#brisbane box tree

[fyeahimanengineer]

Los Angeles Vegetable Garden Landscape

An example of a mid-sized contemporary full sun backyard stone vegetable garden landscape.

[elodiegendreau]

Contemporary Landscape Los Angeles An example of a mid-sized contemporary full sun backyard stone vegetable garden landscape.

[euroskum]

Contemporary Landscape in Los Angeles An example of a mid-sized contemporary full sun backyard stone vegetable garden landscape.

[rickor-mortis]

Contemporary Landscape Los Angeles An example of a mid-sized contemporary full sun backyard stone vegetable garden landscape.

[bumblebeeappletree]

Jerry has lots of dollar-stretching ideas for saving money in the garden.

1. Free plants:

Saving seed can be a life-changing experience. You can easily save lots of seed, giving you lots of opportunity to experiment without fear of failure, as well as the option of giving some away. Store in airtight containers such as old jars; save silica gel to go with the seeds to keep the seeds dry in storage.

To collect seed, use old panty hose to slip over the ends of plants with pods that explode - as some pea plants and brassicas.

You can also propagate by cuttings. Jerry prunes plants at a good time to take cuttings - usually after they’ve finished flowering. Jerry also uses recycled pots and potting mix, making it even cheaper.

2. Free fuel:

Animal manure is great and often freely available - Jerry managed to source some camel and buffalo dung when a circus recently came to town!

Always compost manure first, to remove any weed seed or residual chemicals they may be carrying.

Jerry also recycles any dead cane toads he finds as roadkill, by burying them under his fruit trees.

Mulch is essential in any garden - Jerry uses several types - but it can be expensive. Check with your local council to see if wood chippings from pruned street trees are available, or make your own leaf mold from raked up leaves; simply pile up the leaves, keep them moist, and wait for them to decompose.

The result is low in nutrients and high in carbon so it’s perfect as a surface mulch or for growing ferns and palms.

Potting mix - Jerry makes his own, using equal parts of garden soil, horticultural sand and old potting mix.

3. Upcycling:

Repurpose material that would otherwise end up in landfill, such as polystyrene foam boxes, which are great for growing plants as they are lightweight and they insulate the plants’ roots from heat and cold.

Other uses include as part of a worm farm or as a self-watering container.

Jerry grows strawberries in these boxes – the extra height helps keep the fruit from pests on the ground.

He also uses them to store pots with cuttings in as it keeps the plants at an even temperature, plus it’s easy to cover the boxes to create a mini greenhouse or shadehouse if needed. For shade he uses old net curtains found at op shops.

4. Trading:

Some plants give you more than you’d ever need, especially citrus. Jerry makes loads of different marmalade, which he trades for eggs or avocadoes that he doesn’t have.

5. Buy once, cry once:

By this Jerry means pay more for quality equipment that will last. Cheap equipment is often not meant to be serviced or repaired, but good-quality items will be designed to take replacement parts and are worth fixing. Jerry still uses his grandfather’s hand mower and mattock, and has other equipment that is many decades old.

Filmed on Quandamooka, Turrbal & Yuggera Country in Brisbane, Qld

[thirrith]

monocultures are sometimes also creepily quiet because no creatures that sing live there especially when the tree species is nonnative and cannot integrate into the local ecosystem. there’s a ‘bird-free zone’ in lung fu shan in hong kong which is a brisbane box plantation. brisbane box seeds are too dry and too hard and there’s nothing there for the birds to eat, so NONE of the recorded 144 bird species in the area goes there

monoculture forests are deeply unsettling in a way that is hard to explain to people who do not spend a lot of time looking at forests

[limoteesese]

Brisbane Lions AFL Premiership Champs Shirt

Brisbane Lions AFL Premiership Champs Shirt

A likely decline in the Christmas TV lineup. Even when trapped in the Brisbane Lions AFL Premiership Champs Shirt for days on end, most people have enough devices to avoid having to interact in this archaic way. If the economy picks up, more people will travel. And of course the end of Christmas high street/main street shopping, in-person retail just won’t survive, unless there’s a physical need to go to a store. Less and less people attend family services, a trend that has been going on for decades. Municipal councils can stem the tide of decline by bringing in parades, rides, markets, beer gardens, outdoor skating, a petting zoo, fireworks, street dj nights, park concerts etc and after Christmas, they can create central places to recycle trees, paper, boxes, and sales for unwanted toys, charity drives etc Bring those leftovers to the homeless, and failing that, the municipal composting program. The holidays are a good time for groups to suspend their normal rules, let some hair down and make a real difference to people, the excuse, it’s Christmas. One of the UK supermarkets turned their awning into a light tunnel that received tens of thousands of visitors, and got lots of good press. Staff are usually willing to make the effort, and management are keen to do something, it’s a matter of co-ordinating and making it happen. Rather than indulging in more selfish office practices, you could actually boost the community and get more people through the door instead. For private firms, open days are a brilliant idea too, you can combine it with recruitment to create an informal jobs fair, very handy at the holidays as lots of people become unemployed at this difficult time.

[limoteesjr]

Brisbane Lions AFL Premiership Champs Shirt

Brisbane Lions AFL Premiership Champs Shirt

A likely decline in the Christmas TV lineup. Even when trapped in the Brisbane Lions AFL Premiership Champs Shirt for days on end, most people have enough devices to avoid having to interact in this archaic way. If the economy picks up, more people will travel. And of course the end of Christmas high street/main street shopping, in-person retail just won’t survive, unless there’s a physical need to go to a store. Less and less people attend family services, a trend that has been going on for decades. Municipal councils can stem the tide of decline by bringing in parades, rides, markets, beer gardens, outdoor skating, a petting zoo, fireworks, street dj nights, park concerts etc and after Christmas, they can create central places to recycle trees, paper, boxes, and sales for unwanted toys, charity drives etc Bring those leftovers to the homeless, and failing that, the municipal composting program. The holidays are a good time for groups to suspend their normal rules, let some hair down and make a real difference to people, the excuse, it’s Christmas. One of the UK supermarkets turned their awning into a light tunnel that received tens of thousands of visitors, and got lots of good press. Staff are usually willing to make the effort, and management are keen to do something, it’s a matter of co-ordinating and making it happen. Rather than indulging in more selfish office practices, you could actually boost the community and get more people through the door instead. For private firms, open days are a brilliant idea too, you can combine it with recruitment to create an informal jobs fair, very handy at the holidays as lots of people become unemployed at this difficult time.

[mariellejohnston]

RESEARCH - VICTORIA PARK/BARRAMBIN

“Locally this region was known as “the ridge.” Most of Victoria Park was open woodlands (open forest) containing blue gum, apple, box and ironbark with grassy slopes.” “What is now Victoria Park and Spring Hill were recalled as particularly bare or open. In springtime at what is now Victoria Park: ’The hillsides were melodious with the calls of the butcher bird and magpie, and in winter, with the twitterings of the pretty little wagtail….’ The prevalence of field birds suggests this ‘forest’ was not particularly dense.” “Meston lists “gums, ironbark, bloodwood and stringy bark.” Other accounts mention some undergrowth: “wattles and dense scrub in abundance.” "The open forest was inhabited by koalas, possums, kangaroos and emus. Lagoons in Victoria Park once supplied abundant reeds, waterlilies, fish (bream and eel) and waterfowl” - Kerchove, R. (2020). Victoria Park Area Summary. “Victoria Park / Barrambin has played a significant role in Brisbane’s history. The site was an important meeting and camping place for Aboriginal people who came from all over South-East Queensland for corroborees. The park was gazetted as a reserve for recreation in 1875 and was a site for brickmaking and timber-felling industries. It was also Brisbane’s first municipal rubbish dump. During World War II the park was home to hundreds of American soldiers based in Brisbane, with these houses later used for social housing for displaced residents. Victoria Park / Barrambin remains the largest inner-city parkland in Brisbane with a new history unfolding as it transforms into a uniquely Brisbane destination.”

- Brisbane City Council. (n.d.). Victoria Park|Barrambin. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/parks/victoria-park-barrambin#:~:text=The%20site%20was%20an%20important,Brisbane’s%20first%20municipal%20rubbish%20dump.

Indigenous knowledge and history:

“Victoria Park was much favoured as a camping ground. The area’s undulating ridges permitted views in some spots and caught the breezes. Its many waterholes and open woodland offered plentiful water and food resources. The early camps were described as comprising of “ti-tree huts.” Variously 200-1000 people sometimes resided here. … Usually camps were on ridges above waterholes, and presumably they were moved to various different sections of the current park according to conditions or need.” “From archaeological finds, it seems the main ‘York’s Hollow’ camps were up into the northern end of Victoria Park towards the Ekka Grounds.” “This gave the area between Bowen Hills Station and Breakfast Creek its name (Barrimbin/ Barrambin) – a word that meant both ’windy place’ and ’place of swamp oaks.’ … This may explain why ‘wind’ and ‘oak’ were related in Indigenous lore: ‘Those were the days when one could ….hear sweet Aeolian (= wind god) melodies as the gentle north-east wind touched the tremulous leaves of the grand old swamp oaks.’ ”

- Kerchove, R. (2020). Victoria Park Area Summary.

“Barrambin (meaning ‘windy place’) and Walan / Woolan (meaning ‘bream’) comprised the areas now known as Herston and Bowen Hills. The land was undulating, with hills punctuated by a chain of waterholes and gullies. Barrambin and Walan were meeting and gathering places for groups travelling to and from other parts of South East Queensland, as well as dance and corroboree sites, and hunting and fishing lands for local Aboriginal people of Brisbane. The area now contained within Victoria Park / Barrambin was an extensive Aboriginal camp and is a significant European contact and cultural site.”

- Brisbane City Council. (n.d.). Victoria Park|Barrambin. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/parks/victoria-park-barrambin#:~:text=The%20site%20was%20an%20important,Brisbane’s%20first%20municipal%20rubbish%20dump.

