#drew this on my flight to Sydney!
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I drew these total girlbosses!!
#wof#wof fanart#Queen coral#queen ruby#queen glory#wigns of fire#fanart#dragon art#total slay wof girlbosses#drew this on my flight to Sydney!#queen snowfall
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Forever Timeless, 1/23
Summary: Two months after the Dalek Crucible, the Doctor and Rose are getting used to having the biggest family on Earth. As they visit Leadworth in 1996, Victorian England, a mysterious desert planet, and Elizabethan England, those family and friends often help in unexpected ways. But no matter where they go or who they're with, it's always the Doctor in the TARDIS with RoseTyler--just as it should be.
Ten x Rose, Donna x Lee
Betaed by @saecookie, @rudennotgingr, @pellaaearien, and @jabber-who-key
Part 7 of Being to Timelessness
AO3 | FF.NET | TSP
Chapter One: Family Time
Rose leaned back into the drop cloth-covered couch and looked around the room. Her mum and Pete had purchased a house in Cardiff, and she and the Doctor had spent all day painting and cleaning. After two months spent monitoring the lingering effects of the Reality Bomb, the domesticity was jarring.
A sharp pain hit Rose between her shoulder blades, and she grimaced and rolled her shoulders. Every muscle in her body ached. She was in good shape, but she didn’t usually spend hours holding a paint roller over her head.
A moment later, familiar hands settled on her shoulders and started massaging the tension away. Rose sighed and leaned forward so the Doctor could get that spot in the middle of her back.
She enjoyed the massage for a few minutes, then reached for his hand and tugged, asking him silently to sit down with her. He collapsed beside her, looking every bit as tired as she felt. He had a smudge of dirt on his cheek and his hair stuck straight up.
“What have you and Pete been up to?”
“Putting together the furniture for Tony’s room.” The Doctor rubbed a hand over his face, smudging the dirt even more. “I need to create a setting on the sonic for Allen keys. Those belong on a list of forbidden torture devices.”
Jackie’s snort interrupted Rose’s teasing response. “And here I thought you were some kind of superior alien,” she said as she entered the room, carrying two tall glasses of water. “How the mighty have fallen—defeated by an Ikea flat pack.”
Rose listened to the Doctor’s internal debate, weighing the merits of defending himself against the likelihood that Jackie would dump the glass of water over his head. In the end, he only rolled his eyes and said, “Thankfully, the fate of the universe has never rested on my ability to put together furniture named after obscure Scandinavian locales.”
Jackie handed them the water and sat down on a folding chair. “Speaking of strange places, we haven’t seen Jenny and Donna lately. Where are they at now?”
Rose blinked. “You’ve seen them?”
Her mum raised an eyebrow. “You would have seen them too if you hadn’t been off to Neptune doing whatever,” she retorted. “They stopped by a few weeks ago before catching a plane to New York.”
Rose sipped at her water to cover up the urge to sigh. The trip to Paris had whetted Jenny’s interest in seeing more of the Earth. By airplane, she’d insisted, because that was how humans did it.
Donna had been happy to travel the world with her. Rose suspected the trip was a way for her to keep her mind off the fact that they still hadn’t found Lee. Four months had passed since the Library, and the TARDIS still hadn’t picked up even a trace of him.
Rose abruptly realised her mum was staring at her expectantly. It only took her a second to remember what they’d been talking about.
“They’re in Sydney,” she said. “They’ll be back for your big housewarming party, but they really wanted to see Australia before coming home.”
“Hah!” Jackie wagged her finger at Rose. “Now you know what it’s like, having your only child go off travelling by herself.”
Rose pursed her lips. “It’s not that,” she argued. “Well, not only that,” she amended. “It’s fun having other people on the TARDIS with us. I miss it.”
“What do you miss?” Pete asked. He pulled a second folding chair over and sat down beside Jackie.
“Having friends travel with us.”
“Apparently I’m not enough company,” the Doctor added, earning a poke in the side from Rose and a snort from Jackie.
“More like you’re a bit too much,” Jackie countered. “Can’t imagine being married to an alien.”
“No, you just married a man from a parallel universe,” Pete interjected.
Jackie rolled her eyes, then looked at Rose. Rose groaned at the look in her eye. Interrogation time, she warned the Doctor.
“Speaking of marrying an alien…” Jackie raised an eyebrow and looked at Rose, then at the Doctor, and back again. “You mentioned something about weird alien rituals.”
Rose opened her mouth, but before she could start explaining the bond, her mother started rambling.
“I’ve been thinking, maybe you had to wear funny hats? Or defeat someone in armed combat?” She pointed at the Doctor. “Maybe Rose had to go back in time to ask your family for your hand in marriage.”
“Nothing like that, Mum,” Rose said quickly before Jackie could continue on that train of thought and bring back painful memories of Gallifrey.
“Well, what was it then?” She narrowed her eyes. “You better not have been naked for this wedding.”
“No! We were fully clothed.” The Doctor felt his neck heat up.
Help!
Rose took his hand and he let out a slow breath. “Leave ‘im be, Mum,” she scolded. “It was mostly just like a wedding. I wore a beautiful dress and we exchanged vows and rings and everything.”
“Well that doesn’t sound too weird.”
“Yeah…” Rose squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, agreeing with her sudden decision. “I was mostly teasing when I said that.”
Jackie crossed her arms over her chest. “So your wedding was completely normal?” she asked, dubious.
Rose bit her lip. “Well, we were alone in the TARDIS,” she said slowly. “And we did a handfasting because that’s part of the Doctor’s tradition.”
“Hmmm…” Jackie raised an eyebrow.
Rose knew she didn’t believe her, but explaining the bond was a far longer conversation than she wanted to have right now. Some day she’d try, but not today.
“It was perfect,” she said, wanting to move away from the alienness of their wedding.
As she thought about that day, something occurred to her. “And our wedding anniversary is only two weeks away,” she added.
The Doctor blinked, and she was glad she wasn’t the only one who’d lost track of time. “We’ll have to go someplace to celebrate.”
“Mind if I plan this trip?”
He smiled and brushed his thumb over her wrist. “I’d love it.”
“Rose?”
The childish voice drew everyone’s attention, and they all looked over at Tony, standing in the doorway.
“Yes, Tony?”
He shuffled forward, a book in his hand. “Will you and the Doctor read to me?”
The Doctor scooted over and patted the cushion in between himself and Rose. “You bet!”
The little boy grinned, then darted across the room and jumped up onto the couch. Rose grabbed the book from him before he could stab himself in the eye with it or something.
“Under the Deep Blue Sea.”
As Rose turned to the first page, she suddenly knew exactly where she wanted to take the Doctor for their anniversary.
oOoOo
The Doctor followed Rose as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd waiting at Heathrow. “The board says their flight landed half an hour ago,” she told him. “They should be almost through customs by now.”
When the first passengers started trickling in a few minutes later, the Doctor gave Rose one end of the sign they’d made. Around them, other people likewise held up their signs—Limousine for Mr. Arbuckle, etc.
The trickle turned into a solid wave of people. “Can you see them, Doctor?” Rose asked as she strained to look through the crowd.
“No… Wait! Yes! Hold the sign up, Rose.”
They waved it madly, and a moment later they were rewarded by familiar laughter. Rose leaned sideways and saw Jenny and Donna walking towards them, wheelie bags in tow.
“TARDIS for Miss Noble and Miss Tyler?” Donna rolled her eyes.
The Doctor turned the sign around and studied it. “Well, we wouldn’t want anyone else to think they could get a free ride.”
“We told you we’d take the train to Cardiff, though,” Jenny said.
Donna nudged her gently with her elbow. “You owe me ten quid, Jenny. I told you they wouldn’t be able to resist surprising us.”
The Doctor’s mouth fell open, and when he looked over at Rose he was thankful to see that at least she was as surprised as he was.
Jenny hitched her backpack up on her shoulders. “I still say giving them the flight information was cheating.”
“I didn’t realise we were so predictable,” the Doctor muttered.
Donna smirked and turned her suitcase so he could take the handle. “We just know you too well.”
Rose shook her head and grabbed Jenny’s suitcase. “Come on, we should get out of the way. The TARDIS is just a short bus ride away.”
Thirty minutes later, the Doctor unlocked the door and held it open while Rose, Donna, and Jenny walked inside. He heard Donna and Jenny sigh in unison, and raised his eyebrows at them.
“Glad you don’t have to take a train after travelling for over twenty-four hours?” he guessed.
“Definitely,” Donna said fervently.
“And glad we can hop into the Vortex and get some sleep without Gran knowing we didn’t go straight to Cardiff,” Jenny added.
The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance, then Rose gave Donna and Jenny a sly smile. “About that… Are you set on going to Cardiff?”
Donna crossed her arms over her chest. “The housewarming party is next week. I’ve only met your mum a few times, but I have a pretty good idea of what will happen if you miss it.”
The Doctor grimaced and rubbed at his cheek, making everyone laugh.
Rose chuckled and shook her head. “Yeah, you’re right about that. But our anniversary is the day after tomorrow, so we’re going on a short holiday before the big shindig. We can drop you in Cardiff for the week, or—”
“Or,” Donna said before Rose could continue.
Jenny nodded eagerly. “You mean you’ll drop us off on another planet, yeah?”
“If you want,” Rose said.
Jenny and Donna exchanged a look, then broke out in matching grins. “Yes!”
Rose hugged Donna and kissed Jenny on the cheek, then gently pushed them both towards the corridor. “Go lie down. We’ll drop you off in the morning after you’ve slept off some of the jet lag.” She leaned against a strut and watched them go, while the Doctor sent them into the Vortex just like Jenny had asked.
He slid the dematerialisation lever into place, and the time rotor quietly chugged up and down. The transition into the Vortex was so smooth that Rose hardly felt it.
A soft mental tug caught her attention, and she looked over at the Doctor. He’d sat down on the jump seat, and now he patted the seat beside him.
Rose pushed off from the strut and walked around the console, hopping up to sit beside the Doctor like she’d done a thousand times. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.
“What are you thinking?”
“This life,” she said, talking slowly so she could put the words together as they came to her. “It’s… so much more than I thought it would be.”
She paused, and the Doctor left the silence empty so she could think.
“I thought I’d lost this at Canary Wharf,” she said finally.
“Lost what?”
“Just… human things,” she said, testing the words as she went. “Helping family move. Meeting them at the airport.”
She tilted her head back so she could look at the Doctor. “I love our life, traveling through time and space. And if I could never have anything else, this is what I’d choose. Every time.”
“But we get to have more,” he supplied, understanding what she was trying to get at. “Our life in the TARDIS, and a family on Earth.”
“Yeah. Time and space… and family.”
#ficandchips#ten x rose#dwfic#fic by Nancy#doctorroseprompts#series: being to timelessness#cq's fic: forever timeless#i'm back!!#finally!!#i hope you like this chapter#also you will get a second chapter this week#on thursday#and then we'll settle into a chapter a week#tenth doctor#rose tyler#jenny tyler#donna noble#lee mcavoy#donna x lee
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NUVO Dance Convention, Dallas, TX: RESULTS
High Scores by Age:
NUbie Solo
1st: Ariella Scott-’My Boyfriend’s Back’
1st: Sylvie Win Szyndlar-’Rainbow Connection’
2nd: Sebastian Mancini-’Guerriero
3rd: Avery Olson-’Monster’
4th: Reis Terhune-’Saxx’
5th: Arianna Claxton-’Ride’
6th: Mackenzie Glover-’Suddenly’
7th: Avery Redus-’Lost Boy’
8th: Ella Benjamin-’In Love With A Monster’
Mini Solo
1st: Ellary Day Szyndlar-’Snow’
2nd: Naiya Abalos-’Forces’
2nd: Tiara Sherman-’The Things That Remain’
3rd: Roxie Onellion-’Mellow Yellow’
3rd: Alexis Alvarez-’Wide Eyes’
4th: Camilla Sonnier-’Ave Maria’
4th: Ainsley Epton-’Dangerous’
5th: Anna Holley-’Reminisce’
5th: Addison Price-’We Will Not Give In’
6th: Braylynn Grizzaffi-’Path5′
6th: Kazuma Brailsford-’Mugen’
7th: Esprit Frank-’Grains’
8th: Winter Eberts-’Dreamlike’
8th: Karyna Majeroni-’Pistolette’
9th: Maddie Pedder-’Vibrations’
10th: Delila Hewitt-’Shop Around’
Junior Solo
1st: Kennedy Kahler-’Inanna’
1st: Laci Stoico-’Mibiso’
2nd: Kayla Jinks-’First Ember’
2nd: Lucy Cavender-’Formed From Static’
2nd: Graham Johnson-’New Shoes’
3rd: Lilly Allen-’Femme Fatale’
3rd: Campbell Castner-’Hallelujah’
3rd: Jade Bontron-’Harlequinade’
3rd: Amaya Llewellyn-’Must’
4th: Kylie Kaminsky-’Beneath the Surface’
4th: Ava Mogote-’Somewhere Over the Rainbow’
4th: Sydney Kelly-’You Are the Reason’
5th: Julia Chavez-’Going Under’
5th: Ryleigh Jane Touchstone-’This Is Real’
6th: Anya Inger-’Quiet Thoughts’
7th: Adelyn Kolanz-’Transform’
7th: Alita Kneeland-’Transparent’
8th: Anabel Alexander-’It’s Okay ‘Till It’s Not’
8th: Colby Rich-’The Letting Go’
8th: Campbell Clark-’The Scarlett Effect’
9th: Nily Samara-’Dot 2 Dot’
9th: Brielle Ring-’I Remember Her’
9th: Finley Aldridge-’Jealous’
9th: Nyah Jackson-’Slow Meadows’
10th: Kylenn Pallohusky-’Get There’
10th: Kenlie Winsett-’Patterns of the Tides’
10th: Clare Loftus-’Restless Night’
10th: Makaia Roux-’Runaway’
Teen Solo
1st: Isabella Jarvis-’Allow The Light’
1st: Sarah Kate Kurzius-’Charmed’
1st: Avery Hall-’Lie To My Heart’
2nd: Hudson Pletcher-’Ascension’
2nd: Addison Middleton-’Dark Dissonance’
2nd: Savanna Kristich-’I Copy’
2nd: Avery Watson-’Locked’
3rd: Gianna Mojonnier-’One Note Samba’
3rd: Sabine Nehls-’Shout’
4th: Mini Preston-’Granular Breath’
4th: Macy Orvis-’Look At Me’
4th: Trinity Kelly-’Sorrow’
5th: Sydney Orr-’So Far’
5th: Ella Williams-’The Garden’
5th: Sydney Ishaug-’Unseen’
6th: Lydia Werschay-’A Deal With Chaos’
6th: Dru Neal-’Bring Back The Path’
6th: Drew Rosen-’Deconstruct Composition’
6th: Isabel Reese-’Inside’
6th: Kali Knewitz-’My Accomplice’
6th: Dasha Vishnyakova-’Partita’
6th: Lauren Rahimizadeh-’Settle For More’
7th: Ava Lynn-’Catch 22′
7th: Ava Miller-’Tarnished’
7th: Cambry Bethke-’Winging It’
8th: Kathryn Martinez-’Another Brick In The Wall’
8th: Natalie Bowen-’Distance Between’
8th: Beth Anne McGowans-’The Water Rises’
8th: Sophia Bishop-’Unravelings’
8th: Isaiah Bowens-’You Know What’
9th: Mikaella Lopez-’Mind In Flight’
9th: Brielle McCoy-’My Brightest Diamond’
9th: Gianna Garwacki-’Penance’
9th: Braylon Browner-’Run From Me’
10th: Aiden Skelte-’Baiao Destemperado’
10th: Katelyn Neasham-’How They Run’
10th: Kalen Latin-’Made of Silk’
Senior Solo
1st: Christian Burse-’Atlas’
2nd: Kamryn Funk-’5,6,7,8′
2nd: Charlotte Foldes-’Shock To Us All’
3rd: Raegan Davidson-’After That’
3rd: Peyton Winsett-’Distortion’
3rd: Lainey Myers-’You Are the Reason’
4th: Sophia Seymour-’Broken’
4th: Makenna Wallace-’Hope Is A Dangerous Thing’
4th: Taelynn Ritchie-’If You Could Do It Again’
5th: Raegan Stafford-’Beneath the Light’
5th: Gracie Lee-’Love of My Life’
5th: Emma Sucato-’Memories’
6th: Kylie Sicillan-’Time & I’
6th: Haley Beck-’Upside’
7th: Chloe Lopina-’In Love In Vain’
7th: Kennedy Barry-’The Distance Between’
8th: Makaila Teagle-’He Needs Me’
8th: Brooke Jensen-’Sunder’
9th: Riley Canterbury-’Figures’
9th: Haley Bogdon-’Giuseppe’
10th: Emmalynn Mackaron-’Georgia On My Mind’
10th: Gracie Zytysnki-’Letters of a Traveler’
10th: Emma Johnson-’To Be’
10th: Caroline Pierce-’What Remains’
Open Solo
1st: Summer Martin-’Insomnia’
NUbie Duo/Trio
1st: Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts-’Tomorrow’
2nd: Beyond Belief Dance Company-’Insomnia’
Mini Duo/Trio
1st: The Pointe Performing Arts Center-’Angel by the Wings’
2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Stronger’
3rd: The Dance Movement-’Pour the Milk’
Junior Duo/Trio
1st: Beyond Belief Dance Company-’Painted Black’
2nd: Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts-’Inception’
3rd: Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts-’This Is Me, Sincerely’
Teen Duo/Trio
1st: Next Step Dance-’Georgia’
2nd: Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts-’After The Fall’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Kitri’s Friends’
2nd: Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts-’What Goes Around’
3rd: Next Step Dance-’Daina & Acteon’
Senior Duo/Trio
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Tea for Two’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’As The Petals Fell’
NUbie Group
1st: Next Step Dance-’Milly Rock’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’
3rd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Gypsy’
Mini Group
1st: Next Step Dance-’Knock On Wood’
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Strings’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Ain’t Your Mama’
3rd: Next Step Dance-’Charlie’s Angels’
Junior Group
1st: Kim Massay Dance Productions-’Dance With You’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Threads That Blind’
3rd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Marquises’
Teen Group
1st: Next Step Dance-’A Women Left Lonely’
2nd: The Rock Center for Dance-’Hey!’
