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magic-hcs · 1 year ago

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✨✨400 followers event!✨✨

Thank you all for the 400 followers! I never expected to get so many of you who enjoy my blog it makes me so very happy! I decided to treat you all to an introductory sheets of my already existing AU Swapfell!

*Searching…..Searching…..Searching…..Sear-AU. Found…*

AU: AY978730800

Category: One of the main AU’s

Risk: Medium level threat

Name: Swapfell Gemini

Entry log:

Status is everything. Connections are everything. Power is everything. If you got none you’ll be fighting for your life on the street, or maybe even end up being thrown in the fighter pit used as entertainment for the highest bidders. There’s not really any solid rules in place, each area has its own Captain and Lieutenant - boss monsters who run the place their way - and its own rules. Each area, except the ruins.

No one goes there, in fear of facing the wrath of the previous King.

Snowdin, a peaceful area of respite compared to the other areas despite it being home to two of the most terrifying monsters of the underground: The Captain - also known as The apathetic Queen’s Martyr - and The LOVE crazed Hound. Don’t bother the youngest skeleton brother or you’ll have double the Bad Time.

Waterfall, a bazaar where everything is found and sold, station to the famous Waterfalls Lieutenant, Muffet. You pick or touch something from her store, you buy it. Don’t anger the water spider.

Hotland, any new invention made by the Royal scientist gets tested out here first. Careful of the stray lasers. If you are in any need for a hitman or to cover up your misdeeds? You go to the Captain - or as everyone calls him; the fire boss.

The Core, the entertainment district. Home to the secret fighter pit, television shows, gossip houses and more. The two stars of the Core are the one in charge. The boisterous Captain and the quiet Lieutenant. Keep a careful eye on the Lieutenant, he, despite his quiet behavior, is the scariest one of the two

New Home, the heart of the underground, the place where the Queen reigns. There’s not a single safe place where you’re hidden from the tyrannical Queen’s eyes.

There’s only one rule Queen Toriel is very draconian in nature with: No harm comes to those in stripes. Children are to be cared for, protected. A fate worse than death hangs above your head for those who commit that heinous crime. But how do you know who’s a child when they don’t wear the stripes?

(Art done by @scrambledmeggys , check her out she’s so amazing and cool! I’m in love with her art!)

Inhabitant RW6370076 = Skeleton = S-1.O.3 = Sans = Razzle

Stats

3400 HP

Former Captain of the Snowdin area

Nicknamed The apathetic Queen’s martyr

Never worn stripes

The first experiment of [REDACTED]

Escaped the lab with [DATA LOST]

Description

165 cm tall/5.5 feet

Purple color magic

Always wears gloves

A scar runs over his nose ridge

Sharp cheekbones

Unusually sharp claws

Personality/info

Cares only for a selective few

Made sure to protect Coal with everything he has, when Mastiff joined Razzle became protective of him too

Always speaks formally yet got a colorful mouth

Workaholic

Wants to be in control of things otherwise he gets stressed out

Clicks non-existent tongue when frustrated

Dubbed as ‘mom’ by his brothers to tease him

Has way too many hobbies

Got a backup plan for a backup plan

The more sincere he is, the worse and more awkward his apologies get

Is blunt and speaks his mind, also known as an ass, but can be very polite when needed

Occupations:

Errand boy (Previously, underground)

Deputy of the Royal guard (Previously, underground)

Right hand man and advisor of the Queen (Previously, underground)

Lawyer (Previously, post surfacing)

Prosecutor (Currently, post surfacing)

Inhabitant PS63811678 = Skeleton = P-1.O.4 = Papyrus = Coal

Stats

1865 HP

Lowest amount of LOVE out of the three brothers

Was forced by Razzle to wear stripes and for longer than necessary

Is the best at healing magic

Second experiment of [REDACTED]

Escaped the lab with [DATA LOST]

Description

180 cm tall/5.10 feet

Golden yellow magic

Always has charcoal smudges staining his phalange tips and face

Two small golden fangs

Looks quite innocent for the world he grew up in

Wears hoodie jackets with graffiti prints

Personality/info

The most emotionally intelligent and available out of the three brothers

Understands Mastiff’s body language frighteningly well

Found the red scarf in the dumps and tried to sew it (messily) before gifting it to Razzle, Razzle always wears it

Always tried to bring home and take care of stray animals he found on the surface (Razzle always finds them eventually and forces Coal to give them to a new home or shelter)

Can forget stuff easily, to compensate he takes a little notepad with him

Used to have a tense relationship with Mastiff when he first joined the family, now they’re almost inseparable

Hates to be left in the dark

Loves memes

Enjoys cold syrup

Likes to sketch with charcoal

Occupations:

Composite sketch artist (Irregular, post surfacing)

Sketch commissions (Irregular, post surfacing)

Animal rescue farm worker (Currently, post surfacing)

Inhabitant PS63811679 = Skeleton = P-2.O.7 = Papyrus = Mastiff

Stats

4570 HP

Has the most LOVE out of the three brothers

Nicknamed: The LOVE crazed Hound

Never worn stripes

Second experiment of [REDACTED]

Escaped the lab alone after pushing [REDACTED] into [REDACTED]

A late bloomer due to malnutrition (heats are irregular and heavy when they hit)

Joined the family much later in life

Description

197 cm tall/6.5 feet

Resting bitch face

Amber color magic

One golden tooth and one chipped tooth

Wears big furry hoodie jacket

Personality/info

Hates liars and people who keep secrets

Has trust issues

Bottles up his feelings

Used to hate Coal, now best brothers and friends

Insecurities about being a lesser copy of Coal

Doesn’t talk often and not a lot, he does it more often around people he trusts and likes

Minimalist

Likes warm syrup

Is a prankster and a tease

Likes to sculpt and woodcutting

Occupations

Bountyhunter (previously, underground)

Vigilante (previously, post surfacing)

Private detective (currently, post surfacing)

✨✨

#400 followers #400 followers event #undertale #papayrus #sans #swapfell #swapfell sans #swapfell papyrus #sf sans #sf papyrus #swapfell gemini #razzle #coal #mastiff

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spoondrifts · 7 months ago

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once i had a dream that one of my partners, B (queer as fuck, polyamorous, aromantic), & i were estranged childhood friends, and when i came back to our small town i was like "haha hey wanna go out?" and B was like :[ no i am dating someone. and i was like What. and mutual friend L explained to me that B was in a committed monogamous relationship with this straight church girl, and i was like "this man is being held hostage, we have to save him." so me, L, and three other friends staged a caper to rescue B, but first we had to gather intel. L snuck us all via train into a place called Cedar Ridge, which was like a mall/school/retail store/playground all at once.

L told me that church girl had a season pass to the place and always took B with her, so it'd be the best place to watch them. what ensued was me & L discreetly following them while everyone else stationed themselves across the faire like sentries. but eventually church girl saw me and was like "is that famous actor bay [redacted]?" (because i'd gotten famous after i left my hometown) and i was like "oh shit" and bolted, but by the time all of us had reached the doors and were scrambling to get our things together, B & church girl had caught up and were demanding explanations. i distinctly remember me saying at this point, "i'm not explaining JACK SHIT with HER around."

but then the dream shifted sideways and we fell into another plot where we had all arrived at cedar ridge to go swimming in their legendary secret labyrinth pool underneath the main complex, so we crawled through tight carpeted passages and squeezed ourselves between odd corners and finally ended up on this cliffside overlooking a huge shadowed mall play area-esque expanse where hundreds of people were crying and moaning and clawing ceaselessly at the spongey foam beneath their feet that was absorbing their agony to fuel the sentience of cedar ridge's ever-shifting tunnels.

B stood on the edge looking horrified but i was like "yeah the next step is we wade through all that." so we waded through the fields of torment until we reached a small cavern where a man ushered us through the checkpoint and into a strange gathering room that was half library half sterile white chamber. we stood there awkwardly until a panel in the wall slid open and we all went through, which led us to the pool.

it was literally just the pool from our shitty middle school. we swam around for a while and then got bored and went back, but then we realized we'd forgotten all of our belongings in the gathering room, so we tried to go back but the passages had all shrunken and changed and warped until we were hopelessly lost. and B just turned to me and went "great, now we're stuck in a hell dimension because you were jealous of my girlfriend." and then i tried to throttle him.

#throwback to how fucking funny this one was #my dream log is 96 pages spanning three years and still growing. i could write so many wild short stories #exeunt: bay #dream log

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oliver-backman · 4 months ago

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The Hidden Gem of Nepal: A Trek to Khopra Ridge

If you’re looking for a trek that combines stunning mountain views, rich culture, and a peaceful atmosphere, the Khopra Ridge trek in Nepal might just be what you need. Less crowded than other well-known treks like the Annapurna Circuit, Khopra Ridge offers a chance to experience the Himalayas in all their glory, while soaking in the local culture and hospitality of the communities along the way. Here’s a look at this unforgettable journey.

The Journey to Khopra Ridge

The adventure begins in Nayapul, a lively town near Pokhara that serves as the starting point for many treks in the Annapurna region. From there, you’ll hike through small villages, lush forests, and terraced fields. The trek usually takes about 7 to 9 days to complete, and although it’s challenging, the paths are well-marked, making it accessible for most trekkers with a reasonable level of fitness.

As you make your way up, the landscape begins to shift. The air gets thinner, and the views of the snow-capped peaks become more dramatic. One of the best parts of the journey is the gradual change in surroundings, from the subtropical forests near the lower elevations to the alpine meadows closer to Khopra Ridge.

Local Culture Along the Trail

What sets Khopra Ridge apart is the opportunity to connect with local culture. The trek passes through villages that are home to the Gurung and Magar communities, both of whom are known for their warmth and hospitality. The local people still live in traditional stone houses and continue their farming and herding practices, offering trekkers a glimpse into their daily lives.

Along the way, you might have the chance to stop by local teahouses, where you can try some delicious homemade dal bhat (lentil soup with rice), a staple in Nepali cuisine. Don’t be surprised if the locals invite you to join them for a cup of tea and a chat about their lives and traditions—Nepali culture is known for its friendliness and sense of community.

Key Highlights: Views and Landmarks

One of the main reasons to trek to Khopra Ridge is the incredible view of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges. As you approach the ridge, the panorama unfolds in front of you—snow-capped peaks stretching across the horizon, with Machapuchare (Fishtail) and Dhaulagiri standing out in all their majesty. The viewpoint at Khopra Ridge is a photographer’s dream, offering one of the best vantage points in the region.

Another highlight of the trek is the sacred Khayer Lake, located just below Khopra Ridge. The lake is considered holy by the locals, and many pilgrims make the journey to its shores. The hike to the lake from Khopra Ridge is a bit more challenging, but the views are absolutely worth it. Surrounded by towering mountains, the serene lake is a peaceful and magical spot to relax and take it all in.

Why You Should Trek to Khopra Ridge

There are several reasons why Khopra Ridge should be on your trekking list. First and foremost, it’s an opportunity to get away from the crowds that fill more famous treks in Nepal. The tranquility of Khopra Ridge gives you the space to truly appreciate the natural beauty and cultural richness of the area.

Additionally, the trek offers a perfect balance of adventure and relaxation. The landscape is constantly changing, from dense rhododendron forests to open meadows and alpine terrain, so there’s always something new to see. Plus, the warm hospitality from the locals makes every stop along the way feel like a special experience.

Whether you’re a seasoned trekker or someone looking for an off-the-beaten-path adventure, Khopra Ridge offers a little bit of everything—stunning views, cultural insights, and unforgettable memories. If you’re looking for a trekking experience that’s both challenging and rewarding, this hidden gem in the Annapurna region is definitely worth considering.

#Khopra Ridge #Travel #Mountains #Trek

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hotelsinshimlanearmallroad-blog · 2 years ago

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Amazing Trips to Plan With Your Family and Friends for a Perfect Weekend

Summers are the best period to go on vacation with friends or family. Of all the hill stations, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh would be considered an ideal choice. People can search for the best hotels in Shimla mall road which can be cheaper if you book the hotels of your choice in advance There are some very well-equipped hotels and resorts in Shimla that will leave you in awe. You can check the attractions online. Exciting mountain views, hiking, clear skies, boating on sparkling lakes, sparkling waterfalls, shopping and incredible nightlife. It has a rich foreign history dating back to British times.

Interesting Things and Things to Do in Shimla:

1) You can enjoy cable car rides, skiing, Shimla toy train rides, ice skating and many other adventure sports for adults and children.

2) You can look for hotels in Shimla mall road that will double your pleasure and allow you to stay in a hotel for a day to just relax and enjoy the beauty of your place.

3) With tourism taking centre stage in this hill station, Shimla is filled with a variety of cuisines. There are several local restaurant kitchens and bakeries. There are many restaurants in Shimla serving various cuisines like North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, etc.

4) You can go shopping in the streets of the mall as buying antiques in the main square is a good weekend activity. Souvenirs, Keepsakes, Traditional Handcrafted Kurtis, Handlooms, Cultural items, etc.

5) You can always take a leisurely nature walk in the morning or evening to experience the peace and sombreness of the hill station that will leave you speechless.

Scenic Beauties That Will Take Your Breath Away in Shimla:

People can look for the best honeymoon package for Shimla in advance to reserve the best hotels. As many people do not know, there are many holy temples and shrines in Shimla There are several famous temples that people still believe in today and show their faith and devotion to the temples and holy gods. The most famous temple in Shimla is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and several people visit this temple out of purity.

More Heritage Sites to Discover in Shimla:

The most popular historical building is the Viceroy's Lodge, also known as Rashtra Pati Niwas, which was the residence of the Viceroy of India during British rule. The last people to live here were the Mountbatten’s, and this is where the infamous cresting table is located. You can find various types of hotels in Shimla mall road. Shimla’s Heritage and rustic Architecture is also an attraction for many visitors:

During the Heritage Walk, you will discover British architecture with a strong Scottish influence, clearly visible in the Mall Road church. In addition, a walk along the ridge allows you to admire the beauty of the hills!

