, cutting an imaginary line down the centre of Kira’s body. “No matter what.”

“I will.”

“Hold on, wait a minute!” You blurt out, mind dizzying more strongly with each passing moment. They couldn’t possibly be thinking that you–no. Your grimace at the thought, eyes nervously darting from Kira to the Skinwalkers as you will the conversation to slow down. They all turn to you, and you duck your head in embarrassment, voice small but surging with alarm. “What do you expect me to do? I don’t know anything about dealing with terrifying darkness monsters.”

“To have your answers, you must find your new path in this world." 

You close your eyes to try and soothe your racing heartbeat, turning to look at Kira then, tone pitching in desperation. "Is everything an extremely vague test to them?” Noori stifles a bout of laughter, and you firmly elbow her side to keep her quiet.

“Not everything.” She says immediately, pausing as though she was giving her answer more thought. She sheepishly smiles after a beat of silence. “Most things, actually.” She amends.

The second woman speaks up, drawing your attention back to them with a small gesture of her spear–a quick up and down motion that reminds you of a judge calling order to their court. “But this is not something you have to walk alone.”

The leader fixes you with her heavy, knowing gaze. “You have allies where you least expect them.” She reveals, sounding oddly amused when her eyes flick over to Noori. “Friends that will surprise you.”

Surprise you?

“It’s a pleasure to see you three again.” Noori says kindly, inclining her head in a simple hello.

“You’ve been busy.”

“I’ve had my moments.”

Kira seems puzzled by the exchange and looks as though she wants to say something, but she stays quiet as the leader turns back to you, beckoning you forward by extending an open hand. You hesitate, but with a gentle push from Noori you find yourself moving towards her slowly. “You’re young, (Y/N).” The Skinwalker reminds you. “With untapped potential. You must be strong. You must be brave. And above all you must be open.”

“You are a bridge between two plains of existance. Both physical and spiritual. You walk with us between both.”

“Don’t be afraid of this connection. Learn to use it to your advantage.” The leader takes your hand once you’re standing in front of her, skin warm and sweat slicked, and covered in sticky sand. Her gaze shifts pointedly to Kira as though making sure she is still listening. “To protect those….who cannot protect themselves.”

You glance back curiously over your shoulder and see a strangle flash of emotion in Kira’s expression, one that tells you these words mean something to her. It’s quick and sad, and you wonder for a moment if you should ask her if she’s alright. Kira makes the decision for you though, dropping her head to stare at the ground and avoid your eyes. You frown, turning back to address the double meaning in the leader’s tone.

“The spirits that are disapearing–”

“They may not be completely lost.”

“Yet.” The third woman adds icily.

“So, there’s still time.” Kira concludes, lifting her head to study her teachers’ expressions.

You draw your hand away, frustration curbing your earlier alarm. “How am I–look, this all seems so simple when you say it, but…I don’t know how to do what you want.”

“You can. By looking to others. And trusting the core balance within you as well.”

“Balance?”

“Your fear and your compassion–the thing that gives you your courage.” Noori offers suddenly, sounding as though she’s just had a realization. The Skinwalkers nod, shifting to stand in a straight line before continuing.

“The wolf and the human.”

“The spirit and the body.”

“Can you do this?”

“I don’t think I really have a choice.” You say in defeat, the laugh that escapes you exhausted and hollow.

“You do.”

“But if you choose to let the darkness fall–spread to the corners of the Earth–more things will be lost than you can ever imagine.”

“No pressure, right?” Noori quips, stepping up beside you with a smile. She lifts her arm and rests it against your shoulder, sighing as she leans onto you. She winks when you look to her,  "I’m here to the end, mera dost.“

Kira returns to your side as well, nodding at you with an emotion you can’t quite place–determined you decide quickly, but edged with a jumble of fear and hope that reflects everything you’ve felt youself. Since clawing your way out from the damp dirt all those months ago. Her smile is shy and small, but beautifully bright despite the turmoil you’re sure she feels about your chances–a promise for adventure no matter the outcome.

"I’m with you.”

“Okay then…it looks like this is happening.” You mutter, straightening to stand taller–more heroic, hoping that the puff in your chest makes you seem as though you’re more confident than you feel. Fake it until you make it, right?

….

You think you may be in some serious trouble.

“What’s the first step?” You ask the three women, feeling satisfied when your voice doesn’t shake.

“That is up to you.” The leader tells you, lifting her spear high into the air. “Good luck.”

When she brings it down again, a puff of sand bursting from the impact, another gust of wind swirls around you, as soft as breathing. It quickly strengthens into a humid gale as the other two Skinwalkers knock their spears against the sand as well, one after another. A haze of dust is drawn up from the ground, twisting into circling clouds that shut out the sunlight and curl around the three women in ribbons of sand.You can’t see anything in front of you, your breath coming in quick, coughing gasps as you struggle to breath against the pressure on your chest. And then it all comes to a stop, much like when they first appeared from the dust. You suck in a much needed gulp of clean air as the sand falls like rain around you, the ocean blue sky finally emerging in your vision. Noori waves away the last of the dust hanging in the air around her head, blinking at the sudden burst of sunlight.

“I forgot how unhelpful they can be at times.” She sighs. You shake your head at her in amusement, brushing away grainy sand from your shirt and jeans.

“Kira?” You question, watching her shake dust from her hair with a look of concentration. “Do you know where we can go? For help?

She looks up at you and smiles, gaze trailing behind you to stare out into the far most plains of the open desert. "I know a place.”

*********************************************************************************

“Beacon Hills? That’s where you want to go?”

Kira nods as she crosses from the sand of the desert to the paved road, breathing out a little satisfied sigh at the echoing of her boots against the surface. She shields her eyes from the sun when she looks up and down the road, easily spotting your stolen car. It’s parked up the empty road a few feet away, and she heads towards it with a hop in her step. Someone seems excited, you think in amusement, trailing behind her more leisurely. And it’s contagious. Noori is grinning when you turn to see her reaction.

“I have friends there.” Kira says and then hesitates, slowing her pace until you and Noori catch up. “At least I think so–I don’t really know how long it’s been.” She glances at you sideways, “Why? Have you heard of it?”

You share a knowing look with Noori as Kira reaches the car, running her fingers over the metal surface of the trunk. You raise your eyebrows, “The name seems to be popping up a lot recently.”

“And we’re just crazy enough to go.” Noori adds. You roll your eyes at her sulky tone.

Kira turns to you as you pass behind her, tugging open the driver’s side door, the burning metal making you wince as your palm closes around the handle. Kira seems surprised that it was left unlocked for so long under the sun, but doesn’t comment, ducking her head instead to peer into the humid car. She had insisted on driving back, partly for the joy of it again, but mostly because she knew the quickest way to Beacon out of the three of you. You lean against the open door, arm slung over the top of it, and slip the set of keys from your front pocket, dangling the metal ring from your index finger.

“So.” You begin casually, as Kira smiles and gently takes the car keys from you. “One of the Skinwalkers called you a…Kit…Kitsune?”

“They did. ” She agrees, carefully sliding into the front seat so she doesn’t catch the hilt of her katana on the roof. Her hands lift to touch the warm rubber of the wheel. “It means that when I was born…an ancient fox spirit attached itself to me, became a part of me. I can handle lightening and high levels of electricity. It’s like I absorb it, and then I can re-purpose it.” She explains, tossing the ring of keys over in her grip and then fitting one that looked about the right size into the ignition. It slides in easily and she pauses, looking up at you. “We can also live an insanely long time, or so I’ve been told.”

“Like past a century?”

“My mom is about 900.”

Noori whistles, leaning back fully against the rear door on the same side of the car, legs crossed at the ankles. “Well, that was unexpected.”

“Wow.” You breathe in shock, staring at Kira in amazement. “That is way more badass than I originally thought." 

She laughs, looking embarrassed, and you shake your head incredulously, trying to wrap your head around the new information. The supernatural world is more surprising than you’d ever imagined. More upside down and curiously twisted. More deadly. Like a rabbit hole down into the reaches of a Wonderland’s darkest absurdities, and you were still free falling from thousands of feet. This was all definitely going to take some getting used to.

You reach over to open the back door beneath Noori when she settles more heavily against it, as if getting comfortable, wanting to get on the road as soon as possible. It throws her off balance and she stumbles a bit to the side, rolling her eyes at you before jumping into the back seat. She scoots to sit in the middle and slumps back to rest her head, eyes fluttering closed. You hear the metallic click as Kira turns the key in the ignition, but there’s no rumble of an engine or juddering of the car’s metal frame to signal life. Kira turns it again a few times, getting a quiet, short gasp from the machine after the third, before there’s total silence again. Noori peeks up at you with one eye. You groan, shutting the rear door to step back to the driver’s seat, dipping your head down to look back into the car. Kira leans forward to tap the gauge on the dashboard, the little red needle quivering around the bold ‘E’ at one end. Kira smiles up at you weakly–forlornly–leaning farther to drape her arms over the wheel with a soft sigh. You swear under your breath.

Of all the stupid things–

"I think we forgot to gas up around the bar.” Noori reminds you needlessly from the back, merely shrugging when you turn to stare at her with the most incredulous, miserable look you can muster. And then you finally hear it through your racing thoughts–an unfamiliar, thudding rhythm. It’s faint at first but growing, a nervous stutter in the beat drawing your undivided attention before the smell. Like the ocean, salty and warm, and the air fills with the smoky twinge of burning wood. Kira sees your body tense, your head tilting to more easily catch any nearby sounds, and she straightens in her seat with alarm.

“What is it?”

“I hear something.”

Noori sits up immediately, both eyes open wide. “Let’s hope it’s friendly this time.”

“A heartbeat.” You tell them after a moment. Kira reaches behind her to grip the hilt of her katana, and you slip out the old, blue ice scraper tucked down into fissure between the driver’s seat and the door, weighing the heavy plastic in your hand. Kira curiously eyes it as she turns in her seat to better face the open door, and you shrug helplessly, holding the makeshift weapon by your hip. Noori stifles a laugh at your choice despite the situation. You ignore her with a roll of your eyes, bracing yourself to shift back from the door without turning around–so that Kira can see out behind you. The muscles in your legs barely twitch before you feel a towering figure close in behind you. And you react instinctively, quickly swinging around as you lift the ice scraper and blindly swipe at the figure.

He grips your wrist just as fast, halting your blow and tightening his hold until you’re forced to drop your weapon. In a panic you jerk back, throwing your weight forward to knock him of balance. It works and you both topple over, his eyes wide and mouth parted in surprise. You land on top of him, wincing at the shooting pain in your knee caps, one leg hooked over his hip, and he groans loudly from the impact of his back against the pavement. You hear Kira scramble from the front seat, the hilt of her katana thumping against the roof. But as you stare down at the boy beneath you, you can’t seem to find the energy to move, all the breath punched from your lungs. He stares back just as astonished, and you realize that up close you can see an infinite sadness in those beautiful blue eyes–the exact ones from the bar–the hardened, raw awareness of a damned world reflected in them. But there was a fervour in them too, and it makes your heart flutter beyond all reason.

You swallow hard, allowing the confusion you feel to seep into your tone. “It’s you.”

The boy is broken from his revere and drags his gaze away to glance briefly around him, as if suddenly remembering where he is. He flinches when you accidently shift, gritting his teeth and trying to smirk through another groan of pain. It’s a weak smile and he clears his throat to speak, sounding as though he’s struggling to control his breathing, voice pitched as he squints up at you.

“As much as I love the view, your knee in is places that are…very painful.”

“Well, isn’t this romantic.” Noori teases from the other side of the car, propped up on the threshold of the open back door and curled over the roof, her chin resting on the back of her interlinked hands. It takes you a few seconds to realize what the boy means, and you blink at him, looking down to where your knee had landed in the fall.

“Oh. Oh. Oh my god, I’m sorry.” You say in a rush, instantly rolling off of him. You rise to your knees as he breathes out in relief and sits up, but you’re quick to remember that you should be very annoyed with him right about now. You push back on his chest to keep him seated as he goes to stand, narrowing your eyes at him. “Wait, no I’m not. Why the hell were you following us?”

“Well–”

“Isaac?”

[yourjughead]

