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literary-illuminati · 14 days ago

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2024 Book Review #60 – Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar

This is a book I heard about because the cranky old communist who runs the local daily paper recommended it in some editorial I’ve long since forgotten the actual point of. Which is generally a very high-risk way to get book recommendations, but in this case it worked out! Though I came into this as the friendliest possible audience for the arguments Grabar is trying to make, so I’m genuinely not that sure how convincing a work it is for a less sympathetic reader. It is at least full of fun and somewhat memorable anecdotes.

The book is about, well, (almost) exactly what it says on the tin – the economics and politics and logistics of parking infrastructure in American cities. Specifically, how it is an all-consuming, economy-warping, environment-destroying, city-killing cancer that is the primary causes of decaying urban cores and the lack of affordable housing in gentrifying neighborhoods. The book is loosely organized, with each different chapter approaching the question of and ills caused by parking from a slightly different angle, or considering the history and psychology that has made it such a mighty force, or showing case studies of how different places have started fixing it.

The two main thrusts of the book are a) parking as an un- (which is to say privately-) regulated privilege and entitlement which the great mass of the American public expects to be provided for free (or for an at-most nominal fee) wherever they happen to want to go and b) parking as possibly the least efficient use of developed real estate in the world, and one that absolutely dominates most American cities.

The latter is a bit less interesting to me, just because it’s broadly things I either already knew or could have pretty quickly puzzled out from what I do. It’s still quite well-presented, and quite rage-inducing – the number of square miles of space set aside for the sole use of free parking on every urban street, the eye-watering amount of money cities spend and give up in revenue to subsidize driving and parking, the hundreds of thousands of units of housing whose economics don’t pencil out because of mandatory parking minimums or that are killed by neighbors and ‘community engagement’ out of (ostensible) concern over their effect on parking availability in the neighborhood, and so on. It’s all well-told, but none of it’s exactly groundbreaking (which Grabar is entirely forthright about, to be clear. A large chunk of the book is combination synopsis and advertisement for the older and more more rigorous The High Cost of Free Parking, also cited as one of the main reference texts).

The former is much more interesting reading for me, just because (as a lifelong and involuntary non-driver) the psychology of it is just a bit foreign to me. The sheer fact that so much parking is both free and unregulated means that instead of market pricing or government permitting all manner of fascinatingly dysfunctional private systems to allocate and ration it out develop instead. Fist fights and murders over stolen parking spots, the self-proclaimed vigilantes patrolling condo parking lots for anyone overstaying their welcome, outright criminal conspiracies and organized violence between ice cream truck companies over poaching each others most lucrative routes – many less morbid and attention-getting things too, to be fair, but it’s still all just fascinating. And if ‘explains the world’ is a bit much, does function as an excellent window into a great many neuroses and dysfunctions of American public life.

One of the points the book repeatedly hammers home is that ‘parking shortages’ are, except in a few extremely select neighborhoods, basically a myth. The parking is almost always there – the average American city has more free or subsidized parking spaces and lots than are filled (at least) 360 days of the year. Drivers just expect parking that is simultaneously no more than a couple blocks from their destination, available the moment they pull up, and (almost) free. Garages go half empty while thousands of road-miles are driven every month circling blocks looking for free spots – terrible for the climate, for the roads being driven on, and for traffic and the utility of driving through the city in the first place. Reducing or eliminating free curbside parking (either charging market-clearing rates, or using the real estate for loading zones or patio seating or any of a thousand other things that serve more people in a period than the same amount of parking) thus often makes traffic better, not worse.

This is very much a book written by a journalist rather than an academic, for both good and ill – not that it doesn’t seem densely researched or well-cited (the endnotes run north of 50 pages), but there’s definitely a prioritization of being approachable and readable over being detailed or rigorous. Hence every chapter having at least one and usually several interviews or deeply characterized anecdotes there to be case studies and examples. Sometimes this anecdotes are incredibly interesting and something I’d probably read a book entirely devoted to – the above mentioned New York City ice cream truck feuds, or the fascinatingly blatant and eye-popping amount of corruption around parking ticketing and violations also in NYC, or how the city of Chicago sold the right to operate all its parking meters through the end of the century to Morgan Stanley – but just as (if not more) often it’s just a few pages sketching a sympathetic portrait and life story of someone suffering the travails of some aspect of parking infrastructure so the reader will have someone to empathize with as the problem is described. A trick that does start t get old the more often it’s repeated.

The book’s long digressions into history were (perhaps unsurprisingly) more interesting for me than the contemporary anecdotes. Partially just because the evolution of things like the car garage and how public streets are conceived of is always interesting to learn more about, and partially because of just how long we have at this point known about things like ‘induced demand’ and the various morbid inefficiencies of car-first, -only and -always culture. Literally generations! It's bleak.

Though having said that, this was funnily enough one of the only works of nonfiction I can remember reading in a long, long time that ended on a positive note in a way that didn’t sound like transparent cope. As is mandatory in all works of pop-sociology, -economics or -poli-sci, this one also ends in a chapter or two of examples of Doing It Right and ways society can fix itself going forward. Grabar just actually weaves together a narrative through most of the book of a slowly-increasing pushback and growing political coalitions who are (in the book’s framing) more interested in cheaper housing and more usable public space than traffic jams and parking lots. The COVID lockdowns and sudden need for as much outdoor space as possible – leading to parking lots being repurposed as church pews, curbside parking as patio seating, and a dozen other things – serve as a case in point. The book ends reiterating the point that the USA’s most desirable and expensive neighbourhoods are very often the ones that are dense and walkable enough (and/or sufficiently well-served by public transit) to comfortably live in without owning a car, and the confident belief that such neighbourhoods are only going to grow more common.

All that said, Grabar’s actually much more sympathetic to the pro-car, pro-parking viewpoint than most authors or pundits I have seen make similar points are. Sometimes to a mildly cringe-inducing ‘no don’t run, I promise I’m normal like you!’ way, being entirely honest. But then, one can at least hope that it helps the book actually function as a persuasive text instead of so much elegant preaching to the choir.

#book review #nonfiction #paved paradise #henry grabar

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aboodmush · 25 days ago

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AFTER REACHING 70% OF MY CAMPAIGN, THE GERMAN BANK BLOCKED ACCESS TO THE FUNDS AND IS DEMANDING A 48% TAX, PLUS A 2.5% SITE COMMISSION, TRANSFER FEES, AND EXCHANGE RATE DIFFERENCES. HERE IS THE LINK TO MY NEW TAX-FREE CAMPAIGN.

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hyenaswine · 1 month ago

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Abood has been forced to raise his goal to €30,000 due to taxes, platform commission, & transfer fees. Here is his update from October 13.

I hope this message finds you well. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your incredible support during these challenging times. Your generosity has been a beacon of hope for our family.

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Thank you for being our champions. Your kindness inspires us to keep pushing forward, and we are forever grateful for your unwavering support. ❤️

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maddys-nerd-blog · 25 days ago

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HI! Welcome to the next installment of the short story!!

I’m so excited to share this next part!! This is gonna get real angsty! Writing this has been tough but I’m glad you guys seem to like it!!

We find out who’s pulling the strings to this scheme in this part, and what’s in store for Danny and Leo. Be prepared for all the whump 🤣 Don’t worry, Katie is on the case!!

Be warned there’s tons of cursing and all the angsty stuff ahead!

SO LETS GET ON WITH THE SHOW!

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Ransom 2

A TMNT Crossover Short Story Fanfic

Part Two: Under Lock and Key

Years ago, when Danny was young and stupid, he thought he was better than everyone else. Why wouldn’t he? His father was fairly wealthy. He grew up plentiful. But the thrill of crime still seduced him— looking up to figureheads like Clyde Barrow caused internal resentment from his old man… which only intensified once Ma died. By seventeen he was an up and coming hustler, bringing tonics and potions to traders off market for a sizable fee. It was his charisma and talent for swindling the shmucks of the Hidden City that caught the attention of Big Mama. And when she’d hired him, Danny thought he’d made it big.

Working under someone as high profile as Mama granted him protection, it gave him leeway to do whatever he wanted as long as he behaved himself and didn’t act a fool. He could rob the bank and come back with plenty of cash to settle scores and debts he and Leonard acclimated through gambling or long nights of binge drinking. Danny felt like he was untouchable.

Until one night where he’d pushed the envelope too far.

He was twenty-three at the time. Leonard was twenty-four. They’d just robbed a police van loaded with gold bars and high tailed it to the harbor— the locals never thought to look twice if they spotted two of Big Mama’s boys carrying out her dirty work lest they incur her wrath. It had been their biggest score since they’d been paired together. With no security guards at the warehouses, no cops, no worries about their bounty being discovered, they felt as though they were kings of the world.

But their high was stubbed when a competing gang— one who despised Mama’s guts— had tracked them to the docks. Had caught wind of their robbery. And decided to take their pent up frustration out on them. They’d stood their ground. They’d barked and cussed and threw punches. But these guys had been bigger. Sturdier. Komodo yōkai.

And they were ruthless.

They hadn’t been above pummeling the two within an inch of their lives to teach them a lesson.

Leonard had his nose shattered. His ankle was sprained. His left ring and pinkie finger were snapped. Danny suffered terrible injuries to his ribcage and spine, his tail stomped on and fractured. He’d never get the scars from his hands and knees off his body.

Needless to say, they’d gone and bitten off more than they could chew.

The cops found them the next morning sitting on the docks bound and gagged in duct tape, their stolen goods taken by the petty thugs as penance. Mama had paid their bail in private, but she hadn’t been pleased that her ‘best hustlers’ were taken by surprise. Danny almost expected her to be understanding of their predicament— it hadn’t been their fault the gold had been swiped. It had been rotten timing. They weren’t to blame.

But instead he’d been backhanded. He would never forget how her ice cold fury stung him, how her elegant smile held a silent mirth towards him, her perfectly manicured nails digging deep into his arm enough to draw blood. Eyes as black as obsidian bore deep into his soul as if to smite him. “Never fail me again,” Mama’s sugary sweet voice dripped with poison. “Or I shall find more lucrative ways of punishing you for your blunders.”

It put the fear of God in him. It had been a wake-up call.

No matter how hard he persisted, it would never satisfy Mama. His efforts would never be good enough. The most he was to her was just a glorified errand boy, someone to take the fall should he be detained, or worse, forsaken by his grandiose employer if he’d expended his talents. One incursion could have landed him into the Nexus as the next sap to be torn to a pulp. The slightest inclination of imperfection would send him across the floor with a twisted back or bruised ribs. It got worse once Mickey joined their fold at such a vulnerable age. The poor eel had to watch his fair share of nasty beatings at Mama’s hands, had to learn how to patch up wounds in a hasty retreat if her attitude was fiery. Leonard had taken up drinking as the quickest method of treatment in this service of hell. Twenty-four years he’d put up with the tirade of abuse and mistreatment. Now he was free.

