#it's giving freshman/senior photoshoot

[kayrockerqog]

No, but babes, they really gave Andrew Ryan such a GLOW-UP with the radio portraits like

GIRL I KNOW IT'S THE GAME'S UPDATED ART AND GRAPHICS BUT PHEW what a difference

[dianapana]

SasuHina Month 2020 - Day 5

Prompt –Collage AU

Long Distance- Part 3

Hinata POV

Sasuke drives like a pro; whenever I’m in the car with Ino I fear for my life, Neji drives really smoothly but he always goes really really and I mean really fast so, I find myself griping the side of my seat a lot. But with Sasuke the speed is good I don’t feel like we’re about to pierce to the vail of time and his movements are confident and easy; he seems to be at ease. We’ve been on the road for about 45 minutes and we haven’t really spoken much but the silence is pleasant and it doesn’t bother me.

“So, you’re from Konoha and about my age how come we never met in school?” Sasuke is the one to break the silence.

“I was homeschooled until 10th grade. And after that I went to Suna Academy for girls. I am what you would call ‘sheltered’. My mom told my dad I should attend public school before university but he just about had a heart attack. He didn’t really want me going to University either” I didn’t mind being homeschooled I’m more of an introvert and I know that; it’s not because I didn’t go to public school it’s just how I am and I’m ok with that. But I did want to go to university so I fought for that as well and when mom came to my aid too dad didn’t stand a chance. I’m happy with my decision; I’ve made a few really good friends and enjoyed the experience so far. I also loved the freedom of doing whatever I wanted without asking for permission. I’m not a party person but I did discover I enjoy certain things that mom or dad would never allow.

“Ah makes sense. My older brother was homeschooled for about 2 years but neither mom nor dad really liked that so when I started school, they sent me to public school from the get go”

“Are you going to be a senior this year?” he looks older and more mature than I do, or at least than I feel.

“Yep, what about you?” I look from the corner of my eyes at the way his muscles move in his arm when he changes the gear. He’s not built like most guys in my classes.

“I’m also going to be a senior. What’s your major?”

“I only declared my major last semester so despite it being my last year I’ll have a lot of courses to take. I’m majoring in education. I was accepted on athletic scholarship and have been a starter on the hokey team since the second semester of my freshman year so I plan to either go pro or coach. What about you?”

“I major in creative writing and minor in photography or as my dad says, I’m paying money to become a starving artist. I’ve never seen a hockey game; my sister likes it and played a little in middle school but I was away in Suna so I never went to any of her games.”

We talk a little more about collage, I find out that he lives with one of his teammates who is also his best friend and another friend that’s a tattoo artist and is majoring in fine arts at KU. I also applied there but the creative writing program is better at the UoA. I did hear that the graphic design department from KU has some of the pest teachers in the country. I told him about Ino who I met at orientation but, we also share the same minor; her major though is flower arts, surprisingly she has a lot of business-oriented courses to pretty much teach her how to run her own shop. We’re about 15 minutes away from KU and once again I feel guilty; he’s been on the road for 4 hours even though under normal circumstances he’d just now hit the road. After passing KU we finally hit the highway and Sasuke speeds up but it’s still comfortable.  

We talk a little more for the following few hours and I’m surprised by how easy it is to talk to him. He even explains hockey to me as briefly as possible and says he’ll invite me to a game when the season starts. The implication that we will talk after the end of this pleases me. We’re about half the way to Konoha when we stop so Sasuke can fill the tank and so we can go to the bathroom, maybe drink another coffee since we drank the extra ones I packed as well already and eat something. Thankfully the gas station has a McDonalds next to it.

Sasuke POV

Once we hit the road again after eating the only noise is the radio but we don’t talk. The silence isn’t unwelcomed and awkward. After a couple more minutes I peek at Hinata and see she has fallen asleep. I dim the music a little and continue driving. We have about 5 more hours to go.

About 4 hours later I make another stop at the gas station; I need to go to the bathroom. Hinata hasn’t woken up yet. I’m debating whether to wake her up or not when her phone starts ringing loudly and waking her up anyway. She wakes up and answers in a hurry while rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

“Hey mom. Yea we’re about…” she looks towards me and I mouth ‘1 hour away’ “1 hour away. We just stopped at a gas station. I’ll see you soon ok? I want to go to the bathroom. Bye” she hangs up not really waiting for a reply.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry I fell asleep for like 4 hours.” Her cheeks are red and I can tell she feel guilty and embarrassed but I shrug.

“No big deal” It looks like she wants to apologize again so I get out of the car. Each of us goes to the bathroom and then Hinata buys some snacks and I get myself a Pepsi and we get back on the road.

Hinata rips open the packet of candy she bought and eats a few. “Do you want some?” she asks. Usually I’m not a huge fan of sweets but I do want some sugar to get energy so I nod. I can’t take my hand that instant off the wheel so I make a small pause with full intention to extend it in a few moments but before I can do that Hinata leans over and pops a candy in my mouth. I am shocked and I look at her from the corner of my eye and she is frozen in place, her face red as a beat.

“I…umm I am sorry” her voice is barely a whisper and she leans back in her seat. “I did that without thinking sorry. I do that whenever Ino drives. In the beginning she would take her hand pff the wheel mid turn and it would freak me out so I developed this habit of feeding her rather than her letting go of the wheel. I am so so so sorry” she talks really fast and her hands are over her cheeks.

“It’s ok. You just surprised me” I say. Hinata I realize is very socially awkward. She blushes easily and apologizes a lot about everything. Despite me trying to reassure her she doesn’t talk much for the rest of the road.

Hinata POV

The candy incident happened almost 20 minutes ago but my heart still beats way too fast. I did that on instinct and the moment my fingertips touched his lips I was gone. I am way too aware of him now to be able to talk to him normally. Even if I don’t want to I notice everything about him. From his muscles that shift whenever he moves the slightest bit, to his beautiful profile, to his dark and shiny hair.

I keep my hands joined in my lap because I’m scared, I’ll do something embarrassing again. I want to touch him. I want to take pictures of him. He would be a great subject for a photoshoot. Images of him in a studio dim lighted and a bit destroyed fill my brain. He would suite something grunge or maybe something with neon lights to give him an eerie atmosphere. That is his attitude, if we were to talk about his looks, he is handsome and beautiful; he would look good surrounded by white, that would make him look like an angel. The angel analogy starts to run while when I imagine him naked with only a silk sheet over his lap. I feel my cheeks growing redder again.

I shake my head and look out the window. The familiar scenery tells me we’re only about 15 minutes away from my house, after waking up I gave him my address to put into the GPS. I curse myself for sleeping half of the ride. There’s no use lying to myself. I like Sasuke, he’s easy to talk and cool. His good looks only aid this predicament.

“We’re almost home” I say.

“You don’t sound that happy. You did say you didn’t want to return. Why is that?” He answers, eyes still focused on the road, his voice even. He really does not think about the candy incident. The knowledge hurts a little. I kind of wanted him to be as shook as I am.

“I liked the freedom I have at University. I’ve never really been the one in charge before” Mom and Hanabi are the only ones home which means we will be doing a lot of shopping. They’ll make me try on things I don’t particularly like. Most of my closet consisted of thing mom and Hanabi think look good on me but that I don’t like to wear so when I got to University I started selling them.

“I get that, I feel the same. That was also my reason for not coming back home” He admits and it shocks me a little, Sasuke doesn’t seem like someone that would let himself be controlled by someone else. This makes me relate to him, admire him for admitting something like that, Neji is very prideful and he would never say something like this.

When the car pulls to a stop in front of my house, I have to admit I am glad. I like spending time with him but I feel myself developing a crush on him that can only lead to my own demise. I look to the front door half expecting mother to come running outside but she doesn’t. Sasuke gets out of the car as well and helps me with the suitcases. I go to open the door but it is locked. I unlock it and the house is silent. Sasuke asks me where to take the suitcases and I abuse his kindness and tell him to follow me to my room. In the mean time I call mother.

“Hey mom I got home…but where are you?”

“Hinata baby I’m over at Mikoto’s come with Sasuke. She wants to meet you and we can all have a nice late lunch or early dinner” Her voice is chipper and light, is…is mom drunk?

“O….k?”

“See you soon baby” She says and hangs up on. I look at my phone and then to Sasuke.

“Um…she’s at your house” I say and he laughs.

“Of course, she is. How did we not see this coming?” Sasuke asks rhetorically as we walk back to the car. I top to lock the door. “I mean they are best friends so of course they are together.”

The drive to his home takes about another 10 minutes and this time when the car stops mom and another woman, I assume Sasuke’s mother wait for us on the front porch and they each have a wine glass in their hands. Mom is smiling wide and chats with Mikoto lively.

“Are they drunk?” I say out loud. Sasuke narrows his eyes.

“I don’t know about your mother but my mom is a lightweight. If she drank a glass of wine, she is not only drunk but wasted.”

“Mom can’t hold her alcohol very well either” I admit, we both turn to look at them still chatting away, obvious to the fact that we have arrived. We turn to look at each other and chuckle a little.

“Come o let’s go join them, drink a glass of wine too. Why should they be the only ones to have fun?” He says and gets out of the car. My heart is beating faster once again. I can’t move for a moment. Sasuke opens my door and extends his hand to me, I look at it and take it. His skin is warm and rough but I feel sparks going up my arm. I look up at him and he’s smirking at me. The sun is just now setting behind Sasuke and it gives him a golden glow. That is the moment when I realize that I already like him, this boy I met today. He lets go of my hand to go get his own bags but I can still feel his touch. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in. When I open them he’s next to me and nods towards out mothers, I nod back and we start walking up the driveway. The two of them finally see us, put their wine glasses down and come towards us for hugs. Mom kisses my cheek and tells me how much she missed me; than she hugs Sasuke and thanks him for bringing me while Mikoto hugs me and tells me how nice it is to meet me.

Looking at this scene with them so happy makes me realize that I don’t regret coming home. I’m glad I could make mom happy. I’m glad to see her having fun with a new friend. I peer from the corner of my eye towards Sasuke. I’m glad I came because I met him. I’m still looking at him when he turns his eyes to me as well and smirks. I wonder what he’s thinking. I wonder if he feels even remotely like I do. Even if he doesn’t, I hope he will still be my friend because Sasuke Uchiha is pretty cool and I’d love to have him in my life. If his mother is anything like him, I can’t blame mom for calling Mikoto her best friend already.  

Part 1 (This happens after the 2nd and 3rd part)

Part 2

[thebaddie96-blog]

Once In A Life Time

~Chapter 2~

My Airbnb was a cute yet small studio with a great view of the city. There were stairs that lead to a queen bed above the kitchen, shit I even have a bidet. I don't even know how to work that thing but I'm sure as hell gonna use it.

“Ok B, it's your first day in South Korea. What are you gonna do?’”

“Mmmhmm well I don't know Be-Be let us think!!”

"K Dramas!!!" I yell and rush to turn on the TV. I settle into a show called 'Revenge Note' but not even 5 minutes into the show I start to doze off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*buzz buzz* *buzz buzz*

"Mmm." *buzz buzz* "ugh."

Slowly I wake up to the sound of my phone buzzing in my ear. Grabbing it I answer without looking, much to my regret.

“BE-BE!!! HOW DARE YOU WORRY ME LIKE THIS?" I pull back the phone checking the caller I.D.

"Min-ho?"

"So now you remember your friends. Are you sleeping? You've been in Korea for 6 hours and you chose to sleep!!" Ugh he is so dramatic.

"Chill Min-Min ok it was a 14 hour flight cut me some slack and on top of that my entire outfit  got ruined by some sexy tattooed god. Which reminds me I still have to change."

"Sexy Tattooed God??? Give me the phone. Hello?"

"So-eun heyyyy girly."

"Don't hey girly me, we will be at your place in 20min be ready." And with that she hung up. 

Ugh great. 

Min-ho and So-eun are old friends of mine. I've known them for about 5 years when they came to America to study abroad at the same college I was in. Even though I didn't stay in school I stayed in contact with them. Sometime around their senior year they decided it would be a good idea to date and have been together ever since. Min-ho is pretty outspoken but a softy at heart, but So-eun she is a force to be reckoned with.

I really just wanted to sleep. The flight was really long and I need time to refresh my senses. Sighing I get up, take a quick 5 minute shower then put on some black ripped skinny jeans and a black top. Just as I get my shoes on Min-Min calls me letting me know they are here. Welp here we go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We sat inside a Korean BBQ restaurant and god I didn't realize how hungry I was. My friends could barely get in a word as they watched me chomp down on the several beef strips Min-Min grilled for us. 

"Ok ok B, slow the fuck down.선량" So-eun request looking around the restaurant at all the eyes watching amazed I could consume so much. I swallow hard then burp sitting back in my chair.

"Sorry I didn't realize how hungry I was and the food is so good!" I say scoping a big chunk of white rice in my mouth.

“Babe i’m so glad you're here. I’ve missed you so much.” Min-ho says pulling me into a hug. “How was the flight in? Did you navigate your way to the airbnb well? Why didn’t you call us when you landed? you know we would have come get you. Why were your clothes ruined? These are questions I need answers to."

“Min-ho! Chill ok. The flight, the flight was... rough but I made it. I didn’t really navigate myself to my airbnb but I got there safe. I told you I wanna experience Seoul for myself. And the answer to the last question; it's an un- interesting story.” I finished stuffing more meat in my mouth.

“Great we love un-interesting stories.” So-eun states snatching my chopsticks out of my hand. I roll my eyes slouching back in my seat.

“Really it's nothing, I was waiting for my taxi, a private car zoomed up to the curb and in the process splashed a shit ton of dirty street water all over me. The driver and his boss felt bad so they offered to drive me to my airbnb.” They just sat there staring.

“Ok… and when does the sexy tattooed god come into the story.” Min-ho say mimicking my statement from earlier. So-eun slaps his shoulder motioning for him to be quiet.

“The boss of the driver was the sexy tattooed god. But he was weird, he kept smiling at me and wasn’t really listening to anything I was saying it was just let me wipe your face this let my driver drive you that. I mean come on he didn’t even know me. I could have killed his driver and stolen the car."

“But you didn’t.” So-eun says smiling

“Shut up!” rolling my eyes I throw a piece of kimchi at her. “He told his driver to give me his card In case I “need” any extra help."

“That's great, let me see his card.”

“I don’t have it, it's back at the airbnb.” I quickly snatch back my chopsticks and continue eating.

“Well did you at least get his name?” Min-ho asked. 

“Nope he never said and I didn’t really look at the card.” They both just roll their eyes giving up. “ His diver did refer to him as Mr. Yu tho” 

“Ok that could be anyone in South Korea.” 

I just shrug trying to enjoy my meal. I didn’t come to Korea for guys no matter how beautiful or sexy they might be. No matter how well designed and applied their tattoos are.

“When is your meeting with AMOG?”

“Not till Friday. I came early to hang out, sight see and shop.”

“I still can't believe they are thinking of signing you on as a label choreographer.” So-eun gushes.

“Thats not why they’re calling me in. Besides it’s all thanks to Min-Min if he hadn’t slipped Jay Park my youtube channel I doubt I would be here.”

“Nope don’t do that, he found you I just simply stated you were my best friend in the whole world at our last photoshoot.” Min-ho went to school for fashion design and styling. He is on the come up as one of South Korea's top stylists. And So-hun is his manager, don’t let her personality fool you when it comes to business shawty doesn’t play. 

"Welp either way it's just a trial. To see how i fit in with the group, and how much of a demand Im needed/ wanted." 

I've been dancing for pretty much my whole life but I stopped my freshman year of college after my mom passed. She really wanted me to be a lawyer or psychologist or something like that so I tried to do it her way. But one day I had a dream about her and she told me how happy she was that I would think to follow the dream she had for me but she would be much happier if I followed my own dreams. After I woke up I quit school and started dancing full time. Crazy right but if I didn't have that dream I honestly don't know where I would be right now.

"You'll do great!! Don't second guess you're self."  I just nod shrugging it off. Im really just happy to be here. If it works out it works out if it doesn't…..then even will be ok. I hope.

“I have to go pee.”

“Great thanks for sharing.” Getting up I stroll to the bathroom and flash a smile over my shoulder. Min-ho pulls So-eun into a hug and kisses her forehead. Aww they are so cute. I throw them one last look and head toward the bathroom. 

After doing my do I quickly washed my hands. I do 2 quick poses checking my outfit then exit the door.

“Dude your drunk! Watch out!” I turn my head to the commotion coming from my right. Some guy clearly drunk off his shits was attempting to dance on one of the tables in the restaurant. 

“Leave me alone you party pooper.” he suddenly picks up a hand full of Sigeumchi Namul and chucks it at the guy smearing the seasoned green vegetable on his face and shirt. The drunk guy on top of the table proceeds to laugh his ass off. The other guy now irritated picks up a hand full of Oi Muchim and throws it very forcefully at the man laughing hysterically. Suddenly he slips in his drunken fit smashing to the ground near their table. The Oi Muchim that was originally meant for the namji on the floor sprung through the air toward my direction. It was as if everything was in slow motion. So-eun and I had the same reaction oh shock as the one who inflected the throw eyes burst open as a look of ‘oh fuck’ crossed his face. 

Well isn’t this just great. With not enough time to react I felt the slippery red sauce splat on my chest and neck and the green cucumbers creating their own personal design on my belly. Just great.

The guy who threw the Oi Muchim sprinted from his table towards me forgetting about his friend who now looks passed out on the floor.

“I am so sorry, that was not meant for you.”  he speaks with an incredibly deep voice. almost demonic like. I give him a "no shit Sherlock" look then proceed to flick the access food off of me.

“ You had better be are you fucking kidding me, why don’t you and your drunk of a friend go to a bar if you’re gonna do shit like this.” So-eun dashes from our table next to me helping me clean off.

“So-eun it’s fine. Clearly his friend is going through something, no one can get drunk at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.”

“Yeah.” The guy states rubbing the back of his head. “We just lost a pretty big deal for our company and he is taking it pretty hard. But that is still no excuse.”

“You damn right.” I shoot So-eun a glare signaling for her to shut up.

“Please let me make it up to you; no let my buddy make it up to you. He will pay for your meal.” Both So-eun and I looked on either side of this stranger to checkout his friend who is still on the ground passed out with his pants halfway down. So-eun and I share a look giggling a bit at the picture in front of us. 

“Its ok you guys are good I-”

“I’m sorry hold on for a sec.” So-eun grabs me and turns us around giving our back to the guy. “Are you seriously trying to give up a free meal?”

“Look this is the second time today that I had an outfit ruined. I'm over it let's just go pay the bill, grab chicken and beer and go back to my place.”

So-eun just sighs “B, I can't let you do this, it's a free meal.” 

“What's a free meal?” Where has he been throughout this whole commotion. “Woah babe what happened to your clothes.”

“Where have you been? Could you not hear all the commotion?” So-eun accuses Min-ho, slapping his chest. He just stares looking confused. 

"I had a phone call."

“Min-ho? What's up bro.” All of our eyes dart to the guy behind us. I almost forgot he was there.

“Woo? What's up, what are you doing here?” So-eun and my head shoot back toward Min-ho.

“Hold up, yall know each other?”

“Yeah Woo and I go way back I do a lot of the styling for Dynamic Duo.” Both of our faces form an O and slowly look back to this Woo guy. Looking him up and down we both take in his appearance. Black jeans that fit his legs very well, a slim black loose fitted shirt slightly hugging his biceps and two full sleeves of tattoos covering his arms and hands. Jesus, he must eat sleep and breathe the gym. Finally scanning up to his face I am shocked by his incredible jawline and cheekbones. The man was something out of a horror film. Mmm maybe a soft core horror film cause you couldn’t deny he was attractive.

“Ehem.” he clears his throat looking at us, although it sounded more like a rough growl. “So about that meal.”

“Dude are you hitting on my best friend! At a restaurant?” You can always count on Min-oh to completely read a situation wrong. He smiles giving this Woo guy two thumbs up and a wink.

“ You know what, do what you guys want. Have him pay for the meal, don't have him pay. I don't care. I’m gonna go and see if i can find a new shirt. I'll meet you guys at the car.” walking to our previous table I grab my bag and head out the door.

“Really Min-ho” So-eun smacks his shoulder.”

[goodwriterwithbadhabits]

March 29th

Master List

~~

There’s something spectacular about the last day of any school term. It’s the magic of knowing, the next time you set foot on this campus, you’ll be older. It’s the sadness of saying goodbye to the teacher you used to have and preparing for the ones you’ll have next year. 

Today was different. It was the last day, but this time, you would never be coming back here. Tomorrow night you would graduate, and then you’d be off, off in the world being adults. So today, the seniors were given the chance to just vibe, wander the campus, reminisce as they prepared themselves for the following day. 

“Hey, Y/n, remember this?” Jeongin giggles, pointing to a chunk of the wooden bench that had been knocked off. 

“I’m late, I’m late” You were gasping for air, dodging around other students, trying to get to the main office. You weren’t doing any parkour or anything, but you were bouncing off benches and sprinting along curbs. “Excuse me!” You called, brushing past a large group of men. You boosted yourself on the wooden bench next to them, but just before you could jump off the end, there was a loud crack and you were suddenly falling. As if in slow motion you turned, aiming to land on your back, but you never hit the ground.

You were in someone’s arms, staring up at a very cute boy who had stopped you from crashing onto the ground. He offered you a grin, carefully setting your feet back on the ground. 

“Are you okay?” You nod quickly, picking up the lunch box you had dropped. 

“I’m sorry, thank you. I have to go.” You turned to begin sprinting away. 

“His name’s Jeongin.” Someone called, and you turned back slightly to offer him a smile. 

“Thank you Jeongin, I’m Y/n” 

“Of course I remember breaking this stupid bench.” You huff, kicking the old seat. “Freshman year, I was late for my doctor’s appointment.” 

“Hey don’t be mean to the bench, this is where we met. When I heroically saved your life.” He posed for emphasis, foot resting on the bench and hands on his hips. Your face erupted into a grin as giggles escaped you. 

“Ah yes,” You began, pressing a dramatic hand to your forehead, “My hero.” You collapsed backward, falling towards him, and weren’t remotely shocked when he caught you. 

“Jeonginnnie! Y/n!” Someone called. You looked up to find Felix and Jisung jogging towards you. 

“Hey you, finished bothering Mr. Pips?” You greet, standing up straight, with Jeongin’s arms still around you. 

“Sadly, he’s got a meeting, had to run off before Jisung could declare his love.” Felix teased. 

“So what are you two doing?” Jisung pouts, dropping onto the bench. “Hey isn’t this the bench you broke?” You nod, kinda proud. 

“Yeah. We were just talking about that.” 

“My favorite thing you two have ever done was the escape on prom night junior year.” Felix recalls, sitting on the back of the bench. 

“This is straight-up lame.” You groaned, picking at the flowery lace on the edge of your dress. Your shoulders were cold, your legs were cold, and your feet hurt from these stupid shoes. Jeongin seemed just as bored sitting next to you, and Felix was sitting with Hyunjin and Jisung a few tables away. Seungmin was nowhere to be found but something told you he was at the snack table loading his pockets. 

“The music here sucks,” Jeongin whined, peeling off his jacket and draping it over your shoulders. “We should leave.” 

“They’d never let us go, didn’t you hear? Everyone has to have their parents pick them up, cause of the murder last week.” You sigh, “Stupid rule. It’s not like the killer’s going after high schoolers.” 

“What if we snuck out?” Jeongin offered, pointing to a darkened section of a fence where no one was watching. “Hyunjin’s car is right over there, past the fence.” 

“But then we’d have to get Hyunjin to sneak out with us.” You reasoned. “And get me over the fence in heels and a skirt.” 

“We take the shoes off, and when you get to the top, I’ll be the only one on the other side to catch you.” 

“And then once we’re all over we sprint to Jinnie’s car.” He nods at the plan. “Where are we gonna go though? Our parents aren’t expecting us home till just past 2 am.”

