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watarigarasu · 4 years

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October 20th – Haunted Building

13 Days of Spooky Writing Event

Pairing: Tauriel x Reader

Word count: 1,914

Warnings: None

Author’s note: I have literally no idea what happened here, this story practically wrote itself. :) Also, it takes place in modern setting!

You could still recall the excitement flowing through your veins like a molten gold, the sweet buzzing in your heart and the warm squeeze in your stomach when you finally heard the words you were dreaming about for so long now. It was hard to comprehend that they were not part of your wild imagination, nor another made up scenario you created in your head right before falling asleep—those were actually real. Her offer was honest and it was no kind of joke, you did not misunderstand anything from the very direct and simple invitation, it was no mistake.

Tauriel truly asked you to join her in the amusement park next Tuesday.

However, right when the very first wave of bliss eventually faded away, you started to worry and as the time passed, the anxiety growing in your mind seemed to expand, almost completely blinding the previous joy. Countless questions piled, one more ridiculous than another but every single one of them occupying your thoughts for longer than you would want it to. It was enough to be stressed about meeting with the prettiest, the most talented and charismatic girl in your university—or so you considered her—worrying about any other, more or less possible scenario happening during that day was unnecessary for your already cluttered head.

What if she did not mean only you two, but some of her other friends also? There were always people surrounding her, two particularly handsome and apparently polar opposite boys accompanying her more often than the others. What if it was supposed to be simply a group meeting? What if you would make a fool of yourself one way or another? And most importantly, what if she did not see you the same way you saw her?

You barely managed to fall asleep for the whole hour at least during the night before, now nowhere near excited but rather scared of what was coming up. It was either the best opportunity to finally start talking to her about something less trivial or to prove her that you were not worth her time. Your worry increased as the inevitable hour was getting closer and closer and it peaked when you were standing at the amusement park’s main gate.

Although the afternoon was chilly, there was a lot of people on the carousels, buying deliciously smelling snacks and running from one attraction to another in a hurry. The sky became dark some time ago but it only made all the decorations and lanterns light more brightly, the variety of sounds and colours surrounding you from every direction. Fallen leaves rustled on the wind, the trees reached their branches up like a shadowy claws of some nightmare creatures and the overwhelming aura of upcoming Halloween was visible in every single corner of the fair.

Still, all you could think of was her. What are you going to talk about? Will Legolas be there, too? Perhaps you should eat something before going out, your stomach was starting to grumble but the stress prevented you from eating anything quite successfully. You were present few minutes ahead of time (speaking of making a good first impression) and you felt like waiting for her will be the worst part of it all. Once you start to talk, things should go smooth from that point.

Right…?

“There you are!” Tauriel’s voice cut through the cacophony of mechanical melodies, children’s giggling and screams of those who dared to try the hammer ride, and it was both the most breath-taking and frightening moment of your life. Slowly, you spun around to face her and saw the gentle smile on her sharp features. “I started to worry you won’t come.”

Quick peek over her shoulder proved you that she had no company this time. Just you and her.

“Why shouldn’t I?” You sighed with relief after your recent discovery. “I told you I’ll be here. Besides, I’d let you know beforehand if something happened.”

“I’m glad it didn’t then.” She looked at the booth you were standing next to and eyed the spooky themed candies before continuing. “Should we head to the main attraction of the day or do you want to buy something?”

Even though you liked the bat-shaped lollipop, you have forgotten about it already and agreed to go with her. The screams of those stuck on the rollercoaster did not create the most romantic mood but all you could think of was how picturesque her long hair looked in this peculiar scenery, ginger colour fitting her green blouse perfectly.

You wondered how would it feel to run your fingers through them.

The house of mirrors was an excellent choice for the first attraction to attend to, and you were proud that it was your idea to try it out. It was not as extreme as some rides and you had an opportunity to hear Tauriel laugh out loud, which happened to be yet another of her many advantages—her voice so carefree and fresh like a spring morning. Or maybe, you were simply growing too poetical around her.

“The labyrinth was fun,” she stated once you were out of the hall. “But I have to admit I lost the tracks at some point.”

“And why didn’t you tell me so? I told you I can find a way out just fine.”

“I didn’t want to ruin the great first impression. Plus, I was supposed to be the guide, right?” She winked at you.

“Next time I’m going to be the guide. No getting lost and certainly no mirrors which make your face look like a smashed potato.”

Tauriel chuckled and agreed with your words.

“Certainly. But you have to admit, the one which made us really tall was interesting. I suppose I could get used to being that tall.”

“It would suit you well,” you nodded and felt the next sentence leave past your lips before you managed to stop it. “And your adorable pointy ears.”

