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dimonds456 · 3 years ago

Note

*sees your tags about being salty about suf spinel*

YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT AND NOT SHARE YOUR SALT /LH

Okay, but I'm warning you, you asked for it.

LONG POST WARNING.

LIKE A REALLY, REALLY LONG POST WARNING.

Dimonds456 Presents: How They Did My Baby Dirty: An SUTM and SUF Analysis on Steven and Spinel (Told by a Progressively More and More Angry Narrator)

THE CONTEXT: There was a post talking about how you think a character will fix everything, but then they wind up making it works. My tags were "#*looks at suf spinel* #I am still salty about that like the bitch I am fghdjskgfa"

Grab some water, guys.

Let's start by talking about Steven for a moment. In the original show, when we were following him as a 12-14-year-old, we watched as he built up trauma and then learned how to hide it expertly well, to the point that most of the audience didn't even realize he was struggling.

You can actually pinpoint the seconds he makes those decisions, too. The best example is in "The Test," when he's storming up to the gems. He's pissed. His fists are clenched, he's got that anime eye shadow overlay on his face, he's frowning, all that. the Crystal Gems are clapping for him and lying to his face, and he KNOWS they are because he overheard them talking about how it was "impossible for him to fail" that test (- Garnet).

And yet... he also overheard them saying that they're just trying their best. They don't know what he needs. They never really have. No one is sure. So, Steven realizes that by picking a fight, he would just be making it worse for them because they would know they messed up, and nothing gets solved, and everyone gets more depressed and Amethyst and Pearl go back to fighting each other and- well, you get the picture. He doesn't have a full understanding of what's going on, so his kid brain went "so I can either be angry at them and cause problems, or I can tell them I did a good job to make them happy."

"I can lie to make them happy."

He storms down there angry, still mulling this decision over. He drops to the floor, frowning and pissed, and says "I can't believe you guys." He is so close to yelling at them, and yet, when he looks up at them...

"That was so... INSANE!"

You never would have been able to tell. It was right there. That moment. And then he never stops. For the ENTIRE REST of the series, he NEVER STOPS. He puts the Crystal Gems above himself every time. Think Rose's Scabbard, The Message, The Return/Jailbreak. The Cluster. Peridot. Dealing with Jasper. The zoo arc (ESPECIALLY the zoo arc). Aquamarine. Then pretty much the entirety of Season 5.

(NOTE: I went back and rewatched that scene for the screenshot. There is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lip tremble in there too! D,: )

He lives for the people around him, and not for himself. Almost never for himself.

Put a pin in that.

Now, let's look at his maturity. People thought that was just him being mature, right? That he grew up. No. That was not it at all. He was learning from his own behaviors as well as the people around him, and building up this idea that he had to "fight to be everything that everyone wants [him] to be when [he's] grown" (- Steven, the extended intro).

Yes, he matured, but not because of that. He started making various decisions to benefit the group that oftentimes he wasn't fully comfortable with, but something he believed would be better for everyone.

Put a pin in that.

Then, later in Future, we see it all manifest. He is selfless to a fault, to the point that he can't think of himself in a positive light in the sense that he's good. We see it a couple of times, but especially in "Prickly Pair," when he vents to Cactus Steven about everything that happened. He feels useless, which is taking a toll on his mental health.

"Why do I need to be needed?" He needs to be needed because that's everything he was as a kid. His entire IDENTITY rests on his ability to help other people, no matter what happens to him. He literally sacrificed himself for them countless times (the big one of course being the Aquamarine incident), and now as a teenager, his whole sense of self is wrapped up in this need to get up and do something to make the world better.

And when he can't make the world better, his world falls apart.

Put a pin in that.

Now, let's talk about Spinel, the moment we've all been waiting for.

Spinel, as a gem, was made specifically to be a friend. That is her niche, and her purpose. Her reason for existing. At first, she and Pink Diamond got along very well, as shown in the flashbacks right before Drift Away plays (I headcanon she has illusion powers and was literally projecting her trauma, but that's a completely different post).

She and Pink vibed together for who knows how long, until one day, Pink started to not like being around Spinel anymore, finding her annoying and childish. We don't know what really caused the switch, just that it did happen (but of course, I have headcanons for that, too). Spinel never realized until it was FAR too late.

Steven actually describes his younger self as annoying at one point during the Diamond Days arc, when he decides to throw the ball, so I'm legally allowed to make this comparison.

Steven and Spinel were the SAME. They were both young and dumb, and something that at least a few people found annoying. People put up with their BS though, since they cared about them. But, while Steven realized this and matured because of it (or bottled up his emotions, to each their own), Spinel never did. She never matured. She was never given a chance.

In the movie, we saw her as a child, and watched as she played with Pink and never tried to be or do anything else, to the point that Pink Diamond thought to realize she might be struggling (and maybe Spinel didn't, either!).

She lives for the people around him, and not for herself. Almost never for herself.

And when she can't be friends with this one person, her world falls apart.

Sound familiar? It should. I literally pulled from things I said earlier lol.

Spinel and Steven are mirror reflections of each other. Reset!Spinel is 14-year-old Steven, completely devoting her entire self to one idea. Steven's was helping others no matter what, Spinel's was serving Pink no matter what. Spinel is like a combination of 14 and 12-year-old Steven in this sense, honestly. Goofy, without a care in the world, except one thing: the people around her. She would do anything for Pink, just as Steven would do anything for his family.

Now, Pink Diamond left Spinel. We all know this story. She left Spins there in the garden for 6,000 years because she grew more mature and started a rebellion, effectively forgetting about this one gem she kinda stopped caring about standing there.

Personally, I don't think Pink had any malicious or even intentional intent in that, but this ain't about her. This is about how Spinel continued to sacrifice herself for Pink, even when Pink didn't need her to anymore. She wanted to please Pink 24/7, all day every day, to the point she self-sacrificed and stood perfectly still for her for millenia.

Now, back to Steven. The gems don't need him anymore in Future, right? They've all grown up and matured and headed off towards their own futures, effectively stranding him alone in terms of self-identity and self-worth. But he stays there, ready to assist at the drop of a hat, or- in Future's case- the call of a phone.

Episode 6 anyone? The one everyone says shouldn't be in Future? That it should have been cut to allow more focus on Steven himself? The fusion episode? YEAH. THAT. He is running himself RAGGED to try and help others, to give himself a purpose. He is self-sacrificing. (He's a professional, don't worry. /j)

Steven metaphorically planted his feet down and decided that he was going to devote himself to the people around him.

Spinel's feet were literally tied down soon after she made that very same decision.

Okay, enough with the backstory. Time for the salt.

In Future, Steven is at his lowest low. He is running to the Diamonds for help, to see if there is SOMETHING they can do to help him. And we first see Spinel.

Spinel has been through the ringer on a lot of the same mental problems Steven himself is facing. She self-isolated, watched as everyone grew up and left her, and then began to lash out because of it. She understands what he's going through. We even see her concerned as Steven starts to tell her why he's there.

Spinel takes him from Diamond to Diamond, until he's running out of White's room in a blind panic. Spinel is able to catch up with him, and Steven realizes the same. SHE GETS IT. He turns around and says "Hey, you used to have vengeful thoughts!"

Spinel replies "Ohhhhh yeah, but I don't have 'em anymore."

"How did you make them stop?"

She then goes on to sing Change to him, effectively cutting that conversation short.

On paper, that sounds very in-character for her. She's goofy! And that is what worked for her! But the problem is that they had to dumb her down in order to make that character decision work. In the movie, she was shown to be observant and able to put two and two together, even if she often jumps to conclusions (see her being the one to figure out that the gems needed to remember their "pieces," as she remembers the Garden, her re-realizing what Pink did, and her meltdown later when she reactivates the injector).

Spinel is smart. It should have been in character for her to realize that Steven was panicking just as she had been, and needed to be talked to gently. But no. Instead, she starts belting out Change, which given Steven's situation, would not work for him.

At the very least, she would have started doing little tricks or started trying to get him to join a game, which would have taken his mind off of it (to her anyways, that wouldn't have worked either), which then could have prompted further discussion.

Then, once they finally start talking, Spinel could have been able to share some legitimate advise. She was hurt and lashed out. What worked for her was opening up to others and letting them in, learning to trust again (which Steven also has problems with- he can't trust that the Gems won't break down the second he turns his back. Trust does NOT equal love, there is no doubt he loves them to no end), and allowing other people in.

That is what Steven needed, too. He needed to let his guard down and just talk to someone. Sure, Spinel was not going to be a fix-all, but she could have at least offered some insight on what to do.

She UNDERSTANDS him. They are a reflection of each other.

But instead of offering help, Spinel made it worse. She was dumbed down to allow the rest of Future to happen, to make Steven feel even worse. Because- and here's the kicker- because the one person who MIGHT understand him doesn't, that means there's no hope for him.

At least, that's how he sees it. And so, the denial- and "Everything's Fine"- begins.

Here's the thing, though; they DIDN'T NEED to make that decision. If the Crew wanted to have Spinel not understand Steven, then draw the line of her being a Gem from Era 1, used to the Diamonds shattering people.

Steven has killed Jasper and revived her at this point, so maybe Spinel offers that at least he's trying to get better, just like the other Diamonds! See, they're doing so great now! And then that makes him feel worse since he IS trying to do better, but is only failing, while the Diamonds- who were MADE to be nasty dictators- are doing better than him.

The Diamonds shattered a lot of people, and they're doing better than Steven, who has only shattered one person, and not even on purpose. How horrible is that?

Then boom. THERE'S your angst, with a much smarter, more helpful Spinel.

Look, I knew going in that Spinel wasn't going to be able to help. The finale had to happen somehow, and we hadn't seen Wormy Boi yet. I have always been a storng believer of the corrupted Steven theory, so I knew it was bound to happen. But I was hoping that Spinel would at least try. But she really didn't. She just brushed him off, offering really loose advise that didn't even fit his situation and thinking that would be enough.

No. It's not.

I can see where the Crew was coming from. I still love that episode, and I love seeing Spins in it (until that exact moment). This is probably the only thing in SU that genuinely gets me mad. Or, well, maybe not mad, but definitely annoyed and- you guessed it- salty.

I have an unfinished fic where I kinda delve into Spinel's head for that episode called "A New Start". If you really want my thoughts on where Spinel's head was at, there's a bit in there that really explains it. In the fic, Steven decides to rejuvenate himself and brings Spinel along with him, and that's all the context you need for this.

I cannot explain that moment in the climax of the episode, though. Maybe she thought it would make him feel better, or that maybe he really did just need to open his eyes and see the error of his ways (which doesn't make sense, he KNOWS what he did). Maybe she thought that being silly would help somehow.

But you'd think she'd learn from her time with Pink as she grew more annoyed with her, but apparently not. Or maybe she would realize for a second that being loud and annoying was bad. Or maybe she doesn't learn.

Either way, it- and she- was dumb. And they did my baby dirty.

*drops mic and walks away*

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mrvdocks · 4 years ago

Text

Nightcall P.1

Request/Summary: Kurt is obsessive over a model and kidnaps her, taking her along for the ride of the night.

After

The flurry of phones ringing off the hook and background noise felt foreign to you, it was just a buzzing in your ear. You pulled the safety blanket around you closer, grabbing it in fistfuls. You don’t know how long you’ve been here, but it feels like hours. The fluorescent in the room probably only made you look even worse for wear than you were hours before, but it didn’t matter now. In a span of 24 hours, your life had changed.

The guarded door opened and an officer pulled up a chair in front of you, dropping photos of the gruesome scene you’d seen firsthand. She slides the photos closer, her thumb obscuring the killer’s face. You didn’t need to see it a second time.

“You were found in the residence of Mr. Kunkle, with one Jessie Adams and a John Doe, who seems to have been the victim of Mr. Kunkle’s spree amongst others.”

Even his name brings chills down your spine.

“I already told the police everything.” You say groggily, your throat still sore from the whole ordeal.

“Yes, but there seems to be some doubt on your partnership with Mr. Kunkle. Footage, eyewitness accounts,” she’s studying you no doubt. Any sort of tick or movement you made without thought that could somehow lead her to think you were lying about anything you had explained earlier.

