#Typical touristy places

[sagarikagolder]

Uzbekistan Diaries 9

[copperbadge]

I am home! I am festooned in cats.

I think about a third of the time, when I travel, I get clocked as a local even though I'm not one, at least until I open my mouth. This is wild considering how poorly I do at blending in, but I do also move with more confidence than I ever feel, and people tend to notice that I look like I know what I'm doing. I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time but I'm great at faking it. In New York I got asked for directions multiple times.

I would guess most of the rest of the time I'm seen as "foreign but don't fuck with him" to judge by how I'm treated. Like, people see that I'm not from around here but don't see me necessarily as a tourist, someone who doesn't know their way around. This is slightly more comprehensible to me because, as above, I exude a confidence I do not possess and it can be intimidating.

And then of course occasionally I do get correctly identified as a tourist, especially in tourist districts, but it's usually not systematic. It'll be like, I've been taken for a Bostonian all morning but the server at lunch will ask, "So where are you visiting from?" immediately.

I have never been so clearly and consistently marked out as a tourist as I was in Nashville. Holy hell. Even in Paris when I was the least Parisian it's possible to be I still got taken as French repeatedly, and then when I said I only spoke English I'd be assumed to be British.

In Nashville, everyone I interacted with even involuntarily was like "he's not from these parts and possibly he's a mark." I had a guy try to panhandle from me while I was trying to get off a bus, and when I pulled an admittedly Chicago-style attitude on him, he was visibly shocked. (I generally give to panhandlers but he was literally preventing me from getting off the bus so I barked "Hey, do I look like I have time for this right now?" and pushed past him, which I think I only managed because he was so surprised.)

I have no idea why I stuck out so badly in Nashville, unless it was that I did more typical touristy stuff than normal, but it's not like I never go to museums and kitschy shopping districts in other places. Come to think of it I think the last time it happened this consistently was Amsterdam, which I'm still in a fight with.

Anyway, I enjoyed Nashville and I'd like to go back, since there was a lot I wanted to do and didn't get to. But I also really misjudged it as a city, so when I do, it will be a very different kind of visit I think. For one thing, I am definitely not going back anytime between April and October. I'll wait until it's ten below in Chicago and then head down to balmy Tennessee.

[atti-rambles]

i got into the "putting dungeon meshi characters in my culture/country/city aus" so now they live in the las vegas/henderson area

i am making art for it but for now my ideas

Laios and Falin: like a lot of people living in the Valley, they aren't born and raised there. I would imagine they would be from Minnesota bc I see them as Swedish/Norwegian and a lot of them live there. i was also born in minnesota so i'm super biased.

They'd would have moved there as teens and can't handle the heat very well and WILL question anyone finding the winter temperatures (usually like in the 60s F) as cold.

Marcille: I see her as being born and raised there and somehow not desensitized to the "sins" of the city. She sees the "sins" you see everyday in the more touristy parts of the city and just can't handle it (she is lesbian iykyk).

I imagine she went to one of those private rich people schools in the city. She studies medicine at Nevada State with Falin.

Chilchuck: He sooo moved there as an adult for a job he does not give the vibes of someone who was born there but someone who moved there and thrived. I think he'd prob be involved in housing development bc it's pretty big there.

I have no clue where he would be from, but that's okay he won't tell you 👍 he would sooo hate tourists also it would be so funny he would just avoid certain parts of the city entirely you are NOT seeing the strip if you visit, you're taking your ass there yourself, no local discounts for you.

Senshi: Born and raised there (totally grew up in the old town where the nuclear plant workers lived). I think he'd own a small restaurant in the city, we don't really have food trucks but I think he'd own a small place near the airport. He'd really enjoy talking to tourists and learning things about their cultures.

Izutsumi: She'd be a Japanese immigrant (fun fact the Japanese and Filipinos are the two largest immigrant groups in the Valley) who moved in with Senshi after she left Shuro's group. I think she'd be a typical high school student in the city tbh, those kids are built different.

Kabru: he reeks Californian who moved to Nevada to me (this fact makes chilchuck locals hate him). He'd go to school with Marcille, I think he'd be a psych major fr.

[thlayli-ra]

Ficlet~

I'm so nervous leading into Bad Blood, as much as I'm so here for Punkintyre, I could use some fluff

Drew/Sheamus ....(wouldn't say no to Wade being around either)

Treat: Remembering the littlest of things — activities they like and dislike, favourite brands of stationery, go-to ice cream flavour, choice of popcorn

I'm sorry I didn't get this one out to you in time for Bad Blood but hopefully it can help with the healing process (Also, apologies, I went really self-indulgent with this one 😅)

Treat - 'Remembering the Littlest of Things'

Characters - Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Wade Barett

Rating - Teen and up

Warnings - Typical sports banter

An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walked into a bar.

That... sounds like the start of a joke, but honestly, it isn't. Wade Barrett, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre were heading out to their usual joint, one of those tacky ye olde English pubs that could sometimes be found if you dared to venture into the more touristy parts of the city. It didn't quite hit the same as the pubs back home in the UK and Ireland, but the owner, Big Jim*, was an ex-pat so the place had some genuine charm about it that came close enough.

Also, it was the only place in the entire US that showed the Six Nations every year so it was either there or stay at home, and at least at the pub there would be some form of atmosphere. Also Big Jim really liked his unusual patrons. 'There's never any trouble when you three are about,' he'd said once, and they had to agree, mainly because whenever any trouble did brew, they were the first ones to leap into action and put a stop to it.

It was week three of the rugby tournament, and a tense clash was looming (particularly for the throuple.) Scotland V Ireland! Normally Drew and Sheamus were as sweet and loving as can be, but when it came time for their home nations to butt heads, things could get a little... well, competitive. Ireland, as per usual, were on a winning streak and had their eyes set on a grand slam, while Scotland, by some miracle, had not fluffed up their chances in the first two weeks and were aiming for the same, or at the very least, the Triple Crown.

(England was playing Italy the next day so nobody particularly cared about that. Sorry, Wade. And sorry, Italy!)

Things were running smoothly up to the point the players came out of the tunnel and onto the pitch. The drinks were lined up on the table (Wade, the neutral, got the first round) and the national anthems began to play. Ireland, being the visitors, went first and Sheamus got up onto his chair, hand on his heart to belt out the rallying tune of 'Ireland's Call'. Drew, not to be outdone, stood up to sing along with 'Flower of Scotland', encouraging the rest of the bar's patrons to join in the added chants during the chorus;

'And stood against them ('GAINST WHO?)

Proud Edward's Army (WANKERS!)'

(Again, sorry Wade!)

But then the whistle blew, the game was kicked-off and soon the nastiness began to creep in.

'There's no way that was a knock-on!'

'Penalty! Penalty!'

'HAHA! We're slaughtering yer boys up front, fella!'

'Pass it! Pass it to him, ye dobber!'

'Forward! Hah!'

'HE GOT IT DOWN, REF! ARE YE BLIND!'

'It was held up!'

'NO IT WISNAE!'

And just as the pressure erupted on the pitch with a brawl between an Irish prop and a Scottish second row, Drew and Sheamus got up and squared up to one another too.

'Woah there,' Wade jumped in between them to separate them both. 'Come on chaps, we're all mates here, right?'

Well, the last thing anybody needed at that point in time was an Englishman of all things stepping in and the pair immediately directed their wrath at Wade who cringed away with his palms raised. Sheamus snorted at Drew who glared in return before turning their backs on each other and stomping off to opposite ends of the pub. Wade sighed and sat back down at the now empty table.

But as the half-time whistle blowed and the pundits began to dissect the first forty minutes of the game, the two men began to calm down and regret their rash actions. Sport had a way of raising the blood pressure like few other things could, especially when there was something on the line, but they had let their emotions get out of hand.

So they each began to plan and scheme, Wade watching both of his boyfriends warily as they scuttled about the place, sometimes heading to the bar to speak to Big Jim, until finally they both sheepishly approached the table with their hands behind their backs.

Drew, the softest of the three, apologised first. 'I'm sorry for getting all riled up Sheamo,' he dipped his head with shame. 'I just get... very jittery whenever Scotland play, but that's not an excuse, so here...' and he brought out a platter from behind his back. Immediately Sheamus' eyes grew to the size of dinnerplates. 'I know how much ye love those pickled onions on the bar, and I mind you telling us how yer maw used to put them on a cocktail stick with pineapple and cheese so I asked Big Jim to cut up some cheese and find some cocktail sticks for ye. He didn't have any pineapple but he asked Debs to nip out and buy a tin and, well... here you go.' He placed the lovingly crafted platter on the table in front of the Irishman who eyed it in wonder.

'T'ank ye,' he hushed out. 'I can't believe ye even remember that story about my ma.' He took in a breath to compose himself then straightened up. 'I got you something too.' He placed a bowl of hot french fries in front of him, topped with a type of dark brown sauce. This time, it was Drew's turn to looked stunned. 'Ye know how you said you once went on a night out in Edinburgh and tried chippie chips with salt n' sauce and loved it so much ye converted to it for life and everybody in Glasgow called you a traitor for not liking salt and vinegar? Well, Big Jim and I tried to concoct something similar with brown sauce and vinegar. It took a few attempts to get it right - Debs was our taste-tester and she said the fifth one was the closest so...'

'Wow...' Drew scratched the back of his neck, a little blush forming on his cheeks. 'That's... really kind of you.'

They both locked eyes, somehow understanding the other and slowly turned to face the final member of their throuple. 'Uh, Wade...'

'Oh no, what?' The Englishman looked nervous.

'I also asked Big Jim to make you this,' Sheamus said, placing down yet another plate. 'Fruit scone with jam and cream. They didn't have quite enough cream so Debs made some more. I insisted they put the jam first then the cream second, just how you like it.'

'It's not just how I like it, that's just how it should be,' Wade argued, playfully. 'Anyone who has cream first is just plain wrong!'

'And I asked them to make you this,' Drew put down another plate. 'Cornish pasty, with the crust doing down the side, not on the top.'

'Well, yes, of course or else it's not a Cornish pasty!' Wade lightly protested, making Drew chuckle.

