#what is it about ice that makes such fantastic scenery? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mirikitakato · 4 months

Text

[Translation] Halloween 2023 - A capricious love for an endless night: Episode 7

Snow: Beyond those mountains lies the Western country. While we lived in this village, we could faintly sense the cheerful presence of Western spirits every day. The culture of the Western Country has always been fresh and new. For someone born and raised in the North, it was quite intense and stimulating. I often thought that I would like to cross the mountains someday and experience the bustling life there.

Snow spoke softly, dropping words like raindrops into the water's surface. His voice had a strange sadness to it, as if the revelry of the feast that has not yet begun had already passed.

Snow: And so, I enjoyed my days filled with longing and dreams. We are weak drinkers, but we like the wine made from the spring water. We even got drunk and summoned Oz and Figaro. They looked at us with disdainful eyes. These kids are not straightforward, but they're cute apprentices who somehow always go along with us.

Snow shaked his shoulders playfully. As if reminiscing about the past, as if thinking back to those days.

Akira:... Although you had so much fun here, did you give this village up because it became too crowded?

Snow: That's part of it, but I was also persuaded by White. He said that he enjoyed lively days, but would rather live in the frozen land and the harsh nature...where all sounds are absorbed by the snow, eerily quiet. Somewhere in the depths of the Northern country, near the Ice Forest.

Akira: (Now I remember...White told me a similar story before.)

I once asked White which of the many places they had lived in he liked the most. He replied that there was a place that Snow, not White, liked near the mountains between the Northern Country and the Western Country.

Akira: (Could it be... this village?)

Snow suddenly raised his hand towards the dark sky. A small, old-fashioned teapot appeared, covered in shimmering particles of light.

Snow: This is a magical item called “Mirror Teapot”. There used to be a pair of them, but I lost one somewhere. So, there's only one left now...

Snow pointed the teapot spout towards the sky, and the twilight distorted hazily.

As if the smeared paint is gradually taking shape, a fantastical scene unfolded.

Akira: Large ice pillars...They're blue and translucent, shine in the sunlight... Is this the Ice Forest?

Snow: Yes. It's a rare sight that only happens in years with a lot of rain and extremely low temperatures, making the ice pillars this blue. I captured the moment when the morning sun hit the bright blue ice pillars for White, who had pleaded with me to live near the Ice Forest. This way, White can look back at his favorite scenery whenever he wants, right? Of course, not just when we're living together but also when I go on a journey alone.

Akira: .......

I recalled Snow's story of how he once longed for and dreamed of solitude. Perhaps his fondness for this land was also a fragment of his former longing.

Snow: It's just a hypothetical question that can't be realized now. Even White didn't react well. “Is my desire so shallow that it can be locked away in this teapot?”, he said.

Snow looked into the teapot with a somewhat complicated expression. As he continued to speak, the reflection of the spring water rippled in his golden eyes.

Snow: That's not what I meant. So, we immediately decided to move and built a mansion in the depths of the Ice Forest.

Snow: Even after that, we moved to several different places, but... coming back here brings back memories. About the vibrant and intense life I longed for while living here, and the exhilaration I once dreamed of.

Akira: ...So, is this village and the mountains beyond still a special place for you?

Then, I was startled by a sudden voice and turned around. White was standing there with his usual gentle smile, having returned without them noticing.

White: You seemed to like this land the most.

Snow: White...

White sat down next to me just like before, and placed the teapot and tea leaves he brought near his waist.

White: Sage, this is honey candy. Looks like a small candy, doesn't it? It's cute.

Akira: Right... It's round and plump, like a marble. The inside is wobbling...

White: It's filled with unhardened honey. It will gradually melt as you lick it. Say ahhhh.

Akira: Ahhh… Wow, it's simple, sweet, and delicious! Is there a little alcohol in it? It smells like flowers and fruits...It's like licking a whiskey bonbon.

White: Oh, you feel that way? Here, Snow, have one too.

Snow: Ahhhh….so good. It's still the same gentle sweetness.

White: I'll drop one into the offered wine too.

White smiled at Snow with his usual expression. Looking at his profile, I recalled once again.

Akira: (White had noticed that Snow longed for the life in the Western Country...)

(But he was afraid that Snow would change if he touched the culture over there, so he asked to move to the depths of the Northern country.)

As a result, White's request was accepted.

But the rift that was born between them at that time must have been clear.

Although they are twins who should have their hearts and souls connected, Snow and White are still different people...

Then, I heard some footsteps.

Cain: Sage! Snow, White. You were here too?

Akira: Cain!

Snow & White: .......

Cain: Oh, did I interupt something?

Snow: No, not at all. What's the matter?

White: Did you find something interesting?

Cain: I was just looking for that. I thought it would be nice to bring back some souvenirs for everyone at the Magic Manor.

Cain: I was getting the children from the village to guide me, but everyone is helping with the festival preparations right now...

Akira: Souvenirs, that's nice! Since we came all the way here, I'd like to bring something back for everyone too.

Cain: Oh? Then, Akira, would you like to come with me? I'm thinking of packing some alcohol, but I'm also looking for something I can give to the children.

Akira: Oh, um...

White: Don't worry about it. Go ahead.

Snow: We'll just relax here for a while. If anything comes up, we'll call you.

I felt their encouraging gazes as they urged me to go.

Akira: Alright, got it. Well, I'll be off then!

Snow & White: See you later.

Mufflered woman: Sir Cain, is there anything we can help you with?

Bulky man: Sir Cain, thank you for the sugar earlier...

Cain: No problem at all! That was nothing. The dried meat you shared with me earlier was delicious too.

I walked through the village with Cain. The area was open but there were many houses, so it seemed that this was the center of the village.

Wherever I went, I noticed that everyone bowed their heads to us, but the voiced directed at Cain were somewhat casual and friendly.

Akira: Cain, you've become quite popular in the village, haven't you? I still feel like I'm being treated with a bit of caution... It's amazing how you've become so close to them in such a short time.

Cain: Really? I've just been handing out sugar as a thank you for their hospitality. I appreciate their generosity, but I feel a little awkward just taking things from them... Oh, Akira, look at this.

Cain suddenly stopped and pointed to a decoration hanging by the roadside, turning around to look at me.

Akira: Ghost decorations...? They're simple but cute!

Cain: Right? I heard the village children made these. Over here, there are embroidered decorations for the festival. I heard there's a small market over there too.

Akira: Really...there are frozen fish and vegetables lined up, just like in the Ice Town. Somehow, I feel at ease seeing this kind of scene. No matter where or in what environment people live, they have this way of life...

Cain: Yeah... This is a nice place, this village. It's not particularly wealthy, but everyone helps each other and lives together closely. Everyone really admires the twin teachers. Villagers say that the twin are the reason they can live, over and over again.

Cain suddenly looked back down the path he came from. Then, as if reminiscing, he quietly opened his mouth.

Cain: Hey... Are the twin teachers fighting or something?

Akira: Eh?

Cain: I was with Lord White earlier, talking to the villagers. I asked him why Lord Snow wasn't with him, and he said, “I stepped out for a bit. He's probably reflecting on his days in this village right now.” Lord White seemed a little down, so I wondered if he was acting normal in front of the Sage.

Akira: Ah... I see. I don't think it was a fight, but...

Briefly, I told Cain what had happened earlier. I explained that apparently, there had been a disagreement between Snow and White when they lived in this village. I also mentioned that Snow seemed to like the village, but maybe White had had his own thoughts on the matter. Looking back, it all may have seemed like a thing of the past now, but… Maybe their thoughts were at odds as they reminisced about those days. When I said that, Cain let out a thoughtful "hmm" and crossed his arms. His casual gesture was just like him, but the makeup on his downcast eyes made him look more mature than usual.

Episode 6 | Episode 8

2 notes · View notes

marryabroadsimply · 10 months

Text

Getting Married in December

Getting Married in December is very popular, for many reasons!

Summer, is usually busy, for all locations where destination weddings are popular, there are lots of tourists, it can be really hot, and travelling to an from locations can be expensive.

So you could flip the wedding norm and marry in the Winter... So what can we tell you about December weddings...

December in Denmark

Denmark is a nordic country, in December it is cold, there is every chance that it can snow - which is fantastic! But also it may rain- you can check out the weather HERE. When you are getting married in Denmark and considering have a wedding photographer, do bear in mind It is dark almost all day, with the sun rising late and setting early daylight hours are limited so when choosing your wedding time, and try to marry earlier in the day. But your wedding photographer can also advise on that.

Remember the Danish word 'Hygge' this is a word for being cosy, well in Denmark this is almost a sport, not just for people dressing, but for bars and restaurants and hotels alike, they excel in making things cosy. Be it roaring fires, big warm blankets, so you can still sit outside on the terrace, heat lamps. Big steaming frothy hot chocolates, mulled wine, hearty food that you can have either before or after you take a look around the Christmas markets, ice skate in the open air or simply walk through the towns and cities all 'hygged up'!

It doesn't matter where you decide to marry (take a look at our map here for your options) you can be sure that the scenery will melt your heart and the people will win your heart and even though you are marrying the love of your life and your heart will get bigger, you will, for sure leave a tiny bit of your heart in Denmark! And that's what we love, people coming back over and over and over to get some more Hygge!

Christmas in Copenhagen is magical with Tivoli being just stunning, having "Gløgg" or "Gluwein" and snuggling up to your soul mate - heaven!

Image

December in Gibraltar

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Gibraltar also has so much to offer in December, it is hot! But not as hot as it is in the Summer (see my blog here for when I visited in August, I mention the heat quite a lot!). The sun is generally out every day it is lovely and warm in the afternoon, warm enough to see the sights with only a t-shirt and have amazing lighting for some wonderful photographs. Please see the average weather here, a lovely 18degrees, how perfect it that!

You can got to the beach, have lunch outside in the wonderful Catalan Bay, or explore the rock or have a coffee on casemates square out of the blazing Spanish sunshine.

So if its a sunshine wedding that you want but don't want the business or the heat of the Summer, Gibraltar is a perfect choice!

Image

Please remember for both of these locations - demand is high! The dates do get booked up very quickly and we hate it when our couples are disappointed. Even in the Summer couples are looking at their amazing winter wedding and they are booking the dates!

If you want a winter wedding then please let us know, we can get your date booked in so you have something to look forward to at the end of the year, the diaries are open and we are making appointments, don't miss out!

For document requirements please see our blog for the document requirements for each location.

Have a look at our awesome YouTube channel for short information Vlogs on how easy it is to elope and get married abroad!

You can easily contact us by clicking here or by e-mail at [email protected] call us on +4571493483 or what’s app +447934 933486 Hopefully see you soon - do contact us HERE and there is still time for you to get the gift of a soul mate this Christmas and enjoy a first married couple festive holiday time!

#gettingmarriedindenmark #love #elopement #denmark #marryabroadsimply #getmarriedindenmark #marryabroad #copenhagen #weddings #destinationwedding

1 note · View note

rinjanidawnadventures · 1 year

Text

Senaru Village: Your Gateway to Exploring Mount Rinjani

Mount Rinjani is a summit that draws thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to Lombok’s shores annually. Usually climbed in two or three days, the 12,224 ft peak usually leaves trekkers tired but smiling! For more details about how to climb this iconic volcano, please check out our Mount Rinjani Guide.

Many people coming to climb Mount Rinjani travel from popular Lombok tourist destinations such as the Gili Isles, Kuta, Sengiggi, and Mangsit. These places are fantastic in their individual ways, but it is worth considering spending time in culturally rich North Lombok before or after a Rinjani trek.

Senaru Village, Lombok Utara

Senaru village in North Lombok is one of two main gateways for climbing Mount Rinjani. Nestled on the lower slopes of the mountain at an altitude of 600m, Senaru is home to some of the most beautiful rice fields in Lombok.

It also has two of Lombok’s most famous waterfalls, Sendang Gila & Tui Kelep. Unlike the Gili Isles, Sengiggi, and other popular tourist destinations on Lombok, Senaru’s cultural heritage remains intact. Sasak culture is vibrant and alive, with many inhabitants still practicing the Wetu Telu religion of old- a subtle blend of Islam and Animism.

For these and other reasons we strongly recommend you spend some time in Senaru before or after a trek – it has so much to offer, and is becoming known as ��Lombok’s Ubud” (just without the swarms of tourists and traffic!). As Senaru is not a busy tourist destination accommodation is somewhat limited. But there are a few gems which we’d love to share!

Why trek to Senaru Crater Rim?

Trekking to Senaru Crater Rim allows travellers to experience the dramatic landscapes and beautiful scenery of Gunung Rinjani National Park in a short 2 day / 1 night timeframe. Unlike our Mt Rinjani summit packages this trek is achievable for most fitness levels, but still represents a genuine challenge requiring some endurance and determination! The trek is a total of 21km in distance, with a 2000m elevation gain on day one, including some prolonged ascents.

The Senaru Crater Rim package will leave you feeling exhilarated! Spending time in nature can be excellent for de-stressing and “re-charging the soul”. This wonderful tour may leave you feeling tired and a little sore by the end of day two, but we hope you’ll feel rejuvenated on a deeper level, with a rekindled sense of adventure and zest for life.

Rinjani Lodge:

Rinjani Lodge is a stunning boutique hotel overlooking Mount Rinjani and the rice fields of Bayan. It has incredible infinity pools and a beautiful garden. The staff speak excellent English, are friendly, and will go out of their way to help you. The restaurant is also fantastic, with an Asian fusion menu containing many delicious options (they even make their own ice cream!).

Rinjani Lodge is the most up-market of our recommendations, but still represents excellent value for money – I have stayed there twice and also arranged for my parents to stay when they visited for the first time. They absolutely loved it! Rated “Superb” on booking.com, Rinjani Lodge has been featured in many travel blogs and magazines.

Rinjani Lighthouse:

Situated at the top of the hill close to the start-point for the Mount Rinjani trek, Rinjani Lighthouse is a great mid-range option. It is owned by a German family who are friendly and accommodating. The accommodation has been built in a traditional Lombok style with wooden frames and thatched “Aleng-Aleng” roofs. What separates Rinjani Lighthouse from other places in Senaru is its ability to accommodate a family under one roof. Its “Rumah Adat” family bungalow has 4 x twin beds and 1 x Queen bed.

Anak Rinjani Bungalows:

Anak Rinjani is our budget accommodation of choice. Situated directly behind Rinjani Dawn Adventures’ office and restaurant, Anak Rinjani has simple but nice bungalows. What really differentiates them from other budget places in Senaru are the quality of the beds & linen, and the fact that they have hot water showers (which are nice and powerful). There is no aircon, but the rooms have wall-mounted fans, which are adequate for most travelers as Senaru sits at 600m altitude, it is cooler at night compared to the Gilis and other coastal areas on Senaru Lombok.

Rinjani Dawn Adventures has great relationships with the owners of hotels and homestays in Senaru, so if you are booking one of our awesome Packages we would be happy to help you book accommodation. Please just mention it in the questions part of our booking form, or email us via our contact page.

Senaru is one of Lombok’s best-kept secrets from a tourism point of view. Although numerous Hikers transit through to climb Mt Rinjani, many miss the serene beauty of the surrounding area. The crystal water that flows from underground springs provides vitality to the rice fields below. The forest above the village hosts an abundance of flora and fauna, including micro gardens where coffee, vanilla, and other organic produce are grown. Senaru traditional village is a cultural gem, remaining a functioning community to the many Sasak families who live there. For this reason, we encourage you to come and visit!

#Senaru Lombok #Rinjani

0 notes

r0hitdhiman · 2 years

Text

Top hotels to stay in Leh Ladakh

A mountain resort is a destination for holidays or a getaway that is situated in a hilly region. The phrase refers to both locations where summer activities like mountain biking, mountain boarding, and hiking are undertaken as well as ski resorts where winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, ice climbing, and ice skating are performed. The lower temperatures at higher altitudes make hill and mountain resorts popular in hotter climes.

There are many questions that come to mind when someone is making travel arrangements for Leh Ladakh. The majority of them are for first-timers, while just a small number are still available for travelers who have already been to Ladakh. Where to stay in Ladakh is one of the most often asked topics. Ladakh is all about nature at its finest, with breathtaking scenery, all-encompassing views, and a wide variety of fantastic sites to explore. So, the best places to stay in leh ladakh will give you full extension to the above said. Ladakh was already a "hub for explorers" before Bollywood and other major networks visited this location.

As one of the main issues, the government and the populace have been working hard to address the lodging issues in Ladakh. It is no secret that tourism has grown in the recently formed union territory during the past few years. Not just the communities, but also the federal and state governments have been influenced by this to work on numerous issues.

The importance of hotel rooms has led to the creation of sizable review websites , where a hotel's reputation is at stake. I'd assume most of the rooms you've slept in share the same fundamental characteristics, unless you've had a truly terrifying experience: walls, a door, a bed, a roof, a toilet, and a shower. What makes some amazing and others completely trash if they all share the same fundamental characteristics? This is how you will figure out the best place to stay in leh.

Although Tralover is a new business, their staff is completely qualified, competent, and has more than 15 years of experience working in the travel sector. In this competitive atmosphere and given the state of the industry, their team is equipped to not only research but also handle new business prospects and achieve new heights. They have joined the market with the goal of servicing numerous market groups in order to emphasize their swift and specialized services.

#Leh Ladakh #Tralover #hotels in leh

1 note · View note

destinationspark · 2 years

Text

11 Best Places To Visit In South India In December

The names of the hill stations, especially those in north India, often spring to mind first when we think of “winter.” The northern hill stations are without a doubt the ideal locations for vacations, but during the winter they are impassable due to the bitter cold and snowfall. What, then, is the answer? Are there any other hill towns in India where we might spend the winter?

We have indeed. Thankfully, there are best places to visit in South India, home to numerous stunning hill stations that stand out for their own qualities and deserve a position on our list of locations to visit in the winter.

Every traveler is astonished by something about winter in South India, whether it be a restorative winter break or lazing in the sun on a beach vacation, or an exciting winter vacation or Christmas with friends from other countries.

Therefore, we have put together a list of the best places to visit in South India during winter travel destinations. After doing some research on locations where you might have a similar wintertime experience to North India’s in terms of spectacular scenery.