“What was your relationship with Mr. Kunkle?” She pries, bringing multiple photos of Kurt to be splayed out in front of you. Some good, some bad, some….disturbing.

“I - none. He just knew me through the socials.”

“And you were also the target of his mania.” There’s something unsettling in how much she’s liking interrogating you. You ignore it.

“You think it’s my fault he did this.”

It was not your fault. None of this was. Kurt was just too power hungry. Maybe you were too trusting. You didn’t want to see Kurt for what he really was until it was too late.

“I’m not saying it’s your fault, but your compliance does seem suspicious.”

“I-I didn’t know him very well. He was just my Spree driver for a day. But he was always nice to me.”

“He was also your kidnapper.”

“Like I said, he was a nice guy.” Your voice breaks.

They’re all nice guys until they aren’t.

“And you didn’t think to call the authorities when you were alone? Were you helping him lure these people?”

You can feel her eyes burning into you.

“I’m not stupid,” you cry. “I know how this sounds. But I’m telling you, he gave me a ride and then he - all of this. Oh God.”

You bring your shaky hands to run through your worn and tired face, specks of dried blood still prominent even through many washes with soap. It’s another way Kurt managed to stay with you.

“Let’s start at the beginning,” she sits back with her arms folded. “And spare no detail.”

Before

He scrolls through your feed for the millionth time today.

Photos of you on your daily walks, exploring hidden LA gems, posting places you were shooting at, people you were hanging out with, all at the touch of a button for him. The bell notification alerts him, telling him that you’ve posted. He taps the screen in the blink of an eye, meeting your face as you giggle about falling while skating.

You pout as you show the damage, remarking that it was lucky you weren’t shooting that day otherwise you would’ve had to cover up on such a hot day.

In a vain industry, you try to keep yourself humble and that’s what he loves about you. Though he’s never met you, he thinks you could live up to the image he’s created of you. One that matches your optimistic and humorous one.

He re watches your story, pausing at random moments where he screenshots and saves to his photos. His home screen is a shot of you in black and white, seemingly topless from chest down and looking back with an enticing smile. He loves the way your hair frames your face, the way pieces of it were meticulously picked out to give it a sort of messy look.

You could make anything look good, he thinks.

Bobby gives him a hard time about you, bragging about how he knows you and that although you’re more well known than he is, you are the one who should be grateful for his exposure.

Kurt thinks it’s bullshit but he wouldn’t be surprised if it were true, maybe you’d come around to meet him one day.

The vibration of a text brings him out of his daze, seeing Bobby’s name in big bold letters.

He can’t believe his eyes when he opens the text. It’s an off guard video of you behind Bobby, giggling at something on your phone before noticing that he’s recording and flashing a cheeky smile and a peace sign.

“Found your girlfriend.” Bobby mocks before erupting into hysterical laughter.

Kurt replays it until his phone dies, Bobby’s words echoing in his head.

An idea pops into his head, it would be difficult if he didn’t know your exact routine but thanks to your fan accounts and the power of gossip blogs, it’s a definite success.

He calls Bobby immediately, hearing him and his entourage in the background as they talked about a video idea.

“What do you want, Kurt? I’m busy right now.” His annoyance is clear but Kurt is way too focused on you to notice.

“I need a favor.”

It’s amazing what the internet contains about a person. It’s also quite terrifying. Through just a few minutes of research, he’s found out your schedule along with where you went to school, where you live and your closest friends.

In a photo Bobby had taken, the location of the next shoot you had taking place somewhere was barely visible.

He connects the dots, thinking about how your involvement could help him get #TheLesson out and make him a household name.

And it’s exactly what he does the day of. He parks near your neighborhood, foot bouncing and anxiously looking at his phone. He declines the others in hopes of finding you according to the schedule. You almost never use your real name on anything when going out but he recognizes your fake name and location, he puts the car into drive and talks himself up.

He parks across the street, giving him a better view of you.

His heart skitters when he sees you look in his direction, your brows quirk up as you give him an easy smile and cross carefully.

You stop and bend to meet him at the passenger window, “Kurt, right?”

His name coming out of your mouth is something he’s dreamed of since he first saw you. He almost pinches himself to know if this is real.

He knows he’s grinning like an idiot because you laugh at his speechlessness.

“Sorry,” he motions to the backseat, “Hop in!”

“I take it you know who I am.”

You’re not oblivious to your recognition, but with some guys it was just always a hit or miss. They either wanted you to take your top off or asked for some weird things.

“Are you kidding? I’m like your biggest fan.” He beams, going back on the road.

You’re not good at accepting compliments, so all you can manage is a shy smile and a, “Thanks!”

You notice his set up of cameras and ask him about it, to which he says they’re just for protection. Throughout the ride you learn more about him, particularly that he was going something the next day called The Lesson. He had a very particular view about this digital world you both lived in, talking about these odd jobs he’d been doing along with trying to build up his following. In between talking about himself, he mentions Bobby and the events of last night from the video.

“Oh right, Bobby.” You roll your eyes at the mention of his name.

Bobby was a pain in your ass sometimes, acting all high and mighty all the time and just like he was the overall shit.

“Yeah he’s alright. He could just tone it down a little.”

“Oh yeah - definitely, he was the same when he was a kid. Just pure chaotic energy.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

In between other conversations, Kurt brought back the spotlight to you, asking you about different people you hung out with. It was pleasant conversation, you felt like you were talking to an old friend and letting off some steam. The red flags hadn’t gone off just yet.

To let loose and make you live a little, Kurt races past a red light and nearly misses being in a collision.

It startles you but he assures you there’s no danger.

“You trust me right?” He asks, glancing back to you.

“I mean, yeah.”

The confirmation is validation to him. It’s all he needed to begin.

He picks up another passenger, an older man who definitely did not hide the way he was staring at your body. You’re thankful for sitting a little father from him but when Kurt initiates conversation with him, everything goes downhill.

“I know you from somewhere.” The man points out, his obvious staring makes you cringe as you stay silent.

“You’re that model, I’ve seen your stuff around Westwood. Bangin’ body.”

You can feel the anger in your chest rise as Kurt finally notices.

“What’s going on?” He glances to the back, meeting your shifting eyes.

The man ignores him. “Sweetheart when someone compliments you, the nice thing to do is smile.”

That did it.

“Excuse me? I don’t owe you shit!” You grit.

“Whoa! Whoa! Sir you can’t be saying that anymore.” Kurt changes lanes, ready to stop if the situation gets worse.

“She should be proud she doesn’t look like her people. All of ‘em just fat and lazy.”

“Excuse me?! My people?” You’re sure you don’t look the least bit intimidating but it doesn’t matter. You were willing to kick this man’s ass if need be.

Kurt pulls off the the side of the road, “Alright, get out.”

“What? No, I paid for this ride fair and square. I’m not leaving for shit. I can say what I want.” He says adamantly.

“Sir if you make those comments again I’m going to have to cancel the Spree.”

Something clicks in Kurt’s head as he remembers the water bottles.

He motions for you to take the passenger seat which you do without much hesitation.

Kurt waits a minute before merging again, glancing at the man every so often and taking more desolate streets. You don’t notice the absence of cars and you definitely don’t notice when the man takes a bottle and practically chugs it.

Kurt smirks as he slows down. “Hey maybe you should let them know you’re not going to make it.”

Confused, you glance at Kurt and then at the man who’s now starting to grab at his throat and coughing violently.

Your eyes widen as you attempt to get Kurt to stop the car but he doesn’t move, instead he keeps his eyes trained on the road.

“Kurt, stop the car.”

The man’s coughs get worse by the second and he turns a very bright red.

“Kurt! Stop the car!”

You’re frozen, helpless to watch the man as he tries to grab at Kurt from behind but coughs up blood and passes out in the backseat. You slink back in your seat, utterly terrified of what just happened.

Adrenaline and fear course through you. You side eye Kurt who is not as affected by this as you are as he merely readjusts his camera.

You begin to hyperventilate and try the passenger door. When it doesn’t budge you shut your eyes and cry.

“I won’t say anything. I won’t I promise. I promise, Kurt. Please.”

Kurt sighs as he retrieves a piece of cloth from his pocket. Your eyes widen as he comes close and pins you in your seat and smothers you with the cloth. You struggle under him, pushing against his chest to no avail.

The smell of the chloroform inundates your senses and in a matter of seconds you feel your eyes roll back and everything go black.

Once you’re knocked out, Kurt takes both your phone and the other passengers to knock suspicion off of him. He has plans for the racist prick in the back, but for you, he has much bigger plans.

#kurt kunkle #kurt kunkle x reader #spree #haha i'm not dead just suffering from writers block

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saphyhowl · 4 years ago

Text

Chapter one: Encounter

Here it is. I know it’s not very long but I will continue tomorrow for part two. The fic I asked your thoughts about. Hope you like it. Again sorry for the long wait.

Edit: I added part two

“And on your right, you may admire the work of Jacques-Louis David, “the Coronation of Napoleon” painted in 1807. It took the artist two years to finish the painting. It is not only imposing because of its size but also by the…”

A young woman in a formal suit guided a group of visitors through the gallery in the Denon part of the Louvre museum. While the visitors admired the painting, the guide waved discreetly at a young man standing on the sidelines. He looked visibly bored but managed a timid smile as the woman waved at him. He strode towards her, his boredom noticeable even in the way he walked.

“I’ll be done in a few hours, why don’t you grab something to eat or maybe take a stroll outside. I know museums are not the funniest thing to see for a 19-year-old,” the woman said with a chuckle.

“No worries sis, I’ll grab something to eat at the “Paul” bakery. Text me when you’re done?” the young man answered.

The sister nodded and went on to describe the other paintings to her group. She glanced one last time at her brother’s figure among the visitors. The young man put his headphones on as he strode towards the exit. He scrolled through his phone to find the playlist that would suit his mood and nearly bumped into an elegant-looking man.

“Sorry,” he mouthed at the elegant man and continued walking.

A moment later he sat on a bench munching on a sandwich. Someone sat next to him but he paid them no mind. A tap on his arm. He looked up. It was the elegant man from before.

“Well, we meet again,” said the elegant man.

The brother smiled politely and took another bite from his sandwich.

“You can call me Comte,” the gentleman added as he stretched out his hand.

“Louis,” answered the young man as he stared at Comte’s outstretched hand, visibly refusing to shake it.

“What is your favorite painting in the Louvre museum?” Comte asked.

“None. I don’t like museums,” Louis answered as he immediately took another bite from his sandwich. Hopefully, that way the weird man would stop talking to him.

“I thought so. A pity. Paintings are a heritage, they have many stories to tell us,” Comte commented.

“I am sure they do sir,” Louis said as he looked away in annoyance.

“Le Sacre de Napoleon is a masterpiece. However, you must visit the Musée d’Orsay as well. The paintings there are filled with life,”

“I will,” Louis said with a loud sigh.

“Make sure to go with a knowledgeable guide, otherwise you might miss a few gems,” Comte added.

Louis nodded and continued to munch on his sandwich.

“Well, then Louis. I bid you farewell. Take in my beautiful city of Paris, she has yet to offer you plenty of treasures,” Comte nodded his head and walked away.

“What a freak,” Louis mumbled to himself.

He was about to reach for his soda bottle as he noticed a leather wallet next to him. Louis cursed under his breath as he knew what he was about to do.

A few hours later.

“Are you sure he never left the Denon area?” a young woman asked the security guard as he replayed the security footage.

“No Mademoiselle Sophie,” the security guard answered.

Sophie saw the footage for the fifth time. There was her brother passing through the gates leading to the Denon area at 1:32 pm. She held her head in her hand.

“This cannot be happening,” she whispered.

“It’s been past closing time Mademoiselle. Have you tried his cellphone again?” the security guard inquired.

She nodded and took out her phone. She tapped on her brother’s contact and held her phone to her ear.

“Come on. Come on. Answer idiot…”

She heard the familiar beeping that announced her call had gone straight to voicemail.

