#and that bled into me appreciating that museum a lot

[rimouskis]

on the subject of museums though: I'm a FIRM believer that the smithsonians are genuinely some the greatest cultural heritage americans possess and I believe SO fervently in them being free to the public and accessible to all because they ARE our nation's history and tell (and ideally deconstruct) our national myths and help contextualize the natural world around us and show us the heights of human ingenuity and art. also my favorite of all of them is the national museum of the american indian and I personally think if you can only go to one smithsonian museum it should be that one

[random-imaginess]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope it was perfect!

Can I request a Bucky x reader where she is feeling scared to go out in the world post covid and Bucky is just cute and supportive?

Thank you! It was a fairly good day! I read this request yesterday and thought how fitting it was because I have spent a lot of time thinking about situations like this! A LOT of time..

This gif, to me, makes it seem like this is going to be more angsty than it actually will be, but it's gonna be cute and fluffy and it's gonna be ok! I didn't want to go too much into some stuff, even though having anxiety and concerns and doubts and a bunch of thoughts about a world post covid is VERY REAL, I just wanted to try and make this light-hearted and cute. I hope I was able to do that!

The past year and a half had been a wild one, to say the least. There was anxieties about the virus outbreak, anxieties about the lock down that was only supposed to last a couple weeks, then six weeks, then a couple months... You were used to wearing masks when you absolutely needed to go out for food and supplies, talking about how great it was going to be when life would go back to normal.

What was normal, though? It hadn't felt normal in so long that you weren't sure what normal was anymore. You were fortunate enough to have Bucky at your side through all of it. Keeping you company, keeping you sane. Talking about what you were going to do first when things opened back up again, wondering what it was going to be like when it was all over. "What about the beach?!" You explained excitedly. "The smell of the ocean, the wind in our hair, the seagulls flying overhead, the warm sand! Oh, it'll be so incredible! We should go there first!." Bucky just grimaced. "The beach? The sticky, salty feeling you get on your skin, the sand, seagulls shitting on your towel, dive bombing you for your food, the SAND getting in places you didn't know it could get into, and you're washing that shit out for weeks after... I don't know."

You groaned playfully, thought you really didn't care where you went. "Fine, you big baby, no beach." You smiled as you rolled over to your stomach to look at him, propping your elbows up on the mattress. It was a lazy afternoon, the millionth lazy afternoon so far since you've been stuck inside. You couldn't complain too much, though, being with Bucky, no matter what you did, was always your favorite thing to do. He stared up at the ceiling as his flesh hand found a spot to rest on your back, a smirk forming across his face as he thought of other places you could go when it was all over. "What about museums? Art galleries? We could go to that space one in Los Angeles," he offered, and your face lighting up with more excitement. "Ooh, yeah! That would be so fun! Look through the giant telescopes and see how much you would weight on mars!" He laughed at made eye contact with you, thinking how adorable it was that you got excited about the smallest things. "Or we could go to the grand canyon, or Hawaii! Or... the movies! How long as it been since you've been to a movie theater? Eating buttery popcorn and chocolate candy while watching a funny movie that makes you laugh so hard your sides hurt? Or one so sad it makes you cry?" Now Bucky readjusted himself and turned to his side, propping himself on him elbow, a light smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "We've been watching movies every day for the past six weeks, I don't think there's anything left we haven't already seen." "I know, but the experience is so different when you watch it on a giant screen." Your hands subconsciously ran patterns against his soft skin, reminiscing about everything there was to do before the whole world closed up. "We'll do it all, baby," Bucky smiled and leaned forward to place a kiss on your forehead. "We'll do the beach, we'll do museums, movies, theme parks, tropical paradises, we'll go anywhere around the world you wanna go." You grinned at his words. "Even Norway?" "Even Norway," he smiled, looking lovingly at you. Now the time was here, when things were opening back up again, and rules were less strict, and every plan you had talked about doing together was becoming more and more accessible. It should have been exciting. You were finally able to see more than just every nook and cranny in your house and the inside of grocery stores, but you were scared. Breaking out of the bubble that you had built for yourself to keep you and those around you safe, it was now a weird feeling to try and break out of it. To get back into the routine of every day life that you gave no second thought to before everything changed. You and Bucky had finally agreed on starting your adventures with a simple day out. Getting lunch, now that more restaurants were open for dine in, maybe some window shopping, a leisurely walk through the park, or whatever else you felt like doing. But you were hesitant to go through with it. The anxiety of being around more people was getting to you. In the back of your mind you knew you were going to be OK, but it was the fact of not knowing that made you second-guess your decision to leave the house. It was been a weighing thought for the past few weeks leading up to you going out. Now that it was finally here, it was all too real. Bucky had picked up on your hesitancy, but didn't want to push you until you were ready to bring it up yourself. And you wanted to tell him about it, you just didn't know how to properly form it. It felt a little silly to be so scared. The unknown always got the better of you, made you doubt, and added more anxiety than was necessary, but it's just how you were.

The closer it got to you leaving, the heavier your chest became. "I think maybe we should wait for a different day to go out.." You blurted out, picking at the skin on your thumb. Bucky looked at you and grabbed your hand to get you to stop, knowing if he didn't, you'd just do it until it bled. "You don't want to go anymore?" "I do, I just think maybe it's still too early to be around crowds, you know? There's going to be more people without masks, or if they'll get aggressive for being asked to wear one... we won't know if they're vaccinated yet or whatever... I think we should wait. Just a little longer. Is that Okay?" "Of course it is. You know I'd never want to you in a situation that makes you uncomfortable." You nodded. "I do know that, I just... I feel silly, like I'm making this a bigger deal than it actually is, but I can't bring myself to go out there and pretend like everything is normal when it's not." He placed a gentle hand on the side of your face. "Well, I don't think we have to pretend anything is normal. We know it's not. But I think we need to be open to the idea of a new normal. It's not going to be something we can be ok with over night, though, but gradually." He rubbed his hands gently up and down your arms. "There's nothing wrong with your feelings about it, okay? Please don't feel like you're being irrational about wanting to wait. It's perfectly OK to wait. We can do something here, or go to our spot, have a little picnic.. we can do anything you want." You looked up at him and smiled, grateful that you had such an incredible, understanding man in your life. "A picnic sounds perfect. Fresh air would be perfect." "Alright," he smiled. "Let's have a picnic." You wrapped your arms around him for a hug, being engulfed in his secure embrace, and gave him a kiss on the lips, taking a moment to really appreciate how much it meant to you to have Bucky in your life. In a time of uncertainly, he always made you feel safe and heard, and you couldn't ask for anything better than that.

[amaranthinecanicular]

Jack of all trades. Enough people have called him that over the years, usually with intent to flatter. Maybe they don't know the other half of the phrase. Maybe they just choose to ignore it. Either way, Sero came to terms long ago with how well it fit, like a second skin, like a worn and comfortable uniform: jack of all trades, master of none.

----

“Sero has a crush on his dentist,” says Kaminari.

“Oh, really? Congrats, man!” says Kirishima. “What's his name?”

“Dentists make good money,” says Mina. “Is he cute?”

“Who the fuck cares?” says Bakugou. Then he says nothing else because he's tearing into his burger.

“I don't have a crush on my dentist,” says Sero, not that anyone listens. He tears into his burger too, with more dedication than he affords most burgers. It's just a really good burger. Honestly.

Kaminari elects to answer for him, because Kaminari is a terrible friend. “His name's Skye. He's American. And as for cute--” He digs his phone out of his pocket and opens a picture of Dr. Skye, mid-teeth cleaning. When the hell did he take that? How the hell did he take that?

“I did some reconnaissance,” says Kaminari, guessing at Sero’s question. “My gums bled all over the place but it was totally worth it.”

“Oh my god, I know him!” says Mina, snatching the phone. “He was on all those teeth whitening ads, with the catchy jingle!”

She tilts the screen toward Kirishima, who whistles. “Nice, Sero. He is cute,”

The phone vanishes from both their hands to detonate neatly in Bakugou’s fist.

“Who. The fuck. Cares?” he growls, and Sero has never been more grateful for his jealous streak. Kirishima likes it too, though for different reasons, which he makes known by sprawling backward into Bakugou’s lap and cooing, “Aw, babe, you're so cute when you're jealous!”

Kaminari is not as endeared. “That's the third one this month, Bakugou,” he says, his voice a pitiful mix of mournful and resigned. “At least I've got a warranty this time.”

Mina puts her chin in her hands and bats her eyelashes. It’s exactly as cute as she thinks it is, but Sero has had years to develop immunity. “Have you asked him out yet?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Probably because I don't have a crush on my dentist.” Except how he does. He totally does have a crush on his dentist.

“Dude.” Kaminari stops pouting long enough to level him a flat look. “You get a cleaning every three weeks. Your teeth are fabulous, your wallet is empty, and you have a crush on your dentist. Ask him out.”

There's a very special type of burn in Sero’s chest to hear Kaminari say that. Dry, crackling heat, like an electric fire. He puts his face in his hands and presses the burning back down, away from his eyes.

“I was drunk when I told you all that. It’s more complicated than you think.”

He hears Mina:  “How is it complicated? You’re a catch. Just ask him out next time you see him!”

And Kirishima: “Even if he says no--which he shouldn’t, because Mina’s right, you’re a total catch--but even if he does, he’ll appreciate your honesty. Nothing manlier than honesty and respect.”

And Bakugou: “Either way you’ll get to stop wasting your cash like a chump and I’ll get to stop hearing about this bullshit.”

And Kaminari: “So you do like him.”

That’s the one he looks up for. Through his fingers he imagines a strangeness to Kaminari’s expression. A smile, just a little too crooked. Electric-eyed and bright. His normal look, really. It only looks strange for the wearing itself--for the deliberate way he seems to pull it on, less natural, more affected, like a costume and mask. Sero might think Kaminari was displeased with his answer if only he weren’t imagining it all.

“It’s complicated,” Sero says again, because it is. Because he does have a crush on his dentist, sure, but a crush on a near-stranger for the past four months is nothing compared to a crush on one’s best friend. More than a crush. For over a decade.

Kaminari looks like he has something else to say--maybe Sero’s imagining that too--but it's interrupted by a brave gaggle of fans, the first of several to approach. Someone says, “The Ground Zero Agency, here, in our burger joint!” It's one of those days where everyone at the table but Sero is recognized, but hey, that's okay. He's used to it.

Sero finishes his burger.

----

His dentist calls him Jack.

He doesn't know why. He doesn't ask. Jack could mean a lot of things. He's heard that some people use it as a nickname for strangers in America. Or it could be that Dr. Skye honestly forgot his name. That wouldn't be so surprising--it's not like Sero’s very famous, or even particularly recognizable. Nothing like everyone else at the agency. Between plain and forgettable, it's anyone's guess which he's been called more often.

“Hey, Jack!” says Dr. Skye. His smile is something close to blinding, but Sero is self aware enough to know that it’s probably more to do with the man’s quirk than genuine joy at seeing him again. He’s got a ton of other patients and he probably smiles the same way at them.

“Hey there, Doc,” says Sero. One nickname for another. “Fancy meeting you here.”

It's a dumb joke, if it even counts as a joke at all, but Skye snickers the same way he always does. And the way he says, “I missed my favorite patient. How you been?” is the same too. Probably par for the course. Probably Dr. Skye makes everyone feels so special.

But, well. Not everyone makes Sero “Jack of All Trades” Hanta feel special. Just Kaminari and Skye, mostly.

“Fine,” says Sero, even though it hasn't really. He was on a late night talk show a few nights ago with Kaminari, the host of which has it out for him. But Skye doesn't need to know that. “Just fine. You?”

Skye peers into Sero’s mouth and pokes around and hums a little. “Pretty good! Filled in a cavity for Lemillion. Have I told you I'm Lemillion’s dentist?”

Sero’s answer is unintelligible, which is for the better because he doesn't want to tell Skye that he's told him that six times already. Lemillion was actually the one who referred Sero to Skye. Not that Skye knows this, either, and Sero would like to keep it that way.

“But his pearly whites have nothing on yours,” Skye continues. “Which are perfect as always, by the way. Best I've ever seen. Aside from mine, of course.” He likes that joke. Sero doesn't mind because it's objectively true.

On the TV posted in the back corner of the office an ad comes on for a popular late-night talk show. Clips of Kaminari’s face flicker over the screen, and then his own. Sero’s pulse picks up but the TV is muted and Skye has his back to it.

“So, got any plans this weekend?” Skye says, and the ad ends. If Sero is visibly relieved then Skye is too distracted by the inside of his mouth to notice.

“Nuh muh,” says Sero. The ad comes on again. That’s just not fair.

“I don’t either. Usually my schedule is jam packed but it’s nice to have some free time, right?”

Sero makes a croaky, squeaky sort of sound. Skye nods like this is an acceptable human answer, and Sero would be embarrassed if he weren’t kind of freaking out. Something terrible will happen if Skye finds out that he is Cellophane. He knows it. Skye will be disappointed that of all the heroes he works with it’s Sero that has a crush on him, or he’ll make some awful joke about how Jack is an even more fitting nickname than he thought, or he’ll bust out a villain costume and fry Sero in the overstuffed dentist chair. Maybe not that last one so much but he’s panicking and Skye is turning around to nab a paper cup for Sero to spit in and the ad is playing for a third time what the hell is the network that desperate for viewers—

“Do you want to go out with me on Saturday?” someone says. He says. He, Sero Hanta, just said that. Gargled, really.

Skye stops with his body half turned and the ad finally, finally gives way to a commercial for a revolutionary new vacuum cleaner. “Come again?”

“Uh.” Sero reaches past him and plucks the paper cup from his hand. He spits very suavely into it. Except for how that’s a filthy lie because no one on earth can do that. “Um. I was thinking, maybe. Since we’re both free. Maybe we could get dinner on Saturday? Together? Or something?”

He wishes Bakugou were here. Bakugou would put him out of his misery. But to his eternal surprise, Skye does not laugh him out of the office. He does not grimace or lose his temper, which was probably an unreasonable reaction to fear. Instead he says, “Yeah. Yes. That sounds great.”

“Seriously?” Wait. No. That’s. That can’t be right. “That worked? Like. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? That was the least smooth I’ve ever been.”

Skye takes a seat on his work stool and quirks one brow. “Well, maybe not now that you’re trying to talk me out of it.”

Maybe this isn’t as much of a disaster as Sero thought. “Maybe it was a test. Maybe I don’t want to go out with someone who would say yes to such a terrible proposition.”

“That’s too bad. I had the perfect place in mind, I’ve been wanting to take you for a while.”

Sero smiles, big and minty. “Really?”

Skye smiles too, and it is quite literally blinding. Sero doesn’t mind. “Yes.”

Sero has never been so happy to pay twenty two thousand yen. He’s happy. He is. He can’t wait for Saturday.

He can’t think of anything but Kaminari.

----

Listen, it’s not like Sero hasn’t tried to move on. He has. He’s tried. Ten years is longer than he planned to hold a candle for anyone. There was a cute paramedic eight years ago, and a police officer who tried to arrest him because she thought he was a vigilante seven years ago. A fellow hero five years ago. A talented chef three years ago. A museum curator two years ago.

With the exception of the one or two who were trying to use him to get to the rest of the agency, Sero torpedoed those relationships all on his own. He’d like to blame Kaminari, for always showing up at exactly the wrong moment and being charming and dumb and incorrigible and earnest and saying just the right thing to make Sero’s smile real, but when it comes down to it all those people deserved better than what Sero could give them.

He’s tried to move on. He has. That doesn’t mean he was successful.

----

“So you're really giving up on Kaminari?”

Mina is helping him pick an outfit. Her words. Sero would call it lounging on his bed and eating his food and reading his magazines. He never explicitly told her about his feelings for Kaminari, but Mina has always had a way with matters of the heart, and she sniffed it out by their second year at UA. Honestly he's lucky he managed to keep Skye from her for as long as he has.

He pulls out a yellow v-neck and says, “Nothing to give up on. It's not like I ever had a chance.”

“Didn't he kiss you in our third year?” She flips a page in the magazine too casually.

“Yeah, and then he started talking about Jirou.” He thinks about that kiss more often than he'd like to admit. The stuff after that—Jirou’s name in the mouth that had just been on his, Sero’s heart crumbling at the edges—not so much.

“Talk is cheap. A kiss is action.”

“Action from ten years ago. And dating Jirou right after that counts as action too, doesn’t it?”

Mina deigns to give him a flat look over her magazine. “One date, and they never even kissed. Not the same thing.”

“Yeah, well.” He leaves it at that and weighs the v-neck against a dark blue turtleneck. He’s always liked it, but it’s tough to get around his elbows so he doesn’t wear it often. Honestly it would probably look better on Todoroki, which is good because Todoroki isn’t the type to look down his nose at a hand me down gift. “Which one do you think?”

“Hm. Neither.”

“What? That wasn’t one of the options,”

“And you're sure Skye doesn't know you're a hero?”

He gives up on the idea of looking his best with a sigh. “Pretty sure.”

“How does that work? Does he just not care about your life?”

“Sure he does. He asked what I do, I told him that I deal with public safety.”

“And that's it? He never asked you more about it?”

No, he didn’t. Instead he said that he worked in public safety too, plaque can be dangerous, and did Sero know he was Lemillion’s dentist? “What's with the third degree? I thought you were rooting for him. Kaminari is.”

He manages to keep the bitterness from his voice because he isn’t bitter about it. It’s good that Kaminari is in his corner. Sure, it burns a little, but he’s not bitter. Why should he be? It’s for the better.

...He will admit, though, that he’d have preferred Kaminari not know about it at all. Sero hadn't even meant to tell him, is the thing. They were celebrating the interview with tacos and beer, and they were drunk and happy. Leaning on each other in Kaminari’s apartment. Whispering and giggling like teenagers. It was nice. It was so nice. And it could have stayed that way if Sero had just kept his mouth shut, but some stupid self-sabotaging corner of his mind blurted, “So I think I have a crush on my dentist,” and then his mouth blurted it too.

He still doesn't know what he expected to happen. His fool heart was probably hoping Kaminari would get jealous and swoop in for a kiss—they were close enough, could smell the alcohol and Sriracha on each other's breath—but instead Kaminari peeled himself from Sero’s side and said, “Congrats, man. Tell me all about it.”

He doesn’t feel bitter about it. Just stupid. Just sad.

Mina shuts her magazine. She bounces up and throws her arms around Sero’s middle, rests her chin on his shoulder and meets his eyes in the wardrobe mirror. She must be on her tiptoes. “Oh, honey, I just want someone who appreciates you for you.”

He almost says that's why he lied in the first place. It's probably what she thinks anyway. Plenty of heroes are romantically anonymous, trying to make sure they're loved for their personalities instead of their celebrity status. Mina doesn’t need to know that Sero isn’t out to pretend he’s less than Cellophane, professional Jack of All Trades. She doesn’t need to know he’s pretending he’s more.

But he doesn’t like to lie to Mina, so instead he says, “I think he does, really. Thank you, Mina.”

She doesn’t look entirely convinced, but she’s a good friend, and so she drops it. Plucks both shirts from his hands and pulls out a mossy green button down instead. The cuffs can be unbuttoned and rolled up with ease over his elbows. With one hand he takes the hangar and with the other he pulls Mina close.

“The incomparable Alien Queen, saving the day as always.”

“I hope he deserves you,” she sighs, and squeezes him tight. “The incomparable Cellophane.”

To keep from laughing at the absurdity of that statement Sero drops a kiss on her head and says nothing at all.

----

Sero thinks there are probably better ways to start a date than feeling supremely underdressed.

Skye had said nice but casual, Mina’s outfit seemed perfect. They agreed to meet at the restaurant, a comfortable plan that lets Sero work up his nerve as he makes the short tape swing over. But then he gets there, and Skye is already waiting in a sparkly tux that reminds him of Aoyama but classier, and Sero is struck by a sinking sense of foreboding. They head inside and sure enough there are chandeliers, and suit jackets, and long sweeping gowns. The lighting is low and the balconies are high and there's a beautiful woman crooning into a microphone, with shimmering clones of herself singing backup vocals. The waiters here are the kind that pull out Sero’s seat for him and never smile. Which is made more intimidating by the fact that their table is located on a private balcony, which apparently exists for the sole purpose of overlooking all the extravagance and basking in the knowledge that it's above even that.

Underdressed is. A word. For how he's feeling.

The waiter—is he a waiter? He looks more official than that, white suit instead of black, greeted Skye with groveling familiarity—starts reciting the wines without use of a menu and Sero tries to be positive. There are worse ways to start a date, too. Sure it's a little rich for his blood, but it's not like Skye looks embarrassed to be seen with him. In fact he'd smiled when they met, and told him he looked great. Never mind that no one else is wearing their sleeves rolled up, and his elbows feel clunkier than ever.

