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danny-chase · 3 years

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Delirium - read on AO3

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Batman (Comics), Titans (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Tim Drake & Damian Wayne & Dick Grayson, Roy Harper & Lian Harper, Lian Harper & Dick Grayson, Lian Harper & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Roy Harper, Tim Drake & Roy Harper Characters: Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Roy Harper, Lian Harper Additional Tags: Hopsitals, delirious, Anxiety, Panic, POV Tim Drake, Canon Divergence, Good Sibling Tim Drake, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Tim Drake is Bad at Feelings, Hurt Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson is Batman, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Damian Wayne is Robin, Lian never died, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Dick Grayson gets a forehead kiss, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Caring Batfamily (DCU), fluff at the end, Teen Titans as Family, Tim Drake emotional whump, Damian Wayne emotional whump, Lian Harper is a ray of stubborn sunshine on a cloudy day, gunshot wound, Head Wound, Coloring Books Series: Part 4 of Bad Things Happen Bingo Summary:

The one where Tim has to be the oldest for like five minutes and decides he doesn't like it (but does a good job anyways).

Full story under cut

“Alvin? Alvin… Draper?” A nurse called from across the room. Tim pulled his head out of his hands, careful not to jostle his fake moustache. “This way please.” She intoned, waving a hand towards a bustling hallway.

Damian nearly leapt out of the stiff plastic chair, and he slowly followed suit, trying to act causal. He doubted he was fooling anyone; his legs shook as he walked forward, and he was pretty sure he left a ring of butt sweat on his seat. Taking deep breaths to calm his fraying nerves, he concentrated on taking steady steps forward – he didn’t care much for Damian, but there was no way he’d let a child go through this sort of thing alone. Especially one who probably had never visited someone in the hospital (let alone been in one) before.

He’d gotten a panicked call from Barbara a few days ago. Gotham in ruins, streets in chaos… the usual. Bruce was gone. He couldn’t miraculously pull them out of these things anymore. The first Batman was dead, and this time… they could lose the second.

“Report.” Damian demanded, his harsh tone penetrating Tim’s thoughts. He was suddenly aware of the chaos of the hallway, of people jostling them as they rushed by, a cacophony of machines squealing and loud voices, and bright lights illuminating tacky flooring. He’d fallen a pace behind and quickened his step to stand firmly next to his… little brother.

As much he’d tried to deny it, at the end of the day, that’s what bound them. Fealty to a dead man, he’d once hoped they could be something more – but this family was ripping apart at the seams and Tim had to wonder what even kept them all here anymore.

Though – that wasn’t hard to figure out.

Dick was in trouble, and he came running. He’d been in trouble and Dick had come running. They were brothers in every sense of the word, without Bruce tying them together. His stomach clenched at the thought that it might all be lost to him forever, and he swallowed the bile burning at the top of his throat.

Dick had this way of making you feel like you were the only person in the world – when you talked to him, he listened, gave advice, and would drop anything to help. He quickly crawled his way into your life, cementing you as family. Things were never perfect, and they’d had their fights, but Dick always bent first, forgiveness freely given rather than earned. Tim had needed that. And from what little time they’d spent together, he knew Damian did too.

Panic. That was the only way to describe how he felt. He couldn’t be that for Damian – he couldn’t be Dick. He let out a shaky breath – Dick had to be fine – he couldn’t – not after Bruce – he couldn’t do this again – he was on the verge of shattering after finally picking up all the broken pieces of himself and –

“I said, report.” Damian squeaked. He jolted back into reality, steading his breath, and replaying the last few minutes, his mind trying to catch up.

The nurse seemed unamused, her nostrils flaring and brow tight as she glanced back. “Sorry, my brother’s a little uhh… stressed…?” He stammered, not wanting to offend Damian – or worse, start an argument in a crowded hallway. But he didn’t flinch at the comment, a testament to the seriousness of the situation they found themselves in.

Dick was shot in the back of the head, and Tim honestly had no idea if they’d gotten him medical attention in time. He could be comatose for the rest of his life, would never breathe on his own, never talk to them again, never walk, never think, never… god… he’d never talk to Dick again, and it was all his fault for being too late, too unprepared, too much of a failure to-

“The operation went well, we need to keep him for observation, but we’re hopeful he’ll make a full recovery in a month or two.” Tim blinked back tears as a weight lift off his shoulders, bringing a hand up, covering his eyes for just a second. He looked up to find Damian frozen; too stunned to move. He gently placed an arm around his shoulders, tugging him along so he wouldn’t be swept up in the tide. Surprisingly, that much was allowed today, the child’s thoughts were elsewhere, so Tim focused his thoughts on him.

Damian was only ten. And he’d almost lost Dick to a fate worse than death, after seeing him shot before his eyes, helpless to stop it. They didn’t have hospitals in the League, it was kill or be killed, and then there were the pits. Had he ever watched someone recover naturally?

“He’ll be okay.” Tim hissed, in a tone that only Damian could hear. Damian startled back into the present, glaring at him briefly, shaking off Tim’s hand, and storming after the nurse. He kept his expression carefully out of view.

They turned into a private hospital room, pulling the door shut behind her, and winked. “Timothy Drake-Wayne and Damian Wayne, I presume.”

He could feel the kid freeze beside him, his own heart threatening to escape his throat.

“Oh, sorry - don’t panic, I’m with STAR Labs, we’ve worked with Richard and his team for years.” Damian huffed in annoyance. “Your identities aren’t compromised; Oracle made the arrangements for our team to take over when he arrived.” She passed her clipboard to Tim. “The walls are soundproof, you can stay as long as you want, I trust you can get out on your own, and it’s not like I’m going to stop you if you decide to stay longer than I recommend.” She sighed. “Just, don’t distress the patient, he’ll be confused when he wakes up, it’s normal. Call if you need, our monitoring systems are top notch, we’ll be watching – but not listening of course.”

And with that, the nurse turned on her heel, exiting as fast as she’d arrived, leaving Tim opened mouthed next to a wide-eyed Damian.

He watched as the door slowly turned on its hinges, picking up speed until it slammed shut. Almost immediately it popped back open. “If he tries to get up, don’t let him escape.” She rolled her eyes. “You human patients are always the worst.” And with that, she was gone. A few awkward, silent moments passed.

“Are you coming, Drake?” Damian’s voice had lost its normal edge, as he determinedly stared at the windows. He couldn’t see Dick from where they stood, but he could make out the edge of the bed, a pure white sheet neatly tucked under the edge.

He shifted, hesitantly - he always hated this part. But regardless, he took the lead, striding forward, and allowing Damian the comfort of walking in someone’s shadow. Because even if he wouldn’t say it, there was no way the kid wanted to do this alone. He couldn’t replace Dick – was thankful he didn’t have to, but this – this was the least he could do.

Hospital beds have this way of making the people inside them seem smaller. Tim braced himself as he stepped into view, and well, it could be worse. Dick was out cold, drooling on his pillow still hooked up to a few monitors, which steadily droned and beeped in the background. A lump of gauze and bandages swathed the base of his skull.

Damian flitted past his side to sit in the chair next to the bed, and Tim sprang into action, taking the chair next to the window. He flipped through the charts without really reading anything, and the two sat in stony silence. Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through dozens of missed calls and unanswered texts before shoving it back in his pocket.

He spared a glance at Damian - he was curled up in the chair, grimacing and staring at the wall. He didn’t dare try saying anything more, lest they start fighting in Dick’s hospital room. He contented himself with staring out the window, watching the dawn break, violets and purples dancing across the sky. The sun rose with pinks and oranges blossoming soon after.

Things would be okay. They had to be okay. He slowed his breathing, focusing on the sky rather than the scent of disinfectant. The steady beep of machines slowly fading into the distance. Closing his eyes, he could pretend for a moment, that this was normal. He was in a hotel, maybe on a vacation, in some city that wasn’t destroyed every few months. There had to be a place like that still out there.

A little chickadee hopped around on the windowsill, fluttering back and forth, before flying off again. “Bye.” Tim snapped to attention, whirling around to find Dick squinting out the window. Damian sprung out of his chair. “Bruce?” He asked confusedly, frowning at Damian.

Panic flickered across the kid’s face, and he recoiled, stepping back. “No. I’m Damian, don’t be foolish.” His voice wobbled at the end, and Tim’s heart throbbed painfully at the way Damian stiffened, meticulously shutting off any signs of vulnerability.

“Remember what the nurse said, he’s going to be confused for a bit.” Tim reminded, striding over to sit at the edge of the bed. Dick went back to looking at the now closed window. “Dick, you with us?” He leaned into Dick’s line of sight, trying for a smile, and waited for a minute before leaning back. “I’m going to take that as a no.”

“-tt-” Damian stepped forwards again. “Don’t bother him, Drake.” He spat.

Tim didn’t really know what to say, so he didn’t say anything at all. Damian climbed back into his chair, tucking his legs up to sit crisscrossed, his back stiff and upright. Tim grabbed his chair, pulling it closer to the edge of the bed. He placed a hand over Dick’s, rubbing a finger over his knuckles, taking comfort in the fingers twitching slightly under his own.

Dick was alive. He would live. Would recover. He hadn’t lost his older brother.

“His name’s Tim.” Dick mumbled after a few minutes. Damian rolled his eyes. “Tim.” Dick repeated, his eyes glassy as they gazed through Damian’s forehead.

“Yeah?” Tim lightly tapped Dick’s hand. He didn’t move from his focus.

“Tim. Tim. Tim. Tim.” He continued repeating Tim’s name, staring up at the ceiling.

“Why is he doing that?” Damian demanded, jumping out of his chair. Dick obliviously repeated the word, seemingly unaffected. “Drake, she said the operation went <em>well</em>.”

“I dunno.” He sighed, Dick probably had no idea what was going on, nor would he remember this. “Look, he’s delirious, he’s going to be messed up for a bit. He got shot in the head.”

“I know that. I was there. But if the operation was successful, then why-”

The door opened, and they fell silent, footsteps approaching. Roy Harper poked around the corner; a phone pressed to his ear. “Okay, he doesn’t look too bad, all things considered. Hey, you, kid, you should actually answer your fu-fudging phone.”

