#kris usually has to pick up the pieces of the group before they finally hit the hay (since they have the most experience. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

teruthecreator · 2 years

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im rlly bored and DESPERATELY want to get high rn so here’s some random dr thoughts related to it:

kris smokes weed pretty regularly (asriel used to get it from burgerpants, and then when he moved to college he moved in w a friend--coughcoughCHARAcoughcough--who grows and sells. so whenever he goes home he makes sure to leave kris a few pre-rolls in case they need them). it helps them be more social and makes them feel a little more in control of their body (even when their soul isnt being manipulated im sure the effects put them in a weird dissociative state related to their body--the weed helps). they usually have to wait until toriel’s asleep to do it bc they would get LITERALLY ROASTED if she knew about it (years down the line they’ll get a prescription but for rn they just have to shove blankets into the crack in the door and smoke directly out the window). also definitely the type to roll up before school and show up super baked; surprisingly enough, those are the days they stay awake during class.

noelle, despite her appearances, has smoked before (with kris). she isn’t a big fan of the taste and the process of inhaling makes her anxious about lung problems (esp w her dad in the hospital), but sometimes when she’s super overwhelmed she will partake. also i think rudy has a prescription for medical marijuana only bc the mental image of opening the hospital door to see him toking the fuck up is absolutely Hilarious. but it’s pretty typical for severely ill patients!!! anyways that’s how she gets it when kris runs out; rudy will make jokes that he’s “turned to a life of crime” before handing it over and noelle will always laugh. carol holiday has NO idea her daughter smokes btw she’d lose her mind if she did.

susie acts like she’s smoked before but she’s only stolen cigs from her dad when he’s out of the house. she only smokes weed when she becomes friends w kris and they invite her over. she is super nervous abt weed at first (she tries to brush it off like she isn’t but she knows how she looks--if an authority figure caught her walking home smelling loud as fuck she’d get thrown right in juvy) but kris is eventually able to convince her to try it. she ends up liking how it makes her feel; she gets really calm and super focused, which is how she ends up picking up half of her grades from F’s to C-’s. she also gets even more ravenous when high so the two always have to make a midnight run to sans’ for snacks. sans knows what’s up but he ain’t a snitch.

berdly is...well. berdly. d.a.r.e. graduate, the whole nine yards. has never even SNIFFED an alcohol. believes wholeheartedly that peer pressure is REAL so you should NEVER GO NEAR WEED OR OTHER ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES!!!!!!!!! once he realizes all of his friends have tried weed at least Once he gets like. lowkey offended??? esp at noelle. but i think they would tell him in a very intimate, private setting so he actually calms down pretty quickly and gets super curious. obviously since he’s such a “Boy Genius” he’s done his research on both the positive and the negative effects of marijuana on the body and mind, so he asks a lot of questions abt how it’s affected the others. kris actually gets super into it with him??? like they have a really nice, productive conversation and berdly actually gets chill about the whole thing by the end of it. i think it would take a few hang seshes for him to actually try it (bringing back my post of “berdly hits the blunt from the lit end and coughs so hard he throws up” bc i think its real and would happen), and he has fun! makes him very silly and loose but also a lot slower. he trips up on words and loses his thoughts a bunch, but since everyone else is laughing he doesn’t feel embarrassed.

also obviously ralsei is the weed master 420-ing it up in the dark world. the reason he won’t show susie and kris the upstairs is bc it’s a greenery up there for all his weed strains. he is the dark world’s dealer. the dank prince. he only does edibles though.

#deltarune #ignorance cloud on #drugs tw #???? ig #idk its weed not that serious #ALSO BEFORE ANYONE GRILLS MY ASS: 1. i hc the lightner gang around 16-18 so its not like Actual Children smoking weed #2. teenagers literally smoke weed all the time. they live in a small town. what do you honestly expect #as someone who grew up in a small town the only reason it took me till college to smoke for the first time is bc i had no friends #but its a common occurence and Also weed helps a lot of people so i think (if done responsibly) its perfectly fine #but bc theyre teens theyre gonna hide it from their parents. except for rudy hes chill #(rudy and asriel make sure everyones safe and if someones greening out the kids know they can call either one of them)#toriel finds out Eventually and becomes fine with it. it just takes a VERY long conversation that asriel has to be there for #carol holiday that type of mom to be like 'so long as i dont see it i will pretend it doesnt exist'#and susies dad isnt around enough to give a fuck #berdly is basically self-sufficient so his father and step-mother never notice anythings up #anyways can you imagine the kinds of gaming tournaments theyd have blazed??? legendary moments #berdly will get up and start wandering around so someone always has to get his attention to bring him back. otherwise he'll be up all night #susie writes a 4 page paper stoned and goes 'holy shit im nostradamus' before passing out immediately #kris usually has to pick up the pieces of the group before they finally hit the hay (since they have the most experience.#only by like a year tho. maybe less.)#can you tell i miss being high. bc i do. i want my weed ice cream in my fridge.

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flyinghetfield · 4 years

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Chapter 12 Violin Girl If you haven’t read the first part of violin girl. Here is the start [x] Enjoy x