“So what do you think?” Skye is watching him expectantly. The maybe-not-a-waiter is watching him expectantly too. Sero can't remember any of the wines because he's pretty sure they were all in French (Aoyama would love it here, really) so he shrugs and says, “They all sound great. Why don't you pick?”

He has the feeling this was the right decision because Skye turns and starts making snappy orders in French that he definitely had prepared. He comes here a lot, is what this says. He's trying to impress.

Once the waiter(?) trots away Skye leans conspiratorially across the table. “It usually takes three months to get a reservation here, but I whiten the manager’s teeth.” The manager, of course, that's who he was. Some appetizers land on the table, evidently on the house. Skye raises his eyebrows and spreads out his hands. “Nice, right?”

Sero has no idea what the appetizer is. It's gray and goopy with one sprig of mint or maybe cilantro on top and it's probably the most expensive bite he's ever going to have in his life. Should that make it more appetizing? Nice right, Skye had said, and Sero has the opportunity to be honest, to lie, or to deflect with a joke.

“Yeah, it's nice, but I think you could have done better. I mean, they didn't even chew my food and feed me like a baby bird.”

Skye laughs, bright and genuine, head thrown back, and relief floods Sero’s insides. He remembers: Skye likes him. Really likes him. And he likes Skye. This is doable. This can work.

And it does, for a while. Sero tells heroic anecdotes (with some of the more heroic details fudged). “So the power’s out, and we need to see in order to… clean up the mess, right? My coworker’s static shock quirk can light things up for a second, but not enough. So he decides the best way, the only way to get the power going is to stick his tongue in an outlet.”

More or less how it happened. Static shock is close enough to electricity and the mess they were cleaning up was actually a villain that thrived in pitch darkness. The generated light from Bakugou and Kaminari’s quirks were enough to hold him back but not enough to beat him, so Kaminari went for it. Overloaded the power for the whole block. Put him in the hospital for two days and completely fried his tongue for two weeks. Later he slurred to Sero that it was worth it because he’d always wanted to do that.

To counter, Skye tells funny stories that might blur the line of patient confidentiality. “I took out Present Mic’s wisdom teeth a few years ago. Couldn’t hear for week after that,” he says, and Sero snorts on his wine. That sounds about right.

Over the main course they debate what materials Skye can bite through. Literally anything, according to Skye, and Sero is halfway to convincing Skye to bite through a fork when someone fancy and expensive looking comes over to rub elbows. With Skye, specifically. She ignores Sero. Which is fine, because it allows Sero to focus on his meal, and what he’s going to do after he finishes these seriously tiny portions. There’s no way he won’t still be hungry. Skye makes him a valiant but ultimately futile effort to include him in the conversation. Hey, it’s the thought that counts.

“I'm surprised she didn’t ask for your autograph,” Skye says, once the woman has given him her card and sauntered away. Sero laughs.

“One of the perks of dating me: you definitely don't have to worry about paparazzi.” He stops laughing. Blinks. “Wait, you know I'm a hero?”

Skye gives him a look that lands squarely between incredulous and amused. “Of course I do. You're kind of a celebrity.”

“Kind of,” Sero emphasizes, but he feels like he's glowing, like a secondary quirk has started up just behind his sternum. Skye knows. He’s known all along and he still wants to be with him. Skye warms too, maybe to see that his comment went over so well, and he continues.

“You're too modest. You're one of the top twenty heroes, and a member of the number one agency in the country. Honestly, I'm a little starstruck by you. Cellophane, Taping Hero, Jack of All Trades. Why do you think I call you Jack?”

That sweet, glowing warmth snuffs out.

“Ah, right,” Sero says. “Right. Thank you,”

Sero thinks of Kaminari. You hate it when they call you that, he'd said on the night of the talk show.

“And you do have the best smile,” Skye continues, oblivious. He winks. “After me, of course.”

“Thank you,” Sero says again. Kaminari once told him he had the best smile. No after me or except for. He was drunk and his cheeks were pink and his hands were sweaty. No matter how many times Sero told himself afterward that it was just sloppy drunken affection, he was never able to convince himself that Kaminari had been anything but sincere.

Sero tries his best to stay present through the rest of the meal, but it's hard. Now that Kaminari has smiled against the back of his eyelids it's more difficult to keep him out. When the waitstaff sweeps back in to check on them and refill their glasses, silent and efficient to the point of being cold, Sero thinks again of how very much he feels out of place. The difference is that now he imagines where Kaminari would have taken him. A local taco place, probably. Crowded and a little too loud. Casual, comfortable, warm.

Dinner winds down. They talk about other things. Sero sees some flaws in Skye’s personality now. Some stains in the white of his teeth. (Metaphorically. He doesn't think Skye’s teeth actually can stain.) He's a little bit arrogant, a little bit self-centered. He likes to flaunt his money. But these are just the natural flaws that come with being human--he's still kind, still funny and charming, and Sero is very suddenly, very starkly aware that he could fall in love with him. He's just not sure if he wants to.

They have coffee, share a dessert. If Sero starts to pull away, Skye doesn't seem to notice. When they leave the manager comes by to see them off and Skye leaves a generous tip. They walk to Skye’s house, which is bigger and fancier than Sero thought Tokyo had room for, and on the doorstep Skye kisses him.

There are sparks. He won't lie about that. The problem is that sparks only make him think of one person.

“Ah,” says Skye, and steps away. Sero opens his eyes.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing from my end.” Skye watches him. He takes another step back. “There's someone else, huh?”

What? “What? That's not--” What? “I don't--”

Skye lets him stutter, but Sero realizes as he does that his heart has been on his sleeve for the past few minutes--maybe for longer--and it's too late to tuck it away now. He falters, then stops. They stand there for a few seconds, both watching the ground.

“I'm sorry,” he says, finally. “I really like you, Skye, I just…”

“You seemed a little distant near the end there. Unfinished business with someone?” Sero hesitates, then nods. “Is it Chargebolt?”

Sero reels. Metaphorically, mostly, but maybe a little bit literally. He opens his mouth but Skye raises a hand, which is good, because he has no idea what he would have said.

“You don't have to answer that. It's just--I told you I've seen you on TV, you're kind of famous, and sometimes the way you look at him--” He shakes his head. “Sorry. It's not really my place.”

“You're really great, Skye,” Sero says, because he feels like garbage and he doesn't think apologizing again will help either of them. “I mean really, really great. I wouldn't have come out tonight if I didn't think so. You… you deserve someone just as great as you, who can appreciate you for how great you are.”

“Yeah. Sounds great.” Skye smiles, though it seems somewhat dampened. He opens the door and steps backward through it into a rectangle of light. “Hey, I hope you end up happy, Jack. You deserve someone great too. Don't forget to floss,”

It's such an unexpected parting shot that Sero can't help but laugh, and Skye laughs too, and the door closes, and Sero is still chuckling but really he just wants to call Kaminari and cry. He thinks about taping his way home, and decides to walk instead. He can’t imagine feeling more awful than he does in this moment.

Then the alert comes in.

----

Jack of all trades. Enough people have called him that over the years, usually with intent to flatter. Maybe they don't know the other half of the phrase. Maybe they just choose to ignore it. Either way, Sero came to terms long ago with how well it fit, like a second skin, like a worn and comfortable uniform: jack of all trades, master of none.

And he isn't. He knows he isn't. He's a solid pretty good at everything, which is usually enough. He's learned how to use Pretty Good at Everything to his advantage; he works at the top hero agency in the country (though depending on the day, the heroes in Midoriya’s agency beat them out) despite the fact that his individual stats are hands down the least impressive. But he's an excellent support hero, the best there is at backing up the star. He excels as a professional sidekick—the one thing he's best at. Most of the time he can think that without even a little bitterness. A brand's a brand, and he's more than lucky to have cultivated one at all.

This is what happened the night of the talk show:

It's not the first time he's been on this program. It's not even the second or third time. The showrunners have a good rapport with the Ground Zero Agency, so at least one member ends up in these very comfy interview chairs every few months. Even so, he can't bring himself to be surprised when the host asks him to introduce himself. “With us today we have pro heroes Chargebolt and…”

She pauses, tips her head. It's jealousy, he's pretty sure. Her quirk is kind of like his--prehensile hair that can whip out and grab things, she uses it to hold microphones for her guests--and she thinks she could do a better job at the Ground Zero Agency. She’s practically told him as much, though she was delirious with adrenaline and smoke at the time. Those were extenuating circumstances, and awkward as hell, just like this is shaping up to be. Oh well. He's good at smiling through awkward situations.

“Cellophane, the taping hero,” he says, to fill her expectant silence. He winks at the audience, shoots two goofy finger guns.

“Yes, and Cellophane.” Her voice flattens on his name. The applause reflects it, dialing down from enthusiastic to polite. But Kaminari whistles for him, which is silly and gratifying and makes Sero’s smile feel a little more real.

The host raises her eyebrows over her glasses. “And your quirk is…tape?”

“That's right.”  

“I see. Ladies and gentlemen, our local Jack of All Trades...”

Sero knows very suddenly that she's going to finish the phrase. He can already feel the eyes on him, the heavy beat of silence, the awkward little laugh bubbling in the back of his throat he'll use to fill it. It's going to be awful. He prepares himself to smile through it.

“Most valuable member of the team, right here,” says Kaminari, and the host is distracted.

“Is he?” She sounds dubious. Sero can understand that. Most valuable? He's valuable, sure, but most?

“Oh, far and away. He's the most versatile, the most rational. We'd be lost without him. But you know that already, huh? Remember that time he rescued you from that fire in the studio?”

A murmur ripples through the crowd. The host's face has gone startlingly pale. This was the incident that won the showrunners’ favor. It was also the incident that revealed the host’s resentment toward Sero. She'd asked them not to talk about it.

“You're selling yourself short, Chargebolt,” she says, evading his question all together. Her smile is tight and thin, lips barely moving. Kaminari’s smile dims. His eyes strike like flint in the light.

“I'm really not. I'm just showing Cellophane the respect he deserves.”

The host stares. Sero stares. Just like that Kaminari’s smile is back, a thousand watts beaming right at the audience.

“So let's show him some respect, huh?”

He starts clapping. The audience joins in, and so does the host, grudgingly. Sero is breathless with an emotion he can't name.

After the show is over and the autographs are signed and the host huffs past them, Sero catches Kaminari’s elbow. “Dude, what was all that?”

“I know, I know, it was petty. Aw man, Bakugou’s going to rip me a new one. Or maybe he’ll say it was about time.”

“It’s not like I don’t appreciate it, but you shouldn’t have done that,”

They exit the stage, leave the cameras and the oppressive heat of lights behind them. It takes Sero a moment to adjust but even in silhouette he can see the edge to Kaminari’s movements. The anxious flickering of his hands. Blue sparks at his fingertips. Agitation as he whips off the accessories of his costume, his glasses, his earpiece.

“I know, but she always does this, treats you like crap--”

“It's fine--”

“No, it's not fine. You hate it when they call you that.”

Sero stops walking. They're steps away from the changing room. Behind that door are their civilian clothes and their normal lives, and Kaminari’s hand is on the doorknob when he realizes that Sero is not with him. He turns. His face softens. His hand finds Sero’s hand, and for once he doesn't say a single thing as he opens the door and leads Sero through it.

----

The villain was robbing a bank with two accomplices. Technically Sero isn’t on call, but he’s made it a habit to tape his costume to an alley wall or rooftop when he’s out just in case. This was one of those cases--despite detouring back to the restaurant for his costume he’s still the first one on the scene by a long shot. Everyone else is busy or off duty or too far. Sometimes this happens. Sero’s dealt with worse.

Catching the first two was easy enough. There was a man with rubber limbs and another with mouths all over his body, neither of whom struck Sero as the brains of the operation. The last villain nearly got away in the chaos of the evacuation, but Sero caught up with her in the park across the street, trying to flee with a duffel bag full of money. She didn’t seem particularly unhappy that he found her.

She calls herself Amp, though her quirk seems to bear no similarity to Jirou’s. Not that Sero has a clear picture on what that quirk is. He's been holding her off on his own for fifteen minutes now, most of which has entailed them dancing around each other. Every time he tries to restrain her she fists her hands in his tape and a strange tingling sensation shivers up to him. He releases before the tingling turns into something worse, which he's certain it will, and then they’re back to square one.

“Remind me of your name, hero,” she says, bouncing back from a lunge. She unwinds another loose strip of tape from her wrists. “I told you mine, it's only fair.”

“Well, my mom told me not to talk to strangers, but since I really care about playing fair with villains--”

“No wait, don't tell me!” There's something wild in her eyes that makes him uneasy. They've been hopping around nonstop and she's barely winded. “I recognize you. Barely. Has anyone told you you're kind of plain? Don't worry, I'll get it,”

“Aw, you'll hurt my feelings.” He shoots low, yanks her ankles out from under her. Before she can get a hand in his tape he's released it, tries to pin her arms to her sides while she's freeing her legs--

Except she's not distracted. She catches the next string and tries to pull him off balance--pins and needles shoot up his arm, he detatches the tape--she springs for him as soon as she's loose, a hand reaching through his visor--

He tapes a lamppost and rips himself away. The air is sharp and too cold, on his face, in his lungs. Amp is laughing, tossing his helmet from hand to hand.

“I remember now!” she says. “You're from Ground Zero’s agency. You're not bad, but you're not great. Definitely not in the top ten. What do they call you again? Jack of all trades?”

“Got it in one.” Sero stands on the lamppost and he grins, and he catches his breath, and he considers his options. Not many. Kaminari and Mina are off duty. They might get an emergency alert, or see it on the news, but it’ll be a while. On the other hand Kirishima and Bakugou are busy with a villain across the city, though last he saw the HUD in his visor said they were on their way. Other heroes will assume they’ve got it handled, so no help there, but Red Riot and Ground Zero should be here any minute now. He should be relieved.

“There's more than that though, isn't there?” Amp taps her chin with one finger. Her smile is cruel. “Master of none, I think that's it. Figures I'd get the loser of the agency.”

“Pretty embarrassing that a loser’s kept you here for so long,  huh?”

Her eyes widen, her smile fixes on her face. She has an ego, he realizes, an exploitable one. He hops down and this time she leaps for him with less grace; he doesn’t manage to catch her as she stumbles past him but he snags the duffel bag. She cries out as he winds it up and sticks it to the top of the lamppost, out of her reach.

“You’re going to regret that,” she says. Her grin promises that much, and he has a sinking feeling she might be right, but he matches her smile tooth for tooth.

“That’s pretty unoriginal. I’m disappointed.”

“Fine. Then how about—”

Sero is spared whatever unsavory threat she was about to make by the explosive entrance of Bakugou and Kirishima. They barely look winded from their own fight; Sero is filled with relief and dread at the sight of them.

“Good job holding her on your own, Cellophane,” Kirishima says, and Bakugou says, “You had twenty minutes, Soy Sauce, why the fuck isn’t she down yet?”

Sero fills them in. “She calls herself Amp. I don't know what her quirk is but I think she needs direct touch to activate it.”

“Ooh, the number five hero and the number one hero, both here for little old me. How flattering!” Amp’s eyes flash. “Or was it number two today? I can never tell if you or Deku are on top.”

Bakugou growls, but Kirishima’s arm across his chest bars him from getting too close.

“Surrender,” Kirishima says. “You can't beat all three of us. Don't make this hard on yourself.”

“Hard on yourself, ha! That's a good one, Hardening Hero. I always liked you.” She winks. Bakugou growls louder. “I like you so much, in fact, that I'll listen to you. There's no way I can take on two top ten heroes.” A sharp little barb, but Sero’s used to the insult. “Take me in. I'll go peacefully.”

She pulls a pair of gloves from her pocket. Puts them on, holds out her hands, palms up.

The heroes share a few searching, suspicious looks; Amp waits patiently. Bakugou nods once in Sero’s direction, but when he lifts his arms and steps toward her--

“I was talking to Red Riot,” Amp snaps. Her hands are bare and facing him--he didn't even see her whip the gloves off. “Back off, Jack. I go peacefully with him or no deal.”

“She's bluffing and she's shitty at it,” says Bakugou. “Let's just knock her out and drag her ass to jail.”

She throws one hand in his direction. “That means you too, Number Two. It's Red Riot or I make your life hell and involve as many bystanders as possible.”

Bakugou looks more than willing to risk it, but Kirishima’s hand stops him again. Sero doesn't hear what he whispers but he can tell Bakugou doesn't like it. Still, he lowers his sparking hands to his sides, and Kirishima gives his shoulder a squeeze. He moves forward.

“Gloves on, Amp. Palms together, fingers folded.” To Sero he says, “Cellophane, some tape?”

Sero frowns between them--Amp’s smirk and Bakugou’s scowl and Kirishima’s private, reassuring smile. He doesn’t feel reassured. He’s not comfortable with this at all. He was fighting her for nearly half an hour and the sudden hairpin turn to docile screams trap. But he trusts Kirishima, and he trusts Bakugou who also trusts Kirishima, and he’s not a top ten hero like either of them, is he? So whose judgment matters more?

He slings Kirishima a long string of tape, who takes it and promptly winds it around Amp’s hands. She’s still smiling. Why won’t she stop smiling? Bakugou’s whole body is still with violent, uncut tension. Kirishima is tying off the tape, and it’s taking him too long, too long, Sero’s insides rattle when she leans forward to whisper something in his ear--

Bite, not whisper.

Kirishima screams, and he hardens, and he screams, and he goes Unbreakable, and he screams, and he--he hardens further, bulks out in geode fractals as he screams and screams and screams--

He's not the only one screaming. “I'll kill you!”

“Ground Zero, don’t--!”

It’s too late. Kirishima’s jagged body slices through the tape and gloves, and by then Bakugou has already exploded into Amp’s range. He's roaring, and she's laughing, and they're reaching for each other. Sero is reaching for them too, but he's not fast enough. He watches it happen in slow motion: Amp’s fingers brush Bakugou’s elbow, Bakugou’s hand detonates, Sero’s tape wraps around their waists, in that order. Bakugou’s hand sails past her ear and the explosion goes off behind her head and it grows, and grows, and grows until it engulfs the whole bank. Sero doesn’t have time to feel horror because the shockwave sends Bakugou and Amp flying. His arms burn to keep up with them, but just as he starts to reel them back in, the strange zing travels through the tape and shivers up all the bones in his right arm. He detatches from her before whatever happened to his teammates can happen to him. Amp hits the ground and lands in a roll, tape puddling around her ankles. Bakugou is a dead weight in Sero’s arms, the force of the explosion and the energy it zapped from him rendering him unconscious. Sero risks a glance over his shoulder: Kirishima is out too, blown back into another building, still monstrous.

But they’re both alive. That’s what Sero focuses on as Amp flashes bloody teeth in a ragged mouth. Hot fear fills up the hollow of his stomach, but they’re alive, and that’s all that matters.

“Looks like it’s just us again,” he says, biding time. The heat of the burning building buffets him, simmers away in his belly. He slings Bakugou a safe distance away; she tracks the motion with her eyes but doesn’t go after him. Good.

“Oh, yippee, just me and Mr. Average.” She rolls her eyes, but her smile turns indulgent. “Honestly, though, I was most impressed with you. Red Riot and Ground Zero were kind of a let down, huh?”

She’s trying to bait him, but he doesn’t have the luxury of being reckless right now. No one is coming to his rescue because no one has reason to believe all three of them couldn’t handle one bank robber. If he’s lucky someone will check out the explosion, but he can’t rely on that. For now it’s just him. Sero, Cellophane, Jack. Master of none.

He keeps his body firmly planted between her and his friends and grins as though his knees aren’t shaking.

“You are a brave one,” she says, sweetly. “For someone so much lower on the totem pole. After what I did to them, what do you think I can do to you?”

“I'll take my chances,” he says, and takes care to keep his tone light and dismissive. Without his helmet she can see all the teeth in his broad smile. “I mean, none of us have ever heard of you. So if I'm an average hero, relatively unknown, then I guess we make a good match.”

That does the trick: she barrels at him, full tilt. Reckless. Her focus is tunneled enough that when she deflects the tape going for her face, she doesn’t see the string going for her ankles. The tape only catches one foot but she’s down, winded and bloody. Both hands on the ground to steady her. This is his chance—if he can tape her hands up before she gets her bearings, he wins. He skids a few steps closer, aims and fires, with both arms.

They are a good match, really. He got her for being reckless. She gets him for being too eager.

Turns out she’s not very winded at all—bloody and wild-eyed, but not down for the count by any means. The tape circles her wrists but she twists one hand in it and tugs, sharply, stronger than he gave her credit for. Stupid. Amateur. He detaches too late. The momentum of her pull carries him through, drags him until they’re on their knees before one another. She snarls a hand in his hair and then—

Then Sero is unraveling. Unwinding. Unbecoming, entirely.