3rd: Kim Massay Dance Productions-’Put A Spell On You’
Senior Group
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’A Human, A Light’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Manic’
3rd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Completely Gone’
NUbie Line
1st: Next Step Dance-’Boy From New York City’
Mini Line
1st: Next Step Dance-’Sweet Dreams’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Spring’
3rd: Next Step Dance-’The Chain’
Junior Line
1st: Next Step Dance-’Vogue’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’On Your Radio’
2nd:Next Step Dance-’Opening’
3rd: Next Step Dance-’I’ll Be There’
3rd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Salute’
Teen Line
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Where Is My Body’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Tarentella’
3rd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Invocation of Lust’
Senior Line
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Devour’
Mini Extended Line
1st: Next Step Dance-’Runaway Baby’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Footloose’
Junior Extended Line
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Don’t Stop Me’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Respect’
Teen Extended Line
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’American Pie’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Distortion’
3rd: Next Step Dance-’#FreeBritney’
3rd: Next Step Dance-’It’s All So Incredibly Loud’
Senior Extended Line
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Hotel California’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Sexy Crazy’
Mini Production
1st: Dance Industry Performing Arts Center-’Cool Rider’
Junior Production
1st: Next Step Dance-’Let It Cook’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Flatline’
3rd: Next Step Dance-’Everlasting Love’
Teen Production
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Goodnight’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Overture in A’
Senior Production
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Crunk’
High Score by Performance Division:
NUbie Tap
Next Step Dance-’Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’
NUbie Hip-Hop
Next Step Dance-’Milly Rock’
NUbie Jazz
Next Step Dance-’Boy From New York City’
NUbie Lyrical
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Gypsy’
Mini Lyrical
1st: Next Step Dance-’Sweet Dreams’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’We’ve Got Aways To Go’
3rd: The Dance Movement-’Wings’
Mini Ballroom
1st: Next Step Dance-’Runaway Baby’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Ain’t Your Mama’
Mini Tap
1st: Next Step Dance-’Charlie’s Angels’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Weird Science’
Mini Jazz
1st: Next Step Dance-’Knock On Wood’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Boy Meets Girl’
3rd: The Dance Movement-’#Hashtag’
Mini Contemporary
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Strings’
1st: Next Step Dance-’The Chain’
Mini Ballet
1st: Next Step Dance-’Spring’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’The Ladies of the Wild West’
Mini Specialty
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’The Stepford Wives’
Mini Musical Theatre
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Footloose’
Junior Musical Theatre
Paragon Dance-’The Internet Is Down, A Musical’
Junior Jazz
1st: Next Step Dance-’Vogue’
2nd: Kim Massay Dance Productions-’Dance With You’
3rd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’On Your Radio’
Junior Contemporary
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Threads That Blind’
2nd: Paragon Dance-’My Life Is A Song’
3rd: The Dance Movement-’Don’t Give Up On Me’
Junior Tap
1st: Next Step Dance-’I’ll Be There’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Sunny Side of the Street’
3rd: The Dance Movement-’Shine’
Junior Ballet
1st: Next Step Dance-’Opening’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Salute’
3rd: The Dance Movement-’In Time’
Junior Specialty
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Marquises’
Junior Lyrical
Next Step Dance-’Free As A Bird’
Junior Ballroom
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Don’t Stop Me’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Respect’
Junior Hip-Hop
1st: Next Step Dance-’Let It Cook’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Flatline’
Teen Contemporary
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Goodnight’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’A Women Left Lonely’
3rd: The Rock Center for Dance-’Hey!’
Teen Jazz
1st: Kim Massay Dance Productions-’Put A Spell On You’
1st: Next Step Dance-’Technologic’
2nd: The Dance Movement-’Cola’
3rd: The Dance Movement-’Thule’
Teen Ballet
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Overture in A’
2nd: Next Step Dance-’Tarentella’
3rd: Downtown Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’An American In Paris’
Teen Hip-Hop
1st: Next Step Dance-’#FreeBritney’
2nd: The Dance Movement-’Wow’
3rd: Contemporary Ballet Dallas-’Speed It Up: The Beginning’
Teen Tap
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’American Pie’
2nd: The Dance Movement-’I Feel Good’
Teen Ballroom
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Distortion’
Teen Musical Theatre
Next Step Dance-’All That Jazz’
Senior Ballet
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Completely Gone’
2nd: Next Step Dances-’Fratres’
Senior Contemporary
1st: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’A Human, A Light’
2nd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Hotel California’
3rd: Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Devour’
Senior Tap
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Manic’
Senior Lyrical
Dance Industry Performing Arts Center-’Yesterday’
Senior Ballroom
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Sexy Crazy’
Senior Jazz
Dance Industry Performing Arts Center-’Like A Boy’
Senior Hip-Hop
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Crunk’
Best NU Groups:
NUbie
Next Step Dance-’Milly Rock’
Mini
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Strings’
Next Step Dance-’Sweet Dreams’
Junior
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’Flatline’
Kim Massay Dance Productions-’Dance With You’
Next Step Dance-’Vogue’
Teen
The Rock Center for Dance-’Hey!’
Kim Massay Dance Productions-’Put A Spell On You’
Next Step Dance-’A Women Left Lonely’
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’American Pie’
Senior
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’A Human, A Light’
Next Step Dances-’Fratres’
Studio Pick:
The Dance Movement-’Gemini’
Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre-’A Human, A Light’
Next Step Dance-’A Women Left Lonely’
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This Year I Want You Alone
is this a request? idk, bella said, back in may, #please PLEASE write the. sequel. th e reunion to this quarantine malum, so I put ho ho hopefully on a loop and wrote this
Together. It was the only thing that made sense. Maybe not logically, definitely not practically, but what was Christmas if not a time to follow your heart?
Calum’s parents had been perfectly understanding, but the law was harder to get around. Australia was being strict about not letting people out of the country unless absolutely necessary, so Calum had to work with their manager back in the states to secretly come up with a reason for him to leave. They came up with a plan, got him a plane ticket and a piece of paper saying he was needed stateside for work, and Calum packed up all his things to fly back home. It felt strange to think of it that way, when he was leaving his parents and his bedroom and everything he knew to fly back to a house he hadn’t touched in the better part of a year.
Calum, for all his plotting and planning, didn’t know what he was going to do once he got to California. Technically he was supposed to isolate for two weeks, but Michael was living alone and Calum wasn’t planning on stopping by his own house since he already had half his belongings packed up with him. He was getting antsy with every hour that passed. Michael had sent him pictures two days after Halloween of the first bits of tinsel he’d started hanging up, and then every few days he’d send updates of new decorations. The last picture was of an ornament that had clearly been made in primary school. It was one of the glue-and-craft-sticks things that everyone had made in art class. Calum could remember when Michael had made it. They had been instructed to draw a picture of their families on the front but Michael drew an extra person and insisted it was Calum. If Calum hadn’t already decided to fly home, that picture would have made the decision for him.
It was eerie to say the least, walking through an airport full of closed storefronts and almost no people. The flight from Auckland to LA was running 10 minutes late, and Calum knew that wasn’t late enough to be worried about, especially since Michael didn’t know what he was doing, but he wanted to be home as fast as he could be. Michael had gotten better about talking to Calum instead of closing in on himself when isolation got to be too much, and now that restrictions were lighter in LA he was seeing more of Luke and Ashton which helped. Michael had gone from self-deprecation to escapism, and whenever they spoke he would talk about what they would be doing if they were together: decorating the tree, kissing under mistletoe – Michael didn’t have any, but he insisted he would buy some if Calum was there – driving out to the mountains where it’s snowy, because Christmas in LA felt too much like Sydney sometimes with the heat. Calum didn’t care much what they did when he got there, he just knew they had to be together.
It wasn’t miraculously snowing in LA, and it took as long as ever to go through customs. He got a ride to Michael’s house and shoved his mask into his pocket as he walked up the path to the front door. He didn’t want to just walk in, even though he wouldn’t have hesitated before. He didn’t think for a moment that Michael wouldn’t want him there, but there was always a chance he wasn’t home, or that he wasn’t alone, and then what—
The door opened in front of Calum, his finger still hovering over the doorbell. Michael was staring at him, slack-jawed and uncharacteristically silent. There was music playing softly from somewhere inside.
“Surprise?” Calum said quietly. “Can I come in?”
Michael seemed to have found his voice at that exact moment. “Cal, what the fuck?” He launched out of the doorway to attach himself to Calum and hang on for life. “How did you get here? You didn’t tell me? Why were you ringing my doorbell like you don’t basically live here? What the fuck?” Calum laughed into Michael’s shoulder and squeezed tighter. It was like being alive again. “We should go inside.” Michael said eventually.
“I’m not stopping us,” Calum said. Michael let go of Calum long enough to pull his suitcases into the entryway.
“I thought Australia was still on lockdown, how did you get here?”
“Pulled some strings.”
Michael’s expression went from touched to cheeky in a flash. “It was the ornament, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was,” Calum said, pushing past Michael to the living room where the tree was set up. “I wanted it for my own tree, so if you’ll just hand it over, I’ll be going back.” Calum pretended to look for it until Michael joined him and wrapped his arms around Calum’s waist. “I didn’t want you to be alone for Christmas. I never want you to be alone. I want to be here with you.” Calum turned his head to see Michael’s eyes glittering with tears. Calum twisted around in Michael’s arms so they were facing each other and reached up to brush a drop off his cheek. “Sap.”
“Shut up. You’re sure you’d rather be here than with your family?”
“Of course. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Michael leaned forward and pressed his lips to Calum’s, feeling warm and familiar and finally home.
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Swerve X Reader – Changes - Chapter 5
Chapter 5 - I’m Sticking with You
A/N – Here it is to keep you all company in quarantine. Also, this reminds me of a fave song of mine: Honey by Bobby Goldsboro. As usual a special thank you to @rocksinmuffin for starting this off with the amazing prompts.
Warnings – Mentions of suicide and mnemosurgery.
Rating – T
Swerve sat at a table inside his hab-suite, holding a gun in his servo. It wasn’t fancy or large; it was little more than a pistol really, but it would do the job. He thought he’d feel something about his upcoming demise, but after spending all of his tears on you, there was nothing left to feel. Still, Swerve didn’t think he deserved a quick and painless death. That was why he was spending a short while re-watching his memories of you; it would help further twist the proverbial knife to cause a little extra pain.
“(Y/N), my dearest, my darling, my everything,” Swerve said to the paused memory that only he could see. “I always knew this day would come. I knew if we ever got together you would eventually learn that I was no good for you and that you would leave. Admittedly, I was being selfish when I married you. I hoped… I wish we could have had a bit longer together before you went away.”
He sighed, finding that he wasn’t out of tears for you as he previously thought he was. The coolant slipped unchecked down his cheek and Swerve continued his monologue, though his vocaliser was heavy with static as he did so.
“No matter what happens, or wherever I end up after this, I want you to know, I will always love you, even if you don’t love me anymore.”
With that, he played the memory he had been saving till last; it would be the last thing he saw before taking the fatal shot.
The memory was one of the many times that you had sang the Velvet Underground’s ‘I’m Sticking with You.’
Swerve’s frame shook with his final tears. He couldn’t keep his servos steady as he lifted the pistol.
‘Anything you want me too
I'll do anything for you
Oh, I'm sticking with you
Oh, I'm sticking with you
Oh, I'm sticking with you.’
The song drew to an end and Swerve closed his optics. He held the pistol barrel to his helm, vented air through his systems and put his finger over the trigger.
Ultra Magnus ran to the holding cell. Only minutes ago, he had made a check on the security cameras, which was where he saw Whirl unmoving in a pool of his own energon; if he had ever thought Whirl to be suicidal, he would never have sent him to solitary confinement.