“That’s a dollar for the swear jar.” A little girl, Lian, he presumed, materialized at his side. She carried a bag with her and zoomed over to Damian. “Daddy says you like to color, so I brought crayons.” She grabbed a pack from her bag and shoved them at him. Damian looked mildly disgusted but took them anyway. “Say thank you.” Lian demanded.

Damian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Tim glanced at Roy, he winked, doing his best not to laugh as he finished talking with whoever was on the phone.

“Thank you.” Dick replied, patting Lian’s head. His eyes seemed to find hers before darting away to stare at the ceiling.

“Not you.” She groaned. “Him.” She pointed at Damian.

“Thank you.” He repeated. Lian cracked a smile, giggling.

“Don’t laugh, it isn’t funny – he’s delirious.” Damian replied harshly, eyes narrowing. Lian shrugged, turning, almost sizing him up. She was only maybe an inch shorter than him, if he had to venture a guess.

“Uncle Dick is always happier when you laugh.” She pointed out. “It’s contagious.” Sure enough, a wide looping grin had materialized on Dick’s face.

“But we’re in a hospital.” Damian looked outraged; his hands balled in little fists.

“Daddy says laughter is the best medicine.” She retorted, crossing her arms. Roy tossed his phone (it landed perfectly in the center of the little dresser next to the bed), and scooped up his daughter in a big hug, sweeping her off the ground.

“Look, kid.” He looked down at Damian. “I know this is scary and it sucks, but my kid’s got a point.” He kissed the top of her head, prompting more giggles. “She’s a smart cookie, and this isn’t exactly her first rodeo.” Damian’s ears flushed, his face unchanged, but his ears beet red.

“This is not my first rodeo, and if you were more competent, than-”

“If Dick was a dumb-, I mean, if he was more competent, we wouldn’t be here.” Roy pointed out, speaking over Damian. Lian smacked his face lightly.

“Daddy, that’s rude.” Roy rolled his eyes. Dick started speaking in a language Tim vaguely recognized, looking displeased at the argument.

“Sweetie, I’m trying to make a point.” He set her down, ruffling her hair. “Why don’t you get out the coloring book and let Damian pick out a page.” Damian opened his mouth to comment, but Roy cut him off. “Look, you should see how happy Dick is when Lian gives him coloring pages. I think he’s earned one from you.” Damian closed his mouth. His brain seemingly compiling the information. “What she said isn’t wrong, he’ll recover faster if he’s happier, Timbo, you’re a bat-nerd, back me up here.”

“Well according to a study done in-” Roy held up a hand.

“Point made, don’t put me to sleep.” Tim rolled his eyes, remembering why he used to avoid hanging out with (some of) Dick’s friends. For now, he joined Roy in staring down Damian, Lian gazing at him too, an unlikely team up in a battle of wills.

“Only if Drake makes one too.” Damian miraculously relented after a few minutes. Tim nodded, peace from Damian was worth doing some coloring. Dick would be incredibly happy – these pages would likely be framed; it would be worth it to see the smile on his face. It was worth it now to see Lian’s face light up, as she rushed to unpack her things.

“Oh, and I brought Uncle Dick a stuffy.” She pulled out a stuffed elephant and placed it in the crook of his elbow. “Say thank you.” Dick replied – still not speaking anything he could place, and Lian smiled, Dick smiled back.

“What’s he been saying?” Tim asked, looking to Roy, as Damian slid to the floor, selecting coloring pages with Lian. Roy sat on the side of the bed, carefully leaning Dick forward, to get a better look at the back of his head. He whistled, ignoring Tim for a moment.

“You really did it to yourself this time, jeez Dickie.” He muttered to himself before turning back. “He’s speaking Navajo, he was counting to ten earlier, and he told Lian thanks.” Roy rolled his eyes. “Would you believe his pronunciation is always better when he’s like this?”

“No, that seems on brand.” Tim mused. “Apparently my French gets exponentially better the less I’ve slept.” Roy shrugged, and turned back on Dick.

“Quit rubbing off on the kids, you don’t want them to turn into you, yah? Bunch a’ weirdo bat-nerds.” Dick was apparently, not listening, and was more into petting the plushy.

“Zitka.” He replied, showing it to Roy. Roy patted his shoulder.

“Yeah buddy, I know. Isn’t she cute?” He leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to Dick’s forehead. Something seemed to click in Tim’s brain, as Dick garbled on, fascinated by the toy.

“How many times have you done this?” He asked, watching as Roy leaned back, taking the seat next to the bed. He shrugged.

“I stopped counting after Blood fried his brains, back when he ran around in a V-neck.” Tim cringed, that was before he even became Robin. “Don’t look like that, he didn’t die.” Not that time, or this time – but things had been too close for comfort more times than Tim wanted to think about. Roy’s fingers drummed against the armrest. “I don’t know, Garth tried out the elephant thing a while back. It keeps him happy.” He pulled a book out of Lian’s bag, starting to flip through the pages. “Take nap kid – you look deader than him. Lian and I got this covered.”

Tim leaned back in his chair, tucking his legs up with him. He watched as Dick happily turned the toy over and over in his hands, blearily blinking at the world. Damian was quiet where he sat on the floor, inspecting each of the colors. By the time he put his first stroke to paper, Tim was already fast asleep.

#bad things happen bingo #batfam #titans #dc comics #batfamily #batman #batman and robin #dick grayson #tim drake #my writing #roy harper #lian harper #damian wayne #red robin #canon divergence #tw hospitals #tw anxiety #tw gsw #wrote this one just for me lol self indulgent

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ohallthecrushes · 4 years

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Drawing you in, part 3 // Arthur Fleck x Reader

A/N: smut is coming for ya. ;D This time no cliffhanger, just the tension being released. Arthur is still creepy and cunning even, though the reader doesn’t realize that.

I’m sorry for any mistakes, it’s 06:03 a.m. here and my mind is too sleepy and i’m still at work for another hour. :(

Comments and supports are appreciated. Enjoy! :)

@call-me-harley-quinn @darkshadow90 tagging you cause I thought you’d like to read it. :)

Summary: Arthur loves you. He’s obsessed with you. After stalking you for some time and making a few conversations, he kidnapped you to his apartment. Into his bed to be more precisely.

Contains: dirty talk, smut

Word count: 4931

I was dreaming about touching you.

Those words were flying inside your head like a little bird trying to break out from a cage, but all it could do was bouncing off of walls in uncontrolled excitement.

The message behind of what he’d said was simple and clear. And the smirk on his face only emphasized the meaning of his sentence. You were thrilled and embarrassed of your own reaction as well as of the situation you’d been put into. Your cheeks turned a rosy color and suddenly you didn’t know what to do with yourself. You just stood there, playing with the strings of your short, you gaped at him and he tilted his head watching you for a moment in curiosity. The smirk slowly disappeared from his face as he looked down, eyes on the floor, and he licked his lips. He focused on his thoughts as if he was reconsidered his last words but you could see that his sudden confidence was still present in him, though he was starting to doubt whether or not he should had said it to you.

- You... - your voice was quiet and shaky but you spoke anyway - you were dreaming about touching me... w-where?

His eyes quickly glanced at you, dark and mysterious, they met yours for a moment and you shivered at how lustful he was looking at you.

- You really wanna know?

You bit your lower lip and nodded.

- I was dreaming about touching your soft skin - he answered with a low voice - putting my hand underneath your shirt and starting with your ribs as I slid my fingers over your skin, slowly and delicately, feeling how warm and soft it is... before I moved up to your beautiful breast, finding one of your nipples and brushed against it with my thumb until it shrank and got hard...

He stopped for a moment, waiting for you to give him a sign that you wanted him to continue and you did, nodding again as you watched him, more and more aroused.

- Then I think I spread my fingers and grabbed your breast, weighing the fullness of it in my palm - he smirked - It felt very real... Your body was warm and comfortable and I just couldn’t resist to press against it, have you as close to me as I could - he paused before he confessed - I was hard for you.

As much as his new found confidence helped him with telling you about his dream, his last words were spoken very quiet and with hesitation. He felt like he was risking now of losing you or winning you over if you, in any chance, had the same feelings towards him. As he was watching you under his brows, he already knew you were curious and excited, but he wasn’t sure if that was enough for you to make love to him. Oh, how much he longed for you to say yes to him, so he could show you how much he loved you.

He chuckled at how much his desires were taking over him right now. He’d never felt like this before, he’d never had such strong feelings towards any other person before you. It frightened him, because no one had awoken so strong desires in him before and he didn’t know what would happen if he simply gave in to them, but on the other hand, he wanted to let go. At least once in his life he wanted to just let go and do what he pleased.

- I was so hard I rubbed against your butt and kept teasing your nipple... You moaned in my dream and it was the prettiest and the most melodic sound I’ve ever heard.

You blushed even more as you focused your eyes at your feet, trying to stay calm and keep your posture straight as you ordered your heart to stop beating so damn fast.

- Then I think I moved my hand lower to your belly and played with the waistband of your short for a moment before I untied the strings.

You smiled at this as you started imagining everything he was telling you, but then you furrowed your brows and glanced at the strings. They were indeed untied when you’d started playing with them but you’d been so preoccupied with Arthur that the thought of why they were untied, hadn’t even crossed your mind. You always tied them up, because they were long and you preferred them being strung up in a pretty bow. Yet, they were unknotted.

You thought that maybe they had untied by accident when you’d been struggling with Arthur in bed, but maybe... Maybe... Could he? No, he’d said he hadn’t done anything to you, only had dreamed about it.

- Darling?

- Emmm... - you glanced at him with confusion - It’s alright, just... My strings are indeed untied - you chuckled nervously.

- I noticed - he acknowledged it, just simply agreeing with you as he observed you for a moment, taking some time to consider something. He shook his head in disbelief to the conclusion that appeared in his head - No, Y/N, that was only a dream, you have nothing to worry about.