“Let’s go to Chan’s” Seungmin’s voice made you jump, and you turned to find him on the other side of the table. “I was eavesdropping, cookie?” He pulled a bag from his coat pocket, offering you one. 

“No thanks, do you think Chan will let us come over?” 

“I was already going, he was gonna pretend to be my dad and come get me at midnight.” He shrugged.

“Alright.” Jeongin nods, “Let's get those three in on it.” 

Less than twenty minutes later and you found yourself perched on the top of the fence, waiting for Jeongin to give you the clear to jump down. 

“Alright babe, come on.” 

“You sure?”

“Now’s not the time, Y/n, Hurry.” Hyunjin huffs, jiggling the fence slightly.

“Shut up, Hyunjin.” Felix hisses. 

“No worries babe, I’ve got you.” You swallow the lump in your throat, and swing your other leg over the top, before dropping down.

“I was surprised you actually caught me.” You giggle, all of you laughing at the memory. “Weird to think no one heard us, we weren’t quiet.” 

“I’m pretty sure Seungmin bribed the security guards.” Felix reasons. 

“Who did I bribe?” Seungmin’s voice makes you jump, finding him walking towards you looking like a runway model. 

“Why are you dressed like you just walked out of a catalog, I thought we still had to wear our uniforms today?” Jisung wonders, tugging on Seungmin’s beige trench coat.

“I did just walk out of a catalog, dad had me doing a photoshoot, I wanted to clean out my locker before school ended for the day. Now answer my question.”

“The security guards at Junior prom, when we snuck out.” You answered, stepping away from Jeongin, “Hey we should probably all go clean out our lockers.” You realized, grabbing Jeongin’s hand. “Come on you two, lord knows Felix needs extra time to clean up his disaster.”

“Hey, it's not that bad.” He cries, jumping off the bench. “I’ve just got some extra papers.” 

“Yeah okay.” Jisung scoffs, “You kept every paper from this semester. It’s like a tornado in there.”

“Your’s isn’t much better, Jisungie.” You tease, trailing your hand over the lockers as you walk down the hall. 

“Speaking of absolute messes, where’s Hyunjin?” Seungmin asks, glancing up and down the mostly empty halls.

“Who knows, probably making out with someone in a bathroom.” Felix laughs, “I know I saw him walk into the science wing with some girl earlier.” “You’re so mean to him. Let him live his hoe life.” You defend your friend. A locker in front of you bursts open, making you shriek and jump back, partially falling on Jeongin as Hyunjin bursts out of the compartment.

“Exactly, let me live.” He cries, bursting into laughter at his scared friends. You were practically in Jeongin’s arms, and Jisung was on the floor staring up at his friend. 

“You’re a monster.” He gasps, trying to calm his breathing.

“It was so funny, you should have seen your faces.” Hyunjin cackles, earning a slap on the arm from Seungmin. “Oh my gosh, where’d Felix go?”

“Hey,” Jeongin whispers, “We gotta stop meeting like this.” He jokes as you detach yourself from him. 

“What can I say, I keep falling for you.” You tease back, kissing his cheek as he blushes. 

“With any luck, I’ll always be there to catch you.” He flirts back, making you giggle. 

“I found him!” Jisung shouts, and you look over to find him pointing up at Felix, who had somehow managed to climb onto the lockers in fear. 

“Something tells me that this isn’t the end of these idiots antics.” You sigh. 

“Hey, at least we have each other.” Jeongin grins, nudging your shoulder. 

“Thank god for that.” You grin back, leaning up to press a quick kiss to his lips. “Otherwise I’d go crazy.” 

“I’m already crazy.” Jeongin begins, resting a hand on your cheek as he pulled you closer, “Crazy for you.” 

You were too focused on Jeongin’s gentle kiss to register the groans from the boys as they echoed down the hall.

[florbexter]

🍀 mingkit?

Prompt Extravaganza -  🍀 Friends to Lovers

2Moons2 Ficlet - MingKit

For the longest time, Ming had been just a large, broad-shouldered addition to Nong Yo. Or the shadow of Ai Forth, as if he had imprinted on his senior. The fact was: he was here to stay and Kit had to get used to him because Pha’s and Wayo’s love wasn’t going away and apparently they thought Ming was likeable so… whatever. It wasn’t like he had to interact with him, he could just ignore him.

He couldn’t. But he learned to tolerate him. Him and his sunny smile and his inability to just say no to people who wanted something from him. It was irritating that was why Kit took on the task to shush people away and it was clear that he shouldn’t have done that because Ming thought they were friends now and ran after him like he was a dog. 

And maybe, just maybe they were friends now. Kit contemplated that when he was out and about to buy Ming a gift. He only bought his friends gifts and Ming had somehow managed to weasel his way into that category. 

“Whatever,” Kit mumbled to himself and bought the book about the history of Thai Boxing. 

Ming’s birthday party was a, surprisingly, small affair. Just them in Ming’s dorm room with take-out and a heavy chocolate cake. For whatever reason Forth forbade Beam to drink and the discussion born out of that sounded like the ones his parents had. 

“How do you think about giving up your Moon title,” Wayo asked. Kit felt a surge of relief because if there was another Moon to fawn over the girls and boys would start to leave Ming alone. Kit was tired of playing his bodyguard. 

“More than ready,” Ming said with a grin and stretched his long body. “I think it’s going to be our freshman this year as well. Nong Somboon is ready to be my successor.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Pha piped in, “Nong Wattana from our faculty is cute.” He got hit by a pillow. 

“What do you know about the cuteness of this boy?”, Wayo asked and everyone laughed at Phana’s attempt to explain himself. 

“Nong Somboon is going to get the title,” Ming said again and high-fived with Forth, “I’m sure of it. He has everything, the looks, the character, the talent.”

“Maybe you should be his manager when you can’t stop praising him,” Kit said and tried to ignore the ugly feeling rising up in him. Who was this Somboon guy? He had no idea when he had, apparently, gotten so close to Ming. Ming blinked at him and Kit scoffed. 

“It’s good that you take care of your nong, a senior that supports you is important.”

“If you want to imply that you were that kind of senior to Ming… you have the wrong order of events in your head,” Beam laughed and got tackled to the ground by his boyfriend. Kit just shook his head and took a piece of the chocolate cake. 

It was already late when they made their way back to their dorms. Forth was taking Beam with his bike while Wayo and Phana headed home together, their clasped hands swinging back and forth between them. Kit’s dorm was the furthest away and like always Ming wanted to drive him home. 

“You’re already home, I can walk.”

“That’s dangerous, I should drive you.”

“It’s not…” But Ming already shoved him towards his car and Kit gave in because he was tired and full of cake. 

“The cake was good,” he said with drowsy eyes and would it be so bad to close his eyes for a minute. 

“I hope so, it was your favourite cake.”

Kit’s eye flew open. “What?”

“I bought it from the bakery you love.” 

Kit felt another weird feeling, the opposite of the ugliness that had risen in him a couple of hours earlier. This was not good, he decided.

“I remember how busy everyone was last year with the sun and moon competition, you have a loaded schedule in front of you,” he said in an attempt to steer their conversation in another direction. 

“Not really,” Ming said and Kit realized with relief that his dorm building was already rising up in front of them. 

“This time they announced earlier that they will hold a talent competition so they have more time to prepare. Nong Somboon is going to sing, I guess he doesn’t need me for that.”

“How nice for Nong Somboon,” Kit mumbled and smiled a forced smile when Ming threw him a questioning look. 

“What about the beach trip?”

“That will happen, of course. It would be unfair to break the tradition. I already talked with Yo - we could all go together, like last year.”

Kit nodded. Then he could have an eye on this Somboon person. 

+++

Kit groaned and snatched the tiny hand ventilator out of Phana’s hand. 

“It’s too hot, who thought it was a good idea to do this beach photoshoot bullshit.”

“It’s tradition,” Phana answered and slid closer to Wayo who took turns providing Phana and him with air from his own ventilator. 

They stood under a tent the organisation team had provided and even though it provided shadow it was still no protection against the humid, hot air. 

“We could join P’Forth and P’Beam in the pool”, Wayo said hopefully but Kit shook his head. 

“You two can go, I’ll wait here.”

“For Ming?”

Kit stiffened. Ming was currently running around the beach helping his precious Nong Somboon with his shoot. 

“Who cares about Ming,” he hissed and turned around sharply. “Let’s go to the pool!”

Phana and Wayo exchanged a look but Kit was already stomping away. 

+++

“Are you okay?”

Kit whirled around and was on the verge of snapping at Ming but he already wasted enough breath and thoughts about him he decided. They stayed at the same bungalows they had last time and Kit wasn’t even sure why he decided to brood in them alone instead of enjoying some pool time. 

“P’Kit?”

Kit sighed and rolled his eyes. Ming sounded like a puppy who whined for attention. Served him right if he abandoned Kit… his friends! His friends who came along on this trip to support him and all he did was running after this junior! 

“P… Kitty?”

Kit pointed a finger at Ming. “Don’t call me that! I will kick you! You know I will.”

Ming raised his hands and smiled and he had to have a heatstroke because Kit’s threats made him happy apparently. 

“You were just suddenly gone and the others said they had no idea where you went… “

“I’m fine, just wanted some peace and quiet.” And clarity. He needed clarity. This rollercoaster of emotions was exhausting and Ming was here, and he would answer him truthfully. Kit was able to accept the truth… he would kick Ming anyway but he had bad coping mechanisms Ming just had to deal. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to get to the pool? They’re are serving–”

“Are you dating that idiot Nong Somobon or whatever his name is?”, Kit asked and was proud that his words were steady. His heart was on the verge of beating out of his chest but he was relatively sure it wouldn’t break in a thousand pieces. 

Ming blinked at him and for a moment Kit was sure he had broken him with his question. 

“What?”

“You heard me right.”

“No, I’m not sure I did.”

Kit used a pillow to smack Ming with. “I’m not going to repeat myself. And I’m not going to tell the others if you’re afraid of that.”

Ming stared some more and then let out a toneless ‘Ha’. Was that a yes? Ming shook his head and brushed his fingers through his hair looking at Kit helplessly. 

“You don’t know?”

“What?”

“You really don’t know? I run after you like a lovesick fool and you don’t know?”

“What?” 

“I’m going to kiss you now.”

“What?”

And he did, kissed him that was. Not before he cradled Kit’s head between his hands and waiting a lifetime for the kick he was apparently sure Kit would bestow upon him. He didn’t and so they kissed. Thoughts were rearranged in Kit’s head because of the way Ming’s lips felt on his own, a lot of stuff suddenly made sense. When Ming wanted to retreat Kit raised his arms to make him stay exactly where he was. 

[joie-university-rp]

Dear RACHEL BERRY,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

-

Congratulations, KIM! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklist and send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; pronouns: Kim

Age, Timezone: 20+, EST

Activity, short explanation: Like 7/10, ya’ll know I’m here a bunch ~

Ships: Rachel/chemistry

Anti-Ships: Rachel/forced

Triggers: RFP

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): https://www.google.com/search?q=sarah+hyland+photoshoot&safe=strict&sxsrf=ALeKk01tpm3ojLdqVf-IqXJusw2TU0M_3w:1604023869941&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=fzd4uYLyeav91M%252CndwsEwlajME1VM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQPK0XkBIR6fAteN8uaAFRN-i3maA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwingOrHntvsAhWjhOAKHWrdDY0Q9QF6BAgCEE4&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=fzd4uYLyeav91M

Anything else:

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Rachel Barbra Berry

FC: Sarah Hyland

Age/Year at University (Freshman [1st Year], Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student): Freshman

Birth date (MONTH DAY, YEAR): December 18, 1997

Hometown (please be sure to check the hometowns listed for characters your muse is related to!): Lima, Ohio

Gender/Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Major(s): Musical Theatre

Minor(s) [optional]: N/A

Housing request (remember, only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Single Apartment

Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Glee Club (President), Drama Club, LGBTQ Association

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): N/A

CHARACTER PROFILE:

Rachel Barbra Berry graced the world with her presence on the 18th of December in the year 1997. She was adopted into a family that consisted of her two doting fathers, and later included her irksome brother. She could carry beautiful tunes before she could walk, as she likes to tell. She’s had a gift for singing and performing from a very young age. Being adopted, it was always a wonder where talent came from. In her high school years, Rachel coincidentally came face to face with her birth mother, Shelby Cochran. She was the coach of an opposing Glee club, and that only fueled her passion for the stage even further.

When most people think of Rachel, they think of a self-centered diva who will take anyone down to get to the top. Which… is what it can appear to be from the outside. Rachel even signs her name with gold stars she is that determined. As a child, Rachel was often teased in school for being alone and without many friends. She spent most of her time by herself at recess, with her CD player listening to soundtracks of musicals. The characters in the shows were her friends, because she felt like she knew them. When she realized her mother was a former Broadway star and had her own powerful voice that could almost put hers to shame, Rachel’s drive to Broadway became even stronger. The main reason she wants it so bad, is to have a connection to her birth mom. She adores her dads, however she yearned for a tie to her biological family.

After graduating from McKinley, Rachel left Ohio and moved straight to New York. She struggled for a bit, living in a tiny apartment and auditioning like a mad woman to any role she was suited for. She even waited tables for extra money… Rachel Berry. Rachel earned herself the part of Fanny Brice which was her dream. It took a little over a year of hardships, but she had landed the part. She stayed in the city for a few years until recently.

Rachel had gotten her Broadway dreams, however she had missed out on the college experience. She also missed her dads, and even her brother Brighton at times. She decided this year to return home for a while, as she is currently in between shows. Nothing seemed to be open to her there in the city, so it seemed like the perfect time to come home and take a break for a while.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? ~ A college education makes someone well rounded, and as a Broadway performer that is very important. While I am improving my own resume here, I feel that I can also be an example for those around me and offer them experiences that they would not have otherwise if I was not in attendance at Joie.

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? ~ I am talented, driven, and ambitious. Negative? Well, I do not believe that trait is in my vocabulary.

Which of your traits do you value most? ~ My talent.

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? ~ I can inspire others to try to measure up to the talent I possess.

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU? ~ I would like to inspire the glee club members the way I was inspired in high school. As the president, I think I will be able to accomplish this easily.

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you? ~ “I am simple, complex, generous, selfish, unattractive, beautiful, lazy, and driven.” - Barbra Streisand

[1d-sexualdesires]

Muse Harry (AU)

Concept: Harry owes Y/N tons of favors and she has been saving them up for when the perfect moment presents itself.

Y’all remember that shoot for Fabulous magazine? This is based on that.

- Infinatetatie

When Y/N signed up for her photography class she didn’t really think it would be going into so much depth. According to Niall, she just had to submit 5 photos at the end of every week on whatever object or concept the professor assigned on the first day of the week. Now here she was, 4 months into the course, still broke from purchasing a brand new camera (because apparently the new iPhone didn’t take as amazing quality photos as she thought) and still very upset at Niall for failing to tell her that the professor he took the course from was only an interim professor. Now, the course was taught by a completely pretentious white guy named, Oliver. Oliver, insisted that his students use his first name to address him and he also happened to assign a full on photo shoot as a final project to reflect their newly acquired skills. Y/N’s eyes bulged when he said that he at least wanted 200 raw shots and he wanted to be presented with 5-10 edited shots; no wonder celebrities take hours at photoshoots. With work and her busy class schedule this seemed like an impossible feat, who the hell was she going to recruit for this? Who the hell would even want to give up about 5 hours of their day to stand around and have their picture taken? Her day seemed a bit more stressful after that; class seemed to run longer than normal, her short shift seemed to drag on forever, that is until she saw the familiar car stop right outside the window.

“Rafael, my ride’s here! See you tomorrow!” She called, slinging her bag over her shoulders before rushing out of the store and into Harry’s car. “Boy, am I glad to see you!” She beamed as she hopped in and he chuckled.

“I couldn’t say the same.” He said with a straight tone and Y/N playfully smacked him on the arm, causing him to sputter on the laugh he was holding back. “Can always get a reaction out of you.” He grinned and she rolled her eyes.

Ah, Harry… she remembers when they first met. He was definitely the most attractive man she’d ever seen. Everything about him was enthralling and to be very honest, at first Y/N was a bit intimidated by his broodiness, intense eyes, and incredibly chiseled bone structure. She had a few classes with him but could never approach him. But one fateful day, her freshman year while they were both in the library everything changed. She recalls that she jumped with fright when she felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see him peeking over the division of the study carrel and she paused her show. She should have been studying but her brief break to finish off an episode of Friends had carried on to a completely new episode now and effectively distracted her from her studies.

“I swear I wasn’t eavesdropping , it’s just really quiet in here and also the sound is kind of loud though your earphones. But you’re watching my favorite episode and I was wondering if maybe I could join you? Just ’til it’s over at least?”

Long story short, she accepted, he took one ear phone and her the other as they watched together. Eventually they were kicked out for giggling way too much but after that moment they were practically inseparable and in each other they found the best of friends. Fast forward to their senior year and they now share a flat with their mutual friends, Niall and Louis. Y/N was the only girl in the flat and they allowed it because according to Louis she was very unconventional yet stereotypical. Meaning that she wasn’t one to bring different men home or anyone else for that matter, but also that she did lots of the cleaning and provided the nurturing feel the small group was missing.

“Y/N…” Harry sing-sung and she batted her eyes a few times.

“Sorry, what?”

“I said, that I owe you one from last weekend and I’m hungry, so what do you want for dinner?” He asked again and suddenly her eye brows flew up and a little ‘ding, ding, ding!’ sound went off in her brain as she recalled that Harry owed her so many more favors and that his slight and harmless narcissistic tendencies would make him an ideal candidate for her photoshoot. She quickly turned to look at him and he glanced at her for a quick second, a bit confused.

“Why are you looking at me like tha’?” He asked and she was beaming.

“Harry, Haz, H, friend… how many favors would you say you owe me?” She asked and he chuckled.

“If you want to go to that fancy sushi place we can, I just got paid on Friday.” He assured her and she shook her head.

“It’s not about food, just if I asked for only one thing in exchange for all the favors you owe me how big could that thing be?” She asked and he genuinely thought about it.

Harry pursed his lips together as he tried to recall everything she has done for him since they became friends, just for being a wing-woman alone he owed her at least 2 week’s worth of his time and to say that Y/N helped him get the girl every time was an understatement, even the one’s he didn’t want were fawning over him, though he does have to give himself a bit of credit for that, but she definitely talked him up. Then there’s being his personal cuddle bug, she would literally drop anything on his bad days and spend how ever much time it took to get him out of the funk being in a bad mood put him in. Christ, he knew very well that she loved him almost as much as herself, if not more.

“Honestly, at this point I would probably have to pay your university debt to get even with you.” He chuckled and she smiled.

“Great! I need you to do me a favor. Just one tiny, little favor, and we call it even and I really mean even. No more keeping count of my niceties, okay?” He seemed skeptical, but he nodded along.

“Okay, what’s the favor?”

“I need you to be my muse. It’s for a photoshoot for my class.” She said and he glanced to her, brows arched high in surprise and what came out of his mouth next was not the answer she was hoping for.

“Absolutely not!” He stated flatly and quite curtly and she frowned.

“Come on, H! Please! I have 2 weeks to get this done!” She implored.

“Nope, not happening.” He said once again and she crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from him, her head pressing against the window.

“I’ll get you somehow.” She muttered quietly and he scoffed.

“Don’t count on it, love.”

***********

“Why aren’t you and H all over each other?” Niall asked Y/N as he walked into their small living room. Usually her and Harry do homework together, but she had all her things sprawled out on the living room rug, the coffee table was pushed up against the TV stand and really, she was a mess if she were to be honest about this whole thing.

“Just ‘cause.” She stated blandly.

“Hmmm, he had a bad day, figured you’d be holed up together in his room.” He said before casually walking into the kitchen. “There’s nothing to eat, I think I’m gonna order a pizza, want in?” He called out and got no response, when he glanced out he rolled his eyes at the newly vacant living room, “Talking to myself… wouldn’t be a first.” he mumbled.

Y/N was quietly padding down their small hallway and she pressed her ear to Harry’s door, she could hear the little clacks of him typing away at his typewriter and she knocked lightly and heard it stop. He knew it was her, so she just opened it a bit and slipped in. He was sitting at his desk, his fist was supporting his chin and she huffed as she leaned back on the door to close it.

“Heard you had a bad day.” She said so quietly and he spun around in his chair.

“Yeah, wasn’t great.” He admitted.

Y/N took care of him because he would just throw everything under the rug until there was so much shit he would literally have a beak down. She witnessed it one time and just never wanted to see him so anxious ever again. Harry was the kind of person who didn’t want to harsh anyone’s mellow, always smiling, putting his best foot forward, being kind and polite no matter how much he was in the mood to strangle someone. He’s just so genuine and considerate that way, like today in the car, exhibit one. He was all fine and dandy and obviously, she hit a nerve with the whole photo shoot thing because he would’ve declined, but not so roughly.

“Well, c’mere tell me what happened?” She literally had to pry every single time to get him to talk about it. Because that’s the thing, Harry wants to talk, he always has so much to say and so many incredible views, ideas, and opinions, but he sort of broods internally and people think that he’s boring or shy, but really he’s just taking everything in, waiting to say it exactly right, planning it, rehearsing it a million times until he’s sure that he’s introducing substantial  and relevant content into a conversation. And then when it comes to his feelings, he can express it, but he likes to write it down for the most part, hence the typewriter. Usually he’ll just show it to Y/N, but this time he didn’t pull the page out, he was waiting fora chance to let it out, so he just plopped down beside her on the bed and let himself fall back onto the mattress and she followed suit.

“I ‘dunno… just been off lately. Y’know how I was writing that short story for my Authors of Mystery course? I got my draft back and it was a D! A fucking D! I just… I tried so hard… and then in my creative writing class Dr. Lange literally told me that my plot was the most cliche, rubbish plot he’d ever read. He said he wouldn’t even grade it because he knows that I’m an ‘A’ student and he said I had until next Monday to e-mail him a new outline. You know that’s not my writing… I don’t know what’s going on.” he groaned and she just reached for his hand squeezing it gently, letting him know that she was there, that she was listening. He didn’t need a response or an explanation, he just needed someone to listen and she was great at it; he spoke up again. 

“I just don’t know. Like I know I’m good… I’m just not in the right place right now, creatively.” There was silence between them and he spoke up once more. “Also, I’m sorry about shouting at you in the car today… about the photoshoot. Obviously, I’ll help you… I just sort of felt a little overwhelmed at the moment, I didn’t mean to make you upset.” He explained, and finally turned his head to face her and she smiled softly, her hand reaching up to push back a few curls that were tickling at his forehead, his hair is growing and she loves it like this.

“S’alright.” She accepted his apology, “I don’t want to pressure you, H. If you haven’t got time then you haven’t got the time, it’s alright. I know you’d like to prove yourself to Lange, I know you can do it! I’ll find someone else, don’t worry.” She reassured and he frowned a bit.

“I don’t want you to find someone else.” He stated plainly, “I really don’t like the idea of someone else being your muse.” He confessed, his voice a lot smaller than before, almost like he was a little bit shy to admit that.

“If it makes you feel better, if it’s anyone but you they wouldn’t really be my muse… just a model.” She explained and he smiled his adorable, toothy grin.

“I want to be your muse. I will be your muse.”

“Are you positive?” She asked and he nodded.

“Alright… but just so you know, this requires a bit of nudity.” She joked and he grinned smugly.

“If you wanted to see all my bits you could’ve just asked… didn’t have to go and make up this whole elaborate scheme.” He teased back, making her go a little pink in the face before they both laughed a bit, and just like that he was back to normal.

