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badwolfwrites-sometimes · 5 years

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Drawn Together

Hi! This is my first fanfic so criticism is welcome and encouraged. I'll probably update it slowly tho...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18923374/chapters/44924251

The wheel of fortune never stops spinning.

Who was on the top, now is on the bottom.

And who was on the bottom, now is on the top.

-Giovanni Gondola, Osman

Feliciano never expected his entire life to change after a single doodle, but there it was. And it was not just a beautiful dream.

Chapter 1

Venice, 2018

"I have to buy more blue and green." Came from a young man watering his tulips on the windowsill. He brushed his light brown hair with his fingers away from his face, allowing it to bathe in the early morning sun rays. He wasn't normally the person who would wake up early in the morning, but duty calls and he had work to do.

His brothers had yet to wake up and, if we're being honest, he enjoyed the morning silence. It was always very noisy in the house. His younger brother Romeo had a habit of singing loudly and, sometimes, off key which pisses off his eldest brother Lovino. It was a good thing they lived a bit outside of Venice and not in the centre or else the neighbours would complain all the time.

And he, a stunning 22 year old man who answers to Feliciano, was always just there. He wasn't really all that flashy like his brothers. Sure, he had his talents, one being art which was also his job, but he was mostly known as the happy one from the Vargas family. Maybe that was for the best.

He just finished watering his tulips when he heard a loud thud followed by a bad word you probably shouldn't teach to your kids. Lovino was awake and if he wanted to live to finish his painting of the Adriatic Sea, he better make him some coffee.

He set down the watering pot and started the coffee machine. Knowing his brother, he has about 20 minutes till he gets ready enough to come down to the kitchen. Just enough time to make breakfast as well.

Feliciano opened the bottom drawer next to the washing machine to take some bread Romeo baked the night before as well as some jam and Nutella from the table next to the stove. He knew Lovino liked it when he made his special half jam half Nutella bread, even though the latter would never admit that.

Lovino was down right on time for breakfast and coffee which means Feliciano gets to live for one more day.

"Morning." Lovino greeted, his voice still sore from sleeping.

"Good morning, Lovi!" Feliciano returned and offered his brother two pieces of bread and his cup of coffee with some anime girls on it. "Are you driving Romeo to collage today?"

"No. Midget can walk to his collage. Maybe he gets some tan from the stupid sun blinding my eyes at 4 in the damn morning."

Despite being the shortest of the three, Lovino still had a bad habit of calling his brothers midgets. Talk about Napoleon complex.

"I was thinking we should all take a walk. It's a nice day and it's been too long since we took a walk together. Plus I need to buy more paint." Feliciano smiled as he made his own cup of coffee, with a picture of the Colosseum on it, and sat down beside his brother.

"When are you gonna get a real job? You can't just draw for a living. Get an actual job that pays well and you can do art in your spare time." Lovino looked at Feliciano, who has most certianly heard this all before.

"It's what I love, Lovi. It's what I want to do with my life. Believe it or not, money isn't everything in the world. I want to be happy with my life. I don't wanna waste it doing something I hate just because it pays well." Feliciano rolled his eyes.

"So you're planning on living off Grandpa's allowances, love and some drawings? That's more miserable than doing what you hate. I hate my job, do you see me miserable? No. Then why can't you do the same?"

"Because I'm not you and I don't wanna talk about this. It's my choice, Lovi. Not yours."

And with that the conversation died, the two brothers continuing their breakfast in awkward silence. Until...

There was a loud thumping and a red headed boy was before them in less than a minute. His messy hair falling on his face, the eyebags still visible. He was gasping for his breath.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?!" He said in between smaller gasps.

"Romeo, you're 19. You're old enough to wake yourself up." Lovino said, not remotely fazed by his brother's state.

"Um, no. If you woke up before me, you should have woken me up. You know my phone alarm doesn't work. Or my phone at all."

"Fratellino, calm down. You're not in high school anymore, your collage doesn't start till 9. It's 6:40." Feliciano laughed. He had the same problem when he left high school too.

Romeo looked at the clock. It showed 6:40. His high school would start at 7 AM. His body still wasn't used to the new surrounding that was collage. He buried his head in his hands and sat down. "What's for breakfast?"

"My speciality." Feliciano offered him some Nutella-jam bread.

"I love it when you get up early."

"I know you do." Feliciano laughed and the breakfast was continued.

It was 8:00 when Romeo left the house for collage, leaving Lovino and Feliciano alone. Lovino was getting ready in his room while Feliciano wrote the list of things he needed to buy. They were running low on coffee and milk, but most importantly Feliciano wanted to buy a new brush. His old one had far too many stray hairs to be used for delicate painting. It's a shame, but he had it since he was little. Of course he needed a new one.

"Are you done?" Lovino asked, spraying himself with some 'manly' perfume that smelled like plastic strawberry.

"Yeah, I'm done. I just have to find my jacket." Feliciano said, throwing every single jacket they had hanging in the hallway on the floor. A strange method, but it worked because he found his dark green fall jacket and returned all the others back on the stall.

"Good. Let's go. I have to go to the town for some buissness so if we don't hurry bye bye vaporetto." Lovino cringed at the reaction his brother made. They lived close to Venice, but they still had to travel by a smaller ship called vaporetto to get to it. It was inconvenient, but it was good for the tourist season.

Feliciano practically skipped the whole way to the port. There was one vaporetto waiting for people to board. Lovino entered inside to ask when it will be leaving and to pay for their ticket. Feliciano waited outside for his brother and when he exited the room to tell Feliciano they will be leaving soon, Feliciano boarded the ship.

The ride to Venice would usually take them about 45 minutes to a full hour, depending on whether or not there were many tourist groups. Today there was only two of them. Germans. Feliciano had taken a course on German in middle school, but he had mostly forgotten it. He understood that they were talking about some kind of new book that was a hit among youth in Germany. A book about Venice itself. He wished he still knew how to speak German. He would have asked for a title.

They arrived on Riva degli Schiavoni, a bridge and a walk away from the magnificent Basilica di San Marco and it's large Piazza which was always crowded with either people or pigeons. Feliciano loved to run into pigeons, loving the way their wings moved as they flew away. He wanted to do that now, but apparently his brother wasn't planning on more walking and was talking, rather happily, to their old friend Antonio, who was a gondolier.

"Feli! I gotta go to post office, not pigeon chasing! Get your ass over here!" Lovino yelled, reverting back to his moody attitude. He jumped into the gondola and sat down, crossing his arms and legs.

"I'm coming, quit yelling! Hi Toni! I hope Lovi pays you for this." Feliciano greeted and jumped into the gondola and sat down next to his brother. He was looking foward to going under Ponte dei Sospiri. He was even preparing himself to breathe out while going under it.

"It's always free for you three. We're friends after all. Lovi can pay me with a little drink after I'm done with my shift." Antonio said as he adjusted his gondola and softly made his way to the post office near the Church of San Salvador.

Feliciano enjoyed everything he saw. He was born here, but in his entire lifetime he could never comprehend Venice's entire beauty. It was only when he saw a bookstore hidden well among tall buildings and restaurants, that he snapped himself out of the trance.

"Hey Toni, do you think you could bring me right here while we wait for Lovi to do his thing?" He asked, turning around to look at Antonio.

Antonio brushed his curly dark brown hair away from his green eyes and nodded at Feliciano. "Sure! Saw something pretty?"

"Yeah, a bookstore. It had a nice design and I wanted to check it out. Plus I need to buy more paint and bookstores tend to have good ones." He answered happily, oblivious to his brother rolling his eyes.

The ride to the post office was relatively short and quiet, with occasional comments from Feliciano and Antonio asking how their grandpa was doing. They dropped off Lovino and were on their way back to the bookstore Feliciano saw.

"You got a book in mind to buy?" Antonio asked.

"Maybe. I overheard some German tourist talking about this book about Venice or something. I thought I should check if they had it." Feliciano smiled softly at Antonio.

"I think I know what you're talking about. Armando recently bought this book called Silence in Venice, by a German author. I asked my German friend about it and he told me that it was all the rage in Germany now. Apparently, it's a love story about a boy who goes to war and leaves behind his childhood love. That's all I know, Andy didn't tell me much else to avoid spoilers as he says."

"A love story... I really like those. Thanks, Toni!"

Soon they arrived and Feliciano hugged Antonio as a thanks, promising he won't be long.

He entered the bookstore and was immediately striken by the smell of new books. That wonderful scent of paper that was about to be touched and read by many. It was so pleasant, he would have just kept standing there forever. But he had to move, Antonio was waiting for him outside and maybe even Lovino. Knowing his brother, if he waited longer than 10 minutes, he would lose his already short temper.

Feliciano quickly found the desired shades of blue and green as well as a new paintbrush that had small drawings on it. It was a bit more expensive than the normal brush, but it spoke to his soul so... how could he say no?

He was about to go pay for his things, when a book cover caught his eye. It had a picture of two people, a boy and a girl, on Ponte di Rialto, embracing each other like they were about to lose each other. The girl had long light brown hair tied in two side braids and was wearing a beautiful green dress. The boy had blonde hair that looked like it was previously slicked back, but messed up by the wind, and was wearing a war uniform. Feliciano knew which book it was. The title read Il Silenzio a Venezia. Silence in Venice. The book Antonio recommended to him.

Feliciano couldn't resist it. He bought it and happily skipped to the gondola on which Antonio waited for him. He clutched the book in his arms close to his chest, impatiently waiting to read it.

#gerita #aph gerita #aph germany #aph italy #aph north italy #feliciano vargas #aph feliciano #ludwig beilschmidt #aph ludwig #germany x italy #ludfeli #writer x artist au #hetalia #aph #hetalia axis powers

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dxmedstudent · 5 years

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Roger Kneebone, professor of surgical education at Imperial College London, said that a decline in hands-on creative subjects at school and practical hobbies at home means that students often do not have a basic understanding of the physical world.Backing a campaign by educational thinktank the Edge Foundation to encourage more creative subjects in the national curriculum, Kneebone said spending hours engaged in virtual worlds was no substitute for experience in the real world.

Okay, you know what? I’m mad. Not at the interestingly named Mr Kneebone, but at the wider picture. Whilst the popularityof smartphones is real, there are still lots of young people out there making artistic things and being practical with their hands. I just think it’s harder for those people to get into medicine. You want students to be more creative? Stop putting up the grade requirements for what you need to get into med school. There’s no reason why someone with A*AA would be a better doctor than someone with AAA or even AAB. You need someone with academic skills, but getting good grades is more than enough proof of someone’s ability to understand the basics and work hard; they don’t need to have ‘perfect’ results. Because it’s hard to balance A levels and getting the high grades you need to get in, with the extracurricular activities you need for emdicine, and preparing for the entrance . And frankly, well-meaning older figures who got into med school when the grade boundaries were much lower, probably can’t always understand what the pressures are like today, unless they listen.

But Arts and crafts are incredibly time consuming and therefore difficult. And other arts that help with manual dexterity (say, playing an instrument) are also very time -consuming. Everyone likes the idea of a student who can play the violin or paint well, but they also like the idea of picking students with the absolute highest numerical marks; they want to have their cake and eat it. We end up with students feeling pressured to spend less time on creative exploits, only to be told that they aren’t developing enough skills because they gave up playing the piano or doodling to get the grades to get in and stay in medicine. But if you basically demand students have absolutely exceptional grades and ever increasing percentages in their exams, you’re basically guaranteeing that students who are creative will be forced to put less time into their hobbies or give up entirely, in order to keep up with the demands. Because there’s only so much time in the day. And most of the creative students I know didn’t necessarily get the absolute best grades; they did welll, sure, but the students who do absolutely best in exams are often those with very little life outside of revision. I’m a crafty person; I learned to knit, to embroider, to sew. I taught myself to draw, to paint, to create. I’m exactly the kind of former med student that is perfect on paper in this context And you know what? That’s only ever been an interesting aside in medicine; my skills and interests in that arena have never been valued seriously, because when it matters, the criteria always default back to things like grades or publications, and eportfolios are another kind of hell entirely. At the med school application level, hobbies are a very small part of applications compared to grades, entrance exams, interviews, and the entirety of your personal statement, though at least they are acknowledged in that context. Further up, they count for a lot less. The emphasis is much more on other achievements. Which is what it is; there’s a lot to be said about medical training, progression, and what we choose to value or allocate points for when it comes to applications etc. But the point here is that it’s not entirely fair to criticise people for not allocating a huge amount of time to pursuits that you don’t in any way encourage or value when it comes to it. I am creative in spite of being in medicine, rather than being enabled by it. If you really think creativity adds to medicine, then perhaps encouraging it, or explicitly valuing it in those who take the time, would encourage more people to be open about their interests, and encourage more people to keep up with them. Maybe this’d all be very well, if working in medicine itself didn’t crush the creativity, mental health, and general life out of the people who work in it. Many people I’ve worked with have expressed concerns with how medicine is increasingly becoming dominated by basic ‘service provision’ (i.e keeping the service running, but at the expense of learning opportunities or chances to really engage with patients), and protocols, and how the ability to think creatively in medicine is increasingly stifled because our progression is 100% about ticking boxes on our portfolios, which are surprisingly hard to actually do, because there’s just so many boxes to tick on top of working busy jobs with plenty of oncall 12h shifts. From what I know about surgical training, I don’t think it’s any healtheir than general medical training. There’s probably a lot that we could improve. And I agree, these hobbies and skills and being good with your hands is definitely important for medicine, particularly surgery. They are also just really, really fun in general, and it’d be great if more people got to explore their creative side. I don’t see the world as being separated between ‘creatives’ and non-creatives; I really believe that anyone can get into creative hobbies at any time in their life, and that there’s a creative hobby out there for everyone, potentially. One of my best friends picked up drawing again in her 30s, and I’m so glad she did, because it’s amazing how quickly she’s improved, and how much joy she gets out of it, and I honestly enjoy seeing her journey so much. So many people tell me “Ah you draw? I wish I could draw! I’m no good at that!”, but I think that they might well have more potential than they realised, if they didn’t feel put off by the idea that you have to pick up a hobby as a child, or else you won’t be any good. But that doesn’t ahve to be true, and anyhow, hobbies or creating don’t have to be about being good, they can be about enjoyment. But I don’t think it’s constructive to bemoan youngsters “not doing X enough” in general, or act like we’re divorced from all this. We, those in medicine, those who shape training, those who pick the criteria for what students get in, and those of us who shape society (that’s everyone, you included) also shoulder the responsibility. If we want students to do something, it’s up to us to facilitate that. To encourage. To give them the tools and the environment where exploring new hobbies is encouraged. To form an environment where students can learn these skills, and develop these experiences. I learned the fibre arts from my mum; many people might not have that kind of encouragement at a young age if their parents missed out on it. So how can we encourage kids into woodwork, or crafting, or music. Music is another rant and post altogether; learning instruments is expensive and difficult and it’s easy for a wealthy person to say ‘why aren’t kids learning instruments?’ as if everyone has the money to give their kids bassoon lessons. But in reality it can be hard to encourage participation in we need to think about how to encourage kids to try new things, and to dedicate time to hobbies, in a world that increasingly puts more and more time demands on us all.

#children #society #education #doctors #health #personal #my life #medicine #medblr #Med school applications #med school admissions

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what-if-rpg · 5 years

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Welcome to the family, KAYLEIGH! Your application to ELEANOR MENDOZA (FC: EMMA WATSON) was accepted. I am really happy to give you your third and last character! Make sure to read the beginners checklist, and remember, have fun! I can’t wait to roleplay with you! Have fun!