“Maybe he went already home Sophie?” suggested someone behind her. It was Alicia, one of Sophie’s colleagues.

“Maybe you are right Alicia. I will go check and if not then I will go straight to the police. He knows nothing about Paris and it’s getting late,” Sophie decided as she went to grab her bag and coat.

Sophie watched the city lights pass by the window as she sat in the subway. The closer she got to her stop the more nervously her knees jumped up and down. She practically ran towards her tiny apartment. She dropped her keys a few times because her hands trembled with anticipation. She opened the door and shouted her brother’s name. She shouted again as she entered her apartment. The apartment was dark and was exactly as she had left it before heading to work this morning. She shouted her brother’s name again storming into each room. No one.

Sophie crouched down and called her brother’s phone one more time. Voicemail. She looked at her phone and selected another contact. The sharp light from her phone hurt her eyes or maybe the tears she held back started to sting her eyes.

“Hello?” a voice came out of the speaker.

“Mom? I-I lost Louis,” Sophie managed to say before bursting into tears.

A few hours later, Sophie sat in front of a police officer, telling the middle-aged officer what had occurred. Sophie tried her best to recall any detail that could be decisive for the investigation. Another officer handed her a paper cup with what seemed to be coffee. She gave them a faint smile. The middle-aged officer spoke with Sophie it took her a moment to understand their explanations. All of this seemed surreal. The busy police station even at night, the neon lights. The office was busy with people doing paperwork. Sophie was sitting there filing a missing person report for her younger brother just like in any trailer movie. However, the heavy truth was nowhere comparable to what any series could transmit. She had lost her brother for whom she had always looked out for. Sophie felt as if part of herself went missing for good that day as well.

The police officer gave her a business card with a number on it.

“If you need to talk, we have a few people here who are specialized in helping families cope with the situation,” the officer explained.

Sophie took the business card and thanked the police officer.

“We will be at the Louvre tomorrow to investigate possible leads. We will let you know if we find something,” the other officer added.

Sophie managed to blurt out a few words of gratitude and exited the station. She caught sight of a familiar man leaning against a car.

“Antoine,” Sophie whispered and smiled.

The man named Antoine held out his hands to take hers. She rested her forehead against his shoulder.

“This is a nightmare,” she said as series of sobs took over.

Antoine held her in his arms until she had calmed down a little.

“It is not your fault. He will show up again, ok? Let’s go back to your place and get some rest,” Antoine suggested as he opened the door of his car.

The next day, at the police station.

“Our colleagues have scanned every profile of the visitors and staff on that day and none of them match with the man we see here,” explained the policewoman to his lieutenant as she circled the zoomed face of an elegant-looking man.

The lieutenant gazed at the different screenshots from the security footage showing the missing Louis with an unidentified man.

“How could anyone pass the heavy security of the Museum?” the lieutenant wondered.

“We found something else,” the policewoman showed him another screenshot.

The lieutenant looked closer and recognized Louis. The young man was following the suspect through a door.

“Where does that door lead?”

The policewoman turned pale.

“Now now Marie, it cannot be that bad,” the lieutenant encouraged the policewoman.

“Nothing,” she answered.

“What do you mean exactly with nothing?” the lieutenant asked.

“A storage room for flyers and whatnot. There are no windows, no shafts, nothing that could lead them out, except the same door they went through,” Marie explained.

The lieutenant sat back in his chair. He had seen a lot of cases in his lengthy career. However, this one was fairly new and slightly worrying.

“I’ll make a call. This, dear Marie, is bigger than I anticipated,” the lieutenant added before getting up to make a call. This case was out of his hands.

#Trouverlouis

Paris was on fire. At least the social network was. The social media of every Parisian was showing and sharing one hashtag, a plea for help from a desperate sister. Sophie was in the kitchen, her phone on the table could not stop buzzing ever since she had followed her friends' advice. She had placed her faith in the algorithms of Instagram and every other network that might help to obtain hints on her brother’s whereabouts. However, after a month, the shares and posts resulted in lots of public empathy but few leads.

Sophie sat on a chair and stared at a picture hanging on her fridge door. The unidentified man who took away her brother Louis. She remembered the day she went to the police station with her mother this time. After they had told them another unit had taken over the case because of the lack of leads, her mother had thrown a tantrum. She insulted every policeman with every imaginable name. However, all the commotion dulled out as she saw the portrait one police officer had handed to her, explaining that she was allowed to use it to see if anyone in her circle could identify him. Ironically, no one recognized him.

Sophie looked at the portrait, eyes filled with pure hate. The pure-hearted, art and history passionate Sophie had made a vow to personally strangle the life out of this man. She grabbed her purse and went to the Louvre as she did every day for work. However, this time she went to stand for the umpteenth time in front of the door through which her brother never came back.

The door looked insignificant as usual, noted Sophie. She was alone in the area, it was yet too early for the storm of visitors to invade the halls of the Louvre Museum. Sophie sighed. The police had explained that it was a mere storage room of two square feet. She had looked at it many times during the past weeks. She lazily put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door, she knew what to expect.

Sophie let out a scream. The stack of cardboard from yesterday was gone, the pile of flyers and maps as well. The storage room looked more like an old corridor from the Louvre with a velvet rug, old paintings on each side of the walls.

“Mademoiselle Sophie,” a voice whispered. It came from the far end of the corridor.

Sophie fumbled with her purse and took out her phone to take a picture.

“Mademoiselle Sophie,” the voice repeated.

Sophie searched through her phone and was about to leave a voice message to her boyfriend Antoine.

“Sophie” another voice whispered.

Sophie shuddered; she knew that voice very well. It belonged to Louis.

“Antoine, I think I found a lead. I’ll send you a picture,” Sophie whispered on her phone, her voice a mix of fear and joy.

She released her finger from the recording button. She was about to tap onto the picture she had just taken to send it to Antoine. Something or someone pushed her into the corridor causing her to drop her phone. The door slammed behind her and Sophie was drawn towards the other end.

“No no no no. Let me out! Let me go! Please let me go! Alicia! Anyone! Get me out of here, please!”

On the other side of the storage door, Sophie’s phone rested on the floor. The screen shifted as a call entered, the name “ANTOINE” appeared on the screen. The phone buzzed in the still empty museum.

#Ikemen Vampire #IkeVamp #ikevamp fics #ikemen vampire napoleon #ikemen vampire arthur #ikevamp sebastian #ikemen vampire theo #ikemen vampire le comte #ikemen vampire leonardo #ikemen vampire vincent #ikemen vampire isaac #ikemen vampire dazai #ikemen vampire jean

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made-with-magic · 4 years ago

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I was going through old pics on my phone and found this gem of a screenshot

#jaddens addendums

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spacedimentio · 6 years ago

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Save the Light Impressions

I recently became interested in what Hessonite’s deal was and since it’ll be a long time before I’ll be able to get the game, I decided to just watch a cutscene compilation (this one, if it matters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy5tOb3gzLY). Dunno why I’m taking down all my reactions, just cause it’s fun I guess. Enjoy

RIP Car Wash

What even is the prism? It's not a gem, right? But it's clearly got conscious thought, even Hessonite talks to it like a person

haha Greg called her a glittery space lady, accurate

it's a little OOC that Greg wanted to come along. at least he's having fun tho. aww, steven's so proud of him :D

actually, what's Hessonite even doing. Why didn't she fuck off back to space once she found the prism

yeah that's totally not a triforce with six arms or anything. it's not the diamond authority symbol either i don't think, the triangles in that all meet in the middle

Mayor of Bummertown

I would have named the boss Dave, zero hesitation

"Our prism is in another castle!" i love you steb

oh no, bad memory time at Bismuth's forge :( I hope she'll be playable in the next one (i would scream forever if there was a playable diamond)

did Steven really just answer the phone with Myello? Oh IT'S PERI. Aaaand we're learning about RPG mechanics. Meta.

frozen donuts are a thing?! :o

it's her. the square. she seems to be almost identical to how our peridot used to be, so i wonder what the difference in personality is. Aside from her favorite insult being pebble instead of clod

ah yes, ye old tennis match

man i love that you can form fusions in this game

oh lord, i don't wanna imagine what chaos would happen with two peridots. also Greg is taking ice damage during the cutscene, help him

oh no, they're meeting. of course the first thing Squaridot says is "WHY ARE YOU NAKED" (and they obvs flipped her sprite cause the gem's her other eye now)

hey look, new insults for my list of gem related curse words

weird, angry mirror indeed. imagine what they could do if they were friends!

oh RIP. why do you get to choose who murders Squaridot. I hope for more multi-peridot action in the future

wait, what machine did you rip that off of and when

i already knew Peri was playable but it's still cool. i love how she flutters her feet when she jumps! i wonder who the DLC character is going to be (lapis, probably. Bismuth would be metal, though)

"Clod-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named" oh my god i love you

"Whatchu talkin' bout Peri" the best, they're the best

Oh so wow, Hessonite is THE Hessonite, huh. Real famous. If she came out as a Crystal Gem, it would sure cause a stir

Yeah I was also wondering why she's sticking around instead of just leaving? and she is kind of leaving her troops scattered all over the place with no rhyme or reason

these are great names. The Great and Terrible Spikey McSpikeball! of course the guy playing picked the most boring one

i love how Peridot just fucking yeets her tablet to attack

sugilite tiny!

you know, i was gonna get this game anyway at some point, but it's nice to know that it's the kind of rpg i like, one where you can participate in the attacking and blocking process.

how dare you switch out peridot for pearl. you know what, next game i hope you can be everyone all the time cause there's too many good characters to pick from

whatchu doing up here pizza lady

yeah they just...all ran right in front of her directly in her line of vision and she didn't see them somehow

oh the prism is resisting. it really took Steven's words to heart last game

Hess my dear, is this prism your only friend (oh my god that's totally it isn't it)

is the wiki sure she can't teleport cause holy fuck is she fast

"Gugh, Peridot, this is just like when we tried to hunt you down. But worse...cause, y'know, she's actually threatening." rude

huh. i don't remember the pyramid temple blowing up and leaving debris, i thought the whole thing disintegrated cause it was a construct of the gem it was housing. looking at screenshots of Serious Steven it definitely did explode

are they really trying to tell me there was a pyramid under the pyramid and no one noticed

call it the Spooky Basement! call it the Spooky Basement! you disappoint me, player, although Secret Temple of Secrets isn't so bad

*steven rolls cheerfully through a skeleton and then everyone jumps down a big hole* um

yo there's a mural of Rose fighting some light warriors! that's rad as shit!