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

Later that night Harry had an idea, a really good one at that. He would loosely write about his friendship with Y/N. He genuinely thinks it would make for a great story. Definitely a story full of hope and promise for each of them, but also for them. Not that he necessarily saw them in that way, but he feels like it’s a good twist for the readers… he wanted it to be the guy who fell for the girl because the girl pining after her handsome, male friend is so used. He liked the idea of exposing that boys pine after girls just as much, but obviously, they aren’t as vocal about it but they get it bad over girls they like. And so, yeah, it’s 3AM but he has so much to say… its supposed to be a bloody outline, where the story should go, not a damn fucking novel, but he just can’t help himself. Where does he want this friendship to go? That’s the underlying question… so he just writes because he isn’t too sure that he wants to map that out yet.

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

“Have you and Harry ever… you know?” Louis asked, eyebrows wiggling and Y/N nearly spat out her tea.

“Jesus, Louis… No, no we haven’t ever done anything.”

“Not even drunk?” He asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“No, god…” she said rolling her eyes before pulling out her phone.

“I mean… you’ve never been curious? He definitely has been I’m sure.. he’s a guy, we all kind of wonder about our female friends.”

“Why the sudden interest in mine and Harry’s friendship?” She asked instead and he shook his head.

“Nothing, just wondering. You’re awfully close is all.”

“Are you jealous?” She shot him a little grin and it was his turn to roll his eyes.

“You never answered my question… that’s evasion and it’s suspicious… additionally, if you were never curious you definitely will be now.” He snickered and she rolled her eyes.

“I mean, before we were friends I was curious. I mean, there’s no denying that God literally formed Harry with his bare hands. Honestly, who the fuck walks around looking that good?” She inquired, before letting out a laugh and Louis laughed as well. “Literally, he never looks a fool… it’s the confidence.” She said softly before looking into her tea cup.

“I would say it’s the eyes. Like not just the eye-balls, but like the way he… uses them? Harry’s gaze penetrates the soul.”

“Don’t say penetrate again.” Y/N sputtered out a laugh, not even bothering to make eye contact with him and he chuckled.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, just genuinely curious… and I owe Niall $10.” He mumbled the last part more to himself. “So he’s doing your photo shoot?”

“Yeah, of course he is!”

“Alright… are you going to do any nude ones?” He asked.

“Fuck off to work, will you?” She half whined, half laughed and his let a loud, boisterous, eye crinkling laugh shake his body before heading back behind the cafe’s counter.

Y/N didn’t want to see Harry like that… he was such a good guy and there’s no denying he was attractive, but he surely didn’t see her like that, otherwise he would have tried something already, as Louis said, he’s a guy… they’re always curious. She knew that Harry isn’t a player or one of those guys who sleeps around casually, but if she really thought back on it, there’s been plenty of opportunities for a stolen or curious kiss and with Harry being a man of confidence and all, he would have taken them, she assumes, especially if he wanted it. So the fact that he hasn’t made her think that he just didn’t see her in that capacity and she knew that if she even let herself entertain the idea she’d surely develop a deeper liking and fondness over him, because truthfully, he was the whole package. Fucking Louis…

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

After a long day, Y/N was setting some pasta to boil, breaking the noodles to fit them in the pot and let them cook. She was just leaning on the counter, elbows supporting her weight as she read from a recent self-help book she picked up.

“You look extra pretty today.” She gasped at the sudden intrusion and turned around to see Harry eyeing her up and down, his eyes squinted over her mid-section. “S’that my blouse?” He inquired and she grinned, her teeth sunk into her bottom lip a bit nervously and that gave Harry a new feeling in his tummy, a feeling that left little shocks and tickles traveling to his lower regions.

“Maybe…” she said before spinning around and assuming her previous position. She was wearing a shorter skirt, but it was pleated, and navy blue with maroon, white, and yellow stripes making up the plaid pattern, he quite liked the way it fell over the swell of her bum as he shamelessly eyed her over once more, it was his turn to bite his lip, but it was the equivalent of pinching himself, as a reminder that she’s his best friend and yeah, she’s fucking pretty, but he can’t get a stiffy right now. No fucking way… so instead he headed to the freezer opening it wide before peaking inside and letting the cool air appease him. “What’re you looking for?” She asked and he was at a loss.

“I thought I had erm… seen some ice cream the other day. Got a sudden craving.” He muttered. He couldn’t shake his thoughts… he was envisioning her in his blouse… slowly releasing the buttons, the ruffles looked so pretty on her. A teasing smile… he shook his head and suddenly slammed the door shut.

“Jesus, Harry. Are you alright?” She asked, eyes softening and he nodded.

“Yeah, sorry I’ll just ummm… be in my room.”

“Do you want some pasta?” She asked and he nodded.

He dragged his ass out of there and into his bedroom, locking the door behind him and sitting on his bed, his eyes clenching shut as he attempted to stifle the urge to palm over his semi-hard cock. He glanced over to his nightstand… shaking his head at the tissue box sitting there, waiting to be used to clean his mess. To be quite frank, he’s fucking himself with this little novel he’s started writing. Yeah, he submitted the outline almost a week early and left the ending open ended, he would just make it one of those things where the reader can take from it what they want. He got an ‘A’ this time, so he started writing and the more he wrote the more he realized how undeniably beautiful and incredible his best friend was. He’d never gotten off to her and he certainly didn’t want to start now, but she just looked so fucking good. He was a little disappointed in himself when his fingers went for the button of his jeans, but the further along he went those feelings disappeared and became a hot, burning need for his beautiful friend, his Y/N. A few minutes later his jaw was going slack as his hips bucked up into his hand and when he was just about ready to burst, his jaw clenched as to avoid making any suspicious sounds and his free hand fisted at the sheets so hard his knuckles became white.

“Fuck! Oh fuck.” He whispered as the pleasure took over, his toes tingling and his ears buzzing with that wave of pleasure roaring through his veins as he felt his warm cum spill onto his hand when he finally opened his eyes he groaned in irritation because he hadn’t bothered to take off his shirt in his rush and now there were a few stains on it. What’s even worse is that now he was somehow even more horny and needy for her than before.

“Fuck’s sake.” He mumbled to himself as he cleaned himself up and decided he should just do a load now before he eats. He buttoned his pants and tossed his shirt into the hamper before lifting it up and out of his room, getting ready to put it in the wash, that’s when Y/N called for dinner and he decided he would rub off a bit of his angst on her by not putting on a shirt, he didn’t deserve to suffer alone.

“Why are you naked?” She asked before turning around and he chuckled.

“M’not naked, I’m just shirtless.”

“Those are all the good bits everyone’s eager to see, so technically that makes you naked.” She explained before going to sit around the island and he served himself a plate before sitting down beside her.

“So… this photoshoot, have you got an idea of what you want me to do?” He asked before stuffing a portion in his mouth and she finished chewing before nodding.

“Yeah, we’re going for that All American look, rugged and a little dirty. I was mulling it over and thought it’d be a good look and since I am borrowing the school’s shop to shoot it’ll work with the whole theme. You know how they have that huge flag on the far wall?” She asked and he nodded.

“So when are we going to shoot?” He asked.

“Friday? I got out of work and I know it’s your free day so we can do it then.”

“Perfect.”

“Yeah.” She said smiling lightly before she continued eating. She was rather quiet today, but not in a moody way, just in a weird way.

“Are you alright?” He asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, just wondering how I did on a presentation is all. I didn’t feel prepared.” She elaborated and he turned to her.

“Well I’m sure you did great.” He reassured and her lips twitched upwards and he just loved the way she smiled, her eyes screaming ‘Thanks, I needed to hear that’. “So I’ve rented My Best Friend’s Wedding if you’d like to… you know, come cuddle for a bit later?” He asked, pushing around a piece of meat from the spaghetti sauce around the plate with his fork. When she looked over to him he glanced up at her from under his obscenely long lashes and his stupid green eyes that glowed like emeralds no matter how fucking dull the lighting was.

“Sounds like a plan. Just need to clean up and hop in the shower, it’s hair washing day.” She explained and he furrowed his brows.

“Oh no, I’ll clean up, love. You already did most of the work by cooking.”

“Are you sure?” She asked a few times until he was shooing her off to shower. Did he want to wash the dishes, of course not, but he didn’t want to wait an extra 20 minutes before they were cuddled together in his bed. So finally he had the TV ready, the film was buffered, their favorite wine and two glasses were on his nightstand, and he was just waiting for Y/N. Soon light knocks were heard on the door and she stepped in, smiling.

“Ready?” He grinned.

“As can be!” She said before pulling the cover s back and slipping into them. Harry followed suit and as soon as he got in she scooted over to his side, her arms wrapped around his chest and her head rested against his shoulder. The movie started playing and soon they were both sipping on wine, making small talk through the opening scenes, but one thing he noticed was that she kept shivering and soon she was moving out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” He asked, pausing the film quickly.

“Just gonna grab a sweater or something, I’m freezing!” She chattered.

“Just grab one of mine, c’mere.” He said walking into his closet and pulled his Calvin Klein crewneck off of the hanger and proceeded to turn around and put it over her head and then she slipped her arms into the sleeves.

She was literally drowning in the damn thing, but honestly, she had never looked more perfect in his eyes and soon they hopped back in bed, half-way through the movie they were both a little buzzed, they were halfway through their bottle of wine and as everyone knew, Harry’s a very affectionate drunk and Y/N is also quite affectionate, a lot nicer than she already is, so fucking sweet it give Harry literal aches in his chest. These two on any kind of substance was a fucking love fest, so it’s no surprise that they ended up propped up on a few pillows, laying down more than sitting up, her arm draped over his chest and their legs tangled together. One of Harry’s arms rested behind his head and the other hugged over her hip… well it was a lot closer to her bum, but still enough on her hip and she didn’t seem to mind it at all.

“Can I be 100% honest?” She asked and he hummed.

“Yeah, tell me.”

“I love your fucking cologne. Like it’s you plus the cologne… a deadly combination in the best way. I swear it!” She said and he grinned. “Y’know the other day a girl in my class literally tapped me on the shoulder and asked what cologne my boyfriend wears because I smelled of it.” Harry grinned even harder, he loved that people could smell him on her, it probably warded off some less than pleasant male attention.

“What’d you tell her?”

“I told her that my boyfriend is a bougie-ass man and that his cologne is Tom Ford or some shit like tha’.” He laughed so hard, shaking them both a bit and when they recovered he literally kissed the top of her head.

“Yeah, it’s Tom Ford.”

“Tom Ford and Harry Styles… delicious.” She said nuzzling further into his chest and jeez, he couldn’t be anymore ready to kiss her than at this moment. But suddenly his bedroom door burst open and Niall and Louis filtered in.

“What’s going on in here?” Louis asked smugly and he narrowed his eyes at him.

“Y/N! Are you naked?” Niall asked shocked and she scowled.

“No, you perv… S’just that Harry’s thing is huge and it doesn’t fit properly.” She whined, definitely more buzzed than she thought and the boys burst out laughing at her very poor explanation. “Fuck off, yeah? We’re watching a movie. You lot didn’t even knock! What if we were doing something?” She asked, still nuzzled into Harry’s chest.

“Why? Were you about to?” Louis asked smugly, Harry’s eyes looked pained and irritated at the same time. Why must he bring anything like that up? He’s been having a hard time not seeing Y/N in a new light on his own, he didn’t need any help.

“Maybe we were but now we’ll never know since you two reek and have killed the mood.” She said and Harry just chuckled.

“Fine… we’ll give you and Harry’s huge thing some privacy. C’mon, Niall.” Louis muttered before they headed out, they both relaxed when the two extra bodies were gone and he just squeezed her closer to his body and he smiled when he felt her press a kiss to his chest.

“You know that I love you right? Like so, so much.” She mumbled softly and he nodded.

“Love you bundles, too.” He assured her.

“Ok. I’m just telling you because if we’re ever in a situation like Michael and Jules don’t doubt for a moment that my first priority is your happiness.”

“Oh baby, you’re completely and utterly mad if you think I’d ever choose someone else over you.” He didn’t even think about it before he said that, but it was an honest and automatic response and Y/N suddenly pressed up on his chest, their faces level now, her heart was racing a million miles a minute and her eyes were welling up for some reason. He just gave her hope.

“Really?” She nearly whispered, she sounded a little shocked. Her head was still swimming a bit from the wine they’d had, but she just felt so melty and stuck with Harry in this moment and she loved it. Harry’s heart was basically thumping in his throat, she was so close to him, her lips mere inches from his and it was taking every little ounce of will power he had to not just press her onto the bed and kiss her breathless.

“Of course. Why would you think otherwise?” He asked, all attention was robbed from the movie and intently focused on each other.

“I dunno… I’m just Y/N. I’m so tight knit with you guys that I forget about other boys. Not that you guys aren’t kind to me and lovely. But it’s different when someone tells you that you look pretty because it takes their breath away than a friendly compliment, you know? Like sometimes I need real reminders.”

“Y/N.” Harry said incredulously, he was a little hurt for her, “You’re a right angel. Literally, everything about you is prefect.”

“Oh hush, Harry… you’re fucking perfect. Sometimes it’s painful to even look at you from how pretty you are.” She giggled a bit and he chuckled.

“You’re giggling but I swear, that’s how I feel about you.” He said a lot more seriously, her eyes peering into his with so many questions and she leaned forward, his heart raced in his chest and his breath hitched in his throat when he felt her lips press to the corner of his mouth, she pulled back and licked over her lips.

“Sorry.” She whispered, her eyes cast down, avoiding his.

“S’alright, Y/N.”

“You’re my best-est friend ever, H. Love you to bits, okay?” She said and he sighed. Who was he kidding, he was in love with her. Hopelessly and completely in love with her.

“Love you too.” He said quietly and to be frank he couldn’t move the rest of the time she was there. He had to figure out a way to really make her feel as beautiful and special as she was, he just had to.

**********

It was 10am on Friday and he was sat on his bed as Y/N quite literally destroyed his closet trying to find the right outfit for the photoshoot. She was going for that All-American grease monkey type of look, he had no idea how he would pulls this off, in Y/N’s words, he was a noodley, bougie-ass, fashionista. He wasn’t edgy, this could never work.

“You’re fixing that, alright.” He said letting himself drop onto the bed and she called out a ‘duh’, before continuing her rummaging.

“I just need to give you a little more of that look.” She muttered more to herself. “Like a vest maybe? Something plaid? Yes, something plaid! Be right back!” She called before running out of his room and down the hall.

“What the fuck, Y/N?” He heard Niall call out from down the hall and he chuckled, Literally, moments later she ran back in to Harry’s room.

“Try this one, yeah?” She said handing him a plaid sleeveless shirt and he actually laughed at it.

“Why the fuck does Niall have something like this in his wardrobe?” He inquired and she shrugged.

“No, layer it, don’t take off the white shirt.” She said and he stuck his arm back through the hole and then slipped into the plaid shirt.

“Harry Styles!” She shrieked, “This is coming along… now… put this on top!”

“Another one?” He said taking a baby blue button up from her hands and she nodded.

“Again, just layer.” She said waiting for him to roll the sleeves up and she bit her lip, “Yes, honey! You look quite good…” she admitted and he rolled his eyes, beginning to slip off his rings. “No, no, leave ‘em on. They’re so you… like honestly I’ve never seen any other man wear rings as accessories.”

“Alright. We good to go?” He asked and she nodded in approval.

“You look perfect! C’mon.” She said guiding him out of the house. They got into her car and headed off to campus “So, I do have two other classmates coming to help with lighting and other stuff, I hope that’s alright. I asked guys, to make you more comfortable.” She said and he nodded. When they arrived Y/N and her friends, Ronnie and Michael were helping her set up a plain dark gray backdrop. Ronnie happened to ride a motorcycle so even better he could use it as a prop. It was a warm day and under all these layers he was sweating, he slipped off his button up and headed to the bathroom to rinse his face and then he pulled the bandana that he  was brought along as an accessory and just tied it around his head, like he did when he went to gym sometimes, he should’ve brought a little handkerchief, it was bloody hot in the shop. He slowly made his way back to whoever everyone else was in the shop and when he came in Y/N turned around quickly and her eyes grew wide and she ran up to him.

“Nice touch.” She said straightening out the vest.

“What?”

“Actually wearing the bandana, it looks really good. Like there is literally nothing you can’t pull off… I literally hate you.” She said and he chuckled.

“We’re all ready!” Michael called and she nodded.

“How about we do the outdoors ones before it get’s hotter?” She asked and everyone agreed.

They all headed out and took some photos against the fence and some against the giant warehouse door. Finally, Y/N directed him towards Ronnie’s bike and had him try various poses, some sitting and some standing. Y/N was loving this, he looked like a proper model, perfect, dazzling smile, gorgeous eyes.

“Give me… brooding and pensive Harry!” She ordered and he did what he could, he loved her this way and to be quiet honest, he was excited to see how these photos would turn out. He was casually sitting on the bike posing for her and her lips broke out into a smile and he mirrored her smile, just then she took a photo, she’s quite excited to see that one. After about an hour of shots outside and on the bike they headed back in. Y/N had asked Niall to bring lunch for them around 12:30, that went on for about an hour, with Harry being the friendly person he is, making an effort to ask interesting and thoughtful questions to her classmates.

“So what’s next?” He asked and she sighed.

“We’ll do a few at the flag wall.” She said and he nodded, “So… how do you like your short lived modeling career?” She asked and he grinned.

“Honestly… I quite like this. Can’t wait to see the ones you’re going to choose.” He said and she grinned.

“Trust me, you’ll love them!” She said excited, and they continued on through the next few hours in front of the back drop this time.

They were wrapping up and Harry was still sitting on the stool in front of the back drop as Ronnie and Michael started tearing down and Y/N was stood a few feet away, looking through the camera roll. She was about to call him over and when she looked up his palms were pressed up to his face and he just stayed there for a sec and she snapped a quick picture before he started to rub alt his face and then he let out a loud yawn. She pulled up the picture and just grinned, this was gonna be a sick one once she edited it. Finally they were ready to go and Y/N thanked everyone profusely before taking off with Harry.

“Today was a good day, no?” He asked softy and she nodded and turned to him briefly before fixing her eyes on the road again, a satisfied smile on her face.

“You did so good, I swear. I’m not just saying it because you’re my friend. Like you did so fucking good.”

“Yeah?” He asked, she could hear the grin he was most likely sporting.

“Yeah, looked like a real model. Honestly, you should consider it.” She concluded and he chuckled.

“Right…” he scoffed and she glanced to him quickly.

“Why don’t you believe me?! You’re so good looking! Like literally so hot, Harry.” She assured and he smirked.

“I know, s’just nice to hear someone else say it.” He confessed with his signature smug smirk on his gorgeous face. Y/N on the other hand, smacked him on the thigh, causing him to laugh.

“You’re so fucking arrogant.” She said, almost in disbelief but she was smiling so he knew she was teasing.

“Thanks for this, Y/N. I had fun.” He confessed and it was her turn to smirk smugly. “Alright, and what’s that face about?” He asked and she just shook her head, eyes focused on the road as she turned into their street. “Tell me.” He pressed.

“No, it’s nothing, just thinking is all.”

“Okay, but about what?” He pressed even more as she entered their lot.

“It’s nothing, just a good day is all.” She said as she parked in their assigned garage. They made her take the spot in the garage because sometimes it was hard to find a spot and they didn’t want her walking down the streets alone at night. She finally shut the car off and she smiled at him.

“Then why are you being so smug? What are you hiding from me? Please tell me or I will lose sleep over this.” He whined and she shook her head, holding back a laugh.

“S’just that when you said you liked it, modeling for me today-”

“You mean being your muse?” He interrupted and she rolled her eyes, but nodded.

“Yeah, that’s why I asked you first. Because deep down in your wonderful, selfless, and huge heart you’re a little but narcissistic and definitely an attention whore.” She chuckled and he rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t deny it.  She knew him too well.

“Do you really think I did good? I mean, I want to make sure that I did good for you.” He said, a lot more quietly now, Y/N’s heart thumped at the way he said that, “Well for your grade, y’know?” he explained quickly and she smiled.

“You did amazing, promise. Like you’ve got it! The height, the build, the smile, the eyes, your stupid dimple.” She said and he smiled, the little spot becoming pronounced because of the smile. “You were- you are a great muse. Swear it.” She said and his heart was doing funny things. Things that it had only done once in his life and it was petrifying.

She reached over to squeeze his hand that was resting on his thigh, but it was suddenly gone and his hands were holding her face, right along her jaw and his thumb ran over her bottom lip. Everything in his body, every fiber, even the little beyond microscopic particles were fighting against his stiff and nervous body, trying to get him to lean in. Just lean in and kiss her, but he couldn’t, his eyes were just stuck on hers and his heart was beating a million miles a minutes. She wasn’t breathing, or at least that’s what it felt like to her as she waited for him to just do it, but he wasn’t making the move and she was frustrated because his lips looked so plush and inviting, they were smooth and a little wet as his tongue automatically swept over them.

“Harry, I want you to kiss me.” She finally said and he didn’t need to be told twice. He leaned in the rest of the way, slotting his lips between hers. The pressure was perfect, the give and take, and not to mention the way he shyly sucked at her bottom lip. She took the lead a bit and let her teeth sink into his bottom lip, a deep groan rumbled in his chest as she pulled back slightly and then let go. Everything was on the table now. He leaned in, kissing her harder and teasing her with his tongue, but soon they were pulling apart to catch a breath and an slightly awkward air took them over, they couldn’t even look at each other, but Harry just sighed and then spoke up. Just one word leaving his mouth.

“Wow.”

[atakportal]

Burn The Fat Body Transformation System - Tom Venuto

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Burn The Fat Body Transformation System - Tom Venuto

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Hi, Im Tom, and in a moment, you’ll hear the story of how I went from being a chubby kid who was humiliated in gym class, to burning every last ounce of fat off my body, and winning my first bodybuilding championship at the age of 21…

This is also the same fat-burning system I still use today to stay in shape after age 40…

More importantly, you’ll see how these little-known secrets of all-natural bodybuilders and fitness models are the key to burning YOUR most stubborn fat and getting the body YOU want…

Read this page to the end, and I’ll also give you all the details about the unusual system that hundreds of thousands of people have already used – instead of dieting – to transform their bodies forever…

And for the first time ever, I’ll unveil the new 7-Day “quick start” that gets you going faster than ever before.

Before reading on, let me point out that this fat-burning system was originally developed by the leanest, most muscular athletes in the world, but it has now been re-engineered for regular people (non-bodybuilders)…

It works whether you are a man or a women, and it works regardless of your age. In fact, if you’re over 40, this could easily take 10 years off your biological age.

It even works for people who felt like they’d tried everything and were just “destined to be overweight”…

BURNED: 75 pounds of fat (from a size 22 to a size 6) while working two jobs and caring for her autistic son

– Audrey Eickwort

BURNED: 41 pounds of fat (from 274 pounds to 233 pounds and lost 19 inches off his waist at age 56

– Tim Amyett

BURNED: 122 pounds of fat (starting weight: 296 pounds)

– Brian Nordberg

You probably noticed that none of them look like stereotypical bodybuilders…

Yet every one of them… even formerly “photo-shy” people who told me they used to “hide” under their clothes, avoid mirrors, or secretly cringe when their photo popped up on Facebook…

… every one of them used what’s been called, “the most powerful fat burning system ever created” to achieve the same confidence in their appearance that bodybuilders feel every time they step in front of a camera.

And no matter how long they had struggled, Audrey, Tim, Brian and thousands of others achieved these startling transformations with these same “bodybuilder and fitness model” secrets.

Now, there’s one key factor that everyone who follows this system has in common with the most successful, photoshoot-ready bodybuilders and fitness models alive.

I have to warn you, it’s a story that’s a bit embarrassing to share…

Yet it’s a story you absolutely need to hear, because many of my clients tell me it gave them an “a-ha moment” that quickly allowed them to burn more stubborn fat than they imagined possible before…

…and I certainly wasn’t winning bodybuilding contests or getting praised by Oprah Magazine as “honest” about what it really takes to lose weight.

Heck, first I had to be honest with myself…

You see, I was never seriously overweight as a kid, but by the time I was a freshman in high school, I was getting pretty chubby around the waist…

Worse still, I was embarrassed to take my shirt off in public because I had what I thought was the worst affliction a warm-blooded male teenager could have: “Man boobs” – a fat saggy chest.