Wrong side of the tracks pt.4

Pairing: Jughead x reader, Bughead, reader x plot twist hopefully Warnings: Swearing, light smut, issues of abandonment. A/N: Sorry didn't get time to edit this is wrote it straight out of work to get it up for you guys, excuse mistakes I think in irish. I really hope you guys get a little shook from this one or otherwise I'd be sad 😂 definitely more excitement in this one than the other 3 but not as much as part 5....oh the suspense. Also low key regret not calling this series "mentally cursing yourself" because honestly, mood. REQUESTS OPEN. ------------------------------------ 3rd Person. Once again you find yourself jumping at the realisation Jughead is behind you. “Jughead! Stop sneaking up on me! Do that one too many times on the Southside and you'll get yourself stab for fucksake” you said as you playfully shoved him. He smiled back at you sweetly. “Sorry sorry y/n” “and for christ sake stop apologising to me!” you laughed “you're right I'm sor...not sorry”. He smiled down to you, totally captivated by your eyes. “So, how was your first day Kitten” he smiled once again but stopped once he saw your eyes darken. “Don't ever call me that again.” you say bitterly. Jugheads smile faded into confusion “what? I thought it was endearing?” “there is nothing endearing about it” “Okay I'm sor….okay” he turned slightly from you and looked for the bus. You closed your eyes and regretted your words. “Okay it's my turn to apologise now. it's just...its just Ryan calls me that and I'm not exactly his number one fan and he's not mine so if you could...could not” you were expecting to be chewed out of it for some reason but then again Jughead was different and maybe he'd react softer and not push further for more answers. And he did just that.  “Oh yeah I had forgotten that..it's alright, really my mistake anyway...but umm how was your first day” his smile grew again and you both loved and hated him in that moment for being so understanding. If he had been horrible he would have been easier to push and shove away from getting too close. “it was good I suppose except this weird antisocial dude in a beanie is like stalking me” you teased “oh really? Well this girl I ran into once, pardon the pun, literally showed up at my school unannounced and is now in all my classes, weirdo” and you both laughed. Jughead enjoyed the playfulness between you two but still he wondered what happened between you and Ryan. The bus came. “aren't you going to get on” Jughead offered seeing you still fixed to the spot “nah my uncle will bring me home” “can your brother not drive?” “what brother?” you looked at him all kinds of confused. “you said today in your lie to Veronica that your brother had the same hat as me...I was just assuming the brother part of that wasn't a lie” “nope. No brother.” “ahhh...and the enigma that is Y/N Y/L/N is further explored” he smiled with a wave stepping onto the bus. The rest of December had flown by until Christmas had been and gone. Your days were spent much like your first, in the comfortable silence with Jughead while his friends rambled on. Betty had become more cautious of you however and tried to get space between you where possible, which wasn't easy by any means. Jughead and you shared a lot of things in common that they did not. You two had almost every class together and were just simply naturally pulled together and every day you grew closer and closer. This drove Betty mad. You were in fact a little shocked to learn that Jughead and Betty were a thing, which Kevin had divulged one day on the way to Geography when Jughead was sick. You thought she seemed far more into it than he did and Kevin agreed with you but in total confidence.   When you asked Jughead about it he seemed shaken and hesitant to talk about her whereas she was ready and open to discuss him. You wondered why he hadn't mentioned it and you had already been 1 week into your new life at Riverdale High. She had insisted that Jughead spend the whole holiday period with herself and her family which, after careful vetting from social care, went okay enough. If a bit tedious and boring for Jughead. Betty didn't allow Jughead to leave her side. Which drove his spirit wild. It also meant that you and Jughead didn't see each other all holiday. Which you guessed was the idea of the set up. Betty refused to go to the Southside for reasons that Jughead couldn't understand and you couldn't go to Riverdale as your uncle didn't let you unless it was for school or you were supervised. You had decided it would be better to just not see him than have 1000 questions asked about him on the way home and Jughead agreed. It was 2 more sleeps till school started and you missed Jughead terribly. *sms: Jug: hey Juliet, nurse off?, do you wanna go for a walk. I can protect you from all the scary things -5:56am *sms: Y/N/N: Ha.ha Y/N. Yeah sure I'll meet you at pops? I have your Christmas present -5:58am. The Xx had caught you off. Maybe it was a reflex left over from texting Betty. He had gotten to Pops first as you pulled up on your motorbike and parked under the neon red lights.   You had only heard of this place from Jughead and had never been as you liced a little in fear of having to deal with a snappy Betty. The sun was attempting to break through the clouds as you dismounted your bike and walked to the entrance where you met Jug. “are we going to go inside or is there some sort of a forcefield around the place that I can't see” you laugjed “I just thought we could go for a walk and then pops? Besides it's his son manning the place and he doesn't like me very much, thinks I'm a waster” “oh so he's a good judge of character” you smirk and bump into Jughead playfully. You two continue messing about along a path in the woods. He told you more about his book and the other history of the woods before the murder. You stopped at a cliffs edge and looked down at the cascading waterfall as the sun continued to fight and win it's battle with the clouds. You two walked down a little bit further and then sat at the waterfront and enjoyed the sunrise. Jughead POV This is perfect. She is so perfect. I rustled around a little bit in my gear bag before I found her present badly wrapped in newspaper. I gave it to her and once again apologised to her for which she hit me and told me shed do that every time I apologised from now on. The sun is hitting her so perfectly. I watch as she cautiously opened the wrapping and revealed the new vintage Metallica tee and a can of pasta sauce. She burst into laughter but not in a horrible or rude way, in an appreciative, you're an idiot, Y/N kind of way. “thank you Juggy”. Did she just call me Juggy? Are we at that point now where she can call me that...God I hope so. It was her turn to give me a present and although i hadn't expected one I was glad I hadn't overstepped a boundary by buying her something. It was wrapped beautifully and carefully, much nicer than mine. Idiot Jughead idiot. She must have noticed me mentally giving out to myself on seeing the wrapping as she offered “i especially love the wrapping, very Jughead Jones”. What did she mean by love...WHAT DID SHE MEAN. I opened the package and there inside was a metallica tee and a jar of pasta sauce. I looked at her with wide eyes and she at I with a wide smile. Our laughter must have been heard throughout the woods. Idiots, we're both idiots in the best way. We spoke for another hour before we walked back. We decided not go to pops his time as if we stayed out longer we risked getting caught. She drove off on a bike she had said her uncles bought her for Christmas. I wonder where her parents are…. I got back to Betty's around 7.30 am and quietly slipped in the backdoor and took off my boots. I wandered to the couch closing my eyes as I sat down on the edge. I held my new tee tight in my hand like a baby holding their blankie. Just as my head was about to touch the pillow, the light flashed on. Shit. “So juggy..” it didn't sound right coming from her lips after I hearing Y/N say it. No Jughead! no! You like Betty! You know, Betty, the blonde girl next door who is standing in the doorway looking like she was to bury you under the house next door. “you left your phone after you….meeting y/n at this time are we?” she seethed. Wow she was mad. “Umm yeah she needed to talk about some stuff” “and what is that” she hissed pointing at the tee in my grip. “Oh Y/Ns Christmas present to me” i stood and held it to my body modeling it hoping to lighten the mood by tenfold. It didn't..  Betty stepped in and closed the door. She took steps towards me until we were less than arms length apart. “she's not your girlfriend juggy” there it is again, my name but not my name the way I hear it from Y/N. “give it to me. Now.” she practically growled. “ehhh no” i scoffed in return. Mistake. She snatched it from my tight grasp causing it's vintage-ness to catch up with it. It was ripped down the seam at the side. “Betty! What the hell!” it was my turn to be angry. “It was an accident Juggy I swear!” she genuinely sounded sorry. She grabbed hold of me into a hug and I was victim again to her char.m. Her arms were around my shoulders and my arms around her waist. She swayed us gently calming us both down. She kissed me so sweetly at first but soon it turned hungry and lustful. Pushing me back to the couch she was on top of me . She moved from my mouth to my neck causing a slight groan to leave my lips. God I hated how she was in control but I couldn't flip her on the couch or we'd fall. She put a finger to her lips to be quiet as her family were still asleep upstairs. She straddled me and pulled my shirt over my head and began to kiss down my torso. I pulled her back up to my lips wanting to have at least a small bit of control. “Ohh Juggy” she purred in my ear. “ohhh Y/N” I goaned. Shit. 3rd POV Y/N got back to the apartment where she lived alone. Her father was tragically killed when she was younger and her mother ran far away not able to cope with life on the southside any longer. Her care had fallen to her dad's three closest friends. More so like uncles to her now than dad's old friends from “work”. She opened the door of the apartment. She hummed happily as she entered but soon stopped dead in her tracks. She took her pocket knife from her jacket and stepped further into the living room. There the chair was spun around facing a glowing fire. “Well what the fuck are you doing here Ryan” Ryan spun slowly in the chair mimicking that of a Bond villain. “now now Kitten, that's no way to talk to your brother now is it?” -------------------------------- Teehee. Well? Let me what you think!

[imaginekpoplikethis]

7 Years - BadBoy! Jeon Jungkook X Reader - Part 14

I don't think you guys are ready for what I have prepared lol. Be prepared is all I can say.

Lots of love from me and thank you for reading.

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10.1  Part 10.2  Part 10.3  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13  Part 14 - Here  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20 - Final

That night, when you arrived back at the hotel, you quickly headed to your room and placed all but one of your bags down before heading back out again. Your current destination was none other than the Koi pond you had grown so fond of. Upon getting to your favourite part of the hotel, you sat down on the bridge and dangled your legs over the pond, placing the bag down with care beside you.

It was the only place where you could completely unwind and enjoy the serene nature around you. Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you opened the hour old message Areum had left you.

'Hey, how's your trip going? It's so pretty here! I hope you're having a great time.'

It's only been two days and you already missed Areum and her sweet, angelic voice. You speedily typed a reply, not wanting to keep her waiting any longer.

'Sorry for the late reply. It's been fun. We went on a tour today and I kind of possibly ended up playing matchmaker. Oh, and I bought Jungkook glasses. You need to see them!'

A small splash caught your attention and you lifted your head to see the fish you had named Taehyung frantically swimming away from a black fish.

'You weren't there yesterday...' It may have been childish to think so but the new Koi seemed off to you. It almost completely blended in with the water and moved slowly, reminding you of a predator sneaking up on its prey. It definitely didn't fit in with the rest of the fish.

Maybe you were overreacting. No, you were overreacting.

Your phone vibrated with a new message from Areum.

'Matchmaker? That's nice of you... Jungkook is actually wearing glasses? I can only imagine what that looks like.'

Another splash from the pond caused your eyebrows to furrow and you stared at the same black koi from before. Evidently, there was something wrong with it although you were not too sure what it was. Deciding to not leave Areum waiting any longer you gave her a sweet but short reply before placing your phone back into your pocket.

"Here you are. I've been looking for you." Ji Hee's voice traveled towards you from behind and you slightly turned your head in her direction, giving her a kind smile. She sat down beside you and stared at the small ripples the fishes were creating everytime they moved.

"It's really quiet here, no wonder I couldn't find you." You too followed the movements of the fish whilst a comfortable silence settled between the both of you. A couple of minutes later you decided to break it.

"You like Jae Hyun, right?" You didn't need to turn your head to know Ji Hee was blushing from head to toe and a quiet chuckle slipped out of you.

"Er- yeah, I guess." Not wanting to waste time denying her feelings, Ji Hee admitted her feelings straight away.

"You have since the beginning of the year. Yes, I noticed. You weren't exactly subtle about it." The shocked face that had spread across her face made you explain yourself and Ji Hee took on a darker shade of red.

"Don't worry, as unsubtle as you were no one else really noticed. Except maybe Jungkook. He notices everything like a creep." Your attempt to calm Ji Hee was successful and a bubbly giggle racked her body. When her laughter died down, she looked back towards the pond and let a crestfallen expression settle on her face. When she opened her mouth to reply, you quickly interrupted her.

"Yes he does like you. I've seen the way he looks at you and speaks to you. So I've taken it upon myself to play matchmaker and prove to you that he does." She didn't turn her head towards you but instead stared straight ahead, a grateful smile resting on her lips.

"Thank you." Her hand dug around her pocket before she pulled a necklace out.

"Here. I know it's not much but it's to thank you for being nice to me. There's not many people who would even bother to speak to me so it means a lot."

Accepting the gift from Ji Hee, you stared at the small metal bar that dangled off of the metal chain. On the bar, Japanese characters were engraved into it. You could read just about enough Japanese to be able to make out your name. Your head snapped up to Ji Hee and a bright grin took over your face before you leaned forward, enveloping her in a warm and friendly hug.

"You're so thoughtful. I'll treasure this..." Her arms wrapped around you, returning your hug before you both let go. You placed the necklace around your neck and then grabbed the bag that was sitting beside you.

"Okay, not to make this anymore overly sentimental than it already is but I do have a gift for you too." Taking the wooden box out of the bag, you handed it to her, smile still on your face.

"I got these engraved with Jungkook earlier on." When she opened the wooden box her eyes slightly widened at the wooden chopsticks with gold trim that held her name in Japanese.  

"I- thank you. I love them." The genuine happiness that you practically felt come from her made you let out a small sigh of relief.  You knew she wouldn't reject them but there was always a little bit of worry present.

Standing up, you stuck your hand out to Ji Hee, pulling her up. You took a quick picture of the koi with flash on before turning back to Ji Hee.

"Come on, it's almost lights out."

-

You spent the next week trying your hardest to initiate small interactions between Ji Hee and Jae Hyun, which was successful most of the time. Jungkook had even decided to help you when you filled him in on your plan making you even more excited for the results it would produce. You were most active when you took small class trips to historical destinations and festivals as it was easier to make up excuses for the both of them to be together.

Admittedly, Jungkook had created the most opportunities for them by simple actions such as racing for the seat beside you before Ji Hee could even think twice. This would always result in her having to take the seat beside Jae Hyun and Jungkook would always smirk to himself in immense satisfaction before you sneakily gave each other high fives.

It wasn't hard to see a change in the way Jae Hyun acted around and towards Ji Hee. Whenever she was present his tone would grow softer and he would sneak glances when he thought no one was looking. You and Jungkook were not the only ones who noticed this as Ji Hee admitted to you one night over popcorn and movies that she had noticed a change in Jae Hyun's attitude. She claimed he seemed less arrogant around Jungkook when she was involved in the conversations which you wholeheartedly agreed with.

Now that it was your second to last day in Japan, you decided to have a break from all the planning you had subjected yourself to. Spending the day visiting nearby shops and parks with Jungkook was the best way to enjoy your last days. It also helped that your teacher trusted your class enough to allow you to go anywhere within two miles of the hotel though you were not sure if that was enough for you.

The day was spent efficiently and, surprisingly, didn't consist of much of the usual banter between the two of you. Jungkook made sure you were entertained by constantly doing ridiculous things such as sporting handbags or unique glasses and trying his best to walk and talk as feminine as humanly possible when you entered a shop. You did the same although you seemed to stumble a lot which caused Jungkook great amusement. It was too cute to see Jungkook acting feminine.

You were currently walking back to the hotel, both of you each eating your own ice creams. He had come up with idea of each of you picking the others ice cream flavour which ended up with you eating a bitter melon ice cream whilst Jungkook had red beans.

"I sure as hell didn't realise there were that many ice cream flavours." You giggled into your hand at his remark. He then seemed to realise something and began patting his pockets before sighing.

"Ah crap, I left my wallet. I'll catch up, wait here." You watched as he jogged back in the direction of the ice cream stand and leaned back on the wall. Lost in your thoughts, a familiar voice caught your attention from the alley beside you.

"Let go of me you fucking piece of trash! I'll kill you!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

The shrieking stopped at that and a soft voice spoke up.

"Please, u-um... how do I say? Ah, please we're not from here and we don't want trouble." Frowning at the stuttering voice, you pushed yourself off the wall and peaked your head around the wall. Ji Hee was stood in front of two lean boys, one of which had his hand wrapped around Hye Mi's wrist.

"What the fuck did she say? I didn't hear."

"That they're not from around here and they want no trouble."

You understood quite a bit of Japanese and were able to fill in the blanks of their sentences, easily making out what they were saying. Scoffing, the boy who did not have Hye Mi in his grasp stepped forward and shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning forward.

"Well you shouldn't have come in here then, should you? But you just had to play hero. Don't worry, you can stay with your friend." When he reached his arm out towards Ji Hee you were instantly reminded of how you were in the same position only months before. You remembered how scared you had felt and how you believed no one would be able to help you. This is what caused you to step into their line of sight. You were confident and stronger now. Not strong enough to take them both out but enough to do something.

"Why are you picking on school girls, you lowlife dropouts?" The new voice had caused them to all snap their head in your direction, and the boy who had previously been reaching out towards Ji Hee leaned back and gave you a long stare.

"The girls just keep on coming. I didn't know foreign girls could be so hot. I guess you want to join your hot friends too?" As his words left his mouth, he began to take long strides towards you. You stood still, ice cream slowly melting in your hand.

"Let's all have some fun. And if you don't want to, too bad you little s-" The sound of a slap resonated throughout the alley and no one had time to process what had happened before you smashed your ice cream cone into his face.

"I don't know who the fuck you are but don't touch me or my friends."  A low growling sound escaped the back of his throat and his arm snapped in your direction, attempting to grab you. You, anticipating this, had stepped out of the way and crashed your elbow into the side of his face with as much force as possible causing him to stumble back. He quickly regained his balance and cradled his now swollen cheek.

"I think that bitch fractured my jaw!" You could practically feel the anger radiating off of him and the boy charged forward in a blind rage. Before he could get close, a body seemingly fell from the sky beside you, punching him directly on the head and effectively knocking him out.

"You know I don't really want to fight in front of my girl but she kind of threw the first hit." The Japanese rolled off Jungkook's tongue as smoothly as ever and you let out a sigh of relief. In all honesty, you were pretty sure you had somehow messed up your elbow attack and caused possible injury to yourself. You weren't too sure you could take on an angered boy and his friend with the intense pain you were currently enduring.

The other boy, who had remained silent the last few minutes, finally let go of Hye Mi and stepped forward.

"What the fuck are you?" He looked Jungkook up and down in distaste and began rolling up his sleeves, preparing for a fight. That is until Jae Hyun stepped out from behind Jungkook, arms crossed and extremely vexed.

"Kirito get up!" Instead of continuing the fight, he bent down and grabbed his friend before dragging him out of the other side of the alley.

Both Hye Mi and Ji Hee started towards you, Ji Hee with tears running down her face and Hye Mi wringing her hands. Jae Hyun spread his arms out and Ji Hee ran straight into them, silently sobbing. Hye Mi stopped before you and avoided eye contact.