Slamming his palm against the cell’s scanner, he opened the door. He scanned Whirl, finding him alive, barely. Rushing to his aid, Ultra Magnus applied pressure to the stab wound whilst calling Ratchet and Velocity for medical assistance.
Fortunately, while Ultra Magnus was doing all that he could to save Whirl, he didn’t miss the giant note on the cell wall. His optics widened in surprise and he sent out an all-bot-alert to find out who was the closest to Swerve’s room. It was Chromedome who responded first, with a general message of curiosity.
Ultra Magnus thanked Primus that he had go in touch with one of the bots who knew just how important a Conjunx Endurae was.
“Chromedome, you must take this message to Swerve immediately. (Y/N) did not leave him intentionally. An accident must have caused the Rod Pod to malfunction. He needs to know.”
“What are you going to do?” Chromedome responded, concerned for your safety as he had been since the moment you left.
Ultra Magnus didn’t mention his priority to Whirl. Instead he simply answered, “Organise a rescue party. Now tell Swerve. Go!”
That was around ten minutes before Swerve picked up the gun that could end his life.
You pressed a servo to a dent in your helm, already regretting the damage that had come to your new body. Fortunately, it was mostly just scraped paint, but you still felt the occasional twinge of pain from another bump elsewhere. Then again, you felt you could live with a bit of minor damage to your systems. After the Rod-Pod crash-landed on the alien planet, you knew your previous human body would have died upon impact.
Orienting yourself, you stood up, feeling nauseous when the ship lurched forward. You stood as still as you could, waiting to see if it would make any more sudden movements. When you thought it was safe, you walked across the ceiling of the upside-down ship to the control panel.
“Ship,” You called, hoping it might respond. “Rod-Pod? If I say I’m Rodimus will you wake up please?”
The ship didn’t respond. You had hoped it might at least send out a warning or an error code or something, but it seemed completely destroyed. You didn’t even think there was any power left in it since the screen and lights were off.
You remained perfectly calm as you kicked at the ship’s entrance, taking a few goes before it broke open. You stumbled out into a desert comprised of fine white sand wherever you looked.
“Great, I couldn’t have landed in a city or near a town. No, I had to land on fucking Tatooine.”
‘Ugh,’ You thought dismally, ‘More like discount Tatooine. At least real Tatooine had some buildings…somewhere.’
Still, you were Cybertronian now. Maybe somewhere in your brain was instructions to repair the Rod-Pod. You looked at the crashed ship, noting for the first time that the exterior was on fire. There was no way in hell you were repairing that.
Trying to hold onto your previous sense of serenity, you thought about how Whirl had taught you to bring your optics online during your previous panic attack. If making a call was anything like that, maybe you could call Swerve. You hoped you could. Not only were you in need of rescue from the desert planet, you also needed him to know you were sorry, that you still loved him, and most importantly, that you would get back to him, no matter what.
“If Marlin the fish can get his son from a dentist in Sydney, I can do this. Uh, body, call Swerve,” You commanded.
Nothing happened.
“Please, call Swerve?”
You closed your optics and pictured your old communicator as well as Swerve’s face. ‘Please… I need him. Please don’t cut him out of my life.’
You grew both frustrated and upset when several more attempts at calling your husband didn’t work. What if it was the dent in your head causing interference? Or maybe you were too far away from Swerve for anything to happen? Was that possible? You had never thought to ask Swerve how his body worked; it had simply never come up in casual conversation. Suddenly a truly dreadful thought hit you. What if word of your departure had reached him already? He wouldn’t think you had left him, would he? He wasn’t the most stable bot at the best of times, and you knew the way his separation anxiety and fears of being inadequate could course him to self-destruct.
“CALL SWERVE!” You screamed at yourself, fearing for his well-being. “NOW! I- I need to know that he’s safe. Please…” You fell to your knees, crying and holding your head in your servos, “Please, call Swerve.”
Once again you were left with nothing but the deafening silence that surrounded you on the barren planet, but you weren’t ready to give up. At least, you thought you weren’t until you heard the rumbling of engines. Looking to the horizon, you saw five vehicles that looked like quad-bikes in the distance, the riders of which were hidden under white body armour.
Venting air through your systems in a manner that simultaneously soothed you and freaked you out, you decided to take a long walk away from the Rod-Pod. You had heard tales of the scavengers that lived on barren planets. They had probably been travelling since you crashed, hoping to steal whatever was left over from the ship. Yet, as you moved further to the left, so did the bikes. You continued moving further away from the Rod-Pod, but the bikes changed course to match yours. You prayed that they were coming to your aid, yet as they got closer, you saw the giant crossbows come up from the vehicles subspaces.
If you were still human you would have broken into a sweat. As a Cybertronian you couldn’t do that, but you still had your fight and flight response to work with. You ran. Every so often, you would risk a look behind you, hoping that you would be able to scan one of the vehicles and transform. As with your earlier attempts to call Swerve, nothing happened when you tried to transform. The only thing you did find from occasionally looking back was that the organics chasing you weren’t actually wearing white body armour; they were the armour, so to speak. You supposed it had to be some kind of exoskeleton, stretched over long bony limbs that stuck hideously outwards.
You kept on running, putting all the power in your new legs into fleeing the monstrous organics. What had started off as the Star Wars experience had quickly turned into a bad remake of Mad Max: Fury Road.
You wished that having a Cybertronian body could have been as easy as having a human body, but apparently without instructions or a mentor, you were useless. You couldn’t call for help, you couldn’t transform, and worst of all, you couldn’t outrun your hunters. That much became clear as you saw them gaining in your peripheral view. What you didn’t see was the two quadbikes behind you aiming their crossbows for your arms, though you soon felt it. Screaming in pain, you fell to your knees.
Although it was probably futile, you fought the waves of searing hot pain, forcing yourself back up and facing off against your eerily silent attackers. You pulled against the barbed hook in your left arm, trying to remove it. However, no amount of brute strength could save you from the electrical charge that both crossbow bolts emitted, coursing through your systems to temporarily shut them down. This time, when you fell to the ground, you didn’t get back up, and the raiders were free to claim you as their prize.
Chromedome pelted down the hallway, making his way to Swerve to tell him the partially good news. He couldn’t wait to see Swerve’s face when he told him that you hadn’t left him and it was only going to be a matter of tracking the Rod-Pod’s trajectory to find you and bring you home to him.
Without even bothering to knock, Chromedome burst into Swerve’s hab-suite, shocked to find Swerve holding a gun to his own helm. As quickly as he had entered the room, Chromedome wrestled Swerve to the table, which wasn’t too difficult considering how much smaller Swerve was compared to Chromedome.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Chromedome yelled in a panic.
“GET OFF ME!” Swerve cried out in a mix of anger and pleading. “I NEED TO DO THIS!”
“NO, YOU DON’T. YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT (Y/N).”
“DON’T! Don’t Mention her name please,” Swerve voice fell to a whisper and he stopped struggling against Chromedome, though he still reached for the gun which was only a short way from his grasp. “I failed her, Chromedome. I failed her and she hates me. My wife… My wife hates me.”
Chromedome had been to the emotional prison that Swerve was trapped in many times before. He had lost count of the amount of times that he had visited relinquishment clinics on Cybertron, preparing for the day he might snuff out his own spark. He knew from those experiences that Swerve wouldn’t just believe him if he told the truth about you. Instead, Swerve would think it was all an elaborate lie to stop him from ending his life. That left Chromedome with the problem of what to do.
Without thinking about it, Chromedome held Swerve down more firmly, releasing his mnemosurgery needles from the tips of his fingers. He told himself he was doing this for Swerve. After all, he was only planning to remove the memories of your departure until Swerve was in a safe place for him to explain everything. If Rewind was there, he would have told Chromedome that he was only doing it for himself, and that mnemosurgery was both addictive and evil; Primus knew they had had the argument enough times in the past, but if Rewind wasn’t around to see it, then it didn’t matter if Chromedome fell back into old habits and performed one tiny memory rewrite, did it?
“What are you doing?” Swerve asked, feeling the panic rise inside him. He began struggling again, babbling as he did so, “Chromedome, did I hear a shunk? I distinctly heard a shunk. Was that your needles? You can’t rewrite my memories. I don’t deserve to live for what I’ve done. CHROMEDOME, I MEAN IT! DON’T YOU DARE CHANGE ME! DON’T YOU DARE!”
“Shhh,” Chromedome hushed the mini-bot in a tone that was supposed to be comforting but sounded only menacing to Swerve. “It’s all going to be all right. In a few minutes, it will all be over.”
There was a quiet knock at the door, followed by Rung’s soft voice, “Swerve, are you in there?”
Chromedome cursed and covered Swerve’s mouth. Seeing the needles that were to wipe his memories only made Swerve panic more, and he was afraid that he might purge his tanks, even if his mouth his covered.
Rung continued speaking, used to being met by the silence of his patients when they had been through something traumatic, “I was just finished with work today and I thought you might like some company.”
Throwing his head from side-to-side rapidly, Swerve managed to shake Chromedome’s servo loose, “HELP! HE’S GONNA RE-WRITE-”
Chromedome pushed Swerve’s helm into the table, and whispered in his audial-receptor, “I’m helping you, idiot.”
But it was too late for Chromedome, Rung had heard enough in that cry for help and had used his all-access pass to enter the hab-suite. He took everything in, made a note to work with Chromedome to save him from his mnemosurgery surgery addiction, and called security all in the space of under a minute. For now, Swerve was safe and alive, though Swerve knew it wouldn’t be long before his second attempt to journey to the afterspark.
You woke up in a metal cell and you didn’t have to touch the bars to know they were electrified; evidently, you new body had better hearing than your previous one, allowing you to hear the hum of a strong electrical current. You wondered whether you should call for a guard to see what they were going to do with you, but what was the point? You would probably find out soon enough anyway.
Sitting up in the corner of the cell, you examined the damage to your arms. You had always thought that Cybertronians didn’t feel much pain compared to humans, but evidently you were wrong. The only difference between the two species was how resilient Cybertronians were. Whoever your kidnappers were, they knew how to get past Cybertronian resistances.
You heaved a sigh and winced as you put your arms down. You thought about trying to call Swerve again but decided against it. He was probably trying to call you, and if he couldn’t do it then you had to be too far away.
‘Swerve…’ You thought of him and all the ways he made you happy. Being without him since the first time you were married only made you morose as you sat with nothing but the hum of the fence to keep you company.
This could be the last night of your life before it came to an untimely end. With that in mind, you thought of Swerve and started to sing.
“I'm sticking with you,
Cause I'm made out of glue.
Anything that you might do,
I'm gonna do too.”
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#swerve#swerve x reader#swerve x human reader#ll#lost light#The Lost Light#MTMTE#Transformers MTMTE#transformers#tf#maccadam#idw#chapter 5#changes#reader#reader insert#fanfiction#fanfic#suicide mention#im sticking with you#I'm sticking with you
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RHAENYS & DAENERYS
RHAENYS knew that her next door neighbor was a TARGARYEN. if the other woman’s flowing silver hair did not give her background away, then her DRAGONS did. the sight of their miraculous wings might have seemed monstrous--- or unbelievable--- to someone who had never known DRAGONS to be real, but rhaenys herself was not included among those people. in her time, the mythical creatures were as real as the lions that stalked grasses, and the wolves that circled forests. aegon and visenya had their own, but neither of her siblings rode the beasts as frequently as rhaenys did. it was as if she, too, was meant to TAKE FLIGHT--- it was as if the human female herself was meant to have sprouted her own wings, but came to need to rely upon MERAXES instead. she would have viewed it as a profound injustice--- but she loved her dragon too much to escalate the conflict to such a height.
after she’d moved into her new waterfront property, rhaenys learned that meraxes arrived to sydney, too. her abilities had dulled considerably--- but she still FLEW--- strong and proud as she remembered her. and gods, rhaenys could not wait to RIDE HER again. to feel her massive weight beneath her daintier muscles. to command her, at the same time that she LOVED her. as horrible as the woman felt to admit it, she missed the feel of her dragon more than she mourned the loss of her son’s sickly form between her arms. although she ached to have AENYS returned to her, too. her emotions on these matters did not need to constitute COMPETITION, in her eyes. as the other silver-haired, blood of the dragon emerged from her own home, during the early hours of that morning, rhaenys greeted her with a curious smile. she was stood as CLOSE to daenerys’ property as she could to still be considered respectable--- as if she had been WAITING for her. and in truth, she had been. “so....” rhaenys began, her smile stretching as daenerys drew within earshot. “WHICH ONE are you?” she asked vaguely, at first, before she clarified. “you’re a TARGARYEN, right? i mean.... you must be. with purple eyes, silver hair. that rocking body.” rhaenys hardly waited for dany’s ANSWER, before she proceeded to speak again. “and who’s the HUNK?” she asked with an upturn of her silver brow. “i saw him leave this morning,” she explained, with a nod of approval. “well done, woman of my blood....” she said in exaggeration. “WELL DONE.”
@goldenghosts
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Unsaid - Joeck FanFiction
(This is purely fictitious and means no harm to irl people)
The first big group trip in a while was upon them. The mates, Josh, Caspar, and Oli had planned a trip to Sydney, Australia for some much needed down time with all vlogging equipment away. Their partners included, the mates also invited Joe and Dianne on the trip. Unknown to Joe, they also invited Jack, who wasn’t told of Joe and Dianne either.
Everyone knew something had gone down between the two of them, even if Joe and Jack never actually said what. Caspar and Josh had noticed the sudden change when Joe told them about Dianne. Suddenly, Joe had a girlfriend and Jack was nowhere to be seen. Busy schedules were blamed whenever one of them brought it up to Joe or Jack, but they weren’t even talking anymore.
So comes the plan to get both Joe and Jack on the trip, forcing them to interact. It sounded like a solid plan to Caspar and Josh. The boys would hash out any problems, maybe some heated words, but ultimately get back to good ole friendship.
When the morning came to head to the airport, Josh and his girlfriend, Oli and his girlfriend, and Jack would take an earlier flight than Caspar, his girlfriend, and Joe and Dianne. That way, Joe or Jack couldn’t back out right before take-off. It was hard keeping the secret on the very long flight to Sydney. Josh accidentally mentioned Joe and Dianne during a conversation with Jack.
“Well, Joe said the parasailing was sick so we’ll probably give it a go again,” Josh said.
Jack looked at him, “Joe?”
Josh quickly tried to correct himself, “Yea, joe said when he was in Sydney, he loved parasailing the coast. He told me to check it out myself,” he said.
Jack bought the lie and turned back to his movie, “Oh, ok. We should do it then,” he put his headphones back on.
Josh returned to his own show and slowed his heart rate back down. He pulled out his phone and told Caspar what had just happened.
Mate I almost f@cked up big time! I mentioned Joe and Jack got weird.
Dude! I asked about Jack and Joe clammed up again.
WTF is going on with them???
We’ll Find out soon bro
They made it to the mansion without any problems. Everyone drew papers for which rooms were there’s. Josh drew for Caspar and made sure there was one room left for Joe. Jack managed to pull a decent room this time. He went up the stairs to put his things down and change out of his flying gear. After changing, he walked out onto his own private balcony that overlooked the massive pool in their back garden. The mansion was placed on a hillside with Sydney and the afternoon sun stretching out before them. Jack loved these trips when the views were once in a lifetime. He heard noise and looked down at the pool. Josh, Oli, and their girlfriends were already trying it out.