…and when we played basketball in gym, I prayed I’d be called for “shirts,” not “skins” so nobody would see my “moobs” and ab flab jiggling up and down the court.

At 14, I started lifting weights (those guys in the magazines didn’t seem to have an ounce of fat on them), and by senior year, I’d packed on about 25 pounds of muscle… yet the whole “getting ripped” part kept eluding me:

I still couldn’t take my shirt off in public without wishing I would disappear… let alone see the abs trapped under my belly fat.

Perhaps you can relate to this feeling of feeling trapped inside a body that’s just not doing what you want, no matter what you try… and thinking your frustration just can’t get any worse…

I went away to college, and quickly discovered I wanted to become a fitness major… but I also discovered beer, pizza, and cheese burgers and went hard at work on the classic “freshman 15″…

I just laughed at myself right along with the guys who were making fun of me, even though the truth is, I was silently humiliated.

It wasn’t until my buddies at the gym made me commit to stop just “talking” about being a bodybuilder and train for a contest that I finally put down the texbooks and the magazines… and got serious about figuring out what these guys were doing right…

Because they certainly were doing something to get lean and ripped that I wasn’t – one of them had just won a “Mr Teen America” title, and had a body just as impressive as that title sounds…

So I started eating and working out in a certain way – and it was pretty clear I was finally onto something…

… because this “contest training” was by far the most effective program I’d ever tried. It worked SO well, I even placed in my very first contest… and WON my second contest the very next year, at just 21 years old.

Beer belly? Gone. “Moobs?” Nowhere in sight…

It felt like redemption.

Maybe you’ve seen that old ad where the skinny kid gets sand kicked in his face by a muscle-bound bully, then gets in shape and beats the bully up? That’s kind how I felt…

Because not only was I now truly “ripped” for the first time in my life..

It was like getting to tell the whole world, “Remember that kid from gym class with the manboobs? Well, have a look at this!”

Now, I’m NOT telling you this story to brag or hold myself up as some kind of “poster boy.”

There are literally thousands of my client’s stories that are more inspiring than mine…

Stories from ordinary men and women who have no interest in entering a bodybuilding contest, yet used this same “bodybuilder science” to achieve massive results…

People like Bonnie and Mike…

“My Goal Was To Be a “Hot Mom At 40,” And I’ve Achieved It. I lost 23 Kg’s and 12.5% Body Fat!”

“I’m a 40 year old mom of 3, ages 11, 6 and 4. Before, I was 85 kg and 36.5% body fat, size 40. I was fat and miserable. My family life and relationship were suffering. My husband knew someone who did Burn The Fat and it changed his life, so I tried it too. I lost 23 kg’s and kept it off ever since!”

– Bonnie VanNiekerk, Burn the Fat Client

“I Lost 137 Pounds! It Changed My Entire Life!”

“I used Tom’s BURN THE FAT program to lose 137 pounds, but it also changed my entire life and the life of my family. The goal-setting and mindset part of the program also helped me achieve emotional, physical and financial goals I never thought possible.

– Mike Ogorek, Burn the Fat Client

Rather than “smaller versions” of the same old body shape – their bodies take on a whole NEW shape…

And it’s because the one thing all these stories have in common with mine is the one secret hardly anybody besides natural bodybuilders and fitness models knows, or will tell you, about getting a lean, sexy body…

It’s the difference between struggling to “diet away” unwanted fat… and quickly, efficiently burning it.

Here’s why holding onto your muscle while you burn fat is so important, even if you have zero interest in looking like a bodybuilder:

Even though “diet gurus” and popular diet-industry books and magazines will never clue you in about it…

…it’s lean muscle that gives a great body its shape – a shape with all the curves and cuts where they’re supposed to be, and the stamina to do all the things you want it to do.

Just take a look at these bodies side-by-side and tell me what you see:

Pretty big difference, right?

It’s the difference I see all the time between “dieters” and “burners” who might look similarly “skinny” with their clothes on:

Yet the “burners” look great in a swimsuit (I’ll get to how in just a minute, so keep reading)…

… while the “dieters” still end up hiding under their clothes because even though they “lost weight”, they look soft and mushy with their shirts off.

This is exactly what you want to avoid… working your butt off to get thin… then having no butt… or worse, a droopy butt that looks even worse than when you carried more weight.

So why do you see so many more “skinny” people who look like the guy on the left, rather than the lean and toned guy on the right?

It’s not that the “lean and toned” folks pumped iron and packed on lots of extra muscle like a competitive bodybuilder would… The REAL difference is…

Yes, that means that if you burn fat the right way, you can “expose” the firm, toned-looking physique you already have, hidden beneath a layer of unwanted fat… if “dieting” doesn’t get to it first.

And this also means that if you lose fat the wrong way… the “diet industry” way… you might eventually become one of the “lucky” ones who manage to suffer through the torture and get “skinnier”…

But… to show you how bad it can get. I’ve had clients come to me for personal training who at a glance looked thin… BUT their body fat percentage turned out to be what you’d expect to see in somebody who’s visibly overweight, even obese.

One woman I tested was about 5-foot-7 and weighed 121 pounds on the scale… sounds good so far, right?

Then we got to her body fat: It measured an astonishingly high 28% – that’s 34 pounds of pure fat!

Now, I want you to imagine for a second, an arm bone with a one-inch pad of fat surrounding it, kind of like foam insulation around a pipe. That’s what her arm felt like… only the “insulation” was pure fat!

If you grabbed the back of her (very “thin”) arm… it was just one giant fat fold! Literally no palpable muscle at all, just bone and fat.

The fitness slang for this condition is “skinny fat”… and it’s gotten so common, there’s even a medical name for it:

Doctors call it “normal-weight obesity”…

and when they look at DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorpitometry) results or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans like the one above…. they’re horrified!…

… because this means we have not one epidemic…

We have TWO EPIDEMICS: The obesity epidemic and the Muscle loss epidemic!

And the older you are, the worse the effects, because the older you are, the easier it is to lose muscle. Most people don’t know this, but losing muscle is one of the fastest ways to accelerate the effects of aging.

Because diets cause muscle loss, it’s not a stretch to say that dieting ages you faster.

With each new fad “diet”… you “diet away” lots of lean muscle, and just a little bit of fat. That’s the basic problem with “diets”: Every one you try is like taking one step forward and two steps back… so even if you “win” and “drop some weight”, you still lose!

And dieting danger goes beyond just looking “skinny fat”… because as bad as that sounds, ending up with the skinny-fat metabolism that goes with it is even worse.

As hyper-committed as bodybuilders are to burning fat… they avoid “diets” like the plague, and it’s not just that diets cannibalize muscle… they also damage your metabolism, making it harder and harder to burn more fat off, and keep the fat you’ve already burned from creeping back on.

That’s because typical calorie-slashing diets can’t fool your body… and the body’s response is automatic and unavoidable:

Decreased metabolism, hormone imbalance, sluggish thyroid, gnawing hunger pangs, low energy and “brain fog”… sound familiar?

Then, after a few encouraging pounds come off… just when you think all the suffering might have been worth it… you hit the dreaded, inevitable “plateau” where it just “stops working” and you end up gaining it all back just like the rest of the 95% of dieters who fail.

That’s right – if you’ve been trying to burn fat, one of your main enemies is… your very own bathroom scale.

You see the hypey claims every day: “LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS!” … “LOSE 10 POUNDS IN 10 DAYS!”…

These claims get people so focused on “moving the needle” on their scale… that if they don’t measure up on their daily “weigh-in”, their whole day is ruined!

Yet these “scale-watchers” never seem to manage to get rid of all their unwanted fat.

That’s because muscle weighs more than fat…

… and “diets” that pressure you to blindly “lose weight” without knowing where the loss is coming from trick you into sabotaging your figure and your metabolism.

So rather than putting your body through dangerous fads, body-wasting starvation diets, and frustrating “plateaus,” you get to look forward to a lean, firm, fit-looking body that’s strong in every way, and looks it too.

How can I promise you that? Let me properly introduce myself…

For the past 25 years, I’ve been involved in almost every aspect of fitness – personal trainer, nutrition consultant, fitness model, gym manager and best-selling author.

I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients in person, plus tens of thousands more online in the last 10 years alone.

In that time, my email inbox has never stopped flooding with incredibly inspiring stories from regular folks from every background, age and fitness level who have discovered the life-changing difference between “diets” that promise you’ll “lose weight”… and the way bodybuilders and fitness models burn fat.

And these same “ex-dieters” have continued to make all the Burn the Fat programs bestsellers every year, while countless “diets” and weight loss fads come and go, for no other reason than… The Burn The Fat System just plain works.

I’ve seen men and women aged 50 and older do it…

I’ve seen busy executives and soccer-moms do it…

I’ve seen people who were 100 pounds or more overweight and convinced “fat runs in their family” do it…

I’ve seen people in the worst, harshest conditions do it…

All of them are regular people with “average” or even “worse than average” genetics, not “genetic freak” bodybuilding fanatics, or celebrities with chefs and personal trainers.

And now that you know preserving your body’s lean muscle and metabolism is the biggest success secret bodybuilders use to burn fat while “diets” fail…

You’re probably wondering exactly how the thousands of everyday “Burners” who’ve discovered this system use it to strip off ALL the unwanted fat on their bodies, and feel great doing it…

So let’s dive into the specific “how to do it” tips I have for you today….

And this First Element has nothing to do with food or workout programs…

… yet if you’ve struggled to burn fat, this lesson will change your life so much that when it’s over, you’re going to want to share it with every person you love or care about.

Because the most successful bodybuilders, fitness models and athletes will tell you that the foundation of all your results comes from training your mind first.

That’s why the First Element of Burn The Fat has always been MINDSET…

I’m not talking about any kind of woo-woo “think-yourself-thin” mumbo-jumbo here… far from it.

I’m talking about “the science” of setting goals … and the psychology of achieving them.

I’m talking about reprogramming your mind for success, so that instead of fighting against cravings or forcing your self to the gym, your new healthy behaviors turn over to “auto-pilot” mode and all the healthy eating and consistent training that once seemed so hard is as effortless as tying your shoes or brushing your teeth.

I’m also talking about the power of visualization and re-making your self-image. You’ll never out-perform your self image. If you want to change your body on the outside, you must first change the image you hold of yourself on the inside…

Olympians, weightlifters, golfers, and other elite athletes have been hip to “mind training” since the 70’s, when the Soviets first revealed how they used these techniques to dominate in so many sports.

Bodybuilders are masters at this, and if you could get inside their thought process, you’d learn more about body transformation than you ever would by looking at their nutrition journal or training plan.

Countless clients and readers have told me that until they mastered their minds, they could never stay focused, stay motivated or stick with their program. After they mastered it, they were unstoppable!

Without fail, those who gloss over this at first and fail to get results, eventually realize the paradox that the biggest secret to physical change is mental change.

The Second Element of Burn The Fat is your right nutrition.

You might have heard the expression, “You can’t out-train a lousy diet”… and that’s 100% true.

Without the right eating plan that accounts for your individual needs and goals, everything else falls apart.

I’ll cover all the specifics and details of putting this plan together with minimum fuss in just a few minutes with you… so keep reading…

First, here’s a crucial tip about how bodybuilders and fitness models eat to get lean…

And it’s one of the most important tips I can possibly share with you, because it’s the total opposite of what every “diet” tells you:

Cutting calories is NOT the best way to burn fat.

That’s why, if you watch bodybuilders, one thing you’ll notice about them is that they always seem to be eating.

You see, while “dieters” eat as little as they can stand trying to get thin…

“Burners” eat early and often, because they know it’s the key to restoring and ramping up your metabolism into a fat-burning machine.

They simply follow the simple formula to determine how many calories their bodies need daily to maintain their current weight (the amount they’d eat if they didn’t want to drop or gain a pound)… and then cut that number by a modest 20%.

That way, you never unintentionally over-eat and store food away as unwanted fat… and you also never trigger your body’s “starvation response” by eating too little, so you never feel hungry.

In fact, many people tell me they eat more with Burn The Fat than they’ve ever eaten… yet they get leaner than they’ve ever been before (and some who under-ate before find themselves eating up to 50% more without storing an ounce of it as fat)…

After depriving themselves on diet after diet, they’re eating without guilt and feeling full, without the hunger pangs, cravings and “brain fog” they’re used to.

Now, you might be wondering… if bodybuilders use food to fuel their metabolic fire, where does the final FAT BURN come from?

Well, that’s where the final two Elements of Burn The Fat come in as a “deadly duo” to melt fat off your waistline…

… and those are your right cardio and strength training.

You see, “diets” do get one thing right: You DO need a “calorie deficit” in order to burn fat… in other words, you still need to use up more calories than you eat.

The difference is, with Burn The Fat, the “deficit” comes from exercise rather than food alone.

Unlike the “diet” strategy that tries to starve the fat, the bodybuilder strategy is to BURN the fat with increased activity.

Think of the third element – the right cardio – as a Fat burning ACCELERATOR…

But Burn the Fat is unlike any other program you’ve ever seen, because Burn The Fat Cardio doesn’t lock you into one type of exercise…

You don’t have sweat on a treadmill every day… you don’t have to jog… you don’t have to sit on a hard bicycle seat for an hour… you don’t have to do boot camps… unless you like them.

You see, the Burn The Fat way is not about what type of cardio you choose, it’s about how you do the cardio of your choice.

It’s a simple formula of duration X frequency X intensity combined with weekly micro-adjustments, that lets you dial your fat-burning UP or dial it DOWN (if you want to stop losing weight), with whatever type of cardio that makes you happy.

Couldn’t you lose fat, without cardio, with the right nutrition alone? Yes, but… that’s the long, slow, hard way, and there’s no telling how much muscle you’ll lose along with the fat if all you do is diet and you’re not using the fourth and final element…

The right strength training also burns calories and increases metabolism, so adding this fourth element is like getting a double boost in fat-burning, but here’s the real reasons to strength train:

Strength training is how you avoid getting “skinny fat” … or losing muscle when you’re in a fat-burning calorie deficit.

And remember – it’s lean muscle that gives a great body its shape – with all the right curves, and the strength to do everything you want your body to do.

Don’t worry – I’m not going to make you “pump iron” like Arnold Schwarzenegger or spend half your life at the gym – remember, this is designed for ordinary people with lots of other demands on their energy and time.

That’s why I’ve built perfectly balanced routines for every goal and level of fitness into the Burn The Fat Program, based on 25 years of experience training hundreds of clients in person and thousands more online.

Don’t worry about getting “bulky” or “too big”, either – believe me, there is no way you will ever wind up looking like a competitive bodybuilder by accident. It just doesn’t happen – not even for men, and especially not for women…

Of course, just like nutrition, there’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” exercise plan, so I’ll show you exactly how to put your plan together and even adapt a workout you’re already doing if you want to, so please keep reading…

Alright, that was a lot to cover… You may be feeling a bit overwhelmed, and that’s okay. Basically, this means that..

PATH 1: Take the information I’ve given you in this fat burning tips report and try to “go it alone”… And who knows? You may see some success from this alone if you took really careful notes…

PATH 2: It’s what the vast majority of people who read this fat-burning report until the end choose… and it’s the quickest and smartest path to the body you desire and deserve…

Path 2 is one that’s been tested and proven again and again with clients at every level of fitness… whether they had a goal of losing a stubborn “last 10”, or 100 pounds or more.

The system I teach in Burn The Fat is the system I personally use, and it’s the ONLY system I know of that doesn’t try to put everyone in the same “box”…

And the main reason the original Burn The Fat has stood the test of time as a 10-year-straight bestseller while dozens of “diets” have come and gone is NOT because of me…

The credit for Burn The Fat’s continued success belongs with the over 300,000 clients, members, readers and customers in 152 countries who have succeeded with it… and proven over and over that Burn The Fat just plain works…

I’ve personally used it to stay as lean and “ripped” in my 30’s and 40’s as I was in my 20’s…

And many fellow “Burners” have even overcome disabilities as serious as being “handicapped with two bad hips, two canes, and bone on bone arthritis” to put these principles to work for them, like 61-year-old John Deegan…

BURNED: 34 pounds of fat, with two canes and bone-on-bone arthritis

– John Deegan, Burn the Fat Client

So even if your fat loss and fitness goals are nowhere near a world record… even if you’re competing with nobody except yourself… just by putting even a fraction of these hard-won secrets into action, you’ll start seeing results that will make you feel like stepping up on a stage and getting a medal.

I’ll take you inside The NEW Burn The Fat Program in some detail in just a minute, but first, I wanted to share with you…

These successful “burners” (below) followed the program during our 49-Day “Burn the Fat Challenge” contest that we run every year for our members (as a Burn the Fat member, you’ll be invited to these challenges too, if you want the extra motivation…)

“I shredded down to 4.3% body fat in 49 days”

“When I hit 30, I found myself with a belly for the first time in my life. I followed the Burn the Fat program and entered the 49 day Challenge; I had no idea how much it would change the whole rest of my life.

Staying in frequent contact with people in the Burn the Fat community, who were all heading in the same positive direction, made staying the course absolute. I will never have a belly again.”

– James Mauck, Burn the Fat Client

“I Achieved The Body I’ve Always Wanted! I’m Now 128 lbs At 17.7% Body Fat!”

“I learned an AMAZING thing: I love the feeling in my muscles, I love the burn, and I love the progress. The more my muscles popped, the more addicted I became to the training.

Another thing stood out to me: Food is integral. Don’t try to starve the fat. Fuel your body properly and it will perform better. It was like my body turned into a fat-burning, muscle-building machine.”

– Amanda Andrews, Burn The Fat Client

“My advice to anyone thinking about doing Burn the Fat is to make a commitment to yourself in writing and list all the benefits you will receive as a result of reaching your goal.” Don’t try to reinvent the wheel – the information and resources you need are right here, and the Burn the Fat community is amazing!”

– Gary Vollhoffer, Age 50, Burn the Fat Client

“I Lost 14 lbs, built some nice muscle, and went from a pant size 7/9 to a size 1! My husband and children can’t thank Tom enough for his healthy, natural, clear-cut program. If a home-schooling mom of five kids all under the age of eight can do it, anyone can!”

– Cynthia Cardenas, Burn the Fat Client

The Newest Burn the Fat program that you can get today is still based on the same bodybuilder-inspired nutrition and training strategies that I developed for personal clients, who expected, no – demanded – success, and those clients have been achieving success with these principles since 1989.

Only now, it’s even better…

In the early days, the only way to learn my system was to hire me in person, to train you one-on-one, in the gym.

Next came Burn the Fat private coaching, where hundreds of people did the program with me in person or long distance by phone or email.

Then tens of thousands more found this system though my Burn The Fat Inner Circle…

… And in the last 10 years, the Burn the Fat Program exploded, with over 300,000 people reading my Burn the Fat books.

A New, increasingly authoritative Burn the Fat Program has been fully updated and released in a never-seen-before online program.

This includes the new Burn the Fat Program together with the Burn the Fat Inner Circle, for total immersion in the community, and for online coaching from me.

The NEW Burn the Fat program delivers you the same fat-burning techniques my clients have used for years, and delivers it in 7 short and simple lessons.

I’ll get to the price (plus a crazy set of bonuses), in just a minute…

First, take a quick look at some of the fat-burning secrets you’ll learn in each lesson.

And that’s just a fraction of the step-by-step, actionable strategies included in the all-new online edition of the Burn the Fat Body Transformation Program.

When you order, you get instant access to ALL the Burn the Fat materials the moment you join, and I’ve broken the course into 7 steps in 7 days, so you’re not overwhelmed and I can walk you through each lesson, one day at a time.

The Burn The Fat 7 Day Body Transformation Program is just one piece of the total package. Now let me tell you about all the other bonuses you’ll get as well…

All the tools you need to make the program easy to follow are available at the click of a mouse: workout trackers, meal planner sheets, calorie calculators, protein, carb and fat calculators, Burn the Fat food data base, Burn the fat shopping list, Burn the Fat Progress chart Burn the Fat Goal Planners and more.

Amazing push-button software creates and saves your customized meals, daily meal plans, and recipes… lets you save foods, meals, daily meal plans and recipes as favorites… lets you add your own custom foods, and you can mix and match your custom meals and recipes into an unlimited number of daily meal plans, quickly and easily.

Forget about bland “rabbit-food” diets. Now you can enjoy our delicious, original recipes, all created and taste-tested by me first, before they were shared with our whole community of burners. Fast to make for busy time-strapped lifestyles, and no previous cooking experience is required. Who knew that eating clean and lean could taste so good?

To be absolutely certain that you will lose pure fat and not lean muscle, you’re also getting the e-book (New 2nd edition), “How To Measure Your Body Fat in The Privacy of Your Own Home.” Discover the simple 2-minute test to measure your own body fat at home and see why your body FAT is so much more important than your body WEIGHT.

With so much UNIQUE fat-burning truth packed into one single system, enough to shortcut years of struggle, you might think the New Burn The Fat program would be priced at a premium, and in all honesty… It really should be.

But my goal from the very first day I made this New Burn The Fat system available to the public online was to make it available to as many people as possible… people I knew could benefit from the rare information it contains, yet couldn’t get it from me in person.

If I priced it too high, I realized that would leave many people with body-wasting “diets,” potentially health-ruining “supplements,” and outright scams as their only refuge…

And that’s not what I want for you.

I’ve seen what this system can do for so many people in person… seen its effects in the emails and photographs sent in by people I’ve never even gotten to meet face-to-face… and I deeply believe you deserve better.

I want you to have the best, and I want you to experience it now, today…

To get started now, just click that yellow button below that says “Add To Cart” for instant access to the program (And of course, 100% of your investment is risk-free starting today – I’ll explain in just a second).

Get started now and as an extra bonus gift, I’ll include access to the entire Burn The Fat Transformation Success Secrets library.

These audios will be available in the Burn The Fat members area and you can listen to them online or download the MP3’s to your ipod or music player so you can listen in your car, while you work out, or anywhere

In these audios you’ll hear me as well as dozens of the Burn the Fat Transformation Champions – some of the men and women you saw right here on this web page – reveal their secrets to their remarkable before and after photos.

All together these audios contain more than 40 hours of motivation, education and inspiration that you can listen to any time, anywhere.

Again, this bonus gift is absolutely FREE.

And like I mentioned a minute ago,

In just 7 days, you will know all the secrets of the leanest people in the world. Then, all I’m asking you to do is put what you’ve learned to use. Try the system for up to 60 days.

If you don’t experience everything I’ve told you about and more in those 60 short days…

If you dont see your first results in your first week, and then keep burning off fat each week after that, week after week, I’ll gladly refund every penny you paid. No questions asked, no hassles.

Look below and click on the yellow button that says “Add To Cart” to start the 7 day program and claim all your bonuses now!

PS. Remember, the next 7 days will quickly come and go, and at the end of them, you can either be feeling just as unsatisfied with your body as you are now, or just as confused and overwhelmed about the right way to start, or…

The choice is simple. Still… I’ve noticed that nearly everyone I meet has a reason they want to put it off:

They’re waiting until New Year’s when the holidays are over, or after the kids start school, or the first day of the month, or after final exams are over, or whatever – there’s always some excuse to procrastinate. PLEASE don’t wait!

If you know you’re ready…

… if you’re at that point where you want to start the rest of your life today so that you can be a new person… leaner, healthier, full of energy, full of life, more fun, looking good, getting compliments…

… if that sounds good to you, then click the “Add To Cart” yellow button below, and let’s get you started now!

Q: Do you really answer questions and give personal coaching on your site? How do you find the time?

A: Yes, I really answer your questions on the Burn the Fat private forums and I spend many hours doing it. I don’t spend much time on social media, so I have more time for our members. However, I can’t guarantee this forever. This program is new and once word spreads, and it gets super busy, I’ll either have to cap membership, raise the price, or have Burn The Fat certified coaches take over for me. So if you’re interested in getting personal advice straight from the program creator (me), now is the time to get onboard.