'I know, I know. Big Jim had Debs check them in the freezer beforehand to make sure.'

'You two are the sweetest,' Wade chuckled. 'And here,' he pushed two glasses forward,' I got the next round. 'Guinness for Sheamo (and yes, I made Big Jim wait for the head to form properly) and an alcohol free ginger beer for Drew with no ice.'

'Awww, you shouldn't have!' They sat down and accepted their drinks gladly.

'So...' Drew drummed his large fingers on the table, looking at each of their specially prepared plates in turn, 'are we all forgiven?'

Wade and Sheamus hummed, making a silly display of thinking hard but eventually smiled widely. The throuple wrapped their arms around one another in a huge bear hug, their petty difference put aside just in time to watch the final moments of the second half.

'I don't even know what the score is anymore,' Drew noted, tucking into his fries.

'What does it matter?' Sheamus shrugged, spiking a pickled onion with a cocktail stick.

'Poor Debs,' Wade sighed. 'All that hard work she put in. We need to leave her a huge tip.'

'Yeah, and Big Jim,' Drew agreed. 'After all he did cook up some pasties for me, and even made a platter that wasn't on the menu.'

'And he helped me invent a new sauce recipe,' Sheamus added. 'And even made a fresh scone when he got the jam/cream sequence wrong the first time round.'

'Um... lads.' They looked over to Wade who seemed a bit unsettled. 'Did Big Jim really go to all that effort just for the three of us?' All three pairs of hands froze inches from their mouths and all three pairs of eyes glanced across to the bar where the older man smiled broadly and threw a thumbs up at them all.

'Oh...' Drew whispered. 'That's a bit...'

'Creepy,' Wade finished off for him.

'He must really like having us as regulars,' Sheamus said.

'Maybe it's time we look for another pub,' Drew leant in and whispered.

'Except we have two more weeks of the Six Nations and no other place in town is showing it,' Sheamus pointed out.

'Ok, ok, fine!' Wade chimed in. 'We come back here for the last two weeks then never again. Agreed.'

'Agreed.'

'And we're never going to fall out over something as stupid as sports again? Right?'

'Right!'

'And hey, look,' Drew said, pointing to the screen. 'Now, we can all enjoy watching Wales getting gubbed by France!'

'YAAAAASSSSSSSS!'

And all three stood up, arm-in-arm to belt out 'La Marseillaise'. (Sorry, Wales!)

*Big Jim is a nod to Jim Hamilton, a favourite ex-rugby player of mine (yes, he's tall with dark hair, a beard and tattoos - I am aware I have a type!HAHA!)

(Also the home-made brown sauce was disgusting but Drew ate it all anyway ❤️)

[justmeinatree]

01 - Made Of Something New : Intro

Summary : you meet niall in your hotel bar. and there’s an intense connection.

Word Count : 2.4k

A/N : hey all ! this is the intro chapter to a 10 part fic. this story has been tucked away in my notes for over a year, it’s def time to share ! there are no trigger warnings in this part, but before getting too invested, there are general fic trigger warnings over here. ✌️

GIF : @horansqueen

May 9th - Vancouver, Canada

you look at the clock in your hotel room for the 6th time in the last half hour. you were bored. 

it was always a fairly good time when your work sent you off to different places. you got to explore some of the biggest cities around the world, in exchange for a few meetings here and there. it was worth it really, especially since you loved travelling. with your job, you were typically sent off somewhere different once or twice a month.

but you were about to go absolutely insane if you had to look at those 4 god awful pink walls, green carpet and dark brown curtains for much longer. it was lonely at times, travelling for work, as you had some colleagues that joined, but you weren’t always all that close to them. 

it was your last night in vancouver, not much to do, except stare at a clock and some walls apparently. vancouver was a regular stop for your work, coming to the city a few times a year. you had done the touristy things, even found a few underground gems, none of which seemed to fit the mood you were in tonight. as you weighed out your options, you decided to put some clothes on and make your way down to the hotel bar. if anything, you could have some quality time to yourself, watching the people around you. it always intrigued you to look at others go about their lives, wondering what their story was. 

you slipped on a simple grey tshirt dress that came down mid thigh, hugged your skin, showed off a bit of cleavage and came up to some thin straps over your shoulders. you made your way down, walked up to the lady at the bar, ordering your usual gin and tonic and going to find an empty table.

you examined the bar carefully. it was nice, a little cozy pub feel with an older man playing piano in the back corner. the walls were a deep purple, the carpet was bright red, all furniture was a brown wood. it felt like the vibe shouldn’t work but it did and you found yourself relaxing into your chair, watching people go about around you. you loved watching people be. just seeing how everyone was sort of the same but so so different. it was interesting to you. 

as your eyes scanned the room, they fell on a table of guys, around your age, being a little louder than everyone else in the room. upon seeing the amount of empties on their table, you weren’t surprised. they were tucked away in the far corner of the bar, a rambunctious bunch, but not causing any issues. as they all started laughing loudly, one of them stood out from the rest. a big boisterous laugh that despite yourself, couldn’t keep the smile from curling your lips up at the corners.

you didn’t know what the joke was, but you wanted whoever said it to say it again and again, in hopes of hearing that beautiful laugh over and over. someone, somewhere heard your silent wish as the man the laugh belonged to, stood up, laughing again, as he made his way to the bar to get more drinks for the table.

and that’s when you recognized him. you knew who he was, knew his music. didn’t know much about him but you always had quite the crush on him. could he be more beautiful in person ? you weren’t sure, but you were absolutely going to find out. 

you wait for him to go back to his table, drinks lining a tray in his hand, before heading to the bar yourself. you order 2 tequila shots, quickly downing those as you know you’ll need the courage. you get another gin and tonic to sip on as you contemplate how to go about this. you definitely didn’t want to waltz up to a table full of drunk guys, that’s for fucking sure.

you decide to flag down the lady at the bar again, pointing towards his table. “the irish one,” you hum. “his next order, can you put that on my tab ?” you smile politely. 

she smiles back, nodding “just a heads up, they’ve been spending quite a bit at that table.”

“yeah, i figured. it’s fine. no worries !” you smile back, shaking your head to yourself in disbelief that you’re actually going about this, as you take your drink and head back to your table.

the tv on the wall catches your attention for a little while, a natural disaster story keeping your eyes glued to the screen.

you never saw him approaching, feeling a presence by your side, making you turn your attention away from the tv. he has a guiness in one hand, his other hand resting against the back of the chair next to you, fingers tapping on the wood. “s’this seat taken ?” he hums.

your eyes scan up from his fingers, over his arm and neck, to his face as he speaks, and yes, yes he is more beautiful up close. 

“no, it’s not. make yourself comfortable,” you offer him a warm smile. “i’m y/n”.

“niall” he smiles, extending his hand for you to shake once he’s seated. “thanks for the drink, you really didn’t have to do that.” he chuckles lightly, “although i can’t say i’m complaining”.

you giggle softly, shrugging, “figured there was no better way to get a good looking irish man’s attention than paying for his alcohol.”

niall laughs loudly, making you laugh as well. “you’ve got a point there, love,” he chuckles, his hand giving yours a little squeeze. you were absolutely fucked already and you knew it. his skin was so warm, his hand engulfing yours as it squeezed.

“you don’t have to keep me company,” you smile sheepishly, secretly hoping for him to stay. “seemed to be having a good time with your friends over there. wouldn’t want you to miss out on any of the laughs.”

“i see them all the time,” niall shakes his head. “would rather be looking at your pretty face anyway.”

you blush and giggle at his comment, biting your lip, “smooth one aren’t ya ?”

niall laughs again, his hand running through his hair, a light blush on his cheeks, “i try. but it usually doesn’t work this well.”

“maybe the irish charm is extra strong tonight,” you smile at him, teasingly, before shaking your head. “you’re trouble aren’t you ?”

“what makes you say that ?” niall chuckles, hand on his chest. “i’m an absolute sweet heart. wouldn’t hurt a fly. no trouble at all,” he adds as innocently as he can muster up.

“i don’t believe that for a second,” you giggle at him. “i think trouble has a way of following you around.”

niall shrugs, biting his lip, knowing he’s gotten himself in loads of trouble time and time again, but for some reason not wanting to admit to it. not to you anyway. “is a bit of trouble a bad thing ?” he hums.

“never said it was,” you smirk cheekily at him.

“i think you’re the one that’s trouble,” he hums. he’s never met someone he’s been so comfortable with, so quickly, in a long time. since being thrown into celebrity status over a decade ago, he’s had his guard up with everyone he meets. never know who’s cozying up to him for money, or fame, or even just some juicy gossip. but for some reason, all of that fades with you. he’s scared to no end, but he can’t seem to stop himself from chatting you up. loving the comfort you exude, he stays with you, relaxing into the welcomed feeling he can’t remember sensing in a long time. especially with a stranger at a hotel bar.

you keep up the small talk, finding out that he’s staying at the hotel for the one night, making his way quickly through vancouver for some press for the new album. you explain to him that it’s your last night in town, happy to be heading home tomorrow, but also excited for your next work trip, it was to be your first time in the uk. 

“first time in the uk ?,” niall asks excitedly, making you nod. “there’s so many places you have to check out !” he adds animatedly listing off an impressive amount of restaurants, bars and fun touristy spots.

“think i’ll need to start writing these down,” you chuckle at his enthusiasm. “or get myself a real good tour guide,” you add suggestively. praying to whatever god may be listening that he’ll take the bait.

niall smiles, a small laugh escaping his lips, oh so wishing he could see you again. he knows he shouldn’t, and honestly quite probably can’t. “i know what you’re trying to do. want me to give my amazing tour guiding skills for free,” he smiles, hoping a little banter may help ease the seriousness. 

