#sorry ive been too fried to make an id yet ^-^' one day though i will get to it

[emcscared-whumps]

Behold!!!! The piece that got delayed by my surprise visit to death prevention jail end of last year!

This is my submission to @thewhumpyprintingpress's ABCs of Whump zine!!! It's available for purchase, go check it out :)

I was so excited to participate, and it was such a pleasure :) This piece took a while, and it is right on the edge of my current capabilities as an artist, but it was incredibly fun and rewarding to work on, I'm very proud of how it turned out <3

Featured is my mer shifter boi Pete from my fav project Shifting Phases :) I love him very much and could not resist another oppourtunity to have a work featuring him published.

(I had to scrunch it significantly to get Tumblr to take it ^-^')

[ericstoltz]

life update!!!!

hi hello friends good morning good afternoon good evening its that time of the month again! this isnt really a big life update like the last time bcs i just thought id list down a bunch of things ive had on my mind.

first of all, im very happy to announce that i was able to watch 16 movies last march !! exciting!! i know ive said the last time that i quit the bingewatching thing but HONESTLY im in a work from home setup and the only way to keep me inspired is by watching a movie ... i am yet to find other ways to stay inspired so watching movies will just do for now... ALSO im gonna try to update my newsletter for the first time this year and itll probably be about the movies that i saw this march that i liked ! im now comfortable with turning the newsletter to be more about movies bcs nothing major has been happening in my life lol . so pls stay tuned for that newsletter post if ur interested!

another thing is ive decided to make this blog more personal! for the past year ive made this blog to be more about movies and gifs and stuff, and as much as i love getting the notes and reading ppl's tags, im going to try and make this blog work for me this time :) hope it doesnt get annoying or something... im also in the process of fixing my about pages and tags and all. ive used tumblr since 2012 so im still struggling with the setup. LIKE yes i want to maximize the fact that you can edit html pages and its cute and lets me be creative but at the same time, im on my phone majority of the time . and i dont like being on my laptop after work because ive literally just been using a laptop the whole day. for work. im rly shy to post some stuff about me (bcs i havent done it before fr insert the tom hanks dialogue from joe vs the volcano abt doing some soul searching and coming to the conclusion that hes just boring so he stops doing it) so if u see me doing it as an attempt to fix the personal pages on my blog, im sorry! AAAND as for the gifs thing, im thinking of changing my film diary tag, one thing i really enjoy is taking note of dialogues i love from a movie so i might just do screenshots. i really miss making gifs even though most of the gifs i end up with are LQ , but it just really isnt feasible now . (also some movies are just so tempting to gif LIKEEE valley girl and everytime we say goodbye 😭😭 it physically hurts me that i cant gif josh whitehouse and tom hanks in those movies....)

ALSO im really very very happy that ive gained new followers recently. i enjoy chatting with you guys and get so happy whenever i get the notif that someone sent me an ask/message!! ive been idle on stan twt/fandoms in general so its been a really long time since ive actually... talked to people... it makes me really happy talking to u and im sorry if my happiness doesnt show in my replies/posts. as i said, its been a while since ive done this and i usually go on here as soon as im off work (when my brain is semi-fried and the words are not wording anymore) . i hope i dont come across as bored/uninterested :(

and it isnt just about fandoms too, im genuinely insterested what u guys are up to lately and all... (in a non stalker way). it just feels nice to have friends in general ^__^

SO YEA, i think thats about it :) if u've read this all until here ilysm! thanks for ur interest and lmk how ur day was! or just send me something u want to talk about !

have a nice day :)

[greatandholypangolin]

I couldn’t resist the urge to answer these even though it’s not my place at all and I probably have more important things to do.

Hmm, I’ve never actually been to Chipotle, I don’t know if they even have those in the UK, so, uh, based on the name I’ll say chips :P

I respect it, one day I may even try it, but That Vegan Teacher gives them all a bad rep and I’m sorry about that

honestly, dark, muddy green. Like, think browny green. Think bootleg camo green. that’s the colour

I’m holding out for Nessie, I believe in her

chips (fries for my freedom lovers out there)

I used to. My issue is that if I ever take it off, whether to go in the shower or because I’m dressing up nicely and the watch doesn’t fit the vibe, it’s VERY hit or miss whether it’ll be returning to my wrist

i love me a good seahorse. Or a dory/nemo fish

I’m told that I should, but tbh I’m too lazy and my uniform isn’t very uncomfortable

Oop- I probably should, and yettt

apple juice. Orange makes me feel weird

too many things. I’m a hoarder in training

honestly, Soap And Glory has yet to let me down. Although it can be a bit overpriced

i wouldn’t murder anyone, I’d just, like, steal loads of donuts. Who in their right mind actually goes “no laws? Time to murder” instead of just… filing their taxes incorrectly

perpetually, it’s a problem. Currently I have a sore throat though, so it’s difficult to tell

burning is most painful, I believe, so that’s one. Then drowning because your lungs must burn and it’s terrifying. Then freezing, because after a while you warm up and just go to sleep, right?

I love it. Call my crazy, but it’s my go-to flavour

pick at my lips. I try to stop

ive only had boba once in my life, but I’d probably say anything watermelon/mango flavoured, you can’t go wrong

beans. Are they a veggie? I don’t care. Beans are awful

im a tangled gal :D

51, I can’t get over the fact that it’s divisible by 17 (old meme, I know, but I’m still suffering from it)

no, but in winter I live on a set of three

only when I’m dressing up, unless you count earrings which I always wear

im British, so British, but I can’t escape little americanisms here and there

god no. If it has a beat drop it makes my brain go into spasm in a good way, regardless of actual talent in the song. That or cottage core lesbian songs

id say it’s ok, but my only metric is British spicyness, so I can’t really speak

right, so I have this navy top with an abstract colourful landscape, I wear that with either black or blue jeans and one of those tartan flannel jackets

50 year old wine made from my grape vine (this is its first year of making grapes)

not a pasta fan

exactly how many monkeys were jumping on the bed, at an estimate?

weirdly specific and unrelated asks to know someone well:

chipotle order?

thoughts on veganism?

a specific color that gives you the ick?

mythical creature you think/believe is real?

favorite form of potato?

do you use a watch?

what animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium?

do you change into specific clothes for the house when you get home?

do you have a skincare routine (and how many steps is it)?

on a plane, do you ask for apple or orange juice?

anything from your childhood you’ve held on to?

brand of haircare/bodycare/skincare that you trust 100%?

first thing you’re doing in the purge?

do you think you’re dehydrated?

rank the methods of death: freezing, burning, drowning

thoughts on mint chocolate chip?

an anxious compulsion you do everyday?

your boba/tea order?

the veggie you dislike the most?

favorite disney princess movie?

a number that weirds you out?

do you have an emotional support water bottle?

do you wear jewelry?

which do you find yourself using, american or british english?

would you say you have good taste in music?

how’s your spice tolerance?

what’s your favorite or go-to outfit?

last meal on earth?

preferred pasta noodle?

ask me anything !

leave an ask for the person you reblog it from!