It's like his whole body wakes up and goes into overdrive. Like she just reached inside his chest and cranked some dial up to a thousand and blew a fuse, the machine in him smoking and spitting sparks and overheating and dying, dying, dying. Tape shoots from his arms until they burn, until his whole body burns, until he’s crying and vomiting and there’s nothing left to give. Then it keeps coming anyway.

He doesn’t know how long he’s suspended there, unspooling. His tape is everywhere, piled high around him, boxing him in. All he wants to do fall. Curl up on the floor in the billowing white nest of himself before there’s nothing left. She doesn’t let him--she’s standing now and her grip on his hair is the only thing holding him up. Sero gags, and then he chokes. For one horrific, blinding moment he knows that this is how he's going to die: on his knees, asphyxiating on his own bile, completely undone.

A weak jolt of electricity steals into his body, but for Amp it must be stronger. She yelps and lets go of his hair; he crumples in a heap of tape and bones. On the ground he convulses. He doesn't even have the energy to detatch.

“Cellophane!”

He knows that voice. He opens his eyes without realizing he closed them and the world is sideways now: Sero stares from a distant place at the two figures fast approaching, small but getting bigger. Mina, gliding across the rooftops with Kaminari held tight to her hip. He zaps them between buildings, and even from this distance Sero can read the horror on his face.

No. No, anyone but him. An amplification of Kaminari’s quirk--it would kill him and everyone in a five block radius. Either Amp doesn’t know or doesn’t care, because she’s running straight for him. Kaminari’s going to die. Mina’s going to die. Kirishima and Bakugou and all the civilians are going to die.

He twitches. The streamers of tape still attached to his body rustle just enough to catch the toe of Amp’s boot.

She goes down hard, sprawling, end over end and when she comes back up the blood on her face is bright and angry in the light of the fire. It's the first time he's seen her without a smile. That's a small victory on its own.

“You.” She growls it as he pushes himself to standing. It takes him three tries. “You just don't know when to quit, do you?”

That’s something he has going for him, he supposes. He may not be as determined as Midoriya, or as passionate as Bakugou, but he’s a hero. He’ll persevere all the same.

“You're not in the top ten,” she snarls. “You're barely even in the top twenty. Who do you think you are?”

“I'm Cellophane,” he rasps. “Jack of all trades and the hero who just beat you.”

He snaps all the tape tight tight tight, just once, and Amp shrieks as the avalanche buries her and pins her down. Her quirk is still in effect, Sero knows because tape keeps ribboning out of him like an open faucet, but at least he can't feel it. He can't really feel anything. And then the world is sideways again, because apparently he collapsed at some point when he wasn’t paying attention. From an echoey, greyscale place he watches smoke plume into the sky. Between one blink and the next Kaminari is there. His eyes are big and bright and amber in the glow of the fire, the only spot of color. He's holding Sero’s face in his hands. It might be romantic in a different context.

“Detatch your tape,” Kaminari says again--is it again? How many times has he said it? “Cellophane--Sero, please, you have to--”

“Move,” Mina shoulders him out of the way. Maybe she melts through the tape or maybe she doesn't. He can't tell. He can't tell much of anything anymore. The world winks out, and Sero thinks, finally.

----

Of course it’s disorienting at first, but it doesn’t take too long for Sero to piece together that he’s in a hospital. He’s been in enough of them to know. Everything hurts, but in a drug-dulled kind of way, so it could probably be worse. Tubes and needles everywhere. There’s a blob of yellow at his bedside, and a fuzzy warmth in his hand. He blinks. Kaminari. Kaminari, playing with his fingers. He can’t really feel it, but it does stupid things to his heart to see. Maybe he’s dreaming.

“Hey, dummy,” Kaminari says. His smile looks wobbly and his eyes look damp. Not a dream, but the emotion in Kaminari’s face is probably just Sero’s imagination. “We thought we lost you for a minute there. How are you feeling?”

Sero tries to ask how the others are, Kirishima and Bakugou and Mina, and did they catch Amp, and did they put out the fire, and are the civilians safe, but his throat is too dry and cracked from disuse. Kaminari seems to understand his feeble wheezing anyway, because the wobbly look turns exasperated.

“They’re fine, everyone’s fine. They're grabbing lunch now, but they all want to see you. Can you worry about yourself for once?”

Sero tries for a smile; that feels cracked too. Kaminari watches and something in his face turns fragile, or so it seems to Sero, but he squeezes Sero’s hand and smiles back.

Kaminari fills Sero in on the details: they did catch Amp, Sero’s been out for roughly two days, Bakugou and Kirishima woke up yesterday. Bakugou was furious that an amateur villain got the better of him. The flowers on the side table are a get well gift sent from the office of Dr. Skye, with a toothbrush and floss bundle included. They’re pretty flowers, yellow daubs of cheer in the otherwise drab white room. Kaminari frowns at them, but it's hard to tell what for. “Hey, I’m sorry if this thing with Amp ruined your date, man. At least it looks like he’s still into you. Maybe he’s a keeper.”

“It’s funny that you think I need Amp to ruin my love life,” Sero says. He blinks at the shape his words take in his ear; he imagines an animate cheese grater would sound the same. “Nah, I ruined it all by myself. He just sent those because he’s a nice guy.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Kaminari sounds as though he isn’t sure what else to say. Sero sighs, and remembers that he’s still very tired.

“Don’t be. It was my fault. He realized that I was still hung up on someone else.”

Kaminari’s eyes cut quick, lightning paths to him. Huh. He may have given too much away. Drugs might be stronger than he thought.

“Then,” Kaminari says, and hesitates, a complicated twist of emotions passing over his features. “Then I guess I’m not sorry.”

The moment becomes charged, suddenly. The air between them. Sero licks his lips.

“Thanks for being here,” he says. It's mostly air. Kaminari’s laugh is air too, airy and wet and surprised.

“Of course I'm here. Can't let my best friend wake up alone, can I?”

“Kirishima’s your best friend.” Oh. Oh no. Did he say that out loud? He didn't mean to say that out loud.

Kaminari’s whole body goes kind of slack, and then it tightens up again. He looks annoyed, but not before he looks very, very sad.

“You're an idiot,” he says, and Sero splutters.

“Wh--that's rich, coming from you!”

“Yeah, it is. Is that what this is about? Is that what this is all about? We're twenty seven years old, how was this not made abundantly clear in high school? Kirishima is my best friend, yeah. And so is Bakugou and so is Mina and so is Jirou. And so are you, dumbass.”

Sero blinks, once, sluggishly. “Huh?”

“Sero.” Kaminari looks right at him. The lighting isn’t as romantic as a fancy restaurant or a burning bank but his eyes are still beautiful, and damp and earnest, though Sero is imagining those last two, he has to be. “You’re incredible. We’re all strong on our own but the only reason our agency is the best is because of you, you know that, right? Didn’t I say that? You glue us all together.”

Oh. Oh, shit, Sero isn’t imagining it because if Kaminari weren’t being so earnest he would totally have said tape instead of glue. That can’t be. Can it?

“Stop,” he says.

“And it’s more than that. You’re funny, and you’re nice, and you’re always smiling, even when it’s for everyone else’s sake and not your own. You’re my best friend, Sero, you’re more than that, you’re--”

“Stop.”

Sero’s limbs are still fuzzy-numb but he presses his hands over Kaminari’s mouth as best he can. He ends up sort of mashing his hand over Kaminari’s whole face instead. Pretty good, he thinks. Pretty good at everything. “Listen, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m not that great.” He clears his throat a time or three. “I'm no Ground Zero or Deku. I’m no Red Riot or Alien Queen.”

“I don’t want you to be any of them,” Kaminari says. Sero can feel his lips moving against his fingers and it’s killing him. “You’re perfect just being Sero.”

“Thank you. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”

His hand flops back to the bed, and Kaminari—he looks surprised. Then he looks confused. Then he looks suspicious. Then he looks angrily suspicious.

“Do you,” he starts, narrows his eyes and starts again, “Do you not know how I feel about you?”

Sero considers giving up on trying to understand what’s happening. He shrugs a little helplessly. “Well, you just said I was your best friend, which is a hell of a surprise. Good kind, though.” Kaminari does not stop looking angrily suspicious. In fact it looks like anger might be winning out. “I mean. I mean, I think it’s the good kind? Are you okay?”

“Before this. Before all this—ten years ago. You didn’t know how I felt ten years ago?”

“Um. You definitely thought of me as a good friend. Just a friend.” Oh, huh. He hadn’t meant to put that stress on the just. Definitely stronger drugs than he thought, oh.

“Just a—” Suddenly the anger peaks. Sero’s sheets crackle with static and the lights and medical screens flicker. It gives out into something else before sparks start flying. Kaminari presses his forehead to Sero’s knuckles. He looks a little like he's praying. “Do you remember what happened after I kissed you ten years ago?”

Sero blinks once. He blinks a lot. “You started talking about Jirou.”

“No, you started talking about Jirou.”

“What?” says Sero, because what the fuck? “No. No, you kissed me and then you said that you wanted to ask out Jirou and you asked my advice and I said go for it.”

Kaminari sighs with his whole body. He turns his head to meet Sero’s eyes. His voice is patient and exasperated. “No. I kissed you, and then you got this dumb frozen look that you have now, and then you told me you’d had the bright idea that I should ask out Jirou. You said we’d make a good couple. We got along so well. You were rooting for us.”

Sero stares at him. Kaminari’s cheek on the flat of Sero’s hand, an annoyed twist to his mouth. His fringe in danger of falling into his eyes. He's beautiful. It hurts to look at him.

“Oh my god,” says Sero. “I said you should ask out Jirou.”

Kaminari explodes. So does one lightbulb. “You said I should ask out Jirou! The girl who's been in love with YaoMomo since our first year! After I kissed you!”

“Oh my god. I’m an idiot.” The whole world is flipping upside down and Sero has to fist the bed sheets to keep from tumbling ass over teakettle. He forgot that. How did he forget that? “Well—well, why did you do it, then?”

He gets a withering look for that, though Kaminari’s cheeks do seem to pinken a little. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t panic after you bear your soul to a guy and he tells you to date someone else?”

Okay, that’s grounding. Good to know Kaminari is still a lovable dummy. Sero relaxes by degrees. “You didn’t have to actually go on a date with her, though.”

“I panicked. You told me to so I said I would and I didn’t know where to go from there. Jirou is a good friend and she indulged me. And you lost the right to make fun of me when you stomped all over my heart and then forgot about it! I’ve been pining like a sap for ten fucking years, man, I thought you just pitied me!”

Kaminari throws himself across the bed, face down; Sero knows he should feel bad for being the architect of his own romantic angst, and he knows he should feel worse for reinforcing a decade long misunderstanding, and he does, and he will, but Kaminari is too melodramatic to play a very convincing injured party. Sero pets his hair, slides his fingers into it, and Kaminari lets him. It’s kind of tacky with sweat and old gel—he’s been here for a long time. Probably hasn’t even showered, which is gross. Sero loves him so desperately it hurts.

“I've liked you since I was fifteen,” Sero says. “You're my favorite person.”

“I like you a lot, Sero,” Kaminari says to the covers. His voice is muffled, but also it’s quiet, and small. “A lot a lot. Can I kiss you and you not tell me to kiss someone else this time?”

“Wow,” says Sero, because he can’t think of anything else to say. Kaminari peeks up at him; whatever he sees makes him look as vulnerable as Sero feels and then he’s—wow. Wow.

The EKG machine, previously silent and satisfied with Sero’s resting heart rate, starts to chirp in distress. Sero barely hears it. By the time a nurse bustles in the machine is wailing and Kaminari has Sero pressed into the mattress with his full weight, tongue in his mouth, hands in his hair, and Sero thinks, deliriously, helplessly, that if he died like this he could only be so lucky.

----

Three days after being discharged from the hospital and the guilt finally hits him.

“I’m sorry,” he says. He’s holding a button up shirt of dabbing Santas that Kaminari got him for Christmas five years ago. “I think I’m—I get kind of stupid, when it comes to you. It’s hard to imagine that you could really—for me—it’s just. It’s just that you deserve the best.”

Kaminari snorts a little. He plucks the shirt from Sero’s hands and folds it. “You are an idiot.”

Okay, he doesn’t really fold it. He mostly crumples it into a ball and stuffs it in the duffel bag next to the clothes Sero has actually folded. There are two more duffels just like this already waiting by the door. (He should probably invest in a real suitcase.) The picture frames and wall scrolls and floor lamps are in the car. They’ve already moved the big furniture. The place that was his home is disconcertingly bare, suddenly. Bigger and lonelier than it's ever been.

Kaminari singsongs, “Do you really think I’d accept anything less than the best?” and just like that any lingering traces of wistful nostalgia are whisked away.

Now it’s Sero’s turn to snort. “You would accept anything on two legs.”

“Lies and slander. I am a dignified superhero. Very respectable.”

Sero laughs. Guffaws. Hoots, because that’s hysterical. “You, respectable!”

“Shut up, man, I am! I have very high standards.” Kaminari starts to chuck socks at him.

“High standards!”

Once they’re done here they’ll transport the suitcases to Kaminari’s apartment, and then they’ll head for work. Grab some beers with the rest of the agency after that and share the big news. (Mina already knows, because she always knows these things.) Then they’ll go home, together. To their life: goofy posters and classic Japanese wall art. Take out boxes and healthy fruits and vegetables. Clothes folded and crumpled and side by side.

Kaminari abandons balled up clothing projectiles in favor of a direct attack. His hands are staticky and wedged in Sero’s sides and his armpits, but Sero has the advantage of long and wiggly fingers and he’s not about to lose so easily. They roll around. They spill the suitcase. Kaminari kisses him, which isn’t fair at all, and he says, “I have high standards. The highest standards. I only accept the absolute best. Get it?”

He’s not laughing anymore. Sero touches his face and his eyes flutter shut.

“I get it. Hey. I get it, it’s okay.”

“It’s such a—it’s so stupid, jack of all trades, you’re so much more, I wish I could just—”

“If we ever get invited back for another interview, you can rub our relationship in her face. How’s that sound?”

Kaminari’s eyes pop open. He clutches Sero’s hand on his cheek and static dances all over his skin. It feels sweet. That’s probably just in his head but he doesn’t care.

“Oh my god yes. I love you, yes, let’s do it. We’ll be so lovey dovey we’ll knock Kirishima and Bakugou right out of third place on JP’s Best Heroic Couple Billboard.”

“Hell, let's go for first. Eat your heart out, Midoriya.”

It seems this renders Kaminari speechless, because then he’s kissing him again. Sero can’t complain. For the first time in a long time he’s not satisfied with being average, not about this. He wants more. He is more.

Jack of all trades. Ha. Eat your heart out, Jack.

----

----

[the dabbing santa shirt exists and it’s beautiful. i hope and pray that no one figures out the inspiration for skye]

[evotter]

jan, march, sept + one of your choice, love. have a great day, u icon

thank u kyra i adore u

january: what was the first fic you posted this year?

the first fic i posted this year TECHNICALLY was the epilogue of a different path. the first standalone was chewbacca (aka my introduction to the jily world once again and i have such a soft spot for it)

march: do you listen to music whilst writing? 

yes! pretty much always; if it’s not music, it’s a TV show.

september: share a comment or review which still warms your heart?

quite literally anything you’ve left on any of my fics BUT there are a few that i hold dear to my heart. i’ll post them under the cut cause they are LONG :’)

ancient: the first fic you ever posted online?

hahahaaaaaaa. it was my own version of rick riordan’s the son of neptune before the actual book was published. it was on ff.net, and the first chapter got 7 reviews, and i felt so good about myself after that lmfao. who knew i’d still be writing 8 years later?

ask me questions!

OKAY so i have 3 top favorites:

from a different path:

okay so i had seen this in someone else’s bookmarks the other day, thought it was an interesting concept—especially since i too love slytherin!percy and strongly subscribe to ofswordsandpens’ headcanons about it—but didn’t give it another thought until i was listening to a video about the cursed child and went: wait, there’s a percabeth hogwarts au that i saw somewhere. and immediately i hunted this down and i’m just in awe? i tore through it. belatedly, i realized that i made a mistake: i didn’t write down my thoughts as i was reading, which is definitely a disservice to you. however, here are a generalized list of things that i loved.

first of all, with hogwarts au���s, there are three main aspects that i look for: plot, characterization, and quality of writing. normally, fics of this size lack one or more of these key factors, but i was astonished to find that the plot is tremendously tight and intriguing (my lip bled from biting it so much because i’ve been stressed to the max), you write these characters with such distinct voices i can easily picture them saying everything—except, of course, now in a little british accent—and your writing flows so well, it feels almost like i’m reading an actual harry potter book, just with percy and co. you also do a masterful job of weaving together aspects of the pjo universe with the established canon of hp.

and there are so many specific things that i love. primarily, the way you write the relationships in this story; not just concerning percabeth (though i will get to that in a minute), but also with each of the interactions between all of the characters. i applaud you for how you handled luke/annabeth and rachel/percy, and the friendship among them all is just incredibly well done. i especially love how well you wrote connor and zoë and just, a lot of characters that i don’t often think about when i think of pjo. grover and percy’s friendship especially is heartbreaking, i just. he’s so protective because he loves his friends and holy fuck i also love how you wrote grover in this. but i just adored how you wrote annabeth/percy—the love between them, both platonic in its early stages and the romantic all throughout, was doubly apparent. i ached when they kissed each other’s cheeks, and i inwardly cheered when she kissed him in the locker room. there was just such a natural progression, to me, of their relationship. and man did i dig it. i’m excited (and maybe a little scared) to see where you take their relationship in the future.

boy, this is getting long. sorry. but some more just little quick things: loved the b99 reference, with both of their competitive natures playing out in a similar way to jake and amy’s. i kind of want to go back and see if i can find any other references that i missed because i was just too engaged in the story to catch them. also, zoë’s death killed me all over again, thanks for that. i like how you’re working the kronos plot in, and i can’t wait to see how the Final Battle plays out. what else? oh! professor hestia? beautiful. eventual maybe professor percy? outstanding. percy kissing the top of annabeth’s head? breathtaking. rachel being a quidditch commentator? earth shattering. (truly i cackled when i saw that.) mrs. o’leary being a cat? incredible. how you incorporated percy’s water powers? stunning.

ooh, this exchange was beautiful and had me cackling it was so in-character:

“None of us are dying.” Connor clarifies. “Not you, not me, not Annie, not the rest of us.”

“I might have to dispute that.” Annabeth says, from Percy’s other side. “Call me ‘Annie’ one more time, Stoll, and I’ll kill you myself.”

Connor only grins at her. “Sorry, love. No more ‘Annie’. Can I call you Beth?”

“No.”

“Anna?”

“No.”

okay, so i just finished chapter nine and i am blown away. sorry for how long this comment was, but a fic of this magnitude truly warrants it. i can’t wait to see what happens next.

i leave you with just two words: “holy shit.”

from a different path: 

god, oh my god, am i the only dumb bitch who didn’t get what the prophecy was??

anyway, i stumbled on this fic last year, patiently waiting for its completion, and now that i’ve rediscovered it, i’m so glad i finished it all in one go! i couldn’t imagine the tension of waiting for the next chapter, especially since the tension is so well-crafted!! i hardly noticed the tonal shift even as the story got darker and darker as it led up to the war, and in that way i was reminded of how extremely similar it felt to reading the hp books for the first time! you nailed percy very well i might say, and the awkward-yet-caring relationship he has with his dad. i daresay you gave connor and zoe more characterization than rick riordan himself, and the percabeth you wrote is perfect to the nth degree. i appreciate that you didnt bother with all the love triangle and unrequited feelings nonsense as well.

but i have to say, even as i cried at sally and paul’s wedding, or at dionysus’ quiet mourning for castor, what really struck with me most was the way you handled silena. for that, i have no words. that was a job extremely well done. thank you so much for blessing us with this fic.

from chewbacca (a comment from u!): 

A girl in a bright yellow hooded raincoat stumbles into the cafe on one of the slowest nights James has ever seen. Her coat is dripping all over the floor he’d just cleaned (but it’s fine) and when he leans over the counter he sees that her boots match the coat.

First of all!!! Thats the best opening line in the world and nobody can convince me otherwise. I want to become a publisher just so that if you ever write a book, I’d be able to publish it. ( like omg, what an honor??? )

She looks like sunshine, standing there with the amount of yellow in her wardrobe. Briefly, James wonders if that’s her favorite color. It’s got to be.

Im going to quote this whole fic but I really love these lines? Like, you have this distinct style of writiting that I aim to acheive and you’re literally such a rolemodel!!! These are my favorite kind of fics to read. Funny story but I was going through a ‘no thanks Jily’ mood (  a horror, i know !! ) but your fics are just,,,,exceptions? You could write about trash and I’d love it and ask for you to sign me up.

