#prosecco hills

[alessandro-accebbi]

Prosecco Hills, Conegliano - Valdobbiadene, Treviso, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹 UNESCO World Heritage 🥂🍾

[alwayswonderingandwandering]

gravel road

[vasiktomis]

TripAdvisor's Top 10 Things To Do In Volterra, Tuscany (18+)

Part 1 | Next Part

Pairing: Aro/F!Reader(No use of y/n). Rating: Explicit (Minors do NOT interact). Word Count: ~3000. Warnings: Pretty tame beginnings tbh but future warnings for Stalking, Toxic relationships and power imbalances, Blood and gore, Devious little fruity men, and Reader-insert being a terrible enough person that it sort of balances it all out?? Idk. Yes there will be weird vampire sex. Read it on Ao3 Here!

__________________________________

It’s in early Summer that you meet him for the first time. 

One sentence typed and re-written with two pages to fill and three proseccos nursed over some amount of hours. A hot afternoon is well on its way to becoming a balmy night, and daytime family shoppers along the tight, sloping roads in Volterra have condensed into young adults seeking whatever might come close to resembling nightlife amidst alfresco dining areas and tall views of rolling hills and old brick- oh, that’s not a bad line.

Rapping the enter key, you make room for the statement. 

Whatever might come close to resembling nightlife amidst alfresco dining areas and tall views of-

A pang of revulsion hits.

Fuck it. It’s shit. 

You slam on the backspace, offsetting just a little of the temptation to hurl your laptop over the retaining wall and onto the road below. 

“Top-up?”

Panic jolts down your spine at the black suit of a hospitality worker in your periphery. You haven’t bought anything since the sun was up. Not since the first prosecco, and the complimentary bread basket, and the second prosecco, and the complimentary bread basket, and the third prosecco, and the humiliating explanation that a family-run business simply cannot keep giving you any more of Nonna’s war-time era bread baskets.

It’s not your fault that no one’s come along to pick up the tab of a pretty tourist tonight. Alcohol’s usually pretty cheap when some cashed-up slob in linen intends to use it to leverage against you later in the night. It’s getting ridiculous out here. It’s been hours, and not only have you gotten a solid zero words into your article — you’ve been squatting here with the nicest view in Volterra for long enough that you fear the staff and your fellow patrons have begun to make assumptions about you. 

You have no money left.

They can’t know you have no money left.

You offer up a smile. “Just water, please.”

You’re met with a pained reflection of the look. Maybe yours is just as sad. They leave with a hurried nod, too busy serving every other table to have time to bother with your bullshit. Maybe you should just order something. Drop a precious thirty on a four-ingredient carbonara that’ll either have you hungry again in an hour or shitting your guts out for the next twenty-four. Wasteful spending, either way. There’s only a few hundred euros left, and you can’t afford to keep doing this.

Rolling hills. Just write something about rolling fucking hills and go back to the airbnb. 

Your fingers poise over the keyboard. 

“Mi scusi—“

“Just water’s fine.” You nearly snap. 

“Oh, you speak English.”

Another black suit in your periphery. Another wave of shame. You look up again, and the well-pressed suit standing before you smiles a mildly manic, overly familiar smile. “Good evening. I’m dreadfully sorry to ask, but would you mind moving on?”

He’s exceptionally pale, you observe. Perfect teeth. Wonderful hair that reminds you of some kind of animal.  

Your brow furrows. “I’m sorry?”

“Yes. That’s fine. No harm done.” The man’s already turned away from you, clicking at the boy who had yet to fetch your water. “Un'altra sedia. Per favore-“

“I’m not done sitting here.” You say.

That smile on his face strains. Just a little. 

“Well, you see,” He offers, “I like to sit here — as well as my company, and you’ve been here for—“ the smile tightens further, and you rejoice in your judgement. He feels entitled to this spot. This is his seat you’re in. 

He’s just as much of a dick about this as you are. 

“Four hours — and this is an exceptional spot to view the end of the sunset at this time of year.”

What a fucking prick. What sweet vindication. 

“Yeah.” You agree, not budging. “It seems like it.”

“Is she gone, yet?” 

Another suit approaches. This time blonde. Younger. Early-twenties perhaps, as opposed to your original assailant’s early-forties. There’s a scowl fixed to his face, exacerbated by a scoff when his gaze finds you still seated. 

 You don’t even give him the time of day, turning back to the brunette. “I’m working. You’re distracting me. I might’ve been gone already if you weren’t bothering me.”

“Oh please.” He lets out a breath of laughter. “You haven’t made a keystroke in over twenty minutes.”

“It’s called incubating.”

“A charming term for a nothing activity. Please move.”

“No.”

“You’re drawing attention.” Now it’s a hiss. 

“Good. Let me finish my article.”

Maybe if you act distressed enough, you’ll get a free pity meal.

“God.” The blonde snarls, snapping his attention behind him, to where a small pod of similarly dressed, similarly toneless people have arrived. “Forget it, Aro. We’re missing it.”

The brunette’s head whips around, as does yours, to catch the last sliver of sun disappearing behind the hills, only the reddest of remnants remaining of its aura on the horizon. Your argument carried you through the entirety of a sunset, and the man — Aro — purses his lips into that same tight smile. Over his shoulder, the blonde retreats, muttering under his breath and merging with the herd.

Seemingly victorious, your fingers hover over the keyboard again, and Aro leans down, not quite in your space. Just close enough for you to find yourself captivated by those filed-straight teeth again.

“A word to the wise —“ He says, tone hushed, pressing a hand to the table. Fingers inches from yours. “That was the Summer solstice drawing to a close, and you made us miss it-“

“I think you took care of that one yourself, actually."

He leans closer. “You’ve drawn enough eyes to protect yourself until the locals forget this, but some of us — my friend Caius, especially — are very fond of our evening routine; and some of us can hold a grudge. You’d do well to move on before the week’s end.”

You’d be happy to punch him if you weren’t thinking so hard about that free meal, so instead, you opt to flash a smile of your own. “You’d do well to eat my ass.”

There’s a pause. A tick of his brow. A tiny twitch at a corner of his mouth. Filmy eyes bore into yours, flickering minutely to your throat.

“Buonanotte. Do try to become at least conversational in Italian.” Aro’s gaze flits to the bare centimetres between your hands. He makes a point to withdraw it across the table, slowly. Like it would simply be beneath him to touch you. “What’s the saying? When in Rome?”

Then, he’s turning. Taking his leave. Shrouded in black cloth the moment he passes into his crowd of gothic friends.

Your gaze lingers on the retreating group. A subtle glance is afforded in your direction from one of the men in his company. Tall. Far too solemn for such an exciting night. 

