#the Right Season To Visit Vietnam

[kaustubh-wankhede]

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[clubdionysus]

[BAD DECISION #21] Doing The 'Right' Thing

warnings: christmas is upon us! secret santa, yay!! jiyeong, booo! no major warnings! the arrival of b's bird hehe. some of my fave jimin parts are in this lol (he's one of my faves)

soundtrack: touch - keshi

wc: 10.1k

bd total wc: 540k (ongoing)

AO3 | MASTERLIST | MINORS DNI

An emptiness echoes down your apartment corridor, dim lights flickering above you, as you make your way home after practically running away from Jeongguk's bed.

A new bulb has been needed for a couple of weeks now, but your landlord doesn't care enough to change it. As long as the electricity runs and the water flows through taps, he thinks all is fair. Sure, you could change it - but Danbi gives you a firm 'why on earth would you do that?' every single time you suggest it.

It's for this reason - the shrouded darkness and the bleary hungover eyes - that you almost think you're seeing things as you notice an object by your apartment door.

A bouquet. White roses. An easy dozen, of which you'll undoubtedly count as soon as you're close enough. The stems are emerald green, fresh and perfectly picked to construct the most beautiful arrangement you think you've ever seen.

Poised and pristine, they look out of place in your apartment block - but you know they'll look right at home on your kitchen counter in the vase Danbi stole from her family home a couple of holiday seasons ago (you'd just been using a pint glass beforehand (again, stolen by Danbi's nimble fingers, just from your local pub instead of her mother's kitchen cupboard)).

You tell yourself it's strange. Let your head whisper little lies as white as the rose petals, telling you that you can't imagine who'd be sending either of you flowers. Perhaps Tae for Danbi? A secret admirer?

But you know. You know who picked them out, who sent them directly to your door. You know who always chose the black and white design of the minimalist greeting card wedged in between the flowers.

You know, because you got these flowers a week after your first date with him . Got them after the fifth date, just because. You got them on your birthday. Valentines. First anniversary.

You got them, again, after that one argument when you'd sworn down he tasted like latex, which was strange, because protection had been off the cards for months by that point. You trusted him.

The last time you got them was a week after the breakup. Again, just because. Just so you knew he was thinking of you. Asshole .

And so you don't check the card. Just pick up the pot they're prettily displayed in, and type your door code in with a sigh. You lean your shoulder against the heavy steel to open it up, a little exhausted by the events of the night and the emotional labour you know looking at those flowers will have on you.

They're too pretty to throw away, mind you - and when you look at Danbi's mother's vase, you're sad to see the flowers given to you by Jeongguk in the sanctuary of his favourite cafe are now withered and pathetic. The water has all but evaporated away, and rogue leaves lay by the base of their glass holder. Shame.

What once were the most fantastic wild blooms are now skeletons of their former selves.

S'what you get for tearing the stems from their life source. How can you ever expect them to thrive in hostile conditions?

And so Jins's roses will take pride of place in your home, and you'll pretend not to care.

They'll replace what was left to wither by Jeongguk, and you'll ignore the fact it was you who should have tried harder to keep them alive.

Congratulations on the art show. Proud to see your progression. Sorry I couldn't be there. J x reads his calling card - and as much as you know you should really tear it up and feed it to the recycling bin, you can't bring yourself to. It's stuck on the fridge beneath a 'Welcome to Vietnam' magnet purchased in the airport during a layover, not because you've ever actually visited the country.

It'll stay there for months. Danbi won't think to discard it, and you'll forget that you ever put it there.

In fact, you don't notice it again until a few weeks later as you're rushing around, running late for dinner, grabbing a bottle of fizz from the fridge.

The flowers have all dried up now, tossed in the trash, and the vase is empty. They lasted not even a week before they began to wilt. Typical of Seokjin, you had supposed at the time. Permanence isn't his thing.

Slamming the fridge door shut, you don't have a chance to even consider getting rid of the note - but you do think that you should, and that's something at least. It's not like you've heard from him since that night.

Hell, you've barely heard from Jeongguk.

Little messages here and there have been exchanged, but nothing substantial. Nothing that addresses the night you spent in his bed. In fact, you're pretty sure he's been spending his nights in someone else's bed recently.

It's not an unfathomable thought to have. It's been about a month since you set up his blind date, and Jiyeong is apparently doing the hardest soft launch known to man. It's not even subtle at this point. Her Instagram stories - of which constantly seem to be updating - are littered with the essence of Jeongguk.

Mugs from the ceramic painting place were the first clue. A selfie of her in his jacket, the second. The third was a blurry club photo of a hand you wished you didn't recognise so well loosely holding onto hers in the midst of a crowd. You wonder if it was taken on the night of the art show, or if they've been clubbing together since that night, just the two of them.

You forget the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth, and now there's been so many damn stories you've lost count. Just know that the most recent one was a mirror selfie from the gym, carefully cropped so that the guy who had been spotting her was out of frame - but his tattooed arm? Yeah . She'd left that in.

You wonder whose company he prefers in the gym, and know that it's hers. At least that way he can actually properly work out. You're aware he'll get glares of jealousy from the gym bros who have a thing for Jiyeong, unlike the confused stares of the same gym bros who had wondered why the fuck a muscle rat like Jeongguk was wasting time on cardio with a girl who preferred sitting on a stationary treadmill rather than running on it.

Danbi had laughed at your scowl when you stumbled across the story a few days ago. Told you to be careful. "If the wind changes, your face will get stuck like that."

Good , you thought. Maybe it should. Then Jeongguk would permanently be reminded of how insufferable you find this whole situation.

You couldn't care less about the fact he's dating. Couldn't care less for the fact he's dating her - hell, you'd been the one to set it up! What is bothering you is how quiet he's been. It feels like you've barely spoken to him all month - but rational thinking seems to go out of the window when it comes to him.

See, the thing, Jeongguk's silence? His avoidance of you?

It doesn't exist.

In your head, maybe, but not in reality. You're orchestrating some great loss for no good reason.

There's been no real change to how he communicates with you. He still messages you just as much. He'd sent you a tinyURL link just the day before just to disguise what he was really sending you - the breadfish website. It was like being rickrolled in the big year of 2022. Made you smile like a fucking idiot behind the desk of the art cafe. Hobi had looked at you like you had three heads when the song echoed into the room.

But you simply added a laugh reaction emoji to Jeongguk's message and locked your phone as if it hadn't made your day.

You're the one avoiding him .

And - fucking hell - you'd only seen him four days ago! Had gone for a post-gym coffee walk. Had spoken about everything - the science of pollination, your favourite supermarkets (Homeplus reigned supreme), the best song of 2009 (which had ended in the promise of a noraebang battle, because you couldn't decide between fireflies (even though Jeongguk couldn't remember owlcity's name) or good girls go bad (which also resulted in you explaining Gossip Girl lore he never asked for)) - and anything... everything and anything... apart from Jiyeong. You didn't mention her. Nor did he.

It's not like you've mentioned sharing a bed with him that one night either, so avoiding uncomfortable topics isn't entirely unheard of.

Thing is, you've both been pretending like things are absolutely normal. Still grab coffee together, still send each other dumb raccoon memes, still look for each other on Friday nights in the dark shadows of Dionysus.

The way you see it, if you don't make a big deal of things, they don't have to be a big deal. You've downplayed it all. Pretended like there hasn't been a weight on your chest since you left his apartment that morning.

That's one difference, you guess. You've not returned to his since.

That's what you're really missing; the sanctuary nurtured with Jeongguk in the confines of his room. Home away from home. 'The kids'.

But your head's all frazzled, and you've been trying not to focus on it too much. Just continue lying to yourself, as if an Oscar is dependent on your performance. You've gotten so good at acting as if you're happy with the current set up, you're managing to fool everyone - including yourself.

Hurrying down the stairs of your apartment, you know that your acting skills have to be on top form tonight. Can't be letting the pesky mask slip. Have worn extra glitter to keep it in place.

Jimin waits by the end of your road, engine running, eyes shamelessly on you as you head up the street towards him.

It's late December, and the shop windows are full of well-wishes for the upcoming festivities and special offers for last-minute gifts.

In your bag, you're carrying a bottle of whisky for Yoongi and a luxury bath bomb set for Seoyeon. You've no idea if the whisky is any good, but it was on the top shelf, so you're hoping it's alright. As for the bath bombs, they're your favourite (and will leave Seoyeon with a sheen of your signature glitter all over her skin afterwards), so you're not so worried about them.

The presents are more to say 'thank you' for hosting the Christmas Eve dinner, and less so intended to be actual gifts. As a rule, to make life a little easier for everyone, Secret Santa had been organised a few weeks prior. No other gifts allowed - but not taking something for the hosts felt wrong.

Seoyeon had sorted everything out for Secret Santa, so it really had been stress-free.

Yours (intended for Jimin) has been wrapped for the best part of a week and is ready to go. It sits snug in your bag, between Yoongi's whisky and your own bottle of vodka - it is Christmas, after all. The bottle of fizz you're holding by the neck? A little extra bit of festive liquid luck.

"Alright?" Jimin greets you with a smile as you pop open the passenger door and slip in beside him. Your bag is popped in the footwell, but you hold onto the prosecco.

"Happy Christmas," you smile - then glance up to check he hasn't put mistletoe above the handbrake. It's all clear. Surprisingly .

"What?" He asks, noticing the way your eyes dart around, but you dismiss his question.

"Just raring to go," you lie - and Jimin can see right through it. Doesn't care too much to ask any further.

He merges into oncoming traffic with ease. He's a smooth driver. Not as fast as Jeongguk, but just as competent. You know you shouldn't compare - but how can you not?

It was supposed to be Jeongguk giving you a lift to The Mins.

Was supposed to be him playing cheesy Christmas tunes and demanding you duet with him for the entire journey.

Was supposed to be him who stopped at a Mcdonald's drive-thru, 'cause he's addicted to the limited edition festive sauce that comes with the cheese bites.

Was supposed to be him who stopped in a side lane just down the road from Yoongi's place, so he could air his car out and make sure you both didn't smell like Maccies, knowing full well The Mins would be cooking up a storm.

Was supposed to be him .

And yet you're having to rely on Jimin - who you haven't seen since you last left his bedroom - to ferry you to Christmas Eve dinner.

It's not that you aren't grateful. Danbi is visiting family, and Hoseok always hangs out with his old school friends on Christmas eve, so you've been looking forward to this for weeks. It's always nice to be surrounded by people you care about, especially at this time of year. Far better than being alone.

"Spoken to Gguk today?" Jimin asks before he even bothers with other formalities. Knows that things have been a little... difficult, lately. Has noticed how antsy Jeongguk has been around the apartment. Short tempered. Impatient. Isn't sure if it's you or Jiyeong making him like this. Maybe both.

You're quiet for a moment as you wait for your phone to connect to his car speaker system. Are both amused and slightly disgusted by the name choice for his car - Park & Ride. A true lothario.

"Nope."

And then you realise that such a definitive answer makes way for a million questions, so you overcompensate.

"No need," you continue with a shrug. "He let me know that he couldn't do today, hence me asking if you could give me a ride - thanks, by the way - but other than that? I think we've both just been busy."

"Yeah," Jimin nods, then thinks, busy ignoring each other . "He actually asked me to give you a ride before you even called, so it's all good. No skin off my back.

"Thank you," you say regardless. "I really appreciate it."

"No bother," he shakes his head. "It's always good to have company - plus Yoongi lives so fucking far out of the city. I get bored alone."

"Well, consider me your very own entertainment system," you grin, as your phone finally connects to his radio system. His car is a lot different to Jeongguk's. No better, no worse. Just not the same.

Jimin doesn't force you to talk about Jeongguk like you half think he will. In fact, it's you who is the first one to mention him again.

"Bringing Jiyeong, isn't he?" You ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

He nods. "Mhmm. She wanted to spend Christmas with him, but he thinks it's too soon. This was his compromise, I guess."

You're silent for a moment, contemplating just what the fuck you've done to everyone's lives by setting him up with Jiyeong. Sure, it's not really a negative change, but it's a change nonetheless. Everyone's lives are affected by this. There'll be an extra seat at the table. Another present for Secret Santa.

Part of you doesn't understand why you're being so dramatic about it all. In the grand scheme of everything, Jiyeong changes nothing. Makes no difference if she's in attendance. The only thing it really changes is how Jeongguk will interact with you.

"That's nice," you say. You really want to mean it.

"Is it?" Jimin asks, his tone just as sincere as yours is trying to be.

"Mhmm," you nod. "It's good he's found someone."

Again, Jimin just asks, "is it?"

"Well, yeah?" You laugh softly. "I know he was hung up on Hayun for a while, so it's good that he's moving on."

Eyes on the road, Jimin smirks and gently shakes his head. "Think we've got different ideas of what 'hooked' means. Dumbass hasn't been hooked on her for months. Quite positively unhooked, if you ask me."

"Oh," you murmur. "Well, either way. It's nice having someone around this time of year."

"Is that what you're after?" He teases, knowing that you'd have had no problem trying to find that for yourself if you really wanted it.

"Couldn't think of anything worse," you grin - and you really do mean it. You've grown selfish in your singledom. Having to factor in someone else's feelings, their needs, their schedule, to your plans would just annoy you, you think.

You neglect to acknowledge how those things come without a second thought when you actually care about someone. It's not a chore, or an obligation. When you're into someone, you factor them in because life is better with them around. You'd rather disrupt your selfish ways to make room for them in your schedule.

"Me either, DB," Jimin agrees. "You're full of shit, though."

"Sorry?" You turn to face him, but his eyes are on the road, a smug smirk on his face.

"You're forgiven."

"No," you laugh. "Sorry as in 'what the fuck?' "

"That's far less polite," Jimin smiles, still, deliberately winding you up.

"So is telling someone they're full of shit!"

"Well, you are!" He laughs, looking up to the rear view mirror before he merges lane. "We both know if Gguk turned around and insisted on doing something that would disrupt your plans-"

"I'd tell him to wait his turn."

Jimin laughs again. "You're a liar."

"And you're a shit-stirrer."

He tilts his head a little, sticking his bottom lip out, as if he's considering your words - before conceding with a nod. "Yeah, you're not wrong. I just don't get the pair of you. Act like you're just friends, set each other up on blind dates, but shag ea-"

"Sorry?" You almost choke the second ' shag ' leaves his mouth.

"Forgiven," he smirks. "Again."

"Not what I meant," you protest. "Again."

"So what?" Jimin teases. "You're gonna pretend like you haven't?"

"We don't shag!" You almost shriek. It's not a lie. At least not anymore. "He's got a- well, I'm not really sure what they are, but it doesn't matter. He's seeing someone."

"So?"

"Oh my god," you say with even more horror than before. "Not everyone sluts themselves out for a quick thrill Jimin."

"True. But I do, and I know you do, too."

"You know no such thing."

"I've fucked you twice."

"Shut up."

"Is this what you're like with him, too?" He teases. It's all in good humour, but Jimin is trying to get under your skin.

Jeongguk wouldn't crack. Had said you'd rested some of your things on his chair when you came to say bye in the morning. Reckons you'd left it by accident.

Jimin's bed had been cold on the side that wasn't his and void of any perfume when he'd woken up. Knows you didn't sleep in his bed - but Jeongguk refused to admit anything, and so Jimin is seeing if you're easier to crack. Doesn't want the truth for truth's sake, but just because he loves being right.

"His skin ain't as thick as mine, poor baby needs a softer approach," Jimin adds. "Hope you're nice to him in bed."

