#The Best Amsterdam Walking Routes

[micheltaanman-blog]

Nederland- Amsterdam- Struinen op het Pen-Eiland / Diemervijfhoek

Nederland- Amsterdam- Struinen op het Pen-Eiland / Diemervijfhoek

[sturniluvr]

Love in the sun

Lando Norris x fem!reader

word count: 2.8k

warnings: none other than a few mentions of children (if you don’t like kids😭) possible spelling mistakes(?)

summary: Lando and Y/N go on holiday together during the summer break and come home engaged.

A/N: Keep in mind throughout that I have no idea how the luxury life works im broke asf so it may be inaccurate😭and sorry for quite a few time skips I had a bit of writers block😭

❗️semi proof read❗️

Y/N and Lando were currently halfway through their flight en route to Mykonos for a week while Lando had the summer break. The couple had a few things pre planned for the week in Greece such as a party boat they had booked prior to the holiday and Y/N was hoping for no more injuries on Lando's end after the incident in Amsterdam and going to a few tourist attractions, but they mostly just wanted to spend time with each other, they didn’t care what they were doing as long as they were together, and of course they were staying with Hilton as the couple always had the best experiences with Hilton hotels and being a sponsor of McLaren, it was only right they chose Hilton. 

Lando was scrolling on his phone and he felt a weight on his shoulder, he looked to his side and saw his girlfriend asleep on his shoulder. The love of his life, his best friend, his girl and hopefully, soon, his wife. She had been by his side since before he made it into f1, he remembers vividly how excited she was when he told her he was offered a seat with McLaren, she seemed more excited than he was, and she hadn’t left his side since. He smiled at the memory. He had a whole plan set in place to propose to Y/N, he couldn’t wait to propose to her, he had brought the ring around 2 years into the relationship when he was out with Max and he saw the perfect ring that just screamed Y/N to him and he’d just been waiting for the perfect moment, which was this holiday and also their 5 year anniversary. 

time skip to landing

Lando was looking out the window in his own world when he heard the pilot over the intercom. 

“Mr Norris, we will be starting descent in Mykonos in about 10 minutes so please get ready to fasten your seatbelt sir.” On cue, he saw the little seatbelt light come on above his head. He gently shook Y/N to wake her up. 

“Darling, we’ll be landing soon, you need to put your seatbelt on.” He spoke quietly as he knows she doesn’t like loud noises when she first wakes up. She stirs and slowly opens her eyes and lifted her head off Lando’s shoulder. Lando looked at her with a soft smile and a little chuckle escaped his lips at the sight of the woman’s messy hair.  

“Hey sleepy head, pilot just said to put our belts on we’ll be descending soon.” She nodded at him as she fixed her hair and put her belt on, Lando doing the same next to her. 

As they got closer to the ground, Y/N grabbed hold on Lando’s hand to comfort herself as landing was probably her least favourite part of flying and he rubbed her knuckles in a comforting manner. 

After landing, they grabbed their luggage and made their way to the chauffeur who led them to the car provided by Hilton to take them to the hotel.  

small time skip cus I’m lazy

They arrived to their room in the hotel and unpacked their suitcases and got changed into some clothes more suited to the warm climate of the island they were on for the next two weeks as they had an early flight and when the couple arrived it was only early afternoon After changing, Y/N and Lando left the hotel and went for a small walk around the town and get anything little essentials they may need while on holiday like bottles of water, snacks for the hotel room etc. 

“Don’t forget we need to buy sunscreen aswel, since somebody left it behind being the clever clogs he is.” Y/N said, giving Lando a cheeky smile.  

“Ha Ha, very funny cheeky.” Lando replied sarcastically, pinching her side softly. The couple laughed as they continued to walk in and out of shops and buy the essentials. 

Later on that day, Y/N was relaxing on a sunbed reading her book and Lando was next to her on another sunbed with his hat over his eyes. About half hour later, Y/N was now lying on her stomach so she could tan her back aswel as her front and she felt a pair of hands smack her bum. She looked behind to see her boyfriend with a boyish smile on his face, she smiled back at him and rolled her eyes jokingly at his actions. 

“Do you want another drink baby? I'm going to the bar.” Lando stated and she nodded. 

“Same again please Lan, I'm going to head up to the room for a little siesta, it’s getting pretty warm out here.” He nodded in understanding knowing how easily the heat got to her sometimes, that’s why he always made sure she was well hydrated and was taking care of herself. 

“Okay baby, I’ll grab our drinks and I’ll come up aswel and have a quick shower or something.” She nodded at her boyfriend before he left to go get their drinks from the bar. She packed up everything she had brought down to the pool with her and made her way into the hotel and up to their room. 

couple days later

Y/N was relaxing on the balcony of the hotel room while waiting for Lando to get back, he’d told her he was going out to get some more water for the room when in reality he was sat in the hotel reception talking on the phone to the manager of the restaurant he was planning to take Y/N to on the last day of the holiday, their anniversary, to finalise any details about the proposal and the booking details.  

“So, you’ll tell her you’re going to the bathroom and one of our waiters will lead her out to the beach? Is that correct Mr Norris?” the manager asked Lando over the phone.

“Yes, that is correct. Thank you again for helping me with this. It means a lot.” Lando replied, the manager smiled at the idea of young love.

“It's quite alright sir. Right, that's all booked and ready for you for a few days' time.” 

Once everything was finalised, he thanked the manager and hung up the phone and left the hotel with a small smile on his face at the thought of him proposing to the love of his life in the next couple days and made his way to the little shop 10 minutes from the hotel and grabbed the bottles of water like he had told Y/N he was doing. 

He walked back to the hotel and into the hotel room where he was met with the sight of Y/N asleep on the sofa in the living area with the balcony door open to let a breeze in and her book covering her face. He smiled in amusement and put the crate of water bottles down and he made his way over to the sofa. He crouched down in front of her and took her book from off her face, keeping his thumb on the page so she wouldn’t lose her page and quickly put her bookmark in place before closing it. He gently shook her awake.  

“Wake up sleepy head. We need to go downstairs for lunch soon.” She opened her eyes lazily and looked at Lando with a sleepy smile which he returned with a smile of his own. She slowly sat up and picked up her half drunk bottle of water off the table in front of her. 

“Hey pretty girl, the sun tired you out huh?” He joked, stroking her thigh. She nodded softly before speaking. 

“Yeah, and it didn’t help next door had a crying baby and I couldn’t focus on my book, so I just came inside.” Lando chuckled at her response.  

“We’ll be heading down for lunch in a minute if you wanna go freshen up a bit beforehand.” The curly haired boy spoke, Y/N nodded and made her way to their bedroom to put a clean top on as she had some sweat stains that didn’t look flattering at all and touched up the small amount of makeup she had on which consisted of just concealer, mascara and some lip balm. 

The couple both headed down to lunch, indulging in conversation about the most random topics causing them both to start laughing. The couple were suddenly interrupted by a little girl, who looked no older than 5 and had a little bunny stuffed animal in her arms, who came up to them and tapped Y/N’s arm softly. 

“Excuse me miss, can you help me find my mummy. I was with her and my older brother and now I can’t find them.” The older woman’s eyes softened at the sight of the tears in the little girl's eyes. She nodded at her. 

“Of course, sweetheart. What’s your name?” Y/N spoke in a gentle tone. 

“Emily, I’m sorry for interrupting you two, but I recognised Lando because Jack my brother is a formula one fan and I’ve seen him on tv, so I thought you two seemed safe rather than a complete stranger.” Emily admitted shyly, Lando nodded at her with a smile before the couple stood up to help her find her brother and mum. 

“You did the right thing sweetie. C’mon we’ll help you find your mum” Lando spoke, he held the little girl's small hand in his and the three of them made their way over to the front desk at reception. 

“Excuse me, this little girl has lost her mum. Do you have any idea where she could be?” Y/N asked the lady on the front desk. She nodded and made her way around to the front of the desk so she could talk to Emily. 

“What does your mum look like sweetheart?” She asked as she crouched down to her size. 

“Brown hair, green eyes, she had a long blue dress on, she was with my older brother who was wearing red swim shorts and a Minecraft t-shirt” the receptionist nodded at her. All of a sudden, they heard the voice of a woman, Y/N looked up to see a woman matching Emily’s description of her mother.  

“Emily! There you are baby!” She ran over and gave her a quick hug. Emily pointed to the three other adults before she spoke to her mum.

“The helped me mummy. Lando and his girlfriend helped me find you and the nice lady on reception!” Emily walked over to Y/N and gave her a hug which Y/N reciprocated. 

“Thank you.” Emily muttered smiling up at the couple. They both smiled at her. 

“Thank you for helping my daughter, we were so worried!” Her mum exclaimed.  

“It’s fine honestly! I can’t imagine how worried I’d be if I’d lost my kid in a resort this big.” She replied, the two women chuckling at her response. Lando looked to Jack and smiled. 

“Hey buddy, I hear you’re a formula one fan? Do you want a photo?” He asked and Jack nodded quickly, the children’s mum pulled out her phone and Jack walked over to Lando and the pair took a photo together. Jack said a quick thank you to the driver before the little family headed off and the couple went to their room to get ready for the party boat they were going on later, which thankfully did not end in any injuries on Lando’s part this time.

 

the last night of the holiday

Tonight was Y/N and Lando’s last night of the holiday, and it was their anniversary. After a morning full of cuddles, kisses, some less PG stuff and exchanging cards and gifts, the couple had spent the rest of the day walking around visiting little landmarks around Mykonos and getting gifts for family members.  

They were now currently getting ready to head out to the Italian restaurant Lando had booked for them. Y/N was wearing a flowy white dress that came down to just below her knees and Lando was wearing a plain white dress shirt and some khaki shorts that Y/N had brought him just before they came to Mykonos. 

“You ready sweetheart?” Lando shouted to Y/N from the bedroom. She walked in and smiled at him. 