What makes Shimla a desirable destination for thousands of people is that it is perfect for all types of vacations. From honeymoon couples to adventurers to families, the city is a fascinating vacation spot for many. For a better experience, you have to book a honeymoon package for Shimla to back up the best hotels.

Source : https://honeymooninnshimla.livepositively.com/amazing-trips-to-plan-with-your-family-and-friends-for-a-perfect-weekend/

#Hotels in Shimla Mall Road #Honeymoon Package for Shimla

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onlinesikhstore · 2 years ago

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Chrome Plated Kara Sikh Kada Singh Kaur Khalsa Diamond Shape Ridged Bracelet V31

Chrome Plated Kara Sikh Kada Singh Kaur Khalsa Diamond Shape Ridged Bracelet V31 - Punjabi Sikh Hindu Bracelet This Plain Thin diamonds Kara is BRAND NEW and will be supplied in a funky looking decorative gift bag . KARA- as shown in photos - Popular design in market right now - very famous in youngsters and we are the only seller who has this exclusive design for sale in UK. These Karas are currently available in various sizes from L-Small. Sizes in detail are written in our listing variations. Please choose variation size while buying or mention it to us in your order note: Please choose Chrome Plated Plain Thin Diamond Shapes Kara Sizes from the drop down variation list. Internal diameter of Karas is measured in centimetres and used in the Variation list. Please read below more Information about Sikh Kara: A kara (Punjabi: ਕੜਾ (Gurmukhi), کڑا (Shahmukhi) कड़ा (Devanagari)), is a steel or iron (sarb loh) bracelet, worn by all initiated Sikhs. It is one of the five kakars or 5Ks — external articles of faith — that identify a Sikh as dedicated to their religious order. The kara was instituted by the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanskar in 1699. Guru Gobind Singh Ji explained:He does not recognize anyone else except me, not even the bestowal of charities, performance of merciful acts, austerities and restraint on pilgrim-stations; the perfect light of the Lord illuminates his heart, then consider him as the immaculate Khalsa.—[1]The kara is to constantly remind the Sikh disciple to do God's work, a constant reminder of the Sikh's mission on this earth and that he or she must carry out righteous and true deeds and actions, keeping with the advice given by the Guru. The Kara is a symbol of unbreakable attachment and commitment to God.[2] It is in the shape of a circle which has no beginning and no end, like the eternal nature of God. It is also a symbol of the Sikh brotherhood. As the Sikhs' holy text the Guru Granth Sahib says "In the tenth month, you were made into a human being, O my merchant friend, and you were given your allotted time to perform good deeds."[3] Similarly, Bhagat Kabir reminds the Sikh to always keep one's consciousness with God: "With your hands and feet, do all your work, but let your consciousness remain with the Immaculate Lord."[4]The basic kara is a simple unadorned steel bracelet, but other forms exist. It was historically used like a knuckle-duster for hand-to-hand combat. Battlefield variations include kara with spikes or sharp edges. Sikh soldiers of the British Indian army would settle disputes by competing in a form of boxing known as loh-musti (lit. iron fist) with a kara on one hand. Brilliant finish and very decorative. Ideal gift item for loved ones. We are UK based supplier smartfashions.co.uk. Items can be collected from our shop in Rochester, Kent, UK. We have 100% positive feedback. Please bid with confidence and check our other fantastic listings. If you are not happy with your purchase we will give you 100% refund on return of item. No hard and fast rules for refunds and returns. For more information please text/whatsapp/viber/tango/call at 07883024604. We will try our best to reply all messages on the same day.Free Royal Mail Postage in UK. Postage discounts will be given to International buyers for multi-buys. Any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Happy eBaying!!! P.S. Colour of item may slightly vary due to camera flash and light conditions. Some karas may have negligible small black grinding mark on the kara joint. This is always seen on all karas as most of the Kara making/shaping work is done by hands. However, this do not affect the qualty/look of karas.

Type: Bracelets Main Material/ Metal: Chrome Plated Steel Main Stone: Diamond Main Colour: Steel Gender: Unisex Country/Region of Manufacture: India Ethnic & Regional Style: Asian https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chrome-Plated-Kara-Sikh-Kada-Singh-Kaur-Khalsa-Diamond-Shape-Ridged-Bracelet-V31-/285399031314

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adventureuniversal · 2 years ago

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What Are The Top 5 Adventure Sports And Activities In Universal Adventures India ?

Get An Adrenaline Rush By Leaping From Great Heights With Universal Adventures India's

Presentation:

Universal Adventures India is a heaven for experience fans. The nation offers a variety of brave adventure activities that daredevils can enjoy. From journeying to paragliding, there are such countless choices accessible for outside experience travel darlings.

In this article, we will investigate the main 5 experience sports and outdoor adventure travel in Universal Adventures India.

Rafting:

In the event that you love water sports, boating ought to be on your list of must-dos when you visit Universal Adventures India. The Ganges Stream is one of the most well known objections for boating in the country. It gives an exhilarating encounter as you explore through rapids and waves with your colleagues.

Trekking/Climbing:

India has probably the most gorgeous mountain ranges and trails that offer stunning perspectives on nature's excellence. adventure travel like Traveling or climbing is one such action that permits you to interface with nature while testing yourself truly and intellectually. Some famous traveling courses incorporate Roopkund Trip, Valley Of Blossoms Journey, Markha Valley Trip, and so on.

Bike Endeavors:

Riding a cruiser on rough territory gives an adrenaline rush like no other adventure sports can coordinate to it; Bike campaigns are ideally suited for the individuals who need to investigate far off regions where standard vehicles can't go without any problem. You can browse different bundles going from brief roadtrips to long crosscountry rides covering large number of kilometers.

Paragliding:

Soaring over the ground level provides us with a feeling of opportunity which nothing else does; Paragliding is one more intriguing movement presented by Universal Adventures India where members fly over slopes or mountains utilizing just wind flows with no motor power joined to them! Bir Charging situated in Himachal Pradesh is considered as Asia's best paragliding area due its good atmospheric conditions and beautiful excellence

Camel Safari:

The desert state Rajasthan offers camel safaris as one must-attempt action during their visit here; explore travel with Camel safari takes sightseers across sand ridges furnishing them with a brief look at the neighborhood culture and way of life. Riding on camels as they stroll through sand hills is an encounter that you will always remember.

End:

All in all, General Undertakings India offers probably the most astonishing experience exercises for outside aficionados. From boating in Ganges to paragliding over slopes, there are various choices accessible for the people who love experience sports. Journeying or climbing in lovely mountain ranges is likewise a brilliant method for investigating travel while testing yourself truly and intellectually; Cruiser campaigns give one opportunity to investigate far off regions and Camel safari gives a social understanding into Rajasthan's nearby life. Assuming you're arranging your next experience trip, put All inclusive Undertakings India on first spot on your list!

#adventure #explore #tour #journey #travel #outdoor sports #universal adventures

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dukemeropide · 1 month ago

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For a man who rarely left his own home, much less the nation he grew up in, there were always new things to see whenever he did go out. By now, Wriothesley had come to visit Mondstadt a few times; it was by far the easiest to travel to from Fontaine, and for someone as busy as the administrator of the Fortress of Meropide, it was convenient enough to make little day trips to if he just wanted a change of scenery. This time, however, he found himself with a few days extra on his hands, and the whole Liyuean countryside yet unexplored, so instead of traveling back through the tried-and-true Dornman Port, he decided to detour through Liyue and Sumeru. Gone for a few days longer, and with some new photographs on hand, surely the Head Nurse wouldn't chastise him for always cutting his vacations short.

Of course, Wriothesley was no true adventurer. He'd keep to the well-beaten path from Mondstadt all the way to the jungles of Sumeru. His journey had only just begun when he'd arrived at the rocky edge of Liyue's famous mining site, so his pace had been leisured - by all intents and purposes, merely a sightseer on his way home. Far up ahead, an ore-filled wagon had been rattling distantly over the slopes, his sole companion on this road winding around the surrounding cliffs, but it soon disappeared around a bend and left him alone with his thoughts.

The kind of peace and quiet where one can listen to the crunch of gravel beneath one's shoes is a rare gift Wriothesley takes the time to appreciate as he walks. After all, the home he will soon return to is little more than an iron bucket sunk beneath the sea, filled with the never-ending echoes of voices, hammers, generators, and alarms all with nowhere else to go. For a moment, he indulges in the somnolence of the natural world, and lifts his chin toward the sun.

Before long, there comes a scrabbling sound over the rocks nearby and mild curiosity turns Wriothesley's head toward them but does not slow his pace. He expects it to be some kind of animal. Maybe a weasel - he'd seen one near the entrance to the ravine - or even a goat, like the ones he'd witnessed along the staggering cliffs of Chenyu Vale. But a head of glassy black hair and a round, flushed face pops over the ridge, and Wriothesley stops to watch the boy plant his hands in the gravel and heave himself up the hill's sharp incline. Then their eyes meet, and the boy hurries timidly closer, clearly with some request in hand.

"Your father?" Wriothesley parrots, folding his arms and glancing over the boy's shoulder to the young woman clambering up over the rocks from which he'd just come. His mother, he wonders, but corrects the thought to step-mother when the boy addresses her by name.

"If there's someone standing guard, that probably means the place is dangerous, don't you think?" He looks to the boy again, conversational and open to listen. The fearsome Duke of the Fortress of Meropide has always had a soft spot for children, and even this stranger about whom he knows nothing tugs out the desire in him to help in whatever way he can.

The woman - Miss Kallen - comes up behind the boy to fill in the gaps and answer some of the questions Wriothesley does have the chance to ask, but that's as far as either of them get before the boy's demeanor suddenly shifts, and he bolts off in petulant rebellion. Behind Kallen's worried start, Wriothesley follows after her.

"I'll catch the kid and bring him back for you," he promises, but he knows it's a different kind of help than what either of them had asked. They were looking for an alternative way into the Chasm, she'd said, and Wriothesley was far too cautious a man to say yes to breaking rules so readily. But with a few more answers... maybe--

"Just sit tight," he tells her and dashes off over the hills the boy had disappeared over, but he expects her to follow anyway. Cheng Jun has gotten far off from the main road by the time Wriothesley catches sight of him slip-sliding down between some rocks. Still, there are signs that people had once frequented this area - pieces of broken carts half-submerged in earth, the wheels all but rusted over, and fragments of rock with unnatural divots, likely made by a pickaxe or a hammer than any weather phenomena, line the base of massive boulders that had once been a part of the cliffside.

"I found a way in!" the boy shouts from the distance.

"Wait a minute," Wriothesley calls as he catches hold of one of the rocks the boy had disappeared behind and starts carefully down the gravelly incline. At the bottom is a cave half-hidden by fallen stone, boarded up with ancient planks of wood. Cheng Jun peeks his head out from beneath one of them, grins at Wriothesley, and then disappears into the dark.

"He's gone through there," Wriothesley says when Kallen finally catches up, and he can't help but sound a little exasperated. "I can follow him if you'll go get help."

⋆✦₊‧ — A LONG LIST OF REGRETS.

Wriothesley & Kallen. — Commission : Harmony.

#virtuouslife #thread : a long list of regrets #commissions: harmony #// sorry for the wait on this #// wriothesley is suggesting that kallen go get help because he'd naturally pick the most practical option but he doesn't know #// that the plot of this thread will dictate that they stick together for the rest of it hahaha #// anyway big fan of your scene setup - I told you this already

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writingandimagining · 3 years ago

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High Up in the Astronomy Tower (Part 22)

Part 1 | Prev | Next | Masterlist

Summary: You attend the Malfoy Charity Ball.

Word Count: 3.1k

Rating: Teen (TW: PG13 level sexual encounter) (other parts M), 💗

Add yourself to the taglist for updates here

“I can’t believe we’re going to a ball,” your sister, Leanna, said, bouncing along the sidewalk that led to the Malfoy estate.

You couldn’t believe it either. Balls were not uncommon in the wizarding world, but they were reserved for the traditional families and yours was anything but that. The (Y/L/N)s were not part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight nor were you exceptionally wealthy. That, coupled with your parents’ political advocacy for muggles, never put them at the top of anyone’s invite lists.

“It was very kind of Narcissa to extend an invitation to us,” your mother said, shaking you from your thoughts.

Dressed in a long black gown your mother was the picture of elegance. Silver jewelry and white opera gloves complimented her simple bun and makeup.

“It is strange that they still live here don’t you think?” Leanna said when you caught up to her.

Your mother had put her in a knee-length silver dress. At ten years old a floor-length gown would have been a disaster for everyone around her, she was too bouncy and animated.

“Ancestral homes are strange themselves,” your father commented.

You glanced back at him, clad in midnight blue robes it was the most formal you had ever seen him.

“What do you mean?” You asked.

“The Malfoy Manor was likely built with magic and for generations magic has been imbued into its walls. Like Hogwarts, it probably has some magic of its own.”

“Then Voldemort’s magic probably infected the manor.”

Your father pursed his lips. “Maybe. But the Malfoy magic would be stronger, having been there for much longer.”

“Look! There it is!” Leanna shouted, interrupting your conversation.

You crested the top of the ridge and your jaw dropped at the sight.

The Malfoy Manor was less a manor and more of a miniature castle. At five stories it loomed over expansive gardens to the left and the right. The front entrance was bustling with people as they were led inside.

“I’m surprised so many people are here,” you whispered to your dad.

“The Malfoy Manor was always notorious, but after You-Know-Who’s death people seem to want to be closer to him now more than ever,” your dad muttered back.

You made a face and your dad’s lips twitched. He wasn’t a troublemaker, but he certainly wasn’t one to go with the crowd. He would always have his objections to high society and the sort of gawking that seemed to be taking place around you, but he would still go, wanting to make his own exacting judgments.