[xofanfics]

String - Part IV

Prologue | Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V

Genre: angst, fluff, suggestive themes

Pairing: Baekhyun x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: You find yourself in a friends-with-benefits situation with your best friend. You have no business falling for him, but your heart begs to differ.

Things were not going as planned. That was evident yesterday when Baekhyun paid you a visit.  You felt a bunch of things—annoyance, anger, frustration, sadness. The list went on and your friends could see it in your face. Earlier that week, Evie and Sadie had invited you to sleepover at their dorm for Friday night. Though you hadn’t expected the week to go the way it had, you were grateful that you’d be spending your Friday night with friends instead of in bed eating easy mac and binge watching Vampire Diaries. 

As you sat on the train with your overnight bag, you couldn’t help but feel a little excited. You hadn’t had a girls’ night in a while. For the most part, you usually went out with the guys. This weekend though, you would be with the girls and the girls only. You needed a break. They promised drinks, music and movies in their dorm room. 

The train screeched to a halt as you arrived at 14th Street - Union Square station. You got off the train quickly as a woman nearly knocked you over just to get onto the train. If it was one thing that annoyed you about New York City, it was people like that woman who, for some reason, can’t seem to wait for people to actually get off of the train. People like her give the city a bad name. The station was crowded now; you saw people dressed up and ready to start drinking, you saw people in suits coming from work after a long day at the office, and you saw kids in uniforms in clusters with their friends.

The city always came alive at night as the sun was setting. As you passed the park you saw some street performers playing instruments, the sound of smooth jazz filling your ears. The walk to your friend’s dorm seemed to go more quickly than usual. You were excited to spend time with your friends but you were also disappointed how things went with Baekhyun. He texted you earlier today but you ignored his message and left it on read. You didn’t know how to respond to him after the other night. You stared at the message, unsure of how to react. He said: 

[7:48am] Morning! Sorry I had to leave last night. I’m on my way to the pool now. Hope you have a good day! 

You couldn’t respond to him because you didn’t know how and also because you didn’t know where your fingers would take you if you started typing. It was better, you decided, to ignore the message altogether. 

You signed in at their dorm and waited for Evie to pick you up from the lobby. She came a moment later. “Hey,” she said, waving at the person at the desk as you headed upstairs with her. “We ordered some Chinese food. We timed it perfectly cause it’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“What did we get?”

“Some dumplings, beef and scallions, general tso’s chicken, and shrimp fried rice.”

“That sounds like more than enough,” you said, laughing, as Evie opened the door to their suite. You put your bags down and hugged Sadie. “Hey.”

“So I had nothing else better to do so I put together some fun ideas for tonight,” she said, showing you her phone. “We’re gonna play some drinking games after we eat. Our suitemates are down to play uno and jenga. It’s gonna be great.” She held up a familiar vape pen with the oil that would lead you on a winding, neverending path up to the clouds, if not further. “Want a hit?”

*

You shrieked as you pulled out the wooden piece that sent everything crashing down to the floor. “Damn it!” You and your friends laughed, along with their suitemates. It was time to take a shot. You weren’t sure how many shots you’d had at this point since you and your friends agreed to do half shots so no one would get too drunk and result in the night ending with someone passed out in a corner or slumped at the table. 

Vodka was never good but it was cheap and good enough to get you drunk quickly. Everyone chipped in to get a bottle of Pinnacle earlier. You took the shot, feeling the liquid fire in your core, your friends cheering in the background.

This was what you needed: a night to take your mind off of things. No boys, no drama, just fun and games. You hadn’t thought about Baekhyun once since you got here. Maybe, in your own way, this just served as a distraction to the reality that you had absolutely no idea what was going on in your life but it was fine. As of now, it was fine. You were enjoying yourself and that was all that mattered. 

As your friends decided what games you should play next, you made the mistake of picking up your phone. Your screen displayed Instagram, where you’d left it last. You clicked on Drew’s story and saw that he was at Bar None with Baekhyun and Daren. They seemed to be having a boys’ night from what you could see. 

“Did Baekhyun invite you guys out with them?” you asked.

Sadie shook her head. “Nah. I talked to the guys earlier today but we didn’t make any plans with them. Why?”

“Just wondering,” you said. “I hung out with Baekhyun the other night and we were supposed to talk.”

Evie raised her eyebrows. “What happened?”

“We hung out as usual. Ordered food, watched TV, and we fell asleep. Just when I thought he was gonna come to bed with me, he went home.”

Sadie said, “So you didn’t talk?” You shook your head. “I think he likes someone else. I overheard him and Drew talking and—”

You stopped her, desperate for some inkling of what was going on in Baekhyun’s life. “What did he say?”

“I mean, nothing specific. He was saying that he ran into someone somewhere and that they got ice cream. He said that she was cute. I-I only caught a piece of it and to be honest, he could’ve been talking about anyone so I didn’t think much of it.” 

You rolled your eyes and picked up your phone again. You’d started the evening not thinking about Baekhyun and you let him get in your head yet again. The purpose of being here tonight was to hang out with your friends and gossip about any and everyone who wasn’t Baekhyun Byun. You found yourself on Instagram looking for Baekhyun’s account to look at his story. According to his story, last night he made instant ramen. Today around lunchtime, he had tacos and, from what he could see, he wasn’t alone. The person wasn’t in the shot but you could tell by the little bit of hand in the corner, that the feminine hand belonged to someone with perfect, powder blue nails.

You tossed your phone on the table and started looking for your drink. Evie looked at the phone and swiped backward to see what you were looking at. She cleared her throat. “Oh God.”

“It could just be a friend,” you said, refusing to accept this outcome as truth. “You know what? I’m gonna ask him.” You stood up, grabbed your phone and started putting your sandals on. 

“Where are you going?” Evie asked. “We’re gonna play UNO next.”

“I’m going to the bar.”

“No you’re not,” your friend said, standing in front of you. “Now is not the time.”

“Well I need to talk to him.”

You started toward the door, determined to see Baekhyun no matter what. Your friends couldn’t stop you. Evie started putting her shoes on, too. “Shouldn’t you try to do this sober or something?”

Sadie said, “I don’t think this is a good idea…”

“Look,” you said, shaking your head. “I tried to talk to him twice already. I say, fuck that. Third time’s a charm, right?”

*

This probably wasn’t a good idea but you were on your way, with Sadie and Evie at your side. They knew just as well as you did, deep down, that this was a terrible idea. There was no way that this would go well but you needed to know. You needed answers and you needed them now. You couldn’t go one more day without knowing where you stood with Baekhyun. You hated not knowing how he felt or where you were going.

You crossed the street, the alcohol making your legs feel like jello. The three of you were still pretty drunk and, with Sadie insisting on bringing the vape pen, you were crossfaded enough to deal with this situation. There were a million things you wanted to say, in a million different ways. You’d visualized scenarios that hadn’t happened in your head while you walked. Some outcomes you imagined were positive, with you leaving the bar hand in hand with Baekhyun, while other outcomes you imagined were more dramatic, ending with you hitting him in the head with a bottle of liquor you’d stolen from the bar. 

“What are you gonna say to him?” asked Sadie. 

“I dunno,” you said, turning the corner. “I’m gonna wing it.”

