#in the middle of printing the photos from my latest trip to see friends & my heart is so full of all these memories &

[asiancatboy]

guys the world is so big n love is real

[marvelsbetch]

Peter Parker’s field trip part 2

March 7th

Peter's POV

I woke up peacefully to Friday playing Highway to Hell and telling me it was 6:30am and I needed to get up for school. Concerned for Wade's sleeping I quickly told Friday to be quiet and that I was up, I obviously didn't want to wake him at such a cruel hour.

Stumbling out of my room in a sleep filled haze, almost walking into the door frame and tripping over my shoes, I made my way to the kitchen to find Pops trying to cook breakfast and silently arguing with Thor who put his hammer in front of the fridge yet again, Loki really is a bad influence on the God.

"Uncle Thor please move the hammer so I can have breakfast. Please." I requested giving him my puppy dog eyes knowing he can't resist them.

With a small grunt Thor moved his hammer and set it on top of the kitchen counter out of people way. Pops sent me a grateful look before pulling eggs, milk and cheese out of the fridge to make Captain America's famous omelette. I smiled slightly and moved to sit on one of the bar stools at the island counter and watched slowly as all the Avengers plus Loki, T'Challa and Shuri were woken up by the amazing smell. All but my boyfriend who could probably sleep through an earthquake, hurricane and tsunami all at once. It's a gift.

-1 hour later-

After breakfast I got ready to just come back here, grabbed my back, kissed my now awake boyfriend goodbye, hugged my Dads goodbye and made my way to the car with Happy prepared to take me to school. On the way Happy gave me a lecture on how I was basically representing Dad and SI so I should be on my best behaviour. It was boring and in all honest, I'd heard it before on the field trip to the zoo we have last month, that didn't end well in all honesty. It's better left saying some monkeys escaped and it totally wasn't my fault.

"Right Kid. We're hear, I'll pick you up tomorrow from here so message me when you're on your way back to school." He told me, I could tell he was going to miss me but I could also tell he was looking forward to the extra one hours sleep he was going to get tomorrow from not needing to drop me off.

"Bye Happy. Tell everyone I'll miss them. See you tomorrow and I'll give regular update and text you if anything happens." I told him before exiting the car and walking up to Ned who was waiting outside the bus ready for me.

"Hey man. You looking forward to the surprise field trip?" Ned asked as we stepped onto the bus.

"Not really. I'm gonna miss everyone at the tower. Wade arrived last night as well so I'm not gonna see him for like another two days." I sighed as we sat down next to each other in the middle of the bus.

"Hey penis. I know what the field trip is and you're gonna be in so much shit." Flash tainted as he passed us.

"Steve wouldn't be happy with your language." I mumbled so only Ned heard. We both giggled a little but everyone was soon quietened down by Mrs Robbins shouting at us.

"Okay so before we leave we must take role call to see who's here." She explained and started reading names off of her sheet. Everyone responded with a simple yes miss and everything was going well until she got to my name.

"Patricia Parker!" She yelled and looked directly at me. I simply ignored it and continued to stare out of the window until she shouted it again louder.

"Come on Penis just answer. Don't try and stall this." Flash huffed from the back of the bus.

"Fine. Peter Parker is here." I told her emphasising the work 'Peter'.

"What ever." She grumbled going back to role call.

-30 minutes later-

As we were driving I noticed a lot of places, it took a few seconds until it finally clicked as to where we were going. Stark Industries. Over night. Oh dear.

“Right kids. We're going to be there in roughly 5 minutes so please get you begs sorted, make sure your areas are clean and you have everything with you." Mrs Robbins told us from the front of the bus.

"I bet you'd recognise this way from your internship, if it was real." Flash sneered as if it was going to affect me.

Soon we pulled into the visitor parking lot and exited the car. I was slightly shaking with anxiety especially when Happy and two other security guards, Johnson and Stone (I don't know their first names) walked over to us and started running through the security guidelines.

"And finally and type of bullying or intolerance towards anyone inside this building with not be tolerated and the person doing it will be kicked out immediately. That could be in 10 minutes or at 2:00 in the morning. It will not be tolerated." Happy finished giving me a look that said 'I know something you don't know I know'. Shit.

"Okay now that that is out of the way with, follow us." Happy said leading us inside the lobby of the building by swiping his security card.

“Okay we're gonna give you all access passes. These are the lowest of the 10 levels you get get so basically all you can use them for is the toilet. We have a strict no re-printing policy and a display policy. In other words you must always have your pass on display on your outer most layer of clothing, if it's lost then you will be searched and escorted out of the building if it is not found. Let that be a warning to everyone." Johnson explained as Stone started handing out the passes, glossing over me, Ned and MJ of course, until everyone had them.

Me, Ned and MJ all had to pull out our avenger themed cards. Mine was half and half Iron Man and Captain America cause there my dads. Ned's was a combo of everyone's as he couldn't decide which one he preferred. MJ went for Nat cause MJ liked the fact that she, and Pepper, could control all of us and was the only girl original Avenger. MJ admires her as a icon for women.

"Okay everyone scan your passes as you walk through the scanner like this." Stone demonstrated as he scanned his pass and walked through the scanner with his hands out.

"Logan Stone. Security level clearance:8. No unauthorised items." F.R.I.D.A.Ys voice announced.

"Now all of you do it." Happy instructed.

Everyone started going through the scanner, Flash being the most smug as his level 1 clearance was announced, until it got the the final three. Me, Ned and MJ. MJ decided to go first, F.R.I.D.A.Y announced her name, level 9 security clearance and the fact she had no unauthorised items with her. Next was Ned, F.R.I.D.A.Y announced his name, level 9 security clearance and the fact he had no unauthorised items. Next was me, I was dreading it.

"Come on Patricia, just admit your internship is fake now and save us all the trouble." Flash shouted over everyone making Happy stop and glare at him. He was about to make a move towards Flash but I put my hand out and stopped him.

"Just leave it Hap. He's not worth cancelling whatever Dad's got planned." I told him in a low voice trying to be unheard.

"He says one more thing and I'll knock him out." Happy threatened.

"I have no doubt you will." I sighed and decided I stalled enough. I quickly scanned my card and walked through the scanner with my hands up like everyone else.

"Peter Stark-Rodgers, level 10 security clearance. No unauthorised items. Mr Stark-Rodgers has already been informed of your arrival. Thank you for using the front entrance." F.R.I.D.A.Ys robotic but slightly sarcastic voice announced.

The tour started off normal. One of the actual interns, Owen, greeted us and me separately. We were quite good friends as he was one of the people to help me when Wade asked me out, I will be eternally grateful to him.

"Okay, our first stop on this tour is the avengers museum. You will be allowed to take photos but please refrain from touching anything as they could activate. Everything thing in this room is the real deal except a few things. We will also be trying to lift Thor's hammer in this room with him there of course." Owen explained. So, this is where Dads plans begin.

We walked into the museum and was greeted with 3 main area. Original Avengers, later added Avengers and Avengers associates. Then, I saw a red and blue display. Spider-Man has his own display IN THE LATER ADDED AVENGERS SECTION. Did this mean Dad wanted me to be an Avenger? What's going on? Did Fury know about this?

Ned grabbed my hand and led me to the display cases where I saw my old suit and computers next to replicas and photos of my current ones. This is so cool.

“Spider-Man is the latest mighty hero to join the Avengers in their mission to protecc the Earth and Asgard. Spider-Man has been described my many to be funny, witty and charming. He the only Avenger to have not revelled his identity yet but we are sure he will in due time. Fun facts about Spider-Man:

He is afraid of Spiders ironically,

He's a complete Daddy's boy,

He made his first suit himself,

He lives with Tony and Steve Stark-Rodgers,

And finally, he can rival Tony Stark-Rodgers levels of Sass." Ned read from the information

I silently groaned at the second fun fact knowing full well Dad was just trying to boost his ego. Oh well, it's kind of hard not to be true.

"Oo Penis Parker checking out the exhibit on his 'friends'." Flash sneered putting air quotes around 'friends'.

"Right, come along people. We have an exclusive lecture with Dr Banner on Gamma radiation and how it affects the human body. Everybody make and orderly que and and we can make our way there." Owen informed and instructed.

We all qued up with me and my friends at the back and started to walk towards the elevator to go to Bruce's lab. Once we found ourselves outside of the lab the reality of the situation set in, we're going to be talking to my Uncle Bruce. While no one in the class knows he's my Uncle and I'm with my Bully and Transphobic teacher. I dread to think what's about to happen.

"Okay kids. Be very polite and respectful, we don't want a code Green." Owen instructed before knocking on the door and waiting for Bruce to open it as Owen didn't have high enough clearance to open the door.

After a minute of waiting and no sign of Bruce Owen knocked again but to no avail. I knew that Bruce was working on a new project last night so it's highly likely he's asleep so I stepped forward, security card in hand and swiped it for entrance.

"Peter Parker, access granted." F.R.I.D.A.Ys voice sounded from above the door way.

I opened the door slowly and saw Bruce asleep on the couch. Motioning for everyone to give me a minute I creeped into the room to gently wake him up.

"Uncle Bruce, you have to give my class a lecture. Uncle Bruce wake up." I said softly and gently shook him awake.

"What? Peter? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Bruce asked slowly sat up.

"I'm on a field trip and you're supposed to give a lecture to my class. They're all outside but you fell asleep." I informed him.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry. Ask them to give me a minute and I'll be mostly ready. Thanks Pete." Bruce replied scrambling to clean up a little bit and get sorted.

"He'll just be a minute." I informed my class while exiting the room waiting for Bruce when I heard Uncle Clint shifting in the vents. Oh no, this has been planned.

“Hello Midtown. Sorry for the delay, life of a stressed scientist. I'm sure most of you know what that's like. Come in, take a seat and please excuse the mess." Bruce greeted and opened the door wider for us to enter.

We all shuffled into the highly cluttered room and sat down in one of the fold out chairs set us in the centre of the room infront  of three dry erase boards. Uncle Bruce started his lecture but I soon tuned him out as I had heard it all before.

"Peter!" Clint yelled popping his head out from the vent with a grin on his face.

"Barton." I said in a monotone voice to hopefully convey my disinterest in whatever he was planning.

"I was asking if I could go into your room to borrow some silly string. Tony fucked with a few of my arrows and I'm not happy about it. I was literally shocked!" He shouted the last sentence making me wince and cover my ears.

"Yes you may but only one can. I need the rest for Loki cause he's the only one out of all of you that hasn't had a string attack yet. Hopping to change that soon." I informed.

"Cool. I'm taking the blue one. Bye, see you later." He waved before disappearing back into the vents and crawling away.

"He has this all planned doesn't he?" I asked Uncle Bruce signing slightly.

"Sorry kid." He smirked and continued with his lecture despite people only being focused on gawping at me.

Soon after that his lecture was finished and we moved on. Owen took us to a more general development lab where people started their testing to see if it was possible and worth perusing. As soon as we entered I was greeted with Shuri running towards me and hugging me tightly.

"Shuri, you literally saw me last night. Why are you hugging me so tightly?" I asked smiling slightly.

"I still missed you. Brother has been boring but these labs are very interesting, still they would be more so with you here." She told me pulling away and looking at my astonished class.

"Hello children of Midtown High School. I am Shuri Princess of Wakanda and this is my brother, the king." Shuri introduced smiling at everyone's shocked faces.

"I can introduce myself sister." T'Challa told her.

"Now you know how I feel." She told him smirking before walking off to see one of the experiments happening in the room.

We looked around the lab for a little while, I helped a few people with equations and how to improve their testing. Shuri and I shouted memes and vines at each other from across the room. Flask and Mrs Robbins glared at me any chance they got.

"Right Children, it's time for lunch. You've been privileged enough to have lunch on the level 7 balcony right near the landing pad. Please be calm and sensible and respectful of the employees eating there." Owen explained and lead us up to the eating deck.

Once there I immediately noticed Uncle Thor and Loki waiting around the corner obviously looking for me. They truly planned this. Anyway, me, Ned and MJ all walked over to an empty table and they took out their lunches when I noticed I left mine in the kitchen this morning. Shoot.

"Peter!" I hear Thor yell as he and Loki walk around the corner with his arms out.

"Hello Thor. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked jokingly formally.

"Does one need a reason to visit his favourite nephew?" Thor asked bringing me into a hug, possibly crushing everyone of my ribs in the process, while Loki stood awkwardly to the side.

"If your all going to embarrass me can I ask you a favour in return?" I asked the brothers.

"Of course Peter! Anything for my nephew!" Thor all but yelled and clapped me on the back.

"Yeah, I left my lunch on the kitchen counter today. Could you possibly run up and get it for me please." I requested when a flying object fell from the sky.

My lunch.

"YOUR WELCOME!" I heard Sam yell from above us.

"THANKS BIRD BRAIN!" I yelled back at him and sat back down as the table, Thor and Loki soon following.

"Peter, I was wondering later if you could help me with my magic. I've been trying to work on my long distance aim and I think you'd be the perfect person to practice with." Loki asked shyly, he still isn't comfortable with all of us yet but he's made loads of progress.

"To hit or to avoid?" I jokingly asked earning a slight laugh out of the giant.

"To miss. I'll place the object I want to hit next to you and 'throw' a spell at it. If you're next to it it gives me more motivation to not hit it." Loki explained.

"Yeah sure I'll do that. What time were you thinking?" I asked.

"Well, you're class is staying the night and tomorrow day so maybe we could find time tonight or tomorrow night." Loki said making me realise my entire class has witnessed this entire encounter. For frick sake.

"Peter!" The deep voice of Bucky yelled from the doorway to the balcony.

My entire class looked in shock as I hugged good bye to the Gods and James 'Bucky' Barnes walked over to me with a bag and an apron saying 'Kiss the cook' on it. Once he was within range I could smell the contents of the bag. White chocolate and caramel cookies. My favourite.

"I made cookies and thought you might like some while they're hot." He explained handing me the beg witch I immediately accepted and took a cookie from.

"Thank you Uncle Bucky." I said but it was muffled by the whole cookie I shoved into my mouth. Classy.

"Hey you said you'd wait for me!" I hear my boyfriend shout appearing at the doorway and running towards me with his arms spread.

"I said I was leaving in one minute and you could come if you wanted. I never said I'd wait for you cause I know how long you can take." Bucky complained to Wade who crushed me into a hug and kissed my lips briefly.

My entire class and teacher were stunned at this point. Every single jaw, except Ned and MJ's, was on the floor. When Wade kissed me I could faintly see from the corner of my eye my teacher so red and angry. Close minded female dog.

"I've not seen you all day how are you?" Wade asked pulling away.

"I'm fine, you saw me less than a few hours ago. Not much changed." I told him smiling a little and pulling him into another kiss. I did this to annoy my teacher but mainly because I just loved to kiss my boyfriend. Sue me.

"I know but anything could happen while I'm not there. I love you too much to allow anything to happen to you." He said to me after a solid 40 seconds of kissing.

"Right well, I'm gonna go back upstairs. Wade, you can stay with Peter as long as you keep your hands to yourself." Bucky warned before walking off back into the tower and Me and Wade sat down with me on his lap.

After a few minuets the shock wore off and people started whispering and pointing at me and Wade. Nothing I didn't expect if I'm honest but it's a lot more annoying than I thought it would be.

“I love you Wade." I said putting my head on his chest and eating my cookies.

"I lub you too Pete." He responded making me giggle a little. "And you're ass that will be mine tonight." He whispered seductively into my ear and gently grabbed my ass.

"You two make me want to be sick." MJ joked making a disgusted face at us before continuing with her lunch.

"Right everyone, we have ten minutes before we need to move on." Owen warned.

To be continued...

[badb1tchbokuto]

Alone, Together

Miya Atsumu x F! Reader

“Lame.” Typical.

“Self-righteous prick,” Okay that one hurt a little, but fine.

“Your game is weak.” Atsumu would like to think it wasn’t. It was just that he’d never really had to try. Whereas he focused all his efforts and love on the game of volleyball, he never really put in much effort on the dating game. Casual flings, short term relationships, one night stands - he was no stranger to all of this. He was attractive, successful, and had a steady career that allowed him to afford VIP tables in pretentious places like this. Who in their right mind wouldn’t be into that?

You apparently.

...In which Atsumu experiences his first existential crisis after you reject him at a club.

wc: 6k

tw: alcohol consumption, swearing, mild smut, slight angst, lots of fluff

(crossposted on Ao3)

Thursday, 10:00pm JST

Tokyo is alight and alive. The autumn sun is steadily dimming against a sea of ultramodern buildings and bright billboards that are beginning to light the city in incandescent neons. Crowds are meandering through the busy capital, with tourists slowly walking and stopping at every turn to take photos and gaze at their seemingly surreal surroundings, friends chatting vividly as they make their way to dinner, and employees ambling towards the crowded subway stations to line up and finally make their way home or just find some respite.

You, somehow, are a combination of all three.

Twenty four hours ago, you landed in Haneda from Charles de Gaulle. Jet lagged and bleary eyed, you stuttered your way through customs in your broken but passable Japanese, lost a suitcase that had most of your professional attire needed for the next day’s back to back meetings with investors, then had to be comforted by your driver as you explained the situation in distress all the way to your hotel in the business district of Minato.

You couldn’t help but feel unsettled and overwhelmed as it was after all, your first trip to Japan for professional matters. All your other times in the country had been spent with family, past lovers or on study abroad trips with best friends, but this time it was just you.

Adult you, in your first big girl work trip, in your dream field of fashion, in your dream city of Tokyo.

-

It has almost been twenty fours since you landed in the capital, and you’ve miraculously survived your first day. Barely. Admittedly you slept in a little too late after downing the entire complimentary bottle of Daiginjo from the hotel by yourself the night before, and this morning you spent over thirty minutes trying to transform your jet lagged mug with a “no make up make up” look only to end up still being asked by the sweet door people if you were heading to a special party. The upside is that the sake made you sleep like a baby, and smartly you paired your unexpectedly dramatic make-up with a killer outfit, resulting in you being recharged and sharp throughout the day, impressing your boss and potential investors alike.

Friday, 8:30pm JST

You had just emerged from your hotel to freshen up after a long day of work, now heading to dinner in Shibuya to meet with friends you’ve studied abroad with who were now living in Tokyo. Clad in a slinky Jacquemus silk dress and your favorite stilettos, you stand outside the grand entrance of the Tokyu Plaza, sending your girls a quick text to note that you got there a little earlier than expected, informing them that you’d be waiting at the restaurant’s rooftop bar instead.

The restaurant your friends chose was on the 17th floor of the building, a French fusion restaurant that turns into a nightclub after midnight and promises to have the best rooftop views of the Tokyo skyline. It seemed especially busy tonight, as there was already a line of young men and women eager to wait just to get into the club despite the area not opening hours from now.

Overhearing hushed snippets of conversations around you, it sounded like some celebrities were going to be there tonight. You brush it off, looking forward to having a moment to yourself to sip on an espresso martini, maybe even a few truffle sliders while waiting on your friends to arrive.

Busy thinking about whether you have time to eat one or three of the sliders before dinner, you absentmindedly made your way to the host at the front of the already buzzing line.

Halfway there, you feel a gentle but firm tap on your shoulder.

You turn, only to face a very toned and very broad chest dripping in two thin yellow gold snake chains layered over a printed silk button down, a piece from Gucci’s latest season. “Impressive.. ” you think to yourself as you lift your gaze as slowly and as nonchalantly as you can to see the man’s face, even though your eyes are probably already dilating in anticipation, because if the chest was already impressive and you were already having sinful thoughts about dragging your tongue on his chiseled pecs then moving down, well then...

“Yes?” You reply softly as your eyes roam upwards, starting with his strong jawline, to his warm, sugary brown gaze, up to his soft tousled blonde hair, and back down to his full lips, his canines and pink tongue slightly peeking out, adorned in a confident smirk that both turned you on and pissed you off.

“Fuck. I’d definitely let you ruin my life..or my pussy.” You couldn’t help but immediately think to yourself.

Without introducing himself, he slowly licks his lips, then cooly offers. “You headin’ up to Ce La Vi? My friends and I have a VIP table up there so you won’t have to wait until midnight to be let in. You can skip the line with me.”

“No thanks.” You curtly decline, irritated and offended that he assumed you needed his help to skip the line, let alone afford to enter the establishment for dinner.

You swerve past him, thinking that he’s another sleazy club promoter. Very attractive yes, but you’d like to think you were past making those types of mistakes at this age. Sexy guy leveraging his social status so that he can two pump chump you then ghost you until he needs pretty girls to fill up his club table? Hard pass.

Atsumu on the other hand, is confused.

That simple line never fails; it’s not aggressive but is still quite direct, and it wasn’t creepy. At least he didn’t think so. If anything, he thought he sounded nonchalant and cool.. Almost like Suna...right? Although he’d never let Suna know that he tries to emulate him when trying to pick up girls. Or that he thinks Suna is “nonchalant and cool.” God forbid he gets roasted on the group chat for yet another reason. Also, isn’t it always a great opportunity to skip the line at some overhyped dining club and get wined and dined by a handsome athlete like him? He’s never really had a problem using that line before, in fact his body count was proof of its success rate, so why did it not work on you?

You definitely seemed like you would be impressed by status and flash, considering you literally made his head turn because of your confident strides, wafting a luxuriously sexy scent. A melange of rose, vanilla, maybe the homemade marshmallows Samu makes in the winter... And definitely a tinge of the special perfume he was gifted by the Tom Ford team that he only reserves for special occasions. Something with tobacco and oud. Plus, he also definitely remembers shelling out 300,000¥ to buy the same Dior purse you had on for his ex-girlfriend last Christmas.

You saunter ahead of him, completely ignoring the screams and flash that followed. “Ah..So the celebrity has arrived.” You think to yourself. “They’ll probably be escorted to some special entrance anyway.”  

The doorman checks your name on the tablet and leads you to wait in front of an elevator. As you scroll through your phone, waiting for the elevators to take you up to the restaurant, you see him awkwardly standing behind you, rapidly typing away on his phone, very obviously trying to avoid your gaze.

Unlucky for both of you, you two were the only ones cleared by the front desk to go on the elevator.

The ride up to the 17th floor felt like an eternity, a palpable awkward silence marred by elevator music eerily like the Wii theme song dragged the seconds on.

Atsumu couldn’t wait to get out of the cramped space. He wanted so desperately to rush out and find Bokuto, Hinata, or honestly, he’d even practice his abysmal English with Adriah at this point just to get the hell away from you.

It wasn’t that Atsumu found you repulsive, quite the contrary actually. He found you so goddamned sexy, poised with a distinct self-assured stance that he only knew his former high school volleyball captain to have. You were magnetic, like an invisible force just happened to transfix Atsumu’s attention to you when he saw you standing at the plaza, leading him to follow you to the restaurant, thanking his lucky stars that he was also heading the same way since he most definitely kind of looked creepy staring at a lone woman in the middle of the street like that. 

The fact that you were immediately repelled by his kind suggestion to skip the line with him boggled him. Feeling claustrophobic in a roomy elevator decorated in mirrors that showed your reflection from all angles, he tries even more desperately to avoid looking at you, so he resorts to giving a play by play to his brother over text, only to get obliterated by Osamu.

“Lame.” Typical.

“Self-righteous prick,” Okay that one hurt a little, but fine.