But Lady Luck had a funny way of paying him back for all his reformed deeds.

Which was how he found himself in this current situation— sitting in the backseat of an unmarked car, Leo on his right, a goon on his left, pistol pushed deep into his side to keep him from resisting.

What a fucking day this turned out to be.

The ride to their unknown destination was spent in complete silence on his part. The two goons up in front were loudly chatting about random sports bullshit Danny could give less of a damn about. Green was stoic, keeping to himself, not having spoken a word since this venture began. That was fine— it gave Danny time to study the street signs and make mental note of where exactly they were going. When they crossed over the Brooklyn bridge he couldn’t help but swallow a lump in his throat; why were they being driven all the way out here?

Green had made a phone call prior to their excursion; Boldly proclaimed that he’d single handedly found and acquired two live mutants. His boss responded in kind, loud and gruff, Danny couldn’t make out the voice perfectly due to the static of the burner phone, but he definitely heard the phrases, ‘Bring them to me alive,’ and ‘Make sure they’re both guarded, take no chances.’

Danny remained quiet, hands folded in his lap, tail curled around his feet the entire ride. Eyes darted back and forth between the tinted windows, his outward appearance maintained a level of calm. He knew better than to look like a sniveling coward, that was what these people wanted. If there was ONE lesson he never forgot from his time working under Big Mama, it was to stay collected, stay cool headed, and no matter how badly they try to break you, do NOT bow under the pressure your captors put you under. Not even for a split second. One sign of weakness and they could use it against you as a weapon.

At his side Leo was staring out the window, hood still pulled up to hide his green face. He’d wrapped his arms around himself, slumped in his seat with an expression that could only be described as despair. Danny couldn’t begin to fathom what was going through the kid’s head. He’d heard stories from the red slider that he had been abducted multiple times before— which was VERY alarming, considering his age and his lack of experience— but he would recount these events with a carefree attitude. Once was at the hands of a washed-up actor who’d taken his role too seriously and had gone insane. Other instances were at the hands of Draxum. And that basket case didn’t need an explanation.

But he knew about Bishop. Had heard terrible things about Mozar from Katie. This kid probably hid his trauma behind a mask everyday just to keep up the ‘comedian’ persona.

Danny’s hands tightened in his lap. This kid’s way too young to be putting up with this ridiculous bullshit. He spared a glance over to the teen, sensing his anxiety. “You okay, Leo?” He asked in a voice that barely resembled a whisper.

Leo’s eyes landed on him, his fingers digging into the fabric of his sleeves. The slider sank further into the seat, beak twitching with fear. “… I guess.”

“You hurt?”

“Just a few bruises and a scrape on my arm.” Leo looked at the rat yōkai with the same expression of concern. “You alright Rat Man?”

“Aah, don’t worry ‘bout me. Been in th’ business long enough t’ handle being roughed up a little,” Danny shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

Leo didn’t look too convinced. “That pipe to the face didn’t look fine to me. You looked like Rocky getting the crap beat out of him.”

Clever kid, Danny thought with a light chuckle. “Yeah. It wasn’t.” Leo smiled a little at his comment, giving Danny a slight moment of relief. At least he’s still got some jokes.

Danny took a look at the clock on the car stereo system, doing so subtly to avoid any questions from his captor. Four-forty. Damn, it was nearly two hours ago that they’d been snatched off the street. Kat was probably expecting them to return home soon with the meds for Don. No doubt she would try to call soon…

“Where is this?“ Leo nudged the yōkai to bring him out of his thoughts. The elder lifted his gaze, coming to find that their scenery had changed. Tall, bolstering buildings that were glistening with lights shifted to grungy, decrepit tenements where graffiti and garbage made up the majority of the sidewalk. There was no soul in sight, which raised concern because there would have at least been a couple dozen pedestrians wandering the street regardless of what neighborhood they’d been driven to— this was New York City; it was rare to come across a block that was completely deserted.

Which could only imply they didn’t want any eyes on them. No witnesses. No possible means of escape if they were in a part of town they weren’t accustomed to.

Cliché, Danny deadpanned internally. Real Dick Tracy-esc. What’s next, a Scooby Doo villain? “Had t’ wager a guess, looks like Th’ Bronx.”

The car door on Leo’s side popped open, pulling him from his thoughts. The driver was standing at the ready, reaching inside to grab Leo by the arm as if to yank him from the vehicle by force. The slider instantly began to fight back, teeth bared, defiant as he barked, “Don’t touch me, jackass!”

“Move!” The driver ordered, this time seizing Leo by the elbow to rip him out. “I can THROW you out if you keep acting like a brat!”

Danny was there in seconds; surging forward to try and rush the guard, only to feel the gun dig deeper into the fleshy bits of his side from behind. “Don’t even think about it, freak,” the goon snarled.

“Lay off th’ kid, bastard!” Danny spat. “Wanna pick on someone yer own size, pick on me! Yer boss said ya needed us alive!”

“We may need you alive,” unceremoniously Danny and Leo were pulled out of the car, Green coming close behind him to shove the gun into the middle of his back. “But Boss never said we couldn’t toss ya around if youse twos tried anything.”

That shitty fake Brooklyn accent is gonna kill me first before you do, Danny thought with an aggravated roll of his eyes. When Leo was pushed forward to start walking, causing the slider to stumble over his feet, the yōkai sent a furious snarl at the bastards as he caught him before he could fall.

“Watch it!” Leo barked, equally ticked off by the rough treatment.

Danny hoisted the kid to his feet with a grunt. “I gotcha, Blue.” He glared at their captors with rage, holding back a slew of terrible curses in order to keep calm. “You good t’ walk?”

Leo nodded, pinning a glare onto their captors. He rolled his shoulder to dull the pain, tugging his hoodie down further to conceal his green face as though it would help. Without any other choice the yōkai and mutant followed the men into the building, any chances of escape going out the window the moment they were pushed through the door.

Dust struck his nose first. The place was utterly filthy. It was probably abandoned for decades; wooden crates stacked alongside the farthest wall, tucked away in the dark corners, some of them empty. The roof had an impressive skylight overhead, some of the glass cracked to create spiderwebbed impressions throughout the windowpanes. Pulleys hung overhead, hooks on chains dormant. He counted three doors: two on the far right side of the room, one with a storage plaque, the other blank, and an emergency fire exit that had been barricaded with cinder blocks stacked atop one another six feet tall.

“Well, look what we have here!” Came a voice from within, taking the mutant and yōkai by surprise. The two were brought into the present as they came to meet the man who had brought them both to this eerie place. “A couple of street rats caught fresh from the gutters!”

Almost immediately his mood turned agitated. “Hun,” he grounded through a hiss.

The massive giant of a man stood in the center of the warehouse with a smug grin plastered on his face, built arms crossing over his chest, staring at the two stragglers with unabashed resentment behind those beady eyes. If there was a way for anyone to look both moronic and oppressive, this man was the dead ringer. “And here I thought you’d forgotten about me,” Hun grinned. “Time flies when you’re on the run from a guy who hates you more than I do.”

Danny’s hands slowly curled into fists, his shoulders tense. Breathe, dipshit. Breathe. “And there ain’t nobody else I could hate more than you, but you’re fulla surprises.” He spat through one of his phony smiles— the one he’d use for situations where he had to put up an act in order to keep a cool head lest he start flying off the handle— flashing all his sharp teeth, never taking his gaze off of him.

The man motioned to his followers behind them; Danny and Leo were shoved forward without hesitation, causing them to stumble to their knees as guns were pressed deep into their backs. Frozen momentarily from this terrifying shift Danny forced himself to keep his composure. Don’t jump to conclusions. They need us alive. Deep breaths. Think. Focus. Raising his eyes up to find Hun’s beady black orbs glaring daggers at him like he was done repulsive animal, Danny kept his voice calm as he spoke. “Nice digs. Didn’t know you upgraded yer hideout decor from ‘Basic Emo Bitch’ t’ ‘Shredder’s Leftovers.’”

“Contrary to popular belief, this warehouse isn’t Shredder’s. I’ve had this place long before the Purple Dragons were taken over by the Foot. We haven’t been able to take back our old territory until he bit the dust. With him and Karai gone, I’ve been staking claims on my turf in order to start rebuilding my… business.”

“Business. Really. That’s what yer calling it now? Yer cute. I didn’t know trading guns and tainted mutagen was yer new forte in crime.”

“If you want to evolve, you adapt. You don’t, you die. I sell what makes the most cash.”

Danny breathed slow, steadying himself, bringing the million dollar question into the conversation. “Care t’ explain why you grabbed us in broad daylight?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hun grinned. “I figured you’d be smart enough to realize what this was.”

“Well since I’m so smart, I’ll take an educated guess and assume this is a hostage negotiation.”

“You have a brain after all!” Hun guffawed. “But, yes. You’re both here to fulfill a purpose. And that purpose is to play the role of bait.”

Bait? That pricked his ears. Danny furrowed his brow, perplexed. “Why?”

Hun’s expression turned into malice— that didn’t bode well. Not even Leo was immune to it, the slider’s beak curled into a sharper scowl. The way Hun’s lips pursed tighter, curling into some kind of strange grin that twisted his stomach, eyeing the two of them like prey…

“I want Kathrine McAndrews.”

Danny stiffened. What…? Katie? He wanted Katie? What business did he have with her? “How th’ hell do you know her?”

“Oh… you know,” Hun reached into his pocket, pulling a piece of paper free. Unfolding it, he held it out for the two to see… “Old friends.”

A wanted poster. One of Bishop’s from three years ago, fraying and tattered around the corners and edges. All their faces stared right back, frozen in faded images. But the price was still as bold as it used to be.

… Ah, fucking hell.

“I’ve caught wind of the woman who axed Bishop and Karai when I came back to town. Some kind of urban hybrid who caused a helluva storm over a couple of mutant freaks,” Hun rolled the poster up, pinning a knowing glare onto Leo. “And from what I’ve heard, she’s willing to do ANYTHING for her precious little pets.”

“We’re not—!” Leo went to stand, but the guns were quickly trained on his head, making the teen stop in his attempt. His yellow orbs glared hatefully at the bigger human, teeth grit as he snapped. “We’re not pets.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” scoffing, Hun knelt to Leo’s level until their line of sight matched. “She totes your lot around like your her purse dogs.”

Leo looked ready to lunge at the bastard. As though sensing this the men behind the slider went from pressing a pistol into his shell to grabbing his arms, holding him back as he struggled. “No she doesn’t! You don’t know her!”

Hun watched this display in mild interest, continuing. “Although I have to give her credit when due. Had it not been for that woman killing Karai, I never would’ve been able to come back to Manhattan and restart my enterprise! I can finally start building everything back up from square one… all thanks to you. A bunch of circus animals!”