A young man at a neighbouring table leans over to you, and you’ve spent so long looking at milky white faces at you’re nearly blinded by the hue of his sunburned face. “Ravers.” He comments. American. “Don’t mind ‘em. Probably gonna go take horse tranqs in some warehouse.”

Horse. That’s what you were trying to think of. His hair reminded you of a horse. 

“I am sorry for the commotion.” The hospitality worker returns. A glass of tap water is set down before you. “Could I offer you dinner on the house?”

…

Victory. 

You crack a grin up at your server. “Hey, what’s buonanotte mean?”

__________________________________

For such a compact place, you do not run into Aro again. Nor any of the grimly dressed people that had been in his company. 

Over the weeks spanning your stay, tourists come and go, but many of the faces in Volterra remain the same. Permanent residents remain static and likely have been so for generations. Mornings, recently, have held you in increasingly high regard; your refusal to leave their cramped community with each new brief wave of visitors bringing familiarity usually only reserved for years-old neighbours. Now you're no less annoying than a particularly entitled local.

None of whom, curiously, show any traits of albinism. Funny, considering you’d had a run in with at least half a dozen in a single night. 

“Are you now living here?” A busboy asks in the evening, passing your table (god, you love claiming that) on his way to clean another. You like this one. He’s gotten into a habit of sneaking an extra biscotti onto your saucer when you order. “How is your article?”

“It’s…” The look on your face tells enough to warrant a laugh.

“I have a cousin in Florence. Single.” He explains. “He would take one look at you and fall in love. You can marry him. Take his money. His car? Three wheels. Loser. You can do what ever you want if you marry him.”

“I’ll think about it.” You assure him, turning back to your laptop.

Huh.

Odd.

There’s a smear of black in your periphery again. 

That hasn’t happened since-

Your gaze snaps upward, meeting the eye of the rude bastard who’d made a martyr of you in front of the restaurant. Same phoney smile still plastered on his face. Something surges in your chest — fight instinct activating, readying you rip out a hunk of his hair should the situation call for it. 

You open your mouth. Preparing a scathing slew of words.

“Oh, hi.”

Aro — you recall — doesn’t reply. Not until he plucks a chair from a nearby table and sets it down across from you. At your table. He doesn’t ask. He doesn’t apologise. He just sits and watches you with his pleasant expression and his milky eyes and his horse hair. His wake wafts old paper and lint; like community library, or a darkroom, or a basement. 

Your skin runs cold. Oh fuck, is he actually making good on that threat from the other night?

“Buona—“ A gesture is extended to you. 

“—sera?”

“Very good.” He affirms with a too-animated grin. Like you’re a toddler. Bit patronising. “Going native, are you?”

“How do you mean?”

“Caffè in the evening, just like the locals do it. And you’ve been here every night for the better part of three weeks. One might say you were squatting.”

He’s been watching you. 

He’s wearing an identical suit to the one he wore last you’d encountered him. 

He’s a weirdo. You should find another stranger to cling to. Pretend to go home with them to discourage him from following more of your routine—

“Funny. I haven’t seen you.” You reply, bluntly. 

A micro expression must give your thoughts away, because his eyebrows shoot up in mock-surprise. “Oh? Oh. My friends have mentioned seeing you. I hope you don’t mind — we tend to keep an eye out for people who cross our paths. Small circles and what have you.” 

“That’s fair. You did threaten me last time we met.”

“Water under the bridge.” Aro dismisses. “Gossip gets around. People notice you staying.”

Your caution doesn’t dissipate. “Insular but curious?”

His smile widens. “Exactly! I’m Aro."

“I know. I heard one of your friends say it.” You reply, before giving your own name.

“I know.” Aro mirrors, and then fails to follow-up. Then, he moves to stand from his seat, pausing to consider something. “Care to walk with me?” 

“Give me a minute. I’m working.” 

An outright lie. You commit to typing gibberish for several minutes before closing the device and packing it away. All the while, he watches you like he’s watching a fish in a bowl.

“Upfront?” You say, standing, and he follows suit. “I carry a box cutter.”

“Wonderful.”

“Also, I choose where we go.”

He tips steepled fingers in a mockery of a bow. “Of course. Lead the way.”

Cramped as the little city may be, it’s surprisingly much harder to navigate when you’re trying to remain in the most well-lit spots. Conversation speeds up and slows with your meandering and Aro’s occasional interjection, all the while keeping a good bit of distance between you while you walk. His hands remain clasped in front of him, where you can see them. Making a show that he means you no harm. 

He probably won’t murder you tonight, you decide. 

You learn that he’s quite fond of history. That his friends are much the same. Even the ones that are very clearly children have a passion for preserving the arts and maintaining what Aro defines as ’cultural customs’.

It all sounds vague enough to be a little fucking hinky, but there’s a degree of relief that washes over you when Aro assures you they’re not funded by the Catholic church. 

He’s also a bit pretty, and you’re humble enough to admit that your brain goes smooth when you’re confronted with pretty. 

“So what is it you’ve been trying to write all week?” He eventually asks, gaze flickering to the laptop folded under your arms.

“That’s the issue.” You admit. “I haven’t really found my muse.”

“You just write about anything?” He presses.

You snort. “Wouldn’t that be nice. Right now I’m giving travel writing a whirl. Saved up a while after I finished my degree, but the longer I’m out here, the more I’m starting to realise student loans can’t really be paid off in stories.”

“Is it the stories upsetting you?” Aro frowns. “Or the loans?”

“It’s kind of fucking hard to feel inspired when all you’ve got in savings is the plane ticket home.”

“That explains all those free meals you’ve been charming everyone into.”

The heat returns to your face. He’s really been keeping an eye on you.

“Yeah — I’ve, uh—“ You keep your gaze front and centre on the road. “Sort of run out of money.”

Aro considers that for a moment. His steps slow. Then stop.

“Then, would you like a job?” He asks. 

Your brow furrows, thoughts already flicking through every possible trafficking scenario and how to stage a rebuttal, and his hand raises in defence just as you open your mouth. “You would be working with a few young friends of mine.”

You think about that. “Oh, yeah. Very…varied sense of fashion.”

“Heidi’s dress sense is the most modern of us, I assure you. She leads our public outreach, but she’s a single point of contact.” Aro explains, trailing off into thoughtful contemplation. “I like to pride myself on the diversity of our group, but things don’t move as slowly as they once did, and the internet is becoming too big a sandbox for just one voice to be heard so much lately. Perhaps you could lend a hand.”

All of Aro’s words up until that pitch have sounded pretty organic in comparison. That whole thing was rehearsed, for certain. 

