#hopping out of a mini hibernation
Note
Hello! I was wondering when your shop would be open again?
Hi! And I had planned to open it at the beginning of this month but life and manu issues came up!
The aim now is the beginning of next month! I’ll be making an announcement for the reopening too 💚
Apologies for that wait and I’m super grateful for your patience!
#hopping out of a mini hibernation#manu issues were in my end with the wrong files 😭 I also had a drink drop and some of my dami cats
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Blizzard (mini story below the cut)
Clouds gathered in the distance as the sun fell beyond the horizon, the cool of the evening sending shivers through the young Muto.
He had taken to the skies yet again with his Skullcrawler companion, as the Alpha had drawn near to their last residence, no doubt having tracked them down as he did so many times over the past months.
By this point the Muto had become entuned with his "radiation sense" to learn whenever a Titan was coming for them, which in turn gave the pair just enough time to flee before any damage was done.
Was this cowardice or wisdom, he couldn't say, but he could never shake the feeling that he wasn't ready to defeat this Demon just yet.
Until he could stack the variables in his favor, the Muto decided that it would be best to keep moving, lest another confrontation with the Spiked Titan leave him temporarily grounded again, or worse.
...
The Skullcrawler clung tightly to her Muto companion, even more so than usual when flying.
In the past few days the average temperature seemed to have dropped significantly, which left the cold-blooded Titan in a slower and weaker state when improperly heated.
This semi-hibernation state came out of nowhere for the young Skullcrawler, as the APEX lab she was born in was ventilated for the humans' convenience, which meant she was utterly unprepared to deal with it.
As it would turn out, heat sources were few and far between on the pair's travels, with the only consistent source being Diamond-Head himself.
This, in turn, more or less meant that her companion was now solely responsible for the pair's survival, as she simply didn't have the energy at this point to help much.
She wished she could do more, as she hated the idea of being a burden on the already struggling Muto, but at this point nature itself had told her to take a backseat for now.
...
After a few hours of flying the Muto finally found a place to stop for the night.
It was an island that was completely devoid of any life whatsoever, being nothing more than a giant pile of rocks in the middle of the vast ocean.
It was less than hospitable, but at this point any rest stop was better than none.
Usually when he came in for a landing, his companion would hop off a few meters above the ground while he descended in a circular motion, but this time they held on the whole way down.
"That's odd", the Muto thought to himself, but he made no effort to remove the Skullcrawler.
They didn't dismount until he had actually landed, and even then, they stayed directly under him while they were tending the rocks below them.
...
When 13 first left the lab, her instincts were virtually nonexistent.
Yet for one time in her life they had decided to finally whisper something to her, "dig."
She didn't know why or for what purpose a rock pit would serve, but feeling the need to do something, she followed them and began to rearrange the rocks into a pit large enough to fit both her and 'Diamond-Head'.
Her companion stared curiously at her but eventually picked up on what she was doing, even going so far as to help move some of the larger boulders that the weakened Skullcrawler was struggling to move.
By the time they finished only the faint glow of the moon illuminated their work, barely breaking though the ever-thickening cloud barrier.
The Skullcrawler gestured to her companion to lie down in the pit they just dug, which the tired Muto complied with.
She then took some of the rocks and piled them over the Muto, something which confused him but still went along with.
Finally, she dug through the pile, crawled under the left wing of her companion, and huddled up right against his torso.
Throughout the pair's journeys, the two companions had learned a few phrases from the other, one of which was the Muto goodnight.
“Thank you for everything today.” she said with a grin before closing her eyes.
“Thank you for everything today.” he said before nestling closer to his cold companion.
...
While the pair slept, the clouds above them prepared to unleash their hard work towards the ground below.
The frigid air around them turned what was going to be a torrential down pour into a frigid blizzard that pounded the surface below with a flurry of snow.
The wind blew and soon the entire island was coated with a thick layer of snow.
The Titan pair on the other hand, hardly noticed the storm.
When the snow hit the rocks that covered the pair it filled in the gaps between the stones creating an insulated blanket that shielded the Titans from the bulk of the cold wind and snow.
That, combined with the body heat resonating from the Muto, created a perfect little heat bubble within the ground for the tired pair.
...
Morning arrived soon enough to the small island, but instead of bright sun beams descending from above, there was a matte grey fog that covered everything as far as any eye could see.
The skies themselves weren't faring any better, as despite the heavy snowfall during the night, the dull cloud cover still hadn't dissipated at all.
The temperature was still well below freezing, and snow was still falling.
Worse yet was the horrific wind, which when combined with all the previous factors, made for an absolutely miserable day for anyone caught outside.
The Titanic pair, sealed away in their warm pocket in the ground, had no idea just how bad it was on the surface, and soon enough awoke with the intention of continuing their journey for a new, more suitable home.
...
The Muto was the first to awaken and was very well rested for having slept through a blizzard while covered in rocks.
The first thing he needed to do was wake his companion so that they may continue their trip before the Spiked Titan could catch up to them.
He wiggled his left wing, slowly stirring the sleeping Skullcrawler awake.
They moved very slowly and only had their eyes halfway open, but the Muto decided that it would have to do as they needed to get moving.
Together the pair moved the rocks with their heads to view the outside, and almost immediately regretted it.
The icy cold wind was howling with such ferocity, snowflakes blew directly into their faces, what little moisture was in the air suddenly began to freeze against the Skullcrawler's bare skull, forming an icicle beard of sorts.
Even a few seconds exposed in these conditions made it abundantly clear that this was not the day to be caught flying.
The pair exchanged a glance and almost immediately could tell that the other was thinking the same thing, “sleep through this storm.”
So, the pair quickly worked together to recollect the rocks they had moved back on top of them.
Almost immediately after they did, snow filled whatever gaps there were, re-insulating them from the harsh blizzard.
The companions huddled together, shivering while waiting for the Muto's natural body heat to once again warm up their small little shelter.
Once that had happened, they drifted back into their dreams while holding their companion in a tight warm embrace.
...
A couple of days later, the Alpha Titan Gojira had reached his destination, the small rock island where he believed the rogue titans had fled to.
He looked around, but there were no black wings fleeing the scene this time, nor was there anywhere that Skullcrawler could try to ambush him from.
He couldn't see them, but he could feel them, huddled away beneath the rocks and snow, in a deep slumber that could either last a few months or even so long as several centuries.
Now this was a state that the Alpha had deemed acceptable for the Titans who lived on the surface, and no longer seeing the pair as a danger to anything, decided to leave them alone and finally catch some rest while he had the opportunity to.
Had the Muto been aware of this, he would have been in total awe of how the Spiked Titan could have shown his companion and him mercy while they were in their most vulnerable state.
#my art#godzilla#muto#skullcrawler#bruce the muto#skullcrawler 13#merry christmas#happy holidays#happy new year#non canon#just a little holiday fun#rogue titans#the monsterverse#mini fanfiction#fanfic
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A Champion Time For The Heart Ch40 The End
(This is it folks. Just one more left after this which will be the epilogue. The place where reader meets Arceus is based off the Legends of Arceus post game fight. Link below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8-feGjQNs8&list=LL&index=37)
-DECEMBER-
The last month of the year arrived just like that after a grueling November filled with get this- More villain attacks, but Leon got to spend some more time with you (and Allister-) doing small things like playing with Allister or just walking around and going out to eat between his training for the Masters League event being held next month just two days after Christmas. It was nerve wracking but exciting all the same to know it would be ending soon then you could get back to your little home in Galar. But one day Leon pulled you aside and told you about something that he had been planning for a while when you ran into him and Nessa at the pokemon center.
"Winter Soiree?," you asked him one day confused and he nodded.
"Yeah! Everyone from Galar's going to be there and it's gonna be just like a big Christmas party mini festival sorta thing. I'm gonna be passing out all the presents to the little kids and I'd love for you and Allister to come! Hoppy and everyone else would be there a-and I know we haven't been able to see each other because of everything happening." You blinked as he shyly grabbed your hands. "A-And if I'm being honest-...I-I would like to be able to spend some time with you again."
You face lit up a red but you nodded. "Y-Yeah. It sounds like a good experience for Allister too."
he beamed. "I hope you're excited! This year we'll make sure everyone's presents get delivered properly."
"I'm known to lose myself in my work, but that aside," nessa butted in raising a brow, "Leon, haven't you been overworking yourself lately? You do know that you could enjoy yourself at these events too right?"
"She has a point, Lee. You're working so hard and you could use a break especially with Christmas right around the corner."
"Nonsense!," he waved you both off as you and Nessa exchanged a look, "As long as there's people expecting me it's my job to be there for them!"
"I suppose so but we haven't had the chance to hang out with Sonia either. Of course part of it's because of her research, but I'm worried about it."
"That's what the party's all about! Trust me! As soon as Christmas hits we can all get together and hang out just like the good old days, and as soon as the Masters League is over we can hang out even more!"
Well he certainly wasn't lying about that at all either. Because November ended and December began. The snow fell and the cold settled in and you made sure to have Allister bundled more than a hibernating bear whenever you all went out. Then Christmas came and it was time for the party. It would held the same place the Midnight Spookfest was just a few months ago on Halloween so you knew where to go. Along the way you ran into Sonia and Hop and later the twins who joined you all. The six of you formed a little group and walked together towards the Prince's giant manor passing by glowing Christmas lights and sparkly decorations until arriving in the front of the manor along with so many other trainers and Pasio locals. There you saw Raihan and Piers and said Hello to Marnie before they moved onto chat with other people. The smells of food ready to be served to the guests wafted through the air making everyone hungry, and a GIGANTIC Christmas tree shimmering with so many small ornaments it was beautiful. For a while you mingled with Sonia and the guys catching up on everything that had been happening with them and Sonia's research until Prince Lear made his announcements.
"Let the Winter Soiree begin!! Rejoice in the festivities and Pokemon battles! As for the presents, these lovely volunteers will be delivering our gifts this year!"
Well you were shocked when two of those volunteers who were decked out in christmas themed wear was your boyfriend and Nessa. He was all decked out in a festive green winter coat and cap and was happy to take one of the giant bags Prince Lear was directing the volunteers too. Wasn't he supposed to be taking time out of his tasks to spend time with you all..Well with a frown you walked up to him to confront him about it. When he noticed you walking up to him he beamed, but stopped noticing the frown you had.
"Leon." You threw a hand to the heavy two bags in his hands. "What's this?"
"These? Oh. W-Well I did tell you I'd be passing out gifts for everyone."
"I know that. I was expecting you to be passing them out here, you didn't say anything about taking off to deliver them around Pasio!"
"Well I didn't think you'd mind-''
"Mind!?" You frowned more. "Leon, you promised me you'd be able to spend time with me tonight. And nevermind me! What about Hop? Or Victor or Gloria? They've been excited to see you! And Sonia! I thought you two were friends!"
"We are!," he assured you with his own frown, "And I WILL spend time with you. ALL of you as soon as I'm finished! I promise you as soon as I'm finished I'll spend the rest of the night with you all." You opened your mouth to argue but he was already kissing your forehead and making off. "Trust me! I always keep my promises!"
And he left you standing there, alone as he walked off. After a second you gave a yell of frustration making a few people look at your frowning form as you stomped back towards the guys. The rest of the day you just ended up going inside the manor and chugging eggnog and just-...sitting my yourself for the next couple hours. Allister and the guys were outside playing outside and you lost sight of Sonia so it was just you for so long, you doubted Lee would be back until late into the night anyways with how big Pasio was so it looks like you were once again left alone on Christmas. Not gonna lie it did sting, but you would figure it out later. For now that food was enough to drown your sorrows in. Until it neared sundown. Allister came by with Gloria to grab some food and check on you before going back to play and you were just standing at the food table drinking something and scowling off at nothing. You didn't see the small crowd of your friends, Sonia included cheering and gathering around someone as he walked in and spoke to them for around ten minutes until Hop pointed towards your form with your back turned towards them and then the man walked on over towards you. You didn't even notice Leon walk up to you until a gloved hand reached over and you jumped when someone just grabbed a cup of some of the available eggnog before you looked over and blinked as a familiar pair of golden eyes beamed down at you.
"Hey. I don't suppose the eggnog is any good?"
You stared surprised at him for a moment before frowning and looking away. "I'm still mad at you. What are you even doing back here so early?"
"I had someone help knock some sense into me," he spoke softly, "And thanks to the help of some pokemon I'm already done. Y/n." He reached up a hand to you. "I-I'm sorry. It was a dumb idea to volunteer and not take into account how it'd impact my time with everyone. The entire reason I even wanted you to come to Pasio with me is because I wanted to spend time with you and I REALLY do want to! Honest."
"Well it seems like your Champion duties are important too."
He winced and shook his head finally grabbing your shoulder and gaining your attention. "I acted dumbly and was selfish, but I'm here now because I miss you. ...And I love you." Your eyes widened at him at that moment and he smiled. "Here." Reaching his other hand around to his side pocket he grabbed something and pulled out a very, VERY small square box that wasn't wrapped. "I even got you a present. Something that m-means a lot to me but..I-I'm hoping would mean a lot to you too."
Your eyes looked between the box and him for a moment before raising a brow. "What is It?"
"I was hoping you'd ask me that." Taking his other hand he reached over and opened the top of the box making your eyes budge out. The inside was a velvet material and nestled on the inside was two small rings that could probably fit you. A shiny gold band sat there with a small but decently sized purple stone inside it reflecting the Christmas lights and your face. Your f/c eyes widened and you again looked between his smiling face and the ring. W-Was he- "I-It's a promise ring." ....Oh. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know it can be confusing and I know you probably wouldn't want to get married this early, but I wanted to get you something special. S-Something we could share together. A promise to one another and my promise to you to be better. That is ..i-if you want it. It's fine if you don't. I understand if this is too much too soon. I-I just thought it'd be a cute idea is all-"
He blinked when you plucked the other ring from the box and held it up to him first with a smile. "Well then...You're going to let me put yours on your ring first." Before Leon could say anything you gently grabbed his other hand and he looked wide eyed as you gently slid it onto his finger before grabbing the other ring from the box and slipping it onto yourself smiling widely. Humming a moment. "...It's beautiful. I think I can forgive you this time..." You shot a smirk his way. "But I think you deserve a present too.~"
"I-I- You-..." He gulped red faced the ring box dropping to the floor. "G-G-Gift? Me?"
You smiled, before just grabbing his cheeks and kissing him at that moment.
This was it. The last month he'd spend here. All the battling was scheduled for later this month after Christmas and everyone was getting ready and pumped for the official event that would take place at the Star Pasio Arena. He however couldn't feel more relieved. He was about to go home soon. And you would no doubt watch everyone's performances in the stands. Which made him both nervous and excited as well. But for now he was between practicing and hanging with his mates at the Winter Soiree, which happened to be Piers and Raihan for the moment.
"Wow. It's the end of the year already?," Leon asked at one point, "I can't believe that much time has passed since we first came to Pasio."
"You're only realizing that now?!," Raihan asked him in a teasing way.
"Hahaha! It's just starting to sink in now. We've been battling all sorts of other sync pairs and even Hop and Sonia came. So we haven't had much time to sit back and relax now that I think about it."
"Uh." Both men looked at him. "I hate ta break up the warm sentiment you've got goin' here, but we've still got to show everyone what we're made of. Right, Leo?"
Leon's face lit up and he nodded. "Right! Let's keep up the great work, Lads!"
"Oh uh...By the way-.." Raihan and Piers shared an amused look between them which confused Leon because he raised a brow. It was strange especially for Piers who didn't show much emotion all the time. Raihan chuckled before looking at Lee. "How was that kiss with Y/n?"
Leon paused...before his face lit up a pink and narrowed his eyes. "We didn't kiss! An-And even if we did i-it's none of your business! Besides you don't even know if we did-"
"Dude. Everyone knows. Haven't you noticed everyone's been looking at you?"
He did notice but he just assumed it was because he was a champion. "Yeah? And?"
"You have lipstick kiss marks all over your face, Mate!"
Leon froze, a record scratch going off in his mind. ".....WHAT!?"
The end of the month came and went after Christmas. After getting embarrassed at the Christmas party Leon did keep his promise and began to visit more between training for the Master's League until the day of the event arrived. You were woken early by Allister to escort him to the Pasio Star Arena where Bea took him off your hands and you joined Sonia and Hop to Spectate the rest of the event in the stadiums with hundreds of other people. Prince Lear made an announcement, did a few lines and announced the first pairs which was between someone called Ingo and a man called Grimsley. And you watched and followed all your friends and Galar trainers. You saw Bede. He made it all the way to the sixth round before being defeated by the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia. You will admit she was pretty powerful like Leon but Bede did put up a good fight. Marnie made it one round ahead of him before also being defeated in Round Seven by someone called Emmet. Around you people were cheering for both of them and awed when both were defeated. That's ok though. They gave it their best shot and that's all that matters. Gloria however made it to the third to last round before also meeting defeat by Cynthia's hands. Victor was defeated one round behind her to Raihan and Allister made it three rounds above Gloria before being bested by a gym leader named Misty. Defeated and defeating one another until people were dropping left and right until only the champions themselves were left. Champions Red from Kanto was defeated by Champion Lance fom Johto. Steven Stone from Hoenn was bested by Cynthia from Sinnoh. Iris lost to Diantha from Kalos. And Selene of Alola/Orange Islands lost to Leon, and then at the very end there was only two left. Champion Cynthia from Sinnoh and Champion Leon from Galar. Leon was rocking that Sygna Suit Nessa decided for him which you wouldn't lie, made him look absolutely handsome, and then the battle began. Which ended in a...Tie? Ok. No biggy. A twenty minute break was had before they battled again. And it was..another tie?...Ok. Let's try again. Fast forward to the end of the day and after three more tries the Prince declared that the two would share in the victory of the Master League Champion title. Ah. So the unbeatable Champion still retains his title. It was a bit of a blur after that. You remembered the after party where he wouldn't let go of you proudly wearing his own ring and receiving congrats from anyone and hugging you to his side, and then the next moment you were all on a cruise ship back home after saying goodbye to anyone. Arriving at Hulbury docks, getting on the train, going home. And then arriving at Wedgehurst to a whole group of people including everyone's families.
Leon was home. His home. Your Champion. His Y/n. Your Home. Everything. Both. Yours and his. The whole day was a magical blur. You remembered feeling Leon's happy tears fall onto your forehead and you cried as well still hanging onto each other like a pair of koalas in front of a your family and friendsbut you didn't care. By the time you two finally pulled apart the everyone began taking their own turns hugging each other and pushing you all towards the inevitable welcome back party Leon's Mother insisted on throwing for everyone, which was just a dinner with everyone celebrating but you didn't care. The entire time Leon holding onto you in one way or another or vise versa. It was all such a blur of a night. You remembered eating a little bit, panicking for a moment your boss would get angry you just left work to eat with Leon, giving the guys a hug, and just...talking. Just talking and being held by Leon who seemed to do nothing but smile and hold you the entire time...until it got dark. Like REALLY dark and really REALLY late into the night. By the time you realized it, you were already so tired but so happy. You couldn't remember any other time you cried so much or felt so happy it felt like the whole world was becoming whole again. All your focus on Leon and his focus on you so it was quick a shock when you were finding yourself standing in front of your house having been escorted none other than the man himself and having him convince you to go to sleep. Mrs. L and Mrs. G had insisted you should stay the night at theirs but you felt like sleeping in your own bed despite being so happy to see everyone again.
"Get some sleep," he spoke softly, forehead pressed against yours, a few happy tears falling down his face, and two soft hands holding your cheeks. Perfect smile on his features. "I wanna spend more time with ya too but it's late..and you're tired. Tomorrow I'll be back and I'll take you out to see some pretty flowering fields nearby. I promise you." Followed by another kiss to your forehead.
You did whine at the loss but your urge to sleep overtook any other emotion. So you stumbled your way inside after a few more moments. Silver and the Zen were both happy and anxious to see you after so long but sleep still won out over everything. You were already so exhausted you hardly even noticed you going through the routine of taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and getting into your favorite pair of fuzzy pjs before just collapsing into your bed. Eyelids heavy and darkness consuming you as you fell into a fast deep sleep. The darkness of your dream was interrupted however in the most strangest ways. Because you woke up. Or at least...you thought you did-
"At last...Thou haveth been found. Divine childe from thine differ plain of being.''
Cold..It was so cold. Like winter had come early and seeped into your blankets, except you weren't covered by anything except for the clothes on your back. And you weren't laying on any soft cozy mattress like when you first went to best. It felt..cold and glasslike the ground under you. Like you just decided to fall asleep on a giant pane of glass in the middle of winter. It was the cold that beckoned f/c eyes to open above you, shivering and teeth clattering together from the cold feeling. And what was above the young woman made her gasp at the holy sight above. It-...It was almost as if the universe itself was in front of you, swirling shades of purple and black swam before you in the shape of the galaxy with some invisible force holding it above you. Silence fading in and out as twinkling stars shown around you with the beautiful sight of the fully moon lighting it all. The moon looked so close and so far at the same time. What the-...Where were you? Were you dreaming? This felt too real to be just a dream. Were you seeing some kind of old game footage like the first time you arrived in this world??..Had you died? Is this the afterlife? No..No that wasn't it. Before you could get too far into your questioning, you slowly, body shaking and teeth now clattering together from how cold it was, stood on legs more wobbly than a newborn deer. Your hands came up to rub your arms in a failed attempt to warm you up looking around. Black...EVERYWHERE WAS BLACK!! Like eternal night other than the endless night stars and full moon above you. Nothing anywhere. Spinning in a complete circle, you still found yourself completely alone. Right. Alone. This MUST have been some crazy dream right?
"H-Hello?!," You called out tentatively finding your voice trembling and throat dry from the cold croaking. Like a creepy tunnel your voice echoed into the dark abyss. ...No answer came back to you. "I-I-Is an-nyone there!?"
Dead silence.
Ok. Obviously this wasn't a dream. This was a freaking NIGHTMARE!! You felt dread creeping in on you and you would've started panicking if it wasn't for a voice. One you thought you heard before, One so feeble and far you almost thought you had imagined it. Then you heard it again.
"This way.''
The words- That voice came from behind you and you snapped behind you seeing no one.
"H-HELLO!? HEY! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!? C-C-C-C'mon! Ju-Just s-s-show yourselves al-al-laread-dy!"
"This way," the voice repeated only now you were facing the direction it came from.
This person-..thing...It couldn't be serious right? Your mind was playing tricks on you surely!...But..you had no other choice but to follow it huh? Sigh. You sighed, looked around you one more time, again saw nothing, and then turned forward to behind walking. To be honest it felt like walking on a treadmill. Never leaving the place you stood except you didn't feel the ground move under your feet or the stars go past you, maybe your feet were just too cold. Then, after a short while of walking you saw it. A small dull light coming from in front of you. You grew more excited and your pace quickened. That was it! The exit! At this point you were all but running, excited to leave this place wherever it is was you were. You'd probably wake up once you reach the end. Boy Lee would think this one would be a doozy to hear. Probably get a laugh outta it too. The closer you got the more blinding the light became. Up until you had to close your eyes against the harsh glare. Still you continued on and while the light gave you hope it also took away your sight until with many blinks and your hands rubbing your eyelids, they slower adjusted to the light and it wasn't as bright as you initially thought it was. And your eyes blinked down once your leg bumped into something almost making you trip over and blink at it. Until your eyes fully adjusted. And widened as you realized you were staring at....Uh..Well you were staring at..The light was coming from...
A floating rectangle???
Yes. Before you floating just a foot above the ground was a stop sign sized rectangle that was glowing a white with a slight blue-green tint to it. Your f/c eyes followed it up to another one just like it. And then another. And another. And another. All one foot apart and starting to head upwards like some kind of stairs...Wait..WERE these stairs?? You kept staring at it totally bewildered-
"Up, Young One. Ascend."
You flinched. There it was. That voice again. It sounded male in gender and echoed both inside and outside your skull like a drumroll. Wait. Did that thing say up? You blinked at the apparent stairs again. It wanted you to go up? Seriously!? A long flight of stairs?! Your mind couldn't have dreamt up an elevator at least?...You sighed but followed the strange voice's instructions and began to climb the glowing staircase upwards. Step after step you took moving upwards in a seemingly never ending stairway of glowing floating rectangles. After a while you got to a point where you couldn't tell where you began or where it ended, as if you weren't even going anywhere again like when you were walking, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Er. Stairs I mean. Because when you looked up, you saw something at last that made you give pause once again. Upwards above you was a GIANT circular platform surrounded by faint purple lights resembling the aurora borealis. Was that where you were supposed to go? Looking around there was nothing and no where else to go. You couldn't even see the bottom of the stairs anymore as they faded into the darkness below. Guess there was only one way out of this mess. Looking back upwards you continued your climb all the way up until finally at last you were standing on the strange floating platform. The platform was about as big as half your standard large parking lot and strange circle patterns were glowing in it's floor. You stopped when you were about half way in the middle of it and looked around. And still nothing although you didn't feel so cold anymore now.