“Shut UP!” Leo barked furiously. The kid started shaking, barely able to restrain himself. “Stop talking about my Mom like that!”

“Did I strike a nerve? Or are you just denying the fact you’re her pets?”

“No we aren’t! We’re her family!”

“Oh?” Hun tilted his head to the side. “Then why does she act like you are? Giving you stupid nicknames, dragging you around on walks, teaching you tricks! She might look all ferocious in that wanted poster, but under the facade is a wimpy whore that carries turtles and lizards on her arm like bracelets! You’re as worthless to her as a box of tissues.”

Danny’s fists curled once more, only this time his own anger had been sparked. “Don’t talk about her like that,” he warned, tone icy with disdain.

This caught Hun’s interest. “You got something to say, FREAK?” He leaned in close, close enough to where Danny could barely make out the bastard’s eye color as a muted green. “Or does me bringing up Kathrine have anything to do with it?”

Danny narrowed his gaze furiously. “Don’t put that woman’s name in your filthy mouth.” He could feel himself vibrating from a stewing, building fury that burned hot under his fur, ready to break.

“Kathrine?” Hun slowly smirked. “Then what should I call her? Hybrid? Fugitive? Mutant sympathizer? Monster fucker?” His eyes turned dangerously vile. “Whore?”

The lid to Danny’s dwindling fuse popped off.

“YOU DEGENERATE PIECE’A SHIT—“ he lunged, grabbing Hun by his collar with one hand, bringing his claws across his chest with the other. His momentary stint of anger was over just as it had begun. Men seized him by the back of his shirt and ripped him away from the bigger human, struggling to keep him under control. “SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME AND I’LL FEED YER UGLY ASS TO TH’ SHARKS, MOTHER FUCKER!”

Completely unmoved by his outburst, Hun placed a hand on the spot where long razor claws sliced through expensive looking satin. That same grotesque smirk still resided on his smug face, as though satisfied with something. “If I didn’t know any better,” he sneered. “I’d wager you had feelings for that woman.”

Danny’s heart practically dropped.

Shit. SHIT. He’d played right into his hands. Rookie move, Goddamn it!

“In fact,” Hun stood to his full height, brushing the entire incident off with no regard. “I’d even go so far as to believe SHE has feelings for you, rat. In addition to this,” he cruelly gestured to Leo as though the teen were garbage, making the turtle bare his teeth. “Animal, she cares about. If she truly cherishes you both… I think we ought to arrange for her arrival.”

Danny’s expression turned grim. His eyes fell to Leo, who looked both defiant and petrified. “… she ain’t gonna let you get that far.”

“Meaning?”

“Kathrine’ll rip yer head off if she finds out you hurt her kid.”

“Oh, I won’t harm the turtle… much,” Hun chuckled. “I’m only going to immobilize him. And you.” He snapped his fingers.

Hands were latching around his wrists in moments. Before Danny could get his bearings he was forced to his feet, arms painfully wrenched behind his back. At his side Leo put up a fight, struggling like a wild boar, flailing his legs and trying to throw himself out of his attacker’s hold. When he attempted to spring forward the men behind him grew tired of his antics and yanked the mutant backwards, locking the kid in a chokehold— not tight enough to cut off his breathing, but enough to keep him trapped with no way to wriggle loose.

“Leave him alone!” Danny struggled, only to be pushed to start moving as a response. “Don’t ignore me assholes, don’t hurt him!”

“Damn it these things are annoying!”

“Fucking—! Don’t MOVE, Mutie! Hold still!”

“Get the hell offa me! Lemme GO!”

“You keep trying to kick me one more time! I’ll snap your neck!”

“DON’T THREATEN HIM, YOU C—“

THWACK!

Danny’s head snapped to the side, pain engulfing the bottom of his jaw. Blood pooled in his mouth, the coopery taste making him sick. Leo shouted something he couldn’t catch. The tone of his voice sounded alarmed.

His world ebbed with black spots around the edges of his vision, but his blurry sight managed to make out the fighting forms of Leo being forced up the stairs, a blip of green thrashing as best he could to escape. Danny’s instincts kicked in as he willed himself to move, to help him, to intervene and save the boy, but his own captors did it for him. They all but hoisted him up by the arms to drag the yōkai along the steps— being disoriented from a blow to the face was enough to cause him to sway as he walked.

He counted twelve steps as he went— any information was important in situations where he was being held prisoner— before he was escorted to a small room on the left. Danny’s vision began to clear as he looked up to survey the conditions of, what he could only assume, was to be their prison.

Dark. Boarded up windows. No light coming through. The walls were scuffed and beaten. Two chairs turned away from each other, separated ten feet apart.

Leo was currently being bound to one. He kept fighting to rip himself out of ropes that were being wrapped around his chest, but the men handling him yanked the cords so taut it made him wheeze. The moment he realized he lost control was when he located Danny. Yellow eyes found Danny’s and he called out. “DAN!” The way his voice cracked suggested fear.

Danny’s protective instincts kicked in. Fuck NO.

He threw his head back, fast enough to catch one man off guard as he heard the telltale sound of a nose breaking under the impact. Gathering his resolve Danny spat a mouthful of blood into the eyes of the other goon, smashing an elbow into his ribs. He tore one arm free and went to scratch the man still holding onto his left when somebody grabbed him by the hair to expose his throat, and suddenly there was a knife placed against the soft skin of his neck beneath the fur.

“You freaks are more trouble than you’re worth!” Growled the guy still keeping his arm in a vice. He bent his arm back so tight Danny briefly worried he was going to snap the bone at the elbow clean in two. “Boss says we need you alive, but he didn’t say I couldn’t reach ya some manners!”

He was dragged to the second chair without another word. The knife still remained pressed to his windpipe whilst two other thugs grabbed his arms and twisted them behind the chair. Fear began to freeze his blood dead in his veins as rope was wound around thin wrists. He fought them as best he could— trying to pry himself out of the furniture, kicking his legs, pulling his body as best he could to provide some slack, but the knife dug deeper into his jugular, this time nicking skin, the threat of having his neck sliced open bringing him back to the present danger at hand.

They bound his ankles together and wrapped rope around his torso and waist to pin him to his seat— leaving no wriggle room to slip free or throw himself out of his bonds, he realized. The blade at his throat finally eased off his neck once he’d been secured. “We did some light reading on youse,” said Green. “None o’ yer fancy tricks on my watch.”

“Funny,” Danny rasped, spitting some more blood from his mouth to the floor. “Didn’t think your kind could figure out how t’ read. I figured you were th’ ‘Bumbling Moron’ archetypes.”

A solid punch to the gut rendered Danny into a coughing fit. The yōkai wheezed, pain shooting throughout his stomach like a hurricane. Damn, these guys weren’t messing around.

“Shut yer mouth!”

“Fuck… off!”

Another strike to the diaphragm. This time Danny choked on a cry.

“Betcha wish yer pretty little whore was here t’ make you feel better? Ya pathetic monster!”

“At least I got a woman who loves me. Can’t say th’ same for any o’ you.”

He was clocked in the mouth. Blood flew out of faster. “DISGUSTING FREAK!”

“Stop!” Leo yelled in protest. “STOP! Don’t hurt him! You guys are all so screwed when—“

SLAP!

Danny’s head snapped towards the sound, unmistakable to his ears. He couldn’t see him. He couldn’t make out the state of Leo, couldn’t tell if he was in pain, couldn’t see if anyone was going for a second round. “DON’T YOU DARE HURT THAT KID!”

SLAP! The sound echoed behind him. Leo grunted, but didn’t speak.

Danny fought his bonds with the fervor of a crazed maniac, fighting like live wire touching water. Fury bubbled to the surface. “STOP!”

CRACK!

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!”

“Or what? You gonna start begging?” Green smirked. “Go on, ratatouille! Lemme hear you beg!” He reached out a hand as if to grab his face—

Real bad move.

One this moron was going to pay for.

Danny snatched the man’s fingers into his mouth and clamped down, hard, violent, to the point of tearing through the weak skin. He dragged his razor sharp fangs through his knuckles and heard a distinct crunching when he reached the middle finger. He tasted the bitter tang of human blood on his tongue. He didn’t let up. He didn’t let go. He wanted the son of a bitch to feel every second of this, he wanted to inflict any kind of pain into this sicko as he could— nobody would hurt Katie’s kid and get away with it.

Green screeched in agony and grabbed Danny by the jaw hard enough to rip his hand free from his mouth. Horrid, jagged lines tore straight through the top of his palm to the tips of his middle and index fingers, exposing sensitive tissue and muscle. Blood oozed in a grotesque display of rich red, staining bronze skin a brilliant ruby shade. The beatings on Leo immediately ceased due to the ruckus Danny created.

“YOU FREAK!” He howled, cracking Danny across the face with an unforgiving backhanded slap. “ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU COULDA TAKEN MY FINGERS OFF!”

He ground out through clenched fangs in a raspy growl. “That was th’ plan, dipshit.”

Silence prevailed in the wake of the act of vengeance. Danny slowly raised his head, fury painting his features a deadly shade, the red masking his jawline and staining his shirt with ugly splotches turning the otherwise bitter rat into something of his former self. A man capable of doing severe damage onto those who dare try to cross him. Even bound to the point of nearly crushing his skin, he somehow looked ready to start going feral.

Danny spat his blood out, the taste revolting. Golden eyes were almost glowing with hatred. A devilish smile full of teeth stained red greeted him, making the man quiver in horror. “Is that… the best… you can do?” He threw his head back and started chuckling maniacally. “Cuz if it is, then your guys are a bunch’a chumps!”

Green stepped back, clearly disturbed. “You’re batshit looney…” he breathed. “What did you just say?!”

“Did I fucking STUTTER?!” Danny roared, the humor completely fizzled out of his voice. He must have looked unhinged with all the blood running down his face, voice full of conviction. “I’ve seen monsters with more fangs than you! I stared into the eyes of yōkai gangsters that were worse than you! If you think you can break me, HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!”

Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. All eyes were glued to the yōkai, watching him wheeze through fractured ribs and struggling to stay conscious, but the adrenaline pumping through him body kept him standing.

The message was clear; Don’t fuck with me.

“Danny…?” Leo sounded shaken.

Without hesitation Danny replied. “M’ fine. Nothing these pansies can’t do that I already dealt with before.”

Sputtering in horror over the dark shift in his voice, Green cradled his wounded appendage to his chest and instead snapped at his helpers. “R-Randy! Gag these things and let’s move it!”

Danny’s snarl curled sharper. “Don’t,” he warned as he watched Green walk away out of his line of sight, advancing towards Leo first. “DON’T!” He struggled in his bonds, the chair rocking from the force of his thrashing but no matter how hard he fought the ropes held fast. “You touch that kid and I’ll rip your throat out!”