The crowd thinned once you stepped inside with people making their way to the ballroom you could hear further in the house or to the large drawing rooms open to your left and right.

“Shacklebolt is here,” your father said.

You rolled your eyes. Despite working as the deputy of the Department of International Magical Co-operation your father had had very little contact with the Head of the Ministry of Magic. If you had to guess you might have had more correspondence with Kingsley in your two letters regarding Muggle Studies than your father had had in twenty years.

“What are you going to pitch?” You joked.

“Nothing you haven’t heard before,” your father replied.

You snorted and left him to attempt to catch Shacklebolt’s attention. Meanwhile, you meandered over to one of the drawing rooms. Inside you noted a myriad of famous wizards and your stomach turned. This was not somewhere you felt comfortable.

You left the main hall and began to pick your way through the house. Nobody had stopped you from coming back here so you assumed there was no harm in it.

The halls were quiet except for the occasional portrait making a snide comment.

“Who is this dreadful girl?” One asked.

“Certainly not a pure blood. Narcissa continues to disappoint.”

You rolled your eyes and moved on.

Eventually, you came to a door that was cracked. You nudged it open further to find yourself in a large study. A roaring fireplace opposite a large window overlooking the central courtyard were the only breaks in the overflowing bookshelves that lined the walls.

“(Y/N)?”

You blinked. You hadn’t even noticed the man in the chair by the fire.

“Draco,” you said, relaxing immediately.

---

Draco’s mouth went dry at the sight of her. She was beautiful, there had never been a doubt in his mind about that but seeing her like this… Merlin.

Her hair was styled and curled, a few strands framing her face. Draco could never tell if she wore makeup, but right now she had a dark red lipstick on that made his gaze linger on her lips. The sleeveless emerald dress that hugged her form before flaring out just above the knee was unlike anything he had ever seen her wear.

He drank her in, and his breath caught in his throat when he saw the necklace she wore. The one he had gotten her for Christmas.

An emerald cut into a droplet with a snake coiled around it had seemed like too much at the time, but Draco hadn’t been able to find something else that he thought would have suited her, so he had sent it and hoped she didn’t mock him relentlessly for it.

“Draco?” She asked, stepping further into the room and shutting the door behind her. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Draco snorted and closed the book he had been reading. “Far from it.”

(Y/N) gave him a questioning look and he shook his head.

“What are you doing back here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

She blushed and shifted on her feet. “I don’t really know anyone here. And no one said I couldn’t explore so…”

Draco chuckled. Of course, she would go exploring instead of socializing with people who were only here to watch him and his mother like animals in a zoo.

“What are you doing back here anyway?” She asked, turning her discerning gaze from the walls to him.

“Postponing the inevitable it would seem.”

She quirked an eyebrow.

“As much as mother advertised this to be a charity event it is truly a test of whether we can be accepted back into society. I’m sure you’re aware of all the charities she has sponsored, but actually inviting people into our home that played host to You-Know-Who for so long is something else entirely. We are going to be completely on display tonight. Everyone is going to be looking for evidence of something untoward. The less time I spend out there the less of a chance of messing it up I have.”

(Y/N) gave him a sad smile, causing Draco to grit his teeth and look away.

“Isn’t hiding away giving them more than being present?” She asked.

Draco sighed and shrugged.

“Come on. Let’s head out there. Plus, now that I’m supposedly Harry’s girlfriend,” she paused for a moment and faked a gag, “if we hang out that can only help you. Friends with a half-blood who is close to the savior. Even Skeeter couldn’t spin that to make you look bad.”

Draco held back his objections to her calling herself Potter’s girlfriend. He knew that neither you nor Harry had led anyone to believe that was true, but it still rankled.

“Stop looking like you want to throw up,” she instructed, holding out her hand.

Draco looked down at her hand, pondering the gesture for a moment, before taking it and standing up.

(Y/N) smiled at him before squeezing his hand once and then dropping it. Bereft at the loss Draco impulsively offered his arm to her, in a move he would have expected her to call old fashioned, but she easily looped her arm through his.

“What about the fire?” She asked, jutting her chin towards the still roaring flames.

“Oh, right.” Draco patted his robes for his wand.

(Y/N)'s smile turned to a grin, and she appeared to merely glance at the fire and it died immediately.

“Been practicing, have you?” He asked, guiding her to the door.

“A bit.”

Draco chuckled and closed the door behind them.

“You know these portraits are awfully opinionated,” she commented as they passed through the halls towards the front of the manor.

Draco hummed, not really hearing her as his nerves started to build once more.

“Draco,” she murmured, pulling him to a stop at the threshold between the darkened hall and the now sparsely populated entrance. “It’ll be okay.”

“How can you be sure? I’d wager that at least a third of the people here would rather see me in Azkaban than a professor at Hogwarts.”

“So? There’s nothing they can do about that. McGonagall picked you and the Ministry approved.”

Draco looked away. (Y/N) was right, but that didn’t mean everyone saw it that way.

Draco felt a soft hand on his cheek, and he turned his attention back to the woman in front of him. The sorrow and sympathy on her face had his stomach twisting.

“I’ll be right here for however long you need me,” she whispered.

Draco searched her eyes for a lie, but only found a tender affection and reassurance.

“And if I need you for more than just tonight?”

Her lips parted and surprise darted across her features. Her hand dropped from his cheek to his shoulder, and she stepped into his space. With a mind of their own Draco’s hands landed on her waist, fingers digging in for a moment before relaxing.

“A promise is a promise,” she breathed.

Draco shuddered and his grip on her waist tightened once more. She didn’t pull away, instead, she seemed to press closer, though he was intimately aware of the distance still between their bodies.

“(Y/N),” he warned, voice rough and low.

“Draco.”

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

“I would hope something similar to what you do to me.”

“And what, exactly, do I do to you?”

She shook her head, a grin alight on her face.

“You tease too much, love,” Draco drawled, pulling her so her body was flush with his, the minimal space that had been between them dashed with one move. “And yet, you never follow through. I would think you shy if I didn’t know better.”

She cocked her head, considering him for a moment before she looped her arms around his neck.

“Quite the accusation, professor.”

Up to that point, Draco had thought his self-control admirable. From the moment she had stepped into the study he had wanted her, but he had resisted. The fear of rejection and respect for her potential feelings for Potter had kept him from crossing the line he had crossed back in Hogsmeade all those months ago. But now, with (Y/N) in front of him, wearing his necklace, wrapped in his arms, that tenuous self-control was shattered.

Draco pressed his lips into (Y/N)’s. She responded immediately, one hand wove into the hair at the nape of his neck, and the other curled around his neck.

Draco felt a slight tug on his hair, and he growled into her mouth. (Y/N) gasped and he took that opportunity to press her into the wall behind her and deepen the kiss.

(Y/N) moaned, and he shuddered. Draco had forgotten what that sounded like.

Draco’s hands shifted, one drifting between her and the wall, coming to rest on her lower back to pull her more firmly into himself. The other trailed up her arm, coming to drift across her collar bone, fingers catching on the delicate chain of the necklace.

Her breath hitched and he pulled away, eyes searching hers for some indication of what she was thinking.

“Draco,” she breathed, pupils blown and chest heaving.

Draco closed his eyes against the image of her strung out on him.

“Draco.”

“(Y/N),” he said.

He thought he heard her whimper at his voice, the brokenness evidence of the effect she had on him.

“I-“ She was cut off by the sound of laughter from a few feet away.

Draco pulled away; hands lingering on her skin before finally presenting his arm again. She took it easily, looking for all the world composed except for her swollen lips.

---

You weren’t sure if Draco had overexaggerated the loathing that people would have for him or your presence was truly the deterrent you had made it out to be, but very few people stared at you and even less made Death Eater comments within earshot.

The evening passed pleasantly as Draco dragged you from person to person seeming to play some sort of political game to wring as much money as he could out of them. It would have been impressive if you had had a single clue how he was doing it. You certainly understood the subtext and subtle pushes and hints, but the way that Draco navigated that against jabs and hints towards his own personal and family history was beyond you. You would have much preferred to address everything outright and judge the merits of each argument against each other. Subtle manipulation had never been your thing.

Eventually, the party began to close. Your parents left first a tired Leanna in your father’s arms. You spotted several Ministry members leave, sparking a departure of the press as their main targets of eavesdropping and interviews departed.

It dwindled down those within the tight social circle the Malfoys used to operate. Still over a hundred people in attendance, but you were suddenly even more intimately aware of how you stood out. The half blood, the child of infamous muggle activists, and the supposed girlfriend of the Chosen One hovering at Slytherin Prince’s elbow.

Draco engaged in some verbal sparring with Mrs. Zabini and her newest beau you quietly slipped away to the side of the ballroom. Music still filtered through the room and a few couples drifted across the dance floor.

You sighed and leaned against one of the tables at the edge of the room. Your fingers drifted to your necklace, fidgeting with the pendant.

“Are you all right, dear,” a woman asked.

You jumped, startled out of your thoughts.

“Oh! Mrs. Malfoy, I didn’t see you there,” you said, straightening. You barely resisted the urge to run your hands along your dress and through your hair, wanting to appear more presentable to the mother of your… friend.

“That’s quite all right,” she said, an amused smile on her face.

In a velvet green dress with sleeves to her wrists and a high color she looked straight from the pages of a Victorian magazine, but the tight fit of the dress followed down almost to the hem, flaring out slightly, revealing the pointed tips of elegant black heels.

“It’s lovely to meet you. I’m (Y/N), Draco’s friend,” you said, thrusting your hand out awkwardly.

Narcissa’s amused smile persisted as she shook your hand.

“I wanted to thank you again for the scarf. A lovely color you found.”

Catching the knowing look in Narcissa’s eyes you blushed and looked over toward Draco. Engrossed in his conversation, he looked the picture of calm, but you could see the cunning look growing in his silver eyes.

“Yes. It’s become a favorite of mine recently,” you replied.

“That’s great to hear.”

You turned your attention back to Narcissa and smiled warmly. She was a soothing presence and after knowing what she did for Harry in the Forbidden Woods and all that she had done since you respected the woman. She was making an effort to atone, just like Draco.

“This is a wonderful thing you are doing,” you said.

Narcissa shook her head, a somber look broke the smile on her face.

“It is the least I could do. After everything he did. After everything Lucius did, that I did.”

You sighed and looked out over the thinning crowd of people in the room.

“It is more than a lot of people that were on the ‘right’ side have done since. I know that there are many that are seeing what you both are doing to answer for your decisions.”

“And many more that don’t care.”

“Are you doing it to change people’s minds or to help people?”

Narcissa tilted her head and you shrugged.

“(Y/N), why did you run off?” Draco asked, coming to your side.

“Just talking to your mother,” you replied.

Draco glanced between you and his mother before resting a hand on your lower back and relaxing into your space.

You gave him a questioning look, but he avoided it. You definitely did not object to the contact, but in front of his mother and sixty other wizards, it could give people the wrong idea.

And what, exactly, is the wrong idea?

You couldn’t answer that question.

“I must go talk to the last of the reporters. I told a few I would give them estimates on the donations at the end of the night. It was lovely meeting you (Y/N). I hope you could come to tea at the Manor sometime.”

“Of course, that sounds lovely.”

Narcissa left you two with a final glance at Draco’s hand on you.

You looked at Draco and raised an eyebrow.

“Touchy, are we?” You teased.

“Am I not allowed?” He replied, mischief in his tone.

“I never said that. It’s certainly bold though.”

The music shifted to a slow song and before you could react Draco was dragging you onto the dance floor.

“Draco, what are you doing,” you hissed.

“Dancing. Does it look like something else?”

You huffed but fell into step with him. You rested your hands on his shoulders and his went to your back and waist. Not quite dancing, more of a sway, you relaxed into his hold and let him guide you across the floor.

The song shifted again, and you turned your head, resting it on Draco’s chest. Draco hummed and your arms settled into a more comfortable position as Draco pulled you into what seemed to be a hug as you rocked to the gentle music.

Tags: @benbarneswife1 @oh-my-overlord @hotleaf-juice @redcoatgirl @captainamericasinnocence @sugarlustry @eggs-whiskey-snipes @saayanaaa @haybalessss @marshmellowhat1 @bigpoppajes @dracosdarling @itchywitch33 @smilfoy @meaganjm @draw-back-your-bow @fiannee @supervoldejaygent @rorilisa @do44y @meipotter @katesreading @darkenwolfie @i1k @not-quite-joy @bella-vasquez216 @courtneeishuman @kareniliana @mauihs @scarlet-says-hi @chiefdreamercherryblossom @the-jess-life @dreams-in-blxck @letoof @haroldpotterson @little-ms-awkward @tranquiiit @catgirlmush @gracebtw @issatheartist @hearts4spidey @bloodyhell07 @livingperceptionsworld @cxtetxm @intoxicatingbullshit @pansexualmommamess @kovaillustrations @valdayluv @johnmurphys-sass@riptid-ee

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stvllioner · 5 years ago

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Kinktober Day 8

dabi

☠️ warning(s): 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕤, chikan, exhibition, voyeurism, anal, humiliation kink, age difference, con-dubcon.

☠️ genre: smut, holiday special.

☠️ words: 3k [12 minutes, 10 seconds].

☠️ read more: kinktober(uary)

☠️ summary: after a long day of university youre coerced into giving him a show... along with the rest of the passengers on the metro train.

It was almost perverse on how much he enjoyed this. Scratch that, it is perverse. It was the hidden secret that even with leaving his old lifestyle he fucked his younger sister’s best friend. None of his family knew of his existence for a million reasons that weren’t going to be met in this story. Yet he didn’t care. As long as he had you still crawling back to him was enough to satisfy his dark desires without a care in the world. Except for the fact even with him accidentally running into you and somehow starting the dangerous entanglement was beyond him.