"HELLO!?," you hollered out again your voice echoing around as you looked around for any sign of life. "Hey! I'm here already! Where are you!? Show yourself!"
"Be Not Afraid!"
That voice again. Echoing. It sounded like it came from everywhere and no where at once leaving you looking any which way to find it. Up at the stairs. Down at your feet. Around and around at all sides seeing absolutely no one. Then it happened. Something blocked the light from you making you freeze as a long shadow fell over you. ...You felt yourself gulp feeling a VERY massive presence behind you eyes boring into the back of your skull. And then you slowly turned around. And you saw it. Irises shrinking and jaw dropping. White blinded your vision as red and green eyes bore down at you from four stories high and feet across. The thing a monster above you-
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Your body moved on it's own. Peddling backwards and making you crash onto your backside flashbacks of the giant corviknight when you first showed up flashing before your eyes. Making the giant pokemon blink and wince.
"I sayeth be not afraid."
"HOLY ARCEUS!!," You cried out staring at this...this..thing wide eyed scooting backwards and pointing at the thing towering over you. "What the heck are you!?"
"Oh..Thou hast already answered thine question," it answered you tilting it's head at you. "It hast taken me many a moon to find thee."
You paused. Staring at the giant thing in front of you like a goldfish before lowering it's head. "....What?"
It looked eye level at you now as if trying not to frighten you again. "Thoust tis gazing upon thy god of this realm."
God?...Wait. This thing was a god?? Not any god you could think of like Thor or Hercules. Wait. Did the pokemon franchise even have a god? Well there were legendary pokemon which were like demigods and the strongest among them was-....Was-...Your eyes widened more as a glass breaking sound went off in your head again and the thing chuckled at your expression.
"HOLY ARCEUS!!!"
"Thee one and only."
"I-...W-What the-" ARCEUS!? YOU WERE BLOODY TALKING TO THE ARCEUS!? "W-Wha-...How-...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"
"I haveth summoned thee to correct the mistake of mine children."
"Wa-..Y-Y-Your children!?"
It nodded before lifting it's head back up and you stumble/wobbled back onto your foot. "I'm afraid the fault of thou's arrival to this plain of existence would be none other than my own children. Perhaps thou knowest thy children of time and space?"
You continued to stare at him before raising a brow. "Are-...A-Are you talking about Dialgia and Palkia?"
Arceus nodded. "Indeed."
"Wha-...H-How the heck?! What did they do to me!?"
"It seems that not too long ago now mine two children had gotten into a rather terrible spat. The worst one in nearly a millennia. Twas the fighting so passionate that they had opened up portals to your world. Resulting in many a person crossing over."
You still stared at him....before you scowled. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. WAIT A MINUTE!!" You pointed at him. "Are you telling me that the only reason I'm here is because I fell through a portal two legendary pokemon made!?"
Arceus looked a bit more embarrassed now. "When down to it..yes. Tis what happened. And thoust was not thee only one. I had toldest thine children to fix their mistake."
"....And did they?"
"Yes...Well. Mostly. I hast seen them mend the rifts and heal thine wounds towards one another but send back the humans they did not. Instead they deemed it worthy to bend space and time to thine will and make thee a part of thine new world."
Make you a part of this world-...THE ID CARD!! Your eyes widened as you realized. THE OLD BAG SONIA DISCOVERED AT THE CRASH SIGHT!! That was them!? It must've been them! That was the only way to explain it! Things were starting to make so much sense now.
"So Dialgia and Palkia fought and during that fight managed to open portals between this plain of existence that they exist and somewhere where they only exist in video games and anime?....That....actually makes sense in a really, really weird way. But that still doesn't explain why you're here."
"With mine children not doing so I hast taken it up in mineself to right thine wrongs and return thine human children to their rightful home."
Your eyes widened. "You can do that?"
He nodded. "I apologize on behalf on my children for thou's troubles and thee's wait for mine arrival. For there was a many humans which fell and I hadst to prioritized the ones who would cause more trouble than thou."
"You can...really send me back? Just how many were there!?"
"A plenty but do not be alarmed. Every human was sent back happily, some more forced than others. However thy childe is thy last to return home and thus thou shalt get to chose thy fate."
"You mean...I can chose whether I can leave or stay?"
"Correct. Thou hast shown bravery and compassion where others shant. I commend thee and thy good deeds. Therefore shalt get my reward here. Chose. Stay in this new world or return home from wince ye came."
You...could go back? You could go back home!? Back to your mother and old home and life. You could ...you could go and make a new life for yourself. You could leave and get your own life and job and chose your own college since you had the guts to never listen to her! And she still must be worried about you. And...that was your goal in the beginning r-right? To get back home. But...you did and have so much here. You had friends. A job. A home. Pets- Er. Pokemon. And you and Lee-...You'd have to start all over again if you went back, and Dialgia and Palkia made you an identity here. You now existed in both worlds. But you could only chose one.
"What...happens if I go back? T-T-To my old world."
"Nothing. It would be like if thou never left at all."
"Really?"
"Thou would be sent back to the exact time they disappeared. You'dst be wearing the clothes thou wore when you disappeared. Thou's age would be the same before you left. It would be if thou never ever even left for a second...But. Be warned. If thou shalt pick this path, you shall never be able to return here again. And everyone here shall forget you." Your brows shot up! "Every evidence of you even being here would fade away. Photos. Memories...Everything. Your friends would forget about you."
They ...Would forget you? All of them. The journey you made with your friends? The way you raised Silver? Leon and your feelings?
"W-What about my Mom?! In my own world I mean? W-What would happen to her?"
"Thine same scenario. In fact thoust hast been here for so long thy mother hast most likely forgotten as your existence hast most likely already faded from there as well. But fear not Human Child. It shalt all be fixed once I send ye back."
You stared at him. She....had already forgotten about you? But all of it would be fixed once he sent you back..If you decided to take him up on his offer to send you back. But would that be the best thing? Yes you missed her but...There was so much more here. And your world didn't have two families who loved you like their own or Smart Hop or always hungry Silver or ambitious Postwick twins....Or..Lee. ..It was decided. You inhaled a shaky breath stealing your nerves before looking back up at Arceus who still stayed ever patiently.
"Hast thou decided?"
You nodded. "I have. I-...I-I'd like to stay if that's possible."
"Art thou sure? I will only make this offer once and if thee choses to stay.." He shook his head. "Thine choice is final. I shalt not make this offer again nor will I send thee back to your old home. Think carefully before thou gives me their final answer."
"I'm already sure. And I'd like to stay."
"Tis that thine final answer?" You nodded and he hummed. "....So be it. As thou walkest onward upon thine own path, upon thee and upon this creation where thou now dwellest, I bestow my blessing. Take heed upon thine new life and tell not a soul of our meeting. Fair thee well, Human Childe Y/n of thy different world."
With that your vision began to fuzz and blur. The darkness shifted and spun around you like you were drunk and dizzy. Faster and faded everything spend up as the double vision of Arceus faded...And you woke up. Shot straight up from your cozy bed in your own little house in the dark. It....It must've still been night time! Leon walked you home only a few hours ago. After a moment you slowly laid yourself back down and stared at the ceiling for what must've been ten minutes or so processing what had just happened....Before you again smiled.
"...I'm home."
#a champion time for the heart#pokemon swsh#pokemon sword#pokemon sword and shield#pokemon shield#pokemon leon x reader#reader x leon#leon x reader#pokemon leon
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A Champion Time For The Heart Ch40 The End
(This is it folks. Just one more left after this which will be the epilogue. The place where reader meets Arceus is based off the Legends of Arceus post game fight. Link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8-feGjQNs8&list=LL&index=37)
-DECEMBER-
The last month of the year arrived just like that after a grueling November filled with get this- More villain attacks, but Leon got to spend some more time with you (and Allister-) doing small things like playing with Allister or just walking around and going out to eat between his training for the Masters League event being held next month just two days after Christmas. It was nerve wracking but exciting all the same to know it would be ending soon then you could get back to your little home in Galar. But one day Leon pulled you aside and told you about something that he had been planning for a while when you ran into him and Nessa at the pokemon center.
"Winter Soiree?," you asked him one day confused and he nodded.
"Yeah! Everyone from Galar's going to be there and it's gonna be just like a big Christmas party mini festival sorta thing. I'm gonna be passing out all the presents to the little kids and I'd love for you and Allister to come! Hoppy and everyone else would be there a-and I know we haven't been able to see each other because of everything happening." You blinked as he shyly grabbed your hands. "A-And if I'm being honest-...I-I would like to be able to spend some time with you again."
You face lit up a red but you nodded. "Y-Yeah. It sounds like a good experience for Allister too."
he beamed. "I hope you're excited! This year we'll make sure everyone's presents get delivered properly."
"I'm known to lose myself in my work, but that aside," nessa butted in raising a brow, "Leon, haven't you been overworking yourself lately? You do know that you could enjoy yourself at these events too right?"
"She has a point, Lee. You're working so hard and you could use a break especially with Christmas right around the corner."
"Nonsense!," he waved you both off as you and Nessa exchanged a look, "As long as there's people expecting me it's my job to be there for them!"
"I suppose so but we haven't had the chance to hang out with Sonia either. Of course part of it's because of her research, but I'm worried about it."
"That's what the party's all about! Trust me! As soon as Christmas hits we can all get together and hang out just like the good old days, and as soon as the Masters League is over we can hang out even more!"
Well he certainly wasn't lying about that at all either. Because November ended and December began. The snow fell and the cold settled in and you made sure to have Allister bundled more than a hibernating bear whenever you all went out. Then Christmas came and it was time for the party. It would held the same place the Midnight Spookfest was just a few months ago on Halloween so you knew where to go. Along the way you ran into Sonia and Hop and later the twins who joined you all. The six of you formed a little group and walked together towards the Prince's giant manor passing by glowing Christmas lights and sparkly decorations until arriving in the front of the manor along with so many other trainers and Pasio locals. There you saw Raihan and Piers and said Hello to Marnie before they moved onto chat with other people. The smells of food ready to be served to the guests wafted through the air making everyone hungry, and a GIGANTIC Christmas tree shimmering with so many small ornaments it was beautiful. For a while you mingled with Sonia and the guys catching up on everything that had been happening with them and Sonia's research until Prince Lear made his announcements.
"Let the Winter Soiree begin!! Rejoice in the festivities and Pokemon battles! As for the presents, these lovely volunteers will be delivering our gifts this year!"
Well you were shocked when two of those volunteers who were decked out in christmas themed wear was your boyfriend and Nessa. He was all decked out in a festive green winter coat and cap and was happy to take one of the giant bags Prince Lear was directing the volunteers too. Wasn't he supposed to be taking time out of his tasks to spend time with you all..Well with a frown you walked up to him to confront him about it. When he noticed you walking up to him he beamed, but stopped noticing the frown you had.
"Leon." You threw a hand to the heavy two bags in his hands. "What's this?"
"These? Oh. W-Well I did tell you I'd be passing out gifts for everyone."
"I know that. I was expecting you to be passing them out here, you didn't say anything about taking off to deliver them around Pasio!"
"Well I didn't think you'd mind-''
"Mind!?" You frowned more. "Leon, you promised me you'd be able to spend time with me tonight. And nevermind me! What about Hop? Or Victor or Gloria? They've been excited to see you! And Sonia! I thought you two were friends!"
"We are!," he assured you with his own frown, "And I WILL spend time with you. ALL of you as soon as I'm finished! I promise you as soon as I'm finished I'll spend the rest of the night with you all." You opened your mouth to argue but he was already kissing your forehead and making off. "Trust me! I always keep my promises!"
And he left you standing there, alone as he walked off. After a second you gave a yell of frustration making a few people look at your frowning form as you stomped back towards the guys. The rest of the day you just ended up going inside the manor and chugging eggnog and just-...sitting my yourself for the next couple hours. Allister and the guys were outside playing outside and you lost sight of Sonia so it was just you for so long, you doubted Lee would be back until late into the night anyways with how big Pasio was so it looks like you were once again left alone on Christmas. Not gonna lie it did sting, but you would figure it out later. For now that food was enough to drown your sorrows in. Until it neared sundown. Allister came by with Gloria to grab some food and check on you before going back to play and you were just standing at the food table drinking something and scowling off at nothing. You didn't see the small crowd of your friends, Sonia included cheering and gathering around someone as he walked in and spoke to them for around ten minutes until Hop pointed towards your form with your back turned towards them and then the man walked on over towards you. You didn't even notice Leon walk up to you until a gloved hand reached over and you jumped when someone just grabbed a cup of some of the available eggnog before you looked over and blinked as a familiar pair of golden eyes beamed down at you.
"Hey. I don't suppose the eggnog is any good?"
You stared surprised at him for a moment before frowning and looking away. "I'm still mad at you. What are you even doing back here so early?"
"I had someone help knock some sense into me," he spoke softly, "And thanks to the help of some pokemon I'm already done. Y/n." He reached up a hand to you. "I-I'm sorry. It was a dumb idea to volunteer and not take into account how it'd impact my time with everyone. The entire reason I even wanted you to come to Pasio with me is because I wanted to spend time with you and I REALLY do want to! Honest."
"Well it seems like your Champion duties are important too."
He winced and shook his head finally grabbing your shoulder and gaining your attention. "I acted dumbly and was selfish, but I'm here now because I miss you. ...And I love you." Your eyes widened at him at that moment and he smiled. "Here." Reaching his other hand around to his side pocket he grabbed something and pulled out a very, VERY small square box that wasn't wrapped. "I even got you a present. Something that m-means a lot to me but..I-I'm hoping would mean a lot to you too."
Your eyes looked between the box and him for a moment before raising a brow. "What is It?"
"I was hoping you'd ask me that." Taking his other hand he reached over and opened the top of the box making your eyes budge out. The inside was a velvet material and nestled on the inside was two small rings that could probably fit you. A shiny gold band sat there with a small but decently sized purple stone inside it reflecting the Christmas lights and your face. Your f/c eyes widened and you again looked between his smiling face and the ring. W-Was he- "I-It's a promise ring." ....Oh. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know it can be confusing and I know you probably wouldn't want to get married this early, but I wanted to get you something special. S-Something we could share together. A promise to one another and my promise to you to be better. That is ..i-if you want it. It's fine if you don't. I understand if this is too much too soon. I-I just thought it'd be a cute idea is all-"
He blinked when you plucked the other ring from the box and held it up to him first with a smile. "Well then...You're going to let me put yours on your ring first." Before Leon could say anything you gently grabbed his other hand and he looked wide eyed as you gently slid it onto his finger before grabbing the other ring from the box and slipping it onto yourself smiling widely. Humming a moment. "...It's beautiful. I think I can forgive you this time..." You shot a smirk his way. "But I think you deserve a present too.~"
"I-I- You-..." He gulped red faced the ring box dropping to the floor. "G-G-Gift? Me?"
You smiled, before just grabbing his cheeks and kissing him at that moment.
This was it. The last month he'd spend here. All the battling was scheduled for later this month after Christmas and everyone was getting ready and pumped for the official event that would take place at the Star Pasio Arena. He however couldn't feel more relieved. He was about to go home soon. And you would no doubt watch everyone's performances in the stands. Which made him both nervous and excited as well. But for now he was between practicing and hanging with his mates at the Winter Soiree, which happened to be Piers and Raihan for the moment.
"Wow. It's the end of the year already?," Leon asked at one point, "I can't believe that much time has passed since we first came to Pasio."
"You're only realizing that now?!," Raihan asked him in a teasing way.
"Hahaha! It's just starting to sink in now. We've been battling all sorts of other sync pairs and even Hop and Sonia came. So we haven't had much time to sit back and relax now that I think about it."
"Uh." Both men looked at him. "I hate ta break up the warm sentiment you've got goin' here, but we've still got to show everyone what we're made of. Right, Leo?"
Leon's face lit up and he nodded. "Right! Let's keep up the great work, Lads!"
"Oh uh...By the way-.." Raihan and Piers shared an amused look between them which confused Leon because he raised a brow. It was strange especially for Piers who didn't show much emotion all the time. Raihan chuckled before looking at Lee. "How was that kiss with Y/n?"
Leon paused...before his face lit up a pink and narrowed his eyes. "We didn't kiss! An-And even if we did i-it's none of your business! Besides you don't even know if we did-"
"Dude. Everyone knows. Haven't you noticed everyone's been looking at you?"
He did notice but he just assumed it was because he was a champion. "Yeah? And?"
"You have lipstick kiss marks all over your face, Mate!"
Leon froze, a record scratch going off in his mind. ".....WHAT!?"
The end of the month came and went after Christmas. After getting embarrassed at the Christmas party Leon did keep his promise and began to visit more between training for the Master's League until the day of the event arrived. You were woken early by Allister to escort him to the Pasio Star Arena where Bea took him off your hands and you joined Sonia and Hop to Spectate the rest of the event in the stadiums with hundreds of other people. Prince Lear made an announcement, did a few lines and announced the first pairs which was between someone called Ingo and a man called Grimsley. And you watched and followed all your friends and Galar trainers. You saw Bede. He made it all the way to the sixth round before being defeated by the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia. You will admit she was pretty powerful like Leon but Bede did put up a good fight. Marnie made it one round ahead of him before also being defeated in Round Seven by someone called Emmet. Around you people were cheering for both of them and awed when both were defeated. That's ok though. They gave it their best shot and that's all that matters. Gloria however made it to the third to last round before also meeting defeat by Cynthia's hands. Victor was defeated one round behind her to Raihan and Allister made it three rounds above Gloria before being bested by a gym leader named Misty. Defeated and defeating one another until people were dropping left and right until only the champions themselves were left. Champions Red from Kanto was defeated by Champion Lance fom Johto. Steven Stone from Hoenn was bested by Cynthia from Sinnoh. Iris lost to Diantha from Kalos. And Selene of Alola/Orange Islands lost to Leon, and then at the very end there was only two left. Champion Cynthia from Sinnoh and Champion Leon from Galar. Leon was rocking that Sygna Suit Nessa decided for him which you wouldn't lie, made him look absolutely handsome, and then the battle began. Which ended in a...Tie? Ok. No biggy. A twenty minute break was had before they battled again. And it was..another tie?...Ok. Let's try again. Fast forward to the end of the day and after three more tries the Prince declared that the two would share in the victory of the Master League Champion title. Ah. So the unbeatable Champion still retains his title. It was a bit of a blur after that. You remembered the after party where he wouldn't let go of you proudly wearing his own ring and receiving congrats from anyone and hugging you to his side, and then the next moment you were all on a cruise ship back home after saying goodbye to anyone. Arriving at Hulbury docks, getting on the train, going home. And then arriving at Wedgehurst to a whole group of people including everyone's families.
Leon was home. His home. Your Champion. His Y/n. Your Home. Everything. Both. Yours and his. The whole day was a magical blur. You remembered feeling Leon's happy tears fall onto your forehead and you cried as well still hanging onto each other like a pair of koalas in front of a your family and friendsbut you didn't care. By the time you two finally pulled apart the everyone began taking their own turns hugging each other and pushing you all towards the inevitable welcome back party Leon's Mother insisted on throwing for everyone, which was just a dinner with everyone celebrating but you didn't care. The entire time Leon holding onto you in one way or another or vise versa. It was all such a blur of a night. You remembered eating a little bit, panicking for a moment your boss would get angry you just left work to eat with Leon, giving the guys a hug, and just...talking. Just talking and being held by Leon who seemed to do nothing but smile and hold you the entire time...until it got dark. Like REALLY dark and really REALLY late into the night. By the time you realized it, you were already so tired but so happy. You couldn't remember any other time you cried so much or felt so happy it felt like the whole world was becoming whole again. All your focus on Leon and his focus on you so it was quick a shock when you were finding yourself standing in front of your house having been escorted none other than the man himself and having him convince you to go to sleep. Mrs. L and Mrs. G had insisted you should stay the night at theirs but you felt like sleeping in your own bed despite being so happy to see everyone again.
"Get some sleep," he spoke softly, forehead pressed against yours, a few happy tears falling down his face, and two soft hands holding your cheeks. Perfect smile on his features. "I wanna spend more time with ya too but it's late..and you're tired. Tomorrow I'll be back and I'll take you out to see some pretty flowering fields nearby. I promise you." Followed by another kiss to your forehead.
You did whine at the loss but your urge to sleep overtook any other emotion. So you stumbled your way inside after a few more moments. Silver and the Zen were both happy and anxious to see you after so long but sleep still won out over everything. You were already so exhausted you hardly even noticed you going through the routine of taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and getting into your favorite pair of fuzzy pjs before just collapsing into your bed. Eyelids heavy and darkness consuming you as you fell into a fast deep sleep. The darkness of your dream was interrupted however in the most strangest ways. Because you woke up. Or at least...you thought you did-
"At last...Thou haveth been found. Divine childe from thine differ plain of being.''
Cold..It was so cold. Like winter had come early and seeped into your blankets, except you weren't covered by anything except for the clothes on your back. And you weren't laying on any soft cozy mattress like when you first went to best. It felt..cold and glasslike the ground under you. Like you just decided to fall asleep on a giant pane of glass in the middle of winter. It was the cold that beckoned f/c eyes to open above you, shivering and teeth clattering together from the cold feeling. And what was above the young woman made her gasp at the holy sight above. It-...It was almost as if the universe itself was in front of you, swirling shades of purple and black swam before you in the shape of the galaxy with some invisible force holding it above you. Silence fading in and out as twinkling stars shown around you with the beautiful sight of the fully moon lighting it all. The moon looked so close and so far at the same time. What the-...Where were you? Were you dreaming? This felt too real to be just a dream. Were you seeing some kind of old game footage like the first time you arrived in this world??..Had you died? Is this the afterlife? No..No that wasn't it. Before you could get too far into your questioning, you slowly, body shaking and teeth now clattering together from how cold it was, stood on legs more wobbly than a newborn deer. Your hands came up to rub your arms in a failed attempt to warm you up looking around. Black...EVERYWHERE WAS BLACK!! Like eternal night other than the endless night stars and full moon above you. Nothing anywhere. Spinning in a complete circle, you still found yourself completely alone. Right. Alone. This MUST have been some crazy dream right?
"H-Hello?!," You called out tentatively finding your voice trembling and throat dry from the cold croaking. Like a creepy tunnel your voice echoed into the dark abyss. ...No answer came back to you. "I-I-Is an-nyone there!?"
Dead silence.
Ok. Obviously this wasn't a dream. This was a freaking NIGHTMARE!! You felt dread creeping in on you and you would've started panicking if it wasn't for a voice. One you thought you heard before, One so feeble and far you almost thought you had imagined it. Then you heard it again.
"This way.''
The words- That voice came from behind you and you snapped behind you seeing no one.
"H-HELLO!? HEY! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!? C-C-C-C'mon! Ju-Just s-s-show yourselves al-al-laread-dy!"
"This way," the voice repeated only now you were facing the direction it came from.
This person-..thing...It couldn't be serious right? Your mind was playing tricks on you surely!...But..you had no other choice but to follow it huh? Sigh. You sighed, looked around you one more time, again saw nothing, and then turned forward to behind walking. To be honest it felt like walking on a treadmill. Never leaving the place you stood except you didn't feel the ground move under your feet or the stars go past you, maybe your feet were just too cold. Then, after a short while of walking you saw it. A small dull light coming from in front of you. You grew more excited and your pace quickened. That was it! The exit! At this point you were all but running, excited to leave this place wherever it is was you were. You'd probably wake up once you reach the end. Boy Lee would think this one would be a doozy to hear. Probably get a laugh outta it too. The closer you got the more blinding the light became. Up until you had to close your eyes against the harsh glare. Still you continued on and while the light gave you hope it also took away your sight until with many blinks and your hands rubbing your eyelids, they slower adjusted to the light and it wasn't as bright as you initially thought it was. And your eyes blinked down once your leg bumped into something almost making you trip over and blink at it. Until your eyes fully adjusted. And widened as you realized you were staring at....Uh..Well you were staring at..The light was coming from...
A floating rectangle???
Yes. Before you floating just a foot above the ground was a stop sign sized rectangle that was glowing a white with a slight blue-green tint to it. Your f/c eyes followed it up to another one just like it. And then another. And another. And another. All one foot apart and starting to head upwards like some kind of stairs...Wait..WERE these stairs?? You kept staring at it totally bewildered-
"Up, Young One. Ascend."
