#gearing up for that 12 hour plane ride

[rowingupstream]

I can do serious amounts of exercise if it is slow. A stroll. A saunter. Resting when my heart rate goes up even the tiniest bit - that usually makes me dizzy and nauseous and I start having trouble breathing (not...literally? It just gets so uncomfortable I start holding my breath or breathing shallowly). What I do is not what most people consider hiking, or even walking for exerciize. But I can climb 40 km up a mountain in a day, doing that. And yet I can't hike even a short hike with a group. I have to stick to my own pace.

Recently I've taken up biking. I'm hesitant - if I fall and break something, it won't heal right. They never do. But it's so much healthier and cheaper - I can't walk fast enough to commute or go shopping without a car, but I think I actually could switch from a car to a bike? Perhaps an ebike? It's so pleasant to bike. Today I did 12km- just lovely, utterly lovely. But I read that on hills you should switch to a low gear with almost no resistance and pedal fast to maintain speed, so the one hill I hit I tried that - I almost threw up. I was too dizzy to walk. It was a half mile to a convenience store where I could buy a sports drink and getting there took over an hour, even though it was downhill and I let the bike carry me most of the way. I downed 60-odd ounces of electrolyte filled liquid and then suddenly felt perfectly fine. Dehydration or a new symptom? I've been wondering if the dizziness vertigo if heart rate rises stuff might be me developing POTS.

The problem is that I get so little warning that I'm approaching a physical limit. I'm fine and then boom I am incapable of even walking or thinking or talking. Everything hurts. But actually I can't tell if there is no warning that it is coming, or if I just trained myself to ignore it. I think some of it is that, as a person with chronic pain, I've taught myself to ignore it. To just barrel by it. Stuff has to be done! Laying in bed doesn't help and often makes it worse! (Sometimes it hurts so much, or my muscles feel so weak, or I feel like I can't think or process so badly that I give up on getting out of bed for a day or two - there is a reason I keep several liters of water and snacks next to the bed - but usually I just tell myself to pain is a lie and do whatever.)

It seems so impossible to explain: yes I was bragging about a 40km hike last month but I don't want to go 3 km with you next weekend. Yes I can bike 12 km today but yesterday I couldn't get out of bed. How do I ask an employer for accommodations for that? It makes no sense! I can't even explain it to my friends and family.

On the better side of things - once upon a time my joints hurt so much I cried on the way to work every day because the vibrations of the car hurt my wrists (and ankles and knees) so much. That is pretty much gone, thanks to meds. I can drive, ride planes and trains, whatever. When I first started biking a few weeks ago, my wrists and fingers would get tingly like they were falling asleep, and I'd stop early to keep from irritating them into an inflammation flare up. That has mainly gone away - my wrists hurt sometimes but more of a "twisted a bit wrong and it pulled a bit" way than nerves misfiring or bones grinding. Having that bit of extra muscle from riding a bike semi regularly seems to be really helping. I never managed that by putting on arm muscle at the gym - doing weights and stuff - but apparently putting on muscle in this specific way works for me.

[dsandrvk]

Monday, February 12, 2024 - Buenos Aires to Ushuaia

We got up around 4 this morning, had a very lovely breakfast at our hotel (best pain au chocolate I have ever had), and got to the airport shortly after 6:30. We had flown from Jorge Newbury Airport last year to and from Iguaza, but for some reason we missed seeing the giant slum that is between the port and the highway, stretching a good ways north towards this smaller airport. It is colorful, although so many buildings are not intact, and one wonders how people can live there. Most of the areas north of downtown Buenos Aires are affluent, but this is an aberration.

Our flight left on time, and we landed in Ushuaia about 3-1/2 hours later, around 11:30. Even though we had had a very complete breakfast, we were still served a substantial second breakfast on the plane. We had a little scenic tour in our bus from the airport, since the idea was not to have everyone on the flight arrive in one pile at the dock. We stopped at the old airport in Ushuaia, which is still used for small planes, and drove past the waterfront where we walked last year.

Embarkation was extremely smooth and quick, and we decided to turn around almost immediately and try to see a bit of town and spend our extra pesos before an earlier than planned departure, although by the time we got off the ship we only had about an hour. Ushuaia is a busy place, with four cruise ships docked and another anchored out in the bay. The line waiting for a tender back to the anchored ship, the Holland America Oosterdam, was about a quarter mile long, and not moving very quickly. Glad our ship only takes about 260 passengers and we were right at the dock.

The Seabourn Venture is less than two years old and is a beautiful ship. Everything is spacious and well-designed, and our standard room (suite) is roomy with a great balcony and lots of storage. We didn't really have much time to unpack before we headed out the Beagle Channel several hours earlier than originally planned, so will try to get better organized tomorrow. We left the dock around 4PM, three hours earlier than scheduled. There are a couple of low pressure systems creating fairly large waves, and it is hoped we can get to the east of the worst of it tonight, and then run south just on the edge. The seas were pretty heavy, with some rolling, but not too severe. Tomorrow may be worse if the system comes faster, but we will see what happens.

The ride out the Channel was beautiful, even with clouds and we were clear just before dark as the land slipped away. We spent a little post-dinner time listening to a really talented piano player/vocalist in the club, and got reacquainted with the Cruise Director, James, who was our CD on our trip this past summer. Also on board was our expedition leader from that trip, Luciano. We feel confident we are in good hands and really look forward to the next part of the trip.

I may not post tomorrow since it will be a sea day, but it looks like we will be kept busy with mandatory briefings on Zodiacs, Antarctica, gear, etc., as well as a lecture on birds, and of course, trivia! We feel so lucky to be doing this cruise and for everything to have gone so smoothly so far. Now if the seas will just calm down a bit and not change into the predicted 5 meter swells. Time for some well-needed rest

[simple-geometry-blog]

| | > I’m done packing save for my chargers and what not! I’m technically not flying out till Sunday, but because of some stupid airline bullshit involving driving to a FURTHER airport just to fly back to the CLOSER airport and then to Japan, I gotta head to Toronto tomorrow. It’s a four hour drive rip but needless to say THIS IS A SEMI-HIATUS NOTICE for the next three days. I’ll be traveling all that time. 

[thecreaturecodex]

Venger

“Venger” © Robson Michel, accessed at his deviantArt page here

[Bust out those Peter Cullen impressions. After that Venger post I reblogged blew up, I started thinking, and this had to get out on paper. There are “canon” 3.5 statistics for Venger, where he’s a CR 21. Some of that CR is from giving him the half-fiend template, which I think is unnecessary. As previously mentioned, I don’t think Venger is that powerful (I think their justification for giving him 9th level spells is that he uses something that looks like imprisonment in one episode, and that is the 9th level spell the stats give him). The 3.5 Venger also has levels in archmage, a prestige class that doesn’t exist in Pathfinder. I did give him feats that duplicate some of that version’s archmage abilities.

My version is designed to be a mid-level boss. He could easily be a recurring character, harassing the PCs starting relatively early in their careers. I chose an infernal over abyssal bloodline in order to give him wings, but he doesn’t really use them much in the TV show. Riding a nightmare is much more stylish.]

Venger CR 14 NE Outsider (native) This imposing humanoid stands tall, his blue skin, reduced nose and small fangs marking his inhuman nature. He wears a red cowl and vestment over a dark gray gown, and bat-like wings lay across his back like a cape. A single curved horn grows from his left temple.

Venger is the epitome of the dark lord, maintaining the obedience of an army of monsters while constantly striving for complete domination of the whole realm. He maintains several strongholds, each of them manned by a menagerie of humanoids (orcs and boggards are favored minions). Venger has no patience for creating magic items, and so covets powerful, unique treasures, going so far as to stalk adventuring parties for years if they have something that he wants.

Venger’s powers stem from a deal made with the powers of Hell, but he has little patience for strictures of law, and freely traffics with a wide variety of fiends. The closest thing he has to a hobby is environmental degradation, and he hunts unicorns, fey and other creatures of nature for sport. He is rarely found alone—he rides a nightmare into combat, and a shadow demon acts as his spy and informant (as well as attempting to pull his evil closer towards chaos and the goals of the Abyss).

Venger maintains a strict watch on his allies and enemies alike through frequent scrying spells, and teleports between his fortresses regularly. He uses mind-influencing magic to ensure the cooperation of his minions, but rarely uses it in combat. When dealing with non-evil creatures, he has been known to travel in disguise, compounding magical and mundane deceptions. Venger often punches below his weight class, terrorizing the weak and targeting low-level adventurers for harassment by his armies. He is somewhat cowardly despite his power, and typically flees from creatures that can properly challenge him, preferring to engage them indirectly with hired or mind-controlled minions.

Venger  CR 14 XP 38,400 Tiefling sorcerer 15 NE Medium outsider (native) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +8 Defense AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 armor, +2 deflection) hp 115 (15d6+60) Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +13; +4 vs. poison Immune alignment detection, detect thoughts, discern lies; Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 10 Offense Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (average maneuverability) Melee masterwork dagger +7/+2 (1d4-1/19-20) Spell-like Abilities CL 15th, concentration +20 (+24 casting defensively) 9/day—corrupting touch 1/day—darkness Spells CL 15th, concentration +21 (+25 casting defensively) 7th (4/day)—greater teleport, mass hold person (DC 23), prismatic spray (DC 24) 6th (7/day)—chain lightning (DC 23), disintegrate (DC 22), mass bull’s strength, planar binding (devils and fiendish template only, DC 22) 5th (7/day)—cone of cold (DC 22), dismissal (DC 21), dominate person (DC 21), polymorph, wall of force 4th (7/day)—bestow curse (DC 20), charm monster (DC 20), scrying (DC 20), stoneskin, wall of fire 3rd (7/day)—fireball (DC 20), haste, ray of exhaustion (DC 19), suggestion (DC 19), vampiric touch 2nd (8/day)—acid arrow, command undead (DC 18), invisibility, resist energy, scorching ray, see invisibility 1st (8/day, 1 used)—disguise self (DC 17), identify, mage armor, protection from good (DC 17), shield, shocking grasp 0th—acid splash, detect magic, disrupt undead, light, mage hand, message, read magic, ray of frost, touch of fatigue (DC 16)  Sorcerer Bloodline—infernal (pit born) Tactics Before Combat Venger keeps a mage armor spell up 24 hours a day; this is included in his statistics. If expecting combat, he casts shield and stoneskin, as well as haste and mass bull’s strength if accompanied by minions During Combat Venger prefers to debilitate enemies with mass hold person and reach bestow curse spells, and then let his minions capture or kill them. If he intends to kill, he targets weaker-looking opponents with spells such as chain lightning and disintegrate. He fights from the air, either on his own wings or aboard his nightmare, and remains on the move to avoid being pinned into melee. Morale Venger has not lived as long as he has by being reckless. He teleports away to heal and plot his revenge if reduced to 50 or fewer hit points. Statistics Str 8, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 20 Base Atk +7; CMB +6; CMD 21 Feats Blind-fight, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials (B), Elemental Spell (electricity), Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Quicken Spell, Reach Spell, Spell Focus (evocation), Toughness Skills Bluff +14, Disguise +11, Fly +15, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (planes) +10, Perception +8, Ride +9, Spellcraft +12, Stealth +9,  Use Magic Device +15; Racial Modifiers +4 Fly SQ bloodline arcana (+spell level to Intimidate checks), on dark wings, vestigial wings Gear headband of charisma +4, sorcerer’s robes, cloak of protection +2, ring of protection +2, ring of mind shielding, wand of cure light wounds (50 charges), potion of blur (x2), masterwork dagger, 3 doses diamond dust (stoneskin components), silver mirror worth 1000 gp (scrying focus)

[thewriteside]

2002 (Anonymous Submission)

Growing up as a military brat was fun. We lived in Germany, traveled Europe and moved around. As a kid, Mom being in the Army meant “Mandatory Family Fun Days” and bike rides across Germany. Before 9/11/2001, no one talked about war. My dad had been in Desert Storm, but to 10 year old me that was “so far in history”. We moved to Texas in 1999, my dad drew the year in the concrete he poured for our front walk. We lived in the middle of nowhere. Cows were my neighbors. We didn’t mind because we still went for bike rides on Sundays and had family game nights. The only change was “Mandatory Family Fun Days” now took place at a lake with a water slide. What no one knew then was that my graduating class would have the longest in memoriam since Vietnam for our school.

On September 11, 2001 I was sitting in my 8th grade chorus class when our teacher made the announcement that a plane had hit the Twin Towers. Shortly after, the suspicion of a terrorist attack was announced, I was in history class. I remember Coach Jackson saying, “Ladies and Gentleman, pay attention, you are watching history unfold”, as we watched the news in class. That night my parents didn’t come home, the base had been locked down. At 14 I was in charge of myself and my 12 year old brother for the next 36 hours. We had no idea how much our lives were about to change.

In January of 2002 my mom’s company received their orders, they were shipping out. At first it was fun, helping mom pack her rucksacks. It was my job to stand on them to make sure everything fit. Five pairs of BCU pants, five jackets, ten shirts and as many pairs of socks as we could fit. The list was two pages long and the gear filled our entire living room. Once the last bag was locked with its small golden master lock they were set by the door. The orders had come, but no date was set.

I was 14 years old. Old enough to know how dangerous the desert would be for her, but too young to cherish the time we had before she left. Those rucksacks became a signal, if I came home from school and they were by the door, mom would be home by dinner. If they were gone, I wouldn’t see my mother for a year. Those huge green bags sat there by the door for over a month. I stopped worrying they would be gone when I came home. The rucksacks by the door became as much a piece of the decor as my dad’s ugly forest green recliner

It was a Tuesday, unusually warm even for a Texas February. They were gone. Over the next four years they stayed gone, more often than they were by the door. I felt a mix of relief and sadness. Finally, the anxiety of wondering when she would go was over, but now she was gone. My mother was in the signal battalion attached to the 4th Infantry Division. Her job was to go into the desert and rebuild the communications infrastructure that had been destroyed by the Taliban. She told us before she left that she wouldn’t be able to contact us as soon as she arrived and she didn’t know for how long we would go without talking. It was 3 months.

Over the course of my high school career I saw my mother only a handful of times. She was in Iraq for my first homecoming dance, in Egypt when I “fell in love” for the first time, in Germany when I felt my first heartbreak. Over time it became easier for me to ignore her calls than to answer. I knew she was a hero and I was and continue to be so proud of her service. But it was hard to not be angry. Being at the age a girl needs her mother most and not having her led to me feeling resentful of the career my mother was so proud of.

While my mother was across the globe, saving women and children from the terrorists, I felt alone. My mom was my hero,my best friend. Every time she said “Yes”, to Uncle Sam, it felt like she was saying “no” to me. How was I supposed to tell her I needed her more. More than whom? More than the Iraqis she was helping, more than the terrorists she was fighting? Living in a military town we were taught to be proud of our soldiers, be brave for them. If we complained we were only making their jobs more difficult. The problem with that sentiment, they never recognized, was that we didn’t ask for this. I wanted my mom but I never told her.

I can not tell you who my mother dreamed to be as a little girl, before she became a mother and a soldier. I can tell you she was the oldest of eight children, and that she is a twin. Veronica Lynn and Victoria Leigh, I only met mom’s twin once, she was nice but too quiet and she smelled like an ashtray. My mom, Veronica, worked in Westborough State Hospital when she met my father. We joke that they didn’t really work there but that’s definitely where they met. I can’t tell you how she felt the day she decided to enlist. I can tell you that she was the life of the party and we used to lay in her bed and eat junk food on rainy days watching some crime drama. I couldn’t begin to tell you what her greatest insecurities were. I can tell you that she was funny and she was always ready for the next adventure. I remember one night my mom came home, it was about 10 p.m., with an assortment of seafood. My brother and I didn’t eat seafood but when mom was in her “really good moods” there was no telling her no. That’s the night I tried shark steaks.

When I was in the 7th grade my mom was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, I used to help her with her medications and bring her cold waters. After her last tour overseas she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. When I found out so much of my childhood clicked into place, she would leave to go to Walmart and come home with a new car. Or she couldn’t get out of bed for days at a time. Even on those crazy up or down days, we still laid in bed on rainy days and laughed. We could sit quietly for hours or never stop talking depending on the day. Serving overseas only served to exacerbate her symptoms. She was never quite the same.

Twenty years later, and our relationship is still strained. It is not completely one sided and if you were to ask her, she would say it is because I am just like her. Stubborn to a fault. To be honest, I never asked her to come home. I can not say with any certainty that she knew how I felt as a teenager. I also can not say she wouldn’t have retired the moment I let her know how alone I felt. I am now 33 years old, I have 3 children of my own and have built a life with the man I love. My mother has only met each of my children once. The last time she re-enlisted, I left Texas before she came back. I was living in Massachusetts for four months before she knew I had left the state. The truth is, I gave up on her. -Anonymous

[3pirouette]

Fic: The Honey Trap (10/12)

Title: The Honey Trap By: TriplePirouette/3Pirouette Disclaimer: They're not mine. Distribution: AO3 Anyone else please ask first :) 

Story Summary: Peggy’d lost count. She wasn’t sure if she was a double or triple agent at this point, and in the end, it didn’t matter. What mattered was getting out of this alive.

AN: I'm pretty sure this will be 12 chapters now. Thank you for going on this journey with me. This chapter is short and transitional, and I'm hoping to get at LEAST one more up this weekend, if not the whole story posted soon.

Chapter 10: Anticipation

The Next Morning

“Zola’s not talking,” Phillips paced the room, arms crossed tight. “It’s only been a few hours but—”

“But Peggy’s at that Swiss base by now,” Steve finished, leaning over the large map of Europe laid out before him.

Howard shrugged. “If this is anything, anything like those blue battery powered weapons we’ve been seeing Hydra use so far, we’re in trouble. The amount of destruction they could cause if ramped up even just the tiniest bit…” Howard sighed, wiping the hair out of his eyes. “We’re talking thousands… millions dead, if not…” He gulped and stopped, still and quiet.

Phillips looked up at the scientist, concerned as the man never seemed to stop talking. “If not what, Stark?”

Howard was uncharacteristically serious. “I haven’t… It’s just a… just a hunch, really. But if he has enough of that stuff? Which I—I seriously think he might. If they calculate wrong, or put it with the wrong kind of accelerant or explosive—”

“Out with it, Howard,” Steve interrupted, knowing how his friend could babble on and on when he didn’t quite want to get to the conclusion.

Howard stood very still and took a long, slow breath. “By accident or on purpose, if they have enough of that stuff and combine it with the right, or wrong, explosive, we could be looking at an extinction level event.”

~*~

Steve paced the room, eyes stuck on Zola. He could feel the energy coiling deep in his belly, he was frustrated and needed an outlet.

Zola, for his part, tried to look calm, but he was unable to stem the fidgeting of his fingers under the table. The small man jumped when Steve pulled out the chair across from him, sitting suddenly.

Steve looked him up and down, something he hadn’t cared to do before. It was the tactic of a bully to try to intimidate someone smaller than them, and it felt wrong trying to use it. He still didn’t much care what the man looked like, or what he had to say for himself, but there were lives on the line, and that meant someone had to get him to talk.

“You could make this a lot easier on the both of us,” he started, folding his hands together on the table between them, “if you just told me what we want to know.”

Zola pressed his lips tight, though Steve thought he could see just a hint of sweat at the man’s forehead. “I’ve said all I will say.”

“See, that’s not enough for me.” Steve leaned forward, serious. “Schmidt’s planning something, and I’m going to stop him.”

Zola laughed. “Erskine made you. In a lab. Given more time I could have had the same results. But it matters not.” He shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “Herr Schmidt and Hydra will not fail.”

Steve didn’t say anything, but matched his relaxed posture, leaning back. “You know, I don’t really need you.” Steve almost smiled at the way Zola’s eyebrow twitched at that. “I know where the base is. I know that whatever it is, it has to do with your advanced energy source. And I know that Schmidt is there right now.” Steve shrugged, standing. “Shame you don’t want to help yourself.” He looked at him harshly, “Every death that happens today will be on your head, Zola. Deaths you could prevent.”

Steve waited, hoping his words would move the man, but they didn’t. He left, as frustrated as he had been when he went in.

Bucky and Phillips were waiting for him outside of the interrogation room. “Well?” Bucky asked, following as Phillips motioned them away from the isolation rooms and towards his office.

“Nothing,” Steve lamented.

“Then gear up,” Phillips ordered, stopping at his door. “I hate going in blind, but Carter’s messages were clear. We have a short window before they’re going to do whatever it is they’re going to do, and this is our opportunity to stop it.” He nodded at Rogers. “We’ll get you on a plane first, and I’ll lead ground support right after. This ends tomorrow, one way or another.”

~*~ That evening

Peggy paced the small room. The train ride had been a tumultuous affair, and they’d been ushered from train to car to room at the Swiss base so quickly she felt like her head was spinning. Wallace had been anxious the entire time, but refused to speak to her on the trip.

Instead, Peggy used the time spent in the train to think of the blue of Steve’s eyes when he’d looked up at her from the floor, blinking to consciousness. She missed his eyes, his sincerity. She found it comical that anyone could truly believe a woman would choose Wallace over Steve, that Wallace’s squirrely nature could capture her heart over Steve’s kind-hearted earnestness.