Just like right now. He wasn't expecting to see you pile into the train with the same uniform you wore for your school, your body begging for him to claim his prize while at the same time telling everyone to go fuck off. Dabi knew his objective as soon as he saw you, moving in to fill the missing gap you needed to be occupied. The train started to move once you got comfortable, your body posture meek as you raised your hand to hold onto the bars, the other holding your cute little school bag close to your body. Even with the clear embodiment of your school uniform dressing your shoulders and left chest it was clear you were nothing more than a university student, the only thing making you look so… delectable being the way you had filled it out.

Now, had you been someone else a stranger to Dabi he wouldn’t have looked your way but seeing as you were rocking just ever slightly, the fabric of your clothing rising just a bit higher is what piqued his interest. It gave him an almost unpleasant tenseness in his chest, knowing that this was a combo you rarely wore unless something was wrong in the laundry or it was your last backup. He didn’t miss the creeps that eyed you, his dark aura shooting them off as he made them think twice.

He’d just have to show them something that they’re missing.

Dabi stepped closer to press up against your smaller frame, the feeling of him catching you off guard. You swallowed as you could feel his body, the bumps, and ridges of his outfit signature with his familiar scent you were used to washing over you with a wave of relief, holding back the need to smile as you peeked back at him with an almost glad look on your face.

“I thought you were someone else.” You spoke fluently. He chuckled as you looked as if he had saved the day as if he wasn’t the villain between you two. He moved his head to nuzzle your neck, his hands wrapping just under your breast and pressing his hips into yours.

“You should be glad I saved you~,” Dabi remarked in a smug tone. You could feel your cheeks heat at the gesture. Whether or not the blood flow showed up on your cheeks wasn’t a concern to you at the moment, the small suspicion that his little small talk wasn’t going to end as innocently as it had started. You bit your lip as his arms aided in pressing your chest against you’re already tight button up. “Heroes get presents, right?” The pressure created a small gap to accentuate, showing bits of your bra and skin that was underneath.

“Wh-What are you doing?” You stuttered as the small attention that one time was brought away from you was slowly coming back, making you shrink back into him as your false safe haven.

“Nothing,” Dabi mumbles against the skin of your neck, the train hitting a more than convenient bump on the track. You whimpered as you rubbed your thighs together, as much you tried to hide it you loved it when people watched you like this. Even though with your attempts to dress as if the thought of sex never crossed your mind you couldn’t help but start to get aroused at the thought of Dabi using you on a train like this for perverts to watch. He chuckled as he could feel your breath start to deepen, keeping your head down as you tried to conceal yourself with the arm that carried the weight of your bag.

Dabi was starting to get bored. His hand came up to dance across the fabric of the button, playing coy before tugging the other side from the other and popping the buttons in the process. Quietly gasped once he had done so, your chest now being partly bared to the world… much to your pleasure. Your tits strained at your bra, the smooth bumps of the train not making it better for your “cause”.

“Stay still for me, doll, okay~?” He whispered against your ear, the sound of his voice making you shiver. You couldn’t help but nod meekly, not daring to look up at the mixture of disapproval and horniness that started to fill the train. His hand scooped up into your bra and brought your tits out into the public view, your nipples rock hard as you tried to keep up your little act to convince yourself you weren’t getting turned on by this.

But you were.

The excitement alone was starting to make you drip annoying as it was.

Dabi already knowing you were, his hands left your upper body, coming up under your skirt and shirking your underwear. There was clear dampness on the thin fabric, the embarrassment of it all going straight to your clit. You whimpered as the air caressed your now exposed intimate bits. His hand came up to cup your sex, letting a sound of surprise at the feeling of your drenched lips against his fingers. “Oh? The bitch is wet~” He mused happily, slipping two fingers into you happily. The sound of his middle and ring fingers slipping into you made an obnoxious noise, your thighs quivering as his fingers were always able to find well inside your needy cunt. His fingers were quick in working in you, his main objective only to have you wet enough to take his already aching cock. Your back arched as you encouraged him to continue in using you as he pleased, his hand making a move to help open your shirt more and pull down your bra fully. Any eye who wanted to watch could, watching as this patched man toyed with this innocent girl on the train.

His fingers left your cunt to give it a small slap, not holding on to the force or ferocity of it. The feeling made you yelp, the sound of both gaining new watchers while some chose to ignore it. Your breathing was heavy as people eyed you, probably wishing that Dabi would do the world some justice and rip off the tiny skirt that you had also worn that hid all the good bits. All they could see was him teasing you and being able to use you the way you were supposed to be used.

“Come on, scarface, pass her over-”

“Fuck off and watch.” He cuts off the loser hastily, his glare glaring at them to let them know to keep away still. “You think any of you greasy fucks can touch her,” He started before he side-eyed you, his famous grin spreading across his mouth when the thought of having these bastards touch upon you was something you wanted. “Hm… maybe the bitch wants it~? Use your word’s, doll~” He taunts, turning you around so your front is pressed against him. Your bag dropped as you braced yourself against him, your legs stabling yourself against him. “If you don’t use your words I’m assuming it’s a no.”

You bit your lip as you at least wanted to keep some of your dignity. Nowhere in your life did you think you were going to be able to live out your fantasy to be used on a public train for anyone and everyone to see, the helpful tool of your mask only concealing your identity as if something was looking out for your well being… as if. His hand flipped up your skirt and exposed the last parts no one else on the train had been able to see but him. Your face buried into his neck once he did the action, your ass now on display with your dripping cunt peeking through the small gap between your legs. Dabi's hands reached back from your waist and grabbed the cheeks apart, showcasing the part between your legs and glistening cunt. He looked over your shoulder to watch as your asshole clenched in excitement, your position looking no better than a bitch in heat. There were a few mutters and mumbles as he displayed you, the original action surprising you.

“D-Dabi-” Your plea was cut off by his hand coming up and tugging your mask down and pressing his lips against yours. His tongue was already violating your mouth, growling as his hand lifted and of slaps against your unmarked skin. Each time your thicc backside jiggled and teased with what was really between it, your eyes watching up at his. The feeling was oddly intimate as if he wasn’t exposing you to the train for voyeurism perverts alike. He pulled away once he had felt satisfied enough, dragging you to sit in his lap once he was sitting in a seat. He tucked your skirt into its band to prevent it from blocking from view, the sound of a few shutters sounded as some went to get a close up of your mostly trimmed cunt, the fact that both your cunt and asshole still had some on it was more arousing to the public eye. Which is what Dabi liked.

His hands found their way to unbuckle his pants and free his hard cock. If the sparse amount of women on the train were loathing not being in your position and only silently observing, they now were jealous. His cock slapped against your cunt once it was free from his tight pants, the hardness of it making it stick up proudly. He tries to hold back his pleasure of letting people his manhood as well, the Prince Albert piercings doing his already impressive cock justice in turning this debaucherous situation exciting.

He thrusts his hips upwards to rub his cock against your soaked labia, a deep moan sounding when he’s able to slip his cock to rub just ever so slightly between the cheeks of your ass. His hands were on your ass again, spreading them as he guided to take his length. Have already been able to take his cock during the late nights and sometimes early morning you had no problem doing so. Your heartbeat was faster as someone commented on how his dick was able to insert inside of you without any problem or hesitation, the onlookers wanting nothing more than to stick their girths deep inside your ass. Your hips worked like magic against his. His just about average-sized hands spread your cheeks to let people view without any obstruction to the view the passengers in the cart watching as they watched this generations of future heroes get dicked-down in a train cart. You had no qualms about letting out the sounds you wanted, your hands gripping onto his jacket as he bounced you against his hard cock. Dabi wrapped his arms around your waist to keep you in place and fuck you.

Your ass jiggled with each thrust against hips. The sound of your cunt swallowing up his cock as his silver studs massaged at your walls and rocked the moans out from your throat. It was almost a dream come true of what everyone had to witness at that very moment. Your words babbled out like an idiot, enjoying the way your body felt being watched as he used you like a cock sleeve. His hand held your ass cheek to help use you, the obnoxious sound of his skin slapping against yours and your sopping cunt fulling the train and the disgusting faint aroma you could sniff out if you were too close.

Dabi greatly got off to using you in public. Some sick way in the back of his head he enjoyed that people could see that you were his, even with how indirect it was. He longed for having you under his thumb, the thought and idea that one of the loser bystanders could do just that sent jolts of pleasure through him and motivated him to fuck you like this. Your mouth hung open as you could feel his tip press against your g-spot, your eyes rolling back and tongue hanging out of your mouth as trembled to keep yourself sane and grounded as he pounded into you like a hungry animal.

Still, those attempts were futile as he didn’t spare you a chance to even make you presentable, a small amount of drool that left the corner of your mouth signified just how gone you were, fully succumbing to the taboo of train groping and public fucking. Your body felt hot, the possibility of having your future ruined because of this was somehow exhilarating, the shallow comments of how much you were a ‘whore’ or a ‘slut’ made you tingle, loving every moment of being degraded and railed in public. You squeezed your walls around his thick and unrelenting cock, your skirt that was tucked still managed to stay in place as you bounced against him, the grip causing you to tense up.

He didn’t care to stop, ready to see you cum on his length and fill his seed deep inside you. It was almost as if he didn’t notice that you had, the only thing is when someone commented that white substance that came from you, the way your holes clenched and ground against his to finish. Your body was a toy for him as he used you, chasing his climax to meet yours. Thankfully your orgasm before had aided in the extra lubricant. He gave your skin a final pop before pressing his hips fully into your cunt, grunting as his cock twitched as he finished his load inside your walls. Your insides happily took in his length in cum, the excess amount making some spurt out as if a scene directly from hentai. I mean, technically this whole experience was a scene straight out of hentai.

“Look at the pretty little slut, full with my cum~” Dabi’s hands groped around your body before lifting you off his cock and spreading your cheeks to watch as the fluids dripped from your gaping cunt. He thought over his options, staring up at your dazed look, and brought you to hips down to rub his cock between your ass cheeks.

“What are you-” Your complaint trailed off once you could feel his tip slowly slip in, the rest of his length following in as well. Dabi gave you a playful kiss, having you take him fully until he bottomed out deep inside you.

“We’re going to give them part two~” He answers you curtly. His jaw clenched as he was able to keep down a groan of pleasure at how tight you wrapped around him. He barely gave you enough to get comfortable, the subtle feeling of his long and thicc cock thrusting into your ass was something you had only done a few times too little. Tears pricked at your eyes as you tried to adjust to his obnoxious length, closing your eyes as you were forced to have other people watch you get used to his cock.

As much as you tried to find it in yourself to be upset… you loved it. You like that you had an audience to watch Dabi stretch your ass out, not sparing you a moment to catch up or feel good. The feeling of him showing everyone on that train your practically virgin hole was being used for the third time in your life. This time, it wasn’t with the help of lube either. You clung onto him like an injured kitten, trying to relax yourself to allow him to use your backhole as much as he wanted.

“That’s it…” He encourages once you loosened up making it easier to slap his hips into yours better. Everyone got an eye full of your submission, wanting to touch and prod at you as well. You weren’t even sure you were deriving pleasure from this, the foreign feeling of his cock in your ass was such a feeling you couldn’t shake off but one that did urge sounds from you. You tried not to grow embarrassed when he pulled out to show off your gaping hole, the necessitous feeling of needing him to fill you up again crawling across your body. Your silent prayers were answered when he maneuvered you back onto his cock.

“I’ll have to use this one till it's just like your cunt~” He teases in your ear, rutting into you as he gets closer. His fingers dug painfully into your body, the hold on your side nearly knocking the wind out of you. He tilted his head to the side as his hips stuttered up into you and emptied into your second hole. You shifted uncomfortably at the feeling of his thick spurting into you was not a sensation you thought you would be experiencing for the day or truly ever. You grunted softly when you felt him pull out, his dick finally limp from the hormones that have been pumped out.

Dabi eyed your disheveled state before fixing what was left of your school uniform, keeping your pair of underwear with him as he shoves it in his pocket. He pushes you out of his lap making you stumble. Your hands come up to gather your stuff quickly as you realized your stop was approaching, have no liberty to be dazed. Your cheeks were hot as you tried to ignore the stares that both accompanied gazing under your shirt and skirt, gathering yourself to hold your shirt together and pull down your skirt. Your eyes followed the material that poked out his pocket, the train doors opening.

“I’ll give these to you next time we meet~”

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dweemeister · 4 years ago

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The complete list of films featured in 2021′s “31 Days of Oscar” marathon

What follows is the exhaustive list of all 403 short- and feature-length films featured on this blog over the last thirty-one days for the 31 Days of Oscar marathon. This number is up from last year’s count of 327 and is the second-highest number of films I have ever featured in this marathon (behind the 410 films from 2016). Despite the number, this remains only a fraction of the nearly 5,000 films that have been nominated for Academy Awards. This year’s marathon was harder to plan than usual due to the fact it was presented in alphabetical order - with the exception of any write-ups I did.