Tauriel suddenly stood still and reached her ears with the hands, replying to you before the wave of embarrassment managed to drown you completely:

“Do you really think they’re pointy?” She touched the tips, her expression unreadable.

Vaguely gesturing, you tried to desperately think of an answer which would not discredit you in her eyes.

“I think they’re pretty. A little bit pointy, yes, but I always thought it gives you this mystical look. Like an elf or something...” With every next word, your tone was becoming quieter, until you finished your sentence with a forced smile, hoping that you managed to convince her that you meant no harm.

For a moment, she did not answer you, instead tilting her head to the side and then lightening up, before saying:

“Well then, thank you for the compliment. Still, I believe they’re not even partly as ravishing as your eyes, my dear.”

Contrary to the previous idea, the one Tauriel came up with appeared as more concerning in your opinion. It was not the matter of being scared per se, but rather the possibility of doing something reckless in front of her. You wanted her to like you, to think of you as no less interesting than all the boys she was surrounded with, and even though you knew that you cared about her opinion way more than you should, it was impossible to stop. Not now, when your repressed feelings were finally finding a way out. It could be the only one opportunity to impress her and you were certainly not going to waste it on anxiety.

Or so you thought.

“It’s a really, really bad idea,” you whispered after crossing yet another corridor in the haunted house. “I don’t like it at all, it’s way too quiet.”

“It can only mean one thing,” Tauriel pointed out matter-of-factly. “Soon we’ll witness something spooky.”

Holding your breath, you did your best to not let the heart jump out of your ribcage. You were as close to Tauriel as possible, naturally, keeping in mind to not cross the line of her personal space. As much as you wanted to hold her hand, you were not sure if she would approve it. The corridor, on the other hand, seemed to be endless, decorated in fake webs, some splattered blood and other remotely disturbing decorations, none of which jumped on you all of a sudden.

The booth with candies was much more entertaining but right now there was no coming back, nor time to complain.

Tauriel stopped abruptly and placed a finger to her lips, only then pointing at the closed door you reached to. There was no way it was going to be simply a part of decorations, you admitted bitterly, surely you were being watched and had to experience a pitiful attempt to frighten you based on primal, human instincts and yet—

You did not expect for the hairy monster to jump at you so suddenly but even less did you expect Tauriel to grab your hand, shield you with her body and pull you after herself further into the corridor. From the perspective of running, all the stuffed creatures were not as scary as they could be if you paid the whole attention to them and even if you did, Tauriel’s fingers closed on your wrist were enough to make you focus on something completely, completely different.

She was holding your hand, Tauriel was holding your cold, clammy hand as you both ran through the haunted house, avoiding the jump scares and traps and laughing so hard that your stomach started to hurt. Maybe it was the nerves which made you act so ridiculously or maybe in that moment you were ironically the happiest person on the whole planet, when nothing but you two mattered—you, your connected hands and the silly run through the corridor full of plastic figures and eerie sounds.

No kind of love tunnel could bring as much adoration from you as the haunted house on that windy, autumn afternoon.

When you finally managed to find a way out, you noticed how Tauriel’s cheeks were slightly redden from the effort and emotions but the smile on her face still lasted and the spark of joy present in her gaze as she looked at you.

“Are you alright?” she asked and let go of your hand, muttering. “Sorry for your sleeve.”

“Yeah,” you breathed out. “Yeah, I’m fine. But I suppose I’ve had enough for one day.”

“And for the rest of my life, too,” she admitted and noticing your puzzled expression, quickly added. “I’m not really fond of those places, you know. But I can’t say this idea wasn’t successful.”

“What do you mean?”

“Playing your knight in shining armour against that bear-like-whatever was quite entertaining.”

This time you were more than sure that she winked at you, there was no mistake, her playful expression proved that well.

“Oh…” you were speechless. “Well then, I like the sound of that.”

“Good, because next time I’m going to use my marvellous skills with a bow and arrow to slay the dragon. But first, what would my princess say for a cup of mulled wine?”

You allowed her fingers to meet yours in a delicate grasp, when you slowly headed back to the food booths, all the anxiety leaving you as soon as you felt the cold air on your skin and Tauriel’s hand upon yours once again.

“She’d like that,” you nodded. “Very much so.”

#13daysofspookywritingevent #13 days of spooky writing event #tauriel x reader #tauriel #tauriel x fem!reader #the hobbit #modern!au #modern au

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starsforjungwoo · 5 years

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Anytime | n.yt

PAIRING: Yuta x Reader, Yuta’s POV

GENRE: angst, fluff

WORD COUNT: 1.9k words

SUMMARY: Yuta was ready to die anytime, until she came along.

WARNINGS: depression, slight mention of death/suicide?

