#that's all I can share ;v; told you that it's super short and provides some information. hopefully enough
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Fly V to the Moon - Ch. 24
“The one where D is for dessert”
Hello again! Here is the second part of their second date! THE ~THING~ IS FINALLY HERE! Only took 24 chapters and 50k words. It’s even double! Have fun! :) Please leave this a like if you enjoyed it... it genuinely means a lot to get those little notes and know people are reading! :)
Pairing: Taehyung x OFC
Genre: Fluff, Idol AU, Coffee Shop AU, Café Singer OFC, Slow Burn
Warnings: Light swearing, but it’s all for banter. Again, this is fluff.
Word count: 2.3k (Usually super short chapters)
Recommended Songs: Christmas Tree — V; Best Part — covered by Suhyun & Crush; ILYSB — covered by The Rose
Summary: She’s a foreign elementary school teacher by day, a charming singer by night. Taehyung and company discover her at a small garden jazz café where she had a gig one night, only to find out from Jin that she was an arts teacher at a local school in Seoul — Jin's nephew and niece’s teacher, in fact. Taehyung finds himself on a surprise adventure to the moon.
Masterlist
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Fly V to the Moon — by Nightscape Persona
Chapter 24: The one where D is for dessert
They had finished dinner. It was now time for dessert.
It was now time for dessert, and Taehyung had insisted they ordered some dessert. Insisted that perhaps they could even share, and that way they could try more desserts together. Though “insisted” was an imposition, as Lia felt all but imposed to accept such a thing. Quite the opposite. She was perhaps even delirious that he had so sweetly and innocently suggested such a thing. Perhaps in another lifetime his chocolate eyes swirling as he said such a thing could be enough saccharine for Lia, but not in this one. In this lifetime, Lia got all giddy that her crush-turned-something thought it would be nice that they ordered some mix-up of desserts. To share. Together. Like couples do. Like they could do from here on in. You know. Such a thing to do.
Desserts arrived, and as they tried their little feast, commenting on the flavors (all magnificent, to Lia’s opinion, but she was way too giddy by their hands meeting every now and then as they reached a dish at the same time to focus properly on them), they fell into another conversation. Taehyung had started to explain to Lia what they were going to in the States. A little bit of filming, a little bit recording, a little bit of producing. Some interviews, some awards.
“Ooh, so you’re coming up with new music?”
“Maybe.”
“And that’s all you can tell me?”
“That’s all I can tell you and I shouldn’t have told you. It’s secret.”
He put his index finger to his lips, playful, before carrying the fork to his mouth. She played along.
“Got it.”
She winked.
“So it's a busy trip.”
“They’re always busy, these trips.”
He sounded tired.
Lia hadn’t seen just how tired he looked. He must’ve had a full day, probably with back-to-back rehearsals and who knows what else. Yet he still made the time to come here. He still showed up with such energy and warmth and splendor. Here he was extending his hours for her. “Just for her,” her brain provided. They had chatted all night long, past the daunting and awkward conversation, and yet here he was, still pulling through their dinner. Telling her what he was up to. Letting her in.
The thought came freely and weighed down on Lia. A feeling that she mattered. She would not take this Wednesday night for granted. Or any other he would spare for her, for that matter.
“I‘ll remember to check on you and ask how the trip is treating you.”
“I’ll be waiting for it.”
He smiled. Yet once again so kindly. Yet once again so softly. Lia swore tiny sparkles glinted in his eyes.
How would she be able to wait a whole ass month to see them sparkle again?
She had questions. About how it would be for them. She wanted to ask how often he would go, how often he’d stay, how often he’d be busy, how often he’d be free. How often he would choose her over what he could. A race against time, always.
“Will you be busy when you return?”
He sensed the weight of her words.
“Yes.”
He put his fork down.
“But I will make time for you. If that’s what you’re asking.”
They locked eyes briefly.
His eyes were sincere.
He lowered them again towards the candle.
Lia felt almost sorry that she was now in the equation of balance in his life. He chose her, true. And she was choosing him. But that meant, regardless, that she was now a burden to his time, to his order of things. She didn’t want to be that person. That selfish person that makes him choose, because there’s sacrifices that you make, but there’s also unnecessarily trifle too. She was not jealous, or demanding. She hoped she would never be. She hoped she’d never be in the predicament. He seemed caring, and gentle, and thoughtful of the important things. He had made time for her time and time again, and even if he’d taken his time to reach her, he had not yet fallen through.
“I won’t bother you with those kinds of things, you know,” she spoke softly.
“What kinds of things?”
She stirred her spoon around the cantaloupe mousse.
“Demanding that you make time for me or make me the most important thing in your life. I don’t want that.”
He looked up at her sharply. She stopped stirring the spoon.
“Still, I’d try every time. I’ll try every time I can.”
“Which is why what we have going on is good. Is working. I know it’s going to change a little from what we have going on, but still—.”
“—It’s not changing a little though. It’s going to change a lot.”
His eyes were sweet, but a layer of seriousness evident in them.
“I know. It’s going to change a lot.”
They laughed.
“What I mean is,” she continued. “Let’s keep it like this. Burden-free. Easy. Good.”
“That’s all I want.”
His eyes were sincere. She hoped hers too.
“That’s all you’ve been.”
She wanted to reach over and touch his cheek. She felt brave, but not that brave.
He noticed.
“Is there something on my—?”
“No.”
She looked down, slightly embarrassed.
“And please, for the love of—of toast—let’s not keep it awkward, okay?”
He started to belly-laugh.
“There’s been so many awkward moments, so can we please just skip through that?”
“It would be my absolute pleasure, yes and thank you.”
They continued munching.
She would miss this. Not that they had had so many of these moments. Not at all. But she missed it nonetheless.
“I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Me too. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for things you can’t control.”
“I know, but—.”
“No buts.”
He chuckled. This Lia.
“It will be like this most of the time—unpredictable. There will always be stuff. But I will never backtrack for you, okay? I will always pull through for you because I believe this is worth it.”
She nodded, a new strawberry flush on her cheeks (will they ever stop blushing?).
“Alright, but. . .” she started.
“I thought you said no buts.”
“This but is important.”
He squinted.
“Okay.”
“But I will not allow it, ever, for you to feel like you’re letting me down if you cannot keep that promise. Because I know the reality. And I know it is hard to keep such a thing and I would never expect you to. As I told you earlier.”
“How could I not keep that promise? I will try—.”
“Shut up. Please,” she added quietly. “It’s my turn to speak and it is already hard to speak.”
He leaned back, twirling the spoon in his hands.
“Okay. This is what I can promise you. I promise to take you as you are. To hold no grudges to your lifestyle. Where I can. As long as you show me you care.”
“And I promise you I will care. I will make time for you, as much as my lifestyle will try to get in the way. I hate having to backtrack. You have to make time for things like this, but it’s always worth it. I’m heading to that part of my career where I can choose where to place my time.”
Lia hadn’t thought of that.
“And I will place it on you.”
It was silly that she got flustered.
“I don’t know if this is too fast or too rushed, and we don’t know each other for that long, but—but I’ve been on free fall for you since—since that Christmas show and then last Friday it was settled for me. I want to make you mine. I choose you. There’s time. We have time.”
“True.”
They had plenty of time.
He puffed out his breath.
“Somehow I feel like I know you already, so much. Like I’ve known you for eons, for ages.”
“Funny,” Lia said. “I feel like I am discovering you. Like I barely even know at all. Even if you had me thinking just days ago that—this is so cheesy. Nevermind.”
“No, please, tell me.”
“It’s so cheesy.”
“If it comes from you, I’ll listen to the utterly stupidliest romantic thing that can be uttered.”
“How are you like this?”
“It’s part of my charm.”
“Okay, okay.”
“I had you thinking days ago that. . .?”
This Taehyung.
“At the end of our date, you had me thinking that this is it.”
Lia could see it in his eyes that he wanted to continue playing, but chose not too.
“Then, if this is it, trust me.”
“Okay.”
“It wasn’t that cheesy, by the way.”
This Taehyung.
As they returned to their desserts, her brain reeled with all the new information. She realized they had spoken so much in the couple of hours that they had shared. Things she wouldn’t have expected to discuss. With a confidence she didn’t feel when the night began. But it was a good thing that they did, wasn’t it? Communication is key, they say.
“Is it normal to have such candid conversations on a first date? I feel like we’ve laid so much on the table already.”
They had definitely grown more comfortable through the course of the night, which Lia had not expected either. They’d fallen into banter, sort of. Into laughing a lot, too, which was good.
“It is when you are about to trap yourself with someone like me. With my life. And when you’ve been drinking fine champagne.”
True. They laughed.
“I wouldn’t say trapped, though.” she teased.
It was beautiful, how he turned to look down when the moves were reversed on him.
Anyways.
True. It wasn’t a normal relationship.
A relationship.
This man sitting across from her, currently munching on their lemon pie with stars in his eyes, and the most handsome face she had ever seen (at least this up close), was now her—her what? Her something? This man who has just said enchanting thing after enchanting thing was hers. Hers? Maybe she knew him very little. Maybe she didn’t (she didn’t know him at all). But they would have time for that.
They hadn’t even kissed.
His lips.
He was just eating pie and she couldn’t put her eyes away from them.
She remembered their almost kiss. Interrupted by a stupid fake bird.
His eyes suddenly went up and met hers.
He looked at her funny as soon as a hint of panic disappeared.
“Is there something on my face again? Cause you’re staring at me again and I’m not sure how I feel about i—.”
In the spur of the moment, in the embarrassment at being discovered, she did yet another silly thing. A stupid thing but she was too flustered to act normally, okay??? She just acted. And it was cheesy. But she didn’t think, okay???
She flew a spoonful of their shared chocolate cake straight to his mouth. His eyes turned tiny as his grin opened wide, and his melodious laughter came out as a response.
He accepted the spoonful. She was caught in between wishing the Earth would swallow her whole and reveling in awe at the fact that she did… that. Asides from wondering how the fuck did her hand get to the spoon and the spoon to his mouth and the smile to his mouth.
Conversation continued. More champagne was served. Desserts were discussed.
Taehyung was growing freer, intoxicated by the way the air had become so lightweight, so safe, so silly, or perhaps because of the champagne.
“You know, last Friday. When we spoke something about the twins adoring you.”
“Mhm?”
“I think one of the reasons I fell for you so quickly, besides from the obvious fact of the café putting us under the spell and you enchanting me with your singing—.”
“Shut uuup.”
“It’s true.”
“Argh, but it sounds so,” Taehyung glared at her. “Proceed.”
“I think one of the reasons why I fell for you so quickly was that we knew something about you being kind and a person you could love.”
That made sense.
“I should thank the twins for giving me some goodwill, then.”
He just chuckled.
“Talking about going away. . . I have something for you.”
“Going away was not mentioned, but okay.”
He rolled his eyes. He reached for the fancy designer satchel hanging from his chair, and retrieved a package.
Lia held her breath.
It was a present, nicely wrapped in an ornate paper, with an indigo ribbon on the top. Moderately sized. Perhaps something folded. The print on the wrapping paper looked very familiar. Like brush strokes. Like a painting. Like. . .
“Is this—is this the Water Lily Pond?”
She beamed at him.
“Yes,” he grinned. “Thought you’d love it.”
“I do, I love it! It’s marvelous. So. . .”
Thoughtful. A reminder of their little moment at the bridge in the garden.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Yes, I had to and it’s not up to debate, so argue with the wall.”
He did a Tata mic face. (Now she knew the face!)
“There’s one thing, though.”
His eyes were glinting. With a little something like mischief again.
“You cannot open it until I give you the sign.”
Oh, the little sh. She raised her eyebrows.
“And what should I be on the lookout for?”
“You’ll know when it comes up,” he winked.
He handed her the gift.
“Keep it safely. Do not peek!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Pinky promise!”
He offered his pinky.
“Pinky promise.”
She offered her pinky.
A little static frizzled between them.
A waiter popped by to leave a small box of dessert samples. Lia had assumed he’d drop off the check too, but as he quickly exited again, she realized he wouldn’t. She considered how much the dinner might have cost him. The little private room on the terrace.
“I can see you think.”
His brown eyes were scanning her.
“I was thinking. . . thank you for tonight.”
“Thank you for joining me. I know it was too soon.”
“Maybe, but who cares?”
“Good to know.”
“I think the samples mean we have to go.”
Taehyung laughed.
“Well, we do have to leave at some point, but we can stay a little longer.”
“We can?”
“Yeah, the owner told me we can stay all we need.”
Lia was growing curious.
“He is an acquaintance of mine, you know.”
“Of course he is,” Lia rolled her eyes playfully. “Is that why the champagne was on the house?”
“Maybe. Maybe the people behind the name like you too much too.”
“You’re saying nonsense now.”
“It’s not nonsense! It’s because you know them too.”
“Huh?”
“He gifted us the dinner. Or put more nicely, he offered to sponsor our night.”
“The owner?,” she was growing more baffled rather than curious. “Really?”
“He did, because there’s two little people who like you very much.”
The loose bolts in Lia’s brain started to click.
“Is it—the twins?”
“Close. Too young to sell booze, I’m afraid,” he said pointing to the empty champagne bottle.
“Of course! I meant their father.”
“Yep.”
She gawked at Taehyung.
“Jin-hyung’s brought it up and he was more than happ—.”
“Just how many people know about us?”
“Oh, not many! Please, don’t worry about it, though!”
“I’m not worried, I’m embarrassed!”
“Yeah, I kind of passed that threshold already, too.”
“The threshold of what? Humiliation and embarrassment before all the people you know?”
“Yep.”
They were laughing, quite easily.
Though she was leaning towards accepting that offer, staying a little bit more, she had reservations. For one, it was getting late. Then, she’d quite like it to go home and breathe and squeal and explode in bliss as she couldn’t do throughout their night. She was also aware that Taehyung was tired, and staying out late, as much as he wanted to, wasn’t good for him considering his upcoming schedules. However, more than that, she didn’t want to overstep the normal length and boundaries of a dinner date, especially as a second date, in spite of the many thresholds that were crossed that night.
Thus, with a heavy chest, she spoke.
“It’s getting late.”
He nodded, thinning his lips.
“I know.”
Both sensed the night coming to a close.
“Perhaps we should call it a night for tonight.”
They locked eyes. His beautiful brown eyes.
“Perhaps we should.”
Still, they made no attempt to move, the gravity of the table and the gravitational pull of each other’s gazes keeping them grounded in their chairs.
She fought her shyness, brought on by his dark, chocolate eyes fixed on her. She fought the need to look away, and tried instead to convey her feelings. Her gratitude. Her fondness. Her longing.
Were looks enough, though? She decided they weren’t. She needed words. Perhaps even more than words. They’d said a lot of words, weighty words, but in heavy moments like the one they were in right now, not many had been uttered. And when they were, they were small and soft, hesitant. Yet frank. In the span of a night, they had oscillated from almost murmuring words that had been hard to speak, to spurting words out so uninhibitedly.
In a moment of courage, she decided just looking was not enough, and she uttered five more words, very softly.
“I really, really like you.”
His face was already radiant, but it beamed a little bit more. A little giddy too.
“And I really, really like you.”
She took note of his smile and his eye smiles and his brown curls and his fond eyes as he said that, stamping it on her brain for forever. She’d orbit around him like a moon, like a space rock, like a star, if he’d just ask it with that face. He’d be her forever giddiness supply.
They eventually stood up and grabbed their coats. Pulled in the chairs, walking towards the balcony glass to admire the view together one last time before they left. Lia thanked him again for the present and told him she already wanted to open it and see what it was. Taehyung teased her again, making her pinky-promise once more that she wouldn’t cheat and open it before it was time. They pinky-promised with cold, nervous fingers. They turned around.
Suddenly, Taehyung stopped. Seemingly caught by a thought.
“You good?,” Lia questioned.
He shuffled to face her.
“There’s something I must do before we go.”
Impossibly close. Impossible to turn away.
“Or I’ll regret it forever and every single day until I see you again.”
His eyes, his brown, ember-lit, accursed eyes, were drawing her in. In a corner of her brain, a thought came up. Was he going to kiss her? Her eyes trailed down to his lips. His followed suit.
“What?,” she whispered, unable to muster any other words.
He cradled her cheeks with his hands, and leaned in until she could feel his breath on her face. Until his pupils were so close she could see the nebulas within them. The skyline lights scintillating within them.
Then he spoke, deep.
“This.”
He closed the gap between them.
It was immediate, how their lips crackled with invisible sparks upon their contact. Warm. Gentle. Earnest.
He kissed her.
And she kissed him right back.
The world held its breath.
Momentarily.
Again.
Electricity was all she felt for the five seconds that his lips lingered on her own, and the world switched off, and her sense melted into nothingness.
