#jersey city ballet

[lovelyballetandmore]

James Monroe Števko | Jersey City Ballet

[its-not-that-weird-blog]

"Reunited"

Luke Hughes x Ballerina!Reader

Summary: After months away from each other, Luke finally has his girl in his arms

Warnings: Nothing I'm aware of

Luke was patiently waiting for his girlfriend at the airport. He hadn’t seen her since summer break, with him coming back to Jersey and Y/N going back to Arizona.

Y/N was a student at the Master Ballet Academy in Phoenix. She met Luke when they were both very little, since they were neighbors and her brother was very close to Quinn because of hockey. They started dating the summer before Luke began his freshman year at UMich, when Y/N returned to Michigan after her summer intensives.

Both couldn’t wait to be in each other’s arms again, after being apart since summer ended. Long distance was hard, especially with the hectic schedules they both had.

Luke scanned the crowd anxiously, his heart pounding with anticipation. Every time the doors slid open, he leaned forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He had replayed this moment in his mind countless times: the first sight of her, the way her eyes would light up when she saw him, the warmth of her embrace after months apart.

Finally, he saw her. She was pulling a suitcase, looking around until their eyes met. Her face broke into a radiant smile, and she quickened her pace, weaving through the crowd.

"Y/N!" Luke called out, his voice filled with joy and relief.

"Luke!" she responded, rushing into his arms. They hugged tightly, not caring about the bustling airport around them. For that moment, it was just the two of them.

"I missed you so much," Luke whispered into her hair, holding her close.

"I missed you too," Y/N replied, her voice muffled against his chest. "It's been too long."

They finally pulled back slightly to look at each other. Luke gently brushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her forehead.

"How was your flight?" he asked, taking her suitcase from her.

"Long, but worth it," Y/N said with a laugh. "I couldn't wait to see you."

They walked out of the airport together, hand in hand, catching up on everything they had missed. The months apart had been tough, but it made this reunion all the sweeter.

As they reached the car, Luke opened the door for her. "I've got a whole weekend planned for us," he said with a grin. "Starting with dinner at your favorite restaurant."

Y/N's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds perfect," she said. "I can't wait to spend every minute with you."

"I can’t wait either, baby," he said softly, cupping her face in his hands and giving her a sweet kiss on the lips.

They drove off, the city lights blurring past them. For the first time in months, everything felt right again. They were together, and nothing else mattered.

••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••

A little Lukey boy imagine, let me know if you liked it :)

Btw, sorry if there are any mistakes, english is not my first language.

[bitchinbarzal]

Last Christmas | M.Barzal

this is my entry for @antoineroussel christmas fic exchange!

this is for you, @lhugh! happy holidays annie 🎄🤍

this fic does use they/them pronouns as they are annie’s pronouns! 🫶🏼

word count: 2,461 words

-

Last Christmas, you walked into December planning every festive activity possible; the Rockefeller Christmas tree, Nutcracker at New York City ballet, Radio City Rockettes even letting Mat show you up at skating.

That was until Mat dropped the break up bomb on you. You couldn’t really comprehend it all, too confused and hurt at once.

You were supposed to spend Christmas with Mat and the team at the Martin’s. You never answered Sydney’s texts after the breakup.

You spent Christmas alone.

You were thankful the islanders tanked their 21/22 season. It meant that they all left to go home as soon as possible.

That meant no islanders, no jerseys, no chants on the train home from work.

No Mat.

He went home to Coquitlam two days after the islanders lost to Tampa.

Mat spent his first summer in seven years bouncing around from place to place. He was out on the lake with Tyson for a few weeks and he visited Anthony and Emma when they bought their new home in Quebec.

He wasn’t home long with his family until he got a call, from Brock. His dad had died.

He asked if you and Mat could attend the funeral, his father really adored you both in the time he’d met you and he knew Mat well. Mathew agreed to attend, claiming you were busy but sent your well wishes.

He flew into Minnesota the day prior, dropping off flowers to Brock’s mom and she welcomed him into her home giving him a drink and thanking him for coming.

“He always liked watching you play, unless you played against Vancouver of course” she laughed, Mat gave her a smile “It’s a shame y/n couldn’t come”

“Yeah, it’s a shame” he mumbled.

Next he saw her was at the funeral, listening while she stood talking about her husband, the love she had for him, how much she missed him already.

All Mat could think about when he heard her words were you.

You were his best friend.

You were the person who knew him best.

You were supposed to be around forever.

When Mat got home after that trip he didn’t do much, he was no longer in the mood to go out partying, celebrating with friends.

Mat returned to Long Island in the end of August.

He frequented the coffee shop you guys often did and he even walked the route in the morning you did. He didn’t see you.

It wasn’t until week 3 of attending the same coffee shop that the barista, Logan said to him

“Mat, they don’t come in here anymore I’m sorry. Said they needed a fresh start after the breakup”

He silently nodded to the girl, hoping she hadn’t caught his face falling. He simply took his flat white from the counter and exited to building.

Contract talks started in mid-september.

The organization called in May to the office to discuss; throwing around money and perks.

He took the time to digest the information. He called him mom and dad to see what their opinions were on the whole thing, called his financial advisor and even called Anders but the number he kept hovering over belonged to you.

Everyone’s advice was along the lines of “you need to see yourself settling down in Long Island with a contract term like that” and he did, with you.

The deal was signed on October 4th.

@ny_islanders: “I love It here” says Mathew Barzal, after signing his 8 year extension to stay here in Long Island 💙🤍🧡

You read the tweet, saw the posts and the stories from your mutual friends. You wanted to text him — tell him congratulations, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

So instead, you simply put an orange heart emoji under the islanders post about his extension and scrolled on.

Mat saw it. His heart soared at the simplicity of it but yet the fact he knew you were still thinking of him, that you in some way still cared.

Late October, the leaves were starting to fall and hockey was beginning again. Mat wasn’t playing his best — missing goals, easy passes and a lot of falling over.

People started doubting him; calling him a fake, a money grabber and claiming they wished Lou hadn’t even drafted his extension papers.

Mat started to doubt himself too.

was he good enough?

should he have signed the papers?

was he worth the money?

was Long Island better off without him? were you?

There is was! The real problem.

Ever since that last December his mind had been stuck on you and really it shouldn’t have because it was his fault, he broke up with you.

If anyone asked Mat why you broke up he would say “We just wanted different things”

If Mat was honest with himself he would say “I was scared I wasn’t enough for them”

The first few months of hockey came and passed with not a single goal from Mat.

Lambert pulled him aside one morning at practice to tell him “You better get your head out of your ass son because one more game the way you’ve been going and you’ll be benched for the rest of this year”

The last game in November, against Philadelphia Mat was a healthy scratch.

His punishment was over by the next game but Lane told him in no specific terms he had to step up. Mat just groaned and mumbled a “Yeah, I’m fucking trying” before leaving the office.

It was harder now that it was December.

In summer he could just pretend things weren’t different.

You weren’t at his families house? You had to be with your mom.

He was alone at the casino event? You had work.

But Christmas, that was different. Christmas wasn’t something he could sweep under the rug and pretend you were busy.

You’d spent every Christmas together since Mat was eighteen years old. Your first Christmas in New York was an overwhelming experience and Mat thought it adorable at how excited you were about everything.

He bought you a necklace that year. It had his number on it, the gold chain necklace held the number thirteen on your chest and you never took it off.