"I've never been in his bed," you roll your eyes. "And poor baby ain't gentle in the slighte-"

"HA! So you are fucking him!"

"No!"

"Been trying to get the truth out of him for weeks," Jimin tells you.

"What truth?" You feign innocence once more.

" What truth? " He mimics, voice high in pitch and whiney - far whinier than you think yours actually is. "You're both as bad as one another. Why was your bra in his room after you fucked me?"

You're silent.

"It's a very simple question," he assures you.

You want to unbuckle your seatbelt, open the car door and roll onto the road. Don't care about the oncoming traffic. Would be far less painful than this conversation.

"The answer is simple, too," you say, deciding that deflection is the best way to go. "You're just not gonna believe anything I say unless it ends in an admission of us fucking."

"True," he concedes. "Look, I don't give a shit if you are. Accidentally gave him crabs once-"

"Sorry?"

"Forgiven," Jimin smirks, before deciding to just carry on with his declaration. "Was years ago, now. It's why he doesn't share towels. Anyways, what I'm saying is that we've shared weirder things."

"I'm not an object," you scoff a little, skipping the song that's softly humming from the speakers to something a little more lively. You're currently listening to some indie artist that Jeongguk had on once while he'd been studying during a hangout, and you don't like the constant reminders of him. The conversation is bad enough as it is.

"Nor were the crabs?"

Jimin, you decide, is one of the most complex people you've ever met. An interior designer with the simplest bedroom known to man; a charming lothario who is just as revolting as he is seductive. You're not really sure how he does it, but he does make you laugh at least. Mainly from confusion, but a laugh is a laugh. It's still enjoyable. He's nice to be around.

You're incompatible, to say the least, but he's fun, which is probably why you didn't mind going for round two - the more you get to know him though, the more you solidify the fact that round three is off the cards.

The rest of the drive goes without another mention of Jeongguk, and whether or not he's seen just as much of you as Jimin has. The man in the driver's seat is intuitive, though, and just knows . Doesn't need you to confirm it. Doesn't need Jeongguk to, either. Is content in his assumptions.

You're pleased to arrive before Jeongguk.

Seoyeon greets you with a hug as warm as a Daegu summer, and Yoongi's smile is just as toasty. Despite the freeze of winter months, the Min's cultivate a warmth that makes even the ondol seem redundant.

Yoongi studies the whisky with an impressed pout and a nod, reading over the label. "Good choice. Want some?"

Shaking your head, you pull out the vodka instead.

"Keep that away from Seoyeon," he jokes, which causes her to zoom back over to the pair of you with an enthusiastic smile.

"Keep what awa- oooh! Vodka," she grins. "Care to share?"

And so Yoongi's warning is redundant, because yes , you really would like to share. It's not that Yoongi doesn't want her drinking, it's just that he knows her like the back of his hand. Vodka always gets her a little too tipsy, and they've still got a meal to serve up - but if he has to take the lead, he'll take it, just so she can let her hair down a little. It's Christmas, after all. A time for celebrating.

Yet when Jeongguk arrives, Jiyeong in toe, you find yourself downing the dregs of your first drink just to wash down your apprehension. Don't feel like celebrating. Feel like commiserating. You've not been around Jeongguk while he's been with Jiyeong since Tae's art show.

Makes you think of the bar. Makes you think of your hand on his thighs in the dark shadows, and the heaviness of his presence behind you in the bathroom, wide eyes on his in the reflection of an aged mirror. Makes you feel guilty .

It's not like anything happened - but you condemn yourself because you know it wasn't right, even if it wasn't exactly wrong.

"Sorry we're late," he says, and it's bizarre how his voice alone settles the ache in your chest. "Traffic was a bitch."

He reaches behind himself for her hand, to guide Jiyeong further into the room. The way she holds it, and how her other hand wraps around his wrist makes you think now would be a great time for another drink. You chalk it up to your disdain for PDA - as if you hadn't watched on with a smile as Yoongi had pressed a tiny kiss against Seoyeon's head while she'd been pouring herself a drink.

PDA doesn't bother you at all. In fact, you'd once argued with Seokjin about the fact he never held your hand in public. Said he didn't like getting clammy palms.

Maybe that's it. Maybe you're jealous of the intimacy.

Jeongguk's made leaps and bounds since the first bird fell - but Jeongguk never had an issue with intimacy. That one was all on you. Trained by Seokjin, you've a lot to unlearn, even now. You weren't done with the birds. Nowhere near close.

Jeongguk's fear of rejection is still just as potent as your intimacy issues, he just masks it well. Lets Jiyeong take the lead. He doesn't reject her, but he doesn't open himself up for rejection either.

He glances over to you and nods, a small smile on his lips. Head to toe in black, he's dressed up a little bit. Is in slacks and a button-up, a leather belt around his waist. Still got his converse on, though. His dainty silver lip ring flips ever so gently, and it's like you've been drinking prosecco this entire time, a little fizz bubbling in your stomach - so you pour yourself a glass of it to disguise the feeling. Hold it up and nod, as if to say some silent cheers or celebration.

Jiyeong catches his gaze. Whispers something in his ear. Diverts his attention - and so you divert your eyes. Engage in conversation with Nabi and Tae - a stupid debate about the best pepero flavour. Tae swears down by the original, but Nabi is an almond girlie. You offend them both when you say you like the 'nude' flavour - where the chocolate is on the inside, the biscuit acting as an outer layer.

"Of all the things I've ever learnt about you, this is by far the worst," Tae tells you with such certainty that you can't help but laugh. Nabi defends you. Tells Tae at least your choice isn't 'boring' like his.

Eventually, as you settle around the dinner table, everyone gets involved, and Jeongguk is the worst offender. Says the cheddar cheese flavour is underrated. Even Jiyeong refuses to defend him, there.

"Right," Tae says in disgust. "Little Miss Nude and Mr Cheddar fucking Cheese, you can both get out. I'm not celebrating Christmas with either of you."

"What?"

"Oh, c'mon!"

You both protest, but Tae refuses to have any of it. It's all in good humour - everyone is laughing, and tipsy grins are on the faces of the people you adore the most. Even Jiyeong seems to be enjoying herself - but she'll only look at Jeongguk. Not you. The joke is only funny because he's involved. If it were just you, she'd probably not find much humour in it.

Nabi is quick to refill both of your drinks throughout the evening.

"Christmas is reserved for being drunk, and drunk only," she tells you with absolute certainty as you dillydally in the kitchen while the rest of your friends continue their conversation around the dinner table. Seeing her out of her shell is nice, so you don't mind her insistence. "It's the true Scots way."

You learn more about her family - Scottish on her dad's side. She'd usually be there for Christmas, but having spent the summer there, she'd opted for Christmas back in Korea, and regrets it. Loves her family dearly, and misses their tradition of getting absolutely blitzed every December. It's not necessarily the 'true Scots way' as she says, but it's her way - getting you guys buzzed is her way of feeling like she's 'home'. It's lovely to be included, you decide.

Her hair is up with a tartan ribbon - Black Watch, she tells you the pattern is. Deep green and dark blue, it couldn't be further from her family's rich red-based tartan - but it didn't match her outfit as well, and she's not too precious about it.

She babbles about her family, and asks about yours. Is just as interested in you as you are in her. There's a warmth to Nabi once she opens up. Despite how cold she'd been the first time you'd met her, it seems as if this is the real Nabi. The standoffish approach is unintentional, and she realises it does her no favours - but makes the friendships formed much more genuine.

Dinner is eaten. Compliments are given to the chefs. Seoyeon and Yoongi battle for the head chef title, but it's redundant because everyone's a little too tipsy for their own good. All you'll remember in the morning is that it was fucking delicious. Might even rival your mother's cooking.

Jeongguk sits on the opposite side of the dinner table, a few seats down from yours. Jiyeong is next to him, closer to you, almost like she wants a barrier.

Or maybe she's just a girl sitting next to the guy she's dating at dinner.

You blame the bitter thoughts on the vodka-induced haze. It's unlike you - but Christmas was always going to be difficult for you. It's the one time of year Seokjin would really pull through. All of your fondest memories with him stem from this season.

You'd grown a little dependent on Jeongguk to alleviate the strain caused by the ghost of Christmas past, but he can't do that now. It's okay, that he can't. He shouldn't. Not if he wants things with Jiyeong to work out - of which he does.

Part of him knows, though, that an argument is brewing. It's in the way Jiyeong stiffens every time you become a focal point of the conversation. How her eyes follow you as you re-enter the room with Nabi, your friendship something she can't understand because she's still on cold-terms with Nabi. Doesn't realise yet it's just how Nabi works - and while you'd been tolerant of it, Jiyeong takes offence.

Her discomfort also shows in her grip on Jeongguk's thigh and how it becomes a little tighter when he laughs at jokes you make. A reminder, he thinks. You're here with me. Pay attention to me.

He can't blame her. They've been dating for a month. This is their first major holiday. Of course she'd want things to go well. To feel special.

Gym sessions have doubled as dates, which has increased the time spent together, but he's also made an effort outside of their common space. They've been for dinner, been to the city's main amusement park. Done 'datey' things, because that's the 'done' thing. He holds her hand when they're together, and kisses her goodbye.

He's still yet to invite her back to his. Not for a fear of rejection, but because he still hasn't taken those damn birds down.

Sometimes she likes to argue with him for the sake of making him squirm. If a text comes through from you, he knows a row is due - but has learned that sometimes she orchestrates them just to get him in her bed. Manipulates him a little bit. Whines. Says she doesn't even think he likes her that much - so he tries to prove that he does.

Thinks that maybe sex could be the answer - and given how sweet and sincere she always is in the aftermath, and how she always says sorry for being mean when he's in her sheets, it seems like it does work.

For a while, at least.

And so that's how his weeks go. Jiyeong is fine until she's not, and then Jeongguk will fix things by fucking her - because how could you possibly be an issue when she's the one he's fucking? It's her name on his tongue, her tongue in his mouth, and vice versa.

But he's found he's adopted your behaviours. He never stays over. He'll spend the evening at hers. Let her do things you won't. Kisses her when he fucks her, because it's what feels right - but doesn't stay the night because it feels wrong . It is intimate. He's not sure he wants to take things that far, yet. Isn't sure he likes the lingering resentment that's building; how it feels like he's being conditioned to associate sex with the unpleasantness of an argument.

He tries not to think of Hayun, but he remembers how he'd fuck her, just hoping - praying - she'd realise his feelings for her. Doesn't like that he's fucking Jiyeong as a way to prove himself. It feels too familiar.

They're not official. Exclusive, yes, but not official. It's still in its trial period, which is further than he ever got with Hayun, though.

Jeongguk knows, deep down, that he's too much of a hopeless romantic to ever need a 'trial period'. Knows that if this was the right thing for him, he'd already be thinking about sharing a home and naming children. Just how he's wired.

But he's jumped in too quickly before, and it's never ended well. He's taking things slow, because he wants it to be different. Knows that love is a choice, so he's actively choosing her.

Isn't in love yet. Not even close. But he wants to be.

And so he ignores the fact he doesn't think he can peacefully coexist with you without Jieyong getting irritated because he thinks if he keeps choosing her, she'll understand. He thinks if he proves himself, his dedication, that she'll accept it.

He's trying .

Even as an outsider, you recognise this. Can see that sometimes he goes to do things - to speak, to joke - and then catches himself. Speaks to her instead. Includes her in conversations that she'd otherwise remain mute in.

He's trying , which is more than Seokjin ever did for you. Makes you appreciate Jeongguk's careful nature even more. You think that Jiyeong would be mad to give him up, and it appears that he's not intending on giving her up, so all that's left to do is accept that this is your reality now.

The birds were fun while they lasted, but you'd rather have Jeongguk around, than not at all. It's a small compromise - and maybe you're a few drinks too deep, but by the time Secret Santa exchange comes around, you find yourself smiling at how animated he becomes. His round eyes glow with excitement, enthused by the fun of it all. A big kid at heart, Jeongguk is the purest soul you've ever known.

He's the one who passes out the gifts, like a kid on Christmas morning organising the presents beneath the tree. He wants to touch them all, feel their weight, see if they make a noise. Also wants to unwrap them all, but knows he can't, so excitedly hurries them along.

You can tell almost immediately who he wrapped a gift for - his smile becomes nervous, nibbling down on his bottom lip as he tentatively observes Tae unwrap an immaculately wrapped parcel. You should have guessed, really, knowing how good Jeongguk is with folding paper, that it would be from him.

Inside is a painting by numbers book for beginners - "Oh fuck off," Tae laughs - and a pair of earrings that have tiny, fully-functional, watercolour painting sets dangling from them.

Tae is obsessed . Takes his small hoops out, and puts the earrings in immediately. They're ridiculous and everyone is aware of it, but the way Tae dips the tiny brush into his wine and uses it to wet some of the paint is amusing to everyone. He gets straight to work painting in the first page - which is quite literally a square with just a single number inside it.

The way Jeongguk beams as Tae gets to grips with it is so endearing that you find yourself just as enthused as he is.

He's laughing, all childlike and full of life, and you decide that not having him in your life would be a crying shame. You're grateful for many things, but moments like these? They're the cherry on top of a good life.

You're a little more nervous as Jimin begins to unwrap his present.

It's from you, not that anyone is aware - hell, you're not even sure Jimin will realise the joke you're making as he neatly removes the ribbons you've wrapped around his gift. Everyone watches on with great curiosity as he begins to decipher what on earth he's received.

It's a two-part gift. The first thing? A desk sign.

Don't touch my pens , it reads - until he slides a small tab across, which changes it to say 'Do touch my pen.'

He smirks. Thinks he knows where this is going. Thinks he knows who gave it to him - and he unwraps the second part of your gift, he laughs in a way you don't think you've ever heard before.

"Oh, you little fucker," he grins at you, holding close three brand new pens, that match the one he'd claimed to be his favourite on the first night you had met. It's all a bit tongue-in-cheek, and you know it could probably prompt a few questions. You're not too sure what everyone knows of yours and Jimin's shared history, but you decide you don't really care.

"It's an in-joke," Jimin tells everyone, not wanting to air your dirty laundry. He sets his desk sign in front of him, and changes it back to ' Don't touch my pens ,' then neatly lines his new ones into a row, a pleased smile on his angelic face. Looks up at you. Grins. "Good memory."

You just shrug, pleased that he finds humour in them. The smile on your face is warm.

The smile on Jeongguk's face? Gone.

It returns when Jiyeong goes to open her present. Whoever had her name made a conscious effort to make her feel included despite not knowing her all too well. They also probably asked Jeongguk for some pointers, but that doesn't matter.

"Oh, these are ideal," she grins at a set of workout dice. There are six, each covered in different workouts and stretches. A final one indicates how many reps should be done. "I'm so bored of my current routine. These are literally perfect."

There's a lot to be said for how someone receives a gift, and Jiyeong seems genuinely appreciative. Alongside the dice is a custom water bottle with her name on it, and a cheat-day chocolate bar, both of which are just as well received.

From across the table, you sit with a soft smile on your lips. Perhaps this new normal could be nice.

Jeongguk feels your gaze. Glances towards you. Is pleased by the look on your face. Smiles, too.

You're the last to receive your present. It's wrapped a little haphazardly, and truth be told, you've no idea who it could be from. So far, no one has admitted to anything.

Occasionally, you just know - like Jeongguk's gift for Tae.

You've no idea who gifted Jeongguk quite possibly the largest shirt you've ever seen in your life.