You flinched. There it was. That voice again. It sounded male in gender and echoed both inside and outside your skull like a drumroll. Wait. Did that thing say up? You blinked at the apparent stairs again. It wanted you to go up? Seriously!? A long flight of stairs?! Your mind couldn't have dreamt up an elevator at least?...You sighed but followed the strange voice's instructions and began to climb the glowing staircase upwards. Step after step you took moving upwards in a seemingly never ending stairway of glowing floating rectangles. After a while you got to a point where you couldn't tell where you began or where it ended, as if you weren't even going anywhere again like when you were walking, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Er. Stairs I mean. Because when you looked up, you saw something at last that made you give pause once again. Upwards above you was a GIANT circular platform surrounded by faint purple lights resembling the aurora borealis. Was that where you were supposed to go? Looking around there was nothing and no where else to go. You couldn't even see the bottom of the stairs anymore as they faded into the darkness below. Guess there was only one way out of this mess. Looking back upwards you continued your climb all the way up until finally at last you were standing on the strange floating platform. The platform was about as big as half your standard large parking lot and strange circle patterns were glowing in it's floor. You stopped when you were about half way in the middle of it and looked around. And still nothing although you didn't feel so cold anymore now.
"HELLO!?," you hollered out again your voice echoing around as you looked around for any sign of life. "Hey! I'm here already! Where are you!? Show yourself!"
"Be Not Afraid!"
That voice again. Echoing. It sounded like it came from everywhere and no where at once leaving you looking any which way to find it. Up at the stairs. Down at your feet. Around and around at all sides seeing absolutely no one. Then it happened. Something blocked the light from you making you freeze as a long shadow fell over you. ...You felt yourself gulp feeling a VERY massive presence behind you eyes boring into the back of your skull. And then you slowly turned around. And you saw it. Irises shrinking and jaw dropping. White blinded your vision as red and green eyes bore down at you from four stories high and feet across. The thing a monster above you-
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Your body moved on it's own. Peddling backwards and making you crash onto your backside flashbacks of the giant corviknight when you first showed up flashing before your eyes. Making the giant pokemon blink and wince.
"I sayeth be not afraid."
"HOLY ARCEUS!!," You cried out staring at this...this..thing wide eyed scooting backwards and pointing at the thing towering over you. "What the heck are you!?"
"Oh..Thou hast already answered thine question," it answered you tilting it's head at you. "It hast taken me many a moon to find thee."
You paused. Staring at the giant thing in front of you like a goldfish before lowering it's head. "....What?"
It looked eye level at you now as if trying not to frighten you again. "Thoust tis gazing upon thy god of this realm."
God?...Wait. This thing was a god?? Not any god you could think of like Thor or Hercules. Wait. Did the pokemon franchise even have a god? Well there were legendary pokemon which were like demigods and the strongest among them was-....Was-...Your eyes widened more as a glass breaking sound went off in your head again and the thing chuckled at your expression.
"HOLY ARCEUS!!!"
"Thee one and only."
"I-...W-What the-" ARCEUS!? YOU WERE BLOODY TALKING TO THE ARCEUS!? "W-Wha-...How-...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"
"I haveth summoned thee to correct the mistake of mine children."
"Wa-..Y-Y-Your children!?"
It nodded before lifting it's head back up and you stumble/wobbled back onto your foot. "I'm afraid the fault of thou's arrival to this plain of existence would be none other than my own children. Perhaps thou knowest thy children of time and space?"
You continued to stare at him before raising a brow. "Are-...A-Are you talking about Dialgia and Palkia?"
Arceus nodded. "Indeed."
"Wha-...H-How the heck?! What did they do to me!?"
"It seems that not too long ago now mine two children had gotten into a rather terrible spat. The worst one in nearly a millennia. Twas the fighting so passionate that they had opened up portals to your world. Resulting in many a person crossing over."
You still stared at him....before you scowled. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. WAIT A MINUTE!!" You pointed at him. "Are you telling me that the only reason I'm here is because I fell through a portal two legendary pokemon made!?"
Arceus looked a bit more embarrassed now. "When down to it..yes. Tis what happened. And thoust was not thee only one. I had toldest thine children to fix their mistake."
"....And did they?"
"Yes...Well. Mostly. I hast seen them mend the rifts and heal thine wounds towards one another but send back the humans they did not. Instead they deemed it worthy to bend space and time to thine will and make thee a part of thine new world."
Make you a part of this world-...THE ID CARD!! Your eyes widened as you realized. THE OLD BAG SONIA DISCOVERED AT THE CRASH SIGHT!! That was them!? It must've been them! That was the only way to explain it! Things were starting to make so much sense now.
"So Dialgia and Palkia fought and during that fight managed to open portals between this plain of existence that they exist and somewhere where they only exist in video games and anime?....That....actually makes sense in a really, really weird way. But that still doesn't explain why you're here."
"With mine children not doing so I hast taken it up in mineself to right thine wrongs and return thine human children to their rightful home."
Your eyes widened. "You can do that?"
He nodded. "I apologize on behalf on my children for thou's troubles and thee's wait for mine arrival. For there was a many humans which fell and I hadst to prioritized the ones who would cause more trouble than thou."
"You can...really send me back? Just how many were there!?"
"A plenty but do not be alarmed. Every human was sent back happily, some more forced than others. However thy childe is thy last to return home and thus thou shalt get to chose thy fate."
"You mean...I can chose whether I can leave or stay?"
"Correct. Thou hast shown bravery and compassion where others shant. I commend thee and thy good deeds. Therefore shalt get my reward here. Chose. Stay in this new world or return home from wince ye came."
You...could go back? You could go back home!? Back to your mother and old home and life. You could ...you could go and make a new life for yourself. You could leave and get your own life and job and chose your own college since you had the guts to never listen to her! And she still must be worried about you. And...that was your goal in the beginning r-right? To get back home. But...you did and have so much here. You had friends. A job. A home. Pets- Er. Pokemon. And you and Lee-...You'd have to start all over again if you went back, and Dialgia and Palkia made you an identity here. You now existed in both worlds. But you could only chose one.
"What...happens if I go back? T-T-To my old world."
"Nothing. It would be like if thou never left at all."
"Really?"
"Thou would be sent back to the exact time they disappeared. You'dst be wearing the clothes thou wore when you disappeared. Thou's age would be the same before you left. It would be if thou never ever even left for a second...But. Be warned. If thou shalt pick this path, you shall never be able to return here again. And everyone here shall forget you." Your brows shot up! "Every evidence of you even being here would fade away. Photos. Memories...Everything. Your friends would forget about you."
They ...Would forget you? All of them. The journey you made with your friends? The way you raised Silver? Leon and your feelings?
"W-What about my Mom?! In my own world I mean? W-What would happen to her?"
"Thine same scenario. In fact thoust hast been here for so long thy mother hast most likely forgotten as your existence hast most likely already faded from there as well. But fear not Human Child. It shalt all be fixed once I send ye back."
You stared at him. She....had already forgotten about you? But all of it would be fixed once he sent you back..If you decided to take him up on his offer to send you back. But would that be the best thing? Yes you missed her but...There was so much more here. And your world didn't have two families who loved you like their own or Smart Hop or always hungry Silver or ambitious Postwick twins....Or..Lee. ..It was decided. You inhaled a shaky breath stealing your nerves before looking back up at Arceus who still stayed ever patiently.
"Hast thou decided?"
You nodded. "I have. I-...I-I'd like to stay if that's possible."
"Art thou sure? I will only make this offer once and if thee choses to stay.." He shook his head. "Thine choice is final. I shalt not make this offer again nor will I send thee back to your old home. Think carefully before thou gives me their final answer."
"I'm already sure. And I'd like to stay."
"Tis that thine final answer?" You nodded and he hummed. "....So be it. As thou walkest onward upon thine own path, upon thee and upon this creation where thou now dwellest, I bestow my blessing. Take heed upon thine new life and tell not a soul of our meeting. Fair thee well, Human Childe Y/n of thy different world."
With that your vision began to fuzz and blur. The darkness shifted and spun around you like you were drunk and dizzy. Faster and faded everything spend up as the double vision of Arceus faded...And you woke up. Shot straight up from your cozy bed in your own little house in the dark. It....It must've still been night time! Leon walked you home only a few hours ago. After a moment you slowly laid yourself back down and stared at the ceiling for what must've been ten minutes or so processing what had just happened....Before you again smiled.
"...I'm home."
#Leon#leon x reader#pokemon leon#pokemon leon x reader#pokemon reader x leon#pokemon reader#reader#reader x leon#pokemon shield#pokemon sword#pokemon sword and shield#pokemon swsh
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Finding a home in Oshkosh
home
Noun: a house, apartment, or shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family or household
Growing up home for me was on 48th Street in Milwaukee. It was a 3-bedroom house that fit our six-person family well enough. A garden was a staple of its backyard, the front yard held more pickle games than I can count, and the garage door took a beating from many a soccer ball.
The television never included cable channels, it had a bathtub—and not a shower—for longer than I’d like, the kitchen usually smelled of baked goods, and dinner happened together at the dining room table.
I biked or walked to friends’ houses in the neighborhood, bought baseball cards and garbage pail kids from the gas station mere blocks away, swam at the local pool and frequented the local library.
It held conversations and arguments. It allowed me a space to cry, and room to laugh. It was filled with love and safety.
It’s a place I still return to today and a place I searched a long time to replicate.
I finally found it on Doty Street in Oshkosh.
--
When I left home after graduating college to jump into the real world, I blazed along the road less traveled. It was a four-state, nine apartment, 14-year journey of self-discovery.
It was a time of independence and growth. It was about new experiences and new friendships. It gave me strength and a voice.
But it never felt like I was home.
I loved every place I lived and the people that peppered my heart along the way, I just never felt settled in those places.
More than likely that was the by-product of my age, relationship status and career path during that span. I was always on the go. ‘Home’ during those 14 years was the office, basketball arena, football stadium, airplane and hotel room. My apartment was a place to catch up on sleep, shower and vedge out.
I never truly invested in the community or engaged with my neighbors. I’d like to say I didn’t have the time, but truthfully, I didn’t take the time.
Until Oshkosh.
--
Most thought I was crazy when I decided to buy a house straight away after accepting the new position at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and moving to Oshkosh. And after looking at 12-plus houses, I too started to think I was crazy (and I am pretty sure my relator did as well).
They were too big, too small, they had this but not that. I started questioning my possible fear of commitment [we’ll dive into that in another blog].
Then on my lunch break one day in mid-July a little over three years ago I walked into the Doty house and instantly knew.
The built-ins with the bench seating in the dining room brought back fond memories of my grandparents’ house growing up. The original wood floors and woodwork were to die for. The enclosed front porch and the walk-in closet in the master bedroom, well they just sealed the deal.
I felt it, it was the house I wanted.
With the ease of settling into my house—no second guessing or cold feet there, it was time to invest into the community.
I joined Kiwanis, met some great people and volunteered around town.
I slowly came out of my introverted shell and waved to and then chatted-up the neighbors.
I talked EAA, jammed at Waterfest and pointed people to Hughes.
I became a local.
--
home
Noun: the place in which one’s domestic affections are centered
My home is a 3-bedroom, one bath house on Doty Street in Oshkosh. It includes the pitter patter of an eight-year old dachshund named Baby, too many books, plenty of pictures to remember my journey and still no cable television.
It hums of trains and buzzes of both lake flies and planes. It smells of chocolate and plays the tunes of a sock hop. It includes cheese curds, mini doughnuts, crab ragoon’s—and maybe an occasional Bloody Mary—from the farmers market and a rhubarb pie from a local staple.
There is the pride of both the Green and Gold and the Black and Gold.
There is a camaraderie of neighbors after a big winter snowstorm hits and an excitement to see each other after a long winter hibernation.
It’s squeals of joy when the neighborhood children see Baby and its reciprocated tail wag and so many kisses when Baby gets to see her little friends.
There’s Vinny, Seymore, Cooper, Otis, Willow, Stella and Holly; and many other dogs and their humans.
It includes girls weekends, happy hours, super clubs, and walks on Terrell’s Island and the Wiawash Trail and one pretty great book club.
It’s not tied to my job.
I’ve found my place. It’s in Oshkosh and on Doty Street.
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Gabriel Agreste: A 3-Part Character Study
Part 2: My Headcanon for the Life and Thoughts of Gabriel
Hello again. In the first part of this series I explained my thought process as to why I bothered writing this collection of mini-essay/short story. If you missed it, feel free to go back and read that here.
Alternatively, if you want to hop ahead to my re-write of Gabriel Agreste in order to make him a legitimate sympathetic villain, you can find that essay here.
Now, before we continue with this psuedo-story, I want to throw in just a quick reminder-disclaimer. Below is my headcanon on Gabriel Agreste's history, and a sort of personality study under the assumption that he's similar to the man I know IRL and discussed briefly in Part 1. By no means is there any canonical evidence of any of this being accurate. Also, while I'm trying to explain Gabe's behavior and reasoning, by no means am I justifying or condoning it. You may continue to love or hate or love to hate or hate to love Gabriel however you please.
Anyway, check below the break to read my little pseudo-narrative short story on my headcanon history of Gabriel's life prior to us meeting him in the “Miraculous Ladybug” series, as well as my headcanon of his defining personality trait which might explain his behavior towards Adrien, Emilie, Nathalie, and The Gorilla.
Gabriel was a lonely kid. He was an only child. His parents loved him and cared for him, but they never really connected with him. He was never really all that expressive. His parents tried multiple things to bond with him over, but he was most comfortable alone in his room doing his own thing.
At university he remained a loner. He still didn't really make many connections with the other students. He was friendly with his roommate, and was willing to hang out with him and his friends, but none of the friends talked to Gabriel without the roommate there, and Gabe never initiated any interactions with the roommate. Instead, he focused on his artwork and his fashion design.
When Gabriel was about 25 his professor and mentor commented that his designs were uninspired and stale, and wondered what happened. Nothing had happened. Gabriel was just bored with life. His flatmate suggested he try going out into the world, outside his comfort zone, and observe people in order to become re-inspired. Despite himself, Gabriel agreed. He ended up going to the local watering hole by himself, and hid in the corner to try to people watch. Not even twenty minutes into this experiment, Gabriel decided it was a stupid plan and hurried out, only to run into Emilie. Literally.
If you want to read more about how I believe their first interaction went down, you can find it here.
It was an awkward and playful courtship. Outgoing, social butterfly, extroverted Emilie did everything in her power to keep Gabriel on the edge of uncomfortable as a way of broadening his horizon. She took him out to parties, social gatherings, and just public in general. She also allowed him his private time, but tended to make him try new foods, or would hide his favorite colored pencils in order to force him to try different art mediums. He soon discovered that he enjoyed the new medium of digital drawing more than colored pencils, even though he would always love the classic method.
Emilie pushed him, but Gabriel loved that about her. Every time he was down on himself she would pick him up. Every time he wanted to hide and hibernate she would pull him outside. Every time he was so engrossed in his work that he would forget to eat she would drag him to the kitchen to try out a new recipe she found.
Not everything was sunshine and roses though. There were some significant spats between them. With his life experiences, he grew to hate humanity, while she gladly embraced it. She picked on him for “not being nice” while he considered her wildly optimistic and naïve. He was gruff and callous, while she was loving, and strong enough to not put up with his crap. It only kept a couple of months before she could call him out with a glance.
She was so good for him, and he knew it. He appreciated it. And he was amazed that she picked him. He never once took her for granted, nor did he forget that she could have chosen anyone. He knew she had other options, and yet he was the one who lucked out enough to have stolen her heart. He didn't understand her love for him, for he never felt such a strong compassion towards him before. Still, he basked in the warm glow from her, and thanked whatever Greater Power That Be that she was with him.
His hatred for humanity as a whole waned slightly, mostly because Emilie kept showing him the positive. Every time he wanted to scoff, scorn, or dismiss someone he pictured Emilie's disappointed look, and it helped him become better. She became his consciousness. She became his empathy. She became his moral compass and compassion. She made him want to be better; to be the kind man she somehow thought he was.
Simply put: she became his everything. Life no longer was worth living without her. She was his sun and moon. She was his earth and sky. She was his smile and reason. And soon she became his wife.
He was nervous about not giving her the life that she deserved. They were still in a crappy little apartment covered in his drawings and fabric samples. However, Emilie got her start acting in an independent film created by an old school friend: Andre Bourgeois. While on set one day, Andre's fiance Audrey visited and noticed an outfit Emilie was wearing; an outfit Gabriel made her as a birthday gift. Audrey loved it and demanded to know the designer. Emilie excitedly called Gabriel down to the set where he met the upcoming fierce fashion critic. She thought he was the most inspired designer she had ever met, and gushed about him in her latest article in a big-name French fashion magazine.
Gabriel quickly became The Next Big Thing. He got a sense of pride knowing that he could finally provide for his amazing wife, and they enjoyed their time together inside their new mansion. Gabe doted on Emilie, treating her as both an equal and a cherished princess.
It was Emilie who convinced Gabriel to hire an assistant, and she was the one who pointed out the impressive resume of Nathalie Sancoeur. Emilie even listened in on the interview, and instantly loved Nathalie's personality. She figured that Nathalie could be just as good for Gabriel in his professional life as Emilie was in his personal. It didn’t take much for Emilie to convince Gabriel to hire the stoic woman.
Life was great. Gabriel could do the work he had always loved doing, and he could provide for his beloved wife while doing so. Nathalie helping with the day-to-day duties meant Gabe had more time for his wife as well, because what would be the point of all this money if he couldn't spend time with the reason for his waking? They were happy.
Then, when they were in their thirties, Emilie became pregnant. Gabriel didn't know how to respond. He remembered his own parents' failed attempt to bond with him, and he could sense that he'd have the same difficulties. He wasn't a people person. But he could tell how excited Emilie was, and she convinced him that he'd fall in love once he held their child. So he prepared for this new chapter of his life along side his wife.
When Emilie had Adrien she experienced a new level of love. Gabriel, however, did not. He loved Adrien. He truly did. He didn't realize he could care for anyone outside of Emilie, but there was this new and fragile life needing him, and he cared. He knew he would protect this precious little bean with all his might, but he also knew that Emilie is still his number one. She took up too much of his heart. Plus, the two of them created Adrien, while Gabriel and Adrien could never recreate Emilie.
Gabriel felt ashamed at thinking so, but he knew that while Emilie wasn’t replaceable, as long as Gabriel had her, Adrien could be replaced. It would hurt. A new child would never be the same, but at least with Emilie there was hope of returning to this family unit. He could always have another child; he could never have another wife, another love like Emilie.
Life changed more than Gabriel was ready for now that he was a father. More importantly, now that Emilie was a mother. She started pulling away from Gabe. Motherhood became her, and she connected with Adrien in a way Gabriel just couldn’t. Despite himself, Gabe became jealous of his own son. His own precious child. He reminded himself that he loved his son, but in the quiet of his mind he couldn't deny that he also missed the days when it was just him and Emilie.
The trio had family game nights that Gabriel half-heartedly participated in. They had movie nights that consisted of Gabriel working on his tablet or phone until Adrien passed out. Then he'd shift his son on the sofa so that he could have the space to snuggle up to his wife. They had family outings together: Emilie watching Adrien's glee; Gabriel watching Emilie's.
Emilie eventually called Gabriel out on the distance between her boys. Just like when they were dating and she pushed Gabriel to interact with people in order to make friends, she now pushed him to put in more effort to bond with their son. He wanted to. He really did. He wanted to laugh and play with Adrien the way that Emilie did. He wanted Adrien to run to him the way the small boy raced to his mother. More importantly, Gabriel wanted to make Emilie proud of him; to prove that he was the great father she envisioned him to be. So Gabriel started teaching Adrien about hard work, about applying himself, and about fashion.
It worked for a while. Emilie even loved the idea of their gorgeous little Adrien being the face of her husband’s brand. It felt like a great honor and show of love. But soon it just became an obligation, and both men feared breaking the one thing that tied them together. So Gabriel and Adrien begrudgingly continued with the photo shoots and ads. They both knew, however, that the only real glue holding them together was Emilie.
Then, about a year ago, something happened. Emilie is gone. Gabriel couldn’t accept never seeing his sunshine, his purpose for life, anymore, and hid her in the basement. He had no clue how to tell Adrien, and after so many months of hiding Emilie, he can't find a way to let his son now without breaking the boy's heart. Gabriel fears that Adrien knows about his father's jealousy, and would blame him for Emilie. Gabe is already overwhelmed with his own guilt at not being able to protect her. He can’t survive Adrien possibly adding to it. Adrien is his only family now; his only tie to Emilie, the only part of her still warm.
And Adrien looks so much like her. He acts like her too. Gabriel never noticed that before, and it pains him. He can't lose Adrien, he wouldn't be able to survive it. But he also can't bear to be with his son. Adrien is too much of a reminder of Emilie: her grace, her love of life and people, her kindness, her beauty, and her intelligence. Adrien is also too much of a reminder of Gabriel's guilt. Guilt in not keeping Emilie safe. Guilt in hiding her from Adrien, hoping his son would understand once she's with them again. Guilt about being jealous of his son's connection to Emilie, and the attention and part of her heart he took from Gabriel. Guilt about becoming a villain; hoping the ends will eventually justify the means.
He has to get Emilie back, though. There is no other option. He can't be a good human being without her; he doesn't know how. He can't feel compassionate towards others; he only feels hatred, and envy that he can no longer have what everyone else does. No one else's pain could be more than his. The world was simply there to keep him from his life's meaning, and he is determined to get the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses in order to change that.
Well... that became a lot longer than I originally planned, but I hope it was an interesting character study. Again, I'm not trying to justify or condone Gabriel's behavior; just trying to explain it. Long and short is that I feel Gabriel is at the very least a sociopath, but may be extreme enough to be deemed a psychopath.
Now, granted, I only took two psych classes in college, so I can’t say for sure, but it FEELS like he’s somewhere on the sociopath spectrum. Especially when compared to this quote:
"The psychopath is callous, yet charming. He or she will con and manipulate others with charisma and intimidation and can effectively mimic feelings to present as "normal" to society. The psychopath is organized in their criminal thinking and behavior, and can maintain good emotional and physical control, displaying little to no emotional or autonomic arousal, even under situations that most would find threatening or horrifying. The psychopath is keenly aware that what he or she is doing is wrong, but does not care.
"Conversely, the sociopath is less organized in his or her demeanor; he or she might be nervous, easily agitated, and quick to display anger. A sociopath is more likely to spontaneously act out in inappropriate ways without thinking through the consequences. Compared to the psychopath, the sociopath will not be able to move through society committing callous crimes as easily, as they can form attachments and often have 'normal temperaments.' . . ."
The quote is from Kelly McAleer, Psy.D, and I found the quote here.
Anyway, there were two more elements of Gabriel’s history that I wanted to put in the above “story,” but I also feel like they would have felt out of place because they didn't specifically showcase Gabriel:
Hiring The Gorilla: I see this happening when Adrien is still about a toddler or so; about age 6 at the latest. The media and crazed fans start becoming too much, and so Gabriel feels the need to hire a bodyguard. Mostly because Emilie refuses to just have Nathalie pick up groceries and the like. She wanted to still go out and experience their city, and take Adrien with, so the couple compromised that she'd have a bodyguard with her. Over the years, though, The Gorilla falls for his charges in a very familial sense. Emilie is like his little sister, and Adrien like his nephew. He loves them and will do anything for them. This love for Adrien is one of the only reasons why he remained in Gabriel's employ after Emilie went missing, especially with the harassment he receives from his employer.
Adrien's Isolation: In Origins we find out that Adrien has been home schooled his whole life. In Malediktator we find out that not only did Adrien and Chloe use to play together as young kids, but also that she is the only one his age he has ever interacted with. Presumably, he hung out with Chloe because of the proximity to the Grand Paris in relation to the Agreste mansion, as well as the connection between the two families thanks to Emilie.
In Mr. Pigeon however, Chloe had to introduce herself to Gabriel and noted that she was the mayor's daughter, not Audrey's. Granted, this is probably because the writers hadn't figured out the familial connection or who Chloe's mother was yet, but in-universe it could be because Chloe only ever saw Nathalie, The Gorilla, and/or Emilie, and she was used to throwing the “my father is the mayor” weight around. Anyway, my point being that Adrien could have been the face of Gabriel's clothing line since he was a toddler, and so his parents feared having a celebrity child in public schooling.
The oddity though, was that Adrien's name was on Mrs. Bustier's class roster, Chloe knew he would be in her class, and Adrien attempted to get to the school that first day – as seen in Origins. I don't know if it's different in France, but in America a guardian has to register you for school, which means someone had to register him for Mrs. Bustier's class. Gabriel clearly didn't want him to go, and Nathalie didn't seem to be the type to sign him up behind Gabriel's back. Because of this, I believe Emilie was still around during the summer break between the school years, and had decided that Adrien was ready to get back out into the world and make more friends. She probably signed him up and let him know, explaining that he'd have Chloe in his class so he wouldn't feel alone. Adrien was probably ecstatic about this, and talked to Chloe about it. Then, when Emilie... well, whatever it is that happened to her... Gabriel panicked. He couldn't chance losing Adrien, and so he changed his mind about the public schooling. The decision wasn't made soon enough to cancel the registration with the school though, which is why he was still expected that first day. Nathalie probably convinced Gabriel to let Adrien go by invoking “it's what Emilie wanted.”