“Danny!” Leo sounded like he was also struggling. There was movement behind him, the chair the slider had been confined to creaking under his weight. “Back off! Stay the hell away from me—“

The scuffle turned stilted. Danny’s ears prickled at the sudden shift of silence. Desperately he fought to twist and thrash against his bonds to turn himself around, trying in vain to see what was happening behind him. “Kid?! Kid! Talk to me! What’s going on?!”

The struggles behind him picked up. The one guy, Randy, cussed under his breath. Leo grunted and yelped.

“Kid!” Danny yelled again. His stomach churned with dread. “LEO!”

Leo yelped louder— only now his voice was significantly muted, stifled by something.

“Leo!” Danny yanked and pulled violently against the ropes harder, gritting his teeth as he fought with all the strength his body could muster in his state. “Leo, talk to me! LEONARDO!”

“Jesus—“ Green’s tone grumbled in frustration. “Can’t wait for this to be over with!”

“What did you do to him?!” Danny demanded. Footsteps approached him— hands planted down onto his shoulders, holding him in place. “What did you do?!”

“Th’ same thing we’re doing to you,” Green walked into his line of sight once more, handing something over to the guy behind him. “Gotta prep you for the pictures we’re gonna send to your little lady.”

Pictures? Danny’s mind went racing with shock— if they were sending photos to Katie that meant they still had one of their phones.

If they had one of their phones, the tracker was still active. They had to know that.

Katie would be walking right into a trap.

“You BASTARDS—!” Danny attempted to surge forward in the restraints but they held him back, the hands grasping his shoulders clamping harder on him. “I’ll tear ya t’ pieces if you try t’ hurt her!”

“That ain’t up to you,” Green actually started laughing at him, even with his bloodied hand cradled against his chest. “It’s up to Hun. And I hope he guts your floozy like a FISH.”

Rage kicked in like a rush of adrenaline; if he had the strength he’d have torn through the ropes with little to no problem. Danny opened his mouth to start arguing— to scream at him, to protest, to threaten him, to lash out— but it was all his captors needed. One mighty fist grabbed onto his hair and yanked his head back, another took the opportunity to cram something into his mouth while he was being pinned. Taken off guard the yōkai squeaked, going to spit the obstacle out—some kind of spongy material, something thick enough to cut off all type of verbal communication— but the same guy instantly jerked a cloth between his teeth to keep it in place, tying it behind him. Danny shook his head, moving hard and fast to dislodge the strip of fabric, but the grip on his hair was too strong.

“Ain’t so tough now without your feisty words, ah?” Green mocked, laughing at the yōkai as the bastard tied the gag into a knot— Danny grunted furiously as the asshole cinched the cloth tight enough to dig into his fur. “Just another animal needing t’ be muzzled.”

“Mmk—!” Danny swore through the gag. He fought and struggled like a wild cat caught in a net, raising his voice as he screamed. “PPHK MMPH!“

Green fished around for something in his pocket with his uninjured hand, disregarding the gagged captive entirely. Finally, he retrieved a cellphone— bright blue case, black lightening bolt designs. Leo’s phone. “Use this,” he tossed it to the man stepping around Danny. “Take the pictures and let’s get th’ hell outta here. I’m tired of hearing these animals squawk.”

Danny’s hands rotated and twisted in desperation to find some kind of weakness to exploit, digging his fingers into the cords wound tight around his waist, but he couldn’t find anything. The same hand from moments prior latched onto his neck, forcing him to look up into the lens of Leo’s phone camera. In a last ditch effort to shake off his captors he started crying out vehemently. “MMPH!” Danny attempted to move away, but the grip on his neck turned vicious, fingernails digging deep into his skin to cause agony. “Mmphr-PHHKR!”

“Aww, don’t look away. This is the best part!” The goon cackled in his ear. “Don’t ya want your girl to come rescue you?”

Guilt hit him like a runaway train. Katie…

Kathrine was a million things but her recklessness was her worst trait. She was going to be running headfirst into an ambush. They were going to be armed to the teeth— she didn’t know the Dragons had rebuilt. They were going to trap her, take her, possibly put her in some prison cell and hurt her. They’d take the kids. Hun was going to do whatever he desired…

And it was all his fault.

Kathrine… Goddamn it, I’m so fucking sorry.

“Smile, freak.”

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

She was moments away from going to the surface.

Pacing back and forth in her living room, hands clutched behind her to fight the temptation to smoke, Katie contemplated her choices on what the hell she was going to do. She was going to wear her carpet threadbare by tracking such a thick path into it.

Four hours had gone by since Leonardo had run off and Danny had gone after him. Four hours since Danny had texted saying he’d found the slider and they were grabbing the medicine.

Four hours of radio silence.

Four hours of nothing. Nothing but anxiety settling in her bones.

“Ma?” Raph poked his head around the corner, watching with concern as Katie continued festering and worrying. “Any word?“

“Nope,” Katie shook her head. “Not even a call.”

“Aw man…” Raph frowned deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. It was rare to catch a glimpse of her eldest in such a stressed state. “Leo goin’ topside like that is never good. Ya think he’s alright?”

“God I hope so,” Katie shuddered. “That boy never knew how to handle tense scenarios— but I can’t say I blame him after all the bullshit we’ve seen.” Unconsciously her fingers traced along the faded scarring on her shoulder, just where flesh met titanium and fused as one to create a new limb. “I’m not one to talk either.”

Raph’s brow pinched in the center, turning sympathetic. Even though he was nineteen there was still emotional vulnerability lurking deep behind lonely brown orbs that more often than not buried his true feelings rather than address them, but the expression on his features was as plain as the mask defining his identity: he was ashamed. Though he would never voice that fact aloud. “I shouldn’t have pushed his buttons. I said some really stupid stuff to him. He never woulda left if I didn’t say anything—“

“Hey, don’t you go saying stuff like that,” Katie scolded. “I know you’re sorry. Ever since Draxum we’ve all been wrung thin. We’re all fighting to stay afloat.” She reached a hand out, placing it upon his shoulder with one of her reassuring smiles. “You’ve been fighting the hardest. I’ve seen it. You’re doing a great job keeping your brothers safe.”

Raph lifted his head, surprise coloring his eyes. “… thanks, Ma.”

The arrival of Casey brought Katie’s gaze upwards. He brought with him a mostly full bowl of chicken broth that didn’t look touched. “How’s Donnie?”

“He’s finally knocked out. Mikey and Mondo offered to watch him,” the vigilante blew a haggard puff of air from his mouth, shaking his tussled locks out of exhausted eyes. “He can’t keep soup down but he swallowed the last of the pills. Where’s Dan and Leo with the rest of the meds?”

“That’s what I’m still wondering,” Katie sighed. “Leo hasn’t called either of you?”

Raph and Casey shook their heads.

Katie frowned deeper in concern. Where could they possibly be?

BZZZT!

Her cellphone buzzed with activity.

Three sets of startled eyes fell to it as it vibrated on the coffee table, the text notifications bright as day as four new messages illuminated the screen. And with it was the name of the sender.

“Leo!” Katie gasped in relief. Snatching her phone she began to breathe easier. “Thank god, he gave me a heart attack,” Half-ready to read a tirade of excuses and apologies from the bromista to cool the hammering of her heart, she opened the texts—

— but what she found made her freeze.

There were two pictures attached to the messages.

Two pictures of Danny and Leo both bound and gagged to chairs, forced to look at the camera to whomever had sent these.

Leo’s hands were tied behind him, cords tightly cinched around his waist, legs similarly bound. A cloth had been tied over his beak. The slider was staring up at the phone with fresh panic in bright yellow eyes, tears staining the gag around his mouth, the ropes binding him digging deep into his body. There were obvious signs of physical abuse to the teen; dark purple bruises blotched his green skin. It looked painful to sit in the chair, his shell forcing him to sit too upright.

Danny looked worse for wear; his hair hung in front of his brow shaggily, golden eyes glaring murder behind the phone. His teeth were gnashing down on a black cloth acting as his gag, ropes winding around his abdomen and chest, arms behind the chair. Blood trickled down his chin and stained his shirt, dark red matting around the right side of his head— he’d been beaten.

And the messages were even worse:

I believe these belong to you. Your days of hiding are numbered. If you want your pets returned alive, you’ll call me. Bring your other freaks to the designated date. Come unarmed.

Three days. Or these two die— Hun.

…

…..

……

FUCK.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE WHUMP THICKENS 🤣🤣

I’m super excited to share the other parts! Buckle up cuz the angst continues next time!! Lemme know what you think is gonna happen! Stay tuned! 😁

@queen-with-the-quill @tending-the-hearth @figuringitoutasigoalong @wasted-and-ready @lameboobah @goldenflowerdragon

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thegloweringcastle · 11 months ago

Text

A Million Lifetimes

Happy holidays to @sideralwriting!! My dear, I appreciate your patience with me as I navigated life (& the gift swap) this holiday season. It has been SUCH a delight getting to know you these past few weeks and I look forward to hopefully staying in touch after the swap! I'm sorry this isn't my best work, but I hope you like it nonetheless. I tried my best to add small little details you might appreciate, and I know it's not great but I hope it may bring you some joy. <3

And the absolute biggest hug and thank you to @acotargiftexchange for being so patient with me - I'm sorry I had to be *That Person* this year. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart<3<3<3<3<3

No warnings to be found! Just silly feysand fluff and shenanigans.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Many people use the holidays as a time to reflect on all which has changed. Some measure how much they’ve grown as individuals, others use it as a way to mark the end of a long, grueling year - seeing the short break as a way to signify a year’s worth of change and prompt improvement for the months between the next holiday.

Feyre and Rhys, on a similar note, liked to use it as a way to track how many times they have found each other, over and over again.

***

This time the wind blew gently; not hard enough to urge people inside, but not so gentle that it went unnoticed. In the crowded holiday market of Velaris, two people huddled closer together, sharing heat and smiles.

“I’m just saying,” Feyre’s words formed between them as frosty clouds. “I still think that the winter we spent in Greenland was better than the one in London.”

“But Feyre darling,” Rhysand’s words were not as clear as Feyre’s, thanks to the scarf he kept tight around his face. “London!”

“Yes, London, but it was early nineteenth century London and we had just run into each other - quite literally - from slipping and sliding through sewage.”

“Oh, darling, you forget how I so smoothly saved us from certain doom.” He tugged the scarf away from his face, rewinding it around both of them.

“You didn’t save my shoes, that’s for certain.” She huffed. “All I’m saying is I believe you’re looking at it through rose-colored lenses.”

He chuckled. “I’m not going to win, am I?”

“No, my love. You’re not.” She offered him a pat on the cheek - a consolation.

They wandered between stalls of vendors, watching the holiday lights and decorations in quiet awe. Feyre itched to blend the colors together on canvas, perhaps make a mashup of every holiday she’d ever spent with Rhys. There would be golds and reds from the market they currently walked through, but there would also be greys and browns and greens. Light and shade, with a fair share of tears to balance out the smiles. It would be… chaotic. And perfect. A strange, haphazard image that perfectly depicted their lives.