IN CHARACTER

CHARACTER NAME: Eleanor “Ellie” Faith Mendoza CHARACTER AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: 27, September 27 OCCUPATION: Animator/Cartoonist FACE CLAIM: Emma Watson HOMETOWN & CITY WHERE LIVES NOW: Both are New York SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER: Female, Heterosexual RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single POSITIVE TRAITS: Optomistic, Accountable, Creative NEGATIVE TRAITS: Stubborn, Nosy, Compulsive CHARACTER QUOTE/LYRIC: “You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!” ANYTHING ELSE?: N/A SECONDARY CHARACTER CHOICE: N/A

HEADCANONS

Eleanor, or Ellie as she prefers to be called was born on September 27th as the biological daughter to Rosamine Mendoza and adoptive daughter to Rosamine’s wife Evelyn. Growing up she was fairly quiet compared to her brother, Oliver who was more loud and all over the place.

School came fairly easy for Ellie. She excelled in all of her classes and spent most of her time at school doodling and drawing on the side of her papers since she tended to get bored while the teacher explained things for other things who didn’t understand. As Ellie got older, she turned the doodling into more full on art and her love for it grew.

Ellie attended school at the California Institute for the Arts where she majored in Animation. While there, Ellie opened up more. She went from being more of a quiet girl who kept to herself, to someone who was more outgoing and became friends with more than just one person. It was also at her time at college that Ellie met Ricky. It was love at first sight for the two, having sat next to each other during orientation their Freshman year. The two had their basic classes together, Ellie majoring in animation and Ricky in architecture meant they shared a lot of classes until their program started.

Ellie and Ricky spent all four years of college dating each other. It was on graduation day that Ellie found out she was pregant. Ellie gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Madeline Jane on February 3rd, 2014. Ellie and Ricky couldn’t have been prouder.

Once Maddie was born, Ellie and Ricky made plans to move back to New York since that’s where Ellie was from and Ricky’s family lived in Vermont so they could be closer to both families. They settled in Kensington, New York. Ellie stayed at home with Maddie while Ricky got a job working for one of the bigger companies in New York to design a new office in Chicago. Ricky proposed to Ellie on Maddie’s 1st birthday to which she said yes and the two set their date for June of 2018, wanting to be able to save up the money for the wedding.

January 2, 2018 was the worst day of Ellie’s life. She just started working from home on little projects here and there for a company since she didn’t want to leave 3 year old Maddie with a sitter or daycare. Ellie’s phone rang which was nothing out of the ordinary, except this time it wasn’t for work or Ricky checking in on his girls. This time it was a call from a police officer asking Ellie to come down to the police station and they would explain everything there. Panic immediately went through her. She quickly packed her things up and got Maddie dressed for the cold as she made he way to the police station. It was there she learned that Ricky had been robbed at gunpoint while on lunch. It was there she learned that the robber wasn’t satisfied with how much Ricky had on him. And it was there she learned that Ricky was at the hospital, pronounced dead on arrival. Ellie’s world came crashing down around her. They had a 3 year old daughter that she was now going to have to raise on her own. They had a wedding in a couple of months that she was now going to have to cancel everything for.

After Ricky’s death, Ellie couldn’t afford her house payment with just herself working small jobs here and there while taking care of Maddie. Thankfully, her brother, Ollie stepped in and offered for the two to stay with him for a while until things got better and sorted out. Ellie and Maddie just moved out this past April to their own little apartment just outside of the immediate city. Ellie still has her bad days, but she tries to stay positive, knowing that’s what Ricky would have wanted and knowing everything happens for a reason. She knows that she and Maddie have a guardian angel looking out for them. The only thing Ellie can’t bring herself to do is open her up to start dating again. She knows it’s what Ricky would have wanted, but Ellie just can’t do it.

CONNECTIONS

EVELYN & ROSAMINE MENDOZA (Mothers) : Ellie has always been really close to both of her moms. She was the one to keep them sane while Ollie was running around while they figured out his ADHD. Even in college, Ellie would call home at least twice a week just to see how they were doing. Oliver Mendoza: Ellie’s big brother. She looks up to him more than she lets on and more than Ollie even knows. He’s been her rock through everything and Ellie doesn’t know where she’d be right now without him. She knows she can go to him at any time about anything and won’t be turned away from him.

#Eleanor Mendoza #Accepted #Emma Watson #RP #RPG #Glee RP

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aesjae · 5 years

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nct 2018 as high schoolers

Style/ Genre: Headcanon/ - Word Count: 2,944 Date Posted: 2 Nov 2018

*i wrote this with nct being in an asian senior high school in mind* (i’m asian so i’m not very sure about the western high school system :-( )

Taeil

the quiet high schooler

the one that you’ll always find in the music room practising after school

shy and quiet around those he doesn’t know well

but really weird with his friends

somebody you can always hear humming to some random tune when you pass by him in the hallways

but he only dares to sing as soulfully as he can when he’s alone or with his friends at karaoke

the one who will voluntarily and wordlessly share his food with you when you have no money at lunch

not in any extracurriculars as he dedicates his time to practising

doesn’t socialise much but still has a circle of good friends

works as hard as other students in class but doesn’t put too much pressure on himself

generally cheerful (in a quiet way)

takes weird ass selfies and photos with his friends cue the questionable poses

that high school friend you create embarrassing high school moments with

Johnny

s o c i a l b e e

knows almost everybody in the cohort, and a good number of seniors too

has at least 4 friends in each class that he personally knows

in several extracurriculars such as choir and basketball

he would sometimes be a guest player for his friends performing for showcases/ talent shows

playing on the piano or doing a duet

friendly to everyone

greets everybody that he knows in the hallways, including teachers

a literal sunflower

radiates sunshine everywhere and brightens up people’s days

that classmate who would go up to you and ask what’s wrong when you look down, even if you’re not close to him

hangs out with friends after school/ after school activities at the nearby fast food restaurant/ diner

when you don’t see him going around being social, you might find him in an empty, quiet corner in school listening to music on his earpiece

student DJ for prom and other in-school events

Taeyong

another quiet high schooler, though not as much as taeil

takes care of everyone

literally the mom of the class

friendly with everyone but has a small group of close knitted friends

shy baby when with classmates/ batch mates he doesn’t really know

cares about his grades, though does not overly pressurise himself to excel

the kind of classmate/ friend you would admire for his ability to juggle his time well, despite the hectic high school life

helps you out in homework whenever you ask

this kindness may sometimes get exploited by horrible classmates >:-(

can be rebellious and mischievous at times but generally a good student

you might find him sleeping at his desk during some lunch breaks

gets several love letters in his locker every week

probably never tried rapping before his friend introduced it to him, which he finds out he can rap fire

Yuta

that classmate/ friend who smiles radiantly at you whenever you see each other in and outside of school

likes to sling his bag on one shoulder

can hear him whistling to tunes along the hallway or at the field

in soccer club

quite well known within his cohort for his bright and outgoing nature

friends with a commendable number of people

that high schooler whose name you can hear people calling down the hallway

“Yuta-kun!!”

playful student

the kind that would crack in class jokes, making the class, and sometimes the teacher, laugh

but he may also get detention for such harmless jokes by stricter teachers

gets in trouble sometimes for not handing in his work on time

can find him on the soccer fields practising drills after school

Kun

model student

class president

the father among his friends

that student you can find going around class checking in on everybody and giving any help to those that need in

be it academics or just in need of company

attains good grades but always humble

teachers would really like him

brings his own cooked food for lunch and shares with his friends

you can also find him in the music room alone playing the piano during some breaks

the classmate who cooks the meat at class BBQ outings and barbecues the meat really well

occasionally goes for supplementary culinary classes during school holidays

probably can find him at the library more than at the beach during summer break

that friend that gives a very comforting vibe

that classmate that you count always count for a listening ear or shoulder

shows his classmates random magic tricks in class

Doyoung

that high schooler who’s full of s a s s

doesn’t rebut teachers but makes really smart comments that leave teachers unable to respond

but behind that sass he would be a very friendly schoolmate

his motherly side shows up with his really close friends

but takes care of his other classmates well too

would rather be playing mobile games than going out in the sun to play with his friends during breaks

would probably start singing randomly regardless of where he is, he doesn’t really care

strict and uptight teachers may give him detention for singing in the hallways

doyoung would probably fake a sorry and roll his eyes after turning around

starts studying only 2 weeks before exams but still fairs well

if he were to be in an extracurricular, he would start up a “sleep and do nothing” club in school

which proposal gets rejected, obviously

judges his friends for doing weird ass shits but laughs and joins in afterwards

Ten

another high schooler that is full of s a s s

in dance club

if you don’t find him in his rightful classrooms, he would probably be in the dance studio or somewhere in the school garden taking a nap

every time he excuses himself to the toilet it would be commemorated with mirror selfies

which are posted on instagram: “in school but not in class 🤪”

doesn’t pay attention to class a lot or very attentively as he gets bored easily (ten’s bored ass face when watching the couple dance on hit the stage)

doodles on his textbooks and notebooks instead

which turn out to be masterpieces btw

occasionally goes to the gymnasium to do gymnastics or play basketball when he’s bored

probably gets called by teachers a lot for his piercings

lowkey student rebel

very funny and entertaining classmate

would casually raise dirty jokes to his friends and laugh himself

would suddenly start laughing in class when he uses his phone secretly

many classmates may suspect he has a girlfriend but it would just be his sister

mischievously talks about being able to watch mature movies when they become of age

Jaehyun

f l o w e r b o y

popular, even among seniors and juniors

would probably receive tons of love and confession letters, especially during his birthday (aka valentine’s)

in basketball club

probably has a lot of admirers who come and watch him during basketball matches

performs for showcases

draws even more fans that swoon over not just his visuals, but also his vocals

cares about his grades and actually fairs better than average

would study on days without basketball practice and after practices

despite his popularity and good academics, he stays humble and easygoing

centre of envy of many people for being an all-rounder

doesn’t really gym but maintains quite a good body due to basketball

like johnny, he would be well-liked by many, including teachers

can find him at the library or bookstore on weekends

maybe sometimes at a nearby cafe reading a book with coffee

Winwin

quiet classmate

but not very shy

doesn’t speak much in class or to his friends but loves to roast his friends

writes nonsensical stuff on his friends’ books when he’s bored in class

“hahahaha lol i’m bored”

“你知道我是谁吗？我是董思成!!” ( “do you know who i am? i am dong si cheng!!” )

random doodles too

might whisper random jokes about the teacher or something into his tablemate’s ear, causing them to laugh out loud

resulting in both of them getting into trouble

not as popular as taeyong or jaehyun but still fairly known in school for his visuals

that classmate who is innocent but also knows sufficient information on certain topics

yet still pretends to be innocent and pure

in traditional dance club

performs frequently on stage for dance

subject of admiration among many schoolmates for his dance skills and awesome flexibility wtp

that classmate/ friend that you feel like always feel like taking care of

Jungwoo

fairly quiet classmate

but also very hype when he's high af!!

that classmate that supports and hype you up whenever you're feeling down or anxious before examinations/ competitions

that friend that makes you feel like smiling along with him whenever you see him in school, even if you were feeling terrible before

such a supportive friend that would even cry when he sees his friends doing well in school/ competitions

proud father maybe

has a small crush on the cute teacher

which you can catch staring dreamily at during their class (staring at mark)

and he would blush really badly

would agree to participate in weird and embarrassing stuff with you

that friend you talk to past midnight on a school night and go to school hella tired with no regrets

comes to school with bedhair sometimes when he’s running late

often entertains the class because of how blur and confused he is

tries his hardest in everything he does, including academics and non-academics

often participates in community involvement

Lucas

l o u d a f

definitely can hear him from across the school field

in volleyball/ baseball/ fencing maybe (?)

jock

but he would be nowhere arrogant

very very hyped all the time

not all that good of a student (but he still tries)

class clown!!

takes lots of pictures of himself and puts up on social media (those several half-naked pictures of teenage yukhei tho)

has fun on weekends instead of studying at home

easygoing and outgoing

likes to jokingly flirt with his friends

gets eye candied by several of his schoolmates

if you don’t hear his voice, it would be a big exception

he would probably be asleep on his table or jamming quietly to loud music on his headphones

might have a reputation among the student body to be a jerk or playboy but is actually a real softie and sweetie

P.S. would look great in school uniform

Mark

omg the king of mirror selfies since elementary school

look through his social media account and you would be able to witness the revolution of his mirror selfies from elementary to high school

continues to take mirror selfies with his friends on days that he is unusually extremely smiley and happy

likes to sit by the window seat in class and strum his guitar softly

sometimes accompanied with some of his soft vocals

well-liked by classmates and teachers

would start writing self-composed lyrics on his notebook when he’s bored in class

would be in an indie band with some of his friends

performs for school and town events

would also take study time off to perform for church events

probably cannot hear him as audibly as lucas but if you are lucky you might hear his laughter from down the corridor

might forget his whole pencil case to school sometimes smh

groans otw to science classes

knows education is important but groans otw to school, in school, after school anyways

excited to get out of school to get ice cream

Renjun

probably won’t really look like a high schooler cause s m o l

you would probably find a lot of moomin doodles in his books

a lot of moomin related stuff, though not excessive

maybe like moomin keychains, including a moomin plushie keychain on his bag, moomin phone case etc.

some mean classmates may tease him for it but a lot of others would think it’s completely fine and some may find it really cute too

an attentive student, as compared to the rest of the members (especially the dreamies)

probably takes one of the centre seats in class to get a good view of the board

doesn’t really answer questions in class but participates actively in class activities

people consult him for help in studies

roasts his friends a lot of the time

loves his friends but also want to strangle them and leave school to be away from them most of the time

video games at home/ friend’s home over high school parties

enjoys going to karaoke and dancing with friends

in art club

Jeno

another high school model

well-liked, not just cause of his looks but also his personality

teachers a d o r e him (so do every other student)

that student that always volunteers to help teachers out, even teachers he doesn’t know

low-key likes to embarrass his friends by correcting wrong stuff they say

good in Physical Education

plays sports with his classmates/ friends after school frequently

at the start of his first year in high school he would’ve been actively scouted by many extracurriculars

chooses to be in modelling club eventually

both a model and an assistant photographer

though he would prefer taking photos for leisure

also in volleyball club

possibly a spiker

juggles studies, extracurricular, family and social life well

commendable grades, slightly above average

tags along with his best friend and classmate jaemin everywhere

only has books and extra clothing in his locker

doesn’t really hang any keychains or anything on his bag; going to school style rather simple

dances for talent shows and does well despite not being in dance club

Haechan

giggly classmate

giggles at a lot of stuff that his teachers or classmates say

especially giggly during sexuality education lessons

likes to joke around with his classmates and teachers

thus making him quite close to his classmates overall and several teachers

very dramatic

exaggerates stuff in the textbooks/ the content being taught

making the class laugh a lot ofc

very outgoing, probably knows most of the people in his cohort

likes to use his phone secretly in class to text funny messages to his friends

looks forward to music class the most (apart from lunch)

random dance play with his friends during lunch, sometimes attracting a crowd

in choir

gets solos several times throughout his high school life

not a very attentive student but picks up and learns stuff realllyy quickly

his teachers and classmates would be shocked but how well he did despite not really studying

can’t wait to graduate but when he does, he gets super nostalgic

internally weeps over how he wouldn’t be able to see most of his friends again

Jaemin

wee u wee u

“nA NAAAAAAAA”

you will probably hear chen le’s voice calling jaemin eVery mOrning when he arrives in school

ryan plushie keychain on his bag, ryan phone case

comes to school with a cup of iced americano in hand

bag relatively light as he would have most of his books in the locker

locker would have pictures of him and his family and his friends

outgoing though not extremely social

in community service extracurricular

mainly visits children or elderly homes

and everybody in the homes would adore him, excited for his next arrival

average scoring student

does his weird random dances whenever he scores better than expected

accidentally flirts with everybody

female, male classmates, teachers, staff, the school cat

likes to squeeze onto one seat with his friends, especially those that sit beside the window, trapping them

usually goes to prom without a date; has fun at prom with his own friends

still dresses well for prom tho

takes the opportunity to confess to his crush during his final year prom

whom nobody actually really knew was his crush because i mean he flirts... with... almost everybody.......