Peggy had thought about following Wallace out of the small guest room, but he’d shot her a dark glance and she’d stayed behind. It hadn’t escaped her that there was a masked Hydra guard at the end of the hallway, or that there was no way out of her room besides the one door that led to him.

She was pretty sure things had gone south, and quickly. Zola’s disappearance at the party had everyone on edge, and they’d been ushered out early. She’d expected as much, and had been relieved when no one had connected her time with him or her time away from the ballroom with his disappearance. At least, she didn’t think they had yet. Wallace had eyed her up and down, but she gave nothing away.

She stopped pacing as he came back to the room, shutting the door tight behind him. He looked at her, and let out a shuddering breath.

“Well?” She asked, hoping he’d lead her on where to take the conversation.

His knees collapsed and he sank to the floor. “It’s…” He smiled, eyes almost unfocused as he looked up at her. “It’s amazing.”

“What is?” She took a slow step forward, the cold cement echoing under her heels. She wasn’t dressed for this, had no way to prepare for anything that might happen, and the flimsy heels and fancy dress left her feeling woefully exposed.

Wallace stood, moving over to her and taking her hands, his body nearly shaking in excitement. “We meet with Schmidt tomorrow, and that’s when it all begins.”

Peggy couldn’t stand it anymore. She pulled her hand from his and slapped him, hard, across the cheek. “What is wrong with you?”

He stepped back, eyes filled with betrayal, and held a hand to his face. “Maggie?”

Peggy could do nothing but laugh at his bewildered expression. “Wallace! What happened to you?” She dropped her voice, knowing full well they were being surveilled, or at the very least the guard in the hall could hear them. “When did you become a double agent?”

He shook his head, the wild look in his eyes still there. “Maggie, you can’t tell me that you haven’t seen to truth of this yet?”

“That Hydra and the Nazis are killing thousands of innocent people for the sake of superiority?” Her heart pounded, finally confronted by the truth of his loyalties.

“Maggie—”

“Peggy!” She huffed, walking away, her heart breaking at the thought of having been pulled in by this man. “My name is Peggy. And you brought me into this- you brought me into this whole mess to stop this war.”

“And we will!” He rushed up, taking her hands in his sweaty palms. “Don’t you see? Don’t you see the beauty in the world Hydra will create?”

Peggy pulled her hands from his, stepping back. “I see hate. I see violence. I see men sick in the trenches and missing limbs when they come home. I see thousands of people dead--” she seethed, her voice low and the pain of everything she’d seen and gone through in the last months coming to a head as she stuttered over the last word, “…dead, just because they were different and didn’t fit into an ideal.”

“Maggie, you have to be careful,” he whispered desperately.

“Peggy,” she spat, moving further away, but he didn’t seem to hear her.

He shook his head at her, “If they hear you talking like that, I can’t save you.”

Peggy let her hand rest against her thigh where her gun was safely holstered. She looked at him with narrowed eyes, knowing she wouldn’t sleep at all tonight, but rather would stay up, hand at her side, waiting for whatever was coming next. “Then I suppose I’ll have to save myself, and everyone else.”

[randomguywithwords]

As The Dust Settles: Chapter 13 (Geten X Dabi Slowburn)

Chapter 13: Violet’s Assignment

AO3 Link: Here

Previous Chapters: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

––––––––

After the training session, Geten returned to her room, the afterglow of her victory still present on her lips. The wind that whipped through her parka as she rode her ice platform felt cooler than usual; she felt more free and giddy. A minute had passed before she realised she had been humming from satisfaction, to a song she did not remember. 

Perhaps her good mood would last for at least a day or two. 

But as she reached the window of her floor, she saw a soldier standing outside. 

“What?” Geten fixated him with a glare. 

With a shaky bow and a total refusal to make eye contact, he passed her an envelope with arms which were trembling even more, and ran off the second she took the letter. 

Smirking as she saw him sprint down the hallway, she opened it to see a typewritten message by Shigaraki. 

“Emergency meeting, 10am. Usual.” His signature was scrawled at the bottom.

That’s a couple of minutes from now. Damn it. 

With a sigh, she created her ice platform once more and glided towards Re-destro’s mansion. But as she opened the doors of the council room, she frowned, but then...Ah, I see, so that’s what he wants.

“I assume you want to talk to me alone.” Geten scanned the council room, all chairs unoccupied except the one in the middle, where Tomura Shigaraki was leaning back on his, dressed in his black jacket and wearing his signature disembodied hand on his face. 

“Take a seat,” Shigaraki said. Geten did, and then Shigaraki began.

“Have you and Dabi settled your issues?” 

“Somewhat.” Geten met the boy’s eyes. They were sunken and darkened around the edges, like a skull which refused to die. Those crimson irises were the same ones which had rooted the charging Liberation Army in their place out of pure terror, despite Trumpet’s Inciting. 

A question arose to her lips, albeit she did not speak it, as those eyes bore into her: Can he see? Does he have vision? A vision for the Liberation Front? 

These thoughts had formed whenever she saw him address the PLF: at the festival where Re-destro had abdicated his throne, and at yesterday’s meeting.

“So you two can lead the Violet Regiment?”

“Yes.” 

“Good, two more questions.” Shigaraki relaxed his arms on the table as he leaned forward. “Who are you, Apocrypha?”

“You know my name.”

“Apocrypha? Geten? Iceman?” Shigaraki snorted. “Cut the bullshit, they’re your...usernames. The first two mean the same, and it’s ironic, because their meaning tells me you don’t know the answer either.” 

“Then why ask me?” 

“Because I’m wondering if you want to know.”

“No. I have no need for a name. I was Re-destro’s weapon, Shigaraki. A sword has no need for a name any more than a stray dog does. So please, get to the point.” She ended her speech with a glare.

Shigaraki met it with an indifferent expression, perhaps even surprised by that sudden outburst, but then his cracked lips widened in approval. 

“I would’ve killed you for uttering my name.” Shigaraki’s smile was unnerving, and Geten flinched despite herself, “but I could tell you’re different. You’re different from the rest of these cowards.”

“When you have 2 CEOs and a politician, and you had a...journalist, or whatever she was, you were never spoken to properly. Everything needed a bush to beat around. I like to disintegrate the whole forest.” Shigaraki placed four fingers on the desk. Geten knew he could activate it autonomously now, but she understood his point. 

Her hands were off the desk before she realised it. Shigaraki seemed to notice it, and continued,

“I’m asking for your loyalty, because it’s bleeding dry in this army. I’m not stupid. You don’t take over an enemy city and expect the people to bow down. There’s gonna be riots. There’s gonna be a lot of plotting. If you’re smart you would have realised it by now, or even gotten involved…” He looked at her with a suggestive grin. She kept her face impassive, as a bead of perspiration rolled down her forehead.

“But I get the feeling you like to settle things face to face. You’re no assassin, are you? Your skill points seem more geared towards strength.” Shigaraki’s gaze felt like it was penetrating her mind, probing her thoughts. She felt unsafe – a person walking through an alley at twilight. That person never saw the blade of ice, just darkness, and then darkness eternal. 

She felt as vulnerable as the people she had killed.

Does he know too? There’s no way he couldn’t, right? He knew about Takame, wouldn’t he question Skeptic and Trumpet why he wasn’t on the official register? But he said he spoke straightforwardly, not like them. Not like the MLA. 

“Of course not.” The words flowed from her mouth before she could think about it. “And…you have my allegiance, Grand Commander.” She gave a slight bow of her head, even as her mind was suspended in a frenzied blizzard – blind, in chaos, terrified. 

She kept her head down, feeling queasy looking at those red eyes of his. She finally understood why the army had stopped in their tracks then. 

“Good. I look forward to seeing what you can do for me,” Shigaraki said. “Ah, right on time.”

The doors opened behind her as the rest of the PLF lieutenants arrived, one by one.

So there is a meeting? Geten quickly regained her composure. The rest of them could not see her in that state. She could tell some were staring at her, probably curious as to why she was so early. Bowing her head, she made eye contact with no one, her face heating up. 

Once everyone was in, with Dabi strutting in last, the meeting commenced. 

“We have a problem.” Shigaraki stood up. “We wanted to lay low till next Friday. Well, it was going fine, but lately we’ve been picking up some chatter, chatter directed at us. Skeptic, if you would.”

Chikazoku arose with a bow towards Shigaraki and continued with the briefing. “I’ve been watching the media and the attention about the ‘Deika City Incident’, and it was dying out as expected, but I noticed one source that was constantly publishing article after article about conspiracy theories about the Incident. We’re still being talked about, and that cannot happen. I’ve tried on my own ends to stem the flow, but whoever this group or individual is, they’re not stopping. We sent some soldiers from neighbouring provinces to investigate, but they’ve all went silent. So we’re sending Carmine to deal –”

“No.” Shigaraki’s voice cut in as sharp as a knife. “Send Violet.” 

“Tomura-kun!” Toga pouted. “I wanted to taste some blood. Send my regiment!” 

“No, I want Apocrypha and Dabi to do this.” 

All eyes were scattered between Shigaraki, Dabi and her. She kept her eyes on the table, flickering upwards as Re-destro began to speak. 

“But...great leader,” Yotsubashi chuckled nervously. “Isn’t it better to send people like Mr Compress and Himiko Toga who can eliminate people silently?”

“Yeah! I like you, Re-destro! Lemme taste your blood!” Toga cheered, waving a knife at Re-destro like a toddler, who shrunk back into his seat looking even more anxious about the mentally insane girl. 

“Exactly. I want to see how the two of them deal with an assassination.”

The matter seemed to be settled. Even Dabi hadn’t spoken a word in protest. Looking at the corner of her eye, he was shrugging. “Whatever. I get to get out of this shithole and burn some people. I’m cool.” 

“Weren’t you late because you were stuffing yourself with ramen?” Spinner deadpanned, receiving a glare from the fire-user. 

“We’ll get it done, Shigaraki.” Dabi ignored the statement. 

“As long as you don’t draw attention,” Compress warned, causing Dabi to wave at him with a “Yeah, yeah, got it.”

Then Dabi turned to look at the CEO. “Skeptic, fill us in.”

–––––––

Violet Regiment left almost immediately after the meeting. Well, it wasn’t so much of a regiment as it was just Dabi and her. They had decided that an assignment of this caliber did not require any cannon fodder. So, after gathering the items needed and taking a shower, the two of them were on a private plane heading to the Tokugawa Prefecture. 

“Damn, I could get used to this.” Dabi leaned back on his luxury seat, kicking his legs up on the table. Geten, who was seated on the adjacent, opposite seat, snorted. 

“You could. But the ride is only a few hours.”

“Let me enjoy it, come on.” Dabi opened his can of coke and taking a chug.

Sighing, she looked out of the window, seeing the afternoon sky tinted with pink on the horizon. It would be evening when they landed. 

“Aren’t you wondering why we were sent?” Geten looked back at the relaxing Dabi. 

“It’s probably a punishment. Either one of us pissed Shigaraki off.” 

“So you think this whole thing is fake?”

Dabi shrugged. “Maybe. Or Shigaraki doesn’t think it’s that big of a threat to deal with it properly. Or he doesn’t care about us.”

“Does that not bother you?” Geten crossed her arms seeing how nonchalant Dabi was. 

“Nope. Deika City was getting boring anyway. If I have an excuse to leave, I’m taking it. And Shigaraki can send me wherever he likes, I know when to listen and when to do my own thing. You, on the other hand…” Dabi wagged a finger at her. “You were Re-destro’s little puppy, weren’t you?”

“Call me that again and I’ll slap you.” She sent a look of venom his way. 

“But you get what I mean.” Dabi finished his coke. “From what I can tell, you’ve spent your whole life at the heels of these MLA snobs. Now, we’re here, and you have no idea what you’re doing.”

“I know what I’m doing. I’m abiding by Destro’s principles of the strengths of Meta Abilities. But…” Geten’s eyes trailed to the floor. “You got everything else right.”  

That’s it. That’s what I’ve been missing. The League was so...free, and the MLA was so stringent with its rules. 

“Hey.” Dabi’s voice made her look up, expecting more taunting, but his expression caught her by surprise. His eyes were unusually soft, his expression not as condescending. Basically, he looked less like himself, if that was even possible. “You don’t find anything wrong with that?”

“With what?” She tilted her head curiously. 

Dabi opened his mouth, then closed it. Putting his empty can on the table, he said, “Nothing. Why you’d even ask me about this assignment in the first place? Did you do something to Shigaraki?” 

Right, he was late. 

“Well, besides wanting to kill him and everyone else when we met, I can’t imagine why he would want to punish me,” Geten said. 

Dabi saw past her sarcasm studying her expression. “Really, what happened?” 

He could be relaying everything back to Shigaraki. I can’t tell him about what I’ve done, or he’ll do something, or not trust me. 

Why does that matter? Another part of her argued. You can finish this job on your own. 

But that was it, wasn’t it? If she finished this assignment flawlessly, Shigaraki’s suspicions would be confirmed, assuming he didn’t know about her deeds beforehand. And what would happen then? Would he kill her? Lock her up? Demote her to a common foot soldier?

And why was she caring about his trust anyway?

She stared at Dabi, unable to totally decipher his expression, but there was some hint of genuine curiosity, since his eyes were slightly wider than usual. He didn’t seem like the type of person that would be Shigaraki’s servant to the extent of spying on her. 

Can I trust you? She thought.

“He asked me if I wanted to know my name.” It was a good-enough truth. 

“Really? You don’t know yours?” Dabi raised an eyebrow. 

“No. And I don’t care about it either. My name – even if he actually knows it, won’t be a bargaining chip.”

“Why? Don’t you want to know who you are?”

“It’s not important.”

“Hm. Okay,” He said. He didn’t press further, but Geten knew there were a lot of things he left unsaid. The conversation died as Geten turned back to look out the window. 

She had a lot of things unsaid too, but saying any of them to the wrong person could spell death for her. 

Hawks’ words now felt a lot more real, like a spider’s web wrapping her up. No, she didn’t feel safe. Because, and she realised this with a start – if she didn’t need real allies then, she did now. 

The word sounded so foreign. Whatever the meaning of it was, she knew at its roots, she just needed people to trust. And loyalty was bleeding dry in the PLF. 

She looked to the corner of her eye to see Dabi taking a nap. A realisation dawned on her. She had no idea why – It could have been because she had, at the very least, the leverage of strength over him, or that he spoke of Shigaraki and the MLA with disrespect, or the seemingly genuine interest in her name…

But out of all the people in the PLF, if she had to pick one person to trust, it would be him. 

But can I, Dabi? Can I trust you, and would you trust me?

––––––––––

Done. Yay. Entering a new “arc” so to speak. I really hope the tonal issues doesn’t throw your reading off. On one hand I’m trying to craft a proper internal struggle in both characters about their identity and on other issues plaguing their lives. But on the other I still want their witty banter (and fluff in later chapters), so if the disparity is too apparent, let me know. Thanks. 

And I haven’t forgotten about Dabi’s backstory, or Twice or Hawks. All in good time. I have the next few chapters planned out already. Not sure how long they’re going to be, but for this “arc” it’s really just gonna be the two of them. 

Also, anon, if you’re reading this, I hope the Geten/Shigaraki conversation was what you envisioned, or that you’re okay with how it turned out. If the dynamics wasn’t what you thought it would be, sorry ><

As for everyone else, I hoped you liked it. Any feedback is appreciated (like, really, if you didn’t like it for anyone reason, do let me know. If you want to send anon hate, I’ll genuinely entertain it as long as you really do have something constructive to discuss, and not like, idk, you just hate Dabi or villains in general. Doesn’t add anything to the discussion – well, nothing useful anyway.)

[charmed-asylum]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓼

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀꜱ, ᴘᴀʀᴛ 3

Summary: Finn Cox had everything boy would ever dream of a hot cheerleader girlfriend, loved by everyone, and caption of his hockey team. So why is since Camille Dawson step into his life he starts to have second thoughts about everything

FYI: You know what sucks being sick during the holidays. Anyway, we about to get into the good stuff. Sorry not sorry but you might go through an emotional roller coaster  Lets CHAT Come get a tag or Whatnot. If you are new catch up :)

✨ The Partners: Ch. 1 / Ch. 2   ✨

𝓉𝒶𝑔𝑔𝑒𝒹:   @weapinggwillowss​ @nottherightseason​ @strangerfictions​  @thewolfswriting​ @ hauntors 

Nikkei was piss he could not be at her cheerleading practice. Something he just didn’t care for and had time to fake it. 

“ Look I’m sorry Nic. Things have been crazy with my mom” Finn said walking beside her down the hallway. She was shuggle under his arms wrap like a ribbon around a pretty Christmas present. “How do I look, Finn Cox. WE are captains not being together. Is just unheard of.  Me alone with no public PDA. You nowhere to be found. Sometimes I feel you don’t care about my needs. Just yours. You know that selfish “ Nikkei said with hatred. He remands quite just mumble yes dear. Camille was walking swiftly down the hallway carrying too many books coming in the opposite direction. “ See you in class Cam” Finn shout out to her. She smiled nodded yes and continue on her way almost tripping on her shoelace. Nikkei stop and yanked him close to a window. “Another thing. Don’t do that with her when I’m with you. Knowledge her like that. It’s belittling Finn. Better yet do not do it at all in school. People were talking and not good stuff. Stop it or else by 12 periods you be nothing” Nikkei said with her arms cross. He rolled his eyes. Said the girl who cheats on daily tripping on a friendship. “ Nikkei she nothing but a partner for a class you heard Kev. She a golden ticket so I’m playing nice. Freakin chill. You have nothing to worry about “ Finn said holding her tight. He started to kiss her lifting her against the glass window. Making sure all those worries were wrong.

He just missed the bell after a full-blown makeout session with Nikkei. “ Your late” the teacher said tapping at the desk. Finn sat in the back tried his best to pay attention but all he could think about was what Nikkei said. Camille was just a friend. Yeah, he thought about her a lot and stuff but was it more. Nah. He needs a break to talk it over with someone. Raising his hand he quickly rushes to the bathroom. 

Camille sneaked into the boy's bathroom flustered at him. “ We gotta make up a schedule Finno. I was in class. Yeah, we were watching a movie -” she stopped and looked at him. “ We should probably not be in the boy's bathroom “she said looking around. He grabbed her hand and walk into a nearby empty classroom.

“ I just wanna tell you things might come around on something I said and it’s not true” Finn said.  "Willy Wonka" Camille said standing by the bookshelf. He got closer and stood in front of her confused. “What does that mean” Finn said a bit irritated. Camille walk around him and walks towards the back of the classroom creating some space. “ Golden ticket. I’m not stupid. I was aware of what your intentions were. Nikkei probably acting like any girl would. I’m sure I add a few punches this week” Camille said moving her hair behind her ear and grinned. She looked up at him through her natural thick black lashes. “ How you know” Finn said growing close to her. She wiggles her shoulders a bit at the question. “ Isn’t that what you want to say... Is it your mom" Camille said holding onto his forearm. Finn looks down at her hand. It was like a gentle touch. She brushed her thumb against his bicep smoothing him. A touch he didn't want to let go. Still, he did not move it away. “ No. she fine. She has doctor appointments today. What should I do with Nikkei” Finn asked? Camille sighed. “She looks like a person that’s a big show me. You should take her out. Somewhere where she can get all dolled up but also a place you people go too. Alright, Cox" Camille said a bit chipper. “When did you become my bro, “ Finn said with a chuckle. Camille walk towards the door looks back towards him. “ Maybe your just my sista. Tonight take her out. I have your back with your parents” Camille said leaving. Finn nods and started to laugh. “ I already sent you a link. The private plane ride got a coupon and good to take pics “ Camille said poking her head inside before going.

Finn rushed back and made an excuse. While anyone wasn’t looking he put everything together and sent Nikkei a text to meet up after school. He waited for her by the gym entrance after practice. Nikkei walk out with her hair perfectly straight down with a middle part a white blouse with a big black bow and a short plaid skirt that went above her knees all in red pumps. Completely different from what she was wearing this morning. Then again making your friends give up their lockers to you can probably do that. He held on to a dozen on red roses. Nikkei took them and hand it to her friend. “ What the big surprise “ Nikkei asked. Finn grabs her hand and walks her to his car. “ It’s a surprise" Finn said excitedly. She said nothing just text on her phone. Finn looks over and tried to start a conversation with her. Nothing. Pulling out his phone he texts Camille for pointers.

Cam😇: Probably not txt the girl she had a problem 😛 w/ & say her makeup look hot makes me wanna kiss you lol 

Finn clears his throat. “ You know Nic you're looking hella fine those lips so juicy I can’t wait to kiss them, “Finn said trying to sound cool. Nikkei look up from her phone and beamed. “Really because I been using this makeup that cost $200 the bare minimum. Where we going “ Nikkei asks eagerly. Finn tried not to sweat. “ Somewhere special for my lady” Finn said. He pulled into a runway he and parks by a plane. “ I want to show you the world so I decided to start with this. Private half-hour ride" Finn gesturing to the plane. Nikkei smile and took her phone out. “ Oh, my gosh those salty bitches gonna be so jealous “ Nikkei said recording what was happening. Finn rushes his hands through his hair. “ Probably talk too” Finn mumbled. She was paying him no mind the whole time live streaming and took selfies. Finn hated it. He just looks out the whole time wishing he was somewhere else.