She tugged on his hand, drawing them to a stop in front of a Bavarian craftsman.

“What about that christmas in Germany?”

“That was a pretty good year. Bloody cold though.” He shivered, as if just the thought of it sent chills down his spine. “I think it’s still one of my favorites of our firsts. It was refreshing to see you so at ease. Remember how simple it was that year?”

Yes, Feyre remembered that life well. It was among her favorites, she supposed; one of their cozier lives.

***

Feyre could feel the cold seeping through the window of the train even on the farthest side of her bench. Her lace gloves didn’t do much other than look pretty, and not for the first time she grew irked at women’s fashions for being so terribly impractical. Sure, petticoats galore were plenty warm in such low temperatures, but not very easy to maneuver; and narrow-heeled boots weren’t especially stable in slush and ice.

Nonetheless, she was enjoying her travels. Watching the world blur past the window was meditative - reassuring. There may not have been much left for her to escape, but being on the move was the only way to ensure peace and quiet - and the only way for her to feel less adrift in her search for… whatever it was she thought was missing.

The train drew to a halt, wheels screeching against the tracks as it stopped for a station in Munich. The hustle and bustle of people unboarding began immediately, luggage being jostled down the aisle and people rushing past. It was a wonder Feyre even noticed the booklet which tumbled to the floor - she wouldn’t have, if it hadn’t fallen from the pocket of a man with violet eyes.

She leaned over, snatching it during a break in the crowd while trying to keep track of her stranger. Right before he stepped off, his gaze found hers.

Her heart tugged, and before she knew it, Feyre was out of her seat - belongings snagged at the last minute - and braving the crowd to follow the man with violet eyes. The notebook couldn’t have been more than thirty pages or so, yet it sat heavy in her hand as she navigated the crowded station, ducking between people and dodging around suitcases. Feyre realized that she had lost sight of her stranger, but there was a sense of urgency she couldn’t shake. It wasn’t until she was panting for air and had almost certainly gone in circles that she slumped onto a bench, setting her things down with a clatter and letting the book fall open on her lap.

She knew it was rude to look, but it was unlikely that she would find the owner to return it. One peek couldn’t hurt; if it was a grocery list - well, nothing terribly personal there. If it was notes, or perhaps a novel in the making… She was an artist too. It would be fine.

Still, she wasn’t quite prepared for what she found on that random, worn page.

In that icy chill

Of those depthless blue eyes

I see only warmth

I wonder

How might it feel

To succumb to you

Adrift in your blue

“There you are,” A voice deep as night stood out over the din of the train station. “From the train. I’ve been looking for you.”

Feyre snapped the book shut with a resounding thwack and stood abruptly, only to be pinned in place by a pair of violet eyes.

“I’ve been looking for you too. For a while, I think.” She held out the journal. “This is yours?”

“Indeed. Thank you for finding it for me.” Their hands overlapped, making it impossible for Feyre to let go.

“This may sound odd, but for quite some time I’ve been looking for something I think I lost. You seem to be good at finding things,” She could listen to his voice forever. “Perhaps you could help me once more?”

Even as he asked, the pieces began to fall into place. Sounds of past lives ringing through to the present, urging her to hang onto him. Memories returned to both of them, and his grip moved from the journal to her hand.

“Of course.” She smiled, watching carefully for a crinkle around his eyes. “I would love to.”

***

“I have to admit, all those skirts were warm, but they sure were a pain to deal with when nature called.”

Rhys’ laugh boomed between the aisles of vendors. “And it made it much more challenging to undress y-”

“That’s enough!” She clapped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything too filthy. “We are in public, Rhys!”

He smirked. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Yeah, sure you weren’t.”

“I think it’s you who let her dirty mind get carried away.” His grin was impish.

“If I have a dirty mind it’s only because you’ve rubbed off on me.”

He put his hands up, surrendering. “Whatever you say, love.”

They wandered some more between vendors, debating over their favorite holidays together and which first-meeting was their best.

“I thought it was funny when your friend introduced us,” It was a memory that Feyre often thought of, no matter how plain it might have been. “Not sure if it was the best, but it was… normal.” Out of everything, that had to count for something, right?

Rhys laughed loudly, grabbing her hand even tighter. “And he kept meddling in our business no matter how clear we made it that we were together.”

“It was flattering to know he thought we went well together, at least.” She wagged a finger at him, laughing slightly. “At least it was better than the one where you saved me from being burned at the stake. That was pretty horrid, wasn't it?”

He pulled her close, teasing and hinting at a kiss. “At least I got to play hero for you.”

“Oh,” She dragged it out. “That’s right, because we were early in the game and I was, at the time, still half convinced you were a complete prick. Yes, you did need those extra points.”

He hummed, half in amusement and half in agreement. “What about that one we spent at that inn? That was one hell of a time.”

“The place with the armadillos?” She shivered. “Unfortunately, I do remember that.”

***

Feyre did not like the high desert for two reasons. Reason one: The air was too dry, it hurt her skin and chapped the inside of her nose. Reason two: there were too many creepy crawling critters that wanted either to kill her, to eat her, or to steal her body heat.

It didn’t matter if it was winter and most animals had either migrated or gone into hibernation underground. She did not. Like. The. desert.

“Almost there, darlin’.” Rhys encouraged, ignoring the fact that she had just chewed him out in an hour-long tangent for “dragging her into the middle of nowhere for a single, stupid job in the blasted desert during a snowstorm”.

“I thought the desert didn’t get snow.” Feyre was pouting. She knew she was pouting. Unfortunately, she was too uncomfortable to care.

“This is the high desert, love. It’s a bit more dramatic than what we’re used to.”

“Rhys,” She pulled their horses to a stop and faced him. It was getting harder to see as the snowfall grew heavier. “Please tell me we’re close. I don’t want to cut this life short, I especially don’t want to cut this life short because of one stupid decision.”

“I promise you, darlin’, we’re not far.” He turned to face forward, pulling out his compass. “There’s a small town just around this bend. We’ll stay there ‘till this weather clears up.”

Feyre didn’t waste her energy responding - she wanted a hot drink and soft bed now.

Sure enough, Rhys hadn’t been lying. There was a town - small and rundown though it was, Feyre was just grateful they wouldn’t freeze to death in the most miserable place on earth.

Rhys held the door for her, the two of them stepping into an inn and stomping the snow from their boots and shaking the ice from their scarves and coats.

“Howdy there and welcome, I’m Shirley and I sure am happy to see you. What can I do for you lovely folks tonight?”

Feyre looked up from where she was struggling to undo her buttons, ready to charm the lovely owner for a room, before letting out a startled gasp.

The woman - Shirley - held an armadillo to her chest as one might hold a cat or puppy. A snake rested coiled on the hearth, another few armadillos trundled between tables at the restaurant. Other patrons sat at the bar normally, seemingly unconcerned with the lizards crawling around the counters.

“W-we um-”

“Howdy ma'am.” He stuck his hand out, not once looking at the armadillo the lady held. “The name’s Rhysand, this here’s my lovely wife Feyre. We got caught in the snow and were hoping you might be able to spare a room for the two of us?”

“Of course! I hope you two don’t mind cacti too much. Any concerns? You know what, doesn’t matter. I’ll grab a key and show you two on up!”

“That’s perfect. Thank you, ma’am.”

Not even thirty minutes later they had gotten a room and were getting ready for bed. Or, Rhys was getting ready for bed.

“Rhysand, you know I love animals. I adore animals. I do not, however, adore snakes. Or any desert dwelling creatures. They're gross, and dusty, and out to get you. Remember that Christmas in Australia? Boiling hot and everything was trying to kill us.”

“But darling, that’s Australia.”

“That’s irrelevant!” She huffed. “My point is, I want to celebrate our first christmas in this life somewhere other than an Inn filled with wild animals.”

He grabbed her hands, stopping her pacing and making her meet his gaze. “We will. I promise.”

Sure enough, the storm had passed by the time they woke in the morning. They were up and at’em in a hurry, Rhys’ compass taking them to the next town over in time for a holiday spent indoors, together, and most importantly away from wild animals.

***

“I think I still have that compass, somehow. I remember finding it again in an antique shop in that area a few lives ago, then I tucked it away for safekeeping - and the future. Sort of like you do with our rings.”

At the mere mention, Feyre brought hers up to the light. It glimmered beneath the street lamps, scratched and nicked from centuries of wear. Some people may have been bothered if their wedding rings had been so damaged, but Feyre just saw it as lives well lived and loved.

She shrugged. “So that may not have been my favorite, but it wasn’t the worst. In hindsight, it was a more entertaining year, so I can’t hate it.”

Rhys’ shit-eating grin dimmed, shade by shade. “I know which one was my least favorite.”

It was Feyre’s too.

They both sobered and held one another a little bit closer.

***

In all of their lifetimes, through dozens of centuries, it was the longest they had been apart; the loneliest they had ever been, too.

War had a tendency to do that.

In this particular life Feyre had been teaching art classes at an elementary school, biding her time while waiting for something. Someone. There was a pain in her heart amplified by a holiday season spent alone. It felt like every day the rain would just fall and fall and fall, unbroken by sunshine or snow. Even ice would have been welcome - anything to cut through the long, unending shadows.

She sat in a late night diner, avoiding returning to an empty apartment while sipping burnt coffee over a half-finished portrait of a man with raven hair and violet eyes. Something familiar, someone unknown. Behind the counter a server switched the radio to a news channel broadcasting the latest updates from overseas.

Had she known that her next life would be so much fuller, she might not have been so hopeless. Had she known that, a lifetime from then, memories would come rushing back and the stranger in her painting would not be so strange, she might have been less disturbed by the sheer number of renditions she had made of the same man.

Alas, she did not know these things. She didn’t even know the cruel twist of the universe - the war? - taking from her the man she didn’t know she waited for. And so for many many more nights she sat in silence with a tepid, burnt coffee (she preferred hot chocolate) and endless half-finished portraits, always hoping for the rain to stop.

***

Children rushed past them, dodging around holiday shoppers and festival booths with shocking agility. Silence hung between them like a clock’s pendulum at its peak, ready to come falling down at any second.

He squeezed her hand. “It made our next-first-meeting even better, I would say.”

Sparkling lights of all different colors turned to smudges in the background as Feyre focused her gaze on Rhys; on his violet eyes. Some things about him had changed, especially after the war, but his eyes stayed the same. The way he smiled with his entire being remained the same. Reliable. Constant.

“I think I would have to agree.”

***

With time their memories would fade. They would begin again, growing into new lives and apart from each other, but they were inevitably always nudged back together. And each time, they remembered one another a bit more easily.

So when Rhys settled in after the war and his new neighbor felt like home, all he needed was a light push in the right direction.