“Your game is weak.” He’d like to think it wasn’t. It was just that he’d never really had to try. Whereas Atsumu focused all his efforts and love on the game of volleyball, he never really put in much effort on the dating game. Casual flings, short term relationships, one night stands - he was no stranger to all of this. He was attractive, successful, and had a steady career that allowed him to afford VIP tables in pretentious places like this. Who in their right mind wouldn’t be into that?

You apparently.

“Oh well, your loss.” He tries to reason with himself.

As soon as the doors open, Atsumu lets you pass like the gentleman he was raised to be. Okay, maybe he checks you out one last time, because damn that ass... and maybe he also tries to catch a whiff of your intoxicating perfume…  but no one had to know that.

He walks away to find his teammates inside the VIP dining area, wanting to just forget about you and move on with his night. You on the other hand, leisurely make your way to the open rooftop bar.

Shortly after, your friends Yuki and Kaori arrive, apologizing for their tardiness and promising a good time as they insist on going out clubbing with some of their friends from high school.

You hadn’t seen the sexy arrogant promoter or his “VIP” group throughout dinner. You forget about him or at least try to, happy to finally munch away on the anticipated dinner, reminisce about your wild college days and catch up with old friends.

Friday, 11:30pm JST

A couple of hours later, inhibitions loose from the free flow of alcohol offered at the restaurant mixed in with a bottle of champagne to celebrate your reunion, the three of you egg each other on to take shots at the bar before checking out the now bustling dance floor, surrounded by the VIP booths inside. Not a minute more after walking indoors do you hear a loud energetic voice holler, “YUKIPPE?!”

“Bokuto-san!!!” Yuki excitedly calls out, dragging you and Kaori over to greet a boisterous, incredibly buff man with two toned spiky hair. Behind him sitting on the plush rounded couches is a small group of young men who are all just as attractive and well-dressed, with an orange haired male capturing most of their attention, spinning an animated tale that had the table howling in raucous laughter.

The only one whose attention was away from the tanned male you heard is called Hinata is the promoter from downstairs, looking directly at you in shock.

“Oh fuck.”

Three buttons on his shirt were now unbuttoned, giving you a more intimate view of his chest. The same, broad, muscled chest you fantasized over earlier. His gaze is unrelenting, and you realize you had also been staring back at him when Kaori waves her hands in front of your face, trying to get your attention.

“Giiiiiirl? Hello?”

You revert your attention back to your group, acting as if you definitely weren’t just thinking about jumping on the blonde’s lap then and there, pulling him into a kiss, grinding on him as you unbutton his shirt and pants in a desperate, heated haze and then...

Kaori interrupts your thoughts with, “This is our friend from high school, Bokuto-san! His boyfriend Akaashi-kun will be joining us later.” Bokuto is beaming down at you with a megawatt smile and pulls you in a bear hug as you move to shake his hand.

Yuki introduces you as their friend from university that just moved to help launch a Japanese edition of a niche French fashion magazine. She adds, “Bokuto is the star ace of his volleyball team, and these are some of his teammates from the MSBY Black Jackals.”

At this, Bokuto bellows a “ HEY HEY HEY!” that garners the attention of his teammates and onlookers alike.

His teammates warmly welcome you and the girls to their table, as if you’re all old friends simply catching up. Comfortable, you engage Hinata and Meian in a lively conversation about your common experiences while traveling in Brazil. From your shared love of pao de queijo, debating where the best feijoada can be found in Rio, all the way to sharing the wild scenes you’ve all seen in Ipanema's legendary posto 8, banter flowing easily.

You were having a great time, happy to make new friends.

Atsumu had been stealthily watching you throughout the introductions. You acted as if it was the first time you’ve met him, then gracefully jumped into a discussion with his captain and newest teammate as if you were all best friends, when in fact for the last two weeks since Shoyo had joined the team, he’d nervously run to the bathroom every time Meian tried to talk to him for longer than five minutes. Now here he is, laughing with you and the captain about your shared culture shock in realizing how comfortable Brazilians were with skinship.

Atsumu met you less than three hours ago, but every little detail he picks up about you fascinates him more and more. There wasn’t a single thing about you that he didn’t like so far, leaving him intrigued, pining to get to know more. Except for one little big thing.. you flat out rejected him, so now he’s actively avoiding you out of respect for the boundaries you set initially.

Still, he was riveted. He wanted to get to know you one way or another, even if it was trying to casually listen in on your conversations with his teammates.

“What a creep.” Sakusa interrupts his thoughts, rolling his eyes at Atsumu.

Bokuto leans in and attempts to whisper in a hushed tone, in an octave that was definitely too loud to be a whisper, “She’s super cute Tsumtsum! Go for it!”

“Just talk to her, you’ve been staring at her the entire time. It’s starting to get weird.” Sakusa adds.

For arguably the first time in his adult life, Atsumu is insecure.

How does he approach you for the second time? He doesn’t even know what to talk to you about. Here you were, casually conversing about your world travels when he’d never even left Japan except for international matches. You, decked out in designer items he’d gifted different ex-girlfriends as apologies or appeasements for every time he prioritized volleyball over them. You, who were already chummy with his teammates even though it took him months to warm up to them. For fuck’s sake, sometimes his jokes still fall flat, but here you are cracking jokes and making even Omi chuckle. Who the hell are you? And how can Atsumu get to know you? Does he want to be like you or be inside you? How does he even get your attention without seeming like a desperate jerk? Why the fuck does he care what some random girl thinks of him?

He never really cared about what others thought of him outside of volleyball, but when he can’t rely on his one true love to speak for him, who is he and what does he have to offer?

Having an existential crisis at an ostentatious club at midnight was definitely not something Atsumu wanted to do. Yet here he is, feeling as dejected as the day he wore the Jackasuke costume and slipped in public for the whole world to see.

Swirling the melting ball of ice on his crystal glass filled with Yamazaki 18, he didn't notice that you had moved closer to him.

“They say whiskey is a depressant. Is that why you look so sad?” You joke, then gesture to his drink with a small smile.

Atsumu lifts his head to look at you, then freezes upon realizing your close proximity. He counters, “Really? What should I have for a good time then?”

“Me.” You cheekily reply and wink at him.

He grins at you, confidence steadily regaining at realizing that he might have a chance with you after all.

Saturday, 12:00am JST

Pouring a newly opened bottle of Ace of Spades on two champagne flutes laid out on the table, you make amends.

“Sorry for being so rude earlier. I get really defensive when I’m randomly approached by men, especially because I thought you were a promoter looking to get girls to join your table… I didn’t know I had mutual friends with some hotshot athlete.” You smile awkwardly.

He laughs and jokes back, but there is definitely some weight to his sentiment.

“Ah, but since Imma hotshot athlete, s’all good now right?”

You replace the whiskey glass in his hands with a champagne flute and shoot back. “Nah, I really thought you were trying to pimp me out to your flashy friends who bought tables from you, or worse, that you were just trying to get a quick fuck.”

Atsumu chokes on his own spit at your frank reply, and you giggle before lowering your voice so only he could hear.

You counter, “For the record, I would have been down for the latter, except you didn’t even introduce yourself. You should also know that I don’t ever need your help to get places.”

You smile innocently at him as if you didn’t just confirm that you were down to fuck if only he had played his cards right. His mind fogs, instantly imagining dragging you to the nearest bathroom to fuck you silly. He thinks about what it would feel like to sloppily kiss your full lips, moving his hands from your hair down to your neck and shoulders, feeling the curves of your body graciously skimming the silk fabric of your dress, only to unwrap you like a prized gift and worship you with his tongue.

You clear your throat, well aware that Atsumu’s most likely imagining fucking you given his glazed over eyes and parted lips.

With a blush, he tries to cover his reddening cheeks and neck by downing his drink. He bounces back with a, “Well then. The name’s Atsumu, 23 years old, professional volleyball player - the best damned setter the MSBY Black Jackals and the Japanese National Team has ever seen.”

Atsumu realizes then that he never really had to introduce himself. Not seriously anyway. Most people around him already knew who he was; his teammates, coaches, players within the league, aspiring volleyball players, fans of the game, fans of his.. even people around him who didn’t have interest in volleyball just generally knew of his reputation as one of Japan’s most talented athletes and eligible bachelors.

How does he tell you about himself without pulling out his phone to show you his current stats or videos of his top sets as proof that he really is as good as he says? Without looking like an ass? Even worse, what does he tell you about himself without volleyball being the main subject?

You smile, intrigued at how he suddenly seemed so sure of himself while talking about volleyball, emitting pride and passion as he describes his profession.

So you continue to ask him about the sport. Atsumu visibly relaxes, his love for the game evident as he discusses their most recent friendly match, the reason why their Osaka based team is in the capital just before some of them start training for the Olympics. The other boys jump in and out of the conversation, with Yuki and Kaori clarifying certain terms to you when they see you furrow your brows in confusion.

As the alcohol keeps flowing and the conversation moves to the upcoming Olympics, you and Atsumu have veered off the multiple group conversations and are transfixed on each other.

He asks you what you’re doing in Tokyo and how you ended up there, so you tell him you graduated from university recently, originally intending to become a Doctor but decided to pause and move to Paris upon graduation, wherein between random side hustles you somehow landed a job in editorial fashion. Thus landing you in Tokyo on an extended work trip.

Atsumu is bewildered at how you could switch careers so easily and still succeed, that you have multiple passions and follow them according to your whims.

He couldn’t imagine living a life like yours, volleyball being the only thing he’s actively pursued since realizing he had to make a living somehow. He wonders whether he chose volleyball as a career because it was the only thing he was good at and the only thing he could think of when his high school teacher asked him about his options for the future.

Deep down he knows that he loves the sport more than anything else, the driving force and principle behind his very essence. Still he can’t help but wonder, what if he chose do something else? What if he found a different passion to pursue? Would he have made a good doctor? Lawyer? Entrepreneur and chef like Samu? He shudders, lost for answers. He settles his raging thoughts by simply asking, “How could you switch careers so easily?”

You pause to think for a while, then casually respond.

“People are multi-faceted. I think there’s different versions to us as we navigate life. We fall in and out of love with different people, hobbies, places, food, aesthetics... There are just so many variables, so many moving parts as we get older.. Who’s to decide that we have to be tied to the same job or pursue the same passion for the rest of our lives?”

This confuses him even more, and he decides that despite you having the same self-assured aura that Kita-san has, you’re the complete opposite of him, different from everyone around him actually. Him, his brother, his friends, his exes, all of whom either have a clear direction or some semblance of goals and dreams for the future.

You on the other hand, are all risk. You boldly trek into the unknown, unafraid and ready to face the variables and twist them so that they fall to your favor. Atsumu supposes that in this way, he relates to you.

He replies, “Huh. Weird but I guess I kinda get it. It’s like when I’m on court observing opponents. I have to sniff out and adapt to whatever bullshit they’re on, tweak our plays and my settin’ style to make sure we crush them. Sorta like a gamble.”

“Exactly.” You confirm.

“Eh..but nothing feels better than winnin’. How do you even know if you’re winning when you don’t have set objectives?” Atsumu counters.

You playfully roll your eyes at him.

“I do! My objectives are just adjusted to my current surroundings. I’d say pondering over the inherent philosophical value of career choices in a rooftop bar in Tokyo with a sexy volleyball setter is winning.”

“Touché.”

He grins, aiming to pour more champagne to your flutes before realizing that you two polished off the bottle of Ace on the table and that your friends were all in various states of inebriation.

Yuki dancing with her boyfriend, Kaori grinding on Adriah, Bokuto and Hinata on the dance floor twerking on the older MSBY members to Reggaeton, Sakusa and Akaashi watching all of this in amused horror.

“Wanna dance?” Atsumu asks.

After topping your glasses with overpriced bottle service liquor, you move towards the dance floor at the center of the club, joining your friends.

You’re shocked at how well Atsumu can dance, easily gripping your hips and moving with you as you gyrate against him to 90s hip hop jams. Hinata finds you both and proceeds to dance on you, laughing as you twirl him and sandwich him between you and Atsumu.

After a couple more songs, you, Bokuto, and the girls end up dancing on top of a random table screaming the lyrics to the newest Megan Thee Stallion song.

Yuki somehow proceeds to wrangle you all back to your table to take shot after shot, fueling the night to go on.

Saturday, 3:00am JST

Your group stumbles out of the rooftop bar, with the married MSBY members calling it a night. Bokuto on the other hand, is already ordering an Uber Lux to take you all from Shibuya to an even more upscale club in Minato, on the other end of Tokyo for a good nightcap.

Atsumu holds your hand as you enter the club, the most he’s gotten to touch you since dancing with you earlier.

Your group downs more bottles of champagne and vodka, all dancing on each other at your table.

Emboldened by the alcohol in your system, you pop your ass a little more against Atsumu’s crotch, swaying more seductively to a random top forty hit. Feeling him hardening against his fitted trousers, you turn to face him, skimming your fingers on his chains and chest as you continue to dance. In turn he runs his hands up and down your sides, moving more liberally to each drop of the beat, grazing up the underside of your breasts and back down to cup the curve of your ass. His hands feel warm on your body, steadily stoking a growing fire in you.

You gaze up at Atsumu, tilting your head to lightly graze your lips against his neck, trailing upwards towards his ear, effectively sending shivers down his spine. You whisper, “Would you consider this winning, hotshot?” licking the shell of his ear, resulting in Atsumu groaning lowly as you move your head to look back at him.

With hazy eyes, Atsumu looks at you, then whispers, “Winning would be when I’ve made you come with my mouth so many times you’re beggin’ me to fuck you.. but until then pretty girl, this is pretty close.”

You pussy throbs as his lips brush against your skin with every whisper, but before you can even respond, Atsumu kisses you.

His soft lips press on yours, capturing your lower lip in a soft bite that elicits pleasure that starts in your belly then moves down south. His hands continue to move up and down your sides, now more possessive in grabbing your ass to bring you closer to him.

You teasingly lick his parted lips, prompting Atsumu to dance his tongue against yours.

Lost in open mouthed kisses that have you both desperately groping each other’s clothed bodies on the dance floor, you feel Atsumu brush his knuckle over your breasts, motions languid and repeating as your nipples arouse and become visible through your silk dress.

Your entire body is overheating. You moan against his mouth.

He whispers, “Wanna take this somewhere more private?” You nod immediately, then rush to tell your friends you’d catch up with them over brunch tomorrow.

Atsumu is waiting by the exit, but as soon as he sees you, he is so turned on he can’t help but sear you into another heated kiss, leaving you both weak and wanting.

Saturday, 4:30am JST

Miraculously, the nearest Uber is 25 minutes away and the cabs are far and few. Atsumu starts to dial a private car service, but then notices you wandering down the street.

“Oi!! Where you goin’?” He calls out.

You pout. “I’m hungry.”

Atsumu offers to order you room service at his hotel but you decline, taking his calloused but surprisingly moisturized hand as you skip down a tiny alley way towards a conbini.

Inside, you fill your basket to the brim with an assortment of junk food. Chips, instant ramen, sandwiches, daifuku mochi, fried chicken poppers, and every other snack you find with cute packaging before finally leading you to the end of an aisle, choosing between which types of onigiri to purchase.

Atsumu goes along with you, advising you which brands to get, which to avoid, even putting his favorites in the basket. Although he knows his trainer will punish him with brutal training sessions if he sees the shit he’s about to put on his body, he thinks it’s all worth it. He knows he’ll feel guilty come morning, spending hours at the gym to burn it all off, but right now he couldn’t care less. Not after seeing you starry eyed at how many options of onigiri there are, and how absolutely adorable you look when asking him about which snacks he thinks could fit in your purse to save for later.

Trying to impress you, Atsumu comments. “Y’know, I make a mean tuna onigiri.”

No he doesn’t. His brother does, but you don’t know that. Not yet at least.

“Oh yeah? Want to make me some one of these days?” You respond.

Securing a date with you before the night even ends? Hell yeah.

Atsumu thanks his lucky stars, confidently confirming. “Sure, how does tomorrow evening sound?”

“Baby, our night hasn’t even ended and you’re booking me for tomorrow already. Are you trying to cuff me?”

“Yes. Then wife you.” But Atsumu holds his tongue for once.

Instead he winks at you, responding with a casual “Only if you want me to” with a wide, cheeky, canine bearing smile.

Laughing, you roll your eyes at him as he swoops in to carry your basket and insists on paying for your drunken munchies haul.

Saturday, 5:15am JST

Somehow you and Atsumu end up sitting on a park bench, sharing the food he bought from the conbini. Like two excitable school children on a field trip, you trade half bitten snacks with each other while talking about everything and nothing in between.

He tells you about his twin brother Osamu, who he insists is definitely uglier and the bummy version of him; how they did everything together up until Samu decided to open up his own restaurant and stay in their hometown of Hyogo instead of playing professional volleyball like him.

Atsumu tells you all about their childhood, from catching bugs to keep as pets and sneaking them to their room only to hear their ma screaming about it in the middle of the night, to how he always took from Samu’s secret snack stash, always denied doing so when confronted, but always paid him back with interest by secretly dropping a chunk of his monthly allowance on Samu’s piggy bank. The same one that Samu would later break open to help fund the opening of his restaurant. All the petty fights that turned into brawls, only to act like nothing happened despite being covered in scratches as soon as their tired mom walked through the door after a long day of work. He talks about his twin in such an easygoing manner, love overflowing in his voice and reminiscent of when he was speaking about volleyball, but this time there’s a twinge of wistfulness and melancholy to his tone.

“You miss him.” You softly conclude.

“That idiot? Nah.”

“It’s okay. I won’t hold it against you for blackmail.” You tease.

Atsumu concedes. “Okay maybe a little.”

Loose lipped from the alcohol still flowing in his veins, he continues.

“Samu and I have always been together. Startin’ at the womb for fuck’s sake, fightin’ each other over stupid shit, getting our asses kicked by our ma, sharin’ a room, spewing random thoughts to each other only the two of us would understand, goin’ to the same school, on the same volleyball teams, with the same friends, or rather him havin’ friends that ended up adoptin’ me to their group.”

He chuckles. “I think I took it all for granted, havin’ someone there always with me.. Even if he always got on my ass for the littlest things and it used to always piss me off. Deep down I knew he was always just lookin’ out for me, just didn’t know how ta’ show it. I mean, I didn’t either.”

He laughs because he knows he still doesn’t know how. “It’s almost been four years since I moved away from home and...”

He doesn’t finish the sentiment, but he doesn’t have to.

Atsumu is alone, and although he loves to brag to Osamu and their friends about the freedom having his own space brings, he knows he’s also so fucking lonely.

You finish his thought for him by empathizing. “I get it. I mean, kind of. I don’t have a twin so I can only imagine, but I’ve been living on my own for quite some time now, in between countries with parents who don’t support my career change and friends always in different places than where I am. It’s isolating. But hey, that’s why we put ourselves out there right? Why you acted like a sleazy promoter in front of the club and why I acted like a stone cold bitch earlier only to come at you? Our lame attempts at easing loneliness in hopes that one day, someone might finally understand... or just be there to try.”

You chuckle half-heartedly, nudging his shoulders to try and ease the somber tension.

He turns to look at you, smiling up at him, listening and just trying to understand. He can’t help himself. He pulls you into a sweet kiss that tastes of strawberry daifuku and expensive champagne.

Atsumu knows that you’ll never understand what it’s like to have a twin, to live a life away from them, to suddenly pursue a passion you thought was shared only to have to do it all on your own.. He thinks it’s amazing that you’re even listening to him rant about his nostalgia, even when he knows his thoughts seem incoherent, even when he currently doesn’t even know how to define himself.

In a dimly lit park in Azabu, you and Atsumu find solace in each other’s solitude.

He doesn’t know how he managed to basically word vomit to a stranger issues he finds too embarrassing to even mention to his brother, yet here he is. He doesn’t even know why barely two hours ago you were feeling each other up at a club, about to go back to his hotel room and drunkenly fuck, but now here you were at a park in the middle of a ritzy neighborhood in Tokyo, sharing snacks, stories and innocent kisses.

Talking to you, kissing you, hell even drunkenly shopping for food with you felt like second nature to him, as if you had been with him all along and this was just part of you two’s routine. Atsumu doesn’t know why though, since you couldn’t be more different from him.

You, who finds sparks of interest then bravely torches it aflame, letting it change your life as you go along. Then there’s him, lucky to have found his passion early on, pursuing it steadfastly since then, letting it consume and define him.

Perhaps it was the fact that you found each other incredibly attractive and you both were just looking for some sort of release, sexual or not.

Or honestly, maybe it’s the shared loneliness of being newly minted adults, trying to navigate life on your own without the familiar crutches only youth affords.

Whatever it is, Atsumu finds himself even more drawn to you.

“Being alone, if it’s together with you, isn’t so bad after all,” he thinks.

He watches you as you look up to observe the night sky rapidly fading to make room for the soft pastels of dawn, a soft smile painting your pretty lips. He doesn’t realize he mirrors your smile as soon as he sees it.

At 23, Atsumu doesn’t know the answers to a lot of things. He knows now that you don’t either, but he definitely knows then that he wants you to be there with him as you both figure it all out.

Saturday, 3:45pm JST

“I need a favor Samu. I need to make dinner to pair with onigiri. Oh wait, actually I also need to make onigiri. Tuna scallion.”

“You? Cookin? What?”

“It’s for this girl...”

“A girl agreed to let you cook for her? Is she sane? Conscious? Did you force her?”

“Fuck off!”

“Bet.”

Osamu hangs up.

Atsumu panics and calls him back immediately.

“Fuck I’m sorry!! I’m sorry! I… mighthavetoldherIcookwelltoimpressher.”

“Ah so you’re posin’ as me. I knew I was the superior twin.”

“You wish!! But please... I really like her. It’s the girl from yesterday.”

In all 23 years of being Atsumu’s brother, Osamu had never heard of Atsumu wanting to impress a girl by actually doing something for her. Buying them all the shit they could want, taking them out to eat wherever they want, sure. But actively taking time out of his day, time that could’ve been spent training, to do something for someone else, not even sure if the end result might pay off?

This was new.

Knowing Tsumu’s lack of patience and short attention span, the food will be barely edible. He knows Tsumu expects this to happen already; so he’s intrigued that his brother really insists on trying.

He’s always known Atsumu to be a gambler on court. Off court, he takes the safe routes. So for him to suddenly take a gamble like this, you must have been pretty damn special.

“Alright, scrub. I’ll send you the ingredients list. Facetime me when you’re back in the kitchen.”

- - -

- - -

Notes: The places noted in the story are based on real locations in Tokyo. See below if you’d like to imagine more vividly where you and Atsumu’s adventures took place. :)

Locations used:

1. Rooftop bar/restaurant - Ce la Vi, Shibuya

2. 3am club - 1Oak, Minato

3. Conbini - Lawson's (any one of them in Azabu)

4. Park - Mamiana Park, Azabu

[thedevildomdaily]

Valentine’s Day Photo Reactions

Valentine’s Day Photo Reactions

 This is a follow-up post to the Valentine’s Picture of my OC Lena. Although I’ve only shared the first chapter of her story with the boys, ‘A Tie That Binds’, I wanted to go ahead and share a bit of their lives and how each of them would react if she sent them the picture in a text.

Master List

Warnings: None. This is my first time doing one of these bullet posts. I got a little goofy thanks to my good friend Alcohol. (Sapphire Gin, Blue Curaçao, cranberry juice, & Sprite n_< ) But I had hella fun! Enjoy <3

Lucifer

Was in a meeting with Diavolo and Barbatos when he received the text.

Merely glanced down at first to make sure nothing was on fire or that Leviathan got pissed and summoned Lotan.