--------------------- “I have to be dreaming right now” Lars’s smile grows and he lifts up an eyebrow as he walks over to the railing. He is looking fantastic, his hair is just at around his neckline with little curls flicking out the back, he is dressed in tight fitting jeans with a over sized pea coat on. It had been 6 months since you have seen or heard from the drummer, he had called and written a few times after the San Francisco shows but as the two of you know, life gets busy and the two of you had slowly started to drift apart. “Well it must be on hell of a good dream.” You start laughing and immediately throw your arms around the danish, squeezing him in a big hug as he returns it back. God he smells good! “How.. I don’t even..” You pull back and pat him on the chest. He is really here! I’m not just hugging a random danish man right now! “I could ask the same thing of you! Since when did my Violin girl start coming to places like Amsterdam?” He waves his arm around, almost hitting someone as they walk past. “I’m actually on tour at the moment, Kamen had recommended me to another symphony group as one of their violinist had come down sick and one thing led to another and...” You open your arms up wide and smile “..here I am” “Here you are indeed” Lars pulls you in for another hug and you relax into the danish. God I have missed him.. I’ve missed all of them. Just as you the two of you start to pull back, someone next to you clears their throat and you tense, instantly knowing who it was. “Sorry to interrupt” Kris stands about a metre away from the both of you and to your shock you hear Lars start to laugh. “I thought you were going back to the hotel” Lars lazily wraps his arm around your waist and for good measure too cause you almost feel like passing out. “I was but then I got distracted by something else” Kris’s eyes land on you and you lean into Lars, folding your arms over your chest, your eyes narrowing on him. “Understandable, it’s easy to get lost in a city like this.” Lars glances over at you and smiles. “Kris I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine, Y/N this is Kris, He is one of our managers on tour that helps us get good deals and press time, to help the band grow.” You have got to be kidding me. “Nice to meet you.. Kris.” Flashing a polite smile, he half smiles back. The two of them start chatting casually as Kris’s eye’s keep flicking back over to you. I wonder how Lars would react.. “Oh I already have met Kris! He had his tongue down my throat about 5 minutes ago” Shivering, you quickly glance down the road to where Ruby had gone, hoping she’d arrive to save you from this befuddling situation. “You know..” Lars squeezes your hip getting your attention. “..I’m staying at a hotel not too far away from here, you should come and we can have a bottle of champagne.” You raise your eyebrows. “I don’t know Lars..” “I’m not taking no for an answer” Stubborn Danish. “I’m actually waiting for a friend.” “The more the merrier” Rolling your eyes you start to shake your head when you hear Ruby call out your name. Finally! The Red head finally appears weaving through a tight crowd and you feel the air around Lars change, as well as Kris who has become taunt like a statue. “Well well.. I leave you for 5 minutes and you end up the arms of another.” Smiling you walk over to her, not noticing the look of sadness from Lars as you leave his side. You notice Ruby flash harsh look at Kris as he quickly he looks out over the canal. “Did you find a ride?” She sighs and shaking her wild red hair, grabbing the now almost squished cigarette packet from your hand and pulling one out. “Taxi rink is packed. I hate to say it but we might be walking this one, my protégé” Great that’s about an hour walk tops from where we are. “Why don’t you stay with me for the night?” Ruby’s eyebrows shoot up as the both of you look over at Lars, who is now casually leaning against the railing with a smile on his face. Blowing out a puff of smoke, she looks at you and gives you a questioning look. You smile slightly, letting you know that he was ok. “Lars would you even be able to fit two girls in your room?” A wicked grin appears on his face and you throw your hand up “Don’t even answer that.” Laughing he shakes his head. “I’m staying on the top floor, the suite is huge, you can crash on the couch or..” He wiggles his eyebrows “..I don’t bite in my bed, I swear.” “..Shame I like a man that uses his teeth.” Ruby smirks as Lars is taken aback, his face slightly turning red. Fire meet Gasoline. He quickly recovers though, walking over to where the two of you stand, he extends his hand out towards you and you give him a questioning look before slowly wrapping your hand in his. “Let’s go” You yelp as suddenly your now moving, trying not to trip on your own feet as he weaves you through a crowd of people. You can hear Ruby yelling out behind you to slow down, which only encourages him to move faster. “She’s fiesty.” The two of you duck around a crowd of men and start heading down the way that Ruby had came from but then sharply turning, crossing across the canal to another bustling side of nightlife tourists. “That’s Ruby for you, she doesn’t have a filter on her.. bit like this danish guy I know.” You can hear him laughing as Lars pulls you behind a row of market stalls, quickening his pace as you attempt to apologize to the stall men, who are now yelling at the two of you as you zip behind them. “I know a shortcut!” He yells and you almost slam right into Lars’s back as he makes a sudden right and the two of you are now heading down a alleyway, the noise of the crowd slowly starting to become dissipate and the combination of your breathing and slapping of footsteps on concrete fill the air for a good 5 minutes. God why did I wear these shoes?! After another left, right then left, the two of you appear out on a empty road. Lars smiles as he slows down to a walk now, still not letting go of your hand. “Jesus who lit a fire under your ass?” You try to calm your breathing as he looks over at you. “Exciting isn’t it? Running in an unknown city, not knowing where you are going to end up.” “That’s how you usually get murdered.” Laughing he squeezes your hand. “I’d never let that happen to you, my violin girl.” And you believed him. After finally dropping your heart rate, you start to take in the architecture and beauty of the Amsterdam buildings surrounding you, almost wanting to pinch yourself at being in such a beautiful city. With such a cute danish in my hand as well. You let out a giggle at the thought, which makes Lars giving you a questioning look. Shaking your head, you squeeze his hand and he smiles. The two of you walk for another 10 minutes, Lars telling you about some of the cool places around the city that he wanted to take you to and you feel warmth start to spread through you at the thought of being able to hang out with him. You notice him start to slow down as you get to the end of the street. “It should just be around this corner...” Walking around the corner, you gasp at the beauty of the building you were now looking at, everything looked like it came out of a periodic piece and suddenly you didn’t know if you should curtsy to the guards standing in front the giant iron gate, which open to giant square courtyard with a stunning water fountain. “This looks like it came of out the 1800′s” The two of you walk through the front gate, around the water fountain and you try your hardest not to give yourself whiplash as you take in everything around you. Walking through the front doors, Lars lets go of your hand for a second as he walks over to the front desk to retrieve a key. The inside is just as beautiful as outdoors, pure white walls with beautiful art fill the Entry way, you can see red carpet head off to right which had a sign saying bar. Looking down you notice the intricate design on the marble floors. Holy shit, I can see myself in the floor. You look up as you feel Lars’s fingers tangle themselves back into yours, a smirk on his face as he pulls you over to the elevator and hits the call button. “Are you sure we are allowed to stay here? I feel like I’m going to be thrown out on the street at any second.” The elevator doors open and he pulls you inside. “Darling, I’m staying here which means you will be fine” Laughing you watch as he hits the button for the top floor and then leans against the back wall with you standing beside him. “Remind me when we get in to call room service, We need alcohol and I’ll make sure to get you some extra bedding and towels.” “So sweet” You kiss him on the temple, and you can see a tint of redness coming from his face as you start to pull away. Its in that moment that the doors slide open and you hear a gasp. “Y/N?!?” Kirk is standing at the elevator doors with his coat slung over his arm. Grinning you rush forward and the two of you almost fall the ground as you wrap him in a bear hug. Hearing the laughter behind you, Kirk pulls back touching your face, just making sure you were here, before pulling you back in for another hug. “How???” His voice is so full of surprise in your ear. “Seems our girl here is touring the world now” Kirk pulls back and grins widely at the two of you. “I was just about to head out and look for Lars since he was taking his sweet ass time but seems he was out picking up chicks” He winks at you making you laugh. Kirk is wearing a button up shirt and and pair of jeans, his long wavy hair looking slightly damp, like he had just jumped out of the shower. The three of you start to head down the hallway, as Kirk and you talk, explaining why you were in Amsterdam and how you and Lars had ran into each other. “Amazing” He shakes his head as the three of you stop in front of one of the Doors. “Out of anywhere in the world to bump into each other....” You hear the door click open and the three of you walk into the suite. Holy... shit. The room is huge, the view would make anybody drool as you could see over the houses of Amsterdam. You watch as Lars throws his coat on the couch and walks over to the kitchen, grabbing the phone off the wall and calling room service. “Are you going to be staying here tonight?” Kirk sits down on the couch and you plonk down next to him, nodding. “Excellent..” He suddenly yells. “LARS MAKE SURE TO GET EXTRA BEDDING” “I ALREADY HAVE” The danish yells back from the kitchen and you can’t help but laugh. The two of you start to catch up over everything that had happened over the past 6 months, how they were in town for a press conference for an upcoming tour in Amsterdam. It’s not too much longer when Lars walks back in the room and joins in the conversation. Once the room service finally arrives the three of you have a drink, laughing about an incident back in San Francisco where Eric had ended up locking himself in the toilet at a night club for 3 hours and how security had to break down the door, pushing him into the toilet in the mean time. “Speaking of toilets..” You stand up. “Where is the ladies room?” Kirk points behind him. “Go through that door and it should be the third door on the left.” Nodding you walk through the door, through the beautiful hallway. You notice two bedrooms as you walk past, clothes strewn around and the beds all disheveled. Hmm wonder who’s room is whos? Reaching the third door, you start to twist the door handle when it flings open. “Fucking hell what did I say about interrupting me when I’m in the bathroom...” It’s like someone had smacked you right in the gut, as you take a step back. His piercing blue eyes are glued on to yours and you see his lips separate slightly as he shallowly takes in a few breaths. His blonde hair is spiked up in all different directions, and you try your hardest not to look at his chest as he crosses his toned around across his pecks, his sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips, which deliciously show off his happy trail. You can sense him watching, as you glance back up to meet his eyes. Swallowing to wet your not dry throat, you let out a small smile. “Hi James.” ------------------- <Prev

#violin girl #mywriting #text #long post #SORRY THIS WAS LATE #metallica

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marshmallow-phd · 5 years

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Lies Untold

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Supernatural, Wolf Au

Pairing: Luhan x Reader

Summary: For generations, your family has been the protectors of mankind. You were considered one of the best and due to that reputation, you were sent on what could be the most important mission for the organization. Going under cover in a college to sniff out a particularly large and threatening wolf pack seemed easy enough. But when you meet one of the members, everything you’ve known since birth will be overturned and your loyalty to your family and heritage will be tested.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I Final

One step forward, two steps back.