It was a staple piece in your collection, whenever someone at one of your fancy work dinners or meetings would ask

“Hey why does your necklace have the thirteen on it?”

You would smile so bright, in such adoration and reply “My boyfriend, mat. He plays hockey for the New York Islanders and he’s number thirteen! but always number one to me” and everyone would laugh and call you cute.

You’d left that necklace behind the night you’d packed your stuff up to leave. Mat found it when he returned home from Boston on an away game to find you’d obviously been in and cleared out your belongings too while he was gone.

He took the necklace and posted it to your mom’s house, the only address connected to you he knew. He never knew if you’d gotten it back, not that it mattered much anyway because why would you want to wear it after you’d broken up?

Mat’s no goal streak continued up to the last game before Christmas, December 23rd and he was goal-less.

He was so frustrated at everything he couldn’t think straight about getting this goal. He was spending Christmas alone for the second year in a row — alone, without you.

He couldn’t stop thinking about you no matter how hard he tried. How you’d been here tonight wearing a silly Christmas jumper and cheering about the last game before Christmas.

They tanked the first period, Tkachuk got away with the puck leaving them up one by the end of the first. There were so many penalties, stupid penalties. It was a mess.

Second period, they equalised in the first few minutes with a goal from Beau before Brock got them up another which was matched not long after by Florida.

When the third period hit it was like something went off in Mat, that he had a surge of energy.

He got a goal, his first season goal! Then another and another with only a few seconds left on the clock.

Hat-trick. He got a hatty.

He’d done it. He finally scored a goal this season, they won the game and he got a hat-trick!

So why didn’t he feel like it was enough?

When he got back to the locker room, Mat pulled his phone out of his bag and looked at his notifications; texts from friends and family congratulating him on the goals, random emails but it was as though he was searching for something.

He clicked through the phone until he landed on what he wanted and pressed it before holding the phone up to his ear.

It rang twice before it connected

“Hello?”

“Um, hey! This is weird and I’m not sure why I’m doing this but I felt like I had to because, well because I scored my first goal of the season tonight. I scored my first season goal and I got a hatty too which I mean is a lot but I don’t feel like it’s enough”

Mat sighed, completely blocking out his team-mates listening to this conversation and looking on with sympathy

“It’s not enough because I know you’re not here-“

“-Mat-“

“No, please let me finish it’s taken me long enough to get the courage to call you. I was stupid for what I did last Christmas and I will wholeheartedly tell you that this year has been the worst year of my life and maybe you call that karma, I call it a wake up call that you… you’re the love of my life and that I want to be with you, I was scared and stupid but I’m better I will be better for you! I’m ready to be the man you need”

After his spiel, Mat took a deep breath awaiting your answer but instead was met with a dead line.

You hung up on him.

Mat looked dejectedly at him phone in hand before he got up to get dressed as he was very spitefully aware of the media and press awaiting him outside the door.

He breezed through media by giving them one word answers and a bored look, they usually let him away early when he did that.

Collecting his bag from the now empty locker room and sulking down the hallway towards the car park.

He wasn’t even looking up, instead opted for the wonderful view of his scuffed shoes. Paying so little attention he didn’t even see you standing at the end of the hallway.

“Nice shot!” His head whipped up, locking eyes with you almost immediately.

You watched his face go through a multitude of emotions before it softened and he muttered “What-“

“I was here Mat” is what you said, gesturing to the stairs you’d descended from your seat “I was sat up there and I watched it, I was cheering you on”

Mat was speechless, fumbling over his words and his eyes flickered across your body, trying to drink you in while you were stood in front of him before his eyes landed on your neck.

Lay on your black shirt was a necklace, the necklace.

The number thirteen lay to elegantly on your chest “You got it”

You looked down and smiled “Oh yeah, my mom sent it to my apartment” playing with it between your thumb and pointer finger.

A soft silence settled between you both, it wasn’t weird or awkward — it could never be awkward between you and Mat.

Until Mat broke the silence by asking

“Why are you here?”

You smiled gently “The islanders last game before Christmas has always been my tradition since I moved to New York you know that and so I never changed it this year, despite the circumstances” the last bit was a little snappy and he knew that.

“I meant what i said on that call by the way” you nodded curtly as a reply before holding out your hand for him to take

“How about you drive us around that neighbourhood with the good Christmas lights and we can talk, in the car eh?”

The Christmas lights, another tradition between you both.

Mat reached out, clasping his hand in yours and nodding “Yeah, let’s do that”

The lights on peoples home’s had somehow gotten better this year and you admired them all in a childlike fashion from the passenger seat of Mathew’s Range Rover.

“This is one of my favourite traditions we started” you say, still looking out the window. Your hand rested now on the console in the middle of the car.

Mat slipped his hand into yours, taking a leap of faith which paid off when you clasped it in yours and squeezed it.

“Yeah, i love it” he muttered, pulling the car into the side of the road now you’d reached the end of the street.

You turned to him now, waiting for him to say something.

“Listen, this is all really weird and I wish I was better with words because I would like to be able to tell you the million and one ways in which I absolutely adore you and regret what I did last Christmas every single day. However, what I can do is promise you, I promise you that I will work everyday to prove to you how much I love you and how sorry I am — I ruined Christmas and I think that’s what hurts the most is that I tainted something you love so much-“

You cut him off then, your hands resting on his cheeks; forcing him to look at you and you said “Christmas is not ruined, Christmas has brought me back to the boy I love with my whole heart and being. Don’t you ever think that you ruined Christmas because sure it wasn’t fun last year but we will have a million more Christmas’ to make up for it”

He nodded, head moving slightly so he could press a kiss onto your palm “I’ll make every Christmas the most special just for you”

“As long as I’ve got you, baby any Christmas is special”

On Christmas, when Mat arrived late to the Lee’s for Christmas with the team he walked in smiling

“Sorry, sorry I’m late I had to pick something up!”

“Dude it’s Christmas Day where could you possibly have gone to pick-“ Anthony cut himself off when he saw you enter the house, gifts stacked up in your arms that you placed on the table next to the door before grabbing Mat’s outreached hand.

“Oh my god, it’s a Christmas miracle!”

[bagopucks]

N. Hischier - It’s My Footwork

✄————————————

Nico Hischier x Fem!dancer!reader

Word Count: 4.1k -almost-

Warnings: none?

I apologize for any typos. There’s only so many times one can read through 4 thousand words before dying inside.

—————————————

Ever since I was two, I have loved music. I blame my mother. When I was four, I saw ballerinas for the first time. My mom took me to see the Nutcracker at our local theatre. I fell in love with music all over again, but more importantly, I fell in love with dance.

I’ve danced my whole life. Ballet and Acro had been my favorite classes, but I took others. It was expensive, but my family had no issue paying for it. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunities I did growing up. Because of that gratefulness, it fueled my dream to become a dance instructor on my own one day.

I opened my studio in the heart of New Jersey. Business was slow at first, but I had classes open for all capable ages. I loved meeting the kids and even the adults who came in curious to learn or pick up a therapeutic hobby. I was never one to offer solo classes unless it was for a child who was new and needed to catch up with their age group. But I made one exception.

The bell to my studio rang, barely audible from the room I was in. I heard a deep voice speaking to my best friend who worked at the front desk. We met through her job application. Within the year she’d been hired, we got a sizable apartment together, and I’ve loved every second of our time spent with one another.

“She’s in the back. We just had a class end.“

I’ve had parents come in before about a late payment, or more commonly, bullying that I could only so much about. I assumed that’s all it was.