BREAKDOWN BY DECADE 1927-1929: 7 1930s: 44 1940s: 63 1950s: 63 1960s: 46 1970s: 25 1980s: 29 1990s: 28 2000s: 25 2010s: 43 2020s: 30

Year with most representation (2020 excluded): 1940 (ten films) Median year: 1964

And now, the list. Best Picture winners and the one (and only) winner for Unique and Artistic Production are in bold. Asterisked (*) films are films I haven’t seen in their entirety as of the publishing of this post.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Ace in the Hole (1951)

Adam’s Rib (1949)*

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

After the Thin Man (1936)*

Airport (1970)*

Aladdin (1992)

Albert Nobbs (2011)

Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938)

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Almost Famous (2000)

An American in Paris (1951)

Anastasia (1956)

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Annie (1982)

Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)

Arrival (2016)

Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987, France)

The Awful Truth (1937)

Babe (1995)

Baby Doll (1956)*

Ballad of a Soldier (1959, Soviet Union)*

The Band Wagon (1953)

Bao (2018 short)

Ben-Hur (1959)

Berkeley Square (1933)

The Best Man (1964)

Better Days (2019, Hong Kong)*

The Big Chill (1983)*

The Birds (1963)

Birds Anonymous (1957 short)

Black Orpheus (1959, Brazil)

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Blue Velvet (1986)

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)*

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2020)*

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brotherhood (2018 short, Tunisia/Canada/Qatar/Sweden)

Cabin in the Sky (1943)

Calamity Jane (1953)

Carol (2015)*

Casablanca (1942)

Casino (1995)*

Charade (1963)

The Circus (1928)

Citizen Kane (1941)

City of God (2002, Brazil)*

Claudine (1974)*

Closely Watched Trains (1966, Czechoslovakia)

Coraline (2009)*

Da 5 Bloods (2020)*

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Death in Venice (1971)*

Destination Moon (1950)*

The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)

Down Argentine Way (1940)

Dunkirk (2017)

Easter Parade (1948)

The Edge of Democracy (2019, Brazil)*

Educated Fish (1937 short)*

El Cid (1961)*

Elmer Gantry (1960)

The End of the Affair (1999)*

Ernest & Celestine (2012, France/Belgium)

Face to Face (1976, Sweden)*

The Fallen Idol (1948)

Fantasia (1940)

A Fantastic Woman (2017, Chile)*

Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)*

A Farewell to Arms (1932)*

A Few Good Men (1992)*

Five Easy Pieces (1970)*

The Five Pennies (1959)

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)

Flower Drum Song (1961)

Flowers and Trees (1932 short)

Flying Down to Rio (1933)*

For All Mankind (1989)

For Sama (2019)*

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Forrest Gump (1994)

42nd Street (1933)

Four Days in November (1964)*

The Four Feathers (1939)

The 400 Blows (1959, France)

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)*

From Here to Eternity (1953)

Funny Face (1957)

Funny Girl (1968)

Fury (1936)*

Gandhi (1982)

The Garden of Allah (1936)

Garden Party (2017 short, France)

Gaslight (1944)

Giant (1956)

Gigi (1958)

Gladiator (2000)

The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather, Part II (1974)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

Gorillas in the Mist (1988)*

Gosford Park (2001)

Grand Hotel (1932)

Grand Prix (1966)*

The Great Beauty (2013, Italy)

The Great Race (1965)

The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Green Book (2018)

Green Dolphin Street (1947)*

The Green Mile (1999)*

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Gunga Din (1939)

Hair Love (2019 short)

Hallelujah (1929)*

Hamlet (1948)

Hamlet (1990)

Hamlet (1996)

Hangmen Also Die! (1943)*

The Happiest Millionaire (1967)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)

The Harvey Girls (1946)

Heartbreak Ridge (1986)*

The Heiress (1949)

Hell’s Angels (1930)*

Henry V (1989)

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Hero (2002, China)*

Hidden Figures (2016)

The High and the Mighty (1954)*

High Noon (1952)

High Society (1956)

Himalaya (1999, France/Switzerland/United Kingdom/Nepal)*

Home Alone (1990)

Honeysuckle Rose (1980)*

Hoosiers (1986)

The House on 92nd Street (1945)*

How the West Was Won (1962)

How to Survive a Plague (2012)*

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

I Married a Witch (1942)*

I Never Sang for My Father (1970)

I Vitelloni (1953, Italy)*

I Wanted Wings (1941)*

I, Tonya (2017)*

Ida (2013, Poland)

Imitation of Life (1959)

In Cold Blood (1967)

In the Absence (2018 short, South Korea)

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Inherit the Wind (1960)

Inside Daisy Clover (1965)*

Inside Moves (1980)*

It Happened One Night (1934)

It Happened Tomorrow (1944)*

It Should Happen to You (1954)*

It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)

Jackie Brown (1997)*

Jammin’ the Blues (1944 short)*

Jaws (1975)

The Jazz Singer (1927)

Jerry’s Cousin (1951 short)

Jesus Camp (2006)*

Jezebel (1938)

Jim: The James Foley Story (2016)*

Joe’s Violin (2016 short)

The Journey of Natty Gann (1985)

Joyeux Noel (2005, France)

Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Julia (1977)*

Juliet of the Spirits (1965, Italy)

Kagemusha (1980, Japan)

The Karate Kid (1984)

The Killers (1946)*

The King and I (1956)

The King’s Speech (2010)

The Kite Runner (2007)

Knights of the Round Table (1953)*

Knives Out (2019)

Kundun (1997)*

La Ronde (1950, France)*

La Strada (1954, Italy)

La Traviata (1982, Italy)*

Lady Be Good (1941)*

The Lady Eve (1941)

The Ladykillers (1955)*

The Last Emperor (1987)

A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

The Life Ahead (2020, Italy)*

Life is Beautiful (1997, Italy)

Life with Feathers (1945 short)

Lili (1953)

Lilies of the Field (1963)

The Lion in Winter (1968)*

Little Caesar (1931)

A Little Romance (1979)

Little Women (2019)

Logan (2017)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Lost Horizon (1937)

Love Affair (1939)*

Love Story (1970)*

Loving Vincent (2017)

The Magic Flute (1975, Sweden)

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Malcolm X (1992)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

A Man for All Seasons (1966)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Maria Full of Grace (2004, Colombia)*

Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)*

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Mighty Joe Young (1949)*

Milk (2008)

Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)*

The Miracle Worker (1962)*

Mon Oncle (1958, France)

Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953, France)*

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

My Fair Lady (1964)

My Favorite Wife (1940)

My Favorite Year (1982)

My Night at Maud’s (1969)*

The Narrow Margin (1952)

The Natural (1984)

Nebraska (2013)

Network (1976)

Night Must Fall (1937)*

Nightcrawler (2014)*

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Ninotchka (1939)

Nowhere in Africa (2001, Germany)*

Odd Man Out (1947)*

The Official Story (1985, Argentina)*

Oklahoma! (1955)*

Oliver! (1968)

On Golden Pond (1981)*

On the Riviera (1951)*

On the Waterfront (1954)

One Day in September (1999)*

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

One Foot in Heaven (1941)

One Hour with You (1932)

One Potato, Two Potato (1964)*

Only Angels Have Wings (1939)*

Our Town (1940)

Paisan (1946, Italy)

Pal Joey (1957)*

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, Mexico)

Paper Moon (1973)*

Parasite (2019, South Korea)

The Parent Trap (1961)

A Passage to India (1984)*

Patton (1970)

Pelle the Conqueror (1987, Denmark)*

Period. End of Sentence. (2018 short)

Persepolis (2007, France)

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Pigs in a Polka (1943 short)*

Pillow Talk (1959)*

Pinocchio (1940)

Places in the Heart (1984)*

Poltergeist (1982)

Portrait of Jennie (1948)

Precious (2009)*

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927)*

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)*

The Producers (1967)

Psycho (1960)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Purple Rain (1984)

Puss Gets the Boot (1940 short)

Pygmalion (1938)

Quiet Please! (1945 short)

Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020, Bosnia-Herzegovina)*

Rachel, Rachel (1968)*

Ran (1985, Japan)

Random Harvest (1942)

Rashômon (1950, Japan)

Rasputin and the Empress (1932)*

Rear Window (1954)

Rebecca (1940)

Red River (1948)

The Red Shoes (1948)

A River Runs Through It (1992)

Road to Perdition (2002)

Roma (2018, Mexico)

Saludos Amigos (1942)

Same Time, Next Year (1978)*

The Secret of Kells (2009)

Sense and Sensibility (1995)*

Sergeant York (1941)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Seven Samurai (1954, Japan)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

The Shape of Water (2017)

Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)*

She Done Him Wrong (1933)*

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

The Shootist (1976)

The Shop on Main Street (1965, Czechoslovakia)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Silverado (1985)

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)

The Snake Pit (1948)*

Song of the Sea (2014)

Sounder (1972)

The Sound of Music (1965)

The Spanish Main (1945)*

Speedy (1928)

Speedy Gonzales (1955 short)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Spirited Away (2001, Japan)

Stagecoach (1939)

A Star is Born (1937)

A Star is Born (1954)

A Star is Born (1976)*

A Star is Born (2018)

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Star Wars (1977)

Starship Troopers (1997)

The Sting (1973)

A Stolen Life (1946)*

The Story of Three Loves (1953)*

The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003, Mongolia)*

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)*

The Stranger (1946)*

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Strike Up the Band (1940)

Strings (1991 short)*

The Sundowners (1960)*

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

Superman (1978)

Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)

Swing Time (1936)

T-Men (1947)*

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013, Japan)

Tangerines (2013, Estonia)*

Tenet (2020)

Them! (1954)

Theodora Goes Wild (1936)*

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)*

This is Cinerama (1952)*

The Three Musketeers (1948)

Three Orphan Kittens (1935 short)

Time (2020)*

Timecode (2016 short, Spain)

Tom Jones (1963)

Toni Erdmann (2016, Germany)*

Top Hat (1935)

The Triplets of Belleville (2003, France)*

The Truman Show (1998)*

12 Angry Men (1957)

Twilight of Honor (1963)*

Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)*

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Umberto D. (1952, Italy)

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, France)

Unforgiven (1992)

Up (2009)

Vertigo (1958)

Victor/Victoria (1982)

WALL-E (2008)

Watch on the Rhine (1943)*

Waterloo Bridge (1940)

Weary River (1929)*

West Side Story (1961)

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968 short)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Wolfwalkers (2020)

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

You Can’t Take It with You (1938)

Zorba the Greek (1964)*

The 15 nominated short films for the 93rd Academy Awards

The 8 nominees for Best Picture at the 93rd Academy Awards, including the winner, Nomadland

Until next year’s ceremony, folks - February will be here before we know it!

#Oscars #31 Days of Oscar

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agentnico · 3 years ago

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Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021) Review

Lin Manuel Miranda directing a musical? Wait, whaaa?? This is unprecedented!! No way!! The most unlikeliest scenario ever!! Did not expect this whatsoever! Somebody shut the front door as I’m about to lose my mind!! Not as much as Jonathan Larson, evidently, but metaphorically I shall lose my mind!!

Plot: Based on the autobiographical musical by playwright Jonathan Larson. It's the story of an aspiring composer in New York City who is worried he made the wrong career choice, whilst navigating the pressures of love and friendship.

So this film premiered on Netflix back in early November, and I didn’t watch it for one sole reason - my fiancée gave it a go first whilst I was out for some reason, probably searching for dangerous cliffsides to chase Pokémon on, and she told me it was really bad. I should note that she only watched 10 minutes of it and for some reason I came to the very educated and logical conclusion that her opinion speaks for the entire film, so I went ahead and didn’t watch it. And so only recently this movie came back onto my radar when a mate from work told me it was actually really good. And seeing as Andrew Garfield is in the centre of the moviegoing public’s attention right now for absolutely no reason whatsoever relating to what might currently be out in cinemas at this moment in time *wink wink nudge nudge*, I decided to finally give Tick, Tick... Boom! another shot. Well, its first shot to be exact.

Right off the bat, Andrew Garfield is superb in this movie. You always wonder how certain actors can surprise you with their singing voice when they randomly appear in a Hollywood musical after prior not showing any signs that they could actually sing. There is no part of me that would have questioned that Garfield had done this type of thing since the day he was born. He fully throws himself into this extravagant musical theatre role, with gusto and charisma, and that very much brings with it a pro and a con for this movie. As in, his performance in this movie is very much the decider of will you or won’t you like this movie. Evidently my lovely fiancée didn’t like this movie (from only watching 10 minutes of it) and her main reason was that she found Garfield annoying in it. Which is true, his performance and character is grand, fast and really in-your-face, as if he’s in an actual theatre stage projecting his voice and role to a massive audience and reaching out to the very end of the theatre. It can be jarring, so if you aren’t a fan of musicals, this movie definitely won’t be your cup of tea, as this feels like Broadway through and through. But that’s also the pro side to Andrew Garfield’s performance. He fits perfectly into this world of musical theatre, and believably sells Jonathan Larson as someone who’s really passionate about theatre, singing, writing and all things music. And for anyone who’s currently surprised that Andrew Garfield can actually give a good performance outside of Spider-Man (and yes, I said it, he was a good Spider-Man, just stuck in very bad movies!), let us not forget that back in 2016 he starred in two critically acclaimed awards-contending films Hacksaw Ridge and Silence, and one of those was directed by one of the most famous directors ever Martin Scorsese, and Garfield managed to hold his own in both those films! So take that, Garfield haters!!

Aside from Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick... Boom! is a solid movie with a story that has been told many times before. Don’t get me wrong, its good stuff, but we’ve had many many films about struggling artists who are trying to get their work out their whilst having to balance their personal matters also. Funnily enough, its actually the subject matter of many musicals. But as films of this kind go, Tick, Tick... Boom! is perfectly okay, if a but lacking the niche directorial flair and touch. Lin Manuel Miranda is a good songwriter. He’s proven that many times, including managing to get a catchy tune out of a giant angry crab who is obsessed with how shiny his shell is. However when it comes to his directing, it’s a bland. There are definitely some cool shots, especially when he manages to turn a diner into a theatre stage during a musical number, but otherwise you can tell his filmmaking style is amateurish. And for a movie with such a title as Tick, Tick... Boom!, I feel like the movie lacked urgency and pace. Like the narrative is all about running out of time, but this movie acts like it has all the time in the world. Nevertheless, Garfield is really good in it, the songs are going to make musical theatre fans happy and I think overall this movie is perfectly fine if a bit unimaginative biopic for the musical artist. I do also admire that this movie pays tribute to Stephen Sondheim, a genius of musical theatre who sadly passed away earlier this year, who here is portrayed as someone who is ready to give anyone a chance, if they have that special spark.

Overall score: 6/10

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yeniayofnymeria · 4 years ago

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Arya Stark's Green Fork scene and Daenerys' Dream

Selam, hello!

