#took a bus to the capital. missed my stop. had to take a within the city bus

[cemeterym]

today's lesson is teach your kids to use public transport so they do not end up like me bc holy shit

[lethal-k]

Mi Corazón (JHS)

Hey all! Amanda here! I think I’m in love with this couple. I usually try not to define my character’s race, ethnicity, or nationality, but I really wanted to base this imagine loosely on my family’s old block parties. Plus, the lack of Hispanic representation within American literature is crazy, but it’s getting better as each day goes by! I just wanted to contribute to that! If you’re interested in me making imagines based on other cultures or anything, feel free to request it, just know that it may not be as rooted as this one, simply because this is my own heritage and I will have to do a lot of research on other cultures before diving in. Anyway, I also wanted an excuse to write an imagine where one of the members has to dance to Latin music because Latin music is so romantic. Hobi just seemed to fit the theme I was going for. Anyway, if you like this imagine please heart it, reblog it, and follow me! I love y’all, stay safe, and borahae <3

Genre: established relationship! au, fluff

Pairing: Hoseok x reader

Word Count: 4.3K

Warnings: swearing, google-translated Spanish, pining and simping, mentions of cartels and gangs, small mentions of immigration, literally one of the most endearing couples I have ever written.

Summary: Y/n takes Hobi to meet her family at one of their famous Miami block parties. 

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  “What if they don’t accept me..” Hobi mutters while you guys search for a parking spot on the street.

  You glance at him, “What do you mean? What is there to not like about you?” You flash him a smile before returning your attention to the street, “This is ridiculous, I’m literally their child, I should get VIP parking for God’s sake.” you mutter while shaking your head. 

  Hoseok chuckles at you, “There’s one,” He points out a spot and you quickly start parking in between the two cars. He sort of deflates in his passenger seat while looking at the street lined with cars and the house that bustled with life. “What if they don’t accept me because I’m Korean? What if they think I’m not good enough for you because I can’t speak Spanish or dance well like you? What if they think my career is too much and that I won’t be able to take care of you?” He expresses his worries out loud. 

  You put the car in park before turning to face him in the seat. Leaning towards him, you grab his chin in your hand and squish his cheeks together. “Don’t worry, mi amor. My family moved into the U.S. from Mexico so they know what it feels like to not fully know a language while surrounded by English-speakers. They won’t judge you.”

  “Bu-” he tried to cut in.

  “Shh,” you shush him and put your finger on his lips, “I taught you different latin dance styles last week and you caught on super quickly. You’re making an effort to learn my language and they already know I can damn well take care of my own self but if they mention anything negative about your career then I will step in and tell them off. Okay? Stop worrying, they will love you.” He sighed and nodded, looking a little nervous. “Good, now let us go.” You give him a quick peck before getting out of the car. 

  Your parents had moved into the U.S. from the dangerous city of Culiacán, Sinaloa in Mexico in 1992. Six years before you were born. They had moved due to the dangers of the infamous Sinaloa cartel. They decided, instead, to settle down in Miami, Florida. Where they had you, your little brother, and your baby brother and sister. The youngest two are twins. You are their oldest child, now at age 22. Your little brother, Pedro, is now 19 and the twins, Miguel and Rosalína, are both 15. All of you grew up in the house that you and your boyfriend of 11 months are walking up to now. 

  Two years ago, you had moved to Seoul, Korea in hopes of reaching your dream to become a fashion designer. You chose South Korea because, well c’mon, Korean fashion is to die for. It also was not as cliche as New York, California, or Paris. A year and some months into living in Seoul, you met Hobi. Of course you knew who he was, but you treated him as any individual, which he took a liking to. Fast forward another month or two and you two started dating and now you are here, walking on your childhood street, up to your childhood home, about to meet your family and childhood friends. Yeah, you could say today was pretty special. 

  You two were walking up when all of a sudden a young woman who seemed to be the same age popped up in front of you both. “Y/n!!” She squealed.

Your smile grew wide and you pulled the girl into a bone-crushing hug, “Ay, Carlita! Cómo has estado?” 

  “Bien, bien.” She smiled back before glancing at your boyfriend, “Who is this?”

  You looked next to you and saw Hobi standing there, hands behind his back, and a shy smile on his face. You held out your hand towards him and he quickly took it, “Carlita, this is my boyfriend, Hoseok. Hobi, this is my childhood best friend, Carlita.”

  She smiled warmly before holding out her hand which he shook, “Hello there! It’s nice to finally meet the mysterious boyfriend.”

  Hobi chuckled and nodded at her, “It’s nice to meet you too.” His accent came out a bit and you smiled at his shy behavior.

  “Would you happen to know where everyone else is?” You asked, sort of wanting to get introductions done and over with so you can party with your boyfriend and family. 

  She shrugged, “I know that Pedro is playing video games with the boys in his room, I have no idea where everyone else is at.” 

  You sighed and shook your head while smirking, “That boy and his video games.”

  Carlita giggled at you before walking off, “Well welcome back home and it was nice to meet you, Hoseok! Maybe we can catch up more later but right now I have to stop Tío Edgardo from skateboarding. Old man claims that he is trying to regain his youth.” she rolls her eyes.

  You laughed at her and nodded. 

  “She seems nice.” Hobi commented in Korean.

  You smiled at him before grabbing his hand, “C’mon, let's go meet my little brother.”

  The two of you walked throughout your home before coming to a door in the hallway. You open it without knocking and low and behold, there is Pedro and a couple of friends playing Mario Kart. From the looks of it, your brother is losing terribly.

  “Pedroo.” You sing out his name in hopes of getting his attention.

  “What is it?” He asks, not looking up from the screen. You scoff at his reaction.

  “What? No, ‘hello sister’, ‘how are you sister’, ‘who is that man with you sister’” You tease.

  He shrugs, “Dude. Mario Kart. Priorities.”

  Your jaw drops and Hobi starts laughing hysterically. “This is what I get after saving your ass from mom and dad for years. The complete and utter disrespect.” You say, mocking offense with your hand on your heart.

  He smirks at your comment but his eyes remain glued to the screen, “Yeah yeah whatever. I’ll talk to you later outside, close the door on your way out.” 

  You shake your head, “I’ll hold you to that!” You yell as you close the door. 

  Hobi looks at you with a raised eyebrow and the same smirk that Pedro wore, “Have you two always been like that?”

  You nodded and giggled, “Yeah, pretty much.” He shook his head at you and wrapped his arms around your waist, walking behind you back into the main area of the house. 

  The two of you passed a couple of neighbors, all of them who greeted both of you with open arms and hands full of alcohol. You lead him through the kitchen, not glancing at your surroundings. You are about to walk to the backyard before you hear a familiar voice.

  “Ah, mi hija, si sales por esa puerta sin saludar, no dudaré en conseguir mi chancleta.” (Ah, my daughter, if you walk out that door without saying hello, I won’t hesitate to get my flip flop.) You freeze at the sound of your mother’s voice and turn around to find her staring at you with a pointed look. You smile sheepishly and shrug your shoulders before waving at her.

  “Hi, mama.” The look she was giving you faded off her face and transformed into a smile. You walked over to her and gave her a hug. She pulled you in, wrapping her arms around you tighter. You sighed in content, realizing how much you missed her and your home. The picture of her in the kitchen, glaring at you, and threatening you with her flip flop put you on a nostalgia trip. Although you wouldn’t trade your life right now for the world - a beautiful penthouse apartment with your boyfriend in the middle of South Korea’s capital - you did find yourself missing the smell of huevos con carne and chorizo that drifted throughout your home. You found yourself missing the melodic voice of Romeo Santos on Sunday mornings that indicated it was time to wake up and start cleaning. You found yourself missing the company of your siblings and the embrace of your parents. But as said before, you are currently living a wonderful life in Seoul, with your career progressing fast and the man of your dreams right beside you. 

  “I’ve missed you, you barely call anymore.” She scolds you while simultaneously pulling you into her even more.

  You nuzzle your face into her shoulder, “I’ve missed you too, mama. I promise to try calling more often.”

  You pulled away to smile at her, only to find her checking out your boyfriend from head to toe. “Ay, hija. ¿Quién es ese buen pedazo de culo que trajiste?” (Who is that fine piece of ass you brought with you?)

  Your eyes widened and you lightly smacked her arm, “Mama!” 

  She giggled and looked at you, “What?” she complained.

  You sighed and shook your head. You glanced over to Hobi to find him smiling warmly at you and your mom, despite not knowing what you two are saying.

  “Mama, this is Hoseok. My boyfriend.” You said, putting emphasis on the word boyfriend.

  He awkwardly smiled at her and waved, “Hello ma’am.” 

She smiled warmly at him while walking over, pulling him into a hug. You laughed at Hobi’s shocked face and little ‘oof’ at the strength of her pull.

  “Call me mama, ma’am makes me feel old.” Hobi smiled at her acceptance and hugged her back, looking to you for reassurance. You give him a quick thumbs up before she let him go and turned to you. “While the two of you are here, mind helping me carry out these dishes to the table outside?”

  You scoffed, “I’ve been here for a matter of 10 minutes and you are already putting me to work like I’m 12 again.”

  She smiled and shook her head, “It’s cause you always act like you’re 12, hija, now get let's make use of your boyfriend and his muscles and carry these enchiladas to the table.”

  You laughed at her antics before translating to Hobi what his task was and putting the tray of food in his hands. You grabbed a plate of tortas and she grabbed the empanadas before you started heading out. 

  “Thank you, hija, Hobi. I will see you both later, I have to go yell at Pedro for hiding away in his room.” She walks off, shaking your head and you smile at her retreating figure.

  “Your whole family seems nice so far.” He said, taking you into his arms and holding you. You giggled and pulled back slightly.

  “They’ll be your family soon too, hopefully.” You whispered, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

  He smiled and nodded, “And I cannot wait for the day that they do.” 

  You blushed at his confession before your eye catches two heads of hair that were identical by the pool. You smiled at Hobi and took his hand in yours, leading him towards the edge of the pool.

  “Rosa! Miguel!” You exclaim and stand behind them. Rosalína looks up at you from behind her glasses and smiles.

  “Hey sis!” You hug her from behind and she holds your arm. You pull away and look at Miguel expectantly, only to find that his eyes are somewhere else. You follow his gaze to a very familiar girl and smirk. 

  Rosa smacks him on the back of the head and he flinches, glaring at her. She nods her head towards you and Hobi and he looks at you two before smiling sheepishly. “Oh hey, Y/n..” You kept smirking at him and his face flushed red under your gaze. 

  “Still being a simp, I see.” You tease. He looks away, face turning 10 shades redder.

  “Shut up.” He trailed off.

  Hobi tapped your waist, pulling your attention to him. He tilted his head in confusion. “What joke am I missing?” He asked.

  Rosa snorted. She turned her head towards Hobi, catching his attention. “You see that girl over there, with the blonde hair?” She said and pointed. He nodded slowly, following the direction and looking at the girl. “Her name is Lucy. Miguel here has been pining after her for like- 5 years. Since we were 10! Can you believe that? I say he should just grow some balls and tell her that he likes her.” 

  You laughed at her choice of words while Hobi smirked. Miguel shoved her side in embarrassment. 

  “I’m not pining,” he glared at her before glancing at you, “Nor am I simping.” He trailed off while looking at Lucy before glancing at Hobi, “She is just super pretty and totally out of my league.”

  You smirked and looked at him, “Nah man, you’re totally simping.”

  “Literally, shut up, Y/n.” He said, crossing his arms and pouting.

  Hoseok smirked and laughed, “No, you should totally do it, kid. You only live once and the worst is that she’ll say no. But if she says yes…” He trailed off, leaving the rest to Miguel’s imagination. 

  Rosa high-fived Hobi, “Thank you! I’ve only been saying that for years! I’m Rosalína by the way, but you can call me Rosa. This idiot over here is Miguel.” She introduced herself.

  Hoseok smiled at her, “I’m Hobi, Y/n’s boyfriend.”

  “You’re in that one band, right? BTS?” she asked, tilting her head.

  He nodded, “Yep, that’s me.”

  “Nice,” She nodded, “I like your song Dope.”

  He smiled, “Thank you.”

  You watched the interaction with a big smile on your face. It seemed that your boyfriend was becoming more comfortable. And that couldn’t make you any happier. 

  You shook your head at your thoughts before looking towards your sister, “Hey Rosa, where is dad, anyway? I want to introduce him to Hobi.”

  She rolled her eyes, “Where do you think?” She snorted and nodded her head towards the make-shift dance floor. A few people moved out of the way to reveal your father, Modelo in hand, dancing merengue to Suavemente. 

  Your eyes widened and you let out a laugh of embarrassment, “Oh. My. God.”

  She shook her head before looking towards Hobi who wore amusement on his face. “That would be our father. He’s been like that for the past hour, I think that’s his 6th beer.”

  You giggled at the ridiculous man that you called your father before grabbing Hobi’s wrist. “C’mon, let me introduce you to the ol’ man.” 

  Hobi’s face lost all color and looked uneasy. Rosa laughed as you two walked off, waving bye. You could tell your boyfriend was nervous, after all this was your dad. Your father. Keeper of your heart. The man who raised you. If he didn’t approve of Hobi then it would be devastating to the both of you. 

  “Wait-” he stopped you from going on, “What if he doesn’t like me? What if I’m not good enough for his daughter? Hold on, does my shirt look okay? What about my hair?” He panicked.

  You decided to shut him up with a kiss straight on the lips. He froze for a second before relaxing into it and wrapping his arms around your waist. You giggled at him, “He will love you, Hobi. You look perfect.”

  He nodded, still a little dazed from the kiss. You left him on the side of the dance floor and dodged dancing neighbors until you met your father in the middle.

  “Suavemente! BESAME!” He shouted as you tapped his shoulder. You giggled as he turned around and looked at you in pure glee. “Mi princesa! How are you, mi corázon? Dance with me!” He exclaimed and grabbed your hands, pulling you into the dance with him.

  You laughed and threw your head back. “I’m good, papa! I want to introduce you to someone!” 

  He nodded at you and grinned wolfishly, “Then lead the way, Princess.” He followed you off the dance floor and to Hobi.

  “Papa, this is my boyfriend, Hoseok.” Hobi visibly gulped.

  “Hello, sir.” He said, putting on a charming smile and holding out his hand. 

  Your father’s eyes narrowed, looking Hobi up and down, a poker face on. “Boyfriend, huh?”

  Hoseok faltered for a second, “Yes, sir…” He said, using his other hand to scratch the back of his neck out of nerves.

  Your dad suddenly smiled and took his hand, pulling him into a hug, “Well welcome to the family then! It’s nice to meet you!” 

  Hobi visibly relaxed into the hug, smiling at you with a big grin. All you could do is smile back, happy that he made a good impression on your dad. 

  Your father pulled back and squinted at Hobi, “You hurt my daughter and I’ll kill you.” He said, gruffly. 

  Hobi’s eyes widened, “N-never, sir.” He stuttered.

  Your dad broke out into another smile again, “Good!” He clapped him on the back, “Here, let’s go have some drinks!” He led you two to the bar before leaving to go dance some more. 

  It was later that night, after more less-stressful introductions, multiple plates of food, and a few drinks that you and Hobi were sitting together at a table, watching the party and enjoying each other’s company. You were staring at your parents, who were in the middle of the dance floor. Corazón sin cara was playing as your parents swayed to the music, your father’s arms wrapped around your mother’s waist and her head leaning against his chest. You smiled softly at them with a look of fondness in your eyes. 

  “They seem to really love each other.” Hobi said, looking from you to your parents.

  “They always have,” You said softly, laying your head on your arms and looking at them, “They’ve been through a lot together, a lot of trials and tribulations. When I was a little girl, I thought they were the purest definition and example of true love. They’ve always had each other, and I used to yearn for that as a teenager.” You explain.

  Hobi smiles and puts his arm around you, “Well, my love, now you can think of us when you think of love. I want to give you everything, the world, and I want to have your back just like your dad has your mom’s.” He says, pushing your hair behind your ear.

  You turn to him and smile, pulling him into a slow and passionate kiss.

  “I love you so much.” You mumble against his lips.

  He smiles against you, “I love you too, jagi.” 

  It’s when Obsesíon by Aventura comes on the speaker that you pull away with a gasp and wide eyes.

  “What is it?” Hobi frowns, confused by your sudden behavior.

  You giggle, “This is my song!” You get up and find Carlita before pulling her to the dance floor. Hobi smiles at you, and how your eyes shined with excitement. He watches you from afar, noting how natural you look among the people you grew up around. Although he may not know anyone and sticks out like a sore thumb, you are the complete opposite, blending in as if you had never moved away to begin with. He thinks that you have never looked so beautiful, than you do right now, at ease and having fun with your friends and family. He remembers how excited you were for him to meet all of them, going as far as to teach him some Spanish and give him some Latin dance lessons. You were so excited for this trip, and now that you both are here, Hobi doesn’t ever want to leave. Because you look so happy here, and all he wants is your happiness. 

  “You love her.” Hobi looked to his right to find your father, sitting down next to him with two beers in his hand. He said it more as a statement than a question.

