#i’ve also seen fizzy/storm which i’d be cool with

[purble-gaymer]

not sure which would be worse when the drizzle season trailer drops. no alt tri-stringer or tri-stringer with a garbage kit

[too-much-sunshine]

Fangs for the Hospitality

Chapter 2

Summary: After Roman leaves his family reunion mad at Remus, his car breaks down. The huge snow storm forces him into the forest hes always been told to stay away from. Who will he meet? And why are they being so nice? Most importantly, why are his teeth so sharp?

A/N: My self-indulgent magic/vampire fic! Let me know if I need to tag something or you wanna be tagged!

Relationship: Familial DAM, Eventual Roceit, Eventual Intrulogical

Warnings (per chapter): Car trouble, Snow storm, very brief talk of death, anxiety, being cold, vague homophobia, Romans family are dicks, Remus too by accident, cursing, rumors, possible panic attack

Catch up!: Master list, Chapter 1

Word Count: 4547

Read on AO3!

Roman finally lifted his head off the wheel and looked around his car. He made sure to keep a few things in his car that would help him if he ever needed to stay the night in his car. While looking he heard a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Remus called him a worry wart. He shook it off and continued looking around.

After a few minutes of searching for a blanket (he swore was in here somewhere), a loud bang rang out from the front of the car. Roman jumped so high he hit his head on the roof of his car.

“The fuck was that!?” He shouted, higher pitched than he's ever willing to admit. “Come oonnn woorrlld are you really going to make me check my engine now?” He pleaded to any god that would listen.

And almost as if they had heard him, smoke started to cloud from under the hood.

Roman yelped and jumped out of the car. Running to the front hood he placed the backside of his hand to the metal to find it blazing hot.

“How the FUCK does a car start on fire in the middle of a FUCKING SNOW STORM!?” He screamed. And then he screamed again just for the hell of it.

At this point Roman couldn't tell if he was crying or if it was just the melted snow running down his face. His hair was ruined, his suit probably was as well. His shoes were full of snow and it was only starting to snow harder as the moments passed.

Roman huffed another hitching breath as he started to look around. There was no way he could stay in his car tonight. With his luck today it might end with it blowing up in the middle of the night... well more later in the night. Though at this point he considered staying just for the possibility of it actually happening.

Looking around, there was no one anywhere. No houses, no lights, he hasn't even seen a person on this road since he left his old house. On one side of the road was a wide open field where he had pulled off too. The other side was a large, dense forest.

As a kid he was warned to stay away from these woods because many people have gotten lost in them. Remus once dared him to go in, to which Roman said no. Then Remus called him lame and ran away to play somewhere else. There were too many spooky stories for Romans liking. And with Roman overactive imagination he stayed far away from here.

Sure the adults told him that the reason told to stay away was because he could get lost. But Remy once told him that it was really because the forest was magic, and that there were witches, werewolves and vampires in there.

And that story was much more fun so that's what Roman chose to believe as a child.

Now Roman didn't really believe in those stories anymore. It was very much more likely that people just got lost in the forest to never be found again. It is a very big forest and is very thick.

Though at the moment Roman wasn't paying much attention to the forest beside him. The young man was not fit for this kind of weather and it was starting to get to him. He was getting very cold and the wind was not helping. He needed to find help soon. He'd call Remy or Remus but his phone was in his jacket pocket, which he forgot back at the house.

Sucking it up, he realized he would have to walk for a bit to find a house. Maybe they would be nice enough to let him use their phone. He picked the direction he had previously been driving toward, and started to walk. He pulled his arms in close to him and kept a quick pace.

It was very cold. The snow was not letting up and he didn't know how long he would have to be walking. Deciding the best strategy was to try and distract himself, Roman started to think of the creatures that might be in the woods.

‘Maybe,’ Roman thought, ‘There really are werewolves and they are actually really nice. Like what if I stumble upon one and they let me use their phone? Wait...would they even have phones? I don't know their life so maybe. What would I even say to them? Just be like ‘why hello my furry looking friend  I seem to be in quite the pickle. Mayhaps you have a phone I could use?’ … No that stupid… They'd probably eat me before then… That's kinda judgmental huh. Maybe they should just eat me. It's not like if I were to actually meet them I could talk to them. I’d be too nervous like I always am with new people… How am I supposed to get home if I even ask for help? Ugg this is dumb…’

Roman kept thinking of random scenarios that might happen if he were to step into the woods. After walking for what felt like an hour, but could have been anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours, Roman was freezing cold and shivering violently. The storm was still really bad, but it seemed that the worst had passed.

It also seemed Romans luck was turning around. Roman had spotted a light coming from deep in the forest. It was the only type of man-made thing he had seen in ages so he had no other choice but to step past the threshold, into the thick forest. Before he stepped in he paused and looked in the woods.

He was so cold, and he knew that if he didn't get help soon he was going to freeze.

‘Well,’ He thought, ‘If I die from this, at least it I finally do something cool…’

And with that he stepped into the forest. It was a hard walk. There was no straight path, which distantly Roman thought was odd.

Finally after walking passed a few more trees he emerged on to a great expanse of flat, white snow. Past the flat area, which he realized was a lawn, was an older victorian style house. Much smaller than the mansion Roman grew up in, but much too big to be lining for one person.

Without thinking much, since he couldn't feel his arms or legs anymore, he quickly hobbled up to the door and gave three, light raps.

Roman stood in front of the door, arms around himself barely staying up right. His hair matted down from the snow melting into his hair. But the temperature must have gone up a bit because the snow was starting to turn into a bit of rain.

Roman vaguely realized that the walk through the woods was a lot harsher then he realized. His bowtie was missing and his shirt was barely tucked in anymore. He was a mess. This would never be acceptable dress to meet someone in. He started to shiver more, but possibly for a different reason.

Roman realized that he was still standing on some random porch, in the literal freezing cold and nobody had answered. After a good five minutes more  wait, Roman knocked again, but this time he mustered up the rest of his strength and knocked louder. He the went back to waiting. The edges of his vision were going fizzy around the edges. He wished they would open the door and at least tell him to leave rather than make him wait.