“Yup. You ready?” She replied walking into the bedroom smiling at Lando who was sat on the bed. He reached out to her and rested his hands on her waist and pulled her into him, he pulled her down slightly and planted a kiss to her lips. 

“You look stunning baby. An absolute princess if you ask me.” he expressed with a small smirk on his face. She grabbed her bag off the bed and grabbed Lando’s hand and the couple made their way out the hotel and to the restaurant.  

Once they arrived at the restaurant, the waiter took them to their seats and took their orders, coming back shortly after with the drink orders which was some red wine for both of them. When they had their food brought to them around 20 minutes later, they ate their food while talking about anything they could think of. There was never a dull moment with Y/N and Lando’s conversations.

After eating and having paid the bill. Lando was about to put the plan into motion. 

“I’m just gonna head to the bathroom before we leave gorgeous. Won’t be long.” She nodded at Lando, what she didn’t realise was Lando was actually leaving through the back entrance of the restaurant to get to the beach across from the restaurant without Y/N realising. 

Shortly after, the waiter came over to Y/N and held his arm out for her to take. 

“If you’d like to close your eyes and follow me miss.” he requested. She skeptically complied and took his arm as she closed her eyes, and he took her across to the beach where Lando was waiting by the ocean.  

Once she was in front of Lando, he silently thanked the waiter and he left and went back to the restaurant. Lando grabbed Y/N’s hands in his and she took that as a sign to open her eyes and her and Lando were the only ones on the beach and the only sounds was the water crashing onto the sand. Lando began to speak. 

“Y/N, from the moment I made it home after our first date when we were 19, I knew you were the one. You’ve been with me through the ups and downs of not only my life, but my entire career and I could not thank you enough. You experienced my first podium with me and my first win and every other milestone in my career and I’ll forever be grateful to have you by my side for everything. My mum always told me as a kid that when I meet the one, I’d feel it. You’re the one Y/N. You’re my person.” Lando announced. Y/N’s hand flew over her mouth as Lando got down onto one knee and pulled out a red velvet box, opening the box to reveal the most stunning diamond ring, tears were welling in both of the adults’ eyes. 

“Y/N M/N/ L/N, will you make the happiest man ever and marry me?” He spoke with a hint of emotion in his voice. She vigorously nodded her head, tears flowing down her cheeks. 

“Yes Lando! Of course I’ll marry you” she replied. He grinned up at her and placed the ring on her left ring finger as he stood back up, hearing distant claps from people passing by and sat outside the restaurant who had witnessed the proposal. He then cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a passionate kiss full of love. The newly engaged couple pulled out of the kiss and smiled at each other, eyes filled with just as much love as the day they met. 

“I love you so much my darling girl. I can’t wait for you to be my wife.” He grinned ear to ear at his now fiancée.  

“I love you too my love. I can’t wait to be married to you and spend the rest of our lives together.” She replied, smiling back at her fiancé. 

They made their way up the beach, walking along the shore in a comfortable silence. Y/N was first to break the silence. 

“Oh my god I just realised I can now put my Pinterest board to use!” She exclaimed in excitement, clapping her hands together with a beaming smile on her face. Lando let out a laugh at her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Y/N wrapped her arm around his waist. 

“I knew you’d say that you muppet” Lando joked. She smiled softly up at him. 

“We’re both muppets but we’re each other's muppets.” She corrected the driver. He just smiled at his girl. 

“That we are beautiful, that we are.” He softly chuckled as they continued to walk down the beach. 

Once they got home from Mykonos early the next morning, Y/N and Lando had announced the proposal on social media and rang their families, who were all very happy and excited for the couple. 

y/user

Liked by: landonorris, maxfewtrell, pietra.pilao, mclaren and others

y/user: Mykonos with my favourite human, swipe to the end for a surprise👀 (hint: he’s now completely off the market ladies🤭)

tagged: landonorris

comments:

landonorris: had the best time with you beautiful, love you forever🤍

liked by creator❤️

y/user: right back at you my love. Love you more❤️

pietra.pilao: congratulations you two!! So happy! Love you both🫶🏻

liked by: landonorris, y/user

y/user: thank you p! We love you too🫶🏻

mclaren: congratulations to you both!🧡

liked by: landonorris, y/user

lilyzneimer: omg!! Congrats you guys🤍(I better be your bridesmaid y/n/n😉😂)

liked by: landonorris, y/user, oscarpiastri

y/user: thank you lils! You already know you’re my bridesmaid babe!😉😘

liked by lilyzneimer

load more comments

landonorris

Liked by: mclaren, y/user, oscarpiastri and others

landonorris: Lando Norriz who?😏 here’s to forever with you my darling girl I can’t wait for you to be Mrs Norris🥂I love you endlessly🤍

tagged: y/user

comments:

y/user: I love you my boy🤍can’t wait to be mrs Norris🤍 (and to use my Pinterest board😝)

liked by creator❤️

landonorris: 😭😭😭 I do love you baby😂❤️

oscarpiastri: congrats mate!👏🏻Love you both!🧡 (Y/N and Lily have already been messaging non-stop about dresses😭)

liked by: y/user, landonorris, lilyzneimer

landonorris: thanks osc!🧡 and trust me mate, I know😭

y/user: watch it you pair, lily will be just as bad when you finally grow a pair and propose osc😌😘

lilyzneimer: yes I will😉😘

oscarpiastri: 👀

maxfewtrell: congrats you pair! Lots of love❤️

liked by: y/user, landonorris

landonorris: cheers mate we love you too❤️

user3: omg my parents!!😭🫶🏻also trust Lando to wear a jumper in Mykonos😭

load more comments

🏷️: @allywthsr @idathereader @moonlight-girls-posts @saturnbloom77 @scar-005 @barcelonaloverf1life @shellybee456 @meandjoemama @wellwellwellsposts @charli123456789 @timmy-wife1 @m4rt10ne @tellybearryyyy @hc-dutch @nocoolusernamesavailable-blog @neo-teenkidz @landosgirl97 @promenadewithme

If there’s a line through your name, it wouldn’t let me tag you😭

[chrisevansonly]

Pesky Paparazzi (harry’s angel au)

pairing: harry styles x female reader (angel)

summary: Amsterdam is so beautiful, until you’re being chased by paparazzi and some crazy ‘fans’

warnings: slight angst, protective harry, fans that def aren’t fans, swearing + some fluffy goodness

a/n; i know this isn’t the best and i’ve written better, but i wanted to get this finished and out! thank you everyone for being so patient with me; and for enjoying this au as much as I do🩷

You knew as much as Harry did just how crazy touring can be, especially when it comes to visiting landmarks and exploring the cities you’re both so fortunate to see throughout the months your on tour. Harry also loves finding new places to go on runs or work out in, while you’re more of a tea and coffee lover, trying to find the cutest and of course most local shops to visit and try.

It wasn’t that surprising to see a group of people in the distance on your morning walk, Harry’s hand holding yours as you walked around Amsterdam. He hadn’t yet noticed them but you did, and figured now maybe be the time to find an alternative route; it wasn’t easy running from crazy people being 5 months pregnant.

“H my love, I think we should maybe find a different route”

You stopped walking, your hand tightening on his as he looked towards the group of people up ahead of you both. Glancing at him you could see his shoulders tense

“Fuck..”

“It’s alright, they’re still aways up from us, let’s just figure out where to go”

He nodded and looked around the two of you, although you remained calm, Harry was in overdrive trying to find a safe way for you both to get back to the hotel. You weren’t very far from it, probably a 6 minute walk, but every way he turned people seemed to show up.

“What about through there? Between the shops?”

You pointed at a walkway, the cobble stones quite bare in comparison to the walkways along the channel

“Okay, let’s go, i’ll get Jeff to send us a car or something”

With his arm now wrapped around your lower back as opposed to holding onto your hand, a sign he was beginning to get slightly anxious. It was only quiet until he heard a plethora of footsteps echoing down the corridor followed by Harry’s name being called

“Harry can we have a photo?”

“Harry we love you”

“Can you sign this?!”

Soon enough you were surrounded by a small group of people, the sounds of excitement filling you with a sense of dread as your hands navigated to your bump just out of instinct

“M’sorry guys, I can’t stop, we’ve got to go, can we have some space?”

Some of the fans respected that, others were getting irate over the fact that Harry didn’t want to stop, that only made him become more agitated especially considering he was with you and his unborn daughter.

“H, i’ll walk ahead, im starting to cramp anyway…i’m sure they won’t give me any trouble..?”

Harry shook his head

“You’re cramping?”

“Minor…I think it’s anxiety…”

“You’re not going anywhere without me when y’not feeling well, come on.”

As much as you figured you’d be okay to walk alone, Harry wasn’t about to let you out of his sights, even if he had to fight through people to get you somewhere safe. Thankfully before it got too crazy, you noticed four of your teams bodyguards approaching and a car waiting at the end of the alley, which you were ushered into.

“Sorry that took so long Y/N, this place is crazy with the shows here”

You smiled in Jeff’s direction, the pains in your stomach not dissipating very much

“It’s alright, more worried about Harry honestly”

Jeff went to respond to you when the door opened again on the other side and Harry slid in next to you, his eyes raking over your form to check for any discomfort; which you were already trying your hardest to hide.

Harry wouldn’t give up that easily if he knew you weren’t feeling well..

“You sure you’re okay angel..? I knew we should have stayed in today..”

Placing your hands on his you shook your head

“I’m okay, obviously not feeling very well now but im fine, baby girl is fine…we’re all okay H, promise…we can’t just hide away forever in a hotel room you know”

“Yes we can.”

Rolling your eyes you turned to face him a little more, wincing at a few strong kicks from your little girl

“No we can’t, because I’d go stir crazy and you’d get bored, I know there are always chances of what happened today, but I still love experiencing all of these countries and cities with you, it’s not your fault some people can’t respect you and your privacy”

Harry stayed quiet, you assumed lost in thought or letting his anxiety take grasp of his already racing thoughts

“H, will you look at me please my love?”