“Oh God,” you heard Evie say under her breath as you approached the bouncer standing outside. She had no idea what she was getting herself into and, to be honest, neither did you. On the way over, Evie was the main person trying to get you to change your mind about confronting Baekhyun. 

She said things like “This is going to end in disaster” and “Why not sleep off the liquor and call him tomorrow or something?” But she couldn’t change your mind. You had your mind set on one thing and one thing only. 

You showed the bouncer your ID before storming into the bar without waiting for your friends. You took in your surroundings. It was crowded now. It was after eleven now and the groups of friends that had dinner after work were beginning to make their way to the bars. You looked by the bar and didn’t find any of your friends there. You peeked over people’s heads walking by the bar and over by the seats. 

Drew and Daren were sitting in a booth, you noticed, as you got closer. Baekhyun however, was nowhere in sight. Did he leave the bar? Without greeting your friends, you said, “Where’s Baek?”

“Well damn, hello to you too Y/N,” Drew said. 

Daren laughed. “He’s in the bathroom.” You plopped down into the booth next to him. Sadie and Evie came up to the table. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We decided to come to the bar,” you said as Baekhyun approached the table. 

He glanced at you and the girls with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re bar hopping,” you snapped, turning to him. A flash of hurt crossed Baekhyun’s face but you didn’t care. “I wanna talk to you.”

“Uh,” he said, “sure.” He grabbed his drink from the table and downed the rest of it. The two of you walked out of the bar, leaving your friends behind. You stepped out into the cool night air. Baekhyun didn’t say anything. He could feel the tension and frustration radiating off of your body. He followed you around the corner into a back street.

You stopped in front of a tree, folding your arms across your chest. “I have a question.”

Baekhyun looked down at the sidewalk. “What’s up?”

“What’s going on with us?”

“What do you mean?”

“What the fuck are we doing, Baekhyun? You’ve been avoiding me…”

“I haven’t been avoiding you. We hung out the other day, like old times.”

You were pissed. Here he was acting like he was innocent, like he’d done no wrong. “Do you remember the conversation we had in May?”

Baekhyun looked up at you and nodded. “I do.”

“So,” you said, “what’s going on with us, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun knew what you were upset about before you even said anything. You’d been wanting to talk to him for a few days and he avoided it every time even if it was just coincidence. The first time he didn’t notice because he was going to see you at brunch with your friends. At first, he’d thought it was just something small you wanted to mention casually. But you didn’t talk at brunch about anything significant and you didn’t get to talk at your place because he ended up having to take care of Daren. He didn’t put together your disappointment until later that night. He felt bad; he even thought of calling you back then. 

He had been avoiding you. He was guilty about it and he also felt guilty about Kira coming back into his life. He was seeing Kira last year before he even met you. Things hadn’t gotten too far with her then but he liked her a lot. Kira left to study abroad and then he met you the following semester. He had a bunch of classes with you and you got closer and closer; close enough to be inside you. 

It wasn’t that he regretted it or that he’d been using you because he ended up liking you. Baekhyun wanted to date you which is why he agreed to it in the first place. The thing was that he didn’t want to start dating you and then go to Korea for the summer a couple days later. He didn’t want to start the relationship off in Korea, arguing and struggling over the time difference and whether or not the two of you were seeing other people. So he wanted to wait. He made a reservation at a steakhouse called Wolfgang’s for September 20th—a Friday night. 

Today was September 20th and he was here at the bar with his friends instead of at that restaurant with you. He planned on asking you out officially then, had his plans not been derailed by a former flame coming back into the picture. He cancelled the reservation last night; that was the point of no return. He couldn’t ask you out when he felt this way about Kira instead of about you. He questioned whether the feelings he had for you had been real or not. He liked you, he cared about you, but you didn’t make his heart explode and fall to the ground in pieces. 

Baekhyun didn’t reply so you asked another question he couldn’t answer. “Do you like me?”

“Of course I like you,” he said. “I care about you.”

“But you don’t like me like that, right?” You bit your lip, trying to hold in the emotions that threatened to leave your body in the form of tears.

Baekhyun let out a sigh. This was the tough part. “I don’t think I feel like that…”

You nodded and headed over to the steps of an apartment building. You sat and ran your hands through your hair before looking up at Baekhyun. “Did you ever like me?”

Baekhyun grabbed onto your hand. “Everything that happened between us...it was real. I did have feelings for you. I never lied to you and—”

“So it’s better to lie to me now, huh?” you asked, pushing his hand away.

“Feelings can change Y/N!”

“Feelings don’t just change overnight. Two weeks ago you were in my bed. Your feelings just vanished into thin air in that short amount of time?”

“Come on, Y/N! I can’t help how I’m feeling. If you found someone you liked, wouldn’t you go for it?”

There it was: the truth. It didn’t come out in the way you thought it would but there it was. He liked someone else, just like Sadie said. You felt like a complete idiot, waiting around for him for this long when it wasn’t even a possibility.

“Don’t hate me for this,” he said. “You would’ve done the same. If things had gone well with that guy you used to like, we wouldn’t have even gotten to this point! There wouldn’t have been any confusion on what this was from the beginning…just casual sex between two people when we needed to get off, mutual entertainment!” He sighed. “Please don’t be upset. You deserve someone whose heart skips a beat when you smile...like yours used to do to me...” 

You let out a laugh and stood up. “Okay, Baekhyun. Fuck you.”

Baekhyun swore under his breath. “Y/N, please don’t take this the wrong way.”

“I think you made yourself clear tonight,” you said, a tear finally falling down your cheek. You turned on your heel and started walking away.

Crystal clear.

*****

Tag List:  @shesdreaminginoverdose @multistania​ @jeonchan26​ @myonlyaurora​ @keloiu​ 

Please DM me if you want to be added to the tag list! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

[myarmsaretoolong]

They Look so Pretty When They Bleed

Prompt #10: They Look so Pretty When They Bleed - Blood Loss | Trail of Blood

Word Count: 1235

Warnings: Blood | Needles | Medical Procedures

Synopsis: Tony thought the never-ending meeting with Ross would be the word part of his day, week probably. Then again, he hadn’t expected to be greeted by a trail of blood in the otherwise empty Avengers Facility.

Read Under the Cut | Read on AO3

It had been a long day in the office, and by office, Tony meant the seemingly neverending meeting with Ross he’d been trapped in since seven that morning. He’d been pretty pissed that Rogers snuck into the Raft and broke the Rouge Avengers out and decided to take it out on Tony, interrogating him all day long for any information he had. Not that Tony would give him anything even if he knew.

Twelve hours later, Ross finally gave up and let Tony leave - god how he regretted leaving that man on hold. Tony headed back to the Avengers Facility, back to the place that used to be filled with the now Rouges and now, instead stood a hollow shell haunted by days long past. Vision left earlier in the week, going to Edinburgh to spend some time with Wanda - ‘cause apparently they were a thing now. Even Rhodey was out spending time recovering. It was just Tony, alone, in a building where ghosts hovered at every corner.