 “Say it again, but convincingly this time.”

ooof this dialogue??? let me breathe

This is the longest he’s stood still since he started working. It’s actually a miracle.

and the funniest person award goes to YOU. also, the most talented and cutest but thats neither here nor there.

james taking care of fleamont, switching off the lights gives me just a nice and realistic vibe? its so simple but i love how you added it.

honestly at this point, ive been sucked again by the fanfic. it feels less like a fic and more like a masterpiece that belongs in a museum but anyway.

“James is supposed to be helping.

James is on his phone.”

ugh i love ur mind. im rereading and its so nice and lovely. even if its like 1am and im exhausted, this fic is sustaining me.

“Do it off the clock, would you?”

PEAK HUMOR

have i mentioned how much i love that scene with euphemia? she seems like such a lovely mom. i love ur euphemia the most. and ahh, both of them just rushing to the hospital ? another 100% good scene.

“Euphemia smiles too, but looks at Fleamont rather than at her son. “Yes,” she says. “It really does.””

fic? or shakspeare? HMMM

A girl in a bright yellow hooded raincoat stumbles into the cafe on one of the slowest nights James has ever seen // “Get fucked.”

the fic!! has made a circle!!! i love how it begins and ends along the same lines. I really want to know how??? are you so talented im in love.

i just really love this fic, okay? i love how james is just the kindest, lily is allowed to have feelings, its just so soft and warm. and it makes someone feel loved, want love anyway.

the dynamic between the characters are just so real and great and im astounded, in short.

your sirius is everything. so many fics potray him as a dick??? which is first of all #rude and also, not at all true. you made me love these characters even more so i sincerely hope you never stop writing.

you’re such a beautiful writer and the way you string words together is just poetic and gorgeous and all the other good adjectives you can think of. i read your spiderman x reader too and i was a goner for you. EVERYTHING YOU WRITE IS SO GOOD. i read it so long ago but i can vividly remember peter whipping the mask off and she just going wtf stop on the window ledge. what im trying to say is that you leave this lasting impression on people that make them remember random scenes and words / prose long after they’ve read it which is a remarkable feat, i believe.

and im so sorry im not on tumblr rn bc i cannot keep recing this fic but i have told my friends about your writing and they loved it too. you’ve got like a million fans. when i do get back from my hiatus, im going to keep recing your fics and people will cry because their universe will shift thanks to the newfound joy of your presence in their life.

lastly, im more of a dog person and that, more than anything, should tell you how much i love this fic. i love u. and basee on your writing, i want to hug you, be your best friend and make you cookies bc again

WOW

[surveysonfleek]

1251.

My phone has a touch screen. So does my iPod. I don’t even have a phone. Or an iPod. I’m really thirsty in the morning. I can’t stand it when dirt gets under my nails. I’m happy that Obama is our president. I’m not! I don’t really care. What’s with preps dying their hair black? I hate Crocs. I don’t, they are so comfortable. I’ve got in a fight with my boyfriend/girlfriend in the past week. We worked it out though. I wish we could have, but we broke up. I love Jolly Ranchers.

But not as much as Skittles. I know how to change a tire. Paramore is one of my favorite bands. So is Forever The Sickest Kids. If you don’t like either of them, you’re crazy! My computer is a HP. So is my printer. I have someone I worry about a lot. I never wear necklaces. Spaghetti is one of my favorite foods. But I hate lasagna. It’s dark out right now. And really cold. I’m going to watch the Superbowl. I think people who laugh at the number 69 are somewhat immature. The Breakfast Club is one of my favorite movies. So is 16 Candles. I wish they still made good movies like that. Those movies suck! There’s a drum set in my house. An electric guitar too. I’ve seen the movie Pineapple Express. I haven’t yet, but I want to. I’m texting someone right now. I’m actually texting more than one person. I’ve kissed a person with more than 2 piercings. Stewie is awesome. I have pj pants with him on. I’ve been suspended before. I haven’t, that’s really bad! I’m easily annoyed. Neon green is better than hot pink. I live alone. I wish I did. Bolding surveys are my favorite. I have a step or half sibling. I have velvet pants. I have a t-shirt from a museum exhibit. I’ve been to Dunkin’ Donuts before. I’ve been on the subway. I usually get movies from the library. I’m scared of heights. I should be asleep right now. I have something that smells like mint. I have spare batteries. My speakers are off right now. My computer is in my bedroom. I only have one blanket on my bed. I own or have owned a teddy bear. I’ve memorized bohemian rhapsody. I’ve played Runescape. I like to make lists. I’ve listened to the Beach Boys. I am very flexible. In bookstores, I walk around with my head tilted sideways. I’m wearing a hoodie. I know a lot of weird facts. I’ve watched Nightmare on Elm Street before. I know what pappillon means in English. Sufjan Stevens makes me happy. I wish my nose was smaller. Who lives in North Dakota, anyway? I like to eat goldfish. I get at least three e-mails per day. I smile a lot. I use “however” instead of “but” when writing an essay. I’ve seen The Breakfast Club. I’ve had a burping contest with someone. And I won the contest. I like sharing books with my friends. I usually recognize the poets my English teacher talks about. A stranger has given me a high five for no reason. I’ve been to a Harry Potter book release party. I usually need to be reminded to eat. I have tiny hands. I like to look for shapes in the plaster on my ceiling. I prefer pencils to pens. I write on my hands when I need to remember something. I’ve been to a roller skating rink. I own a piece of clothing that is rainbow patterned. I own a piece of clothing with skulls on it. I am extremely patient. I wish I could dance well. I’ve been to an ice skating rink. I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. I’ve been on the high honor roll. I have a purse with flowers on it. I love to people watch. I’ve written an acrostic poem. I have bad posture. I’ve fallen asleep in class. I am very easily embarrassed. I liked to make up stories when I was a kid. Whenever I ride my bike, I’m tempted to start singing bicycle race. I take prescription creams/face washes/pills for acne. I drink milk daily. I’ve been told I act like I’m on drugs. I’ve been told I look like I’m on drugs. I have my hair up in a bun. I own something Beatles-related. I have very strong opinions. I love to eat grinders. I don’t call long sandwiches grinders. Teachers have asked me if I’m depressed. More than once. I don’t care what you think of me. I have a toothache. Wonderwall is my “I like someone” song. There’s a book beside or on my bed. I hate innuendo. I really admire improvisational comedians. I don’t like gym class. I am going to do better this school year. I don’t use the word fag. Ever. I’ve been told I have a beautiful singing voice. I can read Shakespeare without translations. I adore English class. I know what the kisney scale is. I read more than one book at a time. I love places that sell dollar-a-cup coffee. The Magic School bus taught me a lot. I liked to dance on the kitchen table as a kid. I’ve lived with a relative for more than a year. I hate sharing a bed. I cried a lot as a kid. My friends have excellent taste in music. Antidisestablishmentarianism! I like to drink coke zero. I watched Labyrinth only because David Bowie was in it. I bite my nails a lot. I’ve been to a music festival. I’ve gotten sunburn before. And it bled. Ew. I hate the noise vacuums make. I prefer showers to baths. Jeffree Starr is way overrated. I don’t like my mouse pad. I love people who look classy. My nail polish is chipped. I’m going to read a book today. My mattress is on the floor. I am an insomniac. Cabaret punk is love. I have a DVD I want to watch. I’m a really picky eater. I take ibuprofen a lot. I tan very easily. The sun is shining right now. I love yellow Jell-O. I’ve made Popsicles with an ice cube tray, juice and toothpicks. And I called them ghetto pops. I’ve never met my neighbors. I’ve drawn on the street with chalk. I’ve been in a tree house. Tire swings are really fun. I love abandoned places. I have a plastic bag near me. I only watch TV when I’m really bored. I can’t wait to graduate. I’ve pulled an all-nighter so I would be really tired the next night. I really hate needles. I get along with my parents. My font on aim is tiny. I don’t use aim. I fall in love with songs that have beautiful lyrics. I listen to anti-folk. I have no idea what anti-folk is. I like to blow bubbles. I’ve won a hula hooping contest before. I’ve almost drowned. I’ve choked on something. I’ve taken a first aid course. One of my friends is in a different state right now. I’ve been to Chicago. I really like mohawks, but I would never get one. I am always warm. I have some weird eating habits. I like to spin in desk chairs. I have a beta fish. I have big lips. Tape is way better than glue. I like stickers. I’ve worn black jelly bracelets before. There is a type of music that I think is awful. My favorite girl from The Hills is Audrina. No, I prefer LC. I don’t have texting on my phone. I prefer New York to California. I’ve read all the Harry Potter books. Lord of the Rings too. My cell has a cover on it. I want to get a tattoo that has to do with a band. My family doesn’t eat dinner together. I’m worried that I won’t get into any college. I’m already in college! I own more than one flannel shirt. School is very important to me. I’d live on the beach if I could. Avocado is sooooo good. I can speak five languages fluently. One of my friends already has a kid. I drive everywhere. I hate when people say things aren’t art. I’m currently texting more than 3 people. My best friend wears the same size clothes as I do. I’ve only been in one serious relationship. One of my parents is gay. I rescued my pet from the animal shelter. I want to live in many different states when I’m older. I hardly ever go to the movies. I’ve liked one of my favorite bands for many years. I’m looking for a serious relationship right now. A lot of Starbucks are closing by my house. We don’t have H&M in my state. That’s my favorite store. I never order things online. I’m constantly listening to music. US History fascinates me. Oranges are the best fruit. I have lactose intolerance. I always watch the National Spelling Bee on TV. I’m on a family plan. Parties aren’t my scene. I’ve lost many friends in my life. There are some friends I still wish I had. Fake nails look gross. I own an oyster card. My birthday is in the fall. 2008 was a horrible year for me. Actually, it was the best. I’ve been on a cruise before. I like chemistry more than biology. I like taking surveys more than making them. I don’t have a significant other. I get all four seasons where I live. I only shop when I absolutely have the need to. I have an older brother. I have my driver’s license. I don’t want to have kids someday. I wear more jeans than skirts. I’d rather wear sneakers than high heels. I don’t go to church. I don’t like having my fringe in my face. I own like, a hundred hoodies. I couldn’t draw to save my life. I’m a very good cook. I always have to look at the keyboard when I type. I’ve had surgery before. I don’t mind getting shots all that much. I’m not afraid of bugs. I have huge eyes and long lashes. I’m naturally very pale. I’m usually not very picky at all when it comes to food. My parents are divorced. I don’t like doing surveys, but I find myself doing them anyway. I’m addicted to MySpace. I don’t have a Facebook account. I have perfect vision and don’t need glasses or contacts. I don’t wear makeup when I go out. I hate stores like Forever 21. I’m very much into sports. I don’t see what the big deal about photography is. Or fashion design. I don’t really appreciate art that much. Horror movies are my favorite. I don’t care if people cut in line in front of me. I don’t even remember the last time I put on a piece of jewelry. My hair is naturally straight. I support gay marriage. I have more friends online than I do in real life. My siblings are all older than I am. My significant other is younger than I am. I curse in almost every sentence I speak. I always get straight A’s in exams. I don’t know how to play any instrument. I only know how to speak one language. I don’t have my own personal blog. I’m allergic to something. I’ve been stung by a bee at least once in my life. This is the last survey I’m doing today. I have seen someone propose in public before. And they got rejected, poor bloke. I wonder if I will ever get proposed in public. Heck I don’t even know if I’ll ever get married. I know what a sake bomb is. I’ve tried it before. I’ve watched ‘Paris Hilton’s My New BFF’. I think Paris Hilton is a brainless bitch. I celebrate Chinese New Year. I’m not Chinese or a tiny bit Asian at all. I have a step-sibling. I have a weak tolerance of alcohol. Are you kidding me? I can drink all night long! I want a new cell phone. I have my own bathroom. I sleep on a single bed. Nah, I have a King/Queen size bed! I think one night stands are no biggie. I’ve been on a helicopter before. I’m actually afraid of heights. My date rented a limo to take me to prom. Pfft, I wish I had a date. I haven’t had my prom yet. I like clicking on advertisements. Pop-up ads are so old school. I recently took a bath. I never bother, I just take showers. My Christmas holidays were the bomb! Ugh, mine sucked like hell. I’d love to go to Japan one day. I’ve seen a ghost before. I can write lyrics! I can, but I’m not very good at it. I would like to become a musician one day. I love finding things in sofa cracks. Black people can sing really well. So can Filipinos! Really, anyone with talent can do that. I know someone that’s trying very hard to fit in a stereotype. Every cup of water I drink equals to a trip to the toilet. I recently received my exam results. They were quite good! Nope, failed it all. It’s my boyfriend’s birthday today. He never gives me gifts. He buries me with them. I wish I had a boyfriend that actually spends money on me! I love my boyfriend very much. The Beatles rock my world. Actually, a lot of classic rock bands rock my world. It takes me a really long while to get to sleep. I’m a personality quiz fiend. I am and have always been a night owl. I love reading Sarah Dessen books. My earphones are in my ears practically 24/7. I am an only child and that’s not because of any death. I hate school and everything else connected to it. I’ve never been in any romantic relationship. I have a lot of favorite names. And I plan to use those names on my kids. I’m reading a comic book right now. I’m listening to music right now. I memorize lyrics really easily. But memorizing stuff for school isn’t easy at all. Math is my worst enemy. I love bolding surveys. Nice and easy. I pick Guitar Hero over Rock Band. I’m afraid of heights. And spiders. Actually any disgusting insect. I really don’t mind being all alone. I talk to myself. My favorite animal: zebras. I know that there’s such a thing as a Supersaurus. Dinosaurs fascinate me. English class is love. I know how to make layouts.

[marshymindness]

i've bled my affection all over this city. everytime I walk out the front door alone, my legs take me down paths we've already treaded, buildings we've already past, benches we've already sat on. these places are all touched by a nostalgic mundanity, they meant nothing at the time and just happened to be while we passed through. they still don't mean much, but bear the weight of friendships, past & present.

now, the names of my friends replace the real street names and building numbers. that used to be her house. he goes to school there. we ate here a couple times, back in the spring. I would wait for them right by that lamp post. I have been here with you.

the phrase "a trip down memory lane" can't express the magnitude of my landmark land-marked memory. lanes, sidewalks, streets, parks, boulevards, monuments, stores, malls, avenues, bakeries, movie theaters, arenas, librairies, cemeteries, schools, museums, restaurants, cafés, rooftops, parking lots, train tracks, river banks and canal edges, benches, bars & whole apartment blocks, specific views & horizons, neighborhoods & districts, bus stops & subway stations. even down to the trashcan we tried to stuff a whole stop sign into and the curb we sprawled out drunk on, in giggles. The entire city fuels my reminiscing; I am reminded of you, plural.

and amazingly, i still have so much to discover in this city. parsed between all these locations i know so well are countless more places, all begging to become the next backdrop of a friendship. and i happily oblige. I take mental notes of anything that seems remotely interesting or cool that I could show to the next person I appreciate.

this city is bittersweet, melancholic and nostalgic and it's all my own making.

[purplesurveys]

1342

1. What did you do in 2021 that you’d never done before? This year gave me a lot of firsts, actually. First time to dine out alone, first out of town trip that’s 1) not with my family and 2) funded entirely by my own savings, first first-year anniversary in a job, first promotion, first on-ground PR event, first big purchase (which is for me anything over a couple thousand bucks). I’m sure there are loads more stuff I did that I’d never done before.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? It wasn’t a resolution per se but at the first half of the year I told myself I’d put in more effort to start working out so I can get that post-breakup revenge figure lol. It didn’t take long for me to learn that I hate working out and to realize that I shouldn’t force myself to do something in which the main goal was for my ex to notice me.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Not that I know of, no.

4. Did anyone close to you die? I lost multiple relatives due to Covid this year - two great-uncles and a great-aunt. I also lost an uncle but from a non-Covid issue.

5. What countries did you visit? I didn’t get to leave the country. My country isn’t exactly the best at curbing Covid so as far as I know we’re still on a lot of other countries’ travel ban lists.

6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021? Being at my A-game at work; more traveling; and to be consistently happy. I was super happy this year, but during the first half I was heartbroken and still crying a lot. I don’t want that anymore for 2022. 

7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Other than my birthday, probably April 7th. Cheesy reason but that was the day I hoarded all 7 versions of a particular line of BTS Babinski Coffee - and, subsequently, the day I was like oh fuck I LOVE love them there is no way out now.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Staying alive. Literally. I could have chosen the other route - I was stupidly close to doing so.

9. What was your biggest failure? Failing to save money ha.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The most serious injury I got was this really deep gash from Cooper when he was being overexcited. It bled a lot and until now it remains a scar on my thigh. Other than that I was fortunately never too sick.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My Tata Bluetooth Mic, without a shadow of a goddamn doubt. I’m so in love with it LMAO I’m pretty sure I’ll be whipping it out later as we count down for the new year.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My manager, Kata. She was assigned to me at around March this year and she had come from a completely different desk, which meant she had to learn everything from scratch and walk in blind. She pulled through and has since turned out to be an amazing leader and mentor to me; and I also appreciate that she doesn’t hesitate to recognize my efforts and give me compliments especially during or after a particularly brutal day/week. Not that I work to get compliments lmao, but it’s always a nice source of optimism and energy when someone kindly gives you a pat on the back.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? One thing I for sure know now is that Reena’s dad is a terrible boss to work with. I keep telling Angela to fucking run the first chance she gets.

14. Where did most of your money go? BTS merch, food, financial help for my parents.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Just falling in the big-ass black pit that is the BTS universe, in general. I was also super excited for every time I got to see Angela; when I got to go to the Ayala Museum again; and when I got to go to Zambales.

16. What song will always remind you of 2021? Butter.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. Happier or sadder? Oh my god, are you kidding? 2021 was a ray of sunshine compared to...whatever the fuck 2020 was trying to be. It’s almost funny how those two consecutive years couldn’t be any more different when it comes to how they ultimately turned out.

ii. thinner or fatter? I’m pretty sure I gained some weight since my favorite pair of pants are feeling a bit tighter these days HAHA but it’s nothing noticeable.

iii. richer or poorer? Definitely richer. I was jobless for more than half of 2020.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I honestly don’t know; I feel like I was able to make the most out of this year given the circumstances and limitations. If anything, though, I wish I had been smarter about my money - like know when to stop shelling out, setting up a more rigid budget, and such.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Overworking myself to complete exhaustion and self-neglect. My bosses keep telling me that work is not everything, and I used to just shrug it off, wanting to keep things going all the time haha. Now that I’m having this break and have done a bit of self-reflecting, I’ve realized that they are right.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? I spent the 24th with a set of relatives and did our traditional monito-monita, and I stayed with my aunts and uncles while my family went back home so I can drink with them lol, then I opened my gifts upon getting back home; I spent the 25th with another set of relatives, but went back to the house of the first set to, again, drink haha; then I spent the 26th with Angela, Reena, and Hans to have our little Bangtan party - I also decided to host my promotion treat then so the entire dinner was on me.

21. What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in 2021? Nothing too bad, but I will never forget the time my client had been going for a fist bump but I was headed towards him with a high-five. Neither of us planned to change our pose so I ended up weirdly capturing his fist HAHAHA

22. Did you fall in love in 2021? Nah.

23. How many one-night stands? 0.

24. What was your favorite TV program? Not technically a TV program but my favorite series this year would have to be In the Soop.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Yes. :)

26. What was the best book you read? I didn’t read anything this year. 27. What was your greatest musical discovery? BTS BTS BTS BTS BTS BTS BTS. SHINee is great, too!!!

28. What did you want and get? Another chance at life, in every sense of the word.

29. What did you want and not get? Savings, but that’s no one’s fault but mine. And pizza rolls because why the hell does no one sell them??

30. What was your favorite film of this year? I didn’t watch films this year, whether they came out in 2021 or otherwise.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I worked during the day, but I also hosted dinner for my family and got food that was way too much for 5 people with small appetites haha. It was fine, we had enough leftovers for a literal week lol. Anyway, I turned 23.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A part of me wishes I could’ve bumped into my ex, just so she could see how much I’ve changed, grown, and just how immeasurably happy I am now. But...I dunno. It also feels pretty pathetic to me. Like isn’t that silent wish of mine also technically still desiring her recognition? her attention? That’s why this also isn’t something I’m actively gunning for...but it would be extremely satisfying if it did end up happening.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021? I’ve done away with the preppy trendy look that largely molded my style in the last couple of years. I like laidback casual looks now, almost to the point of streetwear. Oversized shirts and sweatshirts, and sweatpants or distressed pants are where it’s at for me now.

34. What kept you sane? BTS, in the most positive, wholesome, non-fangirly way possible.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Kim Taehyung ha.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? 2022 presidential elections.

37. Who did you miss? All my college friends except Andi and Lui, since I saw none of them this year.

38. Who was the best new person you met? Kata and Reena.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021: You have to give lesser fucks about what other people are doing, or what other people think, if you want to be happy.

[pondandpuddlejumping-blog]

We have a lot of catching up to do...