“Jack! C’mon! Pool time buddy!” Caspar called up to him.
“Yea, man!” Jack yelled back and went to change.
His tan wasn’t worthy of being called a tan so he did a quick dip in the pool then lounged himself in the sun with his shorts pulled up. Josh and Oli played some water jousting with their girlfriends on their shoulders holding pool noodles. Jack peeked at them a few times, noticing the ease each of them had with the other. He turned his head away and soon felt himself drifting off.
“Heyoooo!” A voice came from the backdoors.
Jack’s eyes shot open. He hoped what he heard was in his head and not reality, but a second later he got his answer.
“Josh, get your toosh out the pool and show us where our rooms are!” Joe started walking towards the pool. Josh rocketed out of the water and rammed himself into Joe before he could get far enough to see Jack in his lounge chair staying stone still.
“Hey mate! Of course, I’ll show you and Caspar and company to your rooms,” Josh laughed as Joe pulled his damp shirt away from his torso. He led them back into the house and up the stairs.
Jack was still stuck in a waking nightmare and couldn’t bring himself to move. Oli noticed that Jacks eyes were wide open and waded over to the edge of the pool.
“Jack? You alright, man?” Oli said.
Jack blinked a few times then sat himself up and slid his legs to one side, placing them on the hot concrete, “Why didn’t anyone tell me Joe and Dianne were coming?”
“Well, Jack mate, we knew you’d back out if we told you,” Oli said, “Maybe you two can talk now. Get through your issues.”
Jack stood up and went for the backdoor to find a better hiding place or better yet, call a taxi to take him back to the airport.
Joe and Dianne were walking around their room which happened to be right beside Jack’s but much smaller. Joe went to the windows and looked down. He watched a glistening Jack get up and walk inside. His ears caught the far off sound of the backdoors slamming shut.
Without turning from the windows, Joe spoke in a hushed tone, “Jack’s here,” he said.
“Oh yea, he is. I must’ve forgotten to mention it,” Josh said. He rubbed his back to relieve the tension. Him and Caspar exchanged worried expressions.
Joe asked Josh and Caspar to give him and Dianne some privacy for a moment, so they left the room. Joe closed and locked the door behind them. Josh and Caspar rushed back down stairs and out to the pool, but Jack was gone.
“Where’d he go?!” Caspar yelled at Oli.
“He went back inside the house. I think I saw him run for your side of the house,” Oli said.
Josh ran back inside and went to his room. The door was locked.
He held his ear to the door and heard jack’s voice, “Jack? What are you doing in my room with the door locked dude?”
Jack stopped talking and opened the door, “I’m hiding and calling a taxi. I’m going back,” he said as he continued to pace and give details to a taxi service.
Caspar came in behind Josh and watched Jack pacing, “You’re not flying all the way back to England an hour after you got here, Jack,” Caspar came closer to him.
“Yes, I am,” Jack held the phone away from his ear. Hold music played, “You don’t know what happened and making us ‘work it out’ by forcing us together was a stupid bloody plan.”
Josh motioned to Caspar to leave the room and they went back into the hallway.
“We can’t let him leave,” Caspar said.
“Should we tell Joe what Jack’s doing then?”
Caspar sighed heavily, “We don’t even know what’s going on with him and Dianne right now.”
“Well, I’m going back up there and telling him about Jack,” Josh said.
He took the stairs two at a time and stopped in front of Joe and Dianne’s still locked door. He could hear Joe arguing with Dianne. Josh thought he heard Joe say they needed to leave.
Josh knocked loudly, “Joe? Mate, I need to talk to you.”
He heard them rush through some more arguing before the door finally opened up and Joe looked at him with anger and annoyance plastered to his face.
“What do you want, Josh?”
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but I need to talk to you,” Josh looked to Dianne, “alone, if that’s alright.”
Dianne shrugged and left the room. Josh closed the door and turned back to Joe already getting his things back together.
“What the hell happened that you and Jack would rather take 22 hour flights back to England than be in the same room?” Josh said.
“Look, it’s really complicated and can’t be fixed over one trip to Australia,” Joe put a hand through his hair, “Dianne won’t let me leave though,” he braced himself on the back of a chair with his head hanging down.
“Joe, Jack’s already booking his way back. I think you need to have a talk with him before he finally gets a taxi to drive all the way out here,” Josh said.
Joe didn’t move fore several seconds, then breathed in deep and walked for the door.
Jack had been on hold since the boys found him trying to leave. His bare feet had made a light path in the carpet. It was getting cold in the room with the sun setting fast and he was still in just his swim trunks. The hold music was some kind of cheesy jazz lounge music. He finally stopped pacing and looked out of the window and down at the city he would hopefully be leaving in a couple hours. Through the loud saxophone and piano in his ear, Jack heard his name. He didn’t turn around.
“Jack,” the voice said again, louder.
Jack removed the phone from his ear and cancelled the call.
“How’ve you been, mate? Joe walked in further. Behind him, Josh and Caspar sneakily closed the door and went to busy Dianne and the rest of the crew to give Joe and Jack time.
Jack didn’t want to turn around, “Alright...you?” he said.
“Yea, good. Just finished doing the tour with Di.”
“Oh, cool. Bet that was fun,” Jack mumbled.
“Jack, would you just turn around.”
Jack obliged slowly and moved his eyes to the carpet just in front of Joe’s feet.
“Now look at me,” Joe said a little softer.
Jack trailed Joe’s body all the way up. He noticed Joe had more muscles and a darker color to him. He looked good, Happy. Until Jack met his tormented blue eyes.
The words came before he knew what he was saying, “I can’t be here with you and Dianne.”
“Why?”
Jack moved closer, “You know why. You know what you did, Joe.”
“We never said anything about what we were. How was I supposed to know how you really felt if you didn’t tell me?” Joe said.
“I thought the last night we were together was a good teller.”
“I didn’t plan my feelings for Dianne,” he said,”And when you didn’t give me a reason to stay....I guess I let it go.”
Jack moved to within inches of Joe’s face, “I called you. I went to your dances and stood after every one. I was there, but you ignored me,” Jack’s voice was damaged, angered, “you stopped answering and then told everyone about your new girlfriend. what was I supposed to do then?”
Joe moved away and put his back to Jack, “Maybe I just wasn’t ready to go there,” he turned back, “You’re the first guy and maybe I wasn’t ready. And maybe you were. It’s just poor timing,” Joe said.
Jack gave a sarcastic laugh and moved back to the other side of the room. Joe watched him shuffle around with his hands on his hips.
“Maybe you’ll always be too scared to tell everyone, but it’s 2019. Does Dianne not even know?” Jack shot back.
“There’s nothing to tell, Jack. We had a thing and now it’s over,” Joe said.
Jack went to him again, “Nothing? You’re calling months of sneaking off from our friends and secret hotel rooms nothing? You’re saying it was all just a fun bi-curious game for you?”
Joe moved back a step, “Yea, that’s all it was,” he swallowed.
“So...this,” Jack brushed his fingers down Joe’s torso, “this has no effect on you anymore?” He whispered.
Joe stopped breathing and let Jack’s hand fall all they way down to his hip before pushing Jack away, “you can’t do that anymore. I’m with Dianne. I have real feelings for her,” he said, “I’m not giving that up just because you got attached.” He walked towards the door.
“Attached? you’re the one who can’t let go! Why don’t we just see what the mates think about it, huh?” Jack pushed past Joe and ran for the backdoor where he could hear laughing and splashing. He arrived at the side of the pool a little out of breath and with Joe right behind him.
“Hey! I have an announcement to make!” Everyone stopped and stared at Jack and the crazy expression on his face, “All of you have no idea what’s been going on with Joe and myself, but tried to help us ‘fix it’ by getting us far away from home together,” Jack caught his breath and looked back at Joe. He looked dangerously angry, but his eyes held the most fear Jack had ever seen. He turned back to their friends, “Well, I’m happy to reveal...I’ll be leaving on the next flight back to London. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.” He moved past Joe and back into the house, up the stairs and into his room. For a moment he felt a very big weight lift from his body. Then, he fell onto his knees and started crying. He held his head between his hands and bent over, swallowing every breath in a sob.
Joe looked at the shock and confusion spread across his friends faces. He rubbed his head and shrugged, “Some things can’t be fixed so easily, but nice try mates,” Joe said with no humor in his voice. He went back inside, leaving everyone to mumble to themselves about what just happened. Joe was stood in the kitchen taking deep breaths when he heard a loud thud and agonizing broken sobs bleed through the ceiling. He rushed up the stairs and into Jack’s room to find him folded in on himself struggling to breathe.
“What the hell happened? Did you hit something?” Joe asked, coming over next to Jack.
Jack jumped up and away from him into a corner, “You happened! You let me think you felt things for me and then you ripped it all away!” he choked on his tears, “You can’t even admit you felt anything at all. I...I thought...” Jack cried.
“What?” Joe asked, moving closer to him like Jack was a scared animal.
Jack stilled himself and looked into Joe’s eyes, “I can’t believe I thought I was falling in love with you,” he said. He shook his head and shoved Joe out of the way to the door. He stopped short when he saw Josh standing in the doorway. Caspar, Oli, and the girls right behind him listening in.
“Jack. Jack!” Joe called after Jack rushing past everyone.
Dianne stopped Joe in the hallway, “Was that true? Did you have a thing with him?” Her tone wasn’t demanding, but curious and worried.
Joe rubbed her shoulder, “I’ll find you later. I’ve gotta sort this out,” he kissed her cheek quickly and went after Jack.
Joe found him walking down the road in only his swim trunks. The deep sunset cast everything in otherworldly elongated shadows. Jack’s pre-bleached hair caught the falling rays, making a light halo appear over his head.
Joe jogged to catch up with him, “You’re not leaving until we talk about what you said, Jack,” Joe said.
“Why? A few minutes ago, you wanted to leave too,” Jack said.
“I did, until you said you loved me.”
“I said I was falling in love with you, not that I was,” he mumbled.
“And the difference is?” Joe said and turned him around, “Point is you were getting really serious feelings and I trudged all over them,” he put his hand on Jack’s shoulder, “I should’ve come to you. I should’ve asked you how you really felt.”
“And I should’ve told you,” Jack said.
Joe pulled him into a hug. Their chests pressing tighter together with each breath. Jack rest his chin in the nape of Joe’s neck, breathing him in.
“Everyone knows about us now,” Jack whispered.
“Technically, they know you fell in love with me, not what I felt,” Joe teased, then looked at Jack’s still broken face and sighed, “We’ll explain what happened when we get back to the house. I’ll tell them.”
They returned to their embrace for a few more moments before breaking away and heading for the house. After a few paces, Jack stopped. Joe kept walking until he noticed and turned back to him.
“How did you feel?” jack asked.
joe walked back to him, “I...I think I was getting there,” he shrugged, “but it didn’t feel like real life to me. Like I could see how much you cared and it felt like a dream,” he lowered his head.
“So, you just...woke up,” Jack said.
“I didn’t think I could stay in that dream. I didn’t know I could’ve made it real.”
They looked at each other, the ghosts of their feelings mirrored in each of their faces.
“I’m so sorry, Jack,” joe finally said.
“Me too.”
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Muslim Australians found to suffer the 'most disturbing' experiences in public among all faiths
ABC RIVERLAND SOWAIBAH HANIFIE
A four-year study into faith communities in Australia and the UK has found Muslims experience acts of violence on an individual basis like no other religious adherents, leading to calls for better early education in religious awareness.
Key points:
The Interfaith Childhoods project has already spoken to 340 people from religious communities in six cities across Australia, Great Britain
The lead researcher has found difficulties of religious life in Australia is felt most strongly by Muslim women
The study will form the basis of a large-scale public art program discussing social values in relation to different faiths in young children
In the midst of conducting her research, RMIT University's Professor Anna Hickey-Moody said she was disturbed when she heard the experiences of Muslim Australians, prompting her to lead the call.
"The mosque [where] I spent most of the week in Adelaide has had young men, white men, driving around the mosque in a car with the windows rolled down pretending to shoot it. I mean, that's terrifying," she said.
"No other religion has [had its adherents] experience acts of violence on an individual basis … but this has been consistent in Australia with the Muslim research participants."
Since 2016, 340 people from religious communities have been interviewed in six cities across Australia and Great Britain for the Interfaith Childhoods project.
They included lower socio-economic communities in Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, London and Manchester.
Professor Hickey-Moody brought together children and their parents, asking the children to create art about their identities and then interviewing their parents in-depth about their experiences of living in Australia.
Ending in 2020 and funded by the Australian Research Council, it will be the first Australian study to create a large-scale public art program discussing social values in relation to different faiths in young children.
"One child in south-east London drew a globe where he pinned where he began, as in where he was born in Somalia, and then the flight around the world and the different places where he's been and where he ended up. It was his story of home," Professor Hickey-Moody said.
But it was when she interviewed the parents, particularly the Muslim women, when she heard the full extent of difficulties of religious life in Australia.
"One of the mums was telling a story about a someone driving past and rolling down the window and pretending to shoot her with their fingers like a gun, and I had a feeling of disbelief about the violence of that act," she said
"She was talking about how complicated that is to experience as a mother. She wants her daughter to have a religious life, but she's also scared to teach her daughter a way of life that might allow her to be vulnerable.
"One story that stuck in my head … [a woman] and her sister were in town in Adelaide and they saw an older woman that was struggling with her walking frame and they went to try and help her because they realised she wasn't going to make it across the lights.
"When they got to the walking frame to try and help her, she looked at them with this visceral hate and said 'get your hands of me you bitches, I'm just coming for you, I'm coming to tell you to get back where you came from'.
"Her sister burst into tears because she was so shocked, and she [the older woman] burst into laughter."
Adelaide seen to be the most unaccepting city
Across all of the cities involved in the project, the researchers found stories from Adelaide to be the most distressing.
"It has a less multicultural community, it's a less international community, and I think there's not the kind of cosmopolitan consciousness that requires understanding social difference," Professor Hickey-Moody said.
One Muslim woman in the Adelaide focus group burst into tears as she recalled the moment another women came right up to her face and yelled at her to "get out of here".
Another Adelaide woman said her son was on the bus when two men hopped on and said "let's slay them all" as they drove passed the local mosque.
Dr Samia Al Haque has been living in Adelaide for the past six years, and while most of her life there was free of racism there was an incident she could not forget when she went to take her English literacy test.
"One of the men [doing identity checks] commented on how I dressed," she said.
"He said [rudely] 'I don't understand why you Muslim women dress like this'. I was actually wearing a formal dress with a cardigan on top.
"It really disturbed me. I could feel my ears go red and my face flushing. I did cry later on, after I came home."
Dr Al Haque escalated the incident, was refunded her money and received a written, formal apology.
Rahmotollah Ahmadi moved to Tasmania when his refugee family were accepted into Australia.