To find out what experience we’re referring to and where you may enjoy it, read the article through to the conclusion.

Kodaikanal

The “princess of the Indian hill stations,” Kodaikanal, is the most popular winter tourism destination in South India. In Tamil Nadu’s charming hill town of Kodaikanal, you may take in the cool vistas of its lakes, waterfalls, valleys, and green hills. The focal point of the business is the town’s most well-known tourist destination, Kodaikanal Lake.

It is a 2,000-meter-high star-shaped lake surrounded by evergreen trees. Kodaikanal is a fantastic site to visit in the winter, offering opportunities for trekking to waterfalls and learning about its diverse flora.

Why go to Kodaikanal in the winter?

One of the finest reasons to visit this winter retreat is the ethereal beauty of the misty Kodaikanal Lake. In Kodaikanal, it becomes a little cold in the winter and sometimes drops below five degrees. The second explanation is that the fog condenses into ice crystals that fall as snow on the ground and other objects.

According to the final point, the greatest time to see in the woodlands is during the winter. The animals are enticed to appear when Kodaikanal gets less touristy.

Kodaikanal winter attractions:

Kodaikanal Lake

Dolphin’s Nose

Vattakanal Waterfall

Berijam Lake

Pambar Falls

Coaker’s Walk

Kurinji Andavar Temple

Other Interesting Blog to Read

How Coorg Tourism Places Can Get You Your Heart’s Desire

Pondicherry

One of the well-known tourist attractions in South India is Pondicherry, which the majority of visitors go to on a sightseeing trip from Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry, a Union Territory of India, lies 165 kilometers from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. One of the cleanest towns in India is Pondicherry, which was once recognized as a French enclave until 1954.

Every nook and cranny of this area seems like a scene from a postage stamp thanks to the white buildings from French colonies, tree-lined lanes, and upscale shops. Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations because of the rural setting of brown and green colonies against a blue sky on a beautiful sunny day.

Why go to Pondicherry in the winter?

The ideal time to fully explore Pondicherry is from November to February when the weather is pleasant. The weather is ideal for taking part in water sports activities, strolling along the beaches, and relaxing in cafés. Additionally, because the winter is the best season to spend hours in the water, numerous organizations offer scuba-diving and surfing training.

If taking these courses has been on your bucket list for a while, Pondicherry is the location where you can do it throughout the winter at a reasonable price. The International Yoga Festival, Another unique winter event, which takes place in Pondicherry in January, is Due to the fact that you may study many types of yoga and art at this festival, this might be one of your life-changing events.

Pondicherry winter attractions:

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Paradise Beach

Rock Beach

Serenity Beach

Seaside Promenade

Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges

Andaman

One of the top tourist destinations in South India is the Andaman Islands, an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal that lies southeast of the Indian mainland. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the two largest islands in the whole archipelago. The Andaman is the ideal location for a winter holiday since it has virgin climbable cliffs, sand beaches, an azure ocean, a starry night sky, and many other attractions.

It is also one of those locations in India where there are over 500 different varieties of coral. You will be astounded by the coral’s color and variety, which is the major draw for travelers from all over the globe.

Why go to Andaman in the winter?

The Andaman is a well-known year-round tourist attraction. However, going on a winter holiday to the Andaman offers a unique atmosphere that not many people are aware of. The Andaman Islands’ wintertime weather is nice all day long, and the sky’s many colors of blue provide for the ideal contrast in photographs. Not to add that Andaman is one of South India’s best winter vacation spots.

Additionally, the optimum time to engage in any water activity in this area is during the winter. The Andaman Islands are an exotic paradise for honeymooners, with activities including snorkeling, tanning, sailing between islands, and dining on seafood.

Andaman winter attractions:

Ross Island

North Bay

Neil Island

Havelock Island

Cellular Jail

Barren Island

Wandoor Beach

Limestone Cave

Araku Valley

Araku Valley is a lovely green valley outside of Andhra Pradesh’s temples that would captivate you with its natural beauty. The distance between it and Visakhapatnam, another well-known tourist destination in South India, is around 111 kilometers. The hill station is surrounded by lush, verdant woods and is situated in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats Hills.

The valley’s picturesque coffee gardens, waterfalls, valleys, and expansive areas of paddy fields contribute to its visual appeal.

Why go to Araku Valley in the winter?

The Araku Valley seems to be a magnificent location when the golden light of a winter day shines over the huge expanse of paddy fields that are visible through the gaps between the hills. The peaceful valley soon transforms into the ideal location for winter photography, producing a beautiful blend of many tones, including blue, green, and golden.

The ideal postcard of Araku Valley can be seen in the background as exotic birds fly from one location to another, resting on a tree limb.

In addition to this, there is another typical reason for selecting South India for Winter Break, which is undoubtedly the nice wintertime climate of Araku Valley. There is another feature that contributes to its popularity as a winter travel destination. Araku Valley only had snowfall when it was below zero degrees.

Araku Valley winter attractions:

Tribal Museum

Coffee Museum

Galikonda View Point

Padmapuram Gardens

Katiki Waterfalls

Sangda Waterfalls

Ananthagiri Waterfalls

Wayanad

Wayanad is a district in northeastern Kerala that is situated between 700 and 2,100 meters above sea level in the Western Ghats’ foothills. Due to its natural beauty, spice plantations, variety of fauna, and tribal inhabitants, the area is a well-liked tourist attraction in Southern India.

Wayanad’s untamed vegetation covers a huge area of land and provides habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. Additionally, the area’s prime position makes it a popular tourist destination since surrounding cities like Bangalore, Ooty, Kannur, and Mysore are close.

Why go to Wayanad in the winter?

Wayanad has nice winter weather, making this the ideal season to visit. The months of November to January are the best for traveling to Wayanad because of the pleasant days and chilly evenings, as well as the lower humidity. It is breathtaking to see the rural landscapes with their lush green patches of land and white clouds soaring over the lush valleys.

Aside from this, Wayanad’s winter is the finest season for adventure. Wayanad will make the most of your winter family holiday with activities like climbing Chembra Peak and discovering the flora and animals on Kuruva Island.

Wayanad winter attractions:

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

Chembra Peak

Soochipara Falls

Banasura Sagar Dam

Edakkal Caves

Iruppu Waterfalls

Arippara Waterfalls

Meenmutty Waterfalls

Munnar

Unquestionably, Munnar is among the top locations to see on your first vacation to South India. The charming hill village nestled in the Western Ghats was formerly a vacation destination during British rule. The breathtaking splendor of Munnar’s verdant hills and checkbox-like tea plantations against a clear blue sky renews visitors.

In addition, the flowing waterfalls that cascade down the slopes inspire visitors to go farther and find solitude in the wilderness. The rare Nilgiri tahr seen in the valleys enhances the experience of visiting Munnar.

Why go to Munnar in the winter?

One of the coldest hill stations is Munnar, a popular winter tourist destination in South India. It is often referred to as the “Kashmir of southern India.” The tea gardens’ new leaves seem more revitalizing when they are covered in an ice-crystal coating after being covered in white snow. Additionally, Munnar’s nice winter weather makes it a great location for bird watching and easy, high-altitude hikes.

If you’re fortunate, you could even get to see a spectacular snowfall at Munnar during the winter. For instance, when the temperature dropped to -2 degrees in February of 2021, snow fell there.

Munnar winter attractions:

Marayoor

Echo Point

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Chinnakanal Waterfalls

Anamudi Peak

CSI Christ Church

Kundala Dam and Lake

KDHP Museum

Lambasingi

A little hamlet in Andhra Pradesh called Lambasingi is around 100 kilometers from Visakhapatnam. It is 1,000 meters above sea level and has lower temperatures than its surrounding surroundings. This eccentric winter resort was formerly enveloped in thick woods and served as a refuge for tigers and birds.

Numerous enthusiasts come to this area to explore the diverse array of wildlife. The town is home to plantations for coffee, eucalyptus, and pine trees. This region is made even more lovely by the lovely lush slopes and peaceful rivers.

Why go to Lambasingi in the winter?

Here is where the article’s most unexpected section is located. Lambasingi, known as the “Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh,” often experiences winter snowfall. Sometimes, when it gets below freezing at night, the area’s normally overcast scenery becomes white with snow. The area is also known as Korra Bayalu, a colonial term that signifies that if one were to remain outside, they would freeze solid.

Consequently, the ideal time to visit this little community is during the winter, which lasts from November to January. The optimum time to experience snowfall is also between 4 and 9 in the morning. In the last several years, this surreal phenomenon has begun to draw tourists to Lambasingi from all across the nation.

Lambasingi winter attractions:

Kondakarla Bird Sanctuary

Thanjangi Reservoir

Susan Garden

Bojjannakonda

Ghat Road

Kothapalli Waterfalls

Conclusion

Yes, there are a ton of activities here and many of attractions to see in South India, as you can see from the lengthy text and I hope you enjoyed my thorough South India travel guide.

Please share your thoughts on this blog in the comments area.

It was originally published on- https://destinationspark.com/best-places-visit-south-india/

Thanks for Reading!

Love

Frequently Asked Questions

Which are the popular activities for tourists to experience in winter in South India?

In South India, some of the well-liked wintertime activities for visitors include:

1. Houseboat lodging in Alleppey. 2. Exploring Kochi’s beaches. 3. Taking a trip on a toy train in Ooty. 4. Savoring a cup of hot tea at Munnar. 5. Enjoying a tour of a Coorg coffee estate. 6. Experiencing a burst of adrenaline at Wayanad.

Which is the coldest hill station in South India?

Kodaikanal, which is well-known to visitors for its waterfalls, meadows, valleys, and grasslands, is the coldest hill station in South India.

Which are the best places to visit in December in South India?

The best places to go for winter holidays in southern India in December are:

1. Araku Valley 2. Kochi 3. Ooty 4. Vizag 5. Mahabalipuram 6. Thiruvannamalai 7. Murudeshwar 8. Alleppey 9. Athirapally

Which are the best places to visit in South India with family in January?

Some of the top destinations in South India for family travel in January:

1. Munnar 2. Ooty 3. Chikmagalur 4. Kochi 5. Kasargod 6. Yercaud 7. Mahabalipuram 8. Ponmudi

0 notes

vetteldixon · 3 years

Text

Vettel open to more off-road racing after ice debut

by Scott Mitchell, Feburary 7 2022, The Race

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel says he is “happy to look at” doing more off-road competitions in the future following his ice-racing debut in the Race of Champions.

Vettel was beaten by World Rally Championship legend Sebastien Loeb in last Sunday’s final of the first Race of Champions to be held on snow and ice, held on a track built across a beach and the frozen Baltic Sea in northern Sweden.

The Aston Martin F1 driver had struggled initially on Saturday, when he lost three of his four heats as Team Germany was eliminated at the quarter-final stages of the Nations Cup, but was more competitive in the individual Champion of Champions event.

He won match-ups in a Polaris buggy, RX Supercar Lite and electric rallycross car on his way to the final, where he lost 3-1 to Loeb but ran the nine-time WRC champion close in their final heat in the Polaris.

Asked if he would consider more off-road events in the future, Vettel admitted he had “a lot of catching up” to do but was enthusiastic about the discipline.

“Obviously, you saw that I’m still missing a little bit,” Vettel said. “But I think I enjoy it a lot.

“I always enjoyed watching what they are doing. It is a different discipline so you’re still having fun with a car but it’s just there are a lot of differences.

“But it’s fascinating, we have a chat also over lunch to understand a little bit more, it’s not just you’re in the car and you’re driving.

“Very much like Formula 1 or in any category, there’s a lot of work behind the scenes, doing your pace notes and getting all the information you can, the same with us preparing the race and the analysis after.

“The sport progresses and there’s more to it than just driving which is also a challenge. So, for sure it’s not easy to just jump into it and be very good at it.

“You need the time and experience but if somebody is willing to give me a shot and a chance and has a lot of time, I’m happy to look at it.

“I think it’s something that is as a driver very satisfying, to play with the car and to have more margin.

“Normally when the car steps out you correct it immediately and you’ve lost a bit of time. Here I think there’s much more grey. You are sideways, maybe the timing’s a little bit off but you can correct it.

“Of course, you need to get into that really small window to be perfect. And you saw the difference! But it’s definitely something I enjoy.”

Vettel has been an enthusiast of the Race of Champions for a long time and last weekend was no exception as he made the most of its dramatic change of scenery.

Off-track, he turned heads each morning from Thursday to Sunday with solo runs in a T-shirt and shorts at sub-zero temperatures, was a willing volunteer to swim in the sea when organisers cut a hole in the ice, and he begged for a passenger ride with Stig Blomqvist in the WRC legend’s Audi S1 Quattro.

But the competition’s switch of surface was something he clearly embraced from a competitive standpoint too.

“It’s something that I’m definitely not as used to when it comes to my driving style,” Vettel said.

“Normally, when the car goes sideways, I tried to correct it as soon as possible, and put it back straight, which here is not the fastest way.

“It’s very exciting and I think it’s a great place in the world to be. It was a lot of work, the weather really didn’t help this weekend, and didn’t make the situation easier but the people were great.

“After missing out the Race of Champions the last two years and having the pandemic around the world it was great to be back and great to have a sense of normality as well, as much as it was possible.

“It was a very, very great comeback, and I would really like to come back to a place like this on snow and ice.

“Obviously with Fredrik [Johnsson, RoC president] pride and being on home soil it’s something special but I think it definitely was to be out on the open sea racing each other.

“It’s been fantastic for us to enjoy the different cars and also for the spectators even though today they had a bit of wind in their faces!

“But they seemed very happy and up for it, so I think it was very good.”

#full articles are very handy to have/save so here it is #also there's a good amount of interesting little bits in this one too #the driving style stuff! i wish he'd go more in depth #sebastian vettel #race of champions 2022 #f1 #preseason 2022

47 notes · View notes

chewriting · 2 years

Text

Amaranthine

Relationship: Kit Herondale x Ty Blackthron

Word Count: 3k+

Read it on Ao3

Content Warnings: brief references to past violence, semi-graphic depictions of past violence

Summary: Years after their unfortunate first meeting, Ty’s thoughts are consistently snagged by all the ways that everything could have gone wrong. The trajectory of the bullet could have shifted up a few inches and pierced Kit’s heart, it could have torn open his lung and sucked the air straight out of his chest. Years after Ty barely kept Kit stable long enough for professionals to arrive, the wounds remain.

Ty does not have fantastic dreams. Sometimes they can be strange, as the unconscious processes information in elaborate ways that make little sense to the awoken mind. It makes sorting the fragile shards of a particularly clear dream from actual memory difficult, calming down from a nightmare a process. Ty is lucky that he doesn’t get nightmares very often.

He blinks awake standing in the vast field. The hills around him stretch as far as his eyes can see, the clear blue sky above him meeting the horizon a ways away. Nothing about the scene feels familiar, Ty can’t place exactly where he is, and yet his heart beats a steady rhythm in his chest, unperturbed by the change in usual scenery. Ty spins on his heel, taking in the way the world blurs to colored streaks, but everything halts when he faces a figure that wasn’t there a few seconds ago. Again, his body doesn’t react. But the figure doesn’t share the same feeling of strangeness. He never could.

Kit does look at Ty as he runs the pads of his fingers over the grasses that reach his waist. In his chest, Ty feels a chill. The only unpleasant sensation he feels, but it pulls him to Kit. Wading through the foliage, Ty is surprised by the pushback of the sea oats and wild rye. Only when Ty closes the distance does Kit look up and smile at him.

“Hello, Holmes,” He greets, his voice soft and static-filled like he’s being heard through a phone. The ice in his chest melts.

“What are you doing?” Ty asks.

“Just appreciating the breeze.” Kit tilts his head back, closing his eyes as the wind catches his hair. Sunlight bounces off the high points of his face, making his cheekbones appear higher and his jawline sharper. Ty watches the pair of moles on his neck pull apart as the skin stretches. “And the grass flowers feel nice against my palms.”

Ty copies the motion he saw Kit do, and feels nothing. Sunlight beats pleasantly against his back and the periodic winds keep him from getting too hot, the rich scent of soil permeates everything, but Ty can’t feel the grasses against his palm. When he voices these concerns, Kit just laughs. Plucking a large seedhead from an unlucky plant, he beckons Ty over.

He cradles the back of Ty’s hand gently in his own, gently spreads Ty’s fingers apart, and like a painter, runs the delicate hairs across Ty’s palm. Sensation lights up across his skin. It reminds him of being in Kindergarten, while his classmates were making hand turkeys for Thanksgiving and all Ty wanted to do was sweep paint on his hand over and over again with the provided foam brushes. Ty can’t help the spine that runs up his spine and settles in his scalp. It’s so peaceful Ty can’t help but let his eyes fall closed.

The last few weeks have been a near-constant onslaught of professors assigning last-minute homework before their exams. He has essays due, practice problems to complete, and concepts to study, all while trying to stay fed and well-rested. Ty knows Kit is in a similar situation, dealing with group projects and missing partners. Despite living together, Ty feels like he hasn’t seen much of Kit recently. They’re either in class, hunched over papers in the library, or sleeping; usually not in the same space or at the same time. When Ty eventually collapses in bed, Kit is already asleep, and he’ll be up and gone by the time Ty is awake. It’s exhausting as they circle around each other, like two quarters rolling down the wishing-well funnel in the mall, but never quite reaching the opening at the center.

He knows it will only be a few more weeks, that sooner than he’ll know it’ll be Winter Break and they’ll have almost a month to make for lost time.

Kit pulls the flower away, leaving Ty’s skin buzzing. His hand comes up to cup Ty’s jaw. Opening his eyes, he’s struck by the blue of Kit’s eyes. So bright, like looking into portals of the expansive sky above them. They haven’t had a moment like this in what feels like ages, so Ty slumps into Kit’s hold to soak up what he can of the soothing heat of Kit’s skin.

The two sharp cracks are unexpected, and they shatter the peace as if the bubble Kit and Ty were surrounded in was glass. Immediately, Ty looks around the horizon. They are the only ones here, the field void of anything that didn’t sway with the intensifying winds. The sound is familiar in a distant way, like a flavor you may have had in your childhood and hadn’t experienced since. It’s Kit’s tightened hold on his jaw that draws his attention back.