I hadn't written for a while. I wanted to come back with a good topic. Actually, this was something that came to my mind a few years ago, but I had never thought before that there was a parallel with Dany's dream. I have recently started interpreting asoiaf dreams and prophecies, at which time I realized that these two subjects are similar.

(Sorry for my bad grammar.)

Dany's Dream

The dream takes place in a Storm of Swords 3rd Daenerys POV (I don't know if it's coincidence or intentional to see such a dream in the 3rd pov, of course, but it seemed like one of the triple loops to me for Dany).

That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse. When she saw the Usurper's rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent. Some small part of her knew that she was dreaming, but another part exulted. This is how it was meant to be. The other was a nightmare, and I have only now awakened.

Dany was often compared to her older brother Rhaegar, if you remember... Naturally, she dreams of herself as Rhaegar, who went to the Trident river to triumph over the Rebels; this is her subconscious dream way of saying "I'm not like Viserys, I'm like Rhaegar, they say I am". So obviously Dany accept it by now. Of course, she goes to war on a dragon, not on a horse. As such, it is highly likely to be a dragon dream.

Now, the most common interpretation of this dream is as a sign of Dany's future war with the Others in the region of this river because of "ice armors". I thought the same when I first read it, but let's see what Martin said: “Prophecies come true unexpectedly... those prophecies that you see as spoilers aren't always what they seem... the prophecies should not be too obvious... ' words echo in my head. Despite these words, when people saw the “ice armors” depiction, Dany commented that she was fighting the Others. This is what even writes as an interpretation of this dream on the ASOIAF Wiki.

It's pretty obvious, don't you think? This came to mind first, and no other alternative thought was even suggested. In fact, we've read that the characters often interpret the prophecies they hear as they first come to mind, making inferences wrong. For example, when Cersei heard the prophecy, she believed that the valonqar was Tyrion; it will probably be Jaime, or maybe someone else too… When Dany saw the prophecies of betrayal, she quickly accepted Mirri and Jorah as two of the three betrayals, but the past actions of both do not fall under these three reported betrayals.

So I'm going to make another comment, going beyond the obvious. Now, assuming that the war we see will take place in the future, if Dany arrives in the Riverlands, on the Trident; there's a good chance she'll fight on the Green Fork side because Rhaegar was killed in an area connected to this place, and it was named Ruby Ford because of rubies spilling from his armor... Near here is Crossroads Inn. Since the river is shallow here, you can cross the river, the armies gathered and fought here. Naturally, the army that Dany sees is coming from the north to fight Dany. Green color is unlucky for Dany; The fact that Rhaegar was killed here, and the "ice-armoured" armies coming from the north... moreover, these are the "rebel armies(Starks)" for Dany...

I think there is a strong possibility that these armies are indeed the armies of the northerners. The armies of the north belong to the House Stark, representing the "ice" side in the pact of ice and fire. Even the name of the famous family heirloom sword was “ice”. In the fifth book Jon; We read that in one of his dreams he wore "ice armor". We see that the Others are not the only ones wearing ice armor in this series. In particular, seeing another pov character wearing the ice armor seen in the dream, in his dream, gives us the opportunity to interpret this dream differently than the Others. In a nutshell, it's likely Daenerys is fighting the northern army here, led by the Starks. So she will fight in the future... Dany sees here that she is burning them with fire, melting them and this rebel army overflowing the river against the water... Remember this part.

Arya and Sandor Scene

Now, when Sandor kidnaps Arya, he wants to take her across the river, but Arya doesn't know where she is. Just as Tyrion thought Jorah was taking him to Cersei, Arya thought Sandor was taking him to Cersei, and she thought the river she saw was the BLACK - WATER river, although she wasn't sure... of course there is a nice Arya-Tyrion parallel here too we have seen it... if we continue, when he saw the river, the sky was cloudy and it was raining; This, of course, made the river go wild. I will now interpret the chapter by quoting it bit by bit; of course, remember the dream that Dany had and look at what happened here.

When they reached the top of the ridge and saw the river, Sandor Clegane reined up hard and cursed.

The rain was falling from a black iron sky, pricking the green and brown torrent with ten thousand swords. It must be a mile across, Arya thought. The tops of half a hundred trees poked up out the swirling waters, their limbs clutching for the sky like the arms of drowning men. Thick mats of sodden leaves choked the shoreline, and farther out in the channel she glimpsed something pale and swollen, a deer or perhaps a dead horse, moving swiftly downstream. There was a sound too, a low rumble at the edge of hearing, like the sound a dog makes just before he growls.

The first thing that draws attention is the iron blackness of the sky... The fact that Arya thinks this place is BLACK water twice, both in this scene and later in the chapter, may be noteworthy as the emphasis on "black" because this is the green fork, the only thing that has anything to do with black is the sky... the pouring rain pierces the GREEN and BROWN stream with 10,000 swords... There are trees in the river too, their branches reaching to the sky look like the arms of drowning men, and mats of leaves choked the shoreline... Everyone knows that the leaves are green. We understand that the river is green fork with the "green" description, and the information that the town of Harroway is nearby is also given in the section, exactly on the green fork sides, even near Ruby Ford, like Crossroads Inn. So Sandor and Arya are trying to cross the Ruby Ford, just as Dany saw in her dream. As such, both the dream and this scene are happening same place; Green Fork, Ruby Ford.

The fact that the sky is black iron reminds us of Drogon, that the bones of dragons are black because of iron, and we can attribute the expression of the sky to the flying of dragons and attacking from the sky ( I might pushed this part too much). Therefore, the iron black sky becomes a somewhat meaningful description. From this sky comes 10,000 swords too... In this book, Dany had just bought 10,000 Unsullied. Aegon also has 10,000 men in the last book; Golden Company. In other words, an army of at least 10 thousand soldiers led by Dany comes here with her dragon and attacks Starks, northerens.

These 10,000 swords pierce this green river... ominous for the green dany; green symbolizes Dany's enemies... or, to be more precise, it's green side in Dance 2... You know that in the first Dance, the main parties were divided into greens and blacks; These colors were named as names because of the dresses the two queens wore in a tournament. Undoubtedly, what will happen in the 2nd dance will never, never happen same exacly, but they will be similar, a few common points; will be reflected. One of them is probably the separation of the sides into greens and blacks. Naturally, only the colors of the dragons can decide this; Since the black dragon is Dany's, Dany symbolizes the "black" side, which in this story coincides with the queen of the first dance anyway; We can think that Jon, who is expected to ride the green dragon, will also symbolize the green side. Remember my thread Jorah; Even Tyrion's eyes are black and green; a sign that he will switch sides. Of course, Aegon will probably take his side in this Dance 2 issue, I think it could be between 3 people, not two people, and there are signs about it (Like Tyrion's dream and Moqorro's Tyrion prophice)

The trees look like drowning men. Maybe it was a bit of a force, but I will make such a comment anyway. You know the connection between the beliefs of the Nords and the trees, the trees represent their beliefs. Green is already the symbol of the “nature” side; Remember my THREE HEADS thread... So it's only natural for Jon to represent the greens as the "balance" side(in battle of dawn).

Thus, the analogy of the treemen drowning in the river seems to fit almost exactly with the description of Dany's dream of coming from the sky with a dragon, setting the men in ice armor on fire, melting them into the river, and overflowing into the river, in other words, drowning. Already the river has overflowed and raged in Arya's scene, the waters have risen and even the town of Harroway has been submerged. So the river runs parallel to the scene, as Dany saw in her dream (Remember, a symbolic expression like the river's current was made by the author before the Red Wedding, I think he's doing the same thing).

Naturally, mats of sodden leaves choked the shoreline and appearing like a mats may be a situation that depicts these dying-drowning northern soldiers. Looks like Dany is dealing a heavy blow to the northerners so far. Or perhaps the opposite statement that these leaves “choke” the shoreline; it may be explaining that the northerners were crowded and perhaps they were superior to the enemy soldiers. I'm just trying to interpret it from every angle as possible, I'm not saying that this interpretation is final. There are dead deer or horses floating in the sea; Arya isn't sure which one it is. When I think of horse, Dothrak comes to mind, and when I say deer, naturally I think of Baratheon, the soldiers of the Stormlands. Maybe Dany and Aegon's forces have come together and an army of 10,000 has arrived, or rather will come, and will have Dothraki and Storm armies in it... You know that in book 6, Aegon took the Storm Castle, which is equivalent to same thing take all Stormlands.

These drowning animals inevitably give the impression that Dany's army will lose. Or at worst, both sides will suffer heavy losses. It is also true that, as I said before, Rhaegar had died here, and Dany saw herself as Rhaegar. Naturally, this dream of Dany and the possible foreshadowing narration in this scene of Arya; In fact, it may be Dany's last battle, we may have seen the moment she went to her death. Martin's assistants, I don't know why, think that Dany will be killed by Jon before the fight with the Others is over. On the other hand, I think that Dany will die with Jon and Arya act together. Continue the quote.

The oarsmen were rowing more vigorously now, fighting the rage of the river. Leaves and broken branches swirled past as fast as if they'd been fired from a scorpion.

There is a formal depiction of war here; anyway, the scene that tells about Arya and Sandor crossing to the north of the river is a battle scene in itself, you can see it very easily even when you read it yourself. The river is angry; leaves and broken branches seem to be “thrown by a scorpion”... The tree-green leaf depiction here and the rage of the river seem to symbolize the "northerns" because they were the ones who were drowned and died by the attack in the first place; This was the case in Dany's dream as well, and the river overflows with anger and attacks the enemy with all its might...

The word scorpion is also notable, this is the weapon you need to hunt a dragon. The leaves and tree branches symbolizing the northerners seem to have been thrown by the scorpion... So they are trying to kill the dragon. Remember that it was a scorpion that killed Meraxes.

But a sudden shout snapped her head about before she could leap. The ferrymen were rushing forward, poles in hand. For a moment she did not understand what was happening. Then she saw it: an uprooted tree, huge and dark, coming straight at them. A tangle of roots and limbs poked up out of the water as it came, like the reaching arms of a great kraken. The oarsmen were backing water frantically, trying to avoid a collision that could capsize them or stove their hull in. The old man had wrenched the rudder about, and the horse at the prow was swinging downstream, but too slowly. Glistening brown and black, the tree rushed toward them like a battering ram. It could not have been more than ten feet from their prow when two of the boatmen somehow caught it with their long poles. One snapped, and the long splintering craaaack made it sound as if the ferry were breaking up beneath them. But the second man managed to give the trunk a hard shove, just enough to deflect it away from them. The tree swept past the ferry with inches to spare, its branches scrabbling like claws against the horsehead. Only just when it seemed as if they were clear, one of the monster's upper limbs dealt them a glancing thump. The ferry seemed to shudder, and Arya slipped, landing painfully on one knee. The man with the broken pole was not so lucky. She heard him shout as he stumbled over the side. Then the raging brown water closed over him, and he was gone in the time it took Arya to climb back to her feet. One of the other boatmen snatched up a coil of rope, but there was no one to throw it to.

Yes, I think we just saw Euron Greyjoy's ship. Our sea monster called the Great kraken and the black-brown ship... although Euron's ship is dark red in hull but has black sails and a picture of a sea monster, he later started to use his own special crest. So it seems that Euron's naval power is also involved in the war. Remember; The Lord of White Harbor had also built at least 30-40 warships... Martin doesn't have those ships built as decorations. In summary; As I mentioned in Euron Ice or Fire, the King of the Iron Islands seems to have taken sides with Dany. The Valerions, who were already sea power in Dance 1, were on the side of the black queen, while the now powerful sea power is the Greyjoys, which belongs to Euron. They were already on the black side in the first Dance.

So in conclusion, with both Dany's dream and Arya's Green Fork "Ruby Ford" scene, the author told us about the Stark - Targaryen collision that will take place in the 7th book.

What are you thinking?

#Arya Stark #Daenerys Targaryen #asoiaf

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halseyhazzard · 4 years ago

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The Redemption of Judee Sill

Halsey Hazzard, fall 2018

for a writing class on pop culture criticism “So much sensationalist bullshit has been written about Judee Sill (by people who never knew her) focusing on her days as a hooker and a junkie.” So begins Pat Thomas’s interview with Tommy Peltier, a longtime friend and collaborator of Sill’s, in the liner notes to the recently and lovingly compiled “Songs of Rapture and Redemption: Rarities & Live.” He’s not wrong; in nearly all of the writing on Sill, her music, an inimitable blend of gospel, folk and country at once bluesy and baroque, plays second fiddle to the stranger- and sadder-than-fiction story of her all-too-brief life. Her eponymous 1971 debut and 1973’s Heart Food were met with praise from critics and her fellow songwriters alike; in 1973 Steve Holden called Judee a “most gifted artist, one who continues to promise almost more than I dare hope for.” Unfortunately — for Sill and for those who loved her, and for those of us who love her music — much of that promise never came to pass. She died in obscurity in 1979, leaving behind an unfinished third record and quietly ascending to the pantheon of young, brilliant musicians who died too soon.

It’s hard to write about Sill without relying on sensationalist bullshit. I suppose in writing this at all I’m contributing to the problem, but like so many others, I have joined the ranks of Sill’s devoted disciples, compelled to tell and retell her story to rectify fate’s perceived cruel disservice to a great talent. What emerges is not always a faithful portrait of the complicated artist Sill was, but rather a shifting and sometimes contradictory fable that cements Sill’s status as a legend — not, as she might have hoped, as “an extremely famous or notorious person,” but rather as the subject of a “story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated.”