“I’m sorry”

“Hey, none of that”

The car stopped outside of the hotel’s entrance, your eyes still locked on Harry’s, hands grasping his cheeks so he would look at you

“I love you, we’re safe and now we can go have a cuddle and watch a movie, nothing bad happened to us, you kept us safe and got us back here without any issues, so no more being pouty and blaming yourself understood?”

After a few seconds he gave you a tiny smile, which was enough for you in this moment

“I love you too, no more being pouty, I promise”

Harry carried his heart on his sleeve for you, always wanting to fill your days with love and comfort, not even some pesky and overbearing fans could keep him from letting you know just how much he loves you, and how far he would go for you..

[cuppachar]

Rewatching jamie in early season 1 is so hard cause like. I wish they knew what he was going through. I remember being young and hurting and so mean because of it. And it was so not okay of me. But also, I'd see everyone else allowed to be silly and sensitive and emotional and mediocre and I wasn't allowed to be anything but tough, and it made me so mad. And I just want to hug him and tell him I get it, and that it's gonna be okay.

Hi Anon

Thank you for that insight and hearing your experience.

I get you completely - re-watching S1 just reminds me that we do not know what's going on inside other people or know what has happened to them. I think it's why I love that scene with Roy in S3 where he's doing the press conference after Isaac's aggression to the abusive football fan.

'to do what he did today, even though it was wrong, I give him love.'

Knowing some of Jamie's background (and I wish we got more to be honest, but's an ensemble cast with multiple characters who have complex issues and/or dynamics, so it's limited in that regards) and seeing S1 again, it's such a different viewing and understanding of a character and makes Jamie so much more human and real. Jamie isn't just a prick. He's a prick with trauma and reasons.

I don't see cocky prick Jamie who thinks he's best who never passes because everyone else is shit - I see Jamie, who's terrified of what his dad will do to him if he isn't dominant.

I don't see a Jamie who doesn't celebrate his teammate's birthdays and eat cake - I see a Jamie who's been told to treat his teammates as 'assists' and has diet plans that don't include cakes or pastries because he has a weight he needs to keep.

I don't see a Jamie who doesn't want to greet his new teammate - I see Jamie, who flinches at fast movements and doesn't trust easily. I see a Jamie who's realised he's not their only ace anymore, and that terrifies him because of the implications that may have with his father (Imagine the writers hadn't gone down the rehab route for James Tartt Snr in S3 and how Zava's introduction and place in the team would have caused some serious consequences for Jamie, both psychologically and physically).

I don't see the Jamie who cockily refuses to 'practice' - I see a Jamie who shifted into 'I don't like angry men shouting at me' (and at some point pre-canon, I imagine Jamie's hero-worship of Roy was destroyed and tainted when he met 'Shouty, I don't give a shit-Roy-Kent And I'll take out my negative emotions on you, even if you deserve it or not' and Jamie's poster hero , who he'd imagined stepping out of the wall and putting his dad through the said wall was gone and Jamie's automatic response was to be a prick in defence/offence.)

I don't see a Jamie who brought two dates to the auction - I see a Jamie who wasn't sure if he could get Keeley to bid on her own boyfriend, so he brought another plus one instead, terrified that he'd have to have sex with an older woman like those ladies behind the glass windows in Amsterdam. Watching that episode back really icks me out, and seeing Jamie's response back when I first watched it, you could mistake Jamie's reaction to both Keeley and Roy's 'teasing' as Jamie just being mocked and teased, but re-watching it, I see a Jamie who's really uncomfortable with the attention he's getting and upset at his rival and girlfriend cruelly mocking him (of course, they don't know about his experience in Amsterdam) but I'm always struck at how Jamie walks away from the table, from the both of them, because he's upset (and it kind of hits me even more, 'cause I think that Jamie doesn't even know why he's so upset with how much he's suppressed the memory, the implication of what his father orchestrated despite his tender age).

Although, I think they could have had a bit more Jamie and Ted interaction or reflection on Jamie's relationship with his father and/or trauma (because there did seem to have link to Ted's panic attacks, especially when you consider Ted's panic attack during the match in S2, because you can hear Jamie's dad verbally abusing Jamie from the S1 final as Ted spirals, which was really interesting and I only realised this recently) I really do appreciate Ted's "I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that's being alone and being sad. Ain't no one in this room alone" sentiment, but I just really wished he'd reached out to Jamie, because Jamie wasn't just alone and sad, he was scared and traumatised, and although he didn't verbalise it in S2, he obviously had no safe places or people he felt he could turn to, so he not only left the profession he loves, he left the country.

Anyway, my ramble is over.

In summary, you only really get a better understanding of Jamie by re-watching Season 1 and seeing him in a different light after watching S2/S3.

[deada55]

That One Time

crossposting: ao3

synopsis: Minnie thinks she remembers life as an Explosion with two older sisters, a notoriously intense celebrity father, and one of the most stylishly self-directed mothers in the world.

for kloktober day 1, favorite character or OTP.

I was planning to unveil some fankids when AOTD came out... and then I promptly killed them! I still think about them sometimes, and I hope I don't get slammed for writing nategail in the year of our lord 2023 after AOTD did a really good job at showing us what ought to happen in situations like that, but I think their family would have been funky and sweet.

full text under the cut:

Minnie was on the edge of her seat watching her family’s faces twist and search around for one another as they waited in the dead center of a mile of three-lane standstill traffic. Driving a hellcat didn’t make anyone immune… The point of the trip was to recreate something Lyssa did years ago: When asked what she wanted for her thirteenth birthday, she threw up her hands and cried out that all she wanted was a normal family. So, they rented an AirBnb within a five minute walking distance from their paternal grandparents’ house and spent two and a half weeks eating, living, and vacationing like a family of “regular jackoffs.” 

Lyssa was back from Brown for spring break, and helplessly scrolling social media and trying not to be embarrassed that sitting behind her agitated dad (seething behind the wheel) looked better than taking GHB in Amsterdam like some of the Birkin-toting business administration girlies who called themselves her friends when they read her last name on the panhellenic “rush” interest form. The classes were tough, the readings were long, but aside from being asked for money or to give her father ziploc bags of slimy sex toys when she went home for the holidays, she enjoyed her new phase of life. For the trip, she pulled out some jeans and camisoles and some foam sandals from a couple years ago to make the best of their casual trip. Since she couldn’t do readings or answer emails in a moving car, she was scrolling through a grainy scan of an old Ayn Rand lit crit.

Kenzie looked and acted a lot more like her father, fidgeting and making comments about the people who had given up on civilization altogether and stepped out of their cars. Her snapchat and her instagram stories were being populated by views of the O MPH speedometer she took while her mom wasn’t blocking the shot. Without anything to post, she had nothing to do, and whatever she had coming through her headphones wasn’t entertaining enough. Time is money, and money all depends on content… Kenzie was convinced of her potential to make enough money to live on outside of the inheritance she could expect from their father, and it came at the cost of almost anything fun. Her grainy meal replacement smoothie had melted into a cloudy soup in the cupholder. She reapplied her lip gloss, pulled down the top of her stylish celery green athleisure co-ord and flipped through TikTok.

Mom wasn’t as sensitive as Lyssa, and had been returning emails the whole time they were en-route to the aquarium. Up at the front of the car, the parents had been in a gentle match of social ping-pong, with pokes, small talk, his firm hand resting on her leg or her moisturized fingers, shining like bronze, squeezing his shoulder. She re-tied her curly hair back with a scrunchie (Tampa water had pissed her hair right off… different water meant different products, and it’d been a long time since she had to face the “ethnic hair care” section at a Walmart) and made a face when Dad tried sucking air out of his empty coffee cup for the fourth time.

When she went into the bathroom at the gas station about an hour ago, he ducked in after her and bought three bottles of Johnny Bootlegger. When she came outside, he was finishing off the third one around the corner of the building. Minnie saw her glance over there, but all she did was pull the car around so someone else could get to the pump. 

Now, in the jam, all he did was shake. At least, for now… There were times where it lasted five minutes, half an hour, or a week or two at a time, then left quickly, or left and came back, but periodically he’d be shaking for one reason or another. Since his eyes weren’t yellow, he wasn’t slurring his speech, and he wasn’t confused, his daughters knew they could rest easy and stand by; it would pass, it always did. As unnerving it was to see someone so big in every way crumble at the drop of a hat, there was a shared understanding that nobody was enjoying it or causing the sky to fall out on purpose, especially not him. The girls understood their job to stand by and stay the course, whether it meant minding their own business or sending cards to hospital rooms when they can’t be there.

“Fucking… cocksucking-” He touched the gearshift like there would be a point in taking it out of park. Mom laid her hand over his.

“Relax, Nathan. We don’t have anywhere to be. Oh, look-”

Someone walking around leaned against Lyssa’s door, talking to someone else in the lane beside them.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

“Yeah, Dad, what the fuck is he doing?” Kenzie had her phone out and rolling. If her mother wouldn’t have explicitly prevented her, she would have been streaming their whole vacation live, but instead she had to take a chance and was shooting for her Instagram story. “Can you see anything?” She fixed the way her fringe laid in case she had to flip the camera around, but a couple hairs got mixed up in her eyelash extensions and had to be guided out.

“He’s just fucking… talking, I guess.” All the time, he was scrutinizing the surround and peeking into the vehicle’s blind spots (their window tint helped them avoid paparazzi and unfriendly agitators well, but one could never be too careful in a luxury car sitting in the middle of the interstate in Florida). He snatched some sunglasses from the console and pulled his hair onto the right side before punching the horn and watching the guy jump forward so suddenly that he tripped. The man caught himself from that, but his momentum sent him stumbling into someone else's rearview mirror, until he finally hit the asphalt.

Minnie laughed so hard it hurt. By the time she was slowing down, her sisters were starting up again just because she was still struggling to say anything other than “He went- Oop!” and howling. The guy’s popped-out eyes and wobbly feet were absolutely stuck in her mind like a commercial. 

Giggling, her mother turned around. “Are you ok, Minnie?” 