Luhan shook his head while he fiddled with the empty cup on the table in front of him. Your own half-sipped drink still sat across from him, condensation dripping down the sides as the ice began to melt in the cream-colored liquid.

What had he said to make you run off like that? Was it his family? Did you have issues with your own? Or were you thinking about all the nomadic packs you surely came into contact with over the years?

Luhan shuddered away the thoughts of how those meetings possibly could have ended.

Seeing you on the sidewalk, just barely catching you in the corner of his eye was making him think that luck was finally siding with him. Hell, there were even small moments of smiles and laughter between you. But then it all went to crap. Why couldn’t he just get closer to you? He wanted to spend time together without you running away five minutes later. Was this how Junmyeon felt when his mate kept running away? Last Luhan checked, the mate pull was supposed to pull you together, not do the opposite.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up from the booth and grabbed both of the cups and tossed them away in the trash can before shuffling out of the shop, only answering the barista’s wish of him to have a good day with a lazy wave.

He wandered around the business district for an hour or so, just killing time and wondering of what he could do differently in the future to not make you scared or uncomfortable. His mind lingered back to when he tried to reach out to you, to comfort you, but you kept your hands firmly in your lap, determined to stay away. It seemed obvious to him that you didn’t have the same burning desire to keep that electricity again. Or maybe you were just better at fighting it.

When the sun began to fall behind the horizon, Luhan figured it was time to head home. He didn’t have to work again until Friday night and hopefully he’d get a little peace and quiet down in the basement. That didn’t seem like a good idea at the moment. Maybe Sehun would want to play a game or maybe he could drag Minseok away from his mate for five minutes to kick the soccer ball around in the yard. They hadn’t done that for a long time.

Eventually, Luhan made it back to his car, sliding into the front seat with a heavy heart. When his mother told him stories about one day finding his mate, he’d always stared up at her with wide, optimistic eyes. It sounded like a fairytale, the way she worded everything. And that made sense to him. He was a creature of myth, so why shouldn’t his story of finding love be just as magical? Funny that what he got instead was some dumb, tragic retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

He just hoped they both came out of this alive.

“You ready for the run?”

Luhan sat up on the couch from where he was untying his shoe. An eagerness was more than apparent in Sehun’s eyes as he bounced from foot to foot off to the side of the seat.

“More than ready.”

“Then let’s go!” Sehun urged.

Hopping up from the couch, Luhan followed him while simultaneously yanking his shoes and socks off.

This was a rarity. Luhan couldn’t remember the last time they all went for a run together. It had to be before he, Kris, and Tao left. Twelve overgrown wolves running around – even in a forest this big – was too risky most of the time. Not to mention, keeping track of the more rowdy members was a bit more hassle then it was worth. But no one complained when Junmyeon suggested a pack run that morning at breakfast. Everyone was excited.

When he passed the stairs and entered the kitchen, the room was already full of half-naked pack members itching to get going. Luhan peeled his shirt off, the eagerness now hitting him in full force.

Junmyeon counted out loud to make sure that all twelve were present. “Okay!” he yelled over the buzzing chatter. “Let’s go! And remember to stick together!”

A thundering herd scrambled through the backdoor, letting out whoops and hollers into the darkening sky above. Mei let out giggles of her own as she squirmed in Evie’s arms, wanting to join in on the fun. Kris grinned from ear to ear as he watched his daughter with pride.

“Be careful,” Evie urged quietly to the point that Luhan had to strain to eavesdrop.

Kris gave her a reassuring kiss on the lips before replying, “It’s just a run, baobei. Nothing to worry about.” He chuckled at Evie’s protesting pout. “I promise, I’ll be careful and come back to you in one piece.”

“Thank you.”

Kris gave Mei one last kiss on the top of her head. Reaching Luhan as he walked away, he patter the latter on the shoulder. “Shall we join them?”

Luhan beamed. “Let’s get out of here.”

Outside, there were already ten wolves staring intensely at the back door, irritated that the two older members were taking their sweet time. Both of them stripped out of their pants and threw them in the pile with the rest of the jeans and shorts to be fought over later. Once their two legs became four, the pack was off.

The ground was soft under his paws. Each step sunk into the dirt, leaving behind its traces in the curves of his claws. Some of the younger wolves up ahead were yelping and playfully snipping at each other, urging them to race, to see who could go farther and faster. If Sehun or Chanyeol got a little far ahead, Junmyeon would bark out an order for them to slow down. The witch’s premonition still spooked him and if everyone was going to run together then they were going to stick together.

And the alpha wondered why he was referred to as “mother” so often.

Through the break in the trees above, Luhan looked up and took in the bright full moon hanging in the sky. It lit up the forest as if it were middle of the day, outshining the poor stars around it that didn’t have the same potency. He wondered what you thought about when you looked up at the same moon. Did you think of the ridiculous legends that told of the moon’s dictatorship over their transformations? Or maybe you just took in its beauty, appreciating it for the round rock that it was, stuck in a cycle that it didn’t necessarily ask for, but was given anyway.

Luhan snorted. It was kind of a good metaphor for his life. He never asked to be born a werewolf, but he took his first transformation in stride, realizing that he couldn’t change the way he was made. A stray thought drifted through his mind, wondering if you had a similar experience with your childhood. Being trained to kill supernatural creatures isn’t exactly in every child’s curriculum at school.

Someone nudged Luhan’s shoulder and he glanced over to find Minseok had fallen back from the grouping and was now matching pace with him.

You okay? You keep staring up at the moon.

Yeah. I’m fine. It’s just pretty. Thank god their pack telepathy wasn’t omniscient. He would have been discovered the second he shifted. But the most anyone ever picked up on was emotional ques unless a direct thought was pushed out, one that was meant to be heard.

Huh, Minseok mused, looking up as well. I guess it is.

You should try appreciating it more often, Luhan teased.

Minseok rolled his large brown eyes that were still strangely human. Luhan never really got over that fact, even though by now he should be used to the contrast. Seeing it on another wolf still gave him a weird feeling, though. I do admire the sky. I just prefer not to do it while running. Usually, one looks where they’re going.

Where’s the fun in that?

But Minseok’s warning was all too true.

Up ahead, Tao and Baekhyun had started playfully shoving each other while somehow managing to keep running. However, Tao was much stronger than the white and brown wolf and rammed his shoulder a little too hard, making Baekhyun lose his footing. He rolled several times and ended up under Luhan’s own feet, who was still glancing up at the moon. Now he went down, the air getting knocked out of him as he hit the ground and rolled a few times as well. An instinctual growl rumbled in his throat when he finally came to a stop.