The story goes something like this: Judee Sill was born Judith Lynne Sill to an average, unhappy middle class household in Los Angeles in 1944. She fell in with a rough crowd, got married, committed a series of crimes, got addicted to various drugs, went to jail, got married again. Eventually she cleaned up her act, put the gospel licks she’d learned in reform school to good use, and became the first act signed to David Geffen’s Asylum label. She put out two albums of intricate songs that married earthly desire and longing for heavenly salvation, populated with lonely cowboy types and vigilantes that sometimes seemed strikingly similar to Jesus. For a few shining years it seemed like Sill had made it. It soon became clear (the story goes) that fame was not what fate had in store for her. Until 2003, when Rhino issued Judee Sill and Heart Food on CDs for the first time as part of its Handmade series, Sill was “[u]nlamented and all but forgotten.” These are the words of Barney Hoskyns, who in a 2004 Guardian profile declared “[t]he tragic Judee Sill is well overdue for (re)discovery.” Since then, interest in Sill’s life and music has steadily increased thanks to a series of posthumous reissues and releases: 2005’s “Dreams Come True,” a two-disk set of unreleased recordings mixed by Jim O’Rourke (Sonic Youth, Wilco); Live in London: The BBC Recordings 1972-1973, released in 2007; and “Chariot of Astral Light,” an intimate collaboration with aforementioned Tommy Peltier recorded in the ‘70s and finally released in 2004.

In a review of the 2004 Intervention reissue of Judee Sill titled “The Judee Sill Cult Continues, This Time at 45RPM,” Michael Fremer of Analogplanet writes, “sometimes "legends" are created and nurtured simply by tragic circumstances. In Judee Sill's case add wasted talent and unfulfilled great promise that add up to a movie worthy story.” Sill’s life has yet to inspire a movie (although a seemingly-deserted IMDB page indicates at least one attempt at a documentary), but songwriter Laura Veirs’ “Song for Judee,” renders the Judee Sill legend in sparse yet cinematic detail. In it, Veirs’ voice echoes on top of warm, jangling guitars, the apparently upbeat melody betrayed by the sadness of the story it tells:

“You wrote “The Kiss” and it is beautiful

I can listen again and again

You never really got a break

From the car wrecks and the pain”

The crux of the Judee Sill legend is captured in these lines, which immediately identify Sill’s work with the tragic events of her life. Sill’s music is mentioned in Veir’s lyric but once, and only glancingly; it’s not even clear “The Kiss” is a song, or “Judee” a songwriter. Veirs’ appreciation for her music is given is as pretext for why the listener should care about Sill’s life, but it’s clear the main attraction here is tragedy. The rest of this atypical ode is not praise, but a retelling, addressed to Sill herself, of key moments in the legend of her life. What emerges is a tellingly concise fable that identifies Sill with the lonely phantom cowboys who populate her lyrical landscape.

Veirs appears to have lifted her narrative and several phrases from the BBC documentary. She mines in particular the commentary from Peltier, who says Sill was his best friend and shares the insights that would come to compose Veirs’ chorus: “You loved the Sons of the Pioneers and the Hollywood cowboy stars/you were just trying to put a hand to where we are.” She also borrows, nearly word-for-word, an introduction Judee gave during one of her London radio performances in 1972, describing her time “living in a ‘55 Cadillac, five people sleeping in shifts.” This almost creates an intimacy with Sill, whom Veirs had never met; however, there remains an insurmountable distance. Sill had been dead 35 years — as long as she was alive — by the time this ode was composed. While Veirs hints at Sill’s troubles in the first verse, only in the last verse does she make explicit what happened: “They found you with a needle in your arm, beloved books strewn ‘round at your feet”. The revelation gives the chorus retroactive prophetic relevance. The past tense, once wistful, is now crushing.

Her death, like her life, became part of the legend. There are general points of agreement: she had been in several car accidents, was using heroin again, and died of an overdose just after Thanksgiving 1979. Everything else is less clear. Though her death certificate reports she was found dead in her house in North Hollywood, a persistent rumor suggested she had disappeared to Mexico to live out her final days. Her death was reported as a suicide, but family members and friends maintain that the note found near her, a characteristic musing on death and redemption, was an idea for a song.

The title of a 2014 BBC Radio documentary by Ruth Barnes says it all: “The Lost Genius of Judee Sill.” Sill’s genius is preceded by its lostness. Sill herself comes last. Her music is mentioned too, of course. They quote Sill’s self-description of her work as “country-cult-baroque” and her professed influences, Bach and Pythagoras. (In some versions of the quote, Ray Charles is thrown in.) Yet every time, it seems, someone brings up that she wrote “Jesus Was a Crossmaker,” about JD Souther, that Graham Nash produced it. She was the inaugural artist on David Geffen’s Asylum, we’re told, .She opened for Crosby Stills and Nash, and Cat Stevens, and Gordon Lightfoot — and so on. These revelations are usually accompanied by astonishment at the fact that she failed to find the commercial success of her peers, despite her comparable — perhaps superior — talents.

Many have offered explanations about how this happened. There is a general consensus that her falling-out with Geffen played a role. It’s not exactly clear what happened. The word “faggot” was involved, but whether it was said live or on the radio, in reference to Geffen himself or a pair of his pink shoes, is up for debate. Whatever she said severed their relationship. Some contend that she may have been in love with him, and was hurt when he spurned her advances. Others point out that she was growing frustrated with what she saw as his lack of promotion for her music. By this point, she was already making no secret of her disdain for the “snotty rock bands” she had to open for, and I doubt this did her any favors.

The contradictions in people’s stories exacerbate the larger-than-life quality of her life and times, as do the many cliches used to tell her story. Headlines variously declare her “a star that fame forgot,” “L.A.’s doomed lady of the canyon who lost her genius to drugs,” a “mystic” who “walked among us.” The human Judee Sill is lost somewhere beneath this sensationalism. It is no wonder why her friends and family members, Tommy Peltier chief among them, feel so compelled to set the record straight by providing their version of events. In his remarks in “Songs of Rapture and Redemption,” Peltier is quick to discourage speculation about her drug use and past prostitution, declaring instead “She was just the most beautiful person.”

“Beautiful,” you may recall, was the only word Laura Veirs could come up with to describe “The Kiss.” When I first heard “The Kiss,” I was immediately struck by how inadequate the word was to describe what I was hearing. The song showcases the best of her efforts to induce mathematically precise intervals into intricate melodies that aren’t so much heard as felt. Her lyrics, confusing the sacred and profane, ride the thin ridge between love and logic, devotion and desperation. Over shifting and plaintive piano Sill sings a eulogy to stars bursting in the sky and begs a lover — god? — to come and hold her “while you show me how to fly.” I first heard “The Kiss” in a YouTube video, one of few that survives of her performing, whose introduction insists that she herself was determined to be a successful musician. Ironically, the video shows precisely why perhaps she couldn’t be: severe and guileless, Sill hunches over the piano as if it were all that exists, engrossed in the song’s intense and uncommercial emotional intensity.

Sill’s idiosyncrasies are on full display in “Songs of Rapture and Redemption”, a compilation whose greatest strength is its commitment to capturing the artist and all her contradictions in her own words. The sleeve features a candid photograph of a smiling Sill, alongside several of her paintings and drawings. The tracks included are a combination of live recordings, demos, and studio outtakes that lay bare the deceptive complexity of her compositions. In the Boston Music Hall performance that opens the record, Sill, armed only with an acoustic guitar, tells the audience “I’m going to sing you a few little songs before David [Crosby] and Graham [Nash] get here. I’d like to sing you this song called “The Vigilante”. It’s new, I hope I remember the words.” The self-effacing introduction notwithstanding, what follows is nothing short of revelatory.

An early highlight is “Enchanted Sky Machines,” a bluesy number about waiting for the end of the world where she trades her distinctive fingerpicking for pentecostal piano licks she picked up in reform school. There is an aching earnestness to the way she sings of swallowing her yearning, and it carries over into “The Archetypal Man,” which begins with Sill singing the song’s opening harpsichord solo. Before “Crayon Angels,” she describes how she would call up friends as she was writing the album and sing them instrumental solos, joking that it must have been hard for them to like her in those days. The crowd is in on it, and her self-deprecating humor belies a clear confidence in her talents and her musical vision that is justified by the virtuosic grace of her playing. Sill was a perfectionist who demanded and deserved creative control, a notoriously laborious songwriter who could be a tyrant in the studio, and these tendencies are on full display even in this humble solo set. When she introduces her second last song, “The Lamb Ran Away With the Crown,” she enunciates every word, then repeats it again — ”with. the. crown.” — determined to ensure the the audience walks away knowing exactly what she was saying.

The set ends with Judee’s signature song, “Jesus Was a Crossmaker,” which had only just been released to radio two days prior. She calmly reveals the song’s inspiration, an unhappy relationship with a “bandit and a heartbreaker,” and describes waking up one day with the conviction “that even that wretched bastard was not beyond redemption.” Her diction is clear, her tone less so. The audience, nonetheless moved, cheers and laughs. She goes on: “It’s true, I swear. It saved me, this song. It was writing this song or suicide. It’s called “Jesus is a Crossmaker” and I hope you like it.” Her voice seems monotonous for such an emotional confession, but that stops mattering as soon as the song begins.

Instantly her singing voice, freed from the perfectionism of her studio recordings, reveals itself as strikingly human. Precise, unadorned, free of vibrato, it is flat in places, sharp in others, yet cuts to the rhythmic core of each note. She struggles with a few of the intervals she has given herself to sing, but this only enhances the song, giving human voice to the mathematical precision of her compositions, linking the downtrodden with the divine. With her unpretentious voice and deceptively simple language, she strives to speak redemption into being. Her longing for it is audible.

Such longing is a key theme in much of sill’s work, and nowhere is it more pronounced than in “Crayon Angels”:

Crayon Angel songs are slightly out of tune

But I'm sure I'm not to blame

Nothing's happened, but I think it will soon

So I sit here waiting for God and a train to the Astral plane

Later in the song, she confesses “Guess reality is not as it seems so I sit here hoping for truth, and a ride to the other side”. Sill knows the truth she longs for is unattainable, at least in this lifetime — but she remains unflagging in her belief in something. It is this belief that motivates her music. To characterize Sill as a god-given genius laid low by fate undercuts her formidable musical ambition, and the sincerity with which she approached her craft. The work she created was not purely inspired by the divine, but instead strove for it, confronting the inevitable impossibility of reaching perfection with the all-too-human drive for beauty in the face of death. Still, one gets the sense that Sill herself, enthralled as she was with cowboy stories and cosmic secrets, might appreciate the mythic proportions her life story has taken. I like to think that she’s made it to the Astral plane, and that wherever she is, she’s smiling.

#h: assignment #h: 2018 #judee sill #music criticism #folk music #songs of rapture and redemption

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vietnamtour-blog · 4 years ago

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Ha Giang: Things you should know before visiting

Vietnam owns majestic mountains and winding passes, which can match the beauty of widely known spots in the world. When it comes to mountainous areas, we cannot help but mention Sapa and Ha Giang.

Both Sapa and Ha Giang are gateways to the outstanding mountain scenery of the Northwest and extreme north of Vietnam. However, in comparison with Sapa, the town hidden in the clouds, Ha Giang is not yet on the beaten trail. So, let’s get to know more about magnificent Ha Giang!

1. Overview of Ha Giang

As the northernmost province of Vietnam, Ha Giang is regarded by many as “The Final Frontier of Viet Nam,” which is a home for ethnic minorities such as Hmong, Tay, Lo Lo, etc.. Each of which has its own history, tradition, clothes, and cuisine that create a unique regional culture.

Ha Giang is also known for the buckwheat flower season in November, which drives people to visit this space to admire blooming flowers on rocks. Moreover, since it is far from the city center and the infrastructure is not yet expanded, tourism is left behind. Therefore, everything is reserved in their pristine beauty. Let’s make your way to Ha Giang to be rewarded by sweeping views of karst mountains, carpets of flowers, and colourful markets!

2. Geographical features

Naturally, Ha Giang is divided into 3 sub-regions. As the northern part is called, “Dong Van Karst Plateau”, there are numerous rocky mountains, deep canyons, large caves and separated rivers. The plateau is covered in bare limestone, which created bizarre, yet splendid sceneries.

Dong Van Karst Plateau. (Credit: Tien Nguyen)

Secondly, the western area consists of 2 districts: Hoang Su Phi and Xin Man. This one has many sloping mountain sides, high pass, valley and narrow springs, and is famous for its wonderful terraced paddy fields.

Finally, the southern part, including the small, provincial capital city of Ha Giang is mostly covered by low hills and valleys along the blue Lo river.

3. Local Culture (History, people)

History

Since ancient times of the legendary Hung kings, Ha Giang was called Tan Hung. It was an autonomous zone under the control of various tribes of Thai and Tay people.

In 1886, the French occupied this region and named it Ha Giang. After independence, Ha Giang was a part of Viet Bac, the local base of support for the Viet Minh troop. The city had to be rebuilt after being heavily bombed in both Indochina wars and Chinese’s artillery in 1979. It was not until 2010 did this city gain attraction when the Dong Van Karst Plateau was designated as a member of the UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Network.

People and Culture

Unlike many parts of Vietnam that are dominated by the Kinh ethnic minority, the community of Ha Giang are formed by minor ethnics, such as H’mong, Tay, Nung, Dao, Giay. While some of them have lived in the region for thousands of years, some have only migrated here in the last few centuries, living on different terrain and altitude. For example, while the H’mong live on the high mountains of 800m and above, the Tay live in valleys and near the rivers. After hundreds of years living together, their culture blended together, too, to create one of the most diverse yet unique cultures in northern Vietnam.

Among many ethnics living in Ha Giang, the Hmong people are a colorful and culturally and historically-rich ethnic minority that occupies the majority of the population in Ha Giang. If there are two things you should know about the H’mong culture, they are “Khen” and linen waving.

Khen

Khen is their traditional musical instrument. It is a polyphonic instrument in the shape of a set of bamboo pipes of varying sizes. This instrument is an integral part of the life of the Hmong people since they use it as a way of communication and express their liberal soul. Therefore, they always bring khen with them.