He said he and his wife were verbally abused several times while walking, and his friends had been egged on a different day.
"It's very sad and depressing. They told us before we came to Australia [that] you are free to follow any religion. It's your right," Mr Ahmadi said.
Push for religious awareness education
As part of the project, Professor Anna Hickey-Moody will be leading the design of primary school education packs to teach students about different faiths with hopes it could reduce racism and religious vilification in future generations.
But she said she was finding that there were fewer primary schools than she expected willing to support the project.
"[The schools are] saying, for example, 'We already do work around multiculturalism for the council. We don't need to do anymore work around multiculturalism'," she said.
Intercultural studies was currently a capability included in the Australian curriculum, with states and territories given discretion to implement their version of the curriculum and schools permitted to make changes.
In New South and Victoria, there is push by groups like the Australian Education Union (EDU) to stamp out any form of religious education.
In statement to the ABC, AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe said religious education was not the answer to addressing racism and multiculturalism.
"Public schools already have a curriculum in place to address racism, and our teachers take great care in educating public school students about issues relating to racism, multiculturalism, diversity and tolerance," she said.
"Our public schools are secular in nature in which formal religious education has no place whatsoever."
The Australia Primary Principals Association president Malcolm Elliot was confident most schools had some form of intercultural education, but it was worth discussing if it was adequate.
He said schools had a big role to play when correcting stereotypes, but it was also a whole-of-society issue to address.
"There's a difference between feeling something has been given appropriate credence, or weight, in a school because it's listed on a page and half an hour week is dedicated [to it]," Mr Elliot said.
"But how important is half an hour a week? Or is it better to be integrated into learning and understanding how Australian society works? These are questions schools face all the time.
"In the Australian context, because we are such a multicultural society, there's no question about it — schools can't be ignoring these questions of intercultural understanding."
Personally I have also been threatened, swore at and discrimated against.
The irony is that those who profess to hate Islam, for the way it's followers treat women, are those that threaten, abuse and frighten Islamic women.
#discrimination#islam#islamophobia#violence against women#muslimah#muslims#abuse#education#multiculturism#multiculturalism
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Blue Christmas
Requested: nope
Summary: sad Christmas stuff that ends up happy
TW: Ashton's contains unspecified family drama, Cal’s lonely and cashton is real, Luke's mentions infertility, and Mikey's has S.A.D.
Tags: @cal-pal-cuddles
Ashton: Dating Ashton, Loving Ashton was everything you had ever wanted and more. The man had the softest soul and kindest eyes and warmest smile. He was the man of your dreams, the only one you'd ever be with forever.
All that mushy stuff aside, the relationship was fairly new. You were approaching your 1 year, sure, but this was the first holiday season and there were things you didn't tell him. He didn't question you not going home for Thanksgiving ("I'm thankful for you, I want to be with you love, you just got home") but he assumed that you were going to be with your family.
So he didn't mention how desperately he wanted to take you to Australia. He just pouted to himself as he packed and wrapped presents. You joined him, holding the bow in place as he tied each package for his family. "Your mom's going to love that sweater Ash."
He tossed the stray curls away with a smile. "I'm a great gift giver, baby." He paused for a moment. "When's your flight?"
The way your eyes cast away didn't go unnoticed. "Um, about that." Fuzzy socked feet shifted on the bed. "I was just going to finish moving stuff from my apartment."
Ashton tossed his next present aside with a thunk. "What?"
"Or I'll just stay at my place, I get that it'd be weird for me to be here when you're not. No worries, I'm sor-"
His palms cradled your face for a moment, fondness and concern equal in his eyes. "Silly girl, of course you can be here when I'm not, that's the point of moving in." His nose bumped yours. "No, what I'm concerned about is you not going home and not telling me."
With a dramatic sigh and dismissive hand gesture, you crawled into his lap. "Family drama makes the holiday so stressful it's hard to be festive, let alone remember what it's all about."
Ashton hummed softly, stroking your hair. "Anything else?"
"Home is with you, I know it's early, but it's with you."
With a sneaky grin, Ashton pulled a small present from the pile. "Guess it's a good thing I got another ticket to Sydney then."
Calum: With a Scrooge like sigh, Calum rubbed at his eyes and drew a breath. He wasn't miserly and he certainly wasn't greedy. He was just a little, or lot, of lonely and this time of year certainly didn't help much. Sure, he'd gone back home to spend time with his family and loved every moment, but he was back in the states, it was cold, and it was Christmas.
Duke rested near his thighs, watching intently as his favorite person sulked. Calum brushed a hand through the thick fur of his pup and let out yet another sigh. "What do ya think, Duke? Should I go?"
Duke merely whined and thumped his tail. "I don't want to seem clingy or whatever...but then again..."
Grabbing his keys, he checked his hair in the hall mirror and blew Duke a kiss. He decided to walk, knowing he'd drink and just spend the night anyways. The temptation of a cigarette called to him but he shook it off thinking of the warmth of the house that awaited him.
The house was decorated like in the movies with lights hanging everywhere and a lovely tree in the window. He rung the doorbell and was quickly ushered inside by Ashton. "I'm so glad you came, mate!"
"It's not too late?" He stuffed his hands in the pockets of a worn leather jacket. Ashton shook his head, pulling him into a hug.
"It's only me and the missus, never to late for you." Ashton let his touch linger a little longer and pressed a kiss to Calum's cheek. "Y/N's in the kitchen icing cookies if you want to join us."
And he did, he really truly did. Calum felt at peace in this house with you and Ashton. He knew he shouldn't feel this way about you and Ashton, but damn it he loved you two. He hugged you from behind, chin resting on your shoulder as you iced a gingerbread man.
Ashton kept an eye on his loves as he poured each person a glass of wine and set the table. "When my little elves are done being extra adorable, come join me and eat."
With an eager twinkle in his eyes, Calum settled in for Christmas dinner with you and Ashton feeling, at least for now, peaceful with the world.
Luke: Mass had just let out when you approached the prayer alter. Others joined you on the pews building up the serve to go light a candle and say a prayer. You found some comfort, however simple, in being surrounded by others. After watching a particularly charming child go light a candle, you drew a breath to go pray.
Without turning around, you could feel Luke's eyes on you. He stood by the doors of the cathedral with one of the nuns. His own soul was heavy, eyes watering. "Forgive me for not wanting to hear the usual about timing and all that."
The sister offered a sad smile and squeeze of the hand. "Do not lose faith in your family, Luke. You and Y/N are filled with so much love, God knows that, and God won't let that love go away."
"It's hurts, watching her with children because she's so good with them and it hurts when we try over and over, and it hurts when my mom asks if we're expecting." His tears were wiped away by Sister June's hand.
"No one said that love and faith doesn't hurt, it is a struggle against sin. Sin might feel better on the soul in the moment, but love will last an eternity."
Luke dried his eyes and joined you. His hand slipped in yours, curls tickling your skin as he rested his head on yours. He matched your words and mimicked your cross before leaving. "Same prayer?" He dared to ask as you both left the church and walked toward his car.
"No," you bit your lip and close your eyes, "I just asked that every child has a nice Christmas and is loved and happy and healthy and fed. If we aren't meant to have one, then at least we can help care for the world's."
Luke turned on the radio and let a sob pass as a cough.
Things got worse before they got better. The doctor's appointment didn't go as hoped and your sister was pregnant. You didn't leave the house for two days. Luke stayed in bed with you, holding you closer to his heart than he ever had before.You both cried until the tears hurt to fall, showered, and called the adoption agency.
A Christmas Miracle was needed, and the funny thing about those is they tend to happen when it's least expected, whether by an act of a god or sheer magic of the season. You were at dinner with his parents, skating around the topic of children when Luke's phone rang. He glanced at the number, squeezed your hand, and left the room.
"Congratulations Mr. Hemmings, the application submitted by you and your wife has been approved." His heart stopped, a joyful laugh bubbling it's way out.
He ran back to the dining room and pulled you to him. "It's happening! It's happening, we're going to be parents!!"
Michael: When you checked the forecast, you felt sick. Snow, icy temperatures, less daylight, no sunlight, you couldn't stand it. Waking up in the winter drained you. You isolated yourself from everyone and everything. All the things you enjoyed were gone with the arrival of cold days, colder nights, and too many people out shopping.
Bundled in a blanket, you trudged downstairs anti-depressant in hand. Michael was already snuggled in the breakfast nook looking every bit as adorable as ever. He watched you take your medication and offered his arms for a snuggle.
"I might be the dumbest boyfriend ever." His voice was still scratchy with sleep.
"What do you mean?" Were you really sleepy or was it the depression or the med? Regardless, you snuggled close to him.
"My family is in Australia, we should go spend some time down there."
"Mike I love you, but what's the point?"
His gave your nose a playful nibble, "The point is that winter causes you seasonal affective disorder right? So let's just go where it's not winter!"
You wanted to call him out on his idea, say it was silly or whatever but you couldn't find one single reason to. "I don't know, will it work?"
He shrugged in his usual careless manner, "Hell if I know, but it's worth trying. It'll be warm and sunny and we can finally have Christmas with my family instead of face timing my mom Christmas morning."
He had you there. If it helped you feel even a fraction better, it was worth it. If going to Sydney didn't do shit for your mental health, at least you'd be with family and Michael could spend Christmas at home.
"You're going to have to book the flight, I'm too tired to."
With a soft kiss and pat on the head, Michael grinned. "I booked it week ago. Just thought I'd surprise you with an early Christmas gift!" His green eyes twinkled and you smiled just a little.
#Ashton Irwin imagines#calum hood imagines#michael Clifford imagines#luke Hemmings imagines#ashton Irwin imagine#calum hood imagine#luke hemmings imagine#michael clifford imagine#michael clifford blurb#michael clifford blurbs#ashton irwin blurb#Ashton Irwin blurbs#calum hood blurbs#calum hood blurb#luke Hemmings blurbs#luke Hemmings blurb#5sos imagines#5sos imagine#5sos preferences#5sos preference#5 seconds of summer preferences#5 seconds of summer preference
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we’re home || b.c
stray kids masterlist // official masterlist
genre: fluff
word count: 2.552k
a/n: ahhhh thank you for requesting ! i finally got this done ! sorry if it took a little while to do :/ i do know that christmas in australia is different than it is here in america, but my lazy ass didn’t do a whole lot of research so i apologize if something’s wrong :) i kept running out of ideas so it got off topic sometimes and it’s longer than i hoped it to be, i probably shouldn’t say this but it really doesn’t have a plot and it’s honestly not that great imo but i hope it suffices for you :)))
a/n2.0: i might remake this in the future tbh, if you want me to you can request it again
b a n g c h a n
“Would you look at that," your boyfriend, Chris, let out with a sigh. "We're home.
Stepping out of the airport, luggage in your hands, you took in a deep breath, smelling the fresh air of Sydney, Australia. You had known Chris for many years—the two of you had gone to school together and were indeed very, very close friends. Surprise, surprise, you fell into the pit of cliché: falling for your best friend. You knew he had always wanted to become an idol, and you supported him with that when he auditioned for JYP Entertainment, even though you knew it meant you two would probably end up gradually cutting ties once he got big. However, being the good friend that Chris was, he always kept in touch with you, venting out his struggles when he couldn't get a dance right, when he couldn't remember the lyrics, when he was left when his friends debuted without him. You were always there for him, and he was very thankful for that. You had saved up money for when he would debut, and when you heard the news that he finally would, you booked a flight to South Korea to surprise him at his debut performance. The two of you had a great time together after so many years of being apart, and you couldn't stand it. You couldn't stand keeping your feelings hidden for so many years. So you. . .tried to confess. Right before you left for your flight.
"Chris, wait," you blurted out, quickly yet hesitantly turning around and grabbing his wrist before giving the lady your ticket. "I have something to tell you."
Chris stood there, looking down at your hand then back up at you, waiting for you to continue. Your face turning red, you look at everything but him, not able to meet his eyes. "I-"
"Ma'am, the gates are going to close soon," the ticket agent called out to you from behind. You looked back at her, nodding and giving her an apologetic "of course" before shyly turning back to face your friend.
"Y/n, is something wrong?" Chris asked you, worry in his voice. He reached up a hand, brushing the hair out of your face.
Not really knowing what to say, you just let the words fall out of your mouth at a fast pace. "LookChrisIreallyreallyreallylikeyoulikeforthelongesttimebutthenyoubecameatraineeandmovedanditgotharderandIcouldn'tstanditbutthenIwashereanditwasgreatbutnowI'mgonnabegoneand-" Your words were cut off by another pair of lips on yours, soft and plump, giving you a kiss so gentle you almost couldn't feel it.
The other end of the kiss pulled away, cupping your face in his hands and looking at you with soft eyes. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear that," he said, grinning from ear to ear, and you couldn't help but do the same as you turned to the ticket agent to tell her you wouldn't be boarding the flight that day.
That was almost a year ago. Now, the two of you were walking hand in hand, waiting for the Uber you had called to pick you up. Chris wanted to see his parents again, the same with you and yours, so the both of you had decided you would visit Australia for Christmas, half of the holiday with your family and the other half with Chris's. You had told your parents you were going to be there a week later than you had planned so you could surprise them and come home earlier.
When the Uber arrived, the two of you sat in the back as the driver took you to your first destination, your house. The two of you stepped out of the car once you were dropped off and rolled your suitcases up to the front door. You were excited, you hadn't seen your mother in months because of your moving to Korea. Looking over at your boyfriend, you saw that he seemed a little nervous. "What's the matter?" you inquired.
His cheeks turned pink and his eyebrows drew together in worry. "This is the first time I've met your mom as . . . you know, your boyfriend. What if she doesn't approve? I mean, I basically stole her child and made you move just to-"
"Hey," you cut him off, tilting your head as you walked in front of him, grabbing his wrist. "You didn't make me do anything, it was my choice. And my mom loves you, you know that. She was totally happy for us when I told her we were going out, you'll be fine." You squeezed his wrist reassuringly and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, causing him to produce a small smile as you reached your hand up to ring the doorbell.
After a moment, the door swung open to reveal a woman with a smile that stretched for miles, her arms wide open as she came to give you a hug.
"Y/n, baby, it's been so long, I missed you! How've you been? What's Korea like? Is it better than home? Have you been eating well?" Your mom spewed out questions like you wouldn't believe, stopping when you interrupted her.
"Mom, mom, it's great really. Look who came with me, though." You grinned as you shuffled to the side, hands held out as you presented to her your significant other. Chris held one arm down by his side, rapidly waving his other hand in a windshield wiper-like motion as he gave her a cheesy smile. "Hi, mom!"
She looked at him with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe it was really him. She tilted her head down and to the side, curving her lip upwards as she closed her eyes. "Hi, Chris," she said, stifling in a giggle as he embraced the shorter woman into a hug. She pulled away after a moment, hands on his shoulders as she looked up at him in awe. "You've gotten so much older, it's hard to believe it's you."
He smiled shyly and looked down, hands behind his back. "It has been seven years, I'm not exactly a kid anymore."
"I beg to differ," you said with a small smile, your mom giggling and your boyfriend trying to convince her that he's mature. She looked around the two of you, noticing your luggage on the steps.