Kenzie was re-playing the video she took of the whole thing, which included Lyssa forgetting and dropping her phone when she heard the horn. It was all caught in the same shot for Kenzie, and she couldn’t have been happier to catch her sister like that. Lyssa was griping and feeling around for her phone in the floorboard.

“Yeah, mom!” She grinned from the third row and spat a curl out of her mouth. The whole car of green-eyed shower drain murderers (anything you eat is subject to having at least one long hair in it, curly or straight) settled into satisfaction with the jest and the renewed sense of ease it left behind… they didn’t have anywhere urgent to be, and they were a normal family, as normal as any family was, in the middle of the heat of the world.

But Minnie sat back. Her solitary reflection in the globby puddles of nickel, clinging to the earth like scabs, took the thought with it. Had it ever happened? Like a play, like a streak of light, like seeing without remembering, the memory passed like a train, so visually overwhelming and then definitively ended, disappearing into the distance and shrinking all the while.

[bobbinacrossafricatake2]

En Route

May 14-15, 2024

We thought this day would never arrive…..wheels up! Hurrah, we’re on our way!

It’s not clear who was more relieved to be done with all of the trip prep, Jillebob or Sebbie. The worst of it, of course, was making sure our respective jobs were fully covered while we are gone. For Seb, that meant finding coverage for her clients, whether in the middle of a real estate transaction or not. Because in real estate, things happen all the time so being ready at the drop of a hat is the name of the game. Updating and collecting records, passing relevant information to the colleagues backing her up, making introductions, ugh - it’s a lot! For Jill, it meant spending a year working extra time to offset a full month of flexible time off (the new policy of non-accruing leave her company imposed, just as we finalized plans for the trip) and making sure her various tasks were at a point where she did not feel too bad walking away and leaving them in the very capable hands of her terrific colleagues.

But that’s just the beginning. Yikes, the packing! Our most restrictive weight limit is 33 lbs, luggage and carry-on together. We managed to coordinate some electronic stuff, to eliminate redundancy of things we could share. But even so, the priority items are heavy so 33 lbs adds up quickly: cameras, binoculars, iPad and keyboard, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. And even though we plan to use the soap and shampoo provided, there are still personal toiletries that are a must. And all that’s before clothing. Sarah was talking about this packing dilemma to (her neighbor) Lauren’s friend, Ken, to which he replied, “oh, so it’s a clothing optional trip, huh?” Indeed, if not truly clothing optional, it was extra shirts, packing cubes, a few extra socks and such that went into the reject pile. Pack-weigh-remove a few items and repeat… and repeat… and repeat. And a lot of commiserating and consulting with each other. You get the idea. In the end, we’re each pretty close to 33 lbs. No major shopping on this trip! Well, until the very end.

After a few days of Sarah spending time with her housemate for the summer, Elizabeth, to get her situated and Fergie passed to Kim’s loving care for a month, Sarah jumped into an Uber with duffel and carry-on, and headed toward Jill’s place. Jill was waiting at the door and onward we went to Dulles. Richard, our Uber driver, was delightfully chatty. We were giddy with anticipation and it made the journey fast. Jill found it quite therapeutic to wave at her office building as the Uber drove by. We were super early, plenty of time for a glass of wine and catch up on our last preparations and excitement over the trip. We found ourselves pondering what if we never took that first trip to Ireland when we barely knew each other. Would either of had made the trips we’ve done — India, China/Tibet, South Africa/Botswana/Rwanda/Kenya, Churchill, and Galapagos/Costa Rica? We could agree… maybe we would have, but we would have missed out the best travel buddy thing going, and it wouldn’t have been as fun.

Man, it’s a long way to Johannesburg, South Africa! Seven hours across the pond to Amsterdam and another ten going south. When one factors in transportation on either side, it’s over 24 hours door-to-door. We each slept very little on the first flight and more on the second, seemingly more comfortable flight. The layover in Amsterdam was easy - such a nice airport and good opportunity to get at least a little walking in! As our pilot walked up to the gate to board our flight to Johannesburg, a flight attendant asked everyone to give him a hand for his last flight before retirement! We were clearly in good, experienced hands! Movies to entertain, a few magazines, pretty good food, and we made it to the other side.

[thelinthing]

Ireland vacation 2022 recap

On Friday, September 2, 2022, the alarm goes off in the middle of the night – half past three in the morning. A dream we've had for as long as I can remember is coming true; we are going to Ireland.

However, preparing for a holiday is not without stress. Weeks of planning, endless hours on Google Maps, checking every bus connection thirty times and finally having a complete nervous breakdown about the forecast weather, which predicted rain rain and more rain all week. So we just packed our bags with extra rain gear and hope for the best.

At five o'clock AM grandma and her boyfriend are at the door to take us to Amsterdam. Months of news reports of horror scenarios at Schiphol Airport, endless lines at security and lost luggage are all in the back of our minds, but you can’t do more than arrive on time and provide your luggage with stickers and a GPS tag. So we did exactly that, but once arrived at Schiphol the stress turned out to be for nothing. First we had about an hour of waiting at an almost deserted check-in desk, then we took an almost leisurly stroll through a security line of 20 minutes, and then another quiet hour of waiting with far too expensive coffee in the departure hall. The flight was somewhat delayed, but around half past ten we left the runway behind us and climbed up towards the North Sea.

The flight went well, except for the landing, where our ears very painfully indicated that they did not agree with the cabin pressure difference. But then we saw the Howth peninsula, and how the Irish sea pounded upon the cliffs, and it started to sink in; we are really there.

After a somewhat chaotic lunch at Dublin Airport, we had to look for a bus to Bray, where we had booked our Airbnb. After a few more minutes of trudging fruitlessly from one terminal to the other, we were suddenly sent by a couple of helpful ladies to a bus headed in that direction, and we had three minutes to catch it. So we threw the luggage in the belly of the bus and we got on board.

We soon found out that the local Irish are absolutely friendly people, except for bus drivers. This good man was the first we met of many who addressed us curtly and surly. Apparently being a bus driver in these parts is a hard profession.

We arrived at Bray and it took us about a twenty minute walk to get to our Airbnb. Tired, broken, worn out but satisfied we arrived and were warmly greeted by Helen, our hostess, who shares the house with her platonic friend Gerry.

We dragged the luggage to our room upstairs and thankfully plopped down on the comfortable beds, then spent the rest of the afternoon out cold. At dinnertime we made our way to the Aldi further on for the necessary provisions, filled the stomachs with an instant curry and hit the sack after an episode of Stranger Things.

_______________________________________

On Saturday we put on the rain gear and Gerry gave us a lift to the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk – a walking route that winds between the coast of the Irish Sea and the hillside of Bray Head. The pants of my rain suit turned out to have a big tear at the seam and by the time we got back it had torn from waist to crotch. So that could go to the trash. I'm still happy with my foresight and the extra rain poncho I packed anyway and that kept my butt dry for the rest of that afternoon.

Despite the rain we still walked a beautiful route. Aided by our walking sticks, we dodged huge of puddles of rain on the muddy trail, and marveled at the ease with which the locals walked these trails.

The local birds were extensively photographed by Mom, but the camera soon became too wet to use and disappeared back into the bag.

We followed the trail for about two miles before returning to Bray, pining for a hot lunch, which we eventually found at a joint called Wilde on the boardwalk, where we had an invigorating bowl of mushroom soup and watched football on TV

The bus back to the Airbnb was quickly found. Another nap, spaghetti bolognese for dinner, another episode of Stranger Things, and the first real day of vacation was done.

______________________________

come the next morning the sky was, to our relief, blue and the hills outside our bedroom window bathed in sunlight.

About a half hour walk from our address we found Killruddery House. A large mansion with impressive gardens in which we could get lost. Apparently there was some kind of sappy romance movie being shot there with Lindsey Lohan in the lead role. All kinds of film equipment could be seen in and around the house and the picturesque tearoom in the conservatory had been transformed into a kitschy film set of a wedding location with lots of pink.

A lady in a pink jacket peered through the conservatory window and made a face. 'Not my taste.' she said. We agreed.

Further into the park we found a path leading to a rocky hill overlooking the house and gardens. There we found the lady with the pink jacket again, sitting on a rock, enjoying the view. We sat down next to her and had a nice chat.

She asked us about our motivation to visit Ireland, and we told her that our love for the country started with the music of Riverdance and the like.  The lady then told us that Riverdance happened to be showing this week at the Gaiety theater in Dublin. She went there herself this week with her daughter.

The idea of ​ going to Riverdance sounded like the icing on the cake for our vacation to us.

The lady was determined to get us in the mood. She grabbed her cell phone, looked up the Riverdance theme, grabbed Moms hands and started a spontaneous dance. So the three of us – Mom, me and a total stranger lady – were dancing and hopping like crazy on a rock at Killruddery Gardens. We then gave her a big hug, and the lady walked back to the gardens. We stood on that rock for a good five minutes, absolutely stunned, and joked that we had met a real Irish fairy.

One thing was certain; we had to go to Riverdance this week. As soon as we were back at our accommodation, we immediately booked the tickets for the next Tuesday.

_____________________________________

Monday started with gray skies and heavy rain. Since we had covered almost ten kilometers the day before, the legs were getting really sore and we decided to take a rest day. We did some laundry and in the afternoon decided to take a short walk in the neighborhood. We had seen on Google Maps that a block or two away there were ruins of an old castle tower, and we decided to check it out.

We did take our walking sticks with us, given the sore legs.  Google maps took us on a strange route and all paths came to a dead end. We wandered through the suburbs for a while, where we got some weird glances because of our walking sticks. When we finally got our sights on the tower, we found that it was surrounded by impenetrable fences and all the paths that ever led to it were bricked up with gray stone walls. A bit disappointed, we continued in the drizzling rain to Lidl to get some groceries and returned to the Airbnb. There we were told that the tower had recently been closed to prevent loitering. Lacking further plans, we got out our deck of cards and spent the afternoon playing Crazy Eights.