Q: Do I have to take any supplements?

A: No. Most supplements are scams, some can be dangerous and the few that have scientific support have such a small effect, you would get more results just by doing a better job with your eating and training. You don’t need any supplements to burn fat or build muscle and you’ll never see ads or promotions for supplements in our members area (I don’t endorse or sell supplements and never will).

Q: Do I have to join a gym or buy any equipment?

A: You DO need some kind of resistance training because that’s the key to revving up your metabolism, sculpting lean muscle and keeping the muscle you already have. But you don’t need expensive machines and you don’t have to join a gym – you can work out at home if you prefer. The beginner workouts can be done with nothing but free weights (like dumbbells) and your own body weight as resistance.

Q: I’m not a bodybuilder – will this program still work for me?

A: Yes. The program was developed BY a bodybuilder, but it’s not just FOR bodybuilders. Think of it this way: Bodybuilders are the leanest, most muscular people in the world, so if you want to get leaner or more muscular, who better to learn from? I designed the program so you can use bodybuilder and fitness model techniques to reach your own personal goals, whether that’s building muscle or just toning up, losing 100 pounds or the last 10 pounds, getting ripped or just getting leaner than you are now.

Q: Does the program work as well for women as men?

A: Yes, in fact our membership is now more female than male (53% women and 47% men in our last survey). Women have different needs and the program gives you the exact calculations for the female metabolism (there are separate calculations for men). The workout programs work equally well for men and women (women need muscle too, most women simply want muscle tone, not muscle bulk).

Q: I just turned 54. Am I too old to start this program? Please be honest Tom.

A: Honestly, you’re too old NOT to get started. The science shows that college-age kids don’t have to worry about hormone levels and muscle loss – getting in shape is easy for them. From your 30’s to 40’s and beyond, when hormones and metabolism start to change, if you don’t eat the right food and get the right exercise, your muscles (and bone density) disintegrate faster with every passing year, while fat goes on easier. Age 35-55 is our biggest member demographic and more people are joining us after 55 than ever because that age group is finally discovering how crash diets accelerate aging while training and feeding the muscle reverses aging.

Q: I can’t eat wheat or any products with gluten. Can I still follow the nutrition part of the Burn the Fat program?

A: Yes. Gluten intolerance is common and you can easily work around it. The food choices are flexible and substitutions are easy.

Q: I’m lactose intolerant. Can I still do the Burn the Fat nutrition program?

A: Yes. Lactose intolerance is even more common and it’s also easy to work around it. Dairy products are optional on this program.

Q: Will this work for vegetarians?

A: The program is very easy to adapt for semi-vegetarians who eat dairy, eggs and or fish (no meat). The program was not designed specifically for vegans but can be adapted for vegans as well, as long as you’re able to customize your own meal plans based on which foods you eat.

Q: Will this work in my country? I’m worried about not having the foods required where I live.

A: Yes. We have thousands of members in over 150 countries and you can adapt the food choices to work wherever you live.

Q: How can I be sure it’s safe to order online from your website?

A: Our checkout page is on a secure server, we are a Verisign-trusted site (confirming our identity, location and virus-free status), we’re A+ rated by the NJ Better Business Bureau and our Burn the Fat company has been trusted online since 2003 with a reputation for integrity.

Q: How do I log in to the member’s area and how soon will I be able to start after I order?

A: Just click the “ADD TO CART” button below. You’ll be directed to a secure order page. After you submit your payment details, you’ll be forwarded to the new member registration page on the member’s-only (Inner Circle) site, where you’ll be asked to choose your private user name and password. You can then log in to the Burn The Fat members area and start just minutes from now. You get instant access to the member’s area. Click the yellow ADD TO CART button below to get started:

HOW PRODUCTS ARE DELIVERED: This is an all-digital (internet) product. Burn The Fat Inner Circle is a private membership website that you access online with a user name and password that you’ll choose on a registration page after you sign up. All the products, services and bonuses are delivered in the member’s area. No physical products will be shipped. You get instant access to the website right after you order.

* TESTIMONIALS AND RESULTS DISCLAIMER: Results shown in our testimonials may not be typical. Photos shown on this page are among our best case studies and transformation contest winners. Typical weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week. In overweight individuals, weight loss of up to 1% of total bodyweight per week is more common. Faster weight loss in the first 1-2 weeks is common but is usually water weight loss, not body fat. Faster fat loss is possible, but not likely. This is NOT a fad diet or rapid weight loss program. Burn the Fat is a healthy lifestyle program and a long term approach to body fat reduction and maintenance. Permanent weight loss requires long-term lifestyle change and cannot be guaranteed. [More info about typical results and Burn the Fat challenge results]

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[dancerdiaries]

Review of my dance major experience

I graduated from college a couple weeks ago, so here I am, offering my opinions on the dance program at the school I chose. I’m choosing to keep the school anonymous. If you are a high school student looking for a school with a good dance program and you choose to take my review into account, feel free to message me and I’ll give you the name of the school so you can apply or avoid it as you choose. Also, I hope you find my comments useful.

Overall, I give my university’s BALLET area a 3/10. My explanation of that score is pretty lengthy, so I put it under a “read more” for tidiness’ sake.

This is a review of the ballet area only, since that was my emphasis. I didn’t interact much with the contemporary, folk, or ballroom areas, so I don’t have anything to say about them. Also, this is just from my personal experience and is in no way a completely accurate assessment. But I’m also not the only one from this school who has these opinions. Anyway, here goes.

GOOD POINTS:

It’s generally a positive atmosphere. The students and faculty are overall friendly and supportive (there were exceptions, of course). There isn’t an insanely competitive atmosphere, either--at least, not to the degree of other places I’ve heard stories about (razor blades in a rival’s pointe shoes...what kind of jerk does that?!?). No body shaming from the other students or from the teachers. That was pretty nice. No bullying, ever.

The education was pretty good. A lot of the students are brought up to a pre-professional, or even professional, technique level by the time they graduate. I’ve improved way more these past three years than I have in my whole life, probably.

The ballet area recently started giving students the chance to choreograph on one of their companies, complete with faculty feedback. The contemporary area did that ages ago, and I’m really glad the ballet area followed because the school really needed opportunities for ballet choreography. I’ve heard that a lot of dance programs don’t offer students opportunities to present their own work at all. I was pretty lucky.

BAD POINTS:

Oh, boy. I have a lot to say.

This university markets itself as an all-inclusive, positive, “we don’t give up on anyone,” “everyone belongs” kind of place. So I was a little disappointed when that wasn’t the case in the ballet area.

My biggest problem with the ballet area is that the favoritism is insane. The faculty pretends it doesn’t exist, but I always got the vibe from them that a student is only worth teaching if the student is already an amazing dancer. If you aren’t perfect, you aren’t worth their time. The top ballet level/company (same thing--the top level is their top company) gets all sorts of special privileges. First, the teachers help them reach a professional level and help them find jobs and stuff like that. They don’t do that for anyone else. Those that start the dance major in the lower levels don’t get the help they need to succeed. Which is stupid, because isn’t that the professor’s job? To help ALL of their students prepare for the professional world?

These top dancers also get probably 90% of all the performing opportunities the ballet area offers. They go on tour, they get their own on-campus show in the big, super-nice theater, they get to perform in the lower-level company’s show (like excuse you. This is our time to shine. You get plenty of times to shine of your own. Go away), they get to be in faculty works, dance films, photoshoots, promotional videos, etc. etc.

Guess what the other dancers get? Nothing. Nada. Unless you end up in a friend’s senior project. Or if you manage to get on the lower-level company, which is hard, as I’ll explain later.

These top dancers get to break the dress code!!! They’re that special!! (Well, ok, they don’t get to break it much. You can wear lower-than-usually-allowed backs, but heaven forbid your leotard straps are thinner than an inch.)

No wonder these dancers are snobs. The teachers spoil them rotten.

My second-biggest peeve is that it’s nearly impossible to get onto said top company. The top company tends to have the same members year after year. Seriously, the cast didn’t change much at all until this past year, and that was because a lot of people graduated. Basically, auditions for this company are just a formality. The directors already have their dancers picked. Why these dancers even show up to the audition is a mystery, because they’re already guaranteed a spot (I think. That’s what it seems like). Heck, this past year, they picked someone for the company who wasn’t even going to the school yet.

This means that each year, there are only four or five open slots. And generally, unless someone really good comes along, they tend to pick their new members exclusively from the lower company. Although I think they’re trying to get more freshmen into their ranks recently, which is nice. Unless you’re not a freshman or not on the lower-level company. Because then you have no chance at all.

The lower-level company is a bit better. Only about a third of the company is repeat members. But still, the directors really like to pick people they’ve worked with before.

So basically, fifty dancers show up to audition for maybe--maybe--fifteen available company spots, despite there being about 30-40-ish (depending on the repertoire) company spots that exist. This means many dancers get turned away every year they try out.

Which sucks if you consider the fact that you need to be on a performing company to graduate in the dance program. That’s what happened to me. I couldn’t get my performing credits until my last semester, when I finally got onto the lower-level company--which, BTW, only happened because only 13 people showed up to the audition (because this was the first time this company was available in the spring semester and no one knew about it), and so by default everyone got in.

(Well, senior projects and faculty works give you performing credits, too, but as I said, only the best dancers are picked for faculty works. So basically, you better hope you have friends who are seniors.)

I have a suspicion that the directors choose company members based on body type in addition to technique, despite claiming not to. All the top company members look the same: long limbs, skinny bodies, few or no curves. Again, the lower company is better--there’s a little more diversity in body types--but all of their repeat members I’ve known have ballet bodies. I don’t know if this is, in fact, from directors’ biases, or if that body type is a mechanical advantage that gives those dancers better technique.

Also, all the top-company dancers have prettier faces. Kind of a small detail, and could be a coincidence, but it’s a suspicious detail nonetheless.

That’s dangerous. That can be really dangerous, and I came to understand that firsthand. The last two times I auditioned before I finally was accepted onto a company, I was at the right technical level and was still rejected. I’d also failed big-time at a summer workshop and competition the summer before the second audition while all the thin, pretty girls in my study abroad group won scholarships. So after that second audition, I began to worry that I wasn’t being picked because I was fat, or ugly, or both. For the first time in my life, I started skipping meals and counting calories and wearing makeup. I’m not usually worried about my looks. And if I got super insecure about my body, then other girls who do care about how they look are at a much higher risk of eating disorders because of the ballet area’s biases. And that’s not the kind of problem I was expecting to see at an “all-inclusive, everyone belongs” type of school. I was disappointed, and angry. The school told me they were better than that.

So yeah, 3/10. The education is decent, but it’s even better if you’re a good dancer to begin with. It’s a better atmosphere than most schools, but it’s still pretty political. And I’m pretty ticked that the university lied to me about their values.

[mochiinet]

bouquets pt. 1

Characters: Mingyu & OC, 97′liners

Word Count: 2942 words

Summary: When you’re invited to a childhood friend’s wedding, you knew you’d be seeing him, but you didn’t want to.  After four years of dating in high school, you and Mingyu had gone down different paths, ultimately ending on bad terms.  It’s been around seven years since then, and you haven’t been back home for longer than a couple days a year for the holidays.  On the days you came back, you hung out with friends maybe once or twice, most times you spent those days with family.  You knew you couldn’t as your best friend to stop her boyfriend’s best friend from coming to their wedding, so what will happen when you meet for the first time after seven years away?

The plane landed smoothly and you let out a deep but quiet sigh and loosened your grip on the armrest of your seat.  Flying had never been your thing, even after all these years of traveling back and forth from the States to Korea, and it wasn’t going to get any easier for you any time soon.  It felt weird whenever you came home, mostly because it felt so foreign.  After spending the last seven years in the States for college and then later on, work, coming home was a rarity.  At most you’d fly back for Christmas or New Years, and family birthdays when you had time off.  Instead, your family tended to take vacations to visit you.  And occasionally a friend would come by, whether it be for work, or just vacation.  

You headed off the plane and straight to the bathroom, texting your parents that you’d arrived safely, and that you would meet up with them in a couple days after the wedding.  You looked up the directions to the hotel that the wedding was going to be held at and after you picked up your bags, you flagged a taxi and headed over.  “Yeah, it feels so weird to be back...” You talked on the phone with one of your close friends who was also attending the wedding later that day.  “You know you’re going to make it like JUST in time for pictures.” He said.  “Yeah I know... I still have to get ready and everything though.  Are you guys ready?” You asked.  “Jungkook, Bambam, Yugyeom, and Minghao are currently fighting over the mirror in the bathroom, so no.” Jaehyun sighed.  You smiled at the thought and laughed a little.  “...Is Mingyu there?” You asked.  “He’s eating breakfast or something I think.  He just got here too.” He explained.  “Ahh, I see.” You said, your monotone voice was noticeable even to the taxi driver.  “You know it’s not like you even really have to talk to him.” He said.  “Just seeing him is going to put me in an anxious mood.  Actually I haven’t even seen him and I’m already not okay.” You ranted.  “Come on y/n it’s already been six, seven years?  You guys should at least just say hi.” Jaehyun said as he frowned.  “I wish it was that easy, I just feel so awkward.” You explained.  

“I know... well let me know when you’re ready, we’ll come pick you up.” He said.  You agreed and hung up.  You let out a long sigh.  The driver looked at you through the rear view mirror but didn’t say anything.  The rest of the ride to the hotel was quiet and you almost fell asleep.  You felt the car stop and you gained full consciousness, and got out of the car.  The driver got out as well and helped with your luggage, and you handed him some tip, and he smiled.  “It won’t hurt to say hi, just saying.  I’ve made that mistake before, and it sucks... But yeah, try it, I’m sure giving it a try won’t hurt.” He said.  You laughed and smiled at the elder man and nodded.  “Thanks, maybe I’ll try now.” You said.  He smiled and bowed a little before getting back in the taxi and you bowed back.  Taking a deep breath, you pulled your luggage along and headed into the hotel.  The lobby was bustling and the check in line was a bit long.  You stood and waited, and eventually got your key and headed towards the elevator.  You only paid attention to your phone as you waited and mindlessly got in when the doors opened.  And because of that, you didn’t notice the other people in the elevator with you.  You reached over and pressed the 17th floor button and someone else was going to do the same but you reached it first.  You leaned against the wall and scrolled through Instagram and switched through apps aimlessly.  

The amount of people slowly decreased as the elevator went higher and at the seventeenth floor you got off and headed to your room, not noticing the other person getting off and going the same way.  You headed into your room and the person walked past your room as the door closed and it closed with a thud.  You checked your watch and you only had around half an hour to get ready before the photoshoot.  Today wasn’t the wedding but your friends who were getting married wanted to shoot a little the day before, and go around our old neighborhood, to take cute nostalgic pictures.  It was actually really organized though because a relative was a fashion photographer so he volunteered to shoot for the wedding.  You started to pick out your outfits and makeup when you heard a knock on your door.  You went over and looked through the peephole and you let out an exited incoherent noise and immediately opened the door.  Your friends Mina, Jihyo, Binne, Jiho, Solbin, Yerin, and Jimin were all at your door and flooded in when you opened it.  Your best friend Sujeong was getting ready with Dokyeom, so she wasn’t there, but everyone else was and you were honestly almost in tears.  

It had been so long since you’d seen them all together and everyone looked so grown up.  Honestly speaking, the girls of the class were so much closer to each other than to the guys, except a few.  In the beginning for you it had been you, Sujeong, Dokyeom, and Mingyu since elementary school.  You’d always been in the same classes all throughout your lower education until college.  People slowly joined your group throughout the years and it became complete in freshman year.  For you high school had been a blast, you had great friends, good grades, and many memories, despite having over protective parents and strict teachers.  In freshman year you’d also finally gotten together with Mingyu.  It was that typical childhood friend thing, very cheesy very comfortable.  You guys weren’t attached at the hip, but when you were together you were always smiling and having a good time.  Essentially you’d shared your entire childhood with him.  And that’s what made senior year even more heartbreaking.  It had been a dream of yours to study architecture on the States and Mingyu had wanted to study engineering and go to the States with you.  

When college acceptances came out, that’s when things took a turn for the worst.  You’d gotten into the college of your dreams, and Mingyu had made it into almost all of his top choices.  However none of them were overseas.  You both knew that things weren’t going to go well and you both waited it out a bit.  But both of you got annoyed with the other.  There was no point and you’d begun to see a part of him you didn’t like.  Both of you grew distant and broke it off earlier than expected.  Feelings turned hostile and you no longer wanted anything to do with him, and he felt the same.  Or so you thought.  It was a sticky way to end things, and you’d always felt bad for putting your friends in an awkward position, not knowing who to invite to what and when not to invite the other.  It was a big mess.  But the probably the only good thing that came out of that was Dokyeom’s confession to Sujeong.  Being both of your best friends, it was the hardest on them and they grew closer by complaining and talking about the two of you.  

Anyways, you hugged everyone and it was such a nice reunion.  They helped you get ready, making the process go quicker and instead of calling Jaehyun to come get you, you just texted him saying that you’d meet him and the rest of the group at the first shoot location.  You and the girls headed downstairs to the lobby, and got in taxis to head to your old neighborhood.  Sujeong and Dokyeom wanted to recreate all of your high school memories, so they had picked out a bunch of pictures to recreate.  You and the girls caught up and everyone was doing so well in life, you were so happy.  From designers to company starters, everyone seemed to be doing well.  When you arrived at your old neighborhood, you could see the guys standing in a group with Sujeong and you hurriedly got out of the car and ran over.  Good thing you weren’t wearing a dress and heels yet or you would’ve face planted.  You rushed over and enveloped your best friend in a bear hug, squishing her with all your might.  “Y/N?!” Everyone was super excited to see you, since it had been so long and some of them had to do a little double take to make sure it was you.  Obviously over the seven years you were gone, you’d matured both mentally and physically, so you probably looked a bit different.  

You greeted everyone and it was a big reunion in your old neighborhood.  It felt so nice to be somewhere nostalgic and familiar with all of your friends.  But there was one person you were quite obviously ignoring.  He stood the furthest from you and you could tell from the quick glances you’d spared that he was extremely awkward.  “Yah, are you planning on at least saying hi to him?  I know how you feel but can you do it for me at least?” Sujeong pleaded.  “Do I have to....?” You complained to her.  “There’s literally a picture that we’re going to recreate that will force you to talk to him.  I say do it now and avoid the awkwardness later.” She mildly threatened, a evil smirk on her face.  Your mouth dropped open and you stared at her as she walked away backward, still facing you, gesturing for you to go talk to him.  “You know you’re going to have to do it at one point today...” Jaehyun came up to you laughing.  You glared at him and folded your arms in front of your chest.  “You guys all suck.  This is the treatment I get after being gone for seven years.” You muttered to yourself as you slowly walked away and headed towards Mingyu.  He saw you from his peripheral while he was talking with Minghao and Bambam, and stopped mid-sentence.  Minghao and Bambam realized that it was you and they quietly backed away to give the two of you some privacy.  

“Hey...” You said, short and chic.  “Hey...” he responded, in a quiet and slightly intimidated voice.  You raised an eyebrow, noticing his shy tone and you examined him.  He looked good, really good, and you hated to admit it.  His hair had been styled nicely, not too much gel but just the right amount.  Everyone was wearing pretty casual clothes, to recreate a “youthful” image as Dokyeom had explained, and he was wearing a white t-shirt under a grey hoodie with a pair of jeans, and a black coat on top.  It was a very effortless look.  The other guys were wearing similar outfits and so were the girls.  You were wearing your favorite black hoodie with a white shirt underneath and a pair of black skinny jeans with a denim jacket to complete the look.  Your hair was loosely curled and your makeup, present enough to be seen on camera, but not too excessive.  The two of you kind of stood there awkwardly, slightly away from the rest of the group, which was “secretly” trying to hear what was going on without being too overly obvious.  

“You look good.” He said, cutting your train of thought.  You smiled thinly and said he did too.  “Wow this is awkward.” You said out loud accidentally.  But good for you, he just agreed.  “It’s been like... six years?” He asked.  “Seven.” You said.  “Close enough.” He said.  You didn’t reply.  “I’m really happy for those two.” He said, nodding towards Sujeong and Dokyeom.  “Same.  Their relationship is the only good thing that came out of me leaving.” You said.  His mouth opened a little but he couldn’t find the words and he stayed silent for a little bit.  Thankfully for him, instead of having to reply, the photographer showed up and they called the two of you over.  You headed back, he instantly went to the opposite side from yours and you stood next to Jaehyun.  “You’re horrible.” He said to you.  You looked at him immediately.  “Excuse me?” You frowned.  “You could’ve at least tried to be civil.  ‘That’s the only good thing that came out of me leaving’?!  Y/n...” he looked at you with a stern expression.  You turned away and sighed.  “It’s not like we’re telling you to get together again, it’s just so hard when you’re literally give him the cold shoulder like 24/7.” Jaehyun explained.  “Okay but like he doesn’t even want to talk to me anyways.” You said.  “Well he might, you never know, but you aren’t even giving him a chance.” Jaehyun countered.  You sighed again, not having anything to say.  

The photographer had been explaining how everything was going to go down and you decided to listen instead of think about what Jaehyun had said.  He went over the schedule and it was all very professional, so you were glad that you’d decided to listen.  After he was done it started right away.  In the beginning it was mostly just Sujeong and Dokyeom, and you couldn’t stop ogling over how cute your best friends were.  When it was time for you and Mingyu to come in to recreate a few pictures, the two of you were extremely stiff, and it felt weird to have physical contact with him.  But you both faked it the best that you could for the couple.  You guys went all over the neighborhood and ended up at your old high school to finish off the shoot in the afternoon.  You’d changed a few times but now you were back in the outfit you’d been wearing in the beginning and you sat on the stairs by the field.  Some people had gone back to the hotel since they were done for the day, and it was just you, Sujeong, Dokyeom and Mingyu left.  This is what she’d been talking about before and you had a permanent frown on your face, watching the couple from afar.  

“You’re going to get wrinkles frowning like that.” Mingyu came up behind you and handed you a canned drink from the vending machine.  You took it quietly and thanked him minimally, as he sat down beside you, a good amount of space in between.  “So-“ “I-“ You both spoke at the same time after a short moment of awkward silence.  “Go first.” He said.  You laughed sheepishly to yourself.  “I wanted to say I’m sorry for acting that way earlier.” You said.  “Jaehyun scolded me, and I felt I owed you an apology.” You explained.  He laughed.  “Don’t worry about it.  I wasn’t expecting anything less honestly.  I was preparing for much worse...” He said.  You didn’t know whether to take that in a positive way or not.  “I was under the impression that you were just ignoring me since you didn’t even look at me this morning in the elevator.” He explained.  You gave him a look of pure confusion.  “Wait did you really not know I was there?  We literally even got off on the same floor and everything.” He said, looking at you in slight disbelief.  “I seriously had no idea...” You were trying to remember.  He laughed.  “Well anyways... what have you been up to lately?” He asked.  “I’ve been working on projects, designing and trying to make a name for myself.” You said, leaning back a little, taking a sip of your drink.  “You?” You asked, looking at him from the side.  He was already looking back at you, more intensely than you were expecting and he looked away quickly after realizing you had looked at him.  “U-uh me too, I’m working in a creator based company, we’ve been pretty busy lately so I haven’t been getting much sleep.” He said, stuttering slightly in the beginning.  You smirked a little and took another sip.  “It’s so nostalgic being back here... so many memories.” You said, looking at the school.  “You could say that again...” He said following your line of sight.  