  Hobi glanced back at you, “Yes, sir. I do, very much.” He sighed out, watching the way your eyes lit up and your smile grew as you sang along with the song. He watched how you moved with ease to the melody with your best friend and he could only admire you and think of how lucky he is, to call you his.

  “I could tell, you’re looking at her as if she’s your world right now.” Your dad smiled gently at Hoseok.

  Hobi blushed a little and looked down before looking back up at him. “She is my world, sir. She’s helped me through a lot, and she supports my career and always is there if I need her. I only hope that I’m the same for her.” 

  Your dad gently laid his hand on Hobi’s shoulder, smiling at him. “You are. The look that’s on her face right now,” He nodded at you on the dance floor, laughing with Carlita, “I haven’t seen that look in a very long time. She was going through a lot when she left, and now I can see that she’s happy again. You make her happy, Hoseok. That’s all I could ever ask of you.” 

  Hoseok smiled at him, “Thank you, sir. That means a lot.” He looked back at you, smiling at you when you looked at him and winked. He blew a kiss to you before leaning back in the chair. “I’m not going to lie, I was nervous when she said that I would be meeting you all.”

  Your dad chuckles at that, “Yeah, I could understand that,” he sighs, “I have always been the first man in her heart. I’m used to protecting her, to providing for her, to loving her. But now I’m not the sole man in her heart anymore, you are there too.” He says. Hobi looks at your father to find him staring back at him intensely. He looked him dead in the eye, “I believe you are a good man, Hoseok, and I fully give you my approval and welcome you into our family.”

  Hobi’s face breaks into a wide grin, “I’ll cherish her for the rest of my lifetime, sir.”

  The song changed to something more upbeat, and you were suddenly calling out to him, beckoning him over to dance. 

  “I have no doubt that you will, now go get your girl.” Your father clapped his back as Hobi stood up and made his way over to you. 

  You took his hand in yours and started moving along to Como la Flor.

  “Baby, remember how I taught you cumbia? Well this is an iconic cumbia song!” You smiled. Hoseok squeezed your hand and started moving along with you, getting the movement and rhythm pretty quickly. He laughed at your tipsy state. But that didn’t matter, what mattered is that you were having fun, and that you were happy. And despite the alcohol effects, you still managed to dance like a professional. You giggled when Hobi spun you, and it was the most beautiful sound on this earth to him. The two of you were in your own world, dancing together and laughing with each other. You were so caught up in each other that you almost didn’t notice how the song changed into a slow one. But when you did, Hobi pulled you closer and you nuzzled into his chest as you danced bachata with him. He took extra lessons in this dance style, without you knowing, just because he knew it’s your favorite.

  “I love this song so much.” you mumbled, slurring your words a bit.

  “What is it?” He asks, whispering in your ear.

  “Imitadora by Romeo Santos aka king of bachata.” You mumbled back.

  He smiled at your cuteness, leaning down to peck your forehead. You two kept moving to the music, and he spun you around. “What is it about?” he asked when he pulled you back in.

  “It’s about how his lover changed and turned cold, no longer giving him the same love that she once did.” You stated, smiling up at him.

  He frowned, “Well that’s..romantically depressing.” He said.

  You snorted, “Romantically depressing?” 

  “Yeah,” He smirked down at you, “it’s a romantic song, but it’s also super depressing.”

  You shook your head at his ridiculousness and pulled him into a kiss.

  “At least the melody is pretty.” You said after pulling back.

  He pulled you closer to him, “Indeed it is, jagi. Indeed it is.”

  As cliche as it sounds, the world faded around you two, as you both got lost in the dance and each other. You two held each other as if the world was ending. Your souls intertwined and the two of you vibed together. The moment itself was as intimate as it could be, and it would forever remain one of your favorite memories of you two.

  Later that night, after the party had ended and everyone had either gone home or gone to sleep, the two of you laid in your bed. Surrounded by darkness, you stared at each other, whispering about how well today went and how much fun you had.

  “I think they like me.” He whispers to you, intertwining your fingers with his. 

  “Oh they definitely do,” you giggled.

  “What do you mean?” he raised his eyebrow.

  “My mom thinks you’re a ‘fine piece of ass’ as she calls it.” You snort.

  Hobi let out a surprise laugh, his cheeks turning the slightest bit of pink. You moved closer to him, cuddling up against his chest.

  “I would have to agree with her though.” You whisper.

  “Oh yeah?” He smiles down at you.

  “Mhmm,” you mumble, falling deeper into your sleep, “You looked so sexy tonight, dancing to Latin music.”

  He smirked down at you, kissing the top of your head and closing his eyes.

  “Yeah?,” he mumbled back, falling deeper into his own sleep, “I might have to do it more often, then.”

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

kiss me in the d-a-r-k .epilogue.

november

masterlist

Warnings: dub con sex (oral, intercourse)

This is dark!(dad)Steve and explicit. 18+ only.

Summary: The reader is back at school but her wild summer can’t be forgotten.

Note: Um, did I do this? Like did I just write this and is it going to be more than one part? I just...okay, well, this is where life is taking me right now so here ya go! I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply!

...

Everything was different and yet the same. No more English Lit, you were a Journalism major working hard towards your lifelong dream of typing for a living. Of capitalizing on the frustration of a blinking cursor as you tried to formulate a hook. After a summer of working weddings and overzealous parties, you were ready to hunker back down in your bookish university life.

Despite your shift in focus, Kylie was still very much a cornerstone of your campus life. You saw each other once a week, if you were lucky, twice. She messaged you almost daily, still grieving Taylor’s enlistment. You studied together and when you were particularly exasperated with her nagging, you let her drag you to one of her extracurricular get-togethers. 

You’d changed too. Still very much the honours student but a little less uptight. And you had a secret. A very big secret. One Kylie could never know. 

She had guessed, at least half of it. It didn’t take her much to catch on that you had finally taken the plunge. You’d finally lost your virginity. You weren’t sure if the sway of your hips had changed or your head was held a little higher, but she had guessed on your first day back in September. 

She’d beamed and bugged you for details. You were cautiously vague upon your recounting. She could never know that it had been with her own dad. You could only imagine her reaction. Never anything less than impulsive and dramatic, you knew the revelation would ensure the end of your friendship. And as one-sided as your relationship could be, it was preferable to being alone on campus.

As your communications class ended, you packed up along with the rest of the lecture hall. You were near the front as always. You folded up the small desk and shoved your books in your bag. You pulled on your harvest orange jacket as you glanced up to the front. Professor Barnes leaned on his desk as he talked with another student.

You hooked your bag over your shoulder and checked your phone as you descended the stairs to the front. Kylie’s message flashed in your vision and you swore. It had totally slipped your mind. Oh well, she could wait a couple minutes.

You neared the desk in the corner where the professor chattered with others and packed up his papers. You waited patiently as you looked up at the blank projection screen. Finally, you stepped up as the conversation ended and smiled up at him. His dark hair was limned with strands of silver, his blue eyes shone as he glanced over at you. You could have swooned, even if he was twenty years older than you. Hell, that hadn’t stopped you before.

“I wanted to sign up for that workshop,” You declared without greeting. Your nerves forced the words from your brain. “I have the form.”

You let your bag fall to your elbow and reached in to fish out the folded paper. You held it out to him and your cheek twitched as your smile threatened to fall.

“Great,” He took the form and placed it on top of the pile of essays. “I’m glad you’ve decided to do it. It will be a great experience, and seeing as you’re making up for lost time, it’ll help with that too.”

“Thanks,” You beamed. “I...I’m excited.”

He smiled and closed the folder over the papers and tucked them away. He rounded the desk as the last of the students filtered out the door. “Me, too. Your work is exceptional and I can only see it getting better.” He walked slowly towards the door beside you as he juggled his bag and pulled on his dark jacket. “Keep it up and you’ll be teaching this class in a few years. Or better, I might just see your name in the New Yorker.”

You giggled but killed it before it could turn pathetic. You preceded him into the hall as he waited for you to go ahead and he closed the door behind him. “Thanks, Professor.”

“I mean it,” He replied. “I made sure they approved your transfer. You had no place wasting away in Lit.” You smiled wider and he peeked over his shoulder and then at his watch. “Well, I’ll see you at the workshop. Monday morning.” He said. “Alas, I have a Friday night of marking to keep me company and no desire to leave it ‘til Saturday.”

“Okay, thank you, Professor,” You retreated as he turned halfway to head in the opposite direction. “Really. I’ll see you Monday.”

“Have a good night,” He winked and turned to stride down the hall as you mumbled your response. 

You watched him go and grasped the handle of your bag tightly. Shit. Okay. Stop. He was your professor. You shouldn’t make your questionable decisions a habit. Had you not learned last summer?

-

When you got to Kylie’s, you had to buzz twice. The dormitory door stuck and you barely managed to wrench it open before the lock clicked back in place. Your hands and face felt raw from the autumn wind as you climbed the stairs and the stuffy building smothered you. You knocked on her door; three other girls shared her flat and you could hear voices from within.

Marlo opened the door as she giggled to the girls in the kitchen to the right of her. She waved you in. You were there enough that they knew you by now. Shae stood in the doorway to the kitchen and they looked at each other knowingly.

“Hey,” Marlo finally stifled her scandalous trill. “Kylie’s just in her room…” She looked once more to Shae, “She’s got a visitor.”

Shae snickered. “Oh yes, her dad’s been lecturing her for twenty minutes... though I’d listen to any lecture he had for me.”

“Oh, yes, daddy,” Marlo returned. “Makes all these fratboys look like children.”

“Her dad?” Your face and heart fell. You peered down the hall to her door. It was open and you heard his voice. It was definitely him. “Maybe I should come back.”

“Nah, it’s fine, she’s tryna get him out ASAP as it is. She has a date with that Tristan guy.” Marlo mused.

“I thought his name was Troy.” Shae intoned.

“Whatever,” Marlo shrugged and nodded down the hall. “Go on and save her.”

The hallways seemed to get longer as you looked down the blue and grey carpet. The girls retreated back to the kitchen, the clink of glass jolted you. You slowly stepped forward and as you got closer you heard both Kylie and Steve. Steady, pleasant. They must’ve worked through whatever issue Steve had tucked in his back pocket.

You gulped and stepped up to the half-open door and knocked on it. They looked over in unison. For a moment the resemblance was stunning but faded away in an instant. Steve’s lips formed a crooked smirk and Kylie greeted you with her usual snarky brow.

“About time,” She crossed her arms.

“Class.” You returned sharply and reached into your bag. “Mind the state of it but here you go.”

You handed her your worn copy of Wuthering Heights and she took it with indifference and tossed it on her bed. 

“Hey,” Steve greeted, a hand on his hip as he flagrantly looked you up and down. “How’s it going?”

“Fine. Studying, you know.” You answered shortly as Kylie swiped up her phone.

“Dad, oh my god, are you staying here all night?” She whined as she looked up.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get out of your hair, just figured I’d check in while I was in the area,” Steve shook his head. “She thinks I don’t know but she’s got a boy coming over.”

“Dad!” Kylie fumed and lowered her phone.

“I’ll just be on my way too.” You assured her. “Midterms coming up.”

“Need a ride?” Steve offered swiftly. You glanced at Kylie but she didn’t seem to notice her father’s deft reply.

“I have a bus pass,” You said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Ah, let me drive you,” He insisted. “I miss the city.”

“Fine,” You accepted and Kylie was already back in her dms. 

“Okay, you guys, be safe,” She sat on the edge of her bed, “Love ya, dad.”

You lifted your brows and silently cursed her oblivion. You dared to look at Steve and he smiled triumphantly. In Kylie’s mind you’d already left so you turned and swept out the door. Easier to argue with him outside. He followed and you caught a glimpse of Marlo and Shae peeking out the kitchen as you opened the door. They gushed at the sight of Steve as he disappeared into the hall with you.

“I really don’t need a ride.” You sighed. “I appreciate the offer though.”

“Oh, come on, why are you being so cold? I know it’s been a while but...well...I missed you.” He descended the stairs behind you. “Didn’t expect to see you but I’m visiting and I can’t help but check up on Kylie.”

“I…” You turned down the next flight and huffed. “I just wanna forget about whatever it was that happened in the summer, okay? Kylie’s my friend and if she found out--”

“If she was gonna find out, she would’ve by now,” He caught your arm as you made to turn again and he pushed you up against the wall. “She won’t know. It’s fine. It was all very...natural. Didn’t it feel right?”

You looked away. Your face burned as you thought about that last night. The things you’d done with him. The sheer pleasure of his touch. The epiphany of the savage physicality. Those scene’s you had replayed in your head, and not just with him, though it had only been a reality with him.

“Steve--”

“Is there a boy? Hmm? It doesn’t bother me. You should explore your sexuality.” He cradled your face and ran his thumb over your chin. “Use what I taught you.”

“Stop.” You caught his hand. “We can’t--”

He smirked again. “So there hasn’t been anyone else.”

“No,” You answered the statement. He knew. He always read you so well. “Okay.”

He considered you for a moment. “But you’ve thought about it? About others?”

You lowered your head in defeat. He didn’t need your confirmation; he knew that too.

“So...you wanna come see my suite? It’s a nice hotel...balcony, hot tub, great view...better with you.” His breath was hot as he leaned in and you finally looked up at him.

“Goddamn it.” You cursed him just before he pressed his lips to yours.

-

The guilt wasn't enough to change your mind once your surrender was given. Why should you feel bad anyway? Kylie always ditched you for guys and she'd never know. And so it couldn't hurt her.

Steve's hand kept you distracted from your second thoughts. He gripped your thigh as he drove as he steered with one hand. You were the same nervous girl, this time barely more than a virgin. One night hadn't been enough to dissolve your natural timidity. One night could never be enough.

You stared at his fingers and your heart stuttered. You thought of all the ways he had touched you; the ways he had yet to touch you. Shit, what were you doing? Had you not promised yourself it was a one time thing? Was Kylie not your friend? Steve not her father?

The world blurred with your doubts and soon you followed Steve through the front doors of upscale hotel. Surely the man in his pressed suit didn't belong with the bookish student. Someone was bound to notice you. But this was New York and people didn't care about others or their scandals; not without a touch of fame.

"Wait, why are you in the city anyway?" You asked as the elevator doors shut.

"I got a friend down here. I had some business down this way and he asked me to hang around for a few days so we could catch up." He slipped his arm around you. "And of course I thought of you. The chance we might run into each other again."

"Oh," You said dumbly. You stepped off the elevator and he led you to a door at the end of the hall. "I...I don't know if I can do this."

"Fair enough but tell me something." He stopped and drew his arm away from your shoulders. "Did I hurt you last time? Did you not enjoy it? What is so wrong about us?"

You turned to him and searched his face. You shrugged, speechless.

"It's just sex. Whatever the circumstances, we're not doing anything wrong. We're two adults, we're attracted to each other. That's all it needs to be." He took out his room key and flicked the card with his finger. "So, you coming in?"

You looked at the door and swallowed. If you said no, you'd have to find your way home from there. You doubted he intended to drive you anywhere if you refused. Regardless, you couldn't deny the longing deep inside. These doubts were a poor mask for your real desires.

He unlocked his door and again waited for you to enter first. His suite was bigger than the boxy apartment you’d leased off-campus. He closed the door behind him as he followed you inside. You kept your distance and crossed to the large windows that overlooked the blinking and blaring city. You stared down at the distant streets as he moved around behind you.

“You gonna stay a while?” He teased and you turned to look at him as he removed his jacket and then his finely tailored blazer. You slowly unbuttoned your peacoat as he knelt to open the minifridge. “You wanna drink? Maybe it’ll help you relax.”

“I am relaxed,” The squeak in your voice was wholly unconvincing. He smiled and pulled out a small bottle of wine. 

“Sure,” He crossed to the small kitchenette and pulled out two wineglasses. He emptied the bottle into both. “So, you got into journalism after all?”

He took both glasses and neared you. He handed you one as he sipped from the other.

“Yeah. It’s...better,” You smelled the dry wine before you tasted it. “Not so repetitive.”

“Mmm,” He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed the empty space beside him. You sat tentatively and nursed your wine. “That’s good.”

His hand crawled over to your thigh and he drained the last of his wine. You stared at yours as he squeezed and you downed it as quickly as you could to still the nerves whirring in your stomach. You almost choked as you did and he removed his hand to take your empty glass. He stood and placed them on the small table on the other end of the room.

“So...anything in particular you wanted to try?” He smirked as he turned back to you. 

You shook your head shyly as the wine gathered warmly in your cheeks. He chuckled as he resumed his place next to you. He cradled your face as he turned to you and leaned in. 

“You’re so sweet.” He kissed you and you let him. He pulled away for a moment and rubbed the tip of his nose against yours. “I haven’t stopped thinking of you. I can’t stop…”

“Steve,” You warned and he pecked your lips again.

“I’m not being sentimental,” He breathed, “I think about you when I’m alone. Horny. I imagine you’re there with me...do you think of me?”

You lowered your lashes tellingly. He chuckled and kissed you again. His tongue pushed past your lips as he devoured you and his hand explored the curves of breast and stomach. You forgot about your reluctance. Forgot about the guilt. About Kylie and what she would think. He was right, she’d never know.

He finally pulled away, his blue eyes dilated and hungry. “I want you naked.” He rasped. “Then I want you to undress me.” His hand hovered just along your waist. “Can you do that, sweetie?”

You pulled your wool sweater over your head as you stood. The wine swirled your vision. A single glass and you were tipsy already. You should’ve eaten before class. You turned to him as you untangled yourself from the wool and revealed the slouchy tee hidden beneath. He smiled up at you and took the sweater. He rubbed it between his thumbs before tossing it away.

You knelt awkwardly as you untied your boots and set them aside. How very unsexy it was as you balled your socks up together. He kicked off his shoes too and you focused on your task. You tore your tee off as you turned back to him and his eyes never left you; they clung to your hands as you worked at the layers. Admired the plain grey bra that cupped your tits despite its fraying straps.

You pulled down your jeans and he hummed in delight. The front of his pants twitched and he leaned back on his hands as he watched. As you stood, your tits threatened to spill out. You unhooked your bra and dropped it behind you and tucked your thumbs under your panties, drawing forth the last of your courage.

“Sweetie, I just don’t know how you don’t have the boys lined up,” He purred. “Look at you.”

You couldn’t help your smile. You rolled your panties down and kicked them away. As you stood up straight, he rose and stepped closer. His fingers grazed the bare skin along your hip. 

“My turn,” He intoned.

You reached up, almost without thinking, and your fingers clumsily worked at his buttons. You pulled the hem free of his pants and when it was entirely loose you pushed it down his broad shoulders. He let you as he watched silently. You looked up at him and realized you were chewing your lip anxiously. You stopped yourself and he admired your lips.

“Keep going,” He urged.

You freed him of the expensive shirt and let it crumple on the floor. You unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his fly swiftly, yoyouru fingers working more deftly as the tickle stirred between your legs. You pushed his pants down his thick legs. Twice your age and in better shape, you marvelled. 

He stepped out of the trousers and your hand absently grazed his bulge. You gasped and he shivered at your touch. You peeked up at him as you grasped the elastic of his briefs. He grinned and nodded. You bit your lip again and he reached up to drag his thumb along it. You tugged his briefs down and slowly lowered your eyes as you uncovered his cock. 

You backed away and took in the whole of him. What were you doing?

He sat down on the bed again and his cock bobbed against his stomach. He beckoned you closer with two fingers and he fell onto his back. “Get up here,” He tapped his chest.

“What?” You crawled up beside him.

“Here,” He repeated. “I’ve been dying to taste you again.”

You blanched. You were unsure. Last time, he had been in control. You’d been on your back and his face was buried between your thighs. You just had to lay there; let your instincts take over. You shakily climbed up the mattress and looked over at him as he licked his lips.

He helped you as you carefully positioned yourself over him, your knees on either side of his head. It was awkward for you. His eyes clung to your pussy and he pulled you down impatiently. His tongue delved along your folds and you squeaked in surprise. 

He flicked along your clit and back down as he drank you in. You relaxed as he lapped at you and his hands snaked around your thighs. He kneaded them and suckled on your clit as the electricity gathered in a pinpoint. You moaned and arched your back as you longed for more. He tended to you more fervently and groaned. 

You spread your fingers over his golden hair and leaned into him. The currents travelled along your back and thighs as your breath hitched. You were soon grinding against his face as you felt your orgasm mounting. You threw your head back and let out a long moan as you came, your entire being shook at the sudden waves of ecstasy. His fingertips pressed into your thighs and he hummed in delight below you.

Your hips twitched one last time and you glanced down at him. You lifted yourself on your knees as you blinked at him numbly. “Are you okay?” You gasped.

“I’m in heaven,” He assured you as he drew circles along the back of your thighs. He slipped a hand down and you looked back as he gripped his cock. “Move back. I can’t wait any longer.”

Your lips parted; breathless, stunned. Your body worked without your consent. Like it wasn’t yours at all but his to play with as he would. You lowered yourself over him and his cock brushed against your wet pussy. He shuddered and wiped his glistening lips as he watched you intently.

You reached beneath you and stroked him. His eyes widened in surprised delight. You angled him towards your entrance. Your muscles tensed hungrily as his tip pressed against you. You sank onto him slowly and held your breath. It wasn’t so painful as the first time. Of course, after your first time, it had been much easier. He had fucked you until it was too easy.

As he bottomed out you let out an airy moan and he echoed you. He reached up to play with your tits, his thumbs circled your nipples as his eyes roved the rest of your body. “Fuck, your still so fucking tight.” He pushed your tits together and moaned again.

You rocked your hips carefully. You relished the feel of him. The fullness. You hadn’t realized how much you’d wanted to feel it again. His hands fell to your hips and he guided you. Steady, slow. He watched your pussy move along his cock and his eyes darkened with unadulturated lust. You pressed your palms to his chest and sped up just a little. Your clit rubbed deliciously against him.

“Oh, sweetie,” He purred. “I fucking missed this.”

He took your hands and pulled them over his shoulders as he sat up. You hooked your arms around him as he grabbed your ass and led your motion. You bounced in his lap, the friction between your sweaty bodies seared your flesh. You panted as he guided you faster and faster. He plunged into you over and over and your walls clung to him.

A pathetic stream of moans and groans escaped you as you felt the bloom again. You hugged him tighter and he bowed his head to nibble at your tits. You quaked as you came harder than before. He pulled his head away and grabbed the back of your head as he pressed his lips to yours again.

He parted and whispered against your skin. “I’m gonna cum, sweetie. Can I cum on your tits?”

You nodded and he tapped your ass. You climbed off of him and knelt before him as his breaths were interspersed with heady groans. 

“Help me, sweetie.” 

He took your hand and wrapped your fingers around his cock. He led your first stroke than let go. He watched as your hand glided up and down his length and he clutched the blankets beneath him as he grunted. His cum shot across your chest and neck and his body trembled in his rapture.

You pulled away your hand, slick with his cum, and sat back on your heels as you hung your head. The afterglow didn’t last long as you stared at your glistening palm. You were so weak; so selfish.

“Sweetie,” Steve reached down and lifted your chin with two fingers. “Don’t do that to yourself. You’re beautiful, you deserve to be admired.” He grabbed your elbow and helped you stand. “Come here.” 

He pulled you close and fell back with you across the bed. He embraced you as his cum cooled between your chests. Your heart beat furiously against him and you closed your eyes. He sighed and ran his fingers along your hair.

“I’m here ‘til next Friday,” He said. “Lots of time to get caught up.”

[jiminisjamin]

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Female Reader

Rating: Angst (with fluff sprinkled in)

Warnings: Major angst, fluff, suggestive content/language, language, mentions of alcohol, major character death, mild-violence.

Summary: All her life y/n has watched her friends find their soulmates; it always seemed to happen by chance, something indescribable telling them they needed to go to the store right now- a gut feeling that led them to the person they were meant to share the rest of their life with- and y/n had never met her perfect half. She was starting to lose hope when she was walking through the halls of her new college, only to be drawn to a haunting, dark, and lonely melody.

AU: Soulmate (I don’t know if this is an AU that’s out there already but I thought of it so to explain it briefly; every decision you make is leading you towards meeting your soulmate, every decision you make, everything you say, leads you to eventually cross paths with your soulmate. When you meet your soulmate, your heartbeats link together, as your lives are inherently tied together in general. [I guess you could kind of think of it like the red thread of fate]).

A/N: So yes the poem in the very beginning is Sonnet 116, and like I kept all the original grammar and capitalization and everything but I took away the line breaks (I’m sorry at the time I’m making this its way too late for me to think for proper names).

Word Count: 2,469

Song: Maybe We’re Meant To Be Alone (Bad Suns)

 “Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove.”

A door swings open, the creak thundering through the silent halls. The man keeps his head down, ducking it slightly and shrinking in on himself, pulling his hoodie tighter around himself, a low moan falling past his lips as he clutches at his side. His hand quickly become soaked, sticky with his own blood as he stumbles, falling against the wall leading down the thin hall that seems to stretch for miles in front of him. He opens his mouth to shout, but before he can, the same door swings open, and he stumbles forward, not bothering to look behind him as multiple footsteps echo behind him. They’re not rushed- but calm and uniform, slowly shadowing his own erratic steps as his voice gets lost in his throat, unsure of where he to turn next. Without much thought, his feet carry him down a path he’d gone so many times he could do it in his sleep. His hand grabs the handle, staining it red as he pulls down and pushes the door with his shoulder, collapsing into the room. He just barely catches himself with his hands, kneeling in the middle of the room, gasping hoarsely as he falls to his side, his eyelids slowly lowering as he hears the door open slowly. His gaze raises to the door, briefly noting the figures standing at the door, watching him as his chest rises and falls with each jagged breath, his hand shaking slightly, lips parting slightly to let out a low gurgle. The sound is disturbingly human and inhuman all at once, the vague shape of a word forming beneath the blood that trickles out the side of his mouth, staining his teeth, his lips and face, dripping onto the rough, unforgiving tile underneath him. His eyes turn from them, wandering mindlessly as he continues to murmur incoherently.

And then it stops. His hand, his pleas, his pained gaze glazing over as his last action turns them towards the center of the room before stilling, his mouth parting slightly wider as the last breath trembles past his lips. With that, their rapid footsteps can be heard as they quickly exit the building, their presence barely missed by the guard that strolls down the hall, shining the light down to the slightly ajar door, sighing as he curses to himself, mumbling about kids never closing up behind them, he moves forward, reaching out and grabbing the handle only to shudder and pull his hand away, the flashlight dropping to the ground as he stares down at the red stain that coats his palm. He shouts out, the words echoing down the halls when he looks up, his gaze falling on the slumped figure laying in the middle of the room. As he movies forward, he leans next to the boy, his hand landing on his shoulder as he shakes him gently, growing more rapid as he doesn’t respond. He shouts out again, finally gaining the attention of his coworker who runs down towards the rolling flashlight, pushing the door all the way open as she looks down, her jaw dropping. She picks up her phone, dialing the police as a string of curses falls past her lips.

“O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.”

Police and paramedics file in, their eyes immediately landing on his body as they quickly get to work, pushing the security off to the side as an officer moves forward to begin interrogating them.

“Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come;”

The paramedics make quick work of getting his body into the ambulance, rushing him to the hospital as police stay, closing off the entire hall as they began searching for any signs of evidence.

“Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom.”

They scour every inch of the building by the end of the month, but are unable to find anything leading to who murdered him- not even finding anything leading to a potential motive. Although, they missed the most important clue- off in the far corner of the room, he was overlooked: crouched in the shadows, shrunken in on himself, he kept his head down, eyes closed as he willed the sight in front of him to go away, unable to continue to watch them scramble, he stayed there, waiting.

 “If this be error and upon me prov'd, I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.” Y/n looks up at her friends, watching their expressions carefully to gauge their reactions. Namjoon nods, his eyes widening slightly as he hums.

“So, why are you reading this to us?” Y/n pauses, biting her lip as she stares down at her phone.

“I like it,” she murmurs, smiling up at them. “You know, Joon, I think I’m gonna meet him this year.” She nods to herself, smiling slightly.

“Shakespeare?” Namjoon groans, slapping his boyfriend’s arm.

“Not the time for jokes, Jin.” Seokjin looks at y/n and grimaces.

“Sorry, y/n.” She waves her hand dismissively, staring out the window as the bus slows.

“It’s fine. I just…I have a good feeling about this college, you know? Out of all the ones I could’ve gone to…this feels right. You know?” Namjoon’s expression shifts to an awkward smile.

“Y/n…not to be negative, but isn’t this the only college that accepted you?” Her gaze snaps to meet Namjoon’s as the bus comes to a stop, and she laughs, nodding.

“Yeah, it is. If that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is.” She stands up, slinging her bag over her shoulder and dashing to the doors. “Come on guys, don’t want to be late.” Seokjin frowns, watching as she gets off the bus and practically dashes into the building.

“Were you this excited for your first year of college?” He asks Namjoon, reluctantly gathering his things and joining his boyfriend in the aisle as they walk in line with the rest of the passengers needing to get off. Namjoon shakes his head, glancing over his shoulder.

“She’s not excited for school, I don’t think. I think it’s more of the people, you know?” Seokjin nods, smiling slightly.

“Still hasn’t found hers?” He shakes his head, slinging his duffel over his shoulder. “Poor kid. Almost everyone has their soulmate by now.” Namjoon nods, shrugging slightly as he stretches, stepping onto the concrete below them.

“I’m sure she’ll meet them.” He looks down at the ground, his eyebrows furrowing as he looks back to the building. Seokjin reaches into the compartment under the bus, unloading his suitcase, looking around for Namjoon’s as well. “Hey, Jin,” He takes his bag from him and they move forward.

“Yeah?” Seokjin asks, shifting closer to Namjoon and grabbing his hand as he looks away, ignoring Namjoon as he smiles at him. Before Namjoon can continue, they both stop, watching y/n sprint out of the building, her eyes slightly wide as her bag drops from her hands, panting as she crouches in front of them for a moment.

“Did,” she wheezes, placing her hand on her chest and frowning as she takes a second for some deep breathes before continuing. “Did either of you grab my suitcase?” Namjoon frowns.

“Did you not get it?” Her jaw drops open as she watches the bus pulling away and she raises her hand to point.

“H-hey,” she starts waving, pushing past the pair as she resumes running. “Hey! Wait! You have my suitcase!” They turn, dumbfounded as they watch her chasing the bus down, waving her arm in the air frantically.

“Well…” Seokjin looks over at Namjoon. “I mean, I’m sure she’ll catch up, right? And we don’t want to be late to our lecture…right?” Namjoon frowns, watching as the bus’ lights come on a few blocks away, and he shrugs.

“It looks like it’s stopping anyways. We’ll catch up with her later at her dorm. Most of Y/n’s classes are at night, anyways.” Seokjin grimaces.

“She took nighttime classes?” Namjoon nods. “Why would she do that?” Seokjin glances behind his shoulder as they turn, heading towards the campus building.

“I don’t know. Something about how her sleep schedule would fit better to them anyways?” Namjoon shrugs, waving his hand. “I’ll text her once we’re done with classes.”

Y/n doesn’t notice as the two walk off, her sights set on the bus. She catches up and the doors slide open and she climbs on, taking a moment to catch her breath in-between explaining, “I’m sorry. I left my suitcase- could I just?” The bus driver shrugs and she moves forward quickly, avoiding the eyes of annoyed passengers as she grabs her bag from her no longer empty seat. She ducks her head and turns quickly, sprinting off the bus and clutching her suitcase to her chest, holding onto her bag tightly. She moves forward quickly, her mouth dropping open when she notices Namjoon and Seokjin had left her. Y/n shakes her head and pushes forward, shoving the door open and stumbling through the doors. She curses, setting her suitcase down and pulling the handle up.

Y/n curses, looking around to try and find someone nearby to ask for directions to dorm-housing. She chews her bottom lip, pulling her phone out and glancing down at it, typing her password in and sending a quick text to Namjoon.

Y/n: Hey, do you know where dorm housing is?

She puts her phone back in her pocket, sighing as she moves forward slowly. Her gaze scans the seemingly impossibly empty building and she groans, moving towards the first hallway that she sees. She pauses for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing as she leans forward, glancing down a dimly lit corridor. She huffs, letting go of her suitcase and pulling her phone out, glancing down at it and opening up her messages with Namjoon. “Ugh. He hasn’t even read it yet.” She frowns, putting her phone away and grabbing her suitcase.

Before Y/n can turn around and look for someone to help her, she hears a soft, dark tune echoing down the halls. Her heart leaps into her throat, and she moves forward quickly down the corridor, the old, fluorescent light flickering above her as she does. “Hello?” She calls out, moving more cautiously now as the lighting is dimmer and the sound of the piano grows louder. “Hello? Is anyone there? I’m a little lost…um…it’s my first day here?” She bites her lip, noticing a slightly ajar door near the end of the hallway. She takes a deep breath and steps forward. “Hello?” The song comes to a sudden stop and the door creaks slightly as it slowly begins to close. Y/n scoffs, pushing forward and swinging the door open. Her gaze falls on a rather pale figure sitting at the piano, hunched over the keys in a suit far too large for him, deep red tie slung over his shoulders.

Y/n clears her throat. “Sorry to uh…interrupt. I just…I’m kind of lost and I was wondering if you could help me?” The man sits up straighter and her turns to look at her.

His lips are parted slightly, dark eyes staring up at Y/n. “U-uh…I’m…I’m sorry?” Y/n smiles, moving forward and holding her hand out.

“I’m Y/n.” He takes her hand and shakes it.

“Hi, I’m Min Yoongi.” Y/n nods, sitting down on the bench next to him.

“So…that song was really pretty. Are you a student here? You don’t look old enough to be a professor.” Yoongi shifts, a small sigh falling past his lips.

“I…uh…I’m a student.” He murmurs. “I’m…a music major.” Y/n’s smile widens and she glances at Yoongi briefly.

“So, what are you doing here?” Y/n chuckles, “I mean, an empty room with only a piano?” Yoongi shrugs, looking away as he scratches the back of his neck.

“I…I spend most of my time here.” Yoongi murmurs, placing his hands back on the piano. “I couldn’t tell you why,��� he laughs lightly, his eyebrows furrowing as he turns back to Y/n. “So, um…Y/n, right?” She nods. Yoongi’s eyes wander past her face and to the door, his eyes glazing over briefly. “You said you’re lost?” She hums in response and Yoongi’s lips press together and he looks back at her. “Where are you trying to go?”

“I’m looking for the dorms,” she replies, smiling slightly as his gaze darts away from her quickly.

“It’s on campus housing,” he replies, “so it’s actually just outside this hallway. When you first enter the building…” Yoongi pauses for a moment, almost as if catching his breath, “you just go up the staircase and then to the right?” Yoongi shakes slightly and offers a soft smile. “It’s…unconventional.” He frowns. “But, yeah. This is the main building, actually. It’s mainly studying facilities and such.” He clears his throat, turning his attention to the piano. “That’s why…this. This is a music room, really. But you can’t…you know, lug a piano around. So, there’s a piano here. Most other instruments the students just carry down here.” Y/n hums.

“You must have that piece remembered, then?” He nods slowly.

“Most of my music is memorized,” he shifts in his seat and clears his throat. “I don’t really have much access to music anymore.” Y/n’s expression twists in confusion and she puts her hands on the keys.

“How is that?” She murmurs, “I thought you were a music major?” She chuckles, pressing down on a key. “Don’t you need…music for that?” Yoongi looks off in the distance, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Yeah.” His voice is so quiet Y/n can barely hear his response. “Anyways, I really should get back to practicing…uh, if that’s okay?”

“Oh- oh, yeah. Sorry. Thanks for the help, Yoongi.” She stands up, clearing her throat and moving over towards the door. “I’ll see you later, yeah?” Yoongi shifts to sit in the middle of the bench, not answering her as he begins playing the song again, his shoulders hunching as he shrinks in on himself. Y/n pauses by the door briefly, something tugging at her heart. She shakes her head and scoffs, shutting the door behind her.

As she walks away, the song becomes more distant. Y/n can stop the small smile that spreads across her face as she pulls her phone out. She types her password in quickly and opens the notification.

Namjoon: I’m sorry Y/n, I was in class. Meet me by the doors and I’ll show you where the dorms are.

[greeneggsandhann]

Hey guys. I’m Hannah. I am an Alcoholic and an Addict. Both Alcoholic and Addict are capitalized because I look at my addiction and alcoholism as an asset to my life rather than an expense. Here is my journey:

I know exactly where and when my disease started. It was 2010 and I was 16 years old. Some junior girls invited me to a sleepover with them. My friend and I have never drank before, so we thought this was going to be the perfect occasion, somewhere we were safe and somewhere we couldn’t get caught,...and if we did get caught by our parents, we wouldn’t actually get into any trouble other than a lecture or a very intense hangover. So, we all sat in a circle with two water bottles one filled with strawberry vodka and one filled with orange vodka. They taught and demonstrated how to take a “shot.” Step 1) Put a little bit of koolaid in your mouth Step 2) Drink the vodka Step 3) Chug the rest of the koolaid After I took that drink I remember my lips went numb along with my teeth. I thought this was crazy and I loved every feeling of it. We each had about 3 shots and within the hour we all were laughing and had a pretty good buzz going on. Things kept coming in and out for me. One minute I would be upstairs and the next I was downstairs trying to take more shots with my friend Jo. I finished the bottles and passed out in my own throw up. The next day when I woke up I was filled with shame and guilt because this poor girl had to clean up after me all night. I was mortified and embarrassed I couldn’t hang like the rest of them. Also, I felt like shit. Of course, I never would have known at that point in time that my brain functions differently than other peoples brain. In my 16 year old head I never thought I could be an alcoholic just by that one time.

I moved away from home for my first time and tried out college. I made up this huge bullshit story to my doctor about how I needed adderall to help me focus better in school. That was all I had to say and BOOM wish granted. The world in my hands. I could do so much more and actually enjoy anything I was doing while on it. About a month after I had gotten that script I dropped out of school and found a passion in the food service industry. Where I moved up fast. I Became a bartender and then moved up to management by the time I was 21. I was working long hours, close-open shifts. My tolerance with adderall built up. And I needed more and more to make it through the day. Eventually, my script lasted less than a week and that is when I started spending hundreds of dollars on adderall a month. When I didn’t have the money and couldn’t take it, I became a completely different person. I was irritable and lazy, always tired and pretty much careless. I remember thinking out loud one day to a friend about how much money I am spending on it and how I felt like I didn’t have any passion or care about anything when I was on it. But I didn’t think that was a stopping point I just wanted it to go back to how it used to be where I could take one per day and go to sleep at night without having to feel wired.

About a year of being an assistant manager, I was often tardy for my shifts. My best friend in the whole world fired me. It was something I needed. I needed to get out of the industry and move back home with my mom and save up some money. So that is what I tried to do. I stopped calling my doctor for the adderall because I knew it was killing me. That was when I started picking up pints of vodka. One day I had missed work because I got too fucked up during the day and passed out. I woke up to my mom screaming at me. So I got in my car and was on my way to my aunts. On the way I was hit by a huge SUV. I was still drunk and didn’t have my seat belt on and passed out in the car for a few minutes. When I woke up there were so many lights, firetrucks, an ambulance. My head was gushing blood. At my window there was the couple who were in the other car. I started screaming and crying and they were the sweetest couple ever. They hugged me and asked if they could pray with me. So we prayed. I was off in the ambulance next and asked them to take me to Mercy Health hospital because there must be some God there waiting for me. That happened to be the nurse who clearly knew what had happened but refused to do any blood work on me that could check my BAC. She was an angel and stitched up my head with no judgement whatsoever.

My next brilliant idea was to move to Detroit with my cousin, Jewell. Find a new scenery away from everything kinda like a fresh start for me. I was doing pretty good there. I didn’t have very much money to drink and no adderall. I found a good job at the airport. Then started bartending again and suddenly had good meeting so I started drinking more and more. Started buying pints every night to just chill and have a little fun and something to look forward to. Never really thought it was a big deal, but I never told my cousin about it either because she would be all weird and try to tell me I shouldn’t be drinking so much and watching my every move. So it was my little secret. Work was going well. Longer shifts were getting more difficult to me and I couldn’t understand why. I started getting really dizzy and felt like I was going to faint. My hands would shake and I was sweat profusely. I thought I had vertigo or something like that. Not once did I blame it on the alcohol.

The year went by and I moved out. My car broke down. Back at home with my mom and my brother. Drinking a lot. Having mental breakdowns often. Haunting dreams. That brought me to Pine Rest where I was an impatient for mental illness and drug abuse. I went into this facility thinking “its unrealistic I am never going to have a drink again.” That kind of attitude. When I left there I felt so good for the first time in a while.

About a month later I got wasted while working. I was taking xanax and sneaking shots while I was working. I got sent home. Probably fired. I drove and smashed my brand new 2015 honda civic into a parked car. Tried to start my car and get away. But my car was too smart and notified the police. I blew .31 and was still functional (kinda) So i went to Jail, and I tried every kind of way to get out. That includes faking a seizure and scratching so hard my wrists would bleed. Obviously, that didn’t work. I was too embarrassed and did not want to face my guilt and shame to call someone, so I didn’t. ohhhhh but they found me. and brought the whole litter to pick me up. (aunts cousins niece brother mom) I was offered to go to rehab that day and I told them that jail was rehab enough,

One month after that incident I was on my way back from Detroit I was feeling really sad and depressed and I had a lot of thoughts about suicide in my head. I was drinking the whole way back and made the selfish decision to speed up and hit a semi going 85 mph on the freeway. I didnt know what the plan was in that moment, I didn’t know if I actually wanted to die or just wanted a scare. It was so selfish and I cannot believe I would ever put other people at risk. I am so ashamed to this day. The cop asked me if I wanted to go to the hospital or get breathalyzed. I choose the hospital. my BAC was 5X over the legal limit. and when my aunt and my mom showed up I cried and told them I was ready to go to rehab and I needed help. The next day I was checked into Brighton rehab center for two weeks.

Rehab was amazing. It is not a bad place to be. Its a safe and comfortable place to share your emotions and to withdraw without any judgement. I made life long friends and learned so much about recovery there.

Right after that trip I continued going to my SMART Recovery meetings and had just moved into a sober living house. I was doing really well I had gotten a job, learned how the bus system works. I learned so damn much in that month of being there. But another Relapse happened. It was a 4 day relapse. This time I was DONE.

I made my second trip to Brighton rehab center for two weeks. I knew this was not enough, After that, I admitted myself into the Sanford house for 44 days of rehab. I was doing well and I was nervous about leaving because I would actually have to start connecting with people at meetings etc. I really wanted to give AA a try so i started attending meetings. I found a sponsor right away who is truly amazing. She has taught me so much and guided me through the steps. I started going to YPAA meetings and connecting with young people in recovery. I have made so many life long friends through all of this. I had finally found a hope that I never thought could exist. I know that this is still early recovery and some people might say it’s my “pink cloud” but I have seen so much God in my life right now. Finally, I feel free and I feel actual Joy and contentment.

Being an Alcoholic and an Addict is an asset to my life. Because without this disease I would not be the strong and hopeful woman I am today, It is so amazing to be able to say I am Proud of me.

Long post. Thanks for reading. If you or anyone you know are struggling with addiction and need some support or an ear. PLEASE do not hesitate to contact in my messages on here.

Thanks again for reading. KEEP COMING BACK IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT AND IT SUCKS IF YOU DONT

ONE DAY AT A TIME

[seoulfulcity]

July 27, 2018: Take Me to North Korea

안녕하세요,

Before I left Los Angeles, my mom and the International Studies advisor both reminded me to not do anything stupid and visit North Korea.

With that said, this is a blog on when I visited the North-South Korean border.

I have been planning to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) ever since I chose South Korea as the country I wanted to study in. North Korea had been the hot topic of discussion recently because of Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's heated exchange of words via Twitter and the recent Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea when the two Koreas marched under one flag.

On April 27, the Inter-Korean Summit happened where both Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae In crossed the border - Kim Jong Un stepped into South Korea and Moon Jae In stepped into North Korea.

On June 12 was the first US-North Korea Summit in Singapore when Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un finally met and talked about denuclearization of North Korea.

So, yes. North Korea had been under the spotlight throughout the year, and when's the best time to visit the border than being in South Korea?

I chose to visit the DMZ on July 27, the 65th anniversary of when both Koreas signed the Korean Armistice Agreement in Panmunjom to cease armed forces, putting an unofficial end to the Korean war.

I was supposed to go with Florence, Wendelyn, and Esther, but everybody woke up late. Florence woke up a good half hour before the start of our trip under Seoul City Tour; Wendelyn and Esther did not wake up at all, despite of our never-ending attempts of messaging and calling them.

I waited outside Itaewon Station Exit 1, the exit that both Wendelyn and Florence both told me to write. The van picked me up and waited for five minutes until Florence arrived. We drove for about ten minutes before transferring to a bigger tour bus at 8:30 AM.

We drove by the Imjin River where the tour guide showed us why the edges of the streets were fenced by telling us the story of the Blue House Raid or the January 21 Incident in 1968.

1960s South Korea was just a big mess. The Vietnam War was ongoing where both the US and South Korea were sending troops to support South Vietnam, then-North Korean leader Kim Il Sung was finding ways to reunify the Korean peninsula under his rule, and then-South Korean president Park Chung Hee seized power after the 1961 coup-d'état forcing the democratically-elected Yun Bo Seon out of office, ending the Second Republic's parliamentary system giving rise to a military government under Park Chung Hee.

Now, Kim Il Sung hand-picked 31 soldiers - the best North Korea could offer - with one goal in mind: kill Park Chung Hee. Since the United States was preoccupied sending military troops to support South Vietnam during the war, it was in Kim Il Sung's best interest to take over South Korea at this time and reunify the peninsula under his leadership.

Kim Il Sung said that by killing President Park, it will cause political chaos in South Korea and North Korea would go in to aid and provide support to their "South Korean brethren".

Well, the 31 hand-picked North Korean soldiers, called Unit 124, successfully crossed the North-South Korean border and swam across the Imjik River into Seoul. They were close to getting into the Blue House, but we all know they did not successfully kill Park Chung Hee and reunite the peninsula under Kim Il Sung, right? Please read more about the Blue House Raid because it's very interesting.

We reached the city of Paju, just south of Panmunjom, and parked at Imjingak, a park where the Bridge of Freedom lies. There was an old train on the track which was used by the North Koreans who were repatriating into South Korea during and after the Korean War. The area surrounding the bridge and the train were covered by the South Korean and reunification flags wishing for a united Korea one day, so the separated families can reunite once again. There also stood Mangbaeddan, an altar where Koreans can go and pay their respects and honors to their families who stayed in North Korea after the war.

After Imjingak, we drove to the Third Infiltration Tunnel. It is one of the four known tunnels dug up by North Korea to infiltrate into South Korea for a surprise attack on Seoul. There is said to be up to twenty tunnels running from North Korea to South Korea, though only four have been discovered. The tunnels can accommodate up to 30,000 armed men every hour, and all four discovered tunnels lead up to the capital city of Seoul.

Upon discovery of the third tunnel, North Korea denied the allegations and said it was part of a coal mine even though the tunnels are granite, which is igneous in origin (coals would be found in stones of sedimentary in origin). The tunnel was also found to have been sprayed with black paint to make it look like coal.

We were required to leave our belongings in the lockers and had to go through security to make sure no electronics were brought in. We had to climb down a 350-steep slope to get to the tunnel that crosses the North-South Korean border with helmets on. Upon reaching the third tunnel, the ceilings were wet with water and could only accommodate people who were within five feet tall - compared to South Koreans, North Koreans are noticeably shorter due to malnourishment. We walked until we reached the end to peak at the North Korean end of the tunnel, which was inaccessible to visitors, then we had to climb back up the same 350 meter-steep tunnel.

After the tunnel, went across the park to watch a movie on the Korean War, the Korean Armistice Agreement, the discovery of the four tunnels, and the booming country of South Korea. The topic of reunification to reunite the separated families and for a peaceful peninsula echoed throughout the film.

After the film, Florence and I took pictures with the DMZ sign and a reunification statue that depicted an Earth split in two with the Korean peninsula on both half. Men, women, and children are pushing the halves to make Earth whole once again.

After the visit to the tunnel, we drove up the Dorasan Observatory, which is the closest point of South Korea to North Korea. In the observatory, the visitors could see Kijong-dong, the North Korean Propaganda Village. The village was established in the 1950s, showcasing North Korea as rich and well-established, as an attempt to lure North Korean defectors and South Koreans to go to the North. South Korea built a flagpole on its side of the demarcation line, and North Korea retaliated by building a taller one next to the Propaganda Village.

The Flagpole War started where both countries decided to beat each other for the tallest flagpole, where South Korea finally decided to end it and have North Korea win. For over a decade, the North Korean flagpole was the tallest in the world, until Azerbaijan established a taller flagpole in National Flag Square in 2010.

From Dorasan Observatory, the visitors can also take a glimpse of the Kim Il Sung statue and can also take pictures with South Korean soldiers patrolling the area.

We bumped into Esther, who's touring in a different time schedule with us. Wendelyn was taking the late afternoon tour after waking up later than Esther.

We, then, headed to Dorasan Station, a train station established in 2002 by Korail that would start working once the peninsula is reunited.

Dorasan Station has a line that would lead to Pyeongyang, although the main purpose of the station right now is to instill hope for a future reunification. The station is very reminiscent of Incheon International Airport and Seoul Station, equipped with information desks, waiting area (much similar to Seoul Station), a marquee that showed the train schedule, and an entrance to the train that would make a trip to Pyeongyang.

We bought commemorative train tickets to Pyeongyang before heading out.

After the trip to Dorasan Station, we stopped by a ginseng place where an Indonesian woman talked to us about the benefits of ginseng and lead us to a room that sold different forms of ginseng, which brought terrible flashbacks of my time in Beijing with the fake tour Simi and I ended up with.

We were dropped off at City Hall right after, close to Gyeongbokgung and Namdaemun Market, where Florence and I walked around under the 110-degree weather.

We wanted to wait for Sophie, who was at Namsan Tower, to eat with her at Chanyeol's Viva Polo, but she wasn't able to, so both Florence and I settled for naengmyeon at Yukssam Naengmyeon (육싼 냉면) at Namdaemun, before heading back to Anam around 3 PM.

It was an educational day, although I was sad I did not get to meet with Sophie one last time since my train ride to Busan was later that night. Maybe I will see her next time, maybe when I book a trip to Vienna, Austria? Until then!

고마워요, Chris 「크리스」

P.S. I woke up craving bulgogi and kimchi today. I really miss Seoul. We would still role-play on the Kakao group chat about meeting in front of Frontier for a meal - Matt would ask to borrow my shaving cream, and we would pretend to plan on picking Valentino and Peter up from their rooms.

[samegavi]

Neem Trees

I was only seven years old and it was about 6pm in the evening. I was in bed sick with Malaria and itching all over my body. This was in the first of the many houses my parents rented in Accra. We lived in the suburb called Labadi, in a semi-planned area sandwiched between the more planned South Labadi Estates and Labone Estates: two of the first modern settlements designed to accommodate government officials and civil servants during the early years of the postcolonial period. Adjacent to Labadi is Osu which is now famous for it's Oxford Street: the most cosmopolitan street in Accra where you'll find the nicest bars, shops and people from all over the world. Osu, however, is also home to more prominent spaces such as the Independence Square, the first Sports Stadium to be built in the country, and several of the early high rise office buildings ( 3 - 6 floors) designed to house the various functionaries of the Government of Ghana. What both Labadi and Osu share in common is the shores of the Atlantic ocean

Mother had already given me Chloroquine for my malaria but she did not know what to do about the itching. Aside the drugs that I knew came from the pharmacy shop there was also other additional treatments formulated by Mother herself. For malaria I was also to sit near the steam of water boiled with leaves cut from the Neem trees in our neighbors' compound. Later I would find that my friends mothers also made the same double treatments for their malaria: neatly packaged capsules bought with cash from the men in white coats in their well lit shops across the streets and treatments prepared in the home from leaves and herbs acquired from whichever neighbor's compound they happen to be growing, for which our mothers paid nothing.

Of the two treatment camps, as a child, I found the pharmacy more fascinating. I'd often ask Mother why she bothered at all with all the labor involved in setting up fire in the charcoal stove to boil leaves she'd have to roam the entire neighborhood for, albeit within walking distance, when I could just swallow a pill alone and still recover. I felt vindicated when the antidote to my itching came from the pharmacy in the form of Piriton tablets. It didn't matter at all to me then when I heard the words 'side effect' in an explanation the Pharmacist was giving Mother as she handed over cash over the counter. Indeed I never bothered with leaves or herbs as soon as I could take care of myself as an adult, until the Corona pandemic hit. With all the uncertainty about a cure and all the fear and frenzy surrounding Covid I missed Mother's unwavering confidence in African traditional medicine, and so I found myself going out in search of Neem trees a few days before lock-down.

I was to discover that Neem trees were now a scarce thing, even in the second biggest city where I now lived. Most of the home garden spaces I grew up with in Accra had given way to more houses as landlords only maximized their capacity for more rent. Neem trees where thus understandably being driven out of the urban environment as Accra was busy earning its reputation as an important port city of the Black Atlantic and a concrete jungle. Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti kingdom before European conquest, therefore much older than Accra, more inland within the forest belt, was still green enough despite the urban expansion, and you'll still find at least an orange and avocado tree in most homes, with lots of rainfall and hence lots of mosquitoes, and yet only a handful of Neem trees. I was even more surprised when locals told me Neem trees were more to be found along the southern coastal belt and was never part of the natural vegetation of the more inland spaces like Kumasi.

I took a trotro to the area where I was told I could find a Neem tree on the compound of a public school. I saw the tree from a distance before I alighted at the bus stop. When I walked onto the school compound however something else got my attention. The school building painted in two shades of brown, as if to echo the brown of the bare earth of the big school compound, brought back lots of nostalgia for my happy basic school days in Accra. I laughed out loud when I saw that the walls of the building was inscribed with the same warning you'll find even today at the basic school I attended close to Osu: DO NOT SPEAK VERNACULAR. Vernacular, which was whatever Ghanaian language we spoke with our parents at home, was mostly Ga in Accra. In Kumasi that was mostly Twi, which over the years has become widely spoken across the country, and even become the lingua franca of Ghanaian popular culture, but doesn't yet compete with English as the official language of the country. Still staring at the warning on the school wall, I could now recall clearly that one other reason I preferred treatments from the pharmacy was that it was a place to impress Mr Johnson, the pharmacist in his white coat, with my English vocabulary and I never missed an opportunity to follow Mother there.

Somehow relieved off my childhood nostalgia, I plucked a few leaves from the Neem tree and returned home in another trotro. Before I began to make the treatment I decided to put my digital literacy to work on resolving the mystery surrounding the near-absence of the Neem tree in the more vegetative parts of the country. If the World Wide Web is to be believed, it appears that Azadirachta Indica, commonly known as Neem tree, was introduced into Africa during the 19th century by East Indian immigrants fundamentally for its medicinal properties. I threw my iPhone on the couch and went into the kitchen to prepare what I'd hitherto considered a wholly African treatment. After enjoying a bath with hot water and Neem tree leaves I reached out to a few contacts to find out what common herbal treatment Kumasi natives use to treat Malaria. The name of another plant was mentioned and I received directions to a home, within walking distance, whose compound I could find the plant to pluck it's leaves, for which I'd pay nothing. This time the World Wide Web was of no help as no one I knew in Kumasi could say the name of the plant in English.

[conceptessayabouttheideaof886]

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[thank-you-for-the-vampire-money]

HAPPILY EVER AFTERMATH (Part 5- The honeymoon phase)

Series Summary: You, Frank, and Mary have been through a lot.  But what happens in the happily ever aftermath?

A/N: Alright, here y’all go!  This one was way longer than the other ones so far, hope you guys don’t mind!

Frank Adler x reader

Word count: 939

Summary: After a spectacular first few days of your trip, you and Frank have some quiet quality time.

Warnings: implied smut, lingerie (no actual smut though)

Didn’t read the last part?

PART 4

Didn’t read the original series?

WYYTMO MASTERLIST

(GIF not mine)

The wedding was fun, absolutely perfect.  Everyone danced, ate, drank, and sang off key to whatever the DJ was playing.  But, as lively and exciting as the wedding was, you knew the honeymoon would be a whole different adventure.

You and Frank had debated for a while as to where you would go on your honeymoon.  You suggested the Bahamas.  Sun, sand, and the waves.  Not to mention the beautiful island and culture within it!  But, Frank suggested New York.  Big Apple, museums, restaurants, central park, historical landmarks, the works.

That all sparked a whole, long conversation about where to go.  At first, you two tried compromising and saying California, but, that was too much like Florida.  Then you contemplated Canada, but, that didn’t seem adventurous enough.  After that, you tried Italy, but it would be way too hot.  Then there was Hawaii, England, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, but nothing seemed to work.  Then, at the very last minute, you thought of the perfect honeymoon destination; Paris.  Scenery, cities, beaches, and history all in one trip!  It was perfect!

As quickly as you could, you booked a hotel, bought plane tickets, and packed your bags, ready to go right after the wedding reception.  Once your dream wedding was over, you got your bags, got in the taxi, then on the plane to Paris!

Once you got to the hotel, you both crashed on the bed and slept through what was left of the day and the whole night.  In the morning, you both woke up to some fresh coffee and a good breakfast, then started planning your week.  You had six full days in Paris and you weren’t going to waste any moment of them!

Day one: exploring Paris’ culture.  But first, shopping!  You both decided to get something for Mary and for Roberta first, so you didn’t forget!  But, day one was mostly spent at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and it was absolutely breathtaking!

Day two: Frank treated you and took you to the Musée Picasso; an art gallery filled with works by Picasso!    And, while you were waiting for the  Métro or the bus, you’d quickly sketch what you saw in your new sketchbook which Frank got it for you as a wedding present.  Yup, Frank sure was a keeper!

You were currently at the end of day three and you had spent the majority of the day at the Arc de Triomphe.  It was very beautiful.  But, as of right now, you were sitting on your hotel room’s bay-window, in nothing but your fancy undies, looking out onto the city.

You looked out into the night and saw the pretty lights of the cars passing, the street lamps lining the road, and the barely-there stars.  And, up ahead, just a little ways away was the famous Tour de Eiffel, or, the Eiffel tower.  It wasn’t right smack outside your window, but you still had a decent view.

You and Frank hadn’t yet visited the Eiffel tower since he insisted on saving it for your last day in Paris.  You were impatient and didn’t like that decision, but, you were just happy to be there with him and you were willing to wait.

“You must be cold wearing only that,” Frank laughed, gesturing to your red lingerie you were wearing as he handed you a mug of coffee.

“Nope, just waiting for you,” you giggled back, taking in his half-naked form with your eyes.  Why did he have to wonder around the flat in just his jeans!?  It was very… frustrating… to say the least.

“Any reason you're sitting in the window, looking out in the sky wearing nothing but Victoria's secret?’ he questioned, waving a gesture to your almost bare body.

“No, not really.  The lingerie just adds to the aesthetic of everything, makes me feel like I’m in a movie,” you replied honestly, cozying up to the glass.

“Okay then…” he hummed, sipping from his mug as he moved to sit down with you in the bay window, “so tell me, how is little miss Paris?”

“Perfect,” you smiled, taking little tastes of your coffee, “good food, good view, good travel experiences.  I’m great.  And this city is positively gorgeous,”

“Not as gorgeous as you,”

“You’re so corny,”

“Yeah, but you love me,”

“Unfortunately,”

After a few quiet minutes of watching the city and hushed conversation, you two had finished your coffee and were now cuddles up on the couch, still looking at the tower through the window.

“I wonder how we’ll feel once we’re back home,” you asked, settling against Frank’s chest, “it’ll be a little weird going from language barriers and romance, to… Florida…”

“Florida ain’t that bad.  I mean, we’ve got Disney world,”

“So does Paris,”

“Touche,”

“Well Done.  I see you’ve been working on your French,” you giggled, pressing a lingering, sensual kiss to his cheek.

“All for my petite mademoiselle,” he chuckled back, shifting to lie down on the couch.  He settled down against the pillows with you lying on top of his chest; a position which sparked a little mischief in you.

You slowly started wriggling against him, causing him to rest both of his hands on your back, making sure you didn’t fall.  Getting a little more intense, you started gently grinding your hips against him.  You could feel Frank tensing up underneath you.  Perfect.  You then let your hands wander, from his hips, up to his chest, back down to his thighs, anywhere you could reach

“Stop that,” he laughed, holding onto you tighter to prevent you from moving, “I know what you’re doing, you’re not fooling anyone,”

You gave a little pout as he stopped you.  “Frank, it’s our honeymoon, we’ve got a stellar view out there, we’re in Paris, the romance capital of the world!” you reasoned, looking up at him with your bright eyes, biting your lip seductively, “please… make love to me like in the movies,”.

Frank gently leaned in to kiss you, running his large, calloused hands down your back to grab your ass.  “I love you so much, (Y/N),” he smiled, kissing down your neck.

“I love you too…. Francis …” you laughed, cracking up at his unamused face, “aww, c’mon, you love me,”

“Unfortunately,” he sighed, kissing you again, holding you closer than he ever had before.

TAGLIST:

@tonyxstanks  @addictionmarvel @loricameback @lumelgy @always-an-evans-addict

[errolcandelaria]

2018

          Another year has passed. That’s another three hundred sixty-five and one fourth days, eight thousand six hundred seventy hours, five hundred twenty-five thousand and six hundred minutes, and thirty-one million plus seconds. That was a lot of numbers. I don’t know about you, but this year has been a ride!! I really went out of my comfort zone, I have met amazing people, made more friends, experienced a few firsts, released a pint of tears and at last, made a decision that I think would change my life forever.

          Let me break it down. January was good. I started the year with cough and colds, alone in my room taking videos of myself and the fireworks that can be clearly seen right on my window pane. This was also the month ~ I think~ when I made up my mind that I really want to pursue medicine. This was the month when I fell in love with all the hospital works. That I had envisioned all the times that I’ve been in a hospital, trying to remember the smell of alcohol drenched cotton balls; the hallways, the rush in the emergency room, everything. I never knew I loved those things until last 2016, when I started watching this surgical TV show that I am now obsessed with.

          February was okay. Like the usual, I hated my birthday. It’s eerie that I feel like there really is something in my birthday that I don’t quite feel like it’s worth celebrating for. I am not worthy of their time, money and efforts. There were also lots of questions that roamed my mind. To whether tell my parents about my plans or not; is medicine really for me; will they support me with my decision; and WILL I SURVIVE IF EVER I GOT INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL. There were days that I am adamant about my decision, that I tell myself ~ Of course I can do it!! And there were also weeks where I get discouraged, and the fear of making bad decisions really gripped my body tight.

          March, hmm. I couldn’t quite remember the events that had happened this month. But I am pretty sure this was the month that I went full on crazy about someone in our college. I really want to know that person’s name, but I had to go incognito because everything will be messed up if that person knew.

          April. CSSP NIGHT!!! LIT LIT LIT LIT!!! This was one of the happiest night of my life. Played bingo for the first time, got to see my crush perform on stage for the first time, AND ACTUALLY KNOWING THY NAME!!! Added on facebook, then got accepted the next day. O diba. I don’t remember that much events in this month. I am pretty sure I was still in the phase of constant dilemma about the decision I made for my future.

          May. The semester is almost over!! But say no more, I still had an internship over the summer.

          June. INTERNSHIP WOOOOH!! Lit lit lit rin. Pero hindi capital letters kasi muntik na ko magkaroon ng mental breakdown. Why? Internship. I never had a hardtime naman looking for a company to train to unlike some of my classmates pero the ~pressure? That’s what held me back talaga. I think? Culture shock siguro is the best term to describe what I felt. Ano ba. I was just a normal student tapos I get to be an intern in a huge BPO company tapos I had to talk to potential employees pa. IN PURE ENGLISH!! Syempre na shookt ako. Tapos I got assigned in a station right next to our boss pa!! Imagine the pressure. But she was really nice. She’s funny, approachable and all. Pero still nu, I couldn’t help but get intimidated by her presence. I lost track din on how many times I got scolded for doing the call outs wrong. I got the feeling that my supervisor has this impulse deep down to strangle me with the cord of the telephone I use. But in all, I still got to finish it. I finished it without even noticing I was almost done. Days passed by like hours. Literal. 10 hours a day ba naman ang oras na nababawas sa 240 hours ko eh. But seriously, I didn’t even notice that I was almost done with it. I met amazing people there, I got to talk with real people looking for jobs, interact with people older and far superior than me, which was my greatest fear!! Talk about getting out of your comfort zone huh.

          July. This was the month when I finished my internship. Actually, it wasn’t easy coming back to your old shit. I missed waking up way early to catch the 6:30 am UV so I would arrive at work at exactly 7:45. Separation anxiety? No. I just miss the ambiance. The faces of the people that I get to interact with daily, the cold work room that would chill you right to your bones, and yung pag kain ko ng Richeese every after lunch. WOOH!

          August. Back to bizz. FIRST SEM. 4TH YEAR. I’M OFFICIALLY A GRADUATING STUDENT!!! What’s with the enthusiasm? Boy doesn’t even know what’s about to come at him. If there’s this saying na life throws you lemons, and you would just make lemonades out of it, oh boy. Life threw me pineapples, sea urchins, a school bus and a nuclear bomb. Which I don’t know how to deal with, cause HOW DO YOU EVEN COOK A SEA URCHIN? August was one of the months of this year that made me cry. Not even because of a heartbreak, nor a typical teenager shortcoming, but because of the terrorizing spirit that lies within the subject that is research I. Starting from the day that our professor had assigned us to do an individual research proposal, all of us knew that it will be the beginning of the tormenting last first semester in our college lives.

          September. Wake me up when September ends. Cause there was no relevant thing that I could remember happened this month. Again, I am pretty sure that I was still rehearsing the words that I would tell my parents about my plans after graduation. Still uncertain on what’s gonna come next.

          October. We were assigned to our respective thesis groups. This was also the month that we submitted the first draft of our real thesis proposal. Mind you, we almost got rejected. Title lang tiningnan nung prof naming bes. This was when the inside joke ‘bibili na naming ng condensed milk si prof para di na sya ma-bother sa proposal naming evaporada’. Beh. This was my busiest month this year. Revisions here and there, almost everyday we were in school since we refused to have another overnight cause we accomplish nothing when we are in an air-conditioned room. The impetus of the warm and cozy bed was really inviting and irresistible. So ayun, we were in the school almost everyday.

          November. Thesis proposal defense!!! Holy shit. We had an overnight to rehearse everything we have to say the day before the defense. I was so nervous, but my group mates were just chilling. Literally. Kasi nga ang lamig sa kwarto. I don’t know but I have this thing that I always overcomplicate things. Things that can be handled by a five-year old child I tend to make it seem like the apocalypse is about to happen. I have always had an anxiety in speaking in front of the class, so imagine my nervousness about this one cause I have to present a proposal in front of three intimidating research gods. And then the day of the defense came, WE PASSED!! I couldn’t forget the awkward shriek I did when the assigned panel to our group delivered the good (?) news to us, in his timid, kinda shy low voice. All the stress, the fear, the anxiety I have that day flew away as he uttered the words “Eheh, uhm. Pumasa kayo…. Pero with major revisions”. Boy I didn’t even hear everything the panel said after those words. Buti na lang our mentor recorded everything, cause if not, mangangapa kami and mamatay sa kakaalala kung ano ano yung mga suggestions na binigay nila.

          December. Ahhh. The final month of the year!! Was there something relevant that happened this month? YES!!! LIT LIT LIT LIT ULIT!! Our section had THE most extreme, wildest, and craziest after-defense slash victory party slash walwal party ever!!! What a wonderful way to welcome the last month of twenty seventeen! I also met a new friend, a twitter friend from our college. Haha. Ooh. I also decided to tell my parents about my plans. Imagine my fear, anxiety, fear of rejection, lahat na pota!! Aaaaand. It didn’t go well. They did not approve. But anyway, I still want to prove myself that I got what it takes to be a good physician, so I have decided that even though I am not certain that I will go to med school right after graduation, I would still review for the NMAT and take it this coming March or April. Diba. Because, sabi nga sa bible, for the Lord has plans for all of us. Plans that will prosper us and not to harm us, plans that will give us hope and future. Honestly those are the words that give me hope. That I could still be something I want to be despite the fear, the people that hold me back, and the discouragement I get from my own environment. I can do it naman diba?

          I think the word that encapsulates the events that took place this year is uncertainty. For me at least. It is what I feared the most. Afraid of what will happen next. Maybe it is the utmost reason why I missed a lot of chances to – prove myself, to show off what I got in my jacket pocket, what I can offer, and to improve the things here I am good at. 

I have had a lot of shortcomings this year. The tears that I let out were way fewer than last year, but the tears from this year came from a deeper source. Maybe because I already decided what I want to do until I die, but the people around tell me otherwise. I felt like my dream was invalidated. Trashed. Thrown away. Just because the dream is a 24-karat gold and I only have a couple of gravel and sand. And it cuts even deeper and the wounds won’t heal in an instant.

I’m a fond believer of that famous saying that’s about crossing a bridge when you arrived there, but what if there are even no roads, or pathways or pavements that will lead you to that bridge? You haven’t even reached the bridge yet, but you have already been stopped because the enforcers told you the roads are closed. I could handle everything life throws at me. I made a ridiculous stewed sea urchin, I put the pineapples on my pizza, I defused the nuclear bomb and used it as a decoration in my room, kasi nga I cross the bridge when I get there. I deal with what’s in front of me. Pero how could you deal with something, if along the way, the people around you have already poked a hole in your tires? That even though they believe in you, unconsciously they are telling you that ~no, you won’t do it cause we won’t allow you. It will just fuel your fear kasi you will never know what’s on the other side. You cannot cross the bridge because you won’t even get there. The fear of uncertainty will eat you alive, chew you and spit you out to where you started. And I don’t want to be that person who grieves, and regrets his life decisions after a couple of years because he patterned it out from what the people around him pressured him to do. I want to dictate my future, but there are just inevitable circumstances that make it hard to do so, and it makes me real sad. I thought this year will be different. I had high hopes with it, but it just let me down. They let me down.

But I will still continue striving. This time, I will have enough courage, and bravery to stand up for the choices I make. I will never let any opportunity slip through my hands like water. I will face this year in my warrior suit, equipped with the disappointments, discouragements, fears, heartbreaks, anxieties, regrets, and problems the past year had thrown at me, that I have successfully overcome.

I can already feel that this year will be tiring, productive, troublesome, hard, insane, bountiful, delightful, pleasing, satisfying, wild, I can list a couple more adjectives but in all, I will sum it up with just a word stressful. But hey, being stressed means that you are actually doing something. I expect a lot of disappointments and heartbreaks to come this year, but deep down, a spark of hope still shines. I have the right to be a pessimist, cause hello, 2017??? But it does not mean I will be for the rest of the year.

I’m on my *crossed fingers* final year in college, so that means I will be graduating this year. That alone is one hell of an event to look forward to. Alongside that, my medical journey will also be put on trial this year 🤣. My fate to becoming a medical doctor will be decided hopefully before I graduate from college. But again in crossed fingers, I really hope that whoever is to decide, I want the decision to be in my favor cause not only it will trace my future, it will also reveal how tough, matured, brave and steadfast I have become. These are just two of what I think be the highlights of this year. Here’s to a handful more of new experiences!! Cheers. 🥂

May 2018 be my year.

Seriously. Cause 2018 is Year of the Dog, and I’m a big big huge enormous fan of dogs. so can this year be my year?

[isakvqltersen]

Isak was playing with his hands, He was hoping to keep them warm this way, but he was pretty sure it didn’t work. He checked his phone for the fourth time. 16:24. That damn bus was supposed to be here almost ten minutes ago. Isak began hopping with his legs. He probably should have considered wearing a warmer jacket with those freezing temperatures. He felt his toes turning into icecubes.  FInally, the bus turned up on the end of the road. He got up from the icecold bench by the bus stop and waited for it to stop in front of him. Isak wrenched through the small way in between passengers until he spotted Jonas sitting in a double seat. “Hey,” Jonas greeted him. “It’s so cold. I think my blood froze.” Isak sat down and immediately started rubbing his hands together. “I’m pretty sure that’s not possible,” Jonas replied with a raised eyebrow. “Um, yes, it is.” Isak acted surprised of Jonas’ lack of knowledge. “You can ask Sana. She is absolutely going to confirm this.” Jonas tried to keep himself from bursting into laughter. “I mean, she’s not studying medicine for no reason.” Isak rubbed his nose. Jonas nodded. “Sure, she’s studying one of the hardest university subjects just to back up your nonsense.” Isak opened his mouth, still searching for the right words. He was wildly gesturing with his still frozen hands. WIth a pouty face, Isak shut his mouth again. “So there will be a party on friday. Some guy from 5th semester is hosting. Open invitation. I thought we could go.” Jonas looked at Isak with a hopeful expression on his face. Isak thought for a second. “Friday?” Jonas nodded. “I’m having an exam on monday, though. But I’m sure I can still study on Saturday, if I’m not too hungover.” “So you’re in?” Jonas asked. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Isak grinned. “Great. Where should we have pregame?”

***

Isak and Jonas arrived a little late to the party. Thus, it was already pretty full in the dorm floor and the first victims to alcohol were puking or could barely walk anymore. Jonas directly entered a dorm room from which 90s hip hop music was playing. Apparently, Jonas knew some girls there and was soon involved in a heated discussion about his psychology class and their alcoholic teacher. Isak assumed that sooner or later, this discussion would end in one of Jonas’ famous speechs about capitalism as he always picked up political topics when he was drunk enough.  Isak decided to head towards the “bar” that consisted of a table that was covered in all kinds of alcohol. He picked a beer and was searching for a bottle opener. Why wouldn’t they just offer beer in cans? The table was a mess. “Searching for this?” A unknown voice interrupted his search. Isak flinched as he wasn’t expecting to be interrupted in his thoughts and looked up. A blonde boy who was way taller than him looked down at him. He was holding a bottle opener towards him. Isak didn’t respond for a moment and the boy smiled and moved his hand further to him in an offering gesture.  “Yeah.” A bit awkwardly, he took it. “Thanks.” The blonde boy was still smiling. “I am seriously wondering why they won’t offer beer in cans.” “That’s exactly what I thought,” Isak muffed to himself. The boy laughed. Then he held up his beer in a greeting gesture and headed back to the crowd.  Isak was still stood by the table, looking after him.

***

Later that night, Isak was sat next to Jonas who, of course, was elaborating about something political. Isak had mentally left the conversation about 15 minutes ago and was just staring at random people. He felt a bit empty, but full at the same time. He blamed the two beers and shot he had had. His eyes were wandering around the room. He didn’t know most people that this party. He recongized a few people from his classes whose name he didn’t know. Isak almost missed his high school times when he went out more often with his friends. Of course, he was still talking to Magnus and Mahdi. And Sana and Eva, of course. Sometimes, he would also check in with the other girls. But since all of them had gone off to different schools and jobs and even countries, as Eva was spending the year off in Australia, he didn’t see them as often anymore. Isak’s eyes got caught on the blonde giant who had handed him the beer opener. He was chatting to two girls, one of which was his girlfriend, he assumed. Why was it that he always thought the straight guys were cute? Weird.  “Isak?” Jonas’ voice brought Isak back to reality. He turned around. “Hm?” “Leonie wants to know if you’re joining truth or drink.”  “What’s that about?” Isak had never been one for drinking games. A dark skinned girl with pretty curls emerged in front of him. “It’s totally easy. It’s like truth or dare - but if you don’t want to answer with the truth, you take a shot. You in?”  Isak grimaced.  “Come on, it’ll be fun!” The girl, who he assumed was Leonie, tried to persuade him. “Look, all these people are already in.” She pointed at about 6 people, who were already sat around a couch table. Isak noticed that the blonde beer guy was one of them. “Fine, I’ll join,” he said a bit reluctantly.  “Great!” Leonie grabbed his hand and dragged him to the others. They sat down on the floor. Isak was feeling a bit uncomfortable. Blondie was sat opposite to him. “Isak, let me introduce you to: Laila, Thomas, Nico, Even, Sara and Nina.” Leonie pointed at the other people. Isak was about 100% sure he’d forget those names within seconds. But at least, he now knew that blondie’s name was Even.  “Who will start?”, the girl next to Leonie asked. Isak had already forgotten her name.  “Let’s make Even start. He has a thing for dramatic openings,” the guy next to Even joked. “Just because I enjoy dramatic movies,” Even muttered to himself. “Fine, I’ll start.” He smiled to the others. “I have a good question!”, one of the other girls proclaimed. Even looked at her in an expecting way. His lips did that thing where they looked a bit pouty, but still very pretty and full,  “Okay, Even,” the girl said with a challenging tone in her voice. “Have you ever actually been with a boy?” Isak grimaced. What the hell was this girl asking? “I know it’s a bit private, but as you’re pansexual, I was just wondering,” the girl added, she sounded way more insecure now. Even cleared his throat. “No, it’s alright.” He laughed for a second. “I haven’t, actually.” The other players were awfully quiet after this answer. Leonie broke the moment of silence. “Alright, who’s next? You’re all way to sober for this shit.” “Don’t I get to ask someone now?”, Even asked with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, sure.” Leonie nodded. “Alright.” Even was looking through the people sitting by the couch desk. “Isak is it, right?” Isak was a bit surprised that Even still knew his name. Also, that he picked him. “Yes.” His voice creaked a bit. Even gave him this challenging look and quickly raised his eyebrows. He obviously had a thing for eyebrow raises. “Isak: do you think beer openers should be a required thing to bring for parties?” Isak looked at him confused until he finally said “No”.  The others did not really seem to get that question’s point.  “Where’s the actual question, Naesheim?”, one of the boys asked while longing for a wine bottle. “That’s the question.” Even looked so satisfied. What was he on about? 

After a while of playing, Isak felt pretty drunk. He had consumed another three shots and he felt his head spinning. He had found out that Even was, in fact, not dating anyone and that he had an one night stand once, but he kind of regretted it. What an interesting person, Isak though sarcastically. Two of the girls had kind of fallen asleep because they were so drunk and one of Even’s friends and Leonie had already left. They decided to end the game.  Isak was headed outside the dorm building to grasp some fresh air. While stumbling outside, he passed a room that was full of smoke, probably from weed, two couples that were making out intensely and someone puking into a trash can. When he finally reached outside, he sat down onto the stairs. Isak had forgotten how cold it was. Damn it, he had left his jacket inside. He was freezing, but at least, the air helped clear his mind a bit. “There you are.” Even’s voice came up behind him. Isak flinched, again, and he turned his head around. “There.” Even handed him his jacket. “Your friend gave it to me.” “Who?” Isak took the jacket from Even’s hands and put it on slowly. “Your friend? Or aren’t you friends? Um, that guy with the beanie. Who was just lecturing someone on slave trade in the United States.” Even sat down next to him. “Oh. Yeah. He becomes like that when he’s intoxicated.” Isak rubbed his nose. Silence. Isak started hopping with his legs again. “Nice party, right?”, Even asked. Isak nodded. “I liked the music.” Even turned his head towards him and smiled. “Me too. For once, Nico chose the right music.” “Did you know that when F*ck the Police was first released, a radio station in Australia played that song for six months until they were asked to stop? Apparently, it was offensive,” Isak said. He wasn’t really thinking anymore. “No, I didn’t actually.” Even laughed a stuffed laugh. “A lot of things are offensive, aren’t they? Like, disliking High School Musical. Or saying anything wrong about social minorities. Because it is really hard to always say the correct thing. And religion is complicated. My friend Sana is a muslim. She’s great. She is studying medicine. That’s always been her dream, I guess. She’s really great. At first, I thought she was going to be upset that I’m gay. Like, I know what the qu’ran says and stuff. But she took it really well. She’s so great. I -” Isak was pointlessly rambling. The alcohol had taken over his body. “Sana sounds amazing,” Even said with a soft voice. “Wait - why aren’t you drunk?”, Isak asked all of a sudden. “I can bear the truth,” Even said with a smirk.  “You should drink more. Like, coffee or something.” Isak was staring off into the distance. “If you’re gonna take me to a coffee shop, I will,” Even answered. “I will. Tomorrow. If I’m still alive by then.”  “I might take you up on that,” Even laughed.

[2wheelrubbertramp]

Poco A Poco

   I’ve reached a personal milestone : this will be my first blog entirely written on the keyboard of my “smart phone”. So grab your seats, and hold on kids : 2 Wheel Rubber Tramp is back !     This newest installment comes to you from the back roads and crowded  highways of Colombia and Ecuador, where I’ll be cycling for two months.  Now, before we start I would like to make an Honorable Mention to the great people and nation of Cuba, where I did a 1,000 mile, one month bike tour of in 2016, but neglected it horribly on this blog.  My apologies.  The nation and people are amazing and their friendliness, generosity, and strength in dealing with continuing to exist after 60  years of crippling sanctions and low-level war from the US is hearthwarming.     Now,onto South Amerika.   This entry of my rubber tramping adventures begins in Bogota, Colombia - the capital city - 8 million people living 8,000 feet up on top of the Andes Cordillera Oriental  range. Bogota is a city constantly on the move : in the street and on the sidewalks. If you want to move, then you must follow the maze of humans winding through each other.  Before I began my ride, I’d wanted to spend a few days in Bogota. I’d booked a bed at at Chocolate Hostel in the Candaleria neighborhood of the city. A bit of a stereotype, as it’s where many gringos land when they come to the city.  However, it’s also in the center of the city and the oldest and most beautiful part of Bogota.  I immediately did not regret it.     I spent 5 days in Bogota, walking from one end of the city to the other for 8 or 10 hours a day.  My favorite thing to do in large foreign cities is simply to walk, take photos, visit museums, and learn about where I am.  I am a life time student of history , culture and political movements.  These things and the natural beauty of our planet earth are the passions that have driven me to see the world all these years, preferably slowly and  by two wheels.    I visited several museums in Bogota : the Military Museum (Museo Militar), which did an excellent job of not mentioning a single war crime committed by the army during the last 30 years of the Drug War; the Gold Museum (Museo De Oro)- I’m not a fan of gold. I don’t get excited by gold.  It’s a shinny metal to me, that’s it. But the Gold Museum was much more than that.  It tied the history of gold in Colombia to indigenous cultures and ceremonies and the art of hand-making gold pieces,and jewelry by indigenous cultures.  Last was the National Museum (Museo Nacional) , which also had several exhibits on indigenous cultures in Colombia and their contributions to modern Colombia.     One of the things I enjoy doing when I travel is learn as much about the culture I’m in while I’m there so I read as much as possible about them and visit historical landmarks and museums.  Cuba was no different.  I’m a history nerd.  I’m also a nerd about seeing the world through a perspective and lens is not Western or Colonialist,  so I appreciated that these museums showed that perspective.     In my daily walks around Bogota I tried to get a feel for the city.  The aguacate sellers with their speakers on repetitive blast, the hundreds of displaced  homeless wanderers and beggars sleeping on sidewalks and hustling spare change, old Colombian men gathered in circles shouting above the traffic.  The traffic, the endless and ongoing traffic and the the thousands  bicyclists who maneuvered through it.  Bogota has hundreds of miles of bike paths and the most bikers I’d seen outside of a Western country.  And better bikes than any city I’d been to in Asia.     There was the wealthy side of the city in the north that was talked about in the guidebooks, with it’s expensive shopping malls and dance clubs, yet no mention of the millions living in crumbling poverty in  the neglected south side of the city.  Everyone had a hustle - and many hustled on the street - selling jewelry, karaoke, gum. Whatever put food in their mouths.  Always people on the street.      Things I wanted to happen in Bogota before I left , didn’t . I wanted to see some live music but it seemed like all the shows were north, 80 blocks away.   I wanted to stock up on Cumbia vinyl but shipping it home cost half my plane ticket. I know - first world problems in the ‘developing world’.     I left Bogota on a high note : Ciclovia Day - each Sunday when major streets are blocked to traffic and thousands of families come out onto the streets on bikes, roller skates, skateboards and on foot.  I followed the trail on one of the bike paths that led me out of the city, my cargo biked loaded with too much food and too many bike parts.       8,000 feet up I began my decent down the Occidental range of the Andes, through suburbia and factorylandia,  stopped for lunch in the first town outside Bogota - Fakatativa and by nightfall I’d found a forgetful hotel in the town of Alban.     Next morning I woke at 5am ready to get off this mountain.  I knew there’d be another.  And another after that.  Fuck, all of Colombia was mountains where I was and I’d decided a long time ago I hated biking over mountains yet here I was, 8,000 feet and going down.  But every biker knows - what goes down, must come up. So for now, I was just enjoying the beauty and the view on Day 1 of the ride.  From up here you could see across the valley, cut through by the Magdalena River and my future: the long haul up the Andes Cordilleria Central range. 13,000 feet up peaked with volcanos in the Los Nevados National Park coming in at 17,000 feet.  Snow capped and feeding 37 rivers . That’s what I’d be facing in the days to come.     Day 2 was also merciful : coming down out of the Occidentals into the town of Cambao I road another 50 kms (30 miles) of flat, tree-lined road.  I found a spot for the night in Armero at a gas station that doubled as a hotel. On the map, it’s labeled “Armero Tragedy” and later I was to find out why: 20+ years previously one of the volcanos in Los Nevados erupted, killing 20,000 people in Armero.  All that was left now was this gas station at a crossroads and the now ghost town of Armero half a mile away.     From Armero I rode to Mariquita. And from there it started to hurt.  Only my 3rd day of riding, and I was to begin an ascent that took me took me 50 miles uphill into the Andes Cordilleria Central range , cresting at 4,000 meters (13,100ft). I loaded up on some tamales before the climb but it wasn’t much help. The traffic was rough- two lane mountains roads with an unending stream of semis, buses, motorbikes,and diesel fumes. I was already having to walk before the end of the day, I found it so hard to breathe. I hadn’t done a bike trip this hard in 2 years, since Cuba, and so I was still acclimating, and not doing it very well.  By nightfall, I’d gone only ten miles up.     There were no hotels up here so I just posted up in front of someone’s home on the side of the road.  There was no bushwacking to be had : the hills were too steep so I had no woods to go into so I was stuck on the side of the road, exposed to traffic and fumes. The family who’s home I put my tent in front of was nice enough to pro-active give me permission. The man there had been on crutches for 9 years and still didn’t know what was wrong with him ! ugh. And it was a hard night : a pouring rain soaked me inside the tent and a never ending parade of headlights, horns, and air pollution kept me on edge.  Many of the families who live on this road sleep within feet of this every night.  There is no quiet.  I never heard silence for more than 30 seconds while on this stretch.  I can’t imagine what spending your life living next to a freeway does to your psyche.      Day 4 : the view is spectacular.  I can see miles and miles down the length of the  Andes. Forested mountain sides with cloud banks blowing in around me. Shacks made of tar paper and wood hanging on the sides of cliffs, and families with two cows and several chickens.  Colombian rural poverty. For some, this well paved road only brought more noise and danger. Every has a dog and every dog chases you as you pass by.  The air is so thin I can only go 100 meters at a time before I feel like I’m going to have a hear attack and have to rest.        Poco a poco - little by little, I keep telling myself.  The beauty of these mountains makes up for the fact that it takes me an hour to go half a mile. I just can’t do it, but have no choice.  I have to rest every 3 minutes, the air is so thin. Periodically, there’ll be a home that sells cheese and instant coffee and bananas and I’ll stop and catch my breath. Everyone gives me the thumbs up - they know I’m crazy. But all these fools coming from Bogota take the night bus and miss the unending miracles of these mountains so I count my suffering as the trade-off for this rare treat.     That said, when I arrive in the small , regional town of Fresno I hunt around for a bus that will take me and the bike.  I still have 84 kms (50 mi.) to my endpoint: the city of Manizales, and don’t believe my lungs can take it. But all the buses are too small and so I have two options left : ditch the bike and end this bike tour 5 days in or sick it up and keep going - Poco a poco.  I go with poco a poco.     I start each day at 5am. The sun sets at 5pm, so I have a solid 12 hours of daylight to get as far as I can.  On a flat road, I could do 80 miles a day but up here at 10 or 12,000 ft I’m clocking in 25 miles on a good day.  As far as humans go - everyone is generous and helpful and encourage me along the way. No one tries to stop or discourage me.  I’m not the first Crazy Gringo on this mountain top.  I just wish they wouldn’t constantly try to murder me out of neglect with their blocks of metal on wheels. That’s all.  I spend another wet night behind a guard rail.  My books are getting wet, most of my clothes, the tent. It’s a mad house.  I pray for 430am when the sun starts to peak out and I can crawl my cold, wet as out of the tent.      Day 5 and I’m still in paradise.  Cloud banks drift in and out through out the day. Cows,hang by hoofs on the sides of bright green slopes. I can’t stop staring. The fact that this is actually three different mountain ranges - the Occidental, Central and Oriental Andes that stretch for 4,500 miles - the longest mountain range in the world.  It’s as long as NYC to Los Angeles and then LA to Houston. So I’m really just absolutely nothing up here.  I’m completely insignificant and matter not at all.  That’s just how incredible this one tiny part of the planet called Earth we live on is.  Ya know, for some perspective.     And by the end of the 5th day, I’d finally made it to that 13,100 foot point, which meant the entire next day was my sweet , sweet reward of 20 miles of pure, raw freedom. AKA in biker language : All. Down. Hill. 

[bites-kms]

Santorini by the Sea

Indulge me for a minute: try to imagine the most succulent Adonis you can think of. Now, play in Spotify the Mamma Mia! playlist, choose your favorite Abba song and imagine yourself wearing Meryl Streep’s dungarees or at least some blue outfit that matches the traditional domes you had in mind. Now, dance and sing your heart out with this Adonis by the Caldera, the major iconic Greek bay landscape. That’s exactly how Santorini was portrayed in my mind, and except for the Adonis, the rest was absolutely on point!

After a ridiculously short flight of less than 40 mins from Athens, I landed in Santorini Airport where the driver was waiting to pick me up and take me to the Airbnb. We decided to stayed in Imieroviglie, the picturesque town in between Oia and Thira/Fira. It was a great location away from the touristic noise yet very secluded, so the best choice we made was renting a car to make our stayed way more enjoyable. This decision didnt come easy, since during our first day, we walked like crazy and dealt with tons of transport issues. Hence, regardless and because of that, we decided to treat ourselves. First, with a great lunch at Aegeon, the only opened place at 11 am in Imieroviglie on our way to Thira/Fira. A delicious salmon, some seafood orzo and fava dip was paired to perfection on this spotless and unique location overlooking the Caldera. It was fantastic and a very much needed delight to continue our walking expedition.

After a quick walk around Thira/Fira, we went back to our Airbnb to get ready for sunset time in Oia, on the opposite side of the island. This place is beautiful, yet it gets super crowded quite easily, specially when the tourist busses arrive at the exact sunset time and people get desperate to find a viewing spot. We used our understated Indiana Jones skills to get a unique spot at the Castle, which is by far the best place to watch the sunset. One great tip is to sit not facing the sun, but actually against it, in order to have the perfect sky colors and clouds show, instead of just watching a blinding-bright circle. Also, this is the part of the world where you want to be staring at Oia instead of the sun, so trust us when trying to get a spot facing the island and not the other way round. The sun’s dimming light towards the white and blue city is a unique spectacle worth the wait, shot and crowd. 

The sky was already changing colors, the typical island foggy weather was blurring the sun, and some of the tourists were getting clingier and clingier, so we called it a day. We wanted to keep the memory intact rather than to spoil it with crazy flashes and overexcited crowds. It was the perfect moment to leave since the town was empty, concentrating everyone within the few blocks around the castle and sunset site, so we had it all for ourselves and took advantage of it to take marvelous and EMPTY pictures! We later found a fantastic spot to have dinner, overseeing the sea and a very last glimpse of sunset light. We entered to Lotza, a family-run taverna, with very tasty and vast food portions ready to satisfy your cravings after our survival sunset adventure. We were craving for dessert, and during the three nights we stayed in Santorini, we crossed the street in front of our Airbnb and asked for dessert: chocolate volcano, and we ate it in bed. It was yummy! The very last day, I wanted to check out what else besides the dessert was available, so I went by myself to White Restaurant and ask for the dish of the day, and it was a very soft and tasty roaster in wine and soup, with tomato sauce with some Greek pasta that was absolutely perfect for the windy evening. 

Although we walked and walked a lot, and once again, we are convinced it’s the best way to explore unknown city parts - and seriously, who doesn’t love a very nice stroll down the hills of Santorini?- , our beautiful Fiat 500 AKA “La Macchina” gave us a lot of freedom to roam around the island, disregarding the bus schedules and the ticketing people’s shouts. I guess since it was the very end of the season, people in Santorini were a little bit ruder than in other parts of Greece, not wanting to work anymore or at least without much patience nor love, since they already did it for 3 months non-stop (not an excuse, but still understandable) and they know people will still be coming. And once again, can’t stress this enough, this rudeness was only found in Santorini, specially in Thira/Fira and Imieroviglie, so the further you went away from the touristic places, the better you were treated, and in the other islands as well as in Athens, the story was completely different, with smiles and gratitude everywhere you went. My ferry got cancelled and I had to deal with the same not-very-friendly disposition of these people downtown Thira/Fira, but everything changed when we found the exception that makes the rule: Artemis, from Sunbird rent a car. This is the lovely owner of the place, which not only works as a car rental, the only one open in the morning and off-season, but also offers a superb service. Their fleet is very good, she recommended us different cars and convinced us with the beautiful, convertible mustard Fiat 500 (drove by two Italians ;)) and she mentioned all the important places we should visit around, with great recommendations that made the whole difference during our stayed. Thank you, Artemis! You changed and shaped our trip! <3 

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines, coz our zig-zag route across Santorini is about to begin! We went to Akrotiri lighthouse, the southwestern point of Santorini and hence, the one that was further away from us. We decided to go there first and start exploring the rest in our way back. We found an incredible isolated church, which according to Google Maps, should be Agios Eleftherios: it was beautiful and peaceful. We decided to chill for a while before heading to the beaches around the area. Red Beach, Black Beach and White Beach are right next to each other, although the White one can only be accessed by ferry boat -which we decided not to do- these three beaches were created by unique soil shores that form natural bays, resulting in a breathtaking view by the crystal waters of the Aegean sea.

We stoped on some few pitstops to admire the view and also to get some yummy Freddo Capucinnos, the best one being in Akrotiri, the little cafe located on the main corner of the town. Following Artemis recommendations, we headed to Megalochori Village. Megalochori is one of the most picturesque villages on the island. Its existence is recorded back to the 17th century. Home to historical mansions, old traditional houses, pirate hideaways and wine canvas, it has a history of merchants and wealthy land barons exporting Vinsanto wine that the island still produces. We had lunch at Petrino , located on Megalochori central square. Not only was a great location but also our restaurant of choice was the one that became fully packed in comparison to the other two that were next to it. We had some fried calamari and fresh tomato pasta. We left little room for dessert in another beautiful spot near by. 

The other mini town and historical settlement Artemis recommended was Pyrgos, few kilometers away from Megalochori. Damn, those narrow tiny street, what a headache for my out of practice driving skills, and also, I’ve never driven such a small and cute car before, so my space and surrounding awareness was almost inexistent. Thank God for Mau’s road love. According to Greece-is.com “Pyrgos, the largest preserved village on Santorini and the island’s former capital. Strategically built in the heart of the pre-volcanic hinterland and at the foot of Mount Profitis Ilias, Pyrgos affords panoramic views (...) although its charm is different: more subdued, less picture-perfect, little advertised”. We found the best table, of the best restaurant in Pyrgos. It’s call Penelope and it’s also family owned. We had some delicious espresso with the best view, underneath the main bell tower. Divine. Magical. 

We continue to explore the 2 missing beaches we had left, which happened to be the largest ones in Santorini as well. Empty, only few solo travelers were there. Perfect to rest on the now free beach chairs and beds by the sun. They are right next to each other on the southerneast point of the island. Perissa Beach and Perivolos Beach were our last contact with Santorini waters, yet it was too cold to jump in. We decided to go straight to the northern point, passing Oia, to watch the sunset in a more secluded, less touristy environment: Ammoudi Bay.

We wanted to check out Dimitri’s Fish Taverna (you can’t go more Greek than that!) but it was full and did not take reservations. We went to the area regardless, and when trying to have a seat on the first available restaurant, they didn’t want to give us a table by the shore, but instead one by the aisle. We decided to continue, since there were other restaurants with few tables by the shore, and this was the best thing that could happen to us: we found the feast we didnt know we needed at Sunset Ammoudi. Not only they greeted us warmly and gave us the table we asked for - regardless of it being pre-booked by someone who was late - but also the food, was exquisite. 

Never again during my stayed in Greece nor in my life had I tried such a delicious, creamy and perfect shrimp saganaki. With Mau we tend to shared all our dishes so we could try as many things as possible, but man, how I regret sharing this particular meal. It was all so perfect, we should have ordered a double order of everything and avoid the octopus. Although this one was fresh and tasty, it couldn’t compete with the shrimp and with the softly baked and grated feta eggplant. As I’m typing this, all my saliva comes to mouth and I can re-feel its unforgettable taste. These dishes, with the unique sunset, the delicious and fresh white wine and being on the edge of the pier -literally-, was the highlight of Santorini and the perfect way to greet our trip goodbye. Next morning Mau was flying to Napoli and I was taking a ferry to Mykonos. So, au revoir my friend, I’ll see you around sooner that we think! So glad and happy to have shared all this beauty with you!

Ammoudi Bay is indeed a must-go hidden spot. When everyone else is focused on Oia (with true reason, since the view is exactly as you pictured and imagined it) this bay is quiet, has a fresh breeze that messes up with your hair, leaving it a little bit saltier than before and it’s located exactly below and opposite to Oia. It’s hard to reach, since there’s only a secluded route by the shore, or you can also take the famous Greek donkeys down from Oia. Although picturesque, I guess due to EU laws as well as international pro-animals movements, there weren’t as many as I thought they might be, yet you can see - and smell - random donkeys roam freely around the island. 

This sunset, with the evening mist, the sea scent and the feast flavor happening in my mouth, reassured me, one more time, that Greece makes me happy. Mamma mia!, blue clothes, abba sing-a-long happy. You should give it a try. Trust me: you wont regret it. 

[starstruckcloudgalaxy]

The Isle of Lewis and Harris is a unique case among the islands of Britain, dear friends: it’s divided in two; the northern part is called Lewis, and the southern part Harris. And the division isn’t at the narrowest point, either, where Tarbert, the capital of Harris is situated, but it goes right through the island further north.

As I’ve told you, Stornoway with its population of 8,000 is by far the biggest town on the island; Tarbert is much smaller, its population is about 550, and the whole Isle of Harris is less populated than the Isle of Lewis – which, I hoped, meant that we’d get to see some REALLY rural scenes there.

And we weren’t disappointed: as the roads became narrower towards Tarbert, sheep (which these days even in Ireland and Scotland are usually neatly kept within their fenced fields) started appearing near and then on the road! What fun for a city girl like me who rarely gets a chance to see farm animals from a close distance…

Then we came into Tarbert, a pretty little settlement with a small harbour from where ferries go to the small surrounding islands. Picturesque houses on the hillside, traditional little shops and cosy tea houses – Tarbert is well worth a visit!

The most famous feature of Tarbert, though, is its distillery, the first one on the island. Founded in 2015, it’s already produced some fabulous gin, while its whisky is still maturing in the barrels. At the shop, you can buy Harris Gin, tonic water and other local products, and at the soup kitchen you’ll get some real home-made Scottish soup or a piece of home-made cake – and a gin and tonic, of course!

We went on to the southern part of Harris – here the roads get really narrow, and there are stopping points for letting cars pass that occasionally come from the other direction. If you’re looking for complete peace and quiet, you’re just right here! The landscape is breath-taking, with lochs among the hills and marvellous sandy beaches on the seaside.

At the southern tip of Harris, there’s a medieval church you shouldn’t miss when exploring the island; St. Clement’s Church. Some of the old MacLeod chieftains are buried here, and the Gothic architecture is really interesting; you can take photos as you like, and you can even climb the narrow stairs all the way up the tower!

Well, that was all from our wonderful island holiday – at some point, we had to go back to the mainland and home to London… We’d decided to take it easy this time, though, and do the return journey in two days; which meant that we had to find a room for the night somewhere. We took the ferry back to Ullapool, where the bus to Inverness was already waiting – perfect! It’s a lovely ride through the Highlands, just like driving through a postcard…

We reached Inverness in the early evening, and all we needed now was a hotel room there… It did take some time and searching (after all, this was the holiday season, and Inverness is absolutely full with tourists going on walking tours up the mountains), but we found a nice little room at the Waverley Guest House – so now we could explore the town…

Inverness, the ‘gateway to the Highlands’, is a lively little city, the most important one in the whole region and very popular among tourists from all over the world. So, of course, it provides lots of eateries and pubs and entertainment! We had a couple of whiskies, and a fantastic ‘Hebridean Pizza’ – with haggis and black pudding, of course, those two great Scottish national products…

The next morning, it was time to get back to London – quite honestly, I’d started feeling so much at home in Scotland I didn’t want to leave! We got the train back to King’s Cross station – and there we were again, back in the city rush, with people running past you and shoving you, loudspeaker announcements, police sirens; a bit of a shock for a moment… But, of course, we’ve now got new lovely memories from a wonderful trip – and, especially when I’m wearing my new outfit, I still feel very Scottish!

If you’re planning a trip to the Outer Hebrides, dear friends – and I can assure you, you’ll have the time of your life there! – here’s a very useful website with all the necessary information:

www.isle-of-lewis.com

See you soon, friends, and Alba gu brath – Scotland forever!

Our magical trip to Scotland – Part 6: Isle of Harris The Isle of Lewis and Harris is a unique case among the islands of Britain, dear friends: it’s divided in two; the northern part is called Lewis, and the southern part Harris.

[barefootbeautician]

Motorbiking across Vietnam!

The good, the bad and the weather.

If you have decided you want to motorbike Vietnam, woo go you! This is an amazing experience but WOW was it hard physically and mentally. Motorbikes are a part of life in this country with over 30 million taking up the roads. This was my first time ever riding a motorbike and believe me, if you can ride a bike here, you can ride one anywhere in the world!

While cruising the highway we saw some very interesting sights; from families of five on one bike, to a massive cage of ducks coming off every part of a bike! How they balance all the different things on these small bikes amazes me.

Riding in Vietnam is not for the faint hearted, there seems to be little to no rules on these roads. Green light means go, amber still go and the count down from 5 on the red light still means go. There is no right of way on a roundabout with people honking left, right and centre for you to move! However honking is a normal thing here, it usually means "I'm about to overtake you" or "I'm next to you so don't turn". It scared the hell out of me when a massive truck honked something sounding like a fog horn next to me, while overtaking a bus going into incoming traffic. I have many memories of almost being squashed so being alert and remember to move out the way is the best advice. They are a lot bigger and don't seem to care about you on your small bike.

Rent or buy a motorbike

I believe this is a personal preference whether to buy or rent your mighty steed. We opted for renting as the company we went for were great! It was so easy to rent it in Hanoi and drop it off in Ho Chi Minh. The guy was great throughout our trip and let us know the best places to do bike services down the country. It was also very nice not to have to worry about selling the bike at the end, we were on quite a tight schedule so being able to just leave the bike and get our deposit back, was one less thing to stress about. The only slight set back is you do have a set date to give the bike back by so make sure you give yourself enough time to make it all the way down and not have to rush. The fee varies from company to company so just read the small print and make sure you get the bike back in time and all will be good.

Saying all of this, in the backpacker areas, bikes are easy to find and cheap to buy. So if you want one you can decorate and call your own, then this is a great thing to do. Make sure you have your paper registration (blue card) when buying a bike. You will need this to sell the bike and it's your proof of ownership if you get stopped at road blocks. Just remember to test drive a few first and make sure everything works. Repairs are cheap along the way, but it won't be fun to break down in the middle of a highway.

Whether you buy or rent your bike always remember to name it! Makes it more fun:) In the picture above you will see our mighty steeds- Ronald and Wilson.

Accommodation

We never had trouble finding places to crash for a night or two. We used hostels, Airbnb and couchsurfing. We loved couchsurfing, it was a great way to stay with locals and learn more about the culture. We always booked a day ahead as it was nicer to know we had somewhere to rest after a long day of driving. Mixing up your budgets is good too, so if we did couchsurfing for a few nights, we would splurge a bit on our next place. When I say splurge, it never broke the bank as all accommodation is pretty cheap.

Food and coffee

Phò

This had to be one of my favourite dishes! After a long ride in the ice cold rain, this hot noodle soup was perfect and tasted delicious. It's eaten at any time of day but mainly for breakfast. It's a very light but filling meal consisting of light beef broth flavoured with ginger and coriander, flat rice noodles, spring onions and slivers of raw beef that cook in the broth. It's so yummy!

Banh Mi

What a magical sandwich! The best place we had one was in Hoi An. This baguette sandwich is filled with crunchy salad, pork pate, slow roasted pork and sriracha sauce. There are different meat fillings but the pork was my favourite. Super filling and full of amazing flavour.

Goi cuon

One of Vietnams most favourite dishes. Translucent spring rolls packed with greens, coriander and various combinations of minced pork, shrimp or crab. You can also dip them in fish sauce which really adds to the flavour of these delicious rolls!

The motorcycle trip

Starting in the busy centre of Hanoi we took 4 weeks to ride down the coast to Ho Chi Minh. Through winding roads, freezing rain, busy highways and bright sunshine. Unfortunately for us, it rained 3 weeks out of the 4 which wasn't fun on a motorbike. We went through alot of ponchos, a rain coat and pants, bin bag under layers for warmth and plastic bags for our feet, as you can imagine, they were some very attractive outfits.

I'm not going to write every place we visited as some were only for one night to rest our tired heads. We started in Hanoi so the places will be in order from top to bottom. So I'll just be writing the places with the best memories:)

Hanoi

The capital city of Vietnam, the starting or finishing point for many Vietnam motorbike itineraries. I would suggest staying in the Old quarter ( Hoan Kiem) as it’s always busy with tourists and locals. It’s ideal for backpackers who want to be close to it all, eat great authentic food and enjoy the nightlife. However we were not very clued up when it came to staying here and unfortunately booked an Airbnb way out of the happening area. It was very interesting trying to order food at a Vietnamese restaurant where there was no English on the menu and no one spoke English. It made for a fun guessing game trying to not order chickens feet!

Ha Long Bay

There are so many boat cruises in this place to take you around the hundreds of freestanding islands. We went on a 2 day boat tour which included food, alcohol and a bed for the night. On this tour we got to walk around in a massive cave, checkout a floating pearl farm and climb to the top of one of the islands to see an amazing view. This is definitely worth doing however there are thousands of tourists which kind of takes the magic away and unfortunately we had rain the whole time. There wasn't much else to do in Ha Long bay for us, so we left after a couple days and carried on our adventure south.

Journey from there to Hue was pretty boring for us. All the rain, evil bed bugs and very long cold rides. Nothing worth chatting about but it finally looked up from Hue.

Hue

FINALLY SEEN SUNSHINE!! I was starting to forget what blue sky looks like and the feeling of sun on my skin. We only spend one night here and found it pretty cool. The food and coffee was really good and the bars were fun. Only thing that annoyed us was a crazy amount of people on bikes trying to sell you cannabis, obviously say no because most of them work with the police to catch people.

Da Nang

Loved Da Nang! Full of history, good food and beautiful views. The Hai Van Pass, which was made famous by an episode of Top Gear, is a definite must! Beautiful winding roads and incredible ocean views make it any motorbikers dream.

Once you've finished with this amazing drive, The Golden Bridge was awesome to see! The best time to go is as soon as it opens at 8am so you miss the massive rush of tourists and tour groups which is about 10 a.m onwards. There are so many people on the bridge it takes away the splendor of it. Also when you go early, you will most likely see loads of brides and grooms taking beautiful wedding pictures which was nice to see.

The cable car ride up to the bridge is one of the longest in the world and it's so much fun! Breathtaking views the whole way up and if you do go early, you usually get the cart to yourself.

Another must do is The Marble Mountains. These amazing mountains are full of tunnels, caves and Buddhist shrines just waiting to be explored! If you have plenty of energy and love a good mission, you can climb to the summit of one of the mountains and feast your eyes on spectacular views over the entire area.

Last but not least, is the Son Tra Peninsula. At the size of over 4000 hectares, this beautiful rainforest is massive! It juts out into the sea from the city of Da Nang with hikes to go on, incredible views and untouched beaches.

Hoi An

This was the first place that had a real backpacker feel to it. Plenty of hostels to choose from, great food all around and nightclubs next to the beach. We stayed in a hostel called "Tribee Ede hostel" which had a relaxing pool and buzzing bar area. Drinking games were played most evenings and even an amazing free food tour once a week. As I said earlier, Hoi An definitely has the best Banh Mi in Vietnam, along with other very tasty foods to try.

If your looking to get a suit or dress tailored, this is the place, with over 50 tailor shops to choose from and very fast service. I got a dress tailored within 24 hours!

Nha Trang

We weren't here for long but it was quite a cool place. Our hostel had free beer for a couple of hours at their rooftop bar which was awesome. Plus a yummy meal shared with other travelers, which was a great way to meet other backpackers and swap stories of Vietnam.

Dalat

Our hostel was not the best here, it had a curfu to be back by or they would lock the doors! So obviously we pushed boundaries ;) Most unusual thing I've come across with a hostel. So unfortunately we couldn't stay out past midnight but we still managed to have some fun. The best thing we found in Dalat was the Maze Bar! Never seen anything like it! It was literally a maze inside a building with bars on different floors, full of secret spots and a beautiful rooftop maze with a view of the city.

Ho Chi Minh

The last place on our Vietnam roadtrip! There is lots to do in this busy city. We were only here a few days so didn't do a huge amount. However going to a rooftop bar is a must here. We couldn't actually afford a drink at the one we went to, but did get to see the amazing view of the city!

We were lucky enough to be here for New Years Eve and got to meet up with a bunch of awesome travellers we met in Hoi An. New Years was such a crazy experience! With the most iconic strip of bars and clubs we have ever seen, packed with thousands of people enjoying the festivities.

After New Years madness we had to say goodbye to our mighty steeds! It was one of the best but hardest 4 weeks, full of amazing food, beautiful coffee, a lot of rain and great friends! Biking Vietnam... Not for the faint hearted.

[gamerzcourt]

Playing Games On Your Phone Is Good, ActuallyPlaying Games On Your Phone Is Good, Actuallyvideo games

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Playing Games On Your Phone Is Good, ActuallyPlaying Games On Your Phone Is Good, Actuallyvideo games

I’m a handheld video game enthusiast. I’m sure of this, because people in the office make fun of how much I use and love the PlayStation Vita (hi, CNET!). The first console I owned was a Game Boy, and I’ve owned and loved every Nintendo and Sony portable released since (even the PocketStation). I have a long commute, so I always have a dedicated gaming device in my backpack. But lately, I’ve been spending an exceptional amount of time on a platform I had previously written off: an iPhone.

Now that your eyes have rolled, I want to clarify that I’m not talking about the kinds of games you might traditionally associate with being “phone games,” though I do love those–I’ve played far more than a healthy amount of Marvel Puzzle Quest, and I love playing the cool stuff that crops up in the bespoke iOS scene: Florence, Reigns, Threes, 80 Days, and anything by Zach Gage. Instead, my recent revelation involves the kinds of video games that I would have previously preferred to play on a home console or PC.

Florence is pretty cool. You should play Florence.

Here’s an obvious statement: There’s never been a better time to be a handheld gamer. The 3DS is filled with great, unique first-party Nintendo titles. If you like Japanese RPGs, 2D platformers, and revisiting the finest titles in the original PlayStation library, the Vita is incredibly good, I promise (that OLED screen! That d-pad!). And of course, the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic hybrid console that redefined what kinds of games I could expect from a portable system.

Now, thanks to my phone, I’m getting that same Switch-style buzz once again. I recently took a vacation, and as usual, I packed my three portable consoles to entertain me during periods of extended downtime. The thing is, you can’t always prepare for when or where extended downtime happens. For one reason or another, there were a few times where I felt like playing a video game, didn’t have a console on me, and eventually was content to see what was on my phone so I could stop looking at the ocean or whatever for 15 minutes.

Tired of what I already had installed, I browsed the App Store for anything that caught my eye, and a free demo of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI was what did it. I’d been thinking about picking it up again on Switch, and was now morbidly curious to see how it ran on an iPhone. As it turns out, pretty well. It was visually impressive enough to pop on the small screen, ran smoothly with a smartly adjusted UI, and didn’t appear to have any feature concessions compared to the PC version. It was also the perfect game to play on a portable device: slow-paced and turn-based.

Civ VI on an iPhone–it’s better than you think, but still a little pricey.

That experience was a turning point for me, and I learned a bunch of things at that moment. One: 30 bucks is too much money to pay for a second copy of Civ VI, especially when it doesn’t have the expansions. Two: Phones are capable of surprising technical performance. Three: The best console is the one you have with you. Four: The convenience of being able to download games wherever is very good. Five: I don’t have five things.

I’m very aware that all the people I see playing PUBG and Fortnite on the train, as well as the entirety of China, are eager to tell me how late to the party I am. But ever since then, I feel like I’ve reconfigured the part of my brain that decides what kind of games would be more suitable as a PC, console, or handheld experience. For certain titles, I’ve managed to overcome the mental hurdle that stops me from tackling my pile of shame with a newfound curiosity that wants to see how differently they play on a phone.

I really enjoy playing short, focused games. But I’ve missed out on a bunch because I’ve always believed that I needed to dedicate a good chunk of time in front of a monitor in order to get through one, and often by the time I get home from work, all I want to do is play more Tetris 99 or, you know, spend time with my family. But ever since I got over myself, I’ve managed to play and finish a bunch of 2018 games I’d put on hold in a week’s worth of public transit rides–games like Donut County, The Stillness of the Wind, and The Gardens Between. I recently picked up Whispers Of A Machine after resolving myself to the fact that I was never going to find the time to sit down at a PC to play it, and as it turns out, my phone is perfect for the point-and-click adventure games I love so much. These more technically conservative titles also perform virtually like-for-like with their desktop versions, which helped eliminate my fears of opting for a “lesser” experience.

Even more graphically demanding titles can impress: I already own two different versions of challenging puzzler The Witness, but never found the courage to finish it. I then bought it for my phone, and I was surprised by how decent it looked. More importantly, I found myself building a different kind of relationship with it–one that I hope will finally help me see the end. If I’m stuck on a particularly hard puzzle, I can easily put it away and mull over it while I do something else. And, because it loads right where you left off, I can take another quick stab at it while I wait for a coffee.

The Witness–I’m not going to let Jonathan Blow defeat me.

However, I’m not completely abandoning my other handhelds–Persona Q2 and Cadence of Hyrule just came out, after all. I’ll absolutely chase after any game that gets me excited, but I’m finding that the convenience of form factor also plays a big part in what I now choose to pull out. If it’s standing room only on my train, or I want to lie sideways in bed, I’m less hesitant to pull out a Switch. The Switch is great, but it’s a little too big in these instances. It really isn’t a big deal to pull out a phone. Certain games, like The Gardens Between, Elder Scrolls Blades, and various Dragon Quest ports, have the option to be played with one hand in portrait mode, which I am incredibly thankful for.

The relatively lower price points for the iOS versions of games (unless you’re 2K or Square Enix) takes the sting out of having to buy some of these titles for the second time. I’m happy to throw down a few bucks to give myself a portable version of something I know I liked, but want to find more avenues to play. The convenience of being able to download the games over a cellular network instantly helps, too. I had a sudden hankering to play a good tactical strategy game on the way to work the other day, so I redownloaded XCOM: Enemy Within on iOS. It’s not as good as XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen, but it was available and ready to be downloaded as soon as I had that impulse. I saw GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain tweet about Pocket Cities, so I gave that a try (I liked it). While I was walking, I heard Giant Bomb talk about Brawl Stars on a podcast, so I downloaded that too (I didn’t like it). Everyone is still talking about The Outer Wilds, but it’s a game that I can’t find a spare few hours in front of my PC to download and actually play. The ability to quickly feed my whims on a phone is incredibly useful.

I came to another realization while thinking about my new habits. When the Apple Arcade game subscription was announced in March, I thought it sounded interesting, but outside of a few games that I was already planning to play on other platforms, it didn’t think it was for me. I’m not an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, nor an Origin Access person. I don’t want to pay a monthly fee for access to a bunch of games I’m not going to play. I’m a Nintendo Online subscriber, but I rarely play the included library of NES games because I forget to download them until I’m browsing the library on a bus.

Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently expressed a similar skepticism over video game subscription services on an investor call, saying “people do consume video games differently than they consume linear entertainment.”

He explained: “In the case of video games, it is possible that the average user in those 45 hours might be playing one, two, maybe three titles; certainly not 70 titles. In that event, if you play one, two, or three titles and you play them for months in a row–which often happens in [the video game world]–then a subscription model may not be such a great deal for the customer.”

I’m beginning to change my mind, however. I’ve installed and played over two dozen games on my phone since my revelation, most of which I can access on different platforms–but I haven’t. It’s been a pretty positive experience that’s been assisted by the ability to easily jump between games on a whim and download them anywhere I am.

Apple Arcade is currently poised to include a bunch of games that I was already keen on–Sayonara Wild Hearts, The Pathless, Beyond A Steel Sky, Klei’s Hot Lava, and ustwo’s Repair–and if they’re all going to be readily available on my phone there’s a way better chance I’ll actually play all of them. I’ve already got early access to tactical survival game Overland on PC, but I’ll be damned if that isn’t a perfectly-suited portable game. I can totally see the reasoning behind Apple’s big push into the video game space now–they likely want to stay competitive with the likes of Microsoft and Google, of course, but they’re also capitalizing on a different kind of gaming behavior which I’m only just cottoning on to.

I can’t wait to play more Overland.

An Apple Arcade subscription will also give you access to these games on MacOS and on Apple TV, which seems handy for when I actually have a chance to sit still for a while. Additionally, Apple recently launched the ability to connect Xbox One and PS4 controllers to iOS and Apple TV, which suggests that they’re interested in keeping their platform as flexible as possible. That’s a nice touch, because if there’s one thing I still haven’t come around to, it’s playing complex action games with a touchscreen interface–I don’t know how the people who play PUBG on the train do it.

I’m surprised at how much I’ve come to genuinely appreciate my phone as a portable gaming device. The convenience of accessibility make it incredible for catering to whims, it runs a variety of the games I personally love to play (and in some instances, ones that can’t be found on any other platform), and I can use it in situations where it’d be too uncomfortable to use any other portable. I can’t believe it took me so long to take it seriously–I could’ve actually finished The Witness and become a genius by now, instead of embarrassing myself with a PS Vita for years.

(I’m sorry, PS Vita. I didn’t mean that. You’re still cool, no matter what anyone says.)

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