_______________________________________

Since we were going to Riverdance on Tuesday evening, we decided to add an afternoon in Dublin. We took the train into town with a vague plan to at least meander through the lanes of St Stephen's Green park, admire Trinity College and check out the adjacent famous Grafton Street shopping area.

Unfortunately, the rain threw a spanner in the works. Our visit to Trinity College went no further than the courtyard, where we quickly moved on because it was crowded and eventually took shelter at a Burger King for lunch. A few minutes of Googling later we found an address to spend the rest of the afternoon out of the elements and walked on to the Dublin Archaeological Museum. The entrance was free, but the necessary euros were spent at the souvenir shop there.

The museum was a great filler for the afternoon, but my legs in particular suffered from fatigue again. Fortunately, when we left the museum it was dry again and we went looking for a phamracy to get something for the muscle pain. A painkiller and a well-deserved break on a bench at St Stephen's Green later got me back on track. In the park quite some seagulls, pigeons and a heron have been photographed. We then headed out to find a cheap restauraunt to have dinner.  We found one on the corner of the Gaiaty theater, which was run by Americans and where we ate a plate of pasta with pesto and chicken for little money.

We quickly visited a beautiful indoor shopping center opposite the theater where we bought more souvenirs and a little later we found ourselves in the beautiful Victorian Gaiety theatre. We had arranged pretty decent seats on the side of the front box.

The show itself was phenomenal. We've watched the 1996 New York show thousands of times on videotape, but despite the fact that this version had a smaller dance troupe and the live orchestra consisted of just three ladies, the real thing can't be matched. The first half of the show followed the set list we knew well, but in the second half we were surprised with quite a bit of new songs. By the end our hands were sore with applause and the company received a well-deserved standing ovation.

We found a bus back to Bray and got back into bed by midnight.

__________________________________

The next day, a visit to the enchanting Powerscourt House was on the agenda. The plan was to take the bus to the nearby village of Enniskerry but that turned out to be quite a challenge. The bus we had planned to catch simply didn't arrive and we were told by a local bus driver that the next one was coming in an hour. To kill the time we walked to the beach and the promenade behind the station and admired the waves of the Irish Sea in the sun.

We returned to the station but unfortunately disaster had to strike. Mom's ankle buckled when stepping off a curb and she was suddenly laying on the street with a scraped knee and a sore ankle. 

Because to the chaos surrounding the fall, we managed to get to the wrong bus stop and the bus to Enniskerry drove off without us. We were fed up with the local public transport by now, so we opted to take a taxi.

A friendly Lyft taxi driver took us to the gates of Powerscourt Estate. In hindsight it was a good thing we hadn't taken the walk from Enniskerry to Powerscourt as the road went steeply uphill and with Mom’s busted ankle we would never have made it.

Powerscourt was beautiful and we kept it fairly dry until we got to the Japanese Garden where it started to rain. The umbrellas came out and we limped on to the adorable little Peperpot tower. But everything was getting wet and clammy and Mom’s ankle wasn't getting any better. We made our way to the cafe and got orselves two huge cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and  I tried to book a taxi back using the Lyft app. The app neatly stated that a taxi would be there in about twenty minutes, but somehow I got two confirmation emails. We went to wait at the front gate… and waited and waited… and not a taxi in sight. Over an hour and two more annoyed phone calls to Lyft later, it turned out that they had mistakenly booked two taxis first, (hence the double confirmation in the mail), then were both canceled, and then we were rather rudely told they had no more taxis available. As things were looking now, we were stranded.

We went back inside where we just cought the receptionist before she left, and she managed to arrange an alternative taxi driver for us. A few minutes later an old fellow from Enniskerry with not a single tooth left in his mouth came to our rescue  and dropped us off at the Airbnb.

In the evening when we had just gone to bed, the owners of the Airbnb came home again. I informed them that Mom was down with a sore ankle and immediately a cold compress and a support sock was provided and we could even borrow a pair of crutches for the next day that they happened to have lying around. We will not soon forget our hosts’ wonderfull care.

_________________________________________

We had booked a bus tour for Thursday from Dublin to the town of Glendalough, deep in the Wicklow Mountains. Fortunately Mom’s ankle was much better and it turned out to be no worse than slightly sprained. Still, Gerry insisted that we take the crutches with us.

The alarm went off at five in the morning, as the Dublin bus left around eight. Once again we took the train into town and found the Paddywaggon Tours bus at The Spire – a 121-metre-long pole that the locals also dubbed the Stiletto in the Ghetto and the Stiffy by the Liffey – among other things.

The bus was full of tourists and mostly Americans. Our driver entertained us with stories and tidbits about the area with his fantastic storytelling voice during the drive. In the mountains it was wet and foggy but the narrow roads, lined by low stone walls made the ride quite exciting. We stopped at Loch Tay, also known as the Guinness lake. Apparently this was where Kattegat's set from the Vikings series was built. However, there was no longer a Viking to be seen. There was little be seen anyway because of the fog, unfortunately. But just as the bus driver called us back to continue the ride, the fog suddenly lifted enough from the valley to still treat us to a spectacular view of the lake.

Once in Glendalough we were told we had only an hour and a half to walk around there, and the weather unfortunately remained on the wet side. We walked around the ancient ruins and the cemetery, on to the lake and past a waterfall, and far too quickly we had to turn around again to get to the bus in time.

Back in Dublin, Mom was eager for a cup of coffee, but although Talbot Street indicated on Google Maps that there were plenty of pubs, in reality it turned out to be a fairly dodgy street where inviting pubs turned out to be thinly spread. At the end towards Connoly Station we found a pub that looked okay, but were fresh out of coffee, so we settled for a cup of tea. In any case, it warmed our chilled bodies before catching the train again to Bray, where we prepared our suitcases for the return journey.

____________________________________

And just like that, a week has passed and one spends the whole Friday trying to get home. Unfortunately Helen had already left for work, but we were still able to give Gerry a bouquet of flowers and luxurious bars of chocolate we purchased the day before and thanked them profusely for their hospitality.

We once again took the train to the city.  In Dublin we found a bus to the airport, but we found out that our flight was delayed at least an hour. After a long wait we finally left Ireland around 4.30pm and flew back to Amsterdam without any further problems, where my uncle picked us up and we arrived back at the safety and familiarity of our homes at around 9:30 PM. 

[straubindeutschland]

Amsterdam - the Vices

April 19 - 22, 2024

Heineken is brewed right here in Amsterdam. We just walked by it as we were en route to the Tulip Festival.

Canal tour that fully encouraged consumption of marijuana during the ride.

Marijuana products are EVERYWHERE. It is highly discouraged to take photos of the actual weed so we opted for this drink instead. The stores that sell weed are actually called coffee shops. We walked through one and could not have looked more out of place. Me with preppy fashion and Barclay with his military hair cut. Haha.

We walked through the Red Light District during the early afternoon. I was happy to hear the city is moving towards other means of economic impact (ie: more cafes and shops for locals). The number of “windows” has significantly decreased. Again, no photos in this area.

Signage for all the things the city has to offer. :)

Our vice is beer. We enjoyed a couple local brews at a super cool pub. People watching was the best part. So many artsy and eccentric people in this city!

Our other vice is sunshine and iced coffees/teas! Great outdoor spot to take in the city.

[futureplannersofamerica]

What is an "Ideal" city?

It’s hard to imagine an ideal city without drifting into pure fiction. Imagining a perfect city is often counterintuitive, since cities, since the dawn of civilization, have been formed as a result of human action, not human design. Still, it doesn’t mean that “imagined” urban progress should not be applied in urban environments. This idea is the basis of urban planning. The Future Planners of America have proposed three key concepts that are central to an ideal city: effective public transportation, limited environmental impact, and resistance to natural disasters through strong infrastructure. 

Good public transportation is necessary to help achieve a human scale to the city as a whole. When bus lanes, subway systems, and bikeshares are emphasized and effectively implemented in urban areas, it makes these areas seem much less overwhelming. Human scale is best implemented through effective public transportation because it eliminates the need for travel on foot, one of the most helpful measurements of human scale. Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City does an impressive job at managing this scale problem. With a series of radial rail lines that connect a complex of cities. In the world, the best example of effective public transportation is Madrid, Spain. Madrid has 300 train stations, over 200 bus lines, both of which stop incredibly frequently (trains: three to four minutes, bus: five to 15 minutes); Bus and train tickets are interchangeable, allowing for flawless transition between the two; the Madrid Metro has a website that shows people the quickest connections between two places. 

Madrid Metro subway car: via Sharon Hahn Darlin and Devour Tours

Low environmental impact in cities is not only important for the cities themselves, but for the rest of the world. Green cities work to secure the future for the cities’ current inhabitants and future generations. Additionally, a city free from air and water pollution is important to the physical and mental well being of its inhabitants. One of the main motivations for Le Corbusier’s “Tower’s in the Park” was to free people from the “noise, dust, congestion, noxious gasses, and disease” that plagued Industrial cities. In the real world, the most prominent example of a “green city” is Reykjavik, Iceland. Almost 100% of Reykjavik’s energy comes from renewable sources, and the high volcanic activity in the region allows 90% of households to use geothermal heating. To lower the amount of pollution from cars, neighborhoods are built with higher density to encourage cycling and walking, in addition to many bus routes and a light rail system. Reykjavik has also committed to carbon neutrality by the year 2040. 

Hellisheiði Geothermal Plant. via Arni Saeberg and Reykjavik Energy

As the world changes, so do the environments which cities inhabit. A lot of times for the worse. The solution to this problem for many of a city’s inhabitants is relocation, but this is simply not a reality for most people. Instead, a strong infrastructure to fight against these environmental changes is ideal for a city. One excellent example is the city of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Amsterdam is the political and economic capital of the Netherlands, a place over 17 million people call home. However, Amsterdam lies seven feet below sea level and is surrounded by flat land, a perfect recipe for a devastating flood. As a result, the Netherlands have spent billions of dollars on massive sea walls and wind-powered pumps to keep the water at bay. The project has been so successful that over twenty percent of The land in the Netherlands has been reclaimed from the sea. 