Crap! Sorry, Luhan! Baekhyun whined.

Luhan shook his head and simple sent an annoyed look his way. As if being a white wolf didn’t make it hard to stay clean on a run as it was, now he was really going to have to scrub in the shower to get all the dirt he was coated in off. The only saving grace was that, as one of the older ones, he got to go first once they got back to the house.

What’s going on? Junmyeon asked worriedly as he came running back. Everyone had stopped as well to check on the two of them.

It’s my fault, Junmyeon, Tao confessed, hanging head down low.

Baekhyun yelped. Nah, it’s my fault. I started it. It’s easy to forget how strong Tao can be sometimes. You know, considering it’s Tao.

Tao growled at the implication, but Kris stepped in. Just leave it, Tao.

Junmyeon let out a huff that could be interpreted as a sigh. Okay, let’s get- wait. His ears perked up, stiff with listening so hard.

Jongdae cocked his head to the side. Did you hear some-

Shush, Junmyeon ordered. Now the whole pack was straining, trying to pick up on whatever the alpha had heard. Everyone, get behind me!

They all obeyed, save for Kris, who took his place beside Junmyeon as the fellow leader. Luhan immediately went into an offensive stance, ready to strike if need be. What could be lurking in their woods at this time? It had to be something other than a lost human or Junmyeon wouldn’t have gone on the defensive so quickly.

The air filled with tension, fur visibly standing on ends. Several wolves quietly shifted their weight from foot to foot, itching to just know. The waiting, the anticipation was increasing the adrenaline in their veins. And when a wolf got too hyped up… you might want to stay out of the way once that energy was released for your own sake.

Luhan looked over at his brothers. Scanning the area, he was confident that whatever was here with them, luck – and numbers – were on their side. But at the same time, he was hoping – praying – that it wasn’t you. That it wasn’t you lurking out here in the woods with a group of hunters, looking for them. If that was the case… Luhan would have no choice. He’d have to protect you even if it meant fighting his own brothers.

Relief rolled over him once the cause of the alert was finally discovered.

A smaller pack of maybe seven diverse wolves came out of the shadows, led by a dark brown wolf that was halfway between Kris and Junmyeon in size. They approached cautiously, knowing full well this wasn’t their territory and that they were greatly out number nearly two-to-one.

While Junmyeon remained low, ready to pounce at any moment, Kris immediately relaxed, even shifting back into his human form.

“Well, long time no see, Kun,” he chuckled.

Kun? Luhan took a closer look at the other pack and mentally slapped himself. It really was them!

He followed Kris’ example and shifted back into a human. After several exchanged glances, the wolves on both sides transformed. Then the unsuspecting boys in Luhan’s pack gasped.

While six of Kun’s pack were just ordinary wolf boys, a rarity stood among them.

“You have a girl in your pack?” Baekhyun exclaimed.

“It’s not completely unheard of, asshole.”

Yup. Same old Lyn.

“Please, excuse Baekhyun, his mouth doesn’t exactly have a filter and whatever he’s thinking just comes out,” Junmyeon apologized. It was a bit comical to watch him struggled to look literally anywhere but at the naked female in front of him. In fact, all the boys were avoiding even glancing her way. If any of their mates found out they’d stared a little too long… well, who’d get to sleep on the couch and who would have to take the floor would be the least of their worries.

Except, there was one blonde avoiding any eye contact and it wasn’t out of decency for his mate.

“What are you doing here?” Kris asked, thankfully breaking the awkwardness.

Kun folded his arms across his chest, sighing. “A rumor reached our ears about a hidden hunter somewhere in the area.”

Luhan’s heart jumped up into throat.

No. No one was supposed to know. How did a rumor start circulating? A million different scenarios, all ending badly, played out in his head. If they knew who you were, Luhan had to get you out of town.

“A hunter?” Chanyeol growled, his fist tightening at his side. “Who? Who is it?”

Now Luhan’s heart sank from his throat to his stomach. It didn’t matter that you weren’t old enough to be involved in the death of Chanyeol’s parents. In his eyes, a hunter was a hunter and they all deserved to pay.

“We don’t know who it is,” Fin, Kun’s second-in-command, admitted.

Luhan’s mood immediately lifted. If they didn’t know that you were the hunter than he could protect you better. He’d keep you close and throw off any suspicion that might form around you. With Hae In as your cousin, you should already be out of the running, but any little slip could make their alarm bells start ringing.

“So, then are you guys just passing through?” he asked cautiously.

Kun shook his head. “We planning to spend the next week around town.” He turned to Kris – and affectively Junmyeon. “If that’s alright, of course.”

Scratching the back of his head, Kris nodded. “Yeah, not a problem. I, uh, I’d offer our place, but….”

“That’s alright,” Kun chuckled. “I’m sure that farmhouse you told us about is more than full with your pack. Still think you’re all crazy for having one so huge. And by the looks of it, the house has almost double the occupants.”

“What makes you say that?” Jongdae frowned.

“Please,” Kun snorted. “I’m not blind to the way you are all acting like Lyn doesn’t exist right now.” He turned to the taller alpha with a more somber gaze. “You, too, huh, Kris?”

Kris nodded proudly. “Yeah. Soon after coming back.”

“And he’s a father,” Sehun snorted, not missing the chance for a jab.

Kun’s mouth dropped. “A dad? Wow. Things certainly have changed.”

“It wasn’t planned,” Kris said quickly. Then his tune changed completely, everything about him softening as he thought of Evie and Mei. “But I’m happy.”

“That’s all that matters.”

“I think we should talk more about this hunter rumor,” Junmyeon suggested. His eyes flickered over to Lyn for a split second before he cleared his throat. “Maybe back at the farmhouse… and clothed.”

“Good idea.” Kun turned to his members and gestured out with his head. Everyone began to shift back into wolves and follow Junmyeon and Kris back to the house. It was a quick trip. The news of a hunter possibly in their midst obviously put Junmyeon on edge and pushing him to run faster, everyone else just trying to keep up.

Evie was still in the kitchen going through and organizing the fridge like she always did when the house was empty. It was the only time she could throw out old food without having to argue with one of the boys about why it was no longer any good and why they shouldn’t consume expired food. She was shuffling the trash can around in an attempt to free up a little more space before packing in more moldy fruit. At the sound of bare feet hitting the wooden floor, she looked up.

“You guys are home early,” she frowned.

Kris didn’t waste any time walking up to her and giving her a quick kissing before answering. “We, uh, ran into some old friends that need to talk to us.”

“Old friend- oh goodness!” Evie shielded her eyes the moment Kun’s pack entered the kitchen. Luhan barely caught himself in time to stifle the laugh. While they were all dressed at the moment – and Evie was used to the occasion run-in from a forgetful wolf getting back from a run – the others were still very much in the nude.

“Baobei, why don’t you go grab the clothes sitting in the front parlor that were packed for donation?” Kris suggested.

“I would be more than happy to do that.” Evie scurried out of there like she was running from a wild bear. When she came back, she held the white trash bag of old shirts and pants up in her line of sight.

“Where’s Mei?” Jongin asked sadly, taking the focus off of the awkward moment.