"Thank you, Y-Y/N. I know t-that I've been n-no-" You interrupted her by bringing her into gentle hug and whispered to her.

"It's okay to cry. No one will judge you." That set off the waterworks and Hye Mi clung onto your jacket, wailing.

You spent your time rubbing circles on her back and eventually calmed her down enough to go back to the hotel.

That's one way to spend a free day.

-

You were forced to wake up early the next morning in order for your class to be able to catch your flight back home. When you had packed your things, you raced downstairs with your luggage, quickly eating breakfast and all but begging your teacher to give you five minutes to visit the Koi pond. After receiving an 'okay' you ran to said pond and crouched down on the bridge looking into the water.

"Thanks for keeping me company these past few days. Even though you're fishes, it was very nice." When you began to say goodbye individually to each fish you noticed the familiar orange and white Koi floating at the surface of the pond.

Gasping, you leaned forward trying to get a closer look at the fish you had named Taehyung. The fairly new black Koi was swimming around the dead fish, confirming your suspicions. Although you weren't sure how, you knew that this fish had something to do with the death. It gave you shivers to say the least.

"Woah, what happened to Tae?" Jungkook joined you and you looked up at his confused face before standing up.

"I... I don't know."

You knew you didn't have long so you decided to alert the caretaker about the dead fish before setting on your way back to your class and to the airport. You were aboard the plane only an hour later before you let yourself sink into a deep sleep.

Your trip was over and you couldn't wait to see your family and friends.

[careforselfs]

Tips that changed my young life

Part  1 (one)

 As a kid with ADHD, sleep deprivation and a severe case of laziness, at one time in my life I had stressed myself out to the point where suicide was looking like a viable option. No young person should have to feel that way, especially if it’s because of preventable habits. Around the start of high school my time was spent being unproductive and feeling miserable. I had no motivation to get any work done, I was tired 24/7 but I hardly got any sleep, I was grumpy and depressed and unfocused, and my social life was suffering. Although these are still problems that I (and everyone on this planet) face, I’ve gotten a lot better at handling myself and I’ve stopped putting up with my own bullshit. Although not all of these tips are going to help/are practical for everyone, hopefully some tired and sickly kid like me will find this list and feel a lil more inspired to get the most out of life. 

1. Self-care isn’t what you think it is:

A few years back my idea of self-care was so skewed that my habits ended up doing more harm than good. Whenever I felt bad, I’d usually curl up in a blanket, watch some netflix or scroll tumblr, wallow in self-pity, and eventually fall asleep. While admittedly that is something we can all benefit from every once in a while, when that becomes a daily ritual is when it becomes counter-productive. Self-care is supposed to make you feel good; not only in the moment but in the long run too. Blanket pity cave feels great at the time, but when you finally emerge into the light you find that you’ve wasted time, you still feel sleepy, and nothing has been achieved. But what else could self-care possibly be?!?! you may ask. Well I hate to be the one to say it, but sometimes self-care is doing the last thing that you feel like doing. If you’re feeling tired and sad, often the best remedy is to go for a quick walk around the block. If you knew me at all, you would know that walks are not something I very much enjoy. Especially when I feel like curling up into a sleep-ball, exercise is the last thing I want, but the first thing I need. And I always end up feeling better in the end. And exercise isn’t the only form of self-care! It’s getting a glass of water even when you’re too tired to get up from the bed. Its doing your god-damn homework even when you’re so fucking sick of calculus oh my god I can’t even bare to look at it. Just do it. Even for, like, 10 minutes. Then take a break. It doesn’t seem like much but you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and therefore feel more motivated. Please, just take this from me. Two years ago I would have laughed in your face if you had suggested this to me “I can’t do homework if I don’t feel like I can do it! Are you crazy? That's not how ADHD works!” Well suck it up kid. You gotta take care of yourself. Think long term!

2. Just ask for help:

I like to be independant. I like doing things by myself, without help, because that's what smart people do right? Wrooong. Nobody is born with the innate understanding of how to do everything. It’s a waste of time if you’re trying to get stuff done but you’re stuck because you don’t understand something, and instead of asking a simple question you stubbornly sit in your chair for hours wracking your brain for the answers when you know in your heart they aren’t there. Asking for help can be embarrassing, especially when you think the question is stupid or you think you should be able to do something by yourself. But teachers/parents/chaplains/whoever are usually more than happy to answer your questions, and will rarely think badly of you. They need help sometimes too! And help isn’t only for school work. At some point in time you’ll realize that you need mental health help, or physical help, or emotional help. Those aren’t things to be ashamed of. I used to/still have a lot of trouble getting motivated to complete basic tasks. Before I’d just sit on my ass and wait for the motivation to come naturally, but it never would. Finally I realized that if I simply asked my mom to help me (set a timer, check up on me, go through things step-by-step) I could... actually accomplish stuff. And yes, asking for help, especially for simple and “easy” tasks, is anxiety inducing. Sometimes I felt like a child, incapable and useless. But if you get help straight away, then you learn how to be independant sooner rather than later, and you’ll need less and less help. There’s really no shame in it. Everyone needs help at some point in their life. Everyone. 

3. Identify and treat any underlying health problems you may have:

I was diagnosed with ADHD in grade four, but it didn’t start to affect my life until high school. The second semester of grade ten I noticed my marks dropping an unusual amount, and I was struggling to stay motivated. I was tired, disoriented, grumpy, all the things I’ve listed above. Finally my mom took me to see my old psychiatrist, and she put me on medication. It took a very long time to find a combination of pills and coping strategies that worked for me, but now I find I’m able to cope a lot better. And I know that I’m not just lazy, or dumb, or useless. My brain is wired differently from the norm and I’m not able to function well in the environment that modern society has created. And now that I know that I’m able to adapt. And mental health problems aren’t the only health problems that can affect your outlook on life. For a long time after I had settled on the right meds, I was still feeling tired and hazy. I was weak and pale, had absolutely no strength or energy, and fell asleep so uncontrollably that I started to wonder whether I was narcoleptic. After a blood test to check if I could start new medication, it was discovered that my iron levels were non-existent. All my symptoms were symptoms of low iron. It was such a simple and common health problem, but it had gone undiagnosed for so long that it had started to severely affect my life. I started supplements and added iron-rich foods to my diet, and two years later I’m a completely different person. I can go for hikes. I can wake up early and not feel tired. I have the energy to do whatever I put my mind to, and even my thinking is clearer. Don’t just chalk up all your problems to “I, as a person, just suck.” Sometimes, our “quirks” or “faults” are actually symptoms. 

4. Love unconditionally: 

This tip doesn’t focus on you, but your perception of others. My whole life I’d been in a toxic friendship. My best friend didn’t treat me or others well, but she was all I’d known and therefore I didn’t know any better. She was extremely quick to judge others, on their clothes, hair, and personality. If someone did something she didn’t like, no matter how small, she’d cut them off completely. After a while I learned to think and act the same way, and eventually, to our surprise, we ended up with no friends but each other. I just thought that people were mean. That I was better than them. I understood how the world worked and everyone else was immature, and not worth my time. Unconsciously I ended up judging people by their flaws. I’d disregard all their good traits, their kindness, their loyalty; I’d look through all of that to see only their faults. And nobody is perfect, so I had no friends! My “friend” had even higher standards than I did, so naturally I was cast aside after 10 years of loyal friendship. I was shook, to say the least, and I started to reevaluate how I viewed people. All along I’d obviously known that everyone makes mistakes, you should love people with their flaws, blah blah blah, but I actually started to put that mindset into practice. And I discovered a world full of beautiful, beautiful people. I began to realize that if a friend did or said something I didn’t like, I could still be friends with them. We didn’t have to agree. Sometimes people say or do stupid things. Sometimes people have outbursts, take all their anger out on you. Sometimes they can be unkind or unloyal or untrustworthy. But those things don’t define them. For all their flaws, they have 100 more beautiful traits. You shouldn’t let their problems outshine who they really are. And that’s what I’d been doing! I missed out on so many wonderful friendships because I couldn’t get over the fact that sometimes people aren’t 100% awesome. They can make mistakes and it’s alright! Sometimes they even make big mistakes! And that’s alright too! You can work past them together. I find that when someone is shown unconditional love, instead of taking advantage of you like you might think they would, they tend to become more appreciative of your friendship, and become a more confidant person. But it’s important to remember that it’s also ok to cut toxic people out of your life. Sometimes, for no reason at all, you won’t get along with someone. Your personalities just don’t mesh, or some of their traits just rub you the wrong way. You’re not obligated to be friends with everybody. You don’t have to hate these people, remember they have good things inside them as well, but you also don’t have to devote any of your time to them. It’s also important to remember that some mistakes are just unforgivable. It doesn’t matter what it is, but if someone does something that affects you so much that you don’t know if you could handle keeping them in your life, it’s ok to let them go. You can’t say “it’s fine whatever” when in reality you’re going to suffer. Sometimes, people’s negative traits can outshine their positives in your life. They might not be a bad person, but they can be a bad person for you. All in all, I find that it’s easier to just accept people. I have sooo many more friends now. I’ve been exposed to different types of thinking and different ways of being, and I’ve only become a better person because of it. 

[shannrussell-blog1]

Whilst I would not consider myself an expert hiker by any means, I must admit I discovered a new passion for hiking when travelling around Tasmania. Not only is the state of Tasmania full of some of the most breathtaking landscapes and amazing coastline, it has the perfect climate for hiking.

What fitness level do you need?

I visited Tasmania in March-April and the temperatures were mild and cool which made hiking easier. This means that people of all fitness levels can tackle at least one of the many great short walks in Tasmania. There are literally hundreds of hiking adventures that you can have in Tassie. The most famous of all would probably be the Overland Track, a 65km six-day adventure.

Although I would love to tackle that adventure at some point in my life, if you are planning on travelling around Tassie for a few weeks then you won’t have the time or preparation to hike for 7 days straight.

That’s why I enjoyed the day hikes so much. We were able to see some of the most breathtaking places, but we could also move quickly from place to place and travel around the whole of Tasmania.

The view over Shadow Lake – one of the many sights to see in Tasmania. Photo: Madeleine Kelso

What equipment should you bring?

What I love about the short walks in Tassie is that you don’t need much equipment, so you don’t have to break the budget to get out there and enjoy nature!

The only equipment we had during our short walks was:

Hat

Camelback with water

Compact raincoat (Tasmania is beautiful but it can rain unexpectedly)

Sunscreen

Comfortable runners

Lighter

Protein shakes

and an intrepid sense of adventure!

I’ve managed to narrow down my top 5 top short day hikes in Tassie, so here they are!

Check out the blue sky at Dove Lake at the start of Cradle Mountain! Photo: Madeleine Kelso

The Top 5 Short Hikes to do in Tasmania

1. Wellington Park – Organ Pipes Circuit

This is an approximate 9km return track, with moderate difficulty. The recommended time for completing the track is approximately 4 hours (half-day walk). But we found that there was a lot to see along the way, so it took us about 6 hours to complete.

Also, we found that it’s better to take these walks steadily to ensure you take in as much natural beauty as possible and enjoy the time outdoors. It’s a loop walking track, which means you start and finish at the same place, which in this case is The Springs in Wellington Park. The walk slowly snakes around Kunanyi/Mount Wellington, passing the beautiful sandstone Sphinx Rock which has a lookout platform.

The view of the spectacular Organ Pipes is from the base and is about halfway through the walk. The track then descends back down to The Springs. We did find this walk quite windy and cold, so it’s worth packing a waterproof and windproof jacket. If you are visiting Hobart then I would highly recommend giving this walk a go.

Pack a windproof jacket for your ascent up Mount Wellington. Photo: Madeleine Kelso

2. Freycinet National Park – Wineglass Bay Lookout and Hazards Beach Circuit

The Wineglass Bay walking track is a very popular walking loop track amongst Tasmanian tourists. And although this means you will be sharing the circuit with many other people, the magnificent scenery justifies its popularity. The recommended time to complete the walking track is 4-5 hours.

This is a fairly flat and easy walk that has paved steps that lead to the Wineglass Bay lookout. The views from the lookout are amazing, especially on a clear day. The track then descends after the look-out on the beautiful Wineglass Bay beach. The walk continues to Hazards beach which is safe for swimming, and a perfect spot to stop and have lunch. The trail picks up again after a long walk across the beach and follows the track back to the carpark.

We spent a few nights camping in Freycinet National Park camping so we could explore the area. After our walk, we went to the Freycinet Marine Park for an early dinner. There I had the best mussel pot and Kilpatrick oysters I have ever tasted – so add that to your list!

Wineglass Bay lookout is a popular track, but still worth checking out. Photo: Madeleine Kelso

3. Shadow Lake Circuit (Lake St Clair starting point)

Lake St Clair is the starting point for this walk and is also the end of the Overland Track. There’s a large café and ranger station there where you can find lots of information about the many other hiking trails in Tassie.

There is a ferry that takes people across from one side of the lake to the other. We decided to tackle the Shadow Lake Circuit which is a 15km loop track that takes approximately 4-5hrs to complete.

It is a peaceful walk through the forest that is a 330m gradual climb to Shadow Lake. This is an eerily beautiful spot with the most pristine, and transparent water I have ever seen.

Start at Lake St Clair and make your way around the loop. Photo: Madeleine Kelso

4. South Cape Bay

This walk was just spectacular. It begins from Australia’s most southern road and is approximately 16km in length. The track goes through to the ocean and follows the same track back to the carpark. We camped in the area for a few days so we had plenty of time to explore. I would highly recommend spending a whole day on this walk and have lunch on the ocean cliffs at the other end.

The track is very well maintained, with a few kilometres of boardwalk raising walkers above the marshlands. As the walk continues from the marshlands into the forest, I found this to be one of the most beautiful, untouched parts of Australia. As you start to hear the ocean, you suddenly emerge from the forest and are on the rocky cliffs that hug the Southern Ocean.

Even though it’s a longer walk, it is relatively easy and the rewards at the other end make it worth having a picnic by the cold southern waters.

Take a picnic along so you can have lunch by the ocean at South Cape Bay. Photo: Madeleine Kelso

5. Cradle Mountain Summit Track

If you are considering a visit to Tasmania, a journey to Cradle Mountain is an absolute MUST. Even if you are not a hiker, there is a walk for every age group and fitness level there. The only downside is that it’s very popular as it’s probably one of Australia’s most famous hiking trails. I’d recommend arriving early and packing a lunch as you’re definitely going to want to make a whole day out of it.

There is a tourist car park approximately 20 minutes from Cradle Mountain, as no external vehicles are allowed to drive in and out, so a shuttle bus drove us into the national park. All walks start from the stunning Dove Lake and wind up and around the various mountain ridges that surround the Lake. The main show being, of course, Cradle Mountain.

The view on the way up on the Cradle Mountain Summit Walk. Photo: Madeleine Kelso

We decided to tackle the Cradle Mountain summit track which is approximately 12km.  We took a slightly longer route and headed via Hansen’s Peak. This walk isn’t suitable if you don’t have a moderate level of fitness, as it does involve some pretty intense mountain climbing. Also, some parts of the track are only climbable via the strategically placed chains on the side of the cliff faces.

Of course, the harder a track is, the more spectacular and stunning the rewards usually are at the top and this is absolutely true of the walking trail. I had a clichéd ‘on top of the world’ moment at the peak of that beautiful mountain. If you’re up for an adventurous challenge, then I would highly recommend giving it a go on your Tasmania visit.

