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feifeiwrites · 11 months ago

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But This Was Never Planned - Gabriel & Frayli

Riding the sea train, Frayli rocks in their seat and glances out of the Puffing Tom’s scratched windows. It’s incredible how they’ve managed to acquire passage, reaching into strangers’ pockets and borrowing their spare Berry for a ticket. Sea trains aren’t an everyday thing for them, especially when motion sickness almost ripped out their stomach for riding any vehicle in sight. Typically, they were a disguised stowaway on Marine vessels who scrubbed their dirtied floors or a nameless street-rat sneaking onto pirate ships to taste their food. In a way, Frayli’s fortunes rained upon them as a physical miracle — Water 7 is a beautiful island resembling a gigantic fountain with well-preserved waterways and canals.

Their scarred fingers reach into the mockingly small backpack on their side, pulling out a roughly-binded book whose notched pages carries unfounded knowledge. Achieving their dream of witnessing the Emerald City is one thing, but adventuring in the Grand Line alone without reliable allies, to speak of, is another.

Frayli yawns, nearly biting on their tongue when the train’s conductor finally signaled their arrival at the Capital of Water. Eavesdropping on miscellaneous rumors about popular shipwrights and the Galley-La Company, Frayli’s crimson eyes roll at these tourists as they slip the book into their shitty-looking backpack and walks out of their booth.

When sunlight hits their face, the rascal sighs and glances around the train station. The salty breeze clings to their bare skin, pulling them forward as a gentle lure.

Neptune sleeps, and Frayli prays that the Aqua Laguna leaves them alone.

( The ocean never does. That is the curse of a Devil Fruit. )

Seems like they’ve made a successful gamble, arriving at a popular time for vacation-goers and tourists. Frayli doesn’t naturally blend in, revealing their sharpened teeth with every smile and running away at the first signs of trouble. What kind of fish-man doesn’t swim away from danger? Most of the time, back home, Frayli witnessed their mother’s fighting prowess as someone who sailed with the Sun Pirates. Her entire body was weaponized to protect they and their Mink sibling from bloodthirsty foes or malicious pirates that renounced their dreams in exchange for destroying others’ livelihoods.

Right here, Frayli isn’t content with hiding their fish-man heritage. Paradise is more forgiving than the South Blue, where they witnessed the distinction between an ally and foe. Their human father was a trustworthy ally to the fish-men, said to have carried the dinosaurs of New World with a single hand and helped in freeing slaves from the Celestial Dragons. And yet, he fell to the World Government during a fierce battle between Admiral and Emperor altogether.

Frayli cringes at the thought of replacing their father’s place on a wanted poster, carrying such a high-risk bounty during an undercover adventure. They are supposed to discover necessary clues that led to the Eternal Sanctuary. The issue is, Frayli’s plan isn’t a thorough one and the Chaemsai name is recognizable enough to anyone that paid attention when reading from a News Coo.

Their tangled bangs dance in the air, unwilling to cling to their forehead. Gradual changes are preferable than quick ones, Frayli breathes, they’ll discover the buried secrets that’ll lead them to Emerald City and, maybe, they can live in peace.

The ocean has different plans to Frayli’s, bending reality on a whim. Their cheap bamboo sandals slap against the stone pavement and Frayli’s weary expression switches to a calmer one, as they strolled through Water 7’s streets in search for somewhere to hang out. Marketplaces weren’t their favorite places to be, and they are certainly not riding on a Bull.

Oh, they already forbid themself from doing so. Nobody wants fish vomit in their canals and sidewalks are free.

They briefly turn a corner, brushing the graceful fins behind their ears — accidentally bumping into a long-haired stranger, nearly reaching their height.

Frayli wobbles on their heel, ultimately landing on their backside. They wince, praying that they hadn’t caused any physical damage to the person or public property.

( Both are horrible, really. Frayli doesn’t have enough berry on them to recuperate. )

The half fish-man squeezes their eyelids tight, opening them to a sprawled-out palm and the concerned, albeit reassuring, face behind it.

“Hey, are — are you okay,” he sputtered. “Sorry about that, I should’ve watched where I was going.”

Hesitant to reply, Frayli nodded their head and pulled themself up with his hand, “Shit, you’re fine! It’s… all good, yeah? Falling on my ass ain’t gonna hurt me, it’s the sea that’ll.”

The pretty stranger opens his mouth to ask, eyeing their fins and shrugging. “Right, right. … Actually, I’ve never seen you around before. Are you new to Water 7?”

He gestures to the street ahead of them, beaming at Frayli’s tired frown. “Don’t worry! I’m not one of those tour guides, swindling isn’t my thing. I was just headed to a place where I hang out at.”

The ocean calls, sings, weaves magnificent tales in sea shanties and parties. Frayli doesn’t have the privilege of partying among others, nonetheless, when unwanted attention leads to cruel and unusual punishments. Their next stop should’ve been at Fishman Island, if their map-reading skills weren’t an indication that Frayli doesn’t know what the fuck they’re doing.

Staring into the boy’s eyes, Frayli musters a courageous, dopey smirk and plants a firm hand on his shoulder. Now, that they’re thinking about it…

“Sure,” they agree and gestures to the northern path. “It’d be nice to have a break once in a while. Lead the way!”

Frayli learns about the stranger on their shared walk. His name is Gabriel, born in Dressrosa and raised in Water 7. He sneezes passing by a bouquet stall, has a rhythmic gait to his legs, and the most benevolent smile they’ve ever seen. His eyes remind them of glistening sapphires: enriched with a deep, resonating blue that calms them down, reflecting his truthfulness. How Gabe, that is what he prefers to be called, is able to stay honest in a cut-throat ocean filled with conniving liars and asshole keepers of “justice” remains unseen.

He has a restless nature to him, constantly moving and leaping around. When Gabe spins around on his heels, he’s graceful enough to balance himself on the sidewalk and avoid hurting those around him. It must be talent or a martial art. Frayli’s never seen anyone like him, not even in Alabasta, and they’re supposed to be a silent traveler.

Here, though? They’re having a casual talk with a living embodiment of the Blue Sea, dynamic and free like the bountiful ocean around them.

Upon their arrival at Blueno’s Bar, they’re sitting at the bar. Gabe offers to pay for their drinks and Frayli doesn’t accept, only for their acquaintance to spend Berry on them anyways. Frayli childishly pouts, mentally reminding themself that they’re around fourteen and it’s okay to have some dependence once in a while. Even if it hurts their pride.

Gabe leans back, stretching his legs out and looking over to Frayli. He studies their reddish-brown hair and the scarlet markings covering their skin, noticing their conventional apparel before focusing back onto their blemished cheeks. He thanks the bartender, taking his sparkling beverage to sip.

“I hope you don’t mind if I ask,” Gabe leans forward onto the counter, soft mane brushing against wood. “Where are you from? You don’t talk like you’re from the Grand Line — uh, no offense!”

Frayli stares into their clear glass and to Gabriel, grinning. “None taken! Let’s say, I’m from South Blue. First time anyone’s asked, not that I’ve spoken to.”

They watch Gabriel fidget, twirling his bangs around his finger. If he’s able to catch on that quickly, maybe - things will turn out alright. Until Frayli leaves for another island after spending a week here, they have to hitch a ride on someone else’s ship and act like their cabin kid.

“I was given a real hard time trying to get here. It’s not surprising, the world’s fucked up like that.” Frayli smirks, adjusting their posture to appear confident. “Still, stepping into Water 7’s an achievement when the odds are against me. Why’d you ask?”

“Mostly `cause I hadn’t caught a ride from home before,” he said. “… And I’m thinking about things. The future, maybe? People are going out and explorin’ the world, in this Great Pirate Era, and…”

Gabriel runs a hand through his scalp, groaning. “… I’m stuck here.”

Oh, they understand having a dilemma about leaving home and chasing after your dreams. Frayli chugs half of their glass, placing their rugged hand over Gabriel’s, and kindly squeezes it as a playful jolt. Obviously, Gabriel yelps at the sudden move and bites his lip, catching onto Frayli’s determined smile that tugs at his heartstrings. For the first time, he wasn’t sure what to think or do, aside from what his father wants for him.

“Can you keep this a secret?” Gabriel lowers his voice to a whisper, searching around the bar with his eyes for intent listeners. “It isn’t exactly secret, but… this is just an expectation.”

Something he never wanted.

Frayli nods, lowering their eyelids. “Go on, tell me.”

“Ugh! Okay, this is going to be brief,” he inhales and begins explaining. “My dad wants me to be a shipwright. He wants me to be manly, tough, strong enough to fight the pirates who come here. He says that I have to, because if I don’t —“

The flying fish snorts, holding up Gabriel’s hand. “Then, what are you waiting for? Just go.”

At Frayli’s careless reply, Gabriel yells at them in mild shock. “What?! Are you kidding… I — No, Frayli…! It’s not that simple. What’s keeping me here, is that my mom gets worried. Ever since Grace —“

Gabriel pauses in his rambling, swallowing his words and sighs in a disappointed manner. “Sorry. There’s just, a lot. There’s a lot that I’m taking care of and it’s splitting me in two. What kind of person am I if I ran away from home without saying anything? What if I die out there?”

Frayli doesn’t pressure Gabe for an answer, reading the room for once and furrowing their bushy eyebrows. “… Sheesh, you worry a lot, too. I don’t know what you’re on about, but… take your time. We’ve got a week to plan things out!”

( Gabriel’s response is to wallow in silence for a bit. He never considered exploring the world soon, it wasn’t supposed to happen so early. This is his opportunity to escape and follow his dreams. )

( Along the way, he could find out what happened to Grace and return back to Water 7 with news. )

There are times where Gabriel wishes that he can predict the future. Harnessing the power of a Devil Fruit means sacrificing his love for dancing near seawater, running around to embrace the Blue Sea and her sleepless waters. He enjoys galloping in the Shopping District, greeting the folks around his neighborhood to where they knew Gabriel Guerrero differently from his father. His fondness for gossip attracts some unsavory characters, but he accepts that local news is kept interesting when world-famous ( or infamous ) celebrities step into their humble city. From the gluttonous Bonney Pirates to the highly-professional Heart Pirates, whose unconventional vessel was the talk of the town, Gabriel listens to the ocean winds and they’re always hinting at something new.