You know the friend that you have where you can go months or even years without talking and it’s like nothing has changed and you’re happy to just catch up on everything that has happened since the last time you spoke? Oh good, ‘cause that’s what this blog has become. 

We have five months of catching up to do. This is not how I had intended this blog to be and I’m a bit disappointed with myself that I’ve gone five months without a single update considering all of the great adventures I’ve been on in the mean time. For the summer I’m entertaining the idea that I will do at least 1 post a month, which is totally attainable. I’m planning to stay in Europe over the summer and I have some friends and family visiting over the next 4 months so I will not be short of things to write about. 

Anyway, here’s the Reader’s Digest version of my life over the past five months though a lot has happened so this post is longer than my others:

Christmas 2017: London, Vienna, and Bled

I decided to stay in Europe over the Christmas holiday. We got a 5 week break and I had plans to spend some time in London, Vienna, and Bled. My friend was kind enough to let me stay in her London flat while she went to home to Canada and for the latter half of my break I had plans to meet up with a couple friends from my Halifax to explore Vienna and Bled. 

Firstly, I was blown away by the lights and decorations alone. London knows Christmas. It made how we decorate at home look like peanuts in comparison. The lights on Regent street and Oxford street were stunning. I also checked out Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and multiple Christmas markets around the city. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of skating rinks set up around the city and was sure to take advantage of them.

Christmas decorations at Spitalfields Market. 

This was the first time that I would be spending Christmas away from family. I hadn’t made it home to my immediate family for Christmas 2016 but I had gotten to spend it with my aunt and uncle who lived in Edmonton, a city only a few hours from Calgary, so it didn’t hit me in quite the same way it had hit me this year. There were multiple points during the day where I regretted not going home. However, I wasn’t completely alone, a friend from school had also decided to spend Christmas in Europe and so the two of us were making the most of our surroundings. 

We went to the service at Westminster Abbey for Christmas morning. I’m not a religious person in the slightest however, I was able to appreciate the service in a way that I had never experienced church before. The sense of community and just genuine joy that seemed to be in the air was comforting. This was also the first time I had been inside the Abbey and it was incredible. 

Our original plan was to go to the movies after the service however literally EVERYTHING is closed on Christmas day in the UK. Who knew? So, we went on a mission to at least find a restaurant that was open. We ended up in Chinatown for a late Christmas lunch and after lunch proceeded to go on a nice walk through the city: seeing Marble Arch, through Kensington Park and past Buckingham Palace. Even though I had been feeling homesick more than I had ever been since arriving in the UK, I was also really happy to have spent Christmas day experiencing things I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to. 

The next city on my list over the holiday break was Vienna. This was also where I would be ringing in the New Year. I had come to notice that the over-the-top Christmas decorations wasn’t just a London thing but rather a European thing. Vienna did not disappoint. The city was oozing with culture and history and I was excited to explore. 

We went to the Albertina museum, saw a small ensemble performance of Strauss and Mozart (twice!), and went to the state opera over the next four days in addition to checking out other museums, Christmas markets, and (more) ice skating. I think the thing that I loved most about this city was the food! I definitely overindulged while in this city but that’s what vacation is for, right? It was also so lovely catching up with my friends. I hadn’t seen one of the them in almost two years so we had a lot of catching up to do - she had been on some crazy adventures herself, through Southeast Asia!

With the year coming to a close I had the opportunity to reflect on all that had happened. 2017 was good to me: not only had I moved overseas and started law school but earlier in the year I had learned to ski and was getting more into rock climbing and hiking. I had also reconnected with old friends and made many new ones. I was looking forward to continuing this positive trend and seeing what the New Year had to offer. 

City Hall Christmas Market. The NYE fireworks display went off behind City Hall.

We rang in the New Year with a bottle of Champagne in the City Hall square watching fireworks and dancing to live music. Again, a moment where I had a brief sting of homesickness but also surrealness - I was ringing in the New Year in Vienna! How incredible is that?

From Vienna we travelled 6 hours by train to Bled, Slovenia. Not the first place on everyone's travel list but it definitely should be! I was so pleasantly surprised by this town. It seriously looks like Narnia and that we had walked through the wardrobe upon arriving. The Alps are literally the backdrop to the town and Lake Bled, with its island church, adds to the picturesque landscape. 

View from a look-off we hiked up to. Notice Bled Castle in the background on top of the cliff. 

We spent two days in the town, hiking around the lake and up to the castle. The town isn’t very big but it was nice to just wander around and relax after the sights and sounds of Vienna and London. Bled is very sleepy in comparison. 

Most of the other tourists around are there for the skiing. There are shuttles leaving regularly from the town centre to the ski hill. I noticed that Bled also offers “adventure vacations” in the summer with SUP, canoe and kayaking tours, and white water rafting. Again, not a destination I would consider for an adventure vacation but now that we’d been there I would love to go back and experience that. 

Panoramic of town from Bled Castle. 

After our time in Bled we trained back to Vienna for one final night before parting ways to fly back home. I spent the final days of the break in London. Another friend of mine had moved to London on the 30th and it was great catching up with him before heading back to Canterbury. 

January 2018: Oslo, Norway

Within the first few days back in classes I booked a weekend trip to Oslo with some of the other girls at school. Flights were only £20 round trip! We quickly realized that our flight would be the cheapest thing all weekend. Norway is very expensive in comparison to other places I’ve travelled. That’s not to say that we didn’t have an excellent weekend, just that my original budget for the weekend was severely underestimated. Sorry bank account. 

This is when I’m supposed to justify my actions by yelling YOLO! and saying quotes like “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” Regardless, Oslo is a beautiful city and I loved learning about Norse culture and the Viking Age and would love more time to explore this city. Sculptures and paintings depicting Norse mythology are all over the city. We also went to the Viking museum where we got to see three Viking ships, including the world’s best preserved ship. The museum also had countless artefacts and a visual journey through the Viking Age. I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in Oslo.

This picture does not do justice to how large these ships were. Like, look at the rudder! Also notice the carvings on the ship. 

Another highlight of our weekend was Holmenkollen National Arena, which hosts cross-country and biathlon venues as well as Holmenkollbakken, a large ski jumping hill. We venture up to the Arena for what we’ve been told are stunning views of the city and to watch the sun set. However, the day we went, the city is covered in a sea of clouds. The sunset is still spectacular and the arena also has a small museum of the history of the ski jump which was interesting. 

Under that sea of cloud is Oslo.

Other quick highlights from the weekend include seeing the architectural gem The National Opera House, the nightlife of the Grünerløkka district, the Vigeland sculpture park, and the Mathallen food hall. We packed a lot into that weekend! 

Mathallen Food Hall from above. 

Reading Week - February 2018: Warsaw, Poland

I travelled to Warsaw over the Winter reading week in February with two friends for a week-long conference on international commercial and corporate law hosted by ELSA - Warsaw (European Law Students’ Association). While this trip was mostly academic, the organizing committee also scheduled free time for us to explore during some of the days and hosted great social programmes in the evenings.

This was my first academic conference and it did not disappoint. We got to connect with law students from across Europe and engage with lecturers and professionals from around the world.

Warsaw is a beautiful city with a mix of old and new architecture. Fun fact: about 90% of the city was actually rebuilt after the war due to destruction and the modelling of the buildings came from pre-war pictures and paintings.

Entering the old part of the city.

The historic campus of the University of Warsaw is incredible and some of the buildings remind me of Dalhousie University where I did my first undergrad. The university is actually where Chopin studied music! And the law faculty is actually the oldest on campus, founded in 1808. 

On the main gate leading into campus.

The academic program for the week was organized around lectures, panel discussions and debates, and allowed ample opportunity to ask questions. At the end of the week we also got the chance to participate in workshops hosted by local firms. This conference supplemented the material that we’d been learning so far in the company law module at school. 

When not in class we skated at the National Stadium, checked out local nightlife, explored the Jewish Institute and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and went to a gala dinner hosted at the National Library at the end of the week. The week went by a lot faster than we would have liked.

The Supreme Court of Poland. 

March 2018: Stirling, Scotland

Lastly, my most recent trip (end of March), and second major ELSA event for the term, Scotland! I was so excited to go. Another weekend trip, I went with one of the friends I travelled to Warsaw with. We represented our local ELSA group at the National Committees Meeting for all of the UK ELSA groups. We also got to reconnect with some of the participants we had met at the Warsaw conference.

This weekend was a chance for us to meet other local ELSA groups, hear about what they had accomplished over the last academic year, and see their plans for the upcoming year. The University of Stirling group were excellent hosts and the campus was beautiful.    

Though we were based in Stirling for the weekend we also did a day trip to Edinburgh before heading back to Canterbury. Scotland is stunning. There are no other words to describe it. The history, the lush green space and mountains (which was a nice change from the flatness of England), and the people, who were so nice and genuine, made for a fantastic weekend. 

Wondering through old town in Edinburgh.

A part from the committees meeting, we toured Deanston Distillery and did a whiskey tasting paired with chocolate. We also explored Stirling Castle and the town centre. On our day trip to Edinburgh we walked through old town, tried the declared “best haggis in the city”, and went on a tour of Holyrood Palace (Fun fact: this is the official summer residence of the Queen!). I enjoyed Scotland so much and have already booked a trip back to Edinburgh for late August when my brother comes to visit the UK. 

Our whiskey tasting after the tour of the distillery. We were the only two to sign up!

Scotland made me feel like home. Which isn’t that surprising seeing as many families in Nova Scotia have origins in Scotland and in some communities in Cape Breton Gaelic is still commonly spoken. 

Panoramic from Stirling Castle. The weather was unseasonably warm. 

If you made it this far reading about my recent adventures, I thank you for bearing with me as I chose the highlights to mention. I found it hard to keep things short. 

The first year of my degree is quickly coming to an end and I’m honestly so shocked that I’ve already been in the UK for 8 months. I feel like I only just arrived! I’ve definitely been bitten by the travel bug and have started to plan a couple trips for after my exams.    

[ndrv3ultimateimagines]

Korekiyo, Kaede, Kaito and Kokichi with a Fem!S/O who loves traveling (with autumn aesthetics)

I really enjoyed writing this ask for some reason and I do apologize if the autumn aesthetics aren’t spectacular as I’m not great at writing aesthetics, but regardless I gave it my best and hope you enjoy^^

-Mod Saihara

Korekiyo Shinguji

Korekiyo also enjoys traveling himself, although not as much as you do. It’s a nice break from the place you both been living in and it also allows him to see new people he has never seen before.

He generally prefers to travel out of the country to see all the different cultures and people that the world has to offer. He can’t see the true aspects of humanity if he stays in one place after all

Whenever you travel, he generally will tag along with you since he wants to see such aspects. Before you even leave for the trip he’s generally telling you facts about where you will visit, including customs and if traveling abroad, he teaches you what is considered polite and how to act that way

The facts only grow more abundant when you arrive as Korekiyo begins talking about almost every cultural aspect and their origins. Occasionally he will run off by himself and visit museums or tours, he pretty much runs his head off about cultural facts whilst talking about how he thinks it’s all so beautiful.

But despite how much he would love to stay and study more about the people and the culture, he still gives you attention. If you ask if he wants to come with you to do any special activity, he will agree. After all, this entire trip was your gift to him.

Korekiyo will never leave a gift unreturned. Once when you had traveled to New York City, he brought you to Central Park to see the natural beauty of the plants and trees. As it was autumn, the leaves were a vibrant orange and red color. The chilly afternoon wind merely caused more leaves to float to the ground.

Once you two would stop in the middle of one of the bridges, he would take your hands into yours before speaking to you, “You are the most beautiful woman I know and to repay such beauty and this wonderful trip that we had I thought I would bring you here. The trees in the central park are gorgeous during this time of the year.”

After he finishes talking, he draws you into a kiss as more leaves float by and land on the water.

Kaede Akamatsu

Kaede encourages your love for traveling, but unfortunately, she cannot come along for the longer or more distant trips due to having piano lessons, or other responsibilities that prevent her from doing so. Regardless, she assures you that she will message you to see how you’re doing

Needless to say, she keeps her promise. Once you arrive, you immediately get bombarded with text messages asking how is the place and asks for as many pictures as you can take.

She is tamer when it comes to calls, only calling you every two days or so to check in to see how you’re doing. Often she urges you to tell her how you enjoy the location, what is it like there and answer the various other questions she has about the place

On the occasion she can join you, she helps you plan every part of the trip and follows the travel plan to the T. Often you find yourself being pulled along by your girlfriend whenever she sees something that interests her

During one of your trips to Kyoto one November, she had taken you to see the foliage as she had heard it was one of the best places to see the arrival of autumn. Indeed the rumors were true

The bright red, orange and yellow leaves hung from the trees clustered onto the ground. The path that you both were walking on was barely visible due to the abundance of leaves, but the both of you were already walking off the path holding hands along the way.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it S/O.” She asked you as you two were walking. “There’s no other person I rather spend today but with you.” Without warning, she brings you into a short kiss and gives a small laugh. “I love you S/O, and that will never change.”

Kaito Momota

Kaito also is a huge traveling fan himself. He loves exploring new places he had never been to before. As such if you mention that you’re traveling somewhere he had never visited before, he will immediately decide he’s coming along as well.

When you are on the transportation heading to your location he’s often proclaiming loudly how excited he is. He often tries to make the trip more exciting than it actually is on the way there.

He’s a bit too excited almost when you both arrived as he points at everything and talks about how he had heard about it but thought about how it looks much better in person. While he allows you to mostly choose the places you visit, often he adds in his own input of where you both should go

Once he even planned a trip for you both without even telling you about it first. One day he simply mentioned out of the blue that you both were heading to a new adventure in a couple of weeks and asked you to get ready for it.

While one would have expected him to possibly bring you to someplace that has to do with space, instead you found yourself in the country of Canada, far away from where the space station was located. Kaito merely insisted that you would love where he was taking you.

Soon you found yourself in a beautiful forest, the green grass was covered in leaves that crunched under your feet as you walked through them. When you asked him why he has taken you here, he admits that he heard that Canada had some beautiful places to visit and since it was fall, it would be the first destination of many in your trip to Canda.

While he promises you that despite how magnificent the changing leaves look, they would be nothing compared to the beauty of space and promises you that somehow he will take you to space as it will be the ultimate trip. You both laugh for a bit before you cuddle in each other's arms while watching the leaves rustle in the trees.

Kokichi Ouma

“Of course I’ve done a lot of traveling myself, how else did I recruit so many members.” Kokichi immediately proclaims as you tell him about your love for travelling. “I’ve visited half of all the countries in this world already. But that also might be a lie.”

Whether he is lying or not, Kokichi does tag along with you on your trips. The trip there is rather painful as he acts a bit like a brat on the way there. Whether it’s constantly asking if you’ve arrived at the destination or in cases of car trips, asking to stop to use the bathroom every chance he gets.

When you both arrive, he allows you to bring him wherever you want to visit. After any excursions, you both participate in the often tells you that he found it unpleasant or boring before telling you it was just a lie.

Kokichi often somehow convinces you to buy him those little souvenirs you can get in the hotel shops. If you really dig in your heels, he just swipes them from the store. “S/O-chan, you like that bracelet I got you? I just took it from the store over there. Oh, there are some guards heading towards us, wonder why.” He is the reason you both are banned from at least five hotels so far.

Despite the mischief you both get in during your trips, he’s a pretty good companion overall. While he doesn’t act like it, he really appreciates your hard work. To thank you for the trips, he tells you he was heading Slovenia and he you were coming with him.

While he had told you that it was a simple business trip to meet with the international members, it’s not surprising when he takes you somewhere else. However soon you find yourself staring at a sea of red, yellow and orange.

“Nishishi, S/O-chan you take me to so many different places I thought I’d take you somewhere nice as well. Lake Bled is one of the best places to see the fall leaves.” He tells you as you both go sit on the edge of the lake and stare out at the crystal water.

He quickly leans in for a quick peck on your cheek as you admire the beautiful leaves. It isn’t long before you both find yourself enamored in a kiss, unaware of anything but the kiss, cold air and rustling leaves in the background.

[berlinaura]

The preparations for March have begun! I have booked a trip to Zagreb-Lubljana-Venice! I am also in the process of booking some more. I was thinking of going to Athens but I’ll see what’s gonna happen. Also, 2 more days until Scotland! I am so relieved right now because the exam week was last week and looks like I am going to pass all courses (4/5 are already passed, I still need to wait for the result from the last one)

I have been out with friends every weekend now the past 2 months I think. Somehow we just always end up at Que Pasa... One Tuesday I had a movie date and went to see Knives Out which was actually really good movie! The trailer did not do it any justice. I always get asked whether the movies here are all dubbed. Most of them are but there are also options for non-dubbed versions so watching movies in original language is no problem as long as you make sure beforehand which version it is going to be :)

On Valentine’s day we went on a sushi date and then just stayed in with drinks. This was the first time I celebrated Valentine’s day on a non-platonic way. 

This week my parents visited Berlin. I had the most intensive study period because of exams but I managed to see them on three days. We visited the most common touristic places like Brandenburg gate, Reichstag and the holocaust memorial. The next day we went to the natural history museum of Berlin. The dinosaurs were impressive! One room was full of jars filled with sea creatures and that place was too much for me. That looked like a place straight from my nightmares :/ Afterwards we went to the oldest block in Berlin, Nikolaiviertel, for “a coffee” but ended up in a traditional pub and had beers and bratwurst. Third day I joined them for their hotel breakfast and got to eat something else than dry toast :D After my exam I met up with them again and we went bowling. This was the same place as I visited in early fall but I forgot how old fashioned the place was. The screens were straight from the 80s, showed false scores and the machinery used for clearing out pins jammed basically every minute. No wonder the place got a rating for 2 stars, lol. For an occasional amateur bowling this place is suitable I think.  

My exams went well. The oral exam I had could have gone better. We were assigned 10 minutes and I felt like I was in a job interview. We had pre-written questions but the teacher didn’t let me answer my answer to the end because he was already bombing me with additional questions. I despise oral exams compared to written ones because I crave for a paper and pen to organize my thoughts. I felt like I didn’t have any time to think what I was going to say. Additionally, the teacher asked super vague questions such as “and how does this relate to the framework of the lecture...?” I started thinking which framework he was referring to because that word had been used to address like 5 different things. Then he asked a more specific question to “help me out” and I knew all of the answers. His feedback afterwards was “I wished you had guided the conversation more, I felt like I had to continuously ask you things for you to say the right things!”  well no shit! 

After the exam they asked me whether I preferred working in group 1 or group 2 (we had to group works in this course and different groups each time). When i said I preferred group 2, they were BAFFLED. “Really!? Even though the first group was so much better”. I said “I evaluate my experience through the group dynamics and fair allocation of work, not based on the final grade” and they were speechless, lol. Also, they used such a long time justifying the grade (which was 1,7 going in to the category “good”) and weren’t interested in my overall experience of the course. Rather than asking if I found the course useful etc, they asked me if I am satisfied with the grade and if I feel like it was fair. I mentioned that I am really in that point where I have no energy for stressing over grades and I am here to learn rather than polish up grades. I said that the course was interesting and I feel like I had been learning a lot of new things, which is totally true, I liked the course very much! I also said the grade is going to be “pass” for me in any case so to begin with, I attended the courses for my own learning and not for the grade. This concept seemed to be hard for them to grasp.

I have noticed this as a big difference in my home university and TU Berlin. Here, people seem to obsess way more about grades. Even the teachers are grade-oriented. I don’t understand how people survive in a system like this, especially when the written tests are 60-75 mins and TENS of pages long. The environment of actually learning rather than proving memorizing skills is something that I will definitely appreciate better when getting back. 

Last Friday, after my last exam I threw a WG party! We were supposed to play board games but since ONE of us had something against Monopoly, we played Exploding Kittens as well as normal card games and beer pong. I taught “Hitler” (which we translated to “Stalin” to be more acceptable) and “Fuck the dealer”. We tried our best to drink all of my leftover booze but there’s still some left! After opening up about our lives, playing the coin game, doing worm dance, sharing our sex preferences, clearing out what is wrong with Whisky sours and Pewdiepie’s accent, making drunk calls for friends and drawing each others, we did NOT follow the original plan of going to a pub and headed home. It was a successful night! I left my phone home though as we left to the night and worried everybody for the next day while I was just peacefully chilling and watching movies.

* a month passes by *

Okay so I don’t even know where to start. I am currently in Finland and my exchange year is over. I passed all exams but I left a lot of erasmus stuff unfinished as I had to leave Berlin due to Corona virus. 

In the end of February we did the trip to Scotland. First we flew to Edinburgh from where we took a bus to Glasgow. This place was super cozy but also very cold. The trip was extremely relaxing. We drank beer and coffee, visited some sights and ate the best pizza I’ve ever tasted in my life. I also took the first Uber trip of my life. After 2 days we took a bus to Stirling, a random small town in Scotland. We wanted to spend the day there because we wanted to see a real Scottish castle. Stirling was the best getaway vacation where you can just relax in old fashioned boutiques and cafes and listen to birds. We walked up to the castle but didn’t enter because it cost 16 pounds each “:D”. After a few hours we continued our journey with a train to Edinburgh where we spent 2 more days. 