Chen Le

wow this boy

even if he does not know everybody, everybody would know him

but for various reasons ofc

one is definitely because he is loud af

you can probably hear him from 20m away, 25m if he’s laughing

would always see him smiling or laughing whenever you pass by him in school

would have modest looking school supplies despite his well-off background

can probably see him playing basketball with his friends at least once or twice a week

maybe only him shooting hoops alone once in a while too

dramatic in class and everywhere else

teachers know him as the other half of dramatic brothers, along with haechan, despite being in different grades

looks forward to music classes and aces them

in choir

bass to soprano easy peasy

likes to watch horror movies with his friends on schools nights

scares them afterwards and leaves them insomniac the whole night while he sleeps soundly

sends his friends really hyped and encouraging messages before examinations/ competitions

has more gaming sessions than study sessions with classmates/ friends

Jisung

our youngest park jisunggggg

surprised by how old he already is when he first starts high school

an awkward child knowing new classmates

probably spends the first few days of the first year himself quietly, in a corner of the classroom ( big child sits at the back row )

sips on his packeted orange juice as he watches his classmates drink coffee

eventually warms to classmates but still remain relatively quiet

classmates would like to tease him but he would roast them back

in dance club

known to be one of the best dancers in dance

dances for many in and outside school events

quiet demeanour changes once he is on stage dancing

schoolmates go crazy and become his fans after seeing him dancing

shy puppy when he receives compliments from his schoolmates

respectful and friendly to everybody

bows to all the staff and teachers

blushes when juniors call him ‘oppa’

[unedited]

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datheetjoella · 6 years

Text

The Sweet Taste of Tangerines

Author: DatHeetJoella Fandom: Free! Pairing: MakoHaru Rating: T Chapters: 3/5 Word count: 8,840 (total: 21,440) Chapter summary: The taste of fruit on a summer night made memories resurface, which made Makoto come to the revelation that he was, in fact, an idiot. Notes: This fic is a gift for @rosieharu for the MakoHaru Gift Exchange Summer 2018! I hope that you, and everyone else, will enjoy this chapter! ^^ (more chapter notes at AO3) Read at: AO3, FFn, or here!

Chapter 3: 15 & 16

The stars were twinkling brightly in the clear night sky, the soft moonbeams shining down to light up the darkness, and Makoto was sitting on Haruka's porch, idly swinging his legs while he was petting the stray cat that was fast asleep on his lap.

As he was running his fingers through the cat's thick white fur and scratched behind her ear, his eyes fell on the small yet incredibly detailed drawing that adorned the back of his left arm and he smiled to himself in endearment. It was a doodle of Iwatobi-chan that had gradually appeared there earlier that day, and it was obvious that Haruka had drawn it out of boredom. Nevertheless, it was beautiful, because Haruka's art always was even when he didn't put much effort into it.

'Cute! Looks amazing, Haru' was written beneath Iwatobi-chan's feet with a brightly smiling face right next to it. Although he had never had as much of an affinity for mascot characters as his soulmate, Makoto looked at Iwatobi-chan with fondness, not just because Haruka had drawn him, but also because he couldn't help but like everything that Haruka loved. His interest in mascot characters was honestly adorable, and seeing them always reminded Makoto of his other half. Therefore, he thought that they were special too.

When he recalled that he hadn't taken a picture of the doodle yet, he quickly took his phone out of his pocket and snapped a few shots in fear that it would disappear before he had the chance to catch it. This was a habit he had never been able to shake and frankly, he didn't want to shake it either; he loved everything Haruka put on their skin, whether it was a tiny doodle or an elaborate portrait, a simple response to his question or a sincere wish of good morning, so he captured all of it to be treasured forevermore. Even though he knew the lines would always live on inside his heart, he liked looking back on all the drawings Haruka had made over the past decade and reminiscing about the time they spent together as he thumbed through the pictures.

On his ninth birthday, his parents had given him a small digital camera so he could take photos without having to ask or show them first. Despite having no secrets for his parents, overtime the drawings and conversations they shared on their skin became more personal and intimate so in hindsight, he really appreciated that they gave him his privacy when it came to his soulmate and their connection.

But that didn't mean that he stopped letting his family see everything: if Haruka had drawn something beautiful, like this Iwatobi-chan, he still showed them out of pride and admiration. Haruka's talent was something that deserved all the praise in the world and whenever Makoto heard someone compliment his art, his chest swelled with appreciation as if it were his own work being talked so positively of.

Once he was satisfied with the pictures, he turned his arm, figuring that he might as well take some of the conversation they had just a couple of minutes ago while he was ahead.

'Want to come over?'

'Sure! I'll be right there!'

Earlier this year, Haruka's father was transferred back to his old office so he moved back to Hokkaido. Haruka and his mother stayed behind in Iwatobi, but as the weeks passed, living so far away from her soulmate became unbearable for Mrs. Nanase. They all agreed that it was for the best if she would move back to Hokkaido too so she could live with her husband. Thankfully, Haruka decided to stay here, because Makoto could only imagine how heart-wrenching it must be to be torn apart from your other half and he definitely didn't want to experience that himself.

Haruka had always been an independent person and managed living on his own just fine, but that didn't mean that it wasn't difficult to get used to his family being gone and it could get very lonesome at times. Because of that, Makoto took it upon himself to prevent Haruka from feeling too lonely so he came over whenever he could. He would never say anything about it, but Makoto could feel it in his very core that Haruka was really grateful and happy to have him by his side.

This past week, they hadn't seen each other as often as they usually did though; Haruka's parents had come over to visit and even though Makoto was happy to see them again, he didn't want to impose too much so he took a step back to let them have some quality time alone with their son.

Truthfully, Makoto had mixed feelings about it. He was glad that Haruka could finally spend some time with his parents, but he would be lying if he said that he didn't miss him during the hours spent apart. Ever since they met at the playground all those years ago, they had been inseparable, joined at the hip wherever they went so being away from him for more than a day stung more than it probably should have.

But Mr. and Mrs. Nanase had left this evening, which only brought along some more mixed feelings for Makoto: he was happy to bounce back into their usual routine of seeing each other every waking moment, but the knowledge that Haruka would be alone at his house again still stung a bit. Though he was sure that if he were to ask Haruka about it, he would say that he was glad to be freed from their constant nagging and fussing over him. It would be a joke for the most part, but Makoto could very well imagine that it was a little overwhelming to have his parents around every last minute after not being used to that anymore, especially since Haruka was someone who treasured solitude and even craved it sometimes.

With that in mind, Makoto hadn't intended to come over immediately after Haruka's parents left, just so he could have some time to himself. But he should have known that Haruka didn't consider his presence to be draining, because shortly thereafter, his arm started to tingle and those lovely words appeared on his skin. It was good to know that Haruka had missed him too.

When he had arrived, Haruka simply told him to sit down on the porch so he did what he had been told without question. It didn't take long before his feline friend strolled along and claimed the spot on his lap. He appreciated her company and had been petting her ever since. Together they waited for Haruka to finish whatever task he was occupying himself with so he could join them during this mellow summer evening.

"Makoto."

Speak of the devil.

The sudden sound of Haruka's soft yet deep voice startled the sleeping cat awake and she immediately jumped up from Makoto's lap and ran off into the night.

"Sorry."

"It's alright," Makoto said as he put his phone back into his pocket, knowing that it hadn't been Haruka's intention to scare her off.

Haruka nodded in acknowledgement before he held out his arm, offering Makoto one of the small bowls he had brought along. "Here."

Automatically, Makoto reached out to accept it and it wasn't until he had the bowl in his hand and Haruka sat down beside him that he noticed that it was filled with pieces of tangerine. Upon seeing them, his stomach did a backflip in combination of gratitude and guilt; Haruka knew that he loved tangerines and he really appreciated his thoughtfulness, but tangerines were pretty expensive during this season and he felt bad that Haruka had blown his money on them for him. "Tangerines?" he couldn't help but question, "You didn't have to get them for me."

"But you like them, right?" was Haruka's initial response, but the bashful side of him tried to brush his honesty off with nonchalance, "I still had some lying around and it would be a waste to throw them out, so I figured we might as well eat them now before they go bad."

That was obviously a lie; these tangerines didn't even look close to almost expiring. On the contrary, they looked really fresh, like Haruka had bought them no earlier than this morning at best.

When Haruka realised this, he quickly averted his eyes and mumbled, "Besides, I like them too," before he popped one of the slices from his own bowl into his mouth, pouting slightly.

A hint of laughter bubbled up inside Makoto because of how cute Haruka was, but fortunately he was able to swallow most of it to save Haruka some embarrassment. Well, he wasn't going to argue that.

Silence settled between them and Makoto let out a sigh of happiness. A quiet summer night spent alongside his soulmate with a refreshing piece of fruit; what more could he wish for?

With a content smile stretching his cheeks Makoto followed Haruka's example and slipped a small piece of tangerine between his lips. The flavour burst out of the skin, spreading sweetness through his mouth as he chewed. He hadn't expected the tangerines to be so sweet around this time of year, but he certainly wasn't complaining. This was how he liked them best, so he gratefully ate another piece and closed his eyes, savouring the taste on his tongue.

Inevitably, the sweetness brought along a fond memory; one of a warm sunny day a little over a decade ago, that was dyed with the sweet taste and scent of tangerines, that tingled with a school of fish manifesting on his arm and thoughts of a person whom he had never met before yet already knew that he loved with all his heart.

Makoto glanced down at his arm, turning it to look at the inside of his wrist. That particular part of his skin was blank, but if he focused hard enough, it was like he could see the outline of that first little fish even now. It was odd to think that eleven years had already passed since then, because he could remember it so vividly that it seemed like it was only yesterday. By now, all the questions he had back then were answered and all his wonders were long since confirmed.

"Haru, you know," Makoto mumbled between bites, tender smile adorning his features in reminiscence, "the first time you drew something on your skin for me, I was eating a tangerine too. Do you remember that day?"

"Of course I do," Haruka affirmed, voice muffled around his full mouth. A playful smirk emerged as he continued, "How could I forget? The blue smudges were on my arm for a week."

The enamoured smile was instantly wiped from Makoto's face to make place for embarrassment. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he turned his head, staring at his feet with his mouth hanging open in an attempt to find the right response to being called out on a mistake he made when he was four. "I'm sorry! I didn't know, okay? My mom didn't tell me that there were special pens and that I shouldn't use regular markers on my skin."

"It's alright, I thought it was funny," Haruka snorted, thinking back to the smile he had worn when he woke up the next day to find that the blue fish were still there, albeit a bit smudged out. "My mom though… not so much."

Although Haruka was chuckling softly as he recalled what happened back then, Makoto had never wanted to sink and disappear through the floor as much as he did now. He shoved a handful of tangerine pieces into his mouth to occupy himself with as he listened to the story he had never heard before, but wasn't very eager to hear either. Despite yearning to know every little detail about Haruka's life from start to present, in this scenario Makoto was pretty sure that ignorance was bliss for the sake of his own sanity.

"It was the day before the wedding of my aunt and her wife, and I was going to be the ring-bearer," Haruka started, amused smile playing at his lips. "Since I had just turned five and didn't really understand anything about weddings or soulmates, my grandmother wanted to explain it to me. She told me about the basics of soulbonds and how we have a skin link with our soulmate, and she gave me a pen to try it out. I was very sceptical about it, especially since it took some time before you drew something back. But eventually you did and by the end of the afternoon my entire arm was covered in fish."

Haruka paused for a second to take another bite of fruit, and Makoto allowed himself to enjoy the fondness of their shared memory of drawing fish on their arms before it would ultimately be shattered by the reality of what happened afterwards in Haruka's side of the story.

"When my mom saw it, she was already displeased," he continued with a rare yet wide grin at what was about to come next. "My aunt and her wife had a beach wedding, and my mother got me this neat, short-sleeved outfit for the occasion, and she didn't want our drawings to ruin the overall look of it. My grandmother told her to calm down because all the ink would be washed off that evening and everything would be fine. Except it didn't."

Dread started to fill Makoto's stomach and he tried to rinse the sour taste in his mouth away with another piece of tangerine, but it was in vain. Suddenly, it didn't taste so sweet anymore.

"My grandmother laughed so hard that she teared up but my mom didn't think it was funny at all. She was so upset that she tried to scrub the blue marks off my arm even though she knew it was useless because the ink was in your skin, not mine." Instinctively, Haruka brushed his fingers over his arm, like he could still feel it when he recalled it. "My aunt said it was fine and that it couldn't be helped because my soulmate and I were just children, but I'm pretty sure they all cursed my grandmother for telling me about soulmates right before the wedding."

Makoto honestly didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. "So you're telling me that at the age of four, I managed to ruin the wedding of two women I don't know while I wasn't even there?"

That description made Haruka snort once more. "Well, with all the attention that my blue arm got, I'd say you were there in spirit. Especially when you started to draw new things over the smudges."

Rationally speaking, Makoto understood that he never could have known that Haruka was playing an important role in his aunt's wedding. But he felt pretty embarrassed about the whole situation nonetheless and he let out a loud groan as he buried his face in his hands out of shame. The idea of it was kind of funny objectively, but he still felt bad that Haruka was troubled because of his ignorance. "Sorry."

It wasn't like Haruka had told Makoto with the intention to mock or offend him, but he just genuinely thought it was funny. It had been so long ago that there was no reason to be serious about it, especially considering they were literal kindergartners when this happened. Still, teasing his soulmate a bit was just fun because he knew Makoto wouldn't take it seriously either; it was always a mutual exchange of playful words. Because of that, it was obvious from the start Makoto wouldn't actually be upset or distraught about something like this, just a little flustered.

In order to comfort him, Haruka put a reassuring hand on Makoto's shoulder. "You did entertain me during the boring reception, so I am grateful for that," he said earnestly, though a hint of teasing was still laced through his tone, "But it did bring more guests over to me to question me about my soulmate. My grandmother was there to help me out because she knew I didn't like talking to people I didn't know very well, and whenever someone mentioned the blue marks underneath, she would jokingly say "Haruka's soulmate is not the brightest crayon in the box", and at the time, I couldn't help but agree."

"Oh, great!" Makoto said sarcastically, averting his gaze in an attempt to hide his own amusement at Haruka's anecdote, but he was unable to keep the smile out of his voice entirely. "So my first thoughts about you were that you're so amazing and talented and that I love you with all my heart, while your first thought about me was that I'm a massive idiot."

Haruka couldn't stop himself from snorting again at that statement and the way he phrased it. "I did think you were an idiot," he confirmed as he moved his hand from where it had been cupping Makoto's shoulder to weave his fingers through Makoto's instead. This intimate touch surprised Makoto and it pulled him from his feigned sulking, looking up to meet Haruka's piercing blue eyes. Haruka smiled softly before he murmured, "But you were my idiot, and I wouldn't want to have anyone else."