It’s Lena. A photo?

Keeps listening to Diavolo, phone hidden in his lap behind his desk.

Okay, she doesn’t bother me when she knows I’m in a meeting. Better see what she needs to show m-

…

Looks at Diavolo, then Barbatos. Expressionless.

Sneaks another look, before looking back at the other two.

“Lucifer...is something the matter?” Barbatos asks.

“No, why?”

“You looked away then agreed to be a part of a photoshoot to promote the Council...and you just dipped your pen into your tea.”

Clears throat, slight blushing. Definitely pissed Barbatos called him out on it. Diavolo’s guttural laugh doesn’t make it any better.

Lena was definitely going to be punished when he returned to The House of Lamentation. 

Mammon

Was in the middle of sneaking into Asmodeus’s room to find some pricey jewelry or perfume to pawn to pay off some debt.

That was a lie. He was going to buy himself something extravagant instead.

Left his DDD on, full volume, and nearly had a heart attack when it went off just as he opened a very gaudy jewelry box.

“OOOIII!”

This better be good, Lena! Tryna to kill me! Or get me killed!

Looks at the message.

Spaces out for a moment. Just….staring….

Hears a sudden noise of footsteps and starts to panic.

Oh shit. Is it Asmo?!

Starts to bolt for it with his eyes still on the picture, trips over one of Asmo’s ottomans and lands face-first into the floor.

That woman is gonna be the death of me…

Leviathan

Was in the process of achieving every trophy within the latest RPG game he was into. Gotta get that Platinum!

Hears and ignores text buzz.

“Leave me alone you normies! I am going to get that Platinum, then unlock the Super Ultimate Secret Ending that reveals the prince didn’t die. I will find you princess!”

He totally forgot Valentine’s Day was coming up this week.

Received another DDD text from a Human World app that Lena made him download.

Better...answer...Len-ONE MORE LEVEL!...NO!

Lost focus just enough to die. This game was on the hardest difficulty and had limited saves so he gritted his teeth and jerked his phone up.

Could never be mad at Lena for too long though. She was his real waifu afterall!

Sees picture and his face immediately turns redder than Diavolo’s hair.

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”

Sits there in a daze for a while with his hand over his mouth.

“Must...find waifu...but it’s too much! Can I even…Maybe if I ask her...Be brave...”

Mumbles to himself things he might attempt to do with Lena as he gravitates out of his room towards her’s, leaving his game unpaused.

Will have no regrets 

n_<

Satan

Was reading ‘How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You’ after Lena recommended it.

Was told it could provide ideas that he and his fellow ‘Lucifer You S*ck’ chat members could implement against their eldest brother.

Furrowed his brows after reading the first 10 pages. 

Did Lena even read this? 

What was this New York Times and why were they making it a bestseller? 

Humans are strange. And so was Lena

Ah, speaking of the nephilim: a text

He was going to have words with her about this book…

Stares at the photo and..is his bowtie a little..tight?

He would have words about the book...in the morning.

Tonight, he had other plans with the little minx. 

 Beelzebub

Was walking home from Hell’s Kitchen, eating a burger in one hand while toting a giant bag full in the other. 

Heard his DDD go off and crammed the remaining half in his mouth so he could fish for it in his jacket pocket.

Mmmh, fish. Definitely will have that tomorrow.

Sees that Lena had sent a text and smiles cheerfully. Was going to attempt at saving her a burger because it would remind her of her home world.

Looks at the picture.

Suddenly drops his burgers and starts to run.

Turns around and goes back for the burgers.

They would both be famished later….much later. Starving.

Belphegor

Was asleep in the bathtub in his and Beelzebub’s room, hugging his giant cow print towel like a security blanket.

Lena, if she saw him, would probably refer to him as ‘Linus’ from an old cartoon she liked. Especially the one about a pumpkin that children worshipped in the human world. 

Woke to the sudden sound of his DDD crashing into the floor after vibrating off the edge of the sink.

Why are you waking me now? 10 more minutes…

A series of follow-up texts made the phone go crazy. It was definitely intentional to get Belphie to wake up.

“Leeeenaaa….nu..” he mumbled as he reached for the phone. His face was still buried in his towel.

Sees the picture Lena sent and lays there for a bit, staring.

Good thing he skipped classes and the Student Council meeting that day in favor of sleep, cause neither of them were going to get any rest.

Diavolo

Heard his DDD go off during his meeting with Lucifer and Barbatos, but ignored it. He didn’t want the both of them to lecture him about the importance of the matters they were discussing.

Smiled like a happy little teenager in love when he saw it was Lena that left a message.

Seeing the picture, the prince’s smile faded.

“Barbatos. Cancel the rest of my plans for this evening.” Barbatos bowed, knowing how serious his master was.

Whenever he returned to his home, he would teleport the lovely nephilim directly to his bedroom chambers.

He couldn’t wait for Barbatos to arrange an invitation, and Lena didn’t look like she wanted to either.

He’d better transform into his devil form. She was already matching it and he knew she loved to grab his-

“My Lord,” Barbatos interrupted his thoughts, “You have transformed involuntarily into your demon form and your wings just knocked over all the documents...again.”

Asmodeus

Was the one who set up the little photo shoot and worked the camera.

He painted her nails gold and found the earrings to match the ensemble. 

Honestly, he was a fashion genius and she looked almost as good as him. Dare he say equally? 

No, not quite. He was the definition of perfection.

Barely resisted the urge to make advancements in the process. 

“No, lovely!” she chimed as he made final hair adjustments, breathing in the perfume he gifted her...and then adjusted his hair as he gazed upon his own beauty in her vanity mirror.

He respected her wishes. 

The moment the shoot was over, he pounced at the opportunity to ravish his lovely bride.

He was told after the picture was taken, he could ‘take her’. n_<

BONUS!

 Lena

Had to buy 8 versions of the same lingerie and was gonna be broke if they keep shredding her damn clothes EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Was not complaining she had to celebrate Valentine’s Day 8 days in a row, but she’d never been more happy to be a nephilim. 

Needed to thank Solomon for teaching her a spell that made her room soundproof.

Wouldn’t be attending RAD for about two weeks.

Barbatos

Accidentally received Lena’s picture.

Now understood what in the Devildom had gotten into both Lord Diavolo and Lucifer.

“Good for her.”

[artificialqueens]

Come Home to My Heart, Chapter 3 (Lemyanka) - Plastiquedoll

read on ao3 ✨| chapter 1 2

A/N: hi! I hope you like this new chapter as it goes deeper on the feels™️ I really wanted to give the characters more background (and a little bit of angst whoops) and finally, there are new names dropping yay! Again, there’s a time skip of two years this time. Enjoy & thanks for reading <3

-3-

When Priyanka turned fifteen, she discovered new things she loved. She loved dying the tips of her hair with bright colors every two weeks and a half, she loved skateboarding, she loved being the center of attention and a little bit of a class-clown at school, she loved hanging out with her group of friends, she loved the phone calls with Lemon to catch up and talk shit about everyone…

“Okay, can you hear me now?”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s better.”

Priyanka peeped through the hallway hoping no one would decide to interrupt them. She nervously removed the shiny red nail polish with her teeth as they tried to re-connect, if her mother saw her she would’ve scolded her on the spot. The landline phone was solid red plastic with buttons and wires, it was age-worn but at least it wasn’t like her grandparent’s phone with the rotary dial system or it would take hours to get all those area code numbers correct and get Lemon on the other side.

“Thank God. I’m literally inside the closet just like in The Parent Trap. I told my mom I was calling my grandma because last time our phone bill had several zeroes.”

Priyanka chortled and entangled the curly wire with his fingertips. “Sorry about that… so, you were saying… about the audition?”

“Oh, right! I’m trying to get into this dance academy that’s supposed to be the best of the best and the audition waiting list is a nightmare… but they called me the other day and said I’ll have shot in two weeks.”

“Oh. My. God. Lemon that’s awesome!”

“I know! I feel it, Pri. I know I can do it but… I don’t want to assume anything until I get there. I’m confident in my skills but what if they perceive that confidence as cockiness or something like that. I was talking to Jan the other day and she said-”

“Wait, who’s Jan?” Priyanka frowned before the unfamiliar name.

“Jan. Jan! My friend Jan? We have Biology and Math together, remember?”

“I don’t think I’ve heard her name before.”

“I’m sure I have mentioned her… anyway. Jan is madly talented –like, she can sing- and she auditioned for music school like a year ago and told me that…”

Jan. She hadn’t mentioned a Jan before… it was weird for Priyanka that knew all Lemon’s New Yorker friends’ names and she was pretty sure Lemon remembered all her friends’ names as well.

“… anyway, I’ll keep my head high and hope for the best. I’m training extra hard these days to make it. My muscles are sore and I can’t feel my legs right now but hey, no pain no gain.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“Thank you.” She paused as if she wanted to say something else, Priyanka could hear her breathing, but then she continued chattering. “Also, my mom got promoted again and now she bought a computer I can e-mail you the day of the audition. But tell me, how are things over there? Did the girls work their differences yet?”

“You know Scarlett, she won’t shut up and-”

“Priyanka, it’s dinner time.” Her mother announced from the kitchen.

She sighed. “Shit. I have to go or my mom is going to cut the phone wires. She says this time is for real.”

“Oh, okay… I’ll call you soon then.”

“Yes, please call me right after the audition or before if you wanna talk… you know. Break a leg or whatever… make sure is figuratively speaking, please.”

She heard Lemon’s giggle on the other line and something inside her went softer.

“I will… and I will be there for Christmas this year, I made my mom promise it.”

“Fingers crossed.” She said before hanging up.

When she looked at herself in the mirror she had a silly grin on her face that couldn’t be erased.

Lemon hadn’t been back in a long year and a half. After spending the first holidays after her parents’ divorce with her dad in Canada, she had to spend the next one with her mom in the Big Apple. Plus, her father got to travel to New York quite often those days and got to see her a lot. She sometimes sent things for Priyanka with him, a nice hoodie, a makeup bag, one of those stupid tourist t-shirts with the Statue of Liberty printed on it, sometimes a pair of dangling earrings or a simple letter and a picture of her. She treasured each of those little trinkets.

Priyanka was saving money from her allowance and was hoping to get a job soon so she could buy a car someday and visit her friend in the big city, they might even go on a road trip over the summer, it was a nice thought to hold onto until they could hang out again.

On the day of Lemon’s audition, Priyanka was restless. She got kicked out of one of her classes because she kept fidgeting, twitching, moving around, and chewing gum. It drove her teachers insane. Scarlett and Kiara mocked her from the window of the classroom and then got a warning as well.

Later that day she cleaned all her room to avoid thinking. She found several pictures of her and Lemon over the years –including that one time they tried Lemon’s mom makeup for the first time, Lemon was missing her two front teeth-, there were some photos from their first days of school and even Lemon at Priyanka’s plays. She was so pissed when she got that old lady role instead of the main character but she had managed to steal the scene anyway.

As the sun was setting, she didn’t know what else to do. She did the dishes without offering resistance and then got into an argument with her little sister who wanted to watch Hannah Montana while Priyanka just wanted to watch the new episode of America’s Next Top Model. She had to admit it though, the intro of Hannah Montana was kind of catchy (something she would never admit to her sister).

It was almost quarter to nine and she still didn’t have any news. There was a two-hour time difference with New York but still… it was gnawing her from the inside.

Right when Tyra was about to reveal which model got to stay for another week, the phone rang in the hallway and she couldn’t jump out of the couch fast enough.

«You have a phone call from-» Press one to accept, yeah, yeah, she knew that.

“Lemon?” She didn’t even wait for a «hello».

“Pri? Is it you?”

The sound of her voice brought her back to life, she could hear the sound of her heart beating again.

“Yes, it’s me! How did it go?”

“Oh my God, Pri… I’m calling you from a payphone in the middle of Times Square, this is insane. The girls lend me some cash to call you.” Priyanka could hear the sound of the traffic and even some giggles coming from outside of the phone.

“And? You’re killing me here, Lemz.” She had her fingers crossed even when she couldn’t see that gesture through the call and was holding the phone against her ear with her shoulder.

“It was so difficult I thought I was never going to learn the steps I’m literally so exhausted right now but…”

But.

“I got it, I got the spot!”

Priyanka started screaming.

“Priyanka!” Her mother shouted.

“Sorry…sorry!” She covered her mouth with her hand.

Lemon was cackling.

“Lemz, I might get in so much trouble for this but… Congratulations, I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you.” She sounded truly happy, Priyanka wished she could see her right at that moment. “Jan, can you give me another quarter? Thanks, doll.”

That girl Jan again.

“So what are you girls are up to?”

“We’re going to get some pizza to celebrate. Jan is here as you heard, so are Goona, Rosé, Jackie… They say hi.”

“Tell them I said hi too.”

“She says hi… No, I’m not telling that, shut up…”

“What is it?”

“They are being assholes as usual… Listen, I have to go, I’m running out of coins and I still have to call my mom.”

“Okay, we’ll talk soon… I’m so happy for you… Love you.”

“Love you too! See you in a few weeks.”

“Yeah. I can’t wait.”

“Bye, Pri.”

She hung up but stood next to the phone for a moment, staring at it.

Just a few more weeks.

Priyanka kept begging her older brother to teach her how to drive. It took a few weeks of insistence until he gave up and the lessons started. They only stopped when the snow got too thick and the roads too slippery to practice. Still, by that time Priyanka was almost an expert. She needed to perfect her parking skills before turning sixteen and that would be it.

She also needed a car but that was the least important part.

“So when’s your girlfriend coming to town?” Scarlett asked.

Priyanka choked on her hot chocolate and coughed a couple of times. “Lemon’s not my girlfriend.”

Kiara rolled her eyes.

“Ah, yes, I can’t wait to finally meet her!” Juice –the latest addition to their group- said.

They were at the coffee shop, outside was freezing cold and the smell of fresh-baked pastries had dragged them inside the warm environment. Scarlett was having a black coffee while Priyanka and Kiara had their respective hot chocolate with marshmallows and Juice ordered a cappuccino with whipped cream and sprinkles on top.

“So?” Scarlett arched a brow.

“Her flight is booked for next week if the snowstorms allow them to fly.”

“I remember you two from primary school; they were joined by the hip, even before you shared diapers or something.” Kiara mocked.

“Oh, that’s right. You were in her classroom in kindergarten back when Ilona prevented everyone from playing with her.”

“That’s because Lemon spilled some paint over Ilona’s drawing… it was kids’ things. We all forgot when some random kid wet his pants or whatever.”

“And when did the crush began?”

Priyanka shot daggers at Scarlett with her eyes.

“I don’t have a crush on her. She’s literally my best friend, you guys are delusional.”

“Sure…” Kiara stirred her chocolate. “But it’s been what? Almost two years since she graced us with her presence?”

“Yeah, her parents didn’t want her to travel alone last time so her father flew to New York.”

“All jokes aside,” Scarlett changed her irksome ‘let’s pick on Priyanka’ tone for a minute. “Are you going to tell her about…?”

At the age of fifteen, Priyanka discovered she didn’t like kissing boys.

It had been at a lame party in a basement, her classmates had invited her and one of them suggested they should play seven minutes in heaven. Priyanka was about to skip it and refill her paper cup with cheap vodka and orange juice when she got dragged by the wrist and pushed into the closet with a guy from the hockey team. She suspected he had a crush on her for the longest time and this was instigated by his friends but the moment the door was locked, she panicked.

Her friends tried to get her out of there but there were a few underdeveloped brains and much muscle blocking the door. So she guessed she was doing it. The guy wasn’t that bad –she liked to believe- he told her they didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to and he was what most girls of the classroom referred to as «handsome». Priyanka shouted she was okay to calm down her friends and figured the best she could do was getting over it once and for all.

It was her first kiss.

The guy had rough lips and a slippery tongue and it was in the middle of all that smooching when his hand went under her lower back that she knew, she wasn’t enjoying it at all. She pushed the guy aside and used the back of her hand to clean her lips, she’d need some mouthwash as well. He asked if everything was okay but she was too condescending and told him that she was feeling dizzy.

The door was unlocked when he asked his friends to do it. Priyanka walked back –ashamed-to her group of friends as Kiara told them they were all disgusting and how stupid the game was. Priyanka called her brother from a phone upstairs and left soon after. For the first time, she was quiet on the way back home.

Later that night when she was laying on her bed in the darkness, she couldn’t stop thinking about it, thinking about how she was supposed to feel kissing that guy -any guy- or thinking about the fact that she wasn’t even remotely attracted to boys but mostly, thinking how she so wished that guy was someone else, how she wished that guy was a girl.

The following week at school the not-so-nice-guy had told everyone that Priyanka was basically a slut and if it wasn’t because she was so wasted, they could’ve gone to third base in that closet that very night. Priyanka wasn’t ashamed anymore, she was angry. Very angry. During lunch, she walked directly towards him and exposed him in front of everyone, not only denying the absurdity of those rumors but also stating that she would never even consider touching his small dick.

After that, Priyanka was done with guys, boys, and men in general.

She had a heart-to-heart conversation with her friends afterward but –to no one’s surprise- she ended up with the least heterosexual and most supportive group of friends in the world.

Still… she hadn’t been able to tell Lemon yet. She had tried but there was something about phone calls that didn’t help at all, she wanted to tell her in person, she wanted to see her face and know that everything was okay. And she planned to do it during her visit.

“I’ll try.” Priyanka stated, hoping the universe cooperated with her.

“Good. So you can make out under the mistletoe next.” There she was again.

“Okay, you two,” She pointed at Scarlett and Kiara. “you have to stop it or I’m going to do you guys dirty and you know I can.”

They started laughing, clearly taking Priyanka’s threaten lightly.

“That’s it! You,” She directed toward Kiara. “I have seen you drooling over Kyne the entire semester.”

Kiara went pale.

“And you two…” She turned back to Scarlett and Juice that were cackling sitting on the couch. “Yes, I’m talking to you, do you really believe I haven’t seen the way you look at each other, those stolen glances, the subtle touches? Please, is this a Jane Austen novel or what? You ain’t that smooth.”

“Hey! I didn’t say anything!” Juice protested.

Scarlett’s mouth turned into a thin line and her ears were suddenly pink colored. She murmured something Priyanka couldn’t catch but rhymed with «witch».

“Sorry girl, I warned you heads would roll and I’m not leaving any survivors if that’s what it takes.”

Scarlett put her hands up as a sign of surrender. “I respect it, you’re a bitch but I respect it.”

So that was the word she used.

Lemon would arrive at any minute now.

Her father was picking her up from the airport, they would have lunch at some fancy restaurant in the city center and then he’d drop Lemon at Priyanka’s house until sunset –that was when she had to leave again to have dinner with her relatives.

Priyanka kept moving her right leg, restless while sitting on the couch, eyes nailed on the window.

“Priyanka, take the trash out, it’s your turn.” Her mother told her casually as she directed upstairs.

“Mom!” She complained. “I’m doing important things.”

“You’re sitting on the couch.”

“My point exactly.”

Her mom gave her the glare. “Trash. Out. Now.”

She grumbled but did as asked.

Priyanka put on an extra thick coat over her jeans and knitted orange sweater, adjusted her wool socks and boots, and adventured to the exterior world of the Canadian winter wonderland. She only had to walk a few steps but she could feel her body freezing with the icy breeze. The snow was blinding white and she could hear the whistle of the wind blowing and the sound of her own teeth chattering.

She didn’t even hear the sound of the car stopping right at the entrance of her house nor the door closing or the steps.

She barely had time to turn around when an identified running person hit her like an asteroid. Lemon was small but she still got the strength to tackle Priyanka down with a hug. She didn’t even notice whether the snow was cold or not.

“Hey!” She was still down on the ground and needed to turn around once Lemon moved. “You’re here…”

The vision was dazzling. Lemon’s face, her eyes, her smile from ear to ear with full teeth showing, her blonde hair falling like a cascade over her rosy cheeks. It was as if she had been taken from an Andersen fairytale or a Tchaikovsky composition, ice queens and fairies fluttered around Priyanka’s head.

“I’m here! Can you believe it?”

She was still pretty much straddled on Priyanka, making the brunette blush and hoping she could blame it on the weather. Finally, Lemon got to stand up and helped her friend to get on her feet again.

Lemon was irretrievably tiny but there was something different about her since the last time they had seen each other. She looked less like the little girl Priyanka remembered and more like a teen pop star of the magazines they used to read with her slightly curled lighter hair, pink glossy lips, longer lashes… She was wearing a yellow sweater and a white puffy jacket with matching fake fur around the neck, corduroy pants, and cream boots. Even her glasses were stylish now.

“Wait, are you taller?” She observed.

“No, you just shrunk in the washing machine.”

Lemon elbowed her and then turned to wave at her dad that was still in the car.

“He told me he saw you in the supermarket the other day and asked what does your mom feed you with so I could get some too.”

Priyanka laughed at loud. “He got you there.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“But enough with my height, let’s go inside, I think I got snow on my socks and I don’t want to catch a cold or wait until another short person attacks me.”

“Hey, you said enough with the height.”

“No, no. I clearly said mine, not yours.”

Lemon rolled her eyes and there it was the old Lemon she knew so well, the exact dose just a little less sugary and a bit sour.

They went to Priyanka’s room, she shared it with her middle sister but she was currently busy practicing at music school with her cello for her end of the year concert, there were a few trophies, certificates, and distinctions on her side of the room meanwhile Priyanka’s was a collage of pictures with the girls, an album cover Avril Lavigne, one large poster she got from the local cinema when Spice World was brought back for a special feature and she forced her friends to watch it for the millionth time, some random doodles she did in class and of course, photos and postcards Lemon had sent to her.

The blonde smiled when she spotted a picture of them from their first day of primary school, their backpacks were bigger than them.

They removed the heavy coats, Priyanka changed her wet socks for new ones and a pair of slippers. Lemon was prying into the mess that was her desk, her fingers roaming through her school books, comic books, magazines, and scattered papers as if she tried to figure out if she still knew the owner of that space in the way she used to.

They sat on Priyanka’s bed on the nothing-like-Priyanka flowery blanket one of her aunts got her for a birthday. Priyanka’s mom dropped by to say hi and left a tray with two smoky cups of tea.

“I love your mom, she read my mind.” Lemon said, wrapping her hands around the warm porcelain.

“She’s being nice only because you’re around.” Priyanka took a sip of her tea. “I wonder if it’s a good time to tell her that I broke one of her flowerpots when I was practicing with the skateboard.”

“You’re the worst.” Lemon giggled.

“Certified. Three years in a row.”

The blonde shook her head. “Does she still make that incredible curry with potatoes?”

“Yeah, once in a while.”

“Oh my God… I tell you I’ve dreamt about it. You know I love Christina to dead but she can’t cook at all.”

Lemon, at some point after the divorce, had stopped addressing her mother as “mom” and now she called her by her first name.

“Do you remember she always made dinner with dry spaghetti and can sauce?”

“You laugh all you want but that’s my comfort food till this day.” Priyanka defended her.

“She doesn’t even cook it anymore, now we buy it all pre-cooked or already cooked. She might even forget how to boil water. Anyway, we’ve tried a thousand restaurants but I swear to you, Pri, no one can cook like your mom.”

“Well, I’m glad you’ve missed one of us.”

Lemon threw a pillow at her face.

“Of course I’ve missed you, dumbass.”

They did each other’s nails, Priyanka ended up with a light blue shade Lemon had brought for her and it was allegedly the same color as Tiffany’s, and the blonde insisted she had to draw a white ribbon to make it look like the jewel’s teeny tiny boxes.