“For local Indigenous communities, the creeks, and the valleys they create, carry stories of their places and histories and are sites of food, water, and corroborees. The waters of the Windy Place are a part of the river system but also a system set within the valleys and groves of the lower hills of Mount Coot-Tha and beyond. The waters that contribute to Barrambin can only be understood as a multiplicity of pools, creeks, and contexts that the waters inhabit and move through (beds, banks, culverts), and the flora and fauna (trees, bushes, grasses, birds, fish, insects) that contribute to its “lifeness”. In this way Barrambin epitomises Place, the living entity that feels and knows (Rose 1996), which is entangled in meaning-making as a storyteller in its own right (Graham 2009).” “We found that at around the same time as the boundaries were invented and labelled, antique colonial news publications letters to the editor depict the shifting relationship between the waters of Barrambin, the Turrbal community, and the Europeans who colonised the region. It was – and remains – a relationship characterised by violence against and deculturalisation of Country, wherein the Turrbal residents were policed and evicted from the lands and waters of Barrambin in the process of reservation for “recreational use” by the colonial government.” “ ’Country is a living entity with a yesterday, today and tomorrow, with a consciousness, and a will toward life’ (1996, 7). The concept of “personhood” is a legal state which can be conferred on natural entities. Personhood is existential – a relational concept that pertains to the inherent state of being a person (e.g. biologically) and the context of being in the world (socioculturally).” “… the Australian Indigenous spiritual understanding of Barrambin (as Country), as a place and hence a living entity, is recognition that the Morethan-Human are living entities that are deeply connected to other living entities.”

- Turner, J., Seevinck, J., Foth, M., Armstrong, K., Vickery, N., Kelly, N., Tyurina, A., McKinnon, H., Low, A., & Davies, L. (2022). Kinning With The Unseen More-Than-Human: Re-Sensing Barrambin’s Disappeared Waterways And Creeks For Community Connection To Place​. Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS).

York's Hollow (Barrambin)

It is clear from the literary sources that York’s Hollow played an active role in the lives not only of the Brisbane Aborigines but also other groups within the Moreton Region. The Aboriginal name for the location was Barrambin; it acquired its European name from the Duke of York, the settlers’ name for the acknowledged elder of the local Aboriginal clan. It was a useful food gathering spot, but there are also suggestions that it also held religious significance (Cryle 1986:26). It was here, in the ‘wilds of Bowen Hills’ that Tom Petrie spent memorable childhood moments observing and participating in Aboriginal life (Petrie 1992:27,118). As a boy, he took refuge at the camp ‘out Bowen Hills way’ after being caught smoking by his father (Petrie 1992:3). Groups of up to 800 gathered at York’s Hollow for ceremonial and trading purposes from as far away as the Blackall Ranges (Petrie 1992:164-5). The Brisbane Aborigines did not have the aggressive reputation of some others, eg the coastal and northern groups, but such large gatherings were a source of disquiet for the local settlers (Cryle 1986:26).

18 Indigenous Cultural Heritage Study of Brisbane. 18.2.3 Northern section. Pg 18 - 11.

Green Heart Fair: Regenerate Outline

“Green Heart Fair celebrates and promotes the innovations that are, and will be required for sustainable living, embodied in an annual festival that appeals to audiences from all walks of life. Clearly sustaining the future, and making it better for future generations, has become everyone’s business.”

“model sustainable living”

We also believe certain forms of spatial practice can offer audiences experiments that in some way leave our world a better place. We understand such practices as ‘regenerative’ - in the sense that they model ‘giving something back’, rather than just speaking to sustaining what currently remains.

Victoria Park/Barrambin has always been an important cultural place for First Nations people - whose ceremonies, customs and lores maintained the Country for tens of thousands of years. The First Nations people of this continent have always understood and embodied regeneration - evidenced through their sustainable culture and their innovative land management practices. Clearly, to understand regeneration today, we also need to learn from that long history of sustainable living.

In keeping with the ethos of the Green Heart Fair, Regenerate’s artworks therefore speak to the history of the site, and regeneration; embodying cultural, ethical and material principles of sustainability, whilst making an active contribution to sustaining our collective futures.

[noonastooneshots]

Hoseok:   Hopeful Hearts

                              ꧁ Hopeful Hearts ꧂       

ᥫ᭡ AU: Single Parent       

ᥫ᭡ Themes: Hallmark Movie / Back to Hometown       

ᥫ᭡  Kinks: Masturbation, Multiple Orgasms,Cuddling 

Written For the @bangtanwritershq​ Hobuary Challenge Event

~2984 words~

After a nasty divorce, Jane and her 10 year old son, Jake, moved back to the hometown she fled as a wild teenager to follow the love of her life.

The last decade hadn’t been easy. In fact, Jake’s dad was serving time in prison for armed robbery and working on getting himself sober. They hadn’t seen him in a few years, so getting the divorce to go through was fairly simple.

Jane grew and learned a lot throughout those years, and sometimes it felt like she and Jake were both growing up together.

The church ladies had a field day when they saw the moving van drive through town on its way to her parents house, and the gossip channels went wild.

They’d barely parked the U-Haul when the first one popped up in the yard to welcome Jane back, asking all manner of kind, but intrusive questions.

She just smiled and gave her the most generic answer she could… the truth.

“Well, Mrs. Johnson, you know my dad broke his leg pretty bad skiing, and he needs some help with the shop, so he asked us to come help him out. I’m sorry to answer and run like this, but we have a lot of work to do before dark. Have a great day!”

Mrs. Johnson was on the phone with Mrs. Moore before Jane had the first box off of the truck, and the official town gossip phone tree was officially in use.

They’d only just got the last box in the spare room she’d be sleeping in when Mrs. Brisbane was at the door with a casserole.

“I keep them in the freezer for occasions like these! Welcome home!”

Once the woman was gone, though, Jane’s mother, Carol, threw the dish in the trash.

“This looks like it’s been in the freezer for ten years. Sweet lady. She means well.”

Instead, they had pizza for dinner and hit the sack early. They were exhausted, and had a lot of errands to run the next day.

After taking the U-haul to the rental agency, and doing some grocery shopping, Jane and Jake went to the family hardware store, Smith Hardware, with her dad, Bob, to see what needed done before they opened on Monday.

Jane did her best to ignore the looks she got from seemingly every person they passed. Jake was curious, though, “Mom? Why are these people looking at us like that?”

She sighed , irritated at the local busybodies that made it necessary to explain these things to her son.

“Well Jake, when I was a teenager I was a little wild according to their standards. And the fact that I ran off with your father right after I graduated made me a legend to the gossips in this town.”

“A legend?” Jake nodded his head, “My mom is a legend. I like it.”

Jane laughed. She loved her son. He was laid back and had a great sense of humor.

Monday morning Jake started at his new school and Jane opened the hardware store. Her father insisted he be on site in case she needed anything, and hobbled back to the office where he laid on the couch and watched movies most of the day.

Jane spent many hours working in the store when she was younger, so she knew the lay of the land and was comfortable with her tasks.

What she was uncomfortable with was the customers. The older folks came in out of curiosity, wanting to find out more about Bob and Carol’s wayward daughter’s grand return.

The customers that were around her age came in to eye her as competition or see if she was up for a date. Hell, even her ex-husband's old friends came by to see what she was up to.

By the time it was time to close up shop, Jane was emotionally exhausted. She pulled the car around front and went in to collect her dad. She got him in the car and locked the store door.

When she turned back to the car, she saw a man she didn’t know talking to her father. Bob was jovial and laughing, “Jane! Come meet Hoseok! He owns the florist shop next door.”

The man turned and Jane was met with a bright, happy smile, and friendly eyes.

“Hello,” the man said as he reached to shake her hand, “My name is Hoseok.”

She took his hand and smiled back, “Jane. Nice to meet you.”

He pointed to the building next to the hardware store, “That’s my shop, Sunshine Flowers. Stop in and say hi any time.”

Always one for a good conversation, Bob jumped in,

“Janey, Hoseok also has a son around Jake’s age. What is he now? 8? 9?”

“Henry just turned 10 last month.”

“10? Already? My grandson Jake is 10, as well. I’ll have to ask him if Henry is in his class.” Bob looked at Jane, “Hoseok volunteers at the rec center. He coaches most of the sports teams down there.”

Hoseok smiled, “I just like to be involved with my son’s interests. It’s a huge plus that it helps the community, as well.”

Jane was impressed, “Jake loves sports. I’ll bring him by the rec center this weekend, see if we can't find something he likes.”

They bid each other a good evening and went their separate ways, though Bob couldn’t stop talking about Hoseok, regaling Jane with the many ways he was a good man all the way home.

The rest of that week, Hoseok stopped in the store here and there to say hi, and even brought coffee when he was finished with his daily deliveries. She liked him. It was refreshing to be able to relax around someone who didn’t know her in this town.

Sure, the locals had filled him in with her so-called salacious past, but he only moved there 8 years prior, and didn’t bear witness to her mistakes.

Jake and Henry made fast friends, and were inseparable. They both spent many hours at the stores, and having a friend so close made it a lot more fun. They joined every sports team they could find, and Jane was more than thankful for Hoseok adding her son to his carpool. Jake never missed out on anything those days she was unable to leave the store and her parents were busy.

“That Hoseok is a wonderful young man,” Carol beamed one afternoon. She’d brought lunch and passed him on her way in, “Very sweet and dependable.” She looked conspiratorially at Jane, “And very handsome.”

Jane laughed, “He sure is.” She could see right through her mother’s meddling ways. The woman was thrilled that Jane made friends with the friendly man, and that Jake was spending so much time with a man she felt was such a great mentor.

Carol dropped hints left and right that Jane ought to be dating such a catch, and even got the boys involved in her schemes.

Jake and Henry decided that they would make excellent brothers, and enthusiastically joined in on Carol’s scheming.