“I don’t buy it.”

“Would you, if you had an allowance?”

”Well, yeah. That’s sort of what a job is.” You frown. For an apparently wealthy man, he's not great with employment terminology.

“You’d be compensated more than fairly.” He persists. “Most of us are volunteers, but if it helps put food on our tables, I’d be curious to see how successful you might be.”

He’s got you by the balls with this whole money thing, you won’t lie. It makes it hard to say no.

“What do you and those other two do, then?” You ask, referring to the men he had stuck to his side on your last meeting. Scraping through whatever you can amidst the glamour of his offer just to find something to poke holes in.

“We boss everyone around.”

Once it’s adequately clear that you’re not amused, Aro pivots, resuming his pace. “Marcus is in charge of relations. Caius keeps everyone in line, and I oversee the structure of everything we do.” He expands. “I do a lot of travelling. Talent scouting, recruitment. We’re globally spread. It’s…busy work, keeping track of everyone.”

“Sounds like you don’t have middle management.” You comment. “Why not hire me for that?”

That earns you a chuckle.

”It’s not perfect, but it’s preferable that olive branches are extended personally.”

”So you’re middle management.”

“In less grand terms, you could say I’m intuitive.” Aro explains, lingering for you for fall back into step. When you stop again, he does too. “I’m quite good at reading people.”

“An empath, are we?” You ask drily, turning your attention over the retaining wall at blackened country hills.

He doesn’t pick up on it. “How kind of you to say. No —“ He extends a well-manicured hand to you, keeping respectable distance. Just enough to demonstrate that this is an offer. Not an order. 

He’d look like kind of a jerk if you left him hanging, so you relent and offer your own.

“If I touch you, I can see your thoughts.”

Your hand stops just short of his, pulling away just as he reaches for you. “Sorry. I’m not into the whole street art thing.”

“Not to worry.” Aro assures, outstretching his fingers until the tendons flex over his knuckles. “I’d never commit such an act without your consent.”

“Yeah. I already fell for a a bracelet scam in Barcelona.” You insist. “Once bitten, twice shy. Maybe another time.”

Aro observes you for a long moment. He’s been doing a lot of that, tonight. 

“Perhaps another time.” He agrees, and the beat he takes doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s not used to being denied.

“You’re not rescinding the job offer for that, are you?” You frown.

“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re friends now.” Aro replies. “Besides; if anything, if you’re sitting in my office I won’t have to worry about you taking my favourite seat outside.”

You squint at him. Unblinking. He only gives you patience in return.

“I’ll get you in contact with one of my colleagues, and one day, you’ll let me perform my party trick for you. Sound agreement?”

It’s all just a little too good to be true, and a little too weird to be charming. You attempt a sympathetic look, but it feels more like an outright wince. “I’m sorry, it’s gonna have to be a no.”

Aro’s lips purse. His fingers lock together at his front, knuckles pressing while he thinks. 

Then, he regards you with a split-second point of his finger. A final bid.

”I’ll pay for your dinner tonight.”

…

Sold.

[gatheringbones]

genuine question: how do you stand the loneliness? i'm in my mid 20s and ive never been loved in a way that didnt hurt. i dont want to have to run after ppl begging for the smallest scrap of affection anymore but i keep turning up ppl who, even though they are interested in me and seem generally decent, arent ready to lower their walls and let me in, so its either that or nothing, and im so fucking lonely. i try to bury myself in work and going out as much as i can, but sometimes it hits me, and i dont know how to stand it anymore. i just want to be able to be kind to someone and treat them with all the love and affection i have, and not have to guard myself at the same time or be afraid of them or feel like i can never be sure with them. i think you've been lonely like that for a long time, too, and i dont have anyone who understands. i know the only advice you can give is probably "endure and continue to have self respect", but i dont know how to do that without also becoming small, and sad, and worn out from all the loneliness. if there's anything you can think of that helped you get through it, please tell me--i dont want to burden or overwhelm you, but i dont know what to do anymore, and like i said, you seem like you've survived a couple of those sorts of droughts and i dont have anyone else to talk to about this

so on those first few early dates with c when she was either driving an hour up north or I was taking the bus two hours down to see her, I was so rattled by the experience of building intimacy with someone else that I couldn’t really think of what we ought to do with each other on our dates. In the end I decided: we would just do what I ordinarily did to build intimacy with myself, which meant taking lots of long walks all over residential seattle. and I’d been living there for over ten years at that point, getting around either by walking or by bus. before that I’d lived in the sticks. before that I’d lived in the part of the sticks that wasn’t connected to the power grid. my earliest memories are long lonely walks. long lonely walks were my primary coping mechanism for debilitating post traumatic stress and survivor’s guilt. and with c it was wild because. it was exactly like going on these walks with myself, only I was more of myself and these walks were more of what they were. what’s more the internal map of the city I had built in my feet over a decade was suddenly of use. all of the time and neurons I had put into building it were relevant to the present situation.

i packed a backpack once. water and a cheeseboard with a little cheese knife and a can of prosecco and a can of kirin for c and lots of little cheeses and salamis and fruits and veggies and chocolate almonds. And I took c on a long meandering walk that I knew from memory; fremont to the crown hill cemetery to the stairs leading down to golden gardens to the beach at sunset. all places I’d been by myself and taken my friends to before. places I’d taken myself to after packing myself a snack and bringing my journal and quite literally staring across the water at a home that would kill me if I ever returned to it. all that time mattered. the time I had spent in that place making those friendships and mourning that life and building that intimacy with myself and the city mattered.

All the years before— giving, giving, gifts to those who could not care, would not give back. How well we made a feast together. Those years of waste were over.

[overlordmetal]

Bellini reference sheet

General information

Full Name: Bellini

Name pun/meaning: Bellini - A Bellini is a cocktail made with Prosecco and peach purée or nectar. It originated in Venice, Italy.

Nicknames/Alternate Names: Shadowlord, Supreme Kai of the Shadow Universe

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Age: 23 million years old

Birth Date: April 13

Birth Place: World Core, Other World.