From there, Priyanka could see everything. Lemon frowning, concentrated on her task, the way she batted her lashes, her pretty eyes, the little freckles she had over her nose, the shape of her cupid bow turned into an unintentional pout… her lips.

Priyanka gulped and then Lemon caught her staring.

“What is it?” She looked for some hint in Priyanka’s face. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No… I’m just making sure you don’t fuck up the design.”

Lemon rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly. I’m almost done.”

While Priyanka’s nails got dried, they talked about school, classes they liked and disliked, teachers that they loathed or loved, then about their plans after turning sixteen, Priyanka told her about the driving lessons and Lemon told her she wanted to dress up as Cher Horowitz –of course- for her birthday and by the time Priyanka started with Lemon’s nails, she was reviving her dance audition.

“I tell you, Pri, there was a moment I doubt I’d got in. It was a flash but I felt it in my stomach I thought I was going to puke and mess everything up.”

“Hey, but you didn’t. I’m sure you nailed it.”

The blonde sighed. “Still, New York is like… everything’s so fast and everyone’s competitive to the point where you can’t get distracted or someone else will go after what you have. It’s nice to be here for a change, this is the only place I can really relax. It sucks that I can only stay for a week and five of those seven days I have to visit my dad’s relatives out of town.” She met Priyanka’s eyes. “I wish I could get to spend more time with you, you know?”

Priyanka’s heart skipped a beat. At that moment what she suspected but didn’t dare to say at loud became a reality, all those corny songs from the 90’s suddenly made sense, all the movies Hollywood had sold labeled as «romance» acquired a new meaning and she finally understood what «to have butterflies in one’s stomach» really felt like.

She liked Lemon. She liked her best friend…. And she liked her a lot.

That was the reason she hadn’t been able to tell her about what happened earlier that year at the party because it wasn’t just that she wanted to kiss a girl instead of a guy, she wanted to kiss one particular girl and she was right in front of her at that very moment.

They never warned her about it, they never told her that she would live normally until the day she’d realize she could harbor such feeling inside, that one day she’d just… know.

She almost dropped the nail polish bottle over the blanket.

“Oh, careful.” Lemon grabbed it just in time. She looked at her friend with concern in her eyes. “Pri, are you okay? You look… pale.”

“What? Ah, yeah… it’s nothing. I’m recovering from a cold I caught, that’s it…” She shook her head and took a breath of air. “I’m sorry, you were saying…”

“About the dance academy,” Lemon resumed her story. “the girls think I can make it through the next three years, and then I can major in dancing, I might even get a scholarship if I do outstandingly well.”

There was something, a little detail there that wasn’t… right.

“I hope you can visit me soon, you gotta meet the girls; you’re going to love them. Rosé and Jan are also Geminis, I guess that’s why I get along with them so well. Luckily, Jan would be my roommate if she gets her scholarship as well and…”

“Roommate?” Priyanka asked.

“Yeah… for college? We’re thinking about moving in together because rents are expensive even for the smallest studio apartment advertised. It’s a nightmare.”

“But wait… what happened with the plan? Our plan?”

Lemon opened her mouth to reply and then shut it.

“You forgot about it…”

“No! You know I didn’t… but… my options are wider now, I have to think forward and… did you seriously think-?”

“Yes. I did.” Priyanka didn’t even let her finish speaking.

Her soul had been just crushed.

“Pri, that’s not what I mean. We made that promise when we were ten, things have… changed since then.”

“Maybe they have changed for you but I’m still stuck here, I’m still counting on our plans… our promises. I’m still counting on you. The only thing that has changed is you and your pompous New Yorker glamorous lifestyle.”

“Oh, so it was so easy for me, right? It’s not like I had to attend a school where I didn’t know anyone, being the new girl and sitting alone during lunchtime for months while going through my parents’ divorce… I hated it the first months, Priyanka, I really did and I swear that talking to you on the phone and dancing were the only things that kept me alive…” Her voice cracked. “It wasn’t until I met my friends that I felt like I could do it… that it wasn’t completely waste of time and that I wasn’t a totally useless person.”

“Lemon… you never said-”

There was a single sparkly tear falling down her cheek.

“Well, I hope you’re happy now. There you have it, my life isn’t a glamorous as you thought, is it?”

“It’s because that’s what you’ve told me! Maybe if you didn’t sugarcoat things I could’ve helped you…”

“And do what? And then what? You’d get tired of me with all those problems and we’d eventually drift apart. I’d become a burden for you.”

“What? Where did you get that from? Let me be your friend, that’s what friends do… they help each other during the rough times too, they tell each other things.”

“Oh, and you surely have told me everything that’s being going on here.”

Priyanka remained silent.

“I still talk with some people from school here and there… why didn’t you tell me about what happened at that party?”

“Lemon, that’s completely different…”

“Is it? Because from my perspective, it looks like we’re hiding things from each other now.”

“And breaking promises as well for what it seems.”

Lemon looked at her, she seemed hurt and it broke Priyanka’s heart to see her like that.

She wanted to reach her and hold her hand, hug her and tell her that everything was alright but at the same time, she was angry. She couldn’t have it both ways. It wasn’t fair.

Priyanka’s mother called them from downstairs; Lemon’s father was there to pick her up.

“I better go.” She grabbed her coat. “I’ll be back in five days if you want… whatever.”

She was gone before Priyanka could say something and frankly, she felt that if she opened her mouth it was going to get worse. It wasn’t until the girl left the house and she heard the car getting lost in the distance that she collapsed on her bed and started crying on the closest pillow she had.

Five days after, it was a New Year already but little had changed since they last met.

Lemon visited Priyanka’s house only to discover she wasn’t there.

“Could you please tell her I came to say goodbye?” She bit her inner cheek to contain a sob.

She had a flight to take back to New York.

Priyanka had taken the family’s car without permission and she had driven for a few hours, making sure there was no chance of their paths crossing. It was petty; she knew she was being childish avoiding her rather than talk things through and she was going to regret it and hate herself later, damn, she was going to get grounded for months but who cared? At that moment, the only thing that was on her mind was that she couldn’t see Lemon.

Not like that.

She did her wrong but she was partly right. Priyanka wasn’t being honest with her and she couldn’t tell her all the truth to restore their friendship.

She couldn’t tell her that she was gay and that she was in love with her because it would change it all.

It would destroy their friendship entirely.

Lemon would never reciprocate those stupid feelings of her.

Maybe if she put enough distance between them, those feelings would simply fade, go away, and right now, New York sounded distant enough.

If it was on her to do the hardest part for the sake of all the years they’ve been together, then she was going to do whatever it’d take.

Tears scorched her eyes.

At the age of fifteen, Priyanka loved her best friend Lemon but she also hated her.

[amphtaminedreams]

Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya Inspired Outfits: Lookbook no.6

Hi to anyone reading,

This post is part a Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman appreaciation post (yes, we getting back into that 2013 stan twitter lingo of always unnecessarily stating full names) and part me trying my hand at her interpretation of probably my all time favourite decade for fashion inspiration, the 70s. 

As much as I’m in love with her portrayal of Rue Bennett on Euphoria and her and Labrinth’s All for Love and could also probably write a whole post about that alone *deep breath*, I’m here to talk about what originally drew me to Zendaya (aside from her Oscar-worthy performance as Rocky Blue on Shake it Up where she had to act like she and Bella Thorne liked each other) : HER STYLE. Her looks a collaborative effort between her and stylist, Law Roach, I have never once seen any photo of Zendaya where she’s anything less than exquisitely put together, thus it should’ve come as no surprise when she teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger to put on one of the coolest shows of Paris Fashion Week in February this year. 

-ZENDAYA’S BEST STREET STYLE/RED CARPET MOMENTS-

Whilst the collaborations with Tommy Hilfiger haven’t necessarily been the most visually groundbreaking or daring, for me personally they really hit the sweet spot between the bohemian aesthetic and a rock and roll edge, especially in the latest collection. For a celebrity collaboration, the line feels unusually authentic and the clear direction and overall cohesiveness showcases Zendaya’s ability to convey a distinctive mood. Also, it’s WEARABLE. So many of the outfits you see go down the runway only appear to cater to that tall, washed out, willowy type, who are gorgeous too, don’t get me wrong, but...well, they’ve had their time, haven’t they? These are the kinds of clothes everyone can feel beautiful in and that’s so, so important.

-ZENDAYA WEARING THE COLLECTION-

The first collection, debuting in February of this year at Paris Fashion Week, went the disco route and was the best thing Tommy Hilfiger has done in a while. Everything from the set to the models to the music was so fucking FUN and you could tell how much love and passion went into planning the show. I had so many favourite looks:

And I honestly think I might have liked the recent collection even more. With a slightly biker chic element to it, the leather look pieces and the jewell tones, I think this one has a grungier feel to it that the previous collection lacked, in terms of catering to my personal preference, that is; yes, catering to me, random girl on the internet they’ve never met before was definitely Zendaya and Tommy’s intention. Why wouldn’t it be?

Again, it’s not something that’s never been done before but the collection is fresh in a different way, almost like the individual makes the clothes what they are and not vice versa. I doubt any fashion show is so laxly organised as to let the models style themselves backstage but that’s the feeling you get when you’re watching the runway. 

Like I said, this collection is definitely slightly darker and grungier than the first but in a way that it gives me Stevie Nicks joins a biker gang but then decides to leave that behind to become the editor of a fashion magazine vibes (that was a TRIP) and what’s not to like about that? I want all of it, from the waistcoats, to the wide brim hats, to the houndstooth, to the snake print, to the shearling. 

There’s just one problem in that at the time of first seeing the collection I was still in the middle of a self-enforced shopping dry spell, and also, more pressingly, broke af. To be fair, Tommy Hilfiger is one of the more affordable designer brands but still not affordable enough that I can afford to spend over £100 on a bodysuit, ya feel? So instead, I looked through what I already had and used the runway looks from the collection to try and put my own spin on things, incorporating the key shapes, colours, patterns and accessories that make the line, imo, so distinctive.

-KEY FEATURES OF THE TOMMY X ZENDAYA LINES-

1. Flares: If you really want your outfit to give off a 70s vibe, flares are probably the easiest way to do it. Even if you’re not feeling particularly adventurous with prints, plain ones are still super flattering, imo!

2. Wide Brim Hats: Not exactly a hard one for me to incorporate as they're probably my favourite way to tie together an outfit anyway, but the ultra wide brim, witchy-looking ones seen in the second collection are perfect for autumn and winter AND cost-efficient because they can double as part of a low-effort slutty witch Halloween costume. We love a multi-purpose accessory.

3. Psychedelic Prints: More of a staple of the first collaboration but bold, trippy prints are so easy to make into a look. It’s definitely easier to incorporate these kind of prints into your wardrobe in the summer (there’s nothing cuter than a wacky two piece with some subtle jewellery), but if you go for a piece with a richer, deeper colour palette you’ve got yourself a fab Christmas party outfit.

4. Turtlenecks: Showing why the turtleneck has so much style potential, Zendaya’s collections were a masterclass in how to layer. I can’t believe there was a time in my life when I thought turtle necks were the ugliest thing ever. I am ashamed. Though I blame this cursed face-swap image of Monica and Chandler from friends for putting me off:

I also found this haunting image in the process of searching for the one above:

Is this what they mean when they talk about the dark web? Truly scarring.

5. Snake Print: Not gonna lie, the animal print thing has kinda been done to death and I wasn’t super excited about seeing it on the runway but when it’s reworked through a more maximalist lens (ie. the matching snake print coat and trousers) it still works for me. I think they key in keeping it fresh is more luxurious, textured animal print paired with clothing you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see it with. Basically, animal print mini dress? Boring. Animal print flares? I’m down. 

6. Faux Leather: I say faux leather even though unfortunately it’s usually real leather that gets used on the runway (because nothing shows luxury like wearing a dead animal’s skin purely for vanity, right?), but regardless, some of my favourite pieces in both collections were the leather-look coats and blazers. The waistcoat-trouser combination in particular (far left on the bottom row) was probably my favourite look of both collections and though I relentlessly scoured my dad’s wardrobe to see if there was something I could work with to imitate the waistcoat, I came away empty handed:( sad times:(

7. Jewell Tones: The deep maroons of the second Zendaya x Tommy collaboration and the cobalt, emerald green and amethyst splashes in the dresses at the end of the first are, again, perfect Christmas party colours. I know, I know, I keep going on about Christmas parties but any excuse to drink, lol.

8. Scarfs: Skinny scarves with a load of gold jewellery are my favourite things at the moment. But we can’t forget the original style icon who did it first:

I love Emma Roberts and Wild Child is a great movie with a load of amazing style inspo, fuck you Rotten Tomatoes.

9. Heeled Boots: Kind of a basic winter staple anyway but it seems the more cowboy-y, the better. We’re talking about those leather look, mid-calf length boots that seem to be everywhere at the moment. Personally, I’m not quite sure if my legs are anywhere long enough to pull them off, but I do think they’re really cute, and very yeehaw. 

10. Bonus features that I forgot to include in my outfits: High Waisted Things! Waistcoats! Pussy-bow shirts! Spots! Velvet! Suits!

-PSA: Don’t ask me about the peace sign. I was trying to do a 70s thing. I failed. Let me flop at my attempts to be cute in peace.-

So, that’s it! Thank you to anybody that read this far! And if you enjoyed this post and you haven’t done already: GO AND WATCH EUPHORIA. It is honestly the best new show I’ve watched in ages and almost makes up for the overwhelming TV-related disappointment of season 8 of Game of Thrones. I mean, not really. I’m still mildly furious. But then again, D&D got cut from their Star Wars deal AND the Stark prequel was cancelled in favour of a Targaryen one so it seems the balance of nature is finally being restored. Clink clink bitch (es).

Lauren x

[aswithasunbeam]

The Three Ten to NYC, A Modern Hamliza Fic

[Read on AO3]

Rating: Teen and Up

Summary: Eliza and Alexander are stuck at Union Station in the middle of the night. Despite long coffee lines, angry tweets, and general sleep deprivation, Eliza is head over heels in love and feels like the luckiest girl in the world.

A fluffy modern hamliza AU

The dull drone of an announcement crackled over the speakers. Eliza listened just long enough to hear something about a delayed southbound train, then tuned it out once again. The line for coffee, which snaked back and forth through several loops of sleep deprived passengers, inched forward a little more, only for the woman who’d finally stepped up to counter to hesitate over her order. Apparently, the fifteen minutes she’d been standing in line wasn’t quite enough time for her to work out what she wanted, Eliza thought with an internal huff.

Trying to block out her frustration, Eliza swiped at the screen of her phone and opened the photo gallery. Alexander’s handsome face grinned at her from the latest picture. It was a photo she’d snapped just hours ago in their cramped hotel room. He’d already removed his jacket and loosened his tie, and he was trying to entice her to join him in the shower.

“I sat through a two hour meeting about climate change and the importance of water conservation today. I’m feeling very motivated.”

“We’re supposed to be washing up and taking a nap,” she’d reminded him, lying atop the covers on their bed scrolling through her phone. “Our train leaves at three in the morning.”

“Yeah, of course,” he’d agreed innocently, slowly removing his tie and backing up towards the bathroom. “This is just about being responsible with precious natural resources.”

“Uh huh.” A dimple had appeared in his cheeks as she’d hummed with disbelief. She’d snapped the picture just before she pushed off the bed to follow him, unable to resist. They’d never quite gotten around to properly washing up or napping. But a little sleep deprivation wasn’t such a high price to pay when he’d looked so damn cute, she granted herself.  

Usually when Alexander traveled to D.C. with the Senator, she remained behind in New York. This time, though, the dates of his trip happened to line up with a child welfare conference that she’d been wanting to attend anyway. Not being away from her new fiancée for a full week had only been an added benefit.

When Senator Washington heard she had accompanied Alexander to D.C., he invited them both to his second home on the Potomac for a quiet dinner. In Mrs. Washington’s kind and capable hands, that quiet dinner had turned into a surprise blowout engagement party, complete with many of Alexander’s oldest friends, a live band, and thousands of white lights strung up from the house all the way down to the river. Eliza wouldn’t have traded that magical night of laughter and dancing for anything in the world.

She was playing with the filter on a picture of the two of them down by the water when she finally found herself at the front of the line. Thrusting her phone into the back pocket of her jeans, she stepped up the counter to order two black coffees and, impulsively, a buttery croissant from the bake case. The two coffees were passed to her over the counter as she paid, allowing her to bypass the huddled mass of customers waiting on lattes and macchiatos. She placed her brown pastry bag on the coffee station to add a half and half to her cup, then headed back towards the benches with her purchases in hand.

Alexander had long since traded his suit jacket and tie for his ratty Columbia sweatshirt before they left the hotel, and thick framed glasses were sliding down his nose. The light from his laptop screen reflected in the lenses pounded at the keyboard. His eyes always carried a slightly bruised quality, but the circles seemed darker in the harsh unnatural lighting, and his face and shoulders looked tense.

“Hello, handsome. Is this seat taken?” Her voice was heavy with exaggerated flirtation and she batted her eyes ridiculously as she sat beside him, hoping to make him laugh.

He smiled weakly and accepted the coffee from her. The drink was still piping hot, but he gulped it down like it was room temperature. Putting the cup down on the bench on his other side, he jabbed his finger at his laptop and said, “Look at this.”

She scooted closer so their shoulders were pressed together while she looked at the screen. Twitter was open, and he was gesturing at a tweet from a senator’s aide in the opposition party. Why he insisted on reading that garbage and getting all riled up over it, she still didn’t understand.

Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she answered vaguely, without really taking in the content of the tweet, “How awful.”

“This kind of blatantly racist bullshit is why we can’t have intelligent, rational conversations about immigration in this country,” he fumed, and switched tabs to a google doc to resume his furious typing. He’d already filled a page and half with text, she noticed. A smile crept over her face as she tried to figure out whether he was writing some kind of op-ed or just an extremely long thread of tweets.

“Any updates on the train?” she asked, interrupting the rant she heard gathering steam under his breath.

“I guess it was delayed coming out of  Richmond,” he answered, still focused on his computer. “They’re estimating another thirty minutes.”

She sighed and pulled the croissant from the paper bag. Splitting the pastry down the middle, she offered Alexander half. He gave it a sidelong glance and shook his head. “I’m not that hungry.”

“You’re sure? You didn’t eat much before we left.”

“Yeah.” He slid his left hand under his glasses to rub his eyes. “My head is killing me.”

“That’s what you get for using up our nap time.”

He smirked and readjusted his glasses. “Nah, it was worth it.”

Leaning over, she placed a kiss against his lips and pushed his laptop closed. He chuckled warmly, although the tension in his brow remained. She ran her fingers through the hair at his temple tenderly. “I think I have Tylenol in my purse. Do you want some?”

He nodded. She bent down to rifle through her bag until she felt the travel sized bottle on the bottom. Dry swallowing the two pills she handed him, he chased them with another gulp of coffee.  

“Want to look at some pictures from the party?” she offered, a transparent ploy to keep him away from twitter. “People have been sharing them with me all day.”

Thankfully, he gave in easily despite the obvious tactic. Twisting on the bench to face her, he invited “Let’s see ‘em.”

She shifted closer so they could both see her phone. He laughed at the first picture of him, Gilbert, and Mulligan with their arms around each other, though she thought she heard a hint of melancholy in the sound. She’d seen dozens of similar photos of the group from over the years, but always with a fourth member: the legendary and beloved Jack, who’d been killed on his third overseas deployment a few years earlier. She didn’t linger or press, and his laugh turned lighter when she showed him the next picture of him looking at the buffet table. “Oh, God, please get rid that one. What is that face I’m making? I look like I have three chins.”

“You do not,” she laughed.

“No?” he asked as he made a goofy face and pulled his chin back towards his neck.

She snorted and broke out into giggles. “So sexy.”  

“Wow, I need to borrow those love goggles of yours.” He reached out and slid his finger over the screen to look at the next photo: a selfie she’d meant to delete already because her eyes were half shut. “See, now, that’s better.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think you need to borrow anything.”

They spent the next several minutes sipping at their coffees and scrolling through the rest of the photos.

“I want to print this one,” she told him, stopping again on the photo of them by the river, the same one she’d been fussing with in the coffee line. Mrs. Washington had snapped it early in the evening, so they both looked fresh faced and happy. Eliza was smiling for the camera, but Alexander was looking at her with the sweetest, softest expression she’d ever seen him wear. The pure love she saw shining in his eyes made her heartbeat quicken and her stomach fill with the wonderful kind of butterflies.

He nodded seriously. “We should. That came out nice.”

She cuddled closer and leaned her head on his shoulder. “It was a beautiful party.”

“It was,” he agreed, twirling a finger through the loose hair on her shoulders.

“I’m just glad I didn’t embarrass you.”

The words had tumbled out of her mouth before she’d really thought them through. He stilled beside her and then straightened. She could feel him trying to catch her eye.

“What are you talking about?”

She winced. Exhausted as she was, she’d let slip the insecure thoughts that usually floated, safe and unspoken, around in the back of her mind. She had a healthy amount of self-confidence, really. She knew she was kind, moral, beautiful, and far from stupid.  But ever since she’d started dating Alexander, she’d had a deep, dark fear that one day she’d say something in a group of Alexander’s genius friends that would make him realize how much she didn’t fit in with them. It was something she worried about secretly, late at night, when she watched him sleep beside her and wondered what sort of miraculous, world-changing ideas were brewing in his mind.

“It’s just…everyone there was so accomplished. So brilliant.”

“You’re brilliant.”

She scoffed. “Not like they are. Not like you.”

“Eliza, you are the most beautiful, compassionate, loving, amazing person I’ve ever met.”

Her gaze fell to her lap, not able to look at him as she tried to explain. “I barely made it through college. I’m never going to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a scientist. I only have the chance to do so much volunteer work because my family has money. I just, I worry that someday you’re going to look at me, and….”

“Hey.” He tilted her chin up. “You go to work every day and help dozens upon dozens of kids in awful circumstances. I see the kind of hours and the commitment you put in. You fight for those kids, you raise money for them, and you care about each and every one of them. You are smart, and capable, and driven. And I am so proud of you.”

Her throat went tight with emotion, and her vision turned a little blurry. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he assured her. He gave her a sweet, soft kiss. “We all sit around and talk about policy language, and rant at each other on social media, but you’re the one doing the real work. It’s one of the first things that drew me to you. If everyone took the privileges they were given and used them for good the way you have, the world would be a beautiful place.”

A strange, but wonderful realization dawned on her.

As she’d gotten to know him, she would from time to time pick up on his insecurities, and she’d always find herself puzzled. It seemed to her that the things he felt the most self-conscious about were, in reality, his greatest strengths. He worried about his past, about his job, about his lack of money, but all she saw was someone who’d overcome long odds, who did great and important work, even at the cost of personal glory and fortune.

Now, seeing all that love in his eyes again, she realized for the first time that he felt the same about her. All those things she worried about late at night in the dark, the parts of her she’d tried to hide from him, he’d seen in her all along. He’d seen her, and he loved her, not in spite of those parts, but because of them. Never before in her life had she felt so wholly and completely loved.

“I love you so much,” she whispered.

He smiled. “I love you, too.”

The grainy voice announced their train would be arriving at platform ten, intruding on the tender moment. They shared a quick kiss before they stood and collected their baggage, Alexander shoving his laptop back into his bag while she popped up the handle on her carry-on. They fell easily into step as they made their way to the platform.