*gets to the hallway with the torches that turn on as you go by* gee i sure wish i could watch this with sound, but alas i am recovering from ear fatigue and it would be a bad idea.

oh my god he reset her preferences no wonder she's pissed XD

HOLY FUCKING CHRIST RIP AMETHYST AND PERIDOT GODDAMN AND GARNET TOO PIZZA LADY STRONK

wow she really is a genuine threat, she forced Rose and Pearl to give ground back in the day

oh no you did not just say that Pearl should come with you. fuck her up, P!

also i just realized that she is really tall. like 10 feet tall at least

aw no fair you can't just flashbang them all you dink

oh it's sapphire. wait has connie even met ruby and sapphire in the show? did we not get to see it?!

where the fuck even are you guys, i could swear that connie and greg fell off the platform into the abyss

wait, they don't have new forms, did they even regenerate? i don't think connie was out cold for that long. did they even poof? i saw colored clouds of dust but no gemstones. i mean, i know this is a game and all but it's also canon so ???

and peridot is breaking the fourth wall by commenting how you can't force her to sit at home at the moment

ancient thingamajig. wow is thingamajig a real word, my spellcheck is not yelling at me about it

yeah connie! kick her ass for me!

since when are gems into riddles. i wonder if anyone has made much headway into translating the written gem language yet, last i heard they hadn't made much progress. apparently only Steven Sugar knows what all the symbols mean

wait steven was watching connie and greg's parties running around that whole time? i guess even the game never leaves steven's POV. where even is he, in the prism realm? oh, the place was turning pink for a minute until he went towards the sparkly thing

steven is always accessing memories isn't he. at least these aren't his mom's this time

you might be getting sick of her steve but i'm sure not!

from far away it really looks like she's chillin' with a martini glass and i was about to scream

corruption beam :(

was he just like passed out on the floor somewhere hallucinating

aww, he picks up the light steven exp by hugging it :o

"Just feeling a little...light headed." i...puns?

the Light Warrior is the final boss of the first game right? ...i should have probably watched a video about that one first

oh i just had a thought! if they make a third one then we get to have Rainbow 2.0 and Sunstone and Obsidian in it! :D

woah, trippy. tbh steven's connection to the prism is kind of strange. i wanna know exactly where that thing came from and why it's so deeply connected to him now. did Hessonite have visions like this when it was hers?

yeah that's... if a place is connected by warp pad, wouldn't it be easy to find by just warping randomly? unless separate warp networks are a thing but still, you'd just have to sneak onto a CG warp pad and go. ....how do warps even work, they can go through roofs and stuff and there's like this whole other dimension with all the warps like stars in the background and ???

how does the forge even do an upgrade with no Bismuth. maybe i should stop trying to fit this into canon details

what makes you think Hessonite could see you? is this some Voldemort Harry Potter connection shit. is that actually how she found the forge, this game ain't explain much

oh that's...that's a big oof. bismuth was working on a huge-ass statue of Rose before they got into their argument

"i saw her again" what no you didn't, that was just a white screen with a text box

"Beats me how any of this whacky prism stuff works!" ...i feel called out

why does that bigger spaceship look like a funky piece of headwear to me

well, at least it's closer than the moon

oh what, Lion didn't come with you? didn't you need multiple roar warps to get to space last time, just above the earth still seems kind of far, also how did he know the coordinates of the ship, he could have easily sent them all into the void

?! and then he's there?!? already asleep? how???????

aww what you're going to tease me with a citrine guard but not let me see her?

freaky. strangely organic looking technology is nothing new but i don't think i've seen stuff oozing through it before

"Look at you, acting as though you have the moral high ground!" *shakes fist angrily* She's like Emerald, but better! I can't

i guess he did kind of steal it, but it was more like finders keepers really

whuh has the prism always been able to talk?

"a Prism" oh no are there more? probably

woah that's a big boy. What the heck does Spectral Conclusion mean. and the prism is inside it instead of it being a separate creation, interesting

aww, it's looking at itself in confusion. Steven reaches out to it with his words, as he does

the prism isn't really...doing a lot of attacking (cause the player is picking the right choices probably). oh nevermind, it has a hugely damaging rainbow cannon

/r/murderedbywords, except in a good way

"Destroy Steven!" huh since when does she know his name? she could have gotten it from several places, really

oh oh oh! it's pizza time! standing in the middle of them is probably not the best idea, but look at her, she's exuding confidence!

wait wait wait, when the player used a healing move, did i just see an option to heal the prism? or at least, it's health bar showed up. is it gonna help later?

can i have like, a full sprite sheet for Hessonite please and thanks

if this was in the show, steven would be dead from that hit

aaand Steven did two points of damage with his shield bash, she ain't even flinch

pearl what are you doing

wow, she also only did a few points of damage

is Hess like, super tough. i love how much of a threat she is, cause most Homeworld gems we've seen aren't all that scary

oh! oh! you can heal the prism! that's probably how you damage her cause you'd be here forever chipping away otherwise

HOLY FUCK, SHE JUST DID 270 POINTS OF DAMAGE, THAT'S LITERALLY ALL OF SUGILITE'S HEALTH. I know the wiki says that attack does massive damage but jeezus!

so far the prism hasn't done anything, they're just chipping away at her slowly

oh, so gems do poof in this game. i guess we're just ignoring new forms because it wouldn't make sense in the timeline if we didn't

huh, does pearl inflict burns in this game? oh and she shoots fireballs, guess that answers my question.

it's kind of sad that the status is doing more damage than everyone else combined

whuh, she just attacked the prism! RUDE.

stop beating up the prism you degenerate! i guess i shouldn't be shocked

hey, Garnet and Amethyst are alive again. ah finally, some damage now that Garnet's lowered her defense

A-Amethyst, you're facing the wrong way. i wish Hess had targeted her with her big attack, then i could have made an "oh no she has airpods in" joke

oh, but the player formed Smoky, so she's not even aiming at anyone in particular anymore lol. she went for Pearl tho, fuckin' eviscerated

is this battle normally this long, it's been almost 10 minutes

this battle would probably be much harder if she didn't waste her turn being a bitch and attacking the prism. gee, and you wonder why it doesn't want to listen to you after encountering steven's kindness. i wonder...what would happen if you let the prism's HP get to zero? it would take a long ass time but...now i really wanna know but i doubt there’s any videos about it!

garnet's rocket fist did damage to the prism cause Hess is standing next to it. c-can you attack the prism, is that how you get the bad ending??

man, they haven't even had to heal because she's just beaten up on that poor thing for the past 10 turns. i mean, really, she could easily murder all of them in a heartbeat if she wanted

ok finally, she is defeato. I'd feel more sad for you if you didn't abuse your subordinates (definitely has detracted from my liking of her, i won't be too hard on her for it though because Homeworld is bad like that and she doesn't know better). at least you’re good at eating your humble pie without complaint

oh, i guess you get to choose your ending? it's kind of weird that it's not like, influenced by your game choices. cause technically like this it's your choice, not the prism's choice. so what was with the prism having health then. was it just to show how awful Hessonite is to it?

also, i can't look at light Steven without thinking of Pink!Steven and hhhhh

"You're a wise creature, aren't you?" Yes, yes he is *nods sagely* I hope you come back someday to learn more from him

You're pretty adaptive, huh Hess? of course, if you've been having these thoughts and feelings for thousands of years you're probably not too shaken up by the realization that they're true. That’s actually pretty great of you to want to figure yourself out.

ha, so Garnet didn't let her leave like the wiki made it sound like, she just yeeted away, and good luck catching anyone who can move at 5 million miles per hour

the gems are running in place in the next scene and Amethyst is backwards again. connie is also facing the wrong way. ...this game's a bit jank, isn't it :P not that i mind, a little jank is fun!

Peridot breaking the fourth wall with her Are Pee Gee again. I wonder which one it is. Golf Quest Mini?

do you get anything for 100 percenting this? oh, i guess there's achievements. no bonus content tho?

Lapis: I think I could use a break.

i for one would like to know what book the prism was reading. also, it's back to not talking again.

AWW YIS! We goin' out for pizza tonight bois!

The gems finally get to stop running in place in the corner

aaww, it's a beach scene reminiscent of the opening. kind of weird that greg is the only one animated but still cute

also someone's last name is Gooch and i feel bad for them

alright now to google Hessonite's VO... Christine Baranski. Are-Are we just hiring broadway singers for everyone now? not only would I die if Hessonite made an appearance in season 6, my soul would reach the farthest realms of space if she sang a song on top of that.

well, that's a wrap! time to jot down all of Hess's dialogue for later reference! It’s a crime that there’s so few fanfics about her, she actually has a lot of potential!

#steven universe #save the light #hessonite #su #reaction #liveblog

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spinspinfallinlove · 7 years ago

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I was going through old pictures on my phone and I found this little gem of a screenshot.

#nwtb #this is halloween

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rosarkahamill · 7 years ago

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***TRAVELTIPS*** I've had a ridiculously busy year of travelling, and on my various trips I've had a lot of different experiences. I'm currently in the last leg of planning my biggest adventure yet: a 12 day solo-trip to Cuba, happening in 6 weeks time! As a part of this I figured I could share some tips I've gathered through my trips and experiences. Hopefully at least some of them will be useful for others, and maybe even get someone to take a trip they otherwise wouldn't have dared to go on? Who knows! 1: GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND You can save yourself from a lot of hazzle with some basic searches on google. "Best area to stay in [name of place]" for instance will often lead you to reviews, travelblogs, yahoo answers etc. These are great for travel to places you haven't visited before, because you'll get a much bigger and more honest overview of a place than just reading reviews (which should be your next step, but more specified to hotels/accommodation in the area you found from using this tip). Often people who actually live in the area will tell answer these type posts and give honest feedback on where to stay and which places to avoid. When I was in Lithuania last year, a guy who lived parts of the year in Vilnius told me on the bus to town that the hotel I had picked was in the worst area of the city because of drugs and prostitution. I wasn't rattled though, and even though I stayed out late at night I was perfectly fine, but, I could probably have gotten a hotel in a nicer area for a similar price if I'd done my research first. Speaking of which… 2: RESEARCH AND READ REVIEWS So the "R" word might sound boring, but, it's one of the most essential tips I can give you. Also, if you go about it with the right attitude, researching for a trip can actually be a lot of fun! When you're looking for a place to stay, whether it's a hotel or private accommodation, take your time to read reviews. Specifically, I look at a few of the reviews that give top marks, and more of the ones that give bottom marks. Most places will have a bit of both, and some of the bottom reviews are completely unreasonable. Generally, you want to weed out the places that have many bottom reviews with similar complaints. This would've saved me from a hotel in Brussels, Belgium, where several people had written about rude/unhelpful staff, poor cleaning/maintenance, and theft from the rooms. Unfortunately, I only thought to check the worst reviews when I signed in to tripadvisor to leave my own 1* review… 3: PRIORITIZE Another "boring word", but a great tip for your wallet. Think about what you want from the trip, and what you're willing to sacrifice. If you plan on spending a lot of time shopping, at museums, exploring the city, lounging on the beach etc, then you're probably not gonna do much other than sleep at your hotel. So does the hotel need to be 4*? Not really. Get a cheaper hotel and spend the money saved on shopping instead. Or is your aim to just relax and get a good nights rest, reading a book with a cuppa and use whatever luxury is available at the hotel? Then yes, a good hotel will be worth your while. When in New Orleans with my mum, we stayed at an old historic hotel in the French Quarter. The room was tiny, smelled of damp, and to use my mums words: "the balcony was so slanted it was like a shipwreck". BUT, we pretty much only used the room for sleep, showers, and a few beers in the sun on the sinking balcony. The hotel was in walking distance from everything we wanted to check out, and because we got a cheaper deal we had more cash for beers, shopping, and excursions. (AN: despite the less luxurious feel of the place I'd actually recommend it, just for the location and customer service alone!) 4: STOCK UP ON TRAVEL APPS Do yourself a huge favour and download the travel apps you need before you go. Apps like Tripadvisor can be a major help in finding places to go out for a meal, pubs, sights etc. Downloading these off WiFi at hotels in eastern Europe can be… a major pain. You'll save yourself from a lot of "rage" by just having them ready before you go. Also, when you find something, take screenshots! You never know when the app might glitch, and suddenly that nice pub with local food and a name consisting solely of consonants (I'm looking at you Poland) is long gone. Same goes for maps and directions. Because I'm from Norway I can only really recommend the apps that I myself have used, but I don't know if these will apply/be as useful for everyone. My main recommendations, for what it's worth, are: Tripadvisor, Momondo, Hotels, ETaksi (specifically for use in Lithuania. It's pretty much the same as Uber, and is used by everyone. Unless you're a millionaire or fluent in Lithuanian I think this one is a must-have. Some of the local taxis charge extortionate prices, and the level of English varies a lot), AirBnB, Uber. 5: CHAT IT UP This one might seem a bit scary, but it's so rewarding once you give it a go! If you're in a shop having a browse or buying something, chances are the person at the till is somewhat local. Try out a little smalltalk first. It doesn't have to be good enough to win you a date with Tom Hiddleston, just everyday pleasantries is enough. This is just to get a feel of the person, if they speak English and if they seem like the friendly and helpful type. If they do, this is a perfect opportunity to find some hidden gems. When I was in Israel I discovered a bar I would NEVER have found otherwise. This was just from asking a lovely lady working at a bookshop (!) for tips, and she gave us the name and address. The place is enough to fill a Tumblr post in itself but that's a story for another time. But asking the locals can really give you some unique experiences. 6: USE YOUR HANDLUGGAGE WISELY So you've arrived in Oslo, but your luggage hasn't. You're wearing skinny jeans, a tee, and a thin jumper. It's -11 degrees Celsius outside, and you have to scrape the ice off the windows of your car that's been left in freezing temperatures for two weeks, while shivering like a penguin and swearing like a sailor. That was me and my mum when we returned from New Orleans and were told that one of our bags got left behind at Atlanta, with all our winter clothes in it… A good story now, not so much at the time. After this frosty mishap, I learned to make better use of my handluggage than just magazines and empty space. Now I always pack the following in my handluggage (I use a mini suitcase that is cabin approved): - Toiletries (just the bare essentials, i.e toothbrush, mini toothpaste, mouthwash tabs from Lush, wetwipes, hairties and of course tampons etc) - Underwear and socks (if I'm going to a "summer destination" I also put a swimsuit in my handluggage) - 2 sets of clean clothes that can be combined (for instance two tanktops, a pair of jeans, and a skirt. This is in case I get stuck with no luggage for more than 1 day and I don't have time to "waste" on needless shopping or I don't want to. I'll then have something nice for everyday and something "dressy" for evening or at worst just a clean set of clothes in case I spill something etc). - A pair of shoes that can be worn with anything (worn for everyday or dressed up) - Chargers for my phone (with adapters!) - Printed receipts of plane tickets, payment for accommodation, and addresses 7: USE LOCAL TOUR OPERATORS Using the tour operator you know from home can seem convenient and easy, but in my experience you can make some really big misfires with this tactic. When I was younger we always used a big tour operator in Norway to book our little daytrips on holiday. Some were decent, others were either wilfully misadvertised or just plain bad. We booked a day trip to see Knossos (ancient city ruins) in Greece once, with the promise of a Norwegian guide to show us around the site and the museum. The "guide" was a "yolo-girl" in her late teens/early twenties who read robotically off a sheet she had printed off Wikipedia, and subsequently couldn't answer any questions we had other than questions about the schedule. Unfortunately, this is often how the big tour operators work. They can rest on their laurels because of their big brand name, and don't need to care about good service. Also, the teens that they use as "guides" are often extremely overworked and get zero training. I'd advise you to give the locals a go instead. They can take a bit more effort to seek out, but in my experience and opinion they're worth the work. They are more dependent on quality and positive word of mouth to survive, and weed out the tours that offer experiences like the one I had above. 8: AVOID THE SAFE This tip might seem a bit weird, but as someone who meets crooks at work pretty much every day of the week, take my advice on this one. Most people and travelblogs will tell you to use the hotel safe. This is just a candybox for "unfaithful servants" at your hotel. For emergencies/mishaps they'll have a spare universal key. So, when you leave your passport and mastercard there and the maid "takes you to the cleaners", you'll have no defense. There's no log anywhere of what you actually put in your safe, so when you complain the shady a** hotel you booked by accident will just give a standard apology and tell you that they'll "look into it". What I normally do is to hide my passport folder in my suitcase among my laundry/undies or under the suitcase lining (under the undies). I also spread my valuables so that they're not all in the exact same place. Chances are even if you get unlucky and they get to your valuables, they'll stop and take what they have found and not keep on ransacking you for the rest. 9: STAY COOL No, I don't mean in the #fashionista sense, I mean more in the "keep calm" way. Even if you feel a little nervous, try to give off the vibe that you're a local who knows your way around. Don't look like my mum at the London Tube, clutching her handbag for dear life and glancing nervously from side to side like a startled guineapig. If there ever is a look that screams "lost tourist with cash", it's that look. I walked down the streets of both Vilnius, Lithuania and Riga, Latvia, by myself, at night, in a mini skirt, and never did I feel unsafe. I dressed "like the locals", walked at a normal, calm pace, and carried my handbag normally. You'll draw a lot less unnecessary attention to yourself, and avoid making yourself an obvious target. 10: USE COMMON SENSE Common sense isn't as common as you'd think, and we all do things that later make us go "what the ¤#&£ was I thinking?" and sometimes even "I'm lucky that didn't turn dangerous for me". If something seems iffy and too good to be true, there's usually a reason for it. Check your governments general advice for the particular country you're travelling to. Avoid getting drunk as a lord (especially if you travel alone). Check the news and stay alert. If there's a mass demonstration about to happen, LEAVE. Don't take insane risks and generally, think of what advice you'd give your best friend. Would you tell them to get in that unmarked cab with a driver with a thirsty eye? I hope not, so don't do that yourself! 11: GO OUT THERE AND HAVE FUN! :)