He pulled back, slightly, and she could feel his smile grazing hers. He was beaming, and so was she. She felt no shame as she hung her arms around his neck.
“Do that again.”
Not one ounce of resistance was offered. He leaned to kiss her again.
She was engulfed in electricity. A tingling spreading from their lips to the tips of her toes. Electricity, and the softness of his lips, and a hint of passion wrought with tenderness. She never had to wonder again just how it felt to kiss him.
Their hearts flew to the moon, and they refused to come back down.
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Masterlist
✻ ✻ ✻
All chapters: Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 — Chapter 4 — Chapter 5 — Chapter 6 — Chapter 7 — Chapter 8 — Chapter 9 — Chapter 10 — Chapter 11 — Chapter 12 — Chapter 13 — Chapter 14 — Chapter 15 — Chapter 16 — Chapter 17 — Chapter 18 — Chapter 19 — Chapter 20 — Chapter 21 — Chapter 22 — Chapter 23 — Chapter 24 — Chapter 25 — Chapter 26 — Chapter 27 — Update on Part 2 — Part 2 Preview
#bts fluff#bts fanfic#bts x oc#bts x ofc#taehyung#taehyung fanfic#taehyung fluff#taehyung x ofc#taehyung x oc#v#v fluff#v x ofc#v x oc#bts jazz#bts slow burn#bts idol au#bts coffee shop au
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Ashley and Chris started trying to conceive during summer 2018. She went off her birth control, she says, and “we got pregnant that very first cycle.” The couple felt “super excited that it happened so quickly.” (Xpress is using pseudonyms for the couple, who live in the Asheville area, to protect their privacy.)
They began telling loved ones about her pregnancy and posed for a pregnancy photo shoot. “I was ready to put [the photos] in the mail as soon as we got home from an appointment” for a 12-week ultrasound and genetic testing, she says.
That Friday afternoon appointment changed everything. During the scan, “I noticed the ultrasound tech was just a little bit more quiet,” Ashley recalls. The couple sat in the waiting room, “looking at the pictures of the baby, just feeling excited,” Ashley says.
“Then the doctor just kind of rushes in and goes, ‘Let’s talk about these pictures,’” Ashley recounts. The physician informed them their baby had extra fluid behind its neck, and referred Ashley to a doctor who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. “I felt like I blacked out at that moment,” Ashley says. She doesn’t remember much else about that afternoon or the following weekend.
The next week, Ashley and Chris found obstetrics specialists at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University. In Ashley’s 13th week, health care providers at Duke extracted fluid from her placenta to conduct DNA testing.
The couple had to wait another two weeks for the test results: Her baby, a girl, had a diagnosis of Turner syndrome, Ashley tells Xpress. “The baby didn’t just have extra fluid behind her neck; she also had it surrounding her heart, and surrounding her brain as well,” she says.
Turner syndrome is a chromosomal condition that primarily affects females, according to the Mayo Clinic. People born with Turner syndrome may have heart defects and abnormal kidneys; if the child reaches adolescence or adulthood, she can have slow growth, shortness, stalled sexual development and struggles with conception, among other issues.
Ashley says she was told, in her case, if her daughter were to survive throughout the pregnancy she’d likely require cardiac surgery upon birth, Ashley says. If she were to survive postnatal cardiac surgery, she would experience very high medical needs throughout her lifetime.
“I think what really did it for us was that we didn’t want the baby to have a life of suffering,” Ashley says. “We chose to suffer so that she didn’t have to.” She calls the experience the darkest time of her life.
North Carolina law requires Ashley to receive state-directed counseling and undergo a 72-hour waiting period before terminating a pregnancy. For the counseling, her nurse at Duke “had to read me a script of all my options I had instead of an abortion,” Ashley tells Xpress. “[The nurse] even apologized — she’s like, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m required by law to do this.’” The nurse informed Ashley about her options, such as raising a special needs child, and Ashley began “sobbing,” she recalls, and pulled the phone away from her ear. After the counseling, Ashley waited the required 72 hours before physicians provided an abortion at 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Her loved ones knew about the pregnancy, and Ashley says some assumed she’d miscarried. “I didn’t know who was safe to say, ‘No, I didn’t miscarriage — we had to have an abortion,’” she explains. “I do remember [voicing my fears] to my husband. He [said] ‘It’s nobody else’s business!’”She adds, “And I [said] ‘I know it’s not their business. But it’s my truth.
It is despicable that Ashley had to go through this. Forced birthers, you don't have the right to do this to people. She had to make an unimaginable decision, and your opinion as to what she should have chosen is irrelevant.
All you do is cause pain and suffering.
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Dream Come True
Colin Shea x O/C Corinne MacAdam
Multi-Chapter Story - Complete
Summary: Colin Shea and his band Rock the Cradle are finally making it big - until something unexpected happens. When he meets a girl that makes him reconsider his player ways, he thinks his life may be coming together, until she blows it apart.
Warning: Bad language, smut, suicidal ideations - no one under 18, please
Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please do not read if you are underage. I do not own the character of Colin Shea; the rest are my original characters. By reading beyond this point, you understand the disclaimers as posted.
Chapter Four
Cori’s dad set down the last box on the kitchen counter. She couldn’t believe she was finally moving into a new apartment.
“This is it kiddo,” he said, wrapping her up in a hug. She smiled into his shoulder and hugged him back.
“Thank you so much Daddy.” She watched her father’s face spread into a smile.
“Corinne, I can’t tell you how happy we are for you. You’re getting a fresh start. The world is your oyster, you know.”
She wrinkled up her nose. “I hate oysters,” she said with a giggle.
“Well, you never know, there might be a beautiful pearl inside.” He kissed her on the forehead.
Cori walked him to the door, the daunting task of unpacking ahead of her. She opened the door to see him off and stopped in her tracks. Directly across the hall at apartment 6A, a guy clad only in flowered boxers had a blonde in a tight embrace, kissing her passionately. She pulled away from the guy and said goodbye.
“Bye April,” the guy said with a wave.
“Annie.” There was irritation in her voice.
“Annie, right. Bye Annie.”
As the blonde huffed down the stairs, Cori got a good look at her new neighbor. Tall, fit, a bad case of bedhead but adorable. His upper body was chiseled muscle, his legs long and sexy. He suddenly realized she was standing in her door and gave her the once-over. He licked his lips as he admired her in her jeans, tight Red Sox t-shirt and bare feet. “Well, well, well,” he said, walking around the bannister towards her. “Helloooo 6C.”
Cori smirked at him, crossing her arms without realizing it, protecting herself. “Hello.”
He prowled toward her like a cat stalking a mouse. “And what is your name? And how did I get so lucky?”
Just as he approached, her dad stepped out the door.
“Her name is Corinne. And unless you want to press that luck, I suggest you make a U-turn and go back to your apartment.”
Colin’s eyes were wide, a startled look on his face, but he recovered quickly.
“Well hey Corinne, welcome. I’m Colin, Colin Shea, from across the hall in 6A. I’m the official welcome party for the building. Just wanted to say hi.”
“Do you always welcome new neighbors in your boxers?” said her dad.
Colin looked down, as if he’d forgotten he was barely dressed. “Ah, that, well, I wasn’t sure when I’d get a chance to say welcome, thought I better seize the moment.”
“The moment after you couldn’t remember the name of the girl you just slept with?” said Cori, not sure where she got the nerve.
Colin gave a smile, shaking his head. “Ok, I know when I’m beat. It really was nice meeting you Corinne. I promise I’m a good neighbor.”
“Be neighborly and keep your distance,” said her dad with a smirk.
“Dad,” Cori hissed. “Don’t mind him, he’s just an overprotective dad. And everyone calls me Cori.”
Colin visibly relaxed, walking backwards towards his door. “Cori it is. Talk to you later Cori.” He gave her a little salute and disappeared into his apartment.
“Oh brother,” said her dad, “now I have to worry about that guy.”
Cori laughed. “No you don’t Daddy, I’ll be fine. This is a nice building, don’t worry.”
He pulled her into a warm embrace. “Your mother will call and check on you later.” With that, he made his way down the stairs.
She stared over at 6A’s door. She was still trying to register the gorgeous Welcome Wagon across the hall. Those long muscular legs, defined pecs and a six pack, biceps for days, blonde hair and blue eyes, absolute pure sexiness, and quite evidently a heap of trouble. Her heart fluttered a little. There were lots of reasons to love this new apartment.
She’d given herself the weekend to unpack and get the apartment set up. She was finding it easier each day to look forward. The disappointment of losing her fiancée and being betrayed by her best friend was still there, but she’d managed to push it away. The experience she’d had when she’d flatlined was always at the surface but she’d always had an active imagination and was a romantic at heart. Instead of seeing a light when she passed, she guessed she’d seen a hottie by the ocean. She smiled at the memory, tucked away in her heart. She owed that guy big time, even if he didn’t exist.
She’d run downstairs to throw some boxes in the recycler and met another neighbor, a chatty girl named Cathy who invited her to a party. “It’s so nice out, we’re taking advantage of the rooftop deck. Come and join us, you can meet some more of your new neighbors. Seven o’clock, bring something to share that we can nibble on. Drinks are provided.”
Cori had thought all afternoon about it and decided what the heck, she had to start somewhere. She was still putting clothes away but found her favorite shirt, a pullover with tiny bright flowers on a black background and a deep V neckline trimmed in lace with lace-trimmed bell sleeves and her favorite black capris. She pulled her chestnut curls up into a ponytail and lightly applied makeup, squirting her favorite perfume in the air in front of her and walking through. She slipped on black flats and because she was still unpacking her kitchen, pulled a bottle of wine from a box and headed to the stairs to the roof.
As she opened the door, a warm breeze hit her. She could hear light conversation and laughter, the sun just beginning to set. String lights with Edison bulbs were strung from a large brick chimney that rose from the roof to a canopy set up nearby. Folding chairs and an old couch sat under the lights, along with a long table holding chips, dip and other finger foods. A large cooler sat next to the table.
Cori approached the group slowly. Suddenly she was regretting her decision. It would’ve been so much easier to just order a pizza and finish unpacking.
“Cori!” Cathy from the trash room was waving at her. She shyly walked over to her.
“Everyone, this is Cori. She just moved in to 6C. Please make her welcome!”
Her new neighbors took turns approaching her with warm greetings. One offered to get her a drink, taking the bottle of wine to go with the others. Each introduced themselves with a name and apartment number. They were all ages, and all very friendly.
“I just moved in as well, 4B. It’s nice to meet you,” said a nerdy looking guy in khakis and a button down with glasses. Cori shook his hand.
From behind, she felt a hand on her lower back. She turned and found herself face to face with sexy 6A, her underwear clad neighbor from moving day. At some point he’d gotten dressed – disappointing.
“Hey,” he said with that incredible smile.
“Hey,” she squeaked out.
“Now how didn’t I know you already met Colin,” said Cathy, laughing, and the group chimed in, cajoling Mr. Sexy.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he said, his face turning pink. “Can I help it if I’m friendly?”
“Friendly. Is that what they call it now?” said an older man with a laugh. He patted Colin on the back.
“Colin is our resident Casanova,” said another female resident, probably in her 30s. She gave him a bit of an eye roll and Cori wondered if they had a history.
“We met the day I moved in. He was saying goodbye to his girlfriend.”
There was a moment of silence, followed by raucous laughter.
“Girlfriend, that’s a good one,” the older man said, bending over he was laughing so hard.
Colin chuckled. “Hey, you don’t buy the first shirt you pull from the rack. You gotta try them on first, right? Gotta find the right fit.” There was a collective groan among the other tenants with a few giggles (mostly from the men).
Cori smiled. So he was too good to be true. Nothing that looked that good could be good for you. She’d guessed right.
“Cori, don’t let them get to you. I’m a heckuva nice guy. I look forward to being your neighbor.” He reached down and pulled her hand to him, kissing the back of it. Catcalls came from every direction.
“Don’t drink that Kool Aid Cori, you’ll be sorry.” It was the bitter lady from earlier. Yep, they definitely have a history.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful neighbor,” she said with a smile, and he returned it. Man, was this guy trouble.
She learned everyone’s name and they told her a little about themselves. She shared that she was starting a new job and had moved from her parents’ home, leaving out the part about getting cheated on, stepping into the path of a moving car and being brought back to life in a weird dream by a kiss from a hot guy that doesn’t exist. That might be a bit much for a first intro. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming. She enjoyed some food and chatted with her new neighbors.
“So, tell me about this new job.” Colin plopped down next to her on the couch where she sat. He casually slipped his arm behind her on the cushions.
She stiffened a little and sat forward. “I’ll be the personal assistant to a family friend in the city. Running errands, shopping, and helping her with a book that she’s writing. She also has a foundation so I’ll help her with fundraising events. That’s kind of my specialty.”
She made eye contact with him and was struck by his eyes – so blue. “Well, that sounds great,” he said, sounding only a little interested.
“What do you do?”
“I’m in a band. We play some of the bars here in the city.”
She smiled. Hmm, t-shirt and cargo shorts, Chucks with no socks, spikey hair, eating appetizers with no abandon – yep, definitely a starving musician.
“Cool, are you a cover band?”
“We do play some covers but we do a lot of original songs too. Got discovered by a label but something came up and we lost the chance to audition, but another shot will come along.”
“Wow, must’ve been something big to miss something like an audition for a record label.”
He pulled his arm from behind her and rubbed the back of his neck, the smile leaving his face. “Yeah, it sucked. But I refuse to believe it was our only shot. We’re too good not to get noticed.”
“Well, maybe what you lost with bad luck you can gain with confidence,” she said, a little snarky.
“Exactly! That’s the positive attitude I’m talking about!” He raised his hand to give her a high five and when their hands touched, a shock went through both of them. They both jumped. Cori felt heat flood her neck and face.
“Did I do that?” he said, staring at his hand.
“I don’t know, but if you did, that hand could light up the city,” she laughed.
He rubbed his hand. “What can I say, you turn me on.”
She groaned. “Really? Did you just say that?” They both laughed out loud.
She spent a little while longer, then said her goodbyes and made her way to the stairs. A girl was standing at Colin’s door, knocking and calling for him.
“He’s on the roof,” she said as she passed her.
“Oh,” said the girl, as Cori walked into her apartment.
After pouring herself a glass of wine and grabbing some cheese and crackers, she set about unpacking some more. She’d turned on some background music and was enjoying reminiscing over pictures and albums she was putting away. Things were great until she opened an unmarked album and was suddenly face-to-face with Matthew. Hikes they’d made, college parties, birthdays, nights out with friends – it was all there. She slowly paged through the photos and was overcome with sadness. The tears pooled and fell. She hadn’t healed at all. It was all as fresh as the night before her wedding.
There was a soft knock at her door. Probably chatty Cathy checking up on her. She closed the album and dabbed the tears from her eyes and headed towards the door. She wasn’t up for company so she cleared her throat and said softly, “Who is it?”
There was a pause, then softly, “Hey, it’s Colin.”
Shit. Now was not the time. “Hey Colin, I was headed to bed, can I catch up with you later?”
Another pause. “Uh, yeah, ok. I have something for you – no big deal. Good night.”
She undid all the locks but the chain and pulled the door open enough to peek out. She caught a look at him from behind – those long legs and a perfect round ass in just-right jeans. His hair came down to a little V on his neckline. The sound of the door made him turn. He was holding a cupcake in a blue cup with a daisy icing flower on top. He stepped toward the door and extended the cupcake to her. “For you,” he said with that crooked smile. His voice was deep and smooth as velvet. “I wanted to make sure you were ok after that electric high five.”
She felt like she might melt. His voice was so sexy, and those blue eyes. She couldn’t help it – every time she saw him, it took her breath away.
“Hold on.” She pushed the door closed and undid the chain, re-opening it a little more. She reached out and he came closer, handing her the cupcake.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
He studied her for a bit. She looked sad, as if maybe she’d been crying.
“You’re welcome. Look, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me. I know everyone was joking around up there – well, maybe kind of joking – but I really am a good neighbor. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. I’ll look out for you. Ok?”
She smiled, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Ok. Thank you Colin. I mean it.”
He shook his head and smile broadly. “Good night Cori. I’ll see you around.”
“Good night.”
She went back inside after locking the door, set the cupcake down on the table and walked straight to her bed. She was suddenly exhausted. She was awkward and broken and no fun. The hottest guy she’d ever met was entertaining all kinds of girls across the hall and she probably wouldn’t be one of them. Some fresh start this was.