Nikkei was thrilled and delighted after the ride. Happy and not talking crazy like before. She clings to him the whole ride home calling anyone who answers and brag.

He lends against the door waiting for Camille. It was crunch time two more weeks then presentations were starting. Yo, what up for BDay 🤢🍺Kevin text. He started to text back when Camille came walking down the hallway with her hair bouncing around one side to another.“ Smile" Camille said holding up her very old camera. Finn knocks it to the side and walks in with her. “ What up with the Father Time over here” Finn asked holding the camera. He went to take a picture of Camille till she stops him waving her hand to cover her face. “ Didn’t your parents tell you gotta warn a girl before taking a picture? “ Camille said muttering through her hands. Finn giggle. "Okay" he said laughing at her. Peaking through her fingers Camille looks at him,” How was yesterday “. Finn sat back in the seat and took pictures of random things. “ It was alright” Finn said. Camille let her hands down and look at him. She said nothing just look at him. She always knew. “ I enjoy it though. How do you find out about that place” Finn asks? “ My uncle took me when I first came here and no anything else you gotta wait until after we gets work done or buy the audiobook ” Camille said. “Alright ALRIGHT. Cam I was thinking we can get a few people tonight before the game and some today during class” Finn said pulling at his notebook. “ Ready when you are” Camille said getting up.

She was writing down some notes a curl drop down in front of her forehead. “ You owe me a game” Finn said lending against the desk. She stopped and chuckled to herself. “ Yeah. Been there done that. I’m good. Thanks “ Camille said. He looked at her then around holding his hands to scream. "HEY GUESS WHAT" Finn started to shout. Camille pulled at his arms down giggling. “ Okay. Okay. But we gotta get some shots so do good” Camille said getting up to leave. “ YES DEAR” Finn shout out. She turns around and puts her pinky up at him and walks away.

His mom and dad decided to come after finding out their new buddy was coming. It was an important game very important. One of those you win it really can mean something. Nikkei's ex-team was their biggest rival. He stood tall putting on his gear when she walks in baby blue jeans Bon Jovi vintage tour t-shirt and a big brown jacket camera swinging side to side. Flash “ You can’t be here. Dawson" coach said before she got to him. She peaks over his broad shoulders to look at Finn. Looking back down bashful, "I’m sorry coach Jackson. Thought it was the girl locker. While I’m here can I take a few pictures for the yearbook” He nods and point towards the opposite direction Finn was. He wanted to laugh he could only imagine her in the boy's locker room again.

 “Alright but make it February girls get sappy for that love shit” Kevin said walking over. Throwing his jersey on his approached  Finn. “ Man you got a piece of that attention” Kevin said pointing at where he just came from. Finn looked over once more. “ What action you talking about. Get your mind right” Finn said closing his locker. Kevin wave his hands and points towards where Camille was. “ Nothing. Bro. Look your partner over there taking pics of us. Said it can be a calendar good. Imagine tons of tens shut even fives under me in their beds. Touching themselves in their bedrooms holding a fucking teddy ” Kevin said laughing. 

Finn got up and walk off. He was a bit conflicted. Yeah, she was a friend but a part of him didn’t get why she was talking to others. By the time he walked over no one but the team manager was there cleaning. “ Where the girl ” Finn asked. “ Cox. She left but hey I got a picture she said might be good for February “ he said. Finn kicked a ball and walk off. “ Say cheese buck a roo” Camille said sitting down by his locker. He sighs and walks pass towards his bag. She followed behind. “ What up with you talking to the guys" Finn asked throwing things into his bag. She took off her glass and look at him her big brown Bambi eyes sparkle against the tacky ceiling lights. “ Look at me. I had to make a reason why I am in the guy's locker room. I did get in trouble last time I bust in here. Do you want me to get in trouble? Finn” she said putting them back on. He stops throwing things in. STUPID  “ Oh. Yeah, I knew that. So a calendar” Finn said. Lending against the locker beside his.” Yeah, I actually might make a calendar now. Kinda feel bad for lying. I can probably put it together by the final game if you win today. Oh, wait my uncle said good luck “ she said pulling at the camera straps blushing. He never saw he blush like that. Of course, she gets bashful but she always looks away or coughs in her oversize sleeves. Finn smiled and starts to say something. “ Cox Dawson. You gotta go” Coach said. Camille nodded and left. Finn watches as she left. Thanks, Cam Cam 

He walked out with the rest of the team. This was it his home safe place. Something about playing made him excited thrill happy pump everything. He looks out to Nikkei with her friends. Then in the far center, Camille was sitting by his mom. Will on the other end next to his dad cheering out loud waving foam fingers. Both his dad and Will was wearing the team color paint on their face waving their beer in the air. Camille smiled was so bright that it was could be brighter than the sun. She waved at him and pointed so his mom can see him. He looked back at the ice and took a deep breath in, GAME TIME.

The sweat rushes down his face as he made the winning shot as the bell rings. Finn drops to the ground and screams out loud with excitement. The floor started to shake as everyone stomp and scream filled the whole arena. Tears flow down his cheeks mixing with the sweat and blood from a busted lip. Everyone jumped on top of him yelling. Flash He looked over to see Camille at the corner of his eye taking a picture of him with the team. His mom came over to her and talk to her for a second before walking back together where they came from. He slaps everyone hand and got lost in the win.

His parents waited for him by the parking lot. Waving signs rooting for their boy. Dad playfully patted his back and mess his hair. “Good game kid. Like how you listen to me about those shots you took and D” dad said rubbing his back. “ Yea dad” Finn responded looking around for Camille. Mom taps his side. “ Don’t worry she be coming soon. You ask her out yet “ mom said with a big smile. She liked Camille a lot. “ No. I got a girlfriend ma. Camillie just a friend “Finn said rolling his eyes. He spotted Will walking over on the phone. No Camille. “ Yo Will over here” Finn said waving him to come over. Will wave okay and finish his call. “Any plans with the team “ mom asked holding dad's hands. “ Coach invited the team for pizza so we doing that I guess" Finn said looking around for Camille. Where was she at she was fine a minute ago. 

Will wave at everyone and walk over. “ Yeah, I know. I don’t know baby alright. I talk later” Will said rattled. “ Where Camille “ mom asked worriedly. Finn looks at her then at Will waiting for an answer. “ Huh, she alright. Girl stuff. You know that time of the month. She said she was sorry. Good game Finno” Will said rubbing his hands. Finn looks over by where the high school entrance then again at Will. “ Can you tell her I call later if that’s okay with you just to check on her ” Finn asked. Will frown a bit and nodded okay. He spoke to his parents to the side even inviting them to his yacht to celebrate the win when he comes back from a business trip.

It was loud a lot of cheering. In good sport coach invited the other team. Surprisingly they show. It was probably the free food and trash talk. He tried enjoying himself but all he could do was think just what changes in those minutes. Maybe it was something he did. “ Yo to Finn Da Cox sucker. Great win bro” Kevin said raising his drink. Everyone rooting him on. “ Thanks, K “ Finn said spotting Nikkei walking in with her ex. Crushing the red cup in his hand he gave her a look. Nikkei wave goodbye and walk over to Finn and the guys. “ What up with that. Really at my celebration Nikkei “ Finn said pissed. She clings onto his jacket and pushes him to stop. “We were just chatting and smoking babe. You know everyone jealous of you and me. Mostly me” Nikkei said kissing him on the lips. He looks at her ex and walks back over to the party with Nikkei. She sat on his lap as they all celebrate. Time to be Finn all love and envy.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned, letting out a big cold breath out of air. He looks out. He was on her road just sitting on the hood of his car. What happened those moments. Nikkei was extra nice. He had to get his mind right he won so why it feels like he didn’t. He looks again at his phone. A bike road up down the road. Camille came closer to him in a pair of sweatpants covered by a huge black Santa Cruz shroom dot spider dye hoodie. Swinging over the seat she hopped off and walk to him. Her hair blew with the wind. It was silent just noise of nature but in his mind, it sounds like a track of his life went off as she got closer. “And why couldn’t you just come to my house and do this. I’m in my PJ” Camille said pointing at herself. Finn sigh. “ Sorry. I was worried about you. Will was acting strange and you. You were fine then your sick out of nowhere" Finn stated. It was dark yet he could look like a dream. “No no. I’m sorry. How was the part-tay" Camille asked amusingly ignoring his concern? He got closer to her. She walks back a little so she was still a dream imagined. “ It was good. You should have come. Nikkei was extra nice" Finn said putting his hands into his back pockets. She said nothing just look at him. A car passes by making her face clear to see. She had a few bruises busted lip and cut across the face. Finn got close and touch her. He didn't know why but it felt where his hands had to be. Protecting her comforting her. She closes her eyes and smile hold onto his hand and moves it down. “ I’m fine” she said holding his sweaty hand. He knocks it back up and tried to wipe some of the blood away. “What happened” Finn said concern. Her eyes widened and she just looks at him. “ Nothing. Finn, it’s not for me to say. I’m fine it’s just war paint. It’s late. You should probably stay sleep in a guest room. Will got clothes and stuff that should fit you” Camille said bringing her bike over to his car. Breathtaking.

She gave him some towels and a change of clothes for tomorrow. “I will never hurt you, Camille. I just wanna let you know. Never” Finn said. Camille stopped in the doorway and look back at him. “It’s not good to make promises we can’t keep. Good night Finn. You did well today. I'm proud of you“ Camille said. Finn got up shook his head no and squeezed her arm tight. “Never” he said seriously. She nods and touches his cheek and whispered in his ear good night. He lay in bed and thought about her and this time she was just a few feet away.

The smell of fresh cinnamon rolls covers the whole house. He walks into the kitchen still trying to wake up. She was putting the breakfast out for the two. Her glasses tilt down a bit as she was singing. If he never saw the state she was in yesterday he would never think she was a nasty fall. Grabbing a biscuit he sits down. “Your uncle not gotta kill me is he” Finn asked. She holds up the coffee then the orange juice. He nods at the juice then points at the coffee. She sat across from him her feet cross in the chair. “ I guess we will have to see. He is a good shooter... No, he left this morning before you woke up meeting in Canada or was it Calfoina” she said eating some pineapple slices. Finn looks around. “ So they are usually gone all the time like this for real. My parents are so different always there. But still, I feel alone. Guess I should count my blessings" Finn said. Camille pushes back then forward in her chair and nods yes. “ Don’t get any ideas, Finn. It’s a bit of isolation in a land of quiet but I enjoy it. Like the jogs I take. Skills I learn. Oh, that reminds me” Camille said getting up. Finn leaned back to see what she was doing. She walks back with something in her hands. “ What this” Finn asks while drinking coffee. She sat on the table. “ I’m taking the bus to school. So here are the keys for you to lock up” Camille said swaying a key on a Hello Kitty and moon keychain. “Let me take us in” Finn said stopping her. She looks at him then bit her bottom lip. She looks back down then up at him. “You won’t let me go only if I say yes. Then okay but you let me out a block from the school. Don’t want the right people getting the wrong idea. Right “ Camille asked a hand on her hip. “Yeah” he said letting go. She sat back down and look at him before finishing her fruit.

He stops her a block from school just like she asked. Something happened. Last night. Something that she was keeping hidden and probably Nikkei was trying to keep it that way. He wouldn’t have thought that way. Yet it what Camille kept saying and not saying. The looks though that was the keyhole. Nikkei and Kevin waited for him by his locker talking to one another. “ So bro what happened to you. Tried to call you last night” Kevin said greeting Finn. “ Nah nothing. So you heard about the finals” Finn said. They look at each other. “ It’s next Monday. So it’s like what two days after your birthday. No-fuss bro” Kevin said excitedly. “ I got so many ideas for your birthday. We discussed what I like for you to do at lunch okay “ Nikkei said then walked off. Finn looked down at the ground. He completely forgot about his birthday. He has been so busy with classes, his mom, and hockey it didn’t leave him room to be a kid.

They got their assign days, Friday. Camille text him as soon as it went up. They finished thanks to her quick thinking but all left was the actual interviews that they had to do during class. Finn asks a few of his friends and Camille asks a few from class and her group. She was set up in the empty art room. “ What up what are we doing” Finn said walking into the plastic on the floor. Camille looks up in her overalls and crop top. “ Setting up. Finn, you forgot “ Camille said wiping her hands on her overalls.

Stroking his hand through his hair he laughs. The surprise. He looks at her as he was about to say something when people start to come in. It was a genius pure genius perfect IQ smart. Wiping her face she threw a towel at Finn. “ We still gotta film each other part. Look into the bag” Camille said sitting on the stool. Finn look at her then reaches in. It was evening dress, tiara, stash, and his Boy Scout uniform. “ No, I’m not doing that. Mamma boy I’m doing that “ Finn said laughing. Camille flips off her sweat jacket. “ No, I remember you making me do mine and you doing yours it’s in the paper. You know the one we already gave last week. Come on. I go first “ Camille said holding onto her stuff. “ Where you even get this stuff. Cam God damn" Finn said. She smiled and point for him to turn around. He turns around in his stool and pops some music in his ears. After a few minutes, he turns around to see if she was done. Camille was bent pulling up her dress. He watches as she was getting ready. God Kevin was right. Her skin was smooth and tight even her birthmark was cute. Zipping up she flips her hair a bit and turns around. He tried to relax before he did anything else. Cursing at his pants as they grew tight.  Camille walks over and sets up her camera for the interview. He watches her. He wanted to smile but he knew he couldn’t. She was the partner just a friend. “Your too cute” Camille said standing beside him. “ What” Finn asked jumping off his stool. “ The uniform it’s cute. So we did the voice-overs now we just gotta have fun with it. Any ideas" Camille said playing with her tiara. “ I got a few” Finn said with a smile.

She said no one will see it till Friday. Not even him. Nikkei was having extra fun planning his birthday bash. Kevin was talking up all the chicks he was inviting. “ I don’t know where we gonna have it at. I got into trouble for the last party. I guess breaking all grandma old crap wasn’t right “ Kevin said eating his apple. Nikkei rolls her eyes and giggle. “ I mean I can see if daddy gonna be home or out with his sugar baby. What about Saturday “ Nikkei asked. Finn looks out at the grass. She was on his mind. “ Yeah do whatever. My parents are having a thing Friday though" Finn said getting up. Nikkei look at Kevin then at Finn. “ Where are you going“ Nikkei says upset. “ Bathroom" Finn answered. He looks deep into the mirror and rushes cold water onto his face. Sitting on the floor he sighs and holds tight. Breathing slowly he slaps himself a few times. Ding Getting up he quickly bumped into someone. He grabs a few of the books and hands it to the person. “ Thanks” Camille said. Finn smiled and nod. “ Yeah welcome. Gotta go” Finn said and dart to his next class. Was it strange, yes but he couldn’t help himself he didn’t know what it was or wasn’t? Or probably it was the fact this year was ending and what would that mean for their friendship.

“ So plans for your birthday. Honey “ mom said folding clothes. Finn tosses his bag on the ground and hops on the king-size bed. She sat beside him and move his head onto her lap. “ You should not be doing this ma. Let me or dad do it “ Finn said. His mom rubs his back a bit. “ I promise myself something, Finn. When it’s time for me to go. I go on my time. No matter the pain. I wanna go when I’m ready. So plans” mom said rubbing his head now. He turns around and looks at her. “ I want to spend it with you. I guess maybe dad can come too” Finn said. His mom smiles and looks at him. He knew what she wanted. “ Surprise then it is" mom said. He smiled and got up to help fold things. Dad came a bit later from work then Finn went off to his room. He swings in his chair as he finished up his homework.

There was a knock waking Finn up from a nap he wasn’t planning on having. “You up. Finn “ a voice said from the other side. Finn slowly got up and wipe his mouth. “ No. Just finished up with homework “ Finn said opening a book to a random page. Dad walks in and looks around. “ Good work out there and around the house. Just wanna make sure alright “ Dad said looking at the trophies. Finn turned his chair around and look at him. “ Thanks, sir” Finn said standing up. He nods in agreement. His dad was a different strong one with no words. That when he speaks all you heard was pride strength and a bit beer. Looking back at a picture of the two he nodded again and walk out. Dad man of few words but always carry the world on his back.

Finn made it clear to himself he wasn’t going to tell Camille about his birthday. “ You got any plans this summer” Finn asked Camille as they sat watching a group. Camille glance at him then back at the group. “ Don’t know. Probably be sent off somewhere like any time I’m not in school. For the summer last year I was feeding and building houses for third world countries. You” Camille said softly. He got a bit closer to her and rest his head on the desk. “Summer practice . Hang with the boys make out with Nikkei. I and my two brothers and my dad go camping at the end of the summer. Summer is supposed to be fun Cam Cam” Finn said nudging his shoulder to hers. She got low and closer to him. “ What I have fun. I went to every museum in this state thank you. I know fun” Camille said with a smile. Finn turns to her shock as if what she said was the biggest nasty secret he ever heard. She rolled her eyes and toss a cookie. “How you know I’m hungry. Food whisper" Finn whispers into her ear. “Maybe I’m just the Finn whisper. You have lunch before me and you are always hungry. Now hush eats your cookies before we get into trouble “ she said tickling him. After class, he waited a bit for her. “ They were good today. We should probably practice. My house after practice. I can take you home after again if you want” Finn asked walking beside her. “ No. That’s alright. I meet you at your house. But I would like it if you drop me home though please “ Camille asked. He grabs at his backpack straps and nod yes. She gently touches his shoulder “Thank you “ she said and walk off. He was worried truly worried his time with her was ending whining down. He wasn't ready for that.

“ So I was thinking probably party. Few kegs, DJ like that techno kid, and lots of chics for your party" Kevin said tossing a ball up in the air. “ We should do something different. Oh, I got it. Bubble machine and I can wear the cute bikini I got. Good idea Finn” Nikkei said to him. Finn looks out to the rest of the classmates than to Nikkei. “ I wanna keep it open to the whole class. We always have the same people the same thing “ Finn said bored. “We look into that Becky" Nikkei said looking at Kevin. Finn sat back slowly mellowing out. Watching everyone put together his birthday party without really thinking. Is this what he wanted. All this time he didn’t want to tell Camille and now he wished she was the only one that knew.

Camille was right in the kitchen cooking and helping mom like so many times before. His dad in his same spot drinking a beer while watching sports. Holding her hand laughing and talking about whatever girly thing mom never was able to talk to with Finn. “Finn come you have to try this. Camille taught me a new dish” mom said to bring over a plate. Finn took it and ate the small nugget side treat. “ Good what is it” Finn said wiping his hands on his sleeve. “ I call it the Alaska roll. She wanted something new so I gave it to her. Your dad loves them “ Camille said pointing at the plate by dad. He smiled and grabbed her hand. “ Ma we got work to do. Do you mind if I take her for a little? Promise I bring her back in one piece“ Finn said walking out with Camille before she could answer.

They sat together on the bed facing each other. She probably is the only girl he never made out or had the attention to do anyway besides his mom in his room. Her posher was tall with strength and pride. She had a sweet floral scent. “ They were good today. I know we are going to be good just” Finn said trying not to pay attention to her scent. She nods in agreement. Unaware of the battle boy beside her was fighting. “ Your right we can practice but we should do something different. What about an audience. I think I see two lucky ones in the living room” Camille said with a gentle elegant smile. “I don’t know. I do sports in front of them but school stuff not sure. Cam” Finn said. Camille got closer and pat his back. “ Finn I’m being serious now. Your amazing it’s time you show them that. Can I tell you something “ Camille asked? He looks up at her and nods. “ I’m scared too. But your family is your family they love and will support you. If you can go in front of a crowd every so night plays a sport you love. In front of your friends your foes strangers. You can do this. I believe that and I guess you” Camille said still rubbing his back. He looks into her eyes and just smiled. “ Can we see the video” Finn asked. Getting up she held his hands. “ They can you maybe" Camille said then went off to ask them.

They were laying down watching a doctor show. “ Can we go over something with you mom and sir?” Finn asked. Camille slowly walks behind him and stood holding on to her computer and sheet. Mom coughs a bit. “ Yes” mom said standing up a bit. Finn looks back at her then at his mom. Camille passed out the paper as Finn started. She decided not to show him but both his parents were more than please, even his dad almost smiled. “ It was so good. Finn” mom said with a big smile looking at the work video. “It’s great. You did great Finn” dad said taking a sip of his beer. Cam looks at Finn then at his dad. Glancing at his watch Finn made an excuse to get out of there. Camille stops before getting out. “ So you know. You're great. Have to give yourself more credit. I hope you realize that. Finn. I hate being the only one. Well besides your family and Will “ Camille said with a smile. “ Same to you“ Finn said before turning back to the road. He stops before driving off. “ I wanna just tell you.... huh. Never mind good night” Finn said. She looks at him. She always could tell. Always.

It was finally the day. The day that took them weeks to prep. He couldn’t believe it was only weeks ago she wasn’t in his life. A time he barely can remember. Without her. Next to him. He wanted to focus on thinking about the future but now he could one thing to do.