Oosterscheldekering Sea Wall: Rens Jacobs via Beeldbank

Debate question: All of the cities mentioned in this blog exist in the Western World, and have maintained incredible levels of wealth for centuries. Do Third World and Post-colonial nations have the means to invest into ideal cities? Why or why not?

[gertlushgaming]

Bomb Rush Cyberpunk Review (Steam)

For this Bomb Rush Cyberpunk Review, we visit a future world from the mind of Dion Koster where self-styled graffiti crews equipped with personal boost packs are battling each other for control of the streets. Start your own cypher and dance, paint graffiti, collect beats, combo your tricks, and face off with the cops to stake your claim to the sprawling metropolis of New Amsterdam.

Bomb Rush Cyberpunk Review Pros:

- Beautiful graphics. - Download size. - Steam achievements. - Full controller support. - Graphics settings - screen mode, resolution, v-sync, quality level, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and shadow distance. - Can rebind controls for both the keyboard and the controller buttons. - Invert the axis and sensitivity slider. - 3 save slots. - The game oozes style. - Brilliant soundtrack. - Action skateboarding and spraying gameplay. - The game opens up with a tutorial-like section and story setup. - You can freely jump between walking and skating with a button press. - It Plays amd looks a lot like Jet Set Radio. - You tag walls with your graffiti to earn rep points. - Your phone is used to show the map, choose what graffiti you do for each tag size, setup the music, and deal with messages. - The spraying is a case of joining dots together in a particular way, luckily you can get a prompt to help. - When on foot you can smash windows, break stalls, and all sorts. - Pulling off tricks is fast and easy, they chain together well and look awesome. - When on foot, if you hit a rail you instantly get your wheels out so you can grind it. - A combo counter pops up as you pull off tricks. - Play how you want. - You have a jet pack that allows turbo and a sort of soluble jump. - It's effortless to grind walls and signs to keep a combo going. - Do tricks whenever and wherever you like. - You can tag/graffiti as you grind past. - A full 3D world with full 360-degree camera control. - Very accessible and easy to get into. - Find and complete side events with other crews and characters. - Unlock new graffiti art. - When doing a new trick it says (new). - The best combo score is shown on the pause menu. - Learning to combo can get tricky in built-up areas with a lot of grind spots. - Robot signs are littered around and grinding by them has you high-fiving them, Do all in a row for a reward. - Collect little canisters to top up your turbo bar. - Boss encounters. - You see other characters grinding and skating around. - Find secret areas. - Many ways to interact in the world and find alternative routes. Bomb Rush Cyberpunk Review Cons: - No voice work. - Doesn't offer online play. - No leaderboards. - Kinda wish you had a lot more music at the start and you could either create a playlist or change track quickly. - At times it can be tricky to work out how to get to a point on the map or get it to recognise a tag/spray. - The cutscenes take all the fun and excitement out of the game flow by being slow and kind of dull. - The boss fights are frustrating mostly due to not fully knowing what to do but also the camera struggles to keep up. - The moves and tricks have no risk to them as you know you will always land safely. - The grinding is not as robust as a Tony Hawk's and this causes a lot of things to not be grindable and instead just stop you dead. - It's off-putting the way in cutscenes the music keeps playing but there are no sound effects for what is going on. Related Post: En Garde Review (Steam) Bomb Rush Cyberpunk: Official website. Developer: Team Reptile Publisher: Team Reptile Store Links -  Steam Read the full article

[castle-dominion]

6x1 valkyrie

It has been a while since I liveblogged. I want to finish watching castle before summer is over.

She got a job ok, they got engaged ok.

Lol love the yes/no/yes/no "most serious thing I've ever done"

RC: You do know how this works, right? his twelve hundred names lol (& yeah that is HUGE gem)

Ah NOW it has been two months no longer sayong "nypd" must have been a change.

I remember when I first saw this I thought "oh it must be this gif with the sexy bra" but it wasn't. & then she got hit so hard she fell back like that?

"or worse: me"

Ew she doesn't have her plans anymore?

I love the music dskljfsdlkfj "he's best with rhetorical questions"

Alexis is pretty. Oh yeah. Pi. I love him so much. Spelling is a construct anyway bro. RC: Uh … make sure you put some blankets out on the couch for Pi if he’s staying? (his meaning is not subtle) Want him to be comfortable. (his phone rings) And visible. I mean like yeah boy sleeps on the couch.

Meh won't clip

Poor them, not seeing each other.

Lol what are you smiling about to the castle cutout.

Is that still her mom's ring? How did Castle get here? You want me to leave? Immediately *starts kissing him*

Castle mr nosey man.

Wow they're good! she looks a lot like castle tbh CASTLE NO SHE'S LITERALLY NOT EVEN IN THE CAR YET YOU CAN CATCH HER

the baby sdkfljslkdjklj (clipping) Halo nights, new trivi fact "well since you offered"

could clip the part where ryan tosses the baby doll on esposito Yay Tory Ellis "isn't that beckett's backyard?" jf ey tunnel shdgy cal.l d*lat.er when i ^bet1er

*castle is already at the golf course*

"it better be on a book jacket" unless he is at home when you drop beckett off bro

"I didn't think I'd get caught"

Yes the old haunt! Mccord is also getting the same info I'm sure.

Oh no phtos of Castle.

Oh no r they tattling on becks?

Picked up a guy, talked in my sleep, let out info about Scoffield. What if you get the license plate when he opened his trunk? Really you have a match off of THAT?

Infiltration? Yeah this fellow def going into a building.

Her voice cracked hella when she said "clear" Also wow these folks are hot in their vests. Her phone is on ring mode? She just went into a building with guns, what if she got in trouble? What if they needed to be quiet?

"the kind that makes me feel all" *ooh*

RC: I have salmon that needs to be refrigerated He's so right RC: that's a read THAT'S A RED!

My man has been shot or smth.. At least castle grabbed the gun. "10 & 2, 10 & 2" XD

Castle getting checked for a concussion lmao *waves at her*

Castle say "I had salmon to refrigerate-- would I have bought that if I was planning on getting abducted?"

"Given your fiance's history.." yk what so valid bestie Her little "I'm sorry" through the screen.

Glad they are doing 70% match not more bc yeah, people can change what they look like.

KB: Maybe it’ll be better. This way when we come home at the end of each day we’ll have something to talk about like normal couples. RC: Only your day will be classified. Like that one physicist who insisted that his wife get classification access so that he could talk to her abou this work day & rubber duck to her. At least castle has the money to fly around visiting his wife all the time.

Pi my beloved. Isn't fruitarian like "I don't eat fruit unless it has fallen from the tree. Those carrots were brutally murdered."

My man lives in amsterdam? Pi has his sixth sense I love pi sm. "you're absolutely right" *walks away*

RmC: You want to talk about it? KB: No RmC: Good

of course she wasn't taking a direct route

Aww castle talking to rysposito about it

KR: You know, I don’t think Jenny and I have been apart for more than two days since we met. It’s gotta be rough. (HOLY CRAP WAIT WHAT?) RC: I just feel like we’re so out of sync I don’t know how to get back. I guess I was just … trying to make it feel like us again. JE: Yeah, by playing me and Ryan for chumps. (KR nods, but it’s not in anger) You should have known that we were going to figure out this case was real. RC: Well, you’ll be happy to know for my sins I was abducted by a maniac at gunpoint and nearly killed. But at least I didn’t get Beckett fired. [They’re both surprised.] JE: Whoa, whoa, abducted? (RC pauses) By who? RC: realizes he might have said too much and tries to evade. RC: Look guys, I really shouldn’t be talking about this. [They don’t let him off so easily.] KR: C’mon, Castle. It’s us. JE: And thanks to you, we’re already involved. KR: nods. RC: Okay, but this goes no further, all right? (at KR’S nod) So I’m walking down the street and this guy that they’re looking for grabs me, shoves me into a car, starts talking crazy, starts asking me all these questions. JE: What kind of questions? RC: Something about Valkyrie, how much the feds knew, and then I thought he was going to pass out, because he was talking about going off to dream world. (JE freezes & looks off with his eyes) But he didn’t pass out. He dropped dead. JE: Uh … this guy? Was he, uh, was he military?

RC: Why? Is Valkyrie a military term? JE: I don’t know about Valkyrie, but Dream World? It’s a highly classified special operations base in the Gulf. It’s a ghost base. The government’s never confirmed its existence, but I – I met a guy who knew a guy who was stationed there. (everyone knows someone who knows someone) RC: (intrigued) Where is it? JE: It’s – it’s a ghost base, Castle. You think it’s going to say where it is? KR and RC share a look, then look to JE. They both shake their head. JE: No. But I will tell you this, if Beckett’s case has anything to do with this base, well, then she’s into something way bigger than she realizes. (won't clip, not even the double shale heads of rystle)

Oh no they lost her, beckett's instincts screwed them up. Or not nvm. If you've never seen it then why were you running away with evasion tactics? Is this the same interrogation room as the precinct & they just dolled it up differently?

GOLF COURSE I expected rachel mccord to slam the table & yell "he's dead" to scare this jeanette girl into talking. KB: Well, people do crazy things when they’re in love. RmC: I've noticed

Well you have the encryption system so you don't need to find the Bad Guy. Stop looking for the thing they REALLY stole. Ah! Genetics lab, classified floor, etc. lmao you would SO get results for dreamworld, even if it is all BS.

Castle chill & cut pi some slack. But also alexis is so pretty really really pretty. RC: how would they know? MR: Richard, these federal agents are here for you...

Ah yes, the military Why would Jack Bronson die if they were trying to set him up? How badly was he exposed? A few days & castle is still mostly fine? ngl I expected it to be more like "a few months before it ruins your systems, but we have a few days to flush it from your system so that you can go back to living your normal life" or smth

Ok I got a few clips, I'm happy.