#chris evans#chris evans angst#chris evans fanfic#chris evans fanfiction#colin shea#colin shea fanfic#colin shea fanfiction#what's your number
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welcome aboard, luna hendrix, student #39. we are excited to set sail with you ! has anyone told you that you look like hailee steinfeld? according to our records, you hail from denver, usa, prefer she/her pronouns, are cis female, and are here to study astrophysics. we also see you received a spot on the ss university because of your academic scholarship — we won’t tell anyone. during your first few weeks here, other students said you were determined, gentle, but also overbearing. it sounds like you spend most of your time at the sun deck. upon checking your luggage, we noticed you packed your binoculars. hopefully your roommates don’t steal it!
tw: mention of death, drunk driving
hi besties !! aubrey here coming atcha with a second muse. a total 180 on blair. also listen, i just wanna start off by saying that i know luna/studying astrophysics/bringing a pair of binoculars on the ship is tacky as hell but y’all better be nice to my sweet baby OR ELSE. anywaaay, here’s what i’ve figured out so far.
✗ STATS.
full name: luna rose hendrix
nickname(s): lu, loon, her dad calls her lulu
age: twenty-three
birthday: october 9th 1997 / libra
sexual orientation: pansexual/panromantic
relationship status: single
✗ ABOUT.
luna was born and raised in denver, colorado by her dad after her mother sadly passed at the hands of a drunk driver when she was only a year old. her father is her absolute best friend and this is actually the first time she’s ever been away from him for such a long period of time. he never remarried and it was always just the two of them so this is very !! hard !!
her dad worked two jobs to provide for them. he is her absolute best friend, they both share the ‘us against the world’ mentality. he did his best to give her everything he could but it was definitely a struggle at times. she never asked for much more than what she needed. still to this day she doesn’t like to ask for things/favors because she doesn’t want to feel like a burden.
she definitely comes off as shy and timid but once you get to know her i promise you you’ll be like damn does she ever shut up ??
she’s the biggest hopeless romantic. seriously, it’s kind of annoying. she LOVES love and has so much of it to give. falls for people way too quickly & never learns. bit of a serial dater tbh it’s like babe, might wanna chill and work on yourself
luna would die for a stranger, honestly. but she can also be way too overbearing. she just wants everyone to be safe & happy. also, total pushover. literally just the sweetest nugget, irritatingly optimistic about everything.
all of that stems from her innate need to please people. she has this desire to be liked by absolutely everyone and doesn’t see a problem with that. she doesn’t know how to say no so i imagine that gets her into quite a bit of trouble.
her mom was the one who named her. she was absolutely obsessed with the stars, the moon, space, aliens literally ALL OF IT. when she passed, her dad vowed to teach luna everything he knew and she became just as passionate as her mother. its always brought her comfort and she feels v close to her mom through it even though she never really got to meet her. hence her major choice. she will talk your ear off about it all.
that’s all i have for now. sorry it’s so short, i’m just super excited to have her here and really wanted to get some quick facts up so that i could plot things with all of you. she’s a brand new muse and a work in progress so pls bear with me. as always, feel free to hmu or like this and i’ll come to you.<3
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Our London Podcast Festival Script
Two weeks ago, Gather The Suspects were invited to perform a short live piece as part of the Audio Drama Debuts Hour. We had such a blast and while we don’t have a recording of the brand new material we performed, here is the script we performed in full:
GATHER THE SUSPECTS: LONDON PODCAST FESTIVAL
SCENE 1: INT: JACK AND KARA’S FLAT
JACK and GERAINT are sat in JACK’S flat. They are playing a game on the PlayStation…
JACK: Get him! Get him! Aaaaah, balls. G, why didn’t you cover me!
GERAINT: I told you I’m rubbish at this game
JACK: Are you still stuck in the doorway at the spawn point… hah - you are! What a noob! Coo-ey…Geraint...
GERAINT: Hey! No friendly fire!
JACK: Ger, you know the rules, if it’s part of the game then it’s all fair…
GERAINT: You shot my guy blank in the face… I really don’t see how that’s part of the ga- oooh, I have another life left!
JACK: You don’t get lives anymore in games, G… this isn’t the 80s
GERAINT: What about Super Mario?
JACK: Nope… you run out of lives, you just lose coins now…
GERAINT: I dunno, society really is beyond repair! Talking of which…what about this ‘big case’ you’ve been working on... (reacting to the game) Ha-hah! I’m out of the door! Finally! (back to Jack) I’m guessing, as you’re sat here with me getting your arse kicked at video games... likely by some random twelve-year-olds… that it’s going swimmingly!
JACK: Hey, I’m not getting my arse kicked… I’m just… never mind that. I have a day off...Who’d have thought going undercover would be so exhausting!
GERAINT: Yeah, to be honest, the thought of you having a job is still quite amusing, even if it is just for appearance’s sake.
JACK: Hey, what’s so funny about me having a job?
GERAINT: (laughing) Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s the… (Jack shoots him a look)
GERAINT: (composing himself) Oh, you were serious... Oh, nothing…just didn’t really see it as your...um… ‘scene,’ that’s all... So, you reckon you can solve it?
JACK: Uh-huh…
GERAINT: Aaand?
JACK: Just uh-huh… nothing much to write home about yet, really.
GERAINT: Jack, it’s a murder, surely there must be something exciting! Like what happened?
JACK: Angry boss…disgruntled employees... shot, by the looks of it… (reacting to the game) YES! Take that… right in the…(remembers what they were talking about)... oh, uuh… that’s about it really…
GERAINT: “That’s about it?” Sounds like quite a big deal to me… so, you got any suspects?
JACK: That’s the problem right now… there is literally an entire office full of ‘em! But, it’s my day off and I am not thinking about it… just going to chill here and play some…
SOUND: PHONEVIBE.WAV
JACK: (Sighs)... hello…
KARA (on phone): Hey…
JACK: Hey Kara
KARA (on phone): Guess what?
JACK: The office has burned down and I don’t have to go back to work tomorrow?
KARA (on phone): Hah, you wish… no… Harrison just announced in the morning meeting that the police are coming in today to search everyone’s lockers… The whole sales team is freaking out!
JACK: (excitedly) What!? The police are actually doing something? I can just imagine their panicked little faces!
KARA (on phone): Dai blew up at Harrison in the meeting and called it ‘an affront to his human rights...” Like, since when has douchebag Dai cared about anyone’s human rights when he’s been sleazing his way around the office.
JACK: Ooooh, I’m coming in!
KARA (on phone): You won’t be allowed… your card won’t let you into the building if you’re booked off on holiday…
JACK: What about if I ask Harrison about coming in? Surely he’ll -
KARA (on phone): You’ll be lucky, he’s gone golfing. You’ll just have to wait for me to get home and fill you in on all the fun and games, I’m afraid.
JACK: Gaah! Just give me a call if they find anything, alright?
KARA (on phone): Jack, it’s the police... they couldn’t find anything if it was surrounded by a big shiny arrow and neon writing declaring ‘I’m a clue’. Think you are safe on that one… It will be interesting to see how people react though. Like I said, they all seem pretty worried at the mo... Me and V are going to watch - I’ll let you know if any fireworks happen.
JACK: Thanks, K. Bye.
KARA (on phone): Tarra, bye.
Phone beeps as JACK hangs up.
JACK: Ger, get your coat… we are going to work……..
GERAINT: What?! Now? I was just getting the hang of this bloody thing too!
JACK: I’ll explain on the way. We are going on a stakeout!
SCENE 2: EXT: WELTEL CAR PARK
We open on JACK and GERAINT stood in the carpark of the Weltel call centre.
JACK: Oooh, how exciting, our first stakeout!
GERAINT: While I’d like to share your enthusiastic outlook on the situation, couldn’t you at least have hired a car or something… just standing here in the open staring at the building doesn’t feel very… well, ‘discrete’, quite frankly.
JACK: (mocking) Oh, I’m sorry ‘chief inspector’, I would have gone for the usual unmarked car with tinted windows, but the carpool budget has been rather reduced since, you know, the world fell apart.
GERAINT: Alright, alright. I was just saying... We aren’t exactly inconspicuous stood here though, are we? Particularly when you keep looking through those opera glasses!
JACK: I was rushing and couldn’t find my binoculars…
GERAINT: Why do you even have opera glasses anyway… have you ever even been to the opera -
JACK: (interrupting) Shush! Look… (whispering) act natural… (they act very unnatural, suspiciously looking around staring at the sky and their shoes.
GERAINT starts to whistle and turns away from the mic) what’s she doing?
GERAINT: Who is it? I can’t see because of all the acting natural….
JACK: (gives up whispering) Oh, just turn around, mun. Look, it’s Amy…
GERAINT: Jack, you seem to forget, I don’t work here… I have literally no idea who that is!
JACK: OK, so… Amy is married to Dai, who is possibly having an affair with the other Amy, who is definitely selling coke in the toilets to Hikari, who got in a fight with Harrison, who is having an affair with Julie, which was discovered by Cathy...
GERAINT: Who swallowed the fly… but, we are yet to discover why she swallowed said fly… perhaps…
JACK: Don’t be facetious… It’s Cathy who has been murdered, mun…
GERAINT: Aah
JACK: Get it now…
GERAINT: (unsure) Uuuh, not entirely… no… it sounds like being in school again!
JACK: Very much is, G. Just exchange flashing your rare pokemon cards around the playground for flashing your five-figure Rolex around the weekly stats meeting... and it’s basically the same.
GERAINT: What’s she doing, can you see?
JACK: She’s stuffing something into the wheelie bins…
SOUND: DOOR.WAV
JACK: Good she’s gone… let’s go see what it was…
SOUND: DOOR.WAV
GERAINT: Wait… who’s that…
JACK: That’s douchebag Dai… let’s just hang back here a bit…
GERAINT: Douchebag Dai?
JACK: Yup… his name is David and he is a douchebag… easy enough…
GERAINT: And he is the one selling coke in the toilets?
JACK: No, keep up, G… That’s Amy… the other Amy… the one that Dai is sleeping with and not the Amy he’s married to and just saw shove stuff furtively into a wheelie bin.
GERAINT: She’s isn’t the only one either… look where your Douchebag Dai’s headed…
JACK: The bins! Quick, what’s he holding, G… can you see?
GERAINT: (sarcastically) Why don’t you take a look with your opera glasses?
JACK: Aaah too late, he’s stuffed it in there…
SOUND: DOOR.WAV
JACK: Right, quick let’s go see what…
SOUND: DOOR.WAV
JACK: (annoyed and too loud) Aah, Jesus Christ! What now...
GERAINT: Sssshhhhh!
JACK: Uh-oh, she’s looking around… duck.
GERAINT: Back to my earlier point… I’m not sure ‘absolutely nothing’ provides us with the best form of cover for quickly ducking out of sight...
JACK: Look, It’s not like I’m particularly experienced in hiding around spying on unsuspecting people, is it…just get over here by these flower beds… Oooh, It’s Julie!
GERAINT: Another one heading to the wheelie bins! (innocently) Clean office, is it?
JACK: Like the Tour de France, G
SOUND: DOOR.WAV
JACK: Let’s just hang back and check no-one else wants to empty the content of their guilty conscience in the bin before we go… (wait and look around)
GERAINT: I think we’re good
JACK: Right, let’s have a look at what we’ve got… (lifting the lid) Eeeeugh it stinks… (they both peer into the bin)...look there’s some stuff right down there at the bottom… G climb in and get it - I’ll hold the lid…
GERAINT: I’m not climbing in there! This is your case, you climb in there...
JACK: Well I can’t go in, it’ll set off my asthma…
GERAINT: Since when have you had asthma?
JACK: (coughing for effect) I don’t tell you everything about my life, you know, Ger...and, if you must know, it comes and goes…
GERAINT: What? like, comes when you don’t want to do the dirty work yourself and goes all the rest of the time…
JACK: My doctor said I’m not to go near anything that could set it off, like dust.. Or uum…
GERAINT: Hard work? Oh, for goodness sake, just give me a boost in, OK? But you owe me! (JACK helps GERAINT into the bin) So… what have we got here… (rustles around in the small amount of rubbish covering the floor of the bin.) Some receipts for a restaurant called ‘Chez Henri’ and what looks like a stack of love letters badly wrapped up in cellotape… here you go…
JACK: (reading) “To my Darling, H. Each moment I stare at you through the glass is pure torture…” Well, that’s creepy! Anything else…
GERAINT: A lot of empty tinfoil packets… you sure you had the right Amy?
JACK: Well I didn’t say who else she was selling the stuff to...
GERAINT: There’s a folder in here too… It’s got pictures in here of Harrison and Julie… wait, there’s something else in the back part… oh my god… Jack - It’s a gun!
JACK: What?! Let’s have a - Jeeeeesus, that’s a bloody gun!
GERAINT: I see why you have developed such a good reputation for your detective skills… What are we going to do with it?
JACK: Look don’t touch it - I’ll…
POLICEMAN: Hey!
JACK: Oh bloody hell, it’s the fuzz… hide (Jack slams the lid shut and runs)
GERAINT: (whispering angrily) Jack! What? Let me out of here! I swear to god I’m going to…
The POLICEMAN walks over and lifts the lid
GERAINT: (flustered) Uh, hi?
POLICEMAN: Hello, sir… may I enquire as to why you are sat inside a wheelie bin holding a gun?
GERAINT: I...Uh… oh bloody hell
---End---
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Super Alce - Feature Bike
The Featured Super Alce in Location
Nestled unobtrusively among a row of 500 singles inside the Cathedral of Moto Guzzi, within a part of the structure which was historically an old sheep shearing shed lies one of Teo's Super Alces. This Super Alce is presently flanked by an Alce and an Airone Sport. The Super Alce was produced from 1946 - 1957 and it replaced "la gloriosa Alce". The Alce was renowned as a tough and reliable military bike during "La Guerra" WW2. It was a robust and powerful machine which distinguished itself everywhere from the large open plains in North Africa during the fighting and then equally as well in the tough mountainous terrain of "Le Alpi" the Alps.
The Alce, or the Elk in English, was always going to be a very tough act to follow but Moto Guzzi not only followed that act, they massively improved that tough act in 1946 with the Super Alce or Super Elk. At first glance the Super Alce and Alce appear hard to differentiate. Moto Guzzi stayed with the same sturdy frame and the proven girder fork suspension up front, the tank and seats look similar. They both have the trademark (for the time) Guzzi horizontal single 500cc motor keeping the overall look of both models the same. As the Super Alce was never sold to the public but only made for the military, both models generally (not always) share that military olive green colour in a flat paint to avoid reflection and detection but that's where the similarities end. Some were offered to the Carabinieri and although still finished in green paint featured some chrome plating as well around the tank.
The Alce had a side valve engine but for the Super Alce there was an upgraded engine derived from the type V engine used in the GTV and GTW series. This engine had a single port with two inclined overhead valves along with a four speed gearbox. The Super Alce had a twist grip throttle, a major improvement from the old lever on the handle which was present on the Alce. During 1952 the Super Alce included a magneto with automatic advance rather than the old timing advance lever on the handle needing to be adjusted by the rider as the speed changed.
Earlier models continued with the short double muffler from the Alce on the left hand side which was replaced in 1955 with a single long muffler still on the left side.
Andy and Wayne communing with their Super Alces in the workshop
One, perhaps unique, and quirky optional feature of both the Alce and Super Alce models is the presence of a second set of handle bars available for the pillion passenger. We have heard much conjecture as to the real reason for the second set of handle bars but frankly we have never met anyone who has convinced us they understand the factory rationale for this decision. One of the better theories is that because both of these models were only for military use that perhaps the second set of bars was made available so that when soldiers of lower rank were transporting senior officers around the battle field terrain etc that the pillion handle bars were in place so the more senior officers did not need to physically touch or hold the more junior officers piloting those machines. This is only a theory proposed by some and it is possibly not consistent with Italian culture. My own father was a soldier in the Australian Army during "La Guerra" WW2 and as a corporal he did often have the responsibilities of ferrying senior officers around on motorcycles but to my knowledge there was no such option on any military motorcycles within the Australian Army. He is no longer alive so I can't ask him about any touching while ferrying superior officers on a bike. Please share with us your thoughts or comments on this feature and any ideas you might have in the comments section, we would be very pleased to hear your opinions and learn from any specific knowledge which our 'friends' may posses.
Teo at his best, challenging himself with a Moto Guzzi problem
Special Quiz Question
As a bonus for reading this article all the way through to this point we have a special quiz, or perhaps a test for the very knowledgeable. Most Super Alce's have frame and engine numbers which commence with the letters SAxxxxxx with the SA being an abbreviation for Super Alce but some Super Alces come with the VAxxxxxx prefix on both the engine and frame. Do you know what the VA stands for in this instance? Do you know what differences there are on a Super Alce which has the VA prefix for the frame and engine?
As a clue I can advise that for the Alce model had the frame and engine prefix Axxxxx. This was consistent through the model run but there were a few Alces which had the prefix Vxxxxx. The V stood for Velocita and these bikes had different gearing and substantial chrome differences.
So the question remains to our collective brains trust, what differences in the Super Alce model came with the Vaxxxxx prefix. At this point I will make two declarations before people provide their thoughts or facts:
We at the Friends of the Cathedral of Moto Guzzi do not know the answer to this question.