Within an instant the teasing atmosphere dissolved to make place for serious tension. Makoto's mouth fell open a little, completely caught off-guard by Haruka's sudden yet heartfelt words. Haruka's face was bathed in a mixture of the soft moonlight and the warm glow from the lamps inside, his gaze focused directly on Makoto, unwavering. The intensity inside his eyes stole Makoto's breath away, seeing nothing but honesty swimming in that sea of endless beauty.

Hesitant fingers reached up to Makoto's face, growing more confident as they curled around his jaw. Slowly but surely Haruka leaned closer, giving Makoto plenty of time to move away if so desired. He didn't, couldn't have even if he had wanted to, because something inside Haruka's gaze had enchanted him and thoroughly eradicated any useful thought that once resided in his head.

At last, their eye-contact was broken as Haruka's eyes fluttered shut, yet Makoto found himself to be captured in Haruka's spell all the same. And he would be forevermore; with a sharp intake of breath, Haruka closed the distance between them and planted his lips upon Makoto's in a firm yet gentle kiss. Every remaining bit of hope to one day break the spell that captivated him vanished immediately, and Makoto couldn't be happier about it; there was nothing that he wanted more than to wholeheartedly lose himself in Haruka.

But before he could respond in any way, Haruka's lips were gone again, much to Makoto's disappointment. Thankfully, they didn't stray very far, as Haruka only pulled back slightly to look at him once more, eyes half-lidded. The intensity lingered, locking Makoto in place with a single look. It wasn't necessary by any means, because there was absolutely nothing in the entire universe that could divert Makoto's attention from Haruka. Not now, not ever.

The scent of tangerines was heavy on his warm breath, ghosting over Makoto's lips so sensually as he whispered, "Because I love you so, so much."

If Haruka's mouth meeting his in their very first kiss didn't make Makoto's heart burst with overflowing affection already, then hearing the sincere words that were embroidered on their soul out loud for the very first time definitely set off the fireworks of love in his stomach, to explode in everlasting joy. As inevitable as this might have been in the grand scheme of things, scripted in their destiny from the moment they were created, it still overwhelmed Makoto with indescribable happiness and an impossibly bright smile stretched his cheeks.

Knowing that he would never be able to find an adequate response that would properly convey how he felt, for words that held that much meaning simply hadn't been written yet, Makoto decided to show rather than tell. He squeezed the hand in his lightly while he leaned in to capture Haruka's lips with his own, initiating their second kiss because he hadn't been able to reciprocate during their first.

Haruka sighed against his mouth, and every droplet of hesitance that once flowed through his veins evaporated instantly, kissing Makoto back with all he got. The feeling of it was foreign, but the emotions that drove it certainly weren't; the passion and affection that had been gradually building up over the course of the past couple of years could finally be expressed. Like the pressure that had been weighing on their chests was relieved at long last as their lips softly pressed against each other. Who would have guessed that kissing would be such a wonderful outlet for feelings too great to be voiced aloud?

The light touch was already amazing, but there was something instinctively telling Makoto to change his approach, for there was even greater pleasure to be found in kissing if he knew where to look for it. With no clue what he was doing and honestly without thinking too, Makoto parted his lips and gently brushed them over Haruka's.

Judging by the small gasp and the slight twitch of his fingers against his jaw, this surprised Haruka, though definitely not in a negative way. He followed Makoto's example and tried to match his pace. They practically melted at the astonishing feeling of their lips sliding over one another's so tenderly, making goosebumps erupt on their backs. A kiss so sweet made their skin tingle like the other's entire body was being drawn on at once; it felt downright tantalising.

In a mixed need for leverage and to feel more of Haruka, Makoto placed his hand on Haruka's waist. He had done it so naturally, with confidence that he never had under any other circumstances, that the thought that Haruka might not appreciate this touch hadn't even crossed his mind - to be fair, not a single thought was crossing his mind at that moment except for the yearning for Haruka's lips, his touch, his love… his everything.

Once more it was proven that they were so in tune with each other that Makoto never had to worry about things like this; Haruka leaned into his touch and tightened his hold on Makoto's hand, showing that the need to feel each other was just as mutual as all of their other feelings.

Although everything about kissing was new and exciting, it was honestly like coming home too. Love was a language that their souls already knew by heart, but that their minds and bodies were gradually learning together, one step at a time. The feelings had been there since the start, but they were slowly uncovering them layer by layer and discovered new ways to do so; as of right then, kissing was definitely the favoured contender on the list. There was no rush, not with the prospect of getting to spend their entire lives together. Yet they found themselves already looking forward to a lifetime of shared kisses, for they were certain they could never grow tired of this amazing sensation.

But they had to break apart at one point, much to their dismay. Makoto ended the kiss, chest aching with lack of oxygen - which wasn't surprising considering everything about Haruka was absolutely breathtaking. Between the two of them, Haruka was clearly the one who had the most lung capacity, because of which it felt to him like the kiss had ended prematurely. To solve this issue, Haruka caught Makoto's lips once more in a chaste yet incredibly loving kiss that resembled their first.

Panting lightly, Makoto pulled back and rested his forehead against Haruka's, not daring to open his eyes just yet in fear of disturbing the magical ambience that enveloped them. It felt like he was slowly waking up from a dream that he never wanted to end, so he wanted to hang on for as long as he possibly could.

Yet when he noticed Haruka's eyes opening once more, he couldn't suppress the desire to meet his gaze. When he did, it dawned upon him that his fear had been unwarranted; having Haruka as his soulmate was truly a dream come true, one that was tangible and real and didn't just depend on the current of the realm of sleep.

Naturally a smile lit up his face again, because how couldn't it? A smile as wide as his cheeks would allow was soon becoming part of his default expression, and it was all thanks to Haruka. With something as simple as a single look, he was able to make Makoto's heart overflow with copious amounts of affection that would take an eternity and a half to be expressed. His presence was so reassuring and comforting that Makoto only felt overwhelming adoration and security when he was by his side.

There was nothing but pure love and giddiness gushing in every last fiber of Makoto's body. He couldn't help but giggle softly at the uncontainable happiness that Haruka showered him in without even intending to, solely by being here for him and loving him unconditionally.

He was tempted to steal another kiss from Haruka's lips, so he did, elated by the fact that he simply could. Although he had often imagined their first kiss in the past, he had never felt the urge to rush into it, because he knew that the universe had planned the perfect time for it anyway. And now that that blissful moment had finally arrived, he didn't understand how he had been able to resist Haruka's lips for so long. Kissing him was nothing short of absolutely wonderful and Makoto would gladly indulge himself whenever he could, for he could never get enough.

It was then that Makoto realised that despite all of his sickeningly sappy thoughts about his love for his soulmate, he hadn't said it back yet - at least, not properly, how Haruka deserved. Maybe Haruka had been right all along: he truly was an idiot.

He tried to get his eyes to focus again after staring off into the ocean of Haruka's irises, because he wanted to look at him completely, just so there would be no doubt about the sincerity that was weaved through the words he was about to say. When Haruka's eyebrows were raised in question, he murmured, "I love you so much, Haru-chan. With all my heart."

For some reason, despite the nonchalance when he had said it himself, Makoto's confession made Haruka blush a deep shade of red. He quickly looked away, unusual bashfulness grasping him and tugging at his heartstrings as he mumbled, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop with the '-chan' already?"

Seeing his ever-so-composed soulmate rendered so shy all of a sudden made Makoto sigh in endearment. Haruka really was too cute. Thinking that it was his turn to tease Haruka now, Makoto innocently protested, "Eh? But you're the one who gave me permission in the first place, Haru-chan," with a playful smirk threatening to break through his demeanour.

That was news to Haruka, and he whipped his head back to face Makoto, sporting a big frown as he sceptically questioned, "When did I do that?"

"The day we first met, when I wrote to you for the first time," Makoto supplied without missing a beat, smiling in triumph, "I asked 'can I call you Haru-chan?' and you wrote back 'do what you want', thus giving me permission."

Recollection flashed through Haruka's eyes, but he wasn't about to admit it. "I don't remember that," he said as he stubbornly crossed his arms and averted his eyes once again, because he was never able to lie to Makoto's face.

"Oh, but I do," Makoto sang, and Haruka hated the self-satisfaction that was vibrant in his beautiful voice, "In fact, I have proof that you wrote it."

"Proof?"

"Yes, I have pictures of it!" Though they were never taken with the intention to become evidence, Makoto couldn't deny that his habit of snapping photos of everything they put down on their skin came in handy in this situation.

This took Haruka by surprise, and his tone morphed from fierce denial to gentle bewilderment. "You have pictures of it?"

"Hm," Makoto hummed in confirmation, "I have pictures of all of our drawings and conversations. Well, almost all." For a second Makoto feared that Haruka might find that weird or creepy, but those worries were as baseless as all the other ones that darted through his mind in times of doubt.

Haruka's eyes widened, seeming like he didn't quite know how to process that information because of the sheer unexpectedness of it all. The knowledge that the vast majority of the things they had written and drawn weren't lost forever like he had always assumed, but that his soulmate had carefully preserved them, was astounding, yet certainly not in an unpleasant way.

"…Show me," Haruka requested after a moment of silence. The softness of his voice made it clear that he wasn't asking out of disbelief or in a need for Makoto to prove it, but out of interest and curiosity; a genuine longing to see the countless of images of all those treasured memories.

"I don't have the pictures of that exact conversation with me, but…" Makoto muttered under his breath, taking his phone out of his pocket and sliding it open. He scooted closer to Haruka and held his phone between them so they could both see the screen as he looked through his folders.

He opened one called 'Drawings' with a little heart in the title, and Haruka gasped involuntarily when numerous pictures of Makoto's skin showed up. Makoto selected the first and he saw the words he had written on his skin less than an hour ago flash by, followed by the Iwatobi-chan he had drawn earlier, both of which still marked his arm at that very instance. Wishes of goodnight, reminders to get out of the bathtub before the water would turn cold, drawings of simple hearts and elaborate hydrangeas, all of it and more depicted on the little pixelated screen of Makoto's phone.

"These aren't all the pictures I have," Makoto said, tearing his eyes away from his phone to look at Haruka again, "and there are some drawings that I missed because you washed them off before I had the chance to take pictures of them, but other than that, they're all on my laptop or in old photo albums."

Haruka's small mouth was still slightly open in the wake of a gasp, hope shimmering in his eyes as he quietly asked, "So you have pictures from the start? Even of our first drawings?"

Makoto nodded. "My mom wanted to take pictures of my arm full of fish so we had something to 'remember and commemorate' our first interaction with," he explained, full of amused nostalgia as he made quotation marks in the air with his fingers. "I was glad about that, because I was really sad when your outlines disappeared when you took a bath; I almost cried because I didn't want them to go away. I thought that anything drawn on our skin was permanent."

"Thank God it wasn't," Haruka cut in, teasing smirk fighting to make its way onto his lovely features again, "otherwise I'd still have those blue fish on my arm."

"Hey!" Makoto protested offendedly as he nudged Haruka with his elbow, but he couldn't stop himself from laughing too when he heard Haruka chuckle. "Anyway, my parents told me that even if the ink disappears from our skin, the lines will live on forever inside my heart," Makoto continued, voice softening in reminiscence as he unconsciously grasped at the front of his shirt with his free hand. "But because I liked looking back at the pictures of those fish, and hated the idea of never being able to see something you drew again, I asked my parents to take pictures of everything we drew. It was probably a little annoying, considering how much we sometimes drew and wrote, but they always complied. Do you remember that they gave me a camera for my ninth birthday?"

"Yes," Haruka replied fondly, envisioning the bright, adorable smile he had worn that day, "So up until then, your parents took pictures of everything we put on our skin?"

"Almost, yeah. Sorry if that feels like a breach of privacy," Makoto apologised. Even if the subjects of their conversations hadn't been more than inquiries to play together and childish chatter about random things, in hindsight Makoto still felt bad if Haruka hadn't wanted to share that with anyone but him.

"It's alright, it's not like you had any other choice if you wanted pictures of it."

As always, Haruka was so understanding of him and Makoto's chest filled with warmth. If anything, Haruka only found it odd that over a decade of time spent together, he had never noticed it before. Makoto somehow managed to plan it just so that he was always able to take pictures before he came over or after he left; they rarely drew or wrote anything when they were together, because there was no need for it in person, when they could just say what they wanted to say out loud.

Then Haruka's gaze wandered back to the screen, smiling softly to himself as he muttered, "Besides, I'm just glad you were able to keep all of it saved up."

The implication was crystal clear to Makoto, and because he knew Haruka would never ask himself, he had to be the one to offer it. "I'll show you all the pictures I have sometime," he promised, already anticipating a quiet evening spent lying side-by-side on his bed as they thumbed through years worth of memories together. "And then you'll see that you gave me permission to call you Haru-chan all along!"

Surprised by this twist of events, Haruka huffed as he turned his head away again. "Well, I take it back. I hereby revoke your permission to call me '-chan'."

"What? You can't just do that!" Makoto objected, finding that that was definitely not in the rules of this game they had been playing since a few years back - even though he made it all up just now.

"Oh no? Watch me," Haruka challenged as he looked back at his soulmate with a determined gleam in his oceanic eyes. "Call me 'Haru-chan' one more time and I'll never let you kiss me again."

Self-satisfaction was now vivid in Haruka's expression, and Makoto simply couldn't believe how severely this plan had backfired. Instead of claiming victory as his own and being allowed to call Haruka the childhood nickname he always had without being reprimanded for it, he was now facing the ultimatum of never using it again or never being allowed to do his newfound favourite activity again. Even if this wasn't dead serious, he wasn't about to take this without protest. "Eh?! That's not fair-"

Before he was able to finish his sentence, Haruka's demeanour was demolished by a chuckle of genuine and uncontrollable happiness. "Just shut up and kiss me already, you idiot," he sighed as he stole Makoto's phone from his hand and slid it shut in one swift motion, discarding it beside their bowls of forgotten fruit. Then he wrapped his arms around Makoto's neck and pulled him in for another kiss; that just showed that if you wanted something, you had to go get it yourself.

A smile at Haruka's blunt words was still stretching Makoto's cheeks as their lips met in their fifth kiss. Rather than continuing their playful and meaningless banter, Makoto agreed that kissing each other breathless was the best thing they could possibly be doing right then. So he wholeheartedly kissed Haruka back and he wound his arms around Haruka's waist to pull him closer.

Even after sharing some kisses and steadily getting used to this wonderful sensation, it didn't become any less special or amazing. On the contrary, as the seconds ticked by, the kiss grew more and more heated and intense and it was like no amount of proximity would be enough. Like their souls were screaming for each other and every layer of cloth and muscle and affection that separated their hearts was one too many.

Haruka tightened his hold around Makoto's neck while he simultaneously leaned in his body, pressing their chests flush together. In a tentative need for more, Haruka tread further into unknown yet exciting territory and he opened his mouth slightly to lick at Makoto's lips. A shiver ran down Makoto's spine as he allowed Haruka to deepen the kiss, clutching at the back of his shirt for leverage.

The taste of tangerines was heavy on Haruka's tongue, but Makoto was sure that even without the hint of citrus, their kisses would always be this sweet. Regardless of how heated they would inevitably get in the future, it was mainly a way of expressing their pure and undying affection for each other and that would shine through first and foremost no matter what the circumstances were; though they were now gradually unravelling the pleasures to be found in shared kisses, the desire for it was yielded by their feelings for each other and that would never change.

Fingers tangled in Makoto's brown locks almost desperately, and he wouldn't have thought that the feeling of Haruka's blunt nails scratching lightly at his scalp could feel so heavenly; it was a wonderful addition to an already perfect kiss. Though at this moment, Makoto was so lost in his love for his soulmate that Haruka could do pretty much anything and he would find it just as amazing.