#travel tips #solotravel #stay safe #ssdgm #globetrotter #international #traveler #travel #solo female #explore #goexplore #journey

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fearofaherobrine · 8 years ago

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Roleplay Server Log #136

“Ashes Growth Spurt, Cp’s Real Father, Old NOTCHes Home”

[gem] -flys in instead of opening the path- I got something for you doc told me to give it to you.

[Endrea] - I'll come with you!- She picks up Willow and Oak

[Doc] Holds the door for her - Lie! We're back!

[willow and oak] -squeak at endrea then look around-

[Lie] - Good, Ashe needs you

[Splender] - Oh goody! What did I get?

[Doc] Me? Or Endrea?

[Lie] - Errr... Both?

[Ashe] - Mama!

[Doc] Oh! First words!

[Endrea] Stiffens a little at the call-

[Lie] Walks to them holding a broken pair of goggles- Yeah, he kinda grew... Where did those babies come from?

[Doc] They were born from an egg on Gem's seed. Hatched in Endrea's arms, she's claimed them.

[Lie] - I see...

[gem] -hands splendor a large rainbow egg in a white with green spots shell around it- this is a ender dragon egg the shell around it will help it hatch when you walk with it.

[Doc] Takes the goggles- Ah, that's an easy fix - xe starts repairing the busted strap and hands them back.

[Splender] - An egg!

[Lie] - Thanks, he's just upstairs drawing with Stevie

[Doc] Lead on then-

[gem] yep you just need to keep in it you innovatory so you don't have to carry it around I have one for my self and we just need to let doc know when they hatch.

[Lie] Turns and leads them to the main room, Ashe is scribbling on a piece of paper and he now looks to be about seven years old. He's still skinny, but seems in better health-

[Splender] - Oh goody! I can't wait for it to hatch!

[gem] well i am going to run around and try to get mine to hatch I am just too excited to wait for it to hatch with the normal amount I move around

[Splender] - Okay! I would join you but I have to watch Sally and EJ

[Doc] Hey Ashe! I fixed your goggles. It looks like you had a little growth spurt.

[Notch] Is just relaxing watching them play. - Scared the dickens out of me. I thought something was wrong.

[Ashe] - Goggles! Goggles!

[gem] bye -waves to splendor before fly out the door to the shore and starts running around-

[Doc] You learned a big word! - Helps him on with them

[Ashe] Smiles happily when he's able to see again and turns towards Endrea- Mama!

[Endrea] - Hello Ashe, I have something to show you

[Ashe] - What?

[Notch] Are those...?

[Endrea] - You have a brother and a sister now- She crouches down so Ashe can see

[Notch] They're adorable!

[willow and oak] -are squeaking trying to get closer to ashe-

[Ashe] Stands up and wobbily walks closer- A brother and a sister?

[willow and oak] -are trying to sniff ashe-

[Ashe] Giggles and pets their heads- They have white like me and black like you Mama!

[Endrea] - Yes, they do

[Doc] Is internally squeeing-

[Lie] Is smiling at the scene-

[willow and oak] -curiously squeaks at the pets-

[Notch] And to think Cp acted like I would ever want to leave this place...

[Lie] - Hey, even the real world said "fuck it you belong there"

[Ashe] Pokes Willow's nose-

[willow and oak] -willow sneezes which surprises oak-

[Notch] Heh, that's true. - Is just smiling so wide watching the babies interact.

[Stevie] - Father! Look! Look! I drew our family!

[Notch] Oh, that's sweet! Let me see. - looks over Stevie's shoulder

[Ashe] Yawns- Mama, I'm sleepy...

[Endrea] - Alright, shall we go upstairs to the big bed and sleep?

[Ashe] Nods-

[Doc] Endrea?

-The picture depicts Notch, Stevie, CP, and Lie-

[Endrea] - Yes?

[Doc] Can I take a picture of you all snuggled up together?

[Notch] Hugs Stevie. - That's beautiful.

[Endrea] - I won't be able to stop you

[willow and oak] -make little yawning sounds-

[Doc] I would refrain if you said not too. But I think it might be worth framing.

[Endrea] - Very well, come on Ashe, just hold onto my clothes, alright?

[Ashe] - Yes mama

[Doc] Follows them up quietly and takes a shot as they snuggle down, then creeps back down the stairs so they can sleep. Xe returns to the group with a happy sigh.

[Lie] - Everyone tucked in?

[Endrea] Places her wing over her children to cover them like a blanket-

[Doc] Oh yes, they make a lovely little family- Pulls up the screenshot so they can see.

[willow and oak] -snuggle to endrea-

[Lie] - Oh that's adorable

[Stevie] - Father can I go play outside?

[Notch] Sure. I'll come with you.

-A few days later-

[CP] - Is just sitting in the lava pool in Lie's work room

[Notch] Is broken out of his reverie by a buzzing and whips out his cellphone as he's walking inside. - Oh geeze... what does he want now?

[Lie] Is showing Stevie how to sheer sheep outside-

[CP] Raises a questioning brow towards Notch-

[Notch] Is listening to the phone. - You found a what...? I... Yes, I'll come look at it. Just give me a minute, I- I'm eating! And my computer is off, I'll call you back. - hangs up-

[CP] - So where are you "going"?

[Notch] Is just staring at his phone - Nowhere. At least not without help- Looks up slowly at Cp - Cp... they found a seed full of NOTCH AI's.

[CP] Growls a little- They what?

[Notch] Apparently they're hiding in a little group. Jeb wants me to log on to check it out.

[CP] Snickers a little- And just how do you plan on doing that?

[Notch] I can't. But I'm supposed to be keeping up the fiction that I'm still physically where I'm supposed to be. I'm... not sure what to do.

[CP] - Well then it sucks to be you

[Notch] You mean it sucks to be us. What you did to me is supposed to be a secret remember?

[CP] - Yeah, but they can't find this server, remember? So how would they trace it back to me?

[Notch] They could break into my house and physically check my user history if I can't show up.

[CP] - Oh...

[Notch] Could you just, take me to that seed? I can move real stiff and pretend I'm just my avatar. I only have to fool Jeb.

[CP] - It's a server full of NOTCH's... I'm a brine who doesn't like NOTCH's, what do you think is going to happen?

[Notch] It's not like that, they're all broken. That's why their hiding.

[CP] - Easy targets then

[Notch] Cp.... is there really anything to be gained in killing the weak? Most of them are probably hiding from their brines. Some do spawn peaceful you know.

[CP] - Yeah. so?

[Notch] .... please just help me. I'll make it quick.

[CP] - Like you said, most are probably terrified of brines, and if your talking to Jeb, he'll see me as well, right?

[Notch] You could put on a mob head and just stay in the shadows. Surely you can hide from one distracted player.

[CP] And what mob head could I put on?

[Notch] Just a plain Steve head?

[CP] - And who around here has a plain Steve head really?

[Notch] Just pull one out of creative, they're in the decorations section.

[CP] - I'd rather not look like my brother

[Notch] What's the alternative? Do you want my enderman kigrumi? You're tall enough to pass with a matching mask.

[CP] - Oh fuck no... Fine, I'll wear the stupid fucking Steve head

[Notch] Okay, I'll call him back, can we just go once I get the number? I want to get this over with.

[CP] - Fine- Starts digging through the creative menu to get the head

[Notch] Dials Jeb and bickers with him over the phone for a few minutes before repeating the seed number loudly as if writing it down so CP can hear it. - Yeah, yeah, okay, give me a few minutes to log on. -hangs up again.

[CP] Pops the head on and starts finding the seed- Got it

[CP] Creates an opening and drags Notch through, they enter into a flat lands- Well there goes the hiding idea...