When Gabriel met Frayli for the first time, he never thought that destiny would push him in the direction of adventure. Thirteen years old, and he’s already dragged into the unexpected by a certain someone’s lack of self-preservation and carefree attitude.

It was like the ocean wanted him to go, and who could blame her?

He yearns for the freedom to chase his dreams, to become the greatest dancer in the world. Similar to Black Leg style, Gabriel’s inspiration to train came from witnessing Galley-La’s toughest shipwrights. Their experience in fighting allowed them to guard the shipyard and stop bystanders from getting hurt, involved even. They are Water 7’s protectors, whom Gabriel wanted to be like - someone who fights with grace.

( He would never become a shipwright. That is his father’s dream and Gabriel isn’t Bernardo. )

( “Gabe’s Gabe.” Grace told him as they watched the Puffing Tom. “I like you for who you are, not who Dad wants you to be.” )

Gabriel returns home one night to Bernardo’s scrunched nose and gritted teeth, unsatisfied with his son’s presence. The other half of Los Guerreros residing in a lonesome home, drenched in overbearing sorrow and the uncomfortable silence inside of it. He couldn’t hide from reality. The truth is, Grace has disappeared for a year and the last day of the week - today - is the daunting anniversary of her vanishing.

Nobody knows her fate. Not even Gabriel.

She was taken from Water 7, away from her family, and Gabriel wants to confirm that she’s alive. Doing well, if she’s on a pirate ship. If it were the Whitebeards, Gabriel would smile and thank whoever’s above that she is in responsible hands.

Nonetheless, Bernardo and his mom always said that Gabriel was strange. Even the townsfolk picked up on his abilities. He hangs around the Shopping District and observes visitors, hearing messages from precious objects and artifacts. From the meek whispers of rumored-to-be-cursed katanas hanging in stores to the occasional stuffed animal transformed by a young kid’s love.

Everything to Gabriel has a voice, yet none of them had Grace’s.

He sits at his desk, looking at his ridiculous attempts in blueprinting and to the morning skies shifting into a welcoming blue. Gabriel’s reflection mocks him, sticking his tongue out and cackling at the thought of achieving his dreams. He wasn’t a shipwright or a hero, Gabriel is Gabriel and he is struggling to accept that - in the moment - he needs help like everyone else, that he shouldn’t try and investigate on his own. It doesn’t help that he’s stuck in Water 7, unable to reach out for — well, there is Frayli.

Gabriel doesn’t know what to make of Frayli. He messily scribbles a letter on thin notebook paper, remembering to underline the important bits:

I’m sorry. I’ll be gone soon. Don’t look for me.

The fish-kid smells and feels troublesome, having a strange air of charisma around them that must’ve mesmerized him into accepting the call for adventure. He wasn’t the most talented twin out of the pair, often scrambling for acceptance and to be seen as someone’s first choice. Gabriel barely held himself together around his father, spilling his tears on the floor and trying to toughen out his hot temper.

( Being Gabriel means being soft. )

He is dishonest about himself in convoluted ways, wishing to fit in somewhere rather than stand out.

( But, isn’t the point of being free to be different? )

If Gabriel were on a pirate crew, he wouldn’t have a role to begin with. He could pass as a decent cabin boy, having experience in cleaning after Bernardo’s messes and tying ropes.

( When he ate lunch with Frayli, Gabriel talked about the constellations above them and the stars creating their shapes. He found the star ocean to be wonderful, but it was untouchable. Out of their reach. Frayli poked Gabriel on the cheek, telling him that he’ll be able to touch a star someday. )

Gabriel stands up, taking a duffel bag and packing his things before his parents wake up — toothbrushes, clothes, Grace’s pointes, snacks, some of the Berry he stole from Bernardo’s savings. He dresses in something recognizable, something blue in order for his sister to recognize him, and he tears down the bounty poster in his closet: a wanted poster of “White Vaquera” Dolores Rivera of the Pale Horse Pirates; Dead or Alive; 76,000,000 Berries.

With his good luck charm and idol of justice rolled up in his bag, Gabriel carefully shuts the bedroom door behind him to dwell on his second thoughts. Sure, he’s impulsive. It doesn’t mean he should make life-changing decisions with dire consequences.

Instead of turning back on Frayli’s offer, Gabriel climbs downstairs on his tip-toes and quietly heads out of the front door. He doesn’t lock, sprinting down Water 7’s sidewalks and vaulting across wide canals without slipping into its shallow waters. One turn into an alleyway leads to another canal, and another, until he’s descended far enough to the Blue Station.

Gabe breathes in still air, slowing down to take in his surroundings and remind himself that he’ll come back next time around with Grace in tow.

Los Guerreros will be together again.

( The next stop would be the Day Station. That would be Secon Island, right? )

He stands next to Frayli, the one who encouraged him to take the next step, and holds their hand. His seawater pools meet smoldering rubies, signaling to each other that they’ll have to trust each other from now on.

The Puffing Tom roars to life with Frayli carrying two tickets in tow for the morning ride.

“You’re gonna do great, we’re not gonna be alone in making our dreams come true,” they utter in confidence. “It’s gonna be you and I, Gabe.”

“Now, c’mon! We’re gonna get steal a ship and you’re gonna be the Navigator!”

#drabbles #gabeli #bluebird #one piece au #gabe #frayli #dolores #she gets mentioned!

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shinytapuashy · 2 years ago

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Tapu Ash/Visi acts like a cat, sometimes kahuna hala is taking a stroll around The laguna and find kukui with a sleeping tapu Ashy on his lap purring so loud it could shake the heavens

He's surprise to see kukui and the new unknown legendary of alola just sleeping peacefully under a tree, and the legendary is purring like a fucking cat

I think he would probably ask about this day an goes full:

"U have a secret legendary on u house and u didn't tell me 🤨"

And then he would help him hidde ash from the multiple hunters that are on the island

#ash ketchum #tapu ashy #the promise au #professor kukui #papa kukui #pokemon au #pokemon

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blueiscoool · 3 years ago

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The Stunning $30 Million Oceanfront Laguna Beach Mansion

It has twin garages, a car turntable and even a driveway engineered to not cause damage.

When building his ultramodern cliff-edge compound just south of California’s laid-back Laguna Beach, Ferrari lover Mark Hammond faced a dilemma: design a garage that would fit the challenging landscape, or park his prized toys somewhere else.

Naturally, the tech entrepreneur (he founded the Retail Equation, a company that helps retailers track fraud in their return processes) chose the former. He created twin subterranean garages at the bottom of a steep driveway, big enough for six cars plus some of his treasured vintage motorcycles.

To spin them around for easy exiting—backing-up any supercar is not for the faint of heart—Hammond specified a showroom-style turntable, and even built an inspection pit for mechanical check-ups.

As for the nightmare of piloting his ground-scraping Italian stallions down the super-steep driveway without grazing pricey bodywork, he came up with an ingenious solution: He got carpenters to build a rough, wooden replica of a Ferrari and rolled it down the driveway over and over until he got the slope just right.

The car-friendly amenities are just some of the remarkable features of this 6,000-square-foot, glass-filled property, which is part of the super-exclusive Three Arch Bay enclave, roughly five miles south of Laguna Beach and 58 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

What goes a long way in justifying that $29.95 million asking is the home’s coveted position overlooking the crashing Pacific, which results in some of the most breathtaking vistas in Southern California. From the west-facing top-floor deck you can watch golden sunsets or gaze out to Santa Catalina Island, while the north view stretches all along the coastline to Long Beach.

For up-close views of the water, take the private staircase down to the property’s own private beach and splash in the ocean or one of the tide pools that fill with every tidal change.

“There are only a handful of truly priceless oceanfront sites in Southern California, and this is one of them,” says listing agent John Cain of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty.

Records show that back in 2005, Hammond paid $9.5 million for the coveted third-of-an-acre lot containing a barely-standing 1932 home. He then proceeded to spend eight years, and a small fortune, creating this contemporary masterpiece.

The design was the result of a joint effort from three of Orange County’s leading building visionaries; Horst Architects, CJ Light and Associates and Aria Design. Together they faced near insurmountable problems, like being required by California’s Coastal Commission to use 50 per cent of the original home’s rickety wood framing and having to create complex new foundations that involved sinking 20 reinforced concrete caissons into the steep hillside.

Completed in 2014, the ultra-modern home makes the most of its jaw-dropping views through walls of bevel-edged glass, huge glass pocket doors, glass-balconied terraces and an airy, open-plan layout.

Security gates off North La Senda Drive open on to that steep driveway and lead down into the home’s entry. The main living area is designed for indoor/outdoor living, with the pitched-roof kitchen featuring sleek Boffi cabinetry and Calcutta marble. It opens out onto the oversized covered terrace with gas fire pit and spacious living area. The kitchen also spills out into the back of the house, leading to outside dining and covered lounging areas and access to a 50-foot lap pool and separate guest studio.

Take the open glass staircase (or the elevator) down to the lower level and the spectacular primary suite with its incredible ocean views and huge stroll-around closet. There are two other bedrooms down here, as well. This level is also home to Hammond’s beloved “man cave”, with its wine bar and 378-bottle display, poker room and big-screen movie theater. Here, at the touch of a button, curtains on a side wall part to reveal a glass picture window into the garage.

While the Laguna Beach market for super-luxury properties has been on fire for years, the home has been languishing on the market since 2019, when it was first listed for $35 million. Despite price cuts, first to $31.9 million and now to $29.95 million, it is still looking for a buyer.

Part of the problem could be right next door, where a just-completed 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom, triple-story home on a soaring promontory overlooking sandy Thousand Steps Cove just listed for $10 million less, at $19.99 million. So for true supercar lovers, Hammond’s subterranean garage and other car-focused features just might be the deciding factors.

By Howard Walker.