I hope this article will whet your appetite for some spectacular hiking adventures while visiting Tasmania!

What’s the best hike you’ve done in Tassie? 

The post The 5 Best Short Walks in Tasmania appeared first on Snowys Blog.

[cayouno]

Phan  Ghost Smut

   So this is suppppppper late. I really wanted to write this for Halloween but procrastination and life got in the way. I hope that you guys still enjoy it even if its a months late. =(

My Turn

Summery: Phil is dared by some classmates to sleep a whole night at the abandon house down the street. The word is that many years ago some one got murder in that house and since then no one has been able to live there. Phil may be superstitious  but not to the extent of believing in ghost or so he thought.

warning : none on part 1. the good stuff comes later !  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

part 1/4

Phil browsed the inside of his blue bag pack  making sure one last time he was well prepared.

flashlight : check 

zip-lock bag of cereal for snaking: check

 Buffy comics to spend the time: check 

Fully charged phone: check 

His pillow and sleeping bag:check

Last but most important his camera: check

 He pulled his brand new red Nikon camera out from the other contents and zipped the bag right after. This object will the only true witness  tonight . Phil turned on the camera and faced it straight in front of him to see the outline of his wavy brunet hair friend. 

“ You dont have to do this Phil. ” PJ said in low tone that only the two boys could hear as he stared at Phil adjust the setting of the cam. “This is stupid. I bet not even one of them would dare to do this.” He added upset while he took a moment to look around and make sure nothing would pop out from the darkness that surrounded them . Phil could now see his friend perfectly after he figured out how to put the camera on night mode for the first time. Pj had his arms crossed along his chest.  

“Its going to be fine”, Phil peeked from behind the camera making eye contact with his friend’s green eyes. “ Just focused on the fact that tomorrow  we will have enough to finally buy two copies of that game we want and left over cash for what ever else. Easy money. ” Phil smiled at PJ who by now knew that Phil was not going to back out no matter how much he complained.

 " Fine but call or come over to my house if anything happens no matter what time it is. We will meet with you here in front of the gate at 9 am. ok?“ Pj undid his arms and put his hands inside the pockets of his green hoodie. After he nodded back at Pj ,Phil took a deep breath as he placed his free hand on the old rusted metallic gate. It was time, he thought when he turned towards the house that they stood outside this whole time. With an easy push the gate swung open reviling what look like the beginning of  stone path that after a few feet disappeared into grass tall enough to reach his own knees. 

“wish me luck!“  Phil said as he verged in the path that he couldn't  even see in the camera’s night mode. As he made it to the house porch he never looked back to see if PJ was still there to witness him do something no one in their town had dared to do. Don’t get him wrong he was not doing this because he had THE BALLS to do it. Phil hated confrontation of any kind but if people picked on his friends it was a different story.

   When some of those snobby wanna  be posh kids from high school picked on Pj Phil  "unleashed the beast”. Which snowball into them daring him to stay few hours during the day at the abandon house but Phil was so over them he was going to show them once and for all. Like an idiot in the heat of the moment,  he up them by saying that he would stay at the house the whole night.  Not even the  dark edgy goth kids of their senior year  would  set foot at in this house at that time.

Phill reached the porch steps and carefully tested each step before he put his whole body pressure on them. The wood creaked violently as if they going to break at the slightest touch .After much teasing, he walked right up to the door. “ENTER IF YOU DARE!!” was vandalized right under the house number door.Phil hit the red record button caught the red spray paint as his first scene.

“This is the 278 the abounded house down our street or like the entire population of the school  calls it the haunted Howells. My name is Phil Lester  and if you find this well I am dead.” Phill laughed at his own comment  as he reached for the door knob. Just like the old gate the door swung open as if the years of wear from nature had lighted the weight of it. “ According to the word on the street this house as been empty for a long time.The housed was own by the Howell family who mysteriously left it and no one has been able to live here since due to supernatural events. Also, there is a rumor that after visiting the house some people have gone missing.”

He shut the door behind him and took a first glance into the living room from the camera’s night vision. Phil pull out the flashlight from his bag, he couldn’t rely on the night mode alone. Living Room was empty no furniture what so ever. There was a lot of leaves, empty beer bottles left behind from the uni jocks that dare each other to stay in the house a few hours during the day and lots of spider webs. Phil made his way to the kitchen and just like the living room it was empty, dusty and dirty.

“well the first floor seems completely empty. It looks like no one is been in the house for a long while but I am still going to look around the house before I settle somewhere. Just cause I am a nerd that believes more in aliens that in ghost that does not mean that there could be a serial killer hiding  ready to kill me. So lets go upstairs.” Phil began his ascend to the second floor of the house. He was not being that silent as he climbed up the steps. This was really a joke. To him this is just an empty house that was just too old to get sold that is all. His mom might have made him slightly superstitious but not enough to believe in other worldly spirits. The stairs led to a hall with four doors. Phil tried to open the first door to his left but it was locked .

 Actually, most of the doors were shut closed and they wouldn’t event budge except for the last one on the right that was wide open. Phil first peeked in the room for safety reasons. This room was quite different from the rest of the house it had furniture. one full wooden framed Bed with a spotted mattress and one  wooden dresser covering a window on the adjacent wall but that was not all. The room was not as dusty or dirty like the rest of the house. Plus it seems as no one ever came up here for there was not even a single piece of trash. Phill walked right up to the bed.

“well guys this looks promising. ” Phil said as he presses against the mattress. Obviously, the top layer of filth bounced up the air and made Phil sneezed that’s when he noticed that the black dots he thought where dirt begun to move.“ lol nope lets not ” He quickly walked away from the bed to the dresser and started to look inside the draws. Three of the four draws were empty but the last one had a few sheets of papers in it. Phil pulled them out and proceeded to close the room door.

“ok so this is where I am going to be staying for the night. Let me pull out my sleeping bag  and then ill read you guys what I found in the dresser.” So Phil put down the camera on top of the dresser  facing him and the flashlight so it illuminated the room some what. He placed the sleeping  bag and his pillow on the other side of the room  far away from the bed as possible. Once settled he faced the papers to the camera . “ ok so in the far corner here if the camera focuses you can see the letters D H, probably initials. All three papers have it. The first paper  is a music sheet which letters have been written over the notes. Maybe there were learning to play an instrument. The second sheet seems like some math homework that was never finished. Last  sheet sais” He stopped and looks around before he reads the rest  ,“I killed all my family  and you are next !“  To wich Phil looks at the camera with his eyes wide open with fear just to laugh after a few seconds.

” It doesn’t say that. what it actually sais is. ’ I had a bad day today Matt canceled on me again. I think he might be getting tired of me but I love him. Also, mum and dad aren’t making it any easier by sniffing around every second . Maybe they are catching on to what is happening between Matt and I. I hope not I couldn’t deal with Matt’s rejection as well as my parents.’ well, D H that quite the romantic drama. is that it ?“ Phil flips the paper to see alittle bit more written in the back of it.  “oh no there is more ’ some times I wish I was in control of all this. When will it be MY TURN?’ “  His last words come out like a whisper. After a half second of silence he put the paper down with the rest  “Same D H same. Well, I hope where ever you are now you are better off. Anyway, now I am just gonna read some of my comics and eat my snack !”

Phil took the camera from down from the dresser and placed it  on the  red wood floor far enough to where you could see the whole sleeping bag.  He was set. The intended plan was to re-read his buffy comic collection book , snack and try to stay up. Two hours went by of him just sat on his sleeping bag reading away and snacking on a bunch of mix cereal because he couldn’t decide on flavor when he packed. Every so often he would laugh get up and walk to the camera to show it something he found funny or he thought was cool. 

“hey guys. so I really wanted to stay up the whole time but i am too tierd. It was a school day today .. um i mean yesterday  its already like 3 Am. I am going to take a nap you guys are on the look out . My life depends on you. See you  later .”   He made is way back to the sleeping bag and past out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

please leave comments if you like it  

Part : 2&3

[lostallblue]

OCs #1 + #2

in other news, i have way too many ocs. i can’t even. i hate myself. but these two dorks are two of my favourites and also they come as a pair so i have to post them together. it just can’t be otherwise, mate.

so here we’ve got actual murder child celia and soft, book-nerd horatio. me? have a problem naming characters so i just name them after shakespeare’s characters? would i do that? it’s more likely than you think. incidentally, i hate epithets so much. how do you come up with them? i don’t have a clue.

@hundredsunny enjoy my nerd ocs (i’m thepinkfluffyunicorn btw, this is just my one piece blog). they’re both idiots but i love them.

NAME: jernigan celia EPITHET: the nightwalker -  because she murders people at night, truly an imaginative name. NICKNAMES: lee (literally only horatio gets away with this), most people just call her by jernigan unless they’re close friends. AGE: 21 (pre) 23 (post) BDAY: 1st of december BIRTHPLACE: arden island in the grand line - a foresty spring island with lots of big, terrifying monsters. heck yeah. GENDER: female HEIGHT:  5.8 WEIGHT: 69kg HAIR: black, v straight. EYES: dark. APPEARANCE: celia is this tol girl with kind of medium-brown skin? she looks vaguely arabian? she tends to tie her hair back with complex plaits that mean things in her culture. she has one that means honour, another that means something overcome and three for each member of her family that were killed or went missing. the rest tend to vary depending on the situation. her style is very casual when she's not in assassin-mode. jeans and a graphic t-shirt are her sort of thing. with strong boots that can handle lots of work. she also has a leather jacket that she pinched from a shop in loguetown once. she loves it. she does, however, love the chance to dress up. she goes for really gorgeous dresses that are all long and shiny. but she only rarely gets the chance. when in assassin mode, she wears tight, dark clothes with a hood and light shoes with a good grip. and knives. lots of knives. SMELL: the blood of her enemies. FAVE FOOD: lasagne FAVE DRINK: berry cider (and by that, i mean the sort we have over here that's alcoholic) FAVE SEASON: summer REPRESENTATIVE NATIONALITY: welsh BOUNTY: 100 000 000 - but not for celia the person, just for the nightwalker the assassin. they don't know who she is. because she’s a snek. DEVIL FRUIT: none! PROFESSION: private assassin CREW: none PERSONALITY: celia is an angry bean who wants to fight you. she's pretty good at concealing her feelings, but is pretty much at ease with them. she's fine with being a pretty emotional person. she's also hecka oblivious. she doesn't notice when people flirt with her. it just goes right over her head. horatio thinks it's hilarious. she would 10/10 flirt back if she realised - not that she's actually any good at flirting. her version of flirting usually involves knives in some way. she loves her knives. a lot. never leaves home without them. has named all of them and can actually tell them all apart, even the ones that look identical to literally anyone else. she loves horatio a whole lot. would literally tear the world to shreds for him. he's basically her brother in every way that actually matters. he makes her laugh when nobody else can and is the only person who can draw her out of her own head when she gets lost in her thoughts. he's also basically the only person she cares about. she hates slavers and murders them. she also appreciates money a lot. would definitely rip you off if you gave her the chance. she has a big thing about being able to make her own choices and having control over her own life - a consequence of being a former slave. she's also illiterate, so that's a problem. she doesn't deal well with being reminded of it. horatio's tried to teach her, but she's probs dyslexic so she struggles a lot with it and doesn't have the patience to actually commit to learning it. anyone who calls her stupid will face her knives. LIKES: her knives, horatio, generally pasta, tomatoes, alcohol, murdering evil people who own slaves, pretty dresses, make-up. DISLIKES: slavers, feeling stupid, spring because she has a pollen allergy WEAPONS: celia has knives. celia's life is made up of knives. she loves her knives. she would marry her knives. she's also very good with her knives. HISTORY: celia was born on arden island which is a pretty cool place. mostly forest with a few villages and a few bigger towns. no big cities. celia's home village was on the edge, looking out onto a beach and the ocean but with a forest at its back. it had one of the only three docks on the island so they saw a lot of business from both marines and pirates. anyway, a couple of years later, celia's little sister - rosalind - was born. celia and rosalind were really close as kids, they both loved to explore the forest outside their home. but when celia was nine, slavers raided their village and a bunch of people were killed, including celia's parents. both celia and rosalind were taken as slaves. they managed to stay together at first, but when they were sold at sabaody, they were seperated and celia never saw her sister again. she became a celestial dragon slave and everything was pretty bad for a while. when she was fourteen, yuji - a former marine who'd started his own group of rebels separate to the revolutionary army because he didn't think dragon was doing enough - freed a bunch of slaves of which celia was one. celia joined up with his group because she didn't have anywhere else to go and yuji taught her how to fight and kill. he basically used her as his assassin, sending her out to kill his enemies. celia adored him though, he had saved her and yuji was pretty good at making people like him. when celia was eighteen, yuji brought horatio back severely injured and celia watched horatio get better and then - in her eyes - steal her place at yuji's side. see, that was kind of yuji's shtick, manipulate people into caring about him and then pit them against each other so that they didn't band together and turn against him. so at first, celia was super jealous and that meant that she and horatio did not get along. at all. they fought constantly. but because celia was no longer quite so focused on by yuji, she started noticing how...awful and manipulative he was toward horatio. she noticed how often he'd emotionally abuse and manipulate him and make him feel like he owed yuji the world. which, she realised part way through, was pretty much exactly what he'd done to her. so she started trying to befriend horatio. at first, horatio didn't trust her. but they did slowly become friends. and celia started trying to convince horatio to leave with her. because she could see how much damage yuji was doing to him and she was Not Okay with it. horatio completely ignored her at first, but bit by bit she managed to convince him that yuji wasn't as good as he thought. and eventually, they managed to run away and headed for the grand line together. this would be when celia's about twenty. they basically set themselves up as slaver-hunters. they assassinate big people in the slave-trading business and, along the way, celia looks for her little sister.

and the next dork.