Kit isn’t scanning their surroundings, though he usually is hypervigilant at all times, no, he’s staring at his own stomach. At the red stain seeping into the white fabric. All the warmth gets sucked out of Ty’s chest, ice creeping up his ribs to take over. Unconsciously his hands move to press against the wound. But the blood keeps coming.

“Sherlock?” Kit croaks, tears streaming down his face like waterfalls. It drips off his face and soaks into the soil beneath their feet. Ty’s seen Kit cry only a handful of times, each instance cracking his chest open in a way that makes him only want to pull Kit close and fit him in the new cavity against his heart. Ty doesn’t have a protective streak, knows that Kit is more than capable of protecting himself, and yet seeing Kit break in ways normal for most but denied of him for so many years makes Ty’s blood heat. Because the unfairness of Kit’s pain makes Ty angry at the world.

His shirt is now more red than white; so much blood, too much blood. How is Kit not going into shock? Kit’s hands drop to fist in Ty’s jacket. The weakness of his grip makes Ty sick.

“Sherlock, I don’t want to die,” He begs. The blood starts to drip from his shirt to the waistband of his pajama pants, darkening the bright blue to a sickly purple.

“You’re not going to die.” Ty doesn’t know that, but he says it anyway. It comes out of his mouth without even thinking, too distracted by pressing harder into Kit’s abdomen. But it’s like trying to force give into a rock. It’s solid and nothing Ty does can get the rush of blood to stop. He wants to call for help, but they’re alone. The promising vast of land now insurmountable.

“Sherlock,” Kit starts, and Ty doesn’t know why he won’t just say Ty’s name. The nickname started when they were still kids, over a cheap messaging app that crashed far too often but they were still too scared to share their phone numbers, and it stuck as a term of endearment while they grew up. Ty loves to hear Kit call him Sherlock, but hearing his lips work around the syllables of his name is unparalleled. “I love you.”

He drops like a sack of stones. One moment he’s within Ty’s reach and the next he’s disappearing between the clusters of switchgrass. Ty falls to his knees after him, parting thick stalks to better see past them. But Kit isn’t anywhere. Like the ground swallowed him whole. His labored breathing echoes all around Ty, but he isn’t physically anywhere. Still, Ty swipes through dropseed and sweetgrass fruitlessly.

There’s one more sharp inhale, with no exhale to follow. The chill spreads to Ty’s fingers and he knows he wasn’t fast enough. He’s just lost his best friend. His head falls into his hands, staining his face red, as the weeds around him grow and grow.

Ty is upright before he’s awake. Rapidly cooling sweat drips down his neck to seep into the collar of his shirt. He can hardly control his breathing, his chest heaving as he scans the room.

It’s dark enough that it takes several moments for Ty’s eyes to adjust. He’s in his bedroom. Moonlight barely peaks its way underneath the blackout curtains Ty put up months ago. His weighted blanket bunched up around his waist. Not an endless field of cruel plants growing from his boyfriend’s tears.

Irene chirps from her spot at the end of the bed, easing her way onto Ty’s lap to fulfill her duty as a sensory regulator. She’s not a service animal, just a street cat Ty and Livvy found when they were sixteen that’s grown especially sensitive to Ty’s emotions. Her exact breed is unknown, likely too much of a mix to be anything concrete, but she’s heavy and soft and it’s enough to funnel Ty’s attention.

Ty slumps over her, tracing her vertebrae as he counts. Up to ten, down to one, and back up to ten until it no longer feels like his lungs are straining at every inhale. The blankets shift to his right and two fingers brush against his elbow.

“Ty?” Kit mumbles, voice thick and low. “Did you have a nightmare?”

He can barely push the word between his counting. Up to ten, down to one. “Yes.”

“Do you need me to leave?”

Waking up from nightmares is a whole other beast of overstimulation. His heart hammering, vision not quite clear, sweat cooling across his skin; it’s enough to send him down a spiral. Kit isn’t much different, needing his space while recovering from wherever his dreams took him before he can even think about talking about it. One of them sleeping on the couch isn’t an uncommon occurrence, though its frequency has been lowering. But having Kit leave, move to a place in the apartment where Ty can’t see him, is enough to send jolts to his stomach. He can only think of Kit’s vanishing body. His blood on Ty’s hands as the only proof he was ever there.

“No. Stay.” It’s more of a plea than a command. There’s more shuffling on Kit’s end, and his upturned palm appears in Ty’s periphery. An invitation, one Ty takes.

They don’t hold hands often as Ty often finds it more uncomfortable than pleasant. If they need to stick close, Kit will just link their elbows together as they navigate crows or grocery store aisles. Right now, it’s a welcome sensation. Kit’s hand is still soft from the lotion he applies before bed, because the fan they keep on at night dries his skin out, and the spaces between his fingers are delicate. Where his touch in the dream lit up Ty’s nerves, in bed it quiets the storm slightly. Ty’s other hand is still raking through Irene’s thick coat.

“Can we cuddle?” Ty asks, and Kit hums in reply. His fall back to the pillows is enough of a disturbance to move Irene, probably propelling her to bully Moriarty awake. The hammock in his cage is high enough that she can’t directly paw at him, but somehow her mere presence is enough to rile him up. Distantly, Ty hopes there won’t be bedding strewn across the floor from Moriarty’s excited jumping.

Kit’s eyes are barely open when Ty turns to look at him, but his grip is firm in Ty’s and he scoots closer with purpose. They have to let go of each other so Kit can lay his cheek against Ty’s chest, but this way Ty can loop one arm around Kit’s waist. His breath puffs gently against Ty’s exposed collarbone, warming his skin. Ty tucks his nose to Kit’s scalp, inhaling the smell of his earthy eucalyptus conditioner. The weight of his blanket a steady force to fuse them together.

With his heartbeat slowing to a more manageable pace, Ty can reflect on his nightmare. It isn’t often that he has nightmares thankfully, and it’s even less so that he has nightmares about Kit. But trauma is trauma and it lingers like the smell of smoke. Ty can remember finding Kit on the floor, bleeding out, like it had happened last night. No matter how long Ty can wake up next to Kit, he’ll never be able to get the sickly pale of Kit’s skin as he was wheeled into the ambulance out of his mind, nor the stricken look on his face when he realized he survived and his dad didn’t. Ty tightens his hold on Kit’s torso.

“Are you okay?” He whispers into Kit’s hair. The fan whirs back and forth over the bed, catching strands of Kit’s hair to brush Ty’s face. Even in the midnight dark, Ty can picture their golden sheen. Even the night they first met, when his hair was dark and matted from sweat, Ty couldn’t help but think he was one of the most beautiful people he’s ever seen.

“I should be asking you that. You had the nightmare,” Kit mumbles. It’s more into Ty’s shirt, but still audible.

“I know. But are you?” Ty doesn’t know to voice his worries. His need to make sure Kit is okay can’t be condensed into words. How can he ask about Kit’s recovery, now several years strong with few setbacks? How can he express the bone-deep fear that if he presses too hard against the scar on Kit’s stomach that it’ll split open and spill fresh blood like they’re new? How can explain that sometimes he’s still scared of losing Kit for good? “Your injuries. Are they okay?”

“My injuries?” Kit asks, the pause between his sentences pregnant and telling. “My gunshot wounds?”

“Yes.”

“They’re old Ty, sometimes when it gets cold they ache but I’m fine. My digestion is kind of fucked but you already know that.”

“Will you let me know if that changes?”

Kit perks up immediately. He doesn’t push himself up to look into Ty’s eyes like couples do in the movies, but the hand that was tracing patterns on Ty’s oblique pauses. His voice is noticeably more awake. “Yes, Ty, you’d be the first to know.”

“Promise?” Ty squeezes Kit a little tighter, both of his arms moving to cross over Kit’s bare back, unable to quell the shake in his voice. It means Kit is pulled more up on Ty than the mattress, but Ty won’t complain about the extra pressure.

“I promise.” Now Kit’s face is in Ty’s field of vision. His eyes practically glow as his eyebrows pinch close the distance between them. Kit’s eyebrows have always been the more expressive part of his face and Ty loves to watch them raise in surprise or furrow in concentration. “What brought this up?”

“You died in my nightmare. I couldn’t find you and you bled out.” Ty forces it out, like the words themselves had the power to bring it to reality. Immediately, Kit understands and his arms come up to slide behind Ty’s back. It’s not perfect, but at least he’s able to squeeze tightly.

“Oh Tiberius, you know it wasn’t your fault that that happened to me.” Kit starts to slide off Ty’s chest, so he rolls them back as one onto their sides. His lips come up to brush against Ty’s chest but never quite make contact.

“The doctors said that if the ambulance got to you five minutes later they wouldn’t have been able to resuscitate you.”

“You got to me in time.” Kit does kiss Ty’s cheek then. “You saved me.”

“But what if I didn’t?”

“Hey,” Kit pulls back to rest his forehead against Ty’s, “we can’t worry about the what if’s. They didn’t happen. Miraculously, I survived an attack that was meant to kill me because my chatroom friend cared enough about me to haul ass to my possible location. I’m alive and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Not if I can help it.”

Ty takes a shaking breath in, and he knows Kit is right. Ty’s talked to his therapist about hundreds of things, and he mentioned Kit’s attack a few times, but never really went into how he was feeling after. Maybe it’s something he should delve further into. He trails his fingers up Kit’s arm to again take hold of his hand, pressing his thumb against his knuckles.

“You’re not going anywhere if I can help it either.” Ty says it like a promise, and he can feel Kit’s smile more than he can see it.

“See, with my stubbornness and your persistence, even death will have a hard time pulling me away.” Kit whispers it into the gap between Ty’s skull and ear, and Ty knows he’s drifting off again. So Ty adjusts, pulling Kit’s head into his chest and curling his body around Kit’s torso. It’s not quite like holding him in his chest, using his ribs as walls and the pulse of his heart as a heat source, but it’s a good alternative.

Kit’s breathing evens out and Ty’s eyelids begin to droop. Adrenaline leaking out of his veins, leaving taut exhaustion behind. Yet, Ty’s eyes follow the planes of Kit’s back. Topography not unlike the rolling hills of his dreams. At some point, Irene jumps back up on the bed, circling a spot free of either of their feet before finally settling into a tight ball.

Kit and Ty are safe here. In their corner apartment a five-minute walk from campus that sometimes leaks in the living when it rains but is manageable because when does it ever rain in Southern California. They have a nice brand of coffee beans in the cabinet because Ty can’t drink anything that tastes too bitter and the stash of Oreos that Kit keeps behind the cereal boxes that Ty doesn’t let on that he knows about. Irene is asleep at their feet, Moriarty is hopefully not being too mischievous in his cage, and they’ve talked about maybe adopting a dog. Life is good and calm and safe.

He eventually falls asleep while running his fingers through Kit’s hair, their short strands ticking his palms like flowering grasses.

#kit herondale #kit rook #ty blackthorn #kit x ty #the wicked powers #TWP #the dark artifices #TDA #the shadowhunter chronicles #TSC #fanfiction #fanfic #chewrites

9 notes · View notes

harpyloon · 4 years

Text

i’ll catch you

Pairing: Charlie Weasley x fem!Reader

Summary: "Up close, Y/N could see the familiar freckles splattered all over his nose and cheeks. He was towering over her like he always did. She used to be the little second year Hufflepuff always idling by the entrance to the Great Hall hoping to bump into the famous Charlie Weasley. Studying on the Quidditch pitch, watching him behind her textbook, captaining the Gryffindor team. Climbing the beech tree by the lake again and again, hoping Charlie Weasley would somehow walk by once more to offer her a hand..."

☞ Curse Breaker reader x Dragon-tamer Charlie Weasley

Warnings: Fluff, sprinkles of angst, dragons (duh), mentions of a dead animal, mentions of dragon eating dead animal (lol), post-war timeline (although not that important)

WC: 4.5k+ , Part 2 coming soon!

Read on AO3

Beautiful rays of golden sunlight were peaking through the blinders of Y/N's cabin. It was going to be a lovely day with the perfect weather to seek out a bit of adventure, and although she was sure she had countless other affairs to address before kicking off with her assignment the next day, a blathering Bill Weasley was not one of them.

"Are you even listening?" his tone was way beyond impatient. "You know what? Don't answer that. I know for a fact that you never pick up anything I say. Ever."

Y/N rolled her eyes as she busied herself with stuffing her socked feet inside a pair of brown chunky hiking boots. She didn't plan on going very far. Her colleagues were currently lounging in the dining hall about five cabins down, sipping piping hot ciorbă, munching on breakfast toast, and relishing their only foreseeable off day before the start of the big dig tomorrow. Some were even dozing off still, earning as much sleep as they could to compensate for the long nights to come.

It's true what they say about grumpy Curse Breakers. But nobody realized that they just spent too much time with their eyes wide open.

"You know, Bill," Y/N mused, "you always call me the drama queen. What does that make you then?"

The floating head over the fire scoffed, "A concerned superior."

"Well, there's nothing to be concerned about."

"Where are you headed?"

"I'm going for a walk."

"No walks," ordered Bill, his face stern.

"Everyone's out and about today!"

"No walks for you."

Y/N laughed. "Oh yeah?"

Bill sighed. He knew trying to be hard-nosed was futile. "No walks alone at least."

"Are you sure there's no bun in Fleur's oven yet?" Y/N teased. "You're sounding more like a papa bear with each passing day."

She heard a soft melodic laugh within the fire where Bill's head was when suddenly, another floating head appeared right beside his. This time, all blonde and very French

"There iz no bun yet, mon cher. But I think he az been practicing fatherhood with you." Fleur gave Y/N a wink. "I 'eard zer are many 'andsome men in Romania. With a leetle beet of exzploring yo—"

"There will be no exploring," barked Bill, sending his wife a warning glance, which she ignored.

"—you might find someone az adventurous az you are," Fleur beamed, "And very macho."

"Darling," Bill sighed, "is this necessary?"

With a flying kiss to Y/N, Fleur was gone.

Shrugging on a light parka, Y/N gave Bill a knowing look, "You see? Your wife said I could use a macho man."

"Oh please. You're in a Curse Breaker camp."

"Hey, there are loads of macho men here."

"Macho enough for you?"

Y/N wrinkled her nose but ignored the question.

"Well, William," she said, emphasizing Bill's full name, "I, am a Curse Breaker in the middle of the Southern Carpathians." Stuffing her wand through her belt loop, she looked at him with finality. "And I am not passing up this opportunity."

"Remember when they assigned you to Egypt with me and you went on exploring? Your exploring is bad luck, Y/N, and I did not assign you to Romania to bring bad luck."

"Excuse you, the Egypt Goblins loved me."

"Goblins don't love wizards," retorted Bill.

"I think they were particularly fond of me."

"You Reductored an entire bloody Pyramid!"

Y/N was losing her patience. She wanted to sift through the mountains in the morning sunlight. Discover hidden caves and wade through cold springs. She had her breakfast way earlier than everyone else for this sole purpose.

"I promise I'll be good."

"Take Weiss with you."

Y/N glared. "Absolutely not."

"Take someone."

"I'm walking out on you right now. Don't forget to put out my fire."

"Y/N."

"I'll see you later!"

"I have to tell you—"

Without looking back, she waved at Bill and stepped out into the crisp Romanian morning.

The skies were bright and cloudless, the sun slowly rising up east. The Curse Breaker camp in the middle of the Transylvanian Alps was in for a late morning. It was quiet, apart from the whispers of the forest beside them; chirping birds, singing crickets, and the distant sound of a nearby stream.

Trudging up the rough pavement towards the foot of the nearest hill, Y/N felt an ounce of guilt seep through as she marveled at the scenery before her. Bill was the reason she got the Romania assignment. She wasn't half bad a Curse Breaker. From an outsider's perspective, some would even call her brilliant. She's aced all her missions in her first year on the job—way ahead of all the others in her year, and was even able to crackdown a dark magic-infested tomb in an assignment she co-lead in Egypt. She was quick, smart, and as brave as the career entailed.

Only one thing stood between her and a good reputation in Gringotts. Her impulsiveness.

She couldn't help it. Y/N's successes partnered with tragedies—accidents; her brilliance came with sheer will and almost violent haste. The problem is you can't think twice Bill would always say. Not everything is done in a snap, Y/N.

Bill Weasley was the only senior Curse Breaker with enough patience to supervise her. It must have been fate or a miracle that had him in temporary assignment at the London Gringotts when she graduated Hogwarts. If she were received by anyone else, or if he were back in Egypt instead, she didn't think she'd ever make it out into the field. Or worse, last a few months.

"I'll be good," she mumbled to no one in particular. Or maybe she hoped that Bill would hear. She'd floo him again later.

Trekking up the slope with hands snuggled warm inside her faux-fur-lined pockets, Y/N inhaled the fresh earth surrounding her. This was her calling. Nature. Adventure. The unknown. She was fantastic with spells and jinxes and once thought of becoming an Auror—but Aurors spent too much time indoors, on desks, drowning in paperwork and tailing dark wizards. She knew in her heart she wasn't born to enforce the law.

On the opposite side of the hill was a deep gorge between two towering mountains and a long serpentine stream. Elated at the sight, she followed the gentle flow of water over the rocks. Without thinking (because when does she ever), she slipped off her boots and socks, and despite the chilly morning, prepared to wade the ice-cold water. She dipped one toe in for good measure—a pause.

That couldn't be right.

Submerging one whole foot into the water confirmed her confusion. Strange. Almost all waterways in Romania led to the Black Sea, if not the Adriatic. Why was it warm?

This isn't the bathing stream she thought. The senior Curse Breakers back at camp had instructed them of assigned fresher areas where warming charms would be cast. She didn't remember this gorge being part of last night's tour.

Ankles deep in the water, Y/N trailed the soft currents. It was deliciously warm. A deliberate contrast to the icy breeze left by the trail ends of winter. It was supposedly mid-spring, but the winds still gave her the chills.

She took no notice of how far she was going, the water neither rising nor falling. If she were to guess it must've almost been half an hour given by the direction of the sun. The warm water and small pebbles were therapeutic beneath her feet. The walk didn't tire her at all.