Finn paces back and forth outside. Camille wasn’t nervous which made him more nervous. Don’t worry Finn! When all the things he could do was to worry. Games people anything but this. Was it the whole speaking in front of a class thing or the fact he wanted to do good for her. Camille walks up with ripped jeans and a plastic bag. “ Here tiger for you check them out” Camille said pulling one out. Finn dropped his bag and open up the shirt. It was a white t with #TruUBeU, their title of there subject. She waved her finger for him to turn it, his name. She pulled out another box. “What that “ Finn asked. Camille put it down. “ It’s for later. Ready to blow some socks off” Camille said walking in. They were last. Finn was nervous as they set up. Camille thought it is nice maybe even different if they set things different then it usually is done. He watches as she introduces them interacting with the class. Her space. She spoke in a way that made everyone feel special like it was only you and her. It works like lyrics to a song. All working together so perfectly. People were invested. Even the teacher was at the end of the seat. Then the video all brought everything together. By the end the whole class chant and clap their hands. Finn looks at her then at class. His hand intertwined with hers. Proud wasn’t the word he felt important. She left for the next class but not before she gave him the box.

Sitting on the hood of his car he took out the box. It was school colors with a fancy bow with a little card: 𝒯𝑜 𝐹𝒾𝓃𝓃𝑜. 𝒯𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒶 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝑒, 𝑜𝒻 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒, 𝒸𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒷𝓇𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝑔���𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝓊𝒸𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓈𝑜 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝒹𝒶𝓎. 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐵𝒾𝓇𝓉𝒽𝒹𝒶𝓎 - 𝒞𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓌𝓈𝑜𝓃

Inside was a jersey with Cox’s Ice Devils and a photo frame of him and his parents from the game. That night he celebrated with his parents everything was perfect. They enjoyed each other's company, gave gifts, and watch all the family videos from when he was young.

Dad and mom had a doctor's visit early Saturday which left the party that night. Everyone was hyped excited. Nikkei even text a few pictures of bikinis she was choosing to wear. By the time he arrived at the party, it had already started music bang from ear to ear. Drinks everywhere. Everyone having a good time. Everyone but him. He already got into another fight with Nikkei about her kissing some guy plus all his friends were drunk showing around the calendar. He sat down and watch everyone. Buzz buzz Grabbing his keys he left his party behind for some real fun.

“ Hey, you wanna hang today. Got somewhere fun I wanna take you” Finn asked Camille. She let her hand out the window and flow with the breeze. “ So where are we going, “ Camille asked looking out. He looks at her and smiled. “ You see” Finn said. They pulled up to a festival fair. Camille looks out at aw. “ I go every year. Well use to with my dad” Finn said opening the door for Camille. “ It’s cool. I wish I can say I have been before. Didn't you have a party or something tonight? Don’t you think they miss you” Camille asked? Looking at his phone he turns it off and tosses it into the car. “ Now I’m here with you and all these crazy rides and treats” Finn said taking Camille's hand and running inside.

They walk around to all the attractions and play games against each other. “ How long did you know" Finn said eating popcorn. Camille gave him some cotton candy for some popcorn. “ Your mom told me a few weeks ago. If you wanted to tell me I’m sure you would of“ Camille answered walking beside him. He smiled. “Can I ask you something?" Finn asked. Camille stops and looks at him. Her hair flow with the breeze. “ These weeks have been amazing. Like if I can spend every day like this I want to. Tell me there an after for us. After this. I’m hoping we can still be after this “ Finn said looking into her brown chocolate eyes. “ Yeah. You mean. We can still be friends... Wanna do the photo booth” Camille asked with a giggle going inside.

Finn sat beside her looking into her eyes. Today beginning to feel like the best day he ever had. “ No. I mean more. What if I want more. I did not want to say before but every day I feel like giving up. I felt everything was useless. But with you huh I get butterflies I feel there meaning” Finn said looking at her as he put money in. CLICK She was silent and look at the camera to smile. They started taking pictures smiling till he looks at her once again and stops. Bring his hand to hold her cheeks in each hand he reaches in and kisses her on the lips. CLICK Camille hold his face and kiss back deeper with a little tongue. It tastes like heaven felt like paradise. They drift off playing off with each other mouth with one another. “ Camille” he said muon into her mouth. CLICK She looked at him then move back coming off high that was their kiss. Breathing heavy. “ I shouldn’t you are. But" she said touching her lips looking away. Finn reaches closer and moves her hair to the side. “ Since the day she said your name. I knew. I know you feel it too. Tell me I’m wrong. AND I would never bring it up again. I’m not with her anymore. I don’t care. Cam. I think I want this with you” Finn said combing his fingers through her curls. She was speechless but her eyes answered. The doubt. “ I promise I won’t hurt you” Finn said kissing her again this time a bit more rough hungry. CLICK “ I promise Camille I won't ever leave you. You will never have to alone” Finn said with his forehead touching hers. He looks up into her eyes his hands never leaving her hair. 

They hold hands as they rode the Ferris Wheels. Like they finally gave in all the tension that has been building up for weeks. Talking about plans they were gonna do over the summer together. Weeks they spend at each other house. Finn bringing her with him to the camp trip at the end of the summer. Her inviting him to Miami for a week with her. The future. Everything and then nothing. He was happy. More than that he was at peace. Their fingers intertwined with each other as they walk around the grounds. Other holding a few plush animals he won her. He never felt this with any girl before. She was light warmth his heart been missing. Camille stop and glance at her phone. She slowly let go of his hand and called someone. She whispers to the phone then look at Finn. “ We have to go” was all she said. Finn looks at her eyes they were full of joy and were now cold and silent like the dead of winter.

They got to the hospital just in time. Finn rushes past everyone and leaving Camille behind fighting back her tears. Praying they made it just in time. Finn sat by his mom's tears rolled down his face. “ I want to go knowing my baby happy. I know that I can leave you and you will be alright. I don’t want to be in pain anymore. I love you, Finn Edwards Cox. My boy my sun and my moon. I love you” she said holding tight to his hand. Finn wouldn’t leave her side even as the minutes roll to one.

With each call text, Finn stayed away. Alone to himself. Even when it came to the funeral he asks for Camille not to come. He couldn’t he won’t. In class, he wouldn’t answer her just pretend she wasn’t there. All he wanted was to be numb to forget.

It was the championship and he was different. Not the same as he was before. Was that for the better or worse. The locker room was empty just him and his thoughts. “ Did you hear we got an A. Best in the class. It was perfect. All thanks to you. How are you?” a soft voice said by the entrance. Finn pays the voice no mind. Camille walks in and stood in front of him. Her eyes were gentle. While he was raw full of anger and an unsettling mist. She went to grab his hand but he moves away. “ What do you want!” Finn snaps at her. Camille looks around then at him startled.“ I tried calling you. I tried everything. You shut me out. I promise we can make through this Finn. I can show you. Like I did when I lost my parents” Camille said trying to look at him. He pushed her away from this time firm. Making her almost fall back onto the ground. “Don’t you get it. Why are you so…” he stops and grabs at his hair “It was nothing. We are nothing you are fucking nothing...Your nothing. NOTHING but a fucking pathetic bastard of a joke. I mean how fucked up are you your parents had to die to leave you. God sends you back because he doesn’t want you either. Your only family rather be anywhere but with you. NOTHING but a GODLESS BITCH“ Finn shout out to her.

He turns his face from her. He couldn’t see it but he felt the pain. Standing right behind him she started to laugh. “ You not worthy. Oh yeah, say the words I see on my face every day. I was the one you went to Finn. You came to me. You told me how I made ... Freakin kiss me. Your looks can fade your friends are leeches those skills you hold so highly can’t be the answer all the time. But I show you a magic trick. Something so worthy. You won't ever see it coming. I disappear vanished you can look right at me but not see a thing. My name would be of gibberish ” she said softy holding back any emotion. He turns and she was gone. The crowd cheered out for him. He stops and looks once more than went out to the lights.

[queenmylovely]

Just My Luck; Part 4

Summary: John deacon x fem!reader. Reader finally meets John along with the rest of Queen. They grab dinner.

Warnings: Cursing, slow burn

A/N: They finally meet! So exciting! John and Reader are so cute. Roger is picked on in this one, but it’s okay cause he’s being a little dumb. It’s also my birthday lol so as a present, let me know what you think and I wouldn’t mind some likes and reblogs also ;)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14 (Epilogue), Masterlist

🍀🍀🍀

Getting off of the hour long plane ride, you were nervous. You and John had agreed that he would pick you up from the airport so you didn’t have to navigate through London alone. He told you he would be holding a sign with your name on it so you could find him. Other than that, you knew he had long hair, was about 5’11”, and was white. He knew your same basic information.

You walked through the gate, eyes scanning for John. But there were a lot of people. You walked along the outskirts of the path to avoid the crowd and saw something that made your breath catch in your throat. Not more than five feet from you diagonally to the left was the bassist from Queen. You couldn’t believe what you were seeing and found yourself moving further to the right but in line with him. From a high table that was there for people waiting, you watched him.

What in the world would he be doing here? Doesn’t he have people to do stuff like this for him? Also, what the fuck is his name? You thought to yourself. You knew that Jeanne would be disappointed that you couldn’t remember. Jeanne! Oh my gosh, she’s going to freak out when I tell her about this. So will John, he’s in the music industry, I bet he loves Queen, you supposed. You kept your eyes on the rockstar, his name finally coming to you as he turned slightly, allowing you to see what he was holding.

“John!” You said out loud.

Luckily, the gate was still bustling and your outburst had been drowned out. John Deacon of Queen was holding a sign that said “Y/N Y/L/N” in bold, carefully written letters. You felt dizzy as you stared on, legs weakening and your heart beating out of control. You couldn’t believe that the two Johns you had spent the past few months slightly obsessing over were one in the same. Of course, it had really been Queen, not just specifically John Deacon, but you still felt like your brain was melting and your eyes were playing tricks on you. As you stayed in the same place watching, you noticed that John had started looking a little worried and was checking his watch in between searching the area with his eyes. In another moment of surrealism, you remembered he was looking for you. You decided that you should go over and meet him, and that you would have to try to maintain yourself when you did.

You walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder saying, “Excuse me?”

John turned his head only very slightly and started to say, “I’m sorry, I’m actually waiting for some—” before you interrupted him.

“Johnny?”

Recognizing the nickname that only one person in the world called him, he whipped around and looked at you directly in the eyes. “Y/N.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.

You quickly nodded, but were scanning every inch of his face to be sure it was truly him. As you examined his face, you saw a grin start to form on his lips and travel all the way up to his eyes, bringing your own eyes with it. Just the sight caused you to start smiling as well.

As you did, he exclaimed, “Y/N!” He laughed as he leant down to hug you, unable to contain himself as he squeezed you so hard you were lifted to your tip-toes. “I’m so excited to see you! It’s so good to meet you in person!”

“You too, Johnny,” you said a bit more quietly, lifting your arms to wrap around his neck as you stretched.

After a short pause where you both breathed in each other’s scent, you both laughed and John released you, settling you back down on your feet. Smiling at each other, both of you were silent for a moment, just taking each other in. Your mind was still a little hazy from the mix of the warmth of his body and the combination of smells of his cologne, shampoo, and just him when he spoke, catching you off guard.

“Um, do we need to go to the luggage claim to get your bag?” John asked, deciding he needed to move this meeting along, lest he just stare at you in the middle of your gate for the rest of the day. However, when he spoke, you started laughing, which confused him. “Why are you laughing?” he asked, perplexed.

You continued laughing as you replied, “Nothing, I just kind of forgot that you’re British. Like, you have an accent. For some reason I had never really thought about it before.”

With your explanation, he started laughing too, a light, breathy sound you could listen to forever. “Well, I’m not the only one with an accent you know, you have one too. I find it endearing, though, not something I want to laugh at,” he replied, teasing and you laughed again but didn’t miss his comment about being endearing. “So, your luggage…?”

“Oh, no, I just have this,” you replied, lifting your small duffel bag slightly. You had only brought your carry on from Seattle because you didn’t want to lug around your big suitcase and it was only for a week.

“Well, allow me then,” John offered, reaching for the strap of the bag. You acquiesced to his request, though for most people you wouldn’t have. He gestured with his free hand to the direction behind you, “I parked just across the way from the entrance, it’s not too far.”

“Okay,” you said as he started to walk and you followed. As you walked, your mind was stuck on who he was. I mean, he was honest about what he looked like, you mused. He looked exactly like the pictures from A Night at the Opera. His long, brown, slightly wavy hair with little bangs ending at his temples. His eyes, nose, lips, all exactly the same as the face you had repeatedly stared at with Jeanne since buying her the album. Other than trying not to stare at him too obviously, you were contemplating when or whether you should tell him that you recognized him. He hadn’t mentioned it himself in any of his letters, so maybe knowing that you’re a fan would freak him out. It might feel like an invasion of privacy. Although, to be fair, you knew much more about Johnny than you did John Deacon.

You were still lost in thought when he spoke up, “So, how was your flight?”

“It was good, much shorter than the one from Seattle, so that was nice. Thanks again for the tickets, you really shouldn’t have,” you replied.

“It was really no trouble, my work has free tickets for us all the time,” he said, brushing off your thanks.

By that time, the two of you had reached his car. Except it wasn’t a car. It was an unmarked black van, what you assumed Queen used to haul their gear. John announced, “Here it is,” and opened the back barn doors to place your bag inside.

You had stayed on the right side of the car, waiting to get in when John walked up next to you. “Hey, if you want to drive, that’s fine by me, but I think you’ll find the passenger side is on the left,” he teased, good-naturedly.

“Oh, right,” you said as you smiled sheepishly and headed to the other side.

John unlocked his door and got in, leaning over the middle console to unlock yours from the inside. You climbed in and got settled as he turned the key, bringing the car to life. He reached for the radio as he put the car into reverse and pulled out of the spot he was in and then the garage. He turned up the music only slightly so the two of you would be able to talk during the drive. The song that was playing was that one about not being afraid of the grim reaper (you were sure Jeanne would know the name of the song and the band), it made sense that he would listen to rock.

“So, my flat is pretty close, only about a ten minute drive from here,” he explained and you nodded. “My roommate will probably be there, if you remember me mentioning him?”

“Yeah, Brian,” you replied, thinking back to his letters.

“I didn’t say his name was Brian.”

Your eyes widened, realizing that he had only told you that he had a roommate that he worked with, and you only knew his name because of Queen and those celebrity magazines that Jeanne bought every so often. Of course the one time you remember anyone’s name is the one time it can get you in trouble.

“So you do know Queen, then? I was wondering if you were out of touch or something,” he said, laughing. He had wondered if you were ever going to recognize him and was surprised that you hadn’t come right out and said anything.

“Well you could have let me know yourself, you bastard,” you cried, hitting his arm but not hard. “But, no, you just gave me a fucking heart attack when I saw your sign at the gate after recognizing you!”

“Is that why you came up to me from behind?” he said with a cheeky grin. You looked away from him in a huff at the question and crossed your arms. He saw your reaction and tried explaining, “Okay, well I didn’t tell you because the boys advised me against it. They thought, and I’ll admit I agreed, that if you found out beforehand, you might have tried to manipulate me or something. We have to be pretty careful, and I hadn’t known you well for six years. It did surprise us when we figured out that you didn’t know who I was before that first letter.”

“Well, like I said, you can blame stupid 18 year old Johnny and Y/N for that,” you said in response, your manufactured anger fading, and you relaxed your arms by your sides. “I guess I understand why you had to take that precaution.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re so understanding,” he said, reaching over and touching your hand that was resting on the seat next to you. You stopped and looked down at your two hands, his larger one almost completely covering yours. As soon as he had placed it there, he moved it again to return it to the wheel so he could make a turn. As the car shifted, you could still feel the warmth of his hand on yours.

Clearing your throat, you said, “So is it safe to assume that your ‘job’ in music is actually Queen?”

“Ha ha, yeah. I didn’t want to completely lie to you or anything.”

“Well, at least it makes me feel better about the plane tickets. I’m not worried about Queen affording them,” you jabbed, with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. He laughed at your words and then the two of you fell into a silence. It was a little awkward, but mostly you were still caught up on who he was. Thinking back to those months since Jeanne’s birthday and how your eyes had immediately been drawn to John was almost unsettling. How could you reconcile the attraction you had felt to John Deacon of Queen with the affection and friendship you had with Johnny? You were still pondering that question when he pulled up to a row of buildings and parked.

“We’re here,” he said cheerfully, getting out to grab your bag. You hopped out too, and followed closely as he started walking toward the center of the block. His apartment was unlike yours because there was no inside connection between them. All of the entrances were separate and directly outside. There was no lobby or mailroom. As such, the two of you walked up a couple flights of stairs to his front door and he grabbed his keys.

He smiled at you and when you gave only a tight-lipped smile back, he tried to reassure you, “Hey, don’t be nervous, it’s only my roommate.”

You scoffed at his down-playing but replied, “I’m fine, it’s no big deal.”

He moved to unlock and open the door, pushing it open and letting you inside first. Walking in behind you but not looking as he closed the door, he bumped into you as he tried to walk further in. He looked at you and noticed a strange look on your face. Following your eyes, his mouth dropped open just like yours. His was from disappointment but yours was from pure overwhelment. In the living room before you was not just Johnny’s roommate, Brian, but also the rest of his bandmates. This time, you had no trouble remembering their names; Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor.

“Well, I guess we’re doing this,” Deaky sighed and ushered you the rest of the way inside with a little push on the shoulder. He put your bag down next to the entrance and then stepped up to you as he gestured for the other boys to stand up. Brian was first.

“Y/N, this is Brian May, Brian, this is Y/N Y/L/N,” Johnny explained.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N,” Brian said warmly as he shook your hand.

“You too, Brian,” you said quietly, looking into his kind eyes.

Next was Freddie. “Y/N, this is Freddie Mercury, Freddie, Y/N Y/L/N.”

“I don’t do handshakes, darling,” Freddie said and instead pulled you into a hug. You made a sound of surprise but hugged him back quickly. He pulled away, giving you a sweet smile before letting you go.

“Last and most certainly least,” Deaky said, earning a glare from Roger. “Y/N, this is Roger Taylor, Roger, this is Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Mr. Roger Taylor,” you said under your breath. But it wasn’t quiet enough.

“Mr. Roger Taylor! I haven’t heard that before. I like it,” Roger replied, grinning with raised eyebrows.

“Did I say that out loud?” you asked, your eyes widening for what felt like the hundredth time that day. You tried to cover for yourself, “I’m so sorry, that’s just what my roommate calls you. I guess it stuck in my head.”

“Not to worry, love,” Roger reassured, grabbing your outstretched hand and making a mental note in his folder for that girl Jeanne. However, instead of shaking it, he pulled it to his lips, kissing your knuckles while maintaining strong eye contact and smirking. He said lowly, “A pleasure to meet you, Y/N.”

“Likewise,” you squeaked out after swallowing thickly. Looking back to Johnny, you saw daggers in his eyes and red on his cheeks; not directed at you, but at Roger. Roger just returned the look with an innocent smile.

“So, Y/N,” Brian started, trying to ease the tension in the air. “How are you enjoying Europe?”

“I love it! Tournai is amazing. I love the food and architecture and art. It’s a dream. And the students I’m teaching certainly learn English quicker than I learned French,” you replied with eyes and smile bright.

“That’s good! We spent a little time in Brussels on tour but didn’t get to see much, you should consider yourself lucky,” Freddie replied.

“Y/N, are you hungry? I was thinking we could go to dinner soon,” John suggested, stopping the others from asking you more questions. You didn’t mind them, but thought it would be best to go along with Johnny.

“Yeah, actually, I am. Dinner would be great!” you replied cheerfully. “Just let me go freshen up. Where’s your bathroom?”

“Bathroom? Oh, the toilet is just through that door,” Brian replied. You walked to the door that Brian pointed to and stepped inside, closing it behind you. Taking a deep breath, you looked in the mirror and took yourself in. There wasn’t too much damage to your appearance, probably because it had only been an hour flight.

Back in the living room, the boys were quietly arguing.

As soon as you had left, Deaky had turned to Freddie and Roger, “You guys weren’t supposed to be here. I had only told her about Brian. The two of you ambushed her!” he said in a harsh whisper.

“It wasn’t my fault, Freddie’s the one that convinced me we should come,” Roger whined with a pathetic look on his face.

“Thanks, love,” Freddie said to Roger, deadpan. “Deaky, did you really expect us not to want to meet her after hearing about her for months? Plus, she seemed to do fine,” he reasoned with John.

“That is true, Deaky. She obviously knows who we are by the way she reacted to that one,” Brian said, pointing to Roger. To that, Roger made a confused face and was ignored.

“Yes, when did she figure it out? Did she tell you right away?” Freddie asked, intrigued.

“Well, apparently she saw me holding my sign for her and recognized me as both the John she had been writing and the John from Queen. She was kind of angry I didn't tell her. Said I gave her a heart attack. I shouldn’t have thought she was going to try to manipulate me,” He said, shooting a surly look at Roger.

“What’s that look for? All of us had agreed that was best,” Roger replied, trying to defend himself.

“Whatever, at least she’s okay now. Just try not to be too ridiculous, you guys,” Deaky said, addressing them all but still only looking at Roger.

Freddie and Brian nodded in agreement as Roger threw his arms up in exasperation. Just as they did, you walked out of the bathroom and they all full-stopped and looked at you. You felt the heat rising to your cheeks and looked down as you stepped over to Johnny.

“Are you ready, Y/N?” Johnny said, looking you over with a smile. You nodded so he continued, “Okay, guys, see you later.”