Why was I put on this disgusting planet? That was the question I asked myself everyday. Why am I forced to live a life I don’t want to live? I was forced to go to school and treat everybody with kindness. I was forced to do work I didn’t want to do just so I can have a decent job. To make money to support myself. I could never go through with killing myself, but I was ready to die anytime.

I left my home everyday with a fake smile on my face. The smile my mom told me I need to show. I was nice to everyone, I was never an asshole, but I still got treated like shit. This is the world we live in. I open the door and let someone go through, “I could do it myself, dumbass.” is all they can mutter. Just a simple thank you would have been appreciated.

My fake smile has been apart of me since I was even able to smile. I don’t even know what my real smile looks like. I don’t know what happiness feels like. I don’t know what being loved feels like. My mom always told me I was the light of her life, but she only said it when she needed something from me. I still smiled at her, though. Just like she trained me to do.

Maybe something was just wrong with me. Maybe I have this aura that makes people automatically hate me. It still doesn’t make sense. I’ve never had friends, never a girlfriend. I couldn’t even have a good conversation with anyone I met. I was lonely. It says online to go talk to someone, but I have no one to talk to. It doesn’t make sense. I spend my nights with tears in my eyes. There’s aching in my heart from a loss of touch. My biggest wish is to be with someone. Someone that will never treat me like shit. Someone that can make me smile for the first time ever. Someone that can make me happy. Someone that will love me.

One day I was walking home from work. I was ready to eat in silence like I do everyday. A guy walked past me, hitting his shoulder against mine on purpose. “Watch where you’re going.” I just nodded and turned back. I’m used to it.

“That was very rude of you. You bumped into him and I demand you apologize.” I turned around, thinking the soft voice was speaking to me. A girl was standing in front of the man that hit me, her arms were crossed. The older man didn’t say anything. “I’m talking to you.” she had such a soft appearance, but she was trying to seem tough because of the large guy in front of her. He waved her off and walked away. “I’m sorry. People can be such assholes, huh?” she stood in front of me and stuck her hand out. “I’m y/n.”

“Yuta.” I put my hand in hers and shook it. Electricity surged through my body. What was this feeling? I felt my face become hot. Her skin was so smooth. She had a smile on her face as she looked at me with my hand in hers.

Even I smiled, and I didn’t force it onto my face. I smiled a real smile for the first time ever.

“Would you like to get some food? I know a good burger place down the street.” She pointed behind her. She looked down at our hands and released hers. She mumbled a quick sorry and a light shade of pink spread across her cheeks. “I would love to.” Did I really just say the word love? She turned around and started to walk. I followed behind her.

We sat at a small booth across from each other. I’m not going to be eating alone for once.

“You don’t talk much. Tell me about yourself!” she smiled, the deep dimples on her cheeks made me feel so warm.

“I just don’t have anything to talk about. I live a boring life.” I told her quietly. She frowned.

“I used to have a boring life too. I had no friends and people tried to ruin me, but I found joy in all the small things.” she had a straight face. Could she have been like me? Someone with no will to live?

“Yeah, people always treat me like shit.” We were having such a depressing conversation. I felt bad for taking the precious smile off her face.

“That’s how it is in life. The most amazing people, the sweetest people, they’re the ones that get shit on. My whole life, I smiled at everyone, tried to help everybody, and I never got anything in return. It sucks, but that’s just society. You have to be an asshole, but I don’t want to be an asshole. I feel like that’s something you’ve probably needed to hear, even if I don’t know you well.” she had a look of sincerity in her eyes, and my heart fluttered once again. I gathered my voice to speak. “No one has ever understood me, but here you are.” I smiled. “I have gotten used to never getting anything in return. It just hurts sometimes knowing that I still get nothing even when doing my best. I don’t even know what makes me happy.” is all I muttered. She was quiet for a moment.

“Let’s find your happiness then.” The familiar smile spread across her face and she stood up. “Let’s not eat burgers, that’s boring.” I stood up after and we left the burger place. I followed next to her. “Do you have any hobbies? Anything you like to do?” I thought for a moment. All I do is work, sit alone on my couch, and sleep. I shook my head and looked down to her. “Then i’ll introduce you to the things I found my happiness in.” she practically started running, and I had to jog to keep up with her.

She stopped suddenly. I furrowed my eyebrows, I was a bit confused at her sudden stop. “There is so many things that can make you happy. There’s sports, animals, games, arts, books, people! My biggest happiness is a stuffed animal!” she giggled, her laugh was beautiful.

She started to run again. “My brother loves soccer, let’s show you that first.” We ran forever. We finally arrived at a home. “Wait here.” she ran inside and came back out with a soccer ball. “Let’s go!” I just wanted to lay down. I’ve never ran this much in my life. Then we arrived at a park.