I own a Super Alce (just purchased from Teo) with the prefix VAxxxxxx.
The Statistics
Provenance of Feature Bike
While this article is about Super Alces in general, the feature bike in question nestled inside the old shearing shed in between the Alce and the Airone Sport has an interesting provenance of its own. An Italian guy contacted Teo from Italy asking him if he wanted to purchase it some eight years ago. The usual discussions around price were had and before long this Super Alce was in a container bound from Italy to Melbourne, destination Cathedral of Moto Guzzi. The bike arrived exactly the same way it is presented in the museum now, eight years later with one exception. It had an old ammunition box on the back which Teo removed to keep the bike in its very original condition. When Teo finally got the munitions box open, he found inside a nice bottle of fine Italian wine made from the famed grape of Tuscany which is responsible for some of the most revered and celebrated red wines in Italy. Yes it was a beautiful Sangiovese. Needless to say, Teo has received great pleasure from both the Super Alce and the Sangiovese.
The Friends of Cathedral of Moto Guzzi Workshop
Most of us in this group, The Friends of the Cathedral of Moto Guzzi, know that the cathedral is the private collection of Teo Larmers' but as well as the cathedral itself there is so much more going on every day at the site as there is an active and vibrant Moto Guzzi workshop here where many Moto Guzzi related repairs and ground up restorations occur.
We thought that as well as featuring the Super Alce in this article that we would also feature some recent work in the associated workshop relating to two Super Alces. The first of these is my own Super Alce which I recently purchased from Teo. It had been sitting languishing on his farm (inside a shed) for 10 years before, so we had no idea what we would find and if it would start and the second of these Super Alce projects is one owned by Andrew Hawkes another Cathedral of Moto Guzzi regular who has owned his machine for circa three years.
Teo fettling with Andy’s bike
Wayne’s Super Alce in the Workshop
My own Super Alce story commenced a couple of months back when I told Teo I have a hankering to own a Super Alce. Something about the unbreakable agricultural look and feel of these machines with their military lack of adornment was beckoning me. I am beguiled by their primitive but effective engineering casually on display. I am transfixed by the girder fork front end which like the Eiffel tower is strong, lasting and effective as a piece of engineering while hiding none of it's structural secrets. One glance at the girder forks shows you how it works and after 82 years of service within the Italian military then abuse at the hands of us civilians these simple front ends are still functioning very well in 2021. They held up to the constantly changing tide of attack and retreat at the hands of Rommel and the allies in the deserts of North Africa and they did it all again on the Italian mainland. This engineering honesty proudly on display does not stop at the front end but extends to the rear end as well and then the most mesmerising example of engineering honesty exposed, watching the externally operating valve gear doing its work in front of your very eyes as the four stroke engine ticks over.
First is the induction stroke and you can see the intake valve open to suck in fuel and air from the Dell’Orto MD 27 F.
Next is the compression stroke when all the power is being built up and here both valves remain closed.
Finally comes the combustion stroke when all the power made is released in a fury of fire and brimstone. Again both valves remain closed.
Then, in preparation for it all to start again is the exhaust stroke where all the spent gases are expelled and here the exhaust valve is open telling all what the engine is doing
The Super Alce power plant is no ‘blackbox’ keeping all its running secrets from prying eyes, no this engine is a open book ready to teach any of us willing to learn the finer details of how an internal combustion engine really works.
Modern motorcycles won't even permit you to view the outside of an engine which is cocooned in a secrecy blanket of accessories or plastic decoration let alone see the exposed workings of the valve train but for the Super Alce, there it is in front of your eyes for all to see and admire, the truth at the heart of it all.
So after telling Teo I wanted to own a Super Alce myself, he revealed that somewhere in the deep dark recesses of his sheds and containers he had a Super Alce which had been dormant for 10 years or more. With that he located the Super Alce which would become mine. We gave the old girl a new spark plug lead and new spark plug and new plug cap. We used the kick starter to roll over the engine a couple times and deduced that it probably didn't have a lot of compression. Not deterred by this we got some fuel, filled the tank, checked the oils and started the video running. (See the video of the bike's first kick below). Teo and I had talked over how this would go. I would pull the choke lever from Aperto to Chiuso (from open to closed), then I would prime the carburettor. The throttle would need to be in just the right place, then, after locating Top Dead Centre using the decompression lever, I would give that one explosive kick which would bring the bike to life. Sounds good in theory. Well watch the following video to see what happened......... Yep, she started first kick after 10 years or more in a dark corner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13hvzKvvdm4 (First Kick)
https://studio.youtube.com/video/hCbFljGPb2M/edit (First Ride)
At first, despite the engine running well, there was a problem with the idling which could not be rectified even with a bit of fettling by Teo. We opened up the carby and used compressed air to blow out the idle jet. After that all was perfect, she ran well and idled beautifully.
It seemed we had a good engine, despite it feeling like it had so little compression. I rode the old girl around a few dirt roads over a couple of weekends and she started reliably and pulled strongly enough. We were both satisfied that it was ready to go. But, life sometimes doesn't go as planned. The next weekend I was ready to take her home and get some red plates for her and she was reluctant to start. What had happed to our perfect machine which started first kick every time on queue! We were able to start her and she ran fine but she just took way too much effort with me kicking so much my leg started to get tired before she would start.
As we were working from Teo's workshop nearby the Cathedral of Moto Guzzi it was no effort to pull off the head and barrel to see the condition of the piston, rings, valves etc. First we poured some oil into the cylinder. Wow, with oil providing a seal, suddenly I could easily find the compression stroke which had been elusive up to this point. I could even stand up on the kick-starter using all my weight without the engine turning over. Oh dear, we obviously lacked compression despite the old girl appearing to run just fine. First we removed the head. The exhaust valve had a substantial leak and after removing the valves we could see there was so much wear to the valve guides, the valves had been rattling up and down the guides like a clackity old train. How had this girl run so well! But surprisingly the best, or should I say, worst was yet to come. As we pulled the barrel off the piston the four piston rings fell onto the work bench in a myriad of pieces. One of the piston rings was in seven separate pieces. How had this old girl been running so well and how had the broken piston rings not caused any damage to the piston or the bores. What a testament to the robustness of these old engines that with all this going on the old girl just kept running.
Bits of piston ring everywhere as we removed the barrel.
Oh dear!
All the pieces of the puzzle.
Fortunately Teo was able to supply us with the necessary expertise and parts to reassemble the engine and voila, she will be back to starting with barely more than a simple well placed kick. I can’t wait to see how this baby will go with even more oomph. Another very happy customer and another amazing old Super Alce back on the roads or paddocks or wherever I choose to ride her. Hope to see you out on the road one day while I am riding her.
Andy’s Super Alce
You may notice in the photos that there is also another Super Alce in Teo's workshop. This fine example of a 1949 Super Alce belongs to our esteemed friend and fellow Friend of the Cathedral of Moto Guzzi, Andy Hawkes.
Andy’s bike in the foreground
To my eye, Andy's bike is one of the best examples of a Super Alce that I have ever seen. It's not one of these perfect shiny examples that has magnificent paint with perfect finish to all the chrome and other fittings. It has never been restored or made to look somehow better than it would have back in 1949. No, Andy's bike has surface rust in all the right places. It had dents which show the scars of a long and busy life. It has the scars of a life lived to the fullest and evidence of many experiences which date back to its time in active service for the Italian military. I suppose in today's parlance it may be described as a 'rat rod' but make no mistake, the scars on Andy's bike are not contrived or deliberately curated. No the scars on Andy's bike came slowly over years and one by one by virtue of simply being used and enjoyed for the purpose for which it was designed.
Andy’s Super Alce story starts similarly to mine. It started with an itch and hankering for a Super Alce which Teo was pleased to satisfy. Teo sourced an appropriate Super Alce for Andy in Italy and thus started the long wait which Andy had to endure as his soon to be Super Alce was transported by boat from Italy to Melbourne Australia and onto the Guzzi Cathedral at Yea Victoria.
Andy’s bike arrived with a non functioning magneto and a few other foibles which were no problem at all in the workshop of Teo Lamers next to the Cathedral of Moto Guzzi. With these minor issues quickly dispatched by Teo’s skill and tools in the workshop, Andy was soon riding his latest pride and joy.
In fact it was March 2018 when Andy was taking his maiden voyage on his ‘new’ Super Alce that I quickly developed my own hankering. Andy has always been such a trend setter with the rest of us merely following.
See link below to Andy riding his Super Alce back in March 2018. Apologies for the recalcitrant pillion passenger on the back of Andy’s bike.
https://youtu.be/yPm2uWIa4pE
The Boys Having Fun Riding Super Alces at the Cathedral of Moto Guzzi Workshop on a Sunday Afternoon.
https://studio.youtube.com/video/dP8Sn10X9wA/edit (Sunday afternoon ride)
https://studio.youtube.com/video/skMy4MJVVic/edit (Back at the workshop)
Written by Wayne Brundell
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hihi! i was scrolling through your blog to read your fics and look at your other posts when i came across that ask where an anon did an analysis of your fic hostis. i’m just asking out of genuine curiosity (i hope this doesn’t come across offensive in any way but this has baffled me for quite some time!!), but how exactly should readers interact with fanfics?
probably every other month i’ll see a post by different writers about the lack of interaction from readers which really frustrates them (which i understand!) and they usually say that it doesn’t take that long to like, reblog, give a comment etc. i’m more of the passive type so i will like the fic post or share them with friends who like the same groups to read. i don’t usually comment, but i see people who do leave comments and hype up other writers who are their mutuals/friends. these comments are always positive and encouraging, but do writers ever want constructive criticism like what that anon commented? i mean it’s not like school or uni where you submit work to be marked, but when writers ask for interaction do they only want the positive, hype-me-up kind of comment? sometimes when i read a fic and i think “oh, maybe it could’ve been better if they developed this a bit more” or “it feels like it’s lacking a bit” or something like that, i just move on from it and read other fics. but for these writers who want interaction from their readers, would they actually want readers to voice out thoughts like this?
sorry for the long post ahaha i’ve just been wondering about this for a long long time and reading that anon’s detailed analysis and breakdown about what they thought could be improved really got me thinking about this as a long time fic reader. thank you ^^
HIHI no worries abt it being offensive or whatsoever!! You brought up quite a few points in this so bear with me yeah?
How should readers interact with fics?
Firstly, i'd like to put out a disclaimer that some writers might not agree with. The fact that writers post their work on an online platform accessible to everybody means that it will always be open to criticism, whether they like it or not. No, i'm not saying that it's okay to be rude or trash someone's work, i'm saying it in the context that readers will always be allowed to provide feedback/reactions. If you put a product out on a shelf for sale, you can't stop a customer from complaining about it if they purchase it and, in their opinion, finds it defective or inadequate.
You cannot stop a reader from having opinions.
It's the same for movies, music, choreography.
Secondly, however the reader wants to react (be it passive or active) is completely up to you! Personally, as long as i know someone's following my work, even if it's just 1 person, i'll be happy. My work isn't FAMOUS per se and it's just an outlet for me to vent or relax. Of course there'll be writers who want people to provide constructive feedback, and that's fine. Writers who actually want the constructive feedback WILL take it, i promise you. It will stick, even if they don't act on it, and if they agree with it, they will change according to the feedback. After i got that super long analysis from hostis, i started breaking up my sentences, especially in grounded. I started making sure my sentences were shorter, easier to understand. Might not have been 100% what the anon told me to improve on, but it stuck. For me, i write in school and it's being graded. Thus, writing here is in fact, a platform for me to practise. So of course, (though i admit i get salty sometimes when people tell me otherwise) i try to improve whenever people tell me there is something for me to improve on. It's normal human nature to feel angry or upset when people give CONSTRUCTIVE feedback bec sometimes it does feel like it's going against you.
Writers who want to improve will always appreciate constructive feedback, even if they feel salty or dissatisfied with it.
Of course, sometimes constructive feedback comes in the idea of questions. Whenever i write, i ask myself like- why does this character act like this or why did this happen- in case a reader has questions about maybe something lacking etc. (Also honestly because sometimes fanfiction is meant to cater to only the main characters, and side characters just aren't needed to be fully developed.)
Sometimes, the writers have their reasons for not developing a certain part of the story, a character, or simply- they didn't think about it, and that's fine. That's where they get to think about it too.
I always thought it was fun to discuss a story's plot with the writer, same way some people are super into trivia or like, backstories. It's like bonus features when you watch a director's cut of a film or like an easter egg, which you'll only realise when the director/writer himself shares it with you.
A writer will always be more than happy to discuss their story with you, whether or not the points of discussion are similar or different.
Keeping in mind, writers on this platform come from different countries, this means different styles of learning. Styles of writing differs from person to person. V, who wrote 17.5 of hostis, is also singaporean but her writing style is more poetic than mine. The anon who gave me that super long feedback on my writing with longass sentences and expression errors is a law student (who, i assume are more accustomed to writing short, accurate, and MUST BE grammatically correct sentences). Which is totally fine!
What you may perceive from reading a sentence may be different from what someone else perceives. When i write, i NEED to see the scenes in my head first because i'm a more visual person and i do videography and film production in school, so if i dont see it, i can't write it. sometimes it backfires and i end up stuffing like 2894 details into 1 sentence, killing the grammar and expression, which is what that anon pointed out to me.
Perception varies, so learn to understand that what the writer writes could be because they simply have trouble expressing what they see/visualise.
And that's fine. Nobody is ever perfect with writing, nobody's gna ever develop all their characters well enough to the readers' liking. If a story had 8 characters and each character had a fan, BUT the plot is meant to only focus on 3, then you cannot expect the writer to develop the other 5 just because their fans want them too. It's just not plausible, especially if the plot revolves around the 3.
Wow this was super long, i hope this gave you some valuable insight as to how a reader can interact with a writer. There's definitely no harm as to giving the writer feedback, even if its bad! Phrase it nicely of course - trashing the writer's work definitely isn't going to do anybody good. Writer's probably gna hate the reader while she/he feels shitty abt themselves and the reader doesn't gain anything in return.
THANK YOU for bothering to send this in!!! I absolutely LOVED talking about this because ive always thought that readers just wanted some fanfiction to read but now youve proven me wrong and i definitely do believe some readers look much deeper into a plot or a piece of work than just smut and fluff.
🥺💕 thanks loveee
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I need people to see this, read all of it, watch the videos I include to completion, and spread this.
I hate seeing and hearing that people are putting others on blast for liking something, like being a furry and/or a fan of anime. I seriously dislike Super Mario, but I’m not going to ever verbally abuse someone because they like something I hate; before you complain about what verbal abuse is, if it contains words in any form, written, spoken, and/or typed, that could be seen as emotionally painful/hurtful to someone, that is verbal abuse. I’ve seen many a person on the internet and in videos bashing individuals who are furries and/or who like something the internet bully seriously does not, and while it may just be one person they are bashing, those words can, and most likely will, be spread by the one who was hurt and/or other internet jerkwads who think it’s suddenly ok to tramp around on top of someone’s interests like they’re trying to burn a witch at the stake. I thought we as humans have gotten over burning people for their interests and/or harmless actions, but noooo, apparently people on the internet still want to witch hunt people like it’s 1708.
Watch this following video, it’s a documentary made by furries for furries and non-furries alike to better inform people about the fandom, its history, and how the media has been beating us furries down into the dirt for years. It’s only about an hour and a half, surely you’re able to watch an hour and a half long video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY
I did not create this video, but it goes into depth about the fandom in ways that people who hate furries will have their minds blown. Did you watch the video to completion? No? Go watch it. Then come back. Why? The information that video provides shows that furries are people, too, and are also human enough to get hurt by the things people have said about them. I’ve never been told I shouldn’t be a furry or an anime fan, but I, a 19 year old (as of 2020) butch lesbian currently living in a smallish, very spread out town in Texas, am left feeling so lonely because I’m afraid to tell people my interests, even mundane ones like Sonic the Hedgehog and The Legend of Zelda, because I’m afraid that the girl I want to to talk to and/or maybe even like will hate me for liking something; when I do talk about my interests, I keep it short, saying I like video games and computers, all because some idiot on the internet spread mean and false information that makes me feel unsafe being myself outside of home and convention spaces. I shouldn’t have to feel unsafe talking about what I like, but I do, and have thus been feeling majorly lonely for over six years, and before you go all “Boo hoo, what a crybaby!“ about my being lonely, you’ve probably never felt so lonely, friendless, and unwanted that you cried and sobbed enough that you had to force yourself to play a game, watch a movie, or just do something else to distract you from the awful feeling pulling at your heart, mind, and soul. I have, and to top it all off, aside from my awful social skills and introversion, I have to ask myself if I want to play Reaction Roulette by telling someone I like anime and/or that I’m a furry. Now, I’m not trying to create a pity party for myself, no, that’s not the point here. My point is that just because you or someone else is berating someone for being a furry and/or liking someone you don’t like, doesn’t stop someone else from seeing that joining in, or feeling so bad and awful about themselves that they might even die. And if they die? You and/or whoever else verbally abused them is at fault for someone losing their mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandson, granddaughter, grandfather, grandmother, or even their friend, husband, wife, or spouse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY
Here’s that about hour and a half long video again. You need to watch it and make an informed opinion in your head about people and what they like before you use baseless information and lies to possibly cost someone their life.