Anyway, as I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, I had come up with an alternative way of writing Gabriel's character. One that would make him legitimately a sympathetic villain. One that won't be abusive towards Adrien, at least, intentionally. One that could actually make the eventual battle between the Agreste men even more heart wrenching. A way to write Gabriel that could have added so much depth to the overall drama and dynamic of the show.
If you would like to see my thoughts on this re-write, I'll see you at Part 3 of this series.
#ML#Miraculous Ladybug#fantheory#LycoRogue fantheory#LycoRogue Writing#long post#Gabriel Agreste#Hawk Moth#Part 2 of 3#Life and Times of Gabriel Agreste#minor spoilers#ML spoilers#season 2 spoilers#Gorizilla#Style Queen#Maledikator#Malediktator spoilers#Origins
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2017 Top Songs List
Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all great health, love, and luck in the new year. 2017 was a rough ride for a lot of us especially with the passing of quite a few incredible celebrities. Overall it was a fantastic year for music. At the end of the year I like to look back at all the great songs I’ve enjoyed. This year I thought I would make a list of my personal favorites and share it with you all. I first tried to do my top 15 or 20 songs but there were so many I ended up with 30.
Top 30 Songs
Spring Day: BTS MV
Everyone knows BTS had an amazing 2017. Out of all their songs this year I liked Spring Day the most. The MV is so aesthetically pleasing and the laundry mountain was iconic. I honestly wasn’t very much impressed with the LY: Her album songs beside the outro. Not saying I didn’t like them I just like them less than I like their songs from earlier times.
Please: DPR Live MV
DPR is one of the many artists I really got into this year. I really enjoy their sound. Christian Yu should be nominated for best glow up. All their songs are super catchy and great to jam in the car. This song I listened to the most and always got Dumbfoundead’s rap stuck in my head all day.
Da Da Da: Loco ft. Hoody MV
Bleached is definitely one of the best albums this year. Loco changed his sound a bit to me and I feel it fits him better. It was super hard to pick one song from this album as my favorite.
Rollin’: B1A4 MV
Rollin’ is a song I found myself singing all the time. It got stuck in my head after just one listen. I really feel like this song got slept on. Best B1A4 song for a while. The choreo is simple but just as cute and catchy.
Gae Hwa (개화): Epik High ft. Jong Wan MV
Epik High once again brings the best album of the year. We’ve Done Something Wonderful is packed with 11 bone shaking tracks. I want to say it was hard to pick a favorite here but any collaboration between Tablo and Jong Wan will always be the best.
Tequila: G.Soul ft. Hoody MV
My most listened to summer jam of 2017. G. Soul and Hoody really brought the vibes.
I Wait: Day6 MV
Shoutout to Day6 for making a music video to every song they made this year. That’s a huge feat while making them all great quality. Again really hard to pick one single song but I Wait is a serious jam.
Today: Nell x Groovyroom MV
My favs Nell of course need to be on the list. I’m so excited to see their work now that they are an independent label. Groovyroom is an excellent collaboration with them for an extra electric sound.
Hibernation: Yesung MV
What a great year for Yesung fans. A second solo album and a suju comeback. The original bae still looks and sounds great!
Fool: Winner MV
Winner’s four song mini comeback was nice. I found myself singing this song often.
Shine Forever: Monsta X MV
Monsta X were cranking out a bunch of awesome songs and mv’s again this year. Shine Forever stuck with me the most. I like the celtic feel of the violin track and the beautiful mv filming.
Inkigayo: Changmo ft. Dok2, The Quiett MV
Best artist discovery this year is Changmo. I really like his rap style. He made me shuffle my list of favorite rappers. Not to mention somehow getting nominated for a BET award. I listened to Money Making Moment album so many times. The bass for this song sounds so awesome in the car. Illionaire Records was really looking up this year.
Anti: Zico ft. G.Soul MV
Zico gave us some really nice tracks this year with Television and all the work SMTM. Can’t go wrong with a G.Soul hook.
Move: Taemin MV
Taemin’s move as expected is a great song made infinitely better by crazy good choreo. The duo dance version is my favorite.
Water: Dumbfoundead ft. G.Soul MV
Dumbfoundead is such a funny guy. I love this as another summer jam with his usual comedic twist. Another great feature by G.Soul.
Baby Don’t Like It: NCT 127 MV
Two really nice albums from NCT 127 this year. Baby Don’t Like was way too adult for these babies but I can’t help enjoying it.
Black Suit: Super Junior MV
A suju come back is always a blessing. They all look great but can we talk about how much I love Yesung’s hairstyle? It’s almost like a throwback style but still in fashion.
Come Back Home Remake: BTS MV
I know I said Spring Day was my favorite BTS song this year but it’s really this song. I just felt like it didn’t count because it’s not really their song but a remake. I listened to this on repeat more than any other song this year. All that Suga growling...
I I Yo: Gummy MV
It’s not a list without the ballad queen Gummy. This song is a good mix of her serious style but not too heavy with a sort of hip hop beat. It’s only made better by a Jaejoong cameo in the MV.
Gajah: Dynamic Duo ft. RM MV
Also not a top list without Dynamic Duo. They won an award for Nosedive featuring Chen but I liked Gajah a bit more. For a while I has been wishing for a collaboration between DD and Suga but this was the next best thing for me.
Paradise: Millic ft. Fanxy Child MV
Millic showed up strong this year. His whole album Vida is super chill.
Outside: Crush MV
It was at the end of summer but Crush as usual brought great summer jams as well. Outside was a really cute mv.
Change: RM & Wale MV
Round of Applause to RM for this collaboration with Wale. I really like the message with this song.
Party (Shut Down): Sik-k ft. Crush MV
Another Summer Jam. I love the whole H.A.L.F album but this is my favorite. (The softest skrt-skrt)
Cave Me In: Gallant x Tablo x Eric Nam MV
One of my other favorite songs to sing with. I’d never heard of Gallant before this and I’ve still not listened to any of his other songs but his voice is nice.
Iffy: Jay Park x Sik-k x pH-1 MV
I’m not sure why but this song was my go to at the gym. The beat goes great to my elliptical pace.
Fire Water: Code Kunst ft. Tablo, G.Soul MV
This song is right up there with Cave Me In. I usually listened to them consecutively. If you like this song go hear it on the whole album with the extra intro.
Cigarette: offonoff ft. Tablo, Miso MV
Offonoff another new artist for me. In the beginning it was hard to find this track when I couldn’t remember wether his name was onoffon or offonoff. The album is also super chill and has more great tracks. I’ve never heard Miso but I really enjoyed her voice.
Wine: Suran ft. Changmo MV
What an awesome song. Obviously for Suran’s lovely voice and a Changmo feature but also for Suga PD. I hope the next step here is an epic rap song between Changmo and Suga. That would really be dream come true.
Money On The Floor: The Quiett ft. Changmo, Don Mills MV
The Quiett’s album is another I enjoyed this year. This song will always have a special place for me. My mother and I took a road trip this summer for five days and she let me be in charge of music the entire time. I played just my whole iPod on shuffle. I expected her to enjoy more of the ballad songs like Roy Kim or Kyuhyun but she always wanted to skip them. This song she was nodding along to and I tried so hard not to laugh.
Once again I wish everyone a Happy New Year. This list I would definitely make longer with other great songs but 30 is already a lot. Bless you if you read through this whole thing. Here is a link to a youtube playlist I put together of all these songs. I’ll add more to it as I see fit but I won’t list them here.
#kpop#k-pop#2017#kpop 2017#khh#k-hiphop#bts#bangtan#changmo#the quiett#dok2#b1a4#nell#gummy#jay park#tablo#epik high#dynamic duo#RM#suga#suran#offonoff#code kunst#millic#fanxychild#dean#zico#g.soul#sik-k#ph-1
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Welcome to #WhoWhatWearing , a series in which we highlight you, our stylish community of readers. Each of the following looks came straight from a photo you tagged us in on Instagram. Want to be featured next time? You guessed it: Use #WhoWhatWearing on the outfit posts you want us to see. I’ll admit that I am dubious at times when it comes to opting in to the latest trends. For me, the long-term unsustainable impact of keeping up with season after season of the newest It items—or the fact that some trends aren’t practical at all—makes it harder to hop on the bandwagon. Nevertheless, as I scrolled through all the spring outfits our readers tagged us in, I couldn’t deny the truth that not all trends are created equal; some really are worth embracing. Our readers have proven that some of spring 2020’s biggest trends are not only easier to style than one would think but also that some of these are—dare I say—easy to wear in the coming season and beyond. So ahead, you’ll find the trends our readers love the most and their tips for pulling them off flawlessly. On Kat Hsu: Orseund Iris Velvet-Trimmed Cotton-Canvas Bustier Top ($685); Mejuri Locket Necklace ($100); Prada Re-Edition 2000 Nylon Mini-Bag ($725) As we roll out of our state of hibernation, it looks like the boudoir styles aren't staying in the bedroom come spring, and honestly, we’re here for it. But I promise editors aren’t just clamoring for corsets, garter belts, and slip dresses. As Who What Wear reader Kat Hsu told us, “I love pairing lingerie pieces for a casually sexy just-threw-this-on ensemble.” But if you’re intimidated by the look, Kat suggests pairing your lingerie-inspired piece with “similarly colored trousers for a clean, monochrome look accentuated by a colorful touch like a bright purse or fun earrings.” On Kat Hsu (left): & Other Stories High Rise Jeans ($79) and Tube Tank Ivory ($195); On Kim Seidensticker (right): Orseund Iris Ribbed-Knit Corset ($175); Agolde Criss Cross Upsized Jean ($188) Still not convinced to take that bra out on the town? Let Kat's twin and fellow Who What Wear reader, Kim Seidensticker , show you. As she told us, “I think lingerie-inspired pieces are so fun to style for spring. I like to style them with oversize blazers or wide-leg trousers for a look that is a mix of masculine and feminine.” Meaning you, dear reader, can also pull off this look come springtime. All you have to do is style it in a way that works for you. On Daniela Moreno: Salisa Blazer02 ($215) and Trousers05 ($179); Margi Gaba Moo Bag ($249); Missoma Gold Roman Arc Coin Necklace ($180) While suiting has been a thing for a moment , something about the trend for spring feels, well, groundbreaking. Daniela Moreno backs us up on this sentiment, professing, “I love wearing light and neutral-toned suits in spring because it adds a bit of masculinity to the season's trends that tend to be floral dresses.” On Niki Mallikarachi: Frankie Shop Single Breasted Cropped Blazer ($139) and Tie Cuff Trousers ($109); Nike Air Force 1 Shadow Leather Sneakers ($110) Suits truly are spring’s most versatile trend, and no one makes that case quite like Niki Mallikarachi . She explains, “I am into suits for spring because they are so easy to put together effortlessly and can be dressed up or down depending on your mood!” Business casual or polished, you can’t go wrong with a suit for spring. “Suits are the perfect piece to add into your wardrobe for spring. They are the gift that keeps on giving,” Chiara Perera professed to us. No truer words have been said, but it must also be noted the versatility of this trend isn’t limited to how you approach styling; there’s a whole world of colors and prints you can cop to take part in this trend. And if you’re unsure what type of suit is for you, take a cue from Perera and try a pinstripe suit this spring. It’s a surefire way to pull off the trend. On Allison Romero: LPA Top 532 ($128); Zara Flared Pants ($50) For those of us living in colder climates, the best thing about spring is being able to peel off the heavy layers and swap them out for lighter fabrics. But no matter where you live, high-shine satin is a fabric anyone can get behind for spring, and Allison Romero agrees. She stated, “ I live in a climate that’s warm year-round, so silky satin pieces are some of my favorite ways to transition into spring and give my closet a little refresh.” On Sarah Butler: Fabiana Filipi; Chloé Small Aby Lock Bag ($1547) “Shiny satin fabrics are my go-to for elevating a spring outfit,” says Sarah Butler . “Whether it is a satin top, slip dress, or trousers, the luxe fabric always has a sophisticated vibe, which I love. To keep the look feeling refined, I opt for solid colors over patterns in this fabric,” she explains. Satin for spring is a no-brainer. On Francesca Carolina: Dazie Nicolina Backless Top ($50) and Nicolina Slip Skirt ($60); Senso Brooklyn Sandals ($199); Dylan Kain The Linda Bag ($168) Don’t get it twisted: If the S/S 20 runways taught us anything, it’s that black and white for spring can be bold. From stripes to polka dots , we’re fans, but you don’t have to just take our word for it. Francesca Carolina told us, “ I love black and white for spring because it’s such a crisp look. It also means you’re not limited to your accessories!” Whoever said black and white were boring clearly didn’t see our readers' outfits. On Hannah Hill: ASOS Check Wrap Dress ($54); Steve Madden Kagan Ankle Boot ($60); Jacquemus Le Chiquito Leather Mini Bag (sold out) If you’re still not convinced about black and white for spring, look to reader Hannah Hill for inspiration on how to pull off this color palette for spring. She states, “Black-and-white prints are versatile and chic, but don't be afraid to go for bold silhouettes with asymmetrical hemlines and perfect puffy sleeves!” It doesn’t get more fun for spring than mixing in colors and various hemlines to take the classic palette into the new season. On Meeka Hossain: Misha Giulia Blazer Dress ($260); Schutz Analeah Boot ($295) Green for spring? I can hear your eyes rolling. Despite it being slightly cliché, from its previous iterations of pistachio on the runway to mint for this season, this color in all its various forms clearly hasn’t stopped growing on us. If you’re not sure how to embrace mint green for spring, Meeka Hossain ’s tip for adopting this color is to add edge by pairing opposing colors together. “Toughen up the dreamy mint hue by adding a contrasting color like black,” she suggests. On Chainky: Gimaguas Ona Top ($108); Dal Hae The One Choker Necklace ($156) “You can never go wrong with green for spring,” Chainky told us, and we have to agree. But don’t feel tethered to adopting mint as the only hue to try for the season. You can still ride the trend’s wave by playing with other shades of green this spring. Ultimately, it comes down to the color you feel the freshest in, and according to Chainky, “this particular shade of green has a tropical vibe that brings some heat.” Who wouldn’t want to add a little tropical heat into their lives? At some point, you’ve probably already encountered former versions of this bag trend. T hink back to the Fendi Baguette or Dior Saddle Bag . A nd while these bags aren’t going anywhere this spring, you can expect a shift to a more individualist approach to this trend. As reader Leena Ha told us, “I love ’90s shoulder bags for spring not only because of how practical they are, but they add some class to my otherwise grungy style.” Whether you’re like Ha and choose to adopt the trend based on your approach to style or you opt for a labelless version of this trend, the best thing about ’90s shoulder bags is that it is something you can incorporate into your life on your terms. On Tash Baker: Lacausa Long Sleeve Crewneck ($77); Flash Eva Pearl Sleeper Hoops ($249); Jurate LA Necklace ($124); Bonito Golden Layering Necklace Trio ($215) What makes a trend truly viable is its ability to be rebirthed, re-worn, and reincorporated into our lives. The ’90s shoulder bag embodies that. It’s been popular before, it’s popular now, and it will probably be popular again, so even if after getting to the end of this story you’re weary of trends, this may be the easiest one to adopt because it's the perfect combination of timeless and wearable. Next: These Are the Biggest Spring 2020 Trends, Period
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CSJJ Day 26: Proverbs to Live By
She had sworn to hate him. So why did they keep falling into bed together? And why did it feel so right?
also on ff.net and ao3
>10k
Wow - I get to post on Colin’s birthday! I hope you enjoy a dose of angsty, smutty, fluffy-ness!
as ever, thank you to my wonderful beta, @nickillian
Christmas
Emma Swan had opened the thin, square gift and laughed. A calendar. Her brother had always said she had a terrible memory for dates - she was always forgetting birthdays and anniversaries. Inside, she could see that these key dates had already been written in every month in the looping, neat script that she recognised as his.
Proverbs to Live By, it was called, the title written on the front in sugary pink, curving script. She’d laughed; clearly that had been some kind of joke. Emma had no time for flowery words and suchlike.
The calendar ended up hanging on a little hook beside her fridge, quickly filling up with further dates and ‘remember tos’, every time she turned the page to a new month she found herself rolling her eyes at the latest cliche...
March
Easy come, easy go
It was a chilly evening at Storybrooke harbour. The sun had long since disappeared for the day and the Atlantic Ocean was whipping up, tossing a fine spray of saltwater onto dry land. Emma tugged her leather jacket around her as she waited.
A small, well-kept boat pulled up the the jetty. “Killian Jones?” she shouted.
The man at the wheel was bundled up in a thick down jacket with a beanie pulled down over his forehead. He tilted his head and held his hand up to his ear to indicate he couldn’t hear and then pointed at the engine. With a sigh, Emma checked her watch. It was already 7pm and she needed this skip back in Boston by 7 am at the latest.
She waited, less than patiently, as the skipper eased the small yacht into the berth and turned off the engine. He then took a loop of thick rope and began to wrap it around the metal cleat that was attached into the dock’s timbers. Not seemingly in any rush, he then continued to tie up the rest of the hitches before hopping effortlessly onto the jetty and strolling towards her.
“Can I help you, lass?” he drawled, his crisp British accent so out of place that it startled her for a moment as she simultaneously noticed that his eyes were a brilliant blue against the rest of his dark attire. She swallowed hard and gathered her thoughts.
“Emma Swan, bail bonds and PI,” she announced, handing him a business card that he quickly scanned before shoving it in his jeans pocket. He smiled, exposing perfect white teeth.
“Killian Jones, owner and captain.” He held out his hand but Emma ignored him and pulled out photocopy of William Smee’s mugshot from her jacket pocket and held it up.
“You know this man?”
He squinted, taking a few steps forward as he tugged off the beanie and revealed a crop of thick, dark hair. “Ah yes, nice fellow. Just gave him a ride.”
“A ride? I thought you gave sightseeing cruises?”
She eyed up the fresh sign that sat beside the boat’s berth ‘Jones Scenic Tours’, illustrated as it was with a painting of a vintage style yacht silhouetted against a sunset. The business was new to town in the past month or so (according to the gossip she heard in the diner) and as such not much was known about it other than it’s name and that of its owner.
“Well yes, that will be my main purpose come the warmer months, but as it is a while yet til that time I am also available to charter.”
“Right,” she muttered, “So where is he?” she looked behind him, expecting her skip to be also exiting the boat.
“Who?” he asked, tilting his head.
“Him! William Smee!” She waved the mugshot in front of his face, feeling quickly exasperated by this man with the ridiculously blue eyes (and, she noted to her chagrin, he had good hair… and a perfect jawline with a layer of scruff that was distractingly attractive, even in her current state).
“Oh,” he cried, scratching at said scruff. “I let him off. He decided when we were out he wanted to make it a one way trip.”
“What?” she screeched. “What the hell? Where?”
Captain Killian Jones looked sheepishly at the ground. He winced a little and then quietly replied, “Canada…”
“CANADA!? Motherfucker!-”
Jones shrugged, “I saw no harm- he said he wanted to visit some family-”
Emma shook her head, raising her hands in frustration. “You aided and abetted a wanted criminal, you jackass!”
“Hey, lass, calm down-” he took a step closer to her.
She tossed him an icy glare. “Jesus, stop calling me that. I’m a grown woman not some ‘lass’. Did you know that man is wanted for fraud and forgery in three states?”
“No…”
“And that aiding and abetting a felon’s escape is a crime?”
Folding his arms, Killian Jones rolled his eyes. “Come on now, no harm done. I can show you where I dropped him if you have a map. Then you could go get him and do your bail bonds thing. Short fellow, big beard - he doesn’t blend in that well.” He grinned, showing those neat white teeth again that just infuriated her even more.
“Trust you? No siree. But you can bet your ass the sheriff is going to hear about this.”
“Hey now, isn’t that a little much?”
If blood could boil, her’s certainly was now. “A little MUCH? I’ve been tracking this guy for two weeks and I finally nail him down and then thanks to you, buddy, he skips out!” She took an angry step forward and planted her fists firmly on her hips.
Killian pursed his lips for a moment, before leaning a little closer. “Well maybe, love, if you were a better bail bonds ‘person’ it wouldn’t have taken you over a week to find the damn fool. He’s hardly a criminal mastermind!”
She gasped in shock, “Oh no, you do NOT get away with insulting me like that. I am VERY good at my job.”
“Clearly not good enough,” he quipped.
She looked at him with disgust, scanning over his body from his mussed up hair to his old scuffed boots. He may be handsome, but he was an asshole, which more than cancelled out his good looks.
“Just you wait for the call, buddy. I’m very good friends with the local PD.”
“I await with bated breath,” he said, giving her a sarcastic wink.
“You… you…” She balled up her fists in frustration as all rational words seem to leave her head.
“Yes?” he asked, folding his arms.
“Urgh!” she cried, spinning abruptly on her heel and stomped back towards her car.
That ass, she thought, he is not going to get away with this.
April
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Spring had sprung.
Storybrooke was beginning to wake up from its winter hibernation and prepare itself for the upcoming tourist season. The nip in the air finally softened and the first buds of new flowers began to appear.
Not that that mattered too much to Emma. Her work was not dictated by season and frankly, more tourists in town just gave her a headache when she had to wait in line for her morning cocoa at Granny’s Diner for more a minute or two.
Spring brought with it the month of her brother’s birthday and as per usual it was to be celebrated with a party involving just about everyone Emma Swan and her brother knew.
Frankly, Emma was not in the mood for a party, even one for her beloved sibling. Hot on the tail of William Smee all week (predictably, he hadn’t been able to stay away from his old haunts), somehow he’d gotten away. Again. It irked her more than it usually did when a skip got the better of her. The man was slippier than an eel.
If it hadn’t have been a special occasion then she would definitely have begged off and gone to bed with a bottle of whiskey and some take out. Not that that was an unusual occurrence. David and his girlfriend Mary Margaret Blanchard were true social butterflies, always arranging one get together or the next, with barely a week going by in between. The pair were used to Emma declining when she was called out of town for work (actually not always a lie, Emma was a workaholic if she was anything).
The party was held at the large loft space just off Main Street that David and Mary Margaret shared; open plan and nicely rustic - it as an ideal place for a party but it didn’t offer many spaces to hide. Emma decided the best course of action, considering her mood, was to sulk by herself at the periphery of the room and hope that she would be left alone.
By nine, the loft was buzzing with people. With David being the small town’s sheriff, he knew just about everyone and everyone loved him. He was one of those down to the bone good people and that’s what made him perfect for Mary Margaret. She herself was white as snow, as perfect as a princess- normally something Emma would hate but how anyone could so much as dislike the elfin schoolteacher was beyond her. Truth was, they were both just really good people and as such were liked by just about every person in the small town. Thankfully that meant a crowd of people Emma could hide behind.
Sipping on her Jack and Coke, she slouched against the exposed brick wall as she watched the guests arrive and greet David, laden with gifts and drinks, bringing smiles and laughter as they shucked off their jackets and tucked into the lavish buffet that the happy couple had laid out for everyone. The perfect hosts as always, she thought with a sigh that had a tinge of envy within it.
The liquor wasn’t exactly filling and it didn’t take long for Emma’s own stomach to start to grumble and remind her that she had not eaten since lunch - and even then a bearclaw did not constitute a meal if the term was to be applied properly. She knocked back the rest of her drink and then took the scenic route around the outer rim of the loft towards the kitchen, managing to make it there with only a few nods and smiles needed to those who had caught her eye. After loading up a plate with both hot and cold appetizers, she was reaching for one more mini quiche when she did a double take.
“Holy crap,” she whispered under her breath as she saw who had just stepped through the door. Slamming down her paper plate, she stomped towards the devil himself.
A second later she was tapping on the shoulder of her target.
“Yes?”
He turned around. It was definitely him. Blue eyes, killer smile, perfectly shaped mouth. Killian Jones. Her nemesis. Looking irritatingly more put together than the last time they met in a leather jacket and button down that made her quickly smarten up her own shirt with a quick downward tug.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
He smiled. The bastard smiled.
“Well good evening to you too, Miss Swan.”
“I’m serious,” she muttered, “Why are you here?”
Killian rolled his eyes, “It’s called an invitation, Miss Swan. Someone invites you to a gathering and it’s customary to accept, should you be available.”
“How do you know David?”
He folded his arms. “Well I do believe someone tried to get me arrested last month. Turns out your brother is a lot more reasonable than you are.”
Emma pursed her lips. It still smarted that he had been let go without so much as a slap on the wrist. Damn, you’d think the local Sheriff being your brother should have some perks?
“So he just let you go and now you’re pals?”
“Well, love, it seems that some people in this town are willing to make a newcomer feel welcome.”
She scoffed, throwing back her head. “This town is not in need of any more assholes.”
“Ooh, darling,” he cooed, stepping forward and tilting his head, “That smacked of bitterness. What’s wrong- some clever sod dumped you and now you’re taking it out on every handsome man you meet?”
“Screw you.”