Jane and Hoseok thought their conniving was entertaining. They flirted plenty, but neither seemed willing to take the next step so they settled on forming a close friendship, instead.

A few months later, Bob was all healed up and able to walk again. After being cooped up for so long, a tragedy in his mind, he planned a long weekend camping trip for himself, Carol, Jake and Henry.

“I want to take the boys fishing. They need the fresh air. Experience the outdoors.”

They were so excited about the idea that Jane and Hoseok just laughingly agreed to let them go.

When Bob and Carol stocked up the RV and left with the kids, Hoseok turned to Jane,

“Would you like to join me for dinner tonight? I was thinking about making some kimchi fried rice.”

“Sure! What can I bring?”

“Just yourself.”

“Hmmm. That doesn’t seem fair. How about wine?”

Hoseok laughed, “Ok. bring the wine, 5 o’clock work for you?”

Jane showed up at Hoseok’s house at 4:55 with a bottle of his favorite wine in hand. Apparently he’s the only one in this small town that drinks that particular brand, because the clerk knew exactly who it was for.

Dinner was delicious, and the couple quite enjoyed having time together without the kids around.

Hoseok was all smiles as they cleared the table after dinner, “You’ve been here so many times, but I’ve never given you a tour of the greenhouses! Would you like to take a look? I need to check them before it gets dark, anyway.”

The greenhouses were just across the yard, huge and filled to the brim with the most beautiful flowers Jane had ever seen. The smell when Hoseok opened the door was a mix of sweet flowers and wet soil. He took her hand and led her around, explaining the flowers that had special needs versus the easier plants to grow. He even plucked a particularly pretty purple blossom and put it in her hair, just above her ear.

Jane smiled shyly and tried not to giggle at Hoseok’s attention. He smiled back and took her hand again,

“Jane? I really like you. And I think you might feel the same about me. I don’t want to make things awkward, especially with the boys being so close, but I would really like to be with you.”

Jane tilted her head to the side, “Be with me?”

He nodded his head hopefully, “Yeah. Be with you.”

“You are with me.”

Hoseok laughed, “No. I mean be together. As a couple. Date. See where our relationship goes from there.”

He took her hand and led her to a fire pit he had set up in the backyard. The pit was surrounded by stone, and the ground around it was brick. The benches surrounding it were roughly carved from logs, and large enough for at least four people each to relax comfortably.

Hoseok lit the fire while Jane refilled their wine, and it wasn’t long before the new couple was snuggled up together watching the flames, talking about nothing and everything at once.

He was the perfect gentleman. At the end of the evening, he placed the sweetest kiss on her cheek after walking her to her car… and that was it. There was no expectation of more from her, other than asking if she wanted to have dinner again the next night.

It blew Jane’s mind.

As she lay in bed that night thinking the entire evening over, she couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. Hoseok was handsome, caring, sweet, and responsible. He was a great father to Henry, and easily took on the role of pseudo dad for the boys around town that, like Jake, didn’t have a father in their lives.

Although Jane had a reputation in that town, she really was fairly innocent. Her ex was the only man she’d ever actually been with, and her experiences being married to him made her think that she wasn’t going to be one of those people that’s just lucky with love.

But cuddling up with Hoseok by the fire made her want to try again. Really try. Not just a date here and there, but an actual relationship.

Her body tingled in ways she hadn’t felt in years. She rolled over and internally laughed for already getting ahead of herself.

Two hours later, Jane woke from a particularly hot dream featuring herself and Hoseok in one of his greenhouses. She was covered with sweat and severely frustrated. She moaned and rolled to her back, noting as she moved that her inner thighs were even more sweaty than the rest of her body. It wasn’t until she kicked the covers off and her body started to cool that she realized that her panties were soaked through.

She lifted her hips and slid off the offending material before tossing them to the side. Laying in bed in just a t-shirt felt naughty. Like she was exposed to the world, when in reality Jane was all alone, in the dark, where no one would be able to see her.

It’d been a long time since she’d been naked for any other reason than bathing.

Huffing out a breath, Jane brought her arm up and laid it over her eyes. The dream replayed across her closed eyelids like a movie screen.

Hoseok placed the flower behind her ear and kissed her. One of his hands slid into her hair while the other was planted firmly on the small of her back. His tongue was simultaneously rough and smooth in a way she thought would only happen in a dream. She felt every single move it made against her own. The nerve endings in her entire body seemed to feel it as they slid against each other. The taste of him was heavenly.

Her hand slid up to softly caress her own breast as she tried to recall the exact flavor. She giggled, feeling like a sommelier describing the notes in the wine.

Dream Hoseok only pulled his lips far enough away from hers to whisper her name.

She rolled her nipple between her fingers and moaned at the quiet way “Jane” blew past his full lips. Would she ever get to hear it in real life?

Jane could almost feel the way he nibbled down the side of her throat as his hand slid from her back to the side of her thigh. Dream Hoseok slowly bunched up the material of the mid-length summer dress she was wearing until his hand could caress bare skin. That hand slid back and cusped her bottom as his lips found hers again.

His kisses were passionate and all consuming as he lifted her leg to wrap around his waist. When she almost lost her footing, he stopped and lowered her to the lush grass that grew in between the flower boxes.

Jane didn’t hesitate for a second in that dream. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted Hoseok.

As her hand slid down her torso to touch the wetness the dream left behind, Dream Jane reached out to caress the hard length pressing against his linen pants. Hoseok’s sharp inhale at her touch made her clench, both in the dream and in real life. His nostrils flared and he lunged forward to take her lips in another heated kiss as his hips cradled between hers. The hardness she had in her hand a moment before was suddenly pressed to her most intimate place.

It was hot and thick, and when Hoseok’s hips moved with the same motion as his tongue, it pressed her panties into her softest flesh and added extra sensation as he rocked into her.

Just the idea of what that might actually feel like, along with the feeling of her middle finger circling her clit, made Jane moan a little louder.

Dream Hoseok groaned when she grabbed his ass and pulled him into her even harder, “Jane, I need to see you. I need to taste you. Worship you like you deserve.”

He kissed and nibbled down her throat, paying close attention to her clavicle, all the while keeping his cock snugly rubbing against her clit.

He grabbed the front of the material covering her bosom and wrenched it apart, sending buttons flying in all directions.

Her back arched off the bed as her breasts were exposed in the dream and she fought to catch her breath. She truly felt the cool air caressing her nipples, which took the erotic feeling up several notches.

Not able to help herself, Jane slid two fingers inside her pussy… The first time she’d been penetrated in far too long.

Dream Hoseok dove right in, kissing every inch of exposed skin. His lips and teeth worked to make sure no part of her was left untouched. He grabbed her panties and tore them away from her body with a growl. He stood and rid himself of clothing and was back on his knees between her legs before she could even feel the cool air.

“I want to do everything to you and with you. I want to make you cum. I want every orgasm to be mine.” He held his unprotected cock and circled the tip around in the wetness of her pussy without taking his eyes off of hers. He pushed inside and smiled at her gasp.

Jane pulled her fingers out and continued to circle her clit. She was sweating now, and starting to shake. The tingling feeling of lightning was beginning to build in the base of her spine.

Dream Hoseok owned her body. Everything he did to her seemed to drag more orgasms out of her. Jane was glad it was a dream, because she wasn’t sure if she’d actually survive having that many orgasms in that short amount of time.

By the time Dream Hoseok leaned down and breathed in her ear, “I”m going to cum inside you Jane. I’m going to fill you full, and you’ll be mine,”

She was more than ready to let go. As he let loose in the dream, Jane let loose in real life. Her body shook and throat let out noises she’d never been known to make.

Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest and she struggled to catch her breath. Her hand was just as soaked as her panties were.

She giggled into the darkness and gave herself a few minutes of afterglow before she went to get cleaned up.

Maybe it was time to trust another man. Maybe Hoseok will be the man she’d always hoped for. As she settled back down to sleep, she hoped for another dream like that and couldn’t wait for their next date.

꧁ End ꧂

One Shot Master List

[cilliansaccent]

The Peaky Designer - Cillian Fanfic, Chapter 2

Hello, welcome back. Below is the next instalment of my fanfiction!

Please leave a like or any comments below on ways to improve, please be kind but you are welcome to be critical! I’m open to ideas and fixing up mistakes. Also, sharing would be amazing!!

Note, PLEASE READ:

I will not be including Cillian’s family as it’s kinda weird since he has children lmao. Just a mention of his parents and a previous lover.

I will indicate in a chapter if there is smut in the beginning and before the actual scene!!

I will add trigger warnings if there is any!!

There is a variety of levels of swearing during a chapter, I will not hold back, everyone swears.

The timestamp for the Fic is now 2016 and onwards!!

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Background: Gabrijela Babic is a Croatian girl from Sydney, Australia. She is born in the year 1991 on the 24th of December. She studies a Fashion degree in a University with a major in Game Design as well. Her teacher in the fashion designer class managed to nail an Internship on the set of Peaky Blinders with the shows very own Costume Designer, Allison McCosh. There, she travels to London for under a year to learn how to be one, working alongside the actors as well the man she admires, Cillian Murphy. But, her platonic feelings for the man begins to grow into something more, and she wonders whether she should pursue them or let him go for fear of her strict parents and her three older brothers…

Characters:

Swantje Paulina as Gabrijela Babic (swalina on Instagram)

Cillian Murphy

Word Count: 5,265

!!Warnings!!: Small scene of sexual harassment after Gab leaves to go to the toilet when shes at the pub. 

Date: March 2016

Chapter Name: Dinner and a Gig

Brief Chapter Outline: Second day in, Gabrijela spends the afternoon with Cillian, getting to know each other better before he treats her to a lovely dinner and then to a gig of a local band Cillian attends for a buddy of his...

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The theme song of Game of Thrones blared in some faraway land. Gabrijela was sound asleep, wearing nothing but a singlet and lacy panties. 