#The Stunning $30 Million Oceanfront Laguna Beach Mansion #luxury #luxury home #luxury real estate #luxury living #luxury lifestyle #billionaire #billionaire lifestyle #rich #ocean front #sexy

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tessandscottforever18 · 3 years ago

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May 17

Being Connor Brashier: Meet the 22-Year-Old Boy Wonder Shaping Shawn Mendes’ New Vibe

In just a few years, Brashier has already worked on some of the biggest projects of Mendes' career, from art directing the single cover for 'Senorita' to serving as creative director for the singer's 'Wonder World Tour'

On the First Monday of May, Shawn Mendes strolled out of New York’s Mark Hotel and into a waiting car for the roughly half-mile drive to the Met. A gala red carpet was awaiting him.

Wearing a custom Tommy Hilfiger jacket and suit, the singer drew comparisons to everyone from Lord Bridgerton to a Disney prince. Whatever the comparison, his regal presence was palpable. And though Mendes stepped onto the Met carpet solo this year, he wasn’t entirely alone. On this night, as on most nights, Mendes was trailed closely by Connor Brashier, the singer’s friend-cum-confidante-turned-creative director. If Mendes’ Met Gala look saw him crowned as fashion royalty, consider the camera-toting Brashier his charming courtier.

At just 22 years old, Brashier has already worked on some of the biggest projects of Mendes’ career, from art directing the single cover and promo materials for Mendes’ “Senorita” collab with Camila Cabello, to serving as creative director for the singer’s upcoming “Wonder World Tour.” The Laguna Beach native is responsible for much of Mendes’ merch too, and advises him on everything from styling to social media.

In the same short years, the self-taught photographer and videographer has also worked on projects with artists ranging from Kygo to Madison Beer, while helming campaigns for brands like Flow Water and Frankies Bikinis (starring Mendes and Sofia Richie respectively, natch). To hear Brashier talk about it though, the lines have always been blurred between work and play.

“I would always be the person in my group of friends who would just go out and get the camera, shoot whatever I shot, capture whatever I captured and then come back and edit it,” he says, hands cupped over an Americano on a recent afternoon back in LA. “But it never crossed my mind that that could lead to a career.”

After tailing Beer on tour — shooting behind-the-scenes videos and photos for the singer’s social media channels — Brashier landed a gig with the DJ Frank Walker, who wanted help with concepts for his tour and album covers. Brashier and Walker worked together for about a year before a chance meeting with Mendes’ manager led to Brashier shooting the singer’s Global Citizen Festival set in 2018. “I did it and kind of like instantly bonded with Shawn and they liked the video and the next thing you know I was on tour,” Brashier recalls. When the tour (the aptly-named “Shawn Mendes: The Tour”) ended in 2019, “[Shawn] kind of approached me and he was like, ‘Hey dude, I want you to have more of a creative director role.’ I was texting my friends to be like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy,'” Brashier says. It was the first time he had been approached for an official “creative director” role. He was 20 years old.

Since then, Brashier has been a constant presence by Mendes’ side, most recently working on the music video for the singer’s new single, “When You’re Gone,” in addition to consulting on Mendes’ Met Gala look (the two were also spotted high-tailing it to Miami recently for the Miami Grand Prix). But Brashier has been a welcome presence for Mendes as well, serving as a sounding board and companion in the midst of music industry madness. It’s something Mendes says he appreciates the most about his teammate, colleague, and now, best friend.

“Connor is brilliant,” Mendes tells Rolling Stone over text. “I feel he is deeply tapped into what it means to be an artist. Everything he creates is a reflection of his heart and I’m constantly blown away by the beauty he’s able to pull out of things.”

“The thing I admire most about Connor though,” Mendes says, “is his ability to support and inspire the people around him to be the artists we know deep down we truly are.”

Over coffee with Rolling Stone, Brashier — on this day dressed in a faded oversized hoodie and baggy jeans — talks about how he landed his dream job, his connection with Mendes and why you don’t have to know it all to succeed — as long as you know your worth.

Rolling Stone: Congrats on Shawn’s new single. What was the thought process behind the video and the single artwork?

Brashier: “When You’re Gone” is really the first time we have gone into a release without any “world” we wanted to live in. Instead, we aimed to bring back the Shawn that fans and viewers in general don’t get to usually see, or at least hadn’t in a while — just Shawn in his natural element writing, rehearsing, performing.

What about the cover art?

The artwork is an especially interesting story. We actually had a plethora of ideas inspired by old Sixties and Seventies photos and covers of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, etc. and had a design we all thought was strong. About a week later, after announcing the song, our tour photographer, Miranda McDonald, shot this super cool frame of Shawn on stage at SXSW silhouetted by one of the screen visuals. The next day, I saw a fan edit on Instagram of that shot mocked as cover art and Shawn, myself, and the rest of the team instantly knew we had to use it. Shoutout to @distorted.vinyl on Instagram for making my job easier than ever! (laughs)

It’s pretty incredible that you get to work with one of the biggest artists in the world right now. Did you always want to get into the music and creative industry?

When I younger, I was a big surfer and skater and everything you do in Southern California. I think as soon as I picked up a little GoPro — not even an HD one — I started realizing like, “Hey, my friends are a lot better at surfing than I am and a lot cooler than me, so I’m going to start filming them [instead].” And I think after that, I found a passion specifically for editing videos. But it never crossed my mind that that could lead to a career.

Was there a moment where that thought changed?

It wasn’t until I think I was 17 or 18 that I started connecting the dots. I started to be like, “Okay, like I really love something about movies and something about film.” And so I posted my videos to YouTube and then kind of made an Instagram video account, eventually posting like 15-second clips cause that was the limit back then. I did the whole Vine thing too and I remember I had to hack into Vine to be able to upload a video back then (laughs). And I guess it all started there.

Do you remember what your first “big break” was?

My first real industry opportunity, I would say, came through Madison Beer. We were both kids — I was 17, she was 18. I met her when I was assisting on a photoshoot that one of my best friends Sam Dameshek was doing, and she just loved us and we started hanging out and she took me on her U.S. and European tour. It was the first tour I ever went on. It was also my first time in Europe.

Madison Beer: When I first met Connor, I instantly knew he had a natural and undeniable eye and talent. I was lucky enough to meet him at his very early stages and take him on my first tour with me. His progression through the month-long tour alone was so impressive, let alone the last four years since then. He is also just one of the most kind-hearted and fun-loving people [that] I’m lucky enough to call a friend. Seeing him blossom into such a visionary and impressive talent has been such a gift.

What do you remember about your first time working with Shawn?

He asked me to put together a little deck or mood board for a few of the songs for Wonder. On the second page, I brought back a memory that we had of talking about David Bowie’s big stadium rock anthems, and Shawn just went like, “I don’t know how to describe it but it’s like wonder,” and that became the theme for the album. After that deck it was like, “Here we go, us two — let’s figure it out.”

What Bowie reference did you use in the deck?

The iconic album cover with Aladdin Sane. He’s one of the best references anyone could include.

How would you describe your role on Shawn’s team versus other teams you’ve been a part of?

It’s tough because to this day, I don’t think anyone entirely knows what the word “creative director” means. With Frank [Walker] I was able to be like, “Okay, let’s make this a little cooler, a little more like fresh, and you know, more youthful.” It was about establishing a brand and so [the job] felt like it was more of an overall branding opportunity more than anything. And when we started with Shawn, it was about the same process and helping with the same content. But if the pool was four-feet deep with Frank, it was 20-feet deep with Shawn and I was learning how to swim.

What’s the process like when working with Shawn?

When I joined the team, I noticed that we were always on the road. For a full year, Shawn was very focused on touring, but he had a few singles come out and he’s always like hovering over what everyone’s doing or working on, and I’ve never seen him so involved in the creative process in general. So it’s good that I can report directly to him because he’s the one who approves things, not the lawyers, the people at the label, or managers, or whatever you want to call it.

“Connor is brilliant,” Mendes says. “I’m constantly blown away by the beauty he’s able to pull out of things”

Do you think people were skeptical of you at first, like, “Who is this kid and how did he get this job?”

A hundred percent. I think it’s always been that way for me. I’ve always been the youngest kid on set and the youngest kid on tour. And you know, to a certain extent, you have to like step up in the chair. You can be a kid — Shawn and I, we’re the same age, we’re both kids and we love to be kids — but when you’re put in a very professional setting I think you can make up for a lack of experience with just being a good person. Carry your name with the good reputation, build strong relationships and be kind to everyone in the industry. You know, that goes longer than any form of my opinion.

Also, all these guys on Shawn’s team don’t treat me as inferior — they treat me as equal. I am very lucky that I can say that, and I think it comes from being friendly and wanting to reach out and also just being honest, like, “Look, I don’t really know what the fuck I’m doing, I want to learn from you and see what you do.”

What’s your day-to-day like?

It depends on what we’re working on. There are two things that really stand out when someone releases a song: cover photo and music video, and so those are the first two things that kind of get in the back of our mind. Everything unravels from there. I try to be very involved with the treatments and work with Shawn and with the director. And then we just start shooting and see what feels right. A lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes that’s hard to describe. Like, my roommates are two of my friends that I grew up with and even they’re like, “Dude what do you even do?”

But there’s lot that goes on behind the scenes, a lot of long-term projects that don’t see the light of day for a year. We’ve been working on Shawn’s tour designs for a year now. So some of these things take a lot more patience than I’ve been used to. You know, so many ideas get thrown out and then we have to start over. Sure, some weeks I’m not doing much, but other weeks I’m working 16 hours.

What is your creative process like?

I believe creativity is not a method nor magic, but a combination of both. I set my intentions to patiently learn the method, while allowing the unpredictable and unexpected (magic) to come.

I try not to approach anything too heady as far as like, you have to offer the craziest, most creative, original idea of all time. Because I don’t think that’s the right way to do it, and I don’t think that serves Shawn’s music. To answer you: Shawn and I will both say it’s all about the vibe, the emotion.