You nodded waiting for him to continue.

- I was putting kisses all over your neck when the song started playing. Cliff Richard’s song, Living doll. Have you heard it?

- No.

- I like this song, I think it suits you.

- Suits me? You think I’m a living doll?

- You look so pretty like a doll.

You blushed again and smiled.

- Thank you.

- You’re welcome - he smiled back and got back to his dream - And as I was kissing your neck... I think I nibbled a little at your skin... I put my hand on your butt and slid it lower to- - his confidence once again failed him a bit as he needed to cleared his throat before he finished his sentence - to touch the sweet spot between your tights.

You gasped at his words as you felt a familiar throbbing inside of you. It was like you were listening to a porn and watching it inside your head as your imagination had picked up Arthur’s words and was forming them into very vivid images. You were so wet, you were afraid that your arousal might soaked through your shorts and you didn’t want Arthur to see it. That would be so embarrassing if he did and you would feel ashamed about it. Standing in front of your crush, hearing about what he’d done to you in his dream, and then he realizing how much it was arousing you? Fuck. This was too crazy to think about it.

He opened his mouth to say more, but suddenly he closed them and sniffed the air. He turned his head to look at the pan and he realized that the pancakes was burning.

- Shit.

He rushed to the kitchen and took the pan off of the gas burner.

You slowly followed him and even felt sorry for the wasted pancakes, but really, you didn’t care about the breakfast that much. You only were thinking about the way he'd described his dream to you. It was the only thing that you were focused on now. There were so many details in it and it felt so realistic and stimulating. He had a really vivid and good working imagination. Too bad he was now preoccupied with trying to safe your breakfast, you wanted him to finish his story.

Him brushing your nipple, touching your pussy, kissing and nibbling at your neck... You definitely wanted to hear more.

You placed your hand on your neck and rubbed against the skin there, just trying to imitate his touch on you. He didn’t see what you were doing as you were slowly touching the side of your neck, sliding your fingers up and down, down and up.

You watched his silhouette, his worn out but gentle hands touching things, his fingers grabbing a panhandle, his eyebrows furrowed as he was hyperfocused on everything he was doing.

Your fingers drew a small circle on the crook of your neck and you felt a little sting in one place when you pressed there with more pressure. You slowly withdrew from the kitchen and looked around you. You found a small mirror hanging on the wall and you moved there to look.

There was a small redish spot on your neck. It wasn’t a bruise nor a hickey. But you hadn’t had it yesterday and it didn’t look like an insect sting. When you looked closer at the shape of it, it reminded you of a bite, but larger than any insect could had made. You weren’t sure, maybe your imagination was giving you a wrong impression, but it looked like a love bite to you.

You swallowed hard and started to think about the...worst? possibility. Could had Arthur made it? Could he left a love bite on your neck when you’d been sleeping? Just like in his dream?

But what if...

What if it hadn’t been a dream at all?!

- Doll?

You turned around and looked at Arthur. He was standing there, watching you attentively as he had been since you’d woken up. With the light coming behind him, his figure was swathed in shadows, increasing the dark and mysterious vibes that made him look so intimidating and compelling.

- What is it? You’re hurt? - he looked at your neck slightly furrowing his brows.

- There’s a... There’s a red mark on my neck and it looks like a bite - you explained - A-are you sure you were only dreaming, Arthur?

The crease between his brows deepened as he glanced at your face. His mind grasped your way of thinking and even though you’d put your thoughts into a question, it still felt like an accusation to him. Accusation that his ability to distinguish the reality from his imagination was defective again. He felt hurt by your words. There were too many people in his life questioning his sanity through over the years that he’d grown very insecure and sensitive to any signs or doubts that the reality might not be what he thought it was. Most of the time, he couldn’t find any evidence that what he thought was real, wasn’t in fact, or the other way around, and sometimes he was so sick and tired of doubting that he couldn’t stand when someone was telling him that he might be hallucinating again.

He’d been dreaming about touching you or he hadn’t? Was he dreaming now or was it real? How real could reality be if dreams felt as much damn real?

- It was only a dream - he said certainly, emphasizing the word only - I wouldn’t touch you without your permission. I wanted very much, but I was reminding myself to wait.

He closed his eyes, focusing on trying to block the doubts that was filling up his head now. If it had been only a dream, he could tell, couldn’t he? It felt very real, but... Also too good to happen. He wished it was all real, but could it be enough to actually make it real?

As he was focused on his own thoughts, you concentrated on your own doubts. He wouldn’t lie to you, but what if he was lying to himself? What if he confused dreams with reality? You noticed him being confused, even though he sounded very certain to you. He insisted you to believe him, but the red mark on your neck and the untied strings were telling you otherwise. And you still hadn’t figured out how had you lost your memory. You didn’t know what to think. You wouldn’t mind if he did touch you, but you want to be awoken and aware of it.

- Artie?

- Yes?

- Did I upset you with my question?

- No, no, Y/N, I just... - he glanced at you and smiled slightly, almost apologetically - I promised, I’ve waited.

- Waited for my permission?

He nodded.

- Till morning.

There was a long pause before you ask your next question.

- D-do you want to touch me now?

He nodded. His eyebrows raised slightly in hope.

The arousal you felt was pulsing inside your core way stronger now as you realized how close you were to make it happen. You swallowed and walked closer to him.

- You have my permission. You can touch me.

He glanced at you with mix of disbelief and gratefulness in his eyes. In that moment he stopped looking so intimidating. He was innocent again. His hands raised and hung in the air, unsure of what to do now. Where to touch you.

You slowly took his hands in yours and guided them underneath your shirt. His fingers gently brushed against your waist, making you laugh.

- It’s tickling.

- Sorry - he smiled apologetically and moved his hands to your belly.

He was touching you lightly but with more pressure, slowly sliding his fingers against your skin, moving them up and up your ribs until he stopped right under your boobs. He looked down at you with a silent request. You gathered your confidence even though you couldn’t help but blush and reassured him that you wanted this.

Your shirt was pulled up and your boobs were there for his eyes to see. He placed his hands flat on your breast and gently squeezed them before he used his thumbs to make your nipples hard. His every move was thought out and he admired every part of your body that he placed his hands and eyes on.

- You’re so beautiful, you know that? - he asked as he knelt before you.

You mumbled something incoherent, lost of words were you as you watched him putting kisses on your lower abdominal as your nipples were twirling between his fingers. You wanted more, more of his kisses and touches, you wanted him to fuck you here and now. Against the wall, on a carpet, in the kitchen, just wherever, but now.

You took a deep breath, understanding now what it had taken from Arthur to withhold himself.

- I like the way you smell here - he said as he inhaled the scent of your arousal before he pressed his lips on your shorts. The pressure against your clit and the view before you were enough to make your knees bend slightly. You supported yourself by placing your hand on his shoulder, while the other hand tangled in his hair.

He slid his hands down and tucked his fingers in the waistband of your shorts before he pulled them down to your ankles. His eyes wandered to your pussy and he licked his lips to make them more wet. He knew... he saw on porn movies that women loved being licked down there and he thought that if you taste as good as you smell then he would loved to lick you all night long. And if he got it right then you would come for him as many times as it possible.

But to get it right, he also had to start properly.

He stood up and took your face between his hands. Looking you in the eye, he leaned down and join his lips with yours. It was a soft and innocent kiss that he gave you. The first kiss of lovers.

He closed his eyes and felt as you slightly parted your lips, so he did the same. You captured his lower lip between yours and with that you both started kissing each other with more passion and hunger, naturally following each other’s steps. His lips felt so kissable and even though he tasted like cigarettes, he also tasted like something you always wanted to find, but hadn’t till now: gentleness, comfort and overwhelming love.

You pressed your body to his and rested your hands on his bare chest, gasping at the feeling of his hardness against your lower belly. You felt the hair that covered some parts of his chest and you brushed your fingers over his nipples. Touching his body was something you’d dreamed of for some time and you could finally feel how your dream was coming true.

His mouth parted from your lips as he kissed his way from your chin to your neck, nibbling at the exact same spot where the red mark was.

He thought that this time that he was allowed to do it, he could make it more visible.

He could do much more to you in fact.

He leaned down and took one of your nipples into his mouth, sucking on it slightly as his fingers were pinching the other one.

You moaned loudly and covered your mouth. If you were going crazy by nipples stimulating, you couldn’t imagine what power he would have over you when he slipped inside you.

He switched between the nipples and started sucking on the other, making you moan once again. The wetness was dripping down your thighs, you could feel your neediness grew in and through your abdomen.

- P-please, your mouth o-on my... clit, p-please - you mumbled as you glanced down at him.

He glanced at you back and smirked, standing up and grabbing your waist. He turned you around and put your back against the wall, before he sat down on his feet. Grabbing your leg he threw it across his shoulder and pressed his mouth onto your throbbing pussy. You felt his lips wrapping around your clit as he sucked on it gently, licking it with the tip of his tongue. You leaned your head against the wall and closed your eyes. This felt fucking amazing.

He smirked as he flatted his tongue to press it against your petals. He wanted to taste you and he did, which was crazy to him. He’d never had woman’s pussy for his mouth to eat and had never known the taste. But now that he had you in front of him, pressed against the wall, with your sensitive parts wet and opened up, he could finally feel what it was like to pleasure a woman this way.

He used his fingers to spread your petals and he rubbed the spot between them, feeling the wetness as he was watching your face, analyzing your reaction. He liked that you couldn’t quite control yourself, your expression was so easy to read, he could learn from it.

He played with your clit, using his tongue and his mouth as he caressed one of your legs, the one that you were standing on, the one that was shaking slightly from excitement.

He thought about entering you with his index finger, wondering how did you feel inside. He slid it lower to your entry and made a small circles around it. You were so soft, so warm, so delicate. The member in his pants twitched impatiently, painfully hard and throbbing.

He wanted to touch himself, to release some tension, but he knew he had to focus on you first, make you cum and then take you to bedroom to make love to you.