“Bye, Y/N!” the three said in unison, making you laugh as you waved goodbye. As Johnny closed the door behind you, you could hear the faint sounds of bickering and accusations.

“So, where are we going?” you asked happily. While you wanted to get to know the other boys, you were really excited to spend time with Johnny.

“I thought I would take you to the ultimate British food stop for your first meal in England,” he said, still not letting you in on where.

“Which is…” you prompted.

“A secret! If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise,” he said, smiling at you and bumping your shoulder with his own.

“Oh alright,” you agreed, laughing at his actions. It was mid-afternoon by now, reaching 5:00. A bit early for dinner, but Johnny must have assumed you’d be hungry now since in Tournai you were an hour ahead. He was right, and you were happy he would be so thoughtful. After walking for ten minutes while making idle chit chat, Johnny stopped suddenly while you were mid-sentence.

“So, I had to go to my hometown and my high school just to-- Why’d you stop?” you asked, perplexed.

“I just realized we walked right past the place,” he admitted, looking a little bashful. “Sorry, I must have been distracted.”

You giggled and walked back to him. “That’s alright. You were just caught up in my wondrous storytelling,” you joked, and reached up to touch his upper arm to reassure him.

He looked quickly down at your hand then back to your eyes before saying, “Yeah, caught up…” in a soft voice, not finishing the sentence and making you question what exactly he was caught up in. You pushed the thought from your mind and started walking, slowly so he could lead the way back.      

This time, he stopped more slowly, gesturing to the place in front of you two as your final destination. It was a tiny, old, shed-looking place. It was no wonder you had walked by it the first time. But when Johnny led you in, you instantly saw why he would like it. It was cozy, with warm lighting, a friendly atmosphere, and the delicious smell of fried food permeating the air.

He led you to the bar style counter and you two sat down on adjacent stools. An older man with greying hair and a long white beard walked up behind the counter and greeted Johnny.

“Deacon, good to see ya! Who’s this lovely young lady here?” he asked, smiling and looking at you.

“This is my friend, Y/N. She’s from the States so I thought I’d bring her here for her first taste of British food,” John told him as you smiled back at the man. “Y/N, this is Jimmy. He’s the owner and a wonderful chef.”

“Nice to meet you, Jimmy. Can I ask chef of what? Deacon here still hasn’t told me what we’re going to eat,” you said conspiratorially.

“That’s easy! It’s my specialty, and the only thing we sell here, fish and chips!” Jimmy replied with a laugh and grin.

“Well then, I can’t wait,” you told him. Jimmy left to go back in the kitchen and you saw Johnny mindlessly spinning back and forth slowly on his stool.

On his next spin towards you, you reached out and grabbed the stool on either side of his legs, ignoring how the warmth of his thighs made you feel. He jumped slightly and stopped spinning, mainly due to your hands keeping him there. Avoiding looking at your hands, he looked at your face with a questioning look.

“Why are you spinning? Bored of me already?” you joked and let go of his stool.

He cleared his throat then said, “No, um, just thinking. Thinking about the rest of the week,” he covered.

“I meant to talk to you about that. I don’t expect you to take me around all the time, I know you have to work and have other commitments.”

“No, of course I’m showing you around the whole time. I’m not going to let you have a second without me. By the end of the week, you’ll be sick of me,” he quipped. “Besides, I was trying to think of what you would like to see and what I want to show you. Do you have anything in particular you want to see?”

“Oh, I really want to see Buckingham palace, and Big Ben, and the Thames. And I’d love to see the National Gallery. I know they might be kind of touristy, but--”

“No, no, we’ll go anywhere you want to,” he reassured.

“Thank you, that’s sweet of you,” you replied. He blushed in return but you missed it, as Jimmy came back at the same time with your two baskets of food. Immediately your mouth watered at the look and smell and you couldn’t wait to dive in. You saw a little cup of white, lumpy sauce and were confused. You looked at Jimmy and said, “Do you guys have ketchup over here?”

Johnny looked at you with a funny face but Jimmy reached below the counter and said, “You’re lucky, I think we’re the only place that does for miles. My brother married an American girl so we always have some on hand. Enjoy.”

You turned your attention to your food but saw that cup of sauce again and asked John, “What’s this sauce?”

“It’s tartar sauce, for dipping the fish in. It’s good, you should try it,” he replied.

You hesitated but took one of the pieces of breaded fish and dipped the tiniest bit into the sauce, causing Johnny to laugh. You took the bite and hummed in satisfaction, “That’s actually really good! I’m surprised.”

You liked the tartar sauce but decided you wanted to eat it with ketchup as well. You squirted some on your plate and dipped your fish into it, taking the bite and nodding appreciatively. “This is so good too. Johnny, you have to try this.”

He made a face in response, “I’ve never even heard of ketch-up or whatever it is. I’m not too keen to try it with something already as perfect as this.”

“No, come on, you have to try. I tried your tartar sauce,” you persuaded. He sighed and nodded, ready to reach for the bottle and squeeze a tiny amount on his plate, but you moved first. You took the piece already in your hand, dunked it in the ketchup, held it up to his face and said, smiling, “Open up!”

He paused for just a moment and then took the bite, letting you feed him as he looked you in the eye. The smile fell from your face as you felt the intimacy of the action, causing your heart rate to increase and your breathing to get heavier. Luckily for you, he closed his eyes, missing the brunt of your reaction as he relished the taste of the fried fish and ketchup.

“Okay, you’re right. I think you’ve just converted me. That stuff is amazing,” he admitted, talking through a mouthful.

“Always am,” you replied cheerily to both of your laughs.

_____

The dinner continued with you two laughing and talking with Jimmy as well as just with each other.

Walking back to his apartment, he noticed your shiver and gave you his jacket. He wrapped it around your shoulders with care for what you thought was an extra second, but that might have just been your mind playing tricks on you.

You got to his apartment and walked in to find it empty and silent.

“This is a first,” he joked, turning on the lights. It was only 9:00 pm (admittedly, you guys stayed at the fish & chips shop way longer than necessary), but you were starting to get tired. The travel and excitement of the day had taken its toll on you and you were ready for bed.

You looked around, seeing your bag still by the door and said, “Johnny, I’m getting kind of tired, I think I’ll go to bed.” He just nodded in reply so you continued, “Where is it I’m sleeping?”

“Oh, right, that’s important to know,” he said, hopping up from where he had sat down on the couch. He walked over to a door in a hallway that was just off the living room, you following him, and declared while opening the door, “Right here!”

You stepped inside as he reached around you to turn on the light. Eyes adjusting, the room came into focus and you stopped. It was his room, or at least you assumed it was considering it was filled with personal items including a bass. You started saying, “Johnny--”

“Don’t worry, Y/N. I’m not staying in here, I’ll be sleeping on the couch, so you’ll have my room all to yourself,” he said, proud of himself for thinking ahead.

“I’m still worried,” you replied.

He frowned and asked, “Well, why would that be?”

You scoffed and answered, “Because I don’t want to take your room from you and make you sleep on a little couch. You shouldn’t give up your room, your bed for me. I’ll take the couch; I’m shorter anyway.”

“Of course I should be, you’re my guest. Besides, I won’t have it any other way. If you try to sleep on that couch I’ll just sleep on the floor until you stay in here,” he challenged.

You sighed and realized there was no way you could convince him otherwise. “Alright, I’ll stay in here, you win,” you gave up.

“Brilliant! See, this is a good thing because I went to all of this effort to make my room nice for you, and if you would have stayed on the couch, it would have gone to waste! I vacuumed, bought new sheets, stole a candle from Fred, and even dusted,” he said, pleased with himself.

“Well thank you, Johnny. That’s incredibly nice. Those things wouldn’t have been wasted, though. You could have just enjoyed doing them for yourself,” you said logically.

“Uh-uh. I wouldn’t have appreciated it. Much less thanked me,” he replied and you laughed. He decided to leave so you could get ready for bed but before he did, you reached out your arms. He hugged you and for the second time that day, the two of you breathed in one another as subtlely as possible.

You turned your head to his ear and whispered, “Good night, Johnny,” releasing him from your grasp.

He shivered and tried to pass it off as a stretch before saying good night back and closing the door behind him. On opposite sides of the door, the two of you couldn’t see dreamy looks in each other’s eyes.

🍀🍀🍀

Taglist: @eylulclsr @roger1na @deakyfordays @painkiller80 @sunflower-borhap-boys @awkwardangelshezza @obsessedwithrogertaylor @bensrhapsody  @tardisgrump @ahsoknarwhal @fatheadtheroger @happy-at-home @achallsplants @red-firelight @marvellouspengwing @randompotato1234 @windmeupandletmeplay @ixchel-9275​ @s3venseasof-bri​ @1001-yellow-daffodils​ @imgonnabeyourslave​ @caffeine-girl

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[schoe1995]

My Travel Accessories

When it comes to traveling; I don’t play any games to be comfortable. So I decided to share my must have accessories when I’m traveling:

CASES

I’m one of the few people in the world that really doesn’t drop my phone. However, accidents can happen and when you don’t have equipment protection...you are playing a huge gamble. To protect from physical damage, I got the full package: screen protector, case, and equipment protection. My iPhone 11 Pro 256gb is well over $1000...soooo yeah. However if you don’t have equipment protection here are some cases you can get.

I technically have five cases but one wasn’t categorized here for a reason. But let me give you a breakdown:

Upper left corner is my Lifeproof Frē. Turns the phone into complete waterproof, dust proof, snow proof, dirt proof, etc. it’s super handy when I take underwater photos, go on water rides, or accidentally forget to take it out of my pocket. The case is sealed air tight, so if you need to take it off, use like a quarter and pop from the side

Gear 4 case upper right: this is my everyday case. I usually have it for like at home, errands, getting on the plane, etc. The case is super easy to take off.

Bottom left is my LuMee case: everybody needs good lighting and LuMee’s case does that on point. The duo case has lighting on the front and back and you can control how bright the light is.

Bottom right is my Shift cam case: perfect for high quality photos and trying out different lenses. I have this case when I go to concerts.

Headphones

When traveling sometimes you really don’t need all that extra background noise. And since I’m a huge music addict, I’d rather hear my playlist...not some child screaming or an adult who doesn’t know how to shut up. Enter headphones.

I got a few selections so I’ll break it down once again.

Powerbeats 3: super lightweight and compatible. They have I believe a 12 hour battery off one charge. There are probably my go-to just because of size, I really can’t lose them, and again how easy it is to travel with them.

The blue Samsung Level: lol so I got these after I saw them in one of Kpop’s group EXO’s music video Call Me Baby. Btw it’s a bop🤣 they are Bluetooth/ wireless and lasted me a couple of days. Then again I wasn’t really using them a whole lot. But they are really high quality, voice activation, slide up, down, left, right to control volume, skip songs, or repeat, and best part...NOISE CANCELLATION! When I took the train to Chicago and flipped the switch, my world was changed.

AirPods: I was one of those people who really didn’t feel like this was one purchase I needed. But you know that phrase, “don’t knock it till you try it?” Yeah...that was me with AirPods. If you are an iPhone user I recommend getting them. They are lightweight, alternate compatible (meaning you can use left, right, or both), and Siri is actually more useful. All I say is “Hey Siri” and boom. She takes care of it.

Regular cord: these are my everyday headphones. And the most expendable. I try not to lose any items...but things happen. If I lose them, these can be easily replaced. But I carry these around so my other expensive ones are my backup.

Portable Battery Packs

If you are like me, I’m always on my phone. Either checking on my social media, playing games, watching videos, blasting music, calling, texting, etc. your phone can get drained a lot. I was at a concert once in St. Louis when my phone almost went dead. Good thing my Dad and I had spot to meet afterwards. From that point on I decided to always carry around a portable charger. And let’s be real, nobody wants to be in a situation where you need help but your phone is dead.

I have like 5 portable chargers. But these are my go to travel ones I take with me. You can say extra, but hey; better to be prepared than sorry.

Starting from the left: I found this neat solar powered portable battery pack on amazon. The directions say if you want it fully charged; plug it into an outlet. This was super helpful when I was in Disneyland because of the sun. I just attached it using the clip to my bag.

Middle: this is your standard portable battery park. I got this when I saw Instagram model/ actor Matthew Noszka post about this charger. It’s super slick and fashionable. But with a charge of 10,000mH it’s super fast and helpful. Oh! Always look for portable batteries that are 10,000 and higher. The higher the charge, faster and longer lasting it will be. If your going to be out of your hotel all day with no time to sit and plug in your phone, get you a portable pack.

On the right: This is Apple’s smart battery case. This is probably my favorite one out of all three. When you put your iPhone in the case it starts charging. Once the case fully uses all the battery, your phone battery kicks in. What’s neat is that if you have the case on and need to charge your phone, the case also charges. I had to charge up the case twice while I was at Disneyland. But worth the investment.

Bags & Backpacks

When I was younger; talking about like elementary school to middle school my mom always told me carry around a bag. Whenever she went to Six Flags she always had a bag full of snacks, drinks, and if I got soaked on a water ride extra clothes. Now that I’m older and doing a lot of solo traveling I’ve been carrying around a backpack a lot. Especially if I’m going to concerts.

I always have two bags with me now.

See through bag: when I travel, it’s 95% of the time for concerts and amusement parks. I do occasionally do sight seeing stuff as well. However security can be a hassle if they have to check your stuff. So I have a see through pvc type bag that security can easily see all the items I’m bringing into the park or venue. Plus it’s a lot easier for both parties.

Boujee Bag: I always think it’s important to have what I call my Boujee Bag, aka Travel Bag. This is where I have like my iPad, MacBook, chargers, important documents like passport, tickets, etc. I love my Coach Backpack. It has so many different compartment that it makes traveling with tons of times a lot easier.

Water Bottle: Traveling without having a good water bottle is a receipe for disaster. I spent so much money on overpriced water at like sight seeing attractions and grab and go places🤦‍♂️ so to help cut down costs, I have this nice Lokai water bottle. It keeps cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12. But you can always find cheaper water bottles at Walmart.

Wallets!

Like cases I have a variety of wallets that I travel with. I hardly carry around cash so this is where like my ID, cards, everything is in.

On top is my everyday Fossil Wallet that I take everywhere. Including traveling as well. I love how it’s RFID protected. While I was working at Fossil, I learned from my assistant manager that criminals are adapting on how they steal credit card information. They can walk past you and use their phone to scan card information. If a wallet that has RFID protection, it blocks the scan. With safety in mind, that is a wallet I recommend. Don’t worry ladies, Fossil also has a beautiful line of collections as well.

Bottom: That is my Coach Men’s Long Zip Wallet. I got it on sale the day o purchased my backpack. I switch into this wallet when I go out to restaurants, bars, and clubs. It has a wristlet so I can hold onto and keep check. I can hold multiple cards in as well, and my phone in there. Sometimes it’s best to keep track when everything is in one place.

That pretty much is all my travel accessories. Remember not everyone is the same, so customize on what your travel neccessities are. I always recommend before any trip, plan on bringing what you need vs the wants. Once you figure that out, it makes life so much easier.

[lafuerte01-blog]

It Is Only Impossible if you Don’t Try

IM Cozumel 2019 Race Recap

The hardest part of any story is trying to figure out where to begin. And in this case, do I start where my training began in April 2019 or do we start with race week? Or do you call this story, “A Tale of Two Kilgore’s” because (spoiler alert here) – one Kilgore trained her ass off and woke up at zero dark thirty multiple times throughout her 6 month training and had upwards of 6 hour long brick workouts while the other Kilgore just winged it and finished only an hour and a few minutes after the other.  Thinking back, who was the crazier person?  The one that invested time, lost sleep and spent a lot of money training, or the one that did next to nothing and still earned the coveted Ironman title? But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s start with race week. Met up with my coach a few days before heading out of town for the race.  The good news was there was nothing magical that I needed to know.  I already knew it.  I had practiced it weeks and months on end.  I just needed to execute it.  The downside was I was so amped up and just wanted to RACE.  My mind was ready.  My body was ready.  Unfortunately, it was Monday and I still have 6 days to wait.  So I rested.  Or not really “rested” but went from 1.5 hour swims to 45 minute swim workouts.  And reduced my wattage on bike workouts and didn’t run full sprints at the track.  So I had 3 workouts to keep me busy, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday leading up to my departure to Mexico on Thursday afternoon.

I was never nervous about the race.  I was more nervous about whether or not all my shit would get to Cozumel.  If my bikes would make it unscathed.  If I would forget anything.  Never doing a race of this magnitude, wasn’t sure what I’d need for special needs bike and special needs run.  I prepped a collective 10 hours just packing for the race. And still had to pack for the vacation that followed!  In thinking back, if I could just have someone pack for me, that would have reduced my stress levels 1,000%.  

(Above: all of my OCD packing in action)

I realized during this time there was also no way that 2 bikes and 4 pieces of luggage along with 4 humans would be able to be transported in our Camaro or Altima. People talk about “marathon brain” in terms of forgetfulness during the peak of workouts.  Imagine if I woke up the day we flew out and realized we didn’t have the right cars.  Thankful that my brain was always in overdrive that last week so that I was able to connect with two amazing friends, Kevin and Jonny, to transport us and our luggage in their Texas sized trucks to and from the airport.

(Above: Thank goodness for friends with trucks!)

I learned the night before that my tri-sister Julianne made a sign to send Joe and I off on our trip.  I appreciated her time in making something so badass!

The Flight Out (3 days before the race)

I don’t know how I stumbled upon it but in researching the prior host hotels/resorts and trying to figure out the math for the best flights into either Cozumel or Cancun, I found an American Airlines Vacation package that got us the best flights, direct from DFW to Cozumel with our host resort included. SCORE!  Other options included flying to Cancun and schlepping our things on a ferry to Cozumel. More logistics made for a more stressed out Bethany so obviously the direct option was so worthwhile.  While waiting for the plane, our gate was taken over by families and participants of the race.  Joe joked this would be the fittest flight out that day.  We met up with a couple who were being Sherpas for their friend. We also met up with a lady from California (Lilian) who was hoping to PR this race and get a sub 12:00 (she did! 11:50 was her finish time).  She was with her two young ones and we were happy all our kids were appeased by electronics as it had already been a long day.  

On the plane, Joe ended up switching seats with a family that was separated so the son could sit with his mom.  Let’s face it, he needed all the good karma he could get!  In doing so, he sat next to an IronFamily – Keith and his wife. Apparently Keith got his canisters confiscated at the airport and wasn’t sure where to buy them.  Being the super anal-retentive person I am, I researched and followed every blog and Facebook group related to IM Cozumel and told Joe off-hand during a conversation that if they run out of air canisters at IM Village, we can go to the local tri store called Cabrillas.  Joe relayed that info and Keith was super appreciative.  It’s like they became best buddies that day. And they were buddies the entire weekend to follow- as not only did Joe sit next to him by sheer luck, but Keith and his family happened to be at the same resort.  In the same villa.  Exactly two floors directly below us.  It’s truly a small world.  After arriving in Mexico, we were in a bit of a panic as I found one bike but not the other.  We literally were the last family out of customs because of this one bike bag being separated from the pack.  And it’s not like customs is fast in any way and on top of that we’re on island time so we waited patiently.  

(This is what Cozumel airport looks like when you’re the last one in customs)

On top of it we randomly had to have our bags gone through because that’s what must happen when you’re tired.  So when we exited to get to our shuttle that had been waiting now for an hour and ten minutes, we got accosted by a tour group that posed as a front for our van service.  After realizing they were selling us a tour package, I kindly said no and headed out to our van, curious if it would even be there.  It was.  And after hauling everything into the back we loaded in the van and took in the 25 minute drive through downtown to the resort.  The downtown area was decked out for the race with welcome signs. The island was crazy busy with taxis and scooters everywhere.  I was thankful when we finally arrived at the resort which was away from the hustle and bustle for some authentic, local food and rest.  The family got to experience my favorite cochinta pibil and salbutes yucatecos for dinner.  We had seconds of each.  Dolores was the best waitress by far the entire time at the resort.  We filled our bellies and went to bed.

Friday morning, two days before the race

After waking up, Joe and I assembled our bikes.  It was then that I realized I left a second flat kit back at the house.  If not already familiar, the Kilgore’s have notoriously bad luck at races with flats and spokes but I figured the extra flats I packed would just have to go into my special needs bag and hope I didn’t need a second or third tube before picking up the special needs bag at mile 60 on the route.  

We went to IM village that afternoon to pick up our race packets, find our name on the IM wall, take obligatory photos with the Ironman sign, and look about the IM store to buy all the things.  But since this was an IM branded race co-sponsored with Adeportes, the items weren’t as plentiful as many IM 70.3 races.  And most of it was already picked over.  But maybe that was a good thing because we got out cheaper than if all the things were there.  We obtained our IM wristband, our timing chip, our race bags, all inside a nice IM Cozumel branded backpack along with a nice race belt.  Because Joe is notoriously known for meeting up with random people he doesn’t know, we ran into my FTC teammate Julie Adams and her IronFamily and spoke with them for a while.  He had worn his FTC shirt to go to IM Village in hopes to run into someone; it worked.  