“Oh wouldn’t you love to,” he jibed, grinning like he was really enjoying this exchange.
“In your dreams.”
He looked her up and down, his jaw falling open as his tongue ran a slow path along his bottom lip.
“How did you know?”
The only thing that stopped her from kicking him in the balls, right there and then, was seeing her brother approach from across the room. The last thing she wanted was for him to see them arguing and then spend the rest of the night trying to get them to make up (ever the conciliator was her brother - that’s what made him such a great sheriff).
“This isn’t over,” she whispered, turning away before David could catch her.
With a scowl, she wandered back to her plate of food, pouring herself a double whiskey in an attempt to douse the fire of contempt that his arrival (and their confrontation) had sparked within her. The plate of food went down almost as easily as the liquor and a pleasant feeling of mild drunkenness had started to descend. So she poured herself another drink, consciously keeping herself on the opposite side of the loft to him, letting herself drink away the annoyance until she almost forgot he was there.
***
Much, much later, when the lingering crowd had started to dwindle, Emma wandered towards the bathroom. Walking in a straight line wasn’t easy, but the drinks had certainly improved her mood. She pushed open the door, only to see it was occupied, quickly dropping her gaze.
“Oh, shit, sorry-”
“No bother love-”
Both parties looked up at the same time. All the anger of their earlier interaction immediately came rushing back, mingled with the complete lack of filter that the alcohol had provided.
He raised an eyebrow and that made her just lose it.
“You lost me a skip,” she spat.
Without missing a beat he replied, “You almost got me arrested - and deported!”
She set her face in stone, looking with disgust at his ridiculously handsome face and the way his leather jacket fit him so damn well-
“You’re an ass.”
“You’re a bloody minx.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “A minx? Is that the best you can come up with?”
“Well, I would call you a bitch but that would be bad form on my part.”
“I hate you.”
“Oh nowhere near as much as I detest you, love.”
The way her drunken mind saw it, she had two options. Either kiss him or slap him.
She chose the former: launching her lips at his with a ferocity that only anger could furnish.
For a second, he was taken aback. Swaying slightly, he soon righted himself as she slung her arms around his neck and pulled him close. It was a kiss that lacked finesse, more teeth than tongue and drunken groping hands that were soon cupping her ass and tangled in his hair. She then pushed him back against the sink, leaning up on her toes to chase his lips.
(He tasted like rum and Coke. She liked it.)
Then, he pulled away a little, scraping his teeth down her neck, gnawing at the flesh as she slid her hands through his gorgeously thick hair. Her skin began to tingle with want, heat burning between her thighs while his wandering lips made their way across her chest, one of his hands flicking the tiny pearl buttons of her blouse open and pulling down the lace cups of her bra before latching onto a nipple and sucking hard enough to make her cry our. Her head fell back, the sensation going straight to her core. He was kneading her other breast with his hand, before alternating, running his tongue in circles around her nipples before pulling them into his mouth. Breathlessly, she began to tug at the hem of his shirt, her hands finding his firm stomach and scraping around the band of his jeans until she could grab his ass, squeezing it tightly until he bit down on her breast and let out a low growl.
Dazed and confused, she let him lean her back against the wall and slide his hand beneath her jeans and into her panties, her body jolting when his fingers slid into her wetness.
“Fuck,” he muttered, looking down at her through his lashes, his teeth biting down on his bottom lip in a look straight out of her fantasies that just screamed of sin and sex and all the things that she shouldn’t be doing with her number one enemy.
But she was too far gone, too turned on to even care as he began to tug down her jeans, freeing one leg as he crouched in front of her and rested her foot on the edge of the tub. His fingers moved over her clit for a moment, before pressing inside of her in a delicious motion that was twinned by the sensation of his mouth upon her, his tongue spiralling and flicking her clit as his fingers pressed and stroked her to a shuddering climax only minutes later.
Her eyes flickered closed, the room spinning from orgasm and liquor. Seconds later, she saw him rise to stand, sliding his fingers covered in her release into his mouth and humming his approval as he licked them clean.
(Which was just about the hottest thing she had ever seen.)
“I’ve wanted to do that since I met you,” he admitted.
“Oh,” she choked.
“And not just that,” he added, his voice lower and more dangerous.
“Oh.”
Standing there, pants half off, breasts hanging out of her bra, she really should have felt more self conscious. But the way he was looking at her - damn, all sexy eyes and pure goddamn lust - pushed away any emerging thoughts about just how fucked up this was and all she wanted to know was what else he wanted to do to her.
(And to let him.)
“Wanna show me?” she asked, licking her lips a she clocked the bulge in his jeans.
A slow smile spread across his fucking handsome face.
“Outside,” she whispered, “Five minutes.”
“Make it two,” he quipped, his eyes flickering over her bare chest before he opened the door slipped back into the loft.
She stood there a second, her heart racing, her mind foggy, her lust-soaked body drunk on expectation. Then quickly, she dressed (well, as quickly as her drunkenness would allow) and counted to 50 before she followed him, giving a quick goodbye to the hosts who were thankfully almost as merry as she and hopefully less likely to have noticed the dual occupants of the bathroom.
She hoped.
***
Later, in his bed, sweaty and exhausted but thoroughly sated, she turned to him. The bed sheet was over his hips, barely covering him. He did have a beautiful body, she thought. Lean and long, but not like he cared too much to slave over it in a gym for hours. Just… natural. It had felt so good on top of her, firm and warm and even through the haze of hormones and liquor she had to say he was just about the best lay she had had in a very, very long time. (Perhaps every, a little part of her said, quickly quietened.)
“I still hate you,” she said as her breathing slowed back to normal. He tilted his head and smirked, his kiss-reddened lips swollen and sexy.
“Feeling’s mutual,” he replied with a wink.
Five minutes later she was gone.
June
Birds of a feather flock together
Late one Saturday evening Emma received a text from Mary Margaret. It was a single picture of her hand adorned with a solitaire peridot ring on her wedding finger. So David had finally gone and done it. After five years of dating her older brother was going to make his girlfriend an honest woman. Emma’d replied with a congratulatory message, full of the enthusiasm that the couple deserved. But there was a dull ache that accompanied the news. One that felt an awful lot like envy.
The pair were the epitome of everything that she thought a relationship should be and had long since given up on for herself. God, she was so happy for them. But it still was a stinging reminder of that she would never have and what she had turned her back on after one too many jerks had messed with her heart.
She needed to do something.
Impulsively, she grabbed her leather jacket and jumped into her car. She drove into town from her little cottage on the edge of the woods, parking outside the diner and planning to pick up a ride or get a cab back later. The heels of her boots clacked on the pavement as she walked the short distance to the one bar that she knew stayed open late in Storybrooke and would have some strong liquor that would happily banish these negative thoughts, for tonight at least.
A few paces outside she could already hear the music coming from the jukebox and the sound of a Saturday night crowd. She took a breath and stepped inside, her mouth already watering at the idea of a stiff drink.
And, of course, the first person she saw as she walked in was Killian Jones. Same leather coat, same butt hugging jeans with a bottle of beer in hand and his hip pressed up against the bar as he nodded to her in welcome.
Her face instantly flushed. Memories of the night they had shared (that she had tried to lock away) came back in relentless waves, causing her heart to flutter a little as her gut clenched. Averting her eyes, she walked purposefully past him, threading her way through the crowd before taking a seat at the furthest end of the bar and placing an order for a strong hiball.
“Avoiding me?”
She almost jumped out of her skin at the soft, dulcet tones of Killian Jones voice just a few inches shy of her ear.
“Shit,” she cried, smiling apologetically as the barman placed a Jack and Coke in front of her. “Some warning please,” she hissed.
“Sorry,” he grinned, sliding onto the stool beside hers. “So, are you or are you not avoiding me? Out of curiousity, I mean,” he asked.
Emma took a quick sip as she contemplated a suitable reply. “More like pretending you don’t exist.”
“Ah,” he replied. “How quickly hatred becomes indifference.”
“Oh, I still hate you,” she quipped, averting her eyes from as she noticed he was wearing the same cologne as the last time time their paths had crossed and the scent brought her back to his bed.
“Hmph,” he grunted, before signalling for another beer. “Good. I like a consistent woman.”
Turning, Emma gave him a pointed glare. “Can I help you? I just came here for a quiet drink.”
“Didn’t you know, it’s bad form to drink alone.” He leaned in a little closer, “Leads to all kinds of rumors.”
With a scoff, she knocked back another mouthful.“Like I care what people think.”
“Oh?” he asked, his eyes wandering over her face in a way that made her far more exposed than the time he had actually seen her naked. She shivered.
“Yeah. So, if you don’t mind...” she gestured for him to shoo away.
He shifted, placing both elbows on the bar in front of him. “I think I’ll stay here. Bit drafty where I was before.”
“Seriously?”
He leaned closer to her, lowering his voice. “What love, am I making you uncomfortable? Perhaps certain events of the past are at the forefront of your mind.”
She flushed again and was damn thankful that the bar was so poorly lit.
“That was a mistake,” she whispered, though she wasn’t sure who she was worried about overhearing their conversation considering the music and the crowd.
“Agreed,” he hummed, “But certainly one of the better ones I’ve made.”
Emma let out a huff of air. “Well, live on the memory buddy, because it isn’t happening again.”
“Oh really?” he replied, “Shame.”
His arrogance astounded her. As if she would ever sleep with him again! She glanced sideways as he picked up his beer and lifted it to his lips, cursing the day she had met this man.
***
One hour later, those same lips were trailing a sinful path down her neck and across her throat. Good lord this man knew how to make her body sing. Her hands anchored themselves in his hair as he turned her attention to her breasts, half exposed as they were from where he had earlier pulled down the neckline of her shirt. He clearly had a thing for them, not that she was complaining of the attention.
“This means nothing,” she mumbled as she moved to unbutton his shirt and push it over his shoulders.
“Of course,” he agreed, giving her a quick wink before he continued undressing her.
How they had gotten to this point, half dressed in the hallway of his apartment was a little fuzzy. It had started with at least three cocktails, then an argument over a bowl of bar nuts had led to him (allegedly accidentally) knock a near full bottle of beer over her jeans and then he insisted she come to his place and change into something dry.
Yeah. She’s seen through that almost instantly- (she wasn’t that drunk. This time-). But Emma hadn’t cared, she had just wanted to feel good and forget all about the shitty parts of her life for one night. Though she may hate him, she knew he could do that for her.
Soon, he was wonderfully naked and splayed across his bed, propped up on his elbows with a cheeky grin on his face that she knew just the solution for. Without ceremony, she crawled over him, raking her hands over his body - his hair covered chest and the lean muscle that gave him a graceful elegance even when wrapped in denim and leather. Scraping her nails over his skin, she listened to his moans, her cheeks flushing with stupid pride as she took his heavy length in her hand and then wrapped her lips around him.
The further appreciative sounds he made had her hollowing her cheeks and circling her tongue around his tip, the heat growing between her legs, the sounds of him getting turned on turning her on. His hands slipped into her hair, his legs spread out as his hips rocked upwards. He was really enjoying it. So she worked harder, taking him deeper within her mouth, swallowing around him, one hand holding him firmly as the other cupped and fondled his balls until he was begging for mercy.
“Fuck, Swan-”
“What?” she laughed, a twinkle in her eye as he pulled her up to him and kissed her ruthlessly before turning his mouth to every bare patch of skin he could find.
(And the reason why she had found herself at the bar - and in his bed - completely escaped her mind…)
***
Her toes had cramped as she finally came, her hands pressing on his sweat covered chest, her thighs trembling a little from the effort of riding them both to release. After a few breaths, she let him slip from her and fell by his side, her heart still racing.
The tingling had barely dissipated from her body when she reached for her jeans.
“You don’t have to go, love,” he said, placing a warm hand on her arm, causing her to pause and look back at him.
“I don’t do sleepovers,” she said pointedly.
“Well how about just five minutes? A man could be insulted at how keen you are to leave his bed.”
His cheeks were nicely pink. It made him look almost sweet and was quite disarming.
“Oh?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “I thought you had thicker skin than that.”
He shrugged his shoulders but kept his eyes on her and after a moment’s hesitation she settled back down, pulling up the sheet to cover her nakedness and tucking it under her arms.
A few quiet minutes passed. Her heart began to slow and she listened as their breathing fell into sync. Her eyes wandered around the room. She quite liked it; all dark wood furniture with muted blue-grey walls that reminded her a little of the ocean in the winter. The walls were adorned with pictures; not of people, but of places. She recognized one of the London skyline and another of the white cliffs of Dover. It made her wonder how this man had ended up so far away from his roots.
“Why did you come to Storybrooke?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper in the silent room.
“Maybe I have a thing for blondes who hate me?” He laughed, (and she smiled) before he added, “Why not? It’s not so bad a place, is it?”
“I guess,” she smiled. “But I don’t think it would come up top in a Google search of places to live.”
“True. But circumstances led me here.”
She turned to she could see him. He was still lying on his back, his fingers interlaced over his chest.
“Oh?”
His eyes met hers again and then turned to focus on the ceiling. “I needed to start a business to get a residence visa and Storybrooke had the capacity to support one - or so your chamber of commerce would have me believe considering my current experiences. Maybe I should have gone into bail bonds. Seems there’s a lack of quality in that industry around these parts.”
She reached across the bed and jabbed him in the side.
“Ouch,” he hissed, twisting and looking her dead in the eye. “I would advise you not to assault me, I have close ties to the local sheriff.”
“My brother will always put family first,” she grinned back, before adding “Most of the time, anyway.”
He shifted onto his side, the sheet falling lower on his hips so she could see the line of muscle that led to his crotch. She swallowed hard and tried to look higher… but then she was engrossed again in his face. That handsome face with perfect jaw and blue eyes.
“My brother is why I am here.”
“There are Jones’?” she cried. “I can barely stand one!”
“Were…there were two of us.”
“Oh, shit…” she felt like utter crap as she watched a wave of pain ripple over his face.
“I brought it up,” he replied. “He was in the Navy - we both were, actually. But then there was an accident during a training exercise about a year ago and… he died.”
“Jones, you don’t have to-”
“You’re the first person here I’ve actually told. I think I want to talk about him, it’s just a strange thing to bring up when you’re the new man in town.”
“Yeah, I’d say you’re right.” Emma thought back to her own childhood of foster home and moving to a new town every few months - no one ever really knowing her. She waited a moment, before asking, “You left when he died? The Navy, I mean.”
He nodded. “My commission was up that year. I’d been gunning for my own captaincy. But, things change, right?”
She wanted to dislike him. She did. And he was still an ass… but he had shared something with her. She could tell he had needed to talk about his brother, if only briefly. She wanted to give him a little something back.
“David and Mary Margaret are engaged.”
“Oh,” he nodded.
“I found out tonight. That’s why I was at the bar. I was engaged a long time ago and it turned out pretty bad. It still… you know.”
She looked at him, willing him to understand what lay beneath her words. That she hadn’t lost something physical - a brother like he had, but instead she’d lost a future - a ‘maybe’ and a ‘hopefully’ had become a never. He nodded again, slowly reaching his hand out to run over the arm that she had left lying between them.
“Perhaps we aren’t so different then, the two of us. Both quite good at hiding from our worries.”
“Maybe,” she smiled again, just a little too openly - a little too hopefully. “But I still don’t like you.”
“Aye love, I know,” he winked, “Same here.”
August
No man is an island
It shouldn’t rain in August.
It certainly shouldn’t rain in August when her damn car has broken down outside the sheriff station and she is pulling her leather jacket over her head as she tries to make it to Granny’s to sink back a hot cocoa and work out how she’ll get home.
But it did rain; the tail end of some tropical storm the weather report had said, and Killian Jones had found her soaked to the bone crossing Main Street, pulling up beside her in his big black truck and insisting she get inside out of the ‘goddamn rain’. Then upon hearing of her conundrum he had insisted upon driving her home. ‘Not much interest in boat trips today’ he’d explained and in a moment of weakness she had agreed.
All of which had then led to an invitation to come in for a coffee (another moment of weakness)… which resulted in her being naked from the waist down, perched on the edge of her kitchen countertop as he fucked her senseless.
Her ass was cold but she didn’t care. Her rain-damp shirt was stuck to her skin, his hair was all messed up from where she had ruined it with her fingers. His shirt hung undone by his sides, underwear and jeans merely pushed down, such had been her haste for him.
(Yeah, she’d started it. He’d offered to help make coffee and then he was bending over to get some milk from the fridge and those damn tight jeans made his ass looks so good… and it was so easy to yank on his arm and then kiss him, sending the milk crashing to the floor and earning her a surprised grunt.)
It felt so good to just let go. Her body was so desperate for him, slick and wet as he’d slid home with throaty moan. Her annoyance at the day faded into nothing as he snapped his hips and pulled her close to the edge of the countertop, hitting her deeper inside as his fingers dug into her ass and he snatched breathless kisses from her lips.
With a strained gasp, she came, her hands encircled on the collar of his shirt, his movements grew faster as chased her to a peak, her legs wrapping around his hips as she willed him to fall with her-
Until he froze, curses falling from his lips until his forehead, laced with sweat, fell to her shoulder.
“Well, that was unexpected,” he panted a moment later.
The lusty haze was replaced with a chill as Emma straightened herself up, giving him a second to do the same before she looked him in the eye. He was flushed again - she was getting used to his post orgasm face, she thought with alarm - a satisfied smile gracing his lips. She suddenly felt exposed.
“Well, um, thanks,” she muttered, nudging him away from her and slipping herself down onto the kitchen floor before padding into her bedroom to locate a pair of sweatpants and a dry shirt. As she pulled the t-shirt over her head, she looked at herself in her mirror. Her hair was a soaking mess but her face- well, it wore the look of satisfaction, despite the scowl that had started to form as she left the kitchen.
“You alright love?” he called from the other room.
“Don’t call me love,” she snapped.
Scrunching up her face, she walked back into the kitchen to see him already dressed and preparing the two mugs of coffee that had been forgotten in the heat of the moment.
“Hey, sorry, I-”
He held up his hand, his face devoid of all the signs of the contentment of a few minutes before. “No worries lass. I’ll just have this and be out of your hair.”
And that, for some reason, made her feel like utter crap. She may have sworn to hate him, but she didn’t need to be an utter bitch about it when she had just used him for sex like some desperate hussy.
Her attention was taken to the window when a heavy burst of rain hammered against it. She could see the trees nearby stretching and leaning as they tried to escape the clutches of the storm's strong winds.
“Thank you for the ride,” her cheeks colored as she realized her double entendre. “Um, you don’t need to rush to leave. The storm's pretty bad and the road back into town likes to do this flash flooding thing.”
He gave her a curious look. “Why Swan, is that you asking me to stay?”
“More like saying I’d rather not have your tragic death on my conscience.”
He picked up his coffee mug and looked like he was considering her offer, which made her roll her eyes in exasperation. She was trying to do the right thing here.
“I have Netflix,” she offered dryly.
After another quick glance outside at the weather he shrugged. “Netflix it is then.”
***
He’d surprised her when he hadn’t argued with her about what to watch. She was right in the middle of a marathon of one of those cheesy forensic-cop shows and was dying to find out who the big bad of the season (who had been taunting the fearless crime fighters for weeks now) really was.
Killian seemed content to sit on the end of her thankfully large sofa with a dwindling supply of coffee in hand and watch silently, with only the occasional flippant comment about the ridiculousness of the show. Emma, used to watching alone, found a strange comfort in rebuffing his jibes and explaining to him just how serious it was.
“They use real science consultants and the same techniques the police do.”
“”Hmm, I bet,” he hummed with a chuckle.
She glared at him, hugging a throw cushion to her chest. “Are you mocking me?”
“Wouldn’t dare,” he quipped with a flashy grin as the credits rolled and she had to resist the urge to lob that cushion at his smug, handsome face.
(And it was at that exact moment that it occurred to her that none of this felt weird. They’d had sex - sweaty, frantic sex - and instead of feeling uncomfortable that he was still nearby she felt strangely okay about it.)
She was skipping to the next episode, when she noticed him looking around the room, almost studying it.
“Swan, I have to say, this place is a bit of an odd choice to set up home.”
“Says the man who would probably live on his boat if he could.”
He shrugged and nodded his head in agreement. She settled herself into the chair, observing that it was still raining and reasoning it couldn’t hurt to tell him a few key facts about Emma Swan.
“It was my mom’s - my adoptive mom’s, I mean. She took me in when I was about thirteen after I’d been bounced around a million foster homes since I was a baby.” She gave him a look as he opened his mouth, “No sympathy needed. The past is the past. Anyway, she had this cabin that we used for day trips into the woods - and when I got older we’d come here with our friends and kinda camp out. I always loved it and I guess she knew. She died a few years ago and left me this place. David helped me renovate it - put in a real kitchen and a bathroom and here you go. My only little slice of solitude.” She looked around fondly at the exposed timber walls and the open plan living-kitchen space. It was small but perfectly formed and every window had fantastic views of the woods.
“So you like being alone then?”
She sensed more meaning behind the question than he let on, but chose to ignore it and smiled softly. “Always worked out for me in the past.”
He placed his mug on the small coffee table in front of them. “We’re both orphans then.”
“Technically… I mean, my birth parents might be out there but it’s not like I’m expecting them to turn up out of the blue and go all Annie on me.”
With a laugh, he bit on bottom lip and hummed his agreement. “Aye, that seems unlikely.” He was looking at her again, with a curious glint in his eye. It sent bolt of something sharp to her gut and she had to look away.
He made to stand. “Anyway, I think it’s time I took my leave. Let you watch your show in peace.”
She noticed that the rain had lessened as he went to retrieve his jacket and boots from where they had been left in the kitchen. She watched as he shrugged on the worn leather, admiring the way it stretched over his back; remembering how that back had felt under the hands.
“Goodbye Swan,” he nodded one final time as he headed for the door.
The words had reached her lips before she even realized.
“I still hate you,” she said softly.
“Yes,” he began, turning back to her, “I haven’t forgotten.”
It was only when the door closed that she noted that he hadn’t said it back to her.
Turning back to the tv, a peculiar feeling overtook her. Somehow the cabin seemed a whole lot emptier than usual.
October 2016
You can't always get what you want
Tangled in Killian Jones arms- in her own bed - was not how she had expected to spend the eve of her birthday. She’d had a great night with frozen pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s finest planned, her usual pre-birthday ritual that she had kept for the past half dozen years without fail.
But here she was.
Warm and sated, she pressed her body closer to his, enjoying the hum of his heart against her chest and the warmth of his bare skin against her own. She knew she had to move away from him and send him on his way, but, damn, it had been a long time since she had just snuggled with someone. Even someone she hated.
His fingers began running up her arms and she shivered at the ticklish sensation.
“Cold?” he whispered.
“Ticklish,” she admitted as she spun onto her stomach. “So, do you always turn up unexpectedly at the homes of your sworn enemies with Chinese take out or is this a new angle for you?” Her stomach rumbled a little as she thought of the boxes of noodles that still sat, as yet untouched, in her kitchen.
“Well, since I’m not in the habit of forming enemies, I’d say this is new for me.”
Resting her forearms on his chest, she planted her chin on top of her interlaced fingers.
“But when I heard it was your birthday I thought it was about time that I finally made it up to you for the whole helping-a-felon incident.”
“Oh, so you admit you were an ass?”
“I only admit that I could have been a little more civilized about the matter had a hot-headed blonde not got me so riled up.”
Emma blushed a little.
“Sounds like an admission to me,” she teased. “Seriously though, the whole food thing was unnecessary. Kinda makes it harder to hate you.”
“Harder but not impossible,” he added, with a sad smile that she tried not to consider. “You actually haven’t reminded me that you hate me yet.”
Eyes flickered over him, looking so damn good in her bed, and she considered all she knew about this man and all she never would. Sex and pillow talk had given her a window into his soul, but she knew she had to let that mist over and let him drift away from her before things got… complicated.
This was far too comfortable, she thought, laying on her bed, talking like - like it was a relationship. Something it could never be, she thought with a start.
She had to end this soon, a little voice said. Her heart sank a little in resignation.
“You brought food, that earns you a pass.”
“Oh, then I shall have to buy you more gifts.”
She scoffed and shook her head, looking to change the subject. “We should probably eat the food before it’s ruined.”
“I think it already is, love. We’ve been in here quite a while.”
She looked at the little alarm clock on her bedside. It was almost 11 and he had arrived sometime before 8. “Shit.”
“I think we were quite preoccupied.”
And oh they had been. If the man had been given any talents, she was sure one of his greatest was in the bedroom. And he was handsome. And charming. And she was pretty sure he was a really interesting guy (if she could take the time to get to know him).
Suddenly, she was nervous. Her mouth dry.
This was all feeling a little too real, a little too like a something.