His index finger slipped easily into you, slowly moving deeper and deeper until he decided to pull back. He repeat that a few times still pleasuring you with his tongue and mouth. It surprised him how wet you were, your liquids were basically dripping down his hand and he wondered if he was really the one that had caused it. The wetter the woman was, the more aroused she was - that was what dr Sally once had told. But how much wet a woman could get? Arthur wondered.

You moaned and grabbed his curls, your hips were rolling as you were very closed to finish. You looked down at him, watching his closed eyes, his nose bumping against your pussy, his brown curls into the grip of your hand...

You felt another wave of pleasure coming through your body and you opened your mouth letting out a loud moan.

Arthur added another finger as he thought it was a good time to do it and fastened fingering you, matching the way your hips were moving.

You were on the edge now, loosing control over your body, fucking on his fingers as you pressed his head onto you wanting more pressure to be applied to your nub. You were cumming now, shaking with pleasure, moaning his name. More liquids were going down his hand and your knee bent as you couldn’t stand straight anymore.

Fuck, you were coming hard.

He let you ride your orgasm on your own, not quite sure when to stop pleasuring you. He slowed down fingering you until he stopped completely, but stayed inside you, feeling your walls clenching around his fingers. His hand was all wet, and he liked it even, the evidence of your climax were all over his hand. That was a really nice view.

You opened your eyes as the last weaker wave of pleasure ran down your body and waited till you were able to control your body reactions again. You looked down at him and smiled shyly. You hadn’t expect yourself to cum this hard and you were almost sorry that your liquids were everywhere, down your legs, all over his hand and even on the floor underneath you.

- That was... wow! Arthur, you were amazing - you said as you saw his cheeks turning pink - But also I’m so sorry for the mess...

He didn’t replied, just looked at you with a small smile on his face as he slowly pulled out of you. He didn’t mind the mess, not at all. He’d made you felt so good you climaxed. He didn’t know why would you apologize for that.

You watched him as he observed his fingers for a moment before he put them into his mouth and sucked your arousal off of them. He didn’t do it to turn you on, he did it to show you that it was okey or even more than okey that you’d made a mess. It was also out of curiosity, he wanted to know the taste of you after you cum.

- Mmmm - he murmured - much sweeter.

He stood up and pulled you closer to him to kiss you. You tasted yourself on his wet lips and his tongue that was dancing with yours for a moment. After a while he pulled away to ask you a very important question.

- Do you want to - he started in a low voice as he looked you in the eye - to make love to me?

You nodded.

- Yes - you replied keep nodding as your lips curled up into a big smile - God, yes.

He chuckled relieved that he had you willing for him and he took your hand to lead you to the bedroom.

He wanted to lift you and carry you there, but that would he save for your wedding night.

As you laid down on a mattress with your legs spread, he removed his pants and freed your cock that was glossy with pre cum already. His shaft was thick and veiny, all hard and ready to enter you.

He crawled onto the bed and hovered above you with his hands placed on sides of your head.

He pressed a kiss onto your lips and lowered himself, rubbing against your clit a few times.

- It’s... - he closed his eyes, not sure how to say it - I’m afraid it’s... - he sighed - I’m not gonna last long it’s my f- I mean... If you’re okey with...

You kissed his cheek. You wanted him to know that you accepted him and wanted him to feel as good as he’d made you feel a moment ago.

- It’s alright, I understand.

You reached down with your hand and wrapped your fingers around his shaft, guiding it to your entrance.

You looked each other deep in the eyes, recognizing each other’s feelings and needs, and took the time to appreciate the moment you had, seeing yourselves in the eyes of another. You communicated with no words, because you both knew that no words could express of what you both felt at that moment.

He entered your warm and tight walls with a slow push. You bit your lower lip feeling him going deeper and stretching you the way that gave you an irresistible pleasure. He fit perfectly inside you as if his shape and length was made for you. He kissed you as he stayed still for a moment, remembering that women needed some time to adjust.

Little he knew that you were so ready for him that you adjusted to him almost immediately.

You wrapped your legs around his hips and made him push into you slightly. He understood and started to move, pulling out and pushing in, slowly but deep as he lowered down to rest his forehead against yours.

- Does it feel good? - he asked.

- It feels more than good.

- I’ve been dreaming of making love to you.

- I know... Me too.

He smiled as he still was looking into your eyes, cherishing this intimate moment that was between you two. The feeling of being inside you, of filling you and giving you pleasure was the best thing he’d ever felt in his entire life. He’d never experienced sex before even though it was one of his dreams to become intimate with someone. He knew he could go and pay a hooker, but that was too instrumental for him, too indifferent and deprived of any feelings or bond.

And sex was always more than sex to him. That was why he’d waited. He couldn’t just have sex with you. He was making love to you.

He closed his eyes and parted his lips. His pace fastened and his movements became more rigid as he was close to climax. He looked so attractive right now as you looked at him. With his curls bouncing, his eyes shut and his muscles tightened. He was even moaning quietly and you loved how he made you feel.

You held him closer to you, your hands wrapped around his body as he started move instinctively towards his own release.

- I... I’m gonna-

- Yes, Arthur, come inside me, I want you to.

He buried his face in the crook of your neck and growled, slowing his thrusting. He pumped his load inside of you with deep and erratic thrusts, sending shivers down your spine. You moaned as well, surprised by your second climax that was building inside of you. You were so close to it that you used your legs to guide Arthur to thrust into you a few times more, before you cum too, clenching your walls around his cock.

You both rode your orgasms right to the end and stood still for a longer moment, taking the time to come back to your senses. You rested your hands on Arthur’s back as he was breathing against your neck. You had his weight on your body and you could feel his heart beating as fast as yours and you could smell his sweat on his skin.

Everything about this was perfect.

- We really... - he breathed onto your skin - we really did this?

- Yeah... And it felt amazing.

- It was amazing - he agreed as he tilted his head to look at you - I’m so happy that I’ve waited for you.

You slightly squinted your eyes not sure of what he meant.

- That you waited till morning or...

- That I’ve waited all my life. I didn’t know who i was waiting for, but now I know it was you - he smiled before he kissed your forehead - And it was worth to wait, baby.

- I’m your first... - you couldn’t believe this.

- Mhm - he pressed another kiss onto the tip of your nose - And my last.

- Are you asking me to be your girlfriend? - you chuckled, not quite believing his words.

- Yes? - he asked with a hope in his voice.

You blinked in consternation. You thought if this was what you should agree to. You had crush on him, yes, you fell in love with him even, but you didn’t know him that well. And he didn’t know you. You were both admiring each other from a distance, but never dating. You felt like he had already planned his life with you, which was ridiculous and probably you got the wrong impression. He wouldn’t get so far with his imagination, would he?

He lifted off of you, but was still observing you, waiting for your response.

You opened your mouth and hesitated for a moment before you decided with a smile.

- Yes, I want to be your girlfriend.

He smiled and chuckled satisfied as his presumption was proven correct. You agreed to become his girlfriend, his one and only, just like he’d thought you would. He was sure you would also agree to live with him in his apartment and wake up every morning in his arms.

He smiled. This dream of his was going soo well for now.

#arthur fleck x reader #joker x reader #joker arthur fleck #arthur fleck imagine #joker imagine #arthur fleck imagines #joker imagines #joker #arthur fleck #arthur fleck reader

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lindsaystravelblogs · 2 years

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Days 8 to 10

Day 8

Many people were desperate to see the Northern Lights although being Summer here, we had no great expectation of seeing much. Nonetheless, we got a wake-up call at around 3.15am and went out on our balcony and there they were. We watched for a while and they were generally fairly weak, but Heather got some surprisingly good photos. We saw a much more spectacular display some years ago when we flew from San Francisco to Paris (via New Orleans and the North Pole would you believe). I had a window seat at the extreme back of the plane and saw them so woke Heather and we had great views of a spectacular display for an hour or more - and we were the only people awake on the plane. But from the ship, it was still pretty special!

We got our ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ cards this morning and went down to breakfast to the applause of most of the staff and a few passengers – including Richard and Bob whose table we now share. It really was wonderful to be able to move around at will while out cabin was refreshed with clean linen and towels, a vacuum clean, removal of rubbish, and so on.

The morning activity was a visit to the town of Paamiut, a very pretty town and I really love all the brightly painted buildings. We heard a couple of days later that people can paint their houses any colour they like, but when settlement first occurred, the buildings across the whole country (and maybe beyond) were colour-coded by government edict according to what they housed. This was so that people moving fro place to place always knew that red buildings were health buildings, blue buildings housed police and law-enforcement, green was for housing – and so on but I am just guessing what colour was for what. Now, every building is a picture of brilliant colour (rarely do you see paint peeling or a mix of colours on a single wall although door and window frames are always in a contrasting colour). Almost all rooves are black, apparently some bituminous sheeting like Malthoid or similar, but the whole scene in any village is very attractive to me – maybe not to the aesthete’s or art critic’s taste but it lifts my soul. Duplexes (and more) are common and each residence is typically painted in a different colour to it neighbour.

This village was a mixture of urban and rural landscape with creeks and green swathes sweeping between groups of houses, businesses and supermarkets. It was quite small, but interesting. We went into quite a nice museum. Most museums here seem to occupy several adjacent buildings and must be created with the tourist in mind. They are far more elaborate and comprehensive – and always very well cared for – than seems justified for such small remote communities. But they are all full of excellent historical and educational artifacts and records, making them little gems for the tourist.

We visited the quaint little church with its attached cemetery almost in the centre of town. I think it might feel weird to drive to work each day and wave to your parents’ or spouse’s graves at the side of the road as you go past. There is a much bigger cemetery on the edge of town. Every grave is adorned with a simple white cross on which is recorded the name and dates of the person occupying that plot. We were told that there is no crematorium anywhere in Greenland so every village has a small cemetery – and where the ground is frozen, I imaging digging a grave would be very hard work.