(credit: vnexpress.net)

Linen waving

A woman is waving linen at Lung Tam Commune

While khen is still a preserve of men, textile is the passion of Hmong women. They are still an important part of modern Hmong culture. The Hmong women employ many techniques such as embroidery, applique, reverse applique, and batik to brocade costumes with various symbols that tell stories.

A H’Mong saying goes: “A beautiful girl that can not make linen is also an ugly one.” Hence, Mong girls are proficient in weaving linen. Of course, in the modern context, you should not take this proverb literally. Please just bear in mind that this custom drives them to make the best clothes for themselves to wear on the festival, to go to the fair, and especially to dress-on on the wedding day.

4. Things to do in Ha Giang (What to eat, where to visit)

What to eat:

Steamed rolls: Trust me, Ha Giang’s version of steamed roll is quite different from Hanoi’s: stuffed with minced pork or cloud ear fungus; served with broth. Perfect for breakfast or a late-evening (9P.M or later) meal.

Au tau porridge: As its name suggests, the dish is made from rice with au tau’s root and porks’ legs. The main ingredient, au tau, gives the dish a bitter taste, and can cause harm if not made well. Luckily, the locals of Ha Giang are experts in using Au Tau. They turn the poisonous roots into something that helps ease joint pain and aiding sleep.

Recommendation: Ms.Huong’s porridge, at 161 Tran Hung Dao Str., Ha Giang City.

Thang Co: The dish’s name derived from Chinese, which literally means “soup cooked in the big pan”. The main materials of Thang Co are bone, internal organs (heart, lungs, nerves, e.t.c…) and meat of a horse, or a buffalo, cooked together in a big pan, then served in a small bowl. It is common to have a sip of corn wine while savoring Thang Co . The added spices such as hemp, cardamom, cinnamon, and anise made Ha Giang’s Thang Co unique and, probably, the best Thang Co in northern Viet Nam.

Where to go:

Ma Pi Leng Pass: Undoubtedly, Ma Pi Leng Pass is one of the most astonishing mountain roads in Vietnam. The 20 kilometre-long road has many sharp turns and incredibly panoramic views. Especially from Ma Pi Leng Viewpoint, you can overlook Tu San Canyon and Nho Que River which flow between its ridges. An hour boat-trip on the Nho Que River is a must when visiting Ha Giang.

H’Mong Royal Palace (Palace of the Vuong): Located in Sa Phin valley is the residency of Vuong Duc Chinh, the King of Opium. Built from stone and fir wood and terracotta tiling in a combined Qing-Chinese, French, H’mong traditional style, the building is considered a gem of the northern district of Dong Van.

Legend has it that before the beginning of the construction, Vuong Chinh Duc went to China to find a Feng-shui Master to Vietnam. They went through 4 district areas under his jurisdiction to find out the best terrain. Ultimately, they decided to choose Xa Phin village – the land located in the middle of the Sa Phin valley. Thanks to a block of soil rising high like a turtle’s hood, symbolizing the Golden Turtle God in Vietnamese legends, this place was chosen. It was believed that by forming up Vuong Chinh Duc’s erection in this territory, his ambition would become true.

As Vuong Chinh Duc was a Hmong wealthy and powerful man for trading goods, especially opium. Sa Phin is the transshipment place for opium from the Burmese golden triangle and the Yunnan region of China to Indochina. This made him decide to incorporate the design of opium into the building. The pillar footstones are shaped into opium fruit, its outside also has unique patterns. Not only the footstones of the pillars but under the eaves and rafters are also sculpted in the shape of opium fruits and poppies.

Khau Vai love market: Another must-do activity is to visit Khau Vai love market, a special and unique annual festival that is held at 26 of the third Lunar month. Lively, colorful and crowded, this is the place where lovers meet and talk, ex-lovers who can’t make it together reunite and tell the story of their life.

Hoang Su Phi: The western mountainous district of Hoang Su Phi is famous for its wonderful terraced paddy fields, poetic Shan Tuyet tea hills from Thong Nguyen’s famous trekking path and the gigantic 2400-meter high mountain of Kiou Leou Ti (Chieu Lau Thi).

Lung Cu Flag Point

Located on the top of Lung Cu with a height of about 1.470m above sea level, this flag’s size is exactly 54 square meters, representing Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. Lung Cu Flagpole was built first in the Ly Thuong Kiet dynasty and was originally made of wood only. However, it has been rebuilt and repaired many times, and nowadays, the 9m high flag handle is made of stainless steel.

Interestingly, this place has various legends. The most famous one is attached with King Quang Trung. The legend tells that after a grand victory over Thanh’s army, the King was punished for placing a gigantic drum on Lung Cu’s peak. At a particular time, he signed a soldier to beat the drum three times to affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over China. After years, as a habit, whenever there is a problem at the border, the Vietnamese beat the dumb again to awake people’s patriotism.

What to do, see: From the top of the flagpole, you can admire two ponds on both sides of the mountain that never run out of water. The landscape at the foot of the Lung Cu flagpole is mountains interspersed by terraced fields creating a wild beauty, the typical feature of the Northwest regions of Vietnam that you do not want to miss. The most exciting and unexpected thing is that coming to the Lung Cu flagpole, you will stand right next to the border of Vietnam and China to have a glance of the neighboring country.

Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate

Located at 1.000 meters above sea level, Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate is the first gateway of Ha Giang to Dong Van Plateau. It owns the pretty magnificent scenery of the Northwest mountains. The most exciting thing is that Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate creates the feeling of bringing visitors up to the clouds to touch the sky, true to its inherent name.

Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate is associated with many historical events, especially military ones, such as the struggle between Vietnam and France to preserve the country. Therefore, during the war years, the gate had a wooden door built by the French to separate two ethnic groups, the Kinh and Hmong. However, presently due to severe weather conditions, that door was replaced by a large sign which makes Quan Ba heaven gate just a distance between two mountains. Even so, the landscape that you can observe from the Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate will take your breath away.

What to do, see: Climb to the top of the mountain to observe a breathtaking view of the Dong Van Plateau, and sightsee the vast valley of Quan Ba, offering the silent charm of the yellow ripped rice, the terraces, the houses of hill tribes, and Co Tien Twin Mountain, which is a natural work of art that makes a captivating poetic frame of clouds stretching all the way. Also, Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate is the first attraction in Ha Giang, so you can grab coffee and locally produced honey here after a long ride.

Lung Tam Weaving Village

Located not far from Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate, Lung Tam village is a small valley with a flowing through Miem river. It is also a home for Hmong people, who are seasoned professionals in textile art.

In the past, Lung Tam village was a typical village of the hill tribe. However, when the traditional trade seems to be extinct, one strong, smart woman appeared to save the craft and bring brocade linen products to the domestic and international markets. The name of this woman is Vang Thi Mai, the founder of The Linen Co-operative. Despite the traditions of hill tribes, where a woman’s role is limited to household matters, Mrs. Mai helps people continue to preserve and uphold traditional values and culture by bringing Lung Tam linen down the mountain, up to the city’s streets and then fled abroad.

Lung Tam Linen Commune

Linen weaving in Lung Tam is a traditional handicraft with a long history, not only bringing income to households in Lung Tam village but also contributing to preserving the traditional cultural values of Mong people. And thanks to one wonderful woman, the linen village of Lung Tam is now an unmissable authentic destination that attracts thousands of visitors.

Souvenirs at Lung Tam Commune

What to do, see: Coming to Lung Tam village, you can see beautiful Hmong batik hemp panels, hear stories about savior Mrs. Mai, who they are proud of, and linen development. Of course, you can also purchase hand-crafted hemp products with specific details, which have a particular meaning, as a souvenir. In addition to buying special gifts, you can also learn about the uniqueness of an old brocade-weaving village of Ha Giang mountain land and join in some parts of the 50 stages of waving linen.

Nho Que River

Nho Que River is one of the deepest canyons in Southeast Asia and one of the unique geological formation valleys in Vietnam, which originates from the mountains of Nghiem Son (China), from an altitude of 1500m. Nho Que flows smoothly all year round through the majestic mountains with a poetic, mysterious, and fanciful beauty that you will find hard to leave.

In previous times, the Nho Que River was not as smooth as it is now and considered to serve the fishing purposes of the Ha Giang people only. However, since a hydroelectric project was built, water flows more smoothly. Moreover, after construction, locals opened boat trips on the river to help travelers explore Tu San Canyon, the deepest canyon in Southeast Asia.

What to do, see: Nho Que River is quite wide, therefore to fully admire the beauty of the Nho Que River, you can settle on the Ma Pi Leng pass to observe all the splendor of the river and the grandeur of nature Ha Giang. There are two stations leading to this blue river, one can be reached by foot, one by bike. Make sure when traveling to Ha Giang, you can try to mingle with nature on the Nho Que river and combine a Tu San canyon visit, which will bring exciting experiences.

Meo Vac Market

Since Ha Giang is the home for various ethnic groups, to explore local culture, the best way to do it is to shop like the locals at their markets. It is highly recommended to visit the famous Meo Vac market, which is a museum about the lives of ethnic minorities in the borderland of Meo Vac. Every Sunday, all minority groups will come there to hold the market in the middle of the district’s central town, which makes a good chance for you to survey locals’ culture and lifestyle. It is also a fantastic venue to see the ancient bartering of remote ethnic people in Ha Giang. It is unknown when the Meo Vac market was formed, but every Sunday at dawn, people are eagerly dragging each other down to the market at crossroads. Going to the market has become an indispensable cultural feature of Meo Vac people in particular and Ha Giang highlands in general. After those hard-working days, the market day is also the time for ethnic minorities to go to the market, to purchase necessities for daily life. Also, it is a very important need, exchanging with each other. This is a rather special value of the Meo Vac upland market, different from the lowland markets. It is a mental factor characteristic that you do not want to miss.

What to do, see: There you can walk through stalls that are divided into 2 sections: outdoor and indoor markets selling everything, starting from mobile phones to livestock.

On the livestock section you can see little piglets, goats, chicken, ducks and even puppies sold along the street. Not far from this section, you can also find a cattle market, where locals inspect water buffaloes or cattle on sale. Besides, you can watch how the various parts of the animals are checked before a sale is completed.

What is most fascinating is that here you will get treated to some interesting views, such as locals walking a piglet with a lead, men carrying a couple of chicken holding their feet, motorbikes passing where the chicken are hanging with their feet down the handle, or having to share a cage at the back of the bike with a dog. However, if you are not a fan of such views, you can move to the indoor market, another area to explore local culture. There, you can find a few food stalls with the fireplaces preparing food, which make a great sight. It is a nice place to have a cheap, uncommon delectable breakfast.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Ha Giang is in dry season: from early October to late April

October: It is the time when the paddy field turns yellow, which is stunningly beautiful. Also, it is interesting to see local ethnics in their colorful dresses happily harvesting the rice, putting it in the sack and transporting home. It is recommended that you should visit Hoang Su Phi’s terraced paddy fields during this time of the year.

November: The northern plateau is covered by the purple of buckwheat flowers, the symbolic flower of Dong Van. Sidenotes: This is also the time of “Buckwheat flower festival”, therefore a large number of tourists will flock into Ha Giang, and the whole plateau suddenly becomes crowded. Reservations should be made at least a week prior to the trip.

December – mid January: It is when rapeseed flowers blooms. The weather gets really cold, and the wind is chilly. There might be snow-if you are lucky enough, which is amazingly beautiful, but also quite rare in a tropical country like Vietnam.

Late January – February: It’s the end of a Lunar year, and the beginning of a new one. The people of Ha Giang celebrate Tet, too, just like any other Vietnamese, and all tourists are welcomed to join. You’ll have a good chance to learn the culture and traditions in the most natural way.

March: When the mountains of Ha Giang enter springtime, the landscape is full of life with numerous kinds of different species of flower bloom at its fullest beauty, most notably the pink color of peach blossom, and the white of plum flower, along with their nice fragrance. Many spring festivals are held, such as Buffalo fighting, Horse racing, Long Tong (the festival of Tay ethnics people to pray for a good crop and bountiful harvest).

April: It is the time when the local people water the terraced paddy fields so they look like giant mirrors, which is breathtakingly beautiful. The weather in April is also warmer, which makes trekking and biking more pleasant. It is also the time when the famous Khau Vai love market festival is held.

How to get to Ha Giang

Located northwest of Ha Noi, without an airport or railroad connected, the most recommended form of transportation is bus, which is surprisingly cheap, from 8 to 13$ for a ticket, depending on departure time and how comfortable the bus is. It would take 6 to 8 hours to get to Ha Giang.

Travel in Ha Giang : Of course, it is possible to travel in Ha Giang by bus or private car, but I strongly recommend to hire yourself a bike, so that you can stop at any point of your adventure, and take a snapshot of the breathtakingly beautiful nature of Ha Giang

Some alternative route to Ha Giang: Beside the main road of QL2 straight from Hanoi to Ha Giang, Ha Giang can be accessed from the nearby attractions such as Sa Pa, Ba Be Lake or Cao Bang.

From Sa Pa: The border road from Sa Pa, via QL4D through Lao Cai City – Muong Khuong- Si Ma Cai – Xin Man (Coc Pai)- Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang. You can also take a detour to visit the beautiful town of Bac Ha, which is only 10km from the main road, or take a half-day, or a full-day trekking in Thong Nguyen or around the Kiou Leou Ti mountain in Hoang Su Phi.

From Ba Be Lake: There are two options: From Ba Be to Yen Phu town of Bac Me, then take a detour to Du Gia Commune of Yen Minh – a famous destination for trekking and Meo Vac town to start the famous Ha Giang Loop via DT176 and DT182, or straight to Ha Giang City via QL34.

How many mountainous areas in Vietnam have you visited? Please tell us, we would love to hear from you. Get prepared with more tips and travel plans in Vietnam at Eviva’s blog or contact our travel consultant for more support.

Writers: Pham Thi Nhat Le and Nguyen Le Hai

Source: https://blog.evivatour.com/ha-giang-things-you-should-know-before-visiting/

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