Finally, after Roman was just about to walk back into the woods, the door creaked slowly open.

~~~

“Roman! Remus! My boys you made it here safe and sound! Come in come in!” She ushered the boys who were previously shuffling in the doorway trying to keep out of starting the softly falling snow. “How have you both been? I’ve haven't heard from you both in a while.” Though the question was posed at them both, her focus was directed at Remus, even helping him out of his coat. Roman took his coat off himself and draped it on the rack next to Remus’.

“Fantastic as always!. Had a patient the other day, she had quadruplets! All natural it was crazy to see how big she was, and how many babies were in there. All of them delivered with no complications. Three boys and one girl!” Remus responded walking next to his mom talking animatedly.

“Oh that's just wonderful sweetie! I bet all of them were cute as buttons! That poor mother though, four babies. That will be a handful! And that poor baby girl, growing up with three brothers! You know-”

Roman tuned out their conversation as they walked past the kitchen and staircase. The ballroom was down the straight hall from the greeting room to the left. It took about 5 minutes to actually walk there though.

This place was too big in Romans opinion. Even as a young boy he thought this place was too big. Too much much space to fill, though Remus never seemed to have trouble filling it all up for the both of them. Roman preferred reading, writing, or drawing compared to Remus’ brand of destructive entertainment.

Occasionally Remus and Roman would come together and put on small plays for their mother, father, and staff if they were around at the time. Their mother was never super interested but their father always thought it was the best show he has ever seen. Always praising them both for their hard work.

Sometimes, when Remus was out making a mess and Roman was sat drawing, his father would come in and sit with him. Sometimes watching him draw or quietly reading. Roman enjoyed the shared silence, which he was told was quite odd for a child.

Often when Roman was feeling upset or scared he would run to his dad and just ask him to read to him. Which he always gladly did. He would hold Roman close and just read from whatever was closest. This was actually how Roman found he loved plays. His dad and him might read together sometimes and trade off lines, trying to see who could make the other laugh first. Roman wasn't typically the winner of this game either, but he found he never would mind

Even years later, long after their dad disappeared without so much as a note, Roman looked back at those memories very fondly. He hasn't changed much since he was young. Not talking unless he had something to share. Most called him quite, but he wasn't always. It just took a reason to get him to speak up, and he often found there wasn't much that could do so.

Soon enough Roman was pulled from his memories as they made it to the ballroom where it seems that they were the last to arrive. Most of the immediate and extended family was here, mingling around in their too fancy outfits. If Roman were to guess he would say there was a single item of apparel here that wasn't at least $100, including jewelry. Roman couldn't say much though since he too was wearing a suit. Though he left the jacket at the door and he chose a bowtie over a regular tie.

Nobody made to look their way, except for a few glances. Most were already in the middle of conversation or were looking for someone else that wasn't him. This made it easy for him to be able to slip right past his mother and brother who were still in animated conversation.

Roman made a look around the room to determine the people and, by association, places to avoid. Making a quick glance around the lavish gold gilded room, Roman saw many familiar faces. In the most left corner near the seating area was his grandmother; Gramma Ann. She was a nice woman if you can get past her severely outdated societal norms. Roman had learned more than once that it's best to not talk to her unless he wanted a lesson on proper edicate and questions about his supposedly straight love life.

(It's not that his family didn't know he wasn't straight (they were quite aware after he was caught in the broom closet with the cook's son when he was 16.) It's more like they were hoping he would “change his mind.” Almost like if they never addressed it, it would just go away and he would be “normal.” Or as close to normal as he can be with the way he is.)

That brings him to who is at the centre of the room. His Uncle Dave was probably the person he wanted to avoid the most. He never was really nice to Roman, nor to Remus. For the longest time Roman assumed he just didn't like kids. But even as he grew Uncle Dave still seemed to hate them. It all came to a head when his brother, Romans dad, left without a trace. He used to live with Romans family during the time when he disappeared. For some reason he blamed Roman for it, something that he never fought back on. How did he know that he wasn't? So Roman just took his yelling. Took his screaming about how Roman is the reason because of all of his problems. How he was just too weird and quiet and terrible, and that's why he left.

Roman quickly averted his eyes to the loud laughter that came from his right. By the looks of it Remus had finally dispelled his conversation with their mother and found Remy. He looked the same as he always has; wearing those dark sunglasses inside, and dressed in all black. He said it was to look cool but Remy had told Remus and him one night (After they had heard Remy being yelled at) that he actually wears dark things because he's sensitive to light. He gets migraines from it. They had been sure to keep the lights down around him after that.

(All three boys were proof that having any sort of illness in the family was very much so not appreciated. It meant that the family was not perfect, which was not an option to most.)

The official gossip session has seemed to have started if the amused cackle from Remus meant anything. Soon enough those two would break away and try and cause as much trouble as they can.

Roman kept scanning the crowd for any problem areas and after spotting a few aunts and cousins to avoid, he seemed to find the perfect corner to remain in for as long as possible. Luckily there were a few chairs there as well and they were empty. The only problem was going to be making it there.

Directly in front of it was a small circle consisting of his grandfather on his mothers side, and anyone trying to please him. This grandfather was the reason these parties were as fancy as they were. He paid for everything including the house, though the suit he was wearing was probably worth more than most of the furniture in it. He was a very wealthy CEO of the steel company that he founded when he was 19. He lavished his daughter, Romans mom, in as much of the money as he could. She was his only daughter after all.

He, too, seemed to hate Roman. But then again he also hated Romans dad so it may just be left over hate from their relationship.

He was never as generous with his money to him and Remus as he was with most of the rest of the family. Roman didn't mind much. He has everything he needs, even if his job makes him a bit tight on money sometimes.

A job his grandfather very much so did not like one bit. To be honest it seemed like Roman was the only one who liked his job. Even Remus seemed a bit apprehensive when Roman had brought it up. But it was one of the only things Roman never budged on.

Roman was a writer, stagehand, and sometimes director at a pretty large community theatre in the area. It paid well, but not consistently since it was only a job during shows. Of which there was 4-5 a year. He loved his job, but none of his family seemed to share that mentality.

Roman hoped that if he just kept his head down his grandfather just won't recognize him. Just walk right past him and he will never know. He wouldn't see Roman and he'd be able to stay the rest of this night in the corner. Roman dropped his gaze and started walking at a quick pace. It was a good plan, if one of his aunts had not already had too much to drink.

On his way over to his sacred corner, someone stumbled right into his side pushing him along with her. Roman knew he was in a bit of trouble as he looked up and saw who he bumped into.

Roman immediately started to apologize.

“Oh my gosh I’m so sorry grandpa I-”

“Don't call me that you clumsy brat.” He grumbled interrupting Roman.