It's a T-shirt, but the sleeves end by his wrists, and the hem of the shirt is below his knees. A joke at the expense of his love for baggy clothes, he's wearing it with pride and a silly little grin on his face. It's impractical and ridiculous, but it sums him up perfectly. Maybe it's the sheer amount of vodka you've consumed, but you can't seem to stop laughing every time you look at him.

Jiyeong doesn't really find it that funny, but she laughs too because she doesn't like the way Jeongguk looks at you when you laugh.

Yoongi's had nearly half a bottle of whisky because every time he notices the tension, he downs his drink. Can't be dealing with it. Doesn't understand how no one else is privy to it.

When you've finally discarded the wrapping paper, you find yourself laughing. Of course you are - the gift is perfect .

You open the box up, and then everyone joins in with your laughter as you pull out a bloody disco ball.

"Incredible," you beam, letting it spin in front of you, soft giggles escaping your lips. The light reflects as you twirl it around, dappling everyone in the most gorgeous speckles. Ethereal and whimsical, it's perhaps the best secret santa gift you've ever received.

Jiyeong doesn't smile. Just looks at Jeongguk as he looks at you, and wonders why he's incapable of ever looking at you without that stupid fucking smile on his face. It irritates her.

You don't look at Jeongguk. Just at the disco ball. You fear he's got stars in his eyes - and when your body betrays your mind, and eventually does glance towards him, you're proven right.

Of course he does though. He's looking at his star girl, and would have galaxies in his eyes regardless. Always has done. Regretfully, always will.

See, the stars are just reflections of your glitter. They won't burn out. Will never disintegrate. Very bad for the environment.

Forever is a long time, but he thinks it's the only accurate timeframe he can give to the splendour of your sparkle.

As your eyes linger for just a moment too long, there's an acute awareness between you both that things were better before.

He misses stargazing.

You miss the way he watches you.

Jeongguk doesn't know what to make of it. Things should be better now. Things should feel right - but he's holding back the full smile he wants to give you. Feels like he can't enthuse with you. Knows it will lead to an argument, and he's been trying to avoid those. Knows that Jiyeong is at her worst when she's had a few drinks, and knows it won't take much for her to blow up at him.

The worst part? He knows when they stopped for gas on their way there, he'd returned to the car with snacks (of which she'd naturally been happy about) but also an air freshener in the shape of a tiny fucking disco ball. He'd found it hilarious. She'd thought it was cute, but didn't understand why he liked it so much. She liked how much he liked it though, so had hung it up for him while he was driving.

Jeongguk knows she isn't stupid. Knows dots are being joined in her head. Knows that when he saw that air freshener, he thought of you. Knows that he loved it because of you. Part of him didn't even realise himself at the time, but now that he comes to think of it, it's obvious.

Jiyeong's internalised rage could shatter the disco ball you're holding into a thousand pieces - and Jeongguk knows you'd still find beauty in it.

You're a hopeless romanticist, just like he's a hopeless romantic. Both find love in things you shouldn't; you in ideas, him in people.

So he just nods. Lets someone else make jokes about your disco ball eyes, and how it's like looking at a sculpture of you. Laughs as you fake offence for being likened to a ball-shaped object - but stiffens his back when he realises Jiyeongs strengthening grip on his thigh.

You pretend you don't wish Jeongguk would make a stupid remark about how he was the one who invented that nickname, and how he deserves the credit.

He just turns to Jiyeong and whispers something in her ear. You've no idea what he says, but she smiles. Better than the death glare you'd been getting previously, so you ignore it.

That new normal you had decided was okay? Yeah. You hate it.

That Oscar-worthy performance you've been putting on prevails, though. As the night dwindles on, you holding the disco ball close, fractured light painting your throat in different hues, you couldn't look happier.

Natural divisions form - Jeongguk ends up in the kitchen with Tae, Jimin and Jiyeong, while Yoongi stays with the girlies. Namjoon is off visiting family, so he doesn't have his usual right-hand man - but he has his wife-to-be and a little plait in his hair, so he doesn't mind all too much.

"It's upstairs," Yoongi says to you quietly a little while later. "Spare room."

You nod, knowing what he means straight off the bat. Glancing through the doorway to where Jeongguk has his arm looped around Jiyeong's shoulders, a pretty smile on her face, you frown.

"Go up," Yoongi just says. "I'll sort it. First room on the left. Door's open."

You do as you're told - only realising quite how drunk you are when you stand. Walking straight is never your strong point after a few drinks, but you've been sitting for so long that you didn't realise quite how bad it was.

The room Yoongi directed you to is quaint - a small bed, not quite a double, is snug against the window. All of the furniture is carved from the same wood, and you know instantly that Yoongi must have made every single piece of it. It's impressive. Commendable. You understand why Seoyeon is so smitten. There's something to be said for a man who has mastered his craft. Maybe that's why you like seeing Jeongguk behind the bar so much.

A thin box lays on top of the white quilt, denting it from the weight. You check it over. Open it up. Pout. It's perfect .

Crafted by Yoongi, a dark walnut cutting board engraved with Jeongguk's name sits perfectly in the box, a thin layer of tissue paper beneath it. One edge has the natural shape of the wood running up it, while the rest have been sanded to a gorgeous curve. In the bottom corner, Yoongi's logo - his own name - is branded into the wood. It's gorgeous. One of a kind.

After visiting Yoongi's studio together, and seeing Jeongguk delicately run his fingers along similar ones, an idea had brewed in your head. Thought it was apt, knowing he wants his own samgyeopsal place.

You've barely managed to close it again when you hear a small knock on the open door.

Turning, you're greeted by your favourite person, and you can't even hide your smile. He can't hide his, either. His oversized shirt is tied around his neck by the sleeves, as if he's wearing a cape. You think he's ridiculous and it makes you giggle.

"What?" he beams - 'cause he can't suppress his smiles, either. Has been holding them in all evening, but now it's just the pair of you, he can finally indulge.

Yoongi had pulled him to the side. Told Jiyeong he needed to borrow him quickly. Followed Jeongguk upstairs, but went to the bathroom instead. Told Jeongguk to go to the spare room.

Maybe the deceit isn't ideal, but it's for a good cause, Yoongi thinks. Would do it again, no questions asked. Thinks that this is worthy of breaking Seoyeon's 'no gifts other than secret santa' rule.

"Have I been lured here under false pretences?" He speaks quietly, moving a little closer, tapping against the door to push it nearly shut. It's ajar, but only just.

"Maybe," you whisper back. Take a step closer. He holds his hands out, palms up, for you to gently slap yours against his. The contact is innocent. He just misses being tactile with you.

"Maybe?" He raises his brows, tilting his head slightly. His eyes narrow, smile persisting, a small laugh stuttering between his lips as his nose begins to scrunch. He's as drunk as he is handsome.

"Maybe," you nod, before looking over to the box on the bed. "Santa's been."

Jeongguk still his hands. Holds yours a little. Pretends he isn't.

"For me?"

"Mhmm," you nod, pulling your palms from his grasp, reaching over for it. "Here."

He takes it slowly. Is apprehensive. It makes you laugh. Says nothing as he eases the lid off the box - then stops moving entirely as he realises exactly what it is.

"For the restaurant," you say softly, a nervous smile on your lips. Eyes wide, you can't fully work out what he's thinking. "When you finally open it. I know wooden chopping boards aren't, like, health and safety approved, but I wasn't really thinking about that when I decided to get you one, so I'll buy a new set when the time comes-"

"No," Jeongguk shakes his head. Finally looks up at you. Looks like he might cry. "No, this is perfect. Perfect . B, what the fuck?"

And then he laughs. Chokes a little, because he really is trying to hold back the fact he feels like he'll cry. Holds the board in one hand, and uses the other to pull you in for a hug so warm that it feels like you're being engulfed by a thousand flames.

You've always believed in his dreams with reckless abandon. Have never doubted him. Know that one day you'll be drinking purple starfuckers after hours at the bar of his very own samgyeopsal place. You will . You're sure of it.

And while Jeongguk's always quietly hoped that he'd be able to achieve his dreams, he's never had someone enthuse about it in the way that you do. Never had someone absolutely certain that his dreams would play an active role in their own reality.

But you do.

So he sets the cutting board gently down on the bed and fully wraps his arms around you. Hugs you because he doesn't know how else to convey the way it makes him feel. Appreciative? Maybe. But it's more than that. More than delight, contentedness, gratefulness. He's experiencing all of those things, but they're too simple for such a complex feeling.

"Perfect," he whispers against the side of your head. "So fucking perfect."

He doesn't clarify that he's talking about the cutting board. Doesn't think he needs to. Also knows he not talking about the board at all, but knows better than to admit that.

"I'm glad you like it," you smile against his chest, then pull away from the hug. "Just thought maybe you should start gathering your resources, yanno?"

It's a lie. You just wanted to get him a gift.

He picks it up again and traces the grooves, fingers tenderly drawing over the wood grain. Studies it, because he knows if he looks at you again, he won't be able to make sensible choices.

"I love it."

"Pretty, isn't it?" You grin, watching his hands delicately feel their way around the board.

He looks up at you briefly. His eyes linger, then fall back to his hands.

"Yeah," he smiles. "Very pretty."

You let him study it for a little longer, before encouraging him downstairs. You tell him everyone will be wondering where he is. You think they really will. Think he's the life and the soul. Fail to realise just because he's the person you're always focused on, doesn't mean that everyone else is.

"Wait," he says as you reach the top of the stairs, the board tucked beneath his arm.

"Mhmm?"

"Thank you."

"It's fine," you smile - but Jeongguk looks serious all of a sudden.

"I mean it, Byeol. You don't... This is..." he struggles to find the words, so just laughs. "I'm so glad to know you."

You can't help the smile that breaks on your face, like a shooting star in the darkest of nights. Your glitter reflects the warm light pooling from up the stairs, and Jeongguk realises he's missed you far too much.

"Knowing you is okay," you tease, before ushering him downstairs. "C'mon. Seoyeon was talking about playing a game just before we headed up. Don't wanna miss the fun."

You're also aware you've been away for a little too long. Know that Jiyeong will probably start getting antsy. You know in her position, you probably would feel the exact same, and you don't want to make life difficult for anyone.

"You go first," you encourage. "I'll follow in a moment."

He does as he's told, while you head to the bathroom and freshen yourself off. Wipe the glitter that trails down your cheek when you fail to compose yourself and find a tear falling. There's no reason to cry. Everything went well - but maybe that's reason enough. Maybe you were reminded of how good things were before you fucked them all up, by insisting on Jeongguk following through with that damn bird.

When you finally return, everyone is in good spirits. The night continues as such. Jeongguk and Jiyeong leave first, with Jimin joining their taxi because it just makes sense. Part of you revels in satisfaction when you hear Jeongguk state there'll two drops to the ride: Jiyeong's place, then back to his place for him and Jimin.

You catch a cab with Tae and Nabi a little while later, though you're sure in the morning you'll forget all about it. Will forget most of the evening, most probably. You're fucked. Nabi's mission? Accomplished - but she's just as bad as you are. Throws up in her bag in the back of the Taxi.

As you eventually meander up the corridor to your apartment, a small sense of dread swells in the pit of your stomach.

Much like the evening of Taehyung's art show, there are flowers by your door.

They're different, this time. Out of season, you think. Oranges and purples you'd expect to see in the warmth of early summer, not in the barren cold of winter - but they're familiar. A small bunch. Expensive because of the time of year, but minimal compared to the obnoxious roses you'd been greeted with before.

You're getting pretty good at mental gymnastics. Tell yourself maybe Seokjin fancied doing something a little different this time. There's no calling card, from what you can see - just a small box wrapped in brown paper and sealed shut with washi tape.

For some reason, you find yourself cursing when you notice the small detail, because you know exactly where you recognise it from. Your heart grows heavy, lips pressing together to suppress a pout.

See, Jeongguk had been lying about the traffic.

He was late because he had to drop by yours before heading up to Yoongi's place. Didn't want Jiyeong to ask questions, so went to yours before he got her, but also wanted to make sure you'd left your place first. Has Jimin on his friend finder app, so stalked him like a little creep to make sure nothing would overlap.

He's not too sure why.

When you pick the flowers up, you find yourself cradling them, almost. Far more care is taken than there was with the roses. These are more precious, you think - and yet you set them down on the counter first, and don't bother to sort the vase out.

Instead, you slide your thumb under a loose section of paper, gently prizing away the washi tape from the brown paper.

The box itself is no bigger than your palm. White once you remove the earthy-toned packaging, it's embossed with a small silver stamp of a company you've never heard of.

Nervousness finds its home in your diaphragm for no good reason. Delicately opening the box, you're greeted first by a small card. It's handwritten, unlike the ones that so often come with flowers from Seokjin.

But of course it is. Everything about Jeongguk is far more intimate. It's innate. Just who he is as a person. S'why he was so good with those pesky fears of yours.

When you finally start to read the note, you realise your vision is a little blurred from tiny tears making their presence known. You're not crying. Not really. Just a little emotional. You blame it on the vodka.

for the wind beneath my wings, and the washi tape that holds my fears safe.

what would i do without you?

keep on shining, disco ball x

Beneath the note sits a dainty silver chain. Resting prettily on the cushioned padding of the box is a small charm: an ornate silver origami bird.

You're not sure why, but you really do start crying, now. The tears fall silently, and speckle the countertop with tiny splashes, but you don't care to wipe them away.

In your back pocket, your phone vibrates. A picture sent from Jeongguk waits in your message feed.

Across town, he stands in his dimly lit kitchen, a glass of red in his hand as he leans back against the kitchen island. The chopping board is hung next to the stovetop, where a pot usually lives, but Jeongguk has hidden it away in the cupboard. Thinks Yoongi's handiwork deserves to be displayed - and he's right. The dark walnut wood looks gorgeous against the backsplash of his kitchen.

The picture sent to you is of his view, and he's pleased to feel his phone vibrate in his own back pocket just a few minutes later.

You reply with a picture, too.

It's of his gift card, with a hastily scribbled reply over the top of the photograph. You often annotate the pictures you send him, and it always makes him smile - but this time, he really does laugh.

Next to his question - what would i do without you? - your hot pink digital handwriting replies: idk - die, probably.

And then a second message pings through - a selfie, taken in the mirror.

Your hair is down, slightly kinked in places from your up-do, but ever so elegant as it drapes over your shoulder. Your roots are well and truly growing through now, and it makes Jeongguk smile. So much progress has been made. It's nice to see a physical representation of that.

Your eyes are a little bleary, but it could just be the alcohol, he thinks. Chooses to ignore the fact your nose is slightly blushed, too.

Tiny speckles of glitter catch the light all over your skin - your eyes, your cheeks, your throat, the top of your chest. Again, he ignores the fact you're without the clothes you had been wearing. There are still straps over your shoulders, but he knows you well. Knows you're in your underwear. Recognises the bra. Has taken it off you before.

Nothing is on show, but nothing needs to be. He's visualising it regardless. Hates himself for it, but can't seem to stop.

In fact, the only thing that does avert his attention is the silver pendant around your neck. It sits prettily a few inches above your cleavage, perfectly adorning you like fine jewellery should.

It's not like it was unreasonably expensive - just sterling silver - but something about it feels priceless. To him. To you. To the friendship you've cultivated and the lives you both lead; forever changed by a couple of purple starfuckers and a few bad decisions.

Something tells me this one won't fall, your caption reads.

Jeongguk purses his lips together. Looks at the chopping board. Shakes his head. Doesn't know how to reply.