As I stepped out of the studio room and into the lobby, I was met with the face of a man I had never seen before. His sharp features, thick brows and dark hair was unrecognizable. If he had a daughter or son, they certainly took after their mother in appearance.

“Can I help you?” I spoke up, smiling at the man as I crossed the floor to meet him, leaning against the tall front desk.

“I was.. I need some help?” The man sounded confused, and his furrowed brow only solidified my theory. His eyes darted between my friend and I, as if waiting for one of us to offer something- though we didn’t know what that was.

“You wanna dance?” My friend piped up, a condescending tone in her voice. She dealt with men who were too prideful to admit what they were doing there before. She had no patience for them. This one though, seemed nothing like that. Especially when I watched his eyes go wide and a nod follow. He looked relieved.

“We have different types, was there something specific you were looking for?” I try to sound nicer than my friend.

“Something.. maybe- something with strength? Or endurance. And stamina?” His accent was thick compared to an American one, and the words he used made me wonder where he’d come from. He was either looking for something incredibly specific, or trying to sound smart.

“I have ballet. It’s difficult, but it’s good on muscles. It helps strengthen your legs. Can you do some paperwork for me?” The man nodded and I looked toward my friend. She quickly handed over a clip board and a pen, which I handed off to the man. He mumbled a polite, ‘thank you,’ and took a seat to fill it out.

I watched him for the fifteen minutes it took to fill out the pages. He wore a t-shirt of the city’s hockey team, something that I found normal considering we operated in the middle of the area. There were bound to be fans. My gaze studied his posture, but at some point it shifted to the way his dark hair fell and framed his face while he leaned over the paperwork. I smiled at the sight of batting eyelashes and the way his brow would knit together every so often at something he had to think of before answering. He was handsome.

Once he finished, the man brought the paperwork back and handed it over. I looked over the basic information before my gaze turned up to him. The man’s lips were pursed as he looked rather impatient. Or was he anxious?

“Okay, Nico. We have classes for your age group on Thursdays at five-“

“No!” His outburst caused both myself and my friend to look at him in shock. “I’m sorry- it’s just… it’s for personal reasons. I need this for work, and- I don’t work well with..” I watched his expression shift into one of embarrassment, and his hand wave in a dismissive way. “People.” A blatant lie.

“Uh huh,” I immediately slapped my friend’s shoulder when she piped up.

“Jessie, please.” I tried to calm her down, but she shook her head.

“It’ll only be for a few months.. I know I’m asking a strange thing, but it would help greatly.” I’ll blame it on his looks, and the desperation in his tone. I gave in to the man’s request with a reluctant nod. Who was I to ask what his job was? If he needed it that badly, I wouldn’t turn him down. I was helping somebody, I was sharing what I loved, and there was still money involved.

“Better put an extra ten bucks on his bill.” Jessie commented as she looked back to her computer. The man made no effort to argue, but I still let out an exasperated sigh.

“Jessie!”

——

We compromised on Sundays. Nico said those were most likely to be the days he would consistently have off. I still didn’t know what he did, but he told me his schedule was often sporadic. Jessie thought it funny to suggest adult films. Saying his reluctance to work with others was merely out of anxiety not to be noticed. I told her she was crazy.

Sundays were my least busiest days. I was at the studio alone for the first few hours before Jessie came in. By the time she was heading out for lunch, Nico was just stepping in. And I took note of the way he held the door for her. And the way she still wasn’t ready to give in to the idea that he might just be a good person. Nico had on a pair of black shorts, which I was thankful for considering we hadn’t discussed the dress code or what was best for ballet.

My expression nearly dropped when I realized the absolute shit show I was about to experience. Teaching a grown man ballet on my own. One who was tall, and decently built. I’d handled this type in classes before. They usually ended up needing six feet on every side so they wouldn’t hit or kick somebody. My gaze travelled to notice he was wearing a similar shirt to the one from the week before. This one was white with a tiny thirteen on one of the shirt sleeves. So he had a favorite player.

“Kick your shoes off and follow me.” I heard the light clutter of two shoes hitting the floor before Nico followed. “Are you flexible? At all?” I stepped into the studio, the man following behind before I pushed the door halfway closed. Safety was always a concern of mine. When working with kids, or working solo with random men. The door was never entirely shut.

“A bit?” Nico’s response left me at a loss. Guess we’ll find out.

“What do you like to listen to, Nico?” I made my way across the room to the small table against the wall. I grabbed my phone and looked back at him with expectant eyes.

“Swiss rap?” He was clearly testing the water, a nervous smirk upon his lips.

“Try again.”

“ABBA is fine.” I nodded, going to pull up an album full of ABBA’s greatest hits. ‘Does Your Mother Know’ came on over the few speakers in the room. When my gaze lifted to this man, I almost lost my composure. Tall, dark and handsome liked ABBA.

“Come on,” I managed a quiet giggle as I set my phone down. Nico met me in the middle of the floor. “We’re gonna stretch. That’s step one. Just do what I do.”

Nico struggled with understanding a few stretches, but each time I explained it a little slower, or helped him contort his body in whatever form it was supposed to be in. I heard a few ‘Jesus Christ’s’, but it only made me laugh. And each time I glanced at him in the mirror, it seemed my laughter fueled a bit of his own.

The few times I had to actually touch Nico, I relished in the firmness of his muscles, and the hilariously hopeless look in his eyes while he tried to understand what I was doing.

An hour passed before I felt like I had a good gauge of his flexibility. He was stretchier than I would have assumed, and it brought me some relief to know his body was at least flexible enough for ballet. The real question was, did he have grace and rhythm?

I spent the next hour explaining basics and getting Nico further out of his shell. When it came time to actually try a few things, I remained as patient and kind as humanly possible. Until I could no longer control myself.

“I don’t understand! You’re not making this easy!” Nico’s distressed but amused voice filled the studio along with my own laughter. I was hunched over with my hands on my knees, watching him through squinting eyes as he stood in the most awkward position I may have ever seen. He looked like a three year old. “Tell me again!”

I loved that no matter how many times he didn’t understand, Nico insisted to retry it. He liked the challenge. Over the few moves we did get down, I learned that he had a nice core strength and great control over his own body. And maybe a little bit of grace. After I came to terms with that, I threw adult film making completely out the window. He was in another business. I just didn’t know which one.

“I think maybe ballet is not for you.” I teased as I stood upright, making my way over to the amused but nonetheless frustrated man. “You’re so-“ I tried to put my finger on a word. “You move like a child.” And I knew why. Because he had no prior experience. Nico’s eyes went wide as his jaw dropped and his lips turned upward into a smile. 

“What is it? What specifically is it?” Nico insisted I tell him, but there were too many things to possibly name one.

“It’s my footwork?” The question was phrased as a statement, and I was quick to nod. He hit one of the many nails on the head.

“Well then what would you suggest instead? I need this to help with my footwork.” He dropped the hint, but I stored it in my mind for later.

“I don’t even know what to suggest. I guess we just try again.” I shrugged and smiled, incredulous. That’s what I did with the kids.

Try and try again, fail and fail a little less. Nico slowly began to catch on, though I relentlessly teased him when he failed. He took it like a true champ. I never noticed when Jessi came back from lunch, or that I had missed my own. Or that Nico had been there a lot longer than he was supposed to be. Until Jessi gave a gentle knock at the door and opened it to inform me of the well overdue departure of my new friend, or student.