They didn’t speak as they stood under the orange lights on the platform to wait for the arriving train. Eliza turned to face him, and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close in the cool spring night air. Hardly anyone was around for the late night train to the city.

She felt the powerful whoosh of air as the train approached, and she reluctantly released him so they could board. Thankfully, the cars weren’t particularly full. They found seats towards the back of the car and settled in next each other. She’d expected him to pull out his laptop again when they settled in for the three and a half hour ride home, but instead he rested his head back against the seat and closed his eyes.

“How’s your head?” she asked softly.

“Better. I’m just really tired.”

She tugged him towards her, so that his head rested against her shoulder. He removed his glasses off, shoving them into the pocket of his sweatshirt, and adjusted to rest against her chest, his arm stretched out to embrace her. Her hand traced patterns over his back as the train pulled away from the station towards home.

In the quiet of the train, as Alexander began to snuffle softly, she gazed down at the diamond ring on her left hand and smiled. She was engaged to the love of her life. All the little frustrations and worries from the past hours had melted away. Delayed trains and long lines, angry politicians and sleep deprivation—none of those things mattered in the slightest. Not when Alexander was in her arms.

[topfygad]

How to Apply for an Argentina Visa for Filipino Tourists or Visitors – I am Aileen

If you’ve been following my updates lately, you would know by now that I am soon going on my biggest adventure (yet): a trip to Antarctica! Of course, no single country or government owns Antarctica so visitors do not necessarily need visas to go there — however, if you’re sailing to this ‘White Continent’, most ships would depart from ports such as Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands, New Zealand and South Africa. For my case, I’ll be sailing on an expedition with Hurtigruten that’s starting from Argentina, and as a Philippine passport-holder, I needed an Argentina visa.

Now… I gotta be frank: getting an Argentina visa has been the most difficult and most expensive tourist visa that I’ve ever applied and paid for (so far). But despite that fact, the process can be fast and hassle-free given the right preparation and know-how; so with my experience and knowledge, I hope this guide will help you get that visa ASAP should Argentina be in your upcoming travel plans!

But first, a disclaimer:

NO ONE can give you a guarantee on your Argentinian visa’s approval: not even a lawyer, a consultant, a travel agent, or an embassy employee. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely going to be a scammer. That being said, what I can offer you here is a comprehensive guide with helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that Argentina tourist visa.

Top photo of Iguazu Falls from Shutterstock.com.

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How to Apply for an Argentina Visa

1

Step 1: Determine the type of Argentina visa that you need to apply for . .

There are, of course, various types of Argentina visas out there that you can apply for: a visa for studying, a visa for business, a visa for being an Argentinian’s fiancé, etc.

For this particular guide though, I will only be discussing the requirements for a tourist visa since it’s an experience that I’ve gone through myself.

If, however, you have a different situation or purpose of visit, it’s best that you contact the Argentina embassy for more information and for the complete requirements via this email: [email protected]

2

Step 2: Prepare the required documents for your application . .

Depending on your circumstance, click the symbol ‘+‘ below to view the corresponding requirements for each section. Make sure that you have authentic, original, and complete documents at all times!

(A) Argentina Tourist Visa WITHOUT Any Guarantor/Sponsor

Philippine Passport. Other than providing your passport itself, you need to provide a photocopy of the information pages on A4 paper. Make sure as well that your passport is valid for 6 months beyond your intended travel date, it has your signature, and has at least two (2) blank pages. .

A duly accomplished Argentina Visa Application Form.

Print this Argentina Visa Application Form in A4 size.

Download the application form from here (it contains English translations on the 1st two pages because the form is in Spanish).

Properly fill the form with your information in CAPITAL LETTERS (even your email address).

Erasures are NOT allowed and you should also NOT write outside the boxes.

Put a long dash line “—” in all spaces that are not applicable to you.

Ensure that you have signed it with your signature. On this section, it will ask a date: this must be the date when you submit your requirements to the Embassy. It’s best to leave it blank just in case — otherwise, they will make you redo the form (which is still not a problem, but to save time, it’s preferable to be careful).

There are sections here that ask for your flight dates and hotel in Argentina…

This does NOT mean that you are required to book your airline and hotel beforehand because the embassy does not necessarily require applicants to book it before approval — as a standard, they only need proof of reservation first. That being said, for your flight, it’s best to acquire a reservation which can be done via an airline (directly) or with a travel agent. And in case you’re wondering where to look for the best flight deals, my go-to platforms are Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner.

Meanwhile, for hotel bookings, it’s best to do it with Booking.com or Agoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all.

4 cm x 4 cm Photo (white background). Photos that are pixelated or of low resolution will NOT be accepted. .

Cover Letter with Daily Itinerary Details. This is for explaining why you are applying for an Argentina visa. Along with this letter, you must also provide your day-to-day itinerary.

If you want to see a sample, here was the letter I submitted.

You must sign the cover letter at the bottom (with your FULL name — including your middle name — in capital letters). .

Flight Reservation. This should be a round trip ticket confirmation or reservation. It’s best to secure a reservation via an airline (directly) or with a travel agent.

In case you’re wondering where to look for the best flight deals, my go-to platforms are Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner.

Ensure that the flight document shows your name and that it is extracted from the airline directly (meaning that for example, if you book via Skyscanner, the e-Ticket you’ll typically receive is from the platform; however, the Embassy wants it to be from the airline directly. So just use the booking reference code and extract the data from the airline’s website). .

Certificate of Employment (COE). Submit the original COE document that is duly notarized, and it should properly indicate your full name, passport number, your position, start date of your work, a brief description of the duties that you do, your monthly salary, and your approved duration of leave.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your COE must be notarized in the country in which the letterhead of your certificate indicates. So if for example you work for a company that’s located overseas, the Certificate of Employment that they will provide for you must be notarized in that particular country address — and NOT the Philippines.

For self-employed / business persons.

If you’re a freelancer, submit your Certificate of Registration and latest ITR (original, and photocopy in A4 paper).

If you own a business, submit your Business Registration issued by DTI / SEC (including all the Articles of Incorporation and latest General Information Sheet) and the company ITR. (Original, and photocopy in A4 paper).

For unemployed persons.

Given the way the Embassy of Argentina presents its requirements for visa application, it’s best that you acquire a guarantor/sponsor if you’re unemployed. (See section B below for details). .

Bank Certificate and Bank Statements (or Passbook). These must be an original copies from your bank encompassing information for the last three (3) months of the current year.

How much should you have in your bank account? The Argentina Embassy did NOT mention any minimum balance requirement, but after a bit of research, I found out that you must at least have $100 (Php 5,000~) per day of your stay — you can use this as a standard but of course it’s always best if you have more. .

Hotel Reservation.

If you’re planning on staying with a friend in Argentina, a notarized letter of invitation must be submitted (more details of this in section (B) below.

For hotel bookings, it’s best to do it with Booking.com or Agoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment, and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all.

Once you’re done researching, please remember that the hotel reservation you must present to the Argentina Embassy is a direct confirmation from the hotel — not just the document you got from Booking.com or Agoda. (So for this, you can just email the hotel to ask for a document confirming the booking). » TRAVEL TIP: When booking your accommodation with Agoda, use my promo code ‘AILEEN7’ to get a 7% discount! .

* * * * * *

(B) Argentina Tourist Visa WITH Guarantor/Sponsor

This kind of application is applicable for students, minors, unemployed persons, husband/wife (if one of you will be supporting the other), self-employed persons/freelancers* and others. This also applies to anyone who would have a company/agency to sponsor the trip.

For submitting the necessary requirements, simply submit the requirements listed in section (A), numbers #1 to #5, as well as #8. 

When it comes to (#7) Bank Certificate and Bank Statements, you should ask these from your guarantor/sponsor — such could be your mom, dad, brother, sister, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, company, etc. (Technically, anyone can be your sponsor). In addition, you should submit…

Guarantee Letter. An informal letter written by your sponsor and guarantor certifying that he/she will be funding or sponsoring your travel expenses. This should be signed by him/her, and notarized in the country that he/she resides in. ..

Photocopy of Guarantor/Sponsor’s Passport. Provide a photocopy of the bio page only; if not, it can be a photocopy of any Visa page or any government-issued ID.

If your guarantor/sponsor is a foreigner or foreign national, please also provide a photocopy of his/her identity card (I-CARD) or AEP (Alien Employment Permit). .

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

If you’re a student or minor…

You should provide:

Affidavit of Support from your parents

DSWD Permit (must be authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs)

Birth certificate

Parent’s government-issued ID with picture (this can be their passport, Driver’s License, etc.) .

If your guarantor/sponsor is a foreigner or foreign national…

If he has NO account in any of the local banks in the Philippines, he/she can provide a photocopy of his/her bank statement with contact details.

Providing pay slips will help. .

If you’re going to stay in the address of an Argentine resident and NOT a hotel…

Your host must write a letter of invitation and send the original copy to the Embassy. This serves the sole purpose of initiating the visa application process and does not guarantee, under any circumstances, the granting of visa abroad. The letter is informal and shall meet the following requirements:

The letter must be written in Spanish.

It must be addressed to the intervening consular authority (e.g. .Al Sr. Cónsul de la Republica en…)

Contain all personal and contact details of the inviting person in Argentina: name and surname, DNI, address,telephone or mobile number, and email address.

Contain all personal and contact details of the foreigner invited to Argentina (in short, YOU): name and surname, nationality, date of birth, type and passport number, telephone or mobile number, email address and any other contact details)

Explain the reason for traveling, relationship of the invited person with the host, duration of stay in the country, the place of stay and estimated dates of arrival and departure.

Express that the signatory will be responsible for the departure of the said foreigner once the permitted length of stay expires.

Include this paragraph: “Como invitante de extranjeros, he leído y comprendo los términos de establecidos en el Capítulo VI dde la Ley 25.871, artículos 116, 117, 118, 119, 120 y 121.”

It must contain the signature of the host, certified by the corresponding Notary Public and relevant Public Notaries Association.

This original document of letter of invitation must be sent by the host to the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Manila by post.

* * * * * *

NOTE: Additional requirements may be needed as deemed necessary by the Consulate of the Embassy of Argentina – Manila.

3

Step 3: Process your Argentina Visa application and pay the processing fee . .

Thankfully, you can just walk in to the Embassy of Argentina in Makati (from 9AM to 12PM) in order to submit your Argentina Visa application. The consular section’s details are as follows:

Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Manila – Consular Section 8th Floor, Liberty Center, 104 H.V. de la Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel: 845.3218/3219/3238 Fax: 845.3220 E-mail: [email protected]

Filing Hours: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Monday- Friday) Visa Release Hours: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Monday – Friday)

Once you reach the 8th floor, the entrance of the Embassy has a doorbell button on the left side — just push this and when you hear a beep, it means that you can proceed to open the door. Head directly to the counter and express your purpose. The officer will scrutinize your documents and ensure that everything is complete and in order.

If they deem your documents to be enough, they will give you a deposit slip indicating the visa fee that you will have to pay. As of October 2017, the fee is at $150 (or Php 7,600~). For payment, you just need to head to the BPI branch in Leviste street which is just a few blocks away from the Embassy — afterwards, you need to go back to the Embassy to provide the proof of payment/deposit.

NOTE: Be reminded that this visa fee payment is non-refundable and it does NOT guarantee the approval of your Argentina visa.

The officer will then advise you that they will call or email you within 10 days about the schedule of your interview.

4

Step 4: Attend your interview appointment . .

They told me to wait for 10 days for a notification as to when I’ll be scheduled for an interview — however, they e-mailed me 2 days after and scheduled my interview the next day.

Don’t forget to bring your passport for the interview (and any other documents that can help support your application). After submitting your passport at the counter, you will have to wait a bit until your name is called… I was scheduled for a 10AM interview but they only started the interviews at around 11AM, so it’s best that you bring something to entertain yourself with (you’re asked not to use your cellphone inside so maybe bring a book or a Kindle).

Now for the actual interview itself, mine only took about a minute, and I think it’s mostly because I wasn’t really staying in Argentina as much given that the main purpose of my trip was for Antarctica. The interviewer was the Ambassador himself and he was quite friendly — we spent a bit of time talking about Antarctica, as well Argentina itself!

Once we were done talking, the Ambassador said that I got the visa, and then the officer assisting him told me to get a claim stub at the counter which will show the date as to when I can claim my passport with visa.

If you’re curious about the possible interview questions that they will ask you, naturally, it will vary depending on your situation and background. Nevertheless, I can assure you that there won’t be any tricky questions! This is NOT a quiz but just a simple background check.

Besides, I even had the chance to hear some of the other interviews (since the walls were thin haha) so to give you an idea, it will typically cover the following aspects:

– Your background: proof of strong ties with the Philippines, your job, your financial capacity, etc. – Details & purpose of your trip: where are you going to, why you’re going, how long, where you’re staying, if you have relatives/family in Argentina, if you prepared your itinerary, etc. – Your relationship with your sponsor: only if you’re applying with a guarantor/sponsor – Your travel history – Etc.

Again: there really are no difficult questions since they only want to know more about you and your trip. So just be honest and concise.

5

Step 5: Claim your Argentina visa . .

My claim stub indicated that my passport with Argentina visa will be ready after 1 working day, so I just headed back to the Embassy on the date mentioned. You bet that I was relieved when I finally saw the visa with my very own eyes!

When your Argentina visa is not granted, I’m NOT sure if the Embassy will give you reasons for the denial, nor do I know if they will let you appeal (since it’s an experience I haven’t [thankfully] gone through).

That being said, I have a feeling that since the Embassy is so meticulous with the requirements, their acceptance of your application at Step #3 above might most likely mean that you already have a strong chance of getting your visa approved (but don’t take my word for it — all in all, I wish you the best of luck!)

.

Activities to do around Argentina?

Come read my posts about it by reading my detailed travel guides now!

.

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F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)

◘◘ When is the earliest time that I can apply for an Argentina visa? You can apply as early as three (3) months or 90 days before your planned trip date departure. Anyhow, the Embassy advises that you must apply at least 30 days before your intended date of departure from the Philippines.

◘◘ How long is the duration of a tourist Argentina visa? All tourist visa holders are permitted to stay in Argentina for a maximum period of 3 months or 90 days. If there’s a need to stay longer than 90 days, an extension can be requested from the National Immigration Office prior to expiration of the period originally granted.

◘◘ How much money should I show in my bank account? The Argentina Embassy did NOT mention any minimum balance requirement, but after a bit of research, I found out that you must at least have $100 (Php 5,000~) per day of your stay — you can use this as a standard but of course it’s always best if you have more.

◘◘ How long does the Argentina visa process take? The tourist visa application has a turn-around time of about ten (10) working days, however due to the volume of applicants as well as due to your circumstance, it could be longer or shorter than the aforementioned. For my case, mine took about only 5 days in total to process.

◘◘  How can I follow up on my application? If you haven’t heard back from the Embassy in 10 days, feel free to call or email them to follow up. .

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Though the Embassy officers might give you a hard time on your Argentina visa application, always remember that they just mean well. In fact, with their help and this guide’s help, you’ll surely increase your chances of getting that coveted approval!

All in all, I hope that the tips and info that I’ve shared here will help guide you.

Good luck!

Do you have any other info or tips to add?

If you’ve already applied for an Argentina visa before, how was your experience?

Were you approved or denied? Please feel free to share your story!

Did you like this article? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube and be notified about my newest posts and updates!

source http://cheaprtravels.com/how-to-apply-for-an-argentina-visa-for-filipino-tourists-or-visitors-i-am-aileen/

[buytabletsonline]

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Thanks to Ars Technica’s unique staff-from-all-over arrangement, we don’t often see how our coworkers organize their home offices. There’s also the matter of us being a bunch of overgrown children who keep, and proudly display, all kinds of toys, action figures, dolls, and other nerdy decorations in our home offices.

Thus, this latest edition of our ongoing “how Ars works” series focuses specifically on the toys and characters that keep watch over our desks, chairs, coffee mugs, and other home-office accoutrements.

Tech Culture Editor Sam Machkovech presents his “forever alone” shelf. More details in next images, but for now: that 8-bit Starry Night print came from the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. And “Bedmaster” is perhaps the rarest board game Sam owns. It’s a ’70s swingers board game. (Sam has never opened it, he insists.)

That Box Boy box set (the one with Japanese text, from a Nintendo 3DS game) is a relatively rare Nintendo creation, and it includes the simplest, most boring Amiibo Nintendo has ever produced.

Two Nintendo-produced hanafuda card sets. The one on the left is a limited edition, Mario-themed set given away exclusively by Japan’s Club Nintendo series.

The card stock on Nintendo’s hanafuda cards is pretty stellar. Here’s a peek at one Mario-ized version of a classic Nintendo hanafuda card.

A better look at the Pac-Man jigsaw puzzle that came in the Milton Bradley Pac-Man board game from the ’80s. Weird to see anthropomorphized Pac eat a ghost whole like a snake.

And a tighter zoom on that relatively rare Spelunky Joe figurine. Sam bee-lined to Spelunky’s PAX booth many, many years ago to claim this from series creator Derek Yu before the game became a speedrunning sensation.

Sam has decided to start collecting Japanese N64 boxes for some reason. He says it’s because the box designs are cooler than the Western ones.

Sam’s toy-shelf protectors.

Amiibo, some figurines to recreate the original Mario Bros. arcade cabinet art, mint-condition Nintendo “Classic” consoles, and a litany of Nicktoon-affiliated figurines.

A Kerbal Space Program mini, flanked by some friends.

Not quite toys, but Sam keeps these perler bead coasters on his living room table. Handmade by a thoughtful ex.

A few Ars staffers have outed themselves as particularly pack-ratty toy collectors, so those people (Sam Machkovech, Aurich Lawson, and Jonathan Gitlin) have their collections broken out as separate galleries.

Creative Director Aurich Lawson has shared images of his incredible Star Wars toy collection in the past; these are his newest pickups, yet to receive Ars scrutiny.

Samurai variants. Don’t ask questions. Just gaze in awe.

Aurich Lawson

Not pictured here: a bunch of shattered and smashed toy-mainframes.

Salacious in tow, of course.

D’awww.

Hi, Cars Section Editor Jonathan Gitlin here. I’ll admit it, I’m a manchild, and my workspace reflects that. In the background are three 400% Bearbricks (L-R: Futura, Dave Flores, Unkle). In the foreground, the Gorillaz. The metal object between the creepy leather bear and Murdoc is a stub axle that failed in a race car, costing us the chance of a win.

Jonathan Gitlin

A classic, Bill McMullin’s Shuttlemax.

Jonathan Gitlin

This is all waiting to be reassembled following our house move earlier this year.

Jonathan Gitlin

And these ones. Technically the Saturn V belongs to my wife.

Jonathan Gitlin

Zapp Brannigan, Zombie Lisa, Homer the surf bum, Bender, and Fry. And an errant Mk 7 Space Marine. The metal cog in the foreground used to be the first gear for a Honda F1 car.

Jonathan Gitlin

Some Kubricks stage an impromptu dance-off for an audience.

Jonathan Gitlin

Fellow Arsian Dave Chen printed these out for me a few years ago.

Jonathan Gitlin

OK, he doesn’t usually live here, right in front of my monitor.

Jonathan Gitlin

The rest of our slightly more restrained staffers’ collections can be seen in this last gallery, below.

Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland: “This shelf has too much stuff to individually list, but the right half is all Mario. There’s also some Pac-man stuff from my first E3 in 2004 on the left, and you can spot a WarioWare Twisted store display that actually moves when the solar battery is working.”

Orland: “This photo includes my very first video game collectible, a boxed super Mario Bros. plastic trophy from a late ’80s Toys R us clearance, and my newest ones, mini arcade cabinets that are fully functional.”

Orland: “Random knickknacks atop my retro gaming CRT, including a Super Mario Bros. Famicom box purchased on my Tokyo Game Show trip.”

Managing Editor Eric Bangeman: “A mix of geek stuff and souvenirs. Middle shelf from left to right: pass from tour of Twickenham Stadium in London in 2016, a couple of frogs, Pillars of Kings bookstands from LOTR, a proof set from the London Mint, and a geode. On the bottom shelf are some mementos of my time with the Park Ridge Wilderness Scouts, a model of Gondor, an unopened can of Primo from a trip to Hawaii, and a ‘fart molecule’ from a chemistry class in the mid-’80s.”

Eric Bangeman

Bangeman: “I’m an architecture geek, too. This is a reproduction of the Mercury on the walls of what is now a ballroom at the last surviving hotel built by Frank Lloyd Wright, The Historic Park Inn in Mason City, Iowa. It’s worth visiting if you ever find yourself in north-central Iowa.”

Eric Bangeman

Bangeman: “The remainder of my collection of obsolete Apple hardware: a G4 Cube, graphite iBook SE, and an eMate. Plus Gumby and Pokey, with a Pac-Man plush from Level 257. There’s some rugby stuff at top left from the USA-Australia match at Soldier Field in 2015. And at right, you can see my non-obsolete Apple hardware: a 4K Apple TV sitting on top of a Directv Genie, which goes to the 43″ 4K TV I have mounted on the wall across from my desk.”

Eric Bangeman

Senior Reviews Editor Samuel Axon: “We’re big Blizzard fans in our home—such that we have two TVs set up for playing Overwatch together on two PS4s. That all started with World of Warcraft, so we’ve themed parts of our kitchen on WoW. Ragnaros, the fiery end-boss of early WoW, stands guard over our stove, basically saying, ‘By fire, be cooked!'”

Axon: “We also have this more obscure WoW toy on the entry table to the kitchen. It’s based off of the Cinder Kitten WoW in-game pet, and in this case, all that California sunshine powers it to constantly do that waving motion you see on the good luck cats at Chinese restaurants.”

Senior Technology Editor Lee Hutchinson isn’t much for figurines, he says, but he sent along this shot of his Sharknado 3 figure with no further description.

Health Reporter Beth Mole: “I don’t like knick-knacks generally, but we do put out our cozy Christmas Death Star by the window, which was a miraculous sign to mark the birth of a new Star Wars movie.”

Technology Editor Peter Bright has currently packed up all of his Dota 2 collectibles. Until they’ve been unpacked and more properly presented, here’s an older image of his massive collection.

Listing image by Aurich Lawson

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); http://ift.tt/2FxgrOh January 13, 2018 at 07:31PM

[artificialqueens]

Undone, Chapter 14 (Bitney) - Stephanie/Veronica

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 14 of UNDONE, our slow burn Bitney lesbian AU. Here’s a link to the previous chapters.

Summary: Bianca escapes to a gig in Atlanta at the perfect time, as things are getting real tense with Jared.

Thank you to everyone who beta’d while I changed around the plot 40 times: @kitschypixel @sheofthethrone @jillybean2314 @theartificialdane

TW: This story deals with themes of emotional abuse, and since that can be subtle, we’re going to keep a general TW on all of the chapters.

***

Bianca falls into bed beside Jared, sighing. Her buzz from dinner has unfortunately worn off and now she just feels tired. She glances over at Jared, who seems to be ignoring her, tapping furiously at his phone, brow furrowed.

She picks up her own phone, scrolling absentmindedly through Instagram. She pauses on Courtney’s latest picture: she’s in Sydney, at the Mardi Gras parade, surrounded by throngs of colorful revelers, covered in glitter, rainbow streaks in her hair. Her expression is jubilant, ecstatic.

Bianca likes the photo, begins to slowly type out a comment. “You look like...” her fingers hover over the keys, stomach twisting. Joy. Perfection. Everything I have ever wanted.