Nationality: Core Person

Ethnicity: Kai

Species: Kai, Core Person

Relationship Status: Single, Dating (Age 783)

Dominant Hand: Right

Base of Operations: Shadowverse

Occupation: Supreme Kai

Physical Information

Height: 5’9” / 175 cm

Weight: undisclosed

Body Build: Curvaceous; rotund in true form

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Silver

Skin Tone: Peach-Pink

Birthmarks: n/a

Scars: n/a

Tattoos: n/a

Piercings: earrings on each earlobe

Other: Elf-like ears common among kai

Personality

MBTI: ENFJ

Attitude:

Bellini is a calm and elegant person who is talented in speech, usually carrying herself with a graceful air. She is also known to be peaceful and benevolent in most situations and can be seen peacefully reading in nature. Having lived so long, she rarely stresses or loses her temper, preferring to think rationally about situations. Bellini has also displayed a vast level of intellect, recreating the android program and formulating complex strategies that span years into the future. She’s also gifted in leadership, managing even some of the most difficult people. Bellini’s speech has also been used to manipulate her enemies, something she does without most people even noticing it. When it comes to her vision, Bellini will stop at nothing to achieve it and is willing to kill anyone who’s in her way. Despite this, Bellini is usually rather caring towards others and hates to see people in anguish. She’s displayed a great deal of empathy over the years and has a love for children, animals, and kind people. She is also loyal to her teammates but is willing to sacrifice them for the sake of their goal. Similarly, she’s taught them to do the same and put their goal above even their loyalty to her. Bellini is also a perfectionist, demanding the best, and can become overly critical of herself if she feels she has made a mistake.

---

Likes:

Peaches

Purée

Milkshakes

Cats

Reading

Trees & Nature

Gardening

Stars

Dislikes: 

Dragon Balls

Crude or vulgar behavior

Senseless violence or killing

Soy Milk

Fears: 

The natural order of the multiverse never being restored

Claustrophobia

Her secret being discovered

History

Bellini was born 23 million years ago in the Land of the Kai. She admired the supreme kai at the time, inspiring her to one day follow in his footsteps and continue to help their universe flourish. Her upbringing was strict and Bellini was made to study very hard. As a result, she grew to be quite intelligent but lacked friends. She did befriend one other kai around her age that contrasted her personality with a more rugged and sarcastic humor, Canola. The two would often spend time together whenever Bellini wasn’t busy and would explore the universe, play games, or talk. When Canola got into music, Bellini encouraged her to pursue it after seeing how happy it made her.

Years later, Bellini and several other kai came to the supreme kai to become his protégée. Though she outperformed her peers, Bellini was rejected without receiving an explanation (it's later revealed that the supreme kai at the time deemed her visions too revolutionary, her desire being to create change across the lands while the rest of the kai believed it their role to maintain). As a result, Bellini entered into a state of depression and began to question her purpose in life now that she could no longer become the supreme kai.

She began frequenting a hill she loved going to, meditating in search of what her next decision in life should be. During this time, she attracted the attention of a kai who took a liking to her. One night, he approached her with a job offer. After rejecting his advances, the man sealed Bellini inside of a jar. He revealed himself to be a bounty hunter tasked with capturing a kai. On his way to his client however, the hunter was caught up in the destruction of her homeland and died alongside her fellow kai. Bellini spent several years trapped inside the jar, floating adrift within the endless void where her home once existed. After numerous failed attempts to break free, Bellini gave into despair and lost hope of ever escaping. However, when meditating one day, Bellini was set free by a powerful mage by the name of Crucifer. She and Crucifer became fast friends and bonded over their mutual loss. She and Crucifer studied the mystical frequency of the jar and began to endlessly study it until she learned how to mimic its effects. Finding use in the technique, Bellini adopted it into her fighting style.

After realizing what had happened to her world, Bellini was devastated. After observing the surviving worlds to learn of their fates, she developed a disdain towards the current hierarchy of supreme beings and hated things that disrupted the natural course of existence such as the dragon balls since they prevented consequences and as a result - learning and growth. Sharing a mutual conviction to restore natural order and create a system that would help the universe develop properly, Bellini and Crucifer found purpose in their lives once more and founded the “Shadow Society”. Knowing they wouldn’t be able to succeed on her own, the two carefully searched for suitable comrades to aid them in their cause.

Family, Alignment and Affiliations

Family

Parents/Guardian: Golden Fruit Tree of the Kaiju

Siblings: n/a

Significant Other: Alcolio

Children/Offspring: n/a

Alignment: Lawful-Neutral

Affiliations: Shadow Society

Mentors: The Supreme Kai

Pets: n/a

Friends: Canola, Crucifer, Vodaka, Alcolio

Enemies: Bibidi, Babidi, Majin Buu, Dabura, Black, Zamasu

Rival(s): n/a

Acquaintances: Xenamon, Future Trunks, Future Bulma

Other: Santoor, Oboe, Grand Supreme Kai, Elder Kai, King Kai, Shin, Kibito, Dragon Team, Frieza, Androids 17 & 18, Cell

Stats and Transformations

Power Level: 4,000,000,000 usually, 8,000,000,000 at full power.

Note: I was scaling off of the characters from the different sagas so power level numbers are nothing more than estimates since they stopped counting after Namek.

Powers & Abilities: Superhuman Physiology, Regeneration (not to the extent of a Namekian), Ki Manipulation, Magic Manipulation, Extended Longevity, Genius Level Intellect, Master Tactician, Skilled Diplomat, Skilled Martial Artist, Expert Weapon User

Standard Equipment: Potara Earrings, Sealing Jar, various sealed items and weapons

Ki Color: Peach

Fighting Styles: Kai Fighting Style

Bellini does not possess a special transformation per se, rather her “usual appearance” is a result of her compressing her true strength in order to utilize her sealing abilities to contain items, ki, and incoming damage. When Bellini unleashes her true form, her power increases exponentially at the expense of her stamina and agility.

Notable Techniques

Sealing Technique - the user seals an item or person within a confined space, entrapping it until the case is opened or unsealed.

Flight - Bellini is capable of flying through the use of ki.

Ki Sensing - the user senses other objects or individuals through their ki.

Kiai - An invisible ki blast technique that pushes the opponent away.

Exploding Wave - A technique where the user creates an explosion from the ground.

Energy Blade - a blade formed around the users hand out of ki used as a weapon in combat.

Kai Kai - The ability to teleport where one desires, Bellini's proficiency enables her to even traverse into different universes.

Signature Techniques

Bottle - Bellini compresses an object into her body, obscuring it from sight and storing it away until later. Bellini can store any object up to the size of a large sword, gun, or javelin inside herself.

Megaton - Bellini launches an enormous ki blast. Unlike most ki blasts; it’s incredibly dense and heavy; causing it to crush whatever’s in its path and engulfing its target before eventually melting. It is also virtually impossible to Pierce through due to its density.

Ethereal Purée - Bellini uses her energy blade to grind her enemy into a pulp.

Weaknesses

Battling for extended durations can wear Bellini’s concentration, causing her to revert to her true form.

Battling in her true form decreases Bellini’s mobility and tires her quickly.