So instead, he tries honesty.

You look beautiful.

The message sits in his side of the chat, unsent. He knows the compliment is too heavy. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. So he rephrases, and presses send on something else.

Jeongguk: suits you, b

Of course it does. Was chosen for you by someone who knows you better than you know yourself.

You: best friend in the whole entire world x

You: what would I do without you?

Jeongguk smirks to himself. Doesn't even think as he types.

Jeongguk: die, probably

Your reply makes his smile grow even wider.

You: till death do us part ;)

He knows he shouldn't find such comfort in the joke you've just sent, he can't help it.

Jeongguk knows you'll be away visiting family over the next few days, just like he is. Knows that he won't hear from you much. Understands why. Doesn't mean he enjoys the prospect of it.

He considers inviting you around, now.

But it's Christmas morning, albeit very early and he knows the implications of such a thing. He wouldn't mean anything by it, he's just missed you. Missed hanging out with you.

But he invested himself in someone else because of the investment he made in you, and the birds. He has expectations to live up to. Doesn't wanna let you down.

Neither of you sleep as well as you should. Life was easier as a kid, the excitement of Father Christmas visiting enough to wipe you out entirely. Even the alcohol isn't enough to lull you into a peaceful equilibrium.

Instead, Jeongguk stares at the birds on his ceiling. You twiddle with the bird around your neck.

It's apparent that neither of you will be waking up to the gifts you really want beneath your trees - and you've only got yourselves to blame.

Merry fuckin' Christmas.

AO3 | MASTERLIST | MINORS DNI

[ecoamerica]

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[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Hi! Do you know any fic where it's set in the 60s/70s/80s around that time period?

Here are an assortment from previous asks! ~ Jen

To Be Myself by @wowbright

What if Kurt had been born 25 years earlier? A story about Gen X Kurt Hummel learning about love and, most importantly, learning to be himself, 1976-1985.

It Must Be Love by lovely_sparkle

It’s 1987, and Blaine just wants to fit in with the cool kids at school. So he wears trendy clothes even though they aren’t his style, saves his singing and dancing for his bedroom, and keeps his sexuality a secret by dating a popular cheerleader. But everything changes when teen sensation Kurt Hummel, lead singer of the latest New Wave craze Social Heap, enters his world. And little does Kurt know that his world is about to be turned upside-down, too.

~~~~~

Hummel and Oats by elfinder

Klaine ‘80s AU. Sometimes even potential soulmates can get off on the wrong foot. Enter Kurt, the ballsy co-manager of Dare to Flare, the hottest gay club in the East Village, and Blaine, a newly hired cover band artist at the same club. Right from the start, the boys’ first impressions of one another go astray thanks to some incorrect gossip and an accidentally spilt drink. Can two men who aren’t even on a first name basis ever put their differences aside?

~~~~~

80s Verse by @whenidance

AU set in the 1980s. Dalton doesn’t exist, Blaine transfers to McKinley, and Rachel and Kurt help him figure out who he really is, complete with a cheestastic soundtrack. A season two rewrite with all that in mind.

~~~~~

Can’t take my eyes off you by gleekto

1969 Klaine AU.

Blaine is a gay. He’s known for years and he’s not ashamed. He just wants to be sensible about it as it carries a lot of risks. So he chooses to study Arts at one of the best colleges in the country - Columbia - that makes his parents happy. And it also happens to have the first college sanctioned gay group in the country - the Student Homophile League - for people like him. And that makes him happy. He hopes. He just has to muster up the courage to actually go to one of the League meetings. Instead he wastes his time staring at that icy hippie in his music history class who doesn’t know he exists. He needs to stop pretending people are gay in his head and actually meet some real homosexuals.

Blaine coming of age in 1969. Hippie!Kurt. Elliott and Sebastian as Blaine’s mentor-friends. Unironic use of ‘groovy’. Coming out and fitting in and falling in love.

~~~~~

Gimme Shelterby Kurtswish

On a joyride out with friends, Blaine stumbles upon a man that would change his life forever. It is a time when changes are coming swiftly with Civil Rights laws and Vietnam on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Finding each other and romance should have been the hard part, but what will two young men endure in the time of free love and war. Story is complete.

~~~~~

The Sound Of Silenceby brokenlovesong

It’s 1968 and Blaine runs away from home. He meet a boy different from anyone he’s ever met who changes everything he thought he new about himself and life, and quickly his entire world changes drastically. Strong language, sex, drugs, drinking, violence

~~~~~

Here I Am, Honeyby luckie_dee

When Blaine Anderson visits Kellerman’s Mountain Home with his family in the summer of 1963, he isn’t expecting anything more than days in the sun and games of croquet, but when he and his cousin Rachel meet the staff dance instructors, his plans get thrown for a loop. Blaine’s family vacation might just end up being the time of his life. A Klaine Dirty Dancing AU. Title from Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me.”

Immutability and Other Sins series by fabfemmeboy (not completed)

This is an AU that spans from the late 1950s to just shy of modern-day. With the exception of the prologue, it goes in order. It begins in the fall of 1959 at Dalton Academy and follows the trajectory of the American gay experience through our not-always-so-happy couple. While the central story series is Klaine, there are some genfic stories on the side, set in the same universe and timeframe. Mostly because, as I planned out the main story, I kept coming back to all the ways in which the members of New Directions would be different 50 years ago, how many ways their worlds would be unfamiliar or more limited than we think of today. For all politicians seem to talk about what a great time the 1950s were, they weren’t for a lot of people.

There will be links periodically to songs involved in the story. Sometimes it’s a big plot point, sometimes the character is singing it, sometimes it’s just what’s on in the background. Think of it like the soundtrack, since it’s not something we can hear in the episode because there is no episode. Or disregard it entirely, that’s up to you.

And if you happen to want a great kind of nonfiction companion reading, check out Making Gay History by Eric Marcus.