(Above: Awesome name placement)

While at IM village, my brother Brian arrived so the kids and I walked to meet him.  After a brief hello it was about that time that Joe and I had to go to the mandatory athlete briefing.  As we waited in the hot sun, we passed it off as “acclimating to the heat” and saw our IronFamily man Keith there.  Because it was so hot and Brian just landed, we had him take the kids so they didn’t have to be bored out of their minds.  After waiting a half hour or so after the scheduled start for briefing (again, island time) we got into the cool AC building, sat up front, and had a truly enjoyable time meeting our two emcees and announcers for the race. They made a lot of jokes which made for a lighter mood and helped us all feel special for what we were about to embark upon.

SATURDAY (the day before the race!)

I was thankful I spent the 10 hours packing my essentials in advance and took meticulous notes of the contents within (see picture below) because when we picked up our race packets, I essentially just had to place my Ziplock bags into their respective bike, run and special needs bags.   Joe and I got up early to ride our bikes to and from the official swim practice site.   Our bikes were tuned up before the race by Velofix but of course the derailleur was jostled during the flight so my bike had difficulty getting into my middle gears of my big chain.  So I knew after our swim practice I’d need to get in touch with bike tech at the resort. I was excited for the swim and wanted to be able to feel the current that would carry us toward the finish. Unfortunately, my new goggles that I had only swam in 5 times decided to leak during my practice swim.  And there wasn’t a kayak or lily pad for me to rest on to fix them.  These are the moments you need to know how to handle during the choppy start of a swim start anyway.  I pulled off to the side, flutter kicked vertically and tried to adjust my goggles. Still no dice.  After doing a lap with my left goggle trickling in sea water, I decided to get out and reset.  I did a second quick circle swim and things seemed to be ok.  I never got to catch the current and was a bit unnerved that my swim practice wasn’t as great as I expected.  But I got the experience of dealing with unfortunate circumstances and kept my cool.  And it’s an understated important skill not to over exert yourself during a stressful start of a swim before a long race day.

After getting back to the resort, I was thankful to have an onsite mechanic help with my bike and I was relieved to not have to worry about it as again, team Kilgore usually has issues on race day with their bikes.  We still had to transport our bikes and based on our bib number, we were the final group of the day (3:30-5p).  So in the meantime we headed into town to shop at some local stores and shop for souvenirs.  When we got back to the resort, the family headed to the beach while Joe and I lugged our bikes to drop off at bike check-in.   We were the only ones on the bus that picked us up at the resort.  We had time to rack the bikes, get a lay of the swim out portion of the race, our changing tents, and familiarize ourselves with our rack location and bike out.  Joe and I both lucked out that our bikes were racked in the same group; mine was at the front of the rack coming out of the changing tent – Joe’s was at the very end of the rack.  We had a long way to bike out but it didn’t matter – we would just walk our bikes and calm our heart rates to prepare for the long ride ahead of us tomorrow.  

There was a bit of an issue getting the free bus ride back from mandatory bike check in. We waited 30 minutes before even being told there were no more shuttles running to the resorts.   Apparently the bus we rode in on was the last one running but none of the other 10 people waiting with us was told that information.  We met a guy from Cincinnati who graduated from Indian Hill High School- he was there with his wife and they were also doing their first IM race. Also saw Lilian there whom we met at DFW from California doing her 3rd IM.  So after a few of us argued a bit with the IM volunteers about the free shuttle service fiasco, the group won out and we were able to get a bus to take us back to the resort.  It was a minor blip I thought but to be stranded several miles away with no money to go back was a bit unnerving.  Definitely not something I wanted a day before the race.

When we finally returned, we headed out to the beach so I could test out my backup pair of goggles in the ocean.  After doing a few laps in front of the resort and snorkeling with the family, we got showered and met up with my friend Gloria for dinner.  

Side note: you never know what random acquaintance you have from your past may mean to you many years later.  In 1998 I went on a study abroad trip to Merida, Mexico and met up with Gloria Martinez. She was a dance instructor and as part of my cultural studies for 3 months, I learned traditional dances (baile folklorico) and became close friends with her.  We stayed in contact, sent each other many letters and mixed tapes, and here we were face to face again after 21 years.  It was just amazing.  And she would be a MAJOR help and inspiration halfway through the run. I needed her more than I knew. But I’m getting ahead of myself again…..

During dinner Gloria met my family and I got to practice my Spanish while she practiced her English. She gave me a present, a local liquor Xtabentun from the Mayans.  I had remembered having this while in Mexico before and it has a unique taste – liquorish and honey.  In looking at the bottle we have now at home, apparently Joe really likes it – it’s almost gone!  I had my traditional meal before any race, pizza, but wasn’t super hungry.  I realized around 9p I needed to get ready to bed and try to sleep.  It’s common not to sleep too well before a race.  I think I got a solid 5 hours in.  

Race morning

I woke up at 4:20a, 5 minutes before my alarm.  I was ready. Graduation day was here! We asked the front desk the night before when the shuttles would start running; he said 5:30a.  I thought that was late knowing our first transition (T1) opened at 5:15a. Not only that, we had to get to T1 to drop off our special needs bags, set up our shoes and attach our helmets to the bike and check tires for air. And after that had to catch a bus 2.4 miles upward to the swim start.   But again, I trusted the information given.  So after waking and getting dressed and having breakfast, we get to the bus line early only to find out that there’s a big group there already and the race organizers reduced the busses at our resort from 3 to 2.  And the last bus that was coming was the one headed our way – and we were all hoping we’d get on.  Some people were angry and hailed cabs. Others just waited (like us) and hoped to get on.  It was a full bus but we were able to get on and upon arrival we frantically tossed our special needs bags to volunteers, got our bikes set up with nutrition and water bottles situated.  We didn’t top off our tires; we didn’t have time.  We just hoped and prayed they’d be ok.  We walked hurriedly back to the entrance and waited in a ginormous line to catch the busses to take us to swim start.  Met up with Julie from FTC somehow in all the chaos. Again, another issue as we got toward the front, the busses behind us were opening their doors to people waiting behind us so that by the time the busses rolled up, they were full.  Participants were angry and the race volunteers were quick to act.  We squeezed into a bus already full and took a seat at the very back.  I just took deep breaths.  Again, logistics are not fun for me and is super stressful when things get out of whack. Minor inconveniences really but seriously nerve-racking before a long day’s event. I ate another sandwich while taking the bus to the swim start.  Things were going to be ok.  It was then that I realized I had left my UCan back at the hotel.  So I was a few hundred calories under what I had hoped but I also packed a backup sandwich and gel in T1.  And I had been drinking extra water with electrolytes that morning.  I told myself it was going to be ok.

Swim start

Once through the porta pottie line (after realizing they had one for males and females!), Julie and I got on our swim skins, put on Glide and eco-friendly sunscreen (to protect the coral) and tossed our final bag of the day, our morning clothes bag, to the volunteers and headed to our swim start corral.  This being a self-seeded start, Joe and I had strategically decided to put ourselves in the 1:20-1:30 grouping. Julie went ahead as she’s a faster swimmer; we wished her luck! Next time I saw her was on the run – more on that later.

I knew I could swim the 2.4 mile distance in one hour and 30 minutes but also knew the current would be helpful.  We heard the gun go off for the pros and started snaking around our corral toward the front of the pier.  There were drones flying overhead.  We waved. We caught up with the guy from Cincinnati and his wife.  We congratulated them.  Loud music pumping and blaring songs like, “We Will Rock You” by Queen and “Eye of the Tiger.” The pier started to become visible.  I saw people tossing small bean bag sized pouches filled with water.  People were drinking water and putting water on their heads to cool down.  It was 7:40a ish and already warm.  Temps were expected to be a real feel of 90 degrees with little cloud cover.

We were a huddled group of people and the sun was blazing.  I caught sight of the ocean.  It was wavy. Choppy.  NOT like anything we had seen the previous days while on the island. This was going to be fun.  I kept calm.  We were in line with a lady who knew this was our first and saw our watches and told us they only last 14ish hours.  Lovely.  Again, nothing I can do.  I kept fidgeting with my goggles- putting them on and off.  Joe told me to keep them off because they would fog up otherwise. And that’s when I realized I forgot to wipe my goggles with the anti-fog cloth.  Before I knew it, our group was “walking the plank” to the end of the dock.  I placed my goggles on and just like that, I was in the water.  I hit the bottom upon jumping in, not realizing it was shallow, so I bounced up and after 8 seconds, realized I had already pressed start on my watch.  “It’s go time,” I thought.

The swim with all the people and all the waves could have been worse.  I was thankful the swim out to the first of two turns was short.  I saw a ton of marine life.  There was a sign underwater – I couldn’t stop to read it but later learned it said “If you can think it, you can achieve it.”  There were tons of scuba divers watching from the ocean floor. I would have loved to see what that swim looked like from above.  I never got kicked or punched like others on the swim.  I had people swim up on me but they swam around.  I did the same when I came up on others.  I kept with a pack.  I rarely sighted- when I did, there was a huge wave in my face.  I think I only took in one gulp of sea water. At one point I started smiling because I thought my husband was next to me.  It took me a while before I noticed it wasn’t him.   I swam with a pack of people and kept my pace consistent.  I noticed a buoy on my right and thought they were to be on the left so I cut across and in doing so, I caught a nice current.  But after a while I lost people. I saw a kayak.  I was off on my own and in looking the rest of the group was on the left.  So I swam fast to get back with the group.  I couldn’t see ahead with the waves but didn’t want to be so far out on the right, despite the awesome current, to not know where I was.  I kept up with the pack and found some people to draft off of.  I caught sight of a yellow buoy.  It didn’t make sense as most of them were orange other than to distinguish that being the half-way point maybe? I never checked my time or distance on the watch while swimming – I just kept swimming.  My goggles were pretty fogged up by this point.  I got off track again toward the back half of the swim and instead of making a tight turn at the red and final buoy, I instead made a long wide turn to the finish. It’s ok.  I was finishing up and was able to climb the steps up and stop the watch.  HOLY SHIT! I just had a PR swim: 1:23:51.

I took my coach’s advice coming out of the swim, no running – just walk to the changing tent to calm the heart rate down.  I stood for about 15 seconds under a shower to rinse off before going into the women’s changing tent.  My goal was to be in and out of the transition tent in 10 minutes.  I had played and replayed in my head the things to do while in T1.  I ended up doing a full change out from my tri suit and swim skin to bra, bike shorts and a bike top. I had a shower pill towel and a sturdy hand towel to help wipe away any remaining salt.  Salt = chafe and I took a squirt bottle (tip courtesy of Jessica Marchi) full of water and sprayed between cracks and bits.  Once done, I lightly toweled off an put on my bike shorts with Hoo Ha Ride Glide.  I got volunteers to put sunscreen on my body.  Slipped on my HR monitor.  Ate my backup sandwich and drank my water. I just burned about 600 calories on the swim and needed to top off before setting off to ride.  I put on my socks and headed out to my bike.  Got my helmet, clipped it on, got my shoes on and walked the long walk to bike out.  I checked Joe’s bike rack; his bike was still there.  I got nervous.  He’s a better swimmer; assumed he got caught up in the changing tent.  I figured he’d be right behind me in no time on the bike.  Total transition time: 17:02

At the mount line, I was keeping heart rate calm and take it easy.  Even a veteran said everyone goes out fast on the first loop. I had written in permanent market on my leg my metrics for the race: 130-140 power, 78-82 cadence, 135 heart rate. I rode out and set off for a comfortable ride.

The Bike

What I was told to do by my coach was to stop every 20 miles and to pee at mile 40 and 80.  There were approximately 5 rest stops around the island for the 38ish mile loop.  For some strange reason, on my first loop, I decided to hit every single stop and pee at mile 20.  I don’t know why I did this but I realized my error after the first lap when I saw Joe. It didn’t make sense that I was coming up on him around mile 46 when his bike was on the rack when I biked out.  It took a nanosecond for me to realize my error. In hindsight, that extra 2 minutes per stop was ok; I wanted to take it easy.  My HR was averaging 154 and wasn’t budging despite the easy effort.  I attributed it to the heat. I also noticed on the first loop my power didn’t seem to be accurate.  The day before I noticed this as well and texted the coach; asked if that happened what metric to follow – cadence or HR.  Because the course is flat, he suggested both.  I kept true to my cadence and only pushed it when I had to make a legal pass or had to back off when someone overtook me.  Second loop was faster, I know I pushed it but I felt ok.  I ended up grabbing water every 20 miles to top off my bottles and spray myself down (my cooling sleeves, my core, my head).  I saw my brother and kids on the second loop of the bike course; got a shout out from someone there who saw my Hotter than Hell jersey and said, “GO TEXAS!”  The back half of the island was beautiful.  The extra elevation gain was there along with the wind.  Thankful I didn’t have to deal with a lot of wind that day and I knew how to climb hills now so I didn’t let the back half deter me. I got to my special needs bag around mile 60 and reset my fuel. Checked my tires, they were ok so I rode on without the extra canisters or tubes placed within.

The final lap is soul sucking.  You know what to expect which is a blessing and a curse.  The ride through the city was uplifting; you just have to mentally will yourself to the next aide station and hope for some crazy fans out there to support you.  Saw my brother and kids again; got the boost I needed but then had the east side of the island with the hill and unrelenting sun.  I wanted to take in the scenery, the ocean was beautiful and the blue sea mixed with the blue sky only interrupted by the white ocean spray that crested and crashed into the rocky coast.  I noticed the pack was thinning; there was a collective miserable feeling around everyone.  I passed someone and he said, “you’re looking strong.” I muttered something back – I don’t know if it was comprehensible.  I knew I was coming up on mile 90 and after mile 100 every mile after that would be a distance PR.  It was also about this time that I noticed I was getting tired of eating my gels.  No worries I told myself- I had packed a glorious PB&J sandwich in my T2 bag.  I’d have real food soon. And there’d be more on the run course.  I stopped at a final aide station around mile 100 to get more ice and water and sprayed myself down.  The first table there had ran out of water bottles so I had to get off the bike and wait for them to get more water to pour into my bottles.  The bike course was pretty sparse by then and things picked over. By the time I hit the bike in, I honestly don’t remember anything.  I know I was able to get off the bike OK (surprising in and of itself), grab a bottle off my bike and my coach’s bike computer before handing over my bike to a volunteer. Total bike time: 6:49:04.

In the T2 changing tent, I looked around.  It looked desolate.  I checked the time – I seemed to be doing ok.  I asked a volunteer what the local time was.  It was early evening – about 4p.  I had plenty of time.  Did another full change out from bike clothes to run clothes.  Chuckled to myself that I was feeling like Beyonce with all of her change of clothes. I was salt crusted and legs were dirty.  Took 2 shower pills to clean off.  I wanted to clean off to feel better.  I wiped my face.  I put on my hat, my running shoes, my running belt and grabbed my sandwich and headed out to start the final 26.2 miles of this race.  Total time in T2: 19:34.

The Run

I got up and my feet HURT. My arches were super sore.  I walked out of the tent and tried to calm my HR down.  I felt dizzy. I grabbed water from a volunteer but didn’t feel any better.  My watch chimed 30 seconds into the run.  What the hell? I had thought I programmed it for a 90 second run and 30 second walk. NOPE. Forgot the last run I had was programmed from my 30 second sprint track workout and 3 minute walk.  I attempted to change the intervals but my watch said I couldn’t change while an event was in progress. GRRR.  I know what I had to do – this happened at my Houston Marathon where I didn’t have my watch intervals set correctly and had to do it manually – watching the time. It was going to be a long fucking run. While I had PRd my run in Houston that day, this was not going to happen today.  It would however keep my mind “busy” and distracted from the feeling I was having while running.  Funny because all day I was looking forward to the run and now I was trying to figure out how I was going to continue.  Anyone that knows me knows that math isn’t my sweet spot. So my 90:30 run walk intervals weren’t always accurate.  I gave myself grace. Didn’t matter.  Go by feel. Get some food in you.  I tried but my stomach started to heave.  I made it 2 miles by this point and needed food ASAP. I recalled that if I couldn’t eat, to at least chew food and spit it out.  Even taking food into my mouth made me gag.  And my water bottle filled with electrolytes were equally painful to digest. I got dizzy again and tripped and almost fell but by the grace of God caught myself from falling flat on my face. Negative thoughts started creeping in. It was only 2 miles into a 26.2 mile run and I couldn’t eat or drink and was dizzy.  I started looking for a medical tent.  I never saw one.  Honestly – the one time I did see a medic was the last 2-3 miles of my run and by that point, I wasn’t stopping!  In looking around, I saw FTC teammate Julie on her run.  She was running fast; I was walking.  I said hi and she gave me a look that said, “this is miserable.”  She was ahead of me and looked strong. Little did I know she crashed on the bike and was bleeding from her knee. She’s a total badass.  Was that her first loop? Second? Third? Everyone looked fresh and running fast.  I just kept looking at my watch, doing fuzzy math, putting one foot in front of the other.

Along the way, someone asked me if this was a 3 looped course.  I said yes. Knowing that, I was near the turnaround by then and felt better for a bit.  Around mile 6 or so, a supporter saw me and I guess I looked like death warmed over. He approached me as I walked and said, “Drink the flat Pepsi.  Trust me runner. Drink it.  And chase it with a lot of water.  It will do miracles for you!  I know this to be true!”  I looked at him and said I can’t keep anything down.  I was nervous if I drank it I would get sick.  I didn’t want to get sick and get stuck in a medical tent. I just wanted to be done.  But I ran off, got to the next table and took the Dixie cup of flat Pepsi and a small water pouch to chase it.  It worked. I felt better.  The sugar helped.  I tried to eat- still nothing.  Small bits of food here and there that I chewed and spat out.  After the first loop, I felt a bit better.  

I saw Gloria on the run while downtown.  The crowd was festive.  There were still plenty of people on the run.  I would be ok.  After the cheers of the crowd and the noise subsided, I started working on a game plan. That’s when my Garmin gave me a low battery warning.  Shit. Shit shit shit. OK.  New plan – focus on food.  I saw a table with oranges and bananas and pretzels.  I had an orange and it was glorious.  Yes. FOOD! Then I got to the banana. Nope. Couldn’t stomach it.  I nibbled, chewed and spat a half a banana out.  More flat Pepsi and water.  Would grab the pretzels on the way back.  Realized I had to focus on my run/walk intervals if my watch died before I finished the race.  I counted my steps for the run.  336 steps for 90 seconds of running; 26 steps for 30 seconds of rest.  I did this several times before I realized running for 90 seconds was too much.  My body was too weak.  It was getting late and the sun setting. I approached the turn around and looked feverishly for the special needs tent for my bag at mile 13.  I had more food in there but didn’t take it. I grabbed my head lamp but in hindsight I didn’t need it.  I grabbed my light jacket thinking I would get cold as the night settled in, especially with the wind near the sea wall going back into town.  I wrapped the jacket around me and kept running.  Then my watch died around mile 14.  Not that I was disappointed that I didn’t save my watch during the bike, but that I was running blind.  No way to tell if my pace was going super slow or not.  

I saw Joe twice on the run; both times it was when I was going the opposite direction back into town to complete my loops.  He yelled to me, “You’ll finish – you have plenty of time. You’ll get yours.” I wanted to yell back- maybe I did? I can’t recall.  I was in a dark place.  You’d think going into town you’d pick up the excitement.  Mine was the reverse.  I hit my lowest point around miles 17-19.  It was at this time that Gloria saw me coming into town and ran with me. She told me I was doing good. That she was proud of me.  That I have 2.5 hours to finish one more lap. She was willing to get me anything I needed, do anything for me. I knew it was against IM rules to have someone run and walk beside you but I could not tell her no.  Selfishly I needed her.  She was my angel and my saving grace those miles.  As we approached downtown, I told Gloria that she would not be allowed to run with me or be next to me.  Shortly thereafter an IM official came up and told Gloria she needed to let me be.  Gloria asked why and she was told the rule and after giving a very mad face to the volunteer, Gloria wished me well.  

Being as tired and as dizzy as I was, I just wanted to quit.  I felt horrible.  I was right in town so if I wanted to quit, I could just walk up to my family and say, “I tried.”  At one point I humored myself that I couldn’t quit because I had already bought things that said I was an Ironman at IM Village a few days before.  That got me ahead mentally for a half mile or so. But I also just needed to be done. The run was more mental than anything. I had to give myself something to look forward to.  Mile 20. That was the new goal.  I could get to mile 20 and feel fine, I told myself. More oranges and bananas.  I forced a banana down around that time, thinking I could vomit 6 miles and still finish. Still hard to drink my electrolytes so water, water, more water and flat Pepsi when I could stomach it. Spoke briefly to a guy who asked what lap I was on. I said my third.  He was on his as well.  I told him I was just looking for the damned turn around.  He said he was as well.  He looked strong and I told him so and wished him well.  

There was a group of us that kinda stayed together.  We were running and walking around the same pace.  We didn’t talk to each other but it was good to know I wasn’t alone out there hurting.  I could tell my pace slowed.  I didn’t have a damn watch to tell but I knew I couldn’t keep up my pace from before so I ran from cone to cone.  Walked the next set of cones.  Repeat. When the turnaround came, I knew if I got to a 5k I’d be fine.  And I sort of was ok until mile 24.  