(Dragon Ball Super canon only) If her destroyer is killed, Bellini will die as well.

Other Notes

At one point, Bellini was an angel and the assistant of destroyer OC, Crucifer. However, After Crucifer’s character was scrapped, Bellini assumed his role as leader of the Shadow Society.

Bellini’s physical appearance drew minor inspiration from Momo Yaoyorozu of the anime/manga series, Boku No Hero Academia.

Bellini’s hidden fat form and related ability-set was inspired by Emi Isuzu from the anime/manga series, Tenjou Tenge.

Character Theme: Toxicity - System of a Down

[feverinfeveroutfic]

The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope | Kinktober 2024 | “don’t look so shocked”

prompt: emeto (puking)

pairing: alex/portia

word count: 2289

song: “sick like me” by in this moment

The bottle of Prosecco was cold and icy against my skin. To feel that in junction with the full, rounded feeling in my belly all morning long and I knew I had returned to my own little world of hedonism.

Portia and I were going to indulge so much over the course of that afternoon into dinner time and I had not a single care in the world, either. She handed me a clean glass and poured me some of that bright white wine nearly up to the top. She poured herself a glass, and then, once she set the bottle down next to a small bundle of plastic roses taken out of the linen closet upstairs, she raised it up to me for a toast.

“Here’s to being safe against the snow,” I decreed to her, and she flashed her eyebrows at me as a result.

“And having a very full tummy, too,” she added, and she reached over and gently patted my belly, which only made me feel even warmer than before. We clinked our glasses together at the very tops, and then we drank down a little bit of it in unison. The wine was sweet, sweet enough for me to take it with another donut if I so wished. The sweet taste of freedom, and the sweetness of sin itself.

“So when do you wanna throw that party you were telling me about?” I asked her. “I mean I know you wanna throw it before I go back up, but like… when exactly on that day?”

“I want to leave that as a little surprise for you,” she told me with a wink and another sip of the wine. The bubbles and sweetness of the wine coalesced with the donuts in my stomach, and there was a small part of me that wandered if I did it a little too much. But I was in a house on a snowy hill, alone with a girl, and we had a bottle of Italian white wine between us.

There had only been one other time whereby I was hung over, and it was quite some time before I had even met Portia, too. I had completely forgotten the first time I had drank too much, and I woke up in the back of some girl’s car with a Huey Lewis and the News CD stuck to the side of my face.

But her music was tucked away in the car, and Portia poured me a second, followed by a third glass of Prosecco, and we gave each other a toast.

“To life,” I declared, and I could feel my head spinning as the words left my lips.

“What is it from Fiddler on the Roof?” she asked me.

“L’chaim!” I declared, and we made another toast at that.

“L’chaim!” she echoed, and we drank it down in unison. It was as if I had been hit over the head with an egg and the yolk ran down the back onto my shoulders. My head in fact was spinning in circles at that point, and I showed her the tip of my tongue.

Already with a full belly and I was feeling even fuller from drinking down the wine. 

I leaned back against the couch cushion, and I showed her a little smile.

“Are you drunk?” she asked me with a giggle and a nudge of my hair back from my face.

“Maybe,” I said, and I could feel a hiccup burgeoning on. I stifled it down, and I leaned forward and set the empty glass down on the coffee table next to us. My head was really spinning at that point, but I was feeling it with her. Three glasses of wine and I was here again.

Portia moved in closer to me, still with her glass in her hand. I thought about touching her knees and working my way up from there. But I had to ask her first.

I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, and I let out a low whistle. It felt as though I had walked inside of a painting, and she was the hostess and the artist.

“Hey, you know what we should do?” I suggested to her; even with the hiccups and the unmistakable feeling of alcohol on my breath, I still kept my voice down low for her.

“What’s that?” she asked me, and she was grinning at me like the Cheshire Cat.

“I should go down on you while the taste of this sexy little white wine is still fresh in my mouth. I’ve worked the same trick on girls before and they absolutely loved it.”

“Wouldn’t that make it less pleasurable?” she asked me. “You know how I roll, Alex. I want to feel you and every inch of you and remember every part of it.”

“No, no, let me show you,” I promised her, and I rested a hand on her knee. “I promise that you’ll like it.” Slowly, I slid my fingers up the top of her thigh towards her crotch. She held still with her gaze locked onto my chest, and then her eyes swept up to my face. Her eyes hooded, and she puckered her lips at me, especially when I leaned in closer to her as if to beckon a kiss from her. Instead, I kept my lips before her, and I closed my eyes to take her in.

I then reached to my left for one of the roses on the table, and I ran the petals down from her lips onto the front of her neck and her collar bones. She smiled and treated me to a pleased little groan from her throat.

“Ooh, I love sensual Alex,” she whispered to me.

“Sensual and drunk,” I said with a giggle, and she giggled with me. I showed her my tongue, and I held the rose before our faces as if I was protecting us from onlookers, even though we were alone together. I kissed her, complete with my tongue up inside her mouth and against her teeth. She put her arms around my waist and held me closer to her body.

I was about to push her down onto her back so I could be on top of her, but she beat me to the punchline. I lay on my back and opened my legs so she could have a better hold of me. I kept my hands on the small of her back, and all the while, I never let go of the rose.

I had done a few drunken blowies before but making out while drunk was something else. Something I wanted more of, and with her in particular as well.

Portia brought her lips down to the sides of my neck, which thus sent shivers down my spine, all the way down to the base like bolts of lightning. I gasped from the feeling, and especially when she moved her lips onto my collar.

“Let me kiss every inch of you,” she whispered right into my ear in a voice so soft that I swore that I found myself on a cloud.

“Please,” I begged her. “Please do. I want it.”

She kissed me on the side of the neck again.

“Such a greedy boy,” she teased me. She lifted up the hem of my shirt and took it off for me, and she began kissing my collar bones and my shoulders. Her lips were soft and pillowy on me, and I swore that I was hallucinating when she moved her mouth down onto my chest. I rolled my head over the cushion to look on at the back of the couch, and I parted my lips to let out a low whistle at the feel of her tongue on my chest hair.

Oh, to feel that when I was sober. Oh, to feel that when I was sober and when I still had that rose in my hand.

In fact, she reached back for the rose in question, and slowly, she ran the edges of the petals down my chest from my collar bones.

I looked up at her and I showed her my tongue.

While she kept the head of the rose rested upon my chest, I could feel her fingertips on my belly, which then became rather delicate from the sheer amount of wine that I had drank down. The wine on top of the donuts. Sweet on sweet, and one was filled with alcohol and the other with oil.