After lunch, we went zodiac-cruising. Heather signed up for a one-hour cruise, but I opted for the two-hour option – not really the best decision. By the time we got into the zodiacs, it was raining: very lightly at first but heavier at times in the next couple of hours. We cruised around several of the many nearby islands and saw three big partly-submerged fishing trawlers not far from the village. We were heading out to sea to look for whales when a call came over the radio that the local Inuits had caught a whale and were butchering it on one of the low islands. All the zodiacs converged on the spot, although it was not an easy task because nobody could explain exactly where it was or how to get there so there were lots of false trails before we all found the spot. The had killed a minke whale and hauled it up onto the rock and had already cut almost half of it up when we arrived. There were all the usual arguments on our zodiac about the evil heathen killing a whale as against the need to supply the village with food, traditional hunting methods versus the inequity of using powered boats and guns, and on and on. To me, it was all vey simple. People need to eat and if there is nothing else available, they need to kill and eat what they can. Farming is impossible at these latitudes and there is no industry to create money to buy supplies in – so fish, birds and whales have to be eaten to avoid starvation. But the ‘save the whales’ voice was very loud on our zodiac, and I think others too.

We then went looking for live whales but our zodiac driver seemed more intent on scaring up rafts of birds and chasing them for a kilometre or more and when they settled, he would do it again. Nonetheless, we did see at least four whales but all a fair way away. I was very cold and wet and really don’t have much interest in chasing whales so was glad when we had to return to the ship for a hot shower and more comfortable dry clothes.

Day 9

We berthed in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, early in the morning. One big advantage was that for the first time, we could all pronounce where we were – Nuuk sounding like Luke. There was a shuttle bus that took us on a tour of town and ended up at the museum. There are three parts of town, developed at different times, and the first stop was in the newest area with the nicest houses and a great view across the harbour. The second stop was near the University and large cemetery, and finally on to the museum. It was a great museum and we could have spent days in it. It occupied numerous buildings but we spent quite a bit of time in the main complex with a huge range of artifacts, including some mummified bodies believed to be from about 1475 AD. All the artifacts had extensive interpretive notes, most of which included an English translation, and it would have taken all day and more to read it all. We went into another building, a complete cooper’s workshop, and could have gone to more, but it was raining and we had a walk some distance to catch the bus back to the ship. We had intended getting off along the route to visit the supermarket and the craft shop but decided that it was too far to walk back to the ship in the rain. Perhaps a good decision because other people who had similar aspirations found the shop closed.

We stayed on board in the afternoon and shortly before dinner, a local guy did a demonstration of kayak-rolling beside the ship. It has become an important international sport where the kayaker rolls sideways in the kayak completely rolling the kayak multiple times (I think someone said he held the world record of 50-odd continuous rolls) using the paddle in various ways and positions to make the rolls easier or harder. The sport apparently originated to enable hunters to disengage from ropes that may have entangled them after harpooning a whale. It certainly beats the Polar Plunge for coldness and may just keep the kayaker alive.

Day 10

Overnight, we repositioned the ship to Sisimiut (40 kilometres inside the Arctic Circle) and after breakfast, there were three one-hour bus trips organised for 9, 10 and 11am. We managed to get on the first one.

We had one stop at a lookout where we could see most of the town with its brightly coloured houses and surrounding area, and another long stop at Dog Town – more than a thousand Greenland Sled Dogs all tethered just out of reach of the others, covering a huge area. There were a couple of puppies and one full-grown dog running around loose where the bus stopped and many people (definitely not me!) were petting them - but all the working dogs were out of bounds for anyone other than their owners. There was a guy there feeding his dogs and all the others were straining violently at their leads and barking like crazy wanting to have some of the food – and probably the guy with the food as well.

During the afternoon, there were a couple of lectures: I went to one on Whales and Heather went to the other one about some ill-fated explorers. I had been trying to get some advice about some bird photos I had, so spoke to John (who did the Whale lecture) and ended up in a long discussion about expedition cruising and we seemed to agree on a lot of issues that confirmed my intention to give Aurora some very critical feedback once we get home again.

There was another lecture after dinner but we never made it to that. We sat over dinner chatting with Bob and Richard until the dining area was long ago empty and it was too late to attend the lecture. It was probably the most relaxed and enjoyable meal I have had at any time since leaving home.

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carnivoriisms-blog · 8 years

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↛ @oncebittcn

Red wellington boots. A child’s tuxedo, and those sodding, bright red, wellington boots. Twenty-three years ago. The lad was small, bouncing at his mother’s side, and shy. Looking at him now, the whiskey-downing, back-clapping, bastard son of Joseph Lucas seems not at all like his more youthful counterpart. And Robert hates him.

Charlotte took a shine to him; right there, the wedding day, and those red wellington boots. The boy had grown to be reckless, over-privileged and assuming --- and a drunkard, aged fifteen. No one else saw it, no one else wanted to; no one wanted to see the boy’s eyes ringed red, or the sleepless nights clinging to that jaw of his. He’d jut it out, hands in his pockets of his Armani, and would drop conceit like bile from between his teeth. He’s laughing now, carousing with the faceless crowd just as much as a STUCK PIG can carouse with the dinner guests, he supposes. Holds his liquor better now; holds a lot more of it, too. Happy Birthday, you bastarding shit. And Robert hates him.

He’s mantling a brandy at a bar swathed in low-light, hunkered down in the dark whilst his wife smothers herself with all that gleaming attention on the dance floor. Across from him Richard Astor, the bloody great hulk of a man, spits niceties at a pretty blonde who is not his wife. Robert doesn’t know her; doesn’t quite care. His company’s sober enough, and that’s all that matters.

The bar to the left of him swings, there’s a smudge of deep purple in his peripheral. Yes, he’s wearing purple; fine thing, too. Royalty, isn’t it? Richard wants to throw his glass in his face. Oliver Lucas sweeps himself behind the bar with the flourish of a man just on the very edge of sobriety, teeters on his heels just so, swoops to collect a bottle hidden away below. There’s one curl out of place on his head. There will be more than that.

Still has a boy’s face. Handsome, yes, objectively. And it is objective; Charlotte doesn’t fuck a man for his personality. But it’s a boy’s brow that which bends; a boy’s mouth crooning around the timbre of elitism that they all share --- it’s stuck in the air and, for once, Robert can’t find fault with that.

‘ And I thought I was fucking miserable. Sitting on you own? ’

There’s a swift GLUG; he’s clumsy pouring his own drink. Robert Enfield tilts his jaw, bequeaths glacial, ostensible jest.

‘ Wife’s been too busy dancing with you. ’

‘ If you’re envious we could dance, ’ Whiskey makes him a shit --- more of a shit, ‘ I’d have to lead, though. Always. Can you do the graceful side of things, Enfield? ’

It’s not funny. Robert makes a noise, a splintered guffaw, that declares so. And if Oliver’s perturbed he makes no showing of such. Robert points; his finger hovers over the bar like a wasp.

‘ But you. You can dance, can’t you? Young man like you, oh, you can dance. ’

Oliver’s eyes wander fleetingly to his glass, ‘ Perhaps you should stick to the lemonade for the rest of the evening. I hear one’s tolerance reduces with age. Damn shame, that. ’

Robert Enfield is a blunt rake of a man, forty-five, and bloody woeful. Always a down-turned face; he keeps his stresses around his eyes. Even here, Oliver can see them twitching; and feel them SWEEPING. Down and up. Oliver allows it; is no stranger to being the meat on the shelf. Enfield’s a business partner, not a friend. Meat, he deals in meat, and the eldest Lucas has never really wanted anything to do that side of things. You can’t get drunk on beef, the Enfields weren’t interesting. And then he sold himself to his wife.

He treads on ice, and it’s always thinning, he thinks. Enfield’s nodding into his glass, damn shame, and lifts his head like a hyena. He thinks, the prick’s still smiling. And he is, Oliver’s perpetually painted with that false leer of his; armour of some kind. Robert knows the look; the boy’s out of his depth, he has been for years.

Oliver’s looking over the man’s shoulder, catches eyes from across the room. Sea foam, they’re frowning, and denying. Charlotte’s sticking to the crowds, she’s not rescuing him from this, merges into the masses with an apparent teasing quirk of a brow; all yours, Lucas. They have their fun, still. They’re caught. The ice creaks.

‘ You like my wife, Oliver? ’

The younger lightly swings the bottle of whiskey from its neck between his fingers.

‘ I’ve always liked your wife. ’

Beneath, the waters are murky, he doesn’t understand. Can see this predator but cannot see its TEETH. Enfield has him pinned here, with his hunched shoulders and his brows making for his hairline in mock interest. This isn’t about dancing, and the man’s not drunk. No. Oliver knows what drunk looks like; it’s warm, smudged at the edges. Robert Enfield is cold, and his edges are sharp.

‘ Lemonade, Enfield. . . ’ He’ll stick to the charade, fine, ‘ And the tap water’s free. ’

Twenty minutes and he can leave. Zara, sat at their table, that wry smile he’ll take as a welcome and, thought you’d be late. Oliver can make it twenty minutes. Looks to do so and makes to twist upon his heels. Away, away from the knotting in his stomach and Charlotte slipping out of sight; away from the uncertainty he’s afraid of and those hyena’s eyes; away ---

Someone reaches, drags him back by his wrist. The bottle between his fingers drops, SPLINTERS upon glossed wood with a great crack! The shards are sent scattering across the bar, and onto his shoes. Christ, it echoes!