“What are you lookin’ at?” Jared asks, turning onto his side.

"Oh, um, my friend is in Sydney for Mardi Gras. It looks crazy,” Bianca answers.

“That Australian girl from the show? The lesbian?"

"Uh, yeah." Bianca is a little surprised that Jared made the connection. But, she supposes that she has mentioned Courtney to him a few times before. She’s certainly not trying to hide anything.

Jared moves a little closer, asking, “What does she look like? Is she cute?" He tries to grab her phone and she jumps away.

“Stop!”

Jared laughs, now enjoying the struggle.

"Why won't you let me see her?!"

"I'm in the middle of writing a comment!"

“So what?! Give me the phone!"

Bianca quickly deletes what she was writing, cheeks burning with...something. She’s not sure what, but she feels a little hot and wonders if maybe the alcohol from earlier hasn’t quite worn off like she thought. She gulps, handing over the phone and watching his face carefully.

"Daaaaamn..." Jared lets out a low whistle, clicking on Courtney’s username and checking out her other recent pictures. “Are you sure she’s a lesbian?”

“Uh, yeah. Pretty sure,” Bianca answers, slightly irritated.

“Huh. She doesn’t look like one. She looks...sexy.”

Bianca isn’t sure why that comment annoys her so much, but she doesn’t like the expression on his face as he scrolls through the pictures. It almost feels like he’s stealing something from her. When he double-taps a picture from last autumn, Bianca quickly snatches the phone back.

"What are you doing?!" she shrieks, and he begins to laugh.

"I just liked a picture, what?"

“But...but we're friends, and that was like, a thot picture of her in a bathing suit, from like months ago, you can't-oh my god..."

“Who cares?"

Bianca sighs and patiently asks, “If Willam posted a picture of his ass, would you like it?”

“Uh...if he looked like her, yeah.”

“Way to miss the point.”

“Okay, so just unlike it then. Or tell her it was me.”

Bianca stares at him for a moment before exclaiming, “That’s even worse!”

“B…” A sly smile spreads across Jared’s face. He leans in and murmurs, “Do you have a crush on this girl?” He presses a kiss to her neck.

“Stop it,” Bianca says, pulling away. “Of course not.”

“Yeah, you do,” he insists, arms sliding back around her. “You naughty girl.”

“I don’t-”

“It's okay, baby, it's hot.” Jared nuzzles her ear, hard dick against her hip. “My bad girl. Should I punish you?”

“Jared-”

“Remember that girl junior year? The redhead?”

Bianca’s stomach is tight, her breath shallow. Another protest is on the tip of her tongue, but seeing his sleepy-eyed leer, she relents, letting him pin her wrists over her head, climb on top of her.

“Don’t be ashamed, babe. I told you, it’s hot,” he says, smirking down at her.

Bianca nods, biting her lip. She supposes that she should be grateful. Not all husbands would be this open-minded. This forgiving.

“I mean, if it was a guy, I’d have to kill him. But…” Jared laughs, a hollow laugh that makes Bianca shiver. “But this? I’m into it.”

Bianca stares up at the ceiling, blinking back tears. Where the fuck did those come from? She brushes them away angrily, closing her eyes, while he slides down her pajama bottoms.

***

Courtney flops down onto her sofa, finally home after almost 18 hours of traveling. She breathes a sigh of relief and picks up her phone. Her first message sounds way too needy, and she quickly deletes it, trying to think of a way to say what she wants without being such an obvious jet-lagged emotional mess.

COURTNEY: I really miss the way you manhandle my seams <3

BIANCA: lol, you’re an idiot <3

COURTNEY: When do you leave for Atlanta?

BIANCA: Saturday.

COURTNEY: Shit. Maybe we can do lunch sometime this week?

BIANCA: I wish. I’m so fucking slammed with prep. I don’t even know when I’m gonna pack.

Courtney lets her head fall backwards, deflating a little. She’s been getting the sense that Bianca was pulling away, although sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s real or just all in her head. The idea of waiting months before seeing her again is a crushing blow, but she doesn’t want to make her feel bad.

COURTNEY: Ok. I’ll let you get back to it then. Have a safe trip. <3

***

Bianca stares out the window at the puffy white clouds, a sense of relief making her feel more relaxed than she remembers being in...years, maybe. Maybe the most relaxed she’d ever been sober.

She hates to admit how tense things have been with Jared lately. But after she’d kissed him goodbye and gotten into the uber, it was as if every cell in her body exhaled.

Or, maybe it’s just the excitement of finally being a department head, for a beautiful little indie film set in the 1960s. Finally having a project where her creative vision would be fully realized, the director and producer basically giving her carte blanche because they loved her preliminary sketches so much. And of course, there’s the fact that she’ll be living in the same city as Latrice for the first time since high school. That must be it.

She smiles, bending down to drop a few treats into the dogs’ travel bag.

***

Bianca yanks open the door of the little sidewalk cafe and rushes over to Latrice - her oldest friend, the person who knows her best in the world. She throws herself into Latrice’s arms, the taller woman letting out a deep laugh as she embraces her tightly, saying, “I missed you, too, gorgeous.”

Once they’re seated, Latrice pushes a glass of sweet tea over to Bianca.

“Alright. Give me the latest. What’s going on? How’s your team? How’s Prince Charming coping with you being gone?”

“The crew’s great, I’m really excited about this show. And...he’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure about that?” Latrice asks with a chuckle. “Remember when we went to Barbados and he called you 20 times a day? That boy can barely breathe without you.”

“Well, he’s busy too,” Bianca says, feeling just a little defensive. Jared had spent her last 2 weeks in LA going on and on about what a sacrifice he was making, how hard her absence was going to be for him, how grateful she should be that he was so understanding. By the end, she had conceded every point out of pure exhaustion.

“Sure, I know. But...it’s hard to make a baby long distance. Is he gonna come visit for Game Day?”

Bianca forces a laugh.

“No, I don’t think so. Actually, I haven’t even been tracking for a couple months.”

“Really? Just letting Jesus take the wheel?”

“Yeah. Well…I mean, it’s been such a stressful process. And the last doctor I saw basically told me that I was like...trying too hard. And also...” Bianca trails off, looking down. She hasn’t admitted the next part out loud yet. Maybe she hasn’t even admitted it to herself.

Latrice covers Bianca’s hand with her own.

“Yeah?”

“I dunno. I guess…” Bianca looks away. “I’ve been having some doubts about whether we’re even meant to...have kids. What if it hasn’t happened for a reason?”

“B…” Latrice pauses, searching for the best way to respond.

“...well, isn’t it possible? Que sera sera and all that shit.”

“You know, someday, you’re gonna give yourself a break from all this neurotic self torture. And that will be a beautiful day,” Latrice says.

“You’re right.” Bianca clears her throat. “I just need to chill. Obviously. But...enough about my bullshit. Tell me about the wedding plans!”

***

Work is slow for Courtney in the spring, so she asks her old modeling agents to toss her some commercial work. When she learns about the first job they booked for her, she doesn’t know whether to be horrified or proud. It’s a pretty big print ad campaign, for Johnson & Johnson. She’s playing a mother, lovingly placing a BandAid on her baby. When Bianca learns of the whole thing via text, she’s utterly amused.

BIANCA: BAHAHAHAHAHA

BIANCA: Should I call you Mommy now?

COURTNEY: If that’s what you’re into ;)

BIANCA: omg

COURTNEY: It’s cool, I don’t kink shame

BIANCA: SHUT UP OMG

Later in the week, she texts Bianca from the set to give her an update, curled in a chair in the greenroom.

COURTNEY: OK so I’m at this shoot, and they tell me they want me to show some “respectable mum cleavage” in the shot when I lean over to put the band-aid on the kid. I LOL’d IRL, because hello? Wrong girl.

BIANCA: lol awwww. Can’t relate.

COURTNEY: Thanks, I’m WELL aware

BIANCA: ;)

COURTNEY: So their brilliant solution was to tape me into this wonderbra/bustier thing, and to further emphasize my (lack of) tits, they are contouring and highlighting the fuck out of my chest. I feel like a goddamn drag queen.

BIANCA: HAHA, you would be the worst drag queen. Do you even own makeup?

COURTNEY: MEANWHILE this damn baby is just sitting over in the corner drooling. He better not be making more than me.

BIANCA: He probably is. Needed: Caucasian baby, must not roll eyes when co-star waxes poetic about vegan pudding for 30 minutes.

COURTNEY: IF YOU ARE IMPLYING THAT THE VEGGIE GRILL PUDDING ISNT WORTHY OF POETRY THEN YOURE A DEMON

BIANCA: Calm down, crazy

COURTNEY: Omg they just applied the fake wound to him and it’s a little horrible looking. I’m actually worried that I might not put this band-aid on him properly. What if he bleeds out and dies? I don’t think I’m ready for motherhood. I CANT TAKE THIS PRESSURE

BIANCA: You’re gonna be fine. ;P

COURTNEY: Okay he made it. Phew.

BIANCA: I was on pins and needles.

It’s like an addiction, this need to share everything with Bianca. To make her laugh, to get her feedback, to know all of the mundane details of her day. To connect, as often as possible. Courtney knows that she’s in way over her head, but she doesn’t care. She just wants more.

***

Bianca doubles over laughing as Chris recounts a story of trying to take Latrice white water rafting. Latrice tries to chime in and dispute some of his facts, but she’s laughing too hard to be very effective.

“Honestly Chris. What on earth made you think that was a good idea?!” Bianca asks him, wiping tears from her eyes. She takes a sip of her wine and helps them load plates into the dishwasher.

“I...I don’t know. Seemed like an adventure?” Chris says with a sheepish grin. He places a newly washed pan in the drying rack.

“Lesson learned!” Latrice pipes up, sliding the leftovers into the fridge. “Now go away so we can talk about your dick.”

“You could just say that you wanna chill with your friend,” Chris laughs, kissing her on the cheek as he sails out the door.

Latrice slings an arm over Bianca’s shoulder and guides her into the living room.

“I’m really glad that I’m getting to know Chris better,” Bianca says, settling onto the sofa. “He’s just so great.”

“He is. I’m very lucky.”

“Well, you’re both lucky.” She flashes a grin and Latrice smiles back.

“How about you? How are you doing?”

“Good! Yeah, the show is humming along, the crew is better than I thought, it’s been…” Bianca shrugs, letting out a contented sigh. “It’s been amazing.”

“And...how’s Prince Charming? Still surviving without you?”

“He’s okay. Actually...” Bianca bites her lip nervously. “To be honest, it’s been kind of wonderful to be on my own. I haven’t really thought about him that much.”

Latrice raises an eyebrow.

“I know, it’s awful, right? I’m a terrible wife.”

“Of course not. Everyone needs some alone time, B. But...is it more than that?”

“No!” Bianca exclaims, a little too vehemently, then asks, “...Why?”

“You just seem a little tense every time I mention him.”

“Yeah, I don’t know.” Bianca looks down, fighting the urge to guzzle her entire glass of wine in one gulp.

“Are things okay with you guys? You know, it’s okay to have issues. Every couple goes through ups and downs. You don’t have to be perfect all the time-”

“I know that!” Bianca sighs. “Anyway, it’s nothing to do with him. Or…”

“I’m listening.”

“I think I may have...um...fallen for someone else.”

“You did what now?” Latrice sits back, eyebrow raised in judgment.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Bianca says, eyes downcast. “I haven’t done anything.”

“I just wonder how many years this boy has to jump through hoops before you see how good he is to you,” Latrice sighs.

Bianca swallows.

“I mean, come on, B. Is there really someone better out there? Or is this just more of the same commitment-phobic stuff that you’ve been putting him through since college?”

“Stop. Forget it. I’m sure this time away will...make me realize how much I miss him, and-”

“I just don’t know why you torture yourself. And him. He worships you. Why can’t you enjoy it? And who is this other person? Your typical pretty boy type?” Latrice asks.

“She’s-”

“Oh, so we’re back to girls, eh?” Latrice teases. “That’s fun.”

“It’s really annoying when you pretend not to know how bisexuality works,” Bianca informs her.

“Sorry, sorry,” Latrice rolls her eyes. “And does she grovel at your feet, like your husband?” The disapproval drips from her tone.

“No...she...it’s a totally different situation.” Bianca presses her lips together. She’s trying not to squirm, not to appear too gleeful, but thinking about Courtney always causes her to get a little giddy.

“Alright, go ahead. I can tell you’re dying to tell me all about her. Just remember, Jesus is listening.”

“Noted,” Bianca says, then leans forward, lowering her voice for some reason. Maybe to make things a little harder for Jesus to hear. “She’s...like...unbelievably gorgeous...but that’s not even the best thing about her. I mean, she’s sexy, but also so smart, and fun, and like...she has this charming, effervescent personality...I’m so fucked.”

“Yeah, sounds like it,” Latrice sighs. “Well...I mean, how deep are these feelings? Is it like, a crush, or…?”

“I think it started out that way,” Bianca admits. “Things are just like...I feel more myself when I’m with her. It’s like being with you.”

“Are you hitting on me now?”

“No,” Bianca laughs. “I just mean that like...I don’t know, the attraction is always there, right? But also, we’re friends.”

“You’re not friends with Jared?”

“It’s just...different with him. It’s more tense. More...complicated.”

“Couldn’t that just be a case of...you know, the grass is always greener on the other side?”

“It could be…” Bianca pauses thoughtfully, sipping her wine.

“Because you know, every relationship is complicated. But there’s a reason that you guys are still together, right? I mean, he suffered through that endless engagement. That means something.”

“It does. But Courtney-that’s her name, by the way.”

“Courtney,” Latrice mimics in a Valley-girl accent, making Bianca laugh a little. “Ugh. You would fall for a Courtney.”

Bianca smirks, then sighs. “Well, for starters, she doesn’t make me feel like my career is a pointless waste of time…”

Latrice opens her mouth, but then stops. It had been a throwaway comment, but something about it made her pause. For years, all Latrice heard about was how much Jared worshipped Bianca. His endless love and affection and understanding. The idea of him thinking that anything she does is a ‘pointless waste of time’ is...incongruous in a way that makes a giant red flag flash for Latrice. She tilts her head, careful to pay extra attention to what Bianca is saying, and particularly the way she’s fidgeting, the anxious look in her eyes.

“...and, I guess...spending time with her made me realize how often I’m walking on pins and needles around Jared. He’s so moody, and I...I thought it was me. You know, because I can be...”

Latrice frowns.

“You can be what?”

“I mean, I push people’s buttons. I’m not sensitive, and I make people upset. You know, you’ve seen it,” Bianca sighs.

“What are you talking about, B?”

“Well, like, remember in high school, with Alyssa?” Bianca begins tearing up the napkin in her hands.

“Yeah, I remember Alyssa, but what-”

“You know, I would say the wrong thing, trying to be funny or whatever, and she’d like, lose it. Remember? I was always making her cry, or-”

“Bianca, Alyssa was crazy. Like, legit bonkers. That wasn’t your fault, at all.” Latrice reaches out to grasp her hand.

“But I made it worse. I mean, I certainly didn’t help,” Bianca insists.

“Okay, sure. Because you were 17 years old. Not a mental health care professional. It still wasn’t your fault.”

Bianca looks down, and Latrice swallows.

“What does this have to do with Jared, though? Does he...I mean, is he as volatile as her? Because-”

“No, of course not.”

“So…”

Bianca takes a deep breath.

“He just...sometimes...gets...upset, and angry. Really angry, and I…it makes me...” Bianca wipes a tear from the corner of her eye. “It’s unsettling, like I don’t know...when the rug’s gonna be yanked out from under my feet, and…and I don’t know if it would be right to bring a child into that...”

Latrice moves closer to her on the sofa, something clicking in her mind and filling her with fear and guilt. She feels like the worst friend in the world for not seeing it, for believing the stories, for failing to probe deeper before now. She squeezes Bianca’s hand a little, before asking softly, “B...has he ever hurt you?”

“No! God, no. Forget it, this is...I’m obviously just being dramatic, you know, so-”

“But he makes you feel...scared?”

“Not scared, exactly. Just...uneasy. Sometimes. I’m blowing this totally out of proportion. Probably just, like, to ease my own guilt about being a shitty wife who pisses him off and then fantasizes about my coworker like a dumb fucking-”

“Okay! Okay, so, let’s say, for a second, that you’re not blowing things out of proportion.”

“But I am. I mean you thought I was trying to say that he-” Bianca’s breath hitches. “He would never-”

“Okay.” Latrice holds up her hands. She can see that the vulnerable part of their conversation is over, and she doesn’t want to push Bianca any more, so instead she gets down to business.  “I believe you. But...if things get worse, or...have you thought about what you would actually do? Where you would go? Do you have your own bank account, credit cards? Is everything joint, or-”

“Latrice, stop. This is ridiculous, I’m not some battered wife who needs-”

“No, but...you still might want to leave, at some point, so...didn’t you sign a pre-nup? What if he tries to claim that you cheated? Are his parents vindictive? We know the answers to all of these questions and you are totally fucked. You need to open a bank account, stat.”

Bianca looks down, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m not leaving, I already know that. And you were the one defending him ten minutes ago, so I don’t understand-”

“I know! I know, but...this is just a safety net, okay? Plan B. In case things get worse and you need... Look, Plan A is still that you stay married, and work out whatever you need to, and have a long life and beautiful children who will grow up as spoiled as your horrible little rat dogs.”

Bianca begins to laugh through her tears, crawling into Latrice’s arms.

“Why do I do this? Why do I ruin things?”

“Hey.” Latrice takes Bianca’s face in her hands. “I’m sorry if it felt like I was taking his side over yours...I’m on your side, always, okay?”

Bianca nods, letting her friend rock her, stroking her hair and telling her that everything is going to work out.

***

“Oh man,” Bianca groans, sinking into her bed. The dogs are going crazy, smelling everything and jumping all over her. “You guys excited to be home? Huh?” she asks, scratching Dede behind the ears.

“Not as excited as I am to have you back…” Jared says, sliding in beside her.

Bianca turns to look at him. Maybe there was something to that whole ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ after all. She smiles and runs her fingers through his hair.

“So...you missed me?”

“Like crazy,” Jared murmurs, nuzzling closer.

For a moment, Bianca feels utterly content, sleepy eyes falling closed. But then, as his hands move to her fly, popping the button, she wriggles away, sitting up a little.

“Seriously? It’s been over 2 months,” Jared whines, pulling her back down.

“I know, but I’m just...I’ve been traveling all day. I’m exhausted, and I feel filthy, and-”

“I like you filthy,” he growls into her ear. “Come on…”

“Jared…” she pushes him away harder.

“Fine! I got the fucking hint. You don’t have to be such a…” he scoffs. “Forget it.”

“I’m sorry. I just need to like, rest and then shower, and-”

“Whatever, Bianca. I’m a monster for wanting to have sex with my wife. Message received.” He rises from the bed.

Bianca doesn’t have the energy to chase after him. Not today. She falls back against the pillows with a groan.

***

They have a luxurious three weeks to prep season two of Silver Screens, and by the first shoot day, Bianca’s confidence in her work is soaring. Beth has trusted her more than ever, and she’s now designing nearly half of the costumes on the show. But as good as she feels about her job, nothing compares to the heart-bursting joy she feels when the trailer door swings open and Courtney comes flying into her arms, practically knocking her over.

“Hey!” Bianca says, hugging her tightly. She inhales deeply, loving the way Courtney melts into her arms, face tucked into the crook of her neck as if it belongs there. An embarrassing heat creeps into her cheeks as she pulls back a little. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good! Just got back from that music video shoot in Seattle. What about you? How was Atlanta? I’m so proud of you!”

“It was good. You know me, I love to boss people around.”

“And you’re so good at it,” Courtney says, still gripping both of her hands tightly. She glances down and then says, “Hey, where’d your nails go?”

“Oh, uh. Yeah, they kept breaking, so…” Bianca’s usual French tips have been replaced by short, shiny red nails.

“Hmm. I like these a lot better.” Her eyes dance mischievously. “They’re, uh...very practical.”

“Is your mind always in the gutter?” Bianca asks, cheeks burning, palms itching. She has an instinct to rip her hands away, but doesn’t.

“What?! I just said I like them,” Courtney giggles, squeezing Bianca’s fingers, gazing up at her with glittering eyes. “So, are we gonna hang out before the season starts to kick your ass? I really missed you.”

Bianca clears her throat and pulls up a stool, trying to cover the fact that she’s literally weak at the knees.

“Uh...sure...”

“Are you free Saturday?” Courtney asks.

“Actually, no. One of Jared’s douchey coworkers is having a barbecue, let’s-get-fucked-up-cause-it’s-summer type thing. And I promised his fiancée that I’d go, so...ugh. Saturday with the bros.”

“Sounds enchanting,” Courtney laughs.

“You should come!” Bianca blurts out, and then adds, “I mean, if you want. Willam is gross but he does know how to throw a party. And the house is supposed to be really cool, so...”

“That is an enticing offer…” Courtney tilts her head, pretending to think it over.

Bianca leans in. “I’m not gonna beg.”

“Well, that spoils all the fun,” Courtney tells her, eyes glimmering.

“Ha ha. Nevermind-”

“B…” Courtney places a hand on her shoulder. “You had me at ‘douchey coworker.’”

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Updating Ukiyo-Prints and Medieval Art with Allusions to Fast Food and US Politics

Masami Teraoka, “Sarah and Octopus/Seventh Heaven” (2001) (all photos by the author for Hyperallergic)

HONOLULU — Masami Teraoka was just seven years old growing up in Japan when he saw a strange sight on the horizon: two suns, one from the east and the other from the west. It was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II.

Now 81, Teraoka has become a contemporary artist known for creating strange, absurd sights of his own — merging traditional fine art styles and techniques with modern themes. His works can be found in over 50 public collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in DC.

Masami Teraoka, “McDonald’s Hamburgers Invading Japan/Chochin-me” (1982)

Teraoka’s first major series after coming to the US from Japan in 1961, McDonald’s Hamburgers Invading Japan and 31 Flavors Invading Japan, examined the expansion of American consumerism culture worldwide with Ukiyo-e woodblock print images of Japanese geisha tripping over hamburgers and devouring ice cream. In the 1980s, he broached the AIDS crisis in a series of paintings featuring frustrated samurai and geisha wrestling with condom wrappers, literally blue in the face. It was Teraoka’s goal to shed light on AIDS at a time when doctors and politicians were covering up or avoiding conversations about the disease in the public.

Recently, Teraoka shifted his art style to create The Cloisters, triptych altarpieces in the style of religious Renaissance and medieval art, confronting topics such as Monica Lewinsky and the Clinton impeachment, clergy sex abuse scandals, artistic freedom in Russia, and the threat of nuclear war. While his past works may have evoked the likes of Utamaro and Hokusai, Teraoka’s new art draws from Brueghel and Bosch: giant, graphic murals featuring contorted figures including Pope Francis, Vladimir Putin, and the geisha Momotaro, in passionate, disturbing scenes.

At times, Teraoka seems like he’s hitting you over the head with the obvious associations in his work. But his subjects are so rampant in the collective public eye —from news headlines sensationalizing political sex scandals to giant billboards advertising fast food — that a loud approach seems fitting.

In March, Teraoka teamed up with Pussy Riot choreographer Viktoria Naraxsa and costume designer Masha Kechaeva for an experimental performance of Shakespeare’s Tempest at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. Currently, Koa Gallery in Honolulu is presenting a retrospective of Teraoka’s career as well as new work by the artist.