"Oh, right! Come inside, you guys, how rude of me . . ." she trailed off as she walked into the kitchen. "Do you guys want anything to eat? Something to drink, maybe?" You both responded that you were fine as you walked up to your old room, surprisingly untouched. You stood there for a minute, looking around the area as a wave of nostalgia hit both you and your guest.
"It's exactly how I remember it," Chris said finally, breaking the silence between the two of you. He put his suitcase by the end of the bed and sat on the sheets, patting it for you to come and sit down beside him. You took this moment to analyze the room you hadn't seen in months. The walls were a wintery grey, all the furniture white to match, the decoration beautifully minimalistic. The window was shielded by blue curtains, golden designs down the sides on the wall. The opposite wall held a desk by the closet door, more small picture frames sitting upon it, a simple-designed calendar on the wall of the desk, a black chair tucked nicely underneath. Above your bed was a small section of the wall covered in polaroids of you and your friends, the majority, of course, being Chris, surrounded by a string of fairy lights. The soft, silk bedsheets were a milky white, a grey duvet on top. You and Chris had spent a lot of time in this room as kids before he went off to Korea to achieve his dreams. As all the memories of you and him came flooding into your mind, you sighed and turned your head towards him to see him leaning back on his hands, looking at the ground with a small smile as he closed his eyes and looked back at you. All of a sudden, he playfully bounced up and dragged you back down with him, engulfing you in a big hug as he began to tickle you.
Kicking your feet aggressively, you struggled to breathe and laugh as Chris continued to move his hands around your body. He stopped abruptly, letting out a small giggle as he pressed his lips to yours in a quick peck. "You make me so happy, you know that?" he told you, his face beaming and his eyes twinkling. You just laughed as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him back down as you smashed his lips against yours.
. . .
"What are you doing?" you mumbled softly after letting out a yawn, coming up behind Chris and wrapping your arms around his waist, planting a kiss on the small of his neck as picked seafood off the grill.
"Trying to flip this shrimp, but I think I burnt them." He let out a slightly embarrassed chuckle as you nudged him to move over, flipping over the crustaceans for him.
You let out a small giggle as you kissed his cheek. "It's fine, I'll eat them." You took over the barbecue as Chris set up the table and chairs, bringing out a cooler of ice and drinks to cool off on the hot day. Although he was from Australia, he hadn't been home for Christmas in almost seven years, so he had forgotten exactly how hot it could be on a day where it should be snowing.
It was Christmas morning now, and you and your boyfriend decided to wake up early to cook breakfast for everyone. Your family decided to host the holiday at your mom's house, so you had to make enough food since people stayed overnight and more would be coming in a few hours. The two of you eventually made enough food, covering the table with umbrellas and setting it with plates and bowls covered in crinkled aluminum foil and white towels to preserve warmth, though honestly you probably wouldn't need it considering the fact that it was twenty-six degrees outside. At about eleven fifteen, when you decided to bring out fans to set out, wondering if you should have prepared more cold food for a day like this one, groups of people started walking up to your yard, you welcoming in family as they kind of ignored you to gush over how much Chris had grown up since the last time they saw him. The two of you had spent so much time together as kids that he knew your whole family, same with you and his, and everyone treated him like he was really part of it. Part of you was slightly jealous that nobody wanted to pay attention to you, but you were happy that everyone was making your boyfriend feel welcome and present.
After lots of chatter and eating, gifts were passed around, everyone caught Chris up on what was going on around the family and he told them what it was like being a trainee and finally an idol. Around two o'clock, you guys decided it was Chris's turn to see his family, so you left all your belongings in your room and walked down the road about a block and a half since the two of you lived in the same neighborhood. There was nobody outside, so you assumed they were in because of the heat. You could feel your skin burning; you probably should have worn sunscreen. Walking up to the door, Chris rapped his knuckles on the hot wood a couple of times before opening it and allowing himself in.
"Chris!" was screamed about thirty times from every Bang in the room as you backed away to allow everyone to come up to him. You stood to the side awkwardly as he was showered with hugs and kisses and greetings before somebody yelled your name and squeezed you in a hug. "Y/n, it's so good to see you too!"
You looked down to see your boyfriend's younger sister as you hugged her back and laughed, swaying you both from side to side on your feet. "It's nice to see you too, pumpkin. It hasn't been that long, though."
"Yeah, but it's the first time I'm seeing you as my brother's boy/girlfriend," she cooed, stretching out the last word in a sing-song voice. You giggled shyly as you lightly pushed her forehead and were welcomed by Chris's family like yours had done to him.
You walked into the kitchen, climbing on top of the counter to reach the cabinet above the refrigerator where you knew to always be hidden a box of chocolate chip cookies. It was Chris's mom and your secret, ever since you were in kindergarten. Taking five out of the container, you put it back and climbed off the countertop, managing to slip on the way down and would have busted your ass and probably your skull as well had your boyfriend not been there to catch you.
"Y/n, be careful, you're gonna get yourself killed!" he almost yelled, arms wrapped tightly around you as he lowered you to the ground. Tears welled up in your eyes as you looked down at the ground, causing Chris to start freaking out and pulling you into a solid hug. "Are you hurt? Or just scared? No, no baby, it's okay, are you alright?"
You pulled back and nodded, pointing to the floor with your head still lowered as you let out weakly, "Yeah, but my cookies aren't. . .”
Chris let out a sigh, letting you know he was completely done with you as you gave off a smug smile, bending down to pick up your mess.
"You little faker," Chris huffed, crossing his arms and turning away, pretending to be mad.
"Ah, but you still love me," you replied with a smile. You walked around him to go near his face, but as he turned his head away playfully you cupped his cheeks and brought him in for a small, sweet kiss. You both pulled away in surprise when you heard exaggeratedly excited claps behind you.
"Aw, look at you two all nice and cute. Invite me to the wedding, yeah?" one of Chris's older family members joked, making the two of you shy and chuckle in embarrassment as you threw your crumbs in the trash and your boyfriend swept them up. "Come on, we're walking to the beach if y'all wanna come with us."
The comment made you wonder, would you and Chris really last long enough to get married? Yeah, you were childhood friends, which might be a good sign that the two of you were meant to be for each other. You knew Chris was somebody you would want to spend the rest of your life with, and looking at him he gave you a face that seemed to agree with you as if he read your mind. Looking into Chris's eyes to see them shining with joy in the sunlight, he looked back down at you to give you another quick kiss, following everyone else outside to enjoy the never-ending warmth of the sun.
feel free to send in any requests, asks, comments, i don’t mind, i’ll answer anything :)
#stray kids#stray kids reactions#stray kids imagines#chan#bangchan#bang chan#chris bang#kpop#kpop reactions#kpop imagines#stray kids scenarios#kpop scenarios#bang chan stray kids#chan scenarios#bangchan scenarios#bang chan scenarios#stray kids headcanons#stray kids headcanon#kpop headcanons#bangchan headcanons#chan headcanons#bang chan headcanons
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—Break—
Summary: It really had been a feat for their schedules to coincide, moreover, to make her have that little space to be together.
Notes: English is not my first language. Please forgive any gramatical mistakes. Constructive feedbacks are always welcomed :D.
-/-/-
It really had been a feat for their schedules to coincide, moreover, to make her have that little space to be together.
After the long journey from Tokyo to Motobu, Okinawa, arriving at the hotel, unpacking, both feeling that they would die of fatigue, now looking at the beach a few steps from them, they felt that all the stress of the previous days and the preparations seemed like something distant.
“It was worth it, right?” Sōma murmured softly, inhaling the smell of sea mixed with the essence of the shampoo from the blond hair of the woman lying next to him, whose head rested on his chest.
"Hmm”, was her response, both were lying on a hammock that the redhead was moving gently with his leg that hung outside of it.
Sōma shook his head a bit to try to see the female face since her response had been more a drowsy murmur than anything else.
It pleased and it filled him with tenderness to see that, in fact, the always worthy Tongue of God, Nakiri Erina, had fallen asleep to the rhythm of the soft swing of the hammock that both shared.
Her face that had previously been laden with fatigue and stress, now looked calm and relaxed, her brows were no longer puckered and she seemed to feel at peace.
With all honesty, it had been very strenuous days.
While he had been traveling from Paris to Sydney, making sure his restaurants were in order, Erina had done the same but traveling to Spain and New York, added to her tastings, the articles she had to write for the culinary magazine in which she was a food critic and meetings with the board of directors of Tōtsuki Resorts, it surprised him that she could stand up all that time without any rest.
-/-/-
“We should take a break,” Sōma said, about three weeks ago on video call while watching her pull her hair in a low tail, preparing herself to sleep.
“Maybe you can, but I don't have any free space for the next three months,” she replied, looking at him through the small screen with evident fatigue. “Besides, the world will not stop because you and I are cuddled in a corner,” Erina added.
He could not help but burst out laughing. She would never change.
“You need to rest more than me,” He pointed out.
“Stop saying nonsense, it's not me who has been doing services at Shino's while juggling to be at my other restaurants and make completely new menus for both of them” Erina snapped, knowing he must be as tired as she was.
Although she had taken occasional flights to check out her restaurants, it usually only lasted two days at most and she returned to Japan. He had been away from home for almost four months already.
“Let's take a few days for us.” Erina rolled her eyes at his subtle insistence, and snorted under her breath.
“Yukihira, I remember that your itinerary is not free in the coming months too, and I barely have time to catch my breath, as for-”
“Let's do that space, then,” he interrupted, Erina saw him ran a hand through his red and short hair, in a clear sign of weariness. “We both need it and I'm sure Arato is on the verge of collapsing knowing that you do not have time for yourself.” Erina narrowed her eyes, knowing he was right about Hisako.
He really was right about everything, but that was something she wasn't going to tell him.
“Besides” Sōma added, “I can barely remember what it feels like to kiss you.” Erina's cheeks heated up and Soma's mischievous smile told her that he had fulfilled his purpose with those words.
“You're an idiot,” Erina whispered. “If you almost don't remember, then I do not remember it at all” she countered, which caused the redhead to let out a low whistle.
“If I were so easy to forget, I don't think you were still with me,” Sōma replied mockingly. “But I'll take this as another challenge.” Erina saw him scratch his chest absentmindedly. “I'll refresh your memory when we meet face to face again.”
“I-I'd like to see you try,” Erina huffed, lying on her side on the huge king-size bed.
Sōma placed himself on his side equally on the bed, bending an arm under his head; his eyes shining with a mixture of affection and slight concern.
“Let's go on vacation somewhere, just a few days,” Sōma said quietly and Erina sighed.
It wasn't that she didn't wanted take a break or see him, she really wanted to, —although it was something she would not say out loud—, the problem is that for their schedules to coincide and rest, they had to advance a lot of work and that was a titanic task.
“We'll see,” was her brief response that was like the loudest affirmation for him.
The next day Sōma called Hisako to explain the situation and see how she could help move things here and there concerning Erina's schedule.
In short: it had been hell. Advance tastings, conclude reviews, interviews and others. Sōma almost did not succeed, having been invited with much anticipation to the festival of culture and gastronomy of Tiradentes in the city of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the same with a duration of ten days and, as a guest chef in the final days, Sōma had to be there.
He left for the airport in Rio de Janeiro as soon as his shift ended and 21 hours later, he arrived in Japan with just enough time to board the flight from Narita airport to Okinawa.
Due to the fair time he would arrive, he and Erina had agreed to meet at the airport to depart together to Okinawa.
As soon he entered the terminal, he pulled his cell phone out of the pocket of his jacket, seeing the list of notifications of messages on his lock screen, he slid them to remove them and among many, he saw that she had sent him a message almost one hour ago that simply read "IASS Executive Lounge".
And yes, in that VIP room located on the fifth floor of the airport, he found her.
Due to the time and type of flight, there were barely three other people apart from her sitting scattered throughout the room, which made it even easier to locate her figure sitting in a corner, while typing at full speed on her mobile.
“Please, tell me you're not working anymore,” Was his greeting, she stopped short and looked up in his direction quickly.
“Yukihira,” Erina muttered, surprised to see him in front of her in flesh after all this time. Sōma did not waited much longer and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips.
Erina blinked, surprised at the chasteness of the kiss and began to feel her cheeks a little bit warmer than before, while looking around to see if someone had seen them.
“This is a public place!” She scolded him in a low, hurried voice.
“Because it's a public place has been so fast,” Sōma answered, placing that smile full of self-confidence. “But don't worry Nakiri, later there will be no one to look at us.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb before resting his forehead on hers and breathing her.
“Hentai,” Erina whispered, noticing even more closely how tired the redhead looked, just as herself.
“We should be get going to the boarding gate.” He felt her nod against him. “I missed you,” he whispered softly, but with enough strength for her to listen.
Erina's heart gave two acrobatic jumps worthy of an Olympic gold medal.
“Me too,” was all she could say, allowing herself to be honest in that brief moment of weakness, stroking one of his cheeks with the tips of her fingers.
After the regulations and boarding the plane, although he didn't wanted to, as soon as they were in the air, Sōma fell asleep, exhausted, during almost the whole flight, awakening from time to time to make sure that she was still at his side and to slightly squeeze her hand between his.
During the same, Erina barely slept but she was comforted by the warmth and security offered by those long, bronzed fingers trapping hers.
-/-/-
Sōma caressed Erina's hair in a distracted way, occasionally massaging her scalp, exerting little pressure
He moved his right leg subtly, causing the hammock to continue moving smoothly. If they could stay like this for a while longer than those few days…
Their lives after Tōtsuki had been a coming and going, opening restaurants, recognitions, always focused on the next culinary goal. It surprised him that despite all the time that had passed, they were still in that relationship where they could barely see each other.
He knew that at some point they must slow down, specially him. He only hoped that when the time came, she would be willing to slow down her pace of life along with him.
Meanwhile —he left a kiss on the top of her head— they could enjoy these little moments that they tried to steal from time.
He felt her move close to him and turned his gaze down, seeing her frown a little, as she always did before she awoke.
“Shh, sleep a little longer, Erina,” He said in a whisper; his fingers continued to caress Erina’s hair gently as she rubbed her face against the redhead's chest.
He sensed how she breathed deeply and then settled back against him, while her hand lazily drew nonsense patterns on his abdomen, causing him a slight tingling.
Sōma continued to move the hammock gently, while his hand had moved to her arm, stroking it with the tips of his fingers.
At some point Sōma was dragged into the dream world along with her and therefore the hammock stopped its gentle swing but even that did not cause either of them to wake up.
The feeling of comfort and security that they felt next to each other was enough to keep them asleep a little bit more.
—End—
The idea came up because of a prompt that was about A falling asleep on B's chest as he rocked the hammock where they were lying.
Well, it will not be the masterpiece but it is better than nothing, hahaha (ahem), I hope that you all can enjoy this small story and thank you for reading, until the next time :D
¡Ja ne!