Finally, the chasm's end came to view. Heart beating with excitement, she hastened her pace, dampening the legs of her trousers that she attempted to roll up. But just as her feet crossed the lip between the two mountains flanking her, she felt the oddest sensation: it began at the top of her head, traveling down her arms to her toes—as if a big fat raindrop landed on her scalp and entered her body.

She glanced at the clear blue sky. There was no cloud in sight for miles.

And then, it was suddenly very humid.

"What the..." she glanced back through the gorge. Nothing was out of order and nobody was in sight. Looking down at her feet, her surroundings were now as warm as the water she stood on. Her parka felt too thick.

Again, strange.

Trying to shake away her curiousness, Y/N trudged on.

All is well she chanted inside her head. All is well and the wind just blows differently on this side of the alps.

But no matter what she told herself, ripples of unease still disturbed Y/N. She was beginning to sweat and it wasn't just her nerves. The wind didn't blow differently on this side of the mountains because there was no wind. It was dry, dank, and very very warm.

To rattle her nerves even further, the water she was wading on was getting hotter as she went on that she had to leap on land once again. But as soon as her bare soles made contact with the grass, she yelped in pain.

"Merlin—OW."

The earth was burning. As if it bathed in the sun for too long. As if she were in the middle of a dry desert. She knew the feeling, she's been to Egypt. But why the bloody hell would Romanian soil feel this hot? Moreso in the heart of the Southern Carpathians?

Locating a jutted-out slab of rock, Y/N hopped over to sit and gather her bearings, drying her damp feet and staring at her boots and socks. She didn't want to slip them back on. The heat was intense. But it was either the boots or the sizzling soil.

She shrugged off her parka after lacing up her boots and was grateful for her reckless choice of wardrobe this morning. She opted for a ribbed shirt under her jacket—instead of a sweater—in urgent intention to get away from a nagging Bill. Now it served her well. It wasn't as thin as she would have deemed appropriate for the current temperature, but at least her neck and arms could breathe.

Gazing over the expanse of the clearing she emerged in, she suddenly became aware of the lack of green in the area. The grass was almost a withering brown—crunchy and dry. Trees weren't scattered about like the thick oaks all over the Curse Breaker camp; instead, they were clumped, almost systematically, in relatively rectangular patch formations. As if deliberately rooted as such.

Muggles Y/N thought. It was only them who had the peculiar habit of reorganizing nature.

Tying her parka around her waist, she treaded the clearing, the grass crisp beneath her boots, and approached the nearest cluster of trees. She wondered if this were one of the areas they'd be digging up. Senior Curse Breaker Digby Youssif oriented them of specific crackdown areas to look forward to in the next few months. Although almost all wizarding families were well-accounted for in Romania, there were still trifling amounts of intel on hidden vaults under protective spells cast by untraceable ancient tribes.

Y/N loved digging assignments. She was particularly fond of discovery. And if Ancient Runes was Hogwarts' least-loved lesson, she rather enjoyed Professor Babbling's classes. Well, most of the time. It was her pride and joy to have snagged an 'Outstanding' for her O.W.Ls—

Crack!

A sudden gust of wind whipped through the trees ahead of her. On instinct, Y/N drew her wand from her belt loop. Nothing was so dangerous about the wind. But it felt so...

The sound came out of nowhere, she thought it was imagining it. A steady drumming beat. Powerful and humming. An engine? she thought. But that was impossible. They were told that the area was blocked off from muggles for the duration of their stay. She paused in front of a towering ashtree. The sound was growing louder and louder. Nearer. She didn't know why but she was compelled with the need to hide.

Climb.

She felt ridiculous, clambering up an ashtree and settling on its thickest branch. Her superiors back at camp were clear that the mountains were safe, its perimeters were secured for their dig. Curse Breakers always made sure missions wouldn't come across outside interference.

Then why was her heart beating so fast?

The drumming sound was growing nearer. Behind her—above.

Peering at the sky through the leaves, a massive dark figure swooped overhead and landed with an earth-shaking thud on the clearing right in front of her tree.

Y/N felt like she was going to choke on her own spit when a deafening, earsplitting roar echoed through the mountains.

Dragon.

Fully grown, enormous, and vicious-looking, the beast had emerald scales that glinted in the morning sun. Its body was bulky, way stockier compared to the common dragons in textbooks. It had a massive head that seemed even larger than its body, and on it sprouted two long glittering golden horns. Its claws had the same golden color, and it was rearing onto its hind legs, hunching over a figure... chewing...

All the breakfast Y/N had only hours before felt like rising up her throat. An enormous dragon only meters in front of her was chewing on a dead animal, clearly having his own meal. And there she was, perched on an ashtree, ready for dessert.

Don't panic she told herself, but feeling green. She's never faced a dragon on a mission before. They tackled them in her first year on the job—Curse Breakers didn't really need training, the task calling for hands-on work—but never in her life did she ever think she'd have to face a real dragon.

I don't have to face it Y/N thought, I just have to stay here until it flies away, and run back to camp.

Wiggling up to a squat, she eyed the neighboring branch a few feet to her right which was higher up and positioned behind a thicker cluster of leaves. It didn't require a jump, but more of a really careful split; hugging the trunk tightly, she stretched her right foot across, shifting her weight to her right leg, her arms choking the tree trunk in a death grip, legs spread wide midair—

"Scuzati-ma?"

Y/N didn't fall. Thank Merlin she didn't fall. But she lost her momentum in surprise and panic, her left foot sliding from the previous branch, making her push off the trunk in haste, throwing her weight across completely. She grabs a dangling thin branch above her at the last minute, her body tilted towards the forest floor.

A forest floor where a man now stood, peering up at her curiously.

She was breathing hard, her heart thumping erratically, both from the fear of falling and being heard by the dragon so close by.

"Er—esti bine?" the man asked. Y/N saw that he had his arms out as if braced to catch her if she fell. When she didn't answer, the man spoke again, "Ai nevoie de ajutor?"

She blinked down at him. "What?"

He chuckled. She hated it. It hurt her pride. "I said, do you need any help?"

He was loud. Too loud. She righted herself on the branch, pulling to lean back on the trunk behind her. Then risking a peek, she checked on the dragon who was still munching on the dead cow with gusto.

She looked back down to find the man with his eyebrows raised at her, his face painting amusement. It was impossible not to take note of his red mane pulled into a low bun. He looked awfully familiar... and he was going to get them killed.

"Could you," she whispered as loudly as she could, "keep your voice down?"

The man snickered once more, showing no effort of lowering his tone. "Why?"

"Are you blind?" she wanted to strangle him. "There's a bloody dragon!"

The redhead glanced at the scaly beast and heaved out a sigh. "Okay. Yeah, you're right. It's way past breakfast. He's missing nap time."

Y/N looked at him incredulously. He shrugged, "But what can I do? He slept in this morning. Lazy beast." Looking back up, he asked, "Want to meet him?"

He's mental she thought. That had to be it.

But the redhead only laughed. He keeps laughing. He must've noticed the stupefied expression on her face because he simmered. "Give him a minute and you can come down. It's already his fifth haul so he's bound to get dozy and fly back to the nest." He started walking towards the clearing when he paused and turned back, "Although, you can come down now. I promise he won't eat you."

Y/N watched as the man walked up to the feasting dragon—she was peering behind the thick tree trunk, using it as a shield. He's insane. Drawing a wand from a sheath attached to his calf, the man aimed a stunning spell right by the beast's tail.

"Alright, Darius, I think you've had enough," he called. He kept his distance, a good few meters away, but his gait was calm, almost lazy.

The dragon glanced at the man, its fangs bloody. Y/N wanted to grab the redhead and run. But it was a crazy thought, and she was rooted on her spot on the tree branch, frozen in fear.

The man gave a sharp whistle and the dragon grunted, smoke coming out of its nostrils. It ignored him and continued to munch on the cow.

Another stunning spell was aimed right by its claws and the dragon emitted a low growl. Y/N didn't know if she was imagining it but the creature seemed sluggish on its feet, swaying... almost drowsy.

"Off you go," said the man, "up." He sent one more stunning spell right in front of its snout. It was a clear miss, purely intentional.

The dragon heaved a loud angry roar. But instead of diving for the man like she expected, it started flapping its wings, gaining momentum. Y/N held onto the tree trunk tighter so as not to be swayed by the sudden rush of winds the creature was yielding. And then with a strong push off the ground, up it soared, growling low in its throat, and was out of sight.

Y/N's legs felt like jelly slugs, but her arms refused to let go of the tree trunk. What in Merlin's name just happened?

"Y/N."

She gave a short yelp, coughing on her next breath. "Excuse me?"

The man was back, now by the foot of the tree once again. "Come down."

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

He had a really handsome smile. A really familiar, handsome smile...

"I should be offended," said the man. "Come down." There it was again, that smile. "I'll catch you."

I'll catch you.

I'll catch you....

"Come on, Y/N, I'll catch you!"

"No you won't!" said Y/N. Her cheeks were wet with tears.

She was perched on the beech tree by the Black lake, her legs dangling above the shallow water. She had attempted to retrieve her Spellman's Syllabry textbook that Cassian Loxias chucked up the branches for fun.

"Yes I will, I promise," consoled Charlie. "I'm a prefect, remember?" he gestured to his badge, "I'll make sure you're safe."

Sniffing up snot that was escaping her nose, she hiccuped softly against the back of her hand. "Our prefect doesn't do that very much."

Charlie chuckled. "I'll make sure to have a word with Professor Sprout about her Hufflepuff prefects."

When he saw the horror on her face, he held up his hands, "It didn't come from you of course. Will you come down now? I swear I'll catch you."

Y/N looked into Charlie Weasley's eyes and saw nothing but pure candor. Biting her lip, she said, "Do cross your heart, or hope to die?"

He traced a cross right above his chest. "Cross my heart, or hope to die."

"Y/N. Y/N?"

Y/N blinked.

Charlie Weasley. Charlie dragon-tamer Weasley. Charlie the hot brother Weasley—

"Are you still breathing? Do you need me up there?"

Trying to gather her bearings, Y/N extracted herself from her hold on the tree trunk, went down onto a squat, and leaped off, landing on the crunchy grass with a thump.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at her as she dusted her trousers, "I see you don't need catching anymore."

She took in the man before her. "Charlie Weasley."

His grin was dazzling."Caught on, have you?

From up close, Y/N could now see the familiar freckles splattered all over his nose and cheeks. He was towering over her like he always did. She used to be the little second year Hufflepuff always idling by the entrance to the Great Hall hoping to bump into the famous Charlie Weasley. Studying on the Quidditch pitch, watching him behind her textbook, captaining the Gryffindor team. Climbing the beech tree by the lake again and again, hoping Charlie Weasley would somehow walk by once more to offer her a hand...

There were so many things she could've done, seeing him again for the first time after all these years. He was gone as soon as he graduated Hogwarts, flying to Romania to study dragons. Everyone always thought Charlie would be going Quidditch pro, being captain and seeker. He had the build, the skills, and the charm. Hogwarts alone had fan clubs in his name and rumor had it that the Falmouth Falcons were just waiting for him to finish seventh year.

But others didn't see Charlie as Y/N did. They didn't see him hoarding books on care of magical creatures in the library. They didn't notice him sneaking off to Hagrid's on the weekends, taking Fang for walks or feeding the Blast Ended Skrewts in the garden. Nobody paid attention to the copy of Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them that Charlie practically glued to his side. Only Y/N did. And now that she thought about it, she didn't like that she knew so much. It made her feel like a creep.

So instead of hugging him in delight like she actually wanted, she took a swipe at his shoulder.

"You git," she hissed. "You scared me to death! How did you do that? I thought taming dragons was impossible."

"It is. Most of the time," Charlie shrugged. "Darius is a Romanian Longhorn. Mostly harmless compared to the others especially when he's full. Not that difficult to send him back to the nest when he can barely stand on his feet."

"Harmless? I could've been dessert!"

Charlie laughed. He was still always laughing. "You look delicious, yes, but I'm not letting Darius have you."

What the fu—Y/N inhaled slowly, cautiously. Then exhaled through her nose. She didn't know how to respond. Seeing him again after so long, without warning or preparation, was messing with her senses

"It's good to see you, Y/N," he said and walked closer. Close enough to tugged at her braid. She didn't know why he did it, but he looked like he just had to. "You look good."

Y/N's heart was beating rapidly once more, but this time, for all the wrong reasons. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Charlie gazed back into her eyes as if seeing her for the first time.

"Too long."

Again, she didn't know how long it took her to reply, but she cleared her throat, "How—did you know it was me? The first time?"

Charlie's eyes were still roaming all over her face. "No. Not until you spoke."

Y/N must've held a questioning look because he added, "I'll never forget that voice."

He was saying such strange things. Were they strange? Or was it just because he affected her so?

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, you wouldn't come down, would you? I see you still have a thing for trees."

Y/N rolled her eyes.

"I didn't know the dragon reservation was in the alps," she said. "Do you know we're camping nearby?"

"'Course I do. You lot are beside dragon territory for a reason."

Excitement and fear raised Y/N's nerves. "What are you talking about?"

Charlie bit his lip. "You'll see."

"Are we digging in the reservation?"

He was walking out into the clearing now, beelining back towards the opening of the gorge.

"Charlie!" Y/N jogged to keep up. "Are we?"

He only smiled, "Patience, darling."

Darling. He used to call her that all the time even when they were back in Hogwarts. She always tried to ignore the fluttering feeling her chest made when he used the endearment, reminding herself that he must've used it on everyone else, not just her.

"Why did no one back at camp tell us anything?"

"I probably should've kept my mouth shut," was his only reply. They were crossing the two mountains flanking the stream, and as soon as they cut through the border, Y/N felt the same sensation she did when she went through the clearing. But this time in reverse, it was as if the raindrop was sucked back up.

She glanced up at the mountains. "Did you feel that?"

"Shield spells," explained Charlie. "To keep the muggles out. Temperature charms as well to regulate the reservation climate. Although the dragons do enough of their warming on their own, it's for precaution."

They walked up the stream, tracing back Y/N's previous path.

"Are you bringing me back to camp?" she asked.

"That, and I have to see Digby. Iron out tomorrow's schedule."

"So we are digging inside the reservation," Y/N didn't know if she was more thrilled or afraid.

Charlie glanced at her, "You heard nothing from me."

Studying his features as they strolled, Y/N couldn't help but admire how much Charlie Weasley grew up to be. He's always been lean and strong, especially with being an athlete back at Hogwarts, but now he seemed so much larger than life. Red tendrils were escaping his low bun and framing his chiseled face, there were a few scars on his nose and one under his lip. She shouldn't have been able to see it but she couldn't stop staring. He was big. Stockier than she'd ever seen him; hands wrapped in gauze and rope slung over a hook on his hip.

Charlie Weasley, dragon-tamer.

And he was staring right back at her.

"You have to take me to see more dragons," Y/N breathed. She didn't know where her voice went. It was all airy and she didn't like it. She hoped he would assume it was because of their walk.

Charlie stopped, deep brown eyes boring into her own. He was panting slightly too. Maybe it was the walk.

"Okay," he exhaled. "Promise."

"Cross your heart?" she almost whispered. Almost.

Two fingers traced a cross over Charlie's chest, his gaze not leaving hers, "Cross my heart."

#by gabi #charlie weasley #charlie weasley x reader #charlie weasley fluff #hp post war #charlie weasley x fem!reader #i have no idea where this idea came from but here it is #there will be a part 2!#part 2 coming soon

246 notes · View notes

hidden-otaku-stuff · 4 years

Text

Lockscreens (ch. 11)

tw: insecurities, mentions of dark thoughts, feelings of unbelonging, implicit sex, mentions of cheating (no actual cheating just thinking about it)

Word count: 4.8k

Genre: Angst, fluff

All trigger warnings will be tagged and posted at the beginning of each chapter! This will have *manga spoilers*

Pairings: Bokuto x fem!reader, Kuroo x fem!reader

Summary: Nearly four years ago, Bokuto left the love of his life for volleyball. Despite all the time, he’s still very much in love with her. He comes home to a major surprise leaving him wondering…What happened while he was gone?

Masterlist | prev | next

ch. 11: Quality Time

“You’re Daddy’s friend!”

“Yes, baby. This is Bokuto. He’s Mommy and Daddy’s friend okay?” Hikori nodded, fingers reaching towards Bokuto’s head. “Don’t do that, Hiki.”

“But he let me do it last time!”

(Name) raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t known that Bokuto and Hikori had met let alone interacted. “Ask Kou-san first though, okay?”

Hikori’s lip jutted out in a pout before he nodded. “Yes Mama.” He looked up at Bokuto. “Can I touch your hair, Kou-san?”

“Sure thing buddy.” Bokuto scooped Hikori up, holding him against his chest so that Hikori could play with the dual-toned locks. A pang shot through his heart. Would this have been a common occurrence if he’d stayed?

(Name) watched with a heavy-hearted expression before she shook her head. “How was daycare today, Hiki?”

“Good!” He chirped. “Aiko and I coloured.”

“Aw, that’s nice,” (Name) smiled.

“Who’s Aiko?” Bokuto asked, feeling Hikori let go of his hair.

“Konoha’s daughter,” (Name) replied. Bokuto’s brow furrowed slightly. They were close to Konoha? Did everyone know except for him? “What do you wanna do today, Hiki? Do you wanna go to the park today?”

“Yes please, Mama!” Hikori put his arms out, reaching for his mother. “Mama hold me!”

(Name) giggled, taking her son into her arms. She glanced over at Bokuto who was barely hiding his disappointment. “Did you drive, Kou?”

“Yeah I did.”

“Hmm, drive to your place, and we’ll go to a park nearby yours, ok?” She offers. His expression brightens as he nods. “Text me the address and I’ll meet you there.” (Name) gently holds Hikori’s hand, leading him to her car.

“Mama?”

“Yes Hiki?”

“Who is Kou-san?”

(Name) looks into her rearview mirror, eyeing her son as her expression falters slightly. Those golden pools shone brightly with innocence as they reflected the sun.

Who was Bokuto to her? To Kuroo? An ex-boyfriend? An ex-best friend? By all virtues, they had never officially ended their relationship and she had simply moved on.

She swallowed, grasping the steering wheel harder. “Kou-san?”