“She’s already down for the night,” Evie answered. “But, you know, I think I’m going to go check on her.” Dropping the bag, she ran for the staircase and disappeared into the basement. Out of the corner of his eye, Luhan caught Lyn rolling her eyes. Yeah, definitely hasn’t changed much.

“Nice catch,” Kun joked with Kris.

The latter shrugged with a wide smile as he looked towards the stairs. “I like to think so.”

Already, the others were rifling through the bag, tossing clothes at each other to make sure everyone got the right sizes. Lyn stayed back until the male members of her pack had their share. She never liked getting in the middle of their rowdiness, thinking she was a bit above that. But Luhan couldn’t judge too hard. It had to be tough, being the only female wolf in a pack of obnoxious boys.

When she reached for a black shirt that was lying on top of the pile, Tao stopped her with a hand around her wrist.

“Wear this one.” He held out a red sweatshirt Luhan was pretty sure used to be Sehun’s.

Lyn took it, whispering an awkward “thank you” before pulling it over her head and slipping into a pair of basketball shorts that Evie had insisted Kris throw out. After that little exchange, Tao slipped out the back door while Lyn rejoined her group.

“So, how did you hear about this supposed undercover hunter?” Junmyeon asked as soon as everyone was comfortable.

“An omega we were chasing away from our territory told us,” Kun replied.

“While he was laughing,” Fin added. “Chuckling like he was watching a clown get beat upside the head with a foam bat. As if we couldn’t handle one little hunter.”

“One little hunter can easily become a bigger group,” Kun warned. “Besides, if one is hiding among us, we need to be prepared, find them before they can call for reinforcements.”

“And you’re sure he wasn’t just bluffing?” Minseok questioned. “Being an omega and all?”

Kun shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he was. But considering how dangerous hunters can be, especially with their tactics these days, I’d rather look like an idiot and search for something that might not be there than sit back and do nothing, getting us all killed.”

“I’d rather know the truth as well,” Yixing commented.

Junmyeon nodded, taking it all in. “Alright, then. We’ll start searching around town in our spare time. Looking at wrists for their mark, checking into anyone who might be new, and following through on anything slightly suspicious. We’ll always go in at least pairs, maybe more, giving us the advantage. Kun, if you don’t mind helping out with that.”

“Not at all.”

“Thank you.” Junmyeon sighed. “And thank you for passing this information on to us. I greatly appreciate it.”

Nervousness built up in Luhan’s limbs. Looking at wrists? You’d done a pretty good job at hiding yours since that first night, but what if Hae In saw it? Did she know you had it? Would Baekhyun say something about looking out for the tattoo to Hae In? Or would he actually keep quiet in order not worry her? With that wolf, there was no way to know for certain.

There was only one conclusion. Luhan would have to stay close to you, watch over you whether you knew it or not. He couldn’t let something bad happen to you, but he also needed to know the exact reason that you were here. If you weren’t here for them, he could work with that. But if you were here to stake them out or cause any harm to the pack, that was going to be a much harder battle to win.

Especially with the additional angry wolves now in the mix.

#exo #exo fanfiction #exo fanfic #exo wolf au #exo wolf!au #exo werewolf au #exo werewolf!au #luhan x reader #luhan #lu han #exo series #exo supernatural au #Lies Untold #untamed wolf universe

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wheelhousehockey-blog1 · 5 years

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Hockey Promotions Mid-Season Power Rankings

FAN SUBMISSION

Check out this mid season power rankings by one of our fans!