And the room was spinning and all the thoughts and doubts she had about whatever the hell was happening materialized into a wall of feeling that slammed into her, shattering her composure-
“I think we should stop this,” she said, the words racing from her lips, not allowing herself to watch his reaction. Her whole body seemed to sink into the bed, her limbs leaden. Strangely, only her head retained its lightness, taking on the likeness of a helium balloon dancing at the end of a piece of string making her feel particularly abstract not only from her surroundings, but herself.
“This?” he asked
“This,” she repeated. “ The sex. I mean, it’s not going anywhere-”
“Of course,” he muttered shifting away from her and making the mattress groan.
“I mean it’s ridiculous,” she rambled, staring at her hands as she talked, “We hate each other. I mean, you should be with someone you actually care about and like rather than someone you can barely tolerate.”
He was inching away from her on the bed, a deep sigh escaping his lungs.
“I understand,” he said, “Sex is off the table. We have been a little thoughtless, haven’t we? But we could still be friends...” he whispered.
“Friends?” she quipped, giving him a quick, doubtful glance, “We weren’t to begin with Kilian.”
Softly, he sighed. “Touche, love.”
Arranging her face in a composed manner that would have fooled even the most adept student of her expressions, she offered him a bright smile while he went about dressing.
“I think I’ll leave the food to you, love. It’s getting late and all.”
She didn’t allow herself to look at his bare chest and the hair that swept over it, or the way his jeans hugged his hips or his bedhead. She didn’t allow the sudden feeling that she had made a terrible mistake to transpose itself into words or actions. She didn’t even allow herself about the crassness of having this conversation mere minutes after they’d been having sex.
Instead she nodded quickly and turned away to slip on a robe. And then he was gone, quietly and with barely a ‘goodbye’ and she was standing there, a little stunned in her cotton robe watching the door close.
Then it hit her.
She could smell his cologne on her skin and the burn of his scruff was still raw on her cheeks.
It was really over.
December
There’s no place like home.
A New Year’s like the ultimate cheesy cliche to Emma. But if anyone could pull it off, it was her brother and his glowing bride.
Their vows had been taken outdoors, in a large glen in the woods, a favourite spot since their youth that somehow managed to be as beautiful in the depths of winter as in the August heat. The rain that had tormented Storybrooke for the past few months stayed away and instead a blue sky greeted the couple and the minister who joined them. Emma, as maid of honor, watched in awe as the pair pledged their love for one another and their futures together. It was a truly beautiful ceremony.
In fact, it was only marred marred for her by the attendance of Killian Jones; second row, groom’s side, with the rather lovely local librarian Belle French as his date.
Of course he had a date, she had told herself as she walked down the aisle and spotted him. He was handsome and gregarious. She shouldn’t be surprised. He could have his pick of the single women of Storybrooke. But still, the idea of someone with him stung in a way that surprised her.
She’d snuck glances his way a few times. He wore a dark grey three piece suit, a look that was different on him but utterly handsome of course. It would be pretty hard for him not to look attractive, she surmised. In fact, he may even have gotten a little more so in the weeks since she had last seen him. She’d become adept at avoiding the docks and finding out if he had been invited to any event that she too was. Of course, this was all the more easier since she had thrown herself into work with such vigour that the boss of the agency she worked for was soon offering her better and better contracts.
Every cloud, she thought as she tried to stop herself thinking of Killian and his date and instead watch her brother slide his mother’s wedding ring onto the finger of his new bride.
***
For the reception the guests had decamped to a function room in the city hall. There was a band playing and everyone was in fine wedding and new year cheer, the double celebration raising the spirits of just about everyone she knew in the small town.
As is customary, there were speeches and toasts and then the dance floor was cleared and her brother and his bride took to their first dance, bridal party and groomsmen joining them after a few minutes. Emma, being made of honor, had the joy of dancing with Victor Whale, David’s best man who had been a buddy of his since college and no matter how hard she tried to like him, there was always something about him that was off and gave her the chills. It really didn’t help that he stunk of vodka. Her nose prickled every time he spoke and made humourless observations about the wedding.
He twirled her around the floor, her silk dress fluttering a she tried to relax and keep step, remembering the dance lessons that Mary Margaret had insisted upon as the dance floor began to fill up with the other guests.
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
“May I cut in?”
Her mouth dropped open when she saw it was Killian. He’d taken off his jacket and tie and rolled up his sleeves. She dampened her lips as Victor nodded and made straight back for the bar.
“Hey,” she smiled softly as he took one hand in his and put his other about her waist.
“Hey to you too,” he grinned, stepping easily into the dance. “You looked a little tense,” he noted.
“Victor Whale is not exactly my favorite person.”
“Seems a little off-”
She shrugged. “Something like that.”
(Oh, the feel of his hand through her thin dress - the warmth and it’s shape - the memory of it touching her body and his digits pressing into her skin. It was so vivid and real, like it had all happened mere hours - not months - ago.)
“How are you other than that? I’ve not seen you since your birthday.”
No he hadn’t. She had made sure to that.
“I’ve been busy, work… actually I might be moving to Boston,” she blurted out, feeling a sour kind of triumph at the way his expression froze at the news. “Leroy - the guy who runs my agency - has been trying to get me to move down there for a couple of years and I think it’s time. There’s lots of work there, maybe I could even end up in New York. If things turn out…”
She watched his reaction, something changing in his composure as her words washed over him.
“And that’s where you want to be?” he asked flatly, “New York?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted as he spun her around.
“I just never pegged that as one of your dreams.”
She shrugged, her eyes flicking over the couples dancing around him.
“Maybe it’s a new dream?” She sighed, pursing her lips. “This place hasn’t felt like home for a while,” she admitted.
“But I believed you’ve lived in Storybrooke for quite some time?”
“I have,” she nodded, smiling wistfully, “But someone once told me home is a place that when you’re not there, you just miss it.”
“And you don’t…”
She shook her head, “Not now… not for a long time.”
“But your family are here”
“David is married now, he and Mary Margaret will be starting a family… I guess I need to start making some plans of my own.”
“Well Emma, I hope it makes you happy. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“What do you mean?”
The song was ending and they slowed to a standstill, at the edge of the dance floor, the lights were dimmed further as the band began a slower track.
“One of the first things I noticed about you was the look in your eyes, this yearning. I was never able to quite work out what it was exactly and I suppose you can forgive me for not asking you, all things considered. You know you intimidated me a little.”
“I intimidated you?”
“Just a smidge. When you’re all focused and determined… you are beautiful, regal almost. But intimidating.”
“Thank you, I think,” she replied with genuine surprise.
Her eye was quickly caught by the sight of Belle French, her pretty lemon chiffon dress easy to spot as she made her way across the floor, two glasses of champagne in her hand.
“Anyway, I should go… leave you to your date. Thank you again, for rescuing me.”
His face twisted, like he was confused, but she didn’t let him say any more, instead slipping out of his reach and far, far away.
***
Darting towards the exit, she found herself in the deserted garden area just outside the city hall. There was a full moon in the sky, the darkness peppered by the dazzling flecks of light offered by the evening’s stars.
Dancing with him had been a terrible idea. It had brought back all the feelings and emotions that had caused her to push him away in the first place. The way he had looked tonight - so dashing in his suit and such a far cry from the jeans and flannel she was used to. How he’d looked when she’d said she was leaving.
(She knew she had to leave now. It was the right choice. It would mean so much to her career… she could make something of herself…)
The winter chill had grown and she’d forgotten to pick up her wrap before she’d ran outside. I’m going to miss him, she thought, wrapping her arms around her body. She could admit it now to herself, while here, alone. Admit it and then never think of it again. She’d miss his voice and their conversations. His wit and even his charm. And all the things she’d never get to know about him. Like how he likes his pancakes, or what size shoes he wears, or if he prefers the beach or the moutains and just what he was like as a kid-
Then her own words came back to haunt her.
I’ll miss him.
Miss him.
And suddenly, she knew, she didn’t hate him at all. Had she ever?
No. She loved him. Loved him because he made her feel complete and whole. She loved him so much she knew she had to leave, or her heart would break because he didn’t want her in that way.
Approaching footsteps paused that painful thought. She looked back over her shoulder, body tensing as a natural reaction to being alone in a darkened place at night.
“Emma?”
“Killian?’ she whispered, turning around until it became clear that the figure approaching her was indeed him. “What are you doing? Where is Belle?”
He ignored her questions, instead taking confident steps to join here where she stood.
“I remembered I forgot to do something.”
She opened her mouth to ask what, but she didn’t get the chance.
And then he kissed her; and it was lovely and tender- his hands cupping her face, her feet rocking onto her toes so she could linger against his mouth.
“Why did you do that?” she asked quietly, tears threatening to peal from her eyes. “What about Belle-”
“Belle’s just a friend. Friends can go to weddings together, my love.”
He was teasing her, but there was a strange sincerity to his tone that made her stomach clench. A feeling of foolishness overcame her. “Oh…”
“And why did I kiss you?” he asked, still staring at her, her breath caught in her throat-
“Yeah.”
Killian shifted a second on his feet, like she imagined he would when he was nervous. Not that she imagined he could ever be nervous.
“Because… I didn’t know how else to tell you that I care about you and that I want you to stay. And that I’m falling for you.”
She digested the words.
“I want you to stay,” he repeated in a desperate whisper. “I know it’s mad and I know we didn’t get off on the best footing, but that’s all in the past. You’re all I’ve been able to think about for weeks now.
Her head spun.
“You want me to stay. You love me?” she repeated to herself before looking back at him, “I thought you hated me?”
“I never hated you Emma. Maybe I disliked you when we first met and you tried to have me arrested-”
“For good reason!” she interrupted.
“Perhaps,” he smiled, pulling a strand of her hair between his fingers. “But that was before you and me.”
“There’s a you and me?” she asked, placing her palms flat on his chest.
“I want there to be.”
She shook her head, doubt and fear flooding her, and tried to take a step backwards, through her legs wouldn’t cooperate.
“But I’m moving to Boston, I can’t just give all that up for you.”
Even as she said it she didn’t really mean it, the words feeling hollow in her throat. She’d been really good at running away as a kid and maybe this was just the grown-up version.
“Why not? Why not take a chance? A real one? Stay here with your friends and your family who love you. Emma, I’d never want to stop you from pursuing your dreams but I know Boston and New York are not that. I know it’s not what you really want. See, I just figured out what you’ve been looking for: it’s a home, it’s to feel like you are home.”
“How did you…” she gasped, knowing instantly how right she was. How she’d been seeking a place in the world for herself, looking for some kind of happiness but never really knowing how that would take form.
“It was when we were talking earlier, it all clicked into place. Since we met, you just seemed so unsettled and restless. Emma, I want to see where this could go, give it a chance. Maybe you are already living the life you want. But you just haven’t realized it yet.”
She shook her head. “You’re drunk.”
He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, looking her square in the eye.“I’m not drunk. Far from it, if anything I’m seeing things very clearly tonight. Say you’ll stay?”
Emma looked at this man, who she had tried to hard to hate but instead found quite the opposite to be the case. Maybe he was worth it.
Maybe it was time to stop hiding from her feelings and try a different approach.
So she slid her arms to his shoulders and pulled him in for a slow, lingering kiss that tingled on her lips. She could feel him smile as he pulled away.
“Why did you kiss me?” he asked breathlessly.
“Because I wanted to say yes,” she smiled, “I want to give us a chance,” she added before pulling him into another dizzying, wonderful, hopeful kiss. Finally, she looped her arms around his neck and released his lips, whispering into them, “And maybe I’ve fallen for you too.”
@csjanuaryjoy @icecubelotr44
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The ‘Defund’ Conundrum – The New York Times
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Good morning. Some white voters are souring on President Trump. Global health officials are worried about virus counts. Let’s start with the debate over “defund the police.”
Advocates for police reform are making the case that the phrase “defund the police” doesn’t mean what many people think it means. “Be not afraid,” Christy E. Lopez, a Georgetown University law professor, wrote in The Washington Post. “‘Defunding the police’ is not as scary (or even as radical) as it sounds.”
What it actually means, these advocates say, is reducing police budgets and no longer asking officers to do many jobs that they often don’t even want to do: resolving family and school disputes, moving homeless people into shelters and so on. Instead, funding for education, health care and other social services would increase. (For more detail on the movement’s agenda, you can read this Times explainer.)
The challenge for advocates is that many people equate “defunding” with a major reduction in policing — and they don’t like that idea. Reducing police budgets is arguably the only high-profile reform idea that’s not popular:
This situation reminds me of several other political issues in the Trump era, like health care and immigration. On all of them, progressives are pushing for multiple policy changes that are popular with voters (like expanded Medicare, the end of migrant-family separation and more police accountability). These changes are typically much more popular than President Trump’s positions on the same issues.
But many progressives have also adopted one big idea in each area that is decidedly unpopular with voters: Get rid of private health insurance. Abolish ICE. Defund the police.
The combination explains much of the political response you’ve seen in recent days. Joe Biden, Cory Booker and other Democrats have distanced themselves from the phrase “defund the police,” while Trump has highlighted it. “They’re saying defund the police,” he said last week. “Defund. Think of it.”
At the same time, some Republicans have begun signaling their openness to other parts of police reform, which is a big change. John Cornyn, a conservative senator facing a tough re-election campaign in Texas, yesterday tweeted the following: “I’m dedicated to rooting out racial injustices so no other family has to experience what George Floyd’s family has. It will require bipartisan commitment across the country & listening to the voices of those who have been most affected is the first step — we must not fail to act.”
A shift: A majority of Americans (57 percent) now believe the police are more likely to use excessive force against African-Americans. In 2014, the share was only 33 percent. “In my 35 years of polling, I’ve never seen opinion shift this fast or deeply,” Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster, said.
THREE MORE BIG STORIES
1. Trump’s base is fraying
Polls have also been shifting on Trump in recent weeks and show him to have fallen about 10 percentage points behind Biden. Why? Partly because some white working-class voters have soured — at least for now — on the president, according to Nate Cohn, a Times polling expert. Trump’s lead among white voters is down to around five percentage points, compared with his 13-point margin among whites in 2016.
“Incumbent presidents usually have an advantage in seeking re-election and that makes his deficit all the more striking,” Nate says. Past candidates have made up big deficits from the summer before the election, but the last incumbent to mount such a comeback was Harry Truman in 1948.
2. The policy debate on policing
Lawmakers around the country continued to consider new policies on policing. New York legislators defied police unions and began to approve a package of bills targeting police misconduct, including a ban on chokeholds. In Congress, Democrats unveiled legislation that would make it easier to prosecute police officers for misconduct, and require law enforcement agencies to report data on the use of force.
Trump denied that systemic problems existed, declaring that as many as 99.9 percent of police officers are “great, great people.”
Differing accounts: Attorney General William Barr contradicted Trump on Monday and confirmed that the president was taken to an underground bunker last month because of security concerns over street demonstrations outside the White House.
3. How to be safe in a pandemic
By now, many of the key rules for reducing your coronavirus risk are familiar: Wash your hands frequently when you leave the house. Wear a mask. Avoid close conversations. Minimize your time in indoor spaces.
But there’s one rule that probably deserves more attention: Adjust your behavior based on where you live. Virus rates vary significantly by state.
Our colleague Tara Parker-Pope has published a list of five rules to live by during a pandemic. Rule No. 1 is “Check the health of your state and community.”
In other virus developments:
Here’s what else is happening
The S&P 500 has recovered all of its losses on the year. But stocks opened down in Europe this morning, suggesting American markets may fall as well.
Reports of child abuse in New York City have dropped sharply since the pandemic began, which could be a sign that the system to protect children has fallen apart.
Adam Rapoport, the editor of Bon Appétit magazine, resigned after a 2004 photo of him resurfaced on social media, drawing condemnations for a stereotypical depiction of Puerto Ricans.
Lives lived: He was known as Brother Ah (born Robert Northern), a master French horn player (and Washington D.J.) who hopscotched between jazz and classical music before embarking on a solo career making music that defied categorization. He has died at 86.
BACK STORY: New York awakens
Christina Goldbaum, a Metro reporter, reflected on New York City’s first day of eased restrictions:
On Monday morning, New York seemed to be slowly waking up from its 100-day hibernation. The streets were still absent the usual crowds and cacophony of car horns. But the return of around 400,000 people to some urban routines offered some sense of normalcy.
Commuters wearing face masks hopped onto freshly scrubbed trains that smelled like lemon-scented cleaning supplies. Even the more crowded train cars still carried only a dozen or so riders.
By midday, local shops had unlocked their doors for curbside pickup. In the East Village, a half-dozen construction workers who had been home for months chatted and laughed as they lined up to have their temperatures checked.
Other parts of the city remained at a standstill: In SoHo and on Fifth Avenue, where many stores were looted last week, marquee shops were still boarded up. But graffiti on the plywood offered encouragement: “LOVE NYC” was a common motif and, at one store, “STAY STRONG.”
PLAY, WATCH, EAT, HUNT
Embrace tiny fish
Seafood from a can gets a bad rap — dismissed as survival fare that gathers dust in the back of many people’s pantries. But you can do a lot with tinned fish, says the cookbook author David Tanis.
You can make anchovy crostini, tuna-stuffed peppers or a big plate of spicy pasta, spruced up with canned baby clams, bacon and peas. Tanis suggests splurging for high-quality anchovies and tuna if you can. If not, work with what you have.
Finding the virtual action
With real-life sports mostly on hiatus, gamblers are flocking to the competitive video-game matches known as e-sports. Since early March, half of all sports betting in Europe has reportedly been on video games.
Bettors can wager on players trying to shoot each other in games like Call of Duty, or facing off in sports games like FIFA 20 or Madden NFL 20. Some sports books even offer betting on completely automated matches — that is, computer versus computer.
At least someone’s having a good day
It sounds like a plot lifted straight from Hollywood. A decade ago, a New Mexico art collector named Forrest Fenn buried treasure in the Rocky Mountains and self-published a book challenging people to find it. According to Fenn, the chest — filled with gold, gems and artifacts — is worth around $2 million. Over the weekend, he said, someone found it.
“I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot,” Fenn wrote on his website. He created the treasure hunt after recovering from kidney cancer.
At least two people died trying to find the treasure, and Fenn still refused to retrieve the chest. “If someone drowns in the swimming pool we shouldn’t drain the pool,” he said in 2017. “We should teach people to swim.”
Diversions
Games
Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Netflix selection (four letters).
You can find all of our puzzles here.
Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David
P.S. The word “fancams” — videos by K-pop fans featuring their favorite singers, recently used in support of the Black Lives Matter movement — appeared for the first time in The Times yesterday, as noted by the Twitter bot @NYT_first_said.
You can see today’s print front page here.
Today’s episode of “The Daily” is about proposals to defund police departments in the U.S. And in the latest episode of “Popcast,” two former editors of The Source, a hip-hop magazine, retell how the publication covered the 1992 uprisings over the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles.
The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.
Ian Prasad Philbrick and Sanam Yar contributed to The Morning. You can reach the team at [email protected].
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Where To Go Out When You Don’t Go Out Anymore added to Google Docs
Where To Go Out When You Don’t Go Out Anymore
One day, someone will ask you where you go out, and you’ll just stare into space for a second or two and then say, “I don’t.” This might happen when you’re 23 or it might happen when you’re 63. If it happened already, this guide’s for you.
Below you’ll find two lists of options. One has a bunch of relatively calm bars that you’ll still feel cool drinking in, and the other has some places where people who don’t need this guide already know they’re supposed to go. They’re all some of our favorite bars in Seattle, so feel free to also print this out and use it as a checklist of great places to drink.
CALMER BARS WHERE NO ONE WILL SPILL A DRINK ON YOU Suite 410 $ $ $ $ Bar Food in Downtown $$$$ 410 Stewart St Not
Rated
Yet
Suite 410 is the best bar in Seattle that not a lot of people know about. That might be because of the bar’s extremely undesirable Downtown location, but don’t let that dissuade you from popping in for exceptional cocktails with things like genever (kind of like a malty-tasting gin), pineapple rum, and creme de cacao. They’re all better than the watery sazeracs you mix up from your bar cart at home.
Left Bank $ $ $ $ Wine Bar in South Park $$$$ 8526 14th Ave S
Left Bank is a natural wine bar that doesn’t feel too different from drinking in a cozy basement, so it’s ideal for actively hibernating although you’ll have to leave your apartment to get here. Split a bottle of something funky while listening to vinyl records and eating double cheeseburgers from Loretta’s across the street. You might even be sad when it comes time to go home.
Über Tavern $ $ $ $ Green Lake $$$$ 7517 Aurora Ave N
The last time we went to Über Tavern on a Friday night, we were the only ones in there, and the bartender told us to be quiet because he was hungover. If that sounds like paradise, welcome to your new favorite beer bar. There’s a big rotating tap selection, an indoor fire pit, and a fridge behind the bar if you want to choose a six-pack to split with your friends.
La Dive $ $ $ $ Wine Bar in Capitol Hill $$$$ 721 E Pike St. Not
Rated
Yet
Normally, if you want a bong full of alcohol, you’re probably looking to have a wild night. But La Dive, a chill wine bar on Capitol Hill, feels like the opposite scenario. It’s rarely packed, full of booths and high-tops, and has a drink menu that involves Beaujolais slushies spiked with Campari, Chambongs, and $10 filled-to-the-brim glasses of wine known as the “long day.” Come here for a drink if this sounds like your speed, and eat some toasts and spicy potato dumplings while you’re at it.
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INFATUATION NEWSLETTER Get our newest guides & reviews first,
plus more restaurant intel you won't find anywhere else. ATL ATX BOS CHI LDN LA MIA NYC PHL SF SEA DC Subscribe Smart move. Excellent information will arrive in your inbox soon. Do you have friends and family who also eat food? Enter their emails below and we’ll make sure they’re eating well. (Don’t worry, we won’t subscribe them to our newsletter - they can do that themselves.) Help Your Friends No Thanks Well done. You’re a good person. All good. We still like you. Want to quickly find restaurants on the go? Download The Infatuation app. Union Saloon $ $ $ $ Bar Food , Bar in Wallingford $$$$ 3645 Wallingford Ave N Not
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Union Saloon can get packed, but it’s not rowdy by any means, so pull it out of your back pocket if you’re with people that like a bar where there’s a little action. This corner spot in Wallingford is a wonderful place for catching up with friends in a big booth while snacking on homemade togarashi potato chips with caramelized onion dip and crispy beer-battered orange cauliflower. As for what you should be drinking, start with “Michelle’s Sidecar,” which is a refreshing, citrusy gin drink with black pepper bitters in a coupe glass.
Quinn's Pub $ $ $ $ American , Bar Food in Capitol Hill $$$$ 1001 E Pike St 8.0 /10
Just looking at people walking down Pike on a Saturday night is exhausting. Actually going out on Capitol Hill on a Saturday night can be even more exhausting. If you’re actively looking for places that won’t make you immediately turn around and go home, Quinn’s is always a great standby. You can consistently get a table at night, so it works for an 11pm hang with friends powered by terrific Old Fashioneds and fish and chips. Watching the party crowd outside while calmly nursing a glass of Champagne from their solid wine list is one of the most anxiety-reducing activities on the hill.
BUSIER PLACES FOR WHEN YOU REALLY WANT TO GO OUT Rhein Haus $ $ $ $ Bar Food , German in Capitol Hill $$$$ 912 12th Ave
Boots of beer, brats, bocce courts, and college seniors who just turned 21 - that’s Rhein Haus in a nutshell. It’s a very large German beer hall that’s calm by day and an absolute party at night. We’re still not sure if single-serving liters of pilsner and heavy bocce balls are a safe combination, but this place is a ton of fun, especially in the summer when the back patio opens up and they start serving frozen rosé. Plus, getting some delicious pretzels the size of your head is a nice tradeoff for having to wait in a long line for the bathroom.
Good Bar $ $ $ $ American , Bar Food in Pioneer Square $$$$ 240 2nd Ave S Ste 101 Not
Rated
Yet
When you want a lively bar filled mostly with people over the age of 21, check out Good Bar. It’s in a space that used to be a bank, vault door and all, and the drinks are creative enough to restore your faith in “going out.” Like an absinthe cocktail with matcha, cream, and mint as well as one with rye, strawberry liqueur, graham crackers, and a red wine float. The food’s excellent too - get the ploughman’s lunch (cheeses and meats), bread with beer-infused butter, or a ridiculously good sloppy joe with roasted onion aioli.
Fremont Brewing Company $ $ $ $ Fremont $$$$ 1050 N 34th St
The second the sun comes out, people instantly swarm to Fremont Brewing Company. You should be one of those people. Whether it’s on Saturday at noon or on a Tuesday at 5pm, good weather (and excellent beer) make this the best place in the city to drink pints, eat an endless supply of free mini pretzels, and be surrounded by happy citizens and the smell of fresh hops. Spread out at a big picnic table, order some takeout from nearby RoRo BBQ, and know that your decision to go out was a fantastic one.