She let out a sound when it finally stopped but it wasn't long when it started up again. She finally rolled on to her back and grabbed her phone on the bedside table. She hadn’t made it under the covers last night, she simply collapsed on top and fell asleep after she had dinner and wrote in her diary and updating her family again. 

“What?” She groaned, answering the phone. 

“Its Cillian,” the Irish accent made her skin prick and she sat up. 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so rude.” She rubbed her eyes. 

“No worries. Did I wake you up?” He asked, there was a smile in his tone. 

“Noooo, I was getting up anyway. Let me open the door and you can come up.” She got up and pressed the button which unlocks the main door. “My door is unlocked so just come in.” She said. 

“See you then,” and he hung up. 

She was still groggy and sleepy as she rubbed her eyes again and knelt on the floor. She pulled out the drawers under the bed and looked for an outfit for today. It had rained overnight and it still was, it was cold. 

Cillian walked in, “I hope you have this locked when you--” He stopped when he saw Gabrijela on the floor, “Oh! Gab!” He covered his eyes, a slight blush spreading across his cheeks. 

“Yeah? Oh right,” She laughed and grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a white knitted halter neck sweater. “Sorry. I forgot.” She scurried into the bathroom. “If you want tea or coffee, just boil the water.” She called out as she changed. 

“Sure. Did you want tea?” He asked. 

“Yeah! Just black tea with honey.” She said. She brushed her long, blond hair and braid it back. She washed her face and applied makeup, she looked dead and had bags under her eyes. So not a good look, she thought, making a face in the mirror. 

“It’s midday, by the way,” Cillian said after a bit. 

“Whoops.” She smiled as she came out. She looked fresher and felt fresher. 

Cillian was dressed quite casual, black jeans with boots, a white shirt and a denim jacket. The harsh haircut made it seem so at odds, she smiled more at the thought. 

“What are you smiling about? Tea is ready.” He handed her the spotty cup. 

She took it, “The way you're dressed, and that haircut. So strange. But definitely not in a bad way.” She quickly said. 

“You’re not the first one to say that.” He laughed, drinking his tea. 

“Oh? I hope it didn't offend you.” Her brows rose. 

“No, no. I just don't prefer to talk about work or much about my acting.” He admitted, taking a seat on the couch. 

"Oh okay, that's fine." She said as she came over and sat beside him, facing him. 

"So, it's really midday huh?" She played with the end of her braid. 

"Yeah." He showed her the time on his iPhone, "I knew you'd fallen asleep and wake up later." 

"Oh yeah, not because I had said I hadn't slept on the plane." She stuck up her nose, drinking her tea. 

"Definitely not because of that." He agreed, that same cheeky smile returned on his handsome face. 

It was so easy to play around with him despite meeting him just a little over twenty-four hours. She loved the playfulness, and always would be drawn to people who were able to tag along. 

"I think we should head off, nighttime falls quickly here so I want to use as much of the day as possible," Cillian said as he finished his tea. 

"Yeah, alright." Gabrijela got up and he cleaned up the cups while she pulled on her suede cream jacket. 

Boots on, she grabbed her bag and her phone, and together they headed out. She locked up and down the stairs, they went. 

They took the walk down the road together, a cool wind made her pull her jacket closer. It had stopped raining by now.

"In the coming months, it's going to rain like, almost every day," Cillian said, his hands in his jacket pockets. 

"Well, lucky for me I brought my winter stuff. I'll have to buy an umbrella that's all." She said. 

"Yeah, that's much needed. Always have one on hand to." Cillian nodded. 

"Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind." She paused and took some photos of the area, "So pretty." She whispered as she checks her phone. 

"Can I see?" He peered over her shoulder. 

She showed him the photos, "I love taking photos. I brought my Canon camera with me, kinda an amateur photographer." She said shyly. 

"Huh, you might need to show me sometime. I saw a photo there, sorry to pry... Is that your family?" 

She flicked back on her phone to show him a group photo on a birthday a month back. It showed her parents, her three older brothers with their wives and their kids. 

"I'm an aunty to five kids." Gabrijela grinned, "This is Ante and his wife Louise and their five-year-old son, Caleb, and three-year-old daughter, Sasha. Ante is the eldest, then the middle boy is Dominik with his wife, Leah and their one-year-old son, Luca. And the youngest boy, Leo and his wife Tatiana and their one-year-old daughter, Tijana." 

"Wow, you got a big family. Names are fancy, what nationality are you?" He asked as they continued to walk. 

"Croatia. Both parents born there and as well as my brothers and myself. We lived there till the year two thousand and one before we all moved to Brisbane until two thousand and ten then moved to Sydney since my Dad had to move for his work." She explained. 

"Huh, that's a big move. Did your brothers meet their wives in Croatia or...?" He was curious and fascinated. 

"Ante met Louise in Croatia, they dated forever until they married about eight years ago. Dominik and Leo found their girlies in Sydney." She told him, then continued, "Dom married four years ago and Leo three years ago." 

"And you are the only girl, yeah?" Cillian asked they paused at a set of lights. 

"Yep. The baby of the family, it's tough." She said a little tentatively.

"How'd the parents feel about you coming here?" He noticed she didn't really want to elaborate on that subject. 

"Not happy. But I'm hoping it's only fear for me being here by myself rather than their eternal disappointment in me." She said with a trace of bitterness to her tone. 

Cillian looked over at her, seeing the cloudy look she had on her freckled face. He nodded, "But you look out for yourself, you do what you enjoy. Life is short, and you shouldn't let the opinions of others bring you down." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

"Yeah. I know that" She looked up at him, "But, my whole life felt like I just kept disappointing them no matter what I tried to do. They didn't, especially my mum, want me to pursue a fashion designer career. More with business and that crap. That's not me. I want to create, make things, design. That's why I've also picked up a major in game design." She gulped as they walked across the road, they came to a shopping strip after the walk. 

"Come on, this doesn't seem to be a happy subject. Look, there's a lot of boutiques here, a lot of famous people had once wandered the streets here." He said, changing the subject for her. 

She was grateful for the change and walked along the strip, looking through the windows. 

As they walked, he pointed out things of interest for her. She took photos of the buildings or the interesting architecture and even got him to snap a photo of her next to the red phone box. 

She wanted to ask him to join but thought otherwise, feeling a little embarrassed to ask. 

She weaved in and out of stores and he happily tagged along inside, not minding the feminine clothing that surrounded him. He even went as so far picking things out for her and they had a good laugh when she politely said it wasn't her style. 

After she bought some stuff and even snuck in lingerie or two, they headed towards Buckingham Palace and the park nearby. 

It began to rain once they reached there, and using her brand new umbrella they huddled very close under it as it was quite small. 

She giggled as they paused under a large tree, "So much for coming this far." She said. 

"You never know with London weather." He said, grinning. 

He smelled really good, like cinnamon and a hint of wood fire and luxury. 

They stood under the tree, and he had moved an arm around her to make more space for them both. 

She leaned into his body a little, his warmth transferred to her and she thanked him mentally for it. 

The rain let up, sprinkling now. "Should we go get coffee instead of standing here?" She asked in a timid voice. 

"That might be a good idea. I know one just around the block." 

They hurried across the road together, dodging puddles and mud. They scurried into the little coffee shop where she ordered an almond cappuccino and he had a black coffee. 

There wasn't any space in the shop so they stood outside under the awning, shoulder to shoulder, clutching their take away cups. 

Gabrijela giggled softly, she was cold but the warmth of the cup made it sort of bearable. 

Once they drank that, they came to the edge of the road but a car drove way to fast. 

Water splashed everywhere on them both, Gab taking the brunt of it. They turned to each other and looked at each other, then burst out into laughter. 

"Oh my god," She whined but had a big grin, "We definitely have to head home." She said. 

"Indeed! Before we catch a cold." He hailed a taxi and they got in with the bags that were still dry. "At least I got a new shirt in here, I can put that on." He mused. 

"Lucky. I'll have to get this all cleaned up." She pouted. "I love this jumper." 

They arrived back to her apartment and they headed inside. She set her bags on the bed and went through the dresser to find some fresh set of clothing for tonight. 

"May I pick you up around six instead?" He asked. 

"Sure, but that leaves us one hour to get ready now. You might as well stay." She said as she held her clothing in her arms. 

"I know. But I'll head home quickly, change and come right back." He said, she noted the slight nerves in his posture, especially in his eyes. Why was he nervous? 

"Okay. I'll be ready by then." She said.

He departed and she had a shower, reapplied her makeup and pulled on her new outfit for tonight. It was a black, blue and red checkered mini skirt with a white button-up blouse and a red coat that came just to her knees. She had thigh-high boots and left out her wavy hair. 

The bell rang and she let him up again, unlocking the door and he stepped in. 

Cillian was dressed very well. Black jeans with a nice pair of loafers, a white button-up shirt that was tucked in with a casual suit jacket on top. His cologne was rich and smelled good. 

She beamed, she spotted purple socks he wore, "Flashy." She mused, "You look good. And you smell just as nice." 

He looked at her, eyes darting up and down and his expression was bright and cheery, "You look... lovely." He said with almost a stutter as if he couldn't find the right words. That small intimate smile returned. 

She bit her lip and looked away, her cheeks heating, "Thank you." Her stomach was doing flips but in a good way. This man was really seeping into her heart, intoxicating her with his lovely smiles and cute accent. 

"Should we go? I-I'm ready." Gabrijela said she picked up her crossbody bag. 

"Lets." He held the door open for her, and place his hand on the small of her back as he guided her out. 

The pair left the building and drove off somewhere else in London. The area was named Covent Garden, he found some restaurant called the Ivy Market Grill. 

It had stopped raining thankfully, as Cillian had to park quite far from the place. "The only problem here is the shit parking." He cursed as he found a spot and parked. 

"So I've heard." She said as she got out of the car. "So why here?" She asked him as they walked along the footpath. 

"Its a bit pricey but the food is good, or so my friends have told me." He said, "Atmosphere is nice, comfy. The whole place is designed almost authentically, too. Wanted to bring you to a place which makes authentic food." He explained. 