“we need refills,” niall hums, changing the subject, nodding his head towards your empty cup. “these ones are on me, what are you drinking, love ?” he asks as he stands up, his hand smoothing over your shoulder as he asks. he needed the distraction, needed some time away, some time to breathe and clear his head. god, what were you doing to him? and why was he feeling this way?

while he’s on his way to the bar, you notice him taking a deep breath, hand running through his hair. you wondered what was going through his mind as he ordered the drinks. 

niall was battling himself the entire time he was waiting on the drinks. he couldn’t believe the attraction he was feeling towards you. it was like a pull he couldn’t quite explain. his body, his mind, were just screaming at him. the thought of his life back home keeps popping into his mind. those thoughts quickly replaced by the tingling sensation in his fingertips. he had never felt skin as soft as yours, that he was sure about. he was truly fucked. and he was beginning to worry that you were right. that trouble definitely had a way of finding him. the lust he felt towards you was strong, but even more than that, the trust, the safety. there was something about you, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he didn’t want to leave your side. you calmed him with a simple conversation, like no one else ever could.

the few moments apart from him, helped you collect your thoughts as well. he was gorgeous, and it was obvious that hollywood had shaped him. he stole the attention in the room. whether you knew who he was or not, you knew he was somebody. he exuded confidence in a way you’ve never seen before. you felt your tummy flip as you watched him walk back. you were absolutely fucked, and you knew it. maybe having drinks with your celebrity crush wasn’t the best idea after all.

you notice that he’s got his fingers wrapped around his guiness, your gin and tonic, and two shot glasses. as he puts the drinks down on the table and his fingers unwrap themselves from the glassware, you notice how long his fingers are. you couldn’t help but think of what they could do to you. heat pooling between your thighs as you notice the little droplets of water on his fingertips from the condensation on the glass.

without really realizing, your hand reaches out for his, your fingertips lightly dancing over his palm and the length of his fingers. niall’s breath catches in his throat as he watches you, a spark of electricity running through his hand.

you quickly shake your thoughts out of your head, removing your hand from his, really taking notice in the shot glasses on the table, as well as your drinks, for the first time. you look up at him with a questioning glance, “shots ?”

“i figured a shot would be fun,” he chuckles, shrugging his shoulders, sitting back down, truthfully just needing something a little stronger. “the lady at the bar said you seemed to like tequila.”

you giggle, nodding, “may have had a couple shots before having her put your drinks on my tab,” you admit shyly, your cheeks turning a light pink at your confession.

niall looks at you, one eyebrow raised, “why’s that ?”

you blush a bit under his stare, “needed a little liquid courage before buying drinks for someone as gorgeous as you.”

he laughs loudly, hiding his face in his face in his hand. and you’re not having it for one second. you wrap your hand around his wrist, pulling his hand away from his face. niall’s blushing hard, making you smile sweetly at him. your voice barely louder than a whisper as your eyes scan over his face, “you really are beautiful.”

“stop,” niall murmurs, his breath hitching, a pained look on his face. “you’re absolutely killing me.”

your hand reaches out for his neck, fingertips playing with the soft whispy hairs, absolutely dying to have his lips pressed against yours. you need to know how he tastes, how his mouth feels against yours. but his hand is incredibly quick to lightly grip your wrist as he pulls your hand away from his body, a heavy look taking over his features. he cant risk getting caught with you. can’t risk what kind of story he’d be waking up to. all the texts blowing up his phone.

“did i do something wrong ?” you ask him, giving his knee a squeeze as he shakes his head, no.

“fuck, i want you so bad,” he mumbles, his head tipped back, eyes closed, battling with himself.

as he looks back at you, eyes locking with yours, the words start spilling out of his mouth, “i don’t think i’ve ever wanted anyone this badly in my entire life, if i’m being totally honest. my heart is beating out of my chest in the best and worst way possible all at once. why am i even telling you that ?” he mumbles the last part under his breath. “fuck, fuck, i really should be going back to the lads, i think. i - you should know that, i have a girlfriend back home.”

Part 2

……

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

[cozyjae]

traveling with nct 127 🏝

dream version

going to madrid with taeil...let’s you take the lead on where to go, will vibe anywhere, loves learning bits of spanish, lets you wear his leather jacket, carries around any of your shopping bags for you, keeps track of your passport and all of your tickets and important documents, somehow always knows where he’s going, holds your hand while he navigates through crowds, planned dates where he plays off the amount of effort he put into them, candle lit dinners, takes a lot of sunset pictures, always very cheesy but you love it.

going to athens with johnny... his camera is always around his neck, pausing you too many times to take a picture (and the occasionally sneaky candid), both of you wearing matching ‘i love greece’ tourist shirts that he insisted on buying at the airport gift shop and then begged you to wear, taking outfit of the day pictures, renting bikes to ride around town, afternoon picnicking, his arm around your shoulder as you walk the illuminated streets at night, asking an older tourist couple to take a photo of you at the parthenon, both of you smile widely as they take one and johnny asks for one more, quickly pressing his lips softly against your cheek.

going to paris with taeyong... his newfound determination to speak french, practicing french phrases on his phone in the morning in a low raspy voice, munching on expensive macaroons, visiting all the typical touristy places like the louvre & versailles, having 1,000 new photos on your camera roll, taeyong deleting pictures to take more of you, hotel balconies, warm baths together in the fancy hotel bathroom, fancy new perfumes, giggles in fancy restaurants, giggles everywhere, walking together to see the effile tower at night.

going to tokyo with yuta.. hiking until you complain but the reward for reaching the top of the mountain is kisses, feeding and petting wild deer, spending a lot of time outdoors, happiness while speaking japanese, watching old anime reruns at the hotel and staying up too late, going to a cat cafe and staying too long there playing with the kitties, buying too many souvenirs considering it’s his home country, going to local markets, buying street vendor onigiri and dango, visiting niche earring shops, he’s just always laughing.

going to london with doyoung... him making you take aesthetic photos of him, being really prepared, always checks the weather before he leaves the hotel, cheeks flush and he gets very red from one beer, leaning against your shoulder and cuddling you in the taxi home, wants to buy every single person he knows a souvenir, watching the buskers at night, likes keeping your hand in his always, gets stressed easily and then you relax him with kisses, will sing in the shower, will sing you to sleep if you ask nicely, quietly will request to be the little spoon. 

going to sicily with jaehyun... wine tasting, sun dresses, golden rings, making pasta at a small local restaruant together, he of course makes it a competition of who’s pasta is better, taking a ferry tour and making you do the titanic pose in front of other tourists, buys way too much gelato, touring museums and always taking cliche tourist photos, blazers, firm grips around your waist, you trying to pay attention to the tour guides but you’re too distracted by his gaze that’s only focused on you.

going to hawaii with jungwoo.. confident english, wearing lais, hiking waterfall trails to exercise but then going directly back to the resort and drinking a lot of smoothies, being obsessed with room service, a lot of playing around in the ocean, drinking from coconuts, he’s amazed at the smallest things, especially all the wildlife, peaceful and relaxing, gets shy when you look at him for too long, his face is slightly burnt, follows you around happily, buys a lot of hawaiian shirts, wants you to wear one, you probably will  do just to make him giggle.

going to vancouver with mark... giving you the personal mark lee childhood tour (your favorite) of vancouver, loud laughs along the streets at night, making him laugh too hard as he folds his body into yours, wide eyes paying attention to you always, thumb rubbing over your hand asking where you want to go, freaking out when it hits him he’s actually at his childhood home with you, taking you to all the places he used to eat at, letting you decide what you want to do, is always down for anything, he breaks out into laughter randomly, his excuse is just that he’s so happy, you roll your eyes but you secretly love it, will keep a hand on your thigh when sitting anywhere, his hands are always warm and always find their way to you, buys too much maple syrup to bring back for your friends. 

going to nyc with donghyuck... going to times square and making you take pictures with the pikachu and hello kitty mascots in the streets, wanting to try on the funniest and weirdest outfits you pick for each other in vintage stores, embarrassing you in public and him not caring that you’re embarrassed and will absolutely continue, makes weird faces at you from across a store, buys too much street vender food and candy, museum dates, gets very excited over fossils, you have a full blown photoshoot on a roof top bar with your fancy mixed drinks, is always excited, swings your interlocked hands back and forth and hums, he never gets tired and just wants to spend time with you always. 

[busyfish]

Tell more about you encounter with a whale, please.

i visited japan about 10 years ago and we took a ferry to an island during the trip and got to see whales and stuff in the water during that.

i can't for the life of me remember the exactly whale species but they were swimming up toward the surface of the ocean frequently and were able to see A LOT of them.

it was honestly like such a surreal thing to witness, a creature that large and knowing they were so close relatively speaking. i honestly have never seen anything else like that in my whole life that's really grabbed me and made me kind of consider my place in the world on physical level.

that whole trip was really cool. i got visit a volcanic island and stuff as well.

going to rural japan was far cooler to me than experiencing the typical touristy areas most people probably see. Japan is one of the most beautiful places on earth it me.

[idesofrevolution]

Hey! I have a small request regarding a story you wrote long ago in 2019, untitled on Tumblr and called "Musky Leathers" on blogspot. One of the MCs is a Russian biker named Maxim who grew up in Sevastopol. Without any additional context, the most plausible interpretation is that he is a Russian-speaking Ukrainian citizen and travelled/immigrated to the US with a Ukrainian passport, since Russian passports issued in Crimea after 2014 are not recognized by the US.

Can you make an edit to that post (either on Tumblr or on blogspot) so that his background could be more ... straightforward? As in, just from a typical Ukrainian or Russian city. I know I’m being entitled but honestly, I feel slightly nauseous reading sexy stories and the only thing that comes up in my mind is the KGB botox man. Also, if you want a guy brought up in machismo culture („proud, stolid, lionhearted”), a city known for heavy industries as his hometown would seem more suitable than Sevastopol, which is perceived more as a touristy place.   

The MC could be a Maksym Drahomiriv from i.e. Kharkiv or a Maksim Dragomirov from, say, Chelyabinsk. For the former case, he would still use Russian on a daily basis and only learned Ukrainian at school. If you have a knack for country boys, then a Ukrainian Maksym would be all the better :] A stereotypical Ukrainian accent when speaking Russian is very singsongy and viewed by city-dwellers in Russia as resembling that of rednecks.