“Mmhm!” He gave her a lopsided grin, fists clenching with excitement as he wiggled in his booster seat.

She hesitated. (Name) and Kuroo had agreed to hold off on explaining to Hikori who Bokuto was to him, but how was she to answer this question now? She desperately regretted not talking to Kuroo and agreeing on something.

“Back in high-school, Bokuto was close friends with me and your father,” she replied finally. “We went to college together too.”

“Why hasn’t he been around sooner?” Hikori tilted his head, fists opening and closing rapidly.

“Do you remember Daddy’s job?”

“With the volleyball team?” Hikori perked up, nodding. His father had brought him a Black Jackal mascot plushie with a jersey on it - ironically one with the Number 12 on it though she wasn’t sure whether or not it was intentional on Kuroo’s part.

“Well, Kou-san plays on that team.” She carefully turned, braking as they approached a stop-light. Her heart clenched with pain as she fought to keep her voice steady. “He moved to Osaka many years ago and hasn’t been back since. That’s why you haven’t met him yet, baby.”

“Oh okay!” Hikori nodded, satisfied with his mother’s answers. “Do you think he could show me how to play volleyball?”

“Of course, bubba. Just ask him, okay?”

As she pulled up into the complex, (Name) took one last steadying breath. For their son’s sake, she would make this work. Or at least put in the best effort to do so.

*****

“Wow, you’re pretty good at this ‘Kori!” Bokuto beamed, pride swelling in his chest as he watched his son serve.

“Thank you Kou-san!” Hikori chirped, grinning. Bokuto’s heart stuttered. Hikori really was his mother’s son. That toothy grin looked exactly like (Name)’s. He spared a glance at his ex-girlfriend who was sitting at the park bench, watching them play. “Aki-san and Iwa-san taught me!”

Bokuto’s attention was drawn back to Hikori as he watched him bounce the ball a few times in preparation for another serve. “Is that so?”

Hikori nodded eagerly. “When Mama and Aya-san are too busy, Iwa-san sometimes takes me and Aiko to the courts and teaches us how to play.”

“Who’s Aya-san?”

“Aiko’s mama and Mama’s best friend.”

“I see.” Bokuto steps forward, holding a hand out to Hikori. “Do you wanna learn how to do a jump-serve?”

Hikori’s golden eyes brightened as he looked up at Bokuto, nodding vehemently. “That’d be so cool! Iwa-san promised he’d teach me, but he said that I was too little to do it.”

Bokuto shook his head, grinning proudly. “Don’t worry, ‘Kori! I’ll teach ya.”

Silently, a battle raged within Bokuto. Not only had he lost the love of his life, he’d also lost the opportunity to raise their son with her. Huh. Their son. It was still an odd thought that he couldn’t wrap his head around.

(Name) had knowingly let him leave for the Jackals even though she was pregnant with their son and Bokuto couldn’t figure out whether that was selfish on her part, or on his.

On one hand, he’d had the opportunity to go pro, and though he missed her constantly, he wouldn’t give up his career for anything. On the other hand, other guys were teaching his son how to play volleyball. Something that he’d always dreamed of doing.

“That’s it Rin!” Bokuto grinned, watching as Rin received the ball perfectly. “Let’s take a break now and then I’ll show you how to serve, okay?” Bokuto promised with Rin nodding eagerly.

“Okay Kou-san!” Rin ran towards his sister who was reading beside (Name), boasting about what he had accomplished.

Bokuto came up and took a seat besides (Name), who handed him a water bottle and a towel. He chuckled, what a manager, he thought fondly as he drank the water. “You look like you’re having a ton of fun, Kou,” she laughed, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

He grinned, nosing her cheek. “I am!” He plops down beside her, throwing a sweaty arm over her shoulder. Besides wrinkling her nose at his sweat, she just leans into his form. “I can’t wait to teach my kids how to play. Do you think they’ll wanna be a wing-spiker too?”

(Name) giggled, patting his thigh. “I’m sure at least one of them will.”

“At least one?” Bokuto perked up, glancing down at her as she fiddled with the cap on his bottle.

“Well, yeah. I’m sure you’d be an excellent father, Kou, and I wouldn’t mind having kids with you. Maybe one boy, one girl?”

He leaned forward, peppering kisses all over her face. “That’d be fantastic,” he breathed, leaning his forehead against the side of hers. “I can’t convince you to have an entire volleyball team worth of kids, can I?” he teased.

She pushed his face away, face burning at the mere idea and she was grateful for Rin. “Kou-san, let’s play!” Rin interrupted, crossing his arms as he stood in front of the couple. “Stop being gross with (Nickname)-san!”

“Ok, ok, I’m coming!” Bokuto chuckled, standing up and ruffling Rin’s hair. As he made his way back to the makeshift net, he couldn’t help the final glance back to his girlfriend. Bokuto pointed at Rin, the volleyball, and then (Name) mouthing, “Our kids will be amazing at volleyball.” Laughing, she threw him a thumbs-up, nodding fondly. Yes, yes they will be.

Bokuto shook his head, looking back down at Hikori. The past was in the past. All he had now was to look forward to the future.

“Can we get ice cream, Kou-san?”

“Huh?” He looked down at Hikori who had caught the ball. He smiled, ruffling his spiky hair. “We’ll have to ask your mom if that’s okay.”

Hikori beamed, sprinting towards (Name). “Mama!”

She looked up from her laptop at her son, giving him a gentle smile. “What’s up, Hiki? Did you have fun with Kou-san?”

Hikori nodded excitedly, grabbing her hand slightly. “Can we go get ice cream?”

(Name) hesitated for a moment, checking her wrist before nodding. “Of course, Hiki. But don’t forget, we have to be home before Dad, okay?” He fist-pumps, nodding. She looked up at Bokuto who had come to stand beside her. “Know any good ice cream parlours around here?”

“Where are we going?” (Name) giggled, squeezing Bokuto’s hand. It was their first ever date.

“It’s a surprise!” He replied, grinning down at her. “Here we are!” They stop in front of an American-style vintage, the bright red contrasting sharply with the black and white checkers of the ground. Bokuto escorts her to one of the booths, letting her slide into the vinyl seat before sitting in the opposite seat.

“Wow, Kou, this place is so nice!” Her eyes widened as she took in the scenery.

“Welcome! Have you two been here before?”

They looked up to the waiter, (Name)’s eyes sparkling as she shook her head. “I haven’t, this is my first time.”

Bokuto smiled, playing with her fingers. “Awesome, well welcome! What can I get started for ya?”

“Can I get a birthday cake milkshake?” (Name) grinned.

“You most certainly can. And for you, sir?”

“Can I get a banana split please?”

“Got it, I’ll have that out for you in just a second.” The waiter left, leaving the couple to their own devices.

Bokuto stared awkwardly at her, playing with his fingers as he struggled to make conversation. Why was it so hard? They’ve been friends for so many years now. He opened his mouth, sucking in air to say something only to snap his mouth shut again.

“You’re acting so silly, Kou,” (Name) snorted. “It’s just me! Y’know, your best friend since first year?”

“I know but it’s different now!” He argued, crossing his arms as his bottom lip jutted out.

“Why? Because you decided to change the title from best friend to girlfriend?” Her expression softens. “Kou, it doesn’t change our relationship much. I mean, sure we can kiss and stuff now, but we’ve always held hands. We’ve always called each other late at night. We’ve always cuddled when we watch movies or stuff.” Her hands extend, gently pulling his clasped hands apart and holding them in hers. “You’re my best friend before you’re my boyfriend, Kou.”

“And here they are!” The waiter chose this time to return, placing the banana split between them and placing the milkshake in front of (Name). “Is there anything else I can help ya with today?”

“No, we’re fine,” (Name) smiled up at him. He nods at them before disappearing back behind the counter. She brings the milkshake closer to herself, taking a sip. Looking up, she sees Bokuto staring at her with his mouth slightly agape. “What is it?”

His cheeks glowed bright red as he shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just,” he shrugged, “you’re my best friend first too, (Nickname). Thanks for giving me a chance.”

She giggled, shaking her head now. “There’s nothing to thank there, Kou. I’m happy to see where this takes us.” Taking another sip, she grins. “This is so good!”

“Right?!” He perked up, scooping a bit of everything into his spoon. He carefully sliced a bit of the strawberry, chocolate, vanilla with the banana and various syrups into his spoon before bringing it to her lips.

(Name) opens her mouth slightly, only for Bokuto to panic and swipe the ice cream across her cheek. Her eyes widened as she stared between Bokuto, the spoon, and the banana split. They burst into laughter, the tension dispelled. Bokuto sighed, cheeks darkening. Opening his mouth to apologise, he was interrupted by (Name) swiping her finger into the whipped cream and dabbing it onto his nose.

“There! Now we’re even,” she grinned.

Bokuto threw his head back, laughing heartily. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

“Still the same flavour, (Nickname)?” Bokuto teased as she placed her order at the counter.

“Nothing wrong with getting a classic!” She retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. Bokuto chuckled as they watched Hikori choose his flavours.

“Mama?”

“Yes Hiki?”

“Can I please get sprinkles with mine?”

She gave him a fond smile, ruffling his hair. “Only this once. You aren’t allowed too many sweets, but since Kou-san is here, I’ll let it slide.”

Hikori mirrored her smile, though his was missing a tooth here and there. “You’re the best Mama!”

“I’m your only Mama,” (Name) chuckled, bending down and nuzzling into her son’s cheek.

“That’s why you’re the bestest one there is!”

Bokuto paid for their ice cream, handing Hikori’s cup to the child. “C’mon, let’s go sit down, yeah?”

They found themselves in the same booth that they always did back then. “God, I haven’t been here in years,” (Name) admitted, sipping her milkshake with a loud slurp. “I forgot how much I missed this.”

“Yeah.” Bokuto breathed out.

A comfortable silence settled over the two adults, nostalgia filling them as they reminisced on what was and what could have been. Beside Bokuto, Hikori was messily eating his ice cream. “Oh bubba, use a napkin.” (Name) pulled out some napkins, leaning forward to wipe Hikori’s cheeks of the ice cream.

“Thank you Mama.”

As they continued eating, he couldn’t help but to let his golden eyes trail over (Name). She looked so...happy. And healthy. Much happier than he ever remembered seeing her. The dimples of her eyes had the faintest trace of crows’ feet, probably from smiling too much. It was rare to see her without a smile, after all.

Looking behind (Name)’s head, he spotted a couple with their young daughter, also enjoying their ice cream. His heart clenched as the husband fed his wife a spoonful of his ice cream before they both turned to dote on their child.

He continued to zone out as they threw their trash away, making the walk back to Bokuto’s apartment where she had parked her car.

“This was nice,” (Name) looked over at Bokuto after she had helped Hikori into her car.

“Yeah.” He kicked the ground, staring at his feet.

“Hey, Kou?”

His heart drummed louder in his chest, head shooting up to meet her eyes. “Yes?”

“I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to be around more.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “You have every right to get to know your son.”

His eyes brightened. “Really?” (Name) nods, giving him a soft smile. He wraps his arms around her waist, hugging her and swinging her around causing her to squeal. As he puts her down, he buries his face into her neck, taking in the all-too familiar scent. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” he breathed.

****

“Are we still on for the play-date?” She heard Aya asked. The phone was on speaker as (Name) made dinner.

“Oh shoot,” (Name) groaned. “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Do you think you could handle them both?”

Aya laughed, “girl, wasn’t Bokuto supposed to come or something? I’m sure the two of us can wrangle the little rascals.”

“Ah right.” (Name) face-palmed. She’d forgotten that she had invited Bokuto to Hikori and Aiko’s playdate tomorrow. “Yes, that should be fine.”

“What should be fine?” Kuroo came from behind her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Hey darling.”

“Heya handsome.”

“Alright, I’ll see you love-birds in a few weeks for Hiki’s birthday. See you at work tomorrow, dear!”

“See you, Aya.”

“Bye, Aya! Nice talking to ya,” Kuroo chuckled. The phone beeped as Aya hung up. He went around, tasting the zosui. “Mmhm, delicious as always, darling.” He stirred the rice-based soup, eyeing the mackerel in it excitedly.

“I’m sure if I didn’t know how to cook, I wouldn’t have been able to keep you,” (Name) joked, pushing him away. “Go set the table and get Hiki ready for dinner, will you?”

Kuroo wrapped his arms around her, capturing his lips with hers. “Only after you tell me what Aya wanted.”

(Name) rolled her eyes, tasting the steamed vegetables. “Hiki and Aiko have a play-date tomorrow, but I forgot I had that doctor’s appointment. Bokuto was supposed to come anyways, so she said it was fine if it was Bokuto and Hiki that went.”

“I see.” The ghost of a frown graced Kuroo’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

Kuroo shrugged, shaking his head. “Nothing. I’ll go get Hiki.”

He relinquished his grip on her, making his way towards the living room only for her to grab the bottom of his shirt. “Hey.” Kuroo turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “I’m your wife.”

He gave her a forced smile, tilting his head. “Obviously.”

She shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Don’t be silly. I’m your best friend and your wife. So you know that I know when you’re upset. And if we can’t talk to each other, we’re going to have some serious problems. So what’s going on in that head of yours?” (Name) stepped closer, wrapping her arms around her husband. “Talk to me.” She pressed a dainty kiss behind his ear.

Kuroo sighed, letting his hands settle on her hips. “You and Bokuto are hanging out again, huh?”

“Tetsu…”

He held a hand up, fingers brushing against her cheek. “I know it’s because of Hiki, and I know I don’t have a right to be jealous-”

“Don’t say that. You have every right to be jealous.” She blinked at him through guilty eyes. “I’m sorry for not talking to you about it beforehand. I should have communicated better with you.”

Kuroo chuckled, “just like how I should have communicated my worries to you.”

They stood together in silence for a few moments longer before Hikori came barreling into the kitchen. “Daddy!”

“Hey there kiddo!” Kuroo grinned. Hikori launched himself into Kuroo’s arms, causing Kuroo to stumble back at the sheer force of it. “Geez, you’re getting big now, aren’t you?” (Name) smiled as she watched her husband and son interact before turning back to her cooking. These past four years had been the happiest she’s ever been before. There was no way she’d let anything come in between her and Kuroo, let alone threaten his relationship with their son.

****

“Let’s go!” Bokuto cheered, beaming down at his son. He had picked up Aya, Hikori, and Aiko from Aya’s work-place. They really were fortunate to have an on-site daycare. He eyes the women, recognising her. “You’re Konoha’s wife!”

Aya rolled her eyes, “yes, I’m Konoha Aya. Pleasure to meet you, Bokuto. I’ve heard quite a bit about you from my husband.” Bokuto’s expression faltered at her eyes - they were cold in comparison to her voice. “Hiki, Ai, where do you two wanna go today?”

“Can we go to the park, Mama?” Aiko pleaded, fingers interlocked behind her back as she looked up with wide blue eyes.

“We most certainly can, sweetheart.” She ruffled Aiko’s hair. “But first, what do you two want for lunch?”

Hikori bounced on the balls of his feet, looking between Aiko and the adults. “Can we get Maccas?”

Aya smiled fondly at Hikori. “Only this once, ok?” She crouched down, placing her finger on her lips, “Your mom would kill me if she knew so it’ll be our little secret.”

“Okay Aya-san!”

The kids walked in front of them, intertwined hands swinging as they chatted. Aya walked beside the tall male. Bokuto’s heart skipped a beat as he watched his son.

He bounced on the balls of his feet as he anxiously waited on her door-step. “Oh, hello Bokuto-kun. Are you here for (Name)?”

Bokuto nodded, smiling up at her mother. “Hello, (L.Name)-san. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing very well. Please, come in. (Name)’s just about finished getting ready.” Her mother stepped aside, letting the male step into the living room as a mischievous smile made its way onto her face. “In the meantime…” She guided him to the couch, gently pushing him to take a seat while pulling out a leather-bound book. “Would you like to see some photos of (Name) as a child?”

He grinned, nodding his head eagerly. “That’d be fantastic.” She hands him the book, patting his head before heading back to the kitchen with a wink.

Bokuto hummed, opening the book to the very first page to baby photos of his precious girlfriend. He cooed, comparing the photo of her on his lockscreen to her in the album as the years progressed. He flipped the page, finding photos of (Name) as a young school-girl. His golden eyes scanned down the page, his heart filling with warmth until he noticed the one at the very bottom. There were two children in the photo, their backs to the camera as they held hands walking down the street. There was no mistaking it. It was (Name) and Kuroo.

Bokuto’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment, thinking about how close they were to one another. After all, they were childhood friends if he remembered correctly.

A call of his name shook him out of his reverie, snapping the book shut to greet (e/c) eyes as (Name) was pulling on her jacket by the doorway. “Ready to go?” She asked, beaming.

He put the book to the side, forgetting everything except the girl in front of him. “Let’s go, baby.”

He cleared his throat, shaking his head. “What did you mean by that? Why would (Name) be upset with you?”

Aya chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s nothing serious. Ever since Hikori was born, she’s really tried to focus on ensuring that he’s following a nutritious diet.”

“Kou!”

Bokuto flinched, shoulders hunched forward as he looked up at his girlfriend before swallowing the mouthful of fries. “Yes, baby?”

“Are you eating McDonalds again?!” She frowned. “That’s the third time this week!” It was a Wednesday during their midterms week in their second year of college. (Name) had been busy at her internship and returned around 10 PM to find Bokuto lounging on the couch, his laptop on his stomach as he watched some show and bags of McDonalds at his side.

“I was hungry and lazy.” He shrugged. “It isn’t that bad.”

The corner of her mouth twitched before she pinched her nose with a long sigh. “Kou.” He flinched again, heart dropping at the weight of disappointment in her tone. “I love you very very, much. And it’s because I love you that I don’t want you to neglect taking care of yourself.” Her (e/c) orbs pierced his golden ones. “I will help you meal-prep if that’s what it takes, but you absolutely cannot be destroying your body by feeding it junk food. How are you going to be a professional player like this?”

He frowned, head hanging slightly. “Yeah, I know,” he muttered.

Her expression softened. “Let’s make something together, ok? Tomorrow. I’m off and we can just have a casual meal-prep session in the kitchen. How does that sound?” She leaned down, wrapping her arms around his shoulders before pressing her lips to his forehead.