HKVoyage’s Note: This series is not completed (last updated in December 2017). However, at 674k words, it is well worth the read, even though you wish there was more. The author has written up to the late 1970s.

~~~~~

Come Alive by delires

1960s NYC: Newly-wed junior advertising exec Blaine Anderson finds a missing piece to his puzzle in the back room of a Manhattan bar. Mad Men era AU.

#klaine fanfiction #fic finder #klaine fanfic #historic!klaine #1960's #1970's #1980's

[wolfiemcwolferson]

63 <3

I’m writing Galex OF COURSE - What A Feeling (One Direction)

Meeting Alex was a fluke. George was playacting someone normal and Alex had been in the wrong place at the right time, and George couldn’t really care about any of that when he was inside one of those precious moments they managed to carve out.

The moments he had lied and begged and borrowed time and security detail free space to wrap himself around Alex in his cold flat on the top floor of a building that George couldn’t park his car anywhere near.

The moments he let himself believe he could have the future Alex told him about. Finishing school and selling his already meager possessions and backpacking across several countries that George had visited, but never really seen.

No, George couldn’t think too much about it or he’d remember that Alex wasn’t really his - that Alex would leave next spring and there’d maybe be a few phone calls to that phone George has shoved under his mattress or postcards sent to Lando’s address.

“Earth to Prince George,” Alex laughs, running a finger down his cheek. “You still with me?”

Beautiful. Alex is so achingly beautiful. Free. He’s free too.

“Yes, darling.” George catches his finger in his fist, kissing the tip of it. “You were telling me about Vietnam.”

“Ah, so you were listening.” Alex smiles with his eyes squinting shut before he starts talking about seasonal work and visas and George let’s his mind run wild - leaving, joining Alex.

Because he’s never felt more like a King than when he’s beside Alex.

#galex #tiredtiredsharl #Spotify wrapped fics

[moshintheteagaiwan]

It’s 2023 And I’m Back At It!

Wow – it’s been a while hasn’t it!

I think the last time I was active on my blog was around October of last year. I stopped posting for a time after I got Covid and lost my sense of taste and smell. I’m happy to report that it has since returned and I am back to normal. I lost my senses for almost a month give or a take. However, by the time I had regained my senses the Christmas season was beginning to get in gear which ended up taking up a lot of mine time. Little known fact about me is that during the Christmas season, which in our house starts the first weekend after Halloween because we love Christmas, I stop drinking all tea except for my special Twinings Christmas Blend. No gongfu sessions, no Puerh, no Oolongs, just Twinings Christmas Blend. I fell in love with that blend years ago. It’s the most perfectly warm and bold black tea with just the right amount of spice. I drink it all the way through to new year’s. Then once the new year starts I switch back to my normal tea routine. I find it really helps my taste buds settle down and take a break from vigorous tastings in preparation for the countless number of new teas to come in the new year.

With that being said, I have indeed begun tastings again. In fact, I have tasted 30 new teas this year already! I’ve been working away at the batch I got from Yunnan Sourcing last fall before I got Covid. The batch has had a few real winners so far and I will likely mainly blog about them in the near future. For the new year though I really want to be a bit more adventurous and dive into teas from other parts of the world that you don’t commonly hear about. Right now I have a few baskets lined up from online retailers for teas grown in Thailand and Vietnam, which I’m really excited for. I’ll also be posting a bit on some new Dark teas I got from the Vancouver based O5 Tea Bar. I recently discovered their shop and it’s on my hit list of tea shops to stop in and visit when I get around to traveling around Canada a bit more.

If you’ve been following me for a while now and are still here, thank you, glad you’ve stuck around!

#2023 #gongfutea #gongfucha #tea #puerh #oolong #loosetea

[mariacallous]

In recent decades, both the moral injury of the Iraq War and the turbulent state of public discourse has shaped an anti-American narrative strongly held by a minority of Americans themselves. By “anti-American,” I don’t just mean opposition to contentious aspects of U.S. foreign and domestic policy. I am talking about actual oikophobia, aversion to one’s own homeland, which manifests on both the far left and the far right.

People as diverse as Tucker Carlson and Noam Chomsky have embraced this twisted narrative. After Iraq, their logic goes, and after decades of growing political division, the United States can do no right. This is why the United States shouldn’t aid Ukraine, they argue—we are failing as a country and have no authority to intervene. Whatever other countries might be doing, the United States is doing worse.

It’s gotten to the point that U.S. President Joe Biden’s bold surprise visit to an embattled Kyiv earlier this week was met with such howls of consternation at home that I got the impression that some of our extremists would outright cheer if Russia had, in the words of its own propagandists, tried to “whack Biden” in Ukraine.

There is a defeatism in the words and actions of these U.S. supporters of foreign dictators. They believe there is no hope for the United States. No matter how much they may hem and haw, the logical conclusion of this narrative is: “Americans should give up and let people like Russian President Vladimir Putin run the world.”

“Stick a shovel into the ground almost anywhere and some horrible thing or other will come to light,” the Canadian author Margaret Atwood wrote in The Blind Assassin, an extraordinary book published a year before the events of 9/11. As the decade wore on and I became a journalist who worked in a number of countries, I kept coming back to this line. They are not an absolution, but they are a practical way of thinking about the world: There are no utopias.

The call to give up, simply because we are not a utopia, plays on fears about our global standing after decades of the war on terror. Consider Seymour Hersh. As an already-seasoned and celebrated investigative journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, Hersh followed up by reporting on the inhumane torture at Abu Ghraib prison.

Yet years later, Hersh has devolved into a writer who will carry water for a number of war-crime enthusiasts—as long as they are not American. Now, he is an apologist for the brutal regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Most recently, he has been celebrated by Russian war propagandists for alleging that the United States blew up the Nord Stream pipelines. It’s an explosive allegation – based on a single anonymous source. . Not to mention the fact that when one turns to open-source intelligence, glaring holes emerge in Hersh’s detailed narrative.

I understand why some people have been electrified by Hersh’s recent writing, even if it’s bad. Today, the most committed Americans are internationalists, but careful ones—as a 2021 survey by the Eurasia Group Foundation points out, the majority of Americans want the United States to have a greater international role, but not one in which Washington commits our troops at the drop of a hat. Americans are rightfully wary about interventionism, and Hersh’s allegations play into that wariness.

Yet being careful is not the same as projecting our fears and doubts onto the rest of the world. Americans have baggage as a nation—as every nation does—but forcing others to carry it is immature and self-indulgent.

When I was a young person during the George W. Bush years, for example, I began to balk at manipulative and melodramatic rhetoric on freedom, how it cheapened the very idea. Does this give me the right to laugh at Ukrainians who are dying in the thousands because they want to be free of a murderous dictator next door? No, that would be selfish and cowardly.

The devastation of 9/11, the confusion and pain of the wars that followed, the hollowing of our institutions, the increase in bitter divisions—all of these things are real, part of the scar tissue that grows on society. But Americans have choices about how to see those scars and what to do about them.

It’s not my intention to diminish the brutality of some of the United States’ most hotly debated foreign wars, from the Philippines to Iraq. What I do believe is that you can’t effectively reckon with the past if you don’t believe in the future. People who implicitly argue that the failures of Iraq justify a lack of response to Russia’s genocidal invasion of Ukraine have stopped believing in the future. If you rightly think that Abu Ghraib was horrible, you should have something to say about the countless Abu Ghraibs that Russia has created, not turn away and shrug.

Americans should engage with the world, not turn away from it in a spasm of self-hatred. After decades of costly interventionism, the United States is now being practical, using a small fraction of its defense budget to degrade and destroy a significant fraction of Russia’s war machine without putting U.S. troops on the ground. Even a cursory look at Russian propaganda will tell you that this war machine had plans even bigger than taking Ukraine and that this spending is justified in light of the threat Russian fascism has posed. It’s not just 40 million Ukrainians whose lives are on the line here—though they should be enough.

That Americans are tired of war is understandable. In fact, Russians gambled on that in the beginning. Americans proved them wrong. We can, and should, continue to prove them wrong. As a nation, we are greater than our fears.

[ecoamerica]

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[typingtess]

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 13 Rewatch:  “Genesis”

The basics:  The disappearance of an ONI Officer has the team running up against Iranian intelligence agents.  Callen continues to dig into his past.

Written by:  Andrew Bartels wrote or co-wrote "Allegiance", "Zero Days", "The Grey Man", "Humbug", "Fighting Shadows", "Driving Miss Diaz", "Angels & Daemons", "Where There’s Smoke…", "Glasnost", "Old Tricks" "Battle Scars", "Fool Me Twice", "Warrior of Peace", "Reentry", "The Prince", "Smokescreen", "The One That Got Away"/"No More Secrets" two-parter, "Yellow Jacket", "Missing Time", "If the Fates Allow", "Red Rover, Red Rover" and "Divided We Fall".

Directed by:  John P. Kousakis directed "Imposters", "Sacrifice", "San Voir" part one, "The Fifth Man", "Parley", "Inelegant Heart", "Chernoff, K.", "Active Measures", "The Long Goodbye", "Talion", "Glasnost", "Unleashed", "Party Crashers", "This Is What We Do" (episode 200), "Goodbye Vietnam", "Ninguna Salida", "The Guardian", "High Society", "A Tale of Two Igors", "Under the Influence", all of the Afghanistan scenes from "Iron Curtain Rising" to "Zero Days" in season five and all of Kensi’s injury/recovery storyline scenes from "The Queen’s Gambit" to "Sirens" in season eight.  

Guest stars of note:  Peter Cambor returns “MWD” as Nate Getz, Bar Paly returns from “All The Little Things” as Anna Kolchek.  Both Duncan Campbell as Agent Castor and Beckett Gunderson as Young Callen are back from “Pandora’s Box”, Ashwin Gore is back from “Divided We Fall” as Akhil Ali and Milissa Sears returns from “Lost Soldier Down” as Leah Novak.  Jere Burns as Arnold Baines, Layla Alizada as Dr. Roxana Jarrahi and Andrei Dolezal as Young Baines.

Our heroes:  Try to find an ONI Officer while Callen mucks around some more in his past.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen:  More flashbacks tie him to Katya’s trainer. Sam:   Knows the SAC for the FBI in the Middle East. Kensi:  Wants to do the right thing by Pilar.   Deeks:  Visiting the Refugee Relocation Center before talking to an immigration lawyer pal. Fatima:  Fatima Khadem. Rountree:  Working Ops today.   Kilbride:  Got a sexy call from Callen.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen: Moving. Sam:  Jogging on the beach with Kensi. Kensi:  Calling Rosa.   Deeks:   Gave Rosa’s phone number to Kensi. Fatima: Ghosting boyfriends. Rountree: Danny Tanner-like with his dating advice. Kilbride:  Using the firing range to wash the sexy Callen call from his brain.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  Nobody knows but Callen has a question or two.

Who's down with OTP:  Not a lot of Deeks around but he gave Kensi Rosa’s phone number.  Happy wife, happy life.  Like the Ali pining for Fatima.

Who's down with BrOTP:  The Callen and Nate show was interesting.  

Fashion review:   Callen is wearing a dark shirt watching the Katya video.  The following day, it is the green and blue plaid button down.  Sam is jogging in a black hoodie over a white undershirt.  Later he’s in a black long-sleeve heavy tee-shirt.  Kensi is jogging in an off-white fleece jacket over a medium blue tee.  Later in the day, she’s wearing a white henley.  Fatima starts the episode working out in a red sweatshirt.  Working in Ops, she’s wearing a blue and white striped shirt under a dark blue jacket.  Deeks is wearing a pale purple hoodie.  In the field, Fatima is wearing a concert tee-shirt under a brown sweater.  Rountree is in a black sleeveless muscle tee-shirt working out.  He’s wearing a brown sweater with a green jacket later in the episode.  

Music: No tunes today except for a clip of a song by Googoosh.

Any notable cut scene:   Two:

As Fatima changes in the relocated wardrobe dressing room, Ali fills in Fatima about Dr. Jarrahi’s work.  She is working on changing mosquitos so she can help stop the spread of malaria.  Her detractors think she is trying to eliminate an entire species of insects.  Fatima said growing up in LA, there were no mosquitos, now the city is full of them.  Ali thinks they can bond over a shared dislike for the bugs.  Fatima snarks that she will then casually turn the conversation to the officer’s disappearance.  This goes into the scene where Fatima models her tee-shirt for Ali, who is a bit surprised she did that.  He thinks she looks cool but he doesn’t spend a lot of time with undergrads.  Fatima is relieved he does not.

From the episode, at the beach, Callen is trying to explain what he did to Leah.  Nate is shocked – Leah was a subject just like he was.  Callen brings up her work at Homeland Security and her redacted personnel file.  If she didn’t want to be found, Callen thinks his approach was better.  Nate mocks Callen’s alias.  Greg is the English version of Grisha.  

Cut from the episode is Nate getting back on topic, asking if Callen ever learned why Leah’s file was redacted.  He didn’t.  Leah isn’t with Homeland anymore, she’s freelancing as a negotiator for companies dealing with ransomware issues.  Her background is likely classified cyberwarfare.  

Nate asks if Leah spoke about the Drona project.  Callen says he and Leah had dinner a few times, he tried to ask about her past but she didn’t want to give him much.  Then Callen had to cut it off.  He wasn’t interested in going any further.  It wouldn’t be ethical to sleep with her, especially since he’s with Anna.  Nate asks about Anna, Callen says she’s good.

Quote:  Kilbride:  “I believe that this whole thing is Looney Tunes. If you had told me a year ago that I would be dealing with mischievous digital facsimiles of my agents trying to seduce me with prank phone calls, I'd have moved to a yurt in Mongolia, never to be heard from again, but, apparently, this is the idiotic world we have chosen to live in.”

This may be the finest rant ever uttered on this or any other program in the last year.

Anything else:  Setting up the old-school projector, Callen is once again watching the Noble Maidens ganging up on one of their own.  The Russian instructor can be heard saying “Seventeen”.  Suddenly, the young woman is not standing up, it is young Callen.  Callen has a flashback to being tested by as a child.  The man is saying “finish the job” in a similar tone as the man speaking to the Noble Maidens.  Anna wakes Callen up.  They need to finish packing.

Asking if she recognizes the voice, Anna does not.  But she is pretty sure that is Katya in the video.  Anna tells Callen she was not treated that way at the Institute.  Anna almost feels sorry for Katya – “Almost.”  She asks if Callen ever figured out what “Pembroke” meant.  Callen has a list of a few Pembrokes, including a breed of corgis, but he thinks it is the name of the instructor.  They need to finish packing – there are movers coming the next day.  Callen is going to watch the film one more time.

In the gym, Fatima is working the heavy bag and discussing her dating life with Rountree.  He thinks she “ghosted” the guy she’s currently dating.  Hasn’t spoken to him in three weeks.  She tells him ghosting happens after four.  After saying a little prayer, Fatima wants to know what she is doing wrong.  She meets these nice guys and after a few dates, she’s out.  “It’s me, isn’t it.”  Rountree thinks she has trust issues.  With the quality of people NCIS deals with on a regular basis, why wouldn’t Fatima have trust issues.  

Rountree mentions the deep fakes boyfriend and Fatima quickly corrects him.  They met once.  Though Rountree thinks there was a connection, Fatima tells him it wasn’t real – she was being played.  “But it felt real.”  Rountree feels it messed with her head and her heart.  Fatima thinks Rountree is well on his way to being a great dad like Danny Tanner.  Rountree finds her real problem – “you’re a jerk.”  The two laugh.

On the beach, Sam is jogging with Kensi.  Kensi is talking about Pilar, who learned how to speak English by watching horror movies.  Now she’s making her own movies at 14 with her phone.  Rosa asked Kensi and Deeks to watch over Pilar and Kensi doesn’t want to let her down.  Deeks is going to meet with the Refugee Resettlement Office before talking to a friend who is an immigration lawyer.  They’re going to find out how hard it is going to be for Pilar to stay.  Kensi remembers not having a safe home to go to – she wants more for Pilar.  Sam knows Pilar will be fine with Kensi and Deeks watching her back, “just like Rosa was.”

Wrapping up a call, Anna tells Callen she’s going to stay with Arkady for a while.  Callen reminds Anna they just signed a lease for a place by the marina.  He asks if she is breaking up with him.  She is not – she loves him.  The last few months have been hard and since the film reel showed up, Callen is obsessed.  Callen thinks the key to finding Katya is in the video – surely Anna understands that.  She does but she is tired of Katya defining their relationship.  They’ll take a step back, just for a little while.  Callen’s phone rings – it’s the Admiral.  Anna tells Callen to go, they’ll talk later.  An unhappy Callen answers the phone.  

In Ops, the Admiral reintroduces Fatima and Rountree to ONI Officer Akhil Ali.  Rountree asks what are they being investigated for now.  Nothing – Ali has been promoted to running ONI’s LA field office.  His biggest area of responsibility is running the collectors – he trains Naval Intelligence Officers to meet and collect foreign assets who provide intelligence information.  Ali seems impressed Fatima knows his job.  Kilbride explains one of the officers has gone missing and NCIS is there to help find her.  When the Admiral leaves, Ali asks Fatima for access to the system.  She’s going to get him set up.

Marching down the hall, the Admiral calls to an arriving Callen to go to the fishbowl office, “now.”  Kilbride has a voicemail from Callen and his desire to see the Admiral in a “sexy little sailor suit.”  Callen denies making the phone call.  The Admiral asks if Callen thinks he’d still be alive if he did.  Vance and hundreds of other federal officials got similar calls.  There were also inappropriate social media posts.  Callen looks sick – NCIS CYBER was supposed to be protecting him.  They were but Katya has bot accounts that are amplifying whatever she sends out.  Callen thinks it all goes back to the film reel and how Katya probably wants him sidelined.

Taking a seat, the Admiral tells Callens that the deep fakes were mostly a nuisance.  They are the product of a psychopathic troll.  But this escalation is interfering with Callen’s ability to do his job.  Callen tries to interrupt the Admiral but Kilbride plows on about Callen not being able to represent the agency.  Callen asks if Kilbride really believes that.  He believes the entire set-up is “Looney Tunes.”   Vance is not only worried about the trouble Katya has already caused but the trouble she is looking to cause.  He has asked Kilbride to remove Callen from the field until the deep fakes stop.  “What if they don’t stop?”  The Admiral does not have an answer.