Share this, spread this, I want as many people to see this before more people have their lives ruined by rude, factless people who are too lazy to bother fact checking their opinions before posting them on the internet.
#people hating others over stupid reasons#furry#lgbt#lesbian#asexual#anime#yugioh#legend of zelda#pokemon#danganronpa#sonic the hedgehog#fursuit#wolf#fox#fursona
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Queen of My Heart - Chapter 10
The Royal Romance Reality Show AU
Pairing: Drake X MC, Liam X MC
Rating: M/NSFW
Author’s Note: I didn’t intend for this group date to extend into a third chapter, but this one got long on me, so there’s lots of Liam in this one and not much Drake. I’ll try and make it up next chapter. Also the end is NSFW.
Tag List: @lazychic28, @choices-fanatic, @simplyaiden-blog, @butindeed, @bobasheebaby, @queencatherynerhys, @theroyalweisme, @boneandfur, @drakelover78 @notoriouscs, @mfackenthal, @blackcatkita, @devineinterventions2, @choiceswreckedme, @drakewalkerfantasy, @andy-loves-corgis, @traeumerinwitzhelden, @confessionsofabrokegirl, @decisso, @sir-wigglesworth, @drakesfiance
Word Count: 2505
Queen of My Heart Chapter Index
"Wait, hold up!" Riley commanded. She couldn’t believe Liam would agree to faking her rescue for the sake of good TV. "Don't I get a say? This involves me too, and I think it’s ridiculous. Liam, do you really want to do this?”
“Not exactly...It’s just, things haven’t been the most stable politically or financially in Cordonia in recent years. I know I may be naive to think pulling silly stunts like this to get ratings and good recognition for Cordonia and myself will help, but I feel its worth taking the chance.”
“There has got to be other ways to go about it...And think of all the people who just witnessed what happened. Don’t you think the truth will get out one way or another?”
“You do have a point,” Liam conceded.
“Liam, Riley, I know I keep telling you this, but I have produced many shows like this, and I know what works. Half of what you see on those other shows is suggested, scripted, or shot over and over again to get the desired result. The contracts don’t allow for any sharing of details about what goes on behind the scenes. I’m sure nobody here wants to get sued for breaking their contract.” Kat purposefully looked around at everyone there. “And you know Riley, we can’t really put you back up on that horse again, so we either need a reason to explain why there’s no more footage of you on horseback, or we need to cut your out entirely.”
“What does that mean?” Riley questioned.
“It means that if you don’t want to do this, we can just send you back to the palace right now, and we can finish shooting this date without you.”
That was low. Riley wasn’t sure if the the directive was coming from Jo or Kat herself, but they were playing her and Liam. Riley thought they were on her side, and maybe they did have an interest in keeping her around, but the only side they were on was their own.
Liam pulled Riley aside and spoke quiet enough so others couldn’t here. “Riley, I know neither of us wants to do this, but I think the crew can pull it off and make it believable. I was ready to tell them I was with you in standing against it, but I can’t let them send you back. I was really looking forward to spending some time with you today. If you go back, I can’t say when my next chance will come, but it won’t be soon enough.”
Riley’s emotions were heightened, and Liam was just too damn irresistible. “Fine, but you better make it worth my while,” she said with a smirk.
“Oh, I fully intend to.” Liam winked at her and then he went and whispered in something in Kat’s ear. She appeared to be deliberating for a moment and then she nodded.
“So what was that about?” Riley asked when Liam returned to her side.
“You’ll find out.” He teased. “I just asked for a little something in return for our cooperation.”
The re-shoot of Riley’s dramatic rescue had didn’t take long, thankfully. Everyone got back on their horses, except for Riley, who rode to the springs with one of the crew members by ATV. Riley wasn’t swearing off horses forever, but she was thankful to not have to get back on her horse right away.
After a short while, the group arrived at the hot springs. The show had managed to reserve the entire area, so it was off limits to the public for the day. As with most things Riley had scene in Cordonia so far, it was breathtaking. There were blue-green pools of water carved into the light colored stone formations with waterfalls cascading down from one pool to the next. Lounge chairs and tables with umbrellas were set-up around the perimeter of the pools. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Everyone dispersed to the changing rooms to put on their bathing suits. Riley brought her favorite bikini. It was red with a triangle push-up halter top and low rise bottoms. When she emerged, Liam was already standing outside, wearing the same perfectly cut, navy blue swim trunks he had been wearing in the first picture of him she ever saw. She had been wowed by the picture, but it was no comparison to the real thing. The inseam was just the right length to show off his muscular thighs without being too short. The waistband sat low enough to fully showcase his sculpted upper body, with the top of his v-line peaking out.
"Riley...red is a...a good color on you," Liam fumbled for words. Apparently he was as wowed by the sight of her as she was by him.
"And blue is a good color on you," Riley replied cheekily.
Liam smiled shyly. "I promise we will get some time together today, but I need to make the rounds with everyone first. Is that okay with you?"
"Of course Liam. I'll be patiently waiting."
Hana, Penelope, Kiara, and Riley stuck together, hopping from one pool to the next. Although Riley was closest to Hana so far, the four of them seemed to click more with each other than any of the others. It's not like they were excluding anyone. Maybe more like the others were excluding them, but Riley didn't mind. Hana was smart, talented and just about the sweetest person you would ever meet. Kiara could seem intimidating at first, but she was a super intelligent woman with diplomatic aspirations and was fluent in several languages. Penelope might not come off as the sharpest knife in the drawer, but her excessive talk about her poodles stemmed from her anxiety and the comfort they provided. She seemed to be a compassionate person with a love for animals and fashion design. Riley knew she was in competition with these women, but if Liam happened to fall in love with one of them over her, she knew they would only choose to marry Liam for the right reasons.
The afternoon wore on with Liam hanging out with most of the women in small groups. He did spend some time with Riley's foursome, but that wasn't all he had meant when he said he would get some time with her, was it? She kept wondering if and when her time would come.
Riley would be lying if she said her mind wasn’t also on Drake. She had wanted to get him to like her before because it was a challenge, and because he was Liam’s best friend. But now it seemed like more than that. Were her feelings artificially forced by the intensity of the situation? He literally saved her life, or at the least prevented her from a potential serious injury. Was it just the fear and adrenaline artificially causing her to latch on to the person that was there for her? Or was she finally starting to see the real Drake Walker. All she knew was that she was having strong feelings for two men at once, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.
So while Riley was frequently paying attention to where Liam was and was he was doing, she was also doing the same for Drake. She tried not to make it obvious, but she noticed he was watching her...a lot. Yes it was part of his job to know where she was, but he was definitely checking her out, and she was disappointed she couldn't do the same to him. Not being able to see what was beneath his clothing made her all the more desperate to know.
A short while before dinner was to be served, Kat approached Riley and her little group. "Hi Ladies. Riley I need to steal you for a little bit. We need you to fill out an incident report.”
“Even though though I wasn’t injured? Do we really need to do it now?” Riley wondered if Kat was trying to make things more difficult for her because she had protested earlier.
"Trust me Riley, you really want to get this out of the way now. You will be back by dinner the time dinner is served."
Riley wondered if this meant she would miss out on her time with Liam. She followed Kat around the backside of the stone carved pools. "Are you trying to punish me?" Riley asked?
They stopped in front of a large cave entrance. "Does this look like a punishment to you?"
Riley peered inside the cave and was blown away. There was a long rectangular pool that spanned the length of the cave. White cushions and pillows matching the pristine white walls of the cave lined the sides.
"I told you we'd get some time together." Liam appeared at Riley's side.
"Liam!...Wait, does our time together include filling out an incident report?"
"Oh, Riley," Kat shook her head, "There is no incident report...well at least right now. We will have you sign something tomorrow. We just needed an excuse to get you away from the group for a bit. Take this as my thank you for re-filming the scene earlier."
Riley still wasn't happy with Kat and Jo, but maybe they weren't all bad. Kat walked out, leaving Liam and Riley alone.
Riley looked around and noticed something was missing. "Hey, where are the cameras?"
Liam wrapped his arm around Riley's waist and pulled her close. "No cameras this time. It's just you and me."
Riley couldn't believe they were going to be completely alone for the first time, but she wasn't going to question her luck. She gave Liam a quick kiss on the lips.
Liam smiled. "So do you want to go for a swim?"
"I think we've had enough swimming today." Riley grabbed Liam's hand, led him over to the cushions, and sat down.
"Riley, I want to thank you again for re-filming the scene with me. I know you still aren't happy about it, but hopefully it is all worth it in the end...for both of us."
“Does that mean you see me here in the end with you? There are still so many women here you are getting to know...”
“Riley, I know it is still really soon to say this, but when I picture having to propose to someone at the end of this, you are the only one I see.”
Riley paused, processing what Liam had said. She knew things would have to move quickly, with the show taking place over the course of just a few months, but she was’t sure if she was ready to think of the final outcome yet. She had strong feelings for Liam for sure, but it was still early, and there were so many other women involved.
“What are you thinking about?” Liam asked. “Do you think you could see yourself as my wife, and the eventual Queen of Cordonia? I know this life is new to you, and this is so much to ask so early on...But I care about you so much already and I just want you to be happy. I won’t be upset with you if you can’t see this life for yourself.”
“You are right Liam, this is all very new to me, and I’m still taking it all in. Honestly, when I came here I had no expectations, and couldn’t even begin to imagine what the outcome would be. All I know is that I like you...a lot. I’m ready to see where this goes, but I don’t want either of us to make any promises yet.”
“That sounds fair...as long as you aren’t politely rejecting me,” Liam joked.
“Not at all...I was actually just wondering when you were going to stop talking and kiss me. Riley stared intently into Liam’s eyes.
A small smile pulled at the corners of Liam’s lips, and his eyes grew darker. “I was just waiting for you to ask.”
Riley moved in closer to Liam. He wrapped one arm around her waist and tangled his other hand in her hair, pulling her in for a kiss filled with heat and urgency. Liam’s hand traveled slowly from Riley’s hip, moving up the side of her torso, sending shivers down her spine. He softly caressed her breast through the fabric of her swimsuit and Riley let out a slight gasp.
“Is this okay?” Liam asked.
Riley nodded and brought her lips to his, kissing him even more hungrily than before. In one smooth motion, Liam laid her back against the pillows and pressed his body against hers. She could feel the heat radiating off of him and his hard length pressing into her as they explored each other’s mouths. He traced his smooth fingers up her inner thigh at an agonizingly slow pace, making her desperate for more.
Liam pulled away and looked into Riley’s eyes. “Let me know if you want to stop.”
Riley shook her head no. “Keep going,” she urged. She pulled him close to her again, running her hands up and down his backside.
Liam continued further up her thigh, moving over the top of her bikini bottoms and lightly rubbing circles on her clit
Riley let out a quiet moan. Liam hooked his fingers under her waistband and pulled her bottoms down. He ran his fingers through her wetness before plunging one finger inside her and then another. He moved his fingers in and out while he kissed, sucked, and nipped from her lower belly up to her chest. He moved the fabric on one side of her top aside exposing breast. He ran his tongue over her nipple, and the cool breeze running through the cave made it tingle. He brought his mouth down again, flicking his tongue and sucking gently while increasing the pace of his fingers pumping in and out of her.
Riley’s breaths increased and she was quickly getting close to the edge. Liam used his thumb to rub circles on her clit and Riley couldn’t take anymore. She let out a quiet high, pitched moan and came, her muscles contracting around Liam’s fingers.
Liam helped her get her bathing suit back in place and then kissed her sweetly on the lips.
Riley embraced Liam and whispered in his ear, “I think it’s time for me to return the favor.”
Liam shuddered. “Oh god Riley, you don’t know how bad I want that...but we have been gone long enough already. I wanted to do this for you. I can wait for my turn. As soon as you are composed, why don’t you head back to the group.”
“Are you coming soon?”
I’ll come back in a bit. We don’t want to raise suspicions. Everyone thinks I had to go take some business calls. I think I’m going to take a dip in the pool. I definitely need to cool off after that.
Riley gave him one last kiss and made her way back to the other ladies.
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-̗̀ — “ i come bearing edible encouragement. ” lincoln moves to set the cooke tray onto the countertop, but he can so much as blink, whole thing clatters to the ground. a musical laugh bubbles past upturned lips. “ crap. clearly, i am incapable of being slick. so now we’ll just have to make due with encouragement of the verbal variety, huh? ”
or alternatively : whaddup, my dudes !! it is linc comin’ atchu with my songwriter beb #2, LINCOLN MONROE . you know what to do! don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment below !
(KEIYNAN LONSDALE, CISMALE, HE/HIM) i hear LINCOLN MONROE has a link to ALL OF THE BANDS. the TWENTY-FOUR year old is a SONGWRITER, apparently. he's so PACIFIC and CHATOYANT, but can also be kind of TRACTABLE and INGENUOUS. i hope he finds success with the band. i'm kinda interested in hearing more about them.
gonna format this v simply in bullets this time, since i have to leave for work relatively soon & i wanna get it out here!
lincoln grew up in upstate new york after being adopted by kirsten & peter monroe when he was just an infant. they provided a very stable, lovely home. like?? his mother was the unofficial Neighborhood Mom. all the kids were always at the monroe household, sippin’ kool aids, snackin’ on homemade cookies. kirsten monroe is literally the ultimate affectionate, beautiful soul. in fact, when lincoln was 4, she convinced her husband to adopt lincoln’s adopted sister after her family was killed in a housefire three towns over. she’s about six months older than him, and honestly would be a lovely addition to the rp if y’all wanted to bring her in? essentially after the monroes adopted her, she and lincoln grew positively inseparable.
lincoln expressed an interest in dance by the time he turned 5, so his parents eagerly enrolled him in dance lessons! pretty soon he hopped studios to a competitive school and began competing in contemporary/ballet dance competitions.
then came a full-ride scholarship to a performing arts high school in new york city. his parents weren’t going to say no ( the monroe’s are characteristic people-pleasers ) so they made the three-hour drive to the city & dropped lincoln off for his first year. many tears were shed, hugs were exchanged, and his mother made lincoln promise not to forget about them back home. he’d skype them every freakin’ night.
at this school, lincoln became captain of the contemporary / hip hop dance team. they took national and international titles like they were kids in a candy store. this squad was insane. and with lincoln’s choreo, the awards just kept on coming. after he graduated, lincoln auditioned for the traveling cast of the wiz and snagged an ensemble role. he traveled with the cast for seven months until he decided it was time to put down some roots on the west coast.
at this point, all was well at home. he continued his daily contact with his family, and the monroe group chat was always booming. so lincoln didn’t think to suspect anything was going on at home beyond the usual. his mother spoke about neighborhood baking parties; his father spoke about the work he was doing at the state house as attorney general. all was well.