Haruka's lips were so incredibly soft and brushed over Makoto's so tenderly that they whisked any cohesive thought inside Makoto's head away before it could even be formed. It was like every fiber in his being had turned into sugar and he was melting straight into Haruka's arms; he didn't even feel how Haruka gently pulled him down onto himself until he felt his knuckles grazing against the wooden planks of the porch and he had to twist his wrists to support his own weight.

He didn't mind the change of position at all since Haruka never broke the kiss, so there was no room to complain even if he had wanted to. But he couldn't imagine ever complaining; in his heart he knew he would always seamlessly go along with all of Haruka's whims.

Only when that sweet aching re-emerged inside his chest did Makoto tear himself away from this astonishing kiss, but almost regretfully so. His remorse soon disappeared when he opened his eyes and saw the smile that adorned Haruka's flushed features, his small mouth wet and shimmering in the light that poured down on him. Naturally, a matching smile was etched onto Makoto's face.

Before he realised what he was doing, Makoto gently caressed Haruka's cheek with the back of his fingers and he ran his thumb over Haruka's bottom lip. For a moment Haruka's eyes fell shut once more and he exhaled deeply. His breath was warm as it fanned against Makoto's skin, and even after all those kisses, it still smelled like tangerines. Ocean blue was unveiled to meet forest green again, and Makoto could see nothing but affection swimming inside those deep eyes, reflecting the very contents of his own heart.

Haruka pulled him to himself even further, but it was not for a kiss this time. Instead, he tugged at his neck, forcing Makoto down onto his forearms to be wrapped up in his loving embrace. Their chests aligned and Makoto swore he could feel the pounding inside Haruka's ribcage, pace in sync with the intense yet composed thumping inside his own. Alas their positions prevented him from returning Haruka's hug, so he had to settle for second best; he cradled Haruka's face in his palms and pressed a long yet delicate kiss against Haruka's lips. Then the corners of his mouth curled into an infinitely loving smile as he affectionately nuzzled Haruka's nose with his own.

Happiness radiated off of Haruka's face as he removed one of his arms from Makoto's neck to grab ahold of his hand instead, entwining their fingers. Silence lingered as their gazes connected them down to the core, hearts holding a conversation too powerful to be put into words, for their meaning would slip out to vanish in thin air if ever attempted to be spoken aloud. Makoto didn't know if it was like this for all soulmates or if this was uniquely them, but he loved that they were always able to just understand each other regardless of the circumstances. It was a silly thought, but Makoto liked to believe that even amongst other soulbonds, their relationship was a little special.

Although he would have loved to stay like this forever, his arms were starting to burn beneath his weight and he didn't want to accidentally crush Haruka if the strength in his muscles crumbled. Makoto broke away from their intimate exchange at last, but not without a brief peck to soothe the pain of doing so.

There was no way he could part from Haruka's side completely, so Makoto settled for a good alternative: he turned to lie beside him, keeping their hands linked together, and placed his head on Haruka's chest. Right beneath his ear was the rhythmic beating of Haruka's heart and a surge of warmth shot through his veins as he rubbed his cheek against Haruka's shirt. In response, Haruka's free hand found its way back to his neck and he lightly tickled the small strands at the bottom of his hairline with his fingertips, coaxing a hum of contentment from Makoto's lips.

Instead of letting his eyes flutter shut to feel Haruka's touch even more, Makoto decided to take in the atmosphere that surrounded them, for it was truly adding to their little cocoon of bliss. The parts of the night sky that were visible were filled with stars, twinkling brightly and standing out from the varying shades of blue. Though the moon wasn't within sight, Makoto knew it was stunning and shining just as fiercely as it did in his mind.

He couldn't help but smile to himself as he remembered how he used to fantasize about stargazing with his soulmate, long before he even met Haruka. The endlessness of the sky had always been fascinating to him and he could dream away for hours as he stared at the beauty of the night. And without exception, the need to share this with his soulmate would well up inside of him. Even though he understood that wherever they might be, they could see the moon and the stars too, that didn't change that he wanted to experience it together with them. To be enthralled by the universe together, the very universe that created them and blessed them with each other.

This was certainly not the first time they spent the night together and inevitably watched the stars in tranquility, yet it was in a moment as heavy and meaningful as this one that all those memories came flooding back to Makoto. It really showed just how long they had been together already; a decade's worth of things that he had envisioned doing with his soulmate as a little kid that had fortunately all come true.

But there were also many other things that they had gone through together, things that had never crossed his mind when he was younger but were very important nonetheless. Many joyful happenings such as the birth of Ran and Ren, the twin-siblings who had finally completed their family. Alas there had been sorrowful times too, like when Haruka's grandmother passed away and they were all consumed by grief, but Haruka especially - and therefore, Makoto too.

Although Makoto dearly wished that their future only held happiness and that mourning was left behind in the past, he knew that simply wasn't realistic and that life was made up of a balance of positive and negative events. Yet he found that he didn't dread the prospect of that. Haruka and he had been together throughout every high and low, always there to comfort and support each other, to shoulder any burden too heavy to be carried alone. Even if it seemed like the whole world was against them, Makoto was confident that as long as they had each other, they could get through anything.

As long as he had the love and support of his amazing soulmate, Makoto would defy the universe itself if he had to.

There was no need for such dramatic thoughts though, not when the universe had guided him to a moment as lovely as this one: cuddled together with his soulmate beneath the heavens after exploring the wonderful sensations of kissing for the first time, in the comfort and safety of Haruka's home. This was truly a moment worth cherishing and Makoto knew it would be engraved into the walls of his heart to be remembered forevermore.

Struck with an idea, he tore himself away from Haruka's grasp to search for his discarded phone.

"Makoto…?" came Haruka's soft whine of protest, but Makoto only smiled at him.

"This is something that deserves to be captured too."

Haruka sighed and shook his head in fondness. This really shouldn't have come as a surprise, and though he would never admit it aloud, Makoto knew that Haruka appreciated his dedication to their love and his need to have tangible tokens of their most treasured memories. And though they were still living it right now, they both knew that today was a day that they would never forget and would hold dear for as long as they were allowed to walk the road of life together.

Once Makoto had gotten ahold of his phone, he leaned down to lie beside Haruka again. Faces close together, Makoto reached out his arm and smiled sweetly at the camera, hoping that Haruka would do the same. When the picture was taken, Makoto went to look at it to see if they were both nicely in frame and he wasn't disappointed by what he saw: the soft smile that was adorning Haruka's features was so cute that it spontaneously awoke the butterflies in his stomach.

Pleased by the result, Makoto turned his head towards Haruka and closed his eyes, pouting out his lips in a silent request for a kiss. Although he couldn't see it, Makoto could just feel that Haruka rolled his eyes as another sigh of enamoured exasperation escaped his mouth. Nevertheless, he complied and pressed his lips against Makoto's in the desired kiss; just like Makoto, Haruka would go along with any of his soulmate's whims and demands. Makoto smiled as he felt Haruka reciprocate the kiss and he lifted his arm again to snap another photo.

The kiss wasn't immediately broken after the light flashed, because Makoto had discovered that Haruka's lips were so addictive that he simply couldn't end it after a mere second. This feeling was apparently shared, for Haruka's hand came up to cup Makoto's cheek and his thumb gently stroked over his smooth skin. For good measure, Makoto took one more picture, just to be sure.

When their lips ultimately parted, Makoto's grin widened and he placed a small kiss on Haruka's cute nose as a gesture of gratitude for going along with his somewhat ridiculous wishes.

"It may not be a picture of our first," Makoto said when he was studying the image displayed on the little screen, "but I suppose a picture of our eighth kiss will suffice."

"Oh God," Haruka huffed as he looked away in disbelief. "Please don't tell me you're actually going to count them."

Although that hadn't really been his intention, when Haruka brought it up like this, Makoto couldn't help but tease him a little. "Well, maybe I will," he evoked and he put his phone down, biting his bottom lip to suppress the oncoming smirk, "What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll make you lose count," Haruka vowed and Makoto's eyebrows quirked in feigned surprise, as if that wasn't what he had wanted him to say. Still, that didn't seem to bother Haruka as he bridged the short distance between them and rapidly placed a series of chaste kisses against his soulmate's mouth, and Makoto snorted at the ticklish feeling. When Haruka pulled back, he shot him a challenging look.

Makoto had to do everything he could not to giggle as he replied, "Twenty-one."

The loud groan that sounded out through the quiet of the night demolished the barrier that held Makoto's amusement at bay and he could no longer keep himself from laughing. Haruka pouted as he shifted to lie on his other side, back facing Makoto as he crossed his arms. This only made Makoto chuckle even more and he wrapped his arm around Haruka's waist, putting his head on Haruka's shoulder and he kissed Haruka's jaw in a silent apology for his playfulness.

This action took Haruka off-guard and when he looked back at Makoto, a tiny smile shattered his demeanour. "You'll lose count eventually," Haruka stated with certainty, because they both knew that it was just a matter of time until Makoto was forced to give up and he would win this silly little game.

Well, Makoto wasn't going to argue that either. But in the meantime, he would definitely enjoy kiss number twenty-two as Haruka faced him completely and their lips met again.

Truthfully, Makoto was so lucky to have been blessed with Haruka. Of all the billions of people on this planet, he could have ended up with pretty much anyone as his soulmate, yet the universe had tied him to Haruka; the most amazing person to ever exist, absolutely gorgeous on the inside and out, the personification of utmost perfection - and Makoto was convinced that he wasn't biased. Not a day would go by in which Makoto wasn't grateful to have Haruka by his side, and he would treasure him for as long as he lived.

"Hey, Haru?" he mumbled after a little while, his soft voice disrupting the serene bubble that engulfed them. When Haruka met his eyes, he continued, "Do you think that…"

He cut himself off in an attempt to rephrase his thoughts, averting his gaze and licking his lips as he tried to find the right words. A hand grasped his, squeezing lightly and when Makoto looked back at Haruka, he nodded encouragingly at him, telling him to take his time to say what he wanted to.

Reassured by Haruka's unconditional support, Makoto felt confident enough to try again. He swallowed and scraped his throat before he said, "You know how there are theories of parallel universes? Of infinite worlds similar to ours but with small changes?"

"Yeah," Haruka answered as he slowly rubbed his thumb over Makoto's skin, eyes never leaving his.

"If there was a universe out there where soulmates didn't exist, and we were all created separately… do you think that we would still be together?"

"I'm sure we would."

Haruka's immediate response took Makoto by surprise, and though he appreciated that Haruka felt that way, he didn't know why he was so certain of that. As always, he didn't need to voice his question for Haruka to understand it, and Haruka peered around them in search for a verbal explanation of his feelings.

"I don't think we're meant to be together because we're soulmates," Haruka murmured, the intensity in his beautiful irises locking Makoto in place once more, just so he wouldn't misunderstand what he was saying. "I think we're soulmates because we're meant to be together."

Makoto's heart melted inside his chest when he processed those words. The knowledge that Haruka felt that way made affection rush through every fiber of his being, and he decided to accept that answer for himself too. It was a comforting thought that no matter what universe they were in, soulmates or not, they would always be together, and nothing could ever change the fact that their hearts belonged to each other. Looking at it from that angle, Makoto believed it too. After all, he simply knew that there could never be another person out there who fit him better than Haruka did; no one who he could love as much as he loved Haruka.

He gave Haruka's hand a small squeeze in return as an adoring smile softened his features. "I love you so much, Haru," he whispered as he raised their entwined fingers to his mouth and kissed Haruka's knuckles tenderly, "More than anything."

"I love you too… idiot."

#i'm sorry i'm stupid #makoharu #makoharu fic #my fic #the sweet taste of tangerines #if the read more is erased then i'm sorry but it's definitely there lmao #between the second and third paragraph to be exact #so if you got issues with it not showing up complain to the staff #anyway all of that aside i do hope you'll all enjoy it #you especially rosie #sorry for the delay but it's here at last #rosieharu

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panda-paco · 5 years

Photo

ANW and MFF artshows

Hi everyone! I hope you are good.

In this submission/journal, I want to share the news that I'm attending Anthro NorthWest 2018, in Seattle, WA. (November 8 to 11). And Midwest Furfest, in Chicago, IL. (November 29 to December 2)

In both conventions I will have panels, events, artists alley and art show.

Art Show

I'm displaying in both art shows 6 art pieces: 4 of them are original, 2 are prints:

"The Whole Earth" Original. Inks.

"Fly the Furry Skies" Original. Acrylics.

"The furnesian islands" Print.

"Pythagoras" Original. Color markers.

"Golfing with Nbowa" Original. Colored pencils. (Only displayed at ANW)

"Cute Monster Attacks" Print.

At ANW they will be only for exhibition (no sale), and at MFF they will be exhibition and sale. You can take any of these pictures to live with you at home, bidding on them (Except Nbowa's, that will only be exhibited at ANW, for no sale).

Artists Alley

You can buy my art-book "Greatest hits", the same one I was selling at Megaplex. And if you arrive early, I can make a commission for you at the moment. Be quick, that space will be very limited.

The Artists Alley at ANW will be very particular and different from all the ones I knew before. It will be after the Vendor's room has closed, but it won't be in the same room, but in the same place where the FuzzyLogic Escape Room will take place. Artists Alley's schedule will be on Friday, November 9 from 7 to 10pm (Yes, at night), and on Sunday, November 11 from 5 to 8 at night, so go visit us, we do not want the artists to stay watching people go to the night dances while we are just there, sitting. Both days I will only have a limited space of 2 slots per evening in terms of commissions.

I will be sending a reminder to visit us on my Telegram channel, so I highly recommend you to follow me: https://t.me/panda_paco

At MFF I will be in the "Marketplace", which still is not very clear to me what will be the difference between Artists alley and Marketplace, but at least I already have a place there for sure. In the Marketeplace, I will only be Friday and part of Sunday. On Friday, November 30, you can find me at the full Marketplace time, from 12pm to 7pm (with 4 commission slots available). And on Sunday, December 2 from 10 in the morning to 12:30 pm (only 2 and a half hours, that day I will only receive commissions to do at home, limited to 9 slots).

On Saturdays I won't be in either of the two conventions at artists alley or marketplace. Saturdays you'll be seeing me fursuiting and fooling around.

Panel: "Switch-on to the drawing mode"

Probably the last two times I run this panel, before planning a completely new one.

For artists who want to draw, without having to depend on inspiration. No matter what level of drawing you consider yourself, whether beginner, intermediate or advanced, I'm sure that this panel will be very helpful. (Please be patient with me and my weird accent)

I will give it at both conventions, at ANW on Friday, November 9 at 3:30 pm. In the Compass North 3 room At MFF on Sunday, December 2 at 1pm. In the Sky Harbor lounge.

Doodles for Charity

I will have an extra activity only at ANW: Doodles for Charity

Have you always wanted to have a doodle completely free by me? This is your chance, but ... I'll be doing it with crayons, and in fursuit. Come get a free doodle drawn by folks in costume. These doodles are 100% free. Tips are encouraged and all money collected goes directly to the convention Charity: Sarvey Wildlife.

The event starts at 4:30, but I will be there from 5:00 to 5:30 pm. Next to Hubcap, Telephone, Obscura and Nacho.

It's going to be very fun!!

----

You can see that I will be very busy during the conventions, even so I go to these events to have fun, be with friends, meet people, and play fool while I am in fursuit. They will be very funny times.

If you go to ANW and / or to MFF, and you see me, please don't hesitate to say hello. And if you see me in fursuit, I'm a free hugs provider.

Remember that we all go to these events to have fun. Always use common sense, to respect the fun of those around you, and to return home with an unforgettable moment.