Honestly, I enjoyed Edinburgh a bit more than Glasgow. Our hostel was in a perfect location, about 200m away from the Edinburgh castle. We visited the castle (from the outside, again), went to movies to see “Jojo Rabbit”, drank beer and played board games in pubs. One day we were supposed to go shopping but decided to climb up the extinct volcano, Arthur’s seat. The road was super muddy but a lot of people seemed to be climbing up there, even in late February. Some dude gave us a snarky “Starbucks is over there” comment on top of it because my friend expressed her concerns getting down the muddy hill because it started raining... This quickly became our go-to line to say whenever we saw a Starbucks in the city. 

After this trip I had 2 days in Berlin which I used for doing laundry and chilling. Then I headed to Zagreb, Croatia. This time I was traveling by myself so I engaged with the activities my hostel had to offer. The hostel choice was superb! They had just the kind of common room and activities I was looking for. We sang karaoke, played beer pong and just chatted in the common room. I don’t think I’ve never felt so young, wild and free than then, lol. I used one day basically for shopping at the mall and walking there. I ended up buying tights and an overall badge. 

After 2 days in Zagreb I took a Flixbus to the neighbor country, Slovenia. Ljubljana surprised me positively. I had no expectations whatsoever but this city was beautiful and lively! I think I could have spent one more day in Ljubljana. I climbed up to the Ljubljana castle at night and watched the city which seemed HUGE from up there. There were city lights as far as I could see, yet the city has under 300 000 residents. The prices were also super cheap. 

The next day I went shopping again and.. BOUGHT TIGHTS. There is this shop that only sells tights and socks. As I had been buying a bunch of skirts from Berlin, I felt a need to buy a few pairs of special tights so I did. The room in my backpack was limited so I also had to consider my buying urges a bit more than usually. Of course I also bought a badge from Ljubljana, too. In the afternoon I took a bus to Bled, a city in North-West Slovenia. This bus trip took around 1,5 hours and I was so confused because it was a mixture of tourists and pre-teens coming from school. There was no board that announced the stops so I tried looking at signs to know when to get off. Eventually I got off at the Bled lake which was one of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. I read that a lot of people get married in these surroundings and no wonder! 

I walked around the lake, taking pictures from time to time and enjoying the view of the lake, alps and a beautiful castle in a small island in the middle of the lake. After I left Bled, the cloudy sky cleared up to a beautiful sunset with a few pink clouds and I just could get my eyes off the mountains. The teens in the bus didn’t seem to appreciate their surroundings but I guess that’s just the way it goes.

The next day I was supposed to take the bus to Venice, but due to corona outbreak I adjusted my trip and took the bus to Vienna instead. I was in the Flixbus for 4 hours but the time flew by. I think I want to make another trip like these because honestly, Flixbuses are so cheap, yet they are modern and traveling through small European countries goes by so quickly. It also allows me to look at the views or Netflix, eat snacks and get fresh air in breaks. From Vienna I flew to Berlin, though. I was surprised I found a flight for 20 euros because I booked it so late. 

I was supposed to spend 4 days in Berlin before going to Munich with my sister but the corona situation got so much worse that I decided to wrap up my school stuff (which I couldn’t because my school closed its doors and I didn’t get an answer from a professor that I needed a signature from). I moved my flight from the end of the month and flew to Finland feeling fucking depressed. The overall atmosphere in the whole Europe (and world) is now melancholic, chaotic and uncertain. At first I was feeling annoyed because of my canceled Munich and Athens trips but then I started panicking if I’d even get back to Finland so now I am glad I got home safe. I am spending the next 1,5 weeks in quarantine - I got home just in time before 

This whole month has been hectic and I am going through a lot of positive and negative feelings at the moment. I’m gonna make one more post after I have gathered my thoughts.

[retireearlyandtravel]

New Post has been published on https://www.retireearlyandtravel.com/bled-slovenia/

Unique and Exciting Things to See and Do in Bled Slovenia

Bled Slovenia, possibly one of the most photogenic places in the world, is a resort village in the foothills of the Julian Alps. It is Slovenia’s most popular resort town. Even with this popularity, we visited Bled during peak season and yet it was not swarming with tourists. Bled’s backdrop is the glacial, bluish-green Lake Bled. Once you visit Bled Slovenia, the beautiful image will stay in your memory forever. If you are visiting Slovenia, you really must visit Lake Bled.

We did our visit of Bled Slovenia on a private tour with Ride Around Tours. You know by now that Keith and I prefer private tours to the group ones because you get so much more out of them. The ability to change up the Itinerary a bit, like if you want to stay someplace a little longer is appreciated plus you get the full attention of the guide. These are so valuable for the best experience while exploring new places. After a full day of touring, we have three suggestions for a perfect visit to Bled, Slovenia.

Visit the Town of Bled and Bled Castle

First, visit Lake Bled. It is almost overwhelming to stand on the cliff in Bled and gaze upon the church on this tiny island. Perched atop this cliff that is 130 meters above Lake Bled is Bled Castle. Bled Castle is the oldest castle in Slovenia. The entrance of Bled Castle has a Gothic arch, and drawbridge. On the grounds of Bled Castle are many things to do. There is a small chapel, a restaurant that overlooks the lake, and a wine cellar with wine tasting. Also, there is a museum, a blacksmith shop, and a print shop. The castle, reached by way of a fairly steep 15-minute climb, is worth the muscle burn. For the history lovers, Bled Castle dates back to 1011. Bled castle is open year round for touring. There is an entry fee.

The town of Bled Slovenia is quite charming. There are interesting shops, cafes, bistros, and restaurants. Food wise there is something for everyone from traditional Slovenian food to vegan food. We recommend taking some time to enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy the sights of the town.

Visit Bled Island and the Pilgrimage Church

Lake Bled itself is a picturesque lake, surrounded by mountains and forests. The lake surrounds Bled Island. Atop of the island in the lake’s center is the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria. Even from afar, you can see the churches steep Baroque staircase and bell tower. And in case you are wondering how many steep steps there are to climb, 99 stone steps lead to the church. Bled Island with this small church is a perfect postcard sight!

Take a ride to Bled Island on a Pletna

Bled Island in Bled Slovenia is the focal point of Lake Bled. The only way to get there is by boat. We got there by Pletna, a traditional boat made by locals. This boat developed in 1590 equipped with a colorful awning, which protects passengers from the sun, rain, and maybe even snow is unique to Lake Bled. To me, it is like a larger version of a gondola. The Pletna boat is a wooden flat-bottom boat with a pointed bow and stern. The boat moves through the water by standing oarsman rowing with two oars.

An oarsman, a highly respected occupation in Bled, operates the boat. The title of the Pletna oarsman is handed down generation to generation, so Pletna Oarsman have remained in the same families for centuries. Near the edge of the lake in the town, a 6 km path allows you to walk all the way around the lake. The views from this path are amazing. As you walk this path, you will see where the Pletna oarsmen wait with their boats for passengers. The boats leave when the boats are full, so you may have to wait a bit for more passengers to arrive. There is a small fee to take a Pletna to Bled Island.

Ring the Bells

As you approach Bled Island you will probably hear the church bells ringing, we did. That is because when you reach the Pilgrimage Church, you will have the opportunity to ring the church bell to have your prayers or wishes come true. Legend has it whoever rings the bell will have their prayer answered. According to the legend 500 years ago a widow had a bell made of the church in memory of her husband. While the bell was traveling across the lake, a storm came upon Lake Bled and sank the boat along with the bell and everyone on board. Because of this, the Pope consecrated a new bell that is the bell that hangs in the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria. Supposedly when you ring the bell, you are honoring the Virgin Mary, and thus your prayers are answered.

Indulge in Bled Cream Cake; You Won’t be Disappointed

A visit to Lake Bled is not complete without trying a piece of Bled Cream Cake. Bled Cream Cake is the regional dessert and believe me it’s worth trying. There is only one Original Bled Cream Cake! The cake originates from the cake shop of the Hotel Park at Bled in 1953.

So what is this cake? The cake is a puff pastry and custard. The layers of the cake beginning at the bottom going to the top are as follows: puff pastry, custard, whipped cream, puff pastry, and icing sugar. The puff pastry is made by hand there as well. The Hotel Park does not use any preservatives, so the cake is made fresh several times a day. The taste of this wonderful combination of crunchy puff pastry and cream cake is something you must try for yourself. We had just eaten lunch, and we planned to get a couple of pieces to go and eat back at the hotel. We were a little rushed for time getting back from Bled Island, but to our surprise, our guide already purchased two pieces while we were on the island and had them waiting for us. You have to love private tour guides.

Beekeeping Tourism

A new travel trend in Slovenia is apiary tourism or bee tourism. An apiary is a location where beehives of honeybees reside. Apitourism gives a fresh approach to eco or sustainable travel. It invites you on a journey into the fascinating world of bees, offering you part of Slovenia’s cultural heritage and natural beauty. You probably have never heard of bee tourism, but it is popular in Slovenia. Slovenians take beekeeping seriously and see it as a traditional agricultural activity. Slovenians know the important role bees play in maintaining a healthy environment. Learning about the world of bees is fascinating. We learned that roughly one out of every 200 people in Slovenia now takes part in keeping bees.

The type of bees we are talking about is the Carniolan bee, which is native to Slovenia. This bee attracts attention for its non-aggressive nature and strong orientation skills. As I said earlier, there are many beekeepers in Slovenia. However, the number of bees far exceeds the number of humans. Slovenia is home to 200,000 bee colonies, amounting to approximately 10 billion fuzzy, buzzing creature in the summer.

Why Keep Bees?

Again, Slovenians realize the importance of bees, and quite possibly the survival of humans. Of the 100 crops that provide 90 percent of all food worldwide, 71 need bees for pollination. Everything from fruits and vegetables we humans eat, to grasses such as alfalfa and clover fed to cattle, are reliant on bees.

Keith and I Get Up Close with Our Fuzzy Friends

Keith and I had a great time on our apiary tour at the Kralov med hives in the hamlet of Selo, near Bled.  Blaz, the beekeeper, had us suit up in white beekeeping suits and bee veil, a cloth hat with wire netting to protect the face and head of beekeepers and visitors. The bees as Blaz explains are not aggressive and like a dog want to check you out, but as long as you do not injure them, they will not sting you. I am allergic to bees and wasps. Keith is not. So you will notice that Keith is only wearing the bee veil. Blaz enthusiastically educated us about the wonders of bees. Visitors can also safely view from behind the glass wall while Blaz works with his colonies.

Cautiously I make my way toward the yellow and blue painted house of hives. The buzzing increases with each step. Blaz is right; the bees come up and seem to smell me like a dog. They are checking me out to see if they need to fear me. After a quick buzz around me, they go about their business with little interest.

On an apiary tour, you will learn about the bacteria-fighting properties of propolis and the curative effects of royal jelly on high blood pressure. On some tours, you can try honey massages, beeswax thermotherapy which claims to boost circulation and treat skin disorders. This apiary tour we took, there were special beehive beds where people can reserve for a nap. They say the vibration sounds of the bees will induce a calming effect. It took a little bit of time for us to get calm while lying on the bed but the buzz was serene.

Sweet, Delicious Honey

Thanks to its rich diversity of flora and expert beekeeping, Slovenia produces a lot of great honey each year for tourists to try. They also produce sparkling wines, liqueurs, mead, vinegar, beer, and goat cheeses from honey. Most apiary tours have a gift shop that sells their honey and other products made from it. Keith and I love honey, so we picked up a few jars.

Discover Local Bee Art

While on an apiary tour, you cannot help but notice the lovely bee homes. This painting of beehive panels is a rich Slovenian folk art that dates to mid-eighteenth century. They believe the motifs help the bees navigate back to their hives. This form of folk art turned simple bee houses into true open-air art galleries. We learned that many of the very old beehive panels now have a predominant place in the museums throughout Slovenia.

Vintgar Gorge

Lake Bled in Bled Slovenia is one of those places that Instagramers and videographers love. But, Ride Around Tours said the lake isn’t the only beautiful spot in Bled. Only a 10-minute drive from Bled is Vintgar Gorge. The Vintgar Gorge is 1.6 km long and is a stunning natural site. The gorge carves its way through the vertical rocks of the Hom and Boršt hills and is enhanced by the Radovna River with its waterfalls, pools, and rapids. The educational trail leads you over wooden bridges and ends with a bridge overlooking the mighty 13 m high Šum waterfall.

Gorge History

They discovered the gorge at the end of the 19th century, and it is simply spectacular. The gorge created during the last ice age as glacial movements forced the crystal clear waters of the Radovna River to the northeast. The river slowly cut a path through the limestone rock. The gorge has a great boardwalk system. In Slovenia, they call the wooden walkways and bridges wooden galleries. These wooden walkways established just three years after the discovery of the gorge, meander through the gorge enabling tourists back then and now to visit this creation of nature.

Exploring the Gorge

The beautiful Radovna River is responsible for the gorge. It jumps across rapids and spins in pools. We visited the gorge in July, and although it was very hot elsewhere, it was quite cool in the gorge. If you get chilly easily, as I do, bring a sweater. If you want a break from the heat, this is the place to come. The walk through the gorge was very refreshing. It is also quite loud as the massive amount of water makes it way through the gorge. Near the end of the gorge, you will see a large stone arch railway bridge going over the river. Trains still run along this bridge.

Photo Worthy

If you are a photographer, Vintgar Gorge is wonderful to photograph. We visited in the middle of summer, but we came here later in the day and did not find it crowded. Early evening is also probably the best lighting of the day for photos. The walkways that criss-cross the river provide views. The observation bridges are a great place for photos. And sometimes there is rushing white water on one side but calm and emerald colored water on the other. The combination of the rushing water and then the beautiful emerald green on the other side makes for lovely photos. The walk through the gorge is short but breathtaking. This hike is definitely a must-do for anyone who visits the Bled area of Slovenia.

The name Vintgar’ supposedly comes from the German word ‘Weingarten’ (wine garden), because there used to be vineyards nearby. There is an entrance fee and a parking fee to walk through the gorge. They are open 8 am to 7 pm during the summer months. It does close during the winter so visit the official website for updated hours the remainder of the year.

The Magic of Bled Slovenia

We, as I am sure most travelers to this tiny country nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic, feel we discovered an unknown paradise. That is what Bled Slovenia does; it invokes magic with its breathtaking views.  But, if you only visit Lake Bled, you will miss the unique apiary tours and natures art at, Vintgar Gorge. To get the most of your visits, work with a private tour company like Ride Around Tours. It makes getting around from place to place easy, and you really learn a lot about the places you visit.

Be sure and check out our other post on beautiful Slovenia – The Best Things to See and Do in Ljubljana 

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[pocketminstrel]

twenty-sixteen, age 21+22

it’s quite beautiful that i can never predict the experiences that will stick to me as i finish each year and look forward to the next, even though i can always outline my commitments and the places i’ll be. as i look back on this past year, i think of a collection of singular memories and emotions that have all bled into each other and seeped into my soul and exploded into the mess i am today. currently, i feel that i’m the most confused i have ever been. and yet i feel the most aware and knowledgable about myself, the world, and what i can give and take from it. i guess basically what had happened in 2016 is that more and more question marks began to spring into my life than were being resolved, either because of new experiences or the sheer fact that i was finally motioned towards them. 

i’m realizing that just sounds incredibly vague, so i’ll wrap this intro up and dive into details. but before i start, i would like to say that 2016 was another grand year of coming of age. but tiffany, you’re already 22, you already came of age. i’d like to think that life is just a long and stringy story of self-discovery, and that no matter how old we get, if we are properly living, we are constantly changing. which means there is always more to learn, especially when it comes to ourselves. The smart ass self-aware-tiff in me would like to disagree, but i wave my white flag to this truth.

i started this year off pretty secure. i had a great summer (facebook) and fall (berlin) lined up for me, so all there was left for me to do was to enjoy the present: my friends, family, boyfriend, school, and projects. my classes - collaborative innovation, modern lit, philosophy of mind, and social psychology - each represented and stimulated very important pillars of my identity. it was a very wholesome academic semester; lots of writing - i think i counted all the pages i wrote for social psych and it was around 70 or so - but i never dreaded any of it. i remember constantly walking out of my classes in awe and inspired. i was able to throw an art gallery and work in teams that encouraged me to learn about what role i take in them.

during spring break, i went to japan. ironically, i’m actually here again writing this right now. but being in an asian country for the first time in 8 years had a profound effect on me. i have vivid memories of struggling to find the airbnb near the skytree and falling dizzily in love with the tiny streets (finally my size!!), delicate greenery, and colors of the streets - pink, yellow, and green, talking fulfillment with jasmine and monica at commune 246, filling up a whole bar every night out with the sep group, bright green calpico/sake drinks, biking down arashiyama forest and getting lost in the cold, walking out of the station in kyoto to be surprised by the fushimi inari temple, gawking at the box-like architecture in harajuku, and so much more. i remember on the train to kyoto, i thought to myself, it feels really damn good to be asian here.

when i came back to berkeley from japan, my boyfriend at the time told me that he loved me. i didn’t think i was the type - to put so much weight into words of affirmation - but strangely, this changed a lot of things for me. i was trying very hard to kid myself of the very strong feelings that i had for him in fear of pain; but hearing those words from him yanked that delusion immediately out of me. i was in love, i had a very special person in my life who made me stupidly happy, and there was no turning back.

much of the way i organize time for the most of this year is marked by where i was in my relationship. i think in general, relationships tend to do that to you, but i think my case is a little different because our relationship was a slave to time. man, is time a bitch. but time also heals, time sheds light, and time gives you wisdom. my prolonged post-breakup reflection forced me to stare at some huge huge faults about and what i need/what i can improve on about myself in regards to the ways i receive and give love. 

in may, i started my internship at facebook. i was working on a tool with immense social impact. i woke up every day to the rewarding and intimidating reality that i could help millions and millions of lives. but 90% of the time my manager was stressing balls because of the nature of our product, and i felt that i didn’t get as much mentorship as i deserved. and being me, i didn’t ask for it, thinking it would all be okay and i could handle it all by myself just fine. and sometime halfway, i realized that my creative process is not where i want it to be, and that being at facebook could not realize that for me, at least not immediately. i knew i had to be somewhere else. also around the same time, i could not shake facebook’s eerie life-hand-holding and empathy vacuum when it came to social media’s effect on the youth psyche. 

outside of work and all, i had a vibrant social life filled with tons of new and old friendships. i think of the talks i had with ashley in my room, which brought me so much clarity i nearly melted into tears every time we hung out, shuttle rides and “exploring” sunnyvale with luke, nights in the city with zai and maheen, talking ideas and creativity with kevin, eating noodles with kelsey every day, and weekends with angela in berkeley or union square. sometime in the summer, i dyed my hair blue. it was a huge mistake and i hated it, but i guess it was something to cross off my bucket list. 

in 2016, i also went to way too many concerts to count. some shows that come to mind immediately are sophie, ben UFO, Nao, Mura Masa, robert glasper, honne, gold panda, the pc music label, and my god everyone at the clubs in berlin - i got to see anthony naples at berghain, even, the man who got me into house music in the first place. 

i went to two music festivals, too: osl and fyf. at osl, i was nearly moved to tears at “elegy to the void” during beach house’s set - it was the first time i heard that song; i never really gave “thank your lucky stars” a chance. at fyf, i danced my heart out to gerd janson, bicep, black madonna, and hot chip. gerd janson in an act i’ll particularly remember - it was as i was getting a warm, personal goodbye for berlin.

the week of fyf was one of the most interesting crossroads of time in my life. it was the last week i had in california before moving to berlin. it was the week of ending facebook and having loads of clarity with what i needed in my career. it was when i held my mom’s hand during a PET scan. it was the first time i could play with my four month old baby nephew whom i love so very much. it was when i dyed my hair back to a normal color. it was when i learned to really love and appreciate daniel and elaine. and it was the first time i would see my ex in months. needless to say, a lot of anticipation went into that ^ meetup, and i hold that memory near and dear to my heart. the conversation we had in the yellowish park in dtla next to the jewelry district meant a lot to me. sparks flew and they flew. 

and then there was berlin. i’m a bit scared to write this part actually. a lot was going on for me internally (see above) immediately before leaving, and for the majority of my time abroad, i was so lost. i didn’t know what i was doing there, feeling like i was just wasting my time and escaping responsibility. at times, i felt so alone. i convinced myself for a bit that i thought about everything so ceaselessly already that i didn’t need a new environment to learn about myself and be challenged to open my eyes up to the world. but in berlin, i found experiences that could not have happened to me anywhere else or could have hit home at any other time in my life. in berlin, i found muses. i found friends that inspired me with their individuality: yacha, jenn, vartan, kyra. i found club culture. i found the bullshit of aesthetic photography. i found the importance of pursuing what feels right. i found the importance of being my authentic self, even though it can feel isolating at times. i found an outlet in philosophy and art history, escaping into the aura of some of the greatest museums in the world, especially the moderna museet in stockholm and the ai wei wei exhibition in florence. it was a time of finding comfort in facebook chats with peter, jimmy, and jason. it was a time of living an alternate life with a completely unfamiliar routine of life and culture.

however, i think the contrast of returning back home was where i learned the most about the whole experience. they call it reverse culture shock. you really do see the juxtaposition of your current self and a previous self when you go back home. though while home i was fighting a bacterial sinus infection and rhinitis, i had never been so happpy to be with my family. it was the first time being back home where i didn’t even want to see my friends; i just wanted to be at home and be surrounded by my passionate, hilarious, loving parents, siblings, and nephew. man, are we explosive group of seven but equally explosive in support and love. i am almost tearing up writing this.

there’s much more to say, and probably tens of other experiences i should mention in here, but this post is getting too long and i should stop being a hermit crab. 