“Sounds perfect, baby.”

He zoned back in, looking at Aya who hadn’t noticed his distracted expression. “She doesn’t mind if the kiddos get Maccas every once in a while, but I still like to treat them as much as possible. They’re kids, y’know? They should be able to live their life.”

“Is Hikori happy?” Bokuto’s eyebrows furrowed, chewing on his bottom lip. He wasn’t sure what answer he wanted to hear. Did he want to hear that his son was happy without his existence? Or did he want to hear that his son felt disconnected from his ‘father’ Kuroo and longed from someone else?

Aya threw her head back in laughter before she gazed at the two children with such warm kindness that Bokuto’s heart stuttered. “That is one of the happiest, most loved kids I know, Bokuto. (Name)’s heart would absolutely shatter if Hiki wasn’t.”

A weight dropped into his stomach as his gaze fell on his laughing son as Hikori swung his and Aiko’s intertwined hands higher and higher. “Yeah.” Bokuto muttered. “I know it would.”

*****

“C’mon, ‘Kori, it’s time to get you home.”

“Aww, do we have to Kou-san?” Hikori’s golden eyes shimmered as his bottom lip jutted out into a pout. “Can’t we play longer?”

Bokuto chuckled, ruffling Hikori’s hair and glancing over at Aya. “Sorry little man, we gotta get you home to your mom and dad.”

Aya squats down, opening her arms out in a hug. “It’s okay Hiki! You’ll see Aiko at daycare tomorrow, remember? You can play with each other then!”

Hikori gave her a hug, still pouting slightly before nodding. “Okay, Aya-san.”

Aya ruffled his hair, “that’s a good boy. Bye, Bokuto. We’ll see you sometime.” With one final wave, Aya and Aiko walked off towards her car.

“Did you have fun today, ‘Kori?” Bokuto asked, glancing in the rearview mirror as he drove his son home. Bokuto gulps.

His home.

The one he used to share with the person he wanted to call his wife.

The person who ended up mothering his kid without him.

“Yep! Thanks for coming, Kou-san.” Hikori kicked his legs, sat in the extra booster seat that (Name) had given him.

Since you’ll be around more, you might as well have one too, she had said.

Bokuto chuckled. “Of course, ‘Kori. Do you like hanging out with Aiko-chan?”

Hikori grinned, nodding. “She’s very pretty. Like a princess!”

“Is that so?” Bokuto smiled, amused. So his son had puppy love? “Did you tell her that?”

“All the time. Mama said the way to a woman’s heart is by being honest and truthful with her.”

His lip twitched, wanting to frown but Bokuto held it still. He gave Hikori a small smile. “Your mother is absolutely right. So make sure you’re always honest to the people you love, ok?”

They pulled up along the curb outside the all-too familiar house. “Thank you, Kou-san.”

“No problem, ‘Kori. Hopefully I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Yes please! You still have to teach me how to do a jump-serve.”

Hikori climbed out of the car, waving at Bokuto before racing towards the front door. Kuroo opened it, greeting his son by ruffling his hair. Hazel eyes met gold as Kuroo gave Bokuto a stiff nod and wave that Bokuto returned.

Bokuto sat in his car, parked there for a moment longer as Kuroo snapped the door shut behind him.

How long had they been together? When scouring their social media, it was hard to differentiate the posts from when they had gotten into the relationship and the ones from before.

After all, even after that ‘subtle’ change, there weren’t many differences. They still posted the same types of selfies. They went on the same type of outings. They still teased each other like they had throughout his history of knowing them. Kuroo and (Name) had always been close, courtesy of their lifelong friendship.

Bokuto pulled away from the curb in front of their house, starting the journey home.

Dark thoughts clouded his thoughts. What if...the reason why (Name) had allowed Bokuto to go to Osaka was because she had been cheating with Kuroo all along? Maybe she had intentionally ghosted him in order to openly pursue her relationship with her best friend. What if she had been dating Kuroo all along and Bokuto was only a placebo partner?

He shook his head, banishing the thought. (Name) had always been a kind person, he reassured himself. She was always there for him, for the good and the bad. She had never given him a reason to doubt her when they were together, and he was not about to let these negative feelings tarnish whatever history they had together.

Bokuto let out a soft sigh. He had done that himself by letting her go and not trying harder.

Why hadn’t he just come back to Tokyo after being ignored?

Why didn’t he just pick up the phone and call her?

Over and over again, the word repeated.

Why wasn’t he good enough?

Why was she with Kuroo?

He snorted. At least that question was easy to answer. Kuroo was her best friend. Kuroo was always there whenever Bokuto couldn’t be. They brought out the best in one another and even Bokuto could admit that they seemed happiest with one another. It was absolutely no wonder why they were together. He parked outside his building, forehead falling against the rubber wheel.

Why had things gone so wrong?

BONUS

“Tetsu!”

“What?”

“Why the hell did you give me a hickey?!”

Kuroo snorts, looking over at his wife as she sat at the vanity, staring into the mirror at her reflection. “Oops?” He smirks. “Hand me that shirt, will you?”

She rolls her eyes, balling it up and throwing it at him. “I told you, no hickeys!” Her husband pulls the shirt on, walking towards her before his arms snaked around her waist. “How the hell am I supposed to explain this hickey?”

The door swung open. “Mom? Dad? Why are you calling for me?”

They blanch, looking at their son who was rubbing his eyes with a plush cat dragging against the ground held in one of his chubby hands. “Oh I’m sorry baby, did we wake you up?”

He nods sleepily, causing their hearts to soften. “C’mon, I’ll take you to bed,” Kuroo promises, releasing his wife and scooping up his son. (Name) throws an old college sweatshirt on before following. She leans against the door-frame, watching as her husband tucks Hikori into bed. Hikori rolls over, instantly falling asleep. Kuroo heads back over to her, a mischievous look on his face. “So I guess he likes being called Hiki?”

(Name) sends him a disgruntled look before huffing and marching right back down the hall to their bedroom. “I can’t believe I married you.”

Kuroo cackled, grinning as he called after her, “I love you too, sweetheart!”

FUN FACTS

💟 After Aya got pregnant and she got closer to (Name), (Name) told her about how she loved the name Aiko and Aya immediately fell in love with the name and begged (Name) to let her use it for her daughter if she were to have one

💟 (Name) loves Aiko as if Aiko was her own daughter, and Aya loves Hikori as if Hikori was her own son. The two families often vacation and plan things together

💟 Kuroo’s and (Name)’s relationship never came up in conversation at Fukurodani reunions and Bokuto had missed the Gym 3 reunions due to them occuring during his games

💟 Kuroo’s moral code made it so that he wanted his son involved with Bokuto in some facet of his life, even though he wasn’t personally ready to allow Bokuto into Hikori’s life - hence the plushie with Bokuto’s jersey

💟 Iwaizumi loves teaching Hikori and Aiko how to play volleyball - often offering to babysit whenever they have a chance to

💟 Konoha and Kuroo often joke that they’ll be related if their kids get married so they might as well get used to it now

💟 Rin often asks about (Name) at family gatherings, whining that he hadn’t seen her in so long.

💟 Bokuto never really thought about kids until he and (Name) had babysat his niece and nephew and he saw how great of a mother she was then

💟 Just like how (Name) and Bokuto would cuddle while watching movies, hold hands, and call each other late at night, Kuroo and (Name) had done those things together first

💟 When Bokuto agreed on “missing this”, he had meant his relationship with (Name). (Name), however, meant visiting the retro dessert diner.

💟 Both Kuroo and (Name) regretted not discussing Bokuto’s role in Hikori’s life and their own emotions about it now that he was back and was aware of the truth.

💟 The couple prioritized communication and trust in their relationship in order to prevent any more issues with one another. It helped that they knew each other so well that they could predict when something may affect the other and increased their own communication

💟 Seeing Aiko and Hikori together made Bokuto wonder whether or not Kuroo and (Name) had the same innate relationship and desire to be with one another

💟 Though Bokuto had always wanted to be an athlete, it was easier as a younger male to eat poorly. Ever since (Name) became more serious about his diet and helped him learn how to track macronutrients and stuff, he took his own diet more seriously. To this day, he still uses some of her recipes.

💟 Bokuto prefers to call Hikori ‘Kori in order to be “different” from Kuroo and everyone else

💟 Bokuto ended up staying up all night plagued with memories of Kuroo and (Name), overthinking everything. He also couldn’t stop imagining a marriage with (Name) but Kuroo’s face always appeared instead of his own

*****

AN: I’m celebrating 600! Please feel free to drop by my inbox to request a Lockscreens supplement or ask the characters a question! I’m also doing matchuips.

Please feel free to pop into my inbox if you have any questions, comments, or concerns 💞 I love interacting with you all!

Taglist: @toaster-stick @thatartsybitch @brazil-hinata @sawamooora @anejuuuuoy @abby-rutledge20 @babybluebisexual @badboysdoitbetter2 @liathachcapricious @cosmiclunas @wishingforanother @setterfish @toobsessedsstuff @yeehawslap @shadowkunoichi @haikyuusimp91 @firebonbon @mentalydisturbed@samkysnks @dolan-mendes @loudpoetry23 @estmagnifique @milkteeboba @newfriendjen @sempiternal-amour @scrappydaisies @ mayor-chu-of-many-towns @bokutosdivineass @yeahhemmings- @elianetsantana @strawhatshepard @caramel-chuuya @sol-demure @song-of-storms162 @rogueofbullshit @cheerysparkle @killlerqween @aomineavenue @fatal-impact @isleofnajera @safa-a07 @shoyomeow @vicassa @shrimpypenis @craftyfawns @london-quynh @katelyns-stuff @leinnah

I couldn’t tag names in bold.

Please contact me via ask or my inbox to join the ‘Lockscreens’ taglist! 💞 Check out this link for information about my taglists.

215 notes · View notes

juuls · 4 years

Text

Juulna’s ‘Hold Onto Your Sanity’ Fic, Book, and Music Recs for the 2020 Dumpster Fire... Part 3!

So you just crash-landed behind enemy lines in a war you know barely anything about except that your role seems infinitesimal and insignificant, and dumped into a year, 2020, that already seems fifteen years too long.

Before you drown your sorrows in some fantastic scotch or wine coolers for days (or weeks)… I have a proposal.

That you step back from the flames, tune things out for a bit, and try to forget about the outside world for a while (but don’t forget to vote or I will be very sad at you!).

These fics are meant to take you out of your head (I’m including more plot/story-minded fics than PWP) for the next few weeks or months as the world goes to hell (even more) but of course there are some bits of solid angst in these as there is wont to be in many a fic. Check the tags, read responsibly, don’t like-don’t read, ship and let ship, and please do leave a kudos and maybe even a comment! :)

This is PART THREE.

Check out here for Part One and most of the Marvel fic recs, along with a selection of book recs too. :)

And here’s Part Two, which has the bulk of my Star Wars and Game of Thrones recs, along with Spotify playlists!

Part Three is this one here, all about the Potterverse.

(Not yet complete) Here’s Part Four, filled with even more shippy goodness from all over the Star Trek universe. So. Many. Ships. :D

(Not yet complete) Part Five is Witcher, Man From UNCLE, Stargate: Atlantis and SG-1, Sherlock, Hannibal, and Doctor Who.

(Not yet complete) Part Six will probably be all for my newfound love of Supergirl, along with some Game of Thrones and Marvel ships I skipped, because I gotta stop somewhere with all these recommendations or I’ll be at it forever. Seriously, how much of this stuff have I read!?

But I think we all need some distractions from the world these days, eh? Or something to console us other than internet rage and a barrel of ice cream and/or hard alcohol.

Potterverse

I’ve chosen to pick fics (mostly) off of AO3 for their easy reading access, though HP fics’ golden years were on sites like fanfiction.net and other independent archives like Sycophanthex and others which have closed their doors over the years, sadly. Some of these fics date back to almost 20 years old, or more, amazingly!

For fics on fanfiction.net, I highly recommend using this link (FicSave) to epub/mobi converter rather than dealing with the frustrating app. It functions like AO3′s built-in download button.

SSHG/Sevmione

Rec assistance by @perrydowning

Second Life by Lariope

Phantom of Hogwarts by Good_Witch

Romancing the War by Pubella

The Poison Garden by turtle_wexler @turtlewexlerwrites

A Light in the Fog by turtle_wexler

Pride of Time by AnubisAnkh

The Savage by MagdatheMagpie

Snape’s Story by Tbird1965

Recognition by jezzie (krith)

Tedium of Time by oneredshoe

Tango by Desert_Sea

Sense and Insensibility by Desert_Sea

Time Mutable Immutable by Grooot

The Twenty by Leyna Rountree

For the Only Hope by ausland @run-with-me-to-the-sea

Bundle of Joy by LadyTuesday

Our Hands Tied by multilingualism

Choose Something Like A Star by TeddyRadiator

Mistress of the Stacks by Ms_Anthrop

A Derailed Train of Thought by Ms_Anthrop

Antiquities by stormcorona

Watch Over Me by @snapeslittleblackbuttons

Dropped Down into the Unknown by @q-drew

Delicate Transitions by @morbidmuch

Lay Me Low by TeddyRadiator

The Savage by MagdatheMagpie

Another Dream by @dragoon811

A Chance For Happiness by @corvusdraconis

Breath of the Nundu by corvusdraconis, Dragon_and_the_Rose

Just to Be by Amarti @amarti-writes-stuff

Hinge of Fate by Ramos

Forged in Flames by @mswhich

Days in the Sun by bluespring864

Making sure the boy who lived, actually does by Hold_en @hold-enwrites

The Problem With Purity by Phoenix.Writing

One Step Forward, Two Decades Back by corvusdraconis

The Headmaster’s Wife by Mrs_HH @propertyofseverustsnape

The Master, the Warden, the Headmaster, and the Deputy by mak5258

Cloak of Courage by Wendynat

Hermione Granger and the Intended Vessels by ShawnaCanon

Augury and Ardor by SnapeySnax

Before the Dawn by snarkyroxy

The Love You Take by Subversa

His Draught of Delicate Poison by Subversa

and sooooo many more if you want them just ask, this is both mine and Perry’s oldest ship lol

Gramander (Original Graves x Newt)

A Gilded Cage is Still a Cage by Anonymous

take a deep breath (and let it go) by lincesque @tumbloncat

Roar by @elenothar

Matchmaker, Matchmaker by @prosodiical

Dearly Beloved by prosodiical

Basic Instincts by @manic-intent

Promised by Miss_Lv

Plan G by Aate

Heat of the Chase by argentoswan @wannahearaboutmycats

Newt Scamander’s Guide to Getting Things Done by arthureameslove

Against all Odds by Maril

Where I Belong by Mishafied

He Wants To Say, “I Love You, Nothing Can Hurt You” by @obsidionwingsofmidnight

Arranged by Miss_Lv

death of a bachelor by gudetama (elementary)

The Graves Identity by Mishafied

you make me feel this way somehow by gudetama (elementary)

The Nature of the Beast by AntiGravitas @absolutelynogravitaswhatsoever

The Knights, the Newt, and the Rose by @yinyangswings

The Wizard’s Cat by @natecchi

The Color of Boom by gypsiangel

Signalling Theory: Blue Coat by @obaewankenope

Flame by @esamastation

And The Tag Read Simply: “Pretty” by @funkzpiel

Aren’t You Gonna Arrest Me, Officer? by JoyBurd

a little bit lost by shortbread @shortbread-fanfiction

Dramione

Rec assistance by @cuthian

Seven Times by kerri240879

Her Beauty and the Moonlight by BrilliantLady

The Fallout by everythursday (orphaned and only available on AO3 now, but complete)

The Eagle’s Nest by HeartOfAspen

Turncoat by elizaye @imnotleavinherewithoutyou

The Virgin Conundrum by AkashaTheKitty @akashathekitty

Bad Faith by Morrighan256

Isolation by bexchan @bex-chan-blog

The Serpent, the Witch, and the Broom Closet by bitchywitchy

Silencio by AkashaTheKitty

All You Want by senlinyu @senlinyu

Static by galfoy @heymanticore

What the Room Requires by Alydia Rackham

And We All Fall Down by @rumaan

Ambition’s End by Hanako A

Wait and Hope by mightbewriting @mightbewriting

Rewriting Destiny by mayawrites95 (mayarox95)

Chronos Historia by In_Dreams @indreamsink

A Muggle-born Magic by Musyc @willhavetheirtrinkets

Hunted by Bex-chan

A Second Look by @riverwriter

The Nietzsche Classes by Beringae

This Too, Is Sacred by HeartOfAspen

Bite First, Ask Questions Later by Daredevilsinthedetails, Kaylessi

Nocturnus by In_Dreams @indreamsink

Broken by @inadaze22

The Green Girl by Colubrina

Lady of the Lake by Colubrina

Rebuilding by Colubrina (really just anything written by @colubrina)

Presque Toujours Pur by @shayalonnie

Can’t Change the Way I Am by @nauticalparamour

Law and Marriage by DragonGrin (formerly TeenTypist)

The Tower Window by @xodramaqueenox

Unexpected by Emara88

Something Old, Something New by Kate Dessi

Suppressed Emotions by hopelesslydevoted.xx

Silver Blood by @freyaishtar

When the Day Met the Night by @bex-la-get

Harmony

A Marauder’s Plan by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

A Step to the Right by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

Eighth by lorien829

The Catalyst by lorien829

Harry Potter and the Isle of Mists by lorien829

Knife’s Edge by Celtic55

The Black Book by mosteveryonesmad

Awakening by SweetShireen

The Sword and the Snake by bartonfink1974

Dispelling the Silence by Indygodusk

One Year Later: Return to Hogwarts by Twilight’s Inferno

DraHarmony

Fourteen Thousand Galleons by @frumpologist

The Invitation by hot_elf @hot-elf

Love Love Love by MissELY @misselylux

Changing Scenery by aethling

East of Eden by msmerlin @ms-merlinblack

Turn Back Time by Dazeventura6

Foxfire by @setissma

Come Together by @nuclearnik

The Soul of the Wolves by LR_Earl @fanficbylrearl

Running From Lions by tryslora @tryslora

An Unexpected Family by ladyroxanne21

The Prophecies by jamcreynolds

Drarhinny

Reconstruction by @aldersprig

Fell From the Sky by BrandonStrayne @brandonstrayne (I really love this one, and not just as a Canadian.)