NAME: tveit horatio (not that he uses his surname) EPITHET: NICKNAMES: AGE: 18 (pre), 20 (post) BDAY: 4th of january BIRTHPLACE: icthus island in the north blue GENDER: male HEIGHT: 5.6 WEIGHT: 55kg HAIR: horatio has floppy, straight white hair. and yes, that is natural, he hasn't gone white because of stress. although he 10/10 probably would have done, if that was possible. EYES: blue APPEARANCE: horatio is actually? pretty good-looking which makes celia hiss because then people start trying to flirt with him. he's mega lanky, noodle arms all over the place. a smol boy who is just...v short, for a guy. he was tol once, back when he was like eleven, but he hasn't grown since, so......concerning. for added shortness appreciation, he's shorter than nami. chopper is the only straw hat he's taller than. this is hilarious to me. he also appreciates looking good, so most of his clothes are pretty well-made. he likes the woollen top-coat over jumper and shirt Look because he thinks he looks distinguished. celia think it makes him look like a nerd.   he has a lot of pretty horrible scars all over his body, so he tries to stay as covered up as physically possible. he likes the coat because it covers his neck when he keeps the collar up. and whenever he can get away with it without looking weird (read, whenever it's not too hot for it) he likes to wear a dark red wool scarf that he knitted himself. he likes a good pair of oxford shoes, but he tends to wear boots more because they're easier to run and fight in. he also carries throwing knives, but they're normally under his coat. he uses a long, black cane to walk - because his hip is really badly damaged and he has a bad limp. but! at least he has a cane with which to look cool and also to break the bones of his enemies. SMELL: butterscotch FAVE FOOD: banoffee pie FAVE DRINK: hot chocolate FAVE SEASON: autumn - he likes the colours and anything pumpkin/pumpkin-spice flavoured. REPRESENTATIVE NATIONALITY: norwegian BOUNTY: currently none and they're desperately trying to keep it that way. DEVIL FRUIT: none! PROFESSION: spy - as in, he spies and finds information about targets for celia, who then kills them. CREW: none PERSONALITY: horatio is an anxious nerd, okay? he's such a nerd. he's actually on the autistic spectrum so he has Special Interests such as astronomy and history. he also fixated on linguistics years ago and has never let go. he tends to feel emotions really strongly and cares a whole lot, but struggles a lot with both processing and actually showing his emotions. feelings in general are very confusing to him. he tends to do his absolute best to ignore his feelings until they become overwhelming and cause him to shut down. he sometimes loses his language when that happens. he also has OCD. so that's a fun time. he's pretty charming when he needs to be though. v flirtatious, which is hilarious considering he's hecka aro-ace. he knows how to make people do what he wants them to do. an important skill considering his job. but don't let any of that fool you, horatio is actually an idiot. sometimes he does stuff and he doesn't even know why he did the thing. he just did it. when he isn't on a job, he doesn't think about the consequences of his actions. he just acts on impulse. he's a dumbo. LIKES: books, history, linguistics, astronomy, dancing, pumpkins, stimming and also the ocean in general - horatio loves the ocean a lot. DISLIKES: potatoes, his family, slavery + slave owners, having Feelings(tm), lilies because he's allergic, bad rulers/monarchs, the marines as a whole annoy him a lot because he thinks they're all idiots which, i mean, in all fairness.... WEAPONS: like i said, he uses throwing knives a lot and also his cane which he can swing around with deadly efficiency. not to mention, nobody ever takes it away from him when he's going into places where weapons aren't allowed. you know that scene in lord of the rings: the two towers where the rohirrim are trying to take gandalf's staff away from him but gandalf's like 'you wouldn't take an old man's stick away from him, would you?' and they let him keep it. that's horatio. horatio is not above using his disability to manipulate people. HISTORY: okay so horatio was born on icthus island. but he wasn't just a random person. he was born into the royal family! specifically the tveit family. he had five brothers and a sister. all of them hated him. the tveit family is awful. in general. they're cruel rulers. so pretty much from day one, his family were terrible to him. see, they picked up pretty quickly that he was Weird because it took him like four years to talk for the first time and then it was in full sentences. and from then on, he was just...odd? from their point-of-view. they were really stiff and formal and, also, they owned slaves. because why not? at first horatio wasn't against what they did both to others and also to him, because he didn't know any better, but then. a thing happened. his nurse - aurora - who helped him to speak and taught him to handle his anxiety and sensory issues when his family would just dismiss or punish him for his bad moments, was blamed for a theft when he was nine. it was actually horatio's older sister who broke the thing that was 'stolen' then lied about it and...everybody knew. but that didn't really matter to the king and queen, so they executed aurora for theft. and horatio lost the one person who actually cared about him. it was this that really jarred him out of the whole 'this is okay' thing and he realised how awful everything they did really was. and he started trying to protect the slaves in their palace. but that just made his family more annoyed with him. and so it carried on for, like, five years in pretty much the same way. horatio did something that upset them, they beat him for it or locked him up or starved him. everything sucked. and then everything really went wrong. when he was fifteen, he made the terrible mistake of befriending a slave called antonio. antonio was from the grand line - specifically alabasta! - and told him stories about the nefertari family who are amazing rulers and so kind. horatio low-key didn't believe him, but he still has a vague dream of going to alabasta and meeting nefertari vivi and her father. but then horatio's brother found out about his friendship with antonio. before then, horatio had mostly just tried to protect the slaves, but had never actually befriended them before. his brother was disgusted at the idea of his younger brother actually befriending a slave and 'disgracing their family' in such a way. his brother told their parents and... they had both horatio and antonio brought before them. after confirming that what horatio's brother had said was true, they executed antonio. but they didn't stop there. instead, they cheerfully went on to sentence horatio to death for disgracing the family name. they basically had him tortured for days. his siblings went to town on him. and after like two weeks, they left him outside the palace to die on his own. and it was here that old yuji found him. horatio was barely alive, but yuji took him back to his nearest base and managed to save his life. this whole fiasco - btw - is why horatio needs a cane. which sucks. horatio's family believe that they murdered him, so they had this big funeral for him ala sanji and the vinsmokes, except they actually think he's dead. and this is the big reason why celia and horatio are trying to hard to make sure he doesn't get a bounty. because they do not want to risk his family finding him again. so we already know how the whole thing with yuji went. celia realises what's going on and tries to convince horatio to leave. but it takes him forever to believe her because one of the big issues that his family left him with is that, well, he has absurdly low expectations for how people treat him. in his mind, if they're not physically abusing him, then everything's cool. because they're not as bad as his family. so that's why it took her so long to convince him. horatio's about seventeen when they leave.

CANON TIME-PERIOD CONNECTIONS: they - as a duo - have their first encounter with canon one piece characters about half-way through the pre-time skip era? they arrive in alabasta post-war and end up in a Fiasco that leads to them meeting vivi. which was their intention anyway because horatio really, really wanted to meet vivi. vivi gets on with horatio the best - the old both being royals thing really helps with friendship, apparently. celia spend roughly half the time pouting because she thought horatio liked vivi more than her. she is easily made jealous. but they do end up friends in the end and it's all good. vivi told them stories about the straw-hats and as a result, the Dynamic Duo really want to meet them. just because of that. they end up leaving about enies lobby time and heading off along the grand-line for more adventure. and murder. that too. they also run into old jewelry bonney part way through her journey, after they leave alabasta. celia fights her. then they end up bonding over mutual pasta appreciation. so that's nice. horatio was Amused. i haven't fully thought through their time-skip existence, but i know that celia wants to meet luffy even more just so she can congratulate him on punching a celestial dragon. the day she heard about it, she literally cheered. it was great. 

[timclymer]

Recovery of Your Health after Cesarean Section

If a baby was born with help of Cesarean section, this means that his first cry – is a special miracle. But you need to recover as soon as possible after this operation to enjoy happiness of maternity.

First days after Cesarean section are most difficult. Such small things, like turning sideways, coughing, taking a deep breathe or reaching a bed is so difficult for you now.

FIRST DAYS

During the first day after operation a new mother is in intensive care, where a nurse and anaesthetist take care after her. They take her blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, value level of uterus contraction and intensity of vaginal secretions, urination.

A nurse changes bandages in the area of postoperative stitch. After taking epidural or spinal anesthesia a woman should stay in bed from 3 to 12 hours. She should get up little by little, without haste, sudden moves and surely in presence of some medical staff or relatives. She can sit on 2nd-3rd day after operation.

To feel more comfortable after operation, you just should follow these advices:

Turning aside

1. It will be easier for you to turn from back to side, if you, first of all, bend your knees so that your feet would set against a level you are lying on.

2. Set you feet against this level and raise your hips so that to draw yourself up from shoulders to knees.

3. Turn your hips aside and pull down them. Then turn an upper part of your body to the same direction.

So, you are lying on side. Such method saves your stitches from damage and prevents your elbows from painful rubbing against bed-sheets.

Cough

If you were given general anaesthetic during operation, you need to cough to get rid of slime that accumulated in your lungs.

Use a simple technique called “woof” to clear your throat without painful sensations. Regardless of its ironic name, it is really effective and recommended by experts.

1. You need to strengthen stitches with your hands, small pillow or tie them up with a towel.

2. Now take a deep breath, filling your lungs completely.

3. Next action – full breath, sharply, but accurately – drawing inside your belly, but swelling it.

4. Utter a sound, resembling “bow-wow”.

5. Repeat several times during an hour, especially if you feel gurgling or sobs in your thorax. If your thorax is clear and you get up regularly, there is no need to do this often.

Going up and walking

A nurse will help you getting up firstly after your doctor’s permission. While doing this you may feel weakness and dizziness. Don’t be frightened! This is natural, as you just have had a cavernous operation! Regardless of whether you were given general anaesthetic or epidural anesthesia, feeling of weakness while first raises is inevitable.

Now, having raised firstly, think that most difficult things are in past already, and your first raising already means that you are on your way to recovery and it will pass smoothly and quickly.

Do the following exercises to get up:

1. Turning on side, allow your legs lean over edge of a bed and move to a sitting position.

2. Sit for a while and do moves with your legs.

3. When you are ready, pull your feet down and stand up (surely with someone’s assistance). Try to stand as straight as you can. This will not damage your stitches, even if it seems they are stretching.

4. Once you get used to standing, make a small step.

Every time while getting up, you will notice that it becomes easier for you.

Now try to increase duration of your walks little by little. You just should not forget to think:

– I’m a good girl. I grow stronger with every step. Each move approaches my discharge.

Wind

They appear after any operation on abdominal cavity. A reason of this trouble is slowing down of intestinal activity as a result of operation. Following exercises will help you to cope with wind:

– deep breathing;

– swinging in an arm-chair (if you suffer from wind at home already);

– exclusion of food and drinks causing wind from postoperative ration.

Urination

Another delicate topic – is possible difficulties with urination. They may appear only after catheter in ureter, anesthesia and operation on abdominal cavity.

Don’t worry, drink more liquid, try to urinate in shower or bath. If you cannot urinate by yourself, you still need catheter to empty urinary bladder.

WHOLESOME NUTRITION

Day 1st.

A woman can drink non-gas water, acidulated with lemon juice. Taking into account the fact that usually a drop bottle is used after operation, during first day a mother receives all nutritive materials directly in blood channel.

Day 2nd

On the 2nd day after Cesarean section a woman is transferred from intensive care to a post-natal ward. A diet after Cesarean section resembles a diet after any cavernous operation. Square food is excluded – during this period you need to spare organs of alimentary canal to the maximum.

Day 3rd and later

Food ration should be varied little by little. On the 3rd day after operation you may include a non-fat chicken broth, minced boiled meat, cotton cheese or meat puree or soufflé, porridge in your menu. The whole ration is divided into 5-6 meals. You can drink not very sweet tea, not thick kissels, compotes, dog-rose extract. A usual quantity of food during each meal is 70-100 mL.

The first independent stool should fall on 3rd-5th day after operation. After this you may return to food, which you ate during pregnancy, but taking into account restriction, recommended for nursing moms. You know, milk appears by this time as a rule.

Normalization of stool and preventive measures against constipations:

– moderate physical activity,

– enough quantity of vegetables and fruits (especially prunes) in your ration. During this period there are already no peculiarities of nutrition for women, who gave birth with help of Cesarean section.

BREAST FEEDING FROM “A” TO “Z”

There is a possibility of first feeding in operating-room yet, under condition that you were given local anaesthetic, and rules of hospital allow such feeding. However, you will have to wait a little with feeding, in case you were given general anaesthetic or your baby requires medical treatment.

Try to take your baby off children ward, as soon as you recover. You need to remember that certain physical factors make a baby’s putting to breast difficult.

Even fear may become a reason of first unsuccessful feedings. Moreover, milk may come later (on the 5th-9h day) because of the fact that you were given general anaesthetic and restriction of usage of remedies that contract uterus, lack of necessary hormones, secreted during natural childbirth. However, your baby needs breast milk so much!

Remember these rules

– Require your baby to put him to your breast right after delivery or after you recover from anaesthesia. But don’t expect a real feeding from the first putting to breast, as you both still need learning a lot.

– Ask for your doctor’s support, if you face doctors’ or nurses’ prohibition to feed your baby in post-natal ward, moreover, if delivery passed well. They should bring your baby to you for breast feeding.

– Most often they use medicines, compatible with breast feeding in maternity hospitals after Cesarean section, however, nurses still frighten mothers with harmful medicines, especially antibiotics. Ask your doctor which preparations are prescribed to you, and whether they are compatible with breast feeding. Write down names of these medicines.

– It may happen that during time, meant for feeding, your baby will be sleeping. Wake him up, regardless of the fact that it may seem unethical. When he awakes, start feeding at once. The main is your wish to start and continue feeding. Processing of milk depends on 2 factors a lot: your confidence that you can feed your baby and a baby’s sucking activity.

– Whenever they bring your baby to you for feeding, put him to breast surely, even if he is sleeping: babies can suck even half asleep.

– Be patient. Don’t worry, your baby will not be hungry, as new-born babies’ need in food is small. First of all, your baby needs love and caress. Cuddle him to yourself. He will “remember” your heartbeat and “recognize” you.

– If a baby turned out to be with you only on 3rd day and is kept separately still:

While staying in a ward separately from your baby, draw off both breasts – it is better to do 8-10 short 5-minute attempts, every 2 hours, excluding night break from 24.00 to 6.00. Your baby has just been born, and there is little colostrums produced still – according to its natural need. So 5-10 g you draw off – are enough. And it is impossible to draw off everything. Don’t torture yourself. Put colostrums in a bottle, it should be kept out of fridge during 8 hours, under room temperature. While the first opportunity give colostrums to your baby, it is better to do it using a spoon, putting a baby on your elbow, so that he would lie half-vertically on it.

If they bring your baby to you according to a schedule, keep also 6-8 decantations, excluding night break. As a rule, every second feeding is ineffective, because a baby is given supplemental feeding, and he got used to suck from a bottle. If a baby was sucking breast actively in a correct position during feeding, you can treat this date as a decantation. If he sucked inertly, draw off breast after feeding.

– While every date with your baby you should concentrate not on the quantity he sucks, but on the way he takes breast.

– Put your baby to both breasts surely during one feeding, for better stimulation of lactation. Do this until you feel considerable flood of milk, which may begin on the 2nd-5th day after they started bringing your baby to you regularly.

– Feed your baby only when he is calm. Otherwise he will not be able to find and catch a nipple. If a baby is crying strongly, cuddle him, waggle and calm down. Then give him breast. To reduce postoperative lethargy, put a pillow under your baby while feeding, lying on your side. With time a pain of stitch will pass away and you will feel only joy while feeding your baby.

You are at home with your baby! Don’t get nervous, if you face troubles feeding your baby. You should start feeding being calm and relaxed as possible as you can. Learn thinking of nothing that may make you sad or disturb.

Moreover, psychic tension can reduce excretion of milk twice.

– Invite a consultant on breast feeding to learn practice and technique of breast feeding (you need to learn putting, removing your baby to/from breast correctly, making yourself comfortable, feed in different positions, feed lying and sleeping with your baby, draw off correctly, if necessary),

– Put your baby to breast every 2 hours before consultation on breast feeding, regardless of whether he is sleeping or not, excluding night break from 22.00-24.00 to 4 am.

– Take your baby in bed with you, as soon as you go to bed and sleep with him during whole night.

You nutrition during pregnancy

While breast feeding you need to include in your daily ration at least 500 mL of milk, kefir or curdled milk, 50-100 g of cotton cheese, about 200 g of meat, 600 g of vegetables (it is better to insert different vegetables separately), 1 egg, 300-500 g of fruits (quantity should be increased little by little), 35 g of butter and 20 g of vegetable oil.

You should exclude alcohol and food, causing allergy off your ration: honey, citruses, strawberry, chocolate, canned food, cooked meats. You need to drink enough liquid. It is also recommended to recommence taking of vitamin-mineral complexes for pregnant and nursing mothers, as necessity in vitamins and minerals are still as high, as during pregnancy.

It is desirable, that someone would help you at home, so that you could devote your time to recovery and arranging of breast feeding. 2-3 months later you will already be able to do special exercises to gain elasticity of belly, slenderness of legs and beauty of breast.