For the “Wonder” video, some of it is based on a TikTok I saw of this guy dancing in a storm. I was like, “Wait, these are two opposite things” — like there’s this dark storm and this guy’s just out there dancing, having a good time, right? It looks so free. And I was like, “That’s pretty cool.” And so that music video is like a parallel, contrasting the rain and storm with freedom and expressing yourself.

A lot has been made about you working with this huge global superstar. Do you feel any pressure to succeed?

As an artist, Shawn’s pressure is different than for me. I don’t feel pressure to deliver anything good ever as an artist. I believe in myself and I feel capable of a lot of things. But I think more than that, it’s just the relationship I have with Shawn. You know, he’s one of my best friends and he’s my boss and the best boss I could ever ask for, and that honest sort of dialogue that we’re able to have is because we’re so close. We trust each other and it’s stripped away all the pressure because it’s not like I’m spending two weeks on a PDF of cover options and sending it to him. We’re talking about it day after day and going back and forth and, you know, before the cover’s even established, we already know what it’s going to be. And if it doesn’t work out we’ll go try it again.

“I believe creativity is not a method nor magic, but a combination of both”

At times we have felt a little bit of pressure on things like “Okay, this has to be marketable,” or like, “Make the text a little bigger.” But as far as pressure to perform, I’ve never felt that and I attribute that all to Shawn; he protects everyone under him really well.

Anything you’ve had to learn quickly?

I think I could be better at my expenses and my payroll (laughs).

You’ve talked about how your vision for a video treatment or photoshoot is usually aligned with Shawn’s. But have there been times where you haven’t seen eye to eye?

There have been times where like, me and Shawn have been on set and we have our opinions, but we’re all so tightly knit, like a family, that we can give each other attitude, and bounce back in ten minutes. I have such an open conversation with Shawn at all times. Once I’m proud of something, it’s easy to be like, “Shawn what do you think?” and he’s like “Love!” or “Hmm, I’m not really feeling this.”

I’m definitely stubborn and I love hearing my opinion, and it took me a while to realize like, “Hey, Shawn knows his fans better than I think any artist [does].” So whatever he says, he must be connecting to them in the right way and in a way that I am not.

What’s a concept or idea you pitched to Shawn that never went through?

At one point I remember he had long hair and I was like, “Let’s do something crazy with your hair: let’s dye it, let’s spike it up, put on some makeup; it’ll become your new look, like the Bowie look!” And he was like, “I think it’s really cool but I love my hair the way it is and I’m not going to change it.”

I think a few of my ideas took a little bit too much commitment. Plus Shawn knows how to do his hair really well.

Aside from the failed Bowie idea, how have you helped to evolve Shawn’s image and branding since you started working with him?

I think I had to mature up to Shawn. Because he started in the industry so young, but he’s also raised so incredibly well and he’s an old soul. And the music also progressed and that helped a lot. A lot of his younger pop hits were written when he was young, and now he’s looking to constantly evolve his sonic landscape and I think that’s always the outline and framework for what we can do – does it match the music?

Considering the music got more mature, it made it easy for us to try more artistic, left-of-center videos and photos. But I think there are two sides of artistry, and I appreciate both. There’s like very honest songwriting about what you’re doing [and] how you feel today. And then there’s the sort-of fantasy world where artists might lie a bit to push [an idea or aesthetic].

Some songwriters can only write what they’re feeling in a honest way and I think that has to be mimicked in an honest visual way. You know, I couldn’t have been like “Okay Shawn, let’s go emo,” right when he got the girlfriend and he was on top of the world. That wouldn’t have made any sense.

But we also change things up. I mean, he wore skinny jeans for like 105 shows straight. He was very excited to go more like, Sixties and Seventies, with a little bit more flair, and go a little bit more baggy, while still maintaining the integrity of who he is and what he likes with the classic tank top that he wears.

I feel like Shawn’s 2021 Met Gala look was a big departure for him.

It was Michael Kors. I remember I went to the fitting and we had some amazing custom fit suits and they all looked great and then they took us to the archive section and there were all these black suits, which is not something Shawn would really wear but something he’s always wanted to wear, to be like the rock star. And then we were like “Shirt? No shirt?” Shawn was like “What do you mean? I want to take my jacket off; I want to go fully shirtless.”

You don’t get that edgy side of Shawn too often because that’s not him, but I think he loves to play dress up and push his artistry like, “Here’s my look today, let’s have fun today.” Shawn loves to play around and put on makeup or eye shadow for a shoot or be shirtless or something like that. He knows what people want.

What other creatives are you inspired by?

I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been surrounded by some of my favorite creatives in the world. Like Glen Lutchford shot Shawn’s cover photo and he’s one of my favorite photographers of all time. I’m on set with Matty Peacock who’s a jack-of-all-trades who’s been doing so many things for so long. I really look up to David Fincher, who’s a director that’s really created his own style.

Artist-wise, I like Tame Impala, Playboi Carti, I love what the Dominic Fike team does – I think it’s all very special. I love Olivia [Rodrigo’s] stuff; I think her stuff is amazing.

But I also think there’s a really dangerous trap when you’re uninspired, to look at what other people are doing. I think that’s a really dangerous thing to do, and whenever I’m out of ideas, it sounds weird, but I honestly like to just literally put on my AirPods, get up and move around my room, close my eyes listening to the song [and] just feel it and get into it.

What advice do you have for people who want to do what you’re doing?

Use your youth and inspiration that you get as a kid and that jittery feeling you get. When you produce something that you love, run with that and fucking fly with that, because it runs out and that is when you’ll make the most progression as an artist and as a person. And don’t let one bad experience or a few bad experiences drag you down and pull away that inspiration. Use it to fuel you to do something bigger.

But I would also say to treat every situation with a sense of gratitude and try to learn from everything and don’t come on set thinking you’re the big guy. But come on set with a professional demeanor, a chill demeanor and if you don’t have that yet, go on set and learn it. You’re going to learn it quick.

Can I add something else?

Of course.

I can’t claim anything as my own. It’s all about the big grand operation, you know? All of Shawn’s team is like one big family and they took me in. I’ve been so lucky that I trust the team a lot and there are really really cool young people who work with us.

I’m also lucky that I’m surrounded by people who are so good at what they do to the point that even if I disagree, I can trust that their opinion.

Anything else to add?

You know, I wanted to come to this interview acting like I knew my shit and the truth is, I really still don’t. I’m still figuring it out. But I actually think there is something about that process. And like I said about being thrown in the deep end and learning what it meant to be a creative director, I’m very lucky that I didn’t know what to fear. So that stripped away a sense of pressure and I was just focused on approaching every situation like, “Here I am, I’m giving it my all and I’m not looking back.”

I think that can apply to a lot of young people, if they choose to see it like, “Wow, I lack experience but I balance that with extreme gratitude and inspiration.” That’s priceless.

#shawn mendes #connor brashier #rolling stone #interview: rolling stone

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shamandrummer · 3 years ago

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Storytellers and Drums

An excerpt from my new memoir, Riding Spirit Horse: A Journey into Shamanism.

In the fall of 1991, my wife, Elisia, and I decided to travel for several months visiting bookstores and promoting my first book, The Shamanic Drum. At the time we were living in Bend, Oregon. We put our personal belongings into storage and ventured south through California and the Desert Southwest. We visited national parks and the Pueblo villages of Zuni, Acoma and Laguna.

After departing Laguna, we visited friends in Albuquerque. We spent the night in Albuquerque and then headed north to Santa Fe. We stopped at Cochiti Pueblo along the way. Cochiti Pueblo is renowned for its deep-toned ceremonial drums. Cochiti drums are crafted from hollowed logs, usually aspen or cottonwood--trees native to the high desert climate. Wet cowhide is stretched across the hollowed log and fastened with rawhide lacing. Different cowhides create different tones, and experienced Cochiti drum makers know the characteristic sounds of different skin types. Drums may also feature traditional artwork on the rawhide drum heads.

We arrived in Cochiti on a Sunday and roamed the sun baked streets of the ancient adobe pueblo looking for drum makers, but none were open for business. We circled the great round kiva that stood at the heart of the village and then spotted a hand painted sign in front of an adobe home: "Storytellers Here." A storyteller doll is a clay figurine made by the Pueblo people of New Mexico. The first contemporary storyteller was made by Helen Cordero of the Cochiti Pueblo in 1964 in honor of her grandfather Santiago Quintana, who was a tribal storyteller. It looks like a figure of a storyteller, usually a man or a woman, and its mouth is always open. It is surrounded by figures of children or animals, who represent those who are listening to the storyteller.

We parked in front of the house and knocked on the door. A smiling middle-aged man opened the door and invited us into his home. He invited us to sit down on comfortable armchairs in the living room and asked if we would like to see some of his daughter's storytellers. We nodded our heads, and he called out to his daughter to bring out her pottery. A dark-skinned, beautiful young woman entered the room with some of her exquisite hand painted figurines. Elisia purchased one of the storytellers and thanked them for their hospitality. The Cochiti people are known for their hospitality and friendship towards visitors who are welcomed to many of the annual ceremonies. I asked them if they knew of any drum makers open for business. The man shook his head no and suggested that we visit the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe where Pueblo artisans sell their wares.

We headed north to Santa Fe and made our way to the Palace of the Governors. The Palace of the Governors is an adobe structure located on Palace Avenue on the Plaza of Santa Fe in the historic district. It served as the seat of government for the state of New Mexico for centuries and is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States. Pueblo artisans display their handmade wares on blankets under the portal of the Palace of the Governors. We strolled the plaza and admired the fine work of the artisans, which included pottery, textiles and jewelry made of traditional materials such as turquoise, coral and silver. At last we came upon what I had been searching for: Cochiti drums. Renowned Cochiti drum maker Gilbert Herrera sat on a folding camp chair with his drums displayed on a colorful blanket. Gilbert, a fourth generation drum maker, learned the craft from his father, Redbird. I purchased a log drum with a deep resonant tone and complimented Gilbert on his fine craftsmanship.