Demons From the Past by pottermum

Drarry

Rec assistance by @newtypeshadow

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by birdsofshore

Aural Gratification by birdsofshore

Lost Among and Falling by @bafflinghaze

The Corruption Sequence series by beren @berenwrites

Sentinel ‘verse series by elyssblair @elyssblair-blog

Date Blindness by dysonrules

Starts With a Spin by Maxine @serasarahhhh

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrimson

Paradigm by dysonrules

Here’s The Pencil, Make It Happen by ignatiustrout

Draco Sodding Malfoy by Shewhxmustnxtbenamed @shewhomustnotbenamed

Pieces of What by Jadwiga

Found, Not Lost by inspiration_assaulted

Shared Detention by DadIWriteGayPorn

Dirty Little Secret by Writcraft @writcraft

19 Years by shilo1364 @whimsicaldragonette

Morning Suns & Coffee Runs by laugh_a_latte @queer-coffee

Reus Una by purplepen76

Between Ink and Blood by Candamira

Ginmione

Distractions by @morningsound15

Cissamione

(This seems like it’s a bit cracky, but there’s some good ones, I promise! I sorta stumbled ass-backwards into this ship but really enjoy some of them.)

One Step Left by Cysteine @cysteine

Extinction by @rubikanon

Blinding Light by @16-pennies

Somebody Loved by beforeyouspeak

...

There. This is much better, isn’t it?

So my challenge to you, if your world is falling, burning down around you in flames... is this:

...if you feel yourself getting anxious or depressed, whether from the news or being cooped up in isolation or bored or on the verge of tearing your hair out or jumping off that roof or grabbing something to go after the dictator-of-the-week.... pause, take a breath, open up this rec list, close your eyes and pick something, and let chance take you somewhere hopefully far away. Let yourself be transported.

Oh, and don’t click on this Google Drive link. Really, there’s not 30+ GB of data on that Drive I’m sharing. Shame. There totally aren’t tens of thousands of books, as many audiobooks as could fit, and a large collection of fanfiction downloaded from AO3 in there. (Also, not all fics have been shared to that folder yet; I’m working on it a little at a time as I download more.)

155 notes · View notes

greenduvet · 4 years

Text

200 Follower special!

A/N: Hi loves! I want to thank you all again. 2020 hasn’t been the best year but making this tumblr has been one of the best things I’ve done. I’ve met so many amazingly kind and wonderful people! I want to thank anyone who reads this or any of my other work. This is a special winter time one shot I felt fit the occasion with Kyle. I hope you all enjoy. You guys keep me going and I can’t thank you enough for that. Lots of love Xoxo

Finals had ended and finally it was winter break. Most people couldn’t wait to go home and escape from the hectic college lifestyle, but Kyle was absolutely terrified for it. He didn’t want to have to go home and risk seeing and dealing with Her.

One plus side of being in a frat house was being able to stay there over break. In some ways being in the house alone would be a nice break. But spending the holidays alone wasn’t that appealing.

You on the other hand weren’t able to go home for the holidays. It being so busy and your family being away, campus seemed like a better option. Since everyone had gone home campus was pretty empty. Though it didn’t snow in New Orleans it did get cold enough where you would need a jacket. The cafe was the perfect place to spend all of your new free hours. Free internet, tasty drinks, and cakes and pastries? Perfect. Kyle had the same thought as you 2 weeks into the break. He was definitely getting tired of sitting around alone. He had walked in and slowly looked around, curious as to see if there were any bystanders left like him. He walked close to your table, and maybe he lingered his eyes a little too long. He had been caught staring. “Do I know you?” You abruptly say to him. His eyes instantly reach yours.

“Um, I’ve seen you around campus! There aren’t many people who stay over break.” His face instantly turning red from being caught and how beautiful your eyes looked to him. “I’m uh, gonna get a coffee. Can I sit with you?” He smiles slightly and moves his hand to his neck scratching lightly. You smile back slightly and nod your head. Talking over coffee couldn’t be that bad right?

After a few short moments he came back with his hot coffee and slowly sat down across from you on your table. He looks up to your eyes again and smiles. “I’m Kyle. And who might you be?” His dark brown eyes practically sparkle and you can feel yourself sinking into his friendly grasp. Something about it was so comforting.

“I’m Y/N.” You stick out your hand for him to shake and he gladly does. “I thought I was like the only one left here. I’m glad I’m not alone.” You take a sip of your drink.

“Oh god me too! It can get so lonely you know!” Kyle and you sit and talk for hours. Mostly about random things or things about one another. You both seriously had a good time. But as they say, all good things must eventually come to an end. You wouldn’t let Kyle go without a fight though.

“It really is getting late but can I give you my number?” Kyle's face turns red once again and nods frantically. You smile and take out a pen and write your number down on his hand. “Text me when you wanna hang out again. I’m free whenever.” And with that you leave the sweet little cafe and walk back to your dorm with a smile on your face. Kyle was great, that much you knew. And you couldn’t wait to learn more.

It had been around three weeks since the first initial meeting. Kyle, being the puppy dog he was, texted you almost constantly. And that coffee shop had become your safe haven. Kyle had adored opening up to you about anything and everything that came to his head. Engineering, how desperate he was to help others and his love for Classic Rock. Before you knew it you were falling for him hard. A deep slope with no end in sight. But Kyle was a frat boy… You knew he was different, not like the other assholes he called his ‘Brothers’ but that didn’t make falling for him any less scary. Being hurt wasn’t fun.

It was Christmas Eve and Kyle had demanded to see you and give you something he had got you. Little did you know you had gotten him something as well. “Hey Y/N!” He yells as he practically tackles you, a blush already working its way onto your face.

“What’s up nerd!” You tease back and hug him close. Today would be fantastic.

Instead of the usual cafe setting Kyle demanded going ice skating. He would not take no as an answer and you didn’t want to see him sad so you agreed. It was quite a drive from the usual campus town but nonetheless you were ready for some changed scenery! Since Kyle has the honor of driving he got to pick the music. Toto sing-a-longs happened obviously.

Waiting for you love had come up and Kyle had turned the notch nearly all the way up. “I LOVE THIS SONG!” He tries to tell you over the music. He couldn’t be happier. He was with you, and listening to his music, while taking a drive? His favorite things all combined. “I’ve been waitin’ for your love, And it’s been here all the time right in front of me!” He laughs while singing along, completely off key.

After another 30 minutes of car sign-along you and Kyle had arrived at a sweet little winter themed park with a big ice rink in the middle. “Oh Kyle. This is just perfect. Great idea.” You look at him and smile widely. “I’ll race you there.” You stick out your tongue and start running towards the rink. Not even 3 seconds later Kyle passes you and wins with a huge lead.

“Would you believe me if I told you I used to run track?” With a roll of your eyes and a laugh from him you both walk to the skate rental booth. Shortly You both have your sizes and start to waddle to the ice.

“I’m scared Kyle, hold my hand?” You hold your hand out for him to grab as you step onto the ice.

“Don’t worry I got you.” He pulls you closer. “Bend your knees a little, yeah like that!” He smiles widely and you look up to him.

“What next?” You ask as your practice bending your knees slowly.

“Lean forward and glide slightly off each foot.” He puts his hands on your waist and guides you from behind. “You’re a natural!”

3 hours later and 1 consecutive of not falling, you both decide it’s time to get something warm and exchange gifts. Hot drinks in hand you two walk over to a cosy table in a more private corner of the park. You blush deeply as you pull out his neatly wrapped gift. Every once completed with love. “You’re gonna think I’m so lame with this gift.” You slightly look away as you hand it to him. It was a car CD. But not just any. You had burned his favorite songs and some of yours for him.

“Y/N… This is perfect. Thank you. I love it.” He looked a little closer at his newly acquired CD before quickly pulling out his gift. The wrapping wasn’t as neat but it was filled with just the same amount of love. “Now my gift will be the stupid one.” He says as he puts his hand onto the back of his neck, just as he did when you first met him.

His gift to you was his varsity jacket. You blushed deeply and looked at him. “For me? Really?” He nods and instantly you put it on. Kyle thought you looked absolutely perfect. But that wasn’t the only part of this gift.

“There’s one more thing. It’s not really a gift, more of a question.” He bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath. “When I’m with you I feel so good Y/N and my feelings are more than platonic. If you might feel-“ You kiss him. Softly but full of so many unsaid words at the same time. Kyle had fallen for you too. And you knew he wouldn’t hurt you. He wasn’t like those other guys. He was better.

“Of course I feel the same way!” You laugh softly and hug him close. “I’d love to see where this goes with you.” You look up into his eyes and he’s looking right back. Who knew staying on campus for winter break would lead to something so amazing.

#AHS #american horror story #Evan Peters #evan #kyle spencer #ahsfx #ahs fanfiction #ahs coven #ahs kyle #kyle x reader #kyle spencer #200!#ahs murder house #ahs asylum #ahs hotel #ahs freakshow

51 notes · View notes

grigori77 · 4 years

Text

2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20. ONWARD – Disney and Pixar’s best digitally animated family feature of 2020 (beating the admittedly impressive Soul to the punch) clearly has a love of fantasy roleplay games like Dungeons & Dragons, its quirky modern-day AU take populated by fantastical races and creatures seemingly tailor-made for the geek crowd … needless to say, me and many of my friends absolutely loved it. That doesn’t mean that the classic Disney ideals of love, family and believing in yourself have been side-lined in favour of fan-service – this is as heartfelt, affecting and tearful as their previous standouts, albeit with plenty of literal magic added to the metaphorical kind. The central premise is a clever one – once upon a time, magic was commonplace, but over the years technology came along to make life easier, so that in the present day the various races (elves, centaurs, fauns, pixies, goblins and trolls among others) get along fine without it. Then timid elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a wizard’s staff for his sixteenth birthday, a bequeathed gift from his father, who died before he was born, with instructions for a spell that could bring him back to life for one whole day. Encouraged by his brash, over-confident wannabe adventurer elder brother Barley (Chris Pratt), Ian tries it out, only for the spell to backfire, leaving them with the animated bottom half of their father and just 24 hours to find a means to restore the rest of him before time runs out. Cue an “epic quest” … needless to say, this is another top-notch offering from the original masters of the craft, a fun, affecting and thoroughly infectious family-friendly romp with a winning sense of humour and inspired, flawless world-building. Holland and Pratt are both fantastic, their instantly believable, ill-at-ease little/big brother chemistry effortlessly driving the story through its ingenious paces, and the ensuing emotional fireworks are hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, while there’s typically excellent support from Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as Ian and Barley’s put-upon but supportive mum, Laurel, Octavia Spencer as once-mighty adventurer-turned-restaurateur “Corey” the Manticore and Mel Rodriguez (Getting On, The Last Man On Earth) as overbearing centaur cop (and Laurel’s new boyfriend) Colt Bronco. The film marks the sophomore feature gig for Dan Scanlon, who debuted with 2013’s sequel Monsters University, and while that was enjoyable enough I ultimately found it non-essential – no such verdict can be levelled against THIS film, the writer-director delivering magnificently in all categories, while the animation team have outdone themselves in every scene, from the exquisite environments and character/creature designs to some fantastic (and frequently delightfully bonkers) set-pieces, while there’s a veritable riot of brilliant RPG in-jokes to delight geekier viewers (gelatinous cube! XD). Massive, unadulterated fun, frequently hilarious and absolutely BURSTING with Disney’s trademark heart, this was ALMOST my animated feature of the year. More on that later …

19. THE GENTLEMEN – Guy Ritchie’s been having a rough time with his last few movies (The Man From UNCLE didn’t do too bad but it wasn’t exactly a hit and was largely overlooked or simply ignored, while intended franchise-starter King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was largely derided and suffered badly on release, dying a quick death financially – it’s a shame on both counts, because I really liked them), so it’s nice to see him having some proper success with his latest, even if he has basically reverted to type to do it. Still, when his newest London gangster flick is THIS GOOD it seems churlish to quibble – this really is what he does best, bringing together a collection of colourful geezers and shaking up their status quo, then standing back and letting us enjoy the bloody, expletive-riddled results. This particularly motley crew is another winning selection, led by Matthew McConaughey as ruthlessly successful cannabis baron Mickey Pearson, who’s looking to retire from the game by selling off his massive and highly lucrative enterprise for a most tidy sum (some $400,000,000 to be precise) to up-and-coming fellow American ex-pat Matthew Berger (Succession’s Jeremy Strong, oozing sleazy charm), only for local Chinese triad Dry Eye (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, chewing the scenery with enthusiasm) to start throwing spanners into the works with the intention of nabbing the deal for himself for a significant discount. Needless to say Mickey’s not about to let that happen … McConaughey is ON FIRE here, the best he’s been since Dallas Buyers Club in my opinion, clearly having great fun sinking his teeth into this rich character and Ritchie’s typically sparkling, razor-witted dialogue, and he’s ably supported by a quality ensemble cast, particularly co-star Charlie Hunnam as Mickey’s ice-cold, steel-nerved right-hand-man Raymond Smith, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery as his classy, strong-willed wife Rosalind, Colin Farrell as a wise-cracking, quietly exasperated MMA trainer and small-time hood simply known as the Coach (who gets many of the film’s best lines), and, most notably, Hugh Grant as the film’s nominal narrator, thoroughly morally bankrupt private investigator Fletcher, who consistently steals the film. This is Guy Ritchie at his very best – a twisty rug-puller of a plot that constantly leaves you guessing, brilliantly observed and richly drawn characters you can’t help loving in spite of the fact there’s not a single hero among them, a deliciously unapologetic, politically incorrect sense of humour and a killer soundtrack. Getting the cinematic year off to a phenomenal start, it’s EASILY Ritchie’s best film since Sherlock Holmes, and a strong call-back to the heady days of Snatch (STILL my favourite) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Here’s hoping he’s on a roll again, eh?

18. SPONTANEOUS – one of the year’s biggest under-the-radar surprise hits for me was one which I actually might not have caught if things had been a little more normal and ordered. Thankfully with all the lockdown and cinematic shutdown bollocks going on, this fantastically subversive and deeply satirical indie teen comedy horror came along at the perfect time, and I completely flipped out over it. Now those who know me know I don’t tend to gravitate towards teen cinema, but like all those other exceptions I’ve loved over the years, this one had a brilliantly compulsive hook I just couldn’t turn down – small-town high-schooler Mara (Knives Out and Netflix’ Cursed’s Katherine Langford) is your typical cool outsider kid, smart, snarky and just putting up with the scene until she can graduate and get as far away as possible … until one day in her senior year one of her classmates just inexplicably explodes. Like her peers, she’s shocked and she mourns, then starts to move on … until it happens again. As the death toll among the senior class begins to mount, it becomes clear something weird is going on, but Mara has other things on her mind because the crisis has, for her, had an unexpected benefit – without it she wouldn’t have fallen in love with like-minded oddball new kid Dylan (Lean On Pete and Words On Bathroom Walls’ Charlie Plummer). The future’s looking bright, but only if they can both live to see it … this is a wickedly intelligent film, powered by a skilfully executed script and a wonderfully likeable young cast who consistently steer their characters around the potential cliched pitfalls of this kind of cinema, while debuting writer-director Brian Duffield (already a rising star thanks to scripts for Underwater, The Babysitter and blacklist darling Jane Got a Gun among others) show he’s got as much talent and flair for crafting truly inspired cinema as he has for thinking it up in the first place, delivering some impressively offbeat set-pieces and several neat twists you frequently don’t see coming ahead of time. Langford and Plummer as a sassy, spicy pair who are easy to root for without ever getting cloying or sweet, while there’s glowing support from the likes of Hayley Law (Rioverdale, Altered Carbon, The New Romantic) as Mara’s best friend Tess, Piper Perabo and Transparent’s Rob Huebel as her increasingly concerned parents, and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji as Agent Rosetti, the beleaguered government employee sent to spearhead the investigation into exactly what’s happening to these kids. Quirky, offbeat and endlessly inventive, this is one of those interesting instances where I’m glad they pushed the horror elements into the background so we could concentrate on the comedy, but more importantly these wonderfully well-realised and vital characters – there are some skilfully executed shocks, but far more deep belly laughs, and there’s bucketloads of heart to eclipse the gore. Another winning debut from a talent I intend to watch with great interest in the future.

17. HAMILTON – arriving just as Black Lives Matter reached fever-pitch levels, this feature presentation of the runaway Broadway musical smash-hit could not have been better timed. Shot over three nights during the show’s 2016 run with the original cast and cut together with specially created “setup shots”, it’s an immersive experience that at once puts you right in amongst the audience (at times almost a character themselves, never seen but DEFINITELY heard) but also lets you experience the action up close. And what action – it’s an incredible show, a thoroughly fascinating piece of work that reads like something very staid and proper on paper (an all-encompassing biographical account of the life and times of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) but, in execution, becomes something very different and EXTREMELY vital. The execution certainly couldn’t be further from the usual period biopic fare this kind of historical subject matter usually gets (although in the face of recent high quality revisionist takes like Marie Antoinette, The Great and Tesla it’s not SO surprising), while the cast is not at all what you’d expect – with very few notable exceptions the cast is almost entirely people of colour, despite the fact that the real life individuals they’re playing were all very white indeed. Every single one of them is also an absolute revelation – the show’s writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (already riding high on the success of In the Heights) carries the central role of Hamilton with effortless charm and raw star power, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash, Murder On the Orient Express) is duplicitously complex as his constant nemesis Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights, Moana, Bull) oozes integrity and nobility as his mentor and friend George Washington, Phillipa Soo is sweet and classy as his wife Eliza while Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Jacks, Altered Carbon) is fiery and statuesque as her sister Angelica Schuyler (the one who got away), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) consistently steals every scene he’s in as fiendish yet childish fan favourite King George III, but the show (and the film) ultimately belongs to veritable powerhouse Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, The Good Lord Bird) in a spectacular duel role, starting subtly but gaining scene-stealing momentum as French Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, before EXPLODING onto the stage in the second half as indomitable third American President Thomas Jefferson. Not having seen the stage show, I was taken completely by surprise by this, revelling in its revisionist genius and offbeat, quirky hip-hop charm, spellbound by the skilful ease with which is takes the sometimes quite dull historical fact and skews it into something consistently entertaining and absorbing, transported by the catchy earworm musical numbers and thoroughly tickled by the delightfully cheeky sense of humour strung throughout (at least when I wasn’t having my heart broken by moments of raw dramatic power). Altogether it’s a pretty unique cinematic experience I wish I could have actually gotten to see on the big screen, and one I’ve consistently recommended to all my friends, even the ones who don’t usually like musicals. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t need a proper Les Misérables style screen adaptation – this is about as perfect a presentation as the show could possibly hope for.