See you there!!!

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50thirdand3rd · 5 years

Text

Writer, producer, Poptone drummer, and co-founding member of Tones On Tail and Love And Rockets takes us back to his Bauhaus roots with The Bela Session EP and his new coffee table book, Bauhaus Undead and teases a few hints at what he has in store for 2019!

Bauhaus – photo by Graham Trott

Kevin Haskins, the elusive Bauhaus drummer is quietly powerful behind his placid, penetrating expression. The jazz trained boyish younger Haskins brother who drew more inspiration from Stephen Morris than Gene Krupa paid his dues in bands with older brother, David J. before forming what would eventually become Bauhaus with friend and fellow art student, Daniel Ash and Daniel’s friend, Peter Murphy. The band’s chemistry was instant and Bauhaus began playing shows wherever they could and on January 26, 1979, the band recorded their iconic debut single, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” at Beck Studios in Wellingborough a mere six weeks after forming the group.”Bela” was just the beginning and soon Bauhaus found fame and an early fan in the late John Peel who kept the band in heavy rotation on his legendary Radio 1 program. By 1980, the band released their groundbreaking debut LP In The Flat Field to mixed reviews further solidifying their status as post-punk icons with their dark fusion of glam, punk, jazz, dub, and disco and gained a rabid cult following among the cool kids in black on both sides of the pond.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0bLCILyVRk%5B/embedyt%5D

Shortly after Bauhaus called it quits in 1983, Kevin and Daniel continued a fruitful collaboration in the short-lived and lightyears ahead of its time, Tones On Tail with bassist and former Bauhaus roadie, Glenn Campling. TOT scored a dancefloor hit in the US with their 1984 “Lions” b-side “Go!”.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TJC48BRBn8%5B/embedyt%5D

Two years later, Kevin and Daniel reunited with David J. to form Love And Rockets, who found success with early singles “Ball of Confusion” and “No New Tale To Tell” before scoring a breakout hit with their ubiquitous 1989 single “So Alive” which spent 20 weeks at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L41MhFPU9s%5B/embedyt%5D

After 40 years of forward motion with not one but two highly influential post-Bauhaus bands, Kevin takes us back to his Bauhaus roots with his new coffee table book, Bauhaus – Undead “The Visual History and Legacy of Bauhaus” and The Bela Session EP which features four previously unreleased tracks along with the iconic 9:37 opus that started it all.

Photo: Jenna Putnam

50thirdand3rd: So, can we talk about Bauhaus Undead?

Kevin Haskins: A good friend of mine who works at Cleopatra, Matt Green, suggested the idea. He knew that I had this big container full of memorabilia. I was the guy who collected everything, kept everything. So, he says, “Why don’t you make a coffee table book?” “Matt, that’s a great idea.” And then he made me an offer to put it out on Cleopatra and I just felt that I would like to self-publish it. So he said, “Of course, that’s your decision. Go ahead and good luck. Wish you all the best.” And so, I went off on my merry way and so along into the process, I ran into this guy, Jeff Anderson, at gigs. And it seemed like fate kind of brought us together. On the third meeting, I said, “What do you do?” And he said, “I make box sets and re-releases for bands and so, I went to his house and I saw these amazing box sets from Sigur Rós and Roger Waters and Beck, Nine Inch Nails, The Pixies – beautiful ones! I thought “This was a no-brainer, let’s do the book together!” He was really excited working with me on that. He brought in a great design team and off we went. And I just sat down and started writing stories which I’ve never done, before.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aOk0A4pnN8%5B/embedyt%5D

So, it all took about two years and we designed this huge book with a slipcase and it was this huge, crazy size book! Basically, we really didn’t figure out how much it was gonna cost to make and how much it was gonna cost to ship and Jeff really wanted to use his regular printers in LA. Anyway, a month before, we put on a pre-sale to raise money to have it made. A month before the pre-sale ended, I found out how much it was gonna cost to have it made and it was ridiculous, it was like over $100 to make, in the end! (laughs) I spoke to publishers after the fact, who were very impressed with how many I sold, because it was like $180 or something. But I didn’t raise enough money to get it made, so I had to refund all of the money. Then I went to a bunch of publishers and got a lot of interest from boutique publishers, but they really didn’t have the means to do what I wanted to do, but I did decide to make this book a regular size book, so that we could sell it at a decent price and make it cheap for people.

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And basically, about two years or three years after Matt gave me the idea, I went around his house and he showed me a book that Cleopatra had just put out. I think it was Hanoi Rocks or something and he said it was a great deal for this band it was really great deal and I said, “Oh Matt, could you do the same deal for me, please!” Because I was back at square one, I had nothing, but I did have a book already made, all the layout was all done, all the stories were written, it was proofread. It was just ready to print. So, I was kinda handing him a gift, really, on a plate and he said, “Kevin, I think we can do your good deal.” Which they did and it ended up coming out on Cleopatra, so I did this complete circle, so, now I know everything about printing and shipping and fulfillment companies.

50thirdand3rd: You got a real education on the process.

Kevin Haskins: Yeah, it was a mixture of extreme pain and pleasure. (laughs) I’m really proud of it, it’s over 300 pages and it has some great content. We were all very art inclined so we do a lot of drawings and doodles and I kept all those and I think that’s the stuff that’s very interesting for people. Very personal stuff like that and handwritten lyrics. And when we went to shop “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”, Daniel wrote out all the names of all the companies we went to, EMI and Polydor, all the huge companies and what they said. They all rejected us, so he wrote a kind of note to them, it’s very scruffy, very Daniel and all over the place and there’s drawings of Bubble men all over it. It ended up the last piece that went into the book. I was kind of done and he had just come back from England and raided his mum’s attic and said, “Look what I found!” I’m like, “Oh my god, I’ve gotta get that in the book, it’s so cool!” So, it’s got a lot of funny stories and great memorabilia.

50thirdand3rd: Awesome! I understand you did a book signing at Rough Trade in Brooklyn, this past summer, was it? How did that go?

Kevin Haskins: It went great! We were on tour with Poptone and I set up an In-store for my daughter’s band, Automatic, they were supporting us.

50thirdand3rd: And that’s your daughter, Lola’s band, right?

Kevin Haskins: Yes, Lola (Dompé), Izzy (Glaudini), and Halle (Saxon Gaines). And then after they played, I did a signing and it was nice, you know, it was my first time in Brooklyn if you can believe that.

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We’re playing rough trade tn bbs come through

A post shared by Automatic (@automatic_band) on Jun 29, 2018 at 1:15pm PDT

50thirdand3rd: Wow, how’d you like it?

Kevin Haskins: We loved it. My wife came out and we rented a really nice Airbnb and got to really walk around, check it out.

Photo: Jenna Putnam

50thirdand3rd: Very cool! How’s the response been with the book?

Kevin Haskins: Really good. Yeah, it’s been great, people love it! I don’t wanna boast but I’m very proud of it and people respond really well to it. There’s a lot of good content in it and I was really happy with the quality and the printing and everything.

50thirdand3rd: It sounds awesome and you had some of the other Bauhaus historians kind of help out, too, with the timeline, did I read that right?

Kevin Haskins: Oh yeah, a guy called Andrew Brooksbank and also I should mention Vincent Forrest and they were very helpful. Andrew is kind of the Bauhaus historian and when our old label, Beggars Banquet, put out re-releases, he always writes the sleeve notes. He’s an extremely organized guy and he’s a good writer and he created this timeline of every show and every radio, like interviews, TV appearances, that type of thing. So, that was really so valuable to me because I can’t remember what I was doing.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5UFgXuz1Gc%5B/embedyt%5D

50thirdand3rd: Right, because you were like in the center of the storm.

Kevin Haskins: Yeah, I was. And he was a great resource and I think he gave me a few items. A few scans of this and that and also helped out in that way. So, it was nice to have fans included, there were people whose names, sorry, I can’t remember, right now, who sent me some great pieces to put in, so it was nice to include people, as well, like that.

50thirdand3rd: That’s really exciting! Seeing it all together in the context of a timeline, how was that? I imagine that would have to be a little awe-inspiring, like “Wow, I did all this!” Like, looking back on it?

Kevin Haskins: Yeah, I’m surprised at how many shows we played because I didn’t think we played that many, but, we did. We really worked! We started from nowhere and the only really then to get known was to play, you know, to get the ball rolling. So, there was a two year period where we were just slogging away. Just trying to get shows when we started, we played in the weirdest places. (laughs) Like, I got a gig, there’s a little village called Ilchester and it was a Sunday lunchtime community center and it was bright sunshine. It was in a modern kind of bland hall with big glass windows, very bright, and there were kids running around playing, parents just eating, and Bauhaus were playing to these people. It was completely ridiculous! And then Peter got us a similar thing but in a working men’s club on a lunchtime.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5DUQuY1mf4%5B/embedyt%5D

50thirdand3rd: Oh, wow! How was that?

Kevin Haskins: After our first number, this old character, this old guy who worked there came up to us and he said, “What are you trying to do? Blow the bloody roof off? Play something that people know! You know, something we can tap our foot to!” (Laughs)

50thirdand3rd: Character building, I imagine!

Kevin Haskins: Yeah, blow the bloody roof off! So, we would play anywhere we could. Actually, and I wrote about this in the book. Really, our first show, I think went kind of undocumented. Daniel got us this rehearsal room at a teacher training college in Northampton and we were in a kind of portacabin, this kind of a prefabricated classroom, you know, it was kind of like a trailer.

50thirdand3rd: Oh, okay.

Kevin Haskins: It was outside the main building, just adjacent. And it was adjacent to the student union room where they would have bands play and they had a bar. It was winter and it was snowing, I remember, and The Pretenders were playing that night. So, we were rehearsing late afternoon and we kind of finished and we were like, “Is anybody going to see The Pretenders?” “Yeah, I am.” Kinda fancied that and then one of us had this idea that why don’t we just follow them? “What do you mean?” So, the next minute, we open the door, dragging up our gear up this, it was like an incline, covered in snow, dragging all our gear, and there was the French door, like this big glass door that opened up and we just opened the door and we just set up really fast in the corner of the room and by this time it was like 7:00. People were just coming in and The Pretenders had just done their soundcheck and we just set up and started playing. So, a crowd appeared around us, and we got about two or three songs out of the way, we didn’t have many songs, we had just started, and the student union came up and he was like, “Wait a minute, stop, what are you guys doing?” We’re like, “Oh, we’re the support band.” And he’s like, “Really?” And we’re like, “Yeah, we’re the support band.” And he was like scratching his head and like looking at us very suspiciously and he turned away and he walked away and he was kind of looking over his shoulder. And we sold it and then we’re like, “Get into the next song!” And we managed to get two more songs done and then he brought everyone from the student union and they shut us down. They said, “Hey, you’re not the support band!” So, we supported The Pretenders, punk rock Guerrilla style. (Laughs)

50thirdand3rd: That’s awesome!

Kevin Haskins: I’m sure Chrissie Hynde would’ve appreciated that. I don’t know if she heard that we did that.

50thirdand3rd: I hope she finds out!

Kevin Haskins: We were dying to play, all we wanted to do was play.

50thirdand3rd: That’s really cool! So, The Bela Session EP you recently put out, could we talk a little bit about that? I understand it was the first time you guys worked with Derek Tompkins. Like, he was really important to like Bauhaus and he produced Love And Rockets, too, right? Like he was Engineer/Producer at Beck Studios for you guys, can you tell me a little bit about that?

Kevin Haskins: Sure, we’ll start with Derek. I think we went to Beck before Bauhaus, we were in other bands, like The Craze, Jack Plug and The Sockettes, these kinds of new wave bands, but it was Peter’s first time in the studio when we went with Bauhaus. And Derek was this amazing character. I always kind of viewed Derek as our George Martin. Mainly because he was older than us and he really didn’t know anything about fads or fashions which was good because he just approached it from what sounds exciting and what sounds good. He just instinctively knew how to produce bands and also he was a bit of a rogue, he was a really funny guy, very smart, very opinionated, a bit of a rebel. And he had a great stutter, he stuttered and just consumed endless cups of coffee and cigarettes. Like really unhealthy, but he kind of like built the desk. He built of a lot of the equipment in the studios.

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So, anyway, The Bela Session was the idea of Andrew Brooksbank. He emailed me one day and he said, “What do you think about this idea? Why don’t you release the entire recording from the day you recorded ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’?” Three of the songs had never been released and I just said, “This is a brilliant idea! I can’t believe no one had thought about it, before!” And he said, “Yeah, it would be the holy grail of the band’s fans.” And I said, “Marvelous idea!” And for some reason, he had the original 1/4” tape and box. I don’t know how these guys get hold of these things, you know, I know they’re in good hands. And so, his idea was to use a scan of the tape box and it’s to the cover and I later thought, it would be great for the inner sleeve. So, that’s what the inner sleeve is and you can actually see the front and back of the original tape box. It’s marvelous, it’s got the aged patina and the picks, crossing things out and notes, so it’s a wonderful thing just to view.

50thirdand3rd: That’s really cool!

Kevin Haskins: Yeah, and just for the cover we came up with the idea of just doing a negative of the original cover, so, it’s white on black and yeah, so it has three unreleased songs and they’re interesting to hear because, you know, some of them, one of them, in particular, I think “Some Faces” doesn’t sound like Bauhaus, at all. It’s kind of a chirpy, bright sort of a new wave song, but it’s interesting to listen because you can kind of see a bit of an evolution. Right, like this is us. We had only formed about six weeks before, I think. So, it captures the band in a period of its formative period.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV772Ht1Sys%5B/embedyt%5D

And we ended up going with Leaving Records which are an imprint of Stones Throw and they did a marvelous job, I think. They really chose a great kind of engineer and they’ve really been wonderful, I’m so happy with the product and also Bela hasn’t been available on vinyl for, I don’t know, twenty years or something crazy. It’s really nice to have it in record racks, again. And I just remembered another story from that day. So, “Bela” is about nine minutes long, but we actually laid down eleven or twelve minutes.

50thirdand3rd: Oh wow!

Kevin Haskins: And we kind of listened back and we thought, “This is a little bit too long.” And we could kind of imagine if we cut three minutes out of this, we’d probably be good. And Derek said, “I..I can do that!” And we were kind of naive and it was probably only our second or third time, Peter’s first time in the studio. And he (Derek) disappeared and he came back with a little razor blade and he got the tape and he laid it down and we were like looking at him like, “What’s he doing?” And then he began bringing the blade down towards the tape and we all knew we had recorded something really special and he was gonna cut the tape and we were like, “No! Stop!” “What are you doing?”

50thirdand3rd: Gasp!

Kevin Haskins: Then he like turned around and he’s like saying, “What’s your problem?” And he explained that he’s done this many times, before and not to worry, you know, you can always put it back together, again. And he did a great edit, you can’t hear the edit if you really listen out for it, though. He did a very good job.

50thirdand3rd: That’s awesome! So, if I can nerd out on you, for a sec, I know John Peel was like one of the first people to really play “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” on his show. Could you tell me a little bit about getting to go to John Peel’s studio?