——

It continued like that for weeks, Nico coming in on Sundays, greeting Jessie before she left for lunch, and joining me in the studio with a bright smile. As his visits came and went, I could tell Jessie was growing comfortable with him. And I could say the same for myself. Nico was so kind, and incredibly personable. I enjoyed not only the moments when he stumbled over a dance, but also the moments when we took breaks to sit and talk. Or when he needed help with a word or two. I learned he spoke German, and very good English, but when it came to the French of ballet, his accent did not do it justice. We often giggled over the way he pronounced things.

As the first month passed, I began to feel the dread of losing him. While also coming to terms with my feelings for him. Nico was just getting good. Good enough even that I could dance with him. But I remembered him saying it was only a few months. I still didn’t have a specific number, but I didn’t want to lose him. By the second month, I went into each Sunday with dread that he might not even show up. Or that he might randomly call and cancel.

This particular Sunday afternoon, I got a message saying that he had to miss out on our lesson for work. I told him it would be fine, that I’d miss him and we could reschedule. An hour later I got a text back saying, ‘you can come visit me at work?’ And another after, ‘Jessie can come too :)’ he knew how much I loved Jessie. He even enjoyed her snarky behavior from time to time.

I was given an address, and perhaps at that point I should have known where we were headed. But it hadn’t dawned on me until Jessie was flustered searching for a parking spot in the middle of traffic and crowds of people, that we were attending a hockey game.

“Fuck. Jess we don’t have tickets?” It was the first thing that crossed my mind. I didn’t think Nico was a player, or maybe he was. But the bottom line was that we weren’t getting in without tickets.

“He sent them to me.” My brow furrowed in confusion, peering at Jessie with a lost look until brow shot up in realization.

“You’re in on this?” I almost shouted, but I got no response as we pulled into a parking garage. “This is why I was supposed to dress nice? God- to a hockey game? Where there‘s beer and food everywhere?”

I wasn’t wearing anything particularly fancy. Only my favorite leather jacket and a pair of white jeans, matched up with a faded grey band shirt. My converses matched the black of my jacket, and my silver jewelry was the icing on the cake. Especially my rings, which I’d always loved.

“We have good seats. I think we’ll be fine.” Jessie’s nonchalance about the entire situation had me in disbelief from the moment we got out of the car, to the time we entered the arena. It was busy, full of life. I had no problem with crowds, but this was an entirely new situation. I was lost in more ways than one.

“We’re gonna miss warmups if you keep gawking.” The sound of people talking filled my ears, along with the shouted offers of men trying to sell alcohol. Kids excited and screaming.. some girl going on about a boy named Jack Hughes. I feel like I met a Jack once? With light brown hair and too much energy for my taste. And he had a drawl in his voice that caused his words to sound slurred or unfinished. God I hated it. But he was nice.

“Warmups?” I did not understand the concept, but I allowed Jessie to drag me through the stadium nonetheless. We found an usher who helped us to our seats, and with each step down the case that led us closer to the ice, I felt my stomach turning. The atmosphere was electric. It had me excited for a sport I knew nothing about. Once we got to our seats, I discovered they were right next to the tunnel one of the teams came out of. My body was buzzing, my hand absentmindedly gripping Jessie’s arm for dear life.

“Unhand me before I kick you,” Jessie threatened, prying my hand from her arm. At one point I looked up at the Jumbotron, realizing that whatever warmups were, they happened in fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes later, I heard people screaming and shouting, erupting into cheers and boos as the team that wasn’t ours, entered the ice. Soon the New Jersey team did follow. The Devils. And I began to second guess my theory that Nico was a player with each face I watched leave the tunnel. I noticed the Jack boy, comparable to a jack russel terrier from the way he bounced down the hall and onto the ice. Then the last body, clad in a red jersey, and those thick eyebrows, I noticed Nico. Holy shit… Captain Nico.

“Nico!” My voice erupted with pride as I shot out of my seat. That was my dancer. My Swiss weirdo who listened to ABBA and loved Meryl Streep. It seemed he recognized my voice, or maybe he was only looking to see we made it. His lips turned up into that smile I loved so much, and I reached forward to bang on the glass like everybody around me. I never liked sports, but I certainly had the aggression and thrill to be a fan. Me excitement made him laugh, extending his stick to tap the glass where I was before skating by.

Jessie had her head in her hands, trying not to be seen by literally anybody else.

“Jessie! This is- oh my god!” I had no words. Of course I had no words. And I was lost for them for the entire game. Aside from Nico’s name, incoherent screaming, and any word that fell from my lips when the refs made any call against the Devils. Which were usually profanities.

Nico had two assists through the game, and a goal in the third period. It was an empty netter, but I was prideful all the same. The goal horn erupted seconds later, signaling the end of the game. I jumped up like everyone else, and I watched him dig the puck out of the net. I wondered what Nico was up to until I saw him skate toward the boards on the other side of the ice. He flipped the puck off his stick and right over the boards. My heart melted as some kid snatched up the rubber object and smiled.

I loved sharing my craft with young generations. It seemed Nico did as well. People began to clear out, but I noticed a bulk staying. I didn’t know why until the lights dimmed and the three stars of the night were announced. The third was Jack. The second, the opposing team’s player. The first, Nico.

“What a brilliant game played by your team tonight. I’m sure you’re all buzzing with excitement?” The announcer sounded as jovial as the rest of the crowd, who had barely finished cheering for their captain by the time he began speaking.

“It was an amazing game. We played well.. remained on our feet.. we did good.” I could sense Nico’s determination from here. His pride in himself, but more importantly his team, radiated.

“Now, after you came back from your leg surgery, there were a lot of questions about your skating ability. Can you tell us how that affected your gameplay?”

“It was.. it was hard. I don’t like to listen to what people say. It’s not always great for your mentality. But- I worked hard and, I’d like to think I persevered.” He must be used to this.

“What did you do to fix that? Your first two games back, there was definitely some weakness in your left leg there. But now you look like a racehorse on the ice. How did you manage to change that?”

A smile formed on Nico’s lips. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I had somebody help me. She uhm.. she helped with my leg strength and balance and- all the edgework.”

Edgework. Footwork. That little shit. It was right under my nose the whole time! His shirts, his number- it sounded horrible, but even his nationality should have tipped me off. How many Swiss hockey fans did someone just randomly meet in New Jersey? Of all places.

“Did she get paid well for accommodating the captain of the New Jersey Devils?” The reporter asked with a playful grin.

“Yes, and an extra ten per hour.” Nico laughed.

“You really charged him that extra ten?” I whipped my head in Jessie’s direction. She was caught red handed.

“He wanted to!”

“She’s gonna get a kiss after this though.” I almost missed it. Trying to scold Jessie, I almost didn’t catch the comment Nico made. But I did catch it. And my head immediately whipped back to him on the ice. The reporter was in the midst of congratulating him one last time on his game before Nico walked off down the tunnel.

“Jessie-“ my best friend was already laughing, swatting at my leg from where she was seated. “What do we do? We should leave.” She shook her head at me.

I wasn’t running from Nico, I was just nervous. “I should go to the bathroom..” she nodded at me, allowing me to run off up the endless flights of steps and navigate my way through the crowd to find the bathroom. I checked my makeup in the mirror, my legs feeling like jelly at the disbelief of what was to come. I had to have heard him wrong. I adjusted my shirt eighty times, and even thought about leaving before ultimately deciding I could not steal Jessie’s car. I wanted to kiss him. Of course I did. It’s all I wanted.