‘ --------------- I hadn’t finished that. ’

#oncebittcn #█ ✖ ❛ ( pre incident. ) : ʳᵒˡˡ ʷᶤᵗʰ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖᵘᶰᶜʰᵉˢˑ #( th; now the ice lays its smooth claws upon you. )#long post for ts

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sweetlifetownsville · 6 years

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Southern Queensland dust storm may hamper fire-fighting efforts

Updated November 28, 2018 14:55:34

Photo: Red dust fills the air in Charleville this morning. (ABC: Aneeta Bhole) Related Story: 'This is no ordinary fire': Premier urges Deepwater residents to flee potential 'firestorm' Related Story: In pictures: How bushfires are ravaging Queensland The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says "significant dust" has been observed at Charleville in southern inland Queensland, with the haze expected to move eastwards towards the coast. Key points:The dust could become an issue for crews battling fires burning in central QueenslandMore than a dozen heat records have been smashed across north Queensland since the start of the weekOn Tuesday, Cooktown reached 43.9C, Innisfail hit 42.3C and Townsville Airport recorded 41.7C The BOM said visibility was as low as 1,000m in Charleville, and authorities said it could become an issue for firefighters currently battling blazes in central Queensland, if it reaches that part of the state. Rural Fire Service bushfire safety officer Michael Welsh said the dust could exacerbate already-dangerous fire conditions along the east coast. "It's hard to see fires, hard to see smoke because of the dust it's pretty thick here, about 100, 150-metre visibility," Mr Welsh said. External Link:Satellite image of the Queensland dust storm "It's going to be hard to pick out these new fires if they start and jump on them early. That's going to be the biggest difficulty for us."

Photo: The dust storm is moving through the Central Warrego Race Club at Charleville. (Supplied: Queensland Ambulance Service) Heatwave to continue into weekend More than a dozen heat records have been smashed across north Queensland since the start of the week and an extreme fire danger warning has also been issued for the Capricornia region for Wednesday, with the scorching weather to continue across the state into the weekend. Temperature records broken so far: LocationNew Record Old RecordCairns Airport 42.6C (26/11/2018) 40.5C (20/12/1995)Coen 41.6C (27/11/2018) 40.7C (2006)Innisfail Airport 42.3c (27/11/2018) 42C (26/11/2018)Proserpine 44.9C (26/11/2018) 42.9C (20/12/1995)Mackay Airport 40.7C (26/11/2018) 38.5C (11/10/1955)Cooktown 43.9 (27/11/2018) 42.8C (26/11/2018)Townsville 41.7 (November record on 27/11/2018) 41C (November record on 15/11/1971) Source: Bureau of Meteorology Yesterday Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued an urgent plea for residents near Deepwater in central Queensland to leave their homes immediately due to the ongoing threat from a bushfire fanned by the unprecedented heatwave. "This is not an ordinary fire this is a dangerous fire that could result in a firestorm," Ms Palaszczuk said late on Tuesday afternoon. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) state manager Bruce Gunn said a massive swathe of Queensland was under heat stress and records had been tumbling. Among the maximum temperatures recorded on Tuesday, Cooktown reached 43.9 degrees Celsius, Innisfail hit 42.3C, and Townsville Airport recorded a November record of 41.7C. "It is still an exceptional weather event in Queensland," Mr Gunn said. "We've seen all-time weather records absolutely shattered, records that have stood for 60, 70 years they're really phenomenal conditions that we're experiencing." The BOM predicted the sweltering temperatures would continue towards the weekend along the coast before hitting western Queensland.

Photo: A massive swathe of Queensland is under heat stress and temperature records are tumbling. (ABC News: Shelley Lloyd) "There's extreme heatwave conditions being observed from Cooktown to Gladstone that's a huge area of the state," Mr Gunn said. "We see extreme fire dangers in Queensland maybe once every two years we've seen it three times or more in four days. "While the peak of the fire danger is tomorrow, the conditions are ripe to keep fires going for several days yet."

Infographic: Heatwave situation predicted in Australia for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - three days starting November 28, 2018. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology) Bats die in extreme heat In the state's far north, hundreds of flying foxes perished in the extreme heatwave conditions, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in the region for multiple consecutive days. Flying foxes that have become delirious in the record-breaking heat have been striking and biting humans, prompting a warning from health authorities about the potentially deadly lyssavirus. Cairns smashed its all-time heat record, with the mercury topping 42.6C on Monday. Queensland Health spokesman Richard Gair said the scorching temperatures caused the flying foxes to become disoriented and fly into humans. "We've seen a lot of bat bites over the last 24 hours," he said. "We normally see 30 to 40 bat bites or scratches in a year over the last 24 hours we've seen seven. "The bats that have been accidently flying into people, rather than people trying to pick them up [and getting bitten] or help them."

Photo: Flying foxes perished in the extreme heatwave conditions in Cairns on Monday. (ABC News) Cassowaries taking a dip In the wet tropics near Mission Beach on the state's north-east coast, a group of cassowaries was filmed submerging themselves in a rainforest stream amid the record-breaking high temperatures. External Link:Facebook: Cassowaries beating the Wet Tropics heat Native bees perish in hives Hives of native bees had also been decimated near Cairns, with the insects unable to withstand the sizzling sun. "A lot of people with native beehives up here have just experienced a complete loss in those hives," beekeeper Grahame Thornton said. "They [bees] will die at 42 degrees, but we've had temperatures a lot higher than that and so we've seen a lot of deaths. "Your average European honey bees are also going to be really stressed, so they could be sprayed with water to cool them down."

Photo: Cairns beekeeper Graham Thornton says the native bees were killed by extreme heat. (Supplied: Graham Thornton) 'Sunscreen' for fruit to stop it burning Fruit growers battling the heat had been forced to use some unusual tactics to protect their crops, which includes applying special fruit sunscreen. Mango farmer Tim Keogh, whose property is near Rockhampton, said it was a clay-based product that looked like a white water once dried on the skin of the fruit.

Photo: Mangoes with special 'fruit sunscreen' at the farm of grower Tim Keogh. (ABC Rural: Chloe McKenzie) "As soon as the forecast for this week came out, we fired up the tractor to get out and give them that protection," he said. "Basically it just helps protect the fruit from sunburn and discolouration on the skin." But it is a costly fix with one application on Mr Keogh's fruit crop costing nearly $4,000. "It's just one of those things if you want to produce the good fruit you have to spend the money on it, but this stuff is quite dear," Mr Keogh said. Other fruit farmers across the northern region shut down production entirely. Townsville mango grower Peter Manolis said he was worried about staff safety. "Three or four of our girls have felt under the weather and seeing that sort of effect on our staff we stopped harvesting yesterday all together," he said. "We'll probably work the rest of the week as half-days as well."

Photo: One application of 'sunscreen' on Mr Keogh's fruit crop costs nearly $4,000. (ABC Rural: Chloe McKenzie) Topics:weather,phenomena,emergency-planning,disasters-and-accidents,fires,bushfire,emergency-incidents,agricultural-crops,rural,qld,brisbane-4000,charleville-4470,australia,cairns-4870,maroochydore-4558,southport-4215,toowoomba-4350,townsville-4810,mackay-4740,rockhampton-4700,bundaberg-4670,longreach-4730,mount-isa-4825 First posted November 28, 2018 06:32:59 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-28/queensland-heatwave-to-continue-weekend-weather-records-tumble/10558952

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goldcoastdreams · 6 years

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'Significant' dust storm hits southern inland Queensland, predicted to move east towards coast

Updated November 28, 2018 14:55:34

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vitiligoandtreatment-blog · 6 years

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How To Identify Modern Style Homes

When modern is your style, you can't help but seek the neutral colors in life. Your wardrobe is probably mostly black and white. Creams, beiges and inky shades rule your home's decor. Simplicity seeps into every aspect of living. But how much is this affected by the actual home you live in? A farmhouse is so easy to fill with knick knacks and antiques that modern simplicity is almost impossible to attain in that element. So for ultimate modern living, living in a modern style house is the goal. Clean lines, neutral colors, the outside of your home will reflect the inside. Here's what you need to know about identifying modern style homes as you prepare to create your own modern paradise.

History

The modern styled made it's entrance at the end toward the end of the 19th century. With materials like glass, steel and concrete more readily available, people were ready to achew the older styles in favor of new and modern ones. Austrian architect Rudolph Schindler designed a home in 1922 that was named the first modern house in existence. His later creation of the Newport Beach house, Lovell, was a major cornerstone in modern architecture in the U.S. After the second world war, architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra made modern design a common sight among the wealthy neighborhoods.

Modern homes are very boxy in nature. With flat roofs, grid windows and industrial features, it's no wonder that they are the modern stylist's dream. Often, the exterior will be made up of elements like concrete or stone paired with wood siding. You'll find windows with black sashes, linear stair rails and fences and absolutely no shutters. Yet somehow, modern homes manage to be warm and inviting to the eye.

Exterior

So many modern homes you see consist of black and white. However it doesn't have to be two tone to be modern. If your house is in a rustic area, covering the exterior with warm wood siding can help your modern home blend into the neighborhood but still fit your modern style.

Pining for a bit of color in your life? Use the exterior of your home to achieve it. Pops of bright shades like turquoise, red and yellow make the exterior of your home a fun sight to see. You'll easily prove that modern living can be minimal and family friendly at the same time.{found on mcinturffarchitects}.

Living in a city home can be tricky for modern style lovers. Properties are smaller which makes your house options limited. However, to keep part of the traditional home and just add a modern piece, like a second story or a backyard greenhouse, can make your entire house feel modern and fresh even if it is technically a Queen Anne.{found on chanarchitecture}.

Challenged on horizontal space to build your modern home? Think tall instead. Rather than having your modern home splayed long across your property, stack all the areas on top of each other. Garage and storage on the bottom, living layers next and private areas on top.{found on duketarchitects}.

Modern homes can be anything but one big square if you like. They could be all kinds of squares and rectangles, stacked on top of each other in different ways to create one big work of art. Anyone would be lucky to call that home.

Modern living is quite a common style for tiny houses. When there isn't much room for quaint and chic, it's just best to go simple and clean, leaving you with a modern feel. Modern tiny houses can be small and vertical or so small that they are portable. It's up to you how much space you need to function.{found on design-milk}.

Whether your modern house is made up of stone and wood or wood and iron, you're sure to find some concrete somewhere in the exterior design. It's a common element for entertaining spaces since it's cheap and relatively simple. The easier the material, the bigger your outdoor entertaining space can be.

Just like the exterior of your home is modern, any outdoor living space is going to reflect this style. Sleek outdoor furniture will look wonderful on your modern patio. Black countertops would make a find outdoor kitchen choice. As you make these outdoor decisions, think of how they will look against the exterior of your home as well as how they work with your interior decor.