“Right...Well sorry either way. Didn't see you there! How have you been? Hows the company?” Roman did want to get out of the situation, but he was nothing if not polite. Too bad the same can't be said for most of the people here. He knew he should just shut up and leave, but he could feel the familiar numb spread of anxiety spreading through his limbs.

“As if you really care. But if you must know, well. Stocks are going down a bit because of those damn foreign factories. If it was up to me, we would take them all out by any means necessary. This is the best country anyway. Not like the world would be missing much.” He declared to the crowd who all laughed and agreed. All except Roman who slowly stepped back from the group. His grandpa seemed to have hit a stride and kept up with his racist speech as Roman continued to back up.

Once he was far enough away he turned and hightailed it to his empty corner, breathing a sigh of relief.

‘Finally,’ Roman thought to himself. ‘Now I can be alone.’

“Hey Roman!” A voice all but yelled into his ear.

Roman would never admit how he jumped about a foot in the air and he spun quickly around. He fully turned to see Remus almost on the floor laughing next to Remy who was at least trying to pretend he wasn't laughing.

“Oh ha ha Remus good job you got me?” Roman deadpaned.

“Oh come on that was so good! You always jump so high when you get scared!” Remus laughed some more wiping a tear from his eye.

“Are you done yet?” Roman said hotly.

“Come on babes let him laugh it up for a while. He's gonna need it after losing so bad to me for another year. What has it been now? Like a 7 year streak?” Remy sarcastically replied.

“Uh, bitch, I don't think so! This year I came prepared!”

“Rems you say that every year.”

“Maybe so but I mean it this year! Watch!” Remus ran off into the crowd laughing. He made a direct beeline for their mother leaving Remy and Roman in the corner together.

“...so...Do you think he actually has a chance this year?” Roman asked Remy, finally sitting in one of the two chairs in the corner.

“Babe, I don't think he even has a good rumor. He's just jelly from all the wins I’ve got.” Remy sighed and sat in the other chair next to Roman.

“I don't know he seemed to think he had a really good one this year.”

“Honey, he thinks he has a good one every year. Last year had to be the worst though. At this point I don’t see why anyone would listen to him, let alone believe a word he says.”

“Well as long as hes having fun here.”

“Well babe you could get in on this too if you want.” Remy lifted his sunglasses a bit to look over Roman.

“Know full well Remington that I can't talk to people let alone tell a convincing lie.”

“Yea yea we've been over it. Social Anxiety is a bitch huh… Well If you need anything you can at least talk to me. I get the struggle in this family.” Remy looked pointedly into Romans eyes.

“Aww does Remy liikkee mmeeeee???” Roman didn't much like the change in tone of the conversion, so he tried to change it back to the light heartedness as it was before.

“Bitch? I would never.” Remy smirked and replaced his sunglasses.

“Yea yea. You know-” Roman started, before a shrill voice cut him off.

“ROMAN ADRIAN JULIUS PRINCE!” A voice pierced through the crowd.

Roman immediately stood up at attention as the crowd parted revealing his mother storming past everyone straight to him. Roman didn't know what he had done wrong this time. But he did know he was kinda upset he didn't even make it halfway through the night yet. Remy stood up, and stood slightly behind him.

“Babes, what did you do?” He whispered.

“I have to clue.” He whispered back, just as his mother stopped right in front of him.

To Romans surprise she did yell at him or push him back right away. She just stood there searching his face. After a tense moment, she seemed to find what she was apparently looking for in his anxious expression, as she broke out into a bright smile. Roman was reeling from such a contrast of emotions going on around him and his own. If her smile wasn't weird enough, she started laughing then wrapped her arms around Roman.

Roman froze. His mother hasn't hugged him since he was very young. He started at the now staring, silent crowd. Slowly he returned the hug, moreso because it was to be expected. Finally she pulled back, but held him at arm's length, hands on his shoulders. Roman found she had tears in her eyes. He's never been more confused in his entire life.

“M-mom what's going on?” He shakily started.

“Roman! Don’t pretend like you don't know! Why didn't you tell you were engaged!” She shouted. The crowd gasped. While Roman took a second to process what she just said.

“I-...I’m not though?” He spoke stuntingly.

“Don't worry honey you don't have to hide it anymore! I know you were worried to tell us because of that one thing that happened...But i'm just glad you finally found what's actually right! You should have brought her with you honey!”

Roman didn't know how to react. She was just so happy with this idea… Should he tell her? Tell her he has absolutely no club what the hell she was talking about? Well...If she wanted him to be engaged...why not let this slide for now…? It's not like she will ever meet anyone he dates anyway. Why not entertain her love for a while.

With his mind made up he finally spoke up.

“W-who told you?”

“So it is true! You didn't deny it! Oh sweetie, I'm so proud of you! Who knew you’d finally do something like this before Remus!”

“Mom.” Roman was starting to feel really small in this very large crowd around him, realizing everyone was still staring. “Who told you this?”

“Why Remus of course! I’m not surprised you told him first, a little disappointed is all but still!”

“Umm. Thank you. You- Umm. Now if you'll excuse me I need to...get a drink!”

“Oh that's perfect! A toast! Everyone grab a drink for my son and his engagement!” She turned to say to everyone.

Roman was starting to breathe a bit faster. He caught his grandfather's eye. He seemed to have done almost a full 180 from how he looked at him before. He had a slight smirk on his face and what seemed to be a bit of proud gleam in his eye. Roman felt a bit sick. Remy disappeared from behind him, probably to get a drink as well.

Maybe he shouldn't have gone along with this idea. Once he found out Remus was involved he knew exactly what was happening. He just wishes he had come up with a less believable lie this year. He should have known once he agreed everyone would be too happy. This was a family of tradition, and to them marrying young was very important. They are probably the most proud of Roman right now then they ever have been or will be.

Someone handed Roman a glass of champagne but he didn't feel it much. His family was cheering for him and they were actually...happy for him. He didn't want this. Not like this. He needed to get out. He needed to run before he started to panic even more. They were happy for him...he didn't want to ruin that by actually being himself.

So he ran.

He ran past his mother. Passed his drunk aunt and uncle who were cheering for him and drinking even more. Right passed his proud looking grandfather. And then right past Remus and Remy who was passing Remus his well earned cash. As Roman passed them he shot Remus a cold glare. Remus went from a gleeful smile holding a new $50 bill, to fear as he watched Roman leave the ballroom.

Once he was out of the room where everyone was watching him, he kept going. He ran past the staircase Remus fell down when he was 7, and he father and him sat on to read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Past the kitchen where Remus stole the cooks still hot cookies, where Roman sat with his father when he taught him how to use chopsticks. And finally out the door, completely forgetting his jacket.

Once outside the cold shocked him into a bit more lucidity. The storm is almost in full force now. Whipping winds and heavy snow. But Roman didn't care. He kept running all the way to his car, which was easy to find since it was the most beat up thing in the lot. He was surprised it even got him and Remus all the way out to the countryside without breaking down.

Roman jumped in the front seat and quickly reached for the key in his pocket. Once he finally grabbed it, he started the car as quickly. He distantly felt bad for booking it as soon as everyone started looking at him, but he just handled it. He could still barely breathe.

He backed his car up and round. Finally he was driving away from the mansion, while pulling his seatbelt on at the same time. Looking in the rearview mirror he caught Remus busting through the front door into the snow, just in time to see Roman turn the corner and out of sight.