When I got back from the bathroom, most everybody was gone, and Jessie was still seated in her place, feet up against the glass with her arms across her chest. When I returned to her side, she smiled at me.

“Hold my phone while I go to the bathroom?” I nodded, taking her phone from her and slipping it into the pocket of my leather jacket before zipping it up.

Jessie was gone in a flash, and I was left staring out at the ice, bouncing from one foot to another before I heard my name. I turned quickly, looking at the figure practically sprinting down the steps.

We both had the same thing in mind. I heard Nico’s comment, and he had that piercing determined look in his eyes. By the time he reached me, he was holding his arms out- possibly for a hug. That’s not what I wanted though.

“Can I-“

I gave him all the permission he needed by crashing our lips together. Nico tasted like cocoa pebbles, and I had to pull away to mumble something about the sweetness before he giggled and reconnected our lips. His hands held my cheeks, and mine his hips. By the time we pulled away again, we were both heaving for air. Nico more so than myself considering the marathon he ran down the steps to get to me.

“I had a snack during the second intermission.” It was like he could read my mind, answering my unspoken question while our foreheads pressed together. We smiled and laughed.

“Of course you did,” I responded softly, pulling back to shake my head at him.

Nico giggled with a nod. “Are you hungry? I could use a date to my celebration tonight.”

“Yeah.. but I’m gonna need some explanation on all this.” I gestured back to the rink, earning a laugh from him.

“Anything you want to know.”

Nico and I made our way back up the steps together, meeting Jessie at the top where she had been waiting for us.

“So.. she’s yours for the night?” Jessie asked, earning a fist bump from Nico. My brow furrowed in concern that this entire plan went over my head.

“I’ll have her back by twelve.” Nico promised as he snaked an arm around my hip. I melted into his side.

“Eleven, Romeo. Or I’ll track you down on snap map and fist fight you in a fancy restaurant.”

Nico mumbled a quiet, ‘oh boy’ before nodding.

We were not back by ‘curfew.’ Hell I never even went home, but I shot Jessie a message when Nico let me into his own place, informing her that I was safe and Nico would keep me company for the night. She sent me back an emoji with a hand over the mouth. Then one saying, ‘updating Facebook status to Aunt.’

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

[drewsbuzzcut]

More thoughts about girl dad Andrei!

He would be a sobbing mess when baby girl svech gets baptized

If baby girl svech is sick, Andrei never strays too far, always wanting her in his arms or sight at all times

When baby girl svech is around 3, she joins a ballet class and Andrei enjoys watching her do something she’s so passionate about even at a young age

The day after you told Andrei you were pregnant, he comes back from practice with a couple of canes onesies and a little stormy plushie

Andrei sobs so much when baby girl svech is born

Andrei gets baby girl svech’s name tattooed on him

When Andrei saw baby girl svech’s baby jersey that said “daddy” on the back for the first time, he had to hold back his tears

When baby girl svech attends her first game, Andrei was so happy, like he couldn’t stop telling people that his daughter was in the audience

There was once a roadie during baby girl svech’s birthday and Andrei was extremely sad. You had to fly to whatever city he was in, so he could be with his baby girl on her birthday

Baby girl svech loves her stormy plushie, but when she gets to meet stormy for the first time at a family skate, she freaks out and clings to Andrei the rest of the day

He skates around the ice, holding her tiny body in his large arms, and you just admire your two favorite people

Andrei loves watching you breastfeed, he thinks it’s so magical

When baby girl svech is 3-4, she gets in a stage where she frequently has nightmares, and most nights she wakes up crying and Andrei wastes no time in bringing her into your shared bed

Baby girl svech loves holding Andrei’s cheeks and kissing his forehead

[extrabows]

─ 🎭 ( MIDORI FRANCIS. 30. CIS WOMAN. SHE/HER. ) have you heard about ISADORA YAMAMOTO yet? i’m pretty sure they’ve been living in the city for 12 YEARS. they’ve been cast in the production of MEAN GIRLS as JANIS IAN. before being brought onto this project, i’ve heard that they’re known to be SELF-ASSURED, PASSIONATE AND EXUBERANT. but on the downside, they’re known to be MELODRAMATIC, PETTY, AND SELF-ABSORBED. because of that, i would say that they’re known to be THE EXTRAVAGANT. behind the scenes. i hope that they’re prepared for showtime! this is going to be quite the long production

statistics.

full name: isadora fuka yamamoto

nicknames: is, isa, dor, dory

dob: july 24th, 1994

zodiac sign: leo

hometown: north brunswick, new jersey

current location: new york, new york

ethnicity: biracial-japanese & white

gender: cis woman

pronouns:she/her

sexuality: gay

occupation: actor and she's finally making enough money to not have to do side jobs anymore

positive traits: self-assured, passionate, exuberant, persistent and creative

negative traits: melodramatic, self-absorbed, petty, flippant and envious

personality markers: type 7, esfp and sanguine

parallels: rachel berry (glee), portia davenport (search party), alexis rose (schitt's creek), sharpay evans (high school musical), and rachel amber (life is strange)

bio.

tws: bullet point 2 includes a career ending injury and bullet point 5 vaguely alludes to a toxic mother daughter dynamic

before isadora there was another small town girl with big dreams. okay, there were many other small town girls with big dreams but only one is important for the story of isadora's conception. from a young age amelia butler knew she wanted to dedicate her life to ballet. dancing was the only time she felt both complete control and complete freedom. after years of saving money amelia was finally able to audition for the school of american ballet's summer programme at the age of 14. she was accepted on the programme. her instuctors saw she had potential and she was lucky enough to become a full time student in the winter term.

amelia's promising career was cut short when she was 20. she tore her acl and she was never able to dance at the same level

while attending physio amelia had a brief encountered the patient who had his sessions before hers. his session overran and he apologised with a joke that was both endearing and slightly annoying. the same thing happened multiple times and they started a friendship that grew into a relationship. despite their difference lived experiences and personalities they bonded over their new lives in new york not being as glamorous and prosperous as they expected.

amelia and her boyfriend howard were desperate to make their life in new york work. but four years into their relationship they decided it would be cheaper to move to amelia's hometown of north brunswick, new jersey. a year later isadora was born.

like all parents with an unfilled dream amelia planned to live vicariously through her child. she signed isadora up for ballet lessons when she was four. isadora hated ballet. the movements were too composed and dull. she was kicked out of her class her ballet teacher advised her mom to stop bringing her to lessons after five sessions because isadora pouted in the corner of the studio with her arms crossed and refused to participate

however there was a style of dance that appealed to a young isadora. she watch singing in the rain with her nana and fell in love with musicals and tap. her mom reluctantly agreed to take her to tap lessons (her dad thought it was a great idea and way to channel their endless energy).

throughout her childhood and adolescence isadora was 100% a stereotypical theatre kid (complete with terrorising wait staff at waffle house). she lived to perform and tell stories.

isadora applied to julliard after she graduated high school. she didn't get in. she got into all of the other drama schools she applied to but she made the impulsive decision to reject their offers. she wanted to prove she could make it the old fashion way without the connections made at drama schools. her naive arrogance convinced her that her talent would shine through and she would make it eventually. isadora moved to new york with nothing but her amibitions and confidence.

isadora spent her 20s getting rejected after auditioning for broadway roles, successfully auditioning for off off broadway shows and occasionally getting swing jobs. at the grand young age of 30 she's finally getting her big break.

extras.

pinterest spotify

headcanons.

isadora worked a lot of minimun wage jobs in her 20s when she wasn't getting steady high paying acting work. you name it isa has done it; waitressing, bartending, party princess gigs for small kids ect.

she’s like a magpie,she’s drawn to anything sparkly and tacky.she laughs in the face of good taste then spits in it’s eye.she thinks that having a collection of material items are a good way to remind people you exist and leave your mark on the world.her main collections are scrunchies, earrings and novelty snowglobe.