"Okay. Sounds lovely." Gabrijela was eager to try some good food, she loved her food, and if it was local, even better. 

They arrived at the restaurant, and once inside she felt like she was taken back some decades. It was mostly brown, green, rust and cream colours, mixed with odd patterns and round lights. There was a large bar and the place was almost packed. 

Cillian spoke to a waiter and they were taken upstairs to the terrace, which was covered and was seated next to the railing that overlooked the piazza below. 

"It's really nice." She nodded, it was cosy and light, especially upstairs. 

"It is, it is. I hope the food is just as good." He said. 

The waiter came by after a bit and Cillian ordered a glass of red wine, she did the same, she liked red. 

"You're a red girl, huh?" Cillian sat back in the chair. He ordered a bottle instead. 

"Yeah, I don't mind it. I like having it with dinner mostly. White... Hmm, I like Moscato, I'm a sweet person. When I go out though with my friends, its either vodka or tequila, or a mix of both and various other killing kinda spirit." She laughed softly.

"That's alright, at least you like a wide range of drinks. I stick to my red wines or some good local ale." He replied, "You said you go out? Where to?" 

"Uh, well in Sydney, mostly night clubs or do a classic pub run with my best friend and her mate. I'm a single gal, so I'm hoping to find a man who is willing to uh, date me or something. I get dates but uh... It ends up in bed and no more after that." She blushed a little. 

"Really? You seem like a really smart and talented girl. Who wouldn't want to date you?" He asked, clearly shocked with his raised brows.

The bottle came and the waiter poured them a glass each, she took a sip of hers, "I guess Sydney boys don't like a smart girl. Only for a good fuck for a couple of times." She sighed, "I'm over that, those friends with benefits. I'm twenty-five, and most of my friends are getting married soon, three of them are next year. One already has two kids." She twirled the glass on the table, "Guys I meet are immature, or like I said want to just get laid, they don't want anything serious. I want something serious. But it seems like a turn-off." She whispered. 

"Well, if you want my honest opinion, I don't think its a turn-off. It's nice to hear a girl like you who wants something for herself. You want kids eventually?" She nodded, "Marriage?" She nodded again. "I can say the same for myself." 

She almost choked on her drink, "Ah, yeah. Yeah." She hastily wiped her mouth. 

"I-I mean, not with you- I-I mean unless- Ah- Fuck, sorry. Fuck." He let out a nervous and embarrassing laugh. 

"It's okay." She laughed, reaching over suddenly and took his hand, squeezing it. "No offence." She winked at him and it seemed to calm him down. 

A waiter came over finally and took their orders. It seemed to calm the air between them. Whatever it was. Her heart had skipped a beat when he spoked about how her needs and wants wasn't a turn-off. Was that a turn-on for him? She kicked herself mentally for thinking such an absurd thing. He was so way out of her league, and her parents would definitely not approve. 

Besides, she was here on an internship, not to find a guy. 

But she looked up and met those pretty baby blue eyes, and she could see something appear in them. Something. 

"So," she finally said after some seconds that passed once the waiter left, "Music. You were in a band. What do you like to listen to?" 

"Uhm, just to name a few, Daft Punk occasionally, Blur, or Nils Frahm when I need something to chill out to." He said. "I got some old records that I still listen to, helps me get into a good mindset when I need to act." 

"Cool. I'm pretty easy, I listen to whatever sounds good I guess? I love a bit of everything except like heavy metal or country. If you check out my Spotify its a mixture of music, old classic pop and rock, or today's music. Even got a Croatian playlist too." She shrugged. 

"Top favourite band?" He asked, "Or two." 

She thought for a bit, "Imagine Dragons and... Fuck, I don't know. I love a lot of bands. My top song is Live it Up by Mental As Anything and Born to Be Yours by Imagine Dragons. Even Radioactive, god, I could put that on so loud and I'd be so far away from this world." She sighed, smiling. 

"In what way?" Curiosity laced his voice. 

"I read a lot of fantasy books, young adult, paranormal romance. I like to envision myself in those worlds as the heroine, fighting monsters and... stuff like that." She blushed. "I daydream a lot, writing is another thing I do. Whenever I get the chance." 

"Brilliance of a creative person, so music helps you dream?" He seemed very intrigued, fascinated. And truly interested in what she had to say. 

So she continued, surprisingly, "Yeah. Sometimes the lyrics don't need to help me, but mostly the tune. So, like alternative, indie rock. I like that stuff, gets my mind rolling." She said, her eyes glittering with joy. He didn't seem afraid either, he spoke wildly and passionately about how music also affected him in ways that let him experience highs and lows. 

When their food came, it didn't stop their conversation. They chatted about music, about the changes in genres and all that. 

It connected them very well, and she felt so unafraid for the first time to open up about her likes. She was over the moon that he didn't judge her, he asked questions, genuine questions of herself. 

Even went into their dislikes, and they clicked through that. 

Their dinner was over and he was quick to pay despite her trying to offer money. 

"Keep it," He said as they walked out of the restaurant. He held her coat and helped her put it on. "Buy something for yourself. Tonight is on me." He kept his arm around her shoulders as he guided her down the street. 

"Where we going now?" She asked, sliding an arm around his waist. It was more comfortable to walk like that, not because she wanted to. Or maybe she did. 

"There's a pub here that has live music. Alternative rock. Haven't heard of the band before but thought it would be fun to go." He said as the pub neared. 

There was a shit ton of people, they all piled outside and drinking. Music spilled out in the night. It was a very good beat. 

"Ladies first." He said and gestured with a hand for her to go first. She did, and his hand found that spot on her back. 

Once inside the pub, it was fairly large and people were seated in booths or tables or gathered around the bar. 

She saw a bunch of people wave from a booth, "There. Come on." He took her arm instead and they pushed through the throng of people. 

"Hey, mate! Glad you could come!" A man rose up from the booth, shaking hands with Cillian. "Oh man, my friend is so stoked you could be here tonight. It means so much." The guy was grinning wide. 

Cillian smiled, "Yeah, man. No worries. You talked him up so much, so he better be good." He teased. 

"Definitely! Ah, and who's this pretty lady?" The man turned to Gabrijela. 

She could see him and his buddies were a little tipsy but she gave them a lovely smile either way. "Hi," She shook hands. 

"Gabrijela, she's come all the way from Sydney! To work with me and the rest of the cast." Cillian explained. 

"Oh! Lucky girl. I'm Joel by the way. Don't worry, Cillian 'ere is a fantastic man. He'll look after you splendid." Joel winked at her, picking up the subtle hint. 

She frowned a little but she was ushered to sit. She sat at the end opposite Cillian to some other man whose name was Lawrence. 

"I'm gonna get drinks, what do you want?" Cillian asked her as he knelt beside her. 

"Surprise me." She leaned in to speak into his ear. 

He nodded and stood up and disappeared in the crowd. 

"So," Joel leaned on the table, "How long are you stayin' in London?" 

"About a year. It's the length of my Internship with a month of free time in December." She explained. 

"Oh yeah? Neat. How you feeling? Are you by yourself?" Lawrence jumped into the conversation. He was uncomfortably close to her, especially his hand. 

"Uh... I'm feeling okay. Nervous." She said, not answering his last question. The situation made her on edge. She had been in this scene before. Cillian, she thought, where the fuck are you? 

"You looking for something here?" Leo hummed, giving her a once over. 

"No." She said, standing her ground. "I'm here for my studies. Nothing more." She gave him a pointed look. 

"I'm just asking, Miss. Usually, you girls are after more than just a job. I work for a taxi company that--" 

"Listen here, mate." She leaned over, slapping the business card out of his hand. She knew what kinda taxi driver this sick prick was, "I'm not here to fuck with men or women. I'm here to work, to get experience in a fashion career. And you fucker give me shit like this? You're sick." She spat. 

She'd walk, but Cillian had come over looking cheery as always. He looked at Gabrijela, seeing her posture of her crossed legs and arms. 

"Hey, we good here?" He asked as he set the wine glass in front of her and one for himself, and two beer glasses in front of his friends. 

"Yeah, mate. It's fine. Hey look they're about to get on stage." Joel nodded to the band setting up now after the first one finished. 

As the band fixed their gear, she felt a nudge under the table. She looked and Cillian mouth 'Are you okay?' 

She nodded, giving him a smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Cillian frowned sitting back before Joel sucked him into a conversation. 

Lawrence on the other hand, wanted to talk to her, "Is this your first time overseas?" 

"No," She said blandly, sipping her wine as she faced the rugged man. 

"Where did you go? If this isn't your first time." Lawrence continued. 

"Europe with family. I'm here-" She stopped herself. 

"By yourself? That's brave." He purred. 

Fuck. 

"Yeah. Very." She looked away, the band began to play. 

The night went on and Lawrence seemed to leave her alone and she began to feel a little better. The boys talked about work and whatever, and she listened to the band playing. 

They were pretty good and she bopped to it, even taped some of it as a memory. 

Then she spotted a photo booth, and a smile broke out, "Cillian." She said, bringing his attention to her. "There's a photo booth. Can we go to it?" She asked. 

"With me?" He asked. 

"Yeah, I love those things." She stood, holding out her hand for him. 

"Alright. We'll be back." He said to Joel and Lawrence. 

The pair went to the photo booth, and she paid for it. They took six photos together, silly poses and some serious or smiling ones. They looked at the photos and both laughed, there was one for her and one for him. 

"I'm gonna cherish this." She said to him, hugging him suddenly. 

He was taken aback but hugged her back, "Same here." He said. 

"I'm gonna head to the ladies room, I'll be right back." She said to him and pulled away to go to the toilet. 

Cillian returned to the table, tucking the photo into his pocket, "Where'd your girlie go?" Joel asked. 

"Ladies room," Cillian replied lightly before they went back to the conversation. 

Lawrence took a moment before he got up and went towards the toilet. 