~~~

Next Chapter!

Taglist:

@primaveradoodles

[forever-rogue]

The Edge of Thirty - Part 8

Summary: Everyone seems to be getting married, having babies, or “growing up.” Except Y/N. Suddenly at almost thirty, reality seems to be crashing down on her – and hard. Nothing seemed as daunting as turning thirty…until she met Gwilym Lee anyway.  

A/N: Hiya! Thanks for reading and supporting this story. I hope you enjoy!  Please note there are a lot of up and downs in this chapter and more to come! Also, if tags aren’t working please let me know, or if I’ve accidentally forgotten to add (my b)!  Taglists are open! xx

Pairing: Gwilym Lee x Reader

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: slight language, sexual innuendos

MASTERLIST

“And I love you.”

Gwil gently put his arms around her waist and picked her up, holding her tightly and securely against him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Neither of them exchanged anymore words as their lips never seemed to part, breathless kisses exchanged with a sense of passionate urgency.

He kicked the door shut and set her down, pushing her against the cool wood, his hands freely roaming her body. She opened her mouth in a silent moan as he kissed along her jawline, working his way down the column of her throat, effortlessly finding her sweet spot and nipping at the soft delicate skin his came into contact with.

As much as she wanted him to take her then and there, and God knows her body was screaming out for him, she put her hands on his shoulders and stopped him. She shook her head gently, and pecked his lips gently before pushing him a step back gently.

“What’s wrong, love?” he asked quietly as he traced over the contours of her face gently, his warm, sweet breath fanning over her face. She relished in his touch, enjoying the sweet smell of mint washing over her.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she reassured him, putting his hands on either side of his face, pressing her lips against his, “not with you. You’re perfect. But I’ve got a few things to talk to you about.”

“Are you okay? What’s happened?” he took her hand in his and and led her over to the kitchen, pulling out a stool at bar and motioning for her to hop up on it. She stared at the marbled countertop, tracing a finger over the quartz vein, doing her best to prevent any fingerprints. His apartment was always immaculate, and she always worried that she’d break something, or damage anything. But he insisted that it didn’t matter - he gave her the run of the place and had even offered her a key, so she could come over whenever her heart desired.

He gave her a shoulder a reassuring squeeze, sensing that she was trying to avoid the issue but doing her best to overcome it. She turned to face him for a moment, giving him a small smile as he got up and walked over to the fridge.

“You, my darling, look like you could use a drink,” he said as he opened the luxe looking fridge, ready to grab the chilled bottle of wine he kept for these types of situations. Y/N started to giggle to herself knowing full well that she was the last person in the world that needed a drink. He turned to her, an eyebrow cocked as he tried to read her, “and just what might be so funny?”

“I’d like a drink, but perhaps some sparkling water?” she said once she’d calmed down from her fit. He looked between her and the bottle, trying to make the connection between it and her refusal, a nervous look crossing his handsome features, “oh, no, no! I’m not pregnant or anything like that! I’ve just…pretty much consumed enough alcohol for a small army over the last several days.”

“Oh,” he let out a sigh of relief as he placed the bottle back into the fridge and pulled out a couple of ornate glass bottles filled with fizzy water. He handed her one of them, opening his own and down a long drag. She watched him for a moment, admiring his side profile, getting lost in her own daydream before snapping back into reality, “what’s been going on then, pretty girl?”

“Well, I, ugh it’s a lot,” she admitted as she put focused her attention onto the glass bottle, tracing her fingertip over the design. It was now or never, and she knew she needed to be honest with him, “I feel like there’s a lot more to me than you would probably think.”

“Try me,” his voice remained calm and unchanged as he set the bottle down and leaned against the counter, giving her his full attention. Noticing her hesitation, he leaned over and touched her cheek gently for a moment, his warm hand sending shivers down her spine - even the simplest of touches was electric, “you’re not the only one who’s ever done a bad thing. I’ve made my fair share of rash, impulsive decisions that I’m not too fond of.”

“Hard to believe,” she let out a long breath, chuckling slightly, “look at you, the picture of perfection: cool, calm, collected, composed, Professor Lee. And then there’s me: reckless, wild, and upsetting everyone. What a pair.”

“That’s what we call a dynamic duo, my dear,” the corner of his mouth pulled up into a smirk, “just because I don’t look it, don’t think there haven’t been plenty of fuck ups when I was your age.”

“I suppose I’ll just have to take your word for it, won’t I?” she pondered, and he gave her a swift nod, pointedly making eye contact so she would continue. Straightening on her stool, she pushed the bottle away, a soft scraping sound echoing throughout otherwise quiet kitchen. The only real sound in the pristine apartment was the soft ticking of the clock that hung in the living room, “so I may or may not have lost my job. I won’t know for another two weeks. I’m on suspension.”

“What the hell happened?! Was it because of me? I-I can go right down there-“

“No, Gwil, it’s not you. Definitely. You’re the only good thing that’s happened to me in so long,” she confessed, hoping he won’t overreact and blame himself for everything. Not that he would, likely, he was cool as ice and didn’t jump to rash conclusions unlike she had a tendency to do, “it’s Crickle and his endless vendetta against me. He’s been wanting to get me fired since I started teaching there. He’s always loved Ben but had a disdain for me. I don’t know what it is – probably because I’m not fancy like you lot with your PhDs. But he hasn’t liked me from day one.”

“I mean...it is pretty hard to beat a fancy, overly hyped up degree,” he joked but she just stuck out her tongue at him.

“Whatever it is actually is,” she cocked an eyebrow at him, “he’s always had it out for me. I think he only hired me because Ben’s my best friend, and he practically adores him. But, last week he went to Ben to try and get information on me, and to have Ben basically try and throw me under the bus. Which, if we’re being completely honest, I totally thought he did. I jumped to a bad conclusion, and ended up in a big argument with him over everything. I stormed into office and yeah...things weren’t pretty. We had a fairly bad falling out.”