From Santa Fe, we drove to Taos and visited the famed Taos Drum Company. The owner gave us a tour of the large drum making facility. I left a copy of my book with the owner. We then visited the shop of resident artist and third generation drum maker Frank Mirabal in Taos Pueblo. Mirabal, a Taos Pueblo Indian, followed the example of his father and grandfather and became a drum maker. He acquires and processes the hides: deer, elk, buffalo, horse and cow. The frame of each drum is made from a hand-hollowed log of aspen or cottonwood: trees from his area that will not dry and crack easily. The pitch of the drum depends on the diameter and the depth of the drum.

We purchased three of Mirabal's beautiful log drums, one of which was later gifted to Wallace Black Elk, a traditional Lakota elder and spiritual interpreter. Born and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, Wallace was one of the original spiritual advisors to the American Indian Movement, a grassroots organization formed to address issues of poverty and police brutality against Native people. He was present at the occupation of Wounded Knee and was instrumental in the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978.

#storytellers #drums #shamanism #spiritual memoir #shamanic drumming #Michael Drake #cochiti pueblo #new mexico #taos pueblo

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meaningofmotorsport · 3 years ago

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Mid-Week Motorsport Headlines - 22nd September 2021

Aston Martin have confirmed that they will retain the same line up for 2022. It has worked pretty well for them during what has been a tough year, Vettel has been reborn in some ways, and produced some great races, whilst Stroll is continuing to grow as he races in F1. I wonder how much longer Sebastien will stay in the sport.

In further Aston Martin news, Martin Whitmarsh will join the team to oversee its operation. He will report directly to the team’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, whilst watching over Otmar Szafnauer, who runs the teams on track work. His previous time in F1 was not super successful, when he ran McLaren, at a time when it got so close to another title, without quite getting it done. He has done other work since then, and could be another useful aide, in bringing the team to the forefront of the sport.

IndyCar

The 2022 schedule has been revealed, which in a lot of ways is similar to this year’s one. It does start a bit earlier, with its first race in February since 2004, and there is now just 1 race at Texas, which I think we can all agree was the right move. Rather surprisingly, there will be only 1 race at Detroit too, which we had all got used to being a doubleheader. This is probably as a result of TV timings. Iowa back on the calendar is a massive plus, as it is a fantastic oval, and Laguna Seca could be a thrilling finale, if this year is anything to go by. Overall, with 14 races on network NBC, the future is looking up for IndyCar.

Honda clinched the manufacturers title at the Firestone Grand Prix, their 10th in the sport. It is not a surprise really, given the pace of Chip Ganassi Racing this year, and Dale Coyne Racing too. Add to that the slight demise of Penske, compared to what we usually see, and it all makes sense. That being said, it could all change for 2022.

MotoGP

Lecuona is very annoyed with KTM for not allowing him to ride in the Misano test, instead favouring the rookies who will join the team next year. I can see why the team has done it, to try and help them get up to speed for 2022. I think the anger more comes from the decision to drop Iker in the first place.

Dovizioso has said that Quartararo is doing crazy things on the Yamaha, in order to have the pace he has got. He also said that his bike is very particular, and can’t understand where it differs from the factory bike. Chances are there is a major difference, as everyone who has run that bike all year, have found it difficult to adapt to it.

Rossi believes that MotoGP in Italy will be fine once he has left. With the emergence of Bagnaia and Bastiannini, you can see where he is coming from, as there shouldn’t be a vacuum of talent in Italy after he leaves. I am sure that some fans will leave, simply because they only watched the sport for 1 man, but hopefully most are more committed MotoGP fans, and will stay for the future.

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1

Also, if you want to support me, I have a Patreon Page at: https://www.patreon.com/meaningofmotorsport

#f1 #russiangp #indycar #indy500 #longbeachgp #motogp #sanmarinogp #motorsport

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onepartbrave · 4 years ago

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an FYI ~

Without a doubt, I’ve been distracted from RP but I digress… I’ve also been dipping into fanficland, a Strifehart feels run being my first instalment yet to come.

A snippet below, I guess? I’m quite dubious when sharing as I sometimes feel I don’t get Squall just right, let alone other characters… ergo, this leap of faith? Eh. Enjoy what will come, I guess?

Brief synopsis; Cloud is a werewolf that lives in the world of FF8. Other characters will appear, but for now, Strifehart mains~

In the beginning, not all was well. Those born from extraordinary circumstances – “Mythics” – were scorned, exiled from belonging in any place of man due to their collective (misplaced) fear; of not knowing what they might do, despite not knowing what they might not do.

Long, tedious battles took place, sometimes figuratively, mostly physically, until one fateful day, a breakthrough finally happened. One man, known among mankind as a hero of their time, used his influence over the world to fight for them, and he fought fiercely for their rights as living beings to survive and thrive with everyday people.

Vampires, once feared through centuries of misrepresentation and slander, strolled about in broad daylight, dressed head-to-toe in protective gear, specialised to deflect the life-threatening UV rays. Werewolves, once thought of as nothing but mindless monstrosities carrying an uncontrollable, infectious disease, walked among the public without fears of being ruthlessly hunted. Fairies, demons, pixies, sirens – so many Mythics roaming freely for, potentially, the first time in their lives.

Squall Leonhart was, for lack of a better term, fed up.

Why, one might inquire? Simply put, in the outskirts of Winhill, he’d purchased a luxuriously large plot of land and set up a homely ranch-slash-house for himself. The final decision to settle down in the middle of nowhere was partially due to the beautiful scenery, mostly from the unrivalled privacy and his overwhelming need to stay out of the limelight to enjoy his reluctant retirement. On the land roamed a few dozen chickens, some cows, a random goat or two, and a grumpy old chocobo that wandered in one day and stayed, allegedly liking what she saw (and whom he’d fondly named Chocorita – he wasn’t great at naming things, sue him).

In the solitude of Winhill and the mountains, he’d expected peace. For the first time in his life, he wanted to take it slow, to relax and maybe take up a boring hobby that kept him off his feet (just as the doctor prescribed, ugh). Instead, anywhere he went, he got chaos. Destruction, mayhem, calamity, regardless of how minor or extreme. Natural, man-made and in-between, there was no way to escape his horrendous luck.

Such was what had him out of bed at an ungodly hour one morning, standing in nothing but fraying-at-the-edges pyjama pants and worn out boots in long need of replacing, staring in utter disdain and absolute exasperation at his hen house… that was currently being ravaged by a gigantic, rugged as heck, wolf. Flashlight pointing directly at the offending creature, which halted on the spot like a deer caught in headlights the moment the beam landed on its furry hide, unblinking eyes on Squall as he glared back his unrelenting disgust.

Why. Just why.

“…I use these for eggs!” he howled, agitation and exhaustion (with everything) winning over any common sense warning him to back away from the potentially dangerous beast, waving his only viable weapon of a flickering flashlight at the frozen mongrel. Who, to his complete surprise, dropped the feathery carcass like the soft exterior burned and fucking scampered away in (what he could only describe as) unbridled terror, wispy tail tucked firmly between long legs. Silence crept in around Squall, apart from the occasional chirping cricket, as he stared in the direction the wolf fled, trying to process what just happened.

After a moment of further consideration, he shook his head roughly, forever in his way hair falling over his face as he clapped a palm to it, running it down while groaning in defeated frustration. Miles and miles of forest teeming with wildlife just as easy to catch, plus neighbouring placements just a few clicks out, and… it was still him that was ransacked. Hand lowering, noticing the flashlight beam gradually dimming, he deemed it time to call it a night. One wearily curious glance after the thieving mutt was all he spared before turning on his heel and wobbling his way back inside to the persistent light and welcoming aircon.

He’d deal with the chickens come sunrise.

Come morning, a more reasonable morning, someone had the nerve to knock loudly on Squall’s front door. With his establishment being all ground floor, noises travelled quickly and efficiently. Thus, obnoxious banging woke him from a restless sleep despite his bedroom being in the furthest corner away from the main hall. Blissful silence occurred briefly, his pounding head welcoming the peace, before it was rudely interrupted with, yet again, more incessant knocking. It seemed his unwanted visitor wasn’t giving in.

Groaning lowly to himself, Squall’s right arm raised and flew to cover his eyes, knowing full well if he were to open them immediately, he’d be temporarily blinded by radiant sunshine. Despite having blinds that supposedly repelled sunlight, he still woke most mornings by an impish beam to the face. One of the wonderful things about living in Winhill was the endless sunshine, but it was also one of the worst. Contemplating his next move while gingerly stretching out tender limbs, he barely refrained from growling aloud in annoyance when more knocking came.

He was going to deck whoever it was VIP status (Laguna) or not (Seifer).

Grudgingly, he removed his arm and squinted his eyes as they slowly peeled open, pre-emptively braced. Lightly shaking off the familiar numbness filtering in from his left leg, Squall sluggishly pushed himself up and to the edge of his bed to sit. Running a hand through his hair while the other provided a sturdy support as he leant back, he didn’t care to stifle the bothersome yawn momentarily clouding his mind. Scratching an itch to the rear of his skull, he blinked his eyes a few more times before he was ready to combat nature’s wakeup call.

Or fates, if the knock, knock, knocking was any implication.

“Yeah, yeah… on my way,” he mumbled to none as he forced himself up. Wavering slightly to start, he used the headboard to help stabilise his equilibrium. Taking a moment to ensure his balance was up to par, he surged on with murderous intent. Well… more like waddled on like an angry duckling – he doubted anyone would take him seriously with an unfortunate case of bedhead (fluffy, sticking up everywhere, untameable; he’d tried, trust him) and wearing only pyjama pants with a hole in the left knee. Muttering darkly to himself as he marched onward, soft carpet beneath his feet turned into solid wood, one click sounding for every two steps he took. Obviously, he’d forgotten socks in his eagerness to return to bed last night.

Finally, he reached the front door, solid wood slash metal with a singular, one-way peephole embedded and grabbed the slick metal handle, twisted the key to unlock and all but yanked the thing open like it caused him great offence. Not the door at least, but the one standing on the opposite side had. “What’s your goddamn problem…?!” Squall fired out instantly, although some of the ferocity died down by his fourth word at seeing who was there.