That day in particular had been windy and icy. Roads were closed, businesses were shut down, students were off of school. The universe handed Rhys an excuse to seek out his neighbor on a silver platter: the power went out, and Rhys knew his apartment was the only one with a classic wood-burning fireplace.

She answered after only the first knock.

“I have hot chocolate at my apartment and a working fireplace - if you need. Hot water too.”

Her gaze was soft, and she didn’t hesitate before agreeing.

They kept that year simple, soft, easy. It’s what they needed - something comforting. She stayed even many hours after the power had gone back on and the world had returned to operating in full-swing. They fell into easy company as years long since passed came rushing back, and a new promise was made to never be separated for that long.

***

They still had yet to break their promises.

“I thought that was very domestic, even for you.” Feyre grinned, exchanging a few coins for a small cone of roasted chestnuts.. “But I wonder if maybe we’d earned it. So many different adventures and lifetimes… maybe it’s good that we finally have the time for things like hot chocolate and wood fires. And roasted chestnuts.”

His lips turned up, the creases around his eyes softened. “Maybe you’re right.”

When it inevitably grew too cold outside and even their shared scarf and intertwined hands weren’t enough to keep them warm, the couple navigated through the crowded streets towards their shared townhouse.

Cozy, small, but most importantly - theirs.

He took her jacket, she put away his hat. He put the kettle on, she got their mugs and measured out the tea. They moved fluidly together, silently; familiar over so many different lives spent together. It wasn’t until they had settled in together on the couch, warmed pumpkin beside steaming tea on the coffee table, that Feyre spoke again.

“I still don’t know which of our holidays is my favorite. Maybe I don’t have one.”

Rhys reached out to tuck a lock of her hair behind one ear, cupping her face with the movement. “My favorite one is the one with you.”

“That’s most of them - I don’t think that counts as any single one, as romantic as it is.” She placed a kiss on his cheek. “But you sure are a sweet talker.”

“Then it’s this one, right here, right now, with you. When we can finally have forever.”

***

In every one of their meetings and partings, Rhys and Feyre fell together into one single life. Whether it grew from eye contact across a supermarket, a quick handshake in a business meeting, or simply bumping shoulders on a crowded sidewalk, and no matter how it ended, there was another life waiting for them. Homes to be lived in and loved, holidays to be spent bundled up together in a bubble outside of time.

It was the general consensus between the two of them: The best lives were the ones spent together.

#secret santa 2023 #acotar gift exchange #feysand

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luminarai · 11 months ago

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hello! Im visiting Copenhagen in January and was wondering if you have any recommendations of things to do or like cafes/stores/etc to visit?

Hi nonnie! So sorry for the delayed answer, I was down with the flu/plague/?? most of december so I've only just gotten back to my inbox.

I've tried to make a compilation of the recommendations for places to see, eat, and shop that aren't just the usual touristy stuff. I hope you enjoy your trip and the weather won't be too Copenhagen-in-January!

Where to eat (especially bakeries)

Sct. Peders Bageri – The oldest bakery in Denmark! They have a wonderful selection of traditional Danish baked goods but their seasonal varieties are also incredible.

BUKA – They have a few bakeries in town now and some of the best croissants and pastries.

Cakery Copenhagen – The best eclairs in town, hands down. Always a bunch of fun seasonal varieties and mini versions.

Bertels Salon – They do cheesecakes. And they’re amazing. They have 10+ fresh varieties every day (!) and turned me into a cheesecake lover.

La Glace – They do traditional Danish layer cakes and fancy patisseries as well as hot chocolate ad libitum. Very atmospheric and historic. A bit more expensive all in all but not insanely so.

Torvehallerne – Two large greenhouses full of delicious food and other food/drink related stores. Coffee Collective for coffee, Rørt for Danish smørrebrød, Granny’s House for pastries and Ma Poule for their famous duck sandwich.

Broens Gadekøkken – A small street food market right by the bridge across from Nyhavn. Depending on when you’re here, there’s also an ice skating rink set up during winter.

Mahalle - Lebanese fusion kitchen at affordable prices. You might want to book a table just in case.

Jagger - Burgers! Not the most hyggelige surroundings (a bit too industrial chic) but you can't argue with the food. Highly recommend the milkshakes!

What to see

Glyptoteket – Absolutely gorgeous museum. Free entrance on the last Wednesday of the month.

Thorvaldsens Museum – Also stunning, focused on statues. Free entrance all Wednesdays.

Nationalmuseet – Bog bodies! Their seasonal exhibitions are usually very good.

David’s samling �� Smaller museum with free entrance. Classical European and Islamic art.

Kronborg – AKA Hamlet’s castle. Technically outside Copenhagen but you can easily take the train the whole way. I highly recommend doing one of the daily guided tours (no additional cost to the entrance fee).

Rundetårn – A fun look into the old astrology tower with a lovely view of the city. The majority of the inside is one big ramp with some narrow stairs at the end so keep that in mind if you have trouble walking.

Assistentens Kirkegård digital guided tour – If the weather is with you, you can go for a digitally guided tour in the old graveyard, located in a park in the middle of the city. Here’s a link for the app.

Other nice parks in case it's not raining the whole time (Danes love going for a walk, what can I say) include the Botanical Garden, Frederiksberg Have (where you can peek into the elephant enclosure in the zoo) and Kongens Have.

To shop

Vintage shopping: There’s a bunch of good quality vintage stores on Studiestræde and Larsbjørnsensstræde. Also worth a mention is Audrey Vintage on Hyskenstræde, run by a woman who handpicks all the items from all around Europe.

Strøget is the place for high street shopping but I definitely recommend having a look around the inner city’s side streets and down Frederiksborggade (check out the home goods store Maduro here) over the lakes to Nørrebro where you’ll also find some more offbeat stores and great bars and restaurants.

The largest bookstore is Arnold Busck on Købmagergade for books in both Danish and English. Fiolstræde close by has the independent book café Brøg that I highly recommend both for books and for a quick cake + coffee. On Fiolstræde you’ll also find some used bookstores with a variety of options and other smaller shops and cafés.

#cecil blogs her life #travelling #traveling #copenhagen #denmark #travel recommendations

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merrock · 1 year ago

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It's the holiday season! And Merrock is one of the very best places to be to celebrate all things winter, festive holidays, and joy and love. Let this post be your guide to happenings during the holiday season, places to visit, things to see and do, and much more!

Hop under the cut to fill your holiday season with even more joy and love (and plots).

EVENTS IN MERROCK:

December 2 -- winter fun party!

December 17-23 -- holiday market!

December 31 -- new year's eve party!

January 1 -- polar plunge!

January 20 -- winter gala!

HOLIDAYS / FUN DAYS AROUND TOWN

November 23 -- Thanksgiving!

November 24 -- Black Friday!

November 25 -- Small Business Saturday!

December 7 - 15 -- Hanukkah!

December 21 -- First Day of Winter!

December 25 -- Christmas!

December 26 - January 1 -- Kwanzaa!

December 31 -- New Year's Eve!

January 1 -- New Year's Day!

January 21 -- World Snow Day!

PLACES TO VISIT / THINGS TO DO

The Brownstone Inne (downtown) -- help Brownstone decorate their windows on the first floor!

Cityview Park (downtown) -- stroll through the park for a look at their many light and decoration displays, lit up from December 1 - 31 (help set up before!).

Merrock Railway (downtown) -- every weekend from now until the end of the year, catch a train ride through Merrock to look at community decorations at night!

The Mirage (downtown) -- Friday night karaoke night with all of your favorite holiday staples, every Friday night!

Stubs (downtown) -- along with the Christmas movies, the theater will be playing 8 Crazy Nights during Hanukkah!

Azure Spa & Salon (coastal) -- come get pampered with their holiday special treatments! and book your spa time before events!

From Brush to Canvas (coastal) -- a beautiful exhibit of snowy, festive paintings and pieces of art has been put out for the month of December, and decorated up!

Cassidy's Candies (coastal) -- make sure to stop in and grab some Hanukkah Gelt, if you're looking for something special to share.

Santa's Hut (suburbs) -- stop in any afternoon from 3PM until 7PM to visit with Santa! If he's not there, leave a letter in his mailbox. We promise he'll get it!

Children's Museum (suburbs) -- daily Christmas movies and activities held for children after school hours.

Community Center (suburbs) -- games and movies held in the common room every evening for kids and adults alke, as well as free food and warmth for those who need it.

Flour Co. -- is having a class on how to make a traditional Sufganiyot, and will be selling them, as well! they will also have cookie making classes, and gingerbread house making events every weekend.

Cul-de-Sac Diner (suburbs) -- have added latkes to the menu for the holiday season, as well as a few other favorites!

Animal Sanctuary (countryside) -- visit with and have pictures taken alongside some of Santa's reindeer if you bring a donation for the sanctuary!

Blades (countryside) -- perfect for time out sledding, skiing, snowboarding, building snowmen and, of course, doing a little ice skating! Opens December 2nd!

Harmony Ranch (countryside) -- take pictures with our festive, holiday animals, and see the Harmony Healers do their holiday program on December 16th!

Lavender Lane (countryside) -- stop by for wreaths and swags, pick out a Christmas tree from the lot, or cut your own from the farm in the fields beyond!

North Shore (countryside) -- volunteer some time to the elderly in the community, helping them with Christmas crafts and decorating their rooms.

Paradise Gardens (countryside) -- stop by to enjoy some beautifully decorated indoor garden space for the holidays!

State Park (countryside) -- take a hike on one of the many trails around the state park! Just be careful and avoid closed trails that might be dangerous for novice hikers.

HOLIDAY MOVIES AT STUBS

Stubs will be showing holiday movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the season (unless an event is taking place!), with Tuesdays thrown in for fun. With a flat fee of $10, you will get admission to the movie, a large drink, and two snacks. Kids are $5. On Christmas Eve, the movie is free with the donation of a toy for a child. Come enjoy with us!

November 24 -- Christmas Vacation

November 25 -- How the Grinch Stole Christmas

November 26 -- Home Alone

November 28 -- A Christmas Story

December 1 -- The Polar Express

December 3 -- A Charlie Brown Christmas (meet Snoopy!)

December 5 -- Miracle on 34th Street

December 8 -- White Christmas

December 9 -- Holiday Inn

December 10 -- Elf

December 12 -- The Muppets Christmas Carol

December 16 -- Rankin Bass Christmas movie marathon night (Rudolph, Frosty, Santa Claus is Coming to Town).

December 24 -- It's a Wonderful Life

STOP BY TO SHOP

HIDEAWAY MARKET -- stop by to do some shopping in Hideaway, whether you're looking for handmade goods at Collabs, custom furniture from Creekside, new crystals from Universal Rocks, or want to do some painting or eating, we have something for everyone.

DOWNTOWN -- Bookends, The Vinyl Hub, Wild at Hart Florals.

COASTAL AREA -- Bella's Boutique, Cassidy's Candies, Malibu & Co.