I didn’t want to tell her that I don’t think i’ll find joy in kicking a ball around, but she looked so determined. She walked away from me and this time, I didn’t follow her. She kicked the ball towards me and I kicked it back. We continued kicking it back and forth for a while. I felt myself smiling. I was actually having fun. I looked at her face that was being lightened up by the street light, she had a smile on her face. She was so pure.

“I’m tired!” she screamed. I was kind of sad to stop, but I was tired too from the amount of physical activity. She walked towards me. “I saw you smile. Did I succeed in finding your first hobby?” a smile pushed itself into my face once again. “You did.”

I met with her the next day after work. She gave me the address to her home. She waited for me outside. “Hello, Yuta!” I don’t think I can ever get over her voice. We walked somewhere that remained a mystery. She told me this was her hobby. The 2nd thing she loved most, right after her beloved stuffed animal. We got to a tall studio and I followed her into the elevator that went up. We made it into an empty room.

“I love to dance.”

And she taught me how to dance, I loved it more than kicking the soccer ball yesterday. Maybe seeing her look so happy dancing made me love it even more. She was a beautiful dancer. Her moves were so graceful yet sharp, she really looked amazing while she moved perfectly with the music.

We saw each other everyday. She introduced me to singing, comics, animations, she even showed me new foods. She introduced me to her best friend, Sicheng. She watched her favorite movies with me, she gave me her favorite books so I could read them, and she made me listen to the songs she loved. She introduced me to her family that she loved dearly. She took me to places in the city. The parks she loved, places with a good view, and in the outskirts where you can see the stars clearly.

I found happiness in all of the things she showed me. But the thing that made me the happiest was her.

I was in love with her. She gave me my first real smile, my first real laugh. The way she was so genuine. How she put butterflies into my stomach and tried so hard just to put a smile on my face. She wanted me to try so many things. She even did things she hated, like going on rollercoasters, just to see if I would like them.

We were sitting at a bench in the park when she was gobbling down a chocolate bar. “Hey, y/n? Can I tell you something?” she turned around with her cheeks puffed up due to all of the chocolate. I let out a small chuckle. She nodded her head as she tried to push the chocolate down to her stomach.

“The first time I ever smiled was the day we met. Every single smile before that had been fake, ever since birth. Ever since I met you, I’ve had no need to fake one.” she took my hand. She looked like she had trouble finding words, it looked like she was going to cry.

“All my days were the same. I laid around and did nothing. I had nothing to look forward to. I was used to people treating me like shit and never did anything about it. You introduced me to everything I love. You’ve given me happiness. And, it’s not just the things you introduced me to. You were the reason. You are the person that makes me the happiest person in the universe. I’ve fallen in love with you, when I never thought I was capable of loving. And you make me feel loved.”

Tears fell down her cheeks. She leaned forward and kissed me. This? This was love.

“I love you so much.” I told her. She had to hear it. She deserved the whole entire world. There had been no hope for me before she came along. I kissed her again. My whole body felt fuzzy and weak.

The things she loved so much became the things we loved so much.

Her family took me in. They treated me with adoration unlike my own. Sicheng became my best friend too. We had fun making him third wheel with us on our dates. We traveled a lot too. She took me to more beautiful places, but even while being in the most beautiful places in the world, my eyes stayed on her.

I was ready to die anytime.

But then I met a special woman.

For the first time, I was afraid of death.

She made me want to go on living.

#yuta #nakamota yuta #nct #nct 127 #nct angst #nct fluff #yuta angst #yuta fluff #nct 127 angst #nct 127 fluff #nct fic #nct 127 fic #nct yuta #nct 127 yuta #nct scenarios #yuta scenarios #nct imagine #nct 127 imagines #nct 127 scenarios

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phoenix-downer · 6 years

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It’s a World of Heartless

For SoKai Week Day 1 - Disney theme park date(s). Dedicated to my good friend @cabbage-foam. Thank you for all your support in my writing endeavors.

Normally, Riku wasn't surprised when the Heartless showed up. But today had been anything but ordinary.

It was supposed to be a group trip. Mickey had promised to take them all to some amusement park called Disneyland. The place was the stuff of legend, one of the few worlds where the existence of other realms was even acknowledged. And not just acknowledged, but turned into rollercoasters and Merry-Go-Rounds and spinning teacups and other themed rides.

Riku had nothing against the place itself. He'd always liked thrills, so the promise of an entire day spent doing nothing but riding rollercoasters and having fun with his friends was a welcome break from the usual grind.

But then something had come up, some business about a malfunction in the Gummi Ship hangar, and Mickey couldn't go anymore. Neither could Donald or Goofy.