[zealousnightsublime]

10 Best Cities in the World to See Riding on Bicycle

10 Best Cities in the World to See Riding on Bicycle.Getting out on a bike and exploring a new city is a fantastic way to see how locals live. When you pedal a different route, you can also get a fresh perspective on the city’s landmarks and architecture. The Global Bicycle Index ranked 90 cities worldwide to determine which are the best places for cyclists. The cities scored based on their percentage of bicycle users, weather conditions, infrastructure, and bike-sharing programs. - Copenhagen Whether you're on vacation or a local, riding around town on two wheels is a great way to explore a city. It's also a healthy, eco-friendly and fun option. Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of the world's most bicycle-friendly cities. Its expansive bike network makes it easy for people to pedal on their own. - Montreal Montreal is a bicycle paradise, with hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes and paths. It was ranked number one in North America in the latest annual People For Bikes ranking. The city has embraced cycling “in a big way” over the past decade, creating hundreds of kilometres of bikeways and making it easy to hire a bicycle. The Reseau Express Velo (REV) is one of its signature accomplishments. - Tokyo A sprawling metropolis with Michelin-starred restaurants, tiny shrines, high-end fashion and quirky culture, Tokyo offers a variety of ways to explore. Its train system is the busiest in the world, chugging more than 8.7 million commuters daily through its underground tunnels. But there’s a way to experience the city without getting lost in the crowd: rent a bike. - Eindhoven Despite being known as a city for cars, Eindhoven has an exceptionally dedicated bicycle network. In the centre of town, the car free shopping area is surrounded by a huge multi-lane one way gyratory that separates cyclists from cars. The city also has a great art scene with a number of renowned museums and a fantastic yearly event Dutch Design Week that celebrates design and art in the city. - Bogota Bogota is home to one of the best cycling infrastructures in the world, as well as a cycling culture that’s been praised around the globe. It also has a long-standing Ciclovia tradition where every Sunday, a large portion of the city streets are closed to cars and opened for walking or riding bicycles. You’ll cycle through neighborhoods like La Candelaria, a historic neighborhood that houses Spanish Colonial, Baroque and art deco architecture. It’s also a hotbed of street art. - Seville The city of Seville has become an increasingly bike-friendly destination. Thanks to a bike network that has grown over the years, it could soon challenge Amsterdam as the unofficial cycling capital of Europe. Explore Seville by bicycle on safe and green cycle lanes, and get to know this southern Andalusian gem from a whole new perspective. Take in the river, visit monuments like the Torre del Oro and the Royal Alcazar, and enjoy tapas along the way! - Utrecht Known for its quaint medieval center, Utrecht is one of the best cities in the world to see riding on bicycle. This is according to a new study from Luko, a European digital insurance company that compiled a list of 90 cities to determine the most cycling-friendly towns worldwide. In the Netherlands, it is common for young children to ride their bikes independently. This is an indicator that the city takes biking seriously, ensuring that the streets are safe for everyone to use. - Munich The "bicycle capital" of Germany, Munich is a city where the streets are made for two-wheeled travel. In addition to dedicated bike lanes, it has reduced speed limits on certain streets and offers nearly 700 miles of routes. Whether it's riding the Isar River or biking through the English Garden, cycling is a great way to get out and explore this gorgeous city. Besides, it's also the best way to get to some of the best beer gardens around! - Copenhagen Copenhagen is a bike-friendly utopia with an expansive network of bike paths and lanes. It’s also a safe city for cyclists of all ages and abilities. Its bridges, including Olafur Eliasson’s Circle Bridge (Cirkelbroen), offer spectacular views of the city. Bicycles are a big part of everyday life in Copenhagen, and the city has been making a concerted effort to increase cycling rates. - Montreal According to the annual ranking of People For Bikes, Montreal is the best city in the world to see riding on bicycle. This bilingual city, set on an island in the St. Lawrence River, has embraced bicycles in a big way. The city’s bike infrastructure is impressive, with hundreds of kilometers of paths and lanes, according to Copenhagenize, as well as a bike share program called BIXI. You can rent a bike or take a tour from one of the many reputable local companies. Read the full article

[riemmetric]

Book Haul from the Netherlands

Last month I was in The Netherlands, visiting at the Utrecht University. One of the most exciting things about the trip was the opportunity to buy some books I had trouble finding in Romanian books shops. Sure, I can always order things online. But books are not cheap and shipping to Romania costs sometimes the same amount as a the actual book. I promised myself I will take as much advantage as I could of the fact that the shipping, in this case, would be paid for by my home university, in the form of my plane tickets. 

On the first weekend, I wandered by myself through the center of Utrecht. I had no clear route in my mind, all I wanted to do was see the city, learn the streets, get familiar with them. At some point, I turned around from looking at the canal and came face to face with a big book shop bustling with activity. I walked into Broese and found Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Cage of Souls casually standing on the Sci-Fi shelf. This is a book I’ve desired for an entire year, the first one I thought about after deciding to go on this trip. And it was finally in my hands. It looks battered in this picture because I’ve already read it. 

On the second weekend I held myself back. 

On the third weekend I did my usual walk through the center of Utrecht, but this time I was armed with knowledge. I had bravely googled “best bookstores in Utrecht reddit” and reddit had spoken. I walked into Bijleveld and found Sequoia Nagamatsu’s How High We Go In The Dark, a book about the end of the world that has intrigued me ever since I saw it on a list of exciting upcoming new releases curated by Goodreads. I am one year later, but I finally have it. 

On the final weekend, I spent my money on train tickets and ventured across The Netherlands, to see as much as one small woman can see by walking through the heart of a big city. I went to The Hague and I saw the North Sea and the Peace Palace and the Noordeinde Palace and going back to the train station I walked through a passage lined with fashion stores and restaurants. I walked into The English Bookstore, which called to me like a siren, and walked out with Charlotte McConaghy’s Once There Were Wolves. I loved Migrations and I’m excited to dive deeper into a potential new favourite author. The next day I went to Amsterdam and I saw a million beautiful buildings and so much art. I wandered the three floors of The American Book Center and completed my haul with Adrian Tchaikovsky’s City Of Last Chances, because I love him and I love stories about the end of the world. 

One day even this world will end, maybe it has already started to. But as long as there will be people putting words on paper, I will be there, at the end of their journey, to read them. 

[rhonddaandallaneuro]

Well we found a worse “red bus” service then the one in Malta here in Amsterdam, the city that offers so little but costs so much. Wednesday we planned to do so much and actually while we did achieve some things Amsterdam is not a place I would recommend to anyone. A great place to spend money on nothing.

Trying to be true tourists we planned to do things a little different today and started out so well when we caught the local tram into the Museum District in the heart of the city. That is where it ended. First off we had decided to do breakfast different and started by buying a vanilla waffle with blueberry sauce. Way to sweet. Stick with our normal in future.

We had planned to go the Vincent Van Gogh museum only to find out that you have to book weeks in advance so decided to do the red bus, which was a huge mistake. The bus supposed to start at 10am but did not arrive until 11am and it does only nine stops over what is a supposed to be a one hour tour, which actually takes about two hours due to constant driver breaks. The nine stops do not take you near any of the desired tourist attractions and most times do not even mention them.

At the Anne Frank house (about 1k from bus stop), another attraction that requires an online ticket you can not even see the outside of the house as they have built a huge enclosure around it, blocking all unpaid views. At the only working windmill in the city you have to look back and down a street as we drove past. Did the tour twice and only caught a glimpse once. They do take you to the diamond outlet though, where you can do a free tour if you want. Saw this last time and it is just a massive sales push. Did the local flea market but did not buy anything as we are at our weight levels for baggage.

Did see for free, buildings, that due to the water issues and ageing foundations are sinking and falling away from other once attached structures. Probably best attraction that exists on the tour route and even then never mentioned, just saw from one of our twenty minute stops we endured.

Rhondda has a bad cough and symptoms of a cold so on Thursday we did a short walk to the local,shops where I got a haircut and we enjoyed some local food and coffee. Not that cold really but when the breeze blows it is freezing. Tonight we are tried a local restaurant just up the road but sadly they were not open so one more night in our hotel restaurant.

Friday we board the boat around 3pm so have decided we will just stay in our room allowing Rhondda to recover from her cough.

[missymurphy1985]

The Extra (part 9)

Warning - illness, mentions of death

Authors Note - I have personal experience of this horrific disease - I hope I don't upset anyone with it, but it's a topic very close to my heart.

Taglist @queenshelby @margoo0 @being-worthy @peakyscillian @peakyciills @janelongxox @elenavampire21 @ysmmsy @cloudofdisney @lauren-raines-x @namelesslosers @misscarolineshelby @screemqueen @cilleveryone @peaky-cillian @misselsbells06 @datewithgianni @heidimoreton

A month had passed since you'd deleted his number and blocked him. You were staring at the letter in your hand, shaking. You knew this day was coming, but you'd pushed it so far down that you had only truly thought about it when Cillian had told you he loved you.

You'd told Liane the truth. Why you couldn't commit to him, even though you desperately wanted to. Truth be told you'd fallen for him just as hard - and that's exactly why you'd pushed him away. It was bad enough you had to live with this, you couldn't force someone else to. She'd encouraged you to get tested - and you knew she was right. It was time you took your life in your hands once and for all. You'd spent too many years since your mother's and sister's untimely deaths burying it.

Picking up the phone, you dialled the number, heart pounding. The receptionist answered.

"Morning. My name is y/n y/l/n. I had some tests. I've had a letter to say the results are in?"

"Can I ask what the test was for?" The receptionist asked.

"My GP referred me. It's for the breast cancer gene. I'd like to know if I carry it."

"Let me check our records Miss Y/L/N. Yes, I have your results here. Would you be available to come in this afternoon? We've had a cancellation?"

"Can you not tell me over the phone?"

"I'm not allowed to, the doctor has requested to see you in person." Your heart lurched, that was never a good sign.