SUBURBS -- Jack in the Box, Little Corner Market, Sprouts, The Supply Shack, Treasure Chest.

COUNTRYSIDE -- Farmer's Market, Great Outdoors, Pet Haven, Polished Brass Market, Rocky Ridge Hardware

FUEL UP ON GOODIES

HIDEAWAY MARKET -- Rooftop Cafe.

DOWNTOWN -- Cobblestone Cafe, Evolution, Mack's, Rossi's, Taste, Touchback, What's the Tea.

COASTAL AREA -- & Chips, Anchors Away, Deidre's Deli, Fresh, The Hut, Mawk Tales, Sandcastles, Sea Breeze.

SUBURBS -- The Creamery, Cul-de-Sac Diner, Flour Co., The Garden, Golden House, Paco's, Pizza Thyme.

COUNTRYSIDE -- Handpick'd, Overlook, Tumbleweed.

AND MAY WE SUGGEST...

Merrockites are always full of love during the holiday season -- call up a friend and ask if they need help decorating their tree, invite a friend over to do some baking, go shopping together, wrap your presents, do something silly like coloring in an old coloring book, or make felt crafts that you picked up at a dollar store. Make some ugly holiday sweaters, do a photoshoot together in the snow. Dress your pets up and take them to meet Santa Claus, decide to go on a shopping spree to donate the presents to charity, make floral arrangements to put on the graves of loved ones, fix up donation boxes to take to those in need, drive around town looking at Christmas decorations. There is no such thing as too much holiday spirit!

#merrockadmin

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ask-de-writer · 1 year ago

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Return to the Master Story Index

Return to CLASSICAL FANTASIES

THE FISHERMAN'S LEG (Part 19 of 20)

A sequel to Dee 1/2 Demon

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

25570 words

TUMBLR EXEMPTION

Blog holding members of Tumblr.com may freely reblog this story provided that the title, author and copyright information remain intact, unaltered, and are displayed at the head of the story.

Fan art, stories, music, cosplay and other fan activity is actively encouraged.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

New to the story? Read from the beginning HERE.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Tanira bowed and raised her finger for recognition. “If it please the Magistrate, I have three things to lay before the Tribunal. Miko san has drawn up all of the needful papers which need only your approval, payment of needful fees, your signature and the Tribunal's official chop.

Drawing a folded paper and a hand tied string of cash from her sleeve, she offered, “This first item is my divorce from Minami, and reclaiming my family name of Facirata. As we already have a civil separation and Minami is both a criminal serving a sentence for crimes and the murderer of my son Ichuru, there can be no reasonable contest of this divorce.

“As a part of this final separation, I am requesting also the Ice House, which has not yet been sold. It was a joint property which Minami improperly claimed as his own by locking me out of it.

“No papers backing his claim were filed. Thus, technically, it remains one half mine. It is presently held by the Tribunal for sale against his debits. Our debits were isolated by you in our civil separation, meaning that it would violate the separation of our debits if my half of its sale value were given to him as debit relief.

“Along with the papers is the proper fee, one of silver cash and of copper cash twenty five.”

Magistrate Lim received the papers and the string of coins with a smile. “The ownership of the Ice House shall be attached to your Fish Market as an asset of the business, which it always was before Minami san's crazed obsession with Dee san and the others of the Shop of Repairs. As you have observed, though officially a joint property, his claim of sole ownership by locking you out was not legal. It was solely motivated by personal greed.

“The final divorce and restoration of your name to Facirata Tanira is granted. The Ice House is now a part of your Fish Market.”

Smiling, Tanira proffered the next set of papers and cash on a hand tied string. “These papers request that Minara san and Takahara san, though both are orphaned and Emancipated, be adopted as daughters of mine. As Miko san, Dee san, Satsuna san and Patsu san all demonstrate, there is no reasonable or lawful bar to having both family and Emancipation at the same time. What this will accomplish is giving them incontestable inheritance rights to my estate should I die.

“As the papers witness, it is both their wish and mine. They are here to give you their consent if it is needed.”

Magistrate Lim smiled, blinking back tears, as he stated, “Granted and without fee. Refusal of this adoption, given the present circumstances, would be inhumane. May the Perfected Ones provide you with only blessings.”

“We all three thank you, good Magiatrate Lim. Our next, and last item of our business is to register with Sabo village a fishing boat named the Rising Dawn. It is of length, ten paces and of beam, three and one half paces. It is rigged for both sail and oars. It will be launched this afternoon if time allows.”

Taking the papers and the proffered cash, Magistrate Lim inquired, “I need two further things to complete this registration. One is the name of the Rising Dawn's builder and the other is her value.”

Patsu raised her finger and bowed for recognition. “In conjunction with labor from the Chiasu Estate, I built the Rising Dawn. Her value is set by the labor in her, cost of materials, shop space needed and a proper profit to the Chiasu Estate at three of golden cash, of silver cash, two strings fifty. The Chiasu Estate has made her over to Facirata Tanira as a gift.”

Nodding to himself, Magistrate Lim brushed in the details and signed all of the papers and applied the Tribunal's chop to the lot, giving them to Miko with the words, “Please file these as soon as we are done here.”

Gesturing imperiously at the space before his table, sword bared in sign of a final judgment, Magistrat Lim demanded, “Mimami! Take your place here to receive final sentence for your crimes!”

Minami hesitantly knelt before the Magistrate, flanked on both sides by constables carrying, not cudgels but drawn swords.

When all was ready, Magistrate Lim explained, “I have chosen to be lenient. Under the Law as written, I would be required to order your execution by beheading. This is why we have judges, to hear and make due allowance for the reasons that things are done. I understand that though completely wrong, you were driven to madness by things that you saw but did not understand, including the incomplete healing of your leg. You blamed the healers for that, in spite of the fact that YOU FORBADE them to touch you. Only the fact that you were carrying this madness allows me to avoid your execution.

“I strip you of any face at all for your multiple infractions. Further, for the escape, theft and murder you are sentenced to a full five years at hard labor on Sabo province's roads. If you leave the road gang for any reason without permission IN WRITING, you will be executed upon capture.

“If you would prefer, I can instead order your execution. I do understand that it is a heavy sentence.”

Shaking his head in perplexity as he stood up to be led away, Minami whirled and thrust a pointing finger at Dee as he exclaimed, “Look at this whole mess! It is YOUR FAULT! Everything! My ugly leg! My reputation! My boat! My Fish Market! My home! My wife! My son! This is all your doing!”

Patsu remarked dryly, “Well his sanity didn't last too long! I wonder how he figures that one?”

“Don't pretend innocence! Up at the Hospital, all that you had to do was simply explain what I saw! If you had, none of the rest of this would have happened at all!”

Dee casually turned her hand up, her fingertips becoming black claws. Fire, of a thin pale blue formed as a dancing flame balanced on her clawtips. She remarked, “If you can remember it at all, we tried. What you saw had you so frightened that you would not answer us when we asked what had you so upset. We could not tell you what you what really happened because you would not tell us what you saw that frightened you so. If you had simply asked us, we'd have told you.”

He was still shouting, “This is all your fault! You should have told me then! My leg would be properly healed! I would still have everything! Ichuru would still be alive! All that you had to do was say something!”

The door to the cells closed on his rant!

Magistrate Lim shook his head sadly. “Mad. Completely mad. Nothing is his responsibility or fault at all. Maybe I should have him executed.”

Patsu snorted, “What would you do with his body? Cremation? He would make a toxic smoke! Bury him? Pollute the soil for tens of paces all around? Dump him in the ocean? He would kill or poison all of our fish!”

To be Continued

<==PREVIOUS ~~ NEXT==>

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to CLASSICAL FANTASIES

#THE FISHERMAN'S LEG #Part 19 of 20 #Classical Fantasy #sequel to DEE 1/2 DEMON #WORK IN PROGRESS #Written by De Writer

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blackwoolncrown · 2 years ago

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Hmm yes from now on I will be microblogging my little joys and tiny problems from a small small town

so today’s problem:

there is only 1 atm in town that I can use and it only reads my card every 1/6 attempts at random. Yesterday it didn’t work at all.

Today I can go back and check but walking there involves going up a VERY steep hill which I only want to do if I am going to the market and can come back down w ice cream. It’s early and I’d have to eat before going up but I’d have to eat 3 hours early which throws off my schedule.

All for it to possibly not work at all.

The whole walk would be in the heat, too.

Meanwhile I can leave town to find an ATM with the plus side being that the ATM in town is from a bank w high ass fees (which is why I really can’t wait to have my visa so I can get an account at the OTHER bank) so if I left town to do this that would save money over time...BUT

it’s an hour round trip and it’ll cost gas.

Hmm. :/

I can also drive to the atm but then that wil require finding parallel parking in a kind of busy area and that’s a stressful thought...

But maybe I’ll try and if it doesn’t work out for any reason I’m already in my car and I’ll just drive out of town!

#black sheep’s life blogging

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umichenginabroad · 6 months ago

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Stockholm Wrap-Up: Tips and Tricks

My time in Stockholm has come to an end. I am now waiting for my co-op to begin! The past semester has been a wonderful 4 months that I will never forget.

I gathered a few tips and tricks for people planning to study abroad! I couldn’t find lots of information specific to Stockholm when I was searching for info, so I thought this could help future students.

Hope you enjoyed my TMI posts, and thank you again for reading/glancing/trying to read them until Tumblr told you to create an account!

The following notes are solely subjective to me so take them as suggestions, not facts!

Basics of Sweden

People:

Very reserved but nice when you ask something

Almost everyone speaks English

Places:

Everyone is entitled to their freedom to roam around - basically, you can go anywhere except for private property

Culture:

Fika = a break with coffee and pastry

Sweden seriously recycles! Make sure you follow all the rules and throw away the right stuff at the right place

Through the pant system, you can get money back from empty cans/bottles. ICA usually has the pant machines so make use of them and get your money back!

Transportation:

Information on Google Maps is accurate

People are generally silent in public places, including the streets

Public transportation (run by SL) is well-distributed and punctual in Stockholm

Metro comes every 5 minutes or so. It runs until late at night around 12 am or 2 am

High-speed trains are mostly free but if you go past a certain point you need to pay an extra fee, so ask the representative in the stations OR check the map OR check the SL app

Buses

Night buses run every day and are free with the SL card that DIS gives you

Trams

Ferries

To and from Arlanda airport:

Arlanda Express - high-speed train

18 mins + alpha to/from your house

Fastest to T-Centralen but a little expensive

Does not run throughout the night

~$16 one way

~$32 roundtrip

Flygbussarna - bus

40-50 mins total

Bus stations are distributed throughout Stockholm so you can get on and off at desired stops

Runs all throughout the night

~$15 one way (to/from Hornstull)

~$27 roundtrip (to/from Hornstull)

Money:

10 SEK is a little less than $1

Swedish crowns = Kroner = SEK

Almost all the stores are cashless - wireless tap or cards are the norms

ICA, The System (national alcohol stores), and flea markets are some of the only places that take cash

DIS program

Gives unlimited public transportation card, three 200 SEK worth of ICA gift cards for groceries

Attend the DIS-hosted events if you can! They offer diverse programs for free. The following are some examples:

Sip & Paint - fika while you paint!