( tw: illness, hospitals, terminal diagnoses ) the phone call came on the eve before his 21st birthday, after the opening night performance of rent at los angeles theater. kirsten was in the hospital. she’d collapsed while helping to set up for the local church’s benefit concert. his father wouldn’t disclose much information beyond that lincoln should not fly home. against his better judgment, lincoln finished out the two-week run of rent before booking a ticket back to new york. he expected his mother to be out of the hospital by that time, and she’d indicated as much over the phone.
when lincoln’s plane touched down, no one was there to pick him up. kirsten was back in the er -- but lincoln only found that out by pressuring his sister until she caved and told him what was really going on: three months ago, kirsten had been diagnosed with stage 3 leukemia. and no one in the family had thought to give lincoln a proper notice.
kirsten was in and out of treatment for several years, reaching short periods of remission before her levels went awry again. lincoln visited home when he could, but once he began booking more consistent jobs, the cross-country flights became more difficult. he still talks on the phone to his mother each and every day, and will absolutely cancel plans to check in on her if need be.
i imagine he started songwriting as side thing, something to post online for fun back in college while he was studying composition? and his youtube channel probably gained lots of steam. following one of his larger runs in the la theatre scene, he was probably approached about entering a professional contract for a song for one of the groups. and he was probably elated about the prospect.
since then, he’s been contracted for all of the groups, with pieces ranging from pandemonium’s chaotic rock to dream tsunami’s sunny electro-pop vibe. lincoln plays a grand total of twelve instruments & he’s always generating new material.
in addition to songwriting for these groups, he’s also an up-and-coming solo artist himself!! he performs at open mics, local coffee shops, etc. while also uploading things to youtube/soundcloud and performing in la-based theatre productions!
lincoln is ebullient -- his presence practically effervesces wherever he is. he’s always ready to shine, as cliché as that might be. he’s just got this heart full of love and joy and optimism and he’s eager to share.
currently has bleach-blonde hair, because it’s super cool.
so speaking of that popular youtube channel! there, he’ll post choreographed routines to his favorite songs, little covers, original pieces, and vlogs with the bands he works with. fans probably eat it up and constantly ask for more.
his dancing. gah. this boy just loses himself in it. catch him at a bjéar concert all-out contemporary/interpretive dancing in the crowd. frick, music just.... consumes him.
his favorite color is green!! why?? does he need to have a reason???
he takes his coffee with whipped coconut cream on top, garnished with a dash of nutmeg & cinnamon. he always gets lil whipped cream mustaches, and he’ll apologize every time.
apologizes a shit ton. will apologize for apologizing, and then apologize for doing so. it’s a spiral. someone stop him.
he’s all easy smiles & spring breezes, the cleared air after rain. it’s very difficult to get him angry, and some people ( cough nikolai cough ) find that absolutely infuriating.
cannot hide when he falls in love.
falls in love once every 30 seconds.
absolutely goes to florist shops to check in on the owners, ask about their favorite memories, and smell the roses. maybe he accidentally nose boops the flowers sometimes. it’s okay. it’s all part of the experience.
allergic to shellfish & negative vibes !!!
speaks fluent french. bonjour, my dudes
blushes v easily !! will duck his head and smile so wide. compliment him & watch the magic
lowkey voiced prince naveen in the princess and the frog ... ribbit
some examples of original work he’s performed in the area / uploaded online: x x x x x
lincoln is that friend who’ll show up for you, even at 4am, with takeout and a shoulder to lean on. going through a bad time? he’s the one you should call.
lowkey fashion icon ??? let him take you thrifting.
if you get sound bite previews, you’re one of The Trusted Few.
at berklee, he was lauded by his professors and fellow students -- there’s a reason this guy can write so diversely. he’s virtuosic. he’s not afraid to make major leaps. catch him tossing unconventional chords into conventional genres, because the music industry needs a spark and he feels honored to be able to contribute.
you know how some people give birthday letters or cards? lincoln writes original birthday songs. every year. yep.
volunteers at a local dog shelter.
i would love a roomie for him? pls?
i seriously want all the connections so pls hmu on discord or here!! ily all sorry this is such trash on a stick
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Estrada vs. Chocolatito II - Press Conference Quotes and Images
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Published: March 12, 2021
Eddie Hearn
“Hello and welcome to Dallas ahead of a huge night of boxing from the American Airlines Center this Saturday, live and exclusive on DAZN all across the world. No travel restrictions, no pandemic can stop us from being here. I’ve not been this excited about a card for a long time.
“Of course, the World championships triple-header on the card. So many young prospects stepping up as well and 11 World championship belts on the line, three-ring magazine titles on the line on this card. I thought it was a first, but someone just told me that Don King did it 18 years ago, so we are not going to talk too much about that, but what a card.
“What a main event, of course, the rematch of Estrada v Chocolatito for the WBA, WBC, and Ring Magazine championships. Rematch of their first epic battle over eight years ago now. And a fantastic co-main event, the undisputed women’s World Welterweight championship between Jessica McCaskill and Cecilia Braekhus and of course the Light-Flyweight championship of the World and Ring Magazine belt between Kyoguchi and Vera.”
Juan Francisco Estrada
“I’ve been waiting for this fight for almost nine years, I’ve been ready for the opportunity. He’s a good champ, he’s a good fighter, and may the best man win.
“We waited a long time; I have three losses and I’ve already avenged two of them, but we train really hard and I’m ready for this fight.
“This is going to be better than the first one. It’s going to be a war and the people watching will be the real winners.
“Without a doubt it’s a fight that we have all been waiting for a long time. There is a lot of expectation, it’s been nine years in the making. People would always ask when we would fight again. It’s going to be exciting and I’m concentrating on giving a good fight this Saturday.”
Roman Gonzalez
“First of all, God bless everyone, I’m really happy, I’m blessed by God and DAZN and Mr. Honda, we’ve done a really good camp and we are ready for this fight.
“I’m very conscious it’s going to be a beautiful fight. Juan is a good champion, and we know what we have to do. We want to give a good fight for everyone to watch.
“That’s my dream, to be champion again. I train really hard and with the help of God and with the help of my team this Saturday we are going to give a really good fight.
“I think it’s an important fight, not just for Nicaragua, but also for Mexico. I think both countries are going to be paralyzed on Saturday watching these fights and hopefully, we give a good fight. We can go back home to our families and may the best man win.”
Jessica McCaskill
“I’m so ready to punch Cecilia in the face. I mean like we said, I don’t know Cecilia and there’s no bad blood, but we want this for boxing so bad, it is going to be the best fight of the night.
“I always have to work for everything that we have, and we don’t mind doing that. We’ve come from places harder than what you see us in now and I want to seal the deal and solidify my win in august and let everyone know that wasn’t an accident and that was me, unified undisputed World champion.
“We have always had a large amount of confidence and we have just had to get those opportunities to show everyone else what we can do and like I said before we have come from places where this isn’t the hardest thing that we’ve had to go through so I think this will be a piece of cake.
“It doesn’t really matter what kind of game plan they bring. We are really prepared. Rick Ramos, my manager and trainer, he keeps me diversified in boxing whether it’s the brawling, the movement, the standstill, we’re ready for anything.
“Cecilia brought retirement up after the last fight, those aren’t my words, those are hers, so I’m going to make her eat them.”
Cecilia Braekhus
“She was so friendly, then she got the belt, and she was like whoa, she goes crazy. It is definitely a new situation. You know, it’s fun for me, I just want to get the belt back and McCaskill has kept me very motivated, she’s kept me motivated through my whole camp. Last time she knows she was lucky, so I think that’s where all the trash talk is coming from.
“Oh definitely. I had a rough training camp the last time, I was stuck six months in Big Bear. Now I had a normal training camp and now I have to do what I always do. I have to box. And I can do whatever and I think I can stop her too because I am definitely bigger and stronger and I am a much better fighter, boxer. I’m much better technically and stronger so I’m very confident going into this fight. And like I said, she provided me with a lot of motivation in camp.
“As a fighter I have given her a lot of credit. I should definitely not be losing to her. She was home, she was in her home country, all the judges were home, she got her catch weight and still I beat her in one of my invites when I didn’t perform at the top. Saturday I will be at my best and she is nowhere near my level.
“I will win so it is not even an option. I have a bigger name than her anyways with or without the belt”
Hiroto Kyoguchi
“This is not my final goal as far as my career goes so I’m going to work hard to have a good win on this one and look forward to a unification fight. Yes, so far everything is going very well.
“I have strategized my fighting style to go with a smaller fighter and it is true he is a smaller fighter, but I’ve strategized with that and I’m planning to win.”
Axel Vega
“This is a great opportunity and I thank God and you for giving me the opportunity. I am ready for this fight and hopefully come Saturday I am a champion.
“We are prepared for a war and we have worked well, we know how to handle the distance, we know we have to go in maybe take a punch but we are really prepared for this fight.”
Austin Williams
“I’m absolutely aware of what’s in front of me. We always train for the greatest in the world. That’s why we travel around the world. That’s why we get the best. And I know myself, like I said, before I can pull all my interviews, all my press conferences, the better the competition is, the more you are going to see from me. The more I can pull out of my tool bag the more I can show who I am – heart and the competitive guy in me is going to reign supreme on Saturday night because I got a great opponent in Douglin to fight. This is exciting times for me, so you are going to see a very creative, powerful, strong Ammo Williams.
“I feel like I’m going to knock him out in a spectacular fashion. A lot of guys that he’s been in the right with, I actually shared the ring with, sparring and helping them get ready for fights. And as everyone knows how it goes, when you spar to get ready for a fight it’s not friendly sparring, it’s not nice, I’ve been in there with Benevidez when he got ready for Dirrell, I’ve been in there with Charlo when he got ready for Lubin and we got some very powerful rounds and that was me over a year ago and with Charlo that was over two years ago so I’ve seen a lot of the things that he’s seen. Of course, not in an actual fight but I’ve seen the guys he’s seen and I was ready when they gave me the card for him. Even though he fights at a higher weight class I was still ready. I want the challenge. I want this.
“He’s a blessing. I know a lot of times fighters act like we are super enemies, but honestly, he is a blessing for taking this fight because he is a gateway for me to be a World champion contender. Seriously, you can’t argue that I’m not ready for the real guys after I fight him. If I beat him when I knock him out, what are people going to say? That I need another ten fights? Another five fights? No, they’re going to say he took the risk, he took the jump, he got the fight and he’s ready for the next step”
Denis Douglin
“I’m so confident. First of all, I want to say shoutout to him for taking the fight. He’s a blessing. Because he’s good for my career, another undefeated fighter to put me back in the position that I want to be in. Not necessarily for a title shot but to get back where I should be. To call out the fighters that are right beneath the champions so beating him is going to be a great fight for me, a great thing. So shoutout to him.
"Shoutout to the fact that there’s no animosity, I like him as a person, we have a little beef, we don’t have beef, but I actually really like him. But I’m going to beat him up though. I’m going to really beat him up. But I’ll put him on Instagram right after I beat him up. I’m probably going to stop him, but he might be tough, maybe he’ll last, I’m not sure, I hope he lasts, but I’m coming to beat him up.
“We’re going to see but like he said, everyone thinks of me as a journeyman because of the losses that I have, not understanding that boxing is a little bit deeper than fight night. Boxing is all about preparation. As you can see, I’m the fighter that will take a fight short notice because I love the sport. I love the craft.
“I mean I’m looking good, feeling good, I already made weight. People asking why Denis not in the gym? Weight is good already, so we are good, we are in shape. This fight is heaven sent. So shoutout to him for taking the fight. After I beat you up, on Saturday I’m going to take you out to eat because the first loss is the toughest so I’m going to talk to you about how to get back in it and stay strong. But I like this guy. It’s going to be a fun night Saturday it’s going to be a rebirth.”
Aaron Perez
“I am excited to be here. Thanks to Matchroom boxing for having me here. We put in a lot of work to get here so we are just glad we have the opportunity, and we are ready to put in a show Saturday night.
“Everybody that’s here, everybody wants to be the best so everyone that is here has worked for that. So, it is going to be interesting.”
Raymond Ford
“Come on now, you know he hasn’t seen me before. I’m not like the people he’s seen before.
“I put the work in in the gym, so as long as I put the work in the gym and I’m performing the way I’m performing of course I’m going to get more confidence and get more comfortable fighting in the pro game. So, of course now you will see the real me.
“I’ve been wanting to fight guys like this, undefeated guys, other prospects and stuff like that so I definitely want to move a little faster. Like I’ve been saying, I don’t need to be babied, I have the skills, I have the talent, I have the heart, as you said, I don’t turn down anybody, you can put anybody in there with me and I’ll show you what I’m going to do to them.
“No, not just the US, I’m talking around the world, I’m the best prospect out right now, nobody is topping me.”
Souleymane Cissokho
“Ready to go. You know it has been 16 months without a fight so yes I can’t wait to get into the ring.
“Hopefully it will be a big year for me. I want to move the world. In the UK you guys have a lot of good fighters and I can’t wait to fight with them. I’m ready and I want to show you on Saturday and then let’s see.
“It’s a good time for French boxing. Since 2016, we had six medals, two gold, two silver, two bronze, and now professional boxing in France is going well. With Tony Yoka and others. We are ready to show all the world that we are ready to be at the top level. I am very happy and very excited to be here.
“We all know about the Mexican guys. They are tough fighters, they come to fight, and they are very ready so yes, it will be a good test for me and I’m ready for everybody. I’m ready.”
(Featured Photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing)
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Kickstarter Highlight: Common Men Origins
BlackComicsChat: Welcome to BlackComicsChat! Please introduce yourself and tell us your origin story. Where are you from? Tell us about your earliest memory of comic books, and the moment when you first decided that you wanted to be involved in the creation of comics.
Kirk: Thank you very much for having me. My name is Kirk Twyman and my origin story is pretty simple. I was that kid who would always day dream about things that were more exciting than what was happening in the real world. If my family was at the store and my dad told me to get eggs, it became a critical mission to get the them as soon as possible, avoid the treacherous carts and hostile other customers to get the eggs back safely. Now they didn’t know why I was running at full speed and dodging like a Deion Sanders, but it always helped me edge out the boredom. My earliest comics actually came from one of the ViewMasters. You know those binocular type things where you flip the handle to get to the next image. While we didn’t have much growing up, I am thankful that I received this beautiful device one Christmas. I had Snoopy, Spiderman, Batman, Scooby Doo. It just made me want to start writing my own stories. While I was always creative, the true spark didn’t hit until I read a book about Sleepy Hollow and other stories that had a lot of illustrations. I got really deep into it. See, there is a story of Raven Rock that tells the story about a witch that haunts the area. Where I grew up in Gaithersburg, MD we had to pass by a road called Raven Rock to walk to school, and man, my mind just wondered about a connection. What happened from the story till now. I started filling in the blanks and the next thing I knew I had written a full fledged sequel to Sleepy Hollow that encompassed all the extra stories I found in this book. My principal gave me an award or some kind of certificate, and from then I knew I wanted to create in every medium possible.
Let’s discuss the project that you are Kickstarting. What is your story about?
Kirk: The Kickstarter is for the full graphic novel for Common Men Origins. I’ve already created the first issue, but I felt that the story would be better served as one longer novel than broken up in 4 to 5 issues. Originally Common Men told the story of two brothers who were trained by their parents to take on supers, my name for any being that has super powers. In their world, Supers have slowly taken over the planet and humanity has become complacent, feeling that they have to stay in their role and take the abuse and common collateral damage that the supers would cause. I wrote a screenplay a long time ago, and tooling with the story made me realize I had written a deep lore for not only the parents of these characters, but the grandfather. So Common Men Origins tells the story of the first betrayal that lead the supers’ dominance once the checks and balances have been destroyed. Frank Plummer is the last watcher, as all the other watchers have been killed, and he decides that it is time to do something.
Tells us about the creative team behind this project.
Kirk: In terms of story telling, it is mainly myself over the years talking about this story. In the original comic, Doug Warner did all the art work. He did it for an amazing price and was really invested in the story.
What was the creative process like on this book?
Kirk: The creative process was really long. I had dreams of being a screenwriter in Los Angeles and had written 20 or so screenplays about amazing events and different protagonists and incredible antagonist, but my main story was called Accidental Villains. This has the two previously mentioned brothers who after a night of partying are attacked by a Super Hero and kill him defending themselves. Ha ha, there is still a short out there on YouTube when I tried to make a film intro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTW0voLl64 One day I just started connecting the dots to how this story could match with this story and I knew that the thing between my heroes were that they were all Common Men. This led me to write a story about their mom, who is referred to in many stories as the baddest woman on the planet, which then lead to her father who was responsible for her training because he was intimately familiar with what the supers were trying to do.
What made you choose kickstarter as a funding method?
Kirk: So I have a friend name Russell Nohelty who is a creative genius and also writes amazing stories. I remember seeing his Kickstarter for the story Katrina Hates The Dead. It really opened my eyes that Kickstarter would be a great place for people who are looking for great content and those that can provide it. Looking at some of the projects that have been successfully funded, I knew it would be a great place for Common Men to get the boost it needed to become a reality.
What are some of the incentives that backers can receive when they support your campaign?
Kirk: People have the option of getting the original Issue #1 signed by yours truly. They can get the new full graphic novel, but I think that the best reward is that you can actually be IN the graphic novel. There are different levels to be one of the dead watchers who we learn about their death in flashback. They can be a super hero with costume and power, they can be a villain, with sadistic lines and evil deeds and for one special person, they can be the Master Mind. The one character pulling the strings of the super that thinks he is in control. So when we say be a part of the story we really mean it by capturing your likeness.
What are your future plans for the series?
Kirk: I have at least 5 graphic novels planned out for this series that leads to current events. Common Men Origins is first then we will see the Rise of Knockout, showing how the Baddest Woman on the Planet earned her name. It’s a really exciting road for these characters.
We’re looking forward to seeing the finished product. Anything else you’d like to share?
Kirk: Me too. I would also like to first thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity, as Common Men is going to be a story that blows people away. In a world where are the movies are old stories and many comics wash, rinse and repeat stories, Common Men will be a truly unique, original piece that I am sure everyone will enjoy.
Where can people find you and your work on the internet?