Capitol Cider $ $ $ $ American , Bar Food in Capitol Hill $$$$ 818 E Pike St Not
Rated
Yet
Capitol Cider is an ideal weekend bar for everyone. The basement area always has a lively crowd, but instead of being rowdy, people sit by fireplaces, play Cards Against Humanity, and engage in friendly hand-shuffleboard competitions. Not to mention they have a massive selection of tasty alcoholic apple juice that ranges from hopped pear to mead. If you get hungry, the fried cheese curds with apple butter are always greasy, but that never stops us from ordering them every single time.
Percy's & Co. $ $ $ $ American , Southern in Ballard $$$$ 5233 Ballard Ave NW 7.3 /10
Percy’s is consistently one of the busiest bars in Ballard, and it’s one of our favorite places to grab an interesting cocktail featuring liquors infused with things like herbs, cacao nibs, and tea leaves. There’s also a huge community table and a patio with practically an entire garden that’s a great place to sip your drink. We especially like that you can get table service here - nobody wants to deal with elbowing to the front of the bar just to order a mason jar full of fries.
Chop Suey $ $ $ $ American , Bar Food in Capitol Hill $$$$ 1325 E Madison St
The Red Bull vodkas are working, and you’ve now become a version of yourself who “just wants to dance!” Take this new person to Chop Suey. It’s a music venue and bar on Capitol Hill that hosts a bunch of themed DJ sets, like their “Dance Yourself Clean” series, a relatively civilized indie music dance party that happens every Saturday. Yes, you’ll be covered in sweat and fake fog while lasers bounce around the room. But it’s never so chaotic that you’ll lose your friends in the crowd, and you can still sing along to “Mr. Brightside” as loud as you want.
via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/seattle/guides/where-to-go-out-when-you-dont-go-out-anymore Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen
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Yowza! Its always fascinating to me when the universe really REALLY tests my patience and capacity to handle any/all situations with ease and grace... Upon returning home from Abilene for my bday (featured here the card my parents gave me, sitting now by my bathroom mirror so i can smile at it on the daily), id intended to rent a car at DIA since mine is in the shop for a week. Ohhh kayyyy... you dont rent cars at the airport without a credit card or proof of return flight, i only have debit and live here. Ill simply catch the bus to Boulder to do it here. Except WAIT! No cars are available until Monday. Thats fine..i can handle. Saturday afternoon i arrived to my apartment, unpacked, played around the houde, went to the Fox theater in the evening for music and dancing. Sunday rolls around. Enterprise is closed, i knew this already. Most the day anyway i spent in bed, jumped om the mini trampoline for 20, lounged, eventually ventured out for a 2.5 mile roundtrip walk to the yoga studio in south boulder for a double session of feel good. Shower. Face mask. Phone chat with a girlfriend. Bed at a decent hour. Slept solidly to the glow and warmth of my electric fireplace. Heheh. Todays Monday!!!! I woke and called at 8am, confident a car would be ready. But it isnt. And wont be until Friday, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.. possibly wednesday but yeahhhh righttt. Im not holding my breath. So what am i thankful for especially this year. MY MOBILITY. The ability to pack up and go at virtually any moment, either by auto around town or by hopping a plane and jetsetting somewhere. Freedom is invaluable. In the mean time, i am here. On the hill. Thankful that i work at Meow Meow directly downstairs. Thankful that a Core Power is there as well. I dont necessarily HAVE to be anywhere else, though if i decide to venture out the transit system seems decently managable. Itd be easy to blow steam over this whole situation. It is a bit over the top ridiculous in a way, which makes me smile, and realize its not without reason. Makes me appreciate my privledge. This will be a week of artmaking, cozy hibernating, anddd a good amount of walking. Next week i fly to Austin!!!! (at The Hill - Boulder, CO)
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2017 Arkansas Times Craft Beer Festival preview
Dozens of breweries, hundreds of beers, food, music and more.
Beer lovers, rejoice. The party of the year is just around the corner. The Arkansas Times Craft Beer Festival returns to the Argenta Plaza (Sixth and Main streets in North Little Rock) on Friday, Oct. 27. The festival, which benefits the Argenta Arts District, has sold out in the past, so you'd be wise to pause reading this and go to centralarkansastickets.com and buy your tickets in advance ($35, $40 at the door). The festival will serve up samples of more than 200 beers from more than 50 local, regional and national breweries.
There will also be eats, included in the ticket price, from a dozen restaurants: Cregeen's, Arkansas Ale House, Old Chicago Pizza (North Little Rock and Conway), Skinny J's, Doe's Eat Place, Damgoode Pies, Vino's, Flyway Brewing, Southern Table, Burger 21, Santo Coyote and Whole Hog NLR. Plus, sponsor Edwards Food Giant, aka "the meat people," will be grilling up bratwursts. Bluegrass bands The Creek Rocks and Beste & Clarke will perform.
The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., rain or shine. Read on for a preview of the participating breweries and what they'll be pouring.
ARKANSAS BREWERIES
BIKE RACK BREWING CO. Local beer nerds are sure to be swarming to this tent to sample what star Arkansas brewer Josiah Moody has been doing at Bike Rack since he joined the Bentonville brewery in February. The former Vino's and Damgoode Pies brewer, who also has his own Moody Brews label, came to Bike Rack amid a massive expansion in May that included a new brewery and taproom in a former Tyson plant at 801 S.E. Eighth St. The new brewery allows Moody and Co. to produce in a day what the setup in the original — and still open — location along the Razorback Regional Greenway allowed them to make in a month. Bike Rack will be pouring its Epic Trail Amber Ale, Slaughter Pen IPA and Urban Trail Golden Ale at the festival.
BLUE CANOE Come by the Blue Canoe table for some brew and to hear about the Little Rock beer maker's massive expansion plans. Before October is out, the nearly 3-year-old brewery plans to move its home base to 1637 E. 15th St., a 20,000-square-foot building that used to house the old PC Hardware. The Blue Canoe taproom at 425 E. Third St. will remain open. Blue Canoe East will have pool, shuffleboard and foosball tables, video games, Baggo, horseshoes and darts. Get more details while you sample Blue Canoe's Razorback Rye, Whoo Brew and more.
BUFFALO BREWING CO. The Water Buffalo sells supplies to hobby brewers and winemakers, gardeners, cheese makers and soda makers. Last year, owner Nolen Buffalo (real name) opened Buffalo Brewing Co., a microbrewery and taproom in the back of the store. There you can find beer from local breweries, expert home brewers and Buffalo Brewing Co. Much of what the fledgling brewery will be serving remained to be determined at press time, but you can count on finding the popular Luau Pineapple Wheat.
CORE BREWING CO. The Springdale brewery's novel expansion plan has been to put English-style public houses, often with beer and little else on the menu, throughout Arkansas just about as prolifically as Starbucks. They're in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Springdale and North Little Rock (and there might be more; it's hard to keep track). For the craft beer festival, head brewer and owner Jesse Core is sending Behemoth Pilsner, Hazelnut Brown, Toasted Coconut Brown and more.
DAMGOODE BREWING Damgoode's mini empire — with three pizzerias in Little Rock and one in Fayetteville — got into the beer business in 2015, when it moved into the former home of Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co. in the River Market district. Check it out at the festival to get a sample of Ready, Set, Gose, a German citrus saltwater sour beer; Red Ribbon Golden Ale; Arkansas Amber; and Arktoberfest, a German lager.
DIAMOND BEAR Arkansas's first production brewery — founded 17 years ago — has embraced one of the trends sweeping through the industry: It's now canning four of its six year-round brews — Pale Ale, Presidential IPA, Southern Blonde and Strawberry Blonde. Meanwhile, the brewery continues to roll out its Hibernation Series of barrel-aged beers. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to get a taste at the fest. Guaranteed to be there are the IPA, Pale Ale, Rocktoberfest, Southern Blonde, Strawberry Blonde and Two Term.
FLYWAY BREWING Can we all agree that many, maybe even most, beer names are bad? In that spirit, North Little Rock's Flyway Brewing deserves extra credit for a cohesive name scheme. Its name is inspired by the Mississippi Flyway, the migration route that takes birds over Arkansas to and from Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, and accordingly all of its year-round beers have migration-themed names: Bluewing Blueberry Wheat, Early Bird IPA, Free Range Brown Ale, Migrate Pale Ale and Shadowhands Stout. At the fest, the brewery will be pouring all those beers, along with its Coffee Cake Stout and Magdalene Tripel.
LOST FORTY BREWING After four expansions since opening in late 2014, Arkansas's largest brewery by volume expects to produce 15,000 barrels of beer by the end of the year. We expect the expansions will continue. The Lost Forty taproom is constantly packed; the beer is prominently displayed in retail stores everywhere. The experts have given the brewery acclaim, too. In October, the judges at the Great American Beer Festival, the largest commercial beer competition in the world, awarded Lost Forty's new-this-year Logger Rita Vienna Lager a silver medal in the Vienna lager category. It's the first GABF medal for an Arkansas brewery since 2008. Lost Forty didn't know what it would be pouring at the festival at press time, but considering it's holding a big launch party for its barrel-aged Nighty Night Imperial Stout on Oct. 21, here's hoping there'll be some left over.
OZARK BEER CO. After moving its brewing operation late last year from the outskirts of Rogers to a historic building on the square (109 N. Arkansas), Ozark Beer Co. has kept growing in 2017. This summer, it began canning its Ozark IPA and distributing it — along with cans of American Pale Ale, Belgian Golden and Cream Stout — throughout Northwest and Central Arkansas. The brewery also collaborated with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on 61 Eyes California Pale Ale, a beer inspired by a recipe Crystal Bridges found among famed architect, inventor and thinker Buckminster Fuller's papers. The beer uses Citra hops that have been cryogenically frozen on the vine, which makes them much more potent than the dry hops brewers typically use. It's a process that could revolutionize brewing, Marty Shutter, director of marketing at Ozark, said. If you know the secret handshake, Shutter might let you try some 61 Eyes and maybe, just maybe, a sip of the much-coveted Bourbon Double Cream Stout (or BDCS), a 10.1 alcohol-by-volume cream stout that ages over the winter in bourbon barrels. The American Pale Ale, Belgian Golden, Cream Stout and IPA will be in full supply.
REBEL KETTLE BREWING CO. Rebel Kettle has a lot going for it: a brew-crew led by brewer and part owner John Lee that's terrifically talented and boldly experimental, a menu of delicious Cajun-flavored pub grub and an outdoor stage and spot to play cornhole and enjoy the weather. Stop by the Rebel Kettle table and hear about the brewery's grand ambitions to keep growing, and sample Delorean Dynamite, a Berliner Weisse-style sour; Don't Fear the Reaper; Nightmare on "C-Street" Black IPA; REDRUMPUM Imperial Pumpkin Amber Ale; and Show 'Em Your O'Fest Oktoberfest Märzen.
STONE'S THROW BREWING Little Rock's favorite neighborhood brewpub was at the vanguard of the craft brewery explosion in Arkansas when it opened in 2013. It's grown since — adding in 2015 a biergarten with six large picnic tables out in front and an annex for added seating inside — but it's still cozy, a perfect spot for a happy hour pint or a night of Arkansas trivia. Stone's Throw will be pouring Kavanaugh Kristalweiss, Cran-Apple Cider, Shamus Stout and Amer Belge Belgian IPA.
SUPERIOR BATHHOUSE BREWERY The first brewery to open in a national park and perhaps the only brewery in the world to use hot spring-fed water to make beer, Superior has become one of downtown Hot Springs' must-visit attractions. With massive windows across the front and a large front porch, it's an ideal spot to people-watch the tourists parading down Bathhouse Row. Open with tasty food and beer from other beer makers since 2013, brewer/owner Rose Schweikhart couldn't begin brewing her own beer until 2015 because of the lengthy federal permitting process. Come see why it was worth the wait and see if her beer cures what ails you. It will include the DeSoto Golden Stout, Fouke-ness Monster and Udder Chaos IPA at the fest.
VINO'S The state's oldest continually operating brewery, Vino's continues to brew reliably delicious beer. Is there a more refreshingly delicious pale ale in Arkansas than Vino's Firehouse Pale? Owner Henry Lee has kept the winning formula largely the same for 27 years: pizza and calzones, beer and live music. We couldn't get info on what Vino's plans to pour at the fest by press time.
REGIONAL
ABITA BREWING CO. Abita's brews are made with unfiltered, untreated water from an artesian well in the piney woods of Abita Springs, La., just 30 miles north of the Big Easy. Rigorous environmental preservation standards and a tradition of donating to causes like disaster recovery make it clear that care — both for the Earth and for fellow man — is fundamental to the company's ethos. Taste two of Abita's year-round brews, Andygator and Purple Haze, or try a limited release or seasonal beer, like the Peach Lager, from the Harvest series.
ANTHEM BREWING CO. The brewers at Oklahoma City's Anthem Brewing Co. are passionate about bringing joy to people's lives via their taste buds. They see their menu of distinctive brews that intermingle the flavors of the Old World with the New as their own anthem to the world. Check out their OK Pils, Arjuna Witbier, Uroboros Stout, Golden One Belgian-style blonde ale, and the Anthem IPA; they're confident they'll have you singing.
BOULEVARD BREWING CO. Boulevard Brewing Co. is a household name, with 600,000 barrels rolling out each year. Among the fresh and distinctively flavored products available at the festival will be Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale — a grapefruit-forward ale with a peppery, dry finish — and three examples of the brewery's Rye-on-Rye series, the creation of which begins with a rich, tawny rye ale that is then mellowed in the warmth of charred oak rye whiskey casks: Rye-on-Rye 2016, Rye-on-Rye Classic Sazerac and Rye on Rye on Rye, which is aged twice.
COOP ALE WORKS Hailing from Oklahoma City, COOP Ale Works once again brings a lineup that packs a major flavor punch. COOP calls its F5 IPA "a belligerent hop reckoning"; it has a straightforward malt body to ground the citrus, grapefruit and pine notes produced by the unique hop amalgam. Native Amber offers a nuanced malt with an energetic dry-hopped finish. A spin on the year-round DNR, the limited release Cask-it Series Rye Barrel Aged DNR has undergone the aging process to further enrich the character of the Belgian-style dark ale, ripening it into a bouquet of aromas. Spare Rib pale ale is back again, with its late-hopped flavor and mild finish.
DESTIHL BREWERY Destihl Brewery knows how to follow a curious hunch and end up with a distinctive and flavorful new product — lots of them. With a beer list as long as it has, its narrowing down what brews to bring to the fest must have been a tough task. What made the cut? Synchopathic Apricot and Here Gose Nothin', both from the Wild Sour series; Weissenheimer, a south-German style hefeweizen; and a specialty bomber to be determined.
GHOST RIVER BREWING CO. Memphis brewery Ghost River Brewing takes its name from a section of the Wolf River that's about 50 miles east of the city, where the river widens into a large, still opening; the surface looks placid, but a powerful current cuts a channel beneath — the Ghost River. In the same way, this brewery's attention to detail and its vigilance in creating a consistent product are unseen forces for the many who enjoy the brews. Available to taste will be the Riverbank Red, Ghost River Gold, Grindhouse Cream Ale and the 1887 IPA.
GOLDCREST BREWING CO. In 2015 a beer was reintroduced to the world when Little Rock resident Kenn Flemmons recovered the recipe for "The Original Memphis Beer," Goldcrest 51, which hadn't been produced since 1954, when the Tennessee Brewing Co. closed. The 51 will make an appearance at the festival, of course, and so will the Goldcrest Premium Bock. Don't miss the chance to have a taste of Memphis history.
GREAT RAFT BREWING Shreveport's Great Raft Brewing prides itself on creating "real" and unpretentious beers that play well with the spicy and bold culinary culture of the South. It'll be pouring Southern Drawl Pilsner, a mild, traditional session lager; Commotion Pale Ale, a hop-forward, slightly sweet pale with a pleasant finish; Reasonably Corrupt Black Lager, a black lager with dark malt sweetness; Buffalo Trace Barrel-aged Creature of Habit, a coffee brown aged in Bourbon barrels; and the Grace and Grit IPA, which has tropical aromas and bitterness balanced by honey malt.
INDEPENDENCE BREWING CO. Austin's own Independence Brewing Co. presents a lineup of its indie-spirited, smooth, full-flavored brews — just in time to celebrate its 13th anniversary. Stash IPA, which the brewers describe as a "dank, resinous hop trip," is a perfect storm of four types of hops: Nugget, Columbus, Galaxy and Summit. Power + Light is an American Pale that is crisp and lingers, with a hint of grapefruit. Austin Amber's toasted malt flavor and smooth finish are a match made in heaven with rich, heavy, comfort foods. Liberty Lunch takes the IPA a different direction from Stash; it's a tropical breeze of an IPA. And the Redbud Berliner Weisse will be a favorite among sour beer fans, with its lemon-tart effervescence.
LAZY MAGNOLIA Lazy Magnolia is Mississippi's first packaging brewery since prohibition was enacted in 1907. This year, it'll be pouring at least one beer, its signature brew: Southern Pecan. The brewers claim that it's the first beer in the world to be made with whole, roasted pecans. Full of unique character but easy-drinking, its recipe had to be perfected to accommodate nut oil without losing any of the flavor.
MOTHER'S BREWING CO. Mother's Brewing Co. is, in the brewers' own words, "Springfield's bottoms-upping, five-slapping, wise-cracking, keg-tapping team of craft beer lovers hell-bent on brewing and sharing the love." In that spirit, it'll be pouring two of its brews at the festival this year: Uncanny, an American pale ale with an intense hop character, and Oktoberfest, a Märzen lager.
PINEY RIVER BREWING CO. Ozark homebrewers-turned-pros Joleen and Brian Durham are the hearts and minds behind Piney River Brewing Co. From their 80-acre farm, brewery and taproom "BARn" in Bucyrus, Mo., they are bringing a few of their best-loved brews for all to taste. Float Trip is a blonde ale that took home the gold in the "Best American Wheat Beer" category of the 2017 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Black Walnut Wheat is an American-style wheat with the aroma and finish of black walnuts, and at the 2017 Open it won silver in the "American Wheat Dark" category. Hopheads will want to head straight for the Missouri Mule IPA, and River Access lager will satisfy others who want an easy-drinking beer.
PRAIRIE ARTISAN ALES Playful and eccentric brews are the order of the day, every day, at Prairie Artisan Ales in Krebs, Okla., and they're bringing the fun to the festival this year with an adventurous beer list. Apricot Funk is a sour ale aged on apricots that achieves just the right tartness level; Birthday Bomb! is a new iteration of the brewery's popular Prairie Bomb! (a beer that some might categorize closer to dessert than beverage); Flare is a gose ale brewed with orange and coriander; Twist is a saison farmhouse ale; and Vape Tricks — a tongue-in-cheek critique of vaping culture — is a kettle-soured ale conditioned on cherries for "around a month."
SAINT LOUIS BREWERY (SCHLAFLY BEER) As the largest locally owned, independent brewery in Missouri, the Saint Louis Brewery is better known for the name of its flagship beers, Schlafly. It's been a cornerstone of the brand to focus locally — within a 300-mile radius — and, lucky for us, Arkansas fits in that area. Served up at the Schlafly tent will be the Pumpkin Ale — perfect for this season — which tastes like a slice of pumpkin pie; Kölsch, a golden ale that's available year-round; and the White Lager, which was originally a seasonal offering but satisfied so many that it has been upgraded to full-time status.
SHINER BEER This family of Texas beers is iconic for the state, and since Shiner Beer got its start in 1909 every drop has been brewed in a small-town brewery with 6 million cases in distribution nationwide. Shiner Bock is the MVP, an American-style dark lager, but also on the tasting table will be Shiner Light; Shiner Cheer, a holiday dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans; and Shiner Golden Ale, a light-bodied ale dry-hopped with Mosaic hops, giving it its tropical notes.
SWEETWATER BREWING CO. Surely you've been seeing SweetWater Brewing Co. everywhere since its distribution expanded, but if you haven't yet had an opportunity to taste the Atlanta brews, the festival is your chance. Triple Tail is a seasonal offering that approaches the IPA from a tropical perspective; Goin' Coastal takes a slightly different tack, as an IPA that packs a pineapple punch; Hop Hash Easy IPA is the IPA lover's IPA — fruit forward and with what the brewers call a "one-of-a-kind chewy, gooey, resiny mouthfeel"; and Blue is a blueberry wheat that is subtle and fresh.
TIN ROOF BREWING CO. Baton Rouge's Tin Roof Brewing Co. has a similar origin story to so many of the South's exceptional breweries: None of the beer close to home satisfied the owners' tastes, so they made their own. Tin Roof will be pouring two favorites from the beer list: Voodoo Pale Ale, a thicker and hoppier-than-typical pale ale, and Juke Joint IPA.
WISEACRE BREWING CO. Memphis is home to Wiseacre Brewing Co., which will be represented by five of its brews. Named with the Sanskrit word for "bliss," Ananda IPA is dry hopped and juicy, delivering on the high hopes the name inspires. Tiny Bomb American pilsner is made with German and American pilsner malt and inundated with 50 pounds of local wildflower honey, delivering a sweet clover finish. Adjective Animal (i.e. "Grumpy Giraffe, Funny Ferret, Sophisticated Owl, Ostentatious Ocelot, Cantankerous Coatimundi ... you know the drill.") is as hop-forward as they come. Oktoberfest is a traditional Märzen — smooth, clean and malty.
NATIONAL
ALPINE BEER CO. Hoppiness equals happiness at Alpine Beer Co., a small-town brewery tucked into the foothills of the mountains just outside of San Diego. It'll be represented by Windows Up, an American IPA chock-full of Citra and Mosaic hops.
BALLAST POINT BREWING CO. The story of Ballast Point Brewing Co. begins in 1996 as a local San Diego beer making hobby shop called Home Brew Mart, where building a brewery out back set two friends' dreams in motion. Since then, the brand has seen unchecked growth, expanding into larger, newer facilities, though the original Home Brew Mart still stands and serves as a tasting room for Ballast Point beers. At the festival, Ballast Point will serve three IPAs, a blonde and a sea monster (no, this isn't a "walk into a bar" joke). In the tradition of West Coast IPAs, Fathom IPA is easy-drinking with enough depth — orange and pine notes — to leave an impression. Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA is what the brewery recognizes as its "trophy beer," an award winner that's hopped at five separate stages with lots of fruit and a serious sting. Take that recipe and twist it with grapefruit, and you get Grapefruit Sculpin IPA. Bonito Blonde is a tribute to the ever-gorgeous and sunny San Diego weather. And that Sea Monster? It's an imperial stout that reaches into the darkest depths of a traditional oatmeal stout.
BALL'S BREWERY Eccentricity and authenticity have been at the root of Bell's Brewery right from the start. Selling beer in Michigan since 1985, Bell's Amber Ale is the backbone of the brand — toasted sugar and malt balances with herbal and citrus hop aromas, all with a crisp, bitter finish. Two-Hearted is a smooth and easy IPA with pine and grapefruit notes. Before you taste the two signature stouts, Kalamazoo and Cherry, try the robust Porter to bridge the gap.
BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY Skiing isn't the only game in town in Breckenridge, Colo.; there's plenty of drinking to be done, too. Though the production capacity of the original brewery has long since been outstripped by demand, the beer is still served there, at altitude. The newest Breckenridge facility, purchased in 2015, is a 12-acre, "farm-inspired campus" in Littleton. Not only is this the site of the 100-barrel brewhouse; it's a public attraction, complete with restaurants, bocce ball courts, wraparound porches and a majestic view of the Rockies. Creating a leisure paradise for beer lovers proves the brand's focus on customer experience. At the festival, the brewery will be pouring Vanilla Porter, Nitro Vanilla Porter — the addition of nitrogen creates a more velvety mouth feel — and Mango Mosaic Pale Ale.
CALDERA BREWING CO. Though canning — rather than bottling — is now commonplace among craft breweries, Caldera has been micro-canning since 2005, making it the first craft brewery on the West Coast to brew and can its own beer. More important than the can, however, is what's inside. Caldera will pour Lawnmower Lager for drinkers who like it nice and easy; IPA, for those who don't mind a little hop aggression; and Mogli, a chocolate, bourbon, oak-aged Imperial Porter, the creation of which was inspired by the loss of one of man's best friends.
CARSON'S BREWERY Carson's Brewery, in Indiana, speaks craft beer in an entirely different language and appeals to a different drinker. Taste the award-winning beers it will have on offer, and find out if you like your beer with a sharper edge. Git-R-Done cream ale — a beer honoring Larry the Cable Guy — will be served, as will Brown Cow brown ale and its richer partner in crime, Vanilla Brown Cow. Red Dawn amber wheat, Demonik Double IPA — the bitter finish of which the brewer describes as "sarcophagy" — and Ripa, a red IPA, round out the list.
CASCADE BREWING This Portland, Ore., outfit is leading the charge in the "sour beer revolution." Cascade will be serving the same four ultra-premium, oak barrel-aged, lactic-fermented Northwest sour ales that it presented at last year's festival: Apricot, Blueberry, Kriek (aged with cherries) and Strawberry, which is also aged with vanilla beans.