Seriously those last two miles were insanely hard.  I strained to hear the roar of the crowd downtown which sounded a lot quieter. Even the loud band that played continuously for hours seemed to have relocated and moved closer to the finish. I needed something to get me by. I saw kind people on the street giving encouragement, “You’re so close!” “Don’t walk, run!” “You’re going to be an Ironman!” “Go, go, go!” That’s when I looked over and saw a medic on her phone. She wasn’t with anyone – just keeping herself busy.  Where the F was she all day? Too late now to stop.  Mile 25.  Was I now going uphill? How long was this corridor?  The band sounded like it was closer now and I could hear a guy on a loudspeaker now.  “…..(inaudible name) ... You Are An IRONMAN!”

My thought process went something like this that last 1.2 miles: drink water. Dump all the food you have stuffed in your tri top bra. Fix your hair.  Make it look like you didn’t just suffer for god knows however long you’ve been out here. And run like hell when you near the finish chute. I walked a good portion of that last mile just willing my brain to adjust to the new game plan.  I inadvertently dropped my water, my lifeline. Damnit! I didn’t want to run with trash in my hand so I jumped a curb and threw it into a trash can and hopped down back onto the course.  Ok.  Jacket is around my waist and I don’t want it.  I’m hot. I can’t toss it.  Damnit – just hold it.  I see a lady on my right who says, “You’ve got this! It’s just around the corner!” and that’s when I started to run.  I mean, run like I meant it.  I saw the red carpet and the lights.  It was a party scene and I was ready to …… sit the fuck down.  But first, that finish line.  That glorious finish line.  I looked up – did that time say 15 hours and something? I thought I was closer to 16 by my walking pace those last few miles.  That gave me a bit of a pep in my step.  I put my hand over my mouth – I started to tear up and then I heard, “That’s my sister!” and saw my brother Brian, Gloria, Kaia and my son Kyler with his hand stretched out to high five me.  It was a brief second but that moment of seeing their faces and getting that final power boost from my son got me across that finish line.  

I heard before I even crossed the finish, “Bethany Kilgore from McKinney, Texas – You are an Ironman!” and then I saw the ramp.  A ramp! I had to go up and down that thing and not fall flat on my ass.  I was depleted of food, water, electrolytes, and was high on adrenaline so by the time I crossed I walked gingerly across the threshold where some kind man grabbed my arm and guided me through the finisher chute.  Total run time: 6:13:01.  Total time at finish: 15:02:31.

Through the chute, my kind guide asked me, “Do you want water? Gatorade?” I said no.  He said, “I bet you’ll never want another Gatorade for a few months.” I smiled.  Then he told me I was going to receive my medal.  Medal placed around my head; a few congrats.  Ok.  More walking. Then he said someone had to get my timing chip.  Great. Next he asked if I wanted food. NOOOOO.  No food.  Ok, so he walked me to get my finisher shirt.  I stood in a daze as someone handed me my finisher shirt.  I looked around and noticed the line to get my finisher photo. Ugh.  I didn’t have the energy to wait.  Everyone looked so full of life.  I wanted to sit.  A nice lady helped me with my things, she fixed my visor which I always wear so low and held all of my sweaty things as I gave a few pained smiles.  I saw the rendezvous spot to meet my family.  I heard my name and got some hugs.  I was super thankful to be done but fell like crap.  I thought fresh clothes and sitting would make me feel better. After getting my clothes and changing (which took eternity with tons of foot cramps), I stood up and met my family on a bench.  I couldn’t talk without fear of getting sick.  I was still dizzy so I wanted to lay down.  As soon as I tried to lay down I started dry heaving. Nothing would come but saliva. I knew I was in a bad way so my friend Gloria sought a medic while my brother and kids waited for Joe to finish.  I got into a wheel chair and was admitted.  It looked like a war zone.  People messed up far worse than me.  People with EKGs on their chest.  Others getting massages from their cramped legs.  The guy next to me screaming from his leg cramp getting worked out.  I had a nurse come around asking if I was allergic to anything – “just penicillin” I said.  She thought it was odd that the three people in bed next to each other were all allergic to penicillin.  A nice doctor came over and said I was going to get an IV.  A nurse came over and stuck my left arm. Nothing.  Stuck my right arm and moved the needle around.  Nothing.  Had to call over someone else to get to my vein and finally got it in on top of my right hand.  I was hot and didn’t want a blanket.  I was in my sports bra and shorts that I had changed into along with my Oofos.  It took a while to get the fluids in even halfway through and by then I started to get cold.  I got an awesome space blanket and neck massage.  I strained to hear my husband’s name called but it was busy and loud in the tent.  I asked if the medic tent was busy now and the nurse said no, but that it was busy earlier – not enough beds to triage people to get in and get assistance. I got word that Joe crossed and was ok.  I was upset that I couldn’t see him cross the finish line but was thankful I felt better at that point.  I lulled off to sleep.

The kind doctor that attended to me let me know the medical tent was closing.  My fluids weren’t all the way done but I was feeling better.  I was thankful to see my family and Gloria waiting outside of the tent.  I felt a LOT better.  I was eager to shower and go home and sleep.  I said my thanks and goodbyes to Gloria and we got a cab.  Back at the resort, I told my brother to see if he could get something salty like fries and chips from the late night snack bar.  He came back with fries and nachos.  I couldn’t eat much but what I did tasted like food for the gods.  Brian let Joe and I go to rest; I miraculously had enough energy to take a shower and rinse out all of our bike bottles before laying my head on the pillow. I looked over at the time.  3:25a. Exactly 23 hours of activity that day.  

Was it worth it? Yes. It tested everything I had.  I learned that Joe crossed about an hour after me with little to no training.  And he didn’t need a medical tent.  But he ran his race; I ran mine.  We did what we each had to do and both became Ironmen that day.  It’s been 5 days; I’m hard pressed to want to do this again whereas Joe is eager to go back next year.  I’ll happily be his Sherpa!

What I’ve learned throughout this experience is that while this is a challenge of three sports for one person to complete, it’s a necessity to have a village of people that help you get to that finish line.  

For everyone that has helped me with any of my training swim, bikes or runs

For the friends that have put up with my insane training schedule and understood that my absence from any social life was temporary (and forgave me when I unintentionally fell asleep at social gatherings when I did go out)

For my daughter who gave me grace when I missed more than half of her soccer games this fall and passed out around 7:30p on the couch during cuddle time

For my son who was patient in getting the adequate drive time in to help him earn his drivers license

Collectively for my kids who allowed their parents to do a race smack dab in the middle of our family vacation

For my coaches who put up with my incessant questions

For my brother’s family for their understanding while they were in the midst of moving into a new home and for my nephew for allowing me to take his dad away on his birthday.  I needed my brother’s help post-race and to have fun with the kids while their parents were out doing a silly race

For my dear friend of 20 years Gloria who trekked across the Yucatan Peninsula and took a ferry to Cozumel to cheer me on for 15+ hours

And for my husband who made all the dinners, made all of the post-long weekend workout meals, and kept my insanity in check….

I thank you all. 

(Above: my new favorite Christmas ornament next to some of my favorite ornaments: my kids, an old Santa - my grandfather’s who died of cancer, my best friend Lisa and I, and a Mexican sombrero ornament from 1997)

Above: The Kilgore’s enjoying a relaxing day visiting San Gervasio ruins on Cozumel island.... post-race

[bainhardt]

#RibbonQuest2019 - Part 14: Anteaters Eat Ants, and Durant Eats Singles

Jin and the Ribbon Gang are about to get funky French - it’s Battle Maison time. From what I recall of my hours upon hours playing Maison back when gen 6 was the latest and greatest thing, getting your hands on the Expert Battler Ribbon is no easy feat. In my latest attempts to once again attain that elusive 50 streak, I would be gravely reminded of this fact.

Hey, same goes for us. Although if I had my way, we’d already be kickin’ it on the plane to Alola for our long-awaited island getaway. I’m so close, I can already taste the coconut...

Pardon, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First up was more or less a Battle Maison formality: we would need to get Jin equipped with the easily earned Skillful Battler Ribbon.

I chose to battle Evelyn in Doubles, relying on Mega Gardevoir and Hyper Voice spam, making this the first ribbon I ever had the opportunity to earn using non-Ribbon-Gang Pokemon.

Very little skill was required before we’d secured even further proof that Canarticho is capable of anything. Technically this meant there was nothing holding me back from moving immediately on to Super Doubles attempts, but I wanted to cover my bases a little more than that.

I’d read in the legendary Oswald guide that Triples is the easiest format in which to earn our final prize, and even though it’s something I have no experience playing, there seemed no harm in preparing Super Triples for attempts while we were here. Of course, I did some research about what kinds of Pokemon contribute most in the Triples meta, and came upon the first new gen 6 addition to Ribbon Gang-

Oh, but before I forget, I have to explain what I meant at the end of Part 12 when I said this: “Staying true to the spirit of Ribbon Quest, I’m going to be trying yet another new Pokemon experience for the first time.” My initial plan was to Masuda breed for a shiny Espurr, but after about 400 eggs, that wasn’t getting me anywhere closer to Alola anytime soon and I gave up. Anyway.

Introducing the real contender, Speedrun the Talonflame.

Artist rendition of Ribbon Gang winning Super Triples in style.

Artist rendition of Ribbon Gang’s fan club.

With visions of victory firmly in mind, I stepped back into the arena to challenge the Chatelaine once again. Seriously though, standard formats in Battle Maison are so easy I could win them in my sleep. I could earn egg the Skillful Battler Ribbon if I needed.

I’d never met Dana before. I think she’s the cutest Chatelaine of the four. Don’t tell the others.

Riding high off of the trivial trials behind us, I imagined Super Triples would fall just as easily... but it didn’t. Speedrun was pulling his weight, but contrary to his name, the battles were slow and unreliably won. Super Doubles was shaping up to be no slouch, either. Whether I used Ribbon Gang teams or IV perfect teams, I was hitting snags left and right and dropping streak after streak.

In the interest of preventing another Multi Ability Ribbon fiasco, I had to reevaluate. Maybe I’d been going at this all wrong? Maybe I could find the new Giga-Impact-Slaking or Explosion-Protect strat to BM the Battle Maison? I’d done it before, and it was time I do it again.

Thankfully, there was one last scheme I hadn’t tried, and by this point I was willing to do just about anything. This meant Ribbon Gang was about to meet deux autres amies.

I’m sure some of you already see where this is going...

Ditch Doubles, toss aside Triples, and step up to Singles once again. For those of you out of the loop, the strat I decided to rely on in my time of need is perhaps one of the cheesiest to exist in all of Pokemon. Leading with Durant, you Entrainment Truant onto the opponent’s lead. Next, you switch to Drapion, and alternate Protect when threatened and Acupressure during loafing around turns. Once sufficiently bulked up, you annihilate everything in your path with Knock Off while sitting safely behind your Sub. And as this was only a two-Pokemon set up, it was the perfect strat for slotting Jin into!

Artist rendition of Big Mac defeating all enemy Pokemon in our path.

Naturellement, because my preparations did not include this bold new direction, I had to clear standard Singles before hitting the big leagues as before. This seemed the perfect opportunity to both test Ribbon Gang’s newest goons while also netting them some stylish ribbons to show what they’re capable of.

Because TheBigLoafer and Big Mac are jammie ones, this remained as easy as Doubles and Triples had been. I also got to learn firsthand precisely how slow this Singles cheese strat really is in real-time. Yikes. I was in for a long haul earning the Expert Battler ribbon this way. Just how much time would we have to waste here?

Thankfully, like the Double Ability Ribbon back in Platinum, we were well on our way to a win with just our first attempt! Here, however, I had a choice to make: dare I use this same audacieuse team against Nita’s Forces of Nature trio? Or should I switch to something more single-mindedly geared towards taking her team down?

It felt wrong to deny Jin’s new dynamic duo of body guards their hard-earned Expert Battler Ribbons, so I stepped up to the plate with my fate uncertain.

Sorry to make you wait, Nita, but we’re prone to taking our sweet time. You’ve got a real rash of lazy Pokemon in the Maison these days, you know.

Fate smiled upon us - even though she led with Tornadus, it did not use Prankster Substitute on turn 1. A risky move for sure, but from there, the battle was as good as won.

You can keep waiting. Cute as you are, I’ve got like 500 BP stashed away and a tropical Alola beachside waiting for me. The world’s greatest Farfetch’d is only a few ribbons from becoming the world’s most chill Farfetch’d retiree.

Everyone worked excellently together, and this was the first battle challenge in all of Ribbon Quest where Jin was able to tag along the entire time. How fun! Times sure have changed. Plus, just like with our Pokeathlon victories in Johto, we’d be leaving behind another testament to Ribbon Quest. Kind of.

I’d never done this before, so despite there being no direct reference to Jin’s journey in-game, I’ll always remember how this got here.

With our extended stay in the Battle Maison behind us, there remains nothing to see or do in Hoenn or gen 6 as a whole. I can’t wait to hit the ground running on the final leg of Ribbon Quest, coming up next! I think Jin, myself, and the ever-growing Ribbon Gang have earned another vacation, one perhaps more permanent than our stay in Unova. Without any further delay, it’s time to say Alola to Pokemon Sun and Moon!

POKEMON ORAS: COMPLETE!

[elastigirl72]

Day 24 and 25

71km to go

Day 24, 25 and 26: Trikala>Lamia>Thiva

Thiva: 18:43

The sun came out! Three days ago, I gifted my overshoes to Kastoria. Two days, Trikala’s Airbnb owner now has a beautiful pair of threadbare, elasticity long gone Castelli leg warmers, and has no idea of the significance of this gift. This is a cyclist’s version of a striptease...which can also and was performed on the move in the last few days: the jacket, the arm warmers and then a few miles later, the leg warmers.

It was the first morning I left without having consider any layering choices. I felt an awful lot lighter after being charged €8 for two cappuccinos, and I found a bike shop who pumped up my tyres and sent me on my way with a new inner tube after my puncture set bounced off somewhere in the previous day’s ride. Maybe Hades horrors got THAT close. Enjoy, you savages!

Greece has really surprised me, in a multitude of ways. Firstly, it’s people. I know a few Greeks. In fact, Dmitri who is married to Katherine and currently looking after my house and dog, Nyla (how dogs should be) is from Corinthe. He and the other Greek seem lovely. However, here, if I’m totally honest, on the whole, appear to have a serious attitude problem or a chip on their shoulder. You’ll get what you need from them, but blimey, they won’t make it easy! And on the whole, everything they do for you seems to be a massive chore; they tend to look decidedly pissed off! Yet, despite this, I quite like them. It’s like they don’t really give a hoot what anyone else thinks about them. You’ll do things their way or you’ll go without. Is it because of the long and deep Greek tragedies and history that floods its many mountains and plains? I thought that Italians were expressive, which they are. But Greeks don’t want to be expressive but if you push them, you’ll probably see the wrong kind of expressive!

Take for example, the owner of the hotel I’m in right now. The pool is not in use, it’s in the middle of nowhere and whilst it’s clean, so is a travelodge or Premier Inn, but none typically have atmosphere and are extremely functional. Bed, check in, restaurant and bar if you’re lucky. As I rested for the first time by the lovely looking pool on this trip, the owner came over to speak to me declaring his position as if I should congratulate him. And then proceeded to try and get me to cancel my booking.com booking, drive up to the cash point with him in order to pay cash and get a €10 discount for the most expensive and overpriced hotel for the whole 25 days to date. After telling him I’d think it over for while, and the hassle of getting in a car to go to get cash, and concerned that cancelling the booking after the cancellation period had passed with the possibility of double payment and no recourse, I told him it’s not worth it. I’d also be charged a currency fee for the withdrawal (I haven’t mentioned it, but a few days ago, in supposed trusted company, I was set up and pickpocketed. That in itself was genius how it was staged. Luckily they only got away with coins from 8 different countries and my international card. But that has made the cash process a little tricky). Mr owner, who clearly thought very highly of his negotiation skills, stating Booking.com make billions, and me being a seasoned traveller must play the system all the time. Am I missing a trick here? Maybe, but after much insistence after his persistence, he got the message. But this is my experience of Greeks.

Moving to the cycling. I’d been warned by said Greeks that Greek drivers were about the worst you could find. Be careful, I was warned. The roads are very busy and Greeks don’t deal with cyclists at all well. This really set me up to see Greece as a country I needed to get through to get to Athens and the end of my cross-continent adventure. The truth is I have been totally amazed. It has been, day after day, the best cycling I’ve done anywhere in Europe, including Spain and France. Not only are the drivers considerate, stop and wait at intersections for the cyclist to pass, they indicate, pull out, wait, and many toot and wave encouragement. The roads are empty, generally in great condition and all around, the scenery continuously draws you in. The culture is rich, untouched. I saw my first living snake on one road, the same road I saw many geckos between Kastoria and Trikala. The sides of the roads are dressed with millions of poppies, Aloe Vera, cacti, hemp, olive trees. I’m yet to reach Athens but I haven’t once felt unsafe due to traffic. Wild dogs, yes. I’d rather not repeat those.

Both Lamia and Kastoria were gems on an unplanned route. I don’t feel like seeing Thiva as I’m full of hay fever and possibly a cold, so am uninspired. It does have an interesting past though and was an important as a city and in Greek mythology. But I’m very happy here in my apartment away from everywhere: the calm before the storm, returning to relative reality tomorrow.

I don’t know why this area for cyclists seems to be so undiscovered, but I’m so glad I made the decision to come inland. The coast will undoubtedly be much busier than this incredible, mountainous and flat landscape from Albania to Athens. I couldn’t be happier on my bike than I’ve been for the past four days.😊. The balance of vistas for this trip have been perfect: mainland, coast and now mountains. That pretty much covers it! I later hear from Mr Owner as he reluctantly demanded my card payment as he saw me sat on my balcony because he wasn’t there in the morning, that 30 Hungarian cyclists were arriving the next day. For them it’s a short flight away. They’re obviously in on this secret nirvana that is Greece.

The days have rolled by and here I am, one ride away from Athens. I’m still focused, but also excited. 71km till I pack up my bike, having dipped my feet and maybe even swum in the Aegean in the last few miles of my Odyssey...surely that is classed as a transcontinental bike ride? 😃.

Packing away my winter gear, my shorts and t-shirt for the last time, throwing away all the bits and pieces I no longer need, and counting the hours...one more sleep and Athens...

26 days have past

24 days of cycling (excluding the abandoned day after 10 miles)

11 countries

6 currencies

3414km recorded cycling (2133 miles)

27,345m ascent (climbing)

1 backpack and frame bag - weight 4kg

I train ride (not included in mileage) to avoid snow

Two ferries - English Channel and 500m at Montenegro

Crossed the Severn, English Channel, past the Mediterranean And Adriatic Seas...

Days in order of awesomeness:

1 Librazhd>Kastoria

2 Lamia>Thiva

3 Trikala>Lamia

4 Senj>Zadar

5 Shkoder>Librazhd

The four least enjoyable:

1 Como>Garda - weather and traffic

2 Bellinzona>Como - weather and traffic

3 Venice>Trieste - weather

4 Neum>Herceg Novi - traffic

Favourite people by country:

Albanian

Bosnian

Montenegrin

Croatian

Italian

English

French

Greek

Swiss

Best hospitality: Albania then Bosnia

Best meal: Albania then Greece

Best weather: Greece

Biggest surprise country: equal Albania and Greece

Favourite city: Split

Best hotel: Calais and Albania

Least favourite city: Saint Quentin

Hardest day: Venice - abandoning for the day and the following day prospect of another abandoned day

Favourite person: the elderly cafe owner in Albania

Best vista: over Lake Ohrie, Albania

12 May: 0656 - Thiva

The day has arrived, and still, with only 71km to go, I’m not 100% certain I’ll make it to Athens! I guess I will believe it and relax once I walk into the hotel, and ask for my bike box. Having received an overweight charge relating to my box apparently weighing 67kg heavier than the maximum for my shipping cost (which is 27kg and having weighed it before booking, know it’s actually 19kg), I am expecting to find an adult size stowaway inside. So the very first thing I will be doing on receipt is asking a member of staff to hold my phone and video me opening it as evidence to send to UPS, who will otherwise pursue an additional £146 shipping cost. I tell you this as I don’t want you to fall into the same cunning trap.

A fellow cyclist, Steve, currently pedalling through France, shared this lovely insight with me after I’d shared the view of the Aegean Sea af Lamia’s castle. Around 10k from me, I could have by rights, pedalled over, dipped my toe in the water and got aboard the nearest train to Athens. But didn’t! Steve shared this: In Xenophon’s Anabasis when the 10,000 Greek soldiers saw the Mediterranean after there march out of Persia they shouted for joy Thálatta! Thálatta! The sea The Sea! They knew they were home.

I haven’t got that excited yet, but I’ve placed my Sainsbury’s order...Istanbul tomorrow...by plane 😊

The bells have chimed outside, I’ve eaten two cereal bars, a banana and half a pint of milk for breakfast and I will be hauling my knackered, ageing body on to the bike just one more time here, for up to 3 hours...and then it’s done...hopefully! See you in Athens 😃

[thecreaturecodex]

Oni Daimyo, Yagyou-san

“Yagyou” © deviantArt user Fukunaga, accessed at his page here

[Commissioned by @wannabedemonlord, and thus ending this batch of commissions. Yagyou-san is a bogey about whom not a lot of information is available in English on the internet. So I made some stuff up.]