A man, possibly around his age, with hair worse than his own sticking up all over the place (platinum blond, didn’t look dyed – cute), skin pale enough to suggest he’d never seen sunlight, let alone been outside in it and the brightest blue eyes Squall had ever seen staring at him widely, looking oddly innocent despite being stuck to a grown adult… and oddly familiar. If only to add to Squall’s ludicrous attraction to the man, a rosy tint overtook definitely illegal cheekbones and the man, who’d been staring relentlessly, dropped his adorable gaze bashfully and rambled under his breath.

Squall struggled to hear, features automatically down turning into something reminiscent of a scowl. His unfortunate visitor caught the look and perceived it to be for him, rather than Squall’s lacklustre hearing. “I—I’m sorry for the early morning call but I couldn’t wait any longer. My name’s—uh, Cloud Strife, and I, I’m your new neighbour,” he, allegedly Cloud, said, rather rapidly and in a tone that suggested questionable embarrassment and… guilt? “I happened to be passing by when I figured it—it’d be neighbourly to give you a welcoming present—” Wait, wasn’t that supposed to be the other way around? Squall was becoming more puzzled by the second, yet he continued to watch the blond ramble. “—so, I, I have something. For you. If you want them?”

When Cloud concluded his introduction, Squall simply stared. Blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes with the palm of a hand to ensure that yes, he was awake, and yes, there was potentially the cutest blond idiot babbling on his doorstep just after sunrise. Said blond peek at him coyly through his bangs and Squall’s heart skipped a beat.

Well, at least he knew his eyesight was still functioning well.

“I… sure?” he replied, more of a question than a response, but it seemed to suit Cloud’s expectations perfectly.

His neighbour hopped to attention and beckoned Squall over with enthusiastic waves of his whole arm, looking him up and down when he suddenly stopped. In an instant, Squall’s guard rose as he watched where that sky-blue gaze fell, hackles instinctively prepared. A heartbeat past and… Cloud simply shook his head and said, “Sorry, shoes—I’ll let you put on some shoes.”

And that expelled any suspicion Squall held over that inquisitive gaze. If he hadn’t caught himself, he would’ve expressed a small smile at the blond’s antics. He blamed his messed-up sense of defence and common sense on his lack of sleep. Making to abide by Cloud’s reasonable suggestion, he slid his sockless feet into his trusty boots, left one stiffer than the right, and grabbed a jacket from the hooks by the door. Pulling on the coat to make himself at least semi-decent, he stepped outside into the already harsh warmth of the summer sun and joined Cloud’s side. Who had waited for him in the exact position he’d stopped in and not another glance was thrown downwards to Squall’s feet.

He didn’t know whether to be impressed by someone’s apparent self-control or see if he couldn’t torment the man for looking in the first place. The sassier, snappier side of him wanted anyone that stared to suffer first-hand mortification, but somehow, Cloud slipped by and made his way to the ‘simply impressed’ side.

Following his energetic neighbour to wherever he deemed necessary, Squall took the opportunity from lingering somewhat behind to check him out. A faded-check shirt was atop a sleeveless black tank-top, black combat pants with thick-soled biker boots, and twin (again, you guessed it) black fingerless gloves shielding strong-looking hands. Screw his hands, when they stopped by a monstrous, fucking fantastic motorcycle parked just off the driveway, Cloud’s shirt sleeves pulled up when the blond lifted something that had been secured to the rear of the bike and Squall saw jaw-dropping muscle definition on his arms alone.

Silently, the gremlin part of his brain prayed for gale-force winds to suddenly whip up and rip the clothes from his neighbour’s body so Squall could check out the rest of him. Decisively, he ignored it.

What was impossible to ignore was the crate Cloud was carrying, filled with… chickens? Improbable as it seemed considering the already perplexing introduction, Squall found himself feeling off-balance on how to respond or what to respond with. Why on earth was Cloud presenting hens to him? It seemed absurdly coincidental that he lost such birds the night before to the foul mutt… Stormy eyes squinted at still-radiating-innocence blue and popped his right hand on his corresponding hip. “…Do you have a dog?”

Weirdly, Cloud fumbled with the crate at Squall’s legitimate question, the wooden box and livestock inside nearly falling directly onto booted feet. Immaculate reflexes avoided disaster, though the same couldn’t be said for the man himself. “Dog?” was Cloud’s inquiring reply as he straightened up, voice going oddly high-pitched as though he felt targeted by Squall’s suspicion… which he was, he supposed, and the given reaction wasn’t helping Cloud’s case. “No—no, I have no animals. Why?”

He studied Cloud in brief silence, offering a meek shrug soon after, hand falling from its perch back to his side. “No reason.” And now back to the topic at hand: “Why have you brought me chickens?” And why would you think I need any, his mind finished for him. Patiently, he waited.

Cloud toyed with his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes flicking everywhere but Squall. Almost like he struggled to think of a valid reason. Shady… In the moment of muteness, Squall’s focus shifted to the sleek machine stationed just behind them. The coat was midnight-black and shimmered in the sunlight majestically. Thicker than most two-wheelers he’d seen in his lifetime, potentially heavier from the additional compartments his keen eyesight made out, and two front wheels instead of the usual one… Simply put, it was a work of art and Squall was yet to find any piece of machinery he couldn’t wholly admire. Wonder what it’s like to ride…

“I—I noticed you have a ranch and figured you could never have too many chickens.” If that wasn’t the lamest excuse Squall had heard in a long while… and he was friends with both Rinoa and Selphie. “So—take them?”

Earnest blue eyes practically begged him, and the box was shoved his way suggestively, Squall’s answer was simple. He hadn’t the heart to tell the allegedly generous man ‘no’. “…Fine,” he sighed, growing instantly pensive when Cloud beamed – like he was doing the blond a favour by taking the hens. Were they infected or something? “Bring them this way,” he continued quietly, jerking his head in the direction of the main coop. Since he was already holding it, why not make use of Cloud a little longer? “I didn’t see you move in,” he commented as they began to walk, the blond keeping pace with his slightly stunted one.

If Squall was to describe the stream of expressions that flitted over Cloud’s face in the next moment, he’d be there all day. The blond chose to settle on sheepishness with a matching smile. “It was a quick overnight thing… didn’t have much to unpack,” Cloud murmured, keeping his eyes facing forward to avoid further contact with Squall’s.

Everything about him set off warning bells inside Squall’s mind but he couldn’t make heads or tails of what or why. Was it due to his own reclusive nature and the fact he’d evaded human interactions as much as realistically possible over the last few months, that simple conversation with new people was putting him on-guard? Too mindful over what everyone thought about him now? Shiva, he needed to get a hobby other than overthinking. Fat lot of help it was in the past.

Thankfully, Cloud neither glanced his way to assume Squall’s souring mood was his fault or commented on the silence dragging between them as they strode on. It was only when the wooden hutch was in sight that Squall recalled last night’s problem – deceased chickens all over the place. Great, now Cloud would assume he was a disturbed maniac that feasted upon the flesh of the poor birds that had been ripped apart –

Stopping suddenly in his tracks, Squall stared openly at the area surrounding his hen house. Cloud also paused, eyes sweeping up in an inquisitive manner, but voiced nothing. Again, he was grateful for the blond’s apparent love of silence because he wouldn’t know what to say as the entire ground was clean. No residue blood, no scattered feathers, no messy carcasses – hell, it looked like someone had swept the floor, too. Picking apart his brain for plausible solutions to the glaring problem encountered, he came up empty and his only reward was undiluted bewilderment.

Eventually though, Cloud broke the silent treaty and asked, quite reasonably, “Is, uh, everything okay?”

Surprisingly speechless, Squall turned his head to bring the virtuous blond into view, who was genuinely asking from misguided concern about his wellbeing. But… what could he honestly say? ‘Oh, yesterday there was numerous bodies littering the floor and now they’ve miraculously gone!’ Pfft, not likely. Flicking out his tongue to swipe along his bottom lip (noting idly how blue eyes seemed to follow the motion), he finally nodded and resolved to not telling the truth. “Phantom pains,” he said shortly, hoping the tone of voice dissuaded further questions. Luckily, Cloud complied but dropped his gaze out of apparent embarrassment again and Squall felt his chest squeeze. He hated feeling guilty. “Happens all the time, don’t worry about it.”

Hopeful eyes raised to greet his and Squall determined that shade of blue to be illegal now. Everything about Cloud was illegal. “I—I understand,” Cloud said, nodding in sincere comprehension, hefting the crate a little higher. “Should I just set this down and free them, or…?”

Right, the chickens. Squall nodded once. “Yeah, free roaming and all that.”

“’N all that,” Cloud echoed with a faint smile, placing the box gently on the (clean!) floor. Nimble fingers worked over the latches holding the front plate on and a second later, three golden birds scooted out, interested in their newfound freedom and unfamiliar surroundings. He watched Cloud watch them closely, like he was wishing for the hens to accept their new home without complications. Seemingly, it was granted as all three clucked and shot off towards the coop, fluttered up the ramp and out of sight through the swinging door. He smiled, looking up at Squall from where he crouched. “They seem to like it here.”

Squall’s brain was apparently malfunctioning and his brain-to-mouth filter broke, as the next moment after nodding in agreement to Cloud’s statement, he spewed out, “I think you would too if you wanna join me for coffee?”

An awkward pause ensued. While Squall wished for the ground to open up and swallow him whole (like it apparently did to his poor chickens), Cloud, rightfully so, stared as him like another head just popped out of his shoulder. Dazed blue eyes blinked a few times while the blond visibly contemplated his next move, or words. He, being the gentleman he was, figured it was only fair to give Cloud a way out and opened his mouth to withdraw the offer with as much nonchalance as he could mister, but Cloud beat him to it.

A slight raise of a shoulder and an uncertain but curious smile sketched onto his face, murmuring, “We could go to the town—I do need a guide and I’m sure there’s a café somewhere.”