“Are you still fighting with him?” he asked sympathetically, but thankfully she was able to shake her head and say no. He was curious to meet this mysterious best friend Ben. If he didn’t know her, he could have easily beloved they were lovers, with how fondly she spoke of him. It would be an interesting treat, he concluded, to finally meet her friends, and have her meet his. Who you chose to keep close by often spoke volumes about a person. But by the way her eyes lit up whenever she spoke of him, told him he was extremely special to her, “I’m curious to finally meet him.”

“No, we’re not fighting anymore. He came by and we talked,” she said quietly, “he’s probably the reason I’m here. He dragged me out of bed and told me to stop feeling sorry for myself and set things right. He’s a good man, and I’m often not even sure why he’s dealt with me for so long-”

“Probably because he loves you, just like you love him.”

“I do love him,” she hoped he didn’t feel the need to compete with him or was overshadowed by his presence in her life. Ben was a constant and he wasn’t going anymore, others had come and gone but never him, “he’s like my brother. Don’t you worry Gwilly, he’ll never be like you though. But you will get to meet him soon - this weekend at the wedding.”

“Ahh, well, I’m looking forward to it...I’m sure he’s got plenty of stories to tell me,” he gave her the softest of smiles as he walked around the counter and effortlessly hoped onto the stool next to her. He nudged her knee with his, a sort of intimate gesture, as he indicated for her to carry on, “I’ve already told you, love, I don’t care about your past. You are a good person, whether or not you choose to believe it.”

“Promise?” she asked quietly and reached down and gave her knee a soft squeeze, “after my little outburst with Ben, I went home and started drinking. I was sure I was going to lose my job, and to be quite frank, I’m not positive it’ll still be there for me. So, I suppose I better start keeping my options open. It was just everything, it set me off and I don’t handle these things well...but I’m working on it.”

“Why do you think this demonic headmaster has it out for you?” Gwil mused out loud, ran a handle over his stubble in contemplation, “is he jealous that he’ll never get to shag you?”

“Gwilym Lee!” her eyes widened in both horror and disgust as she pictured him lusting after her. She sincerely hoped that wasn’t his motive - she’d rather have gone after a slug than ever get closer than three feet to Crickle, “that’s the biggest horror story ever. I do hope not, otherwise I should be finding a new job either way. No...he’s just...I don’t fit the stereotypical picture of what he has for a young woman. I don’t think the others teachers like me either, they’re the ones that started telling him they’ve seen me around town when I’ve gone out. And that I was out drunk one morning and causing a scene. Which wasn’t entirely true - I was hungover and reacting to the news that one of my other best friends was pregnant!”

“Hmm,” he teased her, “sounds like a perfectly valid reason to hate you. Young, pretty, likes to go out and have fun...”

“Be serious!” she giggled in spite of herself, sticking out her tongue at him, “I could lose my job! What am I going to do then?”

“You have me,” he stated as it was the most obvious thing in the world, “you know I could take care of you if you needed it-”

“I-I’m not going to take advantage of you like that Gwil,” she felt a blush rising in her cheeks in spite of herself, “I want this to be an equal partnership, and that involves me contributing. Not living off of the hot English professor that everyone wants to shag!”

“Fair enough,” he agreed, “you think everyone wants to shag me, huh? Am I really that good looking?”

“I mean, you’re alright,” she made a so-so gesture with her hand. She knew he was more than alright, as close to perfect as a man could get really, “enough for a bunch of little uni students to pretend Professor Lee is fucking them when they’re with their inexperienced boyfriends.”

“Professor Lee...I could fuck you in my classroom sometime. You can be a naughty school girl, and we could do it in every inch of my office,” he said everything so calmly, like he wasn’t just pondering about wild, passionate sex, which was enough to cause her cheeks to turn a bright crimson, “you know if you want.”

“Of course I want to!” she practically blurted with overly zealous eagerness, her hands flying to her face - she hadn’t wanted to come off that desperate. He raised an eyebrow at her as he took a drink from his bottle, and she wished more than anything else to be that bottle, and to have his lips on her. Shaking her head, she realized she needed to pull herself together and not just lust over him, that could be reserved for later, “but in all seriousness, Gwilym, what am I going to do? I don’t want to lose my job, I love it, and my kids.”

“You’re not going to get fired, love,” he said quietly, “I know the kids love you just as much as you love them. Jenny almost never stops talking about you, or Deacon. If you’re a good teacher, which I can see that you are, you have nothing to be worried about. We can fight it if something does happen.”

“We,” she repeated the word out loud. It was such a nice word, she decided, and she wanted to hear more of it, “I like the sound of that. It has a nice ring to it.”

“Indeed it does,” he reached down and pulled her stool closer to him so there was very little distance between them, “please just promise you won’t just shut me out again. I don’t want to hear that you’ve been feeling so down and drinking so much. You can tell me anything - anything.”

“T-there is one other thing...” she started, swallowing the lump in her throat that had suddenly appeared. He looked at her expectantly, such a soft expression in those bright blue eyes, She tried to get the words out, but it just wasn’t working. Instead, she just smiled at him before forcing out, “that I love you. Very much, and it’s both amazing and terrifying. That’s all.”

“I love you too,” he beamed at her, closing the distance and pecking her lips with each slow, punctuated word, “why don’t I show you how much?”

Lucy and Rami’s wedding rolled around faster than she could have imagined. After months of laborious planning, hours spent over the tiniest details, their big day was finally here. Y/N had worked hard to make amends with her friends throughout the remainder of the week, feigning that she’d been under the weather - Ben had been a good sport and hadn’t spilled the beans on what had actually transpired between them. What was done was done and they didn’t need to know all the details. Knowing that everything was going to be okay was enough.

And they had finally all met Gwil - a feat nothing short of a miracle considering her recent relationships had been nothing more than a few days long, if more than a night. But no, he had accompanied her and presented the picture of tranquil perfection. He was dressed smartly, putting almost everyone else there to shame, but he carried no false bravado or swagger about anything, he was just utterly himself.

And of course everyone, including Ben, had wholeheartedly approved of them, whispering under their breath about how lovely he was, as if she was not already aware. So tall! So handsome! So kind! So lovely!