Oni Daimyo, Yagyou-San CR 23 CE Outsider This one eyed, one horned giant carries a wickedly sharp sword and is wreathed in darkness. It rides an enormous horse with no head, smoke billowing from the stump of its neck.

Yagyou-san The Night Rider Concerns mounted combat, night, murder for pleasure Domains Animal, Chaos, Darkness, Evil Subdomains Fear, Fur, Night, Revelry Worshippers bandits, mounted warriors, serial killers Minions ghouls, hitotsume oni, nightmares Unholy Symbol a headless horse Favored Weapon katana Devotion kill a living thing of Tiny or larger size under the feet of your mount. Gain a +4 profane bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks Boons 1: darkness  2/day; 2: animal growth 2/day; 3: shadow walk 2/day

Yagyou-san, the Night Rider, is a far-ranging threat, whose wanderings make him a danger anywhere in the world. He rides abroad only in darkness, preferring nights with significance such as the winter solstice, New Year’s Eve, and eclipses. On his rides, he acts as a bandit and abductor, capturing travelers to rob and consume. By day, Yagyou-san remains deep underground, hiding in caves and planning where next to strike. The only creature Yagyou-san cares for is his mount, a headless horse of monstrous size and undead aspect. If this mount is slain, Yagyou-san can summon a new one using force of will alone, but will stop at nothing to revenge his fallen steed.

Yagyou-san is of such horrific mien that mere mortals cower in his presence. He makes hit and run attacks with his immense katana, hoping to kill foes in a few powerful blows and keeping his distance from dedicated defenders. If he spots an enemy he thinks would make an especially succulent meal, he instead grabs them in his meaty fists, teleporting away with them to his lair. Yagyou-san has not lived as long as he has by fighting losing battles, and he is quick to retreat if he feels he is outmatched.

Yagyou-san is patron of a band of brigands, thieves and murderers that spans the world. Most of them are led by oni in disguise��unlike his minions, Yagyou-san has little need for subtlety and cannot change his shape. On special occasions, Yagyou-san may join his followers to demand tribute in gold and meat, and to celebrate the crimes they have committed since last meeting. Due to his fondness for the flesh of sapient creatures, Yagyou-san is worshipped by some more martially minded ghouls, who ride undead horses or nightmares in honor of their benefactor.

Yagyou-San         CR 23 XP 820,000 CE Large outsider (native, oni) Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +38, see in darkness, true seeing Aura terror (30 ft., DC 31) Defense AC 40, touch 24, flat-footed 33 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +4 shield, +8 deflection, +12 natural) hp 445 (27d10+297); regeneration 15 (lawful or good) Fort +26, Ref +16, Will +23 Immune charm, cold, compulsion, death effects, electricity, magic missile; SR 34 Defensive Abilities cloak of darkness Offense Speed 40 ft., air walk Melee +4 keen katana +46/+41/+36/+31 (2d6+20/15-20x2), slam +37 (1d8+8 plus grab), bite +37 (2d6+8) or 2 slams +42 (1d8+16 plus grab), bite +42 (2d6+8) Ranged blinding bolt +33 touch (10d6 plus blindness) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks abduct Spell-like Abilities CL 23rd, concentration +31Constant—air walk, shield, true seeing At will—greater shadow conjuration (DC 25) 3/day—quickened deeper darkness, greater shadow evocation (DC 26), greater teleport Statistics Str 42, Dex 25, Con 32, Int 23, Wis 26, Cha 26 Base Atk +27; CMB +44 (+46 bull rush and overrun); CMD 69 (71 vs. bull rush and overrun) Feats Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (deeper darkness), Ride-by Attack, Spirited Charge, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Trample, Unseat Skills Acrobatics +34 (+38 when jumping), Bluff +38, Handle Animal +38, Intimidate +38, Knowledge (geography, history, local) +33,  Knowledge (planes) +36, Perception +38, Ride +37, Sense Motive +38, Survival +38 Languages Abyssal, Common, Cyclops, Giant, Terran, Undercommon, telepathy 300 ft. SQ greater share spells, headless companion, oni daimyo traits Ecology Environment any land or underground Organization unique Treasure double standard (Large +4 keen katana, +5 moderate fortification studded leather barding, other treasure) Statistics Abduct (Ex/Su) Yagyo-san may move his full speed when using a combat maneuver check to move a grappled opponent, and may maintain a grapple as a move action. Yagyou-san may teleport with a grappled, unwilling creature—this creature must succeed a DC 31 Will save or be teleported along with Yagyou-san. The save DC is Charisma based. Aura of Terror (Su) All living creatures within 30 feet of Yagyou-san must succeed a DC 31 Will save or cower in terror for 1d4+1 rounds. A creature that makes its save against this effect is immune to the aura of terror of Yagyou-san for the next 24 hours. This is a mind-influencing fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Blinding Bolt (Su) As a swift action, Yagyou-san can fire a beam of darkness from his eye. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 180 feet and no range increment. A creature struck takes 10d6 points of typeless damage and must succeed a DC 31 Fortitude save or be permanently blinded. The save DC is Charisma based. Cloak of Darkness (Su) Yagyou-san is shrouded in darkness, granting him a deflection bonus to his Armor Class and CMD equal to his Charisma modifier, and a 50% miss chance. This effect is suppressed for 1 round if Yagyou-san takes damage from a sunbeam or sunburst spell. Greater Share Spells (Su) Yagyou-san’s constant spell-like abilities function for his headless companion as long as he is in contact with it. Headless Companion (Ex) Yagyou-san has the services of an enormous headless horse. Treat this as the animal companion class feature of a 20th level druid, except as detailed in the statistics below. If Yagyou-san’s headless companion is slain, he can summon another one with 8 hours of meditation. Oni Daimyo Traits (Ex/Su) Yagyou-san is a powerful oni lord, capable of granting spells. He has the following traits:

Immune to charm and compulsion effects, death effects, and two energy types (cold and electricity for Yagyou-san)

Telepathy 300 ft.

Yagyou-san’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons he wields, are treated as chaotic, epic and evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Headless Companion CE Huge undead (augmented animal) Init +8; Senses blindsight 120 ft., Perception +12 Defense AC 41, touch 13, flat-footed 36 (-2 size, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +16 natural, +8 armor, +4 shield) hp 200 (16d8+128) Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +11; channel resistance +4, improved evasion Immune gaze attacks, undead traits, visual effects Defensive Abilities fortification (50%) Offense Speed 60 ft., air walk Melee slam +22 (2d6+11), 2 hooves +19 (1d6+5) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Statistics Str 32, Dex 18, Con -, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 24 Base Atk +12; CMB +24; CMD 39 Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (slam), Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Multiattack (B), Toughness, Weapon Focus (slam) Skills Acrobatics +12 (+20 when jumping), Perception +12 SQ greater share spells, link Gear +5 moderate fortification studded leather barding

[electricadrianaaa-blog]

Checklist: The most important backpack stuff

You want to go backpacking, but what do you take with you? During your backpack trip you need other things than when you go on a sun holiday or city trip. How about a sleeping bag or a tent? Regardless of whether you travel for a few weeks or longer, with our tips and this backpack checklist you will have everything you need during your trip.

For the first time backpacking you need to do quite a lot of shopping. The advantage is that you can use these backpacks with every new trip. This way you don't have to worry about walking in your shoes the second time you bring them with you. Which gear you need is partly determined by your destination, but there are a number of things you need all over the world.

The most important backpack items

1. Identification and travel documents We don't have to tell you to bring your passport. A bank card is also essential, and a credit card can also be very useful. Don't forget to bring your driving licence and possibly an international driving licence. Other important travel documents are vaccination certificates, travel insurance documents, visas and your medical passport - you can request these from the GGD or your doctor. The most important documents can be conveniently stored in a travel wallet.

2. Luggage organizers and labels for your luggage With luggage organizers you can divide everything you take with you into handy bags or cases. Not only can you organize clothing, but also accessories such as toiletries and possibly the accessories of your camera. Luggage tags are not only useful during a flight or train ride, but also to recognize your backpack when it lies between several backpacks in a hostel.

3. Tent A tent is not only your bedroom during nights in the wilderness, it is also a piece of protection against the elements. Many backpackers set out with a two-person tent for that extra bit of space. These tents usually weigh between 1 and 2.5 kilos, but there are models that are even lighter. If you decide to travel from hostel to hostel, you could also backpack without a tent.

4. Backpack and daypack Backpacking is not called backpacking for nothing - you go out with a backpack. Just like tents, backpacks vary from very light to heavier sturdy models that allow you to comfortably carry more kilos. Don't forget to bring a 'daypack': a smaller backpack with the most important stuff for that day. So you don't have to carry your entire backpack with every activity.

5. Sleeping bag Your sleep is extremely important if you want to resume your journey fresh and fruity the next day. A good sleeping bag is probably the most expensive thing you buy for your trip, but if used properly it can last for years. Sleeping bags come in many shapes and sizes. From soft plush for cold regions like Scandinavia to a lightweight summer duvet for warm climates like South America. You can also buy a slim sleeping bag or a spacious sleeping bag. Our tip: don't save on your sleeping bag!

6. Sleeping mat After choosing your sleeping bag, it is to choose a sleeping mat. A sleeping mat is mainly meant to prevent your body from coming into contact with the cold ground. How well insulated a sleeping mat is is expressed in R, which stands for thermal resistance. The higher the R value, the more insulation the sleeping mat offers.

7. Jacket and possibly raincoat A good coat is indispensable during your trip. In warm climates, a light jacket can be enough to protect you from the weather and dirt. In colder climates, a good jacket is even more important. Unless you go backpacking through the desert, a raincoat is also an important piece of clothing to take along. Even if no rain is predicted, there is no harm in bringing at least a waterproof poncho. If you're going to spend a long time in heavy weather, a hard shell jacket can be a smart choice. These are made to protect you from severe weather like storms for a longer period of time. For most backpackers, however, a softshell jacket offers enough protection.

8. Walking shoes Bring good walking shoes and don't forget to walk in a few weeks before departure. Are you planning on walking a lot in a warm climate? Then you can also consider a pair of sturdy slippers such as Birkenstocks. They won't replace your walking shoes, but it can be very nice to let your feet air without bothering your feet or back.

9. Pocket knife A good pocket knife is indispensable during backpacking. So you always have a serrated knife, nail scissors, bottle opener and much more within reach!

10. Garbage bag One of the best tips we've ever had: take a garbage bag with you. A garbage bag takes up almost no space, and always comes in handy. You can use it to sit on when the ground is wet or to store wet clothes.

11. Sunglasses Sunglasses come in handy in every climate. Make sure you bring good sunglasses with UV protection, so that the eyes and skin around your eyes do not get irritated if you spend a longer period of time in the bright sun. Also bring a sturdy storage bag, so your sunglasses won't be damaged if they're wandering around somewhere in your backpack.

12. Sunscreen and aftersun In warmer climates, sunburn and aftersun are essential. If too much skin is burnt, it can make you sick, and if it burns heavily, even blisters can appear on the skin. Instead of aftersun, you can also use a wet cloth to cool the skin when burned.

13. Neck cushion Especially if you get on the plane several times a month during your trip, a nap can be a good way to shorten the journey. Domestic flights in countries like Australia can just take a few hours. There is also a chance that you will have to bridge a night during your outward or return journey. A neck cushion is not a luxury if you want to sleep in a hare while flying!

14. Health kit Think of a first aid kit, which you can supplement with a strip of paracetamol and diarrhoea inhibitors. Don't forget to bring anti-mosquito spray or pest repellent. To prevent dehydration in case of diarrhoea or nausea, you may want to take ORS with you. With this you can quickly fill a lack of water, sugars and salt.

15. Toiletries Besides a well-equipped first aid kit, the standard toiletries are also a must during your backpack trip. Think of a (new) toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shower gel, body wipes and hand-disinfectant. Tweezers can also be very useful if they are not on your Swiss pocket knife. Don't forget to bring a sturdy toiletry bag to store everything. Do you wear lenses or glasses? To be on the safe side, bring along reserves

16. Cap In many places in the world it can cool down considerably at night. A hat can be very comfortable while sitting under a clear starry sky around a campfire. If you quickly get cold hands or travel to a colder climate, gloves are also indispensable.

17. World plug, socket and power bank By bringing a world plug and socket, you can charge all your devices with one world plug. You simply plug your devices into the Dutch socket, which you can power anywhere in the world thanks to a world plug. Are you away from a power outlet for a longer period of time? Then take a power bank with you on a trip!

18. Camera During your trip you want to capture the most beautiful beaches and places of course. Nowadays we all have a camera with us on our smartphone. Whether you need a camera depends mainly on the quality of your smartphone camera and how important it is to you. Even the most expensive smartphones can't compete with the sharpness and clarity of even a simple compact camera, but it's an extra accessory to take with you.

A single camera is usually better at taking pictures in dark environments. Are you going to a region with clear skies and lots of sunlight? Then a smartphone camera is a great way to take photos for a photo book. Do you also want to take photos in the evening or capture the northern lights on the sensitive image? Then a separate camera may be worth considering.

19. Cooker Whether you need cooking utensils depends very much on your way of travelling. For example, if you travel from hostel to hostel in Southeast Asia, you can go to cheap local eateries where you can eat well. If you go backpacking in Scandinavia, a camping stove can be indispensable. These vary from small compact for a quick snack (some weigh less than 2 grams) to robust and powerful for a whole meal. Important considerations are the type of edge fabric and the design of the cooker.

Think carefully about what you are going to prepare on the way. Will you only use it for quick meals and alternate with local eateries? Do you want to be able to make coffee on the go? You can eat warm meals directly from the packaging, but for ingredients you need a pan again. Make sure you buy it separately or it's an all-in-one system. Don't forget to bring a lighter and cutlery!

20. Snacks Meals are important, but snacks are just as important! During a trip in the jungle a biscuit or cracker can give you just that little bit of energy to get through the afternoon in a good mood. Because it is dried, it can also be kept for a very long time. Make sure you don't take too salty cookies, because that only makes you thirsty. Fortunately, healthy snacks have become more and more popular in recent years, so there is plenty of choice for a delicious snack during your trip.

21. Water bottle and water filter Water is essential during your trip or activity. You can bring a traditional drinking bottle, but there are also special bottles with hoses with which you can drink while walking. Make sure that your plastic water bottle is BPA-free and that thermos are made of stainless steel. By taking a water filter with you, you will always have clean drinking water nearby. Especially in areas where animal or human waste is dumped in nature, a water filter is not an unnecessary luxury. There are water filters that work with gravity, but there are also handy press filters with which you can quickly fill a bottle.

22. Headlight The latest and our favorite accessory is a headlamp. If you ever forget it, it won't happen to you a second time. When exploring caves or going on nightly trips, a strong headlamp is no luxury. Most backpackers, however, only need a simple headlamp of a few tens. Before buying, look at the number of lumens, (the amount of light the lamp can generate) and the battery life. Don't forget to bring extra batteries!

Other stuff

These are the most important things to take along, but of course there are plenty of other things you can take along. Think of a good book or headphones for music, but also lip balm if you quickly suffer from dry lips. Depending on how active you are during your adventure, you can also bring a hiking shirt, hiking pants and light jacket on long treks. In areas with little or no range, it can be useful to bring a compass or GPS for easy navigation. If you like to walk, a mini folding seat can also be a great accessory to take with you. It weighs almost nothing and is often so compact that it won't bother you if it hangs on your backpack or daypack. After a long walk to the top of that beautiful hill, the whole group will be jealous of your seat, while they have to sit with their backs in the wet grass.

[megmckinney]

The Dreaded Day Of Travel

It’s hard to prepare for traveling with muchas cosas (many things) as we would be traveling home with. Considering our travel to Mexico and everything that happened, it’s not unusual for either of us to feel a bit uncertain about how traveling home would go. Would we have someone to help carry our stuff? If we don’t, can we still make it work? Will Volaris accept Rowley this time now that his rabbis vaccine would be in their 30 day time frame? Will we be able to get back into the US? How will Summer do on the flight?

The great thing about Sayulita is you don’t have to make appointments anywhere. You want a massage? You walk down to the beach and get it. You want to see the vet to get a health certificate to fly and deworming? You just show up and they do it on the spot. No 30 min check up required and an appointment. Of course I did ask if we should make an appointment but the vet said no to just come in when we were ready. It’s not like they would say no, obviously we had to get home and needed to bring our dog lol So we made sure everything was as Volaris required so we could fly home.

To book our flight online it said we would take off at 12:35 pm. But when you click details, the flight time was actually 6:35 pm. Maybe a glitch in their website? We planned our goodbye brunch at Chocobanana with Kristin, Tyler, Noralina, Felix, and the kiddos, went home to nap/pack, and then headed for the airport. If our flight had been at 12:30, well, then, we would have missed it lol but after booking the res, the email confirmation said 6:30 so I was pretty confident about the evening flight.

We got to the airport 3.5 hours early to be safe. They wouldn’t let us officially check in until 4 so we cruised around the airport. it took SO long to get us checked in because of Rowley. We were the first ones there and by the time we were finally done, the line was incredibly long. They needed to review Rowley’s paperwork, make copies, review them again, have us fill out forms, check the weight. It was never ending. Plus we had to pay for the surfboard, get all of Summer’s gear tagged. It was a process. It took 45 minutes to get us checked in. So it’s finally 4:45pm and we are heading to our gate. Things are fine from here, we board the plane, get to our seats, Summer sleeps on me the entire flight. It was SO sweet but my legs were falling asleep, my left butt cheek was hurting, and I was having a hard time breathing with 21 pounds of weight on me and a baby in my belly. We weighed Summer at the vet after weighing Rowley. It’s good to know how much she weighs now haha.

We land, head to baggage claim/CBX Border Crossing. We find guys with the carts to help us with everything. We go to cross the border through CBX but they won’t take Summer without a birth certificate. My expired passport is no big deal. That works fine he says, especially since it expired in 2020. Matt tried to convince them, the supervisor called the Border Patrol but they said no. So we had to turn around and head the exit of the TJ airport, get a taxi to the border, walk across the border, and hope they don’t give us any trouble getting into the US.

We hop in the taxi to the San Ysidro border crossing. He drops us off and surprisingly there is someone to help us carry our stuff. We are shocked and stoked. We get to the mexico crossing and they just need to see that we have ID, they don’t need to check it BUT we lose our guy to help carry our stuff to walk across the final part. I’m excited because I knew with the wagon and the zip ties we brought that we could do it and I had been looking forward to consolidating everything without extra help. Matt was embarrassed. He kept describing us as Beverly Hill Billy but I don’t get embarrassed easily. I was completely stimulated. I had never walked across the border. It was all new and exciting for me-- until we got into San Ysidro and that was SCARY. More on that later.

So we get into the US Border, we get in line, it was a nice mexican/american lady. I think that was helpful. Women LOVE Summer. Even this woman, who questioned how an 18 month old didn’t have a. birth certificate, couldn’t help but comment on how beautiful Summer is with her red hair. She questioned us a little bit but not for long and then let us go. So the only difficult part was not being allowed to cross through CBX.

We get out of the building and need to get a ride home. It’s super sketchy in this area. Tons of drug addicts walking by, dark, scary. We sign up for an Uber XL, he’s 13 minutes away. The cop makes us move down the street so we aren’t on trolley property, Summer is crying because she’s thirsty. Matt runs to jack & the box to get water and leaves us alone on the street. That was the scariest part. I was just getting ready to duck incase gun shots went off. lol read to kick if someone came up with a knife. I was on high alert.

Our Toyota Highlander finally arrives. He said he didn’t think our stuff would fit. And to be honest, it didn’t. We left the stroller in the trash. It was the old, dirty, used Bob that I got on offer up that we all hate. It was nice to have in Mexico but I never want to use it again lol Once in the car the driver told us that if we didn’t have a baby and if I wasn’t pregnant, he wouldn’t have taken us!!! We were the fifth passengers in his brand new car that he did not want scratched up with our surf board, suitcases, dog crate, wagon, etc.

Our house in La Mesa is booked on airbnb until Feb 2 but our other property in Mission Hills is open for a few nights, Of our three properties, the mission hills home is the only one that I actually own. And I’ve never stayed in it, so it’s been fun to stay here, use the hot tub, enjoy the space! When we bought it, it was a flip, and we bought all of the staging furniture, as well, so it’s a really beautiful and modern home. The decor, the pillows, everything is so chic.

We put Summer down at midnight america time which is 2:00am mexico time. She slept until 4:45 american time so 6:45 mexico time. Not bad. We went to lazy acres for breakfast, got some groceries, Matt took Summer on a walk to balboa park. No stroller so back in the wagon for her. She went down at 9:40 am. I have been blogging, chatting with my dad, unpacking suitcases. It’s been a nice morning.

This afternoon we are signing our loan docs for the refinancing and hopefully heading to la mesa to get our car and stroller! woohoo! I hope Summer sleeps until noon!!! It’s 11 am now. Fingers crossed!!! She needs to catch up so we can get back to a normal sleep schedule!

Well, that’s the end of our travels. I still need to finish the previous blog post but THANK YOU to everyone who came along on this journey with us!!!!

I probably wont be blogging much until October when we plan to move to PALM BEACH FLORIDA for a few years while Matt starts a new pool business, invests in airbnb properties. We’ll see!! More to come from our new nomadic lifestyle!

Love you all! XO