The two of you kept up the small talk and caught up a little bit, waiting for the couple to finish up so you could all go back to the hotel together.  Around twenty minutes later, they finished, and the two of you had gotten a little bit more comfortable, he’d even cracked a lame joke, and you had laughed sincerely.  The four of you took a taxi back and the couple headed off to dinner with the in-laws while you and Mingyu headed back up to your rooms.  He walked with you down the hall in a slightly less awkward silence and he waved bye as you headed into your room.  You ordered some room service for dinner and put on a movie, pampering yourself for the night after a long day.  After eating you took a nice long bath using the complementary bath bomb and reflected.  You couldn’t think of the last time you’d pampered yourself like that and you felt so relaxed.  You thought about the stuff you’d talked about with Mingyu and you had to admit that you dreaded the next day just a bit less.  

I have made a comeback~! Finally... I literally only feel like writing when it’s like 2AM so this took a while to actually finish, and when I reached my word count goal, I was like welp there’s going to need to be a part two.  L O L but yeah anyways thanks for reading and please lmk if there are any grammatical or spelling errors, and I’ll fix them~  I promise I won’t leave y’all hanging so look forward to part 2!

[fasa-umich]

Lauren Escote, 2019-202 FASA Media Chair

^A rare picture of media chair in front of the camera hehe

Hullo FASA!

It’s crazy to think back to October of freshman year where I was set on running for: social chair (Ikr, who woulda thought?)! It wasn’t until talking with a past techtorian, EJ, and historian, Matt, that I realized that the soon to be created Media Chair would be a great way to challenge myself, creatively, like I never have before. While the main role that I prepared for the most was the photography aspect, there is so much more to this position.

You are essentially responsible for informing members and creating and maintaining FASA’s online presence. You design graphics for all of FASA’s events, making sure that social posts are clear and to the point so that members can get all the information they need upon first glance. In addition to making graphics, this position is responsible for relaying information to general members so that they can be fully informed of FASA events as well as external events. One way that myself and previous tech chairs/techtorians have done this is with weekly or bi-weekly newsletters. Like I mentioned before, an important aspect of this position is photographing all events and uploading them to the main page for members to view. While this mainly entails event photography, it also includes the board photoshoot. This is a really fun time as you are in charge of planning, location scouting and picking a theme/color palette.

Lastly, it’s important as a cultural org to weave the cultural aspects into every part of our planning, even when it comes to media chair tasks such as newsletters, Instagram story postings, and event graphics. In collaboration with the cultural chairs, we implemented Tagalog Tuesdays and Filipino Fridays. Tagalog Tuesdays took 3 words or phrases and translated them into Tagalog, we used this to sprinkle in little tidbits of culture into everyday life. Filipino Fridays were bi-weekly Facebook posts that featured FilAm artwork, podcasts, musicians, and more, exposing our members to fellow FilAms who embrace their culture in their work.

^YUSSS culture

As media chair, you technically have no events or projects that are required outside of your normal duties listed above which allows a great amount of flexibility for each media chair to base their projects on their own skill sets. Take this into consideration when planning out your own projects, for example: if you feel that your web design skills are stronger than your video editing skills, then use that to improve the FASA website rather than making a board video. You can really hone your skills and apply them to many different aspects of this position.

One thing you will notice is that a lot of other positions’ workload happens in bursts, whereas media chair’s work is very consistent and as long as you stay organized and be proactive, your job should run smoothly. Since most of your work for events comes about 3 weeks before events for making the graphics, and then directly after events for sorting/editing photos, you are able to lend your helping hands to boardies that need extra help leading up to and during events.

Here are some tidbits that I hope are helpful for you future media chairs:

1. You do not need to have photography/videography/graphic design experience to be in this position!

I thought I should clear this up right away as it can be intimidating to have a position that seems quite aesthetic/artistically oriented but know that you learn so much as you go along. I really used my summer to hone my graphic design skills as that was one area where I did not feel super confident. If you are worried about the photography aspect, just think about it as if you were hanging out with friends and taking pictures for yourself, you are just capturing memories so that you can look back later and remember all the good times :) If you are worried about the camera, you can always ask to borrow a boardie’s or rent from ISS for the weekend, if there’s a will there’s a way!

2. You can socialize at events!

This might sound a little weird and it might have only been me who did this but it took me a minute to get the idea that you don’t have to take 500 pictures (no exaggeration here, I legitimately took 500 pictures during senior farewell) at every event. You don’t have to worry if everyone got into a picture, because, chances are, they will be at more events in the future! I also felt like I needed to capture every single moment at events and never just let myself relax for a minute and actually socialize with people. So just know, that’s it ok to put the camera down for a second and talk to people.

3. Communication!

Like I mentioned before, communication is quintessential for your job to run smoothly. While it is easy to pull events from the FASA calendar and the board agendas, you want to make sure to hash out the details and ensure that all the information is correct with each responsible chair position related to the event. Whether it is giving culturals reminders that Tagalog Tuesday is this week, working with socials to see if the graphic passes the vibe check, or even asking other boardies their opinion on a graphic, communication is key!

4. Stay organized!

Depending on what types of social campaigns you decide on, it can be really easy to forget that something is being posted on a certain day, or to miss a week of a bi-weekly post, so one #1 recommendation is: g o o g l e  c a l e n d a r #iykyk :) Or any calendar or planner or organizational system, as long as you can keep track of all of your tasks. It has been a lifesaver for not just FASA stuff, but also planning out my days so that I can make sure I have enough time to get my classwork done as well.

To be completely honest, I was nervous going into this position. Even though I had previous photography experience, this was the most I would ever challenge myself from an artistic/creative standpoint. I had only done photography as a hobby, and I had very little graphics experience from my time as a FASA intern, but I feel this position pushed me enough to constantly keep me on my toes. During my election speech, I emphasized the importance of capturing the memories that we made this year, because in the end, it’s about the friends you made along the way :) As I look back at all of the pictures I have taken and the work that I have done, I hope that you can do the same and remember all the wonderful moments from this past year.

One super important thing to keep in mind when running for any board position is that you are not just one chair, but also a board member. You help out your fellow boardies if they are super busy with classes and they have an event coming up, you make last-minute walgreens runs to get that tape we forgot to pack, and you be there, especially when you have extra time. It also goes the other way around, if you need advice or help, don’t be afraid to reach out to your board! A board that supports each other is a board that works well and creates the best environment for our members. 

To my board:

I am so grateful that I got to work with each and every one of you. Board meetings have been, and will continue to be for these next 2 weeks, one of my favorite parts of the week. I always looked forward to unofficial Turtleneck Tuesdays and bringing in food for one reason or another. It’s always a fun time sticking around after 10pm to hang out and talk until Trotter staff kicked us out, invading the ideahub until Union staff kicked us out, and pretty much any other time that involved us staying up until crackhead hours further worsening our sleep depravity. I also just want to say how proud I am of this board. We have had quite a few hurdles to take on this year and the way that we were able to come together and create solutions was done so professionally. I am so glad that we were able to work together as a cohesive unit. Even if there were disagreements, we worked through them so that everyone felt that their opinion was valued. 

I love this board and this org with all my heart and I can’t wait to see what the future of FASA holds <3

Sincerely,

Lauren Escote

[junker-town]

Japanese basketball’s ‘Chosen One’ is playing in the G League

Yuta Watanabe may be toiling in the G League, but “Yuta-mania” and hope for the future of Japanese basketball are still alive.

Unlike most G League players, Memphis Hustle rookie swingman Yuta Watanabe has multiple media commitments after practice.

After most games, even away games, he’s surrounded by reporters. During a Grizzlies preseason scrimmage before the 2018-19 season, Yuta needed a separate press conference area to accommodate a group of approximately 20 credentialed Japanese media members. His whole world — the mob of reporters, the Japanese fans who comment on his YouTube G League highlights, the Linsanity-lite excitement in Japan that seems to follow his every move — already has a name: Yuta-mania.

In Japan, headlines refer to Yuta as “The Special One” or “The Chosen One.” He started playing with Japan’s senior national team when he was 16 and he was the first Japanese player to ever receive a Division-I basketball scholarship. He is the second-ever Japanese-born player to play in the NBA. The first, Yuta Tabuse, played four games with the Phoenix Suns during the 2004-2005 season.

Thousands of people packed tiny gyms to catch a glimpse of him during George Washington’s preseason summer trip to Japan in 2016. After each game, his teammates waited on the bus for nearly an hour as Yuta signed autographs and took pictures with swarms of adoring fans.

This past June, Japan added another star to the NBA ranks: former Gonzaga star Rui Hachimura, who went No. 9 overall to the Washington Wizards. Rui may have a brighter future, but Yuta ignited the nation first. Together, they’ve been thrust into ambassador roles for Japanese basketball.

But unlike Rui, Yuta’s life this upcoming season is unlikely to reflect the grandeur of their expectations. On a colorless, rainy February day in downtown Memphis, he is running late to our interview inside the Starbucks facing the FedExForum where the Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, have just finished practice. Two Hustle players push through the doors and head outside, still dressed for practice in team-issue hoodies and basketball shorts. They shield themselves from the weather and hop into the back of an old four-door sedan. Yuta, meanwhile, is being held up by a photoshoot for Dabudouri, a Japanese magazine.

Playing in the G League typically does not come with magazine photoshoots. The league is unglamorous, almost by design. Players earn five-figure salaries and travel by long bus rides around Middle America, giving them a sense of “The Grind”. The Hustle play their home games not in the 18,000-seat FedExForum, but in the 8,000-seat Landers Center in nearby Southaven, Mississippi. Even the G League’s team names — the Hustle, the Drive, the Wolves, the Charge — evoke hunger and hard work. Making it in the NBA must seem even more enticing during the second night of a back-to-back in White Plains, New York, and Portland, Maine.

Once he finishes his shoot, Yuta leaves FedExForum through the front door, jogging 100 yards or so through the rain to Starbucks alongside Geoff Langham, the Grizzlies’ communications coordinator. It’s a smaller Starbucks, and Yuta is 6’9 and dressed in obvious NBA player attire — a black Grizzlies puffer jacket, grey sweats, white Jordans. Still, the other patrons — an older man reading the comics in the Commercial Appeal, a pair of teachers lesson planning, even the baristas behind the counter — don’t look up. Geoff orders Yuta an iced vanilla latte, his favorite since he can remember.

In Japan, Yuta — along with Rui and their generation of up-and-comers — carries the hopes of an entire sport on his shoulders. In Memphis, he divides most of his time between three locations: FedExForum, his apartment, and the Landers Center. On a typical day, he goes to practice, gets a ride home, takes a nap, eats, and rides back to the arena to put up shots. Rinse, repeat. Every choice he makes revolves around the dream that all G-Leaguers share: making it in the NBA.

Professionally, Yuta is in a state of limbo. He has a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, meaning that he can move freely between the Grizzlies and the Hustle without having to clear waivers. He earns roughly the same salary as a mid-career accountant ($77,250). He regularly drops 20-plus points in G League games, displaying a Joe Ingles-esque lefty 3-and-D skill set. But when he is called up to the Grizzlies, he struggles for playing time, averaging 2.6 points and 12 minutes per game this past season.

Yuta’s career is in an awkward place, sandwiched between two opposing forces: Japanese adulation and American indifference. Japanese basketball fans — still a niche group, to be sure — gobble up content about him, hoping he’ll lead the national team to prominence. Looming over the sport’s future are the Olympics, which will take place in Tokyo in 2020. Supporters hope Yuta — along with a cadre of younger, up-and-coming stars — can use that platform to put Japanese basketball on the map. In the meantime, he’s trying to make it in the United States, competing for just one of roughly 360 full-time jobs in the most competitive professional sports league in the world, all while adapting to a new language and culture.

Yuta reconciles these two forces by taking refuge in what he can control. He responds with poise, grace, and a dogged belief in putting in the work and trusting the process. There’s a sense among the Japanese media that Yuta has it, whatever it is. He has the personality, the drive, the pedigree, and the talent to make it at the highest levels.

And if he does make it, he might change Japanese basketball forever.

”The Chosen One” refers not only to Yuta’s skills, but also his upbringing. His father, Hideyuki, played professionally in Japan. His mother, Kumi played for the national team. His sister, Yuki, played for the Aisin AW Wings of the Women’s Japan Basketball League. His parents coached him when he was young, explaining exactly what it took to make it in the pros. Yuta has known he wanted to play in America ever since he was seven or eight, when he watched Kobe Bryant lead the Lakers to multiple NBA titles.

As Yuta grew up, Japanese basketball received largely apathetic attention from the nation’s media and sports fans. As baseball flourished, and imports like Ichiro and Daisuke Matsuzaka took the Major Leagues by storm, basketball floundered. Games were barely available on television. Even Today, Bang Lee, a Japanese journalist for Space Ball Magazine and Tokyo pickup player — describes basketball as “probably the fifth-most popular” sport nationwide, trailing baseball, soccer, tennis, sumo, and perhaps martial arts. Japan lacks organized leagues and urban courts for pickup games. Until recently, it lacked a respectable top league.

Yuta injected excitement into Japanese basketball where there was none. His origin story plays into his popularity. The basketball talent coursing through his genes, his roots in the countryside, and his lanky 6’9 frame combine to make him the perfect folk hero for Japanese basketball.

He grew up in Miki, a small town in Kagawa Prefecture often beset by droughts. He garnered national attention when he played with the senior national team at age 16. He led Jinsei Gakuen High School to the finals at nationals during the equivalent of his junior and senior seasons, and realized that he could play Division I basketball in the U.S. His father knew Don Beck, a basketball coach in Japan since who had connections to American prep schools. Beck helped arrange a postgraduate year for Yuta at St. Thomas More in Connecticut.

During his prep school year, Yuta flashed enough 3-and-D potential to earn a three-star ranking from various recruiting services and an offer from George Washington. He stared down all of the expected challenges an immigrant might face: learning a new language, making new friends, creating a new life from scratch. He found a home in the gym.

”Basketball definitely helped,” Yuta says, “because even though I couldn’t speak English, I was able to spend a lot of time with my teammates, which helped me learning English a lot.”

During his time at GW, Yuta evolved from sixth man who provided energy and defense off the bench as a freshman, to the team’s go-to scorer and the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year during his senior season.

GW teammate Tyler Cavanaugh — one of Yuta’s best friends, and a power forward currently playing for the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars — remembers a shy Japanese kid who barely spoke any English. He says it’s important to acknowledge the leap of faith that Yuta took as an 18-year-old.

”Something people need to understand is how far he’s come and how hard it’s been for him to leave his home and come over to the States and not know any English,” Cavanaugh says. “I think Yuta gets misinterpreted sometimes. I think it’s the Japanese culture, but he’s very, very shy, very humble. Now you look at him and he’s in the NBA, and that’s a huge accomplishment.”

Yuta’s profile grew in Japan as he got better. Maurice Joseph, GW’s former head coach, remembers the exact moment when he understood how much Yuta meant to Japan. Joseph says after a game, a woman was trying to get Yuta to take a picture with her baby, but she couldn’t make her way through the throng that surrounded him. Eventually, she got tired of waiting and was close enough to toss her baby to Yuta. Yuta was startled, but he caught the baby. She snuck in next to him, and her husband took the picture. She grabbed the baby, bowed, thanked Yuta, and left.

”It was,” Joseph says, “the wildest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Yuta laughs when he recalls that moment.

”Yeah, I mean, my coach told the media that, but obviously over-exaggerated a bit,” he says. “She didn’t throw (the baby), but she kind of forced me to take it, and I didn’t want to drop the baby. There were actually a lot of fans around me and she knew that I’d have to take the baby and take a picture with it, so …”

According to Cavanaugh, Yuta has always been well-aware of his ambassadorial role.

”Yuta is like LeBron James in Japan,” he says. “After one game, we were all on the bus and there was a line of people waiting for him outside the gym to get his autograph and get a picture with him. We were waiting for like 45 minutes because he wanted to stay and he took a picture with all the people.”

After he graduated from GW in 2018, Yuta signed with the Brooklyn Nets’ summer league squad as an undrafted free agent. After a solid performance in Vegas, Yuta signed his two-way deal with the Grizzlies in July.

Across the Pacific, Japanese fans devour coverage of Yuta, whether that’s articles about him in the U.S.-based Kyodo News or Youtube videos of his G League highlights. Pull up any G League video of Yuta — such as this one, which chronicles a 32-point performance against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants — and scroll down. You’ll find that almost all of the comments are written in Japanese.

Yuta may be in professional limbo, but his success at GW and in the G League have done nothing to quell the excitement bubbling among his Japanese fanbase. He has no choice but to live with the hype.

When Yuta speaks, it’s clear he’s media savvy. He’s dealt with great expectations and national attention since he was 16, so he’s polished in an interview setting. With so much noise around him, so much pressure, he seems to focus only on what he can control. He’s quick to shoot down most of the easy narratives that apply to someone like him.

Does he miss Japanese food?

”I found a Japanese restaurant in Memphis. Sekisui. I get sushi. It’s really good, really authentic. I don’t really miss Japanese food here because I can eat it (when I want).”

Does he miss his family?

”Obviously, I’ve missed my family, friends, and everybody, but I can talk with them on the phone all the time. I feel comfortable here.”

”Yuta is like LeBron James in Japan ... there was a line of people waiting for him outside the gym to get his autograph.” - Tyler Cavanaugh, former George Washington teammate

Does he feel the pressure of being “The Chosen One?” Yuta is far too polite to roll his eyes, but it’s clear he’s fielded this question several times before.

”I don’t really feel any pressure. I can control only what I can control. I know they are calling me ‘Chosen One.’ (That’s a) big nickname. But there’s nothing that I can do with it.”

Yuta combats pressure by losing himself in his craft. His daily routine is simple and consistent. Just basketball, all the time. He never needed to drive at prep school or in Washington D.C., and he’s supposedly currently working on his drivers’ license. For now, he gets rides between the arena and his apartment from Austin, a Grizzlies intern. He’s living in a simple apartment, nice and clean. He’s not really into fashion or video games.

”I just love basketball,” he says. He’s almost apologetic, perhaps sensing that I’m mining for interesting off-the-court nuggets.

But basketball is what he wants to talk about. He’s a hoops nerd and he lights up when talking about old teams or current players. Yuta grew up a Lakers fan and credits Bryant for making him fall in love with the game, but he spends more time now watching Ingles film.

”I like his game and I watch him because I found similarities,” he says. “We’re both lefty, he’s a great defender, a great shooter. I try to, you know, steal.”

He also admires Tayshaun Prince, arguably the patron saint of lefty 3-and-D players and a current member of the Grizzlies’ front office. He lists that title-winning Pistons team — Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Prince, and the Wallaces — among his favorites, despite their victory over Bryant and the Lakers in the Finals.

After playing his college ball in Washington D.C., Yuta’s happy to live in a smaller, slower-paced environment where he can focus exclusively on basketball. He’s found a home in Memphis.

”I love Memphis,” he says. “This kind of reminds me of where I grew up in the countryside. It was a really small town, so this is actually good for me. This is where I feel more comfortable.”

He’s also found a good fit from a basketball perspective.

”That’s who I am, I think,” he says. “You know, I wanted to play with that Grit and Grind. I love how the team values that. I love how the Grizzlies value the defensive end. I just, I love it.”

During the preseason, Yuta further endeared himself to Memphis by displaying just how much American culture he’s embraced since he moved here. When all rookies were forced to participate in some light hazing by dancing to “In My Feelings”, Yuta hit the Shoot dance and shut down the gym as his teammates rushed the floor and mobbed him. You might know the dance from Fortnite, but it originated in Memphis (and its creator, BlocBoy JB, is taking legal action to make sure everybody knows).

I feel like Yuta Watanabe (@wacchi1013) won his team over with this one. The Memphis Grizzlies rookie was swarmed by teammates after putting a Memphis spin on the "In My Feelings' Challenge. Full video of the Grizz rookies dancing here: https://t.co/Fevr4bQqzT pic.twitter.com/cDICGzyBQy

— Sudu Upadhyay (@SuduUpadhyay) September 29, 2018

”First of all, I’m not a dancer. I’m so bad,” Yuta says, laughing at the memory. “I’ve never done that in front of a lot of people.

”I guess I had to do it. I didn’t even think about it, I just let my body move.”

When Yuta finishes watching film, he’ll sometimes watch Japanese comedies, or The Office, which is his favorite show. He started watching it after he’d reached a certain level of English. He has seen the whole series all the way through at least three times. He lights up when I ask him who his favorite character is.

”Dwight,” he says without hesitation. “Love him.”

Why Dwight? Yuta empathizes with underdogs.

”You know, usually, Jim’s always on top of Dwight, he always does something to Dwight. He’s the guy who always wins the battle. But that one time, the snowball fight? Dwight wins, and Jim was really scared.

”That kind of satisfied me.”

On the surface, Yuta seems like a typical favorite. He was raised for success, almost in a Steph Curry-esque manner, in a basketball family. He’s well spoken. He’s intelligent. He’s good looking. He feels like a Jim.

But the fact that he prefers Dwight may shed some light on his situation in Memphis. He enjoys the simplicity of his life in Memphis, his role as the G Leaguer who has to grind out minutes, the squad player who has to prove himself at the highest level. He’s found a way to shrink the pressure that surrounds him by simply enjoying the space he’s in.

A small but rabid generation of Japanese fans who grew up watching Michael Jordan now has disposable incomes. E-commerce site Rakuten has partnered with the NBA in Japan and sponsors the Golden State Warriors’ jerseys. Recently, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss attended a Rakuten event in which 600 Japanese fans watched Game 1 of the Finals on tape delay in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Basketball may be ready to take root in Japan. Yuta and Rui playing in the 2020 Olympics on home soil is a good opportunity to nurture the seeds of the sport.

The current hope is that Yuta, Rui, and naturalized citizen Nick Fazekas can lead the national team to uncharted success at the tournament. There are also some young guns in the system. Chikara Tanaka — a 6’2 point guard and a current sophomore at IMG Academy, a basketball factory in Florida — broke Yuta’s record when he joined the national team at 15.

Yuta doesn’t have time to keep up with all of the games back home, but he usually takes the time to look through box scores, checking the statlines that his friends on the national team put up.

According to Los Angeles-based basketball journalist Yoko Miyaji, Japan has been planning for basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games for several years now. Japan’s top professional league, The B.League — created in September 2016 as a merger between two other leagues that “used to hate each other,” according to Lee — exists solely for the purpose of the 2020 Olympics. Japan needed a respectable league because FIBA had suspended the country’s membership in 2014.

”Yuta and Rui playing in the NBA will be just as big (as the Olympics). Them playing in the NBA will affect Japanese basketball in years to come.” - Yoko Miyaji, basketball journalist

”The 2020 Olympics are really big,” Miyaji says via email. “It isn’t just the actual games. It already has been a turning point since the basketball world in Japan has been focusing on getting an Olympic berth as a host country.”

(Japan received that berth from FIBA at the end of March).

According to Miyaji, Yuta and Rui in particular hold the keys to Japan’s basketball future.

”Yuta and Rui playing in the NBA will be just as big (as the Olympics),” she says. “Them playing in the NBA will affect Japanese basketball in years to come. Not just playing in the NBA, but also them helping the Japan national team be relevant in Asia — and maybe the world — is going to be huge.”

Daisuke Sugiura — a New York-based journalist who covered Japanese baseball stars Hideki Matsui and Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka in their primes — agrees.

”Even my mom, who has no interest in basketball whatsoever, knows who Yuta is,” he says. “Still, I don’t think he is as famous as some Japanese MLB superstars just yet. Although that could change next year if he plays well in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.”

The Olympics feel like a sort of litmus test for Yuta and the state of basketball in Japan. Which seems to ride mostly on Yuta and Rui’s shoulders. The situation feels terribly complex, and yet Yuta doesn’t see it that way. He’s focused on the controllable, and living out the dream he’s had since he was seven.

”It’s gonna be great,” Yuta says. “I’m really excited.”

Whether Yuta ever fulfills his “Chosen One” billing on the court, he has already won off of it. His approval rating in Japan — among both fans and media members — has to be close to 100 percent.

”I’ve been working as a sportswriter for a while,” Sugiura says. “I’ve covered a lot of athletes, and I’d like to tell you that Yuta is probably the nicest and most cerebral athlete I’ve ever seen. The guy is smart, polite, and humble. He knows himself and his place. His parents did a tremendous job.