2 years ago she finally found a landlord who allows pets so she achieved her dream of having a cat called grizzabella.

isadora can play the bass guitar, the acoustic guitar, piano, keyboard and obe. she started playing the obe in high school because she thought that playing a lesser known woodwind instrument would be a good conversion starter (she didn't need conversion starters)

if you've been on a long car ride with isadora you've probabaly been forced to endure her playlists full of cheesy pop songs and hits from musicals

her go to karaoke songs are worst pies in london or getting married today. if she's forced to do karaoke in a bar where songs from musicals aren't the vibe she then does holding out for a hero or dancing queen

Connection ideas.

partner in crime who's just as over the top and theatrical as she is

former roommates

people who find her deeply irritating

co-workers

a friend who's a lot more subdued then she is

somebody she had an awkward intercation with years ago while doing one of her many odd jobs

exes-this can go a bunch of different ways and she can have multiple exes with various dynamics. she definitely has at least one ex she calls in emergencies like if she has a broken washing machine

rival

former friend

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Fic Updates

Would It Kill You? (Characters: Thad Thawne, Terry McGinnis, Deborah Morgna, Match, Bart Allen, Meloni Thawne, Max Mercury, Helen Claiborne, Mike Ringer; no powers au; flashfam/batfam/batman beyond au)

into the silent land (Characters: Jason Todd, Willis Todd, Faye "Ma" Gunn, Original Character(s), Sheila Haywood; canon divergent au; batfam)

Sweet Honey Bee (Characters: Thad Thawne, Bart Allen, Meloni Thawne, Don Allen, President Thawne; ballet au/no powers au; flashfam)

Bruised Figures (Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Cass Cain, Willis Todd, Catherine Todd; figure skating au/no capes au; batfam)

Wolf Tones (Characters: Laney Kent, Conner Kent, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Original Character(s), Harvest; no powers au; superfam)

Moon Rocks (Characters: Jason Todd, Catherine Todd, Natalia Knight, Original Character(s); canon divergent au; batfam)

Midnight Swan (Characters: Jason Todd, Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth; canon divergent au; batfam)

Oracle of Jersey (Characters: Barbara Gordon, Dinah Lance, Renee Montoya, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, Lori Zechlin, Wendy White, Stephanie Brown, Helena Bertinelli, Zinda Blake, Tim Drake, Cass Cain, Ted Kord, Jean-Paul Valley, Dick Grayson; podcast au/murder mystery au; batfam/bop)

Central City Lemonade (Characters: Barry Allen, Iris West, August Heart, Thad Thawne, Bart Allen, Owen Mercer, Meloni Thawne, Don Allen; no powers au/kid au; flashfam)

Grave Circumstances (Characters: Jason Todd, Original Character(s); monster au; batfam)

Adrenaline (Characters: Jason Todd, Willis Todd, Catherine Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth; batfam)

[lunapwrites]

A fun game! Thank you for the tag @femme--de--lettres ❤️❤️

Put your Spotify library (or app of choice) on shuffle and put the first 5 songs in a poll so people can vote on which one they like the most:

Oh wow enjoy that genre whiplash lmao.

Tagging @allalrightagain @mkaugust @bluestringpudding and a general open tag to anyone else who would like to jump in on this. ❤️❤️

[lgbtqiahistoricalromance]

LGBTQIA+ Historical Romance Novels with Steampunk and Mechanized Settings

Blood and Clockwork by Katey Hawthorne

- Alistair Click set out to lay to rest the superstitious fears about the Mad Prince's clockwork tower. If that meant he might bring the ghost city of Avalonia back to economic life, connecting the western kingdoms once again, so much the better. So what if no adventurer who'd entered the tower in the last century of desolation had ever re-emerged? They didn't have his skill and wit. He could do better. The tower turns out to be far more than Alistair expected, however. Not only are there clockwork puzzles to open every door, but one of them drops a boy from a strange world into his lap—figuratively speaking, if only just. Marco Murphy was just gaming in his New Jersey apartment, and now he's stuck in what feels like a never ending LARP nightmare. The deeper they delve into the Mad Prince's tower, the darker the secrets they uncover. They're not entirely sure they'll ever be able to get out again, either. It'll take all Marco's charm and Alistair's cleverness, plus the strange bond growing between them, to get them out together... and alive.

The Novelty Maker by Sasha L Miller (Free download!)

- As often as he can possibly manage, Cole slips away from the parties and teas inflicted upon him by his mother to visit Harlowe, the brilliant, mercurial novelty maker he met several months ago when commissioning a piece for his mother. Overwhelmed with work, and preferring to avoid people, Harlowe is not an easy person to know, and Cole values too much their hard-won friendship to ever risk it by telling Harlowe of his true feelings. Then Harlowe begins to receive letters from a secret admirer...

Duende by EE Ottoman (Trans author)

- Famed opera singer Aimé has a lot in common with Badri, the Royal Ballet Company's most popular male lead. They have both dedicated their entire lives to their art, and struggle to be taken seriously among the Empire's elite. And both harbor a secret admiration and desire for the other. This year for his birthday Aimé treats himself to a night at the ballet seeing Badri perform, and...

Circus Games by Lilliana Rose (f/f!)

- Nessie is overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be done to manage the Mecha Mania business she now owns with her father. Balancing accounts, stopping Operators from fighting, and ordering parts keeps her busy—so busy, in fact, that she keeps pushing Joy away. As frustrations build, the distance widens, and what could be slowly starts to move closer to what might have been.

The Ticking Heart by SA Winters (Free download!​)

- Vincent Gabriel is an inventor; his newest invention a clockwork-humanoid prototype he has spent the greater part of a decade designing and creating, the long working hours filling a void within himself. His assistant, Samuel, however, is less than pleased with the new invention. As Vincent's creation falls apart, so too does the delicate relationship between the two men. Their differences threaten to overcome them, their actions pushing them so far apart that neither knows where they stand.

Series

The Ingenious Mechanical Devices by Kara Jorgensen (MCs of color, m/m, ace, brought together in this great series by an ace author.)

[setaflow]

Get to Know Me

Thanks for the tag @ghostoffuturespast (please take me on a nature walk with you I'll bring granola bars)! In my decade of using this Tumblr I don't think I've ever done this tag prompt so it's nice to get some fresh answers. Let's see...

Are you named after anyone? Technically? My mom was considering a bunch of names for me when she was expecting, the name she would eventually choose being among them (I think the frontrunner at the time was Vanessa), When she went into labor, one of the nurses helping her was an older woman named [insert my name here] and she said "oh there hasn't been a baby named [insert my name here] born in this hospital in 30 years! :)" so my parents eventually picked that one instead of Vanessa. I get that I wasn't technically named after that nurse, but I was definitely named with her influence, and that has to count for something there lol.

When was the last time you cried? Within the last month, not really willing to get that personal here though. On average I'll cry like 3-4 times a year.