One reigning element of any outdoor space is the fire pit. There's nothing like settling down with your friends, hot cider in hand, and watching the flames together. There are tons of DIYs for modern fire pits if you have the itch to do a project or you can purchase on of the many sleek examples.

Some modern homes have the space for outdoor entertaining but maybe not the resources to add all the fancy patios and pools. No worries. Spend your time and money making your indoor living areas easily accessible from the outdoor space. Then all you have to do is throw open the doors and let the party flow in and out themselves.{found on fearns}.

No outdoor space to speak of? Get creative and consider vertical gardening. You can make your pattern face outward for the world to see or face inward for your own pleasure. Either way, use the walls of your home to bring some greenery into your life.

Interior

When you walk into a modern home, one of the first things you may notice is the open concept layout. Living areas are usually one large room, the living room flowing seamless into the dining room flowing into the kitchen. It's certainly a popular layout for families with children and hosts of large parties.

Reflecting the outside architecture, most of the indoor elements will also be boxy in design. You won't find rounded doorways or gently curved fireplaces here. Everything will have four lines and four corners, creating a clean and modern look.

You might think that a fireplace has no business in a modern home, but actually it's just the opposite. Amidst cold colors and sleek textures, fireplaces can offer that much needed warmth and comfort to a room. Find a modern one in black or white, maybe with burning stones or white faux wood.

Speaking of color, most modern homes limit the indoor palette as much as the exterior. Black and white comprise most everything with shades of gray and very light browns coming in to soften things up. Though like any other home, you'll probably find a pop of green from a houseplant in the corner.{found on AD}.

This black and white palette holds true all the way into the kitchen. White cabinets paired black countertops are a popular combination in the modern kitchen. It certainly encourages you to keep things clean and minimal in your kitchen styling. No pumpkin tea towels here.

If you'd rather go for a statement kitchen, consider just the opposite. Black cabinets with white countertops is going to bring the eyes immediately to what you have on the counter instead of the drawer pulls. It will also be that surprising combination that your home needs.{found on AD}.

If there was ever a time to opt for black tile, it would be in your modern bathroom. As long as you have some natural light to keep your space from going full on cave-like, you'll achieve the sleekest bathroom known to man, worthy of all the fluffy white towels you can muster.

So you don't want all black and you don't want all white, what's the in between? Marble obviously. With all its various gray tones, it will fit right into your two tone palette as well as bringing pattern to an otherwise flat view. It's especially effective to swath your modern kitchen in marble countertops and backsplash.

When your home is mostly colorless, it's extremely important that you have plenty of natural light to warm things up. Thankfully modern homes usually don't have any lack of that. Window walls let the sunlight in all day long while giving you the most amazing view.{found on AD}.

Things feeling a little dark in some corner of your home? Consider adding a skylight. It should be relatively simple in a modern home and it will light up all the dark corners that you have concerns about. Not to mention that stargazing is so much more fun.

Since most modern homes lean towards the minimal side, it's up to the literal structure of your house to provide interest. Wall panels, painted the same color as the wall, can add lovely texture without overwhelming a room.

When your stairs need a railing, it's only the best choice to make it pretty. Modern homes with a second story usually have simple steps and a linear railing design. Black is popular for the frame and sometimes, the “spokes” will be this silver chord or even the same matte black as the frame itself.

Open shelving in a modern kitchen is a great way to add interest to your space in a practical way. Since everything is displayed, it will also help you thrift through what you need and what isn't necessary, keeping in mind the style of your home.

Ahh lighting. Modern lighting might be the most fun to shop for. As another practical purchase, it makes sense to choose something that's fun to look at while it does it's job. Sparkly or matte, choose the lighting that best suits your space and makes your modern room happy.

Minimal is the Emerald City of the modern home which means more large statement pieces and no knick knacks. Large art is a great way to bring a little color into your space without cluttering things up. And don't forget your wonderful modern lighting.

Looking for a big bold statement in your modern home? Get some bright acrylic cabinets. Yes, they aren't black or white, but with their sleek fronts and modern finishes, they'll give you a kitchen that looks like it's from a movie.{found on AD}.

Maybe you'd prefer houseplants to make the biggest statement in your home? You need an indoor garden. Whether it's a full fledged terrarium room, a wall of herbs in the kitchen or just a few pots sprinkled throughout the house, that lively green will make your house into a home.

What do you do when your home is in the mountains but you despise all the bear and moose decor? Take a page from the 70's decor book. Paneled walls in honeyed wood tones, pops of harvest colors, all sleek lines, you'll have a modern cabin to be proud of.

At this point you're probably thinking “What about the kids' rooms?” Our suggestion is to give them the basics to start with. Simple modern bedroom furniture, maybe some two tone wall art and a bedspread in their favorite color. After that, let their imagination run wild and create their own space. Most likely they'll take note of your own modern style and model their room after it.

The post How To Identify Modern Style Homes appeared first on Home Decorating Trends - Homedit.

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fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years

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AW18 Trend Report: All the looks you’ll be wearing this autumn

http://fashion-trendin.com/aw18-trend-report-all-the-looks-youll-be-wearing-this-autumn/

AW18 Trend Report: All the looks you’ll be wearing this autumn

Autumn trends 2018: it might not feel like it, but it’s time to get ahead and jump on board the new season trend train – here’s our ultimate guide to the hottest key looks to start stocking up on…

Yes, we know the phrase ‘autumn trends 2018’ isn’t really music to the ears right now. And yes, we know your mind’s probably occupied by summer fashion trends 2018 like crayola brights and how on earth to wear suit shorts. The current weather conditions don’t really have you thinking, ‘MUST buy more Arran knits’. But never has the saying ‘success is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration’ been more apt. The last model stalked off the last Paris Fashion Week AW18 catwalk a while ago. And after traipsing round the four fashion capitals, we’ve filtered all the shows into the best Autumn Winter 2018 trends for you. So come on, fashion fans. Time to put that Ganni sundress down and brace up. A teeny bit of brow-mopping in the changing rooms and clever summer sales blitzing now and you’ll have your entire autumn/winter wardrobe sorted – while other, less organised beings are still panic-buying bikinis on their way to the airport. Mwah ha ha.

So, what did we learn from the NY/London/Milan/Paris AW18 Fashion Week whirl?

The buzzword of the coming season is ‘protection’ – whether it’s from the mean streets, or just from the elements, the options for cosseting and swathing yourself in layers of coverage are endless. It might not sound that welcome now – but when the chill winds start a-blowing, you’ll see this mega trend in a whole, grateful new light (we promise). Parkas, puffas, blankets, double, even triple coats – if in doubt, it’s all about adding another layer. And we’re starting from the head down. Balaclavas, silk headscarves, beanies, glamorous Little Red Riding Hood style hoods for evening… basically, it’s going to be a really good season for bad hair days. Hurrah! Without further ado, here are the trends to start planning your AW18 wardrobe around.

Scroll on down for all the Autumn Winter 2018 trends to know about…

Autumn trends 2018: Check print

Her Majesty appearing in Richard Quinn’s frow, Prince Charles’ support of the British Fashion Council, the fashion furore surrounding The Wedding…the royals are on trend as never before. And fashion loves them right back – stiff upper lip style in the form of trad tweeds, plaids and Balmoral-perfect silk headscarves are everywhere. Quinn worked foulards (the classic patterned silk scarf) into crazy layered looks, while Paul Andrew crafted archive foulard prints into chic shirtdresses for his Ferragamo debut.

Autumn trends 2018: Colour blocking

Designers including Marc Jacobs and Francesco Risso at Marni brought all the joy by showing off their skills as colourists – beautiful, unusual palettes were everywhere, reminding us of some of our favourite artists. Full-on Keith Haring neon at Prada, refreshing David Hockney pastels at Eudon Choi, tonal blocking a la Rothko at Marni and amazing Matisse style primary colour combos at Marc Jacobs.

Autumn trends 2018: 70s fashion

It’s the decade that won’t die when it comes to recent trends. And the sepia-tinged retro mood continues for autumn. But which 1970s character are you? Roksanda’s uptown girl, Marco de Vincenzo’s flares-wearing preppy or Louis Vuitton’s sporty jersey dress fan? Whichever way you go, remember – it has to be caramel, tan, toffee, tobacco..any colour as long as it’s a variation on camel, basically.

Autumn trends 2018: Boho clothes

Womens’ rights, LGBTQ rights, anti-sexism, anti-Trump, plastic in the oceans…you name it, we’re feeling strongly about it. Maria Grazia Chiuri has stoked controversy – and sales – with her political slogan t-shirts at Dior. And there was another heavy waft of CND-protest feeling in her AW18 Dior collection – nuclear disarmament symbols, tufted woven-rag knits, flat caps…Elsewhere, Missoni and Peter Pilotto also made a strong case for studenty knits and tie-dye.

Autumn trends 2018: Floral prints

We all love a floral dress for summer, but designers are amping them up with a dark, dramatic twist for this winter too. Rendered on black backgrounds, flowers look dark and decadent – at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vacarello covered his signature micro Dynasty dresses with flowers including sequinned poppies. Over at Preen and Erdem, there was a more historical mood, with blowsy roses winding over coats and silk dresses.

Autumn fashion trends 2018: Leopard print

Zebra is galloping into the spotlight as the animalia du jour – see Tom Ford’s OTT red take – and luckily for the Bet Lynch at heart, there’slots of amazing leopard. And there’s a lot happening in the world of furry coats – after Gucci’s recent announcement that they would no longer use real fur, we’re pleased to say that other major luxury houses are following suit. Designer of the moment Claire Waight Keller produced silky, standout leopard coats at Givenchy – and they’re all faux. Hur-roar…

Autumn fashion trends 2018: Hats

Whether it’s all about drama, a move towards the modest or just being plain toasty warm – covering your head is autumn’s biggest accessory message. Raf Simons set the tone at Calvin Klein during New York Fashion Week with standout knitted balaclavas – watch out for homages galore coming to a high street near you soon. Versace was all about the 1980s-tastic coloured beret, and the large silk headscarf is your best new accessory friend. Your mum will be so pleased.