2017 is going to be an amazing year. i can feel it.

[surveys-r-us]

“run away with me”

I have a step or half-sibling. I have velvet pants.  I have a t-shirt from a museum exhibit. I’ve been to Dunkin’ Donuts before. I’ve been on the subway.  I usually get movies from the library. I’m scared of heights. I should be asleep right now. I have something that smells like mint. I have spare batteries. My speakers are off right now. My computer is in my bedroom. I only have one blanket on my bed. I own or have owned a teddy bear. I’ve memorized bohemian rhapsody. I’ve played Runescape. I like to make lists. I’ve listened to the Beach Boys.

I am very flexible. In bookstores, I walk around with my head tilted sideways. I’m wearing a hoodie. I know a lot of weird facts. I’ve watched Nightmare on Elm Street before. I know what pappillon means in English. Sufjan Stevens makes me happy. (lol his music depresses me. who possibly gets happy listening to him?) I wish my nose was smaller. I like to eat goldfish. I smile a lot. I use “however” instead of “but” when writing an essay. I’ve seen The Breakfast Club. I’ve had a burping contest with someone. And I won the contest. I like sharing books with my friends. I usually recognize the poets my English teacher talks about. (don’t have an English teacher anymore) A stranger has given me a high five for no reason. I’ve been to a Harry Potter book release party. I usually need to be reminded to eat. I have tiny hands. I like to look for shapes in the plaster on my ceiling. I prefer pencils to pens. I write on my hands when I need to remember something. 

I’ve been to a roller skating rink. I own a piece of clothing that is rainbow patterned. I own a piece of clothing with skulls on it. I am extremely patient. I wish I could dance well. I’ve been to an ice skating rink. I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. I have a purse with flowers on it. I love to people watch. I’ve written an acrostic poem. I have bad posture. I’ve fallen asleep in class. I am very easily embarrassed. I liked to make up stories when I was a kid. Whenever I ride my bike, I’m tempted to start singing bicycle race. I take prescription creams/face washes/pills for acne. I drink milk daily. I’ve been told I act like I’m on drugs. I’ve been told I look like I’m on drugs. I have my hair up in a bun. I own something Beatles-related. I don’t use the caps lock key often. I have very strong opinions. I love to eat grinders. I don’t call long sandwiches grinders. Teachers have asked me if I’m depressed. More than once. I don’t care what you think of me. I have a toothache. Wonderwall is my “I like someone” song. There’s a book beside or on my bed. I hate innuendo. I really admire improvisational comedians. I don’t like gym class. I am going to do better this school year. I don’t use the word fag. Ever. I’ve been told I have a beautiful singing voice. I can read Shakespeare without translations. I adore English class. I know what the Kinsey scale is. I read more than one book at a time.  I love places that sell dollar-a-cup coffee. The Magic School bus taught me a lot. I liked to dance on the kitchen table as a kid. I’ve lived with a relative for more than a year. I hate sharing a bed. I cried a lot as a kid. My friends have excellent taste in music. I know what I want to be when I grow up. Antidisestablishmentarianism! I like to drink coke zero. I watched Labyrinth only because David Bowie was in it. I bite my nails a lot. I’ve been to a music festival. I’ve gotten sunburn before. And it bled.  I hate the noise vacuums make. I prefer showers to baths. Jeffree Starr is way overrated  I don’t like my mouse pad. I love people who look classy. My nail polish is chipped. I’m going to read a book today. My mattress is on the floor. I am an insomniac. Cabaret punk is love. I have a DVD I want to watch. I’m a really picky eater. I take ibuprofen a lot. I tan very easily. The sun is shining right now. I love yellow Jell-O. I’ve made Popsicles with an ice cube tray, juice and toothpicks. And I called them ghetto pops. I’ve never met my neighbors. I’ve drawn on the street with chalk. I’ve been in a tree house. Tire swings are really fun. I love abandoned places. I have a plastic bag near me. I only watch TV when I’m really bored. I can’t wait to graduate. I’ve pulled an all-nighter so I would be really tired the next night. I really hate needles. I get along with my parents. I fall in love with songs that have beautiful lyrics. I listen to anti-folk. I have no idea what anti-folk is. I like to blow bubbles. I’ve won a hula hooping contest before. I’ve almost drowned. I’ve choked on something. I’ve taken a first aid course. One of my friends is in a different state right now. I’ve been to Chicago. I really like mohawks, but I would never get one. I am always warm. I have some weird eating habits. I like to spin in desk chairs. I have a beta fish. I have big lips. Tape is way better than glue. I like stickers. I’ve worn black jelly bracelets before. There is a type of music that I think is awful. My favorite girl from The Hills is Audrina. No, I prefer LC. I don’t have texting on my phone. I prefer New York to California. I’ve read all the Harry Potter books. Lord of the Rings too. I want to get a tattoo that has to do with a band. My family doesn’t eat dinner together. I’m worried that I won’t get into any college. I’m already in college! I own more than one flannel shirt. School is very important to me. I’d live on the beach if I could. Avocado is sooooo good. I can speak five languages fluently. One of my friends already has a kid. I drive everywhere. I hate when people say things aren’t art. I’m currently texting more than 3 people. My best friend wears the same size clothes as I do. I’ve only been in one serious relationship. One of my parents is gay. I rescued my pet from the animal shelter. I want to live in many different states when I’m older. I hardly ever go to the movies. I’ve liked one of my favorite bands for many years. I’m looking for a serious relationship right now. A lot of Starbucks are closing by my house. We don’t have H&M in my state. That’s my favorite store. I never order things online. I’m constantly listening to music. US History fascinates me Oranges are the best fruit. I have lactose intolerance. I always watch the National Spelling Bee on TV. I’m on a family plan. Parties aren’t my scene. I’ve lost many friends in my life and I’m okay with that. There are some friends I still wish I had. Fake nails look gross. I own an oyster card. (I don’t even live in the UK lmao) My birthday is in the fall. 2008 was a horrible year for me. Actually, it was the best. I’ve been on a cruise before. I like chemistry more than biology. I like taking surveys more than making them. I absolutely despise the color pink. I don’t have a significant other. I get all four seasons where I live. I only shop when I absolutely have the need to. I have an older brother. I have my driver’s license. I don’t want to have kids someday. I wear more jeans than skirts. I’d rather wear sneakers than high heels. I don’t go to church. I don’t like having my fringe in my face. I’m very much into heavy metal music. I own like, a hundred hoodies. I couldn’t draw to save my life. I’m a very good cook. I always have to look at the keyboard when I type. I’ve had surgery before. I don’t mind getting shots all that much. I’m not afraid of bugs. I love hot, hot weather! I have huge eyes and long lashes. I’m naturally very pale. I’m usually not very picky at all when it comes to food. My parents are divorced. I don’t like doing surveys, but I find myself doing them anyway. I’m addicted to Tumblr. I don’t have a Facebook account. I have perfect vision and don’t need glasses or contacts. I don’t wear makeup when I go out. I hate stores like Forever 21 I’m very much into sports. I don’t see what the big deal about photography is. Or fashion design. I don’t really appreciate art that much. Horror movies are my favorite. I don’t care if people cut in line in front of me. I don’t even remember the last time I put on a piece of jewelry. My hair is naturally straight. I support gay marriage. I have more friends online than I do in real life. My siblings are all older than I am. My significant other is younger than I am. I curse in almost every sentence I speak. I always get straight A’s in exams. I don’t know how to play any instrument. I only know how to speak one language. I don’t have my own personal blog. I’m allergic to something. I’ve been stung by a bee at least once in my life. This is the last survey I’m doing today. I have seen someone propose in public before. And they got rejected, poor bloke. I wonder if I will ever get proposed in public. Heck I don’t even know if I’ll ever get married. I know what a sake bomb is. I’ve tried it before. I’ve watched ‘Paris Hilton’s My New BFF’. ^ Ew, sad much? I think Paris Hilton is a brainless bitch. I celebrate Chinese New Year. I’m not Chinese or a tiny bit Asian at all. I have a step-sibling. I have a weak tolerance of alcohol. Are you kidding me? I can drink all night long! I want a new cell phone. I have my own bathroom. I sleep on a single bed. Nah, I have a King/Queen size bed! I think one night stands are no biggie. ^ Slut ^Prude I’ve been on a helicopter before. I’m actually afraid of heights. My date rented a limo to take me to prom. Pfft, I wish I had a date. I haven’t had my prom yet. I like clicking on advertisements. Pop-up ads are so old school. I recently took a bath. I never bother, I just take showers. My Christmas holidays were the bomb! Ugh, mine sucked like hell. I’d love to go to Japan one day. I’ve seen a ghost before. ^ I’d pee in my pants if I did. ^ No, I’d run and scream. I can write lyrics! I can, but I’m not very good at it. I would like to become a musician one day. I love finding things in sofa cracks. Black people can sing really well. So can Filipinos! Really, anyone with talent can do that. I know someone that’s trying very hard to fit in a stereotype. Every cup of water I drink equals to a trip to the toilet. I recently received my exam results. They were quite good! Nope, failed it all. It’s my boyfriend’s birthday today. He never gives me gifts. He buries me with them. I wish I had a boyfriend that actually spends money on me! I love him very much. The Beatles rock my world. Actually, a lot of classic rock bands rock my world. It takes me a really long while to get to sleep. I’m a personality quiz fiend. I am and have always been a night owl. I love reading Sarah Dessen books. My earphones are in my ears practically 24/7. I am an only child and that’s not because of any death. I hate school and everything else connected to it. I’ve never been in any romantic relationship. I have a lot of favorite names. And I plan to use those names on my kids. I’m reading a comic book right now. I’m listening to music right now. I memorize lyrics really easily. But memorizing stuff for school isn’t easy at all. Math is my worst enemy. I love bolding surveys. Nice and easy. I pick Guitar Hero over Rock Band. I’m afraid of heights. And spiders. Actually any disgusting insect. I really don’t mind being all alone. I talk to myself. My favorite animal: zebras. I know that there’s such a thing as a Supersaurus. Dinosaurs fascinate me. English class is love. I know how to make layouts. But I’m way too lazy.

[fluffydragon85]

Bold What Applies To You: My phone has a touch screen. So does my iPod. I don't even have a phone. Or an iPod. I'm really thirsty in the morning.

I can't stand it when dirt gets under my nails. I'm happy that Obama is our president. I'm not! I don't really care. What's with preps dying their hair black? I hate Crocs. I don't, they are so comfortable. I've got in a fight with my boyfriend/girlfriend in the past week. We worked it out though. I wish we could have, but we broke up. I love Jolly Ranchers. But not as much as Skittles. I know how to change a tire. Paramore is one of my favorite bands. So is Forever The Sickest Kids. If you don't like either of them, you're crazy! My computer is a HP. So is my printer. I have someone I worry about a lot. I never wear necklaces. Spaghetti is one of my favorite foods. But I hate lasagna. It's dark out right now. And really cold. I'm going to watch the Superbowl. I think people who laugh at the number 69 are somewhat immature. The Breakfast Club is one of my favorite movies. So is 16 Candles. I wish they still made good movies like that. Those movies suck! There's a drum set in my house. An electric guitar too. I've seen the movie Pineapple Express. I haven't yet, but I want to. I'm texting someone right now. I'm actually texting more than one person. I've kissed a person with more than 2 piercings. Stewie is awesome. I have pj pants with him on. I've been suspended before. I haven't, that's really bad! I'm easily annoyed. Neon green is better than hot pink. I live alone. I wish I did. Bolding surveys are my favorite. I have a step or half sibling. I have velvet pants. I have a t-shirt from a museum exhibit. I’ve been to Dunkin' Donuts before. I’ve been on the subway. I usually get movies from the library. I’m scared of heights. I should be asleep right now. I have something that smells like mint. I have spare batteries. My speakers are off right now. My computer is in my bedroom. I only have one blanket on my bed. I own or have owned a teddy bear. I’ve memorized bohemian rhapsody. I’ve played Runescape. I like to make lists. I’ve listened to the Beach Boys. I am very flexible. In bookstores, I walk around with my head tilted sideways.  I’m wearing a hoodie. I know a lot of weird facts. I’ve watched Nightmare on Elm Street before. I know what pappillon means in English. Sufjan Stevens makes me happy. I wish my nose was smaller. Who lives in North Dakota, anyway? I like to eat goldfish.  I get at least three e-mails per day. I smile a lot. I use "however" instead of "but" when writing an essay. I’ve seen The Breakfast Club. I’ve had a burping contest with someone. And I won the contest. I like sharing books with my friends. I usually recognize the poets my English teacher talks about. A stranger has given me a high five for no reason. I’ve been to a Harry Potter book release party. I usually need to be reminded to eat. I have tiny hands. I like to look for shapes in the plaster on my ceiling. I prefer pencils to pens. I write on my hands when I need to remember something. I’ve been to a roller skating rink. I own a piece of clothing that is rainbow patterned. I own a piece of clothing with skulls on it. I am extremely patient. I wish I could dance well. I’ve been to an ice skating rink. I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. I’ve been on the high honor roll. I have a purse with flowers on it. I love to people watch. I’ve written an acrostic poem. I have bad posture. I’ve fallen asleep in class. I am very easily embarrassed. I liked to make up stories when I was a kid. Whenever I ride my bike, I’m tempted to start singing bicycle race. I take prescription creams/face washes/pills for acne. I drink milk daily. I’ve been told I act like I’m on drugs. I’ve been told I look like I’m on drugs. I have my hair up in a bun. I own something Beatles-related. I have very strong opinions. I love to eat grinders. I don't call long sandwiches grinders. Teachers have asked me if I’m depressed. More than once. I don't care what you think of me. I have a toothache. Wonderwall is my "I like someone" song. There's a book beside or on my bed. I hate innuendo. I really admire improvisational comedians. I don't like gym class. I am going to do better this school year. I don't use the word fag. Ever. I’ve been told I have a beautiful singing voice. I can read Shakespeare without translations. I adore English class. I know what the kisney scale is. I read more than one book at a time. I love places that sell dollar-a-cup coffee. The Magic School bus taught me a lot. I liked to dance on the kitchen table as a kid. I’ve lived with a relative for more than a year. I hate sharing a bed. I cried a lot as a kid. My friends have excellent taste in music. Antidisestablishmentarianism! I like to drink coke zero. I watched Labyrinth only because David Bowie was in it. I bite my nails a lot. I’ve been to a music festival. I’ve gotten sunburn before. And it bled. Ew. I hate the noise vacuums make. I prefer showers to baths. Jeffree Starr is way overrated. I don't like my mouse pad. I love people who look classy. My nail polish is chipped. I’m going to read a book today. My mattress is on the floor. I am an insomniac. Cabaret punk is love. I have a DVD I want to watch. I’m a really picky eater. I take ibuprofen a lot. I tan very easily. The sun is shining right now. I love yellow Jell-O. I’ve made Popsicles with an ice cube tray, juice and toothpicks. And I called them ghetto pops. I’ve never met my neighbors.  I’ve drawn on the street with chalk. I’ve been in a tree house. Tire swings are really fun. I love abandoned places. I have a plastic bag near me. I only watch TV when I’m really bored. I can't wait to graduate. I’ve pulled an all-nighter so I would be really tired the next night. I really hate needles. I get along with my parents. My font on aim is tiny. I don't use aim. I fall in love with songs that have beautiful lyrics. I listen to anti-folk. I have no idea what anti-folk is. I like to blow bubbles. I’ve won a hula hooping contest before. I’ve almost drowned. I’ve choked on something. I’ve taken a first aid course. One of my friends is in a different state right now. I’ve been to Chicago. I really like mohawks, but I would never get one. I am always warm. I have some weird eating habits. I like to spin in desk chairs. I have a beta fish. I have big lips. Tape is way better than glue. I like stickers. I’ve worn black jelly bracelets before. There is a type of music that I think is awful. My favorite girl from The Hills is Audrina. No, I prefer LC. I don't have texting on my phone. I prefer New York to California. I've read all the Harry Potter books. Lord of the Rings too. My cell has a cover on it. I want to get a tattoo that has to do with a band. My family doesn't eat dinner together. I'm worried that I won't get into any college. I'm already in college! I own more than one flannel shirt. School is very important to me. I'd live on the beach if I could. Avocado is sooooo good. I can speak five languages fluently. One of my friends already has a kid.  I drive everywhere. I hate when people say things aren't art. I'm currently texting more than 3 people. My best friend wears the same size clothes as I do. I've only been in one serious relationship. One of my parents is gay. I rescued my pet from the animal shelter.  I want to live in many different states when I'm older. I hardly ever go to the movies. I've liked one of my favorite bands for many years. I'm looking for a serious relationship right now. A lot of Starbucks are closing by my house. We don't have H&M in my state. That's my favorite store. I never order things online. I'm constantly listening to music. US History fascinates me. Oranges are the best fruit. I have lactose intolerance. I always watch the National Spelling Bee on TV. I'm on a family plan. Parties aren't my scene. I've lost many friends in my life. There are some friends I still wish I had. Fake nails look gross. I own an oyster card. My birthday is in the fall. 2008 was a horrible year for me. Actually, it was the best. I've been on a cruise before. I like chemistry more than biology. I like taking surveys more than making them. I don't have a significant other. I get all four seasons where I live. I only shop when I absolutely have the need to. I have an older brother. I have my driver's license. I don't want to have kids someday. I wear more jeans than skirts. I'd rather wear sneakers than high heels. I don't go to church. I don't like having my fringe in my face. I own like, a hundred hoodies. I couldn't draw to save my life. I'm a very good cook. I always have to look at the keyboard when I type. I've had surgery before. I don't mind getting shots all that much. I'm not afraid of bugs. I have huge eyes and long lashes. I'm naturally very pale. I'm usually not very picky at all when it comes to food. My parents are divorced. I don't like doing surveys, but I find myself doing them anyway. I'm addicted to MySpace. I don't have a Facebook account. I have perfect vision and don't need glasses or contacts. I don't wear makeup when I go out. I hate stores like Forever 21. I'm very much into sports. I don't see what the big deal about photography is. Or fashion design. I don't really appreciate art that much. Horror movies are my favorite. I don't care if people cut in line in front of me. I don't even remember the last time I put on a piece of jewelry. My hair is naturally straight. I support gay marriage. I have more friends online than I do in real life. My siblings are all older than I am. My significant other is younger than I am. I curse in almost every sentence I speak. I always get straight A's in exams. I don't know how to play any instrument. I only know how to speak one language. I don't have my own personal blog. I'm allergic to something. I've been stung by a bee at least once in my life. This is the last survey I'm doing today. I have seen someone propose in public before. And they got rejected, poor bloke. I wonder if I will ever get proposed in public. Heck I don't even know if I'll ever get married. I know what a sake bomb is. I've tried it before. I've watched 'Paris Hilton's My New BFF'. I think Paris Hilton is a brainless bitch. I celebrate Chinese New Year. I'm not Chinese or a tiny bit Asian at all. I have a step-sibling. I have a weak tolerance of alcohol. Are you kidding me? I can drink all night long! I want a new cell phone. I have my own bathroom. I sleep on a single bed. Nah, I have a King/Queen size bed! I think one night stands are no biggie. I've been on a helicopter before. I'm actually afraid of heights. My date rented a limo to take me to prom.  Pfft, I wish I had a date. I haven't had my prom yet. I like clicking on advertisements. Pop-up ads are so old school.  I recently took a bath. I never bother, I just take showers. My Christmas holidays were the bomb! Ugh, mine sucked like hell. I'd love to go to Japan one day. I've seen a ghost before. I can write lyrics! I can, but I'm not very good at it. I would like to become a musician one day. I love finding things in sofa cracks. Black people can sing really well. So can Filipinos!  Really, anyone with talent can do that. I know someone that's trying very hard to fit in a stereotype. Every cup of water I drink equals to a trip to the toilet. I recently received my exam results. They were quite good! Nope, failed it all. It's my boyfriend's birthday today. He never gives me gifts. He buries me with them. I wish I had a boyfriend that actually spends money on me! I love my boyfriend very much. The Beatles rock my world. Actually, a lot of classic rock bands rock my world. It takes me a really long while to get to sleep. I'm a personality quiz fiend. I am and have always been a night owl. I love reading Sarah Dessen books. My earphones are in my ears practically 24/7. I am an only child and that's not because of any death. I hate school and everything else connected to it. I've never been in any romantic relationship. I have a lot of favorite names. And I plan to use those names on my kids. I'm reading a comic book right now. I'm listening to music right now. I memorize lyrics really easily. But memorizing stuff for school isn't easy at all. Math is my worst enemy. I love bolding surveys. Nice and easy. I pick Guitar Hero over Rock Band. I'm afraid of heights. And spiders. Actually any disgusting insect. I really don't mind being all alone. I talk to myself. My favorite animal: zebras. I know that there's such a thing as a Supersaurus. Dinosaurs fascinate me. English class is love. I know how to make layouts.