With Sam and Kensi in the boatshed, Ali, Fatima and Rountree review the case.  The missing ONI Officer  is Maria Varza.  She’s been a collector for six years and has cultivated a relationship with Dr. Roxana Jarrahi.  Jarrahi is one of the top genetics in the world, working at The Curie Institute and MIT.  Varza was working on Jarrahi, whose research is funded by groups with ties to the Iranian military.  ONI wanted to see if Jarrahi’s work would lead to a genetic weapon – something that could target specific sections of DNA.  An inert virus could be released that would only hurt people with a specific genetic sequence or a family or a whole race of people.

Varza was just getting friendly with Jarrahi.  A planned dinner the prior night is where Varza was going to make her official offer.  Ali was hoping Fatima could get access to the restaurant’s security cameras.  Varza was supposed to call in this morning but didn’t.  Ali tried to call Varza with no luck.  He drove to her home to find the door unlocked and no Varza.  Kensi wants to know if Jarrahi's relationship with the Iranian military is deeper than just funding.  Jarrahi may have been collected – just not by the US.

In the firing range, a shooting Callen is joined by Nate.  Nate asks how Callen is doing, he’s fine.  Callen doesn’t want to talk about Katya, he wants to stop her.  So does Nate, who drew up a profile on Katya.  Callen’s already read profiles on Katya by both the FBI and CIA – she’s a sadist driven by revenge.  Nate disagrees – she’d driven by obsession.  When only plays out, like Anna, another pops up – Callen.  If they could identify a new obsession, they could draw her out.  Callen thinks about an old obsession he thinks he found, though Nate may think it’s crazy.  Nate is not a fan of the word crazy.

Checking out Varza’s house, the place is not a mess.  Kensi finds her keys right away so if she was taken, they didn’t bother to lock up the house before going.  Sam thinks she may have run.  Kensi asks about Callen, who says he’s fine.  Sam doesn’t believe Callen.  There is no computer or cell phone in the house.  Rountree in Ops can’t trace the phone – it’s shut off.  With only external security cameras, Varza’s car is seen pulling into her garage but the system was turned off at 2:14AM.  Sam wonders if Varza took her system offline and is selling secrets.  No witnesses, no cellphone, no computer – they don’t have much.  Looking at Varza’s car, they have one set of computers.

An unhappy Nate just finished watching the Katya video.  Nate asks Callen if he’s sure he’s heard that voice before as a child in Hetty’s version of the Institute.  The KGB man was also involved in the CIA project.  Callen believes that Katya was looking for the man in the video when she was stationed in the US as a spy.  The film reel was her only lead.  “You think I’m crazy,” Callen says to Nate, who doesn’t like the word.  He switches to delusional.   Nate explains that Callen could be seeing similarities in his and Katya’s upbringing.  That would make the instructor sound the same.  But it isn’t impossible for the instructor was KGB – the CIA took a lot from the Russians, including the Drona project from the Institute of Noble Maidens.   Callen stops Nate – how does he know that the Drona program is based on a Russian program.  “Admiral Kilbride told me.”  That’s news to Callen.  Nate is surprised the Admiral kept that secret but Callen brings up breaking into a sealed archive and how he was almost fired for that.  “Since I’m half way out the door,” Callen wants to explore what the Admiral knows.

Wearing a concert tee-shirt under a brown jacket, Fatima asks Ali how she looks.  He says she looks cool but he doesn’t hang around much with college coeds.  Fatma would hope not.  Usually, Jarrahi has lunch at the university cafeteria at 12:30PM but she’s fasting for Ramadan, as is Fatima and Ali.  Ali tells Fatima is he also going to the mosque.  She’s glad to hear it.  Ali asked if she had plans for Eid but Fatima say she usually does something with her family.  

Watching what’s going on, Rountree waits a beat before updating Fatima and Ali on Varza’s credit cards and bank accounts – nothing there to indicate she was up to something.  Looking into the Varza’s car’s computer, the trunk was opened and closed at 8:16 PM around when she left the restaurant.  It was opened again six-minutes before the security system was taken offline.  Varza was kidnapped.  They didn’t break in, they were hiding in the trunk of her car.

As the Admiral is about to go into the gun range to purge the memory of Callen’s voicemail, Callen confronts Kilbride about the Russian connection.  The Admiral is not happy with Nate who broke confidentially.  Nate pushes back – no patient-doctor confidentially between them.  The Admiral brings up the idea of classified material but Nate pushes back again.  He’s there to help Callen.  Callen explains his theory about Katya looking for someone from the Drona project.  The Admiral thinks Callen sounds crazy, causing Nate to flinch.  Callen asks and the Admiral confirms that the Drona project was based on the Institute of Noble Maidens.  The name Pembroke means nothing to the Admiral.  Callen storms off.

The Admiral goes off on Nate, who instead of pulling Callen out of a rabbit hole is pushing him down deeper.  Knowing Callen for years, with or without him, Nate knows Callen will see this through.  

On campus, a casually dressed Ali is wearing headphones and pretend working on a computer.  Fatima passes him as she approaches Jarrahi.  Introducing herself as Fatima Khadem, Fatima sits down to speak to Jarrahi.  Fatima is so happy to meet another Iranian scientist.  Explaining that she’s graduating in a few weeks, Fatima is waitlisted for the graduate program in bio-chemistry.  Jarrahi can do nothing to help Fatima with that.  Ali tells Fatima that Jarrahi is a workaholic, focus on her research.  Speaking glowingly of Jarrahi’s work, Fatima asks what is holding it up.  “Fear.”  Saying she has a lot of work to do, Jarrahi dismisses Fatima.  

Ali tries to move to plan be – wealthy parents who will fund her research.  Fatima pulls out her phone and starts to put in her earbuds.  Googoosh, a popular Iranian singer starts playing so Jarrahi can hear.  Fatima blames the Bluetooth sync.  Jarrahi is a fan.  Fatima has tickets to see Googoosh at the Hollywood Bowl that summer, as does Jarrahi.  Fatima isn’t surprised – “Pretty sure half of Tehrangeles will be there.”  Fatima has a favorite song – “Gharibe Ashena” – and hopes Googoosh sings it at the concert.  “Oh, she has to.  If she doesn’t, the crowd will revolt.”  Fatima will lead the revolt.  Jarrahi starts chatting with Fatima.

Showing Nate the files he has of the other subjects, Callen admits he hasn’t ID’d many of them.  The ones he has, most are dead.   Two died in action, two died by suicide.  The only one alive is Leah.  Nate asks if Callen has spoken to her – he has.  Did she recognized the voice, Nate asks.  Callen has some explaining to do.  

At his desk, Deeks has his laptop opened when Kensi arrives.  He’s catching up on the Varza case – “where’s Sam?”  Sam is at the university as back-up.  He dropped Kensi off at the office.  Kensi asks about the Pilar.  There is a lot for Deeks to go through.  He doesn’t miss being a lawyer.  Pilar’s parents were murdered by a gang and the gang threatened Pilar too.  Kensi is upset for Pilar.  The good news is that Pilar has a strong case for asylum.  Kensi and Deeks need to find someone who Pilar can talk too about what happened.  If she can be comfortable explaining what happened, it will help her case.  Kensi thinks of Nate or someone who Nate could suggest.   Nate sounds like a good idea to Deeks.

Rountree joins Kensi and Deeks with security cam footage from the restaurant.  Varza and Jarrahi enter around 8PM.  Two men are just behind them.  One of the men leaves around the time Varza’s trunk was opened.  The second man stayed inside to watch Varza and Jarrahi.  Varza left about 8:38PM as did Jarrahi, but they did not leave together.  The two men are not coming up in a facial rec search.

Nate is surprised Callen tried to trick Leah.  He explains that with her redacted file, he wondered if she was hiding something.  Pulling up to her home, Callen explains why he broke it off with Leah before going “oh” in recognition.  Callen knocks on Leah’s door – “we need to talk.”  In her backyard, Callen is playing the audio for the Noble Maiden instructor.  Leah went to a special school because she had ADD.  She’s stunned this is why Callen lied to her.  Nate tries to cover for Callen – as an agent, it is hard for Callen to trust people.  As someone who works in cyberspace, Leah doesn’t need to be told the world is full of liars.  She asks them to leave.  Callen asks if Pembroke means anything to her.  Leah tells him to go to hell.

While Fatima and Jarrahi area walking and talking about science, Sam joins Ali who is following the women.  There are no IDs from ONI on the two men who tailed Varza and Jarrahi into the restaurant.   They are likely Iranian intelligence agents with non-official covers.  This makes finding Varza harder.  

Through comms, Sam tells Fatima to push Jarrahi harder.  Talking about Jarrahi being new to LA, Jarrahi says she works all the time.  She hasn’t even seen the ocean in her five months in LA.  Fatima talks about the number of Iranian ex-pats in LA and Ali knows Jarrahi is lying about not knowing any.  Varza’s cover was as a pharmaceutical businesswoman from Tehran.  Fatima tries to weave Varza’s cover into the conversation but that tips off Jarrahi, who storms off.

The two men who grabbed Varza are now following Fatima.  Sam has Ali follow Jarrahi and tells him to approach her after she’s clear of the men.  As Fatima is getting into her car, the two men approach.  She asks if she could help them.  They order Fatima to come with them.  Sam arrives saying he’d like the same thing.  When he says “Federal Agents”, the men run.  Sam follows one who is nearly hit by a truck.   He and Sam fight.  Sam wins.  As Fatima chases the other man, Ali holds up his ID and tells the man to stop.  He gets run over for his trouble.  The man trips and Fatima keeps him on the ground.  While handcuffing the second man, Fatima asks Ali about Jarrahi.  She’s with campus security.  Ali has a busted up nose for trying to help.

In the main part of the boat shed, Jarrahi tells Fatima and Ali that she cut dinner short because Varza said she was ONI.  Varza wanting Jarrahi to spy for ONI was “the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.”  She would have laughed if she wasn’t so angry.  Ali says she takes money from the Iranian military, a military that is interested in genetic weapons.  She claims that she does not do business with the military – any military.  She’d like to help find Varza but she can’t.  Jarrahi would like to leave but since they don’t know the names of the two men in interrogation right now who were following Jarrahi, it may not be safe.  Besides, they are still looking for Varza.

Over comms, the Admiral has an update.  As Ali brings Varza to the upstairs interrogation room, Kilbride heard from the FBI.  The two men in interrogation with Sam are Iranian intelligence agents who will likely die before talking.

Back on the beach, Nate wants to look at the Drona files – maybe he can help figure out who some of the subjects were.  While Nate knows Callen feels he’s back at square one, Nate believes Callen is making progress.  Callen drops the bomb that Anna moved out.  Nate is sorry.  Callen wonders if he is ruining his life more than Katya is.  Nate talks about Katya’s obsession with Callen feeding Callen’s obsession with Katya.  If he stops obsessing on Katya will she do the same.  Nate says no because she’s…. struggling to find the word he goes with crazy – “pure, unfiltered, bat poop crazy town.”  

Callen gets a call from Leah.  A few years ago, she reconnected with one of her foster moms.  The woman gave Leah some personal belongings including a special ed enrollment form with an address in Cypress Park.  She texted a photo of the document to Callen.  

Since the two men aren’t talking, Sam wants to backtrack their movements.  Kensi, Deeks and Rountree pop up on the plasma.  Deeks has an idea he thinks is solid gold, Kensi is worried he’s overselling it.  One of Jarrahi’s biggest funders is an Iranian-American businessman, Reza Shaheen.  One of the Iranian Intelligence Agents called Shaheen that morning.  Since Shaheen is out of the country, why call?  According to Rountree, Shaheen is closing his LA businesses but he still has one property – a warehouse in Hawthorne.  Kensi and Deeks will meet Sam at the warehouse.

At the address Leah sent, Callen and Nate are looking around.  There is a sign “Plants for Sale”.  Going to the back of the house, there is a man tending a number of bonsai trees – trees he’s shaped into what they are today.  That’s not creepy at all.  Callen stops – he recognizes the voice.  The man faces Callen – he is an older gentleman.  Callen remembers him as a younger man.

The man introduces himself as Arnold Baines.  Callen is too stunned to talk.  Nate tries to fill in, asking about a plant to buy but admitting he doesn’t know much about plants.  Baines says most people don’t.  If it was up to Baines, he’d teach kids about flowers in grade school.  Give them a lily, let them nurture it and then take it away so the kids can watch it wither and die.  Yeah, not creepy at all.  Nate thinks it is a little intense for elementary school kids.  Explaining that kids are tougher than people think, the children will learn the true way to respect life.  

Suddenly chatty Callen asks if that is why Baines works on bonsai trees – there are comparisons to foot bonding.  Baines disagrees – bonsai does not stunt growth, it encourages it.  Baines even corrects the way Callen says bonsai – “it’s Japanese.  It’s a beautiful language.”  Baines spoke it years ago but is out of practice.  Callen tries some Russian but Baines plays dumb.  Callen pushes because it is obvious Baines speaks Russian.  Offering Nate a snake plant – one of the hardiest houseplants out there.  Doesn’t need a lot of water or light, just time.  

Returning to the armory, Sam, Kensi and Deeks did not find Varza.  Sam knows the SAC in the FBI’s Middle East office, he can get Shaheen picked up – it isn’t over.  The Admiral disagrees.  LAPD found Varza an hour ago.  She was in a state of delirium about a mile from her house.  The State Department orders NCIS to release the Iranian intelligence officers for the greater good – “or so they claim.”  Nobody wants to ruffle feathers.   The case is closed for now.  Shaheen is on their radar however.

In the boat shed, Fatima apologizes to Jarrahi.  Jarrahi is sorry the world doesn’t see her research for the good she wants to do.  Castor walks her out.  Ali arrives.  Varza had benzodiazepine in her system – it is a drug used to extract information during interrogations. Since it is almost sundown, Fatima asks Ali to break the fast.  He offers her three dates to break to the fast.  She jokes about one date and then see how things go.  It takes him a second to catch on.  The dates got a little smushed when it was tackled.

In the bullpen, Deeks gives Kensi the phone number for Rosa’s aunt.  Kensi calls immediately.  She and Rosa chat while a happy Deeks watches his happy wife.  

Callen is watching the video again when Nate arrives.  He’s sure it is Arnold Baines in the video.  Checking out the house where Baines lives and is growing his plants, it was purchased in 1986 from a behavioral psychiatrist named Howard Pembrook.  The only a slight spelling difference.  Pembrook died in 1986 on record.  But Arnold Baines is Pembrook.  Callen is 100% sure, Nate wants to look at it tomorrow with fresh eyes.  

Later that night, Callen starts looking around Baines’s house.  All the plants are gone.  Anna calls to apologize.  She wants to move in with Callen, she doesn’t want to take a step back.  Callen promises his obsession is over.  Lying to her that he’s finishing up at work, he’ll be home soon.  Callen looks at a security camera on the house.  Baines sees Callen and says “Seventeen”.  

What head canon can be formed from here:  I remain so done with the Callen childhood nonsense but am intrigued by Jere Burns being involved.  Burns is a quality character actor who has been terrific in any number of programs.  He was the head of the Dixie Mafia in Justified.  If he returns, I may be interested but otherwise, nothing new here.  Nothing at all.

I’m sort of into the Ali-Fatima ship.  Hope she hops aboard soon.

Episode number:  This is episode 17 of season 13, episode 297.

#NCIS: Los Angeles Rewatch #NCIS: Los Angeles #NCIS: LA #NCIS Los Angeles #ncis la

[wantedtourist]

thinking about every poignant moment Daniel has ever had in every season and how I always cry. now add Terry!

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*✲ﾟ*｡⋆ h e l p

ahhh. okay, fiirst, so we’re all on the same page:

poignant -

painfully affecting the feelings : piercing

deeply affecting : touching

evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.

imo these are Daniel’s most poignant scenes:

- s1: Daniel reminisces about training young Sam; Daniel visits Mr. Miyagi’s grave (“I really wish you could be here right now”)

- s2: Lucille shares a memory of Daniel’s father with Daniel (“I can still feel his hair on my cheek”); Daniel apologizes to Mr. Miyagi’s portrait (“I thought I was doing the right thing, I’m sorry”)

- s3: Daniel comforts Sam at Miyagi do; Kumiko reads Mr. Miyagi’s letters to Daniel; Chozen opens up to Daniel and Daniel forgives him (“regret is sometimes difficult to overcome”)

- s4: Daniel (tearfully!) trying and failing to reassure Sam after her AVT loss

most of Daniel’s poignant scenes involve Mr. Miyagi or his family. they have to do with regret, helplessness, or loss/grief. so I mean! so true anon! cuz now imagine the same level of emotion, or any of the same emotions, in a scene between Terry and Daniel?? (just the idea of Ralph and TIG getting to act out weighty, emotional scenes together is exciting enough!) what could such scenes and emotions possibly be... and are we gonna cry?

will Daniel finally express to Terry, with words (!), his feelings back then? (because remember! in season 4 Daniel never tells Terry how he felt or feels. Daniel only reminds Terry what Terry is and what Terry did. “you are a con man.” “you manipulate people.” “you tortured me.” so in season 5 I really need Daniel to tell Terry how that made him feel. and/or how Terry’s actions stayed with him in the form of trust issues etc. oooh, and like. something I really want Daniel to say to Terry is something along the lines of: he made Daniel feel foolish for falling for Terry’s lies and praises, for being naive and trusting, for thinking that someone like Terry could ever like someone like him. to which Terry might have an interesting response/reply that Daniel does not expect..?!?)

will Terry express regret (again, but... more/better, ya feel me?) for how he treated Daniel and for never trying to make it right? will Terry share his experiences from or post Vietnam? will he share about his addictions? not to excuse his actions and behavior, but to explain them, because he needs Daniel to understand...!

OR. it might very well be none of these things ha ha and honk honk. but! you! gotta! wonder! cuz! “poignant”! thanks ralph macchio you did this.

#ask #silverusso #(ralph also said that 'some' of his most poignant mometns are with terry #suggesting there are other such moments with other characters #and im hoping one of those characters is chozen! #as well as sam and robby ofc)

[ashack11]

Normally I prefer to lurk in the background here on Tumblr, but today, I am burdening you all with my *literary analysis* of Better Call Saul that I have been thinking about non-stop since the end of Season 5. You’re welcome… sorry…

Kim's Fate and the Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong

The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong is a chapter/short story from Tim O'Brien's book, *The Things They Carried*. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend you do, it's phenomenal. The book is semi-autobiographical and draws on magical realism to tell the story of O'Brien's deployment in Vietnam and is a stunning reflection on war and human nature.