Gabrijela was just walking out when she ran right into Lawrence. 

"Woah!" He gripped her arms. 

"Let go." She growled and pushed his arms away. 

"Damn girl. You are a feisty one." He smirked, cornering her. 

"You fucker. Let me through." She tried to get past him but he had her pinned. 

"Why you acting like this? Shouldn't you be happy? Getting the attention yeah?" He purred. His breath reeked. 

"Get off me!" She cried, but the music was so loud, and the area was dark that no one really paid attention. 

"Come on girl, I know you like this-"

No. She definitely wasn't. Before his hands could yank up her skirt or jumper, she brought her knee between his legs.

He gasped and fell to his knees, clutching himself. 

Gabrijela picked up her bag and tried to fix her jumper, tears began to fall down as she rushed through the crowd. 

When she reached the table she grabbed her unfinished wine and threw it on Joel. 

"Fuck you." She snapped, "How dare you. How dare you!" 

Cillian shot to his feet, "Hey! What's wrong? Gab?" He grabbed her arms. 

"Let me go!" She shook herself free from him. "That old pervert sent his cocksucker on me! He had his hands on me!" She was infuriated, humiliated in a way and frightened. 

She turned from Cillian and pushed through the crowd, and stumbled out of the pub as tears fell down her cheeks more freely now. 

She stormed down the street, she needed to get home, have a shower. 

"Gabrijela!" She could hear Cillian's voice call for her. "Gab! Wait!" 

He caught up to her and got her to stop by standing in front of her, "Gab, hey. Look at me, hey." His voice was gentle and soft. 

She couldn't look up, but his fingers took her chin and he tilted her face up, "What happened? Talk to me," He was seriously concerned and worried. 

She sniffled, she explained what happened and had clung to his arms. "I-I'm sorry I-"

"No. You're not at fault. I'm sorry, I should've picked it up sooner. God, I'm so sorry," He pulled her into his body, and she wrapped her arms around him. 

He stroked her back slowly and she found it comforting. "Let's go home, yeah?" 

"Yeah." She nodded and pulled away slightly. He kept his arm around her shoulder as they walked back to the car. 

He put on some gentle music and it eased her all the way back to the apartment. 

They silently walked up the stairs and he came in with her. She sat on her bed, sighing heavily. She tried to take off her boots but she couldn't. 

"Let me help." He came over and knelt in front of her. His fingers brushed her skin and watched him closely as he peeled off her boots. He set them aside and then helped her out of her jacket and hung it up for her. 

She flopped back on the bed, eyes shut. 

"Will you be okay? By yourself?" He asked her as he sat beside her. 

"I..." She opened her eyes, looking at him. Her heart melted at the sight. She didn't think she ever saw a man so worried like he did right there. She smiled a little, "I... Stay. Please." she sat up slowly, leaning closer to him. 

"Okay. I'll sleep on the couch-"

"No. Could..." she sucked in a breath, "Hold me? Please? U-Unless that's too much since we-" 

"Of course. Doesn't bother me." He reached up and brushed a knuckle along her cheekbone. "Get changed into something more comfortable though." He added. 

She nodded and got off the bed, she grabbed her singlet and the silky booty shorts she had and changed in the bathroom. She cleaned up her face and combed her hair before she stepped out. 

Cillian had kicked off his shoes and his jacket and was simply in his shirt and his boxers. 

"Someone's comfortable." She said with a smile. 

"Ah, I mean- I can put my jeans-" He stuttered and reached for them. 

"No," she rushed to him, taking his hands, "No, I was only kidding. It's fine." 

"I'm wearing underwear under them." He offered. 

She snorted, and then laughed, "It's fine. Really. Do I look any better?" She huffed. 

He looked her up and down quickly and his cheeks went a shade of pink. He didn't answer her. 

He got into the bed first and she went to the other side. 

Once they were in and comfortable, he held open his arm, "Come here." He said softly. 

She accepted the offer and rolled into his side, her hand resting on his chest, her head on his shoulder.

His arm came around her, his other arm was bent under his head. 

"I'm sorry for tonight how it ended. I had hoped it went better." Cillian said softly. 

"It's okay, Cilly. Dinner was wonderful, made perfect because of you." She looked up at him. "I will remember that most." 

He looked at her, and sighed softly, "Okay, but I will make it up to you." 

"Don't-"

"Shush," He said and she raised a brow, "I want to okay? Please. This was on me, and I should've been more aware." 

It was her turn to sigh, but she gave in, "Okay. Okay. Make it up to me." She whispered. 

They held each other gaze before he blinked and laid his head back, "Get some sleep. Tomorrow... who knows. We'll see." He said. 

She nodded and shifted a little, her leg brushed along his. "Goodnight." She murmured. 

"Goodnight." He replied he pressed a kiss to her head. His fingers slowly moved up and down her side, it made her body relax.

She listened to his heartbeat, letting it lull her into a dreamless sleep. Cillian held her the whole time, even after he fell asleep.

[brynandchristopher]

The (temporary) end of an era

Well, it’s certainly been a while since we last wrote. We apologize for the delay, we’ve been busy transitioning from New Zealand life to Australia in the last month or so, and then from Australia back to our homes in the last few days, and just haven’t gotten around to writing. But now we’re back! First and foremost, Chris and I are safe, happy, and healthy. It is a crazy time that we are living in right now, but so far we have remained physically unaffected by coronavirus and are keeping our fingers crossed that it remains that way. We are in good health and taking all of the necessary precautions to stay safe in this time of chaos and uncertainty.

In our last post, we had just bid Madeline farewell and were beginning the process of selling our van, Sweetie, in Christchurch. We gave ourselves ~2 weeks before departing to sell the van in hopes that would give us enough time to meet with prospective buyers and try to make some of our money back before taking off for Australia. In New Zealand, there is a bit of a boom and bust cycle in regards to van prices due to the major influx of backpackers at the beginning of the summer and mass exodus at the end of summer. Additionally, most backpackers take a similar route to the one we took - flying into Auckland, exploring the north island, heading down south, flying out of Christchurch - resulting in a huge supply of backpacker vans in Christchurch and not very much demand. We were aware of this cycle going into our trip and knew we wouldn’t get a full return on what we spent, but we were hopeful we could get at least half of our money back to put towards our next van in Australia. Our first few van showings were slightly disheartening. We received significant interest via buy/sell facebook pages and other websites where we posted ads, but when we met in person for test drives and viewings everyone seemed very nit-picky about small things that hadn’t mattered much to us. We soon realized that backpackers looking at vans at the end of the summer could afford to be selective because of how many vans were available to them at a low cost. We didn’t let them get us down though, and after 4 or 5 days of showings we met an Israeli couple around our age that was interested in buying Sweetie. Chris negotiated with them (definitely not my forté, Chris is the master haggler between the two of us) and we were able to get a little more than half of what we had spent. We spent a day driving around with them for a test drive, mechanical inspection, and eventually a transfer of ownership, and by that evening it was time for us to part with our beloved Sweetie. She was a real trooper and everything we could have asked for for our very first car, we felt lucky to have had no car problems for the whole 3 months (which cannot be said for many secondhand backpacker campervans). We were sad to see her go but happy to be leaving her in good hands for her next adventure :)

It was a relief to sell the van in the first few days of our arrival to Christchurch, but we soon realized we had a lot of time on our hands for the next 10 days without a vehicle to go anywhere beyond the city. We stayed in a hostel in central Christchurch for 3 nights and spent a few days exploring the sights of the city. We walked through the botanical gardens, visited the local museum, explored the shops, and hung out around the hostel. One day we went to a climbing gym and spent a few hours bouldering, a hobby that both Chris and I had missed since our travels began. Once our time in the hostel was up, Chris’ dad, John, helped us out with some points so we could stay at the Double Tree Inn for 2 nights. After living in a minivan for 3 months and then staying in a crowded hostel for a few nights, the Double Tree felt luxurious and plush. We were very grateful to be staying in a nice place for a few days and have a bit of a break from the backpacker lifestyle - thanks Wan :) 

For the remainder of our time in Christchurch, we booked a cheap AirBnb on the outskirts of the city. We were beginning to get a bit restless - while Christchurch is nice enough, New Zealand isn’t exactly famous for it’s beautiful cities and we felt like we had explored most of what it had to offer. I spent most of our days there starting to look online for vans and jobs in Australia, and Chris played a lot of Pokémon ;) I had applied to a few live-in nanny jobs in Queensland, where we were hoping to post up for a few months to save up some money, and I heard back from the one Chris and I were most excited about. The family of 5 lived on 7 acres in a sleepy beach town called Kinka Beach about 7 hours north of Brisbane, and it seemed like we would be a good fit for what they were looking for. After a few emails back and forth, the mother, Olivia, and I spoke on the phone for a while to sort out the details and get to know each other a bit. Originally Olivia and her husband, Darren, weren’t looking to have a couple, but when we told them of Chris’ handyman/DIY construction experience, they figured they could use his help on some projects around their property in addition to my help with their 3 kids. We agreed on an arrival date in early April and planned to stay in touch until then. Before we knew it, our last night in New Zealand was upon us and we decided to celebrate by going out to dinner at a Chinese vegetarian restaurant a few blocks away from our AirBnb. We ordered a few different dishes, which were fantastic, and recounted all of the unforgettable memories we made in the beautiful country of New Zealand. It was a sad goodbye but we were looking forward to our next adventure in Australia. 