And that was how Riku had ended up at the gates of the self-proclaimed happiest place on earth as an unintentional third wheel to Sora and Kairi's date.

"Sorry, Riku," Sora said, all sheepish apologies even as his hand remained firmly around Kairi's waist. They were wearing one of those awful matching couple costumes. Kairi had on a red dress with white polka dots that she'd paired with bright yellow shoes, and Sora wore a matching suit and bowtie.

They'd tried to get Riku to dress up, too, but he'd refused, for obvious reasons. He was happy for them, he really was, but they were in the gushy, touchy-feely, PDA stage of their relationship, and never had the phrase three's a crowd been more appropriate.

But everyone else had bailed at the last minute, they had these special tickets, and it would hurt Mickey's feelings if he didn't use them. So here he was, and here he would be for the rest of the day.

"Riku, what do you want to ride first?" Kairi asked, ever the diplomatic one as she unfolded the colorful park map and studied it carefully. Riku peered over her shoulder and searched for promising rollercoasters.

"That one looks good," he finally said, pointing at the spot on the map labeled Splash Mountain. Kairi handed him his lanyard with the special pass tucked inside.

"Don't lose this," she instructed. "It's the special pass the King gave us that will let us ride anything any time we want."

When they finally walked through the wrought iron gates, Riku could see why. The place was swarming with people. He was feeling drained just looking at all of them.

Now would be a really bad time for the Heartless to attack, he mused. But just as the park's slogan had promised, everyone was smiling. Families and couples and groups of friends were mulling around them, all happy to be there, all enjoying the perfectly beautiful weather.

Huh. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. The three of them made their way over to Critter Country where Splash Mountain was located, and Riku had to admit that the designs for everything were nice. He really did feel like he'd been transported back into the Old West as they passed through Westernland and saw its promising-looking rollercoaster, Big Thunder Mountain, with its train winding through canyons and deserts and trails.

They were about to get in the special FastPass line for Splash Mountain when Sora pulled them aside, a big grin on his face. He led them over to a pop up stand that was selling souvenir cups and sunglasses and hats and headbands of all shapes and sizes. Plucking a pair of mouse ears with a big red and white polka dot bow off of its hook, he placed it on Kairi's head and smoothed her hair down around it. He took a step backward to survey his handiwork, then nodded.

He was next. Kairi found matching mouse ears (of course) and made a valiant effort to tame his spiky hair under the strict confines of the headband. It popped out all over the place, but once she was satisfied that it got the job done, they both turned on Riku.

He held out his hands in defense. "No. No way."

But when there was a will, there was a way. Kairi and Sora were both stubborn on their own, and trying to put a stop to their plans when they'd teamed up against him was hopeless.

"You know, there are a lot better ways to spend your munny," Riku grumbled a few minutes later.

He was now the reluctant owner of a headband of his own, courtesy of Sora and Kairi. But instead of mouse ears, which were actually kind of cute, they had managed to find him the absolute worst, the most ridiculous, the downright stupidest headband of them all: a duck butt, tail feathers and orange duck legs sticking proudly up in the air to greet everyone who was unlucky enough to pass by.

"I disagree. I haven't gotten such a good deal for my munny in a long time," Kairi said, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"When can I take this off?" Riku asked, tugging at the material.

"Not till we leave the park," Sora replied cheerfully. Riku groaned and followed after them, hoping all the people they passed didn't notice how ridiculous he looked.

They finally got in line for the ride, and Kairi piped up with another idea.

"Okay, so you know how they take a picture right as you're going downhill?" Her eyes sparkled, and Sora nodded enthusiastically. Riku had a bad feeling about this.

"I figured we could do something fun," she continued, "and I've got an idea."

And that was how they wound up dropping another 2000 munny on a tacky souvenir photo of the three of them playing rock, paper, scissors as they went down Splash Mountain.

Kairi was scissors, Sora was rock, and Riku was paper. When Sora had asked for the reasoning behind this decision, Kairi had grinned and told him, "Because you're my rock," which had quickly devolved into, surprise surprise, more PDA.

Bleh. “Get a room, you two."

The next few hours went by without too much trouble. They rode ride after ride with Mickey's special passes, getting silly photos and picking up every flavor of popcorn they could get their hands on – caramel, butter, chocolate, cheese, even special flavors like soy sauce, milk tea, and melon soda – complete with special souvenir buckets. By the time they each had two of the buckets looped around their necks, Riku had to point out that they were going to have trouble carrying much more at this rate.

They piled onto a ride called the Haunted Mansion next. Technically, the little cars could fit three people, but that didn't mean they necessarily should. Riku was squished between Sora on one side and Kairi on the other, with all the stuff they'd bought jammed in between.