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (Preseason ranking: 2) The Lightning are on pace for an astounding 130 points in the regular season, which would be the third-best mark of all time. They’re loaded up and down the board and boast the league’s top power play. We expected them to be good, but probably not this good. It really is hard to find a legitimate weakness with this group. Until the real test starts in the spring, it’s unlikely they’ll be bounced from this spot. 2. Pittsburgh Penguins (Preseason Ranking: 5) The Penguins looked nothing like the cup contender they were labelled as for the first two months of the season, and then flipped the proverbial switch, going 15-4-1 since the start of December. Kris Letang is quietly putting together a Norris-Caliber season, Sidney Crosby is back to his old self, and the depth is pulling some weight finally. The scariest thing could be that they’ve made these drastic improvements without Justin Schultz and with Evgeni Malkin mired in a slump of poor play. Cutting down opponents’ shorthanded opportunities will be a priority going forward; they’re on pace to give up 18 this year. 3. Washington Capitals (Preseason Ranking: 1) What Stanley Cup hangover? The Caps have picked up right where they left off last season and look hungry to repeat. There isn’t much to say about this team that we don’t already know. The league-worst faceoff percentage is a little concerning, but they make up for it in the other facets of their game; if it’s a huge issue, their play doesn’t show it. Todd MacLellan will be looking for this year’s Michael Kempny at the deadline. 4. Toronto Maple Leafs (Preseason ranking: 6) Toronto is just as good as everyone expected. JT and the kids are scoring at a torrid pace, Morgan Reilly is making himself known as a true no. 1 defenseman (if he wasn’t already) and Freddy Andersen has been playing at his usual high level. The perceived problems on the blue-line haven’t materialized and the Leafs are getting solid contributions from their depth forwards, as well. Everything’s in place for them to take the next step forward. Oh, and we’ve gone more than a month now without hearing about William Nylander! 5. Winnipeg Jets (Preseason Ranking: 3) The Jets sit here despite a couple of concerns. Connor Hellebuyck has been more pedestrian this year after being the Vezina runner-up, but he hasn’t played poorly enough to sink the Jets. Patrik Laine’s inconsistency is a little alarming, but a goal is a goal and he’s got 24. It also helps having two of the league’s top-10 scorers to go with Laine. And a top-5 power play. Yeah, they’ll be just fine. 6. Nashville Predators (Preseason Ranking: 4) I really struggled picking between Nashville and Winnipeg, but two things made it a little easier: special teams and discipline. Nashville’s power play only connects at a 15.1% clip, 26th in the league, and they’re penalized at the second-highest rate in the league. The good news is they still have half of the season to address those warts either internally or with a trade, and their defense-first style helps negate a lot of the bad stuff. Could Nashville-Winnipeg be the new Pittsburgh-Washington type playoff matchup that we look forward to every year? 7. Boston Bruins (Preseason ranking: 7) This just about does it for the “well what did you expect?” section of the rankings. Through a rash of injuries and some inconsistent play, the Bruins are still positioned to challenge for home-ice in the first round of the playoffs. Their “big line” of Bergeron, Pastrnak, and Marchand is finally reunited and back to wreaking havoc on opponents. I don’t see the Bruins as being as good of a team as those above (the top-6 is really a toss-up outside of Tampa), but they’re close. 8. Columbus Blue Jackets (Preseason Ranking: 9) Panarin and Bobrovsky’s contract situations be damned, the Jackets look good. They seem to be in that purgatory of “always good enough to make the playoffs, but after that who knows?” Regardless of what transpires with their Russian stars, they look poised to make this an all-in season and make the answer to the “who knows” part of my question better than “eliminated in the first round”. A lot is riding on this year for Columbus, and they’re playing like it. 9. San Jose Sharks (Preseason Ranking: 13) Just another season in sunny San Jose. The old guard is playing well. The young guys are stepping up. Erik Karlsson has found his stride (even if the puck isn’t going in for him). The Sharks might be the ultimate “call me when the playoffs start” team, and this year doesn’t look very different. The most curious aspect of this team may now be how things work out with a Karlsson extension, until April at least. 10. Calgary Flames (Preseason ranking: 24) Some of these bits will have moments of silence built in for you to make fun of my preseason rankings, and this is the first. Good? Alright. Much like Winnipeg and Nashville, my ranking between Calgary and San Jose hinged on a couple factors, this time goaltending and, again, discipline. I expected Bill Peters approach to make the Flames more disciplined, and it has in some ways, but they take by far the most penalties in the league which doesn’t help anybody. Their goaltending duo of David Rittich and Mike Smith doesn’t inspire much hope, but they’ve been solid, albeit inconsistent. An upgrade in net and staying out of the box could work wonders for a team that has probably already exceeded expectations. 11. Vegas Golden Knights (Preseason Ranking: 11) In a shocking turn of events, the Knights are what everyone expected them to be. They’re doing it without the fanfare from a year ago, but they’ve played solid hockey and have kept themselves in a good spot in an open Pacific division. Marc-Andre Fleury is putting together another great season and the forward group is getting it done with the “by committee” approach. It got them within a series of the Cup a year ago; it wasn’t broke so they didn’t fix it. 12. Buffalo Sabres (Preseason Ranking: 22) I think it’s fair to omit the moment of silence on this one. Most people expected the Sabres to be better, but not this much better. The youth movement is in full swing, being led by Jack Eichel and Casey Middlestadt. Jeff Skinner has found another gear, and Jason Botterill’s depth acquisitions are proving to be valuable. They’ve hit a skid over their last 10 or so games, but the early season boon has the Sabres positioned to make a run at a wild-card playoff spot, maybe even better. Does this finally mark the end of the rebuild? 13. Dallas Stars (Preseason Ranking: 21) Stars’ president Jim Lites’ expletive-laden tirade about his best players was perhaps the most entertaining thing to happen to the Stars this year, but it did have some truth to it: they are heavily reliant on their, ahem, stars. This team will go as far as they can carry it, and lately they’ve picked it up, helping Dallas to win 6 of their last 10 and breathe new life into their playoff push. Getting healthy will help them, but as the deadline gets closer, an addition to the forward group could prove essential, even if Lites’ press release for that isn’t as entertaining. 14. Colorado Avalanche (Preseason Ranking: 14) Two weeks ago, the Avs may have been as many as 5-6 spots higher on this list, but a lot can change in that time. A lot has changed, with Colorado losing 8 of their last 10 and their seemingly-unstoppable top line cooling down dramatically. Make no mistake, this is still a good team, but a very top-heavy one that needs its stars to get back to (or start playing to) a very high level if they want to prove that last season – and the first half of this one – weren’t aberrations. 15. Montreal Canadiens (Preseason Ranking: 27) The Habs have been another surprising turnaround this year, and they’ve only gotten better since Shea Weber returned to the lineup. Their young, fast lineup is challenging every opponent they face. Carey Price looks more like Carey Price lately. Jesperi Kotkaniemi looks like the center Marc Bergevin has been waiting for. They don’t look like a serious playoff threat, but they certainly could get there, which would be a win for a team that had such low expectations after last season. *Insert Bergevin cheering gif* 16. Minnesota Wild (Preseason Ranking: 15) In the midst of a roller coaster of a season, the Wild find themselves in a competitive position at the halfway mark. They’re not lighting the scorecard up in any certain area, but they’re a solid team with good options at every level and some enviable depth. That’s been enough for 6 straight playoff appearances, and it could very well be 7 this season. The big question is when will new GM Paul Fenton make a move? And will it be the one that gets them out of the first round? 17. New York Islanders (Preseason Ranking: 28) Barry Trotz is making his presence felt on the Island in a big way: without a stud goaltender or elite defense corps, the Islanders are leading the league in goals against and that has them within striking distance of a wild-card spot. Even with this, they could be sellers at the deadline with a couple attractive pieces on expiring contracts. They probably won’t make much noise the rest of the year, but they’ve done well to calm some of the post-Tavares anxiety. 18. Anaheim Ducks (Preseason Ranking: 18) The bad news: The Ducks are the league’s most injured team, and they’ve lost 10 straight, the most recent being a heartbreaker where they squandered a 3-0 lead. The good news: the West is wide open in terms of Wild-Card spots and the Ducks could still get there. A 10-game skid would sink most teams, but Anaheim has the good fortune of still being in the hunt in spite of it. They have the star power to get out of this; their guys have been here and done this before, as bittersweet as that may sound. 19. Carolina Hurricanes (Preseason Ranking: 26) *Checks document title* No this isn’t the “most shots” power rankings, so the ‘Canes find themselves at 19th. They’ve made some strides in the right direction, but this is still a young team trying to find its way with a new coach, and it shows. At the very least, they look to be responding to Rod Brind’Amour’s message and having fun doing it. With that, the successful incorporation of Andrei Svechnikov into their lineup, and the young talent they have, they’re set up for a bright future, maybe starting in the second half if the puck goes in a little more for them. 20. Vancouver Canucks (Preseason Ranking: 31) Another preseason ranking that was completely wrong, albeit pretty fair. Vancouver’s young players are showing the future is now for this team and that while they’re not going to make any noise this year, they could do so sooner than most expected. Elias Pettersson is electrifying to watch and gives this franchise its cornerstone and poster-boy. In the up-and-comer power rankings, Vancouver gets a much more favorable spot. 21. Edmonton Oilers (Preseason Ranking: 20) After a decent start to the season, and another surge when Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach, the Oilers haven’t been able to gain any positive traction. Pete Chiarelli’s recent dearth of depth trades seemingly equates to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic: you’re addressing the wrong issues on a sinking ship. Hitchcock looks to have them playing better under his tutelage, but they have yet to turn those efforts into consistent wins. They’re still within striking distance of a playoff spot, but the push has to start now if they don’t want to be on the outside looking in for the third time in four years. 22. Florida Panthers (Preseason Ranking: 17) From a pure talent standpoint, the Panthers may be hockey’s most disappointing team. Their lineup was already playoff-caliber before they added Mike Hoffman. He settled in quickly and the Panthers got off to a hot start, but they’ve played uninspiring hockey since then. They continue to struggle at even-strength and the goaltending has been mediocre. With the playoffs looking more and more like a fantasy with each passing loss, it’s do or die time for the Panthers. They came awfully close in a similar situation last year so it’s not out of the question, but the East is loaded and the top teams continue to separate themselves from the pack. 23. New York Rangers (Preseason Ranking: 25) In the midst of a full-blown rebuild, no one expected much from the Rangers and they’re living up to it. But they’re doing the rebuild thing immaculately, and deserve credit for it. Sticking to your guns isn’t always easy, as evidenced by their spot in the standings, but it should pay dividends if they can make some savvy decisions along the way. This is a bridge year for them, nothing more, and nothing less. 24. Chicago Blackhawks (Preseason Ranking: 19) The ‘Hawks fall from grace continues this season, and if it weren’t for the heroic pre-injury efforts of Corey Crawford, things may be worse. They’ve made tweaks around the edges of the roster and, more notably, to the coaching staff, but nothing has given them the spark they need. With playoff position slipping away, perhaps the most pressing issue for this team is now to pick a direction going forward. Here’s to hoping Crawford can return from his latest concussion in good health and give them something positive for the future. 25. New Jersey Devils (Preseason Ranking: 15) After being one of the league’s pleasant surprises a year ago, the Devils have regressed in a major way. Taylor Hall is no longer playing at an MVP level, but he’s still better than a point-per-game, and Nico Hischier is set to eclipse his point total from last year while improving his two-way play. That’s all well and good, but when you lack any real forward depth – especially at center – and your young players regress, the results suffer. Last year they were a playoff team, this year they’re a basement dweller. Would the real New Jersey Devils please stand up? 26. Philadelphia Flyers (Preseason Ranking: 12) The moment of silence for this one is probably replaced with a mix of boos and expletive-laden chants; it is the Flyers, after all. A new GM and a new coach haven’t been the fixes this team had hoped for, and their promising young players have stagnated or regressed in big ways. Combine all this with the fact that they can’t find solid goaltending – outside of a few good starts from promising youngster Carter Hart – and they’ve floundered their way to 30th in the league. With the talent they have on board, that’s unacceptable. With the playoffs seemingly out of sight, the focus for them should be getting the youngsters ample playing time and getting them back on track. 27. St. Louis Blues (Preseason Ranking: 8) Take your moment of silence. I could write an entire novel on how disappointing the Blues have been and how many things are wrong with them. The most unsettling aspect of this depressing first-half of the season is how they just can’t carry any momentum from game to game. Jake Allen, the defense, and the forwards all seem to be on different pages except for one or two nights when they put it all together, and then lay an egg the next time out. The Blues are so good on paper you’ve probably been waiting for the time it all clicks and they turn it around, but it hasn’t happened and, now past the halfway point, it doesn’t look like it will any time soon. 28. Ottawa Senators (Preseason Ranking: 29) There hasn’t been much to write about the Senators in the “good” column, on or off the ice. They continue to struggle and do so in vain this season, with their first-round pick belonging to Colorado. They play hard every night, but they don’t have the talent or depth to turn the effort into wins consistently. If any good comes from this season, it has to be that Brady Tkachuk looks promising and Tomas Chabot has stepped into Erik Karlsson’s role almost seamlessly. The Duchene/Stone negotiations will have great bearing on how this team moves forward. 29. Arizona Coyotes (Preseason Ranking: 23) The Coyotes again had a great offseason, and again have followed it up disappointingly. I didn’t expect them to compete for the West, but a wild-card berth didn’t seem out of the cards for a team that tore up the league in the second half of last season, made some good additions and found its starting goalie. Perhaps an even more disturbing trend: only 5 of the Coyotes last 12 Coyotes drafted in the first round are still with the team, and only 3 – OEL, Clayton Keller, and Jakob Chychrun – are contributing in the NHL this year. Rick Tocchet looks like the coach this young team needs, but the bad draft trends need to change if the Coyotes want out of the basement. Unfortunately nothing they can do this year helps that cause. 30. Los Angeles Kings (Preseason Ranking: 10) Take your final moment of silence. Part of me can’t believe the Kings are this bad, and then the other part of me reminds that part that the Kings barely made the playoffs on the back of a herculean season from Anze Kopitar, and then their only major change was adding 35-year old Ilya Kovalchuk. So it makes some sense, but probably not to this degree. The Kings are old and slow, and the league’s new emphasis on speed literally has other teams passing by them with ease. A hasty retool seems to be in the cards as they still have some good pieces, but they’re just not built to compete in the new NHL as currently constructed. 31. Detroit Red Wings (Preseason Ranking: 30) The final juncture of these power rankings is perhaps the most predictable. Like the Rangers, the Wings are in the midst of a roster rebuild and their play and record shows it. There isn’t much to say about them; they’re a bad team playing for the future. That future looks bright, with young talent playing at every level of the club. The Wings will look to be the next version of the Avalanche or Maple Leafs, and have the pieces to make it happen. Another could be on his way this summer, depending on how the lottery balls fall.