At this point, the Coronavirus panic was beginning to ramp up. We were only experiencing it secondhand, as it hadn’t become a problem at all in New Zealand yet, so it didn't really feel real until we got to the airport. There were increased screening and security measures when we arrived to Australia, questions about where we’d travelled recently and separate lines for people who had been to China, Italy, Iran, or Dubai. This, of course, was only the tip of the iceberg and our nervousness about the situation began to increase. My parents were supposed to be visiting about a week after we arrived to Sydney and we weren’t sure what would happen in that time. Fortunately, we had a safe and isolated place to stay in Sydney for the week - my Dad’s childhood friend, Rob, lives in a beautiful downtown apartment in the heart of Sydney and was gracious enough to host us. For the first few days we got to know Rob over dinners and wine and he gave us advice for places to check out around the city. We walked through the beautiful botanic gardens, along the harbor to see the Sydney Opera House, and spent a day soaking up the sun at Bondi Beach. We were primarily in Sydney to start our hunt for a new van, so we met up with a few different sellers that we’d been in contact with to test drive and scope out our options. Because we would be living in this van for a longer period of time, we were hoping to upgrade on a few things that Sweetie didn’t have - a bit more space in the back, a high roof, and an indoor kitchen. We liked 1 or 2 of the ones we viewed in the first few days, but nothing was really checking all of the boxes that we were hoping for. 

Three or four days into our time in Sydney, it became very apparent how seriously the world was reacting to Coronavirus. Everyone was being sent home from work, businesses were closing, and fewer and fewer people were out on the street each day. Before we knew it, travel restrictions and bans were being put in place by many countries, Australia being one of them. With very heavy hearts, my parents had to cancel their trip to come and visit us for 2+ weeks. We were all pretty heartbroken about the situation, all of us had been looking forward to the trip for months. I was craving a taste of comfort and home that I knew would come from spending time with my parents, and I knew how excited they were to take a much deserved break from work and go on a big adventure across the world. I soon found out that my sister, Maggie, was also going to surprise me and come along with them (I had suspicions all along (; ), which only made it harder. It was a major disappointment on both ends, but it was out of our hands. 

Feeling a bit deflated and sad, we continued our search for the right van. When we came across a van that was everything we were looking for but a little bit out of our price range, we figured we might as well take a look at it and see if we could negotiate our way down. We met with the owner of the van, a Spanish guy named Edgar, who was trying to get out of the country as soon as possible because his visa was about to expire. The van was perfect, we fell in love with it immediately. It had a solar panel on top that powered a refrigerator, water pump for running water, power outlets, and cabin lights, had a whole indoor kitchen set up, and had a semi-high roof. It was in great mechanical condition and had very low kilometers compared to the majority of the vans we had looked at. We spent a day or two going back and forth with Edgar about the price and eventually we came to an agreement- we were now the proud owners of a 1999 fully outfitted Toyota Hiace Campervan! We named him Rollo, a viking name that we felt was well-suited for our van.

A day or two later, Chris and I went through a few hours of panic about coronavirus and whether or not we needed to make the difficult decision to end our trip and go home. It was poor timing to go through this decision making process, as we had just invested the majority of our money into a new home on wheels, but it was an option we knew we had to seriously consider before carrying on with our travel plans. We went through many different hypothetical scenarios, weighed all of the pros and cons, talked it out with friends and family, and eventually came to the decision that we would wait it out in Australia for now. The situation worldwide was changing every day and the uncertainty was scary - our first instinct is to be around our family in a time like this - but we knew we had a safe place to hunker down for a few months with our nannying family in Kinka Beach. With new border closures and travel restrictions being put into place, we decided we would leave Sydney and head straight for Kinka Beach without making many stops in between. Before we left, Rob recommended a hike close by in Royal National Park to the beautiful Figure Eight Pools. These series of pools were formed along a rock shelf of the coastline from centuries of pounding waves and receding tides. When the tide is low enough, you can walk out on the shelf and take a dip in the crystal clear waters of the Figure Eight Pools - take a look at our pictures and you’ll understand the name. We had never seen anything like them before, it was a really cool adventure. After swimming in the pools we spent a few hours on the beach before making our way back to Sydney.  We had our last dinner with Rob and he was nice enough to send us off with a basket full of van-life essentials - we were beyond grateful for his hospitality and generosity over the course of the week and hoped to visit if we’re back in Sydney again :)

Chris and I hit the road and began our 3-day drive up the east coast of Australia. On our first day, we stopped in to visit with my great-Aunt, Nancy, who lives in Newcastle a few hours north of Sydney. I had never met Nancy, only heard about her secondhand from my Grandad and the rest of my Dad’s family, so I was very excited to finally get to meet her. Chris and I spent an hour or so with Nancy, chatting over tea and walking through her magnificent backyard garden. It was wonderful to meet her and exchange stories of our travels, I hope to stay in touch in the future. After saying our goodbyes, we continued our drive north. We felt a bit melancholy as we passed exit after exit for all of the places we were supposed to be staying at with my parents, but we were doing our best to stay positive. We knew how lucky we were to have found a beautiful new van and to have a safe place to go to in a time of crisis. We stayed overnight in free rest-stop campsites along the way and made it to Kinka Beach after 3 long days in the van. 

Olivia and Darren, the parents, greeted us and we spent an hour or so getting to know each other and taking a look around their property. They own a coral selling business where they harvest small amounts of coral from the Great Barrier Reef and then propagate it in tanks on land to sell to aquarium owners, pet stores, etc. Their property had an old aquarium on it that they were going to convert into a coral-growing space because it already had the tanks and requirements needed for their business. The aquarium was accompanied by a giant concrete whale that you could go inside - it was as big as a house and definitely a trademark of the Kinka Beach area. It was a funky property but we liked it, and we got along well with Olivia and Darren. Because we had been in Sydney and traveling around, they asked us to keep our distance and self-isolate in our van on their property for the first week that we were there, which we of course were fine with. We spent the week going to the beach, stocking up on food essentials, and relaxing in the van. As much as we tried to keep our distance, the older two of the children were very curious about the two new van-dwellers on their property. They would sneak away from their parents to come and say hello, and took a liking to us right away. Our new names were ‘Nanny Chris’ and ‘Nanny Bryn’, it was very cute :) The week of isolation passed and Chris and I moved in to the family’s house. The family also had a separate unit on their property on the second floor of the aquarium that Chris and I were planning on moving into but it had some damage from a cyclone a few years back. Fixing up the separate unit was going to be Chris’ project for the few months that we were there, and he dove right in once we got settled. For the first few days I was with Olivia and the three kids - Henderson or ‘Hendo’ (4), Israel (2), and Kingsley (12 weeks) - playing in their blow up pool, jumping on the trampoline, reading books, and watching movies. The kids were adorable and (mostly) well-behaved, and Olivia and I got along great. I spent my birthday with the kids, and Chris and I snuck away during their nap to have a pizza beach picnic where he gave me a guitar!! I had expressed the desire to start learning throughout our travels and he remembered, it was a very sweet and thoughtful gift <3 The family surprised me with birthday cake and songs later that night and made my birthday feel special, even if it was under somewhat different circumstances than usual. 

A day or two into the job, the same anxieties that Chris and I were having in Sydney began to creep back up on us. Coronavirus continued to ramp up, and our fears of being far from home grew with it. We worried about being stuck in Australia if they cancelled all outgoing flights and not being able to return to the US if family or friends got sick, or what would happen if we needed to be hospitalized abroad. Mostly we just felt scared, anxious, and homesick being in an unfamiliar place during a time of such panic and crisis, and it was seriously impacting our ability to enjoy our time there. The family had also asked that Chris didn’t get a job in the community, as they had young children and a baby, and wanted to limit potential exposure to the virus. This would mean we wouldn’t be making very much money, and we knew we needed to resupply our funds if we wanted to continue to travel. At the same time, we were scared by the prospect of traveling if we did decide to go home, which would mean exposing ourselves to airplanes and airports. It was risky and we didn’t want to bring the sickness home to anyone or put others at risk. After a few wrenching days of going back and forth about it and talking it through with Olivia and Darren, Chris and I made the difficult decision to sell the van and go home. It was a heartbreaking goodbye - the kids had begun to get attached to us, and us to them - but after lots of hugs we bid farewell and headed south towards Brisbane to sell Rollo. We stayed at a campground and arranged a few meetings with interested buyers, and after a day we made a quick sale to a Dutch backpacker couple. The next morning we were on a flight to Sydney, where we spent the night, and then carried on to San Francisco the following day. After the 13+ hour flight to California, Chris and I parted ways - I flew home to Boston and Chris to Salt Lake City. It feels strange and sad to be apart after spending literally every hour of the day together for 5+ months straight, but fortunately (and unfortunately, I suppose) we have quite a bit of experience with long-distance. We know it’s not forever and we are staying positive and looking forward to spending time with our families after being away for so long. Both of us are currently self-quarantining in our homes - I’m up in the creative room in my house for the next two weeks and Chris is confined to the basement at his house. We’re both feeling very lucky that our houses are set up in a way that allows us to be physically separate from our families while still being able to visit from across the yard or between rooms. We know not everyone being affected by coronavirus is afforded that same luxury, so we are counting our blessings and keeping ourselves busy for the next 14 days. 

Unfortunately this will likely be our last blog post for a while. But don’t worry!! Our travels will continue once we’ve saved up a little more money, and we will be sure to post here when that time comes :) We are relieved and happy to be home and are looking forward to better and brighter days. Thank you to all of our friends and family who have kept up with our travels in the past 5 months, it has been filled with more joy, wonder, and adventure than we could have ever imagined. We feel so lucky to have people in our lives that we can share those experiences with, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Stay home, stay safe, and stay healthy!! 