[Notch] Dammit! Well at least we're here first. I see buildings over there. I'll stay here and you check it out.

[CP] - What? You scared?

[Notch] I don't want to have to make some kind of excuse for you!

[CP] - Awww, but it would be so entertaining to see you scrambling for words!

[Notch] I... - is just staring at him in disbelief- I'm worried about you! Why are you tormenting me?!

[CP] - Because it's fun and Doc isn't here to stop me

[Notch] Eeeeerghhhhhh If I had any hair I'd be tearing it out right now!

[CP] Smirks under the mob head-

[Notch] Please, please just go. I'm betting that's what he wants to show me anyway. Fly way above us! He probably won't bother to look up.

[CP] - Fiiiiiiine- CP takes off into the air

[Notch] Has just enough time to breathe a sigh of relief before Jeb logs on and appears next to him - he goes stiffly to attention as his ex-coworker appears next to him in his usual greek god skin.

[Jeb] -in the chat box- Hey stranger. Never thought it would be so hard to get you to play our own damn game with me.

[Notch] turns slightly so Jeb can't see his fingers moving as he replies - I've been busy. What's going on here anyway that was so urgent?

[CP] Is really tempted to drop an anvil-

[Jeb] We just found this bunch of sad-sacks and I volunteered to go check on them. Come with me-

[Notch] Follows at a stiff run as Jeb heads for the little cluster of buildings.

[CP] Is laughing far above at Notch's movements-

-The sad little village is full of NOTCH AI's which seem broken or worn down, on the far side of the village is a massive building, set in a Greek architectural style made from sandstone and oak wood. The NOTCH's whisper to each other as Markus passes them, something about "The supreme Notch"-

[Jeb] Hmm, it looks like they're rather interested in you.

[Notch] Is just trying not to show any emotion in his face as he glances around. The state of the NOTCHs is pitable and none of them look like they have any sparks left in them. He's fighting back tears.

[Jeb] It looks like they put all their effort into this one spot. I wonder what it is?

-As they get closer to the building the condition of the NOTCH's seems to get worse, some are missing limbs, and others are clearly suffering PTSD-

[Notch] Is hanging back so Jeb can't see his face. - I'm sorry... he whispers.

[Jeb] Did we find the hospital?

-Inside there are rows of beds with NOTCH's suffering, some mumble about brines, and others scream at things which aren't even there. There are a few seemingly normal NOTCH's running around trying to care for those in the beds-

[Jeb] What a mess. Well at least we know they're not bothering anyone.

[Notch] I think, most of them are lucky to still be functioning at all.

[CP] teleports into a dark corner of the ceiling where he isn't visible-

[Jeb] I wonder if deleting the seed would just scatter them? I bet none of them belong here.

-There's a door at the far end and the few normal NOTCH's keep glancing at it somewhat sadly, a few even pause to speak with each other, mentioning something about the oldest one-

[Notch] That would be incredibly cruel.

[Jeb] It might be merciful considering what kind of condition they're in. But hey, I'm not supposed to interfere. MS-Rules, you know. You want to do something, knock yourself out. That shit doesn't apply to you anymore. -

-A rather scarred NOTCH stumbles into them before walking past-

[Notch] I don't even know where to start... - says nothing because he doesn't want Jeb to see his lips move.

[Jeb] Whatever. I thought you should see it, and I did what I was asked to do. These guys are headed for a natural despawn. And me? I got a date. See you later baldy. - logged out-

[Notch] Mutters- I fucking hate you so much right now... - he lets his arms down slowly and looks around.

-A normal NOTCH steps out of the door at the end of the room, shaking his head and saying something about "He wishes for his sons"-

[Notch] Heads over that way - Excuse me, what did you say?

-The NOTCH AI is surprised- Oh, are you a newcomer? We didn't sense you entering. It's nothing really, it's just one of the oldest of our kind is so very insistent that there's at least one not horrible brine and that it's his son

[Notch] I'm actually the original. I'm Markus. And... he's right. Some of the brines are peaceful.

[NOTCHAI] - You! You are the Supreme Notch!- The entire hall goes silent before those that can move go to crowd around Markus

[Notch] I'm sorry... I couldn't say anything while Jeb was here, but I want to help you.

[NOTCHAI] - Unfortunately not much can be done. This is the best defense we could muster, and we are even attacked by the more aggressive NOTCH's here

[Notch] I could maybe arrange a safer place for you to hide. If you all swear not to cause any trouble on your own accords. How many of you guys are there?

[NOTCHAI] - How can we cause trouble? You see the condition most of us here are in, and those out here aren't even the worst. There's only a handful of us here though

[Notch] Pulls out his phone and starts composing an email. - Give me a moment.

[CP} Creeps closer, he's curious about what's behind the door and he hears glitching and groans-

[Notch] Okay... I think I have it sorted out. We should have company coming soon. Can you gather everyone into this building so nobody is left behind?

[NOTCHAI] Shakes his head- No, there are a few we cannot move

[Notch] Why can't they be moved? Is it because they're crippled? Just get everyone who can walk, we'll get the really hurt ones individually. Carry the beds if we have too.

[NOTCHAI] Sadly opens the door to show a NOTCH who's almost glitched out of existence- This is why

[Notch] Oh gods..... - he practically yells into the phone- DOC HURRY!

[CP] Is curious and teleports down, greatly surprising the NOTCH AI's with his sudden appearance- Notch, what's going oooo...- He stiffens as he catches sight of the NOTCH on the bed-

[Notch] With a faithful certainty- Doc is coming.

[CP] - Notch... That's... That's...

[GlitchedNOTCH] Barely manages to turn his head towards CP- I... Know... That... Voice...

[NOTCHAI] - You know this Steve?

[GlitchedNOTCH] - Not... Steve... My... Other... Son...

[CP] Is trembling...

[Notch] Cp? Is... he the one? I can't tell one from the other with no way to scan for their signature codes.

[CP] - He... He is...- CP can't stop the flames which briefly erupt around him, burning away the Steve head on his head

[GlitchedNOTCH] - Oh... My... Son... What... Happened...?

-The other NOTCH's are quickly backing away from CP-

[Notch] You were betrayed. The NOTCH that fought you turned your sons against one another and tried to delete your Herobrine.

[GlitchedNOTCH] - I... ... Tried... My... Best... To... Stop... Him...

[Notch] I know, I saw the place where it happened. No one blames you. And your other son is safe as well.

[GlitchedNOTCH] - Good... So... Long... As.... They... Are... Together... They... Are... Family... After... All... I... Only... Wish... It... Could... Be... Complete...

[Notch] Your Herobrine has a wife, and good friends, and your Steve has a girlfriend and plenty of people who love him as well. You did your best.

[GlitchedNOTCH] - And... Where.... Do... You... Fit... In... Supreme... Notch...?

[Notch] I have tried to be a friend and a father to both of them. But your shoes are hard to fill.

[GlitchedNOTCH] - I'm... Glad... You're... Trying...

[CP] - Father...

[Notch] Sees how quickly the AI is fading and shoves Cp forward, - talk to him. I don't think he has much time left.

[CP] Has no idea what to say-

[GlitchedNOTCH] - You've... Changed... But... I... Can... Still... See... My... Beloved... Son... Please... Keep... Your... Brother... Safe...

[CP] - Father.... I don't... I can't...

[Notch] He always does.

-theres some commotion outside-

[GlitchedNOTCH] - Good...- He groans as his body starts glitching even worse

[CP] Tenses as he watches his father's body begin to dissolve before him-

[Notch] Is crying openly -

[CP] Reaches out but it's too late, his fingers pass through His father, unable to touch him-

[GlitchedNOTCH] Fades completely from existence-

[CP] Can't stop a few tears of his own-

[Notch] Grabs Cp without thinking and hugs him close-

[Doc] Pounds up the steps and bursts through the door dragging Lie behind hir.

[CP] Falls to his knees-

[Lie] - CP?

[Notch] Crumples right down with him-

[Doc] What? What happened?

[Notch] His father.... was in that bed....

-The NOTCH's are giving the brines a very large space, some having openly ran from them-

[Lie] - Oh CP...- She's quickly by his side to comfort him

[Doc] I'm sorry... I had to find Lie first... Cp... were you able to talk to him at least?

[Notch] Just... please tend to the others... they're in such sad shape...

[CP] Barely manages to nod-

[Doc] Actually looks around at the cowering figures. - Who's in charge here?

[NOTCHAI] - It... It was the one who just despawned...

[Doc] A sensible choice. Knowing who he was. I've been told by both his sons of how kind he was. Would you affirm to speak for the others, if you were his primary caretaker?

[NOTCHAI] - Just what do you want? Why do your eyes glow like a brines?

[Doc] Because I am a brine. I'm a digital glitch that attained brinehood because of... a deep emotional trauma. I don't want to talk about it. The important thing is; that I'm a Doctor and willing to help anyone who needs it.

-Several of the NOTCH's cry out in fear and scrabble to get farther-

[NOTCHAI] - It's mostly your kind that made us gather here! Why would we trust you so easily?

[Doc] There is no 'my kind' I'm way older then this game. And trusting me is up to you, but I can demonstrate my skills if you need proof.

[NOTCHAI] - Is very uncertain- He always said not all brines were bad...

[Doc] Bring me someone hurt, I'll fix whatever you put in front of me.

[Notch] Looks up. - You trust me, don't you? If what I am is special to you. Give Doc a chance to impress you.

[NOTCHAI] Glances at those gathered around him, realizing none of them will volunteer he sighs- Very well, you may work on me first- He raises his shirt to reveal old bloody bandages wrapped around him. Without the shirt to muffle the sound there is the faint sound of static coming from his back

[Doc] Oh that's easy, just hold still - Xe pulls out a wood block and mushes it in one hand while using the other to run a finger down their center so the wrappings fall away -

-The bandages fall away to reveal old scars and on his back a glitch hole-

[Doc] Walks around behind him and gathers the statick like so much cotton wads and flicks the bits away so the edges of the hole are clean and visible. Xe takes the mush of raw pixels and uses it to close the hole, before running a hand around his belly to smooth the scars away. - Now no running or jumping for at least two days. It will give the wood pixels time to integrate.

[NOTCHAI] - But... How?

[Doc] Because I'm Doc. By name and nature. And my power as a Herobrine involves working with the base building blocks of the game. I'm a hacker, and I can melt stuff and reform it.

[Lie] Quietly spawns calming flowers around the hospital, pairing almost each one with a healing flower-

[Doc] Notices - Thank you. - turns back to the NOTCH- This is my friend Lilinthia. Lie's brine power is making mystical flowers.

[NOTCHAI] - But creating life is usually a NOTCH power...

[Doc] As I'm a digital entity that became a Herobrine, she's a human who became a brine.

[Notch] I've met several brines that can create life.

[NOTCHAI] - A human? Like, a player?

[Doc] Yes. That's what this Notch here is too. Markus is a player, and a human physically present in the game.

[NOTCHAI] - But how is that possible?

[Doc] I don't know the specifics. Ask Cp over there. He's the one that can pull people into the game and let them out again. It seems to be a unique power to him alone.

[NOTCHAI] - CP?

[Doc] He's a creepypasta Herobrine. Nicknames make it less confusing on our home server.

[NOTCHAI] - So the oldest one's son is capable of that? And there are other brines?

[Doc] Yes, he's quite powerful. And you guys were programmed to spawn in response to natural Herobrine spawns on a one v one basis. So apart from the ones who have been killed on either side of what seems to be an ongoing war, there should be a similar amount of each.

[NOTCHAI] - This is all so much to take in...

[Doc] I get that a lot.

[Notch] Doc... these guys are helpless, they're getting attacked here by both violent NOTCH AIs and predatory Herobrine's, they're sitting ducks.

[Doc] Look... I run a sanctuary for brines. Though it's lately become a haven for reforming creepypastas and homeless enderdragons as well. I could make room for you guys too if you're willing to keep to yourselves.

[Lie] - Markus? How did you discover this place?

[Notch] Jeb showed it to me.

[NOTCHAI] - A sanctuary for brines? I'm not sure we would be safe...