He pulled up the driveway and stopped right outside the front door - it’s not like anyone was going to complain about lack of access. With a heavy sigh, Tony stepped out of the car, a feeling of unease brewing deep in his stomach. He didn’t have spidey-sense like the kid, but after eight years of being a superhero you learn to trust your gut. Tony looked around, searching for the source of his tension, but saw nothing except the open door to the Facility.

Oh, hang on. Tony wouldn’t have left it open all day, even if he had Friday would have closed it behind him. So why was it open, swinging gently in the almost non-existent breeze? Now that was the real question. Maybe Rhodey stopped by for a visit, he mused, but if so, why were the lights all off?

Tony crept forward, keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible on the tile floor in the foyer. To his horror, it also lit up a drop of blood, bright red against the white tiles. Then another. And another.

“What a way to add to the mystery,” he muttered. “Now,” slowly, he followed the trail, walking just to the side so as not to disturb it, “Tell me your secrets. In or out?” It soon became clear the answer was in. By the door, the trail consisted only of the odd drop here or there, by now the stream was far heavier.

Tony picked up the pace, whoever this blood came from couldn’t be in good shape. Friend or foe, Tony couldn’t take another lost soul on his conscience. Except if it were Ross, he could probably handle that after everything he’d put him through. Shit, what if it was Ross? Someone could’ve got to him after their meeting and he’d come here in search of help, not knowing Tony took the scenic route home to clear his head.

And if he died here, well that would reflect poorly on Tony. He could imagine the headlines; ‘Secretary of State found dead in home of public rival.’ It wouldn’t be hard for a lawyer to argue that Tony had both the means and the motive, all they’d have to do was bring up his less than heroic past. Yeah, he’d be walking straight into a murder charge.

“Ross, if you’re not dead yet I swear I’m going to finish you off,” he whispered. He kept following the ever-growing trail of blood through the darkened hallways he knew like the back of his hand. Straight through the lounge and kitchen area, a crimson handprint staining the orange sofa.

The sharp trill of Tony’s phone echoed through the room, making him jump at the suddenness of the noise. “That was smooth,” he muttered, pulling out his phone and answering without checking the caller ID. “Ross?”

“Uh, no… It’s May.”

Tony pulled the phone from his ear and check, sure enough, May Parker lit up the screen. “So it is, sorry May. It’s just...well, it’s a long story.”

“What was that? I can barely hear you, why are you whispering? Anyway, I just wanted to know if you’d heard from Peter. He didn’t come back from patrol at his normal time.”

The realisation hit Tony like Rogers and Barnes had in that godforsaken Siberian bunker.

“I know, I know. I’m probably overreacting. I just worry, y’know?”

Tony ran at full pelt. All attempt at keeping quiet dropped in favour of sheer speed. “May, I’ve got to go. I call as soon as I can.” He hung up without waiting for an answer. “Peter?” He yelled, praying or a reply. “Kid, c’mon. Where are you?”

His legs burned, fear growing with his every step. Every second passed was another Peter bled out. He skidded around a corner, the blood trail now little less than an elongated puddle. Sprinting on through the darkness, Tony almost didn’t see the body slumped in the corner of the corridor. “Kid?” Tony fell to his knees and tapped Peter’s cheek, trying to wake him up. “Come on, wake up for me. “Fri, get Cho here, now!”

Tony scooped Peter into his arms and ran to the medical bay, his hands and clothes stained red with the kid’s blood. He laid him on one of the beds, yelling for Friday to turn on the lights before searching for the source of the bleeding. “Fuck, kid.” Peter had a stab wound deep in his abdomen. “Fri, how long until Cho gets here?”

“Fifteen minutes, Boss.”

Not to sound cliché, but Peter didn’t have fifteen minutes. In fact, he barely had two judging by the colour of his skin and feeble beat of his pulse under Tony’s fingertips. His eyes flicked over to the storage cabinet stocked full of blood. Given the number of transfusions Tony had had himself, surely he knew how they worked. Right?

It’s not like he had a choice.

He darted across to the cabinet and grabbed a bag of Peter’s blood, double, and then triple, checking the name because for the love of God he was not giving the kid any of Bruce’s radioactive shit. He set up an IV for the blood bag and inserted a needle into the back of Peter’s hand before connecting the two with a plastic tube that looked close enough to the ones used on him.

For a couple of seconds, he watched the blood flow through the tube and into Peter’s body, then raced to find a bandage to make sure that blood stayed inside rather than ending up on the medbay floor. 

After a minute, some of the colour returned to Peter’s cheeks, though he was still shades too pale. Peter gasped a great breath and air and Tony raced to his side, running a hand through his hair and whispering gently. “Hey, kid. Nice to have you back with us.”

“Huh,” Peter slurred. “Wha- Where?”

“It’s okay, I’ve got you. You’re safe now. Doctor Cho’s on her way, she’ll be here any minute.”

Peter seemed to be gaining a little more comprehension with every second. “Urgh,” he sighed, relaxing back into the bed. “Mister Stark?”

“Yeah?”

“I think someone stabbed me.”

“I think so too, kid. You left the evidence all over the compound.”

Peter screwed his eyes shut. “Sorry.”

“No,” Tony cooed. “I don’t care about that. I just care that you’re safe.”

[incendavery]

gosh, thank you! that is so sweet??? I hope you (and any other of my followers who celebrate!) have/had a very happy Eid!💖 💕

on another note, I’ve finally gotten around to cleaning out my askbox! under the cut is almost every ask I’ve gotten that i haven’t answered in the past.... I’m not sure. it’s been a WHILE though.

as a warning, there’s all sorts of stuff, and it’s all untagged! also also, if you sent one of these asks and want me to remove it, just let me know!

yes!! @fuckaspunk IS super sweet and talented and i AM very lucky to have them! and I’ve heard from reliable sources that the feeling is mutual~~💕

i’m glad my comics make you feel less alone; that’s a rough situation you’re in. i really hope you find yourself in a better environment soon!

thank you!!!💕

thank you for understanding! and yes, aidan is a huge help to me??? even when they’re not answering asks, they’re always supporting me in some way, whether that’s making sure I’ve eaten enough, or talking me through my anxiety, or all the other ways they’re there for me every single day💕💕

ok, my tips are!!:

draw as much as possible! even if it’s just lines and shapes with no meaning, you’re still developing your hand/eye skills

BUT: dont draw if you’re not feeling it! if you’re feeling fried, it’s better to take a break. go on a walk to somewhere scenic, read your favorite book, listen to some new music, hang out with friends, or just take a nap! rest up and find some inspiration! you can come back to your sketchbook when you feel energized again

draw stuff that you like! you’ll improve way faster if you’re passionate about what you’re doing

look at art you like with a critical eye. try to examine the different components and figure out what you think works or doesn’t work. try incorporation those components into your own work

read a lot of tutorials and other resources, but take what they say with a grain of salt

ultimately, remember that the only real rule to drawing is that doing it should make you happy

good luck!! i do my best not to pick, but it’s a real struggle; i have lots of scars from it too. ;v; im cheering for you!!!