With love,

Bryn and Christopher

[clutfysvad-gd-adv-blog]

Inquiry/Adventure 3

For inquiry three, I decided to make a coffee brand using animal and brand identity. I was in Greenville last weekend and drank Australian coffee for the first time and loved it. It’s an espresso based drip style coffee, meaning they make every cup individually and with love. It is much smaller yet more potent and will do the same job as a regular cup of American coffee would do. So, if you love coffee, you need to give it a shot, literally. I started thinking of doing a campaign type inquiry for Australia because of the unfortunate recent fires. I started sketching up a bunch of illustrations I had in my head, did a few mockups but I didn’t really feel right about it. I started thinking there are so many campaigns out there currently; let’s switch it up. I’m drinking Australian coffee in this hipster-y coffee shop, let’s do a new coffee brand. I mean, who doesn’t love coffee? After I figured out I wanted to do a new coffee brand, I stuck with the koala as the face of the company and figured out a simple kraft paper packaging to be easily accessible and environmentally friendly. Then I started thinking of different cities in Australia and what some of their main features are. I broke it down to 4 coffee roasts depicting the areas of Australia I chose to represent; The Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane, Sydney, and the Outback. The Great Barrier Reef has nothing to do with berries, however, it’s a fun alternative to the name. Also, berries are one of the top consumed fruits in Australia along with apples and mandarines. For Brisbane, I named this coffee roast, “Bright Brisbane,” to represent the hottest and sunniest city in Australia. The city of Sydney has the most trees of any other city in the entire world so I used leaves of trees to depict this simple illustration. Aborigine design has a large impact in the Outback so I wanted to represent this coffee with a design relevant to that. I see this project going in many directions. Maybe it can still have a campaign impact and each pack of coffee or drink sold, a percentage can go to helping wildlife conservation and the upkeep. I thought this was a fun project to design different packages and can definitely see myself doing designing more. I spent a lot of time designing different roasts, brainstorming and researching Australia and learned a lot. 

During class, a time managed collaboration assignment was a great way to work with one another and see what you can do as a group. I think it was a great learning experience for everyone to get more comfortable talking it out with each other and coming to a conclusion. It was a short, fun assignment that made you think of the world around you. As a designer, you think of objects in your own environment that can make other objects so inadvertently this helped us think outside the box. I took a lot away from this assignment because you never know what you can find that will make something else. All the letters were so unique in their own way which made this assignment individualized yet collaborative. Everyone had a different end result which was the beauty of the entire project; seeing how different minds works together to come up with different outcomes about the same assignment. 

[nuclearblastuk]

IMMOLATION | Band release official video for 'The Distorting Light' + new worldwide dates announced

New York death metal giants IMMOLATION are proud to release the official video for 'The Distorting Light', taken from their latest album Atonement: youtu.be/YFReL3uMV7A The video was created and directed by Robert Vigna, while the technical advisor and equipment specialist Angelo Damanti also handled the camera work. The band performance was filmed at Dark City Studios in Yonkers, NY. Order a physical copy of Atonement here: nblast.de/ImmoAtonementAMZ IMMOLATION will spend the remainder of the year touring in support of Atonement. Catch them live at the following worldwide dates: Jun. 19 - Copenhell - Copenhagen, DK Jun. 21 - Metal Frenzy Open Air - Sachsen-Anhalt, DE Jun. 22 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, BE Jun. 23 - Hellfest - Clisson, FR Jun. 26 - Mystic Festival - Krakow, PL Jul. 02 - Quito, Equador - Teatro Demetrio A. Malta Jul. 03 - Bogota, Colombia - Ozzy Bar Jul. 04 - San Salvador,  El Salvador - Buhos Jul. 05 - Guatemala City,  Guatemala - Rock Al Vuh Jul. 06 - San Jose,  Costa Rica - Pepperґs Club Jul. 07 - Mexico City,  Mexico - Foro Indie Rocks Aug. 09 - Brutal Assault Fest   - Fortress Josefov , CZ Aug. 10 - Party San Open Air - Obermehler, DE Aug. 23 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - El Barrio Aug. 25 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - KL Metal Cam Aug. 29 - Manila, Philippines - 123 Block Sept. 1 - Bangkok, Thailand - Hollywood Bangkok Sept. 5 - Brisbane, Australia - The Triffid Sept. 6 - Sydney, Australia - Crowbar Sept. 7 - Melbourne, Australia - Max Watts Sept. 10 - Osaka, Japan - Pangea Sept. 11 - Nagoya, Japan - Imaike 3 Star Sept. 12 - Tokyo, Japan - Cyclone The band recently announced 'The Last Atonement Tour - North America 2019'. Joining them as direct support on their headlining run are Denver-based death metal merchants, BLOOD INCANTATION. The Last Atonement Tour -  North America 2019 with BLOOD INCANTATION Sept 19 - New Bedford, MA - The Vault Music Hall Sept 20 - Elmhurst, NY - Blackthorn 51 Sept 21 - Brooklyn, NY - Kingsland Sept 22 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz Sept 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge Sept 24 --Richmond, VA - Canal Club Sept 25 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade Sept 26 - Ybor City, FL - Crowbar Sept 27 - Margate, FL - O’Malley’s Sept 28 - Winter Park, FL - The Haven Sept 29 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Hall Sept 30 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar Oct 1 - San Antonio, TX - Rock Box Oct 2 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live Oct 3 - Dallas, TX - Trees Oct 4 - Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad Oct 5 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studios Oct 6 - Denver, CO - Hermans Hideaway Oct 7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Liquid Joe’s Oct 8 - Tempe, AZ - Club Red Oct 9 - W. Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go Oct 10 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick Oct 11 - Santa Ana, CA - Malone’s Oct 12 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver Oct 13 - Portland, OR - Dantes Oct 14 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon Oct 15 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater Oct 16 - Calgary, AB - Dickens Oct 17 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Ballroom Oct 18 - Regina, SK - The Riddell Centre Oct 19 - Winnipeg, MB - The Good Will Social Oct 20 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam Oct 21 - Milwaukee, WI - Walker’s Point Music Hall Oct 22 - Joliet, IL - The Forge Oct 23 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place Oct 24 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace Oct 25 - Ottawa, ON - Maverick’s Oct 26 - Quebec City, QC - L’Anti Oct 27 - Sherbrooke, QC - Bar Le Magog Oct 28 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes Oct 29 - Portland, ME - Geno’s Rock Club Tickets on sale now. More dates to be announced soon! IMMOLATION's latest album Atonement was recorded at Millbrook Sound Studios in Millbrook, NY with longtime producer Paul Orofino, and mixed and mastered once again by Zack Ohren (ALL SHALL PERISH, DECREPIT BIRTH, SUFFOCATION). Cover art was created by renowned artist Pär Olofsson (IMMORTAL, THE FACELESS, EXODUS, ABYSMAL DAWN), along with additional artwork by the very talented Zbigniew Bielak (GHOST, ENSLAVED, PARADISE LOST, WATAIN). More on Atonement: 'When The Jackals Come' music video: youtu.be/1u7wZFkmaVA 'Destructive Currents' 360º video: youtu.be/lOUh2ctYZFE 'Fostering the Divide' visualizer: youtu.be/dJDMVRMYgfI

[meditationadvise]

Steal It! The Australian Yoga Secret We`re Obsessing Over

When I meet individuals from Australia, I'm typically blown away by their pleased, radiant feelings. They most definitely have something identified that I don't, but exactly what is it?

As a health and fitness editor, I have to ask yourself: Do their bright, sparkly vibes have something to do with their workout regimens? Are they on the exact same consistent stream of barre, boot camps, boxing, yoga exercise, and also treadmills as we remain in the United States? Not. 'We're a quite diverse bunch when it concerns work out, however being outdoors whenever feasible is a pretty large style,' Leanne Gerich, manager of Stretch Yoga exercise in Brisbane, Australia, informed me.

If you, too, strive to exercise like an Australian, here's what you have to recognize.

Inside the Australian yoga exercise scene.

People are insane for downward-facing dog in Australia, as well. However according to Leanne, Australians do not see yoga exercise as a crucial part of their exercise regimen.

' While there aren't as numerous workshops as the UNITED STATE, Canada, and also the UNITED KINGDOM, the workshops that do exist are generally very excellent quality,' says Leanne. 'Australians have the tendency to be a little bit extra relaxed than individuals from other nations, so despite the fact that you do obtain the 'die-hard yogis' that practice on a daily basis, most individuals do about two or 3 courses per week. We have the tendency to have rather energetic as well as outdoor-based way of lives (attractive surroundings and also near ideal weather helps!), so yoga exercise is usually a complement to other forms of exercise.'

Laura Ellis, a crystal therapist who has resided in both Australia and New York, includes that when it pertains to yoga exercise, a number of them favor to just to it in their backyards. 'The climate is so stunning, as well as most of us have yards, so nothing quite beats doing a position or 2 under the lemon tree with your pet dog resting nearby.'

Taking benefit of the excellent outdoors.

In Australia, gyms aren't nearly as prominent as exterior exercise. The majority of cities are ideal on the ocean, making walks as well as leaves the coastline popular, in addition to browsing, SUP yoga exercise, hiking, rock climbing, cycling, as well as team sporting activities. 'One substantial distinction I've discovered between exercise in Australia as well as America is just how after secondary school and university, Australians continue to play group sporting activities,' states Leanne. 'Both competitively and recreationally. You can be playing blended netball with a team of pals after job or be part of an affordable soccer organization. Playing organized teams sports is a huge component of the Australian culture.'

Leanne adds that the mix of modest weather and an attractive landscape make regular outside workouts difficult to skip. 'We're honored with incredible sunlight as well as really moderate winters, so getting active outdoors is usually something you could do most days,' she says.

Only in Australia.

Thanks to its unique range of wild animals and create, Australia also has a couple of one-of-a-kind workouts. Leanne informed me that there's a strength-training leaping program called Kangoo Jumps imitated-- you presumed it-- kangaroos, a waterless watercraft race, and a watermelon celebration where you can ski on melons.

' A bunch of my close friends would certainly obtain amazing exercises shearing sheep, as well as we utilized to select fruit that was remarkable for your biceps,' includes Laura.

' Plainly we have a rather unique funny bone right here,' says Leanne. 'Most Aussies are for anything!'

Certainly appears like it. Currently if you'll excuse me, I'm loading my bags as well as relocating to Australia-- or a minimum of taking my following workout motivation from down under.

[tweedheadsaustralia]

Fantastic Five Bedroom Family Home, Within Minutes of Kirra Beach!