Do you have kids? Hell no, could you imagine?

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Only with people I'm close with. It used to be a running joke that I couldn't do sarcasm well-- still really can't, to be honest-- so I really use it sparingly and try to make it obvious if I do.

What sports do you play/have you played? Tons, surprisingly! I was a fairly active kid and dabbled in softball, ballet, soccer, basketball, and fencing at various points in my life. I swam competitively for 12 years, played lacrosse for nearly as long (first as a defender, then as a goalie), and played a little bit of field hockey as well through middle and early high school.

What's the first thing you notice about other people? Height, usually. Comes with having an egregiously tall 6'8 brother-- first thing I do is mentally check if they're taller than him or not.

Eye color? Blueish-gray. I have minor partial heterochromia as well: a streak of light brown in my right eye.

Scary movies or happy endings? I've been getting into scary movies lately! I binge the Dead Meat YouTube Channel at work for background noise and those videos have increased my interest in horror movies over the last few months. I always love that horror movies have interesting horror and trivia behind their productions and hearing the host James detail them all out has really given me a new appreciation for the kinds of work that go into them.

Any special talents? I can bend my elbows more than 180 degrees.

Where were you born? Northern New Jersey, about 15 minutes west of New York City.

What are your hobbies? Writing, reading, cooking/baking, hiking, running, swimming, video games, watching video essays about things I'm interested in, obsessing over New York sports teams.

Do you have any pets? I take care of my roommate's dog from time to time. He's not mine, but he's a sweetie and I'm basically his aunt, so sorta-kinda.

How tall are you? 5'8.

Fave subject in school? It cycled when I was still in school, but they tended to be History and English. I was a really good essay-writer and there are several periods of history I love learning about-- it's probably why I took to the Assassin's Creed series as much as I did-- so depending on the teacher it was usually one of those. I took a few media and film classes in college and I loved those as well-- I love media analysis with all of my heart.

Dream job? Used to be Olympic Swimmer, then Marine Biologist, then SportsCenter anchor. I came really close to achieving a few of those, but alas :P

Tagging @skippygiraffee @beammeupbroadway @trashcatsnark @seraphfighter @clusterfxckedbysirens and @shadesofchaoticenergy if you want to give this a swing!

[packagecfgirlyevil-a]

meet the cast ; parker wyatt ↛ the ballerina.

available for platonic, romantic & familial.  potential threads include slice of life, horror, supernatural ( werewolf / vampires / etc. ), celebrity ( dancer ), smut etc. aesthetics // pink satin, white lace, french braids, bare face, short skirts, tights, cheap wine, brick walls, baseball caps, city lights, long car rides, little black dresses, bows and classical music.

                                        the basics //

full name : parker anabeth wyatt faceclaim : zoey deutch birthdate & zodiac : may 23rd & gemini age range : 25-30 primarily, available for younger and slightly older verses as well. gender & pronouns : female & she/her sexuality : heterosexual occupation : ballerina / ballet teacher / exotic dancer hometown : paramus, new jersey family : bethany wyatt ( mother ), scott wyatt ( father ), florence wyatt ( older sister - suki waterhouse fc ), catherine wyatt ( younger sister - olivia cooke fc ) other important connections : none. other important details : ↛ parker is an active participant in the BDSM community. she's a submissive, but is open to switching for her Dominant. ↛ while she is from new jersey, she usually resides in a major city. new york is her primary one, but she's available to move to most other places !

                                  the tags //

about && aesthetics face && interactions musings && misc

[andrew1symonds]

Dance Classes in Jersey City – A Fun and Engaging Way for Kids to Thrive

A Variety of Dancing Styles We provide a range of dance styles at Wondrfly to suit your child's interests, such as:

Ballet: elegance and accuracy Hip-hop: vigor and unstructured motion Jazz: Dynamic and expressive routines Modern: Artistic, flowing motion Your child will be able to experiment with several dance forms and discover the one they are most passionate about thanks to our adaptable curriculum.

2. Skilled Teachers Professional and passionate dance instructors with expertise working with youngsters make up our team. They make the lessons lively and interesting while giving each child the individualized attention they need to realize their full potential.

3. A welcoming and secure atmosphere Wondrfly puts comfort and safety first. Our studios are furnished with kid-friendly amenities, and we promote a welcoming atmosphere for all children. Our goal is to provide an environment where kids can freely express their creativity without fear of criticism.

Adaptable Scheduling We provide a range of hours for our dancing classes in Jersey City to accommodate your schedule because we understand how hectic family life can be. Wondrfly offers solutions that suit your schedule, whether you're looking for lessons on the weekends or throughout the week.

The Advantages of Signing Up Your Child for Dance Classes Beyond the dance floor, dancing has many good effects on children's daily lives. Your child will gain the following experiences by taking Wondrfly's dancing classes:

2. Enhanced physical fitness: Dancing increases strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health. 3. Better mental health: Dancing and other physical activities help people feel less stressed and anxious. 4. Improved cognitive abilities: Focus and memory are increased when choreography is learned and retained. 5. Creative expression: Dancing gives children a unique method to communicate their feelings and thoughts, which fosters creativity. Enroll in Wondrfly's Dance Courses Now! We at Wondrfly are committed to providing the greatest children's dance lessons in Jersey City. We think that dancing is a means for kids to develop, connect, and shine—it's more than just movement. We encourage you to sign up your child for our classes right now if you're prepared to watch them take their first dance steps.

Are You All Set to Begin? For additional information on our entire class lineup, schedules, and costs, visit Wondrfly Dance Classes or get in touch with us. Our Jersey City dance courses are quickly filling up, so don't pass up the chance to give your child a chance to thrive thru dancing.

[crowmatica]

CROWMATICAS DRAG RACE EPISODE 1; TALENT SHOW!

images are just outfits keep in mind

(THE QUEENS BEGIN TO ARRIVE IN THE WERKROOM)

AMANDA CANNON:

Walk this plank, walk all of this plank~ (she giggles)

I'm Amanda cannon, I'm 26 from Boston, Massachusetts. I'm your designated pirate, and I will be going overboard!

WICKED WICCAN:

I cast a spell on you, and now? You're mine. (He smirks)

I'm wicked wiccan I'm 27 from Jersey City, New Jersey.

My style is kinda weird sexy alt boy who may be bad, but makes you wanna be bad with him.

(Amanda gasps) oh wow you're like- tryna fuck, huh?

(he nods) it'd be a pleasure~

(she giggles)

BLOODY MARIE:

bloody marie, bloody marie (she pauses) guess I came early! (She said in a thick French accent)

I'm bloody marie, I'm 32 and originally from France, but now I live in Little Rock, Arkansas. My name is bloody marie because I can't stop looking at myself in the mirror.

MERYL STRIP:

Nevada? I hardly know a' (she said in a fake jersey accent)

I'm meryl strip, 42, from Las Vegas Nevada. I do burlesque, so that's why I went with the name. I'm very show girl, pageant, slutty. You'll see.

VICTORIA LAPSE:

(she shook her boobs and made a sexy face) I'm winning, I'm winning, I'm winning! Oh- I lost it. (She pouts)

I'm Victoria lapse, and I'm your favorite lapse in judgement. I'm a runway girl, and I usually have something extravagant on. I'm 22, and I'm from New York city!

(the others gasped)

MERYL STRIP: that's Victoria lapse, shes like THE it girl.