Squall paused. Cloud was not only accepting his pre-morning-coffee suggestion but was entertaining further interaction with his lunatic of a neighbour. It was impossible that he’d made a good impression so early, so the simplest deduction was Cloud being masochistic and liking the pain that came alongside social interactions with hermits like himself. Raising a hand to ruffle the hair waving in his face, he ignored the background clucks of his regular hens coming over to inspect the ground for food (since he was out and provider of said nutrients), eyed Cloud with a weariness that came naturally to him and, beyond all reason, nodded his agreement. “Alright. I’ll be ready in five.”

Promptly, he made his way back to the front of the house. Once there, he glanced back slightly over his shoulder and queried, “My truck or your bike?”

Cloud, who tailed him closely like a lost puppy, lit up the yard with the smirk he sent Squall. “Bike—unless you can’t handle it.”

Squall’s eyes narrowed in playful challenge. Not that anyone outside his inner circle knew what it looked like. “Five minutes, Strife.”

“A second past that and I’m assuming you’ve backed out—uh,” Cloud paused midway into his retaliation and Squall realised he was yet to introduce himself. With a slither of awkwardness, the blond found an interesting patch on the floor to stare at, apparently incapable of asking a simple question.

Squall decided to put Cloud out of his misery. Almost. “Leon.”

It was daft how adorable it was when Cloud perked up at the revelation. He nodded, quirking him a half-smile. “Leon—tick tock.”

Squall huffed in earnest astonishment from his neighbour’s audacity (and the depth of shock he was feeling at how well they hit it off) and hobbled his way back inside at a quicker pace than his norm. Efficiency was a skill he possessed, as was haste without magic being involved. Kicking off his yard boots and shrugging off the outdoor jacket on the way to his room, he wondered on whether Cloud carried a spare helmet with him for such happenstance that strange neighbours agreed to tagging along with his wild journeys. Entering his bedroom, he yanked open the closest door and pulled out the thickest pair of jeans he owned and SeeD-issued combat boots. Nudging the door shut with a hip, he dumped them on his bed before beelining for his drawers. Retrieving underwear from the top drawer, he dug out a plain old shirt from the middle one – those were dumped on the bed too.

Briefly, he wondered about the state of his hair but shrugged it off – it’d be underneath a helmet, who cared? Wriggling off the pyjama pants (whoops at going commando to greet his neighbour for the first time), he dressed himself while keeping a flickering gaze on the bedside clock to watch the time. Three minutes and twenty-two seconds later, he was adequately dressed and ready to go. Theoretically. For a moment, he questioned where his mind had gone and what replaced it to make him so whimsical. Uncaring in the end, he shrugged off such thoughts at hearing the starting rumble of the alluring thing awaiting him (the bike was pretty neat too).

Finally, Squall moseyed on to the front door again, picking up his trusty leather jacket along the way. Too often he’d been teased (or ridiculed) about the fur adorning the lining, but fuck those guys, he liked being warm, thank you very much. Pulling said jacket on as he exited his condo, grabbing keys, wallet and his cell phone along the way, bitter warmth greeted him already but he paid it no heed at the sight he was blessed with – Cloud straddling the beast, a pair of goggles sitting atop of blond spikes, arms crossed and peering at him with… clear admiration and perhaps a hint of amusement.

Locking the front door with a snort, Squall then pointed the sharp enough key (to get his point across) at the blond, and said, “Not one word about the jacket, Strife.” A raised brow was his response. His own eyes narrowed. “I mean it.”

Cloud raised his hands in a show of mock surrender and then lowered the goggles to shield his eyes. “No words said.”

Squall nodded in approval while making his way over, studying the sleek machine. Obviously, his choice seat was behind Cloud, although it seemed it would be a tight fit for two grown adults. So what. Steeling his determination, he gritted his teeth and, after bracing himself on Cloud’s shoulder, swung his right leg over the bike to attain his seat. Unfortunately, it applied unnecessary pressure to his bad leg and a bolt of pain lanced through him. He went rigid and a concerned look shot over the shoulder he just leaned on.

“I’m fine,” Squall growled out, a low warning poorly concealed within the words. Giving himself a minute to settle and for his head to stop pounding, he breathed in and out steadily, and then sighed. Only when he impulsively ran a hand through his own hair did he realise something critical: “Where’s your helmet?”

A gleam came into blue eyes and Squall felt slight trepidation in his choice. “No helmet. Hold on tight.”

The engine roared to life as Cloud twisted his right hand and Squall instinctively grabbed onto what was closest: Cloud’s jacket – procured from where, Squall didn’t know, but could certainly appreciate. Not a second later, they were tearing up Squall’s driveway, dust clouds and debris kicking up behind them as wheels scrambled for purchase. Before long rubber kissed tarmac and Cloud released the clutch, twisted the throttle, leaned forward and really started to move. The bike shot off like a rocket and Squall could only hold on for dear life, vice-grip on Cloud’s sides being switch for the more secure looping around his waist, face buried into the back of Cloud’s jacket, heart racing as fast as the vehicle he’d willingly jumped on, idly wondering if he’d make it out alive.

Exhilarating was too tame a word to use in description for the feel of wind whipping his hair about. The sheer amount of fresh air hitting his throat when finally releasing the breath he’d been holding nearly made him choke (and he lived in the mountains already). Eyes watering immediately when he attempted to open them to view the rapidly passing countryside, he chose to keep them jammed shut, listening to the roar of the engine whenever Cloud accelerated and the pounding of his own heart that felt was about to leap out of his chest.

Now to say Squall had lived a lively, fast-paced life so far would be a gross understatement, but there was something so utterly terrifying, yet breathlessly freeing, about riding so recklessly with a gorgeous stranger he’d just met.

Liberating.

#Strifehart #WIP fic #ooc.#I really like the concept of this one and wanna finish it #but time???#what is this eheh

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tabloidtoc · 5 years ago

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Star, June 8

Cover: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are neighbors from hell

Page 1: Baby number 6 for Jude Law -- months after wishing for a bigger family Jude steps out with his pregnant wife Phillipa Coan

Page 2: Contents, Kate Hudson and daughter Rani

Page 3: Jason Momoa revved up his vintage 1947 Harley-Davidson in Agoura Hills, pregnant Ciara and Russell Wilson and kids Sienna and birthday boy Future, Brooke Burke

Page 4: When filming on Jeopardy! was shut down due to the coronavirus fans worried there would be no more new shows with Alex Trebek so they were overjoyed when a month-long slate of fresh episodes taped before the lockdown began airing with the beloved host who’s been bravely battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer for more than a year still at the helm

Page 5: Friends’ much-anticipated reunion is on hold due to the coronavirus and there’s trouble behind the scenes -- Jennifer Aniston wants to pull out of the special and a bloated and disheveled Matthew Perry has costars like Courteney Cox wondering if he’ll even show up but Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc are raring to go because it’s going to be a nice career boost, Naomi Watts and her ex Liev Schreiber agreed to hole up together during the quarantine for the sake of their sons Sasha and Kai but the arrangement came with a catch: Liev insisted on bringing his girlfriend of two years Taylor Niesen into the fold and while Naomi is fond of Taylor it’s awkward to say the least, Carrie Underwood has had some work done to repair her pout

Page 6: Christopher Meloni will guest star as Elliot Stabler in the premiere episode of Law & Order: SVU’s 22nd season to help launch his own spinoff series and nobody is happier than Mariska Hargitay that Chris is back, Jonah Hill is so in love with his dog Carmela that he takes her everywhere including business appointments but she smells and slobbers and scratches herself constantly and it drives people crazy including clean-freak pal Leonardo DiCaprio, Star Spots the Stars -- Karlie Kloss, Emma Roberts, Brad Paisley and Lady Antebellum, Whitney Port, Emily Hampshire, Tinashe, Francesca Farago and Harry Jowsey

Page 8: Star Shots -- Tarek El Moussa bike riding with kids Brayden and Taylor, Kaia Gerber and her blue cast reading by the pool

Page 9: Pierce Brosnan and son Dylan, Lindsey Vonn planking with her dog Lucy on her back, Nicole Kidman smelling a flower

Page 10: Reese Witherspoon and dogs, Jessica Simpson, Andy Cohen and son Benjamin

Page 11: Gisele Bundchen and a flower, Patrick Schwarzenegger taking a dip in the ocean in Laguna Beach

Page 12: Lance Bass, Gal Gadot on a stroll with daughter Maya

Page 14: Jennifer Lopez, Kristen Bell gave blood, pregnant Katy Perry rocked floral fashion in honor of her new song Daisies

Page 15: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend with kids Luna and birthday boy Miles

Page 16: Maria Shriver on a walk, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and wife Peta Murgatroyd and son Shai, Whitney Cummings in jammies doing her podcast

Page 17: Elizabeth Hurley and her dog, Demi Moore gathered mushrooms

Page 18: Normal or Not? Ben Affleck breaks into his own home after he and Ana de Armas got locked out -- not, Post Malone donned combat-ready headgear to play Call of Duty -- not, Mindy Kaling does yoga -- normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars wow in fresh mint hues -- Cate Blanchett, Chrissy Teigen

Page 21: Tessa Thompson, Rihanna

Page 24: Brian Austin Green is left heartbroken as wife Megan Fox moves on with costar Machine Gun Kelly a.k.a. Colson Baker

Page 25: Mel Gibson has found true love with Rosalind Ross and he’s ready to seal the deal, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix are expecting their first child together this summer and they’re really looking forward to being parents even if that means putting off their wedding in order to focus on their bundle of joy who will be raised vegan, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis are putting more effort into their relationship after hitting a rough patch -- the problems began with their conflicting schedules and as Olivia’s directing career began to skyrocket Jason’s projects continued to dwindle

Page 26: Cover Story -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are the worst neighbors ever -- residents of the gated community where Harry and Meghan are staying say they’re disrespectful and have turned the tranquil spot into a circus

Page 30: Mary-Kate Olsen’s divorce disaster -- Mary-Kate’s bitter split from her much older husband Olivier Sarkozy takes a nasty new turn

Page 32: Matt Lauer on the Attack -- breaking his silence Matt lashes out at enemy Ronan Farrow calling his scathing book shoddy journalism -- Matt still thinks he can recover from his epic fall from grace

Page 34: Celebrity Dads and Their Darling Daughters -- Don and Dakota Johnson

Page 35: Michael and Carys Douglas, John and Ella Bleu Travolta, Lionel and Sofia Richie, Phil and Lily Collins

Page 36: Ryan and Ava Phillippe, Johnny and Lily-Rose Depp

Page 37: Mark and Lola Consuelos, Alec and Ireland Baldwin, Rod and Ruby Stewart, Lenny and Zoe Kravitz, Clint and Francesca Eastwood

Page 38: Style -- beaded bags -- Bailee Madison

Page 40: Beauty -- wow at your vows -- makeup -- Margot Robbie, Emily Ratajkowski, Jennifer Lopez

Page 41: Hair -- Kendall Jenner, Gisele Bundchen, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Page 42: Entertainment

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Britney Spears on a raft in a pool

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youngrevolutionary · 5 years ago

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Any Mobius Final Fantasy players out there?