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mikeyd1986 · 6 years

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MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 83, December 2017

On Monday morning, Mum and I did the annual tradition of visiting the Myer Melbourne Christmas Windows and the Myer Christmas Giftorium in the city. Firstly, we went to have lunch at the 1932 Cafe & Restaurant on Collins Street. The cafe is located inside the Manchester Unity Building which is a throwback to the 1930’s Art Deco architectural style. The service and food at the cafe were both excellent. Mum and I ordered the Golden Gaytime Hotcakes with a serving of rockmelon, strawberries and blueberries. So good! http://manchesterunitybuilding.com.au/...

Next we walked over to the Melbourne Town Hall and saw the incredible (and edible) display that was the Gingerbread Village by Epicure. All of Melbourne’s iconic locations including the Melbourne Zoo, MCG, Luna Park, Albert Park lake, Flinders Street station and Federation Square had been made out of gingerbread in miniature model form. It was very detailed with lots of LED lights and people placed into each location. https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/...

After this, we ventured onto Bourke Street to check out the Myer Christmas Windows. This year’s theme centered around Elf who is trying to fit in and have the “perfect Christmas” but sadly always seems to be out of place in the world. The story is about being able to embrace and be okay with your individuality and imperfections when it comes to celebrating Christmas. Being a Monday, the queue for the windows was pretty tolerable and we had plenty of time to enjoy looking into each of the windows. https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/...

Heading up to Level 6, Mum and I had a browse through all the Christmas decorations, ornaments, cards, wrapping and stockings inside the Giftorium. Despite having a 40% off sale, most of the items were very overpriced but being Myer, I was far from surprised. Hence why this is a once-a-year trip because it’s generally out of my price range. However, I did pick up the latest Spirit of Christmas CD featuring all Australian artists including Guy Sebastian, Paul Kelly, Anthony Callea and The Wiggles. https://www.myer.com.au/c/promotion...

On Tuesday morning, I had to say my final goodbyes to my 1998 Hyundai Excel Glx as I got the car towed away by Metro Car Removals in Dandenong. The worker seemed really disgruntled and annoyed especially when he discovered that my car won’t start at all. To say that I was feeling intensely uncomfortable would be an understatement. He opened up the bonnet to check the oil cap and radiator, shaking his head and giving off negative body language. Part of me thought the worst...that he wouldn’t even bother taking the car away.

He said he could only offer me 50 bucks. I took the offer because I just wanted to get it over with and didn’t have the energy to argue with him. I actually felt a little heartbroken watching my old car being pulled onto the tow truck. I got myself emotionally attached to it because it was part of my life for 6 years. It was just a massive relief that he actually took the car. I didn’t really care about the money so much.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mum and I went down to the Springvale Botanical Cemetery to visit her parents and my grandparents. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since my Granddad passed away and almost 4 since my Grandma passed away. It really helps to put things into perspective and appreciate how valuable your life is. Mum played a couple of Christmas songs from her phone and we placed two bunches of Dahlias into the plastic floral vases on the marble headstone.

On Thursday morning, I had some last minute errands and shopping to do at Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre and Casey Central Shopping Centre. I swear you really have to be careful driving on the roads at this time of the year especially. Drivers can just be so rude, impatient and careless. And don’t even get me started on shopping centre car parks. People reverse without looking, cut you off, don’t stop or tail gate you. Hence why I purposefully drive cautiously and get my errands and shopping done as quickly as possible.

On Thursday afternoon, I had my last appointment with my counsellor Ruth at Piece Together Counselling in Narre Warren. Today’s session was about reflection and acceptance. The past month has been chaotic to say the least and I’ve had to be okay with many things including writing my car off, dealing with financial issues, opening my first VCAT case, the stress and pressure of retail during the Christmas period and not being able to fit in as many fitness classes as I’d like this week. I think I’m learning to cut myself some slack and realise that I’m doing well when it comes to coping with the above.