”I know that we have to be objective and neutral as a member of the media, but it’s very, very hard not to root for him. You’d understand if you cover and talk to him even once.”

Given the current direction of the league, it seems like there should be a spot somewhere for a 6’9 multipositional defender with an improving three-point stroke. Miyaji says shooting was always his strength, his pride, the element of his game he worked the hardest before he started grabbing attention for his defense at GW. Yuta shot 33 percent from three for the Hustle this past season. If he can bump that up even a few percentage points, he should have more opportunities in the NBA.

Even his name seems conducive to success. The league has plenty of mononym stars: Dirk, Luka, LeBron, Steph, Klay, Kobe, Dame, Giannis. On the Hustle broadcasts, whenever Yuta makes a play, you’ll hear the play-by-play man scream, “YUTA!” When he dunks, the color man will often yell, “SURAMUUU DANKUU!!!” — the Katakana pronunciation of “slam dunk” — perhaps in reference to the manga series that Yuta enjoys.

Although Rui may enter the league to more fanfare in the States and is projected to be the better player, Lee says that Yuta is the one whom the kids look up to.

”He gives all the young ballers the hope.”

Rui’s entrance into the NBA as a lottery pick could, in theory, dim Yuta’s glow. So far, it hasn’t.

“If anything, (Rui entering the league) will increase Yuta’s popularity,” Miyaji says. “I haven’t seen his popularity diminish yet. Rui gets more coverage than Yuta, for sure, but Yuta’s [popularity] hasn’t decreased.”

However, Miyaji warns, “he might see less media coverage during the upcoming NBA season, especially if Yuta stays on a two-way contract.”

But success for Yuta and Rui doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. The two are only direct competitors when the Wizards face the Grizzlies, and there is plenty of overlap between both fanbases. As Miyaji emphasizes, “hope” for Japanese basketball refers to both Yuta and Rui, as well as a group of younger stars like Tanaka. Yuta created the hope, and Rui can amplify it.

Still, journalists — and Yuta himself — try to inject doses of realism into the discourse.

”I have seen a few misleading headlines (in Japan), like ‘People in the U.S. are crazy about Yuta!’ which is simply not true,” Sugiura says. “But we mostly report the truth. Yuta is trying to get his minutes in the NBA. It’s not always easy, but he definitely has future potential.”

”Even becoming a two-way player is a big deal for Japanese fans,” Miyaji adds. “He’s only the third player from Japan to play in the G League, and it is a big deal (for Japanese fans) for him to play any NBA minutes.”

Miyaji emphasizes that Yuta understands his situation. He’s gracious with the media, and about what he’s accomplished so far. But he also gets that he hasn’t made it just yet. While Rui is guaranteed minutes and a chance to prove himself, Yuta is not. His position in the league is more tenuous.

Still, Miyaji says most people in Japan believe Yuta will be a full-time NBA player in the next season or two, especially given his size and versatility.

”There are media trying to follow and cover him, but it’s still mostly wait-and-see mode,” she says. “I feel like full blown ‘Yuta Mania’ has yet to happen.”

As you might expect, Yuta does his best to ignore the noise.

”I don’t know when I felt like I could make it,” he says. “I wasn’t sure if was gonna make it, but I’m sure I’m gonna keep working hard. I’m sure that my passion, my work ethic, everything was there.

“I just knew that eventually I’m gonna make it.”

At the end of his career, Yuta wants to know he did everything in his power to succeed.

”No regrets,” he says. “I don’t want it to be 10 years or 15 years (later) and look back on what I could have done. So I just want to do everything I can do every day so when I retire, I can say I did everything I wanted to do.”

Yuta can already look back without regrets for two reasons: first, he’s already accomplished everything he ever dreamed of, willing himself to a two-way contract in the NBA. He clearly enjoys the hell out of playing basketball for a living. Second, he’s already left an indelible impact on Japanese basketball, paving a path for younger Japanese talent. A path that didn’t exist pre-Yuta.

To that end, he’s mindful of his role as an ambassador for Japanese basketball. He hasn’t thought much about his post-basketball career, but when he retires, he wants to mentor the next generation of great Japanese players. He wants to help Japanese players challenge themselves in the States.

”When I was in high school, when I said I wanted to go to the U.S., I didn’t have any connections or any people to talk with,” he says. “It was really hard to find a school that I could go to. Fortunately, my dad knew somebody and that guy helped me a lot.

So I guess I want to help those kids who want to come to the U.S. Give them advice.”

Yuta’s college career didn’t get the storybook ending it deserved. In his final college game, GW lost to St. Louis in the second round of the Atlantic 10 tournament in a mostly empty Capital One Arena in his adopted hometown of Washington D.C.

With eight minutes left in the game and GW down by two, Yuta stole the ball and raced toward St. Louis’s basket. A Billikens player tried to block the shot, initiating contact. Yuta rolled his ankle and needed help hobbling off the floor. GW’s trainer wrapped his ankle and escorted him to a nearby tunnel.

”Prove to me you can run and jump,” he says. Yuta couldn’t. He spent the rest of the game on the bench, his chin bandaged, his ankle sprained as his team’s season came to an end.

”I’m really frustrated, but after I got injured, I was watching my teammates from the bench,” he says. “And they never gave up.”

After the game, he hobbled out of the locker room on a crutch, his ankle swathed in ice. He answered questions in English for the American media and in Japanese for the Japanese media. As he spoke, tears filled his eyes.

Later, after everyone had left the arena, he sent a message to Miyaji, saying he would answer additional questions. He felt he didn’t talk as much as he should have earlier because he was too emotional after the end of his college career.

This is Yuta in a nutshell. Even during a low point in his career, he inherently understood his role as an ambassador for the sport and a representative of his country. And he relished the chance to make a difference and to live within the world of basketball. Even if he plays the rest of his career in the G League, his current life — practice, games, an episode of The Office — is a good one for the kid who always dreamed of playing basketball in the States, “Chosen One” pressure be damned.

”I’m really glad that basketball is my job now,” he says. Then, he gets up to catch a ride back to his apartment, where he’ll eat and nap before returning to the Forum to get up more shots.

This article was reported in collaboration with Dat Winning.

[imaginezimbits]

Hey! I love your writing! Are you ever going to continue the football AU thing? I loved it!!

Here it is!  Took a while, but this chapter is longer than the first, so hopefully that makes up for the wait

Eric bit his lip nervously, turning his phone over and over in his hand.  He looked down at the message he had typed out again.

Hey is it weird if i ask your opinion on my prom outfit?  It felt weird but he thought that could just be him.  After all, he and Philip had agreed to stay friends after Philip went away to college and they broke up.  They had even talked somewhat frequently over the semester, but about innocent things.  School, their old friends in town, what the weather out in California was like.  Neither of them had brought up moving on, but if they were actually going to be friends long term, it was going to have to happen eventually.  Eric hit Send.  It only took a couple minutes before the bubbles that indicated Philip typing showed up, followed shortly by a reply.

Eh, maybe a little but whatev.  I’m cool with it.

Thanks :)

Eric smoothed the front of the suit jacket one more time and took a deep breath before letting himself smile and snapping a picture in the dressing room mirror.  He attached it to a new message and said: Be brutal, if I wanted compliments I’d ask mama.  The next reply came after a few moments of consideration.

Tbh, that suit makes me want to take your virginity all over again.  Do the world a favor and get it.  Eric felt a pang of longing, remembering when he and Philip had gone to get their tuxes for Philip’s senior prom the year before and they’d ended up making out in the dressing room.  He still laughed though, imagining the exaggerated leer Philip would’ve given him if he was there.

Alright, I’m convinced.  You’re the best! :-*

Give Mama a hug for me! Xoxoxo

Will do!

Eric put his phone down on top of the pile of his clothes and stepped out from behind the curtain.  When Mama saw him, she pressed a hand to her chest.

“Oh Dicky, you look so handsome!”  He smiled and told her,

“Definitely this one.”

Waiting by the front door, Eric fussed with his bowtie restlessly while he waited for his date to arrive.  He hadn’t met Bryan in person yet, though they’d been texting for a few weeks.  It was technically a blind date, set up by, of all people, two of  coach’s backup linebackers.  The duo called themselves Ransom and Holster, and had become inseparable at training camp back in August.  By the back-to-school barbeque, they had started to be referenced in one breath as RansomandHolster.  They had also taken Bitty under their incredibly large wings.

Part of having what amounted to two enthusiastic older brothers slash best friends apparently entailed having guaranteed dates for any and all social functions.  So when prom season came around and Eric was still single, they took it upon themselves to find him a date.  Ransom, who had apparently friended the entire freshman class of Samwell as well as a good part of the senior classes of both Marsh High School and James Madison High, had plopped himself down on the Bittles’ couch with his laptop and started scrolling through his Facebook and reading off the names of eligible young ladies.  

Eric had clammed up in the face of such enthusiasm but Rans didn’t get far through the list before Holster nudged him and waved his hand in a slicing motion in front of his neck, shaking his head.  Ransom ground to a halt and clicked a few times to a new tab and started reading again, instead listing guys’ names and accompanying descriptions.  

“Stop me anytime, Bits,” he prompted after the first five.

“Um, the rower sounds nice?”

“Excellent choice!”  Holster proclaimed, and Rans nodded along.

“Great arms, not too tall, high calorie diet.  Ideal partner for our itty bitty baker.”  Holster gasped.

“Broooooo, you totally got it!”

“What?”

“Eric’s totally sw’awesome nickname!  Bittle, Bitty?  Dude, it’s perfect.”

“Noice,” Ransom agreed, nodding and bumping Holster’s fist.

“Bitty?” Eric asked, arms crossed over his chest.  “Y’all expect me to answer to Bitty?”

“It’ll grow on ya,” Holster assured him.

Ransom promptly distracted them both by announcing, “Messaging rower dude now, operation Get Bitty a Prom Date commenced.”  It was honestly a little spooky how quickly Ransom was able to message Bryan, get a response, and have Bitty’s phone lighting up with a friend request quickly followed by a message that read,

hey your profile pics even cuter than justin said

And just like that, Eric - Bitty’s last semester of high school was off and running.

“Dicky, are you alright?” Mama asked, coming downstairs with her digital camera in hand, worried crease between her eyebrows.

“Yeah, Mama I’m fine.  Just…excited.”  Eric stopped fussing with the bowtie.  Mama tucked the camera in her cardigan pocket and come over to fix his tie herself.  

“Oh baby, you just look so handsome.  I wish your Moomaw could be up here to see you off, she’d love this.”

“Mama, it’s just the prom.  It’s really not a big deal.”

“Well you know how your grandmother fussed over your older cousins when they went to their senior proms.”

“Yes, and it is one of the hundreds of reasons I’m grateful that you and Coach moved us up North.”  Headlights flashed over the front windows of the house, cascading shadows across the room.  “And here comes another reason.”  Mama laughed and went to fetch the boutonnieres from the fridge where she’d been keeping them fresh.  Bryan had come by himself, apparently his mother had gotten a sufficient number of pictures of him in a tux at his own senior prom the previous month.  Suzanne definitely fussed enough for two mothers and maybe Moomaw too, directing them in what was essentially a full-fledged photoshoot.

“Wait wait wait!”  She called, making Eric pause just before he could pin the flower onto Bryan’s lapel.  “Hold that!  No honey, don’t look at me, look at Bryan!  Don’t twist your face up like that.  Good!”  And

“Oh oh oh!  One on the stairs; we need one on the stairs!”  And

“Richard!  Get in here the boys are leaving for the prom!…Oh honey no you can’t be in the pictures dressed like that, go put on a nice shirt real quick.  Yes I am serious, these pictures are forever!  Don’t - Oh good Lord what am I going to do with you boys?”

When she finally let them go, Bryan looked a little uncomfortable, tugging at his shirt collar as he slid into the driver’s seat of his car.

“I am so sorry about her,” Eric apologized.  “She just gets all excited whenever there’s an occasion to dress up.”

“Yeah, no it’s cool.  When I went with my friends all our moms went nuts, it was so annoying.”

“Well I try to indulge her a little, I mean she is my mama.  And she’s my best friend, ya know?  So I just want to make sure she’s happy.”

“Your mom’s your best friend?  That’s…cool, I guess.”  Bryan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, looking out at the road.  Eric turned forward to look out the windshield as well.

“Yeah.”

The prom itself was pretty nice.  It was being held in a restaurant in downtown Samwell that used to be a mill building.  There were incandescent bulbs dangling from the ceiling and lots of exposed pipe and brick, old wide-plank wood floors.  After the students voted Emilio’s as the venue the prom committee had surveyed the space and decided to make it a steampunk theme, which yielded…interesting results.  There were a lot of vintage suits and dresses that had clearly been meticulously thrifted by members of the drama and history clubs.  A few people had broken out their old stovepipe hats from fourth grade Abraham Lincoln projects, and the prom committee had spray painted the edges of dollar-store swim goggles as party favors.  There were functionless gears stuck just about anywhere you could imagine.  As centerpiece, cardboard tubes painted like industrial pipes spilled “steam” from dry ice they’d acquired courtesy of the Samwell chemistry department.

Eric let Sammi from homeroom push a pair of sparkly goggles on him.  He put them up on top of his head to keep from getting awful rings stamped around his eyes, only to find that they shoved his bangs up in a ridiculous puff of blonde hair.  

“How do I look?” He asked Bryan, tossing his head a little to make the puff of hair wiggle around.  Bryan laughed and declined Sammi’s offer of a matching pair of goggles.

“You look pretty ridiculous.”

“Well that seems to be the point,” Eric said, waving to his classmates, most of whom were dressed much more elaborately than a pair of shiny goggles and a suit.

“Really, I’m good.  The theme was a nice effort, but not my thing.”  

“Alright, suit yourself.  Let’s go grab some punch or something.”  Bryan took his hand to walk over to the punch bowl, and Eric allowed himself to think that maybe that was a good sign.  Maybe he was shy?  Relax, Bittle.  They each ladled themselves a cup of what looked to be Hawaiian Punch with some orange slices tossed in for garnish, and headed for the table that had been commandeered by Eric’s friends from the journalism club.  “Hey, y’all!  This is my date, Bryan.  Bryan, this is Cameron, Deja, Sihua, and Josh.  They’re all on the e-board for the school news blog.”  

“Cool, cool.  I think my school has a newspaper.”

“And that’s precisely why we went digital,” Josh said.  “Before us, nobody even knew the paper existed.  It was just, like, a sad tumbleweed you saw crushed up in the hallway and in the school library archives.”

“The journalism club was basically a cryptid,” Deja put in.  “There was always a yearbook photo and there were always meeting announcements, but yet nobody could claim to have actually read an issue.”

“Until when we were Freshmen,” Bitty explained, “the seniors on the e-board decided to stop wasting the budget printing papers nobody was reading and instead built a website and just started posting articles on there.  They kept sharing the posts on their personal social media accounts and people kept reading them without realizing they were the school paper until they realized the articles were all about our school.”

“And so a legend was born.”

“Bitty runs a cooking vlog out of the home-ec classroom to teach people how not to be sad, underfed college students.”

“Sihua runs the advice column, Josh does our featured hard-hitting investigative pieces, Deja does lifestyle stuff -”

“Meaning I review the school play and all the shitty garage bands, plus whatever restaurant opened for the next few months in the perpetually abandoned old theater on Main Street.”  Bryan laughed.

“Hey, that’s still way cooler than anything we’ve got at Marsh.”  He downed the last of the punch as the song changed, and turned to Eric.  “Wanna go shake it?”’

“Only always,” Deja jumped in for him.  “Get going, I’ve been looking forward to this all year.”

“I take it you’ve got some moves?”

“Sweetheart, my depths are hidden and spectacular.”  

Just how spectacular his depths were had to wait for the afterparty, however.  Because while his teachers up north didn’t care if he danced with boys, or even kissed the boy in question a few times, they were in fact there to chaperone and therefore couldn’t reasonably let the dancefloor devolve into an ersatz nightclub.  

That particular part of the night was saved for Sammi’s living room.  Her older sister was supposed to be watching her while their parents were out of town, but she had ever so kindly agreed to be out at one of the Samwell football team’s infamous kegsters in the hours immediately following the Madison high prom.  As soon as she’d been crowned prom queen and danced with the king, she ducked out with the members of the prom committee who hadn’t also volunteered for cleanup crew and headed back to her house to start setting up.  

By the time Eric and Bryan got there, almost the entire junior class had packed themselves into the poor Victorian, teenagers spilling out onto the porch and into the backyard pool if the sounds of splashing and screaming were any indication.  There was another (much stronger smelling) punch bowl on the kitchen island, which had been turned into the bar for the occasion.  Bryan headed for that, dunking a solo cup from the leaning stack beside it.

“You do know that’s basically Jungle Juice, right?” Eric warned.  “I think it’s taking the paint off the cabinets as we speak.”  Bryan took a sip, eyes crinkling at the corners, belying the smirk he was hiding behind the drink.

“Don’t worry, Mom.  I can handle myself.  You want a cup?”

“Well, suit yourself, but I have places to be tomorrow so I’m gonna take a pass.”  Eric rummaged around in the cooler at his feet and pulled out a hard lemonade.  He poured it into his cup and added some iced tea from the mixers section.  “If I’m so hungover I can’t pass for just tired, my mama will tan my hide.”

“You southerners and your weird expressions.  It’s so cute.”  He stepped closer to Eric and wrapped his free arm around his waist.  “Come on, let’s go really dance.  No chaperones.”  Eric felt a flush creep up the back of his neck, but he nodded.

“Let’s show ‘em how it’s done.”

They took their drinks back to the living room where somebody had set up speakers and the student council treasurer was playing “DJ” since he was apparently the only one around with decent taste in music and no ads on his Spotify account.  The next song came on strong with low, heavy bass and Bryan plastered himself to Eric’s back as soon as they merged into the crowd, rolling his hips against Eric’s ass.  It made Eric’s face burn, even as his body moved to the music of its own accord.  He wasn’t kidding earlier that he was a good dancer, that he liked to dance, but the last time he was grinding on somebody, it was Philip.  At a pre-season kegster that Shitty had invited them to at the football Haus, laughing and a little sunburnt, not drunk because the guys felt ethically weird about getting the coach’s kid schwastey.  Everything had been hot and bright and wonderful.

In contrast, Sammi’s living room floor was already getting sticky with spilled drinks, and Eric had to move quickly to avoid getting a splash of Bryan’s awful mystery drink on his shirt when somebody jostled them.  The smell of the alcohol on Bryan’s breath was sickeningly sweet, and Eric was a little relieved when the cup went empty and Bryan told him,

“I’m going for a refill, you need more?”

“Vodka cranberry please,”  Eric smiled and handed his empty cup over.  Maybe he just needed to loosen up more.  He’d been with Philip so long, it was probably just that moving on still felt weird.  Bryan was cute and nice from what Eric could tell.  By all rights, they should get along famously.  Eric briefly found himself sandwiched between Sihua and Cam, who had taken to reenacting Night at the Roxbury with everyone they encountered.  He was nearly doubled over with laughter when Bryan returned, looking at them in bewildered amusement.  Eric took his drink with a smile and allowed himself to be pulled back to his date, waggling his fingers at his friends as they bopped off to harass Deja.

The night wore on, Eric stashing his suit jacket in the hall closet and letting his bowtie hang loose from his collar, buttons slowly making their way undone as the temperature in the livingroom rose with every drink.  He knew he was heading for the drunken side of tipsy and started slowing his sips, turned down the next offer of a refill.  Bryan on the other hand was pretty trashed after matching Eric drink for drink with whatever noxious concoction was in the cooler.  He swayed on his feet and his dancing was more awkward, as though he was suddenly back in middle school and unsure of how to control his limbs.  Eventually, Eric decided that it was probably more of a risk to the surrounding dancers to let him stay on the dancefloor and he needed to get him at least decently sobered up so he could - shit.  

There was no way for them to get Bryan’s car home.  Eric was way more sober but he’d never be good enough to drive in time to get them back.  They’d have to hitch a ride with Deja in her minivan.  Eric would bake her an entire strawberry pie in thanks.  But he should definitely try to get Bryan to dry out a little bit more before they tried to take him home in case his parents were waiting up.

“You know,” Eric said in the lull between songs.  “I’m getting pretty tired, why don’t we step outside for some air?”  Bryan nodded and allowed himself to be toted along like a ragdoll until they reached the front door.  “Oh how nice, there’s a porch swing.  Why don’t we go sit out there?”  Eric pushed open the screen door and stepped outside.  Stumbling on the doorframe, Bryan followed, almost pitching headfirst down the stairs, but Eric caught him by the belt.  

“Whoa,” he said, straightening up slowly.  His cheeks were ominously pale and going green.

“Um, are you okay?”  Bryan mulled it over for a moment, then shook his head quickly before doubling over and emptying the contents of his stomach all over Eric’s shoes. “Oh lord.”  Eric looked up to the roof.  “Oh god no.”  But yes.  There was hot boozy liquid seeping in the lace holes.  

“Oh god,” Bryan mumbled.  He wiped his mouth on the back of his shirt.  “Ohhhh that was terrible.  What the fuck?  Jesus was there fucking kerosene in that?  God that burned.”  He then promptly hunched over the railing and proceeded to heave into the poor  begonias below.

Everything was so suddenly too much.  His date was puking, his shoes were a mess, his suit jacket and friends were still all inside and he didn’t know what to do.  He wanted his mother to come to him, clean him up the way she would when he was a child, but he couldn’t.  He was drunk at a party and so were all his friends, and his mother could never know.  He opened his phone and started scrolling through his text threads.  He called Deja, the DD for the journalism club, but got voicemail.  He called Cam, but when he picked up they couldn’t hear each other and all he got was “GET IT, ERIC!”  

His eyes had caught on the thread below Cam next: Jack Zimmermann.  It was stupid and desperate to hope.  The football team was having a party too, for all he knew Jack was in no state to come and save him.  Or more probably asleep already.  And he probably wouldn’t want to help Eric anyway.  Sure they were friends, but  coming to the other side of town in the middle of the night to bail him out of an awful date was a pretty tall order.  But hey, he really was desperate and pretty well full of liquid courage, so he dialed the number.

The voice that answered was slurred from sleep and grasping at captainly composure but landing somewhere around half-panicked anyway.

“Bittle?  Bittle, what’s going on?  Are you okay?”  

“Jack, hi.  Um, I’m fine?”

“You don’t sound sure.  It’s the middle of the night.”

“Well I’m not great but it’s not an emergency?  I do kind of need help though.”

“What’s going on?  Where are you?”

“I’m at an after prom party.  Uh, my date’s really drunk.”

“What kind of drunk?  Are you in trouble?”

“No!  No, just um.  He puked on my shoes.” Eric glanced behind him to check on Bryan quickly.  “And now he’s asleep on the porch swing.  I just - I really don’t feel like being at this party anymore.  My date soiled Sammi’s garden, my socks are all gross, and I’m not sober enough to be dealing with this.  I really want my mom to come and fix it but I can’t call my mother drunk and I don’t know what else to do.”  By the time he was finished, his eyes were burning and his vision was blurring and he was so angry.  At Bryan for being a disaster, at Philip for leaving, but mostly at himself for crying on the phone with Jack Zimmermann.

“Bittle?  Bittle.  Can you hear me?”  Jack was speaking gently, soothing.

“Yeah,” he felt his cheeks burning in shame at the cracks in his voice, embarrassed that Jack was having to coddle him.

“Alright.  I’m going to come and get you okay?  There’s still a party going on downstairs so I have to hang up, but when I do, text me the address you’re at.  I’ll be right there, I promise.”

“Okay, I will.  Thank you Jack, thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem, Bittle.”  The line went dead.  Dutifully, Eric copied over the address from Sammi’s invite and then sat down on the steps to wait for his rescuer.