Not a good combination, especially when she leaned down and gave me kisses on the belly. I knew for a fact that I would love those sober, but I could feel things churning in there, and more so when she moved her mouth down below my belt to my crotch. I could feel everything at that point, from her fingertips on my skin to the burgeoning feeling in my stomach, as heavy as a stone in the very pit of it.

I wanted to tell her that I didn’t feel good, but I wanted her to keep going with this. I wanted her to kiss every inch of me so the two of us could be pleased. But the feeling was rising up fast, perhaps more so than she could kiss me and tease me with those kisses and those gentle touches.

I let out a low whistle and rolled my head back so I was staring straight up at the ceiling. At that point, my head was spinning, even while I was laying down flat on my back on the couch.

“Ooh… I don’t feel so good,” I finally confessed to her in a broken voice. It really didn’t help matters that I was laying on my back, either. But she kept on kissing me around the hips, all around the fur.

I cleared my throat, and I could feel it in there. I needed to get up lest I turn into Bon Scott.

“No, Portia, I… really, really don’t feel so good,” I confessed to her. I felt her back off, and I finally sat up on the cushion whereby she was looking on at me with a concerned look on her face. My head spun in absolute circles, but I climbed off the couch. I staggered out of there and back to the bedroom, to the bathroom. Everything churned inside, but I lifted the lid.

I let loose in there with my hair held back from my shoulder. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see it.

Everything had been let out. Everything.

I coughed and spat in there, and then I opened my eyes. I kept my gaze locked on the inside of the lid so I still wouldn’t have to see it. Out of breath, I held still to make sure more wasn’t in there.

But there was more.

I closed my eyes again and let loose again.

That time, I coughed once again, but I could hear Portia in the next room. I needed to tell her the truth, though.

I held still so I could catch my breath. Everything calmed down for real then. I closed the lid and flushed, and she poked her head right then.

“Ugh… fuck.” I ran my clean fingers through my hair and lifted myself up to my feet. My knees quivered and shook about, and I held myself up with my hand on the edge of the doorway. My head kept spinning, and at that point, it was absolutely pounding, and my body ached from the barfing, but at least I rid of the awful feeling within.

I looked on at her and the big, almost pool-like quality to her eyes. I knew that I had upset her. Gingerly, I walked out of there and towards the sink. I looked on at my reflection, at how the color was returning to my face.

“That wasn’t you, that was the booze,” I told her with a clearing of my throat.

“I knew for a fact that it was,” she assured me with a nod and a gentle pat of my upper back. I stooped over the sink with my hands on the edges.

“If anything, your presence makes me feel a lot better,” I assured her as I spat down into the basin. I let out a low whistle, and she stroked my back. “I need my toothbrush, pretty please.”

Kindly, she handed it over to me, and I put down a little bit of toothpaste on the bristles. She never left my side as I brushed my teeth and rid of that horrible taste in my mouth. I spat into the sink and kept on brushing, and yet it never fazed her for a second.

She then handed me a glass, whereby I rinsed out my mouth all the way.

“I don’t deserve you,” I confessed to her with a clearing of my throat. She reached up and kissed the side of my neck.

“Let’s remember not to drink too much after we’ve had a bunch of sugar,” she suggested.

“Yeah, without question.” I set the glass down on the counter before us. I arched my back and ran my hand down my stomach, sore from the puking. She then put both of her arms around me, and she ran her hand down my stomach as well.

“Is it okay if I use your shower?” I asked her.

“You know it, baby,” she promised me with another kiss on the side of my neck. “A shower and then we can try those all-over kisses again?”

“You get me,” I said with a smile down to her.

[adamlouisvanlandingham]

We have a collection of whiskey wine and quality cigars such as Weller, Pappy,Staggir, George T Stagg,E.H Taylor, Jack Daniel,Blanton's, Seagram's 7 Crown,Evan Williams, Southern Comfort, Black Velvet,Kentucky Owl,Henry McKenna,Macallan,Crown Royal,Jameson,etc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot noir, Shiraz, Grenache,Rioja, Blossom Hill, Champagne,Echo falls, Mionetto prosecco doc treviso brut nv, Prosecco, Cabernet Franc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Chianti, Dom Pérignon, Heppington chardonnay, Tempranillo, Yellow Tail.

and Bolivian cigar , Cohiba Cigar, Fuentes Fuentes OpusX , Arturo Fuentes,David off,Padrón,Liga Privada,Romeo y Juliette,My father, Rocky Patel.

https://t.me/tastywhiskieswinesandcigars

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[faithhopeloveandtherapy]

2023 Christmas rundown

We are back home now after a week away at my parents in the Lake District for Christmas. I can say it has been 100% genuinely lovely. The circumstances are not all great - my dad is in the middle of chemotherapy and despite being very stoical, is definitely being affected by pain and side effects, and my mum is clearly worried about everything. Despite that, we managed to keep up with all our traditional Christmas activities. Having no small children with us meant that we really could just relax and rest together.

On Christmas Eve, we traditionally go to the pantomime in the morning and then to my sister’s for a meal and general drinking and merriment in the evening. H hates the panto as he’s always terrified he’ll get pulled up on stage, so he stayed at home with my dad, but the girls and I, my mum, my sister, hubby and two nephews all went. Then we all went out in the evening.

Christmas Day started with a 9am parkrun for some of us, then home for croissants and Buck’s Fizz. We did some present opening - we are that family that go round opening one gift at a time and admiring each others so it takes a while. We had to break off for Christmas dinner prep - we had the traditional enormous roast turkey with all the trimmings and 7 different vegetables. It was incredible. My sister and family came round for the Christmas dinner and then we did some more present opening. We all took Prosecco induced naps about 7pm and woke revitalised and played a board game called Cascadia.

Boxing Day we always go for a walk up our local hill and then come home and sit in front of the fire for the rest of the day.

Over the next few days, I basically did my knitting, completed a jigsaw, went for a couple of runs, and read my book. One evening we watched an Agatha Christie two part TV programme, Murder is Easy. It was all so relaxing and easy. I’d bought the Lego tiny plants set, and we spent an hour or so all making a plant each. Even my dad joined in which I hadn’t expected, as his fingers are very clumsy these days, but he was determined to get a plant built, and he did. My dad is more child-like and gentle in this phase of life and I feel relaxed around him and even protective of him. I’m so thankful for talking through all the painful stuff over the years in therapy, because it doesn’t feel like it’s tripping me up now.

Having no children in foster placement with us made it so restful - one of the very few Christmases over the last 21 years with no small children (our own or our foster children). I’m so glad we have taken this time for a fostering break.