[Lie] - How did you manage to pull that off? Not giving yourself away that is...

[Doc] I have a sub-seed loaded inside the server if you don't mind sharing space with a bunch of baby dragons, it's a totally undeveloped world otherwise.

[Notch] I did a lot of typing with one hand hidden, stiff walking and keeping a stone face. It wasn't easy considering what a prick he was being.

[Lie] - Well you must have done a good job of not raising his suspicions then

[Notch] He's usually too full of himself to notice things, thankfully in this case.

[CP] Is in to much shock to do anything-

[NOTCHAI] - Are you positive we'd be safe?

[Doc] I run the server. I only have a few admins and I trust them implicitly. And I'm sure it's safer then being here.

[NOTCHAI] - I... I thin I'd need to discuss this with the others, many are uncomfortable with even the thought of brines...

[Doc] Then lead me to the most injured members of your group and I'll work while the rest of you talk it over.

[NOTCHAI] - They are all in this building, take your pick. Some are injured mentally, and others physically

[Doc] Runs a hand through hir hair and it crackles with statick- Then I'll take my pick. Please proceed as you wish.

[NOTCHAI] - What about the state of your own kind?

[Notch] Lets go of Cp and gives him a pat on the shoulder.

[Doc] Cp? He'll talk to me when he's ready and not a moment before. He just needs space right now.

[Lie] - Doc, I hope you don't mind if I sit this one out. I can give you all the flowers you need, but I think CP needs me right here

[Doc] I wasn't going to ask Lie. This is my element. You stay with your mate.

[Lie] Nods and keeps in contact with CP-

[Doc] Goes to the first bed with someone too injured to run away and drops a command block to start repairing their glitches and gaps.

[Lie] - Markus, I'm glad you were here with CP while he got to see his actual father...

[Notch] I just wish I could have helped... there was barely anything left. I could see it was a struggle just to speak. But he recognized Cp by his voice and I had time to tell him that his sons are both safe and loved with homes and friends of their own.

[Lie] - Good, he more than deserved to know that... I'm a little sad that I couldn't meet him

[Doc] Has moved on to one crouched in a corner and is feeding him a bit of mushy food that's had calming flowers mixed in before tending to a missing limb.

[Notch] I'm sorry too Lie, it seems like the others here really respected him.

[Lie] - I can see that, did he say anything to you?

[Notch] Not too much. I told him he did a good job, and that I was trying to fill in the hole he left and that seemed to please him.

[Doc] Is making soothing noises while stitching the wounds of a NOTCH that's just whimpering -

[Lie] Runs her fingers through CP's hair as he presses closer to her- CP? Do you think you can stand or move right now?

[CP] Barely shakes his head-

{Lie] - Would you... Mind if I made you smaller then? I can hold you closer to me then...

[CP] Barely audible- I don't care

[Doc] Has moved on to a NOTCH with a lot of burns and is using the cold healing paste on them.

[Lie] Flicks the collar onto CP and gathers him up in her arms- Markus, would you mind getting his clothes?

[Notc] Of course Lie. - Gathers them up and puts them away in his inventory.

[Doc] Is using a command block on a NOTCH whose features seem scrambled.

[CP] Presses into Lie with a pitiful sound-

[Lie] Looks around the hospital and spawns some more of her healing and calming flowers. She even spawns a few of her dream flowers-

[Doc] Glances around for the NOTCH xe was talking too to see if they've made any headway with their fellows.

[NOTCHAI] Has gotten some of the others back into their beds and has been talking to them-

[Doc] Goes back to helping, xe's gotten into a meditative groove with a handful of pixels in one hand and statick in the other, just hunting for things to repair.

-One NOTCH darts away at Doc's approach, his eyes distance as he's having a ptsd episode-

[Doc] Decides to come back to him and focus on the physically injured first. They're trying to make sure everyone can walk at least.

[Lie] Her sadness is beginning to manifest into another flower-

[Doc] Is fixing smaller and smaller things, working hir way back toward the NOTCH thats' speaking with the others.

[NOTCHAI] Is keeping a wary eye on the green eyed brine, he does seem to be having success at convincing the others-

[Doc] Walks back around to check on Lie and sees that Cp is in his cat shape. - Perhaps that's for the best for now. Being soft and warm and held can help soothe a broken heart.

[Lie] - I'll join him when we get home

[Doc] I think that might be soon, lets hope it's with company. These guys are refugees, what's happened to them is just as shameful as the hurt brines we've taken in in the past..

[Notch] Here's to hoping.

[Lie] - I'm rather proud of the fact that CP didn't attack any of them

[Notch] He gave me a bit of grief, but I'm used to it.

[Lie] - Of course he did, oh well- She gives him a small hug

[Notch] reaches over to pet Cp, giving his ears some gentle rubs.

[CP] Doesn't care, as he's still crying a little-

[Doc] Has gone back to work on a NOTCH that's laying in bed with a lot of jinking and mistakes on their skin.

[Lie] - I'm not looking forwards to telling Stevie when he's an adult again about this...

[Notch] I hope he isn't angry with me for letting him believe I'm his father.

[Lie] - Knowing Stevie he'll be a little flustered about it, but he won't be mad

[Doc] Is fashioning a replacement eye for a one eye'd NOTCH that's crunched up as far away as they can be without getting off their sickbed.

[Notch] I hope he won't push me away either.

[Lie] - He won't, I know that

[Doc] Is using hir electricity to pump up a NOTCH that has so little power left he's trying to get away in slow motion like a very isolated game lag effect.

[Lie] - Everything okay there Doc?

[Doc] Finishes and the NOTCH bolts suddenly away, nearly running into a door with their sudden increase in speed. - Geeze... oh yeah! I'm fine Lie. I live for this stuff.

[Lie] - I... I don't know how much longer I can stand being here...

[NOTCHAI] Is surprised by how quickly Doc works and has just finished up talking up with all the other NOTCH's-

[Doc] Saunters back up casually. - Well? I mean, I'm not done, obviously, but the worst of the damages in here are fixed.

[NOTCHAI] - I think we're mostly in agreement to go with you

[Doc] Perfect. I think my friends here would like to go home too. Basically I'll open a way into the sub-seed so no one freaks out. It's only accessable to the other server via a locked room that's underground near Lie's house. I'll go out and make a portal if you'd like to round everyone up with their stuff.

[Notch] Stands and offers a hand to Lie-

[NOTCHAI] - Very well, I'll... Trust you on this brine

[Doc] The names Doc. And bring your beds because I'm just going to make you a temporary shelter and you guys can decorate it however.

[NOTCHAI] - I always have spares on me

[Doc] Capital! Meet me outside in five.

[Lie] Follows Doc with CP-

[Notch] at the NOTCH AIs- Go faster then that actually, I think you'll want to see this..

[NOTCHAI] - We'll try

[Doc] Looks at the barren flatland for a moment before cracking hir knuckles. Xe raises hir hands and drops a command block before pulling a double stack of obsidian out of the creative.

[Lie] Makes sure CP is comfortable in her arms as she waits for the opening home-

[Doc] Xe throws the blocks in front of hir and conducts them up like a graceful wave to make an extra large portal. Xe runs a few redstone wires and taps a furious series of commands into the block before zapping it harshly with hir statick. The way opens up inside of it and Doc calls out to Tsunami and Thunder to stand back because they have injured incoming.

-The two dragons are confused by the order but step back closer to their nest-

[Doc] It's open! Just go through, I'll go last and knock out the frame.

[NOTCHAI] He and the other healthier NOTCH's help get the others through the portal, trying to hurry them through-

[Notch] Brings up the rear to make sure they don't miss anyone. -

[Doc] When they're through Doc changes into hir other shape and hunkers in the doorway for a moment, Xe slams the command block with a lash of hir tail shattering it and sweeping away the redstone dust, a lash in the other direction sets the frame to melting and xe scoots through lighting fast just as it falls apart and closes.

[Lie] - Oh, so these must be Thunder and Tsunami

[NOTCHAI] Stumbles back in surprise at the three dragons before them, the other NOTCH's have similar reactions-

[Doc] Grins - it's okay, I just couldn't get through in time with my stubby human legs. Let me get you guys set up real quick.

[Lie] Sits down on a small hill and looks down at CP- Shhh, don't worry, we'll be home soon

[Doc] Looks for a an overhang a safe distance from the dragon nest, xe buts up to the wall and yanks the stone out from above hir like someone building a blanket fort. The result is large irregular building with a hillside for one wall.

[Lie] Laughs a little- Seems very similar to my first shelter on CP's server

[Doc] It'll do for now, this seed is set on easy. They just need to be inside. Here- Xe passes out stacks of glass and torches, a few crafting tables and a lot of coal and furnaces.

[NOTCHAI] - Thank you, how soon can we expect to see you again?

[Doc] Oh, probably tomorrow afternoon. I'll come help you plant crops and whatnot. Do you have enough food until then?

[NOTCHAI] - We should

[Doc] Perfect, you guys settle in, I'm going to take my friends home. - Xe makes a hole through which the walls of the cage are visible and waits for the others to go inside.

[Lie] Quickly passes through with CP-

[Notch] Dashes after and holds the door from the cage for Lie.

[Doc] Does a little bow and slithers through before closing the hole.

[Lie] - Thanks- She starts heading up the stairs so she can just go home and crawl into her bed with her mate

[Notch] Follows her, wanting his own bed as well.

[Doc] Slips through the ground and emerges into the afternoon light. Xe does a graceful twist in the air and heads for hir own bed and waiting mate with the knowledge of good deeds and work well done.

[Doc] Taps out a quick missive to GK and heads down to hir room. Deerheart is snoring softly, her beautiful naked body sprawled artfully under a small tangle of sheets. Xe covers her up again and slides under the blanket as well. It isn't long before the scent and touch of hir lover lulls hir to sleep as well. No one notices the maniacally laughing dragon and his sopping rider leaving the server.

[Gk] Bursts into existence over the silent flatland with Herabrine on his shoulders. The two of them make a through search of the grounds to be sure that all the NOTCHAIs went with Doc. Once they've finished the sweep they take to their work with gusto, burning the sad little shelters and washing most of the debris away.

[Herabrine] That looks sufficiently griefed I think.

[GK] As long as it's bad enough that the microbrains assume that some brines came by and massacred them, that's all that matters.

[Herabrine] It's kinda nice being asked to break things...

[GK] I keep telling you to hang out with Doc and Cp more, that's how you get to do the fun favors.

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talesfromafork · 8 years ago

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This post is part of a five part City Guide series as I explore Europe as a brand ambassador for Bonwi. It has affiliate links to things I genuinely like.

After I moved to Amsterdam, I traveled to many European cities and thought, “There’s no better city to call home than Amsterdam.” That is, until I went to Berlin. I fell in love with this city immediately! I loved that it felt as big as Paris, was as chill as Amsterdam, and had a raw and gritty charm like New York. Best of all, it had great tasting inexpensive food in every neighborhood– something I sorely miss out on living in Amsterdam. Read on to find out everything I loved about Berlin and that you should check out in this complete city guide.

Click on a section to jump down the page.

How to Get to Berlin

How to Get to Your Hotel From the Airport

Where to Stay

How to Get Around

What to Do

Where to Eat

What to Pack

How to Get to Berlin

There are lots of ways to get to Berlin since it’s a popular international city. I personally like to fly there from Amsterdam because it only takes an hour and a half to get there, and since it’s just a short flight, I’ll get the cheapest flight available even if it’s a budget airline.

If you’re doing a big Euro trip and will be visiting lots of countries, then I’d recommend looking into getting a Eurail pass, which allows you unlimited train travel within a specified number of countries.

Blablacar is a carpooling site that lets you hop into someone’s car if there’s space! From experience, the prices are better than flying or riding the train, but keep in mind, you may encounter traffic and other unexpected delays from driving.

How to Get to Your Hotel From the Berlin Airports

I’ve flown into both Berlin airports and have found using transportation to be fairly easy.

To get from Schönefeld Airport to city centre, it takes about 30 minutes on the regional trains, RE7 or RB14. You can also take S-bahn (S9) and transfer at Ostkreuz to where you need to go.