Still, it was nice to get some rest for his feet. They were beginning to ache from all the walking and standing the three of them had done. Riku glanced from Sora to Kairi, looked at their smiling faces as they rolled through the many rooms of the Haunted Mansion with their ghosts and ghouls dancing and partying and otherwise carrying on, and couldn't help but smile, too.

Maybe there really was something magical about this place.

As they neared the end of the ride, Sora poked him in the side a lot harder than was really necessary to get his attention.

"Ow, what was that for?" Riku turned to glare at him.

"I've heard about this part before. This is where we get our own ghosts," Sora whispered. Riku's eyes flickered to the mirrors in front of them. His reflection stared back, duck butt headband perched on his head and all.

He was taking that silly thing off the first chance he got. As he watched, waiting for his ghost to appear, two yellow lights appeared above his head. Huh. That wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting.

"Sora, are you sure those are ghosts?" Kairi said, frowning. "They look an awful lot like—"

"Heartless! They're Heartless!"

Read the rest on AO3 or on FFN.

#sokai #sokaiweek2018 #kingdom hearts fanfiction #sokai fanfiction #kh fanfiction #phoenix writes #phoenix downer #riku #sora #kairi #humor

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womewowitch92 · 5 years

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ILOCOS TOUR 2019

The Ilocos Region is home to the most amazing tourist destinations in the country. I was pleasantly surprised that even up to now, this trip to Ilocos remains on my short list of my best domestic travels. Ilocos is pure love.

Each place has its element. Each place offers an intimate relationship with nature. I believes, for obvious reasons, that wind is the element of this wonderful region. the Bangui Windmills is a proof but really, when you’re in Ilocos, you’ll feel like it is a “wind realm,” not just because of its presence and power but also there’s this constant feeling of being embraced by the wind. I don’t know, the wind there seemed to welcome and entertain us.

During visit, Pagudpud is my favorite part of the tour. A well maintained and clean beach. Crystal clear blue water and white sand, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte is the Boracay of the north less crowded and less commercialized. A Great Beach Indeed! I just love the place and I wish to come back and stay longer to fully enjoy the place has to offer.

Our trip began with a meet up at the foodcourt in Robinsons Galleria, 730PM SHARP is the call time but you know the Filipino time. We were a group of 12 inlcluding My daughter, a tour guide and a driver was with us. We were able to leave the place 2 hours later. (HAHAHA! FILIPINO TIME) We had several stopovers starting at a gas station along NLEX. Truth is, I actually don’t remember much about our moments inside the van because I was sleeping most of the time. However, every time we stop (which happened 5 times so some of us could buy food, pee, buy food, and pee) I would wake up but would go back to dreamland after 2 seconds.

Day 1 : The tour started when we arrived at ILOCOS NORTE at 4AM. Actually We expect to arrive in Ilocos at 9am . (Di ko alam kung anong nangyari, basta ang bilis.)

The next time I woke up we were on the kapurpurawan Rock formation in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

Tucked in the coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte, just 1.5 kilometers away from Laoag City, is a breathtaking rock formation by the beach known for its creamy white rock surface sculpted by natural phenomena.

The Kapurpurawan Rock Formation is an art of nature featuring a landscape of smooth ivory limestone produced by the natural process of sedimentation. It’s name’s root word, “puraw”, is an Ilocano word which translates to “white” because of the alabaster rock formations that the tourists would love to see.

In front of the rocks is the view of the Bangui Bay’s crystal blue waters and the visually appealing sight of the waves dramatically thumping against the limestone formations makes the scene a picture perfect moment in every way possible.

Also, the numerous towering windmills from the neighboring Burgos Wind Farm will you as you drive towards the drop-off point of the rock formation. No wonder that this has become one of Burgos’ best tourist attraction.

Kapurpurawan’s drop-off point is three kilometers away from the main highway. From the entrance, visitors have to go down a flight of stairs near the souvenir shops, then trek towards the rocky coast to reach the rock formation. The path is not too steep but take note that it can be muddy.

While trekking, you will see a statue of the Biag ni Lam-ang, an Ilocano epic poem.

For those who want to don’t want to walk, there are available horses to ride on for just Php 100 per person and Php10 If you only want to take picture.

(SOBRANG SAYA NOH! HABANG UMIIYAK YUNG KILI-KILI HAHAHA!)

It is advised to wear comfortable clothes and footwear or bring a jacket to avoid getting cold, wet, or any possible accidents while trekking. Also take note that flying of drones is not allowed in the area due to the strong winds.