But as she was standing there at the altar, perched next to Becca and Tessa as Lucy and Rami exchanged their vows, she found herself slipping into her own thoughts, hoping she didn’t appear too lost or gone. She forced herself to look at the nervous and giggling bride and groom, trying to intently memorize every word they were saying, but it was no use.

A million thoughts raced through her mind as she realized that could have been her in Lucy’s position. It would have been, it should have been her - but it wasn’t. She knew, of course, that things happened and life was what was, but it still caused a pang of sadness in her heart. She had wanted this so desperately and was denied, but as her gaze started to wander, she spied Gwil sitting among some random members of Lucy’s family, several rows back, his eyes glued to her. He was her future now and that made her very happy indeed.

The corners of her mouth stretched into a small as she realized she must have been frowning before. Praying she hadn’t made anyone odd faces and didn’t seem to be disparaging anyone, she chanced the quickest of winks at Gwil before giving her full attention back to the others. Maybe life didn’t always work out how it was supposed to, or how one planned, but that was okay. Sometimes the future held what you’d been looking for and needed.

She almost bounded into Gwil’s arms when she spied him after the ceremony, milling about near the entrance, waiting for her with a big grin on his face. He held his arms open to her and picked her up off of her feet, clinging onto her tightly in his strong arms, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek, trying his best not mess up the makeup that had been meticulously applied.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said tenderly, letting her back down onto her feet, helping to keep her balanced in the sky-high heels. Lucy had always had a love of stilettos and everyone would be damned if she didn’t have her bridal party wearing them on her big day, “you okay there, champ? You’re almost as tall as me for once!”

“Very funny, Gwilliam,” she teased, running a hand over his cheek, touching the delicious stubble he had there. He appeared so divine in his suit, opting to wear a bow tie instead of a regular tie, and easily put everyone else to shame. But she couldn’t wait to tell all the intricate layers off of him later and have him stripped under her. Trying her best to suppress the thought, she remembered where she was, and spied Ben walking over to them, “not everyone can be a tall tree like you. By the way, this is my best friend, Ben. Ben, this is Gwil and I can now confidently say that I wasn’t making either of you up!”

“Ben,” he wrapped an around her waist, tucking her securely into his side before extending his hand, “it’s an absolute pleasure to meet you. She goes on so much about you, I almost thought you might be conjoined at the hip.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Ben eagerly shook the other man’s hand, and it was clear that the two of them were sizing each other up. There were calm smiles on their faces, and they seemingly approved each other. It mean the world to her that her best friend and boyfriend got on. Neither of them appeared to be going anywhere, so it didn’t really give them much of a choice. Ben looked over at her, giving her a wink before giving his attention back to Gwil, “this one’s been absolutely over the moon about you. Gwil this, Gwil that, I feel like I’ve been dating you as well.”

“Ben!” she burrowed her face into Gwil’s chest, in a vain attempt at hiding her crimson cheeks. He soothingly rubbed her arm up and down, laughing at her sudden shyness, but kissed the top of her head, careful not to muss her hair, “you’re supposed to be on my side, not his!”

“I am on your side,” he innocently shrugged, gave her wide doe eyes, “I’m just pointing out the facts. But, Gwil, trust me, if you ever need any good stories, I’ve got them all. We’ve known each other since we were about six, I know almost everything about this one. I’m sure you’ll fit right in with the group!”

“I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for you later!” Gwil promised Ben as Tessa came over to drag the two of them outside for pictures. Y/N gave him a look of warning, waggling a finger pointedly at him before turning her attention back to Tessa, who had one of each of her hands on either arms. She sighed lightly at the giggled best friends, wondering how she had ended up playing babysitter to the two of them.

“I like him,” Ben commented under his breath, nudging her arm gently. She smiled in spite of herself but nodded excitedly, biting on her lower lip lightly.

“You’ve barely exchanged more than a few words with him,” she reminded him, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, but relief flooded her veins at the knowledge that he approved of her boyfriend.

“That may be so,” he said as his face turned into a serious expression, one he normally reserved for when he was putting on his Dr. Jones persona, “but I can tell. He gives off good vibes.”

“Thank you,” she whispered quietly in response to his declaration, “you have no idea how much that means to me. I love you, Benny.”

“I love you too,” he promised before he was removed from her, lined up along Rami’s side along with the rest of the groomsmen. She tried to hold back her tears at the touching scene, feeling for the first time in a long time that everyone was slowly falling into place.

A few days ago she would have been glad for all the free flowing alcohol, but today it was almost enough to make her stomach churn, so she vehemently avoided it, opting instead to remain drinking her water, sparkling never still of course.

“Hey! Are you gonna come and dance with me?” she grinned at Gwil as she flopped down in the seat next to him, her face flushed from all moving and gyrating from the dance floor. Gwil had been posted up at one of the abandoned tables, nursing a beer while he chatted away with Ben. She had been worried for a few moments, wondering just what Ben would tell him, hoping it wasn’t all sorts of embarrassing stories from when they were teenagers.

“Of course love,” he took a swig from the bottle, “give me five more minutes and I’ll join you, yeah?”

“Only if you absolutely promise,” she stood back up, kicking off her heels, finally as her feet screamed for relief, before kissing his cheek, and seeking out Becca and Tessa. She turned around and gave him one last wave.

“You’d better go and join her,” Ben chuckled, “she’s impatient and has a hot head, which I’m sure you know all about.”

“She’s something else,” Gwil agreed, tapping the lip of his bottle thoughtfully, “but I happen to love her very much. It feels silly to admit, but I’m really happy to have met you all now. It means a lot you know.”

“We’re glad too,” Ben clinked his bottle against his, “it’s been a long time since she’s been with anyone. Sometimes I wondered if she’d ever find anyone again-”

“Again?” setting down his bottle, he gave Ben a mystified glance, trying to decipher what he meant.

“Losing James was really hard for her. It seemed like she’d never get that spark back, but you’d never be able to see that now,” he stated, not realizing that Y/N had still neglected to tell Gwil anything about James. She had planned on it several days prior, but wasn’t able to do it, leaving it for another time, “what’s wrong?”

“James?”

“Her fiance...he passed away after getting hit by a drunk driver in a car accident several years ago,” Gwil’s jaw almost hit the ground at Ben’s words. He had no clue, not an inclination even, about the existence of James. But here it was - a mountainous revelation laid out before him at once, “s-she must have told you? I mean, he was a huge part of her life, she was going to marry him...”

“I-I’ve got to go,” he said suddenly, almost jumping out of his chair as a confused expression fell on Ben’s face. It took him a moment to put two and two together, and then it hit; Y/N had never mentioned so much as a word about James.