[jazzynook]

Wanderlust: road trip stopover in Tennessee

Me and Paige kicked off our Dirty South road trip with a stay at The Hopestead, a historic bed & breakfast that felt like a hidden gem. Nestled deep in the Tennessee woods, about 90 minutes from Nashville, this charming place sprawls over 47 acres of rolling hills. We arrived late in the evening, the sky draped in a starry blanket, and were greeted by the cutest welcoming committee—two delightful dogs, a pair of darling cats, and a playful litter of kittens.

Vanessa and Michael, our warm-hearted hosts, welcomed us and despite our late arrival, they gave us a cozy tour of the house. We spent the rest of the evening lounging on the backyard deck with a glass of prosecco while our new feline friends weaved around our legs and even nibbled on my toes 😅 The starry sky offered a breathtaking glimpse of the Milky Way.

The next morning, the heat of the sultry air and thick humidity greeted me like an old uncle with a slap on the back. Before breakfast was served, I perched on the porch's rocking chair, and listened to the sound of the cicadas. I meandered through the farmhouse's grounds, where horses nibbled at the dewy grass and when I walked back inside the house, I was so charmed by the vintage tunes Vanessa played while cooking. Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” filled the entire first floor with a nostalgic warmth.

At breakfast, we shared stories with Michael and Vanessa, learning about their journey of restoring the house and their new life as empty nesters. They also recommended we attend a live radio show at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and I've added it to the list for next time! Of course I couldn't visit Nashville for the first time and not visit the National Museum of African American Music. But more on that later…

After savoring Vanessa's homemade breakfast, I nestled under the generous shade of the lush magnolia tree to call my mom and share our safe arrival at this peaceful haven I was grateful to have found.

Our furry friends continued to shower us with affection and charmed us from our arrival to our final morning, though they seemed less enamored with the couple who arrived the day after us 🤷🏾‍♀️

The Hopestead, with its blend of comfort, nature, and warm hospitality, left an unforgettable mark on our hearts.

c. August 2024

[galina]

Remember a month ago, when we were stood on the steps of the town hall in Marylebone together, throwing confetti and enjoying the shelter of a surprise big red bus. When we collectively put on a rainbow array of snappy suits, fabulous fits, dreamy dresses, and dazzled the city commuters around us. Remember when you choked up in the ceremony and it broke all of our friends who just were trying to hold it together. I heard a single tissue had to be split across a whole row as a life raft. And Jem reading the poem they had written for us which made me start up all over again. And ending out going down the pub like any old day. 

Remember your smile and you holding your hand up with an imaginary camera, mouthing ‘remember this one’.

Remember when we took the party cross-country and shared around tiny bottles of prosecco and Tunnock’s on the train as it sped past fields and hills and towns and god knows what else. When we took the unremarkable small town chain hotel by storm in our numbers (“there are a lot of you” the receptionist said to us when we checked in). 

When we basked in candlelight and that gorgeous string trio. And the photo booth that took a photo just a few seconds after you thought it had and made the funniest candids. Smudged lipstick and a warm arm around you.

Oh – who could forget that moment with the brass band, and how we partied into the early hours. How family and friends and strangers came together and had the best night ever (quickly followed by the best hangover ever). And breakfast the next morning, and the hair of the dog, and seeing our town the day after: for us, it really seemed like it might be a little brighter than usual, a little more air in the air, a little more sun in the sun. And I saw sugar cubes everywhere. 

For weeks we’ve been unable to stop reminiscing about what was undoubtedly one of the most fun and love-filled weekends we’ve had in our lives. Remembering and laughing with friends about all the shining, unreal, wonderful moments, I feel so happy and lucky to still be here when in the past I never imagined any of this kind of love. Just had to dump it all out here, sincere and lovesick as it is. 

[ayliamc]

Italia

Day 3 - Lemons: on the coast!

Steps walked: 11,682

Flights climbed: 4

Vehicles ridden: 3

Points of interest visited: 1

Lemons spotted: mostly ceramic and embroidered

We woke up and made ourselves breakfast with the rolls and fruit and jam available at our hotel (along with some vegan cheese we bought yesterday). Then we had an hour to kill before walking to Carol’s* hotel and meeting up with her and her group to take cars to Positano. So we napped.

A little before 11, we joined Carol et al aboard taxis that took us on the 45 minute drive. As soon as I sat down, facing the back, in the center of the car, I knew I was going to feel sick. So as rude as it likely made me seem to those I was facing, I focused on nothing but breathing as we wound through narrow coastal roads, slowing and accelerating with each bend.

A note here on Italian drivers: they have all the audacity of an overconfident Atlanta driver but with actual skill. Regardless of the size of the road or the size of the vehicle, they will weave in and out of pedestrians, traffic, and buildings and I have yet to witness an accident. All the while, they’ll be tailgating you or passing you and in true Hannibal Lector style, their heart rate never seems to exceed 60. I see nothing but relaxed and passive faces despite the aggressiveness of their maneuvering.

Positano is a city on the Amalfi coast with expensive shops lining the street which serves as both a sidewalk and road for drivers. Every other shop features lemon embroidered linen clothes, lemon ceramic sculptures, or limoncello.

I resisted! Aided in part by the cost of anything of interest.

We had some beautiful views and got some lunch at a pizza place where I had a marinara “pizza”, and in an attempt to make it more than just dough and marinara sauce, I added cherry tomatoes. It was fine. We meandered up and down the hill, dodging cars and Vespas and other tourists, got a nice view, but were otherwise pretty much done with Positano a couple hours before our car came back to pick us up. We got smoothies at a cafe to kill time and chatted with Carol before I braced myself for the drive back to Sorrento. I was successful in not being sick both times, but felt like shit for the duration of the trips.

In Sorrento we took a cab into the city square and ate at a big tourist friendly restaurant that had a vegan menu. They gave us complimentary helpings of Prosecco while we waited for a table to be ready for us, Dan and I happily ordered a pesto fusilli with tofu dish, and they also brought us small tastings of what I think was a cherry amaretto that went down very easily.

We had a great time, but Dan and I were ready for an early night because we have a long day ahead of us. So we walked the half hour trip back to our hotel and turned in.

*Carol is Dan’s mom, my mother in law. I was brutally scolded for not including that information earlier for anyone who may not know.

[alessandro-accebbi]

Prosecco hills, RUA DI FELETTO, Conegliano, Treviso, Italy 🇮🇹 🍾 🥂

Photo by Francesco Galifi

[distopea]

Strawberry, wine glass, 8 ball for Gabe for shipping meme

@technobratx

shipping meme ooc (let’s say I don’t accept anymore, I have waaay too many to honor)

🍓 – Does your muse find any foods particularly sexy or romantic? Do they have any known aphrodisiacs that get them in the mood? Are they into food-play?