You immediately wanted to call Cillian, but remembered you didn't have his contact details any more. You called Liane instead. She would pick you up at 2pm and go with you to the appointment.

Sat in the waiting room, Liane held you hand to calm you. Your nerves were in tatters. This disease had already taken so much from you - your mum, your older sister, two cousins... You knew there was a strong chance it was going to take you, too. The doctor called you through.

"Your results are here y/n. And I'm pleased to inform you -"

"What?" You gasped. The doctor smiled and took your hands in hers.

"Y/n, you don't carry the gene. It isn't there - your chances of developing breast cancer are no higher than mine, or Joan Bloggs on the street. You're going to be okay." Even the doctor had tears in her eyes. Liane was gobsmacked. You just burst into tears.

"I'm not going to die?"

"Oh honey if I had the cure for that I'd be a millionaire!" She laughed, you did too. You felt like the world had just been lifted off your shoulders, taking a dark cloud with it. A dark cloud you'd been living with for nearly 10 years. The real reason you'd split with your ex. The reason you refused to get your breasts out for auditions. The real reason you backed away from a life in acting. You didn't see the point if you weren't going to be here for the long haul... But now?

Now you'd been given a new life. A new start. And your thrown away the best chance of happiness you'd ever had in one stupid click of a button.

Liane noticed your sadness in the car on the way home. You suddenly realised you weren't actually heading home though, you were on the M6 heading to Wolverhampton.

"Erm.. where are we going?" You asked, seeing the sign for Wolverhampton fly past.

"Road trip."

"Destination?"

"It's a surprise!! Do you trust me?"

"Always..."

"Then don't ask questions."

You rolled your eyes and figured you were probably en route to Bicester Village in Oxford. That was your happy place - a day of shopping, good food, few drinks in the evening... Before long though, your eyelids grew heavy. You always fell asleep on car journeys, this one was no different. Within ten minutes you were out cold.

You felt Liane nudge you gently, waking you. Opening your eyes, you looked around, expecting to see the car park. Instead you saw terraced houses, a green park, and a street sign with 'London Borough - Kilburn' on it.

"Why am I in London??" You asked. Liane shrugged her shoulders.

"Fancied a change - never been before! Just got on the motorway and drove. Been years since we've done that hasn't it! Just drove with no destination?" You grinned, remembering the random road trips you used to take years ago. You'd ended up all over the UK, even catching a ferry to Amsterdam one Friday night just because you were bored!

"So what's the plan?"

"Let's go explore!" She paid for the parking via an app on her phone and you both climbed out the car. The houses were all Victorian style and beautiful. The park was glorious - the sun shining on it beautifully. Liane suggested a picnic in the park first to line your stomachs, then cocktails.

"Aren't you driving us home later?"

"Yes - I'll be on the mocktails! Come on, let's go find food... There's loads of little deli places over there!"

Picnic done, it was cocktail time. Sadly, there didn't appear to be a cocktail bar anywhere near... But there was a nice looking pub over the road. Settling on a normal G&T, you both made your way over. Liane sent you inside to get the drinks while she sat in the beer garden out the back.

Heading outside with two G&Ts, you looked around for her but she was nowhere to be found. You quickly scanned inside again just to make sure you'd not missed her. Setting the drinks down on a bench outside, you waited. Must've gone to the toilet. Taking your phone out you sent her a text letting her know where you were.

Ten minutes passed - still no sign. You were worried now. A ping on your phone.

"For god's sake woman open your eyes and look in the corner!!" Liane... What the hell? You looked up and nearly dropped your phone. Sitting ten feet away from you, on his own... Holding his phone in his hand and staring at you the same way you were staring at him. In complete disbelief.

He looked back at his phone and shook his head. Both of you realising you'd been set up. Completely played.

He stood up, you were convinced he was going to leave but he didn't. He sat opposite you instead.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Hey..."

"Can I talk before you do?" He asked. You nodded.

"I know... I didn't... Fuck this makes so much more sense in my head..." He laughed.

"Can I talk instead?" He nodded. You took a deep breath and told him the truth. About your family. The deaths. The illness. The tests.. and the results.

"That's why I pushed you away. That's why I push everyone away. But you were the first one I pushed that I regretted... I regretted it so much because no one had ever made me feel as alive as you did. No one made me float on air like you did. No one made me forget about this cloud hanging over me like you did..."

"You thought I'd leave you if you had the gene?"

"My Dad left when my mom was diagnosed. He couldn't handle it so he bailed. Wasn't a great role model."

"Your dad's a dick. I'm not." His brutal, dead pan response made you laugh. In fact you didn't just laugh, you were in hysterics. He laughed with you, and took your hands in his.

"If I promise not to tell you I love you, will you let me see you?"

"No."

"Erm... Okay?"

"I want you to tell me you love me, if you mean it. Then I'll decide."

"Y/N... I. Love. You. I fucking love you. I adore you. I've had the most miserable four weeks of my life thanks to you!" He laughed.

"Yeah I'm sorry about that.."

"It's okay. You can make it up to me."

"You're giving me a second chance?"

"I never gave up on the first one. But this time, we take it slow. Get to know each other. I'll start by asking if I can take you out to dinner tonight?"

"I have nothing with me... All my stuff's at home..."

"Fair enough. Then we have two choices. You go shopping with Liane and get yourself something.. or go home and we can arrange to meet another time?"

"I'm already here, and shopping was on our to do list. Dinner tonight sounds lovely."

"Unblock my number. I'll text you the details later, okay?" He finished his drink and pulled his jacket on, quickly typing a text as you unblocked his number. If only you'd known it was that easy to get his contact details again... The message pinged through.

"Thank you..." You smiled reading it. He leaned over and kissed your cheek softly, before walking away. Glancing back, smiling, as he left the pub.

Liane was with you in seconds.

"You sneaky little shit, how did you do this??" You laughed.

"Anto contacted me last week, said he was sick of Cillian moping. We kinda worked together... Are you mad at me?"

"Not at all. Where's Anto?"

"Right here." Anto appeared out of nowhere and you threw your arms around him.

"Thank you. For everything?"

"No need to thank me. This was Liane's idea. Bit of a rush to sort once you'd got those results but luckily you live 3 hours away and you sleep like the dead!" He laughed. "Now get yourself gone - you have a date to prepare for!"

[theflyingfeeling]

For the random AU ask (if you still do them No pressure ❤️)

Somekind of interrail AU with Niko/Joonas 🤗

Ah, a couple of ideas come to my mind instantly! It could be a classic case of Friends to Lovers, just two bros who set off for an adventure, learn new things about themselves and each other as the journey progresses, buying tacky souvenirs for each other from each city they visit, taking silly pictures of each other (each and every version of the "Leaning Tower or Pisa" kinda picture), holding hands "so they won't get lost from each other in the crowd", watching the other sleeping in the train and having the italics oh realization...until finally a little past the midpoint of their trip, they kiss for the first time, and after that their adventure is even more cheesy and romantic. None of their friends are surprised when they come back home, hand in hand, crazy in love 💖

But I can also offer you a plot with a little more heartbreak (shocking!):

Niko has the perfect route planned: starting from London, he's about to embark on a 3-week trip around Europe to meet a couple of friends and get new life experiences before he starts at his new job in August

Joonas has no plan whatsoever, but he has a 4-week pass with 7 travel days and an open mind, and the brunet he shares a couchette with seems like he could use the company

Niko would actually rather travel alone, but the curlyhead makes him laugh even without meaning to, so he supposes things could be worse. Besides, Joonas says he has a friend in Paris who works as a tourist guide in the catacombs, and Niko really wants to see them

The friend in question (Olli) is a small, strange guy, and when Niko jokingly asks him if he lives in the catacombs since he knows the place so well, Olli only laughs, but neither denies nor admits, so Niko is none the wiser

And yes yes, it's very beautiful here on top of the Eiffel Tower, can we go back down now, please Joonas? (Niko may not be a fan of heights)

Next stop is Milan, and why is Niko not surprised Joonas knows someone there too

..Only Niko didn't necessarily expect Joonas's "hot, blonde supermodel" friend to be a guy

Joel's cool though (despite seeming pretentious for wearing sunglasses even at night) and takes them to the best pizzeria in town

When they leave for their next destination, Joonas reveals he and Joel used to date once upon a time 😳 So Niko concludes Joonas's type is tall, blond and edgy, got it 👍 I mean, not that Niko cares..

In München they hang out with Niko's friend Tommi who shows them all the best pubs in town. They have a grand time getting drunk on beer cheaper than tap water, and one things leads to another..

Niko doesn't regret sleeping with Joonas because it was bad (quite the contrary, guy clearly knows what he's doing in the bedroom as well); he regrets it because now he wants to do it again 😩

And again, and again, and again..

Afterwards, when he's back home and the interrail summer long gone, Niko realises he can't remember much from Vienna and Prague. All he can recall is the blue of Joonas's eyes, the red of his lips, the softness of his hair and the taste of his mouth

Their last stop before returning to London is Amsterdam where Niko's supposed to meet an old school friend of his. Now a successful DJ with an international career, Aleksi's life has changed a lot since they last saw each other, but inside he's still the same, kind-hearted Aleksi, and he's ready to show them around his new home city. Getting impossibly high after the tour was not in the plan, but watching Joonas make an idiot of himself (more than he does when sober, that is) provided them a great laugh

And Niko sure needs the laugh, because when he thinks about the trip coming to an end soon, it brings a lump to his throat. On their last night in the Venice of the North, Niko clasps Joonas' hand a little tighter as they walk by the canals

They return to London and have a few days to spend before Niko's flight back to Helsinki leaves, most of them spent in the bed of Joonas' distinctive 1-bedroom Soho apartment

Joonas sees Niko to the train taking him to the airport. Niko wonders about the large rucksack on Joonas's back

Joonas shrugs. "I still have travel days left on my pass"

Sometimes, even years after that one summer, Niko looks at Joonas' Instagram and wonders where the man's feet will lead him next. Niko hopes he's happy and taking good care of himself ❤