Y/N looked over to see a distressed Ben and Gwil exited the room, clutching his suit jacket in his hand. She made eye contact with Ben, who gave her a forlorn expression as he shook his head and mouthed I’m sorry at her.

She pulled up her dress and ran after him, hoping her strides would catch up to his long legs. Following his path, she bounded down the hall, which luckily contained no other people, when she spotted him.

“Gwil! Gwilym!” she put her hand on his arm, but he flinched out of her touch, turning on his heel to face her, an unreadable expression on his handsome features, “what’s wrong, love?”

“James,” the name rolled off his tongue with more salt than he intended and he could tell he had struck a nerve by the way she recoiled from him. Her eyes widened with fear as she realized that the truth had somehow slipped out. He didn’t break eye contact with her, even she tried her best to avoid looking at him, “who is James, Y/N? Tell me who he is.”

“I-I, Gwil, you have to understand that it wasn’t easy for me. I don’t just go around telling people-”

“I’m not people, Y/N!” he raised his voice, and she was taken aback for a brief moment - he’d never been this loud with her before, “I’m your boyfriend! I’m supposedly the man you love.”

“Gwil, please just listen to me,” she was desperate, trying to hold back her tears as she internally urged him to see reason, “I-I wanted to tell you-”

“Then why didn’t you?” there was an exasperated look on his face, and he ran a hand over his stubble, trying to calm himself down. He didn’t know how to feel - there was sense of annoyance, sadness, and a little bit of anger. He had been begged her, on several occasions, to just open up to him, “what prevented you from telling me, Y/N? I have told you so many times to just open up and talk to me.”

“I was scared,” she dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, “it’s just...I can’t just open up and spill all of my secrets. It took me years to get over him.”

“He was a secret?! What other secrets are you hiding?” they were both breathing heavily, chests rising and falling in anger and annoyance.

“Nothing - I just don’t like talking about it. I was supposed to marry him, and he’s dead, okay? I don’t why you’re making such a big deal out of this!” her own voice was rising and she hoped no one would come in and over hear their argument. She didn’t need to go on and ruin Lucy and Rami’s big day.

“Because it is! I asked you about past relationships, I’ve told you about my own almost marriage,” he was flailing around wildly now, trying to get his point across, “I’ve asked you to open up to me, Y/N. I told you that your past doesn’t matter to me, besides what would have happened if you’d told me? It’s not like I would have been upset! I know what’s like to lose people too.”

“Well, you’re sure acting upset right now,” she pouted at him through tears, wishing she’d just gone and told him the truth from the beginning. But she was too stubborn for her own good and held back a big part of her past, and now it had come back full circle to bite her in the butt.

“That’s because I am upset!” he sighed and furrowed his brow, taking a moment to calm himself, “I have tried my best to be patient with you, darling, I really have. I have asked you repeatedly to open up to me, and you still haven’t. I don’t know what you need, Y/N, and I can only give you so much.”

“Gwilym-”

“Y/N, I love you, I really do,” he bit his lip, mulling over his words carefully, “but I can’t keep doing this anymore. This constant up and down, going in circles, back and forth. I just...I don’t know if this is going to work.”

“P-please no,” she grabbed onto his arm, ready to cling onto him and be for forgiveness, “please don’t leave me. I-I love you, please. You have to understand-”

“And that’s what makes this so hard,” he took his arm out of her hands, letting his fingers brush over hers one last time, “I know you’re being honest...this time. But what about in a few years from now? What if we got married? Had children? Would you be hiding things from me then? I asked for one thing, Y/N, that’s all. It was never supposed to be this complicated.”

“Don’t walk away,” she almost sunk to her knees, begging him to stop and not leave. He had welcomed her back before with open arms, but she wasn’t so sure he’d do it a second time, “please, I’ll tell you everything, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Gwilym-”

“Goodbye, Y/N,” he said quietly, taking a step back from her, a pained expression on his own face. This was just as hard for him as it was for her, “I do love you, you know, truly.”

“Don’t leave me,” she repeated quietly as she watched his retreated back, staying there for a long time even after he had gone. She was on her knees, weeping only, wishing that she could take it all back. But she couldn’t - he was gone. For good this time.

“Y/N?” Ben asked quietly as he finally found her. He leaned down and put a hand on her back gently, but she just brushed him off, “love, I swear I thought he knew, I-I wouldn’t have said anything if I knew.”

“It’s okay, Benny,” she sighed, letting a sob rack her body as she plopped down the floor and leaned against the wall, “it’s my own fault. It’s over. It’s all over. He’s gone.”

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[asterinjapan]

A whole Latte (window) shopping

Good evening from a rainy Tokyo! And no apologies for that awful pun in the title, haha.

Yeah, so uhm, two new tropical storms have formed… One has already dwindled down to a low pressure system, bringing in a ton of rain tonight into tomorrow over areas that have already had plenty of rani last week. The second is a typhoon right now and will probably tun into a low pressure area as well when it approaches late this week. The already battered parts of Japan really can’t catch a break, yikes.

For me, it’s just a mild inconvenience. Tokyo will get rain, and pretty much all my side trips are falling through as they’re in dangerous areas due to risk of landslides and what not, but I can definitely keep myself otherwise entertained. I can only hope that these storms blow over without too much additional damage.

Anyway! I finally managed to wear myself out today, haha, and that despite just sticking to the city I’m staying in. Climbing mountains is easy, but (window) shopping does me in!

Follow me below for my report of today, consisting of Shibuya revisited, hopping over to Harajuku and Akihabara and ending with dinner with a certain bright yellow mascot. Pictures will be up tomorrow morning!

First things first, I had a train ticket to secure for a trip that will happen no matter what: the ride to the airport on the 28th. The Narita Express doesn’t often go through Ikebukuro, but it does at a convenient time for me for once on the 28th, so I wanted to get a seat on that train, haha. Sure, I have to get up early, but I can throw my luggage into the luggage corner, take a seat, and only get up once I’m at the airport. I’ve nearly always had to transfer after the Yamanote line, which is not a lot of fun when you have heavy bags with you. So! I made my way to the JR East travel office, since the normal ticket office apparently can’t reserve seats on the Narita Express for you, and secured my seat. I also asked about trains further out, and got confirmed what I was already suspecting: dangerous, cancelled lines, etcetera. Well, I’m not gonna risk it. Too bad about my JR pass, but it’s given me my free seat in the Narita Express, and the shorter trips throughout Tokyo secretly add up a lot too if you don’t have a free pass. It has long since paid itself off!