He looked up at the sound of a car coming to a stop in front of the house, and sure enough, there was Jack, climbing out of Shitty’s awful hatchback.  When he came around the hood and started up the front steps, Eric’s heart jumped in his chest.  Jack was dressed in soft-looking plaid pajama pants and a faded Habs t-shirt that looked just a tad too big for him.  A pair of wire-rim reading glasses were perched on top of messy hair, and he was wearing honest-to-God slippers on his feet.  Basically, he looked like somebody’s dad rolled out of bed, but on Jack it looked adorable.  

“Hey.” Jack greeted him.  Eric scrambled to his feet and looked up at Jack.

“Hey!  Hi, um.  Thanks again, oh my lord, I’m so embarrassed.  I can’t believe I dragged you out of bed for -”

“Bittle.”  Jack’s hand landed on his shoulder, warm and so big his thumb spanned across Eric’s collarbone easily.  “It’s okay.   I’ve got your back.”  He held up a matching pair of slippers in his other hand.  “I’ve also got your feet.”  Eric briefly contemplated crying again, and perhaps working in a marriage proposal because there was absolutely nothing in the world that would could make him happier than the chance to not be wearing his gross barfy shoes for another minute.  Instead he just said,

“Jack Zimmermann, you are my hero.”

“It’s no big deal.  Shits probably won’t miss ‘em.  Especially if he knows his slippers are saving his favorite future Wellie.”  Eric took the slippers and stepped out of his dress shoes.  Scuffs be damned, he couldn’t bear to touch the soggy laces.  He ditched his socks too for good measure and sighed as his feet sank into the fluffy soles.  “Better?”

“So much,” he sighed, closing his eyes in bliss.

“Good.  So, where’s this date of yours?  And your jacket?”

“Oh.  Darn, I forgot about that.  Um.  Well, date is over there.”  He pointed to Bryan, snoring on the porch swing.  “And I left my jacket in the coat closet.”  Jack contemplated Bryan for a moment before apparently deciding he wasn’t an issue and dismissing him.

“Alright, I’ll come with you and help you find your jacket.  Then we’ll stuff him in the backseat and get him home.”  This must be the kind of intensity Coach was always talking about with Jack.

“So when we get inside, you grab the jacket at the snap and then I’ll go long?”  Jack blushed, which, while not Eric’s intention, was certainly a lovely surprise.

“Keep it simple, Bittle.  Although I don’t think I’d mind punting that guy,” he nodded at Bryan.

“You and me both.”

When Jack stepped into the house behind Eric, the noise around them started to die down, confused silence following them through the living room to the closet.  He heard classmates yelling over the music,

“Who’s the old guy?”

“Shit, is he a teacher?”

“Is that someone’s dad?”

“Fuck, are we busted?”

“Hot damn!”

Jack pretty studiously ignored the last one, but Eric couldn’t help laughing when Jack grumbled, “Dad?  Jesus, what’s wrong with these kids?  I’m not that old!  Certainly not old enough to be anyone’s dad.”  Eric grabbed his coat and patted Jack on the arm.

“Well I think your dad glasses make you look distinguished.”

Jack handed Eric the keys to unlock Shitty’s car and hefted Bryan like a sack of flour.  While he held the door to the backseat open, Jack wrestled Eric’s groggy date into the seat and buckled him in, then jostled him until he woke up enough to focus on Jack’s face.

“Hey man, you got way too drunk.  I’m taking you home.  And when you wake up, you owe Eric an apology.”

Eric climbed into the passenger seat and pulled up Bryan’s address on Maps, letting Siri guide Jack as the three of them rode to the next town over in silence.  When they got to Bryan’s house, Jack got out of the car again, gesturing for Eric to wait behind.  He helped Bryan stumble up the front walk and took his keys to let him in the front door, leaving him to his own devices after he got inside.

“Well,” Jack sighed, settling back behind the wheel.  “That was a pretty terrible date.”

“Ya think so?  I dunno, I was thinking a summer wedding.”  Jack chuckled and put the car in drive again.

[joie-university-rp]

Dear DAKOTA SWANSON,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

-

Congratulations, KAYLEIGH! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklist and send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; pronouns:  Kayleigh/Female

Age, Timezone: 29/Est

Activity, short explanation: Gurl you know me.

Ships: Dakota/Male

Anti-Ships: Dakota/Female

Triggers: N/A

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): http://aarontveit.net/photos/albums/photoshoots/headshots/normal_HEADSHOTS-001.jpg

Anything else: Nope

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Dakota Michael Swanson

FC: Aaron Tveit

Age/Year at University (Freshman [1st Year], Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student): 21/Junior

Birth date (MONTH DAY, YEAR): March 19, 1998

Hometown (please be sure to check the hometowns listed for characters your muse is related to!): New York, New York

Gender/Pronouns: Male/Male

Sexuality: Homosexual

Major(s): Musical Theater

Minor(s) [optional]: Dance

Housing request (remember, only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Schuester Apartments

Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Drama Club - President, Glee Club, Thunderclap Tour Guide, Baseball

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): None

CHARACTER PROFILE:

[At least] 3 Headcanons for your character:

Dakota is cousins with Anthony. The two were really close growing up until Datoka’s family moved from Dallas, Tx to New York. Anthony was always jealous of Kota though since he was able to do theater and music stuff since his parents weren’t nearly as strict about it as Anthony’s were.

Kota started performing in the community theater when he was just 7 years old and fell in love with it. He started taking dance classes as well as acting classes, knowing from that age that that’s what he wanted to do in life.

Dakota played baseball growing up as well, wanting to do something in the sports as well. He now plays for Joie’s baseball team as their center fielder.

Dakota’s goal in life is to be on Broadway and win a Tony and he’s determind to do it within a couple of years after graduating from Joie.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? My dad went here so I got a discount price being the kid of an alumni.

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? Positive: Adaptive, Creative, Neat. Negative: Arrogant, Stubborn, Selfish

Which of your traits do you value most? I value being adaptive and creative the most. I need to be both in order to succeed in show business.

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? It’ll give the university someone who’s willing to adapt to his surroundings and create new ideas for things across campus.

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU? experience within the theater department to prepare me for auditions on Broadway.

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you? “Take me baby, or leave me.”

[humanoid-lovers]

5.0 out of 5 stars You need this in your life

5.0 out of 5 stars like annie, this saucy little b doesn't do windows This book has only been out for like 7 seconds and I already have a fresh batch of "awesomesauce" in the fridge. Super easy to follow, super fun to read, super delicious to eat. The only way I would love it more is if it cleaned my house too. Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars I'll Have a Scoop of What They are Selling I have always wanted to take a trip to NYC just to eat my way through this amazing city and Big Gay Ice Cream is my #1 dessert stop. After reading their start up and their laugh-out-loud stories amongst the pages of Big Gay Ice Cream: Saucy Stories & Frozen Treats: Going All the Way with Ice Cream by Bryan Petroff and Douglas Quint I will make it my first stop. I will say it, this is so much more than a cookbook. There are so many wonderful stories of how they, Petroff and Quint, came to be the quirkiest makers of ice cream and also what makes them so dang lovable. I have never enjoyed a cookbook like I did this one because it has an over-the-top personality unlike any cookbook out in stores and I loved that about it. I will not only say that most all of the tips for creating ice cream are exceptional and brand new to me but they are shared in a way that makes me want to spend lots of afternoons creating ice cream flavors. Dreams for the my tastebuds. My favorite tip/trick is the lining of the ice cream cone with any topping and I mean any topping. That will completely shock my frioends and family. I see an ice cream social in my future. I received this book from BloggingFor Books for this review and all opinions are my own. Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars There is NOTHING wrong with it OK, I apologize, but let's get this out of the way first thing... "Not that There's anything wrong with it".Recently I got an opportunity to review The Big Gay Ice Cream Book! here's the legal stuff... "I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review." But the review and opinions are 100% accurate and mine!". I was very excited to get the book (Today it's going to top 95 degrees and 110% Humidity), I felt cooler just reading the book.And it is a great read. The fellows have a fun story to tell. Starting out as a summer fling and turning into a nationwide mini but growing conglomerate, the brief history of how the truck came to be, to their current success was inspiring and educational and entertaining.The book is set up as a High School yearbook, with Freshman classes (Store bought ice cream with unusual and fun toppings), to Sophomore year with recipes for kicked up sauces and toppings (like this one), Junior year leads to shakes, floats and sundaes; while Senior year encourages you to make your own ice cream!Just the first chapter alone is worth the price of the book! A page for each, Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry; with a couple dozen unusual topping suggestions (Like Caramelized Bacon for Chocolate Ice Cream) will be an inspiration for decades to come. Can't wait to try Vanilla with Curried Coconut!The book is top quality, hard cover... It doesn't show in the photos, but even the cover sparkles with simulated sugar sprinkles mixed into the colors. Nearly 200 pages, color photos throughout, each recipe has it's own photo and PLENTY of encouraging How-To instructions that will guarantee success.I just don't have enough good things to say about The Big Gay Ice Cream Book! Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, colorful, delicious Been a fan of these guys, their approach to business, and their incomparable product for years, so I had high hopes for this book. And it didn’t disappoint. Not even a little bit.The kitschiness of formatting the book as a yearbook works brilliantly. The photographs (they’re so good I really want to call them artwork) are mouth-watering. I enjoyed reading the history of the company, and the guest authors were a welcome surprise (especially my personal favorite, one Mr. Neil Gaiman).And the recipes. Oh, the recipes! From store-bought toppings to make-your-own sauces to shakes/ice cream/sorbet, this book is chock-full of things I’m excited to try. I’ve been wanting to make their bourbon butterscotch sauce since I tried it a couple of years ago (in February, no less…Big Gay is so good we visited in the dead of the New York winter) and cannot wait to give it a go. I have a feeling my ice cream maker will be getting a run for its money this summer.It’s rare that a cookbook can make you laugh, but this one will (unless you’re of a more stodgy persuasion; then I make no promises). It serves its purpose by providing lots of complimentary flavors and new recipes, but that’s almost an aside to a book that’s full of feistiness and color. There are even mix tape playlists and yearbook photos (I remember when they held the photoshoot at one of their shops and how sad I was that I couldn’t make it into the city that day).All in all: This works brilliantly as a cookbook, gift, or even coffee table book (though your visitors may begin demanding that you serve them ice cream…). Absolutely worth buying. And you should probably grab one for a friend! Go to Amazon

[ashleyromasko]

21 THINGS ABOUT GRADUATING SCAD

Written between April 16, 2018-January 1st 2020

From the years of 2014-2018, I studied at a university that encouraged me to express myself and pushed me to confront and explore my own creativity. I graduated from SCAD with a B.F.A in Fashion. This has been a goal I've worked towards since I was eight years old when I started sketching in my math notebooks. SCAD has provided me with a platform to explore this dream, find focus, go for what I want, and fight for what I believe in. 

Here are 21 things I’ve taken away from my experience at SCAD.

 1. PEOPLE BUILD YOU UP, AND BREAK YOU DOWN.  

The moment I got to SCAD I had a realization that I was no longer the person that nobody understood. I was put in a group of people that thought similarly to myself. I was fortunate enough to make a few of my best friendships the first day of school; little did we know we'd be on this roller coaster together for four years and remain friends through thick and thin. The people at SCAD who I chose to surround myself with are driven, skilled, hard working and passionate about what they do. They encouraged me to push myself, to work a little longer, to party a little harder, and they're all successful. People at SCAD will either build you up, or break you down. There are just as many people at SCAD who don't take their career seriously and get very uncomfortable by other’s success. Some will tear your work to shreds over and over no matter how many times you attempt to work with integrity and kindness. Each person you encounter, positive or negative, will build you up, make you stronger, and allow you to become the best version of yourself. By the end you are coated with strength and wisdom and ready to work with any person in your industry. 

2. THIS IS YOUR ONLY TIME TO MAKE YOUR OWN WORK. 

Your entire artistic education encourages you to find a voice, perspective, and refine your taste levels. We are creating work, projects, and collaborating with other artists for 30+ weeks out of the year. We are designing for fictitious customers and acting as the creative directors, producers, project mangers, and designers that we want to become someday. Once college is over you start over again; you become the assistant or intern and have to prove your worth and apply the hard skills that were learned throughout the last four years. Once you graduate, you lose the resources that SCAD offers and you lose the time to work on your own projects; it becomes a lot more difficult to do your own work. Soak up the time to be free, create anything you think the world needs, and use the resources provided. 

3. YOU ARE STRONGER AT THE END

Four years of being told to work harder, try harder, do better, and push push push because you’re not doing enough…teaches you how to handle just about anything. You will learn how to truly fight for something you’re passionate about and how to put yourself out there if you really want to work in your perspective industry. It’s VERY HARD to break down the doors and land the job you want, but by the time you are nearing graduation you should have taught yourself how to fight for it. My 18 year old self would only dream of doing what I did while at SCAD and once I graduated. Everything leading up to those accomplishments taught me how to survive with gratefulness, extreme persistence, and a positive attitude. You have to fight through SCAD, and you have to keep fighting for it afterwards. 

4 INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.  

My hometown in Wisconsin didn’t breed the most diverse group of people while I was growing up. I was always obsessing over the idea of traveling but could never afford to, and the closest thing I could get to it was the foreign exchange students. When I got to SCAD, I instantly befriended tons of people from all around the world. My ride or die best friends come from everywhere around the world and we all grew together. We would have family dinners with all kinds of cuisine, and would constantly introduce each other to new cultural traditions. These kinds of relationships taught me more than any class. I learned about food, film, artists, ideas, politics, designers, phrases, and educational systems that I didn’t even know existed. Once I was leaving school, I was equipped to meet and get along with people from all over the world; I was taught to embrace cultural differences and learn from them. 

5. IF YOU DON’T ASK, YOU WON’T RECEIVE. 

Life presents itself with many opportunities, but only a few people will reach out and grab them. Asking for something you want is very scary, because it makes you vulnerable and susceptible to rejection…but let me be the first to tell you to prepare yourself for rejection. You’re going to hear, “no” more than, “yes,” and it can’t stop you from asking again. 

I spent all of Freshman and Sophomore year running around meeting seniors, doing hair on photoshoots, meeting with different people and planning projects with them, working on a blog, and starting to write. I was shaking hands everyday, and aggressively trying to meet with every single person from the industry who walked in the door even if I didn’t have a damn thing to show them. I pushed myself to connect with people further if I felt a true and genuine connection with them even if I didn’t know where it could take me later on. Once it was time to find an internship and later a job, I had to ask all of these people for recommendations, letters, phone calls, emails, and introductions. A lot of the time I would send work over and over again to this person or that person and hear nothing but silence. I was growing frustrated but kept going, and then slowly but surely after 8 months of ASKING, I got an interview that changed my life. This philosophy is not going to change once you get a job. For example, if you want a job and are competing with four, (or four thousand) others for it, you better ask them what they’re looking for in their employee, ask your mentors for a good word, write them and ask for the spot on their team, and aggressively show them that you are the best one for the job. Get comfortable with putting yourself out there, getting rejected, and doing it again and again. 

6. HARD WORK IS SOMETIMES NOT ENOUGH. 

Getting an A is not always correlated with the fact that you pulled an all-nighter, but it’s always correlated with your design decisions and final execution. Creative careers are about being clever, having good taste, being efficient and working efficiently. If somebody has a great idea, and it takes them five minutes to draw it then learn from them and practice so you get quicker. Similarly, some people get really lucky with a job, and the professional world can be really unfair sometimes. I have witnessed people getting a job because they’re pretty, and I’ve witnessed people getting a job because they function as a robot. Sometimes you are the best candidate and the hardest worker, but the interviewer prefers the other candidate because they have a different draping style than you. You will not always be the right fit no matter how many all-nighters you pull so be clever. Skip steps and save time where you can. Always be mindful of the kind of mentors and professionals you get along with because they will be part of your design community for a long time. If your interviewers are looking for a specific kind of designer, then you may or may not fit their type. A good boss is usually looking for personality, high taste levels, and somebody who they can travel on long flights with. They want to know they can trust you to deliver results. It’s not always fair, and it’s not always rational. 

7. MONEY.

SCAD is really expensive. Regardless of whether or not you or your family has a lot of money, coming to SCAD is expensive. When our senior collections were finished, my friends and I would sit around comparing who had the lowest amount of money in their bank accounts and laugh about it while the anxiety swelled in our stomachs. Make sure you have a plan to fund these few years and the projects that come with it. 

8. 4 YEAR INTERNSHIP

Most of my friends outside of SCAD were taking classes in college that were arguably pointless to their chosen career path. At SCAD, you’re going to commit your life to your trade. You’re going to begin by learning how to think like a designer with a year of foundations, and then you’re going to spend three years doing projects that simulate tasks you will be asked to do on the job. SCAD gives you an environment where you’re pushed to present your ideas over and over again, and if you let them, the professors will push you as hard as they would push their design team. You spend four years doing real work, simulating real working creative hours, and getting critiqued on every shitty mistake you make. You might not be learning about European colonization or calculus, but you will certainly know your Adobe programs.  

9. PEOPLE CHANGE, YOU CHANGE

Part of going to a creative university involves finding your voice and learning how to express it. Many of my friends and I have grown together, but many others have grown apart. There are certain discoveries and events you share together such as traveling abroad, completing late night projects, or cooking a meal for 15 people- all of which bring you to discover what you delight in and what you want to spend your time doing. You will also have moments of solitude in the library when you’re glued to your project for 15 hours straight, working hard on something that you want to feel proud of. You will go through a series of moments when you realize what you absolutely hate, and what you absolutely love and live for. As you discover these things about yourself, and as you lean into your workflow, you also discover who you want close to you on your creative journey.

11. SPEED

SCAD is going to make you a fast creative worker. You’re going to learn how to be a designer- somebody who can actively think of creative solutions and execute ideas all day long, everyday, from 9am until your day is over. You are going to be given tasks that seem near impossible to finish and you will learn how to deliver them within the time that you’re given. The reason SCAD is pushing you so hard with time is so you feel confident going into a work setting prepared to deliver results. You may have to work even faster in the industry. 

12. COLLABORATING AND COMPETING WITH ONE ANOTHER. 

Your peers are going to be your biggest source of inspiration, motivation, and energy. SCAD has so many different majors and opportunities for you to learn about different creative processes. The friends I made my first year of school stuck it out all the way to senior year and became my go-to partners in crime. We went from styling photoshoots for fun to planning my senior look book that would be submitted for various competitions and job opportunities around the world. When i saw my peers going for what they want, it encouraged me to work harder and grow faster.  

13. FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT. 

I distinctly remember being in a circle of fashion majors on the first day of freshmen orientation. The conversation was about some random designers who I never heard of in my life. I pretended to know what they were talking about and just gave a reassuring nod, (stupid- you should just admit what you don’t know). But, one of the girls in that circle became one of my marketing leaders on my senior collection four years later and the conversation had to start somewhere. Own what you do and make up the rest. Be willing to admit when you don't know something, and learn it quickly. I spent half of freshman year getting to know designers by looking at Vogue Runway for days on end, (and I still couldn’t remember them until I was forced to at my first job). Nobody knows what they're stepping into. The best experiences sometimes come from nodding your head and pretending to understand while knowing full well you have no idea what's going on but giving it your best effort. You have to assume the role you want before it's given to you so start practicing early on. 

14. COMPARISON IS YOUR WORST ENEMY & YOUR BEST FRIEND. 

You have the opportunity to learn the MOST from your peers. They are your team, your inspiration, your future muses, and your friends, (see point 12). When all of your portfolios are on the table, you have the opportunity to explore different ways of working, and different techniques that you may not have thought of. You should be leveling up together, with the best of the best in your classes because that’s how real life is. That being said, everybody’s journey is different. Everybody’s financial background, hometowns, level of experience, and strengths are different. You should never use these differences as an excuse for laziness, and you definitely shouldn’t give up because somebody else is doing well. You should cheer them on, and then feel the fire under your ass to get better. I have watched people with tons of money get far, and people with no money go far in their careers. If you work hard and give it all you have, you will grow and you will get there. 

15. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF AND DO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY 

The most successful artists have blinders on when they’re working on a big idea; they stay focused on their vision. They believe in it with their entire being, and they fight for their ideas because it becomes part of them. If you are constantly trying to please other people with your work, you will never feel the same drive that you would feel if it was authentically yours. Part of this authenticity is terrifying in that you are putting yourself and your work out there to be judged over and over again, but the alternative is putting work into the world that makes you feel empty. It’s important that your work reflects you, and more importantly that it makes you happy.

16. DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT… (SOMETIMES)

You have to know where to focus your energy because school is meant to overwhelm you. It’s simulating stress so you don’t crack on the real job. It’s important to make things look perfect when they need to look perfect, but if that one seam isn’t straight inside your dress then learn to say whatever and move on. On the other hand, if your portfolio looks messy and incomplete, you’re probably not going to get a job. And remember- the end goal of school is to get or create a paying job for yourself. You have to decide what your priorities are and where your strengths are so you can fly through tasks and give yourself more time for something that you’re not as quick with. The most important thing is not the grade, but rather what you learn during the process and the work you get out of it. 

17. DETAILS ARE EVERYTHING

Do not by any means think that you will get through even the first year of SCAD if you don’t learn how to properly glue a photo straight on a page, (this is where perfection and completion both matter). You are taught to care about the small details that create a believable & beautiful presentation. In the work place, the people that get jobs are the ones that pay attention to things like this for all four years. They don’t stop until it’s finished correctly, and they put extra time into finishing something with utmost care, (and budget their time accordingly to do so). I had to learn very quickly at my first job that millimeters matter; that was the difference between luxury and high street fashion. You will train your eye to be picky and seek out areas of improvement and push yourself to consider the details that make something objectively more beautiful. 

18. YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH OTHERS

SCAD is amazing in that it’s a school for many creative disciplines. Your friends and peers are fantastic film makers, copy writers, designers, photographers, and writers. You’re surrounded by different perspectives and at some point you realize that magical things can happen when you collaborate with each other on projects. Different people will take turns being the leader for certain projects, and everybody will play to their strengths as needed. You will work with people that don’t care like you do, people who don’t understand your vision, and you’ll work on projects that flop on their face. You will be prepared to work with just about anybody and learn how to make it happen regardless. SCAD is unique in that its students have a sensibility for teamwork.  

19. THE HUNGRY ONES WILL FIND FOOD. 

If you want it, you will get it. It’s up to you to find your food. It’s up to you to push your education as far as possible to get what you want out of it. It’s your time to take responsibility for your dreams because it’s nobody else’s choice but yours to be there. You really have to want it and SCAD can’t make you want it- they just give you the space, tools, and community to grow. 

20. YOU’RE HAVING SO MUCH FUCKING FUN… YOU JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET. 

You WILL miss SCAD. You will miss your studio. Your projects. Your Savannah home where you had too much space for your own good. You will miss your professors and your painting parties. Your last minute creative projects and all nighters that somehow left you wanting to do it again. You will miss hugging your friends who helped you understand the world you live in. You will appreciate every lesson SCAD taught you. You will miss being neighbors with Foxy Loxy, and the dreamy Savannah Saturday morning market at Forsyth. You will miss special bond you form with your studio mates at 3am while attempting to make something ridiculous. You’ll love it if you don’t already, I promise. 

21. SCAD IS FAMILY. 

SCAD is a unique space where all of the people around you are there with the intention of exploring their creativity. All of us- misfits, overly emotional, deep thinkers, hand-makers, always-down-for-adventure kids, find a place where self expression and self exploration is the foundation of your education. Along the way, you learn what that looks like across many disciplines. The amount of raw passion that is constantly simmering at SCAD is incomparable to anything I’ve experienced elsewhere.  

No matter where in the world you are, you will always find solace in your SCAD family. They become your best friends, your cheerleaders, your teammates, and your international network. Your escape from reality, an oasis for your wildest dreams, and your home exists within the community you built at SCAD. This is a lifelong, international, dysfunctional family that you have, and a family you can always run to. SCAD is family, period. 

CLICK HERE TO READ 20 THINGS ABOUT SCAD.