Bowling night

Ice skating

Billiards/arcade night

Ticket to dance performances

Picnic

Yoga session

Visits to museums

Guided tour to castles like Gripsholm

DIS Festival is the last event of the semester that lasts about 2 hours where you can present your learnings, enjoy stations like a photo booth, eat catered food, and hope to win the raffle

Suggestions

Start learning the basics of Swedish through apps in advance! Duolingo was mainly how I learned Swedish

Hi = hej (hey)

Bye = hey då (hey do)

Thank you = tack (tac)

Thank you so much = tack så mycket (tac-so-micket)

Sorry = förlåt (fur-lat)

Excuse me = ursäkta (ooh-shak-ta)

Go out and explore the city whenever you can! Get that vitamin D

Traveling:

Main airlines:

Ryanair: cheapest flights that are good for weekend trips with a backpack. It can be strict with the backpack size so ensure that your bag fits the size requirements. You need to buy every little thing you can think of, even water

I heard Easyjet is similar to Ryanair

SAS youth: high-quality service with a cheaper price if you are between 12-25 years old. The seats run out very quickly so book in advance!

If flights get delayed for 3+ hours, SAS provides monetary compensation (a lot more than you think) so check it out if your flight gets delayed or canceled

Norwegian: I personally didn’t fly Norwegian but I heard good things about it

KLM: usually expensive

If traveling with friends, an app called Tricount is very useful to sort out all the money stuff. You can enter who paid how much for every single occasion and at the end of the trip, it gives you a suggestion on who should pay how much to whom

What To Bring:

Bring a wide range of clothing - you will experience all four seasons during your one semester in Stockholm!

Winter suits: thick jackets, gloves, scarfs, hats

Swimsuits: Don’t forget to bring swimsuits for sauna/polar plunging in Stockholm and beaches during your academic/personal travels!

Fanny pack: it was very useful when I was traveling to places known for pickpocketing (London, Barcelona, Italy, etc.)

Travel-size bottles!

Many Airbnbs and hostels did not have shampoo/conditioner, so I always carried around shampoo and conditioner in mini-containers (under 100 mL). They are useful for skin care products too!

International Travel Adapter

Plug types are all different in Sweden, United Kingdom, Malta, Italy, France

Check before you travel!

Hygiene product information for girls

The tampons that they sell here are very small

I didn’t see any stores selling big pads, so I’d bring enough for an entire semester

What Not To Bring:

Toiletries were surprisingly very cheap in Stockholm: cotton pads, toothbrushes, floss, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, etc. No need to bring them if you don’t have enough room!

Normal was my go-to store for these products

Where To Study:

Espresso House - the most popular chain in Stockholm imo

Wifi, charging stations

Good smoothies (mango chia is my fav) and pastries (cheesecakes, croissants, Kanelbulle)

Wayne's - similar chain

Wifi, more charging stations

A lot of people chatting or studying

Illy - chain with chill studying vibes

Wifi can be a little goofy sometimes

Good studying atmosphere - everyone is working on a laptop

Avocado sandwich is good

Where To Go:

For grocery shopping/basic goods:

ICA: $600 gift card that DIS gave me lasted me the whole semester! I cooked and bought groceries with my roommate, so we technically had $1200 together for one semester

BUT I ate out a couple of times each month and traveled a lot so if this is not the case you might run out quickly!

Normal: they sell a lot of basic goods ranging from toiletries to stationery to snacks. It is not too expensive either so if you want something small but don’t know where to go, I’d check out Normal after ICA!

IKEA: We went just for fun and sometimes for food. Cheap Swedish meatballs and 70-cent vanilla ice cream make the visit worth it!

Go thrifting - there are lots of options! Many thrift stores are located side-by-side in Slussen, T-Centralen, and Mariatorget. Keep in mind that there are some vintage stores, but they are generally expensive (average $40). Read the descriptions of each store below if you are interested. This list of thrift stores is in ascending order by price:

Myrona & Humana: both are chains that sell clothes on the cheaper side. I loved to look around the wide selection even if I had nothing to buy in mind

Artikel2: the one I went to was huge - there were lots of jean products

Stockholm Stadsmission: a chain with reasonable price and quality. You can find lots of gems when you spend time digging!

Arkivet: a higher-end second-hand store with abundant high-quality clothes such as Tommy Hilfiger, COACH, BOSS, COS, etc. The one in T-Centralen is my personal favorite! I suggest this store if you’re looking for durable clothes like trench coats, jackets, etc. The expensive clothes are much cheaper than the original price, but the clothes that are usually cheap (ZARA/H&M) are a bit overpriced

Check out museums - the following list is in descending order of preference:

Paradox Museum: plenty of photo spots! I’d suggest going with someone else so that you can take photos of each other

Tekniska Museet: a lot of science and technology stuff, but it’s not boring - it is a multistory building with innumerable interactive activities. Don’t forget to check out the video game rooms on the top floor!

Banksy (pop-up): Banksy’s artwork illustrates the political and historical issues through Banksy’s perspective

Fotografiska: exhibitions switch every few months: I loved Rinko Kawauchi’s photo collection!

Skansen: open-air museum with reindeer and historical housings! It is hugeeee so spare some time if planning on going here

Vasa Museum: museum with a well-preserved 17th-century ship that got salvaged

ABBA Museum: The museum is smaller than I expected, especially when it is on the more expensive side. However, there were a few interactive activities (dancing stage, karaoke stations, silent headphone dancing spot, etc.) and numerous photo spots!

For people who love nightlife - check out the following list:

Cafe Opera: nightclub

Secret Garden: gay bar in Gamla Stan

Liffey: Irish pub in Gamla Stan that has live music and karaoke

RoQ: bar with arcade games

Beer and play: casual drinking bar - a lot of DIS students went on Tuesdays to drink beer and socialize

Avoid Time bar: the $15 cocktails are good but there are too many old men who approach young girls :((

Wander around in…

Gamla Stan: I can’t emphasize my love for Gamla Stan enough; as the old town, they have a lot of historical buildings and museums in addition to rows of souvenir stores and cafes. There are a myriad of small paths (+ the narrowest street in Sweden) you could take - I loved getting lost in Gamla Stan!

Fika and Wine - good authentic Swedish food: meatballs are very good

PANEM - my absolute favorite dessert cafe! The mango mousse cake is one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted

Monteliusvägen: This is a perfect spot in Mariatorget to enjoy a view of the city while you take a leisurely walk. I went there multiple times with friends and on my own. It's the perfect place to have your sunlight intake!

Rosendals Trädgård (Garden): Although it’s a bit far away from the center of Stockholm (on an island that also has Skansen and Grona Lund amusement park), it is a place you need to visit in the spring. Little stores sell postcards (I was about to buy 5 but I realized I’m broke and only bought 1; however, I am regretting my choice right now. If I could go back I would buy all of the ones I picked out), keyrings (I bought four acorn keyrings for my family), vases, etc. There are greenhouse-looking cafes where you can eat food and desserts. And don’t forget to smell and take pictures at the flower gardens!

Kungsträdgården: ice skating in winter and cherry blossom festival in spring!

More places to visit in Sweden:

City hall

Stockholm Public Library

Gröna Lund = amusement park

Westfield Scandinavia = mall

Stockholm Observatory

Archipelago

Östermalms Saluhall = food hall

Day trip to Uppsala

What To Eat:

Burger

MAX - Swedish burger chain

More popular than McDonalds!

There are a ton of vegan/vegetarian options - and I heard they are good

Sweet potato fries are gas

Brödernas - Hamburger restaurant

Right next to the DIS Stockholm building

Outdoor sitting is a must in spring!

Top sweet potato fries

Pasta

Florentine - Italian pasta/pizza place

The pasta here is sooooo good

Cocktails are fabulous too: Florentine on the Beach is my favorite

Carls Deli - Italian restaurant

After eating their pasta I agreed with the 4.8-star rating on Google Maps

In a food hall in T-Centralen

Very busy all the time!

Japanese:

Noburu - best sushi for reasonable prices

Near DIS Building (about 10 minute walk)

DELICIOUS food and AESTHETIC plating

Dry ice for decor 0_0

IPIN - cheap and good Japanese food

Near Hornstull

Everything was around $10

Ramen, sushi, and donburi were all good!

Sushi Yama - a chain where you can select nigiri types

Nigiris are small but delicious

You can choose quantity and type of nigiri - I recommend grilled salmon; it literally melts in your mouth

Matchaya - ramen and bubble tea

Close to DIS (about 15 minute walk)

Good ramen (I suggest the miso base)

Love their fruit bubble tea

TooGoodToGo - you can get leftover food that would’ve gone to waste at the end of the day for cheap prices!

Happy Sweet Potato - bubble tea

I got 3 different bubble teas on top of a cup full of coconut jellies + pudding for less than $8

It sells out rapidly so I’d set a timer and snatch the deal when it opens

ICA - groceries OR fruits and veggies OR bread

I only ordered bread here but I’ve noticed that the other options run out fast

Got a bag for less than $5 if I remember correctly

Good for students who need sandwich bread + want pastries like croissants and vanilla/chocolate bread

Bakery Hornstull - bread OR cake

I love the owner couple… They’re so sweet and kind

I got 4 paper bags filled with all sorts of bread - there were a lot of big bread/sandwich bread though

When I bought a cake for approximately $7, she let me choose between two cakes (we usually don’t get to pick)

Eataly - pizza

My friends did it here and got three pieces of pizza for $3

I missed my chance but you could do it!

Desserts

PANEM - pastries (!!! Mango mousse cake !!!)

PLEASE try the mango mousse cake if you like not TOO sweet fruity desserts

Alcohol

You can only purchase alcohol from The System, which is owned by the government - US ID like driver’s license works sometimes

Briska pear cider is extremely popular for a reason

All the ciders I tasted in Sweden were good but I especially liked Somersby ciders

This is all I can think of!

The four months in Stockholm reminded me what life really is, what I enjoy, what I am comfortable with, what I need to work on, and how I want to live my life.

I am so grateful for all the opportunities and support I have received. Now, it is time for me to move on and enter a new stage in life. I’ll be looking back on these precious memories whenever I need a refresher :)

I genuinely loved studying abroad, especially in Stockholm. I hope you had fun reading these weekly posts as well!

Thank you and goodbye,

Jiwoo Kim

Chemical Engineering

DIS Study Abroad in Stockholm, Sweden

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEStockholm #JiwooKim #IPEWinter24 #Sweden

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