Kevin Haskins: Sure, yeah. I actually devoted a story to John in my book. I cannot stress how important he was to bands such as us and I guess, after us. I mean, the airwaves were really, this was pre-internet, of course. The airwaves were really controlled just by the BBC. There were a couple of pirate stations, Radio Powerline and Radio Luxembourg that you could tune into and that was free radio but the BBC really controlled everything. They had John Peel on at 10 o’clock at night and they probably weren’t really listening to what he was doing. (Laughs) And his taste was just remarkable and I remembered he kept devoting his two-hour show to punk rock and in ’76, I think “New Rose” by The Damned had just come out and you know, there weren’t many punk records, back then, right at the beginning. So, he did this whole show and put bands that like influenced this new movement. So, there’s The Stooges and the MC5, bands like that and then he played every punk single that was out and it was a wonderful show. And he got a lot of hate mail, apparently, from hippies of the old guard saying, “How can you be playing this rubbish?” But he went on undeterred, he wouldn’t listen to anybody, he just played what he liked. So, he was invaluable to getting bands known. And it really helped us and a load of other bands.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMuB2PjjRic%5B/embedyt%5D

So, anyway, we heard “Bela Lugosi” and I think we just drove down to London, which I think was like an hour and a half’s drive and we went to the BBC Studio building and went to reception and we said, ”We want to see John Peel” and the receptionist looked at us like, “Who…Are you kidding me?” And she said, “Oh, well, I’ll call up.” And she did and his producer said, “Oh, show them up. It’s fine” which was remarkable, really. He was in the middle of a show, so, they let us come up and to us, we were in awe. It was amazing, we were actually in his studio with John and he offered us some red wine and we had a little red wine in BBC paper cups and gave him the record and he kind of sent us on our way pretty fast. He told us he’d play it and I remember, you know, when he played it for the first time, we knew that this night was gonna do it! We all lived in this house 37 Adams Avenue, it was like a little terraced house in town and you know, we would cook these awful meals with like vegetables because we were on the dole and we didn’t have much money. And it was freezing cold in this place and it was kind of haunted, it was kind of in a slum (laughs) but we were kids, it didn’t matter. But I remember we were all huddled around this transistor radio, listening to the show when he played our song. That moment is just imprinted in my mind because it was just remarkable to hear your music coming out of a radio, you know, it was just so exciting and it was like a benchmark moment. So, now, I remember that really clearly and yeah, I paid homage to him in my book and wrote a nice piece about him.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMLNwT4v5Rc%5B/embedyt%5D

50thirdand3rd: So, I’ve gotten really hooked on Poptone, recently and I was watching the tour livestreams you guys were doing on Facebook from last year. It looks like you guys were having fun, especially with the fans. Can you tell me a little more about how those tours have been going?

Kevin Haskins: Well, it was great but we kind of wrapped it up, over the summer. Basically, we kind of exhausted where everywhere people wanted us to play. It was great, it was so much fun! You know, Daniel’s still a very close friend of mine and we always have a laugh hanging out, we got on really well and then I was so glad to have my daughter involved (Diva Dompé). She plays bass and keyboards and backup vocals and she was amazing, she really brought so much to that project, I felt.

Photo: Paul Rae

50thirdand3rd: Yeah, she’s rad!

Kevin Haskins: She had big shoes to fill, she was playing my brother’s bass lines, Glenn Campling’s amazing bass lines, I mean I can’t say enough great things about Glenn’s playing in terms of what he brought to Tones On Tail. Like, those bass lines are just remarkable, there’s just so simple but so powerful, you know, kind of like riffs and so it was it was a great pleasure to play that music. Yeah, I knew that would be an attractive thing for fans just because we only played one little tour over a year and that was in the UK, so you know, it was fun for us to play those songs, again.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwYq2FfsBKo%5B/embedyt%5D

And I think people really love to hear them, we had a great crew, just like a small family, and we had a marvelous time. I was really taken aback in a marvelous way with the audiences who came out to see us. They were so appreciative and towards the end, I would out after the show to the merch table and sell my book, Bauhaus Undead by Kevin Haskins, *plug*. And then I’d get to meet all these wonderful people and they were so happy and appreciative that we were doing it, so it was like a whole celebration.

It was marvelous but it’s kind of on the back burner, now. I mean it is something that we could pick up, again. We did record an album, you know, it was kind of a retrospective project, just for people who were unaware, we were playing the music from Bauhaus, Love And Rockets, and Tones On Tail and we recorded an album. We did it as a Part-Time Punks session, Part-Time Punks radio station (KXLU) in LA and then Michael Stock he also puts a club night on and he’s a wonderful guy. So, we just kind of played pretty much live and put the songs down and that’s been released out on Cleopatra Records and so, you can go to Bandcamp and buy that or listen to it.

Poptone poster by Paul Rae

50thirdand3rd: Can we talk a little about the FOXES TV show you’ve got coming up and how you got involved in that?

Kevin Haskins: Sure, yeah! So, I met Tina and Julian (de la Celle), they are the creators of the show. I met them at one of their events. They put on events around Los Angeles, they get local musicians, they’ve done kind of thematic events where they portrayed Andy Warhol’s Factory, they had a bunch of young bands get together and play Velvet Underground songs. They did the same with CBGB’s and the Bat Cave, they’re really nice people, they love music and fashion, it’s such a strong passion for them. They have a magazine called FOXES and it’s a beautiful magazine, comes out twice a year, and they get really great photographers to shoot for them and they do interviews, so, I did an interview about my book, Bauhaus Undead, my coffee table book, plug! plug!

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50thirdand3rd: Right, yeah!

Kevin Haskins: There’s a singer from the New York Dolls who goes under the name, Buster Poindexter, now, and does kind of a lounge act, he was in the issue. I think Duff from Guns ’n’ Roses and they have these great fashion spreads. It’s shot very beautifully, kind of cinematic and stylish, stylized. So, they decide to turn the magazine into a TV show because there’s nothing really to watch like that, you know. So, anyway, they approached me around September time, last year and asked me if I wanted to be a producer and music supervise and I thought it was an exciting new challenge. So, we just kind of went on from there and the three of us kind of learned how to navigate the industry and what you have to do to get a TV show made. So, it’s taken us this long to really figure that and so we made like a great concept sizzle reel where we’ve taken slotage from other shows like The Tube and fashion show footage and just still photography and it really sort of represents the aesthetic of the show. And then we worked together a treatment which is kind of PDF, you do a similar thing, just for people who don’t know what treatments are, you explain what you’re going to do, you’ll explain what the episode will look like, and the sequence of events during that episode. You put bios from everyone who’s attached to the project. Your dream hosts, presenters, so there you go! So, when Richard submitted that to the network to my agency and we’re now waiting to hear back.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cd1LlXP_pk%5B/embedyt%5D

50thirdand3rd: This sounds really cool! Can you tell me a little bit about what views can expect to hear and maybe see?

Kevin Haskins: Well, the original feel for the show is very rock and roll. Basically, Tina, Julian, and I, we love glam, punk, post-punk rock and roll, you know, that area of things. But what we’d really like to do is we’d really like to broaden it more, now. Hmm, I don’t know who would be on the first show, I know Tina loves Duran Duran, so our dream show would include them, maybe for an interview or performance. And the project has to depend on who’s available for the team.

50thirdand3rd: Of course.

Kevin Haskins: And we want to give space for unheard of bands that we really like. Actually, we did shoot my daughter’s band, Automatic.

50thirdand3rd: Oh, cool!

Kevin Haskins: They’re worth checking out. Also, there’s a band called POW! I would definitely have them on. Other LA bands, Froth, Numb.er, and then, I’d love to get Nick Cave on, for instance. You know, it’s really wide open but they’re the artists that come to mind, right now.

Photo: Jenna Putnam

50thirdand3rd: Cool, I can’t wait to check that out! So, do you have any other music projects coming up for this year?

Kevin Haskins: Well, I’ve actually been invited to kind of produce, also, I’ve been kind of involved in writing on another tv show and I can’t say much about it for obvious reasons, but it’s a comedy set in Los Angeles. One of my close friends has created it and helped me write it, now, which is something I’ve never ever done, before and it was challenging and it was fun, so, I’m excited about that. I feel that it could really work out well, so, a completely new thing, once again, like the FOXES TV thing. And I have a new musical project that I’m very excited about. I don’t know if I can say much about that, but, I’ll give you some cryptic hints. There’s primarily three of us and we’re looking for a vocalist, right now. We’ve put word out to who we really want. We’re going to be recreating music from the bands we were in and also creating new music, but the instrumentation is very particular and different from what you might expect. (Laughs) And I think I’m going to leave it at that, but it’s a teaser and you’re really the first person I’ve told about.

50thirdand3rd: Thank you very much! An Exclusive!

Kevin Haskins: And the way things are going, we’ve got quite a ways to go, there. We’re just starting out and we haven’t got a full band, yet, so it might be the fall until we play or release something but we are going to work on a release and I’m really excited about it. It’s got great potential.

50thirdand3rd: Very cool!

Pick up a copy of Kevin Haskins’ Bauhaus Undead from Cleopatra, Rough Trade, and Amazon. Pick up Poptone’s self-titled LP and follow Kevin Haskins Official Facebook and Instagram for the latest on FOXES TV, updates on his next series, and more on his upcoming music project —You read it first, here at 50thirdand3rd!

Follow Kevin Haskins:

https://twitter.com/kevinmhaskins

https://www.instagram.com/bauhausundeadbook/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNKf_DvhGkidQFDmnoxyO3g

http://poptone.bandcamp.com

Follow Foxes Magazine:

https://www.facebook.com/FoxesMagazine

https://twitter.com/FOXES_Magazine

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAC2rwsSytKP6kf-olCZ4Lw/videos

https://www.instagram.com/foxes_magazine

http://foxesmagazine.tumblr.com

50THIRDAND3RD INTERVIEW: Kevin Haskins Writer, producer, Poptone drummer, and co-founding member of Tones On Tail and Love And Rockets takes us back to his Bauhaus roots with…

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coolbucame-blog · 5 years

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Best Tablets

For those looking for the best tablet to buy right now, you’ve come to the right place. We’re reviewed and ranked all the latest slates to bring you our best tablets list, helping you find the perfect device.

The best tablets available today are ready to be part-time laptop replacements for plenty of people. At the least, this means a nice keyboard and software features you’d find on desktops or a traditional laptop. They have to be portable and light, yet powerful enough for your workflow.

Update: We’ve now got the iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) in, and we’re putting it through our in-depth review process. Will it make it into our best tablets round-up? Check back in a couple of weeks to find out!

1. iPad Pro 11 (2018)

The iPad Pro 11 is the best iPad you can buy right now. It may be expensive, but it’s Apple’s most powerful tablet and furthers the 2-in-1 design ethos if you spring for the pricey new keyboard cover folio. It has a laptop-like experience in design and performance, and the new Apple Pencil magnetically clips onto the frame of the new iPad Pro. With superb speakers and a great new screen-to-body ratio, it’s hard not to fall in love with the finely crafted hardware design. However, there are setbacks for the iPad Pro 11 that you should be aware of. The iOS 12 software feels limiting when trying to multitask and perform laptop-like tasks. Another strictly mobile challenge: it doesn’t have a headphone jack. If you want the standard 3.5mm jack in a computer-like device, you’ll spring for an actual computer.Everything about the iPad Pro 11 makes it the best experience if you’re looking for the best Apple tablet - you’ll just need to swallow the high price - but it’s no MacBook replacement.

2. New iPad (2018)

This is the best tablet for the average consumer and for education, even if it isn’t the most powerful one on sale. It’s simply a great value.

The new iPad (2018) replaces the very similar 2017 model and, before that, the iPad Air 2 in Apple’s lineup, slotting in below the Pro range.

It works with the Apple Pencil, offering you the cheapest way to doodle on the 9.7-inch glass, though you can’t get the Smart Keyboard with this non-Pro model. It also has the same luxurious metal unibody as the rest of Apple’s iPad range, though notably it’s ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro at 7.5mm.

With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor included, iOS 12 under the hood and up to 10 hours of battery life when web browsing or watching videos, it’s a great media player and a strong tablet choice if you’re not planning to use it heavily for productivity.

3. iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)

We really like the iPad Pro 12.9 for its large size and it’s the closest thing we have to a 2-in-1 touchscreen MacBook. It just happens to run iOS 12 instead of macOS.

It’s the best productivity and entertainment tablet around thanks to its 12.9-inch screen, four speakers and the iOS 12 dock and multitasking interface. Apple has redesigned its Control Center interface to make app switching even easier, and this tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

It’s biggest weakness? The iPad Pro 12.9-inch price, and the size isn’t a good fit for everyone. But If you can afford it and want the largest-sized iPad available, you’re going to love this – it’s a laptop-replacement for a lot people out there.

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S4

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is an upgrade over the Galaxy Tab S3with an expanded 10.5-inch screen size and longer battery life, but it comes at a higher price and with a lofty promise to do so much more.

We really like the idea behind Samsung Dex for its desktop interface, but it’s non-touch-friendly UI, performance issues, and questionable optional keyboard case prevent it from being a true desktop replacement.

If you’re looking for a premium Android tablet the Galaxy Tab S4 tops the billing, but it promises more than that and just doesn’t deliver on everything. Don’t get us wrong, the Tab S4 is indeed better than the Tab S3, but the value just isn’t there for the money

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ephemerally--yours · 5 years

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N O V E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 8

Who is ready for another overdue haul post? Hopefully, this is the last catch up post before everything is truly back in order. I would like to promise that I will have everything in order, but who really knows at this point. Hahaha. I can only say that I will definitely try to keep it together as much as I possibly can.

Anyway, September was a pretty great month! I made a lot of fun purchases, but also a lot of necessary ones:

For months, I thought about these shoes, and I am SOOO glad I decided to pull the trigger on them. These are probably the most comfortable shoes I own aside from my Nike Free Runs. Originally, I was not sure if they would fit with my wardrobe, but as soon as I tried them on, I knew I had to have them. I originally tried to buy these in June or something, but they showed up in a navy even though the retailer listed them as black. I took that as a sign to not buy them, but I never stopped thinking about them. Also, if you’re wondering why I used a picture with the bottoms so crusty looking, it is because I have been getting my money’s worth! I’m so happy I bought these and they are currently available in a wide range of colors. If you are having any qualms, I honestly suggest them.

This studded belt was not something that I had on radar, but when I saw it, I simply could not resist. I went into Hot Topic to buy my friend’s birthday present and ended up leaving with a gift for both of us. I had one of these in middle school with the silver toned studs. I thought about buying that version to live my best 2008 life, but I felt like the matte black studs gave this nostalgic piece a modern touch for 2018. My only issue with this belt is that the matte paint on the studs gets scratched super easily.

I decided to take a solo trip to the Gucci outlet store just to see what the hype was all about, and before I knew it, I was leaving the store with this jacket in hand. Like many of my purchases, this denim jacket from Gucci’s Cruise collection sneak attacked me. I went in with no expectations but was notified that everything in the outlet was 50% off the retail price, and I could feel my heart grow twice as big. Hahaha! I was 100% taken aback by the jacket when it was presented to me because there was so much going on; it is quite a polarizing statement with the leopard printed calf hair on top of the doodles. However, as soon as I put it on I fell in L.O.V.E. and could not bear to walk away!

Let’s be real for a minute. When AirPods first came out, I was utterly disgusted by their appearance. They still weird me out a little bit, but they were a great investment. Honestly, I have never been the type of person to wear headphones or earbuds all day. The only time I ever really use my AirPods is when I am at the gym with the need for freedom and mobility, but I can see them being EXTREMELY useful if you like to listen to music, podcasts, etc. throughout the day.

Even though I made a lot of fun and impulsive purchases, my most important purchase of September was a new laptop battery! My laptop battery had been in THE WORST condition for a while now, but my priorities were always skewed toward the shiny and the luxe. The other thing that stopped me was every time I took it in for a consultation I was told that it would take a few days to fix and I never really had that kind of time. However, I took it in this time and they told me they could have it done by the end of the next day, so I went for it. To put things into perspective, when the technician ran my diagnostic, he was SHOOKETH to his core. My battery’s full charge was equivalent to a new battery’s 35%.