Ruth also asked me about my goals for 2018. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling very mindful or focused about it but I do have a few important ones in mind. Travelling is a big one for me, to get out of my comfort zone, gain more independence and confidence, experience the world outside of where I live. In terms of my fitness goals, I’m still uncertain at this point but I do need to find a better sense of balance and figure out which trainer and gym will be a good fit for me. I also really need to buy myself a new car early in the new year.

There’s also the prospect of volunteering at an animal shelter of some kind, looking after domestic pets and getting some hands-on experience. Essentially trying to find what I have a real passion for. My blog writing and reviews could also be explored further next year and hopefully open up bigger opportunities. This year’s been one of experimentation and whilst I’ve made mistakes, I don’t regret any of it because it’s made me stronger, wiser and better.

On Friday morning, Mum and I both had haircut appointments with Katrina at Creative Hair Design in Narre Warren South. We spent about 1.5 hours catching up on the past month leading up to Christmas. Katrina’s dog Austin was boisterous and overly excited as usual but he did like a good pat whilst Tess was content just lying down in the corner near the front door.

Next I had my last appointment for the year with Dr. Yasmin Baliz at CNS: Comprehensive Neuropsychological Services in Narre Warren. Today we discussed options for the Autism Spectrum Disorder services that I could possibly look into for next year. This included several support group with Aspergers Victoria (For Young Adults) in Blackburn who hold meetings every month at a community centre. Yasmin informed me that they also organise social activities such as indoor rock climbing which could help me in the area of social development and self confidence. http://www.aspergersvic.org.au/our-...

We also talked about the NDIS (National Disability Scheme) which provides support and funding to those who are formally diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. Yasmin provided me with some information about planning my pathway, goal setting and getting my application ready for next year. The Casey-Cardinia area will be able to access the services by the start of September, 2018. It was all very overwhelming but also very helpful advice as it could help me gain more skills and independence for my future. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/ou...

In the afternoon, I dropped into work for the Team Christmas Lunch. I ended up getting a large bag of Cadbury selected chocolates from our Kris Kringle which I was really pleased about. I also caught up with a few workmates in the tearoom and down in the cafe before heading off to Eden Rise. Sadly, it was far too busy to get a massage done today at Best Body Massage but by this point, I was well and truly exhausted. I could feel that I was burning the candle at both ends and needed to just go home and rest.

On Friday night, I went to the Full Moon Meditation held at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. If ever there was a time I needed to meditate, tonight was it. The moment my head hit the pillow, I was ready to doze off. Just felt so good being still and doing absolutely nothing for 45 minutes. The music was a mixture of beautiful Zen vibrations and birds chirping which was calming to listen to. Instructor Michelle guided us through the usual deep breathing, deep muscle relaxation and guided imagery of the Japanese garden and temple. https://www.trybooking.com/book/eve...

I hope that everyone has a wonderful time with family and friends on Christmas Day!

“It's the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer. It's the most wonderful time of the year. It's the hap-happiest season of all. With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings when friends come to call. It's the hap-happiest season of all. There'll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the snow. There'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of the Christmases long, long ago.” Andy Williams - It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (1963)

“And all of this happens because the world is waiting. Waiting for one child. Black, white, yellow, no-one knows. But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter. Hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone's neighbour. And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten, forever.” Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born (1976)

“Joy to the world. The Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and heaven and nature sing.” Mariah Carey - Joy To The World (1994)

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ralphmorgan-blog1 · 7 years

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Acko is an ambitious digital play to disrupt Indias $10B insurance industry

Acko is an under-the-radar startup that wants to disrupt Indias insurance industry through a digital-only model. This week it stuck its head above the parapet and announced that it has raised $30 million to get started on its bold plan.

Founded by Varun Dua, the man behindinsurance comparison siteCoverfox, Acko is designed as a wholly digital take on insurance in India. The company isan independent general insuranceprovider that is wholly digital.Beyond operating online and without the expense of a brick and mortar footprint, Acko is aiming to unbundle insurance in India to make it both more affordable and relevant to consumers.

India is a fairly nascent insurance market [with the same]traditional carriers that weve seen for decades, CEO Dua told TechCrunch in an interview. Acko will be the first internet-only carrier.

Taking insurance in India online

Inspired by models such as Lemonade and Oscar Health in the U.S. and Direct Line in the UK, Dua sees a huge opportunity to tap intodigital totake a shot at the current market which is estimated to be worth over $10 billion annually and reacha new segment of consumers who have been left out to date.

The system ofdistribution in India does not provide information on the user at all. Theres not enough data to underwrite accurately on a real-time basis, Duasaid. Sales are mostly offline and flat pricing, usually [insurance firms] dont know much about a customer before underwriting him.

The Acko CEObelieves his firm can offer a 30-40 percent discounton incumbents by pricing its policies more accurately by gatheringinformation and data online. Thats in addition to cost savings by operating without a physical presence.

We will probably start off taking away existing [insurance rivals] customers, he added. Its a relatively easier market because people are moving online year on year. That gives us the early pickings, [but we] will probably be launching smaller and unique products that dont exist today later.

In particular, he foresees opportunity around segment-specific insurance policies that can be sold online. That could include, for example, pregnancy insurance, or policies for ride-sharing companies. Beyond selling on the Acko website, the plan is to link arms with partners who already have relationships with consumers for example an e-commerce store selling baby items, or the ride-sharing firm itself.

In a recent report, EY forecast that Indias insurance market is poised for a strong growth despite concerns around reaching new customers:

Despite strong improvement in penetration and density in the last 10 years, India largely remains an under-penetrated market. The market today is primarily dependent on push, tax incentives and mandatory buying for sales. There is very little customer pull, which will come from growing financial awareness and increasing savings and disposable income.

Thats a majorfocus for Acko.

We want to make insurance so straightforward that consumers dont need to talk to multiple people to get advice or fill up forms. Consumers should be able to access low prices in one click based on their risk profile, and be confident that at a press of a button their claim will get paid in the fastest possible time, Dua added in a statement.

Big name backers and big plans

To get started, Acko has raised $30 million from a range of top names that include VC firms Accel, SAIF Partners and Catamaran Ventures. Its angel investors include Venk Krishnan and Subba Rao of NuVentures, Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, Hemendra Kothari of DSP Blackrock, founder and chairman of Hexaware Atul Nishar, and ex-investment baker and Arpwood Capital founder Rajeev Gupta.

Beyond that, Dua teased that there are undisclosed global insurance groups that own a stake of the business. Their names wont be revealed for another month or so, but their presence has helped give the startup credibility in an industry that values corporate institutions.

Acko has received an R1 license and is currently awaitingitsR2 license which has been applied for with Indiasinsurance authority. Dua anticipates that the final nod should come within three months, leaving the company ready to open its doors and launch products for consumers before the end of September this year.

The initial plan is to be active in three or four cities until Acko has shown thatthe claims pieces is something we able to control and optimize, according to Dua.

The team, which is currently around 20 people, is likely to grow to 45-50 by the year end, to help Dua hit his ambitious targets.

We believe we should do close to $40 million in premiums over first year, Dua said. On a five-year perspective, we wouldlove to reach anything from $500 million in premiums.