16. SPUTNIK – summer’s horror highlight (despite SERIOUSLY tough competition) was a guaranteed sleeper hit that I almost missed entirely, stumbling across the trailer one day on YouTube and getting bowled over by its potential, prompting me to hunt it down by any means necessary. The feature debut of Russian director Egor Abramenko, this first contact sci-fi chiller is about as far from E.T. as it’s possible to get, sharing some of the same DNA as Carpenter’s The Thing but proudly carving its own path with consummate skill and definitely signalling great things to come from its brand new helmer and relative unknown screenwriters Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev. Oksana Akinshina (probably best known in the West for her powerful climactic cameo in The Bourne Supremacy) is the beating heart of the film as neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova, brought in to aid in the investigation in the Russian wilderness circa 1983 after an orbital research mission goes horribly wrong. One of the cosmonauts dies horribly, while the other, Konstantin (The Duelist’s Pyotr Fyodorov) seems unharmed, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s now the host for something decidedly extraterrestrial and potentially terrifying, and as Tatyana becomes more deeply embroiled in her assignment she comes to realise that her superiors, particularly mysterious Red Army project leader Colonel Semiradov (The PyraMMMid’s Fyodor Bondarchuk), have far more insidious plans for Konstantin and his new “friend” than she could ever imagine. This is about as dark, intense and nightmarish as this particular sub-genre gets, a magnificently icky body horror that slowly builds its tension as we’re gradually exposed to the various truths and the awful gravity of the situation slowly reveals itself, punctuated by skilfully executed shocks and some particularly horrifying moments when the evils inflicted by the humans in charge prove far worse than anything the alien can do, while the ridiculously talented writers have a field day pulling the rug out from under us again and again, never going for the obvious twist and keeping us guessing right to the devastating ending, while the beautifully crafted digital creature effects are nothing short of astonishing and thoroughly creepy. Akinshina dominates the film with her unbridled grace, vulnerability and integrity, the relationship that develops between Tatyana and Konstantin (Fyodorov delivering a beautifully understated turn belying deep inner turmoil) feeling realistically earned as it goes from tentatively wary to tragically bittersweet, while Bondarchuk invests the Colonel with a nuanced air of tarnished authority and restrained brutality that made him one of my top screen villains for the year. One of 2020’s great sleeper hits, I can’t speak of this film highly enough – it’s a genuine revelation, an instant classic for whom I’ll sing its praises for years to come, and I wish enormous future success to all the creative talents involved.

15. THE INVISIBLE MAN – looks like third time’s a charm for Leigh Whannell, writer-director of my ALMOST horror movie of the year (more on that later) – while he’s had immense success as a horror writer over the years (co-creator of both the Saw and Insidious franchises), as a director his first two features haven’t exactly set the world alight, with debut Insidious: Chapter III garnering similar takes to the rest of the series but ultimately turning out to be a bit of a damp squib quality-wise, while his second feature Upgrade was a stone-cold masterpiece that was (rightly) EXTREMELY well received critically, but ultimately snuck in under the radar and has remained a stubbornly hidden gem since. No such problems with his third feature, though – his latest collaboration with producer Jason Blum and the insanely lucrative Blumhouse Pictures has proven a massive hit both financially AND with reviewers, and deservedly so. Having given up on trying to create a shared cinematic universe inhabited by their classic monsters, Universal resolved to concentrate on standalones to showcase their elite properties, and their first try is a rousing success, Whannell bringing HG Wells’ dark and devious human monster smack into the 21st Century as only he can. The result is a surprisingly subtle piece of work, much more a lethally precise exercise in cinematic sleight of hand and extraordinary acting than flashy visual effects, strictly adhering to the Blumhouse credo of maximum returns for minimum bucks as the story is stripped down to its bare essentials and allowed to play out without any unnecessary weight. The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss once again confirms what a masterful actress she is as she brings all her performing weapons to bear in the role of Cecelia “Cee” Kass, the cloistered wife of affluent but monstrously abusive optics pioneer Aidan Griffin (Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who escapes his clutches in the furiously tense opening sequence and goes to ground with the help of her closest childhood friend, San Francisco cop James Lanier (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid). Two weeks later, Aidan commits suicide, leaving Cee with a fortune to start her life over (with the proviso that she’s never ruled mentally incompetent), but as she tries to find her way in the world again little things start going wrong for her, and she begins to question if there might be something insidious going on. As her nerves start to unravel, she begins to suspect that Aidan is still alive, still very much in her life, fiendishly toying with her and her friends, but no-one can see him. Whannell plays her paranoia up for all it’s worth, skilfully teasing out the scares so that, just like her friends, we begin to wonder if it might all be in her head after all, before a spectacular mid-movie reveal throws the switch into high gear and the true threat becomes clear. The lion’s share of the film’s immense success must of course go to Moss – her performance is BEYOND a revelation, a blistering career best that totally powers the whole enterprise, and it goes without saying that she’s the best thing in this. Even so, she has sterling support from Hodge and Reid, as well as Love Child’s Harriet Dyer as Cee’s estranged big sister Emily and Wonderland’s Michael Dorman as Adrian’s slimy, spineless lawyer brother Tom, and, while he doesn’t have much actual (ahem) “screen time”, Jackson-Cohen delivers a fantastically icy, subtly malevolent turn which casts a large “shadow” over the film. This is one of my very favourite Blumhouse films, a pitch-perfect psychological chiller that keeps the tension cranked up unbearably tight and never lets go, Whannell once again displaying uncanny skill with expert jump-scares, knuckle-whitening chills and a truly astounding standout set-piece that easily goes down as one of the top action sequences of 2020. Undoubtedly the best version of Wells’ story to date, this goes a long way in repairing the damage of Universal’s abortive “Dark Universe” efforts, as well as showcasing a filmmaking master at the very height of his talents.

14. EXTRACTION – the Coronavirus certainly has threw a massive spanner in the works of the year’s cinematic calendar – among many other casualties to the blockbuster shunt, the latest (and most long-awaited) MCU movie, Black Widow, should have opened to further record-breaking box office success at the end of spring, but instead the theatres were all closed and virtually all the heavyweights were pushed back or shelved indefinitely. Thank God, then, for the streaming services, particularly Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, the latter of which provided a perfect movie for us to see through the key transition into the summer blockbuster season, an explosively flashy big budget action thriller ushered in by MCU alumni the Russo Brothers (who produced and co-wrote this adaptation of Ciudad, a graphic novel that Joe Russo co-created with Ande Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez) and barely able to contain the sheer star-power wattage of its lead, Thor himself. Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a former Australian SAS operative who hires out his services to an extraction operation under the command of mercenary Nik Khan (The Patience Stone’s Golshifteh Farahani), brought in to liberate Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in his first major role), the pre-teen son of incarcerated Indian crime lord Ovi Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), who has been abducted by Bangladeshi rival Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli). The rescue itself goes perfectly, but when the time comes for the hand-off the team is double-crossed and Tyler is left stranded in the middle of Dhaka with no choice but to keep Ovi alive as every corrupt cop and street gang in the city closes in around them. This is the feature debut of Sam Hargrave, the latest stuntman to try his hand at directing, so he certainly knows his way around an action set-piece, and the result is a thoroughly breathless adrenaline rush of a film, bursting at the seams with spectacular fights, gun battles and car chases, dominated by a stunning sustained sequence that plays out in one long shot, guaranteed to leave jaws lying on the floor. Not that there should be any surprise – Hargrave cut his teeth as a stunt coordinator for the Russos on Captain America: Civil War and their Avengers films. That said, he displays strong talent for the quieter disciplines of filmmaking too, delivering quality character development and drawing out consistently noteworthy performances from his cast. Of course, Hemsworth can do the action stuff in his sleep, but there’s a lot more to Tyler than just his muscle, the MCU veteran investing him with real wounded vulnerability and a tragic fatalism which colours every scene, while Jaiswal is exceptional throughout, showing plenty of promise for the future, and there’s strong support from Farahani and Painyuli, as well as Stranger Things’ David Harbour as world-weary retired merc Gaspard, and a particularly impressive, muscular turn from Randeep Hooda (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) as Saju, a former Para and Ovi’s bodyguard, who’s determined to take possession of the boy himself, even if he has to go through Tyler to get him. This is action cinema that really deserves to be seen on the big screen – I watched it twice in a week and would happily have paid for two trips to the cinema for it if I could have. As we looked down the barrel of a summer season largely devoid of blockbuster fare, I couldn’t recommend this enough. Thank the gods for Netflix …

13. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – although it’s definitely a film that really benefitted enormously from releasing on Netflix during the various lockdowns, this was one of the blessed few I actually got to see during one of the UK’s frustratingly rare lulls when cinemas were actually OPEN. Rather perversely it therefore became one of my favourite cinematic experiences of 2020, but then I’m just as much a fan of well-made cerebral films as I am of the big, immersive blockbuster EXPERIENCES, so this probably still would have been a standout in a normal year. Certainly if this was a purely CRITICAL list for the year this probably would have placed high in the Top Ten … Aaron Sorkin is a writer whose work I have ardently admired ever since he went from esteemed playwright to in-demand talent for both the big screen AND the small with A Few Good Men, and TTOTC7 is just another in a long line of consistently impressive, flawlessly written works rife with addictive quickfire dialogue, beautifully observed characters and rewardingly propulsive narrative storytelling (therefore resting comfortably amongst the well-respected likes of The West Wing, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball and The Social Network). It also marks his second feature as a director (after fascinating and incendiary debut Molly’s Game), and once again he’s gone for true story over fiction, tackling the still controversial subject of the infamous 1968 trial of the “ringleaders” of the infamous riots which marred Chicago’s Diplomatic National Convention five months earlier, in which thousands of hippies and college students protesting the Vietnam War clashed with police. Spurred on by the newly-instated Presidential Administration of Richard Nixon to make some examples, hungry up-and-coming prosecutor Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confident in his case, while the Seven – who include respected and astute student activist Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and confrontational counterculture firebrands Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Succession’s Jeremy Strong) – are the clear underdogs. They’re a divided bunch (particularly Hayden and Hoffman, who never mince their words about what little regard they hold for each other), and they’re up against the combined might of the U.S. Government, while all they have on their side is pro-bono lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), who’s sharp, driven and thoroughly committed to the cause but clearly massively outmatched … not to mention the fact that the judge presiding over the case is Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella), a fierce and uncompromising conservative who’s clearly 100% on the Administration’s side, and who might in fact be stark raving mad (he also frequently goes to great lengths to make it clear to all concerned that he is NOT related to Abbie). Much as we’ve come to expect from Sorkin, this is cinema of grand ideals and strong characters, not big spectacle and hard action, and all the better for it – he’s proved time and again that he’s one of the very best creative minds in Hollywood when it comes to intelligent, thought-provoking and engrossing thinking-man’s entertainment, and this is pure par for the course, keeping us glued to the screen from the skilfully-executed whirlwind introductory montage to the powerfully cathartic climax, and every varied and brilliant scene in-between. This is heady stuff, focusing on what’s still an extremely thorny issue made all the more urgently relevant and timely given what was (and still is) going on in American politics at the time, and everyone involved here was clearly fully committed to making the film as palpable, powerful and resonant as possible for the viewer, no matter their nationality or political inclination. Also typical for a Sorkin film, the cast are exceptional, everyone clearly having the wildest time getting their teeth into their finely-drawn characters and that magnificent dialogue – Redmayne and Baron Cohen are compellingly complimentary intellectual antagonists given their radically different approaches and their roles’ polar opposite energies, while Rylance delivers another pitch-perfect, simply ASTOUNDING performance that once again marks him as one of the very best actors of his generation, and there are particularly meaty turns from Strong, Langella, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as besieged Black Panther Bobby Seale) and a potent late appearance from Michael Keaton that sear themselves into the memory long after viewing. Altogether then, this is a phenomenal film which deserves to be seen no matter the format, a thought-provoking and undeniably IMPORTANT masterwork from a master cinematic storyteller that says as much about the world we live in now as the decidedly turbulent times it portrays …

12. GREYHOUND – when the cinemas closed back in March, the fate of many of the major summer blockbusters we’d been looking forward to was thrown into terrible doubt. Some were pushed back to more amenable dates in the autumn or winter (which even then ultimately proved frustratingly ambitious), others knocked back a whole year to fill summer slots for 2021, but more than a few simply dropped off the radar entirely with the terrible words “postponed until further notice” stamped on them, and I lamented them all, this one in particular. It hung in there longer than some, stubbornly holding onto its June release slot for as long as possible, but eventually it gave up the ghost too … but thanks to Apple TV+, not for long, ultimately releasing less than a month later than intended. Thankfully the film itself was worth the fuss, a taut World War II suspense thriller that’s all killer, no filler – set during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic, it portrays the constant life-or-death struggle faced by the Allied warships assigned to escort the transport convoys as they crossed the ocean, defending their charges from German U-boats. Adapted from C.S. Forester’s famous 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by Tom Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low), the narrative focuses on the crew of the escort leader, American destroyer USS Fletcher, codenamed “Greyhound”, and in particular its captain, Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks), a career sailor serving his first command. As they cross “the Pit”, the most dangerous middle stretch of the journey where they spend days without air-cover, they find themselves shadowed by “the Wolf Pack”, a particularly cunning group of German submarines that begin to pick away at the convoy’s stragglers. Faced with daunting odds, a dwindling supply of vital depth-charges and a ruthless, persistent enemy, Krause must make hard choices to bring his ships home safe … jumping into the thick of the action within the first ten minutes and maintaining its tension for the remainder of the trim 90-minute run, this is screen suspense par excellence, a sleek textbook example of how to craft a compelling big screen knuckle-whitener with zero fat and maximum reward, delivering a series of desperate naval scraps packed with hide-and-seek intensity, heart-in-mouth near-misses and fist-in-air cathartic payoffs by the bucket-load. Hanks is subtly magnificent, the calm centre of the narrative storm as a supposed newcomer to this battle arena who could have been BORN for it, bringing to mind his similarly unflappable in Captain Phillips and certainly not suffering by comparison; by and large he’s the focus point, but other crew members make strong (if sometimes quite brief) impressions, particularly Stephen Graham as Krause’s reliably seasoned XO, Lt. Commander Charlie Cole, The Magnificent Seven’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Just Mercy’s Rob Morgan, while Elisabeth Shue does a lot with a very small part in brief flashbacks as Krause’s fiancée Evelyn. Relentless, exhilarating and thoroughly unforgettable, this was one of the true action highlights of the summer, and one hell of a war flick. I’m so glad it made the cut for the summer …

11. PROJECT POWER – with Marvel and DC pushing their tent-pole titles back in the face of COVID, the usual superhero antics we’ve come to expect for the summer were pretty thin on the ground in 2020, leading us to find our geeky fan thrills elsewhere. Unfortunately, pickings were frustratingly slim – Korean comic book actioner Gundala was entertaining but workmanlike, while Thor AU Mortal was underwhelming despite strong direction from Troll Hunter’s André Øvredal, and The New Mutants just got shat on by the studio and its distributors and no mistake – thank the Gods, then, for Netflix, once again riding to the rescue with this enjoyably offbeat super-thriller, which takes an intriguing central premise and really runs with it. New designer drug Power has hit the streets of New Orleans, able to give anyone who takes it a superpower for five minutes … the only problem is, until you try it, you don’t know what your own unique talent is – for some, it could mean five minutes of invisibility, or insane levels of super-strength, but other powers can be potentially lethal, the really unlucky buggers just blowing up on the spot. Robin (The Hate U Give’s Dominique Fishback) is a teenage Power-pusher with dreams of becoming a rap star, dealing the pills so she can help her diabetic mum; Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of her customers, a police detective who uses his power of near invulnerability to even the playing field when supercharged crims cause a disturbance. Their lives are turned upside down when Art (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town – he’s a seriously badass ex-soldier determined to hunt down the source of Power by any means necessary, and he’s not above tearing the Big Easy apart to do it. This is a fun, gleefully infectious rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, revelling in the anarchic potential of its premise and crafting some suitably OTT effects-driven chaos brought to pleasingly visceral fruition by its skilfully inventive director, Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Nerve, Viral), while Mattson Tomlin (the screenwriter of the DCEU’s oft-delayed, incendiary headline act The Batman) takes the story in some very interesting directions and poses fascinating questions about what Power’s TRULY capable of. Gordon-Levitt and Fishback are both brilliant, the latter particularly impressing in what’s sure to be a major breakthrough role for her, and the friendship their characters share is pretty adorable, while Foxx really is a force to be reckoned with, pretty chill even when he’s in deep shit but fully capable of turning into a bona fide killing machine at the flip of a switch, and there’s strong support from Westworld’s Rodrigo Santoro as Biggie, Power’s delightfully oily kingpin, Courtney B. Vance as Frank’s by-the-book superior, Captain Crane, Amy Landecker as Gardner, the morally bankrupt CIA spook responsible for the drug’s production, and Machine Gun Kelly as Newt, a Power dealer whose pyrotechnic “gift” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Exciting, inventive, frequently amusing and infectiously likeable, this was some of the most uncomplicated cinematic fun I had all summer. Not bad for something which I’m sure was originally destined to become one of the season’s B-list features …

#onward #onward movie #The Gentlemen #spontaneous #spontaneous movie #hamilton #hamilton movie #sputnik #sputnik movie #The Invisible Man #Extraction #extraction movie #the trial of the chicago 7 #greyhound #greyhound movie #project power #2020 in movies

25 notes · View notes