No really, or particularly. Gabriele wouldn’t be sensitive to someone eating a bowl of pasta right in front of his nose while playing with the slurping sound, he doesn’t associate these two elements together. He wouldn’t be shattered to see whipped cream suddenly displayed at the corner of someone’s mouth, even less being aroused if they suddenly decide to oddly eat bananas to turn him on. 

What he can find appealing though... is the mood around the meal. An attitude while eating the food, the settings, a deep conversation, knees bumping under the tables, brushing, the flirting coming with it... Then, it’s another game, but not quite linked to the food itself but rather the moment. 

He’s not into food play. He likes it dirty, but not that kind of dirty. 

�� – Describe an ideal date for your muse.

A motorcycle ride by the Riviera of Sicilia, under the song of the cicadas, the sunset reflecting on the water. He would take his date to the upper hills to have a perfect view on the Mediterranean sea, with a bottle of old age Prosecco and antipasti, chatting, arguing, flirting, kissing and undressing, until the two of them would forget that they either want to eat or to drink. 

But that was his ideal date when he was twenty or so. A ridiculous old dream from a Sicilian boy who thought that life would be easy and bloodless. Now, he doesn’t date really often nor think about it. 

🎱 – Does your muse believe in serendipity or fate, when it comes to relationships and love? Do they have good or bad luck in relationships? What have they done to try to turn bad luck around?

He doesn’t believe that he brings either luck or bad luck in his relationships, he just thinks that he doesn’t work well with them and avoids them. Gabriele thinks that some people are naturally good at human relationships, it’s a talent that is often unseen or denied. Some people will always have the right words or the correct settings to prevail hurtful situations, and some well, they just don’t and it’s definitely his case. 

Gabriele is rough, brutal in his words, snapping, judgmental but also passionate, loyal AND unfortunately, possessive. His emotions are bottled up but popping out when they are not supposed to. He has a good grip on himself, but intimacy might be dangerous and he doesn’t like to lose his facade. He only trusts in his ability to eventually push himself away from a relationship rather than dwelling in something he finds too complicated. 

[urbancycling-it]

Domani seconda edizione di NOVA Eroica Prosecco Hills. Partenza e arrivo a Susegana (TV) nella tenuta Borgoluce.

@novaeroica #gravel

[furlantravelfashionblogger]

Tra dolci colline e immersa nel verde di Col San Martino: è la deliziosa Chiesa di San Vigilio in provincia di Treviso. ⛪

Con la sua torre campanaria, la Chiesa domina dall’alto il paesaggio delle Colline del Prosecco. È possibile raggiungerla tramite un percorso molto semplice, adatto a tutti, tra i vigneti immersi in una tranquilla atmosfera.

Among rolling hills and immersed in the greenery of Col San Martino, you'll find the lovely Church of San Vigilio in the province of Treviso. ⛪

With its bell tower, the Church dominates the landscape of the Prosecco Hills from above. It can be reached via a very simple route, suitable for everyone, among the peaceful atmosphere of the vineyards.

📸By IG @angelo.bressan.61

http://ow.ly/Kxnq50Ml89b

📍Farra di Soligo | Treviso

#visitveneto

[asp1990]

Day 12: Tuesday 1st October, 2024 [Wellington]

Breakfast: coffee and fried egg on toast Lunch: sausage roll & an iced coffee Dinner: Korean chicken bowls

Amara and I had a very leisurely morning with a 9.30am wake up and 11am checkout from the AirBnB. We had mostly kept the place tidy, so we just needed to empty the fridge, the bins and make sure we’d picked up all of our bits and pieces.

We got an Uber to our final accommodation because we didn’t want to drag our luggage down the hill and arrived at Movenpick Wellington just after 11am. They were very kind and let us check in early as our room was ready for us. It was nice to be able to put our luggage in the room instead of just leaving it with the reception staff. The hotel was at the top of a very steep hill, but the clerk told us about a ‘VIP lift’ that took us down to level 0 which meant an easier walk from the back of the building instead of a very steep decline. 

We walked down to the Te Papa Museum to meet Jo & Laurie but Laurie was already inside and Jo was delayed as she was having lunch with the Drama NZ president. Amara and I walked inside without buying a ticket (a new fee for international visitors apparently) and no one stopped us, so we got in for free (whoops!). The first floor had information about the native birds, sea life and the ‘active lands’ (natural disasters) of Aotearoa NZ. We went on an earthquake simulator and I watched a documentary about the 2011 Christchurch disaster and saw some familiar photos of the Napier 1931 earthquake that we had learned about the week before.

Next, we went up to the fourth floor and saw two beautiful exhibits about the Maori/Pacifica people and the history of immigrants and refugees. The Maori exhibit was a fantastic showcase of tradition and modern influence on tradition. There was also a striking section about the Treaty and the misconceptions between the English and Maori interpretations when it was first published. 

Lastly, we visited the Gallipoli exhibition that had been created by WETA - the company that did the props, miniatures and sets for Lord of the Rings and Avatar. People had told us it was excellent, but they undersold it. The exhibition was breathtaking and included hyper-realistic ‘bigatures’ (larger-than-life models) of fallen ANZAC soldiers. The models, signage and bigatures created a very dramatised depiction of the ANZAC involvement in WWI and I learned a lot. The final bigature invited you to write a message on a paper poppy and lay it at the foot of the soldier, which was a lovely way to finish.

After we were done, we caught up with Jo (Drama Aus President) and had lunch in the museum cafe. We had a great chat about the conference and the rest of her 2024 international conference plans. We visited the museum gift shop and realised that we were all attending the WOW (World of Wearable Art) performance the following night, so made plans to have dinner together beforehand.

Back at the hotel, Amara and I went to ‘Chocolate Hour’ and enjoyed some complimentary choccie snacks and a glass of prosecco. We then went up to our hotel room and relaxed whilst watching Harry Potter I and then ordrered UberEATS. We had some tasty Korean chicken bowls from Miss Kangsta but they were huge servings and neither of us could finish them or put them in the fridge for the next day, so that was a bit of a waste. 

We went down to the pool/sauna for an evening dip and had the whole place to ourselves for 15 minutes before others came in. We were in the (small) sauna, which was very suitable for 2 people before 3 others joined us and it became too hot and uncomfortable, so we got out. We were going to go for a swim but it was a bit too chilly and then a man got in to swim laps, so we called it a night. Tomorrow we are doing a guided tour of Wellington then going to see a World of Wearable Art (WOW) performance, which will be a nice excuse to dress up and wear the dresses that we packed!