CLOWN SHOES BEER The unpretentious vision of Clown Shoes Beer is to be "free and a little crazy." What that translates to in the beer is an ethic of play and creativity, recovering styles of beer that had fallen from favor or had stagnated. The brewery is bringing some prime examples, like Undead Party Crasher, an American imperial stout; Mango, an American Kolsch dry-hopped with Huell Melon Hops and flavored with natural mango; and Chocolate Sombrero, a Mexican-style chocolate stout.
ELYSIAN BREWING Elysian Brewing operates four restaurants and a full-production brewery in Seattle. With that much territory, this is a beer maker with some crowds to please; thus its reputation for creating brews that are classics, as well as more experimental ones. The brew it's selected to share at the festival is called Space Dust; it's an IPA, with what the brewers call "pure starglow energy," with Chinook hops added first, to bitter the beer, and later additions of dry Citra and Amarillo.
FOUNDERS BREWING CO. Founders Brewing Co. attributes its success — six World Beer Cup medals, four European Beer Star medals and three Great American Beer Festival medals — to its refusal to play to the middle and try to please the masses. The brewery's passion is making beer for people who have a passion for beer: people like them. Try the All Day IPA, the Dirty Bastard and the Porter from the year-round selection, or take Mosaic Promise for a spin, an elegant golden ale showcasing only two ingredients: Mosaic hops and Golden Promise malt. If you're a coffee lover, the Breakfast Stout specialty beer will get you going; it's brewed with flaked oats, bitter and imported chocolates, and two types of coffee.
GOOSE ISLAND Since 2011, Goose Island has been owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, yet it has never wavered in product quality or innovation. It still earns the respect it garnered among craft beer drinkers. The tasting list is enticing and runs the gamut of taste profiles. 312 Urban Wheat and Goode IPA will be poured alongside vintage ales Lolita, Halia, Sofie and Gillian. Bourbon County Stout poses a striking contrast and will have people lined up.
GREEN FLASH BREWING CO. San Diego mainstay Green Flash Brewing Co. approaches beer making and business with the same ingenuity — from partnerships with other breweries (like Alpine Beer Co., see above) to pushing the boundaries of barrel-aging and bottle-conditioning. At the festival, it's serving up West Coast IPA, a double IPA; Soul Style, a bright and tropical IPA; Passion Fruit Kicker, wheat ale with passion fruit; GFB blonde ale; and Ideal Belgique, a bottle-conditioned grand cru Belgian-style dark ale from the Cellar 3 collection.
KONA BREWING CO. Kona Brewing Co. made its debut in Hawaii in 1995 with Pacific Golden Ale (now called Big Wave Golden Ale) and Fire Rock Pale Ale. Longboard Island Lager was added to the beer list three years later. Approximately 10 other styles of beer are brewed and served at the brewery's pubs. Today, Kona's three mainstay beers are distributed throughout Hawaii, and it is the top-selling craft beer in the islands. Longboard Island Lager and Big Wave Golden Ale — both of which are distributed throughout the continental U.S. — are up for tasting at the festival.
LAGUNITAS BREWING CO. Lagunitas Brewing Co. has multiple hubs, in California, Washington and Illinois, a structure that the brewer relates as a way to unify the "beer-loving diaspora" from coast to coast. Lagunitas returns to the festival this year with a tried-and-true lineup, including its ever-popular IPA; a reinvented pale ale, unfiltered and fresh-hopped, called Born Yesterday; American strong ale, Brown Shugga; and hop-forward 12th of Never.
LEFT COAST BREWING CO. Family-owned-and-operated Left Coast Brewing Co. is located in San Clemente, Calif. The independent brewery started in 2004 and since then has expanded into more than 25 states and seven countries. Demand is driving its growth, with awards and recognitions aplenty, and the 3,500-barrel operation is now surpassing 11,000 barrels a year. Don't miss the chance to taste Hop Juice, a triple IPA; Asylum, a Belgian-style tripel ale; and VooDoo, an American stout.
NEW BELGIUM BREWING CO. New Belgium Brewing Co. began operations in a tiny Fort Collins, Colo., basement in 1991. Today, the third-largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces seven beers year-round and releases seasonal brews throughout the year. Taste the amber ale the maker is best-known for, Fat Tire, along with its reincarnation as Fat Tire Belgian White. Also try Voodoo Ranger IPA; Accumulation, a white IPA; and Dayblazer, an easygoing golden ale.
NORTH COAST BREWING CO. In 1988, North Coast Brewing Co. was at the forefront of the craft beer movement. Between then and now, the California brewery's product has been recognized with 110 national and international beer awards. At the festival, it'll be pouring Old Rasputin Russian imperial stout, Brother Thelonious Belgian-style abbey ale, Scrimshaw pilsner, Puck Petit Saison and Pranqster Belgian-style golden ale.
OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Now a three-site operation, Oskar Blues Brewery began in a basement in Longmont, Colo. The brewer also claims the title of "original craft brew in a can," a choice that it says keeps beer fresher by protecting it from light, makes it more safely portable, and is widely recyclable. For festival goers they'll be serving up Dale's Pale Ale — the brewery's linchpin — Mama's Little Yella Pils, Pinner Throwback IPA, Old Chub Scotch Ale and Death by Coconut Irish porter.
SAMUEL ADAMS (BOSTON BEER CO.) Samuel Adams beer made an auspicious start in 1984, when Jim Koch brewed the first batch of Boston Lager in his home's kitchen using a recipe that reached back to the 1870s, when his great-great-grandfather had a St. Louis brewery. Just six weeks after Jim Koch presented his Samuel Adams Boston Lager to the public, it brought home the "Best Beer in America" award at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. From there, the brewery's success has skyrocketed; Samuel Adams is the second largest craft brewery in the US. In addition to the trademark lager, Samuel Adams will be pouring Winter Lager, Octoberfest, Rebel IPA and a special brew still to be determined.
SHOCKTOP Another brewery that operates within the Anheuser-Busch InBev framework, Shock Top predominately creates citrus-centric flavor profiles for easy-drinking wheat beers. For the festival, it'll be pouring Belgian White, Sunset Orange, Ruby Fresh and Inner Beauty.
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. A true craft beer forerunner, Sierra Nevada helped define what craft beer making in America could become. Now a much larger operation, the brewery is still known for consistency and flavor. Taste a pour of the Pale Ale; Otra Vez, a gose-style brew with a cactus twist; the cult classic Bigfoot Barleywine-style ale; and the Torpedo IPA.
SIXPOINT BREWERY Brooklyn's Sixpoint Brewery cites "mad science" as its guiding philosophy, claiming that the madness and the science are both necessary for making superior beer. They operated as a draft-only brewery in Red Hook until 2010, when they began canning and distributing further afield and have been tweaking, improving and releasing new formulations ever since. Early this summer, Sixpoint began releasing all of its ales raw and unfiltered, while also incorporating new building block ingredients. The two brews it's serving up this year are Resin double IPA and Sweet Action blonde.
SQUATTERS CRAFT BEERS Last year, Salt Lake City restaurant group and brewery outfit Squatters Craft Beers came to the festival as a guest of Wasatch Brewery, and it's back again this year, this time serving Off Duty IPA, Hop Rising double IPA, Outer Darkness and Full Suspension Pale Ale.
STONE BREWING When Beer Advocate names your brewery the "All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth" not once, but twice, it's time to add that blurb to your resume. Stone Brewing has been there, and its growth seems unstoppable. It comes to Little Rock with five noteworthy brews to pour: the IPA, the Delicious IPA, the Go To IPA, Ripper pale ale and Arrogant Bastard, a Bourbon barrel-aged ale.
TALLGRASS BREWING CO. Former geologist Jeff Gill got up the nerve to leave his career and start Tallgrass Brewing, when, one night over dinner, his wife asked him what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Brewing was his answer, and as of 2015 the operation moved into a facility large enough to meet the growing demands on their production, as one of the top regional craft breweries in the Midwest. Two fruit-flavored wheat ales top the list of their festival offerings, Blueberry Jam and Raspberry Jam; Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat and 8-Bit Pale Ale round out the selection.
VICTORY BREWING CO. Pennsylvania microbrewery Victory Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by childhood friends who first met on a school bus in 1973. Victory now serves craft beer enthusiasts in 29 states dynamic beers that meld European training with the spirit of free thinking and innovation. Victory brews that will be poured are Dirtwolf Double IPA, Golden Monkey Belgian Tripel, Prima Pils and Sour Monkey Sour Brettanomyces Tripel.
WASATCH BREWERY In 1986, Greg Schirf opened the first Utah brewery in the resort destination of Park City, and he named the operation for the Wasatch Mountains, east of Salt Lake City. In July 1989, Schirf opened the first brewpub in Utah at the top of historic Main Street in Park City. Schirf, in fact, proposed the bill to the Utah Legislature in 1988 to legalize the operation of brewpubs in the state, of which there are now 12. The beers the Park City brewery plans to pour at the fest include Devastator Double Bock, Ghost Rider White IPA, Polygamy Nitro Porter, Evolution Amber and Apricot Hefe.
INTERNATIONAL
HIRTER BIER Austrian beer maker Hirter Bier is presenting two beers for your enjoyment: Privat Pils, which is brewed with ancient Bohemian recipes with an extended aging period, and, Hirter Morchl, a beer lover's beer, with a dry malt effect on the palate and a faintly bitter but well-rounded finish.
STIEGL Another Austrian beer maker with a rich history, Stiegl, will be serving its popular Grapefruit Radler, Zitron-Lemon Radler, Goldbrau and Pils.
2017 Arkansas Times Craft Beer Festival preview
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Do I even need to say it? Ill-Nat for road trip (plus the U.N.C.L.E gang if needed). PRETTY PLEASE
Which OC is the driver? Where are the other OCs sitting in the vehicle?
Napoleon and Illya fought over who would be driving but when Nat admits she’d rather sit in the backseat, Illya reluctantly hands over the keys. Illya and Nat take the backseat. His long legs are folded are practically folded into his chest and pinned behind the passenger seat, Gaby occasionally has to turn around and remind Illya she can feel his knees pressing into her spine but where Nat sits, he sits.
What form of transportation are your OCs using (RV, motorcycles, on foot, etc.)?
Napoleon was hopping for something stylish like nice, souped up Camaro but alas, the modest but mini cooper was the only thing that Gaby was able to get running on such a short notice.
What’s playing on the radio?
smooth jazz seemed to be the only thing the quartet could agree upon.
Imagine your OCs reacting towards staying overnight at an incredibly shady motel
Illya reacted more adversely than Nat does. Sure, the seedy motel is in a questionable part of an unknown town but the woman lived most of her life in communist Russia, she could handle a few roaches.
Which OC gets homesick nearly immediately? Do they get over it?
Nat doesn’t necessarily get homesick but she does wish she and Illya had taken this road trip just the two of them. They haven’t done anything by themselves in a while and she was looking forward to it. It wasn’t that she disliked Illya’s colleagues. Gaby had always been nothing but nice to her and Napoleon, well, she could do without is perverse American humor.
Imagine your OCs getting lost
Illya and Napoleon waste an hour arguing with Nat and Gaby retrace their route on a fold out map.
Which OC yells “HORSE” whenever they pass by horses?
Probably Nat but after a strange look from Napoleon she keeps quiet. Illya smacks him in the back of the head.
What does your OC do to pass the time on a long stretch of road?
Nat spends hours staring out the window, watching the lush landscape bleed into view until she grows dizzy. She’ll read when she can or doze off.
Imagine your OCs playing I Spy
Gaby suggested they play it but the concept seemed lost on Illya. Napoleon had Nat searching for an objected that didn’t exist.
Which OC brings a guitar to serenade the other OCs as they travel?
No one. They could barely fit Illya in the car after loading their luggage.
What happens when your OCs meet a hitchhiker?
Well they certainly couldn’t offer the vagrant a ride though, Nat feels bad about leaving him behind.
Which OC insists on stopping at every fruit stall to buy snacks and chat with the seller?
Nat! She did it mostly so Illya would get the chance to stretch out after hours sitting in the cramped car. She has a warm, personable disposition that makes the vendors feel like they’ve known the women their entire life after five minutes of meeting. At first, this got the women plenty of free crates of fruits or sweets but Nat insisted she pay for their wares, telling them of her grandfather who had once owned farm land before the Tsar fell. This only charms the vendors more. Napoleon saddles up next to Illya, who had been watch his wife from a distance. The American tells his friend, his wife would be a brilliant double agent.
Which OC gets accidentally left behind at a stop? How long does it take before anyone realizes that they’re gone?
God this would never happen. As the only civvy in the quartet, Illya, Napoleon, and Gaby always keep a close eye on Nat. Lest Illya level a small countryside town in middle America in search of his wife.
Which OC buys cheesy souvenirs as keepsakes and to give to their friends who didn’t come with them?
NAT. postcard, snow globes, little bobbles, you name it. Nat will buy it and give it to her friends. She somehow posses the ability to make impersonal souvenirs feel personal and touching.
Imagine your OC sitting on the hood of the car with a thermos of hot cocoa in their hands, watching the sun rise
They were in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t find a motel to crash for the night so the mini cooper was going to have to do for the evening. Napoleon snored like a bear in hibernation and it was beyond Nat how both Gaby and Illya slept through it without stirring, perhaps they were used to it by now. Regardless, by four am, Nat couldn’t take it anymore. She prepared room temperature coco, which she nursed while sitting on the hood of the car until the sun rose.
Which OC is on a quest to try as many different kinds of food as they can on this trip?
Everyone but Napoleon. The American cuisine is nothing new to him but to his companions, it’s a feast.
Which OC points out every strange sign they pass by on the road and reads them aloud to the amusement or annoyance of everyone else?
Napoleon.
Which OC has to stop to relieve themself every hour or so?
Illya but again, it’s mostly to stretch.
Imagine your OCs getting pulled into a side quest when one OC claims that they saw a cryptid
okay this seems very doubtful but I can see Gaby and Nat doing this.
What happens when the vehicle runs out of fuel in the middle of nowhere?
MAYHEM. there is so much yelling and frustration until Nat huffs off on foot towards the nearest gas station. It’s the first time she slipped off with no one noticing and with a red gas can in hand.
Which OC starts taking increasingly daring nature/action photos of themselves and their friends?
I can’t imagine taking pictures of the four of them would be a simple task but Nat tries to get one decent picture.
Which OC starts out stressed about the amount of work they’re leaving at home, and slowly lets themself have fun?
ILLYA. he gets so stuck in his head sometimes so Nat had to practically beg him.
Imagine your OCs stopping by the side of a quiet road to go stargazing. Bonus points if they all end up falling asleep together, warm, happy, and surrounded by their friends.
Nat had her face pressed against the window staring up at the stars until Gaby smacked Napoleon’s arm to motion him to pull over. The four of them lay out all blankets and towels they packet on a dry grassy spot to lay down and star gaze. Nat and Illya lay side by side, hands intertwined.
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ZZ Ward performed a sold-out show at The Independent in San Francisco, CA. 6/8/2017. (Photo: Rachel Ann Cauilan | @rachelcansea)
Halfway through ZZ Ward‘s set, she had the whole crowd singing along to “Charlie Ain’t Home,” a song in which she describes as too “sexy” and maybe a bit too promiscuous for a fan who said the song culminated in marriage. But for blues-rock singer ZZ Ward, it’s been a longtime coming since she last played in the Bay Area.
Four years since bringing along singer-songwriter sensation James Bay (before the world knew who he was) and indie folk group The Wild Feathers as opening acts, ZZ welcomed in a sold-out crowd at San Francisco‘s The Independent last Thursday night, with an opening set by new blues artist Earl St. Clair. ZZ was nothing but smiles as she brought back her “dirty shine.”
“Dirty shine,” a term ZZ coined as embracing her true authentic self when it comes to her music — a unique blend of blues, rock, hip-hop and pop — is something that sets ZZ apart from many artists today.
Opening up with a drum-heavy blues number in which she sings, “Say goodbye, goodbye to everything / Make love to you / And I’m dancing on our grave,” ZZ was back in her element. Her blue-eyed soul voice, full and deep and tinged with attitude, excited the crowd as she presented “Ghost” off her upcoming album The Storm dropping this June 30.
Following with hit singles “Put The Gun Down” and “‘Til The Casket Drops,” she exclaimed, “It’s been a long time San Francisco.”
“I’ve been in hibernation,” she explained to the crowd, many of whom donned familiar fedora hats in the style of ZZ herself. She’s spent the past few years working hard on her followup to her debut 2012 album ‘Til The Casket Drops and was more than excited to be playing to a room full of listeners old and new, ready to dance and mouthing back every word.
Interchanging between acoustic and electric guitars and moments in which she would sit lone on her stool, posing and making her way around the chair, she sang a sultry “Lil Darlin,'” which put everyone in the room into a heated moment.
“Oh, please, please, please / Quit dragging my heart through them coals,” ZZ sang as a deep “ooh-ooh” played over the speakers. “Oh, please, please, please / Stop trying to fix it ’cause, baby, it’s broke,” she continued.
ZZ also presented her new single “Cannonball,” a song which features Oakland native and blues music aficionado Fantastic Negrito (who unfortunately was not present to make an appearance). She also performed “Charlie Ain’t Home,” an acoustic-bluesy number off her debut album before going into songs like “Marry Well,” the dance-inducing “Move Like U Stole it” and toothy love song “Blue Eyes Blind.”
“Man this is a party,” ZZ said into the crowd, hand on hip and in complete awe. “Where’s your introduction, shit?”
ZZ introduced her band with mini solos as she closed with newly-released “Help Me Mama.” She prefaced her closing number “365 Days” by assuring the crowd: “If there’s someone in your life that you’re like, ‘Geez, I think I deserve better,’ it’s because you do. Don’t do what I did when I wrote this song and put up with someone’s shit for way too long!”
The crowd was all love for ZZ and she clearly felt it. Excited to get back on the road and present old and new material, ZZ’s infectious blues-rock tunes and blue-eyed-soul shined. She was clearly missed in the Bay. With such a versatile voice, exciting style and unmistakable talent, things can only look up for ZZ. She’s definitely an artist you should watch — you’re bound to find something that makes you want to dance, groove or get a little angsty to. And I find that’s what blues music is all about.
ZZ Ward performed a sold-out show at The Independent in San Francisco, CA. 6/8/2017. (Photo: Rachel Ann Cauilan | @rachelcansea)
ZZ Ward performed a sold-out show at The Independent in San Francisco, CA. 6/8/2017. (Photo: Rachel Ann Cauilan | @rachelcansea)
ZZ Ward performed a sold-out show at The Independent in San Francisco, CA. 6/8/2017. (Photo: Rachel Ann Cauilan | @rachelcansea)
ZZ Ward's The Storm (2017) drops June 30 and is available for preorder. Be sure to also check out her debut album Til The Casket Drops (2012). Keep up with ZZ at zzward.com.
ZZ Ward, it has been literally four years (when you did a song with @kendricklamar and brought along little @jamesbaymusic before the world knew who he was). Thanks for bringing your blue-eyed soul and dirty shine back to the Bay Area. So much love in this room! . . . @zzward #zzward #laymedownonsheetsofcotton #charlieainthome #tilthecasketdrops #dirtyshine #blues #bluesrock #soul #hiphop #blueeyedsoul #theindependent #sf #sanfrancisco #livemusic #concert #thursdaynight #aboutlastnight #fbf #tolastnight #soldoutshow
A post shared by Rachel Ann Cauilan (@rachelcansea) on Jun 9, 2017 at 1:14pm PDT
This article was featured on SFCritic.com.
ZZ Ward brings her blue-eyed soul and “dirty shine” to The Independent Halfway through ZZ Ward's set, she had the whole crowd singing along to "Charlie Ain't Home," a song in which she describes as too "sexy" and maybe a bit too promiscuous for a fan who said the song culminated in marriage.
#Blue-eyed-soul#Blues#Blues Music#Blues Rock#Concert Review#Dirty Shine#Earl Saint Clair#Earl St. Clair#Fantastic Negrito#Female Musician#Female Vocalist#Hip-hop#Hollywood Records#Live Music#San Francisco#SF#Soul#The Independent#ZZ Ward
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According to our calendars we’re only a hop skip and a couple a weeks away from the season of Spring, hurrah! But before we get to it we’ve got some pretty cold weather headed our way, according the Weather man. With this in mind, and as someone who is spending most of her winter treading those ice cold pavements (Brrrr) I thought I would share my tips for running outdoors in this cold AF weather…
What you should wear:
It’s easy to over dress in the winter and end up wearing 101 layers trying to keep warm. But it’s not necessary. For cold winter runs I usually wear three layers on my torso. I have my base layer which is a long sleeved work-out top made from polyester (as this kind of fabric is great for moisture-wicking). My second layer is just to add warmth and is usually a thick t-shirt, or if it’s really cold a sweater – if it’s not freezing cold I sometimes skip this layer. My third layer is to protect me from rain and wind, so I wear a waterproof hooded jacket that is actually my Mums old Nike Golf jacket, but it does the trick. It’s light but protective.
On my legs I wear these thick durable running leggings from Sports Direct (they also have a handy hidden zip pocket, perfect for keys or lip balm) and I swap my summer training socks for ankle socks or wool socks like these merino wool ones. And don’t forget gloves if it’s a really cold day.
Try to cover most of your head
It may not be the most stylish look but if it’s raining wear a cap as it will keep the rain out your face as your running. And remember, your ears are always at risk of really feeling the chill, not only because they are exposed but because it takes your body longer to pump blood to this part of your body. Try wearing a beanie, or ear muffs, or I wear one of those 3-in-1 windproof ski scarf things. I start off wearing it around my neck, covering my face, but I soon end up wearing it as head band covering my ears and soaking up my sweat in the process.
Ask Runnersworld if your still unsure
If your not sure three torso layers is enough, or you think it’s too much, use this fancy Runners World Tool to figure out what you should be wearing. It’s called What to Wear and it asks you questions based on yourself and your local weather to figure out what the best running clothing would be for that day.
Heat up those hands (if necessary)
If it’s super-duper cold, why not buy some all-natural hand warmers? Although these are aimed at those doing winter sports such as skiing, I’ve seen a few runners advising each other to use these on forums, although I’m yet to try some myself. Apparently they are air-activated meaning no wires or batteries, simply open the pack and pop in your hand over your gloves to keep them warm throughout your run.
Apply Vaseline
Vaseline is a God send to us runners. It’s to be applied pretty much everywhere before those big runs (especially on the, ahem, nipple area) but Vaseline is also brilliant for anyone running in the cold weather. Freezing temperatures and strong winds are the perfect combination to get those lips of yours sore and cracked. So purchase a mini tub of Vaseline to smother over your lips and face before a run -and any other exposed skin – and then pop it in your pocket to take with you on those long distance runs.
Do your warm up indoors
Regardless of the season, I always warm up indoors, but if you usually do your runners warm up outdoors, try swapping the park for the pantry. Warming up indoors will up your heart rate, increase your blood flow and it will raise your temperature, even if just slightly, so that when you open the door to head out for your run the cold air doesn’t stab you like a thousand knives making you squeal ‘MARY MOTHER OF GOD HELP ME’
Plan your route and avoid icy roads & paths
The last thing you want is a twisted ankle, or worse, a broken leg, which you will get if you go out running on ice, especially without the appropriate footwear. If it’s icy AF but you still want to go running, choose a route you know will have been de-iced or run on busy roads where the frost has already been trodden away.
Be Bright or Reflective
Winter means dark mornings and even darker nights, so you need to be seen. We don’t want anything happening to you as a result of you insisting on wearing all black in the pitch black! Think less about style and more about your safety. Try wearing either a bright/high-vis jacket or vest, or have some sort of light or reflective item on you. I wear trainers that are reflective in the night and I always have my phone lit up on my arm.
Re-hydrate just as much as you would in warm weather
Yes it’s freezing, yes your ears are numb, and yes you can see your breath, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t sweating. You can still sweat just as much in cold weather as you do in warm weather when exercising, so make sure to refuel and re-hydrate with plenty of water straight after your run, the same way you would after a summer run.
Change into dry clothes ASAP
Ever returned from a run, felt pretty dam proud, plonked yourself on the sofa, only to feel freezing cold about 20 minutes later? That’s because staying in either wet or sweaty clothes makes it harder for your body to warm back up. Get showered and changed as soon as you get home.
Try Hibernation Running
Layering up, reflective vests, freezing cold wind, frosty mornings and goofy caps – if it’s just not for you then it’s okay, instead go for the easier (albeit more expensive) option and head indoors on the treadmill. No one will judge you, you are still running and that’s all that matters! You’ll still be lapping all the couch potatoes and we’ll see you in the summer when you feel ready to start treading the pavements again.
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11 Tips for Running in this Cold AF Weather According to our calendars we’re only a hop skip and a couple a weeks away from the season of Spring, hurrah!
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