*   *   *

Installation view of Masami Teraoka at Koa Gallery, Honolulu

James Charisma: Where were you in Japan when you saw the atomic bombs being dropped?

Masami Teraoka: I grew up in Onomichi City, which is in Hiroshima Prefecture. But my sister and I were evacuated to the next town because Onomichi was a middle-sized city and thought to be targeted by air raids. It wasn’t because I think it was too close to an American POW camp. We would see them while going to school and we would say, these people are so tall! And blue eyes.

All the kids liked the MPs because they were friendly, they gave us chewing gum and chocolate. My dad used to say that we are all humans. Wars are only between governments; we don’t really have to be fighting each other. That was his philosophy, so I think he made it comfortable for the Americans to visit. My mom used to cook potato chips. When she gave some to the Americans and they ate them, we couldn’t believe it. When I came here, I learned everybody eats potato chips.

JC: You seem fascinated by junk food. You have an entire series dedicated to ice cream and cheeseburgers. What inspired that?

Masami Teraoka, “The Two Suns Series/Cherry Blossoms and Koko Head” (2017)

MT: After I came to America in 1961, I met this girl who asked if I heard of hamburgers and I said no, so she cooked some for me. It was delicious. So when everyone was talking about McDonald’s, I tried their burgers but was disappointed because they were tasteless. Later, I had gone to Vancouver and saw so many [Golden] Arches. I thought, oh no, they’re invading Canada too? And Japan. Eventually I knew they were going to invade all over the globe but I didn’t want America to bring such a lousy hamburger worldwide.

This was during the flower child generation where everyone was recognizing their own background. So I thought if I was going to paint, why not paint in the format of my cultural identity? So that’s what I chose: ukiyo-e woodblock print style. My series, McDonald’s Hamburgers Invading Japan and 31 Flavors Invading Japan, was because I knew that American capitalism is so invasive all over the world, I didn’t want hamburgers to wipe out ethnic cuisine or Disneyland to be all different levels of culture. Another series is New Views of Mount Fuji Series/La Brea Tar Pits, which is about what a businessman might bring back from America to sell in Japan: La Brea Tar Pit as Disneyland.

Masami Teraoka, installation view of the artist’s Ukiyo-e print collection (2017)

JC: Your work has always tackled issues of the various eras, from AIDS in the 1980s to the sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. Is response to your work usually positive or is there ever backlash?

MT: I would say that 95 percent is positive, only a few people have actually complained to me. It’s all based on fact, so not even the Catholic Church can accuse the work of being incorrect. And the attitude I have is that I’m not interested in making something easy just to please my vision. I’m interested in what’s going on regarding individual liberties and freedom of creative expression. I’m trying to express anything related to human rights.

One of my triptychs featured Monica Lewinsky and the Bill Clinton impeachment trial. I depicted one of the lead investigators in the mural — Kenneth Starr — and I actually had a chance to meet him at an ACLU event. I told him I painted him in the piece and he said he was interested in seeing it. So I showed him a folded, four-page brochure of the composition while he was standing there with his wife. He was amused. He used the word “extraordinary” and I had to ask my friends what that meant because my English wasn’t that good. I was so happy to hear that because if he didn’t like my painting, he could’ve told the security guard to arrest me and I could still be in prison.

Masami Teraoka, “Angels and Transgressors” (2017), installation View

JC: How did you connect with Pussy Riot?

MT: My primary gallery director in San Francisco, Catherine Clark, gave my Ascending Chaos book to the manager of Pussy Riot at a performance. I was interested in their group and where they were coming from because I think we share thoughts about human rights, gay rights, same sex marriage… I later contacted Viktoria [Naraxsa] and asked if she’d be interested in coming to Hawaii because I was working on a Pussy Riot-themed exhibition. She said yes, when? This was maybe three years ago when that dialogue started. It took a long time to get to the March performance.

JC: Sexuality plays a huge role in your art. How does it influence you?

MT: Human sexuality inspires me. When you start going out with a new partner, you let go of preconceived ideas and attitudes to get to know that person. If you don’t fall in love and get to know someone on a sexual level, you miss this opportunity to open your mind to different individuals and cultures and ethnicities. It’s a window for learning.

JC: What are you learning about and focusing on now, in your latest works?

MT: One is North Korea. The way I see, their leader is a crazy, spoiled boy. But he can still actually wipe out the Earth. And that means all our education about humanity and everything won’t have any relevant meaning. Two suns … it’s nonsense. With an imminent nuclear threat, nothing makes any sense. Everything becomes nonsense.

Masami Teraoka continues at Koa Gallery (4303 Diamond Head Road Honolulu) through November 9. 

The post Updating Ukiyo-Prints and Medieval Art with Allusions to Fast Food and US Politics appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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[stampington]

Somerset Place Editor’s Roundup: 8 Things I Love

Hi everyone, Sarah Donawerth here. Although I am usually creating content for Somerset Place, most people don’t really get to know the person behind the Glimpse Inside posts, art tutorials, and monthly calls and challenges. We’ve decided to roll out a brand-new blog post called “Editor’s Roundup” where the editors of our magazine (and me!) get to share their favorite items, quotes, magazine content, and project ideas. To kick things off, here is my list of 8 things that I love right now:

1 – Traveler’s Art Journaling Kit

I am especially proud of this kit because I designed the kit and test drove it on my trip to Washington D.C. These are the exact items that I carried around in my backpack while wandering the museums and visiting the monuments. When the moment struck and I felt inspired, I would just stop walking and start drawing. I sketched the Washington Monument with the cherry blossom trees blooming around it, I captured the Smithsonian castle in all of its Gothic Revival-glory. I couldn’t be prouder of this kit because it truly is everything that an artist needs to make art while on-the-go — I should know!

  2 – Library of Congress Card Catalog

This has been one of my favorite Shoppe items since before I started working here. It is a box, shaped like a card catalog, that has note cards and envelopes inside. The note cards are printed with the different card catalog files for famous works of literature. For a bookworm and a nerd like me, I was beyond thrilled to find this gem. I have used the cards to write thank you notes to friends, and have even used it to collage a canvas. Each corner of this canvas is using a different card from the box.

  3 – Book Text in Artwork

Since we’ve already established that I am an avid reader and that I geek out about books, it makes sense that I would love the pattern of book text on everything. It took me a while to get over my guilt over murdering a novel, but I always make sure that the book had it coming. I’ve made some of my best artwork ripping up the post-modern, stream-of-consciousness, obscure novels that I was forced to read during my college days (getting my degree in English writing). I took great pleasure in ripping out the pages of these torturously experimental books. I started using it in collage pages, art journal spreads, on canvases, and everywhere I could think of.

I am so obsessed with this versatile materials that I even featured the many ways to use it on Somerset Place with “7 ‘Novel’ Ways to Use Old Books in Your Artwork.”

As you can see, I use a lot of book pages in my artwork and in the projects that I design for The Studio, too.

~Artwork by Sarah Donawerth

In case you’re not ready to kill your books yet and rip out their pages, the Shoppe at Somerset carries a few options for book text.

  4 – This Quote from Where Women Create

~Photo from Sarah Mandell’s studio space, inside Where Women Create Autumn 2017.

“I chose not to pick a single path. I’m currently an interior designer, fiber artist, jewelry designer, entrepreneur, and published author, and that list will probably grow with time. It’s not that I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, it’s that I want to do so many things.” — Sarah Mandell

Have you ever found a quote that sounds like someone else has seen inside your head and pulled out the exact words you’ve always wanted to say? For me, this quote perfectly captures what I want my life to be. As an artist and a creative person, I am not so set in stone with my career path, my hobbies, or even my day-to-day activities. I want to be open to all possibilities and to pursue all of my dreams. If I’ve got a whole life to live, I’ll want to try as many things as possible. My goals are currently to publish a book on creativity, to live in a tiny house, and to own a pair of llamas named Colonel Brandon and Mr. Willoughby (fingers crossed!).

  5 – Art Deco

~Artwork by Christina Molcillo, inside Belle Armoire Summer 2017.

The 1920s must have been a glamorous time. From the jazz to the hand-beaded dresses, the atmosphere was electric and the aesthetic is still beautiful today. This breathtaking wedding dress is by Christina Molcillo and it transports me right back to the Roaring 20’s with its lace and beaded details. Nathalie Kalbach’s Art Deco Wallpaper stencil also harkens back to a bygone era, but it is also super versatile and creates an instant pop of color and texture on any project.

  6 – Old Typewriters

If my obsession with book text wasn’t enough, I also have a great love affair with typewriters. I personally have a robin’s egg blue travel typewriter and a Coronet Electric which I spray painted pink when I was bored one night (more on my love of pink later). In college, I used a typewriter to brainstorm my ideas because there was something very satisfying about not just having the idea, but also punching the keys to bring that idea into existence. Now, I use my travel typewriter for poems, journaling, or whenever I feel like pounding the keys and hearing the rhythmic chick, chick, chick, ding!

~Photograph by Jessica Wolfe, inside Somerset Life Spring 2016.

~Photograph by Johanna Kown, inside Artful Blogging Spring 2017.

  ~Artwork by Erika Lee Sears, inside Artful Blogging Summer 2017.

  7 – The Color Pink

My obsession with the color pink goes back a few years. My sister and I were fighting about who got the pink blanket and who got the purple. At that age, I was mortally opposed to pink because it was too “girly” but I was forced, as the older sister, to acquiesce. I used that pink blanket for years and it grew on me. Every time I looked at it, or anything pink, I felt an immediately lift in my mood. Pink is such a joyful color.

Slowly but surely, pink overtook my life. Soon enough, my favorite blouse was pink, all of my notebooks were pink, and I was hanging handmade pink pennant banners everywhere. I find the color to be soothing, but cheerful. It’s a color obsession that will be with me for life.

Top Row (Left to Right): Priscilla Jones, Gizelle Perry, Somerset Life staff Middle: Toni Roberts, Nicola Taylor, Nina Hurum Bottom: Mischelle Smith, Christen Hammons, Patty Smith

Doesn’t this picture of cute kittens on a pink background make you happy?

~Artwork by Jacquie Wheeler, inside Stuffed Autumn 2015.

  8 – Fruit Slices

With the latest trends of pineapples and watermelons for summer, I am reminded how much I love fruit slices — to eat, to decorate, on artwork, everywhere! My grandmother has been growing oranges and other citrus for over 50 years as a commercial grower. She is now in her 80s and still treks out every morning to tend to her grove of navel orange trees. I have fond memories of spending the weekend at Grandma’s and going outside to pick my own breakfast.

  ~Artwork by Linsey Herrera, inside Mingle Spring 2016.

For me, orange and lemon slices bring back the joys of childhood summers spent playing hid and seek among the orange trees and building a fort out of chicken wire, or playing games in the old, abandoned pigeon coop.

~Artwork by Sarah Donawerth, inside Take Ten Summer 2017.

I love adding orange slices to my artwork as a way of remembering those days. I have also found that diffusing Sweet Orange essential oil always reminds me of freshly squeezed juice in my grandmother’s kitchen.

What are your favorite things? Leave a comment below!

Sarah Donawerth is the Social Media Accounts Manager for Stampington & Company and the editor for Somerset Place.

The post Somerset Place Editor’s Roundup: 8 Things I Love appeared first on Somerset Place: The Official Blog of Stampington & Company.

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[topfygad]

How to Apply for an Argentina Visa for Filipino Tourists or Visitors – I am Aileen

If you’ve been following my updates lately, you would know by now that I am soon going on my biggest adventure (yet): a trip to Antarctica! Of course, no single country or government owns Antarctica so visitors do not necessarily need visas to go there — however, if you’re sailing to this ‘White Continent’, most ships would depart from ports such as Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands, New Zealand and South Africa. For my case, I’ll be sailing on an expedition with Hurtigruten that’s starting from Argentina, and as a Philippine passport-holder, I needed an Argentina visa.

Now… I gotta be frank: getting an Argentina visa has been the most difficult and most expensive tourist visa that I’ve ever applied and paid for (so far). But despite that fact, the process can be fast and hassle-free given the right preparation and know-how; so with my experience and knowledge, I hope this guide will help you get that visa ASAP should Argentina be in your upcoming travel plans!

But first, a disclaimer:

NO ONE can give you a guarantee on your Argentinian visa’s approval: not even a lawyer, a consultant, a travel agent, or an embassy employee. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely going to be a scammer. That being said, what I can offer you here is a comprehensive guide with helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that Argentina tourist visa.

Top photo of Iguazu Falls from Shutterstock.com.

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How to Apply for an Argentina Visa

1

Step 1: Determine the type of Argentina visa that you need to apply for . .

There are, of course, various types of Argentina visas out there that you can apply for: a visa for studying, a visa for business, a visa for being an Argentinian’s fiancé, etc.

For this particular guide though, I will only be discussing the requirements for a tourist visa since it’s an experience that I’ve gone through myself.

If, however, you have a different situation or purpose of visit, it’s best that you contact the Argentina embassy for more information and for the complete requirements via this email: [email protected]

2

Step 2: Prepare the required documents for your application . .

Depending on your circumstance, click the symbol ‘+‘ below to view the corresponding requirements for each section. Make sure that you have authentic, original, and complete documents at all times!

(A) Argentina Tourist Visa WITHOUT Any Guarantor/Sponsor

Philippine Passport. Other than providing your passport itself, you need to provide a photocopy of the information pages on A4 paper. Make sure as well that your passport is valid for 6 months beyond your intended travel date, it has your signature, and has at least two (2) blank pages. .

A duly accomplished Argentina Visa Application Form.

Print this Argentina Visa Application Form in A4 size.

Download the application form from here (it contains English translations on the 1st two pages because the form is in Spanish).

Properly fill the form with your information in CAPITAL LETTERS (even your email address).

Erasures are NOT allowed and you should also NOT write outside the boxes.

Put a long dash line “—” in all spaces that are not applicable to you.

Ensure that you have signed it with your signature. On this section, it will ask a date: this must be the date when you submit your requirements to the Embassy. It’s best to leave it blank just in case — otherwise, they will make you redo the form (which is still not a problem, but to save time, it’s preferable to be careful).

There are sections here that ask for your flight dates and hotel in Argentina…

This does NOT mean that you are required to book your airline and hotel beforehand because the embassy does not necessarily require applicants to book it before approval — as a standard, they only need proof of reservation first. That being said, for your flight, it’s best to acquire a reservation which can be done via an airline (directly) or with a travel agent. And in case you’re wondering where to look for the best flight deals, my go-to platforms are Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner.

Meanwhile, for hotel bookings, it’s best to do it with Booking.com or Agoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all.

4 cm x 4 cm Photo (white background). Photos that are pixelated or of low resolution will NOT be accepted. .

Cover Letter with Daily Itinerary Details. This is for explaining why you are applying for an Argentina visa. Along with this letter, you must also provide your day-to-day itinerary.

If you want to see a sample, here was the letter I submitted.

You must sign the cover letter at the bottom (with your FULL name — including your middle name — in capital letters). .

Flight Reservation. This should be a round trip ticket confirmation or reservation. It’s best to secure a reservation via an airline (directly) or with a travel agent.

In case you’re wondering where to look for the best flight deals, my go-to platforms are Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner.

Ensure that the flight document shows your name and that it is extracted from the airline directly (meaning that for example, if you book via Skyscanner, the e-Ticket you’ll typically receive is from the platform; however, the Embassy wants it to be from the airline directly. So just use the booking reference code and extract the data from the airline’s website). .

Certificate of Employment (COE). Submit the original COE document that is duly notarized, and it should properly indicate your full name, passport number, your position, start date of your work, a brief description of the duties that you do, your monthly salary, and your approved duration of leave.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your COE must be notarized in the country in which the letterhead of your certificate indicates. So if for example you work for a company that’s located overseas, the Certificate of Employment that they will provide for you must be notarized in that particular country address — and NOT the Philippines.

For self-employed / business persons.

If you’re a freelancer, submit your Certificate of Registration and latest ITR (original, and photocopy in A4 paper).

If you own a business, submit your Business Registration issued by DTI / SEC (including all the Articles of Incorporation and latest General Information Sheet) and the company ITR. (Original, and photocopy in A4 paper).

For unemployed persons.

Given the way the Embassy of Argentina presents its requirements for visa application, it’s best that you acquire a guarantor/sponsor if you’re unemployed. (See section B below for details). .

Bank Certificate and Bank Statements (or Passbook). These must be an original copies from your bank encompassing information for the last three (3) months of the current year.

How much should you have in your bank account? The Argentina Embassy did NOT mention any minimum balance requirement, but after a bit of research, I found out that you must at least have $100 (Php 5,000~) per day of your stay — you can use this as a standard but of course it’s always best if you have more. .

Hotel Reservation.

If you’re planning on staying with a friend in Argentina, a notarized letter of invitation must be submitted (more details of this in section (B) below.

For hotel bookings, it’s best to do it with Booking.com or Agoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment, and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all.

Once you’re done researching, please remember that the hotel reservation you must present to the Argentina Embassy is a direct confirmation from the hotel — not just the document you got from Booking.com or Agoda. (So for this, you can just email the hotel to ask for a document confirming the booking). » TRAVEL TIP: When booking your accommodation with Agoda, use my promo code ‘AILEEN7’ to get a 7% discount! .

* * * * * *

(B) Argentina Tourist Visa WITH Guarantor/Sponsor

This kind of application is applicable for students, minors, unemployed persons, husband/wife (if one of you will be supporting the other), self-employed persons/freelancers* and others. This also applies to anyone who would have a company/agency to sponsor the trip.

For submitting the necessary requirements, simply submit the requirements listed in section (A), numbers #1 to #5, as well as #8. 

When it comes to (#7) Bank Certificate and Bank Statements, you should ask these from your guarantor/sponsor — such could be your mom, dad, brother, sister, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, company, etc. (Technically, anyone can be your sponsor). In addition, you should submit…

Guarantee Letter. An informal letter written by your sponsor and guarantor certifying that he/she will be funding or sponsoring your travel expenses. This should be signed by him/her, and notarized in the country that he/she resides in. ..

Photocopy of Guarantor/Sponsor’s Passport. Provide a photocopy of the bio page only; if not, it can be a photocopy of any Visa page or any government-issued ID.

If your guarantor/sponsor is a foreigner or foreign national, please also provide a photocopy of his/her identity card (I-CARD) or AEP (Alien Employment Permit). .

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

If you’re a student or minor…

You should provide:

Affidavit of Support from your parents

DSWD Permit (must be authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs)

Birth certificate

Parent’s government-issued ID with picture (this can be their passport, Driver’s License, etc.) .

If your guarantor/sponsor is a foreigner or foreign national…

If he has NO account in any of the local banks in the Philippines, he/she can provide a photocopy of his/her bank statement with contact details.

Providing pay slips will help. .

If you’re going to stay in the address of an Argentine resident and NOT a hotel…

Your host must write a letter of invitation and send the original copy to the Embassy. This serves the sole purpose of initiating the visa application process and does not guarantee, under any circumstances, the granting of visa abroad. The letter is informal and shall meet the following requirements:

The letter must be written in Spanish.

It must be addressed to the intervening consular authority (e.g. .Al Sr. Cónsul de la Republica en…)

Contain all personal and contact details of the inviting person in Argentina: name and surname, DNI, address,telephone or mobile number, and email address.

Contain all personal and contact details of the foreigner invited to Argentina (in short, YOU): name and surname, nationality, date of birth, type and passport number, telephone or mobile number, email address and any other contact details)

Explain the reason for traveling, relationship of the invited person with the host, duration of stay in the country, the place of stay and estimated dates of arrival and departure.

Express that the signatory will be responsible for the departure of the said foreigner once the permitted length of stay expires.

Include this paragraph: “Como invitante de extranjeros, he leído y comprendo los términos de establecidos en el Capítulo VI dde la Ley 25.871, artículos 116, 117, 118, 119, 120 y 121.”

It must contain the signature of the host, certified by the corresponding Notary Public and relevant Public Notaries Association.

This original document of letter of invitation must be sent by the host to the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Manila by post.

* * * * * *

NOTE: Additional requirements may be needed as deemed necessary by the Consulate of the Embassy of Argentina – Manila.

3

Step 3: Process your Argentina Visa application and pay the processing fee . .

Thankfully, you can just walk in to the Embassy of Argentina in Makati (from 9AM to 12PM) in order to submit your Argentina Visa application. The consular section’s details are as follows:

Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Manila – Consular Section 8th Floor, Liberty Center, 104 H.V. de la Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel: 845.3218/3219/3238 Fax: 845.3220 E-mail: [email protected]

Filing Hours: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Monday- Friday) Visa Release Hours: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Monday – Friday)

Once you reach the 8th floor, the entrance of the Embassy has a doorbell button on the left side — just push this and when you hear a beep, it means that you can proceed to open the door. Head directly to the counter and express your purpose. The officer will scrutinize your documents and ensure that everything is complete and in order.

If they deem your documents to be enough, they will give you a deposit slip indicating the visa fee that you will have to pay. As of October 2017, the fee is at $150 (or Php 7,600~). For payment, you just need to head to the BPI branch in Leviste street which is just a few blocks away from the Embassy — afterwards, you need to go back to the Embassy to provide the proof of payment/deposit.

NOTE: Be reminded that this visa fee payment is non-refundable and it does NOT guarantee the approval of your Argentina visa.

The officer will then advise you that they will call or email you within 10 days about the schedule of your interview.

4

Step 4: Attend your interview appointment . .

They told me to wait for 10 days for a notification as to when I’ll be scheduled for an interview — however, they e-mailed me 2 days after and scheduled my interview the next day.

Don’t forget to bring your passport for the interview (and any other documents that can help support your application). After submitting your passport at the counter, you will have to wait a bit until your name is called… I was scheduled for a 10AM interview but they only started the interviews at around 11AM, so it’s best that you bring something to entertain yourself with (you’re asked not to use your cellphone inside so maybe bring a book or a Kindle).

Now for the actual interview itself, mine only took about a minute, and I think it’s mostly because I wasn’t really staying in Argentina as much given that the main purpose of my trip was for Antarctica. The interviewer was the Ambassador himself and he was quite friendly — we spent a bit of time talking about Antarctica, as well Argentina itself!

Once we were done talking, the Ambassador said that I got the visa, and then the officer assisting him told me to get a claim stub at the counter which will show the date as to when I can claim my passport with visa.

If you’re curious about the possible interview questions that they will ask you, naturally, it will vary depending on your situation and background. Nevertheless, I can assure you that there won’t be any tricky questions! This is NOT a quiz but just a simple background check.

Besides, I even had the chance to hear some of the other interviews (since the walls were thin haha) so to give you an idea, it will typically cover the following aspects:

– Your background: proof of strong ties with the Philippines, your job, your financial capacity, etc. – Details & purpose of your trip: where are you going to, why you’re going, how long, where you’re staying, if you have relatives/family in Argentina, if you prepared your itinerary, etc. – Your relationship with your sponsor: only if you’re applying with a guarantor/sponsor – Your travel history – Etc.

Again: there really are no difficult questions since they only want to know more about you and your trip. So just be honest and concise.

5

Step 5: Claim your Argentina visa . .

My claim stub indicated that my passport with Argentina visa will be ready after 1 working day, so I just headed back to the Embassy on the date mentioned. You bet that I was relieved when I finally saw the visa with my very own eyes!

When your Argentina visa is not granted, I’m NOT sure if the Embassy will give you reasons for the denial, nor do I know if they will let you appeal (since it’s an experience I haven’t [thankfully] gone through).