Well, I had gotten a relatively early start today, so I went to Shibuya again at a calm pace. It was only a little after ten, so the crossing was pretty empty compared to yesterday, haha. I first hopped over to the Disney store to secure my ticket for Disneyland. Hey, it’s tradition by now! There was only one person in front of me instead of a long line (going on a Monday morning really helps), so that was quickly arranged. After some shop browsing, I traced my way to my Miyamasu Mitake shrine (I’m getting possessive over it by now, haha). And behold, the shop was open! I could finally hand in my omamori, protective charm, which I’d gotten almost 2 years ago (you’re supposed to hand it back in after a year). I immediately got a new one, of course. Still white, because I think the other ones were more specific, and ‘general luck’ has worked fine so far I’d say!

I had a light and early lunch at a nearby café and then went back to the station to go one stop further on the Yamanote line: Harajuku. I usually go to the fancy Omotesando street or the Meiji shrine, but today, I went into Takeshita street. That’s what you think of when you hear Harajuku, I guess, haha, sinc this street is lined with a ton of fashion stores and all kinds of food. There’s one stall that’s gotten pretty well known for its huge rainbow colored candy floss, which are indeed a sight to behold (but I held off for now, I needed to be hungry for dinner). My main mission here was finding a coat, but I got immensely sidetracked by super cute clothing everywhere. No coats that fit my criteria, but I sure had fun window shopping and I’m seriously considering a couple of outfits. Not the very fancy frilly gorgeous dresses, though. I mean, they are amazingly gorgeous and not as outrageously expensive as you might think (not cheap by all means, but I’ve seen more expensive clothes in my little home town) but still… I don’t think I’d dare to wear them? Also, those would definitely mean I have to buy a second suitcase, haha.

Once I went back and forth through Takeshita street, I went back to the station for my next stop on the Yamanote line: Akihabara station, also known as nerd central I guess, haha. Truth is, in earlier years I didn’t really like Akihabara. As it turns out, it really depends on what shops you visit. I know a couple now that mostly cater towards my interests, but there are also a lot of shops here that cater to a male audience, if you catch my drift. But now, I had a lot of fun window shopping and making a mental list of what’s available. I accidentally bought a couple of figurines last year and that’s definitely a trap, now I keep looking, haha.

It was cooling down, so I fled into the station for my final stop for today: Tokyo station. I was going to head to the café I had my reservation for, but it was like an hour and a half in advance, so I first strolled through the underground Tokyo Station city. There is a street called character street which has a lot of specialized merchandise stores, and I always struggle to find it, but today I just – walked right into it as I was looking for my exit for the café, haha. This time, I ended up buying a couple of clearfiles, and then I slowly made my way to the Yaesu North exit.

A short walk later, I was at my destination: the Pokémon DX store with adjacent Pokémon café! You can only get into the café for a meal if you have reservations. I found out in the nick of time that you only need a credit card if you want to pre-order exclusive goods, so I managed to make a reservation for today a week or so before I hopped onto my plane. I was still too early, so I did a lot of browsing in this Pokémon store. I’ve visited quite some Pokémon stores by now, but this one takes the cake. It’s roomy, big, interactive, and has a ton of products I haven’t seen anywhere else yet. Do you want a Pokémon plushie? You can literally get one for every single Pokémon from the first 2 generations, so like – 251. I was strong and steered clear of plushies today, but I did have a wishlist now, haha. There is also a long wall that shows the development of the games throughout the years, that was so fun and nostalgic to watch!

At long last, I got to enter the café! I was seated at the long table in the center, right next to the statue of Pikachu, and got to order my dishes through the tablet on table, which had multiple language options. Of course, I opted for the limited time Pikachu Halloween plate, and I also got a latte with Pokémon art on it. You can pick from the first 251 Pokémon, but I went with Eevee. I was going to get an Eevee mug separately, because I thought you could only order it with the hot cocoa, but it turns out you can get it with the latte too if you have the Eevee art, haha. So I got a receipt for my order plus mug and settled in to eat. But there was a surprise: Chef Pikachu came out to meet everyone! Japan sure loves its mascot characters, so you bet they have tons of Pikachu suit characters. (Heck, there’s a whole parade of them in Yokohama in summer.) Pikachu made his rounds to shake hands with everyone and seemed rather taken by the small Pikachu I had brought with me and remembered to put on my shoulder in the nick of time, haha.

The plate was actually pretty good! I mean, not haute cuisine, and you can definitely get more extravagant meals for this price elsewhere, but hey, will it be shaped like Pikachu with a witch hat? I think not. Don’t go to character cafés if you want quality food, but do go if you want to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the way the food looks. Japan is all about presentation.

I had a good time here, although I was too full for dessert, so I ordered a float drink instead inspired by the legendary bird Pokémon Articuno. It was a fizzy drink that was a tad too sweet for my taste, but hey, it came with a free coaster! For every drink, you get a coaster. You can pick a random card on a tablet, and that card determines which coaster you get. Since it’s Halloween season, you could also pick the official Halloween 2019 Pikachu coaster, which I had done for the latte. For the random pick, I got Espeon! Nice.

You can spend at most 90 minutes at the café before your time is up, so after my last photos, I made my way to the register to pay for my food, a set of clear files, and of course my new Eevee mug, which they promptly wrapped up nicely for me, so I can’t show a picture of it yet, haha. I then wandered into the store to grab some goods I had gotten my eye on (not all for me! I do souvenirs for others too!), and finally made it out again. Sadly, it had started to drizzle, so I walked to the station fast and made way to Ikebukuro.

So now here I am! Tomorrow is a holiday since it’s the enthronement of the Emperor, but they postponed the procession until November due to typhoon Hagibis (and I bet they don’t regret that decision now, what with the current weather). It doesn’t sound like there’s a lot to see for us mere mortals. Although I suppose this means I’m physically closer to my country’s king and queen than I’ve ever consciously been back home, as they’re attending the ceremony tomorrow, haha. Ah well.

With the weather forecast, I think I’ll go over to Ueno Park to visit the National Museum of Nature and Science, since I’ve been throwing that one longing looks since 2010, but never let myself visit before. And after that, I’ll see – maybe some karaoke? I’ll hold off on more shopping for now as Wednesday will be busy (Disney!), and then I’ll just see what the weather will do and what my safe options are, because I’m not gonna take unnecessary risks.

It’s getting late here, so I’ll upload the pictures tomorrow morning. Good night for now!