#and drag around the airport 3 'personal items' and a suitcase

[fullsandwichmiracle]

Welcome to Amsterdam | Part one: Festival

Paring: Joost Klein x female!reader 

Description: Performing at a festival with your friend and meeting a blond man who was also performing at the festival.

Warnings: None really, mostly background. 

Word count: 2,5K+

You are packing for a trip to the Netherlands, having been invited by a friend to join her on stage. You've been making music for about three years, but this will be your first festival in another country. The plan is to stay at your friend's house in Amsterdam, close to the festival venue. Excitement and nervousness blend as you double-check your equipment and personal items, ensuring you haven't forgotten anything important.

As you finish packing for the week, you hear a notification on your phone. It's a message from your friend.

Sara: How's everything going and don't forget to bring your laptop so we can make some music.

You: Thanks, I almost forgot. I'm going to the airport soon. I will update you before I fly off. 

Nice, see you soon then! <3

After packing your laptop Sara reminded you of, you then scanned the apartment to make sure you didn't miss anything else. Once satisfied, you dragged your suitcases to the elevator and ordered an Uber to take you to the airport. You couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and anticipation for the adventure ahead.

Upon arrival at the airport, you quickly grabbed a cart to help with your luggage and headed to the check-in counter. Despite having a lot of luggage ,clothes for the week, a stage outfit, some clubbing outfits, and swimwear, everything went smoothly. You felt prepared for anything the week might throw at you. The buzz of the airport and the chatter of travelers around you only heightened your excitement.

After passing through security, you found a bar and sat down to enjoy a much-needed airport beer, savoring the moment and the anticipation of the journey ahead. As you sipped your drink, you checked your phone to confirm your gate and departure time, knowing your plane would be leaving in 30 minutes. You felt a mixture of excitement and calm, ready to take on whatever this trip had in store.

I'm at the airport now. Everything went smoothly and it looks like the plane is leaving as planned. 

Great. Meet you there. 

You finished your beer and headed to the gate as boarding began. Finding your seat, you settled in, ready for the flight to Amsterdam. The anticipation of the upcoming festival kept your spirits high.

The trip was quick, but you managed to squeeze in a short nap, feeling refreshed as you neared your destination.

As you exited the airport, you saw Sara waiting for you with a big smile and a welcoming hug. The excitement of seeing her and starting this adventure together made you feel even more energized for the week ahead.

"Hiiii Y/N! So nice to see you irl” 

“Hello Sara! Nice to finally meet you too.”

You both hugged before she helped you load all the luggage into her car.

The festival was three days long, and you were scheduled to play on the second day, Friday. Today was Wednesday, and you and Sara decided to take it easy, resting from your flight and gearing up for the first day of the festival. You spent the day indoors, working on a new song together. Having collaborated over the phone before, it felt natural to create music side by side. 

By the time you decided to call it quits for the day, it was close to midnight. You had completed a chorus, rough lyrics, and a basic beat. Though it wasn’t a finished song, you were both surprised and pleased with how quickly you managed to put it together.

After saying goodnight, you went to bed, excited for the first day of the festival.

Sara burst into your room, yelling, "Are you ready to rumble?" She jumped on top of you, playfully hitting you with a pillow, laughter echoing through the room.

Despite only knowing each other online until now, you and Sara had developed a strong bond, feeling more like lifelong friends than just virtual ones.

You both got dressed, looking forward to a day packed with activities. You opted for a see-through top over a black bikini, paired with a long jean skirt. Meanwhile, Sara dressed in a black bikini and oversized basketball shorts. 

You wrap yourself in the flag of your country and head out the door, ready to represent your nation proudly at the festival. The vibrant colors of the flag flutter in the breeze, catching the attention of passersby as you make your way towards the festival. 

Arriving at the festival grounds, Sara handed you two wristbands—one for guests and another for your performance tomorrow. You quickly put them on, feeling the excitement build as you headed inside. Despite the early hour, the atmosphere was already alive with bustling crowds and vibrant music echoing through the air. The anticipation of what the day held in store added an electric buzz to the scene.

You began the day by heading to the food carts with Sara to grab something to eat, both realizing in your excitement that breakfast had been forgotten. The enticing aroma of freshly cooked food and the wide variety of options made choosing difficult, but eventually, you both settled on delicious fresh sandwiches.

Walking around with your newly acquired food, you headed towards one of the stages to enjoy the music.

As the day flew by, both of you grew increasingly exhausted. Opting to head home early, you agreed not to expend all your energy, knowing you had a performance scheduled for tomorrow.

When you arrived home, both of you changed into more comfortable clothes and snuggled up on the couch. With a movie playing in the background, you resumed working on the song you started the previous day. The day filled with music had left you both inspired, eager to continue creating together. 

It was well past midnight when you finally finished the song. Though it wasn't quite ready for release, both of you agreed to play it at your set tomorrow. After practicing it once more, you headed back to bed, both of you in need of some sleep.

This day, you woke up to Sara playing one of your songs at full volume as she marched through your room, singing along enthusiastically.

"Todays the day," Sara declared as she plopped down next to you in bed, creating a dip from the new weight. 

She was always so joyful, her energy filling the room and rousing you from sleep, even though you were tired from the previous day. 

Today, you chose a laid-back ensemble: a pink hoodie adorned with your stage name, paired with shorts concealed beneath. Sara sported a similar outfit as the day before, switching her black bikini for a pink one to complement your attire. 

With your stage outfit packed in a bag, you headed back to the festival, entering through a special artist entrance. Finding Sara's trailer, you unloaded all your belongings before venturing out into the festival area.

You watched several performances before making your way back to the trailer to prepare for your own stage appearance. On the way, you and Sara sang along to songs you'd heard earlier, dancing with excitement coursing through your veins. Caught up in the moment, you spun around and accidentally bumped into someone.

"OMG, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," you apologized, turning to face a tall, blond man with piercing blue eyes, dressed in a white tank top and black baggy jeans.

Noticing how close you were, you quickly backed up, apologizing once more.

The man chuckled. "It's fine. You seemed lost in another world."

He extended his hand towards you. "I'm Joost. And you are Y/S/N?"

You shook his hand. "That's my stage name. My real name is Y/N."

You found yourself lost in a trance staring into his eyes, until Sara stretched out her hand to greet Joost, breaking the spell.

"Hi, I'm Sara. Nice to meet you, Joost," she said with a friendly smile, shaking his hand. "But we have to get going; we're on stage in an hour." She glanced at you, her eyes full of excitement and determination for the performance ahead. She grabbed your hand and swiftly pulled you away from Joost, eager to focus on the upcoming performance. You exchanged a quick glance with Sara. 

"He was so hot," you exclaimed as soon as you stepped into the trailer, flopping down on the couch beside Sara, who chuckled knowingly. "You know, you stared into his eyes for like a whole minute," she added, making you feel a mix of embarrassment and amusement. Sara grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying your reaction. 

You got ready, changing into your stage outfit: a fluffy pink tank top paired with a matching bucket hat and a short jean skirt featuring your stage name on the back. Sara opted for the same bucket hat and a pink jersey dress adorned with her name. After doing your makeup, you both took a shot to calm your nerves before making your way to the stage.

Ten minutes before you were set to go on stage, you peeked out from behind the stage curtain at the already large crowd that had gathered, feeling a rush of excitement and nervous anticipation. The energy of the audience was palpable, adding to your eagerness to perform but also to your nerves.

One of Sara's songs began playing, and she stepped out onto the stage to cheers from the crowd. It was a song you had collaborated on with her, and as your part approached, you dashed onto the stage, eliciting an ecstatic response from the audience. Performing outside your own country, you weren't sure how the crowd would react, but their enthusiastic response fueled your excitement and calmed your nerves.

As you finished the first song, Sara screamed into the mic, "Helloooo, Netherlands! I'm Sara, and this is my amazing friend, Y/S/N!" The crowd erupted into cheers once again. "Do you guys wanna hear a new unreleased song?" Sara continued, prompting another wave of screams from the crowd. "I hope you like it!" she added before the beat kicked in.

You both ran around, energetically jumping on the stage while singing along to the new unreleased song, the crowd joining in on the chorus as it repeated. As the song reached its finale, you both sat down at the edge of the stage, singing the last part while gazing out over the crowd. While scanning the audience, you noticed Joost standing in the VIP section, attentively watching your performance. A rush of adrenaline mixed with a sense of accomplishment swept over you as you locked eyes with him, adding an unexpected thrill to the moment.

The next song was one of yours, featuring more introspective lyrics and a mellower beat. You and Sara swayed along with the music, seated at the edge of the stage, singing in harmony. The crowd joined in, swaying and singing along throughout the entire song. Throughout the song, you kept glancing over at Joost, who was also swaying and singing along with the music.  

As you finished the song, you blew a kiss into the crowd. Rising from your seats, you and Sara prepared for the next song, its upbeat tempo filling the air once more. The rest of the set proceeded smoothly, and every now and then, you stole glances to see if Joost was still watching. 

As the set drew to a close, you and Sara thanked everyone for joining, blowing kisses and waving to the cheering crowd before stepping off stage, feeling a mix of exhilaration and gratitude for the unforgettable experience. 

Heading back to your trailer, you spotted Joost in the distance, slowly making his way towards you. A smile spread across your face as you anticipated what he might say about the performance.

"You guys were amazing!" he exclaimed as he reached where you were standing next to your trailer.

"Thank you," you and Sara said in unison, smiling gratefully at Joost's compliment.

"I'm going to perform on the big stage in like an hour if you wanna watch," he said before heading into his trailer. 

You and Sara headed into your trailer, quickly chugging some water and sitting down to catch your breath. You relaxed in the trailer until Joost's set was about to begin in five minutes. Both of you jumped up and hurried to the big stage and into the VIP section still in your stage clothes.

The crowd was double the size of yours, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as people chanted Joost's name in anticipation of his imminent appearance on stage. You and Sara found yourselves caught up in the electric energy pulsating through the air.

Joost burst onto the stage, running and jumping as the beat of one of his songs filled the air. He greeted the crowd with infectious enthusiasm before diving into his set. His energy was palpable as he danced and jumped to the rhythm, and the crowd mirrored his excitement. You and Sara joined in, singing along and dancing to his music, thoroughly enjoying the experience. His stage presence was mesmerizing, drawing everyone into his performance.

As his set ended, the crowd erupted into cheers as Joost exited the stage. Once he had left, you and Sara hurried out from the VIP section, eager to catch Joost and express how much you enjoyed his performance.

Unable to find him amidst the crowd, you and Sara decided to head back to your trailer to freshen up. Squeezing onto the couch together, you snuggled close while watching some TikTok's from the festival on your phone.

You heard a knock on the door, and Sara yelled, "It's open!" not wanting to get up. The door creaked open slowly, and Joost walked into the trailer, finding you and Sara cuddled up together.

"How cute," he remarked as he squeezed onto the edge of the couch. "I saw you during my set. What did you guys think?"

"It was amazing, the crowd loved you," you said, sitting up to make space for Joost on the couch. Sara joined in, "Yeah, you were incredible," as she also shifted to a sitting position. The three of you settled comfortably, the trailer now buzzing with a relaxed yet excited energy as you recounted your favorite moments from his set. Joost's smile widened with each compliment, and he shared some behind-the-scenes stories that had you and Sara laughing.

"I'm going to an after-party with some other performers. Do you guys want to join?" he asked casually, placing his hand on your thigh, making your body shiver.

"Yes, sounds so fun," Sara answered quickly, and you nodded along, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation.

Joost gave your thigh a gentle squeeze before standing up and handing you a piece of paper with an address and time on it. "Great, see you guys soon," he said with a smile as he headed out the door.

Once he was gone, Sara turned to you with a wide grin. "This is going to be epic," she said, her excitement palpable. You couldn't help but agree, your mind already racing with the possibilities of the night ahead.

Packing up everything and throwing on your hoodie over your stage outfit, you and Sara exited the trailer and headed home to get ready for the after-party.

Once you arrived home, you jumped into the shower to freshen up. Back in your room, you rummaged through your suitcases to find your prettiest pair of underwear, hoping you might get lucky. Sitting down on your bed, you pondered over what to wear, excitement bubbling up inside you.

You decided to stick with the same skirt from the stage since it made you feel empowered and pretty, pairing it with a pink top that showed off plenty of cleavage. You walked out to the living room where Sara sat on her phone, wearing a loose black dress. She turned around and whistled. "Damn, somebody's getting laid tonight!" You laughed, and the both of you headed out, excited for the night ahead.

To be continued…. 

Part two

[level8case]

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[bonzicatgirl]

"Cheap", a parody of Radiohead's 'Creep'

When I saw you before Made promises to me Said 'let's hang out soon!' Insincerely You invited me over But had catalogs to shop There's so much peer pressure You just need to stop Cause I'm so cheap I got no dough what the hell am I doing here *gestures to Pampered Chef/31/PR/Scentsy/JamBerry party* I don't belong here Don't care if it's weird I wanna save some dough I count all the squares on The toilet paper roll I want to get takeout Instead of bag lunch You think that I'm healthy Yeah so fucking healthy But I'm just cheap I got no dough 365 days a year What's even in here? *eyes sandwich suspiciously* Whatever's at the thrift store Whatever's on sale Everything costs money So much money But I'm so cheap Need a bank roll Double ply is a luxury I'll do without it I'll do without it

[thatgoblin]

RE Cul De Sac 1A

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Pairings: Leon x Chris

Summary: Leon finally is out from under the government's thumb and is trying to find his place with his new found freedom. A call from an old friend lets him know that he has a place if he doesn't want to stay in D.C. anymore. It just so happens to be with the mostly retired BSAA captain.

Warnings: None

Leon had never felt so exhausted before. Usually he was good with catching a few winks of sleep on the plane between missions and home, but he had passed out completely on the plane to the non-descript city that held his new life. Thankfully he was left alone even with the soft snores drifting around the cabin.

Ears back and eyes narrowed as his tail flicked around to warn anyone who may cross him, he trudged through the airport towards baggage claim. All of his stuff from his apartment had already been packed up and shipped, leaving him with just a few personal supplies and clothes as he finished up his leave of absence paperwork.

He hadn't quit the DOS, but he managed to secure a good few months of leave that would let him actually rest and have a life. With new people in charge, it was easy to get his leave approved as well as a change of address. Hell, Claire had said she'd get Chris and the others to put in a good word for him at the BSAA if it meant he'd stay off of active duty for a while.

While he appreciated the offer, he was going to take his time off first. It was an elusive animal and now that he had it in his hands, he didn't want to lose it.

Once at the carousel of bags, Leon grabbed his before pulling out his phone.

'Message when you get out front. We'll pull up to the curb to get you.'

Tucking his phone away, Leon headed out to the front. The airport itself wasn't actually that big, at least compared to others he'd travelled to. It was a straight shot from the gates to the baggage claim and then the pick up lanes outside. In fact it was a relief to be so simple. No trams or stairs to take, no one to pass because they're going slower than everyone else. It took him just five minutes to get from his gate to the front and that was when he stopped for his suitcase.

Standing at the curb, he took his phone out again and shot a quick text to Claire.

'I'm outside.'

The late September air felt so different from the muggy oceanside air in D.C. It was soft and had a slight breeze. Not scorching hot but not biting cold. It was that transition time where it was perfect to have the windows open all day and night before autumn truly hit.

A red truck pulled Leon from his thoughts as it stopped in front of him. Before he could even register who was in it, the passenger side door flew open and Claire jumped up to squeeze him.

"You made it!" She cried, grinning before letting go. Leon had no time to react as she grabbed his luggage to throw in the back seat of the cab then climbed in after it.

"Hey," Chris said, smiling at him and waving from behind the wheel.

"Hey," he replied, climbing into the truck. Once the door closed, Chris pulled away from the sidewalk.

"How was your flight?" Claire asked, leaning forward between the front seats onto the console. Her tail was wagging briskly, thumping against the seats as her ears were perked and ready to listen.

"It was okay. Slept through most of it," he said. "Just finished up paperwork at the office the night before and only got a few hours of sleep."

"Well, now you'll be able to catch up on your cat naps!" Claire said with a giggle.

"If I weren't so tired, I would give a sassy come back," Leon said with a snort as he shook his head.

"Ignore her," Chris said. "She's had 3 cups of coffee and has cleaned my house at least twice in the last 12 hours. Jill has kicked her out for the day because she's tried of Claire trying to rearrange the dishware in the kitchen."

"I just wanted to have things perfect for when you got here," Claire said with a heavy sigh. "Besides, Chris' house needed it. We even decorated it a bit better too. Now it actually looks like a home and not some squatters place. I swear Chris, sometimes I wonder if you like anything outside of work."

"You're one to talk," Chris said. "If it wasn't for Jill, your place would look like a frat house."

"No it wouldn't and you know that," Claire grumbled. "You're just mad that I have better taste than you."

"Oh no, whatever will I do?" He said, rolling his eyes as he pulled onto the highway.

"Probably have Piers invade and turn it into a military museum if you're not careful," Claire said with a snort.

"You talk too much," Chris huffed.

"And what's wrong with that?" Claire asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't know, but maybe the fact that Leon just got in the truck and he's already nodded off despite you chattering," Chris said with a smirk.

Looking at Leon, Claire say the cat boy had indeed nodded off. His face rested against his fist, propped up by his elbow on the window sill.

"Poor guy," Claire said, softening her voice to let her friend rest. "Probably hasn't had a decent night of sleep in a while."

"I'd say it's been a lot longer than just a while," Chris said, his own voice lowering.

The drive home wasn't that long, 20 minutes in the late morning traffic. Claire had settled down, letting Leon rest. Planning to do a few things together could wait. She had been so caught up in her excitement of having her friend move in next door that she forgot the hell he'd exited just a few weeks ago.

It had been rushed for sure, making time and space to get his things there before he did, then trying to figure out what to put in storage and what to put in his room. Leon had sold most of his furniture, really only bringing a few large items like his own TV and bed. His dishes and such were either sold or given away as well, making the move a bit easier.

He was given the guest room in Chris' house, a Dutch Colonial that had been the first house in the Cul de Sac, Albert Wesker's home was a recent addition next door to it.

That was how Chris found out about the older home next to him. Albert had talked about how there were bids to tear the house down because it was so old, built in the 30's and wasn't care of very well after the original owners passed away. The others had purchased the spots of land shortly afterwards before the Home Owners Associate could swoop in and try to put restrictions on what they could build. While theirs were built from the ground up, Chris took his as a project.

It was nearly three months of renovations, which was pretty quick considering how much work had been done, before he could move in completely. It took about the same time for the others' homes to be built.

"Should we wake him up?" Chris asked as he pulled into the driveway of his house.

"I mean, we can't let him sleep in the truck all day," Claire said.

Chris rolled his eyes at his sister who shrugged. Reaching over, he shook Leon a bit by the shoulder.

"Hey, we're home," he said.

The blond tabby opened his eyes before taking a deep breath and stretching.

"Cool." Opening the door, he stepped out and waited for Clair to hand him his luggage. Before she could, Chris was out and had it in his hands. "I can carry my own things," he called after the shepherd.

"Well, it's your first day home," Chris said, turning back to give the other a smile. "Better get used to having someone around for help."

"Does he always do that?" Leon asked, looking back at Claire.

"Basically my whole life," she said with a nod. The two followed the older man into the house, Leon taking in his surroundings the whole time. Inside, he was given a quick tour as there were only a few rooms on the first floor. The second floor was the bedrooms with a bathroom and shower, then the basement for storage.

Leon's room was across the hall from Chris', which was a small comfort of sorts for him.

"I'll go ahead and let you get settled in. I'm sure Claire will let you get some rest before barging in and dragging you off somewhere," Chris said, setting his bags on the bed.

"I was going to let him have the rest of the day to chill out," Claire said, crossing her arms. "Tomorrow is a different story though."

Leon raised a brow at the two, wondering if it had been such a good idea to move in with the Redfield siblings being so close in proximity.

"I'm going to pass out now. I'll try to be awake by dinner," Leon said.

"If you're not, that's okay. Let me know if you need anything," Chris said with a soft smile and a nod.

"Thanks," Leon said, getting enough of a breath in before Claire was wrapping herself around him again but tighter. "Jesus-"

"I'm glad you're here!" She cried into his chest, pulling back to smile up at him.

"Glad I'm here too," he said, a smile tugging at his lips. It was what she wanted to hear and while Leon himself wasn't certain if he was or not, time would only tell.

Master List of Drabbles

Tag List: @abysswhiskey11 @interviewedchicken @lonely-af-fangirl @girl-obsessed-with-things @mmmm----15 @depressedthebluefox @whimsywispsblog @singingsiren98 @parkerschurros @chrissyreid @bohica160 @death-is-beautiful @mittensdun @ravenrune @bsaa-bitch

[crispycrimebrulee]

Chrollo x Reader: ~Heart of Hermes~

Part 2: Between You & I, We Share the Same Name

Touching down in Yorknew City after a long flight was almost a miracle, seeing as the turbulence always made you uneasy. You’d slept most of the plane ride, trying to manifest good luck and fool proof plans for your journey ahead. It was late into the night already, and the silent, ethereal feeling of the airport as you wandered through the halls alone made you feel like you almost shouldn’t be there. No music, barely a soul running about, not hustle and bustle; just you and whatever secrets Yorknew City’s airport held. 

Stepping out from the airport, you were greeted with that sweet summer air and you sighed. An image of that gray eyed man flashed in your mind, and you scowled. You’d only seen him a few times, but the secrets he clearly kept behind his eyes were alluring, and your desire to know what they were only grew with every passing day. It wasn’t him or his looks, per se, (although you couldn’t deny he was strikingly attractive) but he had an air about him that called to you, like a siren calls a sailor to his demise. He called you to yours, seeking a knowledge that would undoubtedly harm you. But like a fool, you would fall into that harm all too willingly, because as they say, curiosity killed the cat. Resilient as you were, on the flip side, satisfaction would bring you back. If you crossed paths with him, you’d go along with it, but for now, you needed a cab and to get to your hotel room. 

Hailing a cab, you gave him your destination as you settled into the back of the car, checking the time and making small talk. You’d entered the heart of the city and you took in the view: gentle but inviting lights all around, staggeringly tall buildings and a feeling of ambition sat in the air, making you feel like this next job would be eventful and successful. You’d zoned out, admiring the city until you heard the cab driver snapping and calling out to you, asking for payment. You paid and stepped out of the cab, grabbing your things and watching the cab driver peel out from where he left you. 

You checked in, and made your way to your room, to which you sank into the bed promptly. You had some scouting to do tomorrow, but for now, you needed to collect yourself, maybe even get a drink. You laid there for a few minutes before dragging yourself up and looking at the scrolls again, making sense of the routes and passageways in the museum, taking into account any secrets in the building that could make your job easier or harder. Your mind felt numb after 20 minutes, the layout of the museum making your head feel heavy with boredom. You put the scroll down and tucked them away under the bed for safe keeping. Getting up, you left your room in search of a drink. 

Stepping back outside into the city, you walked down the streets in search of a bar. There was a low hum of city business going about, as well as the general city noise, and it was almost calming, hearing the city's unique music travel through the air. Upon reaching a bar, you stepped inside. It had a bit of a lo-fi aesthetic to it; neon lights yet still particularly dark. There were a handful of people there, low conversation and clinking glasses. You sat down and ordered a drink, looking around and taking in your surroundings. The bartender placed your drink down, and you nodded a thank you, taking the drink and swirling it a bit. You pulled out your phone to check the area map to see what part of the city you were in, and how close you were to the auction house. Sitting there casually sipping your drink, you stopped mid sip, for that disconcertingly similar aura seemed to have found you again. You felt it floating around your head, and you glanced to your right, trying to pinpoint the oh-so-familiar man in question. He wasn’t there, so turning to your left, slowly, you nearly spat out your drink. There he was, seated right next to you, with a vodka-cran in his hand, a book in the other. Clearly a look of shock was smeared all over your face, as he chuckled and stuck out his hand.

“I must’ve startled you. I apologize.” he said, his voice low and almost silky.

You looked at his hand and then back at him, slowly nodding your head in acknowledgement. 

He raised an eyebrow and his hand retreated, seemingly to his dismay.

“Why are you following me?” you asked, keeping your eye on him whilst finishing off your drink.

“I’m not. Simply a familiar face” he replied, a sly smile on his face, clearly lying through his teeth.

You made a face, your lip curling upward and you squinted at him, nearly insulted that he’d lie so casually. 

You paid the bartender and shuffled out of the bar, trying to get away from the avid follower. Turning the corner, you walked into an alarmingly menacing group of people; 4 people and they looked like trouble. One with sleek black hair down to his back, and concerningly vacant eyes. A short girl, with short hair and glasses, locking eyes with you. A quite small one next to the man with long hair was in a traditional japanese kimono with short hair, almost hiding behind the taller one. Another relatively short one with an umbrella, half his face covered with a turtleneck-like outfit. This was going to be a problem. You turned, only to be face to face with the gray eyed man, almost looking a little bashful. 

He stuck out his hand again, a soft smile forming on his lips. 

You put your hands on your hips and cocked your head to the side, pursing your lips and giving him a glare.

“I suppose we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Chr-” he started.

“I don’t give a shit.” you retorted, cutting him off and waving your hand, walking around him.

You can tell he was taken aback without being able to see his face, and the group that was behind you was shocked too. You could hear the mans and the group's footsteps behind yours as you walked off, and he caught up to you rather quickly.

“Hey now, that's quite rude.”, he huffed, looking at you, “Allow me to reconcile whatever I’ve done?”

You rolled your eyes and stopped, giving him a dead look. 

“Make your case.” you deadpanned, glancing at the group beside him.

“I’m Chrollo Luicilfer” he finally got out, sticking his hand out once again.

“I’m not shaking your hand.” you replied, looking at it with a slight look of disgust. 

He took it back with a light laugh.

“Alright, I believe that’s fair. Now, it seems you think I’ve been following you-” he stated.

“That’s an understatement and a lie.” you cut him off once again., “Frankly I’m not interested in whatever it is you have to tell me, Chrollo. Goodnight.”

You walked off, feeling everyone's eyes on you. You knew you’d be seeing them all again while you were here. You couldn’t really tell why or how, but they’d show up again, so he had time to make his case.

The morning came with a slight feeling of guilt and a stiff neck. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you slowly blinked, your head still gripped with sleep. The stiff neck wasn’t too much of a concern; that can always be sorted out with a warm shower and some stretching, but the guilt? You knew where that was coming from: your encounter with Lucilfer the night before. You’d been particularly snarky towards him, not allowing him to make his case, as you’d stated that night. To be fair, he had been following you, and you weren’t too fond of the fact that he lied about it. But again, as you had also thought, you’d see him again. 

Crawling out of bed, you checked to make sure your scrolls and all the items you collected over the days were still in your room. Seeing they were still there, you made your way over to your suitcase and picked out an outfit for the day. A white dress shirt and some tan colored bottoms, with white shoes to match. You left just the first 3 buttons of the shirt undone. You set your outfit with a gold chain, and did a little twirl for yourself in the mirror. You grabbed a backpack and made your way to the auction house in the city in order to scope it out. It was some ways away but you’d make it work, and you could use the walk. The city in the morning felt like any other city: loud and full of usual business and massive, leaving one to feel small, realizing that you’re one of many itty bitty pieces in an almost infinite puzzle. 

You rounded a corner and made your way down another street, noting the alleyways and landmarks along the way as escape routes and hideouts if you found yourself stuck in a pinch during the night of your escapade. As if on cue, you felt eyes on you, but not Lucifer's eyes this time. This aura felt eerie and unattached as well as most definitely unhinged. Not making it obvious, you tried to see if the person in question was in your peripherals by any chance, to perhaps gauge how to deal with them. As you kept walking, albeit on high alert, the person and their aura passed you: the man with the long black hair, and he was staring a hole into your very being, his lifeless eyes clearly gaging you, rather than you to him. You locked eyes with him, and he stared back, unwavering. Looking at him soon made you feel like keeping eye contact was dangerous, as if he was reading your thoughts just by keeping up this staring contest. Soon, he looked away and walked faster, leaving you in slight confusion. Clearly he had gathered something from you, physical or not. You searched the light crowd for him, but he’d vanished, aura and all. You finally showed up at the auction house. There was no way you’d be able to get inside without a ticket, and it wouldn’t be open until there was an auction. You peeked around the sides of the building, checking for vents like you did for the Minerva Museum. There seemed to be cameras on every square inch of the building, causing your to furrow your brows in exasperation. It wouldn’t be too much of a problem, controlling the cameras, but it was a bit of a pain, having so many cameras around. There was a vent, but it was much too small for you, or anyone else to fit in. Sure, you could send in your rollers, but to what end? Again, you couldn’t use the vents. You pondered over this for some time before your thoughts drifted to Chrollo and you rolled your eyes at yourself for letting yourself get carried away with a stranger. Peering up, the top of the building was staggeringly high, and you couldn’t be bothered to scale it. Thinking back to how it would only open for auctions and most likely mafia business, you figured, you might as well make like you’re attending the auction, which probably should’ve been your first thought. Originally, you planned to sneak in a different way, without having to dress up for the auction, but now dressing up seemed inevitable. Feeling the rollers in your pocket yet again, you took them out and tossed them into the vent, just to at least get a look at what you’d be walking through. Leaning against the side of the building, you fiddled the balls around the vent, finding the exit through another vent after around 10 minutes. The building was surprisingly busy on the inside; staff running around seemingly to prepare for the auction in the next 2 days. Running the balls along the wall, careful to stop and try to be unnoticeable, you nearly crawled out of your own skin upon seeing a familiar face dressed up like staff: the short man who had been wearing a turtleneck like outfit was standing with a blond man, and they were both extremely out of place in your opinion. They’re scouting the place out as well you thought, studying them from your rollers. You made note not to follow them, but you did observe them walking around, carrying supplies and being somewhat of a help to other staff members. You continued on in a different direction, looking for where the vault might be. 

You had rounded a few corners before finding yourself in a long hallway with a computer operated door by the looks of it. In the peripheral of the roller, the same two men from earlier showed up at the door with some other staff. They were carrying some seemingly expensive items, and they unlocked the door with a slew of passwords and checks. Slipping in through the quickly closing crack of the door, the roller caught sight of what you were looking for: the vault. A huge vault, several feet high, and you could already tell it was several feet thick. There were no vents in the area, so venting in and out would be out of the question. You watched one of the staff members open the vault and take the items from the other staff and the two non-staff and place them in the vault. The staff member turned and motioned for the others to follow suit in leaving, leaving the vault door to close on its own. You quickly maneuvered your rollers to get inside, making it in before it sealed. Turning on the little night vision aspect on your rollers, you nearly fell over with just how full (and large) the vault was. The vault was massive, and most of it was full of interesting and dazzling items from around the world. You tilted the rollers upward trying to see if by some miracle, there was a vent in the ceiling that could potentially lead to the roof, allowing for a rooftop entrance (to which then you wouldn’t mind having to scale the building). There was no vent, to which at this point, you could see that essentially walking through the front door would be the only option. You left your roller in there, seeing as it had no way out until the staff came back, so you rolled it into a corner, and let it sit there for when you eventually would be in the vault as well. 

You made your way to leave the building, seeing as you’d been there for 20 minutes or so. You felt eyes on you once again, letting out a loud exasperated sigh, thinking about how you were being watched at all times at this rate, and you angrily scanned the area for who it was this time. In the distance, in some shrubbery, was the man with the long hair, and a blonde in a green tracksuit, seemingly Gucci. The man in the tracksuit whistled, a wolf whistle in fact, and you couldn't keep yourself from gagging at the less than awful notion of what the whistle was for. You spun on your heels and walked off to the nearest cafe, feeling the two men hot on your trail. Stepping inside, you joined the line, trying to keep your composure. You felt their presence even stronger now, but they aren't behind you. You peeked out the windows of the shop to see them standing there, apparently being scolded by Chrollo. You watched them as you made your way up the line and ordered your drinking, being wary of the men watching you from the outside. Soon leaving the shop, you passed, avoiding eye contact with them as best as possible. You felt all three of them watching you, and you did everything in your power to not lose your mind with the creepiness factor. You looked back, and locked eyes with Chrollo, and even though it was a good distance away, you felt him studying you, trying to read you and figure you out. You slowly averted your gaze and you walked on, preparing yourself for the adventure to come.

September 1st. The night of nights. You wore a black satin full body piece, and some diamond accessories to match. You wore decent and classy boots, both practical and tactical. Although fancy looking, it was also a tactical outfit in general, allowing you to look stunning yet ready to set things straight if need be. You looked at yourself in the mirror and put on your best face. You carried two small knives in your boots and your rollers, and a small handbag, and walked out of your hotel room, ready to snag a gem.

Approaching the auction building, you took a deep breath, seeing as your nerves were particularly jumpy at this point. Not like there was a reason, you’ve pulled similar stunts before. Maybe it was the thought that another massacre would occur, or that you would undoubtedly come face to face with Chrollo again. You sighed and made your way inside the auction house, wary as ever.

Upon entering, the place felt busy and excited, staff running from one end to another, important public figures scattered about and chatting with each other, the lively hum of conversation filling the air. As much as you wanted to see everything happening, you had work to do. By ‘work to do’, it meant finding a staff member who either had the proper access cards for the pre-vault door, or managing to get in there without one. The chances that the staff wouldn’t have their eyes on their card at all times would be highly unlikely, so the chances of getting one would be slim. The auctioning part of the auction hadn’t started yet, so you had some time to get in the vault to take what you needed and leave. This was like any of your other missions, get in, get what you want, get out and go home. Maybe stay for the festivities if you were particularly bored. You took a glass of champagne from one of the servers that were milling about and casually walked around, offering fake smiles and the occasional glass raise to individuals you passed by. You rounded the corner during your stroll through the many hallways and nearly choked on your champagne. There was the door again, the giant metal computer operated one at the end of the hallway, and you could barely keep your excitement within you. You looked around casually, as to make sure you didn't look too suspicious, and you noted three cameras and smiled a little. You walked back out of the hallway, but not completely, as you had a little nen work to do that required you to be near. A slight downside to your nen was having to guess which metal a particular something was made of, and having to wait 10 minutes before opting to control another type of metal. However, in the years of the ultimate guessing game, you’ve gotten pretty good at guessing metals, since there are only a handful. Subtly sticking your hand out, you tried your luck at steel, focusing to cause the cameras to move. The camera’s didn’t move, but both the security door and the vault door rattled violently. Well that’s luck at its finest, you suppose. The camera’s would be a bit of a problem, seeing as they would see you if you walked further into the hallway. You thought, for a moment, about just saying to hell with it and walking under the camera’s, because it’s not like there's any information in the world about you, you’re a ghost after all. As if by grace, the lights all shut down, and you nearly screamed thank you out loud. Still in the mindset of controlling steel, you opened the security door and rushed in, approaching the vault door. Still controlling steel, you worked the gears inside the large metal door to open, regardless of proper passwords and codes. The lights were flickering, but nevermind that. The door opened just enough for you to squeeze in (you could feel the weight of the door after all, no matter how much control you had over it) and let it quietly shut behind you. Letting your eyes adjust to the dark, you put your hand on your hips in triumph and did a bit of a victory shimmy. Step one of your wonderful plan was complete! Grabbing your phone as a (very crude, might I add) flashlight, you searched around the pile of riches in the vault. During your search, you suddenly hear cheering and loud applause, and the lights in the vault turned on. The auction has started, apparently, so you were quickly about to run out of time. You quickly scurried about, picking up swords, weapons, eyes, body parts, pots and jars of liquids and dirt, boxes that ominously rattled and binders of sheet music, passing by delicate books and small dolls whilst looking for your precious Heart of Hermes. It seemed to be 20 minutes of searching before you laid your eyes on a clear box with a small black cushion inside in the corner of the room. You couldn’t keep the small gasp from escaping you, your lip trembling in excitement and a general overflow of emotions. You’d read very little about the Heart of Hermes, and you’d only seen pictures of what an Alexandrite gem looked like, but oh. Oh was this gem far more beautiful than you could’ve ever imagined. You picked it up gently, running your fingers over the glass box, admiring the green and purple hue of the gem in the light. Time and whatever your full mission was didn’t even seem to matter anymore, you were absolutely enthralled by the gem and the secrets it would soon unlock. The lights flickered once again, and went out, the cries of shock and the general darkness snapping you out of your euphoric admiration. You heard footsteps coming towards the vault, and you scurried further into the corner, climbing on top of a rather large crate, close to the ceiling almost. The cries of shock you’d heard earlier quickly turned into cries of fear and panic, and you could hear wild footsteps running about, almost in the sense of trying to get away. Something was happening, once again. Another massacre? Maybe...but now was not the time to get caught up in thinking, seeing as someone was clearly trying to break open the vault door. Almost deafening hammering sounds for at least 5 minutes, until they all but stopped. One particularly large hit sent the door flying off its hinges, and you bit your lip to keep from yelping. Your eyes already adjusted to the darkness, now being aided by the slight hue of the emergency lights, your heart sank to your toes upon seeing who was standing in the doorway.

Chrollo Lucilfer.

Now wait just a goddamn minute. He’s here...for what? Was he like you? Did he come to steal things as well? Your mind was going at a million miles a minute, and you shoved the small box with the Heart of Hermes into your boot, careful not to make too much noise atop the crate. 

As Chrollo walked in, a rather large group of people followed in, and you rolled your eyes. An entire entourage just to steal things, meanwhile you were doing it alone. A show off if ever there was one. You spotted the man with the long hair almost immediately, and you could swear he spotted you as well, seeing as he turned towards you.

What luck, y/n. He goddamn did.

He raised his hand and pointed directly at you, ceasing to break eye contact.

“Someone’s in here, Chrollo.” he deadpanned, your ears almost melting from how uninterested he sounded. Rough company, it seemed.

“Oh? A human prize amongst everything else here?” he murmured walking towards the snitch who pointed you out. 

The blond man in the track walked over to them as well, and pointed a flashlight towards you, and almost shrieked in excitement.

“It’s them! The hot one from the other day!” he exclaimed, and then quickly tried to take up a more cool and suave composure. 

You rolled your eyes far and long enough, almost to the point where they’d get stuck in the back of your skull if you did it any further. 

“Rapunzel over here is a snitch it seems…” you hissed, glaring at the man with the long hair.

The other blonde, not in a tracksuit, snickered at your remark. 

“What are you doing here.” the Rapunzel wannabe asked plainly.

You raised your eyebrow at the seemingly ridiculous question.

“Seeing the Pope.”, you sneered, squinting at him “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“The Pope isn’t here.” he replied, cocking his head to the side.

You nearly fell off the crate with how the comment went so far over his head.

“I’m stealing things. I’m going to assume you’re stealing things as well. You’re in a vault, I’m in a vault, we’re all in a vault that we shouldn’t be in, two plus two is four, it all makes sense.” you said, sitting up right and making yourself comfortable on top the crate. 

“Who are you.” he asked.

“I’m a thief. Who are you?” you replied, ignoring the depth of his own question.

Before the man could answer, Chrollo answered for him.

“The Phantom Troupe.” Chrollo proclaimed, a smile forming on his lips.

Oh. You slightly realized the situation you were in at this point. You felt silly not realizing who they were beforehand.

“Chrollo, you've been chasing some criminal this whole time?” a woman with pink hair chimed in, making a disgusted face.

“Uh everyone here is a criminal. You guys aren’t exactly special either in the criminal regard.” you said, raising an eyebrow at her.

“We are The Phantom Troupe. The infamous Troupe. We are special.” she quipped, her lip curled upward.

“You have a title. That’s about it. Society still thinks you’re a bunch of deranged, unhinged kleptomaniacs, and they regard me as the same, so we’re all the same brand of criminal in this room and outside of it.” you said with a sigh, getting disinterested in whatever they had to say.

The pink haired girl rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to come back at you when the man with the long hair spoke up.

“Get down from the crate.”, Rapunzel 2.0 demanded.

You put your hands on your knees and wiggled, leaning forward.

“No.” you smiled, retorting simply. 

“I will take you down myself.” He said, slowly approaching you.

“Touch me and I’ll make you bald.” you declared, pulling out one of your knives. 

Chrollo gently grabbed the man's arm, pulling him back. You couldn’t tell if it was for your safety or the safety of the man's hair. 

“Well, it’s wonderful to see you again so soon. Do you think this time I can have your name?” Chrollo asked, almost kindly, “I gave you mine after all.”

You sighed, because in some sort of fairness, he was right.

“Y/N”

“And a last name, y/n?” Chrollo asked again, leaning forward.

“Don’t push it.” you said, resting your head on your fist.

He chuckled, and put up his hand as if to surrender. 

“Well, what have you picked from this bounty in the vault? May I see it?” he said, sauntering over to you.

“Absolutely not.” you replied, locking eyes with him.

“Well then I don’t believe I can let you have it, y/n.” he said with a sigh, stopping some feet away from the crate.

“That’s not the code of thieves you know.” you sang, smiling a little.

The entire group looked at you, to with your shock, a collective look of perplexion, Chrollo included. However, Chrollo also seemed to be quite amused.

“And what is the rule of thieves, dear y/n?” he asked, bringing his fingers to his lip, studying you.

“Finders keepers. That’s literally how this works. I found it, so it’s mine now.” you said, trying to keep yourself from giggling. This was proving to be quite fun.

Chrollo let out a small laugh and nodded a little considering your response. 

However, that was quickly over as the long haired man materialized next to you, gripping your arm and pulling you down from the crate and holding your back against his chest, practically lifting you off the ground. Chrollo came over and began to pat you down quite thoroughly.

“Jeez if you’re going to do all that at least buy me dinner first…” you whispered, feeling his hands in some unsavory (or savory?) places on your body.

He glanced up at you, smiling a little.

“Then allow me to take you to dinner, y/n.” he cooed, seemingly admiring your face.

You squinted at him. Jokes just seem to pass over these peoples heads like planes.

“I’d rather be dead and 6 feet under than go to dinner with a stalker.” you spat, rolling your eyes and wiggling against the taller man.

“Alright then.” he sighed, turning away.

Panic quietly set in in you, and you began to scan the room. Plenty of swords, most from periods of time when iron was the main type of metal in usage.

“Can I at least say my last words?” you asked, looking at Chrollo.

He turned and smiled, giving you a confident nod. You grinned in return, unable to hide the absolute mischief behind the smile. He waved at the man holding you to set you down and you wiggled a bit, making yourself comfortable.

“Iron!” you yelled, raising your hands.

Considerably, a lot more things in the vault were made of iron than you previously suspected, because a multitude of objects sprung up and flew up haphazardly and flew about while hitting various members. An iron helmet smacked the man behind you in the face, clearly taking him by surprise as he fell over. Taking your chance, you took off running. The look on Chrollo’s face was of slight shock as you bolted out of the room. Turning your head slightly, you were now being chased by the people who weren’t hit by various iron objects. Rounding the corner you nearly fell over yourself as you came to a halt: the police, essentially an entire task force, was milling around the building, clearly called to the attack. Wonderful. Turning to run down a different hallway, an absolutely massive man rounded the corner, and you nearly crashed into him, he looked at you, and then past you, seeing what were obviously his comrades at the end of the hallway. Before they could point out that you were escaping, you ran past him just as the task force opened fire. 

Booking it down the hallway, you arrived at the stairs, nearly falling down them trying to get out of the place. Safely getting down the stairs, you turned again, seeing Chrollo at the top of the stairs, with an almost hungry look in his eyes. He made no movement to go after you, and he stopped the Troupe from going after you as well. 

That look, that I’m-going-to-see-you-again look was twinkling in his eye and you smiled as you ran out the door into the night.

[thisisthehardestthing]

This Is The Hardest Thing - 2

CHAPTER 2

Synopsis: A exchange student from the US in enrolled into UA when her father has to move to help with the increased crime rates in Japan. The final year of high school is a lot to handle, adding on top the class of 3-A and the trouble they get into will make for a wild ride.

Author’s note: Switches to third person in the middle. I hope it’s not complicated lol. I have been reading this chapter over and over and over again trying to tweak it but I think this is the best I’m going to get it. After this chapter, the plot is going to get a jumpstart in a new direction.

Triggers: swearing

Word count: 3.4k

@whats-her-quirk​ , @aizawascumslut 

CHAPTER 1 , MASTERLIST

CHAPTER 2 - BUTTERFLIES

Sun’s setting earlier, you mused. Different to what you were used to. The cool breeze of this morning was back. In a few days, it would officially be autumn. Your chest rose as you took a deep inhale. The scent of sweet grass lingered in the air as though it was recently mowed. There was a sigh of content that escaped your lips.

You walked to the dorms that you were to live in. Large doors loomed in front of you as you dragged your purple suitcase over the stoned walkway. The 3-A was hanging above the entrance painted in white on the red brick.

During the last class of the day, you were called to the reception to fill in some forms about the living arrangements, and received the key to your bedroom and front door. You recalled the amenities mentioned by the smiling receptionist; a full gym, kitchen, laundry and bath area’s. Your suitcase had also arrived, being couriered directly from the airport. You had only one that wasn’t even full, so it had felt like a waste to not have waited for it yourself.

As you stood in front of the large doors to the dorm house of Heights Alliance, the butterflies in your belly managed to start up again, wings fluttering and getting caught in your intestines. There you stood in front of the closed front door, not knowing what to expect on the other side. It almost felt as if you were supposed to knock before entering, even though you now lived there too. Your eyelids shut as you took a breath before gripping the handle with white knuckles.

The floor was wooden. A light birchwood that bent and bounced under your weight as you walked across it. Inside the large front room, the lights were bright and gave the room a warm glow. Some of your new classmates were sprawled in the lounge area, watching T.V. It was a collection of arms on the back of the chairs, legs thrown over the top of pillows. Mineta was sitting on the floor near the tv as an actress was jumping off a building, almost as if he could look up her skirt from his angle.

There were dishes clattering in the kitchen, it was carrying voices arguing about who is cooking and who is washing up. Kirishima wants barbecue meat, Momo wants a green salad with plently of fried sides to share. You heard them come to a decision of a mixture of both. Todoroki was standing in front of sink, filling up empty ice cube trays with water. It was as if the house was both the eye and the storm at once. They were working together in a neat chaos and you took it all in as you walked in.

The sounds of your footsteps and the bag wheeling behind you caught the girls’ attention and they all rushed to you. Mina and Uraraka gave you a welcoming hug. Your intestines unwound and you forgot why you were nervous in the first place.

“Finally! We were wondering if you were going to be living with us in the dorms or not!” Mina gestured, linking her arms with you like when you first met. She was extremely friendly and put you at ease with how natural it felt to talk to her.

“Yeah, I am. I had to go fill some stuff out before I got here.” You replied, smiling back at her.

“Awesome,” She said with a thumbs up, catching you off-guard because it was in English, and your smile widened. You pulled your arm out of hers and fumbled for your room key in your pocket.

“What room is 2-3?” You ask, showing the girls the yellow tag.

Mina, Tsuyu, Momo and Uraraka said they would accompany you up to your room.

“Do you mind if we help you unpack?” Uraraka asked, footsteps lightly padding on the floor as you made your way to the staircase, past the kitchen. “We want to get to know you! There are so many boy’s in our class, it’s nice to have another girl to talk to.” You heard a laugh that bordered on a bark.

“HA! As if she’s a girl.” Bakugo roared out, still bitter that you had the upper hand for a few seconds during the short fight. Kirishima grabbed him in a headlock, pulling him down low. Your eyebrows shot up as he was able to keep a firm hold on the neck, not faltering under the strength of Bakugo’s threats and tugs. He had a grey gym tank on that had wide armholes. The movement had shifted one so that half of a dark brown nipple was on display.

“Ignore him,” He flashed a toothy smile. “He just needs to get used to you. Kind of like a dog.” You gave Kirishima a small grin in return. Your eyes snapped back to Bakugo who had set off an explosion against Kiri’s side to free himself. The girls dragged you up the stairs as they rolled their eyes.

“See what we mean?” They all giggled.

Your bedroom was on the second floor, the third to the right of the split hallway. You unlocked the door. It swung open with ease, as if welcoming you home.

There was a simple bed with light grey covers folded neatly on the end. A dark wood desk and chair to do your work on, a set of drawers and a single closet, that already had some school uniforms hanging, courtesy of dad. The mini-fridge and microwave was snugly against a marble counter that had storage space both above and below it. There was an attached bathroom with a toilet and a sink. It was a bare room, which was fine because it meant you could decorate it throughout the year with things you come across.

Your bag fell heavily on your bed and Mina jumped on after it, giddy with excitement. Uraraka explained that they wanted to see what kind of clothes you wore in the USA.

“Well, I don’t want to disappoint you, but it’s pretty normal stuff.” You laughed. They were acting like you came from another planet. “I also don’t actually own a lot of things, so I’m sorry if it’s not up to your expectations.” The purple trolley bag was now unzipped and open. Tsuyu peered over your shoulder as everyone looked at the items. They watched as you hung up your clothes and they chatted animatedly among themselves, handing you some of the shirts and jeans.

It felt good to be talking to other girls your age. Ever since your mom left, it had been you and your dad. The people in your old school had started to shun you after a particularly bad incident with your quirk, which is why you didn’t want to bring it up for as long as possible. And the girls were fine to not talk about what it was, instead bringing up other topics. They’d seen how you’d danced around the questions about yourself from Midoriya’s examination during lunch. He’d been scribbling a notebook about your father but you had changed the topic as soon as he asked about you.

“Oh my!” Momo interrupted as she saw your underwear. It was a rather large collection of thongs, some lacey, most plain. Yet you only owned three bra’s in total. “So skimpy!” She lifted one up by the waist band and stretched it out gently, blushing red. You grabbed it from her, your own face and ears going pink, burning hot.

The girls fell down in their laughter. You quickly gathered it all up and stuffed it into a dresser, deciding to sort it out later.

“I like nice things” you shrugged, closing the drawer quickly.

“What else can we expect from the land of Victoria’s Secret?” Mina wiggled her eyebrows.

They soon left you to your own devices to sort out the rest of your room, welcoming you to UA as they closed the door.

It was 1 in the morning when you were finally ready to climb into bed, having just changed into your red night dress. Everything was meticulously packed away, and you were happy with the way the day turned out. Three framed photograph’s of your family sat atop the dresser. You were about 10, gap toothed smile on display with your parents staring lovingly at each other behind you. The other two were more recent pictures of you with each of your parents after their divorce.

But then your stomach rumbled and you moaned as you realized you had never eaten dinner. You raked your fingers through your thick hair, pulling it against your scalp. How could you have completely missed it? That’s also when you realized that you had not looked at your phone the entire day, and had no one’s numbers. Which was a shock. Your body was still not used to the time difference, so you convinced yourself to head downstairs since you wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway.

Maybe there are leftovers? You thought to yourself as you shrugged on a thin, white cotton bathrobe and padded quietly down the hall with your bare-feet to make your way to the kitchen. The nerves in your feet hummed in response as your quirk begged to be used.

*************************

Bakugo was definitely not expecting to see anyone. He’d went to the gym after dinner, training until late and was once again hungry. He’d just finished a shower, drops were dripping down his neck. Fingers combing through the blonde hair to fluff it back to its usual points as he made his way to the kitchen, stopping when he saw the light was already on.

Who else could be awake at this time? He thought to himself, eyebrows knitting together as the corners of his mouth turned down.

He really did not feel like talking to anyone and he was exhausted from the extra hours of exercise, so he had every plan of ignoring who else was in there until he saw her. The sight of Rei’s back to him made his blood boil, white-hot heat exploding in his body. It was a melting pot of hormonal lust, embarrassment and knowing there was an unfinished fight. It was made worse by the red nightdress hanging on her body. It dipped into a slight V, showing half of her back. She was fit and muscular, it was obviously the kind of body only achieved by intense training. He found her insanely attractive, which pissed himself off even more. He was 100% focused on being the top hero when graduating at the end of the year. He did not have time for feelings. Especially when it was only normal hormonal lust. So he redirected the anger onto other things: the punching bag in the gym, the sponge he scrubbed himself with and at Rei.

He watched in the shadows as she opened the fridge, bending forward slightly to scan the contents. Her short nightdress rode up, dangerously close to the fold of her ass and he felt his hands begin to sweat. His frown deepened. It felt stifling hot in the dark common area and if he wasn’t already shirtless, he would’ve been pulling at the neck to try and get some air. She straightened up, not finding anything that would satisfy the midnight cravings, and her dress dropped again to a somewhat respectable length.

What an idiot. Dressing like this in a common area. He thought to himself, then he saw the bathrobe on the table that had been taken off when she thought no one was going to be there. He wondered if she was as warm as he in that moment.

He heard a huff and she put one hand on her hip, the contours of her shoulders muscled reflecting in the warm glow of the kitchen and moved the hair that was over her shoulder to the back, thick strands covering smooth skin. It bounced with the movement, natural highlights glinting from the hours she would spend in the sun. It was almost mocking Bakugo for staring so intently.

He watched as she moved to inspect the cupboards and scowled when his designated doors in the corner were opened. Rei’s hands lifted up above her head as she reached for a cookie tin that was just out of reach, her dress lifting up one again. Part of him wished for it ride a little higher, the other part of him wished she would crawl back to the hole she’d come from. It was his cookies that he saved for whenever he wanted a treat. There was no way he was letting her take some. They were his.

*******************

The cookie tin kept shifting away from your fingertips as you made a grab for it, pushing it back a little further each time. Your bottom lip was caught between your teeth as you stretched up onto your toes. You huffed as it scooted all the way back and you dropped back down onto your heels. Someone tall must be their owner to store it up so high, or someone wanting to keep it hidden. Your stomach grumbled again, egging you on for the sweet snack.

Fine. You grumbled, stretching your arm out, hand open. To an outsider, it seemed as if an invisible string was connected to the tin, dragging it from the shelf as it flew into your hand. But what you felt on the inside was pure bliss. It was the first time you used your quirk, in weeks. You loved the rush of endorphins it gave you to have control over the object and you smiled. The cool metal of the tin vibrated against your palms, double chocolate chip goodness gripped firmly.

“Oi, new girl!” A gruff voice cut through the silence of the kitchen and you froze, painfully aware that you were naked underneath the dress. Pivoting on your heels, you saw Bakugo standing across from you, leaning against the counter top with his arms crossed across his bare chest. His biceps and shoulders bulged, nostrils flared.

How long has he been standing there? You wondered. Usually nothing could sneak past you, especially when your feet could feel the vibrations of everything.

Then you realised he saw you. It was nothing impressive, just moving a small object to you, but it wouldn’t be long until the rush of power it gave you would call out to be used again.

“Is that your quirk?” He sneered, with an eyebrow raised, “controlling cookie tins? That’s so shitty.”

You frowned. It was anything but that, but you learnt your lesson a few months ago when people challenged you and it went horribly wrong, and so you bit your tongue.

“Whatever, I’m not trying to impress anyone.” You retort back, opening the lid. You saw his eyes dart to the cookie tin, pupils narrowing.

“I don’t think you can impress anyone even if you tried.” He snapped, his hands dropping to the counter behind him as he leaned back. The pose was relaxed, inviting you to prove him wrong.

“Oh yeah?” you challenged, slamming the tin on the countertop, taking a few steps forward. If he wanted to fight, you wouldn’t back down. You were now a meter away from him, and you puffed your chest up to show that you weren’t going to take any of his shit.

“Yeah, dumbass. You fight like a girl, can’t even punch right.” You had to look up to him. Even though you were tall, he was still a few centimeters above you. His eyes glanced down at your chest before glaring at your eyes again. It was so fast that if you weren’t paying attention, you most probably would’ve missed it. The purple bruise on your sternum that he gave you was bright against the skin of your chest, perfectly in between the sun and moon tattoos underneath both your collarbones. His eyes glinted wickedly.

Your body moved before you knew what you were doing. You stuck right your hand out diagonally, a few centimeters away from touching him. He didn’t flinch, eyes traveling to look at your outstretched hand, raising an eyebrow.

“What’re you going to do? Throw the cookie tin at me? Hah.” He barked, laughing at his own joke.

You held your tongue and just dragged your hand horizontally through the air. Your toes pressed into the floor, feeling for the vibration you wanted. His eyes followed your hand and before he knew what was going on, the cupboard door behind him opened and smacked into the side of his head. He grunted and you turned on your heel, walking back across the kitchen. You were no longer hungry, angry at a man that taunted like a child.

“What the fuck!” Bakugo shouted, his voice echoing in the empty space.

“What are you going to do? Swear at me?” You spat back his own ‘insult’. Your comeback felt sour on your tongue. It wasn’t any good, but you were pissed off and anything you said seemed to make him angrier, which was fine with you. “I was going easy on you during training today.”

His nostrils seemed to flare at that last sentence. The palms of his hands began to steam and spark. There was nothing he hated more than people not giving their all when fighting, people thinking they had to hold themselves back when fighting him.

“YOU WERE WHAT!?” He bellowed, his fists clenched. “I’M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS BACK TO AMERICA!”

If you weren’t already used to intimidating men in New York, you probably would’ve flinched at his shouting, but instead you squared your shoulders and started walking back towards him, your own fist closing. You both pulled back to launch punches at the same time. Then, the air got freezing cold and Bakugo’s fists came crashing down as two thick balls of ice wrapped around them. If he weren’t as strong as he was, he would’ve fallen to the floor. Instead, they dropped to his sides, making his shoulder droop down with the weight. A look of complete shock came across both of your faces and your heads snapped to look at the source.

Shouto Todoroki was standing behind the dining room table, looking extremely pissed off in his beige pyjama set. His half-white, half-red hair messy and shadowing his eyes.

“Can you guys please just shut up and go to bed. You’ve woken up the entire building.” He said, voice dripping with contempt. A slew of curse words erupted from Bakugo’s mouth as he lifted up the ice to bang them against each other, trying to crack them open.

You felt your nipples harden in the now cold room and grumbled, once more aware of just how bare you were. You grabbed your dressing gown that was on the dining table. Wrapping it around yourself as you walked back to the cookie tin to put it away. Bakugo seemed to ignore what Todoroki said, instead calling out to taunt you again. There was no way he was going to let this go.

“What, don’t want to eat the cookies anymore? Fine with me, you were pretty fucking heavy.”

You froze. Through the vibrations, you felt Bakugo adjust his weight to lean back, pleased that it granted a response from you. With the cookie jar away, you strode back up to face him for the final time that night. Shouto tensed up, ready to interject once more. It was a low blow, Bakugo knew it too but his chin was raised indignantly.

You said nothing as you stood in front of him. Your eyes searching one another for a hint that either one of you would back down. The balls of ice were already melting and forming puddles by his feet, the cold water spreading to tickling your toes, so you twisted them out. The cupboard door that you had opened next to his head slammed shut. The loud noise echoed in the kitchen and you turned away from the irritating man.

“Sorry, Todoroki. Good night.” You nodded to him and walked back to the stairs, fuming with anger. You could just hear Todoroki mumble about the time to Bakugo and a scoff in reply, but you couldn’t care enough to pay attention anymore, his insult replaying over and over in your mind.

****************

Thanks so much for reading Chapter 2! <3 Hope you liked it.

[lunam00na]

Top 5 mistakes I made when moving cross-country

So, I figured this would be a good enough introductory post as any. I'm going to start off with a little back story just to clue you in on how I came to make these mistakes, and hopefully you'll be more prepared than I was if and when you do the big move.

In 2018 I decided to move from a very rural town in the Eastern United States to Finland. Keep in mind I had lived in this same town my entire life; my graduating class was only a few hundred people, and I had NEVER flown on a plane before. Yeah.

Yikes.

Why move so far away, you ask? Oh, don't worry, I'm getting to that part. In December of 2017 I met a guy online, from this website I had been using off and on since middle school. He and I clicked instantly, and we both fell down the deep dark rabbit hole you call love. Yep. Twitterpated.

So a few months after we had been dating, we jumped the gun and decided I would fly there to meet him and if all went well, meaning I didn't get chopped up into little bits and sent back in a suitcase (as my friends and coworkers teased), we would get married.

Picture it, Sicily 19... Something rather... Small town girl from rural farming area meets Finnish city boy. Anyway, enough about that, it can be a blog for another time.

So there's how I came to make these mistakes...

1) FOOTWEAR

- Guys, I cannot stress to you enough how much this matters. I wore FLIPFLOPS throughout my ENTIRE journey to Finland. In total I believe I flew for around 18 hours.. Went through like 4 different airports. By the time I made it to my husband's apartment my feet were basically nonexistent. For a frequent flier this may not be an issue, but for someone who doesn't fly or travel often... For the love of God don't wear sandals.

2) LUGGAGE

- Travel lightly, but not too lightly. Originally before the move I had purchased a gigantic pink wheely suitcase from Walmart. Had full intention of stuffing that bad boy to the brim with clothes. But a couple days before my flight was leaving I realized if I had this huge suitcase I would have to check it on every single flight and drag it around through every airport, and risk it getting lost or tampered with during the process. So, I took the big pink monster back and heavily downgraded... To a backpack. Yup. Just your avaerage sized backpack with one or two zipper compartments. Needless to say I had to be very choosy with what I packed, so I packed some jeans, leggings, a few nice shirts and some undergarments. Along with my makeup bag, which had been thoroughly sorted through beforehand, and a hairbrush. Somehow throughout all this I had forgotten to pack my toothbrush, so my husband brought me one to the airport so I could brush my teeth as soon as I landed. LOL. Great first impression. Anywho - admist all the chaos and nerves I didn't take into account that I would probably be sweaty after all that walking.. Running... And panicking... Through the airports. So I didn't bring any shampoo or soap with me, and honestly probably wouldn't have had any room for any either because of my downgrade. After struggling to catch each flight I was a complete mess when I finally landed in Helsinki. My hair was greasy and I was sweaty and had changed into every single article of clothing that I had packed into that backpack. So if you want to make a good first impression on your potential spouse, do not be like me. Use a larger suitcase or backpack and pack your items more efficiently.

3) RESEARCH

- This one is fairly short and to the point. Do your research!!! Google the airports you will be using, the airlines, the countries you're passing through and their currencies! I did very little of this prior to flying and boy did I make a mistake. I was completely at a loss in each airport I visited. If it weren't for kind strangers and the airport staff I probably wouldn't have made it onto all my flights. I had 0 idea how airports worked. Google is your friend!

4) AIRPORT FOOD

- By now you all probably know I'm an idiot, so, I have no shame in telling you the rest at this point. If you can at all avoid it... Don't buy the food from the vendors inside the airport. Legitimately everything inside these airports are overpriced. I had very little emergency/travel money with me, so I tried to save as much as possible during my trip. Alas, I was hungry and weary from my journey so I decided to try some weird, over-priced, turkish food that I'd never before seen or heard of in my life... And some fancy ice cream... And some cool looking soda from some small convenience store... And a steak dinner from some restaurant from NY. I was stress eating, okay. Not to mention the fact that when I landed in Oslo my phone was dead and upon looking for a charging port I discovered that all the outlets were shaped differently. I had no clue that outlets were shaped differently in EU, so I had to go and spend like 20 euros on an adaptor for my charger. Refer to number 3(do your research).

5) DON'T ASSUME

- This is probably the most important one. Don't assume that everything is going to go smoothly or be easy. I assumed a lot of things about moving to Finland and I was wrong about most of those assumptions. I assumed once I was here it would be easy to find work and start studying. It wasnt. I am still searching for a job or a university to study at and it is now 2020. I assumed that I would be fine traveling for the first time by myself to a foreign country. I assumed that my then boyfriend and I would have the same connection in person that we did online - thankfully I was correct about that one. But it all could have gone so wrong. I could have missed my connecting flights or got stranded in NY or Oslo. I could have actually gotten chopped up into little bits and shipped back to the States in a suitcase, just like my coworkers and friends told me. But thankfully I didn't. All in all, I wouldn't change being here with my husband for anything. Despite how difficult and stressful... And exhausting my travels were to get here. Hopefully you won't make the same mistakes as I did when you decide to take your journey.

Thanks for having a look, will be posting more blogs soon! If you have any questions or suggestions for my next post, shoot me a PM. Would love to hear your suggestions.

Until next time, Lunam00na

[a-gert-lush-holiday]

Travel day, and day 1

Our travel day started off well, but slowly started to descend into minor chaos. Lucy woke up around 11pm from an apt nightmare about missing our flight, and so the pair of us decided not to go back to sleep. This was partially so we would definitely be up in the morning, and partially so both of us might be tired enough to sleep on the flight. We tried the TV in our room, however this unfortunately didn’t work at all! We ended up chatting and playing random app games until 4:30, when we both got ready to head out for the day.

A taxi hailed by the front desk got us to Terminal 4, WHSmiths got me a lock for my suitcase - I had been unable to find mine before leaving home, and we finally got our cases checked in around 6:15.

Time for security, which I think is everyone’s least favourite part, but was definitely Lucy’s nemesis today! As well as being selected for the dreaded body scanner, her backpack was also selected for screening 😣 In contrast, I sailed right through for a change! (I seem to get all the random checks when travelling alone on planes - this is even more terrifying when you get pulled to the side whilst an officer speaks to you in German and all the German you know flies out your brain like whoosh). Security over, we had a browse of the shops and popped into Costa for a drink and a sit down until our gate was announced.

Bing! What’s that phone? Oh, delayed 45 minutes? I mean, that’s rough, but not the end of the world, our connection is still doable.

Just as if to prove me wrong, pretty much as soon as I said this another text arrived, putting the time back to 10am. This was...not so doable. At this point, Lucy is beginning to freak out that her nightmare is coming true, and quite honestly despite the brave face I was trying to put on to keep calm, so was I! Luckily no more texts were received, and we boarded the plane at 9:40 - which was definitely pushing it but hey if the plane took off at 10 we still had time before boarding opens!

*sigh*. I really should stop jinxing myself, because sod’s law took over and made us take off at 10:20. This meant that as we landed at 12:25 in Paris, we had 5 minutes before boarding opened, and it was looking increasingly unlikely that we were going to make it. We managed to jump off the plane at 12:40, and the pair of us literally sprinted as fast as our legs would carry us!

Charles de Gaulle unfortunately has another set of security when changing flights, and this is where all hope started to seem lost as Lucy got selected for bag screening again! We explained this to the officer and he very kindly did the fastest yet thorough bag check he could, and we continued our sprinting to the gate, allllllll the way down the end of the terminal! (Because of course it would be!)

Fortunately, the Japan gods seemed to be on our side, as check in had not yet closed! As we made our way onto the plane I received a notification that check in was closing ASAP, so we made it literally by the skin of our teeth.

Crisis averted and butts in seats, we finally were on our flight bound for Tokyo! Lucy settled in on the IFE with either Ant Man or Crazy Rich Asians - I initially debated whether to start watching Ralph Breaks The Internet, but figured I would start watching films after the dinner service. Instead, I settled in with the inflight map, whilst listening to Muse (Simulation Theory, in case anyone was wondering!)

Shortly afterwards, the hostesses came round with a wet towel, round of drinks, and some rosemary crackers. I initially wasn’t sure if I would like them, but they tasted a bit like focaccia bread in cracker form! They also went well with the apple juice I ordered, however after this light snack I was still hungry and dragged a Twix from my bag. After a play through of the album, I finally decided to start an episode of Family Guy when we were somewhere over Copenhagen, thinking food would be coming soon. This turned out to be a smart move, as the second the episode finished it was our turn to be served food!

Our choices today consisted of chicken in sauce, or Japanese style beef curry. I love Japanese curry, so decided to go for the beef, which did not disappoint! Yes, it’s airplane food. Yes, it will never be as good as the real thing served up in an actual restaurant. But for airplane food? The beef was tender and well seasoned, the sauce was delicious and easy on the tastebuds, and the rice wasn’t too soggy or too hard. Chase that down with Camembert and proper french butter on a roll, and a delicious lemon and poppy seed cake, and I was content.

However, I did leave the salad - I’m honestly not a great fan of vegetable salads, especially when smothered in mayo. Lucy has the same meal as me and tried the salad - she ended up leaving it as it was no bueno for her.

I kept an eye on the skymap whilst we ate; we were now flying over Helsinki! The flight seemed to be going really fast at this point, however there was still another 9 hours to go. I settled in and watched a documentary about airbus beluga planes, Lucy listened to some music, and then we both tried to have a nap. Emphasis on the ‘try’. After a lot of tossing and turning, a 30 minute food documentary break, and a change of album from Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s Greatest Hits to a Nirvana compilation, I managed to catch a disjointed 2/3 hours of sleep. Lucy was unable to sleep, and therefore watched another film before poking me awake around 2 hours before decent, taunting me that I missed the ice cream rounds xD

It was not long after I woke up that I began to notice a peculiar smell coming from the galley behind us - I figured this was breakfast, but it had a very strong smell of something that was making me feel ill. However, when food was brought round an hour before landing, breakfast tasted a lot better than it smelt!

This was a scrambled egg, vegetable and...some sort of starch medley - unfortunately I couldn’t read all of the French on the front. The smell I realised after tasting it was most likely soy; whilst I love soy sauce in many things, if I whiff the bottle directly? Nope. This went down with a roll, butter and strawberry jam, plus a nice creamier tasting french version of what I assume was actimel, and a madeline. There was also what I thought was a very fruity yoghurt as the front said ‘apple vanilla’ in French, but as it looked and tasted like baby food one tiny bite of this was enough for me.

Shortly after this, we began the decent, landing cards were completed, and we landed safely at Narita airport. At this point I began to have an ‘oh my god, is this actually real?’ moment, and felt quite emotional. I have wanted to visit Japan since I was 14, and never truly thought I would ever get to make it happen. It still doesn’t quite feel real at the minute! My mind was constantly narrating as we exited the plane such gems as ‘oh my god, I’m standing on a Japanese escalator!’ (Which, in hindsight, I am so glad I did not say out loud!).

On to immigration! Here I have another tip: you’re going to need a black or blue pen, and pick up an immigration card from the desk by the queue. Sit in one of the seats and fill it out. Do not pass go, do not collect £200.

Yes, the card you filled out on the plane...was not the whole story. You need to fill out an immigration card also alongside the customs landing card, which you are not told about on the plane, nor is it particularly well signposted until you get to the end of the queue and the official at the line directing you to a attended booth for fingerprints and photographs takes a look at your documents and tells you you need one to proceed.

Which is fine, but then please don’t be like me and fill the form out in red pen, because you will get kicked out the queue yet again to fill it out on a dark colour. No where is it stated that red pen is the work of the devil, but these things happen so off I went to do as the man said. Ah, Japanese bureaucracy at it’s finest!

It was around this point I turned my phone on and connected to the free WiFi, and my heart immediately sank. You see, I had one more fear that I did not tell Lucy about, knowing that it was most likely going to happen due to the short connection and not wanting her to worry, and I had just had it confirmed.

‘Your baggage items will not be delivered upon arrival. They are still in transport. Please visit the baggage desk for further information’. At this point, given the baggage situation, the third time round I jumped in the line I felt so dejected, like ‘please, dear lord, let this be it!’.

This time round the gentleman waved me through, I passed through immigration, met up with Lucy (who was fortunate enough to have filled the form out in blue pen the first time round after our queue kicking), and together waited in a queue with a lot of people from the same flight.

This was also where I experienced Japanese bureaucracy and efficiency at it’s finest - the desk staff were working so hard to explain the situation, advising how to fill in yet another form to confirm the loss of the baggage and open claims for everyone, and were then escorting people to Customs so they could be processed (as obviously we were no longer accompanied by baggage, the lost baggage forms had to be processed so Customs can check the baggage after its arrival). We were also advised that we would get the equivalent of $100 a person that would be refunded for the purchase of essentials upon providing receipts - assuming the delay is only as long as the day they stated, this is actually a better deal than our travel insurance!

Finally, finally we were free on Japanese soil - and all we wanted to do was get to the hotel and de stress. Not to be, as check in was not until much later in the day, and we now needed to purchase a change of clothes.

At this point, I decided to get out a bit of extra cash at a 7-11 atm, praying the whole time my card would not get blocked, and internally cheering when I was presented with a wad of cash. My second stop was to grab my newly purchased Passmo (a bit like an Oyster card, but it can be used across Japan, and not just London), and complete a childhood dream - paying for a drink at a vending machine with your train pass.

Okay, yes, that sounds really lame nowadays when we have contactless payments and you can use your phone to buy pretty much anything. However, back in college before this technology really even existed as more than a concept in the west, I saw a video on YouTube of a guy paying for his drink using his IC card, and this basically cemented the idea that ‘Japan is this cool place that thinks outside the box why do we not have this man I wanna go there’. And now I have. So I did xD

Peach coca cola in hand (10/10 would buy again, the Diet Coke version at home is far inferior), we jumped on the Sky Access train (half the price of the Skyliner, with only a couple more stops, plus you don’t need a reserved ticket) to the Skytree and its shopping mall to pick up some clothes, and other bits like a hairbrush or face wipes. I ended up going in Uniqlo, and in there I saw the cutest Moomin shirt :D So of course I brought it! I also grabbed a pair of shorts, a shirt, and some clean underwear to change into, and then after browsing a bit more we hit up a Combini for lunch as the food hall in the Solamachi was packed.

I chose a onigiri with chilli oil filling (it had a sort of umami taste, with sesame I think?) and Lucy had a cheeseburger. But that’s okay, because she got to enjoy that they will put it in the microwave for you! We also both picked out a pastry each, for which I went for a choco-coronet and Lucy went for a croissant which ended up having a delicious sugar crust on top!

At this point we still had time to kill, so it was time for a browse around outside in the fresh air. Cherry blossoms were still in bloom, albeit barely, so we took a moment to admire these before moving swiftly onwards, and finding a gacha shop.

For the uninitiated, a gacha shop is full of gachapon machines (gachapon being tiny capsules filled with toys, like what’s in a kinder egg but not encased in chocolate), all selling different collectible sets. From this with the meagre change I currently had, I ended up with a Hogwarts hufflepuff badge, a tiny Iron Man, and a Sylveon keychain. All fairly decent pulls.

Another wander, a jump on the subway one more stop, and we were checking into our hotel. More on the hotel hopefully later, but I can confirm it is very very nice :)

For today, that is where I will have to stop, as Lucy has been sleeping pretty much since (a full 24+ hours without sleep will wreak havoc on you, yikes), and I have been pottering around trying out things like the indoor slippers, and heated toilet seats (11/10, need one for home so I don’t freeze my arse off when attending the ladies room).

[ezeshopgo]

5 Tips for Women Travelers on Packing Less to Avoid Luggage Fees

Have you grown tired after an all-night flight of waiting while you join 300 people looking to find your luggage spinning endlessly around a conveyor belt? To make matters worse, new baggage fees are being levied while fewer carry-on’s are allowed. This is a reprise of past practices that for a long time had disappeared. In my student days, airlines exacted baggage fees by charging by the pound for “overweight” luggage. It was a hit and miss process. I found by hoisting my overweight bag high on my shoulder it appeared so light no one weighed it! Going one step further, on one small flight to the South Pacific Island of Aitutaki, each passenger was weighed in addition to our luggage.

Having tired early on of dragging a heavy bag around in college, I spent 5 weeks cross-country seeing the US with just an overnight bag and not much more as a summer exchange student in Europe. I had finally decided that taking too much abroad was a sign of being a novice. Having trudged up endless staircases in airports and made my way through winding passageways in train stations, I am firmly convinced that less is more.

However, with the new wave of baggage restrictions, it is hard to meet the constantly shrinking regulations for carry-on’s. As a woman traveler, I find that the variety of types of clothing, colors and shoe options make this especially challenging. As a result, I have come up with the following 5 guidelines I follow every time I start to pack again.

1. Leave all those extra bottles behind.

· Pack cosmetics and personal items that have more than one use. Try a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen, combination shampoo and conditioner, a travel brush with a comb attached. Before you leave, throw in flat-pack samples given away with magazines and newspapers and at health clubs.

· Buy locally what your hotel does not supply. Steer away from imports and find local brands. Although as I found in Slovenia, when you don’t speak the language, it can be interesting finding the right item. The easy solution? Look at international brands you recognize for items like toothpaste. Then pick up the domestic version which is generally shelved nearby. (Do check so you don’t end up brushing your teeth with shoe polish.)

2. Only pack 1 item that does not have multiple functions.

· The only exception I allow for myself is a bathing suit.

· Plan on exercise wear that is stylish and can be worn on the streets (with a shirt as a cover-up if needed) and can double for sleeping. If you stay in a hotel that has coffee served in the lobby or as my ski group found out, if there is a fire alarm in the middle of the night, you will be glad to have made this choice.

3. Pick a maximum of 2 colors that can be worn together.

· Consider whether each item can be washed in the bathroom and left to dry. Ironically, I found in the sunny Brazilian Amazon that the humidity made it much harder to dry clothes than one January in Siberia where everything dried quickly on the over-heated radiator. Black is especially good since it goes with everything, and if you spill your coffee in your lap at least it won’t leave a huge, conspicuous stain.

4. On accessories, plan wisely, and love your high fashion shoes but give them a day-off back home.

· Be sure to take a smaller purse-within-a-purse as a shoulder bag for touring. This serves 2 special functions. In areas where pickpockets are rife, this is easier to wear under your jacket or just secure it under your arm. (Having once been robbed in broad daylight while abroad, I learned this lesson very well.) It is also a good way to have all your travel documents at the ready while in transit.

· Just wear one pair of dressy (metallic?) flats and pack an extra pair of more substantial walking shoes that can make it through a 10-12 hour day of sightseeing.

· If you find as I did in Lisbon that the slick bottoms of your flats are a hazard, invest in a pack of gum and create a no-skid surface.

· If you must pack heels, avoid stilettos and test the heel to be sure it will make it through the trip.

· Take a large scarf that can be used at the neck, in lieu of a belt, as a cover-up when required and in Arctic air-conditioning.

5. Even with electronics, less is more! Bring a tablet and a smartphone and leave your laptop behind.

· Be sure to test how they work in relation to each other. (Do you need a micro SD card and adapter?)

· Many hotels have adapters for plugs but no converters so plan ahead if your appliances are not marked 110/220. Although the world has grown smaller, the numbers and types of electrical outlets have changed very little. However, some hotels and ships have an alternative international or lower voltage outlet.

· Really safeguard your electronics as you would credit cards. Cyber crime is on the upswing. A lost smartphone, laptop or tablet can be a treasure trove of personal information.

A day or two before leaving, open your suitcase and make it a game: find one item you can leave behind. Lastly, try walking your roller bag around your bedroom and then lift it up on top of the bed 2-3 times. You’ll have an idea then of what it will be like making your way through the airport saddled with an overstuffed suitcase. With a little planning, any world traveler, whether experienced or a novice, can win the “battle of the baggage”!

Source by Elizabeth Avery

The post 5 Tips for Women Travelers on Packing Less to Avoid Luggage Fees appeared first on ezeshopgo.

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[carpediempagesite]

How I Travel with Nothing But Carry-On Luggage

This morning, I’m boarding my first flight of the year and going on vacation! Considering I’ve spent most of the last four years bouncing around from place-to-place, it feels weird to think I’ve been in Victoria and Squamish for the past eight months. It’s actually been really nice to stay closer to home and settle in somewhere new. But after submitting the second draft of The Year of Less in May, I knew I wanted to go on a trip. And after everything that’s happened in my personal life, it could not have come at a better time.

I’m first flying to Minneapolis, where I’ll be staying with Anthony and Amy (and their dog Rocky!) for a week. From there, I’ll be driving across the country with my friend Darrell and his dog Cooper. Darrell is on an indefinite road trip right now. Knowing he wanted to spend his summer in the Pacific Northwest, we somehow devised the plan that I should drive back with him. We don’t have a route mapped out yet, other than knowing we want to stop in Jackson Hole and then go to the ConvertKit conference in Boise. I would also like to explore Bend.

My goal for this trip – and any trip where I have to board a plane – was to fit everything I would need into two pieces of carry-on luggage. I don’t pack this way because I’m a minimalist. I like to travel with carry-on luggage because it makes everything easier. For starters, you don’t have to pay a fee to check any baggage, which helps your budget. You don’t have to wait for your baggage to be offloaded, or risk having the airline lose it altogether. It’s easier to carry/drag around on your trip. And the best part: you are forced to only bring what you need.

Considering how much the weather changes between the cities and the mountains, packing for this trip could have been a daunting task. Then tack on the fact that we are going to a conference in the middle of it. But as you might remember, this is just like a mini version of the road trip I went on last year (conference included!). I didn’t show you my exact packing list then, but I thought you might like to see how I am travelling for three weeks with nothing but carry-on luggage right now.

What I’m Packing in My Carry-On Suitcase

I should first explain that the way I pack is pretty strategic. Whenever I’m flying somewhere, I always bring two bags: a suitcase and a backpack. (In the past, I travelled with a suitcase and a big purse, but I don’t own any purses now. I’ll save that conversation for another post.)

Each bag serves a purpose. The suitcase is filled with clothes and shoes, and anything else that fits but which does not need to be pulled out at security. That’s the goal for this piece of carry-on luggage: to just put it on the conveyor belt and be done with it.

I have to be honest and say packing clothes is easy for me, because I barely own any as it is. What you’re looking at here is about two-thirds of my entire wardrobe. Most of what I am leaving behind is only appropriate for winter. So I guess you could say this is my spring/summer/fall wardrobe!?

3 tank tops

3 t-shirts

3 long-sleeve shirts

1 pair of shorts

2 pairs of leggings

1 pair of khakis

1 dress

1 fleece

1 jean jacket

1 rain jacket

1 hat

1 toque (beanie)

1 pair of sandals

1 pair of running shoes

1 pair of boots

Altogether, I’ve packed 17 items of clothing (not including underwear/bras/socks/bathing suit), 3 pairs of shoes and 2 hats; that’s 22 items total – or 11 items less than your typical capsule wardrobe! And honestly, I still feel like there’s a good chance I won’t wear everything.

Not pictured:

my outfit for the plane (but the number of items is included in the totals)

12 pairs of underwear

6 pairs of socks

2 bras

1 bathing suit

1 quick-drying towel

What I’m Bringing in My Backpack

Since my carry-on suitcase is packed with things that don’t need to be pulled out for security, can you guess what goes into my backpack? Yep, the things that do. :) Since I have a NEXUS card, I’m actually not supposed to have to bring out my laptop or bag of liquids, but most airports still ask you to and that’s ok. To save time in the security line, though, I like to keep both of them in the same compartment of my backpack. That way I’m not stuck trying to unpack/repack things, which makes both me and the people behind me happier.

1 laptop

2 journals

1 pen

3 books (this is the one thing I usually overpack)

1 wallet (containing passport, NEXUS card, other IDs, cash, credit, etc.)

1 water bottle

Not pictured:

laptop charger

phone + phone charger

the backpack itself (it’s the size of a regular school bag, nothing fancy)

As for toiletries, you’re looking at everything I use on a daily basis here. While I use shampoo, conditioner and body lotion made by 100% Pure when I’m at home, I’m trying to use up the last of any travel-size products I have on this trip (hence the Garnier and Aveeno stuff).

shampoo/conditioner/razor

moisturizer/concealer/mascara (this is my 1-minute makeup routine, all made by 100% Pure)

lotion (my skin gets extra dry while travelling)

deodorant

stuff to keep my teeth clean :)

allergy pills + Magnesium with melatonin (helps me sleep)

eyedrops (see: allergies lol)

sunscreen with SPF 60/lip balm with SPF 30

hairbrush with a few hair elastics

Tide to Go pen

…and that’s it!

I’ve done this enough times and know myself well enough that I can tell I’m still probably slightly overpacked for this trip. My guess is I’ll only wear two-thirds of the clothes, read one book, and barely use the concealer or lip balm. But even if I had packed less, I still would’ve brought the same two pieces of carry-on luggage with me, so I don’t mind carrying around the extra pound or two this time.

I have no idea what the next three weeks will hold, and have zero expectations for this trip as a whole. Like I told Anthony and Darrell, I’m just excited to spend time with friends, see a little more of the United States, and get hours and hours of cuddle time with their dogs. Dog therapy is the best therapy. <3

Was this helpful at all? Or do you have any pro-packing tips to share with us? :)

How I Travel with Nothing But Carry-On Luggage posted first on cashforcarsperthblog.blogspot.com

[fesahaawit]

How I Travel with Nothing But Carry-On Luggage

This morning, I’m boarding my first flight of the year and going on vacation! Considering I’ve spent most of the last four years bouncing around from place-to-place, it feels weird to think I’ve been in Victoria and Squamish for the past eight months. It’s actually been really nice to stay closer to home and settle in somewhere new. But after submitting the second draft of The Year of Less in May, I knew I wanted to go on a trip. And after everything that’s happened in my personal life, it could not have come at a better time.

I’m first flying to Minneapolis, where I’ll be staying with Anthony and Amy (and their dog Rocky!) for a week. From there, I’ll be driving across the country with my friend Darrell and his dog Cooper. Darrell is on an indefinite road trip right now. Knowing he wanted to spend his summer in the Pacific Northwest, we somehow devised the plan that I should drive back with him. We don’t have a route mapped out yet, other than knowing we want to stop in Jackson Hole and then go to the ConvertKit conference in Boise. I would also like to explore Bend.

My goal for this trip – and any trip where I have to board a plane – was to fit everything I would need into two pieces of carry-on luggage. I don’t pack this way because I’m a minimalist. I like to travel with carry-on luggage because it makes everything easier. For starters, you don’t have to pay a fee to check any baggage, which helps your budget. You don’t have to wait for your baggage to be offloaded, or risk having the airline lose it altogether. It’s easier to carry/drag around on your trip. And the best part: you are forced to only bring what you need.

Considering how much the weather changes between the cities and the mountains, packing for this trip could have been a daunting task. Then tack on the fact that we are going to a conference in the middle of it. But as you might remember, this is just like a mini version of the road trip I went on last year (conference included!). I didn’t show you my exact packing list then, but I thought you might like to see how I am travelling for three weeks with nothing but carry-on luggage right now.

What I’m Packing in My Carry-On Suitcase

I should first explain that the way I pack is pretty strategic. Whenever I’m flying somewhere, I always bring two bags: a suitcase and a backpack. (In the past, I travelled with a suitcase and a big purse, but I don’t own any purses now. I’ll save that conversation for another post.)

Each bag serves a purpose. The suitcase is filled with clothes and shoes, and anything else that fits but which does not need to be pulled out at security. That’s the goal for this piece of carry-on luggage: to just put it on the conveyor belt and be done with it.

I have to be honest and say packing clothes is easy for me, because I barely own any as it is. What you’re looking at here is about two-thirds of my entire wardrobe. Most of what I am leaving behind is only appropriate for winter. So I guess you could say this is my spring/summer/fall wardrobe!?

3 tank tops

3 t-shirts

3 long-sleeve shirts

1 pair of shorts

2 pairs of leggings

1 pair of khakis

1 dress

1 fleece

1 jean jacket

1 rain jacket

1 hat

1 toque (beanie)

1 pair of sandals

1 pair of running shoes

1 pair of boots

Altogether, I’ve packed 17 items of clothing (not including underwear/bras/socks/bathing suit), 3 pairs of shoes and 2 hats; that’s 22 items total – or 11 items less than your typical capsule wardrobe! And honestly, I still feel like there’s a good chance I won’t wear everything.

Not pictured:

my outfit for the plane (but the number of items is included in the totals)

12 pairs of underwear

6 pairs of socks

2 bras

1 bathing suit

1 quick-drying towel

What I’m Bringing in My Backpack

Since my carry-on suitcase is packed with things that don’t need to be pulled out for security, can you guess what goes into my backpack? Yep, the things that do. :) Since I have a NEXUS card, I’m actually not supposed to have to bring out my laptop or bag of liquids, but most airports still ask you to and that’s ok. To save time in the security line, though, I like to keep both of them in the same compartment of my backpack. That way I’m not stuck trying to unpack/repack things, which makes both me and the people behind me happier.

1 laptop

2 journals

1 pen

3 books (this is the one thing I usually overpack)

1 wallet (containing passport, NEXUS card, other IDs, cash, credit, etc.)

1 water bottle

Not pictured:

laptop charger

phone + phone charger

the backpack itself (it’s the size of a regular school bag, nothing fancy)

As for toiletries, you’re looking at everything I use on a daily basis here. While I use shampoo, conditioner and body lotion made by 100% Pure when I’m at home, I’m trying to use up the last of any travel-size products I have on this trip (hence the Garnier and Aveeno stuff).

shampoo/conditioner/razor

moisturizer/concealer/mascara (this is my 1-minute makeup routine, all made by 100% Pure)

lotion (my skin gets extra dry while travelling)

deodorant

stuff to keep my teeth clean :)

allergy pills + Magnesium with melatonin (helps me sleep)

eyedrops (see: allergies lol)

sunscreen with SPF 60/lip balm with SPF 30

hairbrush with a few hair elastics

Tide to Go pen

…and that’s it!

I’ve done this enough times and know myself well enough that I can tell I’m still probably slightly overpacked for this trip. My guess is I’ll only wear two-thirds of the clothes, read one book, and barely use the concealer or lip balm. But even if I had packed less, I still would’ve brought the same two pieces of carry-on luggage with me, so I don’t mind carrying around the extra pound or two this time.

I have no idea what the next three weeks will hold, and have zero expectations for this trip as a whole. Like I told Anthony and Darrell, I’m just excited to spend time with friends, see a little more of the United States, and get hours and hours of cuddle time with their dogs. Dog therapy is the best therapy. <3

Was this helpful at all? Or do you have any pro-packing tips to share with us? :)

How I Travel with Nothing But Carry-On Luggage posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

[cash4youblog]

How I Travel with Nothing But Carry-On Luggage

This morning, I’m boarding my first flight of the year and going on vacation! Considering I’ve spent most of the last four years bouncing around from place-to-place, it feels weird to think I’ve been in Victoria and Squamish for the past eight months. It’s actually been really nice to stay closer to home and settle in somewhere new. But after submitting the second draft of The Year of Less in May, I knew I wanted to go on a trip. And after everything that’s happened in my personal life, it could not have come at a better time.

I’m first flying to Minneapolis, where I’ll be staying with Anthony and Amy (and their dog Rocky!) for a week. From there, I’ll be driving across the country with my friend Darrell and his dog Cooper. Darrell is on an indefinite road trip right now. Knowing he wanted to spend his summer in the Pacific Northwest, we somehow devised the plan that I should drive back with him. We don’t have a route mapped out yet, other than knowing we want to stop in Jackson Hole and then go to the ConvertKit conference in Boise. I would also like to explore Bend.

My goal for this trip – and any trip where I have to board a plane – was to fit everything I would need into two pieces of carry-on luggage. I don’t pack this way because I’m a minimalist. I like to travel with carry-on luggage because it makes everything easier. For starters, you don’t have to pay a fee to check any baggage, which helps your budget. You don’t have to wait for your baggage to be offloaded, or risk having the airline lose it altogether. It’s easier to carry/drag around on your trip. And the best part: you are forced to only bring what you need.

Considering how much the weather changes between the cities and the mountains, packing for this trip could have been a daunting task. Then tack on the fact that we are going to a conference in the middle of it. But as you might remember, this is just like a mini version of the road trip I went on last year (conference included!). I didn’t show you my exact packing list then, but I thought you might like to see how I am travelling for three weeks with nothing but carry-on luggage right now.

What I’m Packing in My Carry-On Suitcase

I should first explain that the way I pack is pretty strategic. Whenever I’m flying somewhere, I always bring two bags: a suitcase and a backpack. (In the past, I travelled with a suitcase and a big purse, but I don’t own any purses now. I’ll save that conversation for another post.)

Each bag serves a purpose. The suitcase is filled with clothes and shoes, and anything else that fits but which does not need to be pulled out at security. That’s the goal for this piece of carry-on luggage: to just put it on the conveyor belt and be done with it.

I have to be honest and say packing clothes is easy for me, because I barely own any as it is. What you’re looking at here is about two-thirds of my entire wardrobe. Most of what I am leaving behind is only appropriate for winter. So I guess you could say this is my spring/summer/fall wardrobe!?

3 tank tops

3 t-shirts

3 long-sleeve shirts

1 pair of shorts

2 pairs of leggings

1 pair of khakis

1 dress

1 fleece

1 jean jacket

1 rain jacket

1 hat

1 toque (beanie)

1 pair of sandals

1 pair of running shoes

1 pair of boots

Altogether, I’ve packed 17 items of clothing (not including underwear/bras/socks/bathing suit), 3 pairs of shoes and 2 hats; that’s 22 items total – or 11 items less than your typical capsule wardrobe! And honestly, I still feel like there’s a good chance I won’t wear everything.

Not pictured:

my outfit for the plane (but the number of items is included in the totals)

12 pairs of underwear

6 pairs of socks

2 bras

1 bathing suit

1 quick-drying towel

What I’m Bringing in My Backpack

Since my carry-on suitcase is packed with things that don’t need to be pulled out for security, can you guess what goes into my backpack? Yep, the things that do. :) Since I have a NEXUS card, I’m actually not supposed to have to bring out my laptop or bag of liquids, but most airports still ask you to and that’s ok. To save time in the security line, though, I like to keep both of them in the same compartment of my backpack. That way I’m not stuck trying to unpack/repack things, which makes both me and the people behind me happier.

1 laptop

2 journals

1 pen

3 books (this is the one thing I usually overpack)

1 wallet (containing passport, NEXUS card, other IDs, cash, credit, etc.)

1 water bottle

Not pictured:

laptop charger

phone + phone charger

the backpack itself (it’s the size of a regular school bag, nothing fancy)

As for toiletries, you’re looking at everything I use on a daily basis here. While I use shampoo, conditioner and body lotion made by 100% Pure when I’m at home, I’m trying to use up the last of any travel-size products I have on this trip (hence the Garnier and Aveeno stuff).

shampoo/conditioner/razor

moisturizer/concealer/mascara (this is my 1-minute makeup routine, all made by 100% Pure)

lotion (my skin gets extra dry while travelling)

deodorant

stuff to keep my teeth clean :)

allergy pills + Magnesium with melatonin (helps me sleep)

eyedrops (see: allergies lol)

sunscreen with SPF 60/lip balm with SPF 30

hairbrush with a few hair elastics

Tide to Go pen

…and that’s it!

I’ve done this enough times and know myself well enough that I can tell I’m still probably slightly overpacked for this trip. My guess is I’ll only wear two-thirds of the clothes, read one book, and barely use the concealer or lip balm. But even if I had packed less, I still would’ve brought the same two pieces of carry-on luggage with me, so I don’t mind carrying around the extra pound or two this time.

I have no idea what the next three weeks will hold, and have zero expectations for this trip as a whole. Like I told Anthony and Darrell, I’m just excited to spend time with friends, see a little more of the United States, and get hours and hours of cuddle time with their dogs. Dog therapy is the best therapy. <3

Was this helpful at all? Or do you have any pro-packing tips to share with us? :)

How I Travel with Nothing But Carry-On Luggage posted first on http://ift.tt/2sSbQiu

[ralphmorgan-blog1]

10 packing tips from a travel pro for a best-case scenario

(CNN)Choosing a suitcase can be an adventure in itself. Packing it properly with just the right contents is an art form.

There are a basic set of lessons to packing like a pro. Here's a handy 10-step guide:

1. Bag the right bag

First, let's end any debate about whether to go for a carry-on or check-in bag.

Unless you really can't travel without taking every single thing you own -- plus a few extra sweaters just in case -- these days taking only what fits in an overhead is the way to go.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to luggage.

Some swear by the durability of the hard shell suitcase, some insist the extra pliability of soft side bags can prove beneficial.

Either way, lightweight and thoughtful design are keys.

A bag should be light enough empty that when packed its weight is still easy enough to hoist overhead without any unnecessary toppling into the lap of the scary looking dude in seat 17D.

Bags weighing less than 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms), like Heys' softside spinner are ideal, and those that are roomy with smart compartments like an exterior accessible laptop section for simple removal and replacement are both functional and security-line friendly.

Most importantly, luggage should err on the safe side of the standard carry-on size -- in inches that means slightly under 22 x 14 x 9 (height x length x width), or 56 x 36 x 23 in centimeters, which is the most common allowable size across airlines.

Many bags claim to be regulation size carry-ons and in fact aren't, so double check dimensions before buying to avoid forced gate check.

New in travel bags: Smart luggage, lighter weight, better wheels

2. Compression is key

A compression bag is one travel gadget that isn't a gimmick.

These smart space savers can mean the difference between fitting one week's worth of clothing in a carry-on, or two.

Flight 001's Spacepak Clothes bag can hold up to eight pairs of men's jeans, five shirts and a sweater, and once all the air is pushed out, fit right into a carry-on.

A bonus with this bag: one side of the Spacepak is for clean clothes, the other for dirty, so you can uphold cleanliness and maintain a tightly packed case without bundled dirty duds crammed into corners.

3. Make duds do double duty

It's possible to fit two weeks worth of clothing into a carry-on, the items just have to be carefully curated.

First, build a foundation of neutrals, like a chambray top, jeans, white shirt and a black dress for women.

For men, a navy polo, jeans, a white button down and black slacks.

Then add in pops of color in the form of sweaters, blouses and skirts for women -- blazers and collared shirts for men -- for mix and match variety.

Yes, we appreciate you won't exactly be setting the fashion world alight, but seriously, in the proud traditional culture of the country you're headed, that on-trend fetish leather suit won't just land you in trouble, it'll give you a nasty heat rash.

Ten pieces of clothing can turn into 14 outfits if properly planned.

Women can achieve this by packing four bottoms, four tops, a sweater or blazer and a dress.

Guys can do the same, subbing the tops for button downs and tees and the dress for shorts, weather permitting.

Each article of clothing should go with any other in the collection for the double-duty dressing to work -- so go easy on the denim.

Never pay for an overweight suitcase again

4. Go sans wrinkles

Ironing at home is already a chore, so why take it on your travels?

Reduce the need by slipping suits and such into plastic dry cleaning bags.

When suitcases get jostled, garments will slide around in the bag instead of settling in one spot and getting wrinkled, so clothing will be as smooth as it was when packed upon arrival.

For business travelers, adding something like the Charles Tyrwhitt Italian-woven pure wool travel suit to your wardrobe will also mean fewer wrinkles since the more tightly twisted fibers are more resistant to creasing.

5. Pack backup

If you must pack contingency items, make sure they don't take up essential space.

A lightweight but durable duffel that can be folded into a palm-sized pouch for toting and can later be filled with the snow globes, bottles of booze and unsuitable leather fetish suits one inevitably acquires abroad.

If the need for a shopping spree arises, the bag can be checked on the return journey.

When fleeing freeze for warmer climates, replace hefty outerwear with stowable alternatives like the Craghoppers CompressLite's hooded jacket.

6. Cut the footwear

Three pairs of footwear should accommodate the needs of any trip that doesn't involve the Malaysia International Shoe Festival.

Pack one dress pair, one casual pair and one comfort or athletic pair, the bulkiest of which should be worn on board.

Shoes should be packed soles to the side of the case going all around the edge, leaving space in the center for clothes, or a Spacepak.

Socks, undergarments and any other requisite small goods should be stuffed into shoes to maximize space. The footwear keeps its shape and no crevice is left unaccounted for.

Bags keep shoes protected and clothes clean, but ignore the allure of pretty shoe pouches for pairs, individual ones allow for the necessary customized placement.

7. Maximize that 'personal item'

Most airlines allow passengers on board with one carry-on plus one personal item provided it fits under the seat.

Take advantage of the opportunity to stow that extra outfit that didn't fit in the carry-on. It can double as a spare change of clothes in the event that forced gate check leads to a lost bag.

Keep the item light to avoid piercing shoulder pain when running to a gate to catch a flight or flagging a fast-moving tuk tuk.

Electronics and chargers, valuables like jewelry and travel documents should live here so they're close at hand and extra safe.

An emergency snack to get through at least the first leg of a flight can ward off disappointment when the airline doesn't even provide peanuts.

8. Avoid gadget glut

Gadgets galore can be cumbersome and unnecessary, especially since many now sync.

Instead of dragging along an iThis and iThat, load up storage-capable smartphones with music, movies and memos, grab some headphones and leave the rest at home.

To further ensure tech doesn't take over, use a do-it-all charger like the Victorinox worldwide adapter plug with USB charger that juices up mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras and laptops in Europe, North and South America, China and Australia, among other destinations.

9. Tote tailored toiletries

Now that security regulations have relegated grooming products to baggies, leave behind goods that are added luxuries.

Hotels are good for lotion, soap and shampoo, and personal items beyond that can be squeezed into travel-size to-go containers, like flexi-Go Toobs.

These easy-to-load silicone tubes hold products and prevent drips while a ring on the rim lets the user designate bottle contents.

For more offbeat personal care essentials that'd bulge beyond the baggie in their regular packaging, MiiSTS offers iPhone-sized sprays for things like sunscreen, stain remover and insect repellent.

10. Stay secure

Safety is paramount and moving about as much as travel demands can mean vital personal data and documents are susceptible to bad deeds.

That's the rationale behind iPassport, the peace of mind device that debuted at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The slim, secure passport case comes with a biometric lock and can only be opened after scanning the owner's fingerprint, so if it happens to get lost or stolen, no identities will be stolen with it.

It also comes with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) protection to prevent hackers from tapping into data and Bluetooth smart tethering technology so the user can sync the device with a smartphone and track it down if necessary.

Just make sure your passport is inside it before you set off. Nothing more embarrassing than swiping it open at the airport to discover that's where you stowed your emergency snack.

More From this publisher : HERE

=> *********************************************** Read Full Article Here: 10 packing tips from a travel pro for a best-case scenario ************************************ =>

10 packing tips from a travel pro for a best-case scenario was originally posted by A 18 MOA Top News from around

[viralhottopics]

10 packing tips from a travel pro for a best-case scenario

(CNN)Choosing a suitcase can be an adventure in itself. Packing it properly with just the right contents is an art form.

There are a basic set of lessons to packing like a pro. Here’s a handy 10-step guide:

1. Bag the right bag

First, let’s end any debate about whether to go for a carry-on or check-in bag.

Unless you really can’t travel without taking every single thing you own — plus a few extra sweaters just in case — these days taking only what fits in an overhead is the way to go.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to luggage.

Some swear by the durability of the hard shell suitcase, some insist the extra pliability of soft side bags can prove beneficial.

Either way, lightweight and thoughtful design are keys.

A bag should be light enough empty that when packed its weight is still easy enough to hoist overhead without any unnecessary toppling into the lap of the scary looking dude in seat 17D.

Bags weighing less than 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms), like Heys’ softside spinner are ideal, and those that are roomy with smart compartments like an exterior accessible laptop section for simple removal and replacement are both functional and security-line friendly.

Most importantly, luggage should err on the safe side of the standard carry-on size — in inches that means slightly under 22 x 14 x 9 (height x length x width), or 56 x 36 x 23 in centimeters, which is the most common allowable size across airlines.

Many bags claim to be regulation size carry-ons and in fact aren’t, so double check dimensions before buying to avoid forced gate check.

New in travel bags: Smart luggage, lighter weight, better wheels

2. Compression is key

A compression bag is one travel gadget that isn’t a gimmick.

These smart space savers can mean the difference between fitting one week’s worth of clothing in a carry-on, or two.

Flight 001’s Spacepak Clothes bag can hold up to eight pairs of men’s jeans, five shirts and a sweater, and once all the air is pushed out, fit right into a carry-on.

A bonus with this bag: one side of the Spacepak is for clean clothes, the other for dirty, so you can uphold cleanliness and maintain a tightly packed case without bundled dirty duds crammed into corners.

3. Make duds do double duty

It’s possible to fit two weeks worth of clothing into a carry-on, the items just have to be carefully curated.

First, build a foundation of neutrals, like a chambray top, jeans, white shirt and a black dress for women.

For men, a navy polo, jeans, a white button down and black slacks.

Then add in pops of color in the form of sweaters, blouses and skirts for women — blazers and collared shirts for men — for mix and match variety.

Yes, we appreciate you won’t exactly be setting the fashion world alight, but seriously, in the proud traditional culture of the country you’re headed, that on-trend fetish leather suit won’t just land you in trouble, it’ll give you a nasty heat rash.

Ten pieces of clothing can turn into 14 outfits if properly planned.

Women can achieve this by packing four bottoms, four tops, a sweater or blazer and a dress.

Guys can do the same, subbing the tops for button downs and tees and the dress for shorts, weather permitting.

Each article of clothing should go with any other in the collection for the double-duty dressing to work — so go easy on the denim.

Never pay for an overweight suitcase again

4. Go sans wrinkles

Ironing at home is already a chore, so why take it on your travels?

Reduce the need by slipping suits and such into plastic dry cleaning bags.

When suitcases get jostled, garments will slide around in the bag instead of settling in one spot and getting wrinkled, so clothing will be as smooth as it was when packed upon arrival.

For business travelers, adding something like the Charles Tyrwhitt Italian-woven pure wool travel suit to your wardrobe will also mean fewer wrinkles since the more tightly twisted fibers are more resistant to creasing.

5. Pack backup

If you must pack contingency items, make sure they don’t take up essential space.

A lightweight but durable duffel that can be folded into a palm-sized pouch for toting and can later be filled with the snow globes, bottles of booze and unsuitable leather fetish suits one inevitably acquires abroad.

If the need for a shopping spree arises, the bag can be checked on the return journey.

When fleeing freeze for warmer climates, replace hefty outerwear with stowable alternatives like the Craghoppers CompressLite’s hooded jacket.

6. Cut the footwear

Three pairs of footwear should accommodate the needs of any trip that doesn’t involve the Malaysia International Shoe Festival.

Pack one dress pair, one casual pair and one comfort or athletic pair, the bulkiest of which should be worn on board.

Shoes should be packed soles to the side of the case going all around the edge, leaving space in the center for clothes, or a Spacepak.

Socks, undergarments and any other requisite small goods should be stuffed into shoes to maximize space. The footwear keeps its shape and no crevice is left unaccounted for.

Bags keep shoes protected and clothes clean, but ignore the allure of pretty shoe pouches for pairs, individual ones allow for the necessary customized placement.

7. Maximize that ‘personal item’

Most airlines allow passengers on board with one carry-on plus one personal item provided it fits under the seat.

Take advantage of the opportunity to stow that extra outfit that didn’t fit in the carry-on. It can double as a spare change of clothes in the event that forced gate check leads to a lost bag.

Keep the item light to avoid piercing shoulder pain when running to a gate to catch a flight or flagging a fast-moving tuk tuk.

Electronics and chargers, valuables like jewelry and travel documents should live here so they’re close at hand and extra safe.

An emergency snack to get through at least the first leg of a flight can ward off disappointment when the airline doesn’t even provide peanuts.

8. Avoid gadget glut

Gadgets galore can be cumbersome and unnecessary, especially since many now sync.

Instead of dragging along an iThis and iThat, load up storage-capable smartphones with music, movies and memos, grab some headphones and leave the rest at home.

To further ensure tech doesn’t take over, use a do-it-all charger like the Victorinox worldwide adapter plug with USB charger that juices up mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras and laptops in Europe, North and South America, China and Australia, among other destinations.

9. Tote tailored toiletries

Now that security regulations have relegated grooming products to baggies, leave behind goods that are added luxuries.

Hotels are good for lotion, soap and shampoo, and personal items beyond that can be squeezed into travel-size to-go containers, like flexi-Go Toobs.

These easy-to-load silicone tubes hold products and prevent drips while a ring on the rim lets the user designate bottle contents.

For more offbeat personal care essentials that’d bulge beyond the baggie in their regular packaging, MiiSTS offers iPhone-sized sprays for things like sunscreen, stain remover and insect repellent.

10. Stay secure

Safety is paramount and moving about as much as travel demands can mean vital personal data and documents are susceptible to bad deeds.

That’s the rationale behind iPassport, the peace of mind device that debuted at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The slim, secure passport case comes with a biometric lock and can only be opened after scanning the owner’s fingerprint, so if it happens to get lost or stolen, no identities will be stolen with it.

It also comes with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) protection to prevent hackers from tapping into data and Bluetooth smart tethering technology so the user can sync the device with a smartphone and track it down if necessary.

Just make sure your passport is inside it before you set off. Nothing more embarrassing than swiping it open at the airport to discover that’s where you stowed your emergency snack.

Read more: http://cnn.it/2nNzc7P

from 10 packing tips from a travel pro for a best-case scenario