That being said, I have a feeling that since the Embassy is so meticulous with the requirements, their acceptance of your application at Step #3 above might most likely mean that you already have a strong chance of getting your visa approved (but don’t take my word for it — all in all, I wish you the best of luck!)

.

Activities to do around Argentina?

Come read my posts about it by reading my detailed travel guides now!

.

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F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)

◘◘ When is the earliest time that I can apply for an Argentina visa? You can apply as early as three (3) months or 90 days before your planned trip date departure. Anyhow, the Embassy advises that you must apply at least 30 days before your intended date of departure from the Philippines.

◘◘ How long is the duration of a tourist Argentina visa? All tourist visa holders are permitted to stay in Argentina for a maximum period of 3 months or 90 days. If there’s a need to stay longer than 90 days, an extension can be requested from the National Immigration Office prior to expiration of the period originally granted.

◘◘ How much money should I show in my bank account? The Argentina Embassy did NOT mention any minimum balance requirement, but after a bit of research, I found out that you must at least have $100 (Php 5,000~) per day of your stay — you can use this as a standard but of course it’s always best if you have more.

◘◘ How long does the Argentina visa process take? The tourist visa application has a turn-around time of about ten (10) working days, however due to the volume of applicants as well as due to your circumstance, it could be longer or shorter than the aforementioned. For my case, mine took about only 5 days in total to process.

◘◘  How can I follow up on my application? If you haven’t heard back from the Embassy in 10 days, feel free to call or email them to follow up. .

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Though the Embassy officers might give you a hard time on your Argentina visa application, always remember that they just mean well. In fact, with their help and this guide’s help, you’ll surely increase your chances of getting that coveted approval!

All in all, I hope that the tips and info that I’ve shared here will help guide you.

Good luck!

Do you have any other info or tips to add?

If you’ve already applied for an Argentina visa before, how was your experience?

Were you approved or denied? Please feel free to share your story!

Did you like this article? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube and be notified about my newest posts and updates!

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/36ap1jc via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

[topfygad]

How to Apply for an Argentina Visa for Filipino Tourists or Visitors – I am Aileen

If you’ve been following my updates lately, you would know by now that I am soon going on my biggest adventure (yet): a trip to Antarctica! Of course, no single country or government owns Antarctica so visitors do not necessarily need visas to go there — however, if you’re sailing to this ‘White Continent’, most ships would depart from ports such as Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands, New Zealand and South Africa. For my case, I’ll be sailing on an expedition with Hurtigruten that’s starting from Argentina, and as a Philippine passport-holder, I needed an Argentina visa.

Now… I gotta be frank: getting an Argentina visa has been the most difficult and most expensive tourist visa that I’ve ever applied and paid for (so far). But despite that fact, the process can be fast and hassle-free given the right preparation and know-how; so with my experience and knowledge, I hope this guide will help you get that visa ASAP should Argentina be in your upcoming travel plans!

But first, a disclaimer:

NO ONE can give you a guarantee on your Argentinian visa’s approval: not even a lawyer, a consultant, a travel agent, or an embassy employee. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely going to be a scammer. That being said, what I can offer you here is a comprehensive guide with helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that Argentina tourist visa.

Top photo of Iguazu Falls from Shutterstock.com.

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How to Apply for an Argentina Visa

1

Step 1: Determine the type of Argentina visa that you need to apply for . .

There are, of course, various types of Argentina visas out there that you can apply for: a visa for studying, a visa for business, a visa for being an Argentinian’s fiancé, etc.

For this particular guide though, I will only be discussing the requirements for a tourist visa since it’s an experience that I’ve gone through myself.

If, however, you have a different situation or purpose of visit, it’s best that you contact the Argentina embassy for more information and for the complete requirements via this email: [email protected]

2

Step 2: Prepare the required documents for your application . .

Depending on your circumstance, click the symbol ‘+‘ below to view the corresponding requirements for each section. Make sure that you have authentic, original, and complete documents at all times!

(A) Argentina Tourist Visa WITHOUT Any Guarantor/Sponsor

Philippine Passport. Other than providing your passport itself, you need to provide a photocopy of the information pages on A4 paper. Make sure as well that your passport is valid for 6 months beyond your intended travel date, it has your signature, and has at least two (2) blank pages. .

A duly accomplished Argentina Visa Application Form.

Print this Argentina Visa Application Form in A4 size.

Download the application form from here (it contains English translations on the 1st two pages because the form is in Spanish).

Properly fill the form with your information in CAPITAL LETTERS (even your email address).

Erasures are NOT allowed and you should also NOT write outside the boxes.

Put a long dash line “—” in all spaces that are not applicable to you.

Ensure that you have signed it with your signature. On this section, it will ask a date: this must be the date when you submit your requirements to the Embassy. It’s best to leave it blank just in case — otherwise, they will make you redo the form (which is still not a problem, but to save time, it’s preferable to be careful).

There are sections here that ask for your flight dates and hotel in Argentina…

This does NOT mean that you are required to book your airline and hotel beforehand because the embassy does not necessarily require applicants to book it before approval — as a standard, they only need proof of reservation first. That being said, for your flight, it’s best to acquire a reservation which can be done via an airline (directly) or with a travel agent. And in case you’re wondering where to look for the best flight deals, my go-to platforms are Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner.

Meanwhile, for hotel bookings, it’s best to do it with Booking.com or Agoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all.

4 cm x 4 cm Photo (white background). Photos that are pixelated or of low resolution will NOT be accepted. .

Cover Letter with Daily Itinerary Details. This is for explaining why you are applying for an Argentina visa. Along with this letter, you must also provide your day-to-day itinerary.

If you want to see a sample, here was the letter I submitted.

You must sign the cover letter at the bottom (with your FULL name — including your middle name — in capital letters). .

Flight Reservation. This should be a round trip ticket confirmation or reservation. It’s best to secure a reservation via an airline (directly) or with a travel agent.

In case you’re wondering where to look for the best flight deals, my go-to platforms are Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner.

Ensure that the flight document shows your name and that it is extracted from the airline directly (meaning that for example, if you book via Skyscanner, the e-Ticket you’ll typically receive is from the platform; however, the Embassy wants it to be from the airline directly. So just use the booking reference code and extract the data from the airline’s website). .

Certificate of Employment (COE). Submit the original COE document that is duly notarized, and it should properly indicate your full name, passport number, your position, start date of your work, a brief description of the duties that you do, your monthly salary, and your approved duration of leave.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your COE must be notarized in the country in which the letterhead of your certificate indicates. So if for example you work for a company that’s located overseas, the Certificate of Employment that they will provide for you must be notarized in that particular country address — and NOT the Philippines.

For self-employed / business persons.

If you’re a freelancer, submit your Certificate of Registration and latest ITR (original, and photocopy in A4 paper).

If you own a business, submit your Business Registration issued by DTI / SEC (including all the Articles of Incorporation and latest General Information Sheet) and the company ITR. (Original, and photocopy in A4 paper).

For unemployed persons.

Given the way the Embassy of Argentina presents its requirements for visa application, it’s best that you acquire a guarantor/sponsor if you’re unemployed. (See section B below for details). .

Bank Certificate and Bank Statements (or Passbook). These must be an original copies from your bank encompassing information for the last three (3) months of the current year.

How much should you have in your bank account? The Argentina Embassy did NOT mention any minimum balance requirement, but after a bit of research, I found out that you must at least have $100 (Php 5,000~) per day of your stay — you can use this as a standard but of course it’s always best if you have more. .

Hotel Reservation.

If you’re planning on staying with a friend in Argentina, a notarized letter of invitation must be submitted (more details of this in section (B) below.

For hotel bookings, it’s best to do it with Booking.com or Agoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment, and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all.

Once you’re done researching, please remember that the hotel reservation you must present to the Argentina Embassy is a direct confirmation from the hotel — not just the document you got from Booking.com or Agoda. (So for this, you can just email the hotel to ask for a document confirming the booking). » TRAVEL TIP: When booking your accommodation with Agoda, use my promo code ‘AILEEN7’ to get a 7% discount! .

* * * * * *

(B) Argentina Tourist Visa WITH Guarantor/Sponsor

This kind of application is applicable for students, minors, unemployed persons, husband/wife (if one of you will be supporting the other), self-employed persons/freelancers* and others. This also applies to anyone who would have a company/agency to sponsor the trip.

For submitting the necessary requirements, simply submit the requirements listed in section (A), numbers #1 to #5, as well as #8. 

When it comes to (#7) Bank Certificate and Bank Statements, you should ask these from your guarantor/sponsor — such could be your mom, dad, brother, sister, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, company, etc. (Technically, anyone can be your sponsor). In addition, you should submit…

Guarantee Letter. An informal letter written by your sponsor and guarantor certifying that he/she will be funding or sponsoring your travel expenses. This should be signed by him/her, and notarized in the country that he/she resides in. ..

Photocopy of Guarantor/Sponsor’s Passport. Provide a photocopy of the bio page only; if not, it can be a photocopy of any Visa page or any government-issued ID.

If your guarantor/sponsor is a foreigner or foreign national, please also provide a photocopy of his/her identity card (I-CARD) or AEP (Alien Employment Permit). .

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

If you’re a student or minor…

You should provide:

Affidavit of Support from your parents

DSWD Permit (must be authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs)

Birth certificate

Parent’s government-issued ID with picture (this can be their passport, Driver’s License, etc.) .

If your guarantor/sponsor is a foreigner or foreign national…

If he has NO account in any of the local banks in the Philippines, he/she can provide a photocopy of his/her bank statement with contact details.

Providing pay slips will help. .

If you’re going to stay in the address of an Argentine resident and NOT a hotel…

Your host must write a letter of invitation and send the original copy to the Embassy. This serves the sole purpose of initiating the visa application process and does not guarantee, under any circumstances, the granting of visa abroad. The letter is informal and shall meet the following requirements:

The letter must be written in Spanish.

It must be addressed to the intervening consular authority (e.g. .Al Sr. Cónsul de la Republica en…)

Contain all personal and contact details of the inviting person in Argentina: name and surname, DNI, address,telephone or mobile number, and email address.

Contain all personal and contact details of the foreigner invited to Argentina (in short, YOU): name and surname, nationality, date of birth, type and passport number, telephone or mobile number, email address and any other contact details)

Explain the reason for traveling, relationship of the invited person with the host, duration of stay in the country, the place of stay and estimated dates of arrival and departure.

Express that the signatory will be responsible for the departure of the said foreigner once the permitted length of stay expires.

Include this paragraph: “Como invitante de extranjeros, he leído y comprendo los términos de establecidos en el Capítulo VI dde la Ley 25.871, artículos 116, 117, 118, 119, 120 y 121.”

It must contain the signature of the host, certified by the corresponding Notary Public and relevant Public Notaries Association.

This original document of letter of invitation must be sent by the host to the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Manila by post.

* * * * * *

NOTE: Additional requirements may be needed as deemed necessary by the Consulate of the Embassy of Argentina – Manila.

3

Step 3: Process your Argentina Visa application and pay the processing fee . .

Thankfully, you can just walk in to the Embassy of Argentina in Makati (from 9AM to 12PM) in order to submit your Argentina Visa application. The consular section’s details are as follows:

Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Manila – Consular Section 8th Floor, Liberty Center, 104 H.V. de la Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel: 845.3218/3219/3238 Fax: 845.3220 E-mail: [email protected]

Filing Hours: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Monday- Friday) Visa Release Hours: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Monday – Friday)

Once you reach the 8th floor, the entrance of the Embassy has a doorbell button on the left side — just push this and when you hear a beep, it means that you can proceed to open the door. Head directly to the counter and express your purpose. The officer will scrutinize your documents and ensure that everything is complete and in order.

If they deem your documents to be enough, they will give you a deposit slip indicating the visa fee that you will have to pay. As of October 2017, the fee is at $150 (or Php 7,600~). For payment, you just need to head to the BPI branch in Leviste street which is just a few blocks away from the Embassy — afterwards, you need to go back to the Embassy to provide the proof of payment/deposit.

NOTE: Be reminded that this visa fee payment is non-refundable and it does NOT guarantee the approval of your Argentina visa.

The officer will then advise you that they will call or email you within 10 days about the schedule of your interview.

4

Step 4: Attend your interview appointment . .

They told me to wait for 10 days for a notification as to when I’ll be scheduled for an interview — however, they e-mailed me 2 days after and scheduled my interview the next day.

Don’t forget to bring your passport for the interview (and any other documents that can help support your application). After submitting your passport at the counter, you will have to wait a bit until your name is called… I was scheduled for a 10AM interview but they only started the interviews at around 11AM, so it’s best that you bring something to entertain yourself with (you’re asked not to use your cellphone inside so maybe bring a book or a Kindle).

Now for the actual interview itself, mine only took about a minute, and I think it’s mostly because I wasn’t really staying in Argentina as much given that the main purpose of my trip was for Antarctica. The interviewer was the Ambassador himself and he was quite friendly — we spent a bit of time talking about Antarctica, as well Argentina itself!

Once we were done talking, the Ambassador said that I got the visa, and then the officer assisting him told me to get a claim stub at the counter which will show the date as to when I can claim my passport with visa.

If you’re curious about the possible interview questions that they will ask you, naturally, it will vary depending on your situation and background. Nevertheless, I can assure you that there won’t be any tricky questions! This is NOT a quiz but just a simple background check.

Besides, I even had the chance to hear some of the other interviews (since the walls were thin haha) so to give you an idea, it will typically cover the following aspects:

– Your background: proof of strong ties with the Philippines, your job, your financial capacity, etc. – Details & purpose of your trip: where are you going to, why you’re going, how long, where you’re staying, if you have relatives/family in Argentina, if you prepared your itinerary, etc. – Your relationship with your sponsor: only if you’re applying with a guarantor/sponsor – Your travel history – Etc.

Again: there really are no difficult questions since they only want to know more about you and your trip. So just be honest and concise.

5

Step 5: Claim your Argentina visa . .

My claim stub indicated that my passport with Argentina visa will be ready after 1 working day, so I just headed back to the Embassy on the date mentioned. You bet that I was relieved when I finally saw the visa with my very own eyes!

When your Argentina visa is not granted, I’m NOT sure if the Embassy will give you reasons for the denial, nor do I know if they will let you appeal (since it’s an experience I haven’t [thankfully] gone through).

That being said, I have a feeling that since the Embassy is so meticulous with the requirements, their acceptance of your application at Step #3 above might most likely mean that you already have a strong chance of getting your visa approved (but don’t take my word for it — all in all, I wish you the best of luck!)

.

Activities to do around Argentina?

Come read my posts about it by reading my detailed travel guides now!

.

<![CDATA[#bxtitle_121629204.box-title.box-title-line-middle .title-bar:after, #bxtitle_121629204.box-title.box-title-line-middle .title-bar:before, #bxtitle_121629204.box-title.box-title-line-around .title-bar:after, #bxtitle_121629204.box-title.box-title-line-around .title-bar:before, #bxtitle_121629204.box-title.box-title-line-around h2 border-color: #ed2665 ]]>

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F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)

◘◘ When is the earliest time that I can apply for an Argentina visa? You can apply as early as three (3) months or 90 days before your planned trip date departure. Anyhow, the Embassy advises that you must apply at least 30 days before your intended date of departure from the Philippines.

◘◘ How long is the duration of a tourist Argentina visa? All tourist visa holders are permitted to stay in Argentina for a maximum period of 3 months or 90 days. If there’s a need to stay longer than 90 days, an extension can be requested from the National Immigration Office prior to expiration of the period originally granted.

◘◘ How much money should I show in my bank account? The Argentina Embassy did NOT mention any minimum balance requirement, but after a bit of research, I found out that you must at least have $100 (Php 5,000~) per day of your stay — you can use this as a standard but of course it’s always best if you have more.

◘◘ How long does the Argentina visa process take? The tourist visa application has a turn-around time of about ten (10) working days, however due to the volume of applicants as well as due to your circumstance, it could be longer or shorter than the aforementioned. For my case, mine took about only 5 days in total to process.

◘◘  How can I follow up on my application? If you haven’t heard back from the Embassy in 10 days, feel free to call or email them to follow up. .

<![CDATA[#bxtitle_1281523770.box-title.box-title-line-middle .title-bar:after, #bxtitle_1281523770.box-title.box-title-line-middle .title-bar:before, #bxtitle_1281523770.box-title.box-title-line-around .title-bar:after, #bxtitle_1281523770.box-title.box-title-line-around .title-bar:before, #bxtitle_1281523770.box-title.box-title-line-around h2 border-color: #ed2665 ]]>

Though the Embassy officers might give you a hard time on your Argentina visa application, always remember that they just mean well. In fact, with their help and this guide’s help, you’ll surely increase your chances of getting that coveted approval!

All in all, I hope that the tips and info that I’ve shared here will help guide you.

Good luck!

Do you have any other info or tips to add?

If you’ve already applied for an Argentina visa before, how was your experience?

Were you approved or denied? Please feel free to share your story!

Did you like this article? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube and be notified about my newest posts and updates!

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/36ap1jc via IFTTT

[tourguideexpert-blog-blog]

Japan on a budget: readers travel tips

New Post has been published on https://travelqia.com/must-see/japan-on-a-budget-readers-travel-tips-2/

Japan on a budget: readers travel tips

The perception that Japan is an expensive destination is challenged by our tipsters, who find 70p sushi delivered by robot, cheap internal flights, all-you-can-drink-deals and friendly hostels

Winning tip: Art and yurts, Naoshima

Naoshima, the jewel of Japans art islands and an easy one-hour train journey from Kyoto or Osaka, has museums ranging from a gallery hotel to art installations. Free buses take you around the art locations and to an amazing art-filled sento bathhouse (4.40), complete with full-size elephant sculptures overlooking the baths. Staying in the Benesse Foundations hotels is very pricey (from 250) but there is a fantastic alternative a very short walk from the key art sites and beautiful: Tsutsuji-sos yurts (25-30 per person per night). They are private, traditional Mongolian tents with proper beds. Pat Kirby

E-bikes in Takayama

Photograph: Hanah

A tour on e-bikes of the Japanese Alps countryside around Takayama with Daisuke, the tour guide, for just 42 per head, was the highlight of our holiday. We started from JR Hida-Hagiwara station and took in historic villages to start with then a hidden valley off the tourist trail, the e-bikes making light work of the hills. There were surprises along the way such as a traditional Japanese lunch (included in the price) and coffee on the river in the middle of nowhere, and all for a reasonable price. The 26km/six-hour route and its views were incredible. Hanah

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Friendly hostel, Nagano

Photograph: 1166 backpackers Nagano

One of the best hostels Ive stayed in was 1166 Backpackers in Nagano, run by a lovely woman named Orie who makes everyone feel at home. She runs regular events in the hostel communal areas, such as sake tasting. Beds are about 20 a night. Its in the Monzen district of Nagano, within easily walking distance of Zenkoji temple. Its well-placed for day trips to nearby amazing Matsumoto Castle or Snow Monkey Park. Samuel Parker

Alpine honeymoon bliss

Oshi Ryokan, Nagano

To get a complete contrast from city life, I suggest a stay at the Oshi Ryokan in Naganos Japanese Alps. Mr Oshi (a Shinto priest who looks after the nearby temples) will take you to the temple at the crack of dawn an incredible experience. Mrs Oshi also cooked us what was probably the most amazing meal we had in Japan each dish was a work of art and it was so special having the experience in their home, rather than a restaurant. We were on our honeymoon and the lovely couple even offered to let us try on their own wedding kimonos and take photos. Double from 65 B&B, about 120 with dinner, oshiryokan.com/en-gb Lucie Johnson

Subtropical beaches, Yaeyama Islands

Kabira bay, Ishigaki island. Photograph: Ippei Naoi/Getty Images

For a 25 return flight from Naha (on Okinawa) to Ishigaki, you can experience the subtropical climate and unspoilt beaches of Japans Yaeyama Islands. Stay at Shiraho Friends House (12 a night in shared gender-specific rooms). Almost every review of this hostel praises its owner, Hiro; he really is amazingly helpful without being overbearing. The island is great for swimming and leisurely walks along the palm groves. In the evening you can head to a bar, see night-blooming flowers, or go to a free viewing at the observatory. Isabella Dmochowska

Day trip from Tokyo

At the foot of 600-metre Mount Takao, a great day hike within the Tokyo city bounds, is the tucked-away Keio Takaosan Onsen. With a mix of indoor and outdoor (rotenburo) baths of various water temperatures, it is the perfect place to restore sore muscles, with all the vibe of a mountain ryokan (traditional inn) for a fraction of the price:6.70 for adults and no time limit. You just need to bring your own towel. The onsen is next to Takaosanguchi station on the Keio line. Sarah Liang

Campervan savings

You can save thousands of yen by hiring a campervan from japancampers.com. Its near Narita airport, and runs a pick-up service from Narita station, so you can be mobile within a few hours of arriving. The campers start at 6,000 a day (40), less than youd pay for a hotel room, and come with camping equipment. The staff are helpful, bilingual and just a phone call away if you run into difficulties. It is perfectly legal to sleep in your van anywhere you stop, giving you the freedom to roam around the worlds safest country, and the Japanese baths (sentos) are on hand for your daily scrub. Dom

All you can eat and drink, Tokyo

An izakaya in Tokyo. Photograph: Alamy

Instead of drinking in western-style bars, which can be very expensive, go to a typical izakaya such as Kin no Kura in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where Id suggest a nomihodai option all you can drink for a set time and set price. Pay around 17 for 2-3 hours of uninterrupted drinking! Order from a tablet on the table, and the server will announce briskly: Hai dozo! (Go ahead). Its a great, social place too ideal for playing card games. The range of drinks include beer on tap, highballs and sake. You can also get a tabehodai (all you can eat option in izakayas). 1-16-6 Kabukicho Darren

Excellent hostel, Tokyo

Kaisu Hostel

The Kaisu Hostel (6-13-5 Akasaka) in Minato is a short walk from Roppongi but quiet enough to have a good nights sleep in its shared rooms with pods. Its spotless like almost all Japanese hotels and serves great beer in the stylish bar area; and at around 20 a night it was great value. It has a female-only shared room too, with 10 pods. Its a short walk to an izakaya called Motsusen (lunch 3.40, dinner 19 and all-you-can-drink menu, 9-2 Kabutocho) where you can rub shoulders with salarymen and eat until you cant move. Ben

Bathtime, Tokyo

Photograph: Karen Kasmauski/Getty Images

I accidentally miscalculated how much cash to bring (my hotel gave price per night rather than the total of all three nights and I was careless in checking) and on my last day in Tokyo I was broke … I took myself to a sento for the afternoon for the equivalent of 3. I spent a couple of hours in there, sheltering from the 38C heat, getting clean after a sweaty day stomping the streets and having a cultural experience at the same time. It was one of the highlights of my Japan trip because, as well as being a sucker for a spa, it was great to feel SO comfortable strutting about naked because nobody bats an eyelid. Best three quid I ever spent. Gaby

Conveyor belt sushi chain

Photograph: Alamy

If you want to try conveyor belt sushi, Genki Sushi, with branches from Hokkaido down to Kyushu, is a great choice. Most of its dishes only cost 70p and you can order your food via multilingual touch screens. If youre with kids, they are going to love being able to order their own food, as well as the little robot trains that deliver your order to your seat. We visited the Shibuya branch in Tokyo and it was wonderful, but later on we saw the dinner queue stretching into the street, so best get there early. Bori Kiss

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