Because I’ve got a few questions...

First on the list, Why?

Second of all, Why not just have Seifer?

Third of all, who tf is Graff?

Fourthly, Why is he pretending to be Seifer?

Fifthly, Where the hell is Seifer and why does this pretender have his clothes? What is Seifer wearing?

Sixth -- actually, I can’t count them out, I have too many questions. Like, why is ‘Seifer’s theme’ Laguna’s battle music? Don’t say it’s because Seifer idolized Laguna, because he didn’t. He idolized Zefer, the character that Laguna had portrayed, not the actor.

But really, is he just strolling around Balamb with no clothes on?

Because obviously, this Brian May lookalike wannabe isn’t capable of killing someone like Seifer. I refuse to believe otherwise.

Lastly, why is it when FFVIII is included in anything, they always leave Seifer out or put him in some role that either doesn’t match up with the canon or they do some weird shit like this?

At least Opera Omnia represented him well enough but oh my gooood this is maddening. Sidenote:I don’t mean to sound aggressive with my questions, but I’m trying to look up these answers on my own and I’m finding nothing.

I’m sure I’ll have more questions, but for now I’m just...

yep. Walking away from this. But feel free to answer it, give me insight, help educate me on why tf Seifer's clothes and Hyperion are in the possession of some dude who can't come up with his own cool 'bad guy' getup. I genuinely don’t want to have a negative opinion about Mobius but from all the info I’ve gathered, it’s...

It’s a bit confusing at best.

#out of mercy ; ooc #mobius final fantasy #seifer almasy #graff

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thelioncourts · 6 years ago

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Look at this lovely picture, it gave me fic ideas of J2 vacationing: broletmebeyourshelter tumblr com /post/178813656767

link for anyone who wants to view: [x]

o h that is lovely. those preppy boating shoes and both beautiful hands and the vascular lines in the camera-guy’s forearm and oh oh oh, how very j2

in my au world, it’s the js in venice (always venice). they woke up early, so so early, so they could go to the top of campanile di san marco before the tourists and so jensen could get some snapshots of the city as the sun started to rise above it. meanwhile jared dragged jensen to the dogana da mer so he could explain the importance of its history as both a customs house and a reflection of venice’s changes over time via the gallery. by 9am they had done both of those things plus a productive trip to pasticceria tonolo where jensen had a traditional italian cappuccino, jared had a cortado, and they split a dark chocolate zabione. this picture was taken leaving there and going to the laguna veneta for a stroll. jared stole the camera, and jensen had the tiniest bit of chocolate on the corner of his mouth, and they couldn’t quit smiling as they slowly made their way there, dancing through the early crowds.

in a non-au world, it’s the smallest moment, a ten second opportunity in a rush of a single week. and it’s enough.

#nice human #<3 #kirsten answers #Anonymous

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sunny-explosions · 6 years ago

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"I'm fine." Honestly, he'd follow her around every mall in the world if it would make her happy, and foot the whole bill to boot. Doesn't mean he finds shopping all that exciting, especially when she keeps trying to dress him. "You just buy stuff you want, cool?" -corditeheart/Laguna

@corditeheart

“Oh, you’re no fun,” she pouts, although she can’t say she’s surprised; she’s the reason they’re here in the first place, wanting to buy a couple specific things just for herself. One of the mannequins caught her eye on the way in, dressed in an outfit she knew would look amazing on him, and it was unfortunate that he didn’t seem willing to indulge her.

But, if he wanted to play it that way...

“Okay, fine,” she relents with a nod, skipping over this particular rack and heading further into the back of the store, “only things that I want.” She continues her little stroll, pretending she doesn’t notice that she’s only going deeper into the men’s section, until she gets to a particular shirt she’d also seen advertised right next to one of the dresses she had in mind.

“What if what I want is to see you in something like this? We could be all matchy-matchy!”

#corditeheart #~v; once upon a dream~#listen she will get him better fitting clothes if it's the last thing she does #can't survive on button downs and sandals all the time~#Anonymous #ask

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angelsbailbonds · 2 years ago

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Things to Do in Fullerton CA

Muckenthaler Home, relabelled Muckenthaler Cultural Center, is a big Spanish Colonial Revival style house put in Fullerton, California. Your home was integrated in 1925, and is now a museum and cultural center. The Muckenthaler Home utilizes a series of programs and journeys for visitors to get a bang out of.

The city's downtown place is home to numerous traveler places. Visitors can participate in live music programs, take in fantastic food, and sign up with other individuals. The area is a finest location to take a trip solo or with a group. Simply understand that some tourist destinations might be closed rapidly or require evaluations.

Nevertheless, the following traveler places are suggested for those going to Fullerton. They include: * The Union Pacific Train Museum lies at the Fullerton Transport Center. It is open to the public on the in fact extremely first and 3rd Saturdays of month-to-month.

The Leading House Dining center is a popular elite dining facility with a view of the gardens. It serves modern-day American food in addition to standard distinct meals. Owner Mark Elliot sources active elements from regional farms. Attempt his signature Elvis Latte, that consists of peanut butter, honey, banana, and banana.

Laguna Lake Park: The city's outdoors park is a great natural location. It includes a create lake and dirt tracks for treking, running, biking, and horseback riding. It's a finest area to unwind or take a stroll in the open air. The park is ideal for households.

Clayes Performing Arts Center: The Clayes Performing Arts Center has an abundant history in the place. Its popular stage for classical and modern-day music and theater performances is among the absolute best kept examples of Spanish Colonia-style architecture in the place. The Center's website products details about upcoming events together with academic resources for fitness trainers.

Marconi Automotive Museum: Found in a remodelled food processing structure near Tustin, the Marconi Automotive Museum was not on the designer's list when he transferred to the location in the 1950s. Nevertheless, the vitamin and supplement market mogul in the future turned the area into a premium cars and trucks and truck museum. You can see a series of traditional European trucks as you stroll the spectacular facilities.

Fullerton Museum of Art: The museum has great deals of extraordinary screens and expose screens. It has really worked for over a century and runs unique artifacts from all around the world. It similarly offers lots of curricula for visitors to get a kick out of. You can likewise see a popular Leo Fender guitar, together with other attracting products.

Craig Regional Park: Found north of the school of Cal State Fullerton, the Craig Regional Park is an amazing area for a picnic or a video game of basketball or beach ball. It also includes a wildlife sanctuary and three-acre lake. You can likewise check out the park's escape area place, Wild Goose Escape, where you can play a series of video game and experience a pleasing barrier.

Art Center: The Fullerton Museum of Art is a fantastic location to take a look at throughout the day or night. It's open 6 days a week from midday up until late night. And if you take pleasure in golf, do not lose on the 18-hole Fullerton Golf Course, a distinct 18-hole course for golf fans of all levels. Throughout peak hours, the course draws a substantial crowd.

Radical Theater: Another of the essential things to Do in Fullerton CA is to go to a play or a musical. The Radical Theater is among Fullerton's lots of cultural traveler destinations and is a must-visit for people and visitors. It has a variety of programs on 2 phases. There's a cabaret phase for musicals, and a larger black box stage for plays.

Amongst the crucial things to Do in Fullerton CA are the Fullerton Arboretum and Zion Thrift Shop. The Fullerton Arboretum covers 25 acres and functions 3,000 different kinds of plants. It likewise has an instructional farming museum. There are likewise assisted journeys of the Arboretum. Visitors can likewise have a look at among the city's deals of small-batch breweries, including Bootlegger's Brewery.

Another gratifying thing to do in Fullerton CA is try an escape area. The Experience Games are live escape computer game where you can challenge your group of around 6 people. The objective of the computer game is to repair a thorough puzzle within 60 minutes. It's a terrific method to invest a night or weekend with pals. The environment is loosening up and pleasant, and it's finest for a date.

Another wonderful thing to do in Fullerton CA is take your animal for a walk. The city is dog-friendly, and there are a lot of broad family animal dog parks for a rewarding afternoon. The Fullerton Family animal Park, opened in 2007, has different locations for significant and small dog. There are also water bowls and doggy waste bags handled the pet canines. The park is staffed by volunteers who host themed activities for visitors and house animal owners.

Angels Bail Bonds Fullerton, CA 92832 https://angelsbailbonds.com/fullerton 657-254-3802 Mon. - Sun. : 24 hours

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desaisahl0-blog · 6 years ago

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Skilled Movers In Anaheim

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• For tweens, these kids simply beginning to form their independence and personalities, the hot button is to make them really feel concerned in the method. Each princess will stand in front of a day or night background and of course mother and father will have the ability to take pictures of their kids with their very own digicam. You pay extra if they need to take it up or down greater than 3 stairs. With Baltimore Movers, you do not must pay greater than the choices you choose. You'll be able to likewise rent a couple of storage container primarily based on your wants. Storage for rent in Anaheim, CA. Prices can vary based mostly on storage unit sizes and it's amenities. Community testimonials, rankings and consumer reports on Skilled Anaheim Movers - an expert mover situated in Anaheim, CA 92804. Discover Anaheim, California moving firms. California Nationwide Moving - Moving of household items into, out of, or by way of California is considered an interstate move, and is regulated by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT).

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