ALWAYS!!!! if you do, please show me!! my notifications get real busy, but anyone is welcome to IM me any time!

thank you! i actually get very worried about my style; i tend to admire artists with complex linework and delicate shading, so i often feel my style is far to simple! so thank you!!

that is really high praise????? gosh??!?!?!? best of luck with the next three years; i hope you grow to be someone you like even better than me!

thank you!!

peanut time is the best!! i haven’t gotten to do a proper one in a while though ;-; i’ve mostly been feeding the crows on my way back home from night shifts, when i give them the reject eggs from the continental breakfast.

wow, neat!! chickens are so wonderful; i cont wait until i can have some of my own :>

dont be nervous! i know i can be hard to get ahold of over the internet (bc i get overwhelmed easily) and hard to talk with irl (bc i get so nervous and interacting w ppl doesn’t come naturally to me AT ALL) but honestly i?? love making new friends??!

thank you!!? im thankful every day that someone as radient as aidan is in my life for the long haul

thank you!!!!!!!💕

i completely feel that? its ok to hit rough patches! just do your best!!

i dont remember what i felt bad about but THANK YOU💕💕

honestly its done me worlds of good to share my art?? hearing people talk about how they go through all the same shit i do makes me feel so much less alone, especially on the toughest days! so i guess thank you, and thank you?

youre welcome!!!! :>

huh!! i dont know much about shoegaze (other than thinking abt that post abt the guy who pronounced it like fugazi I THINK ABT THAT EVERY TIME) but thats real neat!! im glad youve found something that works for you!!

hey, neat middle name! and youre very welcome; i hope things have been looking up for you since you sent this?💕

i dont remember when this was from but im currently doing really well with my meds!! i switched to a combination of lexapro in the morning and benadryl in the evening, and its been working super well!✨

thank you??!! ;o; i would love to see all your favorite birds!!

hey, right back atcha!!!

:0

ty!!!

hey. thank YOU

you’re absolutely not bothering me! thank you so much!!

!!!!!!!!!!

hey, nice! im glad you like both me and my music!

gosh thanks?!?!

she is the most beautiful and handsome!!!!!!!!!!!! i love her! thank you from both of us!!!!

aw, gosh! im sure i like you too!!

this was from.... A WHILE AGO.... but youre welcome?? i just wish i could have done more

hey, thank you so much!!!!!

thank YOU and a very very belated merry christmas!!!

that does make sense!! reconciling friendships and crushes is tricky business. the best i can say to you is to be as honest and open with each other as you can

i dont personally get those, but ive heard of people experiencing them as a sideeffect when coming off or switching meds

i think these two are part of the same message? but oh man yeah that sucks when ppl are misgendering you AND hitting on you at the same time. on a different note, ive never heard of using a corset to stim before! neat!

i mean, 1. depression doesn’t care if you have a “””good””” reason and 2. ive literally never met anyone w depression (including myself) who thinks that they do have a “””good””” reason for having it. thats the insidious part of depression, is that it makes you think that theres nothing wrong and that its all just you not measuring up in some way

so i guess that would make you.... someone with depression?

real BAD

💕 💖 💞  💓  💗

not yet haha THANK YOU

hey, im glad you like it!! since this blog has gotten so big, its kinda my happy place to be? (for anyone wondering, my reblog blog/personal is @spinels!

that IS a fun fact!! thank you!

it’s absolutely ok! i get a little bitter when people take my work WAY out of context (for example, straight people removing the caption that says “im just really gay” before tagging their bf/gf) but i am 100% ok and happy with people relating to my work in a different way than i intended (ex: a comic i made about being ashamed of my derma getting reblogged by someone struggling to be ok w their visible burn scars)

hoo gosh, thank you!!

glad to have you here!! im glad people can relate to some of the weirdly specific shit i write about tbh???

i’m sorry its taken so long for me to get back to you; that a terrible situation

if you have a teacher you trust, i would absolutely bring it up to them. that is 100% not an ok thing for those kids to be doing. at all.

im glad you at least have your friends that support you! 

:0 WAIT is this someone i know through ucsc?? :0 :0 :0

HA 

aaaa thank you! that is high praise ;v;

i have no words; this is such a touching message. thank you so much ;v;

this is belated but!! the main creative community i can recommend is kzsc, the radio station! i had a real cool time there, and its a great way to make friends and connect with ppl of all sorts! :0

yeah, its totally normal! ive had roommates ive been super tight with, and roommates who i barely ever hung around with. its natural! i doubt you’ll finish college w/o finding a roomie that you get ~The Roomie Experience~ with though, even if its like a housemate or s/t!! ;0

i’ve never been told that, actually! neat!! (and wow?? i cant believe i inspire ppl.... wow......... what a concept tbh??)

oh yikes... i do hope youre feeling better :( im glad my comics can help a little bit at least!

💕 💖 💞  💓  💗!!!

HUGS

i dont remember what this was in reference to, but good to know?

also good to know!?

i think the crows and jays do! i dunno about the squirrels and other birds. and thank you!!

the youth gang..... i love it..... how good???!

i wrote about getting yuri right here! he’s a southern alligator lizard and i love him to bits. 

heres a pic of the Long Boy doin his thing:

hey neat! i’m glad youve chosen a lame you can be proud of!!💖

ive never heard of that!! wow

what play is this?? :0 :0 :0 im so curious now!!

oh SHUCKS...,,,,,,,,,, ;v;

hahahaha omg thank u

i dont actually have any more of them interacting, unfortunately! the owl isnt one specific person, like a lot of my characters are meant to represent. the owl more represents as a whole all the people i run into in my life that i am very very gay for.

thank you!!!

youre very welcome! im glad you feel better!!!!

aaa gosh thank you!!!

hhhhfgh ive gotten less of it recently BUT YEAH that was bad times™️ 

thanks for the info!!! :0

no problem! a lot of the credit honestly goes to @fuckaspunk, who is always keeping me updated on that sort of stuff.

i didn’t know that! a lot of the symbolism seems to come from multiple sources sometimes, from what ive seen?

aaaa gosh omg thank you ;v;

aw thank you???!!

nice!!! oct 24 bdays go!!!

thank you!! it really does mean a lot actually!!!!!!!

of course?? antisemitism cant be ignored in this fight

aw, thats so cute! id love to hear what headcanons you have tbh???

hey thanks?! this is really cool to hear, tbh. i try to be positive most of the time, but im not going to like,,, kid myself when im not feeling it and im glad that other people can appreciate that too, ya know?

wow!!

(this one!) thank you i love that one too???!

hey, im glad you found your way here!! thank you so much!!!

aaaa ty! 

hmmm i have two leopard geckos, and they made very good beginning lizards for me and aidan! but i would maybe ask someone a bit more experienced than me, like @kaijutegu​ or @wheremyscalesslither​!!

thank you!!

one day at a time! (but seriously, thank you!!)

yummy yummy sauce...... ty!!!

awww, gosh! thank you!?

AAAA TY BOTH I GET SO SELF-CONSCIOUS ABT MY VOICE,,,,, ;o;

:0 i havent watched that, but it sounds rly cool!!

i like that fun fact a lot! ty!!

pae stands for paerlin, which is what @fuckaspunk​‘s internet handle used to be! i used it to refer to them on my blog in secret back when they still didnt know i had a crush on them.... ;//v//;

aaaaa thank you!!!  ;o;

nice nice nice ty!!

>:0 get back down here!! (jk that’s rly neat! highfive!!) 

those are all good words that i like!! thank you!!!!

i dont know anything about him, but i looked him up and i guess i can see it?!

@fishcrow is really cool! ive never really interacted with them, but im p sure were mutuals...? anyway yeah their comics are rly cute and cool!

that is me! thank you; i hope things go well for you as well!

hello to you too!

aaaa ty!!! tbh the number of nice anons i get way way way outnumbers the mean ones <3

thank you! thank YOU for existing!

:0 chocolate croissant, here i come!!!

thank you!!!!!!💕

its literally my pleasure!!!

aaa ty!!! 💕💕

hehe im glad! 

sldf;j;sfjdklfdslfjs thank you so much?????? what a compliment omg gosh

yeah!! i have a hard time on settling what class id be, but i feel like id be a heart player! 

ohh um! im not sure which pens youre referring to, but if you mean the ones I use for my comics, i color them with Winsor & Newton ProMarkers, and I do the lines with a purple fine-point Sakura Gelly Roll Classic pen! i also use micron pens of all different sizes and colors in some of my non-diary comic art!

aww thank you so much!!

:0 :) :0 !!!!!!

ty!!! ive grown to love him very much as well!!

thank you! i hope you are doing well also!!

i love them very much?!! id put a picture but i dont have one with all four of them so instead imagine me lying on the floor crying abt how much i love them bc thats me basically every day

you dont mean......

?!?!?!?!?!?!

awwww ty!!!

HEY WOW

aaa gosh thank you!💕

DOUBLE FOLLOW

gay dragons combine the best of both very good things: gay and dragons. im glad you appreciate them w me tysm ;v;

aaa what a lovely message! ty💕

3rd-shift-working, depression-having, corvid-loving solidarity fistbumnp!!!!

huh! ive never heard of that; ill check it out maybe!!

ah im really glad? tysm!!💕

my understanding is that it helps people who have text-to-speech readers? but im honestly not as well informed on that as i should be! 

hell yeah!!!! 

gosh!!!!!

hnmngnhng youve probably already made a decision but i just gotta say.........shadow rulez

delicious!!

i havent!! i really want to though!

oh man ALL THE TIME. i usually try to either reality check with someone i trust, or to do an activity thats easy and i know i can do, or both!

i love andre and karl!!! its actually a huge influence on me and my art tbh??? 

i had a good (and safe) trip! ty!!!

hey, thank you!!!

oh jeez thats bad :( i think this was in response to when i needed to wait between med refills?

i cant give a precise reason, tbh! when it comes to whats lucky, i just sort of.... go with my gut, ya know?

thank you!! 👍

that sure sounds like insomnia! its almost hard for me to say tbh, bc ive had trouble sleeping for as long as i can remember, so NOT having trouble sleeping is bizarre and unrealistic to me haha... but i think the bottom line is, if its interrupting your daily routine and making it hard for you to have enough energy, then its something you should look into remedies for!

:0 :0 :0

ohhh how nice! ill give it a try! :>

omg,,,, nope, just me!

thank you!!!!!!

honestly? thats such a good way to look at it i love the idea of my blog as a big zine

always!!!!! go for it!!!

hey, thank you so much!!!!!

omg, thats so great! thank you!

im so glad; thank you!!!

thank you so much!💖 (and mexico, neat! i love hearing where people are following from??)

aaaaaaaaaaaa ;//v//; thank you??? i get so happy whenever ppl tell me they like my singing aaaaaaa

aw, hey, no worries! money is all well and good, but in some ways, messages like this mean just as much!

its cool that comic gave you plural feels! im def not a system though :> 

its tricky, isnt it? i still feel like im no good at it lmao

LISTEN,,, there is a 99.9999% chance i wont notice, and a 100% chance i wont judge. reblog away! 

THANK YOU ARENT THEY THE BEST I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

thank you!! i hope you have a good day as well!

aaa ty!!💖

aa ty! (what a cool name!!! im kind jealous ngl!)

awww thank you💖

i do my best! i just worry when im not active, bc i tend to connect my self-worth to my output (;^; )

aaaaa ty!! 💖

!!!!!!!!!!!! omg wow i love being called a pretty boy???? ty???????

hey, neat! crow high-five!

aw, thank you!!! 💖

im doing my best! thank you so much, messages like this really help when im in a place like that tbh ;v;

gosh this is so sweet? thank you so muhc !!?

thank you all!! im sorry that saying thank you over and over sounds so repetitive, but i truely do mean it for every one of you!!!

i am..... one of those things!

well thank you!!

ohoho~✨

thank you! and honestly im sure it does??

hey, cool! good for you!!!!!!! and ty!!

aw gosh thank you!💖

hey, wow! thats super cool; thank you so much!

(i dont follow the first person i followed on tumblr anymore.... they became a hockey blog rip haha)

aaaah, thank you so much!!

almost???

i do!! drunken lullabies is an absolute banger!!!!!!!!!!

i am!!!! thank you!!

aw, ty!!! 💖

hee hee, thank you! 

my biggest tip honestly?? have someone who can be by your side to help you with... basically everything... during your recovery. bc trust me, i was n o t  a v a i l a b l e. i spent a lot of my recovery playing 2048 at the same time as watching tv, bc doing both at once distracted me from how much the bandages itched.

thank you!! (i think this was in reference to getting top surgery!)

how shitty??????? yikes. i hope your supervisor has your back??? bc wow????

hey!!! thank you!!! i draw all my comics traditionally on paper! im not sure what you mean by the writing though? if you mean the word bubbles, i do those by hand on paper too!

I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT FEELING,,,, im so happy ppl talk to me, but i get really nervous about saying the wrong thing. 

when i’m down, i usually crave validation. i like being reminded about things ive done right! i also like gentle reality checks, like, ‘hey: this is the situation, this is what we can do about it. ok? ok’

i unfortunately dont have any!! i had a couple at one point, but they’ve since been lost to the depths of my old laptop. and hey, thank you so much!!

now thats a nifty trick!! im terrible at telling all my white tablets from each other lmao

!!!!!!! ITS ME!!!!!!!!

maybe you just need some space? i know i sometimes temporarily block people i know, if i need some private space or if i dont trust myself to keep cool and solve problems constructively. do what you need to do to feel at ease, and go from there, ya know?

thank you!!!

its,,,, up somewhere above in this monster post lmao i,m so sorry,,,,

thank you so much!!!

WOW NO WORRIES??,,,,,,,,, INCREDIBLE 10/10???????

all four of these came right after i gave myself a hair cut and THANK YOU SO MUCH??? i live for validation and it feels so good to have my actions affirmed ;o;

[chickenfetus]

softly whispers all for the flower ask

baby’s breath: 5 things you associate yourself with

chickens/eggs

lance lol

cereal….. everyone in class is stealing my trademark…

water

memes

bleeding heart: what makes you heart go mushy?

fuck,,, my fav characters?? and if i like someone then them i guess? but rn my heart belongs to 2d

bell flower: what’s the title of the song that makes you want to jump around out of joy?

mm it changes?? right now its either this cover (its in japanese) or this song (english but its a tad bit scream-y)

evening primrose: what’s your sleeping playlist (give me 5 songs)?

its all soundtracks from anime lmao,, 

from kimi no na wa’s soundtrack we have this, this and this 

from free!’s ost we have this song that killed every mh shipper lol 

and lastly, not from an anime ost, its shelter 

none of these actually help me fall asleep but i like them,, hell i dont think theres any song that can help me fall asleep

forget-me-not: who is your favorite blog who isn’t following you?

miyu//keis does this ensure it doesnt show up i hope it does i recently followed them while lurking in the mi//sawa tag lol theyre a good graphic person??? idk what theyre called;;

daffodil: what is one plant that you want to have but can never get?

the succulent things but i wouldnt be able to care for it bc i succ (perfect match)

calla lily: are you more of a sunny day or a rainy evening?

im a sunny day and rainy evening person… ok maybe sunny day if im not directly under the sun because i do enjoy the sun’s warmth rainy days are nice too,, only if im indoors.. rainy evening is perfect,, as long as no bugs can get it im safe and secure and chill

foxglove: what is your favorite color and in what shade?

blue!!!!! is sky blue a shade

lavender: what is something that you’ve always wanted to be/have/get but can never have?

a cat…..

love in a mist: what is the latest dream that you remember?

ok ive had dreams every night this week but now i cant re oh wait i do remember last night’s dream but only the lame part,, ok so i dreamt i had a 4* hina on bang dream..,,, i dreamt of another thing but i forgot :-( the 4* was indeed a dream though sad i havent gotten a single 4* yet lmao my luck is awesome oh but i did get a 5* and two 4*s on enstars so thats cool

daisy: what is your favorite flavor of cotton candy, ice cream, and juice?

cotton candy,, has flavours????? 

cookies and cream!!

i like water juice

painter’s palette: are you more of a singer, dancer, painter, or instrumentalist?

none??? i guess i paint when i have to although i rly wanna paint but im just a lazy fool

tulip: what is your most favorite make-up product? do you like it more natural, dark, or etc?

i dont use make up i am a youngin also what does the second question say i dont understand

waxflower: are you a bee or a butterfly person? a dog or a cat person?

neither lmao i have a fear of butterflies and bees… bees fear me i fear bees its mutual fear i like cats better but i like dogs too

sugarbush: do you have sweet tooth? if yes, what’s your favorite sweets? if no, why?

yes,,, i was gonna ask if it was even possible to have a favourite but then i remembered i do actually one although its more of a jellybean thing its poifull!!

sunflower: would you like to be a fairy or a mermaid?

mermaid bc i wanna live in the water

sweet pea: what would you like to call your significant other?

ok i just finished acca so naturally i still think abt it and jean called nino his ‘partner in crime’ so nnow i want one (a partner in crime i mean not a nino but thatd b cool 2)

sea lavender: can you swim? which strokes can you do?

yes i havent been in a pool in like 3 years oh boy,, breaststroke is the easiest lmao i forgot how to do any of the others

windflower: list 5 of your favorite blogs and explain why you like them

softshouyous, well i followed her bc she talks in her tags so thats one thing,, shes also super nice?? and helpful!!! a good friend and mutual!!!! im also comfy enough with her to like,, be sarcastic and we can shame each other freely.. without worrying abt offending one another,, theres also the fact that she understands me (ok this may b what i like 2 think and falen actually doesnt get me but its COOL) idk man i just love her,,, my bud whens our one year friendsivary i gotta search that up :0

(i almsot forgot to do the rest go me anyway) next is,, youhavebeentraceyd bc shes one of my first mutuals (sorry to the one who was actually my first) who i actually talked to!!! we both watch daiya and i didnt rly follow anyone who liked daiya previously and oh!! we had the same notps LOL i love tracey’s art and hell i think she dragged me to mochi hell kudos to u tracey idk i jsut enjoy her presence on my dash and get v excited to see her art on there we may not talk as much anymore but i still appreciate her a lot!!! bless u tracey and thank you!!! (for being alive i wish u all the best in life)

alpacarara i like her bc shes basically my tumble mum,, the mum i actually talk to and ask for help/advice she gives good advice too and shes v approachable,,,,,,, a v good friend,,,,,, u r appreciated by me,,,, yes........... shizu chan also appreciates ur existence momther,,,, thakn u 4 all youve done 2 helpme a good pal.... bless u,

clearly these r  getting hard bc my mind is goddamn empty rn but ill manage,, kacchan whose url is not spelt like that but thats ook bc one day it will be but now im starting to think i shouldnt leave it as that bc someones bound to stumble upon this extra post in the kacchan tag goddammit,, annYWay i like kacchan bc theyre friendly! and also v relatable,,,, theyre also kinda scary but thats ok bc its the good kind of scary idk man kacchan is just, great?? we dont talk but thats cool bc ik we’re still friends even if we dont have full blown convos!!!! id b 2 nervous 2 talk 2 them not bc theyre bad or anythign im just a ??? a bad conversationalist and also v lazy ok  thats besides the point i like kacchan bc kacchan is kacchan so??? theyre a good friend and we tag each other in things and i like that friendship its a good type of friendship,,, idkdkdk?? theyre just. chill not literally chill but just chill. this doesnt make sense anymre gomenasorry

lAST ONE uh hhhh every one of my mutual’s blogs why i like all of them?? bc theyre not problematic!! they post good content trademark and r lovely even if we dont talk much!!! i love everyone period

golden rod: are you more of a baker or a cook?

i am more of a Disaster in the kithcen

bloom: what is something that you would like to tell your children?

u guys shld b surprised yall even exist (if i am the True Parent)

if not,, then itd b u guys r with me and my partner in crime,, who is actually a real person,,,,,, be shocked idk im just trying t o make it clear that in the event i do get married id surprise myself bc me/?? have a good and lasting relationship????? impsossible 

peony: what is something that you wish your parents could’ve told you?

they shouldve told me to stick with cereal

prairie gentian: do you have a significant other?

doe s lance count

september flower: are you more of a sunshine or sunset person?

was this supposed 2 say sunrise,,,, anyway sunrise i guess bc im a morning person (when i WILLINGLy wake up by myself) on hot ass days sunset bc then i wont b sweating 24/7

bird of paradise: do you wake up early? do you sleep early?

yEAH LOL i wake up early on weekends bc i want to and i have to wake up early on weekdays so,,, i prefer not to sleep later than 12am bc i am Fear and in the event that i do sleep later than 12 its bc im talkin 2 a friend i like a lot

marigold: what’s your favorite tea?

water tea english breakfast,, havent had that in awhile tho

peruvian lily: what are the names of your pets?

i have non

hyacinth: do you name your plants?

i have nnone but i dont even nickname my pkmn so 

lilac: would you rather sleep and be cozy or hang out with your friends?

depends? on the tme??? if its late at night id rather b asleep and cozy if its in the day then maybe.. .. .

poppy: do you like to dip your fries or do you like it as is?

i like all of my food plain and dry (cereal) unless its noodles,, i need my noodles iin soup

dandelion: any special talent that you have?

drinking water

[viralhottopics]

5 places that stole my heart in 2016

Tourists look at the Inca citadel of Macchu Picchu in Peru.

Image: AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File

For a lot of people, 2016 was the kind of year that warranted a lot of getting away. So its no surprise that for me, a professional jet-setter, most of the years highlights were far away from home. Here are the five places that stole my travel-editing heart over the last 12 months some classic, some new, but all ones you should consider for yourself, too.

Early gets the #tlpicks #tleditors #heaven

A photo posted by Nikki Ekstein (@nikkiekstein) on Mar 20, 2016 at 9:23am PDT

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Id long overlooked Cabo as a nightlife hub that was way farther from New York than low-slung Tulum. But Im officially a convert to whats really one of the great resort destinations on earth, second only to such places as Phuket or the South Pacific. Truth is, Cabo has some of the most compelling farm-to-table projects in Mexico, a ubiquitous knack for fried fish tacos, andsince they were all redone right after Hurricane Odile struck in 2014one of the highest concentrations of gleaming, new five-star resorts under the sun. Pile on Cabos natural splendor (stunning rock formations, cliffside beaches, whale watching, waterfalls, you name it) and its propensity for excellent swim-up bars, and youll find a place where its hard to complain about anything.

Recreate my trip: Plan a long weekend in Cabo as a respite to cold winter temps. Thats when youll have the best chance at spotting mama and baby whales in the Sea of Cortez. Angle for a stay at One & Only Palmilla, where youre waited on hand-and-foot in unparalleled fashion, or Auberges Esperanza, for more of a romantic honeymoon vibe.

Calm before the storm. @pure_theshow #changeworlds

A photo posted by Nikki Ekstein (@nikkiekstein) on Sep 12, 2016 at 2:21am PDT

Marrakesh, Morocco

My husband and I first visited Morocco as freshly minted college grads we spent less than $70 per night on accommodations that reliably took our breath away (not just because we were starry-eyed and unaccustomed to luxury). Its been one of our favorite trips.

Nearly a decade later, Marrakesh was every bit as spectacular as my memory had made it out to be, though this time, I saw it a little differently. First was the fact that I inadvertently arrived in time for Eid, a feasting holiday that involves the public slaughter of many, many sheep. I missed the bloodbath but saw plenty of the lead-up and spent several days chatting with taxi drivers and shop keepers about their celebrations. I tried my first hammam, which Id been loathe to do the first time around, since my then-boyfriend and I would have had to split up. (A friend described it to me as a gleeful regression to childhood, where youre being scrubbed like a baby at bath time. She hit the nail on its head.) And I made my best purchase of the year: a multi-colored, hand-woven rug from a collective in the Rif Mountains, which I found with the help of my local guide, Mohammad. The upgraded hotels were just icing on the cake.

Recreate my trip: The jaw-dropping resorts outside the old city may be tempting, but be sure to spend most of your trip in the medina itself. I loved my stay at the citys grand dame, La Mamounia, right outside the Djemaa El Fna its the epitome of an urban resort. Then, if you want to soak up some sun and escape the citys frenetic pulse, decamp to the palatial Mandarin Oriental, or better yet, head up to the Atlas Mountains for a taste of the Kasbah life.

Last day in the company of these cute critters. Today, Cuzco. Tomorrow, Bogota!

A photo posted by Nikki Ekstein (@nikkiekstein) on Nov 11, 2016 at 3:56am PST

Machu Picchu, Peru

My drive for visiting under-explored places took me to Ecuadors cloud forest and the coffee farms of Brazil long before I set sights on Machu Picchu, but the wait was worth it. It doesnt matter that youve seen hundreds of the exact same photos of this iconic world wonder in the flesh it still leaves you breathless. Plus, the photos dont show you that dozens of llamas still live in the Lost City of the Incas full-time, which I found terribly entertaining.

Recreate my trip: With so many incredible hikes in the Sacred Valley area, theres no need to join the crowds on the full-blown Inca Trail. Instead, take the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes and plan to get your park entry scanned by noon. That way, youll miss the morning crowds but still have time to walk the grounds twice for photos in both midday and afternoon light.

Springtime in Paris really is all it’s cracked up to beespecially when you catch accidental views like these, all awash in purple. Hard to say goodbye! . . . #travel #travelgram #travelpics #tlpicks #beautifuldestinations #paris #france #spring #vacation #europe

A photo posted by Nikki Ekstein (@nikkiekstein) on May 13, 2016 at 8:15pm PDT

Paris

Counter-intuitive as it sounds, Id never wanted to go to Paris more than I did in the wake of last years terrorism attacks. Tourism was plummeting and planning a trip felt like more than just a springtime indulgence; it was also my version of showing solidarity. Since tourism is still struggling to rebound in the City of Light, let me twist your arm to do the same: The croissants at Sebastien Gaudard will change your life, neo-bistros such as Clown Bar will make you feel like a (very well fed) local, and the citys most illustrious hotels are all ready to impress. To wit: the Ritz Paris came back online shortly after my visit, Rosewoods legendary Crillon will reopen this summer after a years-long renovation, and the Peninsula, where I stayed, has just been given palace designation. And whats more inspiring than this view of the Eiffel Tower surrounded by purple blooms?

Recreate my trip: Even if youre not sleeping in the 16th arrondissement, its worth going out of your way to hit Le Patisserie Cyril Lignac, where I ate the best sandwiches I think Ive ever tasted; theyre made with top-notch charcuterie and fresh-from-the-oven baguettes. Take them to the Jardins du Trocadro to get the view shown above, and then pay a visit to the grande dame of cheesemaking, Marie Anne Cantin, for a follow-up picnic in the 7th.

First view of the San Juans.

A photo posted by Nikki Ekstein (@nikkiekstein) on Jul 18, 2016 at 3:26pm PDT

The San Juan Islands, Washington

This little chain of islands off Washingtons northwest coast had something of a mythical appeal to me. Everyone I knew who had been there was taken by their beauty and bounty, but the islands seemed like places that simply had to speak for themselves. You just have to go, people would constantly say. So I did. As the ferry crawled from the port town of Anacortes to tinier-than-tiny Lopez Island, the land masses grew increasingly verdant and became draped in swooping clouds, as if we were sailing into a dream. Ultimately we landed somewhere straight out of the 1960s: a place where you can get burgers in red plastic baskets and ice cream from old-timey windows before hiking to a private beach cove with your free-loving Ph.D. neighbors.

Recreate my trip: Sorry, dear readers, this ones all mine. Sure, you can bypass Lopez for Lummi Island, where the acclaimed Willows Inn awaits. But Id highly advise bypassing the traditional hotel. Instead, befriend someone with relatives in the San Juans ideally ones with access to kayaks, which you can use to visit sea lions and fish for Dungeness crab. Then round up a group you love and go, en masse, for a back-to-basics getaway youll never forget.

BONUS: This German chef knife is made out of wood

This article originally published at Bloomberg here

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from 5 places that stole my heart in 2016