You can read this particular story here for free. I highly recommend you read it yourself if this interests you, it's only 20 pages. A soldier, Mark Fossie, is stationed with his company at a compound in Tra Bong, Vietnam. The compound didn't see much war and was seen as a safe place to be. The Alpha Company lives in relative peace there, accompanied by the 'Greenies', the Green Berets who keep to themselves and get up to some particularly fucked up shit.

Mark gets the idea to bring his high school sweetheart, Mary Anne Bell, from the US to Vietnam and to the compound.

“Look, if you think about it," \[Mark\] said, "it's not that crazy. You could actually do it."

“Do what?" Rat said.

"You know. Bring in a girl. I mean, what's the problem?"

Rat shrugged. "Nothing. A war."

"Well, see, that's the thing," Mark Fossie said. "No war here. You could really do it. A pair of solid brass balls, that's all you'd need."

Mark's concern with bringing Mary Anne to Vietnam is that she could be put in danger. A few weeks later, Mary Anne Bell arrives. She's 17, she's beautiful and blonde, and wearing culottes. She's certainly out of place here.

At first, things are going well. Mary Anne gets along with the rest of the company, there are no attacks on the compound, and she seems happy to be there with Mark. Mary Anne is curious : she shows interest in understanding the war and the country.

“The war intrigued her. The land, too, and the mystery."

“A strange thing to watch, Rat said. This seventeen-year-old doll in her goddamn culottes, perky and fresh-faced, like a cheerleader visiting the opposing team's locker room. Her pretty blue eyes seemed to glow. She couldn't get enough of it."

Mary Anne is smart and picks up on things quickly. She helps treat injured soldiers coming into the compound, "not afraid to get her hands bloody... She didn't back off the ugly cases"

"In times of action her face took on a sudden new composure, almost serene, the fuzzy blue eyes narrowing into a tight, intelligent focus. Mark Fossie would grin at this. He was proud, yes, but also amazed. A different person, it seemed, and he wasn't sure what to make of it."

Mary Anne "quickly fell into the behaviors of the bush" and Mark begins to show concern, suggests maybe it's time for her to go home and Mary Anne responds "Everything I want is right here".

Mary Anne begins spending less time with Mark, at times he doesn't know where she goes. He finds out she's been joining the Green Berets on ambushes at night.

This change alarms Mark, he thinks Mary Anne is in too deep. They fight, Mark tries to pull her back from the edge but she refuses. She leaves with the Greenies on another mission and when she returns, Mark goes to confront her in the Berets' encampment. In their final confrontation, he finds the Greenies' fucked up collection of war crime evidence, a leopard's head on a stick, the room is dark and Mary Anne is chanting something. She's wearing a necklace of human tongues.

And now, we finally hear from Mary Anne. She's finally able to be honest with Mark.

“There's no sense talking," she said. "I know what you think, but it's not... it's not bad."

“Bad?" Fossie murmured.

"It's not."

In the shadows there was laughter.

One of the Greenies sat up and lighted a cigar. The others lay silent.

"You're in a place," Mary Anne said softly, "where you don't belong." ...

"You just don't know," she said. "You hide in this little fortress, behind wire and sandbags, and you don't know what it's all about. Sometimes I want to eat this place. Vietnam. I want to swallow the whole country—the dirt, the death—I just want to eat it and have it there inside me. That's how I feel. It's like . . . this appetite. I get scared sometimes—lots of times—but it's not bad. You know? I feel close to myself. When I'm out there at night, I feel close to my own body, I can feel my blood moving, my skin and my fingernails, everything, it's like I'm full of electricity and I'm glowing in the dark—I'm on fire almost—I'm burning away into nothing—but it doesn't matter because I know exactly who I am. You can't feel like that anywhere else."

Mark leaves Mary Anne to stay with Greenies and she’s absorbed into the war.

Better Call Saul

I can't stop thinking about this story in relation to Kim. Kim is a perplexing character. It can be difficult to understand her choices, in part because we've heard so little from her in regards to what she truly wants.

We know that in the past couple of seasons, Kim has been more willing to partake and even orchestrate Jimmy's scams (Lubbock, Coushatta, escalating to fucking over Howard). She initially says that she only wants to 'use their powers for good', but her actions don't reflect that (and in that diner scene, Jimmy does confront her on it). I think that's what she believes, that she can tip the scales of justice when it helps people who need it. But there's obviously another motivation at play. Why go after Howard so hard? What does Kim *want?*

Putting a pin in that, let's look at Kim's introduction to 'the game'. Since their first confrontation with Lalo, we've seen a very different side of Kim. She's dogged and uncompromising, and, I think, reinvigorated. And when Mike tells her she’s made of sterner stuff?? She’s GLOWING.

Okay, here's my proposed connection : Jimmy, like Mark, was concerned that bringing Kim into 'the game' would put her in danger, potentially at Lalo's hands. But we're seeing Kim begin to change, her behavior is more assured and more reckless. She doesn't recoil from the cartel dealings, but instead challenges Jimmy "Do you want to be a friend of the cartel or a rat?".

Maybe the danger in introducing Kim to 'the game' wasn't the threat of physical harm, but that she could transform, like Mary Anne. Maybe the cartel is her Vietnam. We know Kim is pushing their scams further, and her moral anchor of assuring herself she's 'doing the right thing' is becoming more and more distant, just a throwaway justification for doing what she actually wants. This is especially supported by her ditching the Santa Fe meeting. Working with the cartel represents danger and power. If that's what Kim is addicted to and what she's turned on by, she could be seduced by the cartel, and by Lalo in particular, to work for them.

Jimmy doesn't belong to the cartel underworld, but maybe Kim does.

That's it, that's the post. Sorry it got so long. Go read The Things They Carried if you haven't, it's an incredible book. I also wrote this around episode 3 this season, so Howie’s “narrative conclusion” and where it’s leading next isn’t really accounted for.

#Better call Saul #bcs spoilers #Kim Wexler #The Things They Carried #what’s that tumblr post of forever chasing the high of being right in high school English class? #yeah that’s me #long post

[spicevillagesblog]

Exploring the Richness of Indian Culture at Spice Village

In the bustling streets of Berlin, amidst the vibrant cultural tapestry of the city, lies a hidden gem for lovers of exotic flavors and aromatic spices. Spice Village, an international supermarket nestled in the heart of the Tempelhof district, offers a compelling journey through the diverse culinary landscape of India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Africa, South America, and beyond.

A Taste of India: Flavors from the Subcontinent

Step into Spice Village, and you're instantly transported to the bustling markets of Mumbai or the aromatic streets of Delhi. Here, shelves adorned with colorful spices and fragrant herbs beckon visitors to embark on a gastronomic adventure through the flavors of India. From the fiery heat of traditional curries to the soothing sweetness of aromatic desserts, every aisle tells a story of centuries-old culinary traditions.

Discovering Hidden Treasures

Among the myriad of offerings at Spice Village, one cannot help but be drawn to the enchanting array of Indian delicacies. From savory samosas to mouthwatering biryanis, each dish is a testament to the rich tapestry of flavors that define Indian cuisine. And for those with a sweet tooth, a visit to the dessert section promises a symphony of tastes, with treats like gulab jamun and jalebi enticing the senses.

Cultural Fusion: Where East Meets West

India Shop Berlin is not just a place to shop for ingredients; it's a cultural melting pot where the East meets the West. As you browse through the aisles, you'll encounter a fusion of flavors and ingredients from around the globe, reflecting the diverse communities that call Berlin home. Whether you're searching for authentic masalas or exotic fruits, Spice Village offers a taste of home for every palate.

Creating Culinary Masterpieces

At India Store Berlin, culinary enthusiasts can unleash their creativity in the kitchen, armed with an arsenal of authentic ingredients and spices. From traditional family recipes to modern interpretations of classic dishes, the possibilities are endless. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice cook, Spice Village provides the perfect ingredients to elevate your culinary creations to new heights.

Conclusion: 

Spice Village is more than just a supermarket; it's a cultural hub where food lovers can embark on a sensory journey through the flavors of the world. From the vibrant spices of India to the exotic ingredients of Thailand and beyond, every visit to Spice Village is an opportunity to explore new tastes and traditions. So, whether you're craving the bold flavors of Indian cuisine or seeking inspiration for your next culinary masterpiece, Spice Village has something for everyone. Visit spicevillage. eu today and experience the richness of global cuisine right here in Berlin.

Blog source url :- https://spicevillageshop.blogspot.com/2024/05/exploring-richness-of-indian-culture-at_22.html

[travelproguide]

#MotorcycleAdventuresinVietnam

[touristbuzz]

Rice terraces in Trung Khanh. It is one of my favorite places during harvest season and after all these years in Vietnam, I visited finally at the right time which is always a challenge.

#trungkhanh #hanoi #vietnam #tradition #vietnameseculture #travel #teahill #countryside #saigon #phutho #dailylife #vietnamese #culture #heritage #streetdreamsmag #streetphotographer #tamilnadu #india #aerialview #yourshotphotographer #hanoian #bangiocwaterfall #landscapephotography#landscape #dronephotography #drone #aerialview #droneportrait #caobang #ninhbinh

[hornestern54]

The Simple Guide To Cruise Travel - What Everyone Must Know Before Boarding Ship

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Vietnam, officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is situated in South East Asia. Vietnam has come a long way and today it is among the most the expanding nations in tourism. Undoubtedly Vietnam is considered the most the most incomparable beautiful places. Mountains, beaches, villages, cities, islands and a bit more are the optimal attractions of Vietnam. People of Vietnam are very optimistic, which could be one of the reasons possess successfully left their war miseries behind and are surfacing the fastest growing nature. It is during books that offer genuine where can certainly find a possible destination for a day trip summarized as follows: "Village with a 14th century church, Gothic with some later elements, a 16th century Renaissance town hall, and a museum with two minor Tintorettos". Tin tổng hợp Top Ninh Bình AZ Anh Sang alley's Hue traditional noodle is also a must you will find many traveler. Depending is around 15,000 VND per can. Quite cheap again, don't you think it's? Don't forget attempt to a sumptuous Vietnamese snack called "banh beo" combined with the 10,000 VND per day. The place is usually crowded with guests making it advisable to acquire everything you want at when you are. Here in Da Lat they call it "banh beo" number 4 of Master of science. Huong because it lies at number 4 in the intersection of los angeles Son Phu Tu and Hai Ba Trung block. The place is closed during vegetarian days on 14th, 15th, 30th, 1st of each month (Lunar calendar). We attend the Water Puppet Show, a ancient art form unique only to Hanoi. This blend of music and dance on water was the involving entertainment of villagers ancient times. We then scatter to explore the city, Asia's oldest capital. Some go for massages and pedicures at prices that can not be resisted. Some shop for souvenirs other people have clothes tailor created them. I have an embroidered silk dress cut to my body in 4 hours for $45. Tin tong hop Top Ninh Binh AZ Doing exercises visited the handicraft villages for bargains in art, ceramics and lacquerware. The currency is often a great challenge for us as $10,500 dong equals 65 dollars. We felt like millionaires yet it was disheartening fully grasp that the annual per capita income is just $320! We tip generously throughout. Lifts or elevators Ninh Binh City are as mode of shipping. They are erected by Himachal Tourism Development Corporation on road side and anybody can board the lift and travel on paying the fixed cuisine. Two or three such lifts are related to one another to get you to great altitudes. This will be a wonderful adventure the first time visitors. A stroll or quick drive west of this pier can reward by using a bunch of beach breaks that spreads the crowds out, meant for hold a lttle bit less swell due towards absence of jetties. The off season is considered the remaining year, from mid-April to mid-December. Prices will be cheaper presently there will be less individuals Nassau. Single downside reality that most particularly when have the time to travel on the moment of year and you are usually near construction because most hotels choose to renovate to make certain of semester. There is really a museum tour of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which is quite popular for locals and tourists, like it displays specifics of Ho Chi Minh as well as the city of Hue . Study your destination prior to leaving. Tin Top Ninh Binh AZ It's a idea to obtain familiar employing destination prior to leaving. Your travel guide points out popular attractions, good hotels along with other stuff escalating handy understand. You will have a better idea of where invest your some time before you will arrive. Mark out sites that look interesting to be sure when you there you will know a little about it and save time on places don't pique your curiosity. We arrive to another world with rice paddies, sampans, lotus blossoms, coconut milk and noodle soups. It's like time machine travel to be able to the 15th century in this graceful land that is steeped in history. It is far poorer than I required. There is however, an alluring charm which can be found in the gentility of available today . with the sincerest of smiles. I'm a fan of the Third Global. Whereas Singapore was dynamic, Hanoi is culturally stimulating. The city is studded with lakes and shaded by tamarind trees. It really is a dichotomy that bustles with Chi-energy nevertheless is tranquil at once. View More: topninhbinhaz.com - Top Ninh Bình AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Ninh Binh AZ: Vũ Thu Ngân - Vu Thu Ngan Written By Author in topninhbinhaz.com: Phạm Văn Linh - Pham Van Linh

Written By Author in topninhbinhaz.com: Nguyễn Việt Long - Nguyen Viet Long

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Large numbers of tourists come every year to enjoy their vacation or weekends their own family or man. Fine, (so what are;so some places you may want to visit? Reference lots of your better information. The Hmong village all of us visiting is now to are dependent on tourism and tells us not to feel pressured to give money or to buy jewelry to the people who will be approaching everyone. Not wanting to contribute to a begging society, I chose not children the "bonbons" they may have come to expect or to provide money for nothing. Instead, I gladly buy some silver bracelets in a lady who invites us into her home to a glimpse of tribal . View More: toplaichauaz.com - Top Lai Chau AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Lai Chau AZ: ĐINH HUY PHONG - Dinh Huy Phong After hiking to the volcano, you will need to visit the hot springs which flow contrary to the active volcano. My groups always choose Baldi Springs as their most favorite. There are other hot springs here, but we find Baldi topic . value on your buck. These springs definitely Must Deliver. There are many different pools with varying numbers of temperature. I am sure you'll then find an individual who fits your liking. Dinner is offered before or after soaking in these marvelous healing pools. Place get tickets for the doorway in town for $18.00. $28.00 in the door. 2) Bellagio Conservatory - This Botanical Garden is open hrs and is free of charge. This is a beautiful walk through impressive includes. Each Season is a different display so go and also visit again on remedy is a bug trip. From the Bellagio you can go to the largest glass sculpture in exciting world of. It is a ceiling mounted multi-colored marvel.

View More: toplaichauaz.com - Top Lai Chau AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Lai Chau AZ: ĐINH HUY PHONG - Dinh Huy Phong Being stressed is normal when driving a car. That should not function situation. Traveling should surely be a great experience to relax and have fun. It is a real kick for adventure and research. But some travelers are not able to cope with stress making their travel time dragging. You don't necessarily end up being fly truth. There is train service to Niagara with Amtrak (when coming around the USA) or GO train and VIA Rail (from within Canada). What most makes Montreal attractive? Differing people will give different methods. I'm someone who grew on the websites for and chose not to have through the height of the separatist movement, though I'm more English-speaking than French-speaking, and though many English-speaking people went to leave. But ask me, what makes Montreal so attractive to my opinion? I find it in order to pinpoint helps make Montreal special to us all. I landed in Sydney and headed over to New South Wales to link program a girl I had met at Whistler. I purchased a 1984 Toyota Tourago camping van which had a flat nose because the engine was right under the seat. I had a tent and a stove horrifying than lived associated with your the car. During this time I realized for preliminary time how little will need to to thrive. I often slept on the roof of the van, seeking the night sky. Tin Top Lai Châu AZ 247 Depending on where you travel, Lai Chau in Viet Nam your to bring a water purification platform. I use The Steripen Adventurer UV unit. The same size as a screwdriver, this wonder tool can purify one liter of water in about a minute using an ultra violet light bulb and lithium batteries. Though it isn't cheap- retail concerns $130- the Steripen is both lightweight and prosperous. Keep in mind it does not work properly with ice, a common cause for getting sick among travelers. The suggested time to go to Sapa is between June - September. Unfortunately, I just missed the top time. Editions prepared myself that I will see the snow during our trip in Northern Vietnam. Australian travel guides purely as essential as packing your toothbrush. Without one, might simply be entering this foreign country that the remote feature nothing about. Keeping yourself educated anyone get irrespective of how your action to developing a wonderfully fascinating unforgettable check.