It is best to visit Kapurpurawan on early mornings to avoid the harsh sun or sometimes rain showers in the afternoon, and the crowd. Other nearby attractions in Burgos that one can visit after Kapurpurawan is the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and Bangui Windmill Farm.

the next stop..

the Bangui Windmills, I’d been longing to see these enormous electric fans since the news broke that there were plans of harnessing wind energy in the Philippines. I had seen windmills before in Pililia Rizal but ofcourse I want to see the windmill here in Ilocos.

On the way to the site, everyone got so excited because we could already see the windmills. Everyone prepared their cameras and flip flops, the girls wore their hair up. When our van finally halted, everyone stormed out of the vehicle as if it were about to explode. It was that crazy.

We didn’t expect these windmills to be that huge. Of course we knew they were big but NOT that big. It was a little difficult to find the right angle from which we could see most of the towers.

We were also expecting 15 of them but I think there were more. We counted it but now that we’re back in the city, nobody remembers how many are there exactly.

Paraiso ni Anton is one of the few stops of the Pagudpud, a local tourism project of the municipality that aims to bring visitors to Pagudpud’s top-notch destinations. Tourist take photos while locals take a sip of the waters dripping from the hill.

After then, We slowly climbed the concrete stairway after approaching the site. We chanted a little prayer in front of the Virgin Mary statuette. Then We stepped down and proceeded to the watery part of the hill. Silently, We put our palms together and fetched some drips and then sipped.

Some other locals came with containers and filled them with the water flowing from the small stream.

Witnessing all these made me wonder that these waters may uphold some sort of mystery. Then I found out that locals believe that the water that drips down to the hillside of Paraiso ni Anton contain some healing energy. They believe that drinking the water will cure their mild ailments and in some cases, even the severe ones.

There is also another story circulating among frequent travelers in the area. A white lady seemed to appear within the vicinity scaring drivers. So to pay respect, drivers slow down then blow their horns when passing Paraiso ni Anton.

Whether these stories are legend or not, as long as they don’t get harmed, there is nothing wrong about it.

Patapat Viaduct History

Patapat Viaduct is located in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. This is considered as the 4th longest bridge in the country with a total of 1.3 kilometers in length that connects the Maharlika Highway from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to the Cagayan Valley Region.

It was completed on October 1986 and has since become an important structure for motorists and travelers in the northernmost tip of Luzon.

The moment we stepped out of the van, we were all pleased with what we saw. I kind’a have an idea of what a viaduct looks like. An elevated bridge usually located on valleys. But Patapat is different. It is a coastal bridge elevated for about 31 meters above sea level. It has a beautiful view of the sea and by finding a good spot, you can have a perfect view of the entire length of the bridge.

Well, more than the value it provides to people. Patapat Viaduct is a perfect spot for any groufie or selfie. Since that time, there was just a little number of motorists that pass through the bridge, we were able to walk and explore it further.

JUMPSHOT WITH THE GANG

Then we finally arrived in our transient house in Pagudpud. We actually arrived at the transient house around 12:30pm but we were sooo tired so we decided to had lunch in carinderia near in our transient. I had heard so many good things about Pagudpud that I just had to see for myself. But even when we were still at the Bangui Windmills, we knew swimming at this time of the year would be quite a challenge .

Blue Lagoon is one of the many isolated beaches of Pagudpud. It is located in Maira-ira point, the northern most tip of mainland Luzon. The cove is strewn with white pebbly sand. the waters off the coast can be very gentle and still, reflecting the blue sky, earning its name.

Afterwards, we decided to just walk on the sand and bask in the sun. The sand here was not as fine as those in Bohol or Boracay. They were more like little pebbles but very rounded so they didn’t hurt our skin.

After more than an hour of swimming, we decided to head back to our room and have some snacks and dinner and went to bed for rest.

before the day ends, We finally prepared our Surprise Birthday Party for Mamoy. the other gang took her to coffee shop and the other prepared the decorations.

Day 2 : Our Day started earlier than 6am. With renewed energy, we were more than excited to hit the road again especially that we already had an idea on what was in store for us that day.

The Ilocos Sand Dunes Stretches encompasses the towns of Currimao through to Pasuquin in Ilocos Norte. The La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag City is one of the more popular sand dune destinations in Ilocos Norte. But more recently, the PAOAY SAND DUNES is remarkably gaining popularity to tourists travelling up north.

For the adventurous type, We rented the 4x4 for an hour which will then include sand boarding and thrilling drops on steep sand ridges that will make you scream in excitement. Hold on to the steel bar while standing on the 4x4 for the most exciting adventure in Paoay. The sand ridges can go as high as 10-20ft at the most, while the most thrilling ride is the “rollercoaster”, where a series of sand hills will make you hold on to that bar of steel for dear life.