Anyway, now you are a MOTHER! Proud, but tender and loving. Flap above your cosy home and cover it carefully, as now your happiness is concentrated here – happiness of maternity!

Source by Yana Mikheeva

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/recovery-of-your-health-after-cesarean-section/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/184453976030 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

[homesolutionsforev]

Recovery of Your Health after Cesarean Section

If a baby was born with help of Cesarean section, this means that his first cry – is a special miracle. But you need to recover as soon as possible after this operation to enjoy happiness of maternity.

First days after Cesarean section are most difficult. Such small things, like turning sideways, coughing, taking a deep breathe or reaching a bed is so difficult for you now.

FIRST DAYS

During the first day after operation a new mother is in intensive care, where a nurse and anaesthetist take care after her. They take her blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, value level of uterus contraction and intensity of vaginal secretions, urination.

A nurse changes bandages in the area of postoperative stitch. After taking epidural or spinal anesthesia a woman should stay in bed from 3 to 12 hours. She should get up little by little, without haste, sudden moves and surely in presence of some medical staff or relatives. She can sit on 2nd-3rd day after operation.

To feel more comfortable after operation, you just should follow these advices:

Turning aside

1. It will be easier for you to turn from back to side, if you, first of all, bend your knees so that your feet would set against a level you are lying on.

2. Set you feet against this level and raise your hips so that to draw yourself up from shoulders to knees.

3. Turn your hips aside and pull down them. Then turn an upper part of your body to the same direction.

So, you are lying on side. Such method saves your stitches from damage and prevents your elbows from painful rubbing against bed-sheets.

Cough

If you were given general anaesthetic during operation, you need to cough to get rid of slime that accumulated in your lungs.

Use a simple technique called “woof” to clear your throat without painful sensations. Regardless of its ironic name, it is really effective and recommended by experts.

1. You need to strengthen stitches with your hands, small pillow or tie them up with a towel.

2. Now take a deep breath, filling your lungs completely.

3. Next action – full breath, sharply, but accurately – drawing inside your belly, but swelling it.

4. Utter a sound, resembling “bow-wow”.

5. Repeat several times during an hour, especially if you feel gurgling or sobs in your thorax. If your thorax is clear and you get up regularly, there is no need to do this often.

Going up and walking

A nurse will help you getting up firstly after your doctor’s permission. While doing this you may feel weakness and dizziness. Don’t be frightened! This is natural, as you just have had a cavernous operation! Regardless of whether you were given general anaesthetic or epidural anesthesia, feeling of weakness while first raises is inevitable.

Now, having raised firstly, think that most difficult things are in past already, and your first raising already means that you are on your way to recovery and it will pass smoothly and quickly.

Do the following exercises to get up:

1. Turning on side, allow your legs lean over edge of a bed and move to a sitting position.

2. Sit for a while and do moves with your legs.

3. When you are ready, pull your feet down and stand up (surely with someone’s assistance). Try to stand as straight as you can. This will not damage your stitches, even if it seems they are stretching.

4. Once you get used to standing, make a small step.

Every time while getting up, you will notice that it becomes easier for you.

Now try to increase duration of your walks little by little. You just should not forget to think:

– I’m a good girl. I grow stronger with every step. Each move approaches my discharge.

Wind

They appear after any operation on abdominal cavity. A reason of this trouble is slowing down of intestinal activity as a result of operation. Following exercises will help you to cope with wind:

– deep breathing;

– swinging in an arm-chair (if you suffer from wind at home already);

– exclusion of food and drinks causing wind from postoperative ration.

Urination

Another delicate topic – is possible difficulties with urination. They may appear only after catheter in ureter, anesthesia and operation on abdominal cavity.

Don’t worry, drink more liquid, try to urinate in shower or bath. If you cannot urinate by yourself, you still need catheter to empty urinary bladder.

WHOLESOME NUTRITION

Day 1st.

A woman can drink non-gas water, acidulated with lemon juice. Taking into account the fact that usually a drop bottle is used after operation, during first day a mother receives all nutritive materials directly in blood channel.

Day 2nd

On the 2nd day after Cesarean section a woman is transferred from intensive care to a post-natal ward. A diet after Cesarean section resembles a diet after any cavernous operation. Square food is excluded – during this period you need to spare organs of alimentary canal to the maximum.

Day 3rd and later

Food ration should be varied little by little. On the 3rd day after operation you may include a non-fat chicken broth, minced boiled meat, cotton cheese or meat puree or soufflé, porridge in your menu. The whole ration is divided into 5-6 meals. You can drink not very sweet tea, not thick kissels, compotes, dog-rose extract. A usual quantity of food during each meal is 70-100 mL.

The first independent stool should fall on 3rd-5th day after operation. After this you may return to food, which you ate during pregnancy, but taking into account restriction, recommended for nursing moms. You know, milk appears by this time as a rule.

Normalization of stool and preventive measures against constipations:

– moderate physical activity,

– enough quantity of vegetables and fruits (especially prunes) in your ration. During this period there are already no peculiarities of nutrition for women, who gave birth with help of Cesarean section.

BREAST FEEDING FROM “A” TO “Z”

There is a possibility of first feeding in operating-room yet, under condition that you were given local anaesthetic, and rules of hospital allow such feeding. However, you will have to wait a little with feeding, in case you were given general anaesthetic or your baby requires medical treatment.

Try to take your baby off children ward, as soon as you recover. You need to remember that certain physical factors make a baby’s putting to breast difficult.

Even fear may become a reason of first unsuccessful feedings. Moreover, milk may come later (on the 5th-9h day) because of the fact that you were given general anaesthetic and restriction of usage of remedies that contract uterus, lack of necessary hormones, secreted during natural childbirth. However, your baby needs breast milk so much!

Remember these rules

– Require your baby to put him to your breast right after delivery or after you recover from anaesthesia. But don’t expect a real feeding from the first putting to breast, as you both still need learning a lot.

– Ask for your doctor’s support, if you face doctors’ or nurses’ prohibition to feed your baby in post-natal ward, moreover, if delivery passed well. They should bring your baby to you for breast feeding.

– Most often they use medicines, compatible with breast feeding in maternity hospitals after Cesarean section, however, nurses still frighten mothers with harmful medicines, especially antibiotics. Ask your doctor which preparations are prescribed to you, and whether they are compatible with breast feeding. Write down names of these medicines.

– It may happen that during time, meant for feeding, your baby will be sleeping. Wake him up, regardless of the fact that it may seem unethical. When he awakes, start feeding at once. The main is your wish to start and continue feeding. Processing of milk depends on 2 factors a lot: your confidence that you can feed your baby and a baby’s sucking activity.

– Whenever they bring your baby to you for feeding, put him to breast surely, even if he is sleeping: babies can suck even half asleep.

– Be patient. Don’t worry, your baby will not be hungry, as new-born babies’ need in food is small. First of all, your baby needs love and caress. Cuddle him to yourself. He will “remember” your heartbeat and “recognize” you.

– If a baby turned out to be with you only on 3rd day and is kept separately still:

While staying in a ward separately from your baby, draw off both breasts – it is better to do 8-10 short 5-minute attempts, every 2 hours, excluding night break from 24.00 to 6.00. Your baby has just been born, and there is little colostrums produced still – according to its natural need. So 5-10 g you draw off – are enough. And it is impossible to draw off everything. Don’t torture yourself. Put colostrums in a bottle, it should be kept out of fridge during 8 hours, under room temperature. While the first opportunity give colostrums to your baby, it is better to do it using a spoon, putting a baby on your elbow, so that he would lie half-vertically on it.

If they bring your baby to you according to a schedule, keep also 6-8 decantations, excluding night break. As a rule, every second feeding is ineffective, because a baby is given supplemental feeding, and he got used to suck from a bottle. If a baby was sucking breast actively in a correct position during feeding, you can treat this date as a decantation. If he sucked inertly, draw off breast after feeding.

– While every date with your baby you should concentrate not on the quantity he sucks, but on the way he takes breast.

– Put your baby to both breasts surely during one feeding, for better stimulation of lactation. Do this until you feel considerable flood of milk, which may begin on the 2nd-5th day after they started bringing your baby to you regularly.

– Feed your baby only when he is calm. Otherwise he will not be able to find and catch a nipple. If a baby is crying strongly, cuddle him, waggle and calm down. Then give him breast. To reduce postoperative lethargy, put a pillow under your baby while feeding, lying on your side. With time a pain of stitch will pass away and you will feel only joy while feeding your baby.

You are at home with your baby! Don’t get nervous, if you face troubles feeding your baby. You should start feeding being calm and relaxed as possible as you can. Learn thinking of nothing that may make you sad or disturb.

Moreover, psychic tension can reduce excretion of milk twice.

– Invite a consultant on breast feeding to learn practice and technique of breast feeding (you need to learn putting, removing your baby to/from breast correctly, making yourself comfortable, feed in different positions, feed lying and sleeping with your baby, draw off correctly, if necessary),

– Put your baby to breast every 2 hours before consultation on breast feeding, regardless of whether he is sleeping or not, excluding night break from 22.00-24.00 to 4 am.

– Take your baby in bed with you, as soon as you go to bed and sleep with him during whole night.

You nutrition during pregnancy

While breast feeding you need to include in your daily ration at least 500 mL of milk, kefir or curdled milk, 50-100 g of cotton cheese, about 200 g of meat, 600 g of vegetables (it is better to insert different vegetables separately), 1 egg, 300-500 g of fruits (quantity should be increased little by little), 35 g of butter and 20 g of vegetable oil.

You should exclude alcohol and food, causing allergy off your ration: honey, citruses, strawberry, chocolate, canned food, cooked meats. You need to drink enough liquid. It is also recommended to recommence taking of vitamin-mineral complexes for pregnant and nursing mothers, as necessity in vitamins and minerals are still as high, as during pregnancy.

It is desirable, that someone would help you at home, so that you could devote your time to recovery and arranging of breast feeding. 2-3 months later you will already be able to do special exercises to gain elasticity of belly, slenderness of legs and beauty of breast.

Anyway, now you are a MOTHER! Proud, but tender and loving. Flap above your cosy home and cover it carefully, as now your happiness is concentrated here – happiness of maternity!

Source by Yana Mikheeva

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/recovery-of-your-health-after-cesarean-section/ via Home Solutions on WordPress

[lindyhunt]

Does Bryan Singer’s Film Bohemian Rhapsody Deserve to Get Awards Love?

The ranks here at FASHION are not filled with men. Shocking, right? But there are one or two (there are actually, literally, two). Naturally, when a question about male/female dynamics arises it’s only fair that one of them stand in for the members of his gender and provide some insight. Our last topic of conversation was about controversial Christmas song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and today we’re discussing whether Bryan Singer-directed Bohemian Rhapsody should be snapping up any prizes this awards season. Two of our staffers—from the men’s corner, Greg Hudson, and from the women’s, Pahull Bains—talk it out.

PB: When Bohemian Rhapsody won the Best Picture (Drama) award at the Golden Globes last weekend, in addition to perplexity from critics who had largely panned the film, there was a fair bit of outrage on the internet. Evan Rachel Wood tweeted, “So we just..we are all still supposed to be pretending we don’t know about Bryan Singer? Cause it worked out really well with #Spacey and #Weinstein.” Now, I’m all for men finally getting their comeuppance but I also think it’s unfair that the entire cast and crew of a film be punished for the misdeeds of one person, whose shadiness wasn’t known until the #MeToo Flood of 2017. Or so I thought.

Yes, in 2017 Singer was fired as director of the film partway through shooting for causing “on-set chaos”: showing up late, being unavailable for days at a time, disappearing without the studio’s permission. Just a few days later, it emerged that Singer had been accused of rape by Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, who had been 17 at the time of the assault in 2003. So, I thought to myself, production on this film began before this news came out, so we can’t blame the team for working with him. I’m no fan of the movie, but let them have their moment of glory, thought I, wee innocent one.

As it turns out, allegations against Singer—who has directed films like The Usual Suspects and X-Men: First Class—go way, way back. In December 2017, IndieWire published “The Bryan Singer Timeline: a History of Allegations and Defenses, from Troubled Films to Sexual Assault Claims,” and lets just say it’s not a short list, going as far back as 1994 and ranging from allegations of sexual assault and rape to accusations of filming minor boys naked without their permission.

So, now that we’re caught up on Singer’s problematic history, what does it mean for Bohemian Rhapsody as an awards contender? No one was expecting it to win two big awards at the Globes, which has led understandably to increased scrutiny as we make our way through awards season, with the Critics’ Choice Awards, the SAGs, the BAFTAs, and of course the Oscars ahead of us. Do you think the film’s shot at these shiny statuettes should be diminished because of Singer’s involvement?

FIRST REFORMED, but about Ethan Hawke struggling to find hope in a world where Bohemian Rhapsody is probably gonna be nominated for Best Picture. pic.twitter.com/dI4D7kxfJ7

— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) January 4, 2019

GH: Before I single-handedly bring down Bryan Singer with my rhetoric and rage, I just want to point a couple of things out that are probably not all that relevant. Why do this? Because I’m a man, and we enjoy talking like experts on subjects we just did some half-assed internet research about.

Point 1: The Golden Globes matter to the Oscar race about as much as the Iowa Caucuses do to the Presidential election. You’ll recall, being the astute political observer that you are, that the Iowa Caucuses happen early in the American election cycle. That’s really the only reason they are covered so closely every four years. Sometimes they are a predictor of who the eventual nominee (and president) will be, but often not. Just ask Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Ted Cruz. And, similarly, the only reason the Golden Globes seem important is that they happen early in award season. But they are judged by such a niche group that their picks can seem downright baffling at times. Remember the 2010 flop The Tourist starring Johnny Depp? That was nominated for best picture at the Golden Globes. Have you ever seen Mozart in the Jungle? No! No one has! And yet, it’s a Golden Globe-winning television show.

So, do I think Bryan Singer’s creepiness will effect Bohemian Rhapsody’s Oscar chances? No. I think the fact that it’s a paint-by-numbers musical biopic will hurt its chances. (Seriously, the movie could have been called Walk Hard 2: This Time the Rockstar is Gay). I mean, Rami Malek and his mouthguard might still get a nod, but if you want a good Oscar predictor, the TIFF People’s Choice selection has a better track record. (So, get ready for a lot of Green Book hot takes!)

Point 2: Though she has already addressed and expressed regret about it—and she did so even before #MeToo made it a thing—Evan Rachel Wood starred in a Woody Allen movie in 2009. As with Singer, the allegations against Allen were pretty well-known even back then, but she still worked with him.

I’m not saying Wood is a hypocrite, or that her outrage is disingenuous. Not at all. I bring it up only to say that Wood clearly understands that sometimes actors work with gross directors, even if they should—or at least realistically could—know better. So maybe cut the cast a break when they celebrate what was clearly a huge surprise.

But 2009 was a very different time. And that’s good! If Bryan Singer never works again, that’s awesome. (Even if he happens to be innocent of all the many, many, many allegations–no one should be able to make the garbage Superman Returns and escape with their career). The real problem that’s complicating how we view Bohemian Rhapsody is that Singer is trying to get attention from it. If he didn’t rear his Botoxed head to claim credit for the Golden Globe, we might all be cool with forgetting he was a part of the film at all. Even if he kept the directing credit.