MAYA KENNEDIE: nothing bad ever happened to the Kennedie's! (With an E)

Hi guys! I'm Maya Kennedie, I'm 29, and I come from the lovely town of Los Angeles, California, my style is pageantry and I've won several titles. These girls don't hold a candle to me.

KITTY GIRL: Meow.

I'm kitty girl, I'm from Maine, and I do drag and stream online, I'm 19, and I am very inspired by Lolita fashion!

VERGA METAMORPHOSIS:

(belt singing) IM ALMOST THERE! ALMOST THERE!

I'm Verga and I...... disapprove of your behavior. I'm a weird girl from Seattle, washington and I do what I call conceptual drag. Others just call it bad! I'm 34, and I think this footage should be deleted.

MIRAGE FANTINA CALHOON:

sorry I didn't notice you there, I was stalking my prey.

I'm Mirage Calhoon, originally from Florida, but I prefer if you pretend walt Disney manufactured me. I'm 30 on the dot. No more, no less.

CROW MATICA:

hello queens, it's me you're host, Crow Matica. Tonight's challenge will be a talent show!

(Victoria does a baton drill)

(Wiccan swallows a sword)

(Maya does a ballet number)

(Mirage does flips)

(Verga does a ribbon dance)

(kitty does a song performance)

(Amanda does knife throwing)

(Meryl does burlesque)

(Marie plays the piano)

Alright.... I've made my decision.

Marie, Amanda, Meryl, and Verga, stay here. Everyone else you're safe. Marie, Verga, You're safe. Amanda and Meryl, you're lypsyncing for the win.

-the duo perform to bark like you want it-

Amanda does great

Meryl does amazing

*CONGRATULATIONS MERYL STRIP YOU'RE THE WINNER OF THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE.*

[lboogie1906]

Cheryl Adrienne Browne Hollingsworth (born 1950) Miss Iowa 1970, is a former ballet dancer who was the first African American contestant in the history of the Miss America pageant (Miss America 1971) following the abolition of the pageant’s rule #7, instituted during the 1930s, which read: “contestants must be of good health and the white race”.

In 2000, she lived in Lithonia, Georgia with her husband Karl. Both work in the financial industry and have two children.

Her father, Carl, worked as a narcotics policeman for Kennedy Airport’s Port Authority. Her mother Mercedes, managed a tuberculosis clinic at Triboro Hospital. She grew up in Jamaica, Queens with her three brothers.” She studied dance for 16 years before the Miss America pageant.

She left New York to attend Luther College. She entered and won the local 1970 Miss Decorah Pageant which enabled her to compete in the Miss Iowa pageant held on June 13, 1970. She placed first in the swimsuit competition and performed an original ballet performance for the talent competition to the music of ‘Scheherazade.’ She beat the other 19 contestants to win the title of Miss Iowa 1970. This win generated a strong response from newspapers, the Miss Iowa pageant board, and herself. The criticisms ranged from her ethnic background to the fact that a non-native Iowan won the crown.

This backlash followed her to the Miss America 1971 pageant held on September 12, 1970. She drew the attention of reporters and security personnel in Atlantic City who maintained a visible presence during pageant rehearsals. The Women’s Liberation Front demonstrated at the event. She was not a finalist, losing to Miss Texas 1970, Phyllis George. In August 1971, she traveled to Vietnam with George, Miss Nevada 1970, Vicky Jo Todd, Miss New Jersey 1970, Hela Yungst, Miss Arizona 1970, Karen Shields, Miss Arkansas 1970, Donna Connelly, and Miss Texas 1970, and Belinda Myrick. They participated in a 22-day United Service Organizations tour for American troops that began in Saigon. She commented that she thought “it was one of the last Miss America groups to go to Vietnam.” #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[kvibestudios]

Boost Your Visibility: Mastering Video SEO for Local Markets

In today's digital landscape, video content has become a critical component of effective online marketing strategies, especially for businesses in the dynamic markets of New York and New Jersey. Understanding and implementing specific video SEO strategies can dramatically enhance your video's visibility and engagement. Here’s a deep dive into how you can optimize your business videos for top performance on search engines.

Video SEO Fundamentals

Video SEO involves tactics that make your video content easily discoverable and rank higher on search engine result pages. By ensuring your videos are strategically created and shared, you can significantly boost organic traffic, which is essential in the saturated markets of New York and New Jersey. Key aspects include the accurate use of targeted keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags; incorporating video transcriptions; creating visually appealing thumbnails; and selecting the appropriate hosting platform, such as YouTube or Vimeo, for better integration and visibility.

High-quality video content plays a pivotal role in not just capturing audience interest but also in ranking well on Google. Google's algorithms favor content that provides a good user experience, indicated by longer view times and high engagement rates. Additionally, garnering reputable backlinks to your video content can significantly boost your rankings, and ensuring your videos are optimized for mobile devices is crucial given the growing mobile user base in urban regions like New York and New Jersey.

However, your approach to SEO shouldn't stop at producing content. Ensuring your video metadata is enriched with well-researched keywords, structured data, and comprehensive descriptions can enhance your visibility. Also, don't underestimate the power of a video sitemap; it can serve as a roadmap for search engines to understand and index your video content efficiently, which is crucial for appearing in search results.

Encouraging social sharing can also amplify your reach and improve SEO outcomes. When viewers share your videos across social platforms, it not only increases your content's visibility but also its authenticity and link equity, which are significant factors in SEO rankings. Hence, always include a call to action encouraging viewers to share, like, and comment on the videos.

Enhancing YouTube Marketing

Given YouTube's status as the second-largest search engine globally, it offers a prime opportunity for local businesses to reach a broader audience. Start by fine-tuning your channel's "About" section by embedding relevant keywords and linking it back to your business website. Incorporating location tags in your videos can boost your search visibility provincially, while grouping your videos into well-thought-out playlists can enhance user experience and keep viewers engaged longer, increasing the chances of conversions.

Examples of successful local business videos can illustrate these practices in action. Consider Jersey Mike's Subs, which has crafted videos that highlight their focus on quality and community involvement, resonating well with the local demographic. Similarly, the New York City Ballet provides an exclusive look at their innovative projects, allowing them to connect deeply with arts enthusiasts. Brooklyn Brewery takes another approach by creating series that give insights into their brewing process and community events, establishing a strong local presence.

Integrating these video SEO strategies can not only extend your reach but also enhance the quality of your audience engagement, which is especially valuable in the competitive markets of New York and New Jersey. By dedicating time to understand and implement these SEO tactics, you can ensure that your business not only keeps up but stands out in the fast-evolving digital landscape.

[beni75]

Photos and texts: @gettyphotography

1-. Silverton, Oregon

2-. The Oregon country side

3-. Long exposure fire at the Bixby Bridge

4-. Looking down at battery Spencer

5-. Madison Square Garden

6-. y 7-. Marin Headlands Golden

8-. Morning on the Oregon coas

9-. 10-. 11-. 12-. y 13-. New York City

14-. New York City Ballet

15-. New York Waterways in Weehawken, New Jersey

16-. New York

17-. Night photo on the Oregon coast with the full moon rising

18-. Nothing more relaxing than laying in the grass watching hummingbirds

19-. Oregon California Border

20-. Oregon coast brookings

21-. Oregon coast

22-. Oregon

23-. Panther Falls in Washington very beautiful place

24-. Peregrine falcon

25-. Queensborough Bridge

26-. Rodeo Beach Marin

27-. y 28-. San Francisco, California

29-. Sandyhook, New Jersey