Thank you so so much for the correction. On tumblr any edit I make won’t apply to the story that’s been reblogged already. But on Blogspot I will absolutely make that fix today. I’ll also fix it on the Tumblr post as well and reblog the fixed story.

Please reach out directly, I’d love to hear more direct feedback on things to fix from that story, as it hasn’t aged well due to the current conflict. I appreciate it tremendously. ☺️

[itsaash]

unsatisfyingly satisfying part 2: shivers

Set sometime in the future when our beloved Coops are married and on vacation in Banff :))) prompt and cover art credit to @noots-fic-fests, character credit of Coops to @lumosinlove And shout out to @girlwithcurls96 for helping me and reassuring me about this whole story, and who is the type of friend when you say, "what kind of tattoos should this character have?" comes through with the perfect pinterest board of style inspo to create the OCs of my dreams

“You got the camera baby?” Remus called as he shut the trunk of the white rental car.

“Ouais, et j'ai les collations là.” 

Remus smiled as he translated in his head. Being in Banff National Park, or Parc national Banff as Sirius exclusively called it, with signs and boards and everything in French as well as English, had set Sirius into a firmly French state of mind. Remus was absolutely not complaining, the melodic sounds scratched his brain just right, even if he couldn’t replicate them. He just beeped the car, pocketed the keys, patted his pocket to feel his phone, and caught up to Sirius and took his hand as they walked across the parking lot. 

It was early in the morning, the gondola would be just starting up. They planned their visits to touristy places for the least busy time of day. A good half hour had been spent signing autographs at the Calgary airport when they arrived a few days ago. Canadians knew their hockey players, especially ones who would certainly be on the next Canadian Olympic hockey team. Neither of them minded , per se, but also if they could blend in, well they’d rather prefer that option. 

Typical outdoorsy MEC outfits like every other tourist were their outfits, with a pretty generic blue ball cap for Sirius, and Remus had chosen a fashionable flat brim hat after Sirius had gone silent and staring when Remus had tried it on in the store.  While any claim they had to disguise was low, their main hope was that most of the people who rode a gondola on a Thursday morning wouldn’t also be hockey fans. Banff had been great so far, busy streets of tourists to blend into while eating elephant ears, a hike yesterday to lakes the most fucking amazing color of turquoise where everyone nodded their head and said hello as they passed on the trail, and today they were heading up the gondola. It was a warm July day and Remus knew heat would start to gather soon, but it felt so fresh here in the mountains, always a breeze, really it was nearly idyllic. Even here, in a busy parking lot, dozens of cars already and pavement for hundreds of meters, it still somehow felt rustic. That was the influence of the towering rough mountains he supposed. They were everywhere here, he had never been in the mountains like this. He squeezed Sirius’ hand as they walked, his head turning to take it all in. 

“The view doesn’t get old, eh,” Sirius laughed as he took in Remus’ wide eyes. 

“Literally never. There’s just mountains everywhere .”

“And here we go, up another one,” Sirius said. 

“Can’t wait,” Remus said, squeezing Sirius’ hand with excitement again, taking in the grey of Sirius’ eyes and comparing it to the grey of the mountains. The mountains were undeniably majestic, but that blue grey gaze was still his overall first place favourite.

Remus scanned the tickets on his phone for the agent with the usual “bonjour, hello” passed between them and joined the small line of people waiting to board the gondolas. They wound through the roped off area, back and forth across the loading area as the line moved, reading the information placards as they went. Remus challenged himself to read the French versions and asked Sirius for help with some words, just to hear him say them, to see Sirius’ eyes smile when he heard Remus say the words back as best he could. They passed the time in the line quickly like this, passing words in French back and forth to each other quietly, almost like bubbles of love being traded between them, like emotional kisses, like whatever the sounds are that are in my mouth, they always mean I love you. 

Remus vaguely knew from the corners of his attention that the people who worked for the Park were working with the line, fitting groups together into gondolas in the most space efficient way, calling for single riders to come join groups of 3, putting two couples together, keeping kids with their parents. There was a large family ahead of them and Sirius and Remus had been half-hearing conversations about snacks and who would sit by who and where’s my water bottle and dad, what if we see a bear ?? So when the attendant called, ‘next group of two? Un groupe de deux?’ looks travelled down the family and passed like dominos to Sirius and Remus. 

“On est deux,” Sirius said, knowing everyone who worked for the Park spoke at least some French, and he was loving using it at every opportunity.

“Allez, on y va,” the attendant said, waving them over. Sirius and Remus kept their hands clasped as they snuck past the big family, Remus murmured an, “ope, sorry,” as they made their way to the front of the line. They boarded the open gondola, sitting down on one side together as the doors slid closed and the gondola started moving.

Remus was just starting to look out the floor to ceiling window, seeing the expanse of nature below them, all around them once they were past the loading area of the building, when he heard,

“Sirius Black?? ”

Oh shit. They were on a gondola with a fan. Well, hopefully a fan, god, imagine if it was someone who wanted to lecture them for the whole 8 minute ride. Sirius would give them his stony cold game face, and inevitably the person would back down, but it would be so awkward.

But Sirius hadn’t said anything. He was just staring, mouth slightly open. Time passed in frozen silence, enough time that Remus darted his eyes back and forth, from Sirius’ frozen form, to the two girls sitting across from them. One had a ball cap on with a dark ponytail floating out the back of it and her tank top showed clearly well developed biceps and deltoids, hiking shorts and shoes. She  was nearly as slack jawed as Sirius. The other girl was much more fashionable, in pants that were somehow loose but still fitted, and a cropped shirt (sports bra? what did Remus know about women’s fashion), clean white runners, long curly blond hair pulled into a messy half bun. It was still Banff and hiking appropriate except everything about her outfit and hair seemed to be on purpose in a way that none of the rest of them could claim. She seemed to be trying to read the situation as much as Remus was, and after long seconds she was the one to break the silence. 

“Rebecca? You know him?” 

The other girl, Rebecca? Almost literally shook herself out of her surprise and laughed, a smile coming over her face. 

“Oh my god, what are the fucking chances? Yeah, well, I mean, Sirius and I, well, yeah, we’ve met.”

Remus felt his eyebrows raise at her faltering tone and he looked to Sirius who didn’t seem ready to say words of any language yet. So Remus spoke first. 

“Oh, well hello. I’m Remus. It’s nice to meet you,” and he put his hand out to Rebecca to shake. She smiled more, her eyes taking him in and she took his hand. 

“Hi Remus, I’m Rebecca. Nice to meet you. This is my girlfriend Claire,” she said, gesturing at the well dressed girl. “We’re just touring the area, on vacation, I guess you must be too. It is the offseason I guess? I can’t believe we’re on the same gondola as you, what even is this.”

Remus felt himself relax, girlfriend, ok so they weren’t in for an 8 minute lecture. That was something at least. He turned to Claire and shook her hand too. His eyes travelled up and down her tattooed arms, all thin lines and curling shapes. He especially noticed a beautiful one of a star surrounded by a circle on the inside of her elbow, but the whole thing was made of flowers and vines in light colours.

“Nice to meet you too Claire. Are y’all hockey fans then?” he asked, glancing repeatedly at Sirius, who was still seemingly frozen. He pressed his palm against Sirius’ thigh, hoping to ground him with touch. Feeling more than a little bit like he needed that too.

Claire laughed, a high, bright sound. 

“No, I can’t say I am. Is that how you know him, sweetheart?” Claire asked her girlfriend. 

“I, um, well yeah, kind of. We met at a media weekend where they were doing stories on a bunch of athletes for a magazine,” Rebecca explained, her gaze bounced between Sirius, Remus, her girlfriend, back to Sirius.

Remus nodded. Well that made sense. What didn’t make sense was that Sirius hadn’t said a single fucking word. He turned toward him, angling his body towards his husband so he could mouth as much as say, ‘ça va, baby?’ 

Sirius started bobbing his head. Remus saw him take two purposeful breaths, close his eyes for a long moment, and then open them again with his media smile on.

“Désolé, sorry, sorry Rebeccca. You just surprised me,” he took off his hat, ran his hands through his hair and replaced the hat. “Wow, yeah, it’s good to see you. Like you said, what are the chances?” 

“What media thing was it that you did?” Remus asked lightly, hoping to soften whatever the fuck this atmosphere was. 

“That one in New York that Pots and I went to? During your third season with the team, I think?” Sirius said. He looked deep into Remus’ eyes and took and squeezed his hand. Remus didn’t know why Sirius needed comfort, but he clearly did. So he scooted as close to Sirius as he could on the bench, held his hand, and tried to send comfort like osmosis. It seemed Sirius may have received the offering because he seemed to relax a degree or two. 

“Rebecca was on the olympic rugby team that got a medal at that olympics a few years ago,” Sirius supplied, gesturing to her. “Or maybe you still play?”

“Yeah, I do actually!” she replied. “I’m not a starter anymore, but I still have one more Olympics in me. The team has been doing so awesome, it’s been such an sweet ride.”

“Oh wow, that's amazing!” Remus said, meaning it, and hoping to take the conversation in safer territory. “Are you on a break from training right now? Being a tourist for a bit?”

“Yeah! It’s so beautiful out here. And it’s nice to have time to take in the sights. We travel for matches all the time, but it’s never very long in one place. We played a match near here last season, and it was so beautiful I knew I needed to bring Claire back here.” She smiled at her girlfriend and took her hand. 

“So you’re a hockey player?” Claire asked Sirius. He smiled a small smile and nodded, maybe started to say more while gripping Remus’ hand, but Claire continued, “that’s nice, but you two obviously slept together, right?” she said, gesturing between Rebecca and Sirius.

Rebecca just laughed, Sirius’ mouth dropped open, and Remus startled like he’d been shocked.

“That’s what this weird vibe is?!” he asked Sirius, half laughing, half horrified. “Oh my god, well, I get it now.”

Sirius dropped his head into both his hands, shaking his head, and then his shoulders were shaking, until his whole body was quivering with laughter. 

“Mon dieu, sorry, Rebecca… Re, I’m sorry.” Laughter bubbled out of him.  “I don’t know why I locked up, I got thrown back in time there for a minute, in my head. I’m ok now, sorry. Rebecca, it really is good to see you, I just was so surprised.”

Remus just shook his head. He’d be pretty shocked in the same situation too. The air already felt clearer, Sirius’ laughter had dissipated most of the awkwardness. 

“So you’re bi too then?” Rebecca asked. “Or pan maybe? I saw you two in the news of course, oh god I didn’t mean to bring that up, I just mean, obviously you’re married now! Congratulations,” she seemed to force herself to stop talking and Remus laughed. 

“Yeah, we got married last summer, it was amazing.”

Sirius smiled at him, the smile they always had when they thought about the lake house and their friends and family and the perfect haze of happy memories that surrounded that day. Sirius took a deep breath and turned to Rebecca.

“Yeah! But, um, no. Uh, I’m actually gay. That’s probably why I froze up there for a minute. But if you’re queer too that makes me feel a lot better, I think I panicked for a second that there would be flirting? Sorry, sorry.” he said, looking back and forth between both Rebecca and Claire.

Claire laughed, “Oh there could still be flirting, I’m afraid. You’re just her type in guys. I’m gay too, but my sweetheart here had a later in life bi awakening, much to my benefit.” She got closer and closer to Rebecca’s neck as she said this, and ended with a soft kiss to her jaw. Rebecca smiled a soft smile at her girlfriend, but then turned to Sirius, more serious. 

“Wow, so, um, that night must have been hard for you then? I feel like I should apologise. I think I kissed you first that night.”

Sirius shrugged his shoulders like his shirt was too tight, and Remus studied his reaction, taking his hand in both of his now, and drew circles in Sirius’ palm with his thumb. Sirius rubbed the back of his head with his other hand before answering. 

“No, please don’t apologise. You couldn’t know, I didn’t know. Well I knew, but I didn’t know . It’s not like you were the only girl I was with. I thought I just had to meet the right girl. And actually you helped with that, because you were so amazing. Beautiful, and fun to be around, and athletic and funny. And it was still… fine.” Rebecca laughed and faked hitting her heart with her fist like a stab. “No, I don’t mean it was bad! It was fine! Shit I keep saying fine… it was…” Sirius trailed off, looking to Remus, clearly now developing an aversion to the word fine. 

“Sirius, Sirius, it’s ok. I get it. The comphet comes for us all, doesn’t it?” Rebecca said. She started off half laughing, but her voice was full of authenticity by the end of her sentence. 

Remus kept running his thumb over Sirius’ palm in soothing circles, and Claire lifted her arm up to trace the edge of the window, and then put it around Rebecca’s shoulders, hugging her close. 

In the moment of silence that followed, the gondola slowly swung to stop. They all looked around, looking down at the magnificent view really for the first time since they got on the thing. 

“Huh, they must be stopping it to help someone on or off, I guess,” Remus said. A shiver had come over him as they swung to a stop, but it passed. The others nodded in acknowledgment as they swayed gently. 

“You were my last,” Sirius said into the silence. “My last time with … with a woman.” Remus raised his eyebrows at Sirius. “Well, I kissed other girls after that, only in public, but I knew after that night with you that I wanted to be with guys. Even if I didn’t let myself actually do that for a long time yet, at least I knew.” He paused. “Sorry,” he said again.

Rebecca laughed. “Honestly Black, it really is ok, stop apologising. I’m a little surprised, for sure, because for me it was really good. Like, really good. Like I-never-found-a-guy-as-good-again good, despite giving it an honest try. Had to fully just move onto women, good. So I might be questioning my perception of reality a little bit over here, but you don’t have anything to apologise for.” 

Remus was processing, hardly believing the turn this gondola ride had taken, but had to smile at that.

“He is pretty good, isn’t he?” Remus said, gazing up at Sirius with mischief in his eyes. “From our very first time, he knew what he was doing. Fuckin knocked my socks off,” Remus laughed. Rebecca joined him and Sirius buried his head in his hands again.

“Right?! His hands –”

“God, tell me about it. And his back?”

“Divine,” Rebecca sighed, tone half teasing and half serious. “And just his size, you know, when he’s on top, fully covering you?”

Remus faked a swoon, back of his hand to his forehead. “It’s amazing. Might be my favourite place in the world to be.” Sirius sat up and smacked Remus’ shoulder. “Re! Stop it,” he laughed.

“Did you get to experience his mouth?” Remus asked, leaning forwards to Rebecca. “Or how his eyes get so intense it’s like they glow?”

“Remus!”

Rebecca sighed dramatically. “I didn’t experience his mouth unfortunately. And I think he must be the only man in history to have turned down a blow job! It was mostly hands and some lovely dirty talk and … well, you know.”

“Oh the French dirty talk,'' Remus fawned, fanning himself with his hand, smiling evilly at Sirius. “It’s so hot.”

Rebecca faked a dramatic gasp. “Is this why you wanted me on my hands and knees??” she asked, gesturing dramatically to Remus. “So you could pretend I was him!?” The words might be accusatory, but the tone was pure glee. “Did you know him then?” she asked Remus. 

Sirius moaned into his hands and ground out what might have sounded like kill me now. 

“I just knew him as the hockey obsessed, tough as nails, never an emotion to be seen hockey captain back then. And I saw him make out with multiple girls at bars after that, so he clearly wasn’t ready for me yet back then,” Remus teased. 

Claire and Rebecca both nodded. “We all have to make our journeys of self discovery in our own time, don’t we,” Claire said. 

“That we do,” Remus said, letting the last of his laughter bubble out of him. They all took in a minute of happy silence, admiring the view. Even Sirius cautiously poked an eye out of the safety of his hands and looked past Remus to see towering snow capped mountains which they were almost eye level with up this high, this ground was really quite far away. Deep green trees transitioned into bright green grass in places, the buildings of the town looked like dots from here, and the fluffy white clouds seemed much closer than he had ever experienced before. 

The peace of the mountains seemed to sweep into the softly swinging gondola and Rebecca turned back to Sirius, still snuggled into Claire’s side. 

“I am sorry though, that society or whatever made you think you had to sleep with me. I’m sorry if I played a part in that,” she said. 

Sirius wasn’t frozen like the snow tipped mountains now, he tried to let his words flow like the breeze instead.

“I appreciate that, Rebecca, I do. But I could’ve said no, and I knew that. I went upstairs with you because I thought I should want to, but I was so deep in the shoulds, that in a roundabout way I did want to. And I’m honestly so glad you thought it was good, that’s like all I cared about.” “I never would’ve known you weren’t into it Sirius, really, it was good.” Sirius rolled his head on his neck, looking sheepish but happy. 

“It’s not that I didn’t think it was good. It did feel good, you’re amazing. I just was also really busy, in my mind. My thoughts were just going in bad circles with pressure and doing the right thing and what you might tell your friends and what I’d tell my teammates … so of course it was harder for me to just enjoy it. But like I said, you were the last time I did that, so I’m also really thankful for that, and for you. If you couldn’t be the right one, I knew there was no point in trying anymore.” He switched his gaze to Remus and his grin turned dopey, “until this one told me he was gay, and that I’d be worth it.”

Remus squeezed his hand. “You are worth it. Every day.” 

“If I may,” Claire said, “it sounds to me like you’re both right. You’re right, my love, to feel a bit weird about learning the guy you slept with doesn’t actually like sleeping with women. But it’s also ok that you still enjoyed it, because you’re always allowed to have your own version of a situation, based solely on your own experience of it. And he was actively trying to have you enjoy it, for different reasons than you thought. There’s no way you could have known his every inner thought.” Rebecca smiled and rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. 

“And you Sirius,” she continued, “it could be interpreted as misleading to have gone upstairs with her, but Rebecca and I, as women who love women, know the strength and seeping nature of comphet, as I’m sure you do too, as a man in a traditional masculine field. It gets into your bones and bosses you around and ties your thoughts up in knots. I’m really glad you freed yourself from expectations to let yourself live. I can tell the two of you are really good together,” she smiled. 

Remus nodded his head along with her and kept drawing calming circles with his thumb around Sirius’ palm. 

“Merci, Claire,” Sirius smiled, “and for what it’s worth, Rebecca, I’m sorry for putting you in that situation.”

“Forgiven, Sirius Black. And thank you for ruining me for other men, so that I could find this goddess,” she leaned up to kiss Claire on the lips, deep and sensual. Sirius thought that looked like a really great idea, and leaned in to Remus. 

“Ça va bien, baby?” Remus repeated, their lips close, breathing each other in and out. He had been pressed up against Sirius’ side this whole conversation, clutching his hand. And now they blocked out the mountains, the uncomfortable seat, the shining sun, and only focused in on each other. 

“Oui. Je vais bien. Etonné. But … also good. Glad to have you, like always.”

“I’ll never be anywhere else, mon mari,” Remus murmured as he leaned in to kiss Sirius. Lost in their kiss, they didn’t notice that Rebecca and Claire were watching them with soft smiles on their faces, Rebecca’s head still against Claire’s shoulder. Claire twirled her hand around and then threaded her fingers through Rebecca’s ponytail, smiling. 

The gondola started moving again, startling Sirius and Remus apart with a smile. They squeezed each other’s hands with a shiver, they both had goosebumps from a brief chill. They all rode the last few minutes how they all had thought their whole ride would go. They pointed out the tallest trees, saw shapes in the clouds, basked in the chance to be so high up and see the world from such a different perspective. Funny how that makes a difference for so many things. 

They all saw the loading area approach, and stayed quiet while they slowed to a stop and the doors opened. They filed out into the visitors center. When they rounded the corner and were away from most other people, Rebecca folded herself into Sirius for a hug, squeezing him, her cheek pressed into his chest. He rested the side of his head against her and held her for a long moment. 

“Despite the shock, it really was good to see you, Sirius. And super good to get to clear the air with you about our night together. I, selfishly, hope you don’t regret it, but it’s ok if you do. I’m still happy to know you. Maybe you can actually text me back now that there’s no big secret swirling over you, eh?” she swatted him in the stomach at the last, and he dodged with an oof and a laugh. 

“Rebecca, honestly, I’m really glad to have run into you like this. Sorry if I was weird. I don’t regret it, how can I, when it was a stop on the path to me finding my husband?”

Rebecca turned and gave Remus a hug too. “Sorry for having your husband before you,” she teased. Remus huffed a laugh, and hugged her back. 

“Good to meet you Rebecca. I’ll forgive you, I suppose .” he joked. “Since I’m the one he’s going home with, I can’t complain.”

“Nope, you have absolutely nothing to complain about, I would know,” Rebecca teased as she took Claire’s hand again. “And I have this goddess now anyways. Bye, guys, take care!” she said as they started to turn away down the boardwalk.

“Enjoy your vacation!” Claire said with a wave, and Remus and Sirius waved as well, standing with their arms around each other’s backs. When they were a good way down the boardwalk Sirius turned and collapsed into Remus’ arms. They stood there amidst the beauty of the mountains. Tourists walked past and around them, taking pictures. They stood long enough for clouds to form and reform shapes, until Sirius could huff out a laugh. “What the actual fuck are the chances.”

“Of you stepping into a 6 foot square enclosed space with the last woman you had sex with? Really, really, really low I’d imagine. Even if we changed the odds to include all the women in general who have seen you naked, the number still has to be…” Remus trailed off as Sirius stood up and pushed him away, grumbling and laughing. 

“Stop teasing me, mon loup, this was traumatising ,” Sirius pouted. 

“Oh baby, I know, I know, come here,” Remus laughed, and gathered Sirius in tight for one more hug. “Let’s look around? And then we can walk down? So we don’t accidentally get trapped with the next least likely person in the fucking world? I can’t quite imagine who that could be at this point, but we’re probably safer on a hiking trail.”

“Let’s get trapped with your college boyfriend, and I’ll make comments about your mouth, tabarnak , that was embarrassing,” Sirius laughed under his breath as he turned to take in the view. 

“I was trying to cut the tension!”

“I’ll cut your tension,” Sirius muttered back.

“Can’t wait, baby,” Remus said with a suggestive eyebrow waggle. Sirius rolled his eyes, and then they did enjoy the view, thoroughly. And they took the hiking trail back down the mountain. 

[os2-warp]

06-05-2024 - Sachi and Eichi, my Hanazuki FCs

Hi guys these are my Hanazuki FCs have had them and been drawing them for a while just not much actually presentable and I am kind of scared to post about fan-characters publicly in any capacity (< Has trauma* from being on the bad side of dA as a kid). The first pic is their day-to-day regular outfit and the second is a random example of clothes they would wear on stage. But I hope you like... A bit of a lot so I'm putting their info under the cut. Also, yes, if you like them enough to, you have my full permission to draw them, as long as you tag me in it so I can see :3c

*Not actual trauma, I am solely exaggerating for comedic effect

These two are Eichi and Sachi and they are relatively popular new wave/synthpop idols. Actually they are not twins or siblings but they both used to be one moonflower. After some kind of event they absolutely refuse to speak about (and get angry when asked) they split into two. There's a ton of weird rumors going around about them both because of this and of how reclusive they are outside of on stage. They both share memories up to when they split and they can communicate telepathically (Nobody except them knows this though).

Their moon: A popular rich-people-touristy-destination place even before they were born. Their moon's dark side is much larger than it's light side and there's a lot of "nightlife"y places on their moon, like clubs, casinos, motels, etc. Also a bunch of metro stations and stuff like that. There's not a lot of other moonflowers that live on their moon though it's mainly just tourist traps and typical big city stuff. They live in a big fancy mansion and travel with a motorcycle that can like fly and stuff. The majority of the treasure trees they have grown are purple and light blue/teal.

Their little critters: Based off Siamese cats, two of each colour. They help them when they make music by doing things like using their tails as a metronome and meowing in harmony to help them keep the tone of their singing and stuff... and they can even play instruments on stage but that is a team effort. Usually though they just act like normal Siamese cats being very affectionate and playful and vocal and stuff.

Personality: They are egotistical dickbags suffering from a massive case of chuunibyou (in the "delusions of grandeur and being more unique than everyone else" way not the "thinking they have magical powers" way). They aren't very rude outwardly but they just give off an air like they definitely think you're lower than them when you speak to them and it kind of pisses you off after a while. When they talk to people outside of during public appearances (which is very rare) they like to tell random lies to people and tease/provoke them and play borderline rude pranks just for the fun of it, they are mainly apathetic about most people and just see others as fun things to play around with moreso than actual living beings. They are almost completely incapable of seeing others as equals. And they call others "plebians" a lot. Living in near complete isolation with nobody except them and their little critters to interact with (outside of onstage and during interviews and stuff) they are very socially stunted and a bit loopy. People think the way they act during public appearances is just some kind of play they put on for the audience but no they are actually like that. They say stuff like "Being an idol is a public service, so make sure to thank us properly, 'k?". They like computers (I think all pooters in the Lunaverse are like big boxy CRTs and big heavy towers, and only big fancy rich people have them) and old games and modular synths and whatever the Lunaverse equivalent of the 1980s is. Both of them are massive nerds who like dumb nerd shit. And they get really defensive about said dumb nerd shit. Also are both extremely into "kitsch" aesthetics. They like to put on a big show on stage/in public and be kind of corny. They would never admit it but they wish they had friends other than each other. They get reformed/become a bit nicer later on. Which I don't feel like writing it all down even though I have ideas both because I feel it may be a bit " Cringe " and this post is already horribly long, maybe in a future post if people are interested, idk, how long are people's attention spans nowadays, has anyone even actually read this far... but I digress.... But basically they meet the gang and take a liking to specifically Kiyoshi, they are really really nice and sweet to Kiyoshi and call him "Little Prince" always instead of his actual name and treat him almost like one would treat a pet, but to everyone else they are as written above. And they're just kind of assholes in a subtle way, and they tell so many lies, enough to make Maroshi dislike them. Kiyoshi notices this, doesn't like it, tells them as much, somehow bribes them to get them to be nicer to everyone, "If you are nice to my friends for two weeks straight I will [give you something], [go back to your moon and play with you exclusively for a while], [etc]". And they do it just to get whatever Kiyoshi is offering them. But then after the two weeks are up they actually genuinely really take a liking to everyone, of course they are still really narcissistic, and still slip up with lying sometimes, and aren't good with discerning boundaries and what is considered nice and what is rude, but they are mostly nice now, and genuinely enjoy spending time with everyone now.

Also as a reward for reading thus far here is a reward for you, two random fun facts: Sachi likes being called "onee-chan" and Eichi stomps his feet when he's mad. If you read this long leave a comment please!!! Thank you

[sagarikagolder]

Uzbekistan Diaries 8

[centrally-unplanned]

In your opinion, at what time of year should one visit Japan (as a first-time tourist)?

August 11-12, 2024, obviously!

No but seriously I think that its going to depend on your preferences. If you are doing Tokyo and urban stuff I think fall is probably the best time, because Tokyo gets very very hot in the summer and its a legit drag to be there in that aspect, while spring tourism is very densely packed. But meanwhile if you want to go out into the countryside Japanese springs are hard to beat on the aesthetic front. Dont go during cherry blossom season unless you are specifically going *for* cherry blossom season, since otherwise you are going to be facing stiff hotel competition.

Still I wouldnt worry about any of this because, for me at least, Japan is a real "event" place; i would prioritize going at a time when a traditional festival, a huge food fair, a massive art or comic market, etc, is happening that appeals to you. You can do more typical touristy stuff and then have a grand capstone experience.

Happy to answer more questions if you are actually planning one - let me know your 'goals' and I can give more detailed advice.

[reyesstrand]

The potential of them going to NYC tho!!🥹

I just got home from going there for the first time and I was thinking so much about Tarlos!

We walked past a s*x shop in Chelsea called Rainbow Station 🌈 and I had to pretend toward my friend to be present in the conversation and not imagining TK dragging a somewhat embarrassed somewhat intrigued by all the openness and queer culture Carlos in three to browse for new things for the bedroom!

Also TK being Carlos’ rock when he’s intimidated by the scale and size and chaos of the city, showing him all his favorite spots, and Carlos being TK’s rock when TK gets sad about his bad memories of his past and fond memories of Gwyn🥺

And visiting Enzo and Jonah! And going to clubs and concerts and museums and having a picnic in Central Park while kissing and holding hands🥰

Sorry to drop these ramblings in your inbox lol you saying something about the ‘potential of them visiting New York’ just got my brain started and I don’t know if it was okay to add them to your post but I wanted to share them with you and also hear more of your thoughts about what they would do there!!

yes to all of these ideas!!!! i don’t have any concrete places for them in mind but i just love the thought of carlos, who we know gets homesick easy thanks to s4, getting to fulfill his dreams of travelling now that he’s found his real home in tk. i love the thought of new york being the first on their list of places to visit since it means so much to tk—it’s his hometown, and the place he experienced so many lows but also so many highs because of its association with gwyn and his brother and him finding his place in the firehouse. i love the thought of carlos wanting to see tk’s old haunts but also the typical touristy spots, and having tk as his guide is the most appealing part. and i love it for tk, too, as a chance to bridge together his past and his present/future, and to see his little brother and enzo. i also love the idea of them visiting when it’s fall/winter so we get to see them when leaves are changing and it’s a little cooler—they can get coffee from small cafes and take in the sights and at the end of the day know that home is each other.

(also check out this post by @carlos-in-glasses—i agree with absolutely all of this re: tarlos in new york)

[ranbling]

Not anything 911 related, but any recommendations for things to do in Budapest? I'm trying to get my husband to do a train trip to Hungary in 2025 :)

Okay, so I've thought a lot about this 'cause I don't live in Budapest and when I go up I usually do typical touristy things and wanted to recommend more "special" things too

The Fisherman's Bastion! It's a really touristy place, but very beautiful (and you get can see the Parliament on the other side) and you can walk from the Buda Castle. Also I recommend taking the "Budavári Sikló" (Budapest Castle Hill Funicular), the view is beautifull from it.

Margit-Island is also a good place, but it's nothing special. You can walk through it and there are ruins of an old temple, and a cool fountain

Hősök Tere (Heroes Square) and Városliget are also great placesy they're next to eachother. Hősök Tere is one of the most iconic places in Budapest and there are multiple museums around it (also museums sometimes offer free entry on certain days) and in Városliget there is the Castle of Vajdahunyad which is a replica of the real Castle of Vajdahunyad (which is in Romania, but belonged to the family of Mátyás Hunyadi, a king of Hungary). If you go during the winter, they have an ice skating ring. Also the House of Music is there, it's a pretty cool museum and they give you headphones to go through it and offer multiple languages

The Füvészkert (Botanical Garden, but the ELTE botanical garden to be precise, there are multiple ones in the city and this is the best). Also the Natural History Museum is near it, I've been here before and it was cool

I'm also a big fan of escape rooms (and they're the main reason why me and my family go up to Budapest lol) and there are great ones that offer English option too

Also, it's not in Budapest, but Szentendre is less than an hour with train and it's a beautifull city

(also when you go, I recommend buying an "országbérlet", it's a ticket you can use on all trains (but have to pay if you want to reserve seats) and all public transport inside Budapest and it's much cheaper than any other options

[andivmg]

recommendations for “local” spots in PR? im going over springbreak and im so excited!!! (anything fun do/ explore besides el yunque and san juan?)

omg i love this questionnnn!!!!

so if you get the chance: RENT. A. CAR. There are so many amazing spots in PR but because the public transportation system here might as well be nonexistent, you need a car to get to most of them. so here is the list of my personal fave spots that you need a car for: (dw i will include another list of things that are more local to san juan and also one more thing)

- Playa Sucia, Cabo Rojo: gorgeous beach, i spent a lot of time there in college. you have to walk a bit to get to the actual beach but it’s so worth it. you can also hike up the cliffs surrounding the beach which is so fun and beautiful. and you can go up to the lighthouse which has the most amazing view.

- Crash Boat beach, Aguadilla: another beach, another college me spot. it’s just really cool, people are always playing music, there’s a big ol pier. just very awesome.

- Toro Verde Adventure Park: ZIPLINE. VERY BIG ZIPLINE THAT TAKES YOU 95 MPH. I believe it’s the longest in the US and the third longest in the entire world. the view while you’re on it is unlike anything i have ever seen before 10/10, taking my bf there this weekend.

- Surfing: my fave surf spots are Domes Beach in Rincon. Jobos Beach in Isabela. and La Punta in San Juan. You can search up surf lessons in these beaches and you’ll get a bunch of instructors.

-La Parguera: Bioluminescent bay. It’s so gorgeous and so worth it

- Piñones: Long strip of road with different spots you can get out in and go to the beach in. It’s littered with a bunch of typical puertorican food stands like fried shit that we love. if you want the real PR experience, go on a weekend

Now for some more local San Juan area things to do:

- Again, Surfing: literally just google surf lessons in san juan and a bunch will pop up

- Distrito T-Mobile: Has a bunch of restaurants and live music, definitely a good spot to just kinda hang out in. There’s a huge arcade there as well as one of my fav restaurants: La Central by Mario Pagan (get the truffle butter on the steak)

-La Placita: Drinks. Legal age is 18 here so if you want to PARTY, go here.

-Calle Loiza: same as la placita but more locals go here methinks

-The Place: my fav burger place ever, it’s in Condado. Build your own burger w really good ingredients 10/10

-Pirilo: amazing pizza place. it’s in old san juan so this might be a bit of a cop out but it’s really good regardless.

-Casa Bacardi: Rum factory, you can take a tour and it’s pretty cool

-Paddle Boarding: you can go paddle boarding in Condado Lagoon, if you’re lucky you might even get to see manatees or turtles!!!

- Metropol: my favorite restaurant. they have a bunch of locations but you can’t go wrong with any of them. typical puertorican and cuban food. fucking delicious i can never get enough. (get the sorullitos you won’t regret it.)

Now for the something extra:

-Culebra and Vieques: You can either take a plane or a ferry to either of these islands. They are the most beautiful islands i have ever seen. Very remote so little to no cell service but genuinely so so so worth it because the stars look so amazing at night it’s like nothing i have ever seen before. also Vieques has a bioluminescent beach as well :)

ik some of these are kind of touristy things and not necessarily local but they are genuinely some of my favorite things to do and i will always always always recommend to do at least one of them.

If you google Discover Puerto Rico, that website is amazing and gives you like a million things to do 10/10

here’s a link to my fav youtuber’s vlog where she went to PR and imo she did an amazing job of immersing herself in the culture i adore her: https://youtu.be/KPzqRP0T3ew?si=_sFNg_5kg6N5SGQg

[cosmicawg]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬

Chapter 2: "THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE!"

word count —(.) 2,971

read time —(.) 10 mins : 48 secs

There was something foul in the air, something thick and oppressive that clung to the senses. Whatever it was, it fucking stank—like rancid meat left to rot under the punishing sun. And it only grew worse the closer Emery got to the motel. The main road was lined with the decaying carcasses of roadkill, as if some unspoken curse had swept through. The smell was unbearable, forcing her off the beaten path and into the woods—a touristy spot for poor souls who thought they’d find peace, but instead found themselves mauled by bears or lost forever. The crunch of dead leaves underfoot was the only sound, the only sign she was still moving, alive.

Above her, the sky hung heavy with gloom, dark clouds pressing down as if the very heavens had forgotten to exhale. They twisted and contorted like a frown etched across the horizon, promising rain—cold and unforgiving. But rain or no rain, it wasn’t going to stop her from karaoke tonight. Unfortunately, that meant Julius had to cover for her. She smirked at the thought. He’d understand. At least, he damn well better. The least he could do was let her have a little fun, considering what a shitstorm this place was.

The motel loomed ahead, its peeling paint and flickering neon sign a testament to neglect. As Emery stepped inside, the first thing that greeted her wasn’t the musty air or the flicker of a dying light bulb—it was Julius, face down on the front desk, passed out cold. She snorted. Typical.

"I wasn’t sure if I should wake him or not." The smooth voice, accent, slid into her ears like melted butter, catching her off guard. She turned toward the sound and found a guest sprawled out on one of the threadbare sofas, the springs creaking beneath him. "I’ll admit, he’s kinda adorable like this." He gave a sheepish grin, eyes flickering. "Oh, uh… sorry. Name’s Remi. I'm staying here."

"Yeah, no worries, Emery." she giggled, the absurdity of it all bubbling up. "I work here, unfortunately. But, uh… I wouldn’t get too comfy. Those sofas? Bedbugs." She shot him a wink as she made her way behind the front desk.

At that, Remi shot up like he’d been electrocuted, dusting himself off with a grimace. His nose crinkled in disgust. "Of course. What was I expecting? A five-star experience." He shook his head, still swatting at invisible bugs. "Anyway, is there seriously no Wi-Fi here? I’ve got an important call, and all of a sudden, the service is just dead."

Emery opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a loud crash reverberated down the stairs, followed by the unmistakable sound of pure chaos.

"YOU ARE UNSERIOUS, ALEX!" Gloria, the fiery redhead guest, came storming down the stairs, her face twisted in rage. Behind her, Alex—her boyfriend, husband, whatever the hell he was—stumbled after her, looking equally flustered.

"Jesus Christ, Gloria, I wasn’t peeping at her, she's a teenager! Do you even hear yourself right now?" Alex barked, his voice tinged with desperation. "Do you always make shit up in your head like this?"

Their shouting echoed off the walls, amplifying the already suffocating tension in the room. Emery didn’t bother intervening; this had to be a normal thing between the two, it wasn’t worth her time.

As they went at it, another guest jogged down the stairs nothing but a sweatpants and a tank top. Bowie, if she recalled right, the blonde charmingly greeted everyone before likely heading out for an afternoon run. Jocks.

And yet! Another guest, Alia, came thundering down the stairs right after, her heavy footsteps shaking the old wooden banister. She was in a skimpy bathing suit, chewing gum with a disgusted sneer plastered on her face. She took one look around, her lips curling as if the very air offended her.

"Please tell me there's a pool at this dump," she spat, her eyes rolling.

Emery forced a smile through gritted teeth, rummaging through the drawers, cursing under her breath as she finally found the damn key. "Yeah, sure. Just go out the back, take a left, and you’ll find the gate." She tossed the key toward Alia, who caught it with a barely concealed look of disdain, her nostrils flaring in disgust.

"Do I look like I work here?" Alia snapped, as if the mere act of catching the key had insulted her dignity.

Before Emery could respond, the commotion had roused Julius from his uncomfortable slumber. He groaned, his hair a mess, dark circles heavy under his eyes, and a streak of drool shining on his cheek. He looked around in a daze before glancing at the clock. Noon. Shit. He should have been home hours ago.

He groaned louder, flinging a hand over his face. "I’m crashing in one of the guest rooms. I’m not dealing with any of this shit—not after last night."

Emery couldn’t help but roll her eyes as he stumbled away, leaving her alone to deal with the circus that was quickly unfolding.

"Uh, about the Wi-Fi?" Remi’s voice cut through the noise, a hint of frustration creeping in.

Emery sighed, massaging her temples, fighting the urge to scream. "Just… go into town," she muttered, the tension in her voice clear. "There’s gotta be Wi-Fi somewhere. Not here, though. Definitely not here."

And with that, she stepped out of the lobby, leaving the chaos behind—at least for a moment.

She guided a petulant Alia toward the pool, biting back the sharp retort bubbling on her tongue. The girl was already complaining, her voice grating and full of resentment. "This place is disgusting. I hate my father."

Emery's jaw clenched as she pushed the rusted gates open, forcing a smile to hide the rising irritation. “Ta-da! Your pool, Your Majesty,” she said with a mock bow, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Alia barely glanced at her, her eyes scanning the pool area with a look of pure disgust. The pool was far from the pristine, high-end resorts she was used to. The tiles were chipped, cracks spider-webbed across the edges, and old, deflated pool floaties lay scattered like forgotten toys. The sun loungers were stained and unkempt, the once-white fabric now a dull gray. Alia flinched, letting out a shriek when she saw something, dark and fast, dart across the pool deck—probably a rat.

"UGH!" Alia’s scream echoed, her frustration boiling over. "Next time, I should plan the vacation! My useless father can’t do anything right!" She kicked at the ground, a petulant grunt escaping her as she threw herself down by the water’s edge, her bare feet dangling into the pool. At least the water was clear, she noted with the barest flicker of relief. "While my mom is off in fucking Jamaica, I'm stuck here with a worthless parent."

With a huff, she clamped her oversized sunglasses onto her face, crossing her arms over her chest like a sulking child.

Emery's patience was wearing thin. She stared at Alia, inwardly seething. What a spoiled brat, she thought, resisting the urge to snap. Just as she turned to walk away, hoping for a moment of peace, Alia’s voice rang out again.

“Who's that?”

Emery let out a sigh, her annoyance palpable as she glanced at Alia, who was now pointing across the pool. With a resigned look, she followed Alia’s gesture, her eyes landing on a woman lounging in the distance. The woman was sunbathing—or at least pretending to. A glossy magazine obscured her face, while an obnoxiously large sun hat perched on her head, its wide brim angled just enough to cast a shadow over her entire figure.

Who the hell wears a sun hat when there’s barely any sun? Emery thought, squinting at the strange figure. The woman’s body was unnaturally still, her pale, almost ghostly skin gleaming under the overcast sky. She looked fragile, almost too slender, like she might disappear if the wind blew too hard.

“I don’t know,” muttered Emery, her tone indifferent.

“How do you not know? Don’t you work here?” Alia’s voice was filled with disbelief, as if Emery was personally responsible for knowing every single guest by name.

“I didn’t sign in guests last night, okay?” she snapped, her patience finally running dry. “Damn, you are so annoying. Just enjoy your swim.” With one last glance at the mysterious woman, Emery shook her head and walked off, leaving Alia to her sulking.

The workday dragged on, and the pool seemed even more decrepit under the cloudy sky. Emery busied herself with paperwork, her mind drifting now and then to the strange woman by the pool. Later, two other guests arrived at the front desk. Except this time, there was a hiccup—no room had been booked for them. Emery sighed, knowing the mountain of paperwork this would cause. Meanwhile, Julius, her co-worker, remained blissfully unaware of the chaos, dozing off somewhere like he always did.

LATER....

Nightfall crept in like a shadow, blending with the soft drizzle tapping against the windows, making the world outside blur with a melancholic haze. Inside one of the unoccupied guest rooms, Julius lay sprawled on a bed, his snoring heavy and unrelenting, the kind that shook the air like distant thunder. Drool pooled on the pillow beneath his face, a stain that no one would bother cleaning. Suddenly, he jerked awake, gasping like something cold had crawled through his dreams. His eyes shot open, wide and startled, as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Fuck… what time is it?” His voice was thick with sleep, and he rubbed at his face, groaning as he rolled over to glare at the window. The curtains were slightly ajar, revealing the deep darkness outside, the faint drizzle now pattering softly against the glass.

Did I really sleep here? God, I’m getting pathetic, he thought bitterly, pushing himself up from the bed. His head was foggy, and his limbs were stiff from sleeping in his clothes. Wiping the sleep from his face, he cursed under his breath and staggered toward the door. But as soon as he stepped out, he was face-to-face with a guest. Of course.

“Yes, may I help you?” Julius yawned, barely able to muster any enthusiasm.

The woman in front of him was short, with brunette hair that stuck up in every direction, her face contorted in panic. “Look, my friend and I checked in like around noon, and around three she went out, but she hasn’t come back yet!” Her voice trembled, fear thick in every word. “I tried calling the police, but there’s no service—no bars, nothing!”

Why couldn’t she go missing too? The cruel thought slithered into Julius’ mind before he could stop it, and he had to slap himself mentally. Get it together, he thought. “Sorry to hear that,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “I just got off break, and, honestly, I’m not even supposed to be working right now, so…”

His voice trailed off, and he awkwardly rubbed his forearm, staring at the floor. "Get Emery to help. The girl up front," he mumbled, already turning to leave, hoping to escape the situation.

But the woman wasn’t letting him off that easy. She followed, her voice rising in frustration. “What girl? There’s no one at the front desk! Please, did you even hear what I said? My friend is missing!” She was practically screaming now, the words buzzing in his ear like an angry wasp.

Julius barely registered her panic, though, because as they reached the top of the stairs, he could already hear the commotion below. The lobby was filled with noise, voices clashing against each other in an aggressive symphony. He cocked a brow, turning back to the woman. “Did you say no one’s at the front desk?” His voice was skeptical as he stomped down the stairs, bracing himself for the chaos.

The moment he entered the lobby, he could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating. Voices were raised, arguments flaring.

"Fuck’s sake, Gloria! Hang up the damn phone!" Alex screamed, his frustration sharp and biting.

"Why would I listen to you?! And the damn landline is down! Thanks so fucking much for this GREAT vacation, Alex!" A woman’s voice shot back, dripping with sarcasm and anger.

And that’s its own mess, Julius thought, his annoyance growing as he tried to wade through the chaos.

He was immediately bombarded from all sides. In his left ear, old man Chester was complaining about a rancid smell in his room, his voice hoarse and furious. Meanwhile, a young girl, Violet, tugged at his sleeve, her wide eyes filled with worry as she begged to know when her father would arrive. On his right side, a father-daughter duo was screaming about the state of their rooms, their voices blending into a cacophony of complaints.

Through it all, there was no sign of Emery.

Julius felt his blood pressure rising. He squeezed behind the desk, his breath caught in his throat, his patience hanging by a thread. Finally, he snapped, his voice booming through the lobby like a thunderclap.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, ALL OF YOU!”

For a brief, glorious second, the room fell silent. Every face turned toward him, their mouths hanging open in shock. But it didn’t last. That firecrotch—Gloria—was the first to break the silence, her hands on her hips, her eyes burning with anger.

"Why the fuck is the landline down? I’d like to make a phone call!" she spat, her voice venomous.

“Yeah, my dad isn’t here, and I’m getting worried… the service is down, and…” Violet muttered, tugging anxiously at her black hair.

"And that smell!" Chester growled, his face turning red. "I’m damn near suffocating in my room. Fix it."

The room was on the verge of erupting into chaos again when Julius held up his hand, commanding their attention. His glare was cold, cutting through the noise like a blade.

“Where is the girl that’s supposed to be here?” he demanded, his patience worn thin.

Before anyone could answer, the woman from earlier—the one looking for her friend—spoke up again, her voice tight with anxiety. “She went out to the karaoke bar around the time my friend left and hasn’t come back.”

Julius pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration clawing at him. “When exactly was this?” He glanced at the clock. 6 PM.

“I don’t know… around 3 PM?”

Julius' eyes widened in shock. Three hours? His heart skipped a beat. Where the hell is Emery?

A low rumble of thunder cracked through the sky, ripping the night open with a violent roar. The ceiling lights flickered, casting the room into momentary darkness. Everyone flinched. The arguments that had been simmering reignited, but now in hushed, anxious tones, like they were afraid the storm itself might hear them. Julius stood frozen, his eyes scanning the room as the tension thickened like fog. His hand instinctively reached into his pocket for his phone. No bars. His breath caught in his throat. Shit.

Okay, he thought, swallowing the rising panic. Emery's fine. She's grown. She can handle herself.

He forced himself to take a deep breath, his mind racing, trying to keep the flood of anxious thoughts at bay. Turning back to the restless crowd, his usual sneer stretched across his face, but it felt hollow. "Look," he began, his voice more strained than he'd like, "I hear you guys, but what the hell am I supposed to do exactly?" His sarcasm was biting, but it was a flimsy mask for the dread crawling up his spine.

Chester, red-faced and puffed up with indignation, spat back at him, "Do your damn job! Is this how you people run an establishment?"

Julius shot him a cold glare, unmoved. Before he could retort, Wallace, a stiff man in a tailored suit, stepped forward, adjusting his tie with exaggerated calm. "I’d like to speak with the manager, if that’s alright," he said, his voice smooth but laced with impatience.

Julius clenched his jaw, suppressing the urge to tell them all to shove it. "He isn’t here. I’m in charge while he’s on vacation," he growled through gritted teeth. His frown deepened as he glared at Wallace. "You’ve got a problem with your room, right? Guess what, big daddy, you booked this place. So deal with it."

The room collectively gasped. A shocked silence fell, thick with disbelief.

Without missing a beat, Julius whirled toward Gloria, who stood with her arms crossed, her glare cutting through the tension like a knife. "And the landline? Yeah, it’s not working because my cheap-ass boss cut it off before leaving. Doesn’t want to pay the damn bills," he snapped, his irritation flaring.

The woman from earlier—the one who’d been asking about her missing friend—opened her mouth to speak again, but Julius cut her off before she could even get a word out. His voice, thick with frustration, cracked through the air like a whip. “Shut up about your friend! This is a small town! Nothing ever happens here—"

His words were sliced clean by a deafening crash, WHAM, at the front doors. The room exploded with screams as the guests scattered, their panic palpable, and the world seemed to tilt sideways. Julius felt his heart slam into his ribs, his breath stolen as he spun around toward the entrance.

Standing there, drenched in rain and blood, was Emery, clutching her side, her face twisted in agony. Blood soaked through her clothes, dripping onto the floor as she stumbled forward, carried by Remi, his wide eyes wild with terror. Julius’ stomach plummeted, cold dread crawling over his skin.

"Emery!" Julius choked out, his voice barely a whisper, his feet rooted to the ground in shock.

Remi’s frantic voice cut through the chaos, words tumbling out in a terrified rush. “There's—there’s something out there!” His voice cracked, his wide eyes locking onto Julius, pleading for understanding. "Something… it… it attacked us!"

The room erupted again, the guests shouting in fear, complete nonsense. Julius couldn’t move, couldn’t think. His eyes were glued to Emery, her bloodied form swaying as she gasped for breath, her face a mask of pain.

Something had followed them. Something that wasn’t supposed to exist in their quiet, forgotten little town. And it was still out there.