My question that rises from all of this is: why haven’t there been the public apologies and disavowals from actors who have worked with him in the past, the way there were for Woody Allen? So many of Allen’s former collaborators spoke out about how much they regret working with him, and how they’d never do it again. Actors who didn’t, or who expressed ambivalence toward Allen earned their own blowback. But no one is reaching out to Oscar Isaac or Jennifer Lawrence or, I don’t know, Stephen Baldwin, and asking them how they feel about having worked with an accused sex offender.

My theory: it’s because he, and his alleged victims, are gay. After all, it’s easier to ignore crimes in marginalized communities. Maybe there’s some discomfort because straight folks think they don’t understand gay sexuality in the first place—isn’t that normal for the gays—which, yes, is totally a homophobic holdover from when homosexuality was unfairly associated with pedophilia. And while I tend to think the retroactive shaming of actors is mostly performative, it’s still fucked up that we let Singer be Singer for so long.

PB: Hmm, I don’t know. Kevin Spacey’s accused of similar crimes and he’s been getting plenty of heat. I mean, he’s basically radioactive to anyone in the industry now. (Just for the record, though, Singer is married to a woman with whom he has a child, and has said publicly in interviews that he’s bisexual.)

I think maybe the reason Hollywood was slow to cool on Singer is because some of the allegations against him were dropped. As TIME notes, “he has faced two civil suits alleging sexual assault, one of which was dropped and one of which was dismissed.” In the wake of those lawsuits though, a bunch of stories began coming out about sordid “sex parties” Singer either threw or was present at but nothing was ever conclusively substantiated. A Buzzfeed story from 2014 details how Singer was brought “into regular orbit with 18- to 20-year-olds at parties sustained by large amounts of alcohol and drugs — edging precariously close to the line between legality and illegality,” but most of the sources quoted in the piece are unnamed and Singer wasn’t directly accused of misconduct. I think that sort of gave people the license to pull the whole “but nothing was ever proven” card.

Thanks to this latest lawsuit from 2017, though, which is ongoing, people are being denied an easy out. There is now a young man on the record claiming that he was raped by Singer, so there isn’t really any room for equivocating. Also, like you said, the climate has changed a lot in the past couple of years and stories that have been circulating on the whisper network for decades aren’t quite as easy to ignore anymore.

I know you brought up how Globe results aren’t a good indication of what’s coming down the pike—mainly because there’s no overlap between HFPA voters and Academy voters—but the film is still getting a lot of recognition from prestigious awards bodies. BAFTA noms came out yesterday and Bohemian Rhapsody features prominently on the list. So I’m just wondering—what’s an organization to do? I don’t think the film’s going to snag any more big prizes going forward; the backlash from the Globes has been substantial and other awards bodies probably don’t want to be tainted by a similar response on their big night. (By the way, did you see how poor 15-year-old Elsie Fisher, star of Eighth Grade, was dragged on Twitter for congratulating the team on their win?)

Why is everyone being so mean about this? I’m genuinely sorry if I did something wrong :(

— Elsie Fisher (@ElsieKFisher) January 7, 2019

Anyhow, I think what’s going to end up happening is: Malek’s going to continue getting recognition and maybe even some awards for his work, and the rest of the film is going to be shut out from any major wins. It’s the easiest way for them to award the film without really awarding the film, you know? And I don’t think anyone’s going to begrudge Malek a win. He’s got a ton of goodwill in the industry as well as critical praise for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury.

What I do hope for though—especially because we still have many, many awards shows and appearances ahead of us—is for everyone involved to get together and figure out how they want to address the elephant in the room. At the press conference after their Globes wins, the team flat-out refused to answer journalists’ questions about Singer. “That’s not something we should talk about tonight,” said producer Graham King, while Queen member Brian May quipped, “Good question though.” Malek then stepped up, saying, “I will take this one. There’s only one thing we needed to do, and that was to celebrate Freddie Mercury. Nothing was going to compromise us and giving him the love and celebration he deserves.”

They’re going to have to do a bit better than that. Don’t you think?

GH: It always baffles me when public figures don’t have thoughtful, satisfying answers to obvious questions. What are their publicists doing? Actors might not be the best at answering thorny ethical question on the spot (who is?), but they are pretty great at memorizing a script. Someone write that cast some talking points!

Having said that, I don’t really know what the satisfying answer would be. Because I realized, too, after you challenged my interpretation of the case, another reason why there hasn’t been the same retroactive hand-wringing from actors about having worked with Bryan Singer as there was about Woody Allen: It’s because it’s Bryan Singer. Woody Allen is an auteur—being in one of his films was an honour, a sign that you had arrived, or were at least arriving. Bryan Singer made some crowd-pleasing pictures, but no one is calling him an auteur.

I can’t decide whether that makes crafting an appropriate response easier or more difficult. On the one hand, because “working with Woody Allen” was such a cliche Hollywood status symbol, it was easy to understand when actors worked with him, despite credible allegations. Singer doesn’t have the same reputation. No actress has gushed about being granted the opportunity to be in an X-Men reboot. In that light, working with Singer seems less understandable.

But, that also could make it easier. And this seems to be where the cast is headed: you lean in on the Freddie Mercury Tribute and imply that, in the shadow of such an amazing performer, the director is practically immaterial. Bryan Singer? Who’s Bryan Singer? This was basically directed by the spirit of Freddie Mercury!

Also, lingering in the back of my mind, there’s that nagging concern that being fired or denied work because of an unproven allegation is a little dangerous as a precedent. After all, some of the rumours around Singer aren’t about illegal activity so much as being gross in a decadent, predatory, Hollywood way. Of course, the “nothing has been proven in court” defence is the least satisfying argument.

So maybe honesty would be best. Something that says they understand why people might feel ambivalent about the film, because of the director. That that is something, as a cast, they are dealing with, too. But, while we don’t want to shut down the conversation about how we should feel about problematic artists, the opportunity to celebrate Freddie Mercury is an unalloyed good. Then go on to talk about all the things Mercury did for human rights and the LGBTQ community.

And then just ignore the fact that the movie changes so much of Mercury’s story that it’s questionable whether it celebrates the real Freddie Mercury, or some postmodern, nostalgic construct we call Freddie Mercury.

But hating on Elsie Fisher? Let’s get some perspective people. The Oscars have a way of bringing out the darkness in people. That can be good (holding Casey Affleck to account for bad behaviour) and some can be not so good (rage-tweeting a teenager you don’t know). What should award bodies do to mitigate this? Should they vet nominees? And if so, what behaviour is disqualifying? What’s the statute of limitations? Or do problematic award winners just need to give better answers?

PB: Award bodies haven’t had to deal with a lot of scrutiny until fairly recently, so they’ve been able to skirt some of these issues without really shouldering any blame. Now though, their feet are being held to the fire and it’s not going to be as easy to just sit by and say nothing. It’s tricky; there’s certainly no one-size-fits-all solution but in my opinion, nor should there be. We’re dealing with complex issues here and I think everything needs to be addressed on a case by case basis. I really appreciate the diversity requirements the BAFTAs put in place last year: for the two awards categories specifically for British films (Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer), they’re only accepting films that meet two of the British Film Institute’s quartet of core diversity standards.

But of course, different award bodies have different nomination processes. The Academy, for instance, has over 8000 people who submit their nominees for various categories, which then cycle through some complicated process before the final nominees are selected. Because there are so many people involved, it’s easy to play the avoidance game. Who do you hold accountable? But if the final list of five or ten nominees includes some problematic faves that have been in the news for x or y reason, I think it’s the award body’s duty to call for a meeting of their board to figure out the steps forward. Interestingly, I just Googled “Who is BAFTA president” and it turns out it’s Prince William, since 2010! Obviously he can’t weigh in on this stuff but there are other people who can, namely the VPs for film, television and games (?). The Academy, meanwhile, has a Board of Governors that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Laura Dern and Steven Spielberg.

Whatever these governing bodies decide, it’s something they should be able to defend when asked about it. Because they will be asked about it. Sorry guys, changing the subject isn’t an option anymore.

[jessicakehoe]

Does Bryan Singer’s Film Bohemian Rhapsody Deserve to Get Awards Love?

The ranks here at FASHION are not filled with men. Shocking, right? But there are one or two (there are actually, literally, two). Naturally, when a question about male/female dynamics arises it’s only fair that one of them stand in for the members of his gender and provide some insight. Our last topic of conversation was about controversial Christmas song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and today we’re discussing whether Bryan Singer-directed Bohemian Rhapsody should be snapping up any prizes this awards season. Two of our staffers—from the men’s corner, Greg Hudson, and from the women’s, Pahull Bains—talk it out.

PB: When Bohemian Rhapsody won the Best Picture (Drama) award at the Golden Globes last weekend, in addition to perplexity from critics who had largely panned the film, there was a fair bit of outrage on the internet. Evan Rachel Wood tweeted, “So we just..we are all still supposed to be pretending we don’t know about Bryan Singer? Cause it worked out really well with #Spacey and #Weinstein.” Now, I’m all for men finally getting their comeuppance but I also think it’s unfair that the entire cast and crew of a film be punished for the misdeeds of one person, whose shadiness wasn’t known until the #MeToo Flood of 2017. Or so I thought.

Yes, in 2017 Singer was fired as director of the film partway through shooting for causing “on-set chaos”: showing up late, being unavailable for days at a time, disappearing without the studio’s permission. Just a few days later, it emerged that Singer had been accused of rape by Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, who had been 17 at the time of the assault in 2003. So, I thought to myself, production on this film began before this news came out, so we can’t blame the team for working with him. I’m no fan of the movie, but let them have their moment of glory, thought I, wee innocent one.

As it turns out, allegations against Singer—who has directed films like The Usual Suspects and X-Men: First Class—go way, way back. In December 2017, IndieWire published “The Bryan Singer Timeline: a History of Allegations and Defenses, from Troubled Films to Sexual Assault Claims,” and lets just say it’s not a short list, going as far back as 1994 and ranging from allegations of sexual assault and rape to accusations of filming minor boys naked without their permission.

So, now that we’re caught up on Singer’s problematic history, what does it mean for Bohemian Rhapsody as an awards contender? No one was expecting it to win two big awards at the Globes, which has led understandably to increased scrutiny as we make our way through awards season, with the Critics’ Choice Awards, the SAGs, the BAFTAs, and of course the Oscars ahead of us. Do you think the film’s shot at these shiny statuettes should be diminished because of Singer’s involvement?

FIRST REFORMED, but about Ethan Hawke struggling to find hope in a world where Bohemian Rhapsody is probably gonna be nominated for Best Picture. pic.twitter.com/dI4D7kxfJ7

— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) January 4, 2019

GH: Before I single-handedly bring down Bryan Singer with my rhetoric and rage, I just want to point a couple of things out that are probably not all that relevant. Why do this? Because I’m a man, and we enjoy talking like experts on subjects we just did some half-assed internet research about.

Point 1: The Golden Globes matter to the Oscar race about as much as the Iowa Caucuses do to the Presidential election. You’ll recall, being the astute political observer that you are, that the Iowa Caucuses happen early in the American election cycle. That’s really the only reason they are covered so closely every four years. Sometimes they are a predictor of who the eventual nominee (and president) will be, but often not. Just ask Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Ted Cruz. And, similarly, the only reason the Golden Globes seem important is that they happen early in award season. But they are judged by such a niche group that their picks can seem downright baffling at times. Remember the 2010 flop The Tourist starring Johnny Depp? That was nominated for best picture at the Golden Globes. Have you ever seen Mozart in the Jungle? No! No one has! And yet, it’s a Golden Globe-winning television show.

So, do I think Bryan Singer’s creepiness will effect Bohemian Rhapsody’s Oscar chances? No. I think the fact that it’s a paint-by-numbers musical biopic will hurt its chances. (Seriously, the movie could have been called Walk Hard 2: This Time the Rockstar is Gay). I mean, Rami Malek and his mouthguard might still get a nod, but if you want a good Oscar predictor, the TIFF People’s Choice selection has a better track record. (So, get ready for a lot of Green Book hot takes!)

Point 2: Though she has already addressed and expressed regret about it—and she did so even before #MeToo made it a thing—Evan Rachel Wood starred in a Woody Allen movie in 2009. As with Singer, the allegations against Allen were pretty well-known even back then, but she still worked with him.

I’m not saying Wood is a hypocrite, or that her outrage is disingenuous. Not at all. I bring it up only to say that Wood clearly understands that sometimes actors work with gross directors, even if they should—or at least realistically could—know better. So maybe cut the cast a break when they celebrate what was clearly a huge surprise.

But 2009 was a very different time. And that’s good! If Bryan Singer never works again, that’s awesome. (Even if he happens to be innocent of all the many, many, many allegations–no one should be able to make the garbage Superman Returns and escape with their career). The real problem that’s complicating how we view Bohemian Rhapsody is that Singer is trying to get attention from it. If he didn’t rear his Botoxed head to claim credit for the Golden Globe, we might all be cool with forgetting he was a part of the film at all. Even if he kept the directing credit.

My question that rises from all of this is: why haven’t there been the public apologies and disavowals from actors who have worked with him in the past, the way there were for Woody Allen? So many of Allen’s former collaborators spoke out about how much they regret working with him, and how they’d never do it again. Actors who didn’t, or who expressed ambivalence toward Allen earned their own blowback. But no one is reaching out to Oscar Isaac or Jennifer Lawrence or, I don’t know, Stephen Baldwin, and asking them how they feel about having worked with an accused sex offender.

My theory: it’s because he, and his alleged victims, are gay. After all, it’s easier to ignore crimes in marginalized communities. Maybe there’s some discomfort because straight folks think they don’t understand gay sexuality in the first place—isn’t that normal for the gays—which, yes, is totally a homophobic holdover from when homosexuality was unfairly associated with pedophilia. And while I tend to think the retroactive shaming of actors is mostly performative, it’s still fucked up that we let Singer be Singer for so long.

PB: Hmm, I don’t know. Kevin Spacey’s accused of similar crimes and he’s been getting plenty of heat. I mean, he’s basically radioactive to anyone in the industry now. (Just for the record, though, Singer is married to a woman with whom he has a child, and has said publicly in interviews that he’s bisexual.)

I think maybe the reason Hollywood was slow to cool on Singer is because some of the allegations against him were dropped. As TIME notes, “he has faced two civil suits alleging sexual assault, one of which was dropped and one of which was dismissed.” In the wake of those lawsuits though, a bunch of stories began coming out about sordid “sex parties” Singer either threw or was present at but nothing was ever conclusively substantiated. A Buzzfeed story from 2014 details how Singer was brought “into regular orbit with 18- to 20-year-olds at parties sustained by large amounts of alcohol and drugs — edging precariously close to the line between legality and illegality,” but most of the sources quoted in the piece are unnamed and Singer wasn’t directly accused of misconduct. I think that sort of gave people the license to pull the whole “but nothing was ever proven” card.

Thanks to this latest lawsuit from 2017, though, which is ongoing, people are being denied an easy out. There is now a young man on the record claiming that he was raped by Singer, so there isn’t really any room for equivocating. Also, like you said, the climate has changed a lot in the past couple of years and stories that have been circulating on the whisper network for decades aren’t quite as easy to ignore anymore.

I know you brought up how Globe results aren’t a good indication of what’s coming down the pike—mainly because there’s no overlap between HFPA voters and Academy voters—but the film is still getting a lot of recognition from prestigious awards bodies. BAFTA noms came out yesterday and Bohemian Rhapsody features prominently on the list. So I’m just wondering—what’s an organization to do? I don’t think the film’s going to snag any more big prizes going forward; the backlash from the Globes has been substantial and other awards bodies probably don’t want to be tainted by a similar response on their big night. (By the way, did you see how poor 15-year-old Elsie Fisher, star of Eighth Grade, was dragged on Twitter for congratulating the team on their win?)