#shokugeki no soma#nakiri erina#yukihira soma#soueri#sorina#fanfiction#shokugeki no soma fanfiction#sns fanfic#i'm tired of waiting for tumblr fix things#the lines just keep disappearing from the mobile version#ugh!#i hope that anyone who reads this can enjoy it even with this problems
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21 Questions
tagged by @skyguyed love u xoxo
Nickname: like...... the letter V lol. cause my name’s veronica. Vero also works.
Pets: oof... two dogs and four cats.
Height: 6′3″
Last movie I saw: Like the last movie I saw start to finish was uhhhh Venom. but the last movie i watched was First Man from the apollo 11 launch until the end
Last thing I googled: sto nx01 refit cost
Favorite musician: this changes literally every time i find a new person but rn i’m gonna have to go with both a great big world and slutface
Song stuck in my head: nancy drew by slutface lol
Other blogs: so many lol. none of which i use so like if you wanna get me then get me here
Do I get asks? only mad ones when i post an opinion about the comic book movie franchise that will remain nameless
Blogs following: 310 and i reblog frmo the same ten people lmaoooo
Amount of sleep: not enough *Dab*
A show/book/game you’ll always love: oh jeez.... mass effect trilogy, halo 3, new vegas, bioshock, s t a r w a r s, uhhhhh..... like other books as well. OH 11/22/63
What I’m wearing: batman pajamas and a star wars shirt because i’m an adult
Dream Job: paid to have contrarian opinions on movies y’all like except my opinions are grounded in facts and not like “idk there were too many minorities uhhh 2/10″ like most contrarian movie opinions
Dream trip: like to the depanneur. jk i have this dream first class flight round the world planned. start here, fly to new york. fly to london, fly to dubai, fly to sydney, fly to LA, fly to new york slash london. Most of that route has an a380 on it which like #goals
Favourite food: not to expose myself as a quebecker but like poutine lmao. people underestimate the things i will do if you promise me a good poutine
Play any instrument: i used to play clarinet in my high school band. now i very confidently play nothing
Languages: english, french, a tiny bit of spanish, and the duolingo owl is yelling at me about german italian and irish
Favorite songs: two weeks by fka twigs, cheer up by a great big world, The Landing from first man by justin hurwitz, pitted by slutface,
Random Fact: i have an extra tooth in my palate, i’ve broken my right arm twice, i was a figure skater for....... ten years
Describe yourself with aesthetics: mechanical keyboards from the 90s, loose sequins you still find weeks after wearing a sequinned shirt, your favourite duvet, fairy lights wrapped round your bed, purple neon signs,
i’m gonna tag uhhhhhhhh @k3llwhy @fluffytrollprincess and anyone else that wants to do it xoxo
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DIVE!! Book 4 Chapter 10-FINAL STAGE ▶ TOMOKI
The very final round of the qualifiers.
Next chapter, the aftermath!
Full list of translations here
Previous | Next
The dragon, which had been enshrined in an aloof, detached manner until now, had its body rippled for the first time from the cracking applause from the stands. Tomoki, who had been waiting for his turn on the stairs, got the chills again from the surge that struck him from his feet.
It’s unknown when the wild enthusiasm that broke out in the venue like a tsunami would settle down.
The MDC members were all standing up and cheering, and a half-crying Kyouko was embracing an old woman next to her. Even the people who had been cheering on the swimming competition just before, the staff who were tidying up the main pool, the acquaintances of the other divers, and Chairman Maebara were fervently applauding with excited looks on their faces.
I saw a sight like this before, Tomoki thought as he felt both despaired and deeply moved at the same time. Yes, this summer. That day at the qualifiers for the joint training camp, when Shibuki took part in a competition for the first time. Even though Shibuki was resigned to the result of seventh place, his intense individuality drew the spectators’ eyes to him more than anyone else. Everyone—both the diving spectators and the swimmers in the main pool—stared at Shibuki when they noticed him. Just like this venue here today.
The forward dive in straight position.
There were no somersaults or twists, just a dive that flew forward, but what a strong and beautiful thing it was!
Swans. That dance was just like those birds in flight. There wasn’t just the scent of the sea of Tsugaru, the tide and the seashore. Shibuki had condensed those things as well as the boundless sky, the infinite expanse deeper than the sea, and that wild sparkle spreading its wings there, in only 1.4 seconds.
In the six years that he had been diving, Tomoki had never seen such a dive.
And so, of course, he had also never seen the points that would be given to such a dive.
10 points.
10 points.
10 points.
10 points.
10 points.
10 points.
10 points.
Total, 48 points.
Overall score, 600.09 points.
The spectators’ wild enthusiasm was, in short, half towards the never before seen perfect score, and half towards the unbelievable coincidence of 600.09 points.
The same score as Youichi—.
How did that happen?
On the platform, Nakayama, diving after Shibuki, seemed to have begun his performance looking like he was cursing his bad luck, but the attention of the spectators was no longer there.
If Youichi and Shibuki won with tied scores, then what will happen with the Olympic delegation?
Along with the spectators in the stands, Tomoki’s brain was also jumbled with those kinds of questions.
Will those two be going to Sydney together?
Or would those two be competing one more time for the representative spot?
Of course, if Tomoki, who adorned the end of the competition, succeeded with his 4½, and won with more than 600.09 points, then that problem would be solved there and then.
But, that’s impossible…
All of a sudden, Tomoki was attacked by an anxiety that seemed to peel away and let fall the self-confidence from the core of his body. Youichi’s textbook-perfect dive and Shibuki’s completely mold-breaking dive. Both were almost superhuman. There’s no way I can match those two.
His heartbeat went wild, as though his calmness from before was just an illusion. He was supposed to have become strong. He was supposed to have become a tough man, having trained his body and mind. Even so, in these important last moments, he was carried off his feet by the pressure that he had pretended not to notice until now.
His knees were trembling. His shoulders were abnormally strained. He could see that his lower body was stiff with tension. Nakayama seemed to have finished his performance before he knew it, as his scores were already displayed on the scoreboard. Now, it’s my turn. And yet I can’t move my legs. I can’t dive. There’s no way I can dive in these conditions. I can’t I can’t I can’t—.
At that moment he wanted to throw away everything, and just when his heart did a nose dive to the very bottom, something repelled it.
It was the voice of Kayoko from some time ago.
“Aim for the top. You are a kid who can do it. Focus on ascending to a higher place. There’s a scenery that only you can see.”
There was also the voice of Shibuki from the other day.
“Asaki Kayoko said, ‘Because that kid has the diamond eyes.’”
Youichi’s voice too.
“Don’t think things like it’s impossible. Don’t give up before you even start. It’s possible for anyone. For me, and for you too.”
Miu’s voice as well.
“If it’s you, you can surely overcome things that me and other people couldn’t. Whenever we look at you, we feel like we can cross over anything.”
Before he realized, Tomoki had advanced to the top of the platform, and heard the whistle sounding for the beginning of the performance. His wildly beating heart had settled, and his shivers and strain had also disappeared.
Yes, the victory that I’m aiming for wasn’t the Olympics.
It’s to surpass the invisible box that exists everywhere in every single day, in this era, in this world.
To surpass it, and to grasp a scenery that only I can see for myself.
I dive for that reason, the 4½ is for that reason.
I keep on practicing desperately again and again for that reason.
Tomoki chewed his lips, remembering all of his fierce special training up until yesterday. Throw up the power you possess, throw it all up. If nothing appears anymore then you still must continue to get something out, or you will never be able to do the 4½, Kayoko had raised her voice many times. Throw up your blood if you run out of power! Throw up your sweat! Throw up your gastric juices! Tomoki had actually thrown up his gastric juices in order to continue the tiny progress of raising the entry success rate from zero to one percent, then from one percent to two percent.
Six percent. He knew better than anyone the preciousness of this number that he had finally reached.
Even if he failed, he had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
Tomoki smiled and started running. In an instant, his blood and flesh began to throb, becoming very pleasant. An exhilarating feeling that threw his body to an unpredictable future at the tip of that platform. He didn’t have Youichi’s skill or Shibuki’s individuality, but because he had nothing, he was light of foot and nimble, and he felt like he could fly anywhere.
Tomoki lightly kicked the platform and dived into the future.
He tightened up his tackle, then 1½―his diamond eyes reflected everyone in the stands. 2½―they reflected Youichi, who was supposed to be passed out in the infirmary. 3½―they reflected his parents, who were waiting for the good news at home. 4½―at that moment, a new scenery, known to no one but Tomoki alone, twinkled on the other side of that transparent box.
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The Magic of Chiang Mai
And just like that my month in Chiang Mai has come to an end. I bought a plane ticket to Chiang Mai, Thailand just 6 weeks prior to coming here. That was right around the time I was introduced to the idea of Chiang Mai. I knew I wanted to begin my nomadic journey in Southeast Asia, destination to be determined. I talked to a couple of friends who had traveled around Southeast Asia for 15 months, and they mentioned Chiang Mai as a great starting point (as did another nomad I reached out to). That was enough for me. I booked a ticket with very little research or plans.
This was the start of my leap of faith.
A friend of mine who had traveled here before added me to a Facebook group for Chiang Mai Nomad Girls. About a month before leaving, I posted in the group that I was leaving my corporate job of 11 years, selling my stuff and starting my nomadic journey in Thailand. I asked for tips on where to stay. This beautiful soul, Dina, responded to my message letting me know that she and her partner had a spare room in their house and would rent it to me until I found a place. I immediately felt a connection to Dina without even knowing her. By faith and intuition, I accepted her offer. As the time of my departure drew near, I received a message from Dina letting me know they would be out of the country when I arrived. She said she would leave a key for me and arrange for some of her friends to meet me when I arrived. Talk about reassurance! I was completely blown away by her hospitality and generosity.
This had me ponder...If I found out that a stranger was coming all the way from Thailand, would I leave a key to my home without being there? This is the type of hospitality you meet you when you travel.
"If you found out that a stranger was coming all the way from Thailand, would you leave a key to your home without being there?"
I began my nomadic journey in Sydney, Australia, and Singapore prior to arriving in Thailand. When I boarded my flight from Singapore to Chiang Mai, tears fell down my face. Before arriving in Thailand, I set an intention for my time here to be one of resetting, surrender, and healing. The tears were the first step into that intention. This was a chance for me to essentially start over and create a new life. I knew before any of that could take place, I needed to let go of control, past hurts/trauma, and surrender.
Arriving in Chiang Mai was exciting and liberating. It was finally hitting me that my career and life in Dallas had come to a halt. I came here with just one month's pay and no job perspectives or opportunities in sight. I knew that I needed to take a step back before jumping into anything else.
Coming here with little savings was another leap of faith.
I hit the ground running and began exploring and meeting people. I felt the rush of being in a new place and wanted to soak it in. I tried events and outings that I had never tried before, and said yes to whatever sounded fun. Another beautiful aspect of travel is putting yourself out there and being more spontaneous. I could easily see why so many people love Chiang Mai.
In May 2017, I got my first tattoo in honor of my Grandma. I had heard from many people that once you get your first tattoo, it likely won't be your last. I completed 2017 by getting a second one to symbolize the Bold Freedom I was stepping into. So it's no surprise that I had an intention of getting a tattoo to symbolize this new journey in life. And since I was going to be in Thailand, I wanted it to be a traditional bamboo needle tattoo. The first person I met in Chiang Mai was this beautiful German girl, Elu, who does...bamboo needle tattoos. It was meant to be. I scheduled an appointment with her the following week, and am so in love with my new mark.
That's the Magic of Chiang Mai. You meet people, find opportunities, and it somehow comes together.
A few days after arriving here, I saw a post in the Facebook group for a woman looking for her next unicorn for her business Emotional Body Mapping. I saw the words "coaching", "social media" and "opportunity". Without thinking twice, I messaged her and told her my story. She messaged me back and setup an interview for the following day. We had a great conversation; however, I was sure that I wasn't the person for her, nor did I think I was ready to jump into a job so soon after leaving my last one. And like many times in life, I was wrong. She contacted me a couple days later and told me that I threw her for a loop in a good way. She wanted to work with me.
I accepted without fully knowing if this was the right move; another leap of faith.
The following week, I became really ill (an unglamorous side to travel). This lasted about 2 weeks. My body quickly reminded me what I came here to do...Oh yeah, that whole healing and surrender thing. While I was sick, I allowed myself to receive help and support from those around me. Dina and Chris checked on me regularly as did my friends nearby. I was 10,000 miles away from where I called home for so long, and had found that in Chiang Mai. Being sick was a true blessing in disguise. Being sick caused me to slow down and put myself first. I also got clarity on accepting a new opportunity and realized that I was afraid to say yes. And it wasn't because I wasn't ready; it's because I didn't believe that I was worth it (something I've been really present to lately and still working through).
I am so grateful for my month in Chiang Mai. It opened my eyes to wonder and showed me that wherever you look, there are people to meet and things to do. It caused me to slow down and take care of myself; and push my pride aside. It provided new opportunities for prosperity and abundance; and gave me the courage to trust the unknown. It gave me a new appreciation for living among various cultures and the beauty of connection.
If you're looking for pictures of elephants roaming freely in a sanctuary, you won't find them here. I didn't come to Chiang Mai to be a tourist. I came to reset, heal, and surrender (and to eat great street food). This may not make sense to a lot of people, and that's okay. Thailand isn't going anywhere; and I have a feeling I'll be back again soon. What I gained during my time in Chiang Mai is more powerful and meaningful than I could have ever wished for.
Now it's time to head south and move on to my next nomadic home on an island. If you're heading to Chiang Mai, do let me know. I have lots of favorite places and recommendations. :)
Does my story resonate with you? Are you feeling stuck or blocked in an area of life and need support? I would love to chat with you. Send me a message and let's connect.
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HONG KONG: NIGHT MARKET STORIES AND FINDING PANDAS
WARNING: If you are looking for a HONG KONG FOOD AND TRAVEL GUIDE AND ITINERARY, THIS IS NOT IT. That’s in another post, but, this narrative will definitely take you to the side streets of Hong Kong and offer some laughter along the way. I promise. 🙂
The immigration officer at NAIA took our passports, did a quick background check, and suddenly stared at me and my 20-something-year-old niece, Melissa. I only had a few hours sleep the night before. As this flight via Philippine Airlines, was an early morning flight, I finished packing at around 12 midnight and woke up at 3:00 AM to catch this flight. I blinked at the Immigration Officer. “Are you traveling alone?”, he asked. It was Melissa’s first time traveling around Asia without her parents, and for some reason I felt responsible for her. But this particular immigration officer probably thought we were domestic workers, trying to enter Hong Kong without proper working permits. I mean, it was really a thing during that time. Young women, about our age, twenty-something or older, disguised as tourists travelers, entering Hong Kong and then overstaying. These women were very prone to human trafficking, so immigration officers tend to be extra stricter when it comes to Filipino women travelers. We felt judged, but luckily we weren’t alone that time. “No. We are traveling with my Mom.”, I quickly replied and pointed to my Mom standing next to us beyond the Yellow Line. She then stepped forward, handed her passport, got our passports stamped, and the IO finally let us through. Whew!