Autumn trends 2018: Puffer jackets

‘Protection’ was the buzzword bandied around during the shows – a sense of clothes as urban armour, whether you’re stalking the mean streets, or just battling the elements. Shows like Balenciaga, Maison Margiela and Marni sum up the season’s styling – take a functional, sports-inflected polo, pile on a coat over a jacket, and add a puffa (and then another one)…

Autumn trends 2018: Blanket coats

Cape lovers – there’s a new update in town. Say hello to the blanket. And it’s not even a ‘blanket coat’ as such – it is quite literally a blanket. They were draped round the girls at shows including Roksanda and Isabel Marant, for an insouciant take on covering up for the cold. Easy to whip on, easy to take off and use for emergency winter picnics. Just joking – Roksanda’s cashmere would definitely demand a table, not grass.

Autumn trends 2018: Graphic print clothes

If delicate winter blooms aren’t your thing, there’s a whole other bold, non-pretty pattern trend to make a statement with. Choose from a host of graphic prints with a strong 1980s urban art vibe: Burberry’s graffiti squiggles looked as if they’d been lifted from the side of a New York subway carriage, while Jeremy Scott paid tribute to Lichtenstein cartoons at Moschino and Mary Katrantzou did bold Bauhaus lettering.

Autumn fashion trends 2018: Pajamas

The perfect antidote to animal print, bold colours and aggressive outerwear – say bonjour to the new AW18 update on robe dressing. Silk pajama suits, flowing belted robe coats and Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s pretty lace-trimmed separates at Chloe. And relax…

Autumn fashion trends 2018: Silver clothes

Global Bacofoil shortage incoming. That’s right, cool futuristic silver is the metallic to shine in. At MM6, it was head to toe (and wall to wall – the presentation took place in a blinding silver-lined room) – from trenches to boots. At Balmain, it was all about the glamazon that Olivier Rousteng loves so much, dressed in high shine lame. There was good old-fashioned movie star glamour courtesy of Givenchy’s swishy silver beading. Butif all this is making you think ‘Beam me up, Scotty’ – fear not. There are also cool, less ‘Hollywood’ takes on the trend – like the parkas at Marques Almeida and a holographic trench at Sies Marjan.

Autumn fashion trends 2018: Accessories

More is more is more. Our favourite kind of season…cowboy boots have been taking Instagram by storm and they’re set to continue as the must-have footwear trend for autumn. In keeping with all the layering going on, even scarves are getting in on the act – Karl Lagerfeld piled different coloured versions round the models’ necks at Chanel, and we are obsessed with Miu Miu’s punky retro knitted scarf-lets (is that a word? We say yes). Also on our wishlist: the giant squashy clutch, the fluffy Muppet bag, OTT earrings…and lastly – the cheap and cheerful banana clip. Splash out on a designer version – or hit the bargain bucket at the local chemist. You’re welcome!

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lenypark3r-blog · 8 years

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Bacall Associates Travel Singapore on 10 Things to Do

Introduction

Singaporeans moan that besides shopping, dining and the movies, there's not a lot you can do here. Ignore them. The must-see list for the one-day visitor to Singapore, especially the first-timer, is absorbingly long. There is very little chance you'll get bored. Most tourists tend to gravitate first towards the famed retail stretch of Orchard Road. Fine, get your fix of bold-faced names like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and every other couture label under the sun. When you've gotten that out of your system, dump your purchases back at the hotel and head out into the 'burbs where the real charm of Singapore lies. We're here to guide you to the top 10 places where tourists don't normally go; in short, the places where Singaporeans in the know live and play.

1. Singapore Botanic Gardens

So, you've arrived. It's early and nothing really opens for business until around 11 a.m., so how are you going to kill time? Slip on the trainers and head out to the Botanic Gardens (open 5 a.m. to midnight). At this time of the day, downtown Singapore's last remaining green lung is a cool, bucolic retreat filled with joggers, dogs and tai-chi practitioners. Wander through the swaths of virgin rainforest (the main boardwalk through it is entered from Upper Palm Valley Road) and then take in the National Orchid Garden's many-colored collection of 1,000 orchid species and 2,000 hybrids. When you're done, drop into the food court near Tanglin Gate for a traditional local breakfast of soft-boiled eggs, coffee and toast slathered with coconut jam.

2. Artwork at the Ritz-Carlton

It may seem a little strange to head to a hotel to look at artwork, but the Ritz-Carlton is no ordinary hotel. The massive three-ton Frank Stella installation at the entrance and the pair of Dale Chihuly crystal glass sculptures that anchor both wings of the building kick off one of Southeast Asia's finest (and under the radar) collections of modern and contemporary art. The majority of the pieces were specially commissioned for the public spaces and guest suites. The treasures on view include Andy Warhol and David Hockney's exuberant colors, Rainer Gross's geometric compositions, Henry Moore's restrained monochromatics and the lush botanicals of Robert Zakanitch. It's all free to view, and you even get an iPod-guided tour.

3. Chinatown Heritage Centre

Let the other tourist hordes charge over to the newly minted Peranakan Museum or the gloomy Asian Civilisations Museum. If you do only one cultural thing during your 24hour Singapore layover, it must be a tour of the unheralded Chinatown Heritage Centre, where entire sets of bedrooms, kitchens and street scenes from the late-19th century and early-20th century have been faithfully recreated. It's an authentic slice of Singapore's history that's made all the more fascinating by the gleaming skyscrapers just a few blocks away. And if you must, pick up a kitschy souvenir from the gift shop on your way out.

4. Plastic Surgery

In case you missed the memo, the place for plastic surgery is Asia. While many people head to Bangkok and Seoul for assorted nips and tucks, the locals make a beeline for the ultra-swish, Richard Meier–designed Camden Medical Centre. You may not have time for a full makeover, but squeeze in a spot of Botox or a non-surgical facelift with local celebrity surgeon Woffles Wu. And then adjourn downstairs for snapper pie and Pavlova at Whitebait & Kale.

5. Electronics for Cheap

Tokyo may have the latest in electronic gadgets, but Singapore has the widest range, and luckily for the time-pressed shopper, they're all clustered in two massive multistory emporia. Handicams, portable DVD players, mobile phones, hi-tech cameras, MP3 players and laptops in just about every imaginable configuration are up for grabs at Funan Digitalife Mall and Sim Lim Square. The prices are usually about 10% to 20% cheaper than at other commercial outlets. At Sim Lim Square especially, good deals can be had with some serious haggling, and many retailers will knock off a few extra dollars if you pay in cash.

6. Haji Lane

This tiny lane, hidden away in the heart of the Muslim quarter, is a fashionista's paradise. With very little fanfare, the collection of narrow shop-houses have, in less than a year, been transformed into an aggressively hip retail stretch recalling Le Marais in Paris or New York's Meatpacking District. Know It Nothing is a stylish industrial space that stocks beautifully tailored dress shirts stitched with silver skull buttons by Japanese label Garni. Next, pop into Pluck for its shabby chic collection of Austin Powers– inspired cushion covers and a cute ice-cream parlor. A few doors down, Salad boasts a range of home accessories like laser-cut table mats and Hong Kong–based Carrie Chau's quirky postcards. If you're feeling peckish, have an authentic Middle Eastern lunch around the corner at Cafe le Caire.

7. The Singapore Flyer

The 165-meter-high Flyer is Singapore's answer to the London Eye. For the moment, it is the world's largest observation wheel (that title will go to Beijing when its version opens in 2009). Despite much fanfare and hype, the locals have never really taken to the Flyer, grousing that it's too far from anywhere (it's not) and S$29.50 is a lot of money to pay for a 30-minute ride. Lucky you, since this means you'll almost never have to wait in line. The best time to hitch a ride is at dusk when the entire row of downtown skyscrapers is softly lit. Back on the ground, head for a dinner of chili crabs at Seafood Paradise.

8. The White Rabbit

Back in the '50s, Dempsey Hill was home to the British Army. These days, the former barracks, set amidst lush jungle, have been transformed into a fine collection of restaurants, bars, art galleries, epiceries and spas. Recently, the long abandoned garrison church was reopened as the White Rabbit, a restaurant and bar serving up Euro comfort food. After extensive renovations, its lofty interiors are now a mood-lit bolt-hole that heaves with tout le monde. When people aren't busy air-kissing and waving to one another across the crowded dining space, they're tucking into chef Daniel Sia's cleverly re-imagined classics, like macaroni and cheese drizzled with truffle sauce and a deconstructed Black Forest cake. After dinner, head up the hill for a chilled mojito at Margarita's.

9. Geylang

Once upon a time, Bugis Street was Singapore's premier red light district (and forever immortalized in Peter Bogdanovich's Saint Jack), but the crown has long since passed to Geylang, an atmospheric quarter on Singapore's east coast that bristles with great period architecture, leggy street walkers and some of the best local food on the island. On offer is a greedy grab of Peranakan, Indian, Malay and regional Chinese standards including the coconut rice and curry chicken at Bali Nasi Lemak, spicy noodles with roast pork and prawns at Kuching Kolo Mee and the Hakka favourite of rice, vegetables, tofu and peanuts in a tea-based broth at Lei Cha Fan.

10. Zouk

Despite its prim, straight-laced reputation, Singapore's nightlife is actually quite racy, though compared to Barcelona or New York, the party ends early (around 3 a.m.). After nearly two decades, Zouk is still the throbbing heart of the action. The pulsating institution is a strobe-lit, rambling warren of dance floors, figure-hugging outfits, swagger and seasoned moves. For many of the pretty young hipsters here, it's a rite of passage. If it isn't enough to satisfy your urge to groove, drop into the mammoth Ministry of Sound for a quick shimmy.

#Bacall Associates Travel Singapore #Marketing Agency UK #Thailand #Vietnam

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sweetlifetownsville · 6 years

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Southern Queensland dust storm may hamper fire-fighting efforts

Updated November 28, 2018 14:55:34

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