Why is everyone being so mean about this? I’m genuinely sorry if I did something wrong :(

— Elsie Fisher (@ElsieKFisher) January 7, 2019

Anyhow, I think what’s going to end up happening is: Malek’s going to continue getting recognition and maybe even some awards for his work, and the rest of the film is going to be shut out from any major wins. It’s the easiest way for them to award the film without really awarding the film, you know? And I don’t think anyone’s going to begrudge Malek a win. He’s got a ton of goodwill in the industry as well as critical praise for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury.

What I do hope for though—especially because we still have many, many awards shows and appearances ahead of us—is for everyone involved to get together and figure out how they want to address the elephant in the room. At the press conference after their Globes wins, the team flat-out refused to answer journalists’ questions about Singer. “That’s not something we should talk about tonight,” said producer Graham King, while Queen member Brian May quipped, “Good question though.” Malek then stepped up, saying, “I will take this one. There’s only one thing we needed to do, and that was to celebrate Freddie Mercury. Nothing was going to compromise us and giving him the love and celebration he deserves.”

They’re going to have to do a bit better than that. Don’t you think?

GH: It always baffles me when public figures don’t have thoughtful, satisfying answers to obvious questions. What are their publicists doing? Actors might not be the best at answering thorny ethical question on the spot (who is?), but they are pretty great at memorizing a script. Someone write that cast some talking points!

Having said that, I don’t really know what the satisfying answer would be. Because I realized, too, after you challenged my interpretation of the case, another reason why there hasn’t been the same retroactive hand-wringing from actors about having worked with Bryan Singer as there was about Woody Allen: It’s because it’s Bryan Singer. Woody Allen is an auteur—being in one of his films was an honour, a sign that you had arrived, or were at least arriving. Bryan Singer made some crowd-pleasing pictures, but no one is calling him an auteur.

I can’t decide whether that makes crafting an appropriate response easier or more difficult. On the one hand, because “working with Woody Allen” was such a cliche Hollywood status symbol, it was easy to understand when actors worked with him, despite credible allegations. Singer doesn’t have the same reputation. No actress has gushed about being granted the opportunity to be in an X-Men reboot. In that light, working with Singer seems less understandable.

But, that also could make it easier. And this seems to be where the cast is headed: you lean in on the Freddie Mercury Tribute and imply that, in the shadow of such an amazing performer, the director is practically immaterial. Bryan Singer? Who’s Bryan Singer? This was basically directed by the spirit of Freddie Mercury!

Also, lingering in the back of my mind, there’s that nagging concern that being fired or denied work because of an unproven allegation is a little dangerous as a precedent. After all, some of the rumours around Singer aren’t about illegal activity so much as being gross in a decadent, predatory, Hollywood way. Of course, the “nothing has been proven in court” defence is the least satisfying argument.

So maybe honesty would be best. Something that says they understand why people might feel ambivalent about the film, because of the director. That that is something, as a cast, they are dealing with, too. But, while we don’t want to shut down the conversation about how we should feel about problematic artists, the opportunity to celebrate Freddie Mercury is an unalloyed good. Then go on to talk about all the things Mercury did for human rights and the LGBTQ community.

And then just ignore the fact that the movie changes so much of Mercury’s story that it’s questionable whether it celebrates the real Freddie Mercury, or some postmodern, nostalgic construct we call Freddie Mercury.

But hating on Elsie Fisher? Let’s get some perspective people. The Oscars have a way of bringing out the darkness in people. That can be good (holding Casey Affleck to account for bad behaviour) and some can be not so good (rage-tweeting a teenager you don’t know). What should award bodies do to mitigate this? Should they vet nominees? And if so, what behaviour is disqualifying? What’s the statute of limitations? Or do problematic award winners just need to give better answers?

PB: Award bodies haven’t had to deal with a lot of scrutiny until fairly recently, so they’ve been able to skirt some of these issues without really shouldering any blame. Now though, their feet are being held to the fire and it’s not going to be as easy to just sit by and say nothing. It’s tricky; there’s certainly no one-size-fits-all solution but in my opinion, nor should there be. We’re dealing with complex issues here and I think everything needs to be addressed on a case by case basis. I really appreciate the diversity requirements the BAFTAs put in place last year: for the two awards categories specifically for British films (Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer), they’re only accepting films that meet two of the British Film Institute’s quartet of core diversity standards.

But of course, different award bodies have different nomination processes. The Academy, for instance, has over 8000 people who submit their nominees for various categories, which then cycle through some complicated process before the final nominees are selected. Because there are so many people involved, it’s easy to play the avoidance game. Who do you hold accountable? But if the final list of five or ten nominees includes some problematic faves that have been in the news for x or y reason, I think it’s the award body’s duty to call for a meeting of their board to figure out the steps forward. Interestingly, I just Googled “Who is BAFTA president” and it turns out it’s Prince William, since 2010! Obviously he can’t weigh in on this stuff but there are other people who can, namely the VPs for film, television and games (?). The Academy, meanwhile, has a Board of Governors that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Laura Dern and Steven Spielberg.

Whatever these governing bodies decide, it’s something they should be able to defend when asked about it. Because they will be asked about it. Sorry guys, changing the subject isn’t an option anymore.

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10 epic things to do in New Zealand that aren’t hiking

It’s no secret that New Zealand is a world-renowned hiking mecca.

Open any magazine feature or Instagram page and you’re likely to see an impossibly small human perched precariously in front of towering mountains. Who wouldn’t want to go walking in that scenery? But for many people, hiking just isn’t for them. So what’s a person to do when traveling to a country famous for its nature?

Fear not, anti-hikers! New Zealand has something for everyone and despite what you see on Instagram, there’s heaps to do that doesn’t involve lacing up a pair of bulky, smelly boots and trudging up a mountain. 

Whether you aren’t in the mood or it’s winter and the peaks are cut off, here are 10 epic things to doand our favorite  alternatives to hiking in New Zealand.

9 ways hiking in New Zealand will change your life

1. Drink all the wine (and the beer too!)

New Zealand has been in the wine game for a loooong time but the wine scene has really taken off the past 50 years with the industry growing 17% per year.

Some would say the Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough Sound region is among the best in the world! Further down the South Island, the Central Otago region makes some impressive Pinot Noir. The North Island is holding its own with the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

New Zealanders are proud of their wine and are eager to share their love with those who are curious. Most large vineyards offer tours and (often free!) wine tastings throughout the year.

If you’re more of a beer drinker, you’ll be happy to know the craft beer scene is growing in New Zealand too.

It’s becoming more and more common to find local breweries getting creative with beer. Brewpubs are becoming increasingly popular as well so it’s easier than ever to enjoy a local beer straight from the source!

Many of them are also paired with delicious restaurants and there are more and more beer festivals popping up around the country.

2. Go hang out on the farm

Just because you don’t want to hike doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the best of New Zealand’s scenery.

Visitors to NZ looking to escape the well-worn tourist tracks will find that a lot of the land is privately owned but what seems impassable and closed off is often available to visitors in the form of a homestay or farm tour.

When I came to New Zealand, I was inexplicably fascinated by sheep. There are so many of them! And they are everywhere! And they’re so fluffy! If you’re anything like I was, you might enjoy a farm stay where you can get up close and personal with the farm animals and learn all about sheep farming. You might even get to see an actual muster which is in the running for my top favorite things to witness in New Zealand.

Sunset at Shortland Shed

Lake Heron Station in Canterbury (2.5 hours from Christchurch) is an classic high country merino sheep station that has a delightful historic and cozy cottage you can stay in. Farming is a way of life in New Zealand, and staying on a farm is a great way to experience this.

Canopy Camping looks after a lot of glamping sites in New Zealand, many of them are also on farms. Shortlands Shed in Central Otago is a stunning off-the-grid cabin on a sheep farm while you can even glamp on a farm up on the Kauri Coast in Northland in the forest.

Overlooking the homestead at Lake Heron Station

3. Go on a road trip

Another great way to be immersed in the New Zealand magic is to see it by car.

Many people going to New Zealand opt out of renting a car and I get it: The roads are narrow and winding, and many aren’t for the faint of heart. Most visitors are accustomed to driving on the left side of the road either. There’s a whole new set of road rules to know (hello backward roundabouts!).

But if you ask me, indulging in a good old-fashioned road trip is one of the best ways to experience the country.

Sure, you can take buses but having the freedom to explore an unknown road or stop for a picnic with a sweeping vista is non-negotiable. New Zealand is a small country and with a car, you can really pack in a lot of different landscapes into a few short days. Beaches, mountains, rainforests, flatlands, rolling hills, towering fiords. You’ll be treated to some of the coolest roads in the country and have the freedom to spend more time in the places you love.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, rent a luxury car, like an Aston Martin convertible from Queenstown with Ignition Self Drive and road trip to Milford Sound!

Fast cars aren’t just for boys

4. Get up in the air and soar over the amazing landscapes

There’s something so humbling about being at the base of a mountain and looking up but perhaps even more stunning than the views from the bottom is the view from the top. Taking a helicopter or plane ride will put you at eye level with the mountain giants and will give you a new perspective of the country you’re visiting.

There’s truly nothing like seeing a braided river from high above. It looks like a contemporary art piece!

Helicopter and plane rides are offered pretty much everywhere in New Zealand but my preference is in the Southern Alps. Being nose to nose with Mt. Cook or Mt. Aspiring is truly an unforgettable experience, and nothing beats flying to Milford Sound in a helicopter. Many operators will do a glacier landing so you can get out and walk on a glacier without having to get there on your own two feet.

Over the Top Helicopters in Queenstown also have some incredible places they fly to, and I always recommend a scenic flight for anyone in New Zealand looking to take their trip to the next level.

5. Get out on the water

New Zealand’s mountain landscapes are undeniably impressive but perhaps equally if not more impressive is the plethora of bodies of water found in every corner of the country. And when I say water, I’m not talking about a murky river or a polluted lake. This water here is unbelievable: crystal clear and turquoise blue and largely uncontaminated in the mountains. 

Take a jet boat and do donuts in a shallow river, explore the sea water of Milford Sound by kayak, book a boat cruise and float between icebergs in a glacial lake at Mt. Cook. Get out on the water and experience New Zealand’s raw nature for yourself. 

Whether you want a high energy experience or a low-key cruise, there’s an option for every traveler all year round!

Kayaking Milford Sound in the pouring rain

6. Soak your tired bones in some of the natural hot springs

New Zealand is a country with lots of geothermal activity. If you wanted to, you could hike to the top of an active volcano, the ever popular Mount Ngauruhoe. But this isn’t a blog post about hiking so let’s talk about the other excellent benefit of having heaps of geothermal activity going on all over the country: hot springs!

These little pools of soothing hot water are a popular all-season activity.

Everyone loves soaking in a piping hot bath and it’s even better when it’s all natural and found in the wild. Of course, for those who want to be luxurious, you can easily find spas that pump in spring water to a human-made pool. If that’s your jam, check out Hamner Springs or Tekapo.

If you want the real deal, head towards Rotorua or the West Coast of the South Island. There are so many hot springs, you could form your entire trip itinerary around hitting the hot spring spots.

7. Eat like a Kiwi

New Zealand’s cafe culture is unlike anywhere else in the world except for maybe Australia. I’ve already raved about the coffee scene but there’s something to be said about New Zealand food too.

7 reasons why New Zealand’s coffee culture rules

Where I come from, pie is a sweet dessert, often with baked fruit in a buttery flakey pastry crust. Thanks to the British influence, in New Zealand, a pie is a savory filling in a buttery pastry. It took me a while to wrap my head around savory meat pies but I’m a total convert now. You could easily spend a few weeks sampling all the different pie flavors!

Every New Zealand cafe is filled with the same delicious sweet treats. Ginger crunch, caramel slice, tan square, oat and date slice, afghan bikkies, anzacs, carrot cake, decadent brownies.

If you’re someone who likes to experience the local food, allow yourself some time to cafe hop so you can really enjoy the best New Zealand has to offer. If you’re trying to be healthy, you can still eat your way through the towns. Pick up some local produce from the supermarket when you pass through.

My favorites are feijoas, greengages, kumara, and blackcurrants! Hot tip: stay far far away from avocados when you’re on the South Island. They are delicious but at $7 per avocado, you’ll quickly break the bank.

Where to wine, dine and caffeinate in Wellington, New Zealand

8. Find the all of the wildlife – it’s birds

It might seem surprising that wildlife is so huge in New Zealand seeing that the islands have no native mammal life but New Zealand has so much to offer to those wanting to get up close and personal with the animals.

An all-time favorite is a trip to Stewart Island which gives you the best chance of seeing the endangered Kiwi bird in the wild. Head to Dunedin if to see the Albatross Centre. If you road trip through the Catlins, stop at Curio Bay where you have a good chance of seeing endangered yellow-eyed penguins and larger than life sea lions.

A drive through Milford is sure to show you a few cheeky keas and if you’re really strapped for time, just go outside wherever you are and surround yourself with the beautiful birdsong. Seriously, you might want to record it on your phone because it’s so loud and amazing you’ll never want to forget it!

If you get the chance, head to one of the many eco-sanctuaries and predator-free reserves in New Zealand where you have a better chance of seeing some of the really endangered birds, like takahe and kiwi.

9. Embrace the seasonal activities, especially winter

New Zealand has very distinct seasons and while none of them are particularly that harsh, each season is definitely unique with its own special flair. Down in the South Island, you really have four distinct seasons, just the opposite time of year than the north. 

With ski fields dotted all over the country, it’s no surprise that winter in New Zealand can be just as popular as summer.

In the Queenstown-Wanaka area, you have access to four major ski fields all within an hours drive. If you want to try something different, you can try the club ski fields where you’re towed up the mountain on a nutcracker device. Quirky!

You can even try out cross country skiing if you want to get some winter sun but not hyped on the ski field crowds. And of course heli-skiing is at the top of many bucketlists, but it isn’t cheap. 

Stargazing is one of the activities offered at Cardrona Resort

If none of those are your jam, try ice skating in Queenstown or dogsledding near Cardrona or snowshoeing in the Pisa Range. At the very least, drive to the top of the Crown Range and build yourself a snowman or make a snow angel. It will be fun, I promise.

One of my favorite activities has to be flying up to the Tasman Glacier in a ski plane and doing a guided snowshoeing activity on New Zealand’s longest glacier.

8 reasons to visit the South Island in winter

10. Stay in a hut

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Those stunning huts perched on the edge of a mountain you’re always seeing photos of? Yeah, they’re amazing. BUT, did you know you can also get the full hut experience without actually having to do any hiking whatsoever? 

No big bag to lug around for hours. No compromising on how many layers to bring. And definitely not leaving behind the wine. There are some huts that are accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles and you can literally drive to the doorstep, like New Hut at Lake Heron Station. Many are private but some are monitored by DOC.

And if you’re really feeling fancy, you could also hire a helicopter to drop you into those alpine huts. You don’t have to be a mountain goat to enjoy these little beauties in the wild.

Do you love nature but aren’t a big hiker? Do any of these appeal to you? What’s your fave? Share!

The post 10 epic things to do in New Zealand that aren’t hiking appeared first on Young Adventuress.

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