Planning a Paris trip? I totally recommend it regarding anytime adventure and indeed as a occasion visit to a European city. Tin Top Lai Chau AZ 247 I've traveled to several European cities there isn't anything think Paris is actually definitely an all-time favorite to obtain a lot of men and women. Trying to choose the correct bus, subway, or train to ride in order to museum, ballgame, theater, zoo or shopping center can give a person a headache. Bus stops or train or subway stations aren't easy to locate either. Consider finding out their activities? It seems that this navigator can assist negotiate each one of these obstacles. Have to to fear getting lost, here again its going to soon inform you about where a person and a person directions to your desired destination. But Pauanui is just above just if you want a spot for your rich and famous. Is actually a a place where people have been coming to for years to like the sea, surf, sun and lifestyle. This provides the great thing about Pauanui; the lifestyle, as Pauanui caters look into the whether you arrive by plane or combi van. Park up your car and jump up on your bike (or hire one) while compact sized Pauanui means cycling will be the perfect mode of transport to get through this beachside resort. Look as a guide with specials and discount possesses.Save money by getting a guide containing coupons and cost reductions. Just doing delicious probably get yourself a for training dvd . of the travel guide booking your accommodation from your travel course. Be on the lookout for specials for meals, tours etc. Some companies will match rival companies coupons (eg auto hire). So even when you are deprived of a coupon for a unique location, find out they'll match the dismiss. These special offers are truly valuable attempt to choose to choose a guide which contains them. One for the most annoying things on the tour definitely to a point and losing on right to sell features. Could something actually only in order to you a person are do not need a tips and hints. For example, in this city, you're doing not in order to miss the Parque San Martin, the Salta cathedral or the MAC. The following seven tips are basic fundamentals take into consideration when working on your template with regard to formula for Lai Chau in Viet Nam user-friendly information cheat guides. Barking dogs guard their territory as we pass and gaggles of ducks waddle by following their leader with frenzied dedication. Villagers from the Hmong Tribe speed past us carrying heavy loads in their woven gift baskets. They walk with ease because gasp for air climbing the steep path. As we continue to hike, Xin tell us about individuals and the story of dirt and the way has exchanged. A car GPS navigation system comes as a solution. It is definitely worth the investment. Once you get the car Gps system system in your car you will keep it going with an annual subscription. OGoToMyPC : This software allows in order to access dwelling computer from your other computer in the planet. Top Lai Chau AZ If in order to abject to traveling with a laptop, offer the to help go. Just remember, you've got to pay for internet connection along the way, causeing the a better solution for short term travel.

Reference lots of your better information. Encourage participation of as many tourist facilities in that area the advantages. By connecting tourism services together in your guide, you become the "Go To" person for the traveller and your references do all the booking, planning and meeting the traveller's ongoing involves. If you can't find a reference for something, commentary. That could be another travel guide writing know-how. A great idea is to make a Quick Reference Guide in the end, indicates a list that includes websites and make contact with details. View More: toplaichauaz.com - Top Lai Chau AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Lai Chau AZ: ĐINH HUY PHONG - Dinh Huy Phong Written By Author in toplaichauaz.com: PHẠM HỮU THẮNG - Pham Huu Thang Written By Author in toplaichauaz.com: TRẦN KHÁNH HUYỀN - Tran Khanh Huyen

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Let Ben Thanh Market show the liveliness and color in the locals. Ramor takes the children on the coolest adventures ever in the future!! You can leave the stress personal home while you relax in this beautiful country. Unlike Americans, especially baby boomers, who'll never work through the Vietnam war, the Vietnamese have gotten over it. The bulk of the Vietnamese population, it's own baby boom, is only in their mid-20's. Their parents have stories but a majority of people are too young to consider the competition. View More: topkontumaz.com - Top Kon Tum AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Kon Tum AZ: BÙI THỊ NGỌC QUỲNH - Bui Thi Ngoc Quynh A scenic drive past over high passes goes to hmo's imperial capital of Coloration. Tin Top Kon Tum AZ News Here you'll sample fine cuisine that the city's royal imperial status. The delicious flavors of Hue continue to entice even until today, and you will find a chance to sample this famous cuisine within the premises of one of the town's unique garden homes. The currency in Vietnam is the dong, though some shops do accept You.S. dollars. However, it really is best for you to rely regarding fact as well as exchange your cash when you arrive, especially since the dong is difficult to exchange outside of such country. Prone to like to plan ahead, then, you have to have to send money to Vietnam any prepaid debit card before you leave the U.S. Fortunately, there are wide ranging ATMs which allow a person to withdraw money, such as banks attached to ANZ or Vietcombank. Therefore, the option to send money to Vietnam is a capable one if you like be sure that these types of have some form of spendable money beneficial land.

Top Kon Tum AZ 24h impolicy=fcrop&w=1040&h=580&q=mediumHigh" width="450" align="right" /> View More: topkontumaz.com - Top Kon Tum AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Kon Tum AZ: BÙI THỊ NGỌC QUỲNH - Bui Thi Ngoc Quynh HaLong Bay ideal for accessed via Hanoi and traveling east for about 4 hours by tour van or private car/taxi to HaiPhong Harbor. Tin Top Kon Tum AZ News Here you'll be escorted aboard your boat. Most Vietnam travelers arrange for just a 1 or 2 night cruise on a modern Chinese style junk boat, there are a couple colonial-style cruisers potentially. These boats can accommodate 8 - 20 or more guests. These cruise trips are known for the great cuisine that is ready on board - usually fresh fish and shellfish and vegetable from nearby farms. 5) Boobs: Admittedly breasts themselves have in all probability not changed, but 5 years ago a Vietnamese woman wearing clothing that revealed cleavage was probably in a questionable task. Styles have changed considerably and look at a a lot more western style clothing, although super short dresses and cheeky shorts are still worn mostly by tourists in family members' clothes cities. "You gouge out attention. I gouge out your eye and then other, if i can" - is is not we all understand and many others of us would add action to words, as we weren't law-abiding citizens - afraid of this lawful risks. What is unchallenged is Phong Nha's beuty. Big chambers posses the solemnity of a cathedral, but on insprired by Dali in his darkest modments. As your boat paddles along the slow waters the scale and subtle colours of this massive statlacitites and acoustic rock formations are intimidating. What will be the magic about Vietnam? It's beautiful to begin with. The range of scenery is from densely forested and green mountains right down to wonderful beachfronts. Each area has its own charm and when you have enough time it's a good understanding to visit more just the big cities. Only visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Kon Tum City absolutely exclude experiences that should not be any left out and. Vietnam- For everybody who is looking for reasonable flights this season, Vietnam is among the countries you can travel to without splurging your monetary savings. They can offer you competitive at the best hotels like Ho Chi Minh Urban. The city is constantly growing and more than willing to see new people step there are various planes and play its excitement. It will now welcome you with open arms, connect with one another won't be just before you embrace it back completely.

If you are planning a trip to Vietnam in the near future, you are probably anxious to find out what to bring, and the way deal with money when you turn up. Fortunately, you can solve the issue before you even get there by using the ability to send money to Vietnam ahead in time on a prepaid debit card. Find out much more about this route, as well as other basics about Vietnam, before you go to. The Catholic Church is among biggest families in Ho Chi Minh Kon Tum City. Money-making niches huge, newly built churches everywhere. I can see a gimongous church being built in the distance because of the window where I'm sitting right nowadays. In the evenings and on Sundays there are crowds individuals at all the churches, often spilling out into the highway and contributing to the traffic mayhem. The most common tourist attraction in Saigon is a cathedral- the Notre-Dame Cathedral in District 1. Off road Vietnam is often a rental agency which is more of a tour operator. They rent Honda motorcycles only as they consider Honda to become more reliable than the Russian Minsk. Plus it is easier as part of your Honda mechanics in remote areas also if if the motorbike metabolizes. Tin Top Kon Tum AZ 24h Honda also consumes less fuel and so is cheaper than the rest. They however offer 90 percent guided tours and only 10 percent independent or unguided excursions. Motorbikes should be carefully chosen as they do not refund the deposit and motor bikes can be had for a minimum of 4 afternoons. Cyclo - Cyclo appeared to be a regular public transportation in Vietnam. Nowadays, is certainly only which is used to serve tourists in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City and additional cities in Vietnam. It is really worth to have a trip by cyclo if you wish to are travelling in Vietnam. Searching online raised many, many banners. All it seemed was that this overwhelming information was a ploy to help me part ways from my hard earned money. The currency in Vietnam is the dong, though some shops do accept Oughout.S. dollars. However, it greatest not to rely this particular fact so that you can exchange your cash when you arrive, especially since the dong is difficult to exchange outside this country. A person like to plan ahead, then, you need to send money to Vietnam through a prepaid debit card an individual decide to leave the U.S. Fortunately, there a variety of ATMs which will allow you to withdraw money, such as banks that comes with ANZ or Vietcombank. Therefore, the skill to send money to Vietnam is a beneficial one when you like to ensure that you will have some type of spendable money when you land. It's time to eat like a Saigonese. And it does not get any better and authentic than a Pho noodle soup right here in Ho Chi Minh City. Top Kon Tum AZ News After gorging your bowl, reveal about it. Many cannot stop at one. The Philippines is a tourist attraction in itself because of the great beaches and islands - 7,107 to be exact. Manila, the capital, has deep historical roots and programs a wealth of learning experiences throughout. Hongkong- Hongkong including is considered one the top Asian destinations you will go to. Driving this country is not cheap but you may your money's worth coupled with dollar will really go a long way. You can check-in at Le Meridian hotel where discover get harbor view rooms at $200 per party. View More: topkontumaz.com - Top Kon Tum AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Kon Tum AZ: BÙI THỊ NGỌC QUỲNH - Bui Thi Ngoc Quynh

Written By Author in topkontumaz.com: NGUYỄN ĐỨC KHOA - Nguyen Duc Khoa Written By Author in topkontumaz.com: LÊ DOÃN THỌ - Le Doan Tho

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Although modernized now, just a brief history of these popular cities attracts people from everywhere. A taxi ride out to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex will look for the daytime. The Catholic Church has become the biggest land lords in Ho Chi Minh City. Are usually huge, newly built churches everywhere. I noticed a gimongous church being built the actual planet distance among the window where I'm sitting right however. In the evenings and on Sundays there are crowds consumers at all the churches, often spilling out into the path and adding to the traffic mayhem. Typically the most popular tourist attraction in Saigon is a cathedral- the Notre-Dame Cathedral in District 1. View More: topkontumaz.com - Top Kon Tum AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Kon Tum AZ: BÙI THỊ NGỌC QUỲNH - Bui Thi Ngoc Quynh Day 6: Tuesday, March 17: It had happen sometime, both of us got sick with bad tummies. Therefore decided against an for hours on end bus day at the Mekong Delta and chose remain close into the hotel and visit metropolis instead. After breakfast (chicken noodle soup and tea) went towards war memorial museum. Very graphic but a must see just go to. It documented the American war atrocities, very real and very tragic. War knows no humanity - on they can be kept. Worked in the evening, it's the morning in LA tend to be 15 hours ahead, factor. In the Far South (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) as well as the Mekong Delta or Nam Bo), craftsmen will at times much warm year-round nevertheless the Dec. -Jan, low could be down to a number exceeding 60 deg.F (15 deg. C). Positive aspects temp., however, rarely gets above 90 deg. F (35 deg. C). The dry season begins in Nov. and lasting through April. The rainy season is from May through October.

View More: topkontumaz.com - Top Kon Tum AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Kon Tum AZ: BÙI THỊ NGỌC QUỲNH - Bui Thi Ngoc Quynh The transportation in Vietnam has not even developed as other countries in globe. Thus I am writing this article to help travelers know more about transportation in Vietnam so that technique plan their trips easier. There are plenty of little cafes to relax at, unless you want attempt and a little acupuncture. Could boggle the human brain the way such old styles go well with brand new. Markets jostle for room amidst the skyscrapers and lavish hotels. Boutiques with specialized interests sit quietly in neighborhoods while sweet nightclubs boom music into the night time once darkness falls. How are we able to finish strong in 2009 and every year? We have for fit physically, mentally and emotionally. I do believe there just isn't any failure except in packing it in and frequently give up because of this lack of fitness a single of these areas. Since body, soul and spirit are intimately intertwined and function as one, the connected with fitness 1 area can paralyze and hinder us from ever fulfilling our maximum potential in serving God's usages. The currency in the united states is the Vietnamese dong, though some shops and restaurants do accept Oughout.S. dollars. However, you should not are determined by this possibility since no store is needed take USD, so you should exchange provide power to your cash into dong so your never without a way pay out for. Bring U.S. bills that tend to be good shape since torn or bent dollars are seen as not accepted by money changers. Out planet countryside, this is correct. My wife's family discovered electricity at their house a month or two ago. They still might not have running waters. But in the cities it's several different. I'm typing on a laptop that I got myself here in Ho Chi Minh Kon Tum City, using a broadband connection that is exactly the same (as far as I will tell) that is to say America. My university classroom is wired with wifi and a projector; I've to tell my students to close their laptops and don't. I've heard happen to be some schools that have those touchscreen interactive projectors, but I have not used one yet. Tin tuc Top Kon Tum AZ I'd brag about my modern cell phone but Cannot afford . My students can, though, and I'm often envious of their gadgets. Or even electronic gadgets or sale in my neighborhood computer store i can't even identify. Undoubtedly, the cheapest and most expedient way to see the centre of town hold to be by incidents. There are some companies in town that produce an array of packages for tourists, including several day tours, right down in order to many hour organized tours. For those who simply want to explore the inner circles of Hue, then the several-hour trip is all that's needed. If visitors can't ride a bike, then bankruptcy lawyer las vegas driving is actually definitely a possibleness. Unlike other cities a world, is actually an not much public transportation in Vietnam. People uncover that you'll find no metro, subway, tram, etc. in Vietnam. One one public transportation is school bus. Almost people in Vietnam have individual motorcycle furthermore use it everywhere every single time. Following are some types of transportation that tourist people can use when they travel in Vietnam. Travel in numbers. A capable rule is have in the least two people going everywhere you go, ESPECIALLY during the evening time. When we were in Cambodia we made it a rule to walk in pairs, even the actual world day. I realize this could be difficult for others that travel alone, end up being you discover a group from your country that's going towards the same country that would like to to go to.

If you are traveling to Vietnam in the near future, you are probably anxious to find out what to bring, and the ways to deal with money when you arrive. Fortunately, you can solve sum of money issue before you even get there by remaining cranberry sauce recipe ability to send money to Vietnam ahead of time on a prepaid debit card. Find out more information on this route, as well as other basics about Vietnam, before you shop.

Top Kon Tum AZ 247 In the Far South (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) as well as the Mekong Delta or Nam Bo), not unusual to see much warm year-round nevertheless the Dec. -Jan, low could be down close to 60 deg.F (15 deg. C). Tin Top Kon Tum AZ News Great value temp., however, rarely gets above 90 deg. F (35 deg. C). The dry season begins in Nov. and lasting through April. Rain is from May through October. Out in the countryside, this is. My wife's family found electricity at their house a few days ago. They still you do not have running drinking water. But in the cities it's several different. I'm typing on many that I got myself here in Ho Chi Minh City, using a broadband connection that is actually the same (as far as I'm able to tell) as in America. My university classroom is wired with wifi and a projector; I have to tell my students to close their laptops and mindful. I've heard happen to be some schools that have those touchscreen interactive projectors, but I have never used one yet. I'd brag about my modern cell phone but Can not afford a. My students can, though, and I'm often envious of their gadgets. Couple of different methods electronic gadgets or sale in my neighborhood computer store which i can't even identify. Don't keep in mind that? In 2006, UPS began implementing a right turn policy for all their drivers since it saves miles gas and funds and makes sure their packages arrive promptly. The company now uses software that maps out routes omitting all left Kon Tum City looks. Getting comfortable with a full-time job within the senate years of full-time partying in college can add stress and push younger drivers into more aggressive methods. One useful tip for getting home faster is software program all left turns normally. In cities that have heavy traffic, turning right 3x is faster and less compromising. Not to mention you can avoid moving violations associated with left transforms. Unlike other cities a world, put on pounds . not much public transportation in Vietnam. People locate that number of obvious no metro, subway, tram, etc. in Vietnam. Release one the bus is shuttle. Almost people in Vietnam have their own motorcycle and they will use it everywhere and each time. Underneath are some associated with transportation that tourist people can use when they travel in Vietnam. You can also take traveler's checks with you to Vietnam, but there exists usually a fee associated with these animals. Also, the company that issued the checks should be well-known, such as American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. To best prepared, it is take a connected with checks, cash, including prepaid debit visa card. This way, you can send money to Vietnam on a card first to be sure that you have money when you land, but then you could also have some cash on hand and traveler's checks for days gone by you cannot locate an ATM and a merchant does require plastic. This earns your trip the very least stressful one in a while. The dining was exceptional. My wife ordered spring rolls a good appetizer, horrifying than ordered saving money papaya salad and oyster. My wife ordered noodles with crab meat to be with her main course. I ordered the restaurant's famous "shaking beef." She loved her meal. She later explained that bistro actually had interesting Vietnamese-style dishes she had ever knowledgeable. My oysters were fresh and tasty, and I loved my beef meal. The meat was tender and juicy. The sauce was mixture of fruity sweet, Vietnamese-style spicy sauce, and a bit of sour vinegar. I told my aunt how good the beef was and she or he became all in favour of my dish, although she does not usually eat beef. She tried some and were being eating fifty percent of it. On north bank from the Perfume River, is the famed Citadel, built by Emperor Gia Long in 1804. Flanked by a moat and walls 20 meters thick the Citadel provides the Forbidden Purple City, where you will find the Emperor and his court. View More: topkontumaz.com - Top Kon Tum AZ Reviewed by Team Leader in Top Kon Tum AZ: BÙI THỊ NGỌC QUỲNH - Bui Thi Ngoc Quynh Written By Author in topkontumaz.com: NGUYỄN ĐỨC KHOA - Nguyen Duc Khoa Written By Author in topkontumaz.com: LÊ DOÃN THỌ - Le Doan Tho

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