That wraps up my favorite purchases for the month of September! If you guys have been enjoying this type of content (or not), please let me know. For those of you who do, I have a few more posts just like this one that you can check out.

Ephemerally yours,

The Mess:

Shoes – Balenciaga

Belt – Hot Topic

Jacket – Gucci

AirPods – Apple

Laptop Battery – Apple

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lesabazir-blog · 5 years

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Best Tablets

For those looking for the best tablet to buy right now, you've come to the right place. We're reviewed and ranked all the latest slates to bring you our best tablets list, helping you find the perfect device.

Update: We've now got the iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) in, and we're putting it through our in-depth review process. Will it make it into our best tablets round-up? Check back in a couple of weeks to find out!

1. iPad Pro 11 (2018)

The iPad Pro 11 is the best iPad you can buy right now. It may be expensive, but it's Apple's most powerful tablet and furthers the 2-in-1 design ethos if you spring for the pricey new keyboard cover folio. It has a laptop-like experience in design and performance, and the new Apple Pencil magnetically clips onto the frame of the new iPad Pro. With superb speakers and a great new screen-to-body ratio, it's hard not to fall in love with the finely crafted hardware design. However, there are setbacks for the iPad Pro 11 that you should be aware of. The iOS 12 software feels limiting when trying to multitask and perform laptop-like tasks. Another strictly mobile challenge: it doesn't have a headphone jack. If you want the standard 3.5mm jack in a computer-like device, you'll spring for an actual computer.Everything about the iPad Pro 11 makes it the best experience if you're looking for the best Apple tablet - you'll just need to swallow the high price - but it's no MacBook replacement.

2. New iPad (2018)

This is the best tablet for the average consumer and for education, even if it isn't the most powerful one on sale. It's simply a great value.

The new iPad (2018) replaces the very similar 2017 model and, before that, the iPad Air 2 in Apple's lineup, slotting in below the Pro range.

It works with the Apple Pencil, offering you the cheapest way to doodle on the 9.7-inch glass, though you can't get the Smart Keyboard with this non-Pro model. It also has the same luxurious metal unibody as the rest of Apple's iPad range, though notably it's ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro at 7.5mm.

With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor included, iOS 12 under the hood and up to 10 hours of battery life when web browsing or watching videos, it's a great media player and a strong tablet choice if you're not planning to use it heavily for productivity.

3. iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)

We really like the iPad Pro 12.9 for its large size and it's the closest thing we have to a 2-in-1 touchscreen MacBook. It just happens to run iOS 12 instead of macOS.

It's the best productivity and entertainment tablet around thanks to its 12.9-inch screen, four speakers and the iOS 12 dock and multitasking interface. Apple has redesigned its Control Center interface to make app switching even easier, and this tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

It's biggest weakness? The iPad Pro 12.9-inch price, and the size isn't a good fit for everyone. But If you can afford it and want the largest-sized iPad available, you're going to love this – it's a laptop-replacement for a lot people out there.

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S4

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is an upgrade over the Galaxy Tab S3 with an expanded 10.5-inch screen size and longer battery life, but it comes at a higher price and with a lofty promise to do so much more.

We really like the idea behind Samsung Dex for its desktop interface, but it's non-touch-friendly UI, performance issues, and questionable optional keyboard case prevent it from being a true desktop replacement.

If you're looking for a premium Android tablet the Galaxy Tab S4 tops the billing, but it promises more than that and just doesn't deliver on everything. Don't get us wrong, the Tab S4 is indeed better than the Tab S3, but the value just isn't there for the money

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lonedailydoodle · 6 years

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Daily Doodle 191 – October 24, 2018

Day started lame with waiting hours in an office full of babies

But the day afterwards was super fun with cuddles, friends and late night memory browsing!

Today I woke up to a nice morning message from Pixie <3 I then spent a bit of time in bed before Pixie called and I got up, managed to get out of bed but it was all cuz Pixie called.. Maybe he should call more often, hmm

Anyways, I then got on my PC until mom arrived. I had me some cereal and then had to rush to get ready to not arrive at my appointment late. It was this annual thing for my Medicare aaa

Once ready, I left to get a bank account statement at an ATM.. a sad number.. Then hurry and drive to the place. I had to park outside and pay at a parking meter as it was full, I then went inside where it was PACKED and sat down to wait.. I then realized I didn’t bring my headphones and there was a couple of crying babies.. Oh man..

An hour later, I left to move my car to the parking lot. The parking meter had run out and I almost got a ticket, phew! I also spotted a Miata inside the parking!

Anyways, I went inside again to wait another hour or so. I also saw as the place got fully crowded with baby strollers! So many they were almost blocking the room doors! Why were there so many babies!?!? I was later finally called, I did the whole thing, signing lots of papers, adult stuff is boring, then was ready to leave

I made it to Pixie’s school where I didn’t have to wait long as I had been at that appointment almost all day! Then left to his house while he dropped off a friend

We didn’t spent much time there as we then left to pick up his cousin at her school, then go home again before finally going to the usual Burger King to get food as we were both starving.. Me more than Pixie as I only ate cereal.. No protein!

After this, we left home to cuddle and watch some memes for a bit before leaving yet again to drop off his cousin at their house

It was nearing the afternoon and Pixie had plans to surprise a friend of his in an odd way. This friend was sick, so what Pixie did was take Wilson, tape a “Get well” message on the front and bring a Hot Pocket. We refueled the Miata and tried getting a “Get well soon” balloon but they were too expensive, so we left with what we had

Once there, we gave him the Hot Pocket and let him see the message to cheer him up a bit. It was odd, but it helped.. We’re weird friends to people

Anyways, it was rainy, and we left home carefully as we didn’t know how Wilson would react to that many puddles on the road. Once home, we spent a couple of hours just staying there in the room. We browsed some of my first doodles that I just let people find themselves as they were secretly done as a test. Then I watched Pixie draw until he laid down where we cuddled for some time

After this, we left again to get Pixie some McDonalds and refuel my car with what money I had left from what mom gave me for today since I wouldn’t have been able to even park for the appointment with what I had

We then spent an hour at Pixie’s house where I ate.. or TRIED to eat some steak that wasn’t so fresh, and it was a cut that was really hard. It was also medium well, but I don’t know if that contributed to it being so hard to eat.. I guess it was mostly it not being fresh, so I didn’t finish it.. Pixie’s dog did swallow big chunks of it though, geez that dog’s small too!!

We said our goodbyes, hugged and kissed before leaving. I made it home safe and settled down at my PC. I just wanted to write the doodle and head to bed, chat with Pix and sleep. He was too tired though, so he went so sleep before I could finish writing the doodle, which is fine

I managed to not get distracted with videos or much art this time around, tomorrow I’ll doodle and watch those video notifications that spammed me when I got home.. Then get back to commission work!! Woo!!

#daily doodle 2018 #daily doodle #doodle #furry #art #jeany545 daily doodle

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harrycook · 6 years

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June 12th 2018 was my 27th birthday.

Here are 27 things I feel like I have learnt about life so far:

1. Don’t Argue With Stupid People.

You get nowhere. It’s like playing scrabble with a dog, no matter how well you play, the dog will end up shitting on the board and walking away like he won anyway.

2. Eat The Damn Cake.

Yes I know that eating right and exercise is important for your health, but if you are in the vicinity of a cake or delicious bite of something, just eat it.

3. Working Is A Part Of Life, Not The Entirety Of Life.

Unless you adore what you do for a living and it is your pasison and life’s mission, take a deep breath and don’t take it all so seriously. At the end of the day, a job is to pay the bills and have pocket money to go and enjoy yourself when you’re not working. Unless you are genuinely passionate about your career, don’t sweat it. Don’t break your back worrying about a job that would replace you within a week if you dropped dead.

4. Don’t Take Anything Seriously, Seriously.

Unless you are performing open heart surgery or have the cure for cancer in your back pocket, lighten the fuck up. No matter what your job is, ask yourself if it will matter in 100 years? If not, giggle and let it go. The world won’t stop spinning if you miss a deadline or make a mistake. Breathe. It’s all good.

5. Ignorance Is A Choice.

Yes. It’s 2018. There is no excuse for ignorance or stupidity when we have more information on our phones than a public library. If you don’t understand something, research it. Pick up a book, scan the internet, question everything, especially the news. Be curious, ask questions and most of all, don’t be lazy. Educate yourself so the world can be full of kinder, more worldly individuals who know what they are talking about.

6. Throw Away Anything You Thought You Knew That Doesn’t Sit Well With Your Values.

We grow up in a society that feeds us garbage from the moment we enter the world. Boys are taught to be one way and girls are taught to be another. It’s a system that hasn’t changed in hundreds of years because society wants us to constantly keep within the mold. Screw that. Break the mold and let people be who they want to be. Go after a job you want, not what society wants for you. Travel, see the world, stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and go after the stuff that means something to you.

7. Laugh At Every Chance You Get.

Nothing beats a good belly laugh. Plus, it’s also extremely healthy. Laugh as often as you can. This goes straight back to the not taking anything seriously thing. Giggle more. It works wonders for the soul.

8. Get A Hobby.

The past year I have picked up the piano again (not literally 'picked it up', obviously, but started learning again), attempted to learn Spanish, set a goal of reading a book a fortnight (up to book 25) and started working out a minimum of three times a week. Each year older I start realising how quickly time goes and how many amazing things are at my disposal to learn or try.

9. Read The News, Then Read It Again, And Then Research Some More.

Don't take anything at face value. Just because the news tells you one thing, don't take it as gospel. These news shows are run by multibillionaire white men and corporations with agendas. Don't take it at face value. Look in to things. Read as much as you can and become your own private investigator for the truth. Just because a news show says something, doesn't make it fact.

10. Read More.

Nothing opens up the heart and mind more than a good book. The excuse of not having enough time to read doesn't cut it. Instead of watching an hour of Netflix, take an hour to open a good book. It's good for the soul. Trust me.

11. Get A Pet.

YASSSSSSS. Get a dog. Then get another dog. Then when you think you simply can't handle the amount of snuggles you are getting, get another dog!! In all seriousness, dogs are extremely good for your health. They reduce stress and anxiety, boost happiness and are wonderful snuggle buddies. Adopt don't shop! There are plenty of rescue animals in need of good homes.

12. Sometimes People Hurt You. It Sucks.

Yes. Sometimes the people you never in a bazillion years thought could hurt you, will hurt you terribly. I had an experience in recent years with extended family that completely shifted my entire outlook on people in general. Sadly, some of the people you think you know are far from what you think. It sucks, yes, but once you acknowledge it, it slowly stops hurting. You can move on with your life when you realise that sometimes a wake-up call is all you need to realise that you're better off without certain people in your life. And that's totally ok.

13. Log Off. Often.

The age of social media is WONDERFUL for so many reasons. Keeping in contact with people, viewing beautiful content, learning things with a click and the hours and hours of streamable content are all fantastic reasons to use social media. But on the flip side, it can also be an information overload and I highly advise switching off, taking a bath and leaving your phone somewhere away from you for a few hours. It can't be healthy getting a constant stream of negative news 24/7. So unplug. Those cute puppy pics will be there when you get back.

14. Exercise.

I know, I know, YUCK. Exercise isn't the most fun of activities, and I am the first to admit that whenever I heard someone say "but the endorphins are good for your happiness levels" I'd roll my eyes so far back in my head I could see my brain. But it's completely and utterly true. Just a 40 minute run 3 times a week has improved my mood ten fold. I've suffered with depression, anxiety and addiction for years, but exercise allows me to completely refresh and enjoy the day on a belly full of endorphins. Do it for the feeling you get, not to achieve some unattainable body. It works a treat. Trust me.

15. Napping Is AMAZING.

Yes. Napping is one of the best damn things to do. Nothing beats an afternoon nap. It refreshes you for the rest of the day and is a great way to reboot the system. Don't let people tell you otherwise. It's bloody fantastic.

16. Journal.

I've written a journal since I was ten years old and looking back on all the adventures, worries, achievements and memories throughout the years is something I cherish so incredibly much. Studies have shown that journalling is really healthy for the mind and soul. Grab a notebook and get doodling.

17. Take Photos.

If taking selfies is your thang, go for it. If taking pictures of trees, animals or the sunset gets you going, snap away. Taking photos is therapeutic for a number of reasons, but most of all it's a lovely way to document your life with things to look back on. Get snapping.

18. Never Think You Know It All.

It's easy to be arrogant when we are conditioned all our lives with things we are expected to believe. "Boys should do this", "girls should do that". But just because we've been taught it from a society that has never been challenged to think differently, doesn't make it right. Question everything. Stay curious. Look into things and don't dismiss stuff you know nothing about. Not only is it a really ugly personality trait, it gets you nowhere in life. Opening your mind and heart is a surefire way of experiencing life in all its' beauty.

19. Go After What You Want In Life.

Jim Carey did a graduation speech about his father who never went after his dreams because he wanted to do the ‘safe thing'. Have a 'stable' career that would provide for his family. From memory, his father failed and lost everything in his 'stable' career. The moral being that if you are going to fail at something, at least let it be something you love, because the fact is it is just as possible to fail at something you hate. Give it a go. Life is too short to not go after what you want.

20. Travel. Travel. Travel.

See the world. It'll show you that we humans are all the same. It replaces ignorance with knowledge and shows you how vast our planet is. Get out there.

21. Someone Who Is Nice To You But Not Nice To The Waiter Is Not A Nice Person.

I love this quote because it's so damn true. Don't be a dick to service people. Don't think you're better than anyone because you're not. End of story. Period.

22. Get Over Yourself.

Sort of a continuation of the above, this is just a reminder to get over yourself, have a giggle and realise that just because you have a fancy car, a nice suit or well manicured hands means absolutely sweet F.A. Being a good person, showing kindness, empathy and caring about the planet and human beings as a whole is what counts in my books. Just be a good person. It's that simple.

23. Tell Your Loved Ones You Love Them And Don’t Go To Bed Angry.

Pretty self explanatory this one, but all the same, something to remember constantly. Life is far too short to go to bed angry at someone. Throw away silly arguments and tell the people you care about how you feel.

24. Screw What People Think Of You.

I mean it. Who cares what someone else thinks of you? That's their stuff. How they perceive you and how they feel about you is none of your business. Water off a ducks' back. Let it go.

25. Try Not To Worry So Much.

I know. Easier said than done, but sometimes it helps to take a step back, take a deep breath in and ask a few key questions: Can I do anything to change the current situation? If yes, do it. If not, let it go. Breathe through it and remember all we ever have is right in this moment.

26. Meditate.

YASSSSSSSSS times a million. Meditating is one of the most powerful things I have ever learnt in my 27 years on this planet. Taking a moment to just sit and reflect and focus on the here and now is one of the most intensely wonderful ways of reconnecting to what matters. There are a million different apps you can use or simply sit and count your breaths. It works wonders.

27. Life is what you make it, but most of all it’s about love.

Love, family, friends and making memories is the most important thing in life. Every year on this earth I realise more and more how utterly stupid it is to worry about material things. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy material stuff whatsoever, but it shouldn't be what you go after in life. Nobody ever gets to the end of their life clutching on to their Chanel bag. The things that matter are the people you love and the memories you make.

So go for a walk, take in the view, have a laugh and breathe in every moment of every day. It's all we ever have.

- Harry.

#blog #blogger #life #lifeblog #blogs #read #writer #write #writing #truth #true #sotrue #lifelessons #too true #blogging #life blog #life lesson #lifestyle

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