To get from Tegel airport to city centre, there are various ways you can go, but the shortest way to reach an U-bahn station is to take the 109 or 128 bus to Kurt-Schumacher-Platz (U6) or Jakob-Kaiser-Platz (U7) stations. You can also try the JetExpressBus TXL or Expressbus X9 for quicker rides into the city.

The best way to figure out which mode of public transportation you should take, use Google Maps. If you won’t have data upon arrival, look it up on Google Maps beforehand, and take a screenshot of the directions. Also make sure to download an offline map of Berlin on Google Maps, and save the location of your hotel in it so that once you get off your S-bahn, U-bahn, or bus stop, you’ll have a map to show you where to walk to.

Berlin’s transportation fare varies by zone. Since the airports are in Zone C, you will need a ticket that covers Zones A, B, and C, which you can buy at a yellow ticket machine. A single ticket costs €3,40 as of 03/30/16 but you can check the VBB site for updated fares.

Tip: After you get a ticket, make sure to validate it by popping it into a validation/time-stamp machine. Also, some doors on public transportation do not open automatically. You will have to press a button or pull a lever to open the door.

Where to Stay in Berlin

Taken with a Sony A6000

Neighborhoods

If it’s your first time in Berlin, you may want to stay in the heart of Berlin, Mitte. This neighborhood has many of the city’s popular tourist sights and has great access to public transportation. If you want to be near the sights but still want to experience a less touristy but still trendy neighborhood, stay in Prenzlauer Berg right next to it. I stayed in this neighborhood the first time I went to Berlin and loved it because of its endless number of restaurants, bars, cafés, and people watching opportunities! Another neighborhood close to Mitte is Kreuzberg, which I explored the last time I went to Berlin. It’s a gentrifying neighborhood with immigrant roots, a lot of character, and a good mix of underground clubs.

I Booked a Hotel With Bonwi and Got Back $275 in Rewards

Whichever neighborhood you choose to stay in, I recommend booking through Bonwi because they give you the most amount of rewards back than any other online hotel booking site. For example, last time I went to Berlin, I stayed at the Sofitel Berlin Kurfürstendamm for 3 nights, and I got back $275 in rewards. The room cost $1,310, which means I got back 21% of it in rewards that I can use on hotels, flights, Visa or Amazon cards, and more.

If $1,310 for 3 nights sounds like a bit much to you, then check out the site anyways because they have great rewards for all budgets from hostels to 5-star hotels. For example, when I went to Bruges, I got 3 nights for $690 and got back $250 in rewards, which is 40% of the hotel costs right back into my pocket! For both Bruges and Berlin, I checked rates on other sites like Expedia and Hotels.com and booked with Bonwi because I got the most rewards back. Add the 20-40% to how much your credit card gives you for travel (about 1-2%), and you’ll be ready to take another trip in no time!

Tip: Get $15 of rewards on Bonwi asap just for signing up.

How to Get Around Berlin

Public Transportation

Taking public transportation such as the U-bahn, bus, or tram is really easy and effective. Pull up directions on Google Maps for transit directions. Of course, pull them up beforehand if you don’t have data on your phone.

A single ticket on public transportation is €2,80 within Zones A&B and an unlimited day ticket is €7,00 as of 03/30/17.Whatever ticket you get, you can use it on all the public transportation within the specified zone. Check out the VBB Site for current fares and other options for tickets.

Walk

Once you’re in the neighborhood you want to be in, walk around! It’s one of the best ways to take in Berlin with its mix of old and new buildings and diverse population. I’m sure you’ll discover lots of hidden gems by poking your nose in and around streets that public transportation doesn’t take you on.

Bike

Berlin is a great city to bike in and quite easy to. There are clear bike lanes, and a lot of locals bike so cars and people are aware of bikers.

I rented both an electric bike and regular bike from Fat Tire Tours, which is located next to the TV Tower in Berlin making it a super convenient location to grab a bike from. If you want to know what biking around in Berlin was like for me, check out this post, or if you don’t want to bike around on your own and want to learn more about the city, book a bike tour.

myTaxi or Taxi

If you’re an Uber fan, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s no Uber in Germany. Instead, there’s this app myTaxi (iPhone, Android). I like this app because you can pre-book a taxi, something you can’t do on Uber.

If you don’t have data, then keep an eye out on taxi stands around the city, or head into a hotel to ask them to get you a taxi.

What to Do in Berlin

Both times I went to Berlin, there was an endless number of things to do. Here are my favorite sights to see.

The Reichstag Building

My #1 recommendation is to visit the Reichstag Building. The building itself is an amazing piece of architecture, but the real cherry on top of this site is that you will have great views of the city when you reach the time.

People argue when the best time to go is. I went at nighttime and saw a beautifully lit-up cityscape of Berlin, but others say to go during the daytime so you can take full advantage of the free audio tour that points out surrounding historical buildings. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Tip: Tickets to the Reichstag are free, but you must register prior to going. You can register here.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

This free Holocaust Memorial does a fantastic job in detailing out exactly what happened from 1933 to 1945. If you’re sensitive like me, plan to go here when you’ll have time shake off the heavy material after. One of the most intimate and touching parts of the museum was the exhibit showing photos of the family who were killed in the Holocaust and what their lives were like before it.

Note: You might be tempted to jump around the memorial columns outside, especially when seeing others. I personally find it disrespectful that people are jumping around on this commemorative memorial like a playground, but a Jewish blogger said that it’s more than ok because those who suffered through the Holocaust would want people to be joyous now. However you view the memorial, note that you’re technically not allowed to as noted by a sign.

Nature-Park Schöneberger Südgelände

I went to a few parks in Berlin including the popular Tiergarten, and Nature-Park Schöneberger Südgelände was my favorite! It’s an old rail yard that was converted into a park and space for art events. I loved seeing this old train inside, and foliage growing wild over old railroad tracks and alongside the brick buildings.

Tip: Entry fee is €1. It’s an honor system where you drop a coin into a box so remember to bring a coin.

Berlin Wall Walking Trail

Berlin’s recent history is quite fascinating, and the city does a great job of sharing intimate information about the wall along its walking trail. I stumbled upon the start of the trail in Mitte and was sucked into the personal stories the information booths shared as it transported me back into time with a telling of what exactly happened on the spot I was standing at. Whether it’s walking the full 3.5 miles (5.7km) of the wall or just a section of it, I highly recommend visiting the wall, which starts out in Mitte and ends up at the East Side Gallery. Check out this map provided by Visit Berlin’s site.

Note: The beginning of the walk is right near Vietnam Village. I suggest eating lunch there before this walk!

East Side Gallery

Taken with a Ricoh Theta 360S

The East Side Gallery is an iconic memorial for freedom painted by 118 artists from 21 countries after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Artists painted the wall with various commentary on political events following the fall. In 2009, 40 of the murals were restored, but vibrantly shining or fading away, this wall has a rich history that shouldn’t be missed!

Graffiti

There’s ton of graffiti all over Berlin that you’ll stumble upon time and time again, but if you do a bit of planning, you can spot the best graffiti murals or head to the general areas where a bunch are.

Underground Clubs

Berlin may be the most well-known city in the world for its nightlife and club so it’s worth checking out the underground club scene as it’s basically the lifeline of this city. One of the most famous underground clubs in the world there is Berghain, although it’s notoriously hard to get into. You can find events for Tresor, Kater Blau, and other clubs on Resident Advisor, my go-to site for electronic events.

Tip: Don’t wear heels or flashy clothes to these clubs. They are underground clubs so wear sneakers and preferably black.

Where to Eat in Berlin

Perhaps the reason why I fell in love with Berlin is because of the inexpensive but extremely tasty variety of cuisines everywhere. I especially love that any given neighborhood will have a handful of Vietnamese pho places! #dreamcometrue Anyways, here are my favorite places in Berlin to eat.

Vietnam Village

I’ve been to four pho places in Berlin over my two trips there, and my ultimate favorite spot is Vietnam Village. The pho broth is flavorful and satisfying, and they use the right noodle thickness (yes, noodle thickness in pho can make or break the dish for me). Also, everything else they make is so good because they have great ingredients. The veggies are so fresh and tasty and cooked al denté.

Tip: If you can eat as much as me, get the appetizer size pho*, mango salad with chicken or shrimp, and the crispy duck entrée.

*I think I fell in love with Berlin because this restaurant has an appetizer size pho. It totally solves my dilemma of wanting both a pho and an entrée but not being able to eat both in one sitting!

Vietnam Village Oderberger Str. 7

Meyan Berlin

For great Mediterranean food with a near perfect 4.9 stars on Google, Meyan Berlin is the place to go. You can’t go wrong with anything you order, but if you don’t know what to get, ask! They recommended the stuffed peppers to me, which were delicious. It also has a really cute ambiance so it’s a good place to chill out in, read a book, or even work from your laptop.

Meyan Berlin Goltzstraße 36 www.meyan-berlin.de

Zeit für Brot

Forget Cinnabon and everything you’ve ever known about cinnamon rolls. Zeit für Brot is the bakery to go to for fluffy but dense cinnamon rolls with various toppings like nuts and a cream cheese frosting. They’re freshly baked in house! They also have great sandwiches with high quality ingredients that you can grab for take-away to eat while exploring the city.

Zeit für Brot Alte Schönhauser Str. 4 http://www.zeitfuerbrot.com/

Ottenthal

I haven’t been here, but a colleague of mine who’s been going to Berlin yearly for 19 years says that this place has the best Austrian schnitzel in town. Someone on Yelp says that this schnitzel is even better that schnitzel he’s tried at Michelin star restaurants! I didn’t get a chance to go on my last trip, but it’s on my list of places to eat so it was worth mentioning– right? Overall, it’s an elegant restaurant that puts a lot of love into their ingredients and even tells you on their menu which allergens are in each dish.

Ottenthal Kantstraße 153 www.ottenthal.com

What to Pack for Berlin

Before you even think about what to pack for Berlin, make sure to download the offline version of Google Maps so that even without data, you’ll always have a map handy. For most of the year, here are the staples that I bring with me to Berlin. Since Berlin is a big city, you’ll:

be walking a lot so wear [amazon_textlink asin=’B00XWPXR5K’ text=’sneakers’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tafrafo-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’058b07ba-16f7-11e7-9fd4-21ac0badb158′],

be out for most of the day so bring[amazon_textlink asin=’B01CU1EC6Y’ text=’ a portable charger’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tafrafo-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’68be89c3-16f7-11e7-b5ad-dbe3b3bf85da’] the size of a lipstick case and fits easily in a pocket or purse and a wire for your phone,

needing directions so bring [amazon_textlink asin=’B00YD548Q0′ text=’your phone’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tafrafo-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’82b9d7a0-16f7-11e7-b0c4-b5056013861d’] with an offline Google Maps on it,

needing to charge your phone, camera, and other electronics so an [amazon_textlink asin=’B00HVKR92Y’ text=’EU charging station with four USB ports’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tafrafo-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’dcac9368-16f7-11e7-87a4-497a778f639e’] is really handy,

be taking lots of photos so bring one that takes great photos and is light to carry like the Sony A6000 I have,

possibly want to look your best so check out this post to find out if you need a converter or adapter for your hair straightener or curling, or if you need to buy a new one,

and depending on the weather, you’ll want to bring a poncho, umbrella, or a winter coat with winter accessories. Both times I went in the Fall and Winter were gray, rainy, and cold!

Here are photos of the products I named above and other ones you might find helpful for your trip.

[amazon_link asins=’B01CU1EC6Y,B00HVKR92Y,B00I8BICB2,B005H92I6S,B01N6EGXUB,B00WQNMGII’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’tafrafo-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1d8ddd43-1723-11e7-a657-2f2e19d94191′]

Ready to go to Berlin? Book a hotel with Bonwi, and build up rewards quickly like you’ve never done before.

Thanks for stopping by! xo.

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City Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Berlin, Germany #travel #berlin This post is part of a five part City Guide series as I explore Europe as a brand ambassador for…

#Berlin #City Guide #Germany

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