#like the theme of goodbyes?? summer coming to an end??? SUMMER CAMPS IN GENERAL? I WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS.

[ihaventsleptinweekz]

I want to formally apologize for the person i will become once this new episode comes out

#and also for the emotions i will have. because god knows i am going to be crying and screaming and sobbing afterwards #like the theme of goodbyes?? summer coming to an end??? SUMMER CAMPS IN GENERAL? I WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS. #Not after going to the same exact summer camp for ten years. and feeling this emotion every single time. #camper or counselor it doesnt matter. nothing will change the desperation ive felt as the camp came to a close. #and nothing rivals the emotions i feel as it begins next summer. literally nothing. #camp camp #sorry im not normal about camp camp #going to a summer camp and then working on staff at a summer camp has made irreversible changes to my life #and seeing parts of it in a funny hilarious heartbreaking tv show? fucking INSANE. causes deranged behavior.

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

Mike and Eleven are an unhealthy couple, and other ST relationship notes

Relationships have been shown to be a big part of Stranger Things from the beginning. In Season 1, we’re treated to The Party’s unique dynamic, Nancy’s rocky romance with Steve, Joyce’s interactions with her ex-husband, and Johnathan and Will’s brotherly bonding. We are also introduced to Eleven, who more or less instantly bonds with Mike. These relationships allow us to get to know the characters in a more intimate way, and help drive the narrative. In Season 2, we get deeper into these relationships and also see new ones bloom. We witness the special bond that Mike and Will share, the abusive dynamic of the Hargrove household, Dustin and Lucas spar over Max while she adapts to being adopted by a group of nerds, Steve and Nancy’s relationship fails and Johnathan and Nancy’s begins, and even Karen get frustrated over her boring rut of a marriage. We also see Mike, at least early on in the season, desperately reach out to Eleven, and it’s indicated he’s been doing this for just shy of a year (353 days I believe).  In Season 3, a heavy-handed theme is “we don’t understand each other.” This is displayed prominently by multiple relationships. It’s most obvious with Johnathan and Nancy, where I believe it was directly stated. Nancy feels he doesn’t believe in her and her journalistic hunches, while he feels she isn’t considering how badly he needs that internship since he lacks her familial resources. Joyce and Hopper’s relationship goes on a roller coaster stemming from Hopper seeing Joyce as playing around with him as he tries his best to open his heart again, but Joyce still has grief over Bob and understandable paranoia about the lab holding her back. Max and Lucas seem ok, showing some playful banter, but we’re also told they’ve broken up five times. Seeing as how they’ve only been together for about 7-8 months or so. That’s a sign of a lack of understanding, but sadly we don’t get much more out of Lucas this season. Karen is tempted by Billy to bring some excitement into her life, though Ted is shown to be rather content with his boring family life. We’re also treated to the heartwarming friendship of Steve and Robin, which is teased as a romance through yet another misunderstanding. This brings me to the crux of this post (finally), and that is Mike, and his horrible (or horribly written) relationships in Season 3. I can totally buy his attachment to Eleven. She helps him find Will in Season 1, and is traumatized by her disappearance (and apparent death) during the final battle with the Demogorgon. It’s completely understandable that he’d be affected by that, possibly feeling guilty and responsible, and desperate for her safe return. It’s totally realistic for a 12-year-old to develop a crush on a girl in a short amount of time such as the week he knew her. It’s unbelievably realistic for him to be immensely happy and relieved when she comes back in Season 2, safe and sound. It’s totally in-character for him to be a nervous wreck when she goes to close the gate. At no point, however, does this have the appearance of a romantic relationship, at least not a true and healthy one.

In Season 3, however, he is completely obsessed with her. It’s revealed by Lucas that he’s been neglecting his friends. He’s been seeing her every day, at least since summer started, and there are implications that Eleven primarily only sees Mike (Max is shocked to see her, we see no interactions between El and the others, she’s still not allowed to be out in public, etc.). This girl has had no opportunity for social or emotional growth in the roughly year and a half since she’s been out of the lab. Her question to Max (”How do I know if I like something?” or something along those lines) should be jarring. She’s never considered anything for herself. Pre-dumping, she and Mike are shown basically just making out. There’s no conversation, no getting to know each other, no simply enjoying each other’s company. The only time we see them with the others, Mike and El very quickly leave, which the others know means they want to make out. El is supposed to be friends with them too, but she seems equally obsessed with this relationship. It’s been months since the Snow Ball, they should be out of the honeymoon phase even if Mike’s opportunities to see her during the school year were limited.  So, unpopular opinion, Mike and El share an unhealthy relationship. He’s more annoyed than upset when she dumps him, while El has a blast hanging out with Max. It’s nice to see her grow with this, but she’s quite honestly depicted as being better off without Mike as a boyfriend. I’m not saying they couldn’t grow into a better couple, but we see nothing like that in this season. They make up in the hospital, and Mike awkwardly tries to talk about feelings in the grocery store, but they just aren’t hearing each other. They don’t understand each other. They still don’t at the end, to be honest. While many people seem to think they rekindle their relationship before the Byers’ move, Mike seems legit confused. He stands there, stock still, as El kisses him. He doesn’t kiss back, he doesn’t close his eyes, he doesn’t put his arms around her, he doesn’t return her “I love you”, and, as she walks off, he doesn’t get a goofy grin, a sad smile, or a hopeful look on his face. He stands there, confused, as if that kiss was unexpected and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. That wasn’t a boy who had been going out with this girl for the past three months post-Starcourt. If they were meant to be seen as a happy couple, tragically being torn apart, then the writers did a terrible job of it. It’s almost too obvious that we’re supposed to compare this to Mike’s strained relationship with Will, though at the same time it’s like we’re meant to forget all of that. There’s curiously no acknowledgement to any of the bonding they shared in Season 2, even through flashbacks. Will is portrayed as being upset at the slightest sign of Mike and El’s romance. He doesn’t show frustration with Max or Lucas, and he’s amused at the prospect of helping Dustin contact his camp girlfriend. If this wasn’t intentional, then it’s either poor acting or poor writing. Both Mike and Will become single-minded, Mike towards El, and Will towards D&D. There’s many possible explanations (besides the aforementioned bad writing) that could explain Will’s change of character, but that’s a post for another time, if people are interested. Will reaches his breaking point in a conversation that reads more like a breakup than anything else. Again, though, it’s clear they don’t understand each other. This is where the “Is Will gay?” speculation hits a crescendo, as he angrily states it’s not his fault Will doesn’t like girls. Will is...devastated, shocked, terrified? It’s hard to nail down. Mike is immediately remorseful, though his apology is severely lacking. Will’s parting words of “I guess I did. I really did.” again seem more like a breakup. I’d like to go on more, but besides Mike tracking Will down in the rain (not unsignificant), we see little between them until the goodbyes. Their scene is shorter than Mike and El’s, but significant in that it’s the only goodbye Will is shown having (apart from all the hugging). They speak in code again, with Mike worried Will may replace him, and Will reassuring Mike that could never happen. It’s worth mentioning that the smile Mike shows in this scene is the most genuine we see all season from him.  I’m not sure what to think about it all. Mike and Will’s relationship is somehow portrayed as stronger and deeper that Mike and El’s, but simultaneously less significant. It makes more sense for Mike to be closer to Will than El, and it’s curious that he and El are never shown trying to get to know each other. My ultimate conclusion, drawing on personal experience and someone with degrees in psychology and counseling, is that Mike and El are bad for each other, at least based on how they’ve been depicted thus far. They’re shown to be better outside of their relationship.  Ultimately, Mike lost both of these relationships at the end. While we know the three of them will meet again, they simply have the hope of visits and calls. Mike is left visibly upset as the Byers family drives off, but it’s ambiguous as to whether Will or El leaving upsets him more. I don’t think he knows the answer to that either. As he enters his mother’s embrace, he appears in a state of shock. This scene parallels him being comforted in season 1 when Will’s fake body was pulled from the water, even going so far as to include the same song. It’s possible he’s coming to a realization involving Will, which could explain the shock. I think the simplest explanation, though, is that we’re supposed to be as confused as Mike as to what all this means. Mike starting to consider that Will is more than just his best friend would be a breath of fresh air for a story like this, but I doubt it.  If you made it this far, let me know if you’d like more posts from me. I have thoughts on the effects of trauma on the characters, theories for season 4, and general opinions about seasons 1-3.

#stranger things #mike wheeler #will byers #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #eleven #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #joyce byers #jim hopper #joncy #byeler #mileven #jopper

[jfls]

[181228] Interview with Javier on Estadio deportivo.

Question: You have managed to make ice skating lead a show that more and more people are following. What are we going to see this year in 'Revolution On Ice'? 

Answer: This year we have artists and skaters that are mostly different, different types of acrobatics, different light production because we project on the ice to interact with the skaters. Besides, we also have Carlos Jean, that having a DJ and a music producer has made us able to play a lot with the theme of sound. We have more people, more choreography, more entertainment, more different... we have taken a turn to be a show with the same name but a different product.

Q: Many famous skaters will come from all over the world. How do you convince them for something like that?

A: Explaining a bit how [we do the show], they are also used to doing shows around the world. But when you show them a product, you show them a project... Plus, they don’t come for free. I know all of them personally and as I have always gone to their shows, when I tell them that I have my own show they also want to give part of their life and time to come here.

Q: You have announced that you will stop competing but you still have the Europeans. How do you face the last big date knowing that there is no turning back? With or without pressure?

A: With a little pressure but without overdoing it. I would have liked to have more time to train but with the shows it is a bit difficult. I'm skating, but not training at the best at one hundred percent. With desire to compete, to say goodbye and to dedicate myself to other things. I also hope tirelessly for a vacation after the [European] championship.

Q: Why leave it now?

A: The time has come in general. There hasn’t been anything concrete that has forced me to leave it, it has been me. I’ve done a lot in my sports career, I’ve won what I had to win and I’ve lost what I had to lose. I prefer to leave it to me to leave the sport.

Q: Look back and how do you value your legacy? Are you aware that you have woken great interest in a discipline that until your arrival was almost unknown in Spain?

A: Yes. And it’s also a responsibility to try to keep this sport afloat and evolving, that our skaters and our people have more possibilities to improve and have ice rinks available. And that those ice rinks have support. It’s a lot of work and a lot of dedication but I think that with time you can get everything.

Q: What does the word 'pioneer' say to you? Do you feel identified with it?

A: Yes. There have been other skaters before but to open a sport to your whole country I think that some ‘pioneer’ must have [in you]*. That remains a responsibility to try that this sport does not end up being minority again.

Q: Do you think you have a recognition in your country according to the sporting successes that you leave behind you?

A: In the last two years things have changed a lot. But it’s true that I have a sports career that started a long time ago. I have won six European championships, I have been twice World Champion. Plus, the Olympic medal. If you go back to the best at some point you see that you were two times European champion and your father was still paying for your life**.

I think we have to make people more aware in general. We are very good at many sports and with the help to minority sports. But I can not deny that the thing has not improved much either.

Q: Where will the path of Javier Fernández go now?

A: I will have my shows, I will give classes in seminars and in summer camps to children. And in the future I would like to have an ice rink or a school where I can teach to anyone who wants.

#javier fernandez #fstranslation #interview #translation #season: 2018 2019 #if you notice any mistranslation pls message me so i can fix it

[burritodetodo]

Fare You Well Adventure Time - Final Review

On Monday September 3rd 2018 at 19:00 (EST) the 2010s Animation Renaissance era was over after Adventure Time ended. It was the foundation stone of eight years in which a generation that grew up watching cartoons could meet them again thanks to a great story. One of the tales from the mythical Enchiridion that became a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

Pendelton Ward’s creation was born on 2007 as a short on Nickelodeon, but that network didn’t think it was material for a full series. In a very clever move, Cartoon Network, where Pen was working on Flapjack (the mothergum of 2010′s animated series) on those years, did think it was a good series and gave Adventure Time green light.

In eight years Adventure Time went from the adventures of a 12 year old boy, Finn Mertens, and his magical shapeshifting dog, Jay T Dawgzone Jake, on a post apocalyptic world to a coming of age story that has nothing to envy of John Hughes movies.

The first three seasons the Finn wants to be a hero no matter what the consequences. On fouth and fifth seasons, our little dude falls into love games of infatuation, teen love and broken hearts. Family and existential dramas are shown on its sixth season, in which the tone is darker and deeper. The final three seasons show Finn discovering who he is, why he has a heroic behaviour, learns to cope with depresion and anxiety with his other part, Fern, and, different to his younger self, learns that not everything has to be solved with violence.

Alongside Finn we have a cast that grew up with him and were key to the main story:

Bonnibel Bubblegum: an 827 year old princess that looks like a 19 year old one that learned not to be manipulative all the time and has to lean on her friends to solve her problems and chill out.

Marceline Abadeer: a +1000 year old vampire queen (that also looks 19) who survived a nuclear war and heir to the Hell throne that realises she can’t escape from her troubles all the time and need her friends beside her. Especially her loved one, PB.

Simon Petrikov/Ice King: he used to be an archaeologist cursed by a magic crown with antediluvian magic that turned him into mental insanity and looks for his fiancée/princess to say one last goodbye.

BMO: they have the purpose of entertain a young boy, the possible son of their creator that didn’t have because he also didn’t have time to make one, who have some journeys where they found out where they come from and learns about life and death.

Jake: a magical dog who efusively lives under the YOLO rules and skips way too much some important moments like his children breed. Through seasons he learns he needs contention and tries to be a better dad by supporting his pups.

The fight between good and evil can’t be absent from this epic tale. A bunch of major enemies appear such as The Lich as the personification of Evil on Earth, a Grass Curse that brings lots of problems in later seasons, the Vampire King that awakens after a thousand years, a wacky scientist who did hideous experiments on animals and humans and a primordial god that seeks destruction. There’re also other enemies who were defeated in one or two episodes.

Love is a fundamental element of the series. Finn went through infatuations and teen love, satisfy himself through a fantasy that pulls a break up with Flame Princess (his first girlfriend), his unloving dad and loving virtual mom and the spiritual conection with Huntress Wizard towards the end of the show. That feeling can also drive someone mad, like Betty trying to save Simon and almost destroying the world twice.

But the most notorious demonstration of love of the series was the one between Marceline and Bonnibel. Shown distant from the begining because of a mutual distance, they were getting closer and closer as long as the series was reaching the end and the climax was with a long awaited kiss during the end of the world after Marcy went bersek when she saw Bonnie almost dead after a GOLB monster attacked her. That LGBTQ kiss was very important for inclusive representation in animation, a taboo that is luckily disappearing little by little.

We can’t leave behind the crew who made Adventure Time possible. Pen Ward was in charge for four seasons until he stepped down. Adam Muto replaced him with profit the creator’s project. Storyboarders and writers staff that were in the series left to create big hits:

Patrick McHale: part of the core of what was Adventure Time on its first seasons, he did in parallel the extraordinaire Over The Garden Wall. A 10 part miniseries themed in Halloween that was an instant hit and every October is revisited by fans.

Rebecca Sugar: the best alumni for many fans. They left on Season 5.1 to create Steven Universe, CN’s powerhosrse nowadays.

Ian Jones-Quartley: he went with their girlfriend, Sugar, to Steven Universe. His short, Lakewood Plaza Turbo, was greenlit and it was renamed to OK KO. An awesome cartoon with 90s spirit on its own.

Julia Pott: she created a short that was premiered in Sundance festival called Summer Camp Island. It got an award and the network gave it green light for a full series. With her, many members of Adventure Time crew went there and has a tone that’s familiar with AT’s first season.

Voice actors were also a key role in their interpretation of characters. Big names such as John DiMaggio or Tom Kenny mixed with the aging Jeremy Shada that grew up alongside Finn so the production didn’t have to change his voice actor as it happens in many shows. And, as I did in previous reviews, Olivia Olson was amazing playing Marceling but also by singing: from mourning about the last fries on Earth to doing a terrific Mitski cover back on Season 7.

Of course, a big hit series can have big guest actors voicing characters. Names such as Ron Perlman, Neil Patrick Harris, Maria Bamford, Mark Hamill and many more also gave life to Ooo’s big characters.

We say fare thee well to an epic story. Nine seasons, or chapters, that explored with creativity real life situations ambiented in a post-apocalyptic world. A story that gave us back faith on animation, despite network’s mistreatment in the final seasons. A show that wasn’t only child’s game, because animation is for everybody. Listening to the Music Hole sing sweet songs, she rock our souls while we ask what time is it.

If you liked this post, not only like it. Hit reblog.

Support content creators. Vote NO to Article 13 of the European Union.

#burrito revews #adventure time #atimers #long post #SORRY for the very long post #burrito reviews

[djseaward]

a year of life & travels: 2017

today is new year’s day and it’s time for a recap of last year! it was another great year of being based in southwestern czech republic, feeling like home both here and back in my home country (and realizing that “home” is just a construct), and going to some magical places.

let’s revisit them, shall we? i changed the title of this year’s post to “life & travel” because, as i learned last year, travel isn’t everything and it is also important to capture what else was going on in one’s life. although for this post, it still remains the focal point. (don’t worry) so without further ado....

in january, we had the coldest and snowiest month that i have ever experienced with low low temps that froze over all of the ponds in south bohemia. you know what that meant? checking off my life-long dream to ice skate on a frozen pond! i ended up getting a cold promptly after that day, but it was so worth it. now i am too much of an ice skating elitist to ever skate on anything man-made ever again! (kind of joking, but...)

i also cooked a several course vegetarian dinner for burn's night! (why? we are hopeless "scot-ophiles” who love any good excuse to drink an islay malt and celebrate the the works of burns on a cold, dark winter’s night) that veggie haggis was definitely worth coming back to this month... ooh, i hope i can remember the recipe. it was actually make-again delicious.

in early february we took the first of what would be many many days in the big city (prague). we brought ferdie for his first ever trip on a train, he stayed with a dog-sitter while we saw the vaclav havel exhibit at dox, and generally had ourselves a perfect holešovice day, trudging through slush to get to our favorite cafes and enjoying brunch near the marina. (did you know holešovice had a marina?) i feel like i know the district quite better now!

we also had a very memorable valentine's day tea at born in london and i introduced my favorite students to the british tradition of pancake day -- what better than a lesson where you're making pancakes?!

in early march, my mother-in-law came for her first ever trip to europe and we were so excited to travel with her and take her to all the best spots in prague, český krumlov, and crossing the border into germany to visit bamberg! i had been in bamberg ten years ago during my studies in germany and it just does not disappoint for a low-key trip with excellent food and beer and historical sights. we may have brought two kegs and a few bottles of rauchbier home with us....

april first is always a strange day as the weather is usually quite wacky -- sure enough this year it brought our first forays into summer temperatures, if you can believe it. we marked that day by visiting the beautiful terčino údolí right here in south bohemia - a valley full of blooms, trails, a waterfall, and loads of other cool things to explore. we ate schnitzels while sitting on the terrace of a chateau, because we are in europe. and it was grand.

in mid-april for our long easter weekend, we rode the train into the šumava mountains to the train station with the highest elevation in the country! there we spent our time in a cozy mountain-style house, hiking and relaxing. we couldn't believe our little ferdinand walked 22km in one day! i think this trip is when we realized hiking with him (off-leash) is one of our favorite things to do.

glorious may brought beautiful cherry blossoms, garden parties, and outdoor festivals. i spent my birthday in český krumlov, staying the night there for the first time in over ten years and realizing how magical the town is by night... and how we miss out when we go back home to budejovice before dusk falls! it was brilliant to do all those tourist things like take a coffee in the square, walking around with an ice cream, and doing a bit of shopping in shops i don't usually even bother to set foot in. with our sweet accommodation south of the center right on the river (above), i truly never wanted to leave.

we spent a nice day in june in prague's vinohrady and vršovice districts to celebrate our wedding anniversary with the best mexican food in the country and doing all those big city things. sometimes it's just nicer to avoid old town altogether! (although sometimes i do quite the opposite - there's a time for everything)

at the very end of the month, we shrugged off the long spring and school year with a night in mariánské lázně - a beautiful town in the hills of northwest czech republic that is well-known for its spas and hosting many a famous guest over the past hundreds of years. we danced to jazz in the colonnade and took a hike the next day in the rain... because when you only have a limited time in a new place, you're not going to let a little rain dampen your plans!

at the beginning of july, we woke up and found ourselves in karlovy vary again for our fourth film festival. this time we took it way easier than in past years by staying directly in the center of town and felt so extremely spoiled! it was a great festival, albeit a bit cooler in temperature than every other year. when we got back, we stayed for a weekend with friends at a cottage deep in the wilds of sobo (erm, south bohemia) to have a nice rest before summer camp ramped up.

at the end of the month, we bid czechland goodbye and said hello to chicago! what a city -- i planned to do so much and ended up doing none of the things i thought i would, but instead discovered a whole new side which ended up being one of our favorite parts of our united states trip.

we were in michigan at the beginning of august visiting family and attending a wedding before flying to portland and staying with my dear friend, megs. i can't tell you how good it felt to have landed in the northwest after so long! i felt so at home immediately in that airport terminal. we rented a car and took off for central oregon to be based out of bend for the wedding of another dear friend, julie. we floated the deschutes river, visited many local breweries, and just generally enjoyed that central oregon high desert vibe.

the second half of the month was spent back home in washington -- i was so pleased to make it to my brother's birthday party at his new house as well as a family camping trip near mt. baker, much-needed karaoke nights, hikes, and of course, visiting all the beaches and eating seafood whenever possible... i even learned how to shuck an oyster! we enjoyed our time so thoroughly that it was almost as though i forgot i had to leave again...

(but i missed this little guy quite a lot)

the beginning of september was a bit rough going, but there are so many fun things happening right in budejovice that it is hard not to enjoy being in south bohemia. we spent some lovely, lazy afternoons in český krumlov, our first czech wedding, and then at the end of the month took a "wine vacation" to south moravia -- znojmo, to be exact! staying right on the square in a spacious apartment and hiking through podyji national park to a winery was a highlight, as well as checking off another thing on my "life to-do list": drinking wine in a vineyard. 

we even moseyed on down into austria for a morning (as it was just across the border from znojmo) and hiked up to a famous windmill as well as toured a huge underground wine cellar. it was a beautiful weekend!

the weather was absolutely gorgeous here in october. we popped off to prague to spend time immersed in the beautiful old town as well as stop at some farmer's markets and get the obligatory annual pumpkin spice latte. we walked to the very end of the street we used to live in (in malá strana) which leads directly up petřín hill -- a fine time of year for a walk amongst the changing colors of the leaves, clear views, and good weather.

november was about "home" in south bohemia if i had to give it a theme -- we focused on home improvement -- we got a new couch, as well as other appreciated upgrades and went to two big dinners: our first st. martin's dinner as well as hosting thanksgiving for the second time. 

on the first of december, we found ourselves in prague yet again for a farewell party of the last of our fellow TEFLers still left in the country -- i can't quite believe that we are the last ones still here of our group from five years ago! it was an emotional time but it's was so good to reconnect with our prague buds. i visited some of the christmas markets there including an attempt to visit old town square, but y'all -- the tourist situation is out of control compared to five years ago (when it was still quite heavy). although there is something special about the market there during advent time... i will probably continue to return despite the crowds!

for christmas, as you may have read, we were in southeastern bavaria (near the austrian border) in the heart of the bavarian alps -- a fantastic and memorable time.

the top five most popular posts on adventurings this year...

-- what i've learned about language learning after +4 years-- best tips & tricks!

-- slow pace or rat race? -- reconciling the relaxed south bohemian lifestyle with what i think i “should” be doing

-- back from the usa + 10 things i love about home -- i was a bit homesick, could you tell? 

-- the expat's guide to christmas away from home -- so many tried & true tips and ideas here

-- musings on identity and being an american -- what i've made of my national identity after five years away

these happened to also be my favorite posts i have personally written this year. funny, that.

i also posted two delicious recipes: a deliciously autumnal pumpkin miso soup, the perfect springy weekday cake, & i shared my fool-proof meal planning strategy.

so, where will we go in 2018?

i am so excited that we are planning a real, actual vacation this year! not a trip. just a lay by the pool somewhere beautiful, visit wineries, eat bread and cheese from a local market, hike and bike ride through the beautiful countryside... this is likely going to take us to provence, france. i think a week or so of living the provençal life will be just the thing, and perfect timing after the school year finishes. (time to brush up on my non-existent french!)

i am also pleased to say we’re planning to head to berlin for a month this next summer! it will be the longest consecutive time i’ve spent there for ten years, and i’m looking forward to greatly improving my language study (actually being in the country should sure help!) and finally doing some berlin things i haven’t yet managed in the past decade. ‘tis time.

everything else is up in the air, so we’ll see where the year takes us! i feel oddly optimistic and ready for this new year. how are you feeling about it? where are you headed this year? if you have any provence tips, i am really all ears.

thanks for being around this year! i have loved & appreciated your comments, shares, connecting with you elsewhere, and the fact that you are here reading this right now. happy new year!

keep up with me in 2018 on bloglovin, twitter, instagram, or facebook.

this post is part of the january travel link-up.

ps, you might like ‘year of travels’ recaps of past years: 2016, 2015, & 2014.

#yearinreview #travel #newyear #yearoftravel #expatlife #recap #endofyear #czech republic

[pressingtobinheath]

Nikki and Sam masterpost (Samton)

Well it all started when Sam Kerr joined her best buddy Caitlin Foord at Sky Blue FC after the 2015 WWC. Despite popular belief Sam and Caity never dated. It’s fake news and alternative facts... anyway

Summer 2015

Sammy joins Sky Blue! and they seem to be hanging out a lot 

A post shared by Sam Kerr (@samanthakerr20) on Aug 9, 2015 at 10:55am PDT

Sky Blue season ends and Sammy heads back to Australia 

Australia Season 1 (US Fall 2015- US Winter 2016)

but then.. a wild Nikki appears in Australia to play for Sam’s home team Perth Glory 

A post shared by Sam Kerr (@samanthakerr20) on Oct 12, 2015 at 11:35pm PDT

Posted on Billie (Sam’s dog) instagram: Nap time with @gutinikki7 ☺️

Sammy gets injured and Nikki post this insta wishing her luck on surgery 

They continue posting pics post surgery (First selfie Sam post of just them, pay attention to the caption)

samanthakerr20 🎯

Nikki is still in Australia and going on adventures with Sam

Nikki goes on family vacay with Sam’s family 

They come back from vacay and Sam continues to show her around, now featuring Dibernardo 

This is the last post of Australia Season 1

samanthakerr20 ���� 😠 (her caption for the post below

nikkiguti7🙋🏼😊 (nikki comments) 

Sam nor Nikki bares each other goodbye on social media 

Sky Blue 2016 - NWSL Season 

Before Sam arrives in NJ she begins to do what she does best: Embarrassing and making fun of Nikki. 

Nikki’s only strike back is correcting Sams terrible grammar. Grubka decides to do the same and Sam refers to Nikki as a peasant

April - Sammy finally comes back to SBFC (Still rehabbing from injury) 

and influences Nikki’s way of eating 

May comes and Rachel Breton begins to spill the tea via her insta go pro vids

They attend a baseball game (Confirms what we all expected) - May 30, 2016

WHAT’S THAT? That’s Sammy holding her girl as they walk into the stadium 

Heres the Rachel Breton videos of tea being spilled 🍵🍵🍵🍵

A post shared by Rachel Breton (@rachiebret) on Jun 5, 2016 at 6:01pm PDT

A post shared by Rachel Breton (@rachiebret) on May 27, 2016 at 12:59pm PDT

Then things begin to add up as the season goes on... 

Sam is wearing Nikki’s shirt from her high school* (Breton actually didn’t spill this tea, Nikki did it herself on insta)

They go and see the GOAT of Mens soccer aka Messi play even though Sam is a Real Madrid fan 🤢

June 25th, 2016 Sam can finally play again, gets subbed in and scores basically right away. She then full on SWERVES her teammate to run to Nikki who’s on the sidelines. Sam did an arrow podcast not that long ago where she talked about almost giving up due to her last injury, so her finally scoring and being healthy was a big deal. (gif credit to @uswntinmotion )

Resulting in the best SBFC picture that they use for everything. 

Back to normal posting as they both post the same selfie

Sammy leaves for the Olympics in mid July

Kimmy post this picture of the housemates as Sammy leaves ( I cropped them because Nikki looks all teary-eyed) 

Nikki post this shortly after wishing her the best of luck in Rio. 

nikkiguti7 Good luck in the Olympics @samanthakerr20 👋🏼👋🏼!!! #riobaby

Sam randomly posts this picture at the end of July after a game (obvi missing Nikki, we find out this becomes a theme: Sleeping nikki pics) 

samanthakerr20 Mood .

And then the Olympics begin and a wild Nikki appears in Brazil wearing Sam’s jersey and traveling with the Kerrs (the small fandom is shook) Unfortunately we never get a picture of them together at the Olympics. 

nikkiguti7 What a game. What a stadium. What a group!!! 🇦🇺⚽️💪🏾 #aussie #aussie#nicegoalsammy #kanga #andnicewinusa

nikkiguti7 Had the most amazing time in Brazil!! Didn't get mugged, or get Zika! Met some great people, watched some great soccer, and got to be part of 50 Aussie fans in a stadium of 60,000 Brazil fans. Thanks for all the Aussies for being so great 😊 Now back to New Jersey to get back to work! We got some unfinished business 🇧🇷⚽️💪🏾🔹🔸 #greatjobmatildas#didntgetmybraids

(comment on post) samanthakerr20 🐨

The Matildas are eliminated and Sam post this on instagram

samanthakerr20Leaving Rio tonight to head back to Jersey. Thank you to my amazing support crew for always being there for me on this roller coaster journey! Back to Jersey to rejoin @skybluefc & push for play offs! #grateful 🇦🇺

They return back to Sky Blue Fc and back to normal frat dad/flop activities

such as: Boat life 

Attending Red Bull games

and sleeping Nikki

Sam being a good gf

Sams birthday - Sep. 10th

nikkiguti7 Happy Birthday to my best friend @samanthakerr20! I hope that you have the best day and it's the best year yet!! Im so happy that you're in my life. You are one of a kind! 23 never looked so good🦄🤖🐶😍👌🏽👵🏽👵🏽👵🏽!! #idiothead

Sam posts a pic for national peanut day aka calling her girlfriend a peanut aka saying she’s cute. 

Sky Blue has a last Cloud 9 event to celebrate the season and this cropped part of a team photo emerges. THE FANDOM IS SHOOK. 

They don’t make it to the playoffs (I  don’t want to talk about it) and Sam heads back to Australia early but they interact on twitter briefly

Everyones like “stay in seattle?” 🤔😏

and Mid october Nikki is headed to Australia gain 

Australia - Perth Glory 2016-2017

(Screenshot credit to @stephcat )

Nikkis birthday in Australia. Sammy being cute. 

samanthakerr20 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Spending her birthday having coffee with cats 🐱☕️ So happy to have you in AUS for another birthday 🎉👌🏽 @nikkiguti7

Australia continues 

samanthakerr20 Uhh 😍

And so do the adventures 

(Screenshots of instastory credit to @pughnation )

They puppy sit for some friends

(screenshot credit to @pughnation ) It’s a video of Sam showing the puppys, cricket and then ending on Nikki. 

(following two screenshots from @agent-sarahwalker )

Christmas at the Kerrs feat. Nikki, Dibernardo and Mautz

Australia 2017

New Years Eve ( Vid of Nikki holding Sam from behind, it’s cute and worth the click) 

They attend the Aussie open with Dibernardo on Jan 5

Club time 

Twitter banter over own goal scoring

Dry waterfalls in Aus. 

They both get suspended for the same match. Couples that get suspended together stay together?

Sammy gettin jealous 

Back to Adventures

and the sleeping pics continue in australia 

Perth Glory makes it to the grand final of the W league

However they sadly lose to Melbourne City and Nikki along with Mautz and Dibernardo are headed home while Sam prepares for Matildas camp

samanthakerr20 Sad to see my 3 American buddies head back home! Been a blast, See you all soon 🇦🇺🛫🇺🇸🛬

🤔

Feb. 24 Sam is away with the Matildas in Portugal and post this

samanthakerr20 Dreaming 💭💦

            nikkiguti7 This is you: 😝

            samanthakerr20 @nikkiguti7 this is you 🐸

            nikkiguti7 No this is me: 👸🏼

And then she post this on her dogs instagram.

(Also note, Nikki wearing Sams shorts from AusWNT.)

Nikki’s fave part of Aus 2017 

March 26th Sam bids Aus fairwell on insta and includes these pics on her insta ( i cropped the one) 

NWSL 2017 - PRESENT 

Sam’s back to being an ass on instastory 

but she’s back and they’re living together again with Kelley, Taylor Lytle and Sarah Killion

being typical flops again

This tweet becomes important in a few posts. 

First game of the season in Seattle which is Nikki’s hometown and also on Easter weekend. 

Nikki takes over SBFC snapchat

Quality time with the parents

They stay in Seattle to celebrate Easter and hike 

nikkiguti7 Happy Easter from the top of this mountain #hikers

They come back from Seattle and Sam gives Nikki a fresh pair of Nike’s taking care of her girl for the season

April 20th, 2017 they begin a family... okay not really but they brought Brooklyn home from the shelter to foster her 

They go away for a game and rookie Kayla Mills blesses us with A++ content on her snapchat takeover. (Not sure since it’s early in the season if the rookie didn’t know, didn’t know that we all know or that nobody generally cared) 

Best house at SBFC aka the Frat House

Sam leaves for Australia and misses the next game but wins a major award from the W- League, 

When Sam gets back to Jersey, she post on her instastory a picture of a card and balloon waiting for her on her bed back at the frat house

Referencing this tweet becomes important 

Because Nikki posted this picture while Sam was away 

Anyway the inference is that they live in the same room at the frat house

Back to their family 

I wonder who she sleeps with?

Sam and her bike helmet being a derp 

Kelley is their constant third wheel 

Happy family

Sam’s instastory of her little family sleeping 

another one of Brooklyn on their bed 

Recent FIFA - June 

They go hiking in Utah

and take a helicopter tour of the grand canyon ( which im surpised sam did since she said she absolutely hates flying) 

Current - Mid June

Back with Brooklyn after FIFA Break

Sam wearing Nikki’s Perth Glory shorts 

Embarrassing Nikki asking her Curry or Lebron.. and Nikki chooses Curry while wearing a Lebron shirt that is clearly Sams 

June 17, 2017

Portland vs. Sky Blue

After Sam’s 2nd goal

At the end of the game (Sheridan ships it) heres the vid of this

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/161953058178/scnnett-look-how-happy-she-is-oh-you-got-it credit to @scnnett

After the Portland game they stay in Oregon to celebrate Fathers Day with Nikki’s dad 

Giving the people what they want at Volleyball Tuesdays 

End of June/Beg of July 2017

Goal celebration hugs 

Riding Bikes on 4th of July  - Click for link

July 9th game, Sam scored a hattrick to win the game 3-2 in 12 minutes right at the end. Post game hugs and tweets

After game day snuggles with Brooklyn

http://padfootnprongs21.tumblr.com/post/162799775646/nikkis-my-spirit-animal vid posted by Sammy of Nikki and Brookyln

http://padfootnprongs21.tumblr.com/post/162942060821/i-am-still-nikki-nikki-is-still-me - another one 

Game Day 7/15/17

After game Frat Dad activities

Boat days are back!

Featuring a not so impressed Nikki and Sam just living life

wait there’s the smile

and the abs

End of July 2017

Sleeping in Seattle 

Nikki irish step dancing and Sam recording her calling her a “flog”

Tournament of Nations

- coffee in Seattle 

Australia vs. USA - Nikki is there, we hear she’s in street clothes but her dad is wearing a Kerr jersey 

Be your girls biggest fan 

Sammy and the Matildas win the Tournament of Nations and Nikki can’t wait for Sam to get home

Sam’s flight gets delayed on the way back to Jersey and a Sky Blue Cloud 9 member tells me that Nikki rushed out of the Washington game saying she had to get Sam from the airport. 

They’re back and go on a mini golf date ((August 2017)

and to the beach 

https://scnnett.tumblr.com/post/164182577728/she-got-it-from-kelley - Sam scaring Nikki 

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164226533858 - Nikki cuddling Brooklyn with her legs on Sam 

Sam gets nominated for Fifa Womens Play of the Year 

Sam scores 4 goals in the Sky Blue FC vs. Reign game. Reclaiming her 1st place spot in the golden boot race, extending her record for NWSL All Time Scorer, becoming the first person to score a hattrick 2 times in one season, becoming the first to. score 4 goals in one in league history. 

When the final whistle blows Nikki eats kisses Sam’s ear 

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164424572937/anyway-heres-the-clip-of-nikki-eating-kissing - Here’s the link

Here’s pic by pic ( credit to @uswnt-tobin )

Days after the game they visit DC because Sam’s mom is visiting

Mini gold with Sam’s mum

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164679192478 - Sam attacking Nikki with a stuffed snake 

Presents!

8/26 Nikki assist Sam’s goal against Boston

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164760751973/dashonkelley-these-two - Sam messing with Nikki during her post game interview 

Another sleeping pic 

Brooklyn taking over the bed

(Nikki’s story) 

Sams story 

Coffee Dates 

- http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164756403758/coffee-date 

THE PICTURE THAT SHOOK US ALL 8/28

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164839490870/im-brooklyn-getting-yelled-at-in-the-background - Sammy doesn’t really care about the flowers Nikki is painting

US Open with the Frat dads 

Stud muffin!

Sam’s birthday!

http://dashonkelley.tumblr.com/post/165206770910/happy-birthday-sammy - Sammy’s surprise birthday party at McDonalds

Holding Nikki as they walk into Mcdonalds

Rachel Breton and Taylor Lytles live insta describing this as. “Their natural habitat” (playing cards)

Visiting Brooky girl at her new home

Picking up new foster dog (Nikki wearing #20 Australia shorts)

“Who’s gonna wash your pants? (Nikki to Sam) “You are cause you’re her girlfriend” - quote from Maddy Tiernan 

Season ends... time for Australia 2017/2018

Missing cuddles 

Counting down the days 

*Reached video limit so I have to just put links 

*Shoutout to @scnnett for offering help and trying to help me get the videos even though I failed

*Shoutout to. @voices-from-above for encouragement

*Shoutout to anyone whose post I used, I credited them and everything else I got myself 

*They don’t have a ship name.. - send me suggestions

*If I’m missing content submit it or put it in an ask and I’ll look for it

*I’m thinking they’ve been together almost 2 years

*Sammy is 23 and Nikki is 26, they’ll be 24 and 27 in the fall

*GUTI stands for get used to it and was Nikki’s nickname in college because she used to tackle hard and say “get used to it”

*If I made a grammatical mistake, forgive me I’ve been doing this. for 2 hours and I’m over it. I’ll fix it eventually.

*Thank you and enjoy this wonderful ship

*We’ve been exposed. Evacuate. Nikki liked a tweet about this post. 

#masterpost #nikki and sam masterpost #nikki stanton #sam kerr #sky blue fc #auswnt #nwsl #perth glory #w league #woso couples #UPDATED

[neikarasu]

Everything Counts

Commission info here.

A commission for the lovely @captainxcorgi.

Read on Ao3.

Summary: When Hana Song was sent to summer camp, she thought something coming straight out of Friday the 13th would be the only thing that could make her time less dull.When Jack Morrison was sent to Camp Overwatch, he thought all he would find there was headaches and annoyance.Both were proven wrong, and Ana Amari might or might not have a hand in orchestrating this. Especially on the latter's case. And Gabriel Reyes might or might not be pleased with this whole ordeal.

Summer. The most wonderful time of the year, when students were rid of school work and free of all responsibility. It was a time to celebrate, either having an elaborate plan for the entire holiday or just being stupid with friends. Pool parties in the sun, endless gaming sessions every day and never, ever had to be confined in a boring area where one had to study.

               Summer was simply glorious.

               But apparently not glorious enough for Hana Song’s parents.

                            So what? She failed one history test. One! That didn’t mean she deserved to be stuffed into a random forest somewhere, cut off from friends and civilisation!!! Well, in truth, she hadn’t done any research about the place, yet, but what else should Hana be expecting? It would be packed with eggheads. If not, then bugs and no cell service!

                 …Okay, so maybe it wasn’t just one test. Maybe Hana skipped a month worth of homework too so she could enter this kickass StarCraft tournament. The first prize was worth being yelled at and grounded at the time. Never in her wildest dreams would Hana imagine her parents sending her to a summer camp though! Had they any regard for her extensive plans?!

                 At least her friends were being supportive. Even though they had already been notified as soon as Hana herself knew, she still appreciated the reactions in the group chat. From solemn salutes to outraged rants, even the teasing eased Hana somewhat. They were trying, and she soon found herself distracted by silly conversations. At least it made the car ride more bearable, especially with her mom’s stiff back and her dad’s uncharacteristic silence. Considering the explosive fights the family got into for the last couple of weeks, it was pretty self-explanatory. Hana was sure neither party was proud of what they said, but that didn’t curb her anger at all.

                 Camp Overwatch didn’t come into view until afternoon. The name caught Hana’s attention immediately, as it didn’t have the same hippie vibe she had mentally associated it with. The second, eyebrow-raising detail would be the gate. Uneven, dark stones stacked up together, looming over visitors in a medieval-themed construct, torches and all. Quite impressive, if not a bit cliché. Still, it was in the middle of nowhere, and Hana was more concerned about her waning signal than watching the greenery passing outside the window.

                 Gravel crunched under slowing tires, announcing Hana’s impending doom. Sullenly, she threw on her backpack and hauled her suitcase off, not waiting for her parents. If she was going to go out today, then she would go out with her head held high, thank you very much!

 Her bravado didn’t last long.

                 Amidst the circle of trees, two canvas tents sat at each other’s opposite. There was a lodge across the sparse wooden bridge by the river, and a primitive watchtower stood next to it. A generous patch of land was fenced off, empty except for a pile of logs. There was a hiking trail leading up to the mountains, but other than that, there was nothing worthy of note.

                 There was no power generator, no campus for them to sleep in.

                 Oh fuck, what if they didn’t have a functioning plumbing system?!?!?!

                 A loud, commanding voice snapped her out of the miserable thoughts. Towering above the group was probably the most attractive camp leader Hana had ever seen. Not that she had seen a lot, but still...Curiosity perked, she joined the others loitering about. In contrary to the supposed theme of the camp, this guy was wearing black sleeveless T-shirt and fatigues, topped with a beat-up beanie. His beard was trimmed in a way that made it look both unkempt and styled, and the afternoon light made his scars shine, standing out against his dark skin.

                 “Alright! Gather up!”

                 They shuffled closer, not in any particular order. There wasn’t many around, Hana noticed. Twenty, including herself and not the hovering parents, at most. The camp leader did a head count, checked his tablet (A tablet! Maybe they had electricity after all!!!) and nodded at a woman standing behind him.

 Damn, did this camp only hire supermodels?

 The lady was an exceptional beauty, with long, fluttering black tresses that seemed to go on forever. She was lean and angular, a sharp contrast against the man’s rolling slabs of muscles, and had a perpetual, knowing quirk to her lips.

                 The camp leader’s chatters with the parents only further soured Hana’s mood. Stubbornly, she didn’t turn around, not even when everyone else said their goodbyes, not even when her dad came over to give her a squeeze on the shoulder, or when her mom tried to make her look at them. Deep down, Hana knew she was being childish, and her fists balled up so tightly around her backpack straps they popped.

 It was a terrible feeling, and it sucked.

                 She might have made mistakes, but this was extreme of them, keeping her away in such a stupidly isolated place for months. It was unfair, and Hana refused to give in, even when her dad sighed and mom shook her head.

                 “You’ll like it here, you’ll see.” Mom said, lacking her usual firmness, “Bye, honey. Remember to call when you can.”

                 Stone dropped down her guts, but she was too stubborn to respond, even when they walked away.

                 Thankfully, the camp leader’s voice rang out once more, saving her from sinking further into a grave of negativity.

                 “Hello and welcome to Camp Overwatch. My name is Gabriel and I’m your camp leader. This is Ana, your other camp leader.” The lady did a two finger salute, making a tall girl standing beside Hana chuckle, “For those of you that have been here before, welcome back. And the newbies…well. We hope you’ll survive.”

                 Gabriel gave a sharp leer overhead, making some the kids eye each other worriedly. The girl next to Hana, however, tried hard to stifle a giggle, while a boy (long-haired with incredibly fair complexion) beside her rolled his eyes. Hana’s interest perked a bit further.

                 “Anyhow, I’m going to go over camp rules, because you little stinkers aren’t out here to read, and I ain’t gonna make ya.” Somebody whopped loudly in their little crowd, “Thought so. Right. Some of this might sound off, but you’ll understand better once we go through camp’s programme. Rule number one: You cannot and will not steal personal belongings. They are off-limit. Rule number two: Accidents happen. That isn’t to say you should be a wimp about it or going out of your way to injure somebody else.”

                 By now, Hana’s eyebrows almost touched her hairline. What kind of camp had they sent her to?

                 Gabriel was just getting the third rule out (no asking for outside help under any circumstance unless it was an absolute emergency) when a sparkling clean, blue Fiesta pulled up near them. Instead of pausing to wait, Gabriel barrelled on as if nothing happened, though there was a faint smirk quirking up his lips.

 Intrigued, Hana turned, expecting another kid to join their bunch.

                 Would this place ever run out of hot, young adults? Because the driver could have stepped straight out of a magazine cover and Hana wouldn’t have batted an eyelash. Glimmering golden hair, eyes bluer than the sky and that bod. Yum! A camo duffle bag slung over his broad shoulder, and the blond dreamboat strode purposefully towards the group, clearing his throat.

 To Hana’s surprise, Gabriel blatantly ignored the newcomer, though his smirk did widen. This seemed to immediately annoy the blonde, but he stood a respectful distance away instead of forcing his way over, foot tapping impatiently.

                 This was getting interesting…

                 “We are going to split you into two teams.” Gabriel continued, “These two teams are going to represent two opposing kingdoms, going to war. This “war” is a series of competitions and activities. The winner of each activity will be awarded a point for their kingdom. Whichever team earns the most points within camp duration will win this “war”. Points are awarded or taken away based on the size of your hoards, how well you managed among yourselves, how many battles you win, and how clever your tactics are. As you can see.”

                 He pointed with both hands, each at one of the canvas tents, “We have two separate sides of camp. These two sides can be built and redecorated accordingly to your team’s taste and defence. You may find basic equipment and supplies in those tents and in the ranch back there.”

                 “There will be further supplies provided, such as food and tools, but you will had to go through challenges to acquire these. The “kingdoms” may also forage from the forest and mountains. Under supervision, of course. They will also be converted to points by the end of camp.”

                 “You are encouraged to build forts, walls and traps around your side of the camp, as the opposing team is allowed to pilfer from your hoards and attack your side.”

                 A few stink eyes were already been thrown around. The rules made much more sense now. With how competitive this theme was, there would undoubtedly some minor injuries and accidents.

                 “Of course, it’s not a war without epic battles, so we will definitely have battle game right here.”

                 The kids cheered loudly. Hana found herself hollering with them, grinning from ear-to-ear and her earlier resentment forgotten. This was going to actually be fun! And Gabriel wasn’t even done yet.

                 “Your camp leaders, I and Ana, will be acting as supervisors to the “throne”. For each kingdom, your king or queen will be voted among yourselves. They will be your leader, who has the final say. However, throughout camp’s duration, if said king or queen is seen unfit to “rule” anymore, the kingdom can overthrow and assume a new leader.”

                 “In the last week of camp, starting on July 20th, a series of competition will take place. This includes a jousting tournament, armour crafting, poetry weaving, archery tournament, and etcetera. Think mini Renaissance fair, if you may. During this last week, there will be a copious amount of points given out, so even if you did terrible throughout the two months, your kingdom would still have a chance to catch up.”

                 “And, of course, there’s no winning if there isn’t a prize. The winner of the two kingdoms may decide whichever prize they desire, from both the losing kingdom and the camp itself. This is, of course, restricted by budget and common sense.”

                 Gabriel grinned at the kids, “Any question?”

                 By now, everyone was practically buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Well, except for one.

                 “Mr. Reyes, I need a word with you.”

                 Apparently, Blonde Guy had decided that he had enough of Gabriel ignoring him. Blue eyes were both challenging and defensive when the camp leader threw him a teasing smirk.

                 “Now, now, Jack. I asked for questions, not commands. But if that’s how you like it, I’m sure I can arrange something in the office. After I’ve dealt with the kids, of course.”

                 Hana’s eyebrows shot up once again, and she couldn’t help but let the giggles escape. Unfazed by the taunt, Jack narrowed his eyes.

                 “You know full well that it is because of the kids that I am here.”

                 Gabriel gave him a shrug, both nonchalant and ignorant, “If this is about that one complaint, then I don’t have time for it.”

                 “Actually, there are three now. Which forces us to take actions.” Jack produced folder from his jacket, waving it at Gabriel’s face, “There has been complaints from parents about injuries, and that the camp’s methods are not safe for the children. Thus I am-…”

                 “Oh. Wow.” Gabriel cut in, his stare dragged from the folder to Jack’s face, unimpressed, “A whole three complaints. I’m shivering in my boots. Should I be packing my things? Close down the camp?”

                 Jack bristled, but he was, at least, tried to stay polite, “Nobody is closing down your camp, Gabriel! At least not yet. Which is why I’m here, if you’d just let me finish.”

                 “There is nothing to finish.” A sharp edge rolled under the lazy drawls of Gabriel’s voice, signalling the end of his patience, “From what I’ve seen, you’re the only one at the office to bring up this stupidity. I’m flattered, really, but I ain’t gonna change anything here just because some whiny kids couldn’t stand a few scrapes.”

                 “A few scrapes-!” Jack was at the brink of shouting at Gabriel, but managed to catch himself, even when his glare was blazing, “Sprained ankles and broken fingers aren’t scrapes!”

                 “Uh, hello?” There was a sneer in Gabriel’s voice now. He made a grand, mocking gesture, “We’re out in the woods. They go hiking, foraging and competing. Among other activities. All of which listed on the programme. With the risks. That the parents had to sign. Ain’t my fault neither you nor they can’t read.”

                 This time, Jack forwent all manners, hissing, “Maybe if you weren’t being such a jerk about it then there wouldn’t have been a problem in the first place!”

                 “The only problem here is you! Again, you have been the only one that’s been giving me crap! If you have that big of an issue, then go talk to your superior. I’m sure he can find something useful for you to do.”

                  The forgotten file crumpled in his fist, the inspector snapped at Gabriel, “Too bad! Reinhardt has assigned me here to investigate and prevent further accidents from happening! I. Am. Staying!”

                 For the first time, it seemed like Gabriel was at loss of what to say, and looked like he was going to punch Jack in the face. Everyone was gawking at the two of them, eyes following the two back and forth as if watching a tennis match.

                 “You-!” Gabriel started, fists curled dangerously.

                 “Alright. Settle down, boys!”

                 Thankfully, Ana stepped in between them before the two men came to blows. She was exasperated, like she was having to deal with two screaming toddles instead of two grown-ass adults.

                 “How about this, since Jack’s already here, instead of me managing one side of the camp as usual, we’ll get him to. That way, Jack can both supervise our activity and come up with possible ideas to make this place run better.”

                 Oh, this wasn’t just interesting anymore, this was way more entertaining than anything Hana could have been doing at home right now. Not only had the camp flown pass her poor expectation by half the planet, but this juicy, juicy drama was just to die for.

                 Jack recoiled, eyes wide, “What?! Ana, that’s absurd! I’ve never run a camp before, it’d be much more dangerous than it already is! I’m only supposed to be taking notes and giving advice!”

                 Obligatorily, the kids turned to Gabriel, expecting the man to explode at this suggestion. However, the camp leader was wearing a thoughtful expression that soon turned sly. Jack took an instinctive step back.

                 “What? Scared now?” Gabriel smirked, his dark eyes gleamed devilishly, “So much for Mister Jack I-know-how-to-run-this-place-better Morrison.”

                 Jack went a little purple, “You’re being juvenile!”

                 Palms up, Gabriel gave him the cheekiest, smuggest shrug Hana had ever seen in her life, “Hey, I’m not the one barging in on someone else’s business and insisting that I know better.”

                 Sighing, and giving Gabriel a disapproving scowl, Ana then turned to Jack with an encouraging smile, “You’re going to be stuck here for two months anyway. The way I see it, both of you want to prove the other wrong, and this, other than just an activity, is also a competition. What better way to settle it? Besides, I’m going to be right here to help you.”

                 Darting his stare between Ana and Gabriel, Jack was trapped. Desperately, he smoothed out his file, looking lost. And Hana was sure the kids weren’t helping with their excited chatter either, telling Jack to just go with it.

                 “It’ll be fun!” A boy, not much older than Hana, with bright green hair grinned at Jack, whilst another kid in a cowboy hat nodded enthusiastically.

                 “It’s like y’all be havin’ your own competition!”

               “You gotta show ‘im what you’ve got!” Hana chimed in, getting bolder as well. Though, secretly, she kinda wanted to be assigned to Gabriel. Even though he was kinda rude, the guy seemed to know how to have fun.

                 The tips of Jack’s ears were turning red and, for a moment there, he was the definition of a lost puppy, looking at the faces around him helplessly. But his eyes hardened the second they met Gabriel’s, arrogant and challenging.

                 “Fine.”

                 The camp leader gave Jack a shark-like grin, “Perfect.”

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

                 Jack regretted his decision almost immediately. Why was he so foolishly goaded into this situation???

                 At first, everything was alright. They split the kids into two groups of ten, picked randomly, under Jack and Gabriel’s charges. It only took a few minutes to get through with their names, and Jack dutifully noted them all down. There was Hana, the petite Korean girl with a fiery attitude. Cheery Lena with her oversized shades. Lucio with his beloved skates and a grin brighter than the sun. Bright-eyed Efi and her quick laughter. Freckled and gentle Emily. Aloof and proper Hanzo. Mild-mannered but firm Angela. Fareeha, commanding and decisive just like her mother Ana. Shy, soft-spoken and polite Mei. But what surprised him the most was Brigitte, his boss’ niece.

 Jack couldn’t believe Reinhardt would let her attend this camp, especially with the feedback they had gotten. Perhaps the man didn’t know? Maybe Jack should give him a call whenever he could. Maybe this was just a confusion.

                 Jack Morrison quickly learned that this was the least of his problem.

                 Reyes’ team consisted of ten other kids, Satya, Mako, Zarya, Gerard, Liao, Amelie, Sombra, Jesse, Genji and Jamison. All of them seemed unruly and…unique at first glance. Jack had been sure Reyes would have a hard time rounding them up and getting them to behave.

                 He didn’t expect them to fall in line before Gabriel like little soldiers, young faces scrunched up in utter concentration, and agreed upon a leader within fifteen minutes: Satya. As soon as her name was announced, the prim, crisp girl led her team back to their side of the camp and, without a beat, started assigning roles for everyone else. The kids fell into their duties, efficiently even though there were more than a few complaints from Jamison.

                 They play to win, Jack realised, and as he scrambled to gather his thoughts, loud arguments from his team snapped the blond back to the task at hand.

                 “Why should you be the leader?” Hana gave Hanzo a one-over, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. The boy obviously took offense to this, lifting his chin up haughtily and peering down at her over his nose.

                 “Because I’ve been here for many years and obviously know what to do? Unlike you, newb.”

                 “Excuse you! Nobody calls me a newb!” Hana stomped her feet, glaring, “But I don’t think you’d know better. This is a camp, not a beauty pageant, princess!”

                 Hanzo looked like he was ready to murder Hana at the spot, when Brigitte thankfully interfered,”Hanzo’s been here every year for the last five years, he knows what he’s talking about.” A pause, then, “But to be fair, Hanz, the last time you led, we lost, pitifully.”

                 “I told you to stop calling me that!!”

                 “Why can’t I be the leader then? I’ve been here before and everybody likes me.” Lena flashed them a winning grin.

                 Fareeha rolled her eyes, “But that’s just it, Lena. You’re nice to everyone, even when they are the enemy. That isn’t exactly the greatest thing.”

                 “Hey!”

                 “Guys! Calm down!” Angela’s attempt to stop the argument fell on deaf ears. She threw her hands in the air, exasperated, “Why does it have to be like this every single year???”

 Wide-eyed, Mei asked, amidst all the bickering, “It is?”

 “Yeah. It’s usually even worse when Satya and Hanzo are on the same team.”

                 Jack felt a headache coming. Taking a deep breath, he tried to gather their attention by clapping loudly. It worked, as most of the kids looked his way, but Hana and Hanzo were still too busy shouting at each other’s face to care. Frowning, Jack separated the two by the shoulder.

                 “Now, now, there is no need for fighting. I’m sure we can settle this fair and square.”

                 “I am not the one who’s been acting like an uncivilised beast.” Hanzo seethed. Hana bristled.

                 “Who are you calling-“

                 “Enough.” Ana’s firm voice cut in, effectively ended anything else anyone could have said. Hands on her hips, the camp leader stared the kids down, “You are not going to win by yelling and calling names. Look at them.” Gestured towards Gabriel’s side, “While you are busy fighting, they have already been building.”

                 Even though they were just snapping at each other, both Hana and Hanzo wore almost the same expression as they followed Ana’s pointing finger. It was comical how they both visibly deflated, before determination set in their eyes.

                 Jack gave Ana a grateful nod, “Alright, let’s get this started, shall we?”

                 It wasn’t too bad when they had all agreed that they wanted to beat the other team more than yelling at each other, though Hana and Hanzo came pretty close a couple more times as they discussed who should be their leader. In the end, it was Angela who nobody could find anything to whine about.

 Satya’s team split into four smaller groups, each building a tent surrounding the main structure. They had also drawn a perimeter around their camp to build barricade later. Meanwhile, Angela had her team expand the initial tent. She planned to have them build a makeshift wall and barricade surrounding the place after the centre was done. After all roles were sorted out and agreed upon, thanks to Angela, the work moved along smoothly.

 Jack, being the good man he was, wanted to lend a hand. However, he suddenly remembered something and almost blushed to death when his corgi, stubby and full of pent-up energy, fell face-first out of his car when he went to let her out. Undeterred, Corgnelius bounced up on her chubby feet, and wagged her butt in all her doggy excitement upon being set free. This prompted a whole cooing and petting session from Jack’s team. Corgni, shameless little thing, soaked up the attention like a sponge, pink tongue lolling out happily.

                 “There isn’t anyone that could look after her while I’m gone, so I decided to take her with me.” Jack explained to an amused Ana, still pink around the edges.

                 He completely missed the stare Gabriel was throwing at his direction.

                 With that bit of delight out of the way, it was time for the next event of the day.

                 While renovating their tents, the kids soon found clues hidden within the pile of supplies. To maintain the integrity of the game, the camp leaders, Jack included, had to go to the watch tower.

                 “Normally, we are allowed to give them extra clues when they are stuck, but since you weren’t briefed, we’d lay that off for now.” Ana explained, showing Jack camp’s layouts and where they had hidden the hoards.

                 “Has there ever been any team who didn’t get any of the hoards?” Worried, Jack skimmed through the three positions, each cleverly concealed within the mountain’s foot.

                 “Only happened once. We specifically placed the hoards so that each team would at least be able to grab one for themselves.” Ana tapped on the touch screen, enlarging each area to show Jack, “Two hoards are always placed so each respective team has the upper hand in getting there first. The third one is always somewhere in the middle. Each is marked by a flag, and upon collection, will be brought to the camp leader so the supplies will be distributed. Of course, being the first treasure hunt, it is easy enough to ensure everyone has enough supplies. Even if they fail, there is plenty of food at the lodge. Do you really think I’d let my kids starve?”

                 Bashful under Ana’s sternness, Jack rubbed the back of his head, chuckling, “Of course not. But you know, I am here to ask questions.”

                 It was a lame response, but Jack was nervous. Not only he worried about the kids’ safety, roaming around the place unchecked (well, not entirely, since the leaders could oversee them from here), but also he was worried about how his team fared. Jack hoped they wouldn’t get into any more trouble.

                 Plus, Gabriel’s odd quietness peeved Jack just a little.

                 Of all his years working as a Health and Safety inspector, Jack had never seen anyone quite like Gabriel. The man’s methods were unorthodox to say the least, and while even Jack couldn’t deny that Gabriel did care about the kids in his own way, it was Gabriel’s attitudes that irked Jack. Reyes was cocky, had little regards of regulations and rules, and he knew exactly how to get under everyone’s skin.

                 Especially Jack’s.

                 The blonde had no idea why, but ever since they first met, Gabriel went out of his ways to rile Jack up. They didn’t cross paths often, but every time they did, Jack’s impression of Gabriel worsened. Jack had no idea how anyone could stand the guy, certainly not level-headed Ana. Mouthy and arrogant, Gabriel Reyes acted like he owned the world, and Jack felt sympathy towards Ana, having to deal with the man’s bullshit.

                 Of course, his stupid dog had to disagree. While Jack was busy with his inner monologue, Corgni decided to get all chummy with Reyes. Tongue-lolling and butt-wagging, she circled the camp leader, vying for his attention at every turn.

                 Traitor.

                 “Did you say something?”

                 He threw a sheepish grin at Ana’s quirked eyebrow, “I mean, the trails. Yes, the trails, do you place any obstacle or anything on the trails?” Smooth.

                 “No, we don’t do that here.” Ana’s tone was slightly sceptical, “But the kids are allowed to.”

                 That broke Jack out of his flustering, “What???”

                 “It’s nothing extreme, of course, but the kids are allowed to put traps along the trails to slow the enemy team.”

                 “But that’s dangerous!”

                 “Oh please, you act like our kids are a bunch of rampaging, murderous gremlins.” Finally, Gabriel looked away from the binoculars, drawling sarcastically, “The worst they do is tripping someone over.”

                 “Tripping over in a mountainous terrain can result in many serious injuries!” Jack glared.

                 “They can just easily slip and break their neck walking around on the streets. With your logic, they should all be swaddled up in fluffy blankets and stowed away in a padded room somewhere.”

                 Jack was aghast with the description, but Gabriel cut in before he could form a retort, “Aren’t you supposed to be watching the kids instead of entertaining me?”

                 Not for the first time, he really wanted to punch that smug smirk off of Reyes’ face. Ultimately, Jack decided against it and glared through his own pair of binoculars.

                 Before he left his team, they had decided to have Mei, Lena and Lucio going after the treasures. On Gabriel’s side, the treasure hunters were Sombra, Genji and Amelie.

                 Jack’s team split up into two, with Lena and Lucio rushed off while Mei hiked towards a different direction. A quick look at the map told him that the two athletic kids were heading for the middle point, while Mei was going to the one closest to their camp. Solid strategy. That way, they would have a chance to attain two hoards and, worst case scenario, secure one.

                 Unlike them, Genji, Amelie and Sombra all split off to three different directions. They wanted all three, Jack realised, though he was surprised to see Genji, the quickest, heading towards the closest one to their side of camp. Still, it was a smart strategy and sure enough, within fifteen minutes, Genji had already plucked the flag triumphantly.

                 The competition got a bit intense then, and Jack found himself inwardly cheering for his team. Despite her lithe form, Amelie was fearsome, sprinting through the trees and vaulting herself around at a blurring speed. She was not as fast as either Lucio or Lena, but damn was she agile. Judging by the distance between the competitors and the hoard, it was difficult to tell who would be reach it first.

                 Jack couldn’t help it. He let out a small whoop when Lena skidded and snatched the flag right out of Amelie’s grasp. Ignoring Gabriel’s shit-eating grin, Jack turned to Ana, “Has there been any situation where they got into a scuffle over the flag?”

                 “There has been and probably will happen again, but that’s why we are here. That counts as a rule violation and points will be deducted heavily if they do so.”

                 Reassured, Jack got back to the game. Mei was nearing the final flag, a dozen feet away at most. However, Sombra was nowhere in sight, and that worried Jack a little. Mei was so close, it would be a matter of seconds before…

                 Suddenly, she stopped, frantically looking around. At this distance, it didn’t look like there was something wrong. Jack’s stomach dropped. Mei must have seen, or heard, something that he couldn’t. Judging by the way she was acting, she was terrified.

                 That one moment of hesitation was all Sombra needed. A streak of purple zipped pass Mei, snatching the flag up before the stunned girl. The way Mei’s lips trembled had Jack stomping his feet.

                 “That isn’t fair! Mei was there first!”

                 Gabriel was amused at Jack’s accusing finger, “Yeah, but she didn’t grab the flag first, did she? All is fair.”

                 Unable to spit out something coherent and not a salty insult, Jack turned on his heels, ignoring Ana’s loud announcement over the megaphone, “Corgni! We’re out of here!”

                 His exit would have been a lot stronger without his dog’s bouncing steps and jingling collar. That and Gabriel’s snorting.

                 Upon returning, Jack’s righteous fury evaporated. Even though nobody was vocal about it, they were dejected. Obviously, Mei was the most downtrodden, her glasses foggy and her lips raw from biting back the tears. Angela was by her side, whispering quiet reassurances, but that seemed to do little good.

                  “Come now, cheer up guys. It’s only one point less and it’s only the first day. There are plenty of chances to earn it back!” Jack put on his sunniest smile, hoping to pull them pass this early defeat.

                 “Yeah, well, we could have had it if she wasn’t so slow.”

                 “Hanzo!”

                 He scowled, but didn’t retort. Everyone else went a little quieter, uneasy of Angela’s harsh tone. The lithe girl was always light and airy, pleasant like a summer breeze, so her anger was somewhat scary. Composing herself, Angela sighed.

                 “Sombra has always been a bit of a bully.” She ignored Lena’s snort, “She used a sound file to scare Mei. That was bad planning on my part. I should have known they would have her skulking around.”

                 “Well, pointing fingers and sulking isn’t going to help us win.” Fareeha said, and Jack could see Ana’s sternness reflecting in her, “Jack’s right, this is nothing. We can easily win back, if only we’d just stop being dicks about it.”

                 “Fareeha!” Jack exclaimed, scandalised, “Language!”

                 She blinked up at him, a faint blush dusting the peaks of her cheekbones. The camp went silent and, almost at the same time, burst out laughing. It was contagious, and Jack found himself a lot less miffed.

                 Night fell when the tent was erected. To try and lighten the mood further, Jack taught them how to build the most badass campfire ever, roaring and dancing at the centre of their circle. Between the smores, smoking hot dogs and the kids tossing random twigs into the fire, the afternoon’s misadventure almost didn’t exist. It hit Jack with a wave of nostalgia, and he smiled, remembering himself and faces not much younger than these.

                 “So…I take that your first day here isn’t as bad as you thought?”

                 He blinked at Lena, who had inched over with a grin that made her freckles bunched up adorably. A chuckle drew out of Jack, and he patted her head, “No, not really.”

                 Lena beams got brighter. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, and for a second there, Jack thought she was going to say something cheeky, but the pixie thirteen-year-old opted to ask instead.

                 “Where did you learn to do all the camping stuff?”

                 “I used to live on a farm. And I was a Boy Scout when I was a kid.”

                 Fareeha, crouching by Corgni and giving her the most glorious belly rub, to look up and give Jack something akin to a leer, “So that’s why Uncle Gabi calls you boy scout.”

                 “I…think it’s just a form of name-calling. You know, when someone gives another person names just to be mean.” Jack frowned, trying not to fume.

 Fareeha and Lena exchanged a glance. This turn of conversation had also drawn his entire team’s attention. It made Jack feel…awkward.

                 “You know, boys only give people names when they liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike somebody.” Lena sang, earning a few giggles from the girls.

                 Jack’s eyebrows shot up, “I don’t know what gives you that silly idea. He and I are not kindergarteners. Plus I assure you, Mr. Reyes doesn’t have a high opinion about myself, considering how much of a…nuisance I have been to him, as he has adequately let me know.”

                 The camp went into a scrutinising silence. Calmly, Hanzo placed down his tea thermos (seriously, what fourteen-year-old drank tea??) and spoke with an imperial flick of his chin, “You sounded awfully defensive there, Mr. Morrison.”

               “Alright, what is this all about? What are you trying to get at?”

                 “Ignore them, Jack.” Angela said coolly, “They simply assume things because Gabe’s been mentioning you a lot.”

                 Pinching the bridge of his nose amidst the fits of giggles and slightly thrown off by Angela’s remark, Jack sighed, “So do you kids and your parents all know Gabriel personally?”

                 He should have guessed, that would probably the only way the camp leader could swindle people to sign their kids up in here. Completely ignoring the fact that the entire concept was kinda fun.

                 “Obviously Fareeha knows Gabe, since her mom works with him and all.” Lena blew a raspberry at him, grinning, “Me, Emily, Angie,” Ignoring Angela’s distasteful noise, “The Shimada bros, Amelie, Sombra, Jesse and Brigitte come here every year! We chat with Gabe all the time!”

                 Jack’s head turned over so quickly it popped, “You come here every year???”

                 Brigitte winked, “Every year since I was eight. Uncle Rein and Uncle Gabe go way back. Do you know Uncle Rein helped Uncle Gabe set this whole place up??? I wasn’t allowed to go on the first year, but I went on the second!”

                 “That’s because you weren’t old enough.”

                 Brigitted stuck her tongue out at a flexing Fareeha, “Only because I got chicken pox that year!”

                 “My uncle Torbjorn wants to send his kids here next year too.” Angela chimed in.

                 Emily wrinkled her nose, “Doesn’t he have like seven kids or something? Gabe and Ana never take more than twenty per year. And I’m not giving up my spot.”

                 “Why doesn’t he take more than twenty?” Jack quirked up an eyebrow. The conversation was moving too fast for him to stomach the fact that yes, not only Reinhardt knew Emily was going here, but he also had a hand in building this place. It made the decision to send Jack to camp Overwatch the more baffling, but he would file all those thoughts away in order to keeping up with the kids’ chirping.

                 “Safety reasons, duh.” Fareeha rolled her eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Can’t have some unattended idiots run off and get lost.”

                 Jack’s “language” was lost under Lena’s loud protest, “Hey! That was ONE time!!!”

                 Before the argument could get heated, and before Jack could ask about that incident, Hana butted in, “So you guy come here every year? Isn’t it the same thing over and over?”

                 “Well, yeah and no.” Emily took a sip of her hot chocolate, “I mean, we do competition every year, but the theme varies. Last year it was sci-fi, and Gabe set up this wicked laser tag ring for us. Got split into four teams last time, and we had Gabe and Ana as information brokers.”

                 She went on to describe how they got to play a more strategic rather than physical game last time, as the teams earned points by solving riddles, some even hidden amidst the enemy team’s fort, trying to trick each other by messing up clues, taking pieces of a puzzle away and keeping the “information brokers” from snooping and selling out their plans. Hana was completely enamoured by the end, and Mei too, from the looks of it.

                 “Any chance finding out the theme beforehand?” The bubbly Korean bounced on her butt.

                 “It’s usually listed on the website a few months before summer. It’s pretty cool, because when the theme is announced, the people who signed up can vote on a few activities.” Fareeha puffed up with an air of importance, “The battle thing this year was my idea.”

                 Hanzo snorted behind his thermos. Fareeha gave him a long stare, “Oh please, don’t act like you don’t like the chance of shooting Genji up the butt.”

                 He glared at her, mumbling, “How uncouth.” But didn’t deny it. Amari Jr. flashed him a victorious grin.

                 “I thought this was lame at first.” Hana admitted, and flailed when Lena gasped at her, “I mean, I’m sorry! But the idea of being sent off to a camp when you could be doing all the other cool stuff with your friends sucks. But first day, and I’m sold! This is badass! I’d totally come back next year!”

                 Sighing at all the cheering, Jack gave up trying to fix their language. If he was honest with himself, their exuberance and carefree joy brought a warmth to his chest. There was no denying that the kids loved Gabriel, and they loved camp Overwatch as a whole, safe or not.

                 The more he pondered, the more it didn’t make sense. Why did Reinhardt send Jack here if the man himself didn’t have any problem with the camp being run the way it did? And if Reinhardt did somehow have a problem, why did he still let his favourite niece coming here?

                 Lost in his musing, Jack didn’t notice it at first when Efi, tiny with huge, expectant eyes, tugged at his elbow.

                 “You’re not going to close down the camp, are you?”

                 Jack melted before the pleading, innocent stare. And was that a flicker of guilt he felt? “No…No. Of course not. I’m just here to help make things better.”

                 It earned him a wide, tooth-gaped grin and a squeezing hug.

                  The moment was shattered however, when a shout came out from their tent. Jack, and half of the others, scrambled inside to find a shocked Lucio, the canvas wall at the back untied and a chunk of their canned food hoard missing. Hanzo immediately set to investigate the opening.

                 “I don’t think we need your poking around to know who did this.” Angela’s eyes narrowed into slits. Behind the blonde, Fareeha crackled her knuckles.

                 “Oh, it is on.”

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

                 It was chaos the next day.

                 When Jack heard “re-enacting epic battles”, he didn’t expect them to be given foam sword and padded arrows to go to town down on each other. And he certainly had a clear idea of how Hanzo would like to “shoot Genji up the butt” now, as Fareeha had eloquently put it, because the elder Shimada was chasing down his brother, crackling like he just drank a vat of Mountain Dew, and repeatedly shooting the green-haired boy in his backside. It was also terrifying to see Efi, tiny, adorable Efi, screaming at the top of her lungs with a foam sword double her size, and chasing down Sombra of all people.

                 If Jack had to admit it, he would say it was hilarious. Until Zarya decided enough was enough and tried to choke Lucio with her thighs, squishy weapons be damned.

                 “Hey! HEY!!! That’s against the rule!”

                 Jack was only half way there to break the two apart, when Gabriel swooped in out of nowhere, and held them by the scruffs of their necks. The burly, pink-haired eleven-year-old struggled to reach for Lucio again, while the latter was just glad to be able to breathe.

                 “That’s enough. You’re sitting this one out.”

                 The girl broke into a string of loud, harsh Russian, which Jack was glad he didn’t understand. Crouching down by Lucio, “You ok?”

                 “Yeah…” The boy croaked, still a bit dazed. Though he declined when Jack suggested he should sit down for a bit, “Are you kidding??? This is awesome, man!!! No way I’m missin’ this one!” Turning back to the fray, shouting, “Let’s turn up the BEAT!!!”

                 And charged right into a towering Mako in Jack’s horror.

                 Thank goodness he had the insight to leash Cogni at the tent. She would have gone ballistic at all this madness. The corgi normally behaved at home, but here, in such a place with such a crowd, a pup like her was bound to get overly excited. And that would have caused way more harm than good.

                 “How do you deal with…this???” Jack blurted out, watching Zarya stomping off. He didn’t even have it in him to scowl when Gabriel smirked.

                 “Scared, boy scout?”

                 This time, Jack did frown, “I’m just saying, this doesn’t seem safe at all. Without interference, someone could have gotten seriously hurt!”

                 “That’s why we are here.” Gabriel shrugged, “Besides, it should calm down by tomorrow.”

                 “They look like they could run from New York to LA.”

                 “Why do you think I had them labouring on the camps, going on that treasure hunt, and now this?” Gabriel gave him a pointed stare, but there wasn’t any sarcasm in his words, “These kids got stuck sitting on their asses most of the year. P.E. is not enough to let off their pent up energy. They need to do something to release all of that, with as few limits as they can get. This is a perfect place for them to do so, without breaking anything and their parents’ scolding.”

                 Jack’s eyes widened. But Gabriel wasn’t done, “I grew up in the city. Everywhere you look, it’s a wall. Summer was restricting with many kind of dangers and looming accidents. Summer camps were ridden with rules are chiding eyes.”

                 “So you decided a foam sword battle is the best thing for the kids.”

                 Under Gabriel’s sudden heated glare, Jack shook his head vehemently, palms up, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be offensive. I mean…it’s actually…great.”

                 As soon as the words left his mouth, Jack viciously regretted it. Replacing that spark of passion, Reyes’ lips slowly stretched wide with the smugness Jack associated him with. The latter immediately scowled.

                 “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. It could use some improvements. Take Lucio for example. He could have been seriously hurt if nobody interfered on time.”

                 “But he didn’t. That’s why we’re here.” Gabriel repeated, smirk only grew wider, “Just gotta pay-“Gerard came flying out of nowhere and slammed into Jack right on the side, “attention.”

                 While the lanky boy couldn’t knock Jack down, hell, his elbow was sharp. Still, Jack tried, hard, to smile as Gerard profusely apologised, “It’s alright. Just watch where you’re going next time.” And was hyperaware of Gabriel’s stare burning at the back of his neck.

                 By the end of it, the adults were just as dirty and ragged as the kids. Jack had to escort Hanzo off twice for making his brother bawl, and another one for tackling Jesse to the ground. Hana bit Amelie in the hand, somehow Liao and Bridgette caught each other in a headlock, Mako was sitting on a screaming Lena and Jamison broke every single foam sword he was given. Even so, they probably would have fought through the night if Ana didn’t call it to a stop.

                 “The total point pool for each team is 10. For each member violating the rules, one point is taken away.”

                 Blackwatch ended up with 6, whilst Jack’s team got 7. That meant the total tied. This definitely brought the kids’ mood back up and, though exhausted, they chattered happily all the way back to camp after a quick shower at the lodge. Whilst Angela and Jack went around to check if anyone’s scrapes needed bandaging, the rest were, loudly, debating on what name they were going to call themselves.

                 “We can call ourselves the MEKA Unit!”

                 “That’s too sci-fi, Hana.”

                 “Yeah, but the other team called themselves Blackwatch.”

                 “Just because they suck doesn’t mean we have to suck too!”

                 And thus the bickering began, as they stuck pieces of sausages on sticks to cook over the fire. Sighing, Jack went through the next day’s programme.

                 “Says here we need to get two to help each respective camp leader cook for each team from tomorrow and onward.” He read aloud, and realised with a slight shudder that he was the camp leader.

                 Jack couldn’t cook worth a shit.

                 “Well, we can’t eat packaged sausages forever.” Emily commented from where she was sharing a stick with Lena.

                 Fareeha made a noise, “This would be the one time I’m jealous of their team. Uncle Gabe’s chili is killer.”

               Jack was genuinely distressed, “He cooks???”

                 “Yeah. Don’t you?”

                 Silence.

                 Lena whistled upon seeing the look on Jack’s face, “Hoooo boy. We’re gonna fail spectacularly.”

                 “It’s also worth points.” Angela, with endless pool of patience and understanding, explained, “Think Masterchef. Just smaller scale. Every day you have to serve lunch and dinner. By the end of the day we have to vote which dishes are the best. Whoever gets the most votes gets one point for the team.”

                 Jack groaned, holding his head. Lena was right. He was going to fail spectacularly. Thus would make the kids fail and they would hate him and everything he might come up to improve the place would be rebuked and…

                 “I can help out if you’d like?” Emily broke his depressing, border-lining frantic train of thoughts, “I know how to cook.”

                 “Same here.” Lucio beamed, “I have a lot of younger cousins. You won’t believe how much food they chomp through in one sitting!”

                 They were being so supportive. The least Jack could do was try, right?

                 “That’s great and all, but we still need a name!” Hana exclaimed.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

                 Growing up on a farm, Jack knew how to do a number of things. Chopping woods, collecting eggs, herding cows,…you named it and he would ace it. But he was also a walking disaster in the kitchen, and his Ma had banned him from there since the day he broke her favourite china trying to boil a tomato.

                 How that happened, Jack had no idea.

                 Just like how he was fumbling with this one carrot.

                 “You’re supposed to peel it first.” Emily piped up.

                 Jack wasn’t, or at least he would like to think, an easily flustered man. But there was a certain sense of embarrassment when one was being taught by a ten-year-old. And Gabriel very non-discreet stares at the back of his neck didn’t help either.

                 “Yeah. Peeling.” Peeling he could do. He used to have to peel a ton of potatoes when he was a kid. Still, he ended up knocking over the strainer whilst trying to find the right utensil. Lucio blinked down at the spilled green beans.

                 “Maybe it’d help if we decide what to cook first?” He suggested, handing Jack the peeler before the man could make a bigger mess. Jack’s ears burned at Sombra’s stifled giggles behind his back.

                 He raked his brain, trying to think of something within his capability. Ever since he moved out, the most Jack had ever “cooked” was heating up spaghetti-O’s and frying eggs. He had a feeling neither would impress the kids. Then again, nothing had gone according to his expectation since day one. Jack didn’t think the camp lodge would house a semi-industrial kitchen, nor did he imagine they would get fresh farm products delivered here.

                 “Just for today, you get access to everything. But from tomorrow onwards, your teams must earn credits from puzzles, treasure hunts and other activities to place an order for products.” At six a.m. sharp, Jack stared at Ana owlishly after her explanation.

                 “What about the cans?”

                 The camp leader gave him a stare that would have made Jack shrink and his Ma proud, “That’s only for the first two days and emergencies. Say, like the food camp leader provides is unfit for human consumption.”

                 Needless to say, the too recent memory did not boost Jack’s confidence. He didn’t even know where to begin.

                 “Maybe a stew?” Emily suggested, picking at the chicken, “We can separate the bones and make a nice stock with the veggies.”

                 “Oh! And we can make a peach cobbler for dessert! I saw a few cans in the pile!” Lucio zipped away as soon as the words left his mouth.

                 Being clueless as he was, Jack didn’t argue with their choices. Being the ever responsible adult, he insisted that he would handle the knife.

                 Naturally, Jack almost chopped his finger off.

                 Lucio almost fainted at the sight of streaming blood, Emily and Sombra both went pale, and Jesse’s jaws hung loose. And Jack just stared dumbly at his hand.

                 “Oh.”

                 “What do you mean ”oh”?” Calloused fingers wrapped around his wrist, yanking it under the tap. Jack hissed when cold water hit the open wound, though he was too stunned to pull away.

                 “Jesse, quit starin’ and give me the first aid kit. You three, scram.”

                 Snapped out of shock, Sombra, Emily and Lucio almost tripped over each other to get out. Jesse clumsily dropped the box next to Gabriel, before masking a hasty retreat himself. If Jack wasn’t so occupied with how close Gabriel was, he would have felt worse for the kids. In fact, he was so distracted by fresh aftershave’s scent, he almost missed the question.

                 “How did you survive this long?”

                 “Well, I used to live on a farm. This is nothing.” He had plenty “battle scars” on him to prove his point. The one on his back from falling down an apple tree when he was eight, a burnt mark on his elbow from the barbecue, one on his upper arm from the tractor steps, a few on his thighs from climbing a beat up fence…

                 “I meant the cooking.” Jack felt heat dusting his cheeks again. If Gabriel noticed, he ignored it in favour of wiping Jack’s hand clean, “How did you live on a farm and not know how to use a knife?”

                 “It’s…different.” Jack struggled to find the words, staring down at their joined hands. How could a hold so firm be so gentle at the same time? And how could he possibly associate Gabriel Reyes with the word gentle? “To whittle a branch, you bring the knife away from you? Not laying everything on a board and chopping it, and certainly not with a massive chef’s knife.”

                  A chuckle rumbled forth, resonating against his side and taking Jack by surprise. There was no mockery in the sound, just pure amusement and, dare Jack say, a drop of fondness. But Gabriel didn’t speak more, and neither did Jack, out of conflicted thoughts. The cut was dressed quickly with practiced movements. Jack had half a mind to ask how many times and to whom had Gabriel done this to. But he felt like that was a pretty petty thing to say, and Gabriel had earned enough merits for the day for Jack to not be an ass about it.

                 Oh, yes, certainly enough merits, as Gabriel quietly and neatly separated the meat from the bones of Jack’s chicken. The former also moved his station across from Jack’s team instead of with their backs against each other. If the kids, once called back inside, had any question about the changes, they didn’t voice it. Though, Sombra did glance between the two men, an almost hidden smile playing on her pursed lips.

                 Jack didn’t make a fuss over it. After all, Gabriel didn’t have to correct them when they forgot to season the broth, nor did he have to tell them to strain the peaches. For once, there was no jab or taunt between them. Honestly, the silence bothered Jack a little, not quite on an uncomfortable note, but with this uncertainty that refused to leave his thoughts. It occurred to Jack then that he knew about Gabriel just as little as he knew any of the kids here, despite having some mutual acquaintances. That he didn’t know enough to judge the man on a personal level.

                 It was…grounding, and it also kindled a sense of curiosity.

                 Lunch didn’t turn out too bad. Jack had to admit the vegetable chunks could be more even and they could use a bit more seasoning. He wasn’t even mad more than half the camp voted for Gabriel’s stunning beef goulash and coconut flan. Hell, Jack himself enjoyed it.

                 “I think you need some lessons, Commander.” Fareeha spoke solemnly. They were working around the camp’s perimeter, as Angela had decided to implement some form of defence around the big tent.

                 “I definitely do.” He didn’t sound too positive. Emily and Lucio did all the cooking, Jack just did the heavy lifting, literally.

                 But this was a very tentative matter. On one hand, Jack knew he was setting up for failure and that he was one of those people who just couldn’t get the art of cooking right. On the other, this was his team, and they were counting on him. Plus letting two kids doing most of the job for him, a grown ass twenty-seven years old man just didn’t feel right.

                 “Maybe I can convince Uncle Gabe to give you lessons.”

                 “Wait…what?”

                 Fareeha didn’t even bat an eyelash, “Emily told us how he helped you guys back there. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind giving you a hint or two.”

                 Jack stopped stacking up the logs, gawking, “But this is a competition!”

                 “Yeah, duh. But it’s also supposed to be fun.” She was the splitting image of Ana then, with hands on her hips and a proud quirk to her lips, “It’s no fun when the opposing team is hopelessly outmatched and miserable, isn’t it?”

                 Jack didn’t know why, but this idea didn’t sit well with him, “What about your mom?”

                 The girl puffed up with laughter, “She’s terrible with cooking! Well, not terrible terrible, but not the best. Uncle Gabe helps her all the time. He always had to prep recipes for her beforehand. Looks like you’ll be continuing the tradition.”

                 She then lowered her voice, big eyes darting around in an innocent secrecy that made him smile, “But don’t tell the others, ok? It’s sorta a secret around here.”

                 Jack found his amusement fading later that day, when he was called up to the watch tower. Mostly because he was hit with a full face of Gabriel Reyes’ Smug Smirktm.

                 “So a little birdie told me you need help.”

                 Jack groaned, and couldn’t be bothered to be offended when Corgni immediately bounced towards Gabriel, “Would you just focus at the task for now?”

                 Surprisingly, Reyes complied, though Jack wished he would wipe that look off of his face. But Jack figured instead of being annoyed, he should at least pay attention to something he could do.

                 Each team was given a puzzle box today. A yosegi, to be exact, though Jack didn’t have a higher understanding of what it was despite Hanzo’s exasperated explanations. On his team, obviously the Japanese boy was in charge of solving the puzzle, along with Mei and Angela. On Gabriel’s team: Gerard, Satya and Sombra. Since this was more of an intellectual thing, Jack wasn’t too worried about anyone getting hurt.

                 That was until Ana told him the second part of the game.

                 “Inside the puzzle, there is a clue to where the credits are hidden. The kids have to solve the puzzle, then pass the clue to another teammate to gather these credits before the opposing team does.”

                 “Why do all of these games have to be so physical???”

                 Gabriel raised an eyebrow at him, “That’s kinda the point?”

                 Jack groaned. Why did he even bother?

                 If his team’s performance wasn’t the best the last few rounds, today they were exceptional. Hanzo’s head probably would be growing twice its normal size, as Fareeha might say, but the boy was incredibly quick with his movements. Mosaic cubes were pushed around at blurring speed, and got unlocked within fifteen minutes flat. Lena, Lucio and Fareeha were at the ready, and they shot off at different directions.

                 Gabriel’s team was frantic, and the more they rushed to keep up, the more they fumbled.

                 “Looks like it’s canned shit for us tomorrow.” Gabriel remarked, amusement colouring his voice in lack of the half-expected bitterness. There was this spark in his eyes, one Jack couldn’t quite place, when Gabriel turned around, grinning, “I’ll see you at the lodge tonight.”

                 Well, that would not be pleasant.

                 Even though Emily and Lucio did lovely for dinner (twice baked potatoes, roasted pork belly and peanut butter cookies), Jack couldn’t stop scowling. Without their presence there, he expected shit to go flying.

                 Jack came to Camp Overwatch a number of times, as other local camps. In contrary to many leaders Jack knew, Gabriel was flippant towards anything Jack had to say, and always had the sass to fire back. It was frustrating dealing with him, because Gabriel had to question every simple regular regulation. Jack had to admit some of them were long-winded and could be approached more efficiently. However, the way Gabriel approached them could be border-lining insulting.

                 “Keep making that face and it’ll get stuck like that.”

                 The whisk in his hand clattered to the counter, splattering egg everywhere. Jack’s frown deepened, “Sorry.”

                 Gabriel quirked up an eyebrow, “You hate cooking that much?”

                 Letting out a sigh, Jack tried, and failed, to school his expression, “No. I won’t use hate, but I hardly cook at a normal time, much less pass 10 at night.”

                 It was a bit awkward. They didn’t know each other well and Jack didn’t know if they could hold a conversation without arguing their faces off.

                 “You cook often?”

                 Granted, that probably wasn’t the stupidest and most obvious question he could come up with, but Jack kind of want to face-palm all the same. And there it was, Gabriel’s smirk.

                 “I don’t think I have a choice.” He gestured towards the door. But then his smile softened, turning a bit more genuine, “But yeah. I actually do like cooking. It’s calming.”

                 “Calming? I don’t know. To me it’s stressful as hell.”

                 And yes. There was the disagreement.

                 “Probably because you aren’t used to it.” Gabriel shrugged, tossing a pinch of salt into the batter, “My grandma made it her business to drill most of her recipes into my head before I left home. Said I can survive anywhere if I know how to cook.”

                 Jack blinked, “That’s a bit strange. But I can see what she meant.”

                 It was definitely useful and a desirable skill. Even if he didn’t say it aloud, sometimes Jack wished he could make something that’s not either charred or hopelessly raw. Especially after a long day of dealing with paperwork, every spoon of cold Spaghetti’O felt like it would go right back up his nose.

                 “What’s your favourite food?”

                 Were they sharing stuff now? Was Gabriel actually…okay with this?

                 “Strawberry shortbread.”

                 The way Gabriel was staring at him…Gods, the man probably though Jack was mental. Immediately, he felt the need to explain.

                 “When I was a kid, my Ma would make it every summer.” He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. There were just so many fond memories, “I’d bring them to the Scout meetings and share them.”

                 His words ended on an awkward note. Gabriel was still looking at him, but the thoughtfulness in his eyes was one Jack had never seen before. At least not directed at him.

                 “Chili cheeseburger.”

                 “…What?”

                 Gabriel cleared his throat and went back to his batter, “Mine is chili cheeseburger. It’s messy, but it’s great. Grandma used to make it every barbecue Sunday.”

                 The way he fumbled a little made Jack bite back a smile, “Fareeha said your chili is pretty good.”

                 “Good???” Scandalised, Gabriel waved the spatula at Jack, “I’d have you know, my chili is bomb! That’s it, screw the rules, I’m making chili tomorrow, and you, sir, are going to love it.”

                 This time, Jack did laugh, feeling the tension drawing out of him.

                 And he did love the chili. Even though he’d never admit that to Gabriel.

                 It opened a whole new door. The prep night became a routine. Not that Jack had a say in the matter, but he at least was happy that conversations with Gabriel were more pleasant than he thought. In the span of two weeks, Jack learned that outside of this camp, Gabriel led a rather fascinating life. He was in the Navy for a time, used to go to college for a nursing degree, but dropped out because it didn’t feel right for him, went and travel around Asia alone for a year, and would have headed to Europe if his grandma didn’t fall sick. He had a three-legged cat named Bastion and, outside of camp, he was the chef at his mother’s restaurant.

                 “When summer rolls around, my sister comes home from culinary school and fills in my spot.”

                 “That’s a bit cheating. No wonder why you have to prep all the meals.”

                 Gabriel had laughed then, the sound warm and resonating within the space between them.

                 As for Jack’s team, they had finally decided on a name without bickering so much over it. They called themselves the Uncrowned, simply because it sounded cool, and Angela refused her Queen title, unlike Satya.

                 “But that’s…” The word edgy died on his tongue at the kids’ excitement. Oh, well. As long as they agreed.

                 Begrudgingly, Jack had to admit camp Overwatch was fun, despite its many violations. And Gabriel had arguably picked the best crowd for all these activities. Despite their differences and occasional arguments, the kids worked well together, and were genuinely enjoying everything they got to do. Everyone had a role they could fall into, and none of the “duties” seemed like a chore to them. Both Blackwatch and The Uncrowned were neck to neck in points by the end of the third week. Excitement ran high when Gabriel announced the final week’s events.

                 “The mural competition starts on the first day and will be judged on the final day of the week. Also on the first day are the heraldry competition and cupcake battle. On the second day, we have a long bow competition and melee. On the third day, we have the fantasy mask competition and theatre. Poetry competition and jousting tourney are on the fourth day. And yes, yes we are going to get real horses in here.”

                 Jesse whooped so loudly, he probably scared all the woodland critters away within the five miles radius.

                 “We’ll have an eating competition, costume contest and three-legged races on the fifth. The sixth has potato sack race, long sword tourney and fairy house contest. And of course, the seventh is our final judging day and prize awards.”

                 The kids practically buzzed. Aside from the daily treasure hunts and puzzles, they now had to plan ahead for the last week. With the credits used to order food, they also were allowed to put down the materials they might need for the competitions, especially for all the crafting and arts.

                 And that was when the sieging began.

                 “Seriously? A ram?”

                 “It was just a log, Jack.”

                 “Gabriel. They used an oversized log as a battering ram. To knock down a canvas tent.”

                 The man in question rolled his eyes. Jack glared.

                 “Fine. They probably might have gone overboard a little bit.”

                 “A little???” Bewilderment coloured Jack’s voice, “Gabe, this is the third time in the last two days we have to sit down and talk about this kind of things! Control your kids!”

                 “Maybe you should stop coddling yours. Hana was totally snickering under her tear-streaked face as soon as you walked away.”

                 Instead of firing back, Jack covered his face with his hands, muttering.

                 “What was that?”

                 “This is ridiculous. You were right there. You could have stopped them.”

                 “Uh…I got lost in the moment?”

                 From behind his fingers, Jack shot Gabriel a look, “Really?”

                 The latter’s smirk was smug, with equal parts of sheepishness, and something else Jack couldn’t quite place. Gabriel had been sending a lot of those out lately, whenever they had these five-minute meetings and during their nightly prep times. Even though Jack didn’t fully understand it, it was a lot well-received than the cockiness he was graced with before.

                 Sighing, Jack turned to Ana, who was utterly unhelpful, unlike what she had assured him in the beginning, “You have nothing to say about all of this?”

                 “Nah.” She picked at her nails, boredom oozed out of her voice in waves, “You boys seem to have this under wrap.”

                 “…I swear, this entire camp is against me.” Jack grumbled, walking away with Corgni, ever so faithful, bounced after his steps.

                 The complaints became more and more frequents the longer it went on. And despite Jack’s resolution about safety measures, even he thought this was becoming ridiculous.

                 “Jack!!! Mako yelled at me! Go get Uncle Gabe!”

                 “Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!! Sombra broke my nail!!! Please go tell Gabe!!!”

                 “Jack. Tell Gabriel to kick Genji off his team.”

                 The last was definitely Hanzo’s, and Jack obviously didn’t comply. But the trips to go see Gabriel turned into some sort of reflex now, whenever a kid came running towards him. And they, Jack and Gabriel, mostly talked about what kind of food to prepare that night rather than the kids’ shenanigans, and Ana didn’t even bother to show up anymore.

                 If Jack had to admit it to himself, this routine was kind of nice.

                 “So why did you decide to open a camp?”

                 Jack was getting better with his knife work. Although slow, his chicken breast cubes were even, and the best part was he didn’t have too many accidents anymore. The first week had seen a copious amount of bandages gone and Jack’s poor hand wrapped up like it was mummified.

                 “I don’t know if you remembered, but I wanted to make a place for the kids to run around with as little restriction as possible. I’ve always been good with kids too, so I figured I’d give it a try.”

                 Jack blinked, “So you just went ahead and opened a camp?”

                 “Well…” For once, Gabriel Reyes, the Sass Master, was flustered, “It kinda came to me in a dream.”

                 Jack stopped every movement, gawking. Sheepish, Gabriel scratched the back of his head.

                 “At the time, I was actually applying for the same job you have now. I and Reinhardt went to the same high school and actually were in the same squadron. We had a beer over it and he was adamant the job wasn’t for me. He was right, of course. Being tied down inside an office would drive me insane. The dream came up after some bantering and here we are.”

                 “That’s…very spontaneous.” There was a note of hesitation in Jack’s voice. Going back to the chopping board, he found himself unable to focus. Growing up, everything had always been so certain and planned. Jack always knew he wanted an office job, and he always wanted to help keeping order, to protect and prevent. He did well at school. He took a year off from all the studying and found an internship. Stayed there for almost a year and got the job. Been staying ever since.

                 It wasn’t that Jack didn’t like his life. He was grateful for it, not having to struggle. But sometimes, he did wish there was some excitement.

                 “Something wrong with it?”

                 Jack blinked, “Ah…no. No. It’s just…Quite a life you’ve got there, Gabe. Mine is a bit…boring.”

                 His smirk was sly, “Oh? Jealous, Morrison?”

                 “A little bit, yeah.”

                 Instantly, Jack felt stupid. He couldn’t believe he just said that. But the look in Gabriel’s eyes turned soft and his smile was gentle when he nudged Jack.

                 “I guess this change of pace is good for you, then. You’re welcome to return next year. The kids love you, and you’re much more fun than Ana.”

                 Jack’s stomach did a flip.

                 Oh, no.

                 Amidst the pink, delicious-smelling bowls of marinating chicken tikka, Jack fell, for rumbling laughter and tenderness wrapped up in a thunderstorm.

                 His first question to himself was why, more in an automated sense than him actually needing an answer. Perhaps it was so unexpected in its expectedness, his mentality couldn’t process it quick enough to be in denial. Or that he had been in denial the whole time and just now realised the inevitable.

                 He started to spend less time talking, and more to watch and listen. His heart would soar when they spoke, and there was this certain yearning when they didn’t. He tread a little more careful, and he became a little more self-conscious. He smiled easier, despite the nagging uneasiness at the back of his mind, and the butterflies in his stomach.

                 It was the anomaly that reeled Jack in. Gabriel’s defiance and his quick wit had always been the most striking traits, but there was also that underlying passion, and just how much he cared. Jack hadn’t been able to see that when they first met, bristling with ego and self-righteousness. He didn’t see how much effort Gabriel put into the camp, how much thoughts he put into it to entertain the kid, even just for two months a year.

                 And Gods, their personalities just clicked, once given the chance to.

                 With the final week just around the corner, Jack was sucked into the whirlwind of preparations and guarding their spoils against Blackwatch’s attempts. Both teams had been constantly trying different, and terrifyingly creative, methods to plunder each other’s hoards, which in turn gave Jack more headache causes than he would have liked. Hanzo had a tendency to snap whenever someone was being too loud. Lena was skittish. Mei and Angela were both paranoid. Emily had taken to arm herself with an iron skillet (which Jack had to confiscate the moment she almost knocked Jamison out cold). Lucio and Brigitte took turns patrolling the camp. Hana and Efi made a bunch of booby traps around the premise that had the tendency to trip their own teammates over. Fareeha was probably the only one to be relatively calm, but then again, for a kid her age, she had a pretty damn good poker face.

                 At least they managed to assign who to sign up for which competition without much quarrelling.

                 “They let Angela be in the cupcake team?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow at the list Jack provided. The latter winced at his tone.

                 “Is that a bad idea?”

                 “Oh, trust me, she’s one smart cookie, but that girl is just as bad as you are in terms of cooking.”

                 Jack sighed, “That explains the glaring…But with Lucio full time on the mural team, he won’t be able to participate.”

                 “…Right. I’ll make sure to stock extra toilet papers.”

                 On the last week, parents were invited to come spectate and cheer for the kids. Gabriel had enlisted the help of a few friends to set up booths around the fences and erect some tents for other activities. They worked overnight, and by July 20th, the camp did turn out to be a mini Renaissance Fair, just as Gabriel described. Canvas tents, colourful flags, wooden shields, weapon racks and many other nick-knacks Jack didn’t have the name for. They even wired some hidden speakers around the premise, playing jig and skipping lute that quite frankly got a bit annoying after some time.

                 As Gabriel predicted, as soon as the parents showed up, the kids were a lot less difficult to manage. Everyone tried to be on their best behaviours, especially the Shimada brothers, in hope they’d be able to return next year. Hana even made peace with her parents, gushing about her time and was just short from begging to sign for next year.

                 Jack, too, was excited, both for the same reasons as the kids and another of his own. Gabriel lived in Sacramento, but he mentioned he would still be in town for at least a couple more weeks before heading back. Perhaps then, when there wasn’t anything else to distract them, Jack could get to know Gabriel a bit more. Jack was equally hopeful and scared.

                 After all, Gabriel had to like him to some degree in order to extend an invitation for him to come back, right?

                 Jack was glad he postponed asking Gabriel out (was that even the right term? Or was that too childish? Rushing it?) On the second day, Reinhardt’s booming laughter almost made Jack cough up the remains of Angela’s abominable cupcake.

                 “Jack! My boy! How’s it been?”

                 Struggling to regain his balance after the massive man’s enthusiastic slap in the back, Jack huffed, “I’m alright. What brings you here?”

                 “My niece! Never miss competition week for her!” Reinhardt boomed and, upon seeing the pointed look Jack was shooting him, laughed again, this time a little sheepish, “Guess I’m busted.”

               “You could have told me.” Jack accused. His boss gave him a shrug that eerily reminded him of Gabriel’s.

                 “You were obsessed over this place, so I figured there wasn’t anything anyone could say to change your mind. Best to let you experience it.” Pausing briefly, he grinned, “And by the looks of it, I was right.”

                 “Improvements can be made. But yes, it is rather nice.“ Jack had no reason to deny that. It would be silly at this point.

                 “I’m sure you and Gabriel can discuss that over dinner.” The twinkle in Reinhardt’s eyes were too mischievous for the words to be coincidental. But before Jack could comment on it, his boss flagged down Brigitte, and lumbered away with a broad grin.

               Jack supposed he should be suspicious, however was soon having to direct all his focus on the archery ring and the melee tourney. Despite the arrows being padded and the swords were foam, Jack wouldn’t put pass the kids to try and do something stupid with them. Sure enough, not even into round two, Hana and Liao tossed their swords aside and wrestled instead.

                 “Tomorrow is going to be worse, isn’t it?” Jack sighed after they benched the two kids, “Why did you have to bring in real horses…”

                 “There are only two that will be competing and I cleared that out with their parents beforehand. Besides, it’s not like they are going to charge at each other. Only some poor stuffed dummies are going to get knocked down. So don’t worry your pretty head over it.”

                 Jack’s heart fluttered, catching onto the way Gabriel’s hand lingered just a tad longer at his nape.

                 At least they had a breather on the third day. There wasn’t anything note-worthy except for a minor backstage accident, caused by overly-elaborate dress trains and unnecessary high heels. The Uncrowned did a quicker rendition of Romeo and Juliet, with Emily trying and failing to stifle her giggles while Lena sang at the top of her lungs an off-tune version of I’m Kissing You. Meanwhile, Blackwatch did a comedic show loosely based off of Robin Hood. Jack had to admit, it was impressive the way they coordinated Mako and Jamison’s dancing.

                 On the 23th of July, it was nerve-wracking. Their two competitors were Jesse and Hanzo, who were as far away on each end of the spectrum as one could get. Somehow Jesse’ entire extended family showed up, taking up a whole square of the spectator booth and cheering so loudly Jack thought they brought an entire rodeo with them. And then there was the Shimada, quiet and imposing, crisp in their pressed suit and fancy dress. While the two kids did get to do a few test rides with their horses, brought here by the same farm that supplied their food, Jack was still on edge with how massive the beasts were compared to the boys. Jesse was known to be a hot-head and nobody could be as fiercely competitive as Hanzo, so Jack could only hope they wouldn’t do anything rash just for a few extra points.

                 It did get tense for a while there, as Hanzo and Jesse both knocked out the same amount of dummies in the same amount of time. However, on their last round, the cowboy’s lance slipped out of his hand, making him and his horse go sailing pass the target. This had Hanzo winning by one point, and the crowd exploded with excitement as the boy did a victory lap.

                 Jack let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, not because his team won this round, but because everyone was safe, thankfully. But there was a slight smile hidden under Gabriel’s moustache. Upon queried, there was a certain fondness in Gabriel’s voice as he watched the boys.

                 “It’s complicated. I’ll tell you later.”

                 It fed Jack’s hope, making him giddy and expectant through the last two days of competition. Not even the gross outcome of the eating contest or having to clean up the fairy house mess dampened his mood, though the potato sack race came pretty close with so many of them falling face-first on the track.

                 On the eve of the 25th, Jack, Gabriel and Ana gathered at the lodge, going over the total points and discussing the possible prizes. Since Ana kept impeccable records of everything, it didn’t take them too long to find out which one was the winning team. With that bit out of the way, Gabriel groaned and threw his feet up the table.

                 “And that’s another successful year. I’m so ready for a vacation.”

                 Rummaging through the back fridge, Ana snorted, and provided them each a beer, “Don’t lie, you enjoyed this way more than the kids.”

                 “Takes one to know one.” Gabriel muttered, but his eyes crinkled with a grin, raising his bottle to the other two, “Cheers.”

                 Silence was pleasant and, in Jack’s case, melancholic. To think that just two months ago, he would have never imagined sitting beside Gabriel Reyes without a snarky remark, much less sharing a beer. And even more outrageous, having developed feelings for the man! It brought a smile to his face, one that Ana didn’t miss.

                 “Say, Jack. Are you thinking about coming back next year?”

                 Although he feigned nonchalance, Jack saw the glance Gabriel threw his way. Heart fluttering like a fool, Jack chuckled, “I don’t know. I mean this is supposed to be a one-time thing. I don’t think Reinhardt would let me take another two months off for nothing again.”

                 Ana’s eyes were suddenly sharp on him and, not for the first time, Jack was reminded of how Gabriel owned the place, but Ana was the boss, “Trust me. Reinhardt isn’t going to be an issue.”

                 “Oh? Is there something you’d like to share?” Gabriel slid into the banter, sly smirk already flitting. Ana turned up her nose.

                 “It’s none of your business. Remember, Gabi, you still owe me big time.”

                 Still smirking, he held up a palm, “Alright, alright. No need to get all threatening.” Then turned to Jack, expression automatically softening, but there was still a hint of mischief, “But I don’t think you have a say. You’re part of the crew now. Besides, I like your dog.”

                 Something warm danced at the pit of Jack’s stomach, and he couldn’t help but laugh, “I’m pretty sure she loves you more than me now. My God, if we stayed any longer, she’d get so fat from all the jerky you slip her.”

                 They talked well into the night, until they ran out of beers and Ana started nodding off. When they parted ways, Jack didn’t know if it was the tiredness playing tricks on him, but he could have sworn, Gabriel’s hand brushed against his, just for a fraction of a second.

                 In the morning, as soon as they woke, the kids immediately pestered Jack for the final scores. It was hard not giving in, partially because he was sad, knowing this was goodbye. He had grown to care for them just as he had grown to care for Gabriel. Even if they argued and had their crazy moments, they were still Jack’s team.

                 Perhaps, he thought wistfully, he would be able to see them next year.

                 Just as how Jack felt, even though excitement was running high today, there was a sombreness to them all. They anxiously waited for the results, and then not at all. The announcement was set before noon, so they could begin their journey home early. All chatters around the picnic tables stopped the moment Ana got onto the theatre stage.

                 “I, and my fellow camp leaders, just want to say thank you all so much for being here and participating in Camp Overwatch’s programme. We hope you enjoyed your stay, and we would like to let you know that you have brought us just as much joy as we, hopefully, brought you all. And, of course, we’ would love to welcome you all again next year!”

                 Cheers, claps and stomps erupted. Somewhere in the crowd, Jesse screamed, “Y’ bet I’m comin’ back!!!”

                 Chuckling, Ana pulled out an envelope from her jacket, sealed with wax and all, “And now, for the important bit.”

                 They could practically hear the grass rustling, everyone was waiting on baited breath for the result.

                 “Winning by a shocking, impossible two points is…”

                 Breaths were being sucked in. Jack bit back a laugh.

                 “BLACKWATCH!!!”

                 Screeches and hollers exploded from one side of the camp as the team scrambled on stage, hugging each other and cheering. On Jack’s side, the kids had flocked together for comfort.

                 “It’s not bad. We put up a really good game.”

                 “Yeah, it’s suuuuper close. Two points, man!”

                 “Well, just means we have to do better next year.”

                 “Depends on the theme though. You think they would do fantasy stuff next?”

                 Speculations and promises were already made. Even Hanzo was pulled into the conversation, a smile dancing in his eyes. Jack’s heart swelled, and he didn’t care if he was wearing the dopiest grin at that moment, watching Gabriel giving each of Blackwatch kids a crown, and a wooden shield for the Uncrowned.

                 As for the prizes, Jack was surprised to see Satya, nose up in the air, demanded everyone to add each other on social network, or at least the newcomers anyway. The kids also wanted to each take a part of their tent home, and wanted a big group picture by the lodge. However, Jack didn’t see it coming when some of his team joined with some on Blackwatch, forming a loose circle and whispered with great urgency. In the end, Sombra and Fareeha went to Gabriel, relaying to the man something Jack couldn’t catch, gesturing wildly all the while. What alarming was how wide Gabriel’s eyes grew as they spoke, and he stayed shocked as they were done.

                 And then, he laughed. Doubling over, Gabriel hollered as if he had heard the best joke in the world, so much that Corgni yanked her leash out of Jack’s hand and barrelled over to check on him.

                 Well, another thing to ask Gabriel about later.

                  The sun was bright when they gathered for the photo. To Jack’s pleasure, Gabriel chose to stand next to him instead of the other side of the group. Heat dusted his cheeks, feeling the back of their hands brushing. Mentally, Jack prepared a pep talk. Just wait for the crowd to clear, after they could take a breather, and-…

                 “Would you like to go out for dinner?”

                 Jack’s heart missed two whole beats.

                 Three days later, when the dust settled and Jack had learned how indeed everyone at camp was playing against him, he received a bunch of messages from the kids. Most didn’t have much text, either “aaaaawe” or “cuuuuute” or “omg”. It was the attachments that made Jack’s heart soar, curling closer to Gabriel’s snoring side.

                 At the very edge were the two of them, hands linked and smiles mirrored, perfectly captured the moment Jack said yes.

#r76 #reaper76 #overwatch #commission #longpost #summer camp!AU #nei writes shit #jack has a corgi #overwatch cast

[theseventhhex]

PUP Interview

PUP

Photo by Vanessa Heins

PUP’s latest album titled ‘The Dream Is Over’ are the exact words a doctor spoke to singer/guitarist Stefan Babcock upon discovering one of his vocal cords had a small cyst and was beginning to haemorrhage. Given that the band – completed by drummer Zack Mykula, bassist Nestor Chumak and guitarist Steve Sladkowski – played over 450 shows in the last two years in support of its self­titled debut, it’s perhaps not surprising that it happened. In the wake of sold–out shows and widespread media acclaim, ‘The Dream Is Over’ is visible, visceral proof that the dream is still alive. It’s just that, after two exhausting years on the road, it turns out that the dream is just very different to what the four of them thought or imagined it would be like… We talk to Stefan Babcock about stepping outside the comfort zone, Nandos and camping…

TSH: Knowing a lot of the writing for ‘The Dream is Over’ took place on the road and then also having a small amount of time between tours to get into the jam space and studio, how focused were you?

Stefan: We were insanely focused. I don’t think any of us have worked that hard on anything in our lives. Because we’d toured the first record so much, we essentially had only 3 months to write and record ‘The Dream Is Over’, which is really not much. So when we came home from almost a year straight of touring, we went straight into the jam space for like 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for the next 3 months until the record was done. It was the only way to complete the record in the time frame we’d given ourselves.

TSH: You’ve put so much into this record and thus it’s amazing to see the connection individuals have with this collection of songs. How important was it be as honest and frank as possible?

Stefan: I think that’s of the utmost importance for the kind of music we play. I think there’s a lack of sincerity and honesty in a lot of rock music. I have been guilty of that in the past too – when I started writing songs, I wrote lyrics that I thought sounded like “lyrics”, if that makes any sense. And those songs just all came across as generic and fake and they didn’t sound like me or like PUP. If there’s one thing I can say about ‘The Dream Is Over’, is that it’s very honest. I’m not a poet, I’m a pretty straightforward guy, and I just sort of say what I’m thinking, and hope people can connect with that. I think music fans are smart these days – they see through the fake shit, they can sniff out lies.

TSH: Also, how crucial was it for you to primarily trust your instincts?

Stefan: I suppose it was pretty important. At a certain point if something doesn’t feel right, whether it be a lyric or a riff or even a full song, you gotta be ok with letting go and getting rid of it. But fighting your instincts is important too. A few times we fell into this trap of writing songs that sounded too much like other songs we’d written on the last record, and it was important for us to pull away from that. We want to always be progressing, getting better, writing new and interesting stuff, and part of doing that is making sure you step outside your comfort zone once in a while.

TSH: The record is so diverse with intense instrumentation and themes of recurring challenges and disillusionment. Would you say you had more self-reflection and some self-awareness compared to the first record?

Stefan: I would say so. The first record was the first time I was ever really writing real songs. So I was still learning. And I definitely still am. But I think going into the second record there was definitely more self-awareness, and a bit more confidence, and that helped to take more risks. As far as the instrumentation, I think we were all just way more confident as a band, from all the touring we’d done on the first record. We had a much better sense of the kind of band we wanted to be, the kind of record we wanted to make, and we had a lot more confidence in each other as musicians than we did the first time out.

TSH: Talk us through the origins of ‘Sleep in the Heat’ entailing a pet chameleon you had…

Stefan: We had a song called Mabu on the first record, which was about my family car. We made a video for that song, and in it, I drove Mabu in a demolition derby. As part of the video, we had “rented” a real chameleon to just kind of be this weird quirky bit in the video. Anyway, it was a pretty emotional day for me, saying goodbye to this car that I loved so much and had made so many memories in. And while we were shooting this video, I was sad, but also kind of bonding with this chameleon we had on set. And at the end of the day I had grown so attached to this chameleon that I just made an impulse buy and took her home and named her Norman. So that’s what the first verse in the song is about. Unfortunately about a year later, Norman passed away. Losing any pet is really hard. I really liked Norman a lot, and I miss her. So anyway, that song is kind of me saying goodbye to Norman.

TSH: After an extensive tour run and having unfortunate vocal damage, how do your vocal chords feel now?

Stefan: Pretty good! I’ve been taking care of them. I have a really great vocal coach and an ENT doctor that looks after me, and I’m working really hard at staying healthy. I’d say my voice is probably stronger now than before the damage.

TSH: Over the past few years you’ve had bad experiences; do such challenges give you a whole new perspective in terms of songwriting growth?

Stefan: Sure – these challenges are something that will definitely find a way to manifest themselves in future songs. When you become a “professional” songwriter, it can sometimes be hard to find inspiration, especially if all you’re doing all day is writing songs. So I try to look at any of these hardships as a positive – as fuel to keep writing and stay inspired.

TSH: Have your experiences in previous bands about expectations allowed you to excel more with PUP?

Stefan: Yeah definitely – I learned a lot through my past bands, and I’m sure the other guys would say the same. You start to realise the kind of person you want to be in a band with. When you’re touring and writing, you spend so much time together, and through my past bands, I realised it’s just not worth it to spend that much time with people you don’t get along with. The fact that we’ve all found 3 other guys that we get along with super well, and that we all share the same sort of idea of what we want this band to be is pretty rare and special. So we make sure to do everything in our power to work together and compromise and be diplomatic and cool to each other. We know what we want and have some vague notion as to how to go about achieving it together. But of course every day is still a learning experience.

TSH: When you encounter the more difficult days, what helps you get through?

Stefan: Playing a really fun show helps. Sometimes touring is rough, and it’s not always a walk in the park. But at the end of the day, you get to go on stage and play music with your friends for people who actually give a shit about your band, and that’s really rewarding and really fun. At the end of the day, all the bullshit that comes with touring is worth it when you see kids having a great time and jumping around to the music you and your four idiot friends made together in a basement.

TSH: Does Wagamama’s come close to Nando’s?

Stefan: Nando’s forever.

TSH: Are the supportive emails from your grandma still coming through often?

Stefan: Hahaha, yes. Great question. I love it. She still sends me a really nice message at least once a tour. She’s a cool lady. Very supportive.

TSH: Have you managed to find time to do some camping?

Stefan: Yeah, I get out as much as the schedule will allow me. I got to do a bunch of winter camping in Ontario, Canada around Christmas, which is cool. It was really cold – sleeping in a tent and just doing the necessities to survive (like cooking and building fires and collecting wood) is really challenging in -20 degree weather, but it’s also really rewarding and fun. We’ve got some time off this summer, and I’m excited to spend a bunch of it in the bush.

TSH: How liberating is it to express your feelings and be so immersed within music with this band?

Stefan: It’s great. Playing in a band like this is super cathartic. Getting to scream your guts out every night about all the shit that pisses you off is actually really fun and really healthy. The reason I got into this sort of music is because I wanted an outlet to make my angst productive, and I’ve definitely found that in PUP.

TSH: I understand during your UK tour one of you managed to view A Fish Called Wanda and The X Files... Were there any other notable intriguing TV watches?

Stefan: That was probably Steve or Zack. Ummm, one tour I blasted through a bunch of Game of Thrones. It’s pretty good! But I get bored of TV pretty fast; my attention span is pretty short.

TSH: As PUP heads forward, is the notion of always exploring and trying to learn and figure out new stuff partly what defines your outlook?

Stefan: Yes, definitely. We always want to get better – we’re not the type of guys who are happy with settling into a routine or becoming complacent with our music. We always want to push ourselves and the boundaries of this genre. Not to say we want to start playing prog-rock, but we just want to keep things fresh and exciting for us, and we do that by challenging ourselves to constantly get better. And of course, we’re still learning a lot about being songwriters and being in a band together. It’s only been about 4 years, so we still have a lot to learn and every song is a learning experience and another building block for the band. It’s cool that we are still excited and motivated, and I hope we stay that way for as long as we are a band.

PUP - “Sleep In The Heat”

The Dream Is Over

#Interview #PUP

[floraexplorer]

Wilderness Festival 2019: the Fanciest Music Festival You’ll Ever Visit

I’ve been to a lot of music festivals, but Wilderness Festival is undoubtedly the fanciest.

Wilderness is a four-day boutique festival held in early August each year set in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire, England.

It also has a reputation for being extremely middle-class.

Say goodbye to dodgy food and watered-down beer – at Wilderness, there are lavish Long Table Banquets rustled up by big-name foodies like Yotam Ottolenghi and Deliciously Ella; a champagne garden sponsored by Verve Cliquot with waiters dressed in Great Gatsby-inspired outfits; and ex-Prime Minister David Cameron has been spotted multiple years running.

I don’t always love the elitism of middle-class events, yet somehow I’ve now been to Wilderness Festival three times: once as a first-time visitor, once as a member of a hen party, and once as a speaker (!).

At Wilderness Festival 2017, I was asked to speak about my travels to an audience of forty people sat around a campfire beside a boating lake. It was the most ridiculously picturesque setting – and it also made me re-think my initial opinions about this ‘posh’ festival.

Because middle-class or not, Wilderness Festival isn’t just about the music. Now in its ninth year, the Wilderness 2019 lineup includes sets from Robyn, Bombay Bicycle Club and Groove Armada – but the organisers advertise it as an ‘alternative’ festival and put a strong focus on experiences, too.

Over the course of the weekend you can attend wood carving, foraging and toxic masculinity workshops, lake swimming, arts and crafts, axe throwing, ecstatic dancing, life drawing, paddleboarding, stimulating talks from prominent authors, yoga and meditation, and an unbelievable amount of gourmet food.

So if you’re looking for a music festival that’s family friendly, keen on colourful costumes, and focuses more on delicious food, alternative entertainment and thought-provoking talks than getting wasted?

Wilderness ticks all the boxes.

What to expect from Wilderness Festival: a review

After three years at Wilderness, I feel pretty qualified in reviewing this fancy festival. The following is a list of my favourite aspects of Wilderness: what you should see, where you should go and what you might have forgotten about.

Pin me for later!

1. The setting of Wilderness Festival is undeniably idyllic.

Wilderness is held at the Cornbury Park estate in Oxford, south England. That’s 5,000 acres which play host to a few different campsites, a lake, forests and woodland, all surrounded by rolling fields – not to mention a hidden valley where the late-night revellers dance their troubles away.

2. You can take a dip in the lake.

To reach the festival from the campsites, you have to walk past Lake Majestic – and that’s usually enough to convince you to jump in. The water’s pretty chilly but it serves as a much-needed refresher during the summer heat!

The lake is also the prime spot for water-based activities: you can go out in a rowboat, take a yoga class on paddleboards or chill out in the wood-fired hot tubs which sit on the edge of the lake’s waters.

3. Dressing up isn’t mandatory, but costumes are a big deal.

There’s a big focus on fancy dress at Wilderness Festival. You’ll spot groups in the same outfits, people carrying inflatables bigger than themselves, and at least one hen party dressed up as superheroes.

Each night of Wilderness Festival has a designated costume theme – this year the themes are ‘What Comes Naturally’ on Friday, ‘Hue Are You?’ on Saturday and ‘The Great Big Hats Off’ on Sunday (and for those worried about the possible cultural appropriation of Sunday’s theme, Wilderness have politely asked guests to refrain from wearing Native American headdresses over the course of the weekend.)

4. There’s plenty of places to buy yourself some sequins.

If you’ve forgotten to bring enough glitter, feathers, fur, sequins, sparkly spandex or generally shiny materials, never fear: there are dozens of stalls and shops selling every conceivable addition to an outfit.

Moreover, each year there seems to be a different festival trend – my favourite was the year of clip-on animal tails.

5. Keep an eye out for a giant snail on a leash.

The troupes of performers and roaming art installations are one of my favourite aspects of Wilderness Festival. You never know when a giant snail will be ceremoniously led past you, or when a group of Bearded Ladies will appear from behind a tree and start dancing maniacally.

And let’s not even get started on the annual tradition of streakers running through the Sunday cricket match.

6. Get involved in some immersive performances.

There are slightly more official performances throughout the weekend: choose from choirs, swing dancers, comedians, ballet, Letters Live, dance-offs, hip-hop karaoke, and dozens of small theatre events.

My first year I arrived at a meeting point close to the festival’s entrance and was led by the hand around the far end of the lake in an immersive theatre performance, which culminated in a woman standing mournfully in the lake for a very long time. Bizarre but fascinating, nonetheless!

7. Try carving wooden spoons in the Greencrafts Village.

There’s an entire area dedicated to hands-on crafts workshops – and it’s totally green-friendly. Instead of using mains electricity or generators, the Greencrafts Village use solar power, traditional tools and work with recycled and sustainable materials.

Try your hand at wood whittling, basket weaving, spoon carving, felting, silversmithing or channel your ancient metal-working skills at the Iron Age forge!

8. Indulge yourself at the Sanctuary.

How many other music festivals let you soak away the day in hot tubs beside the lake? And if you really push the boat out there’s a bottle of champagne with your name on it, too.

Wilderness has a long list of indulgent activities, which mainly take place at The Sanctuary and the Lakeside Spa. Choose from massages, aromatherapy treatments, facials, tarot readings and medicine walks.

There’s also someone from Neil’s Yard wandering the site, ready to spray your hands with citrus-scented sanitiser!

9. How about a spot of early-morning outdoor yoga?

If you can rouse yourself from your tent-based slumber in the mornings, Wilderness has a lot to offer its early risers.

Areas like The Studio and Mindful Space hold sessions of yoga, pilates, meditation, sound baths, essential oil workshops, dance classes and vocal practices dotted all over the festival site – and some sessions are so well hidden that you might accidentally come across them underneath the trees.

10. The street food at Wilderness Festival is INSANE.

Rumour has it that Wilderness are positing themselves as a food-focused festival, and you can see why: the entire site is filled to the brim with over a hundred street food vendors.

You can find all the expected festival classics – crepes, bacon sandwiches, deep vats of paella, decadent burgers – but there’s also gourmet street food like I’ve never seen before, ranging from sushi burrito wraps, Buddha bowls and an Italian pasta stand to churros, truffle chips, acai bowls, and vegan curries.

Even in the camp sites you’ll find food vendors serving up fancy coffee, artisanal fry-ups and cheese toasties.

My personal foodie recommendations include:

– Pad Thai from BangWok

– luxe Mac & Cheese from Anna Mae’s van

– bao with pork belly & hoisin sauce

– late night Marmite crumpets from ‘Strumpets with Crumpets’ (these were also the cheapest food I found at Wilderness – a steal at £2.50 for two!)

11. Wilderness isn’t lacking in fancy drinks either.

Although I wasn’t too happy about the prices of some drinks, the festival undoubtedly pushes the boat out when it comes to alcohol.

Take your pick from beverages at a Bloody Mary caravan, a Jose Cuervo tequila bar, a Rioja tent, a Sipsmith gin palace, and a double-decker Pimms bus, or try your hand at cocktail-making masterclasses run by whisky distillers.

12. Listen to talks, debates, comedy and poetry at The Forum.

You could easily spend all day in The Forum, a large bell tent with literary-inspired paper decorations hanging from the roof. There’s a huge blackboard outside revealing each day’s schedule of talks, ranging from political and academic to LGBTQ and narcotics.

There are some high-profile speakers too – 2019 guests include Rose McGowan, Jack Monroe, Dermot O’Leary, Adam Kay and Scarlett Curtis.

At night, this venue focuses on comedy, poetry and spoken word: in 2017, we spent a rainy evening settled into comfy sofas with mugs of hot chocolate and watched a swathe of stand-up performances – perfection! I wish there were more venues like this at other festivals.

13. Learn from literary folks at the Books Tent.

Nearby to the Forum is the Books Tent, which comprises an entire bookshop (and elicited strong memories of the Hay on Wye book festival!)

There are dozens of poetry readings, debates and talks hosted by leading writers and publishers and writing masterclasses led by inspirational authors, as well as book signings afterwards.

The blackboard outside the tent gives the most up-to-date schedule.

Read more: A day at Hay on Wye literary festival

14. Dance all day to the Wilderness Festival lineup.

Despite all the other attractions on offer, music is still a huge part of Wilderness. It’s easy to discover a whole range of other styles of music around the festival at the following stages and areas:

The Clubhouse: a tented space by the playing field.

The Hustle: vinyl in the day time, disco at night.

The Highground: the dance space.

The Atrium: the collaborative stage right in the middle of the site which hosts performances from Letters Live, the Wilderness Choir, Hip Hop Karaoke and the Dance Off.

A crowd of people at the Atrium stage at Wilderness Festival

The Troubadour: folk music and artist collectives.

The Carousel: self-explanatory, and my favourite stage out of every festival I’ve been to!

The Level: music from around the globe.

The Valley: a hidden ravine in the forest – the perfect place for late-night raves.

The Main Stage: where the biggest acts perform – as big and spacious as you’d expect!

15. Appreciate the tiny details which make Wilderness Festival unique.

It’s the attention to detail which really elevates Wilderness above other festivals. Everywhere you look, you’ll see tiny hearts painted on stages, dreamcatchers hung in the trees, and hand-made decorations in the rafters of tents.

It creates a really lovely atmosphere which makes people want to just sit around and strike up conversation with the strangers near them – like this guy dressed as a fox!

A few of my top tips for Wilderness Festival

Like any music festival, there are a few unforeseen circumstances which can trip you up. Here are some of my top tips for Wilderness:

16. Combat the high prices by bringing some alcohol with you. 

Call me naive, but I was shocked by some of the drink prices. A small can of lager cost me £5 and I didn’t want to buy more booze after that – so I headed back to our campsite and our small stash of alcohol.

Like most UK festivals, Wilderness has a limited quota on bringing in beer, wine and cigarettes, and no spirits are allowed. The stipulations are as follows:

12 cans of beer, lager, cider or pre-mixed drinks OR 2 bottles of wine (decanted into plastic bottles) per person OR a combination of the two i.e. 6 cans and 1 bottle.

FYI there’s also a strict site-wide ban on glass. Make sure you decant bottles of wine into plastic and only bring cans of beer!

17. Share the cost of the printed Wilderness programme (£10).

The printed festival program includes enough information to constitute a guide book – but it’s only available once you reach the festival site, and unfortunately it’s not included in your ticket price either.

These babies cost £10, and they’re the only place you can fully read up on what’s scheduled, where and when. Buy one for your group and share accordingly (or make friends with a stranger and ask to look through theirs!).

18. Book the Experiences before you arrive at Wilderness.

Wilderness Festival has plenty of exclusive activities which they call ‘Experiences’. There are three categories – wellbeing, outdoor and dining – and include everything from massages, yoga raves and sound baths to hat-making workshops, foraging for aromatic plants and Long Table Banquets.

These experiences cost extra and it’s advisable to book them ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

19. Head into The Valley early to avoid the queues! 

Most of the music in Wilderness’s main arena shuts off at around 11pm – which means there’s a hefty queue to get into The Valley, a wooded ravine which hosts DJs and music late into the night.

If you’re planning a big night, it’s a good idea to skip the end of the Main Stage headliner and head to The Valley before you have to spend an hour in the queue.

20. Bring some layers for the festival at night.

Even in the height of an English summer, Wilderness still gets cold at night – both when you’re camping, and when you’re wandering around the festival in the evenings.

On my second year we got so chilly that we ended up buying overpriced woollen blanket ponchos from one of the stalls. It felt extravagant at the time but it’s paid off since: I’ve taken the poncho to other festivals and can even swan around my house feeling like I’m festival-worthy in London!

(I’m writing a festival packing list so will link it here when it’s published!)

Wilderness Festival takes place from 1st-4th August 2019 in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. You can get your festival tickets here.

Getting to Wilderness Festival 2019:

When is Wilderness Festival?

It’s held every year in the first week of August. This year’s festival is 1st-4th August 2019.

Where is Wilderness Festival? 

The official address is Cornbury Park, Charlbury, England OX7 3DG.

How do I get there?

By train: The closest station is Charlbury Station, which has regular trains to London Paddington. You can walk to the festival site from the station but I wouldn’t recommend it – apparently it’s 1.5 miles but the drive on the shuttle bus seems a LOT longer! Shuttles run every half hour or so and cost £3 single, £5 return.

By coach: National Express are running special coaches to/from Wilderness. You’ll get picked up from London Victoria Coach station from 10am on 1 August and return from 10am on 5 August. Prices start at £43.

How much do Wilderness tickets cost? 

Adult ticket: from £200.95

Teen ticket (13-17 years): £126.25

Junior ticket (6-12 years): £39.75

Child ticket (0-5 years): £6.25

All the above ticket prices include a space in the General Camping sites. Other options include pre-pitched tents, luxury toilets and showers, concierge and trolley service (for a higher price!) – check out Meadow Camping and Boutique Camping for more info.

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The post Wilderness Festival 2019: the Fanciest Music Festival You’ll Ever Visit appeared first on Flora The Explorer.

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[yawednesdays-blog]

April showers bring May…..BOOKS! We’re got SOOOO many #YA releases in May, so let’s get reading!

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  May 2nd

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, May 2nd, Bloomsbury Childrens Books, 648 pages

Maas-heads rejoice! Book 3 in this action packed Fae saga continues.

Add to your Goodreads

Dreamfall (Dreamfall #1) by Amy Plum, May 2nd, HarperTeen, 288 pages

When a sleep study goes wrong, 7 teens find themselves trapped in a shared nightmare with no way to get out.

Add to your Goodreads

Kill All Happies by Rachel Cohen, May 2, Disney-Hyperion, 288 pages

It’s graduation and Vic wants to say good-bye to high school and her soon to be closed favorite restaurant Happies. But in true Ferris Bueller fashion, a simple party gets blown to epic proportion.

Add to your Goodreads

Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman, May 2nd, Sourcebooks Fire, 320 pages

When Anise’s aunt gets into a car accident, Anise’s summer plans of beach weekends and bonfires are washed away. Instead she’s caring for her 3 cousins in Nebraska which is a world away from California.  But family bonding and a cute skater named Lincoln help Anise acclimate. Will Anise find her land-legs and put roots down in Nebraska? Or will she go back to her “real life” after summer ends?

Add to your Goodreads

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate, May 2nd, Amulet Books, 400 pages

In order to get into her school’s elite a cappella group, female Jordan will have to transform into male Jordan. Deception never sounded so good!

Add to your Goodreads

And We’re Off by Diana Schwartz, May 2nd, Razorbill, 288 pages

Nora’s grandfather is giving her the gift of a summer in Europe, with the condition she create a work of art at each stop. With her love of art, this is the trip of a lifetime for Nora. But her mother is strongly against the idea. That is until mom decides to go with her.

Add to your Goodreads

Cold Summer by Gwen Cole, May 2nd, Sky Pony Press, 256 pages

“Today, he’s a high school dropout with no future. Tomorrow, he’s a soldier in World War II.”- Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

Always and Forever, Lara Jean, by Jenny Han, May 2nd, Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 336 pages

The Lara Jean series ends (again) with this surprise follow-up.

Add to your Goodreads

Just Dreaming (The Silver Trilogy) by Kerstin Grier, May 2, Henry Holt & Co., 320 page

“A dream traveler faces the greatest challenge she’s yet encountered in this gripping third and final book of the Silver trilogy.” Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads 

Count All Her Bones by April Henry, May 2, Henry Holt & Co, 240 pages

“Cheyenne sets out to save her former captor in this much-anticipated sequel to Girl, Stolen.”- Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

Avenged by Amy Tintera, May 2nd, HarperTeen, Page 416

“In the sequel to Ruined, the romance of The Selection and the epic stakes of Red Queen come together in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love.”- Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads 

How To Make A Wish by Ashley Herring Blake, HMH Books For Young Readers, 336 Pages

Grace just wants to normal life and to get through her last year of high school. But everything changes when Grave meets Eva, a girl with her own past, but who lets Grace imagine a different future.

Add to your Goodreads

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith, May 2nd, Delacorte Press, 432 Pages

Giving your bestie a winning lottery ticket is a HUGE blessing…until it turns into a curse.

Add to your Goodreads

May 4th

Release by Patrick Ness, May 4th, Walker Books, 287 Pages

Ness’s latest comes out May 4th in the UK, but US audiences will have to wait until September. Thank goodness for international shipping!

Add to your Goodreads

The Island At The End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, May 4th, Chicken House, 288 pages

From the author of the bestselling tale The Girl of Ink & Stars comes a beautiful new adventure about finding your way home.

Add to your Goodreads

The Fallen Children by David Owen, May 4th, Atom, Page 240

Keisha has lived at Midwich Estate all her life.  Unlike some of the Midwich children, Keisha plan on escaping. But when everyone has a group blackout during which some of the girls become pregnant, things for Keisha go from desperate to dire.

Add to your Goodreads

May 9th

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, May 9th, Balzer + Bray, 432 Pages

The next anticipated release from the author of Dumplin’, brings us Ramona, a girls from  small town Mississippi who learns that love, like water, can be fluid.

Add to your Goodreads

The Traitor’s Kiss ( Traitors Trilogy #1) by Erin Beatty, May 9th, Imprint, 352 pages

“An obstinate girl who will not be married. A soldier desperate to prove himself. A kingdom on the brink of war.”- Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

It Started With Goodbye by Christina June, May 9th, Blink/HarperCollins, 305 pages

“Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.”- Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

It’s Not Like It’s A Secret by Misa Sugiura, May 9th, HarperTeen 400 Pages

“Telling the truth is easy… what comes after it, though, is a whole lot more complicated.”-Goddreads

Add to your Goodreads

Umberland (Everland #2) by Wendy Spinale, May 9th, Scholastic Press, 288 Pages

“What began with a reimagining of Peter Pan and Wendy now twists into a stunning version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass!” Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

The Duke of Bannerman Prep by Katie A. Nelson, May 9th, Sky Pony Press, 352 Pages

“Words are weapons. Facts can be manipulated. And nothing is absolute—especially right and wrong.

A contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby, Katie Nelson’s taut debut is perfect for fans of John Green’s Looking for Alaska, Kate Brian’s Private series, and anyone who’s encountered the cut-throat world of competitive high school.” –Goodreads

We’re super excited for this release, especially since we’re on the blog tour!

Add to your Goodreads

Brave New Girl by Rachel Vincent, May 9th, Delacorte Press, 272 Pages

“In a world where everyone is the same, one girl is the unthinkable: unique. A high-stakes fast-paced series launch from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent.” Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

May 16th

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich, May 16th, Feiwel & Friends, 384 Pages

Caden is nice. Dylan is not. One of these boys will break your heart…or die trying.

Add to your Goodreads

Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord, Bloomsbury USA Children, 400 Pages

Lucy’s world is up-ended when her mother’s cancer returns, her summer job at bible camp turns into working with troubled teens instead, and her boyfriend puts their relationship on “pause”. Can Lucy rediscover herself and her faith before summer ends?

Add to your Goodreads

The Truth About Happily Ever After by Karole Cozzo, May 16th, Swoon Reads, 320 pages

“A theme park princess must put her life back together after her happily ever after falls apart in this contemporary YA romance from Karole Cozzo, author of How to Keep Rolling After a Fall and How to Say I Love You Out Loud.” -Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

A Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh, May 16th, G.P. Putman’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 368 pages

From the brilliant mind behind The Wrath and the Dawn, Ahdieh’s newest series mixes samurai, poltical marriage and hidden identity.

Add to your Goodreads

Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott, May 16th, Entangled Teen, 300 pages

Domino is resuced from a life on the streets by Madam Karina. But the madam is not the savior she appears to be. But then again, Domino isn’t the helpless girl the madam thinks she is.

Add to your Goodreads

The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2) by Evelyn Skye, May 16th, Blazer + Bray, 400 Pages

We pick up where we left off in this intriguing continuation of The Crown’s Game.

Add to your Goodreads

A Millions Junes by Emily Henry, Razorbill, 350 Pages

“Romeo and Juliet meets One Hundred Years of Solitude in Emily Henry’s brilliant follow-up to The Love That Split the World, about the daughter and son of two long-feuding families who fall in love while trying to uncover the truth about the strange magic and harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations.” -Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

Seeking Mansfield by Kate Watson, May 16th, Flux, 300 Pages

Finley has many talents, but her greatest one might be her ability to go unnoticed. She’s content with working behind the scenes on school productions and with her bestie, Oliver. But when teen movies stars movie next door, Finley will have to take center stage if she wants to keep from losing Oliver.

Add to your Goodreads

Grit by Gillian French, May 16th, HarperTeen, 300 Pages

“Raw and moving, this contemporary realistic debut novel will leave readers of E. Lockhart and Gayle Forman breathless as it unflinchingly unfolds the tragic secrets being kept in a small, deceptively idyllic Maine town.” -Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

Antisocial by Jillian Blake, May 16, Delacorte Press, 256 Pages

“Alexandria Prep is hacked in this whodunit set in the age of social media and the cloud.” Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

Seeker (Riders #2) by Veronica Rossi, May 16th, Tor Teen, 352 Pages

“New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Veronica Rossi’s new fantasy adventure in the Rider series—Seeker .” -Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

May 30th

I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Maureen Goo, May 30th, Farra, Straus & Giroux, 336 pages

Desi excels at everything….except dating. When a super hot guy walks into her life, she decides it’s time to study up on love. What does she use as her guide? The “K Drama Rules for True Love”, of course! Armed with the advice from Korean soap opera. Desi is determined to conquer love at last.

Add to your Goodreads

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts, Disney-Hyperion, 352 Pages

Being bastard born means knowing you will always be second best. But it just may take this band of bastards to save the kingdom from rebellion.

Add to your Goodreads

Romancing The Throne by Nadine Jolie Courtney, May 30th, Katherine Tegen Books, 400 Pages

“Scandal, secrets, and heartbreak abound in this juicy, modern girl-meets-prince story—perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Jennifer E. Smith.” -Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

When It’s Real by Erin Watt, Harlequin Teen, 384 Pages

“From #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Erin Watt comes the addictive contemporary tale of a teen rock star in need of an image makeover and the teen girl hired to be his fake girlfriend.” -Goodreads

Add to your Goodreads

Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel, May 30th, Kathy Dawson Books, 320 Pages

Juniper’s sister Camilla died in a car accident 65 days ago. When Juniper finds a love letter written by her sister to a mystery person just before she died, Juniper sets out to find who the letter was intended for. But is Juniper prepared for what she may find (and loses) along with way?

Add to your Goodreads

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, May 30th, Delacorte Press, 368 Pages

“One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.” -Goordreads

Add to your Goodreads

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon, May 30th, Simon Pulse, 320 Pages

We had LOTS to say about why you should read this book in our First Reads Friday post.

Add to your Goodreads

Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia, May 30, Greenwillow Books, 400 Pages

Eliza Mirk may be weird and quiet in the real world, but what her classmates don’t know is that she has an online presence of epic proportion. She’s the anonymous creator of the webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza likes her double life and has no intention of telling people in or her secret. But when her double identity is found out, things start to slip out of control.

Add to your Goodreads

This concludes our May One to Watch Books. Of course we can’t include everything so if there’s something you’re excited about that we missed, let us know in the comments. See you next month and Happy Reading!

Ann-Eliza

Have you read all the April OTWB?

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One To Watch Books: Your Guide to May YA Releases April showers bring May.....BOOKS! We're got SOOOO many #YA releases in May, so let's get reading!

#henryholt #OTWBooks #Razorbill #Amulet Books #Amy Plum #Amy Tintera #Andrew Shvarts #April Henry #ashley herring blake #Atom #Balzer and Bray #Bloomsbury USA Children #Cale Dietrich #Christina June #David Owen #Delacorte #Delacorte Press #Diana Schwartz #Disney Hyperion #Emery Lord #Emily Henry #Entangled Teen #Erin Beatty #Erin Watt #Evelyn Skye #Farra Straus and Giroux #Feiwel and Friends #Flux #Francesca Zappia #G.P. Putnam&039;s Sons Books for Young Readers