Melissa and I planned this Hong Kong Trip together. This wasn’t my first trip to Hong Kong, but out of the many travels I took there, this was one of the most memorable. M and I are both fond travelers. We travel around the Philippines either together, with our families, or with our own sets of friends. We spend our weekends by the beach, getting tan lines and grilling sea foods with the ocean as our back drop. But this time, we wanted to upgrade our travels and spend some time overseas. She asked her Dad if she could go and he said yes to one condition, ONLY IF MY MOM WAS COMING WITH US. Her Dad (my cousin-in-law), automatically called my Mom and asked her if she could “chaperon” us because he was in Singapore that time. “Auntie, the two are planning to travel to Hong Kong. I told M I would allow her only if you are with them.”, that was her Dad’s request, to which my Mom pleasantly obliged.
Both our families and our friends know that we somehow create “mischief” when we are together, let alone traveling overseas by ourselves together. It’s not the serious type of trouble that we “accidentally” create, but mostly something our friends just usually laugh off. SO, NO. There was no way our families would allow us to go by ourselves. But, that was back then. Solo traveling is a different story for us now.
Anyhow, my Mom loves Hong Kong, so every time you would ask her if she wants to go, she would say yes. Not only because she loves the food there, but because Hong Kong is a familiar place to her. She lived there for a couple of months for work, and she would always tell me stories of how it was to reside there.
Fine. We were going with Mom. It’s settled. So through Mom’s trusted travel agent, we booked our tickets, planned our budget and itineraries, packed our bags, and took that flight. It was me, Mom, and M this time. It was probably my third or fourth time to Hong Kong, but each travel is way different from the other.
THE TRANSPORT
Traveling around Hong Kong can be complicated if you don’t know exactly where you are going. There is always the Tourist Octopus Card which costs about $39 HKD ($8 AUD, P250 Php). It is similar to Sydney’s Opal Card, which you can use to pay for your bus rides, trains, and ferries. But HK Octopus Card can also be swiped for dining, shopping, and other activities. Another means of transport is the ever dependable taxis hovering around the usually busy streets just waiting to be flagged down. But note that taxis just like in any cosmopolitan city can be very expensive in Hong Kong. But if you are going somewhere really far from your hotel, riding a taxi can possibly be the most convenient way. The drivers usually speak and understand English well, and they are honest, compared to taxi drivers from other Asian countries.
Anyway, since our hotel is in the middle of Mongkok, we usually just walk around town to get where we want to go. Except if we are joining some group tours, then we have to ride the tourist bus with around 10 to 15 other people in the tour group. On this particular trip, we head out early even if we have no scheduled tours for the day. We grab breakfast which is complementary from our hotel, and walk to check out nearby streets and markets. I did experience strolling around Hong Kong without a tour group, but that would be in another post.
HONG KONG NIGHT MARKET STORIES
One night, we spent our time to shop at Mongkok. This has always been our favorite shopping destination. We booked at Prudential Hotel, just across Chatham Road. Mom is very familiar in this area and our hotel is not too far from the night market, so we walked our way through. We passed by a wide array of street food. It smelled like typical Chinese food. You know, something like grilled fish balls dipped with chilies and star anise. There were stalls selling colorful T-Shirts with “I Heart Hong Kong” printed on them, also stalls selling key chains and other kinds of souvenirs. It was vibrant. Lights were everywhere. LED lights flashing on every store we passed by. Everything was there, apparel, cheap tech-stuff, shoes, hair accessories, bags. I can remember the loud exchange of Cantonese and English. We were not looking for anything in particular, we just walked and looked around. “Aaaahh Filipines. Ganda (Pretty), come here! Come here! Mura mura! (Cheap cheap!)” One of the lady vendors called us. She was selling pocket mirrors. With some Tagalog words, she lured us over. We excitedly walked to her stall and the lady smiled at us. “I know Filipines,” she said proudly. But we knew she definitely meant “Philippines”, just mispronounced it a bit. “Wow! What else do you know?” I asked her. M and Mom were busy checking out her stall. “Boracay!” She answered eagerly. She was mentioning a very famous tourist island back in the Philippines. I was amused and pretty much got engaged to this conversation. “Pili lang.” She told M, which means “Just choose” in English. “Wow! Your Tagalog is good!”, I replied to her. M was laughing, and then she went to ask, “Do you know libre?” (“Free?”) The lady vendor looked at her, puzzled, “What’s libre?”, she asked. I explained, “It means FREE!”. The lady vendor boisterously laughed. “Hahahaha. No. No. Mura mura only. I give you 2 free.” I quickly tried to recall what “Thank You” was in Chinese. I said, “Xie xie!” This was the time when Mom’s basic Cantonese comes in handy. She instantly corrected me, “It’s Do-jeh in Cantonese”, she said.
Speaking a little bit of another language can get you elsewhere. At this moment, we ‘hoarded’ pocket mirrors, not just because they were really nice-looking, but because the seller was also very sociable. She said, “Salamat!” (“Thank You!), and handed us our bags of dainty mirrors. We were amused up to the end because it’s either three of the following: 1. She learned it from A LOT of Filipino travelers shopping in this particular market in Hong Kong. 2. She loves languages and did her research. 3. She simply loves the Filipino language. The next people that came after us were of Caucasian decent, and the lady seller tried to guess. She was suddenly speaking in multiple languages saying her Hellos to the Caucasian group. Again, she drew them in, and it was fun watching how she sold her stuff. So for that, we’ll go with Number 2. Lady vendor knows her languages and is very good at sales too!
We went on with our night market escapade. At this point, we already had several bags in our hands, but we still continued to look around. In one of the well-lit streets of Mongkok stood an eye-catching shoe shop. If there’s something the three of us had in common, it was the love for shoes and our love for big red tags saying “SALE”. So, we went inside. We all picked out our own styles, sandals, closed walking shoes, formal shoes and whatever kind of shoes we could possibly stash away. We asked for our sizes. The prices for each pair were remarkably cheap, so each of us bought two to three pairs for ourselves. One pair can cost you as cheap as HKD $50 ($10 AUD / P350 pesos), and if you’re good at bargaining, you can definitely score items for less. It took us a lot of time to choose, probably more than an hour in that specific store. We realized that after we shopped from them, it was already closing time. So we had to wrap it up and head back to the hotel.
At that time, internet was already a thing, but using it for GPS was not yet in. Internet data was mainly used to access chat apps like BBM or WhatsApp or Line. Moreover, we never thought of buying a local SIM and we never dared using our mobile data overseas, afraid of paying unreasonable telecom charges when we get back home. Those were the days when people used to have a life outside of Social Media so internet data was not that on demand. So, GPS was out of the picture and we had to find our way back in the dark. M and I being totally useless when it comes to directions weren’t much of any help. So it was Mom who was doing the navigation since it was her turf. We walked down the streets, and while trying to remember every corner we turned from, I suddenly felt that someone was following us. I took a quick glance from behind, and I saw a guy, wearing denim pants, black baseball cap, and a collared shirt. It sounded like a scene from a thriller movie, except that this happened in real life. My heart started to race, as I saw this guy back in the shoe shop. I wasn’t sure if I was just being paranoid, or he actually managed to follow us for two blocks already. I was feeling a bit anxious, so I decided to warn everyone. We made another turn, and this guy was still on our tracks. We were all a bit panicking. On our next turn, there was a big Starbucks store which was luckily still open. It was already around 12:30 in the midnight by that time. We all agreed to stop by Starbucks and see if this guy would follow us. So we went inside, ordered non-caffeine drinks as it was already too late for coffee and sunk ourselves on the comfortable couches. It was a tiring night after all, just walking around the streets of Mongkok and carrying heavy shopping stuff. I pretended to scan some Starbucks mugs on the shelf, and took a momentary look outside. Boy was I right. The guy “who was allegedly” following us, was smoking outside Starbucks. I have never felt so unsafe like that in my life, and I worriedly told M and Mom. “Should we ride a taxi from here?” I asked them. Our hotel is only a few turns from where we were. The three of us started peering outside to check if that man was still there. I dunno, but he probably realized that we’ve noticed that he was tailing us. Our eyes met, and he slowly fixed his cap and tapped his cigarette on the trash bin. OK. We all felt in danger, so we have decided to spend a few HK$ for a short taxi ride.
Some of the streets were still crowded, however, we didn’t want to take the risk. We hailed a cab, and with just one turn, we were already at the doorstep of our hotel. We quickly grabbed our belongings from the trunk of the car and made sure that no one followed us there. Do not get me wrong. Hong Kong is pretty much a safe country for solo female travelers, but here’s a pro tip. Always follow your instincts especially when your gut tells you that it is not safe. And during that time, we all had the same gut-feel.
Moving on (I don’t want this to sound like a real-life horror story), we settled in our hotel. Thankfully, we were back safe and sound. As a routine, we took out the stuff we shopped for from their plastic bags so we can stow them in our luggage. It was nice to look at everything, but we failed to realize one thing. HOW WILL EVERYTHING FIT WITHOUT AN EXCESS BAGGAGE?
Sure the shopping part was enjoyable, but the packing part was a big challenge. These pairs of shoes does not include Mom’s yet and she was teasing us. We had to wear the bulkiest ones on our flight back, otherwise, we would have to pay for excess baggage which was not on the planned budget. M and I both asked ourselves, HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD EVERYTHING FIT IN OUR MEDIUM-SIZED LUGGAGE? And that’s just shoes. It doesn’t include the shirts, the mirrors, the other stuff we “kind-of” hoarded.
WE DIDN’T GO TO OCEAN PARK FOR OCEAN CREATURES
There were things we had yet to sort out, but it definitely did not ruin our stay in Hong Kong. We set out early for another quest, and this time it was really a part of the itinerary. A tourist bus picked us up from our hotel lobby. It is fairly convenient to book your activities nowadays, and maps and guides are readily available. If you opt not to join a a tourist bus, going to Ocean Park is pretty much straightforward. It depends where your accommodation is located in Hong Kong. But if you are going from Mongkok, the train is the easiest way to get there. From Mongkok Station, take the Tsuen Wan Line going to Central and get off at Admiralty Station. From Admiralty Station, take the South Island Line going towards South Horizon and get off at Ocean Park Station. It’s a 10 minute walk from Ocean Park Station to the entrance of the theme park. The train stations can be confusing, but maps are handily available in every station. Otherwise, Google Maps is your best friend. From Mongkok Station, it will take you around 30 to 40 mins. by train. Or, you can always ask your hotel if they have scheduled tour groups going to Ocean Park. That time, we opted to join the group to avoid the stress of getting lost in between stations.
Ocean Park Hong Kong is massive compared to the other Ocean Parks I’ve seen from different countries. But before you travel, make sure to search everything you need to know about it. An adult ticket can cost you HKD $498 ($101 AUD / P3,500 PHP), and if you have kids below 11 years old, the price would be HKD $249 ($50 AUD / P1600 PHP) but just like any other theme park, prices for some attractions may vary at a different cost.
I love everything about Ocean Park, it never disappoints. But my most favorite is the Giant Panda Habitat.
At that time, together with other pandas in captivity, there were 2 famous resident Giant Pandas at the habitat, Jia Jia and An An. These fluff balls were born in the Sichuan Province of China and rescued in Qingchuan County at the age of 2. They were Giant Pandas from China, and was being kept at Wolong National Nature Reserve before they were transferred to their Hong Kong habitat. Unfortunately, Jia Jia passed away in 2016, and during her time of death she was the oldest panda in captivity.
Since then, it has been my dream to be a Panda Carer. I wanted to do it even just as a volunteer, but it never happened. My closest encounter with these adorable creatures was during our visit at Ocean Park.
That time, we knew we didn’t go to Ocean Park for the rides and for the Oceanarium. We went there to visit the pandas. It is really fascinating when you get to see these charming creatures up close. We didn’t need tourist guides to take us there. In fact, we did not join the guided tours. We went to search for the pandas by ourselves, navigating our way with the park maps.
Mom let us “kids” roam around Ocean Park. We headed to the gift shops while Mom cooled off with a cone of flavored ice under the shades. This was not our first time in Ocean Park, so Mom just allowed us to go wherever.
What’s nice about Hong Kong Ocean Park is that no two gift shop has the same items. Close to the Giant Panda Habitat, the gift shops sold stuffed Pandas and everything about Pandas. We ultimately enjoyed it and the thoughts of coming back (for the nth time) just came to the picture. Of course, we were clueless with our plans for the future at that time. We just wanted to travel. Those days, people traveled for experience and not for social media feeds. I was just fresh from college and M was still in the course of finishing her undergrad. We never knew that we would end up going separate ways several years after, her being in Canada, and me landing in Australia.
THE AFTERMATH
This Hong Kong Trip was a bliss. We somehow managed to fit our stuff inside our luggage without paying for extra. Our cameras were full, mine, mostly of streets, of food, and pandas. I was already blogging at that time at a different platform, and I didn’t have my own website then. We landed safely back in Manila without any trouble. I promised myself that if I was coming back, I wouldn’t be questioned again by immigration officers. I would just go smoothly.
It usually takes me around 2 to 3 days to unpack after a trip, but M has a different story. It just didn’t simply end there. The following day, I received a call from her. It was the most hilarious phone call I have ever received. One of the shoes she bought was dysfunctional. Why? THE PAIR WAS BOTH LEFT FOOT. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I burst out in laughter while she vented out her frustration over the phone. She wanted to exchange it, but how? We were thousands of miles away from Hong Kong already. I can’t believe she never noticed it the whole time we were there. She even took photos of the shoes we bought in all angles without even noticing it. She badly wanted to return it and have it swapped or even refunded. How? That was the question. All I could do was laugh at her mishap and let it slide. Besides, we won’t go as far as booking another plane ticket and accommodation just to have the pair replaced, right? Might as well just buy another pair locally with that money.
Hope you liked our little Hong Kong Trip! I would probably write a proper food and travel guide and itinerary in Hong Kong in another post. 🙂
LOTS OF LOVE FROM QUARANTINE,
HONG KONG: NIGHT MARKET STORIES AND FINDING PANDAS was originally published on WanderBitesByBobbie
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MindMap and Icon Sketches IXD104
Our first task that Pauline requested us to do is the Master Apprentice. The idea of this task is to break down how an image was created by visually remaking it. In our case Pauline wanted us to recreate icons for a travel website in order for us to understand just how the icons were built up and created in the first place. She asked us to use Illustrator to create our designs. She suggested to make around 5 – 10 icons to give us an opportunity to really understand how the design was built.
She also asked us to design a mindmap of ideas that we could use in our travel app that we will create in the upcoming weeks. This is what I came up with.
I haven’t specifically decided as of yet what areas in the world the app will focus on but it will be either Florida, New York, Sydney, Zante, or Amsterdam. Different ideas I came up for pages on the app are a flights page and an accomodation page. I also could have an explore page that lets a user see nice food places in the area, or activities or landmarks near them.
I drew out some brief icon designs in class which were the ones below,
I then went on to try and create the designs on the Illustrator. I found some designs on pinterest that I thought were appealing as icons.
These icons above inspired me to make my own designs similar, following Paulines advise to do the master apprentice approach of remaking the icons so that I could understand how they were created. This was my attempt,
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