Kirk: You can find the kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2071705902/common-men-origins. The Common Men Origins Issue #1 is available on Amazon at http://a.co/0kn02w6. I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/commonmenorigins/ and @twymancreative on Twitter. They can also email me at [email protected]
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Charlize Theron's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts - 20+ - https://shorthaircutsmodels.com/charlize-theron-short-hairstyles-and-haircuts/ - Charlize Theron's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts, This year's two coolest cuts are struggling. Pixie cut has seduced multiple celebrities, as we've seen with Katy Perry, Emilia Clarke and Scarlett Johansson. And classic bob is similarly glamorous, drawing fans like Irina Shayk because it's an elegant cut that can be worn in a variety of ways. If you're thinking about doing a hair makeover and can't decide. Charlize Theron's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts Charlize Theron's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts, there's one celebrity that can inspire you: Charlize Theron. For just a few months the South African actress showed off her dark bob, then a dark fairy before going back to blonde-and she proved all three look great. 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Here are 15 Charlize Theron Pixie cuts. For example, an asymmetrical side parting and curled back fringe create a trendy mini-quiff. Charlize Theron's Hairstyles Charlize Theron's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts, just debuted a hard and damn sexy hair change. The actor, with the help of hairdresser Adir Abergel and colourist Shannon Gallacher, ditched her brunette lob for the incredibly sexy bowl cut three words we never thought could coexist in a sentence. Charlize Theron's Haircuts The actor shared a photo of his new daring style on Instagram, with the caption referencing both his return to short hair and the new Fast & Furious 9 movie in which he cut his hair in 2021.It's the Academy Awards and it's shooting right now. The first step in achieving the new hairstyle was actually changing its color from dark brown to ashy blonde, which Gallagher did in just one day. Charlize Theron's Hair We used the Virtue Labs Colorkick and The Virtue Labs Restorative Treatment Mask each step, ABERGEL told POPSUGAR . After the discoloration was complete, Abergel slammed his lobe into the upper parts of his ears and placed the ends in a cut Bowl. Charlize Theron new haircut He also cut the hair on the back of Theron's head, thus forming a very slight "V". "This keeps the overall outlook softer," Abergel says. Charlize Theron is no stranger to dramatic transformations in hair. Cipher has apparently abandoned fears for a very delicate bowl cut, looking like a ruler and using level to get straight. Charlize Theron bob haircut 2020 - 2021 Theron's hair also features sharp blonde highlights cut from the brunette bottom. To complete the cut from the bottom, abergel enlisted the help of friend and British hairstylist Jonny Eagland. We shouldn't be surprised by what Abergel says. "Charlize was incredible and fearless and the way she approached her whole life," he explained. Charlize Theron short hair 2020 - 2021 Beauty comes and it takes time to express that, you can see the roles of Monster Tully and someone who is really fearless and also really confident in him in the team ."In early 2020-2021, the actress switched from her signature blonde to dramatically dark hair and slowly began to play at length. Charlize wasn't afraid to play with the all-round look, making the most of it with rocking bangs, chic and flattened, trying out a wet look and even waves. Charlize Theron natural hair color It's impossible to name a hairstyle that Charlize Theron tried. Throughout 2020-2021, the actress had hits after her hairstyle, from the classic dark chocolate brown blunt bob she debuted at the Oscars to the surprisingly cool bowl cut she received this summer, which completely changed the reputation of the crop. And now, Theron has changed things again with another short style. Charlize Theron pixie cut If I had told you that he had removed his natural hair to transplant the Astroturf into its place, you wouldn't have needed to see the pictures in your heart to know that you could pull it off like the eternal stunner. We all age and beauty Theron Oscar Abergel and two will go in the direction of wait to. Charlize Theron atomic blonde hair See what 2020 is bold, as Abergel styles and lengths and Theron took last year, maybe we are looking forward to 2020 - 2021 Golden Globe, the last in the month of January, 2020 Bafta in London for the last 14 months, last week, Charlize Oscar buzz as we have shared all the details behind Style Adult result, there is a lot of the art style. This look is her hair after about three months of growth. Hairstylist Enzo Angileri says the cut is very short all over the head, but slightly longer on the top to give additional volume. Charlize Theron short curly hair The hair and dress choices of Hollywood stars are almost as under scrutiny as movies when it comes to awards season, but one actress who isn't afraid to try has swapped red carpet hairstyles over the years, from chic up dos and Ebony plants to romantic chignons and tumbling blonde curls. See hair history. Charlize Theron long hair The shorter side is cut around the ear, but leaves enough hair to create a neat spot that highlights the eyes beautifully. The longer side is scanned along the head, creating extra volume and showing dark roots for this base-stretched surface. A perfect short haircut for this summer. If you're going to cut your hair short this summer, why not try this sexy fairy cut? This short blonde fairy cut is great not only for young ladies. Charlize Theron hair 2020 - 2021 But also for mature ladies. Start (or continuing the plot line is still an analogy with the exhibition), The Golden Globes was the period 2020-2021, who have worked together since 2008 and two award Abergel Theron Theron different hair style and hair color, such as a season bomb, multiple representations, and movies and by a long shot for this event. Charlize Theron curly hair Including a long series collected in more than a dozen. "I think it was nice to have an immediate confidence in our relationship and it was this incredible collaborator and inspiration that she told me because she herself is an amazing artist," I'm ready to take those risks to see where you want to go. Charlize Theron black hair The paint job seems risky to be a haircut or hyperbolic when invoking the grand scheme of things, a Hollywood actor, for whom image reveals the right aesthetic with everything, especially awards season, all eyes incredibly important. Often, these aesthetic errors remain on the safe side and constant, so you don't see many nominees go wild with their beauty and fashion choices during awards season. Charlize Theron pixie haircut For Theron, however, in 2020-2021, it seemed she had decided to throw attention to the wind and have some fun 2020 - 2021 has been the year of the hair experiment for Charlize Theron. Actress, 91. She wowed everyone when she dominated the Academy Awards with her a-line brunette bob. Before that, Theron hadn't been a brunette for seven years. Charlize Theron haircu 2020 - 2021 In other words, this brunette bob was a big deal. Adir Abergel, celebrity stylist and Creative Director of Haircare line Virtue Labs, said the big chops and largely dark paint job was an impulsive decision just before the big moment. Charlize Theron's famously short haircut for the summer: here's an update on the popular. Charlize Theron hair color Pixie-cut that always appeared on the red carpet, as it's a flattering look for many different face shapes. This sexy short pixie haircut has fashion twists to keep it contemporary. Talented, good-looking and adored by the camera, Charlize Theron is a celebrity who can wear almost any hairstyle and always instantly looks beautiful. Charlize Theron dark hair With her perfectly oval face, petite features and subtle strands, Charlize's hairstyles range from a short fairy cut to a straight mid-length bob and always classic wave hairstyle. View yourself with Charlize Theron hairstyles. We also provide" easy on how to style by reporting tips on which hair can match face shape, hair texture and hair density. Charlize Theron aeon flux haircut When Charlize Theron cut her hair into a cut Bowl earlier this year, the internet went wild. Minutes after her hairdresser, Adir Abergel, shared the photo on Instagram. People began double-tapping and re-sharing it, and US beauty. Journalists began writing angrily about her brand new style. Then, over the next four months. Charlize Theron 2020 - 2021 hair Theron and Abergel hung on to every added highlight and cutting cut, following the difficult process of growing the cut in question. But here's one thing: Theron's bold hair changes began long before that bowl cut. Charlize Theron red hair The Academy Award-winning star has undergone stunning beauty changes for both. Film roles, such as her upcoming portrayal of Megyn Kelly in. Bombshell, and red carpet appearances, such as her micro baby boom. Now, Theron has launched a new super-short hairstyle, a throwback to supermodel Linda Evangelista. Charlize Theron brown hair Theron shared an image of her hair on instagram. O Baaaaack wrote #Fast9, a reference to the character cipher in the fast and Furious films. Because it's so easy to wear, Charlize and I call it 'freedom,' Angiler told Harper's Bazaar magazine. Another star of the cut is Charlize's newly painted locks. Charlize Theron blonde hair While you don't need to be blonde for the cut to work, a vibrant colour accentuates the face. Charlize Theron, whose super-short haircut was introduced at the. 2021 Academy Awards, is one of the most iconic fairies of our time. With her blonde locks cropped close to her head, the actress flashed her natural beauty brightly.
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2019 - Year in Review
Hello, tumblr journal, long time no see. While you were away I was having rendezvous with 2 other journals - Notion (for work thoughts) and my exercise book (for personal mundane reflections). But you probably already guessed it.
But you see, I always will come back to you because we made a pact to see each other at least twice a year, isn’t it? On June 19 and Dec 31.
So you would like to interview me about what I’ve been up to this year? Oh how kind! There are quite few people in this world is interested in little old me, hee.
1. What are your favourite memories this year?
Tele and phone calls from Jappu. Janchan and I have grown in our friendship this year surprisingly despite her being away for such a long time. I have learnt that long distance friendship is kinda fun (in fact when she was coming back home I was even a bit upset)!
Travelling with Jessi laoniang is always a treat. She is entertaining in her unassuming and authentic ways and I enjoy her cheerful company.
The monthly Kampung Sketching sessions. It’s really cool to see Lingsan overcome her fear of hosting events and now she is a pro. And to see people coming to the kampung for the first time and drawings of the kampung in so many different interesting angles.
2. What trips have you made this year and what were some highlights?
i) Prague work trip with Lulu and Claire - Snow sledding in the mountains, and going to a Czech police station to report a scam, hanging out with chor and gary after work.
ii) New Zealand with the family - Breathtaking mountain views, hiking in the rain in full gear, and skydiving over the glaciers.
iii) Beijing IXDC trip with Jess - The making of our fried chicken MV was so much fun! And eating 小龙虾，鸭脖 and beer at midnight at the hostel corridor.
iv) Boxmeer/Prague/Bruges - Business trip by myself for the first time was kinda liberating, and also getting to visit Eos in Brugge again.
v) BKK UX Savvy trip with the team - boring conference but awesome company. 5am clubbu gymmy and brekki with meowchan.
vi) JB with Lulu and Jan - making up silly animal stories, shiok Thai massage, being tickled at their new hair transformations, and interesting Grab/JB customs adventure to end it off.
3. What is the biggest change you noticed about yourself this year?
I noticed ever since taking on this role in Design Operations, I started to come out of my shell a bit more, wanting to take care of my colleagues and doing things to make sure they are happy at work. Despite being an introvert, I realised I enjoy socialising with people and making people feel comfortable. And i have also become a bit more assertive and confident in things that I believe are right to do.
4. What was the biggest challenge you had to face this year?
Politics at work busted my idealistic bubble. I was a bit upset when I heard stories of people fighting and competing with each other... just for promotion, raises and recognition. Isn’t it ridiculous? But perhaps to survive in the corporate world I have to just do my best and accept that this is normal but try not to get sucked into all the negativity.
Just stay on course, remember what you are here for - to help people solve their problems, and give it your all! Ego is the enemy.
I also learnt that sometimes my happy-go-lucky attitude doesn’t work well on everyone, and might even offend people who takes things very seriously. I need to be careful about that. But it is a tough habit to kick, because sometimes I can get slightly antsy when someone around me is in a bad mood and I don’t know why, and I would want to do something to neutralise that mood.
5. Read any good books?
Ever since I got Libby, I have been devouring new books every month, and I am learning so much! The most impactful to me this year is probably The Power Of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. And the second one is also by the same author, Switch. These 2 books made me understand more about human psychology and how to motivate people to do things.
Other special mentions are Radical Candor (about how being brutally honest and caring personally is important) and Never Split The Difference (a book on negotiation). I learnt so much from these books that I even made nerdy ppt slides to share them with my friends, forcing them to sit through my presentations, heh. Poor things.
6. Any people you’d like to thank this year?
I can never thank my parents enough for all the things they provide me, so this top spot will always be saved for them. Although they always nag at me, and never emotionally expressive, the things they do for my siblings and I is really unconditional love.
As usual, my UX family whom I spend perhaps even more time than my actual family. This has been a year of experiments and emotional up and downs. But I feel we have learnt and grown a lot together as a team.
And all my friends. Who taught me so many things through their life stories and inspiring me to be better. Thanks to them, just a text, a call, or a meetup away, I am never lonely. (I sometimes do really wonder how that feels like!)
Ajahn Brahm. Hehe, this is a great monk that I have learnt a lot from and he probably has changed my life already. To be kindful, to be gentle, to be peaceful is to be happy.
7. What were some new things you tried this year?
5am club. Exercise regime. Brewing my own filter coffee. Getting more regular in short 15min sittings. Starting a work journal to reflect about things and people at work.
8. Name some of your favourite things of 2019
Ajahn Brahm’s dhamma talks - I always thought that I was a glass-half-full kind of girl but recently after getting hooked onto Ajahn Brahm’s stories on youtube, I became even more so. I also enjoyed repeating those stories to my friends, especially when I thought they could use some positivity to help them see their life difficulties from a different perspective. So much so that even my boss used one of the stories I told to tease me every time i made a very “evon” mistake. (Mmm... honey...)
Sodastream - I bought this for the family so that my brothers would stop buying unhealthy soft drinks. It worked! Mmm.. soda water.
Janchan’s morning challenges - thats how i started waking up early and getting productive in the mornings. But that girl does not follow through to her own challenges, tsk tsk.
Audrey’s life hack for bubble tea cup - use a silicone bag! I have amused many woobbee and each-a-cup aunties when i bring it to dabao my bubble tea.
9. What were your new year resolutions last year and how did you do?
Well well well. Let’s see.
1- Figure out how to be a leader: I am learning a lot just by observing the way boss does things. I hope he can be our leader in many years to come so I will always have the privilege to learn from him.
2 - Being more articulate and assertive: In some ways I realised I have subconsciously learned to do that in situations that requires me to do so. And the trick is just to do it with humble confidence.
3 - Plan more and be less slipshod about things: Hmm... as an operations lead I suppose I should feel guilty about not working on this more. But as I have learnt from a very wise monk, too much planning is futile sometimes, and may cause unnecessary stress on yourself and others, hehe. I kid. I will carry this rezzo forward to next year.
4 - Being more caring with my parents: Still working on it. And sometimes I will tend to fall into my old habits of silent avoidance, especially when they start nagging. But I think this year I have tried being more attentive to their needs, and talking more.
5 - Continue staying healthy: I think I’m doing pretty well in this, especially since starting to wake up super early. I have more time to workout physically with my simple exercise regime, as well as mentally through short meditation sittings and journal writing.
10. Rezzos for 2020 to start the year off of?
1 - Continue working on trying to care more for my parents, and take on more responsibilities regarding household stuff. Make them less worried that their kids can’t be independent without them.
2 - I want to try writing, and develop my own voice. As I learn more about leadership and being human, I thought should document this journey in someway so that perhaps it could help someone else one day on a similar path too.
3 - I’m surprised I didn’t mention anything about money in last year’s post. That is something I’ve always be clueless about. And today I made a ditch attempt to be more “adult” by getting a credit card, so that I can get more interests out of my bank... or something. Yeah, ok I will try to learn more about this finance thing in 2020!
4 - Find a new personal project that can give me a belly burning feeling, that is not work related. Ok la, maybe no need belly burn, just a mild tingle also can. Something that I would be excited to work on for at least a couple of months.
5 - What’s that thing about being less slipshod again? 🤔
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Sailing San Diego Reviews
Sailing San Diego Reviews from America's Cup Sailing Tours
We Love Reviews - we truly hope that you decide to visit our sailing tour and take an awesome boat ride around san diego bay on the famous Stars and Stripes; America's Cup racing yacht. Please find more of our reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google, and Facebook. Also, you can scroll to the bottom of the page for all of our review links, as well as our review page here.
"Amazing Experience Sailing on The Stars & Stripes!
We booked a team building event on the Stars & Stripes and it was fantastic! Lynn & Bee are such sweet awesome people and they and their crew gave us such a wonderful experience. First Bee gave a great presentation of the history of the America's Cup, which was very interesting and informative. Then after we set sail, everyone in our group worked together sailing the boat, from grinding the gears, winching the sails and even actually steering the boat! A very hands on experience. The boat was very smooth and not rocky at all, so no need to worry about getting seasick or wet. Bee took great pictures and video the whole time, and watching them back in the office was a lot of fun for everyone. She sent the link so others at my company could see as well. People at my work are still talking about it. I highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to have a fun and unique experience in San Diego!"
See a few of our Top reviews from the past few years and see what people are saying about the Famous Stars & Stripes Sailing Tours of San Diego Bay.
An amazing experience...One of the best things to do in San Diego
We sail out from port with the Crew (all of them very gentle and warm) and we sail throw the bay with this amazing sailboat that is part of the sailing history...
They let us to take stearing and do a lot of things. After that we came back to see the pictures that they took (for free)...just AMAZING!!!
Fantastic expeience
This was the best trip I have ever done anywhere, without a doubt, simple as that. It doesn't come any better than getting to spend 3 hours and helm and help sail an Ameica's Cup yacht if you are into sailing.The whole crew are really friendly, knowledgeable and helpful people. I'd come back to San Diego again just to go back out on Stars and Stripes. Snacks, drinks and photos are included as well which is a bonus. It was a great experience and I can't recommend it highly enough.
View our Sailing Tour Video Below
And here are even more reviews from around the internet.
Still Thinking of Sailing San Diego? Keep Reading
"Fabulous Stars and Stripes Afternoon
Highly competent and friendly crew. Beautiful sailboat and a fabulous sail. Cannot recommend more highly for family outings, a fun date, a solo adventure, or a corporate event."
See a few of our Recent reviews from the past few years and see what people are saying about the Well-known Stars & Stripes Sailing Tours of San Diego Bay.
"Sail America's Cup Stars & Stripes
This is a great San Diego experience. The Stars & Stripes is the original sail boat that was raced in America's Cup by Dennis Connors. The captain tells you the history and you get to actually try your skill at the helm and help hoist and lower the sails. It is a lot of fun."
"Great sail on Stars & Stripes!
Had an awesome time sailing on Stars & Stripes. As an avid sailor it was everything I was hoping for. Totally hands on working the grinders, trimming the sails and driving the boat. The captain and crew were great, always taking time to teach us how the boat worked. Would highly recommend this adventure!"
"A Wonderful Holiday Sail
I took my brothers, niece and her boyfriend on the Stars and Stripes just before Christmas. Everyone thought it was just the best adventure. The history discussion of the America's Cup before the sail was very interesting. The sail was well organized and fun; everyone got to be at the helm. The photos, which are included in the price, were excellent. What a great day!"
"What a great day
We had the best time on this sailboat. The crew and weather was amazing. It was fun to steer and “grind” to control the sails. Free snacks and drinks. A must do if you visit San Diego."
"Special, fun afternoon on the water
When I told my husband we could sail on Stars and Stripes he was so excited! It was my first time on any kind of sail boat and we both loved this trip. We had a beautiful afternoon for it, and there was a really nice balance between enjoying the bay and experiencing sailing. The crew were wonderful. Highly recommend."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB6PEtKrhY8
Some more of our Sailing Reviews
We like to share our Sailing Tour Reviews from our Happy customers from time to time. We hope you enjoy reading our San Diego Sailing Tour Reviews from the Stars & Stripes USA-11.
"Such a great day out on the water throughout San Diego Bay. And they put you to work (if you want to!) - grinding, steering the racing boat. The crew was so knowledgeable about all the surroundings in particular the military boats. Highly recommend for a family activity. Do bring layers. In April it was breezy and quite cool."
Want to drive a Ferrari?
"The Stars & Stripes experience provided by skipper Rod and his side kick Bee is nothing short of FANTASTIC! Lots of opportunity to participate in many ways or just sit back and relax enjoying the San Diego views. My boy and I participated in the grinding for trimming the sails and in skippering! The 3 hour event allows a lot of time to participate. We highly encourage this sailing experience. We will be back."
Memorable Sailing Experience on San Diego Bay
It is a thrill and privilege to be on this beautiful boat with its skilled crew, knowledgeable and gracious hosts and awe-inspiring view of San Diego. Everyone gets a chance to steer! Sailing Stars & Stripes deserves a spot at the top of the list of fun, interesting, unique experiences in San Diego.
Great Sailing Experience
Our trip was arranged by a friend as a precursor to a re-union of a Navy Submarine crew and it was fantastic. The crew was friendly, informative and super pleasant. They made sure everyone had an opportunity to share in the sailing experience and in the process Hanna took a lot of very good photos and then they were sent to us. The weather turned out beautiful and overall it was fabulous.
Wonderful sailing experience with Stars & Stripes USA-11 !!!!
If you want a comfortable, interesting, exciting sailing trip in San Diego, this is the trip. You can participate in the operation of the sail as much or as little as you wish. It’s your choice, however, I found it exciting to participate in the “grinding” and the steering as it is easy and a fun experience. Also, Bee Hanna is extremely knowledgeable and points out interesting facts about things you will see on this trip almost to the Coronado Bridge. The crew is helpful and friendly. Snacks and hot/cold beverages are offered. Before and after the sail, you will gather in their office to learn about their sailing ship. Bee takes wonderful videos and photographs that you can download from the link she will email you. I highly recommend this experience for anyone looking for an outdoor, beautiful, fun trip on San Diego’ beautiful sailing waters.
Look at a few of our 5 star reviews from the past few years and see what people are saying about the Highly reviewed Stars & Stripes Sailing Tours of San Diego Bay.
Great boat — very fast
There’s not much that can match taking the helm of an America’s Cup racer, and Sail Stars & Stripes USA-11 makes it fun and easy. Friendly and knowledgeable crew.
Best sail ever
We have sailed extensively around various parts of the world. This was by far the best crew and experience ever. Lynn the captain made everyone feel absolutely at home and involved on this afternoon sail. We got some good wind and some serious sailing in and a warm and friendly crew.
You can see all our Sailing Charter Reviews on our Main REVIEW PAGE located here.
We value all the reviews and sailing tour feedback we get and we encourage you to help us do a better job by leaving your critiques on our Google Page or Facebook Page. It sincerely helps others find out about how unique our Sailing Tours in San Diego are unlike all the others. Our Sailing Yacht is also one of the most famous and fastest sailboats in San Diego Bay.
Take a look at what some of our other guests had to say about their san diego sailing tour:
Wont find a better time sailing
I had a great time on the Stars and Stripes. The crew were friendly and professional and definitely knew what they were doing. I felt confident aboard and enjoyed the opportunity to help sail the boat when offered. The trip is a three hour sail in the harbor/bay area and includes some history and fun sight-seeing from aboard the ship. I would highly recommend this to anyone with or without sailing experience since the trip can be tailored to your comfort level. It is also totally kid friendly and the few on board for my trip had a great time. All in all- great deal and a great sail!
WOW--WHAT A FUN TIME!!!
Our group of family and friends--10 of us (some first time sailors) all had a great time on Stars and Stripes USA 11. The entire experience could not have been better from making the arrangements to the great crew that were all friendly and professional. We all enjoyed sailing the boat under the watchful eyes of Lynn our skipper and the great crew. We can't wait for the next time we are in San Diego to do another sail.
Mark T
AMAZING!
We sailed with SAIL USA at the end of June, 2009, and it was absolutely amazing. Our family of 5 (including two 10 year olds and one teenager) were complete novices. The crew was exceptionally friendly and engaging from the moment we arrived. The cruise lasted for nearly three hours, and we were able to participate as much or as little as we wanted. Our teenager, who at age 16 can be hard to motivate, was instantly involved. One of the best parts was chatting with the crew throughout the sail. We learned and laughed alot! It is absolutely the best way to see San Diego from the water, and an experience we will never forget. We recommend sailing with SAIL USA without reservation!
The best sailing I've ever experienced!
If you like sailing, you really need to get on this boat and be around a crew that has Lynn and Steve on it. Very few people would have the oppportunity to sail as well as they do on a boat designed for racing for the America's cup. Their professionalism provides the opportunity to sail not only really fast but safely as well. To sum it up, I bought a USA 11 t- shirt and sweatshirt. I look forward to sailing with them again. Thanks again Lynn and Steve.
Thank you again and we trust you had an amazing experience aboard the Stars & Stripes USA 11!
Related Links and Articles
https://sailusa11.com/faq/
https://g.page/sailsandiegousa11/review
https://sailusa11.com/private-sailing-charters-about/
https://sailusa11.com/sailing-tour-rates/
https://sailusa11.com/san-diego-sailing-reviews/
https://www.sandiego.org/members/boating/americas-cup-sailing-san-diego.aspx
https://sailusa11.com/view-availability/
https://sailusa11.com/picking-the-best-sailing-charter-in-san-diego-ca/
https://sailusa11.com/san-diego-sailing-charters-what-you-need-to-know/
https://sailusa11.com/san-diego-ca-things-to-do-in-2019/
https://www.maitaicharters.com/pro-racing
https://sailusa11.com/team-building-san-diego-must-do/
https://lajollamom.com/san-diego-bay-tours/
http://bit.ly/sandiegosailingreviews
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I took examples from my own experiences to do this, so sorry if the scenarios look iffy, or even a teensy bit angsty to some :P
I am so sorry that 707′s is huge! I got carried away with it :P ~Admin Bloo
RFA+V+SAERAN REACT TO AN INSECURE AND CHUBBY MC
Yoosung
Most of the times, it doesn’t even pop up as often.
Pizza nights, game nights and go out for movies. It’s like the perfect college love life.
But one day, Yoosung was meeting up with a bunch of friends, and he wanted to bring you along.
You had already met them through webcam, so why were you suddenly so anxious to see them in real life?
The day before the meeting, you suddenly pull out.
This poor boy is so confused.
Why won’t you meet them? You’ve talked to them before? Are they not nice? Did they say something to you?
It was very difficult to calm him down, but you finally tell him that you were insecure about how fat you were.
He’s super quick to correct you that he doesn’t even let you finish.
“You’re so soft, both inside and out. It’s just who you are, and there is nothing to be ashamed of about that.”
This prompts the both of you to share your insecurities with each other.
By the end of the day, you both feel like you know each other better.
“No matter what you look like, it’s you as a person I love.”
Zen
The insecurities got worse when you started dating him
Every time you’re in public, you can practically feel everyone judging you from every angle.
You start going out on dates less frequently, and this irritates Zen to no end
Especially since you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him about what’s been on your mind.
One day, you tell him you want to go to the gym with him
He’s ecstatic (since this is the first time you wanted to go somewhere in weeks) but confused as well.
Then he sees how hard you’re trying to work out, but tire so much quicker than him that you start sulking.
When he stops what he’s doing, and asks you what’s wrong, it all comes pouring out.
About how he’s so perfect, and you’re not, and you don’t deserve to be with him
*cue dramatic gasp*
“Sometimes I wonder what did I do to deserve such a kind and pure person like YOU, and here you are worried about what you look like?”
“I fell for you because of how you supported me through tough times, not because you looked a certain way.”
Jaehee
She’s already super busy, yet she still looks so pretty and slim.
It gave you an inferiority complex on so many levels.
Overtime, she notices that you want to go out less; preferring to stay at home and relax.
Which she doesn’t argue over; it is nice to have room to breathe once in a while.
Your clothes are always loose and free flowing; She admires your style a lot.
Overtime, you have lessened your food portions to the point where now it is half of your usual.
Get ready lads, shit is about to hit the fan now.
Suddenly your behavior, your clothes, and your patterns. Everything makes sense.
She forcefully serves you how much you should be eating, despite your protests.
“There is absolutely no reason to adopt unhealthy practices simply because you have all these misconceptions about yourself.”
Before you can defend your “misconceptions”, she heaves a big sigh and apologizes for snapping at you.
“Your beauty shines through every little action you do; your body has very little to do with it. So please, don’t worry and be happy.”
Jumin
This man thinks the entire world revolves around you; and sets his standards according to you.
This leads you to try to match the standards of everything a corporate heir’s significant other should be like.
One day, he had decided to take you shopping, just to shower some love on you.
One day, while you two were out window shopping, he had found a shimmering black dress that he absolutely wants you to try on.
When you tell him that it is a few sizes too small, he immediately calls in the manager of the store to ask for a size more suitable for.
The manager looks at you very piercingly and then states that the store does not cater to plus sizes.
It tore you apart to hear the words that had been toiling around your mind the entire day. His world doesn’t provide for plus sizes
Jumin very easily sensed your mood rolling downhill and threatened the poor manager to rid him of his job by the end of the day.
Before Jumin could ruin anymore livelihoods, you drag him out of the store.
He doesn’t understand why you let that manager and other people talk to you like that.
He is rambling and ranting as you two continue walking around the area.
“You are still leading a better life than all those women who starve themselves to death just for the sake of something as shallow as appearances.”
It’s almost funny how much offense he is taking on your behalf.
You pull him to kiss him on the cheek, and he stopped immediately.
He takes this as a nice way to shut him up and takes you to your favorite café
707/Luciel
Boi has military training to back him up on his unhealthy obsession with junk food
MC YOU CANNOT CALL HONEY BUDDHA CHIPS AND PHD PEPPER THAT DREADED J WORD
You scold him every. Single. Time. And all he does is take another packet and eat it in front of you as you’re yelling at him.
Even you don’t understand why you yell at him so much, it’s an uncontrollable reflex at this point.
One day you were enjoying a family sized packet of Doritos by yourself in the kitchen.
Seven strolls in, whistling as he grabs a packet of HBC.
Then he notices your packet of Doritos
Both of you narrow your eyes at each other playfully.
You thought it was going to be another match of Doritos vs. Honey Buddha Chips
DORITOS IS BAE FIGHT ME
You bring out your usual point that HBC has a lot more fats in it than Doritos.
But then he points out that you’re the one who is fatter than him, so you were just projecting your problems against HBC
OH NO YOU DIDN’T
You look down in silence, suddenly extra aware of the fact that you are wearing shorts.
He’s slapped his mouth shut and is raining apologies upon you, but you just get up and leave; leaving behind the packet you were munching on as well.
Over the next few weeks, he’s doing everything he can to apologize
Grabbing onto your leg, bowing and begging, bringing your favorite food.
But you just wouldn’t budge.
What finally wins you over is the presentation he made of Doritos being better than HBC while wearing a sumo fatsuit that puts regular sumos to shame.
“You’re still my wonderful and bootyful MC; maybe the Doritos have some kind of power to give you such beauty and grace.”
V/Jihyun
He had invited you as his date/honored guest to his latest photo exhibition
You were so happy about the level of success this particular collection had achieved, you had bought a dress just for the occasion.
YOU WERE SO HAPPY, EXCITED AND PROUD ASDFJKL;DFLKG;J
He had headed out to the gallery before you to check on some things, so he gave you a peck before saying goodbye
It’s a good luck kiss, don’t I deserve one?
You hurriedly go and change into the beautiful dress- looking forward to V’s reaction when he sees you
But when you put it on, suddenly it doesn’t look as good as it did before?
Was it always this short and tight?
Were your arms always so... bulbous?
You sat there in front of the mirror and tears started pouring out of frustration
You were planning out how were you going to cancel on him, until suddenly he burst into your shared bedroom and grabs his camera from the bedside table.
He then looks at you and jumps at the sight. You get even shyer aww
“You are so stunning in that dress! But why are you crying...?”
You hug him and mumble something about not deserving to be standing next to someone so acclaimed as him.
“Do you know why you are my muse for most of my photos? It’s because no matter how many different ways I click the camera, I’m never able to capture your perfect essence.”
Unknown/Saeran
It was never an issue that stayed at the forefront of your thoughts. Back of your mind, sure.
Saeran was never particular about how you looked, and you knew that.
One day, you had finally coaxed him into going out on a date.
But then surprise surprise, all your nice clothes are waiting in the laundry pile
Both of you are just too lazy to do chores and now it’s just biting you in the butt
Now all you have is the lacy camisole you had bought last week, which could go with some capris.
You weren’t sure why you bought it; it just looked pretty at the time.
You refuse to wear it, and try to find something else to wear but it’s just. not. right.
Saeran literally doesn’t give two shits about your problem.
“Why don’t you just wear what you’re already wearing?” No I just wanted to wear something special
He holds up the camisole “What’s wrong with this then?”
You stammer out that it doesn’t compliment your figure and it shows off your flabby torso.
You could practically see the irritation on his face and just give up and wear it to prove that its not good enough.
But when you show it to him, he suddenly can’t look at you in the eye.
See, I told you this looked bad.
He then looks up in alarm and grabs your shoulders.
“THIS DOESN’T LOOK BAD. IT LOOKS FINE”
You’re probably just saying that so that we can get going.
No matter how much he is refusing, you try to change out of it, but he doesn’t let you.
Instead he’s practically forcing you out the door.
“For Christ’s sake, MC. The one time I agree to go out so that I can show everyone that you’re mine and you want to just sit there because your tee shirt is too small”
You want to correct him that it’s a camisole, but you let him go as you both make you way to the mall.
#body positivity#mystic messenger#mysme#mysmes#mystic messenger imagines#mystic messenger headcannons#yoosung kim#jumin han#jaehee kang#zen#hyun ryu#zen hyun ryu#707#luciel choi#saeyoung choi#mystic messenger v#saeran choi#mystic messenger yoosung#mystic messenger jumin#mystic messenger zen#mystic messenger jaehee#mystic messenger 707#jihyun kim#mystic messenger unknown#mystic messenger saeran#mm#mm yoosung#mm zen#mm jaehee#mm jumin
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