[justforustravel-blog]

20 Proposal for young couples interrail - #Booking, #Europe, #FollowFestivals, #GuideBooks, #HotelReservation, #TrainTicket, #TrainTickets, #Travel, #Traveling

New Post has been published on http://justforustravel.com/2017/10/19/20-proposal-for-young-couples-interrail/

20 Proposal for young couples interrail

I had to get one chick from that loneliness because people are starting to be our formation oteledig Interrail’s our attitude toward e clear: go Double! Your sweetheart your lover; your love is an extraordinary admit Interrail trip wouldn’t it be great? Here’s this year’s losers to leave and play in Europe with your loved one’you either you take it the right way; new dreams, new dreams hand in hand through the majestic streets of Europe, arm in arm 20 hard to explore experience all of the great suggestion!

  1. Fancy yourself create a playlist

I love the amazing view while traveling side by side with romantiklestirmek wouldn’t want a nice list in the music player? Before travelling create a playlist of your favorite songs. Not necessarily songs that are special to you and also provide a place for each city a song; when there is a situation that is bothering you and interrail trip that will motivate you to identify a song, don’t jump!

Browse guide books

  first, start by making a list of cities that want to see both of you. Consider each other’s interests and priorities. Companion will not be each other boyfriend before, and even the most minor details to make this trip the most enjoyable plan. Sometimes you can leave it with the flow of that love, more passionate and maybe that is beautiful? Some people were about this.

  3. A good camera is a must!

you will see, countries, cities, people, and capture memories. This is a quality bar and even obtain a good camera for selfie. In this way, or that you want to ask people to take a picture every second and you won’t have to attract each other. You’ll catch plenty of the best memories from your trip in the later frames, so smile.

4. Do you have a reservation?

we are always in love with the idea of unscheduled visit and it might not work. In this regard, train tickets, hotel reservation or eat a meal in the restaurant in advance whether a table is empty that you want to check/adjust. Remember, mishaps always comes on top, you may miss a small glitch and all the enjoyment. At least everything is as beautiful as live spontaneous booking, do not escape from it.

5. Of course the topic of romance

alone in a foreign country and that the first goal, of course, it must be a romance. Primarily, you don’t know anyone around youuz doesn’t understand your language so that it is always convenient and no one. Add color to your trip that you will always enjoy doing details together. For example, share a little wine on the Spanish Steps in Rome, the Sacre Coeur in Paris’s like when climbing a ladder to motivate each other for a kiss. Don’t kiss that cannot be a small hill.

  6. Notepad, important, never mind the technology

before you travel with plenty of your self-hearted to choose a nice Notebook. With this book you can plan your trip, and notes you can keep. Have handy the names of the people you meet during your trip because you learn a foreign word or name that you eat good food you may want to remember later. At the expiration of allowed on the trip also, you can decorate this book with your photos. This book is great to keep it as a memoir as it would be a good idea to prepare a surprise to your loved ones on February 14 Valentine’s gift.

  7. Dec well as reward yourself

Hostels, Bed and bunk beds friendships; all these will remain as memories that make you smile, then we agree that, but for your trip, you must indulge yourself once or twice. Squeaky bunk beds sharing a shower when you get away from or eight people each turn and maybe a hair better than you dreamed a lot of being in a place will make you happy, your motivation will increase. For example, with the tuna sandwich of the trip a day or Dec and go to a nice dinner and don’t handle.

  8. Interrail so mean to neglect

maybe so neglected each other, you won’t never see again, enjoy it. You can leave your hair oily, and either wear the same outfit a few days. The nature of these train journeys. But the important thing is to convert it to make it fun and enjoy the ride. Remember, the best way to get to know most of it its ugly and I got together to go on a long trip because it’s in its most natural state; you can observe the happiest and most in times of crisis. And of course the most neglected!

  9. Try to meet at a common point

you have your breakfast and couldn’t make a joint decision about what you want to do. One of the most famous museum in your city that you visit one and the other one wants to walk around the flea market. Do both. You don’t have to visit all of the museums, a little after visiting the flea market. You can believe me, and that you will both of you be more than satisfied.

  10. L’s additionally’s il vous plait! (Please check!)

try to get to know foreign food culture. Always choose to eat at restaurants or street vendors where you’re going in two different kinds. For example, in Spain Paella tapas options, while one other want your order. Thus, you will be looked with love the taste of different dishes. The most delicious food on the plate in front of your lover is also always note that.

  11. Instagramlamaksakdamisaklasak?

plenty of mobile phone, we know you will do a status update. And a beautiful photo to share catlatman enemy or your loved ones are the best to inform you that is the best way. For instance, the Belgian – Dutch border open and your feet on strike a funny pose, or Pisa or the Eiffel’s try to get out of the stereotypes. Undoubtedly, the most legendary of these moments.

  12. Don’t neglect to socialize

the motto of a trip to go the way you love one you will receive, and your eyes is very difficult to love you, I appreciate it, but still you are staying in the hostel or on the train during the journey you were good the evening a double date for the pair’e invite or even better, try couchsurfing for a young couple and a guest in your home. Local you at home to prepare a home-cooked meal that you can carry your beautiful memories you have and in return a small gift will be instrumental in.

  13. Passports is in place?

Security is all important, hence you need to deal with each other and each other’s belongings throughout the trip. For example, in Vienna the grandeur of historic buildings and walking hand in hand caught on my purse, watch your wallet. Of course, Europe is just one example of Austria’is the last place where you can experience it, but still if possible lock up your belongings during your trip is very important. You will be relieved to stop your suitcase or your backpack in a safe place. Check out the railway stations in the city that you are going for. You are moving on you clothes with internal pockets for documents, we strongly recommend that you do.

14. Follow festivals

knowing the destination country’s festival dates go. Festival times are the best times actually, and even we’ve changed our minds you the best destination plan your trip according to the dates of the festivals! For example Sziget (Hungary) this year from August 10-17, Exit (Serbia), July 9-12, let it Roll Benesov, Czech Republic) 31 July-2 August some of the popular festivals. Setup your tent as much as possible and immerse yourself in the rhythm of the music release yourself to the moment.

15. Does it require a foreign language?

one of you is enough to be a judge to tell about your business to a foreign language, but you’re both English people who know that you’re the best. Basic English in most countries’s, you can travel comfortably and all your troubles, you can tell your conversations easily. Before arriving to the destination country is also a word that you will learn a few local people living in the area you’ll love. For example, people in ang Mo Munich (Good morning) or Domashnee (Thank you) to say a sweet delicacy. Hearts and to get the attention of the tavern.

  16. Make long train journeys

a long train trip alone on the train with you can be alternatives to evaluate. Instead of the fast trains, especially in slower-moving but will be so much more fun, especially when you check out of the hostel the night train to save you the expense. Before I left on a trip favorite snack food, snacks and drinks. Compartment switch, and enjoy the ride. Do yourself a favor, if you want to add a little romance to work and do a twin stateroom booking. Also with exceptional views of the train in the dining car, and an attractive alternative to eat.

  17. The most beautiful a warm shoulder pillow.

Interrail’s e If of your lover if you’re tired, your shoulder will be the most beautiful pillows favorite warm during the trip. Each other’s shoulder to sleep on her lap is very comfortable, especially around a city like Rome, too tired after full. Or Barcelona’Yi nook and cranny after exploring Park Guell’s a little shortcut will enable you to feel more energetic on your lover’s knee.

  18. Collect memories from each city

yourself from every country or city you go to you get an object that will later be remembered. A small magnet, sculpture, or the restaurant you eat it could even be the plug of your train ticket. Any thing that has a picture with her address on it or you can decorate your house with. Just use your imagination.

  19. Add your journey romantic cities

Rome, Venice Florence Barcelona Prague Amsterdam late to hop from there by 9 lie 10 people’s not much of a point you have completed his course and your job. Your lover a special trip if you’re looking to add the least explored romantic cities on your route. Ljubljana, Bled (Slovenia), Bern, Interlaken, Jungfrau (Switzerland), Palermo, Cinque Terre (Italy), Salzburg, Hallstatt (Austria), Rothenburg, Heidelberg, Dresden, Bremen (Germany), Mother (France), Gent, Bruges (Belgium), Zaanse Schans (the Netherlands), Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic), Granada (Spain) are just a few of them. We’ll do your route if you say Ultra a fantastic trip to Northern Europe’or at the time you are dialing an unusual pair of interrail which means you must.

  20. The opportunity of your life, do not leave it in a dream

Interrail, definitely you need to do at a young age, and Europe’Yi, while visiting on the one hand, develop yourself intellectually and physically; at the same time, socialization is an activity that we must do a great deal of. It never don’t delay any further. Arm of jewelry is your favorite, and then give me your hand, Europe! Collecting money instead of getting a interrail ticket in your hand with the first money start. Your loved one often and motivate each other to prepare for the greatest experience of your life start. Your love was worth everything, and love the taste of different cities and cultures, and enjoy exclusive offers.

[zolganif]

My phone has a touch screen. So does my iPod. I don't even have a phone. Or an iPod. I'm really thirsty in the morning. I can't stand it when dirt gets under my nails. I'm happy that Obama is our president. I'm not! I don't really care. What's with preps dying their hair black? I hate Crocs. I don't, they are so comfortable. I've got in a fight with my significant other in the past week. We worked it out though. I wish we could have, but we broke up. I love Jolly Ranchers. But not as much as Skittles. I know how to change a tire. Paramore is one of my favorite bands. So is Forever The Sickest Kids. If you don't like either of them, you're crazy! My computer is a HP. So is my printer. I have someone I worry about a lot. I never wear necklaces. Spaghetti is one of my favorite foods. But I hate lasagna. It's dark out right now. And really cold. I'm going to watch the Superbowl. I think people who laugh at the number 69 are somewhat immature. The Breakfast Club is one of my favorite movies. So is 16 Candles. I wish they still made good movies like that. Those movies suck! There's a drum set in my house. An electric guitar too. I've seen the movie Pineapple Express. I haven't yet, but I want to. I'm texting someone right now. I'm actually texting more than one person. I've kissed a person with more than 2 piercings. Stewie is awesome. I have pj pants with him on. I've been suspended before. I haven't, that's really bad! I'm easily annoyed. Neon green is better than hot pink. I live alone. I wish I did. Bolding surveys are my favorite. I have a step or half sibling. I have velvet pants. I have a t-shirt from a museum exhibit. I’ve been to Dunkin' Donuts before. I’ve been on the subway. I usually get movies from the library. I’m scared of heights. I should be asleep right now. I have something that smells like mint. I have spare batteries. My speakers are off right now. My computer is in my bedroom. I only have one blanket on my bed. I own or have owned a teddy bear. I’ve memorized Bohemian Rhapsody. I’ve played Runescape. I like to make lists. I’ve listened to the Beach Boys. I am very flexible. In bookstores, I walk around with my head tilted sideways. I’m wearing a hoodie. I know a lot of weird facts. I’ve watched Nightmare on Elm Street before. I know what pappillon means in English. Sufjan Stevens makes me happy. I wish my nose was smaller. Who lives in North Dakota, anyway? I like to eat goldfish.  I get at least three e-mails per day. I smile a lot. I use "however" instead of "but" when writing an essay. I’ve seen The Breakfast Club. I’ve had a burping contest with someone. And I won the contest. I like sharing books with my friends. I usually recognize the poets my English teacher talks about. A stranger has given me a high five for no reason. I’ve been to a Harry Potter book release party. I usually need to be reminded to eat. I have tiny hands. I like to look for shapes in the plaster on my ceiling. I prefer pencils to pens. I write on my hands when I need to remember something. I’ve been to a roller skating rink. I own a piece of clothing that is rainbow patterned. I own a piece of clothing with skulls on it. I am extremely patient. I wish I could dance well. I’ve been to an ice skating rink. I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. I’ve been on the high honor roll. I have a purse with flowers on it. I love to people watch. I’ve written an acrostic poem. I have bad posture. I’ve fallen asleep in class. I am very easily embarrassed. I liked to make up stories when I was a kid. Whenever I ride my bike, I’m tempted to start singing Bicycle Race. I take prescription creams / face washes / pills for acne. I drink milk daily. I’ve been told I act like I’m on drugs. I’ve been told I look like I’m on drugs. I have my hair up in a bun. I own something Beatles-related. I have very strong opinions. I love to eat grinders. I don't call long sandwiches grinders. Teachers have asked me if I’m depressed. More than once. I don't care what you think of me. I have a toothache. Wonderwall is my "I like someone" song. There's a book beside or on my bed. I hate innuendo. I really admire improvisational comedians. I don't like gym class. I am going to do better this school year. I don't use the word fag. Ever. I’ve been told I have a beautiful singing voice. I can read Shakespeare without translations. I adore English class. I know what the kisney scale is. I read more than one book at a time. I love places that sell dollar-a-cup coffee. The Magic School bus taught me a lot. I liked to dance on the kitchen table as a kid. I’ve lived with a relative for more than a year. I hate sharing a bed. I cried a lot as a kid. My friends have excellent taste in music. Antidisestablishmentarianism! I like to drink coke zero. I watched Labyrinth only because David Bowie was in it. I bite my nails a lot. I’ve been to a music festival. I’ve gotten sunburn before. And it bled. Ew. I hate the noise vacuums make. I prefer showers to baths. Jeffree Starr is way overrated.  I don't like my mouse pad. I love people who look classy. My nail polish is chipped. I’m going to read a book today. My mattress is on the floor. I am an insomniac. Cabaret punk is love. I have a DVD I want to watch. I’m a really picky eater. I take ibuprofen a lot. I tan very easily. The sun is shining right now. I love yellow Jell-O. I’ve made Popsicles with an ice cube tray, juice and toothpicks. And I called them ghetto pops. I’ve never met my neighbors. I’ve drawn on the street with chalk. I’ve been in a tree house. Tire swings are really fun. I love abandoned places. I have a plastic bag near me. I only watch TV when I’m really bored. I can't wait to graduate. I’ve pulled an all-nighter so I would be really tired the next night. I really hate needles. I get along with my parents. My font on aim is tiny. I don't use aim.<------I actually miss that now, and MSN. :(

I fall in love with songs that have beautiful lyrics. I listen to anti-folk. I have no idea what anti-folk is. I like to blow bubbles. I’ve won a hula hooping contest before. I’ve almost drowned. I’ve choked on something. I’ve taken a first aid course. One of my friends is in a different state right now. I’ve been to Chicago. I really like mohawks, but I would never get one. I am always warm. I have some weird eating habits. I like to spin in desk chairs. I have a betta fish.  I have big lips. Tape is way better than glue. I like stickers. I’ve worn black jelly bracelets before. There is a type of music that I think is awful. My favorite girl from The Hills is Audrina. No, I prefer LC. I don't have texting on my phone. I prefer New York to California. I've read all the Harry Potter books. Lord of the Rings too. My cell has a cover on it. I want to get a tattoo that has to do with a band. My family doesn't eat dinner together. I'm worried that I won't get into any college. I'm already in college! I own more than one flannel shirt. School is very important to me. I'd live on the beach if I could. Avocado is sooooo good. I can speak five languages fluently. One of my friends already has a kid. I drive everywhere. I hate when people say things aren't art. I'm currently texting more than 3 people. My best friend wears the same size clothes as I do. I've only been in one serious relationship. One of my parents is gay.<-------Actually, both of them are.  I rescued my pet from the animal shelter. I want to live in many different states when I'm older. I hardly ever go to the movies. I've liked one of my favorite bands for many years. I'm looking for a serious relationship right now. A lot of Starbucks are closing by my house. We don't have H&M in my state. That's my favorite store. I never order things online. I'm constantly listening to music. US History fascinates me. Oranges are the best fruit. I am lactose intolerant. I always watch the National Spelling Bee on TV. I'm on a family plan. Parties aren't my scene. I've lost many friends in my life. There are some friends I still wish I had. Fake nails look gross. I own an oyster card. My birthday is in the fall. 2008 was a horrible year for me. Actually, it was the best. I've been on a cruise before. I like chemistry more than biology. I like taking surveys more than making them. I don't have a significant other. I get all four seasons where I live. I only shop when I absolutely have the need to. I have an older brother. I have my driver's license. I don't want to have kids someday. I wear more jeans than skirts. I'd rather wear sneakers than high heels I don't go to church. I don't like having my fringe in my face. I own like, a hundred hoodies. I couldn't draw to save my life. I'm a very good cook. I always have to look at the keyboard when I type. I've had surgery before. I don't mind getting shots all that much. I'm not afraid of bugs. I have huge eyes and long lashes. I'm naturally very pale. I'm usually not very picky at all when it comes to food. My parents are divorced. I don't like doing surveys, but I find myself doing them anyway. I'm addicted to MySpace.<-----Miss that site too. haha.  I don't have a Facebook account. I have perfect vision and don't need glasses or contacts. I don't wear makeup when I go out. I hate stores like Forever 21. I'm very much into sports. I don't see what the big deal about photography is. Or fashion design. I don't really appreciate art that much. Horror movies are my favorite. I don't care if people cut in line in front of me. I don't even remember the last time I put on a piece of jewelry. My hair is naturally straight. I support gay marriage. I have more friends online than I do in real life. My siblings are all older than I am. My significant other is younger than I am. I curse in almost every sentence I speak. I always get straight A's in exams. I don't know how to play any instrument. I only know how to speak one language. I don't have my own personal blog. I'm allergic to something. I've been stung by a bee at least once in my life. This is the last survey I'm doing today.  I have seen someone propose in public before. And they got rejected, poor bloke. I wonder if I will ever get proposed in public. Heck I don't even know if I'll ever get married. I know what a sake bomb is. I've tried it before. I've watched 'Paris Hilton's My New BFF'. I think Paris Hilton is a brainless bitch. I celebrate Chinese New Year. I'm not Chinese or a tiny bit Asian at all. I have a step-sibling. I have a weak tolerance of alcohol. Are you kidding me? I can drink all night long! I want a new cell phone. I have my own bathroom. I sleep on a single bed. Nah, I have a King / Queen size bed! I think one night stands are no biggie. I've been on a helicopter before. I'm actually afraid of heights. My date rented a limo to take me to prom. Pfft, I wish I had a date. I haven't had my prom yet. I like clicking on advertisements. Pop-up ads are so old school. I recently took a bath. I never bother, I just take showers. My Christmas holidays were the bomb! Ugh, mine sucked like hell. I'd love to go to Japan one day. I've seen a ghost before. I can write lyrics! I can, but I'm not very good at it. I would like to become a musician one day. I love finding things in sofa cracks. Black people can sing really well. So can Filipinos! Really, anyone with talent can do that.  I know someone that's trying very hard to fit in a stereotype. Every cup of water I drink equals to a trip to the toilet. I recently received my exam results. They were quite good! Nope, failed it all. It's my significant other's birthday today. He never gives me gifts. He buries me with them. I wish I had a significant other that actually spends money on me! I love my significant other very much. The Beatles rock my world. Actually, a lot of classic rock bands rock my world. It takes me a really long while to get to sleep. I'm a personality quiz fiend. I am and have always been a night owl. I love reading Sarah Dessen books. My earphones are in my ears practically 24 / 7. I am an only child and that's not because of any death. I hate school and everything else connected to it. I've never been in any romantic relationship. I have a lot of favorite names. And I plan to use those names on my kids. I'm reading a comic book right now. I'm listening to music right now. I memorize lyrics really easily. But memorizing stuff for school isn't easy at all. Math is my worst enemy. I love bolding surveys. Nice and easy. I pick Guitar Hero over Rock Band. I really don't mind being all alone. I talk to myself. My favorite animal: zebras. I know that there's such a thing as a Supersaurus. Dinosaurs fascinate me. English class is love. I know how to make layouts.