Ps. Sorry Mamoy insert ko tong picture na to, Ito kasi talaga yung nagdala sa tour natin na to hahahahaha Love you.

It was that much fun! The hardest and most tiring aspect of the sport? Going up again the sandy slope after sliding down, but this will not prevent you to try and try until you do it perfectly. This package will cost 2,500php.

Next in our itinerary was the Paoay Church. I must say, I had very high expectations. It was one of the places that I was really looking forward to visiting in this trip. I’d seen hundreds of pictures of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and each one of them blew me away. But boy, none of those pictures did justice to the immense beauty of this ancient religious site!

This church is beyond beautiful. It’s beyond magnificent. Its grandeur cannot be contained in pictures or described with words. It’s just impossible.

The first thing we did was take pictures, of course. It was past 11am and the sun was at its cruelest so we had to find some shade and get some rest even for a minute. Then We had our lunch near the church.

Moments later, we were walking around the church and continued taking pictures. Here are a few of them:

ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORY OF PAOAY CHURCH

Also known as the St. Augustine Church, the Paoay Church was started to be constructed in 1694 by the Augustinian friars but it was only in 1894 when it was finally completed. Fr. Antonio Estavillo led the completion of this project.

The architecture of this church is a healthy mixture of Gothic and Baroque designs with some Oriental elements in it. Its facade is somewhat Gothic but the gables are quite Chinese. The niches topping the walls make you think of Indonesia’s Borobudur Temple, revealing some Javanese influence.

One of the best parts of the church is its three-storey bell tower made of coral stone. Standing a couple of meters from the church, this belfry served as one of the observations posts for the Katipuneros in 1896 in the height of the Philippine Revolt against Spain. During the World War II, it was again used as an observation post by the Filipino guerillas.

Some parts of the church were heavily damaged during the earthquakes in 1885 and 1865. Again and again, it was restored.

In 2000, an excavation inside Paoay Church revealed a prehistoric human skeleton and some fragmented ceramics. They are now being exhibited at the National Museum.

Afterwards, we finally got in Vigan. We explored the city particularly Calle Crisologo, had some halo-halo at the Max’s, bought a tonne of pasalubong and hit the road back to Manila.

Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a museum city. Established in the 16th century, this historic city gives the new generation the best glimpse of a planned colonial town during the Spanish rule in the Philippines. It is also one of the few European trading towns in Southeast Asia that are still in exceptional condition.

Calle Crisologo is probably the most visited street in Vigan. Walking down Calle Crisologo is like walking into the Spanish colonial era. Many of the houses here belonged to prominent families who prospered because of the Manila-Acapulco trade. It is flanked with old heritage houses, which keep the “period” charm of the place. Most houses feature a unique mixture of Asian and European design and architecture — red-tiled roofs, large doors, massive walls, capiz shell windows.

We actually had spent some time in this beautiful city on our first day but we had very limited time to see much of it. Because we had to be back in Manila by 5pm, We only had half a day to explore the old city and buy some pasalubong for our friends and relatives back in the capital.

We only had three things in our agenda that morning — camwhore, shop, lunch. We started scouring the area for Vigan longganisa but along the way, we found ourselves buying hats, shirts, and bottles of native vinegar while taking tons of picture.

Before the Spanish arrived, Vigan was just a small village made of bamboo houses on stilts. According to UNESCO: “In 1572 the conquistador Juan de Salcedo founded a new town, which he named Villa Ferdinandina, on this site, and made it his capital when he was appointed Lieutenant Governor (Encomendero) of the entire Ilocos region. Intended as a trading centre rather than a fortress, it was the northernmost city established in the Philippines by the Spanish.

“Vigan’s architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from China and from Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that have no parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.”

The Old Quirino Bridge will never spoil your urge. Even though you have been in this place a lot of times, a moment in this place is such a precious one to take photos.

Just before the Old Quirino Bridge at Bantay Side, you will pass crossway the new Quirino Bridge. But before going to the Old bridge, we stopped at the new bridge for pictorials.

Just before the Old Bridge again, since it has not been used lately, the forest covering the highway going there has been reborn by nature. Without the intervention of human, the forest is slowly gaining its role in this place. I was so happy!

And finally head back to MANILA..

Ilocos Weekend Trip: Summary, Itinerary and Budget

EXPENSES

Here’s the rough estimate of our expenses:

P2400 — 2-days, 1-night tour inclusive of transportation, accommodation and entrance fees.

P1500 — total food expenses including incidentals (drinks, snacks)

TOTAL: P3900

Note that this does not include pasalubong yet. That’s it. I hope this helps!

Overall, I love Ilocos. I think it’s one of the best and most gorgeous places I have